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June was a whirlwind. Our last month with Brandi and Nick in Georgia, they returned for two weeks after school finished, and we traveled. Ten nights in hotels, or the cabin, and running out of clean clothes at the end, we made the most of every minute.
We started in Pennsylvania, in Huntingdon with Brandi's family. Andy set us up in the Patrick Lodge, a cabin in the Blue Diamond Forest. We ate wild strawberries from the yard, and built a campfire, miles from town. On Saturday night we stayed up playing Euchre with Andy and Michelle until 2 AM, and the boys ran outside all night... all I remember is them in their boxers literally hanging from the ceiling on the porch.
Nick got some good time in with his Pappy, fishing in Tyrone, and partying into the night at our hotel with a portable popcorn burner and the hotel pool. We walked Daddy Bobby's property before we left, to see the barn, pick from the garden, and count beer bottles! We ate at Paesano's nearly every night, and one evening Brandi worked for an hour when the crowd was too much.
The next stop was Chicago, where I had the Tufte Seminar on Monday, so we spent the weekend ahead of time at the Hilton Chicago. Nick got to swim, and the hotel was packed from an Indian wedding, which made people-watching all the more fun. The weekend was full of incredible food, from an amazing meal at Tasori, to killer blood-orange margaritas at Ceasar's in Wrigleyville. Nick rode the elevated train for the first time from Harrison to Belmont, on our way to see Blue Man Group which was a fantastic show. We walked five miles on the first day, came away with so-so macaroons and tired feet. The rest period was a horse-drawn carraige ride led by Durango. On the last day, which I worked, Brandi and Nick went to the Field Museum to see Sue, the largest T-Rex skeleton.
We returned to Detroit to catch the Tigers/Reds game with Bo and Robin. Nick was in his usual form, hitting on Robin, and generally being too fresh with his hands. Brandi got a little action, too, as a young guy tried to pick her up in the concession line. Nick cried when the cotton candy ran out early, but he was even more upset with the 4-2 loss. I will remember the 'pee emergency' which should be the last time he tries to hold it for hours.
When July begins, they'll be back in Michigan for at least the summer. We'll see!
So many pictures this month. Enjoy!
- Jason
As the school year comes to a close, Nick leaves second grade with straight 'A's and the recognition of the school for his grades never dropping below 90%. He did get summoned to the principal's office once near the end. I don't know what for, because when I asked him what happened, he said, "I told him Ms. Anderson is driving me nuts."
He still has a line for everything. I asked Nick to take care of his mother, and he mumbled as he walked away, "That's a tall order." I told him, "You don't have a serious bone in your body," to which he replies, "I got a serious bone for you.. right here! (and points to his crotch.) "I may not be the best looking guy but at least I don't have boogers." Can't argue with that.
We went for a nature walk at a park in Atlanta, with miles of paths. Nick was a trooper, making it roughly 4 miles (venting a little at the section of the path where 'whining' was allowed!) We expected a little more, but the shade was pretty good, and Brandi and I enjoyed it. The large barn was a showcase along the walk. We wrapped up our walk just in time to see the movie 'Home'. Nothing great, but a good show.
While the iPad never gets old, he's now into Gary's Mod, a PC-based game. He and Thatcher spend hours building stuff, I have no idea what they're doing.
Some other pictures are from my trip to Cincinnati at the end of the month. Brandi and Nick had just finished school the day before, and didn't make it. I spent Memorial Day weekend watching Noah play baseball, and thoroughly enjoyed it. And some of us got downtown to Taste of Cincinnati in the evening, where we tested all sorts of interesting foods and microbrews.
The other few pictures are from the Medieval Festival which Brandi and Nick attended in Atlanta.
All the pics are here.
- Jason
With the arrival of spring comes baseball. We played it, we watched it... I watched it more than Nick, but he was indeed following along much closer at the ballpark this time. First we organized a game with the boys (and Maddie) one afternoon at the cul-de-sac in the neighborhood, and played a solid three innings. Everyone got a hit and scored a run. From drawing bases in the blacktop with a stone to picking teams through captains, we did it the old fashioned way (and the boys looked at me like I was an alien as I organized us.)
We went to the Braves v Reds game on Friday night, as the boys remembered that was fireworks night. We had great seats, upper deck, front row along the rail, directly across from the fireworks over left field. It was a perfect evening, with good food (when he eats too much and doesn't want to talk about it he says, "I'm trying to keep my eyes off my stomach,") and a Braves win. In the absence of an iPad, Nick followed the game, asking about stats and scores, calling out those things he noticed on the field (such as Nick Markakis.) He recognized a player named Jimmie Johnson, and says, "Wow, that guy races cars, too!" Really, most of the game was me with one hand on Nick, and Brandi with one hand on Thatcher, to make sure neither one toppled over the railing onto the deck below. And now he's got a bit of a southern drawl in his delivery, too. At one point I run him down to the restroom and he's moving slow. I ask if he's alright, and he says yes... then mumbles, "You can't fight nature." I suppose not.
He's concluded he likes barbecue ribs.
The photo of him under the cupboards was visiting an apartment for rent and Nick says, "There's good counter space."
And the month did start with Easter, and a return to Michigan for the week. He had a short hunt at the house, and another hunt at the hotel. He was very good about not running all the smaller children over and getting everyone involved. But he took cleanup duty upon himself, and made sure every egg was collected when the event was over.
Photos here from April.
- Jason
Nick was back on the Atlantic Ocean this month with a trip to Jacksonville for a week. We had all of four hours of sun the entire week, and made the most of it on the beach, digging in the sand and chasing birds (I bet him $20 he couldn't catch one... Brandi jumped into the game for a $100 payout. No winners.) We had a couple nice meals for Brandi's birthday week, at Barbara Jean's on the water was Nick's favorite. One afternoon I took him to the Museum of Science and History, which was kinda like school; we saw an awesome science show about air (there was fire and pressure... anything that explodes is in Nick's interest sphere.) There was still schoolwork to be done, and I helped Nick each morning with flashcards (he can do them upside down, too), and geometry. We got back a day early for Nick's 'Producers and Consumers' day at school, where he sold roughly 30 small clay charms/figures (which he made by hand) to other second graders. He was the 'Clay Polishing Pioneer' (he named his company.) At one stop in our travels, he's with me in a public restroom, and I hear him flush the throne and say, "That was anti-climactic." I had never thought about it.
Earlier in the month we spent a weekend on Knoxville, just as a getaway for a few days. We visited a local recreation park called Ijams, which was mostly a small nature center and some muddy trails. Dinner later was at Calhoun's along the river downtown, where we had an awesome table, and a nice walk along the riverwalk afterwards. Nick is heavy into the game Hangman now, which we play often in restaurants while waiting for our food. It's his turn, and he has to create the word... he looks at me and says, "Move your arm I can't see your shirt," as he takes the word off my shirt (which said Bowling Green). Ha! And we returned to the hunting and fishing store Nick loves, to get him a large stuffed shark pillow, which accompanied us everywhere.
- Jason
Nick's school held a Sweetheart Dance, and he took his mama as his date. He danced with his friends, had some refreshments... the usual dance thing, this being his first time.
He's had access to text or FaceTime us since he first got his iPad, but he rarely contacts us, unless there's a picture of a shark he must share. The first time he decided to FaceTime us, when we were both away from him, it was poorly timed. Let's just say he was supposed to be asleep, and we weren't in a position to take his call!
We went to Stone Mountain one sunny afternoon with Thatcher and Nick, but there wasn't much to do with the indoor playground unexpectedly closed. We got more fun from the trusty old YMCA for a swim, and a pizza afterwards at Johnny's. Overall, it was a quiet month. Although, after a year in Georgia, I'm starting to notice a southern drawl on a few words (similar to Seth.)
- Jason
The next stop was Chicago, where I had the Tufte Seminar on Monday, so we spent the weekend ahead of time at the Hilton Chicago. Nick got to swim, and the hotel was packed from an Indian wedding, which made people-watching all the more fun. The weekend was full of incredible food, from an amazing meal at Tasori, to killer blood-orange margaritas at Ceasar's in Wrigleyville. Nick rode the elevated train for the first time from Harrison to Belmont, on our way to see Blue Man Group which was a fantastic show. We walked five miles on the first day, came away with so-so macaroons and tired feet. The rest period was a horse-drawn carraige ride led by Durango. On the last day, which I worked, Brandi and Nick went to the Field Museum to see Sue, the largest T-Rex skeleton.
