Stuff Davey says

Davey has been so funny lately in the things he says.  I have got to get some of them down, so I don’t forget them.

Yesterday he told me that he could not get the song by Mr. Rogers Federer out of his head.  You know, “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.”  I told him that it is Mr. Rogers, but he disagreed.  David follows Federer closely and talks about him so I think that is how the Mr. Rogers/ Roger Federer morph occurred.

After Davey’s meltdown the other day at the post office, we talked about how we felt about it for a few minutes.

I told him that it made me feel kind of bad.  He scooted closer to me and said, “Mommy,  I know how you feel.”   Then he said, “Did it make you feel nervous?”  My little therapist.

Yesterday we went to a yarn shop.  There is a nice little area with toys where he likes to play while I look at yarn.  So I was actually picking out some buttons yesterday, and when I was done I told Davey that it was time to go.  We needed to pick up the toys and I offered to help,  but Davey said, “No Mommy.  It is my responsibility.”  He insisted on picking them all up by himself.  Now if only he felt the same responsibility at home!

And finally, we were driving yesterday and Davey said, “Mommy.  I wonder who I will marry some day.”

I was a little flabbergasted and wasn’t sure what to say.  But he continued, “I guess I could marry Olivia.  Olivia says that she is going to marry me.”

I told him that he had a lot of time before he was 40 and needed to think about getting married.  Ok maybe 30.

He just catches me by surprise all the time with the things he says.

Cider Days 2011

Saturday we went to Cider Days.  I can’t believe it has been a year since I wrote about last year’s Cider Days.  We covered pretty much all the same things we did last year.  Bouncy house, burro ride, barrel ride, magic show, and just generally enjoying about the best organized festival we’ve ever been to.  It’s a lot of fun.

I looked at the pictures from last year.  Here’s Davey on Nestor last year.

Here’s Davey on Rambo (yes Rambo!) this year:

Hard to believe he was not quite 3 at this time last year.

They were giving out bottles of bubbles too this year, and Davey enjoyed playing with those.  He tried to blow them for awhile.

Then he found it to be more fun for me to blow them while he chased them around (and sometimes tried to karate kick them).  I love this picture that David took.

It was a beautiful day.

Now it’s starting to cool off more and more each day.  The leaves are really starting to turn here (apparently they are in their full glory in the mountains).

Davey and I were able to play outside today though.   He really wanted to rake leaves this afternoon, but there were only about 12 leaves to rake so far.

He’s fiesty that kid, and I think that sometimes I have to blog about the more trying times and not just the easy times.  Today we were at the post office and he threw a gigantic fit.  Now in hindsight, I can identify several mistakes that I made which might have mitigated or prevented the fit.  But it happened, and I know it does happen. But as he was throwing his fit,  I was feeling helpless and uncertain.  (I’d waited in line without incident for 10 minutes, and I was the next person in line – I wanted to get my postal errand done!) So as I tried to deal with Davey, I found myself asking myself what was worse:  When Davey threw up on me twice in the grocery store or this.  Really.  Covered in Davey puke versus tantrum.  It was a close one.  I think the tantrum was slightly preferable, but only slightly.

But we survived it, and soon Davey and I were recovered and happy again.

Sunken Gardens

It’s been a few weeks since we visited the Sunken Gardens in Lincoln, NE, but I wanted to blog about it anyway.  It was a beautiful place to visit.

We stopped in Lincoln on our way to the wedding in Omaha.  Mom met us there, and before we headed on to Omaha, we stopped at the Sunken Gardens.

The gardens were beautiful.

Mom had enjoyed visiting there when she was a little girl, so it was extra neat to take Davey there.

Davey liked looking at the fish.

There were beautiful water lilies.

And Davey again still watching those fish which were mostly koi.

Pensive Davey? I don’t get to photograph a “quiet” expression too often.

So anyway, if you’re ever in Lincoln or passing through, I’d highly recommend the Sunken Gardens!

Mini Maze and a Pumpkin

Today we went to a pumpkin patch.  We thought we’d look at the pumpkins and then there are usually some kids’ activities as well.

The pumpkins were not actually in the patch anymore, but Davey picked one out that was just his size, and he decided he wanted to bring it home.

There was also a dried corn box (as opposed to a sandbox).  We’d never seen one before.  It was fun to get in it for a few minutes and play with the corn, but we weren’t sure what to do after that.  You can’t really build with dried corn.  You can make a corny mountain and then let corn rain through your fingers.  That was about it for us, but it was neat.

My favorite part was the mini corn maze built just for kids.  It was just my speed.  Last fall we went to a big corn maze at the botanical gardens.  I blogged about our experience in the maze.  We were not crazy about that corn maze.

I think I learned that I may be a little claustrophobic.  I could not wait to get out of that maze.  I didn’t realize that I may have not been too happy to be completely surrounded by corn.

Today’s maze was green growing corn and it was about as high as little Davey’s eye.

I could see all around us at all times.  This made for a great maze experience.  We also didn’t fear that we’d be lost in there for days.

Twenty minutes later we’d found our way out.

I’ll look forward to going through that maze again!

 

Thursday!

It’s Thursday already.   I may have mentioned this before, but the way time seems to fly by extra fast is the only thing I don’t like about teaching.  We think by semesters and then weeks into the semester and then teaching days and it just makes the time seem to fly by.  So for example, it’s already the fall semester, Week 5 and my two teaching days (Monday and Wednesday) are done.  And so all of a sudden it’s Thursday already.

Anyway.

The other day I made some really good chewy granola bars.  I used this recipe.   I changed it up a little.  I didn’t use marshmallows (blech.  I just don’t like marshmallows in sweets.  Well except for smores and slightly blackened over a fire).  I didn’t use the “oat cereal rings” either.  I substituted with dried cranberries and added chia seeds  (Here’s a little information about them if you are curious:  Chia).  They have a little crunch and are kinda like eating sesame seeds (and are supposed to be so good for you!).  We are sprinkling them on everything these days.  So anyway, the granola bars are really good!  Next time, I think I will use almond butter instead of peanut butter.

Davey received a puzzle as a gift recently.  It’s a 1,000 piece puzzle, but we decided to dive right in.  We quickly got overwhelmed and so Davey and I ran to KMart for a 100 piece and a 300 piece puzzle.  We are in training.  Davey wanted the 100 piece glow in the dark puzzle.  It’s pretty neat.  Now we are working on the 300 piece Toy Story poster puzzle.  Davey likes to help me look for edges.   I like this picture of David and Davey working together with their similar expressions (although a little hard to see with this too dark photo).

David has started making us eggs in a hole (we were inspired by the Pioneer Woman Show.)  Davey loves to help.

Working side by side.  Oh and not that I really want to direct any attention to the messy kitchen – my skills in Photoshop are limited, and I can only crop so much – but see the blue and white ceramic wooden spoon holder in the background to the left?  David and I got that on our honeymoon at Silver Dollar City (in Branson MO) 22? years ago.  It’s one of my favorite things.  I’m happy that it has survived for so long (knock on wood).

So that’s about it for now.  I keep hoping to show pictures of my completed Girasole, but I don’t know if it will ever be completed.  I have not had a lot of time to knit, but still I have been working on the edging for a week now!  I’m really hoping to have it done in the next couple of days!  It is going to end up being one of my favorite projects ever.

 

 

 

First day of Soccer – Ever.

Yesterday we went to Davey’s first soccer game and practice.  They actually started a week ago, but Davey had a fever.  He still had a cold yesterday but he was feeling a lot better so we decided it would be ok.

And he was.  He learned a lot on his very first day of soccer ever.

His team has a thirty minute practice and then a thirty minute game.  They practiced with another team yesterday and  had a special coach who I don’t think is with them all the time (I’m still figuring this stuff out myself).

Coach Pete, I think his name was, showed them some drills.   He had a strong maybe Irish accent (which I think the kids were fascinated by – they really listened to him).

And so anyway,  I didn’t quite get what the drills were called.  But  they were yelling out names and then the kids would do something different.

I think this was “Green Bean” (I tried to verify with Davey but  he didn’t provide me with much guidance).

This was perhaps “Baked Bean”?  (Davey just assured me that it was indeed Baked Bean and that yes Green Bean was also correct.)

This was “I fell down and then decided it was time for a little rest”.

Davey really looked like he knew what he was doing here.   He was practicing moving the ball around.  He was doing great.

Then after a short snack of grapes, they started the game.  The field is very small and they played 5 on 5.  (I have no idea how many are in a full big kid soccer game.   Apparently there are 11.  I just googled it.)

The opposing team, however, was having trouble cajoling enough kids out on the field to play.   They did get them out there, and off the kids went.

This was one of the most fun things I have ever watched.

Davey loved to run and run and run.  He was not all that interested in the ball.  Every once in awhile they’d start running, then he’d remember “oh!” and off he’d go often with his arms outstretched like this.

Sometimes they just ran in a long line.

There is no goalie in 3 and 4 year old soccer.   Until Davey decided that he was going to be the goalie.

So they ran around for awhile and it was all great fun.  At the end, they huddled up.  Davey was still focused.

Afterwards, we made a parent tunnel.  It was my first parent tunnel.  I’ll need to get a picture of that somehow.  The kids ran through.  Then they ran through again, and then once or twice more.  They enjoyed this immensely.

Davey’s team is the Lions.  As he relaxed afterward with his juicy juice he roared for me.

 

 

A Boy on a Trampoline

I have so much fun taking pictures of Davey on the trampoline.

It’s because he jumps around with a big grin on his face.

Lots of them turn out blurry, but I kinda like that too.

Every once in awhile he has to pause for a drink.  Jumping makes a person thirsty!

And then back to it  (oh my look at that dirty shirt!).

and a little closer!

The Return of Winkie

So last week we lost Winkie.  I had called the hotels but no one had seen him, so I got Davey a new Winkie.

Two days later, the Holiday Inn in Lincoln called.  They’d found Winkie and they kindly offered to mail him back.

Today Winkie arrived.  Davey and I were headed out to run an errand, and when we opened the door, there was a package on the front porch.  I immediately knew what it was.  Davey just thought “yay yay a package!!!” as he always does.  So I knew he’d want to open it.

And he did. Davey opened the box and he looked a little confused for a moment, but then he smiled and said, “Winkie!” and gave him a big hug.

I explained how Winkie had been left behind at the hotel.  I told him that we had been worried that he would be sad so we got him Winkie’s twin brother Winkie.

Davey was thrilled.   “Mommy!  Thanks so much!  That was so nice of you!”  (I felt a little guilty about this.)

He told me, “This is Winkie’s little twin bruver!”

He hugged them both.

Then he started getting goofy.

He likes to walk toward me when I am trying to take his picture.

So Winkie made it home and everyone is happy!

Big Day at Breckenridge

David’s dad was here visiting for the last several days, and on Friday we took him to Breckenridge.  We all enjoyed it, but it was a big fun day for Davey for sure.

We had lunch in Frisco, and then we had a little photo session with Davey.  He wanted to take pictures of us.  I was fairly nervous watching him hold that heavy camera, but for some crazy reason, I went with it.

He liked taking pictures of us.

Sometimes he didn’t quite get his aim right.

Some were better:

Davey made some canine friends.

He discovered newspaper boxes, and it looks like he wanted to climb right in.

We went up to Breckenridge where Davey got to pan for gold.  He was so careful about shaking the pan, and then he’d turn it very carefully to set it back on the tray thing.

He rode his very first pony all by himself.

He was really concentrating.  His pony’s name was Disco.

While Davey was on the pony, all the other ponies decided it was time to poop.   Davey was not too thrilled with this.  The smell soon got the best of him, and he was ready to get off Disco!

Davey then moved on to a maze with Daddy.  I watched from above.  I still have bad memories from the corn maze last fall.  They did great figuring this one out.

Then they played putt putt.  This was also a first for Davey.

He didn’t want to be bothered with long shots.  He took that ball, marched to the hole and placed it carefully about a foot away.

I was kinda surprised to get an action shot of Davey on a putt putt course.

I took a break from all this activity and knitted on my purple blob for awhile.  I am getting very close to finishing my Girasole.

And then (well there was also a ride in the gondola – but Davey is quite comfortable with that now, and also Mary’s Mountain Cookies (where as usual Davey ate only the icing between the cookies))  we went on a carriage ride.  Davey really liked this too.  Another first for him!

Oh and then he found another newspaper box.  He was quite interested in these today.

After all this, Davey played chase with David.  I guess the icing must have energized him once again.

Whew what a day!

 

And We Went to the Party

I blogged about getting ready for the wedding.  Now here’s after.

Davey was ready for the party!

Before the dancing we had dinner, and the nice lady let him use the mallet on the keys to announce that dinner was beginning.  Davey thought this was pretty darn cool.

Then he needed some energy.

And cake of course.  He had to have cake.  Or as usual – icing.

Energized once again, he was ready to scope things out.

We watched the bride and groom start off the dancing.  It was dark so the photography was a challenge.  But David got some cool looking pics.

This was a Greek wedding with Greek dances.  I didn’t know what I was doing, but we got together with our Aunt Liz (who is also mother of the bride), joined hands, and off we went.

We went round and round and round.  Davey kept going and going and going.   I tried to get the hang of the steps, but my sad attempt at mastering the dance steps pretty much equated to my playing Ring Around the Rosie.  Oh but it was a fun time though!  Davey wasn’t at all concerned with perfect dance steps which was as it should be!