Kids: August 2008 Archives

I hope to write later about the half-marathon (yes, I finished it), but wanted to pass on a couple of humorous things about the kids. We went to Cici’s Pizza for lunch, and Daniel wasn’t too happy about things. (I think he was still tired.) They always having music playing in the background, and one song popped up on the speakers — Rick James’s Super Freak. Daniel immediately stopped complaining and started bopping along to the music. Sean also immediately started grooving. So, here are 2 toddlers grooving along to Super Freak in a restaurant, bopping their heads and shoulders. One of the staff members cleaning tables couldn’t stop laughing at Sean and Daniel getting down. (The next song was Wooly Bully, by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, and they both bopped along to that one, too.)

Which brings us to this video from today. The first scene is from Daniel and Sean feeding on their mid-morning snack. This was while I was away at the race, so Kellie had them sitting next to each other. The second half was when I popped a classic 70s song on the iPod (after we got home from CiCi’s) and both Sean and Daniel immediately started dancing again. Daniel had stopped by the time we took some video, but Sean gives you a sense of what they were doing.

Will and I went to Busch Gardens last Saturday and stayed for 9 hours. Yes, that was exhausting, as there was lots of walking around, standing around, and other general not having fun. But it really was a blast, other than the waits at times. Good thing we started at 11am, as it wasn’t as crowded then as it started to get about 3pm and later. Lines really started getting bad all over the park at that time.

In some ways Busch Gardens is the same as I remember it, but one point is different now — I’m a parent. That means I’ve got to go around with the kids (in this case, just Will) and do the things they want to do. That meant no roller coasters or any of the adult fare. Will stuck to the less scary rides, particularly hanging out in the Land of Dragons (in the Germany section). I did get him on the Roman Rapids for one run, but that wasn’t too smart on my part. It wasn’t that the sloshing about scared him; rather, it was that he got too wet. He let me know how upset he was about that. After that, it was all just the kiddie rides and eating.

The camera survived the Roman Rapids (put it in a Ziploc), so we’ve got a bunch of pictures and video from the outing. Will got to do lots of things, and we walked around the park a couple of times total, probably. He rode a train and a boat and a tram, and got to climb all over the tree house structure they built in the Land of Dragons (multiple times, as I chase him up and down the stairs and cargo nets).

This is a follow on from last week. Will stayed in Northern Virginia with Nana and Grampa from Sunday through Friday morning, to enjoy some time with my parents and do some different things with them. He had a blast — he was originally supposed to stay until Wednesday, but insisted on staying longer. I guess that shows where Mommy and Daddy rate. (Luckily, Nana and Grampa could accommodate him a bit longer.)

We pulled together a few of the pictures from Will’s visit, starting with some sightseeing in downtown DC on Sunday (after helping drop Auntie Emily at the bus). He did swimming every day, but also found time for some craft projects, going to the park, doing nature hikes, making puzzles, reading, and lots of other fun. He definitely is looking forward to going back next year.

He also got to see his new cousin Nicholas Basil Argerson for the first time. (He wasn’t allowed to visit at the hospital.) Those are pictures of him with Nicholas in the middle of the slide show. At the end is Will returning home and having lunch out with Daddy, Nana and Grampa. He was very tired at the end of it, but he really enjoyed his time. A special thanks to the camp director for giving him many special memories.

Well, notes and pictures that extend into today. We finally took the twins back to the pool on Saturday, this time with floatation devices to make things a little easier to control. They actually both seemed to enjoy getting to float around like that for a while. They got to splash, kick, and do other things, and it kept Mommy and Daddy from getting too tired trying to hold them the whole time.

We eventually ate lunch at the pool before Mommy took the twins home for a bath and nap, while Daddy stayed with Will to continue to practice swimming and do other fun pool things. Will is actually taking to swimming under the water for a few strokes before needing to come up for air, which is kind of impressive, considering he doesn’t swim on the surface for more than a few strokes before needing air and stopping swimming. In due time, I’m sure Will is going to put it all together.

On Sunday, we caught Sweetie flaking out in the middle of the floor. I guess things are getting a little too hot for her. And no, she’s not possessed (as far as we know). But there’s no easy way to get rid of that type of redeye (at least with the tools I have). She still can be a bit of a goofball at times.

Sean and Daniel have been showing off their charming sides recently, too. We caught some snapshots of them at the table that are sometimes mischievous, sometimes silly. I think what’s clear from these pictures is that the boys love to eat, especially their fruit. Tonight it was apples.

We tried, but didn’t get any good shots of Will. So he’s going to have to get a rain check on displaying his good side here.