Canoeing

Almost exactly two years ago, we took Brady canoeing while Rudy was at Camp OmaPapa.  We wanted to do the same thing with Rudy this year, but the camp week schedules didn't allow for it.  Classifying it as important family time, we found it easy enough to rationalize pulling him out of school for the day for his canoe adventure!  I had purchased a groupon over the summer that included the canoe rental, as well as a shuttle upriver.  Definitely worth it to not have to drive two cars (and, of course, buy a canoe!).

Waiting on shore to get started:

In the boat and on the river!  As soon as he sat down and we shoved off, Rudy started insisting that he wanted to go back.  At first, he didn't like the wobbly feeling of the boat in the water.  The company had given us a beach chair for him to sit in, so we folded that and let him get used to the boat by just kneeling in the middle.  It didn't take long before he was comfortable, declaring about 10 minutes after he wanted to head back to shore that he loved canoeing!

Taking a break on an island.  We discovered some (abandoned?) dragonfly wings along the shore here.  We also saved a praying mantis that was about to be devoured by a wasp/hornet/bee creature.

 Rudy studying his river map:

 

We didn't see any bears (darn!), but we did see:  osprey, blue heron, turtle, hawk, catfish, bass, and what I thought was a longnose gar (but may actually have been a muskie).

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Of course, the perfect way to end a day on the river is with a little ice cream!

Tony Hawk

On our special canoeing trip, a large bird flew over the river.  Rudy said he thought it was a hawk, but he couldn't remember what kind.  Then he said he thought it might be a "tony hawk."  He'd heard the name Tony Hawk, but didn't realize it was the name of a professional skateboarder and not an actual bird.

Back to the 'burg

James and I will take advantage of just about any opportunity to head back to Williamsburg.  This year,  we analyzed the fall schedule to identify a weekend where we could catch a football game.  It was a bit of a goldilocks effort, with some games being too early in the day (and overlapping with soccer games) and other games being too late in the season (and risking freezing in the stands).  There was one game, though, that was just right.  

Last Saturday's game against Delaware was at 7:00 pm, right in the middle of September.  We gambled that the weather would be good and knew we'd have plenty of time to get into town after soccer games.  

We made a quick stop at the hotel to change out of soccer clothes before claiming a prime early-bird parking spot about a block from the stadium.  Of course it helps that WM football tends to be not nearly the massive draw as the games at PSU, or even UVA for that matter.  Even so, having spent several years as students scoping out parking spaces, we celebrated our small victory.

We love showing the boys the campus, in the vague hope that maybe it will feel like a home away from home by the time they are juniors and seniors in high school...

Posing with Mr. Jefferson on campus:

and in CW:

Almost as important as TJ is the still-relatively-new mascot:  the Griffin.  While we still resent the NCAA taking away our Tribe feathers, we do admit to liking the Griffin.  Rudy was disappointed that we wouldn't buy him at ($17!!) stuffed Griffin.  And, as one of my Facbook friends pointed out, this picture wouldn't be nearly as charming if they were posing with one of the other mascots considered:  a pug.  

Showing off some Tribe pride:

We met up with the kids' summer babysitter for an early dinner.  We're thrilled that she loves W&M as much as we did!

 

This was early in the game.  Before it turned into the worst. football. game. EVER. Really - I have never seen anything worse.  Every time there would be a decent first down, there would be several horrendous efforts to follow.  For the first time ever, I saw a field goal get blocked and then returned for a 92 yard touchdown.  Uh...go Tribe??  We finally just started telling ourselves that they must have a young team and in a couple years they're going to be ah-may-zing.  

(Still it's a rough football season.  PSU, WM, and even the Steelers are all hurting...)

We left the game because of lightning during the third quarter.  Play resumed after a 90 minute weather delay, but we were snug in our beds by then!

The next morning we claimed another prime parking spot a block off DOG Street.  Another beautiful day meant more time for strolling around CW.  We checked out a few of the colonial shops and gardens.  Who knew you could grow pomegranates in Virginia?

We met up with Brian, Rebecca, Lila, and Ike.  We missed Lila's birthday party the previous weekend but we still wanted to celebrate with her.  We had lunch at the Cheese Shop (sigh), opened presents, picked out a treat from Wythe, and even did a quick craft. 

Lila wanted to show off her new birthday scooter, so we walked (scooted) over to old campus. 

Lila had already informed her parents that she wanted to go to college with Ikey someday.   We did our best to sell her on W&M.  Although Brian declared he doesn't want them going far away or to a good school, lest he risk his kids moving too far away from him.  (I wonder if that's why he and I were never too strongly encouraged to study abroad??)

I love how Lila is scooting around Lord Botetourt in this one:

We played our second game of tag in the Sunken Gardens before heading back to DOG Street.

After the game on Saturday evening, we drove the kids by the campus art museum to see it lit up at night.  Of course Brady wanted to go back.  It was a timely visit, as they had a display on ancient Greek pottery.  Unfortunately, the rest of the museum was closed (and, much to my irritation, they still charge full price!)

As much as we wanted to stick around all afternoon, it was time to face reality and head home.  At least we got to round out the weekend with a Steelers loss in overtime.  Sheesh...

Creepies

 I saw this quick and fun craft on a blog somewhere.  (I should really pay attention to that detail so I can give appropriate credit!)  

All you need:  fun fur yarn, styrofoam balls, googly eyes, and glue.  I paid way more than I should have for the fun fur, but I could easily rationalize it to get the kids sitting down for a project with me for over an hour!  

I loved how they added their own extra creative elements: different colored "hair", multi-colored fur, and even horns and a mohawk!

I asked them what we should call these creations and they (without argument) agreed CREEPIES!

Music day

The kids both have the same resource schedule this year.  It's the little things that make me happy, and this is one of them.  One less thing to have to try to remember every week...and no disappointed scowls from little boys when I ask how one how art was on the day that the other had art.

And - even better - we came up with a handy little mnemonic device for remembering:  PLAM!  (PE, library, art, music).

Not that I ever need much help remembering music day, because both boys spend the afternoon and evening singing to themselves.  <3 p="p">
I managed to talk them into letting capture a quick video this week:

 

Rockin' out

My kids love them some top 40 hits!  This is a short video captured while at a stop light on the way home from soccer practice.  I wish I could have captured the whole thing, because there was a lot more arm flailing and head banging going on when they weren't on camera!

Landscaping...

Looks like it might be necessary for some quality time working in the yard.  We have some major work to do so that our front yard doesn't turn into a permanent swamp! 

This is our own fault, really, since the builder tried to put a drainage ditch in the front yard.  Since it removed all flat yard space we had, we asked he bury a drainage pipe.  It helps, but the entire road is angled to drain right into our front yard so it's not really enough...

Swinging

James was on the front porch, watching Rudy swing.  He said that every time Rudy came to the top of his arc, he look at James and GRIN.