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.

Douthat State Park camping

We usually go camping over Labor Day weekend to take advantage of the three day weekend.  I guess it was a particularly busy day last spring when it occurred to me to make a reservation for this fall's trip and I didn't check the calendar very closely.  As it turned out, we had a reservation to go camping the weekend after Labor Day weekend.  (No wonder it was so easy to get a campsite...)

It worked out all right in the end.  The campground was not nearly as crowded as it would have been the week before.  We didn't get to go swimming, but I think the water probably would have been quite chilly anyway.  We were disappointed that the lake had been drained 2 feet, with plans to fill it up the following weekend.  Note to self:  perhaps reserve for TWO weeks after Labor Day next year!!

We got in before dusk on Friday and the bugs were awful.  Intolerable.  There was no breeze, so there was a constant swarm of supersize gnat-like creatures always around our heads.  Flying into noses, eyes, ears...ew.  James and I managed not to get too snippy with each other or the kids while we got the site ready.  

Once we had a fire, the bugs died down a bit.  And once the breeze picked up, they went away entirely.  Phew...not sure we would have survived an entire weekend with their company.

Our site, which was at the end of the loop just across the road from the lake:

We even had a great climbing tree.  A couple times, I'd look up and not see the kids on their bikes or on the lake shore.  With just a little panic, I'd ask James where the kids were...and then I'd hear giggles from the tree.

Getting dinner started for the night:  took it easy tonight with hot dogs and smores. 

We had a heck of a time getting fires started every single time.  The wood was slightly damp, so it got better once we started drying it over the grill grates.  Even then, we never got any of our typical raging campfires.  We found it did help to fan the flames, which was a chore the kids loved!

Darkness settling over the lake.  Glowsticks have become a camping necessity!  (They work well as nightlights in the pitch black of the tent!)

In the tent...these kids were worn out after a day at school and all evening outside!

We took a short walk down one of the lakeside trails.  When we got back to the campsite, Rudy noticed his loose tooth was gone but he had no idea where he lost it!  (This is the second tooth that has disappeared from his mouth without his knowledge!)  Luckily, the tooth fairy knew where to find us and left a gold dollar under his pillow!

Saturday morning, we warmed up our breakfast burritos in the morning and then split up for a bit.  Brady and I went for a bike ride while James and Rudy tried some fishing (with no success, unfortunately).  We managed to squeeze in a quick lunch before the skies opened up.  We ate lunch under the canopy, but had to take that down when the wind picked up.  We spent a few hours in the tent, which the kids actually loved because we usually only sleep in the tent.  What a novelty to play in the tent in the middle of the day! 

Once the skies cleared, we went even further down the lakeside trail: around lizard loop (where we'd found a small lizard the day before), through hummingbird meadow (where there were tons of flowers and about a half dozen visiting hummingbirds), to fishing point and beyond.  It was right beside hummingbird meadow that I noticed Brady playing with a "dead" vine on a tree; it was really no surprise when he broke out in a poison ivy rash after we got home.

Just around "beyond" Rudy spotted this guy:

...who we later learned is a timber rattlesnake.  Cool!

Back at camp, trying to get another cooking fire started.   

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I don't remember the exact order of the meals, but we changed things up a bit this time.  Pie iron pizzas, made with refrigerated pizza crust.  We had pie iron "burgers" made with pre-cooked ground beef and onions, cooked in refrigerated biscuits.  Pie iron sausage, egg, and cheese biscuits.  Pie iron grilled ham and cheese sandwiches.  Pie iron hashbrowns.  Baked potatoes cooked in foil over hot coals between meals.  And, of course, s'mores and 'declairs' (campfire eclairs).  And some more s'mores and declairs!

(I commented to James before we left that I'd be mortified to run into anyone at the grocery store checkout with my camping food...it's such JUNK!)

Later that night...exploring by the water:

A glorious evening followed the massive downpours of the afternoon.  We even had a rainbow over the mountain!

And breathtaking sunset colors...

Saturday night was cold!  It was so hot at home when I was packing on Friday that it didn't seem reasonable to pack our heavy sleeping bags or too many layers.  Sunday morning, when I asked Rudy how he slept, he said, "I was basically struggling to get warm all night." Mother of the year --> right here!

Sunday morning was cool, with fog floating off the lake:

We broke down camp a bit before starting on a hike in the mountains.   We 'discovered' this odd abandoned structure.  It looked sort of like a root cellar, since it was mostly buried in the hillside...except there was no door.  We teased the kids that it was where the witches lived.  We only got away with that because it was the day we were headed home; otherwise, I think we would have had a sleepless night!

Hiking...

This was before Charlie ran away.  She is usually a very dependable hiker, never straying off the trail and only running ahead a bit.  This time, though, she saw a deer and took off like a bat out of...you know where.  We figured she'd make her way back to us eventually, but it's hard not to panic a little when we're so far from home!

Some discoveries...a bee hive on the ground, presumably discarded by a bear?

A wasp nest in the ground:

A tiny lizard, spotted by Rudy.  (How does he find these things?!)

 

The view from the top, back towards the lake...perfect place for a break and some snacks!

Charlie's discovery on the way back down - a box turtle...

After that, it was back to camp for one last campfire meal before breaking down and heading home.  A great family-fun weekend!