Tag Archives: vacation
Nebraska Swim
After a long first shift in the car today, we exited in North Platte, Nebraska for a lunch break. We had sandwiches and then asked if there were any parks, playgrounds, or McDonalds Playplaces around. We were directed to the other side of town where instead of a playground, we found a community pool. On a whim, we decided to go swimming (it was a blazing hot day, perfect for a dip). The kiddie pool was awesome. When we left, Griffin ran back to the fence and made it very clear that he wanted more swimming and less driving! (But he fell sound asleep in his carseat within three blocks.)
Hiking
Went hiking with Alli today on some trails above Boulder.
Daddy Afternoon
It’s our first full day in Boulder, hanging out with Alli and Nik. After a very cranky breakfast, we put Griffin down for a much-needed nap. Auntie Alli and Sarah went shopping and Nik headed out to a meeting, so I was left in charge while Griffin slept. After he awoke, we had a super-fun afternoon!
First, we went and got the laundry from the laundromat downstairs. To Griffin’s immense excitement, while investigating behind the trash can, he discovered a huge dirty plunger. Fun!
Then we went back to the apartment and decided that folding all the laundry was a bore… so we had choices: lunch or swimming. We decided on swimming. The pool was cold, but Griffin had a blast. There were inner tubes and a ball that he kept throwing into the water. And there was a puddle on the deck to splash in. I was a bit nervous heading down there, because Griffin has no sense of self-preservation when it comes to the water… he’ll happily walk right off the edge into the water. But we were in sync this time, and had fun exploring the whole environment. He seemed to understand the concept of the stairs better this time — he knew that he had to stay on the first two steps. (Later, however, he did try to make a sudden leap into the deep end.)
After swimming we were hungry. Griffin happily ate a piece of bread, half a banana, turkey, ham, cheddar cheese, and even a bit of pesto. Yum.
Then, of course, it was time for a stroll around the courtyard. More fun, and Griffin was happy to smile for the camera. (See the pics below.) It feels pretty good to have only one responsibility: being Dad.
Thanksgiving 2009
Our big Thanksgiving gathering took place in Santa Cruz again this year. The consensus is that Santa Cruz is the best of the various destinations that we’ve been to. It’s close. It’s beautiful. Rental houses are plentiful and relatively affordable. And there is no shortage of fun. (Plus, nutritionists always recommend riding roller coasters after a 10,000 calorie meal.) Thanks to Nancy for the massive job of organizing the event! Some favorite pictures are below. Click on them to see larger versions or click here to see the full album. (You may notice a slight parental bias in picture subjects…)
First Camping Trip!
This weekend we joined some friends in the Sierras for a wonderful car-camping trip. We hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, swam in the reservoir, and introduced Griffin to the joys of sleeping in a tent. He was a natural—falling asleep by the fire and then sleeping soundly through the night despite the cold. Click on either image below to see the full photo album.
First Canoe!
The wind and rain let up enough today for us to get out on the lake. Griffin wore his brand new life vest. (I thought I would get laughed at, or reported to CPS, when I asked the sports store people if they had infant life vests… but they totally did!) He was a trooper for the first part of the trip, but definitely got fussy while we explored the eastern end of the lake. We didn’t want to push it, so we headed back to the dock after 20–30 minutes and left him with Grandpa Jeff.
First Flight!
We took the red eye from SFO to Minneapolis early this morning and Griffin was a champ. He fell asleep at the airport in SF and basically slept through the flight and the two hour drive to St. Peter where he woke up in time to be cute for breakfast with the Stoccos. On the flight, however, he did something that I will never forget.
Sarah was sleeping with Griffin wrapped up on her lap next to me. I turned out my light for a bit, trying to sleep. After about fifteen minutes, I gave up, turned the light back on and pulled my book out of the seat pocket. I glanced over at Griffin, and saw his eyes open, squinting up into the light. “Uh oh!” I thought, “I blew it… he’s going to scream for the rest of the flight!” He looked around sleepily for a moment, anxiety melting away as he saw Sarah’s face above him, then my face glowing in the darkness. His eyes fell shut and he smiled the biggest, happiest smile as he sank back into sleep.