Just prior, Danny was sobbing about not being able to play with my iPod, hence the teary eyes.
Also, Young Matthew just got his hair did. Such a big dude.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Finally...
So the most amazing thing has happened. We've been eating dinner outside most nights, and after both boys finish eating, we put them down and say the two greatest words in the English language: "Go play."
It's a blessed miracle, I'm not gonna lie to you.
And Holy Mother of God, they actually do!
It's a blessed miracle, I'm not gonna lie to you.
Peep!
There's a show on PBS called "Peep and the Big Wide World" and both the kids (and Dave and I) are just crazy about it. We use it blatantly and without regret to get the kids from dinner to bed - the glories of its half-hour dangled in front of them like a carrot.
This is the opening song, which all of us know by heart now. Every now and then Danny will belt it out, but almost every night Matt does a little wigglin' dance.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Flippity Floo
I'm trying to figure out why these videos are such low quality. Anyway, here we are again - we've been asked for a video showing what Matty's like these days. Here you go! Now you can see why my hair is going gray.
Monday, August 15, 2011
The Paintball Extravaganza and Pig Roast
On our last trip back to the East Coast, we traveled up to Northern-northern-northern PA to our cousin's farm up in Dushore. Dr. Steve turned 50 and wanted to have a paintball extravaganza and a pig pull. So, Dr. Steve being Dr. Steve, he somehow pulled off both. It was pretty amazing.
(This is Dr. Steve. Happy Birthday Dr. Steve!)
Bob and Lala rented a camper to get us there, which turned out to be the saving grace of the entire thing. The kids couldn't get enough of it, and it provided some quiet and shade when both were desperately needed. In the days leading up to the trip, it sat in the driveway; if you lost a child for those few days, you could be certain he was in the camper pretending to drive it.
It was a Magilla trying to figure out who would drive in what car. Though the camper could have fit all of us and then another family to boot, Bob smartly insisted we take another car in the off-chance we broke down. We'd just driven close to 1200 miles from Philly to NC and back again, and were having a wee bit of a hard time getting back into a car for a 5 hour drive. But after some sturm-und-drang, and armed with lots of Pixar movies, we decided Danny and I would go with Bob and Lala in the camper, and David, Matt and John would follow in the Subaru.
It was a good thing Matt stayed in his car seat too, because man, lesson learned. Those bloody campers pitch and sway like crazy when you're driving, and you can barely stay standing trying to walk to the bathroom. Poor Matt was only barely getting his Earth legs - he would have been brained on the cabinets for sure.
But as much as I complained and moaned and made things generally difficult for Lala and Bob in the days leading up to the trip (and I did - sorry mom!), it was a pretty great adventure. Bob, of course, took us on every single back road that can be found on a Pennsylvania map. (And I'm talking about a real map - published by AAA back in 1980.) There was a terrific thunderstorm too, which only added to the atmosphere.
The beauty of the camper was you could sit on a couch, essentially, and watch the scenery. Or, if you'd prefer (and didn't get seasick too fast), you could snuggle up and read a book.
Danny was pretty happy.
Night was falling as we arrived in Dushore, and I have to record for posterity that my mother, Sheila Rose Posatko Hazzard, did not know what direction to take. It was the first time in my entire life she had the wrong sense of direction. (For what it's worth, my husband David Vernon Butler has yet to ever take the wrong turn, but I await that day with a little bit of glee, not gonna lie.) Anyway, we were following crazy posted signs of pink and blue pigs, and ended up on a total Deliverance-style back road that seemed to go on for MILES. Lala was screaming at Bob, "Move OVER Bob, move OVER! BOB, MOVE OVER!!" frantically gesturing her fear that the camper was just going to pitch off the road, leaving us for dead in the Pennsylvania wilderness, corpses being gnawed on by small woodland creatures. Her fears were mostly unfounded (and hilarious), but it was a little dicey. One bump we hit was so severe it sent my laptop literally flying off of the little table, through the air, and landing with a gut-turning SMACK on the ground. (It still works).
But, we made it, just as the fireflies began to venture out. Before long were down for the night, since the next day was the big one.
By the way, we were in the middle of NOWHERE. No amenities (outside of Uncle David's top-notch catering, of course) except a port-a-potty.
Good thing we went to bed early, because both kids decided to get up at the literal crack of dawn. It was one of those times where, frankly, the kids are great, it's being the ones in charge of them that really rots. We dragged our butts up and took a walk down the farm road, just trying to get them away from the dozens of snoozing adults. Every little peep they made felt like a cannon blast. Stressful!
Matty went back down for a nap with Lala, and Danny, John, Dave and I drove into Dushore for some grub and local color.
Dushore did not disappoint. Man, these former coal towns of PA are intoxicating to me. We had a great conversation at breakfast about how much money it would take to work at the Jolly Trolley diner for one year. I came in around $150,000. But I've been thinking about it a lot ever since. We then spent an hour or so in the adjacent Dime store - which was the best-stocked little store I've ever seen. I could have stayed all day.
But, we eventually returned and had tragically missed the moving of the pig from the Hog (Uncle David's catering truck that's held together by duct tape and some bubblegum) to the spit. If you are a vegetarian, avert your eyes from the next picture.
I am still in awe of this pig. Wow.
By this time, paintball preparations were beginning in earnest, and a strange, slightly nervous vibe was in the air. The girls and guys, many of whom are very tall (I'm looking at the Hunter/Searles branch of the family), were suiting up in camo gear, and the paintball guns themselves were hard-core.
Matt was fine, but Danny was starting to have quite a reaction.
At first he was incredibly interested in what his dad was doing, then once David ran off to start the game down in the woods, he spontaneously screamed out in fear/worry. David had to run back and soothe him down, and we eventually walked over to where they were playing so I could show him that Dad was having a whole lot of fun - at which point Danny became incredibly interested in the mask and the gun again. Pretty interesting stuff.
The game went on for hours and it really seems like they had quite a blast. At one point I heard the unmistakeable yelp of my brother doing a Predator-style attack, the "rat-at-tat-tat" of the paintball gun ricocheting through the trees, quickly followed by a loud self-aware chuckle. Kind of summed the whole thing up for me.
Meanwhile, the cousins (and Lala) were hula-hooping in the golden light, while the pig roasted.
And there was a little playing in dirt, natch.
You can't quite tell from this picture, but cousin Johanna was becoming the favorite cousin ever, about whom both kids still talk, constantly.
She made this shirt for Danny, so he could have his own paintball shirt.
And the rest of us were having a much-needed and much-enjoyed catch-up.
And then, it was time for dinner and birthday cake, and a very touching speech by Dr. Steve thanking us all for making the trip. Thank you, Dr. Steve, for getting us all together in such a memorable way.
By the way, I think Steve's doing another trip in a few months, for anybody who might want to go...you just turn right at the red pigs, and left at the blue...
(This is Dr. Steve. Happy Birthday Dr. Steve!)
Bob and Lala rented a camper to get us there, which turned out to be the saving grace of the entire thing. The kids couldn't get enough of it, and it provided some quiet and shade when both were desperately needed. In the days leading up to the trip, it sat in the driveway; if you lost a child for those few days, you could be certain he was in the camper pretending to drive it.
It was a Magilla trying to figure out who would drive in what car. Though the camper could have fit all of us and then another family to boot, Bob smartly insisted we take another car in the off-chance we broke down. We'd just driven close to 1200 miles from Philly to NC and back again, and were having a wee bit of a hard time getting back into a car for a 5 hour drive. But after some sturm-und-drang, and armed with lots of Pixar movies, we decided Danny and I would go with Bob and Lala in the camper, and David, Matt and John would follow in the Subaru.
It was a good thing Matt stayed in his car seat too, because man, lesson learned. Those bloody campers pitch and sway like crazy when you're driving, and you can barely stay standing trying to walk to the bathroom. Poor Matt was only barely getting his Earth legs - he would have been brained on the cabinets for sure.
But as much as I complained and moaned and made things generally difficult for Lala and Bob in the days leading up to the trip (and I did - sorry mom!), it was a pretty great adventure. Bob, of course, took us on every single back road that can be found on a Pennsylvania map. (And I'm talking about a real map - published by AAA back in 1980.) There was a terrific thunderstorm too, which only added to the atmosphere.
The beauty of the camper was you could sit on a couch, essentially, and watch the scenery. Or, if you'd prefer (and didn't get seasick too fast), you could snuggle up and read a book.
Danny was pretty happy.
Night was falling as we arrived in Dushore, and I have to record for posterity that my mother, Sheila Rose Posatko Hazzard, did not know what direction to take. It was the first time in my entire life she had the wrong sense of direction. (For what it's worth, my husband David Vernon Butler has yet to ever take the wrong turn, but I await that day with a little bit of glee, not gonna lie.) Anyway, we were following crazy posted signs of pink and blue pigs, and ended up on a total Deliverance-style back road that seemed to go on for MILES. Lala was screaming at Bob, "Move OVER Bob, move OVER! BOB, MOVE OVER!!" frantically gesturing her fear that the camper was just going to pitch off the road, leaving us for dead in the Pennsylvania wilderness, corpses being gnawed on by small woodland creatures. Her fears were mostly unfounded (and hilarious), but it was a little dicey. One bump we hit was so severe it sent my laptop literally flying off of the little table, through the air, and landing with a gut-turning SMACK on the ground. (It still works).
But, we made it, just as the fireflies began to venture out. Before long were down for the night, since the next day was the big one.
By the way, we were in the middle of NOWHERE. No amenities (outside of Uncle David's top-notch catering, of course) except a port-a-potty.
Good thing we went to bed early, because both kids decided to get up at the literal crack of dawn. It was one of those times where, frankly, the kids are great, it's being the ones in charge of them that really rots. We dragged our butts up and took a walk down the farm road, just trying to get them away from the dozens of snoozing adults. Every little peep they made felt like a cannon blast. Stressful!
Matty went back down for a nap with Lala, and Danny, John, Dave and I drove into Dushore for some grub and local color.
Dushore did not disappoint. Man, these former coal towns of PA are intoxicating to me. We had a great conversation at breakfast about how much money it would take to work at the Jolly Trolley diner for one year. I came in around $150,000. But I've been thinking about it a lot ever since. We then spent an hour or so in the adjacent Dime store - which was the best-stocked little store I've ever seen. I could have stayed all day.
But, we eventually returned and had tragically missed the moving of the pig from the Hog (Uncle David's catering truck that's held together by duct tape and some bubblegum) to the spit. If you are a vegetarian, avert your eyes from the next picture.
I am still in awe of this pig. Wow.
By this time, paintball preparations were beginning in earnest, and a strange, slightly nervous vibe was in the air. The girls and guys, many of whom are very tall (I'm looking at the Hunter/Searles branch of the family), were suiting up in camo gear, and the paintball guns themselves were hard-core.
Matt was fine, but Danny was starting to have quite a reaction.
At first he was incredibly interested in what his dad was doing, then once David ran off to start the game down in the woods, he spontaneously screamed out in fear/worry. David had to run back and soothe him down, and we eventually walked over to where they were playing so I could show him that Dad was having a whole lot of fun - at which point Danny became incredibly interested in the mask and the gun again. Pretty interesting stuff.
The game went on for hours and it really seems like they had quite a blast. At one point I heard the unmistakeable yelp of my brother doing a Predator-style attack, the "rat-at-tat-tat" of the paintball gun ricocheting through the trees, quickly followed by a loud self-aware chuckle. Kind of summed the whole thing up for me.
Meanwhile, the cousins (and Lala) were hula-hooping in the golden light, while the pig roasted.
And there was a little playing in dirt, natch.
You can't quite tell from this picture, but cousin Johanna was becoming the favorite cousin ever, about whom both kids still talk, constantly.
She made this shirt for Danny, so he could have his own paintball shirt.
And the rest of us were having a much-needed and much-enjoyed catch-up.
And then, it was time for dinner and birthday cake, and a very touching speech by Dr. Steve thanking us all for making the trip. Thank you, Dr. Steve, for getting us all together in such a memorable way.
By the way, I think Steve's doing another trip in a few months, for anybody who might want to go...you just turn right at the red pigs, and left at the blue...
Mouse Paint
So all the while Danny is off at school, Matty gets to stay home and play. He seems to really, really, REALLY like being an only child for about 15 hours a week...
By the way, this is paint, not blood. Haha.
By the way, this is paint, not blood. Haha.
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