Sunday, August 23, 2015 – Mequon, Wisconsin
Andy wanted to go to Duluth Trading Company in Port Washington. They have a great playground there overlooking Lake Michigan so Jennifer stayed there with the boys while Andy shopped. Of course, I took dozens of photos and they are all adorable, but here is one I like for the picture as much as who the baby is. I squatted at the end of the big green tube sliding board and waited for the boys to come down. Owen was right behind Cam, but the picture with both of them in it was not as compelling.
The boys continue to ride their pedal-less bikes nearly every day. Here, they are taking a break and eating snacks Jennifer had set out for them.
Owen loves to paint watercolors and asks Jennifer to draw him pictures of monster trucks to paint every day. He is just emerging from the spread-paint-all-over-the paper phase to the splotching-colors-on-objects phase. Cam is in the paint-myself phase. This level of concentration is typical. He even painted the bottoms of his feet.
Jennifer and the boys planted some sunflower seeds next to the driveway. I took this picture with the afternoon sun shining through the petals.
One day George brought Owen’s motorcycle out of the garage. Given the fact that, when he first came to our house for spring break while they were in college, I told him I would rip his arms out of the sockets if he ever got my daughter on a motorcycle, he was probably not sure how I would react to my grandson riding one. I admit I would rather he did not have any self-propelled vehicles. But, I don’t want to be the kind of mother-in-law or grandmother who tries to set their rules.
At the moment it seems safe enough. George has it set so slow that I could walk backwards faster than Owen rides it. He is not completely comfortable on it either, so George or Jennifer walk with him, holding the back fender and getting a backache.
That big ole helmet and protective clothing must be hot; his hair was soaking wet when the ride was over.
Oh my gosh, Cam is driving a little car too. He handles it very well. He especially loves the checkered flag.
What is the world coming to?
There are a lot of nice things to say about Wisconsin and Ozaukee County. One of them is the number of parks and playgrounds. I asked Google (but didn’t check to see if this is the latest information) and learned that the town of Mequon has 26 recreational facilities covering 1,100 acres. Thiensville, a couple miles south, and Cedarburg, a couple miles north of the house, both probably have as many, proportionally. Owen and Cam seem to like what they call the firetruck playground in Cedarburg. One of the pieces of playground equipment looks like a big firetruck and my exceptional grandsons love to drive it.
George usually commutes by motorcycle. I got a kick out of Cam kissing him goodbye one morning.
The boys come into Sao every morning to wake me up. (If I’m already up, I get back into bed when I hear them coming.) They sneak into the bedroom and Owen says, “Baba Yaga, your grandsons are here to wake you up”. Andy helps them climb up onto the bed and they push me while Cam repeats, “Out! Out! Out!” until I am Out! of the bed. Then they want a biscotti. Yes! There is a Costco just a few miles away too!
Own generally eats his. Cam eats the chocolate off and leaves the cookie. It’s a little bit soggy when he is done too.
George and the boys went with us for our daily walk on Andy’s birthday. We went to the Rotary Park just around the corner, our new favorite place to walk. George took the bike trailer for the boys. It makes and excellent stroller on hiking trails. George made them get out and walk part of the time.
Then we went to the playground. Cam has become fearless on any sliding board over the past couple weeks.
After the walk, Andy and I went out for his birthday lunch at the Anvil Pub and Grill in Cedarburg. Then we walked a bit more around town and along Cedar Creek. We were studying the water flow over a dam when I noticed a bird I had never seen before. Several of them were zipping around above Cedar Creek and perching in the branches above us. I asked Google and learned that it is (wouldn’t you know it) a Cedar Waxwing. I love the mask.
Today, we brought out the birthday ice cream cake. I put the boys on Andy’s lap so they could help him blow out the candles.
Owen blew them both out with one quick puff as soon as Happy Birthday ended so Jennifer relit them so Cam could have a turn. Then we got down to eating ice cream cake. Cam, who is not too skilled with eating utensils, used his spoon to pick up the whole slice of ice cream and bring it to his mouth for a bite. This picture was taken in the beginning before he smeared ice cream on the table and dropped a glob on the foot-rest of his chair. As I was wiping him up, I discovered ice cream on the bottoms and between the toes of his bare feet.
Owen did not want to go inside for dinner and would not listen to his Papa. He got carried in kicking a screaming. After being chastised for disobedience, he went to the sofa and got under a small quilt to pout. I took this picture from the table. Poor little waif. He is pitiful enough to make you think he didn’t deserve it.
I commented to Jennifer that Owen has passed the Terrible Twos and is now in the Terrible Threes. She responded with, “Whoever coined the phrase “Terrible Twos” did not yet have a three-year-old”. Of course, she was advanced for her age; she reached the Terrible Twos at one-and-a-half.
Dinata Misovec 