Potowatami Zoo

Yet another of my "must do" summer activities was to take the monsters boys to the zoo.  Rip took two days off last week, and on one of those rare days off, we made our first ever trip to Potowatami Zoo.

What a delightful place!  We arrived right after the zoo opened, and it honestly seemed as though we were the only ones there.  Maybe this time, procrastination did pay off, and going at the eleventh hour of the summer worked to our benefit.

Mason LOVED riding the train.  Cute, yes.  Awesome?  Um, no.  Unless you enjoy sullen, miserable, sarcastic old men as tour guides.  But whatever.

Both of the boys were excited about the IDEA of petting a snake, but not nearly as excited to actually DO it.  I was nowhere near this creepy guy.  Believe me.

My favorites at any zoo are the large cats.  So pretty and graceful, and so similar to housecats in how they move and lie.  Mom, does it look like Spice?

These are actually butterflies feeding at a nectar station. . .the other side of their wings was a glorious cobalt blue, but it was virtually impossible to catch one of those open.  I tried several times, and that blue blur in the picture below represents my best attempt.  The little boogers.

This tiger was RIGHT on the other side of the glass.  So in reality, I bet the kids were a mere eight inches from this ferocious, yet amazing beast.  His little (big?) nose was virtually pressed against the glass.

While Mason's favorite thing was the train, I think Brody was happiest about finding a "faffer" (aka "pacifier" for those of you not fluent in Brody-speak) on the ground.  It was pink, and dirty, yet he was determined to snag it for himself.  At that point in the day, we knew it was time to go home.

Our small-town zoo = great success!

A WIN for the Silverhawks!

Yes, a year is a long time for a blogging "break."  I have a jillion excuses, and a few stories to accompany those excuses.  But for today, I'll jump back in with a normal update.  Excuses to follow soon.

With summer fading to fall, I'm trying desperately to check off all the "summer to-dos" on the list we assembled at the beginning of the summer.  Yesterday's activity?  Our first South Bend Silverhawks baseball game!

On SUCH a gorgeous day, a trip to the ball field almost screamed our name.  Seventy degrees, blue skies, and a slight breeze.  Aaaaah. . .a little slice of Heaven.  Thanks to Rip (as always!), we had great seats behind home plate.  Mason kept asking me to catch any home runs that came our way.  Ummmmm, okay, buddy.  Maybe I should have put "explain fair balls vs. foul balls" on our summer to-do list!!!!!

With beers and Cracker Jacks in hand, we settled in for a perfect family afternoon.

Mason was beyond excited to talk to Swoop the mascot. . .

And of course, the EVER exciting "running of the bases."  After the big Silverhawks' win, all kiddos are invited to run the bases.  Mason was OFF like a lightning bolt!

Brody Ray was a different story.  He started off strong, even making the big screen (in the way background!)

But as he rounded second base, he suddenly stopped, panicked about the tar balls in his Crocs, and refused to go further.   Rip saw this happening while I was photographing Mason crossing home plate. . .Daddy to the rescue!

What a perfect family afternoon for me and my boys.

And it's worth noting that Mason said I was "boy trapped" as I stood between him and Brody.  Yes, baby, such is my life.  I'm ALWAYS boy trapped with these three!!!

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!

We went to the PUMPKIN PATCH as a family!  "Nana" (aka Christina, or sometimes ChristinaBobina) came to Indiana to visit, so a festive trip to the local pumpkin patch was in order.

Actually, it was a pumpkin FARM.

Well, actually, it was a CUCURBIT farm.  I had to ask my mom what that was, and then I looked it up just to confirm.  Just so you know, it's "a member of the gourd family."  So, squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, and watermelons would count.  But there were no watermelons.  Just a whole buncha pumpkins.  Not sure how often anybody needs to know how to use the word "cucurbit," but it's certainly a good conversation starter.  Or stumper!!  Tee heeeeee!

(P.S.  Mom was totally right on about the definition.  How do moms always know this stuff?  Kudos to you, Mom!!)

Both of the boys were almost as excited about the wheelbarrow as they were about the pumpkins.  Although I think Mason would have liked to take one of these 400 pound beauties home!

Sadly, while we each chose a pumpkin, we never managed to get them carved.  I was SO excited about my three cute little white pumpkins. . .I had big plans to paint them.  But somehow, we juuuuuuust couldn't get around to it.  Maybe we'll make pies out of them for Thanksgiving.

Where the GREAT ROAD TRIP OF 2010 ends

Rather than retell the story of how our road trip adventure ended, I thought it appropriate to post the email I sent to my friends in Dallas. 

Hi, my friends.



So, my plans have changed drastically. . .

With Rip in Nashville, the kiddos and I embarked on a lengthy road trip a few weeks ago to end our summer. Being stuck inside with the insanely-hot temperatures in Texas was making us stir-crazy, not to mention the fact that we were missing Rip like crazy, AND I was losing my mind trying to keep the house clean so it would be ready for any showings. Since we had nothing on the calendar (I stopped tutoring at the beginning of August), we decided to take an adventure.


We took two memorable days and drove to Nashville (via our old stomping grounds of Little Rock), spent a week with Rip in his apartment, then drove north to Indiana to visit my parents. The plan was to stay with them 6 or 7 days. drive back to Nashville to see Rip for a long weekend (and go to the Titans game tonight!!), head to St. Louis to see Jacqueline for a few days, then get back to get Mason into school. He would have been a week late, but that was our plan.


Over a glass of wine last Saturday, my mom was asking me about our plans for the next weeks and months (with Rip being in Nashville, us being in Dallas, him trying to come back and forth, house hunting, etc.), and she threw out the question that would change my plans: "have you considered staying here?" she asked. No, I had not, but I started to right away. . .


And after careful deliberation, a phone "meeting" with Ripper, and an Excel spreadsheet to compare all our options, we decided to in fact stay in Indiana and enroll Mason in Kindergarten here. We'll be living with my parents while our house is on the market, and Rip will stay in an apartment in Nashville. The biggest plus to this situation is that the boys and I are only 5 hours from Rip as opposed to 10, which means he can make the drive up and see us (mostly them!) every weekend. Being separated from him has been hard on all of us, and this will ease that a lot. Additionally, having the support of my parents will be such a nice change from me being alone with the kiddos more often than not!


It was a hard and sad decision because it obviously means we left town without knowing we were leaving for good, and we didn't really get to prepare emotionally for it. We'll be back at least a few times. . .Rip and I are coming Labor Day for sweet Christina's birthday, then we'll return once or twice before eventually moving.


I miss my "life," but know that this was a really good decision for our family. I am very much looking forward to coming back next weekend and hopefully seeing you.


Here are a few pictures of Mason's first day of Kindergarten. He is going to the same elementary school I attended 30+ years ago, and believe it or not, he has one of my old teachers for his morning class, and one of my old babysitters for the afternoon class. :) Not a lot changes in small-town Indiana, and that's a nice comfort right now.


Hugs and love to all. See you next week!


KR
 
So there is the update!  One day I was making plans to drive back to Texas, and the next day I was frantically looking for a backpack, a lunchbox, school supplies, and Mason's medical records.  We moved into my childhood home, and are enjoying so many facets of life in Indiana.  The small-town feel of community, the leaves on the trees turning amazing hues of red, orange, and yellow, the smell of corn being harvested from the fields, the freedom to let our five year old play outside for hours on end without fear of something happening, spending so much quality time with my parents and having them really get to know our kids, the sounds of the locusts and the creek as we fall asleep at night, running into old acquaintances and reconnecting with dear friends. . .the list goes on and on.  We are happy, healthy, and as well-adjusted as possible, considering Rip and I are still living in different states, BOTH of which are different than the state in which we own a home.  Chaotic, but temporary.  

AND we are HOOSIERS!  WE LIVE IN INDIANA!



According to the State of Tennessee. . .

According to the slogan of the State of Tennessee, the state represents "America at its Finest."  I think you'd be hard-pressed to argue with that.  We arrived here on the second day of our big road trip adventure, and here's what "they" had that we liked. . .

For one, "they have" Daddy.  AKA Mr. Rip Ray, husband and father extraordinaire.  He had been living in a corporate apartment since June while we were back in Texas. The kiddos were missing him so much by the time we arrived in Nashville, they were literally hanging over the balcony rail, waiting for him to come home from work.

"They" also have the Tennessee Titans!  And because Rip's Aunt Sharon is Jeff Fisher's assistant, the boys got to go to training camp and play around with the players and their kids on the practice field.  Fun stuff!

Because there were four of us in a little corporate apartment designed for just one person, we had to get out and about fairly often to keep ourselves sane.  So here's what else we got into during our week in Nashville:

Krispy Kreme!

family pizza night

the Williamson County Fair

the petting zoo

At the end of our week in Nashville, we were a little sad to leave Rip, but we had a plan:  one week in Indiana visiting my parents, a few days in St. Louis to see our friends The Whites, then BACK to Nashville for a long weekend before heading back to Texas in time for Mason to start Kindergarten.  Oh, how I love a good plan!









The Great Road Trip Adventure of 2010

Wow, it sure has been a long time since I've posted, but life has been CA-RAAAAAY-ZEEEEE for the last few months.  A quick summary of what's been going on:

1.  we were on vacation for 10 days

2. while we were gone, Rip got a job after being unemployed for 7 months

3. a week after returning from vacation, our house was on the market and Rip moved to TN

4. I stopped tutoring and turned my beloved business over to someone else

5. it was like 106 DAILY and I was alone with the kids in TX trying to keep the house clean for showings. OH, AND BY THE WAY, I was losing my mind in the process.

Seriously. No husband around, no adult company, no job, no childcare, no ability to take the kiddos outside because of the heat. Not a lot of fun. So I hatched a plan. . .

THE GREAT ROAD TRIP ADVENTURE OF 2010!!!!!

Since we had nothing else to do, I planned a month long road trip.  People, you have to be a little messed-up-in-the-head (if you know what I mean) to take two small children on a cross-country road trip by yourself.  But I've always been a bit wacko, so it seemed like a great idea. . .and in all honesty, it was a blast.  It was planned meticulously, so that we'd have well-timed and pre-selected places to stop, eat, use the facilities, etc.  Here's what we did on the first few days:
 

  had a picnic lunch at a lovely park in Texarkana, TX,

arrived in Little Rock, AR in time to see the famed March of the Ducks,

trashed hung out in our room at the Peabody Hotel

 stopped by our old house in Little Rock, and even managed to WALK THROUGH the house!

 

 get BACK to the Peabody in time to see the ducks one more time

and stop at the Casey Jones Railway Museum in Jackson, TN for an afternoon

I was so happy we had embarked on the insanity of the trip. . .the time I was spending with my little boys was so priceless.  Up next?  Nashville, Tennessee! 

"H" is for "HUNT!"

I had no idea what to do for "H" day, yet knew we really should do something academic around here instead of watching Nick, Jr. all day! Since I couldn't think of a fantastic idea, I took the easy way out and said "H" was for "hunt!" I figured that way Mason could figure out what "H" was for! He has his own little VTech camera, so I had him put it to good use. I sent him and Nana on an outing to find all the objects they could that began with the letter "h". . .

They had a great time, and came up with some good stuff! On his own, Mason found

            

a "Honda"

some "horses"

               

a "Highlights" magazine

and a "hydrant"

And my very favorite discovery of the day?  "H" is for "holding hands."  So sweet, those two!

That's my studious boy. . .practicing his "H's!"  (Actually, we're making him practice before he does something much more imaginative like pretending he's a B-2 Bomber.  A typical day in the life of the Rays!)

G is for Giving

Remember my brilliant idea to do "alphabet activities" with Mason? Ummmmm. . yea. Remember how the last activity I posted about was in, I dunno, like October?

Okay. . .so clearly I'm not the best about keeping up with this. But we DID get through the letter "G." In December. I suppose this is a bit (a lot?) delinquent, but I figure it's better late than never. I'll try to be better with "H!!!"

Before Christmas, we took Mason to pick out a child from the "angel tree." Before we had kids. Rip and I used to make an annual event of shopping for children in need. Always one boy, one girl. This year, we wanted Mason to "run the show," so we let him pick. It was so heartwarming to see him deliberate, then choose one name from the tree. He chose a preschool-aged girl who asked for a "Little People Playset." He was so excited to shop for her and pick out something he thought she'd like.

Even though it was for a girl who probably dreamed of the Little People Happy Sounds House, Mason just KNEW she would want the farm. He was very insistent, so we let him select the farm.

I think the most special moment of the experience was watching Mason pay for the gift. We give him $1 in assorted coins every week, and he must divide it into "spend" (50%), "save" (40%) and "give" (10%) piggy banks. After the whole year, he had $4 in change in his "give" bank. Which he proudly carried around WalMart in a Ziploc bag, then gave to the cashier like a champ.

He was so proud that we didn't let him see us secretly slipping the cashier our credit card to pay the difference between his $4 contribution and the cost of the farm!

As soon as we got home, we talked about what we had just done, and asked him if he knew why it was important. I almost cried when he said "some little girls and boys have parents who don't have very much money for food or presents. We helped them have a Christmas, too." Oh, what a sweet boy!

And of course, we practiced the letter "G." G is for giving!