Wild Ride Days 2-4

We spent the weekend in Richmond with my brother, Bubby, and his family, as well as 2 cats, 3 lizards, one bunny, and a snake. I’m feeling pretty proud right now having spent our nights in the same room as the 3 lizards and all the unwitting crickets chirping and singing as they awaited their imminent doom (I'm a critter weenie if you didn't know). Jaden was in heaven. Bubby has a good size slot car track set up that is super cool. They have a Wii (enough said). The backyard is a little kid wonderland with a trampoline, rope swing, sticks galore, and a Bubby-built treehouse with which Jaden fell madly in love. Now, of course, he wants one, so I told him sure! We’d build one. In about 30 years when the tree gets big enough to support one. His reply, “But in 30 years I’m gonna be OLD!”

Having fallen hard for the slot car track, Bubby took us to Chick’s Hobbies where they race slot cars some Friday nights. Real slot cars!! Or bigger slot cars anyway. I didn’t even know such a hobby existed but it was SO cool! The tracks are huge and those cars are wicked fast. My brother says a fast lap with one of the regular cars is about 4-4.5 seconds, but there actually exist different cars that can make it around in 2. Wowza. I really felt we should’ve all been wearing protective head gear with those cars zinging around the track. I could just see taking an emergency trip to the dentist after losing a mouthful of teeth when one of those cars hit a curve at the wrong speed. Fortunately, we left Chick’s unscathed and with Jaden begging for a slot car of his own. According to Chick himself, it would only cost about $120 for a starter package AND he just happened to have 4 in stock! Lucky me! Sadly, Chick and Jaden were disappointed this very fine day.

And then we were off to Maymont…a very cool place indeed. It’s basically a very large and old estate that surely has a great story or history behind it, but 6 year olds can’t be bothered with such trivial information when there’s a nature center down the hill, a petting zoo up the hill, a koi pond/lake, ginormous trees everywhere and a bamboo forest! There were other untold wonders on the property, but after making our way down the hills, we had to freakin’ come back up. Holy gee whiz! I obviously live on flat land for a reason.

On Sunday we slept late then had Bubby's Brilliant Breakfast pizza (I have to say that's a really great name I just came up with there, but it's copyrighted Bubster. If you use it and get rich someday, my manager will send you a bill :) ). I wish I'd been smart enough to take a picture of that before we ate it. You would've been impressed and quite jealous. And lastly, we got to watch my youngest nephew play volleyball! Jaden was wearing out towards the end so we decided to head on back to Newport News. Not 3 minutes down the road I get a text from Bubby...my nephew served 9 points in a row!! Can't believe I missed that!! Sigh. Another 10 minutes down the road we ran head on into a snow storm...it was so beautiful! I'd forgotten what real snow looked like. Thankfully it wasn't sticking so driving wasn't dangerous and we made it back without incident. Well, there was a popcorn spill in the backseat, but since the rental smelled like smoke the whole weekend, I didn't feel too bad.

Jaden and Angie's Wild Ride

Four states in one day. Whew! Jaden thinks this is seriously cool. I think it’s ridiculous to have to fly in every direction except the one you intend before you can get where you’re going. At least there weren’t any delays or travel mishaps during our 4 state journey. And really, how often does one have the opportunity to visit Alba-cookie, NM? Ahhh…the inner workings of a child’s mind. Next, we toured the greater mid-west up to Chicago. Jaden was disappointed we couldn’t get out and play in the snow. Frankly, I was too. It would’ve been nice for Lubbock to at least try to be wintry once this year. Oh well. So now we are currently en route to Norfolk, VA...our final destination. Sort of. We’ll actually drive to Newport News tonight, then on to Richmond tomorrow.

Jaden in the Alba-cookie airport

But regardless of the crazy flight pattern, I have now experienced the coolest of all things cool. Have you ever been sitting outside on a simmering summer day when a butterfly lands right next to you and it’s so sweet and rare that you don’t even breathe for fear of scaring the little creature off? Well. My little creature (code name Jaden) actually pulled out the Junie B. Jones book I bought for him and has been reading quietly beside me for 20 minutes now! I’m actually about to pass out from the lack of oxygen. Don't scare it away. Don't scare it away!! For those of you unfamiliar with Junie B. Jones, they’re small chapter books averaging maybe 3 pictures from cover to cover. This is definitely a big moment when you consider the most frequently read books (by J) at our house consist mainly of onomatopoeia. This is a good day.

Jaden at Chicago Midway Airport

More than anything today though, I’ve really relished the time I’ve had to just watch his wide-eyed wonder at the world without the blinders (mine) of everyday responsibility. What a blessing to be trapped in 4 airports and 3 planes where there are no dishes to be washed and no laundry to be sorted and to have these hours to really see.

Gettin' With the Program

I was over on L's Cimarron blog earlier today and noticed Quilty razzing her about the word verification thing on the comments...and I got to thinking, "Hey, I have that, too.  What IS it for and how DO you get rid of it?"  So after some investigation, I discovered it's to help cut down on blog spam, whatever the heck that is, and I turned it off.  So just for the record, if I get attacked with spam tomorrow, it's all on you Quilty!  I also noticed that only fellow Bloggers were allowed to comment...sorry 'bout that.  So if you're a reader, but a non-blogger, try leaving a comment now so I'll know you were here!  After getting hip with the comment section of my blog, I started digging around and found I'd never filled out my profile info.  So, for all you profile peepers, I'm mostly up to date there, too.  

And, on the non- blog front, I managed to endure an entire hour of Pilates this evening.  I don't know who decided that that was a good way to exercise, but I'm positive he/she was quite drunk when that conclusion was reached.  Ouch.  I'm going to go back though (when I'm able to walk again that is).  I'm determined to make the most out of my $8/mo gym membership because at that price, it would just be stupid not to.  The boys were thrilled to get to go up there too because they got to stay in the playroom.  Somehow, a room full of toys and games (the same ones they have at home no doubt) is fun and exciting for no other reason than because none of it belongs to you.  Whatever.  When we left, Jaden gets all strapped into the carseat and THEN, of course, reveals how badly he has to "go".  

Jaden: Can't we just run over to Grandma's real quick?  I've had to go since we got there and they just wouldn't let me go!!!"

Me:  Hmmm...did you ask them if you could go?

Jaden:  Well, no.

Me:  Sigh.