A Visit

Sorry, but I've been doing so many things lately, that I will have to do several short posts in one day to catch up!

On Wednesday, Dylan and I took a "trip" an hour and 15 minutes north to visit Doug's family. I usually only see them 2 or 3 times a year, and the last time I took Dylan to visit was last September. But, it was as if we were just there the day before! He walked in ahead of me, and went straight to where Doug's sis-in-law had set up her son's old train set the last time. Sure enough, she had it ready for him. Boy, I don't know what got into my usually not affectionate kid, but he was following her all over the house, sitting on her lap, and giving out hugs! (It might have had something to do with her giving him bowls of blueberries!) She also made him a special lunch, with chicken nuggets, fruit, and a cupcake!

The grownups had homemade broccoli/cheese soup and a strawberry salad. That girl shames me every time with her delicious cooking! I'm domestically challenged, you know.

Dylan had a blast! He put on a show for them, singing, dancing, letters, numbers, etc. The kid loves praise, and they showered him with it. Doug's grandma, who gave him his beloved "puppy", gave him another stuffed animal that is sure to become a favorite. He also got gifts from Doug's mom, sis-in-law, and uncle. No wonder he loves going there!

Dylan also got to see Doug's brother's amazing train display, complete with 5 trains going at once, smoke and whistles! A little boy's dream!

A bittersweet moment was when Doug's mom, sis-in-law, and I were sitting in the living room talking. Dylan was in the dining room with Doug's brother, when he suddenly brought him a picture of Doug, asking who it was. Oh, my heart!

We had a great time. It is always so nice to see them, and we look forward to our next visit.

A Day Out With A Friend

When you are single, getting together for a "girl's day out", usually involves chatting and laughing over a meal and drinks for hours, until your waitress starts giving you "the look" as she walks by your table. You might talk about current events, movies, a great deal you found, a great book you are reading, etc. Oh, who am I kidding? When I was single and out with a friend, we talked about MEN. That is pretty much all we talked about.

Now that I am married, and have a child, getting together with a friend is slightly different. Sunday, I met up with Burgh Baby's Mom for a "play date" with our kids.

It involved...

-an indoor play area with way too many kids and way too much noise
-tears and hugs when another kid kicked Dylan's back going down the slide (that was before BBM even got there!)
-a "scary" monster guy
-two kids side by side, giving each other sideways glances, but having no clue how to interact (at first)
-two kids looking adorable, holding hands while walking through the mall
-three potty trips
-a vomit scare
-a pee puddle on the floor
-shared animal crackers
-a booster seat falling off the chair and unto the floor with a kid still in it
-a kiss from a little girl to a little boy...and another...and another...and another...
-an embrace that landed them on the floor, me thinking they needed to get a room
-a quick glance at the fish
-an emergency outfit purchase
-a child running up and down the aisles of a store while being chased by a frustrated mommy
-a merry-go-round ride
-a ride on a "roller coaster", sitting side by side with their hands up

Like I said, when I was single, going out with a friend was slightly different. These days, a day out with a friend is a success if it happens. Oh, and if we get to finish a sentence, that is an added bonus.

(Go to her blog, and click the Flickr button to see the pictures)

The Science Center

Today we took Dylan to The Science Center for the first time. Our friends have a membership, so we got in free! Time with friends we don't see often enough, new discoveries for Dylan, and very little money spent - Triple Score!!! I haven't been to the Science Center since I was in my 20's, (you know, last week sometime), and took a group of 24 preschoolers there on a field trip. The place must have added a few floors in the meantime, because holy crap, the amount of stuff in the place is mind boggling. Four floors, (or was it five? I lost track). We probably only saw half of the stuff.

There was a giant train display, robots shooting basketballs, all sorts of scientific experiments, an aquarium, water play, ball play area, etc, etc. I think Dylan's favorite thing about the whole place were the ramps from floor to floor. We put him down, and SWOOSH, he was off like a rocket, legs churning, butt wiggling, arms going, and a big old goofy grin with a few squeals for good measure. It's not too hard to make that kid happy. Give him a big open space and maybe a big chunk of cheese and the kid is in toddler heaven.



By about the third floor, I started to become perplexed about something. When did I get old?! When exactly did that happen, and why didn't anyone tell me? I was exhausted. Did I mention that I chased 24 preschoolers around the place without breaking a sweat last week - (or, you know, whenever that was)? So, either I got old, or they have started pumping sleeping gas through the pipes of the place, because I just...needed a nap.

Dylan fell asleep practically before we were out of the parking lot, and slept the whole ride home. So did I. Then, when we got home...

Two hours later, when I rudely woke him up when I "tromped through the room", he was beyond grouchy. I made dinner, and you should have seen him put away the food! The Science Center took a lot out of him. All of us, apparently. Good thing we took him now, because next time I might need a walker.