Cole's latest fascination...

For the past several years Cole's interests have remained within the category of "things with wheels", CARS 1 & 2 the movies (and their never ending inventory of figures), monster trucks, Hot Wheels, Matchbox cars, firetrucks, construction vehicles and even airplanes (they have wheels too!) He has a playroom full of racetracks,runways, raceways built out of blocks, even most of our tables have "zoom" marks etched in them from repetitive action.

Though they remain an integral part of his imaginary play, he has entered a new world with his love of Lego's NINJAGO. A friend of his from Montessori began talking about them and brought his in for show-n-tell and a seed was planted. Cole has since become immersed and keen on finding out everything about the five ninjas (one of whom ironically is named Cole, their master Sensei Wu and their army of enemies (skeleton warriors). We found an in-depth book about them and we read it over and over for weeks as he memorized very fine details about them ALL!

Over the past four months he has collected numerous spinners (the figurines nestle into orb shaped vessels that twirl and spin like tornadoes) and the ninjas and skeletons in varying garb. Cole earns a new "something" with good behavior every two weeks (having to donate something in return) and without fail he has chosen some NINJAGO item to supplement his growing fleet. Cole has also become quite the master of spinning as with a flick of his wrist, he has his ninjas and their nemesis "fighting" as they roll over the counter, the tile, any available hard surface. When I try to play with him, I have continually failed with my dismal attempts to make my spinner actually spin. He comforts me by saying "that is alright mom, at least you are practicing". LOL

He watches their TV show with the utmost focus and though I haven't sat through many of the episodes in their entirety, I do like that amongst the "battles" and the "good vs evil" plot, there are a ton of messages about hard work, dedication, concentration, doing the right thing, friendship, differences amongst individuals, how to stand up for oneself and so on. I hear Cole reenact what he hears when he is playing and love to listen to his interpretation.

The past several weeks, Cole has asked for the NINJAGO Lego kits. This means 250 plus pieces of small microscopic Lego parts that when painstakingly are put together following 42 pages of instructions morph into cool blade cycles, sword stations and flying aircraft. They have moving wings, wheels and other WOW factors. Cole circles me like a hawk as I attempt not to curse while working on aforementioned creations (one took me two hours to build). However, the toil is all worth it as his smile beams out at me and I get an "I love you Mom" as I hand him the latest vehicle. I then breathe a sigh of relief (at least for another two weeks).

My little Pele...

Last fall, Cole wanted to play soccer. Last fall, Cole broke his collarbone. So Cole had to wait patiently until this summer to fulfill his desire because the spring season in Minnesota is always variable; some years, it has arrived in mid-April, last year it barely showed itself until late-May. This year of course, it sprung in late March! So you can see why I was hesitant to sign him up until I knew the temperatures would be conducive for me to be sitting on the sidelines.

Cole began soccer and T-ball the same week earlier this month. With soccer on Monday nights, swim lessons on Tuesdays, T-ball on Wednesdays and soccer practice on Thursdays, it has been GO GOO GOOO! I worried it would be too much. However, much like me, Cole likes to be doing something, anything...he does love some down time which he gets every afternoon after school when he can veg out for two hours but then he gets all revved up and excited to have an activity.

He has LOVED playing soccer. It has been a blast observing him have a grand old time as he interacts with the other Lightning Bolt players! As a parent, watching a bunch of 5 and 6 years old on the field is straight out of a comedy sketch. Some kids are kicking the ball toward the wrong net, numerous times they all converge on the ball and are kicking wildly with the ball going nowhere, other times instead of passing the ball to their team mates, they steal it away from them. The amount of "almost goals" is a statistic all its own, LOL.

Coach Mike rocks. To coach this age group takes an inordinate amount of energy and patience. To get seven of them to focus on the game and control the ball the best they can, all the while trying to advance their skills takes a special person.

To emphasis sportsmanship and a team mentality while balancing the desire to have fun and get them to each score a few goals is the ultimate outcome. Cole has been a bit hesitant on the field, holding back from getting into the middle of things but once he gets the ball, he heads down the field with a fair amount of finesse and he has scored a few times. The smile on his face says it all.

Eight weeks is the length of the season which isn't that long especially with summer flying by so quickly already. He has been asking about playing again in the fall. We shall see if his interest holds but I'm all for him playing another season before the snow begins to pile up.

Outdoor Living...

Camping sites in Minnesota book up months before the snow melts. Everyone so cherishes the warm seasons that they plan their camping adventures while the ground is still frozen.

We learned our lesson last year about waiting too long to reserve those primo campsites so we got a jump start this year and secured our place for our first camp trip for 2012 back in February! We really enjoyed Stony Point Campground near Leech Lake in June 2011 so we decided to go back. Being three hours away is a perfect distance to feel like you are AWAY FROM IT ALL and yet near enough that the drive home isn't overwhelming (especially when your dirty and bug bitten, LOL).

We had an early spring this year so the bugs were going to be more than certainly worse this year but the weather definitely warmer and we counted down the days after a busy couple of weeks with our trip back east in May and our neighbor's recent wedding. Planning and packing was a breeze as we bought a lot of our gear last year, however we did purchase a larger tent because with the three of us and a 85lb dog, it was a bit too cozy the past two camping trips. :-)

Cole kept talking about going fishing and making s'mores and recounted his memories from last year. The morning we departed, the skies were iffy. It had been raining at home with some thunder/lightening but when we arrived, the sun was shining. The air was damp and the flies were swarming but we got out our candles and incense and doused ourselves in essential oils and set up camp. The campground was full and busy with the sounds of family reunions. We were (again) one of just a few families using tents, everyone else had various sized and shaped RVs. There were thousands of caterpillars falling from the trees (not sure if they were actually caterpillars or some other bug but I've never so many of them before). The lake was beautiful especially from the vantage point out on the tip and listening to the water lap against the huge rocks was soothing to the soul. We heard owls that first night and the loons early the next morning.

The lake was still too chilly to swim in so we hoped the fish would be biting. It was a stunning cloud free day. We poked around some familiar bays, swinging by the cabin we had driven up in March to look at on the end of Suckers Bay, then headed towards the deeper waters near Walker. We were amazed how much Cole remembered from the year before when he began spouting off the names of the tiny islands that speckled the lake. The biting flies were finding us so we had to keep on the move more often than not. Unfortunately for my fisherman, the fish were elusive once again.

After six or so hours on the water, we headed back to camp for an early dinner. We were going to go back out for a sunset cruise/fish attempt since the forecast was looking questionable for the next two days so we knew we needed to make the most of our good weather as the winds were calm. After eating we headed back out with our fleeces on and found a quiet spot, however the fish continued to be uncooperative. It was peaceful and serene and much like last year, the sunset did not disappoint.

After another quiet night, we awoke to the sun again too. The radar showed storms off to our west and the forecast showed scattered storms heading in our direction. We spent the morning out and about, puttering around some new areas of the lake. It was fun looking at spectacular cabins and resorts dotting the shoreline. The east part of the lake was beautiful. The fish just wouldn't bite though and the boys were getting frustrated. Around mid-day, the gray clouds began approaching and fairly quickly so we decided to head back as we were a good 30 minutes out from camp. We stopped to fill up our gas tank at a family resort since we were low. The stop took longer than we anticipated and the sky was becoming darker by the minute. We could see the rain falling from the sky not far off so we were hoping to outrace it. Big fat drops began pelting us about 15 minutes out. Everyone else was racing across the lake trying to get "home". The rain began to come down in torrents and with the wind was coming in from all sides. We laughed it off but honestly my gut was full of butterflies. Tucker was hunkered down the best he could be, looking at us with a glare that said "you are all crazy". By the time we made it back to the opening to the cove, the wind driven rain made guiding the boat very difficult. The narrow shoot into the cove was laden with rocks and there wasn't much room for error. As Dave navigated the best he could, a gust of wind pushed the boat sideways. BONK! The prop nicked a rock and Dave's face grimaced. We did our best in a pouring rain to tie up the boat securely and ran for camp. Soaked to the bone, we jumped into the tent. We hung out until the storm passed, soon after the sun came out. Trying to dry everything out would be a chore but it was a story to add to our adventure.

Dave went down to assess the damage to the propeller hoping it sounded worse than it actually was. Cole and I pulled everything out from under the tarps. Tucker looked annoyed as everywhere he wanted to lay was damp. Dave returned unsure since the boat was in the water and it was hard to see but by feel, he was sure it wasn't good. We had planned to take the boat out again that evening and would know better once we got it out on the water again *sigh*. We ate some dinner, watched the campground come to life again and took showers. The sky had cleared but the winds were stiff and the lake choppy. We didn't want to venture far and once we got out of the cove, Dave could feel the irregular movement from the prop. So we stuck close to shore and enjoyed a cruise but the winds made it a little less pleasant than the night before. We did however experience another fabulous sunset. With dark coming around 10pm, we made s'mores and got tucked in for the night.

Our last morning was Father's Day. We had camp "brunch" and decided with the boat injured to pack up and head home. More rain was in the forecast and we wanted to head out before it arrived. En route home, we encountered it. It was another great few days on Leech Lake. Cole was already talking about our next camping getaway. We would really love to find ourselves with a cabin there (or some other lake) some day!

Here comes the bride...

We are very close with our neighbors, Jesse and Debbie. In today's world where many people living on the same street don't even know one another's names, it is refreshing to know that we have two people living next door that have our backs. We watch each other's homes when the other is out of town. I unofficially "supervised" the construction crew when they rebuilt their house last summer providing eyes and ears for them. We drink, BBQ and chill with them...their lab Coogee is Tucker's pal.

Cole adores Jesse who acts like a big brother, yelling to him over the fence, wrestling, kicking balls, playing bean bag toss, dumping him upside-down and just in general being fun with him. Cole knows to go to their door if there is trouble, danger, a fire or any other emergency. He excitedly clambers up on top of our compost bin to share news of his soccer goals, his superhero powers or any other daily trivia when he sees Jesse out in their yard.

So we were honored when they asked months ago for Cole to be the ring-bearer at their June 8, 2012 wedding. It would be a first for him (getting dressed up and attending a wedding). At the rehearsal dinner the evening before, he and Lauren, the flower girl were seemingly annoyed by their duties. Cole attempting to hold Lauren's hand as they practiced walking down the aisle was shunned as she turned away. He shrugged and continued on, standing by Jesse with a look that said, "what the heck is this all about anyway??". He was over the moon though following dinner when he received his own tackle box for fishing as a gift!

After another 2 hour drive back down to Rochester to take part in photos being taken prior to the ceremony, he just wanted to run around. Unfortunately, it was a crazy hot day and trying to keep him clean and relatively subdued while wearing suspenders and a tie was a feat. Eventually, the guests began arriving and the wedding party went into hiding. A light breeze blew as we all sat down beneath the great oak tree waiting in anticipation. The music began and the wedding party began to assemble. Cole had to carry a sign (not actually the rings) and thus didn't have to worry about holding Lauren's hand *whew*. Down they both came with pseudo-smiles. Debbie followed with her dad. After standing there for all but 5 minutes, Cole began to swivel, knowing he had to stay on "his spot". Dave caught his eye with the camera and he glared back, very much impatient with the whole ordeal but he managed to get through the 25 minute ceremony and with relief apparent on his face headed back down the aisle.

His tie came off almost immediately and he was covered in dust before the reception began but he was off-duty. It was a wonderful celebration and we were so happy to be a part of Jesse and Debbie's special day!

Beantown & Cape Cod Trip Adventure (Post 3/3)

Thursday we FINALLY awoke to SUNSHINE!! Yippee! After some breakfast, our plan was to park our bums on the beach for the day and that is exactly what we did. Cole dug around in the sand, splashed around in the absolutely still waters of the bay and just enjoyed being out of the car, LOL! The stretch of beach we were on we had pretty much had to ourselves though things were getting busier in general as the Memorial Day weekend approached and more vacationers arrived. The outside bar opened up and Dave and I could enjoy some adult beverages sipping seaside. We literally did not leave the resort until dinnertime when we ventured into Wood's Hole for some seafood.

Friday dawned another sunny morning though the clouds were filtering in and we were pretending to blow them away as we desired another fun beach day. We had the morning to be lazy before Kristen and her girls came down to hang with us. The cloud cover was much heavier by mid-day but we remained on the beach. The kids played around for an hour or two before it began to rain *sigh*. We hightailed it in to the indoor pool. As we hustled in with our gear, we found out that despite having been there all week we now needed bracelets to identify we were guests. The rules were being enforced now that the resort had filled up. So we made due inside hoping the sun would peak back out. It didn't. :-( Kristen had forgotten clothes for the girls and had to head back to Plymouth so we brought the girls into our room, got them cleaned up and into some of Cole's clothes. They watched a movie while Dave and I got ready. Surprisingly Kristen avoided hitting bad traffic on the Friday afternoon before a long holiday and made it back in record time. We met Luke down on their boat in Falmouth Harbour and ate pizza. It was too misty to take the boat out for a spin.

We got up Saturday morning to ANOTHER foggy scene but were determined to get over to Martha's Vineyard. Luke was positive that the fog would burn off so we set off. It was eerie making our way across the sound with boats appearing out of what seemed like nowhere in the fog. Half-way across the sun began breaking through and by the time we made it over to MV, the sun was out strong! We docked at a mooring in Oak Bluffs and waited for the "taxi" to come and get us and take us to land. The oldest working carousel was in town and we took the kids for a ride on it. We meandered through town but with three kiddos under seven who were hot and hungry, we decided to stop for lunch. We ate alfresco under the warm sun and then made our way back to the boat. After a short stop at a beach where the kids swam, we sailed back into Falmouth and said our good-byes to the Cantella family. Cole and I took a long walk on the beach at our resort at sunset, our last evening of a grand vacation!

Of course, when we awoke Sunday morning, the sky was picture perfect *arrgghh*. We had to pack up and head back to Boston to catch our flight but were stopping in Hingham to visit with the LaRhette family. As we drove off the Cape with the sparkling sea behind us, I really wanted one more day at the beach but it wasn't in our plans. After a terrific pitstop to catch up with Mike, Jen and the boys, we made great time to the airport. What a fantastic 10 days together! We missed Tucker and our life in Minnesota but thoroughly enjoyed our time away. We will be back!

Beantown & Cape Cod Trip Adventure (Post 2/3)

After a whirlwind weekend seeing old faces, meeting new ones and an exploration of many of the neighborhoods of Boston, we looked forward to some more relaxing and peaceful days ahead as we made our way to Falmouth. When I had looked at resorts months ago, we wanted a place that had a pool, was beachfront, ideally had a restaurant and one that was relatively upscale. Many of the hotels on the Cape are more Bed-n-Breakfast style or are run-down or cheesy in an attempt to be kid-friendly. We didn't want to break the bank but also didn't want to live for six days without amenities. After much research, we had booked the newly renovated SeaCrest Hotel in Falmouth, just a short drive from main street and Wood's Hole. It was a great choice (albeit we encountered some very "green" staff as it was pre-summer season). They had an indoor and outdoor pool, a wide expanse of beach facing Buzzard's Bay, two restaurants, and beautifully landscaped courtyards. It had its quirks but we were okay with that.

Unfortunately for the first few days it rained or was foggy. We made the best of it poking around Falmouth Center on Monday while on Tuesday we headed towards the tip of Cape Cod, the roads narrowing and traffic almost non-existent once we got passed its "elbow". The beautiful dunes took on a different feeling in the cool mist. Then through the salty air we hit Provincetown. We walked around the docks and main street and had some lunch and then found ourselves continuing on past the shops and tourist traps to peak at the cottages and gray-shingle Cape homes. Some had luscious gardens/window boxes and a rare lawn while most were stacked so closely to one another than you could barely walk between them. Cats were aplenty, strolling in the alleyways or sitting in the windows. We found ourselves eventually at Pilgrim Park, the true site of the Pilgrims landing, a windswept marsh stretched for miles. On our return route, we walked through another part of town and remarked how unique a place Provincetown is.

After a harrowing ride back to Falmouth (an electronic issue with our rental car's engine made it difficult for Dave to drive without fear that the engine would shut off) we made it back to SeaCrest. We kicked around in the hot tub and indoor pool that evening hoping for better weather the following morning. Alas, when we woke, we were still socked in with serious fog. So we made our way back out to the Middle Cape and as we drove the skies began to clear. Luckily by the time we made it to Eastham, the sun was shining. We stopped at a pull-off point we had seen the day before, Fort Hill and hiked down a path, oohing and ahhing at the view. Wild roses bloomed everywhere (so did poison ivy, but we managed to ID that early on). Back in the car for a few miles more and we found ourselves at Coast Guard Beach. We enjoyed lazing around in the sun as Cole played in the sand (the surf was chilly).

After a few hours, we meandered back to Falmouth to clean up and head to the Cantellas for dinner. A short drive back to the mainland, we enjoyed the company of Kristen, Luke and the girls. Drinks, lobster, laughter and witty conversation ensued. The kids were exhausted when we finally said good night. We'd be seeing Kristen and the girls on Friday afternoon for some beach fun and again on Saturday when we planned to cruise around the Vineyard on Luke's fishing boat.