The boys love decorating for Christmas! As soon as Thanksgiving is over, they're asking to get out the decorations. Actually, what they love is tearing through the storage bins, throwing things everywhere, then playing Legos while I place it all. Despite the chaos, it's fun to see their excitement.
Picking out the tree is always another chaotic adventure. The rows of neatly arranged trees look like a labyrinth that invites exploring. As soon as we enter, they begin chasing each other. To end the commotion before they crash into a person or tree, I quickly grab the closest one. This year I didn't realize until we got home that it had a distinct tilt to the right.
The Leaning Tree of Christmas
This was a year when the Moehn side of the family got together for Christmas in Arizona. The boys were excited to see their cousins again and everyone got along well. They especially liked playing with the babies.
All the cousins. It was close to impossible to get them all still for this picture! (Cole, Luc, Sophia, Jay, and Noah.)
Cole and Noah snuggling.
Jay and Sophia dressed for dinner.
We went on a beautiful desert hike.
A big tarantula decided to say hello. He blended into the path so well that we almost stepped on him.
We had a great time at Disney World this year. We spent a day at Magic Kingdom, then another at Hollywood Studios. Our hotel was in the All Star Movies Resort and the boys were relieved to stay at the Toy Story complex and not a princess one.
We can't stop for a picture now!
Trapped by the evil emperor Zurg!
Log Ride. Love that Jay is smiling!
The new Star Wars ride was a favorite at Hollywood Studios.
Finally, a family photo at Hollywood Studios!
Jay was selected to be the torch holder at the Pirates of the Caribbean show. He took the role very seriously.
With NASA's Space Shuttle program coming to a close, we decided we should see one of the last launches. We picked the mid-May 2010 launch of Atlantis. We weren't lucky enough to score tickets to watch from the Kennedy Space Center, so we found a spot along Highway 1 on the other side of the river. Rob estimated it was about 5 miles from the launch pad, so we were happy.
The Long, Sweaty Wait
Rob and I were really excited for the coutdown to begin. The first shuttle launch took place in 1981, when we were 10 years old, so we grew up with the shuttle program.We both remember watching the Challenger explosion in school in 1986. Viewing Atlantis's last launch with the crowd along the riverbank felt like watching a historical era end.
The boys were less enthusiastic since it was a long wait on a hot, sunny, sweaty day. After a couple hours of waiting outside, we let them sit in the car with the air conditioner and a video.
When the launch finally began, we got to hear the actual countdown on someone's radio. At the beginning, huge clouds of smoke billowed from the launch pad. Then we saw the engine fire and the shuttle began to rise. The blast was so powerful that the ground shook and we could feel the rumbling in our bones. As it rose higher, we could see the rocket boosters fall. It really was an awesome sight, despite the long wait for abut five minutes of excitement.
Here's footage from closer range.
The Kennedy Space Center wasn't open on launch weekend, so we returned in November. It was amazing to crawl inside the actual spacecrafts that carried astronauts. We couldn't believe how small the pods were. Imagine the astronauts with all their gear and suits crammed into that space.
We were also amazed by the Saturn V rocket on display.
A retired astronaut who had flown on shuttles and Saturn rockets gave a talk and had a Q&A session. He was the man in ground control communicating directly to the astronauts in Apollo 13! His experience was fascinating. Rob asked a question about how anything in the rest of your life could compare with going in space. He really liked the question and said a lot of astronauts have issues because no other achievements are as big.
Another highlight was a bus tour of the entire complex. We'd seen so many of the buildings and sites in movies and the news that it was neat to see them in person. We also watched some really well made movies about the space program.
The Center made a great family vacation. We all enjoyed every part of it and will definitely return. It will be interesting to see how it changes as the shuttle programs winds down.
This year we vacationed in Canada almost the entire month of July. It was wonderful to be there longer than usual, especially at the height of summer in the south. As the boys grow older, they are able to appreciate the lake more and more. It is wonderful to watch them enjoy the same things my sisters and I did when we were little.
Jay became a fish this trip! He was always the first one in the lake and the last one out. When he wasn't swimming, he was trying to convince us to go. Cole wasn't as comfortable in the water, but he enjoyed floating on the rafts. They played a game where they were drifting on "the high sea." It involved a lot of yelling and splashing. With the way sound carries across the lake, I was afraid a neighbor would think they were really lost at sea and come to rescue them.
Even the rainy days were fun with forts to build, books to read, games to play, and puzzles to do. Most of the games and books are ones from when I was little, so I always enjoy rediscovering them. Our old story tapes were were hours of entertainment. (I don't think they had ever seen cassette tapes before.) And how could they be bored when there were drainspouts! With running water, mud, and puddles!!
Other highlights of the trip:
Exploring under the house, on the path to the guest house, and in the garage.
Jay only wanting to ride in the boats when they went fast.
One-on-one breakfasts with Grandpa--Jay ate 2 servings of pancakes and Cole ate 2 servings of bacon. Together they make a great team!
After we returned home, Jay said that next summer we need to stay for 51 days!
In August, we went to Maine for Ken and Nancy's 45th wedding anniversary. You know it's a good time when the state troopers have to come! The kids were playing in the basement with their cousins when we received a call from a 9-1-1 dispatcher. Someone from our number had called them and hung up, and the dispatcher was concerned about "screams and sounds of a struggle."
Cole, Jay, and their two cousins were playing in the basement. We could hear them running around and jumping on the beds. Somehow we figured out that they were involved.
We assured her that there was no emergency, but a few minutes later, two Maine state troopers knocked on the door. The culprits got a lecture from one state trooper while the other tried (rather unsuccessfully) not to laugh at the kids' stricken looks. The troopers were very nice about it The four cousins (looking innocent):
Sometimes Pop Pop got involved (or instigated) the craziness:
We all had a wonderful trip. Even now, Jay will say, "I want to go back to Maine. I miss Maine." We assure him we'll go back again and he wants to pack his bags immediately.
If I were still in school, I would have flunked the ubiquitous What I Did for My Summer Vacation essay due to its being two months overdue. Here's a quick recap so we can return to the present day.
We had a wonderful summer of traveling. First, to my family's cabin on Lake of the Woods for two weeks. We were all relieved to escape the July heat in South Carolina for the cool summer they had up north. The boys had a blast with the freedom to run around outside. The house is perfectly set up for laps around the deck through the kitchen, out to the porch, and back onto the deck. Grandpa spent most mornings yelling, "Don't slam the door!" (I think at the end of two weeks with energetic little boys, he was rather glad to have had girls who spend the summers quietly playing paper dolls or sunning on the dock.)
The boys weren't quite ready to jump into the cold lake, but they had fun playing in the baby pool Yingy put on the deck and filled with warm water from the tap.
They also spent as much time as possible in the fishing boat playing fishermen with the dock lines. They'd throw the lines over the side of the boat and pretend to catch whales and sharks. We had to stop Jay from climbing over the side of the boat several times. Jay enjoyed the times he really went fishing and even helped Grandpa cut the fish into fillets and dispose of the guts (something we girls never, ever, under any circumstances, ever did). He and Cole now play fishermen on my bed with belts as the fishing lines. They are very precise about it, down to bonking the fish on the heads to kill them and cutting the fillets with a knife.
We had a wonderful time in Scottsdale for Part Two of our Christmas. Grandma put up three trees--one for each grandkid. The big tree belonged to Cole; the medium tree belonged to Jay; and the little one to baby Sophia. A remote control turned on the lights and the boys loved pushing the button every evening. Unfortunately, they couldn't always remember where they put it, so we had to launch a few full-scale searches.
Of course, the best part of the trip for the boys was the presents! Jay's favorite was the jump castle from Grandma and Grandpa. It came in a nice, big box, which he liked as well. When someone asked him what he received, he answered, "A big box!!" We now have the jump castle in our family room until it warms up outside. Although such funishings have never been featured in Better Homes and Gardens, I think it adds a nice touch.Cole's favorite present was a rocket with detachable boosters and two astronauts. Once he opened it, he ceased to pay attention to anything anyone else did (it made a wonderful accessory to his space shirt).
The pool was another highlight. Last summer both boys were a bit tentative in our neighborhood pool. What a difference six months make! They were like little fish! Jay prefered to stay near the step. Cole hooked his arms over noodles and paddled all around, chasing the Creepy Crawler that cleans the bottom of the pool. I think they would have stayed in the pool all day. They also loved the waterfall that turned on at five o'clock. So did we because that was when the first bottle of wine was uncorked!
Because Cole loves buildings and Jay is always up for an adventure, we ventured into NYC during our Thanksgiving visit to Rob's hometown. The boys were ecstatic that the day began with their first real train ride, complete with tickets and a conductor. As we passed the 5- or 6-story buildings in the suburbs, Cole kept asking, "Is that a skyscraper? What about that one? Is that one?" His excitment was contagious. I couldn't wait to see his expression when he gazed at a true skyscraper. After arriving at Grand Central Station, we headed down 5th Avenue. (No, Cole, they didn't name the station after Geotrax.) Our first stop was the public library for a picture with the famed lions. We went inside to admire the beautiful building and to use the nicest public restrooms I knew about in the area. Next stop was one of the ubiquitous street vendors for hotdogs and pretzels. No visit to New York would be complete without a tasty vendor treat! And, finally, the pièce de résistance : The top of the Empire State Building! Jay seemed more interested in the pigeons, but Cole was excited to see some of the famous buildings shown in a skyscraper book we have. (I'm not sure why Jay decided to play dead for the photo.) As we walked back up 5th Ave at dusk, I thought about visiting Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas tree and ice skaters, then I decided it was already a full day for the boys' first trip to the Big Apple. (A wise decision, I just learned, because the tree wasn't lit until a couple days ago.) Instead, the boys got to experience rush hour at Grand Central Station from stroller height.
Sometimes Pop Pop got involved (or instigated) the craziness:
The boys weren't quite ready to jump into the cold lake, but they had fun playing in the baby pool Yingy put on the deck and filled with warm water from the tap.
They also spent as much time as possible in the fishing boat playing fishermen with the dock lines. They'd throw the lines over the side of the boat and pretend to catch whales and sharks. We had to stop Jay from climbing over the side of the boat several times.
Jay enjoyed the times he really went fishing and even helped Grandpa cut the fish into fillets and dispose of the guts (something we girls never, ever, under any circumstances, ever did). He and Cole now play fishermen on my bed with belts as the fishing lines. They are very precise about it, down to bonking the fish on the heads to kill them and cutting the fillets with a knife.
Cole's favorite present was a rocket with detachable boosters and two astronauts. Once he opened it, he ceased to pay attention to anything anyone else did (it made a wonderful accessory to his space shirt).
The pool was another highlight. Last summer both boys were a bit tentative in our neighborhood pool. What a difference six months make! They were like little fish! Jay prefered to stay near the step. Cole hooked his arms over noodles and paddled all around, chasing the Creepy Crawler that cleans the bottom of the pool. I think they would have stayed in the pool all day. They also loved the waterfall that turned on at five o'clock. So did we because that was when the first bottle of wine was uncorked!
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After arriving at Grand Central Station, we headed down 5th Avenue. (No, Cole, they didn't name the station after Geotrax.) Our first stop was the public library for a picture with the famed lions. We went inside to admire the beautiful building and to use the nicest public restrooms I knew about in the area.library+lion+crop.jpg)
Next stop was one of the ubiquitous street vendors for hotdogs and pretzels. No visit to New York would be complete without a tasty vendor treat!
And, finally, the pièce de résistance : The top of the Empire State Building! Jay seemed more interested in the pigeons, but Cole was excited to see some of the famous buildings shown in a skyscraper book we have. (I'm not sure why Jay decided to play dead for the photo.)empire+view+crop+more.jpg)
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As we walked back up 5th Ave at dusk, I thought about visiting Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas tree and ice skaters, then I decided it was already a full day for the boys' first trip to the Big Apple. (A wise decision, I just learned, because the tree wasn't lit until a couple days ago.) Instead, the boys got to experience rush hour at Grand Central Station from stroller height.
