The Wilsons

Well spring is almost completely sprung and summer is ushering in.  June is the one month that the weather in Buffalo seems just right.  75-degree days, evening Jeep rides with the t-tops off, mornings on the porch in the adirondack chairs… now that’s living.  Too bad we don’t get 365 days of this sort of thing.

In the weeks since our last posting, we’ve returned to Buffalo and settled back in.  Melodia and the kids had enjoyed 6 full weeks in Tampa, FL with Lala and Lalo (Melodia’s parents), and so getting “settled” back into our Buffalo apartment best describes the transition. I have started a rather heavy (5 classes, MWR 1200-330/400p, T 800a-400p) summer school teaching schedule, but we figured, with the economy as it is, taking all the overtime/extra pay one can is probably a good thing. The weather in Buffalo has finally climbed to temperatures that allow us to keep the windows open all night without freezing (though it’s dipped into the 40s a few nights). The pool is open at the apartment complex, but somehow, 76 just isn’t warm enough when it’s water.  I take 76-degree air all summer, but 76-degree water is just downright cold.  I need about 86-degree water, but unfortunately, this apartment’s pool is not heated.  I know, time to move.

So we’re easing into summer and trying to enjoy it.  I know that, like this last year, summer may just fly by, too.  So we’re trying to soak up all the time we can, enjoying weekend trips and morning (pre-summer school afternoon classes) times together. The start of summer allows us to enjoy one other activity that we’re fond of as a family… looking for “selling toys,” that’s the kids’ lingo for garage saleing.

Every Friday morning we’re out by 8 or 9 with the GPS filled up with the weekend’s garage sales. In two years of doing this as a family activity, I think Melodia and I have each bought about 1 thing.  But, the kids always come home with 2 or 3 toys to add to their coffers. And we’re ok with it, as the prices are so minimal. Last week, will scored a new tricycle (that’s motorcycle looking) and McKinely found a large, plastic dollhouse, each for $5 bucks.  We also added to our kids’ book collection and scored about 20 coloring books (a good find).

The funny thing is, despite never really buying anything for myself at these, I love the stuff we find for the kids.  And most of these sales are loaded with kid’s items.  Of course, soon enough, we’ll probably have to have our own sale to sell it all back!

This last weekend we decided to head down to Allegheny State Park and rent a cabin for the night. We’ve been looking at pop-up campers and will likely buy a used one before summer’s out.  I think we’ve settled on the pop-up as making more sense than a travel trailer for us right now.  We’d even talked about tenting it a few times to see how that goes.  In the end, it’s all about just getting the kids out camping.  I’m so thankful that my parents did that with my sister and I when we were little.  That, coupled with growing up in the country in Michigan, are the two biggest things that likely factored into my lifelong love for nature.  I’d like to instill that same love in my kids’ hearts.  And it’s not hard to do; the kids love camping… already.  It’s almost like it’s innate.  Then again, I might argue, we were originally born and raised in a garden, outdoors… I mean, weren’t Adam and Eve both campers?

The cabin was an interesting experience. With Izzabelly at 10 months, any kind of camping with her is still a challenge… bottles, diapers, her crawling around, etc.  But nonetheless, we’re braving it. Gotta start sometime, and there’s so many other things that we’ve not started early enough (e.g., swimming lessons).

Allegheny SP was beautiful.  We took an evening drive to look for wildlife; the kids love looking for deer. We spotted many deer, a skunk, and a raccoon.  I also discovered an Eastern Newt while walking and we enjoyed looking at it, holding it, and looking it up in our Audubon: First Field Guide to Amphibians.  We bought the kids the First Field Guide set because they love creatures and learning, and the set helps us to teach them about different things in nature. The bright orange of the Eastern Newt made him especially fun to look at.   We also discovered grasshoppers, caterpillars (which Wil enjoyed for the whole day in a makeshift empty waterbottle terrarium), and Osprey atop a telephone pole nest.

We drove all throughout the park on Saturday morning, visiting areas we’d not seen before.  I’d been in the park on 2 or 3 other occasions, but Melodia had only been there once.  All in all, it was a wonderful trip.  It made us eager for more, and we should be planning them; but we’ve also been taking the last week day by day.

We’re on the hunt for a new apartment, duplex or country house rental.  That’s taking up  some time right now.  We’ve just outgrown our little 2 bedroom, one year experiment in under 800 square feet.  So we’ll be moving stuff in the next month (a task I really dislike).  Living in our old North Buffalo house for 3.5 years was nice in that I didn’t move stuff two summers in a row!  But, this year, it’s moving, moving, moving…

The thought of working 4 days a week all summer (remember, I have a teacher’s mentality, not a 40 hour, 50 weeks per year mentality) coupled with moving this summer is my gray cl0ud!  Getting out on the weekends for adventures, Friday morning garage sales, and things along these lines are my sunshine.

I should also slip in here that I am amazed how much more beautiful my wife becomes with each new day.  It’s so unfair.  I’m just getting older, grayer, heavier, and she’s just getting prettier, wiser, wonderful-er.   It’s really something to behold.  I am such a lucky man. She is also my sunshine, and I love her deeply.

That’s a quick recap on us.  It’s 65 on the porch this morning, and Wil is riding his scooter on the sidewalk in his pajamas.   Behind me, inside the apartment, just past the open screen door, McKinley sits playing with her “new to her” dollhouse.  All is as it should be.  These moments are treasures.

To all reading, I hope you find these treasures today in your life.

After staying an extra night in the Waterfront Place hotel in Morgantown, WV, we packed it up and headed home to Buffalo.  I had actually packed the Jeep in the evening after the kids went to bed, anticipating our 530am (Transformers) roll out.

Because we’d stayed the extra night and were arriving home on Wednesday, there were no extra adventure stops to speak of.  I had to be home by 1100am to get changed and head into class to teach from 1230p-330p that afternoon.

So we drove about the 4.5 hours with just two stops, gas and breakfast in Pittsburgh, PA and a bathroom break/snack stop at Krispy Kreme in Erie, PA. We made it home about 1030am.

It was nice to get home, but we did really enjoy our road trip with the kids.  It was a blast, and in truth, once we got into the swing of the routine, a little driving, some stops, a hotel stay, etc., we really enjoyed ourselves.  It’s got us thinking about some weekend adventures with the kids this summer. 

They certainly let us know that the trip was well worth it.  As we drove each day, they’d talk about sights they’d seen the previous day, and how they’d like to return.  That really let us that it was worth it.

And since turning 4, Wil has really loved the idea of being 4.  “I can do this because I’m 4 now. I couldn’t do it when I was 3.”  While it was a simple birthday in the hotel, it was wonderful.  And Wil loved riding his scooter through the hotel whenever we’d go to the lounge or to the restaurant downstairs.  I told him it was his birthday, so he could ride it indoors to all the places we went.

My favorite 4 moment though, really came the night before, as I layed in bed with Wil.  He wanted to stay awake instead of going to sleep. And I had the chance to “reflect” with Wil on something.  I whispered to him as we lay there looking at each other and talking, “you know what, Wil?  This is the last night you will ever spend as a 3-year-old.  Tomorrow, when you wake up, it will be your birthday, and you will be 4.  You will never go to sleep again as a 3-year-old after tonight.   It’s your last time to be 3.”

That thought wasn’t lost on Wil.  He was excited about turning 4, and leaving 3 behind, and soon closed his eyes and fell asleep.  But the thought sure landed heavy on me, and I was glad that, as we lay there, we both had the chance to reflect on the fact that it was the last night ever that he would fall asleep as a 3-year-old.  We sometimes forget to stop and recognize these things.

Ok, I know day 5 was supposed to include our arrival to Buffalo, but I will get to that in a minute.

Today is Wil’s 4th birthday! How time flies.  I know everyone tells you that they grow up too fast and that you need to enjoy these days while you have them.  Man, are they right.  I am so glad we are enjoying this trip home and didn’t put it off thinking that the kids were too young to travel for such a long distance.

This trip definitely hasn’t been without the occasional melt down, but the majority of the time has been great.  Wil and McMac are getting to the place where they can really enjoy each others company and play together well.  I mean, when two kids can find a way to play hide and seek while strapped into their car seats? (Izzybelle sits in the middle and laughs) LOL.  They are making the best of it and it is great to watch.

So, I digress.  My son turned 4 today and we made the best of it in a hotel in WV.  Lonni left early to run to the store to buy a birthday cake and a gift, (including wrapping paper and tape!).  He had a limited amount of time because I needed him to be back in time for me to be here to sing Happy Birthday and make it to my spa appointment in time. (I didn’t want to miss out on that!).

So, just in time, without a minute to spare; Papi arrives with a cake and a present he wrapped himself in the lobby (he did a great job).  Wil was so excited, he could hardly wait to blow out the candles.  He would blow one out at a time while we serenaded him.  Best of all, he got a present.  Papi got him a 3 wheeled scooter.  Wil’s reaction…”I always knew I wanted a scooter!”   Today was all about him declaring his new age and how he could and could not do things because he was 4.   One of the things he can do…ride a scooter.

While the celebration was getting under way, I had to leave for the 4hr spa appointment. I didn’t get to enjoy the Carvel ice cream cake, but that was a sacrifice that had to be made.

I went down to the second floor where the spa is, and it was beautiful.  I felt like I was on a cruise ship.  They gave me a tour of the facility and directed me to the locker room where I was to change into slippers and a great fluffy robe.

My first stop was the message room. Nothing major here, just quiet and very relaxing.  My masseuse started with the hot rocks. Oh my goodness.  If you have never had a massage like this, do yourself a favor.  These rocks were hot to start but warmed after the first or second pass.  I immediately started to decompress.  After she used the rocks she did the traditional massage and that was great too.  This relaxing loveliness lasted for an hour and a half.  It took me a little while to stand up.

My next stop was the pedicure chair.  A girl named Jennifer was my nail tech.   I got to know her pretty well as the pedicure and manicure lasted 2 hrs.  My feet have never been so pampered.  She exfoliated, wrapped them in warm towels, massaged them using warm rocks and lotion, and even put them in a paraphim wax.  It was great and my manicure was not far behind.

All in all it was one of the best things my hubby has done for me.  I enjoyed every minute of it.  I enjoyed it so much that when I returned I wanted to stay another night because I was too relaxed to spend five hours in a car right away.

And so we did extend our stay in this beautiful hotel.  We had lunch together and swam in the pool for a while today.  The kids went to bed a 7:30, we packed up our things and will be ready for an early morning departure.  We need to be in Buffalo by 11:30 so we will be pulling out around 6:30 a.m.

Was it worth staying an extra night…sure…why not?