Adventures, Big and Small

Last weekend we took the kids to Six Flags New England, a place we had not been in more than 10 years. Despite my concerns that paying $100 for admission and $15 for parking might not be worth it, considering Tai's hot-and-cold fear of rides, we decided to try it. Some friends of ours were taking theirs kids (almost exactly the same ages as our kids) so we figured it'd be a fun way to have a play date. And we hoped that the other little boy might help coax Tai onto some of the scarier rides.

The last time we went to Six Flags, Minh and I enjoyed the water park and the Mind Eraser, and then I literally thought I might die on Superman, Ride of Steel. Not coincidentally, that was the last roller coaster I went on, to date. During that trip, I never even noticed that they had kiddie rides.

During last weekend's trip to the park, however, I hardly noticed the thrill rides, as we spent all our time in Thomas Town, Wiggles World, and Looney Toons Movie Town. My, how times have changed. Tai's fear seems to be one of speed, as he was happy to go on the slow moving train, the carousel built in 1902 that creaked and groaned in a disconcerting way, and even the kiddie version of the elevator-drop ride. But one look at the kiddie roller coaster sent him running the other way (a boy after my own heart?)

Actually, I'm trying hard not to let my fears rub off on him, and I offered enthusiastically to go on the kiddie coaster with him, but to no avail. He also skipped the helicopters and rockets ships in favor of the teacups, cars, and monster trucks. Quynh went on a few rides herself and had a blast climbing and running around in the play area. All four kids enjoyed the live Wiggles show, which contained no actual Wiggles, but a woman who put her heart into every song and clearly had aspirations bigger than the Six Flags Stage. My favorite part of the show was the security guard, in charge of keeping kids from rushing the stage, who danced with such enthusiasm we were sure he was after the role of Captain Feathersword.

Then, on Monday, we grown-ups went zip lining in the Berkshires. Now this is my type of adventure. While roller coasters terrify me (because they're certainly going to either derail or crash, or throw me from the seat). I was not the least bit scared of zip lining. Perhaps it was the heavy-duty harness, or the feeling of control (we were taught to brake as needed). Whatever the reason, my only fear of that first zip was the worry that I'd do something wrong and look like an idiot.

After three hours of zipping, repelling, and traversing bridges from tree to tree down a mountain, I was plotting our return visit. Since the first few zips of the day were spent learning how to take off, break, and land, I'm sure we'll have even more fun now that we are experts. But maybe we should skip the Berkshires and head straight to Costa Rica?

Nothing is Cute at 2am

My fantastic sleeper is not so fantastic anymore. For months now she's been sleeping 7pm-6am straight through, like an angel. Suddenly, all last week she started sleeping till 7am -- even better! And then this week her wake up time started creeping earlier and earlier. 6:05, then 5:50, then 5:40. And THEN last night she was up calling for me "Mama! Mama! MaaaaaMaaaaa!" at 1:30am.

Ugh. I was sleepy and I have a cold, and I'm a softie, so I went to her after 5 minutes of very loud wailing. I tried (briefly) to comfort her without taking her out of the crib, but she was all "up! up! up!" so I caved in and brought her to our bed, hoping she'd snuggle with me and go back to sleep. No such luck.

First she pointed at the TV "watch! watch!" I said no. She wailed.

The she handed me her nuk and lovey and said "all done" (sleeping, I assume). Yeah, right

.

Then the cat heard all the commotion and jumped up on the bed. Great. "Nibbies!!!" Quynh squealed.

Then Buttons came over to see what was going on "Butties!!!"

After goofing around for 15 more minutes, and taking a few sips of water, she settled. And was *almost* asleep when Minh came to bed at 2am. (why he was up that late, I have no idea)

"Daddy! Hi!" she said as he climbed into bed.

Then she stood up, walked all over the bed, climbed up on Minh and tried to play with him.

Minh and I did our best to pretend to sleep and ignore her, so that she would get bored and settle down.

Then she broke out into song "A, B, C, D....."

She never asked to nurse, but did sign, and say, the word "eat" a couple times. But I'll be damned if I'm gonna set a precedent where you can get up and go have a snack in the middle of the night.

After what seemed like *forever* she settled next to me, on my pillow and started playing with my hair, twirling it in her fingers in a very uncomfortable, tickly, knot-producing way, and saying "mama, mama" quietly.

Finally, she was still. I opened my eyes only to find her laying very still, eyes wide open, staring at me.

Creepy.

I pretended to sleep for 10 more minutes, then peeked again.

She was still staring at me.

Eventually, we all fell asleep again. Probably around 3am.

I can't wait to see what time she wakes tonight.

Pike and Parent

Tai and I are enrolled at a swim class for 3-5 year olds in which the parent also goes in the pool. It meets Saturday morning for six weeks and I'm hoping that at the end of six weeks he'll want to sign up for the "regular" pike class and I can just sit on the sidelines and watch.

I think it was a good choice for him to take the class with the parents, because the first couple weeks he was clinging to me and always making sure I had a good grip on his waist. But last week he had a breakthrough. With a bubble on his back and noodle under his armpits, he "swam" all over the pool. When I first let go of him, he noticed and panicked. So I held him lightly. But then I let go again and he was kicking those legs and moving himself across the pool, so I whispered in his ear "I'm not holding you -- you're doing it on your own."

He had reached the edge of the pool, and it was time to turn around and swim back across. I positioned myself in front of him and held out my hands. But he said, "No, Mama. Don't hold me. I can do it." I was so proud of him. And during the "free time" portion of class that's all he wanted to do. He swam over to the toy bin, then across the pool, and then batted a ball back and forth with the instructor (on whom he appears to have a huge crush). All the while with no adult holding on to him. I wished I could take a video to show everyone, but I was standing in 42 inches of water and my phone was on dry land.

The Well is Dry

Q has not nursed in over two weeks. About a month ago I implemented the "don't offer, don't refuse" method of weaning that worked so well for Tai. However, Q is her own person. This method served only to piss her off and turn her into Cranky Pants Clingy Baby 24-7.

So I began turning down her requests to nurse, which made her fiercely angry for about 1 minute each time. But in between she was more pleasant. So we went cold turkey. And I tried to keep us out of situations that would cause her to ask. So each morning after taking her out of her crib, instead of snuggling her in the glider I'd whisk her off to the living room, or the breakfast table. But I missed our morning snuggles.

After a couple weeks, we're just getting back to the point where I can sit with her in the glider again. We read several books each morning while Minh and Tai are still snoozing. She just can't get enough of Peek-a-Who these days. It's really quite nice. Every couple days she still asks to nurse, but with a look in her eye like she knows she's being ridiculous. And she's much less angry when I turn her down. Soon I hope to be able to snuggle her in our bed on a Saturday morning without causing an argument over my breasts.

I'm guessing the well is indeed dry at this point, though Tai has other ideas. The other morning Quynh was being unusually grouchy and was pawing at my shirt. Tai noticed and said, "No, she doesn't nurse anymore. She can still eat food. And Mama's food still turns into milk, but Quynh can't drink it."

Personal Shopper

I'm taking a personal day tomorrow. To go shopping.

Is it just me, or does anyone else periodically go on shopping "sprees" thinking they they are buying loads of new stuff that will ensure a closet full of fashionable, well-fitting clothes for years to come, only to get home and realize that (a) you really only bought six things and (b) those six things are so nice they make your old clothes look worse? So now you only have six things you feel like you can actually wear.

Anyone? Anyone? Is it just me that does this?

Well, tomorrow I'm headed to the mall, once again. This time I not be pressed for time (since the kids will be at school) and I will not hesitate to (gulp) spend tons of money. All in the name of not having to go shopping again for a good long time.

I'm going to justify the money spending with the fact that whatever I buy now should fit me for a very long time, since I'm done with pregnancy and nursing. Now I just need to stop eating like I'm still nursing a newborn 10 times a day ;)

Hibachi!

Last night we found ourselves out and about at dinner time, so we decided to take Tai to his first-ever Hibachi dinner. Here's your re-cap:

• The balloon animals were a big hit with both kids.
• Quynh was a huge hit with the wait staff.
• Tai was mesmerized/frightened the entire time.
• I was the only one who successfully caught a piece of zucchini in my mouth.
• Minh successfully caught sake in his.
• Tai refused to open his mouth, got squirted in the face with water, and was not pleased.
• Quynh was fidgety and fussy and not very engaged in the spectacle at all.
• Tai ate a *ton* of shrimp and scallops, deftly avoiding all vegetables on his plate.
• Quynh filled up on orange juice and soup, and then hardly ate any dinner.
• We topped it all off with Herrell's Ice Cream.

When it was all over, we asked Tai "What was your favorite part?" and he replied, without hesitation, "I didn't like the fire because it almost burned my head."

Poo Haiku

Diapers handed down
to sister. Two poops in the
potty. Minh cleaned both.

Three Book Clubs

Last night was the second meeting of my book club. Despite my original ambivalence, I think I am actually enjoying this new endeavor. I am reading more, which is nice, and I get out of the house every 6 weeks. The interesting thing about this club is that the two Founding Mothers have very different personalities and, accordingly, taste in books. As a result, the first two books we read were radically different and these two women tend to butt heads a little bit during the meetings, which keeps things spicy.

Although I finished the first book mere hours before the first meeting, this month I finished weeks ahead of time and made it half-way through another book, lent to me by a friend and neighbor. It is excellent and I've already recommended it to two different friends. My neighbor and I plan to get together for a glass of wine once I finish this book and have our own little unofficial "book club". And she's already recommended another book for me to read after this one. Suddenly I feel like I'm in two book clubs--how did that happen?

Last night at dinner I explained to Tai that I was going out for a book club meeting and that Daddy would stay home and put him to bed. Of course, Tai wanted details about what a book club meeting is like, so I elaborated. Apparently, after I left Minh and Tai had their own book club meeting during which they discussed the Frog & Toad series as well as How The Grinch Stole Christmas. From what Minh tells me, Tai's participation in the discussion included, "I like Toad because he says 'blah'." and "I like the part [in The Grinch] where he takes all the gifts but then brings them back."

Minh and Tai's book club meeting quickly ended when it morphed into a tickle session. At my meeting we occasionally got temporarily off-topic, but there was no tickling.

Things I Do Because I Have Kids

There are many of things I no longer do, since becoming a mother. Sleep late, go out to the movies, take the dog on many-mile hikes, skip dinner, spend all afternoon reading a good book, etc.

But there are a number of (enjoyable) things I suddenly find myself doing because I have kids:

Going to the beach.

Using the public library.

Going out for ice cream. Frequently.

Picking blueberries.

Selecting a hotel because it has a pool. And then using the pool.

Coloring.

Going to county fairs.

Re-watching great movies like Shrek and Toy Story.

Singing. Wherever, whenever.

Dancing. Usually in the living room.

Attending local events -- tree lightings, outdoor concerts, apple festivals, etc.

Playing hide-n-seek.

Drawing on the driveway with chalk.

Swinging. Sliding. Playing.

Sparkle and Ash

I find myself the mother of a little boy whose favorite color is pink, who is undeniably drawn to anything that sparkles or shimmers, and who always wants to be Princess Fiona when we "play Shrek".

This same little boy is also just discovering the concepts of fighting and violence. Every other sentence out of his mouth seems to be about fighting. "These dinosaurs are fighting" "Quynh and I were just fighting" "Let's play fighting -- it might be a little violent, OK Mama?" Maybe he only says all that to Push My Buttons, because he's also started using rude words* just to get a rise out of me.

Today at the mall he wanted me to buy him three pieces of "back to school" clothing -- (1) a pink t-shirt covered in glittery peace signs, (2) a pink and grey shirt with a sparkly princess crown on the front, and (3) Fire Chief rain boots (to go with his fire fighter t-shirt and fire fighter rain jacket). Not that women can't be firefighters. And not that male firefighters can't wear pink glitter under their gear.....just sayin'.

I bought him all three pieces.

He seems to be right in the midst of figuring all this stuff out on his own, I just hope he doesn't learn the societal norms via a mean kid at school the day he decides to wear his princess shirt. Perhaps pairing it with the fire fighter boots will turn it from Girly to Avant Garde in a very Project Runway type of way.





*His knowledge of rude words/phrases currenlty consists of "stupid," "hate," and "you're disgusting."

Maine Bullets

• Quynh The Climber delighted in crawling all over the rocky shore and in and out of stinky tide pools for about an hour one evening. Braver than her brother, she'd reach right into the tide pool and pluck out periwinkles with those chubby little fists of hers.

• Speaking of periwinkles, Tai only picked up the empty periwinkle shells, sitting on the dry rocks. When it was time for dinner (lobster shack on the water's edge) he handed them to me and I shoved them in my pocket. Hours later, back at the hotel, I tossed them on the desk and realized that they were NOT empty shells and NOT even dead. We watched them crawl around the desk a bit and then "sent them home" via the toilet.

• For Tai, "vacation" means juice with every meal. It's even better than chocolate milk, apparently. At each meal he'd ask the wait staff to list the juice options and it seemed like he picked a different one every time. We got to one place and all they had was cranberry juice. He gave the waitress a look like, 'Well, if that's all you've got, I guess I'll take it."

• We learned many things while in Maine, including the fact that a single order of mussels in white wine and butter sauce satisfies both our kids, but only if Minh and I don't expect to eat any.

• Tai became much more outgoing around strangers during this trip. Not sure why, but we're thankful. One night in a very empty restaurant Minh and I were able to finish our meal while Tai went and drank cranberry juice at the bar, chatting with the staff and patrons alike. Of course, when I joined him 10 minutes later, I caught him admitting to liking the Yankees as well as the Red Sox--very dangerous thing to say in Maine, even for a 3-year-old.

• Tai's newfound independence made a trip to the Portland Children's Museum both easier and harder. Minh was working, so I had to keep track of both kids myself. Luckily, I could drop Q in the fenced-in "toddler area" and stand nearby while Tai visited each exhibit on his own. It was so great to have a break from "Mama, look! Mama, come here! Mama, come play with me!" He was so bold, however, that I lost track of him a couple times.

• Quynh can now do spot-on impressions of a fog horn and a train whistle.

• Each night in Maine, we put the kids to bed at the same time (7:30 -- late for Q and early for Tai). We'd turn off the lights and Minh and I would lay down and pretend to sleep too. Once the kids were snoring, we'd sneak out of bed and stay up a couple more hours. Except that one night when we both feel soundly asleep. At 7:30pm. Vacation=exhausting.

Duck Boat Trauma

Non-refundable Duck Boat tickets seemed like a good idea a month ahead of time, but not during the fit Tai threw on the street corner when he decided he was terrified of any contraption that started out on land and then drove into the water. It started as little whimpers and the question, "Will you protect me?" as we neared the stairs leading up to the boat. I promised to protect him and hold him tight, but to no avail. Soon we were experiencing a full blown Freak Out with tears and yelling. We tried calming him, reassuring him, bribing him (with a bravery Milky Way). Nothing worked. Smart kid, he even tried to bargain through his tears. "Can Daddy take Quynh (sniff sniff) on the boat and Mama can (sniff sniff) take me to buy the Milky Bar (sniff)?"

After he calmed a bit, we asked the Duck Boat Captain several questions and received the "right" answers. But Tai decided it was still too scary, and was particularly horrified that there were no seat belts. Makes me wonder.....how on Earth are you supposed to teach your kid about safety and the importance of things like seat belts and NOT turn them into neurotic Scaredy Cats?


Incidentally, the conversation with the Duck Boat Captain went like this:

K: "Is it fast and scary or slow?"

Captain: "Painfully slow and boring."

K: "Is there a big bump and huge splash when it goes in the water?"

Captain: "No, it's slow and gentle."

K: "Is it safe?"

Captain: "Yes. See that sticker over there? We got an award for safety blah blah"

K: "See Tai? They got an award because it's soooo safe and so fun."

Captain: "I didn't say it was fun."


Now there's a man who loves his job.

Wait 'Till He Tells The Kids at School About This One.

Although Tai is a typical pre-schooler when it comes to avoiding all green food, we are fortunate that he's not terribly picky and is not easily freaked out. He likes to try new things as long as they are protein. And he has a love of seafood that includes scallops, shrimp, crab, and lobster. On our recent trip to Maine, Tai devoured nearly an entire order of mussels and picked all the big chunks of lobster out of Minh's lobster roll.

So when it was time for the last dinner of the trip and we found ourselves at a restaurant that offered a kids meal of a whole (small) lobster and fries, we decided to go for it. Not wanting to waste money, we checked with him first. He was very excited about the idea of having a whole lobster on his plate.

Now, Tai knows full well what a whole lobster looks like. We often visit them in the tank at the supermarket. And he knows that they are in the tank so people can buy them, take them home, and cook them. This does not bother him, thankfully.

So Minh and I were not prepared for Tai's expression of confusion mixed with just a bit of horror when his meal arrived. Sadly, we didn't get a picture of that first moment, but we did capture his exclamation that, "They didn't take the legs off!" At first I wondered why he was so confused, when we told him it would be a whole lobster. But then I remembered that he's seen whole cooked turkeys and they look nothing like live turkeys. Same deal with chickens and ducks, right?


After the initial shock, he was eager to learn from his daddy how to pull the legs off and suck the meat out, crack open the claws, and dig out the tail meat. He proudly wore the bib, used the tiny plastic fork, and asked lots of questions. "What do we do with the eyes?" "What about the head?"

In the end, he ate about 2/3 of his little lobster and enjoyed every bite. He did so well that we got him a dessert too. Three bites into it I asked how it was and he said, "Mama, it's so good, I can't even tell you!" It was a fantastic end to a fun but exhausting trip.

You're HOW Old??

I just had this conversation with someone in my office:

Her: I just can't get into The Wire. The first couple episodes were boring, and it feels kind of....old.

Me: It's not that old. It premiered in 2002.

Her: Yeah, when I was 12.

Nuk Free

Tai has slept the past THREE nights with no nuk and we’re so proud of him. After the three of us had a lovely night out together, Friday night came to a horrible close with the expected (but still heartbreaking) crying and yelling.

He's smart, I'll give him that. He'd yell anything he thought would get me to open his bedroom door. "I need a song!" "I want someone to rub my back!" "I need someone to put the covers on me!" Each time I caved and opened the door, he immediately changed his chant to "I need nukkie!**" and several times claimed he was going to go into Quynh's room and take them back from her.

So I held the door shut until he screamed himself hoarse a-la Sam Kinison playing the Trump Card, "I need to go pee pee!!!" Finally, I let him go use the potty. The screaming stopped but he was crying so hard he could barely breathe. And he now directed his anger toward his sister, who was sleeping mere feet from the bathroom, with a dozen nuks in her crib. “I don’t like Quynh anymore. I want to put her outside this house! I don’t want her in this family!”

I put him back in his room and (at his request) took off his PJs. Then I resumed my post, holding his door shut and feeling awful about it. He banged on the door, cried, and yelled requests for the nuk, as well as, "I don't want this pull-up on!" Finally, after about 10 more minutes of crying, there was silence. He had, presumably, fallen asleep on his floor.

At 6am the next morning he came out of his room pleasant-as-can-be and buck naked, and asked, "Mama, is it OK if I sleep naked?"

Saturday night Minh put Tai to bed and there were some weepy requests for the nuk. After an extended bedtime that included stories, deep breaths, and a song, Tai did not come out of his room after being tucked in. Sunday night he didn't even request he nuk. He seemed a little unsettled as I prepared to leave the room, but he didn't come out and went right to sleep. We seem to be through the worst of it.

Sadly, this seems to have been the end of napping, but I think the exhaustion has been helping him fall asleep at bedtime, so I'll take it.




** Incidentally, Minh wondered out loud if he ought to try screaming and crying the next time he wants nookie.

If You Can't Beat 'Em, Distract 'Em

Friday night is the big night. No more nuks for Tai. Ever. No backing down. It's marked on the calendar and everyone knows the plan -- Tai, his grandparents, his teachers, even Quynh.

We picked this weekend for a number of reasons, including the fact that we happened to have playdates and family visits to distract Tai from the withdrawal he will, no doubt, experience.

Additionally, we've actually scheduled a pre-trauma distraction. Friday night we have a sitter for Quynh and we're taking Tai out to dinner and a show. It's something he's been wanting to do anyway, so we figured we'd use it as a pre-reward. A celebration of his Big Boy-ness, if you will. If fire dancing, drums, and greasy Chinese food don't take your mind off your worries, then I don't know what will. This will also cause him to stay up past his usual bedtime, which we hope means exhaustion and the ability to fall asleep without the nuk.

Despite all this over-preparation, I'm sure there will be be tears. And probably bargaining. And rationalizing. And yelling. But hopefully after a few days it will fade and we'll move on peacefully. (Until we have to do this all over again with Quynh. I sure hope she likes hula dancing.).

The Countdown

Tai will be giving his nuks to his sister in FOUR DAYS.

A Post That's Not About My Kids

I'm about halfway through a book that's neither particularly engrossing nor painfully boring. I had no idea what it was about when I started it and the first section was actually pretty entertaining. It has had some funny moments and for a few pages I thought it might turn into a murder mystery. But now I'm starting to fear that this book might actually be Not Good.

So why do I continue to read it? Because I have to. I joined a book club and the first meeting is in 2 weeks. Now I'm stressed out that I won't finish it in time or that I'll finish it, but have nothing to say about it other than, "It was pretty good" or, "I didn't like it."

I've turned down book club invites before because of these two fears. I am a slow reader so I knew Book Club Deadlines would create stress, for me. And I always figured that at book club meetings you have to say something insightful to show that you really understood the Deeper Meaning of the text. Something that makes all the others in the club go, "Ahhhhhh." I know alot about book club meetings because I've seen The Cosby Show and Still Standing. In both cases, I believe the fear was that the husband would embarrass the wife in front of her book club. But the dudes always pull through in the end.

So why did I accept this invitation? Maybe because the club is being started by two of my good friends, whom I don't get to see very often. (And who I didn't even think liked each other that much, but now they're starting a book club together. Go figure.) Or maybe because I liked the idea of having a break from kiddo bedtime, getting out of the house once in a while, and drinking wine with some other women. (There will be wine, right? On TV there is always wine.)

So here I sit, ambivalent about my situation. Last night it was 9:30pm by the time I was done with all the parenting, dish-washing, lunch-packing, and laundry-folding. I grabbed my book and was heading toward my reading chair when I realized I didn't want to read. I wanted to flop down on the couch next to my husband and watch my new favorite show. So I did.

I have to go now, I should be reading.

Favorite Shirt -- The Next Episode

And Then There Were Eight

Last weekend we camped with our old college friends and long-time camping buddies, Jake & Dianna. Back in the day, when we were in our early twenties and childless the four of us would all share one tent, one stove, and one lantern. We'd spend half of our time taking long, strenuous hikes that led past waterfalls to amazing vistas and the other half either napping or playing cards. Ah, to relax for a weekend in the woods.

But this time there were not four of us, but eight. Since the last time we camped together, we've produced a total of four children. On this trip there were two stoves, three lanterns, two picnic tables, four cell phones, two GPSs, a house-sized tent and a pop-up camper. And no relaxation.

There was still hiking--I think we did a whole mile on the relatively flat "nature trail" before Tai fell apart. And, honestly, with the extra 25 lbs strapped to my back I was about done after that too. But we did manage to help Tai find his first geocache. He's been proudly telling everyone that we "found a treasure box!"

And there was still card-playing. Tai now knows how to play Go Fish. Come to think of it, there was still napping too. After a failed attempt to get any of the toddler/preschooler crowd to settle down for a nap, we took them to the beach while Minh and Quynh snoozed the afternoon away.

There were also several new activities we never used to do while camping, such as: sand-castle-building, tag-playing, diaper changing, and attending the Bird Show put on by the Department of Recreation and Conservation. Sadly, they seem to have used the words "bird" and "show" very loosely. We spent a full hour listening to a Bird Fanatic describe in excruciating detail the different types of beaks, feet, and wings of about 25 different types of birds. With each description he wore a different hand-made bird mask. There were no actual birds at said Bird Show. Just paper mache.

Quynh was not too sure about the whole camping thing when we first arrived. She kept tripping on the uneven ground and complaining when we were too busy setting up the tent to play with her. Then we had the nerve to tell her not to eat any rocks or pine cones. But she soon found her Campground Legs and started having good time (and sneaking Rock Snacks when no one was looking). For her, the highlight of the trip seemed to be the simple act of strolling along the (paved) campground roads and waving and calling to all the other children we passed. Unlike her brother ("I'm feeling shy") she walked right into other people's sites and made new friends.

For Tai, the highlight might have been seeing a real live ice cream truck for the first time. On our walk over to the Bird Show, we heard the unmistakable tinkling of Ice Cream Truck Music. Tai's eyes lit up and he asked, "Can we get something from the ice cream truck?" Of course we indulged him. Jake asked Tai what he wanted off the truck and Tai replied with his standard order of "chocolate ice cream". He was then only a little confused to be told that the ice cream truck does not sell actual ice cream, only sugary-frozen-popsicle-thingys. He was easily persuaded to try a SpiderMan Pop.

The trip was a success. An exhausting success. Despite all the work and the long-gone days of playing scrabble all afternoon, I am looking forward to another trip in August.