Homeward Bound
Greetings to all.
Today, the weather did not favor outdoor activities; it rained heavily throughout the day.
We spent the morning after breakfast packing, then checkout out of the hotel. We had a couple of hours to kill before dropping Rebecca at the airport. She had a flight to go to Andrews AFB, while Xavier and I had a direct flight to Denver several hours later.
We had hoped to hike/walk one of the local preserve areas, but it was too wet and rainy for that. Instead, we found the airport, then found a place to eat lunch. After lunch, we dropped Rebecca off, then waited for her to call us. She was going to check out the USO in the airport and report if it was kid-friendly.
We got the call, and it was kid-friendly. It even had Lego to build. However, sitting there for for six hours with an under-exercised four year-old did not sound appealing. I Googled for indoor play areas and found one thirty minutes away.
Xavier played and got much of his running around done over the next hour and a half. Then we headed back to the airport. After returning the rental car, we found the check-in, thinking to get our checked luggage taken care of. The check in stations were closed, opening only two hours before the flight, leaving us an with hour and a half to kill.
We spent that in the USO. Xavier loved it there, especially upon finding the Lego. He build an airport and then added a USO room to his airport. He explored the many other toys as well, then we left to check in.
Pensacola Airport is a small airport. We checkout our bags, got through security and found our gate in less than twenty minutes. Once past security, we found a vendor and bought dinner. We ate while watching planes get serviced, land and take off.
Xavier held up well, even sleeping a while on the three and a half hour maiden voyage of Frontier Airline's service between Pensacola and Denver.
We walked in the door of our house just after 11:30 PM and Xavier was in bed just after midnight. I planned that he would get up and go to school in a few hours, leaving me the day to rest up and do nothing.
He woke up at 8:30. No time to make it to school. I did not get the nap I planned on and greatly needed, but we did find things to do. We ended the day returning to the airport to pick Rebecca up; she was able to get all she needed done at Andrews AFB in just a few hours.
At last, after eight weeks, the family is together again and home!
Naval Museum
Greetings to all.
This morning, we toured a naval air museum. Both Rebecca and I wanted to see it, and we hoped it offer things that would keep Xavier's attention for a couple of hours.
Instead of boredom and wanting to go to the beach or pool, Xavier surprised us. When he saw a one-quarter sized model of an aircraft carrier, his face lit up. I lifted him up to see the detail and he asked question after question.
Rounding the corner from the lobby into the museum itself took Xavier to a whole new level of engaged excitement. The aircraft in the room had Xavier tripping the clouds.
Then he discovered the aircraft engine displays near most of the planes. These had parts of the housing cut away so the internal workings could be seen. Xavier's love for mechanical devices kicked in and more adrenaline hit his system. Could it get more exciting than this!
Yes, yes it could. Deeper into the museum were the cockpits of retired planes and helicopters. You could climb into these and drive the sticks and operate the controls. There were even whole aircraft there you could climb into. And then the irresistible final item: a miniature, kid-sized aircraft carrier bridge.
That mixed with other kids to play with Xavier gave Dad nearly an hour to walk around and look at the museum at his pace.
After pulling him away from these "interactive exhibits," Xavier discovered the gift shop. He had to have something to take home. His face was aglow as he looked over what the shop offered. Imagine what he did when he discovered a wall of Lego-compatible kits with aircraft and aircraft carriers. Fortunately for us, I could use the very real reason that our suitcases were not big enough for the items he initially lobbied for.
As we left, we thought Xavier would be happy to go straight out the exit, but no. He wanted to look at all the models of the aircraft carriers on the way out. These models were from the very first aircraft carrier to the latest active vessel, and Xavier needed to see them all.
We finished the day at the beach, where Xavier and I built a large sand castle. We hoped the in-coming tide would fill the moat. It did not.
After the beach, we hit the pool and hot tub. The weather at the end of the day grew chilled, blowing in tomorrow's expected rain, so we all favored the hot tub over the pool. After a few trips around the Lazy River, we cleaned up and went out to a local restaurant. We ended the evening with an unexpected fireworks display launched over the bay.
Day on the Beach
Greetings to all.
The plan today was the beach. And what a lovely beach our hotel sat on! Well kept and clean, lots of white, soft sand and moderate breakers washing the shoreline. We could rent chairs, umbrellas and tents if we wanted. We did not rent any of these.
When we pulled open the curtain to let the morning sunlight into the room, we saw just off shore a school of dolphin feeding. If I had a telephoto lens for my travel camera, there would be pictures!
After breakfast, we dressed for the beach, grabbed some towels from the pool deck and headed South. Crossing the long foot bridge from the hotel pool area, we at last stepped down onto the white, soft sands.
We found a place to set up and call our own. Xavier, who remembered his first beach experience in Coco Beach, Florida, wanted to build sand castles. We had brought the plastic water glasses from our room to use as molds.
Soon, Xavier grew board with the sand. He wanted to splash in the waves. Alas, a new angst for Xavier's parents, and one which brought us to move a few hundred feet down the beach.
The shelf dropped off steeply just a few feet into the water. Though only dropping a foot or so, it was still too deep for Xavier, and too uncomfortable for his parents. We found a place where the shelf drop-off was much further out to sea.
After a couple of hours, Xavier wanted to go back to the hotel pool area and get into the hot tub. On the way back, he found something else to play with: the hose and shower used to rinse off the beach sand before entering the pool area. Once torn away from that, he made his way to the hot tub while Rebecca and I secured a few lounge chairs under an umbrella near the pool.
While Xavier played in the hot tub and shallow area of the pool, Rebecca and I hoped to relax in the shade of the umbrella, reconnect and have some adult conversation. It had been, after all, seven weeks since the two of us could relax and talk with each other.
Xavier made this difficult. He kept coming over and asking questions, or wanting someone to take him on a Lazy River ride. This did lead to Rebecca and I to seriously explore the idea of giving Xavier a sibling.
For dinner, we engaged a sort of tuk-tuk service to a restaurant down the beach. After dinner, we walked the beach back to our hotel. The sun had just set, but still we had plenty of dusky light.
Xavier kept stopping to dig in the sand. He had found a large bird feather and used the quill end to excavate. As we walked near the surf, we saw dark shapes moving in the water. These turned out to be a school of manta rays feeding on the small fish along the shoreline. They came right up to the edge of the surf foam, and they swam in the small breakers.
We took pictures, but there was not enough light for the pictures to show anything very well. Xavier saw the rays, but they did not impress him. Instead, while Mom and Dad watched the rays, he took opportunity to dig in the sand with his feather. Mom and Dad no longer telling him repeatedly to "follow and keep up," he could fully indulge in the his sand excavation project.
SOS Graduation
Greetings to all.
We got up early this morning, though not as early as yesterday. After breakfast, Rebecca, Xavier and I drove onto Maxwell AFB. It has been seven years since I last stepped onto that base. The last time was for Rebecca's AMS graduation; it was also the time I knew that Rebecca "was the one for me."
Xavier held up OK during the ceremony, but when he got hungry, we had a few rough spots. We met Rebecca's classmates and her instructors. We even ran into a woman whose daughter was in the same NICU as Xavier at the same time as Xavier.
We had loaded up the car and checked out of the hotel before the ceremony, so leaving base we headed for the Montgomery Zoo. It is a smaller zoo, and very kid friendly. Xavier was not so much interested in the exhibits, but more in the plumbing and mechanical features he discovered throughout the park. Even feeding the giraffes did not impress him.
After leaving the zoo, we drove to Pensacola Beach where we hoped to relax for a few days. As parents, Rebecca and I had a few new experiences. The car seat Xavier sat in we placed next to the passenger side door (too much luggage, so we could not put the seat in the middle of the back seat).
It hit us when Xavier pushed the window button and opened the window a bit. Rebecca and I instantly thought the same basic things: is the door locked, can Xavier unlock the door, the car seat does not anchor to any D rings, what if the door comes open. Xavier no longer had a five-point harness, just a lap and shoulder belt.
We pulled off the road and figured all this out, as well as learn what safety features the rental car offered. It was, to say the least, unnerving and a new level of driving stress for us. At least when we checked in to the hotel, we could move the car seat to the middle of the car, which (we hoped) would help relieve some of our new-found angst.
We made it to Pensacola Beach without further incident, though both Rebecca's and my ears kept careful attention to what Xavier was doing in the back, which after we got back on the road, he eventually fell asleep.
We got to our room (which overlooked the ocean and white powder-sand beach from seven floors up), put on our swimsuits and headed for the hotel pool. We splashed around the shallow end, warmed up in the hot tub and floated around the Lazy River on tubes.
We picked up a DVD from the front desk's collection, but we all fell asleep long before the movie ended.
Early, Early Morning
Greetings to all.
Today was the day! Nearly seven weeks Xavier and I have been baching it with Rebecca at SOS in Montgomery, Alabama.
This morning, at the very early hour of 0200, Xavier and I buckled into our car and headed to the airport. Our flight out left at 0500, and we had to change planes in Dallas. This flight was the only one available that got us to Montgomery at a reasonable time.
Xavier was a little trooper. He pulled his own suitcase most of the way. He caught a small nap in flight to Dallas where we had a light breakfast and built a Lego plane while waiting for our second flight.
Xavier was disappointed not to have a window seat on the first plane, but the second flight was a smaller plane, only two seats on one side and one seat on the other. Dad had to walk the aisle bent over as this plane lacked head room also. Xavier got his window seat!
Not so interested in looking out the window, Xavier liked opening and closing the window shade. As we were flying East, he eventually decided to leave the shade down since the Sun was too bright. He spent much of the flight studying the aircraft card showing how to fasten seat belts, exits for emergency egress and other safety features of the aircraft.
We landed in MGM Airport a little ahead of schedule. We stopped by the car rental desk to secure a car seat for Xavier and to get my name on the lease. Rebecca had set this up for us before our arrival, so all we had to do was provide identification.
The rental company had only three types of car seat, none of them fit Xavier. The infant seat was too small, and no way Xavier is big enough and heavy enough for a booster seat.
We had to settle on the high-backed booster, which had three criteria: forty to one hundred pounds, minimum of 42 inches tall and at least four years old. Xavier met only the last one, missing the first by twelve pounds and the second by three inches. As Xavier's pediatrician told us concerning these things, you have to make due and do what you need to do, so we did.
We picked up a shuttle to our hotel, checked in and dropped our luggage in the room, then walked across the street for lunch. It was two in the afternoon, and breakfast was six hours in the past. The pizza place Xavier wanted to eat at was closed, so we found a nice Mexican place a few hundred feet away. Chips and chicken for Xavier, and one of the bartenders and we got on well discussing and dancing to the music playing. Yes, Xavier was seat dancing to several songs, endearing him to the wait staff, which led to them giving Xavier some free food.
Rebecca joined us about four o'clock. I asked Xavier, "Do you want to wait for Momma to come to the room, or go down and wait for her in the lobby?"
"I want to wait in the lobby!" he answered enthusiastically.
He had already explored the lobby, which had many water falls in it, and ridden the glass elevator, which rose above several pools of water. He could not wait to show Momma all the water features in the lobby.
At the end of the day, when asked what his favorite part of the day was, Xavier said "my bed." He had his own bed in his own room, a pull-out bed in the couch.
"What about seeing Momma? Isn't that your favorite part?" we asked. That, as it turned out, was number two on his list. (note: he did miss his Momma these past seven weeks).
In spite of having his own bed in his own room, he slept with Dad in the main bedroom, and Mom slept in the pull out (she was not ready to sleep when the two of us—up since 0200—were beyond ready to sleep.
Painted Wings and Giant Rings
Greetings to everyone.
We knew Xavier would like them. He had played with them at school and other places. Rebecca and I were thinking ahead to Christmas 2018 to get Xavier some of his own.
Those plans blew out of the water a few weeks ago. Xavier attended a Lego-themed birthday party. One of the party favors given out was a little 30-piece kit—a man and a wheeled cart with a laser.
Xavier, along with the other children at the party, built their toy (with adults helping guide them when asked). Shortly thereafter, most of the kids went on to other toys and games. Not Xavier. He built, took apart, then built again his toy.
He slept with it that night. He took it to school with him the next day. The day following that he forgot it as we left for school; he wanted me to return home and bring it to him in class (of course, I did not agree to that).
He discovered Lego mini-movies on Netflix (brilliant marketing "films" really). "Daddy, I want more Legos" became a common request over the next few weeks.
As a reward for being so well behaved while I drove him all over to shop for groceries and other household needs, we hit a local Walmart store and bought a rather complex 80-some piece plane. We built that plane a dozen times. He took it to a friend's house (fully built with all the parts). They blew it up several times, losing fourteen pieces during their play.
Later, the Easter Bunny left him two new kits for him to find. He played with those quite a lot, sleeping with several assembled models.
The hunger for more only increased with each new kit. When we bought the plane at Walmart, Xavier learned that Legos come in bulk. This, he did not forget. Shortly after Easter Sunday, he asked for more Lego and reminded me of the bulk parts. He wanted to build designs of his own, not just the kits.
Xavier has been saving his chore earnings for a specific firetruck (which he is about $55 shy). I explained he could get more Lego if he used his own money. (I set a limit of seven dollars).
He and I discussed how using that seven dollars would mean he was taking money away from his firetruck (we have a goal sheet on the refrigerator he fills in when he gets paid). We discussed how, if he bought Lego with his firetruck money, he was saying that Lego was more important than his firetruck. He grasp some of it, but long-term planning is not a strength of four going on five year olds.
Seven of his hard-earned dollars in hand, we headed out to the stores yesterday. The last stop we made was Walmart, though Xavier pleaded for Walmart to be the first stop!
We looked over much of the Lego offerings on the shelves, and found one within budget having 221 pieces (Dad said he would match Xavier's $7 dollar for dollar, thus doubling his buying power).
Like the painted wings and giant rings in the song Puff the Magic Dragon, Legos have replaced Tinker Toys, just as Tinker Toys replaced Hot Wheels. Xavier still plays with his Tinker Toys and Hot Wheels, but they take a back seat to his new favorite toy.
Easter 2018
Greetings to all!
He is Risen!
The past two Saturdays, which Xavier and I use as clean-the-house days during Rebecca's absence, I have told Xavier (who has not fully engaged in his part of the cleaning activities in order to indulge in his new toy obsession) the Easter Bunny is not going to hide eggs in messy rooms. The reason, I explained, was that the Bunny does not think you find his eggs in all the mess.
Xavier took that line of reasoning to heart more than I expected. Middle Earth has had his attention these past two Saturdays.
This year is the first year Xavier engaged in the egg hunt/Easter Bunny side of Easter. He knew what an egg hunt meant and eagerly anticipated it.
I did ask him from time to time, and this morning when he woke up, why is Easter important and what is the correct focus. His answer is always "Jesus died. He rose from the dead." Satisfied with his response, I turned him loose on the rest of the house.
Last night, Xavier went to sleep easier than I expected. I waited a couple of hours, broke out the Bunny Loot and put on my Bunny ears.
I learned a few things. First, I over-bought candy, and not just a little. One bag of jelly beans proved more than enough. Though, I did do well on the chocolate candies side.
Second, hiding Bunny Loot is not as easy as it looks on paper. Hiding the small toys in places to create the greatest impact was not so difficult. The candy surprised me in its difficulty. I hid it high, I hid it low. I hid behind doors, in toys, in nooks and crannies. The hunt to find places to hide candy proved laborious. Who knew?
A third thing I learned was how unsatisfying it was hiding candy and toys when Rebecca was not there to take part in the operation. Our first egg hiding, and it was not a shared event.
At last, I entered Xavier's room. I had thought to hide eggs in several places in his room, but decided to only place a toy and chocolate bunny in a place he would see when he awoke. Bedtime for Daddy.
Xavier, who went to sleep concerned the Bunny might not come, awoke with help from Daddy (we needed to make the early service at church today). It took a few minutes of Xavier chatting to me about a couple of subjects (one being he thought the EB missed our house) before he noted the Lego City kit and chocolate bunny near his bed.
His eyes lit up and light bulbs started turning on! He looked outside. The morning started unusually cold, and looked like snow (the EB hid no eggs outdoors). Xavier looked out the window of his room and explained he did not think any eggs were outside because of the weather.
His face then lit up as he realized if the EB left stuff in his room, then there must be eggs elsewhere in the house. "I think the Easter Bunny hid more toys in the house!" He ran through the house into Middle Earth.
It was awesome, his response to finding eggs. He noted those up high first. Squealing with delight, he pointed at them saying "There's some way up there!"
He raced around collecting his finds and putting them on a table. It took me a while to get him into the dining area to find his basket, which contained some loot as well.
Shortly after getting his basket, he saw it—up on the mantle of the fireplace—the BIG toy. One of the larger Lego City kits. If only I could bottle his surprise, innocent joy and excitement!
We only had about :35 minutes from the time he got up until we needed to leave for church. He got dressed and ate breakfast and we left with time to spare on the clock. That is an Easter Miracle!
Christ is Risen!