A Visit From the Dark Side

 

A (not so) long, long time ago, in a school (not so) far, far away……..

 

….there lived a little boy who had recently been introduced to the wonders of Star Wars.

The young boy’s father (much to his mother’s dismay) had acquainted him with things like the Dark Side and The Force via a viewing of the old school Star Wars 1st movie*.

* Which I totally know is really like episode IV or whatever.  In case you can’t tell, I am not the Star Wars nerd my husband is.

 

The boy was in awe of the marvels this new world presented.  He immediately requested his own light saber*.

*Yes, I know it is one word lightsaber, but spell check disagrees with George Lucas spelling.

One evening, The Boy’s older sister (not named Leia for the record) had a fall festival at her school, and in a room hidden away from the cake walk and pumpkin painting, he found his Jedi friends*.

*a.k.a.- a group of grown folks who still live in their parents’ basement and take this Star Wars stuff way too seriously.

The boy was thrilled to be among other other Jedis (or would the plural just be Jedi?) where he exchanged light saber tricks and tips on mind force.

All was well in the universe, until……

Dun, Dun, Dun, Dun-da-Dun, Dun-da-Dun

A storm trooper entered the room, immediately followed by The Dark Lord*.

a.k.a.- Anakin Skywalker, Darth Vader (dang, I am good)

The boy refused to speak to Vader, and when the Dark Lord tried to use his evil powers against him, The Boy powered back with The Force*.

 

a.k.a- A high five

In the end, goodness prevailed and all was well in the universe.

 

 

And right here in this picture?   He is telling his sister,

"Oh, yeah.  I totally know what  I am going to be for Halloween.”

Crazy Hair Day

Crazy Hair Day at school.  

Who is the awesome lady who stayed up late the night before gluing googly eyes on pipe cleaners?

That’s right, mama.

   I was voted coolest hair, I mean SHE was voted coolest hair, but what was REALLY cool was the do that popped out that night after we took that mess out.

BAM!  Look at that hair!   She looks like someone who stepped out of Studio 54.

Later that night, we pulled out the disco ball and danced away to Donna Summer.

Orr Family Farm

This place rocks. 

   I love fall.  I probably told you that like 10,354 times, but I seriously love this time of year.  Having cooler weather and gorgeous auburn trees around  me this year has just added to my delight and affection for the season.

This was our first year to hit a big pumpkin patch without our crew, which was sad, but we really did have a wonderful day.   We actually went to several different pumpkin festivals/patches this year (as usual), but this joint was by far the best.

Orr Family Farm is more set up to be an amusement park than a pumpkin patch, but they really are a working farm and where as we normally spend a  few hours at a patch, we spent the entire day at this place.

Kaelan was out of school for the week on Fall Break, so we didn’t have to pull her out of school again. 

Which, let me just get on my soap box about that for a minute.   I am glad I have never had to face a principal or teacher that takes issue with me taking my kid out of school every once in a while to enjoy a family day or vacation.   We have been very fortunate to have great schools that see the value in this.   It could be that they know my kid is advanced enough that missing a day of school now and again will not hurt her grades.   I know that as a teacher I saw kids who were struggling academically who could have benefited from a family day.   That kind of attention may have actually helped turn things around for those struggling kids.   Not running for office or anything…..just saying.  

Off my box.

Right inside the gates of the farm was an old fashioned carousel.   My kids jumped right on.   If there is a big belt buckle for carousel riding, my boy has earned it.   He owns the carousel rodeo.

               

Most of the farm had a theme based around the book “Spookley the Square Pumpkin” which absolutely delighted Kaelan.   She loves this book, and we actually had a family night “drive-in” with this movie later that week, so even though I did not know this about the farm prior to coming, I came out looking like a hero!  Yes!

Hayride, train ride, games, a really fun playground, petting zoo, baby pumpkin hunt and we were ready for lunch.  Whew!

 

After a quick bite, we were off again.  My hope is that next year when we come, she will not have grown a bit.   I can hope, right?

Pony rides, and then BINGO!  Mom was  hero once again!   Kaelan is all about the rocks and mining stuff, so our next stop was an actual gold/rock/mineral mining area.

My girl LOVED this part of the day.  She listened intently as one of the employees explained how to sift and pan.   She used the little creek to wash out her treasures.  

Seth thoroughly enjoyed playing in the water and dumping sand in the sifter.  At one point, I (stupidly) took off my wedding ring so I could sift in the freezing water.  My boy decided that gem needed to be washed, so he threw my ring in the running creek.  Luckily I chased it down and caught it before it disappeared into the paddle wheel.   I can just imagine the look on the kid’s face fortunate enough to find  that precious stone a few days later.

Tall wall maze, paddle car racing, big bubble jumping and some of the most awesome tunnel slides later, and my boy was starting to doze off while standing.

 

Kaelan and I headed over to the zip line and corn maze while dad took Seth back to the car for a much needed nap.  For dad, not Seth.

After watching a bunch of middle aged screaming like maniac ladies do the zip line, Kaelan had  change of heart and decided to skip it this year.  I will admit, they kind of freaked me out, too.  Next year.  Next year we conquer the zip line.

The corn maze was awesome.  There were lots of interactive things to do along the trail.   I have to admit that there was one point in the maze where I got a little sweaty in the pits thinking we might not ever get out of there.   Thank goodness for iMaps.   Can I get an amen?   My kid doesn’t need to know about that little secret though, because getting us out of the maze was yet another bonus for hero mom!  Man, I am on a roll.

Why,  do you ask,  do  I  subject myself to these exhausting, jam-packed action activities when curling up on the couch in my jammies sounds so much more relaxing?

Easy. Two words:  

These Guys

The two guys in the front.  Not that little photo bombing turkey in the background who kept (purposely) jumping in my shots.

Every time we make the trek home after one of these great family adventure days, I look in the back seat to see two dirt smudged, sleepy-eyed boogers looking out the window and thinking over the day’s encounters.

This is my favorite part of day. 

Inevitably, they will grow between now and next year’s trip to Orr Family Farm, but regardless of what the pumpkin chart shows, I will still see those same little ones smiling and day dreaming from the back seat.

To Arm a Child or Not to Arm a Child? That is the Question.

 

 

Ahh…..boys.     They love to run and play and get dirty.   The world is full of mud pies and sandboxes and grass stains just waiting to meet them.   I love watching little boys play.  My girl is rough and tumble, and she has always preferred the “boy” games and opposed to the more “girly” activities, but there is a different kind of play that goes on between just boys.

Seth is slowly being inducted in to this Big Boy Universe of Play.   I watch him as he takes in every move of the older boys he watches in play groups and public areas.   He is new to the world of army men and superheroes and zombie chase.   I sort of am, too.   So together we are venturing into this new world.

We were at the park the other morning.   My guy and I were meeting up with another mom and her baby daughter for some play like we do several times a week.   On this day, there were 2 older boys (around 4 or 5 years of age) there with their moms.   While their mothers chatted, the two boys entertained themselves by running through the mazes of the playscape shouting and shooting their little toy guns at imaginary pirates after their booty.

It was magical sitting and listening to the sounds of their imaginations running like wild as they yelled to one another and took out the bad guys.   Seth stopped his play and wondered over to sit and watch the show.  

Pow-Pow!!!   The boys called out as they raised their guns and took aim.   One little guy even gave an Oscar performance as he faked being shot in the leg.   No worries.  He recovered quickly by simply spraying on some “instant power juice” he had in his pocket.  

Pow-Pow!!!  They called out over and over as they ran and jumped from ledge to slide.  Pow-Pow!!

Seth climbed up on the bench next to me and continued his constant gaze on the boys.   The only thing missing was a big bag of popcorn.  

I know lots of parents take issue with this kind of play.   Some say guns and weapons teach too much violence.   They recently passed a law here in OK that allows a person to carry a weapon pretty much anywhere. Folks are certainly exercising that right, and now no matter where we go, we see folks flying their freedom flag and packing heat.  I’m not big on guns, but these two little guys were not out to promote gang violence or practice drive-bys.  . 

They were just two little boys playing pirates.  And it was sweet.

Later that day when we arrived home, I carried Seth into the house and washed his hands in preparation for lunch.  He wriggled out of my grip and took off running to the art room on a mission.   I called for him a few times, and then just as I was making my way around the corner to see what trouble he was getting into, he came waddling out of the art room with a cord dragging behind him.

Pow-Pow!!!, he shouted as he aimed the hot glue gun he held in his hand at the light above me.

It is true, we don’t have any play guns in our house.   In fact, I think the show in the park was the first time he had ever seen a gun of any kind.  

You have to hand it to the boy for using his imagination.   He probably thought about that the whole drive home.   What do I have around the house that can go Pow-Pow???

He won’t get far in the game of Cowboys and Indians with that weapon, but I have faith that he will  be one serious crafter!

Maybe there is toy gun in his future.  Maybe not.  I will cross that bridge later.   For now, he is content with his hot glue gun.

Watch out Martha Stewart!   We are coming for you!  Pow-Pow!

Seasons and Sunsets

 

There are many things I miss about New Mexico and Austin……..but there are so many things I am loving about Oklahoma.

 

I catch Kaelan out on her deck all the time watching the sunrise.   She actually took some window crayons and outlined the sunrise on her windows one morning.   The sunsets are just as breathtaking.  

Seasons.  And most importantly, fall.

I have missed fall like you wouldn’t believe since leaving New Mexico.   The trees would sometimes change in Austin (usually in December), but the change was quick and usually brought swept away quickly by wind and laws of nature.  I missed a  slow gradual change in temperature and color.

It has been so nice to watch the steady change and feel the air getting cooler and more crisp.  My runs become more and more colorful each week.  I love it.   Reminds me of the rolling hills in Tennessee, and it is all right here in my neighborhood.

I hear they get some measurable snowfall here.   My kids are going to love that.  I think I will start waxing my skies.  

Am I dreaming big?  Probably, but my driveway alone will give me at least a few black diamond runs.

Day Out With Thomas

Our girl was a little down with Thomas when she was younger.  Mostly because Darian loved  Thomas, so she developed a little bit of affection for the train and his friends.   Nothing big.  She knew about him and played trains with Darian, but she never watched the show or anything.   She claimed the narrator spoke Spanish or some other language and it was boring.

We attended  a few Thomas events  near Austin over the years, but this year we HAD to attend the Day Out With Thomas event.  NOT for Kaelan, but for The Boy.

It seems our little guy has caught the Thomas bug.   Really, he likes all trains and fire trucks and dump trucks and cement trucks and airplanes.  Heck, he likes all modes of transportation, but Thomas is the one he’s attached to for right now.   He has only seen a few of the episodes while we were traveling, but through books and toys, he is slowly falling in love with that adorable blue locomotive.  

This love affair is going to cost me a lot of money, and it also means I am going to hear the word “cheeky” a lot in my house.  Oh, Thomas and his Spanish…….

 

We opted to go on a Friday afternoon rather than Saturday (2 day event), so we pulled Kaelan out of school early for this very educational field trip.

This proved to be the wisest choice ever, as we virtually had the whole depot to ourselves.   Like I said, this is not my first train ride, so we know how crazy these events can get.   Going on Friday at that time rocked!  NO lines.  NO fighting crowds of screaming kids and parents.   NO parking issues.  Awesome.

Aunt Sara came along with us for this adventure, and by adventure, I mean taking a train for a 20 minute ride one way, and then back on the EXACT SAME route backwards for 20 minutes.   This time it wasn’t too bad because, since the train was almost empty, we were able to switch sides on the train for the backwards route so the scenery was new.  

     

We met Sir Topham Hatt and his large tempting nostrils.  

We played in the train table tent for a LOOOONG time.   He tried them all out and he didn’t have to fight other kids to get in there.  Again, awesome.

Aunt Sara disappeared to the gift shop for a bit and came back with a new and improved hat for Seth.  At first he wasn’t too sure about it and gave us his doubtful, “Noooooooo” he gives with a wrinkled nose.  However, not too long after putting it on his head, a train engineer came by with a similar hat and told him how cool he looked.  I think we had to pry it off  for bath that night.

I am no Long Island Medium but I see many more of these events in our future.   We already have plans for the Halloween train and our usual Polar Express Train ride.   Is there an Easter, St. Patrick’s, 4th of July, Labor Day ride?

Geez, I hope not.