Back to School

It's that time of year! We started the week off with Back to School night where the kids can meet their teachers, see their rooms, and drop off their school supplies. Both kids asked for bigger backpacks this year, which is silly because most of the time they don't even have anything in them, but their other backpacks didn't fit standard folders without bending down the corners. So, wish granted! I think Hadley could fit inside hers! The night was a success, teachers seem great (H has O's 1st grade teacher), and I was happy that big bro was helping little sis find her way around.

Yesterday was finally the first day of school! Hadley couldn't wait to get there and get started, but Owen was more reluctant to let go of his easy-going summer schedule.

It was a little chilly in the morning (hovering around 40 degrees already!), but we scootered/biked to school anyway. I was requested by both to accompany them to school and make sure they got in the right line, and I certainly appreciate and cherish this time in their lives when they want me to do so!

Unfortunately, the design of the school is such that 1st and 3rd grades are on opposite ends of the building, so depositing each kid in the right line was not quite as easy as it sounds. But we got there with plenty of time, agreed on an after-school meeting place, and got them both in their class lines before the first bell.

A new school and routine is a big adjustment, but it's easier with a familiar, friendly face. These girls are classmates once again! I'm sure it will be another fantastic year for my two scholars! (Never mind that Hadley told me that she went in the boys' bathroom on accident.) We're off to a good start!

Cave Falls, Yellowstone

One of my only summer goals was to hike in the "secret corner" of Yellowstone. We'd heard about it from friends a long time ago, and had just never made it over there. So, last weekend was time to go! It's about a 2 hour drive from our house, and there's no guard house or long line to get in, just 17 miles on a gravel road.

This corner of Yellowstone is only accessible to the rest of the park by foot, but it's supposedly known as Cascade Corner because of the rivers and waterfalls found there. Visible just a few steps from the car were the first falls, Cave Falls.

We took a trail to the "beach" to see them closer and feel the misty spray. At 207 feet, it is the widest waterfall in Yellowstone.

 Then we went to the overlook to see the view from up high. Very peaceful.

The Fall River is aptly named, as it was pretty much continuous rapids above the falls. The trail followed it pretty closely through the forest, so we had a white noise of roaring water and a fresh pine scent as our companions most of the way.

The picture above of Hadley chewing her hair (a lovely new habit!) was at the confluence of the Fall and Bechler Rivers. The Bechler was much calmer and we soon came to a spot where the kids wanted to get in and explore, although the water was deemed much too cold to actually stand in for any length of time.

Owen dubbed it "Crawfish Alley" because we saw several good sized crawfish among the rocks. And they were bright orange! Weird, but beautiful. We didn't catch any in the net, but it was nice to relax by the water and take our dusty shoes off for a bit.

For the sake of time and exploring further, we pulled the kids from the river and got back on the trail, which broke off from the river to go through an eerie lodgepole forest. It was out of a fairy tale, and the endless number of tall, skinny trunks almost had a dizzying optical effect as you became surrounded.

Eventually the trail came back to the Bechler River, where we saw swans.

We made it to Bechler Falls (and a little farther) before we decided to turn around. According to the sign, it was only 1.3 miles between waterfalls, but it felt much longer!

The kids' motivation was more water play at the beach by the car. 

They found a little sandbar with water that was shallow (read: warm) enough to be tolerated by bare feet.

It was perfect! Shallow and warm-ish for wading, sand for digging, and rocks/sticks for building a little dam in the shallows. We spent quite a while there just enjoying it and not having to rush anywhere. Mission accomplished!

Youth Jam and Tri Harder

We got back in town just in time for a library party, the Snake River Roaring Youth Jam and Kids' Tri Harder Triathlon. Summer's not done yet! The library party was Wimpy Kid themed, which is Owen's favorite book series. He's read all 12 books multiple times each, so I encouraged him to join the trivia game. His team won because Owen knew two of the $500 answers! He got a book for his efforts, so at least that reading is paying off. 

The Youth Jam is a lot of local businesses set up in booths along the Riverwalk with free music and art projects for kids. It's always fun, and this year they had free face painting!

The triathlon was a bit trickier, since I was single-parenting that weekend. Neither kid wanted to do it, but I had signed them up back in May and we're not quitters. I knew they'd enjoy it once they were there (based on our experience 2 years ago), but the 7:30am check-in time didn't help either. I had to wake both up at 6:50, drive the truck with their bikes and helmets in the back, and get bikes and shoes set up in the right place, and finally checked in on time. Phew!

Only then did I realize that I had forgotten their goggles and granola bar breakfast. Thank goodness for friends! We had offers of granola bars and goggles from multiple people. Then it was time to start! Hadley did the mini for 6 and unders. It was a 25 yard swim, once around the block for bike, and once around the parking lot for the run. She opted for a life jacket and no goggles; didn't even get her hair wet, but she made good time.

She got mad at me for drying her off hurriedly at her bike. (She didn't like that it was a race; I only got her to do it by convincing her it was just for fun, so my hurrying made her reiterate that she was just doing this for fun!) But she finally took off and then was mad that her shorts were already getting wet from her swimsuit underneath. Ah, the indignity!

But I saw her really trying during the run. I stole this pic from the photographer they had there of our high five at the finish line. She persisted!

Luckily, H finished her entire triathlon before O's 'super' group started going in for their swim. I was nervous that I wouldn't get to watch both compete! But no worries. We had never tested Owen to swim 50 yards, so he felt better with a life jacket. That was fine with me, and he still used good freestyle form with side breathing. His competitive side came out, and he finished the swim at the top of his heat, though he said his legs were already tired. Then he didn't even want to dry off completely or put on socks in his running shoes. "Mom! I've gotta go!" Twice around the block for his bike, and twice around the parking lot for the run. He chugged water at the water station during his run, but finished strong!

I was so proud of them both! Despite the early wake up, the lack of motivation to be there, and the borrowed equipment, they still decided to try their best! I was surprised when the results came out later. Hadley came in 8th out of 47 in the mini, even though she wasn't hurrying! And Owen came in 1st out of 66 competitors in the super division! My little triathletes! (The results are listed by division/gender, then age, then time.)

Ohio and East, to Virginia

Finally, Williamsburg had what the kids really wanted on vacation: a pool (and time to swim in it)! That's what we did shortly after check-in, and Owen proceeded to instruct Hadley in swim lessons, while the weather was deciding whether to rain or not.

After the swim, we did a short drive around town to orient ourselves, see the campus of William and Mary, and head to a local brewery for dinner. Then we got some rest so that we could explore Colonial Williamsburg on foot the next day.

It was already hot in the morning, and one of the first things we encountered was an activity for kids to clean up artifacts that were uncovered when the town dug a new basement in an old location. This mostly consisted of scrubbing oyster shells with a toothbrush, but the kids loved it! Sometimes, they'd find something more interesting, like a shard of old glass or pottery or an animal bone. At least it was shaded. We eventually had to tell them it was time to move on, or we might have been here all day.

We had watched a short film at the visitor's center: "Williamsburg - The Story of a Patriot," which gave the kids some context of Williamsburg in history. It was also beneficial, because as we walked around, they would recognize buildings, like the capitol and governor's palace, "from the movie." Can you tell how excited Owen was to walk around Williamsburg? Haha.

One thing of interest was the church (AC!) and burial ground. It was amusing for the kids to imagine all of these famous historical figures sitting in church.

We decided that the kids' attention spans didn't warrant the cost of a ticketed admission to the demonstrations and some of us, who shall remain unnamed, just weren't interested in playing along with costumed actors, so we wandered the grounds and took in the sights and sounds of simpler times. Maybe we'll return someday when the kids have learned some more history and the temperatures are more pleasant for extended strolls...

I think the kids did learn a little, not the least of which was to be thankful that we don't use the stocks anymore!

Oh, and we did end our stroll with cannon fire, so that was something! Although, Owen asked why they were firing at the trees instead of toward the audience, since they were using blanks, after all. Kids today!

After we had some lunch and electrolytes, I convinced everyone that we needed to see the ocean and just have a relaxing day at the beach. It was only about a 40 minute drive to a little beach on the Chesapeake Bay, just outside of Newport News. Since the kids had been to the Pacific a couple of times, I thought that they should also dip their toes in the Atlantic, since we were so close. (We didn't get too caught up in Chesapeake vs. Atlantic, ok?) Unbelievably, I had to twist arms to go! But once we were there, they took off running, and didn't look back.

It was a pretty perfect afternoon, and the water wasn't even cold! What a nice surprise. They spent several hours digging, shell collecting, hopping waves, and making this "castle". Pretty good for not having any shovels or pails. The grown-ups helped embellish their design and added a moat that funneled in every wave.

It was a perfect end to our mini-vacation that had been go-go-go most of the time! I say it a lot, but every vacation needs a beach day!

The next day was a trek across Virginia and West Virginia, back to Ohio!

We got some much needed down time in Athens. Aunt Kathy and Uncle Todd came for a visit and brought LED finger lights to celebrate the kids' birthdays. They LOVE these things and are still playing with them now at home to light up their fort in the basement!

One day, Oma and Papa took the kids to Columbus and the Center of Science and Industry, which seemed like an amazing place, to give the parents a day off! O & H really enjoyed their day and wished they had more time at the museum.

I didn't get a picture of Bella/Raquel/Thor/Bubba/Oma playing their endless imaginary games, but I did get a couple of Papa. The kids got lots of quality time with their grandparents and LOVED it! Mom and Dad got a date night and a free day, so we did too!

We also had to check out the new Athens city pool. It was a beautiful facility with water slides, a zero-entry pool, and a splash pad. But we may have been whistled at a couple of times for playing in the pool... I guess it's a no-touching pool. There are certainly some advantages to having your own pool (or your neighbor's)!

And then it was time to start the trip back home. We had a late afternoon flight, so we drove to Cincinnati and had a few hours to do one last fun thing! Oma's friend had recommended the EnterTRAINment Junction, which sounded perfect, so we went to see the world's largest indoor train display. The attention to detail was amazing, and we loved that they had made it into a scavenger hunt for the kids! 

There was also a play area and a fun house, which was great to get out the wiggling and giggling before our flight. We could have spent another hour or two here, but we had to keep moving to get some lunch and make it to the airport on time.

 Thanks for the fun, relaxing visit Oma and Papa! We love you!