Pullen Park trip

It's been an interesting two weeks. Last weekend, Redmond, Sadie and I headed over to Pullen Park in Raleigh to meet up with Dana, Finley, Griffin and Amelia. We planned a picnic lunch and some train, boat and carousel rides. I can't believe in the 12 years I've lived in the Triangle area that I have never checked out this park. The carousel dates from 1912 and was moved to Pullen Park in 1915. There's a small train that follows the perimeter of the park and is a huge hit with kids. There are also small kiddie boat rides and larger, paddle boats for rent. Picnic spots abound. Our picnic spot was surrounded by large, lush trees, rocks to climb, and boarded a small lake with hungry, begging mallard ducks.

Unfortunately, I somehow misplaced our camera for the next two weeks and assumed it had been stolen at Pullen Park. I found it this weekend, just before we were heading out the door to purchase another camera.

Last Sunday, we met Josh, Jen, Alex and Molly at the Marbles Museum. And this Saturday, Sadie returned to Marbles to see Anne, Elizabeth and Max. Of course, given that I did not have my camera, Sadie managed to be "increasingly adorable" the last couple of weeks(see SNL, Tina Fey/Sarah Palin skit).

Right now, everything is Halloween, Halloween, Halloween. I found a plethora of costumes at thrift stores, and I've just been collecting them as dress up clothes. Almost every night after dinner, she decides which costume she wants to wear and then does whatever she would normally do in the evening, but as a witch or a mummy.

We're busy trying to get the house into some reasonable form of shape for Sadie's upcoming birthday party. It's a holy wreck!

Here are some pictures and films I actually did manage to take before I misplaced my camera.

Sadie and Griffin are riding in the kiddie boat at Pullen Park. Sadie was thrilled to discover the bell, and we were thrilled that she didn't jump out of the boat.



Here we are on the train ride. Griffin was definitely single minded about the train ride that day. I think we ended up riding about three times!



Here's the historic carousel... You can see us in the middle- Sadie is riding an ostrich. I'm the one waving madly at the camera...



Here are some pictures of Sadie and Griffin on the boat... I was amazed that not a single child attempted to jump out of the boat... I was especially amazed that Sadie didn't!





Here's Dana and Amelia. I think Amelia's about 9 months old now.
Sadie and me on the train.

Sadie climbing rocks near our picnic table...
This is Sadie's witch costume. She seems to be very much at peace with her dark side...

Sadie is a robot

I've had a very busy week thus far... Last weekend, I drove to the Tidewater area to see a few folks... I don't normally like to take trips without my family, but it wasn't practical this time to haul everyone home, and I planned to spend part of the weekend with my best friend Karen K and some of my other old buddies, so it made sense to just go alone this time. I spent Friday night with Robert, Marsha, Lucas and Lily. The twins are so cute and so grown up now! I could hardly believe how much more verbal and physical they are, compared to the last time we saw them. Saturday, I saw Dad and Debi, and then headed to Karen's house. We met up with my old friend Kim for lunch, and then had dinner at Jeff and David's. Sunday, I scooted back home, so I could relieve Redmond so he could take care of schoolwork. He is back in school now, starting his MS in Technology Education, and that, combined with being a teacher, takes a bit of time.

Before I post my pictures from this weekend, I have to share this video of Sadie being a robot. Redmond made this costume for her this weekend, and apparently taught her monotone robot speech...



And here is a still of Robot Sadie...


Lily and Lucas, being the sweet, active twins they are. I have a couple of films of them dancing that I will shortly process and upload...

Lucas, ready to commit mischief...
I'm silly for posting this... My friend Jeff is a whiz at interior design. I've known him since the late 1980's, and even on a starving 20 year old's income, he always had a knack for creating a quirky, stylish atmosphere. He designed this bathroom scheme on his own... You can't see from this picture, but he has gargoyles over the toilet! He also collects tiki swag.


Karen, fiddling with her new camera... The necklace she's wearing was my birthday present...
That's it for now... I may have more to share later this week...

Not a ballerina, but....

So she thinks she can dance... I am so highly amused by this...

Labor Day- Camping photos

So, we spent the weekend camping at Grayson Highlands State Park in Western NC with a few other families. This was the same trip we attempted to do last Labor Day, but we had to return home when Sadie became ill. So gee- 2 out of the 5 times we've attempted to vacation in the VA mountains as family have been successes! I feel drunk with power now!

Anyway, I had a great time, though I am having to adjust to camping with a small child. Redmond and I started camping together around 1991, and we became accustomed to camping being a very laid-back, relaxed activity involving hikes during the day oand sitting around in camp chairs being lazy in the evening. There is no lazy allowed when you have an almost-three year old who is in constant motion and cannot be contained in a small tent. Sadie wanted to climb every tree, visit every camp site, and scale every rock. I'm hoping we can squeeze one more camping trip in this fall. She seems to really enjoy being outdoors.

I captured Sadie standing on a tree stump playing a great orator. I think this is her presidential campaign speech. I have no idea what she's saying, though I can pick out some phrases like "spooky hour" (a book she likes), owl, and elephant.



We set off another one of Redmond's rockets in a nearby field.



We are on the Rhododendron Trail at the park and Sadie is concerned that we aren't getting enough to eat, so she offers both Redmond and me a piece of "pie".



Our group took a hike on Sunday morning up the Rhododendron Trail at Massie Gap to the AT, where we did some rock scrambling. Here are Dad, Rachel, Milo, Susan, and Karen. And of course, Redmond in the front...
Whenever Sadie became tired, Daddy would give her a lift...
A lovely view of a knob in the distance. If you look down to the road, that's where we parked.
We stop for a rest to make sure Sadie is hydrated...
More boulder scrambling...
Susan, Karen, someone behind Karen, Milo and Sadie
Nice view...
This is a huckleberry bush... The kids had so much fun climbing up in the bushes and picking huckleberries, which we added to our pancakes the next day. We also found many ripe blackberries along the trail. Sadie proudly announced that she climbed the tree all by herself. That's Milo scaling the bush with Sadie.
Redmond looking like an Irish farmer taking a rest in the field while the kids pick berries...
Picnic area at Massie Gap.

A still of Sadie making her big speech...
Our tent, which managed to stay dry through a heavy rainstorm...
Molly, being cute.
In the field, getting ready to launch a rocket...
Sadie, Alex, Claudia, Henry, Lucie, Redmond and unidentified girl setting up rockets...


Jen, Molly, Josh, Susan, two little unidentified girls in our campground, Milo, Karen, Sadie and Alex, all getting ready to launch a rocket...


Milo, Karen, Lucie's torso and Sadie.
Redmond playing a paddle game with Lucie.

I swore I would not do the princess thing with Sadie. I was not a "princess" type when I was a girl and the "princess" culture in which little girls often engage is a bit over the top for my tastes. I am a dyed-in-the-wool feminist, for goodness sake! However, Sadie likes to dress up in all kinds of costumes- pirates, animals, and yes, princesses, and I think it would be a bit much for m e to impose my own particular prejudices on my daughter. She has the right to try on different roles and different identities and explore all the myriad ways to express herself. So, anyway, I digress... Mom picked up this princess outfit and Sadie just loves it. Sigh... Here it is...