Category Archives: Fun

Discovery Center Fun

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A few weeks ago we wanted to do something fun with Lil, and something that was different than the zoo.  So I looked up the Discovery Center of Idaho and figured out that there were probably some things that Lil would enjoy.  We packed up Lil and headed to Boise.

I was a little worried that Lil wouldn’t have fun, but figured that the Discovery Center is in the Zoo parking lot so we could always make a stop there if necessary.  I was totally worried for nothing.

Discovery Center 2/12

Everything at the Discovery Center could be touched and played with.  Lily loved it.

Discovery Center 2/12

Of course a lot of the exhibits were way over my her head, but she still had fun touching them or turning their dials or whatever.

Discovery Center 2/12

Discovery Center 2/12

Lil loves looking at herself in the mirror, so this infinite mirror thing was the best thing she’s ever seen.

Discovery Center 2/12

I was wrong, the little grocery store was the BEST. THING. EVER. EVER. EVER.

Discovery Center 2/12

She put little fruits and veggies in her cart and had a blast.

Discovery Center 2/12

Discovery Center 2/12

Then she got to check out. Oh, the excitement of it all.

She goes grocery shopping with us every weekend and sees how the whole thing works and the fact that she got to do it herself was so much fun.

Discovery Center 2/12

Every time she scanned a item she went “boop boop”. I have a video of it somewhere, I need to find that.

Discovery Center 2/12

We were on our way out the door when we saw this bubble tank and had to stop by and see what it was all about.

Discovery Center 2/12

This was my favorite thing at the Center. Lil and I had so much fun blowing huge bubbles, while Waldo took pictures.

Discovery Center 2/12

Discovery Center 2/12

Discovery Center 2/12

You know it’s a good sign when Lily asked as we were walking out the door to come back soon. And the next day she kept asking to go back to the place with the store.  We will definitely be going back to the Discovery Center. It was a blast.

Snow Day

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We haven’t had much snow here this winter and I’m surprised to say that I’m a bit sad, but I’m sad for Lil so it’s not so surprising. She had so much fun playing in the snow in Montana and she keeps asking me when we’re going to get to do it again that I just feel bad that we haven’t had a day or two more then we have had. So the last time she asked I told her that we’d drive up to the mountains and find her some snow. Waldo told her the same thing later that day or the next day so we figured we’d better really do this.

Waldo’s brother gave us an idea of a good place to go that was about 45 minutes away. We got as ready as we were going to get and we were off. The drive was closer to 90 minutes, but we got to Idaho City and just past the tiny town they have a whole hill and play area for sledding. I guess the people of Idaho City take their sledding pretty seriously, all 450 of them. There were port-a-potties and dogs, lots of dogs. A few people had set up camp fires and had chairs set up around them. We thought that was pretty weird, but I guess they probably thought we were the weird ones. In our canvas shoes and jeans, Waldo and I anyway. Lily had jeans and rain boots on. We figured out really quickly that we are city people, small cities, but cities non the less. We are not made for hanging out in the snow.

After finding a parking place and getting Lil’s jacket and all of our gloves on we surveyed the sledding area and decided on a area out past the majority of people because there was a very gradual hill there and we thought Lil would have more fun there. There was a reason that all of the seasoned sledders weren’t playing over there and we figured it out quickly. On our way to our chosen spot we wondered off of the trampled path for a bit and ended up in snow up to our knees. Once we worked our way the edge of the wonder-hill’s area it became so hard to walk, because just about every step your feet would break though the snow and you’d end up to your ankles if we were lucky, our knees if we were and then have to try to take another step. Even thought I know that snow had many different characteristics on any given day I always assume that it’s light and fluffy. Not this snow, it was too frozen, hard, it had sharp edges and wouldn’t stick together for anything. Lil really wanted to make a snow cat, but this snow would have none of that. When we finally got to wonder-hill Waldo loaded Lil on the sled and took her up the little incline and let her go.

Snow day 1/29/12

She loved it.

Snow day 1/29/12

They went up and down a dozen or so times and I took pictures.

Snow day 1/29/12

Snow day 1/29/12

Snow day 1/29/12

After a bit Waldo was tired of pulling his legs our of the snow and Lil was tried of being cold so we started the trek back to the car.

Snow day 1/29/12

Snow day 1/29/12

At this point Waldo realizes his jacket is still hanging out on a tree and I’m closer (but not by much) so I turn around and go back for it. This was so miserable. Every time my foot would break thought the snow I felt little razors on my leg and my shoe was full of ice, it just wasn’t fun. After I got back to him and gave him his jacket I took a look at my leg and it was bleeding a little bit from the sharp edges of the snow. Let me repeat myself, the sharp edges of the SNOW. I would have taken a picture, but I didn’t shave so I wouldn’t have shown it to anyone anyway.

Snow day 1/29/12

After trudging past the majority of sledders I offered Lil a little bit of free play in the snow before we left. She didn’t want to do that, but while she was thinking about it Waldo and I decided to give sledding another try at a spot where the snow looked shallower. It was a lie, it was just as deep, but we could get there from the parking lot a lot easier. So we let Lil have some more sledding time.

Snow day 1/29/12

Snow day 1/29/12

She didn’t even really mind falling off the sled.  She just got back on that horse sled and told Daddy to “do it again, but this time don’t fall me off.”

Snow day 1/29/12

Snow day 1/29/12

This was easily the best part of the day and made the whole thing worth our while. Lily had so much fun sledding and can’t wait to do it again.

Snow day 1/29/12

Snow day 1/29/12

Just to prove what city folk we truly are, none of us had extra socks when we got back to the car. The diaper bag, thankfully had extra pants and underwear for Lil, but somehow even that held no socks. We had to drive to the tiny local grocery store (if you can really call it that) and buy socks. Of course they had no kiddo socks so I had to buy her women’s socks and we called them tights. She didn’t fall for it and hated them, but they warmed her feet so she left them on. When we got home she told me to take them back to the store and when I told her we couldn’t and I would just use them she told me to take a picture of them. So I did.

Snow day 1/29/12

Spunky

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We went to the park the other evening.  Lily was feeling very spunky.

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1-1-12
I was standing at the bottom of the slide not paying much attention to Lil’s position on the slide, I was just getting ready to take pictures. I got this picture:

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Then the next thing I knew this was happening:

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She didn’t get hurt, just a little scared and decided spunky was overrated, she went back to clingy and loving.

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These were all taken with my phone and the lighting wasn’t great. Sorry.

We took a little trip

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On Wednesday a few weeks ago our boss emailed Waldo and offered to fly us all to Montana for the weekend so we could attend the office Christmas party. He offered last year but we couldn’t accept because the party was the same weekend as Lily’s birthday party and I had worked too hard on that party to give it up. This year we had no reason not to take Fred up on his offer and we also couldn’t turn down a chance to see our friends.  Lily hadn’t flown before so I was a little concerned about how she’d do on the plane. Neither Waldo or I were excited about the security crap at the airport, but we have missed the little family we made for ourselves in Montana so we put our fears aside and took the leap. We had a free place to stay, free airfare and we found a good price on a rental car, we were set.

Thursday night we worked like mad getting ready. I made sure that I had a lot of snacks for Lily, luckily I had just dehydrated a bunch of apples, pears and bananas the day before so we were set. We ran to Target and got Lily a little travel drawing thing to keep her occupied and we made sure her netbook was packed with her favorite movies and tv shows.

Whitefish, MT 12/16/11

I laminated a free internet coloring page and she used her dry erase crayons on it and had a blast. I wish I would have thought of doing this before we bought the $10 travel dry erase board. I would have just bought the $4.00 dry erase crayons and been done with it.

Whitefish, MT 12/16/11

I had her look out the window when we were above the clouds once. She thought it was neat, but wasn’t nearly as excited as I had expected her to be.  This was pretty much the first and last time she looked out the window.

Whitefish, MT 12/16/11

We got off the plane and Lil was still in a wonderful mood even without a nap.  Waldo called the rental car guy and he drove over to pick us up and take us back to his office.  When Lil saw us putting her car seat into a strange car, with a strange man driving, she lost it.  She just melted into a puddle of sad Lilyness right there in the snow she had been so excited about.  We had to force her into her seat and after a while she fell asleep while we drove to the rental office. I felt bad for the rental car guy, but he said that he has a 3 year old so his ears are used to the high pitch scream.

When we got to the place we were staying Lil woke up and the meltdown continued. For a little while we weren’t sure if I’d be able to go to the office Christmas party, which was the whole reason we were flown to Montana.   We tried everything we could think of, but nothing worked until I used my magic bullet.  I nursed her for about 5 minutes and she calmed right down.  Lil wasn’t completely over it, if we said the wrong thing or tried too hard to get her to do something she would melt a little again, but we were able to calm her.  Once she was mostly calm we all got ready and somehow got her back in her car seat and off to the party we went.  It was at a restaurant that we weren’t familiar with so we got a little lost.  That was embarrassing, but we got there eventually and it just became a joke pretty soon.  Lily was great at the party, her normal shy, but super cute self.  We kept her up way too late, but even on the drive back to the house we were staying at she did great.

The next morning we got down to the real business of why Waldo and I wanted to go back so badly.  We went to breakfast with our chosen family.  We picked Jack and Becky up at their house and drove to the Buffalo Cafe, our favorite place to eat in Whitefish.  Some of our other friends met us there for breakfast: Malcolm, Gil, and Gil’s new girlfriend Rachael.

While I was getting Lily’s bib and highchair cover out of the trunk Becky asked Lil if she could pick her up.  Lil said yes and Becky carried her most of the way to the restaurant.  This is huge for our reserved, shy girl.  She never lets anyone pick her up, but Lily and Becky go way back and even if we haven’t seen Becky for a year and a half, we talk about her all the time.  Becky is my best friend and it’s perfect that she’s dating Waldo’s best friend (and hetero life mate) Jack.

Whitefish, MT 12/17/11

I had to grab a picture of downtown Whitefish.  A better version of this picture is on postcards all over the place.  It’s so beautiful; the boughs and bells, Big Mountain in the background.  This is one of the thing that is so nice about living in a tourist heavy city, the city really makes an effort to be beautiful.

Whitefish, MT 12/17/11

Lily was the star of the show at breakfast, and she ate just about everybody’s orange slices.

Whitefish, MT 12/17/11

Gil tried on Lil’s sunglasses.  It was really, really bright in that corner.
Whitefish, MT 12/17/11

We have sat at this table before in any number of combinations of these people and it was just as wonderful as I remembered and had expected it to be. It was so nice to get to be ourselves with these people who love us for just who we are.  We don’t have to wear any masks.  Even Rachel who I met minutes earlier got to see more of me then anyone in California or Idaho has with the exception of Waldo of course.  Rachael and I chatted and made small-talk over scrambled eggs, I hate small-talk normally, but it was pretty easy with Rachael.  With everyone else it was like being home again.  The conversations flowed just like they have for the last 14 or so years.  Jack, Malcolm and Becky were on the left of Lily and I; reminiscing about the previous nights laughs and shenanigans.  Waldo, Gil and Rachael on the right of Lily and me, talking about servers and end users suckage and I chatted with this group or that.  Everyones conversations overlapping, a friend tossing more info in the other conversation and then back to your own.  It was great. It was home.

A little tid-bit of knowledge: I lived in the apartment above the store on Becky’s right (that you can’t see) for 8 years when we first moved to Montana.

Whitefish, MT 12/17/11

After breakfast Lily, Waldo, Jack, Becky and I went back to Jack and Becky’s house.  Lily dropped her sunglasses in the snow and wasn’t at all happy with the snow on her glasses and shirt.

Whitefish, MT 12/17/11

Lil is still reserved around Jack and he was trying hard to get her on his side.  I can’t describe how much this picture melts my heart.  Jack may be Waldo’s hetero life mate, but Jack and I have a great friendship ourselves and seeing this rather sweet moment just makes me so happy.

Whitefish, MT 12/17/11

A different view of Big Mountain.

Whitefish, MT 12/17/11

Lily really, really, really wanted to play in the snow so I took her outside and Becky came out, but didn’t plan on staying.  Lily asked her to play and she couldn’t turn her down of course.  I took the chance to take a ton of pictures.

Whitefish, MT 12/17/11

Whitefish, MT 12/17/11

Lily made a couple of snow angles.  The snow angles even had the puff balls from her hat, they were so cute.  Unfortunately the pictures without Lil didn’t turn out great.

Whitefish, MT 12/17/11

Becky was helping Lil make a little snowman.

Whitefish, MT 12/17/11

Whitefish, MT 12/17/11

Whitefish, MT 12/17/11

After a while Waldo, Lily and I made a quick trip to visit one of my former co-workers and friend Starr.  When we got back Jack, Becky, Waldo, Lily and I all went to lunch and had a great time just being together.

Whitefish, MT 12/17/11

Jack doesn’t like getting his picture taken.  Honestly Becky doesn’t either, but I like the pictures I have of them.  Since we only get to see them once in a great while I like having the reminders of what their hats faces look like.

Whitefish, MT 12/17/11

I had Becky take a picture of us. I don’t like just about any picture I’m in either, but I try to get over it so there’s a few pictures of me with Lil or our whole family together.

Whitefish, MT 12/17/11

Becky has a thing for Legos.  And by thing I mean full-blown obsession.  Here’s Lil with Becky’s Lego-man lantern.  Sorry about the weird picture, the light wasn’t great in the house and my phone doesn’t take very good low light pictures.

Whitefish, MT 12/17/11

We finally made ourselves leave Becky and Jack’s much later then we had planned, but we just couldn’t pull ourselves away any sooner.

The next morning we had breakfast with our friends Anthony, Maggie and their 2 1/2 year old Conrad, and Jesse, Jamison and their 9 month old daughter Teagen. We all had a great breakfast at a place that Waldo and I had never been to, but I can tell you that we will visit that place again.  Jesse and Jamison had plans for the day so they left after breakfast and the rest of us went back to Anthony and Maggie’s.  It was really nice, we hung out and caught up on old times.  I can’t believe that I didn’t get a single picture.  Later that afternoon we headed back to the airport.  Lily had just as good a flight on the way home as she did on the way to Montana.  I really couldn’t have asked for more.

I have to say that we had a great time and I miss all of our fiends in Montana, but I was so glad to get home and back to our bed.  Hopefully we will get to see them all again sooner rather then later.

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