My Experiences as a Father... June 5 to July 4, 2003 (50th month)

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Friday, July 4, 2003 - Pennsylvania Vacation
Today was the first day for Sesame Place.  Jill and I argued about what to wear.  It was going to be 96 degrees and sunny, so I said we should plan to dress for the water park each day.  Somehow Jill thought I was being sarcastic and said we would dress to be dry the first day.  Fortunately we forgot the camera at the hotel and had to go back.  Everyone changed into water clothes.  The first thing we did when we got back to the park was go to the wading pool.

After only 4 hours Maeve and Hilde were looking exhausted.  We left, and they both fell asleep on the 10 minute trip back to the hotel.  They woke up when we got back and we went to the hotel pool.
 

Thursday, July 3, 2003 - Pennsylvania Vacation
We left for Sesame Place this afternoon.  It took 8 hours to go 260 miles, averaging 32.5 MPH.  We lost some time when when stopped for dinner, and it took 45 minutes to go 7 miles before the Tappan Zee bridge.  There was a bit of pre-holiday traffic.  Hilde cried for the last two hours because she "was tired", Jill said.  Maeve kept asking me how much longer it would be until we got there.  I told her not to ask me until after dinner.  Jill said she didn't think it would take that long, but it took even longer.
 

Thursday, June 26, 2003
Maeve and Hilde were playing on the patio while I cleaned the pool.  They found a caterpillar and put it in a Tupperware container.  They added dirt and flower petals.  They played with the caterpillar for a while.  When it was time to come in, Maeve started coloring it with sidewalk chalk.  She said, "If I see this one again, I will know it's mine because of the chalk."
 

Wednesday, June 25, 2003
Today Jill took the kids in the pool for a little while.  The water was still a little cool, but the outside temperature was hot enough out that it was OK for as long as they were in.  Jill called Hilde a water rat.  As soon as they started talking about going outside, she kept saying "pool" and "swim".  Once they hit the water, she started swimming right away.

Jill told them that at least one of them has to learn how to swim this year, because she can't carry both of them in the water.
 

Friday, June 20, 2003
Tonight Jeff came over to replace a wheel stud on his minivan.  Usually Maeve doesn't like guys.  Tonight it was Hilde who didn't even want to look at Jeff.  Maeve kept me between her and Jeff, but she stayed with us for the whole time and chatted up a storm.
 

Wednesday, June 18, 2003
Hilde and Jill were reading the Spanish picture book.  The father in the picture was vacuuming.  Jill asked Hilde if Dad ever vacuums.  Hilde said, "No.  Momma."
 

Thursday, June 12, 2003
Early this morning I got up to put Hilde back to sleep.  When I was done, I went into the living room and heard something out in our trash.  I looked and it was a raccoon.  I did some work on the computer and checked again later.  This time there was a skunk in the trash.  I knew we had a stray cat and a skunk in the neighborhood.  I wouldn't have guessed that we had a raccoon if I hadn't seen it.
 

Wednesday, June 11, 2003
Jeanne watched Maeve and Hilde today while I met with a director about another job at CVS, and while Jill was at the doctor's office.  They had a discussion about what Maeve would make for dinner.  Maeve said she would make dirt lollipops and broccoli lollipops.  She also said she would make worm meatballs.  "The worms are a little crunchy when they get dried out, but then you roll them into a meatball and they are actually very good."
 

Saturday, June 7, 2003
Last year I wanted the rain to replace the pool water that was drained the previous fall in preparation for winter.  I got Maeve to sing "Rain, rain, fill my pool." instead of "Rain, rain, go away, come again another day."

This year, we are singing the song, but we have gotten a lot more serious about refilling the pool with rainwater.  We got 20 feet of gutter and have temporarily redirected the main backyard gutter into the pool.  It can be put back like it was on sunny days, but quickly redirected when it rains.  With the rain last weekend and this weekend, the pool level is up to the skimmer.  I'll be able to use this during the summer to compensate for water lost to backflushing and evaporation.

This also gave me a chance to share an important life-lesson with Maeve.  I asked her if it looked silly to have 20 feet of gutter dumping into the pool.  She said it did.  I asked if it worked.  She said it did.  I explained that "if it looks silly, but it works, then it isn't silly."
 


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