This is Wednesday's Post: Field Trip (and a picnic)

So this post was meant to be put up yesterday but Blogger wasn't working, so here it is now.

Today I had to work most of the day.  But, it was field trip day!  While for me field trip day can be filled with lots of stress (like busses arriving late, again; no check to take to pay for the theater rental; parents who don't understand how to tell time; etc.), this was a fun field trip all in all.  We went to see Cars 2.  Awesome movie.  The kids loved it and we all had a wonderful time.  (Popcorn and fruit snacks were enjoyed by most.)  Then, back to the rec. center for a regular afternoon.  I had to run to the store to get a few supplies (only one cart load today, easy day.)  Those kids love to eat and we are going through a lot of milk! 

Meanwhile the kids (including Nick) were at the pool and then got some play time after snack.  I was running around like a crazy person (unloading groceries, prepping activities, dealing with trouble makers and injuries, and so on & so forth.)  But the end of the day came and Nick and I headed home.

We stopped at the store and after a major debate, we decided we'd have pizza for dinner.  As a picnic!  (And breadsticks,  we have to have breadsticks.)  We enjoyed our picnic; talked to Grandma on the phone; took a walk to the park in Albany for some playground time; talked to Mommy, Daddy and little brother on the phone; then a little wiffleball practice and off to get ready for bed.  Another busy, fun-filled day. I'm not quite as exhausted today; hopefully tomorrow will be the same.  Putt putt is in the works for tomorrow afternoon.  :)  Now, time for a few photos.

Another day, another Pool

I am hoping by now Nick is asleep.  He should be exhausted and barely able to function at this point.  Somehow though right before bed he still had energy and wanted to play while we were reading books.  When do we lose that energy?  It must be during puberty, as most teenagers as usually tired and pre-teens usually have way to much energy!!

Today I took a half day off (partly to be with Nick and also to use up some comp time. I'm full up again and my boss isn't happy.)  So, we took off and went out into the park to eat lunch.  Then we had a real adventure.  Bicycle practice.  It was...good.  Not great, good.  No major falls, but a few almost falls.  Only a few moments actually riding but, I hope we learned a few things and all practice is good practice.  Then I decided, since I wanted a walk, we would walk on the bike path a bit.  So off we went.  Up from the Community Center 1/2 a mile, rest and back.  It was nice and we saw lots of flowers, trees, vines, birds, etc. 
 
Now, as my post title may lead you to believe we went to another pool.  I was going to just take him back to our pool in Athens but, decided instead to go to Nelsonville.  It is a bit more fun since it has a much larger shallow end, and several water features.  We had a great time and Nick got to try out his new goggles.  HE PUT HIS HEAD THE WHOLE WAY UNDER THE WATER!  It was really exciting.  We just need to work on keeping the mouth shut. 

Finally back home for dinner, time for Aunt April to work on the car, and of course, play a little wiffleball at the field across the street from my house.

I am exhausted.  I slept like a rock last night and I will again tonight.  In addition to the great sleep (which I never have) I am also substantially more tan, my weight is down a little, and I am dealing with my pain much better when I am busy, busy, busy.  It gets easier to push it away when you have someone else to look out for and other things to do.  (That's why I do so well at work too!)

Well, here's some photos.  Hope you enjoy them and sorry for all the rambling.  Good Night!

A lovely flower beside the picnic table where we had lunch.

Snowballs!!! I love snowballs.  Also beside the picnic table.

A caterpillar we saw while looking at some wild grape vine.  2 lessons rolled into one. 

Nick walking along the bike path.  When the wind blew and the grasses moved he said they were bowing to us.  Why thank you!

Nelsonville Pool

Going under the spray.  Goggles on.

Posing for a picture.

I love this picture.  The water, the angles, the light, and the way Nick is 'swimming' and putting his head underwater.  My new background for my laptop.

His head is all the way under.  That is so awesome.

Batter up!  We were working on form and focus.  Focus is the big one.

Wild Pitch!!!  Again we were working on form and aim.  And focus.  but, at almost 6, that's pretty much the biggest thing to work on for anything.  Focus, focus, focus.

Oh and one last note, I had to share this.  Yesterday I started a file on the desktop of my laptop titled "Nick's Week."  I wanted to keep all our special pictures separate so I'd have them to maybe do something special with.  Anyway, Nick saw that and now I have to open it and scroll through all the photos intermittently so he can see his week.  So cute.

Busy, busy day!!

Whoa!  What a busy day.  What a fun day.  Lord, I'm tired..., but here I am pushing through because, since I am April Bumgardner, I'm stubborn and I must get a blog out tonight before bed. 

A few quick words about our day: I did some work while Nick was at camp this morning.  I am really hoping he likes it.  I know the first day can be rough, and I tried so hard not to be obsessive and watch him constantly, but I'm me, what more can I say.  After I finished work, I got Nick at the pool and we stayed on an extra hour after all the other kids had to go back to the rec. center.  We enjoyed some time in the water, and some snacks.  Yum!!!  Then home to play outside some more.  Chalk drawing, bubbles, frisbee, wiffleball and just playing around.  Dinner, off to the store and home to get ready for bed (at least for Nick.) Now it's quiet here.  The boy is SOUND asleep and I'm trying to finish out the day.  Bags packed, lunches prepped, laundry done, dishes soaking, and a few more things to do before I pass out!!!  More fun to come tomorrow, as I am taking a half day off and we are going to go on the bike path (Nick on bike, me walking), drop by the pool, play wiffleball again, go to the playground, do some crafts...so much planned.  We'll see how much we are actually able to accomplish.  But, for now I will sign off with a few (12) photos of our adventures today.  Good night, sleep tight all, I know I will!

In the pool.  He was really having a blast in the water.  So much so, we HAD to go get goggles tonight for him to use the rest of the week.  Thank goodness they're cheap at Wal-Mart.  I hate to buy something expensive I know he's going to lose.

The dive balls.  Though technically I was the only one who dove for them.  I taught Nick how to pick them up with his toes so he didn't have to put his head underwater!

He is so independent and adventurous at times.  He threw the dive balls clear out in the middle of the pool and I said, okay now you go get them.  And he did!  (Granted it only about 3.5 feet deep but still, that's a long ways away from the edge.)

Snack time at the pool.  Nick had about half of this giant popsicle and half of my soft pretzel. He's a growing boy!

Photo by Nicholas Bumgardner.  The slide and climbing wall.  (He can't go on these as they are in the 12 foot, but he really, really wants to.)

Bubbles!!  This is one of my attempts to be creative and artistic. 

I blow the bubbles, you chase and pop them.  with your face.  okay, whatever.

Bubble mania!!

Another attempt to be creative.  Nick liked it.

Nick's chalk drawings on the sidewalk leading up to my house.  A tree, his arm, his name, a person and the night sky.  Very nice.

A little of Aunt April's chalk drawings.  A tulip, a kite (yeah, its upside down), the ocean with a ship, mermaid, and an island.

My final creative pose.  Shot up through the grass of my awesome nephew.  What a cute kid!!!!

Traveling

Today I spent most of the day traveling.  All total I was on the road for about 6.5 hours.  But, it was totally worth it.  My nephew is, hopefully, asleep in the next room.  (I know he's in the next room, I'm just hoping he's asleep.) 

So, the point of this blog is to show photos of my day to day life, but I would like to just add a quick anectdote today. 

As most of you know, I am not a morning person.  I hate mornings. I don't function well in the morning.  I don't like to talk in the morning and pity the person who wakes me up.  I hate mornings.  I am a night person and as such like to stay up late (often too late) and am barely able to survive until around 10 am.  (And tomorrow I have to be up, showered, dressed, get a child up and dressed and fed and at work by 7 am.  Kill me now.)  But, I do it for work and at least pretend to be happy and silly and jovial when I arrive at work, often around 7 am, especially during the summer months.  Yuck.  But, back to my story.

This week, as I mentioned earlier, my nephew is with me.  He'll be at my day camp during the day having fun with the other kids (and hopefully me a little bit) and in the evenings we'll have lots of time to do stuff together.  So, it was rather appropriate that the hymn Morning has Broken was played today in church.  You see, every morning at sleep-over camp when I was a little girl, that was the song played to wake us up.  Every day over the loudspeakers, a-nnoy-ing.  And as I sat in church this morning listening to the hymn it made me stop and think.  This is Nick's first long time sleep-over away from his parent's.  I remember what that was like.

I was a bit older, but for me camp was on your own.  Andy (my older brother) was there, but wanted ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with me while we were at camp.  That was his time away to forget he had younger siblings.  My cousins both worked at the camp and I saw them pretty regularly, but they had their own things to do, so it was just me.  I was not a child (or am an adult) who makes friends easily.  In addition I had an absolute hatred of being away from my parents (especially my Mother).  I was miserable.  And I should mention that my first year of camp on the Sunday we were brought to camp, it was my 2nd day of wearing glasses.  Ever.  I hated them.  They hurt and were awful.  Life was not fun. 

So, I'm going to try to keep all these things in mind this week as I help my nephew get through this first full week away from home.  I know, in the end, it is a great thing. We'll bond, which is awesome; he'll make new friends and have fun at camp during the day; and he'll learn a little more independence and grow.  I know personally, that if it wasn't for my Mother pushing me to go to camp; go to school; spend the night at grandpa's; leave her side for 2 seconds!!!!; I wouldn't be the independent woman I am today.  It's tough, but in the end worthwhile.  So, I'll pray I am a good Aunt and can help my baby learn a few things and get us both through this week and have a great time. 

Alright, enought rambling.  I'm not even sure all of that makes sense.  Sorry, I'm tired, it's late and I still have stuff to do and I need to be up at 5:30 am.  I am insane.  So, here's some photos from my day.  (Please forgive the quality.  All were taken with my Blackberry so they're not great.  Except for the subjects, that is.)

Nicholas in the car as we were preparing to get back on the road.  He was a great traveler and we enjoyed a nice dinner at Bob Evan's in Columbus.  Also, he is so cool in those shades!!

A building (and the highway) in Columbus.  I like to go North via Columbus as there are more places to stop between Athens and home; and over the last year and a half I have become very familiar with this great city and I love it there.  I really want to find a job and move there.  Really, really, really bad!

My hydrangea.  I 'stole' this off my own hydrangea plant, that just happens to be at my parent's house.  And they weren't home.  But, it is my plant, it was a gift several years ago for my birthday.  Unfortunately, I thought I had a bottle of water in my car and I didn't.  I also thought I had the keys to my parent's house in my purse and I didn't.  (I needed to get something and could not as they are on vacation and I had forgotten my keys.)  So, my flower withered.  I am attempting to revive it, but it doesn't look good.  At least I got this picture while it was beautiful.

Saturday, cleaning day

Today I left my house 2 times.  Once to go to the pharmacy and once to go to Dollar Tree. Not exciting expeditions.  So, I have no good photos to show for today.  The majority of my day was spent cleaning to prepare for the awesomeness that is tomorrow.  My nephew is coming to stay for the week!!!!  I am so excited.  I can't wait to have Nick here and to get to have him at camp and do all kinds of fun things together, just the two of us this week.  I hope he is excited too.

Now, since is spent most of my day at home, I decided my photos should be of my home.  So, I snapped a few pics and here they are.  (I promise my photos in the coming day will be better.  I'll have a cute subject to work with!!)

The only plant I have ever been able to keep alive.  Almost to the one year mark.  Here's hoping it survives.

Thank you Father for the gift of this day and for the promise of tomorrow.

Goodnight!!

West State Street Park Bike Path

One of my favorite spots in all of Athens is the section of the bike path that leads towards The Plains from West State Street Park.  There is so much to see and it is beautifully wooded and elegant in nature.  I love it.  Each year in the spring I make a trek to the path several times to watch the wildflowers bloom and to smell the beauty of nature.  Seriously, this is a place that makes me like Athens.  (Just a little, mind you.)

So, tonight I set off after dinner for a late evening stroll.  I didn't arrive until almost 8 and walked until after 9.  I only went about 2.5 miles but it took me forever.  Mainly because I was stopping constantly to take pictures.  There weren't that many other people on the path but I'm sure I looked like a crazy person to those who did pass me when half of my body was up under some tree or bush trying to get a good shot. 

And, I find I am becoming obsessive with getting a 'good' shot.  I took over 150 pictures while on a 1.25 hour walk!  Then home to obsess some more about which ones are good and which ones are just okay and worthy to be kept.  The good ones I'll put on here.  There are only 11, and even those aren't by any stretch that good, but I like them.  I hope you do too!

I decided not to caption these as they hopefully speak for themselves.  The only thing I will say is that this last picture is one of my favorite.  I 'followed' this lovely bird for several minutes and have about 15 pictures just of him.  Now, anyone who really knows me knows, I hate birds.  Except, that is, for birds of prey.  I love hawks, owls, eagles, falcons (Ay-Ziggy-Zoomba!!!) and all other birds who kill large and small birds and animals.  I love birds of prey.  All other birds I hate, (they are dirty, nasty, disgusting and stupid.)  So, this is one of my favorite pictures as this is a bird I adore!