Pool time...

We haven't been to the pool very much this summer... partly because we were in Alaska for a month... but mostly due to my laziness. I know... what could be more relaxing then going to the pool?

Well to be perfectly honest, it is getting easier. But I can't exactly close my eyes or read a book yet. I have to keep my eyes glued my toddling little one, because he's been known to bed over to pick up a toy and go UNDER! Not to mention, all the effort it takes to pack snacks, water bottles, towels... find the swim trunks that get strewn - wherever - and then apply sunscreen and load into the car. I'm sweating by this point!

But once we get there, Josh heads to the big pool and is under the supervision of the lifeguards... (am I bad mom for admitting that?) Caleb is often content to play in the smaller pool (we don't call it the baby pool anymore)... and Brooks is happy as can be playing with his balls.... check it out! Sorry, it's a tad long.

Matanuska River

Alaska Trip Tid-Bits - July 7, 2010
We needed to kill a little time. Thank goodness my parents live on a farm with barns to play hide-and-seek in, fields to run and play in, a trampoline to almost break a leg on, and a riverbed to explore in the back yard.

My Dad was the tour guide for this little trip and after investigating a stream and an underground spring, we decided to hike across the riverbed to the main river. Some of our little hikers managed to fall on rocks and bruise up their knees, step in ankle deep water, and walk as slow as molasses.



Plan B:
Ancient Art of Rock Stacking:

The key is to balance the rocks in such a way that they are almost on the verge of falling over, but by fitting them together perfectly they manage to defy gravity. And to make it even MORE amazing, we did it with life-size boulders and climbed up on top of the teetering rocks to pose for a picture. Thank goodness no one was injured!






Another fun thing, is finding rocks that look like something else. For example, we found a "Nutter Butter Rock", and "Heart Rocks". As we were leaving, my Dad drew everyone's attention to a a rock he found that look like a sock. Turns out it was a real sock fossilized into the riverbed. The kids weren't as impressed, but they posed for a picture anyway!

Mini Hike

Alaska Trip Tid-Bits - July 2, 2010
One day we decided to take a little walk across the field to check out the historic John Springer Cabin. It's kind of sad because it has completely caved in. It used to be a fun place to play... I remember going in there when I was younger and looking for old stuff like tin cans and jars and even an old newspaper from "back in the day".

The grass was so tall that Brooks couldn't even walk in it without it tickling his nose!

Now there's a lot of barbed wire around it to keep people out... and with all the old rotten wood and rusty nails, it's really not a place you want to enter. Although Mike tried and almost fell into a bottomless pit never to be heard from again. There really is only one beam that's upright... complete with a swastika plastered on it.

So after a quick look around, we were done with the cabin. But, I did want to venture into the woods to find another old cabin that we used to go to. But after we went 25 feet beyond the tree line, the mosquitos were so bad and swarming around poor little Brooks... they just love that sweet baby blood... that we had to turn around and head back to the house.


Mike, after his glimpse at death... or at least a slight injury.

Catching the BIG ONE!

Alaska Trip Tid-Bit - July 6, 2010

So we flew 6,000 miles to take the boys fishing... but our timing was WAY off. We were too late for King Salmon fishing... and too early for Silvers. Apparently June or August are the best times to fish... we were there in July. But the "boys" went fishing to a nearby lake fishing for rainbow trout.

Caleb caught the biggest... and he was a wild one! Apparently, blood was flipping all over his face in an attempt to take this picture!


And Josh caught this little guy... and he looks like a wild one too....

... he's flipping around pretty good for a little guy.

Basically, Josh and Caleb got to experience it all... hangin' out with the boys for the afternoon... eating lunch with fish slime on your hands... and a couple close-calls with a flying hook... WHAT MORE COULD THEY WANT???

Next year we'll try to go in August so they can feel the fight of a Silver! Now THAT'S fun!

Hatcher Pass

Alaska Trip Tid-Bit - July 9, 2010

We decided kind of on a whim to take another day-trip up to Hatcher Pass. Considering that we have 10 kids to consider... 3 of them are under the age of 2... we were somewhat limited in what we could do. So we spent 45 minutes on a scenic drive through the mountains in search of a the perfect spot to have lunch and play.

Listed were the preferred criteria:
1) Not too far away from the parking lot
2) A nice flat spot of ground that wasn't covered with high brush or rocks
3) Far away from steep embankments
4) Close to a small, quiet creek so the kids could throw rocks, sticks and maybe dangle their feet
5) Gentle mountain breeze

Turns out, we found the PERFECT SPOT with very little searching!
Check it out!

Thunderbird Falls

Alaska Trip Tid-Bit - July 1, 2010
One of our little day trips included a little hike up to Thunderbird Falls. None of us could remember the difficulty of the hike.... some of us remembered that it wasn't very steep, and most of us remembered that the trails were paved. So we were confident that we could tackle this "hike" with 10 children. 3 hours later, we were packed up and ready to go!

When we got there I realized the jogger stroller that I planned to use had flat tires. So after much debate about whether someone should go back for another stroller or cram Brooks into one of the other strollers, we decided that we would just help our toddling Brooks walk the 2 miles on his own.

100 feet down the path (which turned out to be just dirt), he was already dragging his feet. The first hill we encountered was a doozy! We were worried that we wouldn't make it to the Falls at all... or that we might have serious injuries and complaining along the way... and we thought the kids would have a hard time too! (that was a joke, by the way)

But after that first hill, it evened out... we went up, we went down... there were a few mud puddles here and there (thanks to Brooks' internal radar he was able to find every one), and a few spots where the children could have plummeted hundreds of feet below down a steep embankment. To make things even more fun, Brooks stopped walking and tired quickly of riding on Dad's shoulders, so we spent the majority of the hike swinging him along by his arms. (so I got my bicep workout for the day)




We started hearing the Falls and knew we were close, so I told Mike, "Now remember, this isn't Niagra Falls."
MIke: "Oh, so you're saying it's not that impressive?"

Well, see for yourself!

Calebisms

7/31/10
The other night Caleb was laying in bed and we were doing the "night-time routine". Caleb asked Mike, "Dad, can you make me a mama?" Me and Mike both looked at each other in confusion.... Mike said, "Oh, you mean a mummy?" Then we wrapped him so tight in his blankets that he could hardly move. Perfect! Apparently, there are some things we need to work on with Caleb's vocabulary!

8/3/10
Holding up Mike's electric razor, Caleb said, "I really want to shave my face... today is going to be a mustache day!" Puberty will come soon enough, my friend! Let's enjoy it while we can!

Baseball games are not Caleb's idea of a fun night out. He spends most of the night staring into space. But at least he's quiet.