Cover. Discover!

Fire Truck Parade and Rolling Pumpkins

It was a busy Columbus Day weekend for for the Aalberts kids. We picked out Halloween costumes, got Owen a haircut, cleaned our patch of the Constitution Trail, and made a last minute (thanks for the head's up Grammie) to the Fire Truck Parade in Bloomington.

It didn't last very long, but it was wonderful while it lasted. The oldest truck there was from 1917, the first motorized fire truck in Mt Pulaski, IL. There were fire boats, ladder trucks, special trucks with a Ferris wheel of spinning lights up front.

The only thing that wasn't there was a fire pole to slide down, so Owen invented one of his own.

It's been unseasonably warm in the 90s the past week, but fall is definitely here. Bloomington's Franklin Park has the best colors in the area. Indeed, when I came to Bloomington for my job interview six years ago around this time, I remember driving past the park and thinking it far surpassed anything we had in New Hampshire or Vermont, the leaf-peeking paradise we called home. 

Along with the beautiful colors comes some wonderful music. Maya entertained us with a fun Halloween song tonight. It's a favorite!

New endeavors

The week started out with a bang for the Aalberts kids. It was the first night for two new endeavors for both Owen and Maya.

Owen began Cub Scouts. In addition to being disarmingly handsome in his Scout uniform, he had a great time at the first Pack meeting.

Amy and I took him to an informational meeting for Scouts a week before. Owen was very excited about joining and a few of his good friends were there. I left feeling surprised at how quickly I remembered the Scout Code and Creed, to the point I could chant them along with the boys. And it was perhaps the fond memories I had of Owen and Nana's Grandpa leading my Scout den that inspired me to become a Den Leader for O's group.

And then, of course, I had to miss the first meeting to attend a City Council meeting for work ...

So we're all looking forward to next week and our first Den meeting. We'll keep you posted.

Monday was also the night of Maya's first ballet class. A flier came home from school last week from a local dance company. Maya's interest in "becoming a ballet dancer" informed the whole weekend. The countdown began the moment we told her we'd take her.

On Friday: "It's only three more days until I become a ballet dancer!"
On Saturday: "I become a ballet dancer in two days, Daddy!"

and so on ...

The class was wonderful! She clung to me when we arrived at the studio and got our orientation to the space, but as soon as the teacher called the other dancers into the class, Maya was off like a shot!

I think the pictures below convey how she threw herself into this 110%, as well as how beautiful she felt.

 

Yep. Monday's are going to be busy from now on. I'm really looking forward to it!

Ca-RACK!!!

Owen earned his yellow belt in Tae Kwon Do tonight! He's been practicing hard and did very, very well.

The test began with him performing an 18-step routine. He then did some blocks and some sparring and then completed the final test ... breaking a board!

Owen didn't know board breaking was on the agenda, but after a few pointers from Master Kim he nailed it on the first try. SNAP!!!

Amy cried. Owen beamed. It was pretty awesome!

Happy birthday, Mom!

Look who's old enough to run for president ... it's Mom!!!

We had a very happy birthday celebration over the weekend. There was cake and presents, including some special things the kids picked out for mom all by themselves ... some Almond Joy's from Owen (who knows what his mom likes), and some glittery purple nail polish from Maya (who knows what Mom and Maya like).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! We love you!

Praying Mantis

In the end it was determined the Mantis was praying to be set free.

Owen and his buddy Philip found a beautiful Praying Mantis in the yard over the weekend and built a home for it out of an empty jar of unsalted mixed nuts. They left him with some grass to play in, some ants to eat, and a cicada shell for his amusement.

We were all ready to part company after a couple of days, though. The kids forgot to look in on him and, in his desperation, the Mantis changed his religion several times.

As he left he said, "Thanks Odin! I mean Owen."

Park weekend

It was a very park-oriented weekend. Dad spent most of his weekend managing a two day concert beer-tasting-for-charity festival at the theater (including an amazing concert with Swedish-by-way-of-New-Orleans bluesman Anders Osborne, above), but was way ready to go for two hours of play at the park on Sunday morning.

Amy stayed home to get some reading done (her Master's of Social Work program begins on Wednesday), but the three of us enjoyed the late-August weather and a nice, quiet morning together.

We went to two different playgrounds. The first was pretty typical stuff, some swinging, sliding, climbing, and jumping.

Then we went to the other playground, which is shaped like a ship. We got the ship operational (and launched a few missiles ... a must for the six year old). Then we turned our attention to catching all of the fish (sticks of all sizes) we could find. We gathered them, brought them to the top of the slide and sent them down to make (ironically) "fish sticks."

Another family came by while we were playing and we incorporated them in the game. But I think they thought we were crazy because they hustled away after about 15 minutes.

After Owen did his best Captain Ahab, I had them both pose with the biggest fish (stick) of the day so you would believe them when they told you how big the catch was.