Happy 1st Birthday Oakley!

Maybe 9am is too early for cake and singing. Oh well...we love your sad faces too, sweet Oakman! Happy Birthday to our brown-haired boy who gets endless attention with his soft curls and blue eyes. A year ago today, we were so ready to meet you! I was in labor allll day and your daddy was beside me every minute of it. You were born at 10:35pm and we were overwhelmed with love when we held you! You are the exclamation point in our family. You complete us and amuse us and challenge us and bless us every day as our son and baby brother. You're silly and playful and you want to explore Everything. Everything! Your favorite things to do are play peek-a-boo with Blanket, read books with Mommy, eat carrots/chicken/pasta/bananas/berries/bread/peas/pork/fish/almost anything you taste. You do Not like to get dressed or eat tomatoes. You throw tomatoes on the floor. God gave us a gift better than we ever hoped for when he gave us You. Happy First, of many many beautiful precious years to come! P.S. Thank you for these pics... I will get lots of mileage out of them in your teen years, graduations, wedding, etc...

Birthday cake

I didn't think it through when I picked a baking dish for Oak's cake. I thought a bundt cake shape would be interesting and fun but it occurred to me After I pulled it out of the oven that there's a hole where the candle is supposed to be. Bundt cake...not a great choice when you want a candle in the middle. Doh! Full disclosure: this is the second cake for Oak's bday I baked today. The first cake was Angel food cake...I poured the batter in a too small pan and baked it. Halfway through, the batter overflowed the pan and spilled all over the oven floor. Doh! 

Good clean fun

Challenge: Look at these bubbly little boys sharing a bath... and do it without smiling...I bet you can't  :)

Naked baby!

Oh my goodness would you look at those squishy buns! I love this happy baby.

WATCH: Oakman Uses Walker

We got Oak a walker so he can practice becoming a biped. He enjoys it a lot! That is, until he comes to a wall or a couch and stops, then he loses interest and crawls away. He's very good at walking in straight lines though. We'll work on turns later.

Daddy, Davey, & Oakley Day!

 

Today, like all of my mornings off of work, started with Davey waking us up.   He was up early, and ready to go.   Unfortunately, Mommy (Crystal) was feeling like poop due to a migraine.  Being hip to how much those suck, I know time, darkness, quietness, and sleep are about the only things that bring you back from that hell.   So I started to get Davey's day going, when the Oakman woke up.  I sent Crystal to bed, made it dark in the room, and got the boys ready and left.

 

We had a big day.  I gave Davey the option to pick our adventure, and he chose COSI (Center Of Science and Industry).  After our adventure at COSI, we then got the stroller out, and walked almost 3 miles around downtown, and had lunch and goofed around a bit.

 

Typically, Davey likes to go straight into the kids space at COSI, but today, Daddy wanted to explore COSI before entering the Petri Dish for germs that is the Kid's Space.  First area was this electricity/power area.   I had absolutely no idea how freakin cool this would be to me... and Davey!

In this picture, Davey was in front of this game, where one of your electricity transmission lines would go out (turn red) and you had to reroute the power through another substation from the plant and to the homes to fix the blackout.  No joke we did this a dozen times.  Davey got quite good at it as well.   There were times it was challenging for an adult and Davey seemed to get it, I was very impressed with his problem solving skills.   Anyways, I want this for our house to play with.

 

Next we stood in line to play this game, that taught you how to drive using efficiency.   I'm not going to pretend that our hippie son gave a flying crap about that, he just wanted to drive the car.  The game gave him 1 star out of 5.  But come on, he has 12 years to get better, plus Back to the Future 2 promised we would have flying cars by 2015.   Although that seems more plausible than the Cubs winning the world series next year :)   We did learn about different types of fuel for cars and how they are put into the gas tanks.  Davey was able to hook up a (fake) CNG gas, electric, hydro, and regular fuel pump to a (fake) car.

We did visit a few more areas, then went outside.  Davey first learned about a bit of physics, when we used a lever and a fulcrum to lift a REAL 2013 Honda off the ground.   I tried to take a picture, but that was impossible without my child getting lifted off the ground.  I think what was as impressive as lifting the car, was when Davey asked what a fulcrum and a lever were, he actually listened and understood.   He also realized the closer we were to the car the harder it would be to lift it.   Anyways, this picture was cool because we were a good distance apart, and this was the whisper dish or something like that.  There were two identical dishes, and you whisper into one, and you could hear perfectly by the other.   Davey loved it (me too, science is so awesome).

Pretty sure the sole purpose of this machine is to give parents a few minutes to relax.  Its basically a shop vac on crack.   Kids put the ball in one tube, it sucks it up... then shoots it out the top.   How in the 10 mins I watched, not 1 kid got hit... ill never understand... that's the real science :)

Next we did this gadget center.... they had tubes blowing air out of them.   Nothing special there, but put a ball above it, and Oak was all into the "floating ball"



More Oakman watching the floating yellow ball :)

Davey was getting this ball ready to "blast the ball" as he said.... nice windblown hair kiddo

Next, we learned about pulleys and how they can reduce your work or effort to lift things.  At 4 pulleys Davey was able to easily lift himself.  The face in the picture was due to me telling him to make a silly face vs. the awkward 4 year old smile for the camera face :)

Next we went back in time.   They had a whole set up of old time things.   Davey got to see what an old tube tv looked like.  TV's from the 50s and up... it was pretty neat, they had old cameras from the 1800s, old gas pumps, toys and so on.   He even got to try this old thing... a phone booth, with a rotary phone!!!  He told me to close the door so he could get some privacy when he talked to Eddie

Next Davey had the chance to try to read the news in an old time news studio.   For some reason he started talking about the weather... I am not kidding.

Is that a nuclear reactor in the monitor on the right?   What the hell is he reading the news about?   I guess if they were about to drop a nuke, it'd be easier if this kids face was delivering the news

Finally it was off to the Kids Space.... Oak got out of the Bjorn and got to do some serious playing.  Look at those chunky thighs!!

Davey of course wanted to fly the helicopter.  A few times I heard him yell, 'oh no its going to crash' and then he would save them.   Good work Jog!

Next we went to the water area of the Kids Space... a daddy favorite.   Typically in the winter this is where you see the green snot drooling out of kids noses while playing.   Its almost like I can feel the germs invading my body.   Back to today... we get over here, and before I could take this picture, my dad & mom call.   I am watching Davey play, while talking to my mom helping her with something and getting a jacket on Oak.  All of a sudden Davey comes up to me and really seriously says "I HAVE GOT TO PEE, RIGHT NOW!!!"  I quickly get off the phone, like real quick.  Davey says "ITS TOO LATE, ITS COMING OUT!!"   Yes, right there.  I felt really bad for Davey as this may have been embarrassing to him in the middle of COSI.  So instead of freaking out at the disaster that was in front of me, I quickly grabbed Davey before he broke down, and quickly rushed to the bathroom.   I made him pee the rest out, then he got undressed in the stall, and waited in there, while I held Oakley with one arm, while I washed his underwear and shorts with handsoap and water, then dried them... for about 10 mins under a blower.  All I could think of was this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuQtRmJy2sE#t=120 

I hope one day Davey will read this and realize daddy even got his hands dirty at times to help him out :)   This experience did come in handy later when I told him to go pee and he said he didn't have to.... I just said 'remember what happen at COSI?' and he gave in quickly and went.

 

When I was done, we went back to the water table as promised, because little sweet Oak didn't cry once through the whole ordeal, and he was so happy to get to play

I love his excitement... and look at him in that giant raincoat that worked as well as a newspaper would have :)

He is cool and he knows it!

Just figuring out his water table he was sitting at.

After 3+ hours at COSI, it was time to get some food in our bellies.  I am not a huge fan of museum food, and it was nice outside (hot and muggy but whatever).  So we got the stroller out and walked a few miles in downtown Columbus.  We saw the river project, and I had to explain that to Davey and what all the construction trucks were doing, which he enjoyed.  Then we walked down to Dirty Franks to get some hot dogs, root beer, white milk, mac and cheese and fries.  The experience went off without a hitch.  Its like playing Jenga, you are a fraction of a centimeter away from disaster at anytime, but when it doesn't happen you feel like a freakin champion that cant be touched.

Next we walked back toward the Columbus Commons.  Its like Grant Park, but Columbus style (so much smaller and not like Grant Park, but you get the idea).  It was nice for the boys to get to stretch out a bit, and for daddy to sit on some wet grass that would soak his shorts and boxers... doh!

 

 

I was planning on taking the boys for a tour of the Statehouse, because honestly, if you live this close to this, you should see it.  Also, learn about it.   However, it was getting late in the day, and we still had to go to the mall to pick something up for Mommy, and go to Kroger, so we walked around the outside, and looked at the statues and cannons (cannon blasters as Davey called them).

 

In total we were gone for close to 9 hours... we had a lot of fun, and missed Mommy like crazy.  We talked about her a lot throughout the day... all of us, even Oak.  He peppered "mom-ma" all throughout the day.   When we finally got back home, Crystal was bombarded by all of our attention... I hope her migraine was gone :)



 

 

 

 



Family Fishing Night

 

Every few evenings, I offer to take the Monkey Man down the street to one of the two ponds in our neighborhood (or country as Davey calls it... another story for another time).  I love taking pictures of Davey catching fish down there, because its just neat.   I mean, the process it typically a crapload of work for me, and little to none for Davey... here is what a typical fishing trip is

 

1. Me:  "Davey, you want to go fishing for a little bit buddy?"
2. Davey: "only if I can {insert bright 4 year old idea here: eat twizzlers, ride my tractor there...}
3. Me:  "ok lets go before its dark!"
4. Davey:  "why does it get dark daddy?"
5. Me:  "ill explain on the way"  and we go to the garage
6. at this point Davey typically finds his most inappropriate shoes to wear, like snow boots,  or something along those lines.  sometimes he will pick rain boots incase it rains, even though I tell him it won't and he will ask me how I know.
7. We get all his fishing gear out, and he will tell me he wants his net too, but he will not carry it or use it when we get there, so I explain that... and yada yada yada
8. I typically carry EVERYTHING, while Davey bitches about his legs being tired from all the walking (2 blocks maximum, but he is complaining before we leave our property)
9. we get to "joggles fishing hole" and sit down.
10. I set up the rod, line, bait everything, and ask Davey if he is ready
11. he will tell me he doesn't want to cast... and for me to do it
12. then I wait until the bobber gets a little action, I tell Davey and he gets excited, and then continues to do something else.
13. when a fish takes the bait, I yell "dave... a fish has the line!"
14. he runs up and asks if he should reel in slow or fast, but no matter what you say, that fish is screwed, he is coming in hot... well as hot as an excited 4 year old can reel him in.
15. now thankfully Davey has brought his little yard gloves with (once I forget them and had to walk back home and back to the pond with Davey on my shoulders the whole time... being a parent really is wonderful).  He will pick up the fish with the gloves on
16. I pull the hook out, Davey puts the fish up to his face and judges how good of a catch it is.
17. if its a small Sunfish, he will call it "a cute little guy"
18. Davey then likes to release the fish back into the water, which sometimes resembles an Olympic shot put
19. then we start all over.  

 

I really enjoy doing this, and we do it often, because Davey really has so much excitement and joy on his face when that fish is on the line.   I understand the difficulty of a 4 year old boy having to sit and do nothing until the fish is on the line... but slowly he is getting more comfortable with that.  And he loves catching and releasing the fish.

 

Sometime we are lucky, in that Mommy and Oak surprise us with a visit at Joggles Fishing Hole.   Mommy fishes like Charles Barkley golfs.... but you know what.... the fact Davey and Oak have a mommy that is willing to get her hands stinky and fish with them, is amazing.   I love that Crystal comes out there, because the boys will always remember that their mommy is awesome!

Maybe we will teach mommy... white pants don't stay clean fishing.   At least its between Memorial and Labor day, so she is hip to that.   Plus she is beautiful :)

 



Canoeing with the Monkey

 



Last Friday Davey and I made the 45 mile drive up SR3 to Loudonville on the edge of Mohican State Park (a Mazza family favorite).  We attempted to coax mommy into coming on the trip as well, and bringing the Oakman.   But being the smart, and never forgetting mommy she is, she figured the Oak would be a disaster on this new adventure.  Especially considering I think not a single one of us had been canoeing in our lives.   Well that is assuming Davey didn't lie on his canoeing application :)  The drive up is quite pretty, at times what you would expect with rolling Ohio farm hills (like what you saw in Shawshank Redemption (because that's the area it was shot near), and other times its quite hilly with tall cliffs and trees.   The river that we would canoe down went through this cliffs and trees area.   In all the trip would be roughly 7-7.5 miles long.   I am not going to lie, I was a bit worried that it might make for a long day, especially since Davey wasn't going to do much work. Below are the pictures of our wonderful adventure.

 

 

 

It started out finding him the appropriate lifejacket and paddle/oar.   Turns out, like an hour later, I somehow realized I grabbed one for a kid 50-90 lbs.   But whatever, he looked pretty badass in it so who cares.  

 

 

I sat in the back, and Monkey boy up front, and he spent lots of time enjoying the view as I paddled my ass off in back to keep us straight :)

 

There is no way I would let him canoe without attempting to paddle the boat a bit, here is the video proof that he tried, and really wasn't bad.

 



I could really care less that he wasn't great at it, he was trying, and he looked damn cute too!

Occasionally Davey would walk to the back, not realizing the laws of weight distribution or balance on the way back, but we managed.   Its a lot easier knowing what he is trying to do, and weighing 160 pounds more than him :)

Doing stuff is hard, and Davey realized what the extra floaty on the back of his jacket was there for....

 

Getting a little artistic, look at Christopher Columbus in the front :)

 

This is why he wasn't the best paddler, his motion started way up here, and eventually ended in the water :)

 

Mommy packed us a full lunch with delicious sandwiches, fruit, snacks, drinks, and of course, TWIZZIES!!!

 

 

"Hey man, my union mandates a 15 min twizzie break every hour"

 

Back to work!

 

Joggle enjoying the view

 

I'm catching a break while Monkey works, errr, Monkey hits the water with the paddle

 

 

 

Paddle in the boat, daddy is back on the clock

 

Chilling while we are floating.  At this point, I mentioned to Davey that he had to be careful so he didn't fall over the edge of the canoe and into the water.   Knowing it was maybe... maybe 3' deep, I wasn't too worried.   Davey, completing Tadpole swimming lessons and knowing he had a lifejacket on told me 'its ok, I know how to float'   Fair enough

 

Yet.... he moved back off the edge :)

 

Monkey and me.  

 

I think this is where he realized he had to pee.

Davey is now looking for a good spot to pee... we did find one, after he suggested peeing in the boat, which would have been a poor choice.

 

Time for a little refresher

 

Finally getting closer to the landing where we turn in our canoe, and go home after a great day.

In total it was almost 3 hours we spent out there.   Its pretty neat, because there are lots of campgrounds, little restaurants, bars, and mini-stores that sell stuff you may have forgotten or ran of of along the way.   Davey and I had a full stock of food and water, so we were set.  We listened to music and talked a lot.   Every chance Davey got, he talked to other people about how his friend Eddie is an elephant, and he is having his special 4th birthday soon.   Davey and I are excited to take Mommy and Oakley out canoeing very soon (like very very soon).  We want to show them all the sights and the fun little trip down the river.... heck, maybe we will try the 15mi trip next time :)