Had a fun visit with Cole's grandpa in smalltown IL yesterday. Tiny diner with decent diner food and a horribly smelly restroom. Trip to a yarn/knitting store that is out on a 2-lane highway in the middle of nowhere--just somebody's house they added onto and they keep a flock of sheep in a pen outside for business reasons. Found a playground for Cole so Grandpa could watch him have some fun.
We chased away the high school kids making out on top of the slide and all the equipment was a little bigger and older than we're used to at home. It had some dried out mulch that Cole actually liked getting dirty in and the slides (is sliding board an Ohio thing?) had graffiti on them a la "John and Megan 4ever." There was even a frisbee golf course next to the swings. And to make Cole's day there was an older girl he loved chasing around--and she loved being chased. It was a perfect match of up the stairs, across the bridge, follow little girl through bubble tunnel, down the slide. Cole's favorite, however, was me picking him up from an opening and throwing him onto the slide where Grandpa and Mom would wait for him, tickle him, and catch him as he landed.
Visits with family always make you wonder about the dynamics of your own. Is there some sociocultural name for the difference between your family growing up and the family you have when you're on your own creating your one? I reflected to Kelly when we got home that each of us in our own way came from a background where our parents were not together. It made me wonder what Cole's choice of future partner will be.
I said he'll probably end up with some girl who was cared for by a stay-home dad.
The Jelly Bean I suspect will be snarky and scoff at things like her mother. I see her wearing all black and playing in a punk rock band somewhere in Singapore. We'll see.
Cole's definitely getting a sense of humor though. Which I enjoy. Well, not the part where he thinks it's hilarious to splash in the dog's water dish. (We put him in timeout and finally sent him to bed after the 4th time last night.)
We chased away the high school kids making out on top of the slide and all the equipment was a little bigger and older than we're used to at home. It had some dried out mulch that Cole actually liked getting dirty in and the slides (is sliding board an Ohio thing?) had graffiti on them a la "John and Megan 4ever." There was even a frisbee golf course next to the swings. And to make Cole's day there was an older girl he loved chasing around--and she loved being chased. It was a perfect match of up the stairs, across the bridge, follow little girl through bubble tunnel, down the slide. Cole's favorite, however, was me picking him up from an opening and throwing him onto the slide where Grandpa and Mom would wait for him, tickle him, and catch him as he landed.
Visits with family always make you wonder about the dynamics of your own. Is there some sociocultural name for the difference between your family growing up and the family you have when you're on your own creating your one? I reflected to Kelly when we got home that each of us in our own way came from a background where our parents were not together. It made me wonder what Cole's choice of future partner will be.
I said he'll probably end up with some girl who was cared for by a stay-home dad.
The Jelly Bean I suspect will be snarky and scoff at things like her mother. I see her wearing all black and playing in a punk rock band somewhere in Singapore. We'll see.
Cole's definitely getting a sense of humor though. Which I enjoy. Well, not the part where he thinks it's hilarious to splash in the dog's water dish. (We put him in timeout and finally sent him to bed after the 4th time last night.)