I don’t have pics of Maggie or Jack, because we didn’t attend the event.
Maggie, Luke, and Jack all competed in Gobble Gobble Go at their school. Maggie completed 16 laps. Luke completed 8 laps. Jack completed 13 laps. Jack beat most of the 5th graders, and was tops in his grade, 1st grade. Maggie might have been tops in her grade, 5th grade.
It is Thanksgiving morning, and we have been talking about the Turkey Trot. I just threw the clothes in the dryer, as it is 23 degrees out. I am not running this year. Liz, Noah and Maggie all want to run. It is almost time to wake them up, so we will see.
Noah, Luke and Jack all played soccer this fall. Luke and Jack are really enjoying their teams and playing. It has been a rainy fall, and a lot has been canceled. But they are enjoying it none the less.
Noah is playing on two teams. He did not participate fully in tryouts so that he would be placed on the B team, which he was. But then he went to a pickup game in the summer, and the A team coaches saw him, and asked him to double roster. It has been a great opportunity for him. He is having fun and competing on both teams, and we are really enjoying both sets of coaches.
One of the parents on the Gold team takes pictures of all of the boys. It is really great when parents do this.
Noah captured above playing for the Catonsville Cobras Gold team. With one game left in the season, they are sitting in first place in the league. If they win next weekend, they win the league.
The kids are out cheering on Noah. Jack needs to put on some weight.
Luke woke up at 6:15 this morning. “Dad, why didn’t you wake me up?” I have slept in the last 3 days. It is cold outside, and I have been too tired to run. Letting down my boy though.
“Okay, let’s go downstairs.”
I got him a dumbbell and taught him to do a few things – bicep curls, tricep pushes, dumbbell presses. He struggled a bit but did them. 3 sets of each exercise. He is really enjoying this and is proud of himself. He asked me if he can start lifting. It may be a good idea.
I am really enjoying this activity with Luke. A week ago, Dad took him to Soccer Stop with him for a half hour. He shot on the goal and loved it. He keeps asking to go back.
For a few days, I have gotten Luke and Maggie up at 6AM to go running before school. Yesterday, Jack came with us as well. We run around a few blocks, and then we do some exercises – pushups, crunches, planks, box hops and wall sits. It is a special time with the kids, and we are enjoying it.
It is dark when we run and blistery cold. It was less than 20 degrees this morning, so I let them sleep in today. But, we will be back at it tomorrow.
I had a wonderful lunch date with Marcia and our two youngest, Jack and Luke. I took them to the Paper Moon Diner. It is decorated with the most eclectic collection of toys from several decades. The toys are attached to the ceilings, to the walls, and to mannequins. There are dolls riding tricycles upside down on the ceiling. There are several hundred Pez dispensers in a glass case. There are superheroes hanging from old phone cords. There is a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle mask in a fan from the 1950s. Outside, there are toilets in the garden, filled with plants. There is a huge tub, overflowing with flowers.
The boys loved it. They were fascinated by the scenery throughout the meal. Luke would point to something on the ceiling and say something about it. Jack would point and try to repeat what his big brother said. Then he would call somebody a Ding Dong. They ate their lunch, got full, and took home a doggy bag. Luke took the check up to the register and paid with my credit card.
Then we took the boys to the Charmery in Camden. They had very unique flavors like Old Bay Caramel. Luke ordered Vanilla. Jack insisted on Pistachio Toffee Crunch. It was so good that his dad also got the same.
Luke, with his spoon that changed colors
Jack Charming at the Charmery
After lunch, they dropped me back at work. What a doubly special treat for me. Some delicious ice cream. And some of the loves of my life to share lunch with.
Snooze. Beep Beep. Snooze. One eye open. 3:33. Good sign, gotta get up. I was taking the kids today on an adventure. I didn’t tell anyone where we were headed, including Marcia. We got them loaded in the car and we were off by 4:30. I was taking them somewhere they had never been. And I hadn’t been back to Cornell in 17 years.
I put over 4 hours behind the wheel before anyone woke up. Then they were up the last hour of the drive. We pulled into Manos Diner in Ithaca around 9:30 for a little breakfast before seeing the sites.
Manos Diner – first stop in Ithaca
First stop had to be Schoellkopf Field. I took the kids out onto the turf and they loved it. Noah started sprinting from one end of the field to the other. Elizabeth and Eden starting running stadium stairs. I told them where the locker room was and showed them where coach Richie Moran took us all after each game for a post game party.
Six at Schoellkopf Field
Love this Stadium and those stairs
Hall for post game lacrosse gatherings
I was proud and excited to tell Marcia and the kids all about my days at Cornell. I showed them the slope and told them about Slope Day. I showed them where I sold daffodils for Daffodil Day, raising money for cancer research with my fraternity. I told them about the Hot Truck, and showed them my fraternity. My freshman dorm has been torn down and replaced with newer buildings. We walked through campus and I showed them the statues of Ezra Cornell and Andrew White. I showed them some of the libraries and where I had classes. We saw North Campus, and West Campus. We saw Collegetown – less bars than there used to be, and more Starbucks.
Marcia and the kids at Cornell
Cornell or Hogwarts?
Fuertes Observatory
Legend has it that if a virgin crosses between the two statues at midnight, they will cross the quad and dance a jig. The statues have never moved.
Far Above Cayuga’s Water
Looking down on West Campus – much different than when I went there
The kids loved seeing the plantation. We spent a good bit of time there exploring all of the trees. And we had a picnic late in the day, the last stop before heading home. As a student, I never really appreciated the plantation. I ran around and through it for lacrosse, but never had a picnic or took in the beauty of the place.
Newman Overlook at Cornell Plantations
I love Luke in this picture
Picnic in Cornell Plantations
The main attraction had to be the gorges. All of the kids had lots of fun exploring the gorges. They ran along the paths to get to the gorges. Unfortunately, they weren’t allowed to swim. I was really disappointed in this, as I remember lots of people swimming there when I was a student. It is now an offense that you can be arrested for. Bummer. I still waded out into the waterfalls, but we decided against letting the kids do it.
Ithaca is Gorges
Gorge above Beebe Lake
I found the spot where I jumped from the side of the gorge 20 years ago. I didn’t repeat the act, but was kind of impressed with how high I had jumped from. Young dumb and stupid is no way to go through life, Kennedy!
Where I jumped 20 years before
For me, this was a great trip. There were reasons that I left Cornell, and there were reasons why I put it in my past, and haven’t revisited it. It was great though to remember on this trip all of the joy I experienced at Cornell. All of the beauty of the place. And to share that with Marcia. And also with the kids.
It is an impressive and beautiful university. I wish I had appreciated it for all that it had to offer when I was a student, athlete and fraternity boy. There was so much that I didn’t do as a student, and wish I had been a bit more mature in those days. I am so grateful though for the experiences that I did have, and that I am able to share even glimpses of those experiences with my kids. It made me so proud that they were genuinely interested in the trip and my stories. Maybe one day one of them will be lucky enough to experience Cornell as a student.
Our little toilet cle answer has been busy. That’s right. The little devil is up to no good. Luke has been into the toilet bowl again.
How could such an innocent little face cause so much trouble? I’ll tell you.
Yesterday, he tried to clean the toilet with the toilet bowl brush. Water everywhere. Later in the day, he got in there with his bare hands. Somehow the toilet cake was completely gone.
Today, the older kids must have left the door open. Yep. He fell in. And got water everywhere. Even in the living room. Still haven’t figured that out. It might have remained a mystery, and the little bandit might have gotten off Scott free. But, he slipped on all the water on the floor, and was caught wet handed.
What a grand night I am having! Marcia went out to dinner with some friends. And Elizabeth is at a laser tag party for her friend, Sophia. Which means I’ve got 5 munchkins all to my self. And Eden is a huge helper tonight. All bathed and getting ready for bed and only one thing to figure out…
What are these two little feet doing sticking out of my sack of potatoes?!
Who is in there? Is it Luke? And where does Jack think he’s going?
Six With Sticks 