Those Crazy Downer Girls!

Last weekend Aiden and I went down to North Andover, MA to visit Nicole, Becky and Whitney (who was in Boston for a green building conference). We got a little time to sit and catch up on each other's lives over glasses of wine and thai food, but mostly we watched the kids run around like maniacs. Nicole has 3 girls (Abbie is six, Michaela 5 and Alivia is 2 - i think i have those right) and Aiden was wide-eyed watching them play hide-and-seek, gymnastics 'trick night' and other crazy games. Actually he got to work on his sharing quite a bit, since he is not used to having to give up toys very often. I don't think you can have a "mine, mine, mine" stage if you live at the Downers! Toys are just everyone's. So it was educational for him I think.

Abbie


Michaela

Livvy

Nicole's youngest, Liv, was so cute. She is only 3 months older than Aiden, but she followed him around wiping snot from his nose, brushing his hair, and handing him toys and his juice box like a little mom! When he would cry she said, "ooh, don't cry Aiden!" and hug him. She gave him a big smootch too, on the lips!! It was a kodak moment but no one had their camera ready.

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Liv helping Aiden get a toy out of the toybox


Becky leading the kids in a chorus of jazz-style xmas tunes, while Nic, Whit and I groaned in mock horror.

Aiden also got an education in girls toys! As in, HEY, girls toys are cool too! Like beads, and horse drawn chariots, and pink barbie cars!

Liv and Aiden playing

The crazy Downer girls put on a crazy show of acrobatics on the couch, which was actually a prelude to "trick night" (judged by Becky) in their room. Chris has rigged hanging stretchy hammocks and monkey bars from their ceiling so they can do flips and twists in the air, landing on a cushy mat of pillows on the floor. It's impressive to see them at work!

End of show.

Frigidity

I don't know about where you are, but it has been frigid! in New Hampshire lately. Not much fun for being outside, so we have been enjoying indoor activities. Like playdough with Grandma, who came down to visit two weekends ago. I was happy to find that playdough still smells and tastes the same as it did when I was a kid. Nice and salty!

We also went to the Montshire Museum of Science, which is right on the border of VT and NH. It's great for kids of all ages to run around and play with the hands on exhibits. Aiden doesn't understand a single thing about the science behind any of it, but when balls hover in the air or you can make dog-sized bubbles, life is good.

Eventually we did have to go outside to let Timber run a little. The pond at Knights Hill Nature Park is fine for labs in November, but not little boys. We tried to get Aiden to understand that, but he looked skeptical.

Long Trail Monitoring

Before we moved to NH, Andy and I became volunteer corridor monitors for a section of the Long Trail in Huntington, VT. We decided that since we come up to VT frequently to visit family, we would still continue with the monitoring. So last weekend we left Aiden in the capable hands of his grandparents and spent half a day walking the boundaries and trails of the Carse Tract in Huntington.

Shelter on the Long Trail; Andy hiking ahead of me.

Self portrait in front of trail shelter...

The funny thing was that while we were hiking back along the Long Trail, we ran into a guy coming up the trail with a chainsaw. Turns out he also volunteers for GMC, and is the father of the high school kid on the Huntington Fire Department that we sold my Tacoma to when we had Aiden and need something other than a pick-up w/o a backseat. We sold it to his kid, Casey, for $4000, which Casey paid us in weekly cash installments of about $200.

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So anyway, while we were chatting away on the side of Camel's Hump, we learned that Casey had crashed the truck twice (once into a telephone pole, once into a tree) until it was just about totalled. He got pulled over for driving without a bumper so he took it in to the Toyota dealer to get a new one. When he got there, the dealership told him the truck's frame was under recall and they couldn't let him drive home with it. So they gave him $12,000 for it!!!! Casey's dad said that at that point the truck couldnt have been worth more than $500. Damn! I knew I should have kept that truck!!!!

My mom is studying to be a "Master Composter" and is crafting her own compost bins. She can even compost toddlers apparently.

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Aiden had a great time running around the yard at my parents house and trying out all the tools in the barn. On Sunday we helped my Dad make bluebird houses for xmas presents (and yes, we will be surprised when we get them for xmas!... you will too, Micah & Becky....) and did a little birding. We didn't see anything too birdy hiking around the woods on Saturday, but when we returned to Monkton there were 5 White-winged Crossbills in a big conifer at Mom & Dad's.... very exciting! Haven't seen those since 2005!

Local Fun

We have had a few blessedly chill weekends at home to get projects done, clean and do laundry, and relax. Usually we can find time to go on a small excursion for fun too. Last weekend we hiked up Gile "Mountain" in Norwich, VT with Aiden. It's about a mile, round-trip, with very few steep sections. At the top there is no view unless you're inclined to climb the fire tower for one. Aiden and I climbed up (Aiden laughing hysterically, Ma-moo's legs shaking and arm cramping from carrying Aiden) and Da-doo waited fretfully at the bottom trying not to imagine his little buddy plummeting off the edge of one of the rickety railings. We made it down without incident :)

On the platform at the top of the fire tower (right)

View from the tower

Breakfast smiles

Aiden really likes trains (anything that vrooms) so we went to the uber-touristy Quechee Gorge Village to ride the mini train around the track. Actually, Aiden wasn't too thrilled. He liked the mini Brio train set they had out for kids to play with better. Oh well.

He does love playing with trucks in the dirt though. And for that we don't have to go anywhere special. Here are some shots of him from today... the down jacket he's wearing was mine and then Micah's when we were toddlers. It's still perfect for a sunny chilly day!