Old Forest Badge

On Saturday night, we went to a potluck over at Dan & Ashley's house. While the kids played hide and go seek in the front yard, some friends told us the story of "losing" their son, Bob, in Overton Park when he was younger. He basically took a wrong turn on one of the sidewalks near Rainbow Lake and ended up by the Zoo rather than by their car. After 15 minutes of torture, they were reunited.

I mentioned that I someday planned to let the monkeys go through the forest trails alone for fun, for adventure, and to see how well they know them after visiting 100s if not 1000s of times with us. I joked that I would give them an Old Forest Badge. Well, as I was talking, the kids (Satchel, Jiro, Bob, and Dan & Ashley's son, Gus) came in and immediately said, "Let's do it!"

On Sunday morning there was much excitement all around. "Is Gus coming to survive with us?" Satchel asked me as soon as he woke up. I suggested we do a trial run with just us, but Ashley texted and said Gus & Bob both wanted to get their badges ASAP. So, we all met up at the park.



Satchel and Jiro were SO excited. Satchel eagerly packed a bag with survival gear--a Power Bar, a huge bag of almonds, and water. Jiro seemed a little nervous until he heard that Gus and Bob were coming for sure. Then he kicked into big kid mode. (Gus is 11 and Bob is 12.)

Warren and I went back on forth as to whether to give them a phone, the dogs, a map, etc. In the end, we decided on no phone, one dog, and a verbal route. I took a picture of everyone, looked at my watch, and set them loose.

The kids wanted to meet at the golf house, so Ashley and I drove over while Warren and our other dog walked around the forest. Ashley and I were at the golf house for about two seconds before we saw the kids come barreling out of the woods! Their entire journey took exactly 8 minutes. It was a little anti-climactic! I thought they'd goof off and was expecting a 30-45 minute trip.

As they made their way over to us, I asked if they ran the whole way. They tried to pretend they hadn't, but I could see huffing, red cheeks, and sweaty brows. As the four of them split the Power Bar, I suggested they go back through, but walk this time.

I called Warren to alert him to the new plan, and he suggested that they start off on a different trail, one we hadn't taken in a long time. I agreed, thinking they needed more of a challenge. They were all game, so I led them to a different trail and said goodbye for a second time.

This time I could hear them chatting and it was clear that they were going to take it slow and enjoy the way back. Ashley and I waited until we couldn't hear them, then drove back around to where we were going to meet up.

After fifteen minutes or so, they actually ran into Warren, but he let them go ahead of him. At that point, Ashley and I decided to earn our own badge by taking a trip through ourselves. A half hour later, we all met up at the playground.

There were huge smiles all around.

Greenlaw Skateboard Competition

Yesterday, I took the monkeys to the Greenlaw Community Center to check out the skateboard competition. There's a halfpipe inside the center, which is run by Memphis Athletic Ministries.



See that blur in front of the orange wall? That's LeVayda VanNockay. She was awesome and one of the kids who takes advantage of the skateboarding program at the center.



You know who else was awesome? Doran Shafer, 5, son of Aaron Shafer. Aaron is responsible for getting the upcoming skatepark built in Tobey Park.

(Stolen from the CA's site.)

The competition lasted three hours and featured kids of all ages and skill levels. Outside they had some ramps and other things set up for the kids (and adults) to play on. This trailer will be able to transport ramps to Memphis neighborhoods without skate facilities, thanks in part to the GiVE 365 grant awarded Splinter Youth, the skate program run by MAM youth coordinator, Mark Jannetta.



Jiro tested out this cool gizmo one of the skater guys created. I have high hopes that having a real, live skatepark nearby will get him interested in actually skateboarding. (The Tobey skateboard park is breaking ground in March and should be completed by fall.)



Throughout the afternoon the kids watched the skateboarders, played on the playground, shot hoops in the gym, played foosball in the rec room, and generally had a great time.

Aaron told me that the halfpipe is open to the public after 6pm during the week and on Saturday mornings. I have a feeling that the fun at the center we had yesterday is just the tip of the iceberg.

The Fire

With our lives getting more and more hectic and with Warren back as a traveling archaeologist, I started researching when it is okay for the monkeys to stay home alone. In my column today, Leaving kids home alone a matter of responsibility, I mentioned the time, at age 9, that I started a fire in our house. I mentioned it not to say that starting a fire made me responsible, but that yes things might happen, but that they aren't always the end of the world. That if we raise our kids to be independent, they can handle tricky situations.

Anyways, I thought I'd give you the full scoop on the fire, because though I've always accepted blame, I don't think it was technically my fault!

My mom was out of town, so my dad and I were making dinner. We'd been on a French fry kick--a deep fried French fry kick. Things are a bit fuzzy, but at some point we covered the hot grease so that my dad could run to the store and get some more French fries. I suppose I was standing guard.

Well, the hot grease burst into flames. I called for my older sister to come downstairs and she thankfully stopped me from pouring water on the fire.

My mom used to store old grease in Folgers cans and then stack them in the cabinets above the stove. Wanna guess what happened next? Yep, the flames made it to the cabinet and all hell broke loose.

We didn't have a fire extinguisher and it was clear that it had gone beyond the level where we might get it out. I called the fire station (although my mom says my older sister claims to have done this). I CLEARLY remember that call. I was terrified. I think my dad got home before the firemen came, but I'm not sure.

I grabbed my school books, I have no idea why, and went outside. I probably hadn't done my homework yet! I wanted to get my teddy bear but he was upstairs and I was too scared to go up there. (I felt guilty about this for years, even though he was fine!)

We all stood in the front yard and waited for the firemen. I remember crying and the neighbors comforting me, so maybe my dad wasn't back?

Anyway, most of the damage came from the firemen hacking at the walls to make sure the fire was out, and the smoke. I felt awful and blamed myself, but it wasn't all my fault. Clearly my dad leaving while the grease was hot was mistake number one. My mom's storage of the grease was number two. The lack of a fire extinguisher number 3.

Now, I will say that everything turned out fine in the end. We got to eat in restaurants for three weeks while they fixed the kitchen. We got a major kitchen upgrade which helped us get more money when we eventually sold the house. We also got all new carpet and paint downstairs. It's for these reasons that I probably took credit/blame for the fire!

For the record, when and if I leave the monkeys home alone, there will be a no cooking rule.

Ed. note: My sister, after reading this, insists that we were 12 and that no one ever blamed me. She remembers it only as the "French fry incident" and says the fire started when my dad pulled the lid off of the pot. Ha! Guilty, much? Jeez.

Pod People

Satchel and Jiro got iPods for Christmas and now their lives are complete. (Just kidding, sort of.)

It's been interesting to see how they use them. As I write this they are circling me, sending multiple FaceTime requests, texting me from under the bed ("Hi")...and generally just annoying me.

When they first got them, they played music and wore headphones and it was nice and quiet. Then they started making videos. Then they started playing every game they could find. (They have an insatiable appetite for free apps. Thankfully 8G only goes so far.) Then it was playing hide and go seek with FaceTime. Now it seems everything that they want to do now involves a lot of noise--like the Atomic Fart app. They also like apps like Fat Face and Fat Mouth, for obvious reasons. (I haven't quite figured out why they like the talking animal apps so much, although the talking Obama app is cute.)

Having the iPods has also been educational--for us all. Every so often Satchel comes over and teaches me how to do something on my phone, which I appreciate. (Ask me how to do a screen shot.) And he even figured out how to turn their iPods into phones with a free texting app with voice. And I have to say that the texting and app searching actually helps their spelling and reading.

So far they've taken great care of them and dutifully follow the rules we have set up (i.e. No school, no restaurants, no unauthorized purchases, etc.). They know that they are extremely lucky to have iPods and that if they get lost or broken, they will not be replaced.

The monkeys are actually showing a lot of responsibility, which is pretty awesome.

Wintry Mix--Giant Pizza & Shrek

When it started snowing yesterday, I was not at all excited. We had plans to go eat a giant pizza at the Trolley Stop Market and then go see Shrek at the Orpheum! I checked Facebook at 4pm and both places were staying open despite the weather, so we ventured forth.

It was really nice to have dinner at the Trolley Stop without it being super crowded. (Don't get me wrong, I love that they are kicking ass and taking names over there, but sometimes it's nice to feel like you have a secret hide out!)

When we first ate the giant pizza (which is 28 inches) there were only 5 of us. Having eight people was much better. My mom, my older sister, and my two nieces and one nephew were all very excited to be partaking in the giant pizza. It was still plenty of food, trust me.



My nephew folded his piece over like he'd been born and raised in NY and had been eating giant pizza all of his life. My mom and older sister daintily cut theirs with a knife and fork, and shared two pieces between them and my littlest niece. Here, Satchel and Jiro demonstrate the Team Oster technique. Normally, one would hang the pizza off of a plate, but with the giant pizza we had to substitute pizza pans as plates! My older niece quickly caught on.



The giant pizza is about $50, which seems like a lot, but it is a total steal when it's dinner for eight. (We even had a slice leftover for Warren.)

Once we finished stuffing ourselves, we headed over to the Orpheum. It was kids' night so inside it was extra festive. (Kids night features buy one adult ticket, get one child's ticket free, which is a major deal.) There were tons of families in attendance and the Orpheum staff were happily handing out free Shrek ears for the kids. I was very impressed and thankful that we could now avoid the whole merch section!



They let the kids bring in candy:



And at intermission they had activities to do. Each child got a cute little gingerbread notebook and stickers to decorate it with.



On top of having all of the great extras, the show itself was absolutely fantastic. Seriously! I had zero expectations and was completely blown away. I think it is safe to say that our entire crew ranging in age from 4 to Grandmother, and including an actual Teenager--enjoyed it immensely.

It was totally worth braving the elements for. For those of you on the fence, I definitely recommend catching the show this weekend! (If you want a giant pizza, be sure and call ahead!)

365

Warren and I discussed doing a 365 project that would involve random acts of kindness. For whatever reason--probably because it would involve a lot of effort--it never quite got off of the ground. In the vein of Storm Troopers 365, we discussed building something with Legos every day--either as a family, or individually. Again, too much effort.

Satchel was really into doing a photo of me every day, at least for a few days, but his interest soon sputtered out. (I was grateful since he almost always remembered about his project at bedtime when I was not looking my best!) What he really wants to do is take a picture of rotting fruit and turn it into a movie. Since that project should only take a few weeks, he may actually accomplish it sometime this year.

I have been keeping up with two small projects, mostly because they center on two things I normally do anyway. Each day--or MOST days--I take a picture of something yummy and I also take a picture of the kids together. Neither of these projects is what I'd call super exciting, but they have proven to be much harder than I anticipated. I hope I can stick with them, because I think that they could be somewhat exciting by December. If you want to follow along, I'm posting on Flickr as staleyg.

365 Food:



365 Monkeys:



I could have easily combined these two together, as it seems at least half of the monkey pictures involve food! But since I already have a blog devoted to that topic, I'm going to push myself to capture other moments with them.

TKD

Last week, my column focused on taekwondo--Hold snow, son would trade it for taekwondo--and how it's taken hold of Satchel. I suppose it's taken hold of the whole family. We're spending about 8-10 hours at the studio per week!

It's been really great for Satchel. Now that he's got his sparring gear and gear bag, he feels like a "big kid." He's been really great at home, helping me with small tasks and even helping Jiro. Little things that he used always want help with, he does on his own. My baby is growing up! It's bittersweet, but I love the boy he is becoming.

Jiro had a major meltdown last week after he tried, and failed, to get his meaning stripe. (Each belt has a corresponding meaning that must be memorized.) He was worried he'd never get it right and decided he never wanted to go to class. After a few days off, he got it together though and was right back in there yesterday. He earned his meaning stripe and his pattern stripe. I was really proud of him for persevering.

Now that I've completed Angry Birds, I plan to use my wait time at the studio more effectively. I may actually read a book, something I rarely do these days.

Self-Portraits in Snow

Satchel and I made some snow people that ended up being a little like us.

Snow Day!

When the monkeys found out that snow was on the way, they excitedly asked if they could put a toy in water and freeze it. Of course they could do this without snow in the forecast, but it was an easy enough request to oblige.

After breakfast, we bundled up and headed to the park.

We broke one of our sleds last year, so were were down to one. What we noticed right away was that the monkeys are getting too heavy to pull behind us in one sled! They wanted the dogs to pull them, but again, they are just too heavy.

The snow is so deep that it's actually pretty hard to get going fast. That didn't stop us from trekking through the woods and testing all of our spots.

We threw a few snowballs, and Satchel even made an angel.

Finally, we decided to head over to the Shell to see what was happening. Satchel thought it would be a good idea to carry this giant snowball all the way there.

At the Shell, we came across half of Midtown and several of our friends. We were especially excited to see Enrique & Santiago. The four monkeys immediately started sledding non-stop. The snow was nice and packed down at the Shell and much faster.

Buoyed by their success at the Shell, and with the help of a loaner sled, the monkeys braved the hill by the Brooks for the first time ever.

We eventually got our gloves soaked and had to call it quits. (The rest of us was pretty warm thanks to the $20 snow pants I got at Target last year and the hand warmers in our boots!) We had a round of hot chocolate and then headed home to recharge. Plans for the afternoon include a giant snowman, making snow cones, and eating icicles.

Angry Birds

Sometime in December, the monkeys convinced me to download Angry Birds Lite on my iPhone. We spent a couple of hours having an Angry Birds tournament. It was awesome.

When they weren't looking, I downloaded the real Angry Birds. Of course it didn't take long for them to discover my secret. We tried a few more Angry Bird tournaments, but we were all obsessed and became less and less cool about taking turns.

Then on Christmas, Satchel and Jiro both got iPods, courtesy of my mom. So now we can all play together. And yes, we tend to all get in bed or on the sofa, snuggle up, and play. We compare notes, offer tips, and scream "Stupid pigs!" in unison.

Last week I told Warren that resistence was futile and that he should start playing. I put the app on his phone, and sent him off for a week of working in the field. I texted him about an hour after I thought he should have been at his hotel. "What are you doing?" I asked. "Playing Angry Birds," he replied.

So, yeah, we're all hooked now. The kids skip around and go to different games, but I am determined to beat one level at a time, and have even spent several days on one level.

While driving the kids to school on Friday, I realized that I left my phone at home. When I commented on it, Satchel said, "Oh do you need it so you can play Angry Birds at work?"

Happy New Year!

Prior to our feast at the Trolley Stop Market, we had a family photo shoot on the trolley. My good & talented friend, Chip Chockley took the pictures. They came out so well, we had a hard time choosing one for our New Year's card. Below you can see the full set. Thank you, Chip!



Our year is off to a pretty slow start. We've been lounging and visiting with friends and eating most of the weekend. But we have big plans! (See my column from Thursday.) We're still getting everything sorted out for our 365 projects, but I'll keep you posted.

I just wanted to pop in and say THANK YOU to those who follow along here. It means a lot to me.