A Day in Cincinnati

 

Our vacation to Alaska was of course scrapped this year, but we couldn't go the entire summer without going somewhere, even if only two hours away.

So instead of a cruise, we took a road trip to Cincinnati on Sunday. And while we were there we did something even more exciting than seeing the city -- we visited Edith's 27th and Atticus's 25th state just across the river: Kentucky.

We were gone a little over eight hours door-to-door and managed to visit two riverfront parks, two playgrounds and two states, walked across two bridges over the Ohio River, got wet at one splash pad and got treats at one the Whipty-Do! ice cream shop on the way home. We walked miles and learned something new as the Reds played a home game versus the Cubs (no fans, of course). The canned cheers from the nonexistent crowd isn't just for TV -- you can hear it outside of the ballpark too!

All in all, it was a good day with lovely weather. It wasn't quite the two-week jaunt to the northeast that we had planned, but at least the kids got to cross another state off of their lists!

 

Summer of Sports

 

 

I never liked sports as a kid, and naturally I thought my kids would feel the same. Or at least I thought that my lack of interest would spur their own.

 

This summer has proven me wrong. Edith and Atticus both learned to ride a bike, of course. A week or two ago Edith began learning to rollerblade. And this past weekend they both decided to show a bit of skill throwing and catching a baseball. Not to mention Edith has asked to join soccer (we'll see!), but that's only because some of her friends are in it.

Not only that, but they've decided to become fans of the Columbus Blue Jackets hockey team. This is pretty much exclusively thanks to a neighbor who is a year older than Edith and an excellent hockey player himself. But we've actually been watching some of the playoff games and cheering the home team on.

They've both watched plenty of Ohio State football in the past -- something none of us will be doing this fall since the Big Ten season is canceled for the year. We'll see if these newfound interests are still around when football begins again!

Bunk Beds for Happy Kids

The kids got bunk beds a few weeks ago, and the excitement hasn't yet worn off.

Edith and Atticus have shared a room since she was 2.5 and he was a mere 6 weeks old. They love it, and I do too -- it's super convenient to have all of their shared toys together instead of split between two rooms.

Their room is extra large, probably because at some point there was an addition added to the house which expanded the kitchen and the space above -- their bedroom. So there's more than enough room for them both. And yet there just wasn't a great way to fit two beds. The placement of the ceiling fan and the a/c and heating vent means that really only half of the room is comfortable to sleep in.

When Atticus was in a crib and then toddler bed it wasn't such a big deal since the bed was so short. But once he upgraded to a twin, the vent was always covered either by his bed or (when we scooted the bed over a foot) by the blankets that would be kicked off.

The bunk bed purchase was rather spontaneous. Someone was selling one locally -- presumably their kids had outgrown it. I liked that it didn't have a ladder. After a brief conversation, I claimed it and Paul (with the help of a gracious neighbor with a larger vehicle) had it home within about an hour. We set it up the next day.

Edith got a turn on the top bunk first. We're nearly a month in and I think Atticus might prefer the bottom bunk anyway and forego his turn on the top! They didn't necessarily need the extra space that a bunk bed provides, but it's nice to have it anyway. Boy, can they make giant train tracks now! And best of all, the bunk beds gave them both excellent spots for book lights, and they spend a good deal of time after we tuck them in reading books. Love!

Photos: November --> June

I haven't done a straight photo post in a while -- probably because I haven't taken that many photos! (You've seen all of my November photos worth seeing, despite the title of the post.) When the pandemic arrived, outings came to a screeching halt. Here's a few that I think you haven't seen.

December 27, 2019 - Columbus Metropolitan Library

December 27, 2019 - Columbus Metropolitan Library

January 8, 2020 - Edith on the balance beam.

February 24, 2020 - An extra-relaxed Atticus and Brown Bear.

February 27, 2020 - Atticus cleans up his wall artwork!

March 4, 2020 - Atticus at COSI. The pandemic shortly followed.

March 17, 2020 - Edith looses all kinds of teeth!

March 24, 2020 - Edith read a lot during the pandemic!

March 26, 2020 - Blowing bubbles.

May 13, 2020 - Atticus was proud of his butterfly!

May 16, 2020 - Atticus has a puzzle morning.

June 11, 2020 - Dress up clothes!

June 23, 2020 - Atticus can always find a use for a box.

Holiday Weekend

With the coronavirus still firmly in our midst here in Franklin County, big plans for the July 4th holiday weekend were out of the question. We did manage to make the weekend special, however, with a few precautions.
We visited my family in Northwest Ohio for the first time since February. Since then, my sister and her family moved to a new house, so we got to see that for the first time while simultaneously celebrating her youngest son's fifth birthday and the holiday. The kids were thrilled to visit their cousins again. We were careful, of course -- we spent the entire time outside, aside from bathroom breaks.

The cousins and Grandpa.

Edith

Edith and Atticus were thrilled to go swimming in a pond for the first time, and they were so excited that Aunt Katie gave them some sparklers they could try out at home. Pandemic or not, it was a lovely weekend.

How Both Kids Learned to Ride a Bike on the Same Day

 
I'll be honest -- it had definitely crossed my mind that this would be the perfect time for the kids to learn to ride a bike. With a stay-at-home order in place because of COVID-19, we can't really go anywhere or see anyone, so there would be no excuse not to practice.

It was a beautiful 70 degrees on April 8, and the kids and I were having fun playing outside. Almost on a whim I got out a bike without training wheels from the garage. They both seemed excited at the prospect of trying, which was quite a change from the year before. Last summer Edith had made the attempt without getting too far. She just couldn't get the hang of keeping her balance.

I had rather expected that Atticus might just be able to ride a bike before Edith. He's a pro at the balance bike -- a balance bike that, in fact, was given to Edith by her grandparents years ago but she never really took to. In essence, when I got out that bike earlier this month, both kids were at the same starting line.

As I predicted, Atticus showed early promise on the bike, but Edith just couldn't let her little brother excel without (or before!) her. Before long, they were both pedaling a few house lengths before putting their feet down. And all it took was a few hours on a lovely afternoon.

They've continued to practice since that day and have continued to improve their turns, starts and brakes. We're not quite ready to go on a full bike ride together, but it won't be long!

Edith is ... The Princess in Black

Edith’s school had a “dress up as a book character” day last month, and Edith chose The Princess in Black. Not bad!

Studying Kids

Both Edith and Atticus are periodically involved in various studies at Ohio State -- usually they are regarding cognitive development and involve playing a few computer games. They get some stickers and a small Target gift card. I get what basically amounts to an hour of free babysitting while I read a book in the waiting room.

Occasionally Atticus has taken part in a longer, more in-depth study. Last week was one such. A few weeks ago we were visited by someone from Ohio State for some preliminaries, and then last Monday we visited Nationwide Children's Hospital for two hours for the bulk of the study. It, too, involved some computer games, but this time Atticus got to dress up like a robot.

Atticus is very cooperative, and I often wish I knew more about how he did or what they learned from him. The studies are quite fun -- the kids always look forward to them -- and I hope they do some good, too.

Roller Skating!

Yesterday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day, so no school for the kids and no work for Paul. With the free day, Paul did a thing that utterly baffled me: He took the kids to the roller skating rink.

Needless to say I'm not a fan. I liked it as a kid. I even went once in college and enjoyed myself. But Edith has been to two birthday parties there in the last few months, and I can definitively say it's not my cup of tea. Loud, crowded plus exercise? Not for me.

Atticus had never been roller skating, but Edith loves it. LOVES IT. And Edith hardly even had to convince Paul at all. Off they went.

Paul said that by the end of the session, Edith was skating fairly well and Atticus had the basics down. I stayed home and cleaned. Which I still like better than the skating rink.

Holiday Train Display

Before winter break ended, we headed to the main library in downtown Columbus for the annual holiday train display. Atticus was enthralled and especially enjoyed going to the second floor to watch the trains from above.

Winter Break

Winter break went fast ... until the end.

We spent the first few days with my family in Defiance, followed by Christmas in Columbus. And then we were home. 

And home and home and home.

The kids played with friends and did crafts. Paul watched football. I read. Atticus started school again last Thursday, and Edith was supposed to go back yesterday. Supposed to.

Then she got sick at midnight. Luckily it was one and done, but she still stayed home from school. Winter break got even longer. Break was fun, but now I’m ready for a routine again. 

Family Photos

From my family to yours, we hope you had a wonderful 2019 and that 2020 has great things in store!

(Thanks to my wonderful sister-in-law, Becky, for this year's family photos!)

2019 in 19 Photos

Some of my favorite photos of 2019, with at least one from each month of the year. And what a year it has been!

January

February

March

April

Turning 4!

May

Lost tooth!

June

Ocean Isle Beach

July

August

September

October

November

Turning 7!

December