We left the Park for Dubuque and a bed and breakfast called the Hancock House. We stayed in the former master bedroom that was on the second floor. It was a pretty house, four doors from Claire's sister. We hung out with relatives of Claire's nephew and fiance Friday night.
Amelia had a rollaway bed but they put a feather tic on top of it and on Sunday morning she said she was never getting up because it was so comfortable. She then wrote a nce entry in the guest book.
Saturday was hot but we walked down town and the rode the Fenelon Place Elevator which is described as the world's shortest, steepest scenic railway, 296 feet in length, elevating passengers 189 feet from Fourth Street to Fenelon Place. It was originally built to save a buisnessman the hassle of the much longer trip up to his house from downtown. I was worn out by time we walked down and up several huge hills to get back to Anita's and took a nap back at the Hancock house until it was time to go to the wedding.
Sunday after a late breakfast we went to the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium which I highly recommend. There were a lot of hands on exhibits. After washing your hands you could touch eels and various mollusks and crawdads. There were exhibits about steamboats, river history, railroads, and river wildlife. Outside there is a paddle wheel dredger (you can sleep there too), other boats, a remote control boat pool, log cabin, and a wigwam.
I will put up some pictures next week.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Floating for Two
We took a family vacation the week before last. In many ways it was our first. So many of the trips we have taken have either been as a result of set itineraries. There is a wedding... This trip had no set agenda for five days except going to Pere Marquette State Park.
Claire and I have different ways of traveling. She starts packing way in advance and doesn't forget the kitchen sink. I throw stuff in one small bag the night before and hope that I remember to grab the toothbrush in the morning. While I wonder if we need the sink she notes I am packin three cameras, a computer, an Ipod, and a portable DVD player--although in all fairness the Dvd player helps Amelia pass the time. I like to leave at the crack of dawn and come back at the last minute. Claire says she would like to lounge in the morning but is cleaning or doing something by 8:00. I truely can sit till 10:00 or later So Tuesday morning I felt like I was flying standby as I waited for Claire to announce we would leave. I wanted to ask but didn't. It tried my patience but I was trying to give her the leisurely start she had dreamed of. So at noon we were leaving , literally eating sandwiches as the car pulled out of the driveway and I'm wondering why we didn't stay home for fifteen more minutes. Claire does not need to go far while I pre fer something somewhat far and new.
The trip to Pere Marquete grew out of a trip Amelia and I took this spring to see Dad. She and I spent a night at the lodge built by the Conservation Corps in the 30s because I had always wanted to stay there and Amelia always wants to stay at a hotel with a pool "to swim" although she does not. We had a good time and thought it looked like a place that Claire would like. We came home and told her about our trip and how it was the kind of place she would like. On this trip I learned that she had heard that we wanted to take her there and so she planned our vacation there. So we drove six plus hours to a place I already knew--but we had a great time.
Amelia has not yet learned to swim. She will be taking lessons this summer and is looking forward to them but she doesn't want to do any of those things that everyone wants you to do when you learn to swim. Her idea of swimming involves a life vest that she has now out grown. (We are getting her another for boating and canoeing.) She can hop in three feet of water for eternity, enjoys it and calls it swimming.
Now I am not a great swimmer having been taught in what always felt like a 'let me drag you out to deep water and let you go' fashion. I still don't like to have my head under water. I think I was 40 before I actually learned to float on my back and figured out it was easy, could be done forever, and doesnt require putting your head under water. So I can empathize with a six year old who doesn't want to leave the 3ft 6in mark and calls hopping swimming.
I stayed in the pool for hours on end for those four days playing with Amelia. I would occassionally offer to help her float and she wanted no part of it. We had alot of talks which ended with me saying that I wasn't going to make her try anything she didn't want. I spent a lot of time floating on my back--I have grown to love it--as I didn't want to be on the opposite end of the pool from my girl as I am not a terrrific swimmer. By the third day she let me hold her in a float position once or twice and wanted to be pulled around the pool.
On our final morning before checking out we went to the pool one last time and Amelia said, "Popi, I want to do it." "Do what?," I asked and she told me she wanted to float on her back. I said think of something pleasant, visualize it, and keep it in your mind. She did that and began to float on my hand. After we had done it several times I asked if I could lower my hands but stay right there. She agreed. She floated but in her excitement went down. We talked about keeping focused and then she floated for a minute and a half. Amelia told me her pleasant memory, which should not have come as a suprise as she has cited it before; it was the day she got Mulligan and Boz out of barrels at the Rain Forest Cafe.
Amelia was so proud as was I, and then we challenged each other for Mulligan repeatedly so of course she had to float longer then her father on the final float. It was the highlight of my vacation.
We went hiking, saw deer and birds, took in KAmpsville and the Koster site. The Koster site was a little depressing in that the old limestone house has fallen into a bad state of repair--its roof has collapsed in and the farm house looks care worn. Ted Koster kept an immaculate place--now it looks old. Of course the hole is gone. Th 93 flood also wiped out most of Kampsville as I knew it--there are a lot of empty lots. In the museum there was a 1976 photo of someome standing in front of the grocery store that is now the museum that Claire swears is me--although I am a doubting Thomas.
Claire and I have different ways of traveling. She starts packing way in advance and doesn't forget the kitchen sink. I throw stuff in one small bag the night before and hope that I remember to grab the toothbrush in the morning. While I wonder if we need the sink she notes I am packin three cameras, a computer, an Ipod, and a portable DVD player--although in all fairness the Dvd player helps Amelia pass the time. I like to leave at the crack of dawn and come back at the last minute. Claire says she would like to lounge in the morning but is cleaning or doing something by 8:00. I truely can sit till 10:00 or later So Tuesday morning I felt like I was flying standby as I waited for Claire to announce we would leave. I wanted to ask but didn't. It tried my patience but I was trying to give her the leisurely start she had dreamed of. So at noon we were leaving , literally eating sandwiches as the car pulled out of the driveway and I'm wondering why we didn't stay home for fifteen more minutes. Claire does not need to go far while I pre fer something somewhat far and new.
The trip to Pere Marquete grew out of a trip Amelia and I took this spring to see Dad. She and I spent a night at the lodge built by the Conservation Corps in the 30s because I had always wanted to stay there and Amelia always wants to stay at a hotel with a pool "to swim" although she does not. We had a good time and thought it looked like a place that Claire would like. We came home and told her about our trip and how it was the kind of place she would like. On this trip I learned that she had heard that we wanted to take her there and so she planned our vacation there. So we drove six plus hours to a place I already knew--but we had a great time.
Amelia has not yet learned to swim. She will be taking lessons this summer and is looking forward to them but she doesn't want to do any of those things that everyone wants you to do when you learn to swim. Her idea of swimming involves a life vest that she has now out grown. (We are getting her another for boating and canoeing.) She can hop in three feet of water for eternity, enjoys it and calls it swimming.
Now I am not a great swimmer having been taught in what always felt like a 'let me drag you out to deep water and let you go' fashion. I still don't like to have my head under water. I think I was 40 before I actually learned to float on my back and figured out it was easy, could be done forever, and doesnt require putting your head under water. So I can empathize with a six year old who doesn't want to leave the 3ft 6in mark and calls hopping swimming.
I stayed in the pool for hours on end for those four days playing with Amelia. I would occassionally offer to help her float and she wanted no part of it. We had alot of talks which ended with me saying that I wasn't going to make her try anything she didn't want. I spent a lot of time floating on my back--I have grown to love it--as I didn't want to be on the opposite end of the pool from my girl as I am not a terrrific swimmer. By the third day she let me hold her in a float position once or twice and wanted to be pulled around the pool.
On our final morning before checking out we went to the pool one last time and Amelia said, "Popi, I want to do it." "Do what?," I asked and she told me she wanted to float on her back. I said think of something pleasant, visualize it, and keep it in your mind. She did that and began to float on my hand. After we had done it several times I asked if I could lower my hands but stay right there. She agreed. She floated but in her excitement went down. We talked about keeping focused and then she floated for a minute and a half. Amelia told me her pleasant memory, which should not have come as a suprise as she has cited it before; it was the day she got Mulligan and Boz out of barrels at the Rain Forest Cafe.
Amelia was so proud as was I, and then we challenged each other for Mulligan repeatedly so of course she had to float longer then her father on the final float. It was the highlight of my vacation.
We went hiking, saw deer and birds, took in KAmpsville and the Koster site. The Koster site was a little depressing in that the old limestone house has fallen into a bad state of repair--its roof has collapsed in and the farm house looks care worn. Ted Koster kept an immaculate place--now it looks old. Of course the hole is gone. Th 93 flood also wiped out most of Kampsville as I knew it--there are a lot of empty lots. In the museum there was a 1976 photo of someome standing in front of the grocery store that is now the museum that Claire swears is me--although I am a doubting Thomas.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
A Lesson in Odds
Amelia and I went to the Harvard Milk Day arnival last night after work. It was threatening rain when we left and I was unsure what to do but I knew Amelia really wanted to go. We waited in a very long line to buy wrist bands--only to find out you had to have prepaid and were in line to exchange. It began raining while we were in line and they said they were delaying the rides for an hour. So we walked around and Amelia looked at the games. She noted the big stuffed animals and wanted to play all the games. I talked about the games being rigged to be more difficult then they looked and delayed playing anything by insisting we look around. It began raining harder and Amelia looked at it as a good time to ask to play a game under a trailer awning. It was continuing to rain harder and harder and I was getting worried about getting soaked--despite rain gear and an umbrella. I insisted we go to the car and the sky fell as we sat drawing on the foggy car windows.
After almost an hour the rain passed and the setting un came out. Amelia reiterated her desire to play games. I reiterated that the deck is stacked against the consumer--particularly a six year old one. We agreed that she would play one of those that guarantees a winner. I noted that you usually win the small cheaply made toy. My irritated daughter said I know. I know. So I said Ok one and only one game. I give the woman a five and she wants to sell me more games and i say no thankyou. But more is cheaper. No thankyou. I'm cold, wet, I don't want to play carnival games. I am not paying for multiple tries.
Amelia takes her rod and she casts her magnetic fishing line into the water. A pink duck and a yellow duck start to come out. Amelia later tells me she liked the pink one but ducks are supposed to be yellow....... So the duck has a C on its bottom and the lady tells her that means she gets a choice, Amelia is now beside herself walking around the outer edge of the booth checking out each animal with a great deal of intensity and saying "Papa I won...Papa I won!"
She was so happy and excited and I was so happy for her although I felt compelled to remind her that this was unusual--then I felt compelled to remind her to choose wisely--and that now was the time to go for the big one if she ever wanted the big stuffed animals. She almost chose something small and I could tell she was looking for anything monkey. Later she would tell me that she had been looking for one.
Ultimately she selected a penguin who is known in cartoon world as "chilly Willey" but she says, I am not calling him that....," as she hugged it so tight. She was so filled with pride, joy and happiness.
I loved the night, I loved the rain. I loved holding that penguin, which I insisted she not take on the muddy rides--and the logic of that was the only reason she let go of it at each ride. I had to laugh at how poorly my lesson in odds was going to stick.
After almost an hour the rain passed and the setting un came out. Amelia reiterated her desire to play games. I reiterated that the deck is stacked against the consumer--particularly a six year old one. We agreed that she would play one of those that guarantees a winner. I noted that you usually win the small cheaply made toy. My irritated daughter said I know. I know. So I said Ok one and only one game. I give the woman a five and she wants to sell me more games and i say no thankyou. But more is cheaper. No thankyou. I'm cold, wet, I don't want to play carnival games. I am not paying for multiple tries.
Amelia takes her rod and she casts her magnetic fishing line into the water. A pink duck and a yellow duck start to come out. Amelia later tells me she liked the pink one but ducks are supposed to be yellow....... So the duck has a C on its bottom and the lady tells her that means she gets a choice, Amelia is now beside herself walking around the outer edge of the booth checking out each animal with a great deal of intensity and saying "Papa I won...Papa I won!"
She was so happy and excited and I was so happy for her although I felt compelled to remind her that this was unusual--then I felt compelled to remind her to choose wisely--and that now was the time to go for the big one if she ever wanted the big stuffed animals. She almost chose something small and I could tell she was looking for anything monkey. Later she would tell me that she had been looking for one.
Ultimately she selected a penguin who is known in cartoon world as "chilly Willey" but she says, I am not calling him that....," as she hugged it so tight. She was so filled with pride, joy and happiness.
I loved the night, I loved the rain. I loved holding that penguin, which I insisted she not take on the muddy rides--and the logic of that was the only reason she let go of it at each ride. I had to laugh at how poorly my lesson in odds was going to stick.
A lesson in perspective
This week the Department had a graduation party for a dozen homeless students who graduated. It was nice to see how resiliant these students were. They had truely overcome many obstacles and had established direction to their future. It was neat to see how they bonded with my staff and how much one had done to insure that they would get into life improving situations.
At the party as a social mixer they slapped a post it note with someone's name on it on our back. We then had to try and establish who we were by asking yes/no questions to evryone else there. Two Of our Assistant Superintendent's were there. One had "Fergie" on her post it note. She got very contradictory answers from people as she asked questions. Depending on your age you either thought Fergie the Dutchess of York or you thought of a member of a musical group called Black eye Peas.
I was Julia Roberts which I never figured out through the use of yes and no.
At the party as a social mixer they slapped a post it note with someone's name on it on our back. We then had to try and establish who we were by asking yes/no questions to evryone else there. Two Of our Assistant Superintendent's were there. One had "Fergie" on her post it note. She got very contradictory answers from people as she asked questions. Depending on your age you either thought Fergie the Dutchess of York or you thought of a member of a musical group called Black eye Peas.
I was Julia Roberts which I never figured out through the use of yes and no.
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