Day 224: Barometer, Again.

 You know, Barometer is my least favorite mountain. 

Not that you'd know, because I just went up it for the second time in a month. 

Whyyyyyyyyy do you ask? 

Well a friend really wanted to go up it and didn't have a climbing partner, that's why! Besides, it really wasn't that bad this year, so either my legs are way more in shape than they've ever been, or they've officially gone numb as a consequence of all these mountain climbs. 

Either way, back up the mountain I go!

Almost at the top! Town to the left, Airport dead ahead, my house in the circular neighborhood to their right

Unlike last month, where it was super cloudy, misty and completely socked in, today was absolutely stunning and clear. 

My friend Ericka and I blasted up the mountain in the sunshine and after a couple of hours, we made it to the coveted summit!

The summit cross!

The downhill with Barometer is particularly famous, as it's an absolute knee-killer. By the end of it your legs are complete and total jello. 

But we did it! And now I can flip Barometer the bird with both hands, since I've done it twice. 

To the victors go the spoils!

Day 223: Beary Date Night

 It's the first day of (our) fishing season! 

I mean not really, the fishing season has been open for a while, but we've been busy and the fish count has been really low and I've been waiting for the numbers to go up. 

Today is the day! We stopped by Big Rays (the sporting goods store), snatched a fishing license, and went straight to the river. 

First fish of the year brought to you by ME!

Unfortunately, my inaugural fishing trip of the year was cut short because Oscar the Trash bear (as I've named our neighborhood dumpster bear) decided to invade my fishing hole by crossing the river while playing with a stick. 

Fine, I'll fish tomorrow. 

But that's probably a good thing, because Brad and I have a hot date tonight!

It had been a busy couple of weeks with Brad at work and I decided that we needed a night just us. So, we left the kids at home with Babysitter Nintendo and went out to dinner at Powerhouse/Hana/Whatever they call it now for some sushi on the waterfront. 

After completely engorging ourselves with sushi, we took a drive up to Pillar Mountain to see the windmills. 

Okay, so you can see the windmills basically anywhere from the island, but being able to sit directly underneath and listen to them woosh as they spin above you? I mean that doesn't get old. 

Besides. That view. 

Day 222: The Before And After

 We've put off haircuts for a long time. 

Like, since March, I'm pretty sure. 

The boys have been asking for a considerable while for haircuts, begging, even, and I've been putting it off, knowing that an off island vacation was coming up and I wanted them to have fresh haircuts for the occassion. 

But then it just got too much. Completely and outrageously too long, thick, haven't seen their eyeballs for weeks, and even my hair was getting to the point of driving me aboslutely bonkers. 

Let's go get a haircut. 

For dramatic effect, let's do a before and after. 

Calen's hair has been brushed to the side and sticking out of his backwards hat for so many months, his hair is still curved to the side even after it was cut. He still looks a lot cleaner now. 

And now, the Caminator. 

Behold! His eyeballs! His ears! They exist!

Day 221: Animal and Fozzie Bear

 It was such a gross rainy day today that even baseball practice was cancelled. 

We watched The Muppet Movie tonight with dinner. Calen announces that his favorite character is Fozzie, which completely makes sense as Fozzie makes constant noises and laughs at his own awful jokes. 

Camden then announced his favorite character is Animal, because of course it is. I mean it's Camden. Wild and untamable. 

It's like they were asking to do a personality test. 

Me? I'd say my favorite character is the Swedish Chef, which also makes perfect since because I'm always humming and singing ridiculous songs in the kitchen while creating the worlds biggest mess while making dinner. 

Day 220: Jumanji!

 It's family game night! (A day late, because of campouts and lack of Scout meetings tonight). 

The game of choice this weekend was Jumanji, followed by watching the new(ish) version of the movie, with Dwayne Johnson and Jack Black, and it was hilarious and borderline inappropriate in language and content for the kids (so I say...but I also watched Misery and Final Destination at Calen's age). 

Either way, if I got to play that version of Jumanji and pick a character, I'd be Lady Killer, who wears tight leather tanks tops (and complains about how impractical it is in the jungle) and who kills while dancing. 

Day 219: Devil's Creek Campout

 Since yesterday, the boys and Brad have been at Devil's Creek, camping and working hard to clear the area of overgrown brush in the campsite area and the driveway. They did an excellent job clearing it, and the campsite looks great. 

Another job well done for the Scouts. 

Day 218: Saving Lives Over Here

 It's campout weekend for the Boy Scouts!

You know what that means for me? Staying inside, at my house, not doing anything remotely outdoorsy. 

I hike, I fish, I climb mountains, I kayak, but I don't camp. 

Unless I have a camper or a cabin or an air mattress. Sorry, this is where I draw the line. 

I blame our move and cross Canada tent camping move to Alaska. 

Anyways. 

The boys are camping just down the road at Devil's Creek. There's no devil, but there is a creek. This is a Coast Guard owned campground, and it hasn't been tended to in a year or two, so it's quite overgrown. This is a perfect service project opportunity for the kids to clear the campground of overgrown brush and then camp in a new location. 

So here I am minding my own business, and Brad texts me with an "emergency". 

They didn't bring any toilet paper, and there's no facilities there. 

Well, you're Boy Scouts aren't you? Figure it out!

Just kidding. 

I snatch a roll of the Boy Scout's holy grail and then hop in the car for this rescue mission, and get another text. 

"And a shovel."

Oh, but of course a shovel. 

The Scouts were overjoyed and grateful for my delivery, and I get to go home and use my indoor toilet facilities, shovel free. 

I'm just saving lives over here. 

Day 217: Passing Down the Legacy

 I introduced Calen to Magic the Gathering today. 

This is a legacy, passing down from generation to generation. When I was Calen's age (actually closer to Camden's age), my cousin Jake and I would play Magic every. Single. Weekend. Our allowance was totally and completely blown by Saturday's end, when we would ride our bikes across town to the Crystal Door comic book store and buy a booster pack or two for $5 each, or if we really wanted to splurge, a starter deck for $10. I lost probably every single game between Jake and I, but that's besides the point. It was fun.. 

And now that the ancient history lesson is over: 

Magic is still going strong around here in the world, and although some of the rules have changed, it's pretty much the same game. 

And now it's time to pass the torch to the boys. In particular, Calen (just because it's easier to teach one kid in a 2 player game at a time).

I went to our local game shop (Grand Slam) and bought 2 booster packs, which now replace the starter decks (they advertise to "grab 2 and mash em together to make a deck"). So I bought four packs and we went home to check out the cards. 

We haven't even gotten to play yet, but Calen thinks these are SO. Cool. 

I can't wait for him to school me. 

Day 216: Photo Proof Or It Didn't Happen

 It was SUCH a busy day today and I only have one, single photo to prove it. 

Proof or it didn't happen! Well, you can choose to believe me. OR NOT!

First, we drove to base to do boring errands like the newspaper route and a quick commissary run. 

Then, we make a quick stop into the library. The boys have been on a house-hold chapter book reading challenge and they are burning through the chapter books. 

AHA! The one photo proof of the day 

We drove straight from the library across the parking lot (literally) to the city pool to meet Camden's hockey buddies for open swim. 

No photos! Gosh!

From there, we headed back to base with the same friends and had dinner at the pizza parlor, and then went to watch the new Indiana Jones (and the Dial of Destiny) movie in theaters. 

As it turns out, we decided it was a great morale night for the Boy Scouts too, and since Cam, Calen and his friends make up half the troop anyways, it just made sense to add the last three or four to the mix. 

No photos! Still!

It was a VERY busy night but a TON of fun. 

Day 215: "I Am Wearing Shoes!"

 We had a bunch of errands to run today and I asked Cam to get his shoes on. 

"Can I wear flip flops?"

"No. Socks and shoes."

So he comes downstairs with socks on. Then I ask him to put on shoes.

And this is what he comes up. 

"Shoes, Camden."

"I AM wearing shoes!"

That second born, you guys.