Watch Nico summersault backwards out of the poolAnd watch him take a tumble in the pool...
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Water Babies
You'd think these babes were born under water...
Watch Nico summersault backwards out of the pool
And watch him take a tumble in the pool...
Watch Nico summersault backwards out of the poolAnd watch him take a tumble in the pool...
A Spontaneous Adventure for Only the Young (at Heart)
I reverted back to my teenage years…
Had an extraordinary adventure…
Made a marvelous memory…
And probably lost a few years off my life!
With a house full of testosterone (with 3 teenage boys), two rambunctious children and some searing heat I sought out some air conditioning where the kids could expend their pent up energy.
Safari Sam’s was beckoning…
Oregon’s largest indoor play structure caters to all ages – in my case 2 – 35 years old.
We entered the cool warehouse illuminated in black lighting and all 5 kids were off on their own adventure, scoping out the play structure and climbing to their hearts content. I quickly lost sight of Nico and eventually found him three stories up, crawling through tunnels, disappearing down a slide, blissfully bidding me hello (“Hi Mama! - Hi Mama!”) as he blurred past me onto his next discovery.
Hope immediately made a friend and together they ventured off to see all that the giant jungle gym had to offer.
The older boys were enticed by the black diamond track and set off to see if this expert course held true to their memories - reserved for the older and stronger explorers they were delighted to find it still elicited all the appeal and even some of the complexity as it did when they were much younger.
Encompassed in netting and completely padded it’s safe for all - kids can roam freely and parents can relax with a few coveted moments of free time using their free wireless.
But I was dared to attempt the black diamond course so I left my quiet post to demonstrate my strength. I barely made it over the big blockade (which is a requirement for even entering the black diamond course) so that should have been my first clue to back out and feign some sort of ailment… but no, I was off with something to prove. Hope made it through the black diamond course – shouldn’t I be able to?? My feet nearly fell of my body, searing with pain as I climbed up the netted rope. A few more obstacles found me panting and then down a rope I stopped to catch my breath. Uh oh, I just climbed down a rope… that means I have to climb up a rope… I am no longer that child who always completed the most chin-ups in PE – I can no longer lift my body even when using all the measly strength left in my arms. I was stuck! Riley offered me a boost me if I would admit defeat.
As if that wasn’t enough I was lured into a game of team tag. For the next three hours I ran, crawled, climbed and slid all throughout the jungle gym on my quest to either tag my opponents or flee from the seeker.
With the jungle gym nearly all to ourselves I would occasionally run past Nico hearing him yell “Hi Mama!” with sheer delight in his voice. I became completely absorbed in the sport, forgetting my age, snubbing my stiff joints, overlooking the broken fingernails and ignoring the pain as I flung my body under and over obstacles in a desperate attempt to hold my own in the game.
We reluctantly left when the gym closed for the evening (with Nico kicking and screaming for one more round through the climber). We were exhausted but exuberant – the boys delighted to find the jungle gym still enticing… and I was elated – a spontaneous dare found me reliving my youth and reminded me to live in the moment… a memory I will always cherish and an adventure I cannot wait to repeat.
I have no pictures but I have this gnarly bruise to prove my participation.
A game of team freeze tag at Safari Sam’s for Riley’s b’day, anyone??? Two taggers, the rest running for freedom, you can unfreeze your tagged teammate – if you can covertly reach them without being tagged. I dare you…
Had an extraordinary adventure…
Made a marvelous memory…
And probably lost a few years off my life!
With a house full of testosterone (with 3 teenage boys), two rambunctious children and some searing heat I sought out some air conditioning where the kids could expend their pent up energy.
Safari Sam’s was beckoning…
Oregon’s largest indoor play structure caters to all ages – in my case 2 – 35 years old.
We entered the cool warehouse illuminated in black lighting and all 5 kids were off on their own adventure, scoping out the play structure and climbing to their hearts content. I quickly lost sight of Nico and eventually found him three stories up, crawling through tunnels, disappearing down a slide, blissfully bidding me hello (“Hi Mama! - Hi Mama!”) as he blurred past me onto his next discovery.
Hope immediately made a friend and together they ventured off to see all that the giant jungle gym had to offer.
The older boys were enticed by the black diamond track and set off to see if this expert course held true to their memories - reserved for the older and stronger explorers they were delighted to find it still elicited all the appeal and even some of the complexity as it did when they were much younger.
Encompassed in netting and completely padded it’s safe for all - kids can roam freely and parents can relax with a few coveted moments of free time using their free wireless.
But I was dared to attempt the black diamond course so I left my quiet post to demonstrate my strength. I barely made it over the big blockade (which is a requirement for even entering the black diamond course) so that should have been my first clue to back out and feign some sort of ailment… but no, I was off with something to prove. Hope made it through the black diamond course – shouldn’t I be able to?? My feet nearly fell of my body, searing with pain as I climbed up the netted rope. A few more obstacles found me panting and then down a rope I stopped to catch my breath. Uh oh, I just climbed down a rope… that means I have to climb up a rope… I am no longer that child who always completed the most chin-ups in PE – I can no longer lift my body even when using all the measly strength left in my arms. I was stuck! Riley offered me a boost me if I would admit defeat.
As if that wasn’t enough I was lured into a game of team tag. For the next three hours I ran, crawled, climbed and slid all throughout the jungle gym on my quest to either tag my opponents or flee from the seeker.
With the jungle gym nearly all to ourselves I would occasionally run past Nico hearing him yell “Hi Mama!” with sheer delight in his voice. I became completely absorbed in the sport, forgetting my age, snubbing my stiff joints, overlooking the broken fingernails and ignoring the pain as I flung my body under and over obstacles in a desperate attempt to hold my own in the game.
We reluctantly left when the gym closed for the evening (with Nico kicking and screaming for one more round through the climber). We were exhausted but exuberant – the boys delighted to find the jungle gym still enticing… and I was elated – a spontaneous dare found me reliving my youth and reminded me to live in the moment… a memory I will always cherish and an adventure I cannot wait to repeat.
I have no pictures but I have this gnarly bruise to prove my participation.
A game of team freeze tag at Safari Sam’s for Riley’s b’day, anyone??? Two taggers, the rest running for freedom, you can unfreeze your tagged teammate – if you can covertly reach them without being tagged. I dare you…
Monday, July 13, 2009
Turning 2
My youngest babe turned 2 today… it’s bittersweet…
Three years ago I watched my little princess turn two – all grown up into a toddler, leaving her baby years just to memories etched in our minds forever.
I was yearning for that newborn baby again… the anxiously awaited moment when a baby finally arrives, waiting 9 months to find out if we had been gifted with a princess or a prince, the newborn baby smell, the miniature hands and delicate lips, the constant cuddling as they spent their days close to my skin in a sling, the comfort of nursing a newborn baby to sleep, sleeping side by side wrapped up safely in my arms each night…
I missed all this and I desperately wanted to bring another baby into our lives. Riley was vying for a baby brother; Hope wanted to be the only baby but conceded if we would have a girl. With all the votes in we began to try for our third baby. Not beingburdened blessed with twins we soon began the journey endlessly debating on boy vs. girl(realizing that only one of our children would get their wish but knowing that the other would concede once they met their newest sibling). Nine months later our littlest babe – our second son arrived – two years ago today on Friday the 13th. Two weeks early he made up for the tardiness of his older brother and sister.
A superstitious day fooled my body into labor – the third time’s a charm! And certainly charming is our big boy, Nicholas James. Blue eyes and fair skin (what else would you expect), dubbed Nico Bear (after Ri-Bear and Sugar Bear), our littlest babe joined the Gronke clan to make our family of 5 complete.
Two young kids and a teenager fill up our days, occupy our hearts, and pilfer all our money. So I watch my littlest baby enter his toddler years with a different outlook. I cherish the memories of each child’s birth, I reminisce about their early years, I marvel at their individual qualities, and I look forward to the delights each new phase will reveal.
I pass along my baby belongings with only the slightest bit of hesitation. I coddle my toddler like a newborn knowing he will likely be my last baby. And I delight in all that I have been blessed with!
All as I watch my youngest babe turn 2 and toddle around on his birthday scooter desperately trying to keep up with his older brother and sister.
Three years ago I watched my little princess turn two – all grown up into a toddler, leaving her baby years just to memories etched in our minds forever.I was yearning for that newborn baby again… the anxiously awaited moment when a baby finally arrives, waiting 9 months to find out if we had been gifted with a princess or a prince, the newborn baby smell, the miniature hands and delicate lips, the constant cuddling as they spent their days close to my skin in a sling, the comfort of nursing a newborn baby to sleep, sleeping side by side wrapped up safely in my arms each night…
I missed all this and I desperately wanted to bring another baby into our lives. Riley was vying for a baby brother; Hope wanted to be the only baby but conceded if we would have a girl. With all the votes in we began to try for our third baby. Not being
A superstitious day fooled my body into labor – the third time’s a charm! And certainly charming is our big boy, Nicholas James. Blue eyes and fair skin (what else would you expect), dubbed Nico Bear (after Ri-Bear and Sugar Bear), our littlest babe joined the Gronke clan to make our family of 5 complete.
Two young kids and a teenager fill up our days, occupy our hearts, and pilfer all our money. So I watch my littlest baby enter his toddler years with a different outlook. I cherish the memories of each child’s birth, I reminisce about their early years, I marvel at their individual qualities, and I look forward to the delights each new phase will reveal.
I pass along my baby belongings with only the slightest bit of hesitation. I coddle my toddler like a newborn knowing he will likely be my last baby. And I delight in all that I have been blessed with!
All as I watch my youngest babe turn 2 and toddle around on his birthday scooter desperately trying to keep up with his older brother and sister.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
A Love Story
Two weeks ago when I heard my brother-in-law was given the mandate to immediately depart for another country, half a world away - or lose his job - my heart was laden with sympathy for my sister… 7 months pregnant, all packed and ready to go on a relaxing weekend Lamaze retreat with her husband; instead she found herself all alone, her life on hold, held hostage by this large corporation.
I suffered along with her in the anguish as we recounted the myriad of trips he has endured and wallowed with her in agony as she described the countless times this company stole her love, her life - where that departing jet left her lonely, disheartened, and feeling abandoned.
I cannot fully comprehend this life but I now sympathize with the difficulty and loneliness each departure yields. I am a culprit of immersing myself in my own chaotic life that often leaves me blind to the lives led, the joys encountered and the miseries endured by those I love the most. When this new life began for my sister and brother-in-law I was clueless to the burdens it bestowed. I was busy having babies, raising children and living life, all caught in my own little world.
But one fateful day, a year or two ago, my eyes were opened. Unable to fulfill her calling, my naturally nurturing big sister summoned me to step in and encouraged me to pay a visit to a sister in need. On this journey I witnessed Barb and Daryl dancing tenderly to “I’m Leaving on a Jet Plane”, both agonizing over their impending separation. I began to comprehend the distress they both felt each time Daryl left and I entered into their world of solitude and anxiety when he drove off in the cab.
I spent days with my sister trying to fill the void that loomed. We cooked, we ate, we drank, we played – we kept busy to occupy her mind but I didn’t hold a candle to the love of her life. I became keenly aware of the bond these two share, the souls that they both occupy, and each others hearts that they tenderly cherish.
I was eventually privy to their reunion – Barb running down the street at the first sight of Daryl’s cab rounding the corner… Daryl dropping his bags, tearing off his backpack, running to meet her half way as they tightly embraced - tears streaming down their faces, sighing in relief at Daryl’s safe return, and elated to be embracing their one true love and finding their souls reunited. My own eyes filled with tears as I absorbed their uninhibited emotions.
I don’t think I understood the sadness these separations would impart because until this fateful journey I didn’t comprehend the unconditional love and undeniable bond that defines their relationship. I now empathize in the sadness that each departure exposes but find comfort in their unwavering love story that each reunion reveals.
I suffered along with her in the anguish as we recounted the myriad of trips he has endured and wallowed with her in agony as she described the countless times this company stole her love, her life - where that departing jet left her lonely, disheartened, and feeling abandoned.
I cannot fully comprehend this life but I now sympathize with the difficulty and loneliness each departure yields. I am a culprit of immersing myself in my own chaotic life that often leaves me blind to the lives led, the joys encountered and the miseries endured by those I love the most. When this new life began for my sister and brother-in-law I was clueless to the burdens it bestowed. I was busy having babies, raising children and living life, all caught in my own little world.
But one fateful day, a year or two ago, my eyes were opened. Unable to fulfill her calling, my naturally nurturing big sister summoned me to step in and encouraged me to pay a visit to a sister in need. On this journey I witnessed Barb and Daryl dancing tenderly to “I’m Leaving on a Jet Plane”, both agonizing over their impending separation. I began to comprehend the distress they both felt each time Daryl left and I entered into their world of solitude and anxiety when he drove off in the cab.
I spent days with my sister trying to fill the void that loomed. We cooked, we ate, we drank, we played – we kept busy to occupy her mind but I didn’t hold a candle to the love of her life. I became keenly aware of the bond these two share, the souls that they both occupy, and each others hearts that they tenderly cherish.
I was eventually privy to their reunion – Barb running down the street at the first sight of Daryl’s cab rounding the corner… Daryl dropping his bags, tearing off his backpack, running to meet her half way as they tightly embraced - tears streaming down their faces, sighing in relief at Daryl’s safe return, and elated to be embracing their one true love and finding their souls reunited. My own eyes filled with tears as I absorbed their uninhibited emotions.
I don’t think I understood the sadness these separations would impart because until this fateful journey I didn’t comprehend the unconditional love and undeniable bond that defines their relationship. I now empathize in the sadness that each departure exposes but find comfort in their unwavering love story that each reunion reveals.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Riley's Big Sister Saves the Day
8:15 a.m. Monday morning at the football field
Me: "Did you remember your keys?"
Riley: "Yes!" (rather annoyed that I'm asking such a ridiculous question)
Noon - My phone rings and I see it's Riley
Riley: "Um, Mom? I forgot my keys."
Me: (Contemplating a lecture but deciding to take another route) "What are you going to do?"
Riley: (Very sweetly...) "I really, really want to go to my house Mommy..."
Me: (He had me at "Mommy") "Ok, I'll be home in a half hour."
Riley: "Can you stay and have lunch with me?"
Me: "Of course."
I whip up a smoothy for the boys. Riley promises he didn't sweat today and isn't stinky - he grabs me in a big bear hug and thanks me for saving the day.
It was all worth the forgotten keys.
Me: "Did you remember your keys?"
Riley: "Yes!" (rather annoyed that I'm asking such a ridiculous question)
Noon - My phone rings and I see it's Riley
Riley: "Um, Mom? I forgot my keys."
Me: (Contemplating a lecture but deciding to take another route) "What are you going to do?"
Riley: (Very sweetly...) "I really, really want to go to my house Mommy..."
Me: (He had me at "Mommy") "Ok, I'll be home in a half hour."
Riley: "Can you stay and have lunch with me?"
Me: "Of course."
I whip up a smoothy for the boys. Riley promises he didn't sweat today and isn't stinky - he grabs me in a big bear hug and thanks me for saving the day.
It was all worth the forgotten keys.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
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