There's normally only three hours of time on school nights between Shane getting home and him going to bed. Chores, dinner, and reading eat up at an hour to an hour and a half of that and then Shane normally enjoys another hour to an hour and a half of electronics.
That doesn't leave a ton of time for creative play.
On the weekends, however, there's more opportunity. I like to give Shane chores or let him be bored for a bit to see if he comes up with something.
After Shane made a neat train track, I asked if he wanted to build a Lego town around it.
He did a great job. It's dangerous to walk in there barefoot now!
Shane started to work on a comic book later in the day. It was about a poodle who was crossed with a man in a weird accident and sounded suspiciously derivative of Dogman, ha ha!
Now, there's normally an open offer to play a board game. Shane normally doesn't choose to answer that call and I don't make him, because I want board games to be fun, not forced.
Shane actually chose to play a board game this past week! He asked for Monopoly at first (of course), but after I said, "Just about anything else," he chose Pandemic: Iberia.
We won by the skin of our teeth. We placed the last blue cube and then had to hope we didn't have to place another for a couple of turns before we cured the final disease. Shane was a sailor and enjoyed scooting around the board to his self-produced soundtrack.
However, the real star of the weekend was Monopoly Jr.
Shane was obsessed. We must have played five games Saturday and four more Sunday. He had the hardest time remembering the name, though.
"Can we play Monopula?"
I wish I could say I was more excited for his board game enthusiasm. I don't like Monopoly. Monopoly Jr is Monopoly minus any sort of math or decision making.
Shane was less thrilled Spring cleaning came early.
It wouldn't be a weekend without him and Mommy building a track. At least now the carpet was crumb free to put it on!
Carrie stayed home with Shane this morning. The plan was for her to take him to the doctor, but his fever evaporated with the morning dew. Thirteen hours of sleep worked its magic.
I'm glad he's healthy, but also feel a little suckered.
Anyway, we decided while Shane was 102+ Farenheit that Carrie would take the morning shift, and I'd relieve her after I finished my busiest classes.
I got a text 1st period. The chickens were relocated to comfier digs.
It was a great project since was Shane electronics-free and suddenly well-rested and fully energized. They even made a chicken shaped/themed train track (birds on the brain).
I came home a little before 1 PM. Shane and I went to Costco and then I took him to my final wrestling practice.
It hit 70 F today! Is this really winter? We played outside with Henry when we got home. Some birds made nests in some dense bamboo and fascinated the boys.
Amazon dropped off a pair of deliveries before the sun went down. The chicken track got new engines to cruise on it.
Again, I don't know who was more thrilled: Shane or Carrie.
Carrie complained to Grandpa that our old Thomas engines weren't cutting it. They must have got the same idea, because we got two packages from the same retailer instead of one.
Shane and I met Mommy for dinner after she got off work. He's the one who wanted a picture in front of the train (four diesel engines!). We watched some softball while we ate.
Then Raheem was shooting hoops when we got home with Mommy. They played some softball-inspired baseball before bedtime.
Shane, Carrie, and I took the day to ride the metro into DC.
Shane loves trains. Nana and Pop have taken him on the metro multiple times, but Carrie and I had not. We wanted to see the wild excitement in his eyes. Shane is very expressive. He sang the whole walk/run up to the station!
We picked an auspicious day to ride. It was the Silver Line's inaugural run.
Shane could not contain himself.
He was all over the train.
Anything we encountered in DC was bonus as far as he was concerned.
Carrie and I had other plans.
The end goal of the trip was to visit Megan, Billy, and Baby B and not overstay our welcome. Newborns are a system shock! We decided to explore the mall and hit up a few museums before the crowds formed.
It was a beautiful day to be outside.
Shane showed no interest in the monuments. He wanted planets.
Ironically, there were planets on the walk to the museum. There were stations for a scale model of the solar system.
Oh, and Shane loves waterfalls, too.
That meant we had to stop when he saw a fountain. Shane really likes what he likes. He's a passionate little bugger.
Which is why we took him to the Air and Space Museum!
It's one of Carrie and my all time favorites, too.
Shane's astronomic knowledge amazes me. It frustrates me, too. Whenever he says he forgets how to pull up his pants I can't help but think "This kid can name how many moons in the solar system?" Ha, I love him. I've never tried to teach him anything about the planets, either. His knowledge probably rivals my own.
The planet exhibit did not have any planet toys, though. Shane fond that appalling. He was like a dog with a bone. He would not let it go. He asked for planet toys non-stop. Even if there were planet toys in the gift shop, I wasn't about to pay for them when a planet mobile cost $120.
Carrie and I tried to pull him into other exhibits.
We were far more interested than Shane was.
We tried the exhibits about the moon landings next.
Shane had a lot of fun playing, but his interest level was "planets or bust." We were able to spend a little time in the moon exhibit and then looking at a model of the first dog to reach Antarctica before lunch.
Behind the museum was food truck central. Years ago, I would never have gone near them. Carrie and I went through a Food Network phase a couple of years ago, and I was open to the idea this time.
The food was priced closer to restaurant levels than what you would expect from off the back of a truck, but my burrito was good quality for the price. DC is expensive.
Shane ate from our reservoir as we walked and waited in line. He enjoyed feeding the birds.
He also enjoyed the chase after he lured the birds closer.
From there, we were a metro ride and over a half a mile walk to visit Megan, Big B, and Little b. Shane was pretty tired at this point. He kept asking me to pick him up. It was like hugging a squirming 35 lbs dumbbell that hugged back.
We were thrilled to reach our final destination.
Megan and Billy rented a nice row-house in an upscale DC neighborhood. They looked the most relaxed I've seen any new parent look within a week of delivery!
I mean, look at Megan!
She was all smiles and her usual self as far as I could tell. Kathleen was famous for jumping through a car window while pregnant. I guess Megan will be famous in the family for how quickly she recovered compared to how long she was in labor.
Or I could be clueless. Megan may laugh as she reads this while Bill pours a cup and chooses wine over whine.
It was great to see and hang out for a little bit. Billy showed us a puzzle box, I blurted out a Game of Thrones spoiler from the first book not realizing Billy was only on season 1, and Shane explored everywhere.
And Little b snoozed through most of our visit. Megan and Billy looked like they had everything under control and they were even getting some sleep! Perhaps someone read their baby books and thought ahead? Either that or their naturals. Time will tell.
It will be neat seeing who Little b will become. Cole and Shane are very different, but get along well. How will b fit in? Exciting times in the clan!
Shane was spent when we left. When Shane won't run, you know he's tired. When Shane won't walk...he wanted to be carried the whole way. My left knee and right foot felt it the day after.
It was a great way to spend a vacation day. I really wanted to do something family related and plain different from what the normal routine was.
Especially because I wasn't at work.
School was hectic in my absence. There were five people out and the principal ended up helping work the lift and change diapers for a couple of my students!
PS - please forgive any typos or wandering thought. I typed this late and I'll try to proofread it later....which probably means a never.
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