Cadets Overnight, and other miscellany

Today's installment is chronologically inverted and a bit scattered.

This past weekend was the Cadets winter "camp-out" which is usually at a "lodge" (building with one large room, a bathroom and a kitchen) in nearby Webster, New York. This year we made a last-minute switch to the church for logistical reasons, and it was a big improvement. Easier to clean closer, and a bigger space to ramble around in. My experience with the lodge is that the boys go stir crazy sometime Saturday morning. 

Not so with the church! The weather was too warm for outdoor activities (mid 30s) so we:

• played hide-and-seek, many times (fun in a big church!)
• played Steal the Bacon (see below)
• played Keeper of the Keys (blind fold a kid, give him two dodge balls, put him on the floor with a set of keys in front of him; one at a time the others try to silently sneak up and steal the keys; if he hits them with the ball they are out)
• played Dodge Ball (and Military Dodge Ball--limbs hit become unfunctioning; hit torso or head means you are out, and other variants)
• played Octoball
• played crab-walk soccer
• sat in a classroom just drawing, for somewhere between 90 and 120 minutes
• did devotions on trustworthiness (Danny)

The balance was perfect: all the physical activities meant the boys were primed to listen and think about the devotions (which they did!) as well as just sit and draw and draw and draw.  Amazing!

Another sign that all the games worked out their energy was bedtime on Friday night. The light went out at 10:15, no books or flashlights or talking allowed. And that's the way it actually played out.

The boys drawing--at their instigation, not ours--for over an hour on Saturday. Would have gone longer if I hadn't yanked Sam away. The oldest boy has made his own card game and designed all the artwork himself

This is the Octoball pit. I think Sam must have just won, based on his expression. It's a hard game, and levels the playing field somewhat so it's not just the older kids which win

This is an action scene from Steal the Bacon. Kids are split into two teams and lined up  on opposite walls, and numbered, so when the adult says "three!", one boy from each team goes up to a kerchief on the floor. The goal is to swipe it and run back to the wall without being tagged. It's a really fun game with enough strategy to get the boys thinking. And if the adult yells, "Breakfast's ready!" it's a free-for-all and all the boys can go for the kerchief.

Quick trip to the mall, and a ride on the double-decker carousel. Why is it that Rochester has a bunch of carousels and Columbus (or the city of  your choice in South Dakota) has none? What fills the carousel need in Columbus?  Hmm...

This is a random shot from a recent snowy morning. I know it looks like Sam's about to be run over but in fact the fact is stationary, warming up, and Sam's messing about in snow pants, oblivious to the cold

Just lives for the few minutes playing outside before I drag him off to Montessori. Which, btw, has taken a turn for the worse. Friday I had to shove him in the door and walk away briskly from his tears. ARG. Feels like torture. His teacher says she came over and hugged him and his tears lasted all of two minutes and then he had a fine morning. Good to know!

Had some cold weather of late, as befits January.

A year ago I grabbed an electric typewriter being thrown out at work. Both Sam and Josh have had their fun on it. 

From much earlier, a turkey dinner Susan made post Christmas. She wanted to try brining a turkey and, I think, just wanted to get the fun of making a turkey dinner. The bird was delicious (and not particularly salty). 

Over the Christmas break to ward off cabin fever I dragged everyone out on a winter hike on a bitterly cold day, at Elison Park. Interestingly, passed three fishermen on the way in. They weren't carrying any fish, but seemed happy nevertheless. What were they trying for? Also saw a couple other walkers and one svelte jogger. Brought along Sam's nerf(ish) bow and arrow. Despite initial complaints we had a very pleasant time and really only went home to prevent giving Josh frostbite.  

Whether with these battery-powered trains, which has also rekindled his interest in his Thomas The Tank Engine trains.

That's about all the news that's fit to blog.

Before signing off, here's the facebook roundup from Susan for them what doesn't subscribe to it:

Me: Josh, do you need the potty? Do I need to check and see if something's going on in your pants?Josh: Nope.
Josh, conversationally: So what's going on in your pants?

and

Perhaps inspired by my children, I had a scary dream last night about trying to escape from a huge bear.
Told Tim and the boys about it at breakfast, and lo and behold--prepare yourself for quite a coincidence here--Josh ALSO had a scary dream, but it was about a bear, a dinosaur, and a lion. And some crocodiles and cheetahs. And they were all stacked up on top of each other (like animals do), and Josh pushed over the stack and then locked his door, and when he opened his door, they all died and he ate them.
So. Makes my dream look pretty paltry...

and

He tricked me:
Josh, drawing a large shape with a pencil: Does this look like an engine?
Me: Hey, that's a very good train engine!
Josh: It's not an engine. It's an elephant.

and

Josh has become obsessed with giving his preschool teacher, Ms. Jeni, a drawing that he loves. The drawing is wrapped up in a gift bag so he can hand it over this morning.
The thing is, it's not his drawing; it's a drawing I did of a tree, just to keep Josh company one day. So there's a chance my drawing will end up on his teacher's fridge. Weird, huh?

and

Josh was at the window the other day when the garbage men came and started to load up our Christmas tree. He said plaintively, "They're taking our Christmas!"
*sniffle*

and

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you...The Waffle Song, composed this Friday morning for Josh:
Oh sometimes you need a waffle on a Friday,
Sometimes you need waffle right now;
If you don't eat a waffle on a Friday,
An octopus will suck on your head.Josh was not impressed, but Sam was, mildly.

and

I truly can't think of a more charming way to start the day than this: driving Sam and his friend to intramurals early this morning and listening to them discuss which creatures (Bigfoot, Loch Ness, aliens, etc.) they do and do not believe in.

and way back from the first,

You know that thing where one kid does something to bug the second kid (like look at him or touch his arm), and the second kid takes umbrage and retaliates, and then the first kid retaliates harder, and then the second kid threatens to eat the first kid's head, and then the first kid yells HEY HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO EAT MY HEAD and does something painful to the second kid that's impossible to prove or disprove, and so the second kid bursts into tears, and so on and so on?
That's wearing a little thin.

Hope you are all well.