For those that don't know, NorthernMommy is a coach. Specifically, she coaches the cross-country running team at the school where she works (let's not hold her in too high a regard: she's the JV coach....). It's a nice side job that lets her spend time doing what she loves while bringing in some much-needed extra cash. The only downside falls onto NorthernDaddy - he has to pick NorthernToddler up at daycare every day from September to November. That means that he has to drive the car - not the motorcycle - to work during the best season in Northern Vermont. It also means that, because of cross-country meets, every Saturday is a NorthernDaddyBabysittingDay.
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This Saturday, we were going fishing. It was a little rainy when we got up (anybody know why toddlers insist on rising with the sun on weekend mornings?!), but by 7:30 the sun was peeking in and out of the clouds, so we decided to head out. We loaded a cooler up with ice and bait, stuck the fishing rods (or as NorthernToddler says, "my swhishin rod"), and pointed the car towards the fishing hole (does Lake Champlain count as a 'fishing hole', or is it just a tad big for that?). We had our goal: catch a mess of perch and bring 'em back for dinner. We had our destination: Sand Bar.
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What we didn't have was cooperative weather. NorthernDaddy kinda forgot that when it's slightly breezy at home, it's usually very windy at Sand Bar. The wind was pushing whitecaps so hard that we didn't even get out of the car there. We headed a few miles south to a fishing access on the Lamoille River. It looked slightly better, so we geared up and headed to the water. NorthernDaddy got the first cast (cause he baits the hooks), and it was soon apparent that we couldn't fish there, either. (As soon as the bobber hit the water, it was pushed upstream so fast that it looked like it was hooked to a rocket.) Time to bail on fishing the Lake.
NorthernToddler didn't even get a hook tied to his line...but he was fairly happy to cast his bobber all over the place. He threw it into the river, all along the path to the river, and spent twenty minutes casting on the lawn next to the parking area. He even got tangled up in his line a few times (it's funny watching a toddler get mad and fight with his own fishing line!).
NorthernDaddy thought that finding a sheltered pond to fish in would be a good idea. A quick check of the map showed Colchester Pond to be the closest public fishing access, so we headed there. We only made two wrong turns before we found the parking area - or should we say "trailhead"? The pond/fishing access is several hundred yards down a huge hill - a giant trek with a toddler and fishing gear. With the wind blowing (still) and a toddler being wishy-washy about whether he wanted to fish (see the photo of him picking flowers below), NorthernDaddy canned the fishing. We would strike out towards the playground.
Somebody's pretty happy to be at the playground!
NorthernToddler declared that he was going to climb the ladder and, despite NorthernDaddy's concern that the ladder was too dangerous for him, did just that. (NorthernDaddy was on the other end of the playground and couldn't get to the ladder to stop him when NorthernToddler started his climb. N.T. monkeyed right up that ladder without slowing or losing his balance or anything, leaving NorthernDaddy to marvel at how quickly his son is growing up and how, sometimes, one just has step back from being so protective and let their kid fly.)(Well, wait a minute...not literally fly, but figuratively - let him try things to see how much he's capable of.)
NorthernDaddy thought that finding a sheltered pond to fish in would be a good idea. A quick check of the map showed Colchester Pond to be the closest public fishing access, so we headed there. We only made two wrong turns before we found the parking area - or should we say "trailhead"? The pond/fishing access is several hundred yards down a huge hill - a giant trek with a toddler and fishing gear. With the wind blowing (still) and a toddler being wishy-washy about whether he wanted to fish (see the photo of him picking flowers below), NorthernDaddy canned the fishing. We would strike out towards the playground.
Somebody's pretty happy to be at the playground!
NorthernToddler declared that he was going to climb the ladder and, despite NorthernDaddy's concern that the ladder was too dangerous for him, did just that. (NorthernDaddy was on the other end of the playground and couldn't get to the ladder to stop him when NorthernToddler started his climb. N.T. monkeyed right up that ladder without slowing or losing his balance or anything, leaving NorthernDaddy to marvel at how quickly his son is growing up and how, sometimes, one just has step back from being so protective and let their kid fly.)(Well, wait a minute...not literally fly, but figuratively - let him try things to see how much he's capable of.)
So, the circuit starts with climbing this ladder.....
goes on to crossing this bridge......
and zips down this slide.
The loop is completed by dashing back to the ladder and starting the circuit all over. The first time NorthernToddler did this loop, NorthernDaddy's heart was in his throat: if the little guy fell, it would be from a distance more than twice his height, and the hospital is just over sixteen miles away....(Daddy's brain was screaming,"The hospital is over sixteen miles away..the nearest EMT on duty is twelve miles away...aughhhh!!!!" - or something like that.) 
....and then using his hammer on it!
Of course, the playdough gets crumbled and spread all over the living room floor after a while, so it has to be vacuumed up. NorthernToddler was enlisted to help vacuum!
The NorthernFamily's challenge for the day was to visit a local farmstand and procure dinner. The rules were simple: spend less than twenty dollars and only buy local (Vermont) products. 
goes on to crossing this bridge......
and zips down this slide.
The loop is completed by dashing back to the ladder and starting the circuit all over. The first time NorthernToddler did this loop, NorthernDaddy's heart was in his throat: if the little guy fell, it would be from a distance more than twice his height, and the hospital is just over sixteen miles away....(Daddy's brain was screaming,"The hospital is over sixteen miles away..the nearest EMT on duty is twelve miles away...aughhhh!!!!" - or something like that.)After watching his son complete the fifth loop, NorthernDaddy was realizing that NorthernToddler was quite capable of safely completing the ladder, ramp, and slide. Daddy had even relaxed enough to start breathing again.
By the time NorthernToddler completed his twelfth loop, NorthernDaddy was perfectly fine with his tot's acrobatics. The only thing required was a few warnings to not go upside down and backward down the slide, and NorthernToddler kept having fun.
At home, things got odd. NorthernToddler was happy to create with his playdough. (Note the intentional non-trademarked-spelling: NorthernMommy made this playdough all by herself! She's such a good mommy!) The odd thing is what he was creating... NorthernDaddy usually makes common things - squares, spheres, cylinders, maybe even something as crazy as a bowl. NorthernToddler was using his truck as the base for something......
At home, things got odd. NorthernToddler was happy to create with his playdough. (Note the intentional non-trademarked-spelling: NorthernMommy made this playdough all by herself! She's such a good mommy!) The odd thing is what he was creating... NorthernDaddy usually makes common things - squares, spheres, cylinders, maybe even something as crazy as a bowl. NorthernToddler was using his truck as the base for something......
....and then using his hammer on it!
Of course, the playdough gets crumbled and spread all over the living room floor after a while, so it has to be vacuumed up. NorthernToddler was enlisted to help vacuum!
The NorthernFamily's challenge for the day was to visit a local farmstand and procure dinner. The rules were simple: spend less than twenty dollars and only buy local (Vermont) products.
We found fresh corn, Vermont-produced sausage, sweet potatoes, and a loaf of fresh bread (yes, NorthernDaddy makes his own tasty/fresh/inexpensive bread, but he's gotten a little less into baking when the weather's hot) for a total of just over $19. (And that includes a bag of locally-produced pretzel snacks.)
NorthernToddler holds the prize for shucking corn (he loves to tear into an ear of corn!)
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