Slow Progress

When the Northerns purchased their house, the flower garden was in need of some attention.

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Below is a view from the office over the garage - slightly overgrown, eh? Weeds were removed, invasive species were choked out, and mulch was laid over landscape fabric. Frustration, doubt, and despair were the major players in this garden game.

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It took three years of hard work, and the hands of NorthernMommy, Daddy, and Toddler, but the garden has turned the corner towards being a beautiful place. (Last Saturday's major push to apply mulch helped a great deal!)

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Today, the flower garden looks like this:
(Photo taken from same location as 2008's picture)

Camping

The Northern Clan got to spend a night camping this weekend. It was wonderful! Little River State Park in Waterbury - so close to the house that the Northerns hadn't ever considered camping there - but friends had made the plans for the outing, and it turned out to be one of the best campsites we've ever encountered!

One of the nice things about spending only one night out camping is that, if you plan your meals carefully, you can leave out all of the cooking gear. Not carting the stove, pots and pans, and all of that stuff makes for a much more manageable load. (Of course, having that extra room just meant that we managed to spread more mess all over the inside of the NorthernToddlerAdventureMobile!)

Before we got down to the business of charring hotdogs over a cheery campfire, we did some swimming and embarked on a forced death march nice hike up a long hill to some ancient ruins. At least the forest was pretty....

As Jim was masterfully kindling the campfire, NorthernToddler started to take issue with the smoke blowing in his face. NorthernDaddy told him to just move his chair back from the fire to get away from the smoke. NorthernToddler moved his chair back until he felt that he was able to enjoy the fire... (see him way back by the road?!)

Never trust a toddler with a hot dog on a stick - it could get ugly, and someone could get hurt.
Here, NorthernToddler is either preparing to roast his dinner or attempting to launch that hot dog into a low-earth orbit.

A boy and his fire - it's a beautiful thing.

What's Missing?

Can y'all tell what's missing in this picture? No, it's not missing carpet...they've always been wood.

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No, it's not missing a toddler in a sled having a go at a thrill ride...but that wouldn't be too surprising.

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What's missing is the child safety gate. Yup - another big step into the real world for our brave NorthernToddler. He hasn't known a world without a prison gate on the steps - we put it up the day after we moved into the house. That was three years ago. NorthernMommy and Daddy haven't known the house without a gate to retreat behind (what? You've never hidden from a toddler with an evil glint in his eye holding a wooden spoon? Never scooted to a sanctuary from the loudly protesting tyrant toddler in your house?)

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It seems slightly odd that the gate is just...gone.

One Perfect Weekend

This first photo doesn't have anything to do with the rest of this post. NorthernDaddy was playing with the camera one day and thought that this pic turned out neat. NorthernToddler had a good weekend. Saturday started off with some fishing - just floating some worms under a bobber up at Sand Bar. NorthernToddler caught five fish...all by himself. Pretty good for a three-year-old. He got two perch, a smallmouth bass, and two little sunfish (or as he calls them, pumpkin fish -- his version of pumpkinseed). NorthernDaddy led the group by catching six fish - including the largest. NorthernMommy tried really hard and managed to reel in one fish.

As a side story, NorthernToddler is in the midst of potty-training. An unfortunate 'accident' in the car on the way to the fishing hole made Mommy and Daddy tell Toddler that if he needed to pee, he had to pee on the rocks. A short time later, it was noticed that Toddler's shorts were wet again. When questioned, Toddler said, "But I did pee on the rock - see?!" Sure enough, an investigation showed that Toddler had peed through his underwear and shorts onto a large rock nearby. Hard to argue with his logic....

Best part of his potty-training while fishing was the opportunity to teach Toddler how to stand on the edge of the water and send a mighty stream off into the lake - he loved that!

Saturday evening, the Northerns went to a Vermont Lake Monsters baseball game. Toddler is beginning to understand the game - so he pays attention now - and absolutely loves the team mascot, Champ. Little Man was in heaven: chicken tenders, french fries, a cold drink, and Champ.

Getting rowdy in the stands...

Yup, Mommy got me Dipping Dots.

Fireworks after a smashing win by the home team made things even better!

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Sunday, NorthernToddler watched Winnie the Pooh. It was his first-ever trip to a movie theater. Toddler would like to report that he loved the soda, the ginormous tub of popcorn, and the super-comfy-tilty seat. The movie? Eh, not so captivating. Shoulda seen Cowboys and Aliens.

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All told, it was a near-perfect weekend.