Dinner Anguish

Christmas in .....September?

Christmas indeed! When Toddler and Daddy pulled into the drive after going to see the Street Rods, there was a big black pickup with this in the bed.Papa Frank was a little shocked a how rarely NorthernDaddy mows his lawn. (Push-mowing all of that grass isn't very high on the priorities list. We want the yard looking good, but other chores easily come first.) So, when Papa Frank's recently deceased neighbor's tractor went up for sale, he purchased it and designated it NorthernDaddy's Christmas present. (No, Papa Frank did not kill his neighbor to get a tractor - we think it was cancer caused by owning a John Deere! For Daddy's feelings on Deeres, go here: http://knowjackson.blogspot.com/2010/08/free-but-oh-such-cost.html.)

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Please excuse the grass caked onto the tires and the lack of cosmetic detailing before this picture was taken - NorthernDaddy was (and is) so happy to have a running lawn tractor that he went right out and mowed the yard. Right after a day's rain. Seriously; Toddler went down for his nap and Daddy pulled the mower deck off, sharpened the blades, checked the oil and tires, and was mowing inside of fifteen minutes!

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The new tractor replaces two old riding mowers: both purchased very used and each killed inside of one season. The first died after being used to brush hog the back of our lot. The second expired after flatting all four tires, cutting a belt, mis-aligning its pulleys, and blowing the muffler clear of the engine block -- all a result of brush hogging the side of our lot.

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The new tractor is not going to be used for brush hogging. The new tractor is not going to be used for brush hogging. The new tractor is NOT going to be used for brush hogging....

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The two old tractors are going to the scrap-metal yard to see if Toddler can get any money for them.

That will clear this area (formerly known as the tractor shed) up for a new use. There will be more information forthcoming, but for now, the Northerns would like to announce their newest venture into backyard agriculture: DUCKS!

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The tractor shed will be refit as a home for some ducks. Additional flooring, some fencing, and a pond of some kind should make for a great duck house. NorthernDaddy is still working out the details - but that makes a good winter project. For now, the Northerns make plans and dream of cute, entertaining ducks (and duck eggs, and roast duck).

Northeast Street Rod Nationals, 2011

NorthernToddler and Daddy rolled out on their annual pilgrimage to the Street Rod show. Every year, they share some bonding time by admiring the colorful and curvy miracles of engineering and style.

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This year, it was raining. More precisely, it started raining right after NorthernDaddy bought his ticket at the gate. No big deal - the boys can tough out some wet clothes to see the cars!Toddler would have y'all note the car-themed shirt that he chose to wear; he wanted to fit in to the crowd.

Being three can get you places that not even a grown man can talk his way into...

On the drive to the Expo, Toddler asked about being allowed to get inside some of the cars. NorthernDaddy explained that the extreme cost of most of the vehicles would make it so Toddler would not be allowed to go inside any cars, and that Toddler should take great care to not even touch the cars. Imagine the surprise (of both Toddler and Daddy) when the owner of this car offered to let Toddler sit inside and "drive"! Totally cool! This was the highlight of the show for Toddler, and the owner deserved his giant THANK YOU!
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French Fries are consumed every year. It's tradition. It's important.

It was hard to take any artistic (or clear) photos with the rain and fog, but here are a few:

A perfect family hauler...

It can be forever debated whether Ford or Chevy is better, but Toddler and Daddy would both take either one. (If the 'Stang was in the blue that the Camaro is, that would sway Daddy's opinion!)

Annual Apple Picking

The NorthernClan went apple picking. Again. If you've been following this blog for a few years, you know that the Northerns go apple picking every year. It is always a trip to the same orchard, it seems to be the same weekend every year, and there are always too many apples brought home. Also, fun is always had - regardless of the crowds or if Mommy runs someone's face into a tree branch. (If they ever shut down the operation that makes maple-syrup-drenched cider doughnuts, there might be a riot....)

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This year, the Northerns arrived at the orchard late in the day. Good for parking, bad for apple picking. The pukehead idiots families that arrived earlier in the day swept through the trees like locusts and stripped every apple within reach off the branches. NorthernToddler came up with the idea of being hoisted aloft so that he could snag some fruit.

Here Toddler demonstrates his technique. Every orchard has ladders, right? Toddler monkeys up...

NorthernDaddy and Mommy had more fear than Toddler as he climbed up to the top of the ladder (all the way up) to snag apples.


He can even climb it from the underside!

Toddler's been telling all the girls that the red scratch is from a knife fight...

...He really got the scratch by forgetting to duck while he was travelling on Mommy's shoulders!

Just Like The Big Boys

Since the beginning of cross-country season, NorthernToddler has been spending more time under the direct care of NorthernDaddy. That has been a lesson in patience (for both Toddler and Daddy)! Saturdays are the fun days - times to set out in search of trouble adventure. Last Saturday, visits were made to three separate playgrounds. NorthernToddler and Daddy wore themselves out with all of the running, climbing, and general nonsense.

Today, there were a few errands to run: a trip to the bank and a stop at Home Depot. Sitting at the bank's drive-through terminal, NorthernDaddy explained each step of how the pneumatic tube system worked to deliver papers to the teller. Toddler thought it was all pretty neat: the little capsule that shoots off through the tube with a mighty "WHOOSH", the video camera and mic that let the teller communicate, and -best of all - the two lollipops that came back to us in the capsule. (Odd, NorthernDaddy has been doing business at that branch for years, and has never received a lollipop....Toddler must be a real smooth kid to get two lollipops. Of course, Daddy had to steal one of the pops for himself!)

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The Home Depot was nearby, and Daddy had to pick out some paint chip samples so that he could decide on a color for the house's exterior trim - which is in very dire need of painting. As Daddy stood slack-jawed at the enormous selection of colors (tell me, just how many thousands of shades of WHITE does this world need?), Toddler passed the time comparing his grape lollipop to the purple paint chips. Turns out that his candy was somewhere between 'Purple Blanket' and 'Blackberry Harvest'. Good to know, isn't it?

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After the errands, it was time to head to the park. NorthernToddler decided that he wanted to wheel his trike around the paths near the playground. NorthernDaddy wanted to teach Toddler that he should be pedaling the trike instead of scooting it with his feet, so it was a rare moment when everyone's agendas somewhat matched.

Cruising Parking your ride - just like the big boys....


Daddy told Toddler that he could go up the ramp if he pedaled his way up. Of course, he tried!

No bike, no scooter, no skate. Just gonna hafta slide down!

That's Not Nice...

Scene: Riding in NorthernDaddy's car, on the way home from pre-school.

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NorthernToddler: "It stinks in here."

NorthernDaddy: "Really? Why?"

NorthernToddler: "Mommy says it's because you fart a lot."

Huh?

NorthernToddler Quote of the Day:

"You can't ride a dead pony."

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Stalking Champ....

NorthernToddler's relationship with Champ? It's complicated.

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Some might think it's cute to see a toddler spend an entire baseball game scanning the area for a glimpse of the team mascot. Some might even smile knowingly when a little one asks to go down front to get a better view of the mascot dancing on top of the dugout - we've all been there, right? Most know that children of all ages adore the lovable Champ.

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NorthernToddler? NorthernToddler is a full-on Champ stalker. He's got Champ's whereabouts locked down. From the moment that the outfield gate swings open to let Champ's ATV come rolling in to the second that Toddler is escorted out of the ballpark (by his parents - not the police. They aren't on to his stalking yet...), he knows where the big green guy is standing. Toddler has a mental map of the ballpark and keeps a stopwatch ticking in his head. He tracks the sound of that ATV and has logged when Champ's rest and bathroom breaks occur - he knows where Champ will pop out next.

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So, when Toddler was finishing up a potty break and realized that he would be rounding the corner out of the bathroom at the exact same time that Champ would be motoring up to the entrance to Toddler's seating area, he sprang into action. Toddler jumped out into the middle of the concourse and flagged Champ down. Time for a picture! Cute, huh? Champ thinks that he's just posing for another picture with an adoring fan. NorthernDaddy thinks that Toddler is trying to lift Champ's wallet to get his ID so that he can find out where Champ sleeps and stalk him there....