Rock Climbing

CC is taking a ballet intensive this week, so it's been just me with Little Man and Sweet Pea. Today we decided to go rock climbing, which was a nice indoor event to beat the heat.

It's been a long time since I've taken the kids rock climbing, and their growth is obvious. Not only are they stronger now, but they're much less fearful. In the past, they haven't gone past the halfway point, yet today they both easily scrambled up to the top on every run. They raced each other on several side-by-side runs, then set time records for each run that they'd try to break. 

The climbing gym has a rule that because they're under 16, I have to be the one to click their carabiners on and off each belay. That frustrated them to no end, because there were two of them and only one of me. Plus, it wasn't hard to operate the carabiners, and all the (younger) kids who were there attending day camp were allowed to do it alone. So after a few test runs to make sure they could do it correctly, I stopped insisting that they follow that rule. Still, I had to be supervising them while they climbed (even though there were more employees than climbers on the floor), so I followed them around and obeyed about a million "Mom, watch this!" commands. Safety first.

(I shouldn't have bothered bringing a book. It didn't get touched. I spent the whole time "supervising" them and being their official timer.)

Virtual Reality

We took the kids to a cool virtual reality experience about space that we'd heard great things about. It was a way to "walk" around the International Space Station, see videos taken by some of the astronauts, and feel completely immersed in the environment.

Out in the lobby was an exhibit about a local astronaut, and a huge model of Earth rotating from the ceiling. That was pretty cool to watch! Sweet Pea was especially interested in it.

When it was time for the VR experience, MJ listened to the instructions and watched the informational videos, and almost immediately decided it was not for him. He is prone to motion sickness, and doesn't feel comfortable watching 3D movies, so he opted to wait for us in the lobby.

The kids and I headed in, and quickly realized we were way out of our element. Once we put the headsets on and began the experience, it immediately felt like we were floating in space. It took a while to realize that we could safely walk around. It was fascinating! I loved the amazing cinematography, the views of Earth, and the illusion of weightlessness. Little Man took to it pretty quickly and was walking around on his own within a few minutes. The girls held my hands, but eventually CC felt comfortable straying from me. Sweet Pea, on the other hand, did not enjoy it at all. She clung to me, very nervous, the entire time. At the end, when we took our headsets off, she had tears streaming down her face. But hey, like I told her -- at least she tried it. Now she knows, like Daddy, that she doesn't care for experiences like that.

P.S. MJ definitely made the right call for himself. All four of us said, "Daddy would hate this!" as soon as it started. It's good to know your own boundaries.

Afternoon with Alice

This year's Christmas outing with Miss Alice happened after Christmas, due to the kids' school schedule. And surprisingly, we all liked it better that way! The crowds were gone, and as Little Man pointed out, "This way we won't accidentally pick a book that someone else is getting us for Christmas." True!

But one thing stayed the same: it was a lovely afternoon. It's one of my favorite traditions! We spent about an hour browsing the bookstore, as the kids made their final selections. Little Man, firmly in his Minecraft era, picked the Minecraft Medieval Fortress book. CC picked Pretties, the second book in a new series she loves (thanks, Aunt Susan and Uncle Jon!). And Sweet Pea, the least decisive about books, picked a new graphic novel, Stand Up, and has declared she already loves it and wants to read every book by Tori Sharp. That's a win!

Afterwards, we treated Alice to a lunch at a nearby restaurant. The kids ate a ton, and we had a lively discussion despite the kids really wanting to dive into their new books. Fun fact of the day: Alice watches the show "Wednesday," which is one of CC's favorite shows!

Spooky Amusement Park

Last year we went to our local amusement park's annual Halloween celebration, but none of us enjoyed it -- it was extremely loud and crowded, plus the employees who dressed up in freaky costumes and jumped out at people in the dark were too much for the kids. Little Man was convinced the roaring chain saws some characters were swinging around were real, and the entire night was just unpleasant.

This year we decided we'd go during the day, so we could enjoy the decorations without the crowds or noise. It was much better! And we took Sweet Pea's friend Charlie as her birthday gift.

Charlie had never been on most of the big rides there, and was a little nervous about trying them. But after she overcame her nerves to go on the first big one, she was ready for all the rest! At the end of the day, she couldn't decide which ride was her favorite because she'd loved them all so much.

I think this is definitely a fun new Halloween tradition!

Pumpkin Patch!

MJ and I chaperoned the parish's youth group trip to a pumpkin patch over the weekend. Our kids had been looking forward to it since last year, when CC attended and raved about it. This year Sweet Pea and Little Man could come, so we made it a whole-family affair.

MJ and another dad were in charge of seven boys in the corn maze, while I took CC, Sweet Pea, and another girl. The girls beat the boys, but only by a few minutes. The maze was much easier this year (last year it took CC's group about 40 minutes to complete!), so the kids had plenty of time afterwards for other activities. Little Man loved the tennis ball cannon and slingshots, and Sweet Pea's favorite activity was the huge trampoline-like balloon to jump and flip on. CC opted for hot chocolate instead of activity tickets, but ended up using a spare ticket to do the wiggly tube race with Sweet Pea.

Afterwards the whole group -- about 100 of us! -- gathered around several bonfires to make s'mores. A sweet way to end the outing, and we were back home in time to catch most of the Yankees game.

First Concert!

Last month, we surprised the kids by taking them to their first concert: Imagine Dragons!

They were beside themselves with excitement. They knew most of the words to the songs, and were up dancing and singing most of the time.

Lawn seats were definitely the way to go. We were further away from the stage, but the kids spread out their towels and had room to move around. MJ and I rented chairs, and were reasonably comfortable during the show. I can't imagine any of us would have handled being confined to tiny seats very well, especially in a long row. Although the lawn was crowded, we could easily get up to go to the bathroom, get snacks, etc. Little Man even got in a nap while we waited for the show to start:

Quote of the night goes to Sweet Pea, during the second song, who said, "He took off his shirt for "Bones" so we could see his bones." 

I will forever remember looking over and seeing Little Man rattling off every word to the songs he knew, dancing a bit and moving his hands like he was up on stage himself. He was completely in his element!

I'd heard horror stories about how bad traffic could be getting out of the venue, so we left a few songs before the end of the set. That made all the difference in the world! We sailed out of the parking lot with ease and were home 20 minutes later. It was a late night, but totally worth it.

Core memory: MADE.

State Fair

The kids have never been to a state fair, so when my parents offered to take us last week, we jumped at the chance! The kids missed a day of school, because I bundled them into the car at the crack of dawn to beat the crowds. We arrived just in time to meet Memere and Pepere.

What fun! We rode tons of rides, including the tallest Ferris wheel there (there were at least three).

We ate so much junk food, including fried Oreos, cotton candy, Nutella-stuffed churros, fresh-squeezed lemonade, and cheesesteaks.

And we saw tons of animals, listened to a cow-milking demonstration, watched chicken eggs hatch, and marveled over the gorgeous colorful vegetables, including the prize-winning watermelons and pumpkins. We even enjoyed some locally grown apples.

The weather (mostly) cooperated, despite a terrible forecast. What a great day with loads of fun memories! We topped it off by spending the night with Memere and Pepere before heading back home to Daddy.

Six!

This summer, CC and I had the opportunity to see Six!, the musical about Henry VIII's wives. It's been CC's obsession for the last few months, so when I heard that it was on tour, I knew we had to see it. 

We went to a nice dinner at CC's favorite restaurant, which unfortunately was so slow with our food that we had to get it wrapped up to go. But not before CC got a yummy mocktail! Anything with pineapple juice is the way to her heart.

Six! was fabulous, and our seats were amazing -- first row of the first balcony. The show was short, but very impressive, and more like a rock concert than a traditional musical. The voices were amazing. And since CC and I knew all the lyrics and music already, we were really able to enjoy the different elements each actress brought to their role. My favorite character was Anne of Cleves, but CC adores Anne Boleyn and even wants to dress like her for Halloween.

I think I've definitely found my musical soulmate. CC loves them as much as I do! MJ isn't a fan, so now that CC's getting older, maybe she'll be my regular date!

Optical Illusions

Over the weekend, I took the kids to a cool museum all about optical illusions. We had a blast, exploring all the interesting ways our eyes and brains could be fooled. And it made for some really fun pictures!

Pumpkin Patch

Our annual trip to a pumpkin patch is always one of my favorite outings. This year the weather was perfect, the crowds were low, and everything was great ... except MJ couldn't come. His job has been very busy lately, and he's worked 7 days a week for almost a month now. 

But the kids and I still had fun. The zip line and the giant swing are always a hit, and I think Sweet Pea and Little Man could have done them all day. We also did the corn maze (twice), took a hayride, fed the goats (CC's favorite), played on the monkey bars, and enjoyed apple cider slushies. Oh, and we picked out pumpkins, of course!

In the Room Where It Happened

Last night, all CC's dreams came true when I took her to see Hamilton. What a wonderful evening!

We started with dinner, where we shared charcuterie and a steak, and she marveled over the mocktail they made for her. "It's way bigger than yours, Mommy!"

Then we headed to the theater to watch the show. CC was so excited, she couldn't stop bouncing up and down and squealing. Our seats were great, and the performance was incredible. "It's the best show I've ever seen!" she raved. "I'm pretty sure it's all I'll be talking about for weeks!" Her favorite character, of course, was King George. But she was very impressed by the actor playing Aaron Burr.

It was special to share such a magical moment with her, and to see her so excited. As for me, I'm motivated to read Ron Chernow's book now, to learn even more details about that period in our history.

Greenville

Over spring break, the kids and I took a quick overnight trip to Greenville. We'd never been there before, but we'd heard such good things about it. And it was great!

First stop: a sandwich shop that's also an art studio, so you can paint while you eat: two of the Morrison kids' favorite activities!

Next stop: the Roper Mountain Science Center. It's actually part of Greenville's public school system, which is impressive. It was completely immersive, hands-on and high tech, but we spent most of our time in the outdoor area. There was a "store" where the kids could trade interesting natural artifacts they found outside for cool treasures like shells, polished rocks, snakeskins, and rodent skulls. (I bet you can guess what Little Man picked.)

Our hotel was right on the river downtown, with a beautiful view. Before turning in for the night, we found all nine hidden "Mice on Main," and then celebrated with gelato.

The next morning, we were at the zoo bright and early. It was small, but I've never been so close to a lion before. And Sweet Pea was excited to find a bright yellow python.

Then we went gem mining, where the kids found some awesome geodes and quartz stones.

We explored Falls Park, which is a river/waterfall area that goes directly through downtown. We could have stayed all day, hopping around on the river rocks and enjoying the views.

Then, on our way out of town, we went ice skating. The kids haven't been skating since pre-Covid, and I was impressed that they no longer clung to the wall, but tottered out onto center ice.

We will definitely go back sometime! The Falls Park area downtown is especially beautiful, and I'd love to spend more time there.