Bode's Birthday

Two score and eight months ago, Bode Jackson McGuirk was born at 9:58 PM. He was seven pounds 11 ounces and twenty inches long. Below is one of the first pictures we have of him. Obviously he wasn't happy to be out of the womb.

Is it possible this little guy is actually four years old? Hard to believe. We celebrated his big day with dinner, cake, and presents. Ashley and I even sang. Cover your ears, darlings.

The little fellow had a great day. He got tons of presents--a stuffed Mickey Mouse, a Mickey Mouse jacket, a Mickey Mouse book, a Handy-Manny play set, a map of the United States, a huge Marble Maze, a stuffed Go-Dog-Go, and one of the trucks from the movie, Cars. Note he also received his garbage truck from Nana and Papa, but they gave it to him while we were in North Carolina. Mommy and Daddy got him a new bike. This might surprise you, because he already has a big-boy bike. He hasn't been too successful riding it, so we thought he might like a pedal-less bike. This way, he can glide along while pushing with his feet, and in the immortal words of Mr. Miyagi, "Learn balance." Here is an action photo.

We are having a party for Bode at Bounce U on Saturday. It should be a great time. I'll post photos following the event. Pleasant week to all (it might snow here...sheesh).

Thanksgiving Part II

On Black Friday, we went to the Asheville Nature Center, which is basically a small zoo. They had a lot of the smaller animals. However, they also had wolves. As we approached the wolf-enclosure, I said, "I've never seen a wolf in captivity--they're always hiding or sleeping somewhere far from the viewing area." So I was surprised to see this little guy sitting right next to the window.

They didn't howl or anything, but this wolf and its mate were up and about. We think it might have been close to feeding time. There were some fake wolves standing up near the enclosure. Here's Bode petting them.

There were also some mountain lions/cougars/pumas. They must have just been fed, because they were licking and chewing on something. These cats don't look too big, but their paws are huge.

Here's a cute picture of Bode putting his face in a bobcat-cutout.

There were other animals--otters, deer, some snakes (which I skipped, thank you very much), and a small petting zoo. Here's a picture of Bode looking after some goats. Maybe he'll be a shepherd.

We had a wonderful time in North Carolina. On Friday, Nana and Papa headed back to their place in Bryson City while Grammy headed off to catch an early flight in Charlotte. Friday afternoon, we (the three of us) had a professional take some pictures of us on the Grove Park Inn property. We should get those in about a week, so I'll be sure to post some. Until then, I hope everyone had a great Turkey Day. Weigh-ins start at 0600 on Monday :-) Pleasant week to all.

Thanksgiving Part I

We just returned from a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday to Asheville, North Carolina. We stayed at the Grove Park Inn, which is a lovely little hotel/resort built of stone atop a mountain. There were stunning views, gorgeous sunsets, peace, and tranquility. And eating. Lots of eating.

First, here are some pictures of the inn. Note how it's made of stone. Evidently a railroad had to be built with the specific task of bringing in those stones. It was either that or do it the way the pyramids were built, and I think the ACLU would have had an issue with that.

Do you see the glass-roofed area in the second picture? Beneath that was the spa. Ashley and I spent a few hours down there. Sheer Heaven. There were saunas, steam baths, hot-tubs, and a 64-degree cold pool to plunge into if one got too hot. It felt awful while plunging and then wonderful when you jumped out. The relaxation pools also had underwater speakers, so if you dunked your head underwater, you heard soothing piano music.

Following our morning at the spa, we feasted at the Grand Buffet. Ashley's parents (Jo Anne and Frank) and my mother (Lin) were able to join us. Here are some photographs. First, here we are leaving the room. I show this picture because it was one of the only shots with Frank. Note we are waiting on Ashley.

Next is a picture of Ashley and me on the outside stairs (you can see them in the first picture above)

Note I'm wearing a tie. It doesn't happen often. Next, we tried to get a picture of Bode with the three ladies. He was being a pest, and wouldn't get in a picture with them. He kept hiding behind Mommy's leg. Below is the best I could do.

Finally, here is a picture of the three of us. We really had to threaten Bode with some severe punishment; otherwise this picture would not have happened. The little fella isn't exactly smiling either.

It was then time to eat. They had everything, from the traditional turkey, stuffing, and potatoes to the not-so-traditional crab-legs and shrimp. There were breads, meats, cheeses--even mac-n-cheese, but we steered Bode clear of that table. No way was he going to eat that on this day. Desserts was also served, and we gorged on chocolate mousse, cake, an assortment of pies, and cookies. There was even an ice cream bar. Of course, Bode had to have some.

Following the meal, we walked around the property, digesting. They had a sports complex, with some beautiful indoor tennis courts and other odds and ends. The highlight (for Bode) had to have been the playground. Here he is, bounding around on a full stomach.

Thanksgiving was wonderful. It was great to have Nana, Papa, and Grammy joining us (especially since they were the ones who watched Bode while Ashley and I were at the spa). As many of you know, Bode's birthday is on Monday. Nana and Papa bought Bode a new garbage truck. He loves it. He played with it for almost 2 1/2 hours one evening. Straight. With no breaks. Here's an action photo.

Up next: A trip to the nature center. Spoiler alert: We saw wolves!

Bad Language

In preparation for the Iron Bowl, we taught Bode what is and is not proper speech. Below is an example.

Kickoff is in less than 30 minutes. I'm fearful, yet hopeful. We'll see how this goes...

Bowling

Bode's friend, Jase, had a birthday party today at the bowling alley. It was pretty fun for the kiddos, and Bode said he had a great time. It was nice to see Jase and his family. Jase no longer goes to the same daycare as Bode, so when the two guys saw each other, they had to hug it out.

Following the formalities, it was time to bowl. Here's a sequence of Bode going through the motions.

Bode had some interesting throws. On one, he managed to get the ball between the gutter and the bumper...the kid has talent :-) He did have one throw where he got seven or eight pins down. But he was just as excited when he knocked one pin down, so he didn't get the concept of scoring. After some playing, the kids took time out for a group photograph.

Bode's friend, Tyler (in the plaid shirt) was also there. They, too, had to hug it out, but I didn't get a picture. After about an hour, Bode says, "I'm hungry." Fortunately they had pizza, punch, and cake. Bode had four pieces of pizza and two pieces of cake (they were small pieces, but there always seems to be one fat kid at every party :-)

Finally, here's a picture of Jase that Bode took.

Auburn played today, and they stunk. They lost 45-7. A horrible, horrible game, and we will never speak of it again. Ashley is leaving tomorrow for Vegas (baby). She'll be there all week, "working." Sounds rough. Just me, Bode, and Harley holding down the fort. Hopefully we figure out how the stove works. Pleasant week to all.