Eighth Birthday

Bode is now eight years old.  Amazing that the little guy is already so close to double digits.  The big birthday present for Bode and Ashley was their mini-vacation to Callaway Gardens.  They both had a wonderful time.  I am trying to get the pictures from the event from Ashley's phone, so stay tuned for a post from that trip.

Bode had a nice birthday.  We went bowling and played video games and laser tag.  Bode's buddy, Tylen and his Dad, Scott, were able to join us.  We then went home, started a fire, and stayed inside, as it was bitterly cold outside.  We watched the Auburn-Alabama game (sigh), and then we watched a movie--X-Men:  Days of Future Past.  Bode liked it, and he's at the point where we don't have to explain something to him every five minutes.

Bode received a ton of great presents.  Here are some pictures of him opening them.

We also got him a little cake (he had a big ice cream cake at his birthday party), and, of course, we sang.

On a cold night, there is nothing warmer than a sleeping rottie :-)

I guess we will go back to work tomorrow.  Bode has three more weeks of classes until his Christmas break.  The second graders are also giving a choir recital next week, so that will be enjoyable.  Only 26 shopping days left, and remember:  Santa is watching.

First Home Auburn Game

Before this year's college football season began, Ashley stated she wanted to take Bode (and me) to a home Auburn football game.  We looked over the schedule and wanted to balance time away from school (work), and also the ability to get tickets.  Recall, Auburn was picked by some pundits to not only win the SEC but to also make it to the national title game.  With that data, we reasoned the Alabama game, while likely very exciting, might be an expensive ticket.  Therefore, we opted for this past weekend's Auburn game versus Idaho (not Boise State; Idaho).  Fast forward eleven weeks, and we are grateful we opted against the 'Bama game, not because of the cost of the ticket, but rather the likely beat down the team will take (but we'll still watch and we'll still cheer hard).

We left on Friday and caught a direct flight from Denver to Atlanta.  We stayed with Dave and Cathy Bledsoe, who have two boys, Westin (age 8) and Keller (age 6).  Bode was thrilled to have some kids to play with, although playing has certainly changed since I was a little one.  Now, playing seems to be defined as two kids, each having their own Amazon Fires, sitting side by side and watching Youtube videos.  Perhaps I'm just being a grumpy old man.

Saturday, we drove from Atlanta to Auburn--about 90 minutes or so.  The Bledsoe's have a large vehicle complete with DVD player, on which the boys watched Stars Wars Episode II.  While the adults were very excited when we got to Auburn, the boys seemed sad because the movie had not yet finished.  Still, Ashley managed to get Bode fired up after we exited the car.

We headed towards the stadium but along the way, the boys found a big field of grass and started tackling each other.  All have skill levels at or beyond most of Auburn's linebacking core.

The weather was a bit overcast, but no chance of rain.  Pleasantly cool, as we Colorado people would call it; the Atlantans called it damn cold.  Funny how perspectives differ.  We stopped for some pictures outside the stadium.  Here's Ashley and Dave sporting their Auburn attire...

and then a picture of Ashley and Cathy.  Note Cathy is a Georgia alum, so wearing a shirt that is sort of orange is about as much Auburn spirit as she can show.

We then went and splurged on some foam fingers and claws...

and then we found Aubie and the band.  I think it would be hard being a cheerleader or baton gal--it just seems like they are walking around in their underwear right next to fully clothed people.

We then found the statue of Cam Newton and paid homage to the great one--it was a lot like having gone to see Michael Angelo's "David," but in our case, probably a lot more meaningful.

We had some time before kickoff, so we found a small field and let the boys run around with a football.

Soon enough, it was time to enter the Sistine Chapel, I mean, Jordan-Hare Stadium.  We, of course, had to take some pictures.

Note the giant new scoreboard/HDTV.  Auburn spent $14 million on that monster, and I must say, it has a very nice picture.  In fact, on many plays, I found myself watching the scoreboard, only to suddenly realize the action was directly in front of me.  Soon, the team took the field.

Auburn started fast, but gave up a quick TD in return, but slowly, they pulled ahead.  At some point, we paused for a picture.

I even managed to take some videos of the game, and got the below touchdown pass.

Auburn ultimately won 56-34.  It wasn't near as close as the score shows.  We had a wonderful time at the game and with the Bledsoes, and the boys were all happy because we were able to finish Attack of the Clones on the drive home.

I flew home today--I have school tomorrow and Tuesday.  Ashley and Bode stayed in Georgia and are going to Callaway Gardens for a couple of days to relax.  Fortunately, Bode's school has the entire week off from school, so he's not missing out on his education :-)  JoAnne and Frank are going to meet up with them, so they should have a great time.  They will come home on Wednesday, just in time for a Turkey Day feast on Thursday, but not soon enough, because coming home on Wednesday means I will be responsible for some of the feast preparations :-)  Pleasant day to all.

Bode's Birthday Party

Today we celebrated Bode's birthday with a party at Skyline (trampoline world) with some of his friends from school.  Granted, he doesn't turn eight for a couple weeks, but we figured no one would be around the Saturday after Thanksgiving, so it was best to hold the party today.  We arrived early, and Bode was anxious to start jumping.  He did pause for two sweet pictures with Mommy.

There were seven kids that came--Teddy and Charlie (Bode's cousins), Tylen (Bode's best friend at school), Ethan, Donovan, and Jocelyn; Grammy and Uncle Dave also came, and it was great to have the family there.  Tylen's little sister also jumped with the crew, and we think she had a nice time.  None of us adults wanted to jump--normally we'd be out there, but it was fairly crowded, and I don't think any of us wanted to risk a trip to the emergency room.  Lacey, Tyler's Mom, had her thumb dislocated the last time she came to Skyzone--evidently those light-weight dodgeballs can do some damage.  After the kids jumped around for an hour, it was time for ice cream cake and some presents.  We, of course, had to sing for Bode:

Bode then opened the gifts his friends brought.  Here are some action photos.

Bode said he had a great time at the party.  Hard to believe the little dude is turning eight years old :-) Pleasant week to all.

First Day of November

We had our trick-or-treating last night.  Prior to going out, I harvested the final item from the garden--a very large pumpkin.  I don't know why the pumpkin is green--but it certainly went well with the Yoda theme.

Bode went trick-or-treating last night, dressed up as the Inquisitor.  I put on my Jedi robe, and accompanied him, along with Mommy in her cool get up.

I didn't take many other pictures--it was a beautiful night, but I had one hand full carrying my lightsaber, which doubled as a flashlight when it got dark.  Bode had a great haul of candy, and he's been munching ever since.

We went for a bike ride this morning, and then kicked the soccer ball around.  It's close to 70 today, so it was nice to be outside.  Sadly, we are recovering from both a Steeler loss and an Auburn loss.  It just isn't our year for sports teams.  Oh well--at least USAFA won :-)  Pleasant week to all.

Early Halloween

Bode had his school carnival last weekend.  The kids get to wear their costumes, and there are various games and prizes and food.  The carnival helps raise money, so we go and spend some bucks and have fun.  Mommy, as you know, really gets into Halloween, much more than I do.  I don't really know what she was in costume--some sort of cross between a western and science fiction chick, but she looked pretty cool.  Bode, in keeping with the Star Wars theme from last year when he was Darth Maul, was The Inquisitor, the evil bad buy from Star Wars Rebels season one.  We took some pictures before heading down to the school.

We arrived right at the start and bought our tickets to participate in the many games and activities.  We think Bode is at the point where the games will be boring next year--there are things like a football toss and ring toss and face painting.  He still enjoyed doing it this year, so we will have to what the future holds.  I say this because the other morning, I thought Bode was going to wear his Cars sweatshirt with Lightening McQueen on the front.  He informed me he is told old for stuff like that.  Sheesh.

At the carnival, we stopped by Ms Radke's room.  Bode spun the wheel of destiny and won a prize--they always win prizes like candy or something no matter what they do, so we filled a sack with candy by the night's end.  We also took a picture of Bode, Ms Radke, and his buddy, LaSean, who was an awesome looking minion while Ms Radke was a character from one of the stories the kids read in school.

We also took a cool picture of Mommy and Bode.  Adorable.

Bode had dinner at the carnival and sat with his buddy, Cayson.  Ashley and I didn't eat--hot dogs weren't ringing our bell, but I did have a yummy slice of pie.  We went home after a couple hours and lamented Auburn's 4-OT loss to Arkansas :-(

Bode has had the past two days off from school--parent-teacher conference time.  We had our meeting with Bode's teacher on Wednesday.  We could not have been more pleased.  Ms Radke had wonderful things to say about Bode--how helpful he is, how well he writes, how knowledgeable he is about science, how polite he is; and at that point, we had to verify she knew we were Bode's parents and not some other student's.  She assured us she was talking about Bode, and when she mentioned he does have a small problem of talking a lot, we knew it was our kid :-)  As a reward, Bode and Mommy spent yesterday at some space symposium/learning center.  Bode loved it and learned lots about the planets and space, and they even had a Minecraft modification that was space-related, which he played for an hour.  They also made some goofy hats.

Bode has his final soccer game of the year today, so we'll be heading there in an hour.  Auburn plays Ole Miss today, so I'm not too optimistic.  It'd be nice to see Auburn get a win, as it's been a tough year for Ashley considering the high expectations with which the season started.  Otherwise, it should be a nice quiet day.  Maybe I'll go out and mulch up the garden.  Pleasant day.

Corn Maze

With Halloween just around the corner, we decided to go to a corn maze, and not just any corn maze.  Thirty (30) acres of corn maze located at Anderson Farms just north of Denver.  We met up with Dave, Teddy, and Charlie early on Sunday morning, early because we wanted to beat the crowds.  Here are a couple good pictures of the cousins (Charlie is in the mask).

The farm is huge, but I don't know if they do any harvesting of the corn.  I think they can make much more money growing corning, cutting it into a maze, and then charging $15 per person to visit (plus concessions, etc) for a couple months.  Maybe I should look into something like this for my retirement...but I digress.  There were chickens...

and also some goofy signs.

The farm is kind enough to provide a map, which was rather accurate, both on a piece of paper and at the start of the maze, which Bode immediately committed to his photographic memory.

If you can't tell, the pattern is a skier (bottom) and a snow-boarder riding a chair lift.  All the lines in the picture are the maze paths.  We headed out, with the goal of reaching all eighteen checkpoints.  There was a nice lookout platform at the start.  I headed up and snapped a picture of Bode and Mommy.  It looks like we are miles and miles from civilization (or in Nebraska), when in reality, we're only a few miles from your normal suburban-type structures (strip malls, Subway, gas stations).

We took turns playing the part of navigator.  Bode nor Charlie wasn't very interested in finding our way through the maze; they did love the stalks and stalks of corn that were lying around.  Teddy tried his hand at navigating, with some success (and an assist from Uncle Dave).

It took us close to 90 minutes to complete the maze, which isn't too bad.  We did take some short cuts through the rows of corn rather than following all the paths.  We tried to eat lunch at the farm, but the lines were horrendous.  Instead, we opted for a nearby Firehouse Subs, which, as luck would have it, was also televising the Bronco game (note Uncle Dave's shirt--he's a big fan).

Bode has his school's Fall Carnival tomorrow, and then only three days of school next week (parent-teacher conferences).  I think Ashley and Bode might head up to the mountain estate.  The ski lifts aren't yet open, but Breckenridge did get some snow yesterday.  Winter is coming :-)

First Swim Meet

Bode had his first swim meet today.  We could not be more proud of how he did.  This was our first swim meet as parents, so it was a bit of a learning experience.  First, Bode is in the 8-and-under age group.  Thus, he swimsagainst boys over a year older than him, so we had to temper our expectations.  Bode signed up for four events:  the 25-yard butterfly, the 25-yard backstroke, the 25-yard freestyle, and the 100-yard individual medley.

If you've never been to a swim meet, you must realize it is organized chaos.  Every child competing has two or three family members cheering them on, there are tons of swimmers, and a pool deck is only so big.  It was very crowded, but I was very impressed with the efficiency the officials conducted the events--very German-like, although by the end of the day, I was very tired of hearing a whistle blow.  We arrived a little after 7 am, and Bode and his team swam for 25 minutes to warm up.  This seemed odd to me, because some kids' events were until two hours later, so it wasn't clear to me how the warm-up was helpful.  But being a newbie, I kept my mouth shut.  Soon, it was time to race.

First up is a picture of Bode getting ready.  Next time, we need to get him a cap for his head and some bike shorts to swim in to cut down on the drag.  No speedos thought--a small number of kids wore them, and, in short, it looks horrible.

His first event was the butterfly.  Ashley brought the good camera and took videos of each race.  However, the file sizes are huge, so I had to reduce the resolution.  If you want the HD video, you'll have to come to the house to watch :-)  But I think the below accurately capture the events.  

Note he gets second in his heat.  He was third, but he had a strong second half of the race and passed that other boy.  Ultimately, he was 7th out of 12 boys, but he beat all the other seven year olds with the exception of one boy, Max, who is a ridiculously awesome swimmer, and he's six months younger than Bode.  Max was the overall winner in the butterfly.  Bode knows Max from his days at Donna's Dolphins, and I think the two of them enjoyed hanging out together between races more than the meet itself.  You can see Max in the first frames of the above movie--he's the blond boy leaning against the diving board.  Bode's second race was the back-stroke.  We think this is his best stroke, and he did very well, winning his heat by a large margin.

He was 9th (I think) out of 22 boys, and, like before, beat all the other seven year olds with the exception of Max, who was the overall winner (the kid is a beast).  Next up is the freestyle.  He won his heat by a large margin.  Note at the next meet, Bode will be in faster heats because he will now have an official time and will seeded accordingly.

Like the backstroke, he was ~9th (I think), but this time, another seven-year old (and Max) beat him.  Max must have swum poorly because he only got second--he's slipping :-)  Bode's final race was the 100-yard IM.  This consists of a 25-yard butterfly, a 25-yard backstroke, a 25-yard breaststroke, and finishing up with a 25-yard freestyle.  There is no IM for 8-and-under, so Bode was swimming against other boys who were 10 years old.  Thus, the reason for him looking slow.

He swam great, but sadly, he was DQed :-(  Apparently he didn't do his turn off the breaststroke properly--he needs to put two hands on the wall instead of only one.  He wasn't bothered by this--understood why, said he'll do better, and was his happy self.

It's getting darker earlier, the weather is a bit cooler, and the garden has stopped producing.  Winter must be coming :-)  Pleasant evening to all.