“Rodeo talk” in our family starts in January. When we are prepping for Alison’s birthday, Reed inevitably will start talking about when HIS birthday is. We tell him: Ali’s birthday, then rodeo, then your birthday. He will go on-and-on about that series of events until they all come to pass.
Rodeo certainly was not as big of a deal in my family growing up. But that was not the case for Julie and hers. That event has certainly been talked up more to Reed than I ever was a part of, and because of it, Reed looks forward to rodeo. And it’s not all talk, either. When we sit down in the arena and the tractors, horses, calves and bulls are out, Reed is in a trance. His eyes are totally glued on what is happening in front of him. He really does love it, even more than we love going.
After finding out how much Reed loved the rodeo, my boss offered us seats in his box at the Wimberley Open Pro Rodeo this past weekend. We were leery of the event coming to fruition after having torrential downpours on Friday night and into Saturday morning, but it held off for the afternoon and evening, so we made the trip out there.
First we stopped at Brewster’s Pizza, just south on RR12, to meet our group and grab a bite. We got to the arena and saw how DEEP the mud in the arena was and how interesting this was going to make it for the animals and cowboys. Some competitors even dropped out for safety precautions (mostly team ropers and steer wrestlers). We saw plenty of wild rides and falls because of the severe condition of the arena, but for us spectators, it was a beautiful night for a rodeo. And Reed is STILL talking about it.
Well, shortly after setting up Ali and Reed in the same room, Alison began having “bed envy”. There were a few times were Reed slept in our bed for a weekend nap, so Ali took the chance to sleep in Reed’s bed. Once she got the taste of the bigger space and freedom from the crib, there was no looking back. In fact, this kinda backfired when she fought and cried at night when she wanted to sleep in Reed’s bed again.
So, we made the same progression as we did with Reed. First we took the side off the crib to see how much she would roll, and to get her used to staying in bed when we ask her to lay down. We are certain we got very lucky with Reed in this respect since he NEVER got out of his bed at night. To our surprise, she actually rolled out of her bed less than Reed did. But we did catch her one morning UNDERNEATH the bed and still asleep!! (Many of her Baldwin relatives have similar stories from their youth, so this only added to the legacy)
Over the next few weeks, Ali did very well (all things considered) adapting to the new bed. The challenges were more centered around getting the two of them settled down for bedtime in the same room. We have gone back and forth putting Ali down first or just getting both of them in the room to settle down at the same time
This past weekend, we actually made the jump to Ali REAL “Big Girl” bed. We have actually had it in the garage for some time now, since Julie bought it on a bargain she couldn’t refuse. So, I took the day off of work to rearrange their room and switch to her new bed.
She looks so tiny in this new twin-size bed, but she is certainly happy and doing well.
I’m not a big parade person, but the Helotes Cornyval parade holds a special place in my childhood. It was close enough to my parents’ house that when we were old enough, my sisters and I would ROLLERBLADE down the road, and then up the parade route to find a spot to sit and watch. We would often pass by friends that were already setup to watch and visit with them for a bit, and then make our way down the road. It was true symbol of growing up in a small town and tight-knit community. I have fond memories of going to that event every year as a family.
As you can imagine, with a family of my own now I’m excited to give my own kids even a little glimpse of that.
Reed is completely into trucks and trailers, and any combination of the two. Every day at school he is coloring a different variation of a truck and a trailer. For example, he showed me his “Rapunzel” version the other day… a typical truck with a popup camper in the back, and the figure inside each had VERY long blonde hair (he was very clear that it was NOT Mommy, either).
So, Reed loves trucks.
He is very fortunate to have a Grandpa that actually DRIVES a big tool truck. Reed talks about the tool truck and the RV pretty frequently. So, Duke came to pick Reed up in the morning and spent the day out on his route in the big truck… but first, a stop to see Pete and get a haircut.
I’m not sure who had the bigger smile on his face, Duke or Reed, but one thing is for sure… our kids have a good life and family that love them.
In preparation for Baby #3, we have moved Alison into the same room with Reed. We pulled Reed’s brown crib out of the garage and set it up in his room. We have been building this idea for several months with each of them, and there has been no sign of conflict, especially with Reed. The two of them have been playing together so much better these days as their friendship is growing. We no longer have to watch that Ali will get beat up, in fact, she can fend for herself against her big brother rather well.
So, last Sunday afternoon, I pulled the crib out to setup in time for afternoon naps. Both kids got super excited as I was putting it together, and we tried our best to field the barrage of questions from Reed. Afterwards, they played a little, but wound down for naps in each of their beds.
The challenge here will be either getting both kids on the same schedule, or adjusting our routine with Reed to allow Ali to go down first, and then get Reed into bed without disturbing her. We will update this post as it develops. For now, they are both excited and this will no doubt grow their relationship (and probably form a sibling alliance against the powers that be).
We held the 2nd annual Easter egg hunt at Granny’s house on Good Friday and had a great turn out again. Everyone enjoyed the time outdoors and the weather did not disappoint.
The Aggies are now part of the SEC and baseball season is finally upon us. For all the hoopla that the football team got for entering the nation’s toughest conference in football, baseball has flown under the radar. The SEC claims recent National Titles in 2009 (LSU), 2010 and 2011 (both South Carolina). Needless to say, the all-around competition has taken a step up.
With that said, tougher competition usually equals higher expectations, and higher expectations usually equals more attention (media and attendance). We got our first sign of this when season tickets sold out shortly after they went on sale for the season. We had to mindful of when the general admission single game tickets went on sale so that we could guarantee tickets for the games we wanted to go to. The next sign came when we pulled up to Blue Bell Park around Noon with our camper… there were already a fleet of RV’s setup for the weekend, and we even thought we were early! Gone are the days of this little secret vacation spot we have in College Station during Spring Break for some college baseball. No more last minute tickets and prime tailgating spots without fighting the crowds. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted, but it won’t deter us by any means.
The Friday night game is always my favorite. The anticipation leading up to the series and the cool weather under the lights makes for a really great environment. This game did not disappoint. It was a tight game with plenty of drama (see “What’s the Deal with Superman”), and the Ags won. We had friends meet us at the bus afterwards, so Reed got to stay up EXTRA late with us and our guests.
One thing about sleeping in an RV or camper at Blue Bell Park… you WILL hear the train go by ALL night. I think Juile counted 12 that first night. Forget thinking you will sleep through it, no matter how tired you are, just hope you can go right back to sleep.
Saturday was the big tailgate as always, and our friends from Dallas and Houston descended upon College Station to join us. The kids are all growing up, and we are not done multiplying either so there are still new faces every year. The game was packed so we relegated to the lawn where everyone could be together and spread out by the playground.
On Sunday we are always ready to go, but it is always the most relaxed time around the ball park. We got Reed out on his new bike around the parking lot and then packed the truck and camper. One of these times we will stay for the Sunday game (and this should have been the time), but we opted to get on the road.
The Aggies swept the series against Georgia. To the SEC: Welcome to Aggieland!
If you have known Reed at all, you know he has an aversion to new things, especially when it comes to vehicles. His PowerWheels Jeep for Christmas a few years ago was our first example of this. To this day, he has never driven it by himself. However, the kid loves cars and “fixing” them. If he would just get past his frustrations he would love it so much.
Unbeknownst to us, my parents bought Reed a bike for his 4th birthday. We had actually considered this ourselves, but his aversions made us think twice. Regardless, they bought this one for him to use out at their house where there is plenty of space to ride (and not just in the street).
We had an upcoming trip to College Station for Aggie Baseball, and we were going to be in a big parking lot for the entire weekend. This would be a perfect time to focus on the bike and see if it was going to be something he chose to learn or not.
We got it out Friday and he had no problem sitting on it, but didn’t quite understand how to push with his legs to make the pedals go around. I mostly just held the outer part of the handles and pushed him around. He did find out that pedaling backwards is the brake. When the frustration set-in, we sat down on the ground at the bike and I showed him how the pedals go around while I lifted the back tire off the ground. That seemed to help him make sense of the concept.
On Saturday we had our big tailgate and a lot of distractions, so he mostly just showed off his bike to everyone, but didn’t want to spend time riding it. I watched him sit on it for long periods, but never went anywhere.
On Sunday morning, after all the chaos from the weekend was gone, we got back on the bike. This time, I did not hold the handles, but instead would push him to get his momentum going. This made it easier to pedal, so he got his feet moving as well. This seemed to be the key. I literally watched it click in his head as he started to move his legs independently. As one foot got to the top of the rotation, he would push with that leg. Then he was off… I would get him started every time he stopped, but it was only if the pedals were in a position that he couldn’t do it himself.
The video below is shortly after it clicked for him, and fortunately Julie was on the spot with the video camera.
We’ve been using our popup camper for about a year now. Between the lake and tailgating, we have broken it in quite well, and the kids are used to the accommodations. However, all of those trips have been along side the Reasonover’s bus, which has all the OTHER amenities (ie: running water, heat, fridge, kitchen, microwave…). So we haven’t exactly been roughing it. It was time for us to branch out on our own with our little popup and take a weekend alone as a family.
Cliff notes version:
We went to Guadalupe River State Park. One trip to the ER. One night of freezing temps. Campfire meals. Plenty of laughter, screaming and crying. Lots of walks and fresh air. Hundreds of rocks thrown in the river. Best part of the weekend… the grin on Reed’s face when we woke up in the popup and sang “Happy Birthday”.
Check out the pictures, videos and full version below.
Full version:
Guadalupe River State Park is 30 minutes outside of San Antonio, and even closer to our side of town. This was perfect to focus on the destination and not so much the road trip. This is the shortest trip we’ve ever taken with the popup. The lake and College Station are each 2.5 and 3hrs respectively. We opted for a Saturday to Monday since the drive would be so short. It was certainly a nice change since we are always facing traffic getting out of town after work on a weekday, so we allowed ourselves the luxury of going-with-the-flow the morning we left.
We were in our spot by 11am, and that was after a trip to HEB on the way for last minute items… like diapers. The weather was amazing and the kids were in a great mood. This was shaping up to be a GREAT weekend already.
Then all of that derailed…
Not 15 minutes after we had setup the camper, unloaded the truck and began unpacking, I was playing a little baseball with the kids. Alison went to go get the ball and tripped over a rock sticking out of the ground. She cried instantly, and when I scooped her up, there was blood down her face and a puncture wound on her forehead from another rock she had fallen onto.
I handed her off to Julie and raced for the first aid kit that I had packed in the camper (hat tip to Scouting). We cleaned it, and after confirming with Laurie over the phone, we were off to the hospital. We scurried to pack the valuables in the truck and throw the rest into the camper. The park headquarters recommended a few urgent care facilities (Boerne or Bulverde), but we knew she needed stitches and our recollection of Reed’s stitches at an urgent care facility was NOT pleasant. Julie’s gut was to go all the way back to SA and go to Methodist Children’s Emergency.
The cut was jagged enough that the doctor confirmed the need for stitches instead of just gluing it. Julie stayed was Ali and I waited with Reed in the lobby. Reed was a champ through the whole ordeal, but Chick-Fil-A and the iPad certainly played a role. Laurie met us in the waiting room just in time for me to go back and meet Julie and Alison right before the procedure. The doctor and nurses were amazing with her even for the short time that I was there. Blowing bubbles and singing songs was certainly not part of the experience at an urgent care facility.
Three stitches later, the doctor asked us what we were going to do about our camping trip. Julie replied, “Well, I guess we are going back.” The doctor and all the staff in the room smiled. “That’s my kind of family!”, said the doctor. Indeed we did go back. Our weekend was derailed and now Alison had a band-aid on her forehead, but three hours start-to-finish we were back at the campsite!
Now, where were we…
We were in an RV hookup lot that was about a 1/2 mile walk to the water. As soon as we got back, the best thing for us all was to get out and enjoy the great sunshine by the water before it got too dark and we needed to cook dinner. Alison was showing no signs of slowing down. A stroller ride, throwing rocks in the river, and a stop at the playground were just what we all needed.
Dinner the first night was foil wraps of chicken and potatoes over the campfire. Dessert was another foil wrap that Julie stole from The Pioneer Woman, called “Banana Boat“. Sweet gooeyness of marshmallows, caramel, chocolate and crushed graham crackers mixed into a sliced banana still in the peel! Awesome and a keeper.
That night was COLD. We had electricity of course, and a space-heater to warm the camper, but it was no match for the 35 degrees that first night. The kids slept wonderfully, but Julie and I were up chatting a shivering to keep warm. I also heard our cooler get attacked by the racoons you could hear in other campsites around us. By the time I got out there, the cooler lid was open and a rather fat raccoon was waddling under my truck. I surveyed the damage and he had only just disturbed our eggs.
Sunday morning was still very cold. We stayed in the camper as long as we could stand it, but our tummies started talking louder, so I got the stove setup for Julie. Eggs with cubed ham and potatoes is what she cooked while I did some dishes from the previous night. Julie’s prep work before we left certainly saved us a LOT of time getting meals on the table while we were out there. I commend her on that for sure.
We took our second trip down to the water after breakfast, and did a little more walking this time to see a different part of the river. The park has a “Discovery Center” down near the parking lot closest to the river, so we spent a good while in there with the place almost to ourselves.
Nap time back at the campsite was more of a rest time, at least for Reed. Julie and Alison were out, but Reed laid with me and could not lay down long enough to go to sleep. I at least got to lay down for a while and he sat up next to me just peering out the windows of the camper at our neighbors or watching the iPad. At least he had some down time.
We made our final trip to the water after nap (this time we drove) and spent it throwing rocks into the water at our original spot. Julie and I just sat down and let the kids be kids. Reed was piling rocks into his toy truck’s bed, and Alison was getting dirty in a tiny inlet of water. I videoed the scene and got some classic footage of them at this age. We stopped at the playground on the way back and stayed until Reed’s meltdown killed the mood. Fortunately we had the truck and could just throw him in and not have a long hike back to fuel his fire.
Back at the campsite, Reed and I got the fire ready while the girls took off to shower. Sausage and hot dogs over the fire, along with chips and then s’mores for dessert made for a rather simple meal after a long day. It was warmer the second night, so we stayed up and enjoyed the campfire a bit longer. When it was time for bed, the kids practically put themselves to sleep (the sign of a good day outside). We enjoyed a quiet, late-night beverage by the fire before we turned-in ourselves.
We slept much better and warmer the second night. No raccoon attacks, either (that I know of). When Reed woke up, the three of us sang “Happy Birthday” to him there in the popup. The grin on his face was a shining moment from the whole weekend. He had talked for months about camping for his birthday, and here we were doing it.
We made quick work of breakfast bars and packing before we loaded up. At Reed’s request, we stopped to pickup some donuts on the way home.
