Fourth of July, 2010

In a way I cheated.  The three previous posts, despite their dates, were just posted.  I back-dated them, though the dates of the events are accurate; I went back to my calendar and confirmed them... kind of.  Anyway, that's not important anymore because it's the past and it is already done.
So I am finally getting around to updating the blog and I decided to become distracted with applying a new template.  I figure the new layout captures the Pacific Northwest's soggy climate.  And I pretend that that is Mount Rainier in the background.
Well the rain dampened template is illustrative of our Independence Day.  The day started okay, though cloudy.  At around 2pm, we headed for our usual spot at Downtown Bellevue Park's Family 4th Celebration.  We set up where we usually do on the fourth of July, overlooking the large fountain and pond at the center of the park.  At first Renae was a little irritated that I brought the tent, she was concerned that it would block views of people around us.  But as the rain began to fall she was grateful I did.  We witnessed family after family, pack up and leave.  As you see in the picture to the left, our tent was very lonely.  The area around our tent is usually pretty packed.  Many, many years ago, years before Felix was born, Renae and I brought a small barbecue and grilled up some steak.  It was delicious and the heavenly aroma caught the attention of many a park goer.  The next Fourth of July, we noticed that many people brought their small barbecues.  My point?  I expect we'll see many more tents next year.
We did kill some time at the Lego store across the street.  Felix is really into Legos now.  We bought him a small Space Police set that he and I put together once we got back to the tent.  Honestly, the rain was really a drag.  Not near as many people showed up and everything was wet and gloomy.  We spent most of our time huddled in the tent while debating whether we should go home.  Natalie came down to join us, but she was pretty tired for whatever reason, and slept most of the time.  As a matter of fact, much of the evening Renae and Natalie spent huddled up together, trying to keep warm, in the tent.  At about 9pm, an hour before the fireworks began, the rain let up.  I took off the rain fly to broaden our view from inside the tent, and we all lied back to watch the show.  Felix rested his head on my chest, which made it all worth it for me.  He was so excited and so enjoyed the fireworks, I'm very happy we decided to stay. 

Skateboarding and Butterflies

My sister, Susan, being the active mom with at least one tot that she is, comes across deals on kids' activities. One such activity was an introduction to skateboarding. We drug along cousin Brian and met uncle Mike and cousin Rooney at an indoor skate park in Bellevue. The above picture was captured as Felix rolled down one ramp, zipped across the floor, and then up the ramp you see him heading for (yes, in that direction). If you look closely, you can see Mike and Rooney goofing off in the background.

When we first arrived, Felix stated that he did not want to do it and that he would sit back and watch. He then watched as some of the other kids, with their safety gear donned, climbed around on the ramps. At that point he agreed to at least put on his gear, he could then at least go play with the other kids; which they did quite a bit of. They climbed to the tops of the ramps and slid down on their knees. But as the instructors were able to coax some of the kids into braving a ride, Felix came around and made several runs. The kids were instructed to crouch down, hold onto each end of the board, and to look in the direction of travel as the instructor released them from the top of a small ramp. As Tru gained confidence, he would release his grip on the board and keep his arms out for balance.

Back in March for his birthday, Felix was presented with a butterfly cage from his Grandma Peggie. The gift included a coupon that you sent in and redeemed for caterpillars. When the five tiny larvae arrived, they were in a sealed plastic jar that included a thick slab of food paste at the bottom. It wasn't long before the caterpillars began to stir. They quickly gobbled up the food paste and became fat and grew several times the size they were when they arrived. They began to spin webs and eventually encased themselves in a chrysalis. Renae and Felix gently moved the cocoons to the butterfly cage where they would eventually emerge. It didn't take long for the butterflies to emerge. Felix was so excited and told anyone who would listen about his Painted Ladies. After caring for them for a few days, Felix eventually released them.