Category: Home & Family

Jack and I went for a walk around Olney Lake in Lincoln Woods this past weekend. It was a beautiful, crisp fall day and the folliage was just gorgeous. The walk was about 2.5 to 3 miles total and Jack and I were both pretty dead when it was done. Of course, while I just wanted to sit and recover in my own way, Jack was exhausted for all of 10 minutes before he perked right back up and was ready for the next adventure.

Jack and I had one of those unexpected fun days out. After Soccer practice early this morning (I’m a coach in the soccer clinic he attends Saturday mornings) I figured we were in for a lazy day at home while Ann went to work. Mid-morning, she came down and tossed the Lifebeat section of the ProJo down in front of me and pointed to the Seize Today section listing “Spontaneous things to do this weekend.”

That how we found ourselves, after dropping Ann off at the mall, at the Lincoln school for girls near Brown University. It was the Rhode Island Festival of Children’s Books and Authors and for a measly six dollars, we got to make our own bookmarks, Jack made a really cool looking book (I mean really cool) and he got his copy of The Polar Express and Jumanji, which we bought at the festival, signed by Chris Van Allsburg and his copy of The Stinky Cheese Man signed by Jon Scieszka (who signed “To the best funky guy” after Jack told him his favorite line in the book was “What is that funky smell?”)

After that, we had to pick up groceries so we stopped in at the Whole Foods near Brown (since it was on our way home) and found out it was Kid’s Day. It turns out that this means Jack gets his own club membership card (he collects that kind of thing), a chef’s hat and apron (and really nice ones too) and we got to try all kinds of great food around the store and collect recipes that we can make at home. Jack had the face painter paint a really cool looking snake on his hand.

When we got home, Jack had phone messages from a girl at soccer practice who’s crushing on him (Jack would be horrified to find that I posted online that they kissed this morning so you won’t hear it from me). He hasn’t called her back yet. He’s feeling shy, I think.

All in all, it was a very good day. Tomorrow, Ann gets to go do stuff with him and I’m going to sleep in and be incredibly lazy. I’ve started re-reading Lord of the Rings while re-watching the extended versions of the movies and all the documentaries included. Good geeky fun. Oh, and I have work tomorrow too… no, I won’t think about that today. I want to bask in the glow of this good day a while longer…