Fun on the water

Thanks to Marissa for forwarding some instant classic photos... my favorite women in the whole wide world taking kayak rides:




A third member of that "favorite women" pantheon, Aunt Tephs, didn't get in a boat... or many pictures, for that matter. She was busy, valiantly caring for the walking wounded! But I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that Zoe, as always, loved seeing her... and Jason and Daisy.

The Noodle Exclusive: Lakeside Reunion

The blogosphere is about to be inundated with photos and stories from Lakeside Cabins Resort, so the editorial staff at The Noodle is excited to be the first to bring them to you.

The only other site that could conceivably scoop us is the fine, fine blog called From E to Z..., but it's not updated as of our publishing. The rest of the "competition"? They're all spending another night in Three Oaks.

On with the show...

Here's a shot of those responsible for producing the fine group of folks gathered together this weekend. That's Supa Busia with her eight children.

By my count, there was a total of 38 in our group. Twelve grandchildren. Six great-grandchildren. Even a couple dogs.

Here's some of the grandchildren and great-grandchildren hanging out on a firetruck brought in for a demonstration. There's more... the older boys were running around doing older boy stuff. I think this photo looks like Becca is the lead singer of an up-and-coming Disney band.

Zoe was continuously thrilled and really had a great time. Here she is on the playground with cousins (second cousins? third cousins?) Brianna, Sarah and Danielle.

Later, all the girls painted their own commemorative T-shirt. Zoe somehow ended up with her own handprint on her calf, too.

There was some good grub including, of course, corn-on-the-cob. The much-anticipated corn-off between Zoe and Becca was deemed a draw.

Zoe took a couple gentle pokes at the pinata:

But she didn't care much for the candy once cousin Derek busted it open:

We did some swimming, too, including this very brief solo effort. It lasted only a second or two before Mom yelled something like "Those wings are not approved life-saving devices." Moms say the funniest things, don't they?

So Zoe found a better way to stay afloat... one big toe in each of Dziadzia's ears.

Each morning, Zoe would open her eyes and say "Yoyo need my Busia." And, before you knew it, there she was! Here they are with Zoe in her new pigtails. Zoe said they were "funny and cute."

Busia and Dziadzia offered to have Zoe sleep in their cabin one night, but she never did. We appreciated the offer... but I think we passed because she was so well-behaved and acting so funny and loving that we just didn't want to be away from her. If she would have acted the way she did tonight, back at home... she could have stayed with Busia and Dziadzia all weeekend!

I'm sure her top-notch behavior had plenty to do with how much fun she had with her family. (Well, except Uncle Ted. She never did warm up to him!) Here she is sharing a goodbye hug with fellow 'Z' cousin, Zachary.

On the drive home, Sonja asked Zoe if she had fun with all her cousins.

Her response: "Not my cousins. Those my friends."

And that, in a nutshell, is why this tradition was born three summers ago. And why I hope it lasts a long, long time.

I had fun with my friends, too.

A Dam Good Time

We recently took another relaxing summer weekend trip to Newaygo, which included this Saturday walk down the street from Honey and Papa's house to the boat launch where Croton Dam turns the Muskegon River into a lovely lake. That's Zoe enjoying the view with Honey above, and cousins Sid and Sam below:

A big reason for the trip was to celebrate Aunt Shawn's birthday. Here she is blowing out her candles.

And here's Zoe digging into a piece of cake:

Like all parents, Sonja and I frequently find ourselves giggling at the things that come out of Zoe's mouth. During this picture, she actually told us... "Yoyo going down slide. I'll be right back." Ummm... I don't think so kiddo. Maybe next summer.

s

Side note: She's still referring to herself as Yoyo, even though she can make the 'Z' sound. We'll tell her, 'Say Zzzzzzzzz-OOO-EEE,' and she'll answer 'Zzzzzzzz- YOYO.' Close enough, for now, I guess.

A few weeks ago, we referred to Zoe jumping off the diving board at Honey's house but didn't have a picture. Sonja nailed one this weekend (and, as you can see, Honey had the other angle covered). Here she is thinking about it...

And then lettin' it rip... Our little daredevil. Nice form, eh?

This last photo is a little embarrassing, but too cute not to share. We tend to think our kid is pretty smart. And she gives us plenty of basis for that opinion. But there are also random times you can't help but wonder if she's doomed to being as dopey as her Daddy.

s

In fact, why not make this a little game? Take a look at the picture below and post a comment that attempts to explain what's going on. No cheating, Aunt Shawn!

We'll give you the real answer in a day or two.

s

Hope summer is good where you are.

Holy Toledo!

Zoe, you and your parents have a full week off and some perfect summer weather. What are you going to do now? All together now... "I'm going to Toledo!"

So maybe it's not Disney World. Hell, it's barely Flint. But what Toledo does have is one of the best zoos in the country and the COSI science center. The span of stench and blight between them be damned. Oh yeah... did we mention it's only a 45-minute drive?

So let's start with our trip to the zoo and get the bad news out of the way. After a late bedtime and rough night of intermittent sleep at a hotel, we were up-and-at-'em early Monday morning. We figured even during peak summer vacation time, Monday morning at the zoo would be slow. We figured wrong.

The line to turn into the parking lot was at least a mile long. And stopped. About the time we pulled into formation behind the last car, Zoe started asking for milk. I should note that Zoe has never been much of a fit-thrower. In fact, I can't count the really big ones on one hand, with fingers left over. But on a Monday morning in a mile-long line of cars, she wanted milk. She wanted it now. And she didn't want to hear our lame ass excuses about not having any milk in the car or our lame assier plan to get some as soon as we got into the zoo. She screamed and cried inconsolably for waaaaay too long.

Once we got in the zoo, Zoe got her milk and the vacation started to gain some momentum. All three of us were pretty thin on patience, which was further tested by spending much of the next three hours doing this...

... standing in line. We stood in a line to buy tickets, stood in line for a 10-minute train ride through "Africa" and stood in line for lunch. Three tasks, three lines, three hours. I wanted to punch a Buckeye.

(Side story: I was standing near a guy in a Buckeye shirt at the monkey exhibit. One climbed up over the glass partition, grabbed onto a chain link fence like he was being frisked by cops and let a steady stream of urine flow toward the scattering people. I asked the Buckeye: "Kinda like being at The Horseshoe, ain't it?" He didn't laugh. That's OK, because I wasn't joking.)

Back to our regularly-scheduled blog entry: Things got considerably better after lunch. All three of us were in a better mood, the crowd slowly started to thin out and Zoe really started to like the animals.

We saw lots of them, from tiny butterflies that she thankfully didn't squash (she likes stepping on ants)...

... to an extra large momma elephant and her baby.

It is a very nice zoo. The exhibits are large, but the zoo is well planned with many strategically-placed viewing areas. You can get close enough to see the animals without getting that sick feeling in your gut because they're in such cramped quarters.

Zoe's favorite animal? Tough call. I'd go with either the small bird that kept sitting on momma elephant's back, the duck swimming in the otter's area, or the sparrow that kept swooping down to grab chips from beneath the table next to us during lunch. Maybe we could have saved a couple bucks and hit the Domino's petting farm again this summer and saved the zoo for next year? Nah.

After a long nap on a purposely circuitous ride back to the hotel, we were able to hit the pool together for a while:

And Daddy got some alone time in the water, too:

(Editor's note: I had that joke written while we were standing in the Hippoquarium.)

After a much better night's sleep, it was off to the COSI on Tuesday morning. We had a great time there. Here's Mommy and Zoe doing their best "Big" impersonation.

And making smoke circles...

Being on TV was pretty hilarious...

And Zoe was able to rock out a bit. I think she was playing Carey Says (Alright) by the Hard Lessons at this moment. (Yes, a shameless plug for a Detroit band I dig.)

Zoe threw herself into this station, which -- if you look closely -- is called the "Engineering Task." Guess she may be following in cousin Michael, Tammy and Marissa's shoes. (I guess Tammy and Marissa would be second cousins, but let's not split hairs. That happened at the "Barbering Task.")

Zoe's favorite COSI exhibit? Hands-down this crazy machine that shot drinkable water out any time you hold down a button. Mom and Dad are both too right-brained to explain the science behind it, but maybe her COSI experience will help Zoe "get" the stuff we don't later in life.

That's the plan, anyway.

With that, it's time to say "So long, pardner." Hope y'all are having a good summer, too.

Day 4: A

Grade: A. Overall GPA for four-day weekend: 3.8.

Solid.

Day 3: A

Another great day, but first a look back to catch up with photos.

Saturday morning, Zoe was pretty excited when we told her she would be spending the night at Busia and Dziadzia's house. She immediately ran to her bedroom to "get weady."

Yes, that's a pair of shorts she somehow managed to pull over her head. Not sure why the pants came down and the shorts went over that end... but it all worked out eventually.

Then she made sure her baby was well fed during the trip:

Back to Sunday... Sonja and I (I've started to get creeped out by referring to myself as one half of "Mommy and Daddy) were able to hang out a little more in the morning before we headed north to pick up our baby. In Bay City, we grubbed on some fine BBQ pork and chicked before heading back south (traffic, both ways, miraculously hassle-free).

When we pulled into our driveway, Zoe looked around and said "Busia, Dziadzia house?" Hmmm. "No, honey, we're at our house," Sonja said, cheerfully. It was quiet in the backseat.

We both turned around simultaneously to see one of the grandest pouty faces of all time. Turns out Zoe wasn't quite ready to leave Busia, Dziadzia and the cats. But we're glad to have her.

Sunday: A.

Day 2: A

Took Zoe on an always-exciting trip to Flint, where we met Busia and Dziadzia for a drop-off. We took the camera with us, but forgot to take pictures. Oh well.

Zoe hung out in Bay City while Mommy and Daddy returned home to spend Memorial Day weekend/anniversary weekend as tourists in our own town. Less traffic and much less difficulty finding a bed to sleep in that way.

Movie, dinner, drinks. A nice night. And a phone call to Bay City midway through the night assured us that Zoe (despite her sniffling and sneezing on the way to Flint) was having a nice night, too.

We give Saturday an A, but we're already champing at the bit to head north and see Zoe on Sunday.

Day 1: B+

Ahhhh. A long-awaited, much-needed, four-day weekend.

The good part of Day 1 was picking up a new vehicle (which basically looks like this, except bigger. And with a Saturn logo on it. And about $320,000 cheaper.)

The bad part was U-M's baseball team getting eliminated in the first game of today's Big Ten Tournament. Daddy planned to visit with Uncle Norman during the second game. Bad plan.

The silver lining: Daddy and Zoe stayed home together and took an extra-long nap while Mommy ran errands. What four-day weekend is complete without an extra-long nap?

Throw in dinner out and a shopping trip (during which Zoe rode in one of these), followed by a little campfire on the deck for Mommy and Daddy... we give Friday a B+.

Looking forward to Saturday, when Busia and Dziadzia get involved.

WEEKEND GETAWAY

For the first time in 17 months, Sonja and I were separated from The Noodle this weekend. We've spent nights away independently, but Zoe has never woken up and not had at least one of us waiting for her.

Busia came to town with Dziadzia on Saturday and after the football game, they waved bye-bye. Zoe was packed up and headed for the City by the Bay.

Seems we should tell the rest of the tale in two parts:

CADILLAC
Nearly eight and half years ago, Sonja and I met in Cadillac, Mich. I was working at the newspaper there with Sonja's good friend, Linda. She thought we'd click. We did. The rest is history.

We headed back this weekend to reminisce and rejuvenate for a couple nights.

This is us in front of Lake Mitchell, near the little cabin I rented when I lived there.

It was a tiny, three-room house that I could barely afford on the pittance I was being paid... but the setting made it all worthwhile. Lake Mitchell was across the street. The backyard was the Manistee National Forest. Wheatley and I took some good, long walks in those woods.

About midway through my year-long stay, the memories created in that house became much more significant. Whether it was the joy of rounding the bend (veer left at the totem pole) late at night and seeing Sonja's car in my driveway or the loneliness of late night conversations through 200 miles of phone lines, it's where I fell in love.

And while Cadillac isn't a place I wanted to live for very long, it was a good place to fall in love:

We drove up and down my old street looking for the place so we could take a picture. We finally realized the tiny cabin had been renovated into a much bigger (and tacky) cabin. It looked so different, it didn't even warrant a photograph.

But this did. The trip wouldn't have been complete without stopping at Lakeside Charlie's:

This was my favorite hangout and the site of our first date (after I totally hooked her with dinner at my house -- chicken with shiitake mushrooms, artichoke hearts and pepperoncini over garlic parsley linguine tossed in a butter/white wine sauce if my memory serves). We had a few drinks while a young fella strummed some tunes, including a version of Rocky Raccoon that still holds a place of honor on our short list of "Most Significant Relationship Moments."

Mother Nature didn't cooperate. It rained Saturday night and most of Sunday. We didn't spend as much time outside as we anticipated, but that may have been a blessing in disquise. A highlight of the weekend ended up being something we'd never think about doing on vacation... an hour-long Sunday afternoon nap. Ahhh. One of life's finer offerings, but never on our menu.

Almost mockingly, the sun broke out during our Monday breakfast. We took a picture just to prove it:

Minutes later we were on the road, heading for...

BAY CITY
After a crabby car trip was made happier with a happy meal, Zoe got to Busia and Dziadzia's house Saturday night. You'll never guess what was waiting for her:

New toys! (Shocking, right?)

(Note Dziadzia's arm in the bottom-right corner of this photo. Always there to lend a hand.)

There was also some old toys, including a 30-year-old mini kitchen sink/cabinet that my grandpa made for my sister. I didn't even know that thing still existed... Busia apparently pulled it from the darkest corner of the basement and cleaned it up for Zoe's visit.

Everyone's biggest fear was that Zoe would freak out around bedtime. We were all apparently worried about nothing. She reportedly zonked out without much drama both nights. She did, however, wake up much earlier than at home. Busia was up with her at 5:30 a.m. Sunday, and they were outside -- in their pajamas -- looking for squirrels to feed soon after. Zoe loves to hold a peanut and call the squirrels by clicking her tongue.

The furry friends outside and inside (four -- count 'em, four! -- cats) took up much of Zoe's attention. The weekend also included a trip to Supa Busia's house on Sunday and a stop at Busia's workplace on Monday morning.

Busia and Dziadzia took some pictures of their own that we may be able to post somewhere down the road.

Until then... we thank my folks for helping us get away... and Zoe thanks them for a great time!

AN END TO SUMMER

Since moving to the east side of the state, I've been heading back to Newaygo for Labor Day weekend. Not only does it mark the end of summer, but also typically includes a catch-all celebration for September birthdays, last minute dips in the pool before covering it for the winter, and one last visit to my aunt's cottage. It was a little too cool for the pool this year (though Zoe asked endlessly), but we did celebrate and visit. Here are the highlights:

In lieu of water play, we headed to the mall to kill some time. Zoe chowed on some hot pretzels and played in the kid area a bit. In the picture below, a kid walked up to Zoe and patted her on the head, saying "baby." As you can tell from her expression, she was not at all thrilled. Hence, the 'say what?' look! Actually, the picture gives the impression that she cussed the kid out, doesn't it?

We always try to stop by my aunt's cottage before she closes it up for the winter. Zoe played with her cousins on the trampoline and loved swinging with Honey. She also got a kick out of watching my nephew's new puppy, Roxy, run around with the big dogs.

Here's Zoe with her first cousin (Danni - holding her) and her second cousins (from left: Gracie, Lily and Ellie).

Swinging with Honey:
The dog caravan (Roxy, Buddy and Maggie):

As always, Zoe enjoyed being all-powerful during our stay. VERY early one morning she got it in her head that she needed to go for a walk. She, of course, got her way. Here she is snuggled into the vintage pram she occupies while at Honey's. It's on loan from my eldest sister and was given to her for her first child, Stacy, when they lived in Germany. Bought from a neighbor that used it for her two kids, it's over 32 years old. Cozy looking, huh! Here, Zoe does her 'I've got you sooooo wrapped' look.

The birthday celebration was Sunday. Below, the birthday bunch grins for the camera. Quite an age span (the eldest, 68, and the youngest, 16).

Zoe practiced her walking skills quite a bit over the weekend. Ever cautious, she still insists on having someone close by or holding, at least, one hand of a seasoned walker before attempting to take off. Still, She's quite proud of her skills.

No summer trip to Newaygo would be complete without ice cream. We stopped by my nephew Sam's place of employment for a treat. Zoe not only ate her ice cream, she also ate most of my sister's and mom's. The kid is addicted! Another addiction we often need to feed is her love of music. Her favorite song of the moment is I'm Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee. We have to sing it to her a minimum of 100 times a day, while she enthusiastically does the motions. No! I did not teach the song to her. Her child care had that honor and now we reap the benefits (if that's what you want to call it). Yes, it's cute...but the morbid nature of the song kind of creeps me out. Here she is doing the motions at the ice cream shop. She was in heaven with the captive audience.

Finally, here's a shot of several of us in front of the ice cream place, bellies full. Good times! See you next Labor Day.

Take care,
Zoe's mama