It feels like home now. Today I got my first package in the Iowa City mail! It was a new rocket (to replace the one lost, though Bek doesn't understand why we'd need another if we already have another (that wasn't lost)). Well, we needed a new parachute for it, and besides, it's always better to have two rockets to launch, rather than just one. In addition to the rocket, some engines and supplies and one new parachute, I ordered another parachute as a backup in case of future parachute failure, plus one more that Max requested so they could use it with their toys. I put the first chute together tonight and tested it out with one of their mini-size rescue heroes. Oh... I can't wait to show it to them in the morning - they are going to love it! I wrapped up the chute and cord like it would be used in a rocket, hooked it to the rescue heroe's hand, and tossed him as high as I could into the air. It was, as Chick Hicks (from "Cars") would say, "a thing of beauty."
Our home mail situation is far less sublime. We haven't received any of our home mail, which was suppose to have been forwarded. We called the Catonsville office last week and they told us that it normally takes a week or so for it to start being forwarded, and that it should be arriving starting this week. Well, no mail yesterday, at least not that mail. We did get a card from Granny which was sent direct to the PO Box address. That was very exciting for Max. He carried the card all the way home. Anyway, I called the Catonsville post office again to inquire about the forwarding situation, and was put through to the woman who apparently handles this forwarding stuff. Well, she said she just got the application today! It seems she was out sick for a week. How can they have only one person who handles mail forwarding, such that when they are out you are just screwed? Moreover, why didn't they tell us last week that this one person, whom is the only one who does forwarding, was out sick? Oh well. I don't really care that much now - I got a package!
Speaking of the movie Cars (two paragraphs back)... that movie has become the obsession of note for Max and Emmett, and there is good coming from it. I have never seen Max getting so much exercise. They are constantly wanting to do "races". We tell them the starting the line and the finish, then "On your marks! Get set! Go!" and off they go. Sometimes we run with them. Then they want to do it again. And again. And again. When we say they can't do another one because we have to be going they get upset. They always want to walk everywhere instead of drive, because it means they'll be able to do races on the way! Max always wants to be Lightning McQueen, but Emmett likes to be different characters. Sometimes Lightning, sometimes Chick Hicks, occasionally The King, and sometimes Sally. When they both want to be Lightning we just have more than one. I give a running commentary on the race such as, "It's Lightning McQueen followed by Lightning McQueen and then Lightning McQueen", then finally, "And Lightning McQueen wins by a tongue!" They laugh and laugh. The third Lightning is me, incidentally.
Today we went to the pool at the City Park. It is a fantastic pool. It's huge, it's got two diving boards, one normal, one a high dive. It starts very shallow, which is great for young kids, and there's a separate wading pool too. It's also relatively inexpensive. It wasn't the best day to go to a pool as it was overcast, but still we managed to get Emmett in the pool more than he's ever been before and when it was over he didn't want to leave.
I love this place enough already, but now it's over the top. Pinball. Yes, good pinball can be found here. Well, I don't know yet for certain that the games are in good shape because so far I was only able to run in, see what they had, and run back out, but I found out from a member of our league that when they were here a number of years back, the owners of the "Deadwood" loved pinball. I checked it out and found four machines, one the latest (which is the first time I've seen it), two the near latest, and one somewhat older but a great one. It's a great lineup. I've every reason to believe that they games will be in great shape and I can't wait to get a chance to go play them. Unfortuantely, being a bar, it's not an entirely kid-friendly place. I may take the boys anyway. It wasn't terribly smokey, but it was a bit. I'm undecided. Their game lineup is better than anything you'll find on location back in Maryland, by a long shot, aside from enthusiasts homes.
Yesterday we heard our neighbors practicing/playing music. Let's just say that it's safe to say they are learning. Max turned to me at one point and said, "That music is weird." I told him I liked it. When they came out, Christina asked how they were and seemed apologetic, to which I tried to assure her that we love to hear people playing music! She was doing the singing, one of her roomates was playing keyboard. When he came out I asked if he was the keyboardist and upon confirming that, I mentioned that Max has expressed an interest in learning to play keyboard (piano). He said he'll teach Max everything he knows if we stop in some time. I asked Max if he wanted to do that. He appeared petrified. He was presuming that meant he'd have to go by himself. I assured him I would be there with him the entire time. Today Max asked when he was going to get his keyboard lesson, so I'm going to have to try to set it up soon.
So, that's a lot of topics in one message, but this trip tends to make it hard to keep up. I'm planning to take a bit of a hiatus on the photo journal. I want time to do other things. I completley enjoyed putting the photos out like that, but after a week and a half of it I'm wanting to slow it down substantially. So I wouldn't expect to see photos every day from now on.
