G’s Spring

Very different this year. The snow stayed throughout April and the warm weather came and went on the wind, 70s one day, 40s the next. G continued snowmobiling and sledding as long as he could, then switched gears to help us chip ice off the driveway and spread snow piles around so they would melt faster. Spring fever for all of us. After a winter of this:

In between spring cleanup activities, G and his Dad started target shooting lessons. Wasn’t long before G could hit the can 9 out of 10 times. They started on one of Dad’s old BB guns, moved up to the 22 Uncle Brad brought for G, and added a BB gun G’s size later on. As with everything else he does with his Dad, G loved it. They both look forward to squirrel hunting in the coming fall.















As for mushrooming, we didn’t find but three or four morels all season. We didn't 'hunt' all that much honestly. We simply took a handful of nice hikes. Better for all of us if we trade in our mushroom hopes for the simple pleasure of inhaling spring, spying elk tracks, stumbling onto beautiful vistas and finding cool walking sticks.

What else? Oh, fishing. G left his Scooby Doo rod behind this year and moved up to the real deal. Thus far, he and his Dad have fished Grandma Wave’s canal, the river behind Mike’s cabin and the lake at Steve’s. Grandma Wave says G fishes with the concentration of a 10 year old.


With the spring melt, we were also able to get back on our bicycles, navigating bike paths still losing their snow.

CCC Rites Of Spring 2008

Since G completed safety training at the last event, he was able to jump on his bike and join his Dad for his first CCC trail ride. I believe they intended to ride the 6-mile loop but ended up doing the 16-mile loop. G found the sand pretty challenging, but came through it just fine. At least not too daunted to get back out there Sunday for the 6-mile loop.

G’s acceptance of the riding conditions, his confidence and his persistence are all testament to his Dad’s unending patience and quiet encouragement. Aside from fostering G’s initial interest in dirtbiking, his Dad has stood back and let him grow into it, allowing him to find his own pace, his own passion for the sport. More than anything else in G’s life, dirtbiking has sparked his independence—in large part, the result of his Dad’s teaching method.

This ride marked another milestone for G. After his ride, he picked up his soccer ball, located the nearest kids and approached them to play soccer. All by himself. Used to be, he wouldn’t attempt to make new friends without me at his side. Now, I have to work to keep track of his whereabouts. Fun, but a bit lonely for Mom, LOL.

Let’s see, on this ride, the guys were joined by Jason and Uncles Brad and Curt. So Dad got another ride in and we all enjoyed make-your-belly-ache laughs from Curt throughout dinner at the local pub. Weather was cool but expected for this time of year and we reunited with CCC friends from years past and welcomed new ones, courtesy of G’s soccer ball.

Arbor Day Enduro April 26, 2008

G’s first enduro on his own bike, in the 4 to 6 year old class. No more buddy class for him. We counted down the days to this event starting back in February. That is how geeked he was for it. That excitement, coupled with the need to get him back on his bike in preparation for the event, made our extra long winter even more aggravating. We lost the last of our snow pack April 23rd, just three days before the race. And got him on his bike only a week before the event—down on the road in front of the house, with snow banks still occupying the shoulder of the road.

On race day, we had temps in the 40s. Fortunately, the cold did not dampen G’s resolve to complete his first solo enduro. Unfortunately, his enthusiasm and determination were not enough to keep his PW50 from blowing a gasket midway through the race. He and his Dad left it at a checkpoint and buddied up on Dad’s bike for the remainder of the ride.

G took it all in stride and within moments of returning to camp, joined a tag football game with fellow kid riders. A reminder that, for him, it’s all about the fun.

G’s Uncle Brad came to ride the event and Mark, Barb and Darcie were there as spectators.

We also reunited with friends from last year—Tom, Randy and his boy A—posing here with G:

Not sure how G made it, but he lasted until nearly 9 PM that night, squeezing in safety training class after the trophy ceremony.

His energy astounds me. So much so that it’s getting harder and harder to discern when he has had enough activity, hard to know when to call for quiet down time. Feels like he’s on the cusp, not quite “little” anymore, but not yet “big” either. Going to be a challenging but rewarding summer.

Preschool

Deserving of its own post, the last 8 months of G’s life included a key milestone—starting school. No tears for him, just excitement, embracing the next step in “being big.” He started preschool in September and finished up in May. And I cannot believe how quickly it all went.

He made friends relatively easily, adored his teacher and acclimated to the routine of it all pretty quickly. His favorite part? Outside play. Of course. There he and his friends engaged in Power Ranger adventures, dinosaur re-enactments and good old-fashioned chase. I was worried G tended to the over-rambunctious side, but his teacher assured me he was ok. Whew.

In class, and I’m guessing here, his favorite parts included snack time, a universal favorite I think, and time on the listening rug. He loves to hear a story. There were the field trips as well. A pizza joint, local grocery store and some nature walks. G dug those big time.

As occasional parent helper, it was amazing to watch as each child progressed throughout the year. I saw transformations in G’s drawing, handwriting and in his ability to follow direction precisely. So, so cool. I saw it in all of the other children as well. Growing and maturing right in front of your eyes.

Of course they had a fabulous teacher. No words to express her devotion and her magic—at least that’s what it appeared to be to me. I watched her do a myriad of things, no single thing standing alone as out of the ordinary, but all coming together to magically to transform their little brains. Amazing. G misses her terribly already.

As many told us to expect, Paul and I enjoyed making friends as well—with the parents of G’s new classmates. I see a long future together, as the boys and girls move through school and local sporting arenas. Playdates galore for now. And carpooling to soccer practice just around the corner.

Getting Reaquainted

True to my journaling experiences in the past, this effort to chronicle G’s early childhood stalled. As he remains an active child, his fun certainly didn’t stall. Fall and winter held as many memorable events and milestones as last summer, only without as much travel.

I’ll offer a drive-by recap in lieu of trying to catch up post-by-post:

Summer’s End / Fall

We ended last summer with three more CCC dirtbike events—Mio-Hunt Creek, Vintage and the Color Tour. Fresh off his training wheels, G was able to ride his PW around camp at the first two and stretch out a bit on a half-mile loop available onsite at the last event. He also squeezed in some group trail riding near home when Uncles Brad and Curt joined us for Labor Day weekend at the house.

We made daytrips out of Mio-Hunt Creek and Vintage, but camped full out for October’s Color Tour. Eighty degree temps, a special trick bike show and the onsite ½ mile and 4 mile loops for uncertified riders made for a really nice ending to G’s dirtbike season. Even Mom got in on the action, riding Uncle Brad’s pit bike onsite as well. Aside from having to wait for me, G enjoyed our time on the trail together.

There was also one last D-14 enduro in Wolverine. Still in the Buddy class, G rode atop his Dad’s bike and Uncle Brad accompanied them for the family race Saturday. On Sunday, we captured great video of Dad as he completed his best race and finish yet in the adult series.

Summer’s end included our annual trip to Caseville as well. Where, of course, G got even more riding time at Mac’s house. At Uncle Curt’s, we enjoyed the beach and what is becoming a yearly fish fry and guys reunion. G always hates to leave, but enjoys his bonus stop on the way out of Michigan’s thumb, when we stop to watch Uncle Brad race MPX.

Winter

Grandma’s visit at Thanksgiving brought snow that stayed through April. We enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner with friends as usual, complete with golf cart riding in the snow. Three weeks later, G opted for a sledding party for his birthday celebration. Our new house features two awesome sledding hills and his friends arrived, donned winter gear and headed outside for more than two hours. A few even tried G’s little snowmobile. Kept all of us adults busy and wore the little ones out. Later, inside, the gift opening and cake ceremonies featured red-cheeked, glassy-eyed kids doing their best to stay awake for the remainder of his party. That party set the tone for the rest of the winter—we spent hours and hours and hours downhill sledding. Right through April.

Winter also included a few local snowmobiling trips, on both the modern and vintage sleds. By winter’s end, Dad had G operating the vintage sleds on his own—not solo yet, but I imagine that will come next winter.

Staying on the active/activity theme, G’s Dad resumed teaching him to downhill ski this year. Maybe along about the halfway point, G began going downhill on his own. Loved it. So did we. These were some of the best winter afternoons, enjoying the outdoors and a packed lunch in the warming hut.

Dirtbiking was not completely absent during the snow months. Sundays, after skiing, we looked forward to coming home and watching Supercross on TV. After which, G was wont to go out and build supercross tracks in the snow. Not as much fun as doing in the summer dirt. And somewhere along about February, we started counting the number of sleeps until G’s first enduro race—which was April 26, 2008.

It will be interesting to look back on this blog 10 years from now and see if G is as passionate about dirtbikes as he is now and has been since he could form words. It is certainly the single most prominent theme of his journal thus far.