The Hauer Family

Under the worst of circumstances, we were afforded the opportunity to visit Bill’s hometown of Grande Prairie, Alberta. Saying goodbye to Bill’s Gramma Vi wouldn’t be easy, but having the entire Hauer/Miller clan together was sure to be the best way to say our goodbyes!

So, in complete opposite fashion from our first babymoon, we packed up our winter gear and quickly ordered snow boots (thanks Amazon Prime). Flight plan: Louisville to Chicago, Chicago to Calgary, Calgary to Grande Prairie.

Musings:

• Grande Prairie is a two hour plane ride from Calgary. On a turboprop. The airport has one gate for arrivals and departures. Only slightly bigger than what I’d seen on Northern Exposure.
• Jack continued to prove that his passport was money well spent; the kid knows how to travel. Despite not getting him his own ticket, we were able to have him in his carseat in his own seat on all but the turboprop plane. Praise.
• An inch on an airport map roughly translates into a mile. (or it certainly feels like one). After a late departure from Louisville, we had to run from one terminal to the other. Looking at the airport map upon arrival we were instantly blessed, there was just this “inch-long” walkway separating our arrival gate from our departure gate. While I was winded — I was 25 weeks pregnant — Bill got the worst of it: carrying the unwieldy carseat and Jack and a couple of carry-ons. We were out of shape and made it to our new gate to find out that they had just delayed the flight.
• The trip coincided with Jack’s new-found love of talking all. the. time. And by talking, I mean incessant urgent babble — which usually peaked around breakfast time. Of course, due to the time difference, that meant it started around 5 am.
• Confirmed: sledding and the Hauers do not mix. Or maybe it is my presence. Up until this point, Bill and I hadn’t been sledding together since 2005. And for good reason, on “take one” down the hill behind Miami’s Alumni Hall, Bill flew off the newly purchased sled.  We spent the evening in the ER. And Bill spent the next 6 weeks with a broken collarbone and having me apply his deodorant. Needless to say, when Bill and his sister, Sarah, found some broken and neglected plastic “sleds” in the trashcan on our walk through the park — I was hesitant and took it upon myself to retell the ill-fated date story…this time, it was Sarah who ended up breaking something. Never again I say.
• Round robin card games and curling. By the end of 5 days, I understood both.
• Jack thought this vacation was amazing — unlimited use of “i” devices. Caden and Mason showed him a few new tricks I’m certain.

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Many thanks to Doug and Bonnie, and our gracious hosts Elaine and Glenn, for making it possible.

Fill this heart with things Jack loves and return it to school by 1/30/13. Said the paper. Homework. The night before it is due, and an hour and a half later: I present to you the end result of the homework “Jack” was assigned.

For the record: when we asked him what he loved, he said “me”. So, yeah, I helped him out a little.

Along with Jack’s penchant to raise his glass and say “cheers”. Uncle Nick taught Jack to fist pump and say “party, party”. It’s cute. And then he used it against us.

He was caught trying to punch Granda the other day; in my best Mommy voice: “no sir, no hitting” — his response: throws his punch vertical and says “par-ty, par-ty” — as if to say, “no, no, I wasn’t punching, I was demanding we stay and party.”

Thanks Uncle Nick.

Goodnight Miss Molly.

He’s been. He’s been.

What a difference a year makes — this time, Jack kind of got it. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, any person with a beard was greeted with “ho, ho, ho” and Jesus got serenaded with Happy Birthday to You on several occasions. And, we got into it as well.

Santa did a bit better this year and managed to bring Jack a basketball hoop and fill his stocking with “big boy” plates, cups and silverware — as well as a couple of packets of white chocolate Buttons. He also got two puzzles, a train and a book from us. I was doing so good with my self-imposed gift limit but then we were thwarted by an old enemy: Target.

We managed to keep the traditions alive and were able to spend Christmas Day with the Stothard side of the family and a weekend with the Hauers; which, for the first time in a long time, included the Prendergasts.

Nana and Granda bought Jack a tricycle — and Granda was so excited to give it to him so it was the first thing he “opened”. After that, he wasn’t interested in anything else. Well, until he got to sit on his chair and watch Postman Pat with Granda.

We experienced our first “real” snow in Loveland; Bill made a quick dash out to the local Meijer and picked up a snowsuit and boots so Jack could enjoy sledding with Ida and Kellan. He lasted 15 minutes and wasn’t that thrilled about it. Thankfully, Bill’s unabashed fearlessness of stores return policies allowed us to have our fun and keep our money. And the girls loved on Jack all weekend; so thankful for their sweet hearts!

In pictures:

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As it is every year, the hunt for the Hauer Christmas tree took place on the first Saturday in December. For the first time in 6 Christmases; however, we knew where we were headed. One place: Kelley Robbins’ farm. Unlike last year, the camera was charged and it was 60 degrees outside. This hunt was going to be efficient and fun.

We got there at 10am. No one in sight. It’s not like it said “closed”, it was just empty. Bill went in search of someone to no avail. We found their dog though. After a half hour of hanging out in the parking lot, we figured we may as well go and select our tree so that we’d be ready when someone showed up. We drove 40 minutes, and we wanted our tree.

Needless to say, after an hour of pretending we owned the place and letting Molly run free and Jack being picked up and put down every 2 minutes; we’d selected the one. Still, no one was in sight. Except another couple doing the exact same thing as us. We drove 40 minutes, and we wanted our tree.

So, instead of giving up on good ol’ Mr. Robbins, we headed back into town to grab lunch.  The lovely couple invited us to sit with them at Roadhouse USA but by that time, Jack had decided he had too much fresh air so a nap would be good. So Bill and I enjoyed Sonic. Well, I tried to – probably should’ve just gotten a shake. Successful at killing 30 minutes, we headed back to the farm. One more time. We drove 40 minutes, and we wanted our tree.

Seriously. No one was there. Jack was still sleeping. This isn’t going according to plan. Just as I was about to lose it, here comes Mr. Robbins. Apparently he just got back into town from a niece’s wedding in Indianapolis. He was as jovial as ever. I was kind of over it. Bill went down to get the tree with him while I stayed at the car. We drove 40 minutes, and we GOT our tree. But, not a lot of pictures. Two more than last year.

Where are they?

Our tree is that way!

Got it.

Tis the season. Merry Christmas.

First conversation with Mom. Happened on the way home from school, she didn’t realize it happened until it was over.

Mom: Do you know who you are going to see today?

Me: Nana.

Mom: No, not Nana, she’s at home.

Me: Oh.

Mom: You’re going to play with Grayson and Ryan.

Me: No.

The end.

Cheeky.

As of the first of November, we’ve been heading into the doors of the prestigious Vanguard Academy for 6 months; figured it was time to record the best one liners from Jack’s “school” daily report:

Jack is playing more with his friends, instead of by himself.

I knew he wasn’t 100% as he didn’t climb on the table or jump off any chairs today.

A friend bit Jack today. (every other day)

Jack bit a friend today. (the bitee has finally become the biter!)

He had a great day. He thinks he is the boss of this place.

Jack was a bit aggressive with his friends today.

He is so smart. He knows all the flashcards.

Jack loves (fill in the blank). Basketball or blocks or circle time or story time or outside…apparently, he’s easy to please.

The best part about walking into school in the morning is seeing him walk in confidently and his best buddy Ben running up to him and invading his space to give him a hug. I wondered where Ben got this intense greeting from until one day I saw his mom pick him up…as she ran across the room and scooped him up mauled his neck with kisses — she is a space-invader as well. Jack and I… well, we play it cool, he acts all coy and runs to sit in the corner chair and generally acts as if he doesn’t want to leave.

Thanks to Miss Ashley, Miss Kady, Miss Kenzie and Miss Keri for taking such good care of him. (And yes those “K” names are for real, and they are all about 20 years old; must have been a thing.)

Honey Boo Boo Child is ready for school.

6 weeks after we got back from England (really, that’s too long in between vacations, no?); we strapped Jack in the car seat again and headed due east to Kitty Hawk for a week-long beach vacation with the extended Hauer family, which includes my two favorite redheads. It was the quintessential beach vacation schedule: breakfast, beach, lunch, nap, pool, dinner, card games. Repeat for 5 days.

While there, I made Bill and Jack visit the Wright Brothers Memorial with me — nothing like an outdoor museum on a 90 degree afternoon. I loved it. And upon a Google search of “musts” we made a side trip to the nearby town of Duck, walked along the pier and discovered Duck Donuts — on the last day we were there we realized there was one right down the street, but it wouldn’t have been the same (I said).

Some fond memories:

• Jack, for the first time in his life, falling asleep while eating lunch. It was his favorite, macaroni and cheese, so he kept waking himself up to eat a bite and then pass out again as we all watched and laughed. Kicking myself for not capturing it on video. 
• Kellan and Ida spending time loving on Jack. Tickle monster was the favorite. Though I think they enjoyed playing Bubble Mania on the iPad more.
• Spending more time getting ready for the beach than actually on the beach. It takes a lot of work to go to the beach in August and leave as white as you came.
• Successfully completing an 11 hour road trip, during the day, with a 15 month old. Such a good traveler!

The week in pictures:

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Only change in schedule came mid-week. I turned 30. Balloons and streamers greeted me for breakfast, a homemade cake and calls and cards from my family throughout the day — and a bubble-blowing extravaganza at lunchtime — it was as wild as I wanted it to be. Bill had arranged a night out with dinner; and, even better, called ahead and had flowers delivered and sitting on our reserved table. A Long Island Iced Tea, a view of the bay and quality time with the love of my life. Happy Birthday to me. Ready to rock a new decade.

True story. I started this post in May. Started to add to it in June. Rewrote it in July. And now it is August. Without realizing it, I was trying to get it to perfect. And in doing so I missed what this blog is about: capturing the moment — as it was, as it happened. I am a big fan of the Momastery blog, and today, in the midst of her post — out of all the things that could’ve jumped out at me — this sentence did: “If I wait till I get things perfect, I’m afraid I’ll never share.” So, here it is in all it’s “imperfection”:

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After much discussion, we decided to make May 15 a trifecta of a day. Mother’s Day. Baby Dedication at Church. First Birthday Party. Unlike most, my reasoning was: why have 3 parties when you can have 1?

Jack managed to stay mostly quiet for the five minutes that we were up in front of the church body. And we were so thankful that our families came out to share in his special day.

There was supposed to be this sweet 2-hour window, as there is every Sunday, where Jack would nap as we got ready. But it was like he knew. Awake he was and the party started right away. We kept it simple and had it our house. That’s right, mama cooked for 2 weekends in a row. Despite the rainy and cool weather, Bill manned the grill and he lovingly ordered the best cake ever from CakeFlour — banana cake with chocolate ganache and icing. It. was. amazing. We got a smash-size cake for Jack, but the smashing was kept to a minimum – he’s pretty deliberate with those dextrous fingers of his. Knowing that this sugar rush will only come once a year, he ate it ALL.

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As usual, his parents got him the best gifts: spoons and forks made from recycled materials and some refrigerator alphabet magnets. Money doesn’t grow on trees son.

Jack gives big hugs and kisses to all of his guests: Nana Pauline, Grandad John, Gramma Bonnie, Grandpa Doug, Aunt Laura, Uncle Nick, Aunt Andrea, Great-Uncle Jeff, Great-Gramma Vera, Aunt Holly and Uncle Joel.