Gotcha Day 2010

It's been seven years since we made the trip to New York City to pick up 4-month-old Thomas at JFK and bring him home. We lovingly refer to each August 19th as "Gotcha Day."

Flash forward to 2010...Thomas and Nolan are much bigger and about to enter into 2nd and 5th grades. They are brothers through-and-through.  Best friends -- except for the times when they want to kill each other, as siblings are also prone to want to do now and then!

I try to snap a photo of the boys every Gotcha day.  Here's this year's before and after...

The pilgrimage

I mentioned our trip to Yankee Stadium.  Here are some photos...



We went to the game on July 4th. The Yankees beat the Blue Jays 7-6 in 10 innings.  This was our first trip to the new stadium and Kris and Thomas' first big league ballgame.

Decade Day

Nolan joined the Double Digits Club today. Where the heck have the last 10 years gone?

In the blink of an eye, this little baby we brought into the world is now a 10-year-old kid about to go into the fifth grade. In another of those blinks will he really be 20 and in college? Hard to fathom!

As is often the case with our kids, the celebration was stretched out over a few days. It started back on July 4 with our first trip to the new Yankee Stadium. The tickets were actually a Christmas gift from Kris’ folks, but we decided to time our trip close to his birthday and bought him an extra souvenir while we were there.

Last night we took him out to dinner at the restaurant of his choice. He picked Red Robin.

Tonight we had dinner with my mom and his cousin Louis. Nolan requested a Boston cream pie for his cake.

I think he had a good day today. When he was going to bed he asked how much older I was. When I told him I had 28 years on him Nolan remarked that he had a lot to do before he reached that age -- middle school, high school, college, finding a job. I advised him to just take life one day at a time.

That’s how we’ve done things so far. Day 1 of the next decade starts tomorrow.

Spring ahead

On weekends we often don't bother setting our alarms.  We usually wake up when we hear the kids get up.  They almost always arise around the same time whether their alarms are turned on or not -- around 7 a.m.

Today was no different -- sort of.

We awoke to the sound of the kids going downstairs and digging into the Sunday paper, looking for the funnies.  Kris eventually decided to get up and hop in the shower and I dragged myself out of bed to go downstairs and start breakfast.

I was in the midst of starting a pot of coffee when Thomas looked at the cable box noted that the time on it was "wrong."  It said 8:16, not 7:16.

D'oh!

The Mass we usually attend starts at 8:30.  We probably would have gone to a later Mass, but Kris and Thomas were scheduled to usher this morning.

I don't know how we did it, but somehow we all managed to get dressed and arrive at church just in the nick of time.

Shortly after church started we spotted someone coming in late.  Kris noted that she had wet hair and acknowledged it made her feel better to know we probably weren't the only ones rushing around this morning.

How about you? Have you ever forgotten to change your clocks before a time change and then been caught by surprise the next morning?

Wookie Mania

"Oooh, Look! There's Chewbacca!"

It wasn't the kids who were so excited. It was me.

I took to the boys on Saturday to the annual Kidz Expo at the Empire State Plaza. It's filled to the gills with booths and displays from various kid-related businesses pushing their services. There's some things to do, like giant bouncy-bounces, video games, mini golf and lots of other stuff. Laser tag was the biggest hit for Nolan and Thomas.

For their giant geek of a dad it's seeing people wandering around in really cool Star Wars costumes. There was a variety of stormtroopers and Jedi. We even saw a Jawa. Darth Vader was also lurking about.

But my eyes lit up when I saw the first mate of the Millennium Falcon.

"Hey, Chewie! How about a picture?" I asked after rushing right over to him.

Except while everyone else was taking photos of their kids with George Lucas' creations, I promptly handed my camera to 6-year-old Thomas and proudly took my place next to my favorite Wookie. I admit, part of me wondered if the guy in the costume thought I was nuts.

Afterward, almost as an after thought, I asked the boys if they'd like their picture with Chewbacca.

"Um, no, dad. That's OK."

The guy in the Wookie suit might not have thought I was crazy. But I'm pretty sure my kids did.

Then again, they're probably used to it. I had a similar reaction at last year's Kidz Expo when I had my picture taken with Lord Vader.

Fun at the Frost Faire

I've written before about how much I enjoy going to the Saratoga Battlefield. It is just so awesome to stand amid such beautiful scenery and know you are surrounded by history.

We paid another visit to the battlefield today for their annual Frost Faire.

We started out by taking a horse-drawn wagon ride out to the big tubing hill. And when I say big, I mean BIG. There was more snow last year. This year there were actually some patched of grass on the hill that slowed things down a bit. But it still went pretty fast. Nolan and I went for a few good runs down the hill.

Thomas was a little intimidated by the steep slope. So he hung out by the campfire at the top with Kris, who was nursing a sore knee, and worked on a assembling a life-sized puzzle of a British soldier.

Then it was off to the warming tent for hot chocolate and cookies before taking the 3/4-mile wagon trip back to the visitors center. That's where Nolan got a lesson in how to handle musket (it was only a pretend one) and Thomas got to practice writing with a quill and ink. There were some crafts to work on and -- best of all -- one of the big canons was fired off a few times. I never, ever tire of that!

It made for a pretty fun afternoon, and every time we go to the battlefield we leave having learned something new.

Passing it along

There is nothing better than sharing something you love with your kids and seeing them enjoy it too.

For Kris, this often comes when we go camping or spend time in the Adirondacks. She tries hard to instill an appreciation of the outdoors in the boys and loves seeing that pay off.

With me it often comes with more geeky pleasures.

Case in point -- last night I took Nolan to see "Raiders of the Lost Ark" at the Palace Theatre in Albany. He had seen the movie before, but I assured him that he had never seen it like this. I told him that there was something magical about sitting in a dark theater and watching the adventure play out on the giant screen. I told him that the picture might be scratchy or the sound not always crystal clear, but it would still be way better that watching a DVD in our basement.

I don't think he understood what I was talking about. But when the movie was over, he told me that I was right. He got it.

Another example -- it was a big weekend for "Doctor Who" fans. The latest (and some might argue greatest) actor to play the main character in the long running British sci-fi show left the series.

One of the things that has kept the show going since 1963 is a clever little plot device that allows different actors to come and go in the role. You see, the Doctor is an alien with the ability to regenerate -- essentially transform into a new body -- when he is dying.

Fans of the show always have a certain fondness for their first Doctor. For me it was Tom Baker, the fourth Doctor. For Nolan and Thomas it has been David Tennant, the 10th Doctor.

When I was a kid I was aware that there had been other actors who had played the Doctor. But still, seeing Tom Baker regenerate into the fifth Doctor blew my mind. And that was the case for my boys. There was much hoopla and hype leading up to Tennant's departure. When the moment of the big transformation finally came, they were literally on the edge of their seats. It was so cool to watch them enjoy that.

There are lots of things we try to pass on. Some things take better than others. It's always a thrill when you find you can share something you love.

Finished!

My dad enjoyed collecting coins. When they first started issuing the 50 state quarters he was excited about collecting them.

Even though I never really picked up the coin collecting bug from him, I thought the idea of the state quarters was pretty cool too. So dad bought me a map to place the quarters in. Nolan had just been born and I thought it would be really fun to work on this with him. It was something to imagine him as an 8-year-old when the final quarters would be issued.

Eventually Kris' Aunt Helen set us up with another map. Nolan wanted the newer one. So Thomas inherited the old one from dad.

Nolan completed his map a few weeks ago. Thomas finally finished filling up dad's map today, with a Washington quarter we got in change this morning at Home Depot. As you can see in the photo, he's pretty proud.

And I'm sure "Pop" would be too.

Reunion Season

Two weekends, two reunions – first the high school gang and then some friends from college.

Some of my friends from Niskayuna High School gathered at Saratoga Spa State Park the weekend before last for an afternoon cookout.

We had a similar get together last year and decided to do it again. Especially since this time our friend Chris Johnson and his family would be in town visiting from Norway where they live.

Next year will be our big 20-year reunion!

This past weekend we went on a camping trip to Green Lakes State Park near Syracuse with some friends from SUNY Plattsburgh.

We were there with our dear friends the Reeds, who we see a few times a year. But we also got together with Jon and Christine Kio, who we haven’t seen in 16 years, and Tim Casey, who we had lost touch with after he transferred to Buffalo in 1991.

Facebook helped bring us all back together, especially in the case of Tim. For the past 16 years (the last time we saw him was at the Kios’ wedding), every time we got together with the Reeds, inevitably at some point the subject of “whatever happened to Tim?” would come up. Kris finally found him on Facebook earlier this year and used the site to help plan the camping trip.

I should mention we used Facebook to help plan the picnic for my high school gang too. The social networking site is my primary means of communicating with Chris Johnson and keeping up on his family, since phone calls to Norway can be a tad expensive. As soon as he announced his vacation plans in the states, we put the wheels into motion to plan the picnic with an event page.

Both gatherings were a success and lots of fun. Although, after all this activity, I have to admit we’re looking forward to this weekend – when we have nothing planned at all!

You can find some photos of our Saratoga picnic here and our Green Lakes trip here.

ADK Adventures

I've been too busy to provide a full write-up on our vacation since returning a week ago.

Fortunately, Kris took care of that over on the Rooney Train.

I did get around to posting the video up above. I also shared some pictures on Facebook. Note: you don't have to be a registered Facebook user to view them.

Father's Day fun

So in the end, on Father's Day I did not get around to claiming my free juicy hamburger or having a free 8x10 printed up.

However, we did take advantage of the waived entry fee at the Saratoga Battlefield.

It made for a great Father's Day. I enjoy history and touring sites like the battlefield. So it was fun to get to do something that I enjoy with the whole family. We all had a good time and learned a little bit along the way.

Free Ice Cream Day

We got our free ice cream yesterday. Did you?

Bragging rights

There is nothing to get me blogging again like an opportunity to brag about my kids.

We’re knee deep in baseball season and both boys are doing great.

Let’s start with Thomas. He took his first crack at T-Ball last year when he was 5 and it didn’t work out too well. He just wasn’t ready. Ever since he was a toddler, he was never one to go off and play with a group. He’d always want to stick close to mom and dad if he could. We signed him up for T-Ball, but we couldn’t even get him to stay on the field. We wound up quitting after a few games when it became apparent that it just wasn’t going to work out.

What a difference a year makes. We signed Thomas up for T-Ball again after he insisted that he really wanted to play this year. So far he’s been doing fantastic! He hits the ball and runs where he should, he stands in the field and waits for his chance to field a ball and he goofs around in the dugout with his teammates. He really seems to be having a great time.

He may not have been ready yet last year, but he sure is now. It’s great to watch him having fun.

Then there is Nolan, who has become Mr. Baseball lately. After two years in Single A, this is his first year in AA – where the level of competition goes up a notch. We’re now officially keeping score and for the first time the kids get to pitch.

Nolan loves playing first base and never wanted to do anything else. But about a week ago, his coach sent him to the mound to pitch. Nolan was nervous. I was a nervous wreck. But in his first inning, he got two strikeouts and caught a pop-up. He’s pitched for one or two innings in every game since.

He’s hitting the ball pretty well too. So far he’s gone 7 for 11 this year, including a double and two triples (Note, there are no walks in AA. After ball four, the coach takes over pitching until the batter either strikes out or puts the ball into play.).

Nolan also took part in a pitch, hit and run contest and qualified to advance to the sectionals next week in Saratoga.

So both boys are doing great and loving America’s pastime. And I’m having a blast watching them. Standing on the field, helping to coach their teams and watching them do so well and have fun is heaven on Earth.

Building adventure

Without any new "Doctor Who" episodes to watch, Nolan's entertainment focus has shifted to two things -- Legos and Indiana Jones. He loves to bust out our great, big box of Lego parts (some of which are mine from back in the day) and build his own creations. And he recently watched all four Indy movies and declared them "better than Star Wars" (I couldn't be more proud).

So imagine his joy at combining the two.

He recently got "Lego Indiana Jones" for the Wii. He only gets 30 minutes a day to play during the week and an hour on weekends. The remainder of the time he spends talking about it. He's constantly filling me in on which level he just completed, which treasure he's found, which new character he's unlocked.

Today he spent some of his saved-up allowance on an actual Lego Indiana Jones kit -- recreating the motorcycle chase from "Last Crusade." He promptly put it all together on his own and was quite proud of it.

Not to be outdone, Thomas spent some of his money on a couple of packs of "Indiana Jones" trading cards. He has not seen the movies, but he's played the videogame and he gets excited about Indy becase he knows Nolan and I like him.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Thankful for Thanksgiving

We had an awesome Thanksgiving yesterday.

The boys caught “Willy Wonka” on TV in the morning and then watched a good chunk of the parade.

After lunch, we needed to get out of the house and do something. So we all walked up to the high school and held the first annual “Rooney Thanksgiving Race” on the track. Nolan came in first and was awarded a medal we made before heading up there.

Later in the day we went over to my sister’s and just had the best time. The kids had a blast playing with their cousins and we enjoyed visiting – and eating! I massively overate, but that’s what it’s all about isn’t?

Don’t worry, this morning I got up early to work out. So now I feel a little less guilty.

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us and I even got to watch some snowflakes fall this morning, I’m feeling decidedly less bah humbug about the Christmas season. Now I’m ready! Bring it on!

Getting it all done

We had an insanely busy weekend, which featured:

• Halloween (see above photo)
  
• Junior Warriors Basketball
  
• Selling more popcorn for Cub Scouts
  
• Donating blood
  
• Dinner with the Prices
  
• Church and religion classes
  
• The Wiggles concert in Albany
  
• Yard work

Kris has chronicled all of it on the Rooney Train.

Needless to say, I’m exhausted today. I need to get to bed early tonight because it’s going to be a looong day tomorrow!

Back in the swing of things

We were gone on vacation all last week. Since returning I have been too busy, too tired or too lazy to provide a write up of all of our activities.

Fortunately, my better half was none of those things. She recapped the whole trip on our other blog. So you can read all about it on The Rooney Train and check out the pictures I uploaded to Facebook.

In other news, I thoroughly enjoyed the Olympics. No matter what was on, I found it all to be pretty compelling TV (I actually stayed up until 2 a.m. one night watching a couple of Chinese guys play for the gold in ping-pong).

But what was fun was the fact that Nolan was really into it. Whatever was on – women’s gymnastics, track & field, volleyball, rowing – he was glued to it. He couldn’t get enough. At age 8, I think this was probably the first time he was really aware of the Olympics and he thought the whole thing was pretty cool. So it was great sharing it with him.

We’ve been to Lake Placid many times and have told him over and over how the Olympics were held there before. But I don’t think that really meant anything to him until now. I’m anxious to see if he gets as excited over the Winter Olympics in 2010.

With the Olympics gone and our vacation over, there is unfortunately no denying that fall is right around the corner. Next week Nolan and Thomas go back to school and we will soon be up to our necks in homework, Cub Scouts, fall travel baseball, etc. It’s been a great summer and I’m sorry to see it go.

America's pastime in Schenectady

The boys and I had a great morning yesterday. We headed over to the Schenectady Museum to take in their special baseball exhibit.

It was billed as the "The Science Behind Baseball." There was a little bit of science stuff. One display helped you figure out how to find the sweet spot on a bat. We also watched a short movie in which two kids conducted experiments to determine which bat sends the ball farther -- aluminum or wooden (their results gave aluminum the slight edge).

But it was mostly a great collection of baseball memorabilia -- particularly as it pertained to Schenectady and the surrounding region. There were lots of great old photos of the Schenectady Blue Jays -- a former farm team for the Phillies best known for producing future Dodgers manager Tommy LaSorda. I also spotted a photo of a young Phil Rizzuto being interviewed on WGY.

There were also items on display from more recent memory, including lots of memorabilia from the Albany-Colonie Yankees and the Tri-City ValleyCats.

I would have liked to have spent more time looking at the old photos and reading all of the captions next to them, but the kids didn't have the patience for that.

The highlight for them was getting up close and personal with several of the VallyCats players (and their mascot, Southpaw). They each brought baseballs that were filled with signatures before long.

They also spent a good deal of time testing their arms against the radar gun. Nolan says his best pitch was 28 mph (although the highest I remember seeing was 27). Little Thomas topped out at 25 mph and even did a pretty good job of hitting the strike zone.

View more photos here.

Putting the band back together

We had a really good time our big summer picnic yesterday. A good chunk of my old high school crowd -- seven families all together -- gathered in the Saratoga Spa State Park.

Yeah, so we got rained on a little bit. We didn't let it rain on our parade!

It's always neat seeing everyone's kids together. They ranged in age from 6 months to 8 years.

Jim Flanders joined us, who most of us haven't seen since our 10th reunion about eight years ago. He surprised everyone by pulling out a great big stack of copies of The Warrior -- our old high school newspaper. It turns out he kept most of them. That was quite the walk down memory lane. I hope we can get together again someday so I can spend more time looking at them (and reading some of the old movie reviews I used to write for the paper).

As for myself, I pulled out a couple of yearbooks yesterday and looked them over -- and realized the pictures look like scenes out of a bad John Hughes movie.

We all do a pretty good job of keeping in touch, but these days it's mostly through e-mail, Facebook and blogs. Nothing beats getting together face-to-face. We hope to make this picnic an annual event.

Speaking of Facebook, I've got more photos of the day there.

Living room makeover

Our new living room furniture arrived yesterday.

The sectional we had for nearly five years didn't hold up very well. It had some ugly stains we couldn't get out and the fabric on the arm where 3/4 of the family preferred to sit to watch TV was completely worn out and tattered.

With the small size of our living room -- and, more importantly, the location of our cable outlet -- we're limited with what we can do with the layout. But this is the floor plan Kris came up with. We're pretty pleased.

Plus, with potty training far behind us, there is a good chance these cushions will never get peed on!