GimletBlog

Christmas came and went so fast this year, as did the rest of the holiday vacation. Now Thing One’s Court of Honor is fast approaching (as are the houseguests), so we’d better bring the blog up to date before we are hopelessly behind.

At Santa’s annual pre-Christmas visit, Thing Two walked up to Santa and announced, “I used to be afraid of you but I’m not any more!” followed by:

“Santa is big … “

“Santa is very big … “

“I’m going to stay with Mommy.”

We did manage to get him to sit on Santa’s lap.  His time with St. Nick is best described as  “cautious”.

After Santa left and he was describing his visit to the grandGimlets, he told them Santa was eleven feet tall.

Christmas Eve festivities were held chez Gimlet, with the traditional holiday crustacean (Dungeness crab).  There were also a few hjortebakkels left, although since it has been several years since we last made any, their numbers had decreased considerably over the course of the month.

Just before Christmas we were able to pick up Thing One’s Eagle certificate and awards. (One of the advantages to living in the city is that the scout office is a relatively quick trip from home.)  While we were at the Scout Shop looking over all the goodies in the Eagle aisle, another mother nudged her new Boy Scout and Cub Scout sons and pointed out Thing One.  (“Look at that boy.  He’s a brand new Eagle Scout!”)  The younger boys watched him from an awed distance as we made our purchases.  Not so long ago we were the ones watching the soon-to-be and new Eagle Scouts, wondering what Thing One’s trail to Eagle would be like, and how he would reach that goal.

After Christmas preparations for the Court of Honor shifted into high gear.  We had found an online card design shop which we had hoped to use to make the invitations, but discovered that they were closed for the holidays and wouldn’t take new orders in time for our mailing deadline.  However, Costco was luckily offering a sale on photo cards, with a blank template option among their choices, so Your Humble Narrator dusted off her armchair graphic design skills and put together an invitation that looks as good as the online shop’s products, if she dares say so herself.  With the savings from that part of the project we splurged on Eagle Scout stamps from Zazzle.  Not necessary, but a fun extra touch.

The Court of Honor slide show has been a lot of fun to make, and we hope family and friends enjoy it too.  Sorting through pictures brought up many memories of campouts, hikes, and other activities with Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts.  But to harp on a familiar theme, our children grow up so quickly!  There are events for which we wish we had taken more pictures, but we’re thankful for all the pictures that we have, and we’re especially glad that somebody (was it Uncle C?  We can’t remember.) had the presence of mind to record a little something which will appear at the beginning of the slide show.  (How’s that for a teaser?)

We hope to see many of you at the Court of Honor, and a report on the party and family reunion will follow once we’ve recovered.

We interrupt the month’s postings of Christmas carols to bring you the following announcement:  Thing One passed his Board of Review tonight, and is now an Eagle Scout!

Congratulations, Thing One!

A Court of Honor is planned for next month, more details to be announced later.  We hope that many of Thing One’s family and friends will be able to join him in January to celebrate this great achievement!

Editor’s Note: Many, many thanks are due to the wonderful, hard-working volunteers and donors who made Thing One’s Eagle project possible.  He couldn’t have done it without you.  Thanks to Gary Ard, Eric and Linda Carlson, and Ralph Richards for their donations, and our friends from BSA Cub Pack 144, BSA Troops 125, 175, 180, and 186 for spending a wet, cold November Saturday restoring part of the Duwamish riverbank for native plants and salmon.  Together you logged in 174 hours of service.  Way to go!

See a photo album for Thing One’s project in the Gimlet Gallery.

November 21 was my Eagle project. It was removing white poplar from a site at the Duwamish River in West Seattle, and then laying down cardboard and mulch to keep it from growing back. We started at 9:00 am and ended at 2:30 pm. About forty volunteers came from several different groups:  the Sound Stewards of the People for Puget Sound (the community organization that approved my project);  former Cub Scouts from my pack who are now in other Boy Scout troops in the neighborhood; my scout troop; and other members of my church, friends, and family.  Some people had to leave early and some came late, but those who came late replaced those who left early so it worked out well.

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Not many words today.  Instead, a story in pictures, sponsored by the color red.

We had an errand to run after school, and on such a sunny, crisp October afternoon, who can blame Team Gimlet for choosing to stay outside and play instead of returning home to do homework?

So we spent the rest of the afternoon at the Ballard Locks.

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If the days are still sunny and warm, but the trees are starting to change color and scatter a few leaves across the ground, it must be time for the Puyallup Fair:  Western Washington’s farewell to summer and welcome to autumn.

Team Gimlet loves to go to the fair every year, indulging in old favorites (BBQ beef sandwiches for lunch, scones, chocolate milk, and ice cream cones as required throughout the day) and checking out whatever’s new.  The grownups like to wander through the maze of vendor booths to see what amazing contraptions our household shouldn’t be without.

While Your Humble Narrator and Hå browsed through the artisan barn and the quilting and embroidery exhibition hall, The Gimlet took the Things to the rides.   This year Thing One wanted to see the Al’s Brain exhibit, a 3D experience concocted by Weird Al Yankovic.  The Gimlet and Thing One liked it; Thing Two was overwhelmed by the 3D special effects and had to have his glasses removed.  Next, The Gimlet encouraged Thing Two to try some age-appropriate rides while Thing One took off to his choice of rides.

Thing Two reports, “I liked it when the helicopters went up.  They were very high!  The rockets were too bumpy.  I liked the cars better.”

Meanwhile, Your Humble Narrator test drove two different sewing machines mounted on quilting frames.  (Verdict:  WHEEEEE!!  The Gimlet, however, was moved to tears by the experience.)

It’s always fun to spot the fair mascots and other characters strolling through the fairgrounds.  Thing Two’s souvenir of choice was a hobby horse, so he attracted the attention of the cowboys and horse mascot.

After buying Cow Chip cookies for the drive home, a scone for Bopa, and a boxed Bull Chip for a midnight snack, it was time to return home.  Nobody got lost or sick this year, and Your Humble Narrator didn’t buy her usual boxful of pottery (or a new sewing machine, much to the Gimlet’s relief).  We’ll be back next year!

It probably seems heartless to reflect on one fledgling’s practice flights around the nest, then kick out the next one with apparent eagerness, but Thing Two has been so excited about starting preschool that his enthusiasm is contagious.  (It also helps that preschool is only two afternoons per week.)  Monkey and Blankie rode in the car with us, and Thing Two wanted to be sure they would be waiting for him in the car, but otherwise he was eager to meet his new teachers and friends.

The preschool (or “little school” as Thing Two calls it) is about a five minute drive from home.  It’s an easy walk for parents or Thing One, but it’s beyond Thing Two’s walking abilities for now.  There are about eleven children in the class, with two teachers.  In addition to music, stories, games, art projects, and other fun, field trips are planned to the library and bakery, both across the street.  (The Gimlet wants to be informed if the class tours the nearby donut shop as well.)

Thing Two informs us that they talked about rules and being kind to each other; he played knights and dragons at recess; and for his art project he painted “A tiger blowing up”.  Since he has been wanting to talk about tigers in Primary for quite some time, it’s no surprise he would seize the opportunity to include tigers in this curriculum.

His tiger picture also provides a convenient shift of extended metaphors from baby birds to snow leopard cubs.  Batu and Gobi were born Memorial Day at our local zoo, and this video shows their first outing into the larger snow leopard exhibit.  Thing Two loves this video, but frequently asks, “Where is their mommy?”  “Is their mommy watching them?”

Don’t worry, Mommy is always watching.

Our family’s third generation of Roughriders has begun:  Thing One started high school this week.  We’ve been swamped with homework (Thing One) paperwork (his parents), writing checks and buying supplies (also his parents) ever since.  In addition to the usual basic subjects, he’ll continue to learn French and play the cello in the concert orchestra.

On the shopping list was an upgrade to the full-size cello rental, and new shoes to replace the pair we bought at the beginning of the summer, which he has since outgrown. (!)  We hope this pair will last at least until Christmas.

A Court of Honor was also on the schedule this week, where Thing One received eleven merit badges and his religious On My Honor award.  He has now earned all the merit badges required for Eagle, and has begun work on his Eagle project.  It’s very exciting to be so close, but it’s not done yet; support and encouragement from family and friends (and a weekend work party to be scheduled later this fall) will help Thing One finish the journey.

If you’re searching through the blog archives muttering, “But didn’t he just start middle school?” the answer is Yes.  We still can’t quite believe that we’re to this point already, because that means that (1) our little Thing One is a not-so-little-and-still-growing teenager; (2) a driver’s license, college, and a mission are all going to be here before we know it, too; and worst of all:  (3) we are now officially old fogies, not the twentysomething newlyweds we were last week, or so it seems.

Here’s Thing One’s bed, (fairly) neatly made.*  This is how it looked for nearly the entire summer, as he was away at youth conference, then NYLT, then we were all at Philmont, then Thing One left again for Camp Parsons, Camp Pigott, and WashJam.  Next summer is already filling up with the National Jamboree, Camp Parsons, and the possibility of NYLT staff and a trip back to Philmont for a NAYLE session.  As for now, The Gimlet has commented how odd it is to drop Thing One off at seminary at 6:00 am and expect him to work his way through his day without any help from parents.  Although parenting has often been described as a process by which we give our children roots and wings, to actually arrive at the stage where we watch our oldest begin to test his wings is an exciting, poignant, and reflective time.  His room stays neat now, but more often than not, it’s empty.

• “Finding Joy in the Journey” by Thomas S. Monson (Ensign, November 2008)
  With a ten-year gap between Things as our perspective, we can attest that there is much to enjoy and look forward to at every age.
• The Value of the Eagle Scout Award and Eagle Scout testimonials:  How does it feel to earn the Eagle Scout rank?  What kept you striving toward Eagle?  What did you learn from becoming an Eagle Scout? Watch these and more short videos from the National Eagle Scout Association.

* A certain reader from Tulsa will notice that the afghan she made as a baby gift for Thing One is still in use!  (Although he doesn’t take it to scout camp.)  It’s looking quite ragged around the edges these days, but he still wraps up in it to read or watch TV.

The Gimlet and the Things watched the Mariners lose to the Angels, 10-0.  But when you get a ball from the bullpen, it’s still a good night out at the ballpark.

We actually found the time to make it to a Mariners game this year after our summer of Scouting.  I was gifted a set of tickets so we were excited to have seats above third base in the 20th row.  No nosebleeds this game!

I had heard that kids that hang out at the bullpen frequently score balls and autographs.  We have never hung out there even with that incentive.  We arrived a bit early to the game and while we walked past the bullpen, the pitcher warming up tossed a ball over the fence to a boy about Thing Two’s age.  Thing Two stopped to look and the pitcher pulled out three more balls for the little kids watching.  He walked over and tossed the ball over the fence.  I caught it and handed it to Thing Two.

We really didn’t plan on getting a ball this way (Thing One had my old “righty” glove ready to go all night.  His “lefty” glove is way too small. )  We all still have hopes to get a foul ball. (I told Thing One that I am still waiting to get mine.  Although I realize I would turn it over to one of the Things.)  Really though, looking at that picture, who wouldn’t hand Thing Two a ball?  He scored three baseball cards from ushers as well.  Thing One only scored one baseball card.  It is tough being a teenager!

Looks like we brought the heat back with us.  Um, sorry about that.

Not only was a heat wave waiting for us when we returned, we had a lot of other things to do:

Thing Two started preschool this week!  He has been very eager to go to preschool ever since we visited the school several weeks ago, and he loved Philmont’s Small Fry program.  He’ll be attending for two mornings a week for three weeks this summer.  Then in the fall he’ll still go two days a week, but in the afternoon instead.  This week’s theme is pirates:  singing pirate songs, writing pirate stories, and making pirate costumes.  As with Small Fry, the building is air conditioned, so we all wish we could go to preschool.

The garden looks great!  Many thanks to Hå and our neighbor for taking such good care of it while we were away.

Thing Two also celebrated his birthday, and lest we forget Thing One, he got his cast off!  He has a little therapy to do each day to strengthen his wrist, which seems to be going well.  The doctor has given him the go-ahead to work on the merit badges he had hoped to earn at Camp Parsons and Camp Pigott.  Once he’s back from camp we hope we can resume cello lessons.

And now, back to the business of keeping cool …

Thing One is tackling his busy summer schedule with one arm tied behind his back:  the day his cast was put on his arm, we drove him to Youth Conference in time for dinner.  He spent the next two days working on a service project and having fun, came home Saturday afternoon, and promptly headed out again that evening to a church dance.

The next morning we took him to Camp Pigott for a week of National Youth Leader Training (NYLT).  Usually just The Gimlet and Thing One make the drive; it was fun for the At Home Unit to see the camp and put all the photos into perspective.

Thing One can carry a backpack, but the doctor said he would have to have help putting the pack on and taking it off as he isn’t supposed to put any weight on the broken wrist.  He has a special cover like a wet suit for the cast so he can go swimming, but he can only wear the cover for 45 minutes as the vacuum seal may cut off the circulation in his arm if it stays on longer.  Exciting!

Here’s the entrance to the camp, and once we arrived, it was easy to find the place to stow all of Thing One’s gear.

The Gimlet arrives in disguise (but even without his scoutmaster uniform, he was recognized by the quartermaster), and takes Thing Two, future scouter, on a short walk around the camp.

A beautiful place to spend a week.