All posts by leslie

Milwaukee Vacation, Part 1

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Back in October we took our first plane ride as a family of four up to Milwaukee to attend Keith’s cousin, Katie’s wedding. Making a mini vacation out of it, we hung out in downtown Milwaukee for a few days with our extended family, exploring “the good land” and eating and drinking our way through the town.

We’re members of MOSI in Tampa and one of its benefits is reciprocity with other science museums all over the country, including Discovery World. Located on Lake Michigan, this museum is amazing. One building houses an aquarium filled with fun and informational exhibits about the Lake Michigan watershed, and a second building focuses on science and technology exhibits including hands-on music (Les Paul) and physics areas.


Keith and I loved the aquarium, which Henry wanted to blow through, of course. Henry liked racing cars using air pressure, and Brent humored us by joining our adventure (I’m not sure what he liked the best). Henry keeps asking when we are going back, it was that awesome.


We also toured the Milwaukee River and Lake Michigan by boat, which was fantastic. Our guide gave a synopsis on the history of Milwaukee and its buildings along the river and lake, and local beer was available for purchase. Henry performed an impromptu dance, and we all loved spending additional time with the newly married couple and extended family – Miller and Meister cousins reunited!


Luckily, we happened to be in town on a Sunday when our friend, Alexis, was preaching at Lake Park Lutheran Church, so we drove up for worship with her and her congregation. We spent time on two different days with her; it was totally bonus donuts on top of an already wonderful trip. 


Finally, we ate at several delicious restaurants (Milwaukee Brat House, Colectivo Coffee, Stubby’s, and Cafe Benelux were favorites) – lots of beer, cheese, and sausage consumed by all. At one meal, Henry ate bacon, sausage, and chicken tenders – he was in food heaven. We visited the Public Market and picked up yummy cheeses to bring a bit of Milwaukee home with us – I wish we had cheese curds here; I could eat them every day!


What’s Next?

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My blog revolves around raising my boys in the Tampa Bay Area. Mostly it provides an accounting of our weekly activities and milestones, which are similar to other stay-at-home-mom’s experiences. I like looking back to see Henry’s stats versus Elliot’s, and reminiscing over our field trips and vacations.

But growing a kid involves more than just play (which we definitely excel at doing). It requires teaching my boys to be kind to others as well as to stand up for (with) the oppressed. Henry’s middle name comes from the minor Old Testament prophet – Micah – who told the people of Israel what the Lord required of them to do good in the world: 

Seek Justice. 
Love Kindness.
Walk Humbly with God.

Micah 6:8

With this verse in mind, I’ve been formulating an Action Plan for myself to hold President Trump’s administration and the legislative branches of the federal government accountable for their actions. One part of my plan is to compile a list of three issues that matter to me each week. I’m doing my best to do my research, but I don’t have tons of time with two littles. Any help here would be greatly appreciated!
 
Using my issues list, I plan to call my senators and representative’s offices weekly to let them know my concerns (and praises). This is kind of a big deal for me because I HATE to talk on the phone. BUT making your voice heard is a key part of democracy in action, and speaking directly with someone in your legislator’s office is one of the best ways to let them know how you feel about an issue. Your legislators care about what you care about – it’s why they have jobs!
 
Finally, I’m holding myself accountable to doing this by posting here. I don’t care if anyone reads it (although I plan to share each new post like I usually do) because it helps me to write out my thoughts before verbally discussing them with others.

Talking Points This Week:

Vote No for Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education (my friend, Rudy, an educator working on his PhD, has an excellent blog post on this topic)

  • No training or experience in education. 
  • She supports school choice privatization schemes, despite a lack of evidence they provide better education. 
  • She’s invested millions lobbying for laws that take money away from public schools.
  • She’s fought against regulating charter schools.

Vote No for Jeff Sessions as Attorney General

  • Threat to civil rights
  • Republicans thought he was too racist to be a federal judge.
  • Supports voter identification laws, which are a form of voter suppression akin to poll taxes and literacy tests.

Vote No Against H.R. 193 – Restore American Sovereignty Act of 2017

  • This Bill would have the U.S. terminate its United Nations membership and prohibit the authorization of funds for UN peacekeeping or otherwise.
  • It’s a global world, and removing ourselves from the UN would be disastrous for everyone.

Contact Information for My Senators and Representative:
Sen. Bill Nelson – DC: (202) 224-5274 or Tampa: (813) 225-7040
Sen. Marco Rubio – DC: (202) 224-3041 or Tampa: (813) 287-5035 
Rep. Charlie Crist, FL-13 – DC: (202) 225-5961

This is only Phase 1 of my plan…stay tuned for more.


Miscellaneous Websites I’m Following Right Now:

  • Swing Left – https://swingleft.org/
  • Women’s March 10 Actions in 100 Days – https://www.womensmarch.com/100/
  • Showing Up for Racial Justice: Tampa Bay – https://m.facebook.com/SURJTampaBay/
  • Southern Poverty Law Center – https://www.splcenter.org
Books I’m Currently Reading With My Boys

    Inauguration Day Musings

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    I woke up this morning to my infant son smiling up at me from bed. He has a cold right now, and has multiple teeth pushing their way up through his gums so he is not at his happiest, yet he still smiles. I do not feel much like smiling today. My heart is heavy as President Obama (the first president I voted for who won the presidency) steps down from office as part of our country’s peaceful transition of power. He most certainly was my President. Did I agree with all of his policies? No. I wish he accomplished more, did more things he campaigned on. But I’m proud to call him my President.

    President-Elect Trump, who will be taking the Oath of Office in the next hour or so, is not the person I want running the country for a myriad of reasons. But it’s our reality and I’m still trying to come to terms with it.
     
    Luckily, today I’m spending our last full day of vacation with some of the best people in my life – friends from seminary. We mourn, but we cry together. We rage, but we rail together. In spite of Inauguration Day, we will find laughter and smiles today, because we are together. And moving forward with the next four years, we will resist together, because that is how our hope for the future, and for our kids’ futures, will remain steadfast.

    I searched the Psalms this morning for a chapter that could summarize my feelings and help me through the day. I couldn’t really find exactly what I needed, because while I remain angry and sad, I also NEED to find hope. Psalm 121 was too optimistic, and the 22nd Psalm too bleak. I think I’m going to use a hybrid of the two.

    Playground of the Week – Helen Howarth Park

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    This week’s Playground of the Week is located in Pinellas Park – Helen Howarth Park (6301 94th Ave N, 33782). I tried locating the playground when we first moved here a couple of years ago, but never found it since I ended up driving around the recreation center and Henry fell asleep. We tried again this week, and I’m happy we did.


    The playground has so many things to climb – Henry climbed up, down, sideways, diagonally – he couldn’t stop. There was a smaller structure with a tiny slide for the 2 to 5 year olds, and a larger structure sans slide. Henry fully explored both. Another section had four swings, two baby and two regular, all in the shade when we were there.


    I liked how half the complex was shaded as well as the rubberized ground cover. The playground was in view of several picnic shelters, the baseball complex, and a bathroom, so it would be convenient for parties and for parents with multiple kids who go to baseball games (and need to get the energy out of their other kids afterwards). 


    My main issue with the park is that the bathroom was locked, and Henry had to go. Luckily, he’s a boy, but they really should have been accessible in the middle of the day since it’s a public place. I plan to go back, and hope you all will, too.

    Elliot is 6 Months Old

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    (Fine, he’s 7 months old at this point, but as the second child I think I’m doing pretty well with his written updates; I’ve already done more than with Henry!)


    Elliot had his 6 month checkup on Monday, a bit delayed since his doctor was out of town at his two-month mark so the rest of his checkups are almost at the next month mark to have the right spacing between shots. I’m almost a month delayed at this post so it’s no big deal. He is now 27 inches long and 16 1/2 pounds, which the doctor says puts him around the 50th and 25th percentiles, respectively. He continues to be smaller than Henry was at 6 months (28.5″ and 20 lb 13 oz), but I love his littleness.
      

    This kid is so full of joy – everyone smiles with him when he’s around. His favorite person is Henry, and he babbles, sings, and dances with him. He’s doing a great job of sitting on his own and rocks tummy time. He’s creeping and rolling to get places, and tries to push up on his hands. Frustration is setting in that he can’t crawl yet, but to that I don’t mind…an immobile baby is a wonderful being. He pushes on his feet to stand in our laps and loves jumping on us and in his Jumparoo – he works on his fitness all the time.


    He’s making delightful sounds from his baby Wookiee growl to silly squeals to belly laughs. He definitely communicates his feelings. He rarely cries other than when he’s hungry or tired or being loved too hard by Henry (although he’s started protesting when I leave the room).
     
    He usually takes two (sometimes three) naps, a short one in the morning and a longer one in the afternoon, but life with big brother can easily cut one short. Nighttime sleep has been less predictable. He can go 5 or 6 hours between wake ups, but usually is up every 2 to 3 hours, and some nights he wakes up more often than that! I live on coffee to compensate.


    He’s started eating new foods despite not having any teeth; his favorites include oatmeal, sweet potatoes, pears, and mangos. He doesn’t seem to like apples, avocado, or carrots. He’s still not taking a bottle well, but since I’m home with him it doesn’t matter a ton (I just can’t get solo time for more than a few hours in a row.) He has days where he can’t get enough mama milk, and others when he doesn’t want much. This is frustrating for me, but he’s thriving. He is a lovely little boy.

    Election Night 2016

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    I thought America was already great. It turns out that I was in the minority. As I sit here, watching the voting results come in, pushing Trump closer to electoral college victory, I can’t even cry. I want to, and the tears are there, fighting their way to my eyeballs. I’m angry. And devastated. And sad. And sick. I feel hopeless, in a world where not enough hope exists.

    What comes next? No one knows. The market is already tanking. Everything good I believe in is about to be uprooted, or so it seems. And I feel hate in my heart for those who voted for him. I don’t like this feeling. They might have felt the same way towards me if Hillary was winning. But they don’t have to, because people just couldn’t stomach a female president and democratic principles.
     
    How do I heal myself so I can gear up for the fight to protect the disadvantaged groups put most at risk by a Trump presidency?
     
    I’m not sure, but I’m going to sleep on it, and start tomorrow afresh. Because I plan to do my best to be an ally to those groups Trump has hated on throughout this election season – women, people of color, immigrants and refugees, LGBTQI+, the poor, the disabled, and anyone else I left out (it’s late, I’m tired, and the baby will wake me up to nurse before I know it.)
     
    But first, prayer. I’m not the best or most consistent at prayer, but I’m a work in progress. The first verses that came to mind are The Beatitudes found in Matthew 5, verses 1-12:

    5 When Jesus[a] saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

    3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

    4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

    5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

    6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

    7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

    8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

    9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

    10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

    11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely[b] on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

    Amen. And now I’m crying. And still feeling sick and devastated.

    Library Adventures – Clearwater Main Library

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    We’ve adventured to a few libraries in the area – Largo, Seminole, Pinellas Park, Safety Harbor – all very cool, with fantastic programming for kids and fun children’s areas featuring slides, puppet shows, puzzles, and train sets (respectively). But they are nowhere near as awesome as the Clearwater Main Library’s children’s section. It has a pirate ship kids can sit and read in (or pretend to sail) located adjacent to panoramic windows overlooking the intracoastal waterway and Clearwater Beach. It’s beautiful, and mostly peaceful (considering I was surrounded by quite a few kids ). 
    Henry loved the touch screen computer the best, second to the pirate ship and other kids’ toys including a tic tac toe wall board. Elliot loved nursing and visiting the bathroom to get a diaper change. I loved the huge, extensive selection of children’s books. Every book I’ve been searching for Henry could be found there. Only problem – it’s not nearly as close geographically as I wish it was…so it can only be an occasional trip, versus a weekly trip. Luckily, we are fortunate to have three great libraries equidistant from our home, and the hold system that allows us to request books and movies located at other libraries in the county. Libraries are amazing.

    The Cousins and a Hurricane

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    In the days before Hurricane Matthew hit Florida, different models projected different paths for the storm. It seemed like the whole East Coast of the state had a hurricane watch or warning. Even Central Florida felt threatened by the storm – it was so huge and horrible. My brother headed out of town for a work conference when it was battering Haiti, leaving Amanda and the kids home alone. Since they hadn’t been in their house for too long, combined with potential flooding and high winds, we offered up our home to crash with us.


    Seven people in our three bedroom house is A LOT, but the kids had a blast. Henry loves his cousins, Grayson and Finley, and the kids played (mostly) well together. The three adults were exhausted at the end of each day, but we had prepared for the storm Florida-style and we were stocked up on snackies and adult beverages.


    I’m thankful their house turned out to be just fine; Orlando didn’t get hit hard by the storm. My parents home in Jacksonville lost power for a few days, and there were tons of trees down in their neighborhood, but otherwise they were unscathed. Unfortunately, St. Augustine and the Jacksonville beaches flooded and were torn up, and we have friends who live out there. Hurricanes, especially ones category 3 and above, scare me, and I’m definitely taking steps to make sure our home is secure for next year’s season.

    My parents’ home in Jacksonville, all boarded up.

    Pass-a-Grille Beach

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    A few weeks ago we realized that Elliot had never really been to the beach. Sure, he’d dipped his toes into the Gulf following his first trip to Frenchy’s, but that was it. And since the beach is one of our happy places we decided to go catch the sunset one Sunday night down at Pass-a-Grille. 
    We don’t usually go to the beach during the day. We’re pale, red-headed creatures who burn easily and have family members continuously getting skin cancer removed – it’s just not a great place for us during the day. But the hour or so before sunset at the beach is a magical place. It’s not so hot, the sand appears to glow, and there’s a relaxed atmosphere to it all. 


    We chose to go to Pass-a-Grille since I had never been there, and Keith said it’s really beautiful. Sold. We were going. It’s a little south of St. Pete Beach, in a neighborhood full of beautifully designed beach homes. There was plenty of parking on a Sunday night and little traffic – important things when traveling with toddler and baby dictators. 


    Henry loved digging in the sand and building castles. He also has an epic shell collection thanks to Keith scouring the sand looking for new ones. I think Henry could spend forever at the beach without getting bored, but again, his super white skin coupled with his fair hair prevents this. Elliot was his chill self and relaxed on a blanket for a while. He also liked (my) walking while wearing him in his Baby K’tan wrap. He could see the surf, shore birds, and people, and hear all the sounds of the beach. I think he loved it, too. We’re definitely making the beach at least a monthly priority, because why not…it’s a perfect, happy place.

    Playground of the Week – Safety Harbor City Park

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    This week’s playground of the week is located in the town of Safety Harbor, which has a cute Main Street full of shops and restaurants, a wonderful inn and spa where you can “take the waters” or just relax, and several parks within walking distance. We have visited its City Park (940 7th St S, Safety Harbor 34695) a few times now and love it.

    Pinellas County’s first certified official “boundless playground,” it is the largest park in Safety Harbor at 21 acres. There is a skate park, baseball fields, a dog park, volleyball courts, basketball courts, a huge field, and boating access to Alligator Lake. It also has bathroom, which are definitely needed for toilet training toddlers. But we didn’t visit this park for all of those things – we love its giant playground!


    There are two main playground jungle gyms protected from the sun by huge tents. They have so many things to climb (including a dinosaur!) and lots of slides, plus ramps and steps to run up and down. There are two bouncy race cars to pretend to drive, a climbing obstacle course for bigger kids, and a ton of swings. Only the main jungle gym structures are protected by the tents, however, so the other areas get hot. There is plenty of shade to cool down – under trees, beneath the tents, or in one of the picnic shelters.


     
    As for safety, most of the playground is mulched (parts have that packed-down, recycled rubber material), so if your kid likes to collect and/or eat that kind of thing it is perfect for you (not so great if you’re a germaphobe and don’t like your kids putting mulch in their mouths). There is a fence around the far exterior of the park, not the playground area, but it shouldn’t be a problem to safely contain your kid from the street since the playground is set back from the road. I think this park is perfect for kids of all ages, and for all seasons.