The Curtis Clan - Summer 2007
Summer Solstice to Fall Equinox
Yard Sale Madness
We kicked off the official start of summer with a yard sale. We’d been talking about having another one for 2-3 years and had selves full of items stowed away in the basement for the occasion. With a push from our neighbors the Kennedy’s a date was set and we were committed. Bethany did 90% of the work getting things ready, priced and organized. There was a fair amount of things for sale with our stuff, the Kennedy’s, sister/sister-in-law Rosemary and a few things from her mom too.
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Our last yard sale
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We had 2 racks of clothes, some of it pretty nice but only a couple of the kids stuff garnered any interest. As we were cleaning up, a woman with Goodwill according to her card came through and we gave her most of the unsold knick knack and house hold items for distribution at their Christmas parties (a plausible story we choose to believe without checking). The rest went to Goodwill, except the artificial tree which they wouldn’t take (wanna a
Christmas tree?). On the positive side of things: we took in $145 and found homes for lots of stuff we no longer needed or used. On the negative side, we’re not sure we would have been making minimum wage for our time invested (though it was all tax free…we think). In retrospect, it’s probably makes more sense to take it all to charity to begin with instead of host another Randy and Bethany’s Yard of Crazy Low Prices. Although we don’t feel wealthy, it’s surely a sign of prosperity when you can’t be bothered with reselling your unwanted items of worth. It certainly helps explain all the great plastic toddler stuff we’ve gathered on trash days at the curb in the neighborhood.
Six Flags over Us
We blew our yard sale earnings on our first family trip to Six Flags the next Monday. Our friends from Columbia Anthony, Leasha, Alex and Amanda came in for the occasion to join us. Besides the cheaper rates on a weekday, it wasn’t overly crowded and there were minimal to no waits on many of the rides.
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The whole gang (except Anthony) on the full size train
for a trip around the park
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The park has changed some since our last visits over a decade earlier. Besides the proliferation of the extreme thrill roller coasters, they had established a great section for young kids: Bugs Bunny National Park. The four girls had a great time riding on each of the available rides there, many multiple times.
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Cate's a bit unsure about meeting
Peppe Le Pew and Bugs Bunny
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As for the other rides in the park, Cate was still a little short for many of them, though she didn’t really complain; generally be satisfied with the excitement to see everything else. Jane could ride several of the bigger kid’s rides and when she heard her dad reminiscing about the Screamin’ Eagle and how it was the fastest, longest, tallest (wooden) roaster coaster in the world when it opened when he was younger, she started chanting: Screamin’ Eagle! Screamin’ Eagle! Screamin’ Eagle! Since she met the height requirements, we went (the other 2 older girls decided to pass). She thought it was just fine…until it started going downhill at over 100 kph. She screamed/cried the whole way. She was only partly mollified by the story of that’s why they call it the “Screamin’” Eagle, but was happier in retrospect as she got to retell others that her fist roller coaster ride ever was the Screamin’ Eagle and hearing how older kids were afraid to go (not that she’s chomping at the bit for another ride). We stayed at the park for over 9 hours, much longer than we expected (and without taking in any shows for downtime). Cate didn’t last the entire time, falling asleep for nearly an hour until awoken for a ride on Thunder River, which really woke her up.
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Bethany and Cate enjoying
(?) the Marvin the Martian ride
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The weekend afterwards, we made some headway on another long delayed home project of some finish stuccoing, four years after building the initial cinder block wall.
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Randy covering the drive-way retaining
wall with a finish coat of stucco
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Say it with Firecrackers!
As become our habit, we went to the Webster Groves Community Days parade. It’s not a particularly elaborate or heavily produced parade but filled with that Norman Rockwell cheesy Americana, we like to think of as representing ourselves. Given that flavor, its always popular with politicians. Although you might not always know it from the coverage for the presidential wanna-bes, it is a non-election year so the WG parade was much shorter with only 3 democrats (all together), 1 republican and 1 issue group (Planned Parenthood). I didn’t hear anyone complaining about the reduced politics. The girls got a string of Mardi Gras beads, lots of coupons for local businesses and sacks full of candy, which was very welcome as they had just finished their Easter candy (add sarcasm for that last bit). Afterwards we spent the afternoon at a former neighbor’s pool who invited much of the 600 block of Tuxedo over for a swim and Bar-B-Que. The girls had no trouble falling asleep for naps afterwards, although they protested leaving the pool mightily. That night, we made the trek to WG recreation complex for fireworks having to walk a third of a mile from available parking spot (note to self: get there earlier). Although unsure at first about the fireworks, Cate was giddy and clapping about 5 minutes in to the show. Jane, on the other hand, had here eyes closed and her hands tightly clamped over her ears the whole time (a completely different reaction than at the ball game 1 1/2 months earlier).
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Curtis family at Webster Groves 4th of July Parade
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George the 1st
On the 3rd of July, nephew/cousin George Douglas Shaw entered the world but
since the girls were kind of sick (fever, cold, viral pink eye [discovered on the 5th]) it was a week and a half before the girls got to meet their new cousin.
Once they did they were eager to hold him as often as they could.
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Cate, Jane and George
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July-August Birthdaypalooza
Gral turns 60
Mid-July is the start of a month long Birthday Season at the Curtis household as all but Cate were born in the period, along with Bethany’s dad and sister. On Friday the 13th, our house was the site for a party for Bethany’s dad Alvin, sponsored by her and her siblings. Bethany’s Aunt Katie and Uncle Don came in on Thursday and stayed at our place for an event filled weekend. Thursday night was a sibling gathering to go over the details and practice a song written in his honor (Sixty Years to the tune of Yesterday)
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Gral celebrating his 60th Birthday with his 5 oldest grandkids
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The Friday night cocktail and cake party was a success with the 40+ guests fitting comfortably on our first floor. From an cultural differences point it was interesting to observe that only 2 bottles of the case of wine were touched (and not finished) as the 25-50 crowd partook mostly of the beer and the over 50 folks hit the hard liquor.
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Jane and Bethany enjoy their cake together
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On Saturday night, one of Randy’s co-workers Shelia got married after a long courtship, so we left the girls with their extended family and went to Sullivan, MO for the mixed faith nuptials (Catholic and Baptist). Along with other coworkers (Jennifer and Kirk), we happily served drinks at the reception held at the Meramec State Park conference hall.
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Bartenders at Shelia's wedding
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On Sunday, after the standard family brunch, the girls attended a birthday party for a Play Group friend at the Carousel in Faust Park. The girls joyfully availed themselves of the unlimited rides.
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Cate and Jane enjoy the carousel at Faust Park
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The weekend didn’t really end until Monday morning when our house guests left for the return trip to Pittsburgh.
Randy's Natal Day
The following Monday, Bethany and the girls rode Metrolink downtown to join Randy for lunch on his Birthday. Afterwards we went to the Arch to ride to the top. Unfortunately, two days earlier one of the tram elevators was shut down to replace all the cables, so the wait for the remaining tram was 2 ½ hours. We didn’t think the girls would hold out that long, so we settled for the IMAX movie showing there on Wild Alaska. The day was capped off by a trip to all you can eat night at the Pasta House with Nana and Rhonda family.
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Jane Cate and Bethany in the museum under the Arch
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Jane Cate and Randy enjoy the grounds of the Arch
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Jane turns 5
A week later, the same group gathered for a trip to Chevy’s for Jane’s 5th Birthday 6 days early, since Nana who would be absent on Jane’s birthday as usual to attend an annual conference.
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Nana and Cate at Chevy's
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This may have been a mistake, as from that point on, as far as Jane was concerned, it was just a slow build up to her actual birthday. Her attitude at time seemed to indicate it was more of a coronation as it tended to bring out some of her least appreciated personality traits (bossiness, sense of privilege) as we prepared for the family gathering and her first party with friends. As the week went on, there was more than one occasion, when we considered canceling it. On her actual birthday, she was surprisingly well mannered (mostly).
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Rhonda and Jane at Chevy's
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Jane with the Surprise
Lilies in the backyard that bloom just for her birthday
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For her first party with friends, a number of her friends couldn’t make as they’re families were on vacation and since it was a “tea party”, she only wanted to invite girls.
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Jane at 5
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Jane and her friends waiting for the last one to show up
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Still the group of 5 girls seemed to enjoy themselves. Past experience with that age indicated that little holds the attention of a group for more than 10 minutes so there were a number of activities: high tea [lemonade] with cookies, bean bag toss, musical chairs, freeze dancing, threading beads for bracelets, decorate your own cup cakes and finally present opening. While opening her presents, Jane was extremely gracious thanking her guests freely and complementing them on knowing exactly what she wanted. It was unclear if she was sincere or had nailed down the manners needed for showers in her distant future.
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Jane and friends decorating cupcakes (its all the rage at the pre-school B-days)
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The graciousness wasn’t as distinctly evident with her family but was a welcome relief from the many episodes of brattiness the week before.
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Jane at 5 and the obligatory candle picture
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The following weekend, there was another family gathering for our nephew George’s baptism. Bethany got the nod to be Godmother to her sister’s first born. She shared the honor with Patrick’s brother Steve. It’s interesting to note the comfort that has grown between the two tribes of families (Sages and Shaws) brought together a few times a year.
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George's Baptism
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Bethany's Natal Day
The following week saw the end of Birthday-palooza with celebrations for Bethany’s natal day. On the actual day, we took the girls to a Frontier League Grizzlies game in the nice part of Sauget. Randy caught a ball, single handed…but it was one of promotional soft ones thrown by one of the Grizzlies rah-rah girls from 2 sections over. We can’t say enough about the kid friendly nature of the minor league ball games with seats close to the action and silly promotional things at every half inning.
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Cate and Jane pose with Grizzy
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Actually, Bethany’s Birthday wasn’t the end of Birthday-palooza, as she was the decoy handler for her sister’s surprise 10 day after the fact party the next Saturday. Whew!
Return to School
The summer ended for us the last week of August, as preschool started for both Jane and Cate. It was Cate’s first day of preschool and she was very excited. She is in the Yellow Room that her sister was in for the last 2 years at Little Bristol. We could have had them both in the same room, but thought it best to have some mutual independence, so Jane move onto the Purple Room. Both are there three days a week (M-W-F) in the mornings.
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Cate's 1st day of preschool
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Cates and Jane set to start a new year of school
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Jane Stuff
The last week of summer Jane started ballet and tap dance class at the Crestwood Rec. Center. To say she was excited would be an understatement. Much to her further delight, she got a leotard, ballet slippers and tap shoes to go along with it. Her most favorite story theme of the summer and topic of conversation has been ballet, with one exception: her oft repeated account of how she braved the Screaming Eagle at age 4 before any other kid her age. Randy was there and “bravery” was not a word he’d use to describe her reaction. We all want to see our kids with a confidence and a strong sense of self worth, which so far Jane seems to have covered. Humility…well we’re going to have to work on that one.
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Jane shows Cate her ballet moves
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Jane hasn’t really become proficient with a tricycle yet but does peddle on occasion (see proof below) She did show some more interest in her two-wheeler bicycle (a hand-me down from a neighbor) and will hopefully be a bit more inspired.
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Jane biking across the USA
at Hudson
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Jane can’t spell her last name but she can spell Mississippi and Cate isn’t far behind her, even though she can’t reliably spell her first name. How did they manage this feat? Spelling prodigies? Hardly, it’s been a function of their Dad teaching them to sing the Frances White's song M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I every time we cross the big river (its the only way he has every managed the task even today).
On the second to last day of summer, Bethany and the girls made a return trip to Eckert’s for apple picking with the playgroup. Fortunately they didn't get too many as half of the family doesn't like apples and Randy's partial to Granny Smiths which they don't have. Still a fine time was had by all.
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Cate and Jane get a taste of farm living
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#*@ING ACORNS!
The hard freeze last spring knocked out much of the grape and fruit tree crop in the area and supposedly acorns but you wouldn’t it from the bumper crop here at Tuxelia. There’s a colony of fat squirrels that have taken up residence in the oak tree outside our side door and they litter the ground with the shells and half eaten nuts. Both girls have fallen as a result of skidding on them while playing around the driveway and yard. We power blow the sidewalks and driveway weekly but could easily do it daily. Our driveway is stained black from the crushed acorns and we’re shoveling (yes shoveling) up the debris on a weekly basis. And let’s not forget the Chicken Little aspect in that if you spend any amount of time underneath the tree, you’ll get hit with one. Bethany’s convinced that the squirrels are purposely trying to hit her (Remember, it’s not paranoia if there are out to get you). Randy is speculating that the cabal of squirrels in the oak outside the door is ruled by a queen who receives tributes from the surrounding community, which is why we have a bounty in a year of supposed scarcity. I guess you could say it’s making us a little nutty (saw that one coming didn’t ya?).
A neighbor with a little oak horticultural knowledge mention that is probably a
function of it being a red oak as opposed to a white oak, which has an earlier
(or later) cycle that wasn't damaged by the freeze and that there should only be
acorns every other year. We'll see.
Pleasant Dreams
With the OT and Spitfire money, we splurged and bought a new king sized bed and mattress to replace our queen sized that had passed the decade old mark several years back. Bethany had to do some convincing to get past Randy’s initial standard reaction to all things he’s purchased, that they’re not that old and that he just bought them 5 or so years ago. He felt the same way about the 1989 wash machine and 1992 dishwasher until he looked them up. Inspired by the Marriott beds, we got a premium Serta pillow top with a sleigh bed frame to go along with it. It’s nice! The girls were pretty happy about it too as we built a fort out of the cardboard boxes that held the frame. It was probably a mistake building it in the corner of our new living room and not outside, where the elements take their toll in a week or so. Instead we’ll probably have the darn thing for months.
We also came close to replacing the 18-year-old washing machine as well. We were getting rust spotting on our clothes that wouldn’t come out from the corrosion of the sheet metal cabinet. After living with months of duct taped g-hockering over the rust spots, Randy finally went on line, saw that it wasn’t a big deal to remove the Whirlpool cabinet as a whole, and with a bit of wire brushing, naval jelly and spray paint, we dodged another large cardboard box in our living room and are hopefully milking another few years out of it.
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