visit to Uch & Jojo at Lock Haven

Here's a riddle:  Who is 32 inches tall and can make two college kids skip out on a Saturday of drinking to visit the playground and hang out watching movies instead?  Greyson Rudy, that's who.  Booboo and I visited Aunt Uch and Jojo at Lock Haven in early September.

Aunt Uch is living in an apartment off-campus this year with her friend Paige and we got the grand tour of the cute place followed by a trip next door to the local library which was having a huge sidewalk sale of old books.  I purchased (of course, like I could pass up a book sale) about 8 books for Grey and me for under $4.  And I'm talking legit books like:  Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult for me and I Hear by Helen Oxenbury for booboo

Then we drove over to the playground near the Susquehanna River to run wild.  Grey is so lucky to have his Aunt Uch because she is always willing to go for rides and slides with Booboo so he isn't afraid.  This is certainly not the first time that she's been willing to climb and crawl so Grey could have some playground fun.

"airmane!"

jojo helping Grey up the slide steps

so obvious that he loved it?  HAH

thank Goodness for Aunt Uch!

my baby gets hypnotized on the swings

After a fun, sweaty time on the playground, we headed back to the apartment for some water and rest.  Hey! This baby bump needs breaks!  Tash got to work on her dinner for us - which was inspired by a Pin she'd seen:  Chicken strips wrapped in bacon - which was seriously delicious.  Booboo and I both enjoyed it and it was so fun being at my baby sister's "house" and see how she's a real grown up (even though I'll probably always see her as about 14 years old in my mind - sorry, Tash - I can't help it!)

Source: foodgawker.com via Tasha on Pinterest

After dinner, we got ready to head over to watch the Lock Haven football game.  They were playing Millersville.  The place was filled, much to Tasha's surprise, and Booboo loved being surrounded by all the people who were cheering and clapping.  Like at past events where people start clapping and cheering, Booboo would join in on the fun to and scream and clap right along with everyone else.

My son has a slight obsession with the moon - so he was also screaming, "Mooooooon!" and pointing for a lot of the half that we were there.  I texted B to tell him and he suggested that maybe Lock Haven change their mascot from the Lock Haven Bald Eagle to the Lock Haven Moons.  At least Booboo would be in favor of the change.

Its always awesome to take Grey to live sporting events because he is so enchanted by the crowds, and sounds, and the ball.  I don't know if its because he's a boy, or if it's because he's his father's son...but my kids loves him some sports.

The next day was September 11 and the four of us (Booboo, Uch, Jojo, & I) woke up to catch documentaries and newsbroadcasts about the 10 year anniversary of September 11.  Ten years ago, I was a freshman in college (at Susquehanna University) and Tash and Jo were seventh graders in high school.  We all agreed that although we knew it was horrible and tragic, since we weren't directly connected to it, it was like watching a movie about it.  As a freshman away from my family, I knew how scared I felt to be separated from them, but it still felt far away from me.  Watching the clips and memorials this time around made all three of us feel differently.  As though Sept. 11th was more tragic to us ten years later - when we've lived enough life to really understand how devastating the day was for so many people.  We watched an amazing documentary on A&E that showed witness clips of the day at the same time it had happened (starting at almost 9a) 10 years ago.  The three of us stay there with goosebumps shaking our heads at the videos in which people were saying how horrible it was after the first plane hit the tower.  We just kept thinking, they have no idea how much worse it is still going to get.

to the victims:  ten  years later, we are all still thinking of you and praying for you.  our hearts still ache when we think of that day.  we won't forget you.

After saying goodbye to our hosts, we headed home to watch the Steelers get pounded by the Ravens with the grandparents, since it was also Grandparent's day.  Brandon was in charge of lunch and  had made lots of tasty snacks including three different flavors of wings.  My mom finished painting the laundry room and Grey got to spend time with Pappy Butch, Gigi, Mimi, Abba, and Chum.  We bought this journal for the grandparents so that one day our kids (and their other grandkids, ahem Kayla & Tash) can learn more about their grandparent's childhood.