Texas Adventures with Gus and Boat

 

As the dark winter days drag on and the rain continues, I long for warmer weather and warm water. Last summer after our road trip with Dama, we flew to southern Texas to spend time with J's folks. Grandma Gus and Grandpa Boat live along the canals within a mile of the beach and in July, the water is the perfect bathtub temperature.

We preceded the hurricane that hit their area by less than a month! When the hurricane did hit, the grandparents had to evacuate; they returned home to external damage on their house but felt incredibly lucky about the state of their property.

Rewind to the end of July. Temperature in the high 90's. Warm ocean winds. Amazing cloud formations.

Our Pacific Northwest kid is pretty sensitive to the heat, but the grandparents are very generous with the A/C and Toe acclimates during the course of the visit. We stay inside during the heat of the day and venture out in late afternoons to enjoy the balmy weather.

This visit we took a quick day trip north to meet up with a friend of mine from college. I haven't seen him since 1995! It was wonderful to meet his wife and daughters and experience the local zoo (and eating chips made with cricket meal!).

 We spent the rest of the visit with the grandparents enjoying a completely different coastal experience than the one we get in the Pacific Northwest. Water temperatures where we live reach a balmy 65 degrees. If you play in the water too long, you turn blue. In Texas, the water is a full-body experience. You still have to worry about rip currents in certain places and at certain times, but there are places where you can wade waist deep and just enjoy the water. THIS is my favorite place to be in Texas.

"How did we end up holding all of the toys while the kid just floats?"

We didn't just spend time at the beach, though. We went to visit the Texas State Aquarium to view their giant new exhibit. I was amazed by the minimal barriers and how close we could get to the animals. The sloth on exhibit actually reached out for Grandpa Boat!

Toe and Gus examine flamingos

Touch Tank

You can't do this in the surf where we live!

We also got to go to Toe's first minor league baseball game. It was pretty hot, even in the shade, but Toe LOVED it.

Toe also discovered this visit that he LOVES Texas brisket!

Besides the beach, we went to a local bay. The water was calm and about two feet deep for hundreds of yards. Toe planted himself in the water and sang to some snails.

Gus and Boat rented a couple of paddle boards while we were there and we all took turns trying to learn this new skill. The smaller paddle board (actually a surfboard) did not do well with adult people and we were dunked so many times, it was pretty funny. Toe enjoyed the compact nature of the smaller board, though, and became pretty good at it. We all reached varying degrees of proficiency. Gus and Boat even managed to take their small dog, Grinch, who loves riding in kayaks, along with them. J managed another passenger.

 These were just a few highlights...So many adventures in two weeks! Memories of warm summer days carry me through twilight afternoons here.

Dama and the Redwoods Part 1

Last spring my mom decided that she really wanted to show Toe the California Redwoods. She was able to get away for three nights and four days, and began planning an ambitious and rigorous road trip. When we found out that my sister's family planned to go to California to visit her husband's family, we decided to work out schedules and meet up with them, so "Dama" could take all three of her grandchildren through the Redwoods. We spent an average of 8-10 hours in the car each day for four days. The kids were fantastic, my brother-in-law was a sport (listening to us singing camp songs for hours) and my mother was a HORSE, choosing to do the entire drive herself.

Here are some highlights:
Day 1:  The Drive South
Toe's first visits to Ashland and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. We spent almost every vacation of my childhood at the Shakespeare Festival and many in my adulthood. J and I haven't been in about fifteen years... I was pretty overwhelmed taking Toe into the open Elizabethan theatre. Toe said, "They put shows on HERE? That would be so bright and HOT!"

"Alas, poor Yorick!" Toe read synopses of Shakespeare plays on the way down...

The day we were there, it was 100 degrees and my poor coastal boy wilted pretty quickly. A quick trip to the playground and a dip in the creek in Lithia Park revived him enough to get in the car and keep going.

A truck of every color!

Day 2:  Connections

We continued south to meet up with my sister's family at the San Francisco airport where they returned their rental car.

You don't see these every day!

We met up, shoehorned four more people and their luggage in (and on top of) Mom's van and headed north to visit Mom's cousins.

Cousins reunited!

First time for the kids on the Golden Gate Bridge. Typical SF weather.

We had a great view of Toe's Grandpa Boat's old Coast Guard station

At Mom's cousin's house, we picked mulberries, played games, and had a wonderful dinner before driving another hour to our hotel.

Dama and the Redwoods Part 2

Day 3: The Redwoods

Day 3 was the day Mom had scheduled for the most experiences and fewest hours of driving. I think we still were in the car about 7-8 hours. The day started with a detour to the coast to see one of many "glass beaches." It may look similar to north Oregon beaches in the photos, but the sand was SO different!

Next, we drove to the Chandelier Tree and spent some time doing photos and exploring.

Mom's van wouldn't fit through with the luggage on top!

We continued up the coast to the Oregon border, taking time to stop to "hug a tree" and see Avenue of the Giants. By evening, conversations were happening like this:
"Hey Toe! Look at THAT giant tree!"
"Mom, they're all giant trees."

Day 4: We're On Our Way Home
The last day, we visited a National Park visitor center and drove straight home. It was a long four days but so worth it. We all were pretty exhausted by the time we reached our beach. My sister's family was able to stay a few more days and we took advantage of the time to enjoy time together, having bonfires and family time.

Birthday Boy

 Toe turned ten this week. He has lived a DECADE. When Toe was a month old, my mother found a bicycle at a garage sale and bought it for him. At that point, the thought of living with Toe's cystic fibrosis was so difficult for me that I told Mom I didn't want to see the bike. I couldn't. It caused me so much anxiety, she had to hide it on her front porch. Toe was so little and fragile, I was terrified that he would never grow old  enough to learn to ride.

It turns out that the kid's a fighter. He has amazing resilience, and when he gets the right medications, his body responds really well. Although he has a chronic illness, he spends most of his time as a healthy, thriving child. We have been incredibly lucky.

The bike Mom bought has now been ridden and outgrown. Toe long ago shed training wheels and finally, LAST WEEK, mastered the subtle art of starting himself, rather than needing a push each time. We have actually been on a couple of family bike rides and are now anticipating the adventures we can have.

Toe's health could turn with any cold, and during flu season we do due diligence to keep him healthy: flu shot, hand washing, shower after school, avoiding large crowds... but it has become simply part of our routine.

We have all grown in the last ten years. J and I have a greater understanding of Toe's illness and what we need to do to provide him the best opportunity for health and growth. We also know that all of the maintenance and prevention we do might not keep him from getting sick. I am learning to let go of that feeling that the "other shoe is going to drop" and enjoy the present moment. There are challenges ahead. Some, including a surgery for nasal polyps, are on the near horizon. Others, like puberty, high school, and college, are out there waiting. I don't dwell on them. I can't predict where we will be with Toe's health when we get there. But they don't make me freeze the way they once did. This acceptance is an ongoing process. It is easier when he is healthy than when we face long stretches of illness or admission to the hospital; but each day we are learning how to navigate this highly unstable lifestyle and to enjoy the present moment. And truthfully, there are SO MANY joys.

The candles to share with the Texas Grandparents on an improvised "cake"

SO. The tenth birthday. Toe went to school. He arrived home to streamers and balloons. He shared "blowing out the candles" with his Texas grandparents via FaceTime (see our impromptu cake above - the real one was in the oven), called his cousin, and later spoke with his Uncle Awesome who called from the jungles of Peru. One of my dear friends stopped by to bring Toe a watermelon (the key to his heart) and huge hugs. We pulled a gallon of freshly squeezed apple cider (from our backyard apple trees) from the freezer (J and Toe went to a cider pressing with friends in October) and I managed to sort of decorate a cake (a huge feat for me! The whole thing looked like the "crumb layer" for a while).

The inside of the cake.Yes, that much food coloring IS frightening.

A Minecraft Creeper. Or a frog. Your choice.

Toe had his very first sleepover. His best friend arrived in time for dinner (brisket from Texas from the Texas grandparents and "the fixin's" - potatoes, corn, slaw, white bread...). Toe's friend is sweet and easy-going and the boys played really well together all evening. They stayed up VERY late, but were respectful and did not get cranky with each other, although Friend kiddo was tired and Toe was wired and pacing. They woke up early enough in the morning to play for a few hours before Friend's dad picked him up. An hour after Friend left, my mom and step-dad arrived to share a little time with the birthday boy.

The days were kind of magical. J and I were kind of excited to face a new challenge (a kid sleepover!) that did not have a medical bent. Toe was able to be a regular kid enjoying his birthday (albeit, one who does breathing treatments and takes pills...). Friend kiddo completely went with the flow, keeping Toe company during breathing treatment and washing his hands regularly. Toe floated blissfully through the days.

THIS! IS! SPARTA! XD -Toe

Ten. I am thrilled. This experience with this boy is a beautiful one. It is sometimes hard, sometimes frustrating, sometimes scary, but those hard times make the joyful ones that much more precious.