Pratfalls and Pratt's Falls

The day started with the best of intentions: we would drive down to Highland Forest and try some cross-country skiing. We donned our winter outdoor gear, packed some snacks and water bottles, and headed out around noon.

Our first blunder is that we completely forgot that the Syracuse University men's basketball team was playing at home at 1 pm. One moment we were zipping down I-690 towards the 'Cuse; next moment, we are stopped in traffic. James chose to exit early and we wound our way through the city but around campus to avoid game traffic, then got on I-81 south of campus.

Note: The Orange lost for only the second time this season, this time to Louisville. The final score was 66-60. Rats.

We exited I-81 at Tully, and Aidan announced that his head hurt and he needed to go the bathroom. No, he could not wait until we got to the park, it was an emergency. We pulled into a gas station at the bottom of the ramp, and James and Aidan got out of the car...but just before he got out, James reached for his wallet. Which wasn't in the center console, where he keeps it. He said a few choice words, then took Aidan into the gas station. And then I realized that I had also not brought my wallet. More choice words.

With no cash or credit cards (insert big ol' DUH right here), we could not rent the skis to go cross-country skiing so there was no point in driving out to Highland Forest. Instead, James suggested that we drive over to Pratt's Falls and hike. Okay, good alternate plan. Except that Aidan said that his head still hurt and could we please roll down his window a bit?


We arrived at Pratt's Falls to find the park closed and the gate down. But cars were parked around the entrance so we decided to do the same. We opened all the doors to get out...when Aidan threw up. Did he throw up outside of the car? Oh, no, he threw up INSIDE the car. Ick. We pulled out the offended floor mat, cleaned it with snow as best we could and had Aidan rinse out his mouth. He said he felt better, so we took a short walk around the park.

We opted to take a different route home, just for a change of pace. Aidan was doing better, or so we thought...just outside of Camillus, he said he was feeling sick again. We got into town, James pulled over and opened his door, and Aidan threw up again. Again in the car, although this time down his front and onto the other floor mat. Ick.

By this time, we were all giddy with the smell of vomit in the car. Despite temperatures in the high 20s, we drove the rest of the way home with all four windows open. We hustled Aidan into the house, got his mouth cleaned out and teeth brushed, and put him to bed. It remains to be seen if he has some kind of bug or just got one of his car headaches.

Someday we will look back on this day and laugh. Oh, heck, one more glass of wine and we will laugh anyway.

Mercy!

Today I had the pleasure of reading to Aidan's class at school as part of the Parents As Reading Partners (PARP) program. During the past three weeks, parents (and other reading partners) were invited to be guest readers.

I read Mercy Watson Thinks Like a Pig by Kate Dicamillo. I had never made the acquaintance of a Mercy Watson book until Aidan brought one home several weeks ago from his school library, but now I am hooked. Mercy, who is a porcine wonder, lives with Mr. Watson and Mrs. Watson, next door to sisters Eugenia and Baby Lincoln. Mercy gets into all sorts of adventures with the Watsons and the Lincolns, and likes nothing better than toast with a great deal of butter on it. The books are entertaining to children, as evidenced by the laughter during today's reading, but are also fun for adults, too. Very simply, they are well-written books.

I think that one of the bonuses of being a parent is getting to read excellent children's books like those about Mercy Watson. When we go to the B'ville library next week, Aidan and I will definitely look to borrow another Mercy Watson book. And whenever we fix toast in our house, we now prepare it with a great deal of butter on it!