Category Archives: Life

Weekend Camping Trip Part 2: Not Quite Kid Free

10/23/2015 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

Part 2 of our weekend camping trip brings us to our only full day of “roughing it” in the ~~wilderness~~ park with full facilities. This was our time for freedom from all parental responsibilities, time to spend time talking to each other without interruption and just enjoy one another’s company.

There was only one caveat; the campground was full of families with kids running around. Yep, the site next to us had a brother and sister close to Avery’s age, we could tell from the loud crying around nighttime (and we actually talked to the parents who are both really nice) but they were cute and had us missing our little girl back home.

Other, older kids around the site were not so cute and spent wayyyy too much time fishing right in front of our waterfront tent site as they screamed at anything and everything. It was okay during the day, but when it’s 9 at night and we were trying to get some rest, our patience dwindled. But we didn’t let that ruin our time together, especially not with a site like this.

Our day started by venturing out to the urban jungle nearby in search of black gold (aka coffee). After trudging through a few rough areas (construction) and dodging wild animals (people), we found our prey at a Starbucks. Yeah, so the coffee scene is lacking around this area, but we wanted caffeine dammit!

We made it back to camp and vowed to not drive again until we left the following day. With that, we took off to explore the area around Lake Lavon on foot while talking about how we missed our little girl and what we need to bring for our next trip that we forgot this time around. I was also searching for a large rock or other heavy object to get my squatting out of the way. Yes, I’m still squatting every day, but think I’m close to the end.

Finally, I found my rock of choice. It wasn’t the best, but it’s as if they don’t leave rocks laying around just for visitors to pick up and squat with. Ludicrous!

My squat variation of choice was front squats holding the rock up to my chest and did 5 rounds of 20 front squats.

I finished with a little conditioning by doing 4 rounds of 50 seconds on, 10 seconds off of split squats with foot elevated on the rock, push-ups on the rock, running in place, and bent rows using the rock. I felt like that was good enough, but geez, there were some sharp edges on that thing!

Meanwhile, my lovely wife (who actually knows how to relax) cheered me on and kept me motivated with beer and an empty chair waiting beside her.

I was ready to join her, but had to get something out of the way first. A cold jump in the lake.

Apparently, lakes in October are not very warm. Brrrr! I was pretty muddy after slogging out of the lake, so I made use of the shower on site before claiming that empty chair. Oh, and when they say warm showers in campsite amenities, that really means cold. Here I am afterward, obviously tense and covered in goosebumps.

I quickly changed into dry clothes and made use of our car as a clothesline. Note to self: bring clothesline for our next camping trip.

By this time, I was ready to settle down and just enjoy our surroundings. I grabbed a chilled can of Zevia Tonic Water to mix with vodka to enjoy in that empty chair Kelley had waiting for me.

Good thing my bride of 8 years has such a warm heart, she definitely helped to defrost my still shivering body from the cold lake and shower. Just seeing her smile can warm me inside and out on the coldest days! Yeah, I sound all gushy, but I tell no lies!

We made it a point to sit together to watch the sun set on the lake that evening. Our view was magnificent with the silhouette of this tree beside us.

But, as beautiful as it was, it seemed as if something was missing. Maybe just a little of….

….and a touch of…

…and topped off with…

Yeah, that’s more like it. Fun and romance captured on our camping trip. Oh hey, you can see that rock that cut my hands down there too.

We finished watching the sun on its descent with more drinks in hand as we listened to kids run around and scream all around us. Even with the screams, I wouldn’t trade that semi-peaceful moment with my wife for anything, it’s something we don’t get to enjoy enough. Not to mention actually being able to hold a conversation without the common toddler interruption.

Once it turned completely dark, we spent the remainder of the night in our tent doing what any couple would do with no kids around; watch more How I Met Your Mother. Thank you, Verizon mobile hot spot!

Our data is almost out for the month and we just started a new cycle, but it was soooo worth it. We both had trouble sleeping that night. Mainly from the screaming kids and parents fishing right next to our tent, but the sloped ground didn’t help matters. But, alas, we made it through the night and didn’t spend much time before heading home to G-Ma and Avery.

The drive back took only half as long as it did there, and we were glad to get back home to our little girl. Only problem was, something just happened that had her in a very bad mood for almost the rest of the day.

I’ll fill you in next time, but for now, be sure to check out the sponsored giveaways I posted for Purina Beneful and family games from Spin Master.

Ever plan a getaway with your significant other and no kids only to have kids all around anyway?

Life, Parenting

Weekend Camping Trip Part 1: Getting There

10/21/2015 R.C. Liley 4 Comments

Last weekend, my wife and I went on our first camping trip together. It was for our belated 8th anniversary celebration which was August 17 and we had my mom watch Avery at our house just like on our 7th anniversary.

It was also her 31st birthday on Monday, the 19th, so you can call it a little b-day celebration too. I even went all out and got her a Walking Dead Yahtzee Collector’s Edition game for us to play while camping.

Yeah, I’m a romantic, huh? Actually, we both love The Walking Dead, and I figured since we need more games for family fun, why not make it a little unique? Avery might be scared to play for a while though. Even I might be a little hesitant to shake the dice in that zombie head.

We were leaving for our campsite on Friday, but G-Ma had to work so we couldn’t head out until the afternoon. This was okay since we put off really packing until the day of anyway, and I needed to make sure we had the essentials. As a self-proclaimed camping newbie, I was confident I’d forget something, but wanted to make sure I at least had the food part ready.

Slow-cooker black beans with quinoa, big batch of slow-cooker steel cut oats with NuttZo, steamed sweet and white potatoes, canned sardines, salmon and rice, homemade NuttZo Banana Bread, beer, vodka, and Zevia (for a healthy vodka mixer, duh).

Not pictured were Lily’s Stevia Sweetened Dark Chocolate Chips, Elyon Marshmallows, and Annie’s Bunny Grahams to toss in foil and melt in a big gooey skillet s’mores concoction. Besides the s’mores, everything else was to be had cold since my newbie self did not have anything to cook/heat food while camping. It’s on the list now.

I also made a big batch of lentils and quinoa and put together several snacks for G-Ma and Avery to have while we were gone to make sure everyone was eating well for the weekend. Once my mom made it to our house, we gave her the rundown on sleeping, eating, playing, and whatnot, then gave it once more to make sure we didn’t leave anything out. After Kelley got Avery down for a nap, we said our farewells and took off for our long awaited camping trip.

What Google Maps said would take an hour was more like 2 hours since it was rush hour on a Friday. Cue Loverboy because Everybody’s Working for the Weekend and we all had places to go. After lots of mild cursing and the requisite mini arguments all couples have when driving to unknown destinations, we finally made it to Lavonia Park to camp on Lake Lavon.

You can reserve campsites online, which I did, but I only had 2 options for our dates and the rest were shown as taken. Our reserved site was away from the lake with no electric and in an odd area, so we decided to drive around before setting up shop for our 2-night stay. Wouldn’t you know, we came across a site right on the lake with electricity and no occupants. The electric sites cost $15 more per night, but we figured we might as well give it a go and test our luck.

“Besides, what’s the worst that could happen, they come and tell us to move?” so said my dear wife. Well, yes, yes it can and did happen. Only problem was, was it was pure dark by the time the elderly (and proud) Gate Attendant drove by to tell us we were at the wrong site and to move or pay more. Obviously we weren’t moving everything after unpacking, so we paid the extra and got over it.

Plus, we were already set on using the electricity to watch How I Met Your Mother on my laptop. It only took almost all our monthly data on Verizon to use our phones as mobile hot-spots, but it was so worth it to watch the shows without worrying about waking Avery. It’s the little things….

Go ahead, make fun of us for watching shows while camping, but damn, it was fun, and we really had no other plans anyway. By the time we unpacked that first night, we went for a dark walk around the park, used a fire starter log to make our foil skillet s’mores (there is a burn ban, so we could only use the grill…no ground fires like I pictured), and settle in for dinner and watching several shows.

Tent to the left, car to the right, and the lake was behind the camera. Really beautiful park and cleaner than I expected. Some of the restrooms were a little run down, but that’s not a big surprise anywhere. The biggest annoyance were the swarms of tiny bugs invading our face no matter where we stood. Another list item, bug spray. Oh, and tent stakes which I forgot like a dufus would, and of course it was windy. Go me!

But who can complain when you look up to this?

So that was our first night. I’ll share the next day, our full day alone sans kid in the next post. But, we couldn’t quite escape the kids; I’ll tell you why next time!

Have you ever been camping?

Ever go camping with your kids or do you want to? We want to take Avery, but think we’ll test it in the backyard first.

Life, Monthly List, Parenting

23 Memories From My 23rd Month Since Going Dad

10/15/2015 R.C. Liley 4 Comments

This is the second to last monthly memories post I’ll write before our little girl turns two. Then I’ll have to think of a new way to celebrate each month. And no, it won’t be 25 memories!

Not that I don’t think Avery will give us plenty of memories each month, but writing them out is starting to get a little too time consuming. Nap time is when I’m usually able to make the list, but as I write this, I’m watching our toddler pace back and forth in her crib and do butt busters. In other words, not napping! With that, I have my first memory to start things off.

Hey, Avery, you’re crazy dear! You will sit calmly while having lunch, but after we read and sing and I kiss you before putting you in your crib, you go into berserker mode! As I just mentioned, I’m watching you walk around your small rectangular space and even doing what seems like modified headstands. But the internet says you still need your naps, and we all know everything on the internet is real and true.

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Last month, I mentioned we officially entered the back-talking stage with your use of the word “No.”, and it has only increased in severity since. You’ll tell us “no” even when you don’t really mean it. This is especially true during dinner when Mommy asks if you want an awesome bite of goat cheese with cinnamon sweet potato and you say “no” as you open your mouth for her to feed it to you.
No worries though, you still use “yes” too, especially when we ask if you want to go outside. Which has led to us spending more time together as a family in our backyard as a result.
During one of our family outside adventures, you crawled on my back all by yourself (before, you needed assistance), and Mommy even got a cute pic of us that I find myself looking at every day.
We’ve always just put food on the tray of your high chair, but this month, we stepped it up in the domesticated world and gave you your own plate. We had to constantly ask that you leave it on your tray, but you do enjoy the added color from The Lion King or Barney and Friends character-themed plates.
Testing the boundaries a little more, I started giving you one of your favorite breakfast items, banana, on a plate for you to feed yourself. I tried giving you NuttZo once, but only watched in horror as it fell to the floor. It has since been replaced with sprouted raw pumpkin seeds which I figured would be much cleaner. You proved otherwise….
Then, finally, you had your first successful dinner eating from your own plate full of food and nothing ending up on the floor! And you left your plate right-side-up!
Mommy pushed the boundaries that same night and gave you a fork to use too. I was doubtful after several banana and NuttZo fork fails, but you proved me wrong and used the pronged utensil better than ever. We did, however, have to take it away once you started using it as an instrument.
I remember wearing you in our Onya baby carrier every day for a walk in the morning and afternoon, but those days have passed. You do still seem to enjoy a little daddy-daughter bonding though, and I carried you a few times this month. One even being as I mowed the lawn.

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Mommy created a nice backyard garden area for us this month using my digging and dirt moving skills. You enjoyed running back and forth picking up dirt clumps and “helping” us out every chance you got. It was the first somewhat big project we all had a hand in, and thank to Mommy’s great work, we’ll be able to enjoy it for years to come.

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The frog population has been very active this month, and you’ve taken great interest in the amphibians hanging around our house. This makes me happy since I’m an amphibian and reptile lover over any other type of animal, so it’s great to share the interest. Maybe I need to take it slower though….

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I left you and Mommy for the weekend to go to my first At-Home Dad Convention. Before I left, I explained that I would be gone, but your reaction wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for. I’m putting this in the No means Yes category.

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Which reminds me, your extensive use of No is mainly part of what we deemed toddler regression. You were sleeping, eating, and acting so well for a while, and then WHAM, we ap-parently forgot how to parent. Or so it felt that way.
The most popular new thing you picked up on this month was “jet” or “airplane”. We never noticed how many planes flew over our house until you let us know about each and every one passing by. Turns out, there’s a lot!
You must of been bit by a happy-to-help bug after doing so much with Mommy in the backyard because now you’re “helping” with laundry, starting the dishwasher, and even putting up our big orders from Thrive Market and Amazon. Maybe soon I’ll be able to remove the quotations from help…..
Sorry, Dad, I don’t know where everything went.
There’s hardly a dull, or at least quiet, moment in the house as your vocabulary continues to increase. Mommy and I have noticed that you’re speaking a little more clearly and combining words to make small sentences. You still have your babble time, but even that sounds more like words than before.
When you’re not pacing around looking for what to get into next, you have started running up to me and initiating a foot attack. I’ll be in the kitchen just washing dishes, and out of no where you’ll come and stomp on my feet as you let out a battle cry. All I can do is retaliate and we’ll go back and forth for a good minute. I love seeing the smile on your face and how playful you are becoming.
Mommy’s not safe from your playful attacks either. Just the other day you did your best to jump on her back without warning. Of course she helped you up a little, and of course I took a picture.
It’s apparent you’re becoming more independent and *gasp* actually aware of things around and on you! This means you now get very upset if we choose the wrong color shirt for you. The majority of the time, you request a blue shirt, but if there’s not a clean one around, green will do, and occasionally pink or purple. But right now, your favorite shirt is the one Mommy brought back from her week-long work trip to the Northeast.
Your new-found fashion sense doesn’t stop at shirts either, you are even more demanding of what color diaper you wear. If we don’t have a blue or green one that’s clean, that could spell disaster! Luckily, the multi-colored ones suffice as blue to you.

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I brought you to the tiny playground in our neighborhood thinking you’d be all up for going down (ha, that sounds kinda funny), but I guess your fear of heights is still present. I thought for sure that your Soft Star Shoes would give you the courage, but I ended up getting to go down the slide with you. It was fun, but I did bang my shin up from my clumsy climb.

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We added a new kid’s table and chairs to the kitchen for you to ~~sit at~~ climb all over and push across the floor. You actually enjoy using it, and the plan is to get coloring books and crayons to keep yourself busy once you know not to color everything but the books made for coloring. Until then, the chairs house your favorite bear and the table makes for a great place to eat breakfast all by yourself.
Just last weekend, we spent the night at G-Ma’s house and it ended up being better than most of our past experiences. Yeah, the last time was back in July for Independence Day, and the combination of lack of sleep and stimulating fireworks made for a rough night. This time, Mommy laid down with you in a real bed where you both slept through the night. I stayed away and slept on the recliner. Major kudos to my wife for keeping you safe from falling off the bed at the expense of a good night’s sleep for herself.

There are plenty more memories Avery gave us just in this month, but I just wrote as they came to mind. As you can tell, Instagram and past posts serve as an excellent memory refresher.

Kelley and I are leaving Avery at home to go camping together while my Mom / G-Ma stays at our house to watch her. The camping trip is for Kelley’s birthday, but I know I’ll love the time away too! Win-win! I’m sure the happenings this weekend with Avery and G-Ma and us camping will make for plenty of memories in my last edition of this post next month.

Until then, have a great weekend, I’ll be back to posting next week, unless the campsite has bears….hungry bears…..Oooooo