Everyone knows how much I love to celebrate birthdays, so it should come as no surprise that I also celebrate my boys' 1/2 birthdays. I don't go overboard and plan a huge party, but we do try to let them have a special outing. Now, it just so happens that each of their 1/2 birthdays falls in the other one's actual birth-month; therefore, it really is a nice way to help him feel special while all the attention has been focused on his brother and the elaborate party that the crazy woman (aka Mommy) has been working on for months!
This year on July 21, Mikie chose to go mini-golfing in the morning and then have lunch at Long John Silvers. That evening we got a baby-sitter for Zachary, so Michael and I could take our 4 1/2 year old REAL golfing. Watching my little boy tee off for the very first time (and whiff) made me so proud.
Golf is my sport. While I am not great and definitely not consistent, I have always enjoyed playing since the very first time my grandmother took me out on the course in Sigourney, Iowa when I was about 13 years old. It could be that this game was perfect for me because I was so shy and self-conscious that the thought of playing a spectator sport made me physically ill or perhaps it was just the easiest sport to play in high school because you didn't have to "try out" to be on the team. Mostly though, I think this sport appealed to the 'wimp' in me because the most grueling physical activity was not running hills or sprinting up the football stadium bleachers while passing a volleyball over your head, but we were actually forced to carry our own golf bag and walk all 9 holes on our small town course TWICE!
After four years of being on the worst high school golf team in our division (ok...we may have placed 2nd to last at one of the tournaments) I set off for college and found myself getting paid to play the sport I loved. Again, there were no try outs or scouts coming after me, but I was fortunate enough to land at a college that needed to spend some Title IX money on women's athletics and decided to commence a women's golf team. They were in desperate need of female players and took anyone who could swing a club. This is the only way I was lucky enough to say that I played college golf and got paid a scholarship to do so! Once again, I found myself on the worst team in the division, placing last at every meet, but was proud to be playing in the number two spot on our team (and tried not to notice when all the other number 2 women I was teeing off with out drove me by 150 yards and actually shot close to par).
To have Mikie follow in my footsteps and enjoy a sport that I love playing is a lot of fun right now. I hope that he continues to improve and always finds it enjoyable so we can play together as he grows older.
Besides the actual act of golfing, I know Mikie enjoys all the numbers involved in this sport, beginning with the opportunity to pick the number of golf cart we got (72), as well as the numbers on the clubs, the number at each hole, the number of yards to the hole, and of course the number of strokes it takes to get the ball in the hole.
Here's a video of his attempts to tee off:
Here's a video of him hitting in the rough.
He was absolutely hysterical to watch as he would hit the ball about 10 feet and then run and hit it again another 10-12 feet, and then run, then hit, run, hit, run, hit......... until we told him to pick up his ball and bring it with us to our next shot. We told him that he could keep track of how many putts it took him and we would record that number for his score. As it turns out, his putting score of 80 strokes tied with Michael's overall score for 9 holes.
One of the highlights of golfing with your parents is that they let you drive the golf cart when no one is looking.
Mikie sinks his last putt on hole #9 and wraps up his first round of real golf. We had so much fun together just the three of us and hope to continue the tradition of special 1/2 birthday celebrations for many years to come.
Mikie Says.....
"Why do I have fingernails on my toes?" -May 09
More profound: "Why did God make us?" "Will our bodies be in heaven?"
When driving by an apartment complex with a 'now leasing' sign out front Mikie asks: "Do you have enough money to lease?" to which I reply: "Honey, we've already bought our house." Then I guess he must have been thinking about the check out lines in stores because he asks, "How did you carry it?" -July 29, 2009
Mikie wanted me to raise our basketball hoop to 6 feet instead of 3 feet and I told him that it would be staying at that height until Zachary got a little bit bigger. He quickly ran over to Zachary and said, "Zachary, Mommy says you have to grow." -July 2009
Mikie had just gotten a new set of golf clubs complete with a putter, two irons, and a wooden driver. While his brother was eyeing his new sporting equipment, Mikie pulled out the driver and told Zachary "This is my wood. It's hard!" -July 2009
Mikie amazes everyone with his mathematical abilities and this day he even amazed me. I usually ask him to find the sum or the difference in math equations such as 12+9= or 30-8= but today I started asking him to tell me what numbers make 10 and after hearing his responses I grabbed the camera, changed the target number to 8, and took a little video:
Scared lil' faces because the piano was playing all by itself!
Silly Salutes!
The boys found a winning ticket under their chair and got to go up on stage to get a signed copy of the performance poster.
Meeting the cast and getting autographs.
This pirate is honestly related to Captain Kidd in real life!
This was the day I received my very first noodle necklace made by my favorite 4 year old! I felt just like Goldie Hahn in "Overboard" when he put it around my neck. When I took it off a few hours later, I had blue and pink spots on my neck from the dyed noodles. And later that evening when Mikie and I went to the theater for a play (upcoming post), he asked me to wear it; so, I slipped it back on as he and I both smiled with pride!
Zachary made one too, but wanted to wear it himself.
The activity that was the biggest hit last year remains Mikie's favorite this year. He even asked to do it as soon as we entered the park but we told him we would save it for last (I'm amazed he remembered since he was only 3 last year). What could this art phenomenon be? Painting a card board box castle! That's it, just erect some boxes, cut a door and some windows, give the kids paint and a brush and viola you have dozens of little artist vying for a blank spot in the cardboard tunnel.
Hours of being in the heat with tired children left us all a bit cranky. All Zachary wanted to do was get out! 
To have Mikie follow in my footsteps and enjoy a sport that I love playing is a lot of fun right now. I hope that he continues to improve and always finds it enjoyable so we can play together as he grows older.
Besides the actual act of golfing, I know Mikie enjoys all the numbers involved in this sport, beginning with the opportunity to pick the number of golf cart we got (72), as well as the numbers on the clubs, the number at each hole, the number of yards to the hole, and of course the number of strokes it takes to get the ball in the hole.
Here's a video of his attempts to tee off:
One of the highlights of golfing with your parents is that they let you drive the golf cart when no one is looking.
Mikie sinks his last putt on hole #9 and wraps up his first round of real golf. We had so much fun together just the three of us and hope to continue the tradition of special 1/2 birthday celebrations for many years to come. 
After picking her up from the airport we met Michael at his office and watched him pin on his next rank (picts to come later). Then the boys showed Boagie how to run through the tunnels underground and we ate our lunch in the park.
Our photographer captured some great family photos for us. She sure is silly behind that camera, but hey, she gets them to smile and she works for free!
The next day we took a break from the party preparations and took the kids to the river. They had so much fun throwing rocks in the water, digging in the sand, and walking up/down stream.
We've got to think of another word besides "Cheese" for them to say if we want to capture real smiles that don't look like they are induced by some painful event.
Couldn't resist the profile 'clone' picture.
Zachary is covering his ears because he heard a loud siren on the bridge overhead.
On Sunday evening, Boagie watched the boys while Michael and I went golfing (real golfing...not miniature!) 
Zachary was a little chilly in the waterpark area.
But he loved going on the lazy river tube ride with his Bodeek.
Playing a game to win an elephant.....and yes....he chose the pink one!
Riding the Monster Truck ride.
...Bowling Balls! We took them bowling with their own Monster Truck bowling balls.
And Zach gives his Monster Mutt ball a shove. 
I just had to put this one in there. This was generally Zach's attitude throughout the session.
