Autumn Walk 2009

Every year, mommy and Nick go for a walk in the autumn to see the leaves. Behind AHRC is a path we can take down a hill, and then we walk around the Robin Hood camp for kids.

When mommy picked up Nick he said "Wendy's!" We got to the car and mommy said "I want us to take a walk first, then we will get french fries." Mommy put on her coat and then looked up and Nick was already walking towards the path. Mommy had to run to catch up with Nick.

First we walked down the path.

Then we arrived at the camp grounds. There were buildings, playgrounds, pools, basketball courts and lots of hills and trees. We walked all around the property.

Nick sat down and looked around. We listened to the sound of the wind in the trees. The camp is next to a horse farm and over the fence we could see people and horses.

Then we walked back up the path.

When we got back to the car Nick was skipping and smiling.

When we got home mommy put the pictures on the computer. Mommy showed Nick old pictures from our walks.

This was taken in 2008.

This was taken in 2007.

And this was taken in 2006.

Mommy said to Nick, " These pictures remind me how big you are getting! I'm happy that we do this every year, I love our walks together. I hope you do too."

Mommy Comes to School

On Friday, Nick went to school, but something was different in the afternoon. Mommy did not go to work, and at 2:30 mommy surprised Nick at school.

Nick was happy to see mommy and said "home!" Mommy wanted to talk to the teacher first, so Nick had to wait. He was not happy waiting. He stood at the door with his coat and knapsack on and his hand on the doorknob. Nick did not have a happy face.


The we walked to the car. Nick said he wanted to go home but mommy said we were going out to have fun together. We went to The Dees Nursery to see the Halloween displays and to look at all the pumpkins.




They are also getting ready for Christmas. Nick found a big grizzly bear wearing a Santa hat! The bear was very tall and had soft brown fur.


Then we went to McDonald's for french fries and to Michael's Craft Store.

Then Nick said he wanted to go to the Pet Shop. We went inside and looked around. We saw fish in tanks and birds in cages. Then Nick acted scared and mommy saw little birds that were not in a cage. Nick is afraid of big birds when we are outside. But these birds were little, and they were sitting on a shelf eating food and cleaning themselves.

Nick was brave and stood behind mommy while she took a movie of the birds. Mommy said "I will put this movie on your computer so you can look at it at home," and Nick said "NO!"

The Fun Zone

Today it was a cold and rainy day. Daddy told Nick they would go in the car. Daddy said "where would you like to go?" Nick wrote down Fun Zone. Daddy and Nick have not been there in a long time, but daddy said "let's go to the Fun Zone!"

Nick played on the video games.

He also rode on some of the rides. He liked the rides that went very fast.

And the rides that went very high.

When Nick came home he had a big smile on his face. He had a fun time at the Fun Zone!

The Long Beach Fall Festival

Every year, Long Beach has a fall festival in front of city hall. On Saturday mommy and Nick drove past in the car. Nick pointed to the big slide and mommy said, "it is late, tomorrow we will go to the festival and play on the slide." Nick had a big smile on his face.

On Sunday, mommy reminded Nick that we were going to the festival. Mommy asked Nick to get ready and he put on his sweatshirt, socks and shoes.

When we got there Nick wanted to go on the big slide. We waited on line until it was Nick's turn. Nick had such a good time he wanted to go again, so we waited on line and Nick climbed up to the top and went down the slide again.


Mommy asked Nick if he wanted to go on the carousel. Nick said "no." Mommy was surprised, but Nick did not want to get on the line, we watched from behind the fence.


Then we walked into the tent and looked at all the food for sale. Mommy bought fruits and vegetables to take home.

There was also a petting zoo, and we watched kids playing with the animals.

Then we got on line to go in the pumpkin patch. When we got to the entrance Nick did not want to go in. He was scared and wanted to go home. Mommy talked to Nick and told him that ever since he was a baby he has been in the pumpkin patch and he was never scared. Finally Nick went in. He did not play with the hay or run around with the other kids. He picked out a little pumpkin and the told mommy we were all done.


When we came home mommy showed Nick a picture from 2001. Nick was so little! Back then he liked sitting in the pumpkin patch playing with the hay and pumpkins.

Mommy said "it's okay if you don't want to play in the pumpkin patch anymore. Maybe you are getting too big for that sort of thing."

The Dentist Visit

On Friday night, mommy told Nick that there was no AHRC on Saturday. Instead, we would go to the dentist.

A dentist is a doctor that looks at teeth. Mommy didn't know if Nick remembered the dentist, and she didn't want Nick to be afraid, so we looked at movies on YouTube. There were lots of movies of kids getting their teeth cleaned at the dentist. Some of the kids were scared but they were brave and were okay. Mommy said Nick would be brave too.

On Saturday we went in the car to the dentist building. Nick did good sitting in the chairs waiting for his turn.


Then it was Nick's turn and we went into the little blue room. Nick sat down in the chair and waited. The dentist came into the room and Nick said "hi."

Then the dentist pushed the chair back, as if Nick was lying in a bed. Nick had to open his mouth so the dentist could look at his teeth and check them, then he cleaned Nick's teeth with strawberry toothpaste.

Nick was so brave, just like the kids on YouTube. The dentist was able to do all his work and then he told mommy that Nick had no cavities and his teeth are clean and healthy.

Mommy was so proud of Nick! When we got back to the car mommy said "You were so brave, what a good job! Where would you like to go to celebrate?" Nick wrote down Barnes and Noble Booksellers, so that's where we went. Nick bought a big cookie and paid for it with money. Then we sat down together at a table.

Tonight Nick will use his new blue and white toothbrush that the dentist gave him.

Cleaning the Car

On Sunday, mommy told Nick he was going to help clean the inside of the car. Mommy said "the car is very messy, especially in the back seat where Nick sits."

Mommy showed Nick how to vacuum the seat. Then she gave the vacuum to Nick and he did the work - and a very good job too!


Nick also helped dust off the dashboard and the steering wheel.

Then he took a cloth and cleaned all of the windows on the inside and the outside.

Mommy had to keep reminding Nick that we were doing work. He kept getting silly and trying to play.

Finally we were all done.

Then daddy said he was taking Nick in the car to the library and to get french fries for lunch. Mommy said "wow, how nice, don't you like sitting in a clean car!"

But Nick did not say any words.