Monday, August 19, 2002
We just got back from the most relaxing weekend away, this time in Burlington, VT, as opposed to the city of the same name in MA, which is much closer. What a great town this is! Beautiful - the view going toward lake Champlain on Main St. reminded me of a San Francisco st. heading toward the bay. Gorgeous, except that there were mountains here, and state borders closeby and international borders. The Adirondack Mtns in the distance beyond the lake beckoned. Very well kept town, it looked modern, not like a town that has seen better years.
We happened to choose this town since we had two free weekends to use at Sheraton for frequent visitor miles John had from business. The morning we awoke in our hotel, Saturday am, (we all shared a bed) and Drew was looking for something to do, and we wanted to watch TV and let us 'sleep' in a bit. I asked him to bring me the remote control, by standing on a chair I supposed he could get it off the TV top. He didn't see it, and disappointedly muttered, 'I bet you didn't pack the remote control.'
We got the TV working, and were watching the weather channel and viewed a segment about previous hurricanes, in particular the very destructive Camille of the 60s or 70s, (I forget the decade in which it occurred). Drew sadly stated, "They should call this the Sad Channel, not the Weather Channel."
After having a lunchtime cruise on Lake Champlain, we headed south along the lake to take in the VT Teddy Bear Factory and their tour. Along the humorous tour, the young boy guide held up some of the original bears they made and some made today, and asked what is the difference. I raised my hand and suggested that today's are fatter. This guy really had some spunk about him and pretended the bears' feelings got hurt, and insisted they were 'pleasantly plump'!! Wow, was he ever adamant! He totally embarrassed me and made me hug the bear in front of the group to show my apology. I asked Drew if he wanted to hug the bear for me, and the guide insisted that I had to do it myself! 'HUG THE TEDDY BEAR!'
On the next stop on the tour, in the sewing room, we were reminded of how there is extra fur left over after making bears. The guide offered everyone a fur cutout of a bear to serve as a button cover for the buttons we wore on tour, and he offered the basket of fur covers to Drew first. Drew took one look and declared 'I HATE TEDDY BEARS - NO THANKS' - needless to say, John and I were cracking up. It was all I could do not to wet my pants! AFter all, they take teddy bears VERY SERIOUSLY here. Immediately, I said 'He is not my child, he is the neighbor's' and Drew said 'I am not.' Well, he knew I was kidding. It was quite hysterical.
After the tour, Drew decided to get his new sibling a teddy bear and he chose a medium brown one, and he got to shoose from qualities on a wheel, which ones to put into his new sibling's bear. He chose Magic, Dreams and Wishes. He has a baby cousin for whom we made one also, and he chose the qualities of friendship and giggles to put into this bear. Into each he stuffed a red heart and we watched the bear get sewn up by hand. These bears have a lifetime warranty - amazing, huh? A very neat place, not inexpensive, but really neat to go at least once.
Now Drew has many fine qualities. He does not however, have the quality of being open minded about food, particulary new foods, or foods prepared a bit different from the way he has previously seen. He refused to eat any of the foods offered on the buffet on the ship (we did the lunchtime cruise on Lake Champlain) so he was snacking on cereal in the car later, leaving the bear factory and heading to Ben and Jerry's Factory Tour. He was told that if he did not eat that he could not have ice cream there and he understood. I heard his little voice say from the back seat, while munching on the cereal, 'This is my lunch' and John and I did not yet understand the ramifications, and we simply said 'OK.' Later when we arrived at B&J's he announced 'Now that I ate my lunch I can have ice cream.' Boy, that boy will try anything these days!
When staying in hotels we get the pleasure of cuddling up close, as we share a bed often, if the hotel assigns us a king bed, and there is a hefty surcharge for a cot I will just dispense with it and we all share. So Drew especially likes this snuggling. When we got home last night just in time for bed in fact, I tried to put him in bed but he wanted to sleep in his sleeping bag in our room (he keeps it there so if he has bad dreams he has a more 'safe' place to sleep. I told him no, not now, for I was going to spend time in there before my bedtime. He was quite upset to be going back to sleeping by himself, and sadly reminded me that I have a baby in my tummy, and why am I not tired right now? Shouldn't I be going to bed right now since I am pregnant?! (That boy will sure try anything these days - he is getting very clever about his reasoning and negotiating skills.) I heard John kind of chuckle in the bathroom where he overheard this, saying 'Mary, he is just looking out for you.' We ended up compromising, when I went to bed later, I agreed to sleep on Drew's extra bed (a trundle) so we could wake up together. It is nice to mean so much to a child!
We happened to choose this town since we had two free weekends to use at Sheraton for frequent visitor miles John had from business. The morning we awoke in our hotel, Saturday am, (we all shared a bed) and Drew was looking for something to do, and we wanted to watch TV and let us 'sleep' in a bit. I asked him to bring me the remote control, by standing on a chair I supposed he could get it off the TV top. He didn't see it, and disappointedly muttered, 'I bet you didn't pack the remote control.'
We got the TV working, and were watching the weather channel and viewed a segment about previous hurricanes, in particular the very destructive Camille of the 60s or 70s, (I forget the decade in which it occurred). Drew sadly stated, "They should call this the Sad Channel, not the Weather Channel."
After having a lunchtime cruise on Lake Champlain, we headed south along the lake to take in the VT Teddy Bear Factory and their tour. Along the humorous tour, the young boy guide held up some of the original bears they made and some made today, and asked what is the difference. I raised my hand and suggested that today's are fatter. This guy really had some spunk about him and pretended the bears' feelings got hurt, and insisted they were 'pleasantly plump'!! Wow, was he ever adamant! He totally embarrassed me and made me hug the bear in front of the group to show my apology. I asked Drew if he wanted to hug the bear for me, and the guide insisted that I had to do it myself! 'HUG THE TEDDY BEAR!'
On the next stop on the tour, in the sewing room, we were reminded of how there is extra fur left over after making bears. The guide offered everyone a fur cutout of a bear to serve as a button cover for the buttons we wore on tour, and he offered the basket of fur covers to Drew first. Drew took one look and declared 'I HATE TEDDY BEARS - NO THANKS' - needless to say, John and I were cracking up. It was all I could do not to wet my pants! AFter all, they take teddy bears VERY SERIOUSLY here. Immediately, I said 'He is not my child, he is the neighbor's' and Drew said 'I am not.' Well, he knew I was kidding. It was quite hysterical.
After the tour, Drew decided to get his new sibling a teddy bear and he chose a medium brown one, and he got to shoose from qualities on a wheel, which ones to put into his new sibling's bear. He chose Magic, Dreams and Wishes. He has a baby cousin for whom we made one also, and he chose the qualities of friendship and giggles to put into this bear. Into each he stuffed a red heart and we watched the bear get sewn up by hand. These bears have a lifetime warranty - amazing, huh? A very neat place, not inexpensive, but really neat to go at least once.
Now Drew has many fine qualities. He does not however, have the quality of being open minded about food, particulary new foods, or foods prepared a bit different from the way he has previously seen. He refused to eat any of the foods offered on the buffet on the ship (we did the lunchtime cruise on Lake Champlain) so he was snacking on cereal in the car later, leaving the bear factory and heading to Ben and Jerry's Factory Tour. He was told that if he did not eat that he could not have ice cream there and he understood. I heard his little voice say from the back seat, while munching on the cereal, 'This is my lunch' and John and I did not yet understand the ramifications, and we simply said 'OK.' Later when we arrived at B&J's he announced 'Now that I ate my lunch I can have ice cream.' Boy, that boy will try anything these days!
When staying in hotels we get the pleasure of cuddling up close, as we share a bed often, if the hotel assigns us a king bed, and there is a hefty surcharge for a cot I will just dispense with it and we all share. So Drew especially likes this snuggling. When we got home last night just in time for bed in fact, I tried to put him in bed but he wanted to sleep in his sleeping bag in our room (he keeps it there so if he has bad dreams he has a more 'safe' place to sleep. I told him no, not now, for I was going to spend time in there before my bedtime. He was quite upset to be going back to sleeping by himself, and sadly reminded me that I have a baby in my tummy, and why am I not tired right now? Shouldn't I be going to bed right now since I am pregnant?! (That boy will sure try anything these days - he is getting very clever about his reasoning and negotiating skills.) I heard John kind of chuckle in the bathroom where he overheard this, saying 'Mary, he is just looking out for you.' We ended up compromising, when I went to bed later, I agreed to sleep on Drew's extra bed (a trundle) so we could wake up together. It is nice to mean so much to a child!
