November 14, 2005
wouldn’t this make a cute Christmas card?
I’m entirely serious.
No, I have not lost my mind and installed a dungeon in my ranch house (although the temptation is strong). We took the boys to Turner Falls this weekend, which is a lovely state park about two hours south of Oklahoma City. Wade’s mother packed a fantastic picnic lunch and we hiked around and threw rocks in the water and talked about how Henry’s medicine is CLEARLY not the right dosage as he was running away down the river bank. Fun for all!
Henry’s absolute favorite part of the whole day was the ‘castle’, an actual CASTLE, built as a summer home (I think in the 1930’s) by a University of Oklahoma professor (Wade said, ‘Of COURSE it was built by a crazy professor!’). I don’t even know how to describe it–lots of small stone staircases and tiny rooms and of course, a ‘dungeon’. The boys loved it.
I somehow managed to fall down this staircase, which did seem very Jane Austen-ish, but still hurt like hell.*
When we finally tore the boys away from the castle and the river and the teepees (sorry, no pictures of the teepees), we went on to the Arbuckle Wilderness, which I’m sure you know better as ‘Oklahoma’s Premier Exotic Animal Theme Park.’ No, really! It’s one of those places where you drive through and the animals come right up to the car and you can feed them, if you don’t mind a little giraffe slobber on your hands. We saw yaks and zebras and llamas and tigers (in cages) and some cute deer and miniature donkeys.
As we were driving in, Wade and his parents were reminiscing about going to a similar park in Missouri when the kids were little. An ostrich put it’s head in the car and Wade’s sister practically decapitated it when she rolled up the window. ‘It nearly scared me to death!’ my mother-in-law remembered. Ha ha ha, we all laughed about that.
So we’re driving through the park with the windows open so we can feed the animals and here comes an ostrich. AND PUTS ITS HEAD THROUGH THE WINDOW, right where I’m sitting. First of all, birds scare the bejesus out of me, even little sweet ones (which an ostrich is NOT). Second, I have Charlie in my lap (yes, out of his booster seat–just let it go) and he is yelling, ‘Ostrich! Don’t eat me!’ Third, the car has automatic windows, so despite the fact that Wade is yelling ‘CLOSE THE WINDOW! CLOSE THE WINDOW!’ and I am pushing the button as hard as I can, the window is going up very slowly. Ha ha so not funny.
But it gets better! We get away from that ostrich and we’re tooling along, admiring some buffalo that have come right up next to the passenger side window, where Wade and Henry are sitting, when here comes ANOTHER ostrich sticking his head in my mother-in-law’s window. And, as she said before, it nearly scares her to death. But this time the rest of us are convulsed with laughter and no one is helping her. She’s yelling at my father-in-law, ‘Drive! DRIVE the car!’ But he’s just laughing. Hoo boy that was funny.
Doesn’t that sound like FUN? Holy hell.
But we did get to see some really beautiful animals right up close, which was pretty cool, and the boys had a huge time. We walked through the ‘petting zoo’ part of the park on the way out (although it was mostly empty, and the actual ‘petting’ animals were all goats, which scared the boys) and then Wade took the kids out to a little play area near the parking lot where there was a climber shaped like a train. They played for a while, and then we headed home.
About an hour later, Henry said, ‘Look at the boo boo on my finger!’ I took a cursory look but couldn’t see anything, and I told him I would look more carefully when we got home. As soon as we pulled in the driveway at Wade’s parents’ house, he said, ‘Look at my finger! I poked it on a nail when we were playing in the train!’ I looked at Wade and said, ‘Goddammit. Do you think he’ll need a tetanus shot?’ Wade said, ‘I don’t know–you call the triage line, and I’ll call Adam.’
‘Adam? Why?’ (Adam is Wade’s friend; he is also an attorney.)
‘To find out how we sue the Arbuckle Wilderness people.’ Gotta love that man.
But, no, Henry doesn’t need a tetanus shot (it was a little scrape and he had a DTaP this summer) and we’re not suing anyone, but I am sore and tired from all the hiking. And I really may use that picture of the boys in the jail as my Christmas card. And today I’m paying bills and doing laundry, and tomorrow I will tell you all about how I’m in training for Thanksgiving weekend.
*Of course you all remembered that Louisa Musgrove falls from a staircase very similar to this one at Lyme Regis, yes? She suffers a serious head injury while I just have a sore elbow and tailbone. Thank goodness.
Posted by Susan @ 11:22 am • Uncategorized
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November 14th, 2005 at 1:07 pm, Candace Says:
Yes, you must use that as your Christmas picture. You could just send that one to friends who won’t think you’re crazy for using it. Then take another “serious” one for the friends and family and others who don’t have senses of humor.
That’s what we did last year.
And we have a castle in Cincinnati, too! Also with a dungeon!
November 14th, 2005 at 1:07 pm, M&Co. Says:
I would SO use that as my christmas card!
November 14th, 2005 at 1:14 pm, theyellowwallpaper Says:
Great pics. I think you should label the ones with your sons in the jail: The boys spend the entire month on November in Time Out.
Sounds like you had a good time. I wish we had something like that in Connecticut. Alas, the closest thing to wildlife we have are the Land Rovers, McMansions and the occassional Volvo.
November 14th, 2005 at 1:49 pm, Felicity Says:
I would absolutely use that as my xm card. I’d like to find a guillotine to use for mine. I could be in it too, standing next to my kids’ decapitated bodies and holding their bloody heads? No, I guess that might fail to amuse.
(Please forgive. 14 y/o dd just called me at work, screamed and cursed at me, then hung up on me.)
November 14th, 2005 at 3:17 pm, Nothing But Bonfires Says:
Ow, just LOOKING at those stairs made me ache. No doubt I would have fallen UP them, as well as down.
And I just LOVE glasses on little boys. When I have children, I’ve half a mind to get them clear frames even if they don’t need glasses, just because a pair of miniature specs makes them look so sweet. Though that’s probably wrong, right?
November 14th, 2005 at 3:58 pm, adria Says:
Oh, please have that be your Christmas card! It would win top prize.
Your weekend sounded so fun. I was stuck at home with the sickness Daria passed onto me.
November 14th, 2005 at 4:50 pm, Kristen Says:
Too bad you didn’t get a picture of the ostrich terrorizing your kids - that would make a great xmas pic, too! I’m an Oklahoma mom, I’ll have to remember to be cautious if I ever take the kids there! LOL
November 14th, 2005 at 6:14 pm, chris Says:
i would totally go with the behind bars shot for the Christmas card. (my mom wouldn’t laugh though.)just think how you’ll be able to “terrorize” them with it later.
November 14th, 2005 at 7:30 pm, Mary P. Says:
The ostriches through the window had me bellowing gales of laughter that brought my husband downstairs, and when he asked, “What? What’s so funny?” I couldn’t speak, and could merely point helplessly to the paragraphs.
*Whew*
That felt good! Thank you!!
November 14th, 2005 at 7:37 pm, Dawn Says:
I am of the opinion that goats are the “gangsta’s” of the petting zoo world. You concur, I see.
November 15th, 2005 at 8:18 am, The June Cleaver Diaries Says:
You MUST use that as your Christmas card!!!!
BTW, was the park in MO that your inlaws went to Grant’s Farm? That place freaks me out.
November 15th, 2005 at 8:23 am, ieatcrayonz Says:
Ooh, sorry to hear about your trip this lovely fall. heh heh.
I.LOVE.THE.CHRISTMAS.CARD.
In fact, I think I’m going to swipe it for my cards as well. It’s too good.
You know, as long as I’ve lived in Okrahoma, I’ve never made it down to Arbuckle Wilderness or Turner Falls. I might just have to do that. I love giraffes…and their slobber too!
November 15th, 2005 at 6:00 pm, Jenorama Says:
I loved hearing about the ostriches. Reminds me of Curious George. You know. The one with the ostriches.
I tried to comment yesterday, but my computer freaked out. Here’s hoping.
November 16th, 2005 at 8:18 am, Anonymous Says:
that is the FUNNIEST picture of the boys behind bars!