Vacation: Part One

We are in the midst of our first "real" vacation in two years. (Trips to see family do not count.) While there is plenty of family time on this trip, it seems different when you're in a place like Leadville, CO.

Our trip began on Friday with a short trip from Dubuque to Des Moines to see Grandpa Bernie and Grandma Fran. This was followed by another short trip from Des Moines to Omaha to see Grandpa Cooper's (aka "Pop's") family at a cookout in a beautiful house on a golf course. While there Claire got her first taste of freedom by "driving" the golf cart. From there we made the scenic drive across Nebraska and eastern Colorado to Sterling, CO, where Claire enjoyed playing in a bug-filled pool at a Super 8. Monday brought us to Leadville, finally, where we stayed in a house with the Cooper clan - Brian, Ann, Andy, Josie, Ellen, and Greg. Brian and Ann had rented a house for a week with a great view! Thanks!!!!!

Claire, driving the golf cart.

Claire, with mom, grandpa and great grandpa

The view from the deck of our house in Leadville

In Leadville Claire got to go on her first "mountain" hike to Turquoise Lake where she got to play one of her favorite games. She also watched the finish of the "First Annual Cooper Boom Days Classic 5K Vacation From Your Problems Pro Am Race For the Cure Fun Run for a Better Tomorrow." Uncle Greg won in a sprint finish.

Claire enjoys "hiking" when someone else does the work

Claire demonstrates the finer points of Rock Toss to mom

Claire contemplates the number of rocks it would take to fill up Turquoise Lake

The Cooper clan pre-race. Almost everyone was providing free advertising for High Mountain Pies (best pizza in all the land!)

Claire's mom outkicks Claire's dad up the finishing hill*

*To be fair, Claire's dad had run 9 miles 2 hours earlier in the day.

The rest of the week holds an assault on a 14,000 foot peak in the area, eating more pizza, and hanging out at Boom Days in Leadville.

Claire update

We've gotten a complaint from one of our adoring fans about a recent lack of Claire pictures. So to satisfy his need to see our daughter here are some pictures...

Claire outside at her temporary home.

Claire and her dad taking time to smell the geraniums.

Claire demonstrates proper cutting technique of plastic faux-lettuce to her Grandma Julie (aka Nana)

Claire enjoys her first bite of sweet corn. Eventually she agreed to hold it herself.

Claire's first attempt at mixing pancake batter was successful.

Tomorrow we begin a long family road trip to Leadville, Colorado, home of the world's best pizza. We will be making stops in Des Moines and Omaha to see assorted family members. How will Claire handle several thousand miles of driving? Stay tuned.

What's new? oh, you know, the usual...

Isn't it every week you say goodbye to the people you've been in grad school with for many years, half-move to another city, move back in with your parents (or in-laws), move stuff into your new office for your first real job ever, have a house inspected that you are going to buy in September, clean out your new lab space that was filled with 30 years worth of someone else's research and who never had the custodians clean, try to get your fish lab set up and not kill your fish, and work on writing lectures for the classes you'll teach next fall, er, in ~6 weeks! Anyway, I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff that's happened, but it has been busy.

But on to the important stuff... Claire. She is doing just fine. I don't think she really cares where she is, as long as Mom and Dad are there. And actually, even if we weren't, if her 'Ma' and 'Pop' are there instead, that might even be better.

She's still a bit shy around her Grandpa C., but she enjoyed some time with him the last time we were here.

(The Office fans might want to take special note of Pop's shirt.)

Then, this time, a few weeks later, she was sitting out on those steps again. This time her Grandma was out playing with her. Claire sat down on the step and patted beside her and said, "Pop!" She remembered sitting there with her Pop. (Her big thing these days is to tell us stories about what happened in the past. Here is an example of one that happened the other week at my going-away party at a co-worker's house (Thanks, Sarah!!)

Sarah: My next door neighbor has lived there (and not fixed up his house) since there were cows kept right behind us. (it's not a brand new neighborhood)
Claire: (moos then frantically starts making the sign for 'milk')
Me: yes Claire, cows make milk.
Claire: Ow
Me: Yes, did you go out and see the cows? (at her g. grandma's house)
Claire: Doos!
Me: You wore your shoes?
Claire: (making milk sign)
Me: You saw the cows giving milk? And then what did you do? (can you tell I've heard this story a few times in the last month???)
Claire: (waves)
Me: You waved bye-bye to the cows after they were done giving milk, didn't you. Was Mama with you?
Claire: No. Ma.
Me: Grandma was with you. Thanks for the story!

This is only one of the stories in Claire's repertoire, but it may be the longest and is probably her favorite.