Fieldtrip: Milwaukee County Zoo!

Playing in our backyard is not really an option right now. Thanks to the rain that fell a couple of weeks ago, millions of mosquitoes have hatched, and are living comfortably on our property. So I decided to take Jack into Milwaukee County for a day at the zoo.

The zoo was fairly crowded for a Thursday morning. Not entirely surprising considering it was sunny, and approaching the mid-80's. Great weather for being outside.

Jack wanted to see the monkeys first, but on the way, we stopped by the new Flamingo exhibit. I was a bit surprised that Jack remembered what these unique-looking birds are called.

Not long after that, the popcorn wagon was calling my name. I bought a small popcorn to share with Jack. Good thing Grandpa wasn't with us. This wouldn't have been nearly enough.

This rhino had just rolled in a wet mud bath to cool off. Jack is a big fan of rhinos.

But Jack's favorite animals at the zoo, hands down, are the elephants. Jack even carries a little plastic elephant to the zoo each time we go. It's a tough word for Jack to say -- "elephant" -- but Jack does a great impersonation of a trumpeting pachyderm.

It isn't a trip to the zoo if Jack doesn't get a chance to run around on the playground equipment. There are two pieces of equipment in the "Family Farm" area; one for little kids, and one for bigger kids. The playground was slightly crowded today, but nothing like it was about a month ago when we were visiting on a Friday. It was the end of the school year, and there were several field trips that day. Grade school kids were everywhere.

This kid was really hungry...

Mmmm... Rocky Road ice cream.
For some reason, Jack wasn't
interested in it, so I had to eat the whole
thing by myself.
Oh well, his loss.






The steam locomotive was heading up the zoo train today, so I took Jack on his first train ride. He really enjoyed it. And since Jack is a huge fan of Thomas the Tank Engine, he was thrilled that we were being pulled by "Donald".

After we pulled back into the station, they gave the steam locomotive a break, and switched to the diesel. So we got to watch them switch locomotives.

It was a great day at the zoo. In fact, Jack didn't want to leave. Our extended exodus involved me chasing Jack around the ape house for about 45 minutes, (our second trip to the ape house, mind you). But I finally got him into the car. After we got back home, Jack was ready for a good, long nap. ...And so was I.

Cheap Thrill

After a quick trip to the bank to cash some checks, (Hey Table 1, sorry I was screwing up your checking accounts for two months), Jack and I headed to Target for a few items.

Jack loves shopping at Target. I can't really blame him. After all, I've successfully groomed him into believing that every trip to Target means that he will be leaving the store with a new toy. Jack knows exactly where the toy section is located. More specifically, he knows exactly where the Thomas the Tank Engine section is located.

Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of the Thomas the Tank Engine line. It offers high-quality products. But those little wooden trains aren't exactly cheap. And since Jack owns practically the entire Sodor roster, it's tough to find a locomotive that isn't already in his collection.

So today I wheeled our cart down a different aisle, (still within the toy section, of course), and came across a pile of polyvinyl critters, (dinosaurs, reptiles, sharks, etc...). Jack spotted this display and quickly picked out an 8" killer whale toy.


Jack loved it! After he "swam" the killer shark past his face several times, I made a break for the check out area. This was my opportunity to get Jack out of the store with the toy of his choice, but more importantly, only have to pay $2.14 for it.

By the time we got home from Target, Jack was still interested in his new acquisition. Awesome. The value of that $2.14 is being stretched even further. Although I don't expect this killer whale to become a family heirloom, it is nice to know that even cheap little toys can capture Jack's interest, and encourage his imagination.

Playgroup for Dads in Waukesha County

Are you a dad who would like to join/start a playgroup in the South Kettle Moraine/Lake Country area?

With more and more dads becoming the primary care-givers, lets build a network here in Waukesha County for guys like us. We can plan field trips and play dates for the kids, and give us dads a chance to socialize with other adults.

If you are looking for a playgroup for your kid(s), and a place to socialize with other dads, please contact me via e-mail at mbrickl@wi.rr.com.

I look forward to hearing from you!

-Mike Brickl
"professional dad"

Sunset Park

For a change of scenery, I took Jack to a different park today. Sunset Park in Genesee is a short drive away, and offers two nice pieces of playground equipment. One unit is designed for children ages 3 to 5, and the other one is intended for kids ages 5 to 12. Jack played well on both, and also found time to hit the swings for awhile.

I'm sure I'll take Jack back to this playground at some point in the future, but as I drove away from the park, I was surprised to hear Mark Belling on the radio talking about an incident that had recently occurred at the park I had just left. Apparently, there was an altercation between two fathers who were attending a soccer game that involved their 10-year old daughters. The incident is reported in further detail in the Waukesha Freeman.

I am 100% in favor of kids getting involved with organized sports. I believe that sports offer a great way for kids to learn the value of teamwork, goal-setting, and sportsmanship. Not to mention the obvious benefits of physical exercise. But when parents become overbearing and disruptive at these events, it really sets a bad example for the kids. These parents just need to leave the area immediately, and stop living their competitive lives through their kids.

My message to these parents: go home, polish your high school trophies, and chill out. Let the kids have their fun without your presence.

Field Trip: Lapham Peak!

The weather was perfect today, so Jack and I got in the car and went on a short field trip. Not far from our house is Lapham Peak, a Wisconsin State Park.

One of the great things about visiting Lapham Peak is that there are miles of trails to walk.

Some trails are paved.

While other trails are dirt.

In addition to miles of hiking and biking trails, there are
acres and acres of trees and natural wildlife to enjoy.

If you go to Lapham Peak, you have to visit the 45-foot observation tower. "The Tower" was erected in 1940, and offers the highest viewing point in Waukesha County.


While visitors of all ages can enjoy the natural beauty of Lapham Peak, parents like me can appreciate it for another reason. Miles on the trails, added to a healthy dose of fresh air, creates the perfect recipe for Jack to nap for the rest of the afternoon.

Nice.

A happy father's day.

Whatever Floats Your Boat

Most of Wisconsin has been hammered by rain over the past week. And while the calendar only reads June 13, we've already surpassed the rainfall record for the entire month! With more than half the month to go, one can only guess what the new record will be.


While some communities are cleaning up massive flood damage, I have been lucky in that the only standing water I have to deal with, is in a lower part of my yard. It's a good size puddle, but far enough away from my house as to not cause any concern.




Since I don't have ponds in my yard very often, I thought it would be fun to take advantage of the situation, and float some boats. By scrounging around the house, I was able to fabricate five simple sail boats. All it took was some extruded styrofoam, strip wood for the masts, and scraps of thick paper for the sails. I also attached lag bolts underneath for additional weight. Here's the entire armada. I'm kind of fond of the sail made from a McDonald's "Happy Meals" box.


The boats floated very well, and with a light breeze in their sails, they took off rather quickly. Here's Jack chasing after the first two.


You have to admire the survival instincts of ants. As soon as I put the boats in the water, dozens of ants sought refuge on dry, higher ground. Kind of creepy, but interesting nonetheless.


The fun continued for quite awhile. And although Jack is wearing boots, it didn't take long before he was wading into deeper water, rendering the boots worthless.

Boys will be boys.

This photo represents exactly how I want to remember this day...

It won't be long before this temporary pond is completely dried up with the grass returning to its normal state. But each time I cut this area with my lawn tractor, I'll think of Jack standing in knee-deep water, directing his armada through calm waters and conquering armies of ants.

At the Playground

With the weather cooperating, I decided today would be a good opportunity to take Jack to the playground at the Wales Park.

I really like this playground. It is constructed of sturdy plastic, and offers activities for a wide range of ages. Slides of various heights and shapes offer kids a new challenge at different levels. And whoever designed this playground did a good job of making it safe so that kids don't accidentally fall off from higher levels.


Also, the stairs on this equipment are situated in a fashion that is safer to climb. The playgrounds from my childhood weren't nearly as accommodating. First off, they were made of wood (hard wood). And the stairs were more like a spiral staircase, except much more treacherous. Inevitably, you were going to hit your head on something as you ran up the stairs. I can still feel that 'thud' on the back of my cranium as I risked a serious concussion at every recess. I won't even get into the "splinter factor" when dealing with a giant wooden playground. And who ever thought that metal rollers would make for a good slide? If you didn't pinch your fingers on the way down, you weren't doing it right.

But even with all the good qualities that the Wales playground offers for Jack and countless other kids, there will always be individuals that abuse the benefits of free entertainment.


Here's a picture of one of the blue slides. It appears that somebody applied some extreme heat to it. What a pointless thing to do. It essentially creates sharp edges on an otherwise smooth surface. Hopefully no kids will get injured on it.





This playground utilizes shredded tires for a softer playing surface, which is really nice, (filthy dirty, but nice). But unfortunately, there are smokers that treat the area like a giant ashtray. There are dozens (or maybe hundreds) of cigarette butts lying on the ground. Some of these butts may have been tossed by teenagers trying to look cool. But I'm sure some of them are the refuse of other parents. Nice example you're setting for your kids. You've got a filthy, unhealthy habit, and you litter.

But all in all, this is a nice playground. It's usually pretty empty, so I don't have to worry about Jack being trampled by other unruly kids. And as long as Jack gets some good exercise, then I know a good long nap is sure to follow.

Rain Delay

There really is only one way to describe the weather as of late - and that would be "wet". While my property has not received any serious damage, I've seen plenty of other areas where fields have become lakes, driveways have become creeks, and backyards have become fishin' ponds.

Because the grounds are thoroughly soaked, I'm not very enthused about having Jack play outside. So it looks like we will be spending our time indoors for the next day or so. I better prep myself for plenty of "Thomas" and "Elmo" videos. Hey, what a great time to work on potty training!

The weather forecast calls for a little bit of sun this week, which will be very helpful in drying things up a bit. We could use the break. The grass in my yard is reaching the point of "out of control", and unless I can figure out a way to attach pontoons to my lawn tractor, there will be no grass cutting in my immediate future.

Here's to sunny days!

Trains. Wow!!

This past Monday, I ventured into a building that I had not set foot in for a full two and a half years. I re-visited my former employer.

After working for Kalmbach Publishing Co. for 11 1/2 years, it had become a second home to me. (Kind of seemed like my primary home on days that I was working long hours). After such a long period of time had elapsed since my final day of work in December 2005, it was very strange walking through those doors again.

But it was a great visit. I saw lots of faces that I hadn't seen in a long time, and I even got to see my old office. But the real highlight of the visit was taking Jack to see the model train layout on the second floor. You see, Kalmbach publishes hobby magazines, and the number one magazine is called, Model Railroader. So fittingly, the company has a huge model railroad set up that company employees can work on and enjoy. This layout is also the subject of many articles for the magazine.

Jack is a huge fan of Thomas the Tank Engine. And even the layout that we saw on Monday is built in HO scale, Jack's eyes grew to the size of saucers when he saw all of the trains. All he could say was, "Wow, Wow, Wow!!" It was amazing to see his excitement. He was like, well, a kid in a candy store. Only that candy was replaced with countless locomotives and miles of HO scale track.

This experience really got me excited to start a layout at home that Jack and I can build together. What a great opportunity to bond, and to teach Jack some really useful skills. Now I just have to get that darn basement cleaned out so that we have some space for our empire.

Rough Housing

I know that most kids like to "rough house", or play aggressively, as it were. But how much rough housing is too much?

On Tuesday, Jack and I were at my mom's house. We were there because my younger cousin was going to be stopping by with her two kids, Adrianne, (age 4) and Connor, (age 3). Connor is only a few months older than Jack, but noticeably heavier in weight. Adrianne and Connor were full of energy after spending the last eight hours in the car, and as soon as they entered my mom's house, they were bouncing off the walls. That's fine, kids will be kids. In fact, Jack was thoroughly entertained by the other kids, and was laughing at their antics.

After about 30 minutes or so, the three kids had made their way into the den while the three of us adults conversed in the living room. While I heard Jack giggling from the other room, I thought I'd check on the kids. Right as I entered the den, I witnessed Connor pushing Jack (with two hands) into a chair. Jack bounced off the chair and onto the floor. Jack wasn't injured, in fact, he was laughing at the whole thing like it was a joke. Connor was having fun too, but in a much more aggressive manner. It turns out, Connor wanted to "wrestle". Unfortunately, Jack had no idea that he was about to be involved in a match.

So here is my concern. Jack is a very passive kid. He doesn't understand aggression, and I'm not sure how to teach this to him. While I don't want to train him to be a thug. I also don't want Jack to be the "punching bag" when he starts going to school in a couple of years.

I guess most parents go through the same dilemma I am going through. And time will play out Jack's place in an aggressive world. In the long run, I'm 100% confident that Jack will go further in life by using his mind, rather than his fists. But in the meantime, I think I'll teach him the benefits of putting up a strong defense.