Tall Ships Festival

Tall Ships Festival – 09-Jul-2010

Aunt Susie’s been talking about the tall ships for weeks now, so we’ve been looking forward to this afternoon at the Tall Ships Festival. The event took  place at Cleveland Harbor, behind the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and the football stadium, and the highlight of the day was the HMS Bounty,  built in 1962 for the movie “Mutiny on the Bounty” by MGM Studios in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia to tell the story of the famous maritime mutiny that occurred in the South Pacific in 1789.

By the time we arrived, the thunderclouds had cleared away for us stowaways to sneak aboard the Bounty, Niagara, Roald Amundsen, and Pride of Baltimore II. Yes, we’d recommend it, since the lines weren’t too bad, and if you had some way of connecting to the ships’ history beforehand, making the hands-on experience more enjoyable, or if you took the the time to talk to any of the crew and volunteers, who you could tell by their enthusiasm that they loved the ships.

David did wonder why the ships weren’t sailing. We promised him next time, we’d go aboard a moving ship.

More Photos

Tall Ships Festival – 09-Jul-2010	Tall Ships Festival – 09-Jul-2010	Tall Ships Festival – 09-Jul-2010
Tall Ships Festival – 09-Jul-2010	Tall Ships Festival – 09-Jul-2010	Tall Ships Festival – 09-Jul-2010
Tall Ships Festival – 09-Jul-2010	Tall Ships Festival – 09-Jul-2010	Tall Ships Festival – 09-Jul-2010
Tall Ships Festival – 09-Jul-2010	Tall Ships Festival – 09-Jul-2010	Tall Ships Festival – 09-Jul-2010
Tall Ships Festival – 09-Jul-2010	Tall Ships Festival – 09-Jul-2010

Tall Ships Festival – 09-Jul-2010

Promotional copy: “In honor of it’s 100th anniversary, the Rotary Club of Cleveland, with the support of the Port of Cleveland and other partners, brings the Tall Ships to our city. Close to a dozen Tall Ships will sail into Cleveland’s harbor to participate in this 4-day festival. Visitors can board the vessels, meet the crew, and experience the heritage these ships symbolize.”

Site: clevelandtallships.com

– 04-Jul-2010

Thanks, Laura, Richard and Jane, for hosting the barbecue. The kids definitely enjoyed the Lakewood community parade!

– 04-Jul-2010

– 04-Jul-2010

Now, for some musical accompaniment on the accordion. (Select the image to view video).

– 04-Jul-2010

– 19-Jun-2010

– 19-Jun-2010

Here’s what the garden looks like so far, end of June. Beans, cucumbers, mixed greens, basil, carrots, green peppers and lots of tomatoes. David likes to give it a shower often. We planted so many cucumbers, this year, we may learn to do pickling. David has liked cucumbers since he was even littler, Mommy’s always liked them, but Daddy suddenly enjoys them. What took you so long?

Future left-handed Indians pitcher in training!

Future left-handed Indians pitcher in training! – 16-Jun-2010

Video: David and Daddy in the backyard, trying out a new, fun set of Velcro mitts and ball. Can’t you see the potential?

Select image to watch video.

– 07-Aug-2009

In August, we headed to Canandaigua, New York, the west-most Finglerlake, renting out a cottage near the lake for our first (near) week-long getaway. It was an event to be spending doing (or not doing), so rather than keeping a detailed journal, here are vacation highlights (and recommendations):

8/4 Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion: Mansion turned state park is great to explore, inside and out. Take a short morning or afternoon.

8/4 The Waterfront Grille (130 Lakeshore Dr.): Get served a plate of spaghetti bigger than your head, and watch the rain come in over the lake! Quick, inside!

8/5 Captain Gray’s, Boat Tour (2 City Pier): An affordable, down-to-earth version of the larger boat rides, complete with on-deck, lawn-chair seating. One hour is plenty!

8/6 Captain Yogi’s Fish Shanty (4520 Rt-364): Fried, fried, mmmm, fried.

8/6 Long Acre Farms (1342 Eddy Road in Macedon): An experience similar to a more intimate version of Patterson Farms. Do not miss the jumping pillow.

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Before Fall takes us over, let’s wrap up everything we did this summer. Due to time constraints, we’ll do it in list format, which is perfect, since we were able to complete our List of Things to Do This Summer, with a bonus (*) and a lot of firsts for David:

• Go to “Meet the Trucks” event in Lakewood
• Attend at least one outdoor music festival
• Visit the beach on the lake
• Go to a Cleveland Indians baseball game
• Take family and friends to Memphis Kiddie Park (watch video)
• Go on vacation (see photos)
• Visit the emergency room *

* David is allergic to pine nuts! And, as we discovered after a trip to an allergist, apparently he’s allergic to nothing else! We can relay more details in person on this event, if prompted for more info.

Video

Memphis Kiddie Park

– 22-Sep-2008

Summer Photo Selections

– 08-Aug-2008	– 08-Aug-2008	– 08-Aug-2008
– 08-Aug-2008	– 08-Aug-2008	– 08-Aug-2008
– 08-Aug-2008	– 08-Aug-2008	– 08-Aug-2008
– 09-Aug-2008	– 27-Jul-2008	– 27-Jul-2008
– 27-Jul-2008	– 27-Jul-2008	– 27-Jul-2008
– 01-Sep-2008	– 01-Sep-2008	– 01-Sep-2008
– 01-Sep-2008	– 01-Sep-2008	– 12-Jul-2008
– 12-Jul-2008	– 05-Jul-2008	– 05-Jul-2008
– 12-Jul-2008

– 12-Jul-2008

1. Sheryl and I have been giving David all sorts of advice to help with potty training (especially with improving one’s aim) and with manners in general. Who knew that this advice might come back at us later out of context?

• One morning, David and Daddy were eating breakfast at the table, and David audibly passed gas.
• Daddy asked him, “Now David, what do you say?”
• To which David replied, “I use my penis like a hose!”

2. At bath time one evening, Daddy shaped David’s shampooed hair into a big unicorn-like horn and said, “Look, David, you have a horn!” David looked into the bathtub mirror, touched the “horn” repeatedly and exclaimed with a grin, “Beep beeeep!”

3. Evidently in response to what everyone who’s ever changed David’s diapers on a regular basis has asked, David attempted to pull down Mommy’s pants one morning and then asked, “Momma, do you have poop in there?”

4. Snack time conversation:

• Daddy: “David, would you like a cup of crackers?
• David: “Nooo.”
• Daddy: “OK, how about a cup of chips?”
• David: “Noooo.”
• Daddy: “OK, how about a cup of frogs?”
• David: “No, Dadda, I don’t like frogs. They’re dirty.”

5. Dinner time conversation, all three of us in the kitchen:

• Mommy: “OK, it’s time to eat, David!”
• Daddy (playing a joke on punctuation): “It’s time to eat David?”
• David: “No, Dadda, don’t eat me. I’m not food.”

Although David’s received plenty of trims at home, it was time for a new style — a.k.a. the official haircut outside Chez Banks — and why not at the affordable and hip Fast Eddy’s Chop Shop in Coventry?

David’s first haircut! – 05-Jul-2008	David’s first haircut! – 05-Jul-2008	David’s first haircut! – 05-Jul-2008
David’s first haircut! – 05-Jul-2008	David’s first haircut! – 05-Jul-2008	David’s first haircut! – 05-Jul-2008
David’s first haircut! – 05-Jul-2008	David’s first haircut! – 05-Jul-2008	David’s first haircut! – 05-Jul-2008
David’s first haircut! – 05-Jul-2008	David’s first haircut! – 05-Jul-2008

As you can see via these cellphone photos, we’ll be recommending his stylist, named Rockie (apparently working her way towards/through medical school), who carefully cropped the locks. David may seem a little distraught in one of the photos (more from hair in the eyes), but he was quite content to sit in Sheryl’s lap and watch Rockie work.

David loved the small chopper motorcycle propped in the middle of the salon (we would have included the photo of David riding it, but he was too excited to sit still), while Joe enjoyed nostalgia via the music paraphernalia adorning the walls, including old Alternative Press magazine posters. Which felt uncanny, since Joe started working at the magazine way back when it was located right around the corner on Mayfield Road.

Afterwards, the Banks Family had lunch at Tommy’s, stopped off at the “beeeg playground” at Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Park, and then went for a nice walk home on this beautiful Cleveland day.

Speaking of motorcycles, before godparents Lisa and Frank joined us for an evening in the Banks Backyard, a shiny Honda Shadow (not pictured here) parked on the street in front of our house. Daddy suggested to pass the time (and since this was a no-nap day) that he and David go relax on the tree lawn and take a look.

– 05-Jul-2008

After a quick talk about internal combustion (“little explosions in engine go boom-boom-bo-boom to make it go”), David was so fascinated, he sat there for over an hour, talking with Daddy, then Mommy (we took shifts) about how he would ride it. He loves to go into detail about any vehicle he’s seen recently (cars, trucks, diggers, rollers) how he will sit in the front seat and Momma in the back seat, and he’ll “put the key in.” Now a motorcycle is part of this repertoire. (A note to those concerned: No motorcycle riding until he’s 75!)

– 23-Jun-2007

So, where have we been since David’s birthday? Catching up with him, that’s what!

Aside from a series of scrapes on the nose a couple weeks ago (“Shake if off, buddy”), David’s been growing like a weed, exploring every nook of the neighborhood, saying “Buh-Bye” to all the neighbors, pushing his (full-sized) stroller down the sidewalk… David, where’d you go? David, come back here!

Daddy used to think about freelance work sometimes, back when Davey was content to bounce in his bouncey seat and go to bed at 7 o’clock sharp. Now I simply look forward to playing in the sandbox with my son after a long day at the dayjob.

Words He Knows

Actual: Dada, Momma, Slide, Outside, Inside, Car, Cup, Bubble, Banana, All Done, Hi, Bye-bye, Sock, Shoes, Milk, More.

How They Sound: daduh, mommuh, shide, side, side, cah, cuh, bubba, bana, ah duh, aye, buh-bye, sok, shoosh, mik, mo!

The above photo features his new ride. We’re impressed with how conscientious he is to close the door each time he’s done.

More Photos

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Select Video

– 24-Jun-2007