We recently made the switch to solid foods.  Well, not really solid… mush.  I am really starting to miss the days of a strict boob milk diet.  Not too many poops and the smell was bearable.  Now, with the addition of formula and baby food, the poo flood gates have opened and I have found myself in a non stop diaper changing haze.  I mean it’s nuts man.  It doesn’t stop.  Back to back to back do do’s.  And to make it worse, I still have yet to get the girl potty trained… but it’s just been so damn nice outside, I don’t want to spend the entire week inside.  But, I guess that’s my fault though.  Sorry mama, looks like we might have to wait until you take your next vacation to tackle the potty training thing.

Just kidding, I got this under control… I hope.

Now that summer is really here, I am sure that we’ll be getting down to the local watering hole (pool) a lot more often.  And that means I will have to be on my A game when it comes to watching the kid in the pool.  I cant stress how important I think that is to know how to swim.  It’s one of those things that you just need to know how to do… because if you cant swim, it’s like not knowing how to breathe.

Mar is doing great at swimming…. holing her breath, going under water, paddling and kicking… but still sinking.  I’m hoping she’ll be closer to swimming on her own by the end of the summer (hey, it could happen).

Teach you kids to swim.

Last week, I got the bug to go out and be a kid again.  I thought… I need to get out there and do some active things.  All this hanging out with babies all day is starting to make me soft, I need to get active again.  So I did what any man would do… Looked for a DODGEBALL match to get in.  Well I found one in downtown Seattle at Cal Anderson Park.

Every Tuesday and Friday night at 9:00 at Cal Anderson Park, awaits an army of rubber ball wielding roughens of the likes you have never seen.  People of all types are there, ready to fight to the death… or at least until the ball crushes your face.  These kids are relentless.  This is not the dodgeball that I remember… this was nuts.  There were about fourty of fifty people all cramed onto one half of a tennis court, and about 20 balls flying at supersonic speeds.

I have to say, that I couldnt get the smile off my face the entire time (even after a ball hit it), and after one hour of play… I was done.  Super fun, and it made me feel like a kid again.   If you want some fun in your life, get out there and play.

Then Sunday I played in my first outdoor soccer match since 1997.  I play goalie so conditioning and stamina were not what I was really worried about.  It was the fact that I have about 40 pounds on my former self, and haven’t dove on the ground on purpose in a really long time.  I must say, that I still got it… a little slower, but I can still get in front of a ball when it counts.  The game ended 2-5.

Today I woke up feeling really, really old.  my entire body is bruised and beaten.  I could barely raise my head to get out of bed, and even my fingers hurt.  The strapping young man that used be at the peak of physical performance, has turned into a soft pile of mush.  The years have not been kind to my body, and its time get it back.

I am not the kid that I used to be… and it hurts.  Ouch

So… this was a good find.  I was told about this place over in Montlake (Seattle), by the Washington Park Arboretum that was just too good not to talk about right away…

Montlake Kiddie Corral

The Montlake Ale House is a pub where you can go and watch your favorite Word Cup match, have a pint of beer… and bring your kid!  This place looks great, and I was going to wait until I personally check it out to do this, but I didn’t want anyone to miss out.  I will do a better review after I check it out.

Montlake Ale House

2307 24th Avenue East
Seattle, WA 98112-2606
(206) 726-5968

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So in a quest for some fun, active things to do. I may have over done it a little.  I went online  and started looking for some things that I like to do. I already have a ping-pong tourney in Des Moines, every Tuesday night at the All Star Sports Bar.  You know, it’s really sad.  I thought that I was the shit at ping pong.  Usually, when I play people that I know, I win.  I thought that I was really good at ping pong.  Turns out… I am not.  The last few weeks, I got eliminated right away.  But I think the people that I am playing are really good.  So I guess for good pong players… I am average.

Anyway, I searched for some games I really like.  Dodgeball, and soccer.  I found both.  I found a bunch of dudes that play dodgeball every Tuesday and Friday night up in Seattle.  It’s a little far, but I feel like it will be fun.  I had to miss the Tuesday match, because of the ping pong.  Bur Friday night at Cal Anderson Park, it’s on.  And then I found a outdoor, Soccer Team that needs a goalie, they play on Sundays… I played last in high school in 97.  But I have played off and on, indoor style.  It should be an adventure… God I hope that my keeper skills haven’t deteriorated as much as my body has.  I will let ya know how things go.

Have you ever thought you were really good at something, then found out you were not… heart breaking isn’t it?  Hope I’m not setting myself up for a beating.