Thursday, August 5, 2004
Bryon arrives at LaGuardia Airport, NYC and Papa and Nana meet him.
We drive to Ithaca, stopping at Woodbury Commons for dinner at Applebees. (No shopping for Nana!)

Friday, August 6, 2004
Byron and Nana drive Uncle Peter's car to CARS, the auto repair garage at Community Corners. After dropping off the car, they walk to TST BOCES, Nana's work. Byron works with the Ellison Die Machine.

Byron making the Chinese Take Out Boxes

He makes 40 bookmarks for Nana's colleague, Pat, who is Director of the School Librarian System. Byron also cuts out 30 tiny Chinese take-out boxes.

Byron and Nana walk back to the garage and pick up Uncle Peter's car. Byron plays for three hours with his friend Malama at the Sokoni's house.

Later that night, he and Nana fold the Chinese Take-out boxes, attach small notes to each one and fill them with Hershey's kisses. Byron will take them home for "first day of school favors" to share with his new Second Grade Class!

Saturday, August 7, 2004
Byron and Nana attend a concert by the Vitamin L Chorus, and are amazed by Mike Stanley, the magician, who performs before the concert. Byron and Nana go to Beads! Byron makes a bracelet, and necklace for his Mom. He starts to make earrings, but the shop is busy, and we decide to come back another time to finish them. After dinner, Byron watches Brother Bear on Pay-Per-View TV.

Sunday, August 8, 2004
Byron attends church with Papa and Nana, and he plays outside on the playground with the Sunday School class.

Byron holding the boxes He passed these out on the first day of school

The boys pretend to be Knights, and they use sticks passwords, and a piece of the slide as a shield. They also climb around the rope swing and on the climbing tree.

After church, we go to Best Buy, where Papa buys a new laptop. Byron plays with the computers on display.

Byron, Nana, Papa, and Joyce and Jon Billing attend a performance of Cats at the Hangar Theatre. The actors climb up and down ladders through the roof of the theatre, and scamper across the theater seats! Before dinner, Byron makes a batch of brownies. Ummm good!

Monday, August 9, 2004
Byron and Nana have lunch at McDonalds. After lunch, we pick up Malama and go to Stewart Park. Byron and Malama play on the structures, and throw a ball around. It's a warm afternoon, and other children are playing in

Making Brownies

the sprinkler, and Byron thinks it looks like fun. However, Malama doesn't like sprinklers, so Byron generously says he won't play there if Malama doesn't want to. Later, we return to Randolph Road, where they watch Teachers Pet on Pay-Per-View.

Uncle Zachary has returned to Randolph Road, and he reads Ben and Me to Byron before bed.

Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Byron, Malama and Nana go downtown to the Farmer's Market, hoping to see the Bubble Man perform. Unfortunately, the Ithaca Journal gave the wrong date, so we look over the flowers and vegetables- one of the vendors gives each boy a free apple.

We walk over to the Ithaca Commons. At Beads! Byron completes the earrings for his Mom and Malama patiently watches and waits.

Byron smiling with Zach's juggling set behind him

Martha, owner of Beads! has a big black dog. Malama doesn't like the dog, so when it gets near, Byron calls the dog to go to the other side of the room.

They also enjoy the wooden train set at Alphabet Soup Toy Store. We have lunch at McDonalds. Then we go to the Science Center, where the boys play in the sandbox, water tank and trains. Finally we return to Randolph Road, where the boys play with Lego, Construx and blocks.

Wednesday, August 11, 2004
Byron plays with Malama at the Sokoni's house. That evening, Byron helps Uncle Peter pack for his hiking trip. They weigh all the food and other supplies, trying to have as little weight as possible. Uncle Peter travels by the "go lite" method.

Byron with Zach's juggling set

Thursday, August 12, 2004
It's raining, so Uncle Peter decides to leave later for his hiking trip. Byron, Uncle Peter and Nana go downtown to run errands and wait for the rain to stop (or at least lessen). They have coffee and scones at Juno's Café. Byron gets bored, but eventually, he goes to Alphabet Soup where he buys a special rocket.

When the weather clears, Nana, Byron and Uncle Peter drive out past Richford, to the spot where Peter will begin his hike on the Fingerlakes Train. Byron plays with the rocket, and shoots it off into the grass. Luckily he can retrieve it.

Byron goes to "Cats"

Byron borrows one of the hiking sticks, and he and Nana walk up the hill and through the woods with Peter, until they reach the State Land, where they leave Peter to go on by himself. Later that night, Byron plays with Uncle Zach and the rocket, and Byron shoots it on to the roof. It stays there- no one can reach it.

Friday, August 13, 2004
Uncle Zach, Nana and Byron drive to the Philadelphia Airport, and Byron goes home to Dallas on the plane.