Trip to Idaho Falls

We always make at least one trip to Idaho Falls with Max while we are visiting in Alpine. This time we hadn't as yet, but today, Paul and Jenny took off for a two-day raft and camping trip on the Snake. They are  going to put in below the Palisades reservoir dam, pull over tonight at a campground, and continue on tomorrow to a pull-out farther downstream (not sure just where). Ellen and I are looking after Max. This seemed like a good day for a trip to Idaho Falls. So we said goodbye to Jenny and Paul - with a loaded truck (amazing what you need for just a two-day rafting and camping trip), and took off ourselves a bit later.

                                  The loaded truck! 

                   Goodbye Jenny and Paul! Have a good time!

It's about 75 miles to Idaho Falls, so it takes almost an hour and a half to get there. I read aloud part of the way from the second Harry Potter book, but I was having a lot of trouble with hoarseness. Don't know where that came from. Our first stop in Idaho Falls was Max's first choice - a new Cabela's outlet, brand new in fact. It is a hunting and fishing outfitter's store. Huge. Max had seen a catalog, so he knew what he was looking for.  I have never been inside a store like it. After the recent incident of the Minnesota big-game hunting dentist luring a much-loved lion, Cecil, out of a protected area and shooting him, it was disturbing to see video games for kids being sold that involve shooting big game animals - including lions - on their TV. Max is drawn to guns and knives at this age. It's a big part of the culture in this area, and it's probably all the boys at his school talk about. I hope he outgrows it. Without being too heavy-handed about it, we expressed our opposition to guns. Our sole purchase at Cabela's was a bag of freshly roasted cashews. 

From there we went to Five Guys, where Max loves the fries, and then to Barnes & Noble's.  Ellen had promised Max he could pick out one comic book. He took his time and chose a Minnions comic book, with all pictures. No text. Not a bad choice. (Minnions is currently a popular animated movie). 

Navigating the current cultural world of a seven-year-old boy is challenging for these oldsters who think nostalgically about what feels now like our more innocent childhood. But then I need to remember my fascination, not with guns (though I had a beebe gun) but with German and Japanese war planes. I had an enemy plane spotting manual at an age just a little older than Max (I was ages 8-13 during WW 2), and spent hours drawing pictures of P-38's shooting down Jap Zeroes and German Messerschmidts. It feels different but maybe it wasn't. 

From B&N's we went to I-Jump. A very big bouncy-house! I watched Max while Ellen looked for yarn. Max had lots of fun, though he is good for only about 45 minutes at most. He likes running up a steep slide and sliding down. But 

his favorite is like being at the pool - doing a flip, not into water, but into a sea of foam cubes. But you can do that just so many times and it begins to get old. 

                        Top of the slide! 

                               Bounce, bounce, bounce

                         Flipping into the foam

You can watch your child in every area by means of TV monitors. Max is in the lower left monitor. 

After I-Jump we came home. An additional purchase at B&N's had been a new Lego kit! Ellen was going to send him one after we left, but agreed to get it now. Max couldn't wait to get home to start working on it. So home we came. I read in the car again, but was even more hoarse. I'm still hoarse tonight. This could raise issues for going to Boulder on Monday. Betsey doesn't want any germs in the house. Her immune system is zip at this point. I sure hope it clears up tomorrow! We'll see!