This was taken on Christmas Eve day when everybody was feeling "okay".
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Happy Pneu Year!!!
There it is folks... the quintessential descriptive photo of Christmas '07! Ruby and Eloise sacked out in the stroller with pneumonia. From my perspective, this has been a rough time watching these little lovelies try to enjoy their holidays feeling like complete crap. They use the nebulizer for asthma and breathing difficulties every 4 hours, they are on antibiotics that aren't helping and they get horrible diarrhea as a side effect. The intense coughing makes them vomit and Myles and I also managed to get a 48 hour stomach virus in the middle of all of this.
Oh yes, and Penny has a cold. She's doing alright for now. We are really a fucking mess though.
Myles' dad made the trip down for Xmas dinner at my mom's house and got to witness Ru and El's intense desire for presents. Once we opened our goodies here, we then headed to Milton, where a large crowd of excellent family friends bestowed gifts on the "sickies"... but once the goodies stopped flowing, Eloise was hanging on my sleeve whining, "are there any more presents" over and over, like a meth addict looking for a fix! Presents are like crack-cocaine to a 3 year old. And the worst of it was that Eloise got to the point where she would unwrap a book and say, "that's not a good present!". HORRORS! What was I to do?
Actually, there was a fair amount of giggling about the girls' behavior - everybody was aware of their sad feverish demeanors and understood what was going on in the "manners" department. But honestly, I had forgotten that gifts could make kids into such monsters.
Oh yes, and Penny has a cold. She's doing alright for now. We are really a fucking mess though.
Myles' dad made the trip down for Xmas dinner at my mom's house and got to witness Ru and El's intense desire for presents. Once we opened our goodies here, we then headed to Milton, where a large crowd of excellent family friends bestowed gifts on the "sickies"... but once the goodies stopped flowing, Eloise was hanging on my sleeve whining, "are there any more presents" over and over, like a meth addict looking for a fix! Presents are like crack-cocaine to a 3 year old. And the worst of it was that Eloise got to the point where she would unwrap a book and say, "that's not a good present!". HORRORS! What was I to do?
Actually, there was a fair amount of giggling about the girls' behavior - everybody was aware of their sad feverish demeanors and understood what was going on in the "manners" department. But honestly, I had forgotten that gifts could make kids into such monsters.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Rockefeller Center!
All seven of us wandered down 5th Avenue after our dinner - my dad proudly pushing Penny in the stroller while Myles and I took turns carrying the big girls and pointing out the beautiful window displays. Upon arrival at the big tree, I noticed my dad's eyes all welled up with tears. He confesses that the whole experience just reminds him of coming to Rock Center with his parents, sneaking a peek through the crowds and bundling up together for warmth.
I must say, seeing your grandchildren experience these old family traditions has to have twice the cheese-factor impact. The fact that my DAD - of all people - was filled with sentimental warmth and coziness just makes me proud. Here's a guy who still thinks George Bush is doing an "okay" job... (I cannot believe I just admitted that to my blog readers, but if you know me well enough, you knew that anyway... sorry to disappoint those in the dark) and most of the time I like to write off my dad as being devoid of all human emotion. But there it is! Holiday traditions, family, "American" Christmas hoo-ha... it really pulls at a Republican's heartstrings.
So although I don't agree with his politics, I'm happy that I can occasionally relate to my dad's sentimentality. I remember that he has always kept my mind aware of how the "other side" feels (or doesn't feel!) and for that, I am grateful.
Ruby, Eloise and Penny, what will you teach me when I am old? You have already taught me that living in Manhattan with a family would be next to impossible... unless we won the lottery. What's next?
I must say, seeing your grandchildren experience these old family traditions has to have twice the cheese-factor impact. The fact that my DAD - of all people - was filled with sentimental warmth and coziness just makes me proud. Here's a guy who still thinks George Bush is doing an "okay" job... (I cannot believe I just admitted that to my blog readers, but if you know me well enough, you knew that anyway... sorry to disappoint those in the dark) and most of the time I like to write off my dad as being devoid of all human emotion. But there it is! Holiday traditions, family, "American" Christmas hoo-ha... it really pulls at a Republican's heartstrings.
So although I don't agree with his politics, I'm happy that I can occasionally relate to my dad's sentimentality. I remember that he has always kept my mind aware of how the "other side" feels (or doesn't feel!) and for that, I am grateful.
Ruby, Eloise and Penny, what will you teach me when I am old? You have already taught me that living in Manhattan with a family would be next to impossible... unless we won the lottery. What's next?
Finger Lickin' Good!
BLT Steak. A phenomenal restaurant. I was so well fed and so buzzed by the end of my meal. Is it obnoxious that I took my 3 kids to such a swanky place? I felt like that twitty person that Sex and the City would make fun of... the annoying shit that ruins people's dining experience... except for the fact that my kids were angelic. Penny barely let out a peep! (For the record, she was changed on the bathroom floor of 3 very glam places - no changing tables to be had anywhere. The new Marc Jacobs collection store had such a delicious smelling bathroom that I decided to cart out the poopy diaper in my diaper bag, for fear of being a terrible space-contaminator).
My Parents Rock
Without these two we wouldn't have made it through our weekend in NYC. First and foremost, Manhattan hotels are completely unaffordable, so we are most thankful for their gift of a place to stay, but we also needed their extra hands to assist us in getting from place to place, restaurant to restaurant, cab to cab. New York is just plain nutty. Decadent, rushed, beautiful, filthy, impeccable and surreal. The entire trip sent my head spinning - honestly. After jetting around to all kinds of sights and shops I would sit down for a minute and have difficulty focusing on objects and keeping the room still. (That's without a glass of wine people...)
At the end of the day it was lovely to have my dad torture my mother in a photo session with Ruby's new unicorn. She was so completely irritated by his antics. I love that shit.
At the end of the day it was lovely to have my dad torture my mother in a photo session with Ruby's new unicorn. She was so completely irritated by his antics. I love that shit.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
After Many Days of Hard Work...
Eloise has mastered the letter "S"! In her elated state she managed to accentuate her work with a fine portrait of me with earrings. (Don't you like my hair?) Watching the girls work out their different skills has been incredible - every moment at school has made them even more curious about their world and their abilities. Ruby has been able to hold a pen correctly since she was 22 months old, and Eloise has struggled to do the same thing. Instead she would put up a fight and throw down her marker if we suggested that she hold it differently... so I backed off with my "suggestions", and she now seems happy to write and draw with the right grip and everything.
What an accomplishment though - reading and writing letters! It's the beginning of my childrens' literacy... an enormous and beautiful time when kids open the door to a new kind of creativity and self-expression.
Ooooh! I absolutely love spelling!! So much to look forward too in this school-age business...
What an accomplishment though - reading and writing letters! It's the beginning of my childrens' literacy... an enormous and beautiful time when kids open the door to a new kind of creativity and self-expression.
Ooooh! I absolutely love spelling!! So much to look forward too in this school-age business...
Happy 35th to Myles
And a Happy Thanksgiving too... we had a great time in Brattleboro celebrating with turkey and my german chocolate cake. Before dinner Ruby and Eloise hiked up a small mountain for 3 hours with the rest of the gang while I stayed in the house with Penny and made icing. All in all it was a total success.
A ton of things have been going on over the last few weeks - many thoughts related to my 2 trips to Vermont and some serious time to think while on the road.
Is it a surprise to any of you that I just love to cook? If only there were more hours in the day to make perfect meals...
A ton of things have been going on over the last few weeks - many thoughts related to my 2 trips to Vermont and some serious time to think while on the road.
Is it a surprise to any of you that I just love to cook? If only there were more hours in the day to make perfect meals...
Thursday, November 15, 2007
16 percent
My computer has 16 percent of its life left... let's see if I can blog about something before it farts out.
So many things have come up recently - wanting to be child-free for more than 2 hours would be the first thing that comes to mind... But this baby-nursing has an end, and realistically, I blink and a week has gone by AGAIN. Penny has become that delightful lumpkin that sits on my lap and will happily drool on a spoon, suck on a toy and make heart-melting smiles to all that encounter her roundness. She is no longer that newborn ball of sleepy fuzz. She is opinionated and thoughtful, meddling and curious. She does not like a bottle of pumped breast milk... she just likes the real deal. It has become impossible to remember my life before children. But that being said, I had a moment the other day where I swear I felt like I was at college... and then I remembered that the Brown students milling about me were just making a cloud of pheremones that made me feel like I was studying for mid-terms. Mid-terms! Oh my...
Please people. I drive a mini-van and sign permission slips for field trips now. Totally old lady.
Myles has gone to VT to take his last medical licensing exam... and I did my first night with all 3 kids for the first time in ages. Amazing. 2 baths, two books, two bedtimes... all before 6:45 pm. And here I am pouring some silly words down the blog-drain. Feels good actually... Oh wait, that's the wine and cheese.
Other thoughts: my cat is fat. I can fit in my skinny jeans again. My leg hair is so long that it rivals Myles' (I can't seem to find a minute to wax OR shave... I'd need a fucking package of razor blades to make a dent in it). I like making soup. 2 tablespoons of flaxseed powder boiled in 3 tablespoons of water is the equivalent of one egg white when you bake vegan things. I will most likely never ever be seen in a bikini again unless the plastic surgery fairy gives me a new stomach some day. MEN SUCK AT GETTING COLDS. I remember when there used to be frost on the ground in November and there was usually snow on the ground for Christmas.
and now my battery is dying. i should write like this more often. some good stuff for everyone... and maybe a good couple of photos after my weekend.
So many things have come up recently - wanting to be child-free for more than 2 hours would be the first thing that comes to mind... But this baby-nursing has an end, and realistically, I blink and a week has gone by AGAIN. Penny has become that delightful lumpkin that sits on my lap and will happily drool on a spoon, suck on a toy and make heart-melting smiles to all that encounter her roundness. She is no longer that newborn ball of sleepy fuzz. She is opinionated and thoughtful, meddling and curious. She does not like a bottle of pumped breast milk... she just likes the real deal. It has become impossible to remember my life before children. But that being said, I had a moment the other day where I swear I felt like I was at college... and then I remembered that the Brown students milling about me were just making a cloud of pheremones that made me feel like I was studying for mid-terms. Mid-terms! Oh my...
Please people. I drive a mini-van and sign permission slips for field trips now. Totally old lady.
Myles has gone to VT to take his last medical licensing exam... and I did my first night with all 3 kids for the first time in ages. Amazing. 2 baths, two books, two bedtimes... all before 6:45 pm. And here I am pouring some silly words down the blog-drain. Feels good actually... Oh wait, that's the wine and cheese.
Other thoughts: my cat is fat. I can fit in my skinny jeans again. My leg hair is so long that it rivals Myles' (I can't seem to find a minute to wax OR shave... I'd need a fucking package of razor blades to make a dent in it). I like making soup. 2 tablespoons of flaxseed powder boiled in 3 tablespoons of water is the equivalent of one egg white when you bake vegan things. I will most likely never ever be seen in a bikini again unless the plastic surgery fairy gives me a new stomach some day. MEN SUCK AT GETTING COLDS. I remember when there used to be frost on the ground in November and there was usually snow on the ground for Christmas.
and now my battery is dying. i should write like this more often. some good stuff for everyone... and maybe a good couple of photos after my weekend.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Carolyn and Kathleen
I've been dying to grab a photo of these two for ages - and I finally got my chance a few weekends ago. They are my inspiration for embracing the gray...
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Seriously.
These big girls. They have grown up so much in the last two months - I barely recognize them as my babies. Nursery school has been so completely incredible for their minds, their talents, their energy and their blossoming personalities. They have gone from timid little munchkins to brave warrior women on the playground. They are compassionate and helpful big sisters to Penny. They are full of imagination and creativity. They eat most meals that I put in front of them and clean the plate. The world has so many questions that need very specific answers... and we ask and answer the same questions constantly.
"Mom, why can't we talk about poop when we're at school?"
"Why do we have to ask if we want to hug someone?"
"Why doesn't RaRa eat meat?"
"Why can't we say we hate something?"
Well, this is a photo of a special day at their school fair where I asked them to make really serious faces. Eloise is not so convincing, but Ruby's furrowed brow channels Mollie remarkably.
"Mom, why can't we talk about poop when we're at school?"
"Why do we have to ask if we want to hug someone?"
"Why doesn't RaRa eat meat?"
"Why can't we say we hate something?"
Well, this is a photo of a special day at their school fair where I asked them to make really serious faces. Eloise is not so convincing, but Ruby's furrowed brow channels Mollie remarkably.
squatters
My dad can still squat as well as the girls and I . It cracks my mom up - we can all put our heels on the ground "like a Vietnamese person!" she says. Every time. I love it. Then I follow with a comment about, "those Orientals!"
In a sense this photo has a family inside joke imbedded in it. I hope you think it's as hysterical as I do.
In a sense this photo has a family inside joke imbedded in it. I hope you think it's as hysterical as I do.
Cheesy Photo Alert!
Hey. I never thought I'd be posting a photo taken by Myles that would be worthy of this blog. Aren't I an ass? How dare I doubt my husband's creative talents! This photo was taken during our long weekend in Nantucket when we took a trip to the farm to get pumpkins. That's right - our pumpkins this year were grown on Nantucket - not a farm in VT or Rhody. It feels kind of weird actually... the pumpkins took the ferry.
I'll just post some pics here on the blog, but you should all check out the flickr site for some beautiful shots of our beautiful life. There's something about fall that makes me feel like I've harvested new meaning to my family. Is it the advent of the holiday season and my obsessive nostalgia?
I'll just post some pics here on the blog, but you should all check out the flickr site for some beautiful shots of our beautiful life. There's something about fall that makes me feel like I've harvested new meaning to my family. Is it the advent of the holiday season and my obsessive nostalgia?
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Penny's Serious Face
I take great pride in announcing that I've uploaded a TON of new photos of my adorable family from the last month. For some reason the flickr site won't let me create sets right now, but check back there at another time to see them in cohesive groups with comments.
We took another trip to Nantucket this weekend and did nothing more than eat and toodle about in the fog. Myles and I went on two long runs together - amazing that I could even keep up with him - and we watched a bunch of sports on t.v.. Saturday night became a bit of a bender, as we met up with my brother, his wife, his sister-in-law and her husband at this goof-ball bar that we've all frequented since we were of legal age. We danced up a storm in classic "middle -aged-white people" style and felt no shame. Fortunately we all had just a tiny bit of sense left in us and we skipped out on our skinny-dipping plan.
We took another trip to Nantucket this weekend and did nothing more than eat and toodle about in the fog. Myles and I went on two long runs together - amazing that I could even keep up with him - and we watched a bunch of sports on t.v.. Saturday night became a bit of a bender, as we met up with my brother, his wife, his sister-in-law and her husband at this goof-ball bar that we've all frequented since we were of legal age. We danced up a storm in classic "middle -aged-white people" style and felt no shame. Fortunately we all had just a tiny bit of sense left in us and we skipped out on our skinny-dipping plan.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Out and About
So sorry to disappoint you photo hunters... but I just can't bring myself to post the load of pictures that I've taken in recent weeks. There are tons! First off, my far away friend Leah came to visit us and I got to meet her boyfriend Clive (a long overdue happening), then we took a weekend visit to Vermont - Lyllah and Rick's new house on Friday night, Auntie Liza's apartment in Burlington on Saturday night. Apple picking on Sunday (stuffing our faces with cider doughnuts) and a walk around Church Street was refreshing... the weather was perfect... and then a drive to Milton, with a 3 hour nap for the girls, where we celebrated my brother's 38th birthday. Then home to Providence at 11pm.
Penny was totally darling as she happily slept in 3 different beds on 3 different nights. Ruby and Eloise were also VERY adaptable considering the lengthy car rides.
At the end of last week Myles was offered a position as a second year resident in Orthopedics at Brown because a girl was quitting the program. The director was doing his best to lure Myles into the spot by this week so that the other residents wouldn't have to pick up the slack for the dropout... and then she would take over his research work. This was such a shock to both of us and we went back and forth for a couple of days about what Myles should do. It was either "Pursue your dream and get slammed into a really grueling residency program for the next 5 years... and stay in Providence" OR "coast along with the research you've been doing and hope for the best with the anesthesia match... and potentially move again in spring 2008". I was so completely torn. Ultimately I would love to see Myles work his ass off and become an orthopedic surgeon... but considering how much fun we've been having, and how excellent his entire demeanor seems without the added stress of the surgery world, I think anesthesia will be the best fit.
He has chosen to stay with research and wait to hear from anesthesia programs (he already has some interviews set up). But as with any life-altering decision we are now experiencing some "did I make the right choice?" remorse. The director of the ortho program was pretty pissed, the other residents are most likely pretty annoyed and Myles gets to think about how some people would have jumped all over the opportunity to join such an incredible program. Honestly though, it would have been perfect for us if he was 25 and we didn't have kids. If he had joined the program this week I would have been stuck with the 3 kids from 6 AM to at least 8 PM and would have had to consider paying for some evening help. He would have to miss out on most of Penelope's first year... and Ru and El's school events... it would have been awful and he would have been a total grump.
Sorry to bore you all with the lame-o details of this event. We have been wallowing in all kinds of mixed emotions for the last few days and it feels good to finally share it with the computer. When I take the time to spell all of this out I realize that Myles has definitely made the right decision and I should quit feeling bad about what regrets we might have down the road. It just feels odd to acknowledge how much more we value family time over career time.
Phew. I'm toasted and would love to put several thousand dollars worth of stupid shit on my AmEx while I'm at the mall.
Penny was totally darling as she happily slept in 3 different beds on 3 different nights. Ruby and Eloise were also VERY adaptable considering the lengthy car rides.
At the end of last week Myles was offered a position as a second year resident in Orthopedics at Brown because a girl was quitting the program. The director was doing his best to lure Myles into the spot by this week so that the other residents wouldn't have to pick up the slack for the dropout... and then she would take over his research work. This was such a shock to both of us and we went back and forth for a couple of days about what Myles should do. It was either "Pursue your dream and get slammed into a really grueling residency program for the next 5 years... and stay in Providence" OR "coast along with the research you've been doing and hope for the best with the anesthesia match... and potentially move again in spring 2008". I was so completely torn. Ultimately I would love to see Myles work his ass off and become an orthopedic surgeon... but considering how much fun we've been having, and how excellent his entire demeanor seems without the added stress of the surgery world, I think anesthesia will be the best fit.
He has chosen to stay with research and wait to hear from anesthesia programs (he already has some interviews set up). But as with any life-altering decision we are now experiencing some "did I make the right choice?" remorse. The director of the ortho program was pretty pissed, the other residents are most likely pretty annoyed and Myles gets to think about how some people would have jumped all over the opportunity to join such an incredible program. Honestly though, it would have been perfect for us if he was 25 and we didn't have kids. If he had joined the program this week I would have been stuck with the 3 kids from 6 AM to at least 8 PM and would have had to consider paying for some evening help. He would have to miss out on most of Penelope's first year... and Ru and El's school events... it would have been awful and he would have been a total grump.
Sorry to bore you all with the lame-o details of this event. We have been wallowing in all kinds of mixed emotions for the last few days and it feels good to finally share it with the computer. When I take the time to spell all of this out I realize that Myles has definitely made the right decision and I should quit feeling bad about what regrets we might have down the road. It just feels odd to acknowledge how much more we value family time over career time.
Phew. I'm toasted and would love to put several thousand dollars worth of stupid shit on my AmEx while I'm at the mall.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Ms.
I've been meaning to write stuff forever, but as you might guess, I start to imagine that I've blogged and then get sad when I realize that my mind has played a trick on me. And then it's just too much to update you folks on! Really, from our trip to Northbrook Lodge, to Nantucket, our nasty cold, our first day of school, our ballet class, our pot-lucks, our 2 festivals (one Irish, one Greek)... and then all of my conflicting realizations about being a parent. I feel like I've learned a lot in the last 2 months... particularly how nice it is to have a dad around on weekends and evenings. We are a great team when it comes to the fine art of kid wrangling. It makes me love my husband again! Seriously, Myles is a totally different person without the added stress and over-tiredness that his profession demands. It has been pleasant to rediscover why I fell for Myles in the first place. After 11 years with the same person you are bound to forget a few of those things that make you like someone so much. So, research rocks (but the pay check doesn't).
This photo of Penny speaks volumes - because really she kind of gets put in weird places (the Flickr site shows us putting her in a giant stew pot) and is occasionally forgotten. Like the time I almost walked out of the restaurant WITHOUT her... as she snoozed in the car seat resting on the highchair. It's given me a couple of good nightmares about misplacing the baby.
The Ms. tee shirt shown here was mine from 1976. My nieces Chloe and Daisy have both worn it, Ru and El wore it (briefly) and now Penny gets to show it off again! 30 year-old fashion making a fine feminist statement. And Myles' giant MAN hand holding the handles, the sand in the background! What's not to love? I could go on and on...
This photo of Penny speaks volumes - because really she kind of gets put in weird places (the Flickr site shows us putting her in a giant stew pot) and is occasionally forgotten. Like the time I almost walked out of the restaurant WITHOUT her... as she snoozed in the car seat resting on the highchair. It's given me a couple of good nightmares about misplacing the baby.
The Ms. tee shirt shown here was mine from 1976. My nieces Chloe and Daisy have both worn it, Ru and El wore it (briefly) and now Penny gets to show it off again! 30 year-old fashion making a fine feminist statement. And Myles' giant MAN hand holding the handles, the sand in the background! What's not to love? I could go on and on...
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