Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Roll Call
I'm curious to see if anyone is actually reading this thing. Not that I'm expecting to achieve great fame and glory through my very limited posting, which offers no great insight on life or information of true value, but just out of serious curiosity. I've been making more of an effort to comment on what I'm reading lately, so if you've stopped by, drop me a note in the comments to let me know. Thanks, and happy reading!
Hannah Takes Manhattan
Despite the injury, I haven't really had much time to slow down. This past weekend, Marc and I took Hannah to New York City for the first time. Max stayed with my sister- and brother-in-law (thanks again!!!) and we took the train into the city.
It was a jam-packed weekend! We spent an afternoon at the Natural History Museum and caught a show at the planetarium. Hannah was particularly interested in the depiction of a whale eating a squid, and seemed to like the dinosaur fossils as well. We spent the evening in Times Square, and rode the ferris wheel at Toys R Us. The following morning we took in a street fair and spent some time in Bryant Park before enjoying Hannah's first Broadway show - The Little Mermaid.
The show was great, and Hannah seemed to love every minute of it. I'm a big Broadway fan and would go all the time if I could, and I think as she gets older, it will be something Hannah and I will get to enjoy together. The show was very well done too - I'd definitely recommend it to anyone with a princess-loving child. There was a little boy in front of us who was maybe 3 years old, and he ooh'd and ahh'd at all the right places, which was just adorable (and made me miss Max terribly!). All in all, a wonderful, exhausting weekend. I can't wait to go back.
It was a jam-packed weekend! We spent an afternoon at the Natural History Museum and caught a show at the planetarium. Hannah was particularly interested in the depiction of a whale eating a squid, and seemed to like the dinosaur fossils as well. We spent the evening in Times Square, and rode the ferris wheel at Toys R Us. The following morning we took in a street fair and spent some time in Bryant Park before enjoying Hannah's first Broadway show - The Little Mermaid.
The show was great, and Hannah seemed to love every minute of it. I'm a big Broadway fan and would go all the time if I could, and I think as she gets older, it will be something Hannah and I will get to enjoy together. The show was very well done too - I'd definitely recommend it to anyone with a princess-loving child. There was a little boy in front of us who was maybe 3 years old, and he ooh'd and ahh'd at all the right places, which was just adorable (and made me miss Max terribly!). All in all, a wonderful, exhausting weekend. I can't wait to go back.
Extreme Strawberry Picking
I have spent the last two weeks with a cast on my leg, from my toes to my knee.
The Saturday after the week I've just described below, we decided to go to a strawberry farm. I'd never done this activity before, and since I particularly love strawberries, I was very excited. Unfortunately though, after picking just one strawberry, I fell when I placed my foot in a tire track from the farm's tractor. I was holding Max as I fell, and I guess I did it in such a way that he came out of it just fine...but I ended up with a fractured heel.
I was basically incapacitated for four days until I finally got the cast. I should have it on for just three weeks, but needless to say, it's not fun. While I am incredibly relieved that I am not more injured, this has been a great inconvenience. I actually miss driving - and that is a statement I never expected to make in my entire life.
The other annoying factor is having to tell and retell the story each time someone encounters me and my giant piece of plaster. At first, I felt really silly saying I fell at a farm. People seem to want a more glamorous story. So it's taken two weeks, but I finally have a good opening line: extreme strawberry picking. Whoever said I wasn't into sports!
I have one more week to go, and am praying that everything will look good when I am x-rayed again. In the meantime, I am hobbling around as best as I can, and am very thankful that Marc has been a big source of help to me over the last few weeks.
The Saturday after the week I've just described below, we decided to go to a strawberry farm. I'd never done this activity before, and since I particularly love strawberries, I was very excited. Unfortunately though, after picking just one strawberry, I fell when I placed my foot in a tire track from the farm's tractor. I was holding Max as I fell, and I guess I did it in such a way that he came out of it just fine...but I ended up with a fractured heel.
I was basically incapacitated for four days until I finally got the cast. I should have it on for just three weeks, but needless to say, it's not fun. While I am incredibly relieved that I am not more injured, this has been a great inconvenience. I actually miss driving - and that is a statement I never expected to make in my entire life.
The other annoying factor is having to tell and retell the story each time someone encounters me and my giant piece of plaster. At first, I felt really silly saying I fell at a farm. People seem to want a more glamorous story. So it's taken two weeks, but I finally have a good opening line: extreme strawberry picking. Whoever said I wasn't into sports!
I have one more week to go, and am praying that everything will look good when I am x-rayed again. In the meantime, I am hobbling around as best as I can, and am very thankful that Marc has been a big source of help to me over the last few weeks.
A Chapter Ends
I have had a few blog posts rattling around my brain for a while now, yet seemingly no time to actually write them, so I will attempt a little catch up.
Hannah's school year came to a close a couple of weeks ago. There was a crazy week where it seemed every day was monumental. On Monday, we had her end of the year party and "graduation" ceremony. On Tuesday she went on her first field trip, to Drumlin Farm, and she is still talking about it. Wednesday was her official last day, which was quite emotional for her. Then she spent Thursday and Friday at the back up daycare center in my office building. It was quite a week.
I am a little sad to see that chapter of her life come to an end. She has one more year as a preschooler, and I can't believe how quickly the past two years have come and gone. I felt proud of her and all of her classmates - they've grown and accomplished so much. I will miss seeing all of these kids and hearing about Hannah's daily adventures with them.
Hannah has since moved on to her new program, and so far it is a giant success. I don't think it even took her the whole first day to feel at home there. I am thrilled that the transition went so smoothly, and it gives me great hope for her entrance to kindergarten in another year. But gosh, my little baby is so grown up already.
Hannah's school year came to a close a couple of weeks ago. There was a crazy week where it seemed every day was monumental. On Monday, we had her end of the year party and "graduation" ceremony. On Tuesday she went on her first field trip, to Drumlin Farm, and she is still talking about it. Wednesday was her official last day, which was quite emotional for her. Then she spent Thursday and Friday at the back up daycare center in my office building. It was quite a week.
I am a little sad to see that chapter of her life come to an end. She has one more year as a preschooler, and I can't believe how quickly the past two years have come and gone. I felt proud of her and all of her classmates - they've grown and accomplished so much. I will miss seeing all of these kids and hearing about Hannah's daily adventures with them.
Hannah has since moved on to her new program, and so far it is a giant success. I don't think it even took her the whole first day to feel at home there. I am thrilled that the transition went so smoothly, and it gives me great hope for her entrance to kindergarten in another year. But gosh, my little baby is so grown up already.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Wordle
I just found out about a fun site, wordle.net. This one is based on the Counting Crows "Walkaways". Enjoy!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Ponytail Days
Last week at work was unexpectedly busy. A project came out of a meeting that I attended on Monday, and I spent the rest of the week working on it at a feverish pace. When I get extremely busy at work, I usually end up pulling my hair into a ponytail, since I don't want to be irritated by it. Since it was quite hot last week as well, my hair went up as early as possible each day.
I almost never wore ponytails until Hannah arrived. Then, they became my default as soon as I passed over the threshold. She always pulled at it, and now Max does too. I guess it's my version of a "mom cut" - I haven't actually chopped it all off, just keep pulling it back.
This weekend Hannah discovered pigtails (and braided pigtails for extra fanciness). I'm not very good at doing her hair, but I'm getting better at it. She looked so different with them in, but it's good for her to experiment. She shouldn't be stuck with a "I'm a four year old" look just because I can't escape my ponytails.
I almost never wore ponytails until Hannah arrived. Then, they became my default as soon as I passed over the threshold. She always pulled at it, and now Max does too. I guess it's my version of a "mom cut" - I haven't actually chopped it all off, just keep pulling it back.
This weekend Hannah discovered pigtails (and braided pigtails for extra fanciness). I'm not very good at doing her hair, but I'm getting better at it. She looked so different with them in, but it's good for her to experiment. She shouldn't be stuck with a "I'm a four year old" look just because I can't escape my ponytails.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
A Busy Week
This week won't go down in history as one of my favorites. It's been a draining one.
Max's (formerly known as "BabyBee") daycare was closed on Tuesday, so I brought him to the back-up daycare center in my office building, which is run by Bright Horizons and is one of the benefits provided at my job. He actually had a great day, but I needed to give him a bottle on both legs of our extensive T ride. This was not an easy maneuver, but we managed. Having to contend with this change to my routine was interesting though. Usually I spend most of my commute on my Blackberry and/or ipod, and there was none of that happening.
On Wednesday we followed our usual pattern, which means I take the Green Line, C Branch, to pick up Max from his daycare. Then we walk a few blocks and get on the D branch to take that train home. We're on the train together for three stops, just about 10 minutes in total. We got off the train at Newton Highlands. That train continued on, and two stops later, approximately 10 minutes after we got off, it rear ended another train and the driver of my train was crushed by the impact.
I have been very upset and freaked out by this. At the point where Max and I get on the train, you are supposed to pay your fare (I have a monthly pass, so the T gets no new revenue despite me switching lines - but I usually try to follow protocol and get on at the front of the train). The front of the car seemed particularly crowded that day, so I made eye contact with the driver. I held up my pass and motioned that Max and I and his stroller were going to a door at the back. She waved me through.
Later that night, while she was still trapped in the wreckage (I have not seen when they declared her time of death to be, whether it was on impact or some time later), I saw her father on the news coverage. Based on his appearance, I was pretty sure he was the father of the driver of my train, and my heart went out to him. Fortunately, almost everyone on board was able to walk off the train, and just a dozen people were treated at local hospitals (it is estimated that a total of 200 people were on both trains).
I am incredibly thankful that Max and I got off the T when we did - I can't imagine what that would have been like. I don't want to imagine it. But I have been, over and over, since then. I'm not sure I'll ever get on a train again without thinking about it. And this is something I do five days a week.
Generally I'm a big fan of the T. It has its annoyances, to be sure - constantly running late, stopping unnecessarily long at certain stations, too crowded, too noisy - but it is a much better alternative than me driving downtown and paying outrageous parking fees. I know the chances of an accident like this happening are very slim, and far less than the chance of a car accident fatality. But it did shake me out of my "I love the Green Line" reverie.
On a MUCH, MUCH lighter note, I went to see the "Sex and the City" movie last night. My best friend and I purchased tickets about a week ago. We both figured that if we didn't go on the night it opened, we just wouldn't make the effort afterward, since we knew we see spoilers everywhere. We both expected it to be an okay movie, but nothing great.
We were pleasantly surprised. Despite the series being gone for so long now, it was easy to fall right back into the rhythm of SATC. I've always had an affinity for Miranda, and enjoyed her plot line very much. Charlotte had some great lines (though I don't appreciate potty humor, and was a bit sad that they brought that in). The movie was indeed long, but I felt it was necessary to show that happy endings can take their time in coming to you. We left the theater happy that we gotten to see it for ourselves, and saying that we would tell others to see it as well.
One point to note about the audience though - this isn't your living room! The theater was packed with women, gay men, and the occasional husband, and we were shocked at the noise level before the film started. The crowd cheered at the first sight of pink-colored font, and also cheered at the end. The group of women behind us felt it necessary to talk throughout the film, making little comments on the fashion or a funny line. While that is acceptable at home, it didn't feel right in the theater, and did detract from the experience. I don't particularly care whether or not you, strangers behind me, like Carrie's wedding gown - but maybe the discussion is part of the point and what makes SATC such a different experience.
Funny though, that for me the most decadent part of the evening was getting to use a public restroom without a child in tow! A rare moment indeed.
Max's (formerly known as "BabyBee") daycare was closed on Tuesday, so I brought him to the back-up daycare center in my office building, which is run by Bright Horizons and is one of the benefits provided at my job. He actually had a great day, but I needed to give him a bottle on both legs of our extensive T ride. This was not an easy maneuver, but we managed. Having to contend with this change to my routine was interesting though. Usually I spend most of my commute on my Blackberry and/or ipod, and there was none of that happening.
On Wednesday we followed our usual pattern, which means I take the Green Line, C Branch, to pick up Max from his daycare. Then we walk a few blocks and get on the D branch to take that train home. We're on the train together for three stops, just about 10 minutes in total. We got off the train at Newton Highlands. That train continued on, and two stops later, approximately 10 minutes after we got off, it rear ended another train and the driver of my train was crushed by the impact.
I have been very upset and freaked out by this. At the point where Max and I get on the train, you are supposed to pay your fare (I have a monthly pass, so the T gets no new revenue despite me switching lines - but I usually try to follow protocol and get on at the front of the train). The front of the car seemed particularly crowded that day, so I made eye contact with the driver. I held up my pass and motioned that Max and I and his stroller were going to a door at the back. She waved me through.
Later that night, while she was still trapped in the wreckage (I have not seen when they declared her time of death to be, whether it was on impact or some time later), I saw her father on the news coverage. Based on his appearance, I was pretty sure he was the father of the driver of my train, and my heart went out to him. Fortunately, almost everyone on board was able to walk off the train, and just a dozen people were treated at local hospitals (it is estimated that a total of 200 people were on both trains).
I am incredibly thankful that Max and I got off the T when we did - I can't imagine what that would have been like. I don't want to imagine it. But I have been, over and over, since then. I'm not sure I'll ever get on a train again without thinking about it. And this is something I do five days a week.
Generally I'm a big fan of the T. It has its annoyances, to be sure - constantly running late, stopping unnecessarily long at certain stations, too crowded, too noisy - but it is a much better alternative than me driving downtown and paying outrageous parking fees. I know the chances of an accident like this happening are very slim, and far less than the chance of a car accident fatality. But it did shake me out of my "I love the Green Line" reverie.
On a MUCH, MUCH lighter note, I went to see the "Sex and the City" movie last night. My best friend and I purchased tickets about a week ago. We both figured that if we didn't go on the night it opened, we just wouldn't make the effort afterward, since we knew we see spoilers everywhere. We both expected it to be an okay movie, but nothing great.
We were pleasantly surprised. Despite the series being gone for so long now, it was easy to fall right back into the rhythm of SATC. I've always had an affinity for Miranda, and enjoyed her plot line very much. Charlotte had some great lines (though I don't appreciate potty humor, and was a bit sad that they brought that in). The movie was indeed long, but I felt it was necessary to show that happy endings can take their time in coming to you. We left the theater happy that we gotten to see it for ourselves, and saying that we would tell others to see it as well.
One point to note about the audience though - this isn't your living room! The theater was packed with women, gay men, and the occasional husband, and we were shocked at the noise level before the film started. The crowd cheered at the first sight of pink-colored font, and also cheered at the end. The group of women behind us felt it necessary to talk throughout the film, making little comments on the fashion or a funny line. While that is acceptable at home, it didn't feel right in the theater, and did detract from the experience. I don't particularly care whether or not you, strangers behind me, like Carrie's wedding gown - but maybe the discussion is part of the point and what makes SATC such a different experience.
Funny though, that for me the most decadent part of the evening was getting to use a public restroom without a child in tow! A rare moment indeed.
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