On a whim, I threw a bowl of edamame on the table at dinner. I had little hope, as anything that hits the table that doesn't resemble macaroni and cheese or chicken nuggets is being met with a big frown.
But omigosh, they ate it up. Hooray for the occasional streak of food diversity!
I declare Farm Day 6 a success—a perfect fall day. We are lucky to be surrounded by such amazing people, both family and friends. A special big shout-out to Bryan and Amy (and Matt and Sophie), for traveling the farthest to join us. One from each coast.
The only thing I ask is that next year, someone needs to detach my children from me for 20 minutes so I can run around and take photos. At the end of the night, this picture of Ronan was one of the few sitting in my camera.
Farm Day 7 is October 10, 2009. Mark your calendars!
On Friday, Tom and I realized that we had no plans for the weekend. Although we were looking forward to some time at home, that much time at home seemed a little…um…daunting.
So we decided to head to the zoo in the Big City Up North, which was really fun the last time I went. Four years ago.
Since I was last there, they've put in a small amusement park area, which was clearly designed by interns. The rides were there, but they seem to have run out of money for landscaping, signage, and other critical items that provide ambiance. And then it was kind of weirdly empty, like we were often the only people on rides, which was exciting but somewhat suspicious.
From that point on things were all about the rides and the play area and a meal so devoid of nutritional value I was moved to write a letter. I mean, really, my two child-friendly options are hot dogs and deep-fried macaroni and cheese nuggets? Is that served with a sippy cup of Lipitor? I digress. The kids had fun, and that's what important.
On the way home we stopped by Dan and Chris' house, which the kids had never seen. They've done such a bang-up job, I can hardly believe it's the same house I saw in the original photos. Chris pulled out his old collection of Lego and then the kids discovered the patio made an excellent dance floor and suddenly they were writing up adoption papers and asking to live there. Much dancing, frolicking, and fun was had before we tucked them in the car to go home and sleep in our very own beds.
This whole staycation/daycation thing might have some merit…
Thanks to a conference a few hours north, my uncle Keith whizzed through town for a quick visit. Since he is nearly a decade younger than my mom, he was the hip, happening uncle of my childhood. Full of boundless energy and crazy antics, it was probably a sneak preview of my future life as a parent.
While he was here he got a good snuggle in with Ellery, who he was meeting for the first time. Which, ahem, is a good sign that he doesn't visit anywhere near enough.
NO, THAT'S NOT MY ULTRASOUND. Remember, Tom had that surgery? We'd be having a very stern discussion with his urologist if something like that was hanging out in my uterus.
I'm happy to announce it's the ultrasound of my middle sister, Bonnie, to whom I am passing the Babymaking torch. In early March, we will have a new little baby to squeeze. I will soak up every bit of deliciousness I can out of that baby and then hand it back to Bonnie, head home, and crawl into my bed and enjoy sleep that lasts longer than 2-3 consecutive hours. Hooray for aunt-hood!
So today, on her birthday, she has graduated from the first trimester, which is a pretty fabulous gift. I wish I could box up and tie a bow around The End of Nausea, but I think that should arrive soon.
In the meantime, I wish you the very happiest of birthdays. You've waited patiently to head down this road, and I can't wait to welcome the newest member of our family. Happy birthday.
Things have been busy around, so posting has been light. We came back from Chicago, and have been dealing with our vacation hangover. This weekend my uncle Mark came in from Germany with his wife Resa and daughter Andrea and her whole family. Today we counted 8 children and 11 adults sitting around the table.
This was my favorite moment, when our kids piled into the pool and laughed and played like they'd known one another for years.
When we first bought the property, I fell in love with a cluster of apple trees planted by the previous owner. As we built the house, for various reasons (utilities, house siting, etc.) they kept lopping down the trees, one after another. When it was all said and done, I still had four left. They're terrible apples, quite sour and inedible, but I still love the trees. Who knows? Maybe I can make some sort of apple sauce out of them? I need to get one assessed by our favorite fruit farmer at the Farmer's Market.
Neko can see them out her window as she goes to sleep at night, and has been keeping us posted on their progress. Tonight, Neko and Shep ran out right before bed and declared it was time to pick apples. They really aren't ready for picking, but the excitement and the perfect summer evening got the best of us and we picked until our bowl was full.
Tom’s Grandma Ruth passed away this morning at the age of 94. We’ve known it was coming for a few weeks, so it was not a surprise. Bittersweet, nonetheless.
She was a tiny woman, small enough that even I towered over her, but made up for size in energy and spunk. Since she lived many states away, Tom and I didn’t have as many opportunities as we would have liked to visit, but we kept in touch by phone. She kept us up-to-date of the goings-on in her neck of the woods, and always made us laugh with her candor and world view.
For all the years I have known him, Tom has been full of stories of his grandmother and grandfather, both happy and sad, but clear indicators that they helped shape who he is today.
She will be missed.
Just as the day was drawing to a close, and we’d had a day of emotional ups and downs, booking flights and juggling schedules, we got news that a friend of ours had delivered a baby girl. In the morning, almost to the moment that Ruth passed.
Whether it’s a new life that has just emerged or an older one that has passed on, I like to think they are both celebrated. How lucky we are to do this dance, for however long we are given. To learn and explore, revel and embrace. And when it’s done, we get to drift off into a well-deserved slumber. Not a bad deal, if you ask me.
