The Partner, The Boss, the dog, and I rode over to Rhode Island last night to take a gander at a 1989 27' Gulf Stream Conquest motor home we discovered on Craig's List. After The Boss jumped all over the queen sized bed in the back, after I inspected each and every crack and crevice of closet or cabinet space, and after The Partner took the behemoth for a spin, hands were shaken. Words like "title," "insurance," and "license plates" floated easily through the crisp dusk air. We pledged to return the next day to bring the big baby home.
New England is now our oyster. We already have plans for one or two weekend trips in October and all kinds of dreams for a lakeside site next summer. When I really want to get grandiose, I imagine a cross country trip that a young family will never forget.
Our Gulf Stream's got a pinky-mauve velour interior. There are two seats in the cockpit and a captain's chair behind. At loft level, foam pallets come together to form a queen sized sleeping area. A table and bench convert to a bed next to the refrigerator and across from the sink and stove. There's a shower on one side and a toilet on the other. Behind it all is a traditional queen bed surrounded by narrow but serviceable closets. I can lay back in the 80s grandeur of it all and imagine that Bon Jovi just might have traveled this way.
On the way home, The Partner patted our dog Roxie's head as she nosed her way over the center console of our car and nuzzled him from her spot in the back seat. We had been talking about the placement of car seats in the camper and assorted logistics. "Roxie's going to sit in the shower," The Partner joked.
"Droxie ridin' in the shower!" The Boss sang out. Her voice was a melodic taunt. I wondered if she was evil or just enchanted with the out-of-context image of her dog bouncing around a waterproof stall beneath the shower head as New Hampshire hills flew by.
"Roxie is NOT riding in the shower," I said, running my hand over the dog's smooth forehead. I felt the scar she'd earned the morning she decided to run under a chain link fence in pursuit of the neighbor's cat.
We were silent for awhile as our mind's eyes took us beyond seating arrangements into our own personalized realms. I pictured myself in a lounge chair next to the camper. I had a book in my hand and a lake to my side. The Partner was probably envisioning the race car he'd tow each month to the RallyX events he loves to participate in.
Then we heard The Boss behind us. A maniacal giggle indicated her train of thought had not left the station. "Droxie ridin' in the show-er!"
The dog turned and gave our daughter the hairy eyeball. That long, jagged scar ended right where her pointed gaze began.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Shocking Revelations
The weather is cooling, and it seems as if it's for good (more or less, that is - we are in New England after all). So yesterday's Big Project was packing away most of Sweetie's summer clothes and bringing out her fall/winter stuff.
Luckily for us, Sweetie has inherited about 95% of her wardrobe, since birth, from a friend of mine whose daughter is a few years older than Sweetie. This has been an absolute godsend, as I couldn't imagine having to shell out the moola for an entire new collection of clothing for Sweetie 2-4 times a year. Instead, all I have to do is have hubby haul out of the attic the garbage bags full of fashionable finds. Voila! Nearly-new offerings right at my fingertips!
As I was digging my way out from under the clothes piles yesterday, I kept tossing to the side all the size 6/7 pants that were obviously too big.
Nope. Too long... too long... too long!
Sweetie's not yet 5- years old. She's tall and skinny, but not that tall. So I knew these larger sizes weren't even worth a second glance.
Then I don't know what got into me, but I took one of the longer pairs of sweatpants from the bag and decided that Sweetie should probably try them on.... just to see.... but, still, I knew for sure that I'd only confirm my too long sizing judgment.
But.....wow!.... huh!..... how 'bout that?!.... they actually fit her. A little loose in the waist, but lengthwise - just fine!
Ugh! Back to the drawing board. Bring back the cast aside "too long" options and try them all on her.... they all fit great. Of course.
Where did my baby go?!
Ooh! I know, I know! I know where my baby went! She just went.... inside herself.
See.... Sweetie's body might be growing a mile a minute. But lately she's been regressing in her behavior.
The whining! The fighting! The not listening! The TANTRUMS! Oh, the tantrums! Where in the world is this all coming from?! I mean, for goodness sake. This had better just be a phase, because if this goes on much longer I am going to lose my freakin' mind.
Then I had to go and find this post that the lovely Alice recently wrote. And I just. about. died.
So there's no hope in sight, right? This is not just a "Sweetie Thing"? Obviously this is the way it goes with the nearly-five-year-old-set in general. And I don't like it one bit.
Growing body.... shrinking social/coping skills..... huh.... I thought it would be at least 5 - 8 more years before I had to deal with this.
Luckily for us, Sweetie has inherited about 95% of her wardrobe, since birth, from a friend of mine whose daughter is a few years older than Sweetie. This has been an absolute godsend, as I couldn't imagine having to shell out the moola for an entire new collection of clothing for Sweetie 2-4 times a year. Instead, all I have to do is have hubby haul out of the attic the garbage bags full of fashionable finds. Voila! Nearly-new offerings right at my fingertips!
As I was digging my way out from under the clothes piles yesterday, I kept tossing to the side all the size 6/7 pants that were obviously too big.
Nope. Too long... too long... too long!
Sweetie's not yet 5- years old. She's tall and skinny, but not that tall. So I knew these larger sizes weren't even worth a second glance.
Then I don't know what got into me, but I took one of the longer pairs of sweatpants from the bag and decided that Sweetie should probably try them on.... just to see.... but, still, I knew for sure that I'd only confirm my too long sizing judgment.
But.....wow!.... huh!..... how 'bout that?!.... they actually fit her. A little loose in the waist, but lengthwise - just fine!
Ugh! Back to the drawing board. Bring back the cast aside "too long" options and try them all on her.... they all fit great. Of course.
Where did my baby go?!
Ooh! I know, I know! I know where my baby went! She just went.... inside herself.
See.... Sweetie's body might be growing a mile a minute. But lately she's been regressing in her behavior.
The whining! The fighting! The not listening! The TANTRUMS! Oh, the tantrums! Where in the world is this all coming from?! I mean, for goodness sake. This had better just be a phase, because if this goes on much longer I am going to lose my freakin' mind.
Then I had to go and find this post that the lovely Alice recently wrote. And I just. about. died.
So there's no hope in sight, right? This is not just a "Sweetie Thing"? Obviously this is the way it goes with the nearly-five-year-old-set in general. And I don't like it one bit.
Growing body.... shrinking social/coping skills..... huh.... I thought it would be at least 5 - 8 more years before I had to deal with this.
Monday, September 17, 2007
This land is my land, this land is your land
Yesterday, my husband, daughter and I took a meandering drive down rt. 140, past rolling hillsides and dense woods, before finally getting on rt. 2 to our final destination - the North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival in Orange, MA.
This was our second time attending the festival. We believe the abundance of fresh, locally grown garlic and other organic produce is well worth the crowds, as this event has gotten to be quite popular. Especially on a sunny, 65 degree Sunday in September.
The garlic is plentiful and you can find it in everything from freshly baked bread to ice cream. The faces of the people are happy and relaxed and there are local artists selling their wares and demonstration on everything from cooking to renewable energy. Peace, love and garlic. It's cool, man.
But beyond the drum circles and farm animals and wool blankets made on wooden spinning wheels there are booths dedicated to educating the masses on the importance of maintaining open land. In this area land seems to be plentiful, as most people in the state are reluctant to live that far away from any major city, but residents of the surrounding towns feel differently.
They see the farms going bankrupt. They see their children moving away and developers moving in, driving up the housing prices. Slowly, the older woman with the steely gray hair tells me, but it's happening.
I understand where her concern lies, I live in a town that has seen an explosion of growth over the last decade. McMansions and cul-de-sacs are much more profitable than the horse farms that used to dominate the landscape, and town officials have allowed the building to continue in the name of the almighty tax dollar. But there are groups who, like the women at the booth in Orange, are dedicated to the conservation of undeveloped land. They're small but mighty and they're not afraid to stand up for what they believe in.
New England used to be an area of thick forests and in some parts the old trees are still there, thriving. But in parts of our region the influx of home owners looking to live near their technology jobs or take advantage of our first-rate hospitals and colleges and universities, not to mention the natural beauty of our states, has overpowered the landscape.
I'm not an expert on land conservation so it feels wrong to include a bunch of facts and figures with this post. I wouldn't know if they were true anyway. I only know what I see. But I am a concerned resident of this state and this region and I do wonder what's the next step. I can't stop people from moving here and I certainly can't stop a development company from clearing another field to slap up a bunch of condos.
However...
I do know this: I can support the garlic farmer, the organic vegetable farmer, the local chicken farmer where I can get fresh eggs. I can try my hardest to join the local CSA. I can, possibly, join my town's land conservation commission or, at the very least, support their efforts through fund raisers and town meetings.
After that, I don't know. But I'm up for suggestions. It would be a shame to lose this beautiful land we're so lucky to be living on to 3,000 square foot houses with media rooms and four car garages.
This was our second time attending the festival. We believe the abundance of fresh, locally grown garlic and other organic produce is well worth the crowds, as this event has gotten to be quite popular. Especially on a sunny, 65 degree Sunday in September.
The garlic is plentiful and you can find it in everything from freshly baked bread to ice cream. The faces of the people are happy and relaxed and there are local artists selling their wares and demonstration on everything from cooking to renewable energy. Peace, love and garlic. It's cool, man.
But beyond the drum circles and farm animals and wool blankets made on wooden spinning wheels there are booths dedicated to educating the masses on the importance of maintaining open land. In this area land seems to be plentiful, as most people in the state are reluctant to live that far away from any major city, but residents of the surrounding towns feel differently.
They see the farms going bankrupt. They see their children moving away and developers moving in, driving up the housing prices. Slowly, the older woman with the steely gray hair tells me, but it's happening.
I understand where her concern lies, I live in a town that has seen an explosion of growth over the last decade. McMansions and cul-de-sacs are much more profitable than the horse farms that used to dominate the landscape, and town officials have allowed the building to continue in the name of the almighty tax dollar. But there are groups who, like the women at the booth in Orange, are dedicated to the conservation of undeveloped land. They're small but mighty and they're not afraid to stand up for what they believe in.
New England used to be an area of thick forests and in some parts the old trees are still there, thriving. But in parts of our region the influx of home owners looking to live near their technology jobs or take advantage of our first-rate hospitals and colleges and universities, not to mention the natural beauty of our states, has overpowered the landscape.
I'm not an expert on land conservation so it feels wrong to include a bunch of facts and figures with this post. I wouldn't know if they were true anyway. I only know what I see. But I am a concerned resident of this state and this region and I do wonder what's the next step. I can't stop people from moving here and I certainly can't stop a development company from clearing another field to slap up a bunch of condos.
However...
I do know this: I can support the garlic farmer, the organic vegetable farmer, the local chicken farmer where I can get fresh eggs. I can try my hardest to join the local CSA. I can, possibly, join my town's land conservation commission or, at the very least, support their efforts through fund raisers and town meetings.
After that, I don't know. But I'm up for suggestions. It would be a shame to lose this beautiful land we're so lucky to be living on to 3,000 square foot houses with media rooms and four car garages.
You can't always get what you want
“Is there going to be a playground there?”
That was the most pressing question on the way to the Nashoba Valley Winery on Friday. At least to Audrey’s 3-year-old, William.
We were on our way to meet up with four of the New England Mamas and their families for some apple picking and picnicking. Oh yeah, and wine.
I looked at my mom, who was driving. “I told him we were going apple picking with some new friends, but he’s stuck on the playground thing,” she said.
“Well, you’re going to get to play with a lot of kids,” I told him. “You can run around and pick apples with them. It’ll be so much fun!”
That was exciting enough for Audrey’s 2-year-old, Alex, who was sitting in his car seat next to William, munching on a donut. “Apples!” he screamed.
William wasn’t as impressed. “But is there a playground?”
I figured it would just be easiest to keep the possibility open, even though this would mean lying to my nephew.
“There might be a playground, William.”
That was all he needed. From that point on he, too, was excited about the trip.
So we arrived at Nashoba Valley Winery and met up with Mrs. Chicky and Chicky, and Fairly Odd Mother, her husband, mother-in-law and three children. (Of course, we called everyone by their real names at this point.)
We picked our McIntosh and Cortland apples. William and Alex took turns holding the bag as we filled it up with the fruit (and took a few bites here and there).
We took a self-guided tour of the wine shoppe (not to be confused with a plain old "shop"), marveling at the vast selection of tasty wines made from the delicious grapes and other fruits grown right on site.
We set up our little picnic at the tables overlooking the winery’s gorgeous land.
We noshed on yummy breadsticks and delicious Gouda cheese, also from the shoppe (between the three Pinks & Blues Girls, not one of us remembered to actually pack a lunch).
Sarah from In the Trenches of Mommyhood and Alex from Formula Fed and Flexible Parenting soon joined us. Sarah brought her three boyz and Alex brought her two boys.
All of the kids continued to run around and play together as the adults chatted and sipped wine.
When it was time for our little Pinks & Blues party to leave, William decided he was having too much fun playing, and didn’t want to go.
He cried the whole way to the car, even when we told him everyone else was leaving, too (which was yet another lie, since Sarah and Alex had just gotten there. That’s two lies if you’re keeping score).
As we drove away from the winery, Williamdecided to believe the lie resigned himself to the fact that we were going home and sat quietly in the backseat, looking pensively out the car window.
“Didn’t we have fun today!?” I asked him. “We picked apples, played with new friends, ate some delicious cheese and breadsticks…” I waited for him to respond with some other fun events of the day.
He thought for a second. Really pondered.
Then he answered, “Yes, but you said there would be a playground.”
Touche, kid. Touche.
I guess Mick Jagger was right.
That was the most pressing question on the way to the Nashoba Valley Winery on Friday. At least to Audrey’s 3-year-old, William.
We were on our way to meet up with four of the New England Mamas and their families for some apple picking and picnicking. Oh yeah, and wine.
I looked at my mom, who was driving. “I told him we were going apple picking with some new friends, but he’s stuck on the playground thing,” she said.
“Well, you’re going to get to play with a lot of kids,” I told him. “You can run around and pick apples with them. It’ll be so much fun!”
That was exciting enough for Audrey’s 2-year-old, Alex, who was sitting in his car seat next to William, munching on a donut. “Apples!” he screamed.
William wasn’t as impressed. “But is there a playground?”
I figured it would just be easiest to keep the possibility open, even though this would mean lying to my nephew.
“There might be a playground, William.”
That was all he needed. From that point on he, too, was excited about the trip.
So we arrived at Nashoba Valley Winery and met up with Mrs. Chicky and Chicky, and Fairly Odd Mother, her husband, mother-in-law and three children. (Of course, we called everyone by their real names at this point.)
We picked our McIntosh and Cortland apples. William and Alex took turns holding the bag as we filled it up with the fruit (and took a few bites here and there).
We took a self-guided tour of the wine shoppe (not to be confused with a plain old "shop"), marveling at the vast selection of tasty wines made from the delicious grapes and other fruits grown right on site.
We set up our little picnic at the tables overlooking the winery’s gorgeous land.
We noshed on yummy breadsticks and delicious Gouda cheese, also from the shoppe (between the three Pinks & Blues Girls, not one of us remembered to actually pack a lunch).Sarah from In the Trenches of Mommyhood and Alex from Formula Fed and Flexible Parenting soon joined us. Sarah brought her three boyz and Alex brought her two boys.
All of the kids continued to run around and play together as the adults chatted and sipped wine.
When it was time for our little Pinks & Blues party to leave, William decided he was having too much fun playing, and didn’t want to go.
He cried the whole way to the car, even when we told him everyone else was leaving, too (which was yet another lie, since Sarah and Alex had just gotten there. That’s two lies if you’re keeping score).
As we drove away from the winery, William
“Didn’t we have fun today!?” I asked him. “We picked apples, played with new friends, ate some delicious cheese and breadsticks…” I waited for him to respond with some other fun events of the day.
He thought for a second. Really pondered.
Then he answered, “Yes, but you said there would be a playground.”
Touche, kid. Touche.
I guess Mick Jagger was right.
In this day and age....
It's hard to imagine not having the comforts of technology we do.
Growing up (not so long ago) we never had a personal computer. I remember using a type writer to type term papers as a freshman, sophomore and even junior in high school. I think it was sometime late in my junior year that we got a computer in my home. But then it was just for typing papers. Sometime in my senior year, we ended up with an Internet connection. But we all used the same email Addy. We just picked our mail and ignored the rest. Still, it wasn't something any of us used on a regular basis.
I got married mid-way through my second year of college and one of the first things Husband and I got was a brand new Gateway. I was purchased after a day of car maintenance / shopping in Natick, Mass. We stopped at the Gateway store and walked out $3,000 poorer (that was back when you couldn't pick up a decent PC for under $800). We called and had Internet hooked up the day after it was delivered to our small condo. Then it was games - lots and lots of games. We had email, but still most of our friends didn't. It was used as a tool for me and Husband to communicate while he was in school.
Finally, technology caught up with most of our family and friends and not a day go by that we don't hear from them. Now, if my blog goes 2-3 days without posting, or pictures/emails don't get sent, I get a call from my Mom "Are you okay, I haven't heard from you in 24 hours. I checked your blog but there's nothing new". Sometimes it frustrates me, but it's nice to know that she still worries about me.
Last winter, Husband spent 4 days in DC with people we've never met. He drove down with 2 of his buddies who he met on some boards we belong to. He shared a room with 3 other guys who he talked to online. They came from California, Illinois, Florida, Colorado, Washington State and many other different locals. Some of these people we now talk to outside of boards- through email, phone and mail correspondence. Some are people who we consider friends.
Last week, Einey and I opened up her first email account. She's six years old and it's kind of weird. We emailed it to three of her friends - 2 buddies from school and her best friend in Virginia. So far, she's gotten 2 emails. One was some pictures from her friend in VA, the other from her best friend in CT. And let me tell you, six year old emails are just funny stuff!
Einey : Houw was the detiset?
Friend: good how are you
Einey: I am good
Now don't get me wrong, she doesn't know her email address so I don't worry about her passing it around. She also doesn't use the Internet unsupervised. She is learning how to check her mail, but still needs my help. I open it up for her and help her as needed. She doesn't know her password, so I know everything she gets.
The other morning, I ran into a mom from my book club and who I saw alot during the summer on our trips to the lake. I asked for her email so I could add her into our book club list. I gave her mine and she was very excited. She only has a few people she contacts through email so for her its a great thing.
In my MOMS Club, there are still 2 members without email. I feel bad because they are often left out of the loop. I personally cannot live without my computer. I check my email accounts numerous times a day, read other people's blogs, visit some boards and help Husband maintain his website. For me, it's an easy way t communicate with people fast. Sharing pictures is simple, just upload and send. That way I don't pay and arm and a leg to mail a ton of pictures, and family members can see the girls often through pictures. I've reconnected with a few cousins in different parts of the country this way.
Last year, I started watching whole programs on the computer. No commercials and I don't have to force myself to stay up 1/2 the night. It's great!
I recently got a MP3 player and let me tell you, it's been great! I no longer have to sift through piles of CD's. I can pick the few songs I like and download them onto the MP3. In the car, I am no longer forced to listen to kids music. I have a list of tracks on my MP3 player that we've deemed "safe" for the kids to hear that are pleasing to Husband and I.
In short, I would go crazy without my daily dose of screen time. It's easier for me to wake up to than coffee!
Growing up (not so long ago) we never had a personal computer. I remember using a type writer to type term papers as a freshman, sophomore and even junior in high school. I think it was sometime late in my junior year that we got a computer in my home. But then it was just for typing papers. Sometime in my senior year, we ended up with an Internet connection. But we all used the same email Addy. We just picked our mail and ignored the rest. Still, it wasn't something any of us used on a regular basis.
I got married mid-way through my second year of college and one of the first things Husband and I got was a brand new Gateway. I was purchased after a day of car maintenance / shopping in Natick, Mass. We stopped at the Gateway store and walked out $3,000 poorer (that was back when you couldn't pick up a decent PC for under $800). We called and had Internet hooked up the day after it was delivered to our small condo. Then it was games - lots and lots of games. We had email, but still most of our friends didn't. It was used as a tool for me and Husband to communicate while he was in school.
Finally, technology caught up with most of our family and friends and not a day go by that we don't hear from them. Now, if my blog goes 2-3 days without posting, or pictures/emails don't get sent, I get a call from my Mom "Are you okay, I haven't heard from you in 24 hours. I checked your blog but there's nothing new". Sometimes it frustrates me, but it's nice to know that she still worries about me.
Last winter, Husband spent 4 days in DC with people we've never met. He drove down with 2 of his buddies who he met on some boards we belong to. He shared a room with 3 other guys who he talked to online. They came from California, Illinois, Florida, Colorado, Washington State and many other different locals. Some of these people we now talk to outside of boards- through email, phone and mail correspondence. Some are people who we consider friends.
Last week, Einey and I opened up her first email account. She's six years old and it's kind of weird. We emailed it to three of her friends - 2 buddies from school and her best friend in Virginia. So far, she's gotten 2 emails. One was some pictures from her friend in VA, the other from her best friend in CT. And let me tell you, six year old emails are just funny stuff!
Einey : Houw was the detiset?
Friend: good how are you
Einey: I am good
Now don't get me wrong, she doesn't know her email address so I don't worry about her passing it around. She also doesn't use the Internet unsupervised. She is learning how to check her mail, but still needs my help. I open it up for her and help her as needed. She doesn't know her password, so I know everything she gets.
The other morning, I ran into a mom from my book club and who I saw alot during the summer on our trips to the lake. I asked for her email so I could add her into our book club list. I gave her mine and she was very excited. She only has a few people she contacts through email so for her its a great thing.
In my MOMS Club, there are still 2 members without email. I feel bad because they are often left out of the loop. I personally cannot live without my computer. I check my email accounts numerous times a day, read other people's blogs, visit some boards and help Husband maintain his website. For me, it's an easy way t communicate with people fast. Sharing pictures is simple, just upload and send. That way I don't pay and arm and a leg to mail a ton of pictures, and family members can see the girls often through pictures. I've reconnected with a few cousins in different parts of the country this way.
Last year, I started watching whole programs on the computer. No commercials and I don't have to force myself to stay up 1/2 the night. It's great!
I recently got a MP3 player and let me tell you, it's been great! I no longer have to sift through piles of CD's. I can pick the few songs I like and download them onto the MP3. In the car, I am no longer forced to listen to kids music. I have a list of tracks on my MP3 player that we've deemed "safe" for the kids to hear that are pleasing to Husband and I.
In short, I would go crazy without my daily dose of screen time. It's easier for me to wake up to than coffee!
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