Quintessential Easter.
Obligatory outfits CHECK
Baskets CHECK
Candy wrapper in hand CHECK
Investigation of brother's basket to ensure fairness abounds CHECK
Candy coated holiday that should be about Jesus CHECK
My favorite part of the holiday? The Easter vigil service on Saturday night. The first half is in the darkness, awaiting the risen Christ. The second half, replete with lighting of festive candles, uplifting hymns sending chills down my spine and Alleluias, the peak of the Christian year. BREATHTAKING
Sunday, April 12, 2009
DAY 102: Happy Easter
Saturday, April 11, 2009
DAY 101: At Play in the Fields of the Lord
Sincerely, this is the answer to prayer. The fact is that up until about five months ago these children did not find each other at all interesting and, in fact, the older one might have quickly disposed of the younger one had she had the means. No, they were not friends. They barely tolerated each other. It was a sad state of affairs for a mother who had hoped and prayed for siblings who would be fast friends. I might have had an only child, except having one scared me that that child would be lonely without the fraternity found in a sib. Well, I thank God, friends they now are...good friends. Liam puts up with being bossed around and rolls with it. Elena puts up with Liam's teasing antics and loud screeches. It's heaven on earth...hence the title of this blog.
Friday, April 10, 2009
DAY 99: Tie Dying Again
On Thursday night, the old ties came out, clean white eggs were purchased and vinegar water was boiled. The ties were dismantled and cut in squares. The eggs were wrapped in the silk and then wrapped again in squares of cotton T-shirt. Then, they were boiled for twenty minutes or so. The results, although not as spectacular as last year, were pretty...to be continued in the daylight with DAY 100.
DAY 98: Boys and their Toys
Liam really loves playing with his cars and trains. As I got ready for work, he surrounded me with an entire city of vehicles. He made caves and garages for them out of laundry baskets and the bedskirt. He went through my legs over and over again as if it was a "bridge."
DAY 97: Staten Island, Another Country
I went to a meeting in Staten Island. I am not sure if I had been there before. I know my aunt's godmother lived there, Godmother Gay, and I might have been there with family at one point when I was too young to remember, but this was the first time I can remember in a long time. On the one hand, I felt like I was still in Brooklyn or Queens, on the other, I felt like I was in another country. I couldn't believe it when I got to the edge of Brooklyn and still had twenty miles to go before my destination (thank you GPS). I had always wanted to drive over the Verrazano and the Goethals bridges and this was my chance. I got to do both. I actually think I crossed six bridges getting to Staten Island. Probably would have been more prudent to have come by boat.
The neatest part of the trip was right at this moment I photographed. This is going over the Verrazano (I am pretty sure) and off to the left is the farthest point of the NYC area reaching into the Atlantic. There is no sound, no harbor, no protection, just the wide mouth of a harbor with giant cargo ships ushering in and out. It made me acutely aware of New York's port city roots. Plus, the Verrazano is so high up to let these massive ships pass underneath it. It was an interesting drive to say the least.
DAY 96: Footprints
One day, I had gotten home from work and felt very tired. My dad, who is the proud new owner of a Shelf Genie franchise, had worked his tail off all day too and was also very tired. We were relaxing in front of the tv while the kids ran around outside frolicking together. This is one of my new pleasures...that they enjoy running, skipping and playing together outside. It's wonderful and buys me some much needed alone time. The price to pay steepens, however, when it is wet and muddy out.
Liam came in the house and before tired Mommy and the stellar Boppasitter had noticed, he had managed to track muddy footprints around the entire downstairs. He was covered up to his knees in mud. As the scope of destruction dawned on us, I felt panicked. How on earth would I clean it all up? Then I remembered that mud is merely dirt and water. Water evaporates and dirt vacuums up. The next morning, it was all able to be sucked up by the Dyson. Hooray!
DAY 95: Mothering
I love this picture. I love it because Jeff doesn't come back East from his Naperville home very often. And I love it because it's a moment between mother and son that is so dear. It doesn't matter that Jeff is over fifty and his mother over eighty, when she offers him a bite of her brownie, he cannot resist. She cannot resist biting along with him in the great tradition and habit of mothers everywhere while feeding their children. Mouths mime mouth opening, spoon licking, and biting in an involuntary response. So sweet to see it never stops.
DAY 94: Surprise at the Gig
I know the quality of this picture is poor, but it's the moment that is really special. My dad's brother and sister surprised him at his band's gig on Saturday night. It was sort of an informal 60th birthday present to him. Needless to say, the night was a blast and he was duly surprised. Can you tell?
DAY 93: The Early Bird
Yes, he is that. He is my early bird. Somehow, morning seems to come between 4am and 5am for Liam. Not my favorite trait of his. He's getting better about going back to sleep if I grab my pillow and crash beside him in his twin bed. Let me tell you, this is the pinnacle of comfort. Arms fall asleep. I lay there, terrified to move an iota, lest I wake up the lightest sleeper in the world. At least he awakes cheerful and chatty. That's a good thing. (Note: please read that last line with dripping sarcasm)
Thursday, April 02, 2009
DAY 92: Happy Birthday Boppa
Osso bucco with lamb instead of veal for my father's birthday. It was fabulous...I can't type more...exhaustion setting in.
DAY 91: Mama and Boy
This child is attached to his mother. So attached. And, in an unrelated story, he likes to get up at 5 AM and wants me to come downstairs with him. He wants me to to "Tum with me downstairs, Mommy! Tum with me now!!" Joy...
DAY 90: Melting Pot
The other day I was trapped on the Williamsburg Bridge.There was some sort of police activity just about ten cars in front of me. All of sudden, people in front of me started getting out of their cars to check it out. It made me think about "crowd phenomenon" and how certain events bring people together. In this case, in front of me chatting and palling around like they had known each other for years was a hasidic man, an asian man and a black man. Made me think about the melting pot that is NYC.
DAY 89: Funny Story about Some Turkeys
The other day I received an email from a client who was heading out turkey hunting. I glanced to my left and saw this out my window. I thought how ironic that this women was going to leave work to go hunting for turkeys to shoot, and here at our office, the turkeys flock to the office windows. Smart turkeys to only hang out at offices where people don't keep guns in their cars.
Monday, March 30, 2009
DAY 88: Glitter is the Debil
I decided that, on a rainy Sunday, the best thing to do was to plan an art project. I do not know what posessed me to think that glitter was a good idea. Liam and I spent the rest of the day bespeckled like Gem.
Truly outrageous...DAY 87: Haircut Bribery
The title really says it all. Apparently I only know how to do one haircut. Yup, just one. Buzz-inmate-army-cut.
DAY 86: Outdoor Girl
Elena is going through a wonderful new phase. All day long, she craves being in the outdoors. She is almost five now (I have to keep pinching myself to believe it's true), and very self-sufficient. She dons her boots, finds her coat and helps herself to snack-sized bites of the outdoors. I think she is growing into her genes...her mother's genes... of loving the outdoors.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
DAY 85: Yes, I Know, I Cheated
I had a day 83 picture, but I hated it. So, today when I went to Brooklyn, I took 38 pics and used three of them for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday...Sorry for cheating.
This one is about how barbed wire, while not very inviting, can appear soooo dangerous looking, but can provide a sense of safety.
DAY 84: Dumbo, NYC
This is graffitti in the Dumbo district in Brooklyn. Dumbo, turns out is not named for a cartoon elephant, but stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. It's a pretty cool area...here, read about it...
Day 83 - What The Heck?
Anyone know why people throw their shoes up over utility wires? I have seen in the city, in the country, in my home town, away on business. This picture was taken in NYC. Why? Anyone?
Monday, March 23, 2009
DAY 82: P'kolino Chair and Elena
I got this chair for Elena on my business trip last week. I went to this cool furniture/toy company in the Fort Lauderdale area called P'kolino. They have these chairs called the "Little Reader" that come in animal prints. Elena's room is in giraffe and safari animal motif. This may become her new "corner" - God willing.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
DAY 81: If I Had a Hammer
Liam ran amuck in Home Depot as we picked up supplies to surprise my parents by replacing their downstairs toilet which was not working. I asked him to carry the hammer. Bad idea.
Day 80: Southern Hospitality
I'm a BIG fan of a custom that I was just introduced to in the South. It started at an authentic bbq place in Columbus, GA. At the end of our meal, I had bbq, black-eyed peas and collard greens and Caroline had the Wednesday special of a Pig Tater, the waitress came up and to ask if we wanted our check. We said yes, paid and then she came by and asked us if we wanted a "to goatee," or at least that is what we heard. She was actually asking us if we would like a "To-Go-Tea" or if we would like our beverage put into a styrofoam cup with ice to go. Heck yes, we would! We thought it was an aberration, but no, they asked us this same question at the conclusion of our meal at Outback too! I think I am going to start a campaign to bring this practice North!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
DAY 78: Land of the Lost Called...
And they want their controller back. I think it might be time to upgrade jetway technology. I think these were designed prior to the first lunar mission. I kid you not.
I could have done without landing at the end of the longest business trip ever only to have the technician driving the jetway NOT able to manuever it into place. We were all trapped, at 11PM at night, on the plane while they tried to move the thing in place. This was after I had heard a story from a woman in the FLL airport who had almost missed her grandfather's funeral because she missed a connecting flight because of this same problem. Broken jetway. I appeal to airports everywhere, mightn't it be time for an upgrade? At least to the 90's?
DAY 77: Rue Du Maine
Once upon a time, I was seventeen years old. I was on a trip with my friend, Caroline, in Paris, France. We got lost looking for a McDonalds (silly girls!) in the heart of Paris. Our hotel, which was on on the streets that pinwheels around the L'Arc De Triomphe. We foolishly thought that seeing the arch at the end of our street would provide a marker that would enable us to find our way back home. Our breadcrumb dropping method did not work, in truth, it failed miserably. We were lost and wandering around Paris for some time. Nous sommes perdues!!!
Due to this little slip up, we missed half of the attractions in Paris. Sacre Coeur, missed it. Louvre, missed it. Mona Lisa, missed it. Good times.
Anyhow, Caroline is the one with whom I made this Southeast trek. As we were wandering around one of the world's smallest towns in Mississippi, we spotted a sign in an antique shop window. RUE DU MAINE. Here on the other side of the planet, worlds away in geography and culture, was a street sign taking us back to the last trip we made together. Fate.
DAY 76.5: The Everglades
I just thought it was so neat to see what the everglades look like from the air. Thought I would share a few shots with you!
DAY 76: Seasonal Affective Disorder
Yup, I am now convinced I have SAD. I swear to you, the smell of freshness, the smell of summer, made me practically ebullient. The sun beat down on my shoulders. I glimpsed the future, a few months in the future, and I loved it!
DAY 75.5: Arriving in Ft. Lauderdale
Starting off the five-day tour of the Southeast. Arriving in Ft. Lauderdale. Peering out the window at the GORGEOUS weather, scenery and sun. See the intercoastal waterway down there?
Monday, March 16, 2009
DAY 75 Cross Car
Quoting Liam at six AM this morning.
"Mommy, mine car is cwoss."
"What, Liam?"
"CWOSS! Mine car is cwoss."
"I still don't understand."
"He wooks cwoss, mad, wike Waney (Elena - sister)."
HAHAHAHA
DAY 74: Prepping for Business Trip
Getting ready for a trip down to the deep South. Over the next six days, I will be in Florida (which, I know, I know, is NOT the South), then Atlanta, Columbus GA, West Point MS, Little Rock AR and Memphis TN. It's going to be a hoot!
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