Everyday Life for Four Seasons

Here are a few photos. We've been away - in Florida - for a last minute trip. Jeff's grandpa Seymour passed away and we went down for the funeral.


The girls had a great time. 'A' was particularly good with all of the adults who came over for a Shiva call. Lately she has been really bad about making eye contact and speaking with strangers, and somehow she was relaxed and confident enough to speak to a lot of adults, and there were at least 100 people there in one afternoon.

Uncle Howard took this one:


Uncle Howard and Aunt Michelle got the girls a bubble machine, and it's really cool! I can just picture a bunch of kids chasing the bubbles around the yard.


Did you notice? 'A' is wearing the dress I got her.


'H' is 15 months old now! We had high hopes that she would start walking soon, but no luck. She is making big strides in the speaking and movement department, and the next few weeks should be pretty interesting.


Here are the girls with their grandma.

I'm having one of those life moments that Oprah talks about - you know, the touchy-feely, womanly life retrospectives. As you know, Jeff and I just got a new car. (I love it, love it, love it!!! but that's beside point and I'll stop shouting it now)
When we talked about which car we wanted, we talked about how long we would have it and what we would be doing during all of those years, and we tried to make a decision that made the most sense for us.


Our plan is to have the Odyssey for a good 10, if not 15 years. We talked about how it would be used during that time and what kind of lifestyle we would have. Easy enough. But you know, it's not that simple. 15 years is a long time. A lifetime can happen in 15 years. Some people have heartbreak and then they bounce back and learn to love again. Others take on a fitness challenge and remake their entire lifestyle. Some people flourish in their careers and end up in totally different lifestyles after 15 years. 15 years is a long time.


I had a dream last night that Jeff "broke up" with me. At some point in the dream I realized we were married, and I thought, "ooh, this is bad behavior on his part - you can't just break up with someone you are married to, can you?" 15 years is a long time, and I don't want us to be living the same life we are living now. I want us to keep challenging each other, keep growing, keep living life to the fullest. So really, when I think about it, I have absolutely no idea what the next 15 years will bring. Hopefully it will just bring happiness.


My next Oprah moment cuts really close to home for me and makes me really uncomfortable. This is the first new car I have ever had. It wouldn't be a big deal, except that I carry so much with me from where I grew up, and where I grew up is nothing like where I live now. I have very few connections to the type of lifestyle I might have had if I had stayed in Norwich (Connecticut). I'm happy that I don't have a lot of connections to it, but it does haunt me. Norwich is not an affluent city. It's quite the opposite. When you grow up in Norwich, you don't dream of a better life. What you get is what you get, and you better make the most of it. For the people who live in upstate New York, I can tell you that Norwich is the equivalent of Glens Falls or Mechanicville. When I drive through those places I think, "This looks familiar. I know who lives here."


Not a lot of people in Norwich drive new cars, and if they do drive a new car, it certainly doesn't have many bells and whistles on it. So, when I picked up my new car on Monday, my first car with bells and whistles, I couldn't help but think that I didn't deserve to be driving it. It's a little thing - that feeling that I deserve only what I get and nothing more. But it's part of a whole childhood. It's a part of me.


The wonder of it all is that my parents actually decided to move there and thought it would be an okay place to raise children. My parents are really good people and are very intelligent. They both were born and raised in Amherst, Massachusetts. If you've ever been to Amherst or Northampton... well, you know what it's like there. My father's dad was the Dean of the School of Agriculture at UMass and was internationally known as one of the most important poultry geneticists ever. From what I understand, Frank Purdue worked with him in the 50's or 60's to breed a white chicken for slaughter that would be plump and juicy, yet be resistant to diseases. Remember the U2 song "Where the streets have no name?" That's where Grandpa Fred grew up - in a tiny mining town in PA where the streets don't have names, mostly because there are only 2 streets and outsiders never visit, so there isn't a need for names.
My father's mother was a very happy Dean's wife. My mother's parents owned a printing shop (hence my genetic love of paper and font faces) and they got a lot of work from the colleges. So why my parents thought that it would be okay to move to Norwich and subject their children to growing up with a working-class mentality... I don't know. I don't blame them at all, and I think they did what they had to do. I has probably made me a better person, because I try to see things from different points of view, rather than assume that everyone is coming from the same place I am coming from. Who knows? All I know is that a part of me doesn't feel like she should be driving the car that is sitting in my driveway!


Talk to me in a week. I may have assimilated by then.

This is it, my new baby! We are due for a new car because Jeff's Passat lease is up in 12 days. Our next door neighbor, Wendy, is a marketing director at Keeler Motors, so we talked to her and decided to start our search at Keeler Honda. After a quick look at what was on the market with other dealers, we decided that the 2008 Honda Odyssey EX-L was for us. The Odyssey has so many things that we desire: safety, reliability, higher resale value, comfort...

Wendy put in a good word with the GM and our salesman and when we went back today, we were given the red carpet treatment. Everything was great. The service was excellent and we got our final price down to a place where we felt very comfortable.

Did I mention yet that I love the car? I love it. We pick it up on Monday and I cannot wait. I love the leather seats, the heated seats, the sunroof, the spacious interior. And this one has a rear camera so I can see what is directly behind the car when I back up. And the best part is, it handles like a car, not a van. It's so comfortable to drive.

OK, I'm done swooning, at least here.

PS - I am so enamored with the car that I completely forgot about everything else we did today. This morning, Jeff's parents came by to be with the girls while we went to help put the new playground at Kelley Park together. We met up with other MOMS Club members and their spouses and we spent the morning doing all kinds of neat stuff. Go Team! This kind of community spirit is what makes things happen.

I've been regrouping.

Tonight Jeff said - sarcastically - "Is your camera broken? What is going on? Do you hate your life and you're not taking photos anymore?"

Actually, it's because I love my life that I'm taking some time to regroup. I'm just about back on track.

Jeff's parents come tomorrow and 'A' is very excited about it. I took her to the doctor today because she was back in fever-mode and to get through the visit, I promised her a juice box. We bought a pack of 8 juice boxes while we waited for her prescription. When we got home, she picked out 2 juice boxes, one for Grandma Shelly and one for Grandpa Neal. She then proceeded to stick the straws in them because she wanted them to be ready for her grandparents!

The doctor's visit: as it turns out, the mini-flu she had last week is still with her. The doctor said she's seen it going around. It starts with a fever, followed by a few days of complete exhaustion, followed by another round of fever. On top of it all, she has an ear infection. She did mention that her ear hurt last week, but she said it once and never fussed with her ear, so I didn't make much of it. Anyway, I am fully anticipating a few more days of exhaustion from her and hopefully we'll all be 100% soon!

Photos to come - I needed some time to myself. Thanks for understanding.

News Flash: my stepfather didn't win the seat on the Town of Eastham Board of Selectmen. Maybe next year.


This weekend we're going to look for a car. The lease on the Passat is up in a few weeks. I know for sure that I have 2 wishes for this next car: I want to fit more people in it; and I want to be able to fit large items in it.

So, we're looking at minivans. We don't know if we want to lease or buy - it really depends on our budget. At this point, we're open to anything, so we're going to visit a few dealerships this weekend.


And do you know what this means? Jeff is giving up the Passat and I am getting a minivan, so guess who gets the Altima? Ding ding ding! Jeff is the lucky winner!


Do you know how many versions of this photo I have? "No, Mommy, don't take my picture."

Where is my USB cable? Until I find it, the photos are stuck in my camera.

We've had a whirlwind week. 'A' and Jeff got a flu-like bug and are now in recovery, which means that they are just really tired, and probably will be for another few days. In the middle of their sickness, I ate some bad bleu cheese for dinner and spent the entire night regurgitating it. By tomorrow morning I'll be back to drinking coffee and eating breakfast and I'll be 100%.

I did learn something very important that night, something I am sure I will use again and again as my children get older. When you can't keep anything down, don't try to sip water. Drink juice, or something with lots of sugar in it. Finally at 4 am, when I was sick and tired of being sick and tired, I decided to bring my question - "why can't I keep even a sip of water down?" - to my higher power, the Google search engine. As it turns out, water is the kiss of death for sick people. Sugar is King. One sip of sweet Kool-aid later, I was sound asleep and as happy as a clam.

This weekend is Memorial Day weekend and we're looking forward to staying close to home and working on some house projects. We've got a pile of mulch in the driveway, waiting to be spread, and a family room that is primed and just about ready for paint. Woohoo! I am so excited to spiff this place up a little.

Have a great night and I will have my photos up tomorrow!

I went to the dentist yesterday because something in my mouth wasn't quite right. I have a history of grinding my teeth and because of my habit, I have had 2 root canals and crowns and I am due for another crown in a few weeks. Anyway, I really like my dentist and he is also a teeth grinder, and he is pretty good about sympathizing with me while he helps me deal with my problem. We decided that my current issues all stem from the fact that I not only grind while I sleep, but I clench my jaw while I'm awake. My homework is to learn how to relax.


Relax? I think I need to take a class to learn how to do that. Not only was I not raised to relax, but to be honest, I really have no interest in doing it. It makes me anxious.


My mother had a clipping hung in the kitchen for as long as I can remember: "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." Ecclesiastes 9:10.

Translation: You better give everything in life 110%. And if you want to stop giving 110%, just wait, because someday you'll be dead and then you will have time to relax.


My mother never sat down when I was little, and when she did sit - which I think happened only 2 or 3 times, she was doing 3 different things at the same time. Her mother was the same way, and my older sister has the bug too.

I used to be able to focus better, and I used to feel more physically relaxed, but then I realized that I ultimately feel happier if I have more going on. So I transitioned from a life of "what if..." and "maybe someday..." to a life of "I did..." and "I am doing..." and in the process, I forgot how to slow down and listen to my body.


Looking at plants makes me feel relaxed. And the ones that are outside right now are the most precious ever. The flowers are almost coming into bloom, and I love how they sit tight, waiting to unfold and grow. They're like little children, so beautiful with so much potential.


My children are sleeping right now - I'm having a very peaceful afternoon!

This is a happy girl. 'H' might not walk yet, might not talk yet, but she certainly does know how to have a good time. This evening she enjoyed rolling and bouncing all over the couch. She had to do it alone, unfortunately - big sister 'A' was in the sick quarters with her dad. 'H' and I don't know exactly what is wrong with them, and as long as we don't catch it, we don't really want to know! Perhaps rolling around and giggling will keep the germs away.


Over the weekend we went to visit friends in Vermont. It's pretty there.

My stepfather, Richard Ryder, is running for selectman in Eastham, Massachusetts. The vote is tomorrow. I just read the write-up in the newspaper about all of the candidates and their positions, and I think his answers are the best. They didn't put any names in the article, which was weird. He is #1.

These are THE handprint tiles! They are one of the fundraising options that the folks at FANS - Friends and Neighbors of Ballston Spa - set up to raise money for the new playground at Kelley Park. Our MOMS Club chapter made almost 30 tiles - all of those little handprints with the names and ages of the children look great. I got together with Sharon, Jen and Sue this morning to put the names and ages on the tiles and we banged them out in no time. I'm really happy with the way they look. I'm also happy that various members of my family contributed money so that the girls could each have a tile. The tiles will be on display at the playground and we will be able to go back for years to come and see them.


Today is our wedding anniversary. We're celebrating by ordering in pizza and gourmet salad with a bottle of wine. Mmm, romantic, I know. You know what is even more romantic? Jeff said he is going to paint the family room tonight as his present to me. Now, that's what I call a present! He's right, that will make me happier than anything. That photo of the two of us is from 4 short years ago... how things have changed since then!

Made a trip to the Farmer's Market today to meet up with our environmental group. I bought enough herbs and flowers to keep me busy for a while. When I get enough energy to get off the couch, I'll be able to tell you what those purple flowers are. The woman at the booth assured me that they have the draping look of petunias without the maintenance, and they don't get leggy. Sounds heavenly to me.

I bought this dress for 'A' at a consignment sale. I paid $8 for it, which I think is a lot for a consignment sale item, but I thought it was really cute. She is just starting to get into dresses and we do have quite a few that come from Nanette and Callie (older girls with nice wardrobes), but I thought she might like a pretty one of her own.

My father is in Florida for his annual 3-week vacation in Palm Beach. He left me a voicemail today telling me that, after 28 years in the School of Agriculture at the University of Connecticut, he retired last Friday and he thought I should know.    !!!    I don't take the late announcement personally - he didn't tell anyone except Marilyn and the people he worked with until now. He thought I might have suspected because we recently made plans for the summer and he had an unusually high number of days available. I even commented that he is getting a lot of vacation this year, but I chalked it up to the fact that he has (or did have) a cushy state job. I never suspected that he was making a major life change. For the sake of fairness, I might add that I used to have a cushy state job - at UConn Law School - and oh boy, was it cushy. I got something like 4 weeks of vacation, 18 holidays, 6 personal days, 23 sick days, full medical, dental and vision insurance... and the list goes on. Like, between time off and free trips to the doctor, when did I have time to work? I fully intend to get another state job as my children near college-age. Do you know what you pay for tuition at a state college if your parent works there? $0.

Anyway, congratulations to my dad and everyone out there who is brave enough to make a life change and look forward to the surprises that lay ahead.

Happy Mother's Day, to all of you mothers out there.


We went to visit my sister Emily today. She and Harry bought a house recently and today was our first look at it. We had a good time - the weather was nice and the kids ran around and around.


On the way home we pulled over to take some photos of the picturesque Massachusetts landscape.




Here are some helicopters, waiting to fly.