Sunday, July 31, 2011

Week in the Life - Day 7

July 31, 2011

Silliness


Ron hates to be photographed. I wonder why.


Apparently, Ethan wasn't in the mood to be photographed either. That quickly changed however.


"This is the perfect pool, mom. Take a picture." How sweet! If he only knew how the other half lived!


I didn't pay too much attention to my garden this summer. But there were a few diamonds in the rough.


We see a lot of butterflies in my backyard. They love this Butterfly Bush...aptly named!


Giving Chewy some love.


Mr. Drama Boy said something bit him. I didn't see anything. But he has a fear of flies.


He called himself Fireman Ethan.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Week in the Life, Day 6

July 30, 2011 - Day 6

The day started off very slowly. But I was determined to see the Hot Air Balloons at the Annual Festival in Readington, NJ.

There is something magical to me about hot air balloons. They were so cool to watch. Next year, I am definitely getting a ride on one of them.




Then we hit some rides.
Maybe not such a great idea after all.
He got the hang of it.
I neglected to mention that I couldn't find my car right away. Because of the way I entered the parking lot, I didn't get a look at the aisle I was in. So I wandered a bit. But at least I got to appreciate the night sky.


Week in the Life_Day 5

Oh Friday, Sweet Friday, where have you been all week?

I found this little package waiting for me outside. Everyone says Ethan looks like my brother Eric.
I  "vintaged" the photo. You tell me. Could this have been Eric Santos in the 70's? I'll try to dig up some old
photos of my brother for those who don't know him. To be conitnued!


I guess I can retire the tricycle.



Thursday, July 28, 2011

Catching Up with My Week in the Life

I was in Boston a couple of days for a conference and I was unable to write about my week the past few days, but I was definitely recording it with photos.

Day 2 - July 26, 2011
The pet peeves continue. Garbage day is Tuesdays, bright and early in the morning. This is what I found Tuesday when I got up. Well past bright and early.


Then I went to the Westchester to run an errand and visited the family restroom. Normally this is TMI and not too interesting. But this restroom is next to Tiffany's. If you've ever been to the Westchester, then you know it's not for the broke! Have you ever been in the family restroom at Target? This isn't that.


After I oo'ed and ahh'ed about this restroom, I was like, there are no napkins in here. Brownie points deleted. Then i look and there it is. This thing is a dyson hand blower. From the toilet it looked like a seat for a baby. When i got closer....impressive piece of machinery.  Just put your hands in there and your hands are dry in 2 seconds flat. It's the little things people.

Ok so off I go to Boston College for a conference. Got there in 3 hours flat. Very nice campus. Open bar. H'or doerves. A harpist for entertainment.


Day 3 - July 27, 2011
Long day, but the evening reception and dinner for the conference was at the New England Aquarium. We had the place to ourselves. Very cool. 


Day 4 - July 28, 2011
Nothing special today. Except my 4 year old refuses to give up his giraffe. I think he's a little to big for it now. What do you think?






Monday, July 25, 2011

Week in the Life, Day 1

This week I am documenting a week in my life. It's a challenge from the Ali Edwards blog. She always does interesting things to get people to really think about their lives and understand that everything we do from the minutiae on up, is important. It's the little things in life that count. It's all important. Even if it's annoying!

So what was my first day of the week like?

  • Today, I was so busy at work that I didn't really stop and record my day. Overall it was orientation for the incoming freshman and I am in charge of parent orientation. I enjoy speaking with and to the parents. They are so thoughtful and focused on what is best for their children. And I can truly appreciate their point of view.
  • When I picked up Ethan he started doing the limbo out of nowhere. Where the hek did he learn that? Turns out the limbo, hot potato and muscial chairs was part of the curriculum at camp today. Don't I wish my day was that much fun.  I didn't get any pics sadly! 
  • I was driving on the Van Wyck and there was an overturned truck on the Jewel Avenue exit (Queens). I had no clue how it got that way based on where it was. It was on its side on the shoulder. It looked like someone pushed it really hard and tipped it. Traffic was moving so I couldn't safely take a pic.

I did get pics of the pet peeves that I deal with regularly. Do these things only happen in my household?

SIGH. Seriously, Ron!?! I don't know whether to laugh or cry when I see this. This is a regular occurrence in my home! 
See the OJ on the counter? IT'S EMPTY! That's were I found it. Right over the open cabinet that has the recycle bin and trash. IT WAS OPEN. Does it not take the same energy to put it in the trash as to place it on the counter?

Monday, July 18, 2011

First 60 Days - Christmas in July

I brought children into this dark world because it needed the light that only a child can bring. ~ Liz Armbuster

Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man.  ~Rabindranath Tagore

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big thin back and realize they were the big things. ~ Robert Brault

July 17th is 60 days into my 40th year and it's the anniversary of the most important day of my life. I became a mother on the17th of July in 2007. I know I am not alone in feeling this way. There is no feeling like being a parent. Kids test every inch of you. They bring out every emotion you possibly have and a few you had no idea existed. Within 60 seconds, they can piss you off, scare you and make you laugh out loud - sometimes on purpose and sometimes without even realizing it. My friends and relatives with older kids tell me it doesn't get easier. It just gets different.



I have never been much of a worrier. I don't stress easily either. This year has really tested my self-confidence professionally, but that's another post. In any case, I have to say that a little piece of me is less trusting and more worried since the kidnapping and murder of Leiby Kletzky, very close to where I live. I couldn't write this post without talking about the effects of this news on me as my son turns another year older. I have always wanted to raise a free range kid. You can click for a full understanding, but in a nutshell, it's a child-rearing philosophy that is based on raising kids to be self-reliant. That can mean letting them pick their own wardrobe, making their own sandwiches or even sending them to the store alone or letting them get home on their own after school! While I still value this school of thought, I have to admit that the Kletzky case has left me a little uneasy about how to pursue free range childhood for my son. He is much too young to walk anywhere alone, but the time will come where his father and I will have to make these kinds of decisions. I most certainly do not blame the little boy's parents. All of the blame belongs to the sick individual who took him from his family. I think all parents deal with hard decisions like letting their kids walk home alone for the first time or taking public transportation, dating, etc. As parents we do the best we can in the world we have. I cannot think of this little boy's case without a lump forming in my throat. And it makes me so very sad that someone like me, who always sees the glass half full, is now reconsidering that notion.

On a brighter note, I often look forward to Ethan's adolescence, filled with athletic events, crushes and best buddies. But I don't want to lose the wet kisses and tight hugs that he randomly gives me in private AND in public of his own accord. I hear that will end some day for fear of embarrassment, and while I look forward to being that embarrassing parent, I never take his kisses  and hugs and quirky noises for granted. I firmly believe he is who he is going to be for the rest of his life...fun loving and affectionate with a serious mischievous streak and flare for drama! It's been a 4 year adventure that has tested me in many, many ways. And I have no qualms with asking for a break, leaving him with his father for a few hours or even overnight while I refresh alone or with girlfriends (who need to refresh as well).


So how did we celebrate our 4th anniversary as parents to this child? SESAME PLACE on Saturday and TOYS R US on Sunday. Has anyone noticed that Toys R Us is like walking into a time warp? The "new" toys are not new at all: Scooby Doo, Star Wars, Transformers, and Alphie. Remember Alphie, the talking robot?

Well that's what Ethan was into? Some fake tools, one robot, light sabre and $200 later, it was Christmas in July. It's was a great weekend, one that I will never to be taken for granted for we are not guaranteed another day. Kiss your babies goodnight, even if they aren't babies anymore.



I have to admit the toy shopping was fun.  That camera you see? It is cool for a playskool toy. It takes up to 1000 photos and you can download the photos using a usb cable. 
Who doesn't remember the Mystery Machine and Scooby Snacks?
I think Ron was really hoping that Ethan would like the chain saw. He was playing with that thing well after Ethan had moved on to a different toy.

Oh, and Ron was definitely into the light saber. I have to admit, I was swinging it around too.
I know this post has been a little all over the place, but that's the kind of month it's been - all over the place. That goes for the photos of the month I chose.

PhotoS of the Month

I have 2 photos that really inspired me this month. The first photo is the part of the Rocky Mountains that surround Salt Lake City called the Wasatch Mountains. This is a view from my hotel parking lot in Layton, UT at 9am in the morning. They were simply breathtaking. I felt like I could reach out and touch them.



My second picture is quite literally a world away from the one above. This is my brother-in-law, Erick "Arc" Elliott. He is an up and coming artist and I was privileged to see him perform at the Nuyorican Poets' Cafe in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. I was so truly impressed by his stage presence, his music and overall performance. While my husband and I were quite easily the oldest people in the audience (even though we were the only ones who knew that - wink), the music has a wide appeal. It's one of things I love about hip hop - the storytelling aspect of the genre is applicable to all of our lives. We all have stories to tell and there are always others who can relate to those stories in some way. My husband was beaming with pride about his little brother who is 13 years his junior and whose diapers he helped to change. It was really nice to be part of his early audiences! We may never get a chance to see him in a small venue again. His star looks bright.


Tuesday, July 5, 2011

OUT AND ABOUT

New York city is such a cool place to live and work. You don't have to go too far to find something worth photographing, at least in my opinion. Here's a patriotic house off Flatbush Avenue.

 And lookie lookie here. I didn't need to leave home to see this little slice of life.  If this isn't the good life, I don't know what is. Talk about improvising? Who needs a mansion in the Hamptons?
 

Look how cute this little alarm/clock radio is with ipod attachment. I was doing all kinds of stuff around the house and I realized I no  longer own a boom box. So I hit target and got this, $29.99 and the designs can be removed and switched out. Once my neighbors brought out the DJ equipment 4 houses down, it wasn't worth leaving on. SMH

This picture sucks but I LOVE Butterflies. And this one landed right on the first floor window of my house. Probably on its way to my backyard where I have a butterfly garden. So cool.

 Bentley anyone? I've been seeing more of these around town lately, 3 this summer alone to be exact.Are they getting cheaper? Doubt it!

The Nuyorican Poets Cafe in the Lower East Side. 

Here are my new tenants. Apparently, they were born and WERE being raised in my backyard. They were evicted this weekend amidst a great deal of protest. Here are kitty and catty staring dead at me through a window as if I'm the one who didn't belong! Cute, yes but only for a few more weeks. The adult cats in this neighborhood are GANGSTA and I certainly don't want them thinking my backyard is home sweet home.