Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Hiatus
To any fans who have noticed a break in the action, an explanation: June and I were in Vail, Colorado for a week, visiting my sister Lauren, her husband, and my parents, and hanging out in the glorious and oh-so-snowy Rocky Mountains. We had a fabulous time and I'll post photos and tell you all about it soon, but not right now. I'm simply too tired after a long day in transit (too tired to even write a gramatically sound sentence). Look for an update Friday. I meant to put up a little post before we left town to warn the one or two of you that check us regularly that we'd be incommunicado, but guess what? I didn't get to it. Nothing says Adrienne more than that. Check us soon.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
some fun and a run
In response to Adrienne's kind post... I guess it's a matter of perspective; while Adrienne called me a "badass," my buddy Mike, upon hearing my weekend running plans, responded with a terse "dumbass."
On Friday afternoon, the three of us walked over to Duke's east campus so June could burn some energy. She loves the leaves, and she's really refining her pine-cone-collecting skills. One of her already refined skills is spotting the moon. Whether it's in the pages of a book or high in the sky, she uses her index finger like a laser to point out the moon's location. After observing the moon and a few planes flying by in the sky, we turned our attention to jumping. If you watched the video of her bouncing, you already know June loved jumping around in her Jumparoo; now she's learning the thrill of jumping on her own. For five minutes, the three of us stood in a circle and repeatedly jumped up and down. The synchronized jumping team I've been dreaming of is finally starting to take shape.
As Adrienne already mentioned, I headed to King, NC this morning for the 16th Annual NC Fat-Ass 50 mile and 50k. I chose today's event because my training schedule called for a 50k this weekend, and fortunately, this race was just an hour and a half from home. There is very little information about this race on the web, so I didn't know what to expect. I did know that it usually had a total of about fifteen runners, it's a very hilly course with virtually no flat spots, there could be little or no aid provided, and dogs could be a problem (there are no leash laws in King). Since 1978, Fat-Ass races of various lengths have been held throughout the world under the mantra, "No Fees, No Awards, No Aid, No Wimps." It's a low-key run to say the least. The race director of today's race, Alan Firth, is considered one of the "Fat-Ass" founding fathers; he organized races in England in the early eighties. Today's race started just outside the home of Alan and his wife, Mary. Mary and Alan were incredibly gracious hosts. They provided delicious pre- and post-run meals, and Alan drove up and down the course throughout the day providing aid and encouragement. Alan told me he started ultra-running so he "could continue to drink as much beer as he wanted." In 2000, Alan walked 3000 miles across the US. In 2002 and 2004, Alan and Mary were the directors of a multi-stage, multi-month race across America.
With freezing rain in the forecast, only nine runners made it to this year's event--six completed 50k, the other three completed 50 miles (pictured L to R at the starting line: Elena Helmerick, me, Scott Hayward, Bill Johncock, Evan Serpa, Jeff McGonnell, David King, Ray Krolewicz, and Bill Keane). We started on our way just after 7:30am. I knew some would be running nineteen miles further than me, so I was surprised by the fast pace being set through the first few miles. For a few of those early miles, I talked with Elena Helmerick, the only female in the race. She currently operates an organic, free-range cattle farm in Virginia. She was an animal science major at NC State, and she'll soon be headed to veterinary school. Elena was using today's 50 miler to gauge her fitness for her three month run across the country that she'll begin in April. She dropped back a bit around mile six, so I ran the next several miles with Jeff McGonnell from Davidson, NC. He works for Bank of America, coaches wrestling, and has four very active children. We covered a variety of topics including the optimism of ultra-runners, the sub-prime mortgage debacle, and the hectic schedule he must follow to keep up with his kids. Jeff also told me several stories about Ray Krolewicz, the runner ahead of us who we could see in the distance. Around mile 13, I went ahead and caught up with "Ray K." Ray, 52, is a colorful character and, as I learned from Jeff, is a legend of ultra-running. According to one site:
For the next 19 miles I didn't see another runner. I encountered many dogs along the route. Most barked and some ran alongside me for short stretches. None were threatening, except a trio of Shepard-mixes that greeted me near the top of a hill. I first tried to be friendly, then stern, and then I concluded I would be torn to pieces. The dogs darted back and forth at me for probably 200 yards (seemed like 200 miles at the time). During the 50k, my heart rate averaged 143 and peaked around 160 during the mile-plus uphills. While these dogs were going after me, my heart rate spiked into the mid-180s. After what seemed like an eternity, the dogs left me alone.
Somewhere between miles 15 and 20, I heard a burst of three gun shots far in the distance. I didn't think much of it. Around mile 25, I heard two more shots. This time they seemed much closer. I turned the next corner and less than 15 feet off the side of the road was a hunter, decked out in hunter orange, holding his rifle. With him were several dogs going berserk in pursuit of what I assumed was a fallen animal. About fifty yards further inland from the road was another hunter carrying a rifle and what appeared to be a dead rabbit. I said hello, kept my head down, and prayed I wouldn't fall victim to an errant shot. Thankfully, my prayers were answered.
Around mile 29 I passed Scott Hayward, who went on to win the 50 mile portion of the race.
I finished in 4 hours 52 minutes and 33 seconds and felt great the whole way. I came in second place; the winner set a race record of 4:17. The weather was absolutely perfect-- mid-thirties, no precipitation, and no wind. Those that stayed home missed out. Notwithstanding the occasional lawn filled with junk cars, toilets, etc., the rural course was beautiful. It circumnavigated the Sauratown Mountains and Hanging Rock State Park; early in the race there were beautiful views of Pilot Mountain. As an aside, King, NC is just down the road from Mt. Airy-- home of Andy Griffith. Since I have only one race picture, I've included a September photo of June, Andy, Opie, and me.
Before heading back to Durham, I went back to the directors' house and had a bowl of Mary's chili and a piece of homemade pound cake. Delicious. It was a fantastic race and I met a lot of great people. I'm glad I happened upon it.
By the time I got home to Durham, enough snow had fallen to cover much of our lawn. It probably doesn't qualify as snow in most places, but it's a blizzard by Durham standards. We bundled June up and headed to the back yard. She didn't seem too impressed. Who can blame her? It was just a lot of cold, wet slush, and since she has an aversion to gloves, our time outside didn't last long.
Onto some highlights from the week. Adrienne was working on Wednesday, so I had June to myself. We packed up our goodies and headed to the Museum of Life and Science. It's an amazing museum and is less than five minutes from our house. We probably go there once a week, if not more often. For this trip, we first spent some time indoors looking at the owls and alligators, June then headed to the children's play area to work on her stair climbing and descending, and finally, we headed outdoors to the huge playground. She ran, climbed, and giggled her way around the various obstacles. And despite all the fun she was having, we actually managed to leave the playground and the museum without any protest or tears being shed-- which almost made me cry.
On Friday afternoon, the three of us walked over to Duke's east campus so June could burn some energy. She loves the leaves, and she's really refining her pine-cone-collecting skills. One of her already refined skills is spotting the moon. Whether it's in the pages of a book or high in the sky, she uses her index finger like a laser to point out the moon's location. After observing the moon and a few planes flying by in the sky, we turned our attention to jumping. If you watched the video of her bouncing, you already know June loved jumping around in her Jumparoo; now she's learning the thrill of jumping on her own. For five minutes, the three of us stood in a circle and repeatedly jumped up and down. The synchronized jumping team I've been dreaming of is finally starting to take shape.
As Adrienne already mentioned, I headed to King, NC this morning for the 16th Annual NC Fat-Ass 50 mile and 50k. I chose today's event because my training schedule called for a 50k this weekend, and fortunately, this race was just an hour and a half from home. There is very little information about this race on the web, so I didn't know what to expect. I did know that it usually had a total of about fifteen runners, it's a very hilly course with virtually no flat spots, there could be little or no aid provided, and dogs could be a problem (there are no leash laws in King). Since 1978, Fat-Ass races of various lengths have been held throughout the world under the mantra, "No Fees, No Awards, No Aid, No Wimps." It's a low-key run to say the least. The race director of today's race, Alan Firth, is considered one of the "Fat-Ass" founding fathers; he organized races in England in the early eighties. Today's race started just outside the home of Alan and his wife, Mary. Mary and Alan were incredibly gracious hosts. They provided delicious pre- and post-run meals, and Alan drove up and down the course throughout the day providing aid and encouragement. Alan told me he started ultra-running so he "could continue to drink as much beer as he wanted." In 2000, Alan walked 3000 miles across the US. In 2002 and 2004, Alan and Mary were the directors of a multi-stage, multi-month race across America.
With freezing rain in the forecast, only nine runners made it to this year's event--six completed 50k, the other three completed 50 miles (pictured L to R at the starting line: Elena Helmerick, me, Scott Hayward, Bill Johncock, Evan Serpa, Jeff McGonnell, David King, Ray Krolewicz, and Bill Keane). We started on our way just after 7:30am. I knew some would be running nineteen miles further than me, so I was surprised by the fast pace being set through the first few miles. For a few of those early miles, I talked with Elena Helmerick, the only female in the race. She currently operates an organic, free-range cattle farm in Virginia. She was an animal science major at NC State, and she'll soon be headed to veterinary school. Elena was using today's 50 miler to gauge her fitness for her three month run across the country that she'll begin in April. She dropped back a bit around mile six, so I ran the next several miles with Jeff McGonnell from Davidson, NC. He works for Bank of America, coaches wrestling, and has four very active children. We covered a variety of topics including the optimism of ultra-runners, the sub-prime mortgage debacle, and the hectic schedule he must follow to keep up with his kids. Jeff also told me several stories about Ray Krolewicz, the runner ahead of us who we could see in the distance. Around mile 13, I went ahead and caught up with "Ray K." Ray, 52, is a colorful character and, as I learned from Jeff, is a legend of ultra-running. According to one site:Ray Krolewicz has run over 400 ultramarathons, winning over 80 of them. He's a former American record holder for the most miles in 48 hours (216 miles, since broken by others), and has run a number of 50 mile and 100K events at a sub 6:50 (sub 3 hour marathon) pace. During the decade of the 1980's, he ran at least one ultra marathon every month of the decade.Just three weeks ago, Ray ran 200 miles in a 72 hour race. In the short time we ran together, our primary topic of conversation was baby names. He informed me that 50% of Aprils were born in April. With that nugget of information to chew on, I headed up the road around mile 15.
For the next 19 miles I didn't see another runner. I encountered many dogs along the route. Most barked and some ran alongside me for short stretches. None were threatening, except a trio of Shepard-mixes that greeted me near the top of a hill. I first tried to be friendly, then stern, and then I concluded I would be torn to pieces. The dogs darted back and forth at me for probably 200 yards (seemed like 200 miles at the time). During the 50k, my heart rate averaged 143 and peaked around 160 during the mile-plus uphills. While these dogs were going after me, my heart rate spiked into the mid-180s. After what seemed like an eternity, the dogs left me alone.
Somewhere between miles 15 and 20, I heard a burst of three gun shots far in the distance. I didn't think much of it. Around mile 25, I heard two more shots. This time they seemed much closer. I turned the next corner and less than 15 feet off the side of the road was a hunter, decked out in hunter orange, holding his rifle. With him were several dogs going berserk in pursuit of what I assumed was a fallen animal. About fifty yards further inland from the road was another hunter carrying a rifle and what appeared to be a dead rabbit. I said hello, kept my head down, and prayed I wouldn't fall victim to an errant shot. Thankfully, my prayers were answered.
Around mile 29 I passed Scott Hayward, who went on to win the 50 mile portion of the race.
I finished in 4 hours 52 minutes and 33 seconds and felt great the whole way. I came in second place; the winner set a race record of 4:17. The weather was absolutely perfect-- mid-thirties, no precipitation, and no wind. Those that stayed home missed out. Notwithstanding the occasional lawn filled with junk cars, toilets, etc., the rural course was beautiful. It circumnavigated the Sauratown Mountains and Hanging Rock State Park; early in the race there were beautiful views of Pilot Mountain. As an aside, King, NC is just down the road from Mt. Airy-- home of Andy Griffith. Since I have only one race picture, I've included a September photo of June, Andy, Opie, and me.Before heading back to Durham, I went back to the directors' house and had a bowl of Mary's chili and a piece of homemade pound cake. Delicious. It was a fantastic race and I met a lot of great people. I'm glad I happened upon it.
By the time I got home to Durham, enough snow had fallen to cover much of our lawn. It probably doesn't qualify as snow in most places, but it's a blizzard by Durham standards. We bundled June up and headed to the back yard. She didn't seem too impressed. Who can blame her? It was just a lot of cold, wet slush, and since she has an aversion to gloves, our time outside didn't last long.Ways to spend your Saturday
Let me just take this opportunity to say what most of you most likely already know, that Lloyd is a real bad ass. While I sit here sipping my coffee and poking around on the computer (and June disgorges our kitchen cabinets), Lloyd is out running a 50K (that's also known as 31 miles for anyone not yet on the metric system). The alarm clock buzzed at 4:55 this morning and Lloyd was out the door about 45 minutes later. He's probably been running for 2 hours already. We won't hear from him until around 1 p.m. when he expects to finish the race. Meanwhile, June and I snoozed blissfully away until a little past 8.
And it's most likely snowing already in King, NC, where they hold the Fat Ass 50. This is his last really long training run before he undertakes the Mt. Mitchell Challenge on 2/23/08, a 40 mile race up and then down Mt. Mitchell, which I believe to be the highest peak east of the Rockies. Check out the website to see the warnings about risk to personal safety encountered on this course, including frostbite, hypothermia, and animal attacks (note: firearms not permitted):
http://www.blackmountainmarathon.com/
Hopefully Lloyd will post a chronicle of today's race soon, but I'm pretty sure he won't come out and say what a bad ass he is (and I'm pretty sure he doesn't ever think it about himself, either). I don't think he'd even imply it. So, honey, please forgive me for bragging on you a little bit. And let me also say you will never catch me running a 50 anything.
And here's a gratuitous shot of June (because come on, I know you want it):
Blueberry face, 8/12/07.
And it's most likely snowing already in King, NC, where they hold the Fat Ass 50. This is his last really long training run before he undertakes the Mt. Mitchell Challenge on 2/23/08, a 40 mile race up and then down Mt. Mitchell, which I believe to be the highest peak east of the Rockies. Check out the website to see the warnings about risk to personal safety encountered on this course, including frostbite, hypothermia, and animal attacks (note: firearms not permitted):
http://www.blackmountainmarathon.com/
Hopefully Lloyd will post a chronicle of today's race soon, but I'm pretty sure he won't come out and say what a bad ass he is (and I'm pretty sure he doesn't ever think it about himself, either). I don't think he'd even imply it. So, honey, please forgive me for bragging on you a little bit. And let me also say you will never catch me running a 50 anything.
And here's a gratuitous shot of June (because come on, I know you want it):
Blueberry face, 8/12/07.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
is she talking yet?
Is she talking? Yes
Is she speaking English? Not really. It's a June-created patois consisting of "mows" (meow), "dats" (that?), and several other entertaining but mostly indecipherable noises.
fyi, sitting with June on her chair is our cat Rocco... which is the same cat she's playing with in the last scene.
Is she speaking English? Not really. It's a June-created patois consisting of "mows" (meow), "dats" (that?), and several other entertaining but mostly indecipherable noises.
fyi, sitting with June on her chair is our cat Rocco... which is the same cat she's playing with in the last scene.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
We Love Weekends
The three of us did lots of happy things together this weekend, including going on a wee little hike in Duke Forest and to Harris Teeter, our local grocery store (which gives away a free balloon to each child. This is a mixed blessing; the balloon causes both delight and distress. June has some inscrutable rules about how her balloon is to be handled, including that it is never to be tied to anything. Go figure). Here are a few highlights:
Lloyd and June, still in their pj's, getting pretty serious about Curious George. And June wearing her toy bucket as a hat.
This trail is only a few miles from our house and is part of the extensive network owned and maintained by Duke University (Lloyd has run darn near every inch of it, I would imagine). It was partly sunny and mid-50's and altogether very pleasant on Saturday. June left a trail of cheerios stretching back to the trail head. Clever, no?
After we returned from the grocery store, Lloyd unloaded our purchases in the kitchen while June played quietly behind him (too quietly? That probably trips the anxiety alarm for every parent). I heard him exclaim "June!", so I hastened to the kitchen to find this:
A tower! Of bottles and jars! And the artist looking very inspired.
Pushing the boundaries of physics:
So, she's really into stacking things these days (and she likes to top it all off with the inglehoffer mustard). Maybe time to get some big, super-stackable blocks?
Just in case any of you out there were starting to get the impression that all we do is smile and play and feel pleased with ourselves, this weekend had its tears and moments of frustration (I won't name any names here). But we had a very lovely weekend together.
Lloyd and June, still in their pj's, getting pretty serious about Curious George. And June wearing her toy bucket as a hat.
This trail is only a few miles from our house and is part of the extensive network owned and maintained by Duke University (Lloyd has run darn near every inch of it, I would imagine). It was partly sunny and mid-50's and altogether very pleasant on Saturday. June left a trail of cheerios stretching back to the trail head. Clever, no?
After we returned from the grocery store, Lloyd unloaded our purchases in the kitchen while June played quietly behind him (too quietly? That probably trips the anxiety alarm for every parent). I heard him exclaim "June!", so I hastened to the kitchen to find this:
A tower! Of bottles and jars! And the artist looking very inspired.
Pushing the boundaries of physics:
So, she's really into stacking things these days (and she likes to top it all off with the inglehoffer mustard). Maybe time to get some big, super-stackable blocks?
Just in case any of you out there were starting to get the impression that all we do is smile and play and feel pleased with ourselves, this weekend had its tears and moments of frustration (I won't name any names here). But we had a very lovely weekend together.
Friday, January 11, 2008
one, two, three, swing
I met my girls for lunch this afternoon, and afterwards, we played around for a short while in REI. June found the sports drink aisle particularly interesting. Although I often preach to her the importance of proper hydration, I think her interest in the containers of Cytomax and Accelerade was motivated less by my sports-drink sermons and more by their stackability. She created several masterpieces in the short time we were there; I doubt the store has ever looked more beautiful.
When we left the store and walked to our cars, Adrienne and I walked alongside June, each holding one of her hands. Soon we were saying, "One...two...three," and then swinging her off the ground. She screeched with approval. I still remember my siblings and parents doing the same for me when I was little, so it was especially nice to see June enjoying one of my favorite childhood memories.
When we left the store and walked to our cars, Adrienne and I walked alongside June, each holding one of her hands. Soon we were saying, "One...two...three," and then swinging her off the ground. She screeched with approval. I still remember my siblings and parents doing the same for me when I was little, so it was especially nice to see June enjoying one of my favorite childhood memories.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Friends
June entertained two friends this week:
Here she is showing Henry how to mount a zebra (you're gonna want to pay attention, kid; this may come in handy). He and his parents, Abby and Lance, all joined us for dinner Sunday night.
This photo is notable for being out-of-focus and yet dramatically highlighting the wet trail of mucus flowing down from June's nostril, plus her utterly blithe reaction to it (Henry also seems unperturbed by the condition of his hostess' philtrum).
And how strange (and pretty fun) to be playing in the backyard without coats or hats in early January. Here, the two-headed-baby-monster, half June and half Aaron. Much ado was made of the colorful plastic watering can, with much plunging of the hands inside to find....nothing!
There was some peaceful to-and-fro.
This photo simply says "feelin' good".
Both Aaron and June were very interested in any vessel holding stagnant rainwater, in this case our little firepit-on-legs. There was a lot of splashing, and even a little tentative tasting (which all parents present discouraged). By the time they get to this age, though, you just have to let some of it go. Sooty old rainwater, I can tell you with certainty, is not the most disgusting or potentially diseased thing June has gotten within licking distance of.
Here she is showing Henry how to mount a zebra (you're gonna want to pay attention, kid; this may come in handy). He and his parents, Abby and Lance, all joined us for dinner Sunday night.
This photo is notable for being out-of-focus and yet dramatically highlighting the wet trail of mucus flowing down from June's nostril, plus her utterly blithe reaction to it (Henry also seems unperturbed by the condition of his hostess' philtrum).
And how strange (and pretty fun) to be playing in the backyard without coats or hats in early January. Here, the two-headed-baby-monster, half June and half Aaron. Much ado was made of the colorful plastic watering can, with much plunging of the hands inside to find....nothing!
There was some peaceful to-and-fro.
This photo simply says "feelin' good".
Both Aaron and June were very interested in any vessel holding stagnant rainwater, in this case our little firepit-on-legs. There was a lot of splashing, and even a little tentative tasting (which all parents present discouraged). By the time they get to this age, though, you just have to let some of it go. Sooty old rainwater, I can tell you with certainty, is not the most disgusting or potentially diseased thing June has gotten within licking distance of.
Jumpin' June
This is old video of June in her Jumparoo and Exersaucer. These were undoubtedly her favorite toys for several months. I think the footage ranges from April to September '07. Enjoy!
Saturday, January 5, 2008
art for laughs
I had June all to myself this afternoon. We started our date with lunch at Elmo's Diner. I was afraid June was ruining her appetite before her meal arrived as she was hitting the milk pretty hard and shoving Cheerios into her mouth like a squirrel stashing nuts for winter. Despite her pre-meal meal, she still made room for apple sauce and a grilled cheese. Elmo's provides paper and crayons for its young customers, so I drew some pictures and June drew what appeared to be some sort of baby hieroglyphics.
Art was a huge part of my childhood, so I'm really looking forward to June's future art projects. I swear, someday when she tells me she needs one of my old dress shirts to serve as her art smock, I'll be brought to tears. It's hard to beat art class.
But I digress, so back to our date. After lunch, we headed to the Nasher Museum of Art. It's a beautiful building, with beautiful art, and, best of all, it's free to Durham residents. Upon entry into the museum, visitors are greeted by the "great hall." The great hall is wide-open, has a glass ceiling, and, most importantly, has several small sets of steps for June to climb up and down. June seems to prefer the huge great hall more than most of the individual art pieces. Case in point, we spent at least ten minutes ascending and descending the steps, but June didn't give more than ten seconds of her time to Rothko's No. 46...
She did, however, take a keen interest in Lia Perjovschi's Globe Endless Collection. Lia is known to "create work that resides at the nexus of art, society and politics." Perhaps June could see that nexus more clearly than I could, but, like me, she probably thought the installation looked like a bunch of toys scattered on a table...
And with that, we called it a day and headed home. A fine date it was.
Art was a huge part of my childhood, so I'm really looking forward to June's future art projects. I swear, someday when she tells me she needs one of my old dress shirts to serve as her art smock, I'll be brought to tears. It's hard to beat art class.
But I digress, so back to our date. After lunch, we headed to the Nasher Museum of Art. It's a beautiful building, with beautiful art, and, best of all, it's free to Durham residents. Upon entry into the museum, visitors are greeted by the "great hall." The great hall is wide-open, has a glass ceiling, and, most importantly, has several small sets of steps for June to climb up and down. June seems to prefer the huge great hall more than most of the individual art pieces. Case in point, we spent at least ten minutes ascending and descending the steps, but June didn't give more than ten seconds of her time to Rothko's No. 46...
She did, however, take a keen interest in Lia Perjovschi's Globe Endless Collection. Lia is known to "create work that resides at the nexus of art, society and politics." Perhaps June could see that nexus more clearly than I could, but, like me, she probably thought the installation looked like a bunch of toys scattered on a table...
After 45 minutes of wandering about, we headed for the exit. Immediately outside the entrance is an enormous installation called Side Steppin' by Patrick Dougherty. It's difficult to see in the picture, but the sculpture is made of twigs and is designed to be walked through. 
June and I spent over half an hour playing peek-a-boo with one another. I've never heard June giggle so uncontrollably. I'm not sure it's the emotion Patrick hoped to elicit with his art piece, but whether intentional or not, I'm now a huge fan of his work.
And with that, we called it a day and headed home. A fine date it was.
Friday, January 4, 2008
good taste
You have to understand, I get more excited than most about peanuts and peanut butter; that's why our house had a carnival-like feel this afternoon as June consumed her first pb&j. Imagine that, her first one. If she's anything like me, it will be her first of many. Not quite as exciting as her first breath or steps, but in the same ballpark. So far, she's two for two in the "not spitting out the foods that dad treasures" category. She's already an avid oatmeal eater, she had it this morning, in fact, and assuming this trend continues, soon she'll be eating coney dogs from Lafayette and meatloaf from her Nana.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
clear sailing
Clear nasal passageways are underappreciated. If you’re breathing easy, take a moment and give thanks for your good fortune. I didn’t envision my blogging debut beginning with talk of nasal related maladies, but it’s difficult to think of anything else since Adrienne, June, and I have been suffering through colds for two weeks. I’ve been carrying my box of tissues around like June carries her Blue Doggy, and like June, it brings me to tears when I can’t find it. Speaking of which, kudos to the visionary who first married aloe and tissue paper. I suppose most everything is made better with aloe, but nothing more so than Kleenex. Pure genius.
I’m sorry to see the holiday season come to an end. Watching June try her hand at opening presents was particularly fun to watch; next year she might even pause to see what she unwrapped before moving onto her next paper-ripping opportunity.
My favorite of June's new skills: when I ask for a kiss she slowly leans in and presses her face against mine. It's really too cute.
As for the future of this blog, Adrienne will likely be our more prolific poster, but I’ll try not to be a stranger. Happy New Year.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Happy New Year to all
Hello....welcome to our blog....and that's as far as I got when planning what to write here. This is my first post on my first blog, and I'm feeling, suddenly, a little shy. But New Year's Day seems an auspicious occasion to try my hand at something new, and in fact, I have many hopes and plans for 2008. I want to learn mountain biking, fly fishing, pyrotechnics, pole vaulting, and many other things. This will be your place to check in on our progress with all of that, and our place to pay a little homage to the events in our lives, both big and small, and keep them safe from the imprecision of memory.You can see that June (also known affectionately as Pickles, the inspiration for the title of our blog) is resting up for a breakout year in 2008. What will she be doing a year from now? What will she be saying? This time with her is so sweet because we get to look forward to such astonishing developmental leaps, like talking, for crying out loud, and brushing her own teeth. But we also get to savor these last months with her as she transitions away from being a baby. I'm such a softie, I can make myself tear up just thinking things like that; in fact, I did just tear up a little bit.
But anyways, my idea for our first photo post on our new blog was Junie just past midnight last night, the first picture of her in 2008. Lloyd wisely talked me out of this. She probably wouldn't have woken up, but if she had...the scene I imagined was her standing right up in her crib, wailing in confusion ("mom, why are you being so WEIRD? why did you flash the light at me and run away?"), shaking the bars on her crib like a prisoner, and me shuffling clumsily, hastily out of the room, then more crying, then a struggle to settle back down.....Lloyd was right. Nonetheless, this is her first photo of 2008, taken at about 1:30 pm, 1/1/2008. Rest up, sweet girl, we're going to have a big year.
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