H O T

I cannot begin to describe how much I dread going outside in the middle of the day right now. The heat is totally exhausting and we are all in agreement that it is time for that first snap of cooler air.

For some reason I decided to take the kids to Audubon Park after school on Friday even though it was 97 degrees outside. I figured a cold Icee would keep them comfortable. As you can see from the picture, they were rather miserable:


They are obsessed with feeding the turtles right now. There are tons of turtles in the lagoon that is adjacent to the bandstand so whenever we have stale bread or cereal we venture out there. Generally 10 - 20 hungry turtles show up ready to eat. Last Friday there were eels in the water as well (at least I think they were eels)...hideous creatures...frightening in fact. We only saw two of them, but that was enough to freak me out. The kids did not seem to mind them. In fact, they thought the eels were kind of cool.

As if I did not learn my lesson on Friday afternoon, on Saturday I took the kids back out into the scorching sun. We went to the farmer's market Saturday morning - looking for peaches (but there weren't any) and we ended up with zucchini & squash instead (which I thought were winter veggies, but what do I know). After the farmer's market we headed over to the Ogden Museum for the Ogden Family Fair. Luz visited the Museum over the summer while at ASH camp and loved it. I had never been and was totally blown away. The mumseum is beautiful and interesting and totally manageable, even with a tired two year old. The Family Fair was incredible - so many wonderful activities for kids and games focusing on learning about and appreciating art. I cannot wait to go back when I have more time to look around and a not-so-tired two year-old on my hip.

The watercolor station, a big hit:



Luz, working on the scavenger hunt at the 'found objects' rocking horse:


Luz and James with their 'horsey' creation:


Luz, pinning the tail on the virtual donkey:


Outside of the Ogden Museum by the lamp post covered in stickers. I pass it on the way to work and love the colors:

Another Year, Beginning the World

School started today and I don't know what it was...maybe something about the new uniform and the fact that I have rather distinct memories of life in the ASH jumper, or maybe what seemed to be some small but profound developments over the summer that appeared to suddenly transform a baby into a big kid, or perhaps it was just that haunting sensation annoying me once again with the reminder that it is all happening just as fast as everyone warned me it would...whatever it was, I sort of felt the emotion more than I have in prior years. This morning I felt happy and proud and so incredibly blessed.

I Came to Dance

Somewhere buried deep in the middle of one of Luz's more recent summer mixes was a song featured only at her request and called Dynamite by a guy named Taio Cruz. From what I can tell, the song is all about this guy that is very serious about his dancing - something he plans to do all night while throwing his hands up in the air. Needless to say, it did not really make sense tucked between How do you Solve a Problem Like Maria and the theme song from Tangled, but it never seemed to bother Lucy or James and, in fact, it became an instant hit and one of the top requested songs of the summer.

After a few weeks it was clear that this was not something that was unique to my kids. Most of Luz's friends knew the lyrics, impromptu dance parties started up whenever the song came on, and summer camps around the country probably used it in their farewell celebrations - playing it while sweaty kids tried to do the robot. There is something about having a six year old that has made me appreciate pop music for pop music's sake again and that feels nice. I do not think I will ever LOVE it again, but I can tolerate it, and I cannot help but smile when the kids are listening to this (and yeah, listening, not watching the video - I do have limits):



and doing this:




Luz and James dancing to Dynamite while at the bandstand at Audubon Park after feeding the ducks and turtles one hot morning this summer. She is sort of doing the robot and he is just straight up "dancing".

End Of Summer

Summer vacation is finally coming to an end...Christian is enjoying his last few days of time off, the kids are using every excuse to stay up much later than their normal bedtime and sleep later than a kid in college, and I am benefiting from later than usual morning runs, long showers and late arrivals to work. It all comes to an end next week when the school routine begins. At this point I cannot fathom 5:30 a.m. runs, am dreading enforcing the 8 o'clock bedtime and am not sure how the kids and I will be dressed and out of the house by 7:30 each morning. Christian suggested a trial run this week, but I quickly put the brakes on that idea...why give up a lazy summer morning just to prove that we can do it? It is not like we have a choice. We have to do it, practicing is not going to make it any easier. So, for the next few days I am just going to enjoy every minute of a good thing while I have it.

A little round of early morning Leapster...don't mind if I do:


I guarantee there will be none of this in the morning next week. No, it will be all about waking up, getting dressed, brushing teeth, eating breakfast, packing bags and hurrying off to school.

At Last!

Have you been missing these guys?


Yeah, me too. They are back after a week in Atlanta spending time with the gang. I was busy with work and redecorating and purging and cleaning and really missing everyone.

I Know...Enough

I do not quite know what to make of the fact that it has taken me weeks and multiple posts to document our trip to the beach. It was not a long trip and it was not a particularly eventful trip, so I suppose it has something to do with my schedule. Yes, work has been busy, rather busy, and, yes, it is summertime so the kids are staying up later than usual. I suppose that leaves a small window of time to blog. It is a shame, I miss keeping track of all of the wonderful things that the kids have been doing. I imagine I will have more time once the school year starts and we are back into a regular routine. Until then, bear with me and rest assured that we have been busy enjoying everything that summer has to offer - heat, swimming, snowballs, ice cream, bbqs, daylight, road trips, movies, sunscreen, heat, time with friends and family, traveling, reading books, playing games, and heat.

There are a few more things about the Pensacola trip that I wanted to mention. We were there for the rainiest day since 1988, sure, I would have preferred sunshine, but the deluge provided the opportunity to explore the Naval Aviation Museum - something Christian and I had talked about doing for years - and it was awesome. There are old planes that the kids can climb in and out of, a decent-sized indoor play area for kids, a handful of flight simulators (Luz and James were too young for them this year), some entertaining 'walk though' exhibits, a canteena, and walls of interesting facts I wish I had more time to read (bear in mind, I had very little interest in the content of the museum at the outset and merely wanted a way to spend a rainy morning at the beach - but it sucked me in). Did I mention there is an IMAX theater and that the museum is free (of course donations are accepted and are important).

We also checked out the 'main' public pier in Pensacola. There is a $2 or $3 charge per person but I think it is worth it. We bought the kids an ice cream cone and walked out to the end of the pier. There is some serious fishing going on out there and a really nice view of the water. We saw all kinds of sea life we never would have seen from the beach and/or the condo terrace.

Anyway, there were two interesting things we did while we were in Pensacola that were definitely worth checking out. As far as Gulf Coast beaches go, Pensacola is my favorite. I think they have done a nice job of keeping it fun and user-friendly without having it be overrun by development. It never feels jam-packed, which is the sensation I get in other beach towns along the Gulf.

Here are a few pics from the Naval Aviation Museum:





And the pier:





And it is kid-friendly, sort of, see - Luz trying to read:


this:

Photos From Pensacola

We hit a milestone this year at the beach...both kids tolerated the surf and the sand. I know this is not the first time I have commented on my inability to comprehend how some families can stay on the beach for 6, 8 and 10 hours at a time. I hear stories of sandy sandwiches and sunny naps and bronzed children who won't get out of the waves and I remember my own childhood and am sure that we were just like that, that I climbed on a raft at dawn and drifted until the sun set. I do not know if there is some revisionist history going on or if we really did spend hours on end at the beach, but I do know that there was a point last summer when I decided that I would never have that experience with my kids, that they were simply not 'beach' people.

Until this most recent trip, our visits to the actual beach were somewhat brief, always involved whining and begging for the pool, and occasionally ended (and sometimes began) with tears. Not this time. Nope. James decided that the sand was cool and was even amused by the salt water and Luz decided that she loved building sandcastles, riding waves and collecting seashells. Sure, there were a few touch and go moments when James needed a nap and, yeah, we were not out there for hours on end...but our stamina has improved, thankfully. Who knows...next year we might officially have kids who are 'beach' people.

Cleaning her shells:


Working on her sandcastle (that's another thing...where do these people learn to build such incredible sandcastles...mine are always pathetic in comparison):


Watching Luz and the water:


Collecting shells:




Enough:


With Mama (I was there too, see):

Growing Up

This is what stops me in my tracks, knocks the wind out of me, and makes me think that life is going by way too fast:

Jamesy, in the morning sunlight - Pensacola, Florida
2009:


2010:


2011:


Luz was a little envious of the photo shoot and made herself irresistible, as usual:







*Note the incredible ikat duvet. I could dedicate an entire post to it, but I will spare you. Suffice it to say that I have wanted one since the first time I saw it! It is just one of the many fabulous things that make me smile at the beach condominium that we have enjoyed for the past few years thanks to the Renton family.

Beach Weekend 2011

We just got back from a three day beach trip to Pensacola. There are so many things about a weekend at the beach that I love. In fact, I cannot imagine a summer without a little sand and salty water...it just isn't summer without a bit of both as far as I am concerned.

This year was a little different though...it rained from sun up until sun down on Sunday...4 inches...the most rain in one day in Pensacola since 1988. What luck. But it was precisely because of the deluge that we finally checked out the Naval Aviation Museum - something we have talked about doing for years - and it was A-mazing. In fact, we could not believe we had been missing out for all these years.

I am already looking forward to a return trip when the kids are a little older so that they can ride in the simulators and I can actually read a bit more about each exhibit. I will tell you more about it soon, but I am busy with work and dealing with the logistics for the last few weeks of summer...so in the meantime, here is is a pic of Luz and James, ready for some sun:

Kiddos

Luz and James are back after a week of nothing but fun in Atlanta where they did exactly what kids are supposed to do during the summertime - have fun. Most days, it looked about like this:

Summertime

Luz and James have spent the past week doing precisely what kids are supposed to do during the summer - swim, stay up way past bedtime, eat hot dogs, watch fireworks, spend time with grandparents, pal around with cousins, and have a sense that days can last forever. Those are things I remember and love about summer as a kid.



So, while the kiddos are off in Atlanta doing summery stuff, I have been busy working, and tidying up around the house, and catching up with old friends I don't see enough of, and going to fancy movie theaters, and running, and watching what I want to watch on t.v., and working, and working and missing this:

Catching Up

Summers are supposed to be long and slow and lazy, but as long as I have had children, summers have been quite the opposite. The pace around our house has been unusually hectic despite our best efforts to keep things long and slow and lazy. I have not quite figured out the math behind the equation but somehow the things I pick to do to make memorable summers end up just adding to the frenzy.

There are so many different things to tell you all about but I have not had time and clarity of thought (see above). I have been riding some great big highs (Luz's 6th birthday and a recent trip to NYC) and suffocating under some lows (the death of Loki, my first real responsibility and the best running partner I will ever have) but so it goes with life.

We are looking forward to some time in Atlanta with family over 4th of July weekend and then a long weekend at the beach. Summer just isn't summer without sticky, salty hair and sandy toes. Soon enough, though, I will have time to catch you up to date and share some pictures and thoughts with you.

Until then, I leave you with a picture of the Empire State Building in all of its rainbow glory on pride weekend just after NYC passed their marriage equality bill. It was quite a time to be in NYC.

Happy 6th Birthday Luz

I cannot believe it!

For Christian While You Are Away