Tuesday, December 26, 2006
How to Measure a Mother's Freedom
Mommy's freedom- is that an oxymoron? Alas, I think it comes in small increments.This morning, after taking Aidan to school, Hubby and I set out for a day of massive shopping. We decide that Aidan would enjoy school more than the mall. By the end of the day, the conclusion is definitely just that, after seeing other toddlers lose it in the middle of the mall, falling asleep everywhere, and seeing frazzled parents, we are relieved with our decision.
While driving, I realize that I have become more of my former self: this Christmas, all the gifts got wrapped. I baked three loaves of lemon pound cake, four dozens of cookies, and three coffecakes. I also read two novels in the last few weeks. I started chopping my stir-fry matieral into small bites again. Of course, the nursery remains a huge mess. Hubby's winter corduroy pants are still in storage, but hey, at least his sweaters are already out! A mother's freedom is all relative, and measured in very vague, small, increments.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Changes
I was sitting around after Aidan went off to bed, looking at our Christmas tree and thinking about all the Christmases of yore that involved Aidan.
In 2003, we were in St. Petersburg, Russia, the week before Christmas. We were freezing our bottoms off by the Peter and Paul Fortress. The river froze. This was taken at 3 pm, but obviously, quite dark already. I was 6 months pregnant with Aidan. 
In 2004, he was crawling and loved the wrapping paper that year. We didn't get a tree. Who needed a tree to tempt a baby?
In 2005, he said cheese on command for the first time. He also left the tree alone. This year, he wants to decorate the tree, "Mommy, I throw the snowflake, okay?" Hmm. Maybe not. He is able to leave all the wrapped gifts alone though. Also, this year, he really isn't a baby anymore. He has his own mind, his own friends, and most curious of all, his own imagination.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Just the Two of Us
Daddy has had to go to Boston this week for work. Aidan and I have been holding down the fort, just the two of us. He is so much more aware now, of Daddy being away, that everyday, he asks for Daddy the first thing he wakes up, even though he knows that Daddy will be back the day after dance class, and we have been counting down. He talks about the plane ride that Daddy has to take and what he will say the morning after dance class: "Daddy, come see Aidan!" It is so sweet. We have also been checking with Daddy on speaker phone nightly- yesterday, Aidan told Daddy to go have sushi for dinner, because Aidan and I were out with former colleagues to sushi.It being just the two of us, I have had to be the strong one about boundaries: conversations like this.
Me: "Aidan Honey, would you like pancakes or raisin bread for breakfast?"
Aidan: "Apples."
Me: "Honey, you can have apples later. It wasn't an option Mommy offered. Pancakes or raisin bread?"
Aidan: "APPLES!"
Me: "Your choice, pancakes or raisin bread. You can always go hungry, but that would be sad, because then you won't have energy for dance class. Choose."
Aidan: "APPLES!"
Me: "That is too bad. I didn't offer you apples. Choose."
Aidan: "Dried grapes."
Me: "Dried grapes? Well, raisin bread is dried grapes bread. Would you like that?"
Aidan: "Apples?!"
Me: "Dried grapes bread it is. Go get in the car, you can have it in the car."
Aidan: "Apples?"
Me: "Honey, you're having dried grapes bread in the car. Let's go."
As it turned out, he happily ate his 'dried grapes bread' in the car, then asked for another slice, then another slice.
Good for me for not giving in.
Then at dinner time.
Aidan: Freaking out about something that is still in the car.
Me: "Are you looking for your sticker?"
Aidan: Shrieking like a banshee...
Me: "Aidan, I can't talk to you when you're screaming. Settle down, then we will talk." I walk away.
Aidan: Tries really hard to calm down...
Me: "Good job trying. Would you like this sticker? Is this what you wanted?"
Aidan: "I am hungry, I want to eat."
Me: "Okay, go wash your hands please."
Aidan: Shrieking like a banshee.
Me: "Your choice, wash hands and we eat, or you can stand there and be so sad and hungry. Choose."
Aidan: Makes his way over to the sink.
Me: "Good job. Let's wash hands and eat. I am hungry too. It is hard to not be cranky when we are so hungry."
Good for me for sticking to hand washing. Sometimes, basic hygiene isn't negotiable...
Aidan ends up sitting down, gobbles up 2 spring rolls, a chicken wing, Peking pork chops, chow mein, soup, and baby corns. And I manage to stay relatively clean! (Can you tell that this meal is a take out meal...?)
I am glad Daddy will be back in the morning, so I can have a buddy to hold strong together.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Piano Lessons?
Every few months, my mom would ask me when I am starting Aidan with piano lessons, "even if he is going to focus on the violin, he needs to know how to play the piano." Of course, I am appreciative of my mom's perseverance in making sure I know how to play both piano and violin, but I am just not quite sure I want to give Aidan that experience. I remember practicing these instruments, A LOT! I also know that to be good at an instrument, you really have to practice, it doesn't come intuitively, not until you master the basics.So, Hillsdale Mall had scheduled various performances for December. They had this music studio scheduled last night. These adorable kids, ALL WHITE (who has ever heard of a piano studio without Asian kids?!) got up one at a time, and played either Jolly Old Saint Nicolas or Jingle Bells. The teacher stood next to them and essentially told them which key to push down. I wondered if these kids ever practiced! I also wondered if the teacher only knew two songs! This only furthered my idea that to be proficient at an instrument, you have to practice.
Back to whether to start Aidan with piano lessons or not... For now, I am putting that off. We are enjoying music in the capacity that he wants to enjoy music, namely, we listen to Les Miserables, (not even the whole thing, just "Look Down" and "Do You Hear People Sing?" He can sing along when I play the music at a slower tempo. It is all very cute. I imagine there will come a time when I jump on the bandwagon and he will have to practice, but I am delusionally hopeful that HE will WANT to practice.
Aidan is taking a dance class- the teacher from a studio comes to his day school to do lessons once a week. I think he enjoys watching the teacher dance than the actual dancing- but I figure this is a good way to learn how to follow directions and stay on task.
Aidan said grace for dinner tonight! We all sat down, and we asked him to close his eyes so we can pray. He said, "I pray myself." We asked him to say it outloud for all of us. So, this little guy, proceeded to close his eyes, shut them tightly, then said something about "thank you Jesus, for the pork chops, the ginger snaps, the veggies, and the pickles. All done." It was so sweet.
Like my wardrobe, my shoes come in all different sizes. In college, I used to wear 7 1/2. Somehow, after Aidan's birth, my feet shrank, to 6 1/2. This time around, they became wider. I am now stuck with the dilemma of in-between sizes, I don't fit a 6 1/2 M or W, or 7 M or W, and 7 1/2 is just much too big. Seriously, what gives?! Maybe this is the source of the expression, "pregnant and bare foot," simply because going bare foot is the most comfortable solution.
My poor feet have been through a lot. They used to be callous free. Then came rounding in pediatrics and medicine. Whoever came up with this bright idea of standing still, then moving door to door, everyday, for 2-3 hours at a time, possibly TWICE a day. Seriously. My poor feet are now forever doomed. And, my podiatrist brother tells me that because of my low arch, I am going to have hammer toe someday...great.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
All Grown Up?
I had dinner with some college friends tonight. It was so fun to see them and catch up. It was astounding to realize that I lived with these people more than one decade ago!Most days, I feel like I am still playing house with Hubby. We have a pretty home, I make yummy food, our child is just perfect for us, and it doesn't seem real somtimes. I still feel like I just graduated from college last month, yet my responsibilities have grown. People actually want my opinion about things at work, and I actually can say no to things I don't want to do. I would love to hear from those who feel like they are all grown up, what is that like?
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Still Irritable
My new job requires a longer commute- but after living 3 miles away from work for four years, any job I would have taken would have required a longer commute. Anyway, the bonus of this longer drive, is that I have more time to figure out why I am irritable. It comes down to these few points:1. I still have not gotten paid. I have been on this new job for five weeks now, but no real pay check has come through- it is utterly unsatisfying, to work hard and follow through with billing, but then no pay check. Apparently, insurance companies are allowed 4-6 weeks to pay up! That seems outrageous. My credit card companies fine me if I don't pay them in two weeks!
2. I am getting sick. I have geographic tongue- and it flares up whenever I am stressed. I first encountered this strange phenomenon the summer after first year of med school- I thought I had badly burned the tip of my tongue- it had appeared that all the taste buds had fallen off. Yikes. It felt raw too. It quickly went away that summer. However, that Thanksgiving, while I was in full force of planning our wedding, studying, going to my grandfather's funeral, and coping with my future mother-in-law battle a brain tumor, it came back. I rushed to my trusted dentist and announced that I have cancer- totally appropriate since we were studying oral pathology. He laughed and showed me an atlas. This 'illness' primarily strikes young women who are stressed out. GO FIGURE! Since then, it is my barometer for my stress level. Aside from geographic tongue (by the way, if you suffer from this, leave me a note, so we can commiserate together.) I am also getting a cold, bummer.
3. The holidays... I have discussed this quite enough recently...
However, seeing a little face like this really cheers me up.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Lacking the Holiday Spirit
It is official. I seriously lack the holiday spirit. I resist listening to Christmas music. I cannot even begin to think about actually celebrating Christmas. I don't want to get a tree (just have needles to clean), I don't want to drag out all the Christmas decorations (just have to put them away later), and let's not even think about buying Christmas presents. All I am thinking about is the BIG mess in our third room that needs to be transformed into a nursery, all the stuff I need to return to the store, (so far, I have stuff to Bloomies, Macy's, Babystyle, and Michael's to take back), all the laundry that needs folding, the fact that I am going to be on call the weekend before Christmas and New Year's, and when, oh, when, am I actually going to get paid by these insurance companies?
I am also thinking about childcare issues, with all the parties in December, and the inevitable overnight stay at the hospital, there are a lot of evenings (okay, so only four, for now), that Aidan will have to be bedded by someone else. It just isn't fun to think about.
Oh, the Christmas of yore. I used to wake up on Christmas day, there would no presents to open, because we opened everything as we received them...I know, shame on us. And we just would eat something yummy that someone else (Mom), made, and go take a nap, and be jolly. It would not bother me that the Christmas tree stayed in the livingroom until January, (it did bother my Mom...) I can see how December is hard on adults.
Alas, I am excited about one thing: the birth of Christ, which makes me realize that as much pain as keeping the house going is, He has endured more pain...and He understands the pain.
I am also thinking about childcare issues, with all the parties in December, and the inevitable overnight stay at the hospital, there are a lot of evenings (okay, so only four, for now), that Aidan will have to be bedded by someone else. It just isn't fun to think about.
Oh, the Christmas of yore. I used to wake up on Christmas day, there would no presents to open, because we opened everything as we received them...I know, shame on us. And we just would eat something yummy that someone else (Mom), made, and go take a nap, and be jolly. It would not bother me that the Christmas tree stayed in the livingroom until January, (it did bother my Mom...) I can see how December is hard on adults.
Alas, I am excited about one thing: the birth of Christ, which makes me realize that as much pain as keeping the house going is, He has endured more pain...and He understands the pain.
Friday, November 24, 2006
I think I can cook better than Dreager's
Alright, we are done with the feast. My aunt-in-law and father-in-law brought over much of the feast, beyond what Draeger's had prepared for us- a mean for 10-12. There were five adults and Aidan at our Thanksgiving meal. Needlessly to say, we left the table STUFFED! Aidan very much enjoyed grand-auntie's tofu dish. He ate 1/2 of the entire dish. He also devored cranberry sauce that I made. I think Draeger's ham was good, but Honey Baked Ham is better. Draeger's sweet potatoes were amazing. The mashed potatoes were smoother than mine, but way richer than our liking. As for the stuffing, I make better stuffing than Mr. Draeger can. Seriously. But alas, the convenience could not be beaten.
As much as I complained about the holiday shopping season- after we cleaned up and put Aidan to bed, Hubby headed out to CompUSA for their 9-midnight special. He went looking for some more hardware of sorts...
As much as I complained about the holiday shopping season- after we cleaned up and put Aidan to bed, Hubby headed out to CompUSA for their 9-midnight special. He went looking for some more hardware of sorts...
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Being Irate
So, I am irate about how stores try to sell us stuff for Christmas/holidays. Our mail box is FULL of catalogues I don't want. I am forced to listen to holiday music when I am put on-hold when I am calling places. For crying out loud, K-Mart and some other computer stores are open on Thanksgiving Day! WHAT?! Then, stores are trying to sell me stuff I don't need. There is a crib from Pottery Barn Kids: it is slip covered. Seriously, do babies know how to keep slip covers clean and do parents have to time strip the bed whenever boogers/poop/pee gets on it? Seriously.
AND, I just want my Thanksgiving to be about Thanksgiving. Let Christmas/holiday shopping madness start tomorrow. Not the month before Halloween!
Okay, so I think I am a little irritable. I have been call for 72 hours (with 2 more hours to go today) this week. I am tired of jumping up everytime the phone buzzes. I just want to sleep/eat in peace. Poor Aidan needs his mother back... Poor Hubby needs another pair of adult hands to keep a defiant and sick child in line...
Alas, I have my Thanksgiving meal all prepared- Aidan and I picked it up yesterday from Dreager's! Hooray! Nothing is quite like a Thanksgiving out of a box...
I am remembering all the Thanksgivings of yesteryear. As a college student, I usually mooched off friends and their families for Thanksgiving. In med school, I mooched off friends one year, was home one year, and then Hubby and I did our own Thanksgivings from then on. I make a mean Thanksgiving, I must say so myself. We also used to get up at the crack of dawn the day after, pack a little snack and tea and hit the mall. Then, we would get home by 9 am, eat a turkey sandwich, and go back to bed. Alas, it is all different now. No more early AM shopping trips for us together (I suppose one of us can still go.) And no more guaranteed days off either- tomorrow is a regular work day for me. Bummer... Maybe all this is adding to my irateness regarding the consumerism of our world.
AND, I just want my Thanksgiving to be about Thanksgiving. Let Christmas/holiday shopping madness start tomorrow. Not the month before Halloween!
Okay, so I think I am a little irritable. I have been call for 72 hours (with 2 more hours to go today) this week. I am tired of jumping up everytime the phone buzzes. I just want to sleep/eat in peace. Poor Aidan needs his mother back... Poor Hubby needs another pair of adult hands to keep a defiant and sick child in line...
Alas, I have my Thanksgiving meal all prepared- Aidan and I picked it up yesterday from Dreager's! Hooray! Nothing is quite like a Thanksgiving out of a box...
I am remembering all the Thanksgivings of yesteryear. As a college student, I usually mooched off friends and their families for Thanksgiving. In med school, I mooched off friends one year, was home one year, and then Hubby and I did our own Thanksgivings from then on. I make a mean Thanksgiving, I must say so myself. We also used to get up at the crack of dawn the day after, pack a little snack and tea and hit the mall. Then, we would get home by 9 am, eat a turkey sandwich, and go back to bed. Alas, it is all different now. No more early AM shopping trips for us together (I suppose one of us can still go.) And no more guaranteed days off either- tomorrow is a regular work day for me. Bummer... Maybe all this is adding to my irateness regarding the consumerism of our world.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
A Free Weekend!
Ahh, a free weekend. What an amazing concept. While I love the flexibility of my new job, it does require some weekends- not that it consumes the entire weekend, but just enough that I feel like I am constantly working.
I wake up this morning and think it is time to get up and get ready for work, but, ha! No work for me today. Instead, I eat a leisurely breakfast with my guys. The laminate flooring installers come (yeah! new flooring!) and we leave to get on the set of Agent Aidan (more explanation later.) We shoot the movie, eat lunch (yummers! prawns and eggs over chow fun, best thing ever!) I take a long nap after some reading. After Aidan and I are both up, Daddy goes to Home Depot for some baseboards (real baseboards!) Aidan has become so much easier to entertain, meaning, he is self-entertaining. I am able to sit at the dinner table, do my own thing, and occasionally we chat. But otherwise, he is on his own! What an amazing milestone! (In some ways, it is as good as sleeping through the night!) We go out to dinner, we walk around, we all have a good time. We finally get home, somewhat beyond Aidan's typical bedtime, but he is so easy going today that bath time and bedtime are literally effortless. Wow. I sure can use days like this, everyday.
For those of you who are not familiar with Agent Aidan- every year, we make a movie of Aidan and distribute it among friends and relatives. This is the third episode we're working on so I cannot reveal any secrets. However, the first Agent Aidan is about him breaking out of his crib for a Midnight Snack. The second one is about him acquiring my Christmas Gift. For those of you who want to see the first two episodes, you can leave me your e mail, say who you are and how you found this blog, and if you pass our security check (in our effort to avoid stalkers, kidnappers...etc), I will e mail you the web site address and password. Believe me, it is worth the trouble.
I wake up this morning and think it is time to get up and get ready for work, but, ha! No work for me today. Instead, I eat a leisurely breakfast with my guys. The laminate flooring installers come (yeah! new flooring!) and we leave to get on the set of Agent Aidan (more explanation later.) We shoot the movie, eat lunch (yummers! prawns and eggs over chow fun, best thing ever!) I take a long nap after some reading. After Aidan and I are both up, Daddy goes to Home Depot for some baseboards (real baseboards!) Aidan has become so much easier to entertain, meaning, he is self-entertaining. I am able to sit at the dinner table, do my own thing, and occasionally we chat. But otherwise, he is on his own! What an amazing milestone! (In some ways, it is as good as sleeping through the night!) We go out to dinner, we walk around, we all have a good time. We finally get home, somewhat beyond Aidan's typical bedtime, but he is so easy going today that bath time and bedtime are literally effortless. Wow. I sure can use days like this, everyday.
For those of you who are not familiar with Agent Aidan- every year, we make a movie of Aidan and distribute it among friends and relatives. This is the third episode we're working on so I cannot reveal any secrets. However, the first Agent Aidan is about him breaking out of his crib for a Midnight Snack. The second one is about him acquiring my Christmas Gift. For those of you who want to see the first two episodes, you can leave me your e mail, say who you are and how you found this blog, and if you pass our security check (in our effort to avoid stalkers, kidnappers...etc), I will e mail you the web site address and password. Believe me, it is worth the trouble.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
The Benefits of my Job
Ahh, today, I reap the benefits of my job. I have been in need of catching up on many things, getting a haircut, seeing the optometrist, moving the piano, blah, blah, blah. This morning, I call these places. A haircut appointment for today at 2:15? I will take it! Seeing the optometrist at 10:30 on Friday? I will take it. Moving the piano tomorrow at 3? I will take it! Ahhh... I used to have to make appointments about 1 month out!
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Spending More $
It is funny, whenever I have attempted to spend less money, I somehow find that I have a greater urge to spend money, and curiously, things need to be replaced.
This morning, while hanging out in bed with Aidan and tickling him silly, I found a BIG HOLE in my lovely sheet! This was a piece of bedding from our registry, and I did thoroughly enjoy using this sheet for the past 6.5 years. It was made by Royal Sateen, their lovely Haywood pattern, something like 450 threat count Egyptian cotton. I remember registering for this and thinking that whoever buys this must be out of his/her mind, because at the time, I could not justify spending $100 on ONE sheet. I also could not bring myself to register for the duvet, as much as I enjoy the pattern. After the weddind frenzy, through the generosity of our family and friends, Hubby and I became the proud owners of this lovely bedding set- later, I somewhat regret not registering and getting all the other pieces. But perhaps it was a good thing, since what would one do without the fitted sheet? Was the solution than to stock up on flat and fitted sheets up front, because I imagine the wear and tear for the other pieces would be so much less. Maybe this was how my parents and Hubby's parents all have these crazy, mismatched bedding? It was just sad that we are now wearing out our wedding gifts- will there be a time that our beloved casual china will have to go?! Shocking.
Anyway, I dragged my bottom to go get some kind fo replacement- because really, we only own ONE sheet and a replacement must be found, STAT! Of course, the deal I find didn't include ALL the pieces, and so I went on-line and was determined to find it all. Then I ordered it all.
And I bet, I will end up taking it all back. I will keep you posted. For now, I am curious, for those who have done registries- what is the philosophy- should one just get the ENTIRE ensemble, and risk things wearing out, or what?
It is true, s/he who stores treasures in heaven will not lose them, because nothing rots/breaks/rips in heaven... what use is all this STUFF if they are just going to fail me?!
This morning, while hanging out in bed with Aidan and tickling him silly, I found a BIG HOLE in my lovely sheet! This was a piece of bedding from our registry, and I did thoroughly enjoy using this sheet for the past 6.5 years. It was made by Royal Sateen, their lovely Haywood pattern, something like 450 threat count Egyptian cotton. I remember registering for this and thinking that whoever buys this must be out of his/her mind, because at the time, I could not justify spending $100 on ONE sheet. I also could not bring myself to register for the duvet, as much as I enjoy the pattern. After the weddind frenzy, through the generosity of our family and friends, Hubby and I became the proud owners of this lovely bedding set- later, I somewhat regret not registering and getting all the other pieces. But perhaps it was a good thing, since what would one do without the fitted sheet? Was the solution than to stock up on flat and fitted sheets up front, because I imagine the wear and tear for the other pieces would be so much less. Maybe this was how my parents and Hubby's parents all have these crazy, mismatched bedding? It was just sad that we are now wearing out our wedding gifts- will there be a time that our beloved casual china will have to go?! Shocking.
Anyway, I dragged my bottom to go get some kind fo replacement- because really, we only own ONE sheet and a replacement must be found, STAT! Of course, the deal I find didn't include ALL the pieces, and so I went on-line and was determined to find it all. Then I ordered it all.
And I bet, I will end up taking it all back. I will keep you posted. For now, I am curious, for those who have done registries- what is the philosophy- should one just get the ENTIRE ensemble, and risk things wearing out, or what?
It is true, s/he who stores treasures in heaven will not lose them, because nothing rots/breaks/rips in heaven... what use is all this STUFF if they are just going to fail me?!
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Spending $
After work today, I head to Cupertino for some food shopping. That is a huge benefit of my new job: further south and closer to tasty Chinese food. I pick up frozen dumplings, soup dumplings, bread, and the final destination: those egg-shaped little pancake-like things. The price is mildly shocking: an order of these tasty morsels costs $4.90. Seriously, the margin of this item is incredible. I am buying, in terms of raw materials, an egg, 1/2 cup of flour, a tablespoon of sugar, and some oven time. Sure, I am paying for people's time/store front, blah, blah, blah. But I remember back to the days when Hubby and I were both students, on a double negative income, living in New York City.
There was this amazing bakery around the corner, Cranberries, or was it singular, Cranberry? Anyway, they had this amazing looking piece of white cake with strawberries in the filling, for $3.50. In all the two years we lived there, I ate it twice. It was also a hugely contemplated splurge. We were very serious about not spending more than absolutel necessary. I think I made ALL of the scones/pancakes/waffles we ever consumed those two years, and the only baked goods came from China Town, because it was just so much cheaper there. When we did eat out, it was definitely no more than once a week. We also used to buy lots of stuff from Costco on our trips home and then took it all on as luggage. There was this Chinese take out place, The Great Wall, with incredibly cheap food. We would get two entrees and eat it over 2-3 meals between the two of us. When we celebrated Match Day, I cringed at spending $50 for the two of us with our friends at some Indian place.
These days, we throw away so much food. I get meals/baked goods and not think about it twice. Somehow, I feel like I deserve spending 'MY' money since I earned it. However, we all know it isn't really 'MY' money, since it all belongs to the Lord. I think I need an attitude adjustment.
There was this amazing bakery around the corner, Cranberries, or was it singular, Cranberry? Anyway, they had this amazing looking piece of white cake with strawberries in the filling, for $3.50. In all the two years we lived there, I ate it twice. It was also a hugely contemplated splurge. We were very serious about not spending more than absolutel necessary. I think I made ALL of the scones/pancakes/waffles we ever consumed those two years, and the only baked goods came from China Town, because it was just so much cheaper there. When we did eat out, it was definitely no more than once a week. We also used to buy lots of stuff from Costco on our trips home and then took it all on as luggage. There was this Chinese take out place, The Great Wall, with incredibly cheap food. We would get two entrees and eat it over 2-3 meals between the two of us. When we celebrated Match Day, I cringed at spending $50 for the two of us with our friends at some Indian place.
These days, we throw away so much food. I get meals/baked goods and not think about it twice. Somehow, I feel like I deserve spending 'MY' money since I earned it. However, we all know it isn't really 'MY' money, since it all belongs to the Lord. I think I need an attitude adjustment.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
The Saga of our Laminate Flooring
There is a very long story about our laminate flooring- for those of you who have seen it, you probably know our angst about the whole situation. To keep it brief, the contractors we had 3 years ago installed the whole thing incorrectly. THERE WAS NOT SUPPOSE TO BE A LONG SEAM! Then, we had some flooding problems, and so the panels buckled. We went back and forth with our home association (interesting how that word began with a-s-s...) Hubby thought we would then replace it ourselves- plenty of people had done it. Some even offered to help. Then we realized that the original contractors installed the flooring underneath the kitchen cabinets- and so we needed to hire professionals to cut it for us- it needed to be very smooth, straight, and adjacent to the cabinets. We managed to get some money from the ASSociation. We called the laminate cutting people. Hubby went to Costco/Home Depot to buy flooring/table saw... All this time, I wondered: how much $ will we be saving? Will it be worth Hubby's time? (AND, I would be left to handling/entertaining/disciplining Aidan on my own for at least two weekends...) Also, what about the 'emotional' contribution to the project: that we did it ourselves...etc. Blah, blah, blah. In the end, we decided to have the professionals do this: they are coming next week! I will keep you posted- we might actually have 'normal' flooring for the first time in three years!
Replace our warped laminate flooring
Paint the walls
Hang pictures
Clear out the spare room's closet
Shove the piano into the closet
Set up a baby corner in the spare room
Figure out a way to store all that baby/toddler stuff/crap
Clear out Aidan's closet and throw away his plastic dresser, I know, it is really sad, that his dresser is plastic...
Plant some bulbs
Catch up on 2 years worth of scrapbooking
Seriously, how will I get this done?
Friday, November 03, 2006
This is what I want to do
So I had this delusion about what I will accomplish after residency is over: that I would have all sorts of free time to bake yummy biscuits, that every dinner will be gourmet, and that I would have time to nap, while working part-time. As it is turning out, I don't have time for any of this. And I still have not gotten to my 'must do' list. This is what we want to do before the next baby comes. We're probably lucky to get 1/2 of this done.Replace our warped laminate flooring
Paint the walls
Hang pictures
Clear out the spare room's closet
Shove the piano into the closet
Set up a baby corner in the spare room
Figure out a way to store all that baby/toddler stuff/crap
Clear out Aidan's closet and throw away his plastic dresser, I know, it is really sad, that his dresser is plastic...
Plant some bulbs
Catch up on 2 years worth of scrapbooking
Seriously, how will I get this done?
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Halloween
This is our penguin, waddling. How cute can he be? Here he is, just waving. We love this expression- just so sweet. He has taken on a liking to taking care of babies. He loads up any container he can find with lots of stuffed animals, and blankets, and trains, and pillows, and then he whispers, 'baby sleeping.' 
Sunday, October 29, 2006
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Work
I have been on the job for 7 days. I have driven to work all 7 days. It is a different life, having a private practice as a hospitalist. I only get paid for the work I actually do- no longer paid for being there for a certain number of hours. That means, no more fooling around at work. No more e mailing, blogging, chatting, and sitting around. It is work, Work, WORK!
Also interesting to be on call from home. They can call me anytime for anything about anybody. Hubby has been on call too. They have called me/us total of six times in our sleep time these past two nights. It is not easy to be coherent at 4 am. However, there is also this strange 'freedom' that I get to do whatever I want to do, and I don't have to worry about what my attending will say, because, I am the attending. It is a different life. In speaking with a former colleague of mine who is in fellowship, she reports that when she is on beeper call, she has 2 minutes to respond before they beep her again, and 2 minutes later, they call the attending. So she has her beeper attached to her hip- in the shower, in bed...etc. I guess not having the fear that my 'boss' will get called is a relief. I wonder what happens if they can't find me? I really should find out. -
A Favorite Song
Guess what Aidan's favorite song is?
Drum roll...please. It is Do You Hear the People Sing? From Les Miserables! What an interesting song for a 2 1/2 year old. He hums along, and sings the last words of each sentence in the chorus, he dances to it, spins all over the livingroom. He listens to it in the car...screaming for it to be turned up, and for it to be repeated. I think we must have listened to this one song for 1/2 hour after dinner today. Now he wants to go see the show.
He is into singing these days. He sings Row Row Row Your Boat, in his own rendition, involving a sea otter... He sings a Thank You song before meals. He also sings all the typical toddler favorites. He settles down to Doxology... Very interesting...
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
A Lab Rat
So I am feeling like I am a lab rat.
My new job doesn't come with an office phone- and my cell phone is now my work phone. I can't get the volume of the ringer to the 'right' level: a level that is loud enough for me to hear, but not so loud that I feel like a lab rat being summoned.
Yesterday, I got a call at 8, about work. The ringer was SO loud that Hubby and I both jumped. But then, I couldn't hear the phone ring for the rest of the day...
It is going to be challenge: to keep this phone charged, keep it on, and to hear it ring.
This year, Aidan is very cooperative. He enjoys a very filling lunch of mushu pork after church, takes a nap in the car while we meander our way to Half Moon Bay. He wakes up very gracefully, hops around a pumpkin patch, rolls giant pumpkins, and remains very agreeable despite traffic on the way to dinner.
It is going to be different next year, with another baby...the idea is overwhelming, so for now, I am just going to enjoy my bliss of denial.
My new job doesn't come with an office phone- and my cell phone is now my work phone. I can't get the volume of the ringer to the 'right' level: a level that is loud enough for me to hear, but not so loud that I feel like a lab rat being summoned.
Yesterday, I got a call at 8, about work. The ringer was SO loud that Hubby and I both jumped. But then, I couldn't hear the phone ring for the rest of the day...
It is going to be challenge: to keep this phone charged, keep it on, and to hear it ring.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Another Tradition
Aside from the San Mateo County Fair tradition that we have, another important one is the trip to Half Moon Bay for pumpkins/celebrate Hubby's birthday every October. The tradition dates back ALL the way to 2002. We actually attend the Pumpkin Festival the first two years, then Aidan's presence makes the festival seems too overwhelming, that, and we are just not artsy people. So, to avoid the crowds and the headaches of that, we have been going the weekend following the Pumpkin Festival. We do always end the evening with a delicious meal at Cafe Gibraltar http://www.cafegibraltar.com/site.htmlThis year, Aidan is very cooperative. He enjoys a very filling lunch of mushu pork after church, takes a nap in the car while we meander our way to Half Moon Bay. He wakes up very gracefully, hops around a pumpkin patch, rolls giant pumpkins, and remains very agreeable despite traffic on the way to dinner.
It is going to be different next year, with another baby...the idea is overwhelming, so for now, I am just going to enjoy my bliss of denial.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Do I have to?!
My three weeks of break is about to be over...BIG SIGH. My new job starts on Monday. I need to talk to my billing service, aka collection agency. I also need to get a new notebook.
This morning, I wake up with the thought that I need to get to Target to get a notebook. Because, this magical notebook is going to make everything less anxiety provoking come Monday. The first thing I say to Hubby when he wakes up is, "I need a notebook." Somehow, I think that I have lost my ability to keep track of things, to remember factoids, and that this magical bullet is going to help me with my transition. Yeah, right.
I attend my first staff meeting, not as a student, not as a resident, but hey, as a 'real doctor.' It is astounding to hear the vacation requests: "I need next Thursday off, I need to go play golf." And these are perfectly legit reasons for just taking a day off! I love my new job, I think. But then, I get my password to their computer charting system, the dictation system, the blah, blah, blah, and it feels overwhelming. And I get my new badge: I am just a physician, not a student, not a resident. I look all of twenty in that picture...oh well, I hear that I will appreciate this one day. I even have access to a special parking lot, with a gate, so that the spaces are really for doctors. Ahhh... eight years of hard work comes down to...a parking space?! It is all about the parking space. But I guess I am giving a parking space so that I can go do work. Do I have to go to work? Can I just sit there? The reality though, is that I am on call next weekend, so that means, for the next 12 days, I will be driving to the hospital, every day...
Friday: Barcelona
Today is THE day to see Barcelona, not a minute can be lost. However, our biological clocks beg to differ. It is like pulling teeth to get all seven members of our party ready. We finally get to the city center around 11. My mom immediately gets lured away by the tour buses, my dad and sister follow. Just as well, since this household's schedule is dictated by nap time. We walk around the famous Las Ramblas, and are completely overwhelmed by the tourists. This is the bummer thing about Barcelona: ALL THOSE DARN TOURISTS! We do manage to see a 'local' market, where Aidan has a feast of watermelons and we see these strange heads for sale. We postulate that Barcelonians make soup with these and line them up in the soup tureen. Yum! We have lunch by the Cathedral, fight off flies who also want to eat our paella, and head back for a luxurious nap. After nap time, we head out to see Sagrada Familia. Strange... Aidan's highlights of the day include rides on the trains and buses. Fun!
Saturday: Barcelona
We wake up this morning to a strange gurgling sounds from Aidan's sleeping quarter... I run to check on him, wondering, is Aidan playing with the faucet? You wonder why there is a faucet in Aidan's bedroom? Well, when we travel, Aidan would like to maintain some privacy and so he sleeps in either the closet, or the bathroom, whichever one is bigger. He never complains about this. I know, it is weird. But hey, it works. Anyway, I find this poor guy vomiting! NOOO!!!!! How can this be? Fortunately, his beloved Mr. Hippo is soaking up the vomit and his Thomas the Train bedding is dry. I remove him, Daddy helps to get him into new clothes, we get him a new Mr. Hippo (we travel with the entire troop- all five of them!) Then we wait. Aidan asks for water, he gets some, he vomits. NOOO! He asks for crackers, he gets some, he vomits. Okay, that is it for food. He vomits without food anyway... My mom asks me if I have any 'anti-vomit' medicine for Aidan... Of all the things I have in the luggage, including antibacterial stuff, antifungal stuff, fever reducer, cough medicine, the thing I don't have is antivomit stuff. Alas, I don't make it a usual practice to pack antipsychotics with me. (Antipsychotics hit the receptor in the brain to stop vomiting.) Daddy runs to the store for some 7-Up and 'plainer food', whatever that is. I alert my parents that they are going to be on their own for the morning and that we will see them on the ship. We pray. We get a late check out time, Aidan passes out in Daddy's arms, and I make sure there is sustenance for Daddy, then I set out to shop. Why shop? Well, those yahoos over at Yahoo forecasts the Mediterranean to be in the 60-low 70's, but it is actually in the 80's. I come back after lunch and find that Aidan is eating crackers and drinking diluted 7-Up. Not vomiting. Praise the Lord!! We get in a cab and head over to the port for a cruise ship!
Sunday: Marseille
No vomiting! Hurray! Our port of call today, is Marseille. I don't know why we are here on a Sunday- most things are closed on Sundays. Alas, we board the shuttle to get to Vieux Port. Not too exciting, although Aidan spots train tracks on our way out- he is super excited!
Monday: Villefranche
Our agenda today: take the train to Nice. Aidan loves the tender ride- our ship is simply too large for the tiny little port of this small town. We run like nobody's business to the train station because the train is coming in 12 minutes: my parents insist that I shouldn't run because of my delicate condition...I think it is because they are way out of shape and they don't want to run! Anyway, we barely make it to the platform but cannot buy the tickets. Fortunately for me, my sister speaks/reads French. She promptly informs me that the ticket machine has determined that my credit card is 'dead.' The train pulls up, we make the command decision to get on without tickets and beg for mercy... But the conductor is no where in sight, and we get off two stops later, and I suppose France is cheated out of 14 Euros. We walk around, see beautiful pastries, send my parents and sister on their merry way and we head back to the ship for, you guess correctly, nap time.
Tuesday: Livorno
Today is a big day- we are docking at Livorno and then taking the train to Florence! I am so excited that I hardly slept last night. There are many reasons why I don't sleep well these days: pregnancy related hormones, anxiety, jet lag, Aidan, sleeping too much during nap time, and the ship rocking too much. With all these possibilities, it is hard to get a good night of rest. Alas, I have made peace with the fact that I am just not going to be sleeping well for the next 18 years. With that in mind, I actually don't mind tossing and turning too much anymore. Anyway, the race to the train was quite exciting. Our party has grown: we now have 8 adualts and 3 kids. With so many of us, I worry if we all get to do what we want to do. Aidan finds the train station a blast. After getting to Florence, we see the Duomo- and I am wistful that climbing up those 346 steps is out of the question for now, alas, we will have to come back. We lunch at a hole-in-a-wall panini place, dine at a piazza, where Aidan promptly drops half of his sandwich and says, "birds eat it." We then split up into 2 groups: the food group and the sightseeing group. We then find this amazing gelato place, here we are salivating over all the gelato flavors. Aidan picks orange chocolate, which we all agree is quite tasty.
We do some shopping, and then, Hubby gets lured away by the idea of taking some more photos of the Duomo. We decide to meet up at the market by Piazza San Lorenzo. But then, my sister and I, with Aidan falling asleep in the stroller, GET LOST! It is impossible to navigate while becoming hysterical with the idea of missing the train, then the cruise ship, and never seeing one's husband ever again... I run over quite a few people with the stroller, and my sister is calmly trying to tell me that Hubby will meet us at the train station. We finally get to the train station and voila, there is Hubby, with newly purchased water, waiting for us. I yell and gesture like a true Italian about him leaving us... Aidan sleeps through all of this, thankfully. I can't imagine doing this with a screaming toddler in tow.
You think the highlight of the day would be over...but no. We catch a taxi with some other cruisers at the train station, and as the driver zips through Livorno's narrow streets very aggressively, I get a sinking, or rather, rising, feeling in my gut. I fight it, I open the window, I start to get cold sweats, and I hyperventilate a little, and just as we pull into the parking lot, I barfed, all over Aidan and myself. The woman sitting next to me looks horrified... I apologize, blame the pregnancy, and get out. Thankfully, the vomit was all on Aidan and me, not on the taxi...
Wednesday: Civitivecchia
Another big day, for Rome! My dad decide not to go, because we have already worn him out. My mom, sisiter, and the three of us set out on our own. We encounter difficulty right off the ship: no cab will take us to the train station, they are looking for big $ with a full day in Rome. I don't think so! We finally get to the train station, and by now, hardly anyone is happy. We yell and gesture like Italians on the train platform. I think Aidan thinks we have all lost our minds... Anyway, we get to Roma San Pietro stop and hop off. This is our day: a day in the Vatican. Lucky for us, it is Wednesday, and that means the Pope does mass in St. Peter's square, and that equals to huge crowds.
We proceed to see the Sistine Chapel. We stand in line, we pay our admission- the Catholic church is getting rich! And we are hurded through the Vatican Museum like cattle, or perhaps, it is like shopping at IKEA: it is an one way trip. I keep thinking that the chapel is coming up soon, it has to come soon, but no, room after room after room, no chapel. Aidan tells me he is hungry. My stomach tells me I am hungry. I want to mow down all those tourists and get out! By the time we are in the chapel, I am thinking, "this is great stuff, whatever, are we done yet?!" We finally make our way out, after a 2 hour expedition, and we find the most tasty pasta lunch ever. Yum. After lunch, we try to go see the Basilica, but thanks to the Pope, the line to see it wraps around the entire square. We give up. Get some gelato and make our way back to the train station.
Thursday: Naples
Today's goal: eat some good Italian food. We make our way to their shopping district, nearly losing our lives because we are pedastrians. Future note: Naples is not made for walking. Aidan is a good sport, especially after we find him an Italian fire engine to play with. We try to shop, but what can a pregnant woman buy for herself? No winter clothes this year, since nothing fits. My feet have gotten bigger, so no point in buying shoes for just the next 5 months. I don't know what to buy for the new baby, since we do have a ton of baby clothes already. Aidan finds Italian fashion just so-so, he is more interested int he mannequins. Alas, we find our way to lunch. We feast on the antipasti, gnocchi, pizza (with no cheese! and lots of seafood on top) and of course, proscuitto. After lunch, we find some dried pasta to take home. Now, brace yourselves, the saddest part of our trip is coming... We cross the street to get to the port. We walk side by side with me pushing Aidan's stroller. We chat, we talk about our lunch. Then, Hubby gets a few steps ahead of me, and I notice that his backpack is OPEN! AND HIS CAMERA IS GONE! I scream, "your camera is gone!" In under one minute, someone steals our treasured SLR camera! Hubby runs back, but to no avail. I start to cry, (I know, why?! It really is just a camera.) We process this for the rest of the day. We feel so violated. How does the thief know about the camera? Has the thief been spying on us, has s/he seen us taking photos in the AM at the port and putting the camera away? We are mad, yet, we realize that stealing is just like any other sin, and we sin against each other all the time, so why are we being so self righteous? It eventually boils down to this: we realize that the Italians don't care that there are pick-pockets at the port, stealing from tourists. Tourists who can't vote or complain. My dad also reports that someone tries to steal his wallet by sticking down a hand to his FRONT pocket, and my dad fights him off. Seriously, there is a big problem in Naples. We hate Naples. We are not coming back.
Friday: At Sea
I have not talked very much about the cruise ship itself, because it essentially comes down to these points:
Food
No cleaning
More food
and for Aidan, SHOWS! This little guy loves the shows. He even says, "dinner, then show, then bath, then sleep time." We only see three shows though, because the shows are so stimulating that then it takes Aidan an awful long time to go to sleep, and we have had quite a schedule to keep up with. Lucky for him, the shows we do see are so fun: figure skating, dancing, singing, and the acrobats! After the last show on the cruise ship, all the singers and dancers come out to sing together, and when they finish, Aidan cries, and says, "get back there and sing!" It is so sweet and cute. Here is Daddy rock climbing.
Here is the whole traveling troop. 
Here are the counsins goofing off. 
Saturday: Travel
We get up before the sun, eat the last bit of this amazing breakfast buffet, we sure are going to miss these little cute brioche! We get to the airport, eat our last bocadillo, get on our flight to London, and Aidan falls asleep. Actually, we all fall asleep. The difference is that Aidan sleeps through landing! Since our flight has been delayed for an hour, we are in a hurry to catch our connection. We run through the insane maze of security checks, and make it on the next plane. We have the good intentions of taking 1/2 hour shifts, but I fall asleep, and Hubby is left to his own devices. After lunch, I take over, while Hubby just zonked out. Aidan then falls asleep. We finally make it to SF, after thinking that this 10 hour flight feels so much longer than the 9 hour flight out. We find that our luggage are still in London. But who cares, we are home. We ride the cab. I am tired, hungry, with in combination with the driver being aggressive... I barf, with my head sticking out the window, and the vomit streaks across the cab... Oops. We get home. I feel disgusting and embarrassed. The driver is MAD. Hubby gives him a big tip to get his car washed. I say, "At least the vomit is ALL outside!" We drag our behinds inside the house, I call Tokie's for take out for Hubby and Aidan to pick up. I jump in the shower, thinking that I am so tired, I might pass out in the shower...
Phew! What a whirwind! We are very happy to be back at home.
The details of our trip will have to wait...because, the fridge is empty, and there are about two tons of dirty laundry to be conqured.
The only thing I have to report for now, is that, I am surprised to find out that I am already 16 weeks into my pregnancy. It is the strangely funny, that I cannot remember how far along I am. This sort of happened with Aidan. However, with him, I had the luxury of reading about my progress weekly and taking notes, (although the notes are not the most detailed.) With this one, I think I am a certain number of weeks, then I check my pregnancy calendar on babycenter.com, and I am way off. I am not sure if being farther along is good news or bad news. Good news that the baby is growing and I am be pregnant for not much longer, the bad news, well, one cannot hear a fetus cry...
Off to the store I go!
We also had a very mean flight attendant. She was quite sassy and rude. We heard her say, "I only have two arms" when someone made a request. Then, when Aidan made a temporary nest on the floor, she shamed us. "That is just not safe! He can't reach the oxygen and it is so dirty down there." Well, we would grab him if oxygen masks came, ANd, if it is so dirty down there, maybe you all should clean it! She obviously had no first hand experience with traveling with a toddler. Perhaps she will have a colicky child someday and wish she could take back all these things!
Having Aidan with us totally paid off at Heathrow. We got a special line to us for security- they fast track families with small kids! AWESOME!
Then, our flight attendant to Barcelona was so sweet. She didn't wake us up for a snack, thankfully, AND, when we did wake up, she said, "you poor things, you looked so tired." That, was what we needed! Not shame.
So we are here, a little jet lagged, but met up with my parents and sister. Let's hope no family fights break out...
This morning, I wake up with the thought that I need to get to Target to get a notebook. Because, this magical notebook is going to make everything less anxiety provoking come Monday. The first thing I say to Hubby when he wakes up is, "I need a notebook." Somehow, I think that I have lost my ability to keep track of things, to remember factoids, and that this magical bullet is going to help me with my transition. Yeah, right.
I attend my first staff meeting, not as a student, not as a resident, but hey, as a 'real doctor.' It is astounding to hear the vacation requests: "I need next Thursday off, I need to go play golf." And these are perfectly legit reasons for just taking a day off! I love my new job, I think. But then, I get my password to their computer charting system, the dictation system, the blah, blah, blah, and it feels overwhelming. And I get my new badge: I am just a physician, not a student, not a resident. I look all of twenty in that picture...oh well, I hear that I will appreciate this one day. I even have access to a special parking lot, with a gate, so that the spaces are really for doctors. Ahhh... eight years of hard work comes down to...a parking space?! It is all about the parking space. But I guess I am giving a parking space so that I can go do work. Do I have to go to work? Can I just sit there? The reality though, is that I am on call next weekend, so that means, for the next 12 days, I will be driving to the hospital, every day...
Sunday, October 15, 2006
The Adventure
There is WiFi available on the ship, but the cost is rather prohibitive...which is a bummer, because recall is never as good. Alas, our adventure to the Mediterranean on a cruise.Friday: Barcelona
Today is THE day to see Barcelona, not a minute can be lost. However, our biological clocks beg to differ. It is like pulling teeth to get all seven members of our party ready. We finally get to the city center around 11. My mom immediately gets lured away by the tour buses, my dad and sister follow. Just as well, since this household's schedule is dictated by nap time. We walk around the famous Las Ramblas, and are completely overwhelmed by the tourists. This is the bummer thing about Barcelona: ALL THOSE DARN TOURISTS! We do manage to see a 'local' market, where Aidan has a feast of watermelons and we see these strange heads for sale. We postulate that Barcelonians make soup with these and line them up in the soup tureen. Yum! We have lunch by the Cathedral, fight off flies who also want to eat our paella, and head back for a luxurious nap. After nap time, we head out to see Sagrada Familia. Strange... Aidan's highlights of the day include rides on the trains and buses. Fun!
Saturday: Barcelona
We wake up this morning to a strange gurgling sounds from Aidan's sleeping quarter... I run to check on him, wondering, is Aidan playing with the faucet? You wonder why there is a faucet in Aidan's bedroom? Well, when we travel, Aidan would like to maintain some privacy and so he sleeps in either the closet, or the bathroom, whichever one is bigger. He never complains about this. I know, it is weird. But hey, it works. Anyway, I find this poor guy vomiting! NOOO!!!!! How can this be? Fortunately, his beloved Mr. Hippo is soaking up the vomit and his Thomas the Train bedding is dry. I remove him, Daddy helps to get him into new clothes, we get him a new Mr. Hippo (we travel with the entire troop- all five of them!) Then we wait. Aidan asks for water, he gets some, he vomits. NOOO! He asks for crackers, he gets some, he vomits. Okay, that is it for food. He vomits without food anyway... My mom asks me if I have any 'anti-vomit' medicine for Aidan... Of all the things I have in the luggage, including antibacterial stuff, antifungal stuff, fever reducer, cough medicine, the thing I don't have is antivomit stuff. Alas, I don't make it a usual practice to pack antipsychotics with me. (Antipsychotics hit the receptor in the brain to stop vomiting.) Daddy runs to the store for some 7-Up and 'plainer food', whatever that is. I alert my parents that they are going to be on their own for the morning and that we will see them on the ship. We pray. We get a late check out time, Aidan passes out in Daddy's arms, and I make sure there is sustenance for Daddy, then I set out to shop. Why shop? Well, those yahoos over at Yahoo forecasts the Mediterranean to be in the 60-low 70's, but it is actually in the 80's. I come back after lunch and find that Aidan is eating crackers and drinking diluted 7-Up. Not vomiting. Praise the Lord!! We get in a cab and head over to the port for a cruise ship!
Sunday: Marseille
No vomiting! Hurray! Our port of call today, is Marseille. I don't know why we are here on a Sunday- most things are closed on Sundays. Alas, we board the shuttle to get to Vieux Port. Not too exciting, although Aidan spots train tracks on our way out- he is super excited!
Monday: Villefranche
Our agenda today: take the train to Nice. Aidan loves the tender ride- our ship is simply too large for the tiny little port of this small town. We run like nobody's business to the train station because the train is coming in 12 minutes: my parents insist that I shouldn't run because of my delicate condition...I think it is because they are way out of shape and they don't want to run! Anyway, we barely make it to the platform but cannot buy the tickets. Fortunately for me, my sister speaks/reads French. She promptly informs me that the ticket machine has determined that my credit card is 'dead.' The train pulls up, we make the command decision to get on without tickets and beg for mercy... But the conductor is no where in sight, and we get off two stops later, and I suppose France is cheated out of 14 Euros. We walk around, see beautiful pastries, send my parents and sister on their merry way and we head back to the ship for, you guess correctly, nap time.
Tuesday: Livorno
Today is a big day- we are docking at Livorno and then taking the train to Florence! I am so excited that I hardly slept last night. There are many reasons why I don't sleep well these days: pregnancy related hormones, anxiety, jet lag, Aidan, sleeping too much during nap time, and the ship rocking too much. With all these possibilities, it is hard to get a good night of rest. Alas, I have made peace with the fact that I am just not going to be sleeping well for the next 18 years. With that in mind, I actually don't mind tossing and turning too much anymore. Anyway, the race to the train was quite exciting. Our party has grown: we now have 8 adualts and 3 kids. With so many of us, I worry if we all get to do what we want to do. Aidan finds the train station a blast. After getting to Florence, we see the Duomo- and I am wistful that climbing up those 346 steps is out of the question for now, alas, we will have to come back. We lunch at a hole-in-a-wall panini place, dine at a piazza, where Aidan promptly drops half of his sandwich and says, "birds eat it." We then split up into 2 groups: the food group and the sightseeing group. We then find this amazing gelato place, here we are salivating over all the gelato flavors. Aidan picks orange chocolate, which we all agree is quite tasty.
We do some shopping, and then, Hubby gets lured away by the idea of taking some more photos of the Duomo. We decide to meet up at the market by Piazza San Lorenzo. But then, my sister and I, with Aidan falling asleep in the stroller, GET LOST! It is impossible to navigate while becoming hysterical with the idea of missing the train, then the cruise ship, and never seeing one's husband ever again... I run over quite a few people with the stroller, and my sister is calmly trying to tell me that Hubby will meet us at the train station. We finally get to the train station and voila, there is Hubby, with newly purchased water, waiting for us. I yell and gesture like a true Italian about him leaving us... Aidan sleeps through all of this, thankfully. I can't imagine doing this with a screaming toddler in tow. You think the highlight of the day would be over...but no. We catch a taxi with some other cruisers at the train station, and as the driver zips through Livorno's narrow streets very aggressively, I get a sinking, or rather, rising, feeling in my gut. I fight it, I open the window, I start to get cold sweats, and I hyperventilate a little, and just as we pull into the parking lot, I barfed, all over Aidan and myself. The woman sitting next to me looks horrified... I apologize, blame the pregnancy, and get out. Thankfully, the vomit was all on Aidan and me, not on the taxi...
Wednesday: Civitivecchia
Another big day, for Rome! My dad decide not to go, because we have already worn him out. My mom, sisiter, and the three of us set out on our own. We encounter difficulty right off the ship: no cab will take us to the train station, they are looking for big $ with a full day in Rome. I don't think so! We finally get to the train station, and by now, hardly anyone is happy. We yell and gesture like Italians on the train platform. I think Aidan thinks we have all lost our minds... Anyway, we get to Roma San Pietro stop and hop off. This is our day: a day in the Vatican. Lucky for us, it is Wednesday, and that means the Pope does mass in St. Peter's square, and that equals to huge crowds.
We proceed to see the Sistine Chapel. We stand in line, we pay our admission- the Catholic church is getting rich! And we are hurded through the Vatican Museum like cattle, or perhaps, it is like shopping at IKEA: it is an one way trip. I keep thinking that the chapel is coming up soon, it has to come soon, but no, room after room after room, no chapel. Aidan tells me he is hungry. My stomach tells me I am hungry. I want to mow down all those tourists and get out! By the time we are in the chapel, I am thinking, "this is great stuff, whatever, are we done yet?!" We finally make our way out, after a 2 hour expedition, and we find the most tasty pasta lunch ever. Yum. After lunch, we try to go see the Basilica, but thanks to the Pope, the line to see it wraps around the entire square. We give up. Get some gelato and make our way back to the train station.Thursday: Naples
Today's goal: eat some good Italian food. We make our way to their shopping district, nearly losing our lives because we are pedastrians. Future note: Naples is not made for walking. Aidan is a good sport, especially after we find him an Italian fire engine to play with. We try to shop, but what can a pregnant woman buy for herself? No winter clothes this year, since nothing fits. My feet have gotten bigger, so no point in buying shoes for just the next 5 months. I don't know what to buy for the new baby, since we do have a ton of baby clothes already. Aidan finds Italian fashion just so-so, he is more interested int he mannequins. Alas, we find our way to lunch. We feast on the antipasti, gnocchi, pizza (with no cheese! and lots of seafood on top) and of course, proscuitto. After lunch, we find some dried pasta to take home. Now, brace yourselves, the saddest part of our trip is coming... We cross the street to get to the port. We walk side by side with me pushing Aidan's stroller. We chat, we talk about our lunch. Then, Hubby gets a few steps ahead of me, and I notice that his backpack is OPEN! AND HIS CAMERA IS GONE! I scream, "your camera is gone!" In under one minute, someone steals our treasured SLR camera! Hubby runs back, but to no avail. I start to cry, (I know, why?! It really is just a camera.) We process this for the rest of the day. We feel so violated. How does the thief know about the camera? Has the thief been spying on us, has s/he seen us taking photos in the AM at the port and putting the camera away? We are mad, yet, we realize that stealing is just like any other sin, and we sin against each other all the time, so why are we being so self righteous? It eventually boils down to this: we realize that the Italians don't care that there are pick-pockets at the port, stealing from tourists. Tourists who can't vote or complain. My dad also reports that someone tries to steal his wallet by sticking down a hand to his FRONT pocket, and my dad fights him off. Seriously, there is a big problem in Naples. We hate Naples. We are not coming back.
Friday: At Sea
I have not talked very much about the cruise ship itself, because it essentially comes down to these points:
Food
No cleaning
More food
and for Aidan, SHOWS! This little guy loves the shows. He even says, "dinner, then show, then bath, then sleep time." We only see three shows though, because the shows are so stimulating that then it takes Aidan an awful long time to go to sleep, and we have had quite a schedule to keep up with. Lucky for him, the shows we do see are so fun: figure skating, dancing, singing, and the acrobats! After the last show on the cruise ship, all the singers and dancers come out to sing together, and when they finish, Aidan cries, and says, "get back there and sing!" It is so sweet and cute. Here is Daddy rock climbing.
Here is the whole traveling troop. Here are the counsins goofing off. Saturday: Travel
We get up before the sun, eat the last bit of this amazing breakfast buffet, we sure are going to miss these little cute brioche! We get to the airport, eat our last bocadillo, get on our flight to London, and Aidan falls asleep. Actually, we all fall asleep. The difference is that Aidan sleeps through landing! Since our flight has been delayed for an hour, we are in a hurry to catch our connection. We run through the insane maze of security checks, and make it on the next plane. We have the good intentions of taking 1/2 hour shifts, but I fall asleep, and Hubby is left to his own devices. After lunch, I take over, while Hubby just zonked out. Aidan then falls asleep. We finally make it to SF, after thinking that this 10 hour flight feels so much longer than the 9 hour flight out. We find that our luggage are still in London. But who cares, we are home. We ride the cab. I am tired, hungry, with in combination with the driver being aggressive... I barf, with my head sticking out the window, and the vomit streaks across the cab... Oops. We get home. I feel disgusting and embarrassed. The driver is MAD. Hubby gives him a big tip to get his car washed. I say, "At least the vomit is ALL outside!" We drag our behinds inside the house, I call Tokie's for take out for Hubby and Aidan to pick up. I jump in the shower, thinking that I am so tired, I might pass out in the shower...
Phew! What a whirwind! We are very happy to be back at home.
The details of our trip will have to wait...because, the fridge is empty, and there are about two tons of dirty laundry to be conqured.
The only thing I have to report for now, is that, I am surprised to find out that I am already 16 weeks into my pregnancy. It is the strangely funny, that I cannot remember how far along I am. This sort of happened with Aidan. However, with him, I had the luxury of reading about my progress weekly and taking notes, (although the notes are not the most detailed.) With this one, I think I am a certain number of weeks, then I check my pregnancy calendar on babycenter.com, and I am way off. I am not sure if being farther along is good news or bad news. Good news that the baby is growing and I am be pregnant for not much longer, the bad news, well, one cannot hear a fetus cry...
Off to the store I go!
Friday, October 06, 2006
The Contrast
What a trip! We departed our beloved home for Barcelona on Wednesday. In comparison to Sydney, this plane ride was, well, too short. Once the plane was airborne, we were served drinks, then dinner, then duty free goods. They finally turned off the house lights THREE hours into our 9 1/2 hour journey. Then, two hours prior to landing, then lights came back up for breakfast. That was just mean. Aidan only got to sleep for about 4 hours...so tired. And seriously, who would need to eat every four hours when all one could do is sit?!We also had a very mean flight attendant. She was quite sassy and rude. We heard her say, "I only have two arms" when someone made a request. Then, when Aidan made a temporary nest on the floor, she shamed us. "That is just not safe! He can't reach the oxygen and it is so dirty down there." Well, we would grab him if oxygen masks came, ANd, if it is so dirty down there, maybe you all should clean it! She obviously had no first hand experience with traveling with a toddler. Perhaps she will have a colicky child someday and wish she could take back all these things!
Having Aidan with us totally paid off at Heathrow. We got a special line to us for security- they fast track families with small kids! AWESOME!
Then, our flight attendant to Barcelona was so sweet. She didn't wake us up for a snack, thankfully, AND, when we did wake up, she said, "you poor things, you looked so tired." That, was what we needed! Not shame.
So we are here, a little jet lagged, but met up with my parents and sister. Let's hope no family fights break out...
Monday, October 02, 2006
Too Many Choices
After nap time yesterday, we were unsure what to do to entertain ourselves and Aidan. Daddy thought it might be fun to check out our city's Octoberfest. I wanted to make a trip to Whole Foods, under the pretense of buying fruit, but really to check out their hot deli and get something yummy. So, the plan was that I would drive the boys and drop them off, then they would just walk home. Disappointingly, the Octoberfest looked like no fun at all. Spontaneously, the boys were going to tag along with me. By then, we were all too hungry to make the extra 2 mile drive to Whole Foods. The alternative was Safeway... The idea was that we would go to the bakery and get something yummy. I had forgotten that Aidan had actually never really grocery shopped with me, ever. (The beauty of a working mom.) We went in, and even I was overwhelmed by all the choices! Why do they put all sorts of junk up front?! Anyway, Aidan saw cases and cases of ice-cream, and declared that he wanted some of that. We told him, "no ice-cream right now, no serving bowls, no spoons, we're getting something else." I show him some baked Lay's, he did not seem enthused. (And really, there had to be a better alternative than homogenized potato starch...) As we walked through the deli, Aidan was enticed by...of all things... tomato mozzarella salad. I was enticed by fried chicken. Daddy was enticed by dinner rolls. We sure make strange snack choices... We had a lovely picnic on the benches, until, Aidan saw some babies, stood up, and spilled his salad on the floor. He cried and said, "birds eat it." We considered just picking it up and giving it to him, really, what would be so bad about dirt? Alas, a line had to be drawn, and we were so far beyond the line, we couldn't see the line! Daddy went back and bought more salad for him.
When do we stop wanting things like tomatoes for snack? I hope Aidan will always want tomatoes for a snack. Yum.
When do we stop wanting things like tomatoes for snack? I hope Aidan will always want tomatoes for a snack. Yum.
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