At the end of July, we were finally able to take a real vacation as a family. It wasn't combined with Kevin's work or any other family obligations. Just the three of us on a lake for a week.
We rented a house down at Lake Anna, which is about halfway between DC and Richmond. Some friends came out the first weekend, but after that we had the place to ourselves. It was maybe a little big for just the three of us, but it was one of the few properties that let us bring Kina along.
We spent the week mostly hanging out. We had plans to spend more time in the water, but it ended up being too warm. The lake was built as a heat reservoir for a power plant, and the house we rented was on the warm side. The water temperature was almost 90 degrees, way too warm to be refreshing. Especially on hot, July days. We went out in the canoe a coupe of times, which proved to be a great way to make Gavin fall asleep. But for swimming we had to drive over to the beach on the other side of the lake.
We also went out to a local winery and tried a few restaurants. But for the most part we stayed in. Gavin napped a lot. I read my books. Kevin played Zelda. All in all it was a very relaxing week. I'm glad we were able to find time to get away as a family. Here's hoping this was just the first of many more family vacations to come.
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Saturday, September 2, 2017
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
How to Cry Over Spilled Milk
Step one: Hurt your back
Step two: Aggravate the injury by continuing to pick up your kid. Lift him. Hug him. Feed him. Change him. Bend and twist to get him in the car. What else can you do?
Step three: Sleep less. Between the injured back and the growing kid you're back to sleeping in 2 hour chunks. Only this time you also have to go to work and make dinner and walk the dog and on and on.
Step four: Stare at the clock. Count down the minutes until your husband gets home. Hate him a little for being at a bar in Japan while you're at home weighing the pros and cons of sacrificing half an hour of potential sleep to soak in an epsom salt bath. Yearn for a hug and his calm reassurance that this, too, will pass. Settle for the email he sent when he was trying to wake up and you were trying to fall asleep because that 12-hour time difference is killer.
Step five: Wonder if you can convince someone else to come over to the house and take care of the kid overnight so you can rest. But you'd still have to get up to feed him, so you might as well be the one to lift him out of the crib, too. Besides, you're too tired to do anything other than snap at them for failing to help in exactly the right way, and that just leads to guilt and shame and less sleep. Better to power through.
Step six: Pump less than usual and worry about it. Worry about your kid getting enough food at daycare. Worry about whether this is just normal ebb and flow or a sign of your milk drying up. Worry if it's stress or lack of sleep or the Tylenol you're taking. Worry about switching your kid to formula, the hows and the whens. Turn to the internet for advice only to find page after page of mothers imploring you to keep trying to breastfeed which does nothing to alleviate your stress. Or your insomnia. Or your back pain. Decide to table the decision until his doctor's appointment next week.
Step seven: Knock over a bottle of breast milk and watch the three precious ounces spill out and disappear in the crack between the stove and the counter. Wonder how you're going to clean it up. Wonder how you're going to replace it before daycare tomorrow. Wonder how you're going to make it through two more days before your husband gets back.
Step eight: Find the silver lining. You punched through the writer's block.
Step two: Aggravate the injury by continuing to pick up your kid. Lift him. Hug him. Feed him. Change him. Bend and twist to get him in the car. What else can you do?
Step three: Sleep less. Between the injured back and the growing kid you're back to sleeping in 2 hour chunks. Only this time you also have to go to work and make dinner and walk the dog and on and on.
Step four: Stare at the clock. Count down the minutes until your husband gets home. Hate him a little for being at a bar in Japan while you're at home weighing the pros and cons of sacrificing half an hour of potential sleep to soak in an epsom salt bath. Yearn for a hug and his calm reassurance that this, too, will pass. Settle for the email he sent when he was trying to wake up and you were trying to fall asleep because that 12-hour time difference is killer.
Step five: Wonder if you can convince someone else to come over to the house and take care of the kid overnight so you can rest. But you'd still have to get up to feed him, so you might as well be the one to lift him out of the crib, too. Besides, you're too tired to do anything other than snap at them for failing to help in exactly the right way, and that just leads to guilt and shame and less sleep. Better to power through.
Step six: Pump less than usual and worry about it. Worry about your kid getting enough food at daycare. Worry about whether this is just normal ebb and flow or a sign of your milk drying up. Worry if it's stress or lack of sleep or the Tylenol you're taking. Worry about switching your kid to formula, the hows and the whens. Turn to the internet for advice only to find page after page of mothers imploring you to keep trying to breastfeed which does nothing to alleviate your stress. Or your insomnia. Or your back pain. Decide to table the decision until his doctor's appointment next week.
Step seven: Knock over a bottle of breast milk and watch the three precious ounces spill out and disappear in the crack between the stove and the counter. Wonder how you're going to clean it up. Wonder how you're going to replace it before daycare tomorrow. Wonder how you're going to make it through two more days before your husband gets back.
Step eight: Find the silver lining. You punched through the writer's block.
Friday, January 13, 2017
First Christmas
Before Gavin was born, I was told that it's easiest to travel with kids when they're just a few months old. So we decided to take him home for Christmas, when he was just 2 months old, to introduce him to my extended family. The trip ended up being more of a whirlwind than it usually is, as we tried to cram in the entire family in very little time. But Gavin did great, and I'm so glad we were able to get out and introduce him to everyone.
I was worried about the flight, and had read a bunch of tips. We brought my nurxing pillow on the plane so he wouldn't just be sitting in my lap. We brought bottles of milk so he could be sucking on something during takeoff and landing. And then Gavin slept for almost the entire flight. It was magical, and I got to feel smug because the crying baby on that plane wasn't mine.
We went down to my aunt's house for her annual Christmas Eve party. Gavin was quickly overwhelmed by the noise and being the center of attention. But my aunt had set aside my cousin's old bedroom for us so we could escape to somewhere quiet. Kevin and I spent a lot of the first half of the party taking turns sitting with Gavin in there. But after dinner he calmed down enough to come out and meet people.
Christmas day at my mom's was a smaller crowd, and Gavin did much better. He got passed around to everyone who wanted to hold him, ate a ton, and got a bunch of clothes and books.
The next day we went down to my dad's for the third feast in a row and another side of the family. Gavin was a bit grumpier that day; I think all the traveling was getting to him. And he slept terribly that night. Which is to say that he only really slept from midnight to 2:30. But the next day was calmer and he caught up on sleep some.
That evening we flew to Phoenix on what was the longest flight of my life. Even though it's less than 2 hours. It was so bumpy that the fasten seatbelt sign never turned off and the flight attendants didn't even do a drink service. Then Gavin pooped about half an hour in, forcefully enough that it got all over his onesie and blanket and Boppy. Then when we finally landed we had to sit on the runway for a while before we could taxi to the gate. It was awful, and just about all I could do to keep Gavin from screaming the whole time.
Our time in Phoenix was pretty low-key. It helped that we stayed in a hotel there rather than with my family. We went over to my aunt's to visit in the mornings, then to my grandmother's in the evenings, and back to the hotel after dinner. We also managed to get dinner with one of Kevin's oldest friends who's lived there since college.
I was worried about flying home, but it ended up going very smoothly. On the first leg, the plane was empty enough that we were alowed to bring Gavin's carseat on and put him in his own seat, which made a huge difference. And on the second leg he once again slept almost the entire flight. He did get cranky during our layover, and I gave him a bottle in the airport. Which led to me having to pump on the plane. But at least we had carried the pump on so we could do that.
The trip was fast, but it was nice to have the opportunity to show Gavin off to everyone. And he did great on 3 of the 4 plane rides, which isn't too bad. Next up I get to take him on a much longer plane ride all by myself. But I think I can handle it.
I was worried about the flight, and had read a bunch of tips. We brought my nurxing pillow on the plane so he wouldn't just be sitting in my lap. We brought bottles of milk so he could be sucking on something during takeoff and landing. And then Gavin slept for almost the entire flight. It was magical, and I got to feel smug because the crying baby on that plane wasn't mine.
We went down to my aunt's house for her annual Christmas Eve party. Gavin was quickly overwhelmed by the noise and being the center of attention. But my aunt had set aside my cousin's old bedroom for us so we could escape to somewhere quiet. Kevin and I spent a lot of the first half of the party taking turns sitting with Gavin in there. But after dinner he calmed down enough to come out and meet people.
Christmas day at my mom's was a smaller crowd, and Gavin did much better. He got passed around to everyone who wanted to hold him, ate a ton, and got a bunch of clothes and books.
The next day we went down to my dad's for the third feast in a row and another side of the family. Gavin was a bit grumpier that day; I think all the traveling was getting to him. And he slept terribly that night. Which is to say that he only really slept from midnight to 2:30. But the next day was calmer and he caught up on sleep some.
That evening we flew to Phoenix on what was the longest flight of my life. Even though it's less than 2 hours. It was so bumpy that the fasten seatbelt sign never turned off and the flight attendants didn't even do a drink service. Then Gavin pooped about half an hour in, forcefully enough that it got all over his onesie and blanket and Boppy. Then when we finally landed we had to sit on the runway for a while before we could taxi to the gate. It was awful, and just about all I could do to keep Gavin from screaming the whole time.
Our time in Phoenix was pretty low-key. It helped that we stayed in a hotel there rather than with my family. We went over to my aunt's to visit in the mornings, then to my grandmother's in the evenings, and back to the hotel after dinner. We also managed to get dinner with one of Kevin's oldest friends who's lived there since college.
I was worried about flying home, but it ended up going very smoothly. On the first leg, the plane was empty enough that we were alowed to bring Gavin's carseat on and put him in his own seat, which made a huge difference. And on the second leg he once again slept almost the entire flight. He did get cranky during our layover, and I gave him a bottle in the airport. Which led to me having to pump on the plane. But at least we had carried the pump on so we could do that.
The trip was fast, but it was nice to have the opportunity to show Gavin off to everyone. And he did great on 3 of the 4 plane rides, which isn't too bad. Next up I get to take him on a much longer plane ride all by myself. But I think I can handle it.
Thursday, January 12, 2017
First Road Trip
When Gavin was almost 8 weeks old, we drove him up to Boston to meet Kevin's extended family. We broke the drive up as much as we could, using it both to introduce Gavin to as many people as possible and as a dry-run for his first flight the next week. Overall it went really well. It was nice to see so many people. Though the trip was a bit of a whirlwind, and we ended up spending more time in the car than we'd really intended. Also, my boobs were not happy about how long we ended up going between feedings, though Gavin seemed fine.
We left around noon on Friday, with the intent of getting to Kevin's aunt's house, just outside Stamford, CT. This was the longest leg of the journey, and we hit some rush hour traffic near NYC that added some time. But overall it wasn't too bad. Gavin slept almost the entire trip. We pulled off at a rest stop in Delaware so I could wake him up and try to make him eat, and he went back to sleep right after. Then with about five minutes left in the trip he woke up, pooped, and proceeded to scream for the rest of the ride.
We got to Kevin's aunt's and had to go right upstairs to change and feed Gavin. But once he was sated we were able to come down and have a nice meal and visit. Unfortunately, in my desire to visit, I only had Gavin eat on one side, and I ended up with a clogged duct in my still full boob. I spent the rest of the night pumping, applying warm compresses, and massaging to try and get the clog out. I even used my electronic toothbrush at one point to try and break up and move the clog. Somehow it worked, though my breast was tender for a few days. And my breasts continued to be uncomfortably full for the rest of the trip.
The next morning we woke up to a lot more snow than was in the forecast. We spent some time hemming and hawing to try to figure out what to do. Kevin went to investigate the roads and was relieved to discover that outside of his aunt's neighborhood the roads were clear. So we decided to push on to see his family in Massachusetts. The snow did slow us down. What was supposed to be a 2 1/2 hour drive extended to over 4 hours. By the time we got to Kevin's grandmother's I had to pump for almost half an hour and ended up getting 8 oz (as compared to the 4 oz I usually pump).
I realize that I'm spending a lot of time talking about my boobs, but this was the real takeaway from this trip for me. Gavin just sleeps too well in the car, so I wasn't feeding him often enough. If we decide to do another road trip, I'm going to have to come up with a different strategy for feeding the baby.
We had a nice, if short, visit with Kevin's grandmother and other aunt and cousins. Then it was in to the city where we met some friends for dinner and games. Gavin did great with all the commotion, mostly chilling in his bouncer in another room. When he did start to fuss, we took off for our hotel outside the city.
Staying in a hotel went much better than I'd been expecting it to. It was nice to have our own space, as opposed to cramming in to Kevin's cousin's room. It was nice to not be worrying about Gavin waking up other people in the middle of the night. Having a couch made the middle of the night feedings much easier.
In the morning we got up and headed down to NYC where we met up with a bunch of friends for a late lunch. Becca knew a place with enough room for us to park the stroller and meet with a big group of people. It was sort of like an upscale food court, with a bar and a nice, big table tucked away in a corner. We spent a few hours visiting with a bunch of friends. Then it was back on the road so we could get home that night. But not without buying batteries so I could use my breast pump in the car, which made a huge difference on the ride home.
We got home a little after 10. In the days before having a baby, I would have just fallen into bed at this point. But those days are over. I was up for another hour, unpacking and doing dishes and making sure Gavin was good to go before I could go to bed. But I did eventually get to go to bed. The trip was quick and involved a lot of driving. But Gavin did so good traveling that we were feeling a lot better about putting him on a plane a week later.
We left around noon on Friday, with the intent of getting to Kevin's aunt's house, just outside Stamford, CT. This was the longest leg of the journey, and we hit some rush hour traffic near NYC that added some time. But overall it wasn't too bad. Gavin slept almost the entire trip. We pulled off at a rest stop in Delaware so I could wake him up and try to make him eat, and he went back to sleep right after. Then with about five minutes left in the trip he woke up, pooped, and proceeded to scream for the rest of the ride.
We got to Kevin's aunt's and had to go right upstairs to change and feed Gavin. But once he was sated we were able to come down and have a nice meal and visit. Unfortunately, in my desire to visit, I only had Gavin eat on one side, and I ended up with a clogged duct in my still full boob. I spent the rest of the night pumping, applying warm compresses, and massaging to try and get the clog out. I even used my electronic toothbrush at one point to try and break up and move the clog. Somehow it worked, though my breast was tender for a few days. And my breasts continued to be uncomfortably full for the rest of the trip.
The next morning we woke up to a lot more snow than was in the forecast. We spent some time hemming and hawing to try to figure out what to do. Kevin went to investigate the roads and was relieved to discover that outside of his aunt's neighborhood the roads were clear. So we decided to push on to see his family in Massachusetts. The snow did slow us down. What was supposed to be a 2 1/2 hour drive extended to over 4 hours. By the time we got to Kevin's grandmother's I had to pump for almost half an hour and ended up getting 8 oz (as compared to the 4 oz I usually pump).
I realize that I'm spending a lot of time talking about my boobs, but this was the real takeaway from this trip for me. Gavin just sleeps too well in the car, so I wasn't feeding him often enough. If we decide to do another road trip, I'm going to have to come up with a different strategy for feeding the baby.
We had a nice, if short, visit with Kevin's grandmother and other aunt and cousins. Then it was in to the city where we met some friends for dinner and games. Gavin did great with all the commotion, mostly chilling in his bouncer in another room. When he did start to fuss, we took off for our hotel outside the city.
Staying in a hotel went much better than I'd been expecting it to. It was nice to have our own space, as opposed to cramming in to Kevin's cousin's room. It was nice to not be worrying about Gavin waking up other people in the middle of the night. Having a couch made the middle of the night feedings much easier.
In the morning we got up and headed down to NYC where we met up with a bunch of friends for a late lunch. Becca knew a place with enough room for us to park the stroller and meet with a big group of people. It was sort of like an upscale food court, with a bar and a nice, big table tucked away in a corner. We spent a few hours visiting with a bunch of friends. Then it was back on the road so we could get home that night. But not without buying batteries so I could use my breast pump in the car, which made a huge difference on the ride home.
We got home a little after 10. In the days before having a baby, I would have just fallen into bed at this point. But those days are over. I was up for another hour, unpacking and doing dishes and making sure Gavin was good to go before I could go to bed. But I did eventually get to go to bed. The trip was quick and involved a lot of driving. But Gavin did so good traveling that we were feeling a lot better about putting him on a plane a week later.
Friday, December 2, 2016
Thanksgiving
For the week of Thanksgiving, Kevin's sister and her new husband came to stay with us and meet their nephew. They cooked the big meal at our house, which was beyond convenient for me. And Gavin even slept through the entire meal, like a little angel.
Erin and Alex were out here for an entire week, and it was nice to visit with them, since we see them so rarely. They spent a lot of time holding Gavin and were a great help in getting him to calm down. Erin even changed a few diapers, making her the first person other than Kevin and me to do so.
Gavin continued to be adorable and lovable. He's still mostly a lump, but he's starting to be more responsive. His involuntary smiles are really cute and have me excited to see the real ones. And sometimes he grunts a bit when he smiles, which has me eager for baby giggles. He also spends a lot of time grunting and otherwise vocalizing, making us think he's going to be a talker. So long as he's not an extrovert I'll be happy.
Erin and Alex were out here for an entire week, and it was nice to visit with them, since we see them so rarely. They spent a lot of time holding Gavin and were a great help in getting him to calm down. Erin even changed a few diapers, making her the first person other than Kevin and me to do so.
Gavin continued to be adorable and lovable. He's still mostly a lump, but he's starting to be more responsive. His involuntary smiles are really cute and have me excited to see the real ones. And sometimes he grunts a bit when he smiles, which has me eager for baby giggles. He also spends a lot of time grunting and otherwise vocalizing, making us think he's going to be a talker. So long as he's not an extrovert I'll be happy.
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Mom's Visit
My mom came to visit during Gavin's second week of life. I was insistent that we not have house guests right away, because I wanted time to heal and start to establish a routine without other people around telling me what to do. And I'm really glad I decided to do that. Kevin and I were able to figure out the basics on our own, and by the time my mom showed up we had some stuff figured out.
The whole second week of Gavin's life was great. I was getting almost enough sleep (my mom stayed up with the screaming baby a couple of times, though I still had to get up to feed him and change his diapers). I was feeling good enough to go out and even start taking on some small chores like dishes and laundry. My mom and I went shopping a few times, for clothes for me and baby things. We went out to lunch twice and dinner once. Gavin and I even joined Kevin and Kina on their morning walk every day.
The whole week was great, and by the end of it I was ready to jump back into life. I was confident that I had this whole mom thing under control.
The whole second week of Gavin's life was great. I was getting almost enough sleep (my mom stayed up with the screaming baby a couple of times, though I still had to get up to feed him and change his diapers). I was feeling good enough to go out and even start taking on some small chores like dishes and laundry. My mom and I went shopping a few times, for clothes for me and baby things. We went out to lunch twice and dinner once. Gavin and I even joined Kevin and Kina on their morning walk every day.
The whole week was great, and by the end of it I was ready to jump back into life. I was confident that I had this whole mom thing under control.
Monday, August 15, 2016
First House Guests
Less than two weeks after we moved in to the new house, we hosted our first out-of-town guests. I had a family reunion up in Harrisburg, which is about a two hour drive from where we live. We've known about it for months, probably since last year. And from the beginning the plan had been for my dad to fly out and stay with us so we could all go up together. That got a bit shaky once we started looking for a new house. But luckily the timing worked out, so they got to see the new place on the same trip as the reunion.
Actually, the timing probably could have been a bit better. While the impending guests did give us motivation to unpack pretty quickly, the trip also coincided with a rough patch in my pregnancy. I was only getting 3 or 4 hours of sleep while our company was here. It left me short-temperered and irritable, which meant I was a less-than-gracious hostess. It can be hard to socialize when all you want to do is lay on the couch and watch TV.
Regardless, we ended up having a nice visit. The reunion was at a heritage picnic. There was live music and a whole lot of food. I didn't really know any of the people there beyond my immediate family, but my dad had a lot of fun reconnecting with his cousins and meeting their kids (and their kids). I had fun sitting in the shade and eating lamb sandwiches.
It was nice to see family, and it's good to know that our guest room works. I just hope I'm in a better mood the next time we have visitors. Although considering I'll have an infant at that point, it doesn't seem too likely. At least I have an understanding family.
Actually, the timing probably could have been a bit better. While the impending guests did give us motivation to unpack pretty quickly, the trip also coincided with a rough patch in my pregnancy. I was only getting 3 or 4 hours of sleep while our company was here. It left me short-temperered and irritable, which meant I was a less-than-gracious hostess. It can be hard to socialize when all you want to do is lay on the couch and watch TV.
Regardless, we ended up having a nice visit. The reunion was at a heritage picnic. There was live music and a whole lot of food. I didn't really know any of the people there beyond my immediate family, but my dad had a lot of fun reconnecting with his cousins and meeting their kids (and their kids). I had fun sitting in the shade and eating lamb sandwiches.
It was nice to see family, and it's good to know that our guest room works. I just hope I'm in a better mood the next time we have visitors. Although considering I'll have an infant at that point, it doesn't seem too likely. At least I have an understanding family.
Friday, June 3, 2016
Kicking Off the Busy Season
The Saturday before Memorial Day was the busiest Saturday I've had in a long time. Which is appropriate as this is shaping up to be the busiest summer I've had in a long time.
We got up at 6 in the morning. Kevin re-stained the stairs to the backyard while I swept and mopped and generally got ready for the barbecue we were throwing that afternoon. Then it was off to the home inspection for our new home at 8:30.
The inspection went well. There were a few issues, but some of them were maintenance things (trimming back trees that were overhanging the roof) and some we had been expecting (the seller had already told us she wasn't replacing the stove top fan, thus implying that it was broken). For the most part everything is in working order. The furnace is old, but it's still working, so that's an upcoming expense that we just need to keep in mind.
We ended up leaving the inspection a tad early. We'd gone over most of the major things and our inspector said that from there on it was just a matter of checking outlets and light switches. We went to the grocery store by the new house to see what was in the shopping center and pick up some last minute food items for the barbecue. Then I dropped Kevin off at home and went to my sister-in-law's bridal shower.
I arrived at the bridal shower almost an hour late because we hadn't really known how long a home inspection takes. But I was still one of the first people there. We ate some food and chatted and played some games and watched the bride-to-be open presents. Then I had to duck out a little early to get back to my house before guests started arriving.
Two of our friends were coming from NYC by bus. As I was leaving the bridal showed, I actually ended up behind their bus at a stop light. But then I got stuck in the wrong lane because I didn't actually know where I was going. I ended up missing my turn to get back on the highway and had to loop around a little bit. It ended up working out, though, as I still got to the bus stop right as they were getting off the bus.
From then the day is a blur of food and friends. Everyone from the bridal shower came to the barbecue, as well as a bunch of local friends. All told we had over 30 people through our house that afternoon, making it one of the biggest parties we've thrown and justification for the bigger house we're buying.
Sunday was devoted to my sister-in-law's bachelorette party. Though I'm not drinking, I had a lot of fun touring various local cideries and distilleries with the group. I'm looking forward to going back to Catoctin Creek once I'm no longer pregnant. They've expanded since I was last there and have a pretty exciting tasting menu now. Afterwards we all went to an escape room in Alexandria, which was a ton of fun. We made it out with 5 minutes to spare, which I think means that the puzzle was the perfect amount of challenging. Then we got dinner and I left the group at a karaoke bar while I went to pick up Kevin. He had been planning to metro home from our friend's house, but with all the track work going on lately, the metro has gotten really unreliable. It might have taken him two hours to get home that way.
Monday was devoted to packing up our house in preparation for selling it. We need to clear out a lot of stuff before the open house so that it doesn't look too crammed. We packed up almost all of the books and games, along with the clothes we aren't expecting to wear until the weather turns colder. Then Kevin got a storage unit and started moving boxes over while I filled up trash bags with junks we don't need anymore and things we want to donate. It's amazing how much stuff we got rid of and how much stuff we still have. But it's also nice to get a jump start on the packing, even though we won't be moving for another month and a half. Hopefully we'll be able to keep chipping away at this a little bit at a time and avoid getting too overwhelmed.
We got up at 6 in the morning. Kevin re-stained the stairs to the backyard while I swept and mopped and generally got ready for the barbecue we were throwing that afternoon. Then it was off to the home inspection for our new home at 8:30.
The inspection went well. There were a few issues, but some of them were maintenance things (trimming back trees that were overhanging the roof) and some we had been expecting (the seller had already told us she wasn't replacing the stove top fan, thus implying that it was broken). For the most part everything is in working order. The furnace is old, but it's still working, so that's an upcoming expense that we just need to keep in mind.
We ended up leaving the inspection a tad early. We'd gone over most of the major things and our inspector said that from there on it was just a matter of checking outlets and light switches. We went to the grocery store by the new house to see what was in the shopping center and pick up some last minute food items for the barbecue. Then I dropped Kevin off at home and went to my sister-in-law's bridal shower.
I arrived at the bridal shower almost an hour late because we hadn't really known how long a home inspection takes. But I was still one of the first people there. We ate some food and chatted and played some games and watched the bride-to-be open presents. Then I had to duck out a little early to get back to my house before guests started arriving.
Two of our friends were coming from NYC by bus. As I was leaving the bridal showed, I actually ended up behind their bus at a stop light. But then I got stuck in the wrong lane because I didn't actually know where I was going. I ended up missing my turn to get back on the highway and had to loop around a little bit. It ended up working out, though, as I still got to the bus stop right as they were getting off the bus.
From then the day is a blur of food and friends. Everyone from the bridal shower came to the barbecue, as well as a bunch of local friends. All told we had over 30 people through our house that afternoon, making it one of the biggest parties we've thrown and justification for the bigger house we're buying.
Sunday was devoted to my sister-in-law's bachelorette party. Though I'm not drinking, I had a lot of fun touring various local cideries and distilleries with the group. I'm looking forward to going back to Catoctin Creek once I'm no longer pregnant. They've expanded since I was last there and have a pretty exciting tasting menu now. Afterwards we all went to an escape room in Alexandria, which was a ton of fun. We made it out with 5 minutes to spare, which I think means that the puzzle was the perfect amount of challenging. Then we got dinner and I left the group at a karaoke bar while I went to pick up Kevin. He had been planning to metro home from our friend's house, but with all the track work going on lately, the metro has gotten really unreliable. It might have taken him two hours to get home that way.
Monday was devoted to packing up our house in preparation for selling it. We need to clear out a lot of stuff before the open house so that it doesn't look too crammed. We packed up almost all of the books and games, along with the clothes we aren't expecting to wear until the weather turns colder. Then Kevin got a storage unit and started moving boxes over while I filled up trash bags with junks we don't need anymore and things we want to donate. It's amazing how much stuff we got rid of and how much stuff we still have. But it's also nice to get a jump start on the packing, even though we won't be moving for another month and a half. Hopefully we'll be able to keep chipping away at this a little bit at a time and avoid getting too overwhelmed.
Sunday, May 22, 2016
Houses, and Parties, and Moms, Oh My
About three hours after Kevin got home from 6+ weeks in Hawaii, my mom arrived to visit for a week. My brother had time off between Spring and Summer term, so the two of them did a bunch of tourist stuff, including the Air and Space Museum/Hangar and a visit to Monticello. Meanwhile Kevin and I worked and tried to catch up with life and met them for dinner.
We spent most of the weekend looking at open houses. Kevin and I are getting ready to start looking in earnest, and my mom wanted to see the sorts of houses we're looking out. Plus it's always fun to go tour homes that aren't your own.
We saw a big variety of homes. There were one or two we could see working out (ideally we would move one of the houses onto the lot of a different house, but that's not really an option). There were a few that had stark deal breakers (lack of yard, unworkable kitchen, stuck in the 70s). Most fell somewhere in the middle, and by the end of the weekend many of them had begun to bleed together. The upshot is that Kevin and I have a pretty solid idea of what we want, but we haven't found it yet.
We also went to a party thrown by Kevin's party on Saturday night. It was a Moulin Rouge themed casino night, and I had an absolute blast even though I couldn't drink and didn't really know anyone. There was fantastic food, including a mac-and-cheese bar. There were lots of gambling options, and I sort of learned how to play craps. I had more fun playing Texas Hold'em, though. And since everyone was playing with fake money, the dealers were pretty forgiving. Especially the blackjack dealer who routinely gave herself a worse hand if she was initially dealt 20.
It ended up being a jam-packed but thoroughly enjoyable weekend. And someday soon I'll have a weekend to myself again. Maybe. Actually, it doesn't look like that's going to happen for the foreseeable future, which makes me even happier that I refused to make any plans the weekend before Kevin came home.
We spent most of the weekend looking at open houses. Kevin and I are getting ready to start looking in earnest, and my mom wanted to see the sorts of houses we're looking out. Plus it's always fun to go tour homes that aren't your own.
We saw a big variety of homes. There were one or two we could see working out (ideally we would move one of the houses onto the lot of a different house, but that's not really an option). There were a few that had stark deal breakers (lack of yard, unworkable kitchen, stuck in the 70s). Most fell somewhere in the middle, and by the end of the weekend many of them had begun to bleed together. The upshot is that Kevin and I have a pretty solid idea of what we want, but we haven't found it yet.
We also went to a party thrown by Kevin's party on Saturday night. It was a Moulin Rouge themed casino night, and I had an absolute blast even though I couldn't drink and didn't really know anyone. There was fantastic food, including a mac-and-cheese bar. There were lots of gambling options, and I sort of learned how to play craps. I had more fun playing Texas Hold'em, though. And since everyone was playing with fake money, the dealers were pretty forgiving. Especially the blackjack dealer who routinely gave herself a worse hand if she was initially dealt 20.
It ended up being a jam-packed but thoroughly enjoyable weekend. And someday soon I'll have a weekend to myself again. Maybe. Actually, it doesn't look like that's going to happen for the foreseeable future, which makes me even happier that I refused to make any plans the weekend before Kevin came home.
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Where Does the Time Go?
I looked at the calendar today and realized that May is more than half over. And I haven't updated these blogs in going on a month. Which is unusual. I can't even plead exhaustion this time around. Or being too busy. Though I have been busy. But I've also been balancing that pretty well with down time. It seems like life is about to get crazy, though.
Before I get into that, I should back up and record all the things I've skipped over.
My trip to New York City was a lot of fun, even though Kevin had to miss it. It was nice to see the friends who live there and to catch with some people I haven't seen in nearly five years. I also enjoyed getting to spend some time wandering around the city by myself.
When I arrived, I walked from Penn Station to Union Square, stopping for lunch on the way. I was able to explore the enormous Barnes and Noble - I wish we had a book store that big in DC. And I spent some time reading and looking for public restrooms. Then I went over to the 9/11 memorial before meeting up with my friends.
The 9/11 memorial is really astonishing. I didn't know anything in Manhattan could take up that much space, but there are 8 acres devoted to the memorial and museum. There are two fountains where the buildings originally stood, each of them a full acre. Standing next to them was breathtaking and sad. The designers did a really good job, and I'd like to go back after the trees have grown up a bit more.
That evening we got dinner down in Brooklyn, and, thanks to a computer error, didn't have to pay for any of the beer we drank. (Well, any of the beer my friends drank.) The next day we had a delicious brunch, then Autumn and I went to see Hamilton before joining back up with everyone for a birthday party in Brooklyn. Then I had Sunday mostly to myself again before catching my bus back to DC.
All in all it was a surprisingly relaxing weekend. It was fun to see everyone and to balance that with time in bookstores and cafes. The bus was not fun, and I won't be going on another long bus trip until I'm no longer pregnant. But I survived it and even made it home at a reasonable time.
After that, life got a little bit non-stop. We had our all-hands meeting at work, combined with several new employees, one of whom I was in charge of training. I spent a weekend cleaning my poor, neglected house and running all manner of errands. I had dinner with my mother in law and went to a friend's house warming party. And before I knew it, Kevin was home. It still seems like we've barely had a minute to ourselves, since life is just refusing to let up. But at least he's home.
Before I get into that, I should back up and record all the things I've skipped over.
My trip to New York City was a lot of fun, even though Kevin had to miss it. It was nice to see the friends who live there and to catch with some people I haven't seen in nearly five years. I also enjoyed getting to spend some time wandering around the city by myself.
When I arrived, I walked from Penn Station to Union Square, stopping for lunch on the way. I was able to explore the enormous Barnes and Noble - I wish we had a book store that big in DC. And I spent some time reading and looking for public restrooms. Then I went over to the 9/11 memorial before meeting up with my friends.
The 9/11 memorial is really astonishing. I didn't know anything in Manhattan could take up that much space, but there are 8 acres devoted to the memorial and museum. There are two fountains where the buildings originally stood, each of them a full acre. Standing next to them was breathtaking and sad. The designers did a really good job, and I'd like to go back after the trees have grown up a bit more.
That evening we got dinner down in Brooklyn, and, thanks to a computer error, didn't have to pay for any of the beer we drank. (Well, any of the beer my friends drank.) The next day we had a delicious brunch, then Autumn and I went to see Hamilton before joining back up with everyone for a birthday party in Brooklyn. Then I had Sunday mostly to myself again before catching my bus back to DC.
All in all it was a surprisingly relaxing weekend. It was fun to see everyone and to balance that with time in bookstores and cafes. The bus was not fun, and I won't be going on another long bus trip until I'm no longer pregnant. But I survived it and even made it home at a reasonable time.
After that, life got a little bit non-stop. We had our all-hands meeting at work, combined with several new employees, one of whom I was in charge of training. I spent a weekend cleaning my poor, neglected house and running all manner of errands. I had dinner with my mother in law and went to a friend's house warming party. And before I knew it, Kevin was home. It still seems like we've barely had a minute to ourselves, since life is just refusing to let up. But at least he's home.
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
The Rest of Life
Kevin's been away on a business trip for almost a month now, and he won't be home for a couple more weeks. I've been enjoying having the house to myself and being able to set my own schedule, especially as my sleeping and eating habits veer around almost constantly. It's been nice to not worry about accommodating someone else through all that. I eat when I'm hungry, sleep when I'm tired, clean when I have the energy, and watch hours of TV when I don't.
I miss Kevin, of course. It gets lonely sometimes, and the 6 hour time difference doesn't help. But I'm also pretty independent. Besides which, nothing can be worse than the never-ending summer he spent in Alabama. At least this trip has a definite end date.
The quiet life means that there isn't a lot to report. I went to a couple of local book sales and stocked up my to-read stack. I went on a tour of the White House with my college's alumni group. I celebrated Sarah's birthday with brunch and sunshine. And last weekend my dad flew out for a visit. In fact, I haven't had a weekend without plans since Kevin left, although those plans have mostly been minimal.
Next weekend I'm heading up to NYC to visit friends and see Hamilton (we got tickets for our anniversary). Then I'm taking a weekend off to clean my house and lounge around before Kevin gets back and my mom comes to visit. I anticipate life getting very busy in the next few months, what with the baby coming and our hopes of buying a new home before the baby arrives. So I've been enjoying the time to just relax and not really think too hard about the future. It's been a nice, quite, relaxing Spring.
I miss Kevin, of course. It gets lonely sometimes, and the 6 hour time difference doesn't help. But I'm also pretty independent. Besides which, nothing can be worse than the never-ending summer he spent in Alabama. At least this trip has a definite end date.
The quiet life means that there isn't a lot to report. I went to a couple of local book sales and stocked up my to-read stack. I went on a tour of the White House with my college's alumni group. I celebrated Sarah's birthday with brunch and sunshine. And last weekend my dad flew out for a visit. In fact, I haven't had a weekend without plans since Kevin left, although those plans have mostly been minimal.
Next weekend I'm heading up to NYC to visit friends and see Hamilton (we got tickets for our anniversary). Then I'm taking a weekend off to clean my house and lounge around before Kevin gets back and my mom comes to visit. I anticipate life getting very busy in the next few months, what with the baby coming and our hopes of buying a new home before the baby arrives. So I've been enjoying the time to just relax and not really think too hard about the future. It's been a nice, quite, relaxing Spring.
Thursday, January 28, 2016
The Opposite of Hibernation
Traditionally, January has been a month to stay in. We don't make plans, we don't go out. We just cover ourselves with blankets and enjoy being home. But that hasn't been the case this year.
Kevin's company hold sits holiday party in January instead of December, which definitely makes it easier to fit into the schedule. It was thrown on the same day he got back from three weeks in Hawaii. So instead of spending his first night back at home, we went down to the Ritz-Carlton in Arlington. His company was generous enough to pay for the valet and provide us a steep discount on the room for the night.
The party itself was pretty spectacular. I got to meet Kevin's new colleagues and their partners. They were a fun group of people, and between the open bar and that fact that we were staying at the hotel we had a lot of fun. The next morning was a little rough, as Kevin was fighting both a hangover and jet lag. It took us a while to get home, but the night was well worth it.
That Sunday, Zach and Sarah came over to watch the Seahawks and the Redskins in the first playoff games of the season. We had a lot of fun playing games and drinking beer while we watched football. And even though Washington lost, they made it further than I could have hoped for at the beginning of the season.
The next weekend we had planned to host one of my high school friends who was going to be in town for a funeral. I was looking forward to seeing her, but due to a mixup she had to cancel at the last minute. Instead we went down to Zach and Sarah's for another evening of games and football.
That week my aunt was in town for business, so we went out to dinner with her one night. It's nice that her work brings her out this way as often as it does. We don't get to spend much time with her when she's in town, but we always take the opportunity to catch up. This time we went down to a tapas restaurant in Clarendon and enjoyed sangria and tapas despite the freezing weather.
All in all its been a very busy month so far. It's been fun to be as social as we have been, but it hasn't left a whole lot of time for relaxation or recuperation. It's a good thing I had so much down time over the holidays. Our schedule doesn't look to be lightening up any time soon.
Kevin's company hold sits holiday party in January instead of December, which definitely makes it easier to fit into the schedule. It was thrown on the same day he got back from three weeks in Hawaii. So instead of spending his first night back at home, we went down to the Ritz-Carlton in Arlington. His company was generous enough to pay for the valet and provide us a steep discount on the room for the night.
The party itself was pretty spectacular. I got to meet Kevin's new colleagues and their partners. They were a fun group of people, and between the open bar and that fact that we were staying at the hotel we had a lot of fun. The next morning was a little rough, as Kevin was fighting both a hangover and jet lag. It took us a while to get home, but the night was well worth it.
That Sunday, Zach and Sarah came over to watch the Seahawks and the Redskins in the first playoff games of the season. We had a lot of fun playing games and drinking beer while we watched football. And even though Washington lost, they made it further than I could have hoped for at the beginning of the season.
The next weekend we had planned to host one of my high school friends who was going to be in town for a funeral. I was looking forward to seeing her, but due to a mixup she had to cancel at the last minute. Instead we went down to Zach and Sarah's for another evening of games and football.
That week my aunt was in town for business, so we went out to dinner with her one night. It's nice that her work brings her out this way as often as it does. We don't get to spend much time with her when she's in town, but we always take the opportunity to catch up. This time we went down to a tapas restaurant in Clarendon and enjoyed sangria and tapas despite the freezing weather.
All in all its been a very busy month so far. It's been fun to be as social as we have been, but it hasn't left a whole lot of time for relaxation or recuperation. It's a good thing I had so much down time over the holidays. Our schedule doesn't look to be lightening up any time soon.
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Ringing in the New Year
This year, as always, I spent New Year's Eve with Sarah and Zach.
It started the year after college, when it was just me and Sarah and her dog, Lily, and wine (some of which ended up on her wall)
The next year, Zach lived in Colorado and Kevin and I were back together, so it was the four of us, barhopping on Pearl Street and then retreating to my apartment for margaritas and monopoly (or maybe that came first?)
That spring I moved to DC, and by some miracle of the universe, Sarah moved to Pittsburgh in the fall, so we were able to spend the holiday together again without traveling too far.
And so a tradition was born. Zach and Sarah hosted and Kevin and I arranged our travel schedule so that we'd always be there to celebrate with them. We drink champagne and play beer pong and rage cage, and in the morning we have mimosas and play board games for as long as we can stand it.
This year things changed, ever so slightly. I still celebrated with Zach and Sarah. I brought Kina down and spent the night and in the morning we played a couple of board games. But Kevin was in Hawaii, working.
In some ways this was harder than spending Thanksgiving and Christmas without Kevin. Thanksgiving and Christmas have always been about family, my blood relations. I spent Thanksgiving with my dad and aunt and the following days were spent visiting my mom and her sisters. Christmas was a quiet affair, but Connor came over for a few days and we drank wine and watched old TV shows. The traditions around these holidays have been in flux since my parents separated when I was twelve, but they've always centered on family. In the ways that mattered, this year wasn't any different.
New Year's Day has come to be about my found family. It's the holiday I spend with Kevin and Zach and Sarah. One of many at this point. But this is the first post-college tradition that we established, one of the things that continued to bind us together after graduation.
It was fun this year, don't get me wrong. The group of people who attend this party is ever shifting, ever growing, and it was nice to see faces both familiar and new. We played games and I had a wonderfully nerdy discussion about Star Trek with some of those new friends. There was a fancy cocktail and plenty of champagne and a dog to cuddle with at the end of the night.
But there was also a subtle loneliness, a little something missing. New Year's Eve isn't one of the holidays that can shift and slide to fit around schedules. We can make a Thanksgiving feast two weeks early. We can gather and open presents before or after the actual holiday. But the new year can only be rung in once each year. And even though I was surrounded by friends, by the bulk of my found family, the most important member of that family was missing.
2016 promises to be a good year. We're turning 30. Most of us are turning 30 on a Saturday, which will make it easy to celebrate with abandon. We're trying for a kid, which will hopefully give us more reasons to celebrate. We already have trips planned for Vermont in February and NYC in April with more of our found family, and we're hosting them in June. The calendar is filling up faster than I remember from past years. Even January, usually a month of retreat and hibernation, has already contained multiple parties.
There are times in your life when you feel like you're suddenly accelerating towards adult hood, approaching important milestones with a mix of excitement and anxiety. Things you want with all your heart that manage to scare you silly at the same time. Graduating high school. Moving into a dorm. Graduating college. Starting your first job. Moving in to your first apartment. Moving in to your first apartment together. Getting a dog.
This is where I am right now. Coming up on the next big milestones and hitting the gas. Time is doing that funny thing where it speeds up sometimes and then slows to a crawl at other times. I'm looking forward to the changes that are coming this year, but part of me is scared, too. The homebody part of my that doesn't want anything to change, ever, must be soothed and coaxed and convinced that change is for the best. The anxious part of me that wants the change now, damnit, just get it over with, must also be soothed and calmed and reminded that time keeps moving forward and all we can do is plan.
I think the manner of ringing in the new year was an appropriate portent for how this year will go. We put rage cage aside, just as we're leaving our twenties behind. And if I occasionally feel lonely in the coming year, as I expect to, it will only be temporary. Traditions come and go and change with the years. Family is forever, and 2016 will hopefully see its expansion.
It started the year after college, when it was just me and Sarah and her dog, Lily, and wine (some of which ended up on her wall)
The next year, Zach lived in Colorado and Kevin and I were back together, so it was the four of us, barhopping on Pearl Street and then retreating to my apartment for margaritas and monopoly (or maybe that came first?)
That spring I moved to DC, and by some miracle of the universe, Sarah moved to Pittsburgh in the fall, so we were able to spend the holiday together again without traveling too far.
And so a tradition was born. Zach and Sarah hosted and Kevin and I arranged our travel schedule so that we'd always be there to celebrate with them. We drink champagne and play beer pong and rage cage, and in the morning we have mimosas and play board games for as long as we can stand it.
This year things changed, ever so slightly. I still celebrated with Zach and Sarah. I brought Kina down and spent the night and in the morning we played a couple of board games. But Kevin was in Hawaii, working.
In some ways this was harder than spending Thanksgiving and Christmas without Kevin. Thanksgiving and Christmas have always been about family, my blood relations. I spent Thanksgiving with my dad and aunt and the following days were spent visiting my mom and her sisters. Christmas was a quiet affair, but Connor came over for a few days and we drank wine and watched old TV shows. The traditions around these holidays have been in flux since my parents separated when I was twelve, but they've always centered on family. In the ways that mattered, this year wasn't any different.
New Year's Day has come to be about my found family. It's the holiday I spend with Kevin and Zach and Sarah. One of many at this point. But this is the first post-college tradition that we established, one of the things that continued to bind us together after graduation.
It was fun this year, don't get me wrong. The group of people who attend this party is ever shifting, ever growing, and it was nice to see faces both familiar and new. We played games and I had a wonderfully nerdy discussion about Star Trek with some of those new friends. There was a fancy cocktail and plenty of champagne and a dog to cuddle with at the end of the night.
But there was also a subtle loneliness, a little something missing. New Year's Eve isn't one of the holidays that can shift and slide to fit around schedules. We can make a Thanksgiving feast two weeks early. We can gather and open presents before or after the actual holiday. But the new year can only be rung in once each year. And even though I was surrounded by friends, by the bulk of my found family, the most important member of that family was missing.
2016 promises to be a good year. We're turning 30. Most of us are turning 30 on a Saturday, which will make it easy to celebrate with abandon. We're trying for a kid, which will hopefully give us more reasons to celebrate. We already have trips planned for Vermont in February and NYC in April with more of our found family, and we're hosting them in June. The calendar is filling up faster than I remember from past years. Even January, usually a month of retreat and hibernation, has already contained multiple parties.
There are times in your life when you feel like you're suddenly accelerating towards adult hood, approaching important milestones with a mix of excitement and anxiety. Things you want with all your heart that manage to scare you silly at the same time. Graduating high school. Moving into a dorm. Graduating college. Starting your first job. Moving in to your first apartment. Moving in to your first apartment together. Getting a dog.
This is where I am right now. Coming up on the next big milestones and hitting the gas. Time is doing that funny thing where it speeds up sometimes and then slows to a crawl at other times. I'm looking forward to the changes that are coming this year, but part of me is scared, too. The homebody part of my that doesn't want anything to change, ever, must be soothed and coaxed and convinced that change is for the best. The anxious part of me that wants the change now, damnit, just get it over with, must also be soothed and calmed and reminded that time keeps moving forward and all we can do is plan.
I think the manner of ringing in the new year was an appropriate portent for how this year will go. We put rage cage aside, just as we're leaving our twenties behind. And if I occasionally feel lonely in the coming year, as I expect to, it will only be temporary. Traditions come and go and change with the years. Family is forever, and 2016 will hopefully see its expansion.
Monday, December 28, 2015
Merry Little Christmas
This year we celebrated a much quieter Christmas than I'm used to. But it ended up being a lot of fun, and I got to spend some quality time with my brother.
He came over in the early afternoon on Christmas Eve and we went down to the Kennedy Center for Kevin's mom's Christmas concert. Kevin usually drives to these concerts, so it probably isn't a huge surprise that I got very lost. I missed my exit and ended up doing a big loop, crossing the Potomac three separate times before we finally found our way into the parkign garage. Luckilly, we had planned to arrive half an hour early. We ultimately made it to our seats a few minutes before the concert started.
The concert was lovely, as always. It didn't include music from any other countries this year, but that turned out to be a timing thing. A choir visiting from the Phillipines performed with them on the Gala Night, the main concert event, but elected not to stay for the Christmas Eve concert. Instead, we got some fun performances from a trumpet soloist.
After the concert we went to a friend's house for champagne and appetizers for a couple of hours. The group was much smaller than normal, as Kevin wasn't the only person unable to spend Christmas in Virginia this year. Then it was back home for a dinner of sausage and pasta and movies and wine with Connor.
I got him to watch Pride and Prejudice, which I've been wanting to rewatch for a few weeks now. Then we started The Tenth Kingdom, but Connor fell asleep before long, and I wasn't too far behind him.
On Christmas morning, Connor and I slept in until after 8, probably the latest either of us has slept on Christmas. Then we opened presents and made pancakes and called dad while we took Kina for her morning walk. After that we dove back in to The Tenth Kingdom. It was on in the background for most of the day while we visited and worked on a puzzle.
We met up with Pat for an early dinner at a nice Chinese restaurant in the area. The place was unbelievable crowded, even during our 4:30 reservation. But the food was well worth the wait, and it was a nice change of pace to go out on Christmas instead of cooking and facing a heap of dishes afterwards.
After dinner, Connor and I went back home and finished The Tenth Kingdom, then rounded off the evening with a few episodes of Angel, which Connor always preferred to Buffy. Overall it was a really nice, lowkey Christmas. I'm glad I was able to spend it with the family I had here, msotly hanging out in my pajamas and watching old movies. All things considered, it was about as perfect as it could be.
He came over in the early afternoon on Christmas Eve and we went down to the Kennedy Center for Kevin's mom's Christmas concert. Kevin usually drives to these concerts, so it probably isn't a huge surprise that I got very lost. I missed my exit and ended up doing a big loop, crossing the Potomac three separate times before we finally found our way into the parkign garage. Luckilly, we had planned to arrive half an hour early. We ultimately made it to our seats a few minutes before the concert started.
The concert was lovely, as always. It didn't include music from any other countries this year, but that turned out to be a timing thing. A choir visiting from the Phillipines performed with them on the Gala Night, the main concert event, but elected not to stay for the Christmas Eve concert. Instead, we got some fun performances from a trumpet soloist.
After the concert we went to a friend's house for champagne and appetizers for a couple of hours. The group was much smaller than normal, as Kevin wasn't the only person unable to spend Christmas in Virginia this year. Then it was back home for a dinner of sausage and pasta and movies and wine with Connor.
I got him to watch Pride and Prejudice, which I've been wanting to rewatch for a few weeks now. Then we started The Tenth Kingdom, but Connor fell asleep before long, and I wasn't too far behind him.
On Christmas morning, Connor and I slept in until after 8, probably the latest either of us has slept on Christmas. Then we opened presents and made pancakes and called dad while we took Kina for her morning walk. After that we dove back in to The Tenth Kingdom. It was on in the background for most of the day while we visited and worked on a puzzle.
We met up with Pat for an early dinner at a nice Chinese restaurant in the area. The place was unbelievable crowded, even during our 4:30 reservation. But the food was well worth the wait, and it was a nice change of pace to go out on Christmas instead of cooking and facing a heap of dishes afterwards.
After dinner, Connor and I went back home and finished The Tenth Kingdom, then rounded off the evening with a few episodes of Angel, which Connor always preferred to Buffy. Overall it was a really nice, lowkey Christmas. I'm glad I was able to spend it with the family I had here, msotly hanging out in my pajamas and watching old movies. All things considered, it was about as perfect as it could be.
Saturday, December 26, 2015
Early Christmas
This year we celebrated Christmas a week early. The Friday before Kevin left for Hawaii, we invited his mom and my brother over for a lamb dinner. Jen and Steve came out, too, and spent the night before their early-morning flight out of Dulles.
Kevin prepared an excellent lamb dinner with roasted potatoes and a delicious loaf of bread. His mom contributed a green bean casserole. We ate and drank wine and talked, and I was grateful that Kevin had been able to do all of the shopping and cooking.
Before dinner, we exchanged gifts with Kevin's mom. It was a little more rushed and chaotic than most years, which has become a bit of a theme for this year's holiday. After dinner we exchanged gifts with Jen and Steve. Then we we finished off the bourbon I bought for Kevin last year and played a game.
We couldn't stay up too late, because everyone had planes to catch the next morning. But it was nice to get a chance to visit and eat some good food. As weird as it is to celebrate Christmas so early, I'm glad we fit the celebration in before Kevin left.
Kevin prepared an excellent lamb dinner with roasted potatoes and a delicious loaf of bread. His mom contributed a green bean casserole. We ate and drank wine and talked, and I was grateful that Kevin had been able to do all of the shopping and cooking.
Before dinner, we exchanged gifts with Kevin's mom. It was a little more rushed and chaotic than most years, which has become a bit of a theme for this year's holiday. After dinner we exchanged gifts with Jen and Steve. Then we we finished off the bourbon I bought for Kevin last year and played a game.
We couldn't stay up too late, because everyone had planes to catch the next morning. But it was nice to get a chance to visit and eat some good food. As weird as it is to celebrate Christmas so early, I'm glad we fit the celebration in before Kevin left.
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Searching for the Holiday Spirit
December is always a busy month. With the holidays come many more social commitments. Work holiday parties, work deadlines, time spent with friends before everyone leaves town for a week or two, plus all the gift shopping and wrapping and decorating on top of it. I always know this is coming, and despite my introvert tendencies, I'm usually excited about it. December also brings with it a jolt of energy.
At least it usually does. The long nights and cold air always seem to bring me to life. When the sun has set before I even leave the office, I'm left with a nice, long evening that always feels longer than it is. Cooler temperatures invigorate me. And the twinkling lights and good cheer keep my spirits up. Not to mention that the first (and second and third and maybe all of them) snow fall often has me almost literally skipping around my office.
This year I'm not feeling it. My social calendar has been as busy as ever. But instead of my usual excitement and energy I've been feeling lethargic. I'm going to blame a lot of it on the weather. Winter is simply refusing to show up. A week ago we actually turned the heat off and opened our windows because it was so warm outside. We've barely had a frost. And while it's been very wet, that's mostly just translated to a warm, muggy feel. Like summer, but dark.
The other reason I'm not feeling it is Kevin's work schedule, which has him in Hawaii for three weeks over Christmas and New Year's. I really shouldn't complain too much. He loves his job, and he'd been wanting to travel more. In the scheme of things this is only one Christmas. We'll have many more together in the future. And once this project is through his travel schedule should die down some, or at least become more reasonable and predictable.
But it does mean that I'm going to have a very small Christmas this year. We didn't get a tree or do any decorating, because I was worried about my ability to take it down by myself. Instead of a big home-cooked meal, I'll be going to a nice restaurant with my brother and Kevin's mom. Again, I shouldn't complain. I have family in the area, dinner will be nice, a few traditions are still in tact. But for someone who enjoys and has grown accustomed to huge, whirlwind Christmases full of family, food, and alcohol, it's hard not to feel at least a little let down this year.
I'm trying my best to look forward to the little things, like my four-day weekend coming up (also, thanks to the cruise, I can't take any extra time off for Christmas this year). The holiday is almost over, Kevin will be back home before I know it, and maybe winter will decide to show up at some point. Plus, I have all sorts of writing to catch up on. In the meantime, I'll muddle through as well as I can.
At least it usually does. The long nights and cold air always seem to bring me to life. When the sun has set before I even leave the office, I'm left with a nice, long evening that always feels longer than it is. Cooler temperatures invigorate me. And the twinkling lights and good cheer keep my spirits up. Not to mention that the first (and second and third and maybe all of them) snow fall often has me almost literally skipping around my office.
This year I'm not feeling it. My social calendar has been as busy as ever. But instead of my usual excitement and energy I've been feeling lethargic. I'm going to blame a lot of it on the weather. Winter is simply refusing to show up. A week ago we actually turned the heat off and opened our windows because it was so warm outside. We've barely had a frost. And while it's been very wet, that's mostly just translated to a warm, muggy feel. Like summer, but dark.
The other reason I'm not feeling it is Kevin's work schedule, which has him in Hawaii for three weeks over Christmas and New Year's. I really shouldn't complain too much. He loves his job, and he'd been wanting to travel more. In the scheme of things this is only one Christmas. We'll have many more together in the future. And once this project is through his travel schedule should die down some, or at least become more reasonable and predictable.
But it does mean that I'm going to have a very small Christmas this year. We didn't get a tree or do any decorating, because I was worried about my ability to take it down by myself. Instead of a big home-cooked meal, I'll be going to a nice restaurant with my brother and Kevin's mom. Again, I shouldn't complain. I have family in the area, dinner will be nice, a few traditions are still in tact. But for someone who enjoys and has grown accustomed to huge, whirlwind Christmases full of family, food, and alcohol, it's hard not to feel at least a little let down this year.
I'm trying my best to look forward to the little things, like my four-day weekend coming up (also, thanks to the cruise, I can't take any extra time off for Christmas this year). The holiday is almost over, Kevin will be back home before I know it, and maybe winter will decide to show up at some point. Plus, I have all sorts of writing to catch up on. In the meantime, I'll muddle through as well as I can.
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Thanksgiving
We had a bit of a travel snafu over Thanksgiving this year, but everything ultimately worked out. More or less.
Kevin and I are planners. Which means that we bought our tickets to go to Colorado for Thanksgiving back in June. Then Kevin started a new job and his first business trip kept getting re-scheduled and pushed back until it became apparent that he would be spending Thanksgiving in Hawaii. So he went out there and canceled his ticket to Colorado. No sooner had he done that then his trip got cut short. He ended up in Virginia, hanging out with friends for the holiday while Connor and I went back home to see family.
Other than that, the trip was a lot of fun. We got in Wednesday evening, and by a travel-related miracle made it from plane to baggage claim to dad's car in about half an hour. Which also included meeting up with my aunt and cousins who'd flown in from California on a different flight. The whole thing went down with amazing smoothness and we were able to spend a lot of time visiting that evening.
On Thanksgiving Day itself I sat in the kitchen and drank wine and kept everyone's glasses full while they all cooked. It was nice to not be hosting this year. I had fantastic conversation with my aunt and my dad's step-brother's wife (step-aunt? I'm almost more inclined to refer to her by the catch-all "cousin"). We ate delicious food. And between the wine, the jet lag, and my four hours of sleep the previous night, I was passed out on the couch sometime around 8. I completely missed pinochle.
The next day aunt and cousin came over with my cousin's daughter who is just about 18 months old. It was a lot of fun to see them and my baby cousin who I live entirely too far away from. Then my mom came to pick us up and we went back to her place for sausages and television.
On Saturday we met up with my other aunt and cousin for lunch and Settlers of Catan (the Star Trek edition, naturally). Then mom took my brother and I out for a delicious dinner. I had scallops and bacon in a cream sauce and my mom got these delicious pear-cheese ravioli things.
The trip was, as always, a bit of a whirlwind and jam-packed with family. I'm going to need to do a non-holiday week-long trip back to Colorado at some point so I can catch up with everyone in a slightly more relaxed setting. Not to mention that it'd be nice to go in the summer when my aunt's cabin is open for the season. In the meantime, I'm glad that I at least got to see everyone.
Kevin and I are planners. Which means that we bought our tickets to go to Colorado for Thanksgiving back in June. Then Kevin started a new job and his first business trip kept getting re-scheduled and pushed back until it became apparent that he would be spending Thanksgiving in Hawaii. So he went out there and canceled his ticket to Colorado. No sooner had he done that then his trip got cut short. He ended up in Virginia, hanging out with friends for the holiday while Connor and I went back home to see family.
Other than that, the trip was a lot of fun. We got in Wednesday evening, and by a travel-related miracle made it from plane to baggage claim to dad's car in about half an hour. Which also included meeting up with my aunt and cousins who'd flown in from California on a different flight. The whole thing went down with amazing smoothness and we were able to spend a lot of time visiting that evening.
On Thanksgiving Day itself I sat in the kitchen and drank wine and kept everyone's glasses full while they all cooked. It was nice to not be hosting this year. I had fantastic conversation with my aunt and my dad's step-brother's wife (step-aunt? I'm almost more inclined to refer to her by the catch-all "cousin"). We ate delicious food. And between the wine, the jet lag, and my four hours of sleep the previous night, I was passed out on the couch sometime around 8. I completely missed pinochle.
The next day aunt and cousin came over with my cousin's daughter who is just about 18 months old. It was a lot of fun to see them and my baby cousin who I live entirely too far away from. Then my mom came to pick us up and we went back to her place for sausages and television.
On Saturday we met up with my other aunt and cousin for lunch and Settlers of Catan (the Star Trek edition, naturally). Then mom took my brother and I out for a delicious dinner. I had scallops and bacon in a cream sauce and my mom got these delicious pear-cheese ravioli things.
The trip was, as always, a bit of a whirlwind and jam-packed with family. I'm going to need to do a non-holiday week-long trip back to Colorado at some point so I can catch up with everyone in a slightly more relaxed setting. Not to mention that it'd be nice to go in the summer when my aunt's cabin is open for the season. In the meantime, I'm glad that I at least got to see everyone.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Wine Tasting With Mom
Connor had a few days off between Spring and Summer terms, so our mom came out to Virginia for a visit. The two of them spent the days doing touristy things while I was at work. But on Saturday we all trooped out to Loudon County to go to some wine tastings.
We started at Narmada, because it's one of the best wineries in Virginia. It's owned by an Indian couple, and they sell Indian food along with the wine. They offered three different tastings, and between the five of us (Kevin and Alison were there, too) we did all three. Mom and I did the reserve tasting, which had some of the richer wines on it. We missed out on the dessert wine, but that's okay because everything we tasted was delicious. Then we got a bottle to share and had a light lunch in their tasting room.
There are a few wineries on the DC side of Narmada. We went to them for Sarah's bachelorette party years ago, but I wasn't really impressed with either of them. So we drove past Narmada to see what was that way. Cell phone reception was spotty, but wineries are pretty decent about posting signs along the road. We found Gadino Cellars. They're fairly new, and they had some excellent wines. They also just introduced a whiskey-infused port that was so delicious we all bought a bottle of it.
Then it was on to Little Washington winery, another one I'd never heard of before. I fell a little bit in love. They offer wine not just from their own vineyard, but from small wineries around the world. They employ a sommelier to travel the world and find and buy wines and send them back. They offer these to taste, sell them at their winery, and make them a part of their "Dirt Road Wine Club", which I'm considering joining. $50 gets you 2 bottles of wine either monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly, curated from all over the world. It's a great idea, though it sucks that someone needs either be around to sign for the package or be willing to drive out to the winery to pick it up.
At any rate, I want to go back to Little Washington and take more people there. It helps that it's right next to Narmada, making it part of an excellent little afternoon trip. I just wish they weren't quite so far away.
We started at Narmada, because it's one of the best wineries in Virginia. It's owned by an Indian couple, and they sell Indian food along with the wine. They offered three different tastings, and between the five of us (Kevin and Alison were there, too) we did all three. Mom and I did the reserve tasting, which had some of the richer wines on it. We missed out on the dessert wine, but that's okay because everything we tasted was delicious. Then we got a bottle to share and had a light lunch in their tasting room.
There are a few wineries on the DC side of Narmada. We went to them for Sarah's bachelorette party years ago, but I wasn't really impressed with either of them. So we drove past Narmada to see what was that way. Cell phone reception was spotty, but wineries are pretty decent about posting signs along the road. We found Gadino Cellars. They're fairly new, and they had some excellent wines. They also just introduced a whiskey-infused port that was so delicious we all bought a bottle of it.
Then it was on to Little Washington winery, another one I'd never heard of before. I fell a little bit in love. They offer wine not just from their own vineyard, but from small wineries around the world. They employ a sommelier to travel the world and find and buy wines and send them back. They offer these to taste, sell them at their winery, and make them a part of their "Dirt Road Wine Club", which I'm considering joining. $50 gets you 2 bottles of wine either monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly, curated from all over the world. It's a great idea, though it sucks that someone needs either be around to sign for the package or be willing to drive out to the winery to pick it up.
At any rate, I want to go back to Little Washington and take more people there. It helps that it's right next to Narmada, making it part of an excellent little afternoon trip. I just wish they weren't quite so far away.
Monday, April 13, 2015
Perfect
Every now and then you get a perfect day.
Sunday was warm and breezy and sunny. Kevin and I went for a 12.5 mile bike ride, so he could show me how to get to my office from home. It's the longest ride I've ever done, and it felt good. I may have even been able to make it all the way home, but I'm glad we decided to take the metro back. I still want to work up to that round trip slowly, especially since the way home is almost entirely uphill. Though I don't think it'll be as steep or even as continuous as I initially thought. There were some uphill portions on the ride to my office that should even things out. I'm not too far from being able to do the round trip. Or, more importantly, from being able to bike to work.
After we got home, we cleaned up the main floor and I spent a few hours organizing my library. I pulled a few more books to donate, and an entire box-full of Kevin's childhood books that are falling apart. We're going to see how badly his mom wants to keep them, and then have her take those back and throw out the rest. I just don't like having an entire shelf of spineless, musty books that can't even be read. I'd rather buy new copies when it's time. I also moved a bunch of books to shelves in the living room which means that, for the first time in years, there's empty space in my library. It has room to grow again. Though I'm going to try to be more careful about keeping it pruned from now on.
Connor and his girlfriend, Allison, came over for dinner. We sat in the backyard and grilled burgers because, as mentioned, the weather was amazing. I feel like we've usually grilled a lot more by this time in the year. But between rainy weekends and Kevin being out of town, we haven't found the time. It was nice to fire the grill back up and enjoy a cookout. Then we played monopoly on the fancy board dad got us for Christmas. I got destroyed and it looked like Allison was going to win when we stopped the game to go watch Game of Thrones.
It was everything a weekend day should be - the perfect blend of productivity and relaxation, or alone time and family time. It's nice to stop and smell the roses every now and then.
Sunday was warm and breezy and sunny. Kevin and I went for a 12.5 mile bike ride, so he could show me how to get to my office from home. It's the longest ride I've ever done, and it felt good. I may have even been able to make it all the way home, but I'm glad we decided to take the metro back. I still want to work up to that round trip slowly, especially since the way home is almost entirely uphill. Though I don't think it'll be as steep or even as continuous as I initially thought. There were some uphill portions on the ride to my office that should even things out. I'm not too far from being able to do the round trip. Or, more importantly, from being able to bike to work.
After we got home, we cleaned up the main floor and I spent a few hours organizing my library. I pulled a few more books to donate, and an entire box-full of Kevin's childhood books that are falling apart. We're going to see how badly his mom wants to keep them, and then have her take those back and throw out the rest. I just don't like having an entire shelf of spineless, musty books that can't even be read. I'd rather buy new copies when it's time. I also moved a bunch of books to shelves in the living room which means that, for the first time in years, there's empty space in my library. It has room to grow again. Though I'm going to try to be more careful about keeping it pruned from now on.
Connor and his girlfriend, Allison, came over for dinner. We sat in the backyard and grilled burgers because, as mentioned, the weather was amazing. I feel like we've usually grilled a lot more by this time in the year. But between rainy weekends and Kevin being out of town, we haven't found the time. It was nice to fire the grill back up and enjoy a cookout. Then we played monopoly on the fancy board dad got us for Christmas. I got destroyed and it looked like Allison was going to win when we stopped the game to go watch Game of Thrones.
It was everything a weekend day should be - the perfect blend of productivity and relaxation, or alone time and family time. It's nice to stop and smell the roses every now and then.
Friday, March 20, 2015
Beach Living
When we were planning our trip to Colorado for Bryan and Alyssa's wedding, we decided to tack on a stop in San Diego to visit Kevin's sister. Because if you're already flying 2/3 of the way across this country, you might as well fly all the way.
Upon landing in the San Diego airport, the first thing I did was trade out my snow boots for flip flops. DC had been in the grip of an unusually cold winter (though it didn't feel nearly as cold as the previous winter, it was actually colder). The day before we flew, we got six inches of snow and everyone except me got to take a snow day. But Southern California was, as ever, a perfect 70 degrees. Erin, having grown used to the weather since moving there a year ago, was wearing a down vest while Kevin and I happily donned short sleeves.
While in California we snuck in as much beach and sun time as we could. The first day we went for a hike near one beach, then over to another one to see the seals. Then it was back to Erin's neighborhood for what are, reportedly, the best tacos in San Diego. They were pretty delicious. Unfortunately, I'm not used to all that sun and warmth and walking, so I faded kind of early that night after getting a bit sunburned (my purse rubbed off the sunscreen I'd put on my shoulder). Luckily the bar we ended the night at was only a couple of blocks from Erin's apartment, so it was easy to get home and let everyone else stay out later.
On the second day I was little less enthusiastic about being out in the sun. We went down to Mission Beach, which can easily be enjoyed from the shade of the boardwalk. We ate lunch/dinner at a bar with fantastic views at about 2 in the afternoon, then proceeded to drink beer and play shuffleboard before switching over to indoor/outdoor mini-golf. We finished the night off with make-your-own ice cream sandwiches, wine, and board games.
It was a quick trip, but so nice to get some sun and sand in before heading back to winter in Colorado. I got bored of the weather after living in California for four years, but it's definitely a nice place to visit. I'll have to start finding more excuses to get over to that side of the country, especially with all the friends and family who live out there.
Upon landing in the San Diego airport, the first thing I did was trade out my snow boots for flip flops. DC had been in the grip of an unusually cold winter (though it didn't feel nearly as cold as the previous winter, it was actually colder). The day before we flew, we got six inches of snow and everyone except me got to take a snow day. But Southern California was, as ever, a perfect 70 degrees. Erin, having grown used to the weather since moving there a year ago, was wearing a down vest while Kevin and I happily donned short sleeves.
While in California we snuck in as much beach and sun time as we could. The first day we went for a hike near one beach, then over to another one to see the seals. Then it was back to Erin's neighborhood for what are, reportedly, the best tacos in San Diego. They were pretty delicious. Unfortunately, I'm not used to all that sun and warmth and walking, so I faded kind of early that night after getting a bit sunburned (my purse rubbed off the sunscreen I'd put on my shoulder). Luckily the bar we ended the night at was only a couple of blocks from Erin's apartment, so it was easy to get home and let everyone else stay out later.
On the second day I was little less enthusiastic about being out in the sun. We went down to Mission Beach, which can easily be enjoyed from the shade of the boardwalk. We ate lunch/dinner at a bar with fantastic views at about 2 in the afternoon, then proceeded to drink beer and play shuffleboard before switching over to indoor/outdoor mini-golf. We finished the night off with make-your-own ice cream sandwiches, wine, and board games.
It was a quick trip, but so nice to get some sun and sand in before heading back to winter in Colorado. I got bored of the weather after living in California for four years, but it's definitely a nice place to visit. I'll have to start finding more excuses to get over to that side of the country, especially with all the friends and family who live out there.
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