Listening to a busker play music
M. loved playing with her big cousin A.!
Getting comfortable in the pool
M. did not last long on that horse. "All done, all done!"
Our darling...dinosaur baby?
Showing posts with label getting out of town. Show all posts
Showing posts with label getting out of town. Show all posts
Saturday, August 18, 2018
Lancaster redux
Earlier this month we returned to the hotel we visited last December, in Lancaster PA, to celebrate my dad's birthday. This time, we were there for an H. family vacation! We enjoyed playing in the pool, visiting the Lancaster Farmer's Market, and a nostalgia-fueled trip to Dutch Wonderland.
Thursday, December 14, 2017
Michigan and Waterloo
Way back in October, we took M. on a big road trip: first, we visited Ann Arbor, our old haunt:
Few of our friends still remain, but we could catch up with collaborators and former mentors – and now my cousin David is there. It was a disorienting feeling, to see the ways in which everything has changed, yet are pretty much the same. College town life!
We headed further west for a stop at Hope College, where I was invited to give a talk at a World Languages conference. My best friend from high school, now also a language professor, co-organized the conference, and it was such a treat both to see him in his element and to visit with his beautiful family.
From Holland, MI, we drove east across the border to visit my family in Waterloo, Ontario. We stayed with my aunt and uncle and got to spend precious time with my Ye-ye in the nursing home where he now resides:
I feel so sad that my Grandma didn't get to spend more time with M. She would be so tickled by M.'s enjoyment of books and her constant, tuneful humming. My Ye-ye doesn't know who we are anymore, and he won't remember a thing about our visit, but that's okay. Having a baby has taught me that every day is a special gift to be cherished for what it is, and these were definitely days together to be cherished.
Few of our friends still remain, but we could catch up with collaborators and former mentors – and now my cousin David is there. It was a disorienting feeling, to see the ways in which everything has changed, yet are pretty much the same. College town life!
We headed further west for a stop at Hope College, where I was invited to give a talk at a World Languages conference. My best friend from high school, now also a language professor, co-organized the conference, and it was such a treat both to see him in his element and to visit with his beautiful family.
From Holland, MI, we drove east across the border to visit my family in Waterloo, Ontario. We stayed with my aunt and uncle and got to spend precious time with my Ye-ye in the nursing home where he now resides:
I feel so sad that my Grandma didn't get to spend more time with M. She would be so tickled by M.'s enjoyment of books and her constant, tuneful humming. My Ye-ye doesn't know who we are anymore, and he won't remember a thing about our visit, but that's okay. Having a baby has taught me that every day is a special gift to be cherished for what it is, and these were definitely days together to be cherished.
Saturday, November 26, 2016
Thanksgiving 2016
Baby's first Thanksgiving! It was her first time to visit my parents in WC, the Land o' Plenty! I was so busy playing football and eating that I didn't take too many pics of little M. But she did enjoy spending time with Dave's parents:
And my mom was so pleased to have her youngest grandchild at her home:
The big adventure came the day after Thanksgiving, when we took M. to hunt a Christmas tree at the local tree farm. It was a little overcast, but the weather was mild, and I think she enjoyed the tromp among the trees. A. helped to cut down the tree, while Matthias seemed a little less interested.
We don't have many pictures of the three of us, but I like this one! You can see A.'s coat in the corner as she saws away at that trunk! Hehee!
I also took M. to Longwood Gardens for the first time, for a quick sweep past the Christmas lights and through the conservatory to see the Christmas lights. She was not upset, but she was also not that impressed. Maybe it'll be more exciting to her next year.
And my mom was so pleased to have her youngest grandchild at her home:
The big adventure came the day after Thanksgiving, when we took M. to hunt a Christmas tree at the local tree farm. It was a little overcast, but the weather was mild, and I think she enjoyed the tromp among the trees. A. helped to cut down the tree, while Matthias seemed a little less interested.
Grandparents extraordinaire!
We don't have many pictures of the three of us, but I like this one! You can see A.'s coat in the corner as she saws away at that trunk! Hehee!
I also took M. to Longwood Gardens for the first time, for a quick sweep past the Christmas lights and through the conservatory to see the Christmas lights. She was not upset, but she was also not that impressed. Maybe it'll be more exciting to her next year.
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Trip to Ottawa
Last weekend, we gathered with my dad's side of the family to celebrate my grandfather's 90th birthday – in Ottawa, Canada! This led to a number of milestones for Madeleine: first international trip, first time to Canada, first time meeting her great-grandparents and our relatives from Waterloo and her Uncle Peter. It was quite eventful!
We drove up to Ottawa, family roadtrip style: Dave, Maddie, and I joined Grace, A., and M. in their minivan, and the six of us braved the journey together (Stephen traveled separately because of his work schedule). The kids were really quite good, with only one period of total meltdown on each leg of the trip!
(N.B.: my dad restraining M. by the collar so he doesn't plunge face-first into the cake! Haha)
Our actual time in Ottawa was very brief, but it felt so special to see Maddie with my grandparents! I have so many memories of their house, too, so it was precious to bring our little baby there. We went out for dim sum lunch and Chinese seafood dinner in Chinatown, and posed for family pictures to commemorate the moment.
My Ye-ye is pretty out of it these days. I'm not sure whether he recognizes me or knows that I'm his oldest son's daughter, and I'm quite certain he doesn't know whom Maddie belongs to. But when he sees Maddie, he instinctively reaches out to her and bends in close to make eye contact, smiling and chuckling and singing her little songs.
It was so moving to see those two together! Praying for more opportunities and more years to spend together!
M. and my cousin Stephanie
Happy with Uncle Peter!
We drove up to Ottawa, family roadtrip style: Dave, Maddie, and I joined Grace, A., and M. in their minivan, and the six of us braved the journey together (Stephen traveled separately because of his work schedule). The kids were really quite good, with only one period of total meltdown on each leg of the trip!
Our actual time in Ottawa was very brief, but it felt so special to see Maddie with my grandparents! I have so many memories of their house, too, so it was precious to bring our little baby there. We went out for dim sum lunch and Chinese seafood dinner in Chinatown, and posed for family pictures to commemorate the moment.
My Ye-ye is pretty out of it these days. I'm not sure whether he recognizes me or knows that I'm his oldest son's daughter, and I'm quite certain he doesn't know whom Maddie belongs to. But when he sees Maddie, he instinctively reaches out to her and bends in close to make eye contact, smiling and chuckling and singing her little songs.
It was so moving to see those two together! Praying for more opportunities and more years to spend together!
Monday, August 22, 2016
Family Reunion 2016
We just returned from a lovely three days at my family reunion in upstate NY. This is my mom's side of the family, and there are a lot of us – over 60 made the trip for at least part of the week! We only caught the second half, but I'm so glad we had that time together.
The reunion was held at Camp-of-the-Woods, a Christian camp/retreat center in the Adirondacks. It was such a relief to escape the August heat at home and find ourselves in the cool mountains on a beautiful lake:
Dave and I even got to take a canoe out on the lake for a few minutes, while my cousin Jennifer took care of M.:
There was time for chapel, musical performances, family sharing, and athletic events. Dave played some 2-on-2 with my cousins; while they all fortunately avoided serious injury, Dave reports that he had never felt so winded before. Let's just say that no one is getting any younger.
And of course, we were thrilled to introduce little Maddie to her relatives. When we first walked in, a horde of children descended upon her:
And simultaneously arose a parents' chorus of, "Do not touch! Do NOT TOUCH the baby! Hey, did you hear what I said? Put your hands down!" Hahaha! Maddie endured the adoration with equanimity. One of my favorite moments: she got to meet the oldest member of our extended family, my Auntie Grace's mother, who is over 90 and whom we all call Po Po. Immediately afterwards, she met Rebecca, Po Po's great granddaughter, who had previously been the youngest in our clan.
Rebecca was very friendly and immediately recognized a kindred baby, pointing at Maddie and leaning over to look more intently.
As much as I enjoyed our trip, it was a little challenging. We were trying to adhere to an external schedule (mealtimes, meeting times) for the first time, while adapting our sleep arrangements to a new environment. I also just didn't really know what I was doing – I pumped more often for bottles for M., but then my body got out of sync with her hunger, leading to a lot more discomfort; the weather was either too hot or too cold, and I didn't know how to dress her; I completely forgot to bring a cap for any of her bottles, etc. Maddie was pretty good, but she did have one evening of inconsolable screaming, which alarmed me to no end. Here she is after she calmed down, feeling comfortable with her grandpa:
Our next family reunion (apart from weddings) is likely four-ish years away. Imagine how different M. will be by then! I'm so glad everyone got to see her when she was just an infant. And even though it was a bit of a hassle to travel while she is so young, I think it was good for me. Yes, we got a little off-kilter because of the travel, I leaked breastmilk on my shirt in public, we all lost sleep, and felt totally exhausted at the end. But now I feel a measure of confidence: all those things happened, and we still survived! So maybe I can leave my safe cocoon and controlled environment with M., and even when things don't go perfectly, it's still all right. This whole first-time parent thing sure takes some getting used to!
The reunion was held at Camp-of-the-Woods, a Christian camp/retreat center in the Adirondacks. It was such a relief to escape the August heat at home and find ourselves in the cool mountains on a beautiful lake:
Dave and I even got to take a canoe out on the lake for a few minutes, while my cousin Jennifer took care of M.:
There was time for chapel, musical performances, family sharing, and athletic events. Dave played some 2-on-2 with my cousins; while they all fortunately avoided serious injury, Dave reports that he had never felt so winded before. Let's just say that no one is getting any younger.
And of course, we were thrilled to introduce little Maddie to her relatives. When we first walked in, a horde of children descended upon her:
And simultaneously arose a parents' chorus of, "Do not touch! Do NOT TOUCH the baby! Hey, did you hear what I said? Put your hands down!" Hahaha! Maddie endured the adoration with equanimity. One of my favorite moments: she got to meet the oldest member of our extended family, my Auntie Grace's mother, who is over 90 and whom we all call Po Po. Immediately afterwards, she met Rebecca, Po Po's great granddaughter, who had previously been the youngest in our clan.
Rebecca was very friendly and immediately recognized a kindred baby, pointing at Maddie and leaning over to look more intently.
As much as I enjoyed our trip, it was a little challenging. We were trying to adhere to an external schedule (mealtimes, meeting times) for the first time, while adapting our sleep arrangements to a new environment. I also just didn't really know what I was doing – I pumped more often for bottles for M., but then my body got out of sync with her hunger, leading to a lot more discomfort; the weather was either too hot or too cold, and I didn't know how to dress her; I completely forgot to bring a cap for any of her bottles, etc. Maddie was pretty good, but she did have one evening of inconsolable screaming, which alarmed me to no end. Here she is after she calmed down, feeling comfortable with her grandpa:
Our next family reunion (apart from weddings) is likely four-ish years away. Imagine how different M. will be by then! I'm so glad everyone got to see her when she was just an infant. And even though it was a bit of a hassle to travel while she is so young, I think it was good for me. Yes, we got a little off-kilter because of the travel, I leaked breastmilk on my shirt in public, we all lost sleep, and felt totally exhausted at the end. But now I feel a measure of confidence: all those things happened, and we still survived! So maybe I can leave my safe cocoon and controlled environment with M., and even when things don't go perfectly, it's still all right. This whole first-time parent thing sure takes some getting used to!
Saturday, April 30, 2016
Boston Babymoon!
All the cool (pregnant) kids these days seem to go on a "babymoon" to exotic locations, places where it'll be much more difficult to go to once the baby arrives. My spring break finally arrived this week – already in my third trimester! So we weren't going to be too ambitious in planning a big trip: we can't go to the Caribbean because of Zika virus; I'm sure I wouldn't tolerate a long flight very well; and mostly, I just want to sleep all day!
So we happily planned a low-key visit for a few days up to Boston. We've been saying for the past couple years that we would go up and visit our friends, and now we finally had the motivation to go. We found a place on Airbnb in Cambridge, which is apparently where all of our friends now live.
After a stroll around Harvard Square, we checked out some places along the Freedom Trail. We ate lunch at Quincy Market:
And checked out the Paul Revere House and Old North Church ("one if by land, two if by sea..."):
Must make time for North End snacks, of course!
For dinner, we drove out to Newton to see Sarah B., her husband, and her adorable toddler. Sarah B. is also expecting, due just 4 weeks after me! Here we are with matching socks and baby bumps:
The next day was rainy, cold, and fairly miserable. Perfect for a museum day! After a taco stop, we spent the afternoon at the Museum of Fine Arts (my first time there!).
They had quite a nice antiquities collection (for an American museum). I hadn't realized it earlier, but one particularly important vase is in their collection:
What's special about this 6th c., black-figure Corinthian vase? Well, it depicts Heracles on the left (with the bow and arrow), Hesione in the middle, and the sea monster that threatened Troy on the right (a somewhat obscure myth that I will not go into here). It's an odd-looking "sea monster," though, no? It really looks like an animal skull protruding from a rock. And this, friends, serves as evidence for how early Greeks interpreted the fossil record they encountered in their daily lives. How else to make sense of the strange, unrecognizable animal bones preserved in stone? Why, these are the mythological monsters of the past! Anyway, I do love this line of reasoning, and if you want to know more, I suggest you read the genuinely interesting and entertaining book I learned this from, Adrienne Mayor's The First Fossil Hunters: Dinosaurs, Mammoths, and Myth in Greek and Roman Times.
And now, back to vacation photos. We got to visit with one of my former roommates from Michigan, Christa, who now is on the faculty at Harvard and has two beautiful little kids! She also still has the two dogs Nien and Mika (plus their daughter) who first introduced me to puppy love. I don't know whether they remembered me, but I was sure happy to see them!
Before departing, we visited Townsman, a restaurant my brother Peter is invested in. I think it was a good choice, because the food was delicious, the location excellent (near the Chinatown T-stop and a close walk to Boston Common), the service accommodating, and there was a bustling lunchtime crowd. Everyone, go eat there!
So we happily planned a low-key visit for a few days up to Boston. We've been saying for the past couple years that we would go up and visit our friends, and now we finally had the motivation to go. We found a place on Airbnb in Cambridge, which is apparently where all of our friends now live.
After a stroll around Harvard Square, we checked out some places along the Freedom Trail. We ate lunch at Quincy Market:
And checked out the Paul Revere House and Old North Church ("one if by land, two if by sea..."):
Must make time for North End snacks, of course!
For dinner, we drove out to Newton to see Sarah B., her husband, and her adorable toddler. Sarah B. is also expecting, due just 4 weeks after me! Here we are with matching socks and baby bumps:
The next day was rainy, cold, and fairly miserable. Perfect for a museum day! After a taco stop, we spent the afternoon at the Museum of Fine Arts (my first time there!).
They had quite a nice antiquities collection (for an American museum). I hadn't realized it earlier, but one particularly important vase is in their collection:
What's special about this 6th c., black-figure Corinthian vase? Well, it depicts Heracles on the left (with the bow and arrow), Hesione in the middle, and the sea monster that threatened Troy on the right (a somewhat obscure myth that I will not go into here). It's an odd-looking "sea monster," though, no? It really looks like an animal skull protruding from a rock. And this, friends, serves as evidence for how early Greeks interpreted the fossil record they encountered in their daily lives. How else to make sense of the strange, unrecognizable animal bones preserved in stone? Why, these are the mythological monsters of the past! Anyway, I do love this line of reasoning, and if you want to know more, I suggest you read the genuinely interesting and entertaining book I learned this from, Adrienne Mayor's The First Fossil Hunters: Dinosaurs, Mammoths, and Myth in Greek and Roman Times.
And now, back to vacation photos. We got to visit with one of my former roommates from Michigan, Christa, who now is on the faculty at Harvard and has two beautiful little kids! She also still has the two dogs Nien and Mika (plus their daughter) who first introduced me to puppy love. I don't know whether they remembered me, but I was sure happy to see them!
Before departing, we visited Townsman, a restaurant my brother Peter is invested in. I think it was a good choice, because the food was delicious, the location excellent (near the Chinatown T-stop and a close walk to Boston Common), the service accommodating, and there was a bustling lunchtime crowd. Everyone, go eat there!
And thus concluded our babymoon. Thanks to all our friends and family who made the time to see us! We hope to see you soon in Long Island, where you will be welcomed by all three of us!
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