What we've been up to

Because this blog is not only my virtual baby book, it's also the only record I keep of our lives at all other than the kids' immunization records.

Last weekend: New York (downstate). My niece's 4th birthday party on Saturday in the city at the Y where she goes to preschool, my sister-in-law's pre-baby blessing ceremony on Sunday at my parent's house, and a visit to Nonna in the Bronx. She had been hospitalized for heart palpitations on Friday, but was discharged on Saturday and seemed perfectly fine on Sunday. As usual, she stuffed K with Italian bread and cookies and sneaked more into our bag. Also as usual, my mom made about eighty gallons of fruit salad and we had to eat it morning, noon, and night. We just finished up the last of the container we brought home, which I blended up with rum and coconut sorbet to disguise the week-old fermented taste. We probably have some extra souvenir fruit salad in some crevice of the car that we failed to scrape out after both kids threw up right before we arrived at Nonna's house.

4th of July: Met up with friends and toured the tall ships in Boston Harbor. Before and after, we explored my office at K's request. Got home around 3 p.m. and all collapsed for the rest of the day.

5th of July: Daycare is closed for no good reason. I took the boys to get haircuts in the morning. X's first real haircut did not go well, but he bounces back quickly and he looks SO much better now. I gave him the worst haircut about two months ago, short and choppy, and it had grown out to be uneven and shaggy and curly at the bottom. When K saw the haircut place, he started crying and refused to come in. Finally I had to use my mom voice. While we were waiting, I told him that if he didn't cry at all, I would buy him a toy, any one he wanted, from the wall full of overpriced plastic crap that he begs for whenever we go there. I didn't think he could really do it, because K has never in his life had a haircut, even at home, that did not involve wailing and snot dripping into his mouth. So I reminded him that he ONLY got the toy if he did not cry a single tear, and if he did cry, he could try again next time. And you know what? He did it!!! I was amazed. He picked out an Army tank and asked who he could attack. Behold the power of bribes! After haircuts and pizza, I dropped them off at JW's office, switched cars (forgetting my files in the process) and made it to work just in time for my first of three conference calls this afternoon. (JW, if you are reading this, you didn't tell me the Volvo has no gas and if I run out on my way home at 1 a.m. I am blaming you. By the way, I am probably coming home at 1 a.m.) K was excited to visit both of our offices within two days.

This weekend: New York (upstate). Headed up to the in-laws' house, and my brother and his family will stop by on their way to a conference upstate. JW's grandmother went to live in a very nice assisted living facility and we are supposed to go pick out what we want from her house before they sell it.

Miscellaneous: I ran the microwave with nothing in it for about twenty seconds, after getting about three hours of sleep and blearily trying to make K's morning bottle. In case you ever wondered what would happen if you didn't heed the warnings about not running it empty, it made a loud buzzing noise and I smelled something scorched. The noise and the smell happened again a little later when we heated something up that night. The next morning, the metal panel on the side of the microwave actually CAUGHT FIRE. And apparently you can't just replace that little panel, at least we can't at home. So it turns out to be an expensive mistake.

Also, K's current obsessions: Wild Kratts (PBS show about the Kratt brothers, who learn about/turn into wildlife) and Calvin and Hobbes, which he discovered at my parents' house last weekend.