Cabin Fever in Vermont

Post Card Winner and Such

2012-05-25T22:06:00.000-04:00

Thank you to everyone who entered the Post Card contest! The randomly chosen winner from the comments is....

Congratulations to Solomon's Porch! You're the winner. Send an email to vtcabinfever(at)hotmail(dot)com. I will forward your email to Printrunner and you'll be contacted about the details of your prize.

And I will update with lots of photos and stuff soon. The weather has been so darn nice the last week and the sun out so late that I've been enjoying every bit that I can with Shawn and Emily when I am not working. By the time I come home and plop down on the couch I'm exhausted and ready for bed so I can get up and do it all over again tomorrow.

Now, its Memorial Day weekend and my little family and I are trucking it northward for the next several days. I am looking forward to lots of time outside, relaxing, and general enjoyment with friends and family. Hope you all have a great weekend too!!

Have Somone to Write? Here's a Postcard Giveaway!

2012-05-21T19:48:00.000-04:00

I have always wanted to see my photos as a post card and now I will have the chance! Actually, so will you. PrintRunner has so kindly offered a giveaway a set of 100 5x7 post cards to not just myself for hosting the giveaway, but also to one lucky reader of my blog, too! The post card will be of any image of your choice to one lucky person who reads my blog!

Postcard Information

Postcard Size: Postcards 5x7

Quantity: 100

Colors: 4/0 Front Only Printing

Paper: 14 PT. UV Coating on Front,

Rounded Corners: Yes

Proof: None

Ready to Ship In: 4 Business Days

To enter simply leave a comment below.

I will pick one random winner on Friday, May 25th and announce it here on my blog! Please note that this Giveaway is open to US Residents only, ages 18 years old and above.

Now you'll be able to send that postcard to your long lost pen-pal from second grade or your great aunt who lives in Kansas. Heck, you could jut have cool post cards to give away as gifts of one of your own awesome photos.

If you'd like to see for yourself PrintRunner's postcard printing through their online printing services. You can also check them out on Twitter and Facebook

And We Have Forward Motion

2012-05-18T07:31:00.001-04:00

One thing that I am learning is that changes and development with babies happen quickly. Just as suddenly as she started moving backwards Emily is now moving forwards! While she is no expert at getting where she is going she'd definitely figuring it out. Her belly is legitimately off the floor and her knees are moving forward. It makes me stop and think, though... in just a few weeks she will be walking. Eeeeep!!

A Sudden and Unexpected Loss

2012-05-15T20:30:00.000-04:00

Death is something that I have a lot of experience with. As an EMT and nurse I've watched people pass away right in front of me. Sometimes it was expected and sometimes it was the last thing in the world that was suppose to happen. All those times, however, it was different. It was my job. I was suppose to either care for them or comfort them as they left this world. This weekend I was touched by a different kind of death... A familiar and tragic kind.

In my nearly three decade stint on this Earth I have been blessed with very few deaths that have hit close to home. In fact, every single one of those deaths were either expected, due to age/illness, or not on the same day I last spoke with that person. For me, until this weekend, death wasn't close and cruel.

Then I received a call from work. A nurse didn't show up for her shift. She was a young nurse, near my age, who never ever just blatantly didn't come in to work. If she was ever sick she always gave plenty of notice. No one had gotten a hold of her for a full day. The other employees were asking me what to do since no one was answering her phone.I wasn't really sure how to react.

Then, out of curiosity and seeing if there were any leads to her whereabouts, I checked her facebook page. That was where I discovered something utterly unexpected.

I literally gasped in horror aloud when I read what I saw.

"Rest in Peace" "We will miss you" "I can't believe you are gone"

Those messages were posted on her page by at least a half dozen people over the last couple of hours. I simply couldn't digest what I was reading and what it meant. She couldn't be dead, could she? I just saw here and talked with her the morning before! What on Earth could have happened?

I pulled my emotions together and went into work. Several of my coworkers wondered why I was there on the weekend so I tried to just concentrate on my task at hand and not directly answer their questions. The last thing I wanted was to start a massive rumor before I had investigated or confirmed anything.

So, for the next two hours I worked my way through various phone calls to 911 and state troopers. Simultaneously I stumbled on a news article about a fiery crash where two people in their 20's were killed the night before. While the two people in the crash were not identified my heart still sank. I knew it was her.

The article was horrible. My eyes welled up with tears reading it. It described the care going off the road at interstate speeds, hitting a tree without so much as attempting to touch the breaks, and then bursting into flames. The fire chief in that town described it as the worst accident he had seen in his 33 year career while speculating that the driver must have been asleep.

It was too much.

Over and over in my mind all I could do was replay an image of the crash in my head and then remember how earlier that morning her and I had been talking and joking around. She was talking about a lot of things in the future and when she left I said "see you later!" as she walked out the door at the end of her shift. Never ever in my mind would I have imagined that would be the last time I'd talk with her, that the very next day she would be gone.

While we weren't best friends and we didn't hang out together outside of work she was still someone I regarded as a friend and good nurse. Something like this shouldn't happen to her... or anyone. Despite it all... life does move on. One must keep up the pace.

My Mother's Day

2012-05-13T21:03:00.001-04:00

This is the first year I've been the mother of someone and not only the reason for someone else to celebrate Mother's Day. I never gave much thought to what I'd like for "my day" before either. When Shawn asked me what I'd like to do all I could think of was "something exciting".

You see, I am not exactly a go to brunch and give a potted plant to kind of mom.

So, what kind of mom am I?

I am the kind of mom who gets excited about long drives, four wheelers, mud, and the woods! And fortunately I married a man who knows that I'd rather be on the trails than eating cantaloupe while sipping mimosas. Those of you who prefer brunch can have a mimosa for me.

Here's my Happy Mother's Day:

Tomorrow

2012-05-10T07:03:00.001-04:00

It's been happening quietly. We haven't talked much about it, except one post a while back. But, tomorrow Shawn and I are leaving work early, dropping Emily off at her aunt's house, and then heading off to sign papers on a little piece of land.

We will own part of a mountain tomorrow afternoon! It's really happening. While we don't own the geographical peak both Shawn and I think we own the best part of the mountain. There is a pond, magnificent ATV trails, nice sloped pasture land, and gorgeous views from west to east.

Thanks Emily for your birth, because the tax return we received enabled us to do this. You're going to have one heck of a playground! And I feel better knowing that you'll get to grow up with part of you in the wilderness of the North East Kingdom!

Necklace Winner!

2012-05-09T20:14:00.002-04:00

So, I randomly selected a winner out of the comments from my last post to receive a handmade necklace from me! I'm glad so many of you were interested in a necklace. I've been selling them to friends for $10 and it always makes me happy to see my friends wear them occasionally.

Anyway, without further delay, the winner of the necklace is...

Fran is comment #5. Congratulations and please email me your mailing address to vtcabinfever(at)hotmail(dot)com

Thanks everyone who entered. I'll give another one away in the future :)

A Little Something for You

2012-05-06T20:16:00.001-04:00

I said a while ago that I would have a giveaway of one of my necklaces. By a while I think I more accurately mean two months ago... but I didn't forget! Finally I am giving away one of my handmade ribbon necklaces.

To enter just leave a comment below. You can have an extra entry if you tweet about it or post it on Facebook! (just provide a link in a separate comment as proof)

I'll pick a winner at random and announce who it is Wednesday evening!

Dandelions

2012-05-05T19:11:00.002-04:00

Dandelions

Bright dandelions

With time, turn to silken fluff

Little children’s friend

~ By Young Naturalist C

My X Chromosome Won

2012-05-03T18:00:00.002-04:00

Everyone wonders who their child looks like more. Both my parents and Shawn's parents coo over how Emily looks just like myself or Shawn when he was little. I smile and think how endearing it is to find a glimpse of your own family's genetic legacy in future generations. Often over the last several months I have wondered who Emily looks like and who she will grow up to resemble. Its especially intrigued me since I can't really pinpoint which parent I myself resemble and seem to be a genetic mesh-mash.

Then the other day I happened to come across one of my baby photos where I was near the same age as Emily is now and realized something striking. We look pretty darn identical, at least in our infancy. See for yourself...

Isn't it uncanny? Except for my birthmark (which is gone now) we are almost the same baby. Now to be fair I don't have a photo on hand of Shawn in his infancy to share, but he doesn't really resemble her in the least in her baby photos. Still, now when I hear people compare her to Shawn I just smile. Its definitely my X chromosome that won with Emily.

Cover Photo

2012-05-01T18:26:00.002-04:00

The other day I received an email that was very unexpected. The subject line read "Photo Chosen for Directory Cover". I wasn't sure what in the world it was referring to and when I opened it I was pleasantly surprised.

It turns out that one of the photos I took last fall was chosen to be on the phone book cover for Northern Vermont and New Hampshire! What's even cooler was that they were offering to pay me a good price to utilize the photo. Neither of which had I sought or solicited for. Turns out that the woman stumbled across my photo, selected it (along with others since the image example I received was labeled choice #3), and then chose my photo as the best fit.

How cool is that?

What's even cooler is that I get two phone books for free with my photo on it even though I actually don't live in the phone book area anymore.

Hey, it may not be a coffee table book of photographs, but its at least my photo printed on somthing! That counts, in my book.

A Hint of What's to Come

2012-04-26T07:29:00.002-04:00

Its crazy... in the last couple of weeks I've watched Emily go from struggling to roll over to sitting herself up on her own. She's lifting her belly off the floor and darn near doing the official crawling motion. Until now my baby has depended on me to get from A to B for every moment of her life. That's about to change very soon. I am not sure I'm ready for that.

Now to start baby proofing the house...

Any tips of things to do when readying the house for a mobile baby? I know the obvious, outlets, cords, and chemicals in cupboards, but perhaps you have some inside advice from past parenting experience worth sharing!

What My Daughter and I have in Common

2012-04-21T19:38:00.000-04:00

On a Saturday afternoon as the rain clouds gather and the summer-like breeze wafts through the open windows play time has gotten the best of us, especially Emily.

Adventures at Bedtime

2012-04-19T21:29:00.001-04:00

I love this time of year. The evenings are long and warm. Things are budding and the sunsets seem that much more amazing. Before miss Emily arrived I would just hope in my car and go for a drive across backroad, ending up in bizarre, but beautiful, places.

However, as the days push later Emily's bedtime does not. She quickly fades into crankiness around 6:30pm. We are lucky to make it to 7pm with a bath, book, bottle, and bed. The routine leaves me exhausted, tired, and tied to the house with a sleeping infant in her crib. Watching the sun fade into golden and then red prettiness made me sort of resent my responsibilities. I'd then close all the curtains in the living room as if it were already dark out to block out the golden hour proceeding sunset.

Then I decided that maybe every once and a while cutting a corner or two at bedtime was okay. So, at Emily's cranky time pajamas were donned and a warm bottle was made. We packed up the car seat and hit the road.

It seemed odd at first, violating the sanctity of the bedtime routine in favor of heading out onto the back roads, but Emily didn't care in the least. Since she can hold her bottle she lazily propped it just enough to slowly drain it and then drift off to sleep. As she slumbered Shawn and I felt free. We could drive aimlessly, explore new back roads, and talk just like old times... only now there's a cute little sleeping person in the back seat.

Something about turning bedtime into a field trip for Shawn and I made us genuinely happy. The countryside seemed more alive and scenic than ever. It's the next best thing to happen to bedtime since Emily starting sleeping nearly the whole night!

How Things Work Out

2012-04-17T21:47:00.001-04:00

Sometimes it amazes me why things happen the way they do. Take this little situation for example...

Shawn, Emily, and I were driving around the back roads outside of town. It was a beautiful afternoon and the sun was getting low in the sky. Emily babbled as we took in the sights of the fields and farms passing by. Only this drive we were going extra slow. Slow, because, well, it's nearly turkey season and we just scout the fields for the birds. As we created this one particular hill we came across a surprise....

There was a big dog laying in the roadway, smack in the middle, and just exactly in the blind spot of the crest. After a good sixty seconds of sitting stopped in the roadway the dog sauntered off to the side. I was so glad that we didn't smush the poor mutt. If we had been going any faster we wouldn't have been able to stop in time and we wouldn't have been going so slow if we weren't looking for turkeys. It's amazing no one else hit the dog either.

Funny how things work out...

The Only Reason I Love Turkey Season

2012-04-15T20:52:00.001-04:00

After the snow has melted and the world begins to turn green my husband begins to dream of beards and Toms. That's turkey lingo if you aren't familiar.

Personally I loathe Turkey season. It's dangerous. I've been on ambulance calls where a hunter is shot because another hunter mistook him for a turkey. It's easy to do. Lots of inexperienced and over eager hunters "stalk" turkey calls made by another hunter thinking they are chasing a real turkey only to end up finding, and every once and a while shooting, another hunter. No one wears blaze orange like other seasons due to the turkey's great eye sight, which only increases the risks of getting shot. When Shawn heads out I spend all morning worrying, not about him, but about those unknown hunters who might mistake him for a Tom.

But, there is one thing I do like...

The pre-season prep means lots of hiking and walking through the woods, and there's nothing I like more than some quality time outdoors. Add in burning some calories and I'm ready to go. So, as part of preparing Shawn, Emily, and I hit the trails. Shawn is concerned with looking for turkey sign and occasionally using a turkey call. Me, I have Emily strapped to my back and camera in my hands as I plod along the trails. While we may not always find turkeys we always seem to end up somewhere scenic.

Emily LOVED the hike. My back, not so much.

We ended up in a clearing with spectacular views


Nothing beats feeling like you are on top of the world. (that's Shawn in the right corner)

And that is why I love turkey season.

Not so Proud Mom Moment

2012-04-12T07:50:00.000-04:00

I am learning that motherhood equals a lot of not-so-proud moments, like the one I experienced the other night in a store...

It was late evening. Emily was slightly cranky, but managable and we were in a sporting goods store looking for a turkey call. I should clarify that it was more of a 'Shawn was looking for a turkey call' while I carried Emily around the store. Her and I played airplane, looked in the mirrors in the clothing section, and just wandered around looking at different, colorful merchandise. Everything seemed to be copacetic.

Then, out of nowhere, Emily began a quite unhappy baby. Shawn gave me a look that indicated he had not yet found the perfect turkey call and didn't want to abandon his mission. I sighed and began to head toward the front of the building in search of a hasty and dignified exit. ...as if exiting a store with a screaming and writhing child in your arms can be dignified. A few of the other customers in the store stared from behind clothing racks and shelves as I passed and couple women gave me a sympathetic glance.

Suddenly, as I was switching arms with Emily, since she is heavy and over sixteen pounds right now, to my horror she decided to spit up. White formula straight from Emily's stomach landed on my shoe and on the white linoleum floor. I had no way of cleaning up either spot at that moment. Emily continued to cry and struggle in my arms, so, as if trying to not miss a beat, I continued to walk out of the store with a half dollar size of spit-up left on the store floor.

I met no employee on my trek out the door, no one to tell about the spit up on the floor. Emily continued to cry well after I reached the car. Changed diaper, bottle, toy, cuddle, nothing consoled her. In exasperation when Shawn arrived after purchasing the perfect turkey call we headed down the road back towards home. We were rewarded with an hour long drive of an inconsolable and screaming baby.

The only thing that sparked a smile during the entire ride was when I looked down at my shoe and saw the little spot of spit-up. I remembered that there was another blob still on the floor in the sporting goods store. Oops.

Can't believe this little face would be so cranky can you? Ha. :)

Easter with Emily

2012-04-08T18:20:00.003-04:00

This year there were no egg hunts or chocolate bunnies. Emily's a tad bit too young for the complete funness of the holidays still, but I didn't let that stop me from introducing Easter to her! With excitement I picked out an adorable basket and a couple little things that I lovingly put together for Emily this morning. Even an infant gets visited by the Easter Bunny... aka... Mom. This is how Easter morning went...

Everything was set up cute as can be before Emily woke up.

The basket was a big hit. Exploration had begun!

Hmmm... this purple stuff is clearly the most entertaining thing in the basket!

And making a mess is mandatory

But she wanted nothing to do with her giant bunny.

It's okay Emily... I'd be a little freaked out by a big blue bunny that was more than twice my size, too!

Sweets of the Week

2012-04-06T22:08:00.002-04:00

While most of my days are the same there is always a pile of good things that stand out. This week is no exception. Sometimes I think my life is pretty darn dull.... apparently its not that dull.

1. I continue on the weight loss track. Another couple of pounds down... the total stands at 8lbs in five weeks!

2. Shawn and I went out for a drive with a sleeping and dressed in pajamas Emily only to get a little off course and end up a good hour from home. I may or may not have been navigating.... at least the ride was scenic!

3. I sold thirteen necklaces to a few people at work! Now I have to make some more, one of which I will give away on here very very soon!

4. A friend gave me an old, torn, and scribbled on photo to try and correct. It was the first photo editing I've done in a while, probably over a month, and it turned out great.

5. The financing for the land continues and looks to be lining up the way it should. All our paperwork is done, at least. Once everything finalizes we stand to close on everything in mid-May.

6. I went to the movies, something I rarely ever do, and saw the Hunger Games. It was great to have a few hours out to see it, but I will say the book was better.

7. Emily is seven months old! She's really trying to move, but hasn't quite figured it out.

Don't worry... I don't let her try and wobble around the couch. She doesn't have much get up and go... yet!

Why we are Buying Land

2012-04-02T21:29:00.000-04:00

When we first moved down here to the "big city" Shawn and I were adamant that we would one day return to the North East Kingdom. Its where our hearts are and where we belong. The plans were far off, distant, and something we weren't really attempting to fulfill at this moment until, by accident, we discovered a piece of land that fit us perfectly.

The first thing people say when I mention that we are looking into buying land is that we must have a heck of a lot of money. "You guys must be rich!" "It must be nice!" people exclaim. In all honesty we aren't rich. We work very hard and, frankly, it is nice to be able to see the rewards of that. But, we definitely aren't wealthy.

Our financial plan is a little different than most, which is why we are buying land. Thanks to Emily's birth we are getting a hefty tax return. That, combined with a little bit of savings we had squirreled away, we had a good chunk of change. Shawn and I tossed over many ideas of what to do with the money. Should we redo the kitchen? Should we pay off student loans? Should we save it for a rainy day?

Then, when we thought about savings, a couple of things came to mind. First of all, the interest rate for savings accounts is appalling. Inflation is ten times greater, so overtime our money would actually be worth less. Stumbling across the land around the same time we were discussing uses for the tax return money was a fluke that created a huge idea.

What can you invest in that will only increase in value over time? Land. Real estate prices, especially up here in Vermont where the housing collapse was never experienced, land has been unaffected by the fluctuating market. I can't think of a better way to use a lump of money than on something that would one day be absolutely ours? Its the one investment we can make that will not only cost us money (except interest) and give us something in return. A place to retire.

It seems odd thinking about retirement when I've just begun my career, but if I wait until I'm getting ready for it then its too late. Shawn and I always talked of returning to the North to retire and live out our later years enjoying the best of what the Kingdom has to offer. Now its so much more tangible. In a weird way I am actually excited about the idea of retiring. Granted its two decades at least away, but we have a plan and its a good plan.

So, that's why we are buying land.

Not because we are rich. Not because we are moving back (this decade anyway). Not because we are going to be loggers and enter the timber industry. Really, we just want a little piece of Earth to call our own back in the town we love where we can live out the last of our years. Yup, that's it.

Sweets from the Week

2012-03-31T17:35:00.000-04:00

It has been a very busy week, if you cannot tell from my absence in posting. Also, I am finding that blogging isn't really fitting into my everyday life anymore. While I love typing stories and sharing what goes on as often as I can its definitely not the same sort of hobby it used to be. Emily is taking up the space that blogging once had, both in posting and following others' blogs. I'm not giving up my blog, but its definitely something that is much less frequent in my life right now for many reasons. My glass is so full its overflowing, but I don't mind. Life's pretty awesome as it is.

1. I am finally feeling completely better! Yay for augmentin. It really did the trick and now I am feeling amazing.

2. I've lost a total of seven pounds in the month of March! Its the first weight I've been able to lose since Emily's birth. There's still a long way to go to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight, but I am down one pant size already.

3. Emily is ready to move! She wants to get farther than her reach so badly. When something is just beyond her grasp she hasn't quite figured out what to do yet and it makes her frustrated. I love seeing her tackle these little challenges. Maybe by Easter she will be starting to scoot or crawl!

4. We have a new lawn mower! Shawn's dad gave us an old riding lawn mower that works perfectly. We are so thankful, because at the end of last summer our push mower decided to cease functioning. If you know me or have been around this blog for a while you'll know that's nothing unusual for Shawn and I.

5. Work has been going wonderfully. I am thoroughly loving my job, more than I actually thought I ever would. My new boss is great to work with and he is helping implement some new nursing measures that are really taking off. Its great to really want to go to work. (Although I'd always rather be spending time with my peanut!)

6. Shawn and I have looked into purchasing some land back up north where our cabin used to be! Actually, its about a mile, if not closer, to where we used to live. A deal has been struck on 34 acres and we are in the process of securing financing for it. Its our "retirement plan". We've explored the land extensively. Its gorgeous, scenic, has great views, great 4 wheeler trails, and even a pond. Cross your fingers for us!

That's our 4 wheeler halfway up the steep part of the land. Look at the view!

7. Here's a picture of the moon, Jupiter, and Venus on the way home the other night, just because.

Tradgedy Close to Home

2012-03-26T22:58:00.001-04:00

It was all over the news. People across the state were waiting for updates all day. A young woman, a teacher who attended the same college I did, was missing. Her two year old son was found sitting in her car on the side of the road alone. Signs of a struggle were near her parked and running vehicle, but she was nowhere to be found.

All day facebook, twitter, and news websites were abuzz with thoughts and hopes towards her safe return. She was an well known woman who had significant ties to the community and a deep love for her son. Late in the evening in the middle of the television news cast the anchors broke the news. As they announced that the woman's body was found the reporter choked back tears. Her body was found in a neighboring town along side a rural road.

My heart broke. I hurt for her young son who witnessed his mother's struggles right outside the car. I hurt for the community who lost a great teacher, and I hurt for her family who I am personal friends with. The woman's aunt and uncle are long time friends of my husband and I on one of the rescue squads we've been members of for a good decade. The woman's father and his family rents our second hunting camp, which sits 50 yards from ours, and is an ever funny and wonderful fixture every November when we host a big feast of game meat that's followed by drinks. Her family is loving, kind, and treats everyone like they belong at their dinner table.

The amount of tragedy around this story is incredible. I feel compelled to do something, especially for the little boy who will never remember his mother. Lord knows what he saw as his mother struggled, but I pray none of it is engrained in his psyche in anyway.

So, as a small gesture, I am going to make a personal donation towards her memorial and her son. If you would like to contribute (you are in no way obligated) then please click the donation button. You can contribute any amount you'd like no matter how small and I will add it to my donation in name of 'Bloggers for Melissa'.

If you'd like to read some of the news stories about it then please view the links below.
Body Discovered and Press Conference Video
ABC National News Report
Community's Reaction

A Tough Week

2012-03-24T21:32:00.001-04:00

I have spent the majority of this week pretty darn sick. A while back I posted about having a sinus infection. It seemed that it was abating just the week before last, but it turns out I was very wrong.

Last weekend while I was in Boston I noticed I wasn't feeling top notch, but I chalked it up to the exhaustion of a full day. The following day I still didn't feel well, but just tried to ignore it and pretend I wasn't getting sick. Then Monday came and something was horribly wrong. After a fitful night sleep I went to work feeling down right horrible. Turns out I had a fever of nearly 103. With no specific symptoms other than tonsils the size of golf balls and the feeling like there were marbles above the roof of my mouth I decided to trudge through the work day in the confines of my office and made an appointment with the Doctor for the next morning.

That night was hell. Literally. Nothing would break my fever. I was freezing and every joint on my body ached. The slightest touch of anything on my body caused excruciating pain. For hours I laid on the couch in agony and had another fitful night of sleep. Never in my life had I felt so sick. The only thing that kept me from going to the hospital was the fact that at some point that night I began to sweat and my fever lessened a little.

At the doctors office it was a quick exam and the conclusion that I needed a strong dose of antibiotics was reached. Finally, nearly six weeks later, I was diagnosed with a sinus infection and given antibiotics. Fortunately for them I was too sick to vent my frustrations how difficult it is to get an infection treated properly. While the concerns of misusing antibiotics may lead to the rise in super-infections and antibiotic resistant microorganism I believe that doctors have swung too far in the opposite direction. Now they insist on natural remedies and "working through it" rather than medication. Gosh, there needs to be a happy medium before someone reaches a point like I did.

After several days on antibiotics I am feeling better, thank God. Never before in my life can I recall being so sick for so long. I'm just now getting my appetite back and energy enough to play with my munchkin. Poor Emily didn't get to spend much time with me this week at all for both fear of her getting sick and my lack of physical capability. Now I am making up for all the time I missed last week this weekend since I am on the mend.

So, it's been a tough week indeed, but it's over now. Hopefully the sickness pretty much is, too, because Emily and I have important business to attend to!

Daycare Dilemma

2012-03-21T21:49:00.001-04:00

I am not sure how often this happens to people, but this morning I had quite the surprise with my daycare. It was a normal morning like any other where I was cutting time close, but quite behind, not yet. Fortunately my Tuesday through Thursday daycare provider is only two miles from our home so I can cute time pretty close and still be okay.

So, I pulled into the driveway and walked up to the door like any old morning where we had scheduled daycare (Emily only goes when Shawn works day shifts during the week). on any normal morning I just open the door and walk into her house where I am greeted by the early morning ruckus of toddlers. This particular morning, however, I was instead greeted by a random guy I didn't recognize half asleep on the couch. No toddlers or daycare provider in sight.

I must have looked stunned and confused with my baby in one arm and a diaper bag in the other, but still the scruffy guy with bed head waited for me to talk. Who the heck is he? I wondered. Instead I asked where the woman who watches Emily was.

"Oh, they are in North Carolina for a family emergency. Didn't she call you?" the couch surfer casually said.

I just stared blankly for a second back at him as it soaked in. Not here? North Caroline? What? Obviously no one called me since I was standing there with a baby when there was no day are to be had. Somehow I did my best to hide my frustrations and headed back out the door.

What the heck was I to do now? Work started in five minutes and I had to go to a conference with my boss in just over half an hour. Crap.

I had one card to play, my Monday through Friday daycare provider. I could call her and see if she would take Emily. After some serious begging she agreed to take Emily despite having a hectic day with many children already. Normally there's no openings on Wednesdays. Today she made an exception.

After scrambling across town to my other daycare provider I was already receiving messages from work wondering where I was. It was just one minute after the normal start of my work day. They apparently don't give me a large margin of error!

In the end I somehow managed to only be fifteen minutes late for work and I found a suitable back up daycare on a moments notice. To be honest I was quite proud. It at least dulled the sting of no notification regarding the regular daycare provider. At least a phone call would have been nice! And I am left wondering if anyone else has ever had something similar happen or if I just am a sucker for life's anomalies?

Babyless in Boston

2012-03-19T18:58:00.002-04:00

Finally Shawn and I had a day completely to ourselves since Emily's arrival. Thanks to both his mother and my mother we were able to take a trip to Boston. It was my first time in the city (besides the bus ride we took to Fenway a few weeks before Emily was born). It was our first hockey game. And it was also St. Patrick's Day. Everything went just as great as we expected.

Early in the morning Shawn's mother arrived at our home. Emily was bright eyed and ready to play. Good thing her nana was too! We then began the two hour drive south to Bean town. My mother, for our anniversary, bought us tickets to a Bruins/Flyers game. I in my Bruins garb and my husband in his Flyers shirt were ready for some rivalry along with some city exploration.

When we arrived in Boston is was well before noon. There were already lines outside the many Irish themed bars throughout the city. People wearing ridiculous, skimpy, and hilarious green outfits were abundant. There was definitely a culture all its own on St. Patrick's Day. However, we didn't feel left out wearing hockey paraphernalia on such a green holiday. There were plenty of people going to the same game we were later in the day that were roaming the streets in jerseys.

We spent a good chunk of time exploring the Old City, where graveyards are right in the center of town. The history was thick and all encompassing. If we had a week we still couldn't possibly explore everything. Instead of going inside buildings and museums we just walked the streets. The architecture, old buildings among skyscrapers, and people dressed in colonial clothes were simply awesome. Where else would you expect to see a Ben Franklin look alike wandering the streets giving friendly advice? Well, besides Philadelphia I suppose.

One of the many random bagpipers on the street in Boston

The "new" Old Cemetery in downtown Boston

Game time crept up on us. We had to cut our city exploration short and head to TD Gardens where the game was held. I was thoroughly impressed how clean and well designed the arena was. Heck, even the seats were great. They were staggered between rows so that even if a tall person sat in front of me they wouldn't be in my way of seeing the ice. Fans filtered in and I got a thorough education in how dedicated Boston fans really are. There were plenty of "you bums" yelled, even at their own team. One thing I did learn is that Boston fans are tough. They will even yell at their own team if they are disappointed in them.

Pregame photo-op before the teams take the ice

In the end the Bruins pulled off a great win in overtime. We headed out of the arena and back onto the streets of Boston where even more green people roamed the streets. Shops and restaurants were full. We took in the late day scenery before heading back north to Vermont and made plans to soon return. I've never liked cities, at all, but Boston really impressed me. Returning is definitely in our future, and we might even bring Emily next time.

Gorgeous sunset on the way home... what a perfect end to the day