Furore and Frenzy

Max as Thomas the Tank Engine

noreply@blogger.com (Jen-fur Henry) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 03:12:00 +0000

HPIM0691.JPG
Originally uploaded by Lonnie2006

A Proverbial Face Lift

noreply@blogger.com (Jen-fur Henry) — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 13:40:00 +0000

After much thinking I have decided to discontinue updating my blog here at Blogger. I have enjoyed writing immensely. It has been good to tap into my writing again and I've decided I'd like to continue with it and even pursue it a bit further.

SO...after conferring with Chuck we've set up a new blog that can be found at it's own unique URL: http://furoreandfrenzy.com

Go ahead and visit and see how it looks! We've moved all content from Blogger over to the new site. You won't miss a thing!

Please update your bookmarks to the new site. I will no longer provide updates to this site.

Papa Will You Get The Moon For Me?

noreply@blogger.com (Jen-fur Henry) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 21:36:00 +0000

When I found out I was pregnant the first time, in 2002, I promptly went out and purchased Eric Carle's picture book Papa, Please Get The Moon For Me?. Chuck had always said he wanted to be known as Papa, and not Daddy, and I thought the book would be a nice way to congratulate Chuck on impending fatherhood. Our happiness however was short-lived when I miscarried a few weeks later. When months and months passed and we still had not conceived I gave the book away to my nieces and nephew on one of their visits and didn't think twice about it again.

I spent some time today reading a blog post on Parentdish asking the question of whether one was a bad parent for not sharing the recent lunar eclipse with their children. The overall comments agreed that it was it was unreasonable to feel that way, especially with another lunar eclipse a mere two years away.

We too put our little ones to bed at their usual time last night during the eclipse. It was below zero where we live....that's right....BELOW ZERO...damn cold...and my little ones are 3 and 2. They wouldn't even remember they saw it by the time the next one rolls around in two years.

However, Chuck and I did bundle up and alternate trips running outside muttering under our breath "&%*$ it's cold!" while watching it. We did think it was great though and enjoyed the time together to cuddle.

THEN we discovered the ONE window in the house that we could view it from IF we laid down on our stomachs and craned our necks sideways. Needless to say it was much warmer. :)

We may not have given the kids the moon this year, but perhaps we will in 2010. In the meantime we're content reading stories about Papas that use long ladders to reach the moon for their beloved daughters.

Enjoy That Daylight While It Lasts!

noreply@blogger.com (Jen-fur Henry) — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 15:29:00 +0000

In case you weren't aware...and it seems that most everyone I've talked to lately has been surprised by this...we change our clocks on March 9th in 2008.

That's right...March 9th.

It's that FREAKIN early.

You're also correct when you stop and think to yourself that it couldn't possibly have always been that early.

It wasn't.

In 2005 the Energy Policy Act was passed changing the time that the US sets our clocks. The time officially changed to the 2nd Sunday in March and the first Sunday in November.

In Europe the times continued to remain the same as what was previously practiced in the US.

"Hey. It's actually daylight already," said Chuck the other morning. He was looking out the bedroom window at the driveway as he was getting ready for work. It was 6:30 in the morning and already daylight.

"Don't get used to it," I said. I felt like the eternal pessimist. But I also knew that in another two weeks we'd reset our clocks and it would be dark in the morning again.

Easter also seems unGodly (no pun intended) early this year. Although it is unrelated to daylight saving time it occurs early this year, March 23. There most likely will still be snow on the ground. There will be no pretty spring outfits, no spring toys to play with outside. It certainly won't be like the Easters that I picture in my head.

For more information on Daylight Saving Time visit: http://webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/b.html

Falling Off The Road

noreply@blogger.com (Jen-fur Henry) — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 19:42:00 +0000

We celebrated our President's Day weekend by visiting my parents. We had been neglectful in seeing them of late, and decided the long weekend was the perfect opportunity for the kids to get the chance to visit with their grandparents and cousins.

Despite our efforts though to have Cat use the potty prior to leaving the house it was inevitable that she would loudly and frantically announce in the car approximately an hour from our destination that she had to go.

Despite the dry pavement that Friday evening we found the wheels of our car catching the icy lip of the road and sliding off the edge. After several attempts to right ourselves back on the highway we only buried ourselves deeper and in the end slid ourselves so far down the bank that we were close to rolling our Honda CR-V over. Knowing that we were inevitably stuck we whipped out our cell phones and AAA cards to call for a tow truck. However we immediately faced the problem of limited cell service and cell towers that were located on the Canadian side of the border. The Canadian cell towers kept trying to connect us to the CAA instead of the AAA. Finally a friendly snowplow driver stopped and learned of our plight and physically stopped at the AAA office on his way back to his return destination. He also summoned state troopers who sat with us in the dark with their lights on to keep oncoming traffic from hitting us.

We eventually got our tow truck an hour later and the kids even got an opportunity to sit in the back of the trooper car while we waited with clear instructions from me not to touch ANYTHING.

Catherine was told that if she had to go potty again she would unfortunately have to wet her pants, that there would be no more stopping roadside in the dark.

Her reply to us for the remainder of the trip was "Don't fall off the road, Papa!"

I'm sure she'll spread the tale of our adventure everywhere she goes.

Sigh.

Conversation Hearts

noreply@blogger.com (Jen-fur Henry) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 19:06:00 +0000

Make your own at Acme Heart Maker

Happy Valentine's Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Jen-fur Henry) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 14:12:00 +0000

Today the kids headed to daycare with a bag full of goodies. They arrived home a few days ago with a list of the other kiddos in daycare and we wrote out Valentines...or rather I wrote out Valentines and Catherine put stickers on each one while Max scribbled on a nearby piece of paper. They also had to bring in photos of themselves for a project for Chuck and I and bring in teddy bears from home. I'm not sure what the teddy bears are for, but I didn't question it either. I'm sure they'll have a fabulous celebration today and will arrive home both wound up and sugared up.

Catherine colored the above photo the other night. In all honesty I was rather impressed. It was the first time I had ever seen her color a background so completely and devote such detail to the objects in a color sheet. I think it's pretty darn good for a three year old.

But perhaps I'm biased.... I could be....just a little....

Happy Birthday Alisa!

noreply@blogger.com (Jen-fur Henry) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 14:09:00 +0000

Happy Birthday to my friend Alisa today! What a wonderful day to have a birthday!!!! I hope she has a great day!

12 Words That Suck

noreply@blogger.com (Jen-fur Henry) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 03:53:00 +0000

I was cleaning off the refrigerator of the vast number of papers that the kids bring home from daycare...

when I found it...

The 12 Words That Suck

Given the weather that the entire northeast has seen of late has been nothing but a giant snow fest I would imagine that the mere mention of some of these words could cause others to erupt into a cabin-fever induced violent frenzy.

It's All Over Except For The Bellyachin..

noreply@blogger.com (Jen-fur Henry) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 02:30:00 +0000

We finally wrapped up (no pun intended!) Max's birthday last weekend with a small gathering in Saranac Lake with the Henry clan. While there's no denying how much he has grown in the past year, he also is experiencing so many things for the very first time. It's impossible for him to remember his first birthday, and I'm not convinced in the end that he really understood all of this birthday stuff and how it pertained to him. He was intrigued by the candles on the wonderful train cake his great aunt Pennie made him, but he wouldn't blow them out. Finally his sister assisted him. He seemed to have no problem understanding that he was to open his presents...but then again he just practiced that skill at Christmas time. However, unlike his sister, he was not eager to move on to the next gift immediately upon opening. Instead he preferred to open whatever the item was and play with it and inspect it and then IF he felt like it he'd open another gift. He seemed to enjoy having people sing to him and I imagine he's participated in similar rituals at daycare. However unless you knew him well you wouldn't know he was having a good time.

The gifts have also arrived from generous friends and family who don't live near, and of course from our daycare provider and her assistant.

While I'm not sure he finished his 2nd birthday with the same understanding that his sister had of birthdays, I know that the upcoming weeks will provide him with many other experiences to participate in birthday celebrations. For us, the spring months seem full of birthdays both for friends and family. I welcome the celebrations. I always feel like each celebration brings me one step closer to spring.

For Once There's A Happy Ending...

noreply@blogger.com (Jen-fur Henry) — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:02:00 +0000

My worst fear driving through the Adirondacks in the winter months is that I somehow will end up in a ditch somewhere and not be seen. If you're not from the Adirondacks you don't understand how this is possible, but it is a valid concern. Last year alone there were two deaths on Interstate 87, a major highway, all because people lost control of their cars in the winter months and were not found for days after the accident. An additional reason? There is very minimal cell service in the wooded areas of the Adirondack Park and much of the North Country.

When I was first married I made a daily commute back and forth between Tupper Lake and Potsdam. I traveled the curvy, wooded, and remote roads of South Colton I prayed each day to make it home safely.

One absolutely horrible December morning I was driving through Piercefield when I by chance alone glanced in my rearview mirror in time to see a minivan fail to negotiate (isn't that the silliest phrase ever?) a curve and careen down the embankment and overturn into a swamp. I slammed on my own brakes almost sending my Mercury Tracer, that I affectionately referred to as Zeke careening off the road as well. I started running toward the van without even thinking. As I approached I momentarily started to panic. What if there were people badly injured? What if there were a family inside? Did I remember my CPR? What would I say? What would I do? Did I even have a friggen plan? And as I was running I tried to flag down cars, but none would stop. I waved, I yelled, I pointed to the van that seemed so clearly visible to me, but was probably still invisible to everyone else. But no one would stop. I finally flagged down a car and together we helped pull the man out of the van that was upside down in the swamp. Together we waded through the muck in cold December and I returned to my car to retrieve emergency blankets. We sat with the man in my car with the heater running and him wrapped up in my blankets. We waited with him until help arrived. A few weeks later I received a big box from the Woolrich company with a beautiful large colorful wool blanket from the man that I had so patiently sat with. A traveler from Washington State he had appreciated my kindness and felt badly when he had bled on my old blanket from his injuries. I still have the blanket and will for many years to come. I still kept the letter he wrote me as gentle reminder to trust my instincts and to do what's right.

This morning I read a news story in our local paper, the Press Republican, about a group of students from Ticonderoga who have a similar story. While traveling to school on their bus on Friday they noticed a barefoot woman near the edge of the road who had been involved in an accident and trapped in her car in the elements for over 10 hours. They notified their driver to stop and together they brought the woman on board and assisted her, while other students ran for help. Because of what these students did this woman's life was saved. If they hadn't seen her and felt the need to act when they did she most certainly would have died of exposure or may not have been seen by the next passing snowplow or car.

To read the newstory click here.

Happy Birthday Maxwell Simon!

noreply@blogger.com (Jen-fur Henry) — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 05:06:00 +0000

Maxwell Simon turns 2 today. I feel more than a little guilty about his birthday this year since my NYC trip coincides. However I made sure that I was on the earliest train I could catch and that I didn’t linger in the city, even though others were deciding to make a weekend out of the trip. I know that he won’t realize that it’s his birthday. At least not until he arrives at daycare and the other kids celebrate on Friday. He won’t realize that I’m not there when he wakes up that morning on Saturday. The good news is that I will be returning home Saturday afternoon and will have a chance to celebrate with Max then. We will give him our gifts then and wait for other celebrations to follow.

He’s a beautiful child that makes us laugh almost daily. Even his tantrums, that seem to come with being 2, are short lived. They’re simple and quick. In the past few weeks he has developed his own mannerisms, his own unique phrases, his own unique personality traits. He is every bit as independent as his sister, but in totally different ways. He can’t yet dress himself as she can, but he can methodically figure out how an object works. He can passionately pound the keys of the piano and sing his heart out. He can play for hours, hard. He loves to cuddle, loves attention, and yet is loathe to seek it. In fact I could almost say he’s shy. He rarely speaks when visitors are around, yet talks constantly when he has you alone. He is imaginative and gentle, yet fierce when he feels he has been wronged.

And although I know I said the same thing last year, I look to Catherine now and I can’t imagine that he’ll be her size next year at this time. He has grown so strong, so fast, so tall, so big, so smart, so passionate in a year’s time

Why I love February...

noreply@blogger.com (Jen-fur Henry) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:03:00 +0000

It's the shortest month of the year
It's the shortest month of the year AND in the middle of winter. At least someone had the forethought to plan that.
It's the month of LOVE.... :)
As soon as it's done in comes March like a lion and March really flies
It means spring is coming
We usually have time off from school in February
It has a lot of even numbers in it
Max's birthday is in it :)
Groundhog's Day. A ridiculous holiday, but one I can really get behind...why not?
It's got that cool Leap Year thing...no other month has that!

It's February!

noreply@blogger.com (Jen-fur Henry) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 13:47:00 +0000

I'm in NYC! I've only been to NYC once before and it was also in February. In fact I didn't even bring my camera this time. I knew I wouldn't have a lot of time and that I had taken lots of photos the last time I was here. I honestly really don't have time to sight-see. If you're wondering why I have time to blog and not run around as a tourist it's because I have a meeting to be at and a group of people to meet and not enough time to do anything really cool in between. So I sit in my hotel room and write blog posts. I'm definitely not hauling this laptop on the subway though. Blech! It's starting to rain I think...or perhaps it's the ticking of the air conditioner above me. Then I wonder who the bloody hell runs the AC in February.

Then I remember where I'm staying. :)

I'm staying at the Wolcott. It's a 100 + year old hotel at 4 west and 31st street. The lobby is absolutely charming with rich ornate architecture that has been well maintained. It is small and it doesn't offer many of the commodities that I have grown used to in my travels (like room service when one is getting in at 9 at night). There's no gift shop, no swimming pool, no bellmen to greet you at the door. What there are instead are small and odd sized room that are quaint, but very reasonably priced for NYC. A clean room. And good service. Which I guess is all one can really ask for. The rooms do run on the warm side however. Which might explain what I think is my upstairs neighbors AC running.

I think there was even a Law and Order episode done here once....then again I think that about every place I see in New York.

Choo-Choo

noreply@blogger.com (Jen-fur Henry) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 02:58:00 +0000

It’s awfully disconcerting when you can’t see where you are going on a train. Or at least that’s what I’m thinking now that it’s 7pm and dark. The beautiful view that followed me most of the day is now concealed and every time the train slows down I’m left to wonder what’s going on. I’m on my way to NYC for a business trip and currently writing this blog entry on my laptop. I don’t have net access and will have to post it some time later tonight.

Perhaps it’s just due to life with a two year old boy who’s really into Thomas the Train but I keep waiting for the narrator to come on and narrate the story. These days George Carlin narrates Thomas so I’m waiting for his voice to start at any time. I also keep waiting for the climax in the story. Are we going to crash into a snow bank? Are the steamies and diesels going to argue? Is one of the engine’s going to break down and need to be rescued?

I did momentarily think I was going to get to recreate a scene from one of my favorite television series Lost about a group of people who crash land on an island. One of the characters, Charlie, is in the loo when the crash occurs. After waiting all afternoon I figured it was inevitable that I would have to use the loo, which on a train is the equivalent of a port-a-john that bounces up and down vigorously and rocks back and forth while you try to pee. If you haven’t had the experience, I think everyone should. While in there of course the train screeches to a halt in the middle of nowhere and the lights go out. Turns out the conductor had gotten a signal of another train approaching further down the track and so we had to wait ½ hour on the only section with two rows of track for the other train to pass. Needless to say I was horribly confused when I came out of the restroom and we were stopped in some field near Westport, NY.

It’s a long ride from the Adirondacks to New York City by train, but it is a brainless one. Granted, there are lots of stops along the way in towns that I didn’t even know had train stations. There’s no driving involved. I got on the train in Plattsburgh at noon and at 7pm I’m still riding and about 1 and ½ hours from NYC.

Princesses Rescued! Perp Apprehended!

noreply@blogger.com (Jen-fur Henry) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:29:00 +0000

Schuyler Falls, NY-Two princesses, allegedly kidnapped and held hostage for a span of three days were found safe this morning.

Princesses Annaleise and Rosella were found safe and zipped inside a lion shaped chair owned by Maxwell Henry, Schuyler Falls, NY.

Henry was apprehended and has been taken into custody. No charges have been pressed at this time.

Upon being taken into custody Henry growled at police and smiled.

Parents are continuing to investigate the case.

From the Archives January 27, 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Jen-fur Henry) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 03:12:00 +0000

Piss in a Bucket
A funny tale that is a family favorite.

Nick...Not!
My sudden realization that Nickelodeon television is for the most part full of worthless programming.

The Hunt for the Missing Princesses

noreply@blogger.com (Jen-fur Henry) — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 20:33:00 +0000

Lost: Two Barbie Princesses. One wearing pink dress from The Princess and the Pauper, the other wearing blue sparkly dress from The Island Princess. Last seen dancing with 3 year old girl in livingroom and bedroom. Has been missing for 3 days. Parents have combed every closet, purse, bag, cupboard, toybox, bed, bathroom, and even trash.

If found please return to Catherine.

Parents are going mad.

Life In The Fast Lane

noreply@blogger.com (Jen-fur Henry) — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 02:58:00 +0000

This post is a little different from my norm but I was compelled to write it after reading a post on Parentdish about Ageism and returning to work after taking a leave of absence. In this case the hot topic of discussion was working mothers who had taken several years off to raise their children only to return to the workplace and discover they couldn't compete any longer.

The comments that followed the original post talked about differences in generations. How previous generations held onto a job for life, but the current generation moves from job to job.

I agree that job retention may be a thing of the past. But I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing.

Maybe it's because I'm part of that generation that moves from job to job. Honestly, I look at my coworkers who've been in their positions 30+ years and I respect and admire them but then I also think "Holy Crap! I don't want to get trapped HERE! In THIS job FOREVER!"

Yeah, I've moved on to a few different jobs, but I've also moved up each time. I guess that's one difference. The current generation doesn't feel they owe their workplace anything. When a better offer comes along they take it.

Now honestly, I've got a fair amount of friends who are struggling to find jobs and in my honest opinion I think they either made poor decisions or they're being too fussy.

1. You've got to work your way up. Everyone does a crappy job sometime. Suck it up. So you've got a college degree, your dream job isn't there right now. Take the other job in the mean time and do it. Life goes on. Experience is experience. When the time is right, move on.

2. For the love of God don't study one specialized thing in college. If you leave a $50,000-$100,000 education only being able to do one particular type of job...well....I think that's just plain dumb. Sorry. I do. Make sure you leave college with a back up plan folks. Plain and simple. Your degree had better enable you to do more than one thing.

3. Take a job that gives you experience that you can grow from. Sorry but 'burger flipper' just isn't the sort of experience your employer is looking for. When you choose a job think about what experiences you might get out of it when you list it on your resume. And yes, that means it might not be THE job you've been waiting for forever. In fact, get the idea of looking for your DREAM JOB out of your head. You might get a great job, but if you're spending your life hunting for your DREAM JOB your going to be sorely disappointed...over and over again.

4. Never stop looking. This was a piece of advice given to me by a coworker when I was a college student. She was in her 40's at the time and would frequent the classifieds regularly. If she saw a job posting she liked she'd interview for it. She said it reminded her employer that she could leave at any time and it kept her interview skills sharp. Recently I ran into her...and yes, she was in a different job and much happier.

5. It is possible to have one career your whole life without having to have ONE job. Don't confuse the word career with job...it's not the same thing. You can still choose a career goal and stick with it for life, but you can still move from one job to another and continue to climb the job ladder...I personally believe it is misnamed as the career ladder....

6. This one sounds obvious but most people don't do it. Never stop learning. Go ahead and get that other degree you were thinking about. If your employer offers courses take them. Take that evening class, that non credit class, that online class. Subscribe to professional periodicals. It sounds dull. It sounds like work, but it also keeps you current. The next time there's a job open and you go against someone else and you're tossed an interview question about a current hot topic you'd better be prepared. Oh, and by the way, please hone your computer skills....you'll need them no matter where you go and what you do...

7. Stop Waiting. This is a general life one and one that I struggle with the most. I don't know how many friends I know that are waiting for something. We procrastinate. I'm not talking the little stuff here. I'm talking the big stuff. Remember when your mother would say "There's no time like the present?" She was right. Stop waiting to go back to school, to get that degree, to take that last class, to buy that car, to move into that bigger place, to look for a new job, to get married, to have a baby. Just do it. We worry so much about choosing the right time that we often never get around to doing it, or we don't do a lot of other things in the meantime because we're worrying about the when to do the big stuff. To quote NIKE "Just Do It." I'm going to try to be better about this myself.

Happy Birthday Dad!!

noreply@blogger.com (Jen-fur Henry) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 13:32:00 +0000

A very Happy Birthday to my Dad today!! Raised during the Great Depression my father has lived through some of the greatest and most frightening things this world has seen from man's first travels into space, to multiple wars, the invention of television, computers, creation of vaccines. More than I can even begin to comprehend.

My father is full of fabulous stories of a mischievous and simpler childhood. He has countless albums full of photographs that he developed himself of his adventures.

I hope he has a wonderful day today and takes a moment to pull those albums out and recount some of those stories. I've always encouraged him to write his stories down into a notebook, for I'm fearful that I'll forget them, or not recount them with the same fervor that he otherwise would.

Perhaps he'll take a moment today to do that.

From the Archives January 20th 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Jen-fur Henry) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 02:34:00 +0000

Home for the Holidays
A quick recap for everyone on the move into the new house and the hasty preparation for the holiday season.

Holidays
A recap of the chaos of traveling between families for the Christmas season. We vowed to never do that again. It was our first Christmas with two kiddos.

Our Humble Abode
A description of the first of the home improvements we had made thus far through January 2007. Emphasis on the kids new bedrooms. Discussion of the water in the basement. New curtains throughout.

MAX-imum Obsession

noreply@blogger.com (Jen-fur Henry) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 01:49:00 +0000

I noticed tonight both with some alarm and yet without surprise that Max does seem to obsess about things a bit. I realize that toddlers go through a stage of sorting toys into bins, etc. Catherine went through that stage. But Max is somehow different.

Tonight during dinner was a prime example. He got sauce on his hand and panicked because his hands were dirty. He demanded a napkin. He couldn't eat until he had one. We gave him a napkin and then he wiped, and wiped, and wiped, and wiped, and wiped, and wiped, and wiped his hands until finally we took the napkin away and he cried because his hands were still dirty. He also wouldn't begin eating until I wiped down his fork with a napkin, it seems the tines had touched the food already and gotten the fork dirty. Yes, this is the same food he's about to eat, but he won't put the fork in his mouth unless it's clean.

Although we did learn this afternoon that he will eat sparkly princess Play Doh so he isn't completely afraid of germs.

And while he's throwing his fit about his hands and utensils during dinner I look to the other end of the table and his sister, is elbow deep in her meal, her face a mess, food all over her shirt and the table. We would love it if she would even acknowledge that she has a fork most days.

My mother tells me stories of my father's mother. That she would constantly wash her hands until raw. My mother also tells how I hated to get messy while eating as a child. It took me years to comfortably eat sauces with my foods, or mayonnaise on a sandwich for fear of a mess. I do realize that the poor kid has genetics there for strange behavior.

And I haven't even counted Chuck's side yet ;)

Chuck and I have watched Max carefully take a puzzle apart piece by piece and carefully assemble it back together. And honestly? You wonder if there's something going on. It seems like absolutely every kid is labeled autistic these days. What if he was? Although a great essay that I read explains why autism could actually be a reason to celebrate. Without geniuses in the world where would we be?

I'm not saying he is, or that I even think that. He's 2. But he does seem to obsess. Is that normal?

From the Archives January 19th 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Jen-fur Henry) — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 16:11:00 +0000

Real Simple and Family Fun:
I wrote a review of Real Simple magazine that my mother in law had loaned to me and compared it to Family Fun magazine that I had recently subscribed to. At the time I decided that I didn't like Real Simple magazine. First and foremost because I had trouble with any magazine that large that was titled "Real Simple".

I do have to admit that since that post a year ago though that I have read the magazine a few more times and found it more appealing although I still find the size ironic and amount of ads appalling.

What a Strange Long Road It's Been...

noreply@blogger.com (Jen-fur Henry) — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 15:29:00 +0000

It wasn't that long ago...although sometimes it seems that way....when I returned home from a December Christmas party in 2001 and received the news that a good friend of ours had become accidentally pregnant. I'm ashamed to admit that my initial reaction was not positive, but instead selfish. I wanted it to be me in that situation and it just wasn't happening. It was some time before I could muster the courage to talk to her about her pregnancy and how it was going. She was very understanding and assured me that I would love being pregnant when my time came, and she assured me that there would be a time...she just knew it.

And there was. Times 2.

And lately Chuck and I have found ourselves in both a somewhat amusing and interesting situation. We are the first of our friends to have two kids. And now as our kids get older (trust me...the time really is flying) we've suddenly become the parenting experts.

That's certainly not to say we don't make mistakes. That we don't need help. Or that our kids can't get crazy and out of control. All of the above.

But lately we've found ourselves fielding questions for our friends on life with two. How do you afford it? How long should you wait? Does it take a long time to conceive between kids? Is it really harder? Do they really fight? Will they love one another? How does it affect your marriage? Will I regret it? Will I need a bigger vehicle? House? More stuff? Do I already have stuff? Will it be like parenting the first? Will it be totally different?

Currently we have three separate friends asking us the same set of questions. Two of our friends are also finding that while their conception with their first was easy their second is not easy to conceive at all. The third friend is preparing for what she knows will be a roller coaster of a conception since her first was also conceived with some difficulty.

The other night I asked Chuck how on earth we became experts. While its fun in some respects it is scary and alarming in others.

I'm a firm believer that things happen for a reason. While my days are filled with chaos with two children born 16 months apart, as they've grown older that age gap has become less and less of a problem. They've played with the same things at the same time, followed each other closely through the same stages. They can share bath time, story time, their own toys and living space and yet still keep their individuality.

I honestly don't know if there are more children in our future. A part of me sees us sitting back with our two kids and watching them grow while our other friends begin their families. We'll relax as they are just starting the chaos. The other part of me sees another child down the road..who knows...the infamous Henry/Robinson 'bonus baby'. Perhaps.

All things happen for a reason. Only time will tell.

Happy Birthday MaryEllen!

noreply@blogger.com (Jen-fur Henry) — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 15:00:00 +0000

Very happy birthday wishes to my Mother in Law MaryEllen today! This year marks a milestone birthday for her but I'll refrain from mentioning exactly which milestone she's met ;)

We managed to get the whole family together last weekend for a small gathering at our house. We then enjoyed a dinner at Nicola's in Plattsburgh before returning home for cake and the usual birthday affair.

Spring always marks a rapid cycle of birthdays in our families so when M's birthday arrives followed in rapid succession by my father's it's always a good sign. It give me hope that spring is really only a few weeks away.