Wellfleet Trip

Rick, Harper and I returned from a week in Wellfleet, MA. Photos here.

The trip started with an unexpected detour for me to Asheville for my grandmother's funeral (see posts below). Rick and Harper drove to Arlington, VA Friday night and stayed through Sunday morning with Uncle Bill and Aunt Danielle. I am very jelous that Rick was able to take Harper to her first "spray park": a playground with water jets and fountains.

Rick and Harper got on the Acela train in Washington DC Sunday morning, and I got on a plane in Charlotte, NC and somehow we all met up with Rick's sister in Boston and drove to Wellfleet.

Rick's mum found a really wonderful rental house on Long Pond where we all stayed for a week. We were joined by our family friend Paula. And across the lake were old family friends who vacationed in Wellfleet with Rick's family when he was young.

A typical day:

1) Wake up wayyy too early as Harper never sleeps in on vacation.

2) Play with Harper until everyone else gets up.

3) Go play in the water, either the pond or the ocean

4) Lunch

5) Harper naps, Rick and Diana either nap or get some exercise.

6) Another swim with Harper

7) Dinner

8) Harper to bed, followed soon after by everyone else.

We did go to Provincetown (aka "PEE town" according to a t-shirt I bought for Harper). I LOVED this little town. While Rick, Kate, Paula, and Dixie all went whale watching I ran a mile long jetty out to the very narrowest part of Cape Cod. It was beautiful. The running on the jetty was probably pretty stupid, but I survived.

Our travel home balanced out all the relaxation. Dixie drove us to a bus station. The bus took us to Boston's Union Station. The Acela took up to Washington DC's Union Station. A cab took us to Bill and Danielle's house where we left our car, then we drove the 3 hour drive home. Total: 15 hours of travel.

Blog only photos

I finally downloaded photos off out point and shoot camara and found a few gems.

Harper drunk on milk:

Harper riding a cow at the Manchester, IN library:

Harper with Aunt Laura:

Bertie Boone Sams

My remembrances

Many of the funeral stories were of Bertie’s mother. Maude, known as Mami, lived 99 years. I met her on two occasions. While Bertie was shy and liked to observe, Mami and the other “B’s” as the sisters were known, are notorious for their sharp wit. Mami discouraged her children from sneaking into her closet by telling them, “You know there are dead people in there.”

My father, Charles, remembers being dropped off at his grandmother’s house for a weekend and having Mami say in a somber voice, “Charles, you know they aren’t ever coming back.”

Bertie and Glen raised Charles in Asheville while the rest of his cousins grew-up in rural North Carolina. He remembers Maude asking him to go milk the cows while visiting and he replied, “I don’t do that. I’m a city boy.”

I also heard a number of stories of corporal punishment. Maude was known to switch her children for misbehaving. Bethel told me that she received the most whippings because she was the worst. She said this to me with the Boone twinkle in her eye.

Birma is a family historian and gossip and at the reception regaled the entire family with the story of her father, Lewis, who ran logging camps across the South. Through the Great Depression he and Maude kept the family fed, clothed, and shod with logging, and an extensive farm. Lewis was a keeper of fox hounds and loved to spend nights out fox hunting, which seemed more like an excuse to tromp into the mountains, build a huge fire, and tell lies with the men and their sons. I don’ t think a fox was ever disturbed from its slumber by Lewis’s skinny fox hounds, but I know all the men enjoyed their nights outside listening to the braying.

Almost all of my sorrow during the weekend was caused by the surety that could have known better. But her passing allowed me to meet a dozen relations for the first time.

Her official obituary:

Bertie Boone Sams , 91, of Asheville, went to be with the Lord on Wednesday July 21, 2010.

Bertie was born December 24, 1919 in Madison County, NC. She was the daughter of the late Maude and Lewis Boone of Madison County.
Surviving are her husband, Glen W. Sams of Asheville; her son Charles Sams of Atlanta, Ga., and daughter Samantha (Norma) Salvadorini of Lexington, NC.
Bertie has four sisters, Bonnie Gosnell of Marshall, Bethel Ammons of Weaverville, Beulah Brown of Shelby, Birma Sawyer of Swannanoa, and brothers Wayne and Ernest Boone.

Bertie has three grandchildren, Lisa Salvadorini Cascardo of New York, Kimberly Salvadorini of New York and Diana McSpadden of Williamsburg, VA. Bertie has one great grandson Miikko Salvadornini and one great granddaughter Harper Todd.

Bertie spent much of her time working for the Clerk of the Court for Bumcombe County. Bertie was a member of the West Asheville Baptist Church and the Chapter of the Eastern Star.

Those desiring to make a memorial contribution are encouraged to consider the Alzheimer’s Association – Western Carolina Chapter 3800 Shamrock Drive, Charlotte, NC 28215

Thank you Aunt Samantha for the remembrance

Quick Trip to Asheville

My paternal grandmother (Chuck's mother for those of you in the know of my complex family tree) passed away this last week. I am in Asheville for the services. I am also meeting family for the first time. Saturday morning finds me in a condo catching-up on work and watching the Tour de France with my newly discovered uncle David.

Last night I was regaled by the story of my great-great uncle "Maul" (my best spelling of heavily accented Appalachian ole-world English pronunciation) who murdered a competing suitor, was sent to prison, escaped from prison and hid under his mother's porch while his father was out with a posse searching for his escaped convict son. Maul ended up moving across the state and starting a large family of his own with a woman who hadn't roused his blood lust. My grandfather Glen's response to the story, "Guess he needed killin."

My greatest sorrow on this trip is that this is my first time getting to know many of these relatives, and hearing these stories. I will post more about my grandmother, Bertie Sams, after the services this afternoon.

On the plus side her immune system is getting stronger

Poor Harper. Heat rash started last week. Followed by a UTI diagnosed Monday at urgent care. (Watching a little one get cath'ed is no 4th of July treat). And now she was diagnosed with Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease which is making its rounds at Montessori.

Antibiotics. Ibuprofen. Liquid diet.

Next week we get to decide if we want to subject our daughter to a very strongly recommended voiding cysto cystogram. Parents not happy. Harper not happy.

Lily is also strangely scared of our floor fan.

MidWest Trip

Harper and I triumphantly returned to Virgina from 10 days in the MidWest.

Activities included:
1) Custer Street fair
2) Diana at a gyrotonics class
3) Dinner with Alex and Lynn
4) Breakfast at Blind Faith Cafe
5) Driving the wrong route to New Paris
6) Time with Abuela, Grandpa, Towser, Stella Moo, and Nikki
7) Birds, fish, Susu, Great-grandparents, tornado, sleeping in bathtub
8) Susu nannying
9) North Manchester park
10) Excellent lunch at Kenomokopoko
11) Relaxing at great-grandmother McSpadden's
12) Fancy dinner out with Abuela and Grandpa Larry
13) Driving the correct route back to Chicago
14) Skokie Farmer's Market
15) Flying home

See the photos here: http://www.s9s.net/June2010MidWest/

Two Photo Galleries

First, is a photo gallery from dinner at Abby and Nina's house:

http://www.s9s.net/LateApril/








Second, is a photo gallery that includes Mother's Day and Camy's Graduation from Colorado College: http://www.s9s.net/Graduation/index.html

Harper and Nine: Mother's Day 2010

Diagnosis: Strep Throat

Doctor's appointment for Harper on Tuesday
Fever: 103.6
Diagnosis: Strep Throat
Treatment: Tylenol, Antibiotics, Eye Drops
Pharmacist Says: Antibiotics taste bad, cause loose bowels, eat lots of yogurt
Behavior: Awake all night. Moody.
But fever is gone.

Now Mom's throat hurts.
Psychosomatic? Doctor appointment for Mom today.

I'm Waiting For Her Head To Spin Around

Saturday morning Rick, Harper, and I packed into the car for an overnight trip to Virginia Beach. Our long-time, Colorado-residing friend Karen was making an appearance in Virginia with her oldest daughter, Rachel. We were meeting at the VA Beach Aquarium, to be followed by Puerto-Rican restaurant, beach-time, pool-time, and ice-cream.

The aquarium was fabulous (pictures to be posted soon). We finally found a restaurant that wasn't crappy pancake-house, or crappier pizza. Check out Mojito Cafe next time you are at VA Beach.

We checked into our hotwire-rate ocean-front hotel, Harper and I napped while Rick and friends frolicked on the beach, and in the chorline-whiskey scented pool. Then we all went out for ice cream. Karen left for the evening, and the McTodds had a nice, though rushed, dinner.

Then we went to our hotel room, put Harper to sleep in her tent, and proceeded to watch bad tv, read our books, and try to go to sleep.

At 9 PM we were reminded why we hate to stay in hotels. The VA Beach Ocean Front Sheraton had given us an adjoining room, the kind with the connected, yet locked door to another hotel room, with 4 high-school boys on a field trip. The other three rooms around us also contained high-school friends. Why do hotel doors close with such a dramatic, multi-syllabic bang? We gave the young men til 11 PM when Rick spoke with their chaperon, and hotel staff. They settled down.

Oh, did I forget to mention that Rick was on-call. Silly me. At 3 AM he got an on-call page. He kindly went into the bathroom, sat on the toilet softened by a folded up bath towel, and used the counter as a desk. Then at 4 AM Harper started making some strangled gurgles in her tent. Then cried. I stumbled over to the tent, stuck my hand in to feel warm, chunky liquid that was soon identified as baby vomit.

Harper and I joined Rick in his office/hotel bathroom as we took a bath to clean off the vomit while he fixed the Colonial Williamsburg e-commerce site. Then we all snuggled in a double-bed together and slept for an hour when Harper woke-up again and projectile vomited all over the bed.

We immediately called for the bell-boy and drove home. Oh, and we left $20 for room service. I hope this was enough.

Well, Harper seemed fine. We kept her on clear liquid + dry toast + apple sauce + bananas diet. Then last night she was fusy, and had no appetite and registered a 103.5 temp on an ear thermometer, and a 101 on the doctor-preferred, baby-hated rectal. What has happened since: baby tylenol, lots of sleep, and staying home for school.

Here is the URL to the promised Easter Photos: Kent Easter 2010

Easter: More To Come

Rick, Harper, and I returned from a quick Easter/ Birthday celebration in Kent, CT last night. More details/photos to come. Here is a brief glimpse.

H's first 3 days of school update

Day 1: 1 hour - 15 minutes in class room with teacher, 45 minutes on playground with other kids - went well although a couple of times she got a little overwhelmed and wanted to sit on Dad's lap
Day 2: 2.5 hours - in classroom with other students and on playground - all with mom - was very needy
Day 3 (today) - 3.5 hours - was needy in classroom with mom. Mom leaves. Harper does great. Mom and dad are torn between wanting to be needed and wanting her to be happy/independent

More Photos

More photos of the family including Grandpa Chuck and Grandma Sha-Sha's visit, and the visit from Auntie Kate:
http://s9s.net/HarperFeb2010/index.html

punishment from The Chicken

Well, we are surviving..barely. Head and chest colds all around. Some progress teaching Harper to blow her nose. And then Monday afternoon Rick came down with a very nasty bout of food poisoning. We called an ambulance at 8:00PM Monday night and I am very glad we did as Rick could hardly stand up without the risk of fainting, and there was blood where there shouldn't be any blood. Our awesome baby sitter, Kendra, came over and I went the hospital for a few hours, then came back home. Rick arrived home via a taxi around 1:30 AM. Kendra was nice enough to spend the night and helped by getting Harper up in the morning and walking Lily.

Rick is starting to recover. He has managed to eat a few bananas and some white bread. We all still have the darn head/chest colds.

Totally Forgot

jacket, coat, pull, push, banana, cup, wipe, hat, shirt

Words Harper Says as of 02/04/10 (17 months old)

Listed in the order of my best memory of when she learned them
mama
poppa
monkey
lamby
Nina
Abby
book
Harper
all done
hi
light
walk
big step
away
back
please
more
no
thank you
duck
sheep
night night
nap
lap
sit
tubbies (aka bath)
shower
slide
milk
water
snack
play
Elmo
puppy
doggy
Lily
hello
help
diaper
clean up
night night
ahh choo (which she says after she sneezes)

Artic Albino Elmo

Until March 8th, when Harper starts Montessori, Harper spends two days a week at an in-home day-care. The same place her "best friend", Nina, goes. Teresa is the woman who wrangles the children. Last week Teresa made a picture-flap-game thing. It was construction paper with photos from magazines glued to it, then paper towels glued on one side hiding the photos. The children and then pull-up the flap to see the pictures.

Well, there is a picture of a penguin under one flap, and under the flap next to it is a picture of Elmo. Harper, who has never seen Elmo before, heard the older children saying "Elmo, Elmo" and now whenever she see a photo of a penguin she calls it "Elmo". And I can't bring myself to correct her. In fact, I called a penguin Elmo today. Bad mommy.

January Photos

New skills: going down the slide by herself, and trying to blow-up our friends' house with the photo light charger. See it all here: http://www.s9s.net/HarperJan2010/

First Bloody Lip and Nose

So poor Harper has had three injuries in her almost 17 months:
The New Years 2009 Fall Down the Stairs;
The Falling Off Bed, Breath Holding, Ambulance and ER Trip of May 2009;
and now
The Bloody Lip and Nose From Fall With a Hard Sippy Cup Incident of Jan 2010.

We didn't go to the ER, just left a message with our doctor. It was very hard to not wisk her off to get medical care when her little nose was bleeding, and I could see two perfect bite marks on her lower lip. After many hugs, book reading, and drinking of orange juice (ouch! Can't believe she drank citrus with a bloody lip, but she loved it) she seems fine.

Christmas Photos

Oh yes we did get the Christmas photos online before Easter. Really. Here's the link:
http://www.s9s.net/Christmas09