Dear Lovely Everyone who is Reading This,
This summer I am planning to take the kids on a road trip which I already know hope will be infinitely better than last summer's. We won't have a dog with us for one thing. And I hoping the car doesn't break down in the middle of nowhere either.
The plan is to go first to Washington DC (probably for about a week), then onto Philadelphia (for about a day, I think), New York City (two, possibly three, days), Boston (haven't decided yet for how long), and finally Montreal (again, I'm undecided on the amount of time.)
I'm not so concerned about looking for the best things to do in Washington DC. I already have a good idea of how we will fill our time. My question is, for those who have lived there or previously visited, (or heck, just feel like doing a little internet-research while they should be working. Yep, I'm looking at you), what is the must-see or must-do thing in Philadelphia?
New York City? (I already know we're going to Ellis Island and the Staute of Liberty because Jesse has told me so.)
Boston?
Montreal?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
H.Banana
Once upon a time, a little girl and a little boy met, and fell in love, and married. One day the girl decided that the boy needed a vacation so she bought him one. For his birthday. To England. Well, although you would think that the boy would be delighted to take a vacation to England, he accused the girl of really booking the trip for herself so she could go home to visit her family?! I know!
After that, the boy forbade the girl from ever making vacation plans again without talking to him first.
The End.
Until...the boy had another birthday last weekend and that's how we wound up in Nashville. Ta-Da! Surprise!
We drove down to Nashville on Friday afternoon. What should have been a six-hour drive turned into rather more when we got stuck behind an accident and had to get off the freeway to eat (again!) and wander around the only shop available, Walmart. It wasn't pretty.
On Saturday morning, guess who we met for breakfast!
After saying goodbye to Steph and Jim we made our way to Franklin, a pretty little town about 20 minutes outside of Nashville which is famous for doing the unthinkable in America and keeping its original charm. There don't seem to be a lot of chain stores there and the shops are lovely.
(Note the pre-diet double chin. Pay close attention because in a few weeks it's going to be gone!)
The kids enjoyed chocolate fondue.
Did you know that in Nashville you can visit a full-scale replica of the Parthenon? Neither did I but it is, in fact, true. Why go all the way to Greece when you can build one in your own back yard?
One thing about Todd being on the South Beach Diet is that we had to eat awfully frequently. Every time I turned around he was flagging and needing meat, stat! Dinner was at the Hard Rock Cafe.
On Easter morning we had an egg hunt in our hotel room. When Todd saw me packing the eggs and the Easter baskets he said, "Geez Hannah, how old do you think the kids are? Two?" But unprovoked, eleven year old Jesse asked me later, "We are still having an egg hunt, aren't we?"
...we drove to The Hermitage, the home of Andrew Jackson, where I learned lots of things I didn't know before. Because I didn't know anything before.
And we all lived happily ever again. Or something like that.
- Firstly, let me state for the record: LIBBY IS NOT LOVED. Just as long as we're clear on that because I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea.
Exhibit A:
- Diet chocolate cherry Dr Pepper is delicious. Sure, it stains the counter tops and I dread to think what it does to my insides but it tastes so good.
- There is a phenomenon that is observable with animals that have been deprived of food. That is, they will eat whatever they can get their hands paws on thereafter with no regulation and with no correlation to appetite. I am that animal. Not that I have ever been deprived of food, but all the rest applies to me. This week it dawned on me that none of my clothes fit, my fat pants are skin tight, and I have a huge amount of weight to lose. Inspired by Mello, on Monday I start the South Beach Diet. (Yes, I'm starting on a Monday because I want to be able to enjoy my weekend.) I promise to not bore you with the details but I do hope that soon I'll be writing that I lost 40 pounds in one week.
- My cockroach? has passed away from causes unknown.
- I put Jesse's cell phone through the laundry! I am not a fan of exclamation marks -- they are used far too liberally-- but if any sentence of my week deserves to be exclaimed it's that. It was a nice phone too. Now it is dead.
- Stuff White People Like is a great blog. See especially Gifted Children. Truer words were never spoken. (I feel good about myself now actually because just last week, before I read this, I told my mother-in-law, "My kids are completely average and I'm fine with that.")
I don't know why* but I was just googling "most intelligent dog breeds". I ended up on the American Kennel Club website, looking at their page for Weimaraners. Of course there's this huge list of desirable physical traits, about which we care not one bit. Then I noticed that under "major faults" it lists "Doggy bitches. Bitchy dogs."
As a major fault.
What does that even mean?
*Actually, I do know why, and it's because I'm supposed to be reading Title I and Title II of the joke that is The No Children Left Behind Act and relating it back to Paradise Lost to be presented in my Ways of Reading class tomorrow, and wouldn't you rather find out where your dog ranks** in intelligence?
** Weimaraners are number 21, and Yorkshire Terriers are number 27.
We sing like angels, no? I notice Todd's voice is conspicuous by its absence. But Francie makes a cameo appearance.
We had a lovely break. Of course I didn't do any of my work that I had brought with me which caused me to have a quite real panic attack when I arrived home after an eight hour drive yesterday and contemplated just how much I need to accomplish in the next...day. Todd forced some kava down my throat, my mouth went numb, and I was able to fall asleep.
Anyway! The trip to Kansas (it was Kansas, I discovered. And also Missouri) was great. Never let it be said that my in-laws don't understand and live by the principle "The more, the merrier"; there were five adults and seven children cohabiting (mostly) peacefully for the week.
We did all kinds of fun things. I think the kids would probably say that horse riding was the best thing, but they're not around to confirm that opinion. I started uploading a few pictures to Flickr today -- the rest will follow slowly.
As for me, I am wondering how long one can go without sleep so that one may catch up on one's many obligations. Also, Todd and I have independently and simultaneously become utterly dissatisfied with our house. Yay!
In a few minutes we're heading out the door to.... Kansas. Or Missouri. I can never remember which.
WHOOO..ooooooo?
My fellow students are off to Cabo, Cancun and Florida but we're heading to Missouri. Or Kansas.
Don't have too much fun without me!
Number One: College?
Jesse wants to quit scouts. Who can blame him? However, he needs to replace scouts with another activity, and that other activity needs to not be video games. He needs to find something else to be involved in -- a school club, another sport, music lessons. At his school (and probably every other school in America, but I have no frame of reference) they have some 6th grade students who act as safety monitors during drop-off and pick-up times. (What they actually accomplish I'm not sure, but they stand outside in reflective vests.) Jesse told me that he had considered signing up to be a safety monitor next year, but then reconsidered when he contemplated walking home by himself every day.
"It's good that you're thinking of ways to be involved" I said.
"Yeah," he said, " because then I was thinking that could put it on my college application."
His college application.
His college application.
"Sixth Grade Safety Monitor". So cute.
Number Two: The Joy of Typewriters
Libby has wanted a typewriter for a long time. Please don't ask me what has taken me so long to locate one for the girl because I should have done it long ago. Last week she mentioned wanting a typewriter, I went to ebay, plugged in "typewriter", bid on an auction, won it two hours later, and within a week Libby had a manual typewriter sitting on her desk awaiting her return from school. Unfortunately I was taking a nap when she discovered it so I didn't get to witness and enjoy her surprise. When I woke up there was a typed note on the pillow next to me:
thank you mom; I love it. I have wanted a typewriter. You have heard me say I want a typewriter. I love love love love it. It is so great great great great great. I cannot tell you how happy I am. My day is great now. I love you mom alot alot alot alot alot alot.
Who knew a typewriter could make you more happy than you could say?
Number Three: Animals in Clothing
Remember that book Animals Should not Wear Clothing? I happen to disagree with that sentiment. We bought Jacques a coat because the vet said he was too small to go outside without one. I cannot, however, use vet's orders to justify my latest purchase.
That's right, they sell TIES for animals, people!
I'm not sure which I like more, that you can actually buy a tie for your pet, or that it comes with washing instructions (Hand wash cold, do not bleach, line dry). Probably both.
