Sunday, December 28, 2014

Live Lovey

We're visiting my good friend Brady in Yonkers. Charlotte is enjoying Momo, who is as soft as a stuffed animal but living!

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Friday, December 19, 2014

Walking to School

The girls have been walking on this neighbor's wall on the way to school almost every day for more than five years. It's a tradition!

We'll see of Audrey still does it next year on the way to Middle School.


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Saturday, October 25, 2014

Heading to the Halloween Party

The girls are in costume and headed to the Halloween Party at school.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Young Artist

When Charlotte has possession of one of our phones, she will often make a video. Typically they are too long, even though I keep reminding her that we live in the post-MTV era when no one wants to watch a video more than two minutes long, and with no cuts longer than three seconds.

This one is just about the right length.

She's a documentarian in the making.

As always, click on the photo to go to the video.

Monday, September 29, 2014

May Photos

Here's an album of pretty random photos from May.

Rhodie was still a cute small puppy (she was born New Year's Day so she was four months old in May). Now she's a teenager and is probably approaching her adult size.

That's about all to say about this batch. See the captions for more.

Enjoy!

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Ruby's New Tent

Way back in May the tool I use to upload photo albums stopped working. I needed to find a new method, but I got busy with summer and a job change and life. Then this week I discovered that the tool I use still works, I just have to use it differently. So get ready for the flood of photo albums to get us up to date.

We'll start with some photos from May when I replaced the pop-top tent on Ruby, our VW Vanagon camper van.

The original tent was canvas and was getting pretty tired. It only had one window, which didn't provide enough ventilation. The screen in the window was badly torn.

The new tent is nylon and more mildew-resistant. It has three windows, all with replaceable screens.

I had read the instructions for replacing the tent in advance and knew it was going to be a tedious job. There are a lot of screws that are in hard to reach places. I was prepared, therefore, and I was able to remain patient through hours of struggle.

The girls love being able to open the side windows. They can also easily remove the screen from the front window and climb out onto the little cargo deck above the driver and passenger seats.

We've had a few camping trips since then and we love the new tent.

Sunday, August 31, 2014

Greenlake

During all my years living in Seattle I have never swum in Greenlake - until this summer. The lore is that you'd get swimmer's itch. Apparently that was true at one time but since the geese have been better controlled it's no longer true.

Anyway, my parents' Seattle home is a block from the lake and this summer the girls swam in the lake every day. The weather was perfect and the water was warm.

I only brought the GoPro (waterproof camera) one day. Unfortunately it wasn't one of the days that Audrey jumped off the high dive!

Click on the image to see a little video of our lake adventures.

Friday, August 29, 2014

Girls, Girls, Girls

Boy, do I love my girls.

No school today so the family came to see my new office and go to lunch.

Charlotte got a new haircut.

Audrey built a reading fort.

Monday, August 25, 2014

Achievements

I've mentioned some of the "firsts" that the girls achieved this summer. I am so proud of them both for trying so many new things and I wanted to recognize it. So I made these certificates and presented them at dinner last night, while Mom and I hummed Pomp and Circumstance.

The girls were proud.

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Last Day at the Pool

Today is the last day that the public pool near our house is open. We, of course, had to enjoy it.

Charlotte can swim an entire width of the pool freestyle with rotary breathing. Way to go Char!

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Home Pool

We've been back home from vacation almost a week now. We're getting back into the local swing of things.

The free state pool near our house is open until 7:00 pm every day during summer. We like to come at the end of the day. Tonight the light was especially nice so I grabbed a few shots.

Friday, August 1, 2014

Audrey Water Skiing

During our Seattle visit our friends Matt and Jeana invited us and other friends over to swim and boat.

Matt has a brand new ski boat, and the kids who wanted to got a chance to try water skiing. Audrey, as always, was game.

She fell while trying to get up on her first two attempts, which is completely normal. But on her third attempt she made it, and then stayed up for a long time before letting go.

Audrey was very proud, and we were excited for her!

Thank you very much, Matt and Jeana!

Click on the image to go to the video.

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Vacation Video: Columbia River

Our Washington State summer vacations always have two phases: Richland to visit Carol's parents, and Seattle to visit mine. The two phases have very distinct flavors. In Seattle Carol and I scramble to see as many friends as we can while giving the girls as much grandparent time as possible. In Richland we relax, relax, and then relax some more. Oh, and eat Mary Jane's great food.

The only thing that interrupts our relaxation in Richland is taking the boat out on the Columbia River, which is a block away from home. A few years ago Dennis dusted off the boat they've had since Carol was a child. It's become a favorite activity of the girls.

They have a large inflatable sled-like raft that is towed behind the boat. Audrey has loved riding on it for a few years. Charlotte is much more nervous on the water and hadn't ridden it yet. But this year she gave it a try. We taught her the hand signals so she was in control of the speed. She loved it, and was very proud of herself for getting past another fear.

Click on the image to go to the video.

Now we're in the Seattle phase. More on that later.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Crane Beach Video

Here's some video from our lovely visit to Crane Beach last Saturday evening.

It was shot with the GoPro on a monopod (a stick).

Click on the image to go to the video.

Monday, July 14, 2014

Crane Beach

On Saturday we went to Crane Beach in the evening for a friend's birthday party. It was a gorgeous evening. We didn't have many beach days last summer for some reason. The girls really enjoyed the water.

It was also the evening of the supermoon. This photo is taken over the salt marsh behind the beach.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Winter Vacation

In February we took our annual vacation to visit the grandparents in Palm Desert, CA and Tucson, AZ.

We enjoyed fantastic weather the entire trip. It was in the 70s and 80s in Palm Desert and the 70s in Tucson.

This year we organized the trip a little differently with an open jaw flight itinerary. That gave us one less day of driving since we only had to do the Palm Desert to Tucson drive in one direction.

The girls had a ton of time in the pool in both places. They love hanging out in the Palm Desert pool with Aunt Betsy. Grandma and Aunt Betsy also like to take them shopping.

We did a bunch of cool outdoor things this trip. While in Palm Desert we went horseback riding at Smoke Tree Stables, and we also went for a hike in Indian Canyons. Carol and I went hiking there the previous year and loved it so much we wanted to return with the girls. Audrey also went with Carol and me to ride the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.

It's become a tradition to have our farewell breakfast at a pancake place called Keedy's. Another part of that tradition is we always try to get a good family photo. We scored this year.

Carol and I love to road trip, so we enjoyed the 5-hour drive to Tucson. I love the wide open vistas when driving in the desert.

In Tucson we visited several favorite places.

The previous year we discovered the fantastic Children's Museum Tucson and this year we returned there and had just as much fun.

Carol and I went for a date night to a restaurant we also discovered last year: the Downtown Kitchen. Even with my post-cancer treatment taste and saliva challenges I enjoyed dinner.

We always spend a few hours at Funtastick's. We ride go-karts, play laser tag, ride the rides and play mini-golf. They also have bumper boats but it wasn't quite warm enough to get that wet. The highlight this year was that Audrey was tall enough to drive a go-kart by herself. She loved it!

Dennis and Mary treated us to lunch at the Westward Look Bar & Grill. We had a lovely lunch on the patio with a beautiful view of the Tucson valley and the mountains to the west.

We also visited the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, another favorite place. It and The Living Desert Museum in Palm Desert are very similar, with a long path that winds through the desert among animal exhibits that manage to not feel very much like a zoo.

Finally, we did some more hiking near Grandma Mary and Grandpa Dennis' house in Oro Valley. We hiked the Lower Javelina trail in Wild Burro canyon starting at the Dove Mountain Resort.

Phew! That was a busy vacation! But very fun.

Monday, May 26, 2014

My Spring Collection

Having a dog leads one to walk around one's neighborhood a lot more.

During those walks this spring, I've been enjoying all the flowers in neighborhood gardens. When I see especially pretty ones, I snap a photo and send virtual flowers to my sweetheart.

This album is a collection of my favorites.

Sunday, May 25, 2014

John's Birthday

My birthday was this week.

It was an especially happy one. Way better than last year, when I was in surgery for a biopsy on my birthday.

Whenever I don't ride my bike to work, I take the train and then walk a little more than a mile to the office. I often walk along the Greenway and pass the Custom House. A couple of months ago I stopped in and discovered that one could go up in the tower. At the time, Boston was still in the throws of a prolonged unusually cold winter. I wanted to wait until it was warmer and then have the family join me in town after work to visit the tower.

The stars happened to align for such a visit on my birthday!

The family met me at South Station. We made a brief visit to a Pop Art exhibit at the Intercontinental Hotel. Then we visited my office for a few minutes and Audrey and I played some foosball. After that we moseyed along the Greenway (the park on top of the Big Dig) to the Custom House.

While we were waiting for access to the tower we explored the lobby. The building is now a Marriott Vacation Club hotel. The round lobby is beautiful, with two balconies and a high domed ceiling. There's also a cool cutaway model of the building.

Then we were shown to the elevators and went to the observation deck. It was an excellent clear evening and we could see forever. The tower has a very cool view of Logan Airport just across the inner harbor. It also gives a great perspective on the North End.

The girls chased each other around the tower a few times.

On our way back down we stopped in the Game Room, which happens to be where the clock mechanism is. It's surprisingly small, and the single mechanism is linked by four arms to the clock faces on the four sides of the tower.

Apparently that linked mechanism was added later, in order to make room for elevator shafts. Before that, each face had its own mechanism and, since they never agreed, the tower clock was known as "The Four-faced Liar".

From the game room we could see through a window to the inside of one of the clock faces. We could see through the huge "6".

After the tower we went to nearby Quincy Market to have dinner at Wagamama. It's a new favorite of the girls'. They have yummy noodle and rice dishes. Audrey has been enjoying their teriyaki cod.

We would have also ridden the cool one-year-old custom carousel on the Greenway, but it was only open on weekends until Memorial Day - we were a few days too early. Next time.

After dinner we made our way to the T for a quick ride home.

This was the best birthday I've had in a long time. I thoroughly enjoyed our family evening together.

And no surgery!

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Spot Pond Kayaking

Audrey has been asking to go kayaking on Spot Pond for a long time. Today we finally did it. We had a great time.

I bought a 4-pack of passes that are good at several locations so we'll also check out Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield.

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Rhodie at Four Months

My mom reminded me last night that I haven't been very good at sending updates about the puppy. Here you go!


Rhodie is four months now. She got her last round of puppy shots last week so she's been to the dog park every day this week. She's getting the hang of it.


She is quite popular on our walks in the neighborhood. I'm meeting all kinds of new people!


Training is going pretty well. It can be frustrating and challenging at times but it's definitely working. Carol is the alpha dog and Rhodie knows it. 


I am usually the first person Rhodie sees in the morning and she is very sweet. She gets out of her crate and melts onto my lap for some love. She also greets me very warmly when I get home from work. 





Sunday, April 27, 2014

Roller Skating

Audrey and I went skating yesterday with some friends. I made a little video.

Look! I'm being creative again!

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Audrey Skating Photos

Here are Audrey's official photos from Figure Skating this winter season.

Audrey skated in two pieces. Her lesson group skated to "You Belong With Me" and her featured trio skated to "Firework".

Click the images for larger versions.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Charlotte Skating Photos

Here are Charlotte's official photos from Figure Skating this winter season. This was her costume for the end-of-season ice show. Charlotte's group skated to "Hey Soul Sister".

I have video of both girls' skating programs. I'll post it as soon as I have time to edit it. I'll also post Audrey's photos when we receive them.

Click the images for larger versions.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

New Puppy

When I was about nine years old my family got a puppy, but we had no idea how to train it or handle it and she became a little wild. My parents found a new home for her on a farm with hippies. We had her for maybe a couple of months. That was the extent of my dog ownership.

Until now.

The girls have been chipping away at Carol and me for years. Every couple of months we would hear the plea, "Can we get a puppy?"

I started out being adamantly against it. Having never had a dog, it felt like a huge responsibility to me (it is!). We take two longish trips a year to the west coast and we like to go camping on weekends, etc. I couldn't see how that would all work. But I started to weaken just a little.

Our next door neighbor had an older dog when they moved in shortly after us. That dog passed away last year. They have three little boys and the husband doesn't want to add a new dog to the chaos, but Sue misses having a dog around. She told Carol that whenever we were out of town she would be happy to have our dog at her house. That was the key.

That was about a year ago, and we started to lay plans to get a dog after school started when Carol would have lots of time to devote to training. But cancer interrupted that plan.

Now that I'm recovering we started thinking about it seriously again.

We gave a lot of thought to breeds. Golden and Labrador retrievers are obvious choices for a family with young kids. Carol determined that English Labs are even better - an even better temperament than the more common Field Labs. But we had a little concern about size since we drive a Prius with a moderate amount of room in the back.

We went to visit an English Lab breeder. It's possible that he breeds for size (large), but we came away feeling like an English Lab was a little too much dog for us. The puppies sure were cute, though.

The next breed we identified was English Springer Spaniels. We went to a local dog show and met a woman who was showing both English Springers and Cocker Spaniels. We got a good idea of size. The English Springer is also supposed to have a great temperament for families.

We had a lot of discussion about whether to get a shelter dog or a purebred from a breeder. Carol really wants to maximize the chance of success so she wanted a pure breed that is likely to have the average temperament for the breed. Also, one of the points of getting a dog is for the girls to have the full puppy experience. Our local shelter doesn't get young puppies. You can get them from websites like Puppy Finder but for some reason almost all of those dogs are shipped up here from the south. That makes us think they are puppy mills. In the end, we decided to buy a purebred dog.

Carol found and talked to several area English Springer breeders. Just for kicks you should check out one breeder in Connecticut - be sure to scroll down to the photos of the kennels. Nicer than most people's kitchens!

We were also trying to get the timing just right. We take our winter trip to the west coast in the latter part of February and ideal timing would be to find a puppy that would be eight weeks old when we return. That would maximize the puppy experience and also give us maximum time with the dog before we go on vacation in July.

We found such a breeder in Wakefield, Rhode Island. We went down to see the puppies weekend before last and we ended up putting a deposit on the female runt of the litter. The breeder's family has named her Rhodie after the mascot of the University of Rhode Island. We like the name and are likely to keep it. It will always remind us where she came from.

The photo above is roughly what she'll look like as a adult.

Carol is determined to have a well-trained, well-tempered dog. That's part of what convinced me to do it - Carol is all in with the idea of her being the principal trainer and she takes the responsibility very seriously. She has been poring through puppy training books and watching hours of Dog Whisperer (which she's watched for years).

We bring Rhodie home on February 26. The girls are counting the days.

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Christmas 2013

We had low energy but enjoyable holidays this year. I was off work from the 19th until the end of the year. I was supposed to go back to work today (January 2) but we are having a perfectly timed, 36-hour snowstorm so I won't go to work for four more days!

We buy our tree from the high school band. This year we went a little later than usual and they only had larger trees left. We bought the widest tree we've ever had. Good thing we had room for it.

We have friends a few streets away who are from Germany. They invited us over for Christmas Eve dinner. Antje made a traditional German Christmas Eve feast:

  • Grapefruit Endive Salad
  • Wedding soup (small meatballs and vegetables in chicken and beef broth)
  • Roast Goose
  • Fruit and walnut stuffing
  • Dumplings and gravy
  • Red cabbage
  • Parsnips and celery root
  • Pears with cranberry sauce
  • Chocolate mousse and macaroons

It was all quite delicious. My challenged taste buds liked the variety of new flavors.

The girls really enjoyed Christmas and their gifts. Their biggest gifts were huge stuffed bears.

Santa brought Wii U, the newer version of the Wii video game system, and also a couple of games for it. The girls spent much of Christmas Day playing the new games.

During the break we got out for a couple of good walks.

On New Year's Eve the Giuliana-Lattas came over for dinner and games. They brought a bunch of ice cream with dry ice to keep it cold (they distributed ice cream to several neighbors). The next day the girls and I played with the dry ice in warm water. Great fun!

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Charlotte Turns Eight

Charlotte's birthday was the day before Thanksgiving this year. We had a family celebration on her actual birthday, then a party the following weekend when her friends were more likely to be available.

The main thing Charlotte asked for was a guitar. We got her a "3/4 scale" guitar that will be easier for our little peanut to play. We plan to sign her up for lessons in the new year.

Carol organized a party with a Cowgirl theme. Charlotte chose the dessert design: cupcakes with ponies. They also had a scavenger hunt outside, s'mores by the fire inside plus some more games.

Until February we have 8- and 9-year-olds. Not quite sure how that happened.

Friday, January 3, 2014

Fall Photos

In the fall we started to venture a little further from home.

As a way to regain some strength and endurance, Carol and I started going for longer and longer walks. At first they were around the neighborhood and Melrose. We spent a lot of time looking at house colors since our's needs paint next year (we're thinking a warm yellow). Then we started wandering farther afield and visited some open spaces that were new to us.

Thanksgiving weekend we drove to New York to visit my dear friend Brady and his family. Our girls have always been in love with Brady's daughter Isabel (she's 17 now). Brady and family have been living in Abu Dhabi for two years and just returned this summer so we got to see them for the first time and catch up.

We resumed our practice of getting outdoors on the weekends. In early December we visited the Crane Estate to see it decorated for Christmas

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Summer Snaps

I was supposed to go to work today and tomorrow, but we're having a perfectly timed big snowstorm so I get four more days of vacation! A good time to try to catch up on blog posts.

I notice that these photos are all taken very close to home. I was in cancer treatment from June into August and then recovering for a few months so we weren't getting very far afield.

We had a lot of visitors to help, though. The girls got to spend a lot of time with their aunts and grandparents. We are so grateful for their help, love and support!

If you are new to the cancer story, you can get all the gory details over at Cancer Fun Time!