Friday, March 25, 2011
iPhone Microscopy - Anatomy Edition
Tonight when I got home from work Charlotte picked up the iPhone microscope and wanted to use it. This time we applied it to various body parts of me, her and mom. Audrey was grossed out by the whole enterprise.
It's a good lesson about generalizing about one's own kids. The overall impression Audrey gives us is of a daring tomboy and Charlotte seems like the traditional girly girl. But when it comes to dead critters or close-ups of body parts Audrey gets all squeamish and Charlotte is fascinated.
You can see our previous iPhone microscopy images here, here and here.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Winter Break 2011
Part of our deal with ourselves and our families when deciding to move to Boston was that we would travel to Carol and my parents' winter homes each February for some quality grandparent-grandchild time. Carol's parents winter in Tucson and my parents in Palm Desert, CA right next door to Palm Springs. This year that trip was from February 16-28.
Last year our travel had a layover in Dallas and of all things we happened upon the worst snowstorm there in decades and were stuck there for two days. It sucked to lose those days with family, and our visits with them felt very short. This year we bought nonstop tickets, and we also made the trip a day longer so we had 4 1/2 days in each place. Still too short but it is what it is.
It was in the mid-70s when we arrived in Tucson which was heaven compared to the many feet of snow in our yard and Boston temps that hadn't been above freezing for a month and a half. We headed straight for the pool. We had a lovely day and half with Carol's parents before borrowing their car and driving the 5.5 hours to Palm Desert.
It so happened that my bike club from Seattle had planned a desert cycling trip to escape the Seattle winter and we had a couple of days of overlap. So on Saturday I joined them for a club ride in La Quinta. It was fantastic to see everyone, and they were all so sincerely happy to see me it was really heart warming. I'm out of shape from a snowbound winter so I only was able to stay with them for just under 30 miles, but it was still fun. Then Carol and I joined them for dinner that evening and had a wonderful time. Easy to remember why I liked that club so much - great people!
For my parents it's all about the grandkids and they and my sister pretty much insist that Carol and I go take a little mini vacation away from the kids. So we have a tradition of driving to Las Vegas via back roads through the Mojave Desert. We've done that trip five or six times now; we really love the remoteness and the huge desert vistas.
About halfway through the trip we always pass a sign for the Kelso Dunes in the Mojave National Preserve. This time I wanted to take the time to go see them. It turns out the sign is for a trailhead that is only about 4 miles down a good gravel road from the paved road. We got there and realized it wasn't that long of a hike (3 miles round trip) and we could at least do part of it. The more we walked, the more we realized we could just do the whole thing. We could see people on the top of the dune and they just weren't that far away. Sure enough, we made it to the top in about 40 minutes through sometimes steep and deep loose sand. The view was spectacular, and we had the summit to ourselves. I was very happy: vacation, sun, sweetheart, view. What more could a guy want?
One of our favorite parts of the Mojave drive is the Kelso Depot. The first time we did the drive it was boarded up. Then it was under renovation, and then the next trip it was open as the Mojave Preserve Visitor Center. There is an old lunch counter in the lobby that was restored but not used, but this time I learned beforehand that it was now open as The Beanery. We knew we had to have lunch there. It was basic but good and we were very happy to support the business.
Then it was on to Las Vegas about 100 miles farther along. This year we pretty much just relaxed. We didn't gamble a cent the three days we were there. We shopped a little, wandered around and people watched and saw the Cirque de Soleil Beatles show "Love", which we really enjoyed (excellent sound system; not as "skill" based as other Cirque shows, more about dancing and music; of course a cool dynamic stage and effects). We had a nice dinner and a couple mornings of sleeping as late as we wanted. Oh, we also drove to nearby Hoover Dam to check out the recently completed bridge. That was worth it.
On the drive back to Palm Desert we took a slightly different route into the Mojave Preserve via Cima Road and stopped for another short hike at Teutonia Peak. We had the place to ourselves. The view was again spectacular, and along the way we got to see some abandoned mine shafts and works. We stopped at The Beanery at Kelso Depot again for lunch. This time we had the namesake chili (hearty and delicious).
Back in Palm Desert we found that our kids had hardly noticed we were gone. They have a wonderful time with their grandparents and Aunt Betsy and get lots of pool time. We hung out with them for another day before driving back to Tucson.
In Tucson we visited the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum for the first time. It was fantastic! The girls had a great time. Their favorite thing was a rock crevice made just for kids their size to explore. They also had passports to fill with stamps proving they had seen everything so we were on a quest. We succeeded. After that we went to Funtasticks to ride go-karts and bumper boats and for the girls to play in the bouncy house. Much fun. So much fun that everyone but me (who now had a cold) went back the next day. The girls also got to spend a bunch more time in the pool.
Our last day in Tucson we awoke to a dusting of snow. I guess that was supposed to be our transition back to snowy Boston. Fortunately Boston had a decent thaw while we were gone so when we got home maybe a third of the snow was gone. There was still a ton on the ground, but it was a start. And it didn't even flood our basement.
It was a very enjoyable vacation and we really didn't want to come home. The girls had really quality grandparent time which was the main goal.
Last year our travel had a layover in Dallas and of all things we happened upon the worst snowstorm there in decades and were stuck there for two days. It sucked to lose those days with family, and our visits with them felt very short. This year we bought nonstop tickets, and we also made the trip a day longer so we had 4 1/2 days in each place. Still too short but it is what it is.
It was in the mid-70s when we arrived in Tucson which was heaven compared to the many feet of snow in our yard and Boston temps that hadn't been above freezing for a month and a half. We headed straight for the pool. We had a lovely day and half with Carol's parents before borrowing their car and driving the 5.5 hours to Palm Desert.
It so happened that my bike club from Seattle had planned a desert cycling trip to escape the Seattle winter and we had a couple of days of overlap. So on Saturday I joined them for a club ride in La Quinta. It was fantastic to see everyone, and they were all so sincerely happy to see me it was really heart warming. I'm out of shape from a snowbound winter so I only was able to stay with them for just under 30 miles, but it was still fun. Then Carol and I joined them for dinner that evening and had a wonderful time. Easy to remember why I liked that club so much - great people!
For my parents it's all about the grandkids and they and my sister pretty much insist that Carol and I go take a little mini vacation away from the kids. So we have a tradition of driving to Las Vegas via back roads through the Mojave Desert. We've done that trip five or six times now; we really love the remoteness and the huge desert vistas.
About halfway through the trip we always pass a sign for the Kelso Dunes in the Mojave National Preserve. This time I wanted to take the time to go see them. It turns out the sign is for a trailhead that is only about 4 miles down a good gravel road from the paved road. We got there and realized it wasn't that long of a hike (3 miles round trip) and we could at least do part of it. The more we walked, the more we realized we could just do the whole thing. We could see people on the top of the dune and they just weren't that far away. Sure enough, we made it to the top in about 40 minutes through sometimes steep and deep loose sand. The view was spectacular, and we had the summit to ourselves. I was very happy: vacation, sun, sweetheart, view. What more could a guy want?
One of our favorite parts of the Mojave drive is the Kelso Depot. The first time we did the drive it was boarded up. Then it was under renovation, and then the next trip it was open as the Mojave Preserve Visitor Center. There is an old lunch counter in the lobby that was restored but not used, but this time I learned beforehand that it was now open as The Beanery. We knew we had to have lunch there. It was basic but good and we were very happy to support the business.
Then it was on to Las Vegas about 100 miles farther along. This year we pretty much just relaxed. We didn't gamble a cent the three days we were there. We shopped a little, wandered around and people watched and saw the Cirque de Soleil Beatles show "Love", which we really enjoyed (excellent sound system; not as "skill" based as other Cirque shows, more about dancing and music; of course a cool dynamic stage and effects). We had a nice dinner and a couple mornings of sleeping as late as we wanted. Oh, we also drove to nearby Hoover Dam to check out the recently completed bridge. That was worth it.
On the drive back to Palm Desert we took a slightly different route into the Mojave Preserve via Cima Road and stopped for another short hike at Teutonia Peak. We had the place to ourselves. The view was again spectacular, and along the way we got to see some abandoned mine shafts and works. We stopped at The Beanery at Kelso Depot again for lunch. This time we had the namesake chili (hearty and delicious).
Back in Palm Desert we found that our kids had hardly noticed we were gone. They have a wonderful time with their grandparents and Aunt Betsy and get lots of pool time. We hung out with them for another day before driving back to Tucson.
In Tucson we visited the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum for the first time. It was fantastic! The girls had a great time. Their favorite thing was a rock crevice made just for kids their size to explore. They also had passports to fill with stamps proving they had seen everything so we were on a quest. We succeeded. After that we went to Funtasticks to ride go-karts and bumper boats and for the girls to play in the bouncy house. Much fun. So much fun that everyone but me (who now had a cold) went back the next day. The girls also got to spend a bunch more time in the pool.
Our last day in Tucson we awoke to a dusting of snow. I guess that was supposed to be our transition back to snowy Boston. Fortunately Boston had a decent thaw while we were gone so when we got home maybe a third of the snow was gone. There was still a ton on the ground, but it was a start. And it didn't even flood our basement.
It was a very enjoyable vacation and we really didn't want to come home. The girls had really quality grandparent time which was the main goal.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Audrey Turns Seven
It took me a very long time to get around to editing the video, but here it is. We celebrated Audrey's 7th birthday in mid-February. Audrey invited a handful of classmates and friends and we had the party at our house.
Carol went all out designing a Harry Potter experience for the event. There was a brick wall to run through to get to Platform 9 3/4. Then a snack cart on the Hogwart's Express. She hand made wands for each kid and they practiced their spells. Next was a trip to the dungeon for a session of potions class. Then they went on a treasure hunt and each guest found a Sorcerer's Stone. Finally they entered the Great Hall to sing Happy Birthday and have Hogwart's Castle cake. Carol was exhausted. I was impressed.
We can't believe we have a seven-year-old.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Ipswich River in Snow
I've written several times about visits to the Ipswich River Audubon Sanctuary. It has become one of our very favorite places and we keep going back. I have been wanting to make a winter visit to see it in the snow. When I learned they were having a Groundhog Day celebration for kids yesterday, I signed up immediately.
The program was really good. There was a short presentation indoors at the start where the kids learned lots of cool facts (there are only three true hibernators in Massachusetts: groundhogs, jumping mice and little brown bats; hibernating groundhogs lower their heart rate to 6 beats per minute and their body temperature to 37F and cannot be woken up; bears are torpid in the winter but are not true hibernators). Then we went out in the snow in search of Topsfield Tim (the local version of Punxsutawney Phil). We found him in a snow burrow and he told us even more about groundhogs. When we were done talking to Tim we went to some other snowbanks and the kids took a stab at building their own burrows. We ended by visiting the bird garden and learned about small animal tracks in the snow, and we were joined by a gorgeous red-bellied woodpecker.
Of course after the program we knew we were going to try to hike to The Rockery. The snow is pretty deep so we weren't sure we could get there in just boots. We fueled up with lunch in the car and then headed out. Fortunately the many snowshoers had packed the trail enough that we could walk without sinking.
The Rockery was pretty cool in the snow. Audrey made snow slides between the boulders and did some trail-breaking through deep snow. Charlotte was quite a trooper and enjoyed the snow that was half as deep as she is tall.
After the Rockery we made our usual loop around Rockery Pond. We came across a deer that had been recently devoured. It was just a rib cage and spine plus two complete front legs and two stripped to the bone rear legs in a tramped down area of blood-stained snow. The stomach had been left nearby, along with segments of the tail. It was sort of gruesome but also fascinating. Charlotte has no qualms about such things (she closely examined the chipmunk Tessa killed last summer) and wanted to look for a long time. Audrey, on the other hand, was pretty traumatized by the scene. I think she was partially fearful that the coyotes (the presumed predators) would do the same thing to her. Understandable.
Not too long after that we encountered two women who were feeding birds from their hands and they kindly gave Audrey some seed. They saved our day. The joy of having chickadees and nuthatches land on her hand diminished the trauma of the deer carcass.
As we hiked back toward the car I picked Audrey up to hug her like I often do. All that pillowy snow beside the trail gave me an idea and I threw Audrey into it. She loved that, so it became a game and I tossed both girls into the snow many times each (see the video).
The girls also decided they would like to try snowshoeing. Carol and I have snowshoes. Now we'll have to get some kids' models. It's great that they are getting old enough to try things like snowshoeing!
Ipswich River is really a magical place for me personally. Every time I go there I feel calm and joyful and wonderful. It's a combination of the natural beauty and feeling good about getting the girls out in nature. I always come away from our visit with a glow. Yesterday that effect was even stronger than usual.
The program was really good. There was a short presentation indoors at the start where the kids learned lots of cool facts (there are only three true hibernators in Massachusetts: groundhogs, jumping mice and little brown bats; hibernating groundhogs lower their heart rate to 6 beats per minute and their body temperature to 37F and cannot be woken up; bears are torpid in the winter but are not true hibernators). Then we went out in the snow in search of Topsfield Tim (the local version of Punxsutawney Phil). We found him in a snow burrow and he told us even more about groundhogs. When we were done talking to Tim we went to some other snowbanks and the kids took a stab at building their own burrows. We ended by visiting the bird garden and learned about small animal tracks in the snow, and we were joined by a gorgeous red-bellied woodpecker.
Of course after the program we knew we were going to try to hike to The Rockery. The snow is pretty deep so we weren't sure we could get there in just boots. We fueled up with lunch in the car and then headed out. Fortunately the many snowshoers had packed the trail enough that we could walk without sinking.
The Rockery was pretty cool in the snow. Audrey made snow slides between the boulders and did some trail-breaking through deep snow. Charlotte was quite a trooper and enjoyed the snow that was half as deep as she is tall.
After the Rockery we made our usual loop around Rockery Pond. We came across a deer that had been recently devoured. It was just a rib cage and spine plus two complete front legs and two stripped to the bone rear legs in a tramped down area of blood-stained snow. The stomach had been left nearby, along with segments of the tail. It was sort of gruesome but also fascinating. Charlotte has no qualms about such things (she closely examined the chipmunk Tessa killed last summer) and wanted to look for a long time. Audrey, on the other hand, was pretty traumatized by the scene. I think she was partially fearful that the coyotes (the presumed predators) would do the same thing to her. Understandable.
Not too long after that we encountered two women who were feeding birds from their hands and they kindly gave Audrey some seed. They saved our day. The joy of having chickadees and nuthatches land on her hand diminished the trauma of the deer carcass.
As we hiked back toward the car I picked Audrey up to hug her like I often do. All that pillowy snow beside the trail gave me an idea and I threw Audrey into it. She loved that, so it became a game and I tossed both girls into the snow many times each (see the video).
The girls also decided they would like to try snowshoeing. Carol and I have snowshoes. Now we'll have to get some kids' models. It's great that they are getting old enough to try things like snowshoeing!
Ipswich River is really a magical place for me personally. Every time I go there I feel calm and joyful and wonderful. It's a combination of the natural beauty and feeling good about getting the girls out in nature. I always come away from our visit with a glow. Yesterday that effect was even stronger than usual.
Very Snowy January
We've received about 39 inches of snow this month. The record for January is 43 inches so we won't quite get there, but it's still a lot of snow. We've had a big snow in the middle of each week of the month; the biggest was about 15 inches and the smallest was about 8 inches. The girls' schools have had four snow days.
When we get big snows that often, and with no thawing in between, we run out of places to put it all. They bring out construction equipment and pile the snow up on street corners. The pile at the bottom of our street is about 9-10 feet tall. The piles next to our driveway entrance are more than 5 feet tall. The sidewalks are trenches.
Carol has been enjoying the snow days with the girls. She's come up with fun indoor activities for the kids when they aren't out playing in the snow. One day they made snow sculpture. Another we all made paper bag puppets.
On most of the snow days I have also chosen to work from home because it would take forever to get to work on delayed public transit. The projects for the girls keep them in a separate room from me so I can actually work. After a couple of hours of snow blowing and shoveling, anyway.
All of the houses have huge icicles on them and ice dams. Ice dams can be a problem if they back meltwater up onto the roof such that it goes under the shingles and into the house. If the roof was installed properly it should be fine (with a sheet of waterproof material under the bottom 3 feet of shingles). So far, so good on our house. The main ice dam area on our house would be very difficult to access so I'm checking the attic and hoping for the best. I recently learned about a device called a roof rake and everyone in the neighborhood has borrowed our neighbor Victor's rake to clear as much snow as possible from their roofs.
I won't be riding my bike to work for a while. The roads are very narrow with huge snowbanks on both sides. There is barely room for two cars to pass each other on most roads and drivers would get very impatient to pass a cyclist.
We've had some fun activities on the weekend. We've made a couple more visits to the Museum of Science which the girls always enjoy. Last weekend we attended the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra's Family Concert which was followed by an instrument petting zoo. Audrey and Charlotte really enjoyed the music. One piece was "Peter and the Wolf" with the story narrated by a local NPR station's announcer.
We're supposed to get another storm in the middle of this week, just to keep up the pattern. They don't have a clear idea of how much yet. Let's just say that our winter vacation to Tucson, AZ and Palm Desert, CA in a few weeks is going to be very welcome.
When we get big snows that often, and with no thawing in between, we run out of places to put it all. They bring out construction equipment and pile the snow up on street corners. The pile at the bottom of our street is about 9-10 feet tall. The piles next to our driveway entrance are more than 5 feet tall. The sidewalks are trenches.
Carol has been enjoying the snow days with the girls. She's come up with fun indoor activities for the kids when they aren't out playing in the snow. One day they made snow sculpture. Another we all made paper bag puppets.
On most of the snow days I have also chosen to work from home because it would take forever to get to work on delayed public transit. The projects for the girls keep them in a separate room from me so I can actually work. After a couple of hours of snow blowing and shoveling, anyway.
All of the houses have huge icicles on them and ice dams. Ice dams can be a problem if they back meltwater up onto the roof such that it goes under the shingles and into the house. If the roof was installed properly it should be fine (with a sheet of waterproof material under the bottom 3 feet of shingles). So far, so good on our house. The main ice dam area on our house would be very difficult to access so I'm checking the attic and hoping for the best. I recently learned about a device called a roof rake and everyone in the neighborhood has borrowed our neighbor Victor's rake to clear as much snow as possible from their roofs.
I won't be riding my bike to work for a while. The roads are very narrow with huge snowbanks on both sides. There is barely room for two cars to pass each other on most roads and drivers would get very impatient to pass a cyclist.
We've had some fun activities on the weekend. We've made a couple more visits to the Museum of Science which the girls always enjoy. Last weekend we attended the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra's Family Concert which was followed by an instrument petting zoo. Audrey and Charlotte really enjoyed the music. One piece was "Peter and the Wolf" with the story narrated by a local NPR station's announcer.
We're supposed to get another storm in the middle of this week, just to keep up the pattern. They don't have a clear idea of how much yet. Let's just say that our winter vacation to Tucson, AZ and Palm Desert, CA in a few weeks is going to be very welcome.
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