The Triple Crown

This past weekend we were in New York for the Manhattan Island Marathon.  The Manhattan Island Marathon is a 28.5 mile swim around Manhattan in water that Davis described as tasting like poop (yuck).  Davis completed the swim in 8:37:27 - making him the 50th person (ever) to complete the Triple Crown of open water swimming (the English Channel, Catalina Channel and Manhattan swim).

While Davis wasted the day away swimming, Oliver, Henni and I spent the day with friends and family exploring the city.  We took in the Natural History Museum, three playgrounds (complete with fountains), the carousel, Central Park, and troubadours on the subway.

Included in those joining us on our adventures were Lindsay, Matt, Addie,  and Hazel.  Lindsay has been my close friend since we were Henni's age.  It was so fun to spend the day watching our kids play together - and so crazy to think about what they could be doing with their kiddos in 33 years.

I found us a fantastic condo in Union Square for us to stay in for our big weekend (it was bigger than our house!) and (thanks to Senor Rocket's prodding) got a huge limo to transport us around.  Although it was just Davis who was crowned, we all felt very fancy in New York.

Unfortunately, upon our return home I dropped my phone in the toilet - and lost all the pictures of our adventures around the city and my pictures of Davis' swim.  I know friends and family took some pictures so all is not lost, but I am super bummed.  Until I get said pictures, the only ones I have right now are those Andrew sent me of Davis -- the pictures he sent throughout the day to keep me apprised of Davis' whereabouts.  Here are a couple -

Snakes on planes

Oliver has a vivid imagination.  Listening to him play is so much fun as he creates such wonderful worlds.  He has taken this a step further, either writing down his stories or having Davis or I write for him (which works a bit better in terms of preservation since he has just a few letters under his belt). 

 A couple weekends ago Davis headed off to do a little swim (6 miles) in the Potomac River in preparation for his Manhattan Island swim which is in just a couple weeks.  Oliver was distraught at the idea of Davis leaving and therefore created an elaborate plan for Davis to end up stuck at home:

1. Draw snakes on this paper (he drew pictures of snakes on the back of the paper)
2. Print them out and send them to every plane on earth
3. Activate snakes and turn them real
4. Have snake venom poison all the planes
5. Snakes turn into poison
6. Daddy gets "blurry" and had to drive home
7. Clean the snakes off all the planes and make sure they all get back to their habitats
8. Wipe the planes down with sponges to get all the venom off
9. Daddy is stuck at home!!!!

Me!

It is funny how things happen.  When Davis decided to pursue the English Channel we decided that the year following would be mine.  Excited about "my year,"  as soon as we returned home from England I enrolled in a painting class and a yoga teacher training.  While I loved the painting class I came to resent the yoga teacher training.  Davis was wonderful at supporting me - suggesting that the training was difficult because it was all day and we had a six week old baby and our Rocket.  In the end I stopped the training.  Not because of Henni or Oliver, but because I just didn't like it; I love yoga, but the training program I enrolled in just wasn't a good fit.  At the same time people kept asking what my thing was - given Davis and his swimming.  And then, for good measure, my contract at HBS ended and I found myself unemployed.  For a spell the year of me was seeming pretty, well, depressing.  It was, in fact, one year ago today (coincidentally) that I posted about being terrified about my job coming to an end and becoming a stay at home mom. 

Seven months into my year I decided to call it. I completed four paintings (and loved every minute of it) and I tried what I thought was me (yoga teacher training) and learned, via the year of me, that it wasn't for me.  So in my "year" I didn't swim thirty-two miles in the cold, rough ocean, but I did discover some things.  Chin up, I quit my year and half-heartily called it a success (while at the same time in tears, feeling like a failure and petrified about the future).

So here we are one year after I quit.  I recognize that the last 12 months don't align with the Chinese calendar, but it must align with some calendar other than our own.  And it must have been the year of the ninja or something equally as sneaky; the last twelve months ended up being mine.  Unemployment, which was so scary, ended up being a giftOver the last twelve months I had the freedom to explore being a stay at home mom with zero (as in zilch, none, nothing) childcare, being a stay at home mom with a wee bit of help, explore starting my own organization, peruse various jobs, and work for some incredible people via several short term contracts.  I learned that I love my children (okay, I knew that bit already), but that I can not be with them 24 hours a day (since we co-sleep and shower together  I really was with Henni for 24 hours a day for six months and Oliver for pretty damn close to that).  In short I learned I needed some time for me; some time alone (even if alone was at the grocery store surrounded by tons of people). I also learned I like to work and that I am, when it comes down to it, a nerd.

On Monday I started a new job.  I am working as a business development manager for an incredible company which is focused on connecting families with chronically ill children with information and resources.  Just an hour into my new job I felt as though I had just slipped on a comfortable pair of old shoes- a component of my position is research and - well, as it turns out, I just love research.

And on Wednesday I became a Board member of an incredible organization - an organization which provides housing to homeless families. 

This past year has been so amazing - an amazing gift to be able to spend so much time with Oliver and Henni.  And time to focus (although at the time I had no idea I was focusing) on what I want to do; what makes me happy.  This next year will, inevitably, have ups and downs, but I am so excited to see what is ahead.  I feel as though I have a renewed outlook on our life and all its fun and challenges. 

One big challenge ahead...weaning Henni.  Henni seems to have read everything about weaning and developed plans to thwart all suggestions.  Last night David went so far as to promise Oliver a trip ti China so he could eat fried scorpions  in exchange for convincing Henni to stop nursing.  I jumped in
(remember learning to ride a bike with out training wheels...) and managed to shift the bribe to a visit to the San Diego Zoo.  Oliver has been putting in a good effort, telling Henni that "she needs more protein."  I hope Oliver can convince her...

School's out

Nine months ago Oliver donned his backpack and headed off to school.  Although he was only to gone for 3 hours a day, 4 days a week - which by even my horrible math skills is just a wee bit of time - I was, sad.  My little Oliver was headed off to experience his own adventures - his own time - time I would not be sharing with him.  Between this selfish feeling and the fact I was feeling guilty because I was not working, yet I was sending my little one out the door to school...


The year had ups and downs.  Oliver struggled with the morning good-bye.  We alternated between doing an extensive round of high-five, pound, fist bump, squid, hug, kiss, wave, foot high-five and then a smile and skip into the classroom and a final wave through the window - and having his teacher take him, screaming from my arms, to the library where he was read books on arachnids or whatever his pleasure was that morning.  The bad stretches were long - two to six weeks - and I could feel the pity from the parents who watched the exchange (and watched Henni who daily took off her shoes, hung her coat in Oliver's cubby and tried to sneak into school) - but the good stretches were happy oases.

While I loved watching Oliver grow and learn over the year, looking back I think my favorite part of school were the walks to and from.  This year was mild so there were only a handful of days we didn't walk.  Yes, we often had trouble getting out the door and determining our means of transportation (stroller, bike, scooter, running...), and sometimes we were slow going - but we had fun.  We chatted, we stopped for coffee, and we checked on the dinosaurs (a woman who is a second grade teacher hides dinos amongst the plants in her front garden - we always stop to check on them.  We were sad when they got put inside for the winter, screamed with excitement when they were put out for the spring, and we now love the challenge of finding them as the plants grow).

I have been looking for the holy grail of schools.  We looked at an embarrassing number before he started at the Montessori in the fall.  And recently I've looked at even more.  But the walks are what get me.  That time together has been so wonderful, I can't imagine giving it up for a car ride somewhere.  And then there was yesterday...


Yesterday Davis, Henni and I got to go to Oliver's last circle.  Oliver, who was sobbing and had to be pealed from my arms in the morning, burst into tears in circle - distraught that school was over.

And now, school's out for the summer....

The slow life

In an attempt to pack in as many fun things (and also necessary things like trip to the grocery store) as possible, we are often racing from place to place.  I have been trying to slow down and listen to the wise ones - Oliver and Henni.  Oliver and Henni have been trying to get across to me that an afternoon in the backyard can be as fun (or maybe even more fun) than an afternoon racing to several play dates, the playground, library, etc., etc.  Taking the "slow life" a bit further, we decided that rather than pack up the car and take off for Memorial Day weekend, we'd stay home.

We spent two days at the beach digging and boogie boarding.

Eating chips at  9AM on the way down to the beach

Ignoring the "This is not a stroller" tag

We played in the backyard, had neighbors over for drinks and spent time on our neighbor's new trampoline.

We also took the train into Boston and went to the Aquarium and to lunch at our favorite place - Wagamama.

Our slow weekend was lots of fun - I need to remember to listen to the little ones more often - they are pretty smart.