Collector's Item

Last day today.  Feels GOOD.  Also feels odd to look at my iphone and know for a dead certainty that there aren't any annoying work emails lurking in its circuits.  I start at athena on Monday.

This is the cake my secretary got for my going-away.  Awfully nice of her, though the first thing I thought when I saw it was "that photo belongs on a bust station bench."  You know, "Been in an accident??"

One heck of a Monday (part two)

Syl and I got home from Canobie Lake around 4:30.  Trystan texted to ask if we planned to go to the Monday night kids' track meet at the high school, and I responded that it was highly unlikely given how tired we were.  Melissa and Sylvie soon disabused me of that silly notion.

I should back up for a second.  The Monday night kids' track meet is (apparently) a nearly three-decade long Holliston summer tradition - one that somehow escaped my awareness until this summer.  We took Sylvie for the first time last week.  She was VERY excited, but... well... here's how it turned out:



We headed home soon after, to much weeping, wailing protest.  We promised she could have another chance to make a race of it, and she promised she wouldn't have a snit the first time a kid drifted into her lane.  When we asked tonight if she still wanted to go, the answer was an emphatic "YES!!"  The subtext was, "What are you, stupid??!"

Having Madeline and Jake there certainly put Syl on her better behavior. She had a great time, again leading the whole group in her 'running in place' warm-up, and then hanging in there in her two races (the 50 and the 100).  These kids crack me up with their 'game faces'!  Madeline may just be a track prodigy.  She absolutely smoked the competition in both of her races.  And Jake was so enthused about the 200 (which is LONG) that he did it twice - the second time with the big kids (sadly we missed that part).



All the photos (and more of Canobie) in the July 2012 Gallery.

One heck of a Monday (part one)

Tomorrow is my last day at my firm.  So naturally today I took a vacation day.  A bunch of people lately have told me to take Sylvie to Canobie Lake Park, about an hour away in Salem, NH.  When I was growing up Canobie was a bit of a pit, so honestly it hadn't occurred to me despite Sylvie's well-documented love of all amusement parks.  With a perfect forecast and a consequence free get-out-of-work card, I figured today was the day.  Sylvie was told only that I had a surprise for her, so she had to be good this weekend.  Her guesses were hilarious.  "Coffee Haven??!"  "The pool??"  "A play date?" "Do I get to come with you to your NEW JOB!??!" (that gives as good an idea as anything of how positively I've been talking about my new job...).  She was pretty thrilled when we pulled into the parking lot and she spied the ferris wheel looming above the park.  I was pronounced the Best Dad Ever in short order.

We had a fantastic day.  Really cool to realize that she's hit that age where I genuinely enjoy hanging out with her, just the two of us.  No behavior problems, no worries - just a lot of fun.  Okay, not having Melissa there with us (she had to work) raises the public men's room issue (ladies, you will never understand truly: public men's rooms are DISGUSTING.  There's no other way to say it).  But that is a small price to pay for a day of fun.

These are all iPhone photos, by the way.  More in the July gallery.

Canobie was great - lots of kiddie rides, manageable lines, well-maintained.  Definitely worth a return trip (next time with Mommy, and maybe a friend or two!).  By the way, Sylvie is a CRAZY antique car driver.

But that was just the first part of today...

Recital Video

We finally got the "professional" recital DVD, so I can supplement the still-photo montage I posted before...

Today's Art

Got to school to pick Syl up this evening and the teacher greeted me by saying, "she has a brand new theme today."  Yesterday it was cats in slippers.  Today...

Cat and Dog weddings.

Madeline's 7th Birthday Party

As usual, Madeline O'Leary's birthday party - her 7th! - was an extravaganza.  This time it was held at a local horse farm, where the kids got to play with baby goats, meet baby pony, decorate their own horse shoes, decorate a HORSE, play with bunnies, and - the centerpiece - ride a real horse!  For the first time Sylvie wasn't afraid at all of the horse, even though the beast was much larger than the ones she's attempted before.

Great party - Happy Birthday Madeline!

Yes.  This is Madeline painting a horse's hoofs.

Yes, this is Sylvie painting a HORSE.

Had some trouble finding a helmet to fit Syl's little head...

Found one!

More her speed

Hmmm.  I wonder if I took more photos... Oh yeah, I did.  Lots.  They are here.

Outfit for Grocery Shopping

This is the ensemble Syl put together this afternoon to go grocery shopping with Melissa.  Grammy Haley will be glad to know that the Easter hat/purse combo is getting some further use!

Boston Day (while they can!)

Since next week is Dad's LAST day working in Boston, at least for the time-being, Sylvie and Melissa decided to come in for lunch and some classic Boston touristy stuff.  Boy did they have a fun day!  Dad was able to join them for the first part - a swan boat ride in the Public Garden and a visit to the Make Way for Duckings gang.  After lunch at the food trucks outside Dad's office (they have a GRILLED CHEESE truck AND a VEGETARIAN truck!), Melissa and Syl returned to the Public Garden to visit the carousel on their way out of town.  GREAT day!

Waiting on the train!

Feels like she's being watched...

Make Way for Sylvie!

 

State House

Food Trucks!

If there were a Nation, she'd be President

Faneuil Hall

Carousel!

Melissa getting artsy!