Providence was heavenly

We had a grand time. Amazing what a couple of days away will do to clear your mind and reshuffle your thoughts so that the things that really matter are on top.

Favorite moments: stumbling upon the storefront for a fantastic puppet workshop, belly laughing together during the Globetrotters, discovering & exploring a mysterious huge nest sculpture at Brown University, just walking around, and having deep and memorable conversations at restaurants with our own kids.

If you are one of the few people who want to know more or to see your grandkids more up close, you can click the links below:

1. cool ironwork, 2. chair dancing, 3. Downcity street, 4. I like these people, 5. Fam Damily,6. Carrot gone crazy, 7. Brown University quad, 8. Biltmore in Providence, 9. love these phone booths, 10. Tiled station, 11. Puppet workshop, 12. Pool roof, 13. Street of my dreams, 14. M in the nest sculpture, 15. Sam digs the pool,16. Sam & owl puppet, 17. Blurry breakfast, 18. she takes after me, 19. Improvising, 20. Cool twig sculpture,21. Contrasts, 22. beautiful view from hotel room, 23. Art is everywhere, 24. tiled columns, 25. M in euro cafe

I hope you had a beautiful Easter weekend. If you're wondering what to do with all the leftover peeps (yeah, right!) here are a few ideas. I'm glad I live in a world where people make dioramas from peeps. Here's another interpretation (thanks Dayna):

Let's make like a banana and split

We're off on a little family adventure this weekend. The kids have Friday off and Greg's starting to feel the slightest bit trunky during these last few weeks at his current job before the move to another company.* This morning we found a great deal for a couple of nights at a hotel in Providence (I know! how spontaneous, don't you think? Another new year's resolution enhancing our somewhat winterblah lives). We love Providence--it's got a great feel with the Rhode Island School of Design, the zoo, Brown University, nearby Newport, and great walking along the river.

And THEN the cherry on top of the weekend sundae, we found out that (cue Sweet Georgia Brown whistling) the Harlem Globetrotters are playing there on Saturday. We are so there. Greg has vivid memories of the Harlem Globetrotters playing at the Spectrum (will they win? will the Globetrotters be able to pull it out in the end? oh, the agony...) One entitlement of parenthood is forcing your own children to enjoy the things you remember loving as a kid, right?

And, let's be clear, there will be some minor forcing for some. This will not be the favorite moment of the weekend for one of our children (three guesses which one...). But our hotel is attached to the mall so I think that will more than make up for watching basketball antics for a couple of hours.

I'll leave you with one clip to brighten your day. If you've ever wished (even just a little bit) that life were more like a musical, this will hit the spot. It's another public improv project like the Frozen Grand Central one:

[Edited to add: I just found out that the Globetrotters have yet another place in Greg's childhood. When he was 7 or 8 he received free tickets to the Globetrotters for good attendance at school in Chicago. He was SO EXCITED he could hardly stand it. Then, in one of life's cruel twists....he got the chickenpox. He remembers sitting in an oatmeal bath, crying and thinking about the fun night that might have been. I picture him shaking his fist to the ceiling and mournfully crying "Globetrotters"! Luckily we are remedying this or it might have been his last words, a la Citizen Kane and rosebud.]

*yes, he's changing jobs. After months of decision wrangling and five rounds of interviews for the job, he's decided to leave his current job for an exciting and interesting new one starting at the beginning of next month. Still here in Boston, so no moving required.

Dear Mateo

Happy Birthday, brother!

Someone recently asked for words for her birthday. I thought it was a great idea but mine's not for a long time so I'm stealing it here to give to you. Here are some words I'm giving you for your birthday, for one reason or another:

bliss
technical difficulties (Sam's favorite thing to say)
siempre (I love to say this)
suitcase
spirit
gelato
whipsmart (because you are)
discover
google (the number, not the site)
sparkle
breeze
monarchs (butterflies, not the rulers)
haberdashery
sequential
melodic
aldena (because we loved her so & laughed)
frankness (get it?)
whistle
mania (especially around Christmas Eve)
imagine
buckstus
red wheelbarrow (so much depends on it, I hear)
machu picchu
manana
amen

Don't worry, there's a real present heading to your door.

{feel free to add your words to Matt here in the comments}

Clap your hands if you believe in parents...

A professor in one of my developmental psych classes once commented that one of the things that separates us from other species is our ability to tell stories, to learn vicariously from each other without going through the exact experience ourselves. Huh. I'd never thought of it that way before.

But it makes sense. When I was a girl, I loved hovering near the grown-ups at gatherings at the cabin, soaking up their stories about life and, especially, families.

I've been thinking a lot about that lately.

I'm especially intrigued by parenting stories--in hearing the different ways we make it work in all of our vivid uniquenesses and uniting similarities. I love reading about how others approach their relationships with their kids & the lessons learned in raising them. I started asking other parents how they did it, collecting their answers and using them to recharge when my child-raising battery was low. In that spirit, I've hatched an idea.

Here it is:

A new site {inspired by both This I Believe and the poet Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet} centered around parenting beliefs, where parents can post a letter/essay about a lesson learned or belief or philosophy they've gained about parenting: just a brief sliver of perspective to share with others who are also traveling-trudging-skipping-strolling on the parenting path. These will be published online weekly or so, depending on when letters come in.

So {ta-da!} here's the link:

<<Letters to a Parent>>

The first letter is the one that got this whole idea cooking: actually, it's a transcript of a talk given by my great-grandmother Brockbank about parenting. I think you'll love it.

***

p.s. If you'd like to write a letter/essay for this project (please do!), e-mail me at basic.annie@gmail.com. It doesn't have to be anything long or grand, just a real and honest piece of your wisdom (can be inspiring, funny, irreverent, moving...whatever you feel) that you're interested in sharing. In addition, if you know anyone that you would like to nominate to write a letter about their approach to parenting that would be wonderful, too. Feedback, ideas, and suggestions highly welcome. And, pssst. Spread the word.

41

in England a few years ago

He's wide open and reserved, driven and gentle, disciplined and spontaneous, funny and smart. He volunteers to coach more teams than he has time for and every single teammate (especially his own kids) adores him. He has a way with teenagers that lets them know they're loved & accepted and capable of reaching higher expectations. Although he's a fantastic corporate attorney, he has the heart of a high school social studies teacher (and a secret wish to be one).

He has a weakness for southern barbecue pulled pork sandwiches, Volkswagen vanagons, vintage convertible Mustangs, spy novels, open chip bags in the pantry, and (somehow) me. He listens like no one I know (take that, Mars and Venus!). He speaks English and Danish and Russian and can interpret my own mixed signals. He's Joseph and George Bailey and Atticus Finch rolled up into one good man.

He's 41. And, remarkably, he's mine.

in NYC 2007

Happy Birthday, G.