An Evening at the Lake

We've had a lot of perfect summer evenings lately, and yesterday after some cajoling Anna and I went to the lake--Lake Harriet. If it's not too hot, I've tried to get us there one night a week, or one night every other week to play at the playground, hang out by the water, take a ride on the trolley, or walk around the lake. Lately, Anna's been too impatient to stay in the stroller for a walk all around the lake, so we haven't done that in a long time. Her favorite thing to do is take a ride on the trolley, Anna LOVES the trolley.

Generally, Lake Harriet is the family-friendly lake. There are always lots of kids around, and there's even a tree on the walking path on the south side of the lake with a little door where kids can leave notes, supposedly for a little elf/gnome/? to answer them. Lake Harriet is also the most shaded, so when Anna was younger, or even now when she falls asleep in the stroller while we're walking it's easier to keep the sun out of her eyes. There's also the Bandshell, of course, with live music every night of the summer.

Anna calls the playground at Lake Harriet the "turtle park", because there's a play turtle there the kids can climb on and pretend to ride. The equipment is in decent shape, and Anna usually makes a friend or two while running around. On one of the slides she and I will sit side by side and count "1, 2, 3!" and slide down together. We've had picnics there, too.

Last evening was gorgeous, and we walked to the lake. There was a perfect breeze for sailing, and there were several boats speeding back and forth across the water. Sitting by the bandshell we could hear the anchored boats clang and the ducks quietly quacking to each other on the water. We usually get a hotdog and share some kind of treat, the ice cream sold there is so, so good. The people watching is also worthwhile and we see a lot of dogs which is great fun for Anna. Dog owners will stop and tell Anna she can pet their dog but when it comes to that moment when she's about to do it she stops and decides she's too shy to follow through.

We listened to a couple songs at the bandshell, and the musician happened to sing They Paved Paradise which is one of those songs that when I hear it, I pick Anna up and we dance around the kitchen. I could tell that Anna recognized it last night--she gave me a big smile.

Usually we take a ride on the trolley but it got too late for us to do that last night, or spend as much time at the playground as Anna would have liked, but I promised her we'd be back and I know we will. I feel so lucky, so fortunate to have such a lovely park within walking distance of our house.

Lots O Movies

I've been watching a lot of movies lately, mostly videos. I've finally subscribed to Netflix (after a three month free trial, thanks Joe and Jenn!), and our closest library has a great movie selection. Here's what I've seen lately, both in the theater and at home:

Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull--ehh. Not so good. Shia LeBouf bugged me. It was nice to see Karen Allen again, I'm glad they made her the meaningful one in Indy's life. It's too bad they couldn't end the series with more of a bang.

A History of Violence--good but not as good as I expected. Plus, I have a difficult time envisioning mobsters who are not Italian, which I suppose is cliche but William Hurt as a mobster? I didn't really buy it.

The Illusionist--I really enjoyed this movie, it was a pleasant surprise. I'm becoming an Edward Norton fan. It also reminded me how much I liked the book The Magician's Wife.

Brideshead Revisited--powerful. I love those British period pieces, this one takes place prior to WWII. However, holy crazy Catholicism! Wow! It's not hard to imagine that families like this existed, but whoa! Emma Thompson was incredible, and I'm inspired to give the book another try (only got 1/3 of the way through).

No Reservations--ehh. Not good. But it had Abigail Breslin in a major role and she's such a cutie that it helped me to see her character through to the end.

Million Dollar Baby--excellent. I'd seen it years ago in the theater before it won the Oscar for Best Picture. I cried and cried at the end, I'd forgotten the part about her robe and the meaning of the Celtic words on the back. *sob*

Lost in Translation--excellent. Understated, simple story. I really liked Scarlett Johansson in this movie though I don't care for her so much now.

Already Feeling Easier

Anna has now been attending Step by Step for a couple weeks. She's still in transition, but things have gotten much better for her and for me. She's not crying every morning when she's dropped off, and she lets us leave things there (like her indoor shoes and a change of clothes) without insisting we bring them home at night. She now seems to understand this is her place during the day--she's not going to Marion's house anymore. Slowly we've been hearing about other kids and activities, though she always claims she forgets what she had for lunch. Yesterday when I picked her up she said "Buenos dias!" to me. Sweet girl.

And as I expected it would, the transition has been good for me workwise. Every day I stay at least an extra half hour or forty-five minutes at work compared to my schedule before. I feel less pressure to bring work home, I get practically all of what I need to do done during the time I'm at work. Now I just need to be better prepared when Anna and I get home, as now it's closer to 6 o'clock instead of 5 o'clock and Anna is usually starving.

It's hard to believe our vacation to Quebec has already been a month ago. I'd always thought of Montreal as a romantic, interesting city though I couldn't quite say why. The French-ness? The history? I was excited to go and find out what Montreal was like.

We flew from Minneapolis to Burlington, Vermont and from there rented a car to drive to Montreal, about an hour drive away. Such a gorgeous drive and Lake Champlain was just stunning. We met Edwin's parents at the hotel, they were staying exactly 3 floors below us and from there most of our activities were together. We spent time walking in the old city with its cobblestone streets and grand old buildings. As usual, we took a horse carriage tour, something it seems we've done in most cities we've visited (Charleston, Savannah, Brugge). We spent time along the waterfront, and the other days we were there we went to the Olympic village area (summer1976) with the Biodome and the scenic overlook, etc. The last day we were there we drove to the top of the mountain and spent time walking around and enjoying the view of the city below.

After our days in Montreal we then drove to Mont Tremblant, a resort about a two hour drive from Montreal. Again, stunning scenery along the way and definitely in resort territory. In the winter, Mont Tremblant is a ski resort but in the summer it reverts to activities such as biking, whitewater rafting, kayaking, and many other things as well as shopping, live music and different festivals and events in its touristy village. Shopping, restaurants, and even a small movie theater were all within a short walking distance. Anyone could ride a gondola from the top to the bottom of the mountain if wanting to avoid the steep sidewalks. My activities were limited as I was usually the one to be with Anna during her naps but I enjoyed the shopping and picked up a couple things. Overall it was lovely and relaxing, and who's to complain when every night we go out for a nice dinner with wine? The weather wasn't so great but a vacation is a vacation is a vacation. We made the best of it.

Generally my activities were somewhat limited with Anna but overall it was a lovely and relaxing time. No day at an art museum for me anymore! Oh well. But, at least when I was at our hotel room I watched some good television. I got totally hooked on HGTV and its home decorating and selling shows. Also, I caught two very interesting episodes of Oprah--one where she interviewed the family from Little People, Big World (a reality show which I've never seen but follows a family of little people) and a show where she interviewed guests who are intersex and also interviewed Jeffery Eugenides, the author of Middlesex. Fascinating.

And now we're back with no upcoming vacation in sight. At least not for me, anyway. It's been trickier for me to moniter my vacation time, as now it accrues over the year instead of us getting our allotment right away on January 1. Sigh. Well, one could guess that sooner or later that particular rule was going to change, and it finally did. I'm looking forward to fall.

I Wish I Could Resist Pie

My team coordinator brought in pies for Pocket Part Pie Day. Last year I believe she did this earlier in the summer, but this year it coordinates with Maryland's pocket part schedule. She brings in a pie to represent all of the jurisdictions she manages. So, in the cubicle to me there was ...

apple pie for Washington,
mountain berry pie for Tennessee,
chocolate/French silk pie for Pennsylvania,
lemon delight pie for the Virgin Islands,
pecan pie for Alabama,
and
cherry pie for Maryland!

Oh my goodness! They were all from Baker's Square! Delicious!

I'm Still Here

I've just dropped out for a while to attend to other things ... such as work (now is my busiest time of the year), the Little Boo (who is wrapping up her first full week at Step by Step today), trying to keep up with housework, projects, and the usual every day stuff.

Here is a recent picture of Anna, as Edwin has just updated her blog. Since this picture she's had her hair cut into a cute little bob so I'll have to post even newer pictures soon to show off her new 'do.

Loving the big girl swing ...















Painting with her feet for more of a challenge ...















Yes, those are painted toenails you are seeing. She loves having pretty fingers and toes. That's my girl!

Recently we returned from a week-long vacation, so overall I have no complaints about life lately. Pictures from that trip will come eventually as well. We flew from Minneapolis to Burlington, Vermont, and from there rented a car and drove to Montreal and later Mont Tremblant, also in Canada. Beautiful. I must now go back to my Liberty DVD series and rewatch the portion dealing with General Burgoyne's advance through the Lake Champlain area, and how he eventually surrendered at Saratoga, New York. But I digress.

I've had my days, but generally I've been able to deal with the stress in my life far better this summer than I did last summer. Note to all--eating nachos for lunch a couple times a week and having a couple beers every time you work at home is NOT a good idea. It may help you get through, but not so good for the hips and thighs!

Anyway ...

I'm getting out from time to time, reading a book here and there, and going to an occasional movie. And, most important, I'm enjoying my sweet, sweet girl and the funny things she says and does.

More soon ... hopefully!