This morning, as I was attempting to have coffee and rest my feet for a few minutes, Allie and Anna decided they wanted to wear my slippers. This wasn't the first time one of the girls has worn mommy or daddy's shoes - Anna wore Sarah's knee-high Uggs one time, actually. This is the first time I got the cuteness recorded on video, however. In the video Anna asked if she could wear mommy's boots!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
The Blizzard of 1978.
How ironic that Washington DC is receiving record snowfalls on the anniversary of The Great Blizzard of 1978. I am a survivor of the infamous storm that dumped over two feet of snow on the Boston area, causing road and school closures - snow fall at a rate of 4" an hour at one point. Being just a pre-teen at the time, I thought it was a lot of fun. There were, however, several deaths and many homes on the coast were lost or damaged beyond repair. I hope the storm which went through the Mid-Atlantic states today does not do the damage the Blizzard of '78 did to parts of Massachusetts.
Some facts about the storm:
It snowed from 10:20 am on February 2 to 6:20 Am February 7, 1978.
President Carter declared it a Federal disaster
It was the worst winter in 105 years
Record sbowfall in 24 hr period 27.1 inches
Winds were measured at 79 mph
Record school closings
I dug up some video my dad took of me and my two younger brothers "helping" my mother and father clear out the piles of snow. Check it out!
The Great Blizzard of 1978
Monday, February 1, 2010
Almost three years old.
The girls' birthday is only about two months from now so Sarah and I have started to talk about the big day - party at our house versus at a "party place", etc. And, as with many things in life,
I can be fairly emotional when it comes to milestones and other life events - just ask Sarah about my reaction to setting up Emily's bedroom on Sunday!
Anyhow...here's a look back at the girls from September 2007 - "they grow up so fast":
I can be fairly emotional when it comes to milestones and other life events - just ask Sarah about my reaction to setting up Emily's bedroom on Sunday!
Anyhow...here's a look back at the girls from September 2007 - "they grow up so fast":
Thursday, January 28, 2010
All Politics is local.
If you follow Sarah’s blog, you know the past two weeks have left Sarah & I with little to zero time for anything other than caring for our daughters (and work). The craziness in our house reached a new level with three sick toddlers, a toddler bed conversion, and a house reconfiguration sucking every ounce of our energy. Several posts I had intended to write did not get written. Our plan to catch up on sleep last weekend did not happen. Many things did not happen.
Of course, despite all that life threw at us the past couple of weeks, the world continued to move and news continued to happen: a devastating earthquake in Haiti, and just a few days ago, Nancy Kerrigan’s name resurfaced in the press. Then, of course, there was the election to fill the late Ted Kennedy’s seat in the US Senate - I cannot seem to hold back on commenting about that news story.
I don’t really care about Scott Brown's daughter Ayla and her availability, or the fact that Mr. Brown is married to a local news reporter. I also don’t care that the Brown family happens to live in a nearby town. What has been on my mind is all the talk about how Massachusetts and America needs a Republican in the Senate and how the White House has gotten out of hand with spending and bailouts. Interestingly enough, it seems to me that the negative comments toward our leadership have been coming from Americans with few needs, but with many wants. I didn’t watch much of Scott Brown’s victory speech, but someone commented on the number of millionaires on the stage – Schilling, Romney, Flutie, et al. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t find fault in Americans making a comfortable life for themselves, but let’s be serious – how do you compare the needs of those wealthy individuals with the average American?
The voters in Massachusetts spoke and they elected a Republican. I guess can live with that. I am just tired of people complaining about BIG government and irresponsible fiscal spending in Washington. If the banks had failed and the millionaires had lost ALL their investments and could no longer receive a lavish bonus so their child could spend a summer in Tahiti, those same individuals would complain that the government should have stepped in. Yes, the government is spending. I don’t see it as wasteful spending, however. I see the spending as necessary. I believe the elected officials currently serving on both sides are working toward a better tomorrow for all Americans and an announcement regarding the 2010 Omnibus Appropriations Act (H.R. 3288) has helped solidify my belief in the current leadership.
This is directly from eInsights, the electronic newsletter of the Spina Bifida Association:
In an extraordinarily lean budget year highlighted with a national recession and government stimulus package, the Spina Bifida Association is very pleased to announce that the National Spina Bifida Program housed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received $6.2 million -- a 14 percent increase in funding over last year! This substantial increase, included in the Fiscal Year 2010 Omnibus Appropriations Act (H.R. 3288) recently passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama, is critically important, as it comes in a year when new data indicating that the number of Americans living with Spina Bifida may be as high as 166,000 – more than double what was previously thought.
As a father to three young daughters, one of which was born with Spina Bifida, I was very pleased to read that our leaders found funds for a much needed cause. I don’t know (or care) if the elected official who pushed this section of H.R. 3288 through is Democrat or Republican. I also don’t care if he/she has a million dollars in the bank or one hundred dollars in the bank. What I do know is that the individual in Washington who helped get the bill passed is a person who cares. Sometimes that is all that matters.
Of course, despite all that life threw at us the past couple of weeks, the world continued to move and news continued to happen: a devastating earthquake in Haiti, and just a few days ago, Nancy Kerrigan’s name resurfaced in the press. Then, of course, there was the election to fill the late Ted Kennedy’s seat in the US Senate - I cannot seem to hold back on commenting about that news story.
I don’t really care about Scott Brown's daughter Ayla and her availability, or the fact that Mr. Brown is married to a local news reporter. I also don’t care that the Brown family happens to live in a nearby town. What has been on my mind is all the talk about how Massachusetts and America needs a Republican in the Senate and how the White House has gotten out of hand with spending and bailouts. Interestingly enough, it seems to me that the negative comments toward our leadership have been coming from Americans with few needs, but with many wants. I didn’t watch much of Scott Brown’s victory speech, but someone commented on the number of millionaires on the stage – Schilling, Romney, Flutie, et al. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t find fault in Americans making a comfortable life for themselves, but let’s be serious – how do you compare the needs of those wealthy individuals with the average American?
The voters in Massachusetts spoke and they elected a Republican. I guess can live with that. I am just tired of people complaining about BIG government and irresponsible fiscal spending in Washington. If the banks had failed and the millionaires had lost ALL their investments and could no longer receive a lavish bonus so their child could spend a summer in Tahiti, those same individuals would complain that the government should have stepped in. Yes, the government is spending. I don’t see it as wasteful spending, however. I see the spending as necessary. I believe the elected officials currently serving on both sides are working toward a better tomorrow for all Americans and an announcement regarding the 2010 Omnibus Appropriations Act (H.R. 3288) has helped solidify my belief in the current leadership.
This is directly from eInsights, the electronic newsletter of the Spina Bifida Association:
In an extraordinarily lean budget year highlighted with a national recession and government stimulus package, the Spina Bifida Association is very pleased to announce that the National Spina Bifida Program housed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received $6.2 million -- a 14 percent increase in funding over last year! This substantial increase, included in the Fiscal Year 2010 Omnibus Appropriations Act (H.R. 3288) recently passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama, is critically important, as it comes in a year when new data indicating that the number of Americans living with Spina Bifida may be as high as 166,000 – more than double what was previously thought.
As a father to three young daughters, one of which was born with Spina Bifida, I was very pleased to read that our leaders found funds for a much needed cause. I don’t know (or care) if the elected official who pushed this section of H.R. 3288 through is Democrat or Republican. I also don’t care if he/she has a million dollars in the bank or one hundred dollars in the bank. What I do know is that the individual in Washington who helped get the bill passed is a person who cares. Sometimes that is all that matters.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Poor Anna.
Today's post was going to be something else, but I changed my mind because I haven’t been able to think of anything but my little Anna. Anna has been fairly miserable since the weekend – it started with a little cough here and there on Saturday and culminated with Grammy (thank you Sheila) taking Anna to see the pediatrician this morning. According to the pediatrician, Anna only has “the beginnings of a cold”. Whew. Thank you.
It has been breaking my heart the past several days watching Anna mope around the house, ever so slowly. Anna’s restless sleep and congestion has made her understandably unhappy.
This picture, taken by Grammy this afternoon, says it all.
As testament to Anna’s misery, she and I actually cuddled for a few minutes on the couch this morning before I left for work! Yes, Anna naturally prefers Mommy or Grammy (over Daddy) to hold her so I knew she wasn’t feeling well when she sat with me on the couch without a fuss. Needless to say, I absolutely savored the moment!
Sarah and I, of course, have our reasons for being extra sensitive when it comes to Anna. Countless doctor visits, daily medications, and Anna’s random slips and falls around the house will do that to any parent, I guess. It reminds me of a comment made to us a few times by Anna’s doctors and nurses (when referring to Anna’s various procedures and surgeries). They would say “It’s worse for the parents…” Maybe. I’m not sure. What I do know is that my entire family means everything to me. I just want Anna, her sisters, and their mom to be happy. Not sick. Not grumpy. Not unloved. Just happy.
It has been breaking my heart the past several days watching Anna mope around the house, ever so slowly. Anna’s restless sleep and congestion has made her understandably unhappy.
This picture, taken by Grammy this afternoon, says it all.
As testament to Anna’s misery, she and I actually cuddled for a few minutes on the couch this morning before I left for work! Yes, Anna naturally prefers Mommy or Grammy (over Daddy) to hold her so I knew she wasn’t feeling well when she sat with me on the couch without a fuss. Needless to say, I absolutely savored the moment!
Sarah and I, of course, have our reasons for being extra sensitive when it comes to Anna. Countless doctor visits, daily medications, and Anna’s random slips and falls around the house will do that to any parent, I guess. It reminds me of a comment made to us a few times by Anna’s doctors and nurses (when referring to Anna’s various procedures and surgeries). They would say “It’s worse for the parents…” Maybe. I’m not sure. What I do know is that my entire family means everything to me. I just want Anna, her sisters, and their mom to be happy. Not sick. Not grumpy. Not unloved. Just happy.
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