Florida Trip

Florida was beautiful and sunny, it's pretty sad to be back!  Another day or two would have been great!

The flight down went well all things considered.  Sam was great on the plane, he played, took a bottle, and slept.  We bribed a cab driver to take us to pick up the rental car sans car seat and he napped again driving to the hotel in Jupiter.  The hotel was awesome, right on the water.  We celebrated Chris's birthday by hanging out by the pool with my friends and drinks.  Sam was so happy to be outside, playing, exploring, swimming in the pool with his dad, and he sneakily tasted his first pina colada, which apparently he liked because he went back for more.

returned from the Sunshine State

We got back last night from a much needed vacation in Florida and are home in chilly Massachusetts.  Sam did a great job on the plane, on the road, and in general.  Our first trip (to see my in-laws) in North Carolina was actually stressful as it was the first time traveling with the baby.  That trip we were laden down with a car seat, stroller, Pack n Play and diaper bag.  This trip we were smart and rented the car-seat with the car, borrowed a pack n play, and didn't take a stroller.  We did however take a Baby Bjorn type carrier, which I used once on the trip and then apparently left (with my sneakers), in the hotel.  I also need to call the hotel and have those items sent back.
I have come to conclude from these trips that what can be carried on the plane for a baby far exceeds what can be carried on for any other given passenger.  I think that the airlines just want these unpredictable little people to be as quiet and content as possible.  Coming back I managed not only to get a 9 ounce baby bottle through security, but also 7.2 oz of baby shampoo (that my husband had purchased and I didn't want to throw away), and a few other items that would have typically landed in the bin outside security.  The only thing that they questioned was what the baby was holding in his hand, which was a handful of my hair?
We received some great baby tips en route:
- the mother of a 19 year old recommended giving the baby a pickle spear when there was teething pain
- a mother of five told us to wear the kids out before getting on the plane and not waking them up for anything, including food
- a father told us to drink strong drinks and if necessary buy them for those around us

The only really annoying thing that Sam wanted to do on the plane was to pet the people's heads in front of us.  I think he related them to our housecat.  I think he only pet one person.   The cutest thing he did was try to look into the TV screen on the back of the seat in front of us to see what was in it.  We don't let him watch TV at home.

Snow in NE

So much snow!  Everywhere.  I looked across the street this afternoon as I shoveled, and could only see the top of the baseball hat of my neighbor.  No joke .  The mounds of snow on the street are taller than people.  The mounds (or should I say mountains?) of snow in the parking lots at local shopping venues are often two stories high and wider than a small house.  It’s unreal.  And snowing again tomorrow.  Possibly snowing on Saturday.  Tomorrow will be the fifth snowday we have had at school. 

Since December, between snow and being sick, I have not worked a full week of school. 

The sounds of plows have become common, as has the list of school closures, and of waiting behind cars to get down one two way streets when someone is parked badly.  Snow-blowers are also becoming background noise and roof collapses are the new top media trend on local stations.  The potholes are becoming dangerous, one has already been filled at the end of the street because it was the size of a compact car.  I just got off the phone with DPW reporting another one.

2/2/11

Groundhog Day brings more of the same, ironically.  Although this time on top of the light fluffy snow, is ice rain, soon to change to ice pellets.  I wasn’t aware that there was such a weather phenomenon as ice pellets, but they are being forecast.  It is cold and wet.  I can’t imagine the driving conditions that this will create. 

2/511

What I’ve Learned:

• There are such thing as ice pellets: they can fall from the sky.
• There are ice dams:  those can occur on roofs and cause leaks
• Roof rakes also exsist:  roof rakers are in high demand and people are waiting in “lines” of 100 people to get the service.
• Ice can be melted in high places such  as roofs with heating coils.  These can be easily installed, if one is so inclined to climb onto a roof and install one, and they can prevent ice dams and such.
• Building codes for roofs are different in the climate zones in New England.  Places that tend to get more snow fall have more stringent codes for constructing roofs that will hold said snowfall.  This lessens the chances of roof collapses.  What great common sense.
• Shoveling snow burns a lot of calories.  Like a ton.  800 per hour for heavy wet snow.  This increase and decrease according to the consistency of the snow.  Having said this, New Englanders will be very buff by the end of this season.  My husband already has a six pack.
• Snow blowers are very dangerous.  Not only can they chop off fingers, toes, and other appendages, but they can catch on fire.  Boston.com even featured an article on what to do if one did chop off one’s finger in a snow blowing accident.
• Sink holes can appear suddenly in such conditions.  The DPW  will attend to them immediately if it seems that a small car could be swallowed by one in the immediate future.  Apparently they also have to be deep and dangerous.  Six foot by ten foot holes in the side streets of Medford do not warrant such attention.
• Pushing neighbor’s cars out of the snow to stop the beeping from the line of cars accruing down the street will lessen the chance of waking a sleeping baby. 
• Most people are helpful in such cases, some clearly cannot handle this weather anymore.