Not quite as well known as the Witness Relocation Plan is the Childcare Relocation Initiative

So, all four of us got on a plane to experience the wintery bliss that is Colorado. A lot of thought and planning, particularly by Tall, Dark and Hansom, went into this excursion. He wanted to make sure that both of our expectations were met during this 8 day long adventure. We were going to stay with our friends(let's call them dad, mom and daughter) in their Steamboat Springs condo for the bulk of our stay and still spend a little bit of time with my sister, who lives in Denver.
As we are picking up our luggage at baggage claim, TDH's phone rings and the daughter of our Steamboat Springs condo-owning friends, just came down with the flu. So rather than meet up with them right away, we stayed with my sister in her one bedroom apartment for the next three days. Great to spend time with her, not so great sleeping arrangements and not so great being basically inside of "four small walls" for two days.

We finally meet up with our friends and head to Steamboat in their two separate vehicles. The dad has now developed the flu and so we ride with our two kiddos and their daughter in the car we are driving.

Please close your eyes and picture your parents telling you to tone down the giggling in the back seat. Are you also remembering how their instructions fell on deaf ears? Not so much deaf ears as ears that hear the opposite of what you just said? Needless to say, the portable DVD player was employed as a giggling suppressant for the remainder of the ride. After the first movie had finished, on principle, I wanted to give the girls sometime to entertain themselves in the car. Gosh darn it, that is the way my sister and I had to do it, so they should learn car riding skills, sans electronics, too! Oh, they entertained themselves. Who knew how hilarious saying the same word back and forth to each other with different syllabic empahases could be? I'm a quick study, too. I learned that I cannot maintain my sanity when there are two silly, silly girls in the back seat. Off to Never, Never Land you go, girls.

The rest of the week consisted of TDH and I exchanging child care duties. We both did some skiing and I had a couple of spa treatments. Meanwhile, Jane (our 4 year old girl) had her defiant and attitude dials turned up several notches all week from hanging out with their 6 year old daughter and Sweet and Creamy (nine month old son) was pretty fussy all week dealing with his ear issues and trapped inside of a hotel room issues. Yeah, I guess I forgot to mention that I took S & C into the Dr.'s the day before we left and he had a full blown ear infection in addition to needing ongoing nebulizer steroid treatments for his lungs.

"What a spoiled princess,!" you might say. "She got to spend several days in the beautiful mountains of Colorado in a luxury condo, skied and did some spa-ing! Stop your complaining right this instant." Before you plan a selfish brat intervention for me, let me just say that I'm simply trying to do a cost, benefit analysis. Is all the hassle [for my personality (semi-controlling and structured) it is a hassle] of trying to merge two families' agendas and illnesses in addition to packing and lugging all our crap around and the full time job of caring for young children worth the "vacation?" I think by my very use of quotation marks around the word, vacation, you know my answer.

Fun was had, yes. Did I return rested and refreshed, or at least exhilarated? No. Again, kuddos to TDH for all the effort on his part - there were just two many variables out of his control.

I told him before we left that it is hard enough to take care of these kids at home, let alone in a place that doesn't have the conveniences of afore mentioned location.
Epilogue: S&C is going on his sixth day of having a fever (he started hours after we got home) and his second visit to the doctor since we've gotten back. The laundry from the trip is still not finished. On a positive note we unpacked all of our crap and put the luggage away. See how I'm trying to be upbeat?

Flying The Unfriendly Skies

Can I see a show of hands for those of you who thoroughly enjoy flying with small infants and/or small children? No one?

As we boarded the airplane for our return trip to TX from MN, both Tall, Dark & Handsome and I were stopped by the flight attendent, she who shall not be named, and were asked to reposition our carry on bags. TDH was asked to remove his backpack. "Why?" he inquired. She who shall not be named explained that there is a greater chance for other passengers to get bumped by his backpack when he is wearing it. I was toting Sweet and Creamy (4 month old son) in a front carrier and holding his diaper bag in my right hand. "Ma'am, please keep the bag close to you, so that it doesn't hit any of the passengers." We were unaware that she had spoken to both of us until we were debriefing in DFW airport, taking turns spewing our frustrations over the flight.

She who shall not be named left us alone until about 15 minutes before we landed, when S&C is starting to fuss. First, another flight attendent, a graduate, apparently, of the Delores Umbridge school of communication, asked me if I had a bottle I could give him. Not in a "let me help you" tone of voice, but a "please figure out a way to keep you child quiet" tone. Then she who shall not be named approaches my seat and informs me that I need to take S&C out of the front carrier to comply with regulations. He has been secured there for most of the flight and on other flights, so I said that the other flight attendants must not know this rule because no one has ever said this to me.

I begin taking S&C out of his carrier and of course he dials the fussing up a few notches. I try to breastfeed him, under covering, naturally, but to no avail. He is totally crying now, I'm sweating and very frustrated and up strides she who shall not be named with a piece of paper in her hand. She had the regulation pamphlet and is trying to show me the rule and tell me about the research that supports it. I told her that I didn't need to read it. She then procedes to step to the row behind me and asks if TDH would like to look at it.

COME ON!!! It wasn't as if I refused to take him out. I had. I wanted to ask her to read it to S&C. I'm sure it would have helped him settle down immediately upon reading it. Do you have the regulations in the form of a picture story book for my child to read....maybe a board book? Uhg!!!

I'm all for safety, so maybe she was recommending the safest thing, but I am bothered my the inconsistency of flight attendants. Particularly when I'm stuck with the anal retentive ones.

Also, I'm very appreciative of anyone who will, at the very least, sympathize with the challenge of traveling with young ones. As you can see, it ain't easy.

Wanted: Kind Strangers

I know others have written about the phenomenon known as craigslist. I was a craiglist virgin until yesterday. I put a post up yesterday morning and was amazed by the response. As the post explains I am going to be traveling with almost four year old daugther and sweet and creamy three month old son (pictured above). We are staying at my parent's home in MN which is modestly equipped for grandchildren. Our stay there would be oh so more relaxing with few baby accoutrements. Almost within minutes someone had emailed me offering the use of an item and throughout the day I had a couple of more women offer their things. Last night someone even called my home and told me about a clothing closet in Minneapolis that was run by a church and gives clothing and baby items away to people who need them. Another woman had nine kids and was going to just give me her infant bathtub - she said she never used it. If I had nine kids I would probably just line them up, squirt some shower gel on them and apply liberal amounts of hose water. I digress. Rest easy girlfriday readers. Sweet and creamy will be living large at grammy's house because of the kindness of strangers. (Just in case my mom reads this, be it said that she always asks if I need anything and trys her darnedest to gather things.)

Ca C'est La Plus Belle Site A La Internet

Yeah, I did that without a dictionary.

My new favorite site on the Internet: Browings real estate listings in La France!

Oh, mon petit chou chou! Puis-je acheter un maison la bas?!

Wow, it's been a long time. I might have just cursed you in French.

Going Out West Where I Belong

We start our drive to Idhao today. I'm so excited. I'm always excited to be driving west. There's something wild and free about the remoteness of the roads in South Dakota, Wyoming, Montanta.

I can't help but feel that the thrill, however diminished it is by progress, is a little like what the pioneers felt.

girlfriday abroad: the people

Martin and Lorna in the doorway of the Manse



Lorna the Magnificent


Phillip

Morag, Annie's sister, and me in her home outside Glasgow


Lewis and Jonny

Lewis and Me

The Professor and Alistair hill-walking in the Highlands

Ann and me in the kitchen



Mark and Gayle in the Manse kitchen


Sweet-natured Hannah

The Remarkable Rachel

Gayle, Hannah and me in a rainy seaside town

You might recognize this guy

Gus, Bill, Stewart, Nita and Me

Bridgit and me in the Towner of London

Below: The guy who looks like David Bamber, the actor who played Mr. Collins in Pride & Prejudice. Don't say he doesn't.

My enchanting and glamorous cousin Bridgit

Her fun-loving Significant Other Rhys

Jon and Rhys Bill and Jon in the Morgan

Lovable, Hospitable Ann


A glamour shot of Nita


The Face of a Woman with a sweet disposition

Matt and Mel on the Capitol Mall

Eli and Julia

The Indefatigable Melanie Julia and Admirer

girlfriday abroad: the story

The next post is the first in a series of snapshots from our honeymoon.

It may seem unusual to post photographs from your honeymoon, but ours was an usual honeymoon.

In fact, we are an unusual couple.

The honeymoon was carried out in phases. A night in Minnesota. Three nights in the Washington, DC area. London for three nights before leaving for three nights in Rome. Back to London (more accurately, Luton) for two more nights before driving to York. A night in York before we drove to Scotland. And so on.

We spent a lot of time together. But we also spent a lot of time building memories with new and old friends. I've always traveled alone so these memories are significant.

Here we go!

Returning home from a trip abroad is so strange. Especially in the summer. The heat seems to compound the blur you're moving through. And it is so hot here. Anything said after 6:00 PM is generally forgotten.

It is wonderful to be back, in spite of aching backs and sore throats. A small branch the size of an elephant trunk blew from the gnarled tree in our backyard during high winds yesterday. It clipped the rain gutter, but missed the house. A near miss. The theme of the last four weeks.

You'll hear all about it. But don't say I didn't warn you.

Raise your hand if IT'S ABOUT TIME.

Boise, a Mining Town?

Boise has attracted its fair share of national press, and some of it leaves us more than a little amused at the outdated assumptions about the city and its vibe.

Read this otherwise excellent travel article about Boise to understand what I'm talking about.

The New York Times writer calls Boise a city "once ruled by the bait-and-bullet crowd" and a "mining and farming town at heart."

It's been a long time since Boise was ruled by the so-called bait and bullet crowd, (though we are still proud of our appreciation of and access to the outdoors), and even longer since it was a mining town.

In fact, when exactly was it a mining town? During the Gold Rush of the 1860's?

True, the City is still bounded by farm or ranch land on every side--though both are disappearing in a sea of starter homes; we know we're a short drive from "the country." But calling it a "mining and farming town at heart" betrays a lack of knowledge about the region.

The writer also refers to Boise's "rejuvenated downtown and a budding arts community."

Downtown Boise has been resurrected, but for a long time. And the arts community is far from budding; thriving would be a more fitting choice.

The Idaho Shakespeare Festival, which was highlighted in the July 21 edition of the Wall Street Journal, just turned 30.

The Boise Art Museum has occupied its space on Julia Davis Drive and Capitol Boulevard for almost two decades. Its founding association is much, much older. The Morrison Center for the Performing Arts is 22 years old.

Even "newer" arts organizations are staking their claim and consistently offering powerful and meaningful performances. The New Heritage Theatre Company is an 8 year-old local professional theatre with a resident repertory company and a theatrical training conservatory(yes, you read that correctly) that boasts Sir Anthony Hopkins as its honorary patron.

Boise Contemporary Theater, about the same age, is producing unforgettable contemporary works at its permanent location on Fulton Street.

The list goes on.

We're thrilled the Times writer was here to discover for himself what a rare jewel of a city Boise, Idaho is--and have some fun while he was at it.

But he is advised to double-check his cliches.