Caching in Letchworth

As you probably already know, we love caching. One thing about it, though, is that it has its highs and lows: from "Wow, we found three caches in one day!" to "Is this thing calibrated right? We couldn't find this cache if it was on fire!" Yup, it can be a love-hate relationship some days. One major saving grace is that even when you can't find a cache you're usually in some place pretty and/or cool so you don't mind so much. That pretty much sums up last Friday.

Sean took the day off and we all went down to Letchworth Park to find some caches and sightsee. (Quick aside, both Sean and I have lived in the greater Rochester area for *gulp* 20+ years now and this is our first trip to Letchworth...how stupid is that?) Anyway, we had quite a few caches to choose from and the kids were happy to head outta Dodge. To make a long story short, we ended up chasing after two caches that we never found. Oh well.... We settled down at Wolf Creek for lunch and managed to take lots of great pictures so all was not lost. The caches will simply have to wait for another day.

Picture time

Apparently bears aren't the only thing that hibernate in the winter - it seems our camera has done a little as well. So, with spring now in full swing around here our camera has come out of hiding and we've got pictures to share again.

Last weekend the kids were itching to wash the cars (hey, who are we to argue?) so Sean got them all set up and let 'em rip. (Too bad it rained the next day.)

Nothing in particular

Blogging is a funny thing; even when you don't have anything particularly noteworthy to say, you still feel somewhat obligated to update the darn thing.

So, in an effort to at least stay in the habit of this, I'm just going to ramble. (You may want to just hit that "Next Blog" link now and spare yourself.)

Here's something: Last week I received an email from a friend from high school. It completely made my week to hear from Bill B. and find out how he's doing these days. Since reconnecting we've done some catching up and it's been like a breath of fresh air for me.

I'm sure for some people that doesn't seem like a big deal, but for me it was. You see, I don't have friends from that period in my life (well, ok, maybe two or three) but being so far from my old hometown I've lost touch with them. There's something very grounding about maintaining friendships with people who knew you 'back then'. Whoever you become on your road through life, there will be those people who knew you in your formative years...people who know the core you. *shrug* Oh well, enough of my rambling.

My Big Brave Boy

Today Chance and I went for his 5 yr. check-up. He's healthy as a horse, right on target for height and weight, and (contrary to my speculation) has great hearing and eyesight. (So what's his excuse for not hearing me call him or seeing the blitzkrieg in his room?!) Sure, some tears were shed over the three shots, but it's nothing that a Wendy's Frostie didn't cure.

I have to say I was beaming with maternal pride as he navigated his way through the exams and talking to the doc. He was poised and managed to put his shyness in his pocket long enough to answer her questions directly. Did I mention I was proud? Oh, yeah, I guess I did. Anyway, I told him all day how well he did and how proud I was/am...ad nauseum.

Ya know, sometimes this mommy-thing is pretty cool.

Chance turns FIVE!

Here’s Chance opening a gift at his party at Chuck E. Cheese. He invited 8 friends to help him celebrate. He had such a great time and so did his friends. Mom and Dad, on the other hand, were completely exhausted after two hours. On the upside, at least they weren’t tearing our house apart!

Next came the family party. As if Chance hadn’t gotten enough cool toys already, he got even more. Although, the biggest present was being surrounded by family. Oh, who am I kidding, he’s 5…it’s all about the presents!

Seriously, though, it was nice to gather everyone to celebrate our little guy turning 5. Sean and I have done a lot of reminiscing about the past 5+ years and how wonderful (and..ahem..challenging) they’ve been. We wouldn’t change a thing. I mean, c’mon, look at those two…would you trade them for the world? We wouldn’t.

Melancholoy Milestones

Well, we've done it: Maia is officially weaned.

It's such a bittersweet milestone, really. She's 2.5 now and was only down to nursing briefly twice a day since I'd been cutting her back for awhile to prepare us both for this. I even started to notice that I was feeling a little awkward about still nursing her at this age. But, still....

So here I sit, roughly two or three weeks since we stopped, with tears in my eyes feeling sad that it's over. Something that I truly enjoyed is done forever and I'm feeling sad that we're done and guilty for the slight tinge of relief.

I'm such a goof.

What a week

It's amazing all that can happen in the span of a week.

Last week Hunter was scheduled to undergo a spleenectomy on Wednesday after his ultra-sound on Monday confirmed that there was something wrong with his spleen. Well, the surgery went well and Hunter is now home and acting as though nothing really happened. His appetite has returned (mooching food like a pro). His energy level seems normal. He isn't really bothering his incision very much. *sigh* But it was a helluva week to get here.

He's not completely home free, either; we're still waiting for the pathology report on the spleen that will tell us if the tumor was benign or malignant. I'm just trying to take it one day at a time and not think too far ahead. He's home, he's happy and he's like his old self again...I'm grateful for all of it.

I cannot gush enough about his vet and the animal hospital that took such wonderful care of him. Although not all of the info he gave me was all that good to hear, he prepared me for anything and everything and was so attuned to my needs that I almost thought I was his patient! Anyway, if you know us and are near us and need a vet, please let me tell you about this doctor...he's among the best. Thank you Dr. K. Cosford!

Finally, I want to thank everyone who kept us in your thoughts and prayers this past week. I'm truly overwhelmed by the number of friends and family who have reached out to us during this last week. Your kindness and caring really made a tremendous difference to our family (esp. me since I'm the biggest sap). Thank you for being so sweet.

One of those days

It's one of those days.

You know the kind, where your kids seem almost as if they're plotting the demise of your sanity. Yup, one of those. Oh, and let's not forget how everything else can snowball right along with all the other little things.

The biggest "thing" right now is Hunter. The snowball started last week when I noticed he'd been acting a little strange. A trip to the vet, some bloodwork and x-rays and then a follow-up call from the vet and I went into full-blown anxiety mode.

Today saw us at two separate veterinary offices for an ultrasound and then more bloodwork as we confirmed that he needs his spleen removed. Is it cancer? Dunno yet. Surgery is scheduled for Wednesday morning and then...well, I don't know. I'll know how bad it is when I get a call either from a nurse or the doctor. A nurse means it's very bad and I'll have to make the call to let him go on the table or bring him home and wait for the inevitable. The doctor means a (hopefully) better prognosis.

I know this may seem silly to some--I mean, c'mon, he's a dog--but this boy is 10 years old and like my own kid. He came into my life at a really rough time and he's been my cuddle buddy, confidante and companion for so long now. Not to mention that it's not even a year since losing Kenei. This is the worst part of loving pets so much: their lives are always too short to bear. Maybe what I need is a parrot.

Anyway, I'm sorry to dump all this here...I mean, you probably didn't come here to be depressed or read my rambling thoughts on man's best friend and my bad day. I just needed to get it out...besides, it's cheaper than therapy.

Another milestone

Last Thursday marked another milestone for Chance and me: I registered him for Kindergarten. Sure, he doesn't start until fall, but there I was filling out paperwork, forgetting his SSN, and trying to choose between morning or afternoon session (only half-day K here).

So, done is done and my little boy is all set to move from AAA League to AA come September.

*sigh*

Post-Christmas Toy Bloat

Oh, where to begin.... I should start by saying that we had a wonderful Christmas. We traveled to my family's home up north and spent the holiday with them. God bless my sister, her whole family and my mother who put up with us invading their home every year. Although she'd never say it, I'm sure she's got to be just a tad glad to see us pile into the CR-V and head for home.

The kids had a blast!!! They got to spend several days with their cousins whom they simply adore. Oh, and then of course there was the build-up to Christmas and the present opening frenzy. The kids made out like bandits -- Santa was aided and abetted by plenty of spoiling by grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins. The hardest part for both of them was trying to figure out just exactly which toy to play with first!

Now that we're home again we're still trying to absorb all the new toys into the house. I think we need to build a whole new wing on the house! Chance has so many Lego sets that we're rationing him. He can only build something new every few days. Maia, on the other hand, is swimming in Play-Doh. They both are in seventh heaven.

As for Sean and I, well, we came home and promptly ordered our new toy -- a Garmin GPSMap 60CS. We just received it today and are already chomping at the bit to go caching this weekend. It's going to be a race to the GPSr every time we go caching now. Mine...no, MINE!

I hope anyone who reads this had a very special Christmas or Hanukkah and that you're still feeling the glow of the season.

Catching up

It seems as though it's been a very long time since I've written anything. It's not like I have a good excuse-I don't-it's just that time has a way of slipping away from me.

I'm going to back up to November when we had great weekends that were simply perfect for caching. I've got so many great pictures that it's going to be tough to choose just a few to share.

Halloween fun

We love Halloween. I mean, what's not to love: Picking out pumpkins, getting dressed up in costume and (the best part of all) getting candy!! The kids had a great time with all of the above...especially that candy part. Maia very quickly caught the knack of knocking on doors and mooching for candy. Here are some more pictures...


Chance the Dragon (for the second year)


Maia as Little Red Riding Hood
(Hunter went along as the Big Bad Wolf)

Halloween dry-run

After returning home from an errand this afternoon, I found Chance and Maia trying on Halloween costumes. Chance was wearing his dragon costume from last year and Maia was wearing his dragon costume from two years ago. (Sense a theme?) Fortunately, his costume from last year still fits him (even better than it did then) and he still wants to wear it. Smart boy...after all the time I spent sewing the darn thing he'd better want to wear it again!

Oh, for those who might not be familiar with dragons, here's what Chance is supposed to look like:

Caching has its rewards

This weekend we attempted yet another first-to-find. Unfortunately, we were third but you won't see any disappointment on the kids' faces here! The cache was Jump Judge in Fishers, NY and it contained lots of horse show ribbons (and we're talkin' BIG ones, too!) The kids had so much fun wearing this ribbon and posing for these pictures (why does Maia always smile after the picture's taken?!?) Not a bad cache prize, eh?

Chance - Future car designer

Chance, if you don't know already, is all about cars and Legos lately. He loves both and spends a lot of his time playing with his Hot Wheels and building Lego cars. Some of his Lego cars are from directions and some are purely his own design. Here are a few pictures of our resident designer and his creations.

Cool site: What Should I Read Next

What Should I Read Next?

Despite having three large bookcases brimming with books, I'm often at a loss for a book to read. Part of the problem is that most of the books are Sean's and, much as I love the man, I don't share his taste in reading material. (No dear, I don't want to read Atlas Shrugged!)

This site helps you break out of your mold and find other books that you might enjoy based upon your previous reads. You can try it with one book or register (it's free) and enter in multiple books for a more complete picture of your reading habits. It makes me wish I had more free time for reading.

Chance's first full day at school

It's funny how sometimes you worry about how something will go and then it turns out to be nothing at all. That would sum up how Chance's first day at school (by himself) went. He was a champ! He and Drew (his bestest buddy) marched off to class with barely a backward glance.

JWtDO - Part 3

(Michele asked what the heck happened to the account of our meeting so this is to appease one very pregnant friend.)

One great added bonus of this trip was getting together with my friend Michele. 'Chele lives in CT with her wonderful husband and two adorable children. We met several years ago on an online forum for women expecting in Feb. '01. Her daughter Katie and Chance are only about two weeks apart in age. But I digress....

We met Saturday morning for dim sum in Chinatown. Wow, absolutely delicious! Great food aside, it was a chance for Michele and Mark to see that I really do have a husband. I've met both of them (in person) before but they'd never met Sean, so it was a fun to get all four of us together. Now they have proof that I really do have a husband, and the boys entertained each other so Michele and I could catch up.

I'd post a picture of the two of us, but of course, we were idiots and forgot to take a picture before we left each other!! Mark took a pic of her and Sean took a (not so good) pic of me and now she's trying to Photoshop the two of us together! We'll see....

Anyway, it was so wonderfully nice of her and Mark to make the trek in from CT to NYC just to spend two hours or so hanging out with us. Now that's what friends are all about. Michele, you made my weekend complete.

JWtDO - Part 2

Did I mention caching? Of course we cached. I tease Sean about being the cache junkie in the family but I'm probably just as bad. After all, I was the one who loaded the Manhattan maps and caches onto the GPSr. The one thing we didn't really consider was the difficulty in getting a good signal in the "canyon" of tall buildings. Which explains why there aren't far more caches in NYC.


We did, however, manage a few fun ones in Central Park (CP Guardian, Swamp Gas, In the Ramble, and Lakeside View) and a geeky-tourist webcam cache in Times Square (see pic above). All-in-all, not bad for a couple of out-of-towners.


We also managed a pilgrimage to Washington Square Park so Sean could get his chess fix. After walking around for awhile he finally talked himself into a game with one of the resident players. Eric was very friendly and...well...normal. (Forgive me, but some of the regulars there are a tad...um, eccentric.) After two games Sean had a loss and a win and was content to walk away. I'm not normally a chess spectator but these were two very fun games to watch.

Dinner on Friday night found us acting like a pair of foodie-wannabes. We looked up Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles restaurant. I've never been to a French restaurant, per se, so I thought this might be interesting. (At this point, I'll take a page out of Sean's blog....)

Restaurant: Les Halles, Park Ave., NY, NY

Avg. Cost of entree: $24
When: Friday, September 16th, 2005.
Who: Sean & Jo
Our Order: Filet de Boeuf Bearnaise (beef tenderloin, bearnaise) and Tranche d'agneau grillee aux herbes (lamb steak w/fresh herbs) both of which are served with a generous side of pomme frites

Review:

• Look & feel: Large open room, noisy, bustling. Not for that romantic quiet dinner gazing into each others' eyes.
• Unexpected: Who knew fries could possibly be so good?
  
• Would I come back?: Absolutely
• Dress: Business casual - casual
  

Recommendation:

We had an incredible dinner here. Of course there were no Chef Bourdain sightings (although, we found out later that he'd been in the restaurant earlier in the week) we thoroughly enjoyed our dinners. The meat was cooked perfectly and tasted wonderful (although the lamb was a tad garlic-y). The wine selection was nice and the Pinot Noir we chose with our entrees was very nice. All-in-all an excellent meal.

Just what the doctor ordered - Part 1

Today marks the first day our mini-vacation in NYC. Mind you, it was supposed to be a getaway to New Orleans (please, let's not talk about our luck with hurricanes, ok?) Anyway, as luck would have it, it took us roughly an hour and a half to get from LaGuardia to our hotel since it's Olympus Fashion Week and a special debate of the UN General Assembly leaving Manhattan looking like one very large parking lot.

All that aside, we arrived at our hotel, got a bite to eat and began exploring our immediate area - lower Times Square and Bryant Park. Bryant Park, by the way, was the site of the Olympus Fashion Show. Oh joy.

If nothing else, Manhattan is one of the best people-watching spots on the earth; with OFW right nearby it was the place to be. What's really funny about this, though, is that I doubt you could find any two other people who have less fashion-sense than Sean and me. We could've tripped over Kate Moss or some other model and wouldn't have known the difference. It was almost funny. No matter, we had fun watching the paparazzi and autograph seekers waiting in the wings.

Eating out in Manhattan is wonderful. (Nothing like stating the obvious, eh?) Our first night found us walking a few blocks to Grand Central Station and the MetLife building adjacent to it to Tropica. (We played the tourists in GCS by standing to the side of the great atrium and staring up at the ceiling, which is a beautiful blue background with various constellations drawn upon it with the occasional star lit up.) We had a delicious meal that rivals the best of Rochester restaurants and garnered one superlative after another. Maybe, if I get ambitious enough (and Maia naps long enough) I'll start reviewing restaurants like Sean reviews golf courses. Yeah, I've got time for that.

A nice walk back to the hotel took us by Bryant Park again and we gawked as the last of the fashionistas trailed out of the tent. Ahhh, it's a rough life.