This past week was jam packed with some firsts. While Grandma Maggie was visiting, we were given some opportunities to do some new things on the east coast.
Boston Marathon
Monday April 19th was the 114th Boston Marathon. We of course had to check out the action on what was a beautiful day. We debated how to get close to the action and while I wanted to walk the 3 miles to our meet-up point with friends, Kacey wanted to try the T. So we took the red line to Park and switched to the green-C. After waiting 15 min for our train to leave the station, we then waited another 20 trying to move but the traffic was just too bad. We determined it would be faster to walk, so we exited at the next stop and hoofed it.
This turn of events, though, led us right to the finish line, about 3 minutes before the first elite runners got there! We got pictures of some wheelchair finishers, the first woman, and the first man, who also set a course record! After 10 minutes of cheering, we walked further down the course toward Mass Ave and stopped along the way to view more runners. So while we never actually made it to the group we were meeting, we got to see some pretty good action.
www.chrisandkacey.com/Boston/Boston-Marathon-2010/
Martha's Vineyard
I had been wanting to visit Martha's Vineyard at some point and luckily my mother-in-law wanted to as well. On Tuesday we drove down to Fox Hole (near Falmouth) to catch the ferry to Vineyard Haven. It only costs about $15 round trip per person. Once there, we walked around for a few minutes before catching a bus to Edgartown. Most of the island had not really opened up yet for the season, so finding a place for lunch took a bit. We ate lunch at David Ryan's Restaurant. The homemade fries and chips were pretty good. We walked around a bit, took some photos at the water, and caught the bus back to Vineyard Haven. After walking through a few more shops, we caught our boat back to the mainland.
On our way back to Boston, we stopped at Plymouth to see Plymouth Rock. There is a nice little park near by with free 2 hour parking. We walked down the shore line for a while and found Wood's Seafood for dinner.
http://www.chrisandkacey.com/Vacation/NewEngland/MarthasVineyard/
Newport, RI
Each year Sloan holds a Gala, aka MBA Prom. Every other year it is held in Newport, RI. This year, for our 6th wedding anniversary, we went to MBA Prom at Rosecliff Mansion in Newport. Since my mother-in-law was in town, she stayed back in Boston with Nolan. So while Kacey and I have both been away from him for a night, we had never done it together. We stayed at the Inn on Bellevue. It is a nice little place. Before the gala, we walked the Cliff Walk near some of the mansions. We then drove around a few more before returning to prepare for the gala. We toured the mansion once there, enjoyed some really tasty appetizers, ate a decent meal, and danced the night away. Oh, and of course ate some yummy dessert! It was a fun evening. The next morning we drove around with a few friends viewing a few of the parks in the area. Unfortunately due to rain, we didn't get to walk around much. We were also able to stop at the Touro Synagogue. It is the oldest synagogue in the country and a National Historical Site.
http://www.chrisandkacey.com/Vacation/NewEngland/Newport/
My next first... Red Sox game on Monday with my brother!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Fun with Pano
I was looking over some old trip photos and remembered I had not even stitched a photo together from Australia. So I decided to stitch it and now I want to post some of my panos. No, they are not great. Send your tips and thoughts.
Stitched from 7 photos
Stitched from 20 photos
Stitched from 8 photos
Prospect Mountain, Lake George, Adirondacks
Lookout #2
Stitched from 4 photos
Lookout #3
Stitched from 5 photos
Prospect Mountain Summit
Stitched from 4 photos
Buck Mountain, Lake George, Adirondacks
South View from the Summit
Stitched from 6 photos
North View from the Summit
Stitched from 3 photos
West View from the Summit
Stitched from 6 photos
Kata Tjuta (The Olgas), Ayers Rock, Australia
Stitched from 7 photos
Mt. Britton Tower, El Yunque, Puerto Rico
Stitched from 20 photos
Yokahu Tower, El Yunque, Puerto Rico
Stitched from 8 photos
Prospect Mountain, Lake George, Adirondacks
Lookout #2
Stitched from 4 photos
Lookout #3
Stitched from 5 photos
Prospect Mountain Summit
Stitched from 4 photos
Buck Mountain, Lake George, Adirondacks
South View from the Summit
Stitched from 6 photos
North View from the Summit
Stitched from 3 photos
West View from the Summit
Stitched from 6 photos
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Toddler TV
I know, evil words. We have not really let Nolan watch TV yet (he watches some sports). But, as he is nearing two, and our life is changing, I feel we may need to find a couple good shows for Nolan to watch. While we understand Nolan and he understands us, he is not really putting words together yet. Every baby is different, but our situation is we will be soon living in a country where he will not hear English except from us. So, it is time to find a couple good shows that we can buy on DVD and take with us.
We don't want just any show. We want something relatively simple with hopefully real or animated children. We want him to learn, but the show doesn't need to focus on learning so much that it isn't fun to watch. We mostly want him to hear kids speaking English. Some singing would be nice too.
So far I still love Sesame Street. My friend Matt mentioned that he watches Caillou with his daughter and so far I like this show too. I am looking for recommendations of a few shows that we can take with us (or watch on the SlingBox). Don't hesitate to leave a comment with your thoughts and why!
We don't want just any show. We want something relatively simple with hopefully real or animated children. We want him to learn, but the show doesn't need to focus on learning so much that it isn't fun to watch. We mostly want him to hear kids speaking English. Some singing would be nice too.
So far I still love Sesame Street. My friend Matt mentioned that he watches Caillou with his daughter and so far I like this show too. I am looking for recommendations of a few shows that we can take with us (or watch on the SlingBox). Don't hesitate to leave a comment with your thoughts and why!
Friday, April 02, 2010
A Big Step for Nolan
Today Nolan and I were at MIT for an event around lunch. The room we were in had many steps and Nolan wanted to run around. The steps weren't huge, but they weren't tiny steps either. As if he had been doing it for weeks, he quickly and confidently stepped right up them without any help and then turned around and came right down them without any help. I was excited!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Life Insurance... Yeah
I am so happy to be working on this... we need to update our life insurance. I currently have a whole life plan I am going to do away with. We are going to get two term plans that we can adjust as needed. We have looked in to a few big name companies so far.
How have you, random readers of this blog, picked a company? What gotchas should we look out for? Don't hesitate to comment!
How have you, random readers of this blog, picked a company? What gotchas should we look out for? Don't hesitate to comment!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Spring Break in Puerto Rico
This past week we spent 5 days in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Those of you that know me well, yes, I ate my words and went there for vacation. That just tells you how good the deal was we found. For those who have no idea what I am talking about, I spent a lot of time there for work a couple years back. So while it is nice knowing where to go and where to eat and how to get around your vacation spot, there are certain things about the place I wanted to avoid, including thoughts of work.
We got direct flights on JetBlue, which sweetened the deal. This was my first time on JetBlue and I was pleased with them. Free first bag and no first class, so no lines of people wanting an upgrade. They do have expanded leg room rows, but they don't give them away, even at the last minute. So again less clutter. The regular rows have a decent amount of space, so traveling with an infant wasn't too bad. They don't, however, have family rows like some airlines have (i.e. you call the airline after booking and can get better seats). Each seat has an entertainment screen and XM radio, so bonus. And, free snacks and drinks, with which they are not stingy. Lastly, they take your drink order and bring it out on trays, so they keep the isles clear. So, enough of my JetBlue review.
We picked up our rental car, which even for Puerto Rico took a while, but oh well. We got a compact SUV for $85 for the week, another bonus to the deal. We stopped by the Pueblo to get some fruit and snacks for the room and it gave me a chance to show Kacey where I used to hang out and live while there for work.
Travelocity gave us a sweet deal at the Conrad. That's right. And since we are Hilton Gold, that means a free room upgrade and free breakfast. So, my expectations were pretty high of this place, even for Puerto Rico. Well, we were a little wrong. This is not a super nice hotel, but I don't want to spend my time writing about the things wrong with the hotel. If you really want to know, ask me. Just know that a fancy name and a decent location do not a nice hotel make.
The first afternoon we were there we hit the pool and the beach. We enjoyed the slide very much and also the little dolphins that spout water in to the pool. They also had a salt water pool, but it was too deep and us to take Nolan in. We walked down the Condado strip and ate dinner at Café del Angel. Our goal when traveling is to generally find the best values; so good food not marked up because of the location. We succeeded here.
Our first full day we went to visit the forts in Old San Juan. They are part of the National Park Service (one of my favorite things), so Nolan was able to get his National Parks Passport stamped twice more. We first visited Castillo San Cristóbal, the eastern most part of the fortress. We walked through the tunnels and up to the top for a view of San Juan and Old San Juan. We then ventured west to El Morro. There were a few people out flying kites on the lawn of El Morro (I have pictures from 5 years ago when many more were out). We decided to eat some lunch before our tour of the fortress. We had a small list of possible places and ended up at La Bombonera. This was a decent lunch stop and I recommend it. We walked back over to the fort and walked around a bit. We went all the way down right as a cruise ship was coming through the channel, so check out our pictures for that. Then on our way up Kacey took the circular stairs. By this time Nolan was starting to get sleepy so we walked to the car and drove back to the hotel. Then, it was pool time again! For dinner that night we ate at Hacienda Don Jose just down the street from the hotel. This is another good value place right on the ocean.
Dinner at Don Jose
On Tuesday it was time for the rainforest, El Yunque. I had been there 5 years ago on my first trip to the island but Kacey loves a good rainforest too. We decided not to do the El Yunque peak trip as we didn't take the baby backpack. We hiked down to La Mina Falls and Nolan played in the rocks for a bit. We then hiked up to Mt. Britton Lookout Tower. Both of these walks are pretty easy, but the first one does have a lot of steps. Nolan fell asleep being held on the way down from Mt. Britton so when we got to Yokahu Tower, Kacey and I took turns walking up for the view (so two sets of pictures). After our two trails in the rainforest, we drove by Lilly del Caribe in Carolina so Kacey could see the plants there. We then hit Lupi's for dinner, a place I visited a few times during my stays to the island. We sat outside and Nolan watched all the people and trucks go by. If you are staying near Isla Verde, try Lupi's.
Wednesday was pool and beach day. At this point I was having trouble relaxing (what's new) so I was looking forward to not doing anything except play with Nolan and Kacey. For lunch we walked over to Waykiki and due to their lunch specials, we got a good deal and some pretty good food. I don't think their dinners would have been such great deals, though. After Nolan got a quick nap, it was back to the beach. We did some high speed continuous shooting with the Nikon of us coming down the slide with Nolan. We also did a video now on my youtube channel. For dinner that night we met up with the Deacons at Yerba Buena Cafe. The food here was good, but just a little pricey for us (it was ok for one dinner, though). After some nice conversation with friends, we walked home to start packing.
Thursday we flew home after some breakfast. A travel note for those of you who have never flown through SJU, GO EARLY. Ticket lines are insane here, mostly because the locals show up right before their flight and then get to cut line, backing up the lines for everyone else (this is why being American Gold is nice, but we didn't fly AA). The security lines on the other hand are not that bad.
So we made it home with all our stuff, hopefully just a little more relaxed, and maybe a touch less pale.
Pictures can be found here.
We got direct flights on JetBlue, which sweetened the deal. This was my first time on JetBlue and I was pleased with them. Free first bag and no first class, so no lines of people wanting an upgrade. They do have expanded leg room rows, but they don't give them away, even at the last minute. So again less clutter. The regular rows have a decent amount of space, so traveling with an infant wasn't too bad. They don't, however, have family rows like some airlines have (i.e. you call the airline after booking and can get better seats). Each seat has an entertainment screen and XM radio, so bonus. And, free snacks and drinks, with which they are not stingy. Lastly, they take your drink order and bring it out on trays, so they keep the isles clear. So, enough of my JetBlue review.
We picked up our rental car, which even for Puerto Rico took a while, but oh well. We got a compact SUV for $85 for the week, another bonus to the deal. We stopped by the Pueblo to get some fruit and snacks for the room and it gave me a chance to show Kacey where I used to hang out and live while there for work.
Travelocity gave us a sweet deal at the Conrad. That's right. And since we are Hilton Gold, that means a free room upgrade and free breakfast. So, my expectations were pretty high of this place, even for Puerto Rico. Well, we were a little wrong. This is not a super nice hotel, but I don't want to spend my time writing about the things wrong with the hotel. If you really want to know, ask me. Just know that a fancy name and a decent location do not a nice hotel make.
The first afternoon we were there we hit the pool and the beach. We enjoyed the slide very much and also the little dolphins that spout water in to the pool. They also had a salt water pool, but it was too deep and us to take Nolan in. We walked down the Condado strip and ate dinner at Café del Angel. Our goal when traveling is to generally find the best values; so good food not marked up because of the location. We succeeded here.
Our first full day we went to visit the forts in Old San Juan. They are part of the National Park Service (one of my favorite things), so Nolan was able to get his National Parks Passport stamped twice more. We first visited Castillo San Cristóbal, the eastern most part of the fortress. We walked through the tunnels and up to the top for a view of San Juan and Old San Juan. We then ventured west to El Morro. There were a few people out flying kites on the lawn of El Morro (I have pictures from 5 years ago when many more were out). We decided to eat some lunch before our tour of the fortress. We had a small list of possible places and ended up at La Bombonera. This was a decent lunch stop and I recommend it. We walked back over to the fort and walked around a bit. We went all the way down right as a cruise ship was coming through the channel, so check out our pictures for that. Then on our way up Kacey took the circular stairs. By this time Nolan was starting to get sleepy so we walked to the car and drove back to the hotel. Then, it was pool time again! For dinner that night we ate at Hacienda Don Jose just down the street from the hotel. This is another good value place right on the ocean.
Dinner at Don Jose
On Tuesday it was time for the rainforest, El Yunque. I had been there 5 years ago on my first trip to the island but Kacey loves a good rainforest too. We decided not to do the El Yunque peak trip as we didn't take the baby backpack. We hiked down to La Mina Falls and Nolan played in the rocks for a bit. We then hiked up to Mt. Britton Lookout Tower. Both of these walks are pretty easy, but the first one does have a lot of steps. Nolan fell asleep being held on the way down from Mt. Britton so when we got to Yokahu Tower, Kacey and I took turns walking up for the view (so two sets of pictures). After our two trails in the rainforest, we drove by Lilly del Caribe in Carolina so Kacey could see the plants there. We then hit Lupi's for dinner, a place I visited a few times during my stays to the island. We sat outside and Nolan watched all the people and trucks go by. If you are staying near Isla Verde, try Lupi's.
Wednesday was pool and beach day. At this point I was having trouble relaxing (what's new) so I was looking forward to not doing anything except play with Nolan and Kacey. For lunch we walked over to Waykiki and due to their lunch specials, we got a good deal and some pretty good food. I don't think their dinners would have been such great deals, though. After Nolan got a quick nap, it was back to the beach. We did some high speed continuous shooting with the Nikon of us coming down the slide with Nolan. We also did a video now on my youtube channel. For dinner that night we met up with the Deacons at Yerba Buena Cafe. The food here was good, but just a little pricey for us (it was ok for one dinner, though). After some nice conversation with friends, we walked home to start packing.
Thursday we flew home after some breakfast. A travel note for those of you who have never flown through SJU, GO EARLY. Ticket lines are insane here, mostly because the locals show up right before their flight and then get to cut line, backing up the lines for everyone else (this is why being American Gold is nice, but we didn't fly AA). The security lines on the other hand are not that bad.
So we made it home with all our stuff, hopefully just a little more relaxed, and maybe a touch less pale.
Pictures can be found here.
Monday, March 08, 2010
Might Get A Netbook
I am thinking about getting a netbook to take to Italy with us. As the tablet we currently have will serve as TV, internet, movies, thesis writing, and phone for us, it might serve us well to have another option. I don't want to spend much money and don't need too many options as it is really a backup. (Yes, I know there is no on-board optical drive).
The Dell Mini 10 looks good, but there are a few options available in terms of video chipset and processor. I have not yet been able to find good reviews of whether these options really matter. I also like the price point.
The Toshiba looks promising as I have found a few deals online for their machine. It also appears to be upgradeable to 2 GB of RAM.
Both the Acer and Asus websites don't quite cooperate with how I want my information, so after a couple attempts, I just don't know about them. I am interested in an Eee PC, though, as this seems to be one of their better markets.
What about you? Do you have one of these? Advice on chipsets?
The Dell Mini 10 looks good, but there are a few options available in terms of video chipset and processor. I have not yet been able to find good reviews of whether these options really matter. I also like the price point.
The Toshiba looks promising as I have found a few deals online for their machine. It also appears to be upgradeable to 2 GB of RAM.
Both the Acer and Asus websites don't quite cooperate with how I want my information, so after a couple attempts, I just don't know about them. I am interested in an Eee PC, though, as this seems to be one of their better markets.
What about you? Do you have one of these? Advice on chipsets?
Monday, March 01, 2010
Week One of "Knowing"
So it has been about a week since we found out we are moving to Italy. So far we have meet with the 2 other students that will be living in the same city and met with the student who was there last year. We have all started talking about ideas for moving and living there. We have also started talking with all the other students who will be in Europe to determine where all we should travel. The list is probably too large...
I have also started my Italian lessons. I think the partner company will probably pay for Kacey to learn some Italian, so I am on my own. I have Pimsleur Italian. I have 90 30 minute sessions to get through. My goal is to do one every day during Nolan's nap. But as you can tell, there is no way I will be done before we leave, but it should definitely out! I have already done 3 lessons and can effectively say "I do not understand Italian", along with a few other phrases. I hope I can keep on task.
Finally on a Nolan note, last night he threw up for the first time. I mean he spit up when little, but he has never thrown up. It just so happened to be the night we had people over for dinner and he threw up four times. It wasn't violent or bile, but it still made him cry. He seems fine today and is slowly starting to eat some food. Check mark for another first for us!
I have also started my Italian lessons. I think the partner company will probably pay for Kacey to learn some Italian, so I am on my own. I have Pimsleur Italian. I have 90 30 minute sessions to get through. My goal is to do one every day during Nolan's nap. But as you can tell, there is no way I will be done before we leave, but it should definitely out! I have already done 3 lessons and can effectively say "I do not understand Italian", along with a few other phrases. I hope I can keep on task.
Finally on a Nolan note, last night he threw up for the first time. I mean he spit up when little, but he has never thrown up. It just so happened to be the night we had people over for dinner and he threw up four times. It wasn't violent or bile, but it still made him cry. He seems fine today and is slowly starting to eat some food. Check mark for another first for us!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Italy, It's Official!
It is pretty much officially official... we are moving to Italy! Kacey has landed an internship with Novartis in Siena, Italy (near Florence). For years we searched for a means within Lilly to get an overseas assignment, but it just never worked out. And now we have the opportunity of a lifetime to live in one of our favorite places ever visited for 7 months! Logistics and planning are going to be tiring and stressful; I am not even going to start listing things here. But we are looking forward to learning Italian and living in a new culture.
We are also looking forward to visiting some European cities as weekend trips that we normally would not get to see. This list has also been started too. (If you have any recommendations, definitely let us know!!) On the list so far: Moscow, Prague, Berlin, London, Glasgow, Dublin, somewhere in northern Africa, Paris, Budapest, Basel, and Warsaw.
We have no idea how big our studio/apartment may or may not be. Hopefully we have room for an air mattress as we hope to get at least a couple visitors. Of course Kacey's parents are up for visiting Italy again. We are hoping we can convince my mom, with the aid of lots of medication, to get on a plane (I am already looking in to non-stop flights to Rome for her). If you are *seriously* interested in visiting with a potential free place to stay, just let us know!
Anyway, I am sure that we will be posting information along the way as we figure out details.
We are also looking forward to visiting some European cities as weekend trips that we normally would not get to see. This list has also been started too. (If you have any recommendations, definitely let us know!!) On the list so far: Moscow, Prague, Berlin, London, Glasgow, Dublin, somewhere in northern Africa, Paris, Budapest, Basel, and Warsaw.
We have no idea how big our studio/apartment may or may not be. Hopefully we have room for an air mattress as we hope to get at least a couple visitors. Of course Kacey's parents are up for visiting Italy again. We are hoping we can convince my mom, with the aid of lots of medication, to get on a plane (I am already looking in to non-stop flights to Rome for her). If you are *seriously* interested in visiting with a potential free place to stay, just let us know!
Anyway, I am sure that we will be posting information along the way as we figure out details.
Web Hosting Fun
I just wanted to get a little information out there to anyone looking for some web hosting. I have been with ipower (or ipowerweb) for almost 5 years. Their price is ok and their service is bad, so just hope nothing goes wrong (even though something goes wrong almost every year). Even though they have given me 150GB of space, if you use more than 25GB, you are in violation of their newly revised Terms of Service, and they start deleting files. This may be the last year for chrisandkacey.com as I am about done with them and will transfer all pictures to Flickr. I have already had to move all my videos to my youtube channel.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Happenings
I write this for you, but mostly for me - to someday remember what life was like here.
Nolan is doing great. We started playgroup back up this week at MIT. It is volunteer ran and this semester I am helping run it. Mostly, I just lug the toys around for the kids, but I am glad to help.
I believe Nolan really understands shapes and colors. We have a couple different books where he can point out shapes and colors (probably half memorization and half learning). He can only say a couple colors, but he can say most of the shapes. I think he is finally starting to learn the number three. He can't quite say it properly, but he is getting close. I frequently count to five with him as I figure the next step shouldn't be four but five. Also, I believe Nolan's first real two syllable word is pasta. For a week or so now whenever you ask him what he wants to eat, he says pasta. Even for breakfast. He got a set of little pots and pans and he likes to make pasta in them! And lastly to add to this long, rambling paragraph, Nolan will now shrug his shoulders with his hands up if he doesn't know something, it is really cute!
This week we should find out where we will be moving this summer. Where ever it is, it is going to be a planning nightmare. We have to find a home for all our stuff, our car, and our cats. We are really, really hoping we can find a student in town who might cat sit for us (if you are reading this, we will pay for food and litter!!!). As for the car, I still don't know if I will drive it back to the midwest or find a cheap place here. A storage unit just for our stuff will probably run us $150/month if we are lucky.
We are also trying to determine if we should do something for spring break. We have considered many things, but don't want to spend too much money. Everything from renting on RV out west to the US Virgin Islands. I guess we will see what deals pop up first! Any suggestions???
Nolan is doing great. We started playgroup back up this week at MIT. It is volunteer ran and this semester I am helping run it. Mostly, I just lug the toys around for the kids, but I am glad to help.
I believe Nolan really understands shapes and colors. We have a couple different books where he can point out shapes and colors (probably half memorization and half learning). He can only say a couple colors, but he can say most of the shapes. I think he is finally starting to learn the number three. He can't quite say it properly, but he is getting close. I frequently count to five with him as I figure the next step shouldn't be four but five. Also, I believe Nolan's first real two syllable word is pasta. For a week or so now whenever you ask him what he wants to eat, he says pasta. Even for breakfast. He got a set of little pots and pans and he likes to make pasta in them! And lastly to add to this long, rambling paragraph, Nolan will now shrug his shoulders with his hands up if he doesn't know something, it is really cute!
This week we should find out where we will be moving this summer. Where ever it is, it is going to be a planning nightmare. We have to find a home for all our stuff, our car, and our cats. We are really, really hoping we can find a student in town who might cat sit for us (if you are reading this, we will pay for food and litter!!!). As for the car, I still don't know if I will drive it back to the midwest or find a cheap place here. A storage unit just for our stuff will probably run us $150/month if we are lucky.
We are also trying to determine if we should do something for spring break. We have considered many things, but don't want to spend too much money. Everything from renting on RV out west to the US Virgin Islands. I guess we will see what deals pop up first! Any suggestions???
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Nolan is Eighteen Months Old!
Well, we are a couple weeks late, but we were out of town. Here we go!
21.9 lbs
32.25 inches tall
He has been working on eating with a fork and is getting better at it.
He can count to two! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2h1ij4QtJk)
We are working on colors still. Sometimes we think he gets it, and sometimes it seems like he doesn't.
So yeah, he is still a light weight. And we are not sure why as he is a good eater, he just doesn't eat much pre-packaged food, milk, or meat (he is also a very active boy and mommy is small). The doctor has given us some ideas for more calcium, iron, and fat intake, so I will be working on those over the next few weeks. Ideas include bok choy, green beans, more butter, organic chicken breast, creamy peanut butter, and more cow's milk. We also learned that one of his favorite veggies, cucumbers, doesn't do much for him right now.
December pictures are posted (http://www.chrisandkacey.com/Nolan/December2009/)
21.9 lbs
32.25 inches tall
He has been working on eating with a fork and is getting better at it.
He can count to two! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2h1ij4QtJk)
We are working on colors still. Sometimes we think he gets it, and sometimes it seems like he doesn't.
So yeah, he is still a light weight. And we are not sure why as he is a good eater, he just doesn't eat much pre-packaged food, milk, or meat (he is also a very active boy and mommy is small). The doctor has given us some ideas for more calcium, iron, and fat intake, so I will be working on those over the next few weeks. Ideas include bok choy, green beans, more butter, organic chicken breast, creamy peanut butter, and more cow's milk. We also learned that one of his favorite veggies, cucumbers, doesn't do much for him right now.
December pictures are posted (http://www.chrisandkacey.com/Nolan/December2009/)
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Food
So the title of this post is a little wide-open, but it is what I want to discuss. Nolan is getting to an age where I feel he needs more variety in his diet (I can tell when he is tired of eating something). For quite some time, he ate chick peas every day for lunch along with one or two veggies, some fruit, and a piece of multi-grain bread. Dinner is not too bad as Kacey usually whips up something consisting of either pasta or tortillas.
I have tried grilled cheese which he will eat if the cheese is melted enough but the bread not too crispy (fun for daddy as Nolan doesn't like unmelted cheese, crazy boy!). I haven't tried peanut butter and jelly for him yet as we only have crunchy peanut butter. I haven't given him lunch meat yet out of fear of foodborne illness. What other healthy ways do folks out there get protein and grains for their kids? Nolan also doesn't really like eggs and that is ok as we don't really cook with them or buy them frequently. I am considering buying fresh, organic chicken breast from the store down the street that sells it for Nolan and I to eat at lunch.
I have tried grilled cheese which he will eat if the cheese is melted enough but the bread not too crispy (fun for daddy as Nolan doesn't like unmelted cheese, crazy boy!). I haven't tried peanut butter and jelly for him yet as we only have crunchy peanut butter. I haven't given him lunch meat yet out of fear of foodborne illness. What other healthy ways do folks out there get protein and grains for their kids? Nolan also doesn't really like eggs and that is ok as we don't really cook with them or buy them frequently. I am considering buying fresh, organic chicken breast from the store down the street that sells it for Nolan and I to eat at lunch.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Christmas 2009 Road Trip
We started our journey on Wednesday December 16th in the afternoon as to try to break up the 12 hour trek to Toledo in to two chunks. Our plan was to drive I-90 until we got tired. Around Rochester, the lake-effect snow kicked in and we had to get off the interstate. We stayed at a little roadside hotel for the night and got to Toledo the next day just after lunch.
There was much food to be eaten at the Fetcho house. Haluski, pierogies, ham, kiffles, lasagna, and much more. We also took a trip to Wren, OH to have Christmas with the Snyders. It was great to see everyone!
On the 26th we drove to Indy and our first order of business was to stop and greet my niece Leah Kate! (http://www.chrisandkacey.com/Family/Leah/) She is such a cutie and I loved getting to see her. The next day we spent the afternoon at my cousin Jason's house and had some good times and good food.
Pictures from Christmas can be found here. (http://www.chrisandkacey.com/ChrisKacey/Holidays/Christmas-2009/)
We spent the following week visiting a few friends and family. We also visited our friends at church and went out for lunch with them; it was great to see them all! January 3rd, Kacey hoped on a plane to join her classmates for a two week plant trip visiting partner companies for her school program. This meant I was a single dad for two weeks. I was able to stay at my grandparents house in Martinsville, so we had a real house with space to stay in. My brother Matt took Nolan and I to the Children's Museum for our Christmas present; it was lots of fun! Nolan ran around and saw many things. Matt and I played with a few things too. I spent time with my mom most nights which I know she loved, and Nolan had lots of fun spending time with grandma. I visited some friends for playtime with Nolan and each visit was great to catch up and let Nolan play.
On our way home we stopped in Ithaca, NY to visit Kacey's aunt, uncle and cousin. We did not get to see them at Thanksgiving or Christmas, and we have never been to their house. It was a fast, but good trip. We also got a very fast visual tour of Cornell where Kacey's uncle is a professor.
All in all, it was a good trip. Many thanks to Chas for helping watch our cats!!!
There was much food to be eaten at the Fetcho house. Haluski, pierogies, ham, kiffles, lasagna, and much more. We also took a trip to Wren, OH to have Christmas with the Snyders. It was great to see everyone!
On the 26th we drove to Indy and our first order of business was to stop and greet my niece Leah Kate! (http://www.chrisandkacey.com/Family/Leah/) She is such a cutie and I loved getting to see her. The next day we spent the afternoon at my cousin Jason's house and had some good times and good food.
Pictures from Christmas can be found here. (http://www.chrisandkacey.com/ChrisKacey/Holidays/Christmas-2009/)
We spent the following week visiting a few friends and family. We also visited our friends at church and went out for lunch with them; it was great to see them all! January 3rd, Kacey hoped on a plane to join her classmates for a two week plant trip visiting partner companies for her school program. This meant I was a single dad for two weeks. I was able to stay at my grandparents house in Martinsville, so we had a real house with space to stay in. My brother Matt took Nolan and I to the Children's Museum for our Christmas present; it was lots of fun! Nolan ran around and saw many things. Matt and I played with a few things too. I spent time with my mom most nights which I know she loved, and Nolan had lots of fun spending time with grandma. I visited some friends for playtime with Nolan and each visit was great to catch up and let Nolan play.
On our way home we stopped in Ithaca, NY to visit Kacey's aunt, uncle and cousin. We did not get to see them at Thanksgiving or Christmas, and we have never been to their house. It was a fast, but good trip. We also got a very fast visual tour of Cornell where Kacey's uncle is a professor.
All in all, it was a good trip. Many thanks to Chas for helping watch our cats!!!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Back Home
We are finally back home after almost 5 weeks of being gone. So this is a lame post saying I will write some real posts later this week.
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Getting Ready
We are getting ready for a long trek home and that takes a lot of planning with cats and kids. So, it has been a little busy. We all had a good Thanksgiving in Bethlehem with family.
I am hoping to work on creating a Christmas card soon as I would like to send them out before we leave. I will be creating my own and the most difficult part is creating a good scene; I am not creative enough for that (and lighting sources are bad).
Nolan is doing great! We experienced our first burn when Nolan was sneaky and grabbed the flat iron. Luckily he only touched it with a small part of his middle and ring fingers on his left hand. Although he cried for a couple hours, he is doing very good now and now knows the word band-aid. He also knows his name. I think he also tries to say it, but he only really says the first syllable of words now. He can also help us read books to him now! I am still working with him to learn colors and to count to two. His pictures from November are posted on our site (www.chrisandkacey.com/Nolan) and you can see that he loves to show off his big smile.
I probably won't be able to post much until later in January so have a Merry Christmas!
I am hoping to work on creating a Christmas card soon as I would like to send them out before we leave. I will be creating my own and the most difficult part is creating a good scene; I am not creative enough for that (and lighting sources are bad).
Nolan is doing great! We experienced our first burn when Nolan was sneaky and grabbed the flat iron. Luckily he only touched it with a small part of his middle and ring fingers on his left hand. Although he cried for a couple hours, he is doing very good now and now knows the word band-aid. He also knows his name. I think he also tries to say it, but he only really says the first syllable of words now. He can also help us read books to him now! I am still working with him to learn colors and to count to two. His pictures from November are posted on our site (www.chrisandkacey.com/Nolan) and you can see that he loves to show off his big smile.
I probably won't be able to post much until later in January so have a Merry Christmas!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
PC Remote Access
I am looking for recommendations for free remote access programs to use while I am back in Indiana over Christmas. I really only need file access, but can get by with desktop access only. For years I used Avvenu, but that was taken away last year, and I haven't needed anything since then.
I have used VNC in the past, but only inside my firewall. I have also heard good things about LogMeIn, but no real details. I currently use Windows Remote desktop within our home network.
Anything else you use I should consider? Any schemes through firewalls you have found secure and easy?
I have used VNC in the past, but only inside my firewall. I have also heard good things about LogMeIn, but no real details. I currently use Windows Remote desktop within our home network.
Anything else you use I should consider? Any schemes through firewalls you have found secure and easy?
Thursday, November 12, 2009
The Little Guy
Nolan is 16 months old. I wanted to capture/share what he has been up to. By the way, he is 21 lbs and 31 in.
We read many, many books. It is getting old because I now have them all memorized, but I will keep reading them as long as he keeps bringing them to me. (Secret decoded message, no toys for Christmas, just books). He can point out some new things. He knows most of his body parts (eyes, ears, nose, mouth, teeth, tongue, knees, hands, fingers, toes). He can now point out some shapes (circle, square, heart, diamond, triangle). We are working on colors now. Hopefully he will be able to do it by Christmas. We are also working on counting. He knows one, but I don't think he understands two yet.
He has also gotten good at balancing on my back for horsey time; he doesn't have to hold on anymore. It is hard for me as it feels like he is going to fall most of the time, but he doesn't fall. He can now climb up on the chairs and couch. The problem is he doesn't quite understand that falling will hurt. He can get down safely, but occasionally goes over the side.
Lastly, we finally bought him a toothbrush. Here is a picture of him learning and having fun with it.
Also, check out my YouTube channel for videos (http://www.youtube.com/phillipsrhit/). I uploaded him playing at the park last week.
We read many, many books. It is getting old because I now have them all memorized, but I will keep reading them as long as he keeps bringing them to me. (Secret decoded message, no toys for Christmas, just books). He can point out some new things. He knows most of his body parts (eyes, ears, nose, mouth, teeth, tongue, knees, hands, fingers, toes). He can now point out some shapes (circle, square, heart, diamond, triangle). We are working on colors now. Hopefully he will be able to do it by Christmas. We are also working on counting. He knows one, but I don't think he understands two yet.
He has also gotten good at balancing on my back for horsey time; he doesn't have to hold on anymore. It is hard for me as it feels like he is going to fall most of the time, but he doesn't fall. He can now climb up on the chairs and couch. The problem is he doesn't quite understand that falling will hurt. He can get down safely, but occasionally goes over the side.
Lastly, we finally bought him a toothbrush. Here is a picture of him learning and having fun with it.
Also, check out my YouTube channel for videos (http://www.youtube.com/phillipsrhit/). I uploaded him playing at the park last week.
Monday, November 02, 2009
Halloween Activities
This year turned out to be more than we imagined with Halloween. While missing Fall Festival at CGPC is a let down, there turned out to be 4 different free activities for us at MIT. I was going to write up what we did with pictures, but Kacey already did it. So, I am going to be lazy and just direct you to her post.
http://kaco1.tumblr.com/post/230359953/nolans-halloween-at-mit
All of our Halloween pictures are already posted at www.chrisandkacey.com in the Nolan section.
http://kaco1.tumblr.com/post/230359953/nolans-halloween-at-mit
All of our Halloween pictures are already posted at www.chrisandkacey.com in the Nolan section.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Are You Prepared? Keep Your Family Safe!
This past Saturday night at about midnight, the file alarm went off in our apartment building. Being a fairly new building, the alarm system here is top notch. We instantly knew it was a fire alarm, but living in houses our whole life, we both had the feeling that the whole thing was false. Why is this? In an apartment fire, chances are you can't see fire or smoke immediately. This is different from a house fire where you know instantly. So, we did some things wrong! (e.g. no coats or shoes)
On a side note, after the fire department cleared the building, Kacey worked to get Nolan back to sleep. Unfortunately, about 60 seconds after he fell asleep, the alarm went off again!
So the next morning, I realized we definitely failed the fire alarm. It was time for a plan and here is what I did. I started a small list of things we should and can easily grab. I realized that most of the things are in the diaper bag (basically provisions for the baby). Then the standard things for leaving- keys, wallet, phone. Additionally, while we have a fire extinguisher in our apartment, I didn't grab it during the alarm; in the future I will always carry it out with us. Lastly, Kacey and I discussed what we do with the cats. While we figured out a plan that varies based on who is home and where the fire is, I won't go in to details here. Email me for our decisions.
The next thing I did was talk to my bro-in-law Eric, a fireman, (thanks Eric!) about his experiences with apartment fires. After describing our building to him he confirmed that we are pretty good here. He mentioned that it is ok to lock your door behind you if you are unsure if there is really a fire. He also mentioned that our fire extinguisher should not be stored in the kitchen if it is our only one. So until we get a second one for the bedroom (so we can fight our way out if needed), it is moved out of the kitchen. He reiterated keys, wallet, phone, and provisions for a baby for 3-12 hours.
We now have a sign posted by our door with these items written down in marker:
- Keys, wallet, phone
- Diaper bag
- Shoes & coats
- Extinguisher
While readers may find this list very obvious, if you are in a new house or apartment, or have never thought about your fire escape plan, and have 30 seconds to react in the middle of the night, this quick exercise may prove to be extremely helpful in the future.
Some other things for you all to think about. Did you know that most smoke detectors only last 7-10 years? Consumer Reports just did an article about choosing good replacements if you think yours are too old (date should be stamped in to each one). Also, carbon monoxide detectors help you where you can't help yourself by detecting deadly odorless fumes. How many fire extinguishers do you have? If you say none, please go buy one today. If you say 1, think about where it is and where you may be during a fire. Lastly, get a fire safe! After years of putting it off, we finally bought one in March. It was less than $100 and holds passports, titles, SS cards, birth certificates, and backup DVDs I make every month or two from the computer. It is an easy thing to put off, so please consider getting one soon!
If you have specific questions, don't hesitate to ask a fire fighter. They love to help, that is why they do it!
On a side note, after the fire department cleared the building, Kacey worked to get Nolan back to sleep. Unfortunately, about 60 seconds after he fell asleep, the alarm went off again!
So the next morning, I realized we definitely failed the fire alarm. It was time for a plan and here is what I did. I started a small list of things we should and can easily grab. I realized that most of the things are in the diaper bag (basically provisions for the baby). Then the standard things for leaving- keys, wallet, phone. Additionally, while we have a fire extinguisher in our apartment, I didn't grab it during the alarm; in the future I will always carry it out with us. Lastly, Kacey and I discussed what we do with the cats. While we figured out a plan that varies based on who is home and where the fire is, I won't go in to details here. Email me for our decisions.
The next thing I did was talk to my bro-in-law Eric, a fireman, (thanks Eric!) about his experiences with apartment fires. After describing our building to him he confirmed that we are pretty good here. He mentioned that it is ok to lock your door behind you if you are unsure if there is really a fire. He also mentioned that our fire extinguisher should not be stored in the kitchen if it is our only one. So until we get a second one for the bedroom (so we can fight our way out if needed), it is moved out of the kitchen. He reiterated keys, wallet, phone, and provisions for a baby for 3-12 hours.
We now have a sign posted by our door with these items written down in marker:
- Keys, wallet, phone
- Diaper bag
- Shoes & coats
- Extinguisher
While readers may find this list very obvious, if you are in a new house or apartment, or have never thought about your fire escape plan, and have 30 seconds to react in the middle of the night, this quick exercise may prove to be extremely helpful in the future.
Some other things for you all to think about. Did you know that most smoke detectors only last 7-10 years? Consumer Reports just did an article about choosing good replacements if you think yours are too old (date should be stamped in to each one). Also, carbon monoxide detectors help you where you can't help yourself by detecting deadly odorless fumes. How many fire extinguishers do you have? If you say none, please go buy one today. If you say 1, think about where it is and where you may be during a fire. Lastly, get a fire safe! After years of putting it off, we finally bought one in March. It was less than $100 and holds passports, titles, SS cards, birth certificates, and backup DVDs I make every month or two from the computer. It is an easy thing to put off, so please consider getting one soon!
If you have specific questions, don't hesitate to ask a fire fighter. They love to help, that is why they do it!
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