My Truant Pen

Istanbul & Camp Gramp: Days 5 & 6

August 5 – back in the States (I was too lazy to write home)
Today was Museum of Science day. It had been steadly growing hotter since we got here and today — oh my. This morning Baz noted that he couldn’t get his shirt off. It was so warm and humid. A place with air conditioning, we thought. That is an awesome museum. Thane loved the discovery center — water and balls, how can it get any better. So did Kay who loves to dress up and made a wonderful coffee filter butterfly there. Baz and I want the electricity show in our living room. The worlds largest Vandegraph generator — and we are talking 40 ft. high or so. It was awesome. Grey liked the whales exhibit and the dinosaurs. They had this astonishing replica of a whale heart there — easily 6 feet high lying on its side. The kids could crawl in it. While we were there, it rained and cool off the land. Still muggy, but not so hot,which is good.

We returned all the children to the car, tired by happy. Then we started to get out of the garage. 35 minutes to get out of the garage. 35 minutes! After that, piece of cake. I had been dreading rush hour, but it was speed limit the whole way home. The other direction, however, into town was stop and go almost to home. I wonder what was up.

When we got home, we ate and I gave Thane a bath. I have never seen a child who loved baths as much as he does. The older kids and the adults then watched “Up”. The evening ended with glow sticks. Very nice day.

Your children are all fine. Dad and I are still alive. I hope you are all having a great time.!

Love, Grandmama

August 6

We began our anniversary day (editor’s note: August 5) with a trip to the Church of Cora, which, rumor had it, still had intact mosaics. And so it did. They were quite splendid, and we spent a happy hour twisting our necks and guessing at Bible stories. (The genealogy of Christ had us flummoxed for a while, I confess.)

The Church of Chora - mosaics & frescoes

From there we took a death defying taxi trip across the Golden Horn to the Fortress of Europe. It was every 12 year olds dream of a fortress! There were battlements and high walls and precarious staircases and murder holes and high towers. It was extremely cool. After a much more sedate return taxi trip, we went again to the
Turkish baths, because they are extremely awesome.

The Fortress of Europe was SO COOL. Bring your walking shoes.

Today we slept in again. Ambition has been replaced by a certain degree of lethargy. We went to this really cool museum of Islamic scientific contributions from 900 to 1600. (Note: The Islamic Scientific and Technology Museum in lovely Gulhane Park. By far the best interpreted museum in Istanbul and completely worth a visit.) It was awesome. We spent about four hours there, reading about everything from seige machines to astrolabes to optics. Our only regret was lacking the classical scientific background to understand it all, especially the math and navigation sections.

I want a book called "Astrolabe for Idiots"

The last remaining goal for our last remaining day is to touch Asian soil. We see it across the water, but it is a residential, not tourist area. So we will probably go tomorrow only to have gone.

It has been a spectacular and outstanding trip… One of the finest. We have had good luck, good food, good weather and good company. We only hope you all are doing as well!

Brenda

Meanwhile, back in the States

Today was lovely. We stayed home most of the day. In the morning we went to the used book store and the park to play. While Thane napped, we made Shrinky Dinks. Then we played in the back yard for a while. Adam and Brenda, about the orange ball. Do you know how long that takes to pump up! But having gotten it pumped up, it is a real hit. They are rolling all over the yard. Dinner and a walk to the ice cream place to get dessert.

This may not sound perfect to you. What was perfect was the weather. High 70s, low humidity, nice breeze. It was awesome

The bad news is, we can’t find the camera (editor’s note: TRAGEDY!). We think we had it at the Museum of Science, but we can’t find it anywhere. This is very sad. It has the trip to see my mom and the Camp Gramp pictures on it. We will continue to look.

Gramama

Istanbul Pictures

Oy! We took a lot of pictures, amazingly, in Istanbul. Here they are. I would apologize for having 93 pictures of the Fortress of Europe & cool devices in the Museum of Science and Technology in Islamic History, but hey. You all asked for pictures of MY vacation, and that’s what was important to me!

With no further ado: Here you go

Istanbul & Camp Gramp: Day 4

August 4

Today was a day for indolence. We slept in until nearly noon (which I’m paying for now with an inability to go to sleep). Then we managed to haul ourselves all the way to a cool and shady cafe, where we spent the next four hours reading. Which, as memory serves, is more or less how we spent our honeymoon, minus thank you notes.

After our protracted lounging, we went to the Grand Bazaar. One is never quite sure how one did. I’m pretty sure I paid too much for the strings of stones I bought to have my mother-in-law string together for me. I think we paid the right price for the beautiful and finely made leather purse I bought, which when prorated over the next six years was quite reasonable.

We walked home, had dinner in this great cafeteria type thing which is teaching my husband to love aubergine, read in the shadows of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, and then played a board game before bed. Which was like two hours ago.

Now I’m valiantly resisting the lure of my book, which is excellent, and in which I have about three hundred or so pages left to go.

Tomorrow we are planning on visiting the Church in Cora, followed by the Fortress of Europe. The last must do that remains undone is to set foot on Asian soil. There are no compelling excuses for this in easy reach, so less compeling excuses will have to suffice.

Istanbul is lovely, and a delight in all ways. We miss our boys, but are revelling in every minute of the friendly and exotic city. I hope you’re all having fun!

Brenda

Meanwhile, back in the states…

It was our stated goal to return the children in the pristine condition we found them. Sigh. Today Thane met the sidewalk during the picture taking and has a very mild abrasion on his forehead, lip and knee. Less than 1 minute of crying and no blood, but I suspect it may be a bit bruised tomorrow. We are sorry.

Otherwise, the picture taking was great. I was for taking the pictures at the house where the crew could be contained, but Coe (pronounced as in Co-operate) had looked up the stuff for the Fells and was for out doors. It was more fun and the pictures are really great! She took about 100 pictures — the kids together, the kids individually, us together. Then she stayed for lunch — what a brave woman. She will give us CDs and post the pictures on line at a site where we can get copies. This was the best photo session we have had. She will get the things to you in the next two weeks.

This afternoon I made good on a promise to the older kids. We went back to Revere Beach while Papapa stayed with Thane. He and Thane had a nap and then a competition free afternoon. A great time was had by all. The kids played about two hours building sand castles and playing in the waves. They were very cooperative and none of them threw themselves in the water like someone did the last time we were there. On the way to I noticed construction on Northbound 93 so decided to take a different route home. I am soooo smart. Don says the delay out of Boston was 2 1/2 hours. I took 16 to 28. 28 was difficult for a while, but then flowed fairly well. I got on the freeway just after the blockage and the traffic was wonderful! 45 minutes home. Not bad!

It was too hot to cook so we took them to the 99. They were wonderful — not upset by the upset glass of water or any of the rest of the nonsense. Our waitress even laughed at the boys jokes. Thane ate 2 hot dogs, some chips, a Sundae. Baz had a steak which looked great. I have never seen steak on a children’s menu for $5.99 before. I was jealous. Kay had a hot dog and Grey fish things. That takes care of Wednesday.

Tomorrow is supposed to be even hotter == which I am having trouble imagining. I think we will go to the children’s museum.

Peace be with all of us!

Gramama

Istanbul & Camp Gramp: Day 3

We asked where we could get a cup of coffee... and ended up here.

August 3

Following fine Byzantine tradition, our feet are launching a palace coup against the work being asked of them. Istanbul is a city, like Rome, built on seven hills. I think we walked all of them today. Notably, we saw the Blue Mosque (it was blue), half of the Museum of Archaeology (it was not air conditioned and today got up to 38c), and walked to the Spice Bazaar where we bought very expensive tea and peanuts. Then we walked back by way of the city walls.

We had to scrap plans to visit Ephesus as too expensive, so tomorrow’s itinerary is as yet undetermined. My feet are voting for sleeping in and lounging, but I never listen to the proletariat. How can it be Wednesday tomorrow? We just got here!

It was great to talk to the boys today. We see so many Turkish families wandering around, it makes us miss them even more fiercely. Adam has had to restrain me from buying balloon pants, an embroidered vest and a fez for Grey…. I think he’d look dashing!

Marble sarcophagi at the Archaological Museum

Keep the updates coming mom. I’ve already heard from my blog reading faithful that Camp Gramp updates are obligatory.

Love to you all,

Brenda

Meanwhile, back in the states…

Today we stayed home until after afternoon naps. Actually, only the Boston boys napped, and the older ones under strong objections, but we all had a rest. The early part of the evening was spent trying to find Chuck E Cheese. My map reading capabilities again failed me. Chuck E Cheese lives NE of the 95-3 intersection, not SW. There is a difference. I finally stopped and asked.

I can’t decided if I think Chuck E Cheese is brilliant or evil. The incredible excitement displayed in winning those miserable tickets . 60 tickets for a little candy bar. Yet they love it. Even Thane enjoyed himself. He likes to put the coins in the slots but isn’t interested in the rides themselves. And boy is he fast! He bolts and you better be wearing your running shoes. Kay had two horse rides and got a CSI identification ID. Grey got 40 tickets and loved them. He ran all over the store looking for members of the family with a long string of tickets flying out behind him. Baz is the air hockey champion. He beat everyone but me — we had a headed battle in which I pulled out a narrow victory. They seemed to really enjoy themselves. The food, on the other hand …. they should be ashamed of themselves for serving such food!

After Chuck E Cheese, bedtime snack was at the Dairy cone place in Stoneham. Thane was like a little bird — mouth raised and open – I ceam.

Tomorrow, pictures and then a return trip to the ocean sans the littlest lemming. Brenda and Adam, you are right. I have never seen a child so gleeful about water and the way he throws himself in the surf is terrifying! The next day is supposed to be hot. It has been growing steadily warmer — so we are not looking forward to hot. We are thinking Science Museum. That sounds air conditioned.

We are all well. I am off to bed — just one more check of the troops.

Love, Gramama

Istanbul & Camp Gramp: Day 2

August 2 —

This morning was a tough start. Jet lag persists. But we roused ourselves and headed out to Topkepi Palace, ostensibly before the worst of the tourists hit. After a snag involving insufficient lira and government buildings that don’t take credit cards or dollars, we got in. We saw the harem first. It was lovely, with amazing detail work. There are, however, only so many Iznik tiles you can admire before they blur together. Then, by luck, we caught an open air concert of the military band. It was quite wonderful, although their trumpet section wasn’t up to my standards. After that the circumstances went downhill.

The place was packed with tourists of all stripes. The wait for the treasury was abominable, and the humidity was high. There were some neat things to be seen, but the heat, crowd, lines and lacking interpretations made it difficult for even the most intrepid museum-goers to flourish. We fled for lunch and a siesta.

After lunch we pursued a tip on where we might find a nice, handmade, leather purse…. Not a brand name or knockoff. We were unsuccessful in that quest, but met a nice salesman who admitted that he wasn’t really interested In selling us a purse, and didn’t have any relatives in the bazaar, but wished us luck. We walked home past the Golden Horn, the rail station that was the end of the Orient Express, and an expanse of the Bosporous. We sat in fading golden sun, our backs to ancient walls inscribed with Greek, watching crazy old men swim, fathers fishing with their sons, and mammoth ships negotiating turbulent waters.

A fine dinner, and then dessert on a rooftop restaurant, with a view of night lit Hagia Sophia on one side and the roiling waters of the
Bosporous on the other. My husband and I kept arguing about who had the better view.

Tomorrow is the Blue Mosque… We hope to catch that before the cruise ships overwhelm it. Then the Grand Bazaar in out ongoing purse quest, followed by a landmark cup of coffee in the Spice Bazaar.

At least that’s the plan!

We miss our boys. There are lots of kids here, so we are always reminded. Give them big hugs and kisses for us.

Brenda

Meanwhile, back in the States…
After spending the day looking at all the women in 1830 had to do, I guess shouldn’t complain. We went to Sturbridge Village. Minor complications, but for the most part, it was great fun. The Shirts (tie-dyed) were a hit! People knew we were together, anyway. We rode in the horse drawn carriage and took a ride on the boat. We saw the blacksmith. Pizza may not be 1830, but it was good. Dad got to see the sawmill working — something I saw last time. The children made candle holders. A good time was had by all.

I will try to get a picture of the crew at Sturbridge Village in tie dye off to you shortly. Dad’s is especially colorful!

Gramama and Papapa
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sounds like you are having a great time. So are we.

Sturbridge Village is really awesome. We can go again in the next 10 days free and I am thinking about it. Without Thane, it would be different. Of course, without children at all would be really interesting, but I don’t think we will manage that.

I have never seen a child that liked a bath better than Thane. My goodness. Better get tickets for the 2030 Olympics. I think he will be a swimmer.

The boys are fine. They are tired tonight, but they are both off to bed. Thane is asleep. Grey will be soon. We read lots of books tonight — it was great fun.

How do we get pictures on this computer? (Editor’s note with foreshadowing: I wish I’d managed to send her this information!!!)

Gramama

Istanbul & Camp Gramp: Day 1

In Istanbul:
Adam and I have been in Istanbul for about 24 hours now, and we’re having a blast. Our hotel is lovely and very close to the cool stuff. We switched rooms and now also have working AC… A distinct improvement. Yesterday we had dinner and wandered.

Today was Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern.

Hagia Sophia (pronounced Haiya Sofia) was the real final reason I wanted to go to Istanbul. Anyone who has read anything of Constantinople in the age of the Emperors has read of Hagia Sophia. Perhaps it was Justinian’s glimmering mosaics reaching up to the heavens, or the crowning of blinking emperors still dressed in the chains of captivity. Perhaps it was stunned awe of barbarian emissaries who wondered if they had actually died and gone to heaven. Maybe it was the astonishing plunder and despoiling of this great cathedral by the Christian Crusaders. Or that last, desperate mass when the Christians of Istanbul crowded Hagia Sophia to pray as newfound “cannon” technology destroyed the walls that had protected them for over a thousand years, against countless hordes of would-be invaders. Regardless, Hagia Sophia stands at the center of Constantinople as it was.

I had seen what I considered to be copies — St. Marks in Venice foremost among them. St. Marks takes your breath away, a glittering gem reaching with gold tessarae to the impossibility of Pentacost. I couldn’t WAIT to see the original. Ah, Hagia Sophia! You break my heart! There are still glimpses there, of what was. A mosaic of Jesus and John the Baptist with wild and unruly hair catches the imagination. The porphyry columns stand magnificent in their purple. The tops of the pillars are carved with impossibly delicate vines. The expanse of the dome is breath-taking. But for the most part, the mosaics are gone. There is peeling paint and plaster where there were once endless rich scenes. The dome echoes hollowly. There is no music or incense left. Giant 19th century Islamic calligraphy changes the flow of the building. But mostly, there was little left of the beautiful lady on the hill but her shell. I knew better, but somehow I expected to be able to see more.

John the Baptist and Jesus in Hagia Sophia

We left a little disheartened, although perhaps we shouldn’t have been. The vast streaming hordes of tour groups didn’t help, I think. But from there we went to the Basilica Cistern. Istanbul is dotted with cisterns. This one was build by the Romans, around the age of Constantine. It was dark, cool, and very mystical. The portrayal was well done, with dim lights highlighting the lovely symmetry of the ancient cistern.

The Basilica Cistern

It was discovered by the Ottomans over a thousand years after it had been built when people had wells in their homes — from which they drew living fishes. We wandered through the cistern, to the cool drip of the subterranean waters. At the very far corner were two enormous Medusa heads, set askew. There are theories as to why they are there, but no certainties. Under normal circumstances, they would be hidden below the water, menacing the fish who still swim there. The craftsmanship, age, mystery and loveliness of the cool cistern combined to make it one of our favorite spots.

Ancient Medusa in the Basilica Cistern

We’re planning to round out the day with a visit to the Turkish baths.

We went to the 300 year old Turkish baths at Cagaloglu. (Pronounced Jailalu.) I have a lot to say about the experience, from my point of view. Perhaps surprisingly, I found it an intensely feminist and liberating experience, as well as a very nice massage. Unlike American massages, you actually do get cleaned. There’s something quite amazing about being soaped and scrubbed. It was a profound and moving experience for me, although that may have as much to do with what I brought to the experience as anything else.

Tomorrow, I think Topkeki Palace.

The food is excellent, the weather lovely, the city is bustling and ancient, and the carpet salesmen are persistent, to understate the
case.

The food was really, really excellent. Really. YUM!

We love you guys. We miss you, but not enough to wish we were home. Mom, give those boys of ours kisses. Do they miss us?

Meanwhile, back in the States:

I am reminded of the Christmas story about the person who spent a small fortune on the toy and the kid wanted the bike. I took the kids to the beach this morning. Let me say up front that Brenda warned me not to do that, but did I listen? Thane is, indeed, a lemming — “water” — Wow, can that kid move. But note, I made it to Revere beach and back. That is to be lauded in the navigating area. The bad news is, Thane slept on the way home. The knowledgeable know that means he did not sleep when he got home.

The afternoon task was to make the Camp Gramp shirts. Tie-dye. However, that was for doing when Thane was asleep. Even I wasn’t dumb enough to do that with Thane awake.

Right now they are entertaining themselves with no adult imput — they are fascinated by the baby monitor system. They dash from room to room sending messages on the system. I hope it wasn’t supposed to be a secret!

Time to put some water in the swimming pool.

I have beautiful grandchildren!

Love, Gramama
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The morning has dawned on Full Day One of Camp Gramp. Last night we ate mac and cheese with hotdogs and grapes. Then the troops watched a Scooby movie and an episode of Sponge Bob and went to bed, but not to sleep right away. In fact, talking and giggling happened long enough that people were hungry again. I put on my frowny face and told them to go to sleep — which sort of worked.

One cannot complain about 7 a.m., I don’t think. I am sorry, Adam and Brenda, Thane is watching TV with them right now. I am really trying not to corrupt the youth, but …

Today we will go to the beach in the morning, and this afternoon, when our little helper is asleep, we will make our Camp Gramp shirts with tie-dye! How is that for gay dissipation!

Thank you for sharing your children with us!

Love, Gramama
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was smart enough to do the dyeing in the basement and the dye will wash off little hands before you see them. A fun time was had by all. We can open them and wash them out tomorrow night after Thane goes to bed. Call me a coward, we did the tie dye after the 20 month old went to sleep.

Dad had a wonderful day — almost $400 and lots of good information (Note from the Editor: my dad runs a historical picture business called Memories Made Digital. He stayed behind for the local old-timer’s picnic). He sounded excited. He will be here tomorrow morning and an extra set of hands will help.

Oh yes, if you have to go to the bathroom and it is DESPERATE, you can go to the Police station even though you are terrified. And the police officer will come out and give you a badge to stick on your clothing. Then you can discussion how police officers can help you.

How peaceful it feels. I think I will go take my shower and read for a few minutes before I check out for the night. Right now they are sleeping, getting ahead of me on the energy front!

Peace be with you, Gramama

On the right PATH

I’m back from Istanbul! I have plenty of thoughts and updates, but they will have to wait for a more felicitous time. Until then, I thought I’d let you know that after a previous posting I made about PATH, my charity of choice, I’ve formed a deeper relationship with the organization, which leaves me increasingly impressed.

As part of this relationship, PATH has added me to their donor profile, a part of their welcome series to new donors.

I sincerely believe in the goal that PATH is trying to accomplish, but they are not alone in their goals. What sets them apart, to me, is the pragmatic and sensible way they identify and execute projects. That seems like a small thing, but it is the thing that takes good intentions and turns them into good outcomes, instead of just a waste of money.

I would encourage you to take a look at their mission and their work, and consider them as an option for your charitable contributions. And hey, now you know what to get me for my birthday!

Ten years ago

We are in last phases for our trip to Istanbul. The boarding passes are printed. The bag are packed and by the door. The chargers are being slipped into luggage. The debate is raging whether fresh grapes will cause any anguish in security. I am seconds, seconds away from putting the auto responder “You’re on your own, suckas!!!” (or the professional version thereof) on my work email.

I worked very hard today, and it’s tough beginning to peel my mind away. I’m awash in all the details of two very consuming projects at work. There’s the million and one things I do to keep my household and my family running, “Ok, Mom, Magic needs to get her pill morning and night. Thane eats Life cereal with milk… with his hands. You might want to wait until after breakfast to dress him. And if there are apricots in the farm share, would you mind dicing and freezing half a cup? I’m just short for a batch of jam.” All these things that I carry and remember and think about… now is the time to lay them down. If I haven’t explained something to my mom, well, she’ll figure it out. If I haven’t addressed an issue at work, well, they’ll either have to cope or wait. If I’ve forgotten something, it will have to remain forgotten for a week.

This is why we go on vacation. Because we must see how much we are laying down, and then when we return we can choose how much to pick up again. Maybe, perhaps, the perspective of that freedom of going away will show that some of those things we work so hard to sustain are not worth the energy they sap from us. On the other hand, some things we deal with as mundane requirements of our day to day life are revealed as the shining jewels of existence they are. (See also: bedtime reading time)

I am so ready for this. Tonight we will crawl on a plane — the same flight, I think, I recently took to Amsterdam. It feels funny to have Schipol become, instead of this exotic destination across the world, a familiar place where I’ve mapped out the Starbucks, thankyouverymuch. (Funny note: also on the flight will be a friend from church headed to his family in Denmark. The world is a small place.) I promised a colleague in Amsterdam I’d wave as I landed. I have a bunch of Euros from my last trip to unload, so I think some good chocolate at that nice stand is in order.

Then I start travelling space I’ve never traversed before. Never in my life have I been to Turkey — not even as a squalling bairn (which is, for the record, how I was dragged through much of Africa and Europe). I will set foot on Asian soil for the first time in my life, this trip. We are hoping to visit Hagia Sophia, the underground cistern, the Bosporus. We may take a day to go and visit Ephesus. My husband and I will read, eat, walk, talk, read books, play games and celebrate (get this!) TEN YEARS of married life. Ten years ago this week, we honeymooned in Greece when we did largely the same sorts of things, plus the beach.

These new things – experiences, memories, contexts – will provide rich fodder for my mind and spirit when I return. I know this. I still draw strength from the joy of our pre-kid trip to Austria & Italy. I’ve packed all these books on Byzantium so I can truly BE there and feel the weight of 1500 years of history. I will breathe Belisarius, Justinian and Theodora. I will hear the echoes in ancient cathedrals. I will, I’m sure, meet new characters from legends I have not yet learned.

Sometimes, lately, I have felt rather boring. The things running through my mind… they are largely not things you would be interested in. Much of the time I’m not even interested in them. Not that this is why I have not been blogging lately. No no, trust me. I am perfectly willing to blog about boring stuff. I haven’t been blogging lately because I am SUPER BUSY. But even if the super busy isn’t much affected by wandering Byzantium, the boring will be. My mind will have all this new stuff to process — things I have learned and done for the joy of them, instead of for the need of them. I am so excited about this.

And then there is my love. My husband. My joy. My partner in chaos, parenting and gaming. We are very good partners and enjoy each other a lot… when we can focus on each other. But through necessity, many of our interactions are tactical. “Who’s picking up the kids today? What are we making for dinner? Did you pick up the cat food? Do the kids sound too quiet to you?” I so intensely look forward to talking with my husband about the larger things in the world – those same things I’m eager to put into my mind. After ten years of marriage, I love my husband deeply. I also like him. I can’t wait to be with my friend and my beloved, and to have a great time.

So it’s time to kiss the kids and wish my parents luck with Camp Gramp. It’s time to shut down the computer for (gasp!!!!) like 9 days. It’s time to fill up a memory card with tourist pictures.

I will pick you up when I return. May blessings abound.

California, there I went

Sometimes in life, you are inconvenienced by your “values”. You don’t dish some particularly juicy gossip. You help a friend move in 80 degree weather with 80% humidity. You buy a car that isn’t as big as you would enjoy but that has great gas mileage. Well, a month or so ago my mom called me up with a crazy plan. “I want to take the kids to see grandma in California”. Her version of the plan involved two cross country flights and a 16 hour drive from Washington to Merced for my little guys.

My aunt's pool was awesome in the 100 degree weather

But the thing was, almost all my grandmother’s descendants were descending upon that Mecca of fig-growing, that irrigated paradise. And my mother really wanted her mother to at least get to MEET Thane for the first time, and to encounter Grey as a verbal and interesting person. She had an excellent point. I cogitated. Now, if asked to name some of life’s priorities, I’d probably include family among them. Or maybe I wouldn’t even… I’d forget to articulate it because OF COURSE family is one of life’s priorities. But the options for getting the boys out to see their great-grandmother were all difficult and inconvenient. Round trip tickets. Long drives. But the one that made the MOST sense was for me to take the boys out, see my own grandmother, and return with them. That was what living up to “My family is important to me” meant. But with the newish job and the merger and the trip to Istanbul in two weeks… I didn’t have a lot of time to take. Two days seemed like the most vacation time that I could scramble together.

So that is what I did. We left Wednesday night. The flight was a red-eye, delayed nearly two hours. I sang about 80 verses of “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” and blessed the fact that an empty seat meant I could bring Thane’s car seat. He’s still (barely) young enough to be a lap child, but that wouldn’t have been fun for anyone, including everyone in a four aisle radius. We finally got on board, and Grey went to sleep. Thane fell asleep too, but he woke up about ever half hour screaming BLOODY murder. The entire flight. The only cool part was the lightening. For the entire interior of the country, for about 5 of these wakings, the horizon flickered with the menacing lightening.

I arrived late and tired, and my folks picked me up at the airport. Thursday and Friday I spent with my family. There was swimming in the pool. I got to talk with cousins I remember from when they were tiny, one whose birth happened during Christmas at my house when I was 16. The one whose birth I so vividly remember is 15 now, and wants to learn about programming. It’s surprisingly flattering when one’s teenage hacker cousin seeks one out for technical advice and looks up to one as an Oracle because one is a real live programmer. It was really lovely to see my extended family again.

My cousin, in what I have come to understand is a typical pose

Saturday, we went to the airport by was of Yosemite valley. My only regret is that I didn’t have a week to spend in Yosemite. It was glorious and fantastic and amazing and deserved way more time than we had. We got the kids out of the car, and walking towards a stomping ground I remember, in 90 degree heat (Central Valley spent the week at 102 – 103). We walked past this shallow, pebbly stream in dappled sunlight. This was not to be resisted. We stripped the kids down and there was a great frolic in the river. It was awesome.

Then Saturday night I flew back home with the boys. It went slightly better. Thane only woke up every hour, and his screaming was diminished in intensity, until I woke him up to get off the airplane.

There are some things where the memories and the pictures are priceless. I got a picture of my grandmother with all but three of her direct descendants. I saw Yosemite for the first time as an adult. I got to spend an evening in a hot desert patio with my cousin, talking about his dreams and desires. I read the poem my grandmother wrote to my grandfather on their second anniversary. I gave her a hug and I told her I loved her. I had the best maple bar of my life.

These, my friends, are the things that matter. Not the red-eyes and crying babies and inconvenient schedules. I’m so glad and grateful that I had this opportunity.

Cleaning up

I’m headed to Merced, California with my sons on Wednesday. My grandmother lives there, and her children and great-grandchildren will all be there. I’m very much looking forward to seeing my family. I was last in Merced when I was pregnant with Grey. We’d come out to California for a wedding and took the extra few days to take the train in to Merced. I recall sleeping a lot. When I was a child, I lived there for about a year. We visited often when I was growing up.

I’m not really looking forward to two transcontinental redeyes in four days with a 4.5 year old and 21 month old, by myself. They’ll sleep, right? Of course they will. No doubt. Heaven help me.

Anyway, in preparation for this great gathering of great-grandkids (ok, there are only five of them, but I did my share), I have cleaned off my memory card. It’s a challenge taking pictures of these kids. Neither one is very interested in, you know, looking at the camera. And they move fast. But still! We have camping. We have the park. We have the town pool. We have the back yard. And we have our pastor with a donkey and a sheep. I like to keep you on your toes.

With no further ado, here they are