Rocket

Austin, my own guru of amazing deals on great sports equipment, found me a Mad River Rocket sled on sale this week. Too bad the snow is almost gone -- I'll have to wait until next winter before I can ride my new Killer B! (Don't know what I'm talking about? Check out http://www.madriverrocket.com or talk to Dave, who I coerced in to buying a pair of Killer B's last year.) Spring just arrived, but already I can't wait for winter so I can do some extreme freesledding through the woods! (OK, maybe not TOO extreme. But I do intend to ride in the woods.) In the meantime, the Rocket has been getting great use . . . as a rocket. This is the kids playing astronaut and flying my sled to the moon. 3 . . .2. . . 1. . . BLAST OFF!

Kids and Vampires

I picked up the DVD of Twilight and watched it with Austin last night. I'm still not sure I loved it, but it's growing on me. The longer it's been since I read the book, the more I like the movie.

So the DVD was still in the player when the kids got home from school. When they turned on the TV and realized a vampire movie was in, they simply HAD to watch it. Gavin, in particular, has been quite interested in vampires lately. So I turned it on, and with judicious use of the "skip" button, let them watch some of the parts that weren't scary. At first they really weren't impressed. "When are they going to turn into vampires?" Gavin wanted to know. But pretty soon they found it more interesting, and Gavin came out with some zinger comments -- I'll never be able to watch this movie seriously again! ("Stop laughing, Mom. Vampire movies aren't supposed to be funny!")

• "Whoa, Mom, cool! He's fast AND he gives PIGGY BACK RIDES!!!"
• "Wow, and they know how to FLY too!?!"
• Mom, do vampires live in trees?

• (During one of the intense, staring-into-each-other's-eyes scenes) "He's about to give her an Eskimo kiss!! I know it! They're touching noses!"
• (Lucy's comment, same scene) "She's going to be really grossed out when blood starts running down the sides of his mouth."

Gavin summed up his opinion at the end. "Vampires are cool, but this show is kind of boring." Yes, perhaps, but not when you're watching it with a 3-year-old boy and his sister.

Old Friends & New Friends

This weekend, we hosted some of our friends from the old Philly singles-ward days -- Jason and Rachel Mumford flew up from Washington DC, and Bruce Baird and Jeanne Hardy drove up from Amherst, Mass. Jason and Rachel brought their baby Julia and Bruce and Jeanne brought their toddler Beckett. Everyone was in kid-heaven, especially Lucy and Gavin. Lucy kept everyone entertained by reading stories . . .And Julia was very patient with two rookie baby-feeders who took their baby food delivery job very seriously . . .

Beckett and Julia are a great addition to the old crew. It's hard to believe twelve years have gone by since we were all single grad students in Philly. We can still talk late into the night solving the world's problems (and the mysteries of parenting.) Anyone considering a trip to Vermont, I want you to know that we're getting our hosting swerve back on since the departure of the old futon! Our sleeping accommodations have been significantly improved with the addition of some plush air-mattresses and a super-comfy pullout chair, so come on up any time!

N'awlins (or is it No-ah'-lee-ahns?)

Just got back from a conference in New Orleans (however you pronounce it.) The city is permeated with the strangest sense of elegant decay. It felt a lot like visiting Venice -- like the city is sinking and all the people are determined to party until it goes under. The food was fantastic, shrimp and pork at every meal. By the last day I was a little tired of shrimp (and I've been sick of pork for months) so I tried some goat. It actually wasn't bad!

The highlight of my trip was stepping into a bookshop in the French Quarter and being given a tour of the whole house by the bookshop owner. What a life that would be, living in and restoring a gorgeous Napoleonic townhouse while collecting rare books and first editions for sale! But by the end of the weekend I was ready to go back to my own nineteenth-century house restoration project, my freezer full of pork, and my small collection of two sweet children with their own stories.

Boots & Jammies

I've been wanting a pair of Frye boots FOREVER -- well, ever since I saw Heather wearing hers around Brooklyn last year -- and the boots of my dreams arrived in the mail today! I tried on a pair at a local store but the boots I really liked had leather soles, which aren't ideal when you live on a farm in Vermont. So I searched online and found a place that had my boots with rubber soles for way less money (still a lot, but less). This is Gavin modeling them. They look much better on me than on him. (The rug he's standing on is the one Mom made me, isn't it pretty?)


I didn't get to wear my boots right away because Gavin and I had to hurry and change into our pajamas for Lucy's class party. The kids all wore their jammies brought blankets and teddy bears and had a book-reading party.

I was the only parent volunteer to show up in pajamas. Next time Lucy's class has an event I'll have to wear my new Fryes so I can achieve some kind of fashion redemption.

Direct democracy, Vermont style

On the first Tuesday in March every year, the whole town gets together in the High School auditorium for Town Meeting. This happens all across Vermont. It's another one of those quirky Vermont political traditions -- like having to take an oath to "vote in the interests of the people of Vermont" before you can register to vote. Anyway, around 1000 Northfield residents showed up yesterday to debate such issues as whether or not the town should buy a used dump truck who should be elected to positions like town manager and library board (several write-in campaigns were going strong last week, with candidates standing on street corners in the frigid cold holding signs).

Also on the agenda every year: the school budget. The citizens of Northfield have to vote to approve the school budget every year. And this year, our town VOTED DOWN THE SCHOOL BUDGET! I'm not sure what is going to happen now -- I don't suppose they're just going to close the schools (though Lucy wouldn't mind) -- will we have to have another town meeting to approve a revised budget? Will we have to spend an hour trying to elect a moderator for this special-session town meeting, like we did yesterday? I'm interested to find out what's going to happen. Though people don't seem to be particularly worried. Apparently this happens all the time!

Good Trade