Good times

My favorite big brother is in town this week, having returned from a 6-month deployment a few weeks ago.  C has had a blast with her uncle, and I think he’s probably more worn out that he anticipated.  I mean, how hard is it to hang out with a 3-year old, right?  Surely you jest!

We attempted to take in the new Creation Museum, ‘just outside’ Cincinnati.  I’m not sure who funded this, but in principle, it sounds fantastic.  A Biblical basis for the history of the world, using science and the Bible to show the brilliance of Creation.  After a lengthier-than-anticipated trip, we arrived around 11am Friday; the first surprise is that there is about a 30-45 minute line when you arrive, just to pay to get in!  Bathrooms were difficult to access, and the place was absolutely packed. I was thinking that a weekday would be less crowded than a Saturday…apparently I was wrong.  There seemed to be a large contingent of homeschooling families & groups (who may not have been present on a weekend, but it’s hard to say), several large groups of what appeared to be Amish families, and a handful of older people, possibly church buses and the like.  Fortunately, M & I came to the same conclusion, that this would be a trip for another day, and we left.

A delicious stop at Rafferty’s on the way home for lunch made it almost worth the trip.  A little tidbit about Rafferty’s – that’s where B & I went on our first date way back in…1997! 

 At any rate, we made it home by about 3pm and C had time for a nap.  We ate in last night (chili-lime marinated flank steak with roasted potatoes and steamed broccoli) and went out for ice cream.  I fear that we have done nothing but bore M to pieces, but this is just about as exciting as our lives get.

“Take it easy – this is the real stuff”

My folks just returned from a trip to Maine.  We got to share in the fruits of their labor when a box from Stonewall Kitchen arrived yesterday.  Pancake mix, various syrups, jams and other delights.  Quite serendipitously, I was off today, so had the time and willingness to make pancakes this morning for breakfast.  C & her dad both had blueberry syrup, and, of course, pure maple for me.

B’s mom tells a funny story about his childhood.  Apparently, the whole extended family was together at the grandparents’ house one year and they were having pancakes.  One of the cousins was being quite generous with the syrup, when he was chided by Brian – “Take it easy – this is the real stuff.”  To be completely honest, I don’t remember having eaten the ‘real stuff’ much in the past.  However, once I discovered this treasure, it’s been difficult for me to stomach anything else!  Real Simple even rated syrups this month.  Their conclusion: “Fans of the real thing can’t be swayed.”  Nothing against Mrs. Butterworth, I’m sure she’s a great lady – but my heart belongs to Maine!

So, blogging…

seems like it will be a lot of fun.  I’ve always been on the fence about it.  On the one hand, it seems like a great way to keep people updated, especially since my immediate and extended family isn’t geographically close.  On the other hand, it does seem, well, a bit pretentious.  So we’ll give a shot and see how it pans out.

 I feel like I should have some ceremonious start to this blog, an announcement, a landmark event of some sort.  I don’t. 

 C & I and her Mimi went to Cleveland this weekend to visit some friends.  C had a grand time playing with M and her super-cool toys.  Her favorite? A mini-Hoover vacuum cleaner, that makes noise and supposedly ‘works’.  So she likes to clean.  Wonder where she got that from?  Her second favorite was a dollhouse, and I think she’d have stayed indefinitely in that basement playing with all the little pieces of the dollhouse.  It’s pretty amazing to me that my baby girl can play independently and have conversations and play board games and all kinds of other stuff.  She is definitely one terrific kid!