Washington Avenue Extension

Craigslist Listing of the Day

I find it hard to resist anything that is free, but I think we'll pass on this gem offered in the "free" section on craigslist:

Ugly Sofa - Cambridge

Brown couch thing, ugly as sin, could use some new back pillows, but it is the perfect length to sleep on, bring a friend to get it out of the apartment, and it's your for zero dollars, Free! (we are firm on this price)

Bumbo!

Carson has a new chair.

For my Mom

She has requested a higher dose of Carson photos on our blog.  She's right to do so, and I'm happy to oblige.

Happy 4 Month Birthday Little Boy!

On Vox: TimesSelect is Dead, long live the Free Internet

Timesselect

I am happy to report, if you haven't heard already, that the New York Times has given up their policy of making people play for their best content (columnists, archives, etc.).  I checked out the free trial last December, and while I really liked being able to read everything, I ended up not becoming a subscriber.  And while I missed being able to read Maria Kalman and others, I soon forgot about it.

I think the Times woke up recently and realized that everyone else who didn't pay was going to forget about them too.  By keeping their best material out of Google and out of the blogosphere, they were making themselves irrelevant.  I'm glad they came to their senses.

Kottke.org has done a great job of highlighting some cool stuff you may have missed while the pay wall was up.  I wish I had done a post like that, but I'll just link to him and call it done.

Originally posted on palmer.vox.com

On Vox: Apple eating, Jay-style

Goldencrisp or gingergold?

Tiny vampire bites

Originally posted on palmer.vox.com

On Vox: We visit a new (new to us) museum, and I try out some new captioning software.

Originally posted on palmer.vox.com

It's still summertime here

                       

   

       

                

                                            

            

               

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Originally posted on palmer.vox.com

An update on my lost wedding ring

To read all about it, go to WashAveX Ultra.

Family Trip to Lake Ossipee

Rob and I spent three days on Lake Ossipee last week with the boys and two other families, the Harveys and the Newburgs.  There was a lot riding on this mini-vacation as Rob viewed it as a test case for any family vacation I might convince him to take during the next eighteen years.  And as he wasn't completely in favor of this trip in the first place, I felt pressure not only to make sure that the boys were having a good time but that Rob was as well.

Each family had booked a lakefront cabin at Danforth Bay Camping Resort.  I mistakenly assumed "lakefront" meant "beachfront," but alas the beach was about 500 yards down the road.  The view from our deck was still beautiful, but instead of a yard sloping down to a sandy beach, there was a precipitous drop down to the lake.  I suspect that ten years from now, that will be Jason's excuse for clutching Isabelle's hand in this photo:

 

Stealing Rob's format from his post about the trip on WashAveX Ultra, I list below my highs and lows of the trip, followed by some of my favorite photos.

Highs:

-Beautiful lake swimming.  I love the ocean, but I really love lakes for their inviting water.

-Communal dining with the other families, which included waffles al fresco (thanks to Russ and Trista for the awesome waffle maker, which we use weekly), barbecue fare and BLT's with the "B" having been done on the grill.

-Ann and Ed's daughter Isabelle recognizing me now as someone she knows.  Contrasted against Ed, Isabelle and Camden's visit with us in Maine, where Isabelle's first words to me were, "Hey, you're the lady on the computer."

-Carson being such a good baby the entire time.  I think he really liked looking at the trees and the general commotion.  Well, as much as a baby can.  And he took his first dip in a lake and kicked around gleefully.

-Isabelle exclaiming, "Jason and Maia are my best friends!"

-Hanging out by the campfire with the adults after all six of the kids finally went to sleep.

-Throwing caution to the wind and riding in the back of the Subaru with Ann so that we could all fit in the car (and, no, Ed and Rob, your jokes about life insurance were not funny.)

-This photo:

 

Lows:

-Packing for this trip taking over four hours

-Not sleeping in the same bed as my husband due to child wrangling logistics.  Because Jason could easily vault over the side of the pack n' play that functioned as his bed, we decided he needed adult supervision in the room he was staying in.  And we wisely decided that should NOT be the room with the two bunkbeds that he could swing from, which leads me to:

-Sleeping in a 4 foot long bunkbed with a ladder nailed to the side and nursing a baby in the dark while laying in said bunkbed.

-Realizing that Jason thinks the word "Stop" means "Run off as swiftly as your little feet will take you."

And now for the photos:

The view from our cabin:

 

Jason, Isabelle and Maia:

 

Owen's cute little mug:

 

Camden looking serious:

 

The dads:

 

The moms, unfortunately, proved to be more elusive.

Isabelle after swimming:

 

Rob with more kids than hands:

 

Living life on the edge:

 

My happy baby:

 

All things considered (and the "all" including six kids under the age of four), I think I should be able to convince Rob to go away with the boys again..........someday.