Saturday, November 30, 2002

DC playday
Everyone under 67 rode the Metro into D.C. to visit museums. Michael and Nina visited the Holocaust Museum, and the rest of us went to the Museum of Natural History. We spent most of our time in the Ice Age exhibit.

Then back to Richard and Diane's for the first night of Hanukkah. The kids were at a fever pitch, but managed to contain themselves through the excellent dinner (leftovers from previous post) until time for present opening. Presents, money, gelt, and chocolate Maccabees were flying. Through the true miracle of Hanukkah, the kids were able to get to bed at a reasonable time.
posted by Tom 11:12 AM

Friday, November 29, 2002

Thanksgiving in Potomac
turkey, stuffing, vegetarian stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes (two kinds), peas, brussels sprouts, corn pudding, butternut squash, rolls, cranberry sauce (two kinds), gravy, pecan pies, fruit cobbler, chocolate-hazelnut biscotti, and grapes the size of your head.
posted by Tom 6:00 PM

Wednesday, November 27, 2002

Travel day
I dread traveling the day before Thanksgiving, and the weather forecast was for up to six inches of snow. Well, there was a dusting of snow when we left home; the roads quickly dried up, and we made it to Potomac in four hours, including a lunch stop. Certainly a record for us! On the way, we listened to Junie B. Jones books on tape, and the girls made Hanukkah cards. They also found shapes in the clouds (Ellie saw a horse, and Clara saw a face with two mouths).

Richard and Diane both took the day off, and A.J. and Zachary have a half-day of school. The cousins are all glad to see each other, and to see Bubi. We took the kids to Jeepers this afternoon. I loved the bumper cars (they had two handles rather than a steering wheel. Soon Nina, Michael, and Aunt Rita should arrive.
posted by Tom 4:15 PM

Tuesday, November 26, 2002

Exciting News!
As of today, our next-door neighbors have a new baby in the house, under their foster care. What a lucky girl! She is less than two weeks old... We can't wait to see her...
posted by Tom 5:15 PM

Monday, November 25, 2002

Breakdown in Communications
Article in the NY Times about the implosion of telecom companies in NJ.
posted by Tom 10:42 AM

Sunday, November 24, 2002

Tom Chapin concert
Today we saw Tom Chapin play a family concert at the lovely State Theatre in New Brunswick. This is at least the fifth time we've seen him; the kids love him, and Mallary and I never tire of his music. We enjoyed some songs we hadn't heard, such as the Library Song, as well as old favorites like The Cousins are Coming and his signature song, Family Tree (replete with sign language for the chorus).

He and Michael Mark played a variety of instruments including guitar, bass, piano, banjo, autoharp, concertina, and marimba. And as always, they played a Harry Chapin song (Cat's In The Cradle). I missed Jon Cobert at the piano this time. Tom and Michael stayed in the lobby signing autographs and talking as long as anyone wanted.

Ellie couldn't stay in her seat the whole time: she had to get out and dance in the aisle. As for Clara, she was true to her character: rapt and enthusiastic.

We couldn't leave New Brunswick without swinging by Thomas Sweets for ice cream. Can you blame us?!

Now the girls want Aunt Liz and Uncle Teddy to cajole Bill Harley into a New Jersey appearance. You guys up to the task?

posted by Tom 9:49 PM

Thursday, November 21, 2002

new belt for Clara
Tonight was Clara's first belt promotion testing for Taekwondo. She passed and now has a yellow-stripe belt. Note to self: next time, leave the book at home and bring the camera. Clara was focused and confident. She broke her first board!

I saw our friends the Laitamakis there -- for the first time in many months (Alex earned his orange belt tonight). Our globe-trotting Finnish friends are going to take a month-long vacation to Australia starting mid-December, and we will get our families together after they return.
posted by Tom 9:31 PM

Wednesday, November 20, 2002

ballet recital
We got a note from Ellie's ballet class at the Turning Pointe telling us the date of her recital: June 8th, 2003. Awfully short notice; hope you haven't already made plans!
posted by Tom 8:55 PM

Harry Potter 2
Clara saw the new Harry Potter movie. The fifth graders at Tamaques School had a fund-raiser for which they rented out a theater on a half-day of school. Clara's complete review: "It was good. They left out some parts. It was not scary at all."
posted by Tom 7:34 PM

Sunday, November 17, 2002

Weekend report
Busy weekend! On Saturday, Mallary took Clara and a friend to a play at the Paper Mill Playhouse, while Ellie and I ran errands. We all spent the late afternoon and evening with Amir, Hyeon, and their boys (listening to the Hairspray soundtrack to and from their house). Sunday brought Sunday School for Clara, a cooking class for Ellie, and Deirdre's birthday party (for both).

We had an early birthday dinner for Mallary at Star of India in Kenilworth. At bedtime, Ellie and I finished Junie B. Jones, Toothless Wonder, and Clara is within striking distance of finishing the third Harry Potter book. They got these books from Grandmama and Granddaddy.
posted by Tom 9:04 PM

Saturday, November 16, 2002

Xan
Below is an early picture of Xan. Ralph has put up a Xan-fan website as well--- keep it up to date, bro!

posted by Tom 8:49 AM

Hairspray
A couple of weeks ago, Mallary went to see Hairspray on Broadway with Elayne and Diane. They report it was fabulous. Diane is from suburban Baltimore, so she has a special connection to the show. And Pine Bluff natives have a rather surreal link as well.

Now Clara and Ellie are totally into the soundtrack. Their favorite cuts include Welcome to the 60s and Miss Baltimore Crab. Clara even wants I Can Hear the Bells at her wedding. I can imagine their future spouses asking them how they know those old musical numbers --- the same way that Mallary wonders how I know all the songs to Oklahoma, Camelot, and My Fair Lady.
posted by Tom 6:41 AM

Wednesday, November 13, 2002

Gabby's new house
Ellie got to go see Gabby's new house on Monday. She was so excited --- and Sergio was even there! She told me that Sergio calls the damper pedal on the piano "the gas."
posted by Tom 9:36 PM

Clara's Hanukkah drawing
Clara entered a contest in the local Jewish newspaper. She sent in a Hanukkah drawing along with this description:

The table is set. There are latkes, applesauce, and doughnuts. The door is open to welcome Elijah. I am lighting the candles. I have lit one so far because it is the first night of Hanukkah. There is a dreidel and gelt on the floor for games. Everyone is excited to play, especially me!

posted by Tom 9:31 PM

Sunday, November 10, 2002

visiting the Met
No Sunday School today, so we went into NYC to visit the Met. Clara's class had studied Romare Bearden's collage "The Block" and made their own collages of their schoolground. We found "The Block" on the front wall of the Modern section of the museum. It is in five separate frames, and each frame is teeming with activity. While in the Modern section, we saw several Picassos, a Matisse collage and a Hopper. We played the find-it game, and Ellie was the first one to find "a painting with only rectangles" (a Mondrian). Clara looked at it for a short while, then asked (curiously, not snidely), "This is one of the best painters of all time?"

We also tried to locate some of the landmarks in From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, but many were gone (the fountain, the bed they slept in).

We stayed about two hours, which was just right. We got soft pretzels outside before returning in the rain to the van.
posted by Tom 9:06 PM