Happy Birthday!

UNCLE TRACY:
I'm sending you Birthday Wishes!

Today is Uncle Tracy's 25th birthday! While Mommy really would like to jump on a plane and say Happy Birthday in person, that's just not possible right now, so I am sending you these birthday wishes myself.

I decided that I wanted a picture of just me--so I tried to destroy the paper.

Then I found that just eating the paper worked well.

Anyway, I wanted to wish you a very Happy Birthday. I'll have Mommy eat a cupcake for you!

Day Trips

One of the best parts of living on the East Coast is the easy access to the many cultural attractions in the area. In Philly we are surrounded by many historical locations right here in the city, but we are also only two hours from Washington DC and New York City.

Last week I went to Ellis Island and Liberty Island with my grandparents (Bala and Papa) and my cousins. Even though I have lived in the East my entire life, I have never been there myself, so it was a great trip! I learned a lot about the history of our country and the way it was established. Caleb had a great day-- he was held the entire time :)

I cannot imagine being an immigrant, coming all the way across the Atlantic in such deplorable conditions, just to get to Ellis Island and go through the long lines and health examinations. I am proud to be an American, and I love this country very much-- I couldn't help but feel for those poor immigrants who were turned away at the country's gate. Families were separated, loved ones died, friends were lost-- all in the hope for a better life.

I hope that in our day we can find room for those who are still seeking a better life in this country. I hope that we can learn from our past, that we can accept that a hundred years from now there will be Americans whose ancestors are those coming to our country now, seeking a better life for their posterity, just as our ancestors came through Ellis Island, seeking a better life for us. I hope that we can support people who make that very terrifying choice to leave all they know, and many people they love, just to come here in search of something for their family. I am so glad that my ancestors were brave enough to make such a treacherous journey; so glad that they were accepted in this country and able to make a better life. I hope that I can, in some small way, help those who are seeking this "American Dream" be they American, Mexican, Asian, European or African.

Sorry to get so hyped about this-- I was just so impressed by what I saw there in NYC--
I hope we live up to the words inscribed on the Statue of Liberty.

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles.
From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!"” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
- Emma Lazarus


Here are some of our pictures from the day!

Can you imagine getting off the boat after all that time and seeing that you were finally here?

View of the City from Ellis Island

Uncle Willy, Audrey Margaret, Kate, Bala, Papa and Hanna and I at the Statue of Liberty

David, Uncle Willy, Bala, Charley, Hanna, Aunt Audrey, Kate, Maggie and Caleb, and Papa

I love this picture! Charley and Bala on Liberty Island

The Statue- it was a beautiful day!

On a Roll

Caleb has been impressing us all with his new talent of rolling over. However, he is rather picky about when he feels it is necessary to share this talent with the world. He mostly saves it for when no one is looking. Stingy kid.

He first started rolling over a few weeks ago (besides the few times he rolled over right after he was born-- those were just freak accidents.) He rolled over once for Daddy. Then he went on a strike and wouldn't roll over when anyone was looking. I set him down on his belly once so that I could go finish dinner and when I turned back around not a minute later, he was already on his back. He looked at me and giggled, almost laughing at the fact that he outsmarted me behind my back.

And so it has gone, for the past few weeks-- he would only roll over when no one was watching. Finally today I had had enough-- I laid him on his belly and stared at him until I saw him perform. It took him long enough, but finally he consented and I got to see him roll over.

Hopefully sometime soon he will let us take a video of it and we can post it for you. Because I know you are all on the edge of your seats, waiting to see Caleb roll over.

Sigh... I'm a little obsessed. Oh well.

Living on the Wild Side

So Pete should probably be the one writing this, but he's a little out of sorts. Not because of the test looming in his near future-- no, he's suffering from side effects. Of cocaine.

I should explain.

Pete has had recurring nose bleeds since he was little. He tells the story of having to call time outs from the out field when he played baseball because blood was gushing down his face... not from the impact of a ball, just because his nose bleeds. I have had to change many a pillowcases because he was woken up with blood all over them. At first, this terrified me. Now, I'm slightly less than annoyed when he asks me for the box of tissues, but only slightly less.

As Pete has been studying for med school, he has found these nose bleeds (which happen a lot more in the winter time) very annoying. He has to lean his head back and hold his notes in the air so that he doesn't bleed on the paper. Finally he had had enough. I made an appointment for him to see an ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) doctor and he went in today.

The doctor dosed him up with some "medicinal" cocaine and wiped some silver nitrate in his nose. The chemical reaction actually "burned" his nose and will hopefully stop his nose from bleeding in the future.

The doctor sent him home with a few warnings. 1) Get some saline nasal spray 2) Get some neosporin and 3) Come back to see me in a month.

Oh yeah...

4) Don't take any drug tests in the near future

PS-
This sounds a lot more dramatic than it really is :) ... the cocaine only numbed his nose and the only real side effect is that he feels like he has a head cold. However, he has decided that cocaine is not the drug of choice for him.

Elephants...

I'm just wondering what legal ground I have to disown my brother... see, my brother Aaron (the crazy adventurous, "let's move to China" brother) just went to Thailand on vacation. Harmless, you may assume. You would be wrong. He rode an elephant. WITHOUT ME.

Now many of you may not be aware of my strange obsession with elephants (not sure how you could miss it, but you may have overlooked this small fact about me). To enlighten you more, "obsession" might be putting it lightly. I have a bracelet made out of an elephant's tail. I have an elephant loofa, elephant book ends, elephant bookmarks, elephant rings, bracelets, necklaces and pins. I have more elephant figurines and stuffed animals that I even have repeats of some of them. We decorated Caleb's room in elephants-- mostly because I had enough paraphernalia to decorate, well, A LOT of rooms.

Have I made my point?

He went and rode an elephant without me. Now, I must say, I have ridden an elephant. But it was an elephant in a theme park and looking back, I'm sure PETA had something to say about having an elephant in a theme park. Aaron rode an elephant in Thailand. Totally cool. Well, it would have been, if he had taken me.

Sigh. All right, I'm done with the tirade. I'm going to cry myself to sleep, green with envy. What was that line? Thou shalt not covet?

Oops.

For all you wives and mothers... And everyone else

I am taking an online class this term and I came upon this poem while studying. I find it humorous.

"Marks"

My husband gives me an A
for last night's supper,
an incomplete for my ironing,
a B plus in bed.
My son says I am average,
an average mother, but if
I could put my mind to it
I could improve.
My daughter believes
in Pass/Fail and tells me
I pass. Wait 'til they learn
I'm dropping out.

- Linda Pastan (1978)

I just found it rather entertaining. We all need something to make us smile :)

Whistle While You Work

This last week was Peter's Spring Break. While it would have been nice to go somewhere warm and exotic, we decided we would be frugal and stay here in Philly. Pete's parents have a beautiful 18th century home, which requires a lot of attention (as does anything from the 18th century). Growing up, Pete helped out around the house-- scraping paint and sanding walls. This week, his dad bought a new toy, a power washer. Peter could hardly resist so he went out to power wash the exterior walls, and this is what he looked like:


You can't tell exactly from this picture, but he was covered head to toe in paint from the outside wall. It was in his hair for days. He loved it!

Boys will be boys.