New York update #1

Am in the snowy wonderland of New Windsor, NY. Stealing a few moments on the house computer to write the happenings while Leif re-files grandma's taxes.

Day 1

The non-stop night flight was smooth, the kids slept the whole way, and Leif rolled off of my boob while I was dozing and left my bare tit hanging completely out in the open for about an hour. You're welcome, toilet-goers.

After hanging out at Sue's house for an hour and letting the kids roll in a knot around the floor, we trooped out to grandma's surprise birthday party. The surprise: about 30 friends and relatives pointing cameras at us when we walked in the restaurant door with her. The waiters were surly and cursed about us in Italian, Sue didn't give a shit and bossed them around anyway, Mike and Rob (big brother), cleared their throats at each other in greeting, and I almost passed out face-first into the shortcake during a bout of exhaustion.

Here's the main cast for the bulk of the vacation: Sue (sister), Shane (sister's husband), Stacy (tiny brother's wife), Rob (not-tiny brother), me (looking gigantico and trying to stay upright), Mike (man-person), Barb (mil), rabble of young cousins.

Day 2

I put to work my vacation plans of hiding in the couch with my knitting. In the afternoon, Rob took us all out bowling, and nearly got into a fight with a pack of drunks in the next lane who yelled at us for having kids within their 15-foot staggering zone. Sue and I kind of hoped he would beat them about the head with his police badge, but he didn't. I almost swatted Rob's bum about 6 times because he was wearing the same colors as Mike and they look the same from behind, if slightly photoshopped to different scales.

Went home and ate ribs. Someone put the bones out on the porch, and someone else screamed when they looked out and saw a raccoon eating them. I tackle-shoved Barb out of the way and pressed my face to the glass because OMG THERE WAS A RACCOON EATING RIBS! Probably the greatest thing I have ever seen.

Day 3

Mike twisted his guts like a sick dog and spent the day vomiting. Leif objected to this and spent the day screaming around my knees. Gavin disappeared into the basement with his cousins, emerging 8 hours later covered in paint and glitter. Went to Walmart with mil and Sue, became addled by practically-free prices of everything, slipped $20 into mil's purse after she insisted on paying for the stack of $2 baby pants and discount Valentine's Day candy I pitched in the cart. Went home and dragged the kids around on the frozen lake, rattling them over lumps of ice until they were scared and cold and wanted to go in for soup. It started to snow. The kids fell asleep. mil and I watched Mike to see if he would die.

Day 4 - today

Mike did not die. He ate toast and sat vigilant during nap-time while mil and I drove into the snow to a local yarn shop. Became ridiculously excited about yarn. Saw deer in the woods near the lake. Forced all the children into snow pants and dragged them outside. Leif stumped around with determination, tried to shovel the walkway, and contemplated the skies; Gavin ran inside 4 times for new mittens, tried to faceplant into 3 inches of snow, and ate off the ground with his face with his cousins.

Demonstrating proper snow-trekking form

Exploring trade-off between freezing to death and seeing imprints of own face in snow

Muffled acoustics are interesting

It is snowing. The baby naps on my lap. I woke up to discover that the little yin-yang earring I've been wearing in my upper ear for 3 years has disappeared. Perhaps it's time to let the hole scar over.