My Experiences as a Father... December 5, 2002 to January 4, 2003 (44th month)

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Saturday, January 4, 2003
Jim and April took us to a building-monument sort of thing with a waterfall for lunch.  We parked in a tow zone, so we ate close to the car.  Jim and I moved the car and drove around the block a little when we saw a policeman and four tow trucks show up.

We visited FAO Schwarz and Starbucks.  Jill went to another jewelry store and got me another business card with information about rings she might like for our 10th anniversary.

When we left Rhode Island, it was snowing, and was expected to snow almost every day while we were gone.  In Houston, we had to wear short sleeve shirts to keep from sweating.  The temperature was around 70.  Jim said that it hits 30 every 3 years, and it had only snowed twice in Houston in his lifetime.

During Hilde's nap, April, Isaiah, Maeve and I went to a playground.  Maeve went down the spiral slide all by herself today.
 

Friday, January 3, 2003 - Flight to Houston
We got to the airport in plenty of time.  Maeve and Hilde loved the ride on the parking shuttle bus.

The new federal TSA people were irritating.  Too many were just standing around waiting for more passengers.  Most of them seemed unfamiliar with what they were doing, and waited for direct instructions before doing anything.  I just don't like tax money going to pay for people who don't know their jobs well enough to really make anything all that much safer.

I mentioned that a shard of glass might be a good weapon, because it would probably pass through the xray.  Jill told me to be quiet.

We flew from Providence to Nashville, and then stayed on the same plane to go from Nashville to Houston.  The plane was only about half full on each leg, so we used an extra seat for Hilde and Maeve.  I was the only one who had any problems with ear pressure.

During the flight, I read an article about how Houston has been annexing surrounding areas before they can incorporate.  Most towns do this to suck in more affluent suburbs before the suburbs can incorporate.  Houston has done a lot of that, and is now up to 623 square miles.  Rhode Island is only 1045 square miles, so the city of Houston is about 60% the size of the entire state of Rhode Island.
 

Thursday, January 2, 2003
We have been saying that we are going to stay with Mama Pat, April's mother, when we got to Texas.  Everytime that Jill says, "Mama Pat", Hilde pats her.
 

Tuesday, December 31, 2002
Maeve has had dry training pants overnight for months.  She has also been good about waking up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom if she needed to.  She said she wanted to start sleeping in underwear, so last night she did.
 

Monday, December 30, 2002
Maeve told Jill that we need a new house.  Jill said she didn't think we did, but Maeve thinks it's time to move.  I told Maeve that I wasn't done fixing the one we have.
 

Saturday, December 28, 2002
We got another Veggie Tales video for Christmas, so Pop got to see lots of Veggie Tales while he was here.  Matthew has a Larry doll.  Pop told Jill that he never knew what it was.  He thought it was just a funny shaped doll.

After we took him to the airport, Maeve was repeating what he told her about Veggie Tales.  Maeve said, "I never saw talking vegetables before".

Pop helped me remove the old bathroom sink, and helped start putting in the new vanity and new sink.  It was time for Hilde's nap before we finished, so we'll see how long it takes me to finish on my own.
 

Thursday, December 26, 2002
Maeve, Pop and I went to visit an antique car friend of my dad's in Connecticut.  The guy runs the "oldest running steam-driven apple cider mill in the United States".

We went to Mystic Pizza II for lunch.  They claim to be "a slice of heaven".  I said pizza was like Garrison Keillor's comment about pumpkin pie - "the best you've ever had isn't much better than the worst".

Tonight we tried to give Hilde medicine.  Jill had only poured it in the cup when Hilde started shaking her head and pulling on her tongue, like she was trying to get the medicine off it.  Hilde is a real challenge with medicine.
 

Wednesday, December 25, 2002
Rhode Island had the first white Christmas in 5 years today.  Pop said it was only raining in DC.  Marianne said she would have been disappointed without snow.

Jill had bought some croissants, and someone taught Maeve how to say it with an arrogant French accent.  She even didn't pronounce the consonants that the French think are put there just to give them something to ignore.  It sounded kind of like "craw SAW", with a bit of a growl to it.
 

Tuesday, December 24, 2002
Maeve, Hilde and I went to pick up my dad at the Providence airport tonight.  Hilde was unusually friendly to him, even though we weren't sure she remembered who he was.
 

Sunday, December 22, 2002
On the way to the grocery store today, someone ran a red light in front of me, so I had to stop to avoid hitting them.  Of course I honked, and at the next light he rolled down his window, to apologize, I assumed.  Instead he insisted that his light was yellow.  He was not able to explain to me how his light was yellow when my light was green.  Instead he "waved" and turned off.

At the grocery store, there was an announcement that there was some "buy one get one free" Christmas candy.  I said I was in a bellicose mood, and I would go battle the old ladies for the candy.  I asked Maeve if she was in a bellicose mood, and she said she was.  She repeated, "I am in a bellicose mood."

On the way home, Jill was whistling along with "Jingle Bells".  Maeve said, "Jill, I can't hear the song with you whistling."  Jill said, "She really is in a bellicose mood."
 

Thursday, December 19, 2002
Today Jill realized that the bowling ball in the back yard was not one of Maeve's play balls.  Jill asked Maeve where it came from, and Maeve came through for me.  She told Jill that "the crazy wind blew it there", and that I thought it looked good in our yard.
 

Thursday, December 12, 2002
Today Jill was in the shower and there was no shampoo.  She called Maeve, who climbed up on a stool and got Jill a new bottle.
 

Sunday, December 8, 2002
Tonight Maeve, Hilde and I went out to play in the snow.  Hilde has trouble walking, so she spent most of her time on all fours, or just standing in one place.  After Hilde had had enough, I took her in and Maeve and I played for a few more minutes.  Maeve asked me to look at a shooting star, that seemed to linger, according to her description.  I saw nothing.  I explained to Maeve what a shooting star really is, and why it makes the light that it does.
 

Friday, December 6, 2002
The Christmas tree reflects off the living room windows.  With the bay windows, we have three reflections.  The double panes of the glass help to distort the lights.  Maeve said the reflection of the angel on the top of the tree has an "scary" face, and has two lights (while the real angel only has one light).  Maeve likes to jump up on the couch, point at the window and yell about it.  Hilde likes to climb up and point, too.
 


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