Watermelon!

Warm weather has officially returned to our region, and I'm beyond thrilled. This is our fourth consecutive day of temps over 70 degrees so I think it's safe to assume that we're in the green until at least next October. I hope.

Spring relaxes me. I love the feeling of both of the kids in bed with thirty minutes of daylight to kill, warm nights, putting socks away until the fall...love love love.

We had an unplanned celebration of Spring tonight when Skip ran out to the store to grab dinner, and returned with the makings of burgers...perfection! The children loved their dinner, and to finish the evening, we cut up a watermelon and gave Charlotte her first slice.

There is a certain joy I have in watching Charlotte experience things for the first time, that is many times, tempered by a certain sadness that I wasn't able to enjoy things with Alex through these same eyes. I was too tightly wound, too scared, too crazy. I never would have given Alex a whole slice of watermelon at 14 months. I would have been too busy obsessing over choking hazards, possible allergic reactions, and a million other worst case scenarios that would likely never happen. Had I had access to a boy-sized bubble four years ago, indubitably, he would have been in it.

Some days I feel like I missed out on a lot because of that fear, that intense, obsessive worry. Some days I yearn for the ability to go back and redo those first 14 months of his life. But I can't go back. I do, at times, wish I had more memories of firsts like this with him.

Though, it does occur to me that perhaps one of the reasons why these days are so sweet, so positive, so full of promise, is because of those first months of Alex's life that we shared. Maybe my eyes would not have seen tonight this way. I'll never know.

Tonight was crazy fun, regardless.


Watermelon Rules from Carrie Hill on Vimeo.

The Second Half...

Our beautiful Easter weekend in Boston was followed by a lively four days on Cape Cod with our dear friends. There is something beyond words wonderful about spending time with people who knew you before you were settled, had kids, and routinely discussed things like where your arthritis is flaring up and whether you should put the money into redoing your kitchen. It's nice to have strong relationships in your life with people who knew you when...

The Cape is delicious...I'm placing it high on our list of places to return. While there, we took the ferry to Nantucket for a day of sightseeing, visited Provincetown, Wellfleet, and the Cape Cod Potato Chip factory (there is a blissfully short walking tour, and FREE SAMPLES) and ate our weight in clams, chowder and lobster. Good times, indeed.


Cape Madness from Carrie Hill on Vimeo.
Music ("Julia's Theme" and "Leaving Paris")by Alexandre Desplat

Thank you, Foleys! We loved this little trip with you and look forward to many more!

Easter Festivities!

I'm writing this as my children "play together." This roughly translates to Charlotte happily busying herself with a toy (usually one of Alex's), and Alex yelling about how she is always taking his stuff. Lately, they've added to their repertoire...Charlotte will imitate a sound Alex makes, and then he admonishes her for copying him. The next five years are bound to be fun around here.

We traveled to Boston this year to celebrate Easter, and then headed out to the Cape for a few days spent with dear friends. I had some time today while the children were simul-napping (rather, I did this instead of cleaning, catching up on laundry and starting dinner, which would no doubt have been a better way to spend my time, I suppose) to put a quick video together showcasing some of my favorite moments from the Boston leg of the trip...Cape Cod will come later.

And now, off to remind Alex for the fiftieth time today to be a good big brother and to ensure Charlotte doesn't swallow any small legos.


Easter in Beantown from Carrie Hill on Vimeo.


"Easter Parade" by Steve Goodman