New England Mamas

New England Triathlons

I'm finishing up my triathlon season.  After the first year of triathlons, I will no longer be considered a newbie.  In what has been almost a year of training, I've noticed a couple of things.  First, I get a fair amount of hits on my blog each week from people searching for triathlons and second, you really don't have to be a super buff person to do them.  Seriously, people of all shapes and sizes participate.

Just like triathletes come in all shapes and sizes, so do triathlons.  I have found each of my triathlons to be better than the last.  However, if you're looking for a really good New England triathlon for newbies, I would recommend Max Performance, Title 9 Women's  Triathlon in Hopkinton State Park. 

Ever since signing up, I've received several outstanding informational emails and offers from the company.  I was invited to a free open water swim workshop, and an escorted "tour" of the full triathlon course.  They also have a hotline for newbies if I have any questions, and they offer to partner each newbie with a veteran triathlete buddy to answer any questions and provide support and guidance. The best thing that I got was an email with a 15 page brochure explaining exactly what would happen on triathlon day and the order of events.  I emailed it to my husband and parents who will be attending the triathlon so they could see exactly how it worked.  It is probably more useful for my parents, since they have never been to a triathlon before.  My husband considers himself a veteran and likes to brag that he and the boys always  get to the finish line before me.  Of course, they don't swim, bike, or run; they walk right to the finish line and stay in the audience.  The brochure suggests that Max Performance has planned the triathlon as thoroughly as they did the preparation.  They have an "Inspiration Station" where your friends and family can make posters and signs to cheer you on, and they give each triathlete a free cow bell to add sound to the signs of those cheering.  Perhaps more impressively, this is apparently typical of all of their triathlons.  I wish I had known about this for my first few triathlons.

No, I don't work for Max Performance and I'm not getting anything for doing this post.  I know there are some New England Mama contributers who do triathlons, so I thought I would just pass this info along to them.  Did I mention you get a cowbell? 

The End of Summer

Summer has flown right by again.  How does that happen every year?  We listlessly wait through the spring, and then BAM!  It's hot, and it's busy, and it's glorious.  And then it's over.

We spent most of last week in western PA, visiting my family.  My kids spent 95% of every day with their cousins, and while the noise level was excruciating at times, the play time was wonderful for them.  We saw a ton of family, with people dropping by to see us all week and, and I was sad to leave.

Now we are back hom, and my kids start school this week.  After all the enforced quality family time we'd had together on the trip, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thrilled.  My youngest is entering full-day kindergarten, and I'm practically salivating at the thought of having hours to myself each day.  I can tell by the amount of whining and griping I'm hearing that the kids are ready for school to start as well.

But suddenly I am feeling that I'd like to stretch this week out a little longer.  Maybe make it 10 days instead of 7?  Of course, we do have the Labor Day holiday to look forward to, so I guess that will help.  All I know is that I'm a little sick of summer, but I'm not ready for fall yet. 

I've been struck by inspiration, though.  I think I need to go buy a hammock.  I'll set it up and lay out in the sun on the first day of school, with a glass of lemonade and a good book.  That sounds like a lovely way to celebrate the end of summer and the start of the school year, doesn't it?

A Good Start to the Day

I was really debating going back to sleep this morning after the alarm went off.  I love watching the Olympics, but it has definitely thrown off my sleep schedule.  Sure I could Tivo it.  There's two problems with that 1)It's just not the same.  2) Inevitably I will see the results when I log into the computer or turn on the radio all of which happen before I would get around to watching the recordings in the evening which is the Big Giraffe and my usual TV time.  My eyes burned this morning as I reset my alarm clock for a couple hours later and climbed back into bed.  Instead of falling asleep though I thought about how I really should go workout.  Plus my car was almost on empty and I definitely needed to stop at the gas station.  A couple of the grocery stores out here have a program where if you get the free store card and spend x amount of money you get x amount of money off per gallon at the gas station associated with the grocery store.  I was up to 50 cents off per gallon.

Sounds great right?  The problem is that my store card doesn't work at the pump like it should.  I guess it's pretty common.  In order to take advantage of this program I need to go inside the gas station store, drop off the card, have the attendant turn on the pump, fill up and then go back inside and pay for the gas.  It's a real pain in the neck if I have the kids with me so I try to do it before I go to the gym in the morning.  In fact it was this image of trying to do this with my kids that was enough to get me back out of bed and moving.

I arrived at the gas station and did exactly what I described above except when I went to pay for the gas, I got a very pleasant surprise.  Due to a malfunction at the pump, the gas came up as already having been purchased.  I asked if there was any way to pay for it and the attendant laughed and told me to just enjoy it.  It isn't every morning that I can save $46 for getting up early and going to the gym!

Cross posted at Formula Fed and Flexible Parenting

7 Days and Counting...

I can't believe it. My little Sweetie starts Kindergarten in just 7 days. It'll only be 3 hours everyday, but still - it's a huge change in our routine and a huge milestone in her life.

I don't even feel like I can eloquently speak about it right now. All I know is that I am a ball of emotions - excited to see Sweetie so excited about her school career, anxious to see how well she'll fair with school rules and schedules, and sad to know my baby is growing up so fast and there's nothing I can do about it at all.

Oh, the Places You'll Go...

(This review is written by my sister, Mrs Q, who will slowly be sucked into the blogging world, mark my words.  Until then, please enjoy this review she so graciously agreed to provide for your reading enjoyment):

On a recent trek to Western Massachusetts, my family made a pit stop at the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden. Located in the gardens in and about the Springfield Museums (the "quadrangle" as us locals used to call it), this larger-than-life collection of sculptures bears tribute to the late Theodor Seuss Geisel, who was born and raised in Springfield.

Seuss' step-daughter, Lark Grey Dimond-Cates, created the bronze sculptures of Dr. Seuss' favorite characters -- the Cat in the Hat, Yertle the Turtle, the Grinch and the Lorax -- even the author himself.  My two "things" especially enjoyed the massive sculpture of story time characters springing from an open book, including Thing One and Thing Two, Horton the Elephant and Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose.

The surrounding gardens are lush and invite visitors to walk around or linger and enjoy a brown-bagged lunch on one of the many park benches (in fact, much to the delight of my son, one bench includes a bronzed forgotten lunch bag and parcel of groceries). Unfortunately, most sculptures include "do not climb" signs around them (for obvious reasons), but there's a wonderful photo op on a large chair among the open pages of a ten-foot-tall copy of "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" (Beware of "oh, the places you'll burn" when sitting on a bronze chair in the summer sun.)

The sculpture garden is free to the public, and free parking is located in an adjacent lot. The garden is ringed with the Springfield Library and a number of art, history and science museums; a nominal admission fee includes all four museums. Some picnic tables are located under a large tent near the parking lot.

The garden is relatively small, so I'm not sure I could recommend it as its own field trip. However, if you are driving through the Springfield area anyway (say, for a trip to Six Flags or, um, gulp, a 20th high school reunion), this makes a nice place for young kids to run off some energy.  It's a lovely way to bring beloved books to life and remember the gifted mind behind some of the most imaginative stories ever told. As you make your way out, make sure to look up and enjoy the tumbling tower of top hats that reach up to the sky.

Dr. Seuss would be proud.

Road Tripping

It's August, and my family is cramming one last road trip into our summer before school starts.  We usually visit my family in western Pennsylvania each summer, drive the 10 hours from Cape Cod in our trusty mini-van and stay for a week before retracing our route home.  It's a total drag, but as the children have grown, the trip has become slightly more bearable.  Not enjoyable, mind you - sitting in a car for that long is never enjoyable - but at least  there are fewer meltdowns and arguments. 

It used to be that a Road Trip would involve a lot of "He Said, She Said" sniping and angry outbursts, but it's definitely been less stressful this time around.  There has been far less crying than usual, and not a single emotional ultimatum, and everyone has just been calmer in general.  It's been almost peaceful... and the kids have been terrific, as well. 

Oh, did you think I was talking about the kids and their travel tantrums?  Oh, please.  Everyone knows to expect crying and whining from weary children, but what usually makes the road trip experience suck for me is when my husband and I aren't communicating well.  Different driving styles, different attitudes towards speeding, the number of car lengths one should follow behind other vehicles - all of these can be a source of conflict. 

The frequency one should stop for a break, the proper way to pick a toll lane, the amount of gas one should leave in the tank before one should start looking for a service station - these are all subjective issues, right?  A rational person should remember that in the grand scheme of things, none of these are life-threatening choices.  The problem with spending that much time on the road, however, is that the cranky sets in.  Parents get tired, kids get whiny, and that's when it can get ugly. 

With the kids being a little older this time, everybody held onto their good behavior much longer than in the past.  Still, it's a long drive.  It is probably inevitable that at some point, the arguments morph from how soon to take a bathroom break to the claim that one driver has quicker reflexes than the other and thus cannot help the imaginary braking she does whilst in the passenger seat.  And why does the other driver even care, since he is so wrapped up listening to his sports talk radio podcasts that he doesn't even realize he speeds up while shaking with laughing... well, you get the picture.

But we made it, despite the minor sniping and a terrible thunderstorm we could barely see to drive through.  My husband couldn't take the whole week off from work and is flying home on Wednesday, and I've been fielding comments about how hard it will be to drive home alone with the kids.  Honestly, though?   I'm kind of glad I'm making it alone, now that I have once again been reminded where the phrase "driving me crazy" comes from.

Back to School Tornado Season

It's that time again.  August.

The time when carefully constructed lists start to arrive in the mail.

Dear Parent,

Hope you're having a grrrrreat summer!  Your child will need the following supplies the first week of school. Or else.

• 311 glue sticks
• 45 pink erasers shaped like starfish
• 10 eco-friendly recycled notebooks made from bamboo or hemp
• 1 keg of fresh mountain spring water (preferably from New Zealand)
• 15 boxes of tissues
• And just one (1) industrial-sized package of name brand, non-toxic magic markers, colored pencils, pastels, crayons, faux charcoals, water color paints & brushes, and assorted mosaic tiles.

To me, these lists are like an advisory from the National Weather Service because the moment I enter a store to purchase school supplies, a tornado hits.

The winds pick up, electricity charges the air, and without notice, random packs of paper and thumb tacks and rulers leap off shelves and swirl before my eyes. For my own safety, I end up throwing everything within reach into my shopping cart: dry erase boards, quill pens, envelopes made of rice paper, bulk bags of butterscotch candies...

Even though my list gets misplaced during these tornadoes (of course!), I am hopeful that by filling my cart with every school and/or business supply ever produced for the retail marketplace, my children will have what they need.

Uh oh. It's time to batten down the hatches!  I think I'm beginning to feel the winds pick up right. about. now...

We've Got a Winner!

Congratulations to Auds of Barking Mad for willing our First Annual Secret Spaces prize pack.   By commenting on one of our posts, she was randomly chosen to receive the following fabulous prizes:

*  A 2008 Fun Pass which can save her over $1000 at 100 New England family attractions.

*  An HP Photo Book donated by our own New England Mama, Susan Getgood (thanks Susan!).

*  This beautiful bracelet made with sterling silver and glass.   Our own talented Velma created this with her own hands:

Many thanks to all who commented or contributed to our Secret Spaces posts.  We'll spend this year looking for more New England secrets to share.

A New England Transplant

I've always had a hard time answering the question "Where are you from?"  To clarify, I don't have any trouble when talking to other parents in my child's preschool class where the correct answer is my current hometown.  When I am on vacation, I am torn between being honest and admitting to being from "a galaxy far, far away," saying I am from where I grew up, Chicago, or describing where I now live in New England.  At what point do you become "from" the state that's different from where you grew up?  Is it when you've lived in that state for longer than you lived in your original home state? 

When I first moved to MA, I used to dress nicely while running errands because I knew no one and in some weird subconscious way I think I wanted to make a good impression.  You never know who's going to turn around in a grocery store and invite you to a family BBQ.  Alright, that might be a little creepy, and for the record it never happened.  After a while, particularly once I became a mom, I no longer cared if my hair needed to be brushed when I went to the grocery store.  I just went as I was.  Then I began to notice a surprising correlation between the amount of spit-up on my shirt and the likelihood that that I would encounter someone I knew.

Because I was meeting a friend today, I was actually dressed somewhat nicely when I went to drop my son off at camp.  It was the first day of the session.  I didn't think I knew anyone who was sending their kids to this camp.  I was therefore surprised to find that I knew half the parents from a number of different groups and activities.  So again, when I am officially from MA? 

One more space: Luce's Lookout

I know the official Secret Spaces has ended, but yesterday, it was actually sunny for most of the day so we hiked to Luce's Lookout.

Luce's Lookout is on the Appalachian Trail between Woodstock and Killington. You can hike up to it on the AT from Route 12 (about 6 miles or so) or you can take the back roads up to a local trailhead for a much shorter 1 mile hike (2 miles roundtrip.) We had Douglas and two of the scotties, so we opted for the shorter version :-)

There's a hut with a viewing platform on the roof. I took some pictures of the Green Mountains and Lakota Lake. The hut is open as a hiking shelter and we met four through-hikers who were planning to stay there for the night to avoid the threatening thunderstorm.  No facilities, but at least a roof over your head which can be very welcome in a rainy summer like this one.

The Green Mountains

Rain over Killington

And in the other direction, sun over Lakota Lake

Douglas

Tags: Luce's Lookout, Vermont