Sparkle Day

The adventure started on Friday, a sick day for Owen, who had thrown up the day before. Feeling fine in the afternoon, Owen and I set out with our shovels to clear away the inch of snow that had fallen. After doing our driveway we crossed the street to do two more driveways -- those of an older gentleman and of a young family, like ours, whose dad was off on a business trip this week. Done with those, we saw Tony, one house further, out beginning to clear his walk.

We were off!

Done shoveling, Tony brought out his big inner tube sled. We got Owen up in it and I pulled him around Tony's front yard. "We're thinking about going sledding tomorrow," said Tony. "You should come."

So we did. We followed Tony and his wife and their granddaughter, Lexi, over to the park in the late morning and were joined by Tony's brother and their kids. 29 degrees outside on a south-facing hill, the snow wasn't going to last long. But it was a fast ride and lots of fun while it lasted.

Below are two videos, including Owen's first sled ride ever (top) with me as his co-pilot, as well as a later trip made by the two of us.





Thanks for the excellent pushes, Tony!

Owen made probably ten solo trips in-between, bravely going down the hill then helping to pull the sled back up.



Not on video, but documented in this photo, is the undoubtedly ill-conceived, but entirely fun, trip he made with his mom. I wonder what it felt like for Strawberry on the inside ...

Speaking of, we met with the doula yesterday to discuss comfort measures during the delivery. I should say Amy met with the doula as I was laid out after catching the flu Owen had at the end of the week. Although I was feeling a little dizzy in the morning, I felt fine enough to take him swimming in the morning. But I knew where I was headed on our drive home. Owen went to the kitchen to grab his lunch and I went upstairs to lose mine ...

I'm feeling good this morning, though. I didn't get to see much of last night's Oscars, which is fine. But I was thrilled to see this morning that a film I helped with (in a very small way), Taxi to the Dark Side, won for best documentary. When I was at Dartmouth, the filmmaker, Alex Gibney, contacted me to come and film a panel discussion for which I was handling the media relations. The panel, featured John Yoo (author of Bush's "Torture Memo") and human rights lawyer Scott Horton. I helped them coordinate an interview with Yoo and got them set up in a terrific, very collegial room in the Dartmouth Library (which they trashed) for their one-on-one.

Hmmm, I wonder if it's too late to go to the Governor's Ball?

What a day!

First of all, I can't believe more than two weeks have past since I last wrote. That said, Happy Valentine's Day!

We send our love.

Today has been quite a day! It started off for me going off to work at 6:15 am for two morning interviews with comedian Hal Sparks, who is performing at the BCPA tonight.

In the middle of his second gig, a long co-hosting opportunity on the radio program to which I frequently guest, my phone rang. It was Amy. In the background is Owen screaming bloody murder. She told me he'd gotten his finger stuck in (ironically) the safety gate at the top of the stairs.

What had happened is that we had to order some replacement parts for the gate because the bottom hinge of the gate broke (wait for it ...) under Owen's weight as he was standing on the gate.

So anyway, the new hardware was sitting on the floor and he stuck his thumb into a screw hole. The thumb swelled, it wouldn't come off ... so Amy called me, 911, then packed Owen up to go to the ER.

(Fortunately he wasn't wearing this outfit.)

I met them there. Honestly, I know it was a traumatic experience for Amy and Owen, but when I met them there I couldn't help but laugh. There was Owen sitting in the back seat, banana in one hand, plastic thumb screw on the other, and without a care in the world going on and on about the ambulance backing into the loading dock.

The doctors removed the piece quickly, and there to cheer the process on were a group of the paramedics from the fire station we visit nightly during the summer. Owen seemed to feel very popular, although slightly embarrassed.

Soon we were off, me back to the radio station to rescue my artists, and Amy and Owen home ... where things got more interesting. Long story short, some gluten was ingested and I'm home this afternoon while Owen sleeps off his upset stomach.

So anyway, we're all fine. And I don't think it's going to take long for us to laugh about everything.

All is well otherwise. The pregnancy enters week 35 this weekend, which is crazy. But we're excited. We've been meeting with our doula and are feeling slightly overwhelmed, but excited nonetheless.

We've been well otherwise. Spending time with Owen, making crafts with his Play-Dough, playing with cars, and making more trips to the trampoline at the Pro Putt.

Now if it would only stop snowing!

Definitely ready for the baby ...

You just can't coach this.


Looking into some reusable baby diapers, samples piled up on the floor, Owen took an immediate interest in diapering one of his stuffed animals. Good practice, we thought, for all of the diapering on the way.


It was when he decided to carry the baby like Mommy is carrying her's that things got fun.