September 11

10 years ago:

I was at work at Red Lobster getting the dining room ready for lunch. I was vacuuming booths, making lemonade and iced tea, and making sure that the servers (which included me) would be set up for success. I was listening to my walkman radio (remember those? Pre-Ipods?).

The news broke in with reports of the towers being hit. I didn't get it at first, but I went and talked to my manager. We didn't have a tv at work, so I went back to cleaning and listening to the radio talk about what was happening. When I realized it was airplanes, I called my mom. My dad was scheduled to fly home from out east, and I wasn't sure where. He was fine, just stuck. When the other manager came in, she filled us in on more details. We opened at 11, but it was obvious that lunch would be slow, so I headed volunteered to go home.

My husband of 5 months wasn't home, so I went to my moms. She had the tv on, and for the first time I was able to see what had happened. When Nick was finished work, he came over. By this time we were a little tired of the same things being said over and over and over. It didn't feel like anything new was being discovered at that point. So Nick and I took my 3 year old brother over to the park. It was refreshing, and rejuvenating. After all, he had no concept of what had happened.


When I made this page, back in winter 2001 I wrote: The Day that changed a Nation. How little did I know.
Pre-9/11/01: I could meet my dad at the gate when he was returning.
Post-9/11/01: I had a hard time meeting him anywhere near the airport.
Pre-9/11/01: Canada was a birth certificate away.
Post-9/11/01: Canada was a passport and 8-10 week waiting period away.
Pre-9/11/01: I wasn't concerned about what I packed.
Post-9/11/01: I check my liquids, and prepare for a fight over formula going through the x-ray.

These are just 3 ways I can think of my life changing. Everyone has their own opinions, and mine is that a 3 ounce liquid restrictions isn't keeping the terrorists away.


So, for today, I'm going to try to remember that feeling I had spending time with my brother and husband at the park. My dad will be on a plane again, but only to Arizona. Hopefully, my husband and I will be at the park again, but with our son. And Canada? Well, it's now a passport (for me and Nick), and a birth certificate (for Matthew) away.

Aquarium

Until I take the time to reinstall, and relearn how to use my Photoshop Elements, you'll have to suffer through many pictures.

We headed to the Aquarium on Wednesday, September 7. We scored our library pass which meant cheap tickets.
Upon our arrival, Matthew discover the tank outside with seals. Which lead us to consider the question of why exactly we bought tickets?

Once inside, Matthew found more fascinating sites. First was the penguins.

Then the Shark and Ray touch tank. Matthew was a little short, so his Daddy helped him reach. He liked the idea of splashing the water. He liked that the Rays swam close by. He wasn't so sure about the actual touching though.

He liked the middle tank that is 3 floors tall as long as the fish as big as him went by. If it was the smaller ones, he wanted nothing to do with them.

He found the second touching area, but he was content to just watch everyone else touch. I liked the animals that camouflage really well. That's a sea horse, not a plant.

We finished the day with lunch at Faneuil Hall, and then headed home in the rain.

Travelling to the Aquarium

The day started off foggy and gloomy. We parked at a hotel in Boston and took a boat. Matthew had to stop for a snack along the boardwalk to the boat pickup. We always manage to "Stop and smell the roses" now that Mr. Independent likes to walk.

What a bargain! $1.70/adult each way. And Matthew enjoyed the water. Both watching it with Daddy, and looking out the windows inside the boat. We were the only passengers on our boat, so Matthew had a great view.


The Leash: Everyone has an opinion on leashing a child. Mine is: if we are going somewhere super busy and full of strangers, and I want him to be safe, I have two options. One is a stroller, one is a leash. (Yes, I can have him hold my hand, and typically he does while we have the backup of the leash. But hands get sweaty and slippery, and once I lost my brother at Disneyland because of that). Since we were headed to the aquarium and I wanted him to be able to explore, and not have to push an empty stroller after him, We decided to go with his monkey friend. And I'm glad we did!

Animal Crackers in my Kitchen

Awhile ago I got the bright idea that I wanted to make animal cookies. After all, I didn't care for the store price. So, I went off to eBay to find some cutters, and off to google to find a recipe.

 And then I forgot all about it. The cutters arrived, and I set them aside for another day. That day finally came tonight.

"Wouldn't it be great to have animal cookies at the Aquarium tomorrow?" Nick asked. "Can we make some?"

Apparently, Yes, we can!

Friends

When you are little, it's super quick to make friends. While we were in Canada, a friend came to visit with her son. Matthew and Darius are only a few weeks apart, so they had no problems becoming buddies.


The window was the most entertaining to them. Especially since Matthew taught Darius how to holler outside at anyone passing by. Which cracked up the outside people. Which cracked up the toddlers. Who then continued their new game for about 20 minutes.