We have had a string of the coolest people live in the house next door. When we came to Providence a couple of years ago, Dunedin had her first crush on Max the 4 year old and his dog Sultan. (BTW: coolest name for a long haired German Shepard.) The mom is an awesome hobbyist photographer who I think could go pro. We were sad when they first moved a couple towns South and then, just recently, way way west to start a pediatric dentistry.
Then we had a great young pregnant couple move in to the apartment, find a house a few towns over and promptly move out again.
But we lucked out a third time with these guys. They greet us from their windows when we get home and my kids are always angling to see if they are back from school yet and trying to get out of eating dinner to go see them.
So thanks for moving in and making many school nights way more fun, A and R.
The Mom ain’t so bad either. Now that we are the ones moving, Dunedin asked if they could move with us to our new house. Luckily they aren’t so far away.
Archive for the ‘Life’ Category
Our Favorite “new” Neighbors
You saved my son’s life-Can I take your picture?
You may think that I am being a little bit dramatic here but actually the opposite is true.
Let me explain.
A little more than 2 years ago I was Laboring away on that arduous task of Delivery that all of us are a result of in one way or another. Although easier than my first delivery, little Griffin still managed to enter the world with a bit of excitement and theatricality. He continues to enter and exit a room the same way. Sigh. I am getting off subject…
Back to that day in March 2008.
My sweet Griffin came out blue and with his cord wrapped around his neck. The team in the hospital was great. From my point of view, there was a flurry of activity- but all I really remember is that there was no cry and he hadn’t been handed right to me as D had been when she was born. Instead, he was lying on a table with a bunch of people searching for and passing items back and forth. A NICU team had been called down. And there was still no cry. I have no idea how long it was. It could have been mere seconds or perhaps minutes. It felt like forever. My husband started to made a move toward the table because it wasn’t going fast enough. He was going to jump in. It was then I felt a real pang of fear. I was taking my cues from him and seeing him worried was what made the moment most scary. But… At the head of that table holding my little blue son was someone who authoritatively put their hand up and signaled my husband to back down. She took control of the situation, calmly intubating little Griffin and getting the team to work together efficiently.
Soon after came the little cry.
Then the bigger cry.
Then my cry.
If memory serves there was a bit of crying from Griffin those first few months. You would never know it now looking at him now but he didn’t allow us a full night’s sleep for almost 2 years. Likely just to make up for not crying during those first moments of life.
In the first few months, along with some other family medical dramas, a move to a different state and managing 2 little ones, the memory of those first few minutes of Griffin’s arrival sort of faded from my consciousness.
Flash forward to a day in July 2010.
I am photographing a lovely family with a 9 month old that I knew from the days of fraternizing with the UMass Medical people. And as I am driving home from my session, I realize this is the woman that saved my sons life by taking quiet calm control of a situation and doing her job with efficiency and grace. It is hard to explain how I separated my memory of K from that NICU fellow in the room… but I think I can blame the epidural and lack of sleep during the next 2 years.
Anyhow. K, I thank you for what you did that day and what you do every day. I am sure countless families count you among their blessings. And so would my son, if I could only get him off the garage…*
*just kidding… he is only just in the plotting stages of actually getting up there- he hasn’t quite figured it out yet. Good thing we have an ER doc in the neighborhood, just in case.
Thinking of Opa and Dziadziu| Grandparent portraits
We are in the process of moving. Moving means there are a lot of things to be done and boxes to be packed. Where does this leave me?
Looking through old photos of course. And by old photos, I mean the kind that are printed on paper and sit in boxes and albums from generations ago. I came across a couple of me when I was younger taken by my American-Polish Grandfather (Dziadziu) who was quite the talent behind the camera. I will have to post them at some point. But better to wait until a time when my poor husband wont have a heart attack when he finds me scanning photos instead of, well, packing.
Any how. So I was strolling down that lane of memories while sorting through some present work (the kind that lives on my computers) and came across these photos.
Wouldn’t everyone want a photo like this with their grandparent? I know I don’t have one of me with mine. I have to remember to get my camera out the next time I see my parents with the kids and when we travel to visit my parents in law in the end of the summer. Anyhow, thought I would share.
Crying Tiger Hidden Griffin | Providence wildlife photography
I picked my kids up from a benefit for Brown Street Park in Providence. Griffin had had his face painted like a tiger and they had both received balloons. When we got home I ran inside to get my camera to catch the animal he had transformed into and left them with our neighbor. But when I made it back out, camera in hand, I found poor Griffin and sister in a state of pure dismay. His balloon had slipped off of his wrist (Mommy failed at the simple balloon preservation knot)
Is it terrible is it that I still took this picture? He was so heart broken as we watched it, a little speck, traveling up into the clouds.
Luckily he is 2 and his innate Happy isn’t that far from the surface of whatever Tragedy he has just endured.
And it wasn’t too long until his inner tiger came out again.
And he was on the hunt for a new adventure in no time.
I hope that he is able to endure all that life throws at him with the same flexibility he managed to muster with this loss. He still talks about that balloon and asks if we will find it someday.
My little tiger-griffin.
WEEEEEEEEEE | World War 1 Memorial Park North Attleboro.
Perhaps you look at the photograph below and think (like I do on most days), “Wow! what a cute 2 year old!”
Then perhaps you come to a slide that looks like this and think, “What self respecting parent would send their kid down that thing? I get vertigo looking up at it.”
Now. Let me introduce you to my son Griffin. He was up this before I could set my camera to manual… And that is fast.
Speaking of monsters, my daughter has been known to tame a few wild beasts of her own.
But if you really run into trouble, they will both come on the double.
If you are in the neighborhood, I highly recommend World War 1 Memorial Park and Zoo in North Attleboro, MA
Parks, slides, GIANT sandbox and a petting zoo. Who could ask for more? My kids can’t.