Mulberry Street

I went to an orthopaedist and he confirmed everything the urgent care doctor told me. Yes, I have a small fracture on the radius near the elbow. Yes, it will take two months to heal. No, I can't lift anything. The good things are: I didn't have to get a cast, I shouldn't need physical therapy (if I start moving my arm next week), and I can still run (if I can stand the pain). I'll go back for another x-ray in a couple of weeks to make sure the bone hasn't shifted. As of Wednesday the bone was in a good position to heal correctly. I'm glad I didn't have to get a hard cast except now my arm is exposed and I am tempted to use it. When I broke my arm I called my mother and asked her to come out and do all the heavy lifting. She willingly agreed and since her arrival, has been a life saver. Genevieve loves to play with her Grandma Kristy and I love that I don't have to change diapers. Thanks for all your sympathy. Joe I won't need Corbin's training...

now. (Me with sling, splint & specialized) Today I got a fracture (bone chip) on the tip of my radius, near my elbow. WebMD helps clarify: http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/broken-arm The cause for my in-convenient injury is slightly embarrassing. Eric and I loaded up Genevieve in the bike trailer and went for a twenty mile ride this morning. I felt good and did well keeping up with Eric for about the first nine miles. I complained the entire ninth mile until we reached the turnaround point. Yea, we're turning around, we'll have a short break (no pun intended), and I will have ridden my first twenty miler! However, I neglected to un -clip from my pedals when I turned sharply to go back the direction we came from. Bikers out there will understand that when your weight is on the pedal you need to get out of, it is impossible. As a newbie in bike shoes and clipless pedals, I took my inaugural fall with both feet clipped in. It looked a little like this: http://www.youtube.c...

Genevieve endured a photo shoot with me yesterday. I have posted some photos that display her varied personality. Enjoy her many looks... Thoughtful Adventurous Witty Happy (to take a stroll with her bear along) Playful Humorous

I was sitting in traffic the other day and guess what came on the radio? Sinead O Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U." What a good song. The rest of the day I belted out verses from the song while Eric said, "That's about right." In case you want to see and hear this fantastic song, its on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4maWqk0KqU I like the music I grew up with, as evident in my CD collection, and feel no need to update my tastes. That doesn't mean I don't listen to the radio but I still put on old U2, Enya, and musicals albums. Recently, Eric decided he would update my tastes for me and made me a mix CD. I have to admit its not that bad and even has some new Madonna. Here's my favorite new Madonna song, "Hung Up." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-lJGbp4pD4 So, what long lost song do you miss?

When I was growing up my brother read fantasy books and I thought they were nerdy, silly, and a waste of time. I don't know what author he read or what they were about, I just assumed they were all about dragons and distressed maidens. However, he read a ton of them and I didn't understand why, until now... I must confess that I have read three fantasy books and I am almost finished with a fourth, all by J.R.R. Tolkien. Eric and I read the first of the three Lord of the Rings books together and then finished the other two on our own (I am a much slower reader than he is). I really enjoyed all three books in the series and we own all three of the extended-version DVD's, complete with nerdy "how they made it" DVD's. Maybe my brother read so many fantasy books because there is simply nothing else like them. I think it is fun to lose myself in the forests while discovering new mythical creatures. Its kind of like Halloween when you dress up in something completely...

When I bent over to wash out my mouth after brushing my teeth, the sink smiled at me. It wasn ’t just a smile but a face with eyebrows and ears. I couldn ’t turn the water on and wash it away without capturing it. So, I showed Eric and took this picture for all to see.

Whenever we get a lot of rain, and we have had A LOT of rain lately, our tap water takes on a nasty flavor similar to dirt. How do I know it tastes like dirt? Because when I was a child I probably ate dirt and my mind cataloged the flavor so I would be able to describe the taste of dirt someday. Eric claims it isn't as bad as DC water which he claims tastes like fishbowl water. I would like to point out that I have never drunk water from a fishbowl so I wouldn't know. The local news informed me that because the sewer system in DC is so archaic, due to the heavy rain it is dumping raw sewage into three local waterways, including the Potomac River. Now you understand why no one swims in the Potomac. Drinking water that tastes like dirt is a hardship I can endure because I know it will only last a few days and if I really can't stand it, I can drink bottled water. I should be grateful that I have tap water in the first place. My heart goes out to the survivors in Myanma...

If the actions of spouses on Mother's Day (serving breakfast in bed, taking care of the baby, and cooking dinner) are traditional then call me traditional. I love being spoiled, feeling appreciated, and receiving hand-made cards. I hope you all had a spectacular day - Happy Mother's Day. My friend Alison sent along this forward on "Being a Mom" that you may have already seen in your inbox recently. It is totally cliche' but the fact is that children and parenthood is 100% cliche' so its time for me to get over it and embrace all those statements. Before I was a Mom - I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby. I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunizations. Before I was a Mom - I had never been puked on. Pooped on. Chewed on. Peed on. I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts. I slept all night. Before I was a Mom - I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests. Or give sho...

Wal -Mart, with it's low prices and infinite supply of plastic bins, continues to lure me in, but I'll tell you what, there is a price. I spent, no joke, 30 minutes with the cashier today. I should have been home by the time I got in line because Genevieve was tired and hungry. In order to place my items on the conveyor belt I had to put her back in the cart, screaming. Chewing on my wallet and credit cards helped calm her as the cashier began his work. A seemingly nice old man, he very carefully picked up, examined, then scanned each item before gingerly placing them in a bag. I was anxious for him to pick up the pace because I didn't have any snacks to keep Genevieve content. Much to my dismay his leisurely pace continued while I tried to be patient and keep Genevieve entertained. Twenty minutes later he placed the last item in the bag. However, I had a coupon (for formula). When I presented the coupon to him he picked it up cautiously. He passed the coupon between his ha...

Eric and I consider ourselves amateur photographers but maybe it’s just a hobby. In any case, over the years we have purchased zoom lens' and fancy filters to help us take better photos. The most recent addition to the camera bag was a 50mm f1.8 lens, ideal for portraits and landscape photos. For camera nerds this means the lens has a huge aperture and creamy bokeh . Well, to say the least, we love this lens! We only regret all the time we spent discussing if it would be a good purchase. We have to take more care on the focal points but it really makes a difference in the overall pizazz of the photo. Here are some of our new award-winning shots: azaleas in our backyard our most loyal subject

We try to have lunch with Eric once a month. Since the weather was spectacular we decided to picnic in Georgetown and Ashley and Makenzie joined us. Family photo Genevieve standing all by herself. Makenzie with one of her playful looks. Note the hands in this picture are Eric's. I remember him saying once, "I will never completely let go." Yet, here is Genevieve flying high. The girls love to give loves.

I haven't put anything in Genevieve's hair since she was less then six months old. Every time I put a headband on it left a welt in her soft head. Well, Genevieve's hair is getting longer so I thought we would try out some new things. Aud , how do you like it?

Recently Eric and I got together with friends from law school for a picnic at Great Falls. We met up on the MD side of the falls where the C&O canal runs along the Potomac River. Then we loaded Genevieve up in a backpack and walked across a series of catwalks to see the largest section of Great Falls. The weather was beautiful and we had a great time irrespective of allergies. The C&O canal Sarah, Matt, Eric & Genevieve Great Falls as seen from the MD side. The trees on the other side of the river is Virginia. Genevieve in her backpack. Kids have it so good sometimes, no one offered to carry me around all day... Alisha, Eric, & Genevieve

I went to the dentist to check out a painful tooth only to find that it wasn't a toothache at all. After describing my symptoms, an x-ray, and checking the current filling the dentist informed me that I had a sinus infection. Needless to say, I felt very silly that I wasn't sitting in a medical doctor's office but rather a dentist's office. Luckily he was able to prescribe me antibiotics so I don't have to make another appointment. At least I don't have to have a root canal. Whew!

The results are in and I think it is fair to say that Genevieve enjoys using four teeth over two. She can chew and bite her food much more effectively and she is happy with herself. As for walking, well, walking with help… In early April Genevieve started walking with the aid of our fingers. She gradually learned a little balance and realized she could push anything that wasn’t bolted to the floor (ie -laundry basket, chairs, her little table). Later on she discovered that some of her friends had walker-toys perfect for walking. I refused to buy her a walker of her own and she was forced to push things around the house. Since then we inherited a walker/car for her to use and her bravery has only increased. She can zoom around the room with the walker, stand for short periods of time on her own, and has begun to walk/lunge between close pieces of furniture. I have since relented and when Eric gets home, we practice walking back and forth. Bisous is less than excited.

The other morning I looked out the back window and saw four young foxes. By the time I got out the camera the mother had shown up, but, then only one of the pups was still out. Anyway, Bisous and I had fun watching them while Genevieve banged on the back door, begging to come out. Sometimes it surprises me how much wildlife I see living in NoVa, running through the streets. Eric and I often feel sorry for dead squirrels in the spring because they survived all winter just to get hit by a car on the first day of spring. We were in Northwest DC one night and saw two deer struggling to get out of a parking lot. They ran into traffic before they escaped our view. If my backyard was big enough I would invite them all to live with me!

The best way to describe Bisous’ relationship with Genevieve is ‘tolerance.’ He tolerated, barely, the way he took lap time away from him. He tolerated her presence on the floor. He tolerated her ability to crawl. He tolerates the way she chases him around the room. He tolerates her 24/7 because at the end of the day he finally gets 1:1 time. Bisous may be the only one in the house more excited for Genevieve’s bedtime than me. Once Genevieve is in bed and things have calmed down he patiently waits for me to find someplace to sit. Then, ever so elegantly, he sits down on or next to my lap, within petting distance. Here he sits happily until bedtime when he is forced to wait yet again for me to settle under the covers so he can curl up next to me and we can all go to sleep. The unfortunate thing for Bisous is that in the morning it starts all over again.

When I leave home to walk to school, Dad always says to me, "Marco, keep your eyelids up And see what you can see." But when I tell him where I've been And what I think I've seen, He looks at me and sternly says, "Your eyesight's much too keen. "Stop telling such outlandish tales. Stop turning minnows into whales." Now, what can I say When I get home today? -Dr. Seuss, 1937 Do we see things differently from what is intended? Do we embellish or crave more detail then actually exists? Do we see things for what they are? Or, do we see things for what they could be? Have you ever read this fantastic Dr. Seuss story? I highly recommend it to help you gain perspective in your daily life. I usually take my daughter for a walk every day. Walks allow my mind to wander as I observe hardworking squirrels, road-raging commuters, or joggers. Random thoughts pass through my head and I think maybe, maybe someone else wants to know what I am thinking. So, this Dr. ...