Holidays

The Holidays are A-Coming

Published on by Lisa

…and that means two things for me and Nick.

1) Massive Travel
2) Board Games

Nick and I were born competitive people so board games are a wonderful way to exercise healthy habits of winning and practicing coping mechanisms when we act like a disgraceful loser. One of my favorite things about spending time with Nick’s family is the passion of board games. Everyone gets into it and it’s every wo/man for her/himself. While my favorite is Tripoly, Cranium is definitely up there as well.

Here is a small glimpse into the hilarity of Cranium.

Background: Jay and Keith are one team. Jay is humming a tune that Keith must figure out. It’s not an All-Play, but we certainly take turns with our jabs and teasing. Listen closely to Jay and see if you can figure out what he’s humming before anyone else.

Let me make a prediction: you won’t.

Happy Halloween

Published on by Lisa

Candy corn rules.

Don’t even think about giving out Brach’s candy.

Give the Tootsie Rolls to the older ones with no costumes who don’t bother to say Trick or Treat.

Play the Halloween movie theme music in the background all day.

Forgo fake eyelashes. I always get an eye infection when I try them.

Celebrating the Irish/Filipino Parts of Us

Published on by Lisa

HAPPY ST. PATTY’S DAY!

Over the weekend, Nick and I had an even distribution of ethnic eating. To celebrate his part Irish, we went to a friend’s place for dinner to celebrate St. Patty’s day. It was the first time that I have ever eaten corned beef cooked with potatoes, carrots, and cabbage. Very tasty.

To celebrate my Filipino side, we went to a Filipino mass on Sunday that is celebrated in English, but a few songs are sung in Tagalog, the primary dialect of the Philippines. I’m not fluent, but the language is quite familiar to me, since my parents speak it to one another. Afterward, there was a reception with Filipino food, YUM.

We also saw the movie, No Country For Old Men. I think it should be called No Movie for Young Children. We both gave it two thumbs up, but the violence and blood is wayyyy too much for younger kids. So, if you can stand the drama, we give it a high recommendation. Just leave the kiddies at home.

Notes from Ohio

Published on by Lisa

We’re in Ohio for the holidays.

I’m nursing a small hangover and Nick is still in bed. I can hear his alarm going off on his cell phone, but he keeps hitting snooze. Poor kid, we were out late last night.

Let’s back up a bit to explain.

We arrived via Cheapbus (aka SKYbus) on Friday, December 21 and headed straight up to Massillon where we spent a few days with my family. We enjoyed great presents, tasty food, and late holiday shopping until Christmas morning when we headed off to Russia to say with Nick’s family for a few days. More great presents, more tasty food, and lots of family gatherings and sporting events greeted us in western Ohio. We arrived Christmas morning and stayed until yesterday, 12/28.

We headed to Cincinnati last night to see our friends who have expanded their families and friends we miss. It’s difficult being back in some ways. On one hand, it’s so wonderful to see everyone again and then it’s so hard to realize how much you are missing by being away.

Everywhere Nick and I go, the proverbial question, “How’s Boston?” comes up. It’s a natural question – we just transitioned and it’s a completely different way of living than the Midwest. But, we can’t really say how it’s going because it’s complicated. Here’s what we’re both thinking when this question comes up, but we’re both not going to say it because we’re too long-winded:

What Pains Us
Separation from family and friends
Easy living in OHIO
Open roads in OHIO
Decent prices in OHIO
Kinder folks in OHIO
Life going on without us

What Challenges Us
How to start a family without family here
Boston’s pace of life
Bo$ton is expensivo
Adjusting to a different schedule and making time for each other

What We Love About Beantown
Our location
Being young without children in a terrific city
Effortless inclusion in the most exciting events the city offers
Living in a 2 bedroom highrise apartment without rent
Ocean is close by
Culture
Diversity
Boston is the educational GEM of the world – no other city explodes with academia like this

While the last list has more items that the other two, it still doesn’t compare to the warm comfort of being with our loved ones. It’s been a wonderful visit home so far and Cincinnati hasn’t changed a bit. We’re reveling in the laughter of friends right now, but we’re also excited to continue making a home on the east coast, however hard that might be.

But, it’s getting easier.

So, last night we saw good friends and went to two gatherings. We were out till about 3am, didn’t get home till about 3:30am and then Nick woke up at 7:30am to take his brother Keith to the airport. OUCH. I was snoring face down on the couch when they left and was too disoriented to even lock the freaking door.

And so Nick is on his third snooze of the morning and I should go try to punch him in the arm to wake him up because we’re meeting friends for lunch downtown. He just wandered out and his eyes are so bloodshot, he looks like the devil. I laugh in his face. OUCH, that hurt my head. I hate hangovers.

2008 is going to be phenomenal.

Santa’s Little Helpers

Published on by Lisa

While we were home for Thanksgiving, Suzi, one of my sisters-in-law, asked me to take Christmas portraits of my niece and nephews. Always ready to practice my photography skills, I agreed.

This one says it all.

Out of over 300 photos, only a handful came out clear. It was pretty stressful because the kids were hungry, tired, and hot, but I think Nick had a harder time dealing with it as he stood behind me trying to help. Regardless, they came out GREAT, but this one made me laugh the most. My favorite style of photography is photojournalism – pictures that catch the moment, unposed. This one says everything about how the shoot went.

(left to right) Zach is 2, Jesse is 1, Morgan is 9.

SO CUTE!