He told me he would be happy if it rained our whole vacation

Summer is kicking my ass.

We planned all these short vacations, partly because we had to and partly because of the animals. But the reality of it has been that I have spent the entire summer either packing or unpacking or (and this has taken up most of my time), lying comatose in denial of the packing/ unpacking that needs to be done.

Plus, my kid is home. And god love him, but clearly school is better for him than hanging out with me.

So I'm off again, and when I emerge from my coma return I'll have something to say. Hopefully.

Maybe I'll even have pictures.

Oh, and did you have any idea that Silly putty from the supermarket could entertain a child for two hours?!

Neither did I.

I will not be buying a new home with my winnings

We are back from Las Vegas. And I have to say that my personal experience of Vegas in the middle of summer, was not bad at all. (Before we left, my mother was kind enough to inform me that she knew someone who had just been to Vegas and it was HORRIBLE) To my mother's chagrin, we had a great vacation. We didn't even get sunburned. And the heat... well, it was .... dry.

Especially when you compare it to the miserable swampy stickiness of New Jersey, where I do not have a wave pool, or a lazy river in the back yard. I love that lazy river... so lazy, so wet, so...fluid.
AND sadly there is no-one here in NJ whose goal in life is to supply me with a never-ending supply of chocolate croissants.

I learned a few things while on my desert vacation:

I have no future in gambling. I should probably stop playing the lottery too.

I really miss my Adagio Currant tea when I'm away.

My kid still has big time sensory integration issues. (Hoo boy! Does he ever! And I now realize that he copes amazingly well at home) I really need to let him know when he has a good day. Like, praise him or something.

I am a better person when I am around my husband's family. We were only able to spend a short time together, but in leaving them I felt (feel) a profound sadness. Perhaps its because I only see them occasionally, but if I were to be honest with myself, I think the sadness comes from witnessing what a happy family looks like. My husband came up to me the other night and said, "You're crying again?!" I could only sniff in response.

It is shocking to me when I see how they interact with my son. You know, without any hint of hostility, or reproach. With a respect for him as a human being, not just a pain in the ass kid.

Maybe, someday, I'll be able to be half as peaceful as my husband's family. Maybe, someday, I will be able to approach life and my own family in such a positive way.

Maybe.

Someday.

Body surfing!!!

We're here in Las Vegas.

I'm not a gambler, so all the flashing lights in the casino have little draw for me.

But still, "when in Rome...", or more appropriately, when in Caesar's Palace...

So last night I blew $20 on quarter slots.

It took less than 5 minutes.

I did win early on, but I didn't know enough to cash out right then. Good thing I don't play poker I guess.

We've been struggling while we're here to find a happy balance for our family. We're having a nice time, and the hotel is really lovely, but whenever we leave the room we have to go through a sensory nightmare.

Outside it is blisteringly hot, inside it is goosebumps cold. The lighting in and around the casino is perpetual twilight, and everywhere, everywhere there are music, lights and people.

When I write it down, I realize that it's no wonder Daniel is focusing on the crazy patterns on the floor and spinning in circles at random moments as we walk from one place to another. When I really think about who my kid is, I'm surprised that he has managed as well as he has.

The highlight of this trip for him is the fantastic pool complex at the hotel. The lazy river and wave pool especially. We go every morning, before it gets crazy.

Yesterday, we were in the wave pool and he was like a little monkey on speed in his  overwhelming glee. The pressure of the waves on his body gives him a joy that appeared to be un-contain-able. So after each wave he would jump onto to me and yell over and over "I love you mother", which creeped me out and so I would peel him off me over and over again.

Until....

It finally dawned on me in my small primate brain, that perhaps, just perhaps, this was another "sensory thing". So I asked him, "are you climbing on me just because, or do you need to feel pressure? Because if you need the pressure, just ask us and we will hold you tight."

He stood there looking at me for a few seconds, and then pronounced with a wide smile, "Pressure!"

So my husband and I took turns holding him after every wave. I know we looked strange out there, but after his time in the pool, he managed through a packed and crazy day, even when he was hungry... which is unheard of in our family.

So excuse me, but I need to get my bathing suit on....

Slide show #8

With liberty and standpipes for all....

Regular posts resume tomorrow.

Slide show #7

For those of you who do not know Brooklyn, Green-Wood Cemetery is easily one of the most beautiful green spaces in all of NYC.

What's even more remarkable is that it's one of the few places you can go in the city and not be surrounded by hundreds of people, (at least not live ones).

Slide show #6

I've always enjoyed taking photos of parts of things.

In this case, bicycle parts.

Slide show #5

Update: Of course anyone who knows roller coasters can tell that this is not The Cyclone, but rather The Jumbo Jet.

Obviously I am not one of those people who knows roller coasters though. Oh well.

This is a view of the famous Coney Island roller coaster The Cyclone Jumbo Jet.

The object in the distance is a glorified elevator that is round and costs $2 to ride up in. When you are at the top you have a spectacular view of all the kitsch that is Coney Island.

Slide show #4

Back when I lived in Brooklyn, there would be locks like this one everywhere, keeping people out.

Sometimes they worked...

sometimes they didn't.

Slide show #3

Merry Christmas to everyone! May this holiday find you safe and happy in the company of those you love.

Slide show #2

Like I always say, if you have a macro lens, why not make the
pinecone look really big?