Family Vacation #2 East Coast Style

It's been nearly a week since our return from our three-day trip to Portland, Maine and I'm only now getting to downloading and posting pictures. I've been in one of those "I'm so lazy I'm exhausted moods." The kind that I like to justify by saying my body and soul are resting in preparation for the coming school year.

I just spent about too long trying to download pictures to this post. For whatever reason, it isn't working. So, for now, you'll have to invoke your mind's eye. We spent three days in Portland, Maine, walking around old port and eating at restaurants. We visited the Children's Museum and bought tickets from a stranger to a sold-out Portland SeaDogs baseball game, of which we were able to watch all of about three innings. Other than that, we hung out in the hotel where Jack slept in one of the double beds while Ed & I slept in the other. We haven't slept in a double bed since our first year of marriage. The first night we fell asleep facing one another, but when I woke up in the middle of the night, I noticed that there was a gaping space between us, our butts hanging off of each of our sides of the bed - apparently, we were both subconsciously worried about crowding the other person. It sounds like we are courteous, but it's more likely that we are hyper aware of Jack's AMAZING ability to crowd a bed,--yes even a double bed--and didn't want to mimic the same behavior. Each night I lay down next to Jack (he went to bed early; we went to bed late at 9:30/10:00) until he fell asleep. The kid moves around (violently) for about an hour before settling in. Somehow, I manage to fall asleep in the midst of his pre-sleep wrestling routine, only to wake up on the edge of the bed with Jack's feet kicking my stomach (as he's completely perpendicular to me).

Anyway, Ed & I both realized that vacationing with child is like life with child. Ninety percent of the time, it's all about the kid and that's just how it is. Lovely, unpredictable, fun, and always just a little bit exhausting.

Where Did Summer Go?

I can't believe it's less than 3 weeks to the start of another school year. This summer has flown by at a speed, I'm afraid, that's slightly quicker than last summer, moderately quicker than recent summer's past, and infinately faster than the days when summer seemed to stretch ahead forever.

It's felt quick.

The unhealthy hot weather of late July/early August has given way to something more comfortable for late summer - sunny and low 80s. Nice. Laura and I came out of a movie theater last night (Little Miss Sunshine - 2 thumbs up) and into this awesome crisp night air, aaaaahhhhh.....

The Division I soccer season started last week. I'm back as the "sports psych guy" for the men's soccer team. My job this year is made a little easier by the fact that half the team knows who I am and what I'm about. Sport psychologist Ken Ravizza likes to tell the story of a baseball coach who once introduced him to the team with "...and if you're fucked up, go see Ken..." I can imagine I would've just stood there, slackjawed, had I been Ken. I've always liked his comeback, "the line forms behind Coach!" Luckily I don't have to think of quick comebacks. BU's coach is very supportive (coaches can sink or swim your work with a team, by the way.) I showed up to practice this morning, asked the Coach, "hey, can I take 5-10 minutes at the start of practice, talk to the guys about having a purpose for coming out to practice?" Coach said, "sure", and I was on.

It is easier this time 'round. The returning coaches trust me (the new coaches don't really know what to make of me). The veterans on the team can let the new guys know that I'm not going to psychoanalyze anyone - or as Jarryd (a senior) told me today [in thick Jersey accent] "hey Ed, I let the new kids know....you're alright."

Word of mouth in sport psychology is gold I tell ya, like gold!

Laura, Jack, and I are leaving for Portland, Maine tomorrow afternoon - our get-away-before-the-school-year-starts-and-things-get-crazy vacation. Everyone we've talked to has had good stuff to say about the town. One of the other TA's said it's the one town in the Northeast that reminds him of the most of the Northwest. So we're looking to do some fun family stuff, find some nice restaurants, and relax as much as possible. Jack's looking forward to it too. We told him today that tomorrow we'd be "going on a trip". He couldn't wait - all evening, "I wanna go on a trip..." "Dada go on trip?" "Momma go on trip?" "Blank (blankie) go on trip?" This was just the start of the questions - "Bus go on trip?" "trains go trip?" "soc ball go on trip?" We might be taking Jack's entire room with us...

We'll have pictures for you when we get back.

Boston To-Do List

1. Find a second, reliable car that doesn't break the bank.

DONE.


2. Find a full-time teaching job at a local community college that meets my salary requirements.

DONE.


3. Breath out just a bit.

Ahhh ... hhh....

Personally, I think Jack pulls the look off better...

Other than the blankie in the mouth, of course.