Blog a la Cart

Month 36

Dearest Courtland Whaley,

The day has finally come. Today you are three. THREE! In August. August TENTH!

I fear what tomorrow brings now that this day of all days, the day that has been the center of your world and ardent fixation for nearly a full month, has arrived. Your daddy and I have simply delighted in your eagerness for today’s celebration. The way you have grown into a kid, a little girl who understands the joy and anticipation and wonder of her birthday. You’ve been practicing singing Happy Birthday, to yourself, on repeat. Anytime we open the refrigerator, you ask if we are about to make a cake for your party. You have made requests for blueberries and raspberries and strawberries to be consumed at said party (because your diet is 99% fruit, and I swear that one day you’ll pull a Violet Beauregard and turn into a berry). Earlier this week at the grocery store, as you wheeled the pint-size grocery cart through the aisles threatening to take out any shelf or human in your path (you are quite the reckless, distracted driver, my friend. We’ll have to work on that concentration, but we can go ahead and blame preschool attention spans for the time being), you pulled a full load of peaches into your cart and had eaten through two before we were done with our shop. And yes, you were dripping in peach juice and I could not tell you where those pits made their final resting place, but you could not have been happier.

You are still as volatile and passionate and emotive as ever. This characteristic has only enhanced through the years, and while it can be exhausting and overwhelming and straight up infuriating, it can also be the most inspiring, endearing, heartwarming thing about you. You are a bundle of juxtapositions. Always have been and I predict always will. You are fearless one minute, defiantly racing away from your parents, or venturing into the pool without a steady hand to hold, or climbing to the top of the swing set, and then, on a dime, you’ll scream out for your parents, especially if a bug (of any kind) is in sight. Mama, I need you! MAMAAAA! Your voice shifts from bold declarations to faltering stammers. You need our reassurance and presence and physical embrace to calm those sudden fears.

We still don’t have you figured out. We can’t always predict what will or won’t throw you, but we have learned how to better manage those moments when you are derailed. We are learning what brings you peace. Thank you for your patience as we try to understand the mystery and complexity that is our Courtland – I hope that you will always keep the world on its toes – life would be so very boring if it could be neatly packaged and contained. There’s no containing you.

You are a deeply affectionate child, and hug and kiss and love with your whole self. Like everything about you, you are all in. 110%. I feel the intensity and honesty of your hugs and hope that you will continue to attack the world with fierce passion and a genuineness that is unflappable.

You teach me everyday how to love more fully. To take the world by storm, and to never fear speaking my mind or expressing my truest self.

I admire you, my love. And I love you even more.

Happiest Third Birthday to you.

143 Mama

Stockholm // Day 3

Our third day we adventured out into the Archipelago! I really had very little awareness of just how far west we were from the Baltic Sea. We would have had to spend hours on a boat to really get out closer to the ocean, but since we had limited time, we opted for a quick 25 minute ferry ride to Fjäderholmarna, an island so charming it might as well have been puking woodland gnomes dressed in jaunty sea hats.

^^Check that construction equipment painted to look like a giraffe. Very clever.^^

^^It was a perfect day for island hopping, and the ferry ride was such a neat way to see some of the surrounding islands and landscape.^^

^^Fjäderholmarna was itty bitty, so we easily circumvented the whole island, enjoying all the Swedes sunbathing on the rocks with their families and the quaint craft shops of ceramic, fiber and glass artisans.^^

^^We stopped to admire the timber boats and a small boat museum. Also, the fish heads.^^

^^We dined on the patio of Fjäderholmarna Krog, a lovely restaurant where more mushrooms and fresh seafood were consumed in abundance.^^

^^We couldn’t leave before a dip in the waters of the Archipelago. Granted. it was frigid. But we grew up on the South Shore of Boston where my mother described swimming in the ocean as akin to a bottle of champagne chilling on ice. Yep. That sounds about right for this experience. In fact, one Swedish gentleman watched the two of us wincing and squealing and gasping and declared that we were like Swedish vikings. I would hope that the vikings were more stoic than the two of us, but we’ll take it as a testament to our bravery in the face of icy water. (Ha!)^^

^^I was amazed by the freshness of the water. I thought it’d be far saltier, but as I mentioned, I also underestimated how far we were from the actual sea. The water is described as brackish, but I hardly tasted any salt.^^

^^We then boarded a late afternoon ferry back to Stockholm, where we packed for our trip west. We dined outside at Ramblas, a tapas restaurant around the corner from Maja’s apartment, in the glow of the 9pm Swedish sun. The next day we rose early to board a train to Dalsland.^^

Stockholm // Day 2

We began our first full day in Stockholm with a trip to a local bakery for Kanelbulle (i.e. Swedish Cinnamon Buns). We readied ourselves for the day thanks to the jolt of caffeine and sugar. Kimmy opted for kardemummabulle (cardamom buns) which proved to be a very wise choice. We found that cardamom was often an ingredient in the treats we sampled while in Sweden. While I typically think of it as a spice reserved for Indian food, I loved its use in our various Swedish sweets.

We leisurely made our way to the Gamla Stan (or Old Town), shopping along the way. (I invested in this pair of Arche sandals and swear that I will never own another shoe brand. I trekked everywhere in these for the next week, and was so very comfortable. I LOVE them. Hard.)

^^Upon arrival in Gamla Stan/Slussen area, we hopped aboard a local ferry headed for Djurgården island. I had never been to this island in Stockholm and was so eager to explore its many museums and gardens and entertainments.^^

^^If the kids had been with us, we definitely would have visited Gröna Lund (a seasonal amusement park) on the island. ^^

^^Our first stop was Rosendals Trädgård, a farm slash bakery slash green house slash mystical fairy wonderland.^^

^^How Momar would have loved every inch of this place. Flowers a plenty!^^

^^We enjoyed lunch thanks to the bakery.^^

^^And admired all of the various offerings of the boutique and green house.^^

^^We happily strolled the grounds and gardens before venturing out to explore more of the island.^^

^^On our walk we found many more beautiful boats and many more Swedish flags.^^

^^We then went to the Vasamuseet to see the only preserved 17th century ship in the world. It was very very VERY cool. If you find yourself in Stockholm, do take the time to visit and go on the guided tour to learn more about the ship and her story.^^

^^We returned to Södermalm where we took in a majestic view of the city from Restaurang Gondolen. I highly recommend that you grab a drink and take in the scene if you find yourself visiting.^^

^^We ended the day with an extravagant meal on the terrace of  Moosebacketerrassen, overlooking the water. Ironically, a concert by DJ Diplo was happening on the terrace adjacent to the restaurant, so we had some epic people watching. I’ve never consumed so much caviar, chanterelles, fresh fish, and frilly drinks in my life. That meal really set the tone for the rest of the week.^^

Stockholm // Day 1

I’ve finally processed all the images from our glorious trip to Sweden. I’ll start by unpacking our time in Stockholm, and then move to our adventures in Dalsland, the Swedish countryside, complete with consumption of beaver and moose. Oh yes, we committed to the spirit of the countryside. I realize that these posts may only be of interest to my fellow-traveling buddy and our parents, but I don’t want to forget one bit of this amazing experience.

Kimmy and I took a red-eye flight from Boston, via Amsterdam, to Stockholm. For travel related information Visit here. Travel was smooth, but sleep was limited. Kimmy, in fact, rocked some serious red eyes in the wake of our travels, giving literal meaning to our journey.

After collecting the key to Maja’s apartment from her sister (who lives with her family nearby on Södermalm island), Kimmy and I freshened up and ventured out to explore the Hornstall Strand area of Södermalm. It was lucky that I had visited just over a year prior as I had a good sense of where we were and how to navigate the island. I knew Kimmy would enjoy this water front area, complete with the allotment gardens or Tantolundens and timber (or wood) boats.

^^The allotment gardens are too precious for words.  Tantolundens are essentially hundreds of small wooden sheds with people’s personal flower and vegetable gardens. It’s such a charming, magical part of the city – such a juxtaposition of a bustling metropolis with quaint, natural sensibilities. I love what that says about the community’s priorities and investments – the culture of the people of Stockholm who are clearly invested in preserving and offering opportunity for engagement with the natural world even within an urban environment.^^

^^We grabbed a bite on the patio of this outdoor restaurant right along the walking path of the waterfront.^^

^^The water is clean enough, even in this large city, for public swimming right along the water front. There were small beaches and public docks where children and families enjoyed themselves and this aquatic wonderland.^^

^^So many beautiful boats right along the water (Kimmy was in heaven). We enjoyed the adorable food trucks and opportunities to lounge and take in the scene.^^

After thoroughly enjoying our stroll and site-seeing escapade, we met up with Lars for a quick dinner around the corner from his apartment (Maja was already out west, prepping for the wedding). Pane-Vino is a delicious Italian restaurant with an adorable outdoor patio set up during the summer months. It’s located just outside the Zinkensdamm T-bana stop.

Given the jet-lag and the red-eye flight, after dinner we turned in early to Maja and Lars’ gorgeous Stockholm apartment, and caught up on some much needed sleep so that we would be properly rested for the next day’s adventures.

Vermont Summer

Last week I was in a funk. We’ll call it post-vacation high slash parent/child-separation anxiety. The combination of adjusting back to a full week of work in the wake of an amazing trip abroad coupled with Sunny’s absence gave me the grumps.

Bleh. Meh. Guh.

In addition to my own adjustment back home, our household has been under much transition as James has returned to full time work after four years of part time employment. With Sunny headed off to Kindergarten and Courtland headed to her first year of real preschool, we both felt ready to be working full time, and James’ part-time employer was eager to have him 40 hours a week. But to throw a wrench in things further, he was just hired for a new, more compelling position that will challenge and stretch him professionally, intellectually, and personally. I am so proud of him and so very excited for him, but it is not without it’s growing pains. We need to adjust to this new normal of two full-time working parents with more intense work responsibilities. James is no longer the default grocery shopper, lawn mower, food preparer, clothes launderer, kid wrangler.

Needless to say, last week I was moody and unmotivated. I came home from work and ate nachos (I justified this behavior with the fresh cilantro, tomatoes, corn and jalapeños I sourced from our backyard) and wallowed in self-pity and marathon Netflix series. I didn’t want to edit photos. I didn’t want to weed the garden. I didn’t want to go for my daily walk. I just wanted to curl up under the covers and feel sorry for myself and bemoan my Fitbit’s pitiful step count (which of course was my own doing).

I was a delight!

Fortunately, James’ patience, Kaki’s sweetness, Sunny’s return, and Vermont’s summer have restored my energy and outlook. We spent the weekend with dear friends and engaged in many a Vermont adventure that breathed life and motivation back in to my routine.

How I love our Green Mountain State.

^^S’more roasting with Auntie K after a day at the pool and a meal inspired by our vegggie garden brought smiles to everyone’s marshmallow coated faces.^^

^^James met baby Graham, and relished in the baby handling.^^

^^The girls discovered the fascination and fun of a shuffle board.^^

^^And the joy of tubing, especially when said tube is the size of a living room and guaranteed to prevent unwanted spills.^^

^^Plenty of QT with Graham and his parents and his grandparents who were all so fun and welcoming and wonderful with our girls. Sunny and Kaki keep asking when they can go back to play. Such a special a day.^^

NYCD

Last week I was called upon at the last minute to photograph a performance of the New York Celtic Dancers as part of Inside/Out series at Jacob’s Pillow. “The Pillow” is home of America’s longest running dance festival in South County in The Berkshires. As a former dancer and lover of performance art, I feel so fortunate to have this resource nearby all summer long. They offer many free performances and dance experiences, which is particularly amazing for the local community. And that outdoor stage?! Swoon city. Here are a few images from the evening’s performance.

31/52

“A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2014.”

Sunny: Our family is back together. And so we celebrated with s’mores. Sunny seems about eight years older after only five days away. Also? What a towhead! All that sun and fun has completely bleached out her hair.
Kaki: She’s so ready to be three. She talks non-stop about her birthday, far more than Sunny ever did at this age. I think it’s because she’s experienced big sister’s birthday celebrations and understands all the joy and fanfare. We are looking forward to celebrating the occasion with a group of close family and friends-akin-to-family next weekend.

More details about The 52 Project here. To view all the portraits in the series visit here.

Our Rainbow Kid is Home!

She sadly missed this double rainbow earlier this week, but we were excited to show her the photo. And even more excited to have her home!