reading list

Work has been on the quiet side lately (I'm allowed to say that, right, law firm, if you're reading?  That's allowed?) and Jon had some business in Boston today, so we met for a coffee date near my office at one of my favorite coffee shops.  It's amazing how a change in scenery feels like an actual date, even when we spend time drinking coffee (me) and tea (him) and talking at home all the time.  But it was a treat, and I wish he worked in Boston too so we could do it more often.  I've also had a chance to read some actual newspapers, which has been lovely, and I thought these articles were especially great.

First up, in case you haven't met him already, I'd like to introduce you to a handsome little doll baby named Dominic Pio.  I don't know how it's possible for me to care so much about a baby I've never met, but ever since I first heard his story via Dwija at HouseUnseen I've checked in on him, courtesy of his mom's wonderful blog, almost daily.  Maybe it is because I have two little boys of my own, or maybe it is because he was treated here in Boston at the amazing Children's Hospital, where Conor also goes to see his neurologist and ophthalmologist.  I don't know.  I'm going to want to write about Conor's diagnosis of hydrocephalus at some point, but for now I just wanted to share this amazing article from the Boston Globe about Dominic's (and his family's) inspirational story.  It's really worth a read - here. 

On a completely different note, this column about front yard gardening by Mark Bittman was a lot of fun; you can read it here.  Yay victory gardens!  I had been a little lukewarm about planning our garden this year, in keeping with my totally charming habit of throwing pointless fits over our status as perma-renters, complete with moaning that "this isn't even our HOME."  But I think Bittman has managed to convince me to jump back in - if we were able to get this much goodness on the daily from the small raised beds in our last yard, imagine what we can do with almost two mostly level acres at our disposal now!  We're basically farmers already.  (PS: no idea what that eggplant turned yellow.  It was still delicious, if a little frightening). 

Quoth Jon: "The Pink Bomb"

And I was worried about having clothes for a baby girl after two boys:

Hand-me-downs!  I was so excited to go through this - first, my sisters have great taste, and second, it's all F-R-E-E!  Baby is going to be a seriously stylish 1 year old.  Not as much newborn or 0-3 stuff made it through three cousins' wear-and-tear, though, so I guess I'll just have to do a little shopping.  Tragic.

I also need more cloth diapers - the BumGenius All-in-Ones we have on hand have lasted through both boys (more than 3.5 years so far) with no problem, but I think a fresh set is in order for baby number three.  Unless cloth diapering has made serious advancements beyond the BumGenius in the last few years - anyone have anything new and improved I should try out?

The Finnpocalypse, Age 2

Happy happy birthday to my sweet Finn!  I can't believe that you are already two years old.  I still call you "the baby" and love to nibble on your toes and kiss your tubby stomach.  One of these days I'm going to have to write up your birth story - it's one of the greats.  We call you Finn-Finn, the Finnster, the Finnebago, the Finnpocalypse. 

You are a ball of joy, and make everyone who sees you shake their head and laugh, and tell me that I've "got my hands full with this one."  And it's true - since you could crawl, the first thing you do when entering a room is to scan it for something you aren't supposed to get into, and then immediately jump on that thing.  One time when you were about 18 months old your dad found you attempting to scale the chimney, from the inside.  You attack life, you enjoy every second of it.  You are rarely whiny or clingy, but always trying to leap out of my arms to try something new or explore what's just around the corner. 

Today you kept wishing everyone a happy birthday, and had a big plate of french fries (your favorite) for dinner.  You tackled your big brother when he tried to hug you goodnight.  I love you, birthday boy.

S'mores

We are in the middle of a cold snap here in southern Massachusetts, but we managed to make a little bit of fun over the long weekend inside:

Sorry about the blurry picture; toasting marshmallows in the fireplace makes for some uncontainable excitement, and standing still is much too much to ask. 

Norwegian Stars and Happiness

I'm home sick today with a nasty cold and the boys are being kept away from me for their own safety, so I've had some time to play around with this baby blog and my camera, which I am determined to learn how to use properly.  First up - some very exciting knitting photos.

I have an unhealthy obsession with all things Scandinavian - clothes, design, murder mysteries, Kristin Lavransdatter - so I was excited to try this Norwegian Star hat pattern.  It was my first attempt at Fair Isle knitting, and it was easier than I expected to pick up.  Check it:

 

I took a few, um,  liberties with the pattern, if that's what you call it when you have no idea how to do some of the techniques (anyone know how to cast on using the backwards loop method?  Anyone?), but it seemed to turn out passably in the end.  It looks like a hat, at least.  I also added a pom pom on the top, because OF COURSE.  And now, as modeled by a cutie 3-year-old with an adult-sized head:

He's not so sure about it, but I'm sure he'll learn to love it.  Now I feel compelled to knit a matching one for his little brother, and then I can turn to knitting for the baby girl (because what does a baby born in May need more than a closet full of wool clothes, right?). 

 I also wanted to share this fantastic article about the difference between a "happy" life and a "meaningful" one from the Atlantic - I just loved it. It's so hard to pick out one quote that sums up the article, but this comes close:  

"'Happy people get a lot of joy from receiving benefits from others while people leading meaningful lives get a lot of joy from giving to others,' explained Kathleen Vohs, one of the authors of the study, in a recent presentation at the University of Pennsylvania. In other words, meaning transcends the self while happiness is all about giving the self what it wants. People who have high meaning in their lives are more likely to help others in need. 'If anything, pure happiness is linked to not helping others in need,' the researchers write."

I had never thought about the search for happiness that way before - as "taking" instead of "giving." When I told Jon about the article he said "something something something Aristotle something something something" so apparently these are not new ideas, but they were new to me. 

First Post

What is this blog about?  My kids, mostly, of course.  Ideally, this will take the place of the baby book I never started, the photo album I haven't updated in months, the journal that never really lasted more than a few days.  I'm terrible about those things, and might be terrible about keeping up with this too, but we'll see.  So yes, it is about my kids, and some of the things we do together.  With maybe a little cooking, knitting, gardening, and other miscellany thrown in for good measure. 

What is this blog not about?  What I spend most of my time doing, that is, working as a lawyer at a big law firm.  Mostly because (a) I am specifically not allowed to blog about legal stuff - no really, it's in my employee handbook, NO BLOGGING, and (b) that part of my life is utterly, completely boring.  Potty training is way more interesting, I promise.

I hope you enjoy!

The Burke Family