Kai's new Giro

Currently, Greg and I are paralyzed with indecision. At least we were. I think we have finally made our big decision - whether to buy a bike seat or a bike trailer to tote Kai around behind our bikes. I think today we finally decided to buy a trailer and I think we have settled on the Chariot Cougar. BUT we still didn't buy the trailer so I guess that means that we aren't 100% decided. I guess we're sleeping on it. But we did buy Kai his first helmet. This is one step in the direction of the commitment needed to buy the bike trailer. Either that or he is going to look pretty funny wearing his helmet to hang out at the park! Nevertheless, he did wear his helmet to dinner tonight so here is a photo! Hopefully soon we'll be posting a photo of Kai wearing his helmet while being happily towed behind my bike!  

Just for fun I'm adding another photo taken this morning. You'll notice Kai is wearing his bear slipper socks. He loves these slipper socks. He smiles lovingly at them when we put them on and he tends to watch his feet while he is walking around in them, all the while smiling at the little bears. Just the other day he was carrying his slipper socks in his hands and he managed to walk straight into the wall!!! So, you see, he really does need a helmet!!!

Just a video

I'm still trying to figure out the best way to share video of Kai growing up with family and friends. The last one I posted on here seemed to work well so I'm trying again. Hope the GPs are reading!!! Enjoy!

It worked (although the resolution seems poor?) This was from a few weeks ago - Father's Day weekend, at the MIT Navy Welcome BBQ at Hanscom AFB. 

Greg's First Post (done under duress)

Louise has been pioneering the Fennell Blogosphere for a couple weeks now, and has asked me/tasked me/threatened me to post a, uh, post.  I think her posts have been pretty awesome, but sometimes it IS good to have a male perspective and since letting Kai onto the computer tends to leave files erased and renamed at random, I guess its up to me!

Louise has captured the spirit of the house & neighborhood quite well (she knows the area much better than me), so I'll talk about the commute and MIT a bit.  I bike to work nearly everyday so far along the Minuteman Bike Trail, whose website says its one of the most heavily used rail-to-trails in the US.  I wouldn't doubt it: even at 615am (I'm already getting out of the military-speak after 4 weeks in grad school!), there are a good number of runners, bike commuters, and the occasional hazard-waiting-to-happen rollerblader.  The rollerbladers make me the most nervous - they can move at quite a pace, rarely wear protective gear, take up over half the trail while skating, and ALWAYS have headphones on w/ no helmets.  I guess when you buy your rollerblades, you must be given a choice of complimentary gift: helmet or headphones (but not both).  Since most rollerbladers seem to have long, flowing hair (male & female), the obvious choice is: headphones.  

There's a wide range of cyclists on the trail, from people in business attire cruising along on beach cruisers to serious triathletes/time-trialists hammering away on tri-bikes.   I see 2 triathletes nearly every morning, and they never wave.   One of these days I'm going to shout at them "Swim practice today is CANCELLED!!!" and watch as they crash in a panic while figuring out what workout they'll have to replace swim practice with.   (sorry Jo & Ed, triathlete bashing will stop now, hehe!)

Anyway, most of the cyclists are friendly.  Not everyone waves, but that's probably because if you waved at every person you saw, you would effectively be riding with one hand.  Sometimes it really is that busy (especially as you get close to the end).  I ride a cyclocross bike w/ a rack and panniers on the back and hope to install some fenders soon.  I also have a bell at the end of my handlebars - probably the coolest $5 purchase I've ever made.   Instead of using your thumb, you can reach down & whip your hand up, causing a sweet r-r-r-r-r-ing as your palm twists the bell.  The bell is pretty vital, tho it doesn't help much with the people wearing headphones.  I just give them a wide berth and close my eyes as I go past.  The rack & panniers are a little hard to get used to - I've brushed them against some things and when you get out of the saddle to sprint, they cause the bike to wonkily go side-to-side at a different rhythm than what you're pedaling, leaving you feeling like you're one step behind everyone else in the Electric Slide/Macarena (or Chicken Dance, for our Canadian readership).

The trail ends at Alewife station, the end of the Red subway line.  From there, I go on another path for about a mile and jump onto Mass Ave at the far western end of Cambridge.  At this point, its gets a little more exciting, but not any less safe, oddly enough.  I think since there are so many bikes in the Cambridge area, drivers are pretty aware of them and much more patient when they're stuck behind one.   But there's always the risk of a car turning in front of you, a driver opening his door as you go by a parked car, or pedestrians waltzing in front of you at crosswalks (this happens a lot near Harvard).

The ride in every morning is generally pretty pleasant, despite the dour attitude of my two time-trialing buddies I discussed above.  Coming home, however, is often much less so....  First, I'm usually a bit tired after a long day of mostly math classes.  The weather is either hot, or extremely stormy.  The trail back to Bedford is slightly uphill going back (no mountains, mind you, but noticeable!) And the traffic is much, much heavier, both on the roads & on the trails: kids are out of school, parents are taking their Kaister-equivalents out for walks/jogs/bike rides, dogs are getting walked, teenagers are looking for people to make fun of, you get the picture!   The group that makes me most nervous (aside from rollerbladers) are the little kids on bikes.  The thought of hitting one of these little tykes as I barrel past is enough to make me come to almost a complete stop as I inch my way past their randomly-steering, training-wheel-equipped bikes.  My beloved bell is pretty much ineffective; even if the child DID hear the bell (and normally, as I've found w/ Kai, they're looking at some plant or leaf or something else entirely), they would probably steer their whole bike towards the sound....right into me, then!  So I definitely give the little ones a wide, slow berth.

Once I get back to Bedford, off the trail, I face one of the more unpleasant parts of the ride.  The traffic through town and along the streets leading to our house is bumper-to-bumper and buzzes with impatience, filled with drivers whose grace and humanity displayed in Cambridge has now vapourized.  I haven't had any honks or curses thrown at me yet, but its definitely sketchy and I normally dive onto the sidewalks to avoid any trouble.  

I was going to write about MIT, but I'll have to leave you panting for more; I have some studying to do and Louise is starting to wonder if the blog can handle this "book" that I've written.  Aloha! Greg

A very fine day

Although the weather was overcast, a bit muggy and dreary today in Eastern Mass, we still enjoyed a very fine day. Kai and I spent the morning at Walden Pond with our new friends Evan and Jeanette. Evan is 6 months older than Kai (Jeanette is quite a bit younger than Kai's mommy!) The little ones didn't mind that the sun wasn't out and enjoyed some splashing around in the water. Kai took his first header under water and only cried for a second. I think he actually liked it but he has become a little bit of a drama king so the crying was purely for effect. 

Kai took a big nap today (3 hours!). It was that kind of a nappy sort of day. Unfortunately, his mommy didn't and instead spun around the house trying to finish unpacking but without focus or direction, didn't get too much done. Should have taken that nap! 

Later today after Greg got home from school I actually got to ride dirt!!! I've tested out each of my bikes this week so tonight it was time to take out my Blur Baby! I discovered a trail that leads from Bedford to Concord. It is a combo of double and single track. I wouldn't call it mountain biking; its pretty buff but it was still nice to be riding through the forest and not on the road. I came across a home made sign that was hard to read. I got up closer to it and it said "WARNING- VERY HYPER 2 1/2 YEAR OLD BORDER COLLIE" WTH??? I wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean but I figured it probably wasn't good so I hightailed it out of there and rode a few miles on the famed Minuteman bike trail - getting a taste of Greg's ride to school everyday. I also sampled a little bit of the 3rd bike path that originates in Bedford and heads to the town of Billerica, to the North of us. So, leaving from Bedford you can ride bike paths/trails North, West and East into the big city! 

Just before arriving home I scooted into a little piece of single track that is right outside our house. We have walked this path a few times and technically I think it belongs to the senior citizen's village that is across the road from us. There were no NO BIKING signs but I'm sure the trail is intended for the more spritely elders to amble along and not for some crazy lady on her black bike! But it was starting to get dark so I poached it anyway and it was fun, fun, fun!!! At least for someone who hasn't been on her mountain bike in too many months! There were some slimy bridges and a few rooty sections. A tree had blown down from Tuesday's storm but I thought better of attempting to ride over it, figuring Greg and Kai did want me home sometime this evening! So, overall, this Massachusetts thing isn't working out too badly so far!  

So much history

I am not a history buff but its hard not to get interested living in Eastern Mass. I've learned that we are living in the heartland of the American Revolution. It seems every time we go anywhere we find out that we are standing on hallowed ground in terms of human sacrifice in the name of independence or some other important historical event. I remember bits and pieces from my high school history classes but I'll have to read up to truly appreciate the things I am seeing here. 

Today Kai and I visited Lexington which is the town that borders Bedford to the East. After strolling through the pretty and quaint downtown (before all the shops were even open - Kai was up before 6 am!), we visited the Lexington Battle Green. This is an important revolutionary site because it was where the original "Minutemen" (citizen soldiers who could be summoned on a minute's notice), warned by Paul Revere, waited for the British soldiers in 1775. They were killed and the soldiers moved on to Concord (the town immediately West of Bedford) where they met colonial militia and "the shot heard round the world" (RW Emerson) was fired. I must credit my sources here (once a grad student, always a grad student ;-), because before today, I knew none of this! (Insight Guide to New England)

Tomorrow we are off to Walden Pond for some swimming while the pest control folks do their stuff to get rid of some of the nastiest bugs I've seen this side of Kailua! I'm sure Thoreau never envisioned a lake full of toddlers and wet-suit clad triathletes while he was contemplating wilderness so many years ago! 

Mmmmm....breakfast

We finally have a toaster! So this morning as Kai and I were enjoying our treat of waffles smothered in yogourt and fruity baby food (yum yum!) I got to reminiscing about some of my favorite breakfast eats. So this post is in honour of those fabulous breakfast places and yummy meals that I miss so much. 

There is the diner on Edmonton Trail in Calgary. I can't remember the name....maybe Diner Deluxe???? I remember well their vanilla bean hot cereal and chai tea warmed by your own personal candle.

Then there is that wonderful place in Revelstoke, BC where Blackie and I ate during our mountain bike trip from Victoria to Calgary in 2004. I have no idea what the place is called but I'll never forget the museli with steamed milk green tea and strawberries on top. Delish!

Then of course there are the Victoria joints. My favorite brekkie at the ReBar in Bastion Square was the "Sunday Paper." This was made up of  brie cheese, fruit and a toasted Mt. Royal bagel. After squishing the brie on top of the bagel and ordering a side of two poached eggs, this was a perfect way to start the day! Although any day started with a Mt. Royal bagel promises to be a good day (so long as you don't put yours in a plastic bag ;-)

I may very well have saved the best for last.....Peasant Toast at the Blue Fox on Fort Street in Victoria. For the yet to be initiated this is multigrain french toast covered with some kind of yogourt sauce, almonds, bananas, syrup and other fruit. The hot oatmeal served at the Blue Fox comes with hot apples, dried cranberries and steamed milk....okay, I think I need to go get myself something to eat! 

Thunderstorms

I have really missed two things about the Eastern part of North America while living away from it for 14 years - the fall colours and summer thunderstorms. Sure, you get T-storms out West and even occasionally in Hawaii, but not with the regularity of this part of the world. We have already had at least 5 since arriving about a month ago. 

Today we had a doozy. It thundered off and on all day but really let go around 4:30 pm just as Greg was cycling home after a hard day of schoolin'. Kai and I were in the playroom playing with his ball popper when the heavens opened and I knew Greg was in for a hard ride home. But he made it, a bit bedraggled, and with a smile on his face, especially when he knew we had the kettle on and waiting for him.  

It was muggy and rainy all day but Kai and I still attempted a hike in Bedford's "town forest." The trees created a nice canopy so we didn't get really wet (did nothing for the horse flies though! Something I did NOT miss!) It started thundering pretty loudly and I figured Kai would get scared and we'd have to head home. But it didn't seem to phase him at all. We didn't make it far though. It seemed that everything that was interesting to Kai caused him to walk in a haphazard circle near the trailhead. Every time I thought we were making progress down the trail, he remembered something of interest from whence we came and back we went. So, after about 15 minutes of walking in circles at a trailhead, in the rain, we called it a day and headed home.  

The Inaugural Massachusetts Ride

I now can finally begin to answer the question "how is the riding in MA?" My first impressions - not too bad! I headed out on my road bike for my first ride in two months at the gentlewomanly hour of 8:45 am. That was due to spending 45 minutes looking for my cycling shoes which I had neglected to notice the night before, had not yet been unpacked! After finally finding them and choosing a route from our Eastern Mass biking map, I headed out. The map suggested I choose any roads outlined in green so I picked a bit of an oblong green circle that created a route from our house to a few other towns and back again and off I went. 

The first thing that struck me was that it was quiet.....shhhhhh.....no cars, no people. It seems folks in MA do enjoy a good sleep in on a Sunday morning. In Hawaii, most folks are eating lunch by 9 am (well, not really, but sort of), so there is really no such thing as having the morning to yourself. So, for the first 30 minutes I think I only got passed by about 5 cars. Pretty nice!!!! My ride was a combination of minor highways and back country roads. The entire ride was heavily treed and I rode through marshlands and forest, past farms, old houses and general stores and ice cream stands. I wasn't bored for a moment. I saw lots of other cyclists so I knew I had picked a good route. Every time I rode through a roundabout (so much fun, kinda reminded me of crit riding!) I looked at all the possible roads to head down but I stuck to my route, afraid of getting lost. A bridge was out at one point so I had to modify but I had brought my map along so it wasn't too much of a problem. 

The riding here reminded me of a cross between riding in the East Sooke area of Vancouver Island (very green and heavily treed but not nearly as hilly and without the possibility of running into a bear!) and Europe (seriously, you should see the stone walls and old buildings around here!), except that the roads are much wider. I returned home tired and satisfied. Boy am I out of shape but I am psyched to get out there and explore. The great thing about cycling is that you go slow enough that you see things you miss in a car. I made mental notes of several trail heads I spotted along my ride and will be back with my fat tires to explore!

A Very Busy Time!

Things at the Fennell household just got a whole lot busier!  As if starting grad school at MIT (I know its just Greg but when one family member is in grad school, you're all in grad school), cooking meals with one pot and one knife, following around an on the move one year old, continually getting lost on windy, non-intuitive Massachusetts roads (never mind learning to spell Massachusetts), and trying to fit in the odd workout wasn't busy enough. 

Well the long awaited moment happened and our furniture arrived!!!! Friday morning at 6:45 am we got the knock at the door and two big trucks holding our worldly possessions sat waiting in the driveway. Throughout the move I attended what I could of a professional conference held in downtown Boston. So, I finally got to see a little of the city and got to peek at the Atlantic ocean for the first time since arriving. Greg was busy with the movers so this meant Kai went to his first "real" babysitter. By "real" I mean that it wasn't one of his grandparents and it wasn't Kelley or Jo. I definitely had more separation anxiety than he did and he did just fine. In fact, I think he really enjoyed his day with two big boys (age 4 and 7) and now wishes he had big brothers. When I phoned from the conference to check on him, I could hear him loudly ordering everyone around. It went like this "Da Da Ma Ma Ba Ba Ba Ba!!!!!!"

So now the Fennells sit amongst a heap of boxes of household items (although the bikes have been put together, thank you very much). I know it's already been over 24 hrs. Why isn't the house put together yet you ask? Well, you see, one year olds don't help unpack and they don't sit quietly while their parents do. So, this afternoon was spent at a nearby water park while Kai had the time of his life running through fountains of water that the 7 year olds were looking at warily and soaking his worried parents in the process, and the house remains unpacked. But hey, we had a great afternoon.....

Things I learn from my little son

Kai and I spend alot of time together. Since we moved into our house we have been taking nature walks every morning. We don't have any furniture yet and Kai is kinda bored with the toys we brought along, so it is a nice way to pass the time until his nap. It is fun for me to get this quiet time to observe him and enjoy him and watch how he approaches his world. 

These are some random thoughts of the things he has taught/is teaching me everyday:

1. Play is work

2. It is far better to chew on the puzzle than to put it together

3. When adventuring, always make sure the big person who looks out for you is close behind

4. Always eat the stuff you like

5. Water is the greatest, most glorious thing on earth whether it is coming out of a hose, in a puddle, the lake or ocean, or even the toilet bowl!

6. Exercising your lungs at least once a day is a good thing

7. Going to bed early is good

8. Getting up early is good

9. Outside is better than inside (when you're talking about a nice summer day)

10. Sometimes when you kiss the people you love, you can't help but bite them too.

Thanks Kai!

Photo Attempts, Take 2

Well, I got some photos up but not in the order I intended or looking the way I wanted so I have to come back to post another photo or two. I'm going to keep it simple. Here is a shot of the sidewalk on our street. It gives a feel for the atmosphere of this neighborhood. Notice the stone walls lining the road. Nice touch! The other photo is Chippy, one of our resident fuzzy critters. 

New Shoes, New House

Well tonight I am going to attempt to get some photos on this otherwise boring blog. I thought I'd start with a photo of Kai's new shoes. Doesn't sound very interesting does it? But it was a monumental moment for me. Since he started walking everywhere we figured he needed a little more protection for his tender tootsies. We bought a pair of $5 shoes that lasted approximately 5 days! Greg figured maybe they weren't intended for little dudes who walk ALL day long (unless they're asleep!) So out we went to purchase some good quality shoes for our little Kaister. I had him in his stroller and the sales attendant asked for him to get out and step on the foot ruler thingie. So he obliged and patiently stood there while she measured his size 5 1/2 feet! It was a defining moment as Kai turned from baby to boy right before my eyes while standing there on that little shoe ruler thingie. So...in honour of that moment, I am going to try and upload a picture of his new shoes....here goes....

Now, I also thought our friends and family might be interested in seeing a few shots of where we are living now. So here is a photo of our new old house. I know it looks huge. We only live in 2/3s of it. We haven't met our new neighbors yet. They are pretty quiet. We're thinking maybe they're ghosts.....

Impressions of Bedford, Mass. Sorry still no photos

I thought I'd better hop back on here before I lose momentum and never come back. Since we moved into our new house life has been a cycle of wake up, keep Kai out of trouble, nap Kai and try to get something done, keep Kai out of trouble again (and keep him cool, the weather has been monstrous!), do Kai's evening routine (or share this with Greg if he is home), run, make and scarf some dinner, try to be productive with getting this house somewhat livable (minus furniture), and then fall asleep exhausted on our lovely air mattress! Fun, fun! 

But...I have had a chance to look around our new town a little bit so I thought I'd share my impressions so far......It's not too bad. 

Life has certainly looked up since we got to the house and away from the hotel right smack in the middle of freeways and shopping malls. We have chipmunks on our doorstep, strawberries growing in the backyard (which I am trying to grab before the bunnies get them!), and flowers in our yard. Can't complain. Bedford itself is pretty small and unassuming but I don't think we made a bad choice given the myriad of towns we had to chose from. Running around here has actually been a treat. The roads are pretty (although a bit busier with cars than I would like), the houses are all cute and interesting to look at with great gardens, and there are lots and lots of trees to keep things shady. There are also lots of bike paths and trails so I am having fun exploring them. 

The town has a Starbucks but no homegrown coffee shop or a smoothie place that I can find. We did try out the local Friendly's to great disappointment (we passed on the ice cream, maybe that was our mistake). We do have a Whole Foods which promises to be a big drain on the bank account I'm sure. There are also yoga studios and art studios and other interesting places but they are all hidden in old homes so it is not obvious at first where they are. There is a great big nursery where Kai and I hung out yesterday. My gardening ambitions waned a little as I realized how little I actually know about gardening. The lady at the nursery told me we were "zone 5" to help me decide what plants to buy. I smiled knowingly having absolutely NO clue what she was talking about. I'm hoping Mr. Google can help me out on that one. So, I came away with a simple hanging potted plant. Hopefully I can't screw that up. This having a house and garden is going to be more challenging than watering my potted plants in Hawaii. 

The next town over (about a 10 minute drive) is called Concord and is absolutely lovely. We have only walked around there once but it is very historical and we saw lots of cyclists so it must be good! I'm sure we'll be heading there quite often. There is a bike path that links Bedford to Concord so once we get our bike trailer we'll be heading there on a Fennell Adventure!

Quick Kai update: He decided that today should be the day that he tries to walk down the stairs with a little less help from mom. Typically I hold his hands and assume a back breaking position while he sort of "free falls" and tippy toes his way down the stairs. But today, he decided he would hold only one of my hands and use the railing with his other hand and take very careful steps. This took a very, very long time. And we did it 3 times. He took great pains to make sure he had just the right hand hold before he would take a step. And then if he found that step quite pleasing, he repeated it. He was pretty thrilled when he made it to the bottom (of course he received thunderous applause). And to be honest, I am pretty thrilled too, to see that he does realize that he needs to be careful when walking down the stairs. I wasn't sure he was going to get that anytime soon.

I really will try and upload some photos soon....just need a little bit more free time.....that is the mantra of this week and quite possibly, this summer!

We made it to Massachusetts

I don't know much about blogging. In fact, I know nothing about blogging but much missed friends Kelley and Ryan just sent me their blog so I figured I'd give it a try. Seems like a good idea for keeping in touch and up to date for someone with digital diarrhea like me! 

We left our home in Hawaii and have been in MA now for over 2 weeks. I won't say we're in Boston b/c aside from flying over the city, I haven't seen it yet. We're still in a hotel in Burlington, MA (considered Greater Boston) but will be moving into our new home on Saturday morning. Its a new old home b/c it is over 100 years old. I am pretty excited about that. We get to enjoy all the character and charm w/o worrying about it too much b/c we're renting it. I am really excited about the big yard and all the veggies and flowers I'm going to grow! We also plan to compost which is also very exciting (okay, maybe not so exciting but when you've lived in an environmentally challenged place like Hawaii for nearly four years, it is a big deal!)

Greg has started school at MIT and has been doing his math homework like a good student every night. Looks like fun to me! He bought himself a Giant cycle cross bike and he has already commuted in the rain. Hard core! 

The Kaister walks/runs more and more everyday. He has even taken to kicking his Man U soccer ball (of course while wearing his Lpool kit!) His next challenge will be opening and closing every door and cabinet in our new house (he'll be busy!)

Well I have no idea how this works so I think I'll stop now until I figure this blogging thing oot. ;-)