My cousin Ruth came to spend some time away from The City (New York City, to be exact) this weekend. I’m pretty sure Harrisburg was not her first choice of idyllic-getaways, but I lured her here with the promise of free maternity clothes and baby-snuggling-time.
- Ella can not stop talking about “takin Cousin Roof to the festibal.” She accompanies me to the train/bus station to pick up our guest.
- Ruth is adorably pregnant. I remember feeling that way – it only lasted for about 3 weeks, but it was nice.
- As we drive through the ghetto, to get home, Ruth mentions that Harrisburg is cute. Only a New Yorker would say that our ghetto is cute, but I love my town, so it makes me smile.
- Our first night is spent eating dinner on the covered porch, talking about babies and family. Ella can’t stop saying HI COUSIN ROOF!
- The next day, all the girls embark on a mission to get Ruth registered for baby stuff.
- Luckily, she has me to tell her all about the stuff she doesn’t need.
- She has two screaming children to help her enjoy the fact that the baby is still inside her – where there is no screaming.
- After dinner, we head down to Harrisburg’s Music Festival.
- We find a small carousel and ask Ella if she wants to ride it. She says yes.
- Tom buys the ticket. Ella refuses to ride the carousel.
- We abandon the carnival area to find the music.
- The choices were: Hip Hop Hour, or Celtic Rock.
- I find it terrible that we have to chose between the two, but despite our recent expedition to the Celtic festival, we abandon Hip Hop Hour for bagpipes.
- We settle down on the grass and I start to feed Sophie. The initial start of the music startles her but when the bagpipes start, she smiles.
- Ella discovers that Ruth will indulge her in repetitive silliness. She gives her a huge hug – a new best friend perhaps?
- At what age does peek-a-boo stop being funny? Apparently not 2 1/2.
- Giggling is infectious.
- I pass Sophie off to Daddy. She immediately spits up.
- The bagpipes start again, Sophie smiles.
- Daddy brings out his Blackberry.
- Sophie smiles even bigger and starts to reach for it. A future addict?
- This band is not nearly as good as the ones we saw at the Celtic festival, but is different and fun. The lead singer seems to have some rage issues, but it works.
- After the mini-concert is over, we start our way to the river-walk for the fireworks.
- Island music is catchy- screaming toddler is not.
- After sitting on concrete for too long, and finding out the fireworks would not start for another 45 minutes, we decide to head home.
- I accidentally kill a firefly in the car-ride home – it makes a popping sound and then lights up – this is the totality of our 4th of July fireworks.
- Tom makes a wonderful breakfast the next morning and too soon it’s time to take Ruth back to the bus station.
- Ella comes along to say goodbye.
- Hugs and promises to return the visit, and she’s on her way back to The Big Apple.
- Ella tells me that she doesn’t want Cousin Roof to go. I ask her if she wants to go with Ruth to New York. She says yes. I agree that it sounds like fun, but I need more closet space than we can afford there.
- We drive home through our cute ghetto and enjoy the last of our holiday weekend with a game of peek-a-boo.
I think there are many Ella fans wherever she goes. Thankfully our family has many obliging people like the lovely Ruth.
Am I jealous? Yes. Yes, I am. Though we had a most excellent 4th as well.
Today I wore an outfit, consisting completely of my new hand-me-downs from you. In the elevator going to work, this older woman turned to me and told me I was very pretty. It was a little random, but I attribute it all to the clothes!
I definitely want to come again in the not too distant future so that you, Tom and I can finish our late night sessions, analyzing our families! (To any family members who are reading, all good things were said!)
Also, I love how wordpress generates possibly related posts… and one of them is that Ruth Madoff was finally evicted. Oh dear.
I vote that you should get their apartment.
I love that you handed Sophie over to Tom and she immediately spits up all over him! Now I need to train Penny to do that to John too. Last night she got confused and spit up all over my side of the bed. Yuck!
I find that I don’t mind my celtic music with a bit of angst, the children not so much.
I’m a bit disappointed in the fireworks-less 4th of July, but there will be more opportunities. They have fireworks after every Friday home game for the Senators, so we may have to go to the next one.
Sophie certainly spits up on me too often. I’m suspicious that Britta is getting good at reading her signals and handing her off to me at just the right moment.
I wish that were true – I’m still convinced she has a secret button that causes her to spit up – except it keeps moving so I can’t ever figure out where not to touch her. I have yet to go through a day with a clean shirt.
Analyzing family members huh?
Uh….maybe you should ask Ruth…I think there was something about this one guy that is allergic to avocados or something…
I was only curious because that is a favorite topic of conversation for Maggie and I on road trips, that and how could anyone not like Bono?
Interesting…we’ll have to confer the next time we’re together.
Bono!? Ugh.
I like Bono…Britta could care less.
Good things were said about all family members, except a certain brother-in-law of mine. Not just allergic to avocados. Also mangos. Though he has this strange craving for Indian mangoes…
Allergic to avocados AND mangos!! What a tortured life! Was there any discussion about looking things up in dictionaries? And come on, All I Want is You is an amazing enough song to get a little flutter when you see Bono. Maybe if Britta gives U2 a chance, I’ll think about giving Yo Gabba Gabba a chance. Maybe.
Come on Britta DJ Lance likes Bono. I am willing to take a Benadryl for an Indian Mango, and I am happy to report I have been eating apples successfully with out ballooning to the size of Ted Kennedy.
Tom and I have had the dictionary conversation more than once – especially after he experienced it first hand a few years ago at Thanksgiving as a party game.
DJ Lance should have better taste than that. Even the U2 songs that I like (The Sweetest Thing) don’t make me like Bono – he doesn’t hold a candle to Robert Smith in the sexy voice department.
Bono IS passion! Although the fact that the rest of the band kicks ass only intensifies the passion of their songs.
I agree, how can you not love a guy named “The Edge”
I just don’t know how I feel about all these Bono-lovers in my family. It’s no good, I tell ya, no good.
I have to say I’m with Britta on the Bono issue–completely ambivalent. I’m happy to listen. I even get a little nostalgic when I happen to hear the occasional song. But when it comes to a question of love? Mehh… Not so much.
Yes! Finally. Thank you, Ruth!
Any time. I’ve been a bit baffled by the Bono love fest that has started in this comment-a-thalon. There are musicians I can wax eloquent about. Bono is not one of them. Sorry Colt (and Maiken and Kari).
Well to be honest, I don’t LOVE Bono. I do have several U2 songs that I love however. I think is cool and all, but its not like I would have a poster of him up in my room or anything. Oh, and I don’t like Robert Smith. He’s weird.
I just think U2 is something of an icon. Few bands have lasted as long, and continued to produce great music as U2 has. Not to mention the fact that Bono is possibly the only celebrity who is able to take up a political cause and not be mocked. Part of my love for the guy comes from seeing him speak about African Debt Relief in DC and then seeing Live8 that summer.
But I don’t think that they did produce great music. I think some of it is okay.
Wasn’t this a post about Ruth? See? Bono ruined my 4th of July post. Jerk.
What’s up with all this Bono talk? I have to say that I’m in the Britta/Ruth camp on this one. Since Joshua Tree, Bono and U2 have done nothing spectacular. And for as much as I used to think Joshua Tree was a good album, listening to it now makes me go even further in the “U2 is over-rated” direction.
I prefer to leave Bono and The Edge and the rest of U2 in the categories of “Overexposed” and “tries too hard to get people to like them.”
For fun, a joke that sums up Bono that I read online:
When Jerry Garcia died, he was surprised to find himself in rock-n-roll heaven. St. Peter was showing him around, introducing him to all the departed rock stars. Visiting a fantastic music studio, he saw Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, John Bonham, Mama Cass, etc., etc.
Suddenly, with a flourish, Bono walked into the studio and joined in the jam.
Jerry gasped to St. Peter: ‘I didn’t know Bono died!’
‘Oh no,’ replied Peter ‘That’s God – he just THINKS he’s Bono.’