Here comes the bride....

Isn't that just the cutest thing you've ever seen?? We had to distract Ella's daddy long enough to take this (he's a little overprotective) but I think it was worth it. What we didn't manage to capture on film was the hilarity that ensued the moment Becky and Ella arrived. Knowing that Becky had her hands full with the baby, the diaper bag, and two cups of coffee, I left Ryan for 30 seconds to give her a hand, forgetting that the sound of a visitor turns Faustus into Fierce Mean Thirty-Pound Guard Dog, an attitude which is only intensified when he's stuck in his crate. I returned to the living room to the sounds of anxious barking from Faustus, which immediately set off panicked shrieks from Ryan, which in turn caused confused yelps from Ella. It was a funhouse in here, let me tell ya.
We have a superfun week coming up. I'm going to the J.K. Rowling reading at Radio City Music Hall on Tuesday (no cameras allowed, sorry! But I promise a detailed play-by-play in a post next week) and then to the dentist on Wednesday (not so much fun, but Ryan will get to play with the babysitter again) and tomorrow we're having a cookout with some friends. I'm taking advantage of this gathering to test some recipes I'm planning for the Annual Thomson Beach Trip in two weeks. An important tradition during this week is that my siblings and their respective spouses and I try to outcook each other (each of us prepare dinner once as a thank you to my parents, who foot the bill for the house.) Yes, my family will turn ANYTHING into a competition.

White trash in Connecticut? Isn't that an oxymoron?

Sadly, no. And they all seem to congregate at Lake Compounce. Nothing like a 90-degree day to bring the crazies to the local amusement park. Besides the wifebeaters and the miles of flesh that had no business wearing two-piece bathing suits, though, we had a pretty swell time. The last time Eric and I were there we went on two rollercoasters, the paddleboats, and the make-out ride. This is the only ride we went on this time, unless you count the excitement behind the door to the family restroom. Ryan seemed to enjoy it until the end, when he all of a sudden got this panicked look on his face like "HOLY CRAP!!! What's with all the lights and noise?? Don't I puke enough, you had to spin me around in all these circles???"
In other news, I chopped all my hair off today. Well, to be more precise, Jamie chopped it off, which is good, because imagine the hackjob it would be if I had done it. It was a monumental occasion not only in that my hair has never been this short, it was the first time we've really left Ryan with a babysitter. I thought I'd be worried, but instead the thought of driving until I hit Mexico fleetingly crossed my mind. But hey, I came back, to discover that those little pearly whites are finally trying to make an appearance. To the writers of What to Expect the First Year, thanks a whole lot for getting my hopes up by telling me some babies DON'T EVEN NOTICE TEETHING.

Tell that crazy lady to put down the camera

Eric is getting very, very sick of the camera. Didn't he know that when you become a new parent you also earn the title of Annoying Shutterbug? Anyways, I started playing around with the digital camera yesterday and I'm really pleased with how well this one came out. I'm thinking that when we really get into redecorating the kitchen, I might do a photo collage wall with black and whites- something we can change as Ryan gets older and I keep taking pictures.
Speaking of the kitchen, I find it ridiculous that one has to take out a second mortgage on their home in order to purchase a decent-sized kitchen trash can that doesn't make the whole house stink, keeps the dog out, and at the same time is designed well enough so that you don't need an anger management class after getting the stupid bag out of the can and trailing garbage behind you.
Ryan's first Westinghouse picnic is today. We might not last too long considering it's hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk (mmm... fried eggs...) but I'll try to get some more cute pictures. By the way, if you're wondering why there are never any pictures of Ryan and Mommy, see the first paragraph of this post for an explanation.

100 things about me

1. I like animals more than most people.2. Spiders and clowns and the plastic people on Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood scare the bejesus outta me.3. I used to be a competitive swimmer.4. I have lived in 3 states: Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut.5. My bedroom is purple.6. I'm doing this to take my mind off the screaming baby upstairs.7. I like to give my pets literary names. The cat already had hers, so she doesn't fit in.8. I wish I had never stopped taking piano lessons.9. In my shower there are 14 bottles of soaps and shampoos, one razor, and a rubber ducky.10. I once entered a drinking contest in Aruba because my friend made me and I lost pathetically to a teeny tiny Asian girl about half the size of me. 11. The ringtone on my phone changes from the "Law & Order" theme song to "The O.C." theme song. 12. My biggest pet peeve is people who don't return their shopping carts. 13. I took a beginner's swimming course in college and almost failed because of poor attendance. 14. I have an iPod and I didn't pay for it. 15. I'd be ok with being stranded on a deserted island as long as there was an endless supply of Starbucks. 16. I teach 9th grade English. 17. No, I'm not crazy. I love my job! 18. Once at a college basketball game, the Hokie Bird took my shoe and ran around the court with it. 19. I come from a family of green thumbs and I'm trying to learn. 20. I'm actually killing the hydrangeas. 21. I moved out of D.C. to get away from the snobs... and I ended up in Connecticut. 22. I think EZPass is the greatest invention ever, especially when you're driving through New Jersey. 23. I will never paint a room in my house blue. 24. My favorite movie of all time is The Princess Bride. 25. I will read a book I like over and over again. 26. I have a sweet tooth. 27. I love New York, but not during the holidays. 28. I secretly wish Harry Potter was real. 29. I'm the youngest of 4 children. 30. I drive a Nissan Pathfinder. 31. I'm properly ashamed of myself. 32. My TiVo is full of "Veronica Mars" and "Cold Case." 33. The last movie I saw was 50 First Dates. 34. I have one husband, one son, one dog, and one cat. 35. I lived in Vienna, VA every day of my life until I left for college. 36. I met my husband at a Halloween party in college. 37. He was very drunk. 38. I guess I probably was, too. 39. I hate leaving messages on answering machines. 40. I can't believe I'm only on #40. 41. Sharpie minis are the coolest thing since sliced bread. 42. I wear a size 9 shoe. 43. That's the only size you're getting out of me. 44. I'm a mutt, but more Irish than anything else. 45. I go to North Carolina with my family every August. 46. I love black and white photography. 47. I wish I was a good photographer myself. 48. I'm not crafty, either. 49. I like silver jewelry. 50. Target is the happiest place on earth. 51. I love to cook. 52. I enjoy spinning class. 53. I'm way out of shape for it now, though. 54. I very rarely have a map in my car and often get lost. 55. But I always find my way back. 56. I have exactly one pair of FMPs. 57. I wore them once and my feet hurt for 3 days. 58. I think Jack the Ripper is a fascinating historical figure. 59. So is Queen Elizabeth I. 60. I don't like cheesecake. 61. My favorite beer is Killian's. 62. But probably one would make me schnockered. 63. I apparently don't know how to spell schnockered. 64. I like candles that smell like baked goods. 65. If I could do anything for a living, it would be Puppy Cuddler. I'm sure they have those somewhere. 66. I'm in the process of trying to lose the baby weight. 67. I never delete e-mails, unless it's spam. 68. I love getting snail mail. 69. My house actually has a white picket fence. 70. It also has a bomb shelter. 71. We call it the in-law suite. 72. The best concert I've ever been to was the Barenaked Ladies- 4 times. 73. Billy Joel was a very close second. 74. Yes, I am 26 and I like Billy Joel. Deal with it. 75. I'm usually a very good driver. 76. But I turn mean and aggressive when I go home to D.C. 77. I always make time for bubble baths. 78. I once wrote a letter to the editor about the literary value of Harry Potter. 79. They published it. 80. In case you were wondering, the baby is still crying. 81. Dogs make the best pillows. 82. But don't try it with the cat. 83. I used to hate the grocery store. 84. Now I appreciate any chance to get out of the house. 85. I always try to get 8 hours of sleep a night- even with a newborn. 86. It didn't work last night. 87. My favorite restaurant is P.F. Changs, but there aren't any in Hartford. 88. Once I drove all the way into Boston just to eat there. 89. I love shopping at Pottery Barn. 90. I'm properly ashamed of that, too. 91. I like to grade papers with purple pens. 92. My students say I should have been a doctor because they can't read my handwriting. 93. I can't carry a tune. 94. It doesn't stop me from singing in the shower. 95. I'm really really bad about writing thank you notes. 96. But I make up for it, I love to give people gifts. 97. My middle name is actually spelled wrong on my birth certificate. 98. I like my married name because I moved up in the alphabet. 99. I have more than perfect vision. 100. My life-long dream is to open a restaurant where dessert is served first.

I really thought I'd be a good little blogger

I mean, I had all this time, right? The only thing I had going on in my life was this little bundle of cries and poop, erm, I mean joy and giggles, yet I haven't had a new entry in over a month. OK, so there HAVE been a few things going on. Visits from parents, end of another school year, and tackling a kitchen renovation project which Eric has decided he wants "nothing to do with" simply because I did not give him months to create spreadsheets and flow charts and decide in his engineering way that it was "the right time."
(FYI to all you husbands out there, the right time to renovate a kitchen is when your wife has been living in a nasty, out-dated kitchen for two years and after buying the house you said "we'll fix the kitchen when we move in, it'll be the first thing we do!" Let her renovate before she goes on strike and orders takeout every night.)
So what's new in the Life of Ryan? He was baptized last weekend, which is very exciting, because it means if he takes after his dad, Guilt and Brimstone will be very big factors in his upbringing from here on out. If he chooses Mommy's religion, he can spend his Saturday nights at the bars where he belongs and be confident that he's not going to hell for missing Mass. He is now very social and notices everything around him, which is pretty cool since we can interact with him more now. Unfortunately the easiest way to keep him happy is still to plop him in front of his Baby Shakespeare DVD, which I now have memorized almost in its entirety. Don't believe me? "Custer the Dragon has big, sharp teeth! With spikes on top of him and spikes underneath! Mouth like a fireplace, Chimney for a nose! And really-io, truly-io, DAGGERS on his toes!"
I promise, I'm hiring a babysitter and getting out of the house. VERY SOON.