avrelia

I go with Daniel to a swimming pool where he is taught to swim. Well, they don't actually teach babies to swim, but to get used to water, blow bubbles, kick and splash and jump in the water. D. loves it, and I love that he loves it. The interesting moment in the whole swimming is that all classes in community swimming pools are thought by teenagers. Or early-early twenties who look like teenagers. It didn't feel strange when our class was taught by a girl, but now it is a boy, extremely young looking boy, and I suddenly look so old by comparison... Weird feeling.

Also: my mom is here, and I enjoy a vacation from 24/7 child care. Yay!

We are home from our road trip. Toronto looks positively homey, and this is a nice feeling. The last two days (since tuesday evening when we arrived) we were doing mostly nothing, but now I am starting to feel the need to do useful things - after all, I had plan to clean up both the apartment and the computer, and many other plans for which I never have time usually. But the inevitable return to work makes me sad already...

we liked the trip very much, though P. found both Boston and New York too much like Moscow - not something I object since I love Moscow.

the good time was had though - we walked, we wandered, we shopped, we ate in strange places, we spent lots of time in subways and buses, we made pictures. Pictures that have to be uploaded.

I got to do the most touristy thing ever - to climb the Empire State Building. I've never ever felt the smallest inclination to climb Ostankino TV Tower in Moscow or the CN Tower in Toronto... but here it goes... It cost me two hours of standing in line and money I could spend on shoes and books, but I feel accomplished and don't regret it.

I did buy two pairs of shoes, though I didn't planned it.. and a handbag (I was looking for one), and 6 books. and 6 t-shirts for presents and some other stuff. I most happy about books. Canadian dollar is on the rise, but book prices are the same and buying in US makes total sense at the moment.

my favourite finds are: The Seven Basic Plots by Christopher Booker and How to read a Poem by Terry Eagleton, both bought at Harvard Co-op bookstore, where we spent several very pleasant hours...

while driving, the fate proved several times that the line we are in moves the slowest. In heavy traffic it could be explained by mistake in perception, but at the Canadian border it really was the slowest - in all other lines cars hardly stopped to show the documents, but in ours every car took 5 or so min to move into Canada. Of course, we had the maniac officer who asked the strangest questions like Whom did we meet in NY? and How can we prove we were there?

anyway. all was good, and we are home now!

I have received cards from asta77, swsa, janedavitt, and masterslady, for which I am thankful, as they made my return even sweeter!

Hope everyone is having great time and I wish a very belated birthday to swsa!