P365 — June & July

I hadn’t forgotten about Project 365! I just got bad about uploading.

But June is up to date, and I have a set ready for July.

Boston’s Summer Bummer

This had been the worst June (weather-wise) I’ve experienced in recent memory.

Look at this:

-June 2009 saw sunshine just 27 percent of the time, making it the second gloomiest June on record behind the 25 percent mark in 1903.

-The highest temperature recorded in June was 79, making it just the second June on record and first since 1916 that failed to reach 80 at any time.

-There were 19 days of measurable precipitation in June, second only to the 20 from 1916.

It’s supposed to rain until Saturday. There goes tomorrow’s beach plans! :-(

WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE WEATHER?

I like cooler temperatures and I even like rain. Or I did, before this month. Is a day of 80 degrees and sun just too much to ask for? I don’t want a heat wave…I just want to wear my flip flops and sunglasses!

And now I’m concerned that once we warm up, we’ll have 90 degree humid weather straight until October, while I’m hippo-sized.

Things to do in Cape Cod on rainy days

Since apparently Massachusetts has been transported to Seattle over the last few weeks, Matt and I had to find some rainy day activities during our vacation on the Cape. 3 out of our 7 days were rainy. Boooo!!

Anyway, I did some Googling to see if there was a list of things to do on a rainy day on the Cape, and I had no luck. So, I’m creating one here. I hope it helps some people, and if anyone stumbles on this page, please feel free to add stuff! All of the stuff on my list is either free or inexpensive.

Jam Tasting
Chatham

There are lots of places to taste jam on the Cape, but we went to The Chatham Jam and Jelly Shop. We must have tried 15 jams! They had lots of really interesting jam flavors, like Merlot and habanero pepper. We wound up buying a few jars. The owner was really nice and enthusiastic about the jams and jellies.

Cape Cod Museum of Natural History
Brewster

This is a fun little museum. They have turtles and other aquatic creatures and all sorts of information about the natural history of the area! There are also a lot of natural trails, so if the weather isn’t too bad, take a little walk.

Visitor Centers
Various

The Cape has lots of great visitors centers. You can get all sorts of local information and some have museums in them. The Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham is a favorite. There’s a little museum and also some great views.

The Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum
Eastham

It’s a nice little museum with some historical artifacts. The Pilgrim Monument is verrrry tall, and you can walk to the top. On a clear day the views are obviously much better, but it’s still fun to visit either way. It can be VERY windy on the top, though!

Visit Lighthouses
Various

Some of them you can’t go inside, but some of them you can which makes it a nice rainy day activity. We went to the top of the Cape Cod Light in North Truro and we also went inside the Nauset Light. Some other lighthouses on the Cape are open to the public on certain days, so check it out.

The Cape Cod Potato Chip Factory
Hyannis

Free, fun, and delicious! It’s a brief self-guided tour, and there are free samples at the end! YUM!!! I can’t get enough salt and vinegar Cape Cod Potato Chips!

Cape Cod Maritime Museum
Hyannis

Another little museum, with information on shipwrecks, pirates, whales, and more. It also has some nice views right outside of the window!

Cape Cod Brewery
Hyannis

As a pregnant lady, I couldn’t appreciate this to its fullest. But Matt did. :-) They had free samples of several beers. It’s good beer, and hard to come by, so buy a growler. If you have kids, they have some toy trains for them to be occupied with. They also sell homebrew supplies.

Woods Hole Aquarium
Woods Hole

Great aquarium, and free. (but you should donate!!) They have all sorts of fish and SEALS at the end! If you go at the right time, you can also catch them feeding the seals. Arf arf!

Eat, eat, eat!

I had my fill of tasty eats on this trip, that’s for sure. What’s really fun is to find a restaurant with a view and GREAT BIG windows. It’s really cozy on a rainy day. And who says you need a nice day to enjoy some ice cream?

Welcome Anne Kristine Fitzpatrick!

I am now an aunt! My sister just gave birth to my brand new niece, Annie!

She was born 6/24 at 5:28 pm. 6 lbs 7 oz & 20 inches long.

Hello from Cape Cod!

I’m blogging from our hotel room in Dennis Port, MA. Yesterday we saw 3 lighthouses! We’ll be updating The Lighthouse Quest later. We lucked out, weather-wise, yesterday and had a really nice day. The next few days look sort of gloomy, so I’ve been trying to find indoor stuff to do. I think we’ll go to the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History today, and maybe a tour of the Cape Cod Potato Chip Factory tomorrow.

The baby must like the Cape, because I’ve been feeling a lot of movement!

Here comes the “son” do do do do…

That’s our little boy!! We just found out today!

For more P365 pictures for the month of June, check out our Flickr set.

Play Pens

When my sister and I were little, we used to play in a “play pen.”

Before my sister was born, I used to play in it, sleep in it when I stayed at my nonna’s, and then when my sister was born we’d play in it together!

I’ve been starting to brainstorm about the registry, and I noticed that they are now called “play YARDS” even though they look to be the same thing as a play pen! I guess people don’t like the idea of putting their child in a “pen” like little piglets?

Annoying things people say to pregnant women

I frequent an online forum for pregnant women, and I recently started a thread about annoying things people say to pregnant women. It’s like because I have a baby growing in my tummy, it makes everyone think I want their advice and opinions on EVERYTHING!!! Unwanted advice is the worst, but when it comes to pregnancy and parenthood, I can’t stand it.

It’s as if people lose their filter when speaking to a pregnant woman, and the most ridiculous things come out of their mouths.

Here are some things that myself and other pregnant women are annoyed by, so try to avoid saying them to pregnant women!

1) “Get lots of sleep now, because once the baby gets here, you won’t be getting any sleep.”

I get that one from people with no baby or pregnancy experience whatsoever. Men are the common perpetrators of this annoying statement. The funny part is, many women I’ve spoken to who have already had babies say that they actually sleep better after giving birth. Sure, you have to wake up to feed the baby, but you can actually sleep in comfortable positions again and aren’t awoken by having to pee and having acid reflux, etc.

It’s also always said sort of in a smug way by people without kids, as if they want to take the joy of pregnancy away from me by giving me some bad news.

2) “Do you want a boy or a girl?”

Last I checked, I didn’t really have a choice in the matter anyway. And I DON’T have a preference, just as long as the baby is healthy. Some people don’t believe me when I say I don’t have a preference. And some people find it appropriate to tell me what THEY hope I’m having. “I hope you’re having a girl!” (That makes me want to have a boy just to spite you!) Or then people say things like, “Boys are easier” or “Girls are easier.” Oh, OK. Thanks for the info!

3) “Were you planning this?”

None of your beeswax.

4) People telling me what I’m going to need or what I’m going to want.

Someone recently told me, “You’re not going to want to go back to work after having the baby.” For one thing, unless they have some psychic powers, how does ANYONE know what I’m going to want?! Plus, if I DO want to go back to work after having the baby, what is wrong with that?!

5) “Do you really want someone else raising your baby?”

That’s in respect to daycare. People with disgusted looks on their faces when I say I’m planning to go back to work and that I’m also planning to put the baby in daycare. I find this question ridiculously offensive. Nobody else will be RAISING my baby just because I choose to work…and I only will work part-time!

6) “Are you ready to be a parent?”

What do they want me to say? “Oh my god, I’m not ready, I’m so scared, blah blah blah” and have me burst into tears?

I’m as ready as I can be!

7) “How are you feeling?”

This one doesn’t actually bother me too much, but it seems to bother a lot of the women on the forum. I do avoid being honest with this one. I don’t like to complain about my pregnancy, except to maybe Matt or a fellow preggo. I don’t think most of these people truly want an honest answer, anyway. Luckily, with the exception of some headaches, I’ve had a very smooth second trimester so far, so there’s not a whole lot to complain about.

8) “Are you having any weird cravings?”

I don’t know any pregnant women who have had weird cravings!!

9) “You can eat whatever you want now that you’re pregnant!”

No, I really can’t! I don’t want to have to spend years working off “baby weight” because I went on a cookie and ice cream diet as soon as I got pregnant! I am enjoying the extra calories I’m allowed to have, but I still am working hard to eat healthy and I exercise as much as I can!

10) Any advice that I haven’t asked for.

When I want advice, I’ll ask for it.

Apostrophes

Does anybody know how to properly use an apostrophe anymore? People are creating extra work for themselves by inserting an apostrophe where it doesn’t belong.

Just today, my friend became a fan of “Kisse’s and Cuddles in bed” on Facebook. KISSE’S. Seriously?!? Seeing “KISSE’S” is what fueled this entry.

I recently found a blog dedicated to signs with incorrect apostrophe usage. I’m happy to find other people as bothered by these errors as I am.

Rules for apostrophes are simple. First, it’s used for contractions, such as “don’t” instead of “do not.” Second, it’s used for possession, NOT pluralizing things. If it’s plural, it doesn’t need an apostrophe!

For example, you don’t order PIZZA’S, you order PIZZAS. The apostrophe would indicate possession.

Several years ago I blogged about a sign that I saw saying that breakfast is served on SATURDAY’S. NO! Saturdays is PLURAL! It doesn’t need an apostrophe!!!

For plural possessive nouns, you put the apostrophe at the end. For example: The sisters’ favorite cookies.

I think that punctuation usage is getting worse and worse. Maybe due to the internet and spell check. Commas are being neglected, and the Oxford comma is seemingly dead, which is a shame because I’ve always been a big fan of it.

Maybe I missed my calling as a fourth grade grammar teacher!

Class dismissed!

Baby’s Movement

(That’s how my baby looks now, from PregnancyConnect.com!)

About a week or two ago, I became aware of the baby’s movements. At first I couldn’t tell if it was just gas, or if it was the baby. Now I can definitely tell the difference! It’s an incredibly surreal feeling. Sometimes it’s really active, as if it’s doing acrobatics in my tummy!

I am now 18 weeks pregnant, and according to all the books and websites, this is the stage that the baby is at:

1) The baby’s ears are now facing forward and are completely formed! Now they can actually hear me talking!

2) The baby’s bones are hardening and its sense of smell, taste, sight and hearing are all developing right now!

3) The baby is now about 6 inches long and the size of a pickle!

4) The baby can now: yawn, hiccup, roll, kick, punch, and swallow!

5) From my Newton-Wellesley hospital newsletter re: week 18: “The skin of the fetus is loose and wrinkled, without yet a layer of fat underneath.” Hmm…that doesn’t sound so cute :-)

6) The baby’s digestive system is starting to produce meconium, its first POOP! I made the mistake of looking up “meconium” on Wikipedia. I don’t recommend it. There are pictures.