From the title of this post, you're thinking I'm working on about a month delay, right? Mais non, it's not my son's first day of school; it's my first day of school.
"Oh, she's going back to school. Good idea in this economy. Maybe she'll advance her career."
Um, no. It's my first day of kindergarten. This is my first day to volunteer in my son's class. I'm excited; he is beyond excited. He has been eagerly awaiting this day since the first day of school. He has told his friends, he told his teacher (who is more than likely already aware that I'll be there, I hope).
Should be lots of fun. :-)
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I saw the mom of the boy my son will be trick or treating with in the hall this morning at daycare. We stopped and had a lovely conversation. Good to know that there is a statute of limitations on poo-related grudges.
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Blogworld seems so quiet lately. Several of my once regular commenters haven't been commenting; several regular posters haven't been posting. Blogging probably went out of vogue and no one told me. Typical. :-)
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Better than he dreamed
Halloween is coming. Oh, you haven't begun to think about Halloween yet? Clearly you don't have a five year old boy at your house then, eh?
My son has been talking Halloween for about a month. A few weeks ago a friend of his asked my son if they could trick or treat together. After my son reminding me of that several times, I finally emailed the friend's mom. "Why did he have to ask you several times?", you might ask. Yes, Halloween is a month away, but the social schedule of five year olds fills quickly. I did finally email her this weekend. And why did I wait so long? Because it was this mom. I was all prepared for her to say no (or nothing at all) as I created some excuse for my son in lieu of the reality of "Sorry, but your friend's mom is mad that I told her about the time her son rubbed a poo covered stick on your shirt."
Well, I was wrong. She sent an enthusiastic, if not awkward email, that her son has also been asking, and that he was very excited when she told him that I asked about it. The awkward part was one strange line in the email: "It's good that we're talking about this." Um, yes it is.
The most important part? My son was thrilled this morning when I told him he would get to trick or treat with his friend. It's also nice that this awkward moment in my history with his friend's mom seems to have passed.
He is also thrilled about his costume, Captain Rex from Star Wars. He informed me that he likes it "better than he ever dreamed". :-)
If his dreams are coming true, and then some, then I'm happy. :-)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Want to hear what we did Sunday afternoon? Go check out my review of the Red Wings/Penguins game. Thanks so much to EventChaser and Razorgator for providing the tickets!
My son has been talking Halloween for about a month. A few weeks ago a friend of his asked my son if they could trick or treat together. After my son reminding me of that several times, I finally emailed the friend's mom. "Why did he have to ask you several times?", you might ask. Yes, Halloween is a month away, but the social schedule of five year olds fills quickly. I did finally email her this weekend. And why did I wait so long? Because it was this mom. I was all prepared for her to say no (or nothing at all) as I created some excuse for my son in lieu of the reality of "Sorry, but your friend's mom is mad that I told her about the time her son rubbed a poo covered stick on your shirt."
Well, I was wrong. She sent an enthusiastic, if not awkward email, that her son has also been asking, and that he was very excited when she told him that I asked about it. The awkward part was one strange line in the email: "It's good that we're talking about this." Um, yes it is.
The most important part? My son was thrilled this morning when I told him he would get to trick or treat with his friend. It's also nice that this awkward moment in my history with his friend's mom seems to have passed.
He is also thrilled about his costume, Captain Rex from Star Wars. He informed me that he likes it "better than he ever dreamed". :-)
If his dreams are coming true, and then some, then I'm happy. :-)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Want to hear what we did Sunday afternoon? Go check out my review of the Red Wings/Penguins game. Thanks so much to EventChaser and Razorgator for providing the tickets!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Leapfrog Tag Reader giveaway winner
Congrats to Gigi, comment number 58 as chosen by random.org. She is the winner of the Leapfrog Tag Reader giveaway. Gigi has 48 hours to respond to my email, or another winner will be chosen.
Thanks to all who participated!
Thanks to all who participated!
Helper
Being a helper in a preschool or kindergarten class is a big deal. The kids all love to be snack helper or calendar helper, or whatever other "jobs" might be available.
In my son's kindergarten class, they are lucky enough to have seven daily helpers. My son has been complaining to me the last few days that he has not had a chance to be a helper yet. I told him to be patient, that he would get a turn. He said that some kids had already had more than one turn.
I had to admit that after 12 days of school in a class with 17 kids and 7 helper jobs, it seemed that everyone should have had a turn.
I had to email the teacher about another issue, so I simply made mention of the fact that my son was eager to be a helper.
The teacher explained the helper procedure to me: On the child's day to bring snack (his day is next week), he is snack helper. For the six days following that, he gets to do each of the other helper jobs once. While this is a great way to keep track of who has had a turn, how difficult for a child to watch his or her friend have seven turns before even getting one turn. I am all for teaching patience, but wow, what a challenge.
My son did not feel reassured when I guaranteed that he would have a helper job next week on his snack day. He was downright sad.
Our solution? We are going to create a helper list at home. I had suggested that we have him, hubby and me be the helpers, but he decided to use stuffed animals. I asked if we should use 17 stuffed animals so they all have to be patient, too. He said that we should have 7 stuffed animals so no one has to wait. At our house, everyone is always a helper. :-)
In my son's kindergarten class, they are lucky enough to have seven daily helpers. My son has been complaining to me the last few days that he has not had a chance to be a helper yet. I told him to be patient, that he would get a turn. He said that some kids had already had more than one turn.
I had to admit that after 12 days of school in a class with 17 kids and 7 helper jobs, it seemed that everyone should have had a turn.
I had to email the teacher about another issue, so I simply made mention of the fact that my son was eager to be a helper.
The teacher explained the helper procedure to me: On the child's day to bring snack (his day is next week), he is snack helper. For the six days following that, he gets to do each of the other helper jobs once. While this is a great way to keep track of who has had a turn, how difficult for a child to watch his or her friend have seven turns before even getting one turn. I am all for teaching patience, but wow, what a challenge.
My son did not feel reassured when I guaranteed that he would have a helper job next week on his snack day. He was downright sad.
Our solution? We are going to create a helper list at home. I had suggested that we have him, hubby and me be the helpers, but he decided to use stuffed animals. I asked if we should use 17 stuffed animals so they all have to be patient, too. He said that we should have 7 stuffed animals so no one has to wait. At our house, everyone is always a helper. :-)
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Only child
I, like my son, am an only child. Children without siblings have to find ways to keep themselves amused, because they don't have a built in household playmate. Hubby and I definitely spend a lot more time playing with our son than my parents spent playing with me, but he inevitably has time that he has to fill amusing himself.
When I was a child, I read a lot, I played with Colorforms, dolls...and I played board games. I loved board games and wasn't about to let the fact that I had no one to play them with most of the time keep me from playing them. Life, Monopoly, Pay Day...I played them all by myself. I would use two or more game pieces and go through the entire game. I enjoyed it, even. There is a perk to playing a board game by yourself: You always win. Of course, you always lose, too, but that is neither here nor there. :-)
My son has Hungry Hungry Hippos as well as a knock off version that someone gave us called "Hungry Frogs". He enjoys them both. Obviously they are two entirely different games as one involves hippos who are eager to eat, while the other involves frogs. :-)
Last night while hubby grilled some burgers and I prepared the side dishes, my son said "I wish I could play Hungry Frogs." I said that we could definitely play after dinner, but if he wanted to play right now, he would have to play it himself. Prepared for the usual "I don't want to do that", I was surprised when he said "That was what I meant." I got it down from the game shelf, and he happily played while I finished getting dinner ready. One of the times I looked in on him, he was playing the part of two frogs, with both hands. The other time? He was all 4 frogs, using both hands and both feet. I think that was an official rite of passage of an only child. :-)
After dinner, we played a family game of Hungry Hungry Hippos.
When I was a child, I read a lot, I played with Colorforms, dolls...and I played board games. I loved board games and wasn't about to let the fact that I had no one to play them with most of the time keep me from playing them. Life, Monopoly, Pay Day...I played them all by myself. I would use two or more game pieces and go through the entire game. I enjoyed it, even. There is a perk to playing a board game by yourself: You always win. Of course, you always lose, too, but that is neither here nor there. :-)
My son has Hungry Hungry Hippos as well as a knock off version that someone gave us called "Hungry Frogs". He enjoys them both. Obviously they are two entirely different games as one involves hippos who are eager to eat, while the other involves frogs. :-)
Last night while hubby grilled some burgers and I prepared the side dishes, my son said "I wish I could play Hungry Frogs." I said that we could definitely play after dinner, but if he wanted to play right now, he would have to play it himself. Prepared for the usual "I don't want to do that", I was surprised when he said "That was what I meant." I got it down from the game shelf, and he happily played while I finished getting dinner ready. One of the times I looked in on him, he was playing the part of two frogs, with both hands. The other time? He was all 4 frogs, using both hands and both feet. I think that was an official rite of passage of an only child. :-)
After dinner, we played a family game of Hungry Hungry Hippos.
Monday, September 21, 2009
When did I stop looking like a kid?
My mom tells a story of one time when she was carded for the purchase of alcohol, sometime after I turned 21. She said "I have a daughter who's old enough to drink." My mom is a mere 18 years older than me, so this occured sometime when she was 39 years of age or older.
I remember going somewhere and getting carded and hubby didn't, even though he is two and a half years younger than me.
The best one ever was shopping at Sam's Club with my ex when I was 21 years old. I stopped at the sample cart to get something and the lady working at the cart stopped me and asked if my parents were there (kids aren't supposed to get samples without a parent present). I, with all the attitude of a 21 year old who was shocked that she didn't look as mature as she fancied herself to be, said "No, my parents aren't here, but my husband is."
When my son was born, I was in recovery after my C-section, drifting in and out of sleep after having been in labor for 22 hours. I heard one of the nurses comment to another "Her file says she's 27. She looks 16!"
Last night I was showing my son a photo album that contained photos of our cat as a kitten. I was 22 years old in those pictures. My son looked at the pictures and asked "Was this when you were a kid?" I told him that no, I was 22. He said "You look like a kid." On second glance, I realized he was right. I looked like a young teenage girl holding a kitten. Smooth face, long straight hair pulled back in a barrette.
I looked in the mirror later and realized I don't look old by any stretch of the imagination...But I'm definitely not a kid anymore. I have the face of a woman, not a girl. At 22? Probably more kid than I cared to admit, in looks and in actions.
I'm not sure when the transformation came, but I've never been someone concerned with my age as the number increases. It's just funny to look back at a time when you felt so grown up, and realize you're looking at a kid.
I remember going somewhere and getting carded and hubby didn't, even though he is two and a half years younger than me.
The best one ever was shopping at Sam's Club with my ex when I was 21 years old. I stopped at the sample cart to get something and the lady working at the cart stopped me and asked if my parents were there (kids aren't supposed to get samples without a parent present). I, with all the attitude of a 21 year old who was shocked that she didn't look as mature as she fancied herself to be, said "No, my parents aren't here, but my husband is."
When my son was born, I was in recovery after my C-section, drifting in and out of sleep after having been in labor for 22 hours. I heard one of the nurses comment to another "Her file says she's 27. She looks 16!"
Last night I was showing my son a photo album that contained photos of our cat as a kitten. I was 22 years old in those pictures. My son looked at the pictures and asked "Was this when you were a kid?" I told him that no, I was 22. He said "You look like a kid." On second glance, I realized he was right. I looked like a young teenage girl holding a kitten. Smooth face, long straight hair pulled back in a barrette.
I looked in the mirror later and realized I don't look old by any stretch of the imagination...But I'm definitely not a kid anymore. I have the face of a woman, not a girl. At 22? Probably more kid than I cared to admit, in looks and in actions.
I'm not sure when the transformation came, but I've never been someone concerned with my age as the number increases. It's just funny to look back at a time when you felt so grown up, and realize you're looking at a kid.
Friday, September 18, 2009
I'm an Event Chaser!
I recently saw a post on another blog about EventChaser. They spoke of getting free and discounted tickets to sporting events and concerts in exchange for writing a detailed blog post.
Considering that I blog about events I go to anyway, this sounded like a perfect opportunity for me.
I signed up to be a correspondent on their website, and got a response the same day. The folks there are so nice and helpful.
We are big baseball, hockey and football fans at our house, so when they asked me for suggestions of an event I'd like to attend, I had no problem at all coming up with some.
After watching last years Stanely Cup finals, it became clear that I am living in the wrong state, because our whole family was rooting for the Penguins.
Well, watch out Red Wings fans, because thanks to EventChaser our family is going to be lucky enough to be watching a preseason game of the Penguins versus the Red Wings in Detroit. I cannot begin to describe how excited I am about this! Actually, I will be describing exactly how excited I am about this after it happens, and I submit my review of the game and the venue.
Please check out the links in this post. Razor Gator has some really good deals on hard to find tickets!
Thanks EventChaser and Razor Gator!
Considering that I blog about events I go to anyway, this sounded like a perfect opportunity for me.
I signed up to be a correspondent on their website, and got a response the same day. The folks there are so nice and helpful.
We are big baseball, hockey and football fans at our house, so when they asked me for suggestions of an event I'd like to attend, I had no problem at all coming up with some.
After watching last years Stanely Cup finals, it became clear that I am living in the wrong state, because our whole family was rooting for the Penguins.
Well, watch out Red Wings fans, because thanks to EventChaser our family is going to be lucky enough to be watching a preseason game of the Penguins versus the Red Wings in Detroit. I cannot begin to describe how excited I am about this! Actually, I will be describing exactly how excited I am about this after it happens, and I submit my review of the game and the venue.
Please check out the links in this post. Razor Gator has some really good deals on hard to find tickets!
Thanks EventChaser and Razor Gator!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
A robber can't help in class
My son's teacher is looking for parent volunteers. I was surprised at the extent of the services needed. A regular parent volunteer is expected to hang bulletin boards, prepare materials and may or may not actually spend any time with the children. I am offering to volunteer weekly on a lunch break. Since I have fairly limited time, I volunteered to be a reading volunteer, so I can actually spend time with my son while I am there.
A background check is required for all parent volunteers. I submitted that information this week.
My son asked yesterday why I couldn't come in to help already, and I explained that I had to fill out a form for them to do something called a background check, which would make sure I had never done something grumpy that I shouldn't have done, because they wouldn't want people who had done things like that working with kids.
He asked how they do that, and I explained that they ask the police. He asked "How would they know?" I said that they check to make sure I've never been to jail. With this, my son burst out laughing. I asked "Do you think I've ever been to jail?" Between giggles, he said "No." Then, after a pause, he said "So a robber can't help in class." True enough.
A background check is required for all parent volunteers. I submitted that information this week.
My son asked yesterday why I couldn't come in to help already, and I explained that I had to fill out a form for them to do something called a background check, which would make sure I had never done something grumpy that I shouldn't have done, because they wouldn't want people who had done things like that working with kids.
He asked how they do that, and I explained that they ask the police. He asked "How would they know?" I said that they check to make sure I've never been to jail. With this, my son burst out laughing. I asked "Do you think I've ever been to jail?" Between giggles, he said "No." Then, after a pause, he said "So a robber can't help in class." True enough.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Blessed in zoos
Yesterday there was a comment on our post that someone wished there was a zoo near where they lived. It reminded me of why I love where we live.
I grew up about 40 minutes from Albany, NY. There was no zoo within a few hours of us. There was Catskill Game Farm about an hour away (which I was surprised to discover had no "games" the first time I visited), but that was it. The only zoo I remember visiting in my childhood was Philadelphia Zoo.
Here in Southwest Michigan, we have access to so many zoos. There is one 20 minutes away, two an hour away, two that are two hours away or less, four that are three hours away or less, one that is four hours away, and a bunch more if you are willing to drive an hour or two more. Hubby and I have had a zoo membership as long as we've been together. It used to give free admission to the local zoo, and free membership to reciprocal zoos around the country. Now it gives free admission to the local one and half off admission to the reciprocal zoos, which is still a great deal. Over the years, in addition to the zoos within a few hours of us, we have visited Portland Zoo and Buffalo Zoo. We also went to a zoo in the Bahamas on our honeymoon.
I feel fortunate that our son has access to all these experiences to see animals. The zoos we visit all have great habitats for the animals, rather than restrictive cages. The one closest to us even gives the opportunity to feed giraffes, which is always lots of fun.
Do you live near any zoos?
I grew up about 40 minutes from Albany, NY. There was no zoo within a few hours of us. There was Catskill Game Farm about an hour away (which I was surprised to discover had no "games" the first time I visited), but that was it. The only zoo I remember visiting in my childhood was Philadelphia Zoo.
Here in Southwest Michigan, we have access to so many zoos. There is one 20 minutes away, two an hour away, two that are two hours away or less, four that are three hours away or less, one that is four hours away, and a bunch more if you are willing to drive an hour or two more. Hubby and I have had a zoo membership as long as we've been together. It used to give free admission to the local zoo, and free membership to reciprocal zoos around the country. Now it gives free admission to the local one and half off admission to the reciprocal zoos, which is still a great deal. Over the years, in addition to the zoos within a few hours of us, we have visited Portland Zoo and Buffalo Zoo. We also went to a zoo in the Bahamas on our honeymoon.
I feel fortunate that our son has access to all these experiences to see animals. The zoos we visit all have great habitats for the animals, rather than restrictive cages. The one closest to us even gives the opportunity to feed giraffes, which is always lots of fun.
Do you live near any zoos?
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Tigers times two
I just can't seem to make myself blog lately. Do I have what so many people had in August? Blog hiatusitis? I don't know if I'd go that far...Just lazy or distracted or something.
But, I could tell you about our super fun weekend! The first day they went on sale, back in April or something, we bought tickets to a Tigers game. In September. Five months later, it was time for the game! The game we went to was on Sunday, which shocked hubby who printed the lineup for Saturday for our son. I said "Nice. Where's Sunday's?" He was very surprised, as were the eight million or so people he had told that we would be attending Saturday's game. Worked out well for us, because the Tigers lost on Saturday and won on Sunday. Huzzah!
We did head to Detroit on Saturday, however, and spent the day at the zoo. This is the 4th year we've taken our son there, and it's so great to see each year how much more interested he is in stopping to observe the animals. We are not "walk by" zoo visitors. We were there the whole time they were open, from 10-5, and could have used a couple more hours there. There were a few things we didn't see that we would have liked to see, and a couple things we would have liked to go back and see again.
One of the cutest things we saw involved the seals. Any of you with a dog have probably experienced how a dog will sometimes dream of running, and the dog's feet will go wild as he sleeps. We were lucky enough to see a seal who seemed to be dreaming of swimming. He was laying on his back and raised one of his front fins repeatedly. It almost looked like he was waving. Then his back fin and his other front fin starting moved in symmetry with the other fin. Very cute.
The Tigers game was great fun. We went to one last season as well. Two differences this year: They won, and on Sundays kids get to run the bases after the game, which our son loved.
My son loved that he had the opportunity to swim in the hotel pool, something he has never done before.
A great end of summer/start of school fun weekend!
But, I could tell you about our super fun weekend! The first day they went on sale, back in April or something, we bought tickets to a Tigers game. In September. Five months later, it was time for the game! The game we went to was on Sunday, which shocked hubby who printed the lineup for Saturday for our son. I said "Nice. Where's Sunday's?" He was very surprised, as were the eight million or so people he had told that we would be attending Saturday's game. Worked out well for us, because the Tigers lost on Saturday and won on Sunday. Huzzah!
We did head to Detroit on Saturday, however, and spent the day at the zoo. This is the 4th year we've taken our son there, and it's so great to see each year how much more interested he is in stopping to observe the animals. We are not "walk by" zoo visitors. We were there the whole time they were open, from 10-5, and could have used a couple more hours there. There were a few things we didn't see that we would have liked to see, and a couple things we would have liked to go back and see again.
One of the cutest things we saw involved the seals. Any of you with a dog have probably experienced how a dog will sometimes dream of running, and the dog's feet will go wild as he sleeps. We were lucky enough to see a seal who seemed to be dreaming of swimming. He was laying on his back and raised one of his front fins repeatedly. It almost looked like he was waving. Then his back fin and his other front fin starting moved in symmetry with the other fin. Very cute.
The Tigers game was great fun. We went to one last season as well. Two differences this year: They won, and on Sundays kids get to run the bases after the game, which our son loved.
My son loved that he had the opportunity to swim in the hotel pool, something he has never done before.
A great end of summer/start of school fun weekend!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Remembering Raymond J. Metz III
I will preface this by saying that I have never met Raymond J. Metz. When I signed on for Project 2996, I knew I'd be getting the name of someone I never knew, because I was fortunate enough to not know anyone personally who lost their life on September 11, 2001.
There are so many people out there missing someone because of that day. Missing their spouse, their parent, their child, their friend.
Raymond J. Metz was all of these things to someone.
I have compiled some of the following information, found on legacy.com and from the NY Times online, to help you all know a little more about this man and his life.
Raymond Metz took merciless ribbing at work for his taste in sports teams. What could he expect? He worked in New York and yet rooted enthusiastically for Boston. Not just the Red Sox; the New England Patriots were his football team. The Bruins were his hockey team. Mr. Metz even had season tickets to the Patriots.
"So he was very popular in downtown Manhattan," said his wife, Patrice. "It made for a lot of sports bets."
One of the reasons Mr. Metz and his wife picked Trumbull, Conn., to live with their two young daughters was that it made the trip to the New England football games more acceptable.
Mr. Metz, 37, a currency broker for Euro Brokers, was born in Ohio, but moved to the North Shore of Boston with his family when he was young. He was the state champion in the hurdles in high school and continued to play hockey and ski as an adult.
When you're a Boston sports fan, you need to protect the tradition, so he was methodically indoctrinating his daughters, Natalie and Halie. "It was working," his wife said. "He used to get them all the paraphernalia from the Boston teams." But he would settle for indulging in their interests. As his wife put it, "He was equally happy painting the girls' nails and playing with Barbies while watching a hockey match."
Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on November 9, 2001.
METZ-Raymond J. III. Age 37, of Trumbull, CT, a currency broker for Euro Brokers Inc., died on Tuesday, September 11, 2001 during the attack on the World Trade Center Twin Towers. Born in Lakewood, OH., and raised on the North Shore of Boston, he was the son of Raymond J. Metz Jr. and Margaret Quinn Metz of North Andover, MA. He was a Trumbull resident for the past five years. Ray was a 1982 graduate of St. John's Preparatory School in Danvers, MA. and received a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from Boston University. He was an avid sports enthusiast who played recreational hockey and enjoyed skiing. In addition to his parents, survivors include his beloved wife, Patrice Costello Metz; two daughters, Natalie Anne and Halie Marie, all of Trumbull, CT; a sister, Wendy Metz of Belmont, MA; and several cousins, aunts and uncles. A Memorial Mass celebrating his life will take place in St. Theresa Church, 5301 Main Street, Trumbull, CT on Thursday, September 27, 2001 at 11 AM. At the request of the family, in lieu of flowers, those desiring may make memorial contributions to an education fund to benefit Natalie and Halie Metz, C/O People's Bank, 888 White Plains Road, Trumbull, CT. 06611
I discovered on a site that had been put together shortly after the attacks that Mr. Metz had called his wife, Patrice, from his office at Euro Brokers on the 84th floor of the south tower of the World Trade Center to reassure her.
"He called me at ten of nine after the first plane hit Tower 1 to tell me he was OK and getting out," Patrice Metz said.
That was the last time she spoke with her husband. She and her husband had driven in to work together that morning around 5 a.m., and parted when she headed to her job at a lower Manhattan law firm.
She described her husband, a Boston University graduate, as a great guy and father of two daughters, aged 3 and 7 at the time of his passing.
I am so sorry for the senseless loss that Mrs. Metz and their daughters have experienced. I am sorry for his other family and friends. I have seen from a memorial guest book that there are still a lot of people out there missing him, as the comments keep coming.
His girls are 11 and 15 now. I am so so sad that they don't have their dad to come home to each day. I pray that time is healing their wounds, though I know they will never fully heal. I'm sure Mr. Metz is looking down on them, proud of all they've accomplished.
I also pray that our nation will never experience such an attack on our country again, so no one else will have to go through what the Metz family has gone through.
There are so many people out there missing someone because of that day. Missing their spouse, their parent, their child, their friend.
Raymond J. Metz was all of these things to someone.
I have compiled some of the following information, found on legacy.com and from the NY Times online, to help you all know a little more about this man and his life.
Raymond Metz took merciless ribbing at work for his taste in sports teams. What could he expect? He worked in New York and yet rooted enthusiastically for Boston. Not just the Red Sox; the New England Patriots were his football team. The Bruins were his hockey team. Mr. Metz even had season tickets to the Patriots.
"So he was very popular in downtown Manhattan," said his wife, Patrice. "It made for a lot of sports bets."
One of the reasons Mr. Metz and his wife picked Trumbull, Conn., to live with their two young daughters was that it made the trip to the New England football games more acceptable.
Mr. Metz, 37, a currency broker for Euro Brokers, was born in Ohio, but moved to the North Shore of Boston with his family when he was young. He was the state champion in the hurdles in high school and continued to play hockey and ski as an adult.
When you're a Boston sports fan, you need to protect the tradition, so he was methodically indoctrinating his daughters, Natalie and Halie. "It was working," his wife said. "He used to get them all the paraphernalia from the Boston teams." But he would settle for indulging in their interests. As his wife put it, "He was equally happy painting the girls' nails and playing with Barbies while watching a hockey match."
Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on November 9, 2001.
METZ-Raymond J. III. Age 37, of Trumbull, CT, a currency broker for Euro Brokers Inc., died on Tuesday, September 11, 2001 during the attack on the World Trade Center Twin Towers. Born in Lakewood, OH., and raised on the North Shore of Boston, he was the son of Raymond J. Metz Jr. and Margaret Quinn Metz of North Andover, MA. He was a Trumbull resident for the past five years. Ray was a 1982 graduate of St. John's Preparatory School in Danvers, MA. and received a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from Boston University. He was an avid sports enthusiast who played recreational hockey and enjoyed skiing. In addition to his parents, survivors include his beloved wife, Patrice Costello Metz; two daughters, Natalie Anne and Halie Marie, all of Trumbull, CT; a sister, Wendy Metz of Belmont, MA; and several cousins, aunts and uncles. A Memorial Mass celebrating his life will take place in St. Theresa Church, 5301 Main Street, Trumbull, CT on Thursday, September 27, 2001 at 11 AM. At the request of the family, in lieu of flowers, those desiring may make memorial contributions to an education fund to benefit Natalie and Halie Metz, C/O People's Bank, 888 White Plains Road, Trumbull, CT. 06611
I discovered on a site that had been put together shortly after the attacks that Mr. Metz had called his wife, Patrice, from his office at Euro Brokers on the 84th floor of the south tower of the World Trade Center to reassure her.
"He called me at ten of nine after the first plane hit Tower 1 to tell me he was OK and getting out," Patrice Metz said.
That was the last time she spoke with her husband. She and her husband had driven in to work together that morning around 5 a.m., and parted when she headed to her job at a lower Manhattan law firm.
She described her husband, a Boston University graduate, as a great guy and father of two daughters, aged 3 and 7 at the time of his passing.
I am so sorry for the senseless loss that Mrs. Metz and their daughters have experienced. I am sorry for his other family and friends. I have seen from a memorial guest book that there are still a lot of people out there missing him, as the comments keep coming.
His girls are 11 and 15 now. I am so so sad that they don't have their dad to come home to each day. I pray that time is healing their wounds, though I know they will never fully heal. I'm sure Mr. Metz is looking down on them, proud of all they've accomplished.
I also pray that our nation will never experience such an attack on our country again, so no one else will have to go through what the Metz family has gone through.
Sources:
http://www.legacy.com/sept11/story.aspx?personid=97184http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/24/classified/paid-notice-deaths-metz-raymond-j-iii.html
http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-htmlstory-ctvictims,0,2010191.htmlstory
GIVEAWAY: Leapfrog Tag Reader
Earlier this year, I was given the opportunity to host a giveaway for a Leapfrog Tag Reader. It was a very well entered giveaway because Leapfrog has great products. Lucky me, I again have been given the opportunity to host a Tag Reader giveaway. One way or another, our son is getting one of these for Christmas. I'd love to win one, but even if I have to (*gasp*) buy one, he will get one. In part because it's a terrific, fun, educational item, and in part because I have already acquired a Spiderman Tag Reader book to go with it. :-)
We absolutely love Leapfrog products at our house. My son had the Little Touch Leappad, he had a couple of their other educational toys, including a little piano and an alphabet ball toy. He now has the Leapster. Their products are fun and educational.
According to the LeapFrog website, the Tag has won 28 awards in 6 different countries and is the best-selling reading system in the world. The Toy Industry Association named it the Best Educational Toy of 2009.
The Tag Reader comes with Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat and can hold a total of 10 books. For other Tag books, all you have to do is connect the Tag to a PC with the included cable and download the appropriate book from the website. If you are fortunate enough to acquire more than 10 books, you just have to delete one to make space for an additional one. You can do this as often as you like.
You can also set up what’s called a free Learning Path for your child on LeapFrog.com. This allows you to track what your child is learning and view accomplishments online.
There are over 30 books and games for the Tag, and it also comes in pink, in addition to the green version pictured.
To enter to contest, read Sarah's review of the LeapFrog Tag Reading System. Come back and leave a comment telling me who you want to win this for. You must complete this first entry, or the other entries won't count.
For additional entries:
1. Receive a bonus entry by leaving a comment confirming that you have linked to my contest on your blog.
2. Receive a second bonus entry by subscribing to or following my blog, and leaving a comment letting me know you have done so.
3. Receive a third bonus entry by following me on Twitter and tweeting about this contest.
That's 4 opportunities to win! This is a great prize, and I would love to win one myself! Even if you aren't a parent, this would be a great gift for a niece, nephew, child of a friend...
For even more opportunities to win, please visit these other blogs that are also holding Tag Reader giveaways:
Blogging ‘Bout Boys
Frisco Kids
Blog Salad
Confessions of a Mean Mommy
Ready Mom
The Adventures of Supermom
My Semblance of Sanity
World of Weasels
Parenting By Trial and Error
The giveaway on my blog ends September 24th at 2:00PM EST. The winner will be chosen by random.org and notified. The winner will have 48 hours to respond, or another winner will be chosen. US entries only, please.
Good luck!!!
We absolutely love Leapfrog products at our house. My son had the Little Touch Leappad, he had a couple of their other educational toys, including a little piano and an alphabet ball toy. He now has the Leapster. Their products are fun and educational.
According to the LeapFrog website, the Tag has won 28 awards in 6 different countries and is the best-selling reading system in the world. The Toy Industry Association named it the Best Educational Toy of 2009.
The Tag Reader comes with Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat and can hold a total of 10 books. For other Tag books, all you have to do is connect the Tag to a PC with the included cable and download the appropriate book from the website. If you are fortunate enough to acquire more than 10 books, you just have to delete one to make space for an additional one. You can do this as often as you like.
You can also set up what’s called a free Learning Path for your child on LeapFrog.com. This allows you to track what your child is learning and view accomplishments online.
There are over 30 books and games for the Tag, and it also comes in pink, in addition to the green version pictured.
To enter to contest, read Sarah's review of the LeapFrog Tag Reading System. Come back and leave a comment telling me who you want to win this for. You must complete this first entry, or the other entries won't count.
For additional entries:
1. Receive a bonus entry by leaving a comment confirming that you have linked to my contest on your blog.
2. Receive a second bonus entry by subscribing to or following my blog, and leaving a comment letting me know you have done so.
3. Receive a third bonus entry by following me on Twitter and tweeting about this contest.
That's 4 opportunities to win! This is a great prize, and I would love to win one myself! Even if you aren't a parent, this would be a great gift for a niece, nephew, child of a friend...
For even more opportunities to win, please visit these other blogs that are also holding Tag Reader giveaways:
Blogging ‘Bout Boys
Frisco Kids
Blog Salad
Confessions of a Mean Mommy
Ready Mom
The Adventures of Supermom
My Semblance of Sanity
World of Weasels
Parenting By Trial and Error
The giveaway on my blog ends September 24th at 2:00PM EST. The winner will be chosen by random.org and notified. The winner will have 48 hours to respond, or another winner will be chosen. US entries only, please.
Good luck!!!
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Soccer Mom
Last night my son had his first meeting with his new soccer team. Last year's "team" was about 50 kids, and every week they would split into different teams of 5. This year he has his own team of five and his own coach.
When we arrived, it was the coach, and two other players: The son of the coach, and another boy who was there with his mom. The boy who was with his mom and my son recognized each other from last season and quickly started playing together, and the third boy joined in.
The mom made small talk with me for a while. I realized we might not be clicking when she asked what school my son went to. When I named the public school he attends she said "Oh." I asked what school her son went to, and it was a private school offering kindergarten only. We didn't say much else, and she eventually walked away to sit in her car. Subtle.
It was then that I realized hubby had moved so he was standing about 5 feet away from me. I stood closer to him and he said he was giving the other mom and me space to bond. Heh.
The fourth mom arrived with her child. The mom in the car got out of the car and gave that mom a hug. The two of them coordinated a snack schedule.
The fifth mom couldn't make it, but apparently is the neighbor of the mom who went in the car.
If I'm going to be bonding with any moms on the team, I get the feeling it's going to be the mom of the coach, who smartly spent most of the practice walking her dog.
Or maybe I won't bond at all, and I'll just cheer for my son...and bring a snack on our assigned week. Heh.
When we arrived, it was the coach, and two other players: The son of the coach, and another boy who was there with his mom. The boy who was with his mom and my son recognized each other from last season and quickly started playing together, and the third boy joined in.
The mom made small talk with me for a while. I realized we might not be clicking when she asked what school my son went to. When I named the public school he attends she said "Oh." I asked what school her son went to, and it was a private school offering kindergarten only. We didn't say much else, and she eventually walked away to sit in her car. Subtle.
It was then that I realized hubby had moved so he was standing about 5 feet away from me. I stood closer to him and he said he was giving the other mom and me space to bond. Heh.
The fourth mom arrived with her child. The mom in the car got out of the car and gave that mom a hug. The two of them coordinated a snack schedule.
The fifth mom couldn't make it, but apparently is the neighbor of the mom who went in the car.
If I'm going to be bonding with any moms on the team, I get the feeling it's going to be the mom of the coach, who smartly spent most of the practice walking her dog.
Or maybe I won't bond at all, and I'll just cheer for my son...and bring a snack on our assigned week. Heh.
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Just so I don't go another week without posting
I could post about plenty, but I don't seem to have the inclination to form a single, coherent post.
So, I guess I'll just randomly post a bunch of things.
1. First day of Kindergarten. Today was only an hour and a half long, and parents attended as well. Nice class, nice teacher. My son was less than thrilled to return to daycare afterward, though.
2. The teacher said that Kindergarten has become very academic, and some days the kids don't even get to play. Yikes. I thought Kindergarten was playing. Not really, but you know what I'm saying...Right?
3. I'm coming to the realization that I'll be darn lucky if I can continue my schedule of working 32 hours a week (read: Real concern that it could become a heck of a lot fewer than 32 hours). I think I'll take advantage of my 8 hours (please, stay at 8 hours...) off by volunteering lots at school.
4. We went on a three night camping weekend a few weekends ago. Our first camping trip without another family. We had so much fun. My son said it was even more fun than going with friends.
5. I got another mall haircut this weekend. The hairdresser, who was really just the nicest girl, was rather new at cutting hair. My hair turned out fine, but she managed to cut the cape and her bandaid. I feel lucky to still have my ears.
ALSO...Wordnerd wants everyone to sign up to write a tribute to be posted on Friday for Project 2996. I wasn't going to do it, but I just decided that since I haven't been posting much, maybe this would give me a reason...a reason better than babbling about hairdressers with overactive scissors and jobs that are fading and kindergarten that sounds like more work than my job. A reason to help us remember that a lot of people lost a lot on that day 8 years ago...Lives, family and security were lost. So, if you think you can spare the time and the room on your blog, please go sign up, too. :-)
So, I guess I'll just randomly post a bunch of things.
1. First day of Kindergarten. Today was only an hour and a half long, and parents attended as well. Nice class, nice teacher. My son was less than thrilled to return to daycare afterward, though.
2. The teacher said that Kindergarten has become very academic, and some days the kids don't even get to play. Yikes. I thought Kindergarten was playing. Not really, but you know what I'm saying...Right?
3. I'm coming to the realization that I'll be darn lucky if I can continue my schedule of working 32 hours a week (read: Real concern that it could become a heck of a lot fewer than 32 hours). I think I'll take advantage of my 8 hours (please, stay at 8 hours...) off by volunteering lots at school.
4. We went on a three night camping weekend a few weekends ago. Our first camping trip without another family. We had so much fun. My son said it was even more fun than going with friends.
5. I got another mall haircut this weekend. The hairdresser, who was really just the nicest girl, was rather new at cutting hair. My hair turned out fine, but she managed to cut the cape and her bandaid. I feel lucky to still have my ears.
ALSO...Wordnerd wants everyone to sign up to write a tribute to be posted on Friday for Project 2996. I wasn't going to do it, but I just decided that since I haven't been posting much, maybe this would give me a reason...a reason better than babbling about hairdressers with overactive scissors and jobs that are fading and kindergarten that sounds like more work than my job. A reason to help us remember that a lot of people lost a lot on that day 8 years ago...Lives, family and security were lost. So, if you think you can spare the time and the room on your blog, please go sign up, too. :-)
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