Like a Very Tiny Rolling Stone

We have had some family trips of late, and Ms. Em has been riding the rails with us (actually, we took our station wagon, but isn't it more fun to picture her as a little, baby hobo?). I think I can speak for us all when I say that we had a blast! The first trip was to the mountains, where G did some serious kayaking. The plan was for Em and I to do some serious hiking, but the weather did not cooperate. It was freezing cold and snaining that weekend at the Breaks (snain being my bro's favorite term to describe that lovely sleet-snow-rain combo). This was a bummer, but we still had fun. We took beautiful drives, took pictures at the many scenic overlooks and introduced Emmy to the Russell Fork River, where she will have many good times and create countless childhood memories. She seemed to like it and enjoyed watching some boaters carve it up on the play wave at Rat Hole. That is a good thing because I spend much time hanging out at Ratliff Hole (river take out) waiting on her daddy, and now she can keep me company. In warmer times, this is a great swimming hole too. So Em got to meet a few more of G's boating community, and she and I met all sorts of friendly locals at the lodge. We had a great time! True to baby form, I think the highlight of the trip was Em's discovery that our lodge room had a ceiling fan. You know she loves them! I must say this was about the only highlight of that lodge room. It was pretty bad, but I was glad to have it given how cold it was that weekend. Fortunately by the end of the weekend, it had warmed up a bit. On our way home, we decided to do some hiking in the Red River Gorge. It was beautiful and so many fellow hikers stopped to comment on the tiniest hiker in the Gorge and to commend us for getting her started early. This was so fun and the golden autumn day was surreally beautiful. G and Emmy were a hoot, and we laughed and squealed so much that we probably scared off all forms of wildlife. G and I may never see a deer again!

So that was the country, but our next stop was the city by the lake. Chicago, though a totally different experience, was absolutely wonderful. I think G and I were both energized by being in the city for a week, and Em loved all of the people. I have to tell you that I never realized what a friendly city Chicago was until I went there with a baby. Folks everywhere stopped to interact with her, open the doors for us and comment on our cute little one. She loved the throngs of people walking toward us on the street, and in the museums she was convinced that the people were the art! Em was in heaven as was I! We enjoyed the Museum of Contemporary Art, which was actually pretty cool to see with a baby. So many of the installations there are quite large and easier for a baby to experience, albeit on her pint-sized level. Our mutual favorite was a photography exhibit titled, Disco Ball in a Forest. This involved a dark room, where a large-format, video of a forest scene was projected onto a wall. It was a typical, snowy, nighttime forest scene except there was a shining, spinning disco ball suspended from one of the trees. Emmy laughed and clapped for this one, and I did too. I can't quite convey its grooviness, but it is worth seeing. We also loved the Art Institute, of course, and Em got her first taste of some of the greats. I was a little concerned at first because every time we entered the Impressionist wing, she would cry. I thought perhaps impressionism is not her cup of tea? But alas, she just needed a new diaper. So I changed her and then we were off to enjoy Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, Pissaro, etc., etc. What a day! For me the highlights were the Jackson Pollack pieces. Em was worn out by this time, so I have a lovely photo of her passed out in front of Greyed Rainbow. Such inspiration to be had in a city. The beautiful art. The architecture of Millennium Park and city block after city block of impressive buildings. G and I vowed to work at making sure Emmy is exposed to creativity and big thinking, which can be harder to find in some ways in a small town.

Overall, both trips were such successes that I can't wait for our next adventure. It will likely be spring before we motor on again because G will be busy making the legislature happy over the winter months. I hope we can pack a little lighter and I'd really rather fly than drive more than 3 hours ever again, but otherwise I wouldn't change a thing!