Moon Sand

This past weekend our family stayed in Atlanta. Kelly attended a cardiology CME on Saturday from 7am-2pm, and thereafter we spent time doing shopping and activities for Ethan.

While Kelly was at the CME course, Ethan and I went back to our hotel which was next door to a Waffle House. Naturally we ate breakfast at the Waffle. It was my first experience having breakfast at one, and I have to say their waffles are pretty good (then again I was totally hungry).

Not knowing that I would smell like I had been sitting in a Waffle House for breakfast for nearly an hour, Ethan and I decided to go to the GA aquarium (the world's largest - I always have to say that it seems) where we have a family pass for one year. The time we bought these passes and took to seeing the aquarium for the first time Ethan was out asleep, only to awake in our final minutes there. This time, he was fully engaged and active, running around, curious, pointing at things, walking up to strangers and nearly begging for what they may be eating, the usual toddler mentality (that everything is entitled to them :-D).

Actually, Ethan was more interested in people than fishes. And afterwards, we walked around Centennial Olympic Park (adjacent to the aquarium, created in 1996 for the Atlanta Olympic games). Simple park, had some play area for children, but we were out so early and it was ever so slightly drizzling that the playground was all misty and wet.

So we went back to our hotel room. Ate lunch. Napped a bit. At 2:30pm we picked up mama and did the same things over again - aquarium and olympic park. We went to Babies R Us for some much needed shopping of 18 month old onesies. Some essentials you just can't have enough of, or, which is likely more accurate, he is going through a lot more clothes as a toddler in preschool when his clothes otherwise gets wet or dirty or both during water play, painting, clay or play doh work or outdoor play. Then for dinner we went to Persepolis (Persian Cuisine) and took our food to go since by that time it was past Noomsie's bedtime. Dinner was Joojeh Kabob (cornish hens) and kashk-e-bademjoon with bread. Yum! No seriously. Yum-Yum!!!

On Sunday we went to the Children's Museum and bought a family pass for one year there too. Inside are all these cool activities for children (infants to toddlers to older kids) - many of which Ethan does at his preschool. These include the usual painting station, blocks, shapes, a water play area, and more. The one station that I found really neat, was a "sand box" place filled with this stuff called "Moon Sand" (hence the title of this entry). This stuff is sort of like sand, but more moldable like play-doh. I only wish I took some home, since you could buy it on your way out in buckets of 5 or 10lbs. Perhaps I'll investigate online and buy it that way. Ethan just loved squishing the material with his hands, or with one of the many instruments to shape, scoop, or dump the material :-P It was interesting too, that Kelly was the only woman at this station. It was mainly the dads and their sons :-D Way cool. I think the dads were getting into it more than their kids.

Then we did a bit more shopping. I bought a Calvin Klein suit, and Kelly bought some clothes. Oh yea, and Kelly's boots were totally falling apart so we had to buy a new pair of shoes for her before we went anywhere.

TONS of pictures to come soon. And it seems the blogging may just be a once weekly thing from now on. Not enough time in the day/week.

February Family Birthdays

Happy Birthday Mom (Feb 19th), Carmel (21st), Ryu (22nd) and Shar (23rd)!

February is always a month packed with celebration in our family, what with four birthdays in as many days, as well as Ayyam-i-Ha, parties, dinners and get-togethers are simply the norm. This year for Ayyam-i-Ha, we are putting together gift packages for all of Ethan's preschoolmates, along with a short blurb on what Ayyam-i-Ha is and what it stands for.

Briefly, Baha'is celebrate Ayyam-i-Ha as a time of gift-giving, service, fellowship (hence the may parties) but more importantly, for spiritual preparation for the fasting month (19 days) that follows. Ayyam-i-Ha is celebrated from February 26-March 1st (plus February 29th on a leap year - which is the case this year!). The fasting month is from March 2nd to the 20th (sunset) and Naw Ruz (New Year) is on March 21st - coinciding with the start of spring (for us Northern hemisphere folks - start of Fall/Autumn for our friends in the Southern Hemisphere).

While fasting, Baha'is refrain from eating and drinking during daylight hours, making for large(r) breakfasts before the sun rises, and sizeable dinners with plenty to drink once the sun sets.

Fat Or Fiction

Growing up I was always the "skinny kid" - more accurate actually I was always the SHORT and skinny kid in school. And puberty hit and I grew a foot! Quite literally: I was 4'6" in 1992 (grade 8) and 5'6" in 1994 (grade 10). Since then, I have maybe grown 2 inches to my current lofty height of 5'8" (with a fully spiked hair and some tennis shoes on). But, I was still light-set, and this bothered me.

Boy have times changed!

In highschool I was active and played sports virtually every day of the week (weekends included). Following graduation, and all throughout university, I maintained my frequent dose of sports through the intramurals program and working out at the gym (where I also worked part-time).

Life was good, body image was healthy, I looked more stalky (not fat), no complaints.

Fast forward several years of fast food (and marriage and a baby) and I am a robust dude. Or should I say rotund, round, and not just in the face, but a full-on belly. Hey, I hope you all find this amusing, because I have no issues about telling it like it is.

I am fat(ter) and need to get back in shape. So much for New Year resolutions, it is now February and my treadmill just arrived.

That's correct. Nothing was working out. Mountain terrain is hardly a place to go "jogging with my iPod". Someone has to look after Nooms. Can't leave Kelly alone (and Kelly's not interested in exercise). Can't go to the gym when you have to juggle work and Ethan and preschool? Bike to work? Geez. And, yes, the EXCUSES are longer than ... well, just long, ok?

And I was getting tired of doing nothing, so I did what I do best and that's spend money.

I bought this Gold's Gym MAXX 650 treadmill that I have yet to break in (it arrived on Wednesday). I hope to unpack and assemble it this weekend and run everday thereafter. (and I'd better get some regular motivation from my readers to "keep up with the exercise, Max!")

I want to be fit for our trip to BC in June when I hope to hang out with my bro and all of my buddies and for them to meet Ethan (many/most for the first time).

Running With Research

River Birch Research is picking up the pace!

So far in 2008, we have 5 active studies - already equal more than half the total (n = 8) of 2007 - and we are only a week into February. We have a COPD study, as well as a rheumatoid arthritis, anemia, stroke/atrial fibrillation and osteoarthritis of the knee. Due to confidentiality agreements we've signed, this is all I will say for that. But I am getting very excited about where we are going.

I have interviewed an applicant (Deb) for a study coordinator position, who we hope to hire very soon. With another full-time coordinator, and several other studies in the pipeline, and a stylish and clean new look to our website (www.riverbirchresearch.com) things are slowly coming together.

We have brought in a few providers and staff members to our research team. In just this past week, Dr. Leski (sport's medicine), Dr. Sabreen (nephrology and hypertension), Dr. Issa (internal medicine and pulmonology) and Cami (women's and perinatal nurse practitioner) have joined our team at River Birch!

Next week, I am meeting with Dr. Mannino (cardiology), Dr. Whaley (oncology) and Deb (coordinator applicant).

Unlike basic science research, I can actually see immediate results to things I implement. And I realized something about myself -- that I need this steady supply of rather "instant gratification" to keep motivated (something that happens all too infrequently in academic research).

I truly enjoy directing our whole program. Far from knowing for sure if the changes I am introducing will translate to financial gains, I am still hopeful we can meet and exceed "2003" - our last respectable fiscal year revenue-wise.

Another goal and personal challenge: a satellite branch for RBRA in Atlanta, GA.

Preschool A Success!

Ethan LOVES The Learning Depot. He completed his first week of preschool this week. He goes three times a week (T, W, Th) for now. Linda still looks after him Ms and Fs... but eventually we will transition him to full-time at TLD. In his first week, Ethan has played indoors and out with children slightly older than he is, experienced playing with Play-Doh, does gross motor play in a "jump room" where everything is "bouncy" and child safe, dabbles with art (he even brought home a piece of art work that he had scribbled!) and more ...

What impresses me is how detail-oriented TLD is in completing these "report cards" that are sent home with every child, EVERY DAY :-D They include things like what Ethan ate, in what quantity, when he slept, for how long, diaper changes, supplies needed, potty training, and such. There is this one part that reads, "Today I was:" and then an area to fill out. Ethan's "teacher" (for lack of a better term that escapes me just now) writes for Ethan such adjectives as "wonderful!" and "great!". So cute. (you know, it reads as if in Ethan's voice saying "Today I was wonderful" - ahh you get what I mean) ..

And the other children are so happy with Ethan - as if Ethan is a new class pet (everyone wants to touch and "pet" him) - partly because he is just so darn cute in his toddler outfits. The parents of Ethan's classmates sure have voiced their admiration for our little Noomsie and his dashing good looks.

Tomorrow will be back with Linda. It will be interesting to see how he does after three days (kinda like a long weekend anyways) away from her care. But we suspect no difference in his behavior or attachment to us or Linda, since he is quite used to her now and loves very much being in her care and with Lukie and Lilly to play with.

Next week, I think, Ethan's class at TLD gets a local clay artist come and visit and teach them some pottery. We'd better slip in a note to E's teacher to pay special attention so that noomz doesn't eat any of the clay. :-p