Museum on the go

Another free day, thank god. So, what do we all do with a free day: pack it full to the brim of activities, lunches--sometimes I have scheduled two or three lunches, so at the end of it all you collapse dead.

Plus a little darling 19 month old. YIkes.

So today was this kind of a day so far and looks as if it will shape up to be the same for the evening as well.

Rush out the door--have showered, blow dried my own hair for fear of getting penumonia again this year, eaten half an english muffin, gotten Lucas fed, dressed, coat, shoes, hat, mittens, sweater, scarf, nose warmer on. (Love those Boston winters)
And off to visit my clinic for a bit and then raceoff to Whole Foods (Whole Paycheck) for shopping, then to the MFA to meet Dad and his ladyfriend.

Now, I am bold with my own son. Would I ever recommend to a patient to venture out and about in a public area packed with people and fragile objects with a toddler who is not secured by some sort of seat with a harness..aka stroller...no. But off we went hand in hand as he is rushing towards the large sculpture in the atrium intently yelling "fa, fa, fa." Well Lucas, yes the artist may have felt it was "Form of body emerging" but you think it is an elephant. Imagination my dear, that is what modern art is about, right?

And quick as lightning, here we are going into the Napoleon exhibit the four of us with Lucas at the helm rushing towards giant Napoleon smirking back at him. Now the exhibit is quite handsomely laid out, displaying the decorative arts of Napoleon's time, including a lavish daybed, twin Sevres blue vases, and gorgeous embroidered attire for ladies of the court. And Lucas loved it all--especially running up a tapestry displayed on a ramp, which served as a lovely slide for the tike. But all in all he was quite well behaved often trotting through the gallery with an index finger up to his pursed lips shushing all in sight.

And I wondered why is everybody so silent anyways--shouldn't the idea be to share your ideas of art with your friends you are with. Or has the cultural tide changed so much that art of the past should be enjoyed in silent revery--that certianly isn't how we look at contemporary art galleries, or how these pieces of Napoleonic decor were used to begin with.

So, with the glares aside I am happy introducing my little guy to beautiful art on the go--rushing through the crowds of eyes, shouting out an "ooohhh" and then a assertive "shhh" right to that oversized Napoleon.

http://mfa.org/napoleon/exhibition.htm

Ramping Up

Finally the last few days have come to a lovely and quiet end. Not that I don't love Christmas with every bit of my Italian soul, but I am frankly, as I many of you all, exhausted. My son has eaten through the last of the traditional Italian Christmas cake, Pannetone, and with it has had one large sugar high and I am ready to put the Hallmark sing-along penguins to rest for a long winter's sleep. And with all of this comes the sad realization that for this gift of 6 days with my son, I will work double time over the 6 days around new years.
Now who had the bright idea of actually being a pediatrics resident and being a Mom. Well, I guess we both did. And so here I am caught betwixed the maternal desires of being with my adorable 19 month old who is learning to talk, dance, draw and just be and of course the draws of my career.

Now let's be honest this is an age old dilemna that millions of women are struglling with--can we handle it all?? And most days I feel like it may just be too much. My last shift I was in the emergency room with a full house of sick babies with respiratory distress and asthma and lacerations and god knows what else was bothering them at 2 in the morning, and all I wanted to do was come home to be with my own son who was also laid up with 104 temperature at home. The irony of it all.

So after many months of promising myself with a few extra minutes here and there I can jot a few things down, and some nudging from a few folks, I feel like maybe i could have something to say about balancing an 80 hour a week career with an adorable munchkin who deserves all my time.

So with that I 'll say I have two more days of calm before the storm to enjoy my family, try not to get into a sulky mood, mount a new years eve menu for 6, and have guests visting this weekend. It can be done. If I believe I am supermom I can be.