News about Ariel and the boys

Ariel has been very busy this semester at the NYU SHERP. She's got the coursework, of course. Some audio projects. She's had some recent pieces published online. I've linked to some already. The last one was posted on the webpage for the Natural Resources Defense Council. I found one at TheScientist.com, called Technicolor Doo-Doo, that got a couple of positive comments. She's editor-in-chief of the webzine ScienceLine. Here's a link to her author's page at ScienceLine. She's been interning with the NPR show, Science Friday. (I think I have that right.)

She just accepted an internship, beginning May, with the IEEE Spectrum Magazine, a print magazine that also has online blogs, webinars and other multimedia content. Wikipedia says IEEE, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, is

an international non-profit, professional organization for the advancement of technology related to electricity. It has the most members of any technical professional organization in the world, with more than 395,000 members in around 150 countries

and says

IEEE produces 30 percent of the world's literature in the electrical and electronics engineering and computer science fields, publishing well over 100 peer-reviewed journals.

About Spectrum, it says the IEEE describes it as

the flagship publication of the IEEE, explor[ing] the development, applications and implications of new technologies. It anticipates trends in engineering, science, and technology, and provides a forum for understanding, discussion and leadership in these areas

and says

IEEE Spectrum has a circulation of over 380,000 engineers worldwide, making it one of the leading science and engineering magazines. It covers a wide variety of technical issues and advances in computers, communications, and electronics. As a general magazine, the articles attempt to be accessible to non-specialists, though an engineering background is assumed.

Ariel is also happy because it's a paid internship in NYC and, because it's international, there's a chance to travel, too. And, they've already told her there's a staff position maybe in the fall. (She's not done with SHERP until the end of the year.)

Oh, and there's another nice bit of news: Chris is visiting for a while, starting Monday. I think he's done with active duty and there's some talk he may join Ariel next fall. They may move to another part of Brooklyn near Prospect Park, which Ariel describes as a small Central Park. I don't remember if she mentioned Prospect Heights, which is nearer to where she is now in Williamsburg. It looks great and still a short trip to Manhattan.

These days have been crazy with the boys. We signed them up late for baseball. Cyndi and Jackson decided that Jackson should sign up afterall, and I thought Rylee could sign up, too. So, sure enough, a Saturday over a week ago, we all went to the little league fields for a super-late registration and I asked about Rylee, too. When they said there was room for Ry, everyone was happy.

Rylee is on the TBall Dodgers, and Jackson is on the Minor Machine Pitch II Rockies. It's been a whirlwind of getting them on the teams, figuring out practices, getting uniforms, and all. Rylee went to his first practice last Saturday. Jackson went to his first practice (about 5 minutes of batting cage practice) yesterday. And they both have games at 1 p.m. this Saturday. (There's also warm ups, pregame batting cage practice, pictures, more uniform pieces and gear to pick up, and all the little extra fees--all Saturday.)

Jackson, I think, will do well. I talked to the coach and it sounds like they're where they were at the end of last season, and with the league a bit unorganized this year due to some ongoing construction at the fields Jackson hasn't missed much. He'll catch up, I'm sure.

Rylee couldn't be more excited. He's still not 5, but it really wasn't a problem to sign him on a team, and it turns out there's some familiar children's, and parent's, faces with that team. At his first and only practice--and of course he wore Jack's cleats, Jack's old baseball pants, along with the new Dodgers shirt and cap--he fielded all the grounders with none going through his legs, threw straight and hard, and hit the ball square off the tee.

Oh, and there's still cub scouts and religion classes for Jackson.

It's a mix of play for the boys. Rylee keeps discovering toys and Jackson gets interested in them all over again. It was bakugans, that keeps coming and going, trains once in a while, skateboarding and bicycling is coming out again as the weather improves, and lately the lego kits are big. Jackson puts them together.

Jack is back online. There's a lot of YouTube, usually bakugans, Phineas & Ferb, kids making domino sculptures and then knocking them over. The flip camera is fun for them, too. They wrestle constantly. They play with the cousins or at the child care at the gym. Jackson has a lot of energy and a big laugh. Acts out funny lines from shows. Rylee has a good sense of humor, loves to make puns. "Get it?"