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In a dark, dark wood there was a dark, dark house;

And in the dark, dark house there was a dark, dark room;

And in the dark, dark room there was a dark, dark cupboard;

And in the dark, dark cupboard there was a dark, dark shelf;

And on the dark, dark shelf there was a dark, dark box; And in the dark, dark box there was a....ghost!

Happy Halloween!

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It's beginning to look a lot like Halloween around here! Josh takes great pride in carving our pumpkins every year. Each child picked out their own design (that seemed to suit each of them perfectly). Trevor wanted scary, Breanna a classic and Lucas.....well, he wanted the "funny face". We added a spider to our "web" and filled the candy bowl. We even had a practice round of trick-or-treating at our own door (we had the costumes already on for a Halloween party) because some kids need extra practice to know what to do, and other kids need extra practice at saying thank you. Have fun tomorrow!

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(quote taken from Mom to Mom of Me newsletter article by E.R......)

"We're friends, right?"

"No, we're not friends, we're brothers. That means I'll love you no matter what......and I'll hit you."

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THIS kid.

HAS to do EVERYTHING himself (including the whole bedtime routine buttons and all). I'm glad he's so independent, but I need to remind myself of the EXTRA patience that takes....

love this.

Guster- Bad Bad World from Softshell Productions on Vimeo.

This......is how I want to live my life:)

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Brothers.......a love hate relationship at times. Now that Lucas climbs into the TOP BUNK by himself now (Yikes), you guys are enjoying many games of "airplane" "fort" and "tickle fest" Love that.

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Top: Breanna (she's not a big fan of the friuts and veggies, but usually finishes them when she's prompted to come back to the table).

Right: Trevor: plate and cup are empty

Lucas: really into fruit and veggies, not so much the main dish or the milk (but he will get mad when his food is cleared from the table)

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seeing your guys playing and making forts in the woods really brings me back to my childhood days. I think I spent half my life doing that.....

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AFTER, making breakfast and lunch and cleaning up, cleaning and shining the floors, doing the laundry, getting a surprise visit from DAD, stacking the wood outside cleaning up the woods for two hours and getting some new chairs for our table......we're ready for the big game!

Sundays=Patriots football!

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Fall 2010

Fall 2005

there is nothing like Fall in New England......

Hay rides, hot apple cider, fresh popcorn, the pumpkin patch, corn mazes, apples, farms, hiking, cool breezes, coats, hats and red cheeks, the smell of campfires burning, and

Pumpkin valley Farm. I think the last time we visited this place, Trevor was maybe three and we carried Breanna in a backpack through the corn maze. Trevor got a bloody lip tripping in the pumpkin patch. This time, Everyone picked out their own pumpkin (sort of), and Breanna almost gotten eaten by a goat. And looking back to find that picture of the last time we were here, it was just another reminder of how fast the time has gone by:(

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Lucas, Self portrait Age 3 1/2

To Moms of girls.....

Read To Thine own Self be true here.

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Today.....

we saw a rainbow in the sky, by the time we got the camera, it had faded quite a bit, but it's still pretty cool!

Happy Anniversary!

I can’t repay the lessons That you taught when I was small.

Or give you gift for gift The daily treasures I recall...

I can’t return encouragement And loving words of praise.

In quite the way you did for me Through all my childhood days.

But there is one gift that I can give, It’s all the love you’ve earned.

For love is what you always taught... And love is what I learned.

Happy 37th Anniversary Mom and Dad!!!

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I Love......

How you call today, "this day"

How today at lunch I was reading a magazine and you had to get one too to "read"

How you Love to do puzzles now by yourself

How following me around the house and helping me with all my "chores" is the highlight of your day (including digging rocks in the backyard)

And How during these chores is when the best conversations happen

How three is hard and easy all at the same time

All the little projects you bring home from school and how excited you are to show them to me when I Pick you up....

Your little smiling face

Your belly laughs

That a pile of leaves is your key to happiness.

That being your Mom is the best ever.

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Love this picture of the three of you:)

Great kids!

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I LOVE......

that you are helping me every night with my December Daily album foundation as part of our "special time"

that you ask me to draw with you at night

that you are reading 400 page books now

How you say "hi Mom"

that you help your brother and sister

that you are a popular kid b/c you are nice to everyone

that you hold Lucas' hand on the couch when you watch movies together

that you are getting better at helping with chores like making your own bed b/c you like to.

that your hands remind me of Jeff's when he was little

you.

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Your sixth Birthday Party....

On a brisk and windy October day yesterday.

Cousins. Friends. Ice cream. Presents. Playing. In the end, you were happy b/c you got ice cream and got to watch a Thomas. Next year, I promise you girl we will have a big bash with ALL your friends from school...... I promise:)

And today....Sunday we have a neighborhood party to celebrate Brain getting well again and beating cancer (and to that beautiful NEW backyard). Another article of interest. Thank God for this post which I so needed today when I'm frustrated to tears with one little three year old.

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Today was the last Dance class of the session and we got to have a sneak peek!

My girl had fun, she was laying on the ground for some of it, off on her own for some of it, and looking at herself stick her tongue out in the mirror for the rest of it. She did manage a few dance moves (btw, the crown lasted for about five minutes). But the best thing about this class (and this set of parents) is that no one is talking about how their kids are going to go on and be professional ballerinas someday. We're just clapping loudly and cheering for all the kids as they attempt one small jump across a tiny "lake" (scarf) in the middle of the room, even if it takes two grownups to help them across. I say, Thank God that we have each other:)

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Random.

Lucas said to me today as we were in the car driving to the store and we passed a school bus, "Mom, In two years I'm going to be taking that bus." Really, already?

We were walking home from the bus stop and Trevor says to me" Mom it was so cool, we made a drawing of an apple in art with oil pastels, and it REALLY looks like an apple" (I love it when you actually tell me the little details about school)

I passed a bumper sticker the other day that said, "Well behaved women rarely make history"

Lucas eats peanut butter sandwiches for breakfast and always wants warm juice

We're dressed for the rain today.

I got a really nice compliment from a friend today.

tomorrow we're having, "real waffles" for breakfast ans we get to watch Breanna's dance class (and take pictures!)

I got more calls from the school this week that I would like...

We're having Breanna's birthday party tomorrow, she's having ice cream instead of cake (she doesn't like cake)......and I don't have a thing planned other than the ice cream.

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Miracles in Every Day (From Daily OM) Joy Always Beholding the joy that surrounds us may seem easy, but for some it can take an effort, an effort worth making. It is the everyday aspects of our lives that bring us the most joy, even if at first it may seem natural to expect our feelings of happiness to come from the larger events in our lives. By noticing how small things can fill our days with delight, we are more likely to experience the wonder of living. Once we take the time to look around and witness the beauty, kindness, and laughter that envelop us, what may seem like the ordinariness of the everyday becomes filled with the extraordinary detail of each individual moment. If we bring this sense of awareness to our lives for even a few minutes each day, we will begin to see how just blessed we truly are. Beholding the joy that surrounds us may initially seem easy, but for some it can take a conscious effort to make it a part of a daily routine. When you awake in the morning and set the intention to notice more joy in the world, watch how your day and, eventually, your life is filled with more joy. The more we do this the more apt we will be to notice the sounds of children laughing or the sparkle of dewdrops on a flower petal. Allow this joy to fill your heart fully, and from there it will naturally expand to your entire body and then spread to others, giving them joy as well. Taking in the small joys of each day expands our feeling of being connected with the world, especially once we become more attuned to them. With each passing day, we will find that these small delights, which bring a deeper level of appreciation for everything the universe has given to our lives, are miracles.

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I LOVE these boots (they are perfect Goodwill find for preschool and the wet outdoors). I LOVE the time that we have been spending together these last few weeks (walks in the woods, playing football, working in the yard, going to the library, doing puzzles). I'm going to miss you when I go back to work tonight:(

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Today.

An after school game of soccer football with my boy and my girl (while my other boy was at his last soccer practice). We ran, we tackled (Breanna wanted Lucas to tackle her), we laughed, and we did victory dances until our cheeks were red and our noses were runny from the cold. Sweet fall memories.

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Today.....

was about working in the yard. We cut down a tree out front and planted a new one out back. THIS boy, helped all day, digging up rocks, moving sticks, planting bulbs. He was one tired cookie by the end of the night (and so was I!) Manual labor, getting dirty and smelly and not showering until the end of the day, it feels good knowing we did it all ourselves....and hopefully we're passing that on to our kids:)

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10/10/10

My thirty sixth birthday.

Michelle and the kids made me breakfast in bed!

I got to go for a walk in the woods.

I got two beautiful new necklaces which mean soooo much to me, one with the kids names engraved and another pendant with the kids birthstones.

Josh surprised me with a babysitter and a night out at Walter's restaurant downtown....and afterward, we started our Christmas shopping (a little).

Thanks guys, for the presents, facebook messages, calls, breakfast, and dinner it was the best birthday ever!

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The note Trevor left Breanna yesterday. i LOVE this:)

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A birthday pancake with the candle zero on it (b/c that's all I could find!) How is that for extravagant and well planned out!

You had a good day, your friends sang happy birthday to you at school (you had a half day), You have a complete new set of Thomas the Tank toys, books, and movies, and you got to have ice cream, vanilla(you are not a cake person)

And as a good friend told me today, " She is such a blessing in your family life in so many ways."

Love you, Girl!

365::277 Almost six!

For the day you were born:

“The moments we enjoy most as they unfold, and that we treasure long afterward, are the ones we experience most deeply. Depth roots us in the world, gives life substance and wholeness. It enriches our work, our relationships, everything we do. It’s the essential ingredient of a good life and one of the qualities we admire most in others.”

William Powers.

October 2004 (Journal excerpts)

"Nothing about this week is what I had planned on....We cried, the rest was a blur, a very long blur.....You are our special daughter no matter what happens, but I just can't help but think about the challenges that lie ahead for you in your life.....We live in a cruel world......Forgive me for grieving......Forgive me for all the bad thoughts I have had, I think about all the things we may not get to do together, picking out prom dresses, wedding dresses, baby stuff.....I need for you to know that no matter what happens now or in the future, that God picked me to be your mother and that I'm going to do my best......Just never forget how beautiful you are and how special you are to me and our family."

and Today, If it wasn't for you:

I wouldn't know the real value of hard work and patience

I wouldn't know what it was like to cry real tears of joy the first time you rolled over, walked, talked, got on the bus for the first time or said I love you, Mom.

I wouldn't know what hip helpers were or what Oral Motor,IEP, ST, PT, OT and section 24, meant.

I wouldn't know, Heidi, Jen, Barb, Sally, Stacy, Kelledy, Erica, Liz, Ruth, Karyn, Lisa, Missy, Rachel, Michele, Mrs. P, Mrs. Shallow, Alison, Liana, Daphne, Helen, Mark, Beth, Brooke, Dr. Smith, and Sue (and there's probably more!)

I wouldn't know what it was like to have to move on appreciate and love life even when your heart was broken into a million pieces.

I wouldn't know how strong I was.

I wouldn't know how much I could unconditionally love someone.

I wouldn't have noticed the mentally challenged older man in a wheelchair in Goodwill the other day and helped him pick out a toy to play with without a second thought.

I wouldn't be teaching my other kids every day about acceptance.

Who knew miracles came in such small packages. You amaze me every day girl. Happy Birthday tomorrow:)

Love,

Mommy

365::276

Random stuff:

• I'm participating in the looking down shot today (and yes, this tub of rice is as messy as it looks)
• I so want a Dyson vacuum, I just heard that my sister-in-law got one.
• I can't wait until THIS project (and I still haven't totally finished my album from last year), and we're already locking in some of our favorite holiday traditions.
• Speaking of December Daily, they are my favorite albums ever. I looked through my old albums tonight (I started in 2008) and shed a few tears. Each album represents one less year that the kids are going to be little....It's funny how you forget how hard it was, how tired you were or how much of a blur everything was. I just don't want it to end.
• My girl (who hasn't been in many pictures lately)is going to be six on Friday. I'm going to have to give a lot of thought to that post.
• Breanna also had some random hives this week....who knows what causes these things.
• I'll be sooo happy once bathroom issues don't rule our lives.
• Three and a half year olds are rip-your hair our challenging and demanding yet cute and lovable all at the same time.
• Trevor and Lucas fight like...........brothers.
• 10/10/10..... seems kind of anticlimactic (and I've already written the post on that one).
• Josh is baking some chocolate peanut butter cookies tonight.
• It's amazing what a little thing like turning a table can do to the perspective of your whole family room (who needs new furniture).
• We just got a new Blue-Ray DVD player with internet capabilities (b/c our old one died), and I have to say....Pandora Rules!
• I had some great finds at the Goodwill store today and I got Bre a really cute sweater dress (I love sweater dresses on little girls).
• I spent the whole day figuring out outfits for our family photo shoot on the beach with her this Friday. Happy Birthday present to me (I actually get to be in a photo!)
• Jumpy squirrel is living in our attic (seriously...).

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THIS boy......is finding his thing. He scored his first goal tonight in his practice game. Awesome, awesome!

365::274

This week, I'm heading into a long stretch off from work, and it feels tremendously good to slow down for a little while. This boy...... loves to bake. He usually begs to make banana bread (he even brought a special egg home from the preschool chickens to make some.) I think, though, he really just likes to do anything he can do with me, "because I love you Mom, he says" .....Mama's boy, all the way:)

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We're getting some "stuff" done around here. We've finished the fence, cleaned up the inside part of the yard, started a really nice looking lattice on the deck and planted a few new bushes and trees. Today.....Josh ran 19 miles and then came home to start cleaning up the woods (it's a HUGE job, thankfully I received lots of "doing wood" training as a kid!) It's starting to look really good. Every time I'm in my backyard now, I smile:)

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Today.....

a trip to Lowe's

flu shots.

dance class.

a soccer game.

starting the lattice on the deck.

a school fair (mommy volunteered, YOU socialized with your new friends, played the duck game, hit the bounce house and got a rub-on tattoo).

a 50% plant sale and we got 2 forsythia bushes for the yard (which resulted in some unexpected chainsawing when we needed to be starting dinner...)-I can't WAIT to see those pretty yellow flowers in the spring!

a pasta dinner with Kevin (13.1 tomorrow!)

a campfire with s'mores in our new and improved backyard.

Good times.

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Here's to capturing all the extraordinary little ordinary moments of our lives.

Hello October.