29 November

This Moment.

26 November

Looking forward........to a few days of break....and quiet rest.  .  Sleeping in, doing fun stuff, eating amazing food and gathering with family.  Love, Love, Love, the holidays.

25 November

My Thanksgiving Gratitude List......
Our health, and our abilities....exercise
Being able to afford a  warm home, food,  and transportation
My Job, coworkers and friends
Amazing teachers and schools
Grandparents
this blog space and the support and comfort writing here gives me.
My family, Parents, siblings, cousins, in laws, nieces, nephews,   husband and children.....so many amazingly unique people to love and learn from.

23/24 November

The weekend Lens.

Playing and reading and making wishlists with our newly arrived lego catalog.  Battening Down the Hatches for winter......the first snow is right on our doorstep I'm sure.  Putting away furniture, the last mow (getting the mower stuck twice!), picking up leaves, and putting out the driveway markers.  Clearing out a spot for two cars in the garage.  Winter in Maine.....bring it!  And the holiday decorations were broken out by some eager children.  A charity Project for the church middle schoolers, putting together some Thanksgiving baskets.  Loved all that, and loved spending the evenings in doors, in front of the fire....on this cold, and dark and blustery weekend!

22 November

This Moment.

21 November

He came through the MRI with Flying colors.  It's funny to see them all loopy when they wake up.  He kept asking....."is it over?"  Then, we took our loopy boy out to breakfast at 2PM, for waffles and sausage and bacon and hot chocolate.  And the take home message here......yes, kids.....even the hard and sad stuff is important to remember.  It's all part of your story.

20 November

Funny :)

This 13 year old makes you think.....totally worth the time.

19 November

Right Now.....10 things....

1.) We're spending ALOT of time here, in first grade, helping our boy get more confident that he can do it (and volunteering to help the teacher and other kids too). The most heartbreaking feeling as a parent is to see your child hurting and feeling alone. It's hard, and exhausting. it's REALLY hard. BUT, this is what love is.
2.) WHICH means....the laundry and grocery shopping and housework, yep not getting done at all.
3.)  We're helping study for Social Studies tests, hoping to make high honors next quarter (just missed it)
4.) The saying they need you more as they get older is true, and we're learning to embrace it
5.)  We're learning to forgive ourselves for all the mistakes we've made with the littlest boy.
6.)  We're learning new ways to parent, more listening and collaborating and teaching problem solving and less demanding.
7.)  We're looking forward to some much needed holiday f next week.
8.) It's our luck that we just learned that our black car will not pass inspection without some major work that is going to cost almost half as much as it's worth, so newer car here we come.  There goes our money, Just in time for the holidays.  And, My pictures/web photo sync is broken again, which is why some have disappeared off the blog.  It takes a really long time to fix.  When it rains, it pours.
9.)  Were hoping to get a handle on the chore lists (kids and adults included), and get back to normal in the kid expectation department sometime soon.
10.) We're celebrating every little progress. (and Oh my Gosh, I really do have to pick up my SLR more/again....I'm missing it)

18 November

Your first eye exam (yeah, the picture is not a good one). But, Guess who is getting glasses, just to see the board better?  Yep (unfortunately Genetics is not helping you here my boy.)

16/17 November

The weekend lens.

An inspiring conference, a swim meet, a kind note (that I'm saving forever in my wallet for bad days), a much needed visit with friends for some dress up and a magic show.  I love these friends of ours.  You can always count on them for a listening ear, a judgement free zone (the kids all are who they are, each has their own unique little quirks), a great stack of catalogs and celebrity gossip magazines tons of laughter and a tasty beverage.  Good times.

15 November

This moment.

once in a lifetime...

12 November

Today.....we took a step backwards in the going to school department.  Today, We feel sad, and beaten down and broken .  We surrender.  Tomorrow we'll get up and try and start over, we promise we'll keep trying.  

Loved this quote from todays staff meeting:

—Our plans miscarry because they have no aim.  When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind. - Seneca

11 November

Today.....Thank you veterans.  Your sacrifices and your families and children's sacrifices will always be remembered in our hearts.  Today.....baking and making and visiting a friend and seeing her amazing brand new home.  Having tea and lunch and talking.....talking to someone who gets "it".  It was a great day.  thank you Heidi! 

The Best Thing I Read today...

Make it Your job......Zen Habits

9/10 November

This weekend....
We snuck away for last minute little overnight get away Thanks to some wonderful grandparents who volunteered to handle things at home.  We ate and read and watched TV, swam and relaxed and went for a run and ate some more.  AND talked about the kids a lot, and missed them.

Happy weekend.

8 November

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

7 November

10 things right now

1.) She's happy to be in winter coat and hat season.
2.)  She won the first place blue ribbon at the Special Olympics Bowling Tournament last Friday.
3.) She loves everything about football and the Patriots.  She knows when its Sunday and proudly wears her Brady shirt and takes her brothers down in front yard football
4.) ALways asks to snuggle at night.
5.) Always needs to know what is for dinner and hot lunch and says "YESSSS!" When she likes the choice
6.)  LOVES helping make the lunches every night.  She gets out everything we need, peels the carrots and puts the lunches back in the garage fridge for me.
7.) Her "CAT" stuffed animal pretty much goes everywhere she goes even though at times he is banned to the car.  He has a few bandaids and he even gets thrown into the laundry when she says he "stinks"
8.)  She LOVES and respects and has so much fun with her teacher this year.
9.)She has gotten 100 on almost all of her spelling tests (this is her first year for tests)
10.) Loves stealing all our devices and taking pictures and videos on them, you never know what you'll find...and checking the weather, she has 10 weather apps.  

6 November

This poster, we started in 2010.  I love pulling it out every year and adding to it.  I love seeing what their little handwriting looked like years ago, and how they were thankful for sleds, poker, chess, snow,  food and Mom.  Oh, how things change and stay the same.  Love this tradition.

5 November

Voted. :) THIS,  my children,  is important for you to know and see and do.

4 November

We most recently read a children's book together from the library that was a story about a boy whose Mom was in the military and had to go away.  It talked about being brave.  It said that being brave didn't mean not being afraid.  Being Brave meant being afraid but doing the right thing that you were supposed to do anyway.  I loved that.  Anyway, Monday was a good day.  Monday my boy was brave.  Monday he went to school for two and a half hours.  Monday he went to the book fair and got a book on volcanoes,  a goofy bendy pencil and a finger pointer.  Monday he started back up in swimming lessons.  Monday he swam 25 yards backstroke in the big pool.  Monday he played and laughed with other kids.  Monday he helped B with her Math homework.  Monday he was happy....and we all were Happy.  Monday was a good day.

2/3 November

The weekend lens....
A 2 day swim meet, many new personal bests, and just a millisecond away from making states for the 11-12 year old age group in the 50 free.  And your grades at the end of the first quarter of middle school.....all we can say is , Boy, You rocked it.  And Sunday, A great day out shopping with family. Meeting and holding and cuddling the newest little one in the family.  I was great to get out, and away from the hubub that has been this fall here.  And a fabulous lunch to boot, I can't wait to go back!  And Sunday for the kids involved a special trip to the buffalo wild wings to watch the big game.

1 November

Hello November.

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.