22 April

This weekend......

One of those all work and no play weekends that left us tired to the bone and wishing there was just one more day to get everything done not to mention leaving for little patience with children on the last day of vacation.  Power washers are awesome, first time we used one and really, it's like a magic wand.  On Sunday, we headed over to the BP school to help build some new raised beds for the kids' garden.  It was awesome fun and the kids got to "free for all" paint the boxes, rake dirt and hammer. Yikes, but fun....Can't wait to see what grows!  Love our schools!

21 April

Friday night......we got a babysitter for the six kids and went out with K+K (Friends since we were six=family:).  Appetizers and Drinks at Grace (so, so overrated, weird vibe and weird food that was way to classy for this crowd), and Dinner at Walters (fabulous!).. OMG, the fun, the laughing, the walking through the drive up ATM machines. The discussions about various outfit choices we saw around town.  The Laughing, and the fire when we got home and more laughing until we couldn't breathe into the wee hours.  One of the best, nights, ever.

20 April

Thursday.....

I had to work the evening shift and Josh  and Kevin took all the cousins to the Seadogs game (2 Guys + six kids :)  ).  It was a cold night so the stands were empty.  The kids sat in the front row, ate their fill of ball park food, EACH caught a game ball, acted crazy, stayed up WAY past their bed times and had a blast!  Good times:)

Goosebumps.

I remember watching this singer sing the national Anthem every year at the Sea Dogs.  He sings ALL the verses (there are verses I didn't even knew existed!) The fact that he didn't even sing when he usually sings for a VERY long time, brought tears to my eyes.  really so amazing.

Also read......How to keep our babies safe.

19 April

{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.

Eight!

Happy EIGHTH birthday Lily! We love you and miss you:)

18 April

Right Now......

What's on my........
VANITY | I don’t have a vanity. I keep all my toiletries/hair and make up stuff in drawers in the bathroom

PERENNIAL TO DO LIST |   Go through the kids clothes, Clean out the kitchen cabinets, Clean up the yard.......redo the front porch lattice/steps and back lawn, paint the front doors and shed......etc.etc.....

REFRIGERATOR SHELVES |  Activia Yougurt, Grapes, Milk, Apple juice and Strawberries

ITINERARY | Planning a Girls weekend away in two weeks, Dinner out With Friends this Friday.

FANTASY ITINERARY | Italy, California, The Grand Canyon, Hawaii.  I hate flying but love seeing cool stuff/places.

PLAYLIST |  Nora Jones, Mumford & Sons, Justin Timberlake, Counting Crows, Adele, Phil Phillips, P!nk, The Lumineers,  Dave Matthews, Relaxing Guitar,  Rhianna.

NIGHTSTAND |   The Secrets of Happy Families, Magical Journey and Wild (always have more than one book going) and my phone for the alarm.

WORKOUT PLAN | Running every Day, early mornings now that it's nice out.  .  Sometimes a Step class at the Gym (really it's kind of a cult).  

IPHONE | Pic Tap Go, Instagram, texts from J and K and T and L and our sitter for Friday night. Errands, Pinterest, Momento, Pandora, Micromedex (for work)

TOP 5 LIST |   Gardening in my yard, Finishing  the Race, Being with Friends and family,  listening to music , Taking photos, watching my kids make good choices and accomplish something they thought they couldn't do.

BUCKET LIST |  More live music. More travel and adventures with friends ; my kids ; family. 

MIND |  Kids Going to new schools next year.  Getting out more.  Letting stuff go. Organizing the House. Big meetings. Teaching kids life skills, managing snacks and electronic time.  Eating Healthy local and organic, giving Back.  Being Present. Approaching situations with kindness.  Being less worried about what could happen.   Being thankful.   

BLOGROLL |  Soulemama,Aliedwards,Beckyhiggins,Enjoying the Small things, and a bunch of funny ones, too many to list

WALLS OF YOUR FAVORITE ROOM IN YOUR HOUSE | Sherwin Williams Macademia (pretty much the whole house) it's a nice neutral that goes with black.  I also like the bright teal in the kids bathroom

LIQUOR SHELF |  Not Much since we usually go "out" for drinks.  Some Segrums 7 (don't drink it) , Whisky for Whisky Sours (Christmas and New Years) Pink Moscato, Sparkling Cider and a Red "paydirt" wine (for a special occasion)

LAST CREDIT CARD STATEMENT | Grocery store (pretty much daily)  Lunch out with the Kids, Lowes and Ace Hardware, seeds and compost for the garden.

SCREENSAVER | Pics of the Kids

TV EVERY NIGHT | The kids only watch TV once a week (movie).  We watched the news the other night for the first time in ages (Boston), usually we watch some cheezy show on Discovery (J actually texted me last night that there is a new show coming on about people who try to drill for oil in their backyards, really, I can't make this stuff up!), Home and Garden, History channel,  concerts on Palladia or maybe the Voice after the kids go to bed.  Usually I'm reading or browsing the web and only Half Watching. 

 

17 April

Tonight.....the first LAX practice of the year.  Even though T has been SOOOO into swimming, I know he'll be super excited once this gets going.  Spring Sports around here, well they take FOREVER to get started and they are over in the blink of an eye.  I love this sport (except for the danger of getting hurt part), it's super exciting to watch and mama will be at all the games and practices this year as Dad will be coaching the t-ball team for L and B.  Super exciting and super fun spring/summer coming up.  The Long winter was worth the Wait!

16 April

This spring vacation.....
We did a whole lot of hanging out at home, and I don't feel the least bit guilty that I didn't have some sort of fun activity planned each day( like I normally would given I'm a planner) bc we went to sugarloaf in feb and Disney in November. So, today, we slept in, we laughed through breakfast, we didn't fight the construction traffic at Dunstan Corner (It will be the end of me!) played with beans, rode bikes and scooters (and videotaped ourselves doing tricks) we begged for snacks and juice all day, and talked about 10 year old opinions (there are many)! And he folded mount saint laundry as he called it, seriously it must have been like five loads. He's getting so good at it( I paid him:) ) They talked about what they were going to do in the Olympics (you know, when they are in it) T will be in swimming and L in Golf (he said every hole will be a hole in one).  Here's to dreamin' and to being boring on vacation.  Boring. Kind of like this post, But good.

So Sad.

three Years ago, J crossed the finish line at 3:58:57 as I sat there in the stands (we had special seats for the charity runners) with my then EIGHT year old boy.  Read more about that day here.   My heart is broken for those families and the city of Boston.  Praying for Boston tonight.

Funny Stuff.

Kmart Commercial goes Viral (it's actually on TV)

new Table manners for Kids

15 April

This weekend.......After we fixed the gardens and planted the seeds we did a little reading.

Then I found this note from my girl (who had written real words down on paper on her own for the first time ever-YAY!)

Then we played a little baseball....don't let the t-shirt fool you, it was FREEZING!  

Then I got this shot :)

Then we came in and brought all the toys and games we own out into the living room and did weird things like brush the stuffed animals with the game pieces.

Then we had dinner and The boy who ate five beans and five pieces of turkey got to go to Dairy Corner  (For the first time this year....even though it was freezing out!)  for some salted caramel pretzel ice cream.

Then we took out the trash (with girls supervising)

Then the man who loves fire, lit up a fire to "burn away some gas stabilizer and junk wood "(I think he might have a problem ;).

Then....Time for a Dance Party to burn off some of the salted caramel pretzel to some borderline  inappropriate "clean version" tween music

 (and the dog didn't move from this position the entire time)

And If you promise this girl some Taylor Swift......She'll do anything for you....even clean the living room :0

JOY.

14 April

He learned to tie his shoes.  He watched me two times and then wouldn't let me help him (actually had a fit if I tried to help even if my hands came the least bit  near his shoes.....in the total L fashion.).  I think he learned the left handed way (b/c that's how I learned given my mom was left handed).  In about 2 minutes of not giving up he had it down and was on his way, double knots and all.  Yay!

13 April

Yesterday:  Spring Vacation Day 1: I worked over a 12 hour day at two jobs.  J stayed home with the kids and worked.  All I heard about was that they were fighting some and they made a fort in L's bed and formed a "secret" reading society.  I was so tired by bedtime I literally felt sick.  That was That.
Today: Spring vacation Day 2:  Getting a late start to the day.......getting outside and assessing the gardens and the outdoor to do lists (overwhelming!)  It's just amazing to me how fast everything starts growing again after the LONG winter.  I can't wait!  We're sprucing up the raised beds, adding some new trellises and new dirt.  L and B helped but fought over tools, T played basketball in the driveway and pretended he wasn't part of the family in that pre-teen fashion.  Tomorrow (and the next weekend after that and the next weekend after that) will be more of the same.  Good Times.   

12 April

{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.

11 April

On Being Lost and Found.  Recently, I was totally inspired by this post.   Except in my case, I think the "fun Me" has been gone for about 15 years (well maybe even 38 years).  Maybe it's my kids getting to the ages they are at (really there is comic relief here daily).  Like the Other Day when I found a trail of popcorn going down the stairs to the basement and they said that they were using a "trail of food" to lure the dog downstairs with them.  Or when my completely exhausted self decided to try to take a 10 minute nap after work the other day and woke up to Lucas Throwing Plastic Knives citing the reason as "killing ants".  Maybe it's a new friend I have met or the texts that K and I send to each other daily (Love texting!), or maybe I'm approaching a midlife crisis of sorts .  Whatever it is, I do feel so much lighter, I laugh so much more (and I want to laugh more!)  I want to get out and live and  the width and the depth and all that jazz.

The funniest person I know is my brother Kevin.  He'll say something and then days later (when the joke finally hits me) I'll suddenly be laughing.  The Second Funny is Josh i mean he just showed me the thrift shop video, and some photo-shopped stuff that they do at work, really. Another Funny, is B.  I mean she doesn't even really know she's funny, and the stuff she does may have even made me cry at some point, but it's seriously funny stuff.  You have to appreciate that she'll never be inhibited in a way that will make her not just say or do what's on her mind.  Kids at school are still flocking to her for this very reason.  She's just fun (and I need to learn a lot from her) You can't take yourself too seriously, Really, it's a gift.

The funniest thing lately is her ipod photo and videoing.  She is totally obsessed.  She will walk around all day and photo and video everything going on in the house.  Her OT suggested I use that Inspiration for the world of Down Syndrome, maybe someday she'll be a famous cinematographer. Sure.

 So,  I picked up her iPod tonight to Download her Favorite Taylor Swift Song that she has been begging for. There were 926 Videos and Photos.  325 pictures were of this cat and other stuffed animals in different poses (123 with the cat with the mask in front of it), there were some pictures of her and the dog, my plants, her feet and road signs from the car, videos and photos of her eating cheese sticks, making funny faces, or her brothers coming out of their rooms undressed (delete), screen shots of her favorite video games (sister knows how to save a screen shot!) , and other various things her brothers do around the house with helmets on.  So yes, going into a long vacation with kids at home (and already crying this afternoon a mere one minute after school gets out) and no real plans (except a night out with our friends next Friday thanks to our babysitter being willing to watch all six kids-YAY!) yes, it's good to feel a little lighter......and I have the videos to prove it :)   Oh and check out my new sidebar.......crazy funny people.  Good Stuff!

10 April

Last Night....

The Blue Point Spring Concert.  They both Did amazing......especially this Girl who has learned how to sing! And Dance!  And Lu said he was nervous, and acted a little shy, but had a great time.  Thought I might melt into a puddle of tears on the floor given it's her last concert here, but I didn't.  Read about her First Concert here, and last year here. I was just Really  Really Happy and proud of them :) and I LOVE our music teacher, she's awesome.   Bre couldn't wait to watch the videos Trevor took on his iPad when she got home :)  Fun, Fun night!

9 April

And This Guy......has been away for five days with a best college friend enjoying the lottery tickets he won to the Final Four (which apparently includes cool stuff like parties and concerts), in Atlanta.  They went to a Braves game, walked around aimlessly looking for a place to eat, looked for hats for the kids, went to a Flo Rida and Ludacris concert (because why not?) ,  a Dave Matthews Band Concert.   and of Course Three of the countries most coveted college basketball games of the year.  Really, a Total blast.  So, Happy for them.

8 April

This Boy.....

Has been WHO he is since the day he was born.  There was no telling him what to do unless it was his idea. Really ,  since the day he was born.  He quite Frankly can outsmart me, and can make my heart leap and tear it into a million pieces all within five minutes time.  The No means,  No thing, Yep,  he's finally getting that after six straight years of sticking to my guns.  The Keeping it real part about my life is that parenting is hard, and I've made a ton of mistakes.  Today, after a rotten morning, After School he says, "Mom, You know When I say I don't like you?  Well I'm just kidding every time..."

7 April

And so one of these things I have been putting off is teaching these kids about time management (I know. I'm the Time management queen, and my kids don't have a clue!) Well my friend gave this amazing idea that had to do with Whiteboards from Walmart and magnets and not touching an electronic device until all the magnets were on one side (and Trevor wants to collect marbles).   So to keep them from wandering around aimlessly after school and before school, I unveiled this little plan to keep me from being stressed when we have to be heading out the door.  So Far, It's working brilliantly, we've taken much time off our morning and afternoon routines.   Love This.