After Christmas

I found the Jan Brett book at Barnes & Noble and just as I suspected, they had a whole PILE of them! It's even prettier than it appeared online! The girls opened their Christmas Eve gifts (which is always pj's, a tradition that comes from my childhood), got ready for bed, then we read our book. After that we put out reindeer food in the front yard and cookies for Santa in the family room. Here are the girls in their Christmas pj's.

Christmas morning we were downstairs by 7 and out of the house on our way to Maine by 9:45. YIKES! It really didn't feel as rushed as it sounds. We were all looking forward to spending time with family. Surprisingly, the highways were pretty busy with Christmas travelers, but we made it to my parent's house by 2:15 and even stopped at Bean's for a return on the way.

Some highlights:

Lucy got a stuffed duck which she went crazy over!

Rebecca was so excited to get Nellie the American Girl doll! It was tops on her list.

This is Allison after we got home playing with her new Leapster first thing in the morning! She wouldn't put it down!

And Katie used her Christmas money to have a second hole pierced in each ear! She looks so cute doesn't she!?

All in all a great Christmas! Now...Happy New Year!

Magical Mint Kiss Cookies

Magical Mint Kiss Cookies

1 c. butter or margarine softened
2/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. Hershey's cocoa
About 48 Hershey's Chocolate Mint Kisses
Powered sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl until creamy. Stir together flour and cocoa; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Mold scant tablespoon dough around each chocolate kiss, covering completely. Shape into balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool about 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Roll in powdered sugar. Roll in sugar again just before serving, if desired. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.


This recipe is a great one for the kids to help with. My girls unwrap all the candies while I prepare the dough. Then they mold the dough around the kisses. These are the cookies we are making for Santa this year! I think he'll LOVE them...

I'm just discovered The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore BUT illustrated by JAN BRETT. This book is beautiful! Jan Brett is from our area and at least one of the pictures in the book is of a local landmark. Click on the link to Jan Brett and there's a whole little note from her about the story and the illustrations, very cool. Even if you aren't from here the book is so gorgeous. Ever since my brother and I were growing up, reading 'Twas the Night Before Christmas has been a Christmas Eve tradition, one I have carried into our family. Now that I have seen this Jan Brett edition, I MUST FIND IT! Barnes and Noble here in town claims they don't have it...I don't believe them!!! If there is time this weekend I'll go check it out for myself. Worst case scenario, I order it from Amazon and get it after Christmas. No big deal.

This is probably the last post I will do before Christmas so, HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

The Perfect Tree

I thought this was a nice reminder of the greatest gift ever given...Jesus' life on the cross.

The Perfect Tree
by
Ray Boltz

The ornaments are ready, the place has been prepared.
Strings of lights and holly are draped across the chair.
The family's all together I know where they must be.
Everyone one is searching for the perfect tree.

The perfect tree grew very long ago.
And it was not decked with silver or ornaments of gold.
But hanging from its branches was a gift for you and me.
Jesus laid His life down on the perfect tree.

Mother wants a straight one, the children want it tall.
Dad just hopes that somehow he can get it down the hall.
Soon they'll gather 'round it; I wonder if they see...

The perfect tree grew very long ago.
And it was not decked with silver or ornaments of gold.
But hanging from its branches was a gift for you and me.
Jesus laid His life down on the perfect tree.

With all the celebrations, sometimes the truth is lost
That every step this baby took brought Him closer to the cross.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Fun Christmas Links

If your kiddos haven't contacted Santa Claus yet they can e-mail him. My girls sent messages to Santa via e-mail and got instant replies from him. Becky and Allison thought it was quite cool.

Watch Santa's journey around the world Christmas Eve. Norad shows his progress via satellite. It's all very neat.

I almost don't dare say it, but, I'm DONE shopping. Not bad, a couple of days to spare even.

Allison seems to have some sort of icky cold thing brewing. She has a rash all over her belly and back. No fever. Her nose is becoming increasingly gross and she has a little cough. I say, BRING IT ON! Let's get this sick thing over and done before CHRISTMAS!!! In a few days she'll be feeling much better. There's always that chance that someone else will get it...NO, we aren't going to think like that! Having sick kids on Christmas and being sick on Christmas is the WORST! Becky has a cold too but it doesn't seem too bad. With her I just have to watch her asthma. She's taken her inhaler for the last few days and definitely seems to be breathing easier. Katie rarely (knock on wood) gets sick, and when she does she doesn't like to be fussed with. She's not a very good patient. Becky either, really. Only Allison lets me take care of her. So anyway, hopefully Christmas will be sickness free!

Here's a fun little thingy that Allison brought home from school today, (yes, she went to school, germs and all. She doesn't have a fever!, and I needed to finish shopping!)

How to Make Snowman Soup

1 package hot chocolate mix
3 Hershey kisses
15 (or so) marshmallows
1 candy cane

Was told you've been real good this year
Always glad to hear it
With freezing weather drawing near
You'll need to warm the spirit
So have a little Snowman Soup
Complete with stirring stick
Add hot water, sip it slow
It's sure to do the trick!

Christmas Cards

I've been thinking about how much it has meant to me this year to receive pictures of different families and kids in Christmas cards this year. I always enjoy a cute Christmas picture but this year, being away from friends and family in Maine, those pictures have meant so much more! It's amazing how quickly children change. It's been less than a year since we move away and in many cases, much less than that since we've seen some of these same kids, and yet they've somehow managed to grow up even more since we last saw them!! I'm sure it's that way for people seeing my girls too. When you're with them everyday you don't notice the changes in them as quickly. So, thank you for sending the pictures of your beautiful children! It makes me miss you guys but it also makes me thankful that we're keeping in touch!

I subscribe to a very fun Disney newsletter and this month's issue mentioned a cool way to surprise your kids. You can have a Disney character call them on the phone to wish them Merry Christmas or Happy Birthday or even for no particular reason, just to say Hi and have a great day. It's called Disney's Enchanted Call. Check out the link. It's $2.49 per call and oh so worth it! My girls got a big kick out of it. We even had Mickey Mouse call my parents.

Survivor Finale was interesting. I'm glad Yul won. It was all pretty predictable. I would've like to see the Aitu four turn on each other before the voted Adam out. NOW WHAT AM I GOING TO WATCH ON THURSDAYS??? I am totally running out of TV viewing options that appeal to me! Amazing Race all stars coming in February. LOST back in February. Okay, it sounds like February will be a good TV month.

Snooty Snoot Party

WHEW! I'm glad that's over! The party last night was fun, in a sort of, sit with people you don't know and get to know them, kind of way. It was nice to put faces with some of the names Ed talks about, and folks were genuinely friendly. But, the anticipation...you know, "Is what I'm going wear going to be okay?" "Who will we sit with?" "Will the kids be okay with the sitter?" All of that was going through my head. And then when we got there -- Ed insisted he didn't need to wear a coat and tie, I thought different, but what do I know. So we get there and it is instantly obvious that he SHOULD have worn a coat and tie! Ed is noticing coats and ties and I'm noticing long, sparkly dresses!! Mind you, it's 7:15 and the social hour went until 8:00, then sit down for dinner. I knew I had nothing different to wear at home but Ed wanted to go home to get himself properly attired. I just kept telling myself that there were probably plenty of women there in pants. So we got back to the restaurant by 10 til 8, which really was fine since the social hour was really just cocktails and mingling, and it was no great loss to miss most of that! Anyway...there were, in fact, plenty of ladies dressed just like me or even less dressed up than me! I was relieved! Isn't that always the way with women at social events? Some are dressed to the nines and others didn't give their clothes a thought until it was time to get dressed! I like to be right in the middle of that spectrum. Okay, so concern number one, check.
We ended up sitting at a table with Ed's boss and his wife. Nice, nice people. We were also joined by two other couples who seemed nice enough. As it turned out, the other two men were VP's from the company, one a retired Navy admiral of the pacific submarine fleet. I had no idea who they were all evening and was very surprised when they were acknowledged by the party's host. I actually thought there was some sort of mistake! I mean, these two men were joking around and just being GOOFY. I didn't think they were ANYONE'S boss. And it wasn't until we were on our way home that Ed told me they were EVERYONE'S boss at the party. He said he felt very awkward at first because they sat with us, but over the course of the evening he lightened up. I'm not a wife who knows who's who of my husband's work or who he's the boss of and who's his boss. As a matter of fact, on the way to the party I made sure I knew what Ed's title and role are so I could answer intelligently if some other spouse were to ask me. I just don't keep up with all that. And I'm glad I didn't who we were sitting with. It was very easy for me, in my ignorance, to be myself and to be comfortable! As a matter of fact, one of the two boss men found out that Ed and I had our anniversary a few days ago and made sure he passed the word and EMBARRASSED us to death!! I'm sitting there enjoying my cheesecake when the DJ announces our anniversary and wants us out on the dance floor for the first dance of the night! Oh yeah, don't you know I thought I would die. Then I figured, I'm not going to see these folks again for a long time, if ever. Ed, on the other hand has to work with them! So we went out and danced our dance! Next thing I know, champagne is going around on our behalf! I tell you, these folks know how to spend the company's money! Okay, concern number two, check!
Our babysitter did an excellent job and the girls loved her! We'll be calling her again for sure. Concern number three, check!
All in all an enlightening evening. We even got a Christmas ornament from the party. It's a White House 2006 ornament! I love it!! I am glad it's over, and if we go next year, the concerns just won't be there! I'll look forward to that!
P.S. Try the link above. I did it right this time! I'm going to fix the links in my last post so they'll work too!

Roses

Aren't these roses BEAUTIFUL?? They are my anniversary gift from my husband. There are 14 roses, one for each year of marriage. I remember that my dad used to do that for my mom; one rose for each year. Anyway, I've never seen so much baby's breath in a bouquet. I hope they last a good long while! I love them on the breakfast table, the colors are so Christmasy!

Have you tried the Celestial Seasonings Holiday Teas yet? I LOVE the Candy Cane one. It's a green tea with peppermint, vanilla, and other yummy stuff. It's not for you caffeine junkies though -- it's decaf. I'm also loving the new Peppermint Kisses from Hershey. SO GOOD! There's a cheesecake recipe on the back of the bag that I haven't tried yet but it sounds easy enough and delicious.

We are planning a trip to New York City over spring break. Any suggestions for must see attractions would be VERY appreciated! We'd like to take the girls to American Girl Place, but beyond that we have no real plans. We won't be there the whole week so that will make it tough to see tons of stuff, on the other hand, it'll give us reason to go back! Logistically I'm not sure if we'll be driving there. Our hotel doesn't have parking, wait, I take that back. It does have parking for $48 a day!! I'm going to check into taking the train right into the city. We'll see. Again, any suggestions would be great!

As you can see, I've included a few links this time. I hope they work because I'm not exactly computer savvy and I just pointed and clicked until it seemed to make sense. Check it out.

Rainy and upper 40's today. Not very Christmas like. WE WANT SNOW!!

Gappy Grinned Girl

Notice anything MISSING in this smile? Rebecca is so proud of her gappy grin! She lost these two most recent teeth one right after the other. She was SO excited when the tooth fairy gave her $3 and some Skittles scented chap stick!

Allison and I made gingerbread cookies and sugar cookies the other day. Katie and Rebecca had some friends over on Sunday for a cookie decorating party and I baked the cookies ahead of time. I thought it would be fun for Allison to cut out the cookies. She had more fun scooping the flour into little piles. That's what she's doing in this picture. See her little pile?

I snapped this picture of me and Ally! She was so willing to cooperate while I tried to get a decent picture! The party was a lot of fun, although we all ate WAY too many cookies!

Yesterday was Rebecca's first b-ball game. She did GREAT! Ed and I were so impressed with how she played! At first she stood with her hands folded in front of her and she would only walk quickly from one end of the court to the other instead of running. And if you know Becky you can just picture her prissy girl walk! Too funny. Then she started to really get into it! She's a great little rebounder! She needs to work on her shooting but she's totally getting the basics! It was really fun to watch!

Katie was selected to be a student of the month at her school! I guess the teachers select the kids based on their overall attitude and willingness to work hard and treat others kindly. It's such a good feeling as a parent to know that your child is being the kind of person you're hoping they'll be. Not just hoping...training, praying, disciplining them to be. It's a lot of work! But oh so worth it! She also made the Honor Roll. We're proud of her. I will continue to pray for her and train her and discipline her as she heads down the road of adolescence! And HOPEFULLY we'll all come through it relatively unscathed!

I found a shirt for the snooty snoot party. It's pretty basic but has a definite holiday look. I got a great necklace, earrings, and bracelett to gussy it up a bit! Now shoes...

We're REALLY liking our new church! The girls are enjoying their Sunday school classes and the children's church. They are going to participate in the Christmas Eve program and sing on Sunday morning. I think they are doing some sort of skit. I hope Allison will do it! We're starting to settle in and get to know more folks, and they're getting to know us. It's nice.

Amazing Race - the models won. They raced a good race and were fun to watch. My favorite team from this season were the couple from Kentucky! I'll never forget when the wife was talking about one of the other teams who happened to be a gay couple and she said, " I've never met no homosexuals before! I kinda like 'em. " Classic!

NCIS and The Unit are still pretty good - but I just get so irritated when there's a rerun on!! That's when I resort to Deal or No Deal!! Or worse yet, Friends reruns on TBS! There have been some cute Christmas movies on ABC Family so I've been watching a bit of that as well.

I haven't read a good book in awhile. The last GOOD book I read was by Neil Gammon. It was...I have NO idea what it was called! But it was good. Fantasy fiction stuff, which I don't usually go for. Joshilyn Jackson better get a new book out SOON!

12 SHOPPING DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS! If you're going to order anything else online, you'd better get to it!!! Me too!

A Little of This and A Little of That

17 shopping days until Christmas! Hmmm...I feel like I have it together but I'm not sure if I really do. How pathetic is that? I guess I'd better figure it out, huh? Ed and I are going to a snooty snoot party for his work and I have to find something to wear. Not easy. I thought dressy pants and a flouncy, holidayish, different from my usual style shirt. Throw on a few accessories and voila! I don't know. I'm having a hard time with the top part. I bought two pairs of pants at New York and Company, I love NY and Co., but I didn't find a top there. I went to the outlets this morning and went in all the fancy shnancy stores and found nothing. I mean GEESH, not everyone is looking for a turtleneck sweater or a twin set!

Ed and I will celebrate our 14th!! anniversary next Tuesday. WOWZER! I bought him a new wedding band. It's a brushed silver. Pretty basic but he loves it - yes I already gave it to him. Our original bands were, shall we say, economical, by ALL standards. His was completely bent out of shape. He wasn't even wearing it anymore. So now he has a pretty new one. I don't wear my wedding band. A few years ago, Ed got me an anniversary band and I just wear that with my engagement ring and wrap.

I have to admit that I am getting a little hooked on Deal or No Deal. Sad, I know. This is what happens when there is nothing else on TV. I resorted to game shows! I even like 1 vs. 100. The one with William Shatner is too...well, William Shatner is creepy. Amazing Race is good. I'm glad the blondes are GONE! I'm rooting for the model dudes, I think. Survivor is the same as always. I actually like Jonathan. Yul is too goody goody. And who are they going to send to exile island now that Candace is gone? I predict that Ozzie goes all the way - and deservedly so.

Time to go, Little Miss is batting her baby blues at me and telling me how much she loves me. I think she need some lovin'.

I Still Love My Dog

Do you know what THAT is?... It's the first sand/salt truck of the year driving up our road this morning. There was only a dusting but it was enough to make things slick. By the time I drove Rebecca to school the main roads were all clear but the driveways and parking lots were still covered. Allison was pretty excited! She wanted to get right out to play in it and proclaimed that it was "NOT FAIR" when I told her she had to go to school.

Remember this? Well, it was partly PUKED up last night at 1:30 A.M. onto my bedroom rug!!!! Not a nice way to be woken up! Lucy did sleep in her crate that night that she did the damage and she was fine for more than 24 hours so we thought we were in the clear. WRONG!! Ed slept through most of the cleanup - although I think he was faking it! Who could blame him. IT WAS GROSS! I still love my dog...I still love my dog... I still love my dog...

Miscellaneous Pictures

We put up our Christmas Tree yesterday. Here's Ed and Katie sawing off the bottom to get it ready to put in the stand. We could've gotten a tree that was a bit larger but this one is SO full and very pretty.
Here are our stockings "hung by the chimney with care". The builders of our house very wisely put an outlet right above the mantel which is PERFECT for Christmas lights!

This is not a roughed up log cabin laying in the snow. It is our advent calendar after it was attacked by a candy crazed black lab! There WERE three peppermint hershey kisses in each door. Now there are none. As you can see, Lucy ate every single candy, the candy wrappers, and some of the doors, along with much of the calendar's trim and decorations! The calendar was up on the counter when we left the house. When we came home it was like this in the middle of the family room floor! I would've liked to see this whole event take place! Naughty dog! I called the vet and she said Lucy would be fine but may have an upset stomach for a while. She'll be sleeping in her crate tonight - I would not like to wake up to some sort of mess on my bedroom rug!

Rebecca did AWESOME at basketball practice tonight! She was totally getting the whole concept and she actively participated in the scrimmage! I was proud. Next week her team will play their first game. It will be fun to watch her progress this season.

Last night Katie and Rebecca performed in their first Children's Choir concert. It was INCREDIBLE! The children's choir was just part of the concert. There was an adult choir, a string trio made up of high school students, a harpist, and a professional soprano. There was also a well known folk singer there named David Grover. I just can't express how wonderful the whole thing was. The concert was in an old, 200 + year old, church with a gorgeous pipe organ. It was a ticketed event and was sold out. Ed and I had no idea what a big deal it was until we got there and people were talking about how special it was to have such a talented group of singers and performers together. We sat there in AWE for the whole concert. Allison enjoyed it very much but about half way through (it was 2 hours long) she started to get fidgety. I gave her a tootsie pop and she was golden!! If I could send the sounds of the show through my blog I would! And next year, this time, if you happen to be in Western MA., don't miss it!!

Mall Vendor

Okay, we've all been walking in the mall when up ahead you spot a vendor trying to pursuade passersby to let them demonstrate their various products. I don't know about you but I try to make myself busy looking the other way or talking to my kids, whatever. My technique really doesn't work. As a matter of fact, I have been carrying twelve shopping bags on one arm and Allison and our coats on another, and still I hear, "Would you like to try some lotion..." I think to myself, "Do I LOOK like I want to try some lotion!?" Instead, I say, as politely as I can muster, "No thanks." Well yesterday I passed by the vendor guy twice and I got to chuckling. I think he's selling lotion. His first request is for you to try his lotion. Then when you say no thanks to that, he squinches up his face, and with some kind of fast speaking accent he says, "Let me see your nails." It cracked me up! Normally I'm not paying attention to what he's saying or HOW he's saying it, but yesterday, well I found it quite funny! And it happended both times I walked passed him! So next time you pass a mall vendor, pay attention! You may get a good laugh out of it!

It's rainy, windy, and warm here today. I guess cold weather is on the way tomorrow. That's okay. I've heard talk that a good freeze would be great for the germs floating around out there! Time to FREEZE them!

Becky had her first basketball practice last weekend. She was pretty enthusiastic until about 10 minutes into practice the ball hit her square in the chest and knocked the wind out of her! After that she was less than impressed! Picture her standing on the court with her hands behind her back, trying not to move unless someone was coming directly towards her. That's how it was most of the practice. She did get into it a bit more during the last 10 minutes of practice. Maybe this week she'll enjoy it more! Nothing cuter than a bunch of little girls "playing" basketball! I'm sure with their limited skills and abilities they still play better than me!

Time to do some laundry! Have a Christmasy weekend!

General Update

Alright, now that I'm over my rantings I may be able to post something more interesting!

Thanksgiving: We had a blast! We went to Maine, of course, and stayed with Ed's parents. Our sweet little niece, Jocelyn, was there when we arrived. She was waiting with a big, happy smile for her Aunt Lisa to snatch her up and love on her!! What a cutie. I gotta tell ya, that baby is a keeper! It was good to be there visiting with our families! Ed's mom cooked and my parents and brother were there too. We ate too much and stayed up too late but we had a fun time! On Friday, my mom and I went shopping. The stores weren't crazy crowded which was good. And spending time just me and my mom was real nice. We went to Marguerita's in Lewiston for dinner with Ed's brothers. We had never eaten there before - can you believe that? It was DELICIOUS! My mouth waters just thinking about it! Saturday we went to my folks and decorated their Christmas Tree and had dinner. We played the Price is Right! What a fun game. I could get hooked on that one! We drove home Saturday night. Katie and Becky stayed overnight Friday at Alicia and Rachel's house. They had a blast!

Soccer Tournament: Veteran's Day weekend we were in Rhode Island for another (the last one) tournament. My mom and Ed's folks met us there. We stayed at a beautiful hotel in Warwick. Mom, Martha, and I went to Providence one night to the Providence Place Mall. Talk about HUGE. Picture a FOUR story mall stuffed into downtown Providence. It took up a whole city block! We were very impressed! Rebecca came with us and enjoyed the time spent with her grandmothers and getting to stay out late! Katie and a couple of friends from her team hung out together at the hotel swimming and stuff. It was a fun getaway! And the fact that our family was there made it all the better! By the way, we placed second!

We've started decorating for Christmas. I love Christmas! My dear husband very thoroughly cleaned out our basement in Topsham before we moved and THREW AWAY many decorations! Not ornaments (lucky for him), decorations for the house. So...I HAD to replenish our supply! What fun I had at Target and Michael's!!! I am pleased with how things turned out! I'll post pictures soon. We will put up our tree this weekend. Speaking of this weekend; Katie and Rebecca will perform in a Christmas concert on Saturday night! I can't wait! They are part of a Chrildren's chorus which includes ages 6 - high school. Should be a fun time!

I would estimate that I am about 70 percent done with my shopping. Let me tell you what we got my parents!! It's a.....Just kidding mom and dad!! I know you'll read this!

Time to go have lunch with Rebecca! Then recess! I've taught some kids how to play State Tag and now when I'm there we have about 20 kids playing with us! FUN!

Unwritten Etiquette

I just love this picture of Allison and Lucy. Poor Lucy can't get a break!! Anyway...

I was honked at in the school parking lot this morning by another parent... I sat there in disbelief for a moment before I got REALLY irritated. I mean, does this woman not know the unwritten etiquette concerning dropping your child off at school!? Unwritten etiquette CLEARLY states that ALL parents are to wait patiently while other parents (whether they be in front of them, to the side of them, or smack dab in the middle of the road) drop off their children. Honking is NEVER acceptable. Being in a hurry is not an option! Am I the only parent who knows about this?? I doubt it. Some parents just slow down enough for their kids to hop out, others park in the middle of the road and walk them to the door. I let Becky out and then watched as she walked into the school. 30 seconds tops! No honking was necessary! The honker was a "slow down just enough to let her child out" type and I don't think I've seen her in the morning before. I'll cut her a break this time, but if she honks at me or anyone else again...

Pumpkins

I have to say I'm a little embarrassed that this is one of the jack o lanterns that graced our front porch. Ed and Katie found this "cool" looking pumpkin on the internet and just HAD to do it! It's affectionately titled "Puking Pumpkin" Nice, huh?

These are the other two pumpkins that we carved. Much better. Rebecca chose a very traditional face with the triangle eyes and nose. I like traditional.

Allison dressed as a frog for trick or treating with her preschool class. Then that night she was Rupunzel. Rebecca dressed as Dorothy for her Character Day at school and then as Snow White to trick or treat. Katie opted to pass out candy. I think she may have wished she'd gone out with her sisters. Maybe she'll want to go out next year.

We have had snow showers several different days now! I went out and bought winter boots for the girls today. I was surprised that there is still a good selection! It seems like a full blown storm could happen any minute!! Nothing has accumulated yet - thank goodness! I enjoy the snow but it does seem a little early. Last Thanksgiving Ed was putting up Christmas lights and the snow was a -comin' down! It was very pretty.

LOST - They are so going to leave us hanging. I'm not sure if Juliet is to be trusted. And the black cloud...Eko saw it as a black, evil thing; John saw it as a beautiful white light! Hmmm...And now Eko is dead. I liked Eko. I don't like the new people Nikki and Paulo, I don't have a reason, I just don't want any new people to come on the scene and mix things up.

Survivor - BORING! I recorded it last night and fast forwarded most of it. Same old, same old.

Katie and I are going to the movies tomorrow night to see Flicka. We're going with some of her friends and one other mom. Should be a fun time. The movie looks cute; and perfect for 6th grade girls. I'll let you know how it is.

We are trying out a new church. The e-free church we've been going to is not really working out for us. Most of the people there are older than us and there aren't very many kids. We are going to try a different church for awhile and see if it's a better fit for us. So far, we all like it a lot. The music is awesome. There were 14 kids in Becky's class and at least 6 in Allison's class. I'm not sure about Katie's class, she wanted to stay in the service with Ed and I. We'll find out this week. She loved the music. And they do a drama every week before the preaching. It's all pretty cool. This church is the sponsor of the local MOPS group, so there were many familiar faces from MOPS at church, that was nice. We'll keep you posted.

Have a great weekend!

More LOST Talk

Okay, let's talk LOST. Apparently Desmond can see into the future but he doesn't necessarily seem to understand that. He's a strange cat for sure. Apparently Jack was taken hostage in order to save the life of Henry, Benjamin, leader of the "others" who has a huge tumor on his spine. And apparently Kate loves Sawyer, which I think we knew already, and he loves her. She also loves Jack, I think. Interesting. I liked the pace maker trick the others played on Sawyer. However, I don't like when the show gets so violent and I especially don't like when everyone is dirty! Time for a shower folks!! And for crying out loud, Sawyer needs a haircut! I guess we have two more weeks of new shows and then nothing until February. I hope some of these loose ends that LOST is so famous for are tied up before the long break.


Here's a couple more pictures from our trip. I love this one of the three girls peeking out from around this tree at MGM Studios. And the picture below of Buzz Lightyear with the girls is so cute. Allison LOVES Buzz. She loves Woody too but we didn't get to see him. Lately she wants me to sing the song from Toy Story 2 - Woody's Roundup. I don't know the song so I keep singing "Woody's Roundup" over and over. She doesn't care. She thinks I know all songs.

Cold, cold, cold, here in western MA. Cold I say. Have a great day!

Back Home

We're home. What a fun week we had, with great weather and manageable (mostly) crowds. Allison got to ride on just about everything so for the first time since we've had children all five Cooks could ride the fun rides together! Usually we have to settle for the "baby" rides but not this time! We saw LOTS of characters and got the autographs too. Ed and I loved seeing Katie, at 11 years old, enjoying the characters as much as her sisters! She had a blast!

Here's Rebecca (she wants me to call her Rebecca now, not Becky anymore, and I told her I'd try) and Makenzie. They LOVED being together! Makenzie is so sweet, I miss her, but I'm so thankful that we got to spend a couple of days with her!

This picture cracks me up because Ed is posing with one of Allison's imaginary friends, I think this one is Emily. Every once in awhile she gets on an imaginary friend kick where we'll hear about Olivia, Emily, or Jessie. What a hoot!

Ignore this picture as it is a repeat and I, of course, couldn't figure out how to delete it without deleting my whole post!...

Some things I observed while on vacation...Disney World is one place where being a family and being with your family is celebrated and appreciated! It's about being together and doing stuff together! Sometimes I feel like I'm being pulled in a hundred directions with one somebody saying we need more family time. Then another somebody telling me my kids need activities to enrich their lives, like ballet and piano. It's hard to know the balance. But this week it was about being with each other and I liked that very much!

Another observation...All children have meltdowns. Anytime and anyplace. From any country. You can't judge parents of children who are having a meltdown, that's not fair. Perfectly good parents have children who have meltdowns. Some children have them more frequently than others but, make no mistake, all children have them. Yesterday on the monorail, Allison was less than happy but not quite in meltdown mode. A very nice couple from Britain with two little boys, told me that their youngest boy had just had his meltdown right before we got on the monorail. It's good to be in the company of folks who understand this phenomenon of childhood. So next time you see a child in meltdown mode, give his mom a smile of understanding, and try not to judge her, she's doing her best.

I also noticed that I didn't see as many tattoos as I seem to notice here in Mass. Hmmm, interesting. Perhaps that means that tattoos are more popular in different parts of the country and world for that matter. I did notice some older women with small tattoos on their ankles or the back of their shoulders. I wondered if they were new tattoos or ones they've had a long time. Someone should do some sort of tattoo poll, don't you think.

We met a family from our town while we were in line to meet Buzz Lightyear! One of the little girls told her dad that Becky, excuse me, Rebecca goes to her school. So of course we got to chatting. Isn't it amazing what a small world it really can be sometimes.

I'm sure there will be more photos of our trip. I've given up the idea of putting them into an official scrapbook and have opted instead for the traditional photo album! By the way, the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique was the best! I don't know who enjoyed it more, me or the girls!

Disney Journal

It's day 3 of our trip and we're still having fun! Day 1 and 2 were spent with Ed's brother and our niece. It was so great to see them and spend time doing all kinds of cool stuff. The first day we went to the Animal Kingdom. We saw lots of animals and did a lot of walking. Animal Kingdom is not the park to head for if you're looking for rides. It's more of a seeing park, rather than a doing park. There are a couple of must try rides though. We did Expedition Everest which is the newest thrill ride in Disney World. All I can tell you is that it was way cool!! It's a roller coaster where you start out going forward, then as you head toward a mangled mess of track you stop, and reverse direction! The track actually shifts so you don't go back the way you came. Instead you head through some dark tunnels where, for me anyway, it was very disorienting! It was, as they say in Maine, wicked fun! The adults and Katie rode that one, Becky, Makenzie, and Allison sat it out. Becky had a blast being with her cousin. They really are the best of friends and it was awesome that it worked out for Keith and Makenzie to be here while we are!

Day 2 took us to the Magic Kingdom, which is my favorite park. There's just something about walking down Main Street USA and seeing Cinderella's castle, it's so impressive and beautiful, and magical! We went directly to Pirates of the Carribean which has been redone to include Captain Jack Sparrow a.k.a. Jonny Depp. It was okay. With so much hype surrounding the ride I expected it to be a little more interesting. From there we went to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain. Allison met the height requirements for both and had a blast riding them!! For the rest of the day she kept asking about going on more rides! There was more to 'do' at the Magic Kingdom and I think the kiddos enjoyed it more than Animal Kingdom. We said goodbye to Keith and Makenzie at the end of the day. We'll probably see them at Thanksgiving time.

Day 3 we stayed at the hotel and went fishing and swimming. Then we went to Downtown Disney and ate at Planet Hollywood. That was pretty cool! Lots and lots of movie memorabilia, including Dorothy's dress from the "Wizard of Oz" and the bus from "Speed". The food was really yummy too.

I have tried to post pictures but our internet connection runs way too slow and I'm not able to. When we get home I'll post the pictures for sure!

Some quotable quotes: As we're on the plane getting ready to take off Allison, thinking she's on some sort of ride, says, "I'm going to put my arms up and scream!" We talked her out of that! Then as we're beginning our descent into Orlando Becky says, "We're going down!" Ed says, "You mean to say we're landing." That statement could've caused a panic!

I'll try to post again before we head home until then, as they say at Disney World, "Have a magical day!"

Soccer Results

I forgot to mention in my earlier post this morning the results of the soccer tournament! Katie's team took first place! They are undefeated! Six straight wins during the tournament! Katie made some great plays and scored one goal! We were so proud of her! It's been fun to see her progress this season. Her confidence has grown so much. She's aggressive on the field and plays her wing position well. YAY! Katie.

Field Trip

Allison and I went apple picking with her preschool class this week. While it was overcast, the temperature was around 60 and the views were still gorgeous. I wish the day had been clear because the foliage was at peak this week and the colors were the most beautiful I have ever seen. I love the apple trees in the foreground of this picture (left). I hope some of the colors will show up in these pictures.





Here's another view from the hayride we were on. More beautiful rolling hills and mountains, covered by amazing and brilliant color. Lots of times I wish we lived someplace that is warm and green all the time. And then sometimes I look around me and I can't imagine living anywhere else.








Allison had a blast picking apples. There were "Honey Crisp" apples at the orchard. I'd never heard of those kind before. We didn't get to try any but I hear they are very sweet and delicious. When we ask Allison about her field trip she talks about how she and her friends played Ring Around the Rosie and how she pretended to be a kangaroo. Funny how that's her favorite part.


We are headed south this afternoon. I'm all packed. After I bring Lucy to the "pet resort" I will give the house the once over and be ready to go. I don't like to come home to a "needs to be cleaned" house.
I got out the camcorder last night to charge it up for the trip. The tape in the camera was started in January 2004! YIKES! That means I haven't been taping my children very much! Shame on me!! We will be doing quite a bit of taping next week!

On another note, we have dropped out of our ballet class. We tried the Wednesday class and Allison was pretty excited about going. She went in to dance with no problem but after a minute or so she came running out very upset. Poor thing. She just can't do it. Errrr that Miss Vickie!! I believe she sucked the wind right out of Allison's ballet sails and pretty much ruined it for her!!! Oh well, not much I can do now. The other thing I noticed is that Allison was having a hard time sleeping at night for about a week and a half. When I told her she didn't have to do ballet anymore she was glad about it and has been sleeping well ever since. Hmmm...I feel bad that she's had this stress on her mind. We've signed up for gymnastics, which we did last spring. Hopefully she'll feel comfortable enough to go in to the gym and participate. She's definitely having some separation anxiety issues. I think the ballet thing sort of magnified the separation anxiety but it isn't completely to blame for it. Must be a phase, right?

I will have the laptop with us on vacation and I will try to do a post or two. Until then, great day to all.

This and That

I came across this picture the other day of Becky and Katie. Two things strike me about it: 1. Their smiles are just alike; so are their eyes, and 2. In this picture Becky is the age Allison is now and Katie is the age Becky is now, 3 and 7. I was about 5 months pregnant with Allison when this was taken. How the time flies!!

We are enjoying another beautiful autumn weekend. Katie's team won both of their games today. They play two more games tomorrow. If they win at least one more game they'll advance to the finals on Monday. Nothing like an action packed soccer game on a bright, crisp, fall day!

I think Ed's dad is enjoying his visit with us. It's nice having him here. In some ways, being away from our family has made the time we're together more meaningful. My girls have never gotten to spend this kind of one on one time with their Grampa Cook before. They are enjoying being with him. I hope, however, that they don't start saying "Holy Crap!"

Dick's Sporting Goods opened this weekend! I love Dick's Sporting Goods! They have an awesome selection of, well, everything for sports! It may just become one of my favorite stores! I think I like it so much because shopping with Katie is easy there. If you haven't shopped with an 11 year old girl lately, you can't possibly understand the magnitude of that statement, and you should count your blessings! If you have shopped with an 11 year old girl lately you totally get what I'm talking about!

Ballet didn't happen yesterday. I couldn't even convince Allison to put her ballet clothes on let alone actually go to class! We're going to try the Wednesday class next week. We'll see what happens!

LOST

Okay. So is Juliet, Desmond's former fiance? I'm trying to figure out the connection with her. Her speech about "Free Will" at the start of the show makes me think she may turn from the dark side that is "the others" and come to Jack's rescue. I have to admit it took me about 3/4 of the show to really get into it, and now as usual, I'm anxiously awaiting next week's episode.

Tonight is Survivor. I will say that I'm not as hooked as usual this season. It's all interesting enough to keep me watching. I have no favorites yet, no predictions, it's too early.

The Unit is wicked good! A must watch if you haven't yet. Tuesdays at 9:00. Check it out.

Okay - enough TV talk.

I made an appointment for Becky and Allison at the Bibbiddi Bobbiddi Boutique in Disney World. They will have their hair, shimmery makeup, and nails done! The boutique is owned by the Fairy Godmother and Fairy Godmothers in training provide the services. How cute is that! Katie isn't interested in getting made up although she realizes and appreciates how fun it will be for her sisters and she's looking forward to being there. After being beautified, they will wear their princess dresses and off we'll go to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom. Katie is going as...A Soccer Player - big surprise there! It's a really fun time where the kids get to trick or treat in the park, there's practically no lines for the coolest rides and the Magic Kingdom is beautiful at night!

Today in the car Allison and I had a cute conversation. We were admiring the gorgeous foliage all across the mountains.

Allison: "There's bears in the mountains."

Me: "Yes there are."

Allison: "Bears are scary. Do you think so?"

Me: "Yes I do."

Allison: "Daddy is not scared. He'll hit the bear with his sword! Daddy has a blue sword. You can hit him with your pink sword."

And then onto something different...

Allison: "I like my new shoes..."

I gotta tell you, last week when I was helping in Allison's class I observed the cutest thing. During playtime the boys were all hammering and sawing to make a pretend house. The girls were playing dress up and making pretend food. Then the girls went over and offered food to the boys! It was so stereotypical yet so natural! I got a kick out of the whole scene! It kind of goes along with Allison's idea that boys have blue swords and girls have pink. Then of course, the scene changed and everyone got to building the house, the girls still in their dresses and high heels, and now some of the boys in their fireman outfits - too cute!

The ballet saga continues. I talked to the school director and if Allison can't participate tomorrow we'll try a different class next week. I actually tried to get her into the different class this week but the director didn't call me back until after that class had already met, so we couldn't set it up. She's very upbeat about going tomorrow...we'll see. Several people have offered their encouragement and words of wisdom which have been very helpful! Can you imagine!, so much drama over a preschool ballet class! Who'd have thought.

Another soccer tournament this weekend! Every three day weekend since Memorial Day we've had a soccer tournament. We never have to wonder how we'll keep busy... The weather is supposed to be perfect and it's close to home so it'll be fun. Ed's dad is coming down. It'll be nice having him here to see Katie play.

Here's a funny mind tricker I got via e-mail. Sit down and hold your right foot in the air moving your foot in a clockwise direction. At the same time, draw a number six in the air with your right hand. Go ahead, try it... Can't do it can you. Let me guess, your foot automatically changes direction! It's impossible, not to mention pretty funny! Try it again, and again, and again, and have a great day!

Untitled

I wish I could say this is the view of a nearby mountainside, but it isn't, not yet anyway. Too early. It's just a pretty picture of some beautiful foliage. Soon enough. I'm anxious to see autumn here. Should be quite a show.

I spoke with the director of the ballet school about our situation. She encouraged me to give the class another chance and she would talk to Miss Vickie about making nice with Allison. I've been trying to say nice things about Vickie and ballet class to Allison in hopes that by Friday she may be willing to give it a shot. She's coloring a picture for Vickie as we speak. We'll see.

Some sort of LOST show is on tonight. A synopsis of the past two seasons or something. The ABC website said the 2 hr. Finale from last season was supposed to be on this past Monday and it wasn't. I have the DVR set to record tonight's show in case I don't get to watch it. That's right folks, the Cooks have entered the world of Digital Video Recording! Very cool and much less complicated than operating a VCR.

I started this post a few days ago. So here it is Friday afternoon and Allison didn't participate in ballet this morning. Let me say that Vickie was very kind to her and made a good effort to get her to participate. After about 25 minutes of class it was apparent that Allison was not going to join in. I'm not sure what to do. Part of me says to keep at it and push through. The other part of me says to see if we can switch to a different class. At this point it may not even be a Vickie/Allison thing, it may be a ballet thing, I don't know.

I've been thinking about tattoos lately. Not about getting one, just about why other people get them, and who gets them, and where they put them. Last night at Petco our cashier was a young guy with several tattoos and those tribal type earrings that fit into the hole in your ear. I was thinking that he wasn't an especially cool looking guy and maybe he wanted the tattoos and earrings to try to look more cool. In his case it didn't really work. On the other hand, many of his tattoos on his arms were of reptiles and maybe he's expressing some love of animals - I don't know. He also had the words, "You can't kill it if you haven't created it." What does that mean, I wonder. Still doesn't explain the earrings. Then there was a woman with a v-neck t-shirt on and a very large tattoo across her chest. All I can think of when I see a woman with large tattoos in very conspicuous places is that someday they are going to be wrinkled old ladies with wrinkly tattoos. Somehow old men with tattoos is easier for me to digest than old women. There was also a man at the store with numbers, block style, tattooed on the back of his shaved head, hmmmm. I guess he can cover those if he ever wants to by growing his hair, maybe not. He was not a young man, more middle age. It makes me curious about the stories behind the tattoos people choose. Sometimes it's just a pretty picture or special symbol, but sometimes there's got to be a story behind them. Does this mean I am against tattoos? I don't really have an opinion. They aren't for me and I don't like to see them covering large parts of a persons body, and I might freak if one of my girls ever got one, but I guess there are worse things, eh?

I filled in for the preschool aide in Allison's class on Tuesday and Thursday this week. Let me tell you - I can't imagine having that job all the time!! Too many noses to wipe and pull ups to change if you ask me! I was glad to help, and overall it was fun, but I'm glad someone else will get a turn next week.

Allison and I did lunch/recess duty at Becky's school again this week. I'd forgotten how much I love to be at my kids' school. I like that when Beck talks about someone I know who they are, whether it's a teacher or a friend. I like that the principal knows me. I like that I get to see what a kind soul Becky is away from home, and how the friends she chooses are kind too. I like to see that she's comfortable there and happy and okay. It does my heart good. Now I just need to wiggle my way into Katie's school. What a totally different place middle school is. I'm finding that being involved with Katie's school doesn't mean working in the lunch room but rather being in touch with her teachers, discussing her grades with them, or whatever. This morning I called to speak with one of the counselors because Katie's schedule looks like Greek to me! I wanted to understand what "Team" was or when their "Activity" period would start. Katie has tried to explain these things to me but being new to the school herself, it was difficult to understand exactly what she was telling me. I have it figured out now, I think. Our school has two very cool websites; one where each teacher posts the homework assignments and a secure site where progress reports are posted. I like having access to that information. It helps me to speak intelligently to Katie about her school work.

I'm doing better with my posting. I'll try to be a little more faithful. Great day to all.

Pizza Hut

Here's a funny Allison story...

Yesterday we were all discussing where to get pizza for dinner. Ed wanted Pizza Hut. Katie, Becky and I said we didn't like Pizza Hut. Then little miss pipes up and says, "I don't like Pizza Hut either. I like pizza cold." Didn't we crack up at that!!

We ended up with pizza from Arizona Pizza and Brother Bear 2 for a movie. Let me tell you that Brother Bear 2 was excellent. Nothing objectionable at all. It had elements of Tarzan, Beauty and the Beast, and Little Mermaid. Is Disney running out of original ideas? The movie was still great and we were all quite wrapped up in it. A must see, for sure.

I had a dream last night that I was going to Disney World with my mom. It was a Wednesday and we were leaving that day. All of a sudden I realized that I hadn't packed yet!! Then I couldn't find my plane tickets!! What do you suppose this means? Am I feeling unprepared for our vacation which is fast approacing? I don't think that's it. Who knows. Anyway, funny how a dream can make you panic a bit.

Time to start another busy week. Have a great day!

Photos

Rebecca at school on the first day. She looks thrilled that I'm having her pose for a picture, doesn't she?

Allison on her first day of school! She was so excited to go. She was all smiles and wanting to pose for all kinds of pictures.

Allison and Lucy. I think Lucy is eyeing a get away!

Katie and Lucy - True Love.

Katie and her team waiting for their 1st place trophies. Isn't she cute?

Miscellaneous

So it's been three weeks since my last post, what can I say? - I'm sorry.

I'll probably cover a lot of stuff with this post so I'm titling it Miscellaneous.

Allison's ballet bubble was burst today - actually last week. Towards the end of the lesson last Friday she got all weepy and wanted me so her instructor - Miss Vickie (or should I say Miss YICKY!) sent her out of the room to get me. I thought maybe Allison was just tired or I don't know. Let me just say that the week prior was our first lesson and Allison was SOOOOO excited and happy and loving every minute of it. It didn't make sense that she was upset but I kind of brushed it off. Well this week when we got to class several moms asked me how Allison was and if I got to the bottom of her crying. I wasn't sure why they all cared, I mean, we've all seen crying, apparently for no reason, three year olds before. Then one mom explained that her daughter told her that Miss Vickie told Allison to get her fingers out of her mouth, then Allison felt bad and sort of put her head down, so Miss Vickie told her to go sit down. That's when she began to cry and want me. I was unaware of all of this because us moms have to wait outside of the studio and watch through windows in the doors. We kind of all take turns watching. So anyway, Allison was all excited to go this week and did fine until it was time to go into the class. She started sobbing, big sad sobs! My heart broke. This is not a usual Allison behavior. So, I went into the classroom to talk to Miss Vickie. I asked her what had happened the week before and she told me basically what had been relayed to me through another child. I explained that Allison does suck her thumb, sometimes unconsciously, and I thought maybe Miss Vickie made her feel bad. She, in her very abrasive manner, kind of brushed me off with some talk about germs and policies. I told her she maybe could've been a little gentler in speaking to Allison and how I feel like now Ally is afraid of her. Again, we were brushed off and told that Allison could watch through the windows and come in to dance if she felt like it. We ended up leaving. I have never met someone so abrasive, rude, and down right witchy, who works with children! I mean, why would you want to work with preschoolers when you clearly don't like them!?! I am not one to make mountains out of mole hills and my plan of action is to simply switch classes. I don't want to make a big deal out of this but as a mom I feel bad for my child. I just had to vent. Allison is fine with no signs of permanent damage, no thanks to MISS YICKY!

Lucy is an absolutely wonderful addition to our family! We are all crazy about her. The most amazing thing is that Ed loves her too. I can't even explain how he is with her. When he gets home from work, if she isn't at the door to greet him he calls her over. Or he'll tell me some cute story about how Lucy cleared off Becky's bean bag chair so she could lay on it. She's shedding a lot right now and I've decided I just have to vacuum twice a day. I told Ed and his response was that she's worth it, she's such a good dog! I don't know if I ever told her sad tale. Lucy was abandoned when hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana. Someone took her in and kept her until this passed July. Then she was turned into a shelter because she was pregnant. Poor Lucy. Apparently, standard procedure is to spay a pregnant dog and abort the puppies. Their chance of survival in a shelter is low as is the mother's. Lots of infectious diseases can circulate in a shelter where 350 dogs a month are taken in. She stayed at the shelter during her recuperation and the Labs 4 Rescue folks took charge of finding her a home. That's when we found her on their website. When we got her, the incision was still evident and her belly was shaved. Her surgery had to have been just a week or so before we got her. This poor, sweet, dog holds no grudges. She's so eager to please and obedient beyond belief. I love how she seeks out the girls when they're home. She likes to be close to them. The other day she was in Allison's room and Allison was making her little doll house animals climb on Lucy. They would hide in her hair and stuff - it was pretty cute. Lucy never moved. She's just so patient and good with my girls. I have to love her for that if for no other reason.

Amazing Race and Survivor have me hooked already. As well as NCIS and The Unit. I tried getting into Grey's Anatomy but can't. I don't think I like hospital dramas. I also enjoyed Men In Trees on Friday nights. Very cute and funny. LOST can't start soon enough. The season finale from last spring is on Monday night I think. I'll have to watch so I can remember what happened.

Everyone is doing well in school. Katie's liking Middle School just fine. I'm looking for opportunities to be involved there. Becky has a very nice teacher! I'm one of the room parents this year - don't ask me what that means - I have no idea yet. I'm also working lunch and recess duty once a week at her school. Allison comes with me and absolutely loves being with the older kids! Allison love, love, loves preschool! She strolls in like she's always gone! I'm glad for that. Katie's soccer team went undefeated at the Labor Day tournament and took home the first place trophies!! So exciting! They are still undefeated.

Almost time to get Kate off the bus. Gotta go!

Bronx Zoo

We had a fun time at the Bronx Zoo last weekend. It's HUGE! We didn't get to see all of it but we saw some great stuff! Above is Allison in the reptile exhibit. She was definately more interested in the pretend reptiles!
Check out the grizzly bear behind Becky and Katie! The animal exhibits were fantastic! You know how sometimes when you're at a zoo you feel sorry for the animals because their homes are so pathetic...not the case at the Bronx Zoo. They were all very nice.

That tiger is TOO close, fortunately there's glass between him and my little girls! This tiger kept pacing back and forth. We got to see him really close up!

I think the polar bear was waving at us! How cute and huggable he looked. It's amazing that something so cute could be so dangerous!

Stuff

Lucy is home with us. We picked her up Monday evening. She's awesome! Sweet, smart, cute, obedient, patient...all the things we'd hoped for in a new pet! We're already completely in love with her! I noticed today how she really seems at home with us. There's a spring to her step when we call her over. And when one of the girls comes into the room she's in she gets up and goes over to greet them. Just a happy wag of her very fat tail and a sniff, then she'll go lay down or whatever. She and I have taken early morning walks the past two days and today she seemed really excited to go! When we got back to our driveway she turned to go home - I told you she's smart! Tomorrow we're off to the vet for an initial see how she's doing kind of check up.

Today me, Becky, and Allison went to a picnic and a play done by Shakespeare and Company which is a theater group in Lenox, MA. It was a family performance under a big tent. We sat in low lawn chairs and the stage was only about a foot off the ground. It was very cool! Today's play was made up of several scenes from different Shakespearean plays, like Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and others. The scenes were chosen to demonstrate Shakespeare's clever way with words. Apparently an average adult has around 20,000 words in his or her vocabulary. Shakespeare used some 37,000 different words in his plays. He is also credited with inventing several of the words we still use today, of course I can't remember any of them right now! He also created several catch phrases like, dead as a door nail; your own flesh and blood; and more. And when the actors (who were fabulous, by the way) were presenting this information it was done in a funny and silly sort of way! Becky found it all very entertaining - I think being in the first row was especially fun for her. Allison couldn't have cared less! Katie was at soccer and then to a friend's house although I think she would've really enjoyed it! I did!

I read today that gas prices are expected to head down to about $2 a gallon by year's end...we'll see. We're right around $2.83 right now which is down about 20 cents from a couple of weeks ago, so no complaints.

Happy Back to School! I know some kids in Maine are starting tomorrow. We start Tuesday. One more weekend! We're off to a soccer tournament in Agawam this weekend. I hope Katie's team does well! I'll let you know...

Lucy Update

This is a picture of Lucy. Isn't she just the cutest thing!? Apparently she likes to carry around her favorite toy with her. I can't wait to see if she has it with her when we pick her up.

Lucy is on a van transport headed to New England as we speak. She left from her shelter home down south last night and is expected to arrive at her temporary foster home tomorrow around 5 p.m. A long haul, to be sure!

We are still waiting for a time to be scheduled for our home visit. It has to be done before we can bring Lucy home. Until the home visit is done she has to stay with a foster family. I've chatted via e-mail with the lady who will have her. She sounds really nice. I'll call her tomorrow late afternoon to make sure Lucy arrived.

The girls have been so excited. It's hard not knowing exactly when Lucy will come home but they're hanging in there. They are a little wound up, you know, the way kids are at Christmas! They've been so great about getting ready to have a dog. They've spent their own money on some things for her and spent time yesterday washing down the crate. I'm really proud of them.

The calendar says it's still summer but the weather doesn't seem to know that! It's been in the 60's all day and cloudy. Oh well...we need a little rain. Maybe we'll have one more warm up before school starts.

News

I don't know what kind of butterfly this is but it's about the most georgeous one we saw at the Butterfly Conservatory. We went while my mom was down a couple of weeks ago. I think I may have mentioned it in another post.

The butterflies are fluttering all around and will land on people from time to time. Becky is not looking at Katie with jealous disgust, it's more like, 'Make sure that thing doesn't land on me, would ya!'

This beautiful blue butterfly was taking a break under a nice bench when Allison decided to scootch down to check him out.

We have decided to expand our family...Hold onto your britches! I'm not talking about adding another person, I'm talking about a dog, specifically a Labrador Retriever. After deciding that now is the right time I began doing some looking online for different animal shelters in our area. Slim pickins. Then I expanded the search and found a few different Lab Rescue organizations. Ah Ha! I was onto something. These groups are run by all volunteers located throughout the Northeast. There is no shelter, so to speak. Most of the dogs are placed in foster homes awaiting adoption. Most of the dogs are rescued from 'high kill' shelters in the south. A very nice lady I spoke with from www.americanlabrescue.com was telling me that last year in the Houston area 26,000 dogs were euthanised. Once a dog comes to a high kill shelter they have three days to be adopted. After the three days they are put down. How sad. Labs are the most common type of dog in these shelters, many of them pure bred, many more a mix of some sort. Black labs and black dogs in general are the least desirable to adopt, I don't know why. This same lady told me that she received 26 pages of dogs from one shelter to choose from to add to the rescue. I don't envy her job of trying to determine the most adoptable dogs on that list knowing she only has a certain number of foster homes to place them in. After searching through many lists of dogs on www.petfinder.com we were put in touch with www.labs4rescue.com. We are planning to adopt Lucy, a 4 year old, pure bred, black lab. Apparently she carries around her favorite toy with her all the time and is very smart and obedient. She'll require very little training, and she loves children and other dogs. She's a real cutie! We've submitted our application and had a phone interview with Lucy's case worker. Now we need to schedule a home visit and then she can come to live with us. We are all so excited! Even Ed, believe it or not. I'm amazed by the whole process and the dedication of the volunteers at these rescue groups. I'll keep you posted.

We're off to the Bronx Zoo this weekend with my in-laws. That should be a lot of fun; I've never been to New York City before. It's only about 2 1/2 hours from us. I'll be sure and post some pictures from our zoo adventure.

Can you believe summer is almost over? Where did it go? I find myself asking, 'What did we do all these weeks?' It's been nice to loaf around without the strict morning routine that comes with school. We've also enjoyed the steady stream of houseguests we've had. It's fun to show folks around our new community and show them the things we really like about living here.

Allison is SO excited about going to Nursery School. Becky is lots less excited and Katie just shrugs her shoulders when I ask her about it. I helped Allison's teacher and another mom from the school put together a rather large rubbermaid shed last week. Between the three of us we had the tools we needed and decifered the directions and got the thing together in about 3 hours. Pretty good! We affectionately refer to it as the "She Shed" because no man helped! Tonight I'm going to the school to serve on the interview panel for a teacher's aide position that needs to be filled for the start of school. How cool to have so much input about who Allison will spend 6 hours a week with! I'm looking forward to it. It's a cooperative nursery school which means it's essentially run by the parents. I like that.

My friend Deborah recommened a good book recently, Between, Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson. It was excellent! You know you've found a good book when you can't put it down! I just started a new novel called, Quite Honestly. I can't remember who wrote it. It's set in England and the charcters are obviously English, with their dry humor and funny phrases. I'm getting into it...I'll let you know how it goes. Becky is reading the Magic Treehouse series and really likes it. We're reading the American Girl Samantha series out loud too. I just love the American Girl books. They're educational, inspirational, entertaining... Our local library has the Left Behind for Kids series and Katie wants to start on those. I read the original series for adults and it was excellent, a definate must read!

Oops, Gotta go - my children need a referee!

Recipe Review

Just a quick post to tell you not to bother with the corn salad recipe I posted yesterday. While it was very pretty and easy to make it lacked any real flavor. Katie gave it a good try but just wasn't interested. Allison picked all the cucumbers out and ate them. And Becky wouldn't even try it. Ed and I liked it all right, but weren't overly impressed.

We're now on a smoothie kick. I dug out our blender (which we got as a wedding gift, and looks like new) and have been going to town making fruit smoothies. We tried making them with ice but most recipes I've found call for frozen fruit instead, hmmm...we'll be trying that.

Another hot day tomorrow with slightly lower temps (low 90's). Katie and Becky are both having friends over in the afternoon to swim - it's always more fun to play in the pool with lots of people. Maybe we'll get a good game of Marco Polo going. Even Allison gets in on the action.

Speaking of Allison...Yesterday while we were in the car heading somewhere Allison did not want to go, she had her daily melt down. On and on she went while I kept on driving. Finally after several minutes of ranting and raving she says, "YOU'RE A PANCAKE!" It was all I could do to keep from bursting with laughter! I guess being a pancake is pretty bad, because she was pretty mad when she said it. After that she was quiet and good as gold. Go figure.

Here's a picture of Becky and Allison on one of the rides at Funtown. I'm sure Becky is explaining something to Allison.

Here's a fun picture of Becky flying her kite at Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth. If you've never been there you ought to go. There's picnic tables, a small beach, lots of wide open spaces for kite flying or kickball, and of course, the beautiful Portland Head Light.

I just love candid shots and this one of Little Miss is a new favorite of mine. I love those curls just a-blowin' in the breeze!

We are under an excessive heat warning today and tomorrow. Hmmm...the heat index will be in the 105 degree range! The low temps for tonight and tomorrow night is only in the low 70's and extremely humid. I'm not complaining, but I do wish I had central air. I've got the house closed up and shades closed, which does make a difference. Then later this evening I'll open things up again and put the window fans in the bedrooms. The girls and I are heading to the mall this afternoon to beat the heat and do some school supply shopping. Then it's off to Katie and Becky's first piano lesson. After that it's pool time! I'm trying a new recipe at supper tonight. It sounds delicious and requires no cooking, maybe we'll have chicken salad sandwiches with it.

Corn Salad

1/4 c. minced fresh basil

3 T. olive oil

2 tsp. lime juice

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. slat

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 c. frozen corn thawed ( or use fresh sweet corn)

2 c. cherry tomatoes halved

1 c. chopped seeded peeled cucumber

In a jar combine the basil, oil, lime juice, sugar, salt, and pepper: shake well. In a large bowl combine, corn, toms, and cukes. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Refridgerate until serving. 6 servings.

How much more simple could it be? I'll let you know if the kiddos like it.

My friend Heather posted about the trials of a three year old on her blog about 2 weeks ago. I'm so glad to be reminded that it isn't just my child who is difficult to deal with! Allison has always had a bit of a volatile personality but lately it's magnified! It's more like spontaneous combustion! One minute she's fine then she's literally exploded over something seemingly small! Some things I know make her crazy, like shopping or having to stay out of her sisters' rooms. But other times we're going about our day and she freaks out about EVERY LITTLE THING! Three years old is do much harder than two years old! Give me a house full of two year olds anyday over one three year old! Katie and Becky were the same way! I have documented proof! I wouldn't change a thing about my little miss even if I could. I know that this head strong determination she has can be an asset in her life, with God's help. And eventually she'll turn FOUR!

Stay cool!

Land of the Free...

We just got home from another trip to Maine. Katie was at Camp Good News in Livermore Falls for the week so me, Becky, and Allison stayed to visit family and Ed stayed in MA to work. It was a nice week with good weather and lots of fun activities. I was ready to be home and back into the rountine though, you know how it goes.

Katie found out that she made the fall travel soccer team! YAY! She's on the A team this time which will hopefully provide her with more of a challenge! I'm also glad she'll be seeing her friends at practices before school starts. Hopefully spending time with other girls will lessen the anxiety of starting Middle School!

It's hard not to notice the news lately. All politics aside, I feel like what's happening in Lebannon and Israel is very sad. The Hezbollah strong hold is devasting. I think about the innocent people, going about their everyday lives having to watch the skies for incoming missiles. Mothers worrying over the safety of their tiny children or their grown children who've been called to fight. Homes and businesses have been lost. Men, women, and children have been killed. I don't understand all of the issues involved, I don't need to in order to be sympathetic. I'm sympathetic to all of the people who don't have any say about what's happening and yet are the most afftected. The whole thing makes me really thankful that I was born an American. I think I take that fact for granted most of the time. I don't know fear as I attend church as a Christian, or as I tuck my children in at night, or even as I sit outside on a beautiful summer day. Others, even as I write this are meeting in underground churches, or wondering if the night will bring more violence, or if a new missile will reach their town today. Some people think being an American means that we pay too much in taxes or that the price of gasoline is too high. Some people think it means to have too many illegal aliens taking too many benefits away from US citizens. Still others think being an American is all about taking and never giving back. To me it's simple, being an American means to be FREE. We live in the greatest country on earth - really.

I have been a very bad blogger lately! It's been over a week since my last post and I'm finally getting those pictures of the finished landscaping and the patio Ed made on here! Yesterday we had internet troubles...our wireless network was not responding and then this morning the internet wouldn't connect. I did remember that sometimes the modem box needs to be reset so that's what I did and VOILA! All better. So here's the landscaping...

We had a new paver walkway put in along with several shrubs and perennials. The clump birch is new also.
From this angle you can see a bit of the wall that was put in as well as the flowering crab apple tree. Overall, we're very happy with the way it turned out!
And here's the patio. It's about 10 x 10. In the corner, barely visible is a fire pit. We planted sod around the patio so we wouldn't have to contend with trying to grow grass while the kids were in and out of the pool. Ed did a good job, don't you think?

We've been swamped with company lately. I love having everyone here! First our sister in law and her three kids came with my mother in law. They were here for four days. Then my mother in law stayed and my brother in law, his wife, and two daughters, including our newest niece Jocelyn, came down and stayed three days. All told we had someone here for nine nights! We had a great time. Michayla, Tyler, and Kaleb were here for the first couple nights of Vacation Bible School at our church and Makenzie came to the last night. Fun. I think my favorite thing we did was Magic Wings, a 8000 square foot butterfly conservatory with over 4000 butterflies flying freely around you. It was gorgeous! The plants were beautiful and tropical feeling and the butterflies were so large and unique! My mother in law said she thought heaven must be a little like that place. I could've sat all day and just enjoyed the scenery!

I'm doing laundry as we speak for our trip to Maine. Katie is going to camp all next week so Becky, Ally, and I are going to stay with family. No sense in making the trip twice, once to drop her off and once to pick her up. It's not a difficult drive but it does get a little long and boring. Boring is good I guess. It'll be nice to see friends and family, I'm looking forward to it.

How about Rock Star Supernova? I loved Rockstar INXS last summer so naturally I'm hooked on this season. I think goody two shoes Dana needs to go away. In my opinion, she ain't got the stuff to lead a band with the likes of Tommy Lee! I'm liking Storm and Toby. I also like the girl who sang first on Tuesday although I don't remember her name. She came on strong the very first week. Some predict a woman will win - - time will tell.

LOST isn't premiering until Oct. 4! Then it will run for 8 weeks and be off until February sometime! What's up with that!? That does not make me happy!

The girls and I went to see a theater production of James and the Giant Peach yesterday! It was really well done! Allison liked most of it, until one of the characters ran toward the audience. Then she kept saying, "I want to leave this place!" She managed to stick it out and we all had a nice time.

We are loving our swimming pool. The weather has been so hot! We swim for a while then get out to have ice cream cones. I tell you, we barely notice the heat! Some days the girls put their bathing suits on first thing and have them on all day! Allison is swimming all around the pool with her bubble on now. And I've noticed a major improvement in Becky's confidence level! Katie spends most of her time doing somersaults or handstands! I think she's under the water more than she's above it.

I think I'm feeling an ice cream cone break coming on now!...Gotta go.