Being Jesus' Mom...

"Mary did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod? And when you kiss your little baby, you kiss the face of God?"

These are words from one of my favorite Christmas songs, Mary Did You Know? It really makes me think about Mary as a mother. The Bible tells us that Mary pondered the events of her son's life. I wonder what she must've been thinking as she looked into His face for the first time. Her baby boy was the promised King, come to provide a way of redemption and salvation. How she must've marveled at her child as he grew into a man who performed miracles and such. Do you think it overwhelmed her? Was she able to wrap her head around the fact that this 'child' was God in the flesh? I have a hard time wrapping my head around it sometimes! And, oh how her heart must've broken as she watched Him suffer as He was crucified! He was on that cross for her, and for all of us. How much of that did she understand? It was a hard thing to be Jesus' mom, don't you think? But what a huge blessing it was too, I'm sure!

Some Randomness...

Yes, I'm back... I'm going to make a last ditch effort to keep this blog alive... My friend, Heather, and I have both neglected our blogs lately and have made a deal to try and save them - so here's my feeble attempt and resuscitating mine...

I saw something funny on the way home from school today. We drive to school on a road with a low bridge to go under. It has 11 foot clearance. Many trucks are higher than 11 feet and this always presents a problem. If they don't see the signs warning of low clearance they don't figure it out until they are at a place where there's no room to turn around. They back up, blocking traffic and causing a pretty big inconvenience. Today, a truck driver didn't seem to think his truck was over 11 feet high and proceeded to go under the bridge. He was wrong. The bridge is still intact - his truck is not. Amazing what 35 mph and a stone bridge will do to a truck !

Last night when I was hugging Becky I felt sad. Sad because she's so big now. I held her thinking about when she was small and how I'd scoop her into my arms. She'd lay her head on my shoulder and we cuddle. I wished I could go back to that time, if only for a few moments. Just to see her small again. To hold her on my hip. To snuggle with her little head on my shoulder... But, no can do. She's only about 2 inches shorter than me now! However, she's still just as sweet and just as snuggly. There's no possible way for me to scoop her into my arms, but she can still rest her head on my shoulder as we cuddle. Things change, kids grow. It's bitter sweet. I love seeing the people my girls are becoming but I sure do miss them being small ...

We were driving around town admiring the many displays of Christmas lights the other night. We came across a house that no one lived in. It's a beautiful house and Allison was quite disappointed that there were no decorations. She said, " I think the government should put lights on their house for them... By the way, what's the government?" Good grief didn't we laugh! Where does she come up with this stuff!?

Katie is embarking on a new adventure - cross country skiing. We have gotten all the necessary equipment - can you say 'cha-ching'? Now all we need is some good snow. I think she'll be really good at it. She amazes me with her commitment to do well. She practices hard and pushes herself to the limit. I wonder what makes some people like that. I wasn't like that at her age - I'm still not. I'm glad she is the way she is. I hope God will use this trait in a positive way all her life...

Time to go meet the bus! The girls and I have some Christmas lights to put up outside before the snow flies tonight!

General Update

So. Skillet was Thursday night in Albany, NY. We loaded up two cars with Katie and her friends, and Ed, Becky, and I. Allison got to have a sleep over at her friend's house. We were at the concert by 5:00 in order to get our VIP wristbands which entitled us to a free Skillet CD! And a meet and greet time with the band! After standing out in the cold for what seemed like forever! - we made our way in. The band was very sweet and genuine. They each (John, Korey, Jen, and Ben) shook hands, high fived, and signed LOTS of autographs. It was super fun! Katie was able to give free tickets to a few of her friends including a girl from school whose family couldn't afford the ticket. This girl was probably the biggest Skillet fan of all the girls (except Katie!) and she was BESIDE HERSELF over being there! She didn't know about the VIP seating or the meet and greet and she about flipped when we told her!! That was the best part for me. This is a girl who you'd look at and make some snappy judgments about her based on her appearance. I'm glad I didn't do that because this girl was about as sweet as they come. She wrote Ed and I a thank you note for bringing her to the show and everything. I really enjoyed getting to know her. Becky and I hung out together and Ed stayed in the background but close by Katie and her friends. And every now and then Becky and I would join them all. There's ALOT of standing and Becky and I opted for some comfy seats in the back of the auditorium and a bowl of ice cream for some of the show :) It was a GREAT time but a super late night! Becky and I rolled into bed around 12:30 a.m. and Ed and Katie were about an hour behind us after dropping kids off and stuff. We all got up and went to school the next morning - ugh! This morning we all slept in until about 9:00! That's pretty late for us.

We've decided to cancel our curbside trash pickup and instead make the weekly trip to the local transfer station. Trash pick up is us VERY expensive and our guys don't recycle anything! I've seen my neighbors put out their separated recyclable items along with regular trash and I've watched the trash guys dump everything together onto the truck. Why bother separating! So anyway in the name of being more environmentally responsible and saving a few bucks we've taking care of our own trash. Since I started separating trash I've noticed how much LESS trash bags we're filling up. We used to fill at least one bag a day for a total of at least 7 bags a week for pick up. Since Tuesday of this week (it's now Saturday) we've only barely filled ONE bag!!! That's less than one full bag in four full days! Talk about a difference! Ed is on his way to the transfer station to get a sticker for the car and bring our first load of trash. I'm so proud of us!!

Allison has been having meltdowns like she hasn't had in quite awhile. Not sure how to handle them. She gives me bits and pieces of what might be bothering her but I haven't quite put it all together yet. Yesterday was tough because I had to be at work and she was very upset. I didn't like that at all. Thankfully I was able to check on her and others let me know that she was fine. What a hard thing. Some of her troubles may have to do with things at school I think, and some may have to do with a certain friend she has. My radar is up and I'll be keeping my eye on things. Along with some regular dialogue with Allison about her day and goings on in her class hopefully I can figure this out. Not sure if it's time to involve the teacher yet. Maybe. The friend isn't in her class but is someone she plays with. I may have to keep that friendship reigned in a little bit until this is figured out. Perhaps that's why I like to know my kids' friends. It really does clue me in about my children, and who they are and what's going on outside our home.

Katie continues to do well at cross country. She shaved a full two minutes off her 5K time at this last meet. It was at a repeat location so there was a direct comparison to the last time she raced there. She looks good and strong when she's running and I love to watch her!! This last meet Becky, Allison, and I only stayed for the girls race. We usually stay for the whole thing but it was COLD! I'm determined to be at EVERY meet Katie runs in - that's my goal. Even if I don't stay for the whole thing I'll be there to see my girl run. I'm going to have to get me a really WARM PARKA for when she skis cross country!!!

X-Country

Katie ran in her first ever cross-country meet yesterday. I almost didn't go. Katie said she didn't really want me to go - nerves I think. Then we decided that I would go because she didn't want to ride the bus back to school and risk missing her youth group meeting last night. I admit that I wasn't sure AT ALL what to expect. I got there and just followed the crowd heading up the hill , hoping that they were heading to the race and not some other sporting event happening at the school. We topped the hill as the starting gun fired and the girls were off. I had no idea where to be to see the race. Fortunately I found a couple of friends with kids on the team, and they clued me in. Thank goodness. I wasn't expecting to know anyone there! I saw my girl finish the first lap (there were three for a total of 5K) and cheered her on. It was actually very cool. I was proud then. But not as proud as I was when she was making that final climb up a steep incline to the finish line. She came up the hill coughing. I was clapping and urging her on. She looked at me and said, "I think I'm going to throw up." UGH. I felt bad for her. The only thing I could do to help her is encourage her to keep going! The finish line was in sight and she was just about there. "Keep going! Don't stop!" I yelled. My friend Donna looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, "Oh, that poor thing!" We both turned our heads just in time to see Katie sprinting to the finish line, determined to beat the girl in front of her. I don't know where she got that last burst of energy! I went and found her after the race and gave her a Powerade. She was all smiles and feeling good about her achievement! That's my girl... I'll have to Facebook her exact time and finish position after she gets home from school. She didn't get that info before we left the meet. Next week is a home meet. While I was apprehensive about yesterday's meet - not knowing what to expect - I'm downright excited about next week's!

Becky and Allison start piano lessons today. This will be the first time for Allison! She's very excited. The fact that she is so young means that most of her practice time will be with me helping her. It's a pretty big commitment on my part and one that I hope I'm ready for. Becky practices all on her own with very little help from me. She's becoming quite a good pianist! Katie doesn't take lessons anymore but she'll sit and the piano and play sometimes. She has a knack for teaching herself to play a song that she's heard on the radio or somewhere. Becky hasn't shown whether she can do that or not yet. She seems more comfortable reading the music. It'll be interesting to see how Allison does...

Inspired

I just finished watching the President's speech to school children (I recorded it while I was at work). I have to say that I found it inspiring. If you haven't seen it, click here to read a transcript of the speech. The speech - to me - seemed to encourage students to take accountability for their education. President Obama pointed out that even adversity in the lives of our youth is no excuse for them to turn their backs on school or to be disrespectful to teachers and other authority figures. I liked that. He even gave examples of students from various parts of our country who have overcome great odds to achieve their educational goals. The speech was given at a High School in Arlington, VA. After he was done speaking, President Obama went down to the crowd and shook hands with staff and students from the school. I watched as students expressed their excitement over meeting the president with big smiles and kind words for him. The respect they showed was commendable. I liked that too. I know there was a lot of hub bub about the whole speech and I honestly don't know why. Cspan also showed former presidents Reagan and Bush addressing school children and I plan to watch those speeches later. I'm interested to see what challenge those presidents presented to ME and my classmates. Anyway, I was inspired this afternoon as I watched our president speak to the youth of America and I just wanted you to know.

So. Tired.

Wiped Out. Day three of school and I am wiped out. Katie seemed spent this morning but has perked up a bit now. Becky is so even keeled it's hard to tell. And Allison was down right grumpy when she got off the bus. Even as I type this I desperately want to lay down and take a NAP! And I'm only working half days!! Must be that getting up early stuff! It stinks! Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday and we get a long weekend to rest up.

The first day of school was sort of anti climatic. Everyone got up and out the door without any fuss. It was as if we'd just been on a little break from school and now we just picked up where we left off. I don't know what I expected. This year was so much easier because I didn't have the anxiety of sending my baby off into the big bad world without me for the WHOLE DAY. We're used to that by now. And Katie is just so cool about the whole going to the big high school thing that I wasn't the least bit worried for her. Then of course, Becky has this awesome teacher this year and all her best friends are in her class so no need for worry there either. Hmmm....nice.

I saw one of my little Down Syndrome friends in the hall yesterday. I was walking along, minding my own business when I heard, "It's Mrs. Cook!! Hi Mrs. Cook!" I looked around for the person belonging to the sweet voice HOLLERING my name. I spotted my little friend and went over to give her a hug and do a bit of catching up since we hadn't seen each other all summer. She was really too cute! Stuff like that makes my day.

My tomato plants finally lost the battle against the plight that has destroyed so many tomato plants this year. I have green toms sitting on the vine, but the bottom of the plant is yellowed and pretty much dead. Oh well, I don't really like gardening. There, I said it. I don't like bugs. Bugs live in gardens, I don't like bugs, doesn't seem like a good hobby for me. I do however LOVE tomatoes - I'll need to figure something else out...

That's all. I'm tired now. And my children expect me to feed them dinner. Not sure what I'll do about that.

My Dilemmas

Heading to Maine soon. Ed thought we should drive up tonight. I thought we should leave in the morning. We haven't decided yet. In the meantime I'm packing and getting ready.

There's a storm a-comin'. The tropical kind with lots of rain and wind. It's coming on the day Ed's brother is getting married. Outside. By the ocean. Not good. I hear that plans have been made to move things inside at the same location. Good, I say. I wasn't looking forward to sitting under a tent with the wind threatening to carry us all away! Supposed to be cold too. YIKES! How to dress? What to pack? These are my dilemmas today.

I've been asked to sub at the girls' school for the first two weeks of the school year. I think I will. I was kind of looking forward to taking some time to go through closets and do some general straightening. But, that can wait! Mom and I have our trip to NYC coming up and Christmas shopping will be starting soon. The extra cash would be fantastic! Plus, I'll be doing lunch/recess with Allison's grade each day. How can I say no to that?! You know how I love to get hugs from my little miss during the school day! I'm hoping I'll run into Becky too! That would make it perfect. The little girl I'd work with is familiar to me and I think it'd be a good gig for a couple of weeks.

I guess I'd better get upstairs to pack. UGH! Still not 100% sure what to wear to the wedding. MOM, HELP! I'll probably end up bringing more clothes for this short trip than I did for the longer trip last time!

Now, go batten down the hatches people!

Tuesday Blah Blah Blah...

I find myself holding on a little tighter to my girls these days. Must be the impending arrival of school. I will miss them. I'll be anxious to hear about their day. I'll be nervous for them as they start this new school year. I don't much like the beginning of the school year. I'm sure I've said that before. At least it's not as bad as last year when I had to send my Little Miss off to kindergarten. THAT was hard.

Right now the girls are upstairs playing together. All three of them. I love when that happens. So far no one is yelling or slamming doors. I think slamming doors is a girl thing. Becky doesn't slam doors but Katie and Allison seem to do it ALOT when they're mad at whoever they're mad at. Becky is pretty mild mannered. She's the most like her dad, personality wise. Allison and Katie are more like me - 'nuf said.

This week marks the 4th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. I watched a special on the Weather Channel with Brian Williams the other night. It's still amazing to me how destructive that storm was. But the show was more about the plight of the storm survivors during the days and weeks following the storm. We've all heard the stories, but to hear Brian Williams give his account of those events was pretty wild. If it's on again WATCH.

Happy Tuesday!

Cars...

There was talk today at church about a car show and Allison was determined that she wanted to go. So after lunch Ed brought her over. Apparently she had a great time. She kept commenting on which cars were the fastest, and coolest. "This one's the fastest, right Dad?" Ed said she was so excited that she just kept going from car to car. Here's a few photos of my girl and the cars...

And here's one of Katie...She had to sit in the Mustang of her dreams when we stopped by the Ford dealership one day...

This is our last week off before school. I wonder if Katie is getting nervous about starting high school and being with all those big high school kids. She never lets on. She could be shaking in her size seven shoes and no one would ever know. I admire that about her. Becky isn't nervous at all. She's thrilled with the teacher she got and a bunch of her friends are in her class, so I think she's actually looking forward to it. Allison seems a bit nervous. She keeps saying things like, "When school starts I won't see you all day Mom." or "I will miss you when I'm at school during the day." It makes me sad for her but I know she'll have a blast in first grade! Her teachers are wonderful. I remember that Katie and Becky both thought they had arrived when they got to first grade! They were BIG kids now! I hope Allison has that same feeling. Probably will once she gets a look at those itty bitty kindergartners!

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Becky and Allison had a 'camp out' in my room last night. Basically, we blew up an air mattress and they got to sleep in my room. Allison thinks that's the greatest thing ever. She has made it abundantly clear that she does NOT like to sleep by herself in own room. So, these special times of sleeping in Mom's room or in Becky's room are very dear to her. It worked out to be quite convenient because there was a thunder storm and since they were already in my room Ed and I didn't have our sleep interrupted by fearful girls!

Since I've banned Hannah Montana from our house I've been looking for other shows for the girls to watch. Always a trick to find things that will appeal to all age groups and be appropriate for all age groups! Right now they are watching Endurance on Discovery Kids channel. Seems like a good one. Any suggestions would be GREAT!

Lucy needs to go for her annual vet exam. The reminder card says I need to bring a 'fecal sample'!! EWWWW! That's disgusting! I don't think I want to do that. Maybe I'll just tell the vet that Lucy's poop looks just fine to me!! YUCK. I know, just what you wanted to read about... Sorry.

Lazy Saturday morning around here - but we'll be heading out for some school shopping after lunch - or breakfast, because as of right now (10:37 a.m.) no one has eaten b'fast yet!!

Happy Weekend!

Growing Like A Weed...

Took Allison and Becky for their physicals today. Becky grew FIVE inches since last year!! YIKES! She is 4' 11 1/2" tall!! I can't even believe it. She was the longest of my babies and I'm sure she'll be the tallest of the three girls. Fortunately for my children they do have some height on Ed's side of the family. There aren't as many tall folk on my side. The only one I can really think of is my Uncle Arthur. Ed's family (well, his mom's side anyway) are a little taller than mine. I'm hoping Becky will see ANYTHING over 5'3"! It's true what they say - Growing like weeds!

I've decided that I'm happy. Does that sound strange? I honestly can't think of anything to be UNhappy about so that must make me happy, right? I mean, I have a great husband, great kids, a roof over my head, good health for me and my family, and a God who loves and cares about me - what's NOT to be happy about! I think it can be that simple - just decide to be happy and you can be! At least that's my philosophy for today!

A man at church on Sunday made me sad though. He's a veteran who served our country in three wars. He said that he feels like the sacrifices he and his comrades made for our country weren't worth it. Why? Well, I vowed to keep the Blog POLITIC free, so let me just say that he indicated that the ideals in this country have changed and the things we fought for once are not upheld and respected today. Made me sad. For him and others like him. And for me and others like me who want to believe that the things that made this country great are still the things that make this country great... I'm a patriot what can I say...

Speaking of Patriots - Don't you just love that movie The Patriot with Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger? You probably thought I was going to say something about the Patriots football team didn't you? I don't know anything about that. Sorry. But if you haven't see The Patriot you just have to!! Wow, talk about a bunny trail.

The sky is a scary dark gray color at the moment. I should check the Weather Channel to see if it's going to rain. How funny is that!? I could just look out the window to see the current weather but instead I actually get on the computer to check instead. Strange.

Mom and I are going to see the Rockettes in NYC for their Christmas show!! I'm so excited! First of all, I've often wondered what the big deal is with the Rockettes. And secondly, it'll be so fun to do NYC with just my mom and me for the day!!! We're doing it the tourist way where we take a bus trip into the city especially for the show and they leave us enough time to SHOP and EAT then they bring us home - PERFECT. Can't wait!

So, please be impressed that this is my 5th day in a row blogging! I know, one minute I've disappeared off the face of blogger world and the next minute you can't get rid of me!!

Happy Weekend Everyone!

Four And counting...

This has been such an uneventful week...The kind of week where we slept late because we had no where to be...The kind where we've just hung around the house...Sometimes this kind of week makes me crazy - we're all bored, the girls are grouchy, etc. But this week has been really nice. Maybe it's because we've had a busy summer. Camp, Ed home for two weeks, camp again, Maine (three times so far!)... It's nice to have a laid back week... :)

Speaking of going to Maine three times -so far... We'll be heading back next week for Ed's brother's wedding. Randy and Christy are getting married at Chop Point - outside. We've been praying for a sunny warm day for them! Unfortunately our trip will be extra short since school starts that next Tuesday and we want to get home and chill for a moment before the busyness of school takes over our lives.

I think this is the problem with blogging on a regular basis...I don't have anything real inspired to write about. You're probably thinking that I NEVER have anything inspired to write about! But I think you know what I mean. Seriously, who cares that I'm vacuuming my floor today or lounging by the pool. The Blog needs MEAT! And I don't have any to offer - sorry... How 'bout them Red Sox...

A New Record...

Three days people - three days!! Go me!!

Got Ed a new car last night. We drove to a dealership an hour from home to look at some things I'd found online. The first place was overpriced and under professional. So we drove down the road to another place and bought a car there. They were extremely professional and competitively priced. The car we got isn't something I would've ever chosen for Ed but he loves it! It definitely has room for all of us, if need be, and it'll be great on gas! And the best part is that we'll pay less for it than the Jeep! So what is it, you ask? It's a 2006 Saab 9-3 sport-combi wagon. It's black and pretty cool. Like I said, Ed loves it. Katie on the other hand HATES it and insists that she'll be taking the bus to school instead of riding with Ed. She refuses to be seen in a wagon!! Too funny, that girl. So, I've been telling her that we were planning on that being her car when she learns to drive - she doesn't see any humor in that...
Shop Talk: I have an idea rolling around in my head for a short article for young readers. It will require a small amount of research and some creativity. I think I'll approach it as if I'm teaching Allison something. Try to use that language and maybe even bounce some ideas off her. That's one advantage of living with my audience.

Today will include some school supply shopping. I don't typically do a ton of clothes shopping before school starts. We just get pants and new shoes mostly. Then we add to the stash a little at a time, sweaters, long sleeves, more pants, more shoes, etc. It works for us.

Happy Wednesday!

Two Days In A Row?!

Don't fall off your chair or anything. I know you're surprised to see me here again today! I can't say how long this daily blogging will last so just enjoy it for today!!

We are definitely in a heat wave! I love it! The girls have been in the pool everyday for most of the day. I've even been joining them - that's how hot it is! To think, I was actually planning to sell the pool at the beginning of the season -- glad that didn't happen! I think we've used the pool more this year than in the past!! Today will surely be another lounge by/in the pool kind of day!! Funny how it makes me SO tired to lounge!! What's up with that!

We sold Ed's Jeep yesterday - Thank you Craigslist!! If you have something - ANYTHING - to sell you've got to try Craigslist. It works people! We sold Ed's boat and Jeep using it and both buyers showed up with cash and took their new possessions with them. Got to love that!!! The only downside to that is we now have only one vehicle until we can find a new one for Ed! If it wasn't summertime that would be a BIG problem. Right now it's not really a big deal. Ed will drop in at lunch time and we'll take him back to work. I think we're going to check out the Toyota Corolla lease specials. The man literally drives to and from work so he just needs a little car (a reliable car) to get him where he needs to go!

You know that whole thing with the bats dying off? And honey bees disappearing? Well I think crickets are quieter than usual this year. It's just my uneducated theory but I honestly haven't noticed the chirp, chirping that usually accompanies August nights. Where are they? Robby? Do you know something!?

I finally purchased some re-usable bags from Stop & Shop! YAY ME! I feel so environmentally responsible!! I bought five and probably should get a couple more for those extra big shopping trips! I love how they fit so much stuff and I can save a little money every time I use them!! I made sure to stick them in the little storage compartment in my car as soon as I was done putting things away! I don't want to get to the store and not have them!

I spent an hour with Goliath's evil twin yesterday morning. Remember Goliath? He's the ginormous spider who terrorized my family for an entire day until Ed smashed him with a 2x4. Remember? Anyway, I was in the garage - cleaning Ed's Jeep - when I saw him crawling up the wall. He taunted me by dropping to the ground and then creeping back up to his preferred vantage point. He did that a couple of times. A smart arachnid, he positioned himself perilously close to the broom knowing full well that that would be my weapon of choice if I wasn't too afraid to grab it! I did my best to ignore him. I couldn't look at him for too long or I'd start to hyperventilate! I finished my cleaning and scooted carefully into the refuge of my house, locking the door behind me! Later, when Ed was home, I bravely went back into the garage. Goliath II was gone. Probably looking for a way into my house!!! UGH!!

Happy Tuesday - it is Tuesday right? Ah, summer...

Miscellaneous Update

Went to see Time Traveler's Wife last night with my friend Natalie. It. Was. So. Good. Read the book if you haven't - then go see the movie! It's a fascinating story about true love under extraordinary circumstances. Natalie and I both thought it stayed true to the book - which sometimes doesn't happen.

I'm planning to teach Allison to tie her shoes today...Now, don't go judging me for not having done it yet... I've been busy... actually I've forgotten all about it! The child lives in flip flops...Flip flops don't tie...It's not like she'll go to college without knowing how... Stop judging me!!... :)

Ed is back to work today after his two weeks off. What a great time we had as a family! It was great just to be together. I miss him today - it's awfully quiet around here!

A man is coming to buy Ed's Jeep today. We don't have a replacement vehicle yet. I guess we'd better get one, huh? He just drives to and from work so we were planning to get him a little car that would be good on gas and cheaper to pay for. We'll see...

My writing submission is due to my critique group today. Being the Queen of Procrastination that I am I have put it off and off and off. It isn't done. It's no where near done. Writing with my children home (and my husband for two weeks) has been pretty near impossible. This has been a struggle for me from the beginning of this writing venture. I think I'll have to fess up to my CG and tell them I'm not ready...

School starts in 15 days. Part of me is looking forward to the routine of it. Part of me is dreading the routine of it. I always feel a bit sad when school starts. The girls look instantly older. Changes are everywhere. Gone are the carefree days of summer with no routines, no bedtimes, and no hurry! I love being home with them - even when they're arguing, or grouchy, or impossible. They like being home too - homebodies, that's what I have - and I love it!

What Do I Know?

So. We're home from our vacation to Maine. Did some touristy things like the beach, Boothbay Harbor, and Sebago for the day. Had a great time. Got to have dinner with my parents - mom made her famous potato salad and cheesy carrots - YUM! Had dinner with the Wheelers - always a good time there and Ed got LOBSTER! And got to see my brother in law's new house - very cute with a fantastic yard! While we were in Boothbay I started thinking about how even though I lived close to the ocean for most of my life there's plenty I don't know about it. You know, not like the folks who are Boothbay natives - the ones who make their living off the sea either through tourist ventures or fishing. They know and understand the sea in a way that I never will. The cry of the seagulls fills the sky all around them all the time. The smell of salt air is waiting for them each time they step out their front door. Fog horns and boat horns, sailboats and fishing boats, lobster and clams and other sea foods, old homes weathered by the salt spray and lobster trap coffee tables - these things fill their lives. I was a bit jealous. Then I started thinking about what I know. I grew up mostly in Maine but I lived lots of other places too. I'm not a native to anywhere. So what do I know in that expert sort of way that native folks know stuff? I guess I know about being a military kid. I hate the term military brat. I was no brat although I knew plenty of them. I know about moving and leaving friends and making new ones. I know about settling into a new home, school, community. I know about the sacrifices that military families make. And about the perks that come with having a navy dad - like meeting the Blue Angels, and getting real McDonald's burgers in the Azores brought in special for us from the Brunswick Naval Air Station. I know that family isn't just the people you're related to, they're the people you can relate to - like when you're stationed miles from your relatives on Thanksgiving and so is everyone else you know and it turns out to be one of your favorite holiday memories. These days I'm a civilian but the military influence in my life is still part of who I am. And seeing the P3's flying over head in Maine this week made me feel right at home...

Allison's Fashion Troubles...

Allison clearly woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Not good. It is nearly 10 a.m. and she is still having a small fit over what she will wear today. Unfortunately all 847 pairs of her jean shorts are in the washing machine and she is left with a mere 629 other pairs to choose from - none of them of the denim variety. This is causing her great amounts of suffering and I am helpless to take this tragedy and make it right for her. At least until the washing machine and dryer have had the opportunity to do their job... Allison's wardrobe seems to be a constant source of contention in our house. The child has more clothes than is humanly necessary (due in part to hand me downs from her sisters) yet she never seems to like ANYTHING that is laid out for her. Even when given the chance to pick her own clothes we seem to still run into issues. UGH! Back to school shopping should be fun, don't you think?

We went to Six Flags the other day. It was so HOT, but not humid which made the heat quite endurable. We were disappointed at first that Allison is about 1 inch too short to ride some of the rides we thought she'd be able to do this year. But then we found a bunch she could ride including a couple of cool roller coasters and she was all set! Becky was quite a bit more adventurous than I thought she'd be! She did Batman and Scream and Flashback and some wet water ride. She can be timid about new things so to see her let loose and give these rides a go was pretty cool. Katie, of course, will ride anything and everything. You should've seen the three of them riding the teacups together. Katie was spinning the thing like a crazy person and Becky and Allison squealed and laughed the whole time! I got nauseous just watching them spin!! It was a really fun day...

Not sure what today will bring. I'll have to check with our tour guide (Ed) and see what he wants to do. Maybe he'll take the girls somewhere for a little while. I really need to get crack a lackin on my writing. I have a deadline of Aug. 15th for my critique group. I haven't started yet... Better get going!!

Boring Blah!

Just sitting by the pool watching Allison swim with her friend. Funny how kids can spend such a long time in the pool- even when their lips are blue and you know they're freezing! Ah, youth...

Today is my dad's birthday -- Happy Birthday Dad! I love you tons!

We took the girls tubing this afternoon. I love when my girls all get along with each other. You know, they seem to like being in each other's company; they laugh and giggle like friends; they help one another and try to be accommodating of the others' needs. I love that. Today was like that. Katie and Becky rode the tube together and laughed and had fun. Then Allison joined them and they both were careful and protective of her. It was nice.

I think we're going to Six Flags New England tomorrow. It's supposed to be hot. The park will be scorching! We'll see.

We are enjoying small samples from our garden these days. I've picked numerous snap peas and we've eaten them in salads or plain with ranch dressing. We are finally starting to gather tomatoes. The grape toms are my favorite! I can't wait til a whole bunch of them are ready at the same time and can put them all in a salad! YUM!

Happy Monday!!

Hey! Remember Me!?

So. Facebook has captured my attention. Actually, it's the interaction with friends and family on Facebook that has drawn me in. However, I won't abandon The Blog completely. I feel badly about those of you, my faithful readers, who have been checking in here over the past 6 weeks or so and found that I've not updated anything! Sorry. Facebook is a great way to be in touch with others but it doesn't provide the opportunity for me to share what's on my mind in quite the same way as the blog. They are similar but different and I need to treat them that way. One can't replace the other. Perhaps this mindset will help me to be more faithful to this blog...

Summer. It's whizzing by at lightning speed! I love summer. I love lazy days and pjs til noon. I love lounging by the pool with a good book and listening to the squeals of laughter coming from happy children swimming and splashing. I love little girls with tan skin and blond streaks in their hair from the sun. I love cruising on the lake in the boat and enjoying the beautiful creation that is all around us. Mostly I love spending this extra time with my children. I have great kids. I love them alot. One day they'll be grown and live away from me. I'll miss them. But, won't it be nice to use the bathroom without someone yelling, "MOM! Where are you!?"

This fall will mark the first time in NINE years that no one in my house will play soccer. Katie has played since she was five. She's giving up soccer for cross country running. Becky hasn't played since first grade, and Allison wants to swim instead of soccer. She doesn't like getting sweaty at soccer. Her exact words were, "Soccer is hot. Swimming is not!" I think she's reading too much Dr. Suess! So, I think I'm a little sad about it. I think. I'm not sure. It's hard to know how I'll feel on Saturdays this fall when we don't sit and cheer on our girls as they run for the ball, shoot, and score. We'll cheer them on in different things for sure, but no soccer. Hmmm. Of course, we could let them play soccer AND do cross country and swimming. Plus piano lessons, homework, practices, and possibly chorus. SURE - we can do it all!! NOT.

Ed is taking two consecutive weeks off starting Monday. He's never done that before. I'm nervous about what we'll do with him here for two weeks. Every day. All day. It'll be a different routine, that's for sure. He likes to go, go, go. And he brings that out in my girls too. Mostly, I'm a homebody. The girls are too but when Daddy's home we like to ram. Where will we ram to? What will we do all day? It will be super nice to have him home, don't get me wrong. I'm looking forward to it! I'll keep you posted!

I think I'm taking the girls to see that new Disney movie G-Force today. Looks so cute! And funny! May take Allison's friend too. She spent the night last night. She lives with two older brothers and she's a tough little cookie. Last night we saw her softer side. She was a little sad to be away from home - she's 6 remember - and there were a few tears. She tried to hide them and brush it off as no big deal. Bless her little heart. Allison was a good friend to her and held her hand and told her it was okay. Then Allie asked me to pray that Jesus would help them to fall asleep. I did, then I kissed two little heads, said good night and left. Never heard another peep. Sweet.

I've agreed to teach the pre-school Sunday school class for the next two weeks. EEEK! Do you suppose it'll be anything like coaching pre-school soccer? ...

Happy Thursday!!

Through The Eyes of Others

I love to hear about my children from other people. It's wonderful to see my child through other people's eyes. What is it about them that others find cute or interesting or funny? How do they relate to the world when I'm not with them? What do others see when they watch my girls? It (usually) does a mother's heart good to hear other people answer these questions. One thing that never really crossed my mind was about how my husband looks through other people's eyes. I only ever thought about him in terms of how I see him. But, the other morning Ed took Allison out for breakfast before school and our school librarian saw them. When I spoke to her yesterday she couldn't wait to tell me all about their meeting. She said things like, "I got to meet Dad, what a nice man." or "Allison was so cute sitting there with her little feet dangling from the chair talking up a storm to her dad. He was so sweet as he listened so attentively to her." She said she heard their conversation about getting to school. Ed had planned to take her to school after breakfast but Allison really wanted to ride the bus with her friends. The librarian said she couldn't believe how sweet Ed was about accommodating this request. She kept gushing like that and clearly was quite taken with the whole scene between my daughter and her daddy. I take him for granted. He is truly the best dad ever and stops time and space to be there for his girls. This breakfast scene was one of many just like it, and I'm so thankful for the opportunity to have seen it through some else's eyes.

New York City Pictures.....

We weren't in NYC for five minutes when Katie and Michayla had to get these sweatshirts...

Katie and Michayla on the Staten Island Ferry...

Firefighters memorial at the World Trade Center Site...

This was very sad... It was set up at the WTC site...

Our room...

Times Square at night....

Katie and Michayla at the NBC store...

The view from the Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center...

Inside St. Patrick's Cathedral...

We had a great time....

Back From The Big City...

Inside Trinity church...

We're back from the big city. What a place! We blew into Manhattan on Wednesday at lunch time and checked into our hotel. We were at the Crowne Plaza in Times Square! Gorgeous hotel. The entrance was next door to the Hershey's store and right across the street from M&M World!! Our rooms were on the 37th floor overlooking Broadway. At night, from our window we could see the Mama Mimi marquis all lit up with about 8 limousines parked and waiting for the show to end. I wonder who they were waiting for. The staff was awesome, friendly, helpful, accommodating - perfect! Two thumbs up.

After dropping off our luggage we hit the streets in search of lunch. We were determined to avoid chain restaurants. We opted instead for side street delis. There was one a block from our hotel and they served everything from wraps and hot entrees to pastries and burgers. YUM! We found a couple of different delis for breakfast and lunch the next day also! It's amazing how good the food is there! Sometimes we'd pass by a cart selling food on the sidewalk and the aroma would practically pull us over to check it out! We didn't buy anything from the carts though - I like my food servers to have access to running water - calling me crazy. For dinner Wednesday night we did go to a chain restaurant - Planet Hollywood. So yummy.

After lunch we boarded the subway headed to the Staten Island Ferry and the World Trade Center site. The subway was incredibly easy to use and the trip there and back was uneventful. The ferry ride was a bit chilly and it did start to rain on the way back but the Statue of Liberty is beautiful no matter what the weather. Finding the WTC site was a bit tricky but with the help of a few kind New Yorkers we got there. It was intense. To think of what happened there - to pass the fire house located directly across the street from the site - to watch other visitors' faces as they process it all too -- it was powerful. Some day there may be a memorial called the Freedom Tower built on the site - maybe. I guess it wasn't about what we saw so much as what we thought about as we stood there and looked around imagining the horror of that day. Wow.

From there we headed back uptown for some Times Square shopping, dinner, more shopping and finally BED!

Thursday we went to the Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center. Very cool! I have some really cool pictures of the view from there. We also sat in on a Catholic Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral. What an amazing building - the architecture is so beautiful, the stained glass windows so ornate. I don't think Katie and Michayla really knew what to make of it all. After that we made our way to Herald Square and browsed around Macy's for a bit. More shopping, more walking, and then finally back to Times Square to get ready to come home.

Thursday also included meeting some very interesting, very kind New Yorkers. First there was Marco - a veteran who sells sunglasses on Fifth Avenue. He turned 40 yesterday and we sang to him. He's been to combat three times and is hoping to reenlist again. Nice man. So dedicated to serving our country. Then there was Rich - an aspiring Hip Hop artist. He's been to college, loves basketball, and follows politics. He's also very charismatic. It was neat how just chatting with these guys was fun and interesting.

I also realized how blessed I am to have the mother and mother in law that I do. They are so different from each other. But one area they are very much the same is in their desire to tell others about Jesus. My mother is a strong witness for Christ wherever she goes and is ready when an opportunity to share what Jesus did for us comes up. My mother in law is bold and unafraid to talk to strangers about how they can go to heaven one day. Yesterday she handed out tracts to Marco, and Rich, and a man named Chevrus. Rich said he knew all about being saved but Marco and Chevrus were so open and ready to have Jesus in their lives. It was really cool. God is good.

We're Taking A Moment...

Becky and Allison are home today. Why? Well, because. Because I feel like they needed a day to chill out, take a moment, do NOTHING, and hopefully recover a little bit from the cold or allergies that have plagued them for over a week! I think it's allergies. It would be nice if the two doses of claritin that they've had will start to do something. Unless it's a cold and then we're only prolonging the inevitable... I also wanted to spend some time with them. I'm going to NYC next week with Katie for a couple of days and I thought Allison and Becky might like a day with mom too. So, in honor of chilling out and spending time together (and recovering from the creepy crud that plagues them) we are going to see a movie later. We're going to see "UP" the new Disney movie. Should be cute. Allison is all into the dog that she keeps seeing in the previews! Sometimes we all just need a day like this, don't we?

Shop Talk: My critique group continues to amaze me with their insight. I submitted my latest writing project to them and was encouraged by their suggestions and praise. It helps me to believe in my ability to tell a story and inspires me to keep at it. I love my critique group!

So, Ed will Mr. Mom next week while Katie and I are away. I'm sure he'll do great. I'll leave detailed lists of things like "remember to pack snacks for the girls for school", or "don't forget to take Lucy out," or "the bus comes at 3:00!" Actually the bus comes at 3:10 but it'll be good for him to get there early! He's planning to go to work while they're in school and come home for the bus. It will be a busy couple of days for him.

This and That

I was asked yesterday if I was wanting to work full time at the girls' school. The autism teacher said she'd love to have me working in her program. I don't have any desire to work a full time job. But I asked her about part time. She said there's a possibility that I could work with Buddy part time. Hmmm.... She wants me to think about it and let her know. Part time is about 15 hours per week and it would allow me time to write, do household stuff, and still volunteer if I want to. I think it would work and the regular fun money income would be super! I think that I will talk to the teacher about it some more. I guess the bottom line is that if I can work the hours I want with the child I want then I'll do it. If not, I'll stick with subbing. I'll keep you posted.

Guess what happens this weekend. It's a holiday weekend during soccer season so that means a tournament! Katie's team will play four games in two days and possibly advance to the finals on Monday. Unfortunately I won't be able to attend three of the four games. That's alright though. Ed's dad is coming into town and Katie will love having Grandpa Cook there. The next game Allison has will be against a team whose coach is quite intense. She's all about structure and rules and having preschool/kindergartners play like they're 12 instead of 4,5,&6. She likes to keep three defensive players at half field and three offensive down the other half. I don't do that. I tried it, but I found that my kids are more engaged in the game if they can run after the ball no matter which half of the field it is on. When I was playing with a defense they all stood there, scared to cross the line and not really sure what to do when the ball came at them. Forget it. Isn't the point to touch the ball as much as possible and be involved in the game? That's my philosophy. I've discussed this with the league director who supports my game style 100%. I wanted to make sure that my style was o.k. with him and he actually said he'd talk to other coaches and tell them to forget the defense/offense players at this level. I'm not sure whether he did or not but I have a feeling that this other coach won't care either way. So, I'm dreading the next game just a little. I'm pretty laid back out there on the field. I follow basic rules for out of bounds, like throw ins, corner kicks, and goal kicks. We also start with a kick off after each goal. That's about it. They'll get the other stuff as they move up in the program. They'll be ready for it then. And let's face it, the difference between a 3 or 4 year old and a 6 year old is pretty significant so it's important to do what works best for the whole team taking into consideration each players abilities and skills. Wow, that was a lot of blah, blah, blah!!!

I get to do another home visit for Labs 4 Rescue either today or tomorrow. There seems to be quite a few people in our area adopting from them! I'm psyched about that! It also seems that I'm the only one in our area able to do home visits - that's okay. I like being able to be part of helping a homeless lab find his new family :)

Time to get to work writing. Lots of ideas swirling around in my head - got to get them on paper!! Happy Thursday!

Nurturing the Blog

Since becoming a Facebook junkie I've neglected my poor blog worse than ever. That's not good. For over three years now I've hung onto this blog hoping it would be a nice place to visit and catch up with me and my family. I need to work on this a bit, don't you think?

Busy weekend. Mom and Dad came down and we had three soccer games to go to. Plus, Ed and Dad put together most of Allison's new swing set. On Saturday as we were getting ready to head to Allison's game she fell down the front porch steps and knocked out a tooth! It bled alot. It was a loose tooth but clearly wasn't quite ready to come out yet. Poor little miss. It hurt alot too. She's a trooper though and played her game, but she was kind of dragging and I thought she looked a little pale. A little bit of Motrin seemed to help the soreness. Then Katie had a game later that afternoon and one yesterday afternoon. They won one and lost the other.

So, we are planning to head back to Disney World next April vacation. The unfortunate thing about Disney World (DW) is that most of the rooms on Disney resort property don't fit a family of five. They are for families of four. Unless of course you're willing to shell out a big chunk of change for a deluxe resort. We are not willing... There are a couple of options on DW property, like Port Orleans Riverside or the family suites at the All Star Resort - but even so these rooms are a bit cramped for us. That means I've had to explore other possibilities - off DW property. Fortunately, I read a website called Mousesavers.com. I've used suggestions from that site more than once and have been very pleased! There's a whole section on hotels that the site developer recommends and why. There are some really good options for us! And the thing is, since they are off DW property they are MUCH CHEAPER than a room on property! And you get a bigger room with nice amenities like Bath and Body Works products, balconies, breakfast included - you get the idea. I think we've narrowed it down to two choices: Royal Plaza & Caribe Royale. I'd be interested in any opinions you have to offer :) Mousesavers has negotiated special rates for these hotels as well, so the price really can't be beat. I love planning trips!

This summer the girls and I are headed to Maine to spend a week at Camp Good News. Katie has been there a few times as a camper but this year she'll go as a Junior Counselor along with her cousin Michayla and friend Alicia! Becky will be a camper, with her friend Rachel. And Allison will be a day camper which means she'll bunk with me (I'll be on staff there) at night and do camper activities during the day. Even our nephew, Kaleb, is going! My mom will be there too - which I think is awesome! It's going to be a great week! The only downside is spending a week away from Ed :(

Time to be productive before heading in to work at 11:30! Happy Monday!

Ah, Spring & Other Ramblings

Ah, to see the leaves on the trees and the lilacs about to bloom. The crab apple tree's pastel pink blossoms are at their peak and each of the vegetable rows I planted are peaking through the soil. Spring time is full of new life. On our way home from piano lessons this afternoon the girls and I got to see two baby donkeys and a baby Shetland pony. Sweet baby animals. New life. Precious. I love spring. Even on rainy windy days, I love spring. Inhale deeply with me and smell all the newness of spring...

Shop Talk: I submitted my baseball article to ANOTHER magazine today. That's number four. It's an article I believe in so I'll keep submitting it until I find the one that wants it. The reasons it's been rejected by other mags is that they simply didn't need any baseball material at the moment. I even got a nice hand written note from an editor. That's okay. We'll find a home for it someday.
I've been working on a fiction piece and quite frankly it's turning my brain to mush!! There's so much I want/need to include and I'm getting overwhelmed. It's been in my head for awhile and now it needs to be on paper. That's always the hard part for me, transferring what makes sense in my mind to having it make sense in written form. I'll keep plugging away at it. I'm actually using an outline this time. I don't usually like outlines but it's the only way I can remotely keep track of details.

Mom and Dad are coming tomorrow. YAY! It's always fun to have them down. They were here for Easter but somehow it seems longer ago than that.

Time to bring Katie to soccer practice. There's a chance of thunderstorms in awhile. I won't tell Katie - she'll completely freak out! Hopefully soccer will be all done before any rumblings get started!

The Weekend Summary

Another weekend gone by. Why do the weekends go so quickly? Why do children grow up so fast? Why do I keep having to yank grey hairs from my head when I am clearly not old enough to HAVE grey hair? Okay, maybe I am old enough...

My little soccer team did SO well this weekend! I was very impressed! This is my fifth season coaching this age group. When I started I seemed to have a lot of really young players on my team - probably because many of the other kids were friends of Allison's and so they were the same age as her. Now that she is older it seems that many of my team is older also. The other thing is that I've been coaching at least half the kids on my team for at least three seasons. Well, I finally feel like all of the instruction I've been giving them all these seasons has actually sunk in! For instance, after a goal is scored all I have to tell them is "Okay, back where you were when we started the game!" And off they go into their positions! It used to take me five minutes to get them all into positions and ready to go! Same thing with throw ins. On Saturday I told Molly, "Go ahead and take the throw in." She went to the sideline and with her feet firmly planted on the ground behind the boundary line she did a perfect throw in. I used to have to be right there giving them reminders about a correct throw in. I was so proud of them! They are totally getting basic soccer stuff!! Even my shyest player got in there and scored a goal!! He's come such a long way! My little miss scored a goal too! And she did a great job as our goalie!

Back to school tomorrow. I'm working in the afternoon a few days this week. That's good because it gives me a chance to do my groceries. I have such a hard time dragging myself to the grocery store in the afternoon!! I'm working with a little boy in Allison's class - he's a cutie! The other day I was sitting on a chair and he stopped as he passed by me to give me a peck on the cheek! Very charming! So next time he gives me a run for my money I'll have to remember how sweet he can be!

We're planning on going to Disney World next April break! We haven't been in 2 1/2 years! It would be okay if we went somewhere different BUT I really want Allison to be able to go again. She doesn't remember being there :( I want her to have that experience. We were going to do the Disney cruise for four nights and then the resort for three but boy oh boy is it expensive! So now we're just planning to spend a week in Florida instead. If the price is right we'll stay on property, if not we'll find a nice condo outside the park. We'll see.

Got new tires on my SUV today. I've been driving around with a nail in one for about a month. The air kept leaking out SLOWWWLY. I bet I'll be getting better gas mileage now! Ed said he thought it rides better now too.

Our new nephew is supposed to be born any minute! He was due yesterday. My poor sister in law! I remember waiting for Katie to be born - she was TEN days late!! I was so ready for that child to be out of my body!! Hopefully Erica won't be waiting much longer!

Have a great week!

A Great Mail Day

I got the most unexpected surprise in the mail today. The box was from the magazine that published my Lucy article. Hmmmm... Turns out I won first place in the article for 10 - 12 year olds category! They sent me this lovely trophy! I was so excited and really feel honored! Here's a couple of pics of the trophy. It's called a Granny Award. You can read all about it.

Tuesday Blah, Blah, Blah

I planted my garden this morning. Now we just wait and see if anything will grow. Not sure what I'll do with all them veggies if they do grow. Guess I'd better learn a few things about canning and freezing huh?

This afternoon I worked as the gym teacher. We played freeze tag. It was hot and LOUD. But it was also FUN. Some of the classes were the same ones I had yesterday when I was the librarian. I love that the kids know me and some of them seem happy enough to see me. Allison's class had gym today - that was really the best part for me. Being able to give and get hugs and kisses from my little miss is priceless. Tomorrow I'll be a regular classroom paraprofessional just for the morning. Then I'll head to Michael's to get supplies for Becky to do her Social Studies project. Projects stress me out. I'm not creative and Becky is still at the age where she thinks I'm able to help her come up with creative ideas. Poor thing. I don't want to let her down.

I'm starting to get bleary eyed - it's LATE. Time for bed I guess.

Final thought for the day - I'd really like to live in the country surrounded by trees, wild animals, and lots and lots of quiet...

The Finished Product

Now we need some dirt...

I Love The Sound of Children Playing On The Back Deck!

It's been too long since my children have run through the sprinkler or squealed with delight at the sight of a ladybug. Today Allison's neighborhood friends are over. At the moment they are playing 'house' with Allison's kitchen set and baby dolls. It was so nice out that we dragged everything out to the back deck. Summer may be on its way after all. It's 84 degrees out as I type this! YAY!

Ed and Katie are at Home Depot getting supplies to build me a raised vegetable garden! I can't wait to see it all set up! This year we will start small with just a few tomato plants, green beans, strawberries and a blackberry bush. If I feel really ambitious perhaps we'll try for a pumpkin or two. Mostly just things my family really loves - what a pathetically small list, hmmm... Anyway, if we experience a measure of success this year then we'll expand the garden next year. I had Ed reading the Pioneer Woman's excellent post on raised beds to see how she did hers. She is, after all, an expert on all things relating to country living- and gardens are a part of country living! Photos to come...

The dog got her first outdoor bath of the season today. She was shivering a bit by the time we were done. Sorry, Lucy. That black coat lying in the sun warmed up pretty quickly though!

That's enough of my rambling for a summery Saturday. Happy Weekend!

Another Favorite Blog of Mine

I was just reading another one of my favorite blogs and I really feel compelled to share it with you. It's the NieNie Dialogues. You. Must. Read. This. Blog. This woman, Stephanie Nielson, was in a private plane crash back in August. This blog chronicles her slow and painful recovery, but she does it in such a gentle way. Her love for her family, her faith in her God, and her sense of humor keep her going. She's an amazing woman - a true inspiration to all who visit her site. Go there now!! You'll be so glad you did...

Can you believe I'm posting two days in a row?! Me either! Crazy stuff, I tell ya.

It's raining out. And it's cold. BUT - tomorrow is supposed to be SUMMER!! YAY! To celebrate the impending arrival of warm weather the girls and I will go do some summer clothes shopping! At T.J. Maxx - where you get the MAX for the MINIMUM! HA! Then we may have to trek down to south county to the Outlet shops. I got a great coupon in the mail from Carter's - I love Carter's but I'm afraid Allison is getting too big to shop there. I think we can still get her some things for this year but that may it - forever. Sniff. I also have a coupon for Osh Kosh. They carry larger sizes and Becky may even fit into things from there, but let's face it, what 10 year old girl wants to wear Osh Kosh when her friends are wearing Aeropostale! I wouldn't do that to her. Katie is another story. Have you seen how SHORT the shorts are!? EEEGADS! Or they are completely the opposite - can you say BERMUDA length - which I happen to think is very cute-I just wish there was some kind of happy medium! How come boys' shorts are completely modest, baggy, and unrevealing? Unless of course they pull them down around their BUTT and have their UNDERWEAR hanging out - but that's a discussion for another time...

I think maybe I should comb Allison's hair now - I mean it is 11:30 in the morning after all...Happy Thursday!

Hi Again...

It's been over a month since I posted - sad really. No excuses. Busy. Life happening. 'Nuf said.

Soccer season has started already. I wasn't planning to coach Allison's team again but I couldn't resist. So last night we had our first practice. It went pretty well! Our youngest player is 3, barely. He's absolutely adorable and actually quite good for a little guy. Two of Allison's kindergarten classmates are on our team and the three of them were kind of silly and goofy! We'll practice again on Friday.

Speaking of Friday - there's a rumor going around that we may see temps in the 70's and then into the 80's over the weekend! I dare not get to excited - the weather man - excuse me, weather person has let us down before! We haven't really had that warm weather since, hmmm, last October maybe!!! That's 6 MONTHS! Okay, I'm depressed now...

It's school vacation week for the girls. We don't have any real plans, which is fine because I do love lazy days with little girls (and big girls) in their jammies until noon, no place to be, and no real schedule! Today, however, we did have plans. I thought a neighborhood cleanup would be a nice way to celebrate Earth Day. Disclaimer: Earth Day for me is simply acknowledging the responsibility we all have in taking care of our planet. So, I rounded up the neighborhood kids and we set out with trash bags, brooms and shovels. Here in New England the sand deposited from the winter plow trucks can get pretty deep and brooms and shovels are the only way to rid the concrete sidewalks of the sand's seemingly permanent grip! The kiddos, who ranged in age from 14 to 6, did a fantastic job and when they finished they had gathered 8 bags of trash! We celebrated their hard work with ice cream sundaes on the back deck!

It's also TICK SEASON! ALREADY! Poor Lucy has had two on her! She's black so there's no finding them until they're engorged - EWWW! My brave sister in law, Erica, pulled one off of her on Saturday and Monday morning Allison found another FULL one on the floor that had obviously fallen off of the dog - GROSS! I didn't realize that I needed to be putting the Advantix on her yet - Guess what I'll be doing before our next walk in the great outdoors! If you've read this blog for any length of time you know my deep aversion to all things that creep - things that creep and embed themselves into your skin just about push me over the edge!!

Speaking of my brave sister in law Erica...We had a house full last weekend. Saturday night there were 14 people sleeping in our house! Keith, Erica and their three kids came down for the night - it was SO great to see them! And my mother in law, sister in law and two of her kids were here too! We had such a nice visit with them. I LOVE having my house filled up with people! I love the sound of children snoring sweetly as they sleep on cots in my bedroom. But mostly I love spending time with our family.

Easter weekend my parents, brother, and his girlfriend Sara, were here. It was a super nice visit as well. We had never really had a chance to get to know Sara before then, and as it turns out, she's a pretty great girl! She and my brother are really cute together - I hope they get married, hint, hint...

I think that's about it for now. I'll try to be a more faithful blogger...Thanks for checking in...

It's Back...

This lovely porta potty is sitting in my neighbor's yard. On and off for the past three years a porta potty has graced the front lawn of the neighbor's house. It is a source of contention for me. I DESPISE the toilet. Mainly because it is right there, by the sidewalk, in plain view as I look out my windows or while we are outside in the yard. AARRRGGHHH! Three years, people. THREE YEARS!!

On a happy note: My sweet baby girl is now 6 years old!! Let me tell you what! She was some excited to be turning six! On the morning of her birthday she came into my room and said, "Mommy! I'm six years old now!" in her little munchkin voice! It was like she didn't think I knew it was her birthday. Silly, sweet girl! Then as we were getting ready to go to school, she climbed into her car seat and proclaimed, "My head reaches the headrest now!! I'm bigger!!" So cute. She was like that all day. She could run faster, read better, etc. All because she'd turned six years old! Ed and I brought cupcakes to her class and Ed read a story and talked about his work - more star of the week stuff. The kids LOVED having Ed there. They had lots of really good questions for him. And Allison was so proud of her daddy - you could tell. It was a super fun day! The celebrating continued this weekend with a birthday party with her friends. Good times.

Happy Birthday, Little Miss!

Monday Ramblings

I'm curious about the shredded tissue phenomenon that sometimes happens in the clothes dryer. Actually, I'm more curious about why sometimes the tissues DON'T shred but instead cling to EVERY. SINGLE. PIECE. OF. CLOTHING. in the dryer! Have you noticed this at your house or is it just me? Sometimes when a tissue is left in a pants pocket I open the dryer to find what looks like a tissue EXPLODED in there. Other times there are whole sheets of tissue clinging to the clothes. The sheer volume of tissue sheets would indicated that tissues actually multiply when exposed to high heat! I know you all don't really care about the laundry woes but...
The guinea pig is still sweet and cute. We all still like her. She seems to be used to us now and gets a little excited when she sees Ed especially. Ed brings her treats like cucumbers and carrots. She goes CRAZY for cucumbers! You see, Ed may not want us all to thinks he likes animals but he really does. He can't help it that he's so sweet...
Allison is the star of the week at school. That just means that we (Ed and I) can go visit her classroom and maybe do something special with them. I'm going in tomorrow to read them a story called I Met A Moose In Maine One Day. If you have children you have to get this book. The pictures are wonderful, the story is rhymey (is that a word?), and it talks about different places in Maine. Very cute. Then we will make moose puppets from a pattern I found and brown lunch bags. I think it'll be fun. Ed will visit her class on Thursday and bring cupcakes. Allison will like having her dad in her class!
Yesterday was spring. Today is winter again. I'm glad we got to enjoy some warm weather. I'm not glad that it snowed today. Soon it will be warm all the time. I can't wait.
I watched some of the movie Australia today. I didn't get to finish it yet but so far it's AWESOME. Check it out if you can.
Gotta go.

Thursday Ramblings

This is the first day I haven't gone to school with my children in quite some time. I'm cleaning my house but figured I could spare a few minutes to tend to the blog. I'm also listening to K-Love. I LOVE that radio station! If you don't get it in your area you can listen online anytime! I think Lucy is glad to have me home with her - although she seemed confused when I showed up after taking the girls to the bus stop. She's got her own little routine when we aren't home, I think.
It's funny how blessings come in many different packages. Yesterday at work I was DREADING recess duty. It was very cold! So I bundled up and hoped the time would go by quickly. After I'd been out only a few minutes a little boy came up to me and took my hand. He's in first grade and has autism. I helped in the cooking class with him last week and obviously he remembered me. I asked if he wanted to walk around with me and he did. So off we went. Then this other little boy - who I'd never seen before - came up and took my other hand. Very sweet. We walked around together for the entire recess. That made my day! By the way, Allison was out at recess but she's much too busy being SOCIAL to hang out with her mom! That's okay, I love watching her play with her friends. It makes me glad to know that she is just fine while she's away from home.
I haven't had much luck broiling steak lately. The last time I tried the steak actually CAUGHT ON FIRE! I was a little freaked out when I pulled a flaming steak from the oven! Last night I thought I'd give it another try. Needless to say I was a bit wary. I kept a watchful eye on the broiler pan but I couldn't help getting nervous when I heard lots of sizzling and saw some smoke. I pulled it out and gave up my attempt at broiling. I then proceeded to put the steak in the microwave - I know, YUCK! Fortunately it tasted just fine with A-1 sauce! Not sure what I'm doing wrong. I think I'll stick with grilling.
Allison's birthday is coming up soon. We are having a bowling party and she's invited her entire class! Twenty kids! I'm either crazy or stupid - or both!! Should be a fun, silly, rambunctious time!!
Gotta go clean the upstairs now!

Our New Family Member

This is Cookie - she's a Guinea Pig, in case you couldn't tell. We got her yesterday because my husband is a complete and total push over when it comes to his daughters. They asked him if they could have a guinea pig, he said SURE, we went to Petco and got one. My parents NEVER allowed rodent related animals in our home - there wasn't any real discussion about it - it was never an option. Do I feel slighted in some way because of it? - NO. Am I against having a rodent related animal in our home? - NO. This guinea pig is very sweet and she makes the most adorable little cooing and squeaking sounds. We love her already.

General Mumblings

Katie had some friends over for a birthday slumber party. We went to the mall and they all got manicures. Their nails are all nice and fancy now. My nails aren't... Next time, maybe? I think they had a fun time - there was lots of giggling, smiling, and goofing off. The girls Katie had over are sweet, respectful, and fun - I enjoyed having them here! Even when their movies were over -at 1:00 a.m.!- they went upstairs and were quiet in Katie's room until they FINALLY fell asleep!

Tomorrow we are meeting our family in Burlington, MA at the Rain Forest Cafe for my nephew's birthday. Only my brother in law knows we'll be there so it'll be great surprising everyone else!! Should be a good time.

I read that Stephen King said some insulting things about Stephenie Meyers' writing abilities. She's the author of the Twilight series. I think that's a bit unprofessional. Perhaps she doesn't write poetically or eloquently but her audience seems to think she writes JUST FINE. Twilight is written from the perspective of a 17 year old girl - the writing style goes along with that! I don't know, it just bothered me that someone would say something negative about this author who is enjoying GOBS of success from her books. Anyway...

I guess that's about it for now. Have a great weekend!

Allison's Reward Chart

Why do you suppose that sometimes when I try to work the electronic devices in our home I don't have any trouble whatsoever, and other times I CAN NOT make them work no matter how hard I try? For instance, I'm trying to SCAN a picture on our handy fax/copy/scan/printer machine. It WON'T WORK! I've done it plenty of times before but this time it ain't happening. I'm a TAD BIT FRUSTRATED. I wanted to share this cool chart I made for Allison today.

Fast Forward three minutes...
IT WORKED - IT WORKED!! Hallelujah! So, here's the cool chart I made...

We were having some difficulties getting her to do things without CONSTANTLY repeating ourselves or having to listen to her complain about doing them. Meal time has become an especially trying event in our house lately also so I wanted to FIX that too. The child LOVE, LOVE, LOVES television and I limit it ALOT - same thing with computer time and video games. That makes them the perfect reward! Each time she does something on the chart she earns a rock to put in the jar. Once she's earned five rocks she can choose between a half hour of TV, computer, or video games. I included some things on the chart that she does anyway, without any trouble, like brushing teeth or getting dressed. That way she can earn rocks faster - the goal being five per day. Don't mind my pathetic attempts at drawing - I don't claim to be any sort of artist! So, we'll see how this works. Just now she wanted to go over to her friend's house and I asked her if she picked up her toys. "Can I do it later?" she asked. I reminded her about the rocks and she said, "Oh, yeah!" and got right to work. We might be onto something...

Finally - February!

I haven't posted pictures in a long time. I haven't taken very many pictures recently. Sorry. Now that January is OVER and February is stretched out before us in all of its SHORTNESS, I will try to be more motivated to both take pictures and share them with you!! Afterall (is that one word or two?) spring is just around the corner! I can practically FEEL it!! Actually, I can't feel it at all, but I'm trying to!

Did any of you notice the new blogger gadget I added last week over there --->>>? It shows who follows the blog. If you decide to be a follower you get to find out right away when I've posted something new and incredibly exciting. You can follow anonymously if you want or you can say who you are. Check it out - I thought it was a cool little gadget.

We went sledding in the dark Friday night with my parents. The local golf course has fantastic hills for sliding. We were the only ones there so we parked the cars right by the hill and left the headlights on. It helped a bit but it was still dark enough to make it extra fun! I think my dad had more fun sliding down the hill than Becky did! He'd try to go farther and farther each time down. It was the climb back up over and over that did him in. Me too actually. My mom and I went down a bunch of times too but I don't think either of us LOVED it like the rest of our group! It was fun - not too cold - and certainly not crowded! Poor Allison could NOT make it back up the hill! She'd get almost to the top and then sliiippp back down. It was kind of comical!

Katie is having a sleepover party for her birthday. Friday night three of her friends are coming over for homemade pizza, then we'll go to the mall where they will each have a manicure, then back to our place for some movies. I'm going to rent them Goonies and Gremlins. Remember those? I think of them as classic 80's flicks! They're both a little suspenseful, creepy, funny, etc. And there's a little bit of romance too - perfect for 14 year old girls!!! Speaking of Katie, her math teacher called this morning. He wondered if Katie had mentioned that he'd asked her to be in the advanced math class and she was supposed to have checked with us. She never did so it was a good thing he called. I told him that of course we'd be happy for her to be in the advanced math class! He said her grades are fantastic, she's a great student, head of her math class etc. He said she has a great understanding of pre-algebra concepts now and that this algebra class should be just enough of a challenge for her. She was a little hesitant, saying that her friends who are in the class are "doing awful!" but then I reminded her that she had ED who just happens to be a math whiz!! Seriously, the guy's brain processes that math stuff like nobody's business! Katie had it made in the shade!

How 'bout them Steelers! That's all I have to say about the Superbowl.

Time to get things done! Happy Monday!