aquariums might be one of my favorite places

and theirs too .... although there was a tremendous amount of talk about captivity, and sadness. still, the peace, and happiness was apparent on both ends

the penguins are always so entertaining ... kinda like the monkeys at the zoo, you know? and to the right is the Beluga Whale, one of the three at this particular aquarium.

and a very cool new exhibit where you could feed birds with little popsicle sticks and seed attached to the end .... reaching was the challenge, but once you did reach them, they adored the attention ..... the birds did too. ;) there was a wonderful Sea Lion show with a 27 year old male Sea Lion, a 22 year old female Sea Lion, and a new member - the 2 year old, rescued, and had refused to go back into the ocean - who was being trained to be an entertainer!

tired, but full of chatter, and excitement ... still, a moment of bliss. :)

have i mentioned .....

that i have a husband who also plays sports?

that's him ... in the picture to the left here, the guy on the right in the photo. he plays shortstop for this team, and 2nd base for the other team he plays with. yes, that's a hole in his pants. have i mentioned he likes to slide?

that's him at bat. he's a pretty good hitter, but a great fielder.

he loves baseball.

it makes him so happy.

i love his butt in baseball pants.

or not .. in pants.

it makes me so happy.

oh, is that what this post is about?

ahem.

and .... okay, if the sky looks like this as it falls to evening during a game ... who am i to complain, anyway?!

have i mentioned that i am now a huge baseball fan. or at least a less-resistant one this year? ;)

it's the pants they wear.

ahem.

when the dreaming isn't always pleasant

that's when the magic of the "go-away spray bottle"

filled with a special conconction of magic water, sparkles, and an undisclosed (supertopsecretifitellyouthenyoullneedtobetickledtilyoupee) ingredient comes out, and fills the air with the distinct odor of ++no monsters, no bad dreams, and no icky thoughts!++

along with the decorated and beautiful wands of "go-away and don't come into my room" made especially sweet, and especially beautiful by the little lady who was having the unpleasant thoughts fill her head ....

arrive at the house, our house, and find new homes making one's bedroom a wee bit safer, and of course, less inhabited by the bad dreams filling your head. when you're 7 that helps an awful lot.

that's when the dreams become more pleasant .... and we all have a better night's sleep.

{it hurts to see her hurt ... and the fear of bad dreams is so real. so tangible. i had to come up with some magic!}

friday, saturday, sunday ....

fun weekend, and really sunny, hot, and full of family & friends.

Friday, our first visit to the beach! (typically only a few times a summer ... when you own a pool in your backyard, it's kinda like that ....)

chicken fights in the backyard .... laughter and loads of splashing!

my 17 year old niece and her fantastic boyfriend! (yes, she's got herself a redhead! :)

the best part of a "fantastic" boyfriend is the fact that he adores playing .... and when a certain 9 year old is involved with anything to do with playing, it'll go on and on and on ....

lots-a-swimmin' and lots of doin' nothing ....

..... and at the end of the day, sitting down with a warm towel, and hanging out.

mom's just a pain with that telephoto lens. ;)

living life all the way ....

that's how i would describe both of my kids. all the time. every day. they truly don't know how to live life half way. you know, only go so far. be lazy, let the time pass away, just breathe and r.e.l.a.x. nah, that's boring

it's a foreign concept to them.

'i'm bored, what *else* can i do, now?'

sometimes it's tiring (hey, i'm an energetic kid too!) but most of the time it's exhilerating. they teach me so much. they show me that life is meant to be lived. to stretch and grow, and find the things that make you tick. it's summer afterall, and the schedule is completely turned around, and inside out, you know? there is nothing on the agenda most days (save for the camps, and activities they asked to be part of this summer) and they are eager to drink it all in.
lately, i haven't had the vip and vigor that i have always had with them. and when they demand that i help them 'find something to do' it's annoying, to be honest. i am the one that's made the plans, and scheduled the "scheduled" activities for them. do i really need to be the one that entertains them too?

yes. yes, i do. i know.

:-)

relating to that paradigm shift, and the changes that we've been feeling a little bit this year, i think i'm just worn out a smidge. tired ... i'm feeling like i can zip it up a notch or thirty though, and perhaps that will help me begin to live life the way you're supposed to according to the wee redheads in my life.

all the way. ;)

the spirit moved me ...

:)

to check out my friend Nichole's blog, and there was a survey. funny thing, generally, i don't do these in email, but for some reason, this one looked fun. maybe it's because it was on her blog.

1. What is in the back seat of your car right now? two sets of headphones for the DVD in the car, a blanket or two, a spare seatbelt adaptor for the kids seat, an empty Gatorade bottle, a 1/2 full water bottle. it's all neatly in place though, seriously. ;)

2. When was the last time you threw up? December 15th. messy evening that was.

3. What's your favorite curse word? f*ck. it's true, as UN feminine as it gets, but it's so cathartic.

4. Name three people who made you smile today? my two kids, my husband

5. What were you doing at 8am this morning? laying blistfully awake in bed listening to Higgins wake up

6. What were you doing 30 minutes ago? eating dinner with the family on a deck by the water.

7. What will you be doing three hours from now? s.l.e.e.p.i.n.g

8. Have you ever been to a strip club? yes, and i had an absolute blast! even had a lap dance ... betcha wanna hear THAT detail, don't ya?!

9. What is the last thing you said aloud? ".... please don't argue with each other, just jump in the shower." to my two cherubs. ;)

10. What is the best ice cream flavor? vanillla, mint chocolate chip, peanut butter ANYTHING. sorry, can't choose.

11. What was the last thing you had to drink? Sam Adams Summer Ale

13. What was the last thing you ate? grilled fish

14. Have you bought any new clothing items this week? no. trying to keep the buying to a minimum

15. When was the last time you ran? haven't been chased, what the hell would i be running *from*? :)

16. What's the last sporting event you watched? Red Sox today

18. Who is the last person you emailed? Cam's hockey coach

19. Ever go camping? dear god, yes. i saw 26 states by the time i was 16 years old, and all of them were in a car, traveling with a pop up camper.

20. Do you have a tan? i have a healthy summer glow about me right now. lotsa baseball, and lotsa pool time with the kiddies

24 (?). Do you drink your soda from a straw? don't drink soda, and generally only use straws at restaurants, and places that i am not comfortable drinking from the glass.

25. What did your last IM say? don't do im'ing. text was to my gym partner - something about tomorrow's time to the gym.

26. Are you someone's best friend? yes.

27. What are you doing tomorrow? to the gym early, then hitting the grind to get organized with work. then home with the kids while sean has a meeting.

28. Where is your mom right now? in her car with my dad heading back home from dinner with us.

29. Look to your left, what do you see? a pile of "to do's" for tomorrow, and my laptop.

30. What color is your watch? my wha ...? haven't worn a watch in almost 11 years. my phone is my time keeper.

31. What do you think of when you think of Australia? a place i have to visit before i die. and kangaroos. :)

32. Would you consider plastic surgery? i don't necessarily think so.

33. What is your birthstone? aquamarine

34. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive through? Dunkin is the only "fast food" i will do - and if there is a drive through, it's got my name all over it. i hate going inside.

35. How many kids do you want? got two, and a husband. technically, that makes three. today - right now- i want three. i don't know how i'd handle more than what i've got.

36. Do you have a dog? uhm. three. yes, 3 dogs.

37. Last person you talked to on the phone? my husband at 3:20 today, that was the last phone call i made.

38. Have you met anyone famous? yes, a few folks.

39. Any plans today? it's the conclusion of the day ... my plans include a face wash, teeth brushing, contact out, and a crash into my nice clean sheets!

40. How many states have you lived in? 3

41. Ever go to college? yep, sure did.

42. Where are you right now? in my office at home

43. Biggest annoyance in your life right now? sibling rivalry and my husband's short fuse for it.

44. Last song listened to? Take Me Away

46. Are you allergic to anything? lactose intolerance

47. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time? anything flip flop in nature.

48. Are you jealous of anyone? sure, but it's alwasy petty and silly, and i convince myself that i'm being ridiculous and goofy and it's over.

50. Is anyone jealous of you? perhaps .... again, silly i am sure.

51. What time is it?9:26 PM

52. Do any of your friends have children? i have very few friends that *don't* have kids

53. Do you eat healthy? yes, and i try to instill that in my kids and husband too. we are an *everything in moderation* kind of family

54. What do you usually do during the day? take care of the family, work, go to the gym, and breathe .....

55. Do you hate anyone right now?absolutely not

56. Do you use the word hello daily? uhm ... yes.

58. How old will you be turning on your next birthday? {gulp} 41

59. Have you ever been to Six Flags? no i haven't. and my kids think they are deprived because they haven't either.

60. How did you get one of your scars? a rock was thrown with the intention of going over my head, i slipped, and fell, and the rock (poorly aimed) hit me square in the eyebrow of my right eye. i was 7. it was my brother's buddy, the boy with the adorable smile, scotty white. :) i forgave him, and so did my mom.

fun stuff ... anyone else wanna play?