winter break = school vacation

who really gets the break?

{sigh} 'cause let me tell ya, school vacation was NOT invented for the moms of the world. especially february vacation - what's the philosophy behind it again?

reality though, in all, a great week, really it was.

it was fun.

filled.

and fancy free.

the kids had a ball. literally. Cam had a baseball clinic - indoor baseball for 6 hours a day for 5 days - straight. he was in his glory.

K-gal had an art camp 3 of the days for 4.5 hours. she really enjoyed that. and the other two days, full playdates with girlfriends. yeah, playin' and just breathin'. that's what these two squirts did.

the week was kick started with a hockey tournament and a gymnastics meet, last weekend - and seeing as I have tons of hockey snaps, and the meets are so few and far between (so far, anyway) here's a few of the little lady from last sunday ....

warm ups with her compadres ... she has a serious "game face" on, doesn't she?

cheesy grins just before they march out for the start of the event

----> a 'bestest friend' from school and gymnastics (nursing a wound on her chinny-chin-chin)

unfortunately, they don't allow flash photog during the events (fear of safety for the athletes on the balance beam with the flashes) so, my pix are limited during the events, and honestly, they are never sharp enough - gotta work on that.

but the meet was a blast - I was part of the head table where all the scores come in, and we record them, and write out the ribbons, and fill the envelopes for each athlete. it's quite an honor to be asked to do that, not only do you get to be at the head table, you get a KILLER view that isn't obstructed for any of the events! she did really well, too! so many people complimented her on the terrific job she did, and that felt so darn good to her ..... :o) so proud of my little lady.

the end of the week (this weekend) we have a house guest. he's a neighbor, and he is so stinking cute. check him out - his name is Sam, and his family is out of town for 2 days, and we get to baby- erm, doggiesit.

kids are thrilled ... they love him, he's 8 months old, and really funny with loads of energy ..... he also has the most unbelievable underbite I have ever seen on a dog. dad calls him 'UB' and he just makes you smile looking at him ..... you can kind of see the lower jaw in the photo on the right ..... hysterical.

however, the *other* four legged inhabitants of this house aren't so thrilled with the visitor. well, that's not entirely true. Cleo, the crazed cocker of ours is the one with the issue of a houseguest. Murphy could care less .... more warmth to lay with is what he's thinking .... good old boy. :o)

check this out, though, do the looks on their faces say - "spoiled" or what? maybe just worn out the old geezers ... Sam keeps 'em running!

at any rate, have a great weekend ..... two hockey games, and a baseball banquet/dinner for the dh this weekend. off to early bed.

g'night!

perspective

as i moved around some of the blogs that i read here, i noticed and incredible theme in each of them lately ... all the authors are gaining and *keeping* perspective. each one, in a different area of life, i.e. kids grown, newborns, grandparents themselves,working moms, sahm's, photographers, artists .. you name it! but every last one has, in the past two weeks, posted about "keeping it real" - staying grounded, breathing WITH the people they love.

and i wondered if v-day had any significant impact on that perspective ..... it wasn't a catalyst for me. i had my paradigm shift about 2 years ago. left an insanely overwhelming management career at a poorly run company where i had zero - zilch,nada - perspective. no balance, and little self satisfaction. so, i gained perspective - not magically, nor overnight. i just put my mind to it, and reversed the bleeding. i left that downward spiral, and fleed to a sunrise - the career path i have is a blessing. i not only KNOW what's important, i prioritize that importance. nothing - zilch, nada - gets in the way of the priority of my family. i drink in my children's voices, smiles, facial expressions, and features. i speak to them, and chatter with them to get inside thier heads, and let them inside mine. i hold them, and touch them to let them know it is always okay to be near someone you love. i hold thier dad because he is my best friend. i share me with them, and allow them the opportunity to share their heart, their soul with me. i let them know they will always be safe with me. i tell them all everyday how much i love them.

so, feeling this - and living this way for over two years - i am humbled by those that are discovering this for themselves now. i am giddy with excitement for the people that are finally breathing that comfortable breath of air. i am at peace knowing that they too will be achieving a more settled feeling in their souls.

so, tonight, in my email box, I find this - a wonderful little quote from Anna Quindlen. terrific. fabulous.

and SUCH perspective.

and with this read, i needed to reconsider all that i have changed these two years, and refresh what i look at. because we can always understand more deeply why we do this -

i will live in the moment for the next week, no matter the moment.

breathe, folks. breathe.


Anna Quindlen, Newsweek Columnist and Author

All my babies are gone now.
I say this not in sorrow but in disbelief.

I take great satisfaction in what I have today: three almost-adults, two taller than I am, one closing in fast. Three people who read the same books I do and have learned not to be afraid of disagreeing with me in their opinion of them, who sometimes tell vulgar jokes that make me laugh until I choke and cry, who need razor blades and shower gel and privacy, who want to keep their doors closed more than I like. Who, miraculously, go to the bathroom, zip up their jackets and move food from plate to mouth all by themselves.
Like the trick soap I bought for the bathroom with a rubber ducky at its center, the baby is buried deep within each, barely discernible except through the unreliable haze of the past.

Everything in all the books I once poured over is finished for me now. Penelope Leach., T. Berry Brazelton., Dr. Spock. The ones on sibling rivalry and sleeping through the night and early-childhood education, all grown obsolete. Along with Goodnight Moon and Where the Wild Things Are, they are battered, spotted, well used. But I suspect that if you flipped the pages dust would rise like memories. What those books taught me, finally, and what the women on the playground taught me, and the well-meaning relations --what they taught me, was that they couldn't really teach me very much at all.

Raising children is presented at first as a true-false test, then becomes multiple choice, until finally, far along, you realize that it is an endless essay. No one knows anything. One child responds well to positive reinforcement, another can be managed only with a stern voice and a timeout.

One child is toilet trained at 3, his sibling at 2. When my first child was born, parents were told to put baby to bed on his belly so that he would not choke on his own spit-up. By the time my last arrived, babies were put down on their backs because of research on sudden infant death syndrome.

To a new parent this ever-shifting certainty is terrifying, and then soothing. Eventually you must learn to trust yourself. Eventually the research will follow.

I remember 15 years ago poring over one of Dr. Brazelton's wonderful books on child development, in which he describes three different sorts of infants: average, quiet,and active. I was looking for a sub-quiet codicil for an 18-month old who did not walk. Was there something wrong with his fat little legs? Was there something wrong with his tiny little mind? Was he developmentally delayed, physically challenged?

Was I insane? Last year he went to China . Next year he goes to college. He can talk just fine. He can walk, too.

Every part of raising children is humbling, too. Believe me, mistakes were made. They have all been enshrined in the, "Remember-When- Mom-Did Hall of Fame." The outbursts, the temper tantrums, the bad language, mine, not theirs. The times the baby fell off the bed. The times I arrived late for preschool pickup. The nightmare sleepover. The horrible summer camp. The day when the youngest came barreling out of the classroom with a 98 on her geography test, and I responded,"What did you get wrong?". (She insisted I include that.) The time I ordered food at the McDonald's drive-through speaker and then drove away without picking it up from the window. (They all insisted I include that.) I did not allow them to watch the Simpsons for the first two seasons. What was I thinking?


But the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us make while doing this. I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of the three of them, sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4 and 1. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night.

I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.

Even today I'm not sure what worked and what didn't, what was me and what was simply life.

When they were very small, I suppose I thought someday they would become who they were because of what I'd done. Now I suspect they simply grew into their true selves because they demanded in a thousand ways that I back off and let them be. The books said to be relaxed and I was often tense, matter-of-fact and I was sometimes over the top.

And look how it all turned out. I wound up with the three people I like best in the world, who have done more than anyone to excavate my essential humanity. That's what the books never told me. I was bound and determined to learn from the experts.

It just took me a while to figure out who the experts were.

Murphy update

just popping in here for a split second to give good news before we're off an running to a hockey rink and gymnastics meet ove the next two days ....

Murphy seemingly is improving - again. i am cautious, and worried, still.

but the limping, and more importantly the wimpering when he sleeps, has subsided. he's had aspirin 2 days and by all appearances, it's working. :O)

all the good thoughts, and kind words are working - thank you from the bottom of my heart .....

enjoy your weekend.

ice ice, baby.

oh, yeah .... we are frozen. icy like a river in michian in the middle of winter.

brrrrrrr .....

i took some random shots of our ice/deep freeze that we have going on this morning, and thought they were kinda cool ..... i see so many picture opps all around - and i am just biting at the chance to take 'em. not always convenient to *take* them, however, the first step is noticing, right?

so anyway, here they are:

an art piece from nature. :o) Cam called this his dolphin. neat huh?

this is the fasteners to the pool cover all frozen to the deck. i loved the contrast --->

the brick ice path ....

and finally, one of the many, many bare trees with the crystal blue sky behind it.

beautiful winter in New England .... just darn cold. :o)

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND ALL !

hearts. almost snow. injury update.

yep, all of that.

Happy Valentine's Day. i am not a big celebrator of this 'holiday' - it's a day to recognize the love you share with others, and they so graciously share with you. presents are nice. totally unnecessary, in my opinion. however, they are appreciated, and kind - especially the ones that aren't eaten or die within a day or two. i am of the variety that flowers received on any old day of the week, for reasons conjured up by the lover, not representing any particular date, are far more appealing. and typically sweet treasures that are homemade are the chosen treasures here.


so i got a few of those - 8 year old, and 6 year old creations. yummy! i even got some lovely cards, one with the most wonderful words from dh. he is such a dreamboat! :) we work so well together ... not just our fantastic union, but our bond. we are connected in a place, on a level that is indescribable. i am so fortunate to have him, and to have the opportunity to love him. and to add to that love two little creatures that ooze the delicious blending of our hearts .... ah, bliss!


we made our valentine's for the classmates on Monday evening, and it was really fun ..... take a look at the progress:

beginning to piece it together with stamps, and foam, and coloring .....

and then some final touches, and LOOK! a sweet little card that was homemade by the little K gal ..... :O)


the C-man's are a wee bit less fussy - but still, made with all kinds of love! i also heard that there were several compliments handed out at school for the "creative, and original" Valentine's they passed out! cool, huh?



in other news -



certainly most of you heard about the big hullabaloo regarding the snow storm heading our way last night. we were alledgedly getting anywhere from 1-6 inches.



we got 1.



at most.



pfttttt.



rained the rest of the day, made driving icky, and canceled things like hockey practice, and gymnastics. honestly, don't know why. only thing i can think of is because folks didn't want to have moms and dads and kids out driving later in case the temos dropped dramatically, and caused icy conditions. i guess.

i am still a wee bit irritated from the lack of snow we've had.

i would like a snow storm, complete with a snow day for my kids. sledding. cold, running noses, laughing, exhaustion, wet faces, and chilly toes. come in, undress, and curl up to the fire with a blanket, a cup of hot tea, and watch a movie with the fire crackling next to you.

yeah, that's what i want. :o)

and finally, my Murphy. he is not doing well. :O( he has started progressively limping, and it's getting worse instead of better. i am planning a call to the vet tomorrow, and some more tlc tonight. my main squeeze is hurting. he has been next to me all.day.long. whining while he sleeps, and barely moving from his beds (we have a few in the house for him)

so think of him, and send some good wishes our way if you have any to spare. he needs them. i hate to see him suffer, and i won't allow it to continue.

that hurts the most, to be honest. my fella. :o(

well, here i am

another week has passed, and life ticks on and on .... {sigh} where does it all go?


i am feeling like i am getting several things done, and working hard, playing hard, and accomplishing some things .... but i sit and wonder what to write about it all.



so, i will randomly chatter here .... and hopefully, connect the dots from last week to this, and see where it "all went".

* Murphy is seemingly doing a bit better. the wimpering has subsided for the most part - he is still doing it on occasion, but it appears to be in a deep sleep stage. dreaming? deeper pain that i don't fully understand? i dunno. his limping is sooooo much better, almost non-existent. he is spending an awful lot of time in the house with me. it's been awfully cold so i need to keep him in anyway. but he is especially clingy to me. moreso than normal, but i don't mind. he is such a lovebug. :O) thanks for the kind wishes - it appears he is better. i told the vet all of this, and he seems to think it was a passing painful boo boo related to the nail that was broken. poor guy.



* jumped back into the work thing, and saw loads of customers last week. also saw the boss for a performance review. a very good one, for sure. feeling like i have had a good year, and saw some sweet success, and he does too. that was nice. hate the judgement of the dang things though. hoping to see another good one this year .... working on that for sure!



* traveled to Maine over the latter part of the week. worked in a small hospital that had some strange characters in the department (anesthesia dept that is) but just the same, had some good success with the capital devices there.



* hubby traveled northward to spend the night there, but before we saw all his pals, we ventured to meet the newest additions of one of the couples -TWINS! so stinking cute they are, and man are they wearing out their parents ..... only 8 weeks old, but 4 weeks adjusted age, so they are still quite new. mom and dad are spent. wish we lived closer, would be visiting and relieving far more often. {swoon - baby smell}



* watched a pond hockey game for the first time ever in my life. and my kid was a participant. that was way cool. i was a wee bit shaky walking on ice .... weird feeling that is. weird. but the day was really fun (uhm, no camera. d'oh!) k gal was there too, and she enjoyed it thoroughly!



* little man was hurt in practice - not awful, but it was his neck, so that was a scary thing. :O( he seems fine, just stiff today. appears to be all muscular. thankfully!


* later sunday went to the coach's house who has an outdoor rink there, and took these shots:





the threesome from C's team - the "99ers" I have spoken of, and the big sister of one of them. C's a *big* fan~!

the little sisters..... so stinking cute, huh?

* my nephew, my godson turned 16 on sat and i am still in awe. unreal. i remember the day he was born, and the phone call. man, was that yesterday!

* made a delicious beef stew today for dinner tonight. one of my goals for the year (not a resolution, don't like that word so much) is to cook more here, and less eating out. been very very good. enjoying the cooking too. perhaps a treat for me will be a new cookbook.

* worked my way out of a fave pair of jeans .... yep, the RIGHT way though. they are entirely too big. :O) THAT was another goal for the year - continue with the healthy eating, and gym going 5-6 days a week. i have four or five more pants that are entirely too big at this point, and i am worried that i will be needing a new wardrobe (or a fabuloso seamstress!)

* snow is coming! heard that wednesday we are in line for a nice little snowstorm ..... here's hoping they AREN'T wrong. :O) yay!

i think that's about all the things that have been going on ... will try and get here more to scratch the words down.

valentine's to be made tomorrow .... so pictures will follow!

cheers, and thanks for being here ...... :o)

February FREEZE!

It is cold outside .... as in 10 degrees at the bus stop this morning! yikers!


still very little snow, and that makes me sad, sad, sad. it's winter, and new england has glorious winters usually. i like snow. i do. i like the fun it provides my kids. i like the feeling it brings to adults that enjoy it. i like the way it changes the scenery you look at once it falls. i like the way people feel when it falls. i like the serenity after a snow fall. i like the peace, and the quiet, and the crisp white smell of it. and i love the way it changes the way you look at your home, your yard, and the earth covered in it. it's peaceful. it's cleansing. and i think we are getting whacked with global warming. :o( i read an article at the gym today that highlighted the changes with home owners insurance for east coasters - they are jacking up premiums (as in WAY up) due to the increased events of natural disasters. the risk we are as a group of folks living so close to the epicenters, as well as the ocean. and the likely cause being global warming. we have had a mild winter, and hot as ever summers the last few, and both of those things make me sad.


i want it to snow in the winter. i want it to be hot in the summer, but not unbearable. i'd love it is we could see some several inches of snow each weekend, play in it, throw snowballs at each other, and just enjoy the weather like we did when i was a kid (anyone remember the blizzard of '78 like i do?!)

but instead of snow, we have blustery wind, with temps in the teens ... therefore the windchill is in the minuses. brrrrrr. ick. kiddies freeze with red cheeks, and frozen fingers .... but the boys on the street still find a way to bare the cold to shoot pucks, and shoot hoops, and just run outside. it isn't long, for sure, but it gives me a great excuse to brew some yummy hot chocolate when they come in. :o) so we make the most of it, anyway.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

in other news, had a trip to the vet this weekend ..... :o( the big fella, my 9 year old lovebug of a chocolate lab woke up last tues with a terrible limp on his left front paw. he didn't improve too much, and didn't decline either, but it was clearly paining him, so i called on thursday and they got me in for first thing sat morn. he was due for his annual exam as well, as was the little monster cocker spaniel. so we did a twofer (or is that a threefer?) and chatted with the vet about my fella. :o(


best case scenario he told me was an injured toenail (which they discovered whilst clipping them - how'd i miss that in the three hundred times i palpated his leg, shoulder, spine, ankle, elbow, and fingers?) next case scenario was an old injury to his wrist that he has now developed arthritis in, and worst case - osteosarcoma. yes, bone cancer. a death sentence for a canine with it's inability to accept any treatment, or cure once it has metasicized - and inevitably it does in canines - so, he said that it's not likely, but it is an outside possibility. and he had to tell me.


i was crushed. wham. a hammer to my heart. murphy is my babe. my first babe. a big guy that found his way into my heart, and speaks to my soul. i have had many dogs, and each of them are very special. murphy exceeds that quality. he is by far the gentlest, kindest, sweetest dog i have ever had or known. s and i have only known our married lives with him. we got him when we were married only 4 months. we have birthday parties for him. we love him like a child. s spoiled him the most initially, taking him everyday to work with him, and keeping him entertained and allowing him to entertain others. he was a rock star very early on. for two years, the vet has discussed with me the conversation i need to be having with the kids about murph's departure - inevitable departure - from our lives. i've begun it, painfully, and unwillingly. i hope it happens years from now, not months.


so, we need to report back to the vet how he is walking (much better today, very little limping) and also if the whimpering has stopped while he lays down (it hasn't). he asked me to call him back on saturday to report to him the progress, and we can better lay out a plan for the sweetpea.


i am so sad to be in this position at all. i know it happens. i've had two of my own dogs in my lifetime, and they've passed. my family has had closer to 10 that have passed, so i've done the drill. i hate this drill. :o( you never are quite the same after the dog passes on. they really do feel like family members.


other than that, hockey was leaps and bounds better than the NY trip. c had 2 goals, and an assist, as well as 2 penalties. he played really well, as did the entire team. most importantly, above all else, the refs were SO much better. they were fair, and kept comlete control of the game. {sigh of relief}

we have another gymnastics meet (the first one i will see this year!) in two weeks, so she is working hard with that. piano concert has a date, according to the teacher, miss stephanie - june - so we'll be working on that too.

baseball signups are done, tryouts in march. batting cage (yes, batting CAGE) will be installed end of feb in the backyard. (s'pose that's a benefit of being married to a sporting goods salesman, right?) but c and s have a fantastic fundraising activity planned for that cage to benefit ALS for the summer months .... details on that soon! :) so proud of my guys .... k and i will be support gals, for sure!

so with that (all of that), i end today. all of your good thoughts would be much appreciated for my murph-inator ..... i'm remaining positive, and of course, strong to the best of my ability. it isn't easy yo think about, but knowing that he has been a dear friend of ours already for 9 years, i know that we are lucky. very lucky.

have a good monday evening ......

January is almost over .....

and I for one, cannot even remember the beginning .... it has been a whirlwind of a month! first Florida, then Mexico, then NY. wowzers, it really was fun, but it has taken a toll on me, a wee bit. tired, and overwhelmed with the activity that is left here behind to catch up on.

I am slowly tinkering along on that, and have only three things left on my list. albeit the three largest, time-suck things. ah, well, that's what lists are for, right?


i will say one thing about being away so much for so long ..... my bed never felt so good to sleep in! :O)


i missed several things back at home, as you can imagine. the greatest thing i missed was K's first gymnastics meet of the year. :O( she did really well, though, and i even received a video of the uneven bars that another parent took for me .... kinda cool indeed! she had a blast and did really well, according to all the folks that i've seen since then ..... she has another in a couple of weeks, so i will be sure to have a front row with my camera for that event .... no flash allowed, so i'll be-a-readin' up on that with a digital! :)


Mexico was a wonderful trip, and very fun to be there this year with work folks. i had a very good year last year, and received some awards for the effort, so that was really neat. additionally, i feel like a different person in the company, in other words, raised to a new level with my finish to the year. kinda different, and a good feeling .... and very much an enjoyable experience. the weather was not fantastic, but we only had one day that was a free day, able to soak in the sun that is, and the little yellow ball was cooperative that day, so that was nice. the resort was wonderful, and the view was amazing. the people of Mexico, and the folks at the resort are lovely. that was nice, too.

i made a decision not to bring my camera, and i am glad i did .... although i'd love a few shots of the place, there were tons taken by the professional photog that was hired for the event, so i am sure i'll get some from work, and i'll share here. additionally, the idea of carrying it into the customs area along with all my work gear, and business attire i had was a bit daunting. it feels so much more like a pleasure attachment than a work piece, you know? so, there's my reason for no pix - trust me, beautiful place! :O)

Oh, and i got to go horseback riding - THAT was awesome! my horse was Ruby. she was a doll - an absolute DOLL of a horse. that girl had her very own mind, and very own personality. she was not interested in listening to me, my commands, my ideas, or even my requests. nope, she had her own little agenda that day, and regardless of what anyone said, she was going to see it through. gotta love a woman with her own mind! :O)

we had a nice ride, and i enjoyed having her along for the little jaunt we took together. (there are photos of this - i am awaiting them from the friends i was on the ride with ....)


and then this past weekend we were in NY for the hockey trip to play another team from C's league. in a word - difficult.

the organization in NY has a reputation, from what we understand, of being very aggressive, and very physical. hockey *IS* a contact sport, checking *IS* part of it. however, there were blatant examples of 8 and 9 year olds attempting to injure the other players on the ice - our kids. :O( that i have NO TOLERANCE for. unnecessary, and completely against every good-sport rule i have ever learned, and passed on to my kids. the referreeing was an absolute atrocity, and the organization ought to be ashamed of themselves for having children play like that.

however, despite the overtly aggressive play, our kids played very well. we lost the first and tied the second. they were not a good team, by any stretch, and our kids might have won had the other team stuck to the sport of hockey. :o\ one never knows ..... what i do know is that it was a difficult thing to watch as a parent, and also as a spectator. my fears were so great that someone was going to be hurt by the illegal checks, and illegal activity without any of the referees calling things ..... i hope i don't have to witness that again any time soon. (and C and i discussed AT LENGTH why that was the wrong thing to do on thier part ...)


i do, however, have some cool shots from this weekend ..... the little man, and his hockey buds .... so cool!


here they are:




the pep talk with some good laughter from the coaching staff to lighten the mood (they were more frustrated than the kids about the aggression)

the threesome of '99ers on the team watching the play intently (C is on the right, orange glove hanging over boards) ..... these three are rock stars for this team! :o) they'll also be together throughout their youth hockey careers due to the age bracket rules .... very cool little fellas, and so fun to watch!!
a big sister of a '99er, and a little sister of a '99er. the quintessential cheerleaders of the team
(one is actually a stellar hockey player herself, and a hearthrobe of the C-man! understandable, right?)


and lastly, a certain '99er that pulls on my heartstrings like nothing i have ever experienced.


love this sport. :o)

So ... the story goes ...

that we left on Wednesday and headed to the southern neck of the USA, the place where Mickey lives!

what a trip!

the kids had a blast, and we did too. just watching them, and feeling the electricity and excitement. we started with character breakfasts with the all time faves, Goofy and Pluto. good golly, i love those two!

the baseball games were fun, too, and technically, the *reason* we were there, so i am thankful for that ..... (that's my guy - SUCH fun to watch him, and there are SO many pix ops!)

that would be the Tower of Terror. C and I partook in that ride!

we've already planned next year and all the changes we'll make. we'll likely head down a day early, and stay a day late - and NOT hit the parks on the weekend. it was, afterall, the holiday weekend, and apparently, everyone knew that. you'd think that could be kept a little secret, you know? ;)

so, Thursday was the first day at the parks .... MGM - with the Tower of Terror awaiting our arrival, I will say! :) and we absorbed as much as possible there, and then headed off for more absorption at Epcot. there until the evening, and even ate dinner at one of the countries. good stuff, that was.

although i enjoyed having the ability to get to more than one park, i really don't think it was necessary to do so. staying at one is really completely okay. therefore, that is another change for us for next year. one park a day. 3 or 4 days at the parks. the rest of the time will be baseball games, and pool time. or downtown disney too. <---- that was very cool!

Herbie the Love Bug was a big hit with K, and she asked where "the girl, you know, the Lindsey girl that was in the movie mom!" was .... had to break her heart on that one, but a picture with the *other* star was pretty cool.

and this is the view from our hotel room - how 'bout THAT!?

then we had another day at Animal Kingdom, and Magic Kingdom. again, just not enough time to do all you want to do there, and the kids are so overwhelmed with the choices. i'd really love to take more time, and see more things, and just absorb more.

this guy was on the Safari at Animal Kingdom ... loved that! there were tons of critters all over ....

we stayed up too late. we enjoyed the company there. we revelled in the time *off* from our duties back home. and we really enjoyed the family time together. even though we are a busy and together-tightly-knit family back at home, spending quality time - in a hotel room no less - is really a nice change for all of us.

i will say, though, the feeling of our own beds, and bedrooms once we were home was splendiferous! but the hotel beds certainly fit the bill, as you can see with the sleeping angels here .......

glad to be back. feeling like myself today after a period of upside-down with disorganization, so i am grounded again.

I have approximately 300 pictures that i have been looking at that i took while there .... i'll likely just add a few tomorrow again - the faves. i'll try and keep it to a minimum of 100 or so - kidding!

sunday i leave for Mexico. :O( don't wanna go .... business trip. without the squirts, and hubby. it's the national sales meeting reviewing the last year, and it's mandatory. {sigh} the silver lining is this - i finished pretty well in the company, so it'll be a celebration of that, and i will enjoy seeing the co-workers. but i am already counting the days down.

then we go to ny for a hockey weekend with the big guy! :O) that, that is something to look forward to ......

that's the good stuff in a nutshell. in all, a great trip, and very needed at that point. it will be a little tradition for a while, and that is something i can live with.

Back!

oh, what a great great weekend it was ..... Disney is absolutely so much fun. :o)

I am getting caught up on things, we got in around 10:30 AM today, so laundry and unpacking has gone on all day. kiddies are in bed already - asleep! 7:00PM - it was a very exhausting weekend with loads to tell, and loads to share ....

but not right now.

still feeling a wee bit under-organized.

must get to bed, too.

so, i will leave you with this little tease .......

:O)

good stuff ..... looking forward to the next time already .....

Mickey Minnie Donald Goofy Pluto ....

they are all awaiting the arrival of a certain family of reds from the East.

woohooo ... leavin' on a jet plane and heading to the Happiest Place on Earth.

Oh, yeah, baby ..... Disney here we come!

Be back early next week ~ tan, relaxed, baseballed out, and ready to tell you all about it!

have a great weekend ......

"mom, you rock!"

wouldn't that just make your day, too? :D


that's what I heard from the 8 year old little man this afternoon upon pick up at school .... unprompted, and completely out of the blue!


all we had planned was a haircut, and then off to a hockey game. i had packed some snacks (current faves ~ including granola bars, a clementine orange for both) and they were walkers (non-bus riders) this afternoon. as we headed to the car, he exclaimed that, and grabbed my hand, and smiled up at me as he skipped/ran (and forced K gal and I to follow suit with skip/running)


so, then, THEN, she chimed in and added her warm compliment too ~ 'yeah, mom, you really are one of the coolest of the cool moms'. me. little old me. and here i thought i was just a regular old mom.


oh, sing my heart, sing! :-) :-) :-)


sometimes, love speaks to you in wee voices.



and just cause i am having SO MUCH stinkin' fun with the camera, here is the dude this past weekend at a scrimmage with his team .... (a little blurry on the photos, however, ramping up my digi learning for indoors/sporting events, so they will improve, i promise)











mucking around with the teammates just prior to the game ... lockeroom chatter is hysterical at this age!

{that's a cubby area that each kid has to get dressed. he's actually standing on the seat that is part of it}










and we begin with the faceoff at the start of the game ..... very serious indeed. {heh}


he snags the puck .... he handles it down the ice ..... he shoots ..... he ScOrEs!

the dash

i received a really great email once that referred to the dash as 'the line between the dates of your birth and death' ~ essentially, the dash represents your life. your time on earth. i really love this concept. it makes you stop and think about how you view that *time*.

how are you spending your dash?
are the people that will be left behind when you leave this earth going to be able to speak about your dash the way you'd like it to be spoken of?
are you filling your dash with love, and living?

i recently posted about the one little word reading that i had seen on another blog i visit. my word i had chosen was enjoy. i am adding a word.

dash.

i like what it represents, and i like the feeling i have when i hear it. typically, dash refers to moving quickly, running. i do that. often. everyone is busy that has young children, and dash will mean a similar something to everyone with that description.

i am looking at it as the 'time between my birth and death'. i want to live for each moment, and seize the day. i want to leave an impression, a mark, if you will, that makes me happy to have been the producer of said mark. i want my dash to be full of life.

life that i will enjoy.

dashing.

piano

music.

it is such a part of my life. not being a musician, however, enjoying the music others create.

we are so fortunate, so lucky that we have a little gal who enjoys creating. she harnesses that love, and tickles the ivy. her teacher is so proud of the music she makes, she has told us that she is a natural, gifted with the ability to *hear* the music, and understand the concept of the notes. a hard piece, apparently, when you're 5 and just starting. it's been about a year and 5 months since she was 5, and the teacher says she has developed beautifully. she is clicking with the lessons, and the learning has gone to a whole new level. {grins}

we love it. and she seemingly does too (albeit a challenge to focus on your practicing as often as one needs to, we're working on that piece a bit ...) our well-rounded athletic and musically inclined little gal, k.

we hope she always has a love for music - we think that's quite a strong possibility given the current state of affairs here. :p

new year ... new look ... new goals

so, with the new year, comes the push to make things new, clean the slate, find the peace .. all that shiny and fresh stuff. i have mentioned in a previous post how much i love the 'idea' of the new year - the new-NESS that it gives to us as humans.

i am all for that.

2006 was a good year for me. a very good year. even for the family, and for s, a very good year, indeed. i seemed to hit a groove, a stride, so to speak. i am pleased with the direction of life right now, and i am at peace (read: no stress) about my work/career. 2005 was the first year with this new company, and this past year i became very comfortable with the learning curve, and also the work load - now, truth be told, my kidlets are getting a little older, and life seems to be grooving with them as well, so i had the opportunity to work more easily, i know - however, bigger kids always means bigger activities with a busier schedule to keep for the family, so that was a change to contend with. albeit a lovely change, and yes, easily managed.

with the new year, also comes the fierce desire, as a woman that is, to make a change in "looks". no, i haven't dyed my hair green (although that would be a fun thing to try someday) and no, i haven't had any cosmetic surgery (hmmmmm ....) but i have commited even more to the daily gym routine that i have going. it is a drug of sorts. an addiction. a deposit in the bank of health. s and i are really working hard to get to the gym 5-6 days a week. i feel better than i have in 5 years (ahem) and my clothes are fitting quite differently. it's true, everything they say about exercising, and the fact that it has inumerable benefits - it's true. my skin looks better, my hair is shinier (and longer - a little change there, too!) i have more confidence, i feel happier, i have far less stress, i have far more energy (dear god, right? as if i need any more!) and i want to be at the gym to get these feelings i have. i am also having some fun with my style. i am trying some new things with my clothes, and my choice of dressing. it's fun, and easier with a body that feels more like mine.

so, with all of these new things going on (although the working out isn't new, but my commitment to continue it is) i needed to change some other things in my 'world'. i have a new digital camera ~ i am taking a photography course to learn how to use the heck out of it. i am signing up for a yoga class ~ once a week to change the routine up a wee bit. and i gussied up the blog here with some new colors and new design. {okay, so not huge major things, but still, good clean the slate things .....}

i have consciously made some decisions with regards to work, and the amount of time i dedicate to it versus the time with the family. that was a goal for 2005, and i made it happen that year ~ then i even refined it for 2006, 'focus on the task at hand, whatever the task may be: be it kid time, playtime, be it work, be it working out, be it a date with hubby ... focus on that "thing" for that time'. check, did it. focused, and relaxed about the other *things* that were not being done while focusing (and really, isn't that the hard part??)

that was a success story for me - and i am proud of that. now, I am refining it again. i am extrapulating (i love that word - did i spell it correctly?) each of the 'tasks' and working with them. for instance, numero uno on my list for this new year - find more time to have couple time. another is focusing on cooking more in my own kitchen, versus pick up, or take out, or even eating out. i'd like to take a cooking class, too, to learn some new tricks, and perhaps find some magic in the kitchen.

new.

a chance.

a change.

all of this i am so grateful for, and so excited to begin.

i read some other bogs and one of them asked folks to think of a word, one word that you can work into everything you do in your day to day life. a word that can change everything you do.

my word for the year is enjoy.

what's your word?

This is 8

and in the morning of your eigth celebration, you wake up, you run to mommy outstretched arms, and you say in a big happy grinny-voice ..................

"I'm 8 today ... all the way to eight!"

and mommy smiles, wipes the tear away without you seeing it, and reaches to grab all of the "8" and hold it in to keep it there..... but it always leaks out, and it seems to just keep on growing.

eight. 8. {sigh}

happy birthday sweet, terrific, loving, energetic, charismatic, genuine, exciting, and squishable 8 year old son of mine. another fabulous year i am honored to be a part of with you. enjoy all the 8 there is to enjoy! :O)

Happy New Year!

oh, the joy - the chance to begin again. like finnegan. you know, "finnegan begin again".

:O)

i have always loved New Year's. it is the end of one chapter, and a new beginning to another.

this year, 2006 has been a good one. personally, professionally, and from the standpoint that we, our family, are in a good place.

i am looking forward to 2007, and now have the foresight to see that things get better and better. i am working on my written goals for the year, so that i can post them at my desk. i reviewd last year's and i am pleased to say that 6 out of the 7 were completely fulfilled. the 7th was somewhat, but a better effort was necessary. (that'll be higher on the list this year)

it is true, our forefathers and foremothers were right .... time marches on, and we can watch from afar, or we can jump in an enjoy it for the moment it is, the moment it will be, and the memory it will inevitably become.

a day in the lives of reds

outdoor skating is such fun when your sister can now keep up with you! :O)

these are the reations of certain santa 'leave behinds' on one glorious Christmas Morning! i love, love, love fantastic smiles like this ~~ you cannot stage this much glee!

where oh where do i even start?!

i feel like it has been ages since i've been here for real. i need to catch my brain up, and then document the scattered thoughts i have in there .... so let's begin, shall we?

so, the last real moment i discussed was the Holiday Tradition of the Nutcracker with the K-gal .... what a treat that was! we had dinner with the family (my niece's family - bro and sil and other nieces - as they were attending to see her, too) and that was fun in itself, and we hadn't even gotten to the theatre yet! then the show was wonderful ~ my niece is just a beautiful dancer, and knowing i am biased - i can go beyond that, and i can see her from a completely different perspective. beautiful, and breathtaking, and just talented. i am so proud of her, and K-gal loved the show!

the week after our tradition was wonderful, as well. i made a concerted effort to complete most of my santa purchases early, so as not to stress out with the 'to do' list this year - it worked like a charm! i had time to attend school functions, cookie parties, social parties, and even evenings out with my dear girlfriends .... the kids had a ball decorating the house, the tree, making holiday treats, and baking with me too. i even fit some work in there too, and ended my year with a bang, jumping over a few people to perhaps finish the year at the top of the rankings (i'll find out officially in Mexico at our meeting in a few weeks). the week right before the holiday is always scattered and fun. the kids and i worked hard at getting teachers and friends gifts together, and entertaining each other with our verions of holiday carols. (oh, the music in this house!) then, on came the weekend of Christmas!

we had the pleasure, and the honor of spending our very first Christmas eve at my parents new place. it was wonderful. it was magical, truly. they are completely moved in, save a few boxes, and piles of misplaced things, and the place looks terrific! the entire family was there, along with my uncle, his wife, and her daughter. my sil A was there too from Maine, and that's always fun to have her here ..... we exhchanged some gifts with my bro and sil's family as they spent the next day with sil's twin sister, and then off we went to our home ~ the kids scurried to bed as soon as we were there to 'get to morning faster, mommy' {<-- must scrap that one!} and S, A and I played santa with one another, and packed the family room with a veritable explosion of gifts from the north pole! wow! was santa good all around ......

i treated my guy to a new, heavily coveted HD television for the family room, as well as a baseball glove he has been wanting for quite some time. he spoled the daylights out of me, including (get tready for this, my friends -- ) a digital camera. yep, he did it. he made me go to the dark side. heh. it is gorgeous, the Rebel XTi. i love it. i do. i cannot believe it took me this long, but again, understand why it did, too. i am still working with it to understand it, and get to know it, and also figure out how to get the pictures off of it. (soon, soon there will be several photos here - right her at this very spot. :) and i also got some beautiful sweaters, some new perfume, some sneakers .... oh, the list. spoiled. {grins}

the kids were off for vacation last week, and we had a very mellow, much needed week of doing very little. C's hockey schedule was really light (not complaining, it was nice ....) and K's gymanstics schedule was non-existent as the gym closes for the week. as i mentioned, i was down a day and that turned into two with a relapse over the early part of the weekend. :o( that sucked, and today is honestly, the first day i feel relatively normal. so, we were mellow, and quite, and enjoyed each other. we did go skating, and saw Happy Feet (rec'md it HIGHLY!) and even found a few items for the house that we were needing during a couple of shopping sprees. one said spree was to trade in my beloved car (oh, how i loved that car, but it was time ...) for the ultimate mom-o-vehicle. yep, caved. but i love it - love it.

so, that brings me up to the current state of affairs here. yesterday was NYE and we enjoyed the BrightNight activities downcity with the kids. it was an inexpensive, family oriented, relatively entertaining way to spend the last day of '06. the kids enjoyed the revelry, and the walking around downtown, and the circus. then they were my parents first overnight guests so s and i could ring in the new year alone ~ on a date. :O) it wasn't a planned date, but it was nice to enjoy each other, finish a few sentences, and say goodbye to '06, looking forward to the fresh new page of '07 in front of us. i love new starts, new, fresh opportunities, and new beginnings. this year was so good for me, for us, and for the family. i can only imagine what next year will bring.

and with that, here we are ~ looking at the face of our 7 year old for the last day in his 7 year old status. tomorrow we are the parents of an 8 year old boy. my son, our son turns 8 tomorrow.

{sigh} the time, the speed of light.

i cannot fathom that i will be the mother of an 8 year old. i still remember the moment he was born. i can still remember the feeling of his little body in my arms for the first time.

whoosh.

off to make some cupcakes, and giggle with the squirts on their last day of vacation ......

feeling caught up now ..... will likely be back with some photos. :O)