I'll Be There in a Minute

For the Birds

2011-03-04T13:30:00.000-05:00

The girls have been feeling pretty bad for the local birds lately. So much snow has fallen this winter and the girls have feared that their feathered friends haven't been able to find enough to eat. I'm not exactly Miss Audubon, but even I felt sorry for the hungry birds. For much of the winter my bird feeding consisted of plopping blocks of suet filled with seeds into the empty flower boxes like this...

Sometimes I'd fill a bowl with bird seeds and let the birds have at it. This little guy appears to be saying, "WTF?" to my choice of serving vessel.

This method did provide us with lots of beautiful visitors.

But one night, as I was browsing the blogs of some really crafty Mamas, I stumbled across this great idea at SmileMonsters (click for the recipe). These cute hearts are made with corn syrup, flour, water, and bird seed. It was a very messy, but very fun project.

After baking them, we hung them from the deck.

I don't know how they did it, but the birds instantly knew that there was a feast awaiting and they flocked to the hanging hearts. The squirrels also found them. This clever squirrel hoisted the heart right to the top railing and inhaled the entire thing in about 15 minutes.

A room fit for a tween

2011-01-26T23:58:00.001-05:00

My baby girl turned 12 today! More than anything, she wanted a room makeover.

Her walls were pink. Her bed (that Todd built) was pink. The rug is magenta and is in pretty good condition so it wasn't going to be replaced. She loved the comforter so it stayed. She also loved her curtains which were 4 sheer panels, each a different, bright color. There was blue, green, orange, and purple. She chose to paint each wall a different color corresponding to the curtains with black trim to make the colors really stand out.

She and Todd worked very hard to cover all the pink.

Her storage baskets were sprayed black along with a side table that had been hanging out in the living room.

I hot glued orange, green, and blue embellishments onto her pink lampshade. I painted a "J" from Michael's, wrapped part of it in raffia, and added 2 of the same embellishments from the lamp to tie them together. Each cream colored switch plate was covered with torn tissue paper and sealed with Modge Podge.

Sweet smelling candles, a lava lamp, and funky standing lamp from Target finished the blue wall.

Here's the very best part and my favorite element of the room. My mother in law gave us an old love seat that she no longer used. It had been in our basement for a few years so I scrubbed it with Carbona (the greatest stuff on earth) and used the shop vac to really clean it. I found the perfect black slipcover at Target that was originally $69.99 but was on sale for $17.48!!!

It fit perfectly on the love seat which then slid right under J's bed. That has become her new reading spot. The love seat also opens into a single bed for when her BFF sleeps over.

She received 2 black circle rugs and a rectangle area rug tonight but I didn't get a picture of them. She loves her new space and so do I! It's grown up but still youthful - like my growing girl.

Christmas memories

2010-12-16T14:07:00.000-05:00

December is only half over and we've already got some fantastic memories.

We've watched Jacey perform a lovely song on the piano,

broke a sweat while putting on gloves,

napped on the couch while fighting off pneumonia,

and decorated the tree.

Devin decided to commemorate the month with a very special drawing. I give you.... "Daddy Yelling at the Christmas Tree".

The back story - the bottom of the tree was cut at an angle so it would not sit straight in the stand no matter how tightly Todd turned the screws.

Inexpensive holiday sparkle

2010-11-30T14:12:00.000-05:00

Tis the season for glitter, sparkle, and twinkling lights! It's also the season for crafting, though every season is the season for crafting, is it not? I wanted to do something different with the mantle this year so I turned to my favorite places for inspiration - Michael's and Target. At Target I found these adorable glass bottles that cost $2.99 for four. I bought two packs. My plan was to fill them with something and line them up on the mantle, so off to Michael's I went. In the floral department I found the sole red, glittery branch neslted among the silver and gold branches. I needed something to anchor the branches in the bottles so I walked to the aisle where the glass beads are kept. I was beginning to become dismayed because everything I found was too big to fit in the openings of the bottles. Then I saw it - metallic sand! Silver metallic sand! I never knew such a product existed. I think I audibly gasped.

I ~~sped~~ drove home and called my favorite five year old to help me. She poured the metallic sand (!) into the bottles while I snipped the branches with the wire cutters I use for beading. I only used a fraction of the sand so there's plenty left for other sparkly crafts. There are many more bits of red branches, too. Some of them adorn the Barbie houses in the playroom.

I saw these cones these cones in a catalog and thought they were really pretty. They weren't terribly expensive ($15 for a set of 3), but I thought making them would be fun. I bought 2 paper mache cones at Michael's ♥ along with metallic paint and way too much glitter than necessary. My total was around $15.00. I already had Modge Podge and acrylic spray sealant at home. Again, I called my littlest girl to help. We began by painting the cones. When the paint was dry we covered the cone in a thin layer of Modge Podge. Then it was time for the fun part. I poured the glitter on a cookie sheet, slid the cone on Devin's arm, and let her go. She really liked this part. She rolled and rolled. The glitter covered so well that I don't think we even needed the paint. There was enough glitter left over to make about 30 more cones so back in the jars it went. Once they had dried over night, I sprayed the cones with the acrylic to keep the glitter from flaking off. I adore glitter, but not when it's on my hands, rugs, or childrens' scalps.

Here's the finished product, with a few additions..lights, votives, and a vase filled with ornaments - one of my favorite tricks. I made the wreath last year. You can buy one here if you want to spend $59.00 plus shipping. Are they serious? It's a piece of styrofoam. With a feather boa wrapped around it. Make one for yourself. Don't be afraid of the glue gun.

If you've got sparkle in your house, let's see it!

wax on...wax off

2010-11-13T22:25:00.000-05:00

During the summer Bryn and Tori discovered they could wax Devin's eyebrows with stickers. Devin was a very willing subject and thought it was hilarious. A few weeks ago, while the rain prevented them from playing outside, Bryn and Tori waxed Devin again. This time they used packing tape and waxed her nose. All 3 of them were giggling their little heads off. After ripping the tape off Devin's nose Bryn used a foam paint brush to smooth Devin's skin.

The view from my house

2010-11-13T21:54:00.000-05:00

This is what I saw while standing on my back deck a few weeks ago.

This is what I saw while standing on my front porch a few days ago.

This is what I saw while standing in my driveway today.

Fall

2010-10-08T21:37:00.000-04:00

If you had asked me 2 months ago what my favorite New England season was, I would have said summer. Hot sunny days, the beach, tomatoes fresh from the garden, flip flops and hot pink toes. Right now, however, my favorite New England season is fall. Today's weather was everything you read about in Yankee Magazine - brilliant blue skies, crisp, dry air, and the perfect temperature. Warm enough to leave the jackets in the car, but cool enough so the girls could run, climb, and jump for hours without breaking a sweat.

After playing for a long time, we ate ice cream because that's just what we do.

The tomato vines are barren, but we now have these beauties.

I'm still wearing flip flops, but my toes are no longer pink.

Boo

2010-09-29T22:00:00.000-04:00

Do you know what I did the day the girls went back to school? I decorated for Halloween. The date was September 9. I tried to wait for the girls to come home from school so they could help me, but as I unpacked the boxes the mantle called out to me. I was weak. I gave in.

Glittery skulls were ~~carefully placed~~ randomly dumped into a vase.

Glass beads filled another vase.

I bought some really cheap brown paper mache skulls from Michael's, painted them white, then coated them in glitter. On the bottom of the basket is a strand of purple and orange lights. On top of that is the same creepy, black wiry stuff that hides the wire on the mantle.

Here's the basket at night...

Happy haunting!

Who took my little girl?

2010-09-08T12:46:00.000-04:00

"Having a daughter is like planting seeds from an unmarked packet. You vaguely believe that you are going to get daisies. Instead, you get orchids, morning glories, sunflowers, roses...But all beautiful. Like you" ~Pam Brown

The weirdest thing happened. Just yesterday I gave birth to a beautiful 7 pound little girl and today she boarded the bus and went to middle school. She set out her clothes last night , modeled 3 pairs of shoes and asked which went better with her outfit. This morning she applied lip gloss (clear..I'm not ready for color) and misted herself with cherry blossom body spray. She slipped her carefully labeled binders into her backpack, along with other girlie necessities like a mirror and a butterfly adorned day planner. She is 5' 2" and 72 pounds thanks to the genes she inherited from her Auntie Vicki who inherited them from her Auntie Ange. The stuffed animals that used to pack her bed at night now sit in a basket, unloved. The pony bead & pipe cleaner bracelets have been replaced by hoops and studs from Claire's. The Disney Princess glitter makeup has been discarded. She no longer smells like Johnson's baby soap. She has her own products with names like warm vanilla sugar and coconut/lime. Her chubby little fingers that once grasped chunky paint brushes have grown into long, lean fingers that play the piano beautifully. Elmo and Dora were dumped long ago along with their respective theme songs. Words and phrases like "whatever", "BFF", "LOL", and "sweet" are part of her every day vernacular. She no longer asks for Barbies or Polly Pockets. She wants a cell phone. "Will you color with me?" has become, "will you paint my nails?" She calls me "Mom" instead of "Mommy". She is growing up but she's still, and will always be, my baby.

She is a tween and like all tweens, she has mastered such skills as the eye roll and the exasperated sigh. She annoys her sister and they really annoy her. There were days this summer when I couldn't wait for the school year to start. I'd like to take that back.

Her bus came at 6:45 which is the time Todd leaves for work, so he accompanied her to the bus stop. I probably would have embarrassed her. I held back my tears until they walked out the door but Todd glanced back, knowing what he would see.

This picture is one of favorites. Jacey said she put makeup on her face to look pretty. Bryn wanted some so Jacey happily obliged. The 'makeup' is marker.

More shaving foam fun

2010-08-26T22:32:00.000-04:00

We did this earlier in the summer and I think I posted pictures. The girls really love playing with this stuff and it's a cheap way to spend an afternoon. Watching the antics of care-free children on a sunny summer day is good for the soul. Don't you agree?

See Jacey in the backround? I think she really wanted to smear shaving foam on her sisters but thought she would be seen as 'uncool' since she's starting middle school soon.

The games they play

2010-08-03T23:26:00.000-04:00

Summer is half over (yippee) and the girls are still coming up with new ways to pass the time. Today Jacey and Devin played "Three Blind Mice". Devin closed her eyes and stumbled around the house, using a foam sword as a walking stick. Staying true to the nursery rhyme, Jacey chased her with a (minuscule, plastic) carving knife.

What other games do they play? I'm so happy you asked...
While relaxing on a dock in NH last weekend, I heard the unmistakable sound of guilty giggling. Just as a mom knows the difference between her newborn's hungry cries versus wet diaper cries, she also has the uncanny ability to discern between playful giggles and 'Mom is going to kill us, but this is too fun to stop doing' giggles. I reluctantly tore myself away from my juicy novel and went to investigate the source of the laughter. There they were, my 4 darling little girls actually playing together. Jacey, Bryn, and Tori were waxing Devin's eyebrows--with Devin's full permission and approval. Devin was handing out stickers to her sisters and they pressed them against her eyebrows. Then they ripped them off. "We got 3 hairs" Devin gleefully exclaimed when I ~~completely freaked out and asked them what the hell they were doing~~ gently questioned them.

Tubing

2010-07-23T10:30:00.000-04:00

We were recently invited to spend the day with some friends at their parents' lake house. In addition to swimming for hours, the girls went tubing. They loved it!

Devin was eager to try it, but was happy to just sit and float. That wasn't much fun for the rest of us, so I asked her if she would go fast if I came in with her. She agreed.

I pulled her goggles down for her because she didn't like the water splashing her face.

This is my favorite picture. I just adore the look on her little face.

Brenton Point

2010-07-23T10:13:00.000-04:00

This is my favorite spot to spend a summer weekend day. It's Brenton Point State Park in Newport, RI. The cooling breeze, the crashing waves, the colorful kites, the happy children...bliss. The girls received kites in their Easter baskets and have been patiently waiting to try them out. Though we have had many unsuccessful kite flying experiences, we were optimistic when we opened the packages. The Easter Bunny must have been watching our previous attempts and taken pity on us, because the first three kites practically leaped out of the kids' hands and immediately took to the sky where they stayed until they were reeled back in. However, the kites gods were feeling malicious and instructed the fourth kite not to cooperate. It was the same exact style as one of the other kites so we (well, Todd) were ~~pissed off~~ quite frustrated. After watching it take flight, jerk to the right, and crash to the earth several times, he took Tori and Devin to the kite shack and bought a new kite. He was assured that this one was the easiest kite to fly. Not so much. It flew straight up, then straight down. We decided it was time to pack up the kites.

Nothing reduces the stress from an uncooperative kite like a stroll by the ocean. We tossed the kites in the car and spent some time skipping on the rocks.

Devin's pet zebra

2010-06-10T20:31:00.000-04:00

Tori pranced into my room today on all fours and proclaimed that she was Devin's new pet zebra. She was wearing 3 pairs of tights the girls wore with their witch costumes for Halloween a couple of years ago.

Sleeping on the ironing board...

Feeding time...

She makes me smile.

Foamy fun

2010-06-06T23:53:00.000-04:00

Every molecule of pollen in the state of Massachusetts has found its final resting place atop our pool. I have spent countless hours vacuuming, skimming, and vacuuming some more. Our neighbors have been kind enough to let J & B cool off in their pool, but T & D stay home and busy themselves with all sorts of outdoor games. They set up a bakery and make cupcakes and cookies with sand, adorning their creations with twigs and leaves. They pretend they are fairies and mix wonderful potions of water, flowers, dirt, and grass. They play 'Princess and Servant'. Tori is the princess (not a surprise), wraps a pool floatie around her waist, and perches herself on the deck so she can oversee her kingdom (the sand pit) and make sure Devin is keeping it clean.

Last week, they were looking for a messier way to spend the afternoon. They remembered the fun they had last year with shaving foam and Tori asked me if we had any more. We did. I sprayed the entire bottle on the picnic table, hooked up the sprinkler right next to them, and got out of the way. Tori wanted to wear her goggles so she could see. It was a fantastic idea, except she immediately covered the goggles - along with every square inch of her body.

Cool down

2010-05-30T23:56:00.000-04:00

Then followed that beautiful season... Summer....

Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape

Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Solar Smores

2010-05-25T23:40:00.000-04:00

I’ve been a subscriber of Family Fun Magazine for years. When it arrives in the mailbox each month, I flip through the pages and tear out crafts, game ideas, and recipes that I think would be really great to try. I envision myself building my own Blue Man Group tubes with PVC pipes, playing chop stick pass along at the dinner table, or getting the girls together for a rousing game of indoor foot volleyball. The torn pages sit on a desk in the kitchen. The months pass and the pages don’t move. Eventually, I throw them away and wallow in my parental inadequacies. Over the years, however, there have been a few pages that I have refused to throw away because the ideas were just too good to pass up. Today, I finally created the solar smores from the April, 2008 issue. Using a Dunkin Donuts box, foil, black card stock, a plastic sheet protector, and tape, Devin and I created an oven. We put the graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows in the box, closed the lid (which was cut open and covered with the sheet protector), and placed it in the sun. The foil reflected the sun directly into the box and the plastic sealed in the heat. In about 20 minutes, the chocolate was gooey and the smores were ready to eat.

If you'd like to try it (you really should), here's the link

The talk

2010-05-18T23:43:00.000-04:00

Two sisters, one talk, two very different reactions.

When Jacey turned 9 two years ago, I gave her the option of either having a party or spending the night at a water park hotel with me. She chose the latter. I used the opportunity to talk with her about periods, breast development, and puberty in general. I bought “The Care and Keeping of You” by the folks at American Girl to use as a guide and help answer any questions that she may have had. I waited until we were at dinner, seated in a quiet corner. I knew that she would not want to have the talk in the hotel room because she would feel like she was being lectured and I wanted to keep a light, upbeat atmosphere. She was completely horrified by the entire discussion anyway. Her usually pale face became deep crimson as soon as she heard the phrase ‘changes to your body’. She avoided eye contact at all costs, kept her head down, and studied her chicken nuggets. After speaking for a few minutes, I asked her if she had any questions. She held up a French fry and said, in feigned astonishment, “Look how big this French fry is!” That statement told me that she was completely overwhelmed so I changed the subject. I added a few bits of information throughout the night and I told her to read the American Girl book to help her understand what we talked about. To this day, she still hasn’t touched the book. She still turns red when I bring up any female subject.

Here we are, two years later. I’ve got another 9 year old in the same hotel, listening to the same talk. Bryn, however, not only wants to learn about puberty, she wants to know more than I’m ready to share with her. When I told her about the option of wearing a tampon so she could swim, she declared, “Well that’s convenient!” She listened, giggled, and asked questions until she was confident she had answers. I awoke Sunday morning to find her sitting in a chair reading the American Girl book in the morning light.

In two years it will be Tori’s turn. She wears bras on her head and thinks armpit hair is hysterical. I can only imagine the questions and comments she will have for me. I better start studying.

Resisting the urge

2010-05-14T10:24:00.000-04:00

We are the only family on the street without an Xbox, Play Station, or a WII. They have told me that they are the only kids they know without a DS. There are a couple of reasons for this. The first is that Todd and I would become sleep deprived from all night sessions of Super Mario Galaxy 2 or Guitar Hero. However, my main reason for boycotting the game systems is that I’m afraid the girls would lose their creativity. Case in point: Jacey has asked for a DS because she would like a game called Fashion Designer. The user can “create the perfect line of clothing by combining the latest cuts, colors, and patterns or style a model’s hair, makeup, nails, jewelry, and accessories.” With a stylus. Creating fashion designs without the use of an actual writing implement? That doesn’t sound very creative to me. So for Christmas she received the Project Runway Projector Kit. It’s fantastic. She can combine many tops, bottoms, and accessories to created hundreds of looks. She puts colors together that I wouldn’t necessarily think would match and makes some beautiful outfits.

Jacey’s walls are full of holes and covered in tape. My nails are worn out from scraping clumps of solidified glue off the table after one of Bryn’s hot glue marathons. The playroom needs to be sorted and cleaned every time Devin plays ‘secret agent’. The entire house needs to be bulldozed when Tori is done doing whatever she does. It won’t last forever though. Someday the walls will be patched, my house will be quiet and orderly and my nails will be manicured and pretty. But for now, Todd and I will continue the video game boycott.

Why Devin Loves Me

2010-05-07T15:05:00.000-04:00

To celebrate Mother's Day, the kids in Devin's preschool made crowns and dictated to the teachers why they love their moms. These were read aloud at the Mother's Day party. Here's what Devin's says...

"My mom gives me whipped cream squirted in my mouth."

Secret Agent

2010-05-06T22:55:00.000-04:00

During a recent cleaning frenzy, I came across this. It’s one of Todd’s baseball hats, stuffed and rolled into a ball. As I began to empty the hat and put away its contents, Devin shrieked, “NO! That’s my secret agent bag!” Of course it was.

I poured everything on to the counter and asked her to explain what each item was and what role it played in her secret agent game. Here’s what she said…

*Travel size Etch-a-Sketch to show her the next mission

*Magnet ball – power jewel

* Monopoly dollar bill – the serial number is her phone number (very clever!)

* Ripped off Barbie arm – helps her make stuff

*Skull ring – scares animals away

*Glasses (sans lenses) – that’s what secret agents wear

Here she is ready for a mission.

Little things

2010-04-21T11:20:00.000-04:00

Two of Bryn’s favorite things are my hot glue gun and small items. When she was a little girl, her pockets were always filled with various small things she collected throughout the day like pebbles, tiny acorns, and bits of thread. We were in Staples one day when she was about 3 and we saw a bin of mini calculators attached to key chains. As we passed it, she contorted her neck so she could continue to gaze at the calculators and she said to me in a soft, wistful voice, “Mommy, I’m so attracted to those little calculators and I can’t stop looking at them.” My hot glue gun is a recent favorite and she uses it whenever possible, even when traditional white glue or tape would suffice. She has also made doll clothes and accessories with felt and beads. Imagine her joy when she discovered a way to combine her love of small things with her love of hot glue! All of the girls enjoying playing with Papos, especially the mini variety. We don’t have many, however, so Bryn decided to make her own. She thought and thought and finally came up with a plan. She molded a small sheet of foil into a female form, covered it in hot glue, and painted it. The whole process took hours.

She was very pleased with the results so she made another one.

She also made them purses.

Captain Sunny

2010-03-25T13:15:00.000-04:00

Tori has many aliases. Irot (Tori backwards), Bob the Dog and his wife Bobina, Becky Kentucky, and Wilma are characters that visit on a regular basis. Each has his or her own personality and very distinct voice and they all live in Tori’s imaginary world called “Cotton Eye Joe”. Of course, Tori is the queen of that world. On any given weekend, we are blessed with the arrival of new friends she concocts in that little head of hers – a spy, a vet, a chef. Last weekend Tori noticed the sun pouring in through the utterly filthy play room window and suddenly felt the urge to transform into a new friend – Captain Sunny, crime fighter. She wrapped herself in a sheer sarong, popped on orange sunglasses, and a Griffendor inspired hat and scarf (Jacey’s Halloween costume from a couple years back). She spread her wings and flew around the house for about an hour. When she was done, she dropped her costume in the middle of the kitchen floor and moved on to her next adventure.

How do I love thee?

2010-03-16T13:41:00.000-04:00

This weekend, my dear husband spent hours and hours remodeling the bathroom. He ripped out the sink, toilet, and medicine cabinet. He painted, and painted, and painted some more. He stopped only to change my tire...in the pouring rain. Thank you, Todd! XOXOXO

The girls' favorite part of the weekend was playing with the empty medicine cabinet box. They brought in pillows and book lights and camped out all afternoon.

Last minute save

2010-02-26T15:32:00.000-05:00

You know what I love? When my kids tell me that they have to bring something to school just hours before it's due. This is what happened last night at dinner.

Tori is the student of the week in her class, which means she gets to do all sorts of fun things. She made a poster to hang in the classroom and she has brought in various little items each day for ‘show and tell’. On Monday, she came home with an empty jug and told me I had to fill it with “stuff” so the kids could estimate how many items were in it. I bought pencils, cap erasers, and little rubber balls, stuffed the jug, and off to school she went. At dinner last night, we were talking about the estimation jug and I asked what people guessed. She said that she didn’t know because it’s a secret ballot. “And I need a prize for the kid who guesses the closest”, she cautiously said. “What do you mean a prize?” I asked. “Don’t they to take home all the things we put in there?” “Yes, but the winner also gets a different prize,”she said, looking a little uneasy. She correctly concluded that I wouldn’t be pleased about this last minute announcement. I didn’t want to further upset her, so I smiled and said I’d see what we could do.

While she was eating breakfast this morning, I sprang my great idea on her. “How about we go into the games closet, find a few of your animals, and wrap them in a pretty bag?” She was completely horrified by the idea of giving a classmate an old, used, and probably broken toy. “A pack of crackers?” I hesitantly suggested. Her less than thrilled expression gave me my answer. I told her and Devin that I would be back. I tore through the scrapbooking closet, hoping that I would find an unopened pack of stickers. No luck. I saw a pair of scissors that leave behind a very cool pattern of the paper it cuts. Then I remembered that this is Massachusetts in the year 2010. If Tori brought scissors to school, she would more than likely be hauled off to the principal’s office, labeled a danger to society, and be forced to undergo anger management classes. Plus, knowing Tori, she would probably take the scissors out of her backpack on the bus, pretend she was a shark, and begin chomping kids. I can imagine a child going home and telling his or her mother that a girl on the bus pulled a pair of scissors on her. Yeah – definitely no scissors.

Then I saw it -my beading basket. “How about a backpack charm?” I asked. “YES!” she exclaimed. As Tori and Devin ate their Poptarts at the counter, I sat on the kitchen floor frantically looping headpins and snipping wires. Tori suggested blue, black, and silver beads so that the charm would appeal to both boys and girls.

I finished the charm and held it up for Tori. Her eyes, which are already quite enormous, popped out of her head. She approved. I wrapped the charm and stuck it in her backpack. I didn’t get to eat breakfast or brush my hair, and I was still wearing my pajama pants when I brought Devin to school, but Tori hopped on the school bus a very happy little girl. That’s what it’s about, right?

Construction

2010-02-14T16:46:00.000-05:00

Gumdrops: $1.59
Marshmallows: $1.30
Toothpicks: $.79
Unknowingly learning while having fun: PRICELESS

Cabin fever

2010-02-14T16:36:00.000-05:00

We got out of the house today for a last minute hike. It was more of a walk, actually. The place we went was deserted, so we let the kids run free. And run free they did. They also climbed and jumped a little. We weren't gone long, but it was long enough to refresh everyone. There's nothing like cold, crisp air to lift one's mood and bring a smile back to one's face. Oh - and photo editing software that softens and almost removes wrinkles helps too.

Super Bowl Tapas

2010-02-09T20:55:00.000-05:00

I really dislike football. I do, however, really like food (especially when I'm not the one making it) and family, so I happily watched the big game with some fine people and fantastic food. Todd spent hours and hours on Saturday and Sunday shopping for and preparing an amazing tapas meal. All the girls got involved, except Devin. While her sisters rolled meatballs, she sat with her arms crossed declaring the whole procedure gross and saying that she would not touch the meat. Jacey was a huge help - peeling, chopping, mixing - she enjoyed it all. I think what she liked best was the one on one time with Daddy.

Be mine

2010-01-22T12:11:00.000-05:00

Valentine's Day is a day for friendship and kindness. It also gives people like me an excuse to browse the aisles of Michael's with the kids and buy glitter glue, foam sheets, and googly eyes.

Walking in the woods

2010-01-13T22:11:00.000-05:00

Baby it's cold outside, but that doesn't stop ~~me from kicking the kids out the door~~ the kids from running outside to play as soon as they get home from school. The trees in our back yard are bare, which has opened up the woods and provided the girls lots of room to explore. They found a couple of large patches of ice and love slip-sliding along. While her sisters were in school today, Devin showed me their new turf and demonstrated her skating abilities.

According to Tori

2010-01-13T21:41:00.000-05:00

Tori wrote a book describing her family. Each of us has a page dedicated to us. Here's what she wrote about me. I guess she doesn't know about all the bon bon eating and Oprah watching. *sarsasm

Purple puff ball family

2010-01-10T18:39:00.000-05:00

I found this family of 5 strapped into a purple Polly Pocket car. I didn't ask who made them, but I'm pretty sure it was Tori for 2 reasons:
1. She is a purple fanatic
2. I found gobs of hardened hot glue stuck to the kitchen table

Two weeks - too fast

2010-01-04T22:36:00.000-05:00

My sister, Vicki was here for 2 weeks and now she's gone again. She left last Wednesday and I intended to write this post the day she left. I couldn't, though, because every time I looked at the pictures I cried and had to shut down the computer. It had been 19 months since she was last here - far too long. We shared a lot of laughs and had the happiest Christmas ever. The girls couldn't get enough of her; Devin seemed to be attached to her and always managed to squirm herself onto Vick's lap. We went to a Bruins game-Vicki and Devin's first, got pedicures, went sledding and ice skating. We drank coffee, ate burgers, ice cream, and subs (or hoagies or grinders). We were extremely busy and constantly on the go creating memories the girls will never forget, but the greatest memories were those quiet times at home. Well, at least some of us were quiet. Vicki is not quiet, she's loud. I mean that in the very best sense of the word. Her jubilant laughter filled the house and made every day joyful. Before I get all weepy again, here are some pictures.

Washing babies - Vicki lives in a very toasty climate and sometimes wore her hat in the house to keep warm.

One of the rare moments she remained on her feet while skating

Vicki built a jump for the girls to ride their sleds over

The Bruins!

The girls spent a lot of time coloring with their artist aunt

The Mr. Potato Head village

The pedicure - Vicki and I had matching snowflakes airbrushed on

Our last night together was spent cuddling on the couch and watching a movie

It adds up

2009-12-12T22:56:00.000-05:00

The smell of a fresh pine tree + the sound of Christmas carols + the feel of the warm fire + the taste of a Honey Dew Mocha Madness + the sight of 4 little girls hanging ornaments with their Daddy = one content Mommy

Spontaneity

2009-12-01T14:04:00.000-05:00

Little girls - their brains are filled with extraordinary ideas and rarely is there enough time to accommodate all of their plans. All of the following pictures were taken Saturday morning in a few hour time span.

Devin had to fix a table, so she put on her goggles and got to work.

Bryn and Tori decided to play “birds”. Bryn was a white dove and Tori was a robin so they dressed accordingly. Next, they needed a nest and a baby bird. The dress up bin became a nest and Devin became the baby bird.

When Devin was no longer meeting their expectations, Bryn and Tori made new babies. They gathered supplies, including my glue gun, and crafted themselves baby birds.

The most magical trait little girls possess is their ability to drop everything and dance when they hear music. Nothing gets my girls dancing like the Mama Mia soundtrack.

Click here to watch

A Tale of Two Lunches

2009-11-22T12:57:00.000-05:00

Here's Jacey eating lunch on her third birthday. Here's what I prepared for her: a ham face made with grapes, raisins, strawberries, string cheese, and cheese puffs. Though this was her birthday, the ham face was a lunch time staple back then.

Here we are 7 years and 3 children later. Devin is eating a bowl full of peanut butter, Fluff, and Nutella. She is supposed to be dipping her crackers into them, but she doesn't. She fills her spoon with Fluff and holds it high above her mouth as it spills off the spoon, drizzling on to her crackers. Sometimes she mixes all 3 things together to make a soup, then jams the concoction into her mouth.

The Experiment

2009-11-10T23:44:00.000-05:00

I'm going to start by saying that I love my family very much. From Todd to Devin and the 3 in between, they bring me more joy than I could ever imagine. I'm concerned, though, because lately they all seem to have contracted the same condition. No, it's not the flu - seasonal or swine variety. What the members of my family suffer from is Ididn'tseeititis. It is characterized by extreme tunnel vision coupled with acute paralyzation of the hands. I'm willing to bet that mine is not the only family dealing with this particular ailment and that it runs rampant throughout households all over America. Ididn'tseeititis manifests itself in various forms. You may notice a book on the steps, a sock in the middle of the bedroom floor, or a Polly Pocket on the kitchen counter. In the mind of a healthy person , aka a mom, these things clearly do not belong where they have landed. A person suffering with Ididntseeititis will ignore the book, sock, and Polly Pocket. There is no malice aforethought, he or she simply does not see the misplaced items and will not even think about picking them up.

To test how deeply affected my family has become, I decided to conduct a litle experiment. On November 3, I went into the bathroom and saw this...

I was about to change the roll, but I stopped. I wanted to see who would be the first to either change the roll or at least ask me to change it for them. Here's what I saw November 4...

On November 5, there were still 2 empty rolls. The full roll had been dropped to the floor and left there. On this day, I was greeted with a gift left by the Phantom Pooper. She is deathly afraid of the toilet overflowing and will not flush it. Ever. I call this person the Phantom Pooper because I'm met with blank stares and shrugging shoulders when I ask who left the poop in the toilet. Anyway, here's the picture...

On November 6, the roll had been lifted from the floor and placed on the bath tub, mere inches from the holder. Close. Oh so close!

On to November 7. The roll was just about gone. What would they do? I was giddy with anticipation.

November 8: *sigh* Another full roll sat on the back of the toilet. There were 2 empty rolls and 1 roll that was not quite gone, but gone enough to warrant a new roll.

As I approached the bathroom on November 9, my spirits soared when I saw this. Had my family been cured? I was so hopeful.....

Alas, it wasn't to be.

I asked Todd what happened to all the empty rolls in the bathroom. He said that he threw them away. Then I asked him why he didn't change the empty roll on the holder. He replied, ....wait for it......."I didn't see it."

Baby steps, right?

Halloween 2009 - Part 2

2009-10-31T22:40:00.009-04:00

The girls planned their costumes around the time they went back to school. Jacey wanted to be a vampire with her 2 best friends on our street. Bryn and Tori decided to be twin pirates. I tried to persuade Devin to simply wear one of the many Disney Princess dresses or dance recital costumes we have in the dress up box, but at 4 and a half years old, she was no longer falling for that con. She chose to be a cow girl. I stayed home to give out candy and Todd went out with the girls and their friends. Since their friend's dad was dressing up, my girls thought that Todd should also wear a costume. They emptied the dress up boxes in the playroom and dressed their father. Tori said, "We can call you Sir Fartsalot."

The girls were out for an hour and a half. When they got home I was video chatting with my sister in Costa Rica, so the girls were ecstatic that they got to see her and show her their costumes.

They ate a few pieces, then Jacey and Bryn got down to the business of one of the most important Halloween traditions - bartering.

When they went to bed, Todd and I engaged in a tradition of our own - raiding the candy bags.

Halloween 2009 - Part 1

2009-10-31T18:25:00.016-04:00

I love when Halloween (or any holiday) falls on a weekend. There was endless Halloween chatter all day today, from "I hope I get (insert your favorite type of candy)" to "I wonder what (insert neighborhood girl) will be". At Bryn's soccer game this morning, the coach and I ended several sideline costume discussions and reminded the girls to watch their teammates on the field. The weather was warm, which added to the Halloween fervor. The girls and I spent some time this afternoon making caramel apples and even more time eating them. Jacey had to be extra careful with hers because she's got some metal in her mouth to get her teeth ready for braces. She contorted the lower half of her face like a performer from Cirque du Soleil and managed to get it down successfully. After a few bites, Devin asked me to get her a flosser for her teeth. They ate way more than any reasonable people should, so I immediately ushered them outside to run off the impending sugar high. Along with warm temperatures, the day was extraordinarily windy. Bryn and Tori broke out their kites, Jacey proved that one is never too old to swing, and Devin raked the leaves with a twig that she pulled off a tree in the yard.

When I felt it was safe, I allowed them to come back into the house and put on their costumes.

Working

2009-10-29T08:56:00.002-04:00

When I'm working on the computer, you know, updating my Facebook status or reading my favorite blogs, Devin also works. She gets an old keyboard, mouse, and phone from the playroom and sets up at the counter next to me. She calls herself an office worker.

"Hey Bryn..."

2009-10-19T22:42:00.008-04:00

...said Tori to Bryn one night last week as she walked into the bathroom to find her sister. She may have only said, "Hey Bryn," but the tone of her voice, coupled with a sly giggle, said to me, "Hey Bryn, I just did something really funny, but I don't think Mom would agree, so don't tell her OK?" The next sentence out of her mouth is one I've never heard before in all my years of parenting (and teaching before my kids came along). "I'm zipping my belly button in my pajama zipper." More giggling. Bryn laughed, shook her head, and rolled her eyes. "On purpose?" I asked. "Yeah," she replied. I asked her why and she responded with, "because I want to". Of course she did. She didn't just do it once or twice. She did it over and over again. Each time she did it she laughed just as hard as she did the first time.

The next morning, she put on a pair of Halloween eyes, pretended to be a fly, and flitted around the house.

Yesterday she decided she'd dress up. First she was a superhero named Pink Ice.
Then she was a cowgirl named Becky Kentucky and galloped about on a dust mop.

When Tori is not home, I find pieces of her all over. She's always on the move to her next game, so I find scenes like this in nearly every room of the house. Poor Barbie didn't stand a chance against this guy.

Then there's her artwork. This is my favorite drawing she's ever made. She refers to herself as "Rokstar".
Tori is my loudest, messiest, most exasperating daughter, but makes me laugh more then any other girl.

Days with Devin

2009-10-13T15:11:00.011-04:00

For the first time ever, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I am home with just one child for 6 hours. This has never happened before. In the past, I have always had either a younger sibling to tend to, or I've had to stay close to home in order to be back for the kindergarten drop off bus. Admittedly, many of my days with Devin are spent doing household chores. She doesn't seem to mind, though. In fact, seeing the lobsters and riding the shopping cart at Shaw's are 2 of her favorite activities. She also enjoys stacking underwear and matching socks as they come out of the dryer. We take lots of walks - and she talks. And talks. And talks. As we were walking last week we passed a purple house. She said, "I have an idea. Let's talk about all the different color houses we see. OK, Mommy? I like that purple house. Do you like that purple house?"

One of our favorite things to do is cook. Devin is the egg cracker. I am the shell pick-outer. She gets better and better with each egg she breaks.

Of course, we eat our creations, too. This is not what we made in the above pictures.

If I'm doing something she can't help with, she still likes to be nearby. Today she played with a ball of pizza dough while I loaded the dishwasher and cleaned the kitchen.
We had spectacular weather last week, and the outdoors beckoned. Devin and I went to one of her favorite places for a picnic. We looked at lots of animals, picked out 2 pumpkins, and played on the playground.

The very best part of being home with Devin is catching moments like the video below. The sun went behind a cloud and she thought that if she sang "You Are My Sunshine", it would reappear. It worked!

The trunk

2009-09-28T22:52:00.004-04:00

I've spent the last week cleaning the basement and clearing out the junk that we've accumulated throughout the years. As I was moving pieces of furniture, I came upon this trunk. It's always been there, buried beneath my stash of wrapping paper, gift bags, and streamers. The rusted top is disintegrating and crumbles to the touch. The delicate paper that lines the inside peels and falls away as the tiniest spider creeps across its surface. The trunk has seen better days, that's for sure. Actually, it's seen better decades. In the early 1900s, my great grandfather, Francesco DePinto, and his wife, Angelina packed their belongings into this trunk. Together with their 5 daughters and one son, they left the life they knew in Bari, Italy and crossed the Atlantic Ocean to begin a new life in America.

I have heard stories about the relatives I never had the chance to meet, but one story symbolizes the character of my great grandfather, and the character of the immigrants of his generation. When my mother was a girl and visited her grandfather, she would often find him sitting at the kitchen table, studying American history and the English language. My mother always tried to impress her grandfather, so one day she greeted him in Italian. She was proud of herself for mastering the phrase and was certain that he would also be proud. She was astonished when he pounded his fist on the table and said to her in broken English, laden with his thick Italian accent, "Madeline, how can I become an American if you speak to me in Italian?. From now on, you speak to me only in English." He wanted to succeed and provide for his family. He knew that learning English and assimilating to the American culture was an important step in reaching that goal. With hard work, determination, and the love and cooking of a wonderful wife, he did succeed and provided a wonderful life for his family.

I will never throw away the trunk, no matter how decrepit it may become. When I touch the worn spots, I feel my ancestors' hands. When I look at the sides, I don't see the holes. I see my great grandfather's hands gripping the trunk, hoisting it on to the loading dock in Bari. When I look at the top, I don't see the rust. I see my grandmother as a toddler sitting on it, her feet dangling, as she waits for her immigration papers to be checked at Ellis Island. When I open the trunk, I don't see the fading paper. I see my great grandmother hunched over, gingerly placing the family's treasured possessions inside. I hear her scolding her excited children, telling them to leave her in peace so she can pack. When I inhale the scent of the trunk, I don't smell my musty basement. The aroma that permeates the air is something entirely different. It's optimism, faith, promise, determination, yearning, and courage.

Seated in the front row, left to right:

Rose, Pasquale ,"Patsy", the only son. He died in the influenza outbreak of 1918, Francesco, Angelina, my grandmother Esther (her name was Pasque, which is Italian for Easter. When she arrived in America, there was a mix up in the paperwork and Pasque became Easter, which was misunderstood to be Esther, which is how she was known from then on), Mary

Standing in the back, left to right:

Francis, James (the husband of Theresa), Theresa

Bye Bye Big Tooth

2009-09-21T14:33:00.002-04:00

When Tori's baby teeth grew in, 2 of them came in fused together. We call it her "big tooth", but the dentist calls it her "special tooth." When she had a cleaning last week, she had some Xrays taken to see what was going on under there. There are 2 adult teeth, but one is coming in at an extreme angle because the big tooth has refused to loosen. The dentist suggested that it be pulled to encourage the adult tooth to straighten itself out. I took one last picture of my favorite little tooth before we went.

The procedure was amazingly quick and painless. Tori said it didn't hurt, but she could hear the roots creaking. She was a little nervous, but Jacey, who has absolutely zero pain tolerance, has had 5 teeth pulled without any problems, so Tori knew that it wouldn't be too traumatic. After all, Jacey went into shock and vomited after being stung by a jellyfish during the summer of '08. Tori was stung twice and walked it off. Anyway, here's Tori recuperating after her appointment.

The Big Tooth has been replaced by The Big Hole

I love this one!

2009-09-17T10:15:00.002-04:00

Over the years, we have acquired a collection of Halloween and Thanksgiving books, thanks mainly to my now retired English teacher mother in law. The books spend the majority of the year packed away in a closet and reemerge in mid September for the upcoming holiday. Today was the day I pulled out the backpack and dumped its contents on my bed. Tori and Devin dove right in, exclaiming the same words they did at last year's unveiling - "I love this one!", "I remember this one!", "I forgot all about this one!" Just wait until we open the Christmas book backpack in November!

Cancelled plans

2009-09-15T13:40:00.002-04:00

The sun is shining, the air is warm, and her 3 sisters are in school for the day, so Devin and I planned to have a picnic lunch at the playground of her choice. We ran a few errands in the morning, then she watched TV while I packed the cooler. I went into the living room to get her ready to go, and her skin was on fire. I took her temperature and it read 103. So instead of a fun filled afternoon, I brought her pillow (changed into her favorite pillow case) and a bottle of milk and put in a DVD so she could relax on the couch.

Here she is just a few minutes later - freshly showered - after vomitting all over her pillow and herself. Her head is on a towel and she's got a puke bowl by her side, ready for action. One day of preschool-->one virus. Great start! Poor kid.

This crowd is pleased

2009-09-08T22:31:00.002-04:00

The girls and I have 2 food related summer traditions. When school ends in June, celebrate by eating our one and only fast food lunch of the year. When summer ends in September, we mourn by devouring the 12 scoop Crowd Pleaser sundae at Friendly's. They had been looking forward to today for a week. We settled on 2 scoops each of orange sherbet, strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, cookie dough, and cookies and cream ice creams. Our toppings included hot fudge, marshmallow, butterfingers, sprinkles, Oreos, whipped cream, and cherries. I think I forgot something. The girls will remind me tomorrow. When our waiter brought the bill, he informed us that we inhaled our sundae in less then 5 minutes. Is there a better way to end summer vacation? I think not.

Here's last year's picture - the first annual end of summer pig out.

Elder Care

2009-09-08T09:23:00.003-04:00

Todd and I took the girls to the 99 for dinner last week and the subject of poop came up. We were reminiscing about when the girls were babies and Todd brought up a story about Tori. When she was a newborn, the changing table was a microwave cart, minus the microwave, in the kitchen. Next to the table we had a water jug like this one, which we collected spare change.

One day I was changing her diaper and she pooped. If you're familiar with breastfed babies, you know what happens when they "go". It shoots out of the body at warp speed and at amazing velocity. This is what happened on this day. It sailed over the remaining length of the changing table and landed directly in the water jug. Back to last week at the 99. The table erupted with "ewwws" and "gross", but I told them that by the time the third child is born, a Mommy can eat a fudgesicle with one hand and wipe a child's butt with the other. Nothing fazes me anymore. Todd and I jokingly asked them if they would take care of us when we're very old. Bryn said, "yes - but I wll not wipe your butt." Tori said, "I will, but I'll wear an apron, rubber gloves, and a hair net." Jacey agreed to pay for our nursing home care.

Vicks

2009-08-29T23:07:00.001-04:00

I interrupt the Canada blog to share a story with you. For the last week or so, three of the girls have had mild colds, and at least one bedroom has had a Vicks strip plugged into its wall at night. As I was making dinner Thursday evening, Bryn came down the stairs and told me that she loved the smell of the Vicks pads. I agreed that Vicks was good stuff, but I was preparing dinner, so I kept my back to her. Several minutes later, Jacey said, "Mom, you have to see Bryn." I turned and looked at Bryn. She had half a Vicks pad stuck to her nostrils with Scotch tape. The tape held the pad in place, but it also pulled her cheeks into a creepy, Joker-like smile. I tried my best to sound stern as I instructed her to take the Vicks pad off her face, eventhough this was one of the funniest stunts any of my kids have ever pulled. I'm kicking myself for not snapping a picture, but I was shredding meat off a turkey leg for my faux pulled pork sandwiches. We told Todd about it at dinner that night and he, too, laughed. However, he wanted to drill the "don't do it again" message in to her head, so he played the fear card. He told her that the fumes of the pad would burn her lungs...forever. We could see Bryn's face changing as she thought about her lungs collapsing under the heat of the menthol, so we told her that her lungs would be okay since she only did it this one time.

Canada: Sunday and Monday

2009-08-24T16:17:00.019-04:00

While driving to Canada, we passed a sign that said something about a cheese factory. Todd and Mom each made a mental note to find more about the factory and go there as soon as conveniently possible. We also read about a regatta that was to be held on Lake Rideau the weekend of August 15 & 16. Both activities were fairly nearby, so on Sunday we planned to go to the cheese factory in the morning, go back to the house for lunch, and check out the regatta in the afternoon.

We arrived at the cheese "factory" and learned that they no longer produced any cheese on site, but they did show a video on a small TV demonstrating how it was made when it was made there. It was kind of disappointing, because it would have been really fun to see the process. While they may not have made cheese on site, they certainly sold it! We bought a variety of cheeses and ate them.

We didn't get to the regatta until very late in the day, which was just fine with me because we were able to park very close to the action and pay a heavily discounted rate. We saw 2 very cool hydroplane races..

and posed for a family pic....

My little fish spent the rest of the day in the lake back at the house. They showed Todd the various kinds of jumps they had created with their friends during the summer, such as the "butt slam". Of course, Todd had to try and replicate them, but couldn't quite get the correct form. I don't think I have laughed as hard in a very long time. There's nothing like watching one's usually serious husband act like a fool with his daughters.

After breakfast on Monday, the girls and I played air hockey and Foosball in the basement. Tori suggested that we have a "Mother - Father Championship". She ran upstairs to get Todd and then the games began. I don't like to boast or brag , so I'll simply say that I won. Both games. It was awesome. I don't have a picture to commemorate the event, so I Googled and found one.
There were enormous waves in the lake during the day, so we were in the water for hours. So long, in fact, that when I went to bed that night I felt as though I was still rocking. Tori attached a boogie board to her wrist and spent the entire afternoon struggling to climb on top of it, standing for 1 to 3 seconds before crashing back in to the water. She had the time of her life. Jacey, Devin, and Bryn rode the waves on double wide noodles. I tied a tube to the back of the pontoon boat so I could float along with them. Each wave brought screams of delight from each girl (and occasionally me). It was a fantastic, glorious afternoon and the day they still talk about most.

After dinner Monday night Todd built a campfire so we could roast marshmallows and make smores and smoes (a smore minus the graham cracker). Todd whittled some sticks for us while we enjoyed the fire and sang songs.

Devin was exhausted by the end of the camp fire and wanted to go to sleep. While I brought her to bed, Todd took the other girls down to the dock to gaze at the stars, which were breathtaking! Before I joined them, Gwen told me about a camp game she knew called "Ha". To play, each person lies on the ground (or dock) with his or her head on another's tummy to form a circle. Each person takes a turn to say, "ha", thereby bouncing the head of the person who's on that tummy. Get it? Simply saying "ha" wasn't good enough for my silly, overtired, sugar-filled family. "Ha" led to "hohohehehaha" and escalated from there. I had the unfortunate experience of resting my head on Bryn's rock hard stomach. The girl doesn't have an ounce of body fat on her so her giggles shook my head as if it was affixed to a jackhammer. When I pointed that out to her, she laughed even harder and nearly catapulted me to the moon. They were absolutely hilarious, as was my husband.

Canada: Friday and Saturday

2009-08-23T12:22:00.014-04:00

We just returned from a week on the sunny shores of Lake Rideau in Portland, Ontario, Canada. My mother-in-law (referred to as Mom from here on) found an amazing house while scouring the internet months ago. It was directly on the lake and big enough for all 10 of us. Todd, the girls, and I left at 6am on Friday, August 14. The girls slept in the their clothes the night before, so when they woke up all they had to do was brush their teeth and jump in the car (which was, of course, packed the night before). We stopped 2 hours into the trip for breakfast at Friendly's and again about 4 hours later for lunch at Applebee's. We arrived at the house around 3:15 and ran to the back of the house to see the lake.

We explored the house, unpacked, swam, and went for a pontoon boat ride while we waited for our fellow travelers to arrive. After a late, but extremely delicious grilled chicken dinner, we went to sleep.

The sky was blue and the air was hot, not just "hot for Canada", but downright muggy, sticky, New England in August hot when we awoke Saturday and we were all still worn out from the trip, so we spent the day at the house. The basement was a kid's dream, complete with an air hockey table, Foosball table, and ping pong table, as well as a huge CD player, so we hung out down there for a bit. Even Todd's grandmother got into the action.

Then it was time go outside! Jim went for a hike, Todd, Mom, Devin, and I canoed around the lake, and Gramma, Gwen, Jacey, Tori, and Bryn took the paddle boat out for a spin.

We spent the remainder of the day swimming...

...and frog catching.

It was a momentous day for Devin because she caught her first frog - ever! All by herself!

Rock on

2009-08-08T21:33:00.011-04:00

What's better than a fun craft? A cheap, fun craft! I found a six pack of cardboard guitars at Michael's - for $1.60! The Halloween decorations are already on display so the summer crafts have been put on clearance.

On Wednesday, the girls painted them.

On Thursday, we opened the best door in the house - the craft closet door - and pulled out the embellishments. They used jewels, sequins, tassels, pom poms, stickers, and buttons to customize their guitars.

On Thursday night they demonstrated their air guitar skills.

Beach day

2009-08-03T21:40:00.014-04:00

The girls and I were looking forward to a beach day, but we wanted to try a new spot. We wanted one that would not be crowded since I was going to be on my own with them and I wanted to be able to see all of them at all times. I also wanted small waves and shallow water. A good crab catching area was also a must. I Googled and Googled and found the perfect spot - Gooseberry Beach in Newport, RI. The sky was overcast when we left, but the Weather Channel promised that the sun would shine, so off we went. When we pulled into the parking lot, my heart sank. The lot was deserted so I thought the beach was closed. A teenage attendant approached the car and I asked if the beach was open. He assured me that it was, but a thick fog had rolled in so there weren't many people there. He also said that there was a lot of seaweed "for, like, the first time ever". We didn't care about either of those issues. We had food and toys and we were ready to have some fun. There were only 2 other families on the beach, which made me very happy. Throughout the day, more families arrived, but the beach never became crowded like other Newport beaches usually are.

We dropped our gear in the unbelievably soft sand and I let my feral children loose. Bryn and Tori immediately went to the water while Jacey and Devin stayed on the beach to build a volcano surrounded by sandcastles and a moat. Then we ate.

After lunch the girls wanted to catch crabs. We walked along the beach towards some rocks and I stopped to admire this magnificent summer cottage.

At first, the girls couldn't find any crabs, but Bryn thought to flip a rock. Sure enough, the crabs emerged and ran as fast as their legs could carry them. Bryn "the brave" was the only one willing to actually touch the crabs. Each of the other girls cried, "Over here!", "I see one!", "Bryyyyyynnnnn - hurry up!"

They were all very happy and could have continued crabbing for hours, but I was ready to stop. I knew what I had to do. "Who wants ice cream?" I asked. Four heads snapped up and and 8 legs flew across the rocks with the speed and agility of the crabs they had just caught. We went to the snack shop, stopping at the outdoor showers to rinse off along the way. When we arrived at the beach in the morning, I noticed a boogie board lying in the sand a few feet from our camp. When we were eating our ice cream, it was still there. No one had come to claim it, so I declared it to be abandoned and asked the girls if they wanted to use it. They were thrilled because they never had a boogie board before- and it was free. Upon further inspection, I knew why it had been abandoned. It had holes, peeling paint, and was in rough shape overall. Like I said, the girls never had one before, so the holes and peeling paint went unnoticed. They each had their turn "catching a wave", even though there were no waves. Devin tried it, but once she rolled off and face planted into the water, she decided that catching a wave was not for her.

We spent the rest of the afternoon swimming, surfing, ~~terrorizing~~ playing with their crabs, and chasing seagulls. Devin particularly enjoyed this. She raised her arm in the air and bellowed, "for Narnia!" as she charged the birds. She has never seen the movie Narnia, but she must have seen that part on a commercial, because she often says it when charging at a sibling with her foam sword. Or seagulls on a beach with her clenched fist. The birds have clearly seen many kids in their days, because they stared at Devin, cocked their heads, and didn't move until she was inches away from them. They then took off and Devin squealed.

When it was finally time to go, we dragged the newly acquired boogie board to the car . We brought extra clothes to change into after showering and coasted home with Michael Buble.

Here's a short clip of Tori working up the nerve to hold a crab....

Before I forget

2009-07-27T23:32:00.002-04:00

It's been a long, hot day and I'm really tired. I should go to bed, but Tori made one of the funniest statements she's ever made tonight and I have to write it down before I forget.

She and Devin were in the shower and Devin was singing the Butt Vagina Song as she washed herself.

Tori: I used to have a Butt Vagina Song but I don't anymore.

Me: I guess you're too old to have one.

Tori: Yeah

Me: What do you think you'll miss about being a kid once you're a grown up?

Tori (without a moment's hesitation): Picking my nose.

Me: Of all the fun things about childhood, you're going to miss picking your nose the most? Why?

Tori: Well, when I'm a grown up, I won't be able to do it because I'll know better. So right before I'm about to be a teenager, I'm going to do it a lot.

I don't know where this kid came from or how she comes up with the stuff she says, but I wouldn't change one thing about her.

Diversion

2009-07-24T21:32:00.002-04:00

The girls have crossed the summer vacation threshold. Though it's only been a month, they are quickly becoming sick and tired of each other. They bicker more frequently, whack each other more frequently (and harder), and tattle on each other more frequently. Every activity has the potential to deterioriate into a scene from Fight Club. This week has been more difficult because Jacey has been at camp from 9:00 to 3:00 and I didn't want to do anything really fun without her. That means the rest of us have been hanging around the house and doing more mundane errands like grocery shopping, which the girls are truly sick of. Yesterday morning, Bryn, Tori, and Devin were upstairs playing a Papo game for over an hour. They set up all the castles, princesses, fairies, centaurs, wizards, ogres, knights, horses, and dungeons. Matt and Gwen gave them this for Christmas (it's now half price!), which is the greatest prop for the ultimate Papo game. Devin suddenly came down the stairs sobbing and babbling incoherently. I picked her up, told her to calm down, and asked her what the problem was. She replied, "Bryn turned my princesses feet into troll feet and I don't want her to have troll feet. I just want her to have regular feet." Bryn stood at the top of the stairs to defend herself, "that's because she threw something at my king and that was her punishment."

It was time for a diversion and I knew that this required the heavy artillery - Mommy's paint box. The kids' paint box is filled with the basic rainbow colors, but Mommy's paint box has those colors, along with metallic, neon, and glitter paints.

Bryn chose all the shades of blue in the box and painted a study in blue.

Of course, Tori created a study in purple, along with some gold and glitter.

Devin dove into the paint box and created a study in whatever her little fists pulled out. She started to paint her name - I love her "E".

My favorite place on earth

2009-07-19T22:30:00.020-04:00

Brenton Point State Park in Newport, Rhode Island is, by far, my favorite place to spend a weekend day. Everywhere you look, you'll see generations of families spread out on blankets, chairs, and picnic tables. You'll see kids playing ball with their parents and grandparents. You'll see people grilling, passing plates, and sharing stories as well as food. Today I saw a multigeneration family singing as their patriarch played the accordion. You'll hear children shouting, "look at that one!", "did you see that?", and "can I have a turn now?" Today I heard a father say to his wife and little girls, "let's find our secret spot" as they trekked through the grass with cooler, kite, and chairs in hand. The other reason I adore Brenton Point is the view. First things first - we eat.

Now the fun part: the girls call this "the kite flying hill". Here's why. Set on a hill surrounded by the mighty Atlantic on 3 sides, Brenton Point is the perfect spot to fly a kite. The kites you'll find here are extraordinary and come in a dizzying array of shapes, sizes and colors - from sea creatures and scuba divers to pirate ships and alligators.

My favorite

After admiring the brilliant kites for a while, it was our turn. In the past, we haven't had the best luck. Unfortunately, today was no different. I bought 4 kites at Benny's, ranging in price from $2.99 to $7.99. Of those, one was broken when I took it out of the package, 2 refused to stay in the air, and only one actually flew. The "good" kite was Bryn's and she was less than thrilled when she had to pass the string along to her sisters just as she had mastered her technique. After wrestling with Jacey's kite for quite some time, I thought Todd was going to have a stroke. We needed something to lighten the mood. We got it - at Devin's expense. The kite that had refused to stay in the air had finally taken flight, when it suddenly began a death spiral and careened toward the ground. Devin was innocently sitting on the cooler, gazing out at the ocean when she was smacked on the back and nearly thrown to the ground by the incoming invader. She was startled and more than a little angry at the rest of us who were doubled over in laughter. She crossed her arms, pushed her chin down into her best pout face and declared, "it's NOT funny!"

After flying our kite for a while, we crossed the parking lot to spend some time walking on the rocks and admiring the ocean.

My babies and me

Jacey - long and lean

Resting on the rocks

Blowing in the wind

Breathtaking

Daddy and Tori

Exploring

A rare photo of Todd and me (with J in the backround)

One last look before we head home

Worn out

Blueberry picking

2009-07-16T09:38:00.011-04:00

I've learned that keeping busy keeps the fighting to a minimum, so we are trying to get out as much as possible this summer. Yesterday was blueberry picking day. On the grounds of the farm are a playground, hay stacks for climbing, and lots of animals. The blueberries were plentiful and delicious!

DeCordova

2009-07-14T21:59:00.007-04:00

Today the girls and I went to the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park. We didn't spend a lot of time inside because the weather was glorious and we wanted to be out! We spent a wonderful afternoon wandering the sculpture park and posing with some of our favorite pieces. We packed a picnic, as usual, and stopped for ice cream on the way home. Again, as usual.

Lifting a mallet

Jacey: "Can you hear me?"

Are you looking at me?

Tire tread tee pee

My heart with 2 hearts

Do you hear what I hear?

Under a canopy of leaves
2 pieces I like
Eating lunch

Eating dessert

The rooftop terrace

Hit me with your best shot

2009-07-13T17:02:00.008-04:00

We were in Benny's buying shock for the pool when the girls saw foam swords. These swords were the greatest things they had ever seen in their lives. One girl after another pleaded with me to buy her one. "I've aaaaaalways wanted a foam sword" they cried. Really? That was news to me. Actually, that moment was the first time I'd heard of the desire for a weapon made of cheap, limp foam that would, inevitably, lead to tears and screaming. Tears from the girl who had just received a smack in the eye, and screaming from me, condemning the perpetrator. However, their persuasive powers won me over. Plus, I really wanted to chase them around the yard with my own sword.

Jacey, Bryn, and I had an exhaustive battle Friday night that ended with me begging for mercy. I vowed to get my revenge on Sunday, but once again was brought to my knees, this time by Bryn and Tori. All four of them proved to be formidable opponents. They have youth and agility on their side, whereas I, well, don't.

Happy birthday to my little one

2009-07-10T22:49:00.010-04:00

My baby girl is 4. I say it far too often, but, seriously, where did the time go? I don't see how it could be possible that 4 years have passed since she joined (and completed) our family. The sun showed itself so Devin could celebrate. She had a great day!

She wrestled with Bryn

She played in the pool

We all ate root beer floats for Teagan

Just in case you forgot how old she is....

As I was looking for pictures from Devin's birth, I found this video that I had never seen until now. It was taken just moments after Devin's birth.

Happy birthday to my funny, dramatic, charming, beautiful, cuddly little girl. You have filled our lives with so much joy. We all love you so very much!

What else can we dip in chocolate?

2009-07-08T23:33:00.007-04:00

Since it was such a success a couple of weeks ago, we did it again. We melted chocolate and dipped things into it. Today we used strawberries, raspberries, marshmallows (again), pretzels, and a banana. Well, first I smeared the banana with peanut butter, then dipped it in chocolate, then I rolled it in chopped walnuts. If this rain keeps up, it's going to be a very fattening summer.

What do you get when you combine cabin fever and a sugar rush? Behold my refined family .....

Makin' crayons

2009-07-07T21:55:00.011-04:00

During one of the (many) rainy afternoons this summer, Tori and Devin made some cool crayons. These were really fun to make and turned out beautiful!

Step 1. Soak the crayons in warm water. This makes the labels peel off in just a few minutes with no scraping. I have found that only Crayola works this easily.

Step 2. Arrange the peeled crayons into groups according to the color combinations you want to make.

Step 3. Break up the crayons and put them into foil muffin pans.

Step 4. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes until they are completely melted.

Step 5. Let them cool and pop them out.

A Republic, if you can keep it

2009-07-04T00:05:00.002-04:00

As our government continues to swell and creep into all of our lives, telling us (among other things) what car we should drive, what foods we should eat, and what light bulbs we should use, remember that the smallest minority is the individual. Our Founders believed in freedom and pledged to each other their lives, their fortune, and their sacred honor in order to carry out this experiment. Happy Birthday, USA!

Click for great video...
Happy Independence Day from GoDaddy.com!

One of her own...finally!

2009-07-03T14:54:00.008-04:00

Every time the girls play with their Build a Bears, Devin says that she wishes she had one, too. Her birthday is just a couple of weeks away, Todd is on vacation, and it's been raining for days, so I took her to the mall to pick out a bear of her very own. I didn't tell her we were going, I just told her we were going to get a birthday surprise. As we walked past the Build a Bear store, she asked if we could go in and look around. I said, "do you want to go in and make a bear for yourself?" She nearly jumped out of her skin, exclaimed, "YES!", and ran into the store. She picked up the first bear she found and said that it was the one she wanted. I showed her that there were many others to choose from. She put the first one back and hugged the next in line. She noticed a third one in the next bin, so she put the second one back. This continued down the line until she found the magenta bear with white hearts. She hugged this bear tighter than all the others so I knew she had made her choice. She pushed the foot pedal to help stuff the bear, gave it a bath, and picked out an outfit. While she was washing the bear, I asked her what she was going to name it but she had to think about it. We sat at the computer to register the bear when Devin suddenly proclaimed, "her name is Alexandra!" She was so incredibly happy which made me incredibly happy, too.

While we were gone, Todd wrestled the poker table from the pile of junk in the basement so he and the girls could partake in game day.

You might be a redneck if.....

2009-06-27T19:00:00.002-04:00

...you let your 3 year old daughter pee on the lawn instead of in the house.

Here's the story: As Devin was climbing down the pool ladder, she was yelling, "IhavetopeeIhavetopeeIhavetopee" . She tends to hold it until the very last minute, so when she says she's gotta go, I believe her. Her 3 sisters were still in the pool and I don't leave them in there unattended. So it was a safety issue. It had nothing to do with the fact that we had a new carpet installed in the living room just a few months ago and I didn't want Devin's drippy little body ruining it. Devin chose her spot carefully. She didn't want to go on any flowers because "pee is bad for flowers." She waddled over to the hose and power washed herself (ouch!) before jumping back into the pool.

What can you do with $1.88?

2009-06-26T22:49:00.010-04:00

Well, you can buy a can of shaving foam, empty its contents on to a table, and let your daughters and their friend have at it. When they're done covering themselves and each other, hose 'em down!

Devin was having a blast until Tori painted her. BUT...

Devin got her revenge...

Goodness on a stick

2009-06-25T23:51:00.014-04:00

Sometimes when I get writer's block, I jump around the blogging universe and read what others have written about. I recently came upon this wonderful blog. This lady has some of the best ideas I've ever seen. Check out her painted counter tops. Don't worry, Todd, this is one project I won't take on when you go away for a weekend. Anyway, I saw these marshmallows on a stick and thought they'd be perfect for my mother-in-law's retirement dinner. The girls and I went to Stop & Shop for the chocolate chips, marshmallows, and graham crackers, then to Michael's for the lollipop sticks. Sprinkles are a staple in our pantry. These were simple and fun to make and oh so yummy!!!

Step 1. Insert sticks into marshmallows

Step 2. Eat a marshmallow..or 4

Step 3. Swirl marshmallows into melted chocolate chips

Step 5. Roll gooey marshmallow into desired toppings (graham cracker crumbs and sprinkles this time) and place them on parchment paper.

Step 6. Put the tray in the fridge for a bit to harden. No pic - the fridge is quite boring.

Step 7. Arrange the pops in something pretty. I put them in a vase with crumpled tissue paper in the bottom to stabilize them (thanks for the idea, Gwenny!).

I plan on making these for lots of school parties and using different colored chocolate and toppings. White chocolate and orange sprinkles for Halloween, etc. You should make them, too. Thank you, Martha!

Unplugged

2009-06-21T22:42:00.025-04:00

No one can deny that the many technological advances we enjoy have made our lives easier. Weather reports, soccer schedules, movie times, and even complete family histories are just a few clicks away. However, there comes a time when families need to reboot and reconnect, to unplug and walk away from it all. Last weekend, Todd and I took the girls to the cottage in NH for a weekend with Grandpa Jack, Auntie Gwen, and Uncle Matt (Todd's dad, sister, and brother). No TV. No computer. No alarm clocks. Our wake up call was the call of the loon on the still water. The view of Mt. Sunapee provided all the viewing pleasure we could ask for. The sky was cloaked in clouds for much of the time, but the girls didn't seem to mind. In fact, they were thrilled that I wasn't interrupting their fun to slather sunscreen on them. They spent hours catching tadpoles and frogs, swimming, and canoeing around the pond. When they weren't rock hopping, they were reading and playing games - card games and board games. We anticipated that Mother Nature wouldn't be very cooperative, so we packed plenty of them. The girls weren't the only ones playing games. When they were in bed Friday night, Todd's dad and I challenged Todd and Matt to a game of Trivial Pursuit, the 90s edition. Saturday night, Todd and I teamed up against Matt and Gwen for a hilarious game of Taboo.

Todd is the parent that always takes the girls to NH, so Bryn had to fill me in on the rules. I learned the most important one on Saturday morning when I asked her to brush her teeth after breakfast. She looked perplexed and said, "we don't brush our teeth in the morning in NH." I didn't force the issue, and surprisingly I was OK. I left the "are you washed and brushed?" soundtrack back in MA.

On Saturday, Todd, Gwen, and Matt took Jacey and Bryn to the fireworks store to purchase the evening's entertainment. Lighting fireworks is probably the highlight of the NH weekends because they are illegal in Massachusetts, but not in Live Free or Die New Hampshire. While they were gone, Tori, Devin, and I ate trail mix on the porch overlooking the water. While we ate, we discussed our favorite flavor combinations. Tori was a fan of the sunflower seed/chocolate chip combo., while Devin was partial to the pairing of sunflower seeds and Craisins. As for me, scooping a huge, random handful and stuffing as much as I can into my mouth seems to work just fine.

As Devin and I were lounging on the bed earlier in the day, she caught a glimpse of a spider in the window - the outside of the window. The spiders in NH are bigger and badder than those in MA, and this one was no exception. As we were watching it, a fly flew into its web. Down came the spider to wrap the fly and drag it to the top of the web where it proceeded to have some lunch. Devin was both appalled and mesmerized and sprinted out of the room to tell her story to anyone who would listen.

In a world where a 15 year old can win $50,000 for being the fastest texter in the country, I'm grateful to have a getaway such as the NH cottage. As barbaric as it may seem to some of today's tech savvy kids, walking away from the constant hum of modernity is good for the soul, and fabulous for the family. But as I lugged bag after bag of dirty clothes, wet towels, and tangled bed sheets upstairs to the laundry room, I was the thinking about the convenience of modern life that I'm most grateful for - the washing machine.

Here's a short video of Todd and my 3 stooges transferring a frog from their net to a bucket. Note the squeals of excitement & panic....

Another short clip of Bryn running down the dock and jumping into the water...

Hedwig's Theme

2009-06-16T09:46:00.005-04:00

Jacey participated in her first piano recital last week. She chose to play Hedwig's Theme from Harry Potter. Her teacher thought it was an ambitious piece for a first year student, but Jacey loves HP, so she worked very hard to learn it. Todd and I were so nervous for her, but she was completely calm and played beautifully! She began taking lessons in March of '08, but she didn't play in last year's recital since she had only been playing for a few months. The quality of the video isn't great, but you get the idea. Bravo, Jacey!

"It's like I'm your maid"

2009-06-09T22:01:00.003-04:00

That is what Devin said to me a couple of weeks ago as she reached her pudgy arm into a bucket of soapy water to help me wash my car. We were talking about all the ways she helps out around the house. I said, "you help put the silverware away when I empty the dishwasher, you help move clothes from the washer to the dryer, you put your laundry away, and you help set the table". She proudly agreed with me and said, "Yeah! It's like I'm your maid"! Of course, I felt a rush of parental guilt as I thought back to Jacey's earliest years. When we lived in England, we had a few friends, but we were mostly on our own - and we didn't have 4 kids. Therefore, Jacey was enrolled in gymnastics and music classes. We spent days strolling in the mall, not to buy anything, just to kill time. We people-watched, sang songs, and just played. Fast forward a bunch of years. Devin and I spend lots of time together while her sisters are in school, but we do very different things than I did with Jacey. Keeping a family of 6 running smoothly takes a lot more time and energy than our little family of 3. Our shopping trips are faster, and almost always involve the grocery store. She holds the scanner and lets me know what's on sale. When I'm folding the laundry, Devin sits on the bed and sorts the socks for me. Devin's favorite job is that of chef. No matter how simple the food is, Devin is always eager to help cook. Scooping flour, measuring oil, cracking eggs - she likes to do it all. When we were picking fresh herbs to put into pasta salad last week, I asked her what tool we should use to chop them. She immediately replied, "the mezzaluna!" I sometimes can't fight the urge to help steady her hand, especially when she uses the sharp tools, but she pushes me away and tells me that she can do it herself. When Mommy guilt shows itself, I have to remind myself that though Devin isn't learning back flips and she only knows the first verse of You are My Sunshine, she knows what a mazzaluna is, she can crack an egg into a bowl with (almost) no shells falling in, and she knows that she and Mommy are together. Hopefully those are the things that she'll rememebr when she's older.

Summer means....

2009-06-07T22:49:00.013-04:00

...swimming...

...reading a good book while the sun warms chilly limbs...

...cooling off with popsicles....

...searching for , and even catching a few butterflies...

...and ribs grilled to perfection.

The trophy incident

2009-06-02T14:58:00.002-04:00

In March, the girls' dance teacher handed out order forms for participation trophies, which were to be handed out at the rehearsal. I ordered one for Devin to commemorate her first year of dance. I did not order one for each of the other girls. Todd and I share the same views about "participation" trophies. We don't like them. We don't believe that kids should receive trophies simply for showing up to something they have committed to, such as dance class or soccer practice. I told the older girls they would not be getting one and explained my reasoning. They understood and didn't complain.

Fast forward 2 months to the rehearsal. All 150 dancers were on the stage after practicing the finale. Then the presentation began. I knew each girl would be receiving a certificate, so I wasn't surprised to hear my girls' names called. Along with their certificates, they were also handed a trophy. They were confused and hesitated, but after some words from the teacher, they took the trophies. I approached one of the teachers and whispered to her that I did not buy trophies, so if they were short, they should take them from my kids. She replied, "You were the only parent who didn't order her kids a trophy, so we are giving them one anyway." I was a bit stunned and I knew I had a decision to make. My head was demanding that I stand on my principles and take the trophies away from the girls. Then my heart convinced me to glance at the them. They were radiating joy as they examined the trophies with their fellow dancers. Guess who won? Needless to say, there are now four plastic trophies collecting dust on various upstairs shelves.

Memorial Day Parade

2009-06-01T00:03:00.001-04:00

This is a little out of date, but these were too cute to pass up. Todd was away, so the girls and I dressed in our red, white, and blue and headed to Gwen's. We parked in her driveway and walked to the perfect parade viewing spot. To accommodate every one's temperature needs, we chose a location that was half in the shade and half in the sun. The parade was very short and sadly, not very well attended. We had fun waving our flags and clapping for our veterans. Plus, being with Gwenny makes everything fun.

mini me

2009-05-31T22:44:00.001-04:00

Of all the girls, I think Bryn and Devin look the most alike. A few days ago, they came downstairs wearing matching nightshirts and they looked even more alike. Look at this one.....

Recital 2009

2009-05-31T00:14:00.007-04:00

It never gets old. No matter how many ballet slippers I tie or how many cheeks I stain pink, emotion never fails to overcome me when the curtain opens and I see one of my babies on the stage. My eyes fill with tears and my heart momentarily stops. It's not their beauty or their grace, though both are stunning (I'm a bit biased, I know) . No, neither of those things sets off the waterworks. What makes me weep is the joy and pride I see in their faces, the "look at me" sparkle in their eyes and their smiles that couldn't possibly grow any wider.

The day wasn't without drama, however. We had to leave at 11:45 for the 1:00 show, so I packed the bags and lined them up by the door at 10:00. Jacey, Bryn, and Tori each had multiple parts to their costumes so I checked and double checked the bags to make sure we had everything we needed. One of the songs Tori danced to was "Teddy Bears' Picnic" so she needed a stuffed bear. Tori chose her favorite bear, dressed her in a pretty purple dress, and added her to the pile. My amazingly talented sister-in-law, Gwen, meticulously worked on their hair and created gorgeous French braids for each of the girls. She brought out the heavy artillery and managed to get Devin's short layers into 2 beautiful braids.

We arrived at the school where the recital was being held early so I would have plenty of time to get each girl to her designated backstage location. As I was getting Tori settled I noticed that her furry friend, the one and only prop she needed, was missing. I asked her where it was and her face completely fell and she burst into tears. Apparently, sometime during the morning rush, my never seen fifth child, Not Me, decided to steal the bear and put it in the playroom. At least I think it was Not Me, though it could have been Wasn't Me, who has also been known to wreak havoc in our house. I know it was one of them, because when I asked Tori why she moved the bear off the pile she emphatically said it was Not Me, but Bryn probably did it. Bryn, of course, denied having anything to do with the missing bear and said that it Wasn't Me. Poor Tori was inconsolable and looked utterly pathetic with her blue streaked tears running into her smudged pink lips. One of the other moms sad she had a stuffed dog in her car that Tori could borrow, but Tori said it had to be a bear because the song was "Teddy Bears' Picnic" and not "Stuffed Dogs' Picnic". I told her that I would figure it out and be back. I found Gwen waiting in line and off we went to CVS, leaving Todd behind to hold our seats. We tore through the aisles like contestants on Supermarket Sweep (am I the only one who watched that show?) until I found the toy section. I found a Care Bear - purple, her favorite color. I brought it backstage with lots of time to spare. Tori's enormous eyes lit up and and she threw her arms around me. I retouched her makeup, gave her a big hug, found my seat, and exhaled.

Memorial Day

2009-05-23T23:26:00.005-04:00

If you have a few minutes to spare, click the link below to hear a very moving tribute to our fallen Vietnam soldiers.

http://mfile.akamai.com/6713/wma/glennbeck.download.akamai.com/6713/preview/11-11-02/vet-day-resave.asx

Lick vs spit

2009-05-18T13:12:00.003-04:00

Last night I performed my Sunday night ritual - the house cleaning tirade. I went room to room, barking orders at everyone to put away the Pollys, Barbies, doctor supplies, waffle blocks, and many other toys that were played with over the course of the weekend. Yesterday's weather was cloudy and damp and since the girls were outside gardening with Todd all day Saturday, they stayed in their pajamas, unwashed, and played in the house for the day. By the time 6:30 rolled around, the house was unrecognizable, which added a bit more hysteria to my ranting.

Scattered across the living room floor were about a dozen plastic play coins. When I inquired as to why they were there, Jacey told me that Tori used her spit to stick them all over Devin. Tori was upstairs so I called her down. As she was descending the staircase, I asked her if she used her spit to stick coins on her sister.

Tori: I didn't use spit. I used lick.

Me: You used what?

Tori: Lick. Like this. (she licked the air to demonstrate)

Me: Lick is made up of spit.

Tori: Ohhhhhhh

I turned to stifle my laugh and saw that Todd was doing the same. I guess that in the mind of a six year old, spit happens only when saliva is propelled out of someone's mouth at high velocity. Another story for her scrapbook. But, you know, spit happens.

Bryn's move

2009-05-16T10:00:00.003-04:00

Check this out. It's called the Maradona, as in Diego Maradona, a former superstar from Argentina. Bryn learned his signature move at soccer camp over the winter.....

Me and my shadow

2009-05-15T11:21:00.002-04:00

The late afternoon sun creates a patch of light on the living room wall, perfect for making shadow puppets. The girls posed, showed off their muscles, and experimented with their hands to make animals.

Here's Tori's fox eating Bryn's bird...

Let's roll

2009-05-15T11:10:00.001-04:00

Tori and Devin were feeling creative this morning so we pulled out the paint box. Buried at the bottom I found the roller paint, which we haven't used in a long time. After scraping the dried paint to free up the paint, the girls went to work.

Tutus and tap shoes

2009-05-13T21:30:00.001-04:00

Though at least one girl has danced each year for the last 7 years, this is the first year all 4 of them are dancing. It is also the first year I signed up for professional picture day. Lately, getting all 4 of them to smile somewhat naturally for me has become a daunting task which usually ends in either bribery or screaming. I really liked the photographer at the studio - he posed them, snapped one shot, and out we went. I may book him for the Christmas picture.

When I look at the picture, I can't help but think back to my childhood. I was a major tomboy when I was little and would never be caught dead in a tutu or leotard. I spent my days with my 2 cousins, Paul and Matt. Our moms were sisters and we lived close enough to each other to share a bus stop. While our moms chatted and tried to figure out how to beat my aunt's MS, we kids were sent outside with strict instructions not to come in unless we were bleeding. We always found plenty to do. We climbed trees threaded with power lines, tied snakes around the handlebars of our bikes and rode those bikes - sans helmets - straight down the middle of their street, and performed ghastly experiments with fire crackers and sunfish. However, with the birth of each of my girls, I have been sucked deeper and deeper into the world of pig tails, giggles, Barbies, and yes, leotards and tutus. I have had a pink cell phone for years and my steering wheel cover in my van was covered in pink hearts. I participated in the chorus of "oohs" and "aahhhs" with the other Moms as their girls walked out of the studio after their pictures. But as soon as we got home, the girls jumped out of the car, put on their "play" clothes, and ran outside to return to their feral roots.

Sowing the seeds

2009-05-08T00:10:00.009-04:00

Todd loves to garden. More importantly, he loves to garden with the girls. All 4 of them. I ~~would rather be staked to a fire ant hill than plant seeds~~ don't particularly care for gardening. I'm the parent the girls turn to when they want to create something that will not grow. Give me paint, jewels, markers, sequins, scissors, glue, and construction paper and I'll craft with them all day. Soil, shovel, seeds? No thank you. I will, however, enjoy the benefits of Todd's hard work throughout the summer. Peppers, zucchini, tomatoes (3 kinds), lettuce (2 kinds), herbs (4 kinds), and more will fill our refrigerator, our plates, and our bellies for months. He and the girls also planted a few flowers, including sunflowers, which Tori picked out because she "really wanted to plant them with Daddy". Though they fought about whose turn it was to scoop the dirt and they spilled the dirt all of the table and floor, Todd was calm and patient and the girls were very proud of their work. Little did they know that in addition to sowing the seeds of veggies, they also sowed the seeds of cooperation, perseverance, and love.

A Polly Pocket, a pig, and some pipe cleaners

2009-05-06T09:06:00.003-04:00

These were attached to the piano leg a few days ago. I knew it was Tori's handiwork so I asked her to explain what was going on. She said, "weeeeellllllll, an evil guy tied up Polly. The pig tried to save her but he got tied up, too." Classic Tori. She leaves little scenes like this all over the house, and though I get irritated (too much so) that she doesn't clean up after herself without being reminded several times, I will miss seeing things like this when she's grown.

Happy Birthday, Bryn!

2009-05-01T14:48:00.012-04:00

Eight years ago this very minute, I was in a hospital bed in Manchester, England holding my precious new daughter, Bryn Kelly. Todd and Jacey were back home after spending time with us and various friends from the Expat group were popping in and out throughout the afternoon. For the most part, though, we were alone. After holding my breath for 9 long months, I could finally exhale. After 2 miscarriages, a Down's Syndrome scare, and daily blood thinner injections, my healthy little girl was here (although the staff at the hospital told me that Bryn was NOT a name for a girl).

As the years have passed, I have wrestled with certain feelings regarding that time period. When the miscarriages occurred, Todd and I were obviously devastated and completely heartbroken. The first mc was harder to comprehend because it was such a shock. In addition to mourning the baby we lost, we were mourning the dreams we had for that baby. We were so happy that Jacey would have a sibling just 15 months younger than she is. We had already begun to think about names and I had bought some adorable gender-neutral outfits for the baby. We had a plan and that plan was suddenly ripped away from us. I was grief stricken and felt utterly hopeless. However, each day spent with Bryn has been filled with immeasurable joy. She is kind, smart, loving, compassionate, beautiful, sensitive, empathetic, silly, thoughtful, and a dream come true. I have come to terms with the sorrow from the miscarriages because without them, I would not have the honor of being Bryn's Mommy, or Tori's or Devin's for that matter.

Happy Birthday Bryn! Daddy and I love you so very much.

Ready for take-off

2009-04-30T16:34:00.010-04:00

There's a small municipal airport in our town and on clear, sunny days like today, we like to bring a picnic lunch and go there to watch the planes arrive and depart. The girls scan the sky and try to be the first to spot an incoming plane. When they hear the unmistakable revving of an engine they watch the runways to find the taxiing plane. Today we saw 12 planes, six coming in and six going out. The sight of the twelfth plane was as exciting as the first.

As we were eating, the wind was blowing a rope against the flagpole behind our table, creating a consistent rhythm. Tori felt the sudden urge to abandon her lunch and dance to the rhythm, so she did.

We walked around the airport and took some fun pictures, including this one of the three of us.

We spent a lovely, peaceful, and free hour at the airport before going home.

Later in the afternoon Tori informed me that she was married to Beast Boy (the green faced boy) and that they had 3 babies (the frogs) named Froggy, Toady, and Lily. I don't know how she comes up with this stuff, but I'm very happy that she does. She's creative, imaginative, and is one of the funniest people I've ever known. Every family should have a Tori. She reminds me so much of her 2 aunts, my sister, Vicki, and Todd's sister, Gwen. Tori shares their exuberance, their energy, and they joy they bring to anyone who crosses their path. I feel very lucky to have all 3 of them in my life.

For Todd

2009-04-28T10:00:00.010-04:00

Today is my husband's birthday. In honor of him (and his English teacher mother, without whom he would not be here) I have written an ABC poem.

A glorious day is here

B ecause we are

C elebrating the birth of a

D addy. He's not just any daddy, he's an

E xceptional daddy. He is

F iercely devoted to his family.

H onesty is one Todd's greatest virtue.

I ntegrity is another that comes to mind. It is

J ustifiable to say that Todd is a

K iller chef. He can whip up anything, such as

L amb, pork, and steak. Yes, he really enjoys

M eat, especially when cooked on the grill.

N ow you may wonder on

O ccasion, maybe you even

P onder - what other

Q ualities do I admire about Todd? He is

R esourceful. He can fix things with duct tape.

S ometimes he uses his power

T ools and completely and

U tterly remodels entire rooms,

V irtually transforming them into

W orks of art. He hasn't needed to have an

X ray recently.

Y ay!

Z ippedooda, zippededay! Today is, indeed, a wonderful day!

Happy birthday to my wonderful, brilliant, honorable, dashing, witty, handy, hardworking, dedicated husband.

****It's now 4pm and it was just brought to my attention that I forgot "G". Feel free to write your own sentence for "G". Sorry Todd!

The sleepover

2009-04-23T22:21:00.011-04:00

Bryn and one of her neighborhood friends had been conspiring to have a sleepover for quite some time. Apparently, so had Jacey and another neighborhood friend. Since last week was April vacation, and I didn't want any hurt feelings, I told my girls they could invite all 5 of their best friends for a pizza party & sleepover. This was their first one (and mine, too. Since my Dad was Boston cop who worked the midnight shift, we never had anyone sleep over because he needed to sleep for a few hours after dinner)and they were ecstatic! They made a long list of activities for the night which included a fashion show, silly make overs, karaoke, and "pull an all nighter".

They arrived at 5:00 and the squealing and giggling began at 5:01. They raced upstairs to Jacey's room to claim their sleeping spot. I had moved the furniture out of her room earlier in the day to make room for everyone. Once they unrolled their sleeping bags, they ate pizza and apples for dinner. They decided to do the makeovers before dessert. They painted their faces with neon pink and blue make up, and smeared various shades of red glitter goo all over themselves. They scrubbed their faces before eating Klondike Bars for dessert. Next on the agenda was karaoke. One of the girls brought a karaoke machine and one CD. They took turns singing the same song over and over and over again. Todd came down from our room where he was hiding while watching the Bruins game. He asked what the awful noise was in the living room and I told him that it was the girls' singing. He quickly grabbed himself a fresh drink and scurried back upstairs to his retreat. After more silliness, the girls brushed their teeth before settling down to watch a movie. After the movie, the pack moved upstairs to "sleep". I made sure they were all settled, closed the shade, and shut the door. Before I took a single step away from J's room I heard the eruption of laughter coming from the other side of the door. Before their friends arrived, I told my girls that I really wanted them to try and be calm and on their way to sleep at midnight. My girls go to bed very early, so I thought that by midnight,they would be sound asleep. I underestimated the power of the pack. They played "would you rather" and asked each other questions such as, "would you rather have poison ivy between every finger and toe, or all over your butt?" More giggling. They bounded down the stairs for water, they (at least some of them) jumped off Jacey's bed, they rearranged the layout of the sleeping bags, and giggled some more. Midnight came and went and the chatter continued. I went into the room a few times to try and quiet them to no avail. I went to bed at 1am, but not to sleep. The noise level down the hall continued to rise. At 1:45, I went into Jacey's room one last time and practically begged them to go to sleep. I don't know if I fell asleep first or they did, but the house was finally quiet. When I came downstairs in the morning, all nine girls were sitting together, huddled under blankets, watching TV. They ate cereal for breakfast while waiting for their moms to pick them up. As exhausting, chaotic, and loud as they event was, hearing sentences like, "this was the best sleepover of my life" and "I wish we were all sisters" was well worth the sleep deprivation.

Sunday night with the Food Network

2009-04-20T16:23:00.008-04:00

The girls and I love watching the "Food Network Challenge" on Sunday nights, especially when the challenge involves cake baking. We have seen the Ultimate Wedding Cake Challenge, the Mystery Client Challenge, and the Extreme Cake Challenge as well as many, many others. For the last 2 weeks we have been watching an elimination challenge featuring 6 amazing cake artists. Each week a baker is voted off. Our favorite of all time, Bronwen Weber, has managed to hang on. She's so talented and just as cute as a button. Though I do love watching the artists show off their flower sculpting and fondant rolling skills, the real reason I love the challenges so much is that my freshly-showered girls gather their pillows and pile on my bed with me. They know all the designers, have become well versed in cake decorating lingo, and have very differing opinions as to what makes a cake spectacular. Some like clean lines and geometric shapes, while others like the traditional butter cream flowers and piping. This week's episode was particularly great and Bronwen made it through again. Devin fell asleep about half way through, cuddled up close to her biggest sister. When it was over, they slithered their worn out bodies off my bed and dragged their pillows down the hall to go to bed. I hope they dreamed of royal icing roses and chocolate glazed hearts.

Todd spent the entire weekend (except for 8:00pm to 10:30pm on Saturday when the Bruins kicked butt!!) remodeling the downstairs bathroom. He painted, installed a new floor, medicine cabinet, and light, put bead board on the walls, and finished with lovely trim. We did not replace the toilet, sink, and bath tub so we picked a paint color that we hoped would make their peach color more tolerable. I am very pleasantly surprised to say that not only are they tolerable, but they are beautiful with the paint color. Somehow, the in-your-face shade of peach that was garish with the white walls is now subdued and spa like with the cherry laminate floor and the dark grey wall color and white bead board. Jacey helped Todd pick out the floor and also picked out the new shower curtain. Three cheers for my do it all hubby! He cooks, too!

Got tea?

2009-04-15T20:52:00.009-04:00

The pictures say it all. Tori, Devin, and I went to Boston today for our first anti big government protest. Tori had a blast. She ran all around the Boston Common and played on the gnarly tree roots of the gorgeous old trees the dot the Common. Devin had a good time, too, but she was a little shy. She (and Tori) attracted lots of attention because of their T shirts and their signs and many people complemented them and took their picture. Tori ate it up, but Devin was less then thrilled. We hung back from the big crowd, found a grassy spot, propped up our signs, and ate a picnic lunch. Though the festivities lasted throughout the day, we stayed for about 2 and a half hours before heading home.

Girls' day out

2009-04-12T22:46:00.008-04:00

Friday was a pony tail and capri day. It was also Good Friday, so all 4 girls were home. It had been a while since we spent a full day together doing things as a family. Someone is usually at a birthday party or soccer game or swimming lesson, so we took advantage of having nothing to do. We packed water bottles and carrots and piled into the car. As Tori was buckling her seat belt, she declared, "this is a girls' day out!". Our first stop was a playground called Julia's Garden.
This beautiful playground has something for everyone - slides, swings, and climbing structures for every age and ability, hills and rocks to climb, and donkeys, llamas, goats, and deer to feed.

All that playing made us girls very hungry, so we stopped at Papa Gino's to order pizza. We had some time to kill while we waited for the pizza, so we walked along the sidewalk of the plaza to view a nearby pond. Something wonderful happened while we were there. As I was taking pictures, a very kind man asked if I wanted him to take a picture of the girls and me together. I'm always the one behind the camera, so I jumped at the opportunity to actually be in a picture with them.

After what seemed like an eternity to the kids, but what was only about 15 minutes, the pizza was ready. We ~~inhaled our food like the animals we had just fed~~ enjoyed a slow, leisurely lunch.

My MOST favorite thing. Ever.

2009-04-08T15:28:00.004-04:00

I love musicals and I have many of the soundtracks on CD. I adore the music of "Fiddler on the Roof", particularly the song "Do You Love Me?" Here's a short video of Devin performing her version. If this doesn't melt your heart, nothing will. Turn up your volume......

Best friends

2009-04-08T14:56:00.016-04:00

When we moved to this town 7 years ago, I wasn't thinking ahead to whether or not it offered full day kindergarten. We chose wisely. Luckily, our town is one of the very few that still has half days for our little ones. Tori leaves for school in the morning with Bryn, but returns at noon. The three hours of uninterrupted play time she and Devin share is something I'll miss when Tori is in first grade next year. Devin adores Tori because she always comes up with new and exciting games to play. They flit around the house from activity to activity full of giggles. Here are a few examples of how they spend their time together.

Playing Barbies

Vets in training.

Cinderella and Ariel getting ready for the ball. Notice the Black and Decker tool bench/dressing table.

A girl can't go to the ball without her lipstick.

Polly Pocket pool party!

Feeding carrots to the Easter Bunny.

When they leave a room, they leave evidence of their antics....

Family night in the doll house.

Strawberry honey cakes and tea for the bears.

Then there's this. The playroom at the end of the day. It seems that every time they play dress-up, the "perfect" outfit is squished at the very bottom of the bin. They bend over the bin, reach into it, grab fist fulls of costumes from Halloweens and dance recitals of the past, and toss them behind them until they find just what they are looking for. Over the years, my tolerance for the kids' messes has dramatically increased. I don't care what mess they make during the day as long as they promise to clean it at night. However, when it's time to clean, I mean business. Everything has a clearly labeled container and the girls know exactly what goes where so clean up usually takes just a few minutes. Not tonight. After dinner I asked Tori and Devin to clean the playroom while I cleaned the kitchen. By the time I had finished clearing and washing the table, loading the dishwasher, and sweeping the floor, they had accomplished nothing. The combination of warm sunshine, a no school day tomorrow, and Easter caused them to be extra giddy. I resorted to the line that can only be used at Easter and Christmas, "the Easter Bunny (or Santa) isn't going to be happy that you are not cleaning". Tori replied, "Well maybe we can leave the Easter Bunny some carrots." I told her that she couldn't bribe the Easter Bunny and to start cleaning. They continued to fool around by doing things that are, quite honestly very funny to me now that they have been sleeping for the last 3 hours. Devin discovered that if she blew into the spout of her Disney Princess tea pot, the lid would pop off. After more stalling from them and yelling from me, they were told that they would not have books read to them. That's my favorite time of the day, so I hate that punishment as much as they do. When the playroom was finally clean they went upstairs to shower. Tori complained that Devin splashed water in her face. I reminded Tori that she once held her eyelids open under the full stream of the shower to rinse soap out of her eyes. We all laughed at that memory. Devin must have thought that if Mommy is laughing, she's not mad. If she's not mad, we're not punished anymore. She asked, very hopeful, "we get books tonight, right Mama?" I almost caved, but I stood firm. They went to bed and I went to Stop and Shop to buy the ultimate stress reliever...

What did moms do before Ben and Jerry?

Symphony

2009-04-06T14:12:00.005-04:00

Why is there a picture of Darth Vader at the top of this post? I'll tell you. On Saturday, Todd and I took J, B, and T to the Boston Symphony Orchestra's family concert at Symphony Hall. As is usually the case when we go to incredible events like this, Todd's Mom bought the tickets (thank you, Mom!). She, Jim, and I were originally going to take J and B, but since she's still not feeling 100% better, Todd and Tori came instead. I had never been to Symphony Hall so I couldn't wait to go. It was beautiful! The family concerts are one hour long, the perfect length for little ones. This year's theme was "dance...march". The narrator explained the differences between the beats (1,2 for marches and 1,2,3 for waltzes) and the orchestra (the FULL orchestra) played various dances and marches. We heard "On the Beautiful Blue Danube", "Aunt Marge's Waltz" from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and "Stars and Stripes Forever", among others. We all agreed that our favorite, by far, the "The Imperial March" from Star Wars by John Williams. I glanced at Todd when the piece started, knowing that his eyes would be sparkling. I whispered to the girls that I could totally see an 8 year old Todd lying on the floor of his room, marching his Stormtroopers in pursuit of Luke Skywalker. If you know Todd, you know that he looks almost exactly the same as he did when he was a boy (except for the facial hair), so the scene was easy to imagine. We took the girls to lunch before picking up Devin from Marilyn and Jim's. She was very unhappy to see us and did not want to come home. We are very lucky that we have people to watch our girls that love them as much as Mom and Jim do. Thank you from all 6 of us!

Edited to add: After I posted this, Tori wanted to see what a Stormtrooper looked like. I found this clip on YouTube. HA!!!