Photos of Tubing

Thanks again to Krista for the great tubing day on Wednesday! I have pirated a few photos from her blog to share with the readers of my blog. Good times!

Tubing!

What fun I had today!

Yes, it was cold, but also sunny!

Windy, but not too much!

Long lines, but not for that 1st hour!

Today, we (Krista, her kids, me and Court. Along w/2 of her coworkers & their 1 child each) went to Amesbury Sports Park @ 9am this morning. We stayed there until just about 3pm.

Kaya went downhill only once. She was nervous and would have gone more times IF we had properly prepared her for EVERY aspect of the ride. However, we had not told her of the fine snow mist that kicks up in your face when sliding downhill @ 50 mph! She didn't like that & could not be bribed with anything ( I mean NOTHING would sway her!) to try again! Even her mom's promise of owning a real, breathing DOG! So Krista & I rotated going down hill or staying @ the bottom w/Kaya.

C hung out w/the boys. Colin favors her whenever she comes to work w/me. He likes all the pretty girls. He's very happy he has a nice looking, young Kindergarten teacher!

We got in many runs during the first 90 minutes. Then the crowds came & the lines grew long, both for the lifts and at the top of the hill. Just as we were leaving, the park closed down the lifts to allow time for the HUGE lines on top to subside!

All in all, we had a great time! I may not have been successful tubing w/Kaya THIS year, but I will be successful eventually! Just like with her & swimming!

Thanks Krista for the fun day & food! It's nice to mix up the routine once in a while!

Blizzard of 2010

It's official.

The storm that blew through last night & into this morning met the criteria to be called a BLIZZARD.

Three continuous hours of sustained or gusting winds over 30 mph.

That's it. Voila! And the storm is categorized as a blizzard.

We did get several inches of the white stuff and it was hard to move (due to my age & physical strength).

But today's blizzard is just a baby compared to the Blizzard of 78!

I was 12 back then so my perspective may be a little off, but I remember a TON of snow, several feet of it, closing roads & schools and everything else, for a week!

Back to work tomorrow.

I must get started on a sledding ramp for the kiddies to use all winter long, I hope!

Last years ramp was a huge success!

Stressed

Many things in my life cause me great stress.

Health, finances, home repairs and such.

Nothing causes me more stress than waiting for a child to return home from work during a snowstorm!

C is working until 8pm, and she'll have to shovel her car out before she starts back home.

She is 30 minutes from home on a good day. Now it's SNOWING outside!

Not a dusting. It is being classified as a BLIZZARD! Feet of snow is predicted!

I know, she's had her license for 3 years now and has driven in the snow.

But the route from high school to home is 6 miles, takes less than 15 minutes and she didn't need to drive on the highway!

And it is dark to boot!

I am a nervous wreck!

Christmas Loot

This is NOT a complete list.

Just what I could remember after B & C went to bed.

Thanks to all who gifted our family this year. Much appreciated!

B received from Santa & his helpers:

A Nook, a gift card to download books to his Nook, several accessories to enhance or protect his Nook, a paperback novel (in case his Nook wouldn't work), size 13 socks (which are hard to find), several toiletries, jumper cables, mints & candy.

Santa also gave him a few "gag" gifts (pun intended)... Salt & Vinegar crickets, Sour Cream & Onion crickets and bacon flavored jellybeans!

Me:

Round trip driving/hotel $$$ for my Thanksgiving trip to see T and Carlotta, new jeans, new Tshirts, toiletries, Yankee Candle tarts, a cooking game for my DS, Yankee Magazine and a crossword puzzle book.

I also received from Krista & her family of elves.... A round trip AIRPLANE ticket to VA & time off so I will be able to celebrate Carlottas 1st birthday with her in February!

C: 2 sleds, snow shovel, lots and lots of toiletries, iTunes card, gas cards, a Nikon Cool-Pix plum colored digital camera and the BIG, most-loved gift from Santa (DAD)... A Pandora butterfly charm for her bracelet & a few other Pandora items.

She got a snowman charm from the kids and Jimmy got her a sleigh charm.

And YES! Santa brought each cat a brand new play toy!

Gracie loves toys with elastic string which she can bite until she breaks it.

Zee like toys with lots of string or feathers she can lick.

YES, I'm a cat lady! Deal with it!

We had a Yankee Swap @ Christmas w/family gathering. I thought it went very well and would love to see the swap become a tradition!

T called later in the day from VA. Carlotta had a very bountiful Christmas! T & M got several gifts and were on their way home through a snowstorm so they could play with their gifts.

The storm is on its' way here!

Just For Ruth

Dear Ruth,

As you can see, the 2 handmade needlepoint samplers you made for your great granddaughters, made it safely to Virginia. T opened them & hung them up in their hallway. She may not seem to appreciate your efforts, (that may have been a parental failure on my part,) but I know she loves them and who knows? , she may have inherited your arts & craft gene and will be the one to continue this tradition as her children become parents!

I deeply cherish the samplers you made for my daughters so many years ago.

I may not give them up until I pass on!

Love, J

Angel Baby

I found this on the Internet.

I thought of Evergreen & her previous sisters who are all heavenly angels now.

Then I happily recalled my visit with Carlotta a few weeks ago.

I am very happy to be a Nonie! T & M, you are a beautiful family.

Love you guys!

Last Post Until After Christmas!

Christmas 2010 is a few days away. The necessary shopping is done & the Christmas cards have been mailed. Wrapping has been completed and the sundaes toppings for Christmas Day are all ready! C is home for the holidays and I'm missing T, M and Carlotta, tons! I love Gracie & Zee, right now they are chasing each other around the tree, making me smile. B is working at the moment, as is C, so it's super quiet in the house right now.

I'm about to make some PB & Chocolate Explosion Chex Mix then some Taco Filled Shells for dinner.

It's gently snowing out, about 3 inches are expected. So pretty for Christmas. Maybe I'll put on the Christmas music & jack up the volume.

Have a great Christmas everyone!

Christmas Is For Kids!

This is a short work week for me and millions of other Americans.

I love Christmas.

I got my present from Santa, in the form of funds, back @ Thanksgiving so I know that there will be no wrapped gift for me under the tree.

So WHY am I excited for Christmas?

"It's a MIRACLE! A real, Christmas miracle!"

Those words were shouted to me from across the yard as she and her brother were running & playing in the first snowfall of the Christmas season (2010) in northeast Massachusetts/southeast New Hampshire.

Everything looks so Christmas-y tonight. A real miracle!

Ok, so there were spinouts and accidents and rollovers that I passed or heard about on the traffic reports. That wasn't exciting! It did make me remember to slow down & take my time.

It was nice to drive by homes lit up with lights & decorations while the snow softly fell. Ahhh!

I love Christmastime!

Ooooh, I love the Rudolph book I got from the kids! One of those recordable ones! They sang the song of Rudolph instead of reading it and I LOVE IT! It will be treasured for years!

Thanks kids!

The Village

Todays project?

The annual Gingerbread House!

Usually we decorate one big house & the kids fight over who put on the candy and where and who should be allowed to eat it!

I got smart this year!

Everyone had their own "mini" house to decorate!

Put as much or as little candy, frosting and love as you want, kids! You get to eat it all!

The project wasn't without its mishaps.

• I do not enjoy making or using or cleaning up royal frosting!
• Even after 2 warnings to be careful, one of the houses landed on the ground and had to be rebuilt!
• And as I was using the piping bag to give the houses some details, the bag, full of the dreaded royal frosting, EXPLODED everywhere! Had to clean it up fast, hardened royal frosting is WICKED HAHD to clean up!

Recipes

I was given the recipe in the above photo by Kaya this morning.

Cookie Dough Soup!

She asked her older brother, Connor, to write the words.

She helped her Dad try the recipe out to see how it tasted.

What a brave man!

This brought back memories of the adorable preschool recipe books that came home every Thanksgiving. T had one for a turkey. I think C had one for cranberry sauce.

T's went something like: Put it in the oven for 30 minutes. Stuff goodness in it. Then eat it! ... though don't quote me! I'm too lazy tonight to go dig then out of their memory boxes!

Ahhh!

Those were good times I had with my girls! I hope they remember I did cool stuff with them!

Let It Snow!

No, it hasn't snowed in New England yet. This is a photo of mid-February 2010. It was the last snow of the season, though we didn't know that at the time!

I don't like driving in the snow very much, but I love snow! Especially NEW SNOW!

And Christmas Snow!

Here's hoping we get some soon!

Just Keeping the Laughter Going for T & C!

Yes, T & C, I still have senior moments.

I haven't done the leaving conditioner in my hair for a while now, but this morning, I almost left for work without being fully dressed!

Oh, I looked just fine ... on the outside, if you get my meaning!

I managed to break their kitchen table today as well. And with her hosting the holiday family party this weekend, I imagine she wasn't too happy. She says she's fine about it. The table is fixable, but will it be fixed in time for her guests to have a place for their food? We shall see!

I will be practicing making homemade candles this weekend. If I am successful, I will be helping the kids make some for their mom & dad to put in their "survival" kit.

How will I know if I am successful?

My house won't be burned down!

I will have my extinguishers on hand as well as several boxes of baking soda, just in case!

Wish me luck!

Abstract Art

I was a little weary of doing daily Christmas oriented crafts.

So, for todays project, we veered off course into abstract art using a foil lined cookie sheet, crayon nubs, poster board and a warm (250 degrees for 5 minutes) oven.

The above photos were our results.

Obviously, I haven't perfected the techniques.

Things like: Finding a way to keep the poster board from curling up as the wax re-hardens. Keeping the vibrant colors without it looking like a giant brown mess. Swirls, how does one make a beautiful swirl w/Q-tips, while not stirring it into a brown mess. Putting objects into the wax was supposed to create texture & depth. The wax stuck to the object & when I tried to release it, the wax cracked! Does it work better with whole crayon stubs or should I crush them?

Kaya & I had fun trying out different ways, but in the end, the paper curled, the objects pulled up the wax and the colors all turned brown. We may try it another time to see if using cloth or another base medium will work better.

Oh, Christmas Tree!

Their tree has been decorated!

The 4 yr old child is super excited!

She wants the lights on all day and she told me as many stories as she could remember about each ornament on the tree. Yes, she repeated a few too!

Then she began to notice that she had fewer ornaments than her older brothers and that they each had rocking horse ornaments while she had none!

This did not sit well with her. It didn't matter that all the Frosty snowmen ones are hers.

(She wants to marry Frosty)

She insisted that I search for a horse ornament that was hers!

A giant "I Spy" puzzle in the tree!

I never found it. I doubt it ever existed!

Guess we'll be visiting a Christmas ornament place tomorrow to fix the problem.

While all this drama was going on about the horse ornament,

Krista presented me with her kids gift to me.

A beautiful, 2010, silver frame ornament with a portrait of all 3 kids on Santas lap!

I'm a sucker for gifts like that!

It came in a black velvet bag. I asked Kaya to place it in my coat pocket so I would remember to bring it home with me.

I thought she did. Later, at home, I found out she did not.

Rather, she thought this beautiful ornament with their picture on it, would look better on their tree! She put the empty bag NEAR my coat & hung the frame on her tree! I may have to keep it there! She's too funny.

Abs of Steel

Another observation of mine during my visit with Carlotta @ Thanksgiving.

The girl has a baby six-pack! Not joking!

Wish I had taken a picture to back up my claim, but seriously, I have never seen such developed abs on a baby before!

Of course, unless she's flexing during a temper tantrum, one could not tell for certain!

The above photo of the day, reminded me that someone related to me has ab muscles!

She's a pudgy baby for the most part, but check out the waist band!

That's not a too tight waistband, she really has a waist!

Lucky her!

As Maxwell Smart says...

"Missed it. By that much!"

I can't believe that a week has gone by since I left VA and Carlotta! Time flew by so fast!

When I left, she was a 9 month clapping, sitting up, one toothed little girl!

Now I get news that she has figured out how to propel her little body around by using her toes to push herself forward. A sort of commando style crawl.

T says its because she needs her arms and hands to grab & put into her mouth, anything she finds! Mostly paper. T's vacuum will finally get some use!

XD

B has requested BBQ chicken for dinner with soft veggies (not mushy) so off I go to see what I can come up with! Not going to use the grill though. Too cold!

Clean Up for Christmas

C has come home for the night.

So, up went the REAL Christmas tree.

Of course, it couldn't go up until I did the traditional cleansing of the room where the tree will reside for the next month!

Loveseat moved to the upstairs, vacuuming up the dust bunnies, rearranging things on shelves and cleaning other stuff I left alone during October & November.

In this photo, T tells me that Carlotta is busy organizing her DVD collection.

Go girl!

Carlotta seems to have gotten the "cleaning the house" gene!

I believe that if such a gene exists, it must skip a generation!

If true, it would explain T and her habits to me!

Love you anyway T!

btw, still waiting on your sister in-laws mailing address!

Eyes

Carlotta has big eyes.

She doesn't blink very often so they are wide open all the time!

I commented to T that she reminds me of the photos I saw of that runaway bride from a few years back.

She has very long, light colored lashes so one cannot see them in a photo.

During her visit back in June, I swore she had gray blue eyes like her mom.

I was wrong.

Her eyes are brown to greenish colors depending on the lighting at the time.

Too cute!

On The 1st Day of Christmas

Today, the Christmas season, for the kids, officially began!

It began the day after Thanksgiving for Carlotta! Love that baby!

The Advent calendar was opened, along with arguing of who goes first and on what days etc.

I do not miss that daily argument between my girls!

Thankfully, Krista came home in the afternoon with 3 chocolate filled calendars so the bickering has been toned down, a little.

During Miss Jens preschool time, we played the SuperWhy ABC game and made a Frosty the Snowman window picture out of paper, glue & glitter for our art project.

Then, we strung up a few strands of colored lights in the kitchen.

It was fun watching & listening to the squeals and excitement from this 4 yr old girl! She couldn't wait for her boys to come home & see what beauty there was in their home after it had been decorated for Christmas!

She watched Rudolph's Christmas in July during quiet time because Frosty was in it, with his wife, Krystal, his kids, Chilly & Millie & of course, Rudolph!

She reads several Christmas books a day. Thankfully, between her mom & my self, there are enough Christmas books for her to read and have them last the season!

More of my VA Visit w/Carlotta

Gigi, also known as, Great Grammy, sent down with me, an early Christmas present. Carlotta did prefer the ribbon and the tag over the doll, but eventually, she caught on that the doll was a "baby" and she loves babies!

She is a happy, relaxed, well-loved baby! This is how she naps most days! Can you say DIVA?

Thanksgiving dinner wasn't until 5pm. I used the extra time to build a tall bookcase I had purchased for their hallway.

T, M and their baby have an extraordinarily large book collection. The larger bookcase helped relieve the load off their other shelves.

Little Carlotta was enthralled with the tools. I let her bang on the wood. She believed she was truly helping me. She loves interacting with others rather than left alone to play.

Later, I was washing up the dirty dishes.

(I couldn't let them pile up for M to have to clean after his long overnight shift and besides, I was hoping to set an example for T.)

Carlotta was the kitchen in her high chair, tossing every toy she had onto the floor. So, I pulled her chair close to me @ the sink & gave her soap bubbles to play with as I finished the dishes. She had a blast!

I got to feed her some baby food a few times. She really likes the jarred baby cereal with lots of fruit. It was fun to feed a baby who liked their food.

I avoided changing her diapers though.

She screamed every time she was laid down on the changing table. I guess when she was so sick, that's where the uncomfortable nose wiping and vomit clean up took place. She was letting her displeasure be known.

Well, I WASN'T there to make her cry!

I did not change any diapers. Not a complaint, mind you!

Nonie Loves You Carlotta!

A Video of Carlotta @ 9 months old

Well, I ran some errands after work and am too tired to post more than this. I enjoyed spending time with T and her family. I heARD A BABY SQUEALING @ DANCE CLASS TODAY & I GOT A LITTLE SAD THAT IT WASN'T CARLOTTA! I just noticed I hit the caps lock button. I'm too lazy too change my entry! deal with it!

First (of several) Entry from VA Trip 2010

Hello!

Miss me and my witty stories?

No?

Well, I missed blogging.

Many things happened on my trip to VA to visit with Carlotta, T and M! I can blog only so much per day so... I'm splitting my memories up. I'll blog about something each day until I run out of things to blog about or until I forget what I did down in VA.

The trip to VA was very long (14 hours) and surprisingly, UNEVENTFUL!

No traffic jams, bad drivers, car trouble or inclement weather!

And the sunset over the mountains heading into Christiansburg was awesome too!

The sky was filled with blue, pink and slightly gray colors.

Beautiful!

I got to T & Ms apartment just before 6pm on Tuesday. They were hungry, so off we went, to a nearby restaurant for dinner. Carlotta was a big hit with the waitress.

When we got home, T put Carlotta to bed and asked if I would watch her so she and M could finally go out to see the new Harry Potter movie.

Yay! I get to be alone w/Carlotta!

Only she didn't like being left alone w/me!

While I was able to get her to sleep for the majority of the time her parents were gone, I was not completely successful in calming her down the rest of the time.

She makes 2 distinct sounds that actually mean something.

I would normally argue that at 9 months, she was just babbling. But she makes these sounds until the correct person is holding her. I witnessed this over and over this week so I now believe she knows what she is saying!

The sounds are mamamamamamamamama and dadadadadadadadadadada.

And yes, it's her mommy and daddy that she is calling.

Any way, while I was trying to soothe her, she kept saying those sounds, while slobbering her mouth drool and nose snots all over me (because she screams even louder if one tries to wipe her face!)

At 11pm, her parents came through the door.

Mamamamamamama!

And magically, the crying stopped once she was in her mothers arms!

Dress Rehearsal

Do you remember the Fashion Show I went to the other day, starring Kaya?

Remember how I did not have photos of it because I forgot my camera?

Well, the next day, she performed her dance routine, while still in her night clothes

(you'll recognize her night clothes!)

and this time I was ready with my camera.

I told her it would be a dress rehearsal for her next big show.

ENJOY!

Gram-Gram

I hope that my grandchildren will call me Nonie.

I'm too young to be called Grammy or Granny or Grandma.

Nana was taken by other relatives and Mimi was banned, thanks to the character of the same name in the Drew Carey Show!

Nonie.

Simple and young sounding!

Just like me!

Anyways... tonight, the kids parents are off to a Celtics game to celebrate Brians birthday. Since it's a late game, they are staying @ a nearby hotel & returning home in the morning.

Who will stay with the kids?

To the rescue...

No not me!...

It was their Gram-Gram! (Cool name BTW!)

I was still there after the parents left & before Gram-Gram showed up.

I fed them their dinner, straightened up the house a bit and the doorbell rang!

"Gram-Gram!"

Three different voices from three different areas of the house, sang out in perfect unison!

She was bombarded with hugs and kisses and questions of, "Did you bring the gum?" "Are you staying all night?" "Look what I made, do you like it?", before she even got her coat off!

It was great to see such excitement & love expressed from grandkids to grandparent!

And vice versa!

I wish so badly that I could experience such a welcome with my grandkids!

Carlotta is too young right now (I leave for VA on Tuesday!) for such a welcome, but I'm afraid that distance and finances will keep us from having such a time.

Shyness with strangers is inevitable and with my visits being few and far between, it makes me a stranger to her.

Shyness does change over time and I understand that she'll come to know who I am, but I'm NOT a patient person!

I appreciate and love that my kids have had grandparent experiences with B's parents!

I understand their current sadness when grandchildren (my daughters), seem to think they've outgrown the need to continue having these experiences & stay in touch with their grandparents. It hurts.

I'm not sure how to mend that fence, nor do I know how to avoid having it happen to me. Although I have hardly seen or held Carlotta, I know I love her with all my heart & want to be a part of her life for a very long time, not just until she graduates High School.

Fashion Show

No pictures, sorry. It was an impromptu event so I wasn't prepared. I didn't have my camera with me today! Bear with me as I try to narrate... the Fashion Show!

I was greeted at the front door this morning by a very super excited 4 year old girl. Her leg was feeling much better since receiving 2 vaccinations in her upper thigh 2 days earlier. I could see she was doing better because she was hopping up and down like a kangaroo!

As I said, she was super excited!

"Miss Jen, you must come to my Fashion Show! Mommy, tell Miss Jen she has to see my Fashion Show with my friends, Liz and Gina! Stay here Miss Jen, I'll get my boys!"

(she calls her brothers, "her boys")

BTW, Liz & Gina are her 2 imaginary friends that visit us once in a while.

I was escorted into the computer room by a beaming mother, who was just as excited as her small child was about the upcoming show, minus the maniacal jumping! As I was shown to my seat on the loveseat, the room was quickly prepared for the event. Drapes were drawn, stage space was made by clearing things off the floor and the lights were dimmed, except for a spotlight. The iTunes were booted up onto the computer. Music had been chosen by mother & daughter prior to my arrival.

Into the room pranced the boys, wondering what their little sister had insisted they come to see. They arrived wearing only their underwear & school shirts (they had been preparing for school) while chatting back & forth about stuff that they would rather be doing.

They were good sports though & took their seats next to me on the loveseat.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Fashion Show" announced her mother. "Here is Liz!"

From behind the curtain, "Liz" (in a brown velvet dress with a ribbon) leapt onto the stage! The music started and Liz began her dancing routine. Leaps, twirls, toe points & more were jammed into a 30 second performance! After a flourish and a curtsey, Liz was given loud applause while she returned behind the drapes.

"Mommy, change the music!", ordered a tiny, yet loud voice from behind the curtain.

"And now, Ta Da! Here is Gina!"

"Gina" flew from behind the drapes in the same brown velvet dress as Liz!

Oh No!

A wardrobe snafu!

But the show must go on!

Gina had worked out a strikingly similar dance routine & worked in some extra twirls and leaps. She ended with a beautiful curtsey, smiled at the applause she received & disappeared behind the drapes.

"Ok Mom. Help me change." She came running out from behind the drapes.

The boys and I pretended we didn't see her as she changed into a white dress with sparkles. She was not going to make the same mistake as Gina by wearing the same dress as Liz!

"Remember to change it to my song, Mom!" she shouted as she ran back to the drapes.

"Ladies and gentlemen, here is the star of our show, KAYA!"

The music started out slow and she gently swayed in time with the music. Then the music turned into a steady rock beat and she went to town with her dancing!

She held nothing back!

Every step she had learned in Miss Paulas' class, every twirl seen on her TV shows, Angelina or Olivia and even a few Beyonce moves were in her routine! As she danced, she kept telling us that not only should we clap, but we needed to cheer too! And loudly!

What a performance! What a curtsey! What a special show!

We stood up, gave her a standing ovation, to which she got a little embarrassed, but enjoyed nonetheless! Then off went the boys to finish getting ready for school (Wednesday is "Getting a donut before school day"). Mom went to get ready for work and I was left there, sitting on the sofa enjoying my time with the star of the show!

"So, did you like the Fashion Show, Miss Jen? I worked real hard on it. My friends were good too right? I wish my Dad could see it. Mommy will help me do one for him at nighttime. Did you like my dress the best? I'm a good dancer you know. Can I have some chocolate?"

Christmas PJs

The kids got their Christmas PJs for their annual Christmas photo today. While they are in Ohio @ Thanksgiving, Krista thought it would be nice for them to wear the PJs there too. Child #3 is not too happy about that idea! She wants to bring PRETTY nightgowns, not boring these RED 2pc sets, even if red is a Christmas color! She has told me that she wants to pack & bring all her stuffed animals so they won't miss her. I don't think the family owns enough luggage to manage THAT request! The boys are super excited for the airplane ride. Their DS game systems can finally come out of the attic storage area (in there due to kids being on restriction) & they get to play w/them on the trip!

Haven't heard if or what style of PJs my girls want this year. Our most observed Christmas Eve tradition... open & wear Christmas PJs. Well girls?

Cats in the Box

Yeah.

This is what my life has become, late at night, no kids, no hubby, no life.

So I'll post this video just to see how long it takes to download it onto my blog.

Here I go!

15 minutes so far.

Another 10 minutes.

BTW, its only a 9 minute video.

of my cats, in a box.

Turns out, 10 minutes later, video won't upload.

Sorry.

It was a cute video.

Greetings

When I arrive home in the evening, both of my cats are there at the door to greet me.

They nudge their heads on my hands so I pet them.

They mew so I talk to them.

I love being greeted by my cats every day. Makes me feel important & loved.

OK, OK!

I know... they only want their treats!

Until they figure out how to unscrew the Mason jar on top of the fridge, they have to butter up the only human they know who is allowed to feed them!

Just let me have my moment. My cats love me.

and...

My cats would answer their phones if I called them... or if they would... if they had phones.

We Don't Miss It At All!

T has made through the first vomiting bug of her 9 month old daughters life.

Thankfully, details were kept to a minimum.

She sent us a few photos of how pathetic Carlotta looked during her sickness which I have posted on my Facebook page.

She still managed to be adorable!

B and I went down memory lane as we discussed Carlotta being so sick.

He was the one who dealt with the vomiting. He would scrub the rug or furniture and do the laundry that followed. Sometimes it was sooo bad, he'd take stuff to the trash.

I got to give & receive the hugs & snuggles, serve ginger ale & crackers while getting all the credit for making our kids feel better.

I miss that part of being a MOM. A lot!

B DOES NOT miss that part of being a DAD though! Can you blame him?!

So, hang in there T! Give lots of love to Carlotta & make M do the laundry & cleanup!

Be sure to have Lysol spray on hand too to help get rid of the germs!

Seven

That's how many blisters are on my hands from removing leaves from 2 yards these past 2 days!

They are not big enough to pop, but boy, they still hurt!

Makes it hard to grasp much.

They'll turn into callouses soon enough.

Just in time to begin snow removal!

oooh, wait a minute!

no snow until AFTER I return home from VA please!

don't want to drive in the white slippery stuff just yet.

Blow The Man Down!

I wish I had taken pictures, but I was busy blowing leaves off of their lawn!

It took most of the day, even with a blower, but I removed 90% of the leaves from the lawn.

It took so long because I had to stop to pick up Child # 2 from bus stop.

Then lunch was made & eaten & cleaned up.

We played a board game after lunch before heading back outside for more leaf moving!

Then, we had to go get Child #1 from school.

With only 1 hour of daylight left, I finished as much as I could!

Have I ever mentioned I have an OCD condition when it comes to leaf & snow removal?

Well, I do.

It was very hard to move the leaves & allow the children to run like maniacs through them as they tried to avoid the wind from the blower! I must be getting better!

Even though I was feeling "off" & a bit stressed about not getting every leaf or seeing the kids throw the leaves back onto the cleaned area, I allowed them to enjoy the moment!

They were having so much fun. I, again, wish I had taken photos!

Romeo Returns!

Last night, I was cleaning & de-cluttering.

I came across 2 throw pillows that over the years, I've just kept moving from spot to spot. Never really liked them. Found it difficult to toss 2 perfectly good pillows! They don't match a thing in our house. They aren't even comfortable!

Watching an episode of Hoarders helped make this easier to do.

I took a deep breath & tossed them, outside, onto the deck, at night.

Ahh!

This morning as I was preparing for work, Gracie was becoming agitated at the window.

I told her it was too cold to open the window & tried to get her attention onto something else.

Nothing worked!

I looked out the window, expecting to see a squirrel or chipmunk.

Nope.

There, curled up on one of the thrown out toss pillows was "Romeo"!

Now, I have no idea if this cat is male or female, or who he belongs to, but ever since Gracie has become a member of our household, this neighborhood cat comes over often & "visits" Gracie.

(no worries, both my cats have been spayed).

Gracie is a girl, so we've always assumed the visitor to be a male, hence, Romeo.

He runs away whenever we get too close and our attempts at photos have been pitiful.

However, with the added comfort of a bed on the deck, he stuck around & allowed me to snap the above photo.

I'm sure Gracie would appreciate a photo of him, wallet-size for her Christmas gift!

that last comment was to irritate my daughters & allow them the opportunity to make fun of their "cat lady" mother!

Another Fun Word From a 3 yr old Child

(These fun, sweet, chocolate-y Pilgrim hats were fun to make. The kids enjoyed eating them too!)

OK, she's not 3 years old anymore, but she continues to amaze me!

She still can make me chuckle when she tries to pronounce vocabulary words which she has heard others in her home use.

Today, she was playing with Playmobil castles, princesses, mermaids and horse farms.

The boys were in school & we had just finished our own "school time".

I was pretending to do my crossword puzzle, but in truth, I was listening to her play.

Below is one of her made up dialogs between the princess and her prince.

I do not know who said what, but it went something like this...

"Honey, I need to go to ride the horses." "Sweetie, I need you to help me with the party." "The baby is crying and wants to go on a walk" "Ooooh, you make me so FLUSTRATED!"

FLUSTRATED!

That is my new favorite word from, the now 4 year old, girl!

Thanks Heather, for the idea about using a mirror! They have mirrors all over their house & now I won't have to lug the dry erase board from house to house.

Dry Erase Board

I brought B's large dry erase board to the kids today. I purchased an eraser & assorted colors of dry erase markers (like PINK)

I thought if I tried a new method of writing would keep the two youngest interested a little longer. (I have used Playdoh where they had to roll out snakes & form the letters that way. Craft sticks work well for some letters too.)

They loved the various colors and being able to erase any of their mistakes.

No lines to worry about staying on, I just had them make the shape of the letter.

Later, when the oldest came home, he became the teacher.

For over an hour, he ran a little school. There was recess and projects.

Only problem I saw (other than it being the youngest child's "grouchy time"), he tried to teach them all the stuff he is learning... in 2nd grade!

The dry erase board was a success!

I had to keep it at their house tonight so they could finish their school day!

Naps

Most kids outgrow taking a nap in the middle of the day.

Some, like me, never do. Ha Ha!

The kids stopped taking regular naps about 2 summers ago, though have been known to fall asleep on car rides lasting longer than 30 minutes.

There are some days when I JUST KNOW they need a nap.

They are quick to anger.

Quick to hit.

Quick to cry.

Quicker than usual to declare, "That's not fair!"

Today was one of those days!

I was told (by child #3),

"I don't like you. I like being with my mommy better. You are the meanest!"

(I told child #2 I liked his "play food" sandwich he made me, it had flavor! She thought that meant I didn't enjoy her "play food" sandwich!)

She wasn't too happy w/me when I said she better like being with her mommy better than me!

Then she wore an apron that he thought was his and so on and so on.

Crying, crankiness, and tears.

Oh, the tears!

I knew they needed some extra sleep.

Of course, they disagreed. No way would they sleep because it was not dark outside!!

So, I did a sneaky thing.

Told them I had an errand to run so we were leaving early pick up Child #1.

I knew if I drove around long enough, they would fall asleep.

Now people, don't get upset.

I didn't "lie" to them.

I mean, I did go to the bank & I cashed a check for gas money, but I didn't tell the drive was meant for them to take a much needed nap.

We left the house @1pm.

Child #1 doesn't get out of school until 3:15pm.

Both were asleep within 20 minutes and remained sleeping until 3pm!

They woke up in very improved moods!

Will they go to bed at their bedtimes tonight?

IDK!

The nap they took today may keep them up a little later, but their moodiness will be gone!

They will be pleasant to be around.

I love naps!

Meatloaf

Growing up, we had meatloaf for Sunday dinners more often than any other kind of meat. My older sisters usually cooked it and with ketchup on it, it wasn't too bad. Not a favorite of mine though.

On the rare occasion, my mom cooked the meatloaf. She would "experiment" with the things normally used to s-t-r-e-t-c-h the ground meat to feed our large family.

Once, she used Raisin Bran. No, it was not a hit, but one was not allowed to waste food, so on went the ketchup! LOTS OF IT!

Another time, she used leftover cooked breakfast oatmeal. Sounded like a good item to try since we were hardly allowed sweeteners in our breakfast oatmeal. However, this time, to gag down the oatmeal, we had sneaked some maple syrup in it! Meatloaf does not taste good with maple syrup! Even smothered in ketchup!

My girls can count on 1 hand how many times they were made to eat meatloaf! Not a food I tortured them with often!

Once in a while, if I was given a new recipe & was promised it would be "the best meatloaf ever!", I made it. Not one was ever a "do-over".

I found a recipe on The Pioneer Woman website and it sounded so easy, so yummy I just had to try it! I followed her directions PERFECTLY! However, it was raw after the allotted cooking time! I cooked it some more, but the bacon never got crispy. The flavor was there though. And it was moist (a little too moist in my opinion). I think with a little tinkering, I may have found a meatloaf that will be a hit.

Of course, meatloaf makes a huge meal & it's just B and I, but maybe we'll like meatloaf sandwiches tomorrow?

Let's See... To Do List... DONE!

• Fed cats & myself @ 8am. So nice to wake up later on weekends!
• I emptied litter boxes.
• Started laundry.
• Folded laundry.
• Emptied house trash & re-lined containers.
• Vacuumed floors.
• Played Family Feud on Facebook.
• Winterized the 5 upstairs windows.
• Cleaned the upstairs bathroom... Yucky BTW, B!
• Ate a tuna fish sandwich for lunch, w/pickles.
• Had a nice, yet short visit w/Charlie & Ruth. (They went to B's feast. Brought stuff for me to bring to T in VA.)
• Picked up my tuned up vehicle & made appointment for brake work next week.
• Went grocery shopping.
• Picked up prescriptions.
• Drove home, where I found...
• B had taken care of all his stuff from the Scouts camp-out turkey feast!
• Gave C a big hug as she left to return to her dorm.
• Watched a rerun of The Closer while Zee was taking a siesta on my chest.
• Read my emails & posted a blog entry.
• Fried egg sandwich for supper.
• Remembered to remember to turn clocks back 1 hour later on tonight.

Ahhhh, the life of an empty nester!

No puking, crying, yelling, pooping, tattling, homework, loud music, lying, whining, tantrums, laughter, joking and hugs or kisses (except from a departing C).

Well, maybe it's not all... Ahhhh.

More like... Awww.

To Mrs. Priscilla Viens Family...

Thank you for the nice email requesting permission to use the words I wrote @ your mom's wake.

I'm sorry that I did not check my emails until it was too late.

I hope you used the words anyway!

I don't mind at all.

As I think of your beloved mother, I picture her, joining the choir of heavenly angels, singing so beautifully and smiling the whole time.

I told my mom,

Heaven has joyfully welcomed their newest angel!

I love you Mrs. Viens!

An Overnight Feast

B is outside waiting for some male assistance in loading a huge metal box into his truck.

This box will be covered in hot coals tomorrow as the Scouts from our ward cook a turkey feast for the members to enjoy.

I like camping. I like fires. I love turkey. I like food cooked on fires. I like the people who cook the food. I love that I wouldn't have to do anything but EAT.

So why then, after 10 years of B participating in this Scout activity, do I have NO DESIRE to go to this event?

He invites me every year. So that's nice I guess.

But no. I don't understand it myself.

Here I am, trying to talk myself into going, but it's NOT working!

Still have NO DESIRE to attend, or eat at this event.

Weird!

I hope B gets enough Scouts to actually attend so he doesn't have to do all the cooking.

It's Raining, It's Pouring...

... this old lady was snoring!

So, I was slightly awakened this morning (close to 5am) by the sounds of B heading out the door. He was not too loud, but was just noisy enough that I stirred, rolled onto my back & continued lightly dozing. I knew it was lightly because I remember hearing myself snoring. I heard the ruckus I was making, but was still in that sleepy mode, so I just continued.

Dozing & snoring. Snoring and dozing.

Still too early to get up & going.

ZZZzzzzZZZzzzzzzzZZZZZZZsnortschnot

ZZZZZZsnortZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

zzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZsnortsnort snrkle!Z

ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzz snortsnortleshcmork!!

WHAT THE ...!

Zee had heard enough!

She pounced on my face with all 4 paws and was mewing loudly!

I had interrupted her morning nap & she was not a happy cat!

Well, I was awake now!

The Start of Thanksgiving Season!

I am thankful to be gainfully employed and being able to do things like this turkey craft with young kids who are just learning the importance of being THANKFUL!

I am thankful for my husband and our 2 daughters, for their talents & abilities, their humor and understanding of my choices.

I am thankful for my health, as weird as that sounds with all the meds I take daily,

... I am not DEAD!

I am very thankful to have a son in-law with the Priesthood who takes care of my daughter & their children, physically & spiritually & will do so for eternity.

I am extremely thankful to be a Nonie!

Never thought I would be thankful for such a thing, but... I AM!

I am thankful for so much in my life. Too many things to list. Thanks.

Teachers Who Touch Our Lives

I hope everyone has had or will have the opportunity to have a teacher they look forward to seeing every day.

A teacher you love to learn from even if the silly things!

Someone who made you feel special & important.

A teacher that, even years after you have left school, got married, and had kids, you can still respectfully say,

"That teacher was my favorite teacher."

I was fortunate, no, HONORED, to have had such a teacher.

In 1973, she was my 3rd grade teacher, at Central School, West Newbury, MA.

Her name was Priscilla Viens.

I could go on with my blog entry with details about how she was struck & killed by a pick-up truck while walking on Rte 97 near her home in Groveland yesterday.

But I'd rather blog on my memories of her.

Mrs Priscilla Viens.

My third grade teacher and mentor.

Not a tall woman, she had a "Carol Brady" shag haircut & wore glasses.

Loved laughing!

She had a piano in her classroom and gave our class the gift of music every day.

I was introduced to silly songs, Christmas carols and Broadway musicals while in her class.

She loved music.

The Spanish language was another love of hers.

She tried so hard to teach us, though I never quite caught on to the language.

Our family had friends in Guatemala during a terrible earthquake. She too, had friends there, and was able to get supplies & letters to them.

She became a family friend for a while.

She taught me about the "Energy Crisis", how to read directions thoroughly BEFORE attempting to complete a task and to be a good person.

Creative writing was a passion of hers. She loved reading our stories.

One day, she brought in sandals & asked us to write a story about the giant who wore the footwear. We learned afterwards, that "the giant" was her husband.

I had never seen such big shoes before & I remember actually believing he WAS a giant!

A student teacher came into our class 1/2 way through the year. I remember Mrs Viens teaching us and the trainee teacher, Mrs. Schena. This student teacher also became a fond teacher of mine, later on a neighbor and always a friend. I babysat her kids from time to time.

My first detention ever was given to me by Mrs Viens. I had fooled around during a listening segment of her class and failed the subsequent test on the subject (Mozart). She told me I had to stay after school the next day & re-take the test.

I was so afraid to tell my mother.

The next day, I stayed after school and let my family think I had gone missing!

While my mom went a bit crazy when I was found, Mrs. Viens took the time to explain to me why my actions had not been wise ones.

I remember forging my moms signature on a less than stellar report card thinking that Mrs Viens would never know the difference!

Well, I hadn't learned to write in CURSIVE yet, so I PRINTED my moms NICKNAME, (because I didn't know how to spell her full name), and with pencil!

Mrs. Viens, again, took the time to explain to me, without going nuts, why this too was not a wise choice. It was the only report card my mom saved from all of my report cards.

I was promoted from her class, into 4th grade & saw her in the hallways several more years while I was in elementary school and later on when my siblings were in elementary school.

Then, as happens with most things in life, we lost touch.

In 1986, while planning my wedding to B, we were looking for a soloist to perform, "The Lords Prayer" and "The Wedding Song" during the ceremony. A neighbor of ours recalled a soloist in her church's choir and gave us a name.

Yes, it was Mrs Viens!

I was so nervous to call her and ask if she would sing at my wedding!

What if she didn't remember me! What if I was a BAD memory for her!

Well,

She accepted my request and thankfully, she remembered me and in a good way! Phew!

We enjoyed her company @ the rehearsal dinner & her music was so beautiful during the wedding the next day!

I am very happy we have a video of the event so I can see her once again!

Sadly we once again lost touch with each other.

I was reminded of her from time to time as my daughters spent their first few years of school in the school system she had taught in for 20 years.

T had a 3rd grade teacher with a similar personality & teaching style to that of Mrs. Viens.

I mourn her passing and send sympathy to her family.

She was a great lady, singer, teacher and person.

I will always love her and appreciate how she helped me become who I am today!

God Bless You Mrs. Viens!

Pretty in Pink!

I love Carlotta in her pink ballerina outfit! Her arms are flapping so fast, I think she believes she could fly! I am sooo excited to see her in 3 weeks! I have a few Christmas gifts to spoil her with since I can't be with her during that holiday! Maybe someday!

3 year old princess vs 4 year old princess

Trick or Treat!

Our town starts Trick or Treat night in about 45 minutes.

This is the first year we don't have any young people at home to pass out the candy for us.

We have lived here 10 years & never had more than 30ish trick or treaters show up, though closer to 15 kids are the norm here.

The cats know something is up. The front door is decorated & ready to open.

Our front door is hardly ever opened!

What candy will we give out this year?

Three flavors of KitKat bars, Reeses peanut butter cups, peanut M&Ms and an assortment of Airheads, all snack size.

Happy Halloween to All!

Proof...

"I will scientifically PROVE that Santa exists!"

I remember T making that statement during the 1st Christmas season here in Eppin'.

She was 12, loved to read and watch TV.

Between that, her age & her friends, she was beginning to doubt the fat mans existence.

She was determined.

She wrote him a letter, which I (cough, cough!) mailed!

She got a real, hand written letter in response from Santa! (thanks to a senior class fundraiser for the Nbpt HS!)

She had proof & she was happy!

Additionally that year, she had asked Santa for a Nintendo 64 game system because Mom & Dad were too poor to get one.

Christmas morning, she was disappointed that he had ignored her request.

She sadly came with us to Grammy Lambert's house for dinner & such.

When we returned home later that night,

the game system under the tree with an attached note apologizing for the tardy gift!

YES!!

He does exist!

Today, while window shopping at Ben Franklins Ace Hardware & Craft department store, I came across an item that reminded me of T and her quest to prove Santa is real.

A "Prove He Does Exist" kit for parents!

Inside... a stencil w/fake spray snow to create a footprints from the chimney to the tree, a piece of red velvet & fur from his suit, reindeer grain bits, and other related "evidence" to prove he does exist!

Now,

WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT 10 YEARS AGO?!??!!

The Maze! Still AMAZING!

The kids did not destroy the maze overnight as I feared they would!

My camera doesn't have a panoramic view feature,

so use your imagination and put all 3 photos end to end to get the full effect of our leaf maze!

After lunch, we went back outside & got in some more fun with it!

Both little kids wish it would stay a maze... forever!

BTW, Connor is going to his first CELTICS game tonight with his Dad!

Is a win guaranteed since Celtics are playing the Knicks?

Have fun, kiddo!

Good bye Halloween!

Today, we made our last Halloween project!

:(

You can see my monster above. Why just mine? I'm better at using scissors!

AND...

We, well... I, raked the leaves at their house.

I did not rake them into a pile to jump in as they thought I would.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT!

Today, I made pathways through the leaves, creating a MAZE!

It wasn't as awesome or well planned as those corn mazes that have sprung up everywhere, but the kids had a blast running through, trying to find the shortcuts & get a better time

!

Their mom was very impressed! Maybe she'll take pictures of them using the maze...

BEFORE they destroy it!

Whilst raking leaves to create path borders for the maze, I raked leaves from the garden we , ahem. cough, cough, grew this year.

Hidden on the last cucumber vine was this little guy.

It was the size of a pickle, not the baby kind, but a real sized pickle!

I split it into 3 somewhat equal pieces, & the kids ate it up!

Yum!