I have an idea....

I always wanted to write a book. I am going to write a book. I am going to write a book for my son.


That is my crazy for today....

Mommy Moment of Pride

Pickle got sent back to her table from 'rug time' in Kindergarten for leading a round of Queen's 'We will rock you".

*sniff* I am so proud :)

From the mouths of babes

"Mommy, you worry too much." ~ 'Mo', 2009 - age 8

The boy is catching on and calling me on it. I worry too much. About wearing a jacket, wearing socks around the house so they do not catch a cold, walking off the ledge, staying close in the mall, eat a fruit or veggie with every meal, etc. Gosh, if he only knew of the bigger things I worry about! My job, balancing my job with the kids, balancing the kids, job and BooBoo, dealing with Mo's dad, paying off bills, trying to get in shape, staying connected with friends, making sure Mo & Pickle are strong and confident and good people, serving my God, burying the past, how I look, how do people perceive me, making sure the correct color is used at all times for my company logo, checking that all fonts match the style guide, staying on budget, not driving off the road from sleep deprivation, making sure all of my friends and family know that I love them, my parents, my sister, dealing with their dad (yes I know I said that twice), cleaning the house, grocery shopping, laundry, yard work, getting enough sleep, car maintenance ...

Yep, Mo knows me...I worry way too much.

Happiness is...

New pets!



A parakeet named 'Party' with bright yellow & green feathers.











A lop eared bunny named PJ Funny Bunny
(from the book Honey Bunny Funny Bunny)














And a Star Wars themed fundraiser event that garnered over $3,000 for a friend in need. Of course the kids dressed up! Pickle won best costume as Queen Amadal. Sadly I did not get a full costume shot (bad mommy!) But I did get a shot of her asleep in the car. And yes, that is a Dale the chipmunk hat on her head...


And his dark side lordship....Battle Damaged Darth Vader...

I now leave you with this challenge...can you spot the bird? Or are they all bionicles?...hmmm...

The Mouse, the myth, the legend

"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. " - Walk Disney

We had the most brilliant time at DisneyWorld last week with my parents, sister and her husband. Stresses of 5 adults & 2 children traveling together aside, it was a memorable week and one that I will not soon forget, as I also have 400+ pictures from the trip. To see my children 'meet' their favorite characters, watch their faces as they discovered new things and hear their laughter mixed with the laughter of their grandparents is a gift I will hold in my heart forever. I will try and follow-up this post with more detailed ones with some travel tips and reviews, but for now here are some pictures of our times at DisneyWorld and SeaWorld. (which, btw, was just as fantastic. The shows were breathtaking and we saw a manatee poop...they call them cows of the sea for a reason!)

At SeaWorld! (thank you Brendan!)
You can see the killer whales in the background. The kids later went down closer with their auntie so that they could get wet. Pickle realized her error and quickly came back up shivering. We were warned! They keep the water at about 52 degrees F!



The whole gang! Breakfast with Mickey is a must to meet the major characters without waiting in line at the parks. Plus the buffet is delish!!! I have to figure out how to make the corn beef hash with cornbread topping.
nummy nummy.

We made it! Mouse ears acquired we made it to the most magical place on earth! never did I think that my 'baby' boy would get this big. And yes, I got teary watching their reactions to their fairy tales coming true.

My mom's favorite ride - Small World! We all loved it.
(that's my mom, you all know Mo and in the background my dad in the white tshirt)


And finally....
The three pictures below were taken with my eyes filled with tears. I cry, it's what I do. :P I thought my heart would burst at the site of such sweet and wonderful wonder.






When I grow up, I want to be a Disney Princess too!
But now, I an autograph book that needs scrapbooking.

Child's Play

"If you can give your son or daughter only one gift, let it be enthusiasm." - Bruce Barton

I did something very, very selfish this weekend. I spent the entire weekend with my kids. Friday night we went to A's and had dinner and a play date. A play date which involved me and my best friend re-connecting after about 3 weeks of not seeing each other while the kids ran around. Then Saturday, after gymnastics class we rented a couple of Wii games at Blockbusters and went home to spend the rainy day playing video games, board games, watching movies and doing some chores around the house. Lunch was sitting at the counter laughing over some hot dogs and cheeseburgers. Then I had insomnia Saturday night, but Sunday we all awoke and decided to take a field trip to the Boston Children's Museum. It was a grand idea and we had a fantastic time! We have not been to the museum since they re-designed it. Let me tell you, there is a climbing structure there now that New Balance sponsored and it is fabulous! The only problem with it is that no adults allowed. Here's a shot of it from the view on the ground...

It looks loose, but it is solid and going no where! The tops of the boards are covered in carpet. The whole thing is a big puzzle for the kids to go up and down. Only two ways out for safety - the bottom and at the top on the stairwell that is manned at the trap door. You can only get out if your parent/guardian is there. When mine came out there a 3rd kid got out too and I had to point out that he was not mine. Back in he went!

It was just so much fun to watch the kids explore and chase one another and me try to find them as the climbed about. I am not a climb the side of the mountain kind of gal like my friend D is, but this type of spelunking climbing thrills me! How D does what he does confounds me. I think he is part spider monkey...but that is a different story...

The rest of the museum was fun too with a lovely exhibit on China and the usual bubble play area. Sadly the Japan house was closed - we always love that too. And on the walk to and from the museum we marveled at the planes taking off from Logan that seemed to disappear in the clouds only to re-appear higher in the sky. And the Boston skyline is gorgeous from that side of the river. We had such a good time dodging rain drops too.

One of the many things that I am proud of with my kids is how they like to learn about new places and how different people live. It is a passion of my own, so to share that with them means a great deal. Mo adores the Great Wall of China. I have promised myself that one day I will take him there. Pickle has a thing about Paris. Likely some fairy tale image of high fashion and romance. OK, me too. We'll go there as well one day.

Oh, and Mo kicked my butt at light saber duels in "Star Wars Unleashed" on the Wii. So, very, sad.

It was an amazing weekend re-connecting with my children who are just growing up way too fast. I was sad to bring them to school today. They will be with their dad until I see them Thursday night. Mo's birthday is Saturday - he turns 8. Where did the years go? But it is weekends and moments that we shared that will slow it all down in my heart.


Here's a closing shot of them in the climb structure chasing each other. I can still hear Pickle's giggle as she dodged her brother time and again. :)

I remember great days like this with my parents. I hope they will too.