ccbella

Father-Daughter Dance

2012-02-12T12:13:00.001-05:00

dress…check!

curled hair…check!

lip gloss…check!

glitter for hair…check!

nails painted pink with glitter…check!

a little brother excited for his big sis…check!!

little brother getting special ice cream with mommy after feeling left out….check!

black high heel dress shoes….check!

freaking daddy out being so grown up with heels…..check!!

inviting a few friends over for pizza and pictures…check!!

beautiful girls inside and out! love these girls!!!

this was 5 years ago! Caroline was 2!!

now…all grown up!!!

I loved watching how excited the 2 of them got getting ready for the dance….they truly cherished this special night…danced the night away….and made some very happy memories!!!

still here….

2012-01-29T20:12:00.001-05:00

just busy.

a good busy.

my life is full busy.

and even though some things have taken a back seat,

like blogging

I’m ok with that.

Because my days are filled with so many good things.

this month i have been thinking about resolutions….

one of my resolutions this year, (Yes, I’m an over achiever…so I have more then one resolution!) is to SIMPLIFY!!!

and I have been using this wonderful online De-clutter calendar….check it out here. I printed it out and have it hanging on my fridge….it keeps me focused and i get to cross things off when I’m done….love it!!

another resolution…Step outside my comfort zone….so last week when a friend asked me to join her for a Zumba class….I usually would of said, “No way, not me!” but instead I said “why not!” I went, had fun, and can’t wait to go again!!

this month we have been non-stop skiing….the kids LOVE it!! When we get to the hill Caroline goes off to ski with her friends (and has learned the hard way that a black diamond trail is NOT a good idea!) Cooper loves finding any little bump to jump off, making great turns down the mountain, and working on getting on and off the chair by himself. They also like taking off one ski, hiking up the bunny hill, and skiing down with one ski! They ski from the moment we get on the hill until the time they shut down the chair….and I have to beg them to come in for lunch!

i have had to “let go” a lot….letting go of control with my kiddos is not an easy thing…..it first started out with Caroline wanting to go up the chair without one of us….and let me tell you…I am a nervous mom when we are skiing! But I had to put a side my fears, and let go….I knew in my head that she was ready, but my fears were filling my head with all the “what ifs”

next, she wanted to ski off with her friends. reluctantly, i let her go. She loves the freedom and I am proud of her responsible behavior…..but i think i have a few more grey hairs from all the worrying!

I love riding up the chair with them and chatting! this little guy has so much to say!!!

lots of smiles!

I was inside the lodge at this point….the kids totally outlast me….Coop decided to write “mom” in the snow…love him!

happy week everyone!

i would make an awful hockey mom…..

2011-12-29T17:47:00.001-05:00

we have been at the rink all week,

and i have been freezing!

they seem to be having fun…all smiles from Caroline!!!

she got moved up to a higher group….with a gaggle of fast skating hockey boys….

she skated her heart out…

Coop was finally old enough to take lessons and skated on 1 blade for the first time!!! He got moved up to a higher group and was DETERMINED to keep up with the big kids….he was very focused!!

they glided, learned to stop, skated backwards, and raced….

while their momma cheered them on…..

and drank horrible hot chocolate in an attempt to keep warm.

Christmas 2011 wrap-up

2011-12-26T09:15:00.001-05:00

Polar Express

ccbell the elf

Christmas village

decorating the house

cookies! cookies! cookies!

Nutcracker..a clown and a reindeer!

Breakfast with Santa

Christmas Carol with James Taylor!

a green Christmas..no snow!

wrapping party with friends

Christmas books, books, books.

shopping for the perfect gifts

Santa letters

Cooper wanting to be on the “naughty list” so that he will get coal.

Caroline asking for pencils and erasers.

Santa’s village with friends

singing Christmas songs…Silent Night and Rudolph the favorites

FAMILY

town tree lighting

Christmas Eve party!

gumdrop tower competition

cousins

Christmas pjs

reindeer dust

tree!

Christmas morning sleepy heads waiting at the stairs

new toys and pink bunny slippers

why hubby dislikes Pinterest

2011-12-19T08:48:00.001-05:00

because i find beautiful things…

and i think to myself, “ wouldn’t that be great in our foyer!!”

so…one week before Christmas….

hubby’s “to do” list has a new project on it!!

so…on top of his 2 jobs, running the biddy ball basketball program, getting sick, and the usual Holiday drama…..he built this amazing coat rack!!!!

all set for our Holiday parties!!!

Polar Express

2011-12-17T20:38:00.001-05:00

pajamas…check!

golden tickets…check!!!

a few pictures before the train arrived…..

more waiting in the train station….

finally…next stop…The North Pole!!!

the kids were so excited!!!! but still argued about which seat they wanted! and bickered about who was going to sit with who!!!

and this year it was weird…no Santa at the North Pole…so we didn’t know what the heck was going on….

so we got back on the train…..

and Santa hopped on too!!! Thank goodness!!! This year…Cooper is not afraid of Santa and will actually chat and chat….Caroline on the other hand has become very hesitant.

Nutcracker 2011

2011-12-11T20:59:00.001-05:00

here are the kiddos with Gramma right before the show….

we went from church, to basketball, to Nutcracker!!!

Cooper was a reindeer this year, just like last year.

he absolutely LOVES pulling the sleigh, and all he kept saying was that’s all he wants to be is “a reindeer pulling the real sleigh!”

until i went backstage to get him after the show….and he was so excited… “i want to be ALL the parts now momma!!”

Caroline was a clown this year!! And I don’t know what she was more happy about…being a clown or being partnered with her great friend Gianna!!! They had so much fun together!!!

the count down begins!!!

2011-12-07T14:50:00.001-05:00

we are in full swing…Christmas!!!

counting down the days with chocolate advent calenders, paper chains, Santa beards, candle advent wreathes…and this year we added a Christmas List!

*Thank you so much for all of your sweet comments, thoughts and prayers for Bella! After a very long day of waiting I was able to bring Bella home…oh the look on Caroline’s face when she got off the bus!!! The vet is not sure what is going on…we have antibiotics for infection and pain medicine to keep her comfortable…and now we wait some more to see if she recovers from all the trauma.

life is hard sometimes….

2011-12-05T12:23:00.001-05:00

i am sitting here waiting for the vet to call, we dropped bella off first thing this morning after a very rough weekend.

after 14 years, Bella took a turn for the worst.

I think what was the hardest part was sending the kids off to school, not knowing if Bella would be here when they get home.

Caroline and Bella have a special connection….when Caroline is having a rough day, Bella knows. She’ll cuddle up to Caroline and stay with her until she feels better.

she is able to soothe her, even when i can’t.

unconditional love. caroline wanted another picture of Bella…and all i see is the face of a brave little girl trying to comfort her favorite little friend.

as i wait, my heart is heavy….but still trying to stay hopeful. Wondering if its something they can fix without too much trauma.

i wait.

Hello December!!

2011-12-01T07:51:00.001-05:00

we can forget about saving for college,

we are going to have to pay for therapy.

this is what happened this morning when the elf surprised us at breakfast………….

coop is completely scared of the elf.

crazy fall

2011-11-11T20:23:00.001-05:00

the snow has finally melted here….we were VERY lucky.

towns close by were out of power for over a week, the damage was devastating, kids out of school for a week, Halloween cancelled….after our crazy summer of crazy weather (tornados, earthquake and hurricane Irene)…we were ready for the worst….and came out of the storm with only 2 feet of snow.

we have been feeling lucky for every warm sunny afternoon i can send the kids out to play….

Cooper cracks me up EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. he does hopscotch!

tongue out, jumpy legs, crazy arms…full body motion!

so in addition to the crazy weather, back to school, hubby working his 2nd job as a college professor at night……i went on an interview…..and after 7 amazing years of being lucky enough to be a stay at home mom…..i am now back to work.

after the initial shock of it all…because it really happened so fast…one minute i’m working on my resume, the next minute i was looking for an interview outfit….and then 2 hours after i interviewed i was accepting the position….i woke up the next morning thinking….this is the next chapter of my life….bitter sweet….having both kids in school was a BIG adjustment for me…and now i’m no longer a stay at home mom.

and because i am not very good at handling change….i have lost a LOT of sleep.

but what has gotten me through it all…..this wonderful proud feeling…that i have for myself, that my hubby has complete confidence in me, and how EXCITED the kids are for me….

my cup runneth over.

i am starting to feel less overwhelmed….and more excited.

counting my blessings that things seem to be falling into place.

the other day, as i was sitting in my office….which just happens to be in my kiddos’ school (how LUCKY am i!!!)……i felt so content.

no matter how crazy…change is good.

Trick or Treat 2011

2011-11-01T07:43:00.001-04:00

an eventful night!!

hubby and the kids were on the news AGAIN!!! our favorite reporter, Julie, came back!!! check it out HERE. look for the witch and Scooby!!! and they filmed our house too!!!

a minor costume malfunction…but a few pins did the trick! and we had to add on another layer…cause it was freezing!!! and boots…cause there was snow!!!!

First things first…. i let them have a treat first…carrot cake cupcakes for an afterschool snack!

and our orange dinner!

and away we go to our festive neighbors house!!

she is a teacher who gives out candy AND pencils…the kids love that!!!

through the snow…

one of my favorite houses….

Snow in October!!

2011-10-31T09:17:00.001-04:00

the kids and hubby had their 5 seconds of fame…when the Fox news crew came to report about our crazy snow storm…we got over a foot…almost 2 feet of snow!!!!

i can’t seem to figure out how to post a video…but i can link it!!!

check out Fox News Here

Cooper…trying out his interviewing skills…

and then it was inside for hot chocolate

and carving pumpkins!

the kids get totally grossed out by it!!!

a few Halloween crafts…thanks Scarlet for the great idea!!!! we tissue papered a couple of baby jars to make candle holders.

a few painted pumpkins inspired by Meg over at Whatever.

all set for tonight…should be interesting…Trick or Treat in the SNOW!!!!

1st snow

2011-10-28T08:35:00.001-04:00

8:33am

took us a few minutes to get the winter gear out.

the kids are in snow heaven!

hubby is looking for the sleds.

I’m going to enjoy a second cup of coffee by the fire.

Saving our pennies

2011-10-20T07:45:00.001-04:00

the kids asked for chores!!

so we tried out a chore list to see how they would do…..and they loved it!!!

i wanted to come up with 10 chores each week….and one extra to earn .25 for a church project.

Make Bed….i expect them to make their bed right when they get up…5 times in a week…they have 2 days they don’t have to….i think once they get in the routine of doing this i will faze it out of the chore list and just expect them to have this done every morning.

Dust….i let them each pick one room in the house….i hide 10 pennies…and as they look for the pennies they dust….this way they dust in all the right places and they think its fun!!

Basket Pick-Up….at the bottom of the stairs they each have their own basket (for me to put things that need to go upstairs) When i call for a “basket pick-up!” they get their basket and go around the house looking for their stuff they they left out, they need to then bring it upstairs and put the stuff away…they can fill in the circle when the basket is returned to the stairs empty.

I also leave a blank chore…for during the week when i ask them to do something….clean off the bathroom sink, match socks, empty the dishwasher.

after i knew the written chore list would work i typed one up….so now all i have to do is print one out each week.

the first week went great, second week…not so great.

i was ready to forget the whole thing because i had to nag them to finish their chores….but i am finding that they are highly motivated by this system, if i can just keep my cool and use gentle reminders…and they are saving EVERY $1.

every penny, nickel and dime is going towards…..can you guess???

they decorated their “banks” with Mickey Mouse stickers….we are planning our first trip to DISNEY in the spring….so exciting!

so…fellow bloggers…any advice? where to stay? what not to miss? what to miss? I have started research for this trip and i am totally overwhelmed by all the information!!! I would love to know what worked for your family…..

this and that

2011-10-18T20:14:00.001-04:00

this is a group of pictures that has taken WAY too long to get on the wall….beach pictures from last years trip to the Outer Banks and Charleston in the spring.

i am in awe that my blue hydrangeas are now green and wine color…perfect fall flowers.

i am trying to decide what color to paint this bench….i am thinking a turquoise color to brighten up the navy dining room…..

we are crazy about fried eggplant around here…eggplant parm, eggplant lasagna, and even right out of the pan with a little salt and pepper…yum!

we are having an amazing fall…..the kids are still wearing shorts! and last weekend we went to the Cape and we were on the beach…in October!!!

the kids had a half day a couple weeks ago…so we decided to go to one of our favorite spots…..Naumkeag

the kids got right to work on a couple of fairy gardens…while i enjoyed the view.

we even did the house tour….AMAZING!

and lastly i leave you with this….our shower walls.

Happy Fall everyone!

Hello

2011-10-05T08:28:00.001-04:00

anybody out there???

what is going on??? now that the 2 kids are off to school….i have more time for myself….but i can’t seem to come up with one interesting blog post.

I'm in limbo…my days are pretty boring.

i clean…..finally got around to cleaning out my closest, my car,the kids’ rooms…the junk drawer is even organized….actually ALL the drawers in the house are organized….Boring.

i eat….totally emotionally eating these days….I'm surprised I'm not eating right now.

i shop….yup….i can get a lot of shopping done when i don’t have the kiddos with me….i have already started the Christmas shopping…i know right….crazy.

you might even be saying….this girl needs a job…i know…..i really do! is there a job out there that involves shopping, cleaning and blogging???

the kids??? they are great….

Cooper is loving soccer, Kindergarten, and learning how to tie his shoes!!

Caroline is loving Irish Step class, soccer, and wiggling all her loose teeth!

Cooper’s 1st day of K

2011-09-01T11:58:00.001-04:00

i am a big mess typing this post,

everything blurry…. from the tears,

and the knot in my stomach,

ache in my heart.

oh the drama!!!

this guy is off to Kindergarten!!!

hubby took the day off to watch both kiddos get on the bus…..

and to help me get through the day.

i am a wreck.

i have been emotionally eating for ~~weeks~~ days!

i have even had crazy thoughts of wanting another baby!!!

Caroline being so grown up, excited for her little brother!!

he kissed us goodbye…

and never looked back.

i need more tissues…..and a drink…..with some chocolate cake.

Caroline’s 1st Day of 2nd Grade

2011-08-31T17:44:00.001-04:00

i’m not a fan of “back to school”,

but they seem to be ready,

even if i’m not.

all smiles,

excited,

“a bit nervous, but more excited,” said Cooper.

waiting for the bus,

a beautiful, sunny morning.

Caroline’s 1st day as a 2nd grader,

she gets a locker,

and is on the 2nd floor of the building..with the big kids.

Cooper and i waved goodbye as the bus went up the street,

he was so excited,

because now it was his turn to FINALLY check out his

Kindergarten classroom!!!

he gets to go ALL day,

he has his own cubby,

he is SO READY to get on the big yellow school bus tomorrow morning……even if i’m not ready.

Boston on the cheap

2011-08-22T12:08:00.001-04:00

last on our summer list…..Trip to Boston to visit Uncle Brian!!!

we love the city!!!

so much to see, so much to do!!!

did you know that Target sponsors $1 Friday night admission to the Children’s Museum?? We knew it was going to be a zoo but we couldn’t pass it up…..we went from 5-7pm and flew through the whole museum….when we left there was still a line out the door….

1st thing the next morning we headed downtown,

a quick hello to the harbor seals at the aquarium,

and we hopped on the city’s boat ferry

for a great view of the city!!!

and for $1.70 each, kids free, it took us across the harbor to the USS Constitution!!

one happy little boy!!!

did i mention there was free admission onto the ship????

just make sure you bring your picture ID…its an active navy ship and security is tight! we found this out the hard way…i forgot my ID and had to spend a ~~nice quiet~~ hour by myself in the visitors center…while the kids explored the ship.

so i put hubby in charge of picture taking and he got this great one of coop putting the flag up!

next we started walking the freedom trail…and man the city was hot!!!!

next stop…. the Bunker Hill Memorial

up 295 steps….and down 295 steps,

after lunch at Joe’s Bar & Grill, and a round of delicious frozen mudslides we headed to the Greenway’s water fountains to cool off!!!

last stop….Red Bull was sponsoring a cliff diving competition off of the ICA building into the harbor…..

what??!!!

pretty crazy!!!

our day ended back at Uncle Brian’s house, ordering take-out, and early bedtimes for two tired kiddos!!!

Bash Bish Falls

2011-08-07T18:31:00.001-04:00

what a difference a year makes…last year this hike was so difficult for these guys…3/4 of a mile was a LONG way for them….last years hike….looking back at last years post, i can’t believe how much the kids have grown!!!

we hiked, we held hands,

cooper ran,

caroline skipped,

we took in the view,

explored the rocks,

i took a million pictures

it was a great family day…

a day i hope the kids will look back on and feel special about…that we cherished the time…family time….and years from now they will still look forward to our family adventures…and not be totally embarrassed to be with us….i can only hope.

the calm part of the stream was so peaceful,

cooper fell in…..even after we warned him a million times about the slippery rocks…..but he was having WAY too much fun.

and had to ride home “naked, naked!”

apparently naked is with underwear, naked naked is with out!

zip

2011-08-06T19:35:00.001-04:00

i didn't always have a fear of heights....when i was 18 i went skydiving with my dad...i don't remember being scared...just super excited.

in my 20s i bungee jumped, rock climbed, and went white water rafting....again...no fear, just excitement,

fast forward to the present, and i get nervous just standing on a ladder.

and this makes me so mad...this unexplainable fear that i didn't have before....but i am determined not to let it stop me.

For Rob's birthday this year i surprised him with a zip line tour.

he had a smile on his face the whole time!!!

here he is hanging out at the top of one of the platforms, actually hanging off the edge!!

i was practically hugging the tree....i wasn't going to go anywhere near the edge.

it was a 3 hour tour...11 zip lines and 2 rope bridges.
the first 3 zips i think i held my breath the whole time,
but little by little i got more comfortable.

all smiles!

i realized that i loved the zip lining, flying through the trees, the faster the better!!!

it was being up high on these platforms that made my knees feel like jello.

i have been trying to include a video....but i am having major problems.....lets see if this works...

Splash!!

2011-08-03T07:09:00.001-04:00

guess what cooper learned this summer????

First…he learned how to swim!!! he was showing his Aunt one day in the water…. “Look Aunt Jen, i can float!!”

she took one look at him and said, “Cooper, your swimming!! see if you can swim to the ladder???”

and he did. just like that. he was swimming.

this week

he jumped off the dock!!

you see….this little guy was very determined.

the rule on the dock…you have to wear a life jacket until you can jump off and swim to shore….but jumping into the deep water was a bit scary for him.

but he is one of the youngest cousins…and the fact that EVERYONE else didn’t have to wear a life jacket was killing him.

he is SO proud of himself!

if you met Cooper today…he would tell you, “I can jump OFF the DOCK!!!!”

and he’ll show you….over, and over, and over again!!!

Today…

this little guy turns 5

and its freaking me out.

i was going to have a Birthday post filled with baby pictures, but i found myself sobbing….

how did 5 years go by SO fast?

love this guy with all my heart!

a summer hike

2011-08-01T07:43:00.001-04:00

what a difference from a year ago….when Cooper’s little legs wouldn’t go very far,

this year he ran the trail!

i still haven’t posted about events that happened a month ago, blogging has definitely taken a back seat this summer….i’m ok with that.

after church last week we decided on a hike through Kennedy Park in Lenox….it was a great hike!!!

we explored

we stopped for snacks

we held hands

we chatted with each other…and other hikers

and had a picnic at the top.

big girl bed

2011-07-28T08:43:00.001-04:00

when we bought a 3 family home in South Boston…it was filled with more trash then treasure…..except for this bed we found in the basement.

and i knew it could be something special

so….10 years, 2 kids, and 3 houses later….we finally had a plan for it!!! Caroline’s 7th Birthday!!!

here is her room before….

when we snuggled in her bed i would feel like falling out.

Ta Da!!! a new bed for our big girl!!! amazing what a little paint will do…..and a lot less stuffed animals!!!

i made this pillow using her old baby pajamas…that i just couldn’t part with….

hope everyone is surviving the summer!!!!

summer so far…..

2011-07-13T09:51:00.001-04:00

has been amazing, wonderful, great!!!!!

parades!

cousins!!

lemon berry cake…yum!

endless blue sky, amazing summer weather!!!

kayaking

swimming at the lake!!!

community day at Jacob’s Pillow!!!

has to be one of my favorite places to go….the inside/out stage…to watch amazing dance performances!!!

summer storms rolling in……

we are packing our days with so much summer fun!!!!

fish, muffins and painting

2011-07-06T08:01:00.001-04:00

the kids have been wanting fish REALLY bad…..so i made them work for it…..to stop the fighting,bickering,screaming in the car i made them a deal….2 points for every good car ride….we kept track with a little clip board…..100 points got them a trip to the pet store…..

meet Finny and Bubbles

unfortunately….Bubbles only lasted 3 weeks….so its back to the pet store we go…ugh!

i saw this great baking idea in a family magazine….the one that i got to read for 2 minutes during the kiddos’ dentist appointments last week

i put out all of the ingredients…from chocolate chips to flax seed

each kiddo got a mini muffin pan, i placed plain muffin batter in the pans for them and left the rest up to them!!!

they tried all different kinds of combinations!!!

as they made each muffin they made a picture of each one, listing all the ingredients they put in.

we learned that applesauce in large amounts makes the muffins soggy.

the kids learned they liked flax seed, carrot and sunflower seeds!!

and they still don’t like strawberries…even baked in a muffin.

our plan for rainy days….get out the paints!!!! the kids had a blast learning about Jackson Pollock…..we researched a bit online and then i let them at it!!!

in the garage of course

with washable paint :)

they splattered

dribbled

mixed

and did this all with very little fighting!!!

Goose

2011-07-05T07:56:00.001-04:00

packed up the kids, the kayaks, and a picnic

and headed to Goose Pond

to go from Lower Goose to Upper Goose we had to paddle through a mini river.

we stopped at the island on Upper Goose for our picnic

there was no fighting, no whining, no fussing, no bickering, no screaming, and no tantrums……

i didn’t want the trip to end.

it was so peaceful and quiet

and all i saw was smiling faces.

the boys even gave us a tow when our arms got tired….nice!

we are already planning our next adventure!!

Forest Park

2011-07-01T08:29:00.001-04:00

we took this crew to Forest Park

had a wonderful picnic, played on the playground and enjoyed the zoo!!!

every animal pen had a “i may bite” sign.

the bear one read, “i bite” enough said.

Cooper’s favorite of course…the bunnies!

this camel was a little too friendly!!!

our animals….

and we ended the day at the splash park

great kids,

great mommy chit chat,

great weather,

great day!!

The Clark

2011-06-28T08:49:00.001-04:00

The Clark Art Museum…..has the best family day!!!

this year the theme was artist Pissarro, last year it was Picasso.

first up…..horse rides!!

stilt walking!!!

we all tried our hand at self portraits….the kids loved this mini art lesson, really listened to the teacher and put so much effort into it!! I loved seeing the focus…..

and how they gazed at their features in the mirror….

they designed clay pots…

and little acorn people…

aprons…

and little journal books….

there was a petting zoo

and these wonderful chickens!!

there was food,

a hay maze,

music and puppets,

and after 4 hours we ended the day in the hay pile

until Caroline found a bug crawling on her…

and we were out of there fast!

Summer living

2011-06-27T07:32:00.001-04:00

one of my favorite spots for a picnic…our last visit was way back in 2009….i can’t believe its been so long since our last visit!

the summer cottage of the Choate family…Naumkeag

an amazing shingle style home…with 44 rooms!

now thats summer living!!

the moon gate leaving the Chinese garden

the rose garden

a special seat at the end of the walking garden path

and the kids’ favorite…the cascading water fountain

Caroline’s Dance Recital 2011

2011-06-24T07:26:00.001-04:00

this year Caroline took ballet/jazz

smiles before the show!

a big sigh of relief…i get so nervous for her….she is Not nervous at all…just so excited..i love that!

and this is the first year she didn’t cry when i did her hair….i’m just glad we didn’t need to put it up in a bun…she has been growing her hair all year….just for recital.

check out her past recitals…it doesn’t seem possible that she has been dancing for 4 years! 2010, 2009, 2008

the circus is in town!!!

2011-06-23T09:17:00.001-04:00

Nani surprised the kiddos last Friday with tickets to the circus…they were so excited!!!

Cooper really loved it…but he sat like this the whole time because he is not good with loud places….i think we’ll need to invest in some ear protectors for when we take him to the Monster Trucks!

the clowns were great!!

the trapeze artists were awesome!!!

but i have such mixed feelings about the whole circus animals….i am in awe of elephants and deep down i believe they need to be out in the wild where they belong.

but then i see how much fun the kids have getting to ride one!!!

Cooper’s favorite…the guy getting shot out of the cannon…..crazy!!

the kids’ favorite…the supergirl, pink poodle!!!!

First Day….Last Day!

2011-06-20T08:34:00.001-04:00

oh my goodness……

here is a picture from the First Day of school back in August!!!

and today….the last!!!

i can’t put into words how amazing it is to see your little one growing up…how fast a year goes by…in a blink.

first grade done.

what’s new??

2011-06-16T08:34:00.001-04:00

i thought i would share a few new things around the house!!

a few new ideas for our chalkboard door that i copied from a creative blogger….i would love to give credit where credit is due…but i can’t seem to track down the post i stole this from!!

On a daily basis we use this door to write down our favorite sayings and our weekly menu….

Now i have added little notes to the kiddos, counting down the days till school ends, and my favorite….I start a story and they finish it!!! i dictate for Cooper…who could write a novel with all of his wonderful ideas!!!

new lanterns for the screened in porch.

trying to get his knee back in shape after surgery….hubby and cooper are enjoying their new favorite activity together!!

new shoes for momma….i think i had a pair of these in the 80s!

we just started our new summer list!!! more is getting added to it every day…bring on the fun!!!

new toy for hubby….he just couldn’t wait till Father’s Day! In our house i am in charge of the pictures and he is in charge of videoing the family, but our old video camera was so ancient and it was such a pain to carry it around….this one is not only small but its waterproof…very cool.

our new favorite treats…oh yummmm!!! quick and easy blondies found here and the badest (apparently not a real word) brownies in the world found here….you have been warned.

what’s new around your house???

just a peek

2011-06-14T11:46:00.001-04:00

just a peek at Caroline’s recital costume…..pretty jazzy!!!

Monday

2011-06-13T08:50:00.001-04:00

Monday, Monday

the last full week of school

a gazillion things to do

and here i sit procrastinating.

there are teachers’ gifts to get,

school party treats to make,

birthday parties to plan,

Father’s day goodies to organize,

and then there is always the laundry, meal planning, grocery shopping, and cleaning….

time to make a list!

and tackle it!!

but first I’m going for my walk!

after i read a few blogs,

and have another cup of coffee,

and read the newspaper out on the porch.

and maybe watch a little Curious George with my little man Coop.

so i’m keeping my fingers crossed this post goes through…or my procrastination will be a total failure…..Blogger has been completely frustrating….

our new favorite dinner place

2011-06-07T19:51:00.001-04:00

not a bad way to end the day…

a kayak trip…our first of the season.

we paddled over to our local beach and had a picnic dinner….nothing fancy…just sandwiches and snacks…

and then paddled over to the next beach for a swim.

hello co-pilot Cooper!!! I loved how he talked to me the whole time, with his hand dangling over the side to touch the water…not a worry in the world…..

allergies

2011-06-06T08:20:00.001-04:00

pollen has been really bad this season…..but my only problem with it ….is that its all over our outside furniture….this bright yellow green that i have to wipe off anytime we want to sit outside.

there has been lots of sneezing, rubbing eyes, complaining of headaches….but not me.

this season i have developed a new allergy….it seems that I’m allergic to exercise.

you see….for the past month I have been trying to take the hour that I usually blog with and trying to go for a walk….sometimes even a pathetic attempt at a jog.

but my body completely rejects any form of exercise….I get home exhausted…..never getting that “high” everyone talks about.

I have swallowed bugs

tripped on my own two feet

barked at and chased by dogs

and then there are the little critters that rustle in the tall grass as i run by…i have no idea if its a snake or chipmunk….I’m too SCARED to even look back.

and then there is Main Street in town that everyone drives by….where i’m trying not to look ridiculous…but its the ONLY flat road around…and i’m not a fan of hills.

and i have lost zero pounds….zero ounces for that matter…and the shorts are still a bit snug.

but that might have something to do with the fact that at the end of the walk/jog….Cooper wants to stop at the coffee shop for a treat….and did i mention that as i am pushing him in the stroller he talks and asks questions…CONSTANTLY….and its very hard to talk when i’m gasping for air.

i realize the pictures have NOTHING to do with my rant….but i couldn’t have a pictureless post…..these are from our weekend visit to a nearby nature park that had a family day event.

its amazing that no one fell into the pond.

Happy week everyone!!!

Hello Spring!!

2011-05-26T08:57:00.001-04:00

finally!

and the rain has finally stopped…and everything is so green!

as i read other blogs…i am amazed that everyone is already talking about summer…..but here in the Northeast we are still in Spring mode….slowly coming out of hibernation after a long winter.

kids are not out of school until June 20th here…i am savoring every minute till…you see…these are the last days that I have Cooper home with me….so bitter sweet…as he goes through Kindergarten orientation and is full of excitement….I am watching him grow up right before my eyes…….and the days of being home with my kiddos is coming to an end….I will be a basket case in August when i put them both on the bus.

but for now… we are enjoying our mornings together….early morning walks in the yard to check out the flowers, walks to the coffee shop, running errands, baking, cleaning, laundry….he is right by my side at all times….being so helpful, asking a gazillion questions, singing silly songs..i can’t even imagine my mornings without him!

my favorite flower….lily of the valley…we will be going outside today to pick the last of it.

the lilacs have finally bloomed

and we’ll be heading to the greenhouse this weekend to get our summer flowers.

when it rains….

2011-05-20T07:41:00.001-04:00

yes..pouring here…all week…ugh.

and i haven’t been blogging..because life took over…i was not in control anymore….

so as i complain for a bit, please enjoy pics from the kiddos’ gymnastic show…they were fabulous!!!

so where should i start???…3 weeks ago i went to the doctors because of a blocked ear….blocked for over a week but i just kept thinking that one yawn was going to unblock it….

only to find out that its an ear infection…and as the doctor leaves the room, “I’m just going to get another doctor to take a look..” not what i wanted to hear…or kind of hear in my case.

so 2nd doctor came in and they had a long conversation…like i wasn’t there…only thing i heard was that i wasn’t going to get my hearing back for maybe 6 weeks????? great. and they want me to come back in 2 weeks…great.

and for the next 10 days i had to take 2 gigantic pills 2X day….i’m such a wimp.

in the last 2 weeks i had 2 unwanted dentist appointments…ugh.

i am not a good dentist patient, it was traumatic, but i was not allowed to cry because Cooper sat in my lap the whole time, fascinated by it all. “your getting a shot in your mouth momma??? thats a really big shot!!!” I was a wreck.

after the last appointment, i dropped cooper at school, went home and went to bed…covers dramatically covering my head!

and lastly…hubby had knee surgery…everything went great, recovery well until the other day…..and might i add, i have a weak stomach when it comes to blood and anything medical…on the 4th day of recovery his knee wasn’t looking so great and he was in a bit of pain…..

after taking a quick looksy, my stomach did a flip flop….he needed to go back to the doctors.

tired of me complaining?

i feel better already.

back to the show….this girlie cracks me up!

she has been practicing all her moves like crazy.

and man….can she jump!!!

so…..gymnastics over,

tennis and soccer started,

ballet recital soon,

hubby is healing and slowly limping around,

and my hearing is slowly coming back.

Tea

2011-05-14T07:40:00.001-04:00

a new tradition

Caroline and i brought Gramma to a Mother’s Day Tea at Ventford Hall….a Berkshire “summer cottage” that is being restored.

caroline had a busy day…soccer, gymnastics, and tennis.

having some “girl time” was so nice!

Caroline spots her dance teacher from the Nutcracker taking pictures before the show.

2 local dance company’s performed 10 mini dances.

after the show we were treated to a wonderful Tea! I am wishing I took more pictures….but i was trying to take it all in!!!

can’t wait for next year!

Happy Mother’s Day!!

2011-05-09T07:32:00.001-04:00

for the past few years…2010, 2009, 2008…my wish on Mother’s Day is a visit to the Botanical Garden after church.

i was spoiled in the morning…breakfast in bed, endless homemade cards (my favorite!!) and flowers!

after church we headed to the gardens

my favorite spot to take pictures of the kids!!!

the garden had an exhibit of treehouses that were made by local designers….treehouse#1….not really a house in a tree but we liked it anyways!

treehouse #2 my favorite!

once inside…this is the view when you look up!!

the kids running to the next treehouse #3

treehouse #4 the kids’ favorite

tree house #5 least favorite…there were bees ;)

the children’s garden is amazing….a wishing tree, water pump, pebble pool, a solar powered water fountain…so magical, so fun for the kids to explore.

Caroline’s wish “ I wish for two dogs. I wish for a garden like this.”

family shot!!!

there is an amazing herb garden….i think i have the only 4 year old who is obsessed with lemon balm;)

I could spend all day taking pictures of the flowers.

and taking pictures of the kids….i didn’t even need skittles to bribe them to smile!!!

we had a picnic lunch

played frisbee

explored!

i think we could of stayed all day…..Cooper, “can we see all the tree houses again???”

love that they enjoyed it as much as i did!

Renewing our Vows

2011-05-02T08:34:00.002-04:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

a few more pictures from vacation

2011-04-29T08:55:00.001-04:00

our last day…it rained.

so we hit the market to do a little shopping and the candy store for some pralines.

the streets of Charleston flood….because the city is at sea level.

funny that this is the only picture i took of our trolley ride where Cooper is smiling…not so funny at the time, because he was a monster….whining, whining, whining….about EVERYTHING.

until i said he needed to shut his mouth or the trolley driver will kick us off…yes, i really did say it.

you see…this little boy has been a bit challenging….stepping it up a bit, he has learned how to bug caroline like only a little brother can, talking back….and when we travel, he gets homesick. homesick=cranky cooper.

we explored The Battery

and Waterfront Park before heading back to the condo to pack up…BOO :(

a sneak peek of my next post…i saved the best for last.

On the water….

2011-04-28T07:46:00.001-04:00

how about this for a perfect day….

* met up with friends downtown for breakfast at Toast…oh man, yum! a must stop if you are in Charleston! One day there will be a visit WITHOUT the kiddos and it will be all about the “Bottomless Mimosas!”

* met up with friends for an afternoon boat ride….sunny skies, on a river somewhere in South Carolina, endless snacks and a cooler of beer.

* and the kids’ favorite….dinner at Chuck-E-Cheese.

two thumbs up from Coop is a great thing!!!

* our next adventure out on the water was a day they said it was going to rain so we skipped the beach….. for a water taxi ride over to Patriots Point…for a cheap fare you can get all day rides on the taxi….a great way to see the Cooper River! We never saw rain…just sunny skies and in the 80s!!

the captain does a great job finding the dolphins….

our first stop was the submarine….my kids will forever remember it as the “hot and smelly submarine.”

and then we spent hours on the aircraft carrier….exploring EVERY inch! From the engine room to the galley the kids loved exploring!

did i mention that it was hot??? really hot….at least for us Yankees…my kids were melting by the minute.

“The Edge of America” Folly Beach, SC

2011-04-26T08:58:00.001-04:00

over 400 beach pictures….here are just a few!!!

we had amazing weather

most days we were the first ones on the beach

lots of castle making

we found this little guy in the tidal pools at low tide

lots of wave jumping!!

i always catch caroline dancing on the beach

folly beach pier

see you next year folly beach!!

Hello Monday!!!

2011-04-25T10:14:00.001-04:00

hope you can follow this post…..we rolled into our driveway on Saturday at 11:30 at night, after driving almost 17 hours, back home after a week in Charleston, SC.

i still need to download a gazillion pictures from vacation…so you will get Easter pictures before our vacation pictures.

this was Coop at the end of the day yesterday…….not a happy camper….we put him to bed at 6:45….and he was asleep at 6:46…and slept for 12 hours.

rewind 20 hours

after tucking the kids into bed around midnight, we stashed the Easter baskets and hid the eggs for the morning before crashing ourselves.

we did not tell the kids it was going to be Easter the next morning…hoping for a few extra minutes of sleep.

this was Caroline’s face when we told her it was Easter….she was so cute about it, and kept shaking her head in disbelief.

lots of coffee and jelly beans later…we were ready for church.

we were so excited to see the sun….we were told there was snow on the ground the day before.

after an AMAZING church service we found the Easter Bunny…Yippeee!!!

so…here i sit….typing and procrastinating….Caroline off to school and Cooper checking out his Easter loot…….my “to do” list is a bit long….hoping to get a lot done today!! Happy Monday everyone!

2011-04-14T08:55:00.001-04:00

ever have one of those days

where you feel like a total failure at this parenting thing???

that was yesterday for me.

Caroline and i got in a huge fight

over nothing really.

she had her heart set on taking Cooper’s backpack to bring HER stuff for vacation…because it had more pockets…..even though she has 3 backpacks to choose from, she wanted HIS.

A full tantrum erupted…. “your a mean mommy!!” “this is so unfair!!” “I don’t want to live here anymore!!” awful things were just flying out of her mouth….her little body was just FULL of anger.

and of course i yelled back…..because when i told her to go to her room….she didn’t.

So i yelled some more. And mean things were flying out of my mouth.

and i have a knot in my stomach just thinking about it…because i don’t want to yell, i don’t want to be this angry mom, and i know better.

i can be better.

you see…Caroline is my intense child, EVERY decision is difficult, she over thinks everything, and becomes very overwhelmed, cooperation and compromise are not easy for her. In our family dynamics she NEEDS lots of attention, she NEEDS constant reassurance, she NEEDS us to stay calm and talk her through situations.

most days we give her as much as we can, and sometimes its never enough.

i know that i not only have to love her,

i have to love her FIERCELY.

for the FIRST time, after a very long time-out in her room, she came to me and said she was ready to talk. This was a big deal.

you see, after a fight/argument she has very little remorse and she never wants to apologize. But yesterday she curled up in my lap and was able to look me in my eyes…and we talked….and we cried….and we talked some more.

Spring in New England

2011-04-07T09:04:00.001-04:00

On Monday i put away all the snowsuits, snow pants and boots….Mother Nature didn’t like that……it was a balmy 50 degrees when i put Caroline on the bus in the morning and by the time i picked her up in the afternoon it was 30 degrees and snowing!

i am keeping the shovel out…we have had blizzards in April and i’m not taking any chances.

yesterday almost hit 50 degrees….the kids headed straight outside afterschool.

i went out to look for some color….this was the only flower crazy enough to grow…i think it has been covered with snow 3 times this April.

when its not snowing…its raining…cold, dreary rain.

which means the schools are still filled with germs and viruses.

this week we have been fighting fevers and earaches….and i am constantly taking their temperature….i’m a little neurotic when it comes to thermometers…i have one that takes forever to register but its the most accurate (the kids don’t like this one of course), i have one that registers in 30 seconds but is not so accurate, and then we have an ear one that i can’t figure out.

and i signed my little buddy up for Kindergarten last night…..he has decided NOT to stay at home with me forever….he can’t wait and is SO ready….me, i’m totally not ready to send my baby to school….i have a knot in my stomach just thinking about it!

Do you consign??

2011-04-04T12:07:00.001-04:00

for the past 4 years i have consigned the kids’ clothes and toys.

2 local organizations hold HUGE consignment sales…spring and fall…each sale is a 4 day event. Thursday, everyone checks in their items, Friday is the pre-sale for the volunteers, Saturday is the sale, and Sunday everything is marked down 50%!!

so..for the past 2 weeks i have been washing, hanging, tagging and itemizing over 200 items to sell….its a lot of work but a wonderful event!

i not only get rid of all the clothes they outgrow, but i earn 70% of what sells, and the other 30% is donated to each organization…AND if i volunteer to help with the sale i get a ticket to the pre-sale…and do a little shopping myself!!! When cooper was born i bought a Pottery Barn crib for $100, this year i found him almost new Keen sandals for $8!

this year along with the clothes and baby toys, i will be consigning our strollers…which is a little sad to me…no more babies to push :( but on the other hand…no more strollers to lug around!! :)

out with the old…and in with the new!!!

dining room make over

2011-03-30T16:25:00.002-04:00

so…shall we start at the beginning! I took this picture during a walk through….when we decided to move we went from neighborhood to neighborhood with our realtor….we knew we wanted an old house, walking distance to a downtown area. We immediately fell in love with one street, which was actually in the same neighborhood as our realtor. Knowing that the owners of this house tried to sell a couple years ago…she decided to ask them if they were still interested in selling…yes!! there were!!! for the right price of course!!!
they used this room as their den or TV room, not in the picture off to the right was a HUGE big screen…and the floors were painted red, walls yellow,weird border and green velvet curtains!

the ceiling had some water damage….this should of been a warning for us……

oh my goodness!!! look at the colors!!! so the first thing we did was re-finish the floors…what a difference!!! the door on the left goes to the front foyer and the door on the right goes to the living room…and yes the living room was half painted pink and half wallpapered.

and then we painted….EVERYTHING!!! we had our whole family helping us paint before the movers came with our stuff….i think when it was time to paint the dining room, my father and father-in-law were ready to paint one morning but i didn’t have a color yet….so i took the left over sage green from Caroline’s room and they went to work!!! We had the chandelier moved and voila…this room became our dining room….and the dining room became the playroom…are ya following???

Before:

During:

my inspiration…our white wedding dishes, an embroidered runner, and blue antique dishes.

oh…i heart blue!

it took forever to trim…2 windows, 4 doorways and a paneled ceiling! and of course along the way there were lots of repairs…to the trim and the ceiling…lots of character in this old house…lots of character!
please excuse the horrible pictures…i haven’t a clue how to take indoor pictures with out a flash that washes everything out.
After:
we went with navy walls and white trim. still need to find a rug.
still have to paint the door below…that one goes to one of the porches.

we still have yet to put up the last of the pictures…a mirror will go up above the table here….when we have holiday dinners the side table is set up too.

the Hancock furniture was handed down to us from hubby’s family….

still a work in progress….but good enough for now!!! right after i took these pictures i started filling up the dining room table with stuff for our vacation to the beach!! I don’t know why the dining room table becomes “packing central” but in the next couple of weeks, when ever i get a spare 5 minutes I’ll keep adding more stuff to the table…piles of clothes, towels, travel snacks, beach stuff…you know…we bring it all!!!

Monday Love

2011-03-21T09:17:00.001-04:00

we are loving this song...posted over at Nie Nie
cooper likes the dirt bike part, Caroline likes the ballerina
i love the message
don't forget to click off the blog music at the bottom!!

and our new favorite cookie....Irish Lace

1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 Tbsp flour
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup old fashioned oats

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cream butter and sugar, add vanilla, flour and oats.
3. Drop batter by small spoonfulls onto baking sheet, 6 per pan.
4. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until cookies are flat and brown around the edges.
5. Cool on pan for a couple of minutes....cookies are so yummy when they are warm!!

i would post a picture but i seem to be having technical difficulties!!! ughhh!!!!
and shall i mention that it's SNOWING!!!

Irish Eyes are Smiling!

2011-03-17T12:55:00.001-04:00

the leprechaun came last night…..and filled their shoes with treasures!

Cooper and i got right to work on a special treat!!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!!

Rainbow!!!

2011-03-15T09:13:00.001-04:00

the kids decided that they needed a rainbow if the leprechaun was going to visit…..so out came the roll of paper!!!

i can’t remember what they were saying in this next picture but i know they were bickering about something.

and then i let them at the pile of old magazines that i am throwing out…..

and adding them to our rainbow……we totally needed this burst of color to brighten the gray/rainy days we have been having.

if you have little ones who love art projects check out Dani’s blog Pineapple Paintbrushes…she is posting an online kid’s art class….but only posting the classes for 2 days after she posts them….or you can purchase the whole course as well……her classes are so amazing and i only wish we lived next door!!

a March ramble.

2011-03-12T19:48:00.001-05:00

i am not a fan of March.

way too long, lots of rain, and everything is BROWN.

here are a few pictures i took back in January…when i still liked winter…..enjoy while i ramble for a bit.

* my painting project is taking FOREVER. it took me ALL week to paint just the ceiling….hoping to make better progress this week!!

* 40 bags in 40 days update….i have cleaned out my closet and the kids’ rooms….i think i could clean out their rooms every week and still get bags to throw out….why do they have to keep EVERYTHING……every sticker, every box, every trinket, every paper….my plan is to revisit their rooms when they are at school.

* my car is going to be swallowed up by the potholes this spring.

* i feel guilty for even complaining…there are no words for the devastation over in Japan….the enormity of it all totally freaks me out.

* this week i was daydreaming online about living here.

* and then there is the constant WORRY…the kind of worry that keeps me from sleeping at night. Caroline is an average student but i fear that because she is a well mannered, quiet student…she gets overlooked, and unchallenged, and placed in groups to be a “role model” student. Underachieving students are entitled to extra help and support, overachieving students are invited to “special” groups to join…..but what is the public school system doing to engage MY child??….i want the very best for her….and i worry when other people don’t see her POTENTIAL!

* i just finished reading “Pillars of the Earth” by Ken Follett, over 900 page novel…..i might not pick up anther book for awhile….

* can’t wait for St. Patrick’s Day….the kids love the idea of a leprechaun…..they will place a pair of their shoes outside their bedroom door to have the leprechaun fill them with new socks and gold coins….does anyone have any special tricks/customs/traditions for this day?? i saw someone in bloggy land made rainbow waffles…how cool!

did i mention how much i dislike March???

i’m ignoring you

2011-03-08T09:07:00.001-05:00

so sorry

but i’m ignoring the kiddos and hubby as well.

thats what happens when i start reading a book, i can’t put it down until i finish. I’m 700 pages in and i have circles under my eyes from staying up late.

and then there is that little project we started….i was never a fan of painting ceilings….and now I’m really not a fan of painting paneled ceilings! I have a 2 hour window each afternoon when both kiddos are at school…and this is where i have been.

hubby and the paint guy thought it would be funny to NOT tell me that the paint was tinted pink…and dries white…haha.

I did put the book down over the weekend….basketball award ceremony! Caroline’s 3rd year playing!

and Cooper’s 1st!!!

and on Saturday we headed to an indoor water park for the day….i have a love-hate relationship with places like this…..

i love that we were able to shed our 5 layers of clothing for the day, i am not a fan of crowded places.

i love that there were smiles like this ALL day, i am not a fan of 10 year old boys who cut every line!

I love that we spent 8 hours having non stop fun, i am not a fan of public bathrooms with slimy floors.

I love waterslides, i am not a fan of waterslides….let me explain….i had to talk caroline into going on the big waterslide thinking this could go either way….she wanted to go first, and i was next in line. She went without hesitation. I went down thinking this would be a piece of cake..

i was wrong.

i found myself PLUMMITTING down at an alarming speed!!! I was zigging and zagging WAY too fast!!! And my first thought was “oh my goodness, Caroline must of been so scared!!!” “what if she fell off her tube!” “she is never going on a waterslide again” “if she is crying is there someone at the bottom to help her!” As fast as i was going i couldn’t get down fast enough…and to my surprise….

she was at the bottom cracking up!!! she LOVED it!!! and wanted to go again….

so i did too…can’t be bad the second time right??…i know what to expect.

i was wrong….i went faster.

a change, a project, and a plan

2011-02-28T14:40:00.001-05:00

i am choosing to forget about the last week….here in the NorthEast we have a Feb. vacation week…a week for the schools to clean out all the germs….but the week was long…full of tantrums, recipes gone wrong, ice/rain and the kids spent a LOT of time in their rooms…

so now that they are back to school…safe and sound…i have had a few minutes to think about how I am going to survive this crazy winter….because March is LONG….and NOT my favorite month.

so i have started out with a change this week….this is part of the kitchen where we come in from the garage….our dumping ground…and in the winter it gets crazy with all the winter gear. I tried to be organized with baskets….but it just wasn’t working and the hope chest was completely empty because it opens from the top.

a quick trip to a local antique dealer on Main street, $150 dollars later and this little change is already making me feel better….each of us have our own drawer…the kids love it!

now for the project….just a hint….how my hubby puts up with me…i simply don’t know….but i took a look at a perfectly good room and said i wanted to paint it!

my plan for the next couple of months was inspired by Sarah over at Clover Lane to declutter the house….last year at this time she blogged about 40 bags in 40 days…after 6 years in this house i feel like there is just too much stuff…time to get organized!!

and more ways to survive this winter….date nights with hubby, drinks with the girls, indulging in a few good books, a day at the water park planned for this weekend…and of course planning our spring break to Charleston!

Ski!

2011-02-18T08:10:00.002-05:00

the best view ever! love watching my little ones!!

all smiles!

my boys…

Coop skiing on his own!! Only once did i think he was going to hit a building…and only once did i think he was going to ski right into the woods…..

one of THOSE days!!

2011-02-15T07:24:00.001-05:00

did you ever have a day that didn’t go as planned…

almost every day right??

well, yesterday was not cooperating with me….

i had a list a mile long of things to get done…zero time to spare!

i got the kids off to school with treats and Valentine’s in hand.

i was planning a couple surprises for our Family Valentine Dinner.

i had a table to decorate….no time for a wasted trip to the dentist! ( the dentist is 2 towns over, about a 30 minute drive..ughh…i found out i can’t get my teeth whitened until i check with my orthodontist..ughh)

i had a cake to make…..no time for the roof to leak!!! (MAJOR leak in our upstairs sun room…temps hit over 40 degrees…a heat wave! but all the melted ice was running through the ceiling…all i could do until Rob got home was sop up the mess and empty the buckets of water. Rob spent 2 hours after work chipping away the ice in the rain and high winds!)

i had a special dinner to prepare……not an unexpected trip to the doctors, and then a trip to the pharmacy! (Caroline has been fighting a cold for weeks…and now has a double ear infection…which apparently doesn’t seem to bother her! And the doctor’s office is 2 towns over, 30 minutes away..ughh)

I don’t know how it happened but things got done, at 6:00 we sat down, lit the candles, dimmed the lights and toasted to a “Happy Valentine’s Day”

Bella slept through it all….perked her head up when cooper taped up a few Valentines and a balloon of course!

Happy Heart Day

2011-02-14T07:21:00.001-05:00

do you see the heart??

hoping you are having a day filled with love!!!

randomness

2011-02-10T09:45:00.001-05:00

we go from crazy snow storms to bitter cold.

the bluest winter sky….but baby its cold!!

the ice has been a big problem this year….

we had a neighborhood party a couple weeks ago

we try to have one every year AFTER the holidays, when most of us get cabin fever….

so we cleaned the house like crazy….seems like that is the only time this house does get clean….

30 neighbors, yummy food…it was a great night!

a picture of the kids waiting at the door….we knew it was going to be a late night so they partied in their pjs….they were so excited…..we love our neighbors!

i made cake of course! chocolate with caramel frosting and heath candy on top.

Caramel Frosting….easy peasy!

melt 1 stick of butter on low heat, add 1 cup of brown sugar, cook about 2 mins. stirring constantly until blended, add 1/4 cup of milk slowly, cook until boil for 1 min, remove from heat and cool 5 mins. in mixing bowl add 1 cup of confectioners sugar.

you can add more sugar if you want it thicker….or less if you want more of a glaze. so yummy…..and impossible not to taste when its warm!!!

we are Valentine Central around here….the kids are crazy about Valentines!!! i bought these cute little mailboxes at target last week and they love getting mail!!!

i made these winter survival kits for the teachers

tissue holder, airborne, sanitizer and chocolates of course!!!

it has been a random kind of week around here…..it has been a full week of school for the kids….no snow days, hurray!!!

view from my kitchen sink

2011-02-08T07:44:00.001-05:00

Pam over at Views From My Kitchen Sink requested fellow bloggers to take a picture of their view.

here is mine!

when we built the new kitchen i knew i wanted to have a sink on the island so that i could look out the windows! Can you see the snowman the kiddos made? and the trim work around the windows and doors is still not finished….oh well…i still enjoy the view!

if i look out the doors this has been the view lately….lots of snow!

on Saturday hubby was busy taking the snow off the roof.

we just got another 4 inches this morning….time to go out and shovel…again!

father-daughter dance

2011-02-07T08:43:00.001-05:00

a tradition

every year Caroline takes hubby to the Father-Daughter Dance

2010 2009

she loves it all!!! the dress, the nails painted, the hair in curlers, new tie for daddy and the flowers of course!

we have a few families over for pizza and pictures

my first official picture of me without my braces…i have been avoiding the camera for 2 years! Cooper took this one of us…notice he captured the Lego house he built! I’m surprised he even got us in the picture!

at one point during the party i noticed a mom waving into the bathroom….when i peeked in….i found cooper…..he NEVER even thought to close the door!

it was a great night…..except for the ice storm.

a wonderful group of girls who are growing up right before our eyes!

After tucking in a tired little girl…Rob filled me in on all the details of the night….his heart was happy and full.

Snow Day Survival Plan

2011-02-02T18:40:00.001-05:00

i needed a plan.

the “blockbuster” storm was upon us

we got the call last night that there was no school.

the half day yesterday left us screaming at each other, tantrums and kiddos sent to their room…..it was ugly, i was exhausted and totally dreading another snow day.

So i sat the kids down and we came up with a plan! We jotted down a few ideas that would keep us busy all day…..when we needed a new activity we just went to this cup and picked!

Ready! Set! Snow Day!!!

after breakfast and a good dose of cartoons we headed into the kitchen to make a mess!

not really sure it was going to come out right….

with 10X the amount of flour the recipe called for they played for over an hour…..and i got to enjoy a second cup of coffee…a win win!

clean up

outside for 2 hours…shoveling and sliding

inside for lunch and hot chocolate

needing some down time at this point…. they built a fort in the living room and watched a movie….another cup of coffee for me.

while i was getting dinner ready they got to work painting….a snowy picture of course!

we ended the day with books….always special when we get to snuggle in my bed!

our plan kept us focused…or at least kept me one step ahead of the them. I can’t say we made it through the day without any fights, or that i wasn’t exhausted…but it was a good day. And i realized that i would rather shovel 12 inches of light fluffy snow than 4 inches of sleet snow.

how did you survive the day?

my day in numbers

2011-02-01T10:26:00.001-05:00

1 cup of coffee, 1 bowl of oatmeal, and 6 pieces of toast

2 lunches and snacks made and packed.

2 loads of laundry

shoveling the 4 inches of snow that fell last night

1 long driveway!

8 hearts hanging pretty

4 dozen lemon cookies for church open table

2 hours spent setting up dinner for 60

1 Chai latte

getting ready for a party for 30 of our favorite neighbors.

14 games of Go-Fish

bath, books and bedtime for 2 tired kids.

***this was a post i wrote last week….where did last week go????!!! thank goodness January is done….but i am a little bit afraid of February…you see…its snowing and they described this storm as a BLOCKBUSTER…yikes. A 2 day storm that will leave 20 inches of snow and ice!

i really need to catch you up on a lot of things…..but first i need to catch up on this laundry.

Winter Books

2011-01-27T11:43:00.001-05:00

we decided to gather all of our winter and Valentine books….i love doing this because we find so many of our favorite books that get lost on the shelves…sometimes i find, especially with Cooper, they want to read the same books over and over. It was time to focus them a bit.

The Snowy day and The Three Little Kittens are my two favorite.

and with the wind chill below freezing the last couple of days…we can SO relate to Brave Irene by William Steig.

**too bad the kiddos freaked out because i took books from their room and screamed at each other because they both wanted the same book! And now the only book Cooper wants to read is Arthur’s Valentine….every.night.

we can’t be inside anymore!!!!

2011-01-25T14:21:00.001-05:00

who knew that the 10 degree temperature on Saturday was considered a heat wave compared to the –30 wind chill of last night….so cold the buses wouldn’t start Monday morning….many schools closed….ours only a 2 hour delay.

with the winter we are having…we were even lucky to have the sun shining!!! we headed to the lake for some outdoor fun!!!

yes…i admit..they are spoiled….and they have the best grandparents who have fun toys at their house!!!

they rode for hours!

and when Cooper wasn’t riding he was taking care of Cruiser, their cousins’ dog who joined us on the ice.

This was Cooper’s first time driving by himself…getting faster and faster every time….Caroline would run with him…and Cruiser, a very protective dog, followed the kids around too.

another great winter day!!

just got finished shoveling the 3 inches of snow that fell overnight…more snow coming?…yup!

night skiing

2011-01-23T16:33:00.001-05:00

our local ski area does $10 Thursday night skiing

we headed up to the hill right after school

Caroline pulled Cooper over to the little hill…..

showing off….great form Caroline!!

he showed us that he could ski!!!

so we headed up the chair to big hill!!!

it was about 10 degrees when i took this picture…but i was determined to get a picture of Caroline and Cooper on the chair…….not easy to do!! my hands were freezing and i was not only afraid of dropping the camera but i did not want to drop my mittens!!

last picture…hands cold…and i needed to keep up with Caroline!!

so after having a Monday holiday, Tuesday snow day and Friday snow day…we are now expecting another storm!!! oh my goodness…..we are having a WINTER!!!

a family day

2011-01-20T09:07:00.001-05:00

this is how cold it was Saturday morning

it was cold, negative cold…. and we wanted to try a new ski area…and ski all day.

one of those days that could go really badly or really great.

we started out on the rope tow and Caroline was in tears after falling off…..complete frustration…complete meltdown….it wasn’t looking good.

so we went to the chairlift…..we found out that the lift operator couldn’t slow it down (our other ski hill they would slow it down to make it easier for kids to get on) it was running fast and Caroline could tell i was nervous about taking her up…..AND it was Cooper’s first time on the the chair.

we got on! but i was still nervous about getting off!! i chatted with Caroline all the way up….i knew she was nervous too and feeling sad about the rope tow…but we talked about family and how we could do anything as long as we had each other…lots of “i love yous” a good pep talk…for her AND me.

when we got to the top i had to physically lift her up to get her off the chair and the ramp was steep….but we cheered getting off….we did it! together!

and to my surprise…Caroline went back to the rope tow….fell a few more times….but my very determined little girl figured it out all on her own. I was so proud of her!!!

starting out the day, Cooper was a wild card….we figured he would last maybe half a day and then want to go in or just play in the snow….but he surprised us all and skied all day…after each run he would say with a smile…. “again!!!” I was so proud of him!!!!

it was a great day that i want to remember forever….a great family day, we skied ALL day together, we conquered the chair, Caroline conquered the rope tow, Cooper went on the chair for the first time….a perfect day.

now if i can just figure out how to get the pictures off my phone to share with you!

chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting

2011-01-14T10:35:00.001-05:00

Cooper gives this cake a thumbs up…actually, “a thumbs up to the sky!” i guess that’s really good.

and your going to need a tall glass of milk with this cake….so good!

someone told me or i read it on a blog (please come forward who ever you are!!!) to mix a box of devil’s food cake and one 15 oz. can of pumpkin and voila! i think its a Weight Watchers trick….and for some crazy reason i added one egg…because to me a cake is suppose to have eggs…i might even get crazy and put in 2 eggs next time!

so that's it! cake mix and a 15 oz. can of pumpkin…pour into any pan you want and bake according to the box.

peanut butter frosting:

4 oz. of cream cheese
1 cup of creamy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups of powdered sugar
3 Tbs. milk

cream together first 3 ingredients, then add in sugar and milk.

so easy…so good!

i even had a piece for breakfast….yes i did. ;)

hello winter!!

2011-01-13T13:07:00.001-05:00

yesterday went by so fast!

as soon as the clothes were dry and warm…back out for more fun!

our neighbor captured these shots of the kiddos…thanks Jess!!!

and our snow covered street

she really captured our winter wonderland!!

they tried sledding down the street…but couldn’t go fast enough!

that’s me trying to get Cooper to shovel…he had no interest…although who could blame him…it was hard enough for me to shovel the snow over the 4 foot banks!!

he would rather eat the snow….don’t worry, he knows the rules…ONLY white snow.

and we ended the night with this yummy cake, chocolate with peanut butter frosting….i had 2 pieces actually, oh yes i did!! I’ll post the recipe tomorrow! super easy!

this morning…hello sun! the world is really bright when the sun is shining on all the new snow….and oh how is sparkles!!!

with the help of our neighbors the kids made the best sledding hill in the backyard……they started at the neighbors house and going right to our garage!

a rainbow made by coop

snow tunnels!!

and don’t forget climbing the biggest snow bank and feeling like “king of the hill!!!”

Got Snow?

2011-01-12T13:25:00.001-05:00

we woke up to a winter wonderland!

at 8am

by 10am we were bundled up and exploring

light fluffy snow!

i am not sure what the final amount is….my guess is 20 inches.

we are taking a short break before we head out again!

endless hot cocoa today!

i might need 2 Advil and a glass of wine after i get all the shoveling done!

i’m freezing

2011-01-09T20:18:00.001-05:00

i’m really not a complainer….really i’m not ….but,

January is a tough month for me.

after all the wonderfulness of the holidays is past

and i realize that winter is here to stay,

and its cold….and freezing out,

and I am freezing…..i am not happy.

most days you find me sitting next to the fire, with my hat on, wrapped in a blanket.

the number one “must have” on my new car was heated seats.

i go to bed early so that i can be warm under my down comforter.

i’ll bake more to keep the oven on…which keeps the kitchen warmer,

and i’ll eat…yummy comforting warm foods.

it snowed again over the weekend………this i do look forward to. If its going to be winter i want LOTS of snow.

because it gets me out of the house

shoveling, sledding, skiing, snowshoeing

i love a good snow storm.

before we had kids, hubby and i would bundle up and go walking at night during a storm….on snow covered roads, and the whole world seemed silent and calm.

there is nothing like the look of excitement from a child when they see the snow that has fallen over night……they won’t even bother to get out of their jammies….on goes the snowsuits, boots, mittens and hats….they will play for hours!

and come in all rosy cheeked (or screaming because someone threw a snowball)

looking for some hot coco

i love the kind of snow that sticks to everything outside.

it really is a love/hate kind of relationship…winter and i

and once i embrace it…i will be ok.

AND booking our spring vacation to South Carolina always cheers me up!

and talking about retirement (like a gazillion years from now) when we move to South Carolina REALLY cheers me up!

until then….i’m freezing.

i don’t want to!!!!

2011-01-03T09:20:00.001-05:00

i don’t want to wake my kiddos up…..they are so sleepy and warm in bed!

i don’t want to get them dressed….i love lazy mornings in pjs!

i don’t want to make lunches and pack backpacks……i want to snuggle and watch cartoons!

i don’t want to send Caroline out to catch the bus…..i miss her already!

i don’t want to get back into routines of school and work…..i want to have family days EVERY day!

we had the best break ever!

we went skiing, ice skating and lots of sledding!!!!

endless smiles!!!

warm sunny days!!!!

cooper taking his snow ball for a ride….too funny!!!

the kiddos hiked up the hill a gazillion times…..one day we were there for 4 hours!!!

they couldn’t get enough of hitting the jump

and catching some air!

we had so much fun! family fun!!!

but now its time to do the dishes, fold the laundry, clean the house, take down the tree and put away all the decorations……but i really don’t want to!!!!!!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T09:00:00.001-05:00

after a GREAT day of sledding,

and kiddos through the bath

we feasted in candlelight.

New Years Eve dinner this year…..

chips and black bean salsa,

pizza and cheese sticks for the kids,

and scallops wrapped in bacon…our new family favorite, even Cooper liked them!

and oh yeah….the hats!

gotta have the right hats to bring in the new year!!!

too bad its 7:01pm as i type this and Cooper is OUT!

we ended the night with a few family games…..and there was not one meltdown….not one….a perfect day in my book….a perfect way to end an amazing year!

everything i need or want is right here under this roof…..i am content.

6 Rounds of Christmas in 6 Days!

2010-12-30T10:45:00.001-05:00

i am still walking around in circles…trying to recover from all the wonderfulness…..

Round #1 Christmas Eve…and our house was filled with family….wonderful family!

and food…..i think we have eaten enough in the last week to keep us filled for the new year….wonderful, yummy food! Even the kiddos stopped to sit and fill their bellies!our 1st annual gumdrop tower making contest….big hit! For over an hour the cousins, ranging in ages from 6 to 10 worked on their creations….next year i need to buy WAY more gumdrops and toothpicks!! reindeer dust on the front lawn

i took this picture right after saying… “ i think i hear sleigh bells.”

the kiddos fell asleep the minute their heads hit the pillow…rob and i got to work cleaning up from the party and setting out the gifts.

one of my favorite parts of the night….clean house, lit tree with presents underneath, kiddos asleep…if i wasn’t so exhausted i would sit and enjoy one last glass of wine….but in the marathon of Christmas we are only on the first mile…..

Round #2 Christmas Morning 7am Caroline hopped into bed with us, rob headed downstairs to get breakfast ready and we woke Coop up at 7:30……

Grandparents made the early morning trip to watch the kiddos open presents, enjoy coffee and warm scones.

who knew that this $5 puppy would be the favorite!!! meet scout.

after a wonderful, magical morning…Round#3 we headed over to Nani and Grampa’s house….which was so crazy and chaotic…i didn’t even get the camera out to take any pictures!

until we laced up the skates and hit the ice!!! for some much needed fresh air!!!

Sunday, the day after Christmas…..we headed to church for a wonderful service….came home to get ready for Round #4….cousins traveling from the Cape!!! and a winter storm!!!

again…a house filled with family…..feeling so blessed!!!

the last couple of days….shopping, cleaning, sledding, shoveling, Round#5 at my brother’s house, night out with the girls, and Round#6 with the neighbors last night!!!

now its time to hit the slopes….

just need one more cup of coffee ;)

Merry Christmas!!!

2010-12-21T19:00:00.001-05:00

a few pictures that didn’t make the cut….

this one just makes me laugh…..great jump coop!!!

i bribed them with skittles…don’t judge…it worked.

this one almost made it…..but Caroline wanted a picture of her jumping too…..

my two favorites……

i will be signing off for a few days…..kids will be home and i’m going to enjoy EVERY minute with them!!!

can’t wait for Christmas morning……

I wish everyone a wonderful weekend….i hope it is filled with family, friends and Christmas magic!

Christmas Goodness

2010-12-20T19:19:00.001-05:00

my favorite part of Christmas is making homemade goodies!!

Cinnamon Honey Butter….so yummy!! find this recipe here.

made 4 batches of spiced pecans…..so yummy and it makes the house smell like Christmas….although i think i may need to make another batch just for the kids….they keep eating them up!!

the plan for this week….make more cookies,

deliver goodies to the neighbors,

clean house,

crafts with the kiddos…love these and these

shop and get ready for Christmas Eve party

wrap gifts,

trip to the Deerfield Yankee Candle shop with the kiddos

and hopefully have time to make these.

Back from Baltimore

2010-12-20T09:40:00.001-05:00

after getting the kids settled on Friday we drove 5 1/2 hours South to Baltimore for my friend’s Christmas wedding!

how nice it was to be in a car WITHOUT kids! I didn’t have to turn around in my seat once! We listened to our music! and we got to talk and talk…..or sometimes just sit and enjoy the quiet!! so nice!

We spent Saturday morning exploring the city….no agenda….we went where we wanted to go….hand in hand…..so nice!

super excited to go to my friend’s wedding…..it was beautiful, amazing and fun!!!!

wish i could spend all day going through pictures but i have a list a mile long…..re-entry into life is hitting hard this Monday morning!!! So much to do…i am in shock that Christmas is Saturday!!! Heading out to the dreaded grocery store…ughh.

still here

2010-12-15T14:29:00.001-05:00

just recovering from the bug

a mean, yucky, terrible stomach bug.

i did not take one picture over the weekend….it was that crazy.

zero pictures of the kiddos in the Nutcracker.

zero pictures from our family Christmas Dinner.

i have lost 5 lbs….not in a good way.

and its FREEZING here.

and the laundry is out of control.

the laundry basket is full, the piles of clean, folded laundry is still on the couch, and the machines have been running for days……..

can someone please come over and put it all away???!!!!

and did i mention we are headed to Baltimore for the weekend for a Christmas wedding…..can. not. wait! I see the light at the end of the tunnel…..

Italian Sprinkle Cookies

2010-12-12T17:38:00.001-05:00

time to make the cookies!!

what i love about this recipe is that i can make them ahead of time…while they are at school….and then put them to work decorating them when they get home.

wait…what are we missing here???!!

hats of course!!

my taste tester caught in action!

yum! yum!!

this recipe makes a little over 60 cookies!!! enough to eat a bunch now and freeze the rest for later!

I have no idea where i got this recipe….it has always been a clipping from a newspaper that i taped into my recipe book!

this is a dry cookie, great with coffee, with a little bit of sweetness. It wouldn’t be Christmas without these!

Italian Cookies

5 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 sticks of margarine
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp orange extract
1 tsp lemon extract
1 Tbsp anise extract
4 cups of flour
4 tsps baking powder

Beat eggs and sugar until smooth. Add margarine and beat again. Add flavorings and continue beating. Add baking powder and flour gradually. Beat until well blended. More flour can be added in order to make dough stick together.

Preheat oven 350 degrees. With floured hands take small amounts of dough and roll into balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes (more like 12 in my oven). Cool on cookie rack.

Glaze: mix 1 1/2 cups of confectionary sugar with 4 Tbsps of milk. Dip cookie in glaze and then dip into sprinkles.

**i am linking up to Lifeingrace’s Cookie Party…check out all of the great cookies!