Home for Christmas.....

I love being home for the holidays.........

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas.......

SNOW and SNOW and SNOW......all weekend. We have about 18 inches on the ground. These are pics from yesterday (Sunday) and early this morning. I love snow for Christmas. I am not sure how our neighborhood turkeys feel about it. They look pretty miserable.

So Many Leaves in late Fall!

The oak trees drop their leaves last.....and we have many of them in our yard. Sunday was a lovely, late fall day --- warm for this time of year. Here is J*lia out playing in the leaves in the front yard......

Halloween

J * E at a house where the adults handing out candy were dressed up too!

Scary girls!!!

J went out dressed as "a shadow"

Me working on J's makeup

Only J*lia went out trick-or-treating this year. It was a rite of passage year for the boys! B*n had to work on Friday night, and T*m -- with his commitment to swimming and health -- decided he really didn't need the candy (and besides, he said, 14 is a little old for such childish things). J*lia went out with her friend Emily (F & I came along), and T*m stayed home to hand out the candy. It is a little sad to see the trick-or-treating come to and end.........but only a little! (and we have a few more years with Julia!)

Swimming

Tim has made a renewed commitment to swimming this year, after a couple of years of being pretty ambivalent. He has made it to all but two practices this fall (beginning in August), and has been working hard. In the last two meets, he took LOTS of time off his events --- like 15 seconds off his 200 IM (Individual Medley) time, and 36 seconds off his 500 Free. He is VERY happy ......... got out of the pool at one meet and said to his coach, in all seriousness, "Who would have thought that going to practice would make such a big difference?!?!" Lucky for him his coach has a sense of humor........

Beautiful Days

I just love living here! These are pics I took while walking around this past weekend.....some are of our church fair ("Pies on the Common"), and the rest are just neighborhood shots!

Fall in New England

Wingaersheek Beach
Me, Toby, and Annie!
Toby loves the pond
Frieda and Connie

Pics of Frieda and her friend Connie (visited from Texas last weekend), and me and the dogs. We had lovely walks on Wingaersheek Beach, and in the state park near our house. Fall in New England is the BEST!

And More Birthday Girl!

The family party was on Sunday --- the REAL birthday. J*lia picked the menu --- barbecue! So we had ribs, pulled pork, BBQ chicken, corn, black beans.....YUMM! Phil Walcutt joined us, as well as Connie -- a friend of Frieda's from Dallas who was visiting for the weekend. (And of course, me, Phil, and the boys!)

The food was one major highlight of the party........favorite gifts were a microscope (from Dad), a magic kit (from Uncle Phil), the book "Brisingr" (from Mom), and a gift card to Claire's with the promise of a shopping trip (from Frieda).

Don't mind the dyed hair! :-) They tell me it is a phase.......

Birthday Girl!

Miss J turned 9 on Oct 12. Lots and lots of fun! (October is a big birthday month in our house --- Auntie Gretchen has a birthday on the 20th too!)

Friday night was the kids party at Fun & Games --- laser tag, video games, dancing, and a great Uno's dinner (courtesy of Auntie Gretchen). These are pics from that gathering.

Birthday Boy!! 14 years old

Tim laughs at a joke card
Julia joins in the laughter
Just what he asked for!!
Opening gifts
Uncle Phil!

Tim was 14 yesterday, and we had our traditional family party. The birthday person gets to choose the food (Tim chose Indian food!), and we all gather round for dinner, cake, ice cream, presents, and usually a lot of laughs. Last night was no exception! In addition to all three kids, me, Frieda, and Phil, we also had the pleasure of a visit from Uncle Phil who has not been able to make it to the last few parties (a long drive from Maine!) Notice that Tim is now taller than Uncle Phil!!

Tim wanted an electric guitar more than anything. I think I had pretty much convinced him that he was not getting one --- too expensive, too noisy, he doesn't practice enough, etc. But Phil and I collaborated and bought him a beautiful bright red Fender --- he is THRILLED. Now he has to save up for an amplifier -- let's hope it takes a while! :-)

Playtime

I am so glad that my kids are still at an age where they can spend time just playing! This is Julia (almost 9) and her friend Joa (10) last weekend. They were at Joa's house and found an old box of dress-up clothes, which led to hours of outdoor imaginary play. FUN!!

Canada

I watched some of the Republican National Convention last night. I saw part of Rudy Giuliani's rant, and then most of Sarah Palin. I think I was so horrified by her that I fell asleep. Not that she is a bad person. I am sure she is not. She is pretty and smart and accomplished and ambitious. She is probably a good mom (although I think her children are being exploited in this race). I admire her positive qualities, even though I disagree with her on just about every political issue. I might even enjoy having a conversation over a cup of coffee --- working mom to working mom, parent of disabled child to another parent of a disabled child.

I just can't believe she could end up being the next Vice President! No, no, no!! It's horrifying. And it is insulting to all of us that the Republican party thinks any old woman will attract the Hilary supporters. Oh, my. Do they think we will overlook the fact that she supports far-right, evangelical Christian, "anti family" values???? That she doesn't believe humans have anything to do with global warming? That she is alarmingly blase about environmental issues? That she is a member of the NRA? Oh, dear.

Well, there is good news here. I learned today that it would not be all that hard for me to move to Canada. I will qualify for "Skilled Worker" status and could move my family and get permanent resident status. I have always liked the Toronto area, and I hear Vancouver is nice as well.

Let's just see how this election goes..........

Skunked!! (But I am not complaining....)

Annie --- look at all the fur!
But we love her....even when she gets skunked!

OK -- remember that last post? Just yesterday morning? About how lucky I am and how I won't be complaining any more......?

Fast forward to last night. Long day at work --- client meeting --- then delivered a chair to BU college student (he bought it from me on CraigsList and had no transportation.....) By the time I got on the Pike headed towards home it was 7:45. Cell phone rings and it is Timmy, who tells me he needs to go to ACMoore to get posterboard for a project -- due tomorrow. Grrr. "And - oh, by the way, Annie got sprayed by a skunk. Ha ha ha. Isn't that funny?"

Hilarious to a 13-year old. Not so funny to me.

Bless Frieda -- she took Tim out to ACMoore and went to PetCo in search of something to wash away skunk smell. No luck -- PetCo and PetSmart are both sold out. We are stuck with baby shampoo and tomato juice. One woman at the pet store tells Frieda that she had good luck with three baths --- shampoo, tomato juice (leave it on for several minutes), then shampoo again.

We will try this (while the kids finish their homework and peek through the windows...) Frieda and I on the porch with a very very smelly (nauseating), large (80 lb), long haired (beautiful double coated sheperd mix.....lots of hair...) dog who does NOT want to be washed. Annie is NOT happy.

Water (cold from a hose).....shampoo.......!!SHAKE!!! .....more scrubbing........!!!SHAKE!!! ....more water (cold!) and scrubbing.......!!SHAKE!!.......tomato juice -- pour and scrub .........(looks like blood running all over the deck.....)......wait and wait and wait.....!!SHAKE!!.......(now I am covered in tomato juice).....rinse.......shampoo.........scrub....!!SHAKE!!.....and rinse, rinse, rinse....... !!SHAKE! ! Finally dry off with towels.....

Annie still smells, but it is much better. We can let her into the house to sleep. Frieda and I are covered in tomato juice, soapsuds, and water.........oh, and some skunk oil. My hands smell.

I hear it takes about two weeks for the smell to dissipate.

But I am still not complaining. LOL

Lucky

Woke up this morning feeling a little sorry for myself.

Bummer -- have to go back to work after a (great) long weekend.
Bummer -- have to wear "big girl clothes" (aka a suit and heels) because I have a client meeting.
Bummer -- have to go to the medical office building and have bloodwork done before starting graduate school next week.
Bummer -- running late -- have to rush Julia out the door; barely shouted a "goodbye" to Ben & Frieda.
Bummer -- have to work for a living and figure out a budget so I can afford graduate school.

Nothing really wrong. These are inconveniences and luxury problems. But they didn't feel that way until I got to the MetroW*st Medical Center.

I had to go up to the doc's office and pick up a lab slip. Then down to the lab for a blood draw (making sure I had all my childhood immunizations before I can show my face on campus); then back to the doc's office where I got a tetanus booster and a TB test (I get to go back on Thursday to have it read -- yippee).

I was struck by all the people at the Medical Office Building who had real problems. The people in the waiting room at the pediatric oncologist's office; the elderly man who could barely stand - he was bent at the waist (arthritis?), but still held the door for me; the sleep disorders clinic; the hugely pregnant, very tired looking woman with two toddlers and an infant.......

I have no problems. It is a beautiful, sunny late summer day in New England. I am healthy, happy, have a beautiful family, a wonderful partner, great friends, work I can do that pays pretty well, coworkers I like, and a new and fun challenge on the horizon. It's all a great adventure.

I am not going to complain any more. At least for the rest of the day.

Goodbye to Summer.....

Yup --- school is back in session today! I can hardly believe it. T started 8th grade, and J started 3d. B has another two weeks off, since he was in summer session all summer.

I put the younger two on the bus this morning. T wouldn't let me take pictures at the bus stop (he told me he was too old, and I should just be thankful for the first-day-of-school pictures I have up through 7th grade....) Got a picture of him in the house before he left, though ---- and some cute ones of J and her friend M as they waited for the bus.....

Last Gasp of Summer -- Canobie Lake

I had been promising this trip for a year. We finally made it to Can*bie Lake this week. Ben and Julia came --- Tim opted out because he doesn't really like the rides (he wanted to go to Wa*er Coun*ry instead...) It was CROWDED -- more crowded than I have ever seen -- but we had fun anyway. The last big event of the summer!