Sun, Sun, GO AWAY and Come again Another Day!

This is getting ridiculous. So the hot July temperatures left us a few days ago and we were supposed to be in the low 60s. But we kept creeping up to the high 60s/low 70s... not that there's anything wrong with that at all, except for the fact that is is absolutely perfect weather. Sweater weather. I just love sweater weather. Because you can still wear sweaters and cute pans and you can wear little sandals and flip flops without looking like you're a creature from another planet! I vow never to encapsulate my toes unless it's raining or a frost is forecasted!

I ran errands all morning... dry cleaning, pediatrician to pick up a prescription, Tiffany's to pick up a little something for a first communion gift and then off to look at cars... something that will replace the van. After 3 long, long years it's about time to say Hasta La Vista Baby to my van! I was looking forward to going home after school and plunking Alexander down on the computer or in front of the television so that I could finally get caught up on laundry, cleaning, laundry, cleaning, vacuuming, laundry, etc. We are so overdue. It's been 2 months since we let our cleaning lady go. We save about $300 a month and I do not miss her at all. I've had no problem keeping the house clean and tidy without her. I actually enjoy cleaning and vacuuming... Until last weekend when the sun came out to shine.

But Alexander didn't want to come home. He wanted to stay at school and have lunch. So we did. There were pancakes today and Alexander loves them! (There is also a full salad and soup bar for those who didn't want breakfast at lunchtime today!) After lunch Alexander wanted to go to the playground. So I took him as a good mother would. We played and ran and looked at birds drinking from the stream and we stayed there for about an hour. I finally managed to get him to come home.

I had an hour to be productive and get stuff done before heading off to school to get the other two. But then I saw the mess in the kitchen and got overwhelmed... and then distracted when I sat down at the computer... as I always do when this happens.

At the end of the day I did mange to tidy up the kitchen, then mess it up for dinner then clean it up afterwards. But all the other messes remain where they had been all day. Maybe tomorrow... it is supposed to rain tomorrow. Please let it rain tomorrow!!

oh Bunko!

The other night I did something I had never done before. I went to a party (Bunko) where I knew no one, not even the hostess. I had only just met the hostess the day before when I drove by her house as she was taking out her trash. She was putting some old tricycles and Cozy Coupes curb-side. I slowed down to see if there was anything worthwhile, but instead of driving away I said hello. I mentioned to her that I had seen a Little Tykes house a few streets away and my son went nuts for it despite that it was pastel colored. It hadn't been broken down and there was no way I could get it in the back of the van. I did try! So this sweet gal said that she had one, broken down under her deck and I was welcome to take it for my little one. "Really," she said in all sincerity. So I explained that I was on my way to get my kid from preschool and I would be back at the end of the day. Fast forward a few hours and there I was knocking on her door. I told her I could come back if it was not a good time, but it was. Her kids were in the driveway and eager to meet mine. So Laura went to the back and started dragging pieces of the house out from under the deck. I placed them in the back of the car. So we got to chitchatting as I am apt to do and turns out we had a mutual friend in common and then just like that she said "I'm having some neighborhood girls over for Bunko why don't you stop by?" I told her I would, and I thanked her for her invitation.

I had no idea what Bunko was or how to play it. I asked all sorts of friends and no one else knew either. So later that evening I showed up on Laura's doorstep, white tulips in hand, and rang the doorbell. There was, initially, a small group of people there and then the group grew and then everyone went over to play. I offered to sit and watch but was told there was no better way to learn than to jump in! It was an easy game. And a fun one. And a game that you can play while you gab and gab and gab. And have a glass of wine. Or two. And knock a glass of wine over, on to the floor and send it shattering!!! You did not? Yes, I did! Good one huh? Leave it to me to make myself memorable as the new girl who knocked the wine glass over! I was slightly embarrassed to say the least! But Laura assured me it was not officially a party until a glass got broken. I told her that I have a habit of making parties official! (Yikes!)

I'm usually pretty shy when I don't know people, but do open up fairly quickly. A few years ago I never would have gone to an event where I knew no one, and I was a little nervous last night but it ended up being a great night and I met some really wonderful people in the neighborhood. I'm really glad that I took that step. Now, I going to make a list of other things I have never done before and scratch those off one at a time. I've never been to a restaurant alone and I have never been to the movies alone. I'll tackle that list after I head over to Bed, Bath and Beyond to replace Laura's wine glass with a few more! (Insurance for my future!)

How to save energy and stimulate the economy the EntertainingMom way!

It's been hotter than heck here in New England. July stopped by for a visit a bit too early. I was happy to visit with her and entertain her a couple of days, but to be frank with you I am not prepared for her steamy sultry ways. I need to ease into summer slowly, one foot at a time, much like I enter a cold pool on a rather cool day. I would like to welcome May, then June into my home and then, in a timely manner, July can pay her visit.

I decided when I woke up this morning that I should conserve energy. I thought it'd be best for me not to run the washing machine, dishwasher or the vacuum cleaner. My home is quite overdue for a good cleaning which generally happens over the weekend at some point when the house is temporarily empty. But since we had a visitor, hot July, I could not just leave her to clean. And then yesterday was gorgeous as was today. I cannot tell you how desperately I need a little rain to fall! I cannot tell you how desperately my house needs a little rain to fall!

I don't want to cause the electric companies to overextend themselves and so I have put myself on an energy efficient diet of sorts. I set the thermostat to 80 so that the central air would not kick in until absolutely necessary and opened up all the windows. Achoo!

Sure there were beds to be made and laundry to be folded and put away, but that would all have to wait. I could not afford to get overheated as I would have to cave and turn on the air. I could talk on the phone and schedule appointments and take care of other, non strenuous things. I was hoping to have a chance to hop on the Internet this morning while Alexander was in school, but one thing led to another and gasp! the Internet was at the back of my mind. Ok, maybe it popped up once or twice, but then other thoughts would take over...

As I could not really be very effective at home today I needed to find other means to keep cool. This included purchases of Frapuccinos at Starbucks and ice cream at Baskin' Robbins, Ben and Jerry's and Dairy Queen. So now I was doing my best to keep my business local. I hit the local family owned hardware store and bought a large kiddie pool. I stopped off at the drugstore and bought some books and magazines. I am a complete magazine junkie normally, but during the summer months I do tend to go a little overboard. But as I said, I was trying to stimulate the local economy. From there I made one last stop and bought some ice and frozen Bon Bons before heading home.

When I got home I dragged the pool right out to the back yard and filled it with the ice and the water. I brought over my reclining chair, my magazines, Frapuccino and Bon Bons and proceeded to lie down on the chair while immersing my feet in the refreshing cold water, while sipping my drink, eating my Bon Bons and reading the latest issue of Shape Magazine's article on how to lose belly fat in no time flat!

As I was basking in the sun, feeling great about doing my part to reduce my carbon footprint while stimulating the economy my husband comes home suddenly and accuses me of sitting on the couch and eating Bon Bons all day! How rude!!

a sunny summery day in connecticut

Spring is in the air! I love our neighbor's white cherry blossoms and a lone tulip that appeared out of nowhere! We have no idea what color it will be!

My bright idea of painting the can? Not so bright to leave it out in the pouring rain for several days! Ooopsie Daisie!

Trimming the forsythias...

Moo and Popsy came to visit today!

Our lunch awaiting the grilled salmon that will go on top!


Shortcut to fabulous grilled salmon? Paul Prudhomme's Blackened Redfish Magic... they'll think you slaved for hours!

some umbrellas are not for rainy days!

The broken tree limb needs to come down...

The neighbor's kids heard all the commotion and had to join in too!

They told us it was coming and even though it was chilly and rainy and in the 50s for a better part of the week I held out hope. I had faith. And yesterday the clouds passed on by and the sun came out and dried up all the rain and the itsy bitsy spider crawled up the spout again!

It was simply glorious today. A perfect day to do nothing but enjoy the outdoors and entertain my visiting parents. They never stay very long at all. (I don't think they can handle us for long periods of time!) But when they are here they do spend all their time with the kids. And I love that. So as soon as they got here the boys grabbed Popsy and Rebecca and Moo went up to her room to play. I prepared lunch in peace and quiet!

We ate lunch outdoors today. I made a lovely salad with grilled salmon and sliced new potatoes, kalamata olives, white beans, cherry tomatoes, and asparagus. We had our sun tea and lemonade that Alexander helped make. When we finished eating the kids headed in the direction of hose and kiddy pool. Fun and wet was had by all. Really, kids and water are the perfect mix for instant fun. Kinda like hot water and Swiss Miss on a cold, snowy day!

While the kids ran amok the adults sat back, relaxed and caught up on news old and new. A few hours passed and Moo and Popsy were ready for their trek back to Newport a drive just over 2 hours away. They used to stay with us in the guest bedroom. That was when we had Rebecca. When Christopher came along the noise level increased exponentially and they would stay at The Marriott a town over. And then fogheddaboutit when Alexander came along. No guest room. No Marriott no Connecticut. They say their goodbyes in a leisurely way and then you can practically hear the rubber burning as they peel out of the driveway much the way and old and terrible blind date did oh so many years ago.

I was set up on a blind date by my dear friend and room-mate Shaun. We were living in a cute apartment in a brownstone in Greenwich (Connecticut) just off of the Avenue. We were a hop, skip and a jump away from Starbucks and all the great bars and restaurants. It was a fabulous place to be young, hip, selfish and single. So anyhow I was set up to go out with this guy (I have no idea what the hell his name was or I would tell you and steer you away from him too!) We went to a restaurant called Portofino. A local watering hole really. Decent food but great drink and we always ran into people we knew... but I digress. In retrospect I should have at least had him take me to a really nice restaurant because Lord knows there are plenty to be had there!

So there I was with Whatshisname at Portofino. To tell you the truth I can not remember what he looked like either. All that I do remember was that the entire conversation was about Shaun. Shaun this Shaun that Shaun this Shaun that. Shaun Shaun Shaun Shaun Shaun Shaun. Nothing against Shaun. Love Shaun but this was getting old. And Boring. Now, Shaun was our common point, so of course she was going to come up in conversation. But what became evident to me the 332nd time he brought up her name was that he had a little "thing" for Shaun who had not a little thing for him but was madly in love with her boyfriend, a pretty cool dude in his own right. At that point I wished I could find a way out, but I was sort of stuck there. While I had toyed with that Old Bathroom Disappearing Act I just couldn't do that to someone. Our date was not terribly long though it felt so. After dinner was over there was no small talk and no dessert either, from what I recall. We hopped into his red sports car (nothing memorable) and he drove me home. I said my thank yous and bid him farewell. My hand hadn't been off the door handle for a one-hundredth of a second when he tore off like a bat outta hell! Had I known I would have worn my running shoes that night! Oh I had a bunch of doozie dates. Enough to fill the pages of a book, actually... but I wonder how the hell I managed to go from talking about a beautiful day with my family to the rediculous world of dating? Ahh... yes, my parents peeling out of our driveway!

So even though their stay was short, it was sweet and we all had fun and we happy to see them!

Blogging is making me fat!!

As I type this I am munching on a piece of chocolate I keep hidden in the freezer behind the frozen veggies. I kid you not. It's pretty darned good too. Better yet is the fact that 2 kids and a Dad are in the play room and another is on the couch in the family room. So I am at my desk in the kitchen munching away on cold, crunchy chocolate. Some of you lock yourselves in the bathroom or sit in your cars at the bottom of your driveways as you inhale pounds of Baskin Robbins peanut butter and chocolate... I only wonder if you picked itt up at the drive-through... I had completely forgotten to ask you!

I've always been a creative type and I have always written. In the olden days before children I would hole up with a pen and paper and write... and smoke. It was the perfect marriage. And then I had to stop that nasty habit. And while every now and then or so I would love to just take one little drag for old time's sake, I know I would gag and hurl and the mere thought sends me running for Rebecca's inhaler... And quitting wasn't so hard because I had a good reason to quit.

My vice lately has been chocolate. Anything sweet, but mainly chocolate. And I can't stop. I really can't. And the holidays don't help. At all. First there's Halloween. We still have some of that in the "Carb Closet" and the Christmas season starts the day after Halloween, or so it seems, and then there is Valentine's Day and Easter. And just as soon as you are done with your black and orange m&ms the red, white and green ones come out, followed by the red, pink and white ones, followed by the pastel ones. It's a never-ending vicious cycle. And no matter how hard I try to get them out of the house (by eating them of course) they come back in full force.

I started blogging nearly two years ago. It was summertime and it was initially a means for me to keep family members up to date on our family through stories and photos. And then it sort of grew and now it is something else entirely. Not that that is a bad thing. But it's all encompassing. And all consuming. And it really, really sucks you in. You want to share all sorts of stuff with your readers who are quickly becoming your friends. You want to tell them about the funny and sad and the rip-roaring-hilarious. You want to show off your wonderful, brilliantly, clever ideas. And you'll share your mess ups. Sometimes you have urge to post photos or urges to write and the words start flowing and they seem not to want to stop. And none of this is bad. Not at all.

In addition to writing you must read blogs. Your friend's blogs, your followers blogs, those who link to you and those who like you. And you do what a good blogger would do and try to leave comments every where. It's the right and kind and polite thing to do in the Blogging World. And there are so many blogs out there. And there are so many really funny blogs and creative blogs and touching blogs. And you want to read all of them. And so your book pile grows on your bedside table. And the dust covers it and soon you are Pledging your books.

And you are Shushing your kids because nothing is possibly as important and entertaining as the blog you are reading. And as soon as you are done reading you get up and play and read and write and create and cook and you are happy to be a good mom again. Until. Until you've done something wonderful or brilliant or creative or hysterical or downright stupid and then you can no longer think about your child clinging to your knee, but your mind drifts as you wonder just how you will post your most recent events... So this blogging thing is really as addicting as coffee and wine and chocolate and cigarettes and like all the aforementioned it leaves you wanting more.

I try (try being the operative word) to save my blogging for when the kids are busy or in bed. Sometimes if Alexander asks for a little TV I will bring the laptop out to the family room and blog while he's watching Little Bill or Phineas and Ferb or Spongebob...

And usually while I am blogging I am noshing. I have tried sipping Diet Coke and tea and coffee, but I need more. I need something else while I am blogging. What I need is chocolate. Any shape or form will do. I could be out pushing the jogger but I'm not. (And this has something to do with the fact that I ran over it last September.) I could be walking on the treadmill. But I'm not. It's in the play room and I am pretty certain that one of the kids has lost the key again... pretty certain as it's been a while since I've been on it. And I could be working out with my wii fit. Instead the board is hiding out under the coffee table up there (in the play room) because it is terrified to death to have me step on it!

So this blogging thing. It's not good. It's forced me to abandon my exercise equipment. It's forced me to sit on my duff. And it's forced me to do so while eating chocolate. Will I quit? Do I want to quit? Do I feel I should quit?

No way!

I'll keep on writing and reading. But after a break. I need some chocolate.

I have it hidden. In the freezer behind the veggies.

And in the fridge behinf the fruit in the crisper.

And in the fridge behind the veggies in the crisper.

And sometimes I will hide a Diet Coke there.

And if I still smoked I'm pretty sure I might hide my cigarettes there too!

Trash or Treasure?

Before the kids came along we used to love to go to tag sales (or yard sales or garage sales... whatever you call them where you live) When we were first married we had nothing better to do on our weekends and we'd hit these sales. I found some mighty fine junk! I picked up mismatched silver serving pieces, a lovely copper pitcher, some bone china coffee cups (that I will put out in one of my own garage sales soon), wine glasses, beautiful green glass vases and bottles, platters, lovely serving trays, etc...

At one such sale we came across a beautiful wooden frame that was in some need of some repair. I think the sellers wanted $5 for it. So we snatched it up, used a little putty where putty was needed and added a lot of high gloss black paint. We then took a piece of plywood (purchased from Home Depot) and painted it with chalkboard paint. Our chalkboard (which could benefit from a fresh coat of paint) has been a mainstay in all of our kitchens. Often I write the dinner menu. Sometimes it boasts a Birthday wish or a holiday greeting. Some days I leave little love notes on it. Sometimes the kids write on it. The chalk board has been part of our kitchen for the past decade and I am sure it will continue to play a central role for decades to come!

Happy Earth Day everyone! Recycle something special for yourself today!

If you want to do this, you will need:

A frame (any size will do)
Latex paint any color (I love the look of high gloss)
A piece of plywood, measured and cut
Chalkboard paint
Staple gun

First, paint your frame and let dry completely
Then paint your plywood and let dry completely
When the frame and the chalkboard have dried staple the plywood to the frame. (On the back!!!)
Chalk can be found anywhere. We love the colors of Crayola chalk.

Hint -- to get more vibrant chalk colors, completely wet the chalk board with water -- remove any excess -- and draw on the wet surface. The colors are so much more vibrant this way!

I Heart Pickle Jars!

In honor of Earth Week and Earth Day I want to share some ideas as to how we can reuse some of our recyclables as home decor items.

We go through a slew of glass jars in this house. We eat a lot of salsa, applesauce, pickles -- lots and lots and lots of pickles! Instead of tossing them all into our blue recycling bin I wash them out and put them to good use. I love these plain and simple jars. When filled with the right ingredient, I think they are beautiful. These glass jars, of all sizes and shapes are readily found in my cupboards and on my shelves in the basement.

The beautiful picture above is from A Touch of Country, a new blog I have very recently discovered. I use my mason jars non-stop during the warmer months as they are a perfect way to display cut up vegetables such as celery, carrots, cucumbers, asparagus and other light snack-able items such as pretzels, bread sticks and cheese straws. The jars are also a perfect vehicle to house your utensils for a garden party. I love how she houses all the jars in an old milk crate. Isn't it beautiful!

If plain mason jars are too simple for your style, jazz them up quickly with a simple grosgrain ribbon.

Other good uses for mason jars are:

• Storing pencils, markers, and scissors in an office or craft room -- or as I have above my desk in the kitchen.
• Storing buttons and other crafting items
• Making and storing home made salad dressing (We rarely buy store bought dressings and we eat a lot of salads, so I make enough dressing to fill a jar and it serves us for a week or so.)
• Grandma's Strawberry Jam jars get cleaned out and sent back to Grandma in anticipation of the next batch!
• I love serving beverages in mason jars --whether it be sun tea, lemonade or even sangria. Fill the jars with ice, fresh fruit, beverage and a straw. So simple and so pretty!
• A perfect way to present candy, and other small snacks
• My kids turned one into an Ice Cream Jar where they dump all spare change (mostly mom and dad that they rummaged around for) so that when an ice cream craving hits we can run!
• I have a Fun Jar filled with folded pieces of paper... Little notes on each piece of paper say things like "Let's Bake Some Cookies" or "Paint Pottery" or "A Trip to the Bookstore" or "An Ice Cream Cone for You" or "Movie Time" and other things that we like to do.
• In the basement, next to his work bench Daddy has a bunch of baby food jars that he uses to store nuts and bolds, screws and other small items. He drilled the jars in to a piece of wood that hangs from the wall and when he needs a screw or nail all he has to do is unscrew the jar, take what he needs and place the jar back on the wall. Nifty, eh! (Though I am not certain there are many glass baby food jars there are anymore as most, unfortunately, seem to be plastic from what I have seen, these days.)
• I use glass jars of all sizes as miniature vases. They are perfect for freshly picked outdoor flowers such as daffodils, jonquils, tulips and roses! Line several jars up together on a windowsill or use them as informal centerpieces for a springtime luncheon.

I would love to hear some of the clever ways you recycle your mason jars!

Life is Good

If I had my druthers I would plant things that could not die... Because I do not have a Green Thumb this is my kind of planting! But, alas, it is not a plant that is good for the waistline, nor one that would do well in the sun...

Instead we planted some flowers and herbs like basil and cilantro and rosemary, and replanted seeds that came home from school on Friday when the kids all celebrated Earth Day together in school. For one who is Horticulturally Challenged I think I did a pretty good job. We'll just have to wait and watch and see if anything starts sprouting over the course of the next few days!

(using old pickle jars instead of tossing them is good for the Earth!)

(Planting the mini plants that the Easter Bunny brought)

(Painting the cans to make them pretty. Recycling old soup cans and putting them to good use. When the herbs get too large we will move them and the cans can be recycled for something else or stored in the garage with the gardening stuff and re-used next Spring.)

(We needed to replant Rebecca's budding Sugar Snap Peas that she grew at school.)

(We placed rocks at the bottom of the jars and cans for drainage.)

(It's not much but it's ours! And now that Daddy is home from his conference the serious gardening will take place!)

The kids and I delighted in our summer-like weather enjoying our sweet Sun Tea and planting, playing and just being outside!

A work in progress...

A few months ago we lost a great local store called Blue Tulip. It carried everything from greeting cards, to fine soaps and lotions to handbags, dishes, glasses, stationery and party items. It was a great place to stop off to get a hostess gift, a party gift or a teacher gift as there was really something in it for everyone. When they closed they had a slew of Going Out of Business Sales. I got a few items, not many. One items I picked up was a lovely white leather Guest Book. My grandmother always had one and whenever she entertained her guests would sign the book and jot down a little lovely or two. As a child I loved to read them, decipher hand writings and signatures, stopping every now and then to ooh and ahh over a celebrity, politician or even royalty. Our guests are not as exciting but still I love the idea of having something to remember each event. The Guest Book has yet to be opened. I keep forgetting!

Another thing I picked up at the sale was an unattractive, plain cork board. It was a great size and they wanted just a few dollars for it, so I snatched it up with great dreams of doing something nice to it for Rebecca's room. I had always wanted some place to pin up things or tape things, but I was not allowed. My room was practically museum-perfect with no toys out save for an antique doll and my Snoopy on my bed. I was so envious of my friends who had their posters of Shaun Cassidy and Parker Stevenson, Scott Baio, Christopher Atkins which led the way to posters of Andrew McCarthy, Tom Cruise and Rob Lowe. Pages of Tiger Beat and Seventeen ripped out and taped onto walls. I wanted a room like that and I couldn't have one. I wanted a place to put photos of my best friends, and other collectibles like ticket stubs and the like. Now while Rebecca won't be able to tape stuff up on her walls either. No Jonas Brothers no Zac Ephron on her pretty walls. I do think a memory board would be a lovely thing for her to have.

Originally I wanted to line the cork with pretty wall paper then quickly talked myself out of that idea thinking that the paper would get destroyed too quickly. So I chose this dusty rose color to paint to cover the cork and a little bit of white, a thin green and white grosgrain ribbon that I will use across the board and a wide grosgrain ribbon in orange, pink, green and white that will cover the unattractive metal frame. I was so excited to finish up the board this evening but I couldn't locate any of my glue gun sticks. So bummed. So I will keep you posted.

The project was super easy to do. Anyone can do it!

You'll need:

One inexpensive cork board
Some paint (any color)
Wide paint brush, either bristle or foam
Ribbon -- any color and width that you like that will coordinate with the paint
Glue gun to glue ribbon around the perimeter of the frame and across the center
Thumb tacks

Place newspaper over your work surface
Apply paint over cork -- will need at least two coats as the cork absorbs a lot of the paint
Make sure brush strokes are smooth, or do as I did and create patterns with the brush
I also squeezed the paint out of the bottle in random patterns to create a 3D effect
When all had set and dried I painted circles in white over the pink -- you can create any pattern you wish. You could even use a stencil for a more polished look.
Apply ribbon with a glue gun and when dry it is ready to hang!

The kids celebrated Earth Day today at school. It was a magnificent day for it as the temperatures climbed into the 70s. The children spent most of the day outside composting and planting and making birdfeeders. They've given me some great ideas for crafting/recycling that I will post throughout the next week in honor of Earth Day!

Feeling Crafty?

Ramblings of a Crazy Woman showcases all different crafts on Fridays. Check her out, you'll find some great stuff!

On airing dirty laundry publicly...

Blogs are funny. As we let our readers glimpse into our daily lives we must toy with what should be open to the public and what should remain private and personal. In terms of me, I am pretty much an open book. There are very few things I consider private and those won't be mentioned here. The rest I am happy to talk about. In many ways we are a unique family and in many ways we are so much like so many of you out there, struggling to come to the best decisions regarding the well being of our children and families. We all have different parenting styles. What might work for one family might not with another. This is something we all learn over time. I have learned, over the years, never to say never. All those things I vowed never to do, I have done!

My friend Kim, last year, was having a terrible time juggling the needs and tenacity of a particularly precocious two year old all while tending to a very difficult and colicky newborn. She couldn't get her footing. And when she would finally get her footing she would slip and fall. We've all been there. Those days are long and difficult and no one has ever pretended to come through them unscathed. All while she was trapped at home in a foreign country trying to figure out life with two babies, hard enough when you are in your home land, but not so much so when you are in Turkey. I was here in the States and getting on with my life which must have seemed so spectacular and grand that she actually called me SuperMom. It was her belief that I was. But I am not and never was and have said this to her repeatedly.

We all have those days when we can't get out of the house, or when we need to just let the TV be the source of entertainment from time to time. We have days when we feel lousy, tired or overwhelmed by the daily household grind. Some kids fare better with the comforts and safety of home while others need constant stimulation and fare better being out, even if it means following you around doing errands all day. Some kids love a structured set of activities and others don't. It's all too easy to judge who is being over-programmed and under-stimulated, but unless your wearing Marybeth's Todd's then you shouldn't judge. Or feel too envious.

I'm busy. Very busy. Sometimes I like it and sometimes I don't. When my older two are in school Alexander and I have our errands and play dates and activities. We cook together, a lot. He loves it and it's a great creative outlet as well as a great educational experience -- learning to count and measure and follow step by step instructions. We also do a lot of coloring, painting and crafts. A lot! But truth be told I am a crafty kind of a gal and sitting on the floor playing Candyland and Chutes and Ladders all day long is my idea of medieval torture. So we do other things. And yes we watch TV and videos and play on the computer, Noggin, Nickjr. or PBS Kids. I also have to schlep the older two to all their activities and play dates. And then there is my involvement with the school as head of the Ways and Means Committee. It's a big, time-consuming commitment, that's for sure, but I enjoy it. It's fulfilling for me to do something that is challenging and yet benefits -- in the long run -- my children.

There are days when I am non-stop busy. And there are days, like yesterday, when I just can't get the energy to lift my head up off the couch. Days when I am so bone tired I can't snap out of it. But I don't write about those days. It's not that I want to hide the fact that on occasion my kids watch too much TV. It's not that I am embarrassed by that fact either. It's just that I don't want to come across as whiny or bitchy. It's part of motherhood and part of parenting. I am well aware of this. Also, it's boring. Who wants to hear about how tired I am when all of you are equally as tired! I will admit to taking a 45 minute nap on the couch yesterday. I couldn't help it. I was that tired. My eyes just shut. Alexander was over by the armoire playing with his cars and trucks. And then 45 minutes Alexander was still playing with his cars and trucks, but at that point Buzz Lightyear had joined in and wanted to go to infinity, and beyond! I couldn't believe that more of a mess was not made... I couldn't believe that the house was still... standing!!

There are days when my house is picture-perfect and days, like today, where my kitchen looks more like a storage room (why do toys always migrate here?) and the floor is desperate for a mop. Daddy was joking around the other day as we were coloring Easter Eggs in the mess of the kitchen. He pointed to the disgustingly dirty floor and informed me that he was going to take a picture and put it on my blog. I laughed. It would have been funny.

On Monday I went upstairs to Rebecca's room to put her laundry away. Normally this is something I expect her to do to help me out. But I was feeling nice that particular day. I saw that she had not picked up the few things I had asked her to pick up the night before, so I pulled them out from under her dresser and highboy and bed... and there were more than a few items so I tossed them onto the middle of her rug. Then I noticed a bunch of stuff jammed into her bed (how on earth she slept like that is beyond me!) and some gorgeous antique handmade doll clothes jammed into corners with socks and underwear... her drawers were even more of a disaster... everything crumpled and dirty clothes tossed in with the clean and new. I was angry. I was pissed off. I was furious. The few items that were initially on the floor had grown into a huge, enormous pile. I was not cleaning up after her. This was her mess and her responsibility. I closed the door and the Everest-sized mess and walked away. I almost took a picture of it. I almost blogged about it. I didn't and it wasn't because I was embarrassed (because you all know I do not embarrass easily) but because my blog is not meant to expose or embarrass my children. My description is pretty tame compared to how bad the mess was.

But by talking about this Messy Situation (without getting into the nitty and gritty) I have since learned that all (well most) 10 year old girls are slobs. Clothes and toys are strewn across their rooms like Christmas lights twinkling in the midnight sky. I was glad to hear that I did not have the only 10 year old slob. Very glad. And so we will continue to work on her tidiness skills and she will have to clean up her own messes. And, in the back of my mind I will keep reminding myself that children do make messes, some more than others, and this is all part of growing up and someday, God willing, she'll actually fold her clothes and hang them up without me breathing down her back.

Perez Hilton, Simon Cowell and Susan Bowles... Speechless!

I'm not one to post things from TV and the Internet but my friend posted this on Facebook and then I had to post it on Facebook. And then I had to send it out via email to every one else I know who is not on Facebook. And in case you are not one of my FB friends and in case you are not one of my email compadres... please, please watch this... in its entirety. In the end you will be as speechless as I am, I think!

Easter... A day in pictures.

We had a lovely Easter at home this morning. The kids were up before the sun ready to look for their baskets and hunt for eggs. I shooed them off to the play room and told them to stay there until 8:00. At 7:30 we led them into the living room to see what the Easter Bunny had delivered overnight. An hour later we ventured outside into the blustery, frigid temperatures to look for hidden eggs. There were a total of 36 hidden. Some filled with a few m&ms, some a Dove egg and some were empty. Each child was to have found a dozen eggs. But two are still missing!

We enjoyed a lovely morning before heading to New York to join the in-laws and cousins.

Enjoy our photos!

Above, Rebecca's basket filled with some yarn for knitting, a few packages of beads, a small chocolate Lindt bunny (I know! I know!) and one of those balls at the edge of a long rope that is attached to a ring that you place around your ankle... you are supposed to jump over the ball. And some bubbles.

Christopher got 2 Star Wars Lego toys, a large package of Pokemon cards, some bubbles and a foam airplane that flies and shoots bubbles.

Alexander's basket was filled with a couple of Little People Easter figures and Matchbox cars, bubbles and the airplane bubble machine. Yes, both got small Lindt bunnies despite my initial idea to keep the baskets candy-free. I think I did a great job of that none the less!