My Own Little Pitty Party...

I was so excited to have some time off this week. The boys were supposed to be in camp and I was going to have some time with Rebecca and some time to myself. I was actually looking forward to getting some things done around the house... finding and wiping all the little fingerprints and marks off the walls and doors that have been driving me bonkers, organizing and making lists for our trip to Maine, stuff like that. Now that it is summertime I don't have much time to myself. If I hire a sitter it's so I can get to appointments -- hair, doctors, etc...

On Sunday night Christopher came in to my bedroom and said that he really didn't want to go to camp. He didn't give me a good explanation, but since it hadn't been paid for, I didn't argue too much. And because he didn't want to go Alexander didn't want to go. Suddenly I was back to having three kids at home with me this week. No break in the horizon whatsoever. And I started feeling sorry for myself. Christopher then said that he would agree to go to tennis camp next week (where Rebecca will be) and I saw that there was a program for little ones too. I could technically have next week to myself. So I told Daddy. He asked how much. It was a lot. Not much more than the other camp, but a lot none the less.

We've had to tighten our purse strings a good bit this year. Yes, the children had their five star Disney vacation but we all knew that there would be sacrifices down the road so that we could do this. Everyone was on board. Well, today I am writing the children's tuition check. Private school in the Northeast rivals private college tuition. It's pricey and it stings. This is our decision for the moment. To allow our kids a top notch education we have to sacrifice some other things. That's what life is about, right? It's about making decisions and making the right ones. And learning along the way. It's good for the kids too. Unfortunately most of Rebecca's friends don't have to make such financial decisions, but I think it is important for her to learn that everyone needs to learn to make choices. More importantly it is a lesson in the value of not having everything.

And we also have our property taxes due in a couple of weeks. Also the price of a college tuition. So I decided that I could go without spending $600 on camp for the week for the boys. I would put my big girl panties on and suck it up. But I didn't. I couldn't. I could only focus on the fact that I would not have any time to myself. That I would have to entertain the kids and find creative ways to do so so that the children would not be chanting to the Boredom Gods every hour of every day. It just seemed like such an arduous task. And the boys were bickering all morning. Christopher wanted to play Monopoly. Alexander is too young. Alexander wanted to play Snail's Race. Christopher hates it. It's for babies. I couldn't just pack up and go to the beach because we were waiting to hear from Rebecca and when I would need to get her. So I sat and sulked. And sulked some more. (My liquor cabinet is somehow devoid of both rum and vodka too, and that didn't help matters. So, no It's 5:00 Somewhere Happy Cocktails for me to look forward to.)

Shortly after Noon we got Rebecca and brought her home. I told the kids they could not go back in the house until 6pm! They had to make their own fun. And they did. And slowly I grew out of my funk. They ate lunch on the deck, blew up the pool (that they played with for all of 10 minutes) played with bikes and scooters and baseballs and tennis rackets and went exploring in the woods (not terribly deep) in the woods behind the house and we had dinner outside and before I knew it it was 7:00pm and I was inside and they were still outside!

Instead of focusing on what I didn't have (downtime with no children) I looked around and saw all that we do have and how lucky we indeed are... I suddenly felt so incredibly stupid and spoiled.

So I made a game plan. We'll have a planned activity every day this week. Later on we'll go pick strawberries. When we return we'll make something with them. And we'll play outside. Perhaps I will create an obstacle course. Later this evening or tomorrow evening we'll meet some friends at the beach. On Friday we have a big party to go to. Next week I am meeting friends at the Roger Williams Zoo in Providence, RI. And we'll take the ferry over to Port Jefferson (Long Island) to meet up with a friend from college and her littles... we'll survive... and we may actually have some fun along the way!

But it was my friend Lorraine who really put the smile on my face yesterday. She lives in the Midwest and we talk via Facebook. She saw my status... a comment about wanting summer to be over already... she was having a similar day, and then she told me that there were indeed people having worse days than we were, Bernie Madoff The Sociopath, was one of those people. Oh did that ever make me laugh!

So today I have put on my big girl panties... and today I decided to start the day with a smile... and today the sun is out... and I think that's a pretty good start. And a little trip to the liquor store is planned so that my day ends on a positive note as well!

(If you want to order the above sticker click on it and it will take you to the link!)

Summertime BBQ With Good Friends

Nothing to kick off summer like a barbecue with good friends. A fairly impromptu gathering, we decided to celebrate one couple's 13th Anniversary and welcome another couple back from a 2 year stay in Japan. There were 8 adults, 6 children and we had a whole lot of fun!

(Rebecca was off in NYC for the day celebrating her bff's 10th Birthday. The girls took a Hummer Limo into the city, had lunch at Serendipity's, visited Dylan's Candy Bar, saw Shrek the musical, went out to dinner and returned back for a sleepover. I wonder, if this is just a 10th Birthday, what will her Sweet Sixteen be like?!)

My friend Beth greeted me with the lovely bouquet pictured above that I promptly placed in water and put in the foyer for display. The kids took off to play and the adults had some nice quiet time together. It was so nice to catch up with everyone and I love that the children were finally old enough to socialize together unattended so that the adults could as well. It made all the difference!

And then it was time for the slide... add water and let the fun begin!

The food and drink were a huge hit!

The Menu

Grilled Vegetables

Corn Salad

Lemon Parmesan Pasta Salad

Tomatoes with Basil and Feta

Cherry Tomatoes Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Basil

Grilled London BroilBBQ ChickenLemon Garlic Chicken
(For the children:Corn on the CobGrilled Hot Dogs)

Dessert
Warm Brownie Ice Cream SundaeWatermelon

(All recipes have been posted on the food blog!)

I used all the Cynthia Rowley melanine items I purchased from her Swell line at Target last summer. I hate to have anything breakable on the deck or anywhere little bare feet are present.



I used the above picture frame as a menu, which is what I had in mind when I purchased the frame.

The weather forecast for the rest of the week doesn't look so great. The sun is out now, but I hear thunder in the distance. We haven't had the best of weather so far so this summer and because of this it was especially nice to be able to take advantage of our beautiful day. I do hope to have many more barbecues this summer. I will keep my fingers crossed!

Before everyone left, I made sure they signed the Guest Book. The kids got in on the act and left lovely messages too!

Angela Moore... or less...

When we were in Newport the other day we stopped off at Angela Moore to see if we could find a dress for Rebecca. (We had about 20 minutes to kill before meeting Gabi (from Tickled Pink Talk) and her boys. We headed straight to the back, Rebecca about 20 paces ahead of us. The Sales Person asked if we needed any help. I explained that we were looking for a dress for Becca. The children's pickings were slim at best. There was nothing in her size. The Sales Person then directed us over to the adult dresses and said that Rebecca might fit in a 0 or 2 then showed us this lovely dress. And it was lovely, really lovely, but I am NOT spending $220 on a 10 year old! Perhaps I was being directed toward this particular dress because my boys (as adorable as they looked) were well, not on their best behaviour. Alexander knows better but he is still young, so he still needs a reminder here, there, and apparently, everywhere. Christopher surprised me actually. He kept spinning the standing mirror (think cartoon where the mirror spins around at 65 mph!) I told him, repeatedly not to do so. At this point I was getting evil looks. Alexander kept hiding in between the dresses and popping out exclaiming "boo!" While this was a little bit funny (would have been very funny at say, The Gap or Old Navy) but not here. I was cringing slightly. Rebecca was getting annoyed with her little brothers as well. I kept threatening to take their frozen lemonade treat away from them. (There's a wonderful frozen lemonade truck that comes to the beach. The kids really look forward to it.) It didn't help. My boys are normally not behaved in this manner. My boys usually have manners. But not that day. Rebecca and I took one stroll over to the other side of the store to check out the light blue Jack Rodgers and when I spotted the boys, their hands rolling over the ties (not in a bad way -- they were picking one out for Daddy.) The old sales ladies were looking (glaring) at them with such disgust as though the boys had mud or peanut butter or dirt smeared all over them that I had to laugh. I'd had enough. I took the kids by the hand and declared, as I walked out of the store, "Come on kids, we're headed over to Michael Hayes!"

And if you ever to go to Newport you have to (really have to) stop off at Michael Hayes and Michael Hayes for Kids on Bellevue Avenue. You will thank me!

Seriously, the Angela Moore people were r.u.d.e... If you don't want children in your store then don't sell children's things. I'm not sure I will go back in. I mean really, who do they think they are? The ladies at Tiffany's are far more engaging toward my children, and yes, even my boys!

And all the while, I kept asking myself, "What would Semi-Slacker do?"

He Knew... as blogged about by Lisa Marie Presley

Under the title He Knew., Michael Jackson's ex-wife, Lisa Marie Presley, took to her MySpace blog to record some very touching words.

She says:

"Years ago Michael and I were having a deep conversation about life in general. I can't recall the exact subject matter but he may have been questioning me about the circumstances of my Fathers Death. At some point he paused, he stared at me very intensely and he stated with an almost calm certainty, "I am afraid that I am going to end up like him, the way he did."I promptly tried to deter him from the idea, at which point he just shrugged his shoulders and nodded almost matter of fact as if to let me know, he knew what he knew and that was kind of that.14 years later I am sitting here watching on the news an ambulance leaves the driveway of his home, the big gates, the crowds outside the gates, the coverage, the crowds outside the hospital, the Cause of death and what may have led up to it and the memory of this conversation hit me, as did the unstoppable tears. A predicted ending by him, by loved ones and by me, but what I didn't predict was how much it was going to hurt when it finally happened. The person I failed to help is being transferred right now to the LA County Coroners office for his Autopsy. All of my indifference and detachment that I worked so hard to achieve over the years has just gone into the bowels of hell and right now I am gutted. I am going to say now what I have never said before because I want the truth out there for once. Our relationship was not "a sham" as is being reported in the press. It was an unusual relationship yes, where two unusual people who did not live or know a "Normal life" found a connection, perhaps with some suspect timing on his part. Nonetheless, I do believe he loved me as much as he could love anyone and I loved him very much.I wanted to "save him" I wanted to save him from the inevitable which is what has just happened.His family and his loved ones also wanted to save him from this as well but didn't know how and this was 14 years ago. We all worried that this would be the outcome then.At that time, In trying to save him, I almost lost myself. He was an incredibly dynamic force and power that was not to be underestimated.When he used it for something good, It was the best and when he used it for something bad, It was really, REALLY bad.Mediocrity was not a concept that would even for a second enter Michael Jackson's being or actions. I became very ill and emotionally/ spiritually exhausted in my quest to save him from certain self-destructive behavior and from the awful vampires and leeches he would always manage to magnetize around him. I was in over my head while trying. I had my children to care for, I had to make a decision. The hardest decision I have ever had to make, which was to walk away and let his fate have him, even though I desperately loved him and tried to stop or reverse it somehow. After the Divorce, I spent a few years obsessing about him and what I could have done different, in regret.Then I spent some angry years at the whole situation.At some point, I truly became Indifferent, until now. As I sit here overwhelmed with sadness, reflection and confusion at what was my biggest failure to date, watching on the news almost play by play The exact Scenario I saw happen on August 16th, 1977 happening again right now with Michael (A sight I never wanted to see again) just as he predicted, I am truly, truly gutted. Any ill experience or words I have felt towards him in the past has just died inside of me along with him. He was an amazing person and I am lucky to have gotten as close to him as I did and to have had the many experiences and years that we had together. I desperately hope that he can be relieved from his pain, pressure and turmoil now. He deserves to be free from all of that and I hope he is in a better place or will be. I also hope that anyone else who feels they have failed to help him can be set free because he hopefully finally is. The World is in shock but somehow he knew exactly how his fate would be played out some day more than anyone else knew, and he was right. I really needed to say this right now, thanks for listening.

LMP

Newport news...

My apologies for not uploading any pictures... Blogger's not cooperating at the moment.

We had such a great time meeting Tickled Pink Talk and her kids. Her boys are lovely, truly lovely and everyone got along so fabulously that we are planning on getting together again in Newport in August. The kids became instant friends and after chatting a few moments I felt like I knew Gabi forever!

When we first met up at the beach the weather was not so lovely. There was a think blanket of clouds over head and it was quite windy. I had an old jacket of my father's that I had borrowed and was still chilly! A couple hours later the clouds made way for sunshine and the afternoon could not have been more delightful! We had to tear ourselves away at 5:30 only because I had to get back, get the kids cleaned up for dinner. Next time we'll tell Moo and Popsy not to count us in for dinner and we'll hang out longer!

So I was telling my mother about all the fun we had. "You'd never met?" My mother gasped, and asked in shock? "No," I responded. She then asked me a question. "What kind of message is that, you are sending your kids?" And I hadn't thought of it in that manner. Of course I had chosen a very public space in case ... well, in case. But I hadn't thought about the message it would be sending the kids. After all of the crazy and terrible stories you hear about children meeting people they meet on the internet, I shouldn't be encouraging this. So how do I explain that what I am doing is OK and yet they should never follow in these footsteps? I've now met two wonderful bloggers. I'd like to think I have a good head on my shoulders and have the sense to be safe and take care of myself and my children. But indeed, my mother raised a valid point.

What would you do and say in response?

Greetings from The Cool and Cloudy Ocean State!

My parents live in an older home along the coast. They love the architecture and charm of it. While much has been done over the years in terms of decor and renovations downstairs, very little has been done upstairs. My parents rarely venture up there. It's now the Children's Area. They still have the old cast iron tub and the two old sinks that have different spouts for the hot and the cold water. The old doors are charming but do not close properly. Lock the bathroom doors and you might never get out! The old wood floors are gorgeous. And loud and creaky! I never noticed all these little foibles when I had the upstairs to myself, but with three loud children not only does the sound reverberate over and over and over again off the walls and ceilings and floors, but every time someone tosses and turns the whole upstairs creaks as well! The boys are in my old bedroom. They also use my old four poster beds. Beautiful and loud and creaky! But the kids love it here.

I'm in my mother's office next to the kitchen. In the kitchen Alexander is watching Handy Manny, Rebecca is playing Play Doh and Christopher and Popsy are about to resume a game of Monopoly they started last night. Sandwiches have been made as we are due to meet up with Tickled Pink Talk in a couple of hours... It doesn't look so great out there. The skies are grey and the weather is still cool. I've packed sweatshirts for the kiddos, but typical, I have forgotten my own! My cousins are in town and we hope to see them too. Rebecca is headed back into Manhattan on Saturday for a Birthday Party. The girls are going to see Shrek on Broadway and hit Serendipity for some Frozen Hot Chocolate. She absolutely "needs" a new Lilly dress she informs me. Hopefully we will have time to check out Angela Moore. If not she'll have to (gasp!) wear hers two days in a row. Her others are just way too short and a little HoochieMama-ish for my taste. I hate when she outgrows pretty things as she looks nice so seldom these days... well, you know what I mean!

I keep looking up and peering out the French Doors with the hopes that the sun will soon shine. It's been a long, cool summer so far. I know many of you in the South are suffering from too much heat. This has not been the case here. So far. I'd better watch what I say and wish for!

I'll try to post later on and tell you all about our afternoon with Tickled Pink Talk!

Here we Come!

Tomorrow morning we'll be headed home to my parents' (not pictured above!) in Newport, Rhode Island. The weather is supposed to be pretty miserable tomorrow so we will lay low at the house and the kids can hang out and play and re-explore all their toys. Minor changes have been made for them. My old bedroom became Rebecca and Christopher's bedroom has gotten another makeover. It will be the boys' room and Rebecca will move in to her own room next to what has become my bedroom. If the weather is not too lousy we'll head out and do something.

On Thursday the weather is supposed to be delightful and we are going to meet up with Tickled Pink Talk and her boys. So excited! I think we'll be beach-bound... I have both cameras on my desk so there will be pictures aplenty!

Then Friday, before we head back to Connecticut, we will head over to the Annual Flower Show at Rosecliff, one of the beautiful mansions along Bellevue Avenue. Rebecca has no desire to go (I'm dragging her!) but I know the boys will actually love it and I am giving Christopher, my little horticulturist, my little camera for his photography. I think I will assign her a painting assignment upon our return home.

It's a short visit this time around as we have obligations back home later on Friday. We won't be at all in July as the kids have camp and then we head up to Maine for two weeks. Hopefully we'll be able to visit Moo and Popsy again in August. When the kids were little we spent so much time there and they even went to camp there, but these days their busy lives keep them home.

Now for the packing which I hate!

2 Cameras, back-up batteries/recharger
Sunglasses for all
Sneakers, flip flops for kiddos
Toothbrushes
Brushes
Hair accessories
Laptop!

Rebecca:
Asthma meds
2 bathing suits
Bathing suit cover up
Lilly dress (for flower show)
1 polo shirt
1 pair of shorts
1 play dress
1 sweater
Anorack

Christopher:
Meds
3 polo shirts
3 shorts
2 bathing suits
2 T-Shirts (for beach)
Sweater
Anorack

Alexander:
4 Polo shirts
4 shorts
2 bathing suits
2 T-Shirts for beach
Sweater
Anorack

Me:
I have no idea!!!

Kids will also be resonsible for their journals, Nintendo DS and summer reading...

Off to do some laundry locate my missing black bathing suit and start getting organized!

Lobster Platter Details

Because so many of you have asked...

Here is what I did! (And it is very easy.)

I picked a paint color -- this could be cute in so many colors really -- and painted Alexander's hands, one at a time. I had someone at the paint store help me. The person at the paint store held the platter in place as I took Alexander's hand and pressed it firmly against the platter. I repeated the same step with the other hand. (Washing hands immediately after.)
I then painted Alexander's foot and pressed his foot against the platter while the other person held the platter in place. I washed his foot and his job was done. I then carefully went over the hands, foot, fingers and toes with a narrow paintbrush to make the color brighter.

I used a pencil to make an outline of the tail, legs, antennae and eyes that I painted over with a super fine paint brush and black paint. If you are not very adept with a paint brush you may want to look into a pottery marker.

The pottery place then put our platter in the kiln and this was the result!

The Best Father's Day Gift Ever!

Seriously, is this not the cutest gift ever?!?! I am totally patting myself on the back this time! I got the idea from someone's creative blog where they used the foot to create the lobster. I added the hand prints, then painted the outline, eyes and tentacles. We spend a lot of time in Maine and Newport in the summertime and so the lobster means something to Daddy. He was positively thrilled when he opened this!


We had a lovely day. I had his entire family over. His sisters, their spouses and kids came to celebrate the day with us. The kids all took off immediately to the playroom or outdoors so that the adults were able to have a nice time as well.


For lunch we had Hoisin Garlic marinated grilled chicken, cilantro rice, and Asian-inspired salad with edamame, scallions, cucumber, peas, raw pistachios, romaine lettuce and a Sesame Ginger Dressing and asparagus lightly sauteed in sesame oil, garlic and sea salt. To drink we had white wine, red wine, assorted beers, lemonade, iced tea, and Arnold Palmers. My mother-in-law brought a homemade apple pie and blueberry pie that I served with the ice cream the kids made last night.

********************************************

We sat the kids together in the kitchen... We could have had everyone in the Dining Room, but it would have been tight. Daddy was worried that the others would miss the kids not being with us what with it being Father's Day and all, but not a tear was shed when they learned the adults would be sitting separately!

I set up the kids table with extra food so the older two could help the younger ones and not come in and bother us! (Smart thinking!) The kitchen adjoins the dining room so I could see them while we were eating.

The kids loved getting the candy necklaces as favors and played (ate!) them when they had finished their meal.

Below cousin Miren models her lovely neck ware!

We decided last night we would eat inside since everything outside was so wet and more rain was forecast for this morning. So I brought out (and ironed! Yes, I ironed!) the lovely new table linens from Williams-Sonoma my Mother-In-Law got me for Christmas. It looks lovely with my grandmother's silver and I used the trivets I made a few weeks ago. I had intended to use my favorite Ralph Lauren goblets, but they hadn't been used for a while and there was a lovely layer of fog over them and I was not about to wash them this late in the game!

The true highlight of the day was the wonderful slideshow that my Sister-in-law and neice, Brielle, put together for all the Dads. There were pictures of Rebecca as a newborns that almost brought me to tears and hilarious photographs of Daddy and his sisters from the 70s and early 80s!

While we were still at the table (kids had long excused themselves) Alexander decided to do a little decorating himself. I guess he deemed the guest book as unimportant and thought the raptor much more suitable!

Tips and a Tag (No, I did not say tipsy sillies!)

When I was a little girl, long before bows were sewn or glued on to barrettes and hairbands my mother always had me in pig tails or pony tails and I always had the prettiest ribbons in my hair. My dresses were meticulously ironed as were the bows in my hair. However, my mother never took a hot iron to my hair ribbons. She used some water and a mirror. I've started wearing ribbons in my hair again. (Because I desperately need a cut and highlights and it looks icky down!) I am really lazy and while my ribbons need ironing I can't very well send them out to the dry cleaners like I do with the other items I have that need ironing. (Yes, I seriously do that!) I run the ribbons under the bathroom faucet and run the ribbon between my thumb and forefinger to squeeze out excess water and press the ribbon on to my bedroom mirror. A couple of hours later my ribbon is dry (and often on the floor) and I have freshly pressed ribbons with no effort at all!

Keep a plunger under your kitchen sink if you do not have a Dispose-All. Yes, a toilet plunger, preferably a clean one! I hate, hate, hate not having a Dispose-All. We had one in the old house and used it all the time. But we are now on a septic system and word has it that you should not have a disposal if you have a septic system. Sometimes food goes down the drain unintentionally, especially the smaller bits, especially if you have kids. And sometimes the drain gets clogged.

This happened not too long ago when my husband was out of town. It was late at night and I was cleaning up after my book club and my sink was stopped up. Water wasn't going down where it should have. I texted my husband asking if he knew where Draino was. His reply was "get the plunger." Yes, my reaction was "Ew, gross!" But I didn't want to wait until the following afternoon to have someone come out and snake the sink for $150. So I went to the bathroom next to the kitchen and Lysol'd and scrubbed the heck out of the plunger and then went to apply the plunger to the drain. Up Down Up Down Up Down and voila! The water was draining!

So get yourselves a plunger for your kitchen sink and you too can save a pretty penny!

That's it for my tips today. Now for my Tag.

Sarah Elizabeth tagged me. I have to name 6 things that give me great pleasure and tag some more friends.

1. Good food and good wine... I love great food and great wine, especially with friends. Food is an experience that involves all the senses... taste, smell, touch, sight and sound... the sounds of silver wear or the clinking of crystal and the laughter of good friends... the art of a beautifully created meal, appetizer or dessert, the aroma and taste of it all...

2. The beach... I am most at peace on the beach. Whether the weather is lovely or not. The sights and sounds and smells change daily, sometimes hourly... the gulls soaring in the sky, the waves crashing along the shore... the smells of the salty air and the sunscreens and children at play... being among friends and chatting... or even sitting by myself enjoying a good book. I like the breath-taking beauty and solitude of the quiet morning sunrise and the late evening sunset... There is no place like the beach!

3. Writing... I love to write and did a lot before I had children. It was how I made my living. I love to express myself through the written word... it's a passion of mine. Perhaps this is why I also love to blog...

4. Photography... another creative outlet for me... My camera lets me see and show things ordinary in a less than ordinary manner... Photography is not only an art form but a way of freezing special moments in time. It is the ultimate story teller...

5. Cooking... Cooking is another passion of mine. Perhaps it is also because I love food. It is another creative outlet for me. And of course I love to take photographs, write about and eat great food!

6. My children... (when they are not irritating the heck out of me!) My children inspire me to be and do my best... I love to see things through their eyes... they are always showing and teaching me new things... I would be half of what I am today without them in my life...

and I feel I need to add a

7. My Husband... after all, without him (and all the grief he causes me! ILY) I would have no children!

I am now Tagging:

Cancer Sucks even With Lilly on Your Side

Everyday Matters

Semi-Slacker

Prepschool 101

Life in the Carpool Lane

A Mom's Life

Tickled Pink Talk

Life's About a Dream

and

Pinot After Playdates

Shaken, Not Stirred!

Another rainy day in Paradise... There are currently 4 crazy boys at home. (I am so glad that Rebecca went off to her friend's house. She would have been miserable!) I am proud to say that my two are the more mellow of the four, and yet slightly appalled that this is the case. But the play date is almost over -- in 5 minutes, no 4 minutes!

I made spaghetti and meatballs for lunch. Only our two visitors picked up a few items at Wal*Mart (hatethatstore!) and I guess filled up on chips and candy and whatnot in the car on the way over. So glad I put a nice lunch together... next time PB&J... So, while at lunch the other two boys were rude and disruptive, up and down every five minutes and at one point they both got up to tickle Christopher while he was still eating! I told them to knock it off. Nicely. Christopher mentioned something as a joke about Diet Cherry Soda in the fridge. (Diet Hansen's) The older boy got up and started acting like a lunatic and actually proceeded to go to and open my fridge in search of this cherry soda. He couldn't find it and shut the door. Christopher told him it was on the top shelf and when he tried to open the door again he couldn't! (Heh-heh... gotta love Sub-Zero!) I shot Christopher a hairy eyeball which meant knock-it-off...

Ok, it's 3:31 and their Au-pair is late dammit!

Things were fine after that. For a while. Until the boys (not mine) started running through the house. I had to tell them to slow down as I worried someone was going to get hurt. Eventually I told them we don't run through the house. (OK, my boys are human and they do run... they know they are not supposed to.) I am sure those boys are thinking "Boy, what a Bitch that EntertainingMom is!" But I have rules and I will enforce them. The boys are allowed to play in their rooms or in the playroom. Toys are not to go back and forth (risk of putting more mysterious dents and scratches in the walls.) Playroom is ideal. It is on the other side of the house over the garage. It's huge and they can play any way they wish in there. Family room is off limits when friends are over, well, they have to walk through it to get to the kitchen! And no child is allowed to enter the Living or Dining Rooms. The older two eventually play wii and calm has resumed. I am a bit surprised because I know their mother and I know their mother would not tolerate this behavior.

It is now 3:36 and she is still not here!

I broke out the ice cream ball we got from LLBean. We love it. Not only does it make great ice cream but it's fun for the kids to do. All you have to do is toss in the required ingredients, then roll or shake the ice cream ball. It's a lot of fun!

It is now 3:47 and they are gone!!

Only after 10 minutes they were bored. Which meant I had to roll/shake it... for 30 minutes!
And so I did. I kept checking the clock hoping it was nearing 3:30. It was and it wasn't. I needed to feed the boys the ice cream and I knew it wouldn't be ready on time. It was ready to come out of the ball, but the ice cream was still very soft and needed to go in the freezer a bit.

So I did a terrible thing.
I cheated.
I lied.
I swapped out some cheap vanilla stuff we had lying around!
But I had to! They boys were expecting the ice cream that they, I mean I made!
So I put the home made ice cream in a Tupperware in the freezer and I gave them the other stuff. They went on and on about how good it was too!

(Top picture store brand. Bottom picture home made!)

So I had a taste* of both ours and theirs and I have to say that without a moment's hesitation ours was far superior!

I will give the boys their ice cream for dessert. I will have to fess up I guess. I might even make Mama Henley's Ice Cream Balls... they sound absolutely to die for! I'm thinking I will roll them in crushed Thin Mints? How does that sound? We can make little ice cream Bon Bons** together and we can talk about play dates from Hell! Do you have any you care to share with us?

* Just a small taste as I am still technically on the South Beach Diet

** Or we can use the Ice Cream Ball to freeze fresh fruit juice ... can you see where I am going with this? And perhaps instead of cream you could add some, oh I don't know, Grey Goose?!!!

(And Lord knows I could use a (n extra) Strong Something right about now!)

Cheers!

4:45 I have just fessed up... my boys are eating their home made ice cream and both declare that is is much better!

Ladies, I need your help creating a drink!

As many of you know I have been head of the Ways and Means Committee at my children's school. It's a small school PreK - 8th grade. We have a few fundraisers and events. In the fall we'll host our annual wine tasting and in the spring our annual auction. We're going to change things a bit to make the auction a much more fun party. If a family hasn't offered to host it at their home we hold it at the school, traditionally that has been the auditorium. This year our hope is to tent it and bring it outside, as there is nothing so festive as a large palladium tent and some lovely catered food. But the economy has hit the Housewives of Fairfield County and we need to set our budget lower as parent spending had lessened a good bit. We're still working out many ideas but have one thing agreed upon, we will offer wine, beer and a martini bar. This seems simple and can keep alcohol costs down. We would like to have a signature martini and called it The Gatortini as our school mascot which is featured on the school's logo is an alligator.
What comes to your mind when you thing Gatortini?

(Picture above is from a Lacoste shirt that I suspect to be about 30 years old! It was my father's. In the 80s it was cool to wear oversized -- dad's or brother's -- shirts to school. We had a uniform but when worn tucked in this shirt was fine. He gave it to me because he was going to toss it. It was quite worn even then! I recently came across it and a couple others I wore as a child that I think are now too small for even Rebecca. They're in my closet. I don't think I will part with them!)

Someone To Watch Over Me...

June 14th, 1997... It had been a terribly rainy couple of days in Newport. The night before we had our rehearsal dinner at OceanCliff. We had hoped to be outside and wow our guests with our lovely, tranquil island views... gorgeous sunsets and white sails floating in the horizon. But that was not to be the case on Friday, June 13th. Instead there was cold rain and fog. But we had a lovely ballroom with lovely guests, food and music. The following morning the fog was heavy and dense as it almost always is out on the water. I heard the fog horns from my bedroom windows and the seagulls overhead. It smelled of low tide and freshly brewed coffee. In my girly bedroom with white walls and Laura Ashley borders on the walls I looked around one last time...

Within a couple of hours the fog lifted and the sun's rays started to poke through as it almost always does out on the water. Suddenly there was promise of a glorious, glorious day in Newport in June. How could it not be? I was getting married!

My dad, now retired, was many things in his life. In our New York days he had a very successful career, then when he retired from the city to make a permanent home in Rhode Island he took on a new life in politics. Not to worry, he was a good and decent politician who fought hard for Newport and Rhode Island. He fought with the good guys and against the corrupt, bad guys. He was still in politics when I got married and he officiated my wedding!

Below, my father walking me down the "aisle." I chose not to walk to the Wedding March, but rather the theme from Chariots of Fire... such a beautiful tune!

My wedding music was all hand-picked by me. I had many of the classics, Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Glenn Miller, Leonard Bernstein, Harry Connick Jr. and I would not have my wedding without Henry Mancini's Moon River... and there was plenty of Jimmy Buffet, Neil Diamond (Sweet Caroline), and other greats. No hip-hop. No funk and certainly no rap for this girl. I was fortunate and privileged to have The Lester Lanin Orchestra play for us. The food was fabulous, although I don't think I ate... and everything was fabulous.

It was, for me, the party of a lifetime. I would, if I could, do it all over again. It would be a dream to do it all over again... to invite those same friends and the newer ones we've met along the way... to have a Paladian tent and the orchestra again... maybe one day... maybe... Meantime I'll look at these pictures with a great big smile and wonderful, warm memories that will never fade.

Finally, we were married... let the party begin!

(Excuse these photos... while I have a scanner I do not know how to use it. It's in it's original packaging in the basement. Daddy has one too. It's way too complicated. So I took pictures of the pictures in my albums! Genius or what?! Quality not comparable, however!)

Below is a close-up of my dress that I had made and designed myself using dotted Swiss and silk organza. I wanted classic, clean and simple. I had Audrey Hepburn in mind... my collar and cuffs were over-sized for dramatic flair. The dotted Swiss on the arms and used over the silk was rather sheer. For buttons we used over-sized (faux) pearls. My sash was lined in a buttercup yellow to match the Brides Maids dresses. For the life of me I have no recollection of what I wore on my feet. Perhaps even the shoes I had worn when I was in my cousin's wedding the summer before. Or perhaps a pretty sandal with a kitten heel...

Lynne, my dressmaker, by my side...

Mingling with my friends...

Our first dance... Someone To Watch Over Me

More mingling with friends...

Another dance... I just love that photo!

Below, my mother, grandmother and uncle and the dessert, a Croquembouche, a French dessert often served at times of celebration. This was a childhood favorite that I ate often in the summers in the South of France. Croquembouche is essentially little profiteroles filled with custard and piled into a triangular mound, drizzled with caramel. It's elegant, fun and festive. Each table had their very own Croquembouche and if you look below you will see little toothpicks attached to the cone. This was so people could casually pick theirs off. It was a huge hit!

Three generations (I'm an only child)
My dressmaker also made my mother's dress.

When perusing through my pictures I couldn't help but notice how many had me holding a champagne or wine glass! Here I am helping myself to a (nother?) Bellini. I'm not even looking at what I am doing!

From the outside in...

Love this shot!

My beautiful grandmother. I miss her so. And she manages to make even a silly Lester Lanin hat seem terribly elegant!

My husband ... "you go dancing... you do the white man's overbite" !!!

Happy Anniversary Buggie! Here's to another Dirty Dozen!

A Peek into The EntertainingKids' Rooms

I must preface this by saying I hate Polly Pockets. Hate hate hate them. I spent all day cleaning because tomorrow is my anniversary and I won't be lifting a finger then. My Dirty Dozen. My wedding was the best day ever. The picture in my header is all I have that remains... aside from photos a video and memories. But that's another story. On to Polly Pockets and My (lovely little) Slob!

Seriously, look at that? I hate whoever it was who created those teeny tiny dolls. And I can't promise that a little pink or blue Polly Pocket shoe did not get sucked up by my vacuum.

I wonder what is hiding in the pile of bears... do I dare take a peek?

Doll mess...

Getting ready for a sleepover. I notice she is not cleaning her room as she should be.

The laundry that she was supposed to put away was folded when I put it there!

Bedside table, I think!

Lovely, and where the hell are all her clothes?

I guess her knitting needed a nap!

And then, after I get my hands on everything... Oh look at this pretty room! Whooda thunk?

She did put her clothes away... I didn't dare look in those drawers!

All tidy...

I even folded doll blankets and made sure dollies were nestled all snug in their prams!

I'm not Martha but I make a mean bed. Her doll is wearing her too-small PJs!
(Bedding is from Pottery Barn Kids, Company Kids and Tommy Hilfiger)

And all the American Girls are tucked away. (I know it's a little girl's room but I hate clutter and crap all over the place and she has so many dolls that they become clutter and crap.) Yes, the entire trunk is filled with AG dolls!


And while we're at it and since I have cleaned all the children's rooms...

Now take a guess to see if you can figure out what Alexander wants to be when he grows up!

I fell in love with the bedding in the PBK catalog a couple of years ago and bought it in anticipation of Alexander's big bed. He was still in a crib at the time! PBK even sold the dalmation. Alexander can't sleep without it!

More PBK... mural and train table... Mess on train table courtesy various toy companies!

Spot's hiding in a corner! Spot is not real. He's a life-size Melissa & Dog doggie. Isn't he precious?

Various Fire Truck related paraphernalia. Artwork is courtesy my friend Liz Smith. You'll see her blog link on my blog roll. I "comissioned" her to paint those. I love them! (I am eventually going to hang them above Alexander's bed, but I still don't trust him not to try to pull them off.)

And a fire man must always be prepared...

More helmets on top of blankets. Don't touch his blankets. He needs them all. He's a real blanket kid... so are the other two, actually.

And my 8 year old's dream bedroom. This was a surprise gift for him at Christmas. All of it. The bedding came from PBK, the posters from Posters.com and the Lightsaber came from Target!

Love the movie posters that Daddy picked out.

I think I should be getting royalties from PBK actually. All my kids rooms have furnishings from there.

What an 8 year old reads at night... not what he should be reading, however!

The entire length of the room is all cork board. I love it. Here he displays artwork from over the years, and other items near and dear to him

I also love all the buit-ins of all sizes. These small ones are perfect for his DS games and his Webkins!

More built-ins over his desk.

And there you have it. Actually I'm glad that I took and posted these pictures because I'm not sure when I'll see them looking like this again!

Their new rooms are quite different. The entire house is actually. Click here to see pictures of their rooms and other rooms in the old house..." The Crazy Crowded House!" (Which was crazy and crowded but at 2.400 sq. ft. it wasn't that small!)