Tatoo Morning!

Good Morning! If Rory can have tatoos, Kelly wants tatoos and why not have a skull and crossbones on a 1 year old!

Shelagh's Recital

Look at what a doll she looks like in her recital costume and hair done up all fancy-like!! She was very proud of her costume and make-up and happy to pose for some pics. She did a great job on stage...didn't seem too nervous. Her class is still at an age where they watch their teachers through the whole dance backstage while performing. But, I can see improvement each year and she had a lot of fun all around. I'm totally ready for dance to be over...they really bombard you with week-night preparations pre and post recital. Total pain in the ass. Two more week-day things this week and then we're done until Fall!

Shelagh posing with Dad and then with Rory before the big event.

Lost

Just amazing...I have a lot to say, so skip this whole post if you don't watch Lost!

The whole finale was about character and relationships and everyone coming together. I cried through most of it. I loved that Desmond was who was responsible for bringing everyone to each other. I love that he, Hurley, and Kate did it by action - pointing people in the right direction - and not by words. I love that we got to see real Locke at the end and not Smokey Locke too much. I can't even organize my thoughts...I just loved it. I definitely want to watch the whole series over again. I also would really like to know what parts were planned and what parts were improvised over time.

I spent some time this morning reading through some of the comments on Pop Candy about the series finale. Here are some of the notes from people that helped me start to pull together what was going on.

1) We agree that the island time line is the real time line. People died, other people lived. It's only when all those people died that they went to the sideways world in order to find each other and be united upon entering the afterlife. So Sawyer might have lived to be 90, but upon his death he reverted back to his island age because, as Christian put it, that was the most important time of all their lives. What happened on the island was their real lives. Sideways was what you are calling Purgatory

2) The island - housed a power present in mankind that can tip towards white or black. Good and Evil are represented by both Jacob and MIB, thereby keeping the balance of power even. Black has a leg up on the competition in that it has a free floating entity in the form of the smoke monster. Candidates - flawed and victimized human beings are brought to the island and given a chance at redemption and to eliminate the threat of evil empowering humanity via the MIB (escaping the island).These candidates were the first successful bunch in that they were redeemed and able to defeat the MIB, thereby, containing the island's power source in the heart of the island. The survivors of Oceanic 815 could not have done this alone and they needed each other to redeem their souls and rebalance the power in favor of white (good).The sideways world. Purgatory. A chance for those who have lived, been redeemed and Lost a chance to reconnect with soul mates, reconcile with and forgive enemies. Together they lived, alone they died and remembering their lives collectively and how they needed each other - allowed them to move on to a better place - heaven.

3) I especially loved when Vincent laid down to be with Jack as he looked up in the sky to see the airplane fly above his head

4) On the island, Jack is next to the DOG. In the other universe, he is next to GOD

5) In the sideways world, the island was sunk because the light was out. The sideways world people needed to find the light, they needed to make a connection with their past. Looking in the mirror reminded them of what they did. Touching one another recalled how they needed each other. It some more time than others to realize what is happening (i.e. Jack) and others it was very easy (i.e Hugo).

6) I think they all died in the plane crash and the whole series was about Jack's journey to crossover into heaven. When you look back throughout the seasons, Jack was directly involved with everyone, whether it be through loving them, healing them, saving them, being related to them, or mentoring them. We saw everyone's back stories every week, but what we were really seeing was Jack's story as a whole. It was all about Jack all along...

7) The only way the island's evil could be killed -- the supposedly unkillable smoke monster, the MIB -- was for someone first to let the light out, giving him the opportunity to escape (but making him mortal), THEN for someone to physically kill him, THEN for someone to sacrifice him/herself to put the light BACK IN thereby restoring the rightful balance in the universe, AND for that person to have lined up a replacement. That's a tall order. And quite a loophole to the rules MIB thought he was playing by. Without Desmond's special characteristics AND Jack's sacrifice AND Hurley's volunteerism, things wouldn't have turned out as well as they did.

8) In the end, the light didn't strike me as particularly good or evil, just powerful. If there was a struggle between good and evil, it was within each of the characters. Was the light a metaphor for the choices we make? I guess we don't know for sure which was the "real" life or if it matters. It is clear that time is irrelevant. Christian said some died before and some much later, yet they were waiting for him. Maybe waiting isn't so bad when time doesn't really exist. At the end, those who loved were together and seemed happy to be leaving. Loved the full circle. Jack opend his eye on the first episode, and saw Vincent. At the end, he saw Vincent and closed his eye. I loved Vincent staying with him.

9) There were 40+ people on the plane but there were no more than 20 in the church. Where were those other people? Why was Claire's baby there. Wasn't it allowed to grow up. If they died in the crash then the baby would never have been born. If they survived and then all died later then how did the baby end up back on the island even though when Kate left it to go back it was a young child? Where was Jin's baby?

10) I think the reason Eloise didn't want Des to take Daniel is because she didn't want him to move on. She wanted him to stay with her in the sideways world. Considering she killed him in the island (real) world, being together with him in the sideways timeline was probably her "heaven".

Some more thoughts after reading some of the comments (as of 2pm there were 600 comments on the Pop Candy blog!)...
1) The whole Sayid/Shannon thing doesn't totally work for me. Nadia was the love of his life until he came to the island so the fact that they came back together to move on seems not quite genuine. I guess the argument could be made that when he met Shannon he was starting to find his redemption and redefine himself, but it's loose. They didn't know each other that long. Who knows, maybe surviving a plane crash together does something for people! I think they shortchanged his character...he used to be one of my favorites..they ruined Sayid this season.

2) I loved watching Sawyer/Juliet, Claire/Charlie, and Jack/Kate all come together. I didn't like Charlie at all until the episode where he died and I was so touched watching him find Claire and Aaron and the whole birth experience.

3) Why did the Others want the children? How do Aaron and Walt come into play? There was such a focus on women not being able to conceive, kids being valuable, Walt having "abilities" that I feel wasn't addressed. Maybe because they weren't flawed yet?

4) Interesting that Desmonds "mistakes" were what brought Oceanic 815 down to begin with in the beginning and that Desmonds removal of the rock from the light was what started to destroy the Island so that MIB could be killed at the end. I wonder if he was intended to be the thread that carried the story through?

5) I kind of feel like Jacob/MIB should have come into play in this finale somehow or in the church or beyond or looking on or something.

Okay, between Lost and the new guy with the hair piece and cologne, I've gotten NOTHING done today. Ugh.

How Will I Possibly Concentrate Now???

I have a hard enough time concentrating at work. Did they really need to put the new guy right across from me - he wears a MASSIVE amount of cologne (huge peeve) and he has a hairpiece. I'm so completely serious. I have NO idea how I will not stare. OMG. My work world has been thrown upside down. I'm staring right now at the back of his head. The end of the piece curls up just enough to cause a separation to the bottom hair sprigs. The coloration is perfect though, I must say. Must stop staring. OMG. OMG. How will I ever get anything done again??????

Shelaghs 6th Birthday, continued

And the birthday weekend continued with a visit from Grammy, JP Licks Oreo Ice Cream Cake, some new toys including a too-big bike - oops, the "biggest 6 balloon I ever saw in my whole life" - thank you Rory, and lots of "It's MY birthday. I get to do first." Oh, and the best part of her day was getting her birthday announced over the morning announcements at school. Now THAT is cool.

My happy girl...

Macaroni and Cheese Loaf???

At the deli counter when I spotted this. Isn't Olive Loaf bad enough???
Ewwwww.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Shelagh's 6th Birthday Party

My kid, having a FANTASTIC time, at her 6th birthday party last Friday with her friends at Monkey Joe's (bouncy house place). After a VERY long year transitioning to school, adjusting to a whole new set of friends, dealing with the arrival of Kelly, and moving past some emotional hurdles, my girl is doing well. And Joe and I couldn't have been happier watching her smile and laugh and relax.

This year has been trying. But I think I can finally say we are at a good plateau. We won't really move past it, as Shelagh is who she is; but, we have found ways to work with her amazing personality. Strong will channelled properly. That is my mantra when parenting Shelagh. I look forward to finding out what her passions are and watching her drive towards her goals with energy I can only imagine.

Fiddlehead Soup

I got a pound of fresh fiddleheads from my fruit/veg Co-op and decided to go for a soup. Epicurious and Everyday Food both didn't have one so I just searched via Google and got this Emerald Green Fiddlehead Soup. It came out yummy - mostly tastes like a broccoli soup, I have to say. I cut the cream down from 1 cup to 3/4 cup and would cut it down further to 1/4 to a 1/3 cup next time. Also, I would add an additional potato to thicken it a bit.

This year, in addition to my regular farm CSA that I share with LP, I signed up at another local delivery food co-op for a family fruit share. I loved the CSA from last year but they were a little stingy on fruit, partially due to the partially ruined food crop and partially just generally light on fruit. My kids rip through fruit so I decided to try this new one that delivers weekly to my town that I heard good things about. I also volunteered to work on the recipe blog, so I'll link to it if I post anything interesting whenever they get me set up.

Cooking out of the Freezer

I determined last week, while attempting to make space in my freezer for some new things, that I have a ton of food in there that I need to cook. It's getting old probably; I have no room left; and I haven't managed to organize myself to get an electrician out so I can buy a separate freezer for more storage. Now that I think of it, I will have to really keep a close eye on what I put in a separate freezer - if I don't manage my current freezer imagine what I'd lose in a stand-alone in a different room????

My goal this week is to make a list of what I have in the frig/freezer/food cabinets and put some meals together.

Girls at the Park

Just for fun...

Thoughts from the Mall

I went to the mall today to pickup several presents. Here's what went through my mind today.

1. Since when has a pair of cargo capri lightweight pants standardly cost $90. Really? Have I been grabbing shit clothes for myself from Target on a whim for too long? I realize I was in J. Crew and they tend to price high at full price, but come on. Who is spending $90 on cargos?
2. Who the hell is buying bra top tank tops for their size 6 wearing kid at Justice for $20 a pop? How do you explain a bra top to a 6 year old???? Not going back in there any time soon.
3. Why the hell would I try on pants so soon after being pregnant? Huge mistake...it's way depressing and I know better.

That's it for now. By the way, I did buy a new skirt for myself at J. Crew. It actually looked pretty good and could be casual or dressy depending on the top and shoes. Wearing it for a Christening tomorrow. Who the hell knows with what...

Kelly Dancing

Shelagh got a music card at her birthday party yesterday (pictures to come) and Kelly LOVED it. Here she is rocking out with Rory as a background dancer.

Rory-isms

"Mommy says I'm NOT A NERD. Mommy says I'm her love. YOU'RE a nerd."
"Rory, do you know what a nerd is?"
"Yes, Mommy. It a person who cleans up after you."
"I don't clean up after anyone. I'm not a nerd. Shelaghs a nerd."

Or, my favorite lately, when there is chaos going on...
"STOP THE MADNESS" with both hands up in the air. He claims he got that one from his preschool teacher. He didn't get it from me...I'm not that coherent by the time the chaos is that bad.

Misc Playground Pics

Some miscellaneous playground pics I've not had a chance to post of all 3 kids...

Kelly Standing!

Kelly was practicing standing on her own yesterday. A few other things she's doing...

1. Shaking her head no if she doesn't want to do/eat/say something
2. Tries to put her socks on herself (not really, but she does take her sock and touch her toes with it before handing it to me).
3. Getting attached to her little pink hippo lovey - when I lay her down on her tummy, she grabs it and shoves it under her neck. Way cute.
4. Calling out from bed for me and Joe - "Mama. mama. Dada. dada."
5. She loves wipes - she wipes her face, her hands, and cleans whatever is around her in general (floor, frig, her highchair tray, etc). She tries to wipe herself during a diaper change which can be pretty gross....She's too quick for me.
6. She's done with the bottle FINALLY (the only ones she liked were really leaky and annoying to wash) and is comfortably into her sippies.
7. She is still hugging all the time, especially Shelagh. As soon as she sees her she reaches out and then hugs her tight. No matter how much she might hit, fall on, bother her, Shelagh is always beyond sweet to her being gentle, teaching her, and hugging her back. It's precious.
8. She LOVES music. She danced and clapped through Shelagh entire dance dress rehearsal yesterday - at least 10 routines worth of songs.
9. She loves brushing her hair and teeth. Every morning, she climbs up onto the stool while the other kids are brushing, grabs her toothbrush and brushes through each of the rest of us brushing. She cries when you take it from her.

Here's Kelly playing with me and standing on her own:

Happy Mothers Day

Happy Mothers Day! The fact that I didn't write on Mothers should indicate the kind of day I had! We had a great early AM breakfast followed by a pretty mellow day otherwise. Joe took Rory to the movies, I did errands with girls, I had a couple of hours to do errands on my own, and we had a nice dinner ending with family movie night. We watched Superman (wow, the effects back then were BAD. Christopher Reeve flying made me think of Super Grover). I would note that 2 new things I learned in this viewing of Superman: 1) the little girl on the train watching a teenaged Clark Kent run home at super speed was Lois Lane! and 2) a young Cliffy Claven was part of the government team that was tracking the missiles that Lex Luther set off at the end. Always pick up something new with a repeat viewing of a movie!

Anyway, here are some family pics...

Shelagh is always hugging Kelly and vice versa...they are like 2 peas in a pod. And, yes, Joe was playing Rugby with Rory in the house.

Who knows what they were doing, but they weren't

1. fighting
2. annoying each other
3. teasing each other
4. whining
5. crying
6. yelling

so, it was a pleasure to capture the moment!

Couldn't you just eat her up!!! I love this old outfit of Shelaghs on Kelly...she likes like a grown up baby from the 70's.

I am blessed to be the mother of 3 exceptional children. I learn more and more about them and myself each day. Oh, and my husband is officially my hero. He rocks and I am extra lucky to have him as mine and the father of my kids.

Lost

*** I wrote this last Thursday and then it failed before I could save it. I couldn't remember what I wrote and just opened it again today. So annoying. Let's just say that I LOVE LOST and am enjoying how the season is going. The Richard and Desmond episodes were phenomenal and cannot be topped in my opinion. I haven't watched last nights due to a TiVO SNAFU, but we'll watch it on the computer tonight hopefully.

I cried for a lot of last weeks episode. I have to say that I haven't enjoyed Sayid this season (although I loved him before he got mentally invaded by Mr Black Smoke). I was not so sad to see him blown away, but happy he sort of redeemed himself and took one for the team. I CANNOT BELIEVE they killed off Jin and Sun. Why didn't she yell out to him to go be with their daughter!!! The whole scene was like a re-do of the Poseidon Adventure.


On EW.com, the 20 most shocking TV deaths...pretty interesting.

I suppose I'll write more after the 2 1/2 hour finale....awesome they are making it the length of a long movie. Awesome.

Beautiful Day

Walked around the lake, enjoying the sunshine and cool breeze, kids playing and having fun. Great day so far! Oh, and the boil water order was lifted - yippee! And, Red Sox tonight on a gorgeous day with good friends!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Water Emergency - Continued

It hasn't been that bad so far. We grabbed pizza on way home (ie no dishes). I hadn't run the dishwasher before we left (annoying...I usually don't like to leave dirty dishes/garbage when we're away), so I'm just leaving those dishes in there. I boiled 2 large pots of water for dishes and managed to clean the few we made getting lunches ready and all that. We positioned water jugs strategically around the kitchen and bathrooms. Managed to brush everyones teeth properly with the bottled water except my own. So, if I suddenly drop off to go hide in the bathroom at work b/c of e-Coli induced gastric issues then we'll know it was my neglect of proper water emergency teeth brushing technique. We made bottled water coffee this morning, which I should have brought to work b/c we can't use the coffee makers here since they are tapped right into the water lines. Argh. Bottled water microwaved tea, it is. I did bathe all the kids (it was 85 degrees and they were all sweaty and dirty) and hopefully Kelly didn't actually ingest the water I dumped over her head.

I don't have a sanitize cycle on my dishwasher so I guess those dishes are just going to sit unless I suddenly become inclined to wash them with boiled water. Not likely. I have a TON of laundry to do but I just don't know whether to do it or wait. I usually wash clothes with cold water so I'm hesitant to do it. I don't know if it's worth Shelaghs wrath if she decides she wants to match her underwear to her outfit and the only pair that matches is in the dirty laundry pile.

It's amazing to me that people are freaking out, waiting in huge lines at the local stores, and fighting about buying water. Seriously. The boil water notice is only for a 20+ mile radius around Boston. Take a drive and buy some water in a non-ban town. This isn't rocket science. The other thing that is really annoying me is the city and town recommendation to use paper products. Really? We want to encourage everyone to operate with disposable stuff and generate crazy amounts of extra trash and waste? Bad precedent.

They fixed the leak and are anticipating 1-2 more days before all the testing is done and acceptable. I can do this.

Water Emergency

Boston has declared a state of emergency b/c of a leak of sewage into the water supply. The city and surrounding towns have to boil water until it's resolved. That's us! Thankfully, we were away for the night and are buying water in NH on the way home. Ugh...what a hassle.

Joe and I had a lovely night away at the Wentworth in Portsmouth, NH while the kids had sleepovers with family. Romantic dinner, beautiful inn, fantastic breakfast, a quick stop at the beach, and now picking up the kids.

Heading home to boil water!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Movie: An Education

We watched this last night and both enjoyed it. Carey Mulligan was really very good. I can see why she got the nomination for Best Actress. I don't think she should have won, but I think her performance was so subtle. She crossed naive with a mature potential that was just so interesting. I like Peter Sarsgaard...good role for him.