Superbowl Sunday

Poor Patriots :( 
Damn we need a new camera...we're going on 6 months of crappy 2 megapixel iPhone pics.  Alas, we are on a spending freeze and I cannot quite yet.  Hopefully soon...




Wearing Dad's Patriots t-shirt b/c Kohl's and Target were sold out!



Interested in the Superbowl, but only AFTER the space shuttle was constructed...


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Smugglers Notch

The weekend after NYC we head up to Vermont for a weekend at Smuggler's Notch with some friends who generously offered us a free condo on their Disney Vacation Club.  Not much snow, but we had a fun time regardless.  We spent 1 day skiing and 1 day in Burlington at the ECHO Science Center and around town. 

Look who got on skii's at 2 1/2 years old!!!!!

Too cool for school...

Shelagh enjoying the science center

Joe and Carda enjoying the Body Grossology exhibit at the Science Center (yes, it's a Fart exhibit).  It was very educational.

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NYC

The weekend after Thanksgiving we head down to NJ for my family Xmas weekend celebration.  We decided to stay in NYC on Friday night and spent the day in the city on Saturday before heading west for a Sat night dinner and Sun extended family party.  All but Rory enjoyed walking around outside...it was crowded but lovely nonetheless. 

We wrapped up the day at the Museum of Natural History. Rory almost imploded when we walked into the Dinosaur rooms there. Wish I had taken some pics, but I didn't.  I seriously need a new camera. 

Rory admiring some stuff at the Lego store in Rockefeller Center.  The kids at the tree in the hotel...

Shelagh and I at Rockefeller Center

Joe & Kelly at Rock Ctr

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Apple & Pumpkin Picking

Our camera got sand in the lens this summer and clearly I need a new one.  My crappy iPhone 3G camera is just not cutting it.  We did have a wonderful day with cousins at a farm in MA.  They had a gazillion pumpkins to choose from.  They had a kids hay maze that we spent some time on along with mini-tractor driving.  It was a gorgeous day and they still had plenty of apples for it being so late in the season.  Also, goats and sheeps, apple cider donuts, apple cider, and hay ride.  Great day!

   

In case you are wondering,  Kelly likes to dance with her arms out and eyes closed.  This happens daily.  This kid is always dancing and/or singing.

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Finally, SUN!

The only thing missing from our weekend was Joe (who has been happily golfing in Ireland with his buddies).  Also, if I had had even 30 seconds of free time I might have picked up my camera and gotten pictures, but alas I did not.

We've had

1. FUN & FRIENDSHIP (pool is open and hanging with the pool gangs has begun)
2. COMFORT (thank you, fantastic hot and sunny weather finally)
3. ADVENTURE (van landing on top of Boulder - see previous muffin post - and extraction damage-free!)
4. SLEEP (exhausted children who don't get out of pool ALL day sleep well!)
5. ENTERTAINMENT (go Kung Fu Panda 2 to break the pool time up and give us a quiet and dark reprieve from the intense excitement of the summer beginning)
6. MOMMY-TIME (well planned babysitter during Joe's time away to give me a little Ladies Night at a lovely restaurant in Boston)

Have also discovered...

1. Kelly has 2 top molars that are already poking out on top that I had no idea about.  PRAYING that this explains her newly displayed strong will that is driving me up a wall.  Also, her 5am waking.
2. That not sitting down for 3 days straight b/c I'm chasing Kelly around the pool and trying to get her not to escape and jump in the big pool without me is not good for my feet.
3. That Shelagh is bored of me and after 4 days in the pool, I've only swam with her for 2 minutes one of those days.  BOOOOOO.  We spent a half hour last night snuggled in bed giggling together b/c I feel like I haven't even seen this kid!
4. That Rory, although swimming most capably without his bubble this year, exhausts himself in the water until his behavior has gotten truely rotten.  I was hoping to be able to exert most of my energy with Kelly and not also manning Rory-ville for "bad kid at the pool" crap.  We have instituted a required hourly break time out of the pool for him.  Also, he lost his Leapster for 2 weeks for a) walking out of the bathroom naked, b) yelling at another kid for playing with his torpedos, c) squirting adults in the face with his water gun, and d) screaming in my face for trying to get him to fix items a), b), and c).

Thank God Joe's trip is coming to an end!!  Also, I miss  him.  Next time, he better get International service on his phone so I can complain to him directly and send him pictures of the van on top of a rock.  I guess that's why he didn't get International service on his phone.  Hmmmm...

Skiing !!

We dropped Kelly off with my mother in law and went skiing at a local mountain with the big kids. It was my first time back skiing in about 9 years. DAMN was I scared. Joe took the kids out while I did the whole rental thing and snuck out alone for my 1st run. I had some guy and his daughter giving me a pep talk up the lift and somehow I managed to make it down quietly and secretly behind Rory and Joe. After 2-3 runs I was able to ski with Rory without Joe sticking close by. By the end of the day, I could ALMOST keep up with Shelagh. She's like Speedy Gonzales zipping all over the place. She's a nut.


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New Years in NH

A few shots from our weekend with friends in New Hampshire for New Years. We had a great time...sledding, skating, hiking, skiing...lots of fun for all.

Christmas 2010

Christmas Eve


Chocolate Mousse face ("All DONE MOMMY!") & Optimus Prime doing a Move


Shelagh, her American Girl Doll (still unnamed) & her Dad


The girls playing dolls - Kelly looks so grown up I could scream. Can't she just stay pre-2 forever??????

First 2010-2011 Winter Snow Storm

We got almost 2 feet, were out of work, out of school/day care, and went for a sled on Monday. Too windy for Shelagh, Rory went the fastest and Kelly cried when we left despite having snow packed directly on her lower legs from shitty-fitting boots. "More play, mommy. More PLAY!" Nope, sorry.

Long Month - Looking Forward to 2011

Don't even know how to start... When something bad happens, I guess I back off the blog and then there is whole burden of how to start back up. Then time passes and it's easier just not to. Then I have funny little anecdotes and cute pictures and it seems inappropriate to put those on and ignore the elephant in the room. I went through the same thing when we lost the baby this past April. Now, however, it's my Dad that we've lost. He was quite ill, so it was not unexpected. His decline was fast, but his exit was peaceful and presumably pain-free. It's been difficult to juggle my feelings, the feelings of those around me in my family, and all the sticky stuff that goes along with loss and family dynamics. But, I'm coming through and so onward we go. That's all I'm going to say about that.





Rory and his Boppy (his special name for Grampy)




Update: Then I read Orangette today and Molly wrote about her recent family crisis so beautifully and briefly. It made me think of my struggle wanting to post and not knowing what to write. Here it is.

Life is Good Festival

The Life is Good Festival was great! It was a couple of weeks ago (I just caught up with my pictures!) and we had such a wonderful day. We arrived at around 1 just in time for They Might be Giants, we played around and ate, met Wally the Green Monster (thrill of Kelly's life so far!), saw Laurie Berkner play, ate some more, and finished off with Guster!

Shelagh in her concert outfit (yes, she picked the all black outfit - including boots - completely on her own!). Kelly posing at the concert.

Kelly was obsessed with Wally while we were waiting on line and then was a deer in headlights.

The family watching Guster (except for Kelly who passed out on my by then) and Rory cheering on his band.

Apple & Pumpkin Picking

On Sunday, we spent the day at Russell Orchards in Ipswich for a morning of Apple & Pumpkin picking. The trees were PACKED with fruit. We took a hayride out to the trees, picked for a bit, each ate an apple, played in the playground, visited all the animals (including a 1000 lb pig named Big Boy), ate donuts and cider, and head home pooped!

Rory and Kelly posing by the pumpkins. I love pictures of the kids with pumpkins.

Shelagh and Joe have been extra tight lately...I think the soccer coaching was an awesome idea (Shelagh does too!).

Time to make the donuts!! (Reminded me of that movie we watched in grade school showing how donuts were made. It had to be from the 50's or 60's).

Totally exhausted!

Fathers Day at the Beach

We went up to Seabrook, NH for the day on Fathers Day. Kelly was quite under the weather, but since she just clung to me and didn't let go ALL DAY what did it matter if we were home or at the beach, right? All was fine until she booted all over our friends kitchen floor. Probably heat exhaustion. Mother of the Year award, here I come!!

Happy Fathers Day!!

Great day...

until poor Kells puked...