A Happy Birthday "shout-out" to my wonderful mother-in-law, Jan, today.
We hope she has a very SWEET Sunday -- and birthday!
Happiest Birthday, Jan!!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Sweet Birthday Sunday
A Happy Birthday "shout-out" to my wonderful mother-in-law, Jan, today.
We hope she has a very SWEET Sunday -- and birthday!
Happiest Birthday, Jan!!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Friday Funnies
I've discovered a surefire way to get rid of telephone salespeople...
I let Ethan answer the phone.
A few grunts, a couple of "Hi!"s, and a bunch of beeps from the buttons being pressed...and the salesperson puts our number on the "Definitely Do NOT Call" list.
Yes! Score!!
I let Ethan answer the phone.
A few grunts, a couple of "Hi!"s, and a bunch of beeps from the buttons being pressed...and the salesperson puts our number on the "Definitely Do NOT Call" list.
Yes! Score!!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
A Sweet Treat
Some friends from church gave each of our children a $5 giftcard to Friendly's, a restaurant chain known for its yummy ice cream creations.
So the older two decided to put them together -- along with a $10 one Emily got for her birthday -- and take the whole family out for dessert.
It was such a treat to share ice cream with them, especially since they felt very important footing the bill. (We could get used to that trend. *wink-grin*)
Emily and Edward each order the "Vol-cone-o" ice cream sundae, which came with three different toppings and two scoops of ice cream under a big upside-down waffle cone. They got to pour each of the toppings on top before they ate it to give the illusion of "lava" flowing down the cone.
Of course, they LOVED it! Who wouldn't?
Ethan had his very first ice cream sundae -- the same one both his older siblings had as their first sundae -- a "Monster Sundae."
They say that some kids are born with a "sweet tooth."
Let's just say that even though Ethan is a very late teether he was born with a full set of "sweet teeth."
He was in heaven...and ate every last bit of that sundae.
It was hilarious to watch.
And definitely a treat -- all around!
So the older two decided to put them together -- along with a $10 one Emily got for her birthday -- and take the whole family out for dessert.
It was such a treat to share ice cream with them, especially since they felt very important footing the bill. (We could get used to that trend. *wink-grin*)
Emily and Edward each order the "Vol-cone-o" ice cream sundae, which came with three different toppings and two scoops of ice cream under a big upside-down waffle cone. They got to pour each of the toppings on top before they ate it to give the illusion of "lava" flowing down the cone.
Of course, they LOVED it! Who wouldn't?
Ethan had his very first ice cream sundae -- the same one both his older siblings had as their first sundae -- a "Monster Sundae."
They say that some kids are born with a "sweet tooth."
Let's just say that even though Ethan is a very late teether he was born with a full set of "sweet teeth."
He was in heaven...and ate every last bit of that sundae.
It was hilarious to watch.
And definitely a treat -- all around!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Mean Girls...
A friend of Stuart's sent this to him. It's a chilling reminder that bullying really does happen. And it should never be described as "a part of growing up."
As parents, we need to be sure our girls (and boys) aren't victims...or the bullies.
Over the years, I've observed how two-faced girls can be: one person with Mom and Dad...quite another with a pack of their own kind.
It's something I've sternly warned Emily against. Fight the urge to hurt others...strive to be a nice girl...instead of a mean one.
Peace on earth doesn't start across the world in other countries... It starts in our own homes.
**************************
The Untouchable Mean Girls
By Kevin Cullen
Globe Columnist / January 24, 2010
Like a lot of kids her age, Phoebe Prince was a swan, always beautiful and sometimes awkward.
Last fall, she moved from Ireland into western Massachusetts, a new town, a new high school, a new country, a new culture. She was 15, when all that matters is being liked and wearing the right clothes and just fitting in.
She was a freshman and she had a brief fling with a senior, a football player, and for this she became the target of the Mean Girls, who decided then and there that Phoebe didn’t know her place and that Phoebe would pay.
Kids can be mean, but the Mean Girls took it to another level, according to students and parents. They followed Phoebe around, calling her a slut. When they wanted to be more specific, they called her an Irish slut.
The name-calling, the stalking, the intimidation was relentless.
Ten days ago, Phoebe was walking home from school when one of the Mean Girls drove by in a car. An insult and an energy drink can came flying out the car window in Phoebe’s direction.
Phoebe kept walking, past the abuse, past the can, past the white picket fence, into her house. Then she walked into a closet and hanged herself. Her 12-year-old sister found her.
You would think this would give the bullies who hounded Phoebe some pause. Instead, they went on Facebook and mocked her in death.
They told State Police detectives they did nothing wrong, had nothing to do with Phoebe killing herself.
And then they went right back to school and started badmouthing Phoebe.
They had a dance, a cotillion, at the Log Cabin in Holyoke two days after Phoebe’s sister found her in the closet, and some who were there say one of the Mean Girls bragged about how she played dumb with the detectives who questioned her.
Last week, one of the Springfield TV stations sent a crew to South Hadley High to talk to the kids.
One girl was interviewed on camera, and she said what was common knowledge: that bullies were stalking the corridors of South Hadley High.
As soon as the TV crew was out of sight, one of the Mean Girls came up and slammed the girl who had been interviewed against a locker and punched her in the head.
The Mean Girls are pretty, and popular, and play sports.
So far, they appear to be untouchable, too.
South Hadley is a nice, comfortable middle-class suburb that hugs the Connecticut River nearby and a certain attitude.
“Things like this aren’t supposed to happen in South Hadley,’’ said Darby O’Brien, a high school parent, wondering why the bullies who tormented Phoebe are still in school. “And so instead of confronting the evil among us, the reality that there are bullies roaming the corridors at South Hadley High, people are blaming the victim, looking for excuses why a 15-year-old girl would do this. People are in denial.’’
School officials say there are three investigations going on. They say these things take time.
That doesn’t explain why the Mean Girls who tortured Phoebe remain in school, defiant, unscathed.
“What kind of message does this send to the good kids?’’ O’Brien asked. “How many kids haven’t come forward to tell what they know because they see the bullies walking around untouched?’’
They were supposed to hold a big meeting on Tuesday to talk about all this, but now that’s off for a couple of weeks.
O’Brien is thinking about going to that meeting and suggesting that they have the kids who bullied Phoebe look at the autopsy photos.
“Let them see what a kid who hung herself looks like,’’ he said.
Last week, Phoebe was supposed to visit Ireland, where she grew up, and she was excited because she was going to see her father for the first time in months.
She did end up going back to Ireland after all, and when her father saw her she was in a casket.
Phoebe’s family decided to bury her in County Clare. They wanted an ocean between her and the people who hounded her to the grave.
Kevin Cullen is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at cullen@globe.com.
As parents, we need to be sure our girls (and boys) aren't victims...or the bullies.
Over the years, I've observed how two-faced girls can be: one person with Mom and Dad...quite another with a pack of their own kind.
It's something I've sternly warned Emily against. Fight the urge to hurt others...strive to be a nice girl...instead of a mean one.
Peace on earth doesn't start across the world in other countries... It starts in our own homes.
**************************
The Untouchable Mean Girls
By Kevin Cullen
Globe Columnist / January 24, 2010
Like a lot of kids her age, Phoebe Prince was a swan, always beautiful and sometimes awkward.
Last fall, she moved from Ireland into western Massachusetts, a new town, a new high school, a new country, a new culture. She was 15, when all that matters is being liked and wearing the right clothes and just fitting in.
She was a freshman and she had a brief fling with a senior, a football player, and for this she became the target of the Mean Girls, who decided then and there that Phoebe didn’t know her place and that Phoebe would pay.
Kids can be mean, but the Mean Girls took it to another level, according to students and parents. They followed Phoebe around, calling her a slut. When they wanted to be more specific, they called her an Irish slut.
The name-calling, the stalking, the intimidation was relentless.
Ten days ago, Phoebe was walking home from school when one of the Mean Girls drove by in a car. An insult and an energy drink can came flying out the car window in Phoebe’s direction.
Phoebe kept walking, past the abuse, past the can, past the white picket fence, into her house. Then she walked into a closet and hanged herself. Her 12-year-old sister found her.
You would think this would give the bullies who hounded Phoebe some pause. Instead, they went on Facebook and mocked her in death.
They told State Police detectives they did nothing wrong, had nothing to do with Phoebe killing herself.
And then they went right back to school and started badmouthing Phoebe.
They had a dance, a cotillion, at the Log Cabin in Holyoke two days after Phoebe’s sister found her in the closet, and some who were there say one of the Mean Girls bragged about how she played dumb with the detectives who questioned her.
Last week, one of the Springfield TV stations sent a crew to South Hadley High to talk to the kids.
One girl was interviewed on camera, and she said what was common knowledge: that bullies were stalking the corridors of South Hadley High.
As soon as the TV crew was out of sight, one of the Mean Girls came up and slammed the girl who had been interviewed against a locker and punched her in the head.
The Mean Girls are pretty, and popular, and play sports.
So far, they appear to be untouchable, too.
South Hadley is a nice, comfortable middle-class suburb that hugs the Connecticut River nearby and a certain attitude.
“Things like this aren’t supposed to happen in South Hadley,’’ said Darby O’Brien, a high school parent, wondering why the bullies who tormented Phoebe are still in school. “And so instead of confronting the evil among us, the reality that there are bullies roaming the corridors at South Hadley High, people are blaming the victim, looking for excuses why a 15-year-old girl would do this. People are in denial.’’
School officials say there are three investigations going on. They say these things take time.
That doesn’t explain why the Mean Girls who tortured Phoebe remain in school, defiant, unscathed.
“What kind of message does this send to the good kids?’’ O’Brien asked. “How many kids haven’t come forward to tell what they know because they see the bullies walking around untouched?’’
They were supposed to hold a big meeting on Tuesday to talk about all this, but now that’s off for a couple of weeks.
O’Brien is thinking about going to that meeting and suggesting that they have the kids who bullied Phoebe look at the autopsy photos.
“Let them see what a kid who hung herself looks like,’’ he said.
Last week, Phoebe was supposed to visit Ireland, where she grew up, and she was excited because she was going to see her father for the first time in months.
She did end up going back to Ireland after all, and when her father saw her she was in a casket.
Phoebe’s family decided to bury her in County Clare. They wanted an ocean between her and the people who hounded her to the grave.
Kevin Cullen is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at cullen@globe.com.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Saying Goodbye...
My hubby wrote this on his blog, in remembrance of Chaucer.
I think he said it so poignantly...
***************
Today has been a sad day. I just finished burying Chaucer, our beloved cat. He died Wednesday night after a really quick illness. We're still not really sure what happened.
Chaucer was a fantastic cat, really one of a kind. He came into our lives when my wife and kids adopted him from a shelter. I wasn't around at the time, and was pretty annoyed when I found out. After all, we had enough pets!
After that, Chaucer worked his way into all of our hearts. He seemed to know that he had to work hardest on me, and would sit on my lap any chance he got, letting out the loudest purrs imaginable. No matter how many times I turned him away, he always persisted until he got his way.
I was concerned that he would be a problem. After all, he had not been de-clawed, so five out of his six ends were pointy! I didn't have to worry; he never hurt anyone, no matter how much our children annoyed him.
We laid him to rest under a tree in our back yard. It's a sunny spot, surrounded by flowers in the summer. As I piled dirt back on the old Amazon box we put him in, I noticed the slogan on the side. It read: "Small package - big smiles!"
Small package - big smiles. Nothing could have summed up Chaucer more perfectly.
Goodbye, Chaucer. We'll miss you.
I think he said it so poignantly...
***************
Today has been a sad day. I just finished burying Chaucer, our beloved cat. He died Wednesday night after a really quick illness. We're still not really sure what happened.
Chaucer was a fantastic cat, really one of a kind. He came into our lives when my wife and kids adopted him from a shelter. I wasn't around at the time, and was pretty annoyed when I found out. After all, we had enough pets!
After that, Chaucer worked his way into all of our hearts. He seemed to know that he had to work hardest on me, and would sit on my lap any chance he got, letting out the loudest purrs imaginable. No matter how many times I turned him away, he always persisted until he got his way.
I was concerned that he would be a problem. After all, he had not been de-clawed, so five out of his six ends were pointy! I didn't have to worry; he never hurt anyone, no matter how much our children annoyed him.
We laid him to rest under a tree in our back yard. It's a sunny spot, surrounded by flowers in the summer. As I piled dirt back on the old Amazon box we put him in, I noticed the slogan on the side. It read: "Small package - big smiles!"
Small package - big smiles. Nothing could have summed up Chaucer more perfectly.
Goodbye, Chaucer. We'll miss you.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Remembering...
Our dear, sweet Chaucer died last night.It was sudden and tragic...his illness took us all by surprise.
Now, there's a Chaucer-sized hole in our hearts.
........
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Returning the Favor-ites...
I cannot tell you how psyched we are to be watching our favorite series again!
It seems like such a LOOOONG time between seasons, and yet it's so worth it to be able to watch it non-stop from now until May.
That said, the weeks between episodes seem to dawdle a bit...though I don't really want to rush time.
Such a quandary...such fun!
So if you call us on a Monday evening...please, just leave a message. *wink-grin*
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
Friday Funnies
The following is meant for entertainment purposes only...it is not an endorsement of any kind for any political figures. It's just a bit of silliness.
Enjoy! And have a funny last Friday BEFORE 24 returns!!
Enjoy! And have a funny last Friday BEFORE 24 returns!!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Numbering the Days
I'm all about patterns.I'm not sure why...but I love them.
Maybe because they're orderly and fun and unique...
I love to eat M&Ms by ordering the colors and then making patterns with them, switching the colors around as I eat them to create new patterns.
Strange, I know.
But it's me.
That's why Ethan just had to be a girl. You know, so my kids would be girl-boy-girl...
So I enjoyed today's date which actually ended up the first palindrome of the year, I think:
01/11/10
Silly...but fun!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Saturday, January 09, 2010
Friday, January 08, 2010
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Just the "Write" Time
I love to write!
I especially love to write with the kids.
It's been such a joy to share this love with them.
So to do a bit more of that, we've been having "writing times" at the local Starbuck's cafe or Barnes and Noble bookstore and sometimes at our own "home cafe" that we've dubbed "Homebuck's."
It's always fun to get our drinks (and a snack or two if we didn't bring one) and open our notebooks to continue the adventures with our characters.
Ethan got his very own notebook last Autumn. He's not really sure what to do with it yet, but he'll catch on soon enough.
I especially love to write with the kids.
It's been such a joy to share this love with them.
So to do a bit more of that, we've been having "writing times" at the local Starbuck's cafe or Barnes and Noble bookstore and sometimes at our own "home cafe" that we've dubbed "Homebuck's."
It's always fun to get our drinks (and a snack or two if we didn't bring one) and open our notebooks to continue the adventures with our characters.
Ethan got his very own notebook last Autumn. He's not really sure what to do with it yet, but he'll catch on soon enough.
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Contacting Emily
Just after she got her contactsEmily reached another new stage today.
She needed to go for her annual eye exam, and Stuart and I thought it might be time for her to try some contact lens.
Emily was born with the most extraordinarily beautiful and large brown eyes. It was the feature most people noticed first. In fact, when she was about 4, the Monsters Inc. movie hit the theatres, and people nicknamed her "Boo" after the movie's main human character. It fit her, especially if I put her hair in ponytails.
Of course, she more or less grew into her eyes.
About four years ago, we found out she needed glasses. Sigh. We loved her in glasses, too, but they seemed to hide her pretty eyes.
Then came dance class.
I don't dance, but I do wear glasses to read and drive. I cannot imagine trying to dance around in them.
But she did, and she did well despite the awkwardness the glasses brought to her.
Now, she's older and more responsible (in theory, right?)...and at an age where she needs a little confidence boosting.
We think the contact lens did that for her.
Monday, January 04, 2010
Monday Musings and the Blogging Blues
A pic of Ethan taken by Emily about a year ago.
I've been so behind in my blogging these days...
Sigh.
The holidays and the schoolwork and the kids and the house and the... Well, it could be any number of things, right?
But I do have a somewhat legitimate "excuse" -- not that any of the above aren't legit. I started freelancing for the newspaper again.
Woooo-hoooo!
I'm actually really enjoying it! Well, the writing part anyway.
I decided that I'd be a very poor (money-wise) saleswoman. Iabhor despise hate dislike making "cold" calls to people I don't know. It's nothing personal. I think I have a condition they call "phonaphobia."
...
No, really. It comes from the fact that I hate to interrupt people who are going about their business. It doesn't matter that I have to go about my business, too. I just don't want to disturb them.
Sigh.
Still, I'm doing it. And writing the stories...and getting paid!! Not a bad tradeoff for someone who loves to write anyway.
Now, if I can keep up with my blogging I'll be back in business, right?
I'll endeavor to do better.
In the meantime, thanks for sticking with me!
Here are my last two favorite assignments: Cars as Gifts and Snow Missiles.
I've been so behind in my blogging these days...Sigh.
The holidays and the schoolwork and the kids and the house and the... Well, it could be any number of things, right?
But I do have a somewhat legitimate "excuse" -- not that any of the above aren't legit. I started freelancing for the newspaper again.
Woooo-hoooo!
I'm actually really enjoying it! Well, the writing part anyway.
I decided that I'd be a very poor (money-wise) saleswoman. I
...
No, really. It comes from the fact that I hate to interrupt people who are going about their business. It doesn't matter that I have to go about my business, too. I just don't want to disturb them.
Sigh.
Still, I'm doing it. And writing the stories...and getting paid!! Not a bad tradeoff for someone who loves to write anyway.
Now, if I can keep up with my blogging I'll be back in business, right?
I'll endeavor to do better.
In the meantime, thanks for sticking with me!
Here are my last two favorite assignments: Cars as Gifts and Snow Missiles.
Saturday, January 02, 2010
Friday, January 01, 2010
The Gate of the Year...
A happy, joyous, blessed 2010 to all!
GOD KNOWS
And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: “Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied: "Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”
So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night. And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.
So heart bestill:
What need our little life
Our human life to know,
If God hath comprehension?
In all the dizzy strife
Of things both high and low,
God hideth His intention.
God knows. His will
Is best. The stretch of years
Which wind ahead, so dim
To our imperfect vision,
Are clear to God. Our fears
Are premature; In Him,
All time hath full provision.
Then rest: until
God moves to lift the veil
From our impatient eyes,
When, as the sweeter features
Of Life’s stern face we hail,
Fair beyond all surmise
God’s thought around His creatures
Our mind shall fill.
~Minnie Louise Haskins
GOD KNOWS
And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: “Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied: "Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”
So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night. And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.
So heart bestill:
What need our little life
Our human life to know,
If God hath comprehension?
In all the dizzy strife
Of things both high and low,
God hideth His intention.
God knows. His will
Is best. The stretch of years
Which wind ahead, so dim
To our imperfect vision,
Are clear to God. Our fears
Are premature; In Him,
All time hath full provision.
Then rest: until
God moves to lift the veil
From our impatient eyes,
When, as the sweeter features
Of Life’s stern face we hail,
Fair beyond all surmise
God’s thought around His creatures
Our mind shall fill.
~Minnie Louise Haskins
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