• personal

    calendars and lists…ahhhh!

    Calendar_001 For those of you who know me, you know how ummm…obsessive I am about my calendar and my lists. These days the list is IN the calendar, which really makes me happy! However, if I have a bunch of errands to do or if I need certain things from the stupid-market or someplace else, a new list is made to bring along. I LOVE crossing things off as I do them during the day- it gives me such a sense of accomplishment. And on the other side, it bugs me to no end when something on the day’s list is not crossed off THAT day. And (this part is really bad) sometimes when I’m out doing errands and I run in someplace that was not originally on the list, I will go home and write it down JUST so I can cross it off! How do ya like that one?

    Not all weeks look as busy as the one in the above picture, but most are pretty close especially during the school year. Who has gym, soccer, school, a school event, baseball, a drum lesson, a playdate, music, a birthday party, a mets game, religion. And for me what laundry, grocery shopping, errands, birthdays, appointments, carpools, trips, doctor appointments, dinners out, photoshoots…It’s enough to put you (me) over the edge if I couldn’t write it all down and then, more importantly, cross it all off.

    I now do a college planner calendar book as it goes from August to August which is really the way my year is best organized. I just finished last year’s book last night and I really cannot believe that another year has passed so quickly. Of course, I save every year’s book so if I ever need to know where I was or what I was doing on a certain date…there it is. And it’s kinda fun looking back and seeing what we were up to during that year.

    Better run…the list is calling for me to throw in more laundry. Ugh. But then I can at least cross it off!

  • personal

    a washout weekend

    No beach, no pool, no mets game today. Saturday was too iffy to go down to the beach (anyway, I had a looooong overdue hair appt in the morning and John didn’t want to head down without me. I didn’t get back til around 12:30 so by then it was too late anyway). And today it was cloudy in the morning and then way stormy. John was going to go to the Mets game with the big boys, Nelson, and his dad, but when they all arrived over here, it was thundering and lightning like crazy, so they skipped it. The boys played video games and worked on their school summer packets a bit. It finally stopped pouring after Timmy’s nap so we headed outside for a few pictures (I know you must be so surprised by that!) so that John could take his nap in a little peace. So you can still have some outside fun on a rainy day. As long as you have your ribbits…Rainyday_plgrpdinner_707_004sc Rainyday_plgrpdinner_707_013sc Rainyday_plgrpdinner_707_016rc

  • personal

    a pool/movie party

    Every year the country club that we joined does a pool party where the pool is open extra late, floats are allowed in (there are usually no floats allowed), and they show a movie on a BIG screen while the kids hang out in the pool. A super cool idea.This was one of the events we most looked forward to when we joined this year. I took the big boys and we had a great time. Patrick had one of his terrible stomach aches while we were there and we were seconds away from bagging the whole thing and running out of there before he threw up (I kept telling him NO PUKING allowed at the country club!). Thankfully he recovered and didn’t throw up so we were able to stay and enjoy the night. The weather somehow held out- it had been so humid and hot and thundershowers were in the forcast, but it was clear for the movie. And the moon was full and sooooo orange- quite a sight. They showed Night at the Museum and Jack spent the first half of it in the pool. When I finally got him out, we sat at the table in bathing suits eating popcorn. Didn’t get home until around 11pm. Love that about summer. I just wish they would do this more than once during the summer. Moviepool707_017sc Moviepool707_027rc Moviepool707_039rc Moviepool707_049rc Moviepool707_062x Moviepool707_059sc Moviepool707_061sc

  • personal,  travel

    can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Place

    13300015_copy_filtered13300001_copy_filtered  Here’s the whole story from start to finish. First, let me just say that the pictures turned out pretty crappy. That is because I didn’t bring the good camera but used a disposible waterproof one. I did what I could in photoshop, but they still kinda stink. Which, as you can imagine, has really made me unhappy. Oh well, at least there is some documentation of the trip. All details are included so when we go again next year, I will remember what we did this year which seemed to work well.

    We went on a Tuesday (which we decided is THE day to go) and had great weather. Left the house at 8:30am and hit hardly any traffic on the way there. Arrived just after 10am (which is the time the park opened). We had purchased tickets the night before online and also booked dinner reservations online to dine with the characters. The line getting in was still really long and moved really slowly, even with the pre-purchased tickets. Anyway, got in finally and went to the back lockers with no line. Changed Timmy and hit the ‘rides’. He had a blast in all that water!!! The big boys rode the little rapids and Timmy was supposedly the right height to ride too, but he had to ride on his own. It didn’t happen. He’s still too little. The lines were pretty short for everything, except the character meetings, but we skipped that since we figured we would just see them at dinner. Headed over to the ‘lazy river’ ride. Now, when the boys were little (just about 2) and we went to Sesame Place for the first time, we went on this ride (where the adults sit in an inner tube and the kids sit on their laps and you just float down this river with the current) and the boys FREAKED OUT. Timmy loved it and put on the life vest without protest. And this time the big boys loved it too. Daddy had fun pushing them into the waterfalls along the river. I got John good a few times too. Luckily, I had Timmy with me so he couldn’t retaliate!

    Saw a show with Abby Cadaby, Cookie, Elmo, Zoe, Rosita. Went out to the car for our cooler lunch from home, sat in the a/c and watched some of ToyStory on the car’s DVD player. That was a good break. Timmy napped for a bit and I MADE the big boys go on a few of the bigger rides. Aren’t I the meanest mommy ever!!??  They were so nervous, but really stepped up. And, of course, ended up loving it. Patrick even volunteered to go on by himself. Jack came off hanging his head on the first one, but after a closer look I realized he was just trying to hide his smile cause he spent so much time complaining and worrying on the line he didn’t want to admit he actually liked it. But he did.

    Hit a few more pools and rides, including another run on the lazy river which was everyone’s favorite. Then it was time for dinner with the characters. Very cute and surprisingly the food was fairly edible at the buffet. Timmy was very excited to see and hug all his favorite characters, and I even got the big boys to take some pix with the Sesame Street guys. The guys all caught the parade after dinner while I hit the giftshop. We watched Timmy dance in the "street" to the sesame music, just like the boys did on their first trip. That was cool. Hit the bathrooms and the road by 8pm and we were home around 9:30pm. Everyone in bed by 10pm, except me of course, but I did go to bed before 12 which is a big deal.

    All in all, a great day. I think John even had fun (well, as much fun as John has). Here are some of the pix as promised.

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  • personal

    bridal shower invite

    My friend Robin is getting married in September. I am the maid of honor (again). Yes, I said maid because I refuse to be called matron- it’s too prisonguard, 300lb, mole sporting, grey haired evoking. Robin had been married previously and I was her maid of honor then, too. So I guess I did an ok job. Anyway, her future sisters-in-law did all the arrangements for the shower location (thanks Carolyn and Kathy) so I said I would do the invites. Here’s what I made. Robin_invite_001 Apparently, Robin saw one of the invites (that’s why I am posting it now) and really, really liked it, so I am glad. Hey, if it wasn’t for her teaching me photoshop 7, I couldn’t have done a nice job on it.

    Her bachelorette party will be early August in NYC, so I am excited about that too. Hopefully, I can lose a few pounds before the dress fitting. It’s been quite challenging to do so. And now with Graeme coming it will be a food fest here. Well, I figure I have til the almost end of Sept to lose 10 lbs. I hope…

    We went to Sesame Place yesterday for the day. Pictures coming soon on that. I didn’t want to take my good camera (too worried between the heat, the water everywhere, and theft) so I just picked up 2 disposable waterproof cameras at Target before leaving. I cannot tell you how many times I snapped a picture and then looked at the back of the camera to see how it came out. Ahhh, yeah. Nothing there. Even Jack asked if he could see the pictures as he took the camera from me. I told him if he could figure out how to, he should let me know. And not being able to focus, change settings, zoom….maddening!! Can’t do the point and shoot thing anymore. Can. Not. Do. It. Even though the little cheapy disposable is about 1/10th of the bulk of the ‘real’ camera. I can’t wait to see how they turn out though. And everyone had a super, super time at Sesame. More on that soon.