Category Archives: family

December 12, 2011 · 9:31 AM

The Muppets

Day 11:  Go to the Movies

A couple shows I remember from my early childhood: The Dukes of Hazzard, Hee Haw, and The Muppets.

At Christmas time, the only acceptable album was John Denver and the Muppets. To this day, I cannot hear 12 Days of Christmas without hearing all the muppets’ voices, or that little “ba dum bum bum” after Day Five… or hear We Wish You a Merry Christmas without remembering Miss Piggy having her funny little exchange about figgy pudding (“PIGGY PUDDING??!!” “No,no. Figgy pudding. It’s made with figs.” “Oh.”) Good times. I remember Muppets books, Muppets songs, and Muppets View Master cartridges.

Yes, the Muppets made for fine happy memories indeed. So when we were choosing a movie to watch as a family yesterday (which is a big deal for us, because we only go a couple times a year), while I was all calm and cool saying, “I’ve heard people are liking The Muppets,” what I was really saying inside was “Please oh please take me to see The Muppets!!”

We did end up choosing The Muppets, though husband was less than enthused, and Spencer (14) asked if he could stay home. But after we were there, after we got our requisite popcorn, Junior Mints, Hot Tamales, and $1 soda refills in our 2011 loyalty cups, we all thoroughly enjoyed the movie. There was a little bit of eye-rolling from someone who shall remain nameless (Mike) when Jason Segel broke into his first song and dance number, but he was laughing with the best of us by the end.  Even Spencer was head-bobbing away, despite himself.   I could not. stop. smiling. this entire movie.   Silly, heartwarming, nostalgic, and definitely not afraid of poking fun at itself.  It made me giddy.

So there you go.  If you need a movie for your kids – or yourself – especially if you have fond memories of Kermit and Mis Piggy…  and you remember Animal and the “me me” guy…   and Fozzi…  and “ma num a num”…   and if you get excited when you hear, “The most sensational, inspirational, celebrational…”  or if you’ve always wondered why are there so many songs about rainbows.

Go see it.

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December 6, 2011 · 5:16 PM

Day Six: Regrouping

Just nineteen days till Christmas.

I was recently living some Christmases past on my blog, feeling sad about the fact that I’ve always written about our advent activities in great detail, and that this year… um… it’s not happening.  I feel like we have been go, go, going for the past six days  – they’ve been good days, don’t get me wrong –  and there has been precious little time to catch my breath, let alone do anything silly like write a blog post or share a picture.

It was starting to catch up with me already, so today I’m doing just that:  stopping to breathe, blog, and share a few pictures (and also go to the doctor when Husband gets home, because I’m finally admitting that this sinus infection is not going away on its own.)

We have been geocaching, gone out for ice cream, had a carpet picnic, and made paper snowflakes.  The little ones have done craft after craft, and done it up well I might add:

Husband and the boys also spent almost an entire day this weekend building an addition to the chicken coop:

Yesterday, we joined a field trip to a railroad museum at the last minute…

… and spent the rest of the day out and about, browsing and shopping and librarying.

Which brings me to today, and my great need to regroup.  I’m once again reminding myself to live in the moment, enjoy the little things, and not get caught in the hustle and bustle.  Our calendar for the next two weeks is even fuller, and I intend to enjoy it.  Even before my antibiotics kick in.

Happy 19 Days Till Christmas!

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October 11, 2011 · 1:05 PM

A Good Man

The world lost a good man yesterday.   This is my grandfather, known to everyone who loved him simply as “Tech.”

I’ve been trying to think of a few words to say about him since I heard the news yesterday morning, but was at a loss until my mother in law sent her condolences, calling him a “creative and intelligent man.”  He was those two things.

And he was more:

He was TRUE.  If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know how important authenticity is to me.  Well he was as authentic as they come.  He was strong, and he was a man of personal integrity.  He stood up for himself, and he stood up for what he believed in.

He was KIND.  I appreciated that kindness as his granddaughter, and appreciated it even more when I saw it extended to my own children.

He loved to PLAY.  As a kid, one of the best parts of going to his house was seeing what new kind of gadgets he had laying around, whether a breadmaker or computer or a musical instrument.  Even right up until the very end, he kept UPS busy delivering new Kindles and laptops.  Yes, he loved his toys….

But he loved GOD more.  He loved his FAMILY more.  He loved his DOG more.

He was FUNNY.  A couple of months ago, when we happened to be out of earshot of the rest of the family, he made a slightly off-color joke that had Mike and I cracking up long after the fact.   I will treasure that moment now, and I hope that when I’m 86 that I’m still willing and able to joke and kid and make inappropriate comments on the fly.

He will be sorely missed on this earth, but I can only be happy that he is now once again with his beautiful bride.

I look forward to one day seeing them both again.

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October 9, 2011 · 1:53 PM

Gratitude

I usually don’t post anything on the weekends, in part because I’m too busy running to and fro and hanging out with my family… and in part because I just need a break.  But today, I decided that from now on (or until I get tired of it), Sundays will be for posting about what I’m thankful for that week, both large and small.  After the sort of negative space I’ve been in lately, I need it… and maybe some of you reading need it too.  They may be large or small, lighthearted or serious.   And I hope you’ll join me!

So without further ado, the top five things I’m thankful for this week (in no particular order):

 



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August 10, 2011 · 8:38 AM

The Passage of Time

Last night, we took the kids to a local amusement/sports park, because they’ve been wanting to ride the go-carts. All-you-can-ride wristbands are super reduced on Tuesdays, so we got one for each of them, and set them loose.

Tegan was tall enough for the mini go-carts this time, but couldn’t quite get the hang of the gas pedal and steering at the same time, so she only took one lap. She did however love the bumper bumps and the miniature golf and the water balloon launching.

The big boys didn’t want to play miniature golf, so they rode the go-carts again and again while we played with the two youngest. One loop of the track was close to the golf course, so every now and then I would look up and see them…. smiling, happy, red-faced blurs zipping around the corner. I realized as I watched them that the last time we went to this particular park (two years ago) Paxton wasn’t even close to the height requirement to drive alone, and Spencer was still nervous to be anything but a passenger. But here they were, two brothers who are growing up, happy and confident to be off on their own and racing around the go-cart track.

And unbeknownst to me, Everett had graduated to playing mini golf the “right” way (instead of the “put the ball right near the hole and carefully push it in” method still employed by Tegan. :)) Then there was Tegan… who, when I had this realization, was off at the restroom with Mike, because she’d (successfully) worn underwear on at outing for the very first time.

We capped off the evening with Icees, then went to the store so Tegan could pick out the new baby we’d promised her in celebration of using the potty full-time.

Looking so much older than her 3.5 years…

She was so excited to get home and start playing with it.  Spencer was excited when we got home too, because FedEx had left the package of DVDs, books, and tools that he’s been anxiously waiting for:

A little light reading

It all makes me feel sad, and happy, and wistful all at the same time. My kids are growing up.

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July 24, 2011 · 10:31 AM

The One Where I Gush About Vacation

The sky as we crossed the AZ border last night

Now that we’re home safe and sound, our trip has officially come to an end, and I can say this without fear of jinxing anything (such a silly feeling isn’t it?  But there it is):

I am blown away by how smoothly the past three weeks have gone.  Blown away.  It truly was a dream vacation for us, and I honestly don’t even have words for how thankful I am for all of it!

First, the driving (hundreds of hours of driving) went without a hitch.  Hundreds of hours.   Six people.   Without a hitch.  99.8 of the trip, we truly and thoroughly enjoyed our time together in the car.  There were no popped tires, and no busted transmissions.  Even the traffic jams were minimal.

Second, everyone was healthy… the entire time!!  We know first hand the crimp that a nasty cold or – even worse – a stomach bug, can put on a vacation.   This time there was nary a sniffle.

Third, to paraphrase Dr Seuss.. “Oh the places we went!”  How often are we going to get to enjoy the red rocks of Zion, the mountains of Colorado, Niagara Falls, Cape Cod, and Washington DC all in same trip?

Finally, the people.  It was a much needed reconnection for the six of us,  one that I’ll be forever grateful that we got the opportunity to experience.  It was also incredible to be able to visit with so many wonderful people, both inside and outside of our family, and I am humbled and thankful to have experienced so much warmth and generosity… from people opening and sharing their homes and their meals and their companionship and their time.   I truly feel an embarrassment of riches right now.

It wasn’t a perfect trip, but it was perfect for us.  It was EXHAUSTING at times, without a doubt, but it was worth every hour of lost sleep and every minute on the road.  I had grand plans to use some of the time in the car to work on writing some blogs, to catch up on my reading, to study for my personal training test, to edit my Nano book from last year.   I did none of that…. and that’s okay!!  As it turned out, what I needed wasn’t more time to do more stuff, but more time to do nothing.  The time in the car was like 3 solid weeks of meditation, and it has refreshed and revitalized me more than I can say.

I blogged about each day of the trip mainly because I wanted to have it for myself, to remember.  I don’t do scrapbooks, only sporadically keep a journal, and am terrible about getting pictures printed.  But I can blog.  So here they all are, if you’d like to read any or all:

Our Great Summer Road Trip:  Day One
Day Two:  Small Town Fun
Day Three:  Driving, Driving, and More Driving
Day Four:  New Friends
Day Five:  I’m Tired
Day Six:  Niagara Falls
Day Seven: And on the 7th day, they rested
Day Eight: Pizza and Waterfalls
Day Nine: The Big Apple
Day Ten:  Grandma
Day Eleven:  Back in Massachusetts
Day Twelve:  Cape Cod
Day Thirteen:  The Beach
Day Fourteen:  Goats and Fishes
Day Fifteen:  Clamming, Piers, and Candy
Day Sixteen:  Long Drives and Good Friends
Day Seventeen:  My Souvenir
Day Eighteen:  Washington, DC
Day Nineteen:  I Told You So
Day Twenty:  Final Days
Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

Thank you to everyone who helped make our trip so memorable!

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July 19, 2011 · 5:17 AM

Day Seventeen: My Souvenir

The kids have been collecting little souvenirs as we’ve traveled: a couple of stuffed animals and seashells for Tegan, new baseball caps for the boys. Today, thanks in large part to peer pressure a co-conspirator a supportive friend, I got my own souvenir: a little stud in my nose. I hadn’t really planned to pierce my nose on the trip… I actually wanted to do it before the trip, but Mike talked me out of it, concerned about the possibility of dealing with complications/infections/problems when we were away from home. But the timing felt right, I was inspired by being with a kindred spirit, and I rose to the occasion.

In other news:

The boys are thoroughly enjoying being around other hardcore video-gamers.
Spencer mowed the lawn at his own request.
I relished a whole lot of baby-holding, as did the kids:

And we braved the heat and humidity for a short walk and bike ride down the street, where Everett rode a two-wheeler sans training wheels for the very first time.

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July 18, 2011 · 5:15 AM

Day Sixteen: Long Drives and Good Friends

A shortish day of driving that again somehow seemed to take f.o.r.e.v.e.r. It was another smooth ride however (heinous porta-potty and a wasted hour looking for a geocache notwithstanding) and the kids continued to amaze with their patience. Everyone keeps asking what it’s like with all six of us all crammed in the car, so many hours and so many days in a row: Don’t we go crazy? Aren’t the kids at each other’s throats?

Here’s the truth:

Tegan and Everett bicker a little bit now and then, because they’re both in the far back seat, and because they’re 3 and 7. Tegan (understandably) gets antsy when it’s been a particularly long stretch, and Everett is the king of “Are we there yet?” as well as “I have to go to the bathroom.” He also discovered that he can stick his bare toes through the space at the bottom of Spencer’s seat back directly in front of him, which he occasionally does just to try to bug Spencer. And it does bug him. Otherwise, they really do get along. They’re watching movies on the DVD players (some of them upwards of 3 times), napping, taking pictures out the window, chatting, and playing “Would you Rather.” We’re all enjoying the driving.

No matter how fun we manage to make it though, it does of course feel immensely relieving to arrive at our destination at the end of the day. Today was no exception. For the next two days we’ll be in Virginia at the home of my good friend – and fellow unschooler – Alice, who was graciously waiting for us with good food, good drinks, and cute babies.

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July 17, 2011 · 5:09 AM

Day Fifteen: Clamming, Piers, and Candy

We spent our final morning at the Cape digging for clams, a first for all five of us (Paxton decided to hang out back at the house with the non-clammers) Aside from the ever-present reminder that I was a long way from my epi pen, it was a neat experience that the kids especially enjoyed. Tegan even said that clamming was her favorite part of the trip, although in all fairness she has said that a lot of things are her favorite part of the trip. The bottom of the marsh was like quick-sand, and it was comical watching everyone trying to break the suction without losing their balance and falling with every step.

We spent the afternoon strolling around in Chatham, a lovely fishing/tourist/shopping town. We walked to the pier where we enjoyed the seals, watched the fisherman unloading their catch, and found our Massachusetts geocache (our tenth different state so far for the trip) We stopped at a traditional seaside candy store, where the kids loaded up on gummy sharks and worms, and Mike and I indulged in a few dark chocolate salted caramels. Those caramels might have been the highlight of my day.

We got the house closed up, said goodbye to Mike’s brother’s families – which was bittersweet – and headed back to his parents’ house for the night.

Our one regret about our time in New England is that despite our original plans to visit some old friends – and some new ones too – our visits never materialized for a variety of reasons. Fitting everything in was one part of the trip that we really had trouble with, and it was frustrating and sad to have to change course at the last minute. There were simply not enough days to make it all work.

Still, we were happy and grateful for the chance to re-experience the Cape with the kids, and excited about the next part of the trip. Next up: Ashburn, Virginia.

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July 16, 2011 · 5:08 AM

Day Fourteen: Goats and Fishes

Since this was a trip for all of us, everyone got to have a say in what we saw and what we did. One of Tegan’s general requests was to visit animals. We weren’t able to make it to any zoos when we were in New York, so we decided to visit the little Zooquarium in Cape Cod. Fish, birds, zoo animals, and reptiles….. and the girl was happy.

We followed the zoo with another afternoon at the beach, a trip to Provincetown, more food (have I mentioned we’re doing a lot of eating??) and mudslides over a few rounds of a board game called A to Z.

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