Wacky Wednesday

... otherwise known as what your 2 year old might look like after playing in the playroom by himself while you are running on the treadmill a mere 5 feet away... and just for clarification that would be a clear bucket on his head, a golf club and tea kettle in his hands, and a wiggles guitar and one of Riley's hairbows on the floor (he put them down in order to properly pose for the pic!)...

Beautiful

Ran across this today... fell in love with it... want it up on my walls, engraved on lockets for each of my children and my husband, tattoed in their hearts...

"If there is ever a tomorrow when we are not together, there is something you must always remember: you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem
and smarter than you think, but most important of all, even if we are apart, I'll always be with you"
~A.A. Milne ~

Happy New Year!

It's TECHNICALLY January 2nd, but who's counting...

Happy New Year!

Ours is off to a great start. Christmas decorations down, house clean, hanging with good friends on NYE... though Riley is sick with strep throat now and it's a rainy day to boot... oh well, could always be worse!

I am always happy for the new year. I like all things fresh and new - babies, change of seasons, beginning of a school year, fresh paint, a new haircut... you get the picture. It's somehow comforting to think that even though it's really only the difference of a day, there is a world of promise with the changing of a year. Last year I actually kept my resolution - which was to not go more than 2 days without running at least a mile. I have more for this year, but I'm not talking... I tend to do best when I'm my own critic, judge, and coach.

2008 was a roller coaster. We had great times - Hilton Head with friends, Conor won his spring baseball tournament, Quinn started school and learned to go on the potty and got a big boy bed, Riley continues to keep us on our toes with her wisecracks and dry humor... but also the stress involved with Josh's company (AIG), changing positions as of December 1, seeing our stocks well, let's not go there.

I hope that 2009 brings us ALL a sense of peace, the calm after the storm. I hope we all do more of what we enjoy, what is comforting and inspiring and useful... and less of what tears us down and apart.

Happy New Year!

December 26

Hope you all had a joyful holiday!

Remember me?

I know it's been a while. We've had quite a week... three holiday class party (that I volunteered to plan - what was I thinking!?!), a brownies holiday party, playgroup holiday party, brownies retirement home caroling (yes, separate from the holiday party)... shopping, wrapping, getting ready for out of town visitors over the weekend... it's been a whirlwind of pre-Christmas exhaustion.

But now it's Monday. The kids are home on break and we have no company for now... and while I have cookies to bake for Josh's office party, a smidge of wrapping left to complete, and a run to the grocery store on the agenda for today, it feels eerily un-busy compared to what we've been juggling.

Wishing everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

(And, as promised, some pics from Riley's gymnastics holiday performance!)...

'Tis the season to be busy!

Forgive my lack of blogging... but this may just be the BUSIEST holiday season I can remember. With three children and their activities, school, parties, sports, it's been hard to keep up. Add to that Josh's new position at AIG and travel over Thanksgiving and my family fun night planning, and we're about 2 weeks behind schedule where Christmas is concerned. I'm sure it will all get done, as it always does, but it's crunch-time.

In other news, Quinn made the transition to his new big boy bed last week. He's been fantastic. Here are a couple of cute pics.

I'll have more pictures shortly... some of Riley at her gymnastics holiday performance that i haven't downloaded yet but are adorable!

... and now - Christmas!

Did you hear that? That big sigh? Oh that was me. Because my family fun night event is OVER! After lots of work and hours and phone calls and planning and math (ticket sales, deposits, making sure we stay under budget - and people, math is NOT my strong suit), and decorating, and shopping, and runningback and forth to the school almost everyday... it's OVER! And even better, it was another huge success. I am patting myself (and Shanna!) on the back for this one...

So now I move onto Christmas.