Boston with my boys...

Bill had to spend some professional development money and as a result we were granted a little family vacation.  While he attended the conference in the morning, the boys and I played in the pool.  The afternoons we spent walking around Boston.  Bill's work covered the hotel and parking and I am quite proud to report how little we spent on 'sights.'  We spent probably $200 in food but only $16 on super fun activities...and okay, I spent $20 on cheesy souvenirs for the kids.

Turns out The Boston Children's Museum charges only $1 admission on Fridays from 5-9.  We took advantage of that and had a blast.  We also wanted to see "Old Ironsides."  When we got there we found out admission IS FREE - but parking cost 12 bucks.  TOTALLY WORTH IT. 

It was a lovely weekend...not without it's trials and tribulations.  Liam is testing our every last nerve...and I feel like this will go on until he's around 25.  I am trying to figure out a way to parent, be civil, and not lose my mind.  Wish me luck with that while you take a gander at our pics.

 Liam living it up in the hot tub.  Okay, when I was a kid we were NEVER allowed to go in the hot tub.  My parents told me it would make me sick...and as far as I know hot tubs are dangerous for little ones.

Liam was not allowed in there...then, five other kids showed up and ALL of their parents let their kids in the damn hot tub.  Poor Liam was sitting there, all puppy dog eyes, the kids looking at him, like, "why aren't cha coming in???"  So frustrating.

I let him sit on the steps for a few minutes and then suggested a handstand contest in the regular pool.









Here's Finny - all chilly..and there's Liam...NOT running in the background...sigh...but he sure had fun...

Oh, how this kid cracks me up...

Big fat lolli-pops.  Yes. Yes I did.  Totally worth their sticky, happy faces.

So, here we are at the Children's Museum.  The first thing you see as you enter is this GINORMOUS climbing structure, three stories high.  Was it terrifying to let Finn up in there all by himself.  ABSOLUTELY.  Did he survive?  Did Liam actually step up and go find his little brother and help him down?  Yes, thankfully, yes he did.

These were fun.  The faster they hand-pedaled the more lights lit up above them.  Such a cool place.  Everything is hands on.

There were quite a few water elements/activities...a whole bubble room even!  Finn got soaked...luckily early on, so he was dry by the time we had to walk back to the hotel in the chilly Boston night.

 

Pilot Finn

 

Liam working in the art studio.  He was deep in 'draw' when I said, "Hey Liam, is there a booger on my nose?"  This is the face he made when he looked up.  :)

 

This is his creation after I left him alone.  His "self portrait."

Actual mini CATS for the kids.  They loved this!

Liam, ever the actor...

                                                                                       

Liam is so funny - he totally looks like he's taking a poo...

Out to see old Iron Sides - The USS Constitution - oldest active NAVY vessel, I'll have you know.

215 years old this past October and STILL sea worthy - pretty awesome.

Finn was SO excited.  He thought we were on a pirate ship from "Jake and the Neverland Pirates."  The cannons weigh about 6000 pounds!!!!  There are some 60 on the ship! The tour guides are active NAVY officers who volunteer.  They were really great.

Going below deck...SOOOO COOL!!!

And back home again...I know I put this picture on Facebook...but darn it, those rolls in the basket look so purdy...and I LOVE that instagram...

Finny all dressed up.  He hardly ever stands still, so it's really hard to get a picture of him in focus.  You get the idea, though.  ADORABLE.

Happy Thanksgiving, blog peeps!!!!

The Elephant in the Room...

Do you remember learning about this concept?  I was actually at a summer camp orientation for Double H - I think I was 19.  I thought it was brilliant.

Now, I am sad to say, I AM the elephant in the room.  Literally.  Walk into my life and what will you see?  Here, let me paint the picture:
-A nice little house over our heads. 
-Two healthy, happy, relatively behaved little boys,
-A happy marriage - we still get on each others' nerves about stupid things, but we laugh and hug and kiss and yeah,...that too.  We have love in our lives every day.
-I've come light years in terms of my relationship with my mom - I think we are both really happy with where we are and how we relate to each other.  Which is HUGE.  Seriously.
-I have friends I love.
-I have siblings I love.
-I even kind of love my dog now....no, I really do love him.
-I have chickens that I love!!!
-I have a job I love.

I am super, super lucky.

And then there's the darn elephant.  The THING that has been at me most of my life.  My weight.  Seriously, I weigh roughly the same as a premature baby elephant.  Uch.  I disgust myself.  I laugh at this and am disgusted simultaneously.  I am 5 lbs shy of what I weighed the day I gave birth to Finn!  Yeah, I am just laying it all out there.  It's gross.

And I don't want sympathy or advice.  Trust me, I have talked this issue to death with friends, siblings, coworkers (I have this whole 'poster child for heart disease' schtick that they love), strangers waiting in line at the grocery store.  (Does that surprise you?  I should think not!)

I have an excuse list about 15 miles long about why it's been so hard for me to exercise, blah, blah, blah.

I eat WAY too much.  Didn't help that I was baking bread and rolls like a mad woman earlier in the year.  (I am happy to report that I only bake for one family other than my own now.   It definitely helps to not have hot rolls on the cooling rack on a regular basis.)

Why must I enjoy food so much?

Oh.  And have I told you about the curse my 6th grade science teacher put on me?  On a progress report he called me "inconsistent."  I didn't know what it meant at the time and at the parent/teacher conference he explained it to me.  I, for no clear reason at all, did well some tests and not well on other tests. That word has hovered over me ever since.  It is totally true.  I start an exercise routine and then I quit.  I started running and then I quit.  I start writing a book or three and let it fizzle.  Disgusting.

The only thing I am consistent with is my love of food, movies, all things magical, and my peeps.  You know my love for you never falters...and I often express it by baking you something and sharing it.  Oh.  And Diet Coke.  I consistently keep drinking that wretched chemical crap in a cup.

Well.  That felt good.  I DID do a step aerobics video tonight and the day before yesterday.  I'd like to say that I'll be doing that EVERY afternoon while the kids cry that they can't watch Cartoon Network and the dog keeps barking at my heels as I hop around in my too tight exercise clothes that can ONLY be worn in my basement in view of my clueless little boys.  But I am not going to say it.  I am going to hope it.

Stupid inconsistent. I WILL DEFEAT YOU.  I will not have a heart attack at 45.  I will be an attractive mom...I'm not saying I'm ugly OR that looks are important.  But I want to be a healthy mom.  A good role model for my kids.  (The attractive part would just be a perk.) My kids  SHOULD be enough inspiration.  Honestly! 

I am trying.  What else can I do?

Please, smile at this post.  Chuckle at the way I enjoy laughing at myself.  I am grateful that the worst thing in my life is my weight and something I can actually fix.  And now that I have typed that...I think I will harness my inspiration from the people I know who are touched by health issues they cannot fix.  I will make myself healthy for THEM. 

Best Pumpkin Party to Date!!!!

What a magical evening...where to begin? The perfect weather? The kids waking up in the mood to help with every last detail?  Last minute friends from far away RSVPing YES?  All good places, but let's start with the food.

 This pot of soup was the best Butternut Squash soup I have ever made.  My mom taught me the recipe ages ago and I have made it dozens of times, but, perhaps because it was the day of the Pumpkin Party, the soup was amazing.  More amazing than every before....it could have been the vegetable stock I used, now that I think of it....

Anyway, it was DELISH.

 Naturally, I made rolls.  I tried my hand at one of those fancy pull-apart deals (as seen to the right).  I have to admit, it looks as good as it tastes.  So, if you ever want one of those for a dinner party or something, hit me up.  I'd be happy to make you one.

OH, do you see the "ghosts" on the table in the background?  Those were set up on hay bales in the yard and the kids got to throw tiny pumpkins through them.  Super fun!

Of course, Finn friendly cupcakes - even the pops, which Liam meticulously decorated with stickers, were Finn friendly!  I'd like to mention that I used every bit of cupcake magic I learned from the master, my friend, Amber.  Thanks to her I managed to impress quite a few peeps with these.  Thanks, Amber!

We scooped with Chuckie and Mira before the party actually began.  Whenever you ask Finn to smile or say 'cheese' - this is the face he makes!!

These smiles really capture the feeling of the day.  Hey, how do you like all the lights in the garage?  That was me...I also covered our back deck with twinkle lights...it was lovely...

 While the pumpkin party was totally amazing and super duper fun, it was different from parties of the past.  I think I might have written that exact sentence last year...well...it was just SO weird that at 9:30 just about every one was GONE.

Most of our friends have little people under three - and that really changes the dynamic.  I think, in a few years, when the kids are all 5 and up and can be left to run around quasi-unsupervised or in the playroom with a movie, things will change again.



Another noticeable change is the pumpkin carving element.  Many of the pumpkins were carved by kids or for their kids...in the early years, the carving was a BIG DEAL amongst us 'grown ups.' The caliber of carved pumpkin was of an entirely different caliber.  Now, I feel like those of us with kids are just happy to see our kids light up when a candle is placed in a simple jack-o-lantern.

Anyway, we didn't put enough emphasis on the pumpkin carving.  We didn't even judge or give away the golden pumpkin.  Next year I think we'll have a kid category and an adult one...and some stronger emphasis on the competition part.

That said, we all had a great time carving simple pumpkins while our kids tossed hula hoops around pumpkins and each other.

  

 Of course, there is ALWAYS an exception.  Chuckie and Mira worked on their pumpkins for a good hour, maybe more.  And of course, by that time I had put the camera down...theirs were artistic and creative and the hands down winners of the night.

I am going to spend the next 11 months conjuring up a design to compete with them....

ABSOLUTELY impossible to get a shot of him...he just kept moving.  This is the best 'fang face' I could capture!

Not really a great shot of the cozy tent/party area...but I just wanted you to get the gist.

This year's pumpkins.

 Again, this doesn't quite capture how cozy the deck was...and I failed to get the campfire we had going most of the night in the shot...but trust me, it was cozy and warm.  SO many people brought delicious things to share.

Homemade chili, miso soup,  and mac-n-cheese.  We also had pizza and wings this year from our local country store.  Homemade brownies and pies.  Cannolis and cider donuts. It was AMAZING.  We are still enjoying the left overs.

Dear little Finn fell asleep sitting up on the couch.  He was so dirty and sticky...but I just tucked him some clean pj's and gave him a good soaking on Sunday.

I can't capture the magic of the night and these photos don't come close - I wasn't in the mood to carry around the camera all night so there were many photo ops lost.  We had so many wonderful friends tromping around our house and yard.  It made me feel so completely full and happy to see kids running through the leaves and pulling each other in the wagon all over the yard.  Kids running all over and every where and their parents, my friends, sipping hot cider and smiling. Bill and I worked all day Saturday to get ready and all day Sunday to clean up and I honestly cannot think of a better way to spend a fall weekend.

And here's the thing I did not expect.  Sunday.  The clean up day.  It was maybe one of the best days of my life in the most simple and loving way.  While Bill was out returning the table and chair rentals I was determined to clean all the floors and dirtied bowls and pots and what not.  I asked Liam to take his brother outside.  And he did.  And those two boys stayed outside and played with each other and the dog for well over an hour.

By the time I was finished with it all it was lunch time and Bill was back.  And do you know what we did?  We made a fire in the back yard and roasted hot dogs for lunch.  We also heated up some left over soup.  Chuckie and Mira came by and joined us by the fire.  After lunch, and some pie, we curled up on the couch and watch The Village.  It was SUCH a perfect afternoon.

After the movie, the kids and I went outside and organized the truly ridiculous amount of random pumpkins scattered about the yard.  (Ridiculous for a family of four - a bunch of people must have forgotten or left their pumpkins behind, carved and not.)  We tidied up and as it got dark, lit up all the jack-o-lanterns.

The evening ended with a LOOOOOOOONNNNNNNGGGGGG bath for the boys.  They were the dirtiest they have been...maybe ever.

It almost feels silly to say it...but it was a perfect weekend.  Perfect.  The boys were so happy and excited.  Bill and I - well, if you know us, you know we are happiest when we are serving food and sharing beverages with people we like - so we were happy.  The weather was great.  The air smelled great.  It was just great.  And yes, I am a big ole cheese ball.

Next year we will invite more people.  We weren't sure of the 'capacity' of our new place and now we know.  If you are reading this, consider yourself invited.  We've got the room.

Sack of potatoes...

When I was a little girl my dad would sometimes swing me up over his shoulder (often near bedtime) and exclaim that he was hauling up a "sack of potatoes."  When I think back on that time, a more accurate description would have been "a few stalks of corn" or "a firm pillow."  I bring this up to illustrate something I did today...

I was up on the tree house with the boys this afternoon - Bill finished the floor yesterday, so that was very exciting to test out.  The tree is on a small incline, so from one corner Liam likes to jump off as it's only about 4 or 5 feet.  Well...I thought to myself from that corner, "Hmmm, that doesn't look so far.  I'm still young and brave, I should jump down."  Yes, I thought these things...while the more seasoned part of my brain...or body...was whispering fiercely, but with not quite enough conviction, "You really shouldn't do this, you are not in shape, you are not as young as you think...."

I jumped.

I imagined I would land on my feet.  I did not.  On the bright side, Finn, from the tree house floor said, "Good jump, Mommy."

Anyway, talk about a sack of potatoes..or, more accurately three and a half 50 pound sacks.  NOT pretty, my friends, not pretty.  The thud...perhaps THAT was the quaking many folks around Albany felt around 5 p.m. today.  The ground, soft with moist dirt and fallen leaves, did not feel soft at all.  And now, four hours later, I am sore.

So yeah.  That happened today.

Let me leave you with some fun photos from the Cub Scout camp out Liam and I enjoyed this past Friday. It was very chilly but perfect in every other way.

What could be better than roasting weenies over the fire???  Yeah, I said weenies - no need to stifle your giggles...unless you are a man and at work, that might be embarrassing.

 GLOW NECKLACES AND SMORES!!!!!!!!!  WA-HOOOOO!!!!!

 This popcorn catching game was as fun as it was dangerous - open pan of hot oil in a crowd of 8 year old boys...hmmm...

My handsome boy

Mummifying our boys was a lot of fun.

 Liam and Eli tossing hoops around pumpkins.  Anyone attending our pumpkin part will get to play this game.

Good, old fashioned Tug-O-War.  Boy, did they love that!!

Good times with my Cub Scout buddies.  It was a great time.

Well, now it's time to drag my sore muscles back over to the oven.  I am making granola for the first time and it needs to be stirred every 30 minutes for the next hour and a half.  Nighty night.

It's all coming together...

So, as it often does in the "Life of Britt," things are coming together.  Just when it seemed like things were about to hit the bottom, I landed a pretty great job.  I found a great day care for Finn.  The bills don't seem so scary any more.  Things feel good.  A little crazy, busy, overwhelming, but all in a good way.

I had an amazing 37th birthday weekend.  My dad flew in from Arizona to visit, we went apple picking, ate chocolate cake that is so rich even I could only eat ONE slice!!  Oh, and Bill bought me an archery set!  Seriously.  A bow AND arrow....well, actually six arrows...and a bale of hay with target print outs on it.  IT IS SO AWESOME!!!!!

MY TWO TURKEYS!!!

 How many of my boys does it take to pick an apple????

These pictures of Finn were so cute I couldn't pick just one....can you blame me???

Ahhh, my funny, funny Liam.  We forced him to take this shot...he is totally going to love us when we show it at his wedding/graduation/fill in the embarrassing moment.

Happy, as usual, to have my health and my happy life.  You all better watch out, though...I have a bow and arrow!!!!