Things I learned this Summer

This week marks my last week of freedom, well not really, but the summer is coming to anend and work begins on Monday, I thought I would take a few minutes to reflect and share the things I learned over this Summer:

• Sprinklers can turn any mundane afternoon into instant fun
• Rainy days do not have to equal crying and whining, you just have to think like a kid again (finger paints, puppet shows, baking cookies all equal a minimum of 1.5 hours of fun)
• My kids would eat mac n cheese at every meal if I let them
• My sister will be an amazing Mom one day, she took our girls for a weekend and enjoyed every second of it (they are still telling me about their dress up time at Auntie's)
• Vacations are an amazing respite from the day to day and make returning to your home even that much better
• Always bring a fan and a nightlight when you vacation with kids
• Absence really does make the heart grow fonder, but not in the case of work, I swear I am dreading returning to work
• I actually felt for the first time this summer "I COULD do THIS, I could stay at home and be at peace with that" (of course I get paid bi-weekly all summer so that didn't hurt) but never before had I felt like I could be content being at home
• Meditation works for me - even if it is only 10 minutes
• Julia is really bright, she is an observer and quiet, but that little girl knows ALOT
• You can make any house a home, as long as you nurture those living inside it and the company who visit
• Emma is a true girlie girl, the kid may have more shoes than me now and absolutely has more dresses!
• Rob will support me, no matter what road/path/direction I want to take, he will always listen and ultimately he will support what will make me happy
• Sometimes we have to do the things we fear the most (SWIM) and it teaches our children to be confident too
• Confidence is a really beautiful quality, but only in small doses ;)
• Sometimes we don't reach our goals in the timeline we set, but along the way new bigger accomplishments are met!
• Friendship deepens the soul, no matter how far away from one another you are
• I like my house clean, and get irritable when it's out of order
• I really like to bike and wish Rob would get a road bike too!
• The girls are a perfect age gap, at least for this summer :) They played together so well it was amazing to see them together.
• Emma is just as sociable as I am, she loves knowing what the plan is and who we are going to see ... everyday
• Rob is an excellent baker and is catching up at to me in the cooking department too!
• A glass of wine is good any night of the week :)
• Hammocks are really relaxing
• $3 margaritas on Thursdays (best find of the summer!)
• I actually like the beach
• I get grumpy when I don't work out
• Julia and I are kindred spirits when it comes to sleep and cozying up on the couch with a blankie
• Rob and Emma are kindred spirits ... wake up at 5:45 a.m. and get to work (both of them could work a full day by the time Julia and I woke up!)
• Playdates are not just a "yuppy" word they are great for kids and Mommy's alike!
• The girls have turned into "mommy's girls" so it's probably a good thing I am heading back to work
• I have found the right job in my profession, because I can work hard all year and have an end in sight ... next Summer

So here is to saying Good Bye to Summer, Hello to the new school year, and Can't wait for next Summer!

Thank You!

The Mermaid Sand Sculpture made by Rob, Erol, and Danielle ... such troopers!



We would like to send a special thank you to Danielle and Erol for having us at their beautiful house last week. The beach was fantastic. The girls loved it, and even napped 2 times ON THE BEACH! We found a really beautiful cove that had low tide for hours and we could literally walk to one of the islands ... if we had enough gusto in us! It was easy and wonderful.

It was also so nice to have some real leisure time together, just doing typical day kind of things ... making yummy food and packing up for the beach. We learned so much too just by watching Danielle, she's so conscientious of the environment and has really found good ways to "lessen the carbon footprint". I absolutely realized I was doing alot more wasting than I had considered. So bravo to my friend for all of her great effort to be more mindful and less wasteful.

I hope we didn't scare them too much from having a family, especially since they got to see just how trying it can be to have 2 little ones running around with you... how when you want to head out for the beach it doesn't take 10 minutes, but about 40 minutes because of sunscreen applications, shoe decisions, combing the snarls out of beachy hair, packing up the van, then of course a diaper change just as you are about to put the littlest one into the car seat ... and then bam "I'm hungry, I want a cup of milk" Yup, it's a juggling act ... and somedays it's a great relief to have the built in DVD player to allow the adults a moment of quiet time too! he he he! I think they enjoyed it and the whiny afternoons will be a distant memory because much of the day we were all smiling and enjoying the time as a bigger family! :)

Danielle and I, of course, got out for a night of Thelma & Louise antics ... we kept it fairly tame but we always have a good story to share :) I will try to post a picture to shed light on that adventure.

SAY "CHEESE"

SOME GLIMPSES OF WHAT WE HAVE BEEN UP TO THE PAST TWO WEEKS:

JULIA EXPLORING THE NEW CUBES FROM MICHELLE AND LUIGI'S

SUMMER LOUNGING ON THE FRONT PORCH

PICASO EMMA

THE FLUME GORGE, FRANCONIA NH

MOMMY AND EMMA AT THE FLUME GORGE

EMMA, DADDY, AND JULIA HIKING AT THE FLUME

SHERIFF EMMA LEADING THE WAY AT CLARK'S TRADING POST

JULIA, DADDY, AND THE BIG BLACK BEAR

POP POP, RARA, AND EMMA SAYING "TADAHHHH, WE DID IT!"

EMMA WAS ENTRHALLED WITH MEETING CINDERELLA AND SEEING HER PUMPKIN COACH.

JULIA SHOWING US THAT SHE WILL BE A HANDFUL!!

SISTERS ... HOW SWEET IS THIS!?!

THE CLOSEST THING TO A SMILE FOR EMMA THESE DAYS (SHE IS HATING THE CAMERA!)

THE OLD LADY WHO LIVED IN A SHOE

EMMA AND THE BEACH AT ECHO LAKE

City girl will be on vacation ...

The packing has just begun. We are getting ready for our summer vacation to the mountains. I have a list that now spans the front and back of a paper. Packing for 4 is not an easy task. Plus living in NE is also an obstacle, we can not safely pack just warm weather clothes (although it is the end of June!) we have to also pack rain gear, beach gear, sweatshirts, jeans and who knows maybe even hats and mittens!!

We are hopeful it will be a great week of hiking, biking and Rob's year long diners, drive-ins and dives tour (which begins tomorrow in Middletown, CT at the O'Rourke's Diner http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Reviews/118/orourkes). I will be posting via cell phone any pictures or funny things I think you may want to see.

Auntie April, RaRa and PopPop are going to be joining us for Story Land!! Emma is beyond excited to go and see Princesses. I am excited to see all of these fun things that we remember from growing up too. We will also get a first glimpse of Danielle and Erol's new Marblehead beach house, it's all being renovated in an eco-friendly green-conscience way so that will be really neat to see.

So, for now ... have a great week ... hope to send some mobile updates!