True Love

What made you smile the most in fourth grade? The last day of school What made you most nervous? Math What one thing did you look forward to the most? Reading Group What are you looking forward to next year, in the fifth grade? (!!!) FACTS (modern home-economics class) If you could spend the whole day doing whatever you wanted, what would you do? (It can be more than one thing.) Reading, writing, swimming in the pool, spending the day helping out little kids...or something like that  (Seriously? Okay.) If you could have lunch with anybody in the whole world, alive or deceased, who would it be? Kate and Claire (friends) What's your favorite color? Pink What's your favorite outfit? The long dress that you made me, that you tie on the shoulders What do you wish I would let you wear? Mini-skirt, I guess (after probing for a few minutes) What do you think Daddy would say if a boy asked you to be his girlfriend? NOPE What...

Planning and executing a surprise party is not for the faint of heart. Especially a weather-dependent one living in an area like New England, where unpredictability is pretty much the norm. But we did it, our half-birthday girl was completely surprised and had so much fun, and I lived to tell about it. Win win. :) The entire week leading up to the big day, I stalked the weather report, as if that's going to change anything, and every few hours, the forecast would be entirely different. From thunderstorms to just cloudy, back to showers, then partially sunny...it was crazy! There were heavy downpours that morning, but I had a Plan B in case we couldn't go swimming, so I was determined to make the most of it. BUT the sun popped out around noon, and the rest of the day was glorious. Just absolutely beautiful. A little backstory on the whole half birthday fiesta... since we have two December birthdays, we celebrate one in the beginning of December and celebrate Isabell...

I woke up this morning without a gazillion lunches (okay, four) to pack. If that doesn't put a smile on a Mama's face, I don't know what will. :) We enjoyed a leisurely pancake breakfast with not a care in the world or a place to be rushing off to...and ten minutes in, Miss Bookworm is bored. The one who I have to force to go outside and play because she lays around all day reading, has decided that TODAY will be the day she won't pick up a book. What?!?! (In case you're dealing with the whinies too, here is a round-up of fun and easy summertime activities!) Anyhoo. Today is humid and rainy, but the past week was gorgeous. Most evenings after dinner you'll find us playing frisbee or track ball out back and then jumping in the pool. We've even spotted the first fireflies of the season. Nights like those are my absolute FAVORITES. I don't know anyone who doesn't love a pretty bunch of flowers, but backyard bouquets hold a ve...

June is flying by and I haven't been posting as often as I'd hoped. I learned my lesson last year...having to go back and "recreate" is really not any fun at all. We had some family birthdays to celebrate earlier in the month. My brother's birthday is the 7th, Bill's is the 8th, and my aunt's is on the 9th. Plus, the 6th marked five years since her husband, my Uncle Harry, died. On the one hand, it feels like it was just last month, and then on the other, like it was nearly a lifetime ago. Time is a strange thing, that's for sure. I miss my uncle. I have lots of special memories with him and my aunt and my cousins. I made arrangements with my in-laws to come over and play with the kids while I took Bill out for Chinese food and a long walk in our favorite local park. I had really wanted to head to the beach or to the mountains, but when you only have three hours tops, and it takes an hour to get to each place... you stay local and make the bes...