Summer At The Beach

FAMILY, PRECOCIOUS SON/HANDSOME, THE HOFF/TEACH

Posted on July 16, 2007

After 8 years of living in a lake town we are finally LIVING in a lake town. This weekend was by far my favorite weekend yet.

I love this picture. I love the shadow, and her little foot prints behind her still in the sand.

I started my son in swim classes 3 weeks ago figuring we live in a lake community beside the fact that the child has no fear of the water, we are only a 3 minute drive to the beach. Yes, we can walk it but yo, 2 kids, 2 coolers, towels, sand toys, umbrella, camera bag, mat for the floor, etc, etc, etc…

I didn’t take many pictures of Handsome today but I got a lot of video, hopefully one day I will figure out how to add it to my blog.

Yesterday I didn’t take the camera out of the bag to document anything but today we snapped some pictures.  

This picture is so funny to me…she looks so grown here.

My kids are so lucky to live where they are and I hope to have many more weekends like this. It is so nice to get away with just my husband and kids. To see the kids having so much fun and just admiring the wonderful place we call home. Looking out at the lake it is crazy that we didn’t take advantage before this. Why didn’t we go do there with some beer and some books when we were childless? It is just plain stupid.

It almost feels like I am on vacation when I am sitting there just looking around or playing in the water with my kids. It is not often that the 4 of us go out as a family and it is awesome to be able to do that so close to home. We have been paying dues toward the beach for 8 years and have always hated that bill that comes in January. This January when we pay that bill I will be eagerly waiting for the warmer weather so that we can spend another summer playing in the water with the kids. 

Yesterday we ran into some friends  (she is doing well BTW) who took us out on their wave runner. It was awesome and my first time. I have to admit I am a chicken shit and when she said, “come on let’s go out on the lake” I honestly wanted to say “no thanks.” I actually think I did but she didn’t seem to hear me and told me hubby that she was taking me out and her husband would take him as soon as we got back. I know my heart was pounding for the first 10 minutes. I must admit though, I had an awesome time, and it was fun. It really is a good workout too, my thighs are killing me today.

Today, my husband took Handsome out to the floating dock for some diving/jumping. Handsome was having the time of his life and I love seeing them spending such quality father/son time together. Towards the end of the day my son was doing somersaults into 8-9 feet of water with his dad. Heart in my mouth and stomach in my colon I applauded and was nauseous at the same time.

I can’t wait for my next trip to the beach with my little family and the best part is we can make it there on gas fumes if we had to.   

Might As Well JUMP

LIFE, MY KIDS, PHOTOS

\Posted on July 18, 2007

LAKE LIVING ROCKS

Great Cousin Weekend

FAMILY, FRIENDS, MY KIDS

=Posted on July 25, 2007

This weekend was awesome.

My girl T and her kids came up to enjoy our lake. Her daughter Jordan and I swam like fish. It was the best day I have had at the lake so far. Wearing ridiculous goggles and swimming with a soon to be 9 year old makes for a really good time. Who knew?

We jumped off the floating dock, took a break to lie down, look at the sky and talk while we let the water take us for a a smooth, slow ride. I wish there was a picture to honor the day but of course I am the one with the camera so….. It was nice to see T playing with her Goddaughter Goddess in the sand and then to see how much Goddess adores Jordan.

Sunday my sister-in-law came up from California and headed over for a sleepover with 4 of our mutual nieces ages 3, 5, 11, and 16. They met us down at the beach and two of them swam for a little while then we headed back to the house (2 trips – I have a small car), for some pizza, then some s’mores. What is a sleepover without s’mores?

The house was asleep by 10:30. Crazy that 6 kids can bunk down so fast while sleeping under the same roof. 

My kids had an awesome time with their cousins. Playing, chasing, fighting over toys, hugging, piling on each other, etc. The best part of getting together with family is it reminds you of how much you love these people and how easy it is to get together. We don’t do it enough.  My sister-in-law in California comes in and then we all make the effort to see each other. It should happen more often especially since she only comes in 2 times a year and the rest of us only live about and 1.5 hours maximum apart.

Hopefully I will be picking up one of my nieces Samantha the 11 year old (she has spent 3 summers with us) next week to come out for a little while. I adore her and she is such a good girl. She is caring, sensitive, playful, funny, smart and I have always had a special place in my heart for her. I used to tell her that if I had a little girl I hoped they would be just like her.  Goddess mostly spirited but she is also caring, playful, smart and funny. I guess 4 out of 5 isn’t bad. Goddess was definitely drawn to her and held her arms up to her most of the time she was here.

Hopefully I can give my kids a few more weekends like that before the summer ends.

Here are pictures of Handsome and his cousin Sonia. Is that the look of love or what?

My Rock and Roll Goddess

GODDESS IN TRAINING/GODDESS, PHOTOS

ROCK AND ROLL

Posted on July 22, 2007

We recently taught the kids how to say, “rock N’ roll” “peace my brother” “peace my sister” with obligatory hand gesture. This is the girl’s version of Rock N Rooooollll.

She looks like she is channeling, Cris Angel instead of a rock God.

Survey Answered

Survey thingy stolen from Songbird

Posted on July 25, 2007

1.) If I were a doll, the accessories packaged with me would be:
Telephone, Babies, coffee, laptop

2.) I have an irrational fear of:
It’s so irrational that I can’t even type it

3.) What type of food do you eat at your grandparents house?
Back in the day when grams was around, I ate the best Italian food this side of New York. That women could cook!

4.) What weight were you when you were born? Much less than I do now 

5.) What would you do if you were stranded on an island with the person you hate most?
I would eventually learn to like them the best.

6.) What would you do if you found out you had been cheated on?
Cry, a lot!!! Then get very pissed!

7.) Do you stalk anyone on myspace?
I barely visit my own Myspace let alone someone elses

8.) I find the thought of childbirth:
Beautiful and scary at the same time

9.) Next door to my house is:
Red, I think

10.) My feet are:
Great for walking. I couldn’t do it without them

11.) My preferred style of jeans is:
The type that fit

12.) Why is your #1 your #1?
Because it is not YOUR number one it is MY number one. Confused yet?

13.) Know how to cook?
Yup, I do ok.

14.) I am annoyed with:
My inability to fit in some reading

15.) What is the worst way you were dumped?
Over the phone by a real big schmuck, too much of a pussy to face the music. DICK

16.) What child-related smell do you not like?
Any of the body excretions pretty much suck 17.) What sea creature scares you?
None of them scare me if they are behind a nice thick sheet of glass

18.) What color hair do most of the people you are around have?
Brown

19.) What object have you broken most recently?
A glass in the sink

20.) Name one of the Spice Girls.
Posh

21.) What was the last thing to make you cry?
Some sappy, chick flick I guess. I don’t do much crying these days

22.) What are the stems on wine glasses for?
To hold so you don’t warm your wine?

23.) My favorite shoes are:
Comfortable.

24.) Can you use chopsticks?
Yup

25.) Do you prefer beaches or forests?
They both have their uses

26.) What serial killer do you find most disturbing?
All of them. Do you actually want me to chose one moron over another?

27.) Who knows a secret or two about you?
No one, that is why it is a secret

28.) Have you ever burned yourself?
Yes but not intentionally
29.) Who is probably talking a load of crap about you right now?Hopefully someone otherwise what is the sense?30.) Who is your hero[s]?
My husband40.) Do you believe in things that last forever?
Yes41.) What are you listening to?
My daughter singing The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow.42.) What do you smell like?
Myself with a touch of Grass from Bath and Body

43.) Are you married?
Yup

44.) Does anyone regularly tell you they love you?
Yes

45.) What’s the most confusing to you?
How they get those little boats into those coke bottles. God damn, that is amazing.

46.) Do you have any bad habits?
Sure but are they really that bad????

47.) Have you ever wanted to be a teacher?
Yes, I still do…just ask my kids

48.) What is one thing you’ve learned about life?
That it is what you make it.

49.) What’s your favorite color?
Blue

50.) Have you ever been stuck in an elevator?
Thank God no

51.) What does your dad call you?
Ree, babe

52.) Has anyone told you that they like you more than a friend?
Yes, but it was soooooo long ago

53.) What are you looking forward to?
Going to sleep

54.) How are you today?
Tired

Good Time - 7/29/07

FRIENDS, SOMETIMES IT'S ABOUT ME

Good Time

Posted on July 29, 2007

Yesterday I went to see a play at by a performing art group in Ringwood, NJ. It was stellar!!!

I met up with my friend Lori at a local diner for dinner.  It was so great to see her. We used to work together and spent a lot of time together before she left for another job. I haven’t seen her in 4 years and it was as if we saw each other yesterday. I was amazed at how easily we fell back into a total, complete comfortable, effortless conversation. We ate, talked, caught up on life and then we headed over to St. Catherines of Bologna to see a bunch of her friends performing the play Oliver.

We had front row seats (Lori volunteered to help with the play since she wasn’t performing this time) and I felt like we were part of the show. The acting was great, the singing unbelievable, the set amazing. I would totally go and see it again. Oliver was one of my favorite musicals as a kid which kind of scares me because I wasn’t a dark child but the story and the music is very dark.

I was amazed by the performance of the characters who play Nancy, Dodger, Mr. Sowerberry (who wasn’t used enough) but especially Fagin. Daniel Cappuccio was amazing. I thought he was better than Ron Moody who played Fagin in the movie back in 1968.  (I just notice that Roman Polanski made an Oliver in 2005 which I haven’t seen. I guess I will check that out of the library this week if they have it).  He made the character extremely likable and you were able to understand why these orphans would do all of his dirty work.  In the movie Fagin was just creepy to me. This guy was like a sleezy Santa Clause and when he said, “my dears” you felt that he actually did care for these orphans. 

The hardest part about being in the front row was to not look the actors in the eyes as I mouthed each song. It was really hard not to sing out loud because I love the music and the lyrics.

After the play, we waited to see everyone that Lori knew. It was great to be introduced to all of these people and have something to say. Usually you get introduced to a stranger by a friend and you can offer up a “hi” before moving on to the next but I felt like I had something more to offer as I mentioned how much I loved their performance or a particular song or moment in the play.

I was really hoping to met Dan/Fagin and tell him how much I liked his performance. He was the last person to come out. I asked Lori to take our picture after telling him that he was better than the Fagin in the movie. The camera was giving her a bit of trouble and I felt bad that I was taking up his time. I said, sorry as we posed for what seemed like an uncomfortable amount of time but he said, this was the best compliment.

Lori and I headed out (to a beautiful, full, yellow moon) and I headed home after a discussion about going out for coffee or something. I am not used to being away from the kids for so long and after such a great time I was good to go.

I am so glad we got together and hope that we can get together again soon. Friends are so important and I hold my friendships close to my heart.

BTW…if you get a chance check out Oliver the Musical at St. Catherine of Bologna in Ringwood. It is worth the trip.

Time On My Hands

I MUST BE BORED, SOMETIMES IT'S ABOUT ME

Time On My Hands

Posted on July 27, 2007

• 

Time on my hands…

So I thought I would do this meme that has been going around.

• I Am: A Wife, Mother, Sister, Friend, Women, Me
• I Want: To see my children grown, married and with children of their own
•  I Wish: Money wasn’t always an issue
• I Hate: People who refuse to see the beauty in the littlest things then complain that life sucks. It doesn’t suck! Old cliché but a good one…life is what you make it PERIOD. AND….people who only see black and white with no shades of grey. There is not just one way to do or see anything!
• I Fear: Dying young and leaving my children to face the world without me or losing one of my babies or my husband
• I Hear: My children singing songs from Annie, “The sun will come out tomorrow”
• I Say: Live and Let Live and to each his own. Oh, and way to many curse words
• I Wonder: When I will get paid from my freelance jobs
• I Regret: Not having kids sooner so that I could have had more
• I Am Not: Blonde, tall or blue eyed
• I Dance: All the time
• I Sing: All day long. I sing any ditty that comes to mind along with some made up to make the kids laugh. They actually have started making requests.
• I Cry: Too easily.
• I Am Not Always: Nice
• I Make With My Hands: Play Doh faces for the kids
• I Write: Whatever flows through my fingers onto the keyboard.
• I Confuse: Keira and Natalie (Any idea what I am talking about?)
• I Need: A moment of silence and loads of sleep
• I Should: Get off the computer
• I Start: My day wedged between 2 kids, we put a whole new meaning to the family bed
• I Finish: This Blog entry

Create A Connection – Box Swap

CREATE A CONNECTION

Posted on August 1, 2007

This month’s swap from Create A Connection had been Summer in your HomeTown – Show and Tell where you would send a little bit of your hometown to another.

Sounded like a lot of fun so I joined up and was paired with Deb G who would be sending to me and I in turn would be sending to Lee.

Yesterday I received my Swap box from Deb G and I have to say I am feeling a bit sad about Lee’s box at the moment. Lee, if you are reading this I am sorryI feel like I let you down! My hometown is a lake town so I sent Lee things that were, well lakey….ok, not lakey like that is even a word but the package had a postcard of the lake, a local newspaper, sunblock, a water bottle, some paint brushes and a sandel candle. All things to let her know that I come from a lake town.

Deb’s box was awesome.  The smell from the lavender from her garden which was sprinkled in the box was heavenly. The big dried snowball (not sure what that flower is but my family called them snowball bushes) flowers reminded me of the home where I grew up in Millbrook NY, we always had them in vases throughout the house. The energy bar from a health store in her hometown of Bellingham WA, the local paper, the fun, homemade postcards with personalization on each one telling me what I was looking at, the handmade balls made from local wool, and pieces of beach glass, and the homemade CD with specific songs picked out and the reason for the song made for a very beautiful presentation.

Deb, you put so much thought and so much work into my swap box, I want to say thank you so much for caring and sharing. Your hometown with it’s farmer’s markets, concerts in the park, the outdoor theater seems like a wonderful place to call home.

Don’t be surprised if I come a ringing your doorbell one day for a tour of your little piece of heaven. 

So Annoying…but I will move on and picture has nothing to do with post

FAMILY, LIFE, SOMETIMES IT'S ABOUT ME, THE HOFF/TEACH

So Annoying…but I will move on and picture has nothing to do with post

Posted on August 6, 2007

This weekend I was getting a personal sized Weight Watcher’s Chocolate Mint Ice Cream out of the freezer thinking it’s 9:30 p.m but my stomach is killing me and mint really helps me. It’s Weight Watcher’s and I want it damn it. I am going to be 41 years old and if I want ice cream at 9:30 p.m. I am going to eat it.

I sit down to enjoy the very small serving of mint ice cream for my belly when a voice pierces the darkend room with the filtered blue streaks of light coming from the TV; “is that ice cream?”

It is my husband the Spartan who has been working on his body for the the past 4-5 months.

“Yup, it is” I say with a flip of my spoon.

“You should be upset with yourself” he says. “It’s 9:30!” he adds.

“Ah huh” I mutter.

FYI to anyone who thinks this was a loving gesture from a caring husband – there are ways to discuss calories and eating habits this was not one of them.

End of conversation.

The annoying part of this is that I have been here before. I had a boyfriend who used to discuss what I ate and talk about how disgusting I was that I started throwing up so that I wouldn’t be “so fat and disgusting that I can’t even get hard over you.” (btw…exact quote word for word. I won’t forget it until the day I die). I was bulemic for 5 years.

I was a size 5 then and I am a size 10/12 now (2-3 sizes bigger and 2 kids later), I refuse to be told what, when and how much I can eat unless I solicite such information.

So  will end this post with a shake of my head, a flip of my spoon and a big fat Rachel Ray tribute, Yum-Oh!

Guest Blogger – Niece Samantha – 11 Years Old

FAMILY, RANDOMNESS

Guest Blogger – Niece Samantha – 11 Years Old

Posted on August 8, 2007

my  name is samantha but my friends call me  sam. 

my favorite color is purple,blue,pink,and green.

I live in kearny, NJ.  

My favorite tv show is Hannah Montana.

My favorite food is anything that is junk food,and fruit.

When I  grow up I want to be JUST like my aunt maria.

My cousins may be crazy,and  weird but I love  them!!

My favorite ice cream flavor is  vanilla.

And this is the end to my story.

That Summer Seemed to Last Forever, Those Were the Best Days Of My Life

FAMILY, FRIENDS

That Summer Seemed to Last Forever, Those Were the Best Days Of My Life

Posted on August 6, 2007

Friday, I headed out with Bek to Gasho for an unbelievable early birthday gift. Thank you so much. It was a killer birthday gift and so appreciated. I can’t wait to go back there. I love Hibachi. Then we headed over to Friday’s for drinks & dessert.  I thoroughly recommend the Vanilla Bean Cheesecake, The Cinnadunkers (just like homemade) and Bek had the Fresh Blueberry Mango Rita and I had the unbelievable Fresh Tropical Passion Rita. So yummy! Picture of our buffet. It was an unbelievable night with a good friend and comfortable conversation. It was a much needed time away. Next time we need at least a picture of the particpants of the evening. The fact that there are only pictures of the food to commemorate the night says a lot about the food.

Saturday I headed out to met up with my friend Stephanie who was only in from Florida for 1 1/2 days.  She always makes it a point to fit me in. She’s good like that. I headed to her Aunt’s to see her busting in on a Sweet 16 birthday party. We were invited to stay but since I was there for Steph and to met her dog Kirby we left as soon as guests started arriving. Handsome got along so well with Jack (Steph’s 4 year old cousin) they were chasing each other around 20 minutes into our arrival. He also loved Kirby who was really good with kids.   

After that we headed home to pick up The Teach and change the kids for the beach. We headed there minus a camera but which was so sad. I sat and watched my husband play with my son in the water. I didn’t have a notebook but I tried to compose my post in my head. It went something like, “watching my husband and son play in the water as the sun started setting casting millions of flickering lights on the water”, blah, blah, blah or something cheesey like that. It really was beautiful and it was worth sitting on the sand with my daughter to see such a mental picture.

Yesterday we headed to the beach again but this time we took a big, ride on shark in honor of Shark Week’s 20th Anniversary on TLC that I managed to pick up from “Shout Out” Shoprite!

My son was so excited to get on. We headed to the water and every kid in there looked at the shark with lust. There was no way we were letting it go until my son had his fill.

 

=

Look at this photograph everytime I do it makes me laugh…

LIFE, SOMETIMES IT'S ABOUT ME

Posted on August 8, 2007

Why were our eyes so red, and what the hell is on Joey’s head? Who gives a shit! Wahhhhhhh!! I am sick over this.

Do not adjust your eyes or your monitor. My camera is S-I-C-K sick, sick, sick.

I guess it had to happen, a camera is not made to take 1,000-3,000 pictures a month is it?

What to do? I say ignore the mortgage bill that is due and go out and get myself a new one. I cannot be without one and if you know me, you know this is true.

I took the kids including my niece to Chuck E. Cheese today and the only decent pictures I have to commemorate the day are those sketchy pictures that are drawn by Chuck after you put a coin in the slot.  Grrrr…. 

Here is what my pictures look like.

 

I guess the self-focusing gizmo thinga majig crapped out.

If anyone is thinking of getting me an extra special birthday gift…..feel free.

Favorite Songs of the Moment August 2007

I MUST BE BORED, MEDIA BS, RANDOMNESS, SOMETIMES IT'S ABOUT ME

Posted on August 16, 2007

Hate Me – By Blue October

I don’t know why I like this song.  There is nothing in the lyrics that I can relate to but there is something about this song that touches me.

Chasing Cars – by Snow Patrol

I think what I really like about this song is the friggin 3 chords that are played throughout the song. I love the sound of it. I also love the lyrics. I love the chorus, If I lay here, If I just lay here,would you lie with me and just forget the world?  

Home and It’s not over – by Chris Daughtry

I mean come on, how could you not love these songs, this guys voice is amazing. His sound is so yummy but he’s a little too metro sexual for me to find hot. His manscape is just too perfect. I like my men to have a little rugged roughness to them.

So Cold  &  The Diary of Jane  – by Breaking Benjamin

I like the beat, the lyrics, the whole f’in thing. BB just rocks!

Never Too Late and Pain – by Three Days Grace

For some reason as a person who is mostly butterflies, flowers, angels and fairies I love my music mostly dark. I can’t get enough of the song Pain. I love it!

Before He Cheats – by Carrie Underwood, actually any Carrie songs. Heart my country music baby! 

I love singing this song as does this person and this person, this person  ( best vocal) and ha… this little sweetie. BTW…honorable mention for creativity goes to this chickie

The lyrics crack me up. I guess this is the new karaoke favorite

Then there this…??

Say It Right  – by Nelly Furtardo

I am not a fan of hers or this type of music and I really hated it when I first heard it, but when it comes on the radio I sit a little taller in my seat. I had no idea what the hell she was saying until I searched out the lyrics after coming to the realization that I actually liked it.