down on the farm

Try this at home - LOVE it!

2010-02-15T13:47:00.005-05:00

I consider myself a low maintenance girl. I usually leave the house with my hair in a ponytail and no make-up. Being the mom of 2 boys meant that styling hair was not really anything I had to worry about, except on that rare occasion when Fred & I had someplace to go, besides a date night to Target & a movie.

BUT

Now I have a girl! Mia is a princess, and she will sit patiently as I brush, comb and style her hair - as long as I promise that whatever I'm doing will be "fancy". Now, in the '80s I could tease, braid, style like nobody's business, but I'm a little out of practice. Still I had to share this CUTE heart braid that I've been doing this month.

Like it? This was my first attempt, and I've gotten MUCH better at making the heart look pretty good, even with my daughter's baby fine hair. I had BIG plans to get this post out prior to Valentine's Day. Seems to be a theme with this blog. Oh well, I think it's still worth posting simply because the site that I got the idea from has TONS of cute hairstyles. It's called Adopt a 'Do, and the mom who writes this blog is super talented and comes up with tons of great ideas. There's even a video tutorial for the Flip-Braided Heart (that's what it's called). Trust me, if you have girls with medium/long hair, you want to check out this blog.

Catching Up

2010-01-17T07:00:00.001-05:00

The problem with treating my blog like an online scrapbook of sorts, is that I get bogged down with chronology (is that even a word?). I feel like I can't move forward until I've covered everything that's already happened - but a lot of events are worthy of a great entry, so on days when I can barely string to words together (let alone sound intelligent or witty), I just save it for later.

Can you see the vicious cycle???

So, humor me as I catch up on the last 5 months of my life. It's really more for my benefit than anything else. Maybe then I'll be able to move forward with my blog life.

If I were really tech-savvy I would have a video clip that fast forwarded through these events, complete with music -- but I'm not, so you'll have to use your imagination.

We took the kids to see The Boss! This was their 3rd concert - their first was Toby Keith, and earlier this summer they went to AC/DC. They spent hours making signs. No...they didn't get shown; our seats were too far away - but they had fun making them.

Yes, my overtired son FELL ASLEEP mid concert. Out cold. He slept for about 4 songs - it would have been more, but I forced him to get up to see Bruce perform with the Dropkick Murphys. (I didn't want him to complain that I made him miss the best part of the concert).

My in-laws took the entire family to Atlantis Resort for 4 days!!! We swam with dolphins, conquered the slides, relaxed by the beach -- all 14 of us.

School started, and while my two boys were happier to go back than this picture would suggest, Mia was super excited to go!

My mom came to visit! We took Mia to the American Girl Bistro - so girly.

During our Expedition Everest trip, we visited this magical place...
What is it, you ask? Give Kids the World - the most amazing, fun, pixie dust filled place that ever existed. It's deserving of several blog posts, and I can't wait to get back there to spend some time volunteering.
The best part of the Expedition Everest trip (no, it wasn't running)was being able to see all of my Mom's Panel friends. All 16 of the 2009 group and several of the 2008 group made it down for this fun weekend. Plus, I got away with Fred for a few days as an added bonus.
The weekend of our 10K, we stayed in the same hotel where President Obama was speaking. This car? He wasn't in it - he was in the next car. He waved at us - sadly Fred missed it while he was taking a picture of this car.

HALLOWEEN - Thing 1, Thing 2 and Cinderella - yep, I made them all - never again (someone remind me that I said that next Halloween).

My baby turned 3!!! Another birthday another chance for me to make some insane cake.
You can see last year's creation HERE. And don't worry - if anyone thinks I'm favoring my little girl - the boys get the same effort, I've just been too tired afterward to blog about it.

After Thanksgiving, we took a trip to visit our favorite Mouse.

When we got back, Fred got an early Christmas present - SNOW!!!
Lots of Snow

Then it was Christmas...
There you have it a quick recap of major events that were worthy of a blog post or 2. I've set the bar pretty low, so my blogging should definitely be more consistent in 2010. Although, I'm already a little behind on that "post a week" resolution (sigh).

EE5K Update

2010-01-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

Okay, I know what anyone who's been here in the last several months is thinking. EE5K update? What about a, "where the heck have I been" update. It's coming, I promise. One of my resolutions for the New Year is to keep this blog updated at least weekly. There. I said it. I WILL update my blog at least once a week in the year 2010.

(Okay, since I'm still editing this post on 1/6/10, I guess my New Year's resolutions aren't working out as planned *sigh*)

So...

Last time I wrote, I was training (rather unsuccessfully) for the Expedition Everest 5K on September ??? That date has come and gone, and I know you've been dying to find out how it went.

Well...

I'm not going to lie. It was hard. A week before the race, I still couldn't run a mile without stopping - pretty pathetic considering I trained for 20 weeks. There was no miracle that occurred during the race - I still couldn't complete the first mile without stopping to walk - but the important thing is that I did complete the race (in a torrential downpour, no less!)!!

Since then...

I've entered several other races. Fred has caught the running bug, although he's much more competitive than me. My kids have also run a couple of races with me - although it's tough when your 8 year old runs faster than you. Luckily, my mom's panel BFF, Jodi, lives nearby so she can run with me. We even completed a 10K (albeit in last place - you can read about that adventure HERE), and we are training for the Princess 1/2 marathon in March.

In case you're wondering, I DID finally complete a 5K without walking on November 28th, 2009!!!

And yesterday (really, yesterday - 1/5/01)? I ran 11 miles!!! Well I ran in cycles - run 10 minutes, walk one -- but still, 11 miles!! I couldn't move afterward, and I'm not really looking forward to upping that distance, but I've come a LONG way, don't you think?

If I could only...

2009-08-07T09:04:00.002-04:00

think about something (other than running) while running, I'd be all set.

WARNING: yes, this is another whiny post about my EE5K training. You can stop reading and keep those 2 minutes of precious time if you've heard it all before.

Seriously, from the moment I get to the end of my street, I start thinking about:

How my neighborhood is built like an Escher painting. No matter which direction I turn, it's uphill - how can that be?

How my legs feel sore & tired. Running isn't good on your joints, maybe I'm only asking for an early onset of arthritis by doing this. (yes, I know -- being overweight isn't good for your heart OR your self-esteem, but this doesn't cross my mind when I'm running)

How ill-equiped I am. I don't own a pair of running shoes - I currently run in New Balance (gasp) walking shoes, I wear a cotton shirt, and I don't even know what wicking fabric is. I even have to CARRY my iPod since I don't have one of those cute little ones that you strap to your arm.

My iPod - I still haven't made a play list, so I just put it on shuffle. Why oh why do I have so many James Blunt & Josh Groban songs on there, and when will I get rid of my Christmas music?

...but I know if I could think about something (anything) other than all of that, I'd be all set. Today I stopped running to trudge up a never-ending hill. A song came on that would be a PERFECT recital dance. I was so absorbed in that thought process that I missed the turn for my street!

Now I just have to figure out how to think AND run at the same time.

The agony of defeat

2009-07-09T14:00:00.000-04:00

I wrote this post a few months ago but forgot to share. For those of you who don't have a Cub Scout or who have never seen a Pinewood Derby, it's a rite of passage...the boys are given a block of wood (pine, I'm assuming), some wheels, and some nails and screws. They have to make a car out of the wood to be raced against the other cars. Some ~~parents~~ boys spend months designing an creating a car that is super cool to look at AND has the right amount of weight to fly down the track.

Okay, let's just say as crafty as I am -- anything involving cutting wood is beyond my realm of expertise. I just have images of someone winding up having to be rushed to the hospital to have their finger reattached. It's clearly a job for Fred.

Fred helped the boys design and cut out their cars. Once they were cut, I could join back in and help get them set up to paint and decorate the cars. Let it be noted that we had almost a month to build the car. When did we start?-two days before!! Really, just getting the cars made spelled V-I-C-T-O-R-Y in my book, and we were pretty proud of the fact that our boys really did do most of the work.

Race day results. They didn't win - that's okay, it's all about having fun right? Well, not really; however, I think Alex would have been okay with not winning -- except that he lost to his YOUNGER BROTHER -- why oh why did they have to pit brothers against each other? There were a few moments of fighting back tears, and the ride home was a little unpleasant, but everyone has recovered and they are eagerly anticipating the next Cub Scout race - raingutter regatta, space derby - whatever it is, I'm just glad my oldest will be out of cubs and not competing!

Wordless Wednesday: More photoshop fun

2009-07-08T09:55:00.003-04:00

I know - it's supposed to be Wordless Wednesday, but I think I like the before photo better. I'm not much for the "hand-tinted" vintage look. Maybe I'll try playing with a photo that doesn't have a person in it. The glowing stars around the head were just part of the assignment.

Look what I can do!!!

2009-07-07T06:40:00.001-04:00

So, we have this great computer. My husband has an AMAZING digital camera. He's a super technology geek (I mean that in the best possible way - I am in awe!) who designs incredible websites in his spare time. Me? I can email, resize pictures to have them printed, and surf the web.

That's where my technology skills end, seriously. But one of my favorite scrapbook gurus, Becky Higgins, alerted her readers to a FREE (yes free) 2 week photo editing class given by Jessica Sprague. If you don't know who that is - well, she does some pretty amazing digital scrapbooking, and although I'm still a paper & scissors kind of gal, I could stand to learn a few tricks.

I've actually considered paying to take one of her classes before, but I was afraid I would never get around to doing the assignments - money wasted, so I put it off. But this opportunity is PERFECT. No pressure! If I do the assignments - GREAT! If life gets too busy or I don't like the way she teaches, nothing's lost!

So far, so good. Our first assignment was to add a PNG frame & word art to a photo. The tutorial was super easy to follow, and I really like the way my photo turned out. I can't wait for tomorrow's lesson!

Try this at home

2009-07-06T06:49:00.000-04:00

Okay, so we went strawberry picking and, as usual, ~~hoarded~~ picked as though we would never see another strawberry again. They were soooo good - nice & ripe right off the vine. The only problem? They start to get overripe REALLY quickly, so we had to figure out what to do with them - FAST. This wasn't too much of a problem since we ate nearly half on the first day.

What did we do with the rest? Well...
We made these, of course! Chocolate cupcakes with with a fresh strawberry in the center, topped with cream cheese frosting and a sprinkling of brown sugar! I got the recipe from iheartcuppycakes.com, one of my favorite sites. They were surprisingly easy and basically awesome!! They look pretty impressive too, don't they?

Then, look who came to visit.

Mickey ~~looks~~ tastes soooo much better with a little strawberry sauce and almond flavored whipped cream to dress him up.

I love whipped cream, but it's EVEN BETTER when you add just a touch of flavoring to it. The almond was a perfect complement to the strawberry flavor. We've been on a waffle kick, and the other day we had waffles with warm blueberry sauce & cinnamon flavored whipped cream - yum! - but I digress...

Finally, made some freezer jam with the last of the berries and some corn muffins to go with it. This jam is unbelievably easy. It left me wondering why I've never made it before.

The strawberries are gone, but there are plenty more berries that will be ripening in the next few weeks. Next on the picking list? Blueberries, raspberries & blackberries. I love summer!!

Wordless Wednesday: Strawberry Picking

2009-07-01T05:33:00.000-04:00

Inspiration?

2009-06-25T07:03:00.000-04:00

What do these songs have in common - Baby Got Back...a 5 minute techno version of One Night in Bangkok...Gone by M. Gentry...Don't Stop Believin...Rag Doll...I Want a New Drug?

Sadly, they are all the songs that I chose to run to today. I thought using the shuffle feature on my iPod would mix things up a bit and make it more interesting. It did, I guess - but mixed in with these musical gems was Christmas music I've been too lazy to take off, James Blunt, David Lanz, music from Charlie & the Chocolate Factory that I choreographed last summer...you get the idea. The songs listed above were the ones I could tolerate.

Oddly enough, they speak volumes:

Baby Got Back - yes she does, and I'm trying like crazy to get rid of it. Unlike Sir Mix-a-Lot - I'm not a fan of big butts.

One Night in Bangkok - this was a song I chose for my upper level jazz class to perform in the recital. Did it turn out awesome? Yes, but the song is over 5 minutes of non-stop techno music. It gets me moving and drives me insane - much like running.

Gone - the line, "She ain't never comin' back" - that's exactly how I feel about halfway through my run when I start to lose any momentum I might have and my route takes an uphill turn, literally.

Don't Stop Believin' - my mantra. I will be able to run 5k someday - hopefully by September when I actually have to do it.

Rag Doll - I got nothin' for this one. I guess that's a good thing considering the lyrics. It was just the first upbeat song after about 10 that I had to skip over because they just weren't doing it for me.

I Want a New Drug - all you runners out there - I still think Prozac might be the way to go!

Summary - while the shuffle option provides some interesting results, I think I need to make a running mix - any suggestions?

Move over Bakerella!

2009-06-02T12:43:00.000-04:00

For those of you who have never been to Bakerella's blog, she creates the cutest artwork out of cake, icing, and chocolate that I've ever seen. And the best part? She actually shows you how to do it yourself - well almost. Truth be told, Bakerella makes everything look so easy, that you think "hey, I can do that." And you can - what you tend to forget is that she's perfected the art of cake pops and made thousands of batches - so your first try may take an entire day and look a little like your 2 year old made them.

For those of you unfamiliar with a cakepop, let me break it down. You start by mixing a baked cake with frosting into a bowl until it's all smooshed together. Then you roll that concoction into little balls - just like making meatballs. The balls are then put on a stick, coated in chocolate and decorated to look like cupcakes, bunnies, mummies...anything you can imagine! Click HERE for a video tutorial if you want to brave this project at home.
These are what mine looked like when I was through. Not exactly like hers, but not too bad either. I was in a rush making them, so I didn't get photos from as many different angles as I would have liked, and I didn't really set up my food photo shoot in a way that was deserving of the work it took to produce these things. Oh well, live & learn.

Truth be told - I'm not a huge fan of the way these things taste. They're a bit mushy for my liking, but my kids LOVE them, and my husband is quite fond of them as well. But they are totally CUTE - and the cute factor may just trump taste.

Bakerella recently tackled cheesecake pops - now these may be right up my alley!

Bag Lady

2009-05-29T16:12:00.000-04:00

Mia is 2. She's the only girl in our world full of sports, trucks, action figures and all things BOY. Yet somehow she manages to be a girly girl. Almost from birth she's had a fascination with shoes. She's amassed quite an impressive collection really. Slippers, boots, sandals...taking off, putting on, sorting...they are one of her favorite toys.

Another fascination is purses, or pocketbooks as we call them in Rhode Island. She has several, and each contains another treasure - jewelry. Luckily, right now she's happy with plastic bracelets and any bag with a handle.

I dread the day when the bags have to be Coach, the shoes, Jimmy Choo and the jewelry, gold!

Run Diane Run - EE5K Update

2009-05-22T08:17:00.000-04:00

When someone mentions running, I immediately conjure up images of Forrest Gump (hence, the title of this post) and Maniac McGee. Forrest ran so long his leg braces popped off, and Maniac's shoes wore down until he was left running barefoot!!

I know - FICTIONAL CHARACTERS. But for some reason I feel I need to measure up, and sadly I fall short - waaaaaaay short.

Like I mentioned in a previous post, I know several women who run for fun and CLAIM that running is as good as Prosaic. I've never taken Prosaic, but after running for a few weeks I don't think I want to.

Whining over! So, a few weeks ago I started this program called "From Couch Potato to 5K in 10 Weeks". It's not written by a doctor; there are several versions of it in cyberspace; I didn't check out the credentials of the trainer who came up with the program...but still, I decided this would be the best program for me.

So the first week starts out with a 5 minute walk, then you alternate running for 60 sec. & walking 90 sec for 6 reps. Not too bad.

Week 2 is similar, but you run 90 & walk 60. Quite a bit harder. In fact, I was contemplating repeating week 2 - then it rained...and life got more chaotic than normal...and running was the first to go -- SURPRISE.

So, after a week hiatus, I'm back. I'm starting over. HELP. Remember how I said week 1 wasn't bad? I lied. The first 2 or 3 running/walking reps aren't bad. Then my legs turn to cement...the clock slows down when I run and moves at hyper speed while I walk...when I tell myself I need to run to a corner or a light post, I feel like I'm in the Shining riding my Big Wheel down a hallway where the door gets further & further away...

But I'm sticking to it. Guess you have to run more than a total of 6 minutes to get that euphoric "runner's high". If anyone has any tips - bring 'em on. If there are any non-runners out there - please tell me you've had similar experiences so I don't feel quite so pathetic.

17 weeks from now I want to be a running convert!

Ahhh Paradise!!

2009-04-17T16:01:00.000-04:00

While some people may prefer paradise to be a place untouched by humans, rather than an outcropping of resorts on a sandy shore, I assure you Cable Beach in the Bahamas is close enough for me. It's warm, sunny with a light breeze, the people are friendly, and I'm writing this while enjoying an ocean view and sand between my toes. After this past winter in New England, I'd say "paradise" is exactly where I am right now.

Fred is down here attending the annual Bahamas Weather Conference. It's a chance to listen to all the big names in meteorology discuss the upcoming hurricane season. Me? I'm happily along for the ride.

The Bahamas Department of Tourism hosts this event each year, and they pull out all the stops! We have been treated to Bahamian hospitality at its best. We've dined at some of Nassau's finest restaurants, experienced some cultural events, and enjoyed the beautiful (and did I mention warm?) beaches. We're staying at the Sheraton, Cable Beach. It's a gorgeous resort, and definitely NOT overcrowded. There are children here, and while I think it would be a nice place to bring my children, it doesn't have that crazy, theme park atmosphere that I think we'll find when we head over to Atlantis on Saturday. I'm pre-judging, and I will be sure to give a fairer assesment/comparison after I've experience Paradise Island.

During the opening cocktail reception, we were treated to a Junkanoo parade.

Today, while Fred spent the morning listening to speakers, I strolled Cable Beach. I don't know if people sleep late on vacation, if everyone visiting the Bahamas stays at Atlantis, or if the economy is so terrible that no one is traveling here -- the beach was pretty desolate. During my two hour jaunt, I ran into a handful of people: a local woman cleaning the beach, a poacher killing conch and collecting the shells, and a couple of people running.

I also saw several huge starfish - not the type you have to search tide pools to find - HUGE starfish just lying in the water, which is crystal clear and a beautiful hue of turquoise. Of course I had no camera! Maybe tomorrow, although Fred didn't seem that impressed -- like he sees starfish every day.

Now, I'm going to sit back, relax and do NOTHING...like I said, PARADISE!!!

New Challenge?

2009-04-03T21:31:00.000-04:00

I'm sure it won't come as a shock to anyone if I say our family is trying to keep better tabs on where we spend our money these days. I mean, you're probably saying, "join the club".

As I was grocery shopping last week, I decided to begin a little game with myself. Would it be possible for me to spend only $100 to feed my family for the entire week. Now, maybe there are some of you frugal Fannies out there who are thinking, "$100? I could feed my family for a month on that, maybe even two if I tap into my food storage."

Frugality has never been one of my traits, especially where food is concerned. We typically spend $150 per week on groceries and go out to eat one night/week with the kids. In addition, I probably stop off at the market at least once during the week to pick up more milk or something I forgot to buy, so spending only $100/week is a HUGE challenge for us.

I let my family know that this was a challenge I had set; otherwise, I would surely give in when the children started complaining about what my oldest refers to as "quick fix meals" - aka pasta or something along those lines. I guess he expects me to whip up a turkey dinner every night.

How's it going? Well, last week I spent $98 and change on my shopping trip. I had to return later in the week for more milk and cat food, so my total was a little over $103. Still a huge savings from the week before.

Today was Friday - woohoo!!...shopping day. The kids had fun seeing if we would indeed be able to stick to our limit. When we got up to the checkout the total was $101.98, BUT through the magic of coupons, we were able to get out of the store for a mere $91.73!! I still have to go to another market for a couple of things that were significantly less expensive, but I think overall I am doing a pretty impressive job of saving our family money.

Will my thrifty trend last? I don't know - but for now, it's kind of fun trying.

Yeti or not...

2009-03-27T22:38:00.000-04:00

That's the name of my Expedition Everest Challenge Team. What's that, you ask? Expedition Everest Challenge is a 5K race (that's roughly 3 miles) through Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World, followed by an obstacle course and a scavenger hunt.

Newsflash...I love Disney World! (I love Disneyland too, but it's clear across the country.) I would go to just about any length if it meant I could vacation there...including doing something I dread, like run. Plus, a lot of Mom's Panelists are attending this event, so it's a reunion of sorts.

I have friends who run for fun. In fact, one friend trains for marathons and gets up to run 20 miles in the MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT so she can be home for her kids during the day! While not everyone I know is so enthusiastic about running, most people can probably run 3 miles without significant training. I'm not most people. Sadly, I can't run 3 yards without feeling the need to sit and rest -- at least not yet. But the ability to run long distances is something I've always envied in others. When I lived in Colorado, I always wanted to run the Bolder Boulder (a 10K) just not enough to get off my rear end and do something about it - until now.

So we've purchased a used jogging stroller, and the weather is starting to warm up. Time to train. In the meantime, I've been doing Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred DVD, and it's been killing me - endurance is not my thing. We went out for a family walk the other day, and my husband told me I could jog home if I wanted. I think I ran a total of 300 yards -- guess I've got a bit of work ahead of me. I'll keep you posted.

This could be the beginning of something great. 5K in September, then who knows? Maybe I'll throw in a few 10Ks in, sprinkle a half marathon, and top it all off with Boston Marathon. Miracles can happen, right?!

And the award goes to...

2009-03-20T21:20:00.000-04:00

Jo at Forever Young gave me this award! For those of you who don't already read Jo's blog, you should. She is an incredibly witty, fun, brilliant "mum" from the U.K. who happens to be on the Disney Mom's Panel with me. Thanks Jo, you made my day!

Here's how the award works:

"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

Jo already chose a few of my favorites, but fear not, there are several other amazing, kind women out there.

And the award goes to:

Lisa at Spots of Time
Margaret at Fries Family Five
Becky at Grandma Bailey's Reflections
Jackie at One Fabulous Mama
Jaimie at Sophistimom
Darcie at Such the Spot
Briana at Ward Family Five
Holly at Sunny Side Up in an Upside Down World

American Idol Experience

2009-03-05T06:48:00.000-05:00

For those of you who haven't friended me on Facebook or followed my Tweets (that's you mom), I recently had the opportunity to attend the press event for the American Idol Experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios. It was a whirlwind trip that lasted less than 48 hours, but for an American Idol/Disney fanatic, the memories will last a lifetime!

The forecast on February 12 didn't look to promising. My favorite meteorologist was predicting high winds and hoped my flight wouldn't be delayed. What? I was scheduled to arrive a couple of hours before the event. A delay could make me miss EVERYTHING! Fortunately, the wind didn't pick up until after my flight took off.

At the airport, I ran into Jackie -- another Disney Mom -- and her sister, Sarah. We boarded Magical Express and were off to the Polynesian! I had never stayed there and was anxious to check it out for my next family vacation. (It's beautiful, by the way, and I highly recommend staying there.)

The next couple of hours were a little rushed to say the least. We met up with Disney Mom Margaret in the lobby and were greeted by our "handler" Leigh -- it's so exciting to have "people"-- kind of makes you feel like a celebrity. Our rooms weren't ready, and our luggage hadn't arrived. That was a slight problem since we had about 1 1/2 hours until Jackie and I had to film a quick video for the event looking fabulous, of course.

We had a quick lunch at Kona Cafe with some other Disney Moms and some mom bloggers who were there for the event. My room was finally ready (no luggage though), and Jackie, Sarah & I had about 10 minutes to get ready -- Yikes!!

Hollywood Studios was crazy that day. Fans were lined up along the streets waiting to catch a glimpse of their favorite Idols riding down the "blue" carpet. It was all very - well - Hollywood. If you (hi mom) are one of the only people who hasn't seen the package, click HERE. After filming the video, we headed over to a reserved area to watch the motorcade.

I don't have a crazy zoom lens on my camera. This is really how close they were.

The show, itself, was incredible. Mark, the warm-up guy, was hysterical, and the judges captured the essence of Paula, Simon & Randy. The contestants all performed very well, especially considering that the audience was packed with former Idol contestants all sitting in the first few rows! I think I would have passed out!! We all voted, and then Ryan and the guy who plays him in the attraction began the elimination process.

In true Idol style, the final two contestants had to wait -- not for a commercial break --

but for a special performance by David Cook & Carrie Underwood!!!
and then for all 7 Idols to be brought out on stage!

After the show, the real fun began. We spent the evening at a party WITH the contestants. It was amazing, and people couldn't have been more friendly or gracious.

My favorite part of the evening - Sanjaya! I know...I know...I think I led the brigade to get him eliminated from the show. Well now...I might be feeling a little bit guilty about that...I might have even thrown a couple of votes his way just for the nice factor.

He posed for a picture with us, and then we ran into him on Rockin' Roller Coaster. After the ride, Karen, Jackie, & Jennifer wanted to go back on -- there were no lines. As much as I like the attraction, it makes me feel like my brain is bouncing around in my head, so Margaret & I opted to do Tower of Terror instead. As we were getting in line we heard, "I think I'm following you guys." It was Sanjaya! He was with Mark from the show and a couple of other people.

He'd never been to Disney World before, so Tower of Terror was a new experience for him. He was a little nervous about riding with the "Moms" since he wasn't sure if he could keep from yelling profanity during the ride. I also got to ask him about the whole 12 year old girl crying thing. He was totally uncomfortable with that whole situation -- see, I told you he was normal -- and for the record -- I didn't hear him swear once during the many drops on Tower of Terror.

Another highlight of the evening happened back at the hotel. As Jackie, Sarah & I got off the bus, a woman stopped us. "You're on the Mom's Panel? I just want you to know that my friends and I love that site!" She asked if we would take a picture with her -- Wow!! We actually had a fan that wanted OUR picture -- so cool! Should I be worried that her website is called idolstalker.com? Nah!

I've always wanted one of these...

2009-02-03T12:44:00.000-05:00

In just a little over a week, I will be heading to sunny Florida for a twenty-four hour whirlwind trip. February 14 is the official opening of The American Idol Experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios. To celebrate and to promote Disney's newest attraction, there is a press event on February 12.

I have no idea what to expect or who I might see there (David Cook? Carrie Underwood?). All I know is that I LOVE American Idol and I LOVE Walt Disney World! The two of them combined together -- FABULOUS!

Wow!!!

2008-12-20T07:31:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I know, I STILL haven't finished blogging about my Mom's Panel training experience (I will) and, mom, I haven't posted pics of the children (I know), but I have to share. Yesterday, on our Mom's Panel Facebook thread a couple of moms started talking about the great "surprise" they received via UPS. I LOVE surprises!!! --- unless I know that I'm getting one and it hasn't come yet, ughhh! All afternoon I looked for the UPS truck. Snow was falling at quite a clip, and there were many plows that drove down our street, but that brown truck never came, or so I thought.

Before I went to bed, I remembered that I left the garage door open. As I went to close it, I saw the BOX sitting in the middle of my garage. HE DOES EXIST!!! was my immediate thought, and a sudden burst of energy helped me lift the package (yes, it was heavy & large) into my home, pry it open like a five year old ripping through packages on Christmas morning, and set it up for a photo shoot so I could share with everyone.

And this is what was inside the package. A complete party for all of my entertaining needs a la Martha Stewart. Or maybe my family will just think I'm really cool as we munch on all of these goodies watching It's a Wonderful Life (I wish) or college football (most likely scenario).

And my FAVORITE thing that was in the sleigh? The contents of that little box on the right...cute notecards for celebrating everything!

The best part about these cute cards is that we got two of each, so I can HOARD and SHARE. How great is that? I have to say that being a member of the Disney Mom's Panel has far surpassed my expectations. Laura, Leanne and the rest of the Disney elves behind this and all of the other surprises are amazing -- Thanks!!!

Something Really Fun

2008-12-10T11:21:00.000-05:00

Highs & Lows

2008-12-07T05:31:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was kind of a weird day of ups and downs. I like to start out with the bad news, because it only gets better from there:

1. I didn't mention this before, but on Friday night, one of the panel members got chosen, at random, to sleep in Cinderella's Castle on Sunday night -- It wasn't me.

2. The mom who did get chosen could have 5 guests. We chose names out of a hat. -- I still didn't get picked. (Let me say, that I couldn't be more excited for the 6 moms who are staying in the castle!)

3. The entire group was supposed to get our picture taken in front of The Osborne Lights -- BUT can you say CROWDED. There were soooooo many people there that picture taking was IMPOSSIBLE.

4. We had a couple of moments of free time, and we tried to ride Rockin' Roller Coaster (this was our second attempt in 2 days), but the Fast Passes were all gone, single rider lines were closed, and the wait was 60 minutes -- yesterday, we had gotten up to the loading area when the ride shut down -- we were given FP to come back, but we thought we would be generous and give them away (where's the good karma when you need it?).

Alright, in retrospect I sound whiney -- the good FAR exceeded the bad.

1. We went on a resort tour and saw the Suites at All-Star Music, the newly themed pirate rooms at Carribean Beach, the DVC suites for Animal Kingdom Lodge (my favorite) and Contemporary Resort.

2. We saw the Osborne Lights (amazing) several times because of the enormous crowds. It took us a looooong time to walk down that street.

3. We rode Toy Story Mania!

4. We had an excellant meal at the Brown Derby, and our special guest was Gary, a cast member in charge of media publicity (I think I got that right.) Anyway, he's the one who works with all of the celebrities who come into the park. He was hysterically funny and had a lot of interesting information to share.

5. After dinner, Gary showed us the soon-to-be-open American Idol experience. We were not allowed to take pictures, but let me just say, it's going to be AMAZING!!!!

6. I came back to my room to find Mickey had decorated it and left not one, but several presents for me and my family! I took pictures, and I promise I'll post them all when I return. It was seriously like Christmas!!!

Overall, it was another INCREDIBLE day at Disney!

Pinch me please

2008-12-06T07:39:00.000-05:00

Seriously, I can't believe that I was selected for the 2009 WDW Mom's Panel, and I'm in Disney World for training. From the moment I stepped off the plane, I have been given the royal treatment.

There were not one, but two Disney representatives waiting to greet me at the airport. Irvine, my VIP Tour Guide, drove me to my resort. Where I was greeted by the manager of Coronado Springs, given my packet of information and escorted to my room. All I can say is, "Wow!!!!"

The itinerary for this trip's events was kept under lock and key, so as you can guess, my first order of business was finding out what we would be doing, but I also wanted to meet all of my new friends, and I wanted to catch some rides before the official activities were underway at 4:30. I was like a kid at Christmas! I ripped open the envelope to see where we were eating (Jiko, Brown Derby were on the list -- score!) and what activities were in store for us (Cinderella's Suite Tour - yes!!!). After quickly glancing at that, I ran down to the lobby to meet up with my new Disney friends. We split up -- some moms wanted to shop, while others wanted to ride Rockin' Roller Coaster.

At 4:30, we met at Rix for cocktails/appetizers and our official meeting. Then we rode our private bus to Magic Kingdom to tour Cinderella's Suite. One word - AMAZING!!! We all had a great meal with Winnie the Pooh at Crystal Palace and headed off to watch the parade and Wishes. We had the train depot all to ourselves, and let me tell you, I am spoiled. The train station on Main Street is the most spectacular spot in the entire park to view the parade!

Okay, this all sounds a little clinical, but I had to post quickly. I'm off for another full day of activities. I don't know how to upload pics to this post from my hotel, but I promise to post pictures once I get home. Another day filled with magic awaits!

Insanity?

2008-11-30T05:17:00.000-05:00

It's Thanksgiving weekend, my family is leaving to go to New Hampshire on Thursday, I'm going to Disney World on Friday, the PTA at my children's school (which I'm president of) has a million activities going on next week, and to top it off, Mia's birthday party is this weekend.

A normal person would have probably just called a bakery and ordered a cake -- a very wise choice! Or maybe they would have made a sheet cake, added a few sprinkles, and called it a day -- also a nice option.

I don't know what it is, but three times a year, I pull out my cake decorating supplies and go to work. I've never had any training, unless you call watching "Ace of Cakes" training. But for my children's birthdays I feel the need to become Chef Duff. There have been times (like last Dec.) when I've had complete disasters, stayed up all night, and vow that I will NEVER put myself through that torture again.

Then there are moments like these.

Reward??

2008-11-29T06:14:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we were having our house appraised ... translation: everyone had to pitch in and get our house in shape to have someone walk through every room. This is no easy feat, especially since Mia loves taking things out of her room and placing them all over: lines up her shoes on the stairs, pulls out every blanket she owns to recarpet the living room, uses the kitchen as her own, personal playroom -- you get the idea.

Anyway, when I told the kids they had to clean on their "day off" they scoffed and complained. Alex was set to work cleaning their room and their office. Knowing that it is best to separate my children when you actually want something to get done, I called Domenic down for his assignments. His first question to me was, "can I clean the windows."

Now, obviously I had more pressing issues than shiny windows, but I told him that once he cleaned the cellar & straightened up the mud room that "yes, you can clean the windows."

The cellar and mudroom were cleaned in record time. Then he proceeded to clean EVERY window in the house! Who knew????

Gratitude...

2008-11-27T12:04:00.000-05:00

I love Thanksgiving on so many levels: it's a day to sit around in pj's and watch parades; it marks the beginning of the holiday season; I can now play Christmas music round the clock with no complaints from anyone; we eat the absolute best comfort food ever; we get together as family and just enjoy spending time together; unlike Christmas, there is no pressure to purchase & wrap gifts.

Most importantly, I love this holiday because it gives me an entire day to contemplate the blessings in my life. So often I focus on what is lacking in my life, even in prayer. I ask for guidance in helping others, being a better person, feeling comfort, etc. But today, I choose to focus only on being grateful, because I have been blessed beyond measure.

I have an amazing family, a wonderful husband who works tirelessly so that I can stay home with our three incredible children.

We are fortunate to live near my husband's parents, brothers, and uncles. Although I miss being near my own mother, I couldn't ask for a better substitute. And family makes the best friends!

I am grateful for my friends; they laugh with me and lift my spirits when I am discouraged.

And my most recent blessing is being chosen as a member of the 2009 Walt Disney World Mom's Panel. I am humbled and in shock that I was chosen as one of 16 panel members to help give advice to Disney vacation planners. The best part of being on the panel is that I have made 15 new friends that I can't wait to meet in person. This is an experience that I want to remember always, so I will be using my blog to report my adventures.

And lastly:
I'm grateful for the parade that turns my children into zombies for 3 hours so that I can write this blog.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Don'tcha Want One?

2008-11-23T12:16:00.000-05:00

Meet Scampi (Awwwwww).

Scampi belongs to my brother in-law, James. He's a chef, hence the name. Isn't she so sweet? James just rescued Scampi from a shelter down south. She's part shepherd, part rottweiler, part ??? -- 100% adorable.

When he brought Scampi over to meet us, James asked, "are you going to get a dog now?" Funny!!!

I will honestly and freely admit that I should not own pets. Children, I can & will take care of...pets, not so much. But thank you, James, for making me an auntie. I can't wait to dogsit, play with, and adore your new addition...spoil her rotten...and then send her back home.

Happy Birthday

2008-11-13T07:49:00.000-05:00

To me, that is. I know it's a little odd that I'm writing my own birthday post, but I have to share the fact that my children genuinely surprised me this morning. Sure, they said "Happy Birthday" when I woke them up at 6:30, and Fred had a card and gift sitting on the counter waiting for me. It was this that I didn't expect...

That's right! A birthday cake at 7:00 a.m. They had hidden it in their closet, and when I called them downstairs for breakfast - VOILA! I know my mother in-law helped them out last night, but it was pretty impressive that they were able to surprise me. I also, loved seeing the expression on their faces as they realized that they really did pull off their plan.

Hope the rest of the day is as great as it started out!

(And in case anyone is wondering - No, I didn't choose their perfectly coordinated clothing)

Fall in New England

2008-10-14T07:33:00.001-04:00

Sunday night Fred and I drove up to Lexington for the evening. Yes, without children -- thank you mom & dad! Anyway, the hotel we stayed at, had bikes to borrow. Sounded like a great plan.

I haven't been on a bike in at least 15 years, and let me tell you -- it was exhausting. I can't believe I used to bike everywhere as a child, and I don't really think I complained about it. Oh well, despite having to stop more than a few times and walk up hills (especially on the way back), we had so much fun, and the scenery along the Minute Man Trail in Lexington was breathtaking.

See what I mean, first my child cooks, then I get away for an evening without children, and in two days we're leaving for Disney World -- Feast or Famine.

Feast or Famine

2008-10-14T07:12:00.000-04:00

The title refers to my blogging style, not necessarily to this post. It seems that either a ton of noteworthy stuff happens, or nothing -- seriously nothing -- happens for weeks.

Anyway, Saturday Alex became "chef Alessandro" for a day. As part of his scouting requirements, he had to help with a service project. Each week the members of our congregation provide lunch/dinner for the military men and women who would miss their mealtime by attending church. Alex made a pumpkin dessert that was super delicious -- we forgot to take a picture, so you'll just have to take my word for it.

Another requirement was to make a nutritious meal for your family. I figured since I was cooking with a child, I might as well go all out and help him fulfill both requirements on the same day. On the menu: Chicken Spaghetti, tossed salad, and french bread. He did a great job and even set the table by himself.

A few more training sessions, and maybe he'll be able to fly solo -- my retirement is just around the corner.

Miracle Product

2008-09-18T19:50:00.000-04:00

Okay, I love Thursdays! The people we carpool with drive both ways on Thursdays. It's only the evenings that get a little tricky with soccer and boy scouts, but I have all day to prepare for that.

Well this Thursday was even better! Alex is away on an overnight field trip, and Domenic's soccer practice was canceled - SCORE! An evening with 2 children and no chauffeur duties -- it doesn't get much better than that. I could sit around doing nothing for the entire evening -- Mia might even get a much needed bath; she has a tendency to equate food with hair product.

Just as I was getting into my do nothing groove, my neighbor came to my door. Her babysitter was unavailable and she had a meeting -- her children are awesome, so of course I said I would babysit. I could still do nothing, right? Wrong -- or so I thought.

All of a sudden, 4 children who normally play well together were all staring at me and asking what they could do -- are you kidding? Mia and Sydney, the two little ones, were using me to hold every toy they didn't want the other one to play with. Pretty soon I had my arms full of Buzz, Woody, doggies, balls, etc. all making noise and giving me one colossal headache.

Then, in a moment of desperation...brilliance!

A simple box of Play-Doh kept them occupied for an hour -- no kidding. In fact, when dad came to pick up his charges, I sent him home alone. Everyone was having a great time and I was free to cook dinner in peace. Now it's bedtime, and I can go on with my plans to do nothing!

Gotta love Play-Doh!

Back to School

2008-09-08T12:24:00.001-04:00

I have to say, summer ended a little too soon for me. Call me crazy, but I would have loved another couple of weeks to just be lazy. Alex and Dom haven't even been in school for a whole week, and I'm already exhausted!

Nothing really blogworthy has happened lately, and I'm too tired to even think about a clever anectdote, but I did want to post the obligatory first day of school pic before graduation day in June.

And, as promised, here are some oompa loompa pictures from the summer.

Where Have I Been?

2008-08-23T20:25:00.000-04:00

I know, I know. I was going to blog on a regular basis, and as an avid reader of many blogs, I hate when the sites I frequent aren't updated at least weekly. But I am in summer mode. We've been doing so many things the past couple of months. Here's a little taste:
Domenic's baseball season finally ended mid-July. We got some great pictures at his last game. Click on this one to see that toothless smile - Love it!

Went to Mayflower Beach with our neighbors and Vinny's family. Anyone who lives in New England should experience this beach at least once -- tons of sand, sandbars, shallow water -- such a great beach for the kids. Here are Domenic, Ben, Alex, & Vinny after we buried them alive -- I promise, it was their idea.

Domenic and Alex had their annual piano recital. Dom one the trophy for most improved -- you would have thought he won gold in Beijing. They both did a great job, and now we can finally move one to new pieces. If I never hear Fur Elise or the song from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, I will be forever grateful.

We also went to Maine for a week -- well almost a week. We came home a little early to escape the rain. Despite the weather, the kids still had a great time.

They loved doing "back flips" off of the trampoline. I would call them back flops, and they probably would have been excruciatingly painful without the life vest padding.
Playing in the sandbox was fun for all. Alex dug a hole which later provided Mia and Rocco with several minutes of entertainment.
The whole crew stopping for a moment to take a picture with Uncle Mike.See what I mean? Rocco and Mia are having a blast in the hole built by Alex.

And to cap of our eventful summer--
No, we didn't make a trip to the turkey farm to pick out our Thanksgiving dinner early. That's our back yard.We don't call this site "Down on the Farm" for nothing! No siree!! You never know what kind of wildlife will show up in the back yard -- oh sure, lots of people have squirrels and bunnies, but not everyone gets a visit from a family of turkeys.

Well, that's our summer in a nutshell. The boys did just finish being in Willy Wonka, the Musical. They were fabulous Oompa Loompas, and I did take some pictures. I just haven't taken them off of my camera yet, so those pictures will have to wait for another post.

Fourth Fever!

2008-07-06T21:02:00.000-04:00

I survived another Fourth of July in Bristol. Don't get me wrong -- I love it. The carnival, the parade, the nightly concerts, the cookouts, the fireworks, etc. It's just exhausting. For those of you who don't live in Bristol, the Fourth of July festivities begin on Flag Day. The season of celebrating this country's independence lasts almost as long as the Christmas Season -- think of how you feel on December 26, and you get an idea of how exhausting being Patriotic can be.

Although - truth be told, I had it pretty easy this year. Fred worked the night of the ball (yes, there is a 4th of July ball) so we weren't obligated to go. We only went to one concert. My in-laws took the boys to the carnival. I didn't even catch the fireworks this year. And, as Domenic pointed out, we didn't decorate. I think we may be the only house in town that isn't sporting patriotic bunting. Oh well, Mia had a different red/white/blue ensemble for every day of the week -- doesn't decorating your children count for something?

Here's Fred broadcasting the parade in HD!

And here's one of Mia, sparkler headband and all (so cute!). And Domenic watching with anticipation - little does he know he has to sit there for 3 more hours.

And finally -- Fred took the boys to tour the USS Widbey, a ship that is docked for the weekend in the bay. It's a pretty impressive ship, and all 3 boys thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Grandpa, you would have loved it.

I know I said the Fourth is over -- but as I'm writing this I can hear the "grand finale" of a fireworks display in the next town. Okay, maybe tomorrow the Fourth will be finished.

Beach Baby

2008-06-27T17:17:00.000-04:00

We had our first official beach day of the season the other day. I think Mia went to the beach once last year, but that was in the evening, and she wasn't walking yet, so that doesn't count.

Talk about WAY too much excitement. She was everywhere! She couldn't decide whether she wanted to laugh, cry, play in the sand, throw rocks, smash sand castles, or splash in waves. Everyone else brought better toys -- even though they were the exact same ones we had.

The water was COLD, but I guess that's normal for the New England, so I won't complain. The boys happily built a tunnel in the sand and "tried" body surfing -- they still need some practice to perfect that skill.

Overall, it was a really fun way to spend the morning.

Want a Ride?

2008-06-20T14:09:00.000-04:00

In case you're wondering why I would post a picture of the interior of my car...it's because I can. That's right, after much toil, my car is finally presentable to the entire world.

I should have taken a BEFORE picture, but I just couldn't bear to look at it. Suffice it to say, if we were some of those unlucky people whose car crashes into a ravine and don't get found for weeks, we would have been able to survive on half eaten granola bars, half drunken bottles of water, ground in Cheerios, blankets to keep us warm, changes of clothes, and enough toys to keep us entertained until a rescue crew arrived a month after the accident. Of course, we probably would have been bludgeoned to death by all of the flying debris during the crash, so it wouldn't really matter.

Let it be noted that I am not solely responsible for the state of my car. My boys continuously leave church clothing, sports equipment, half-eaten snacks, school papers, etc. in the back seat. Mia is also to blame... she has a habit of throwing cups, hair accessories, shoes, and toys wherever she deems necessary and NEVER brings any of the said items inside with her.

Usually, I shy away from driving people places - not because I want to save a small fortune on gas - because I don't want everything to tumble out of the car as passengers try to get in the front seat.

Today I feel like going searching for people just to drive around simply to show off the interior of my van. Safety issues aside, the world should really get to enjoy this momentous occasion. Who knows how long it will last?

And finally, here's a picture of Alex & Dom taken after graduation last Thursday. Alex wouldn't keep his suit on, but he did humor us and pose for a couple of pictures.

New Snack?

2008-05-08T19:16:00.000-04:00

The picture has nothing to do with this post - other than Domenic is on the far right dressed as a "North Dakotan" in his school play - now on to the good stuff.

The other day I was driving around in the car with Domenic, and he was talking about anything and everything. I know he loves the sound of his own voice and very often asks me redundant questions or makes obvious comments just because to talk -- this day was no different. So I'm half paying attention when he asks me if Ritz crackers really taste good with pudding.

Me: "What are you talking about?"

Dom: "You know mom - Ritz crackers - are they really good with pudding."

Okay, I'm thinking he saw some weird, low-budget cooking show, and he's talking about some strange kind of banana pudding recipe, or something. I know you can make fake apple pie with Ritz, so anything's possible.

Me: "Who told you that Ritz crackers and pudding were good together?"

Dom: "I heard it in a song"

I had to bite my lip to stop laughing as I explained that "Puttin' on the Ritz" was not the same as eating pudding with Ritz crackers.

Sometimes that rambling of his really pays off!

Joining the bandwagon

2008-04-20T21:33:00.000-04:00

After lurking around many different blog sites, I've finally decided to jump on the bandwagon and start blogging. Hopefully, this will help me keep up to date with my friends and family.

This weekend was the first truly nice weekend of the year. It's times like these when I realize how grateful I am to live in New England - I usually spend the better part of Jan/Feb/March wishing I were ANYWHERE but here - then overnight the trees start blossoming, the weather warms, and our little home turns into a paradise of sorts. I love Rhode Island - next week I might be singing a different tune, but this weekend was perfect.

I took Mia to a nearby farm to see the resident pig. The pig was no longer there, but we saw chickens and got some cute pictures.