Snowshoeing
We took the kids snowshoeing this weekend. If I posted all of the pictures you would see a perfect, nostalgic and magical day. In reality, there was a lot of whining, crying, and complaining…and that was just from me.
I am pretty sure the kids would’ve choosen to watch cartoons all day rather than go snowshoeing, so it can be a struggle sometimes to get them to buy into some of our activities. But they did good, and I hope they’ll appreciate it one day, but they probably won’t until they have kids of their own complaining that their parents won’t let them watch cartoons all day!
Tags: kids snowshoeing
As Seen on TV
I am so glad my son does not yet know how to order stuff from the tv. He would bankrupt us within a week for sure. Those marketing people for “As Seen on TV” stuff are brilliant. My son begs for every item he sees on those addictive commercials. Well, to be honest with you, the ads work on my husband as well. We do happen to have a crappy set of knives that Brian just had to have that are now burried down in the basement somewhere to never be seen from again. The recent item my son just had to have was the amazing Spin Lash, the “Mascara that Revolves Around You.” This miracle product is unlike any other ordinary mascara wand because this one actually spins, promising longer, thicker and more luscious lashes.
The marketing people for this product have my 6yr old son believing he can’t live without their mascara. Not that my son is not a drag-queen, well, at least not that we know about yet. But the other night he saw this commercial just before bed time. As I was walking him upstairs to go to sleep he said, “Mommy, I need the spin lash. Can I have the spin lash for Christmas?” I laughed (which got him upset) and said, “What do you need mascara for? You’re a little boy!” He got very weepy (it was past bedtime, remember) and he whined, “But Mommy! My eyelashes are getting too clumpy!”
I need to get a job with these “As Seen on TV” people, maybe then I would be able to convince my husband to do the dishes, convice my son that he shouldn’t hang out in just skivies around the house all day, I’d learn how to convince my daughter that the entire world does not revolve around pink sparkly princesses, and maybe I could convince my boss that his company would not survive unless he gave me a 25% raise!
Tags: as seen on tv, spin lash
Snow Bunny in the Making
Look at this snow bunny! Come on, you can’t tell me she doesn’t look cool! You just try to cross her path, come on, I dare you. Ha! I knew you were chicken.
We took our Georgia kids skiing for the first time ever Saturday, and they were begging to go again on Sunday. The class was supposed to start at 9:30. I got there a little late (you try dressing two kids in hats, mittens, snow pants, goggles, wool socks…to only hear “Mommy, I need to go pee-pee after we are loaded in the car!)
So we got there a little late, and the ski-school-line-nazi-lady announces generally to a whole line of people (which actually was only Brian, me and the kids) that the class has begun and everyone will have to come back another time. I let the water works flood and started crying, and crouched down to the kids and expressed (rather loudly) my deepest sympathy that nice and pretty ski teachers just don’t have time today for my little kids. Brian told the ski-school-line-nazi-lady not to mind his crying wife, but it’s just that we moved up from Georgia and the kids have never skied before.
Alas, the ski-school-line-nazi did have a heart, for she marched straight to her supervisor and got my kids in on the class. She was delighted when my kids in unison cheered, “Thank you Miss Holly!” I heard her delightedly repeat Miss Holly to her co-workers a few times.
So, the kids had a ball learning how to fall on the snow all day while my husband and I got to ski the top of the mountain all day with family. And I thank Miss Holly and my over emotional tear ducts for letting the kids take ski lessons!
Tags: kids skiing
Wow, even a 6yr old can appreciate a good view
If anythingcan make my 6yr old son pause and reflect for even one second, then it truly must be breathtaking. His serene demeanor didn’t last too long however, with a -30 windchill factor. He quickly became more impressed with his cilia forming “nostricles” than he was with the stunning vista. But hey, you take what you can get, right?
Tags: nh mountains
Shortly after story time with the kids last night, my son starts going through my things on my nightstand. He flips through my diary and is thrilled when he sees his name splashed on every page:
Son: “Mommy, what is this?”
Me: That’s my diary, buddy. I write in it every night about all the things that make me happy…and you and your sister are on the top of that list.
Then as we walk up the stairs to go to bed a little later he says:
Son: Mommy! What about your diarrhea?!? You forgot to do your diarrhea!……then a long pause….Mommy, can I ask Santa for diarrhea next Christmas?
Me: Sure babe, but maybe Daddy could just give it to you after dinner tomorrow instead.
Notice, no picture with this post…..I didn’t think it would be a good idea!
Tags: kids story
My Baby Turned 4!
My baby turned 4! When her brother woke up the morning of “the princess’” birthday, he announced, “Watch out everyone, “the princess” is in charge today!”
We had an awesome sledding and ice skating party for her with plenty of kids running around screaming and chasing each other. I am still pooped out. Thank God I have a whole year to recuperate.
I caught “the princess” trying to peek at her presents when no one was looking and got this sneaky shot of her eyeing the inventory.
Tags: kids birthday
Baby, It's Cold Outside!
I am Sooo not joking about this picture. After my kitten’s ripe derrière in my face, this is the first thing I saw when I woke up this morning. -18 degrees F!
I ran outside right away to see what it felt like (remember, I have been living in Georgia for the past 15 years give or take). It was so awesome! The first 3 seconds I was all like, “This is nothing, what do people keep complaining about?”
Then my body ran out of oxygen and I was forced to inhale to replenish my supply and the cilia in my nose actually froze! Then I spread my arms all wide and did a “Julia Andrews Sound of Music full of glee spin” and took in a big deep breath, and my lungs actually hurt from the air. I quickly lost my enthusiasm, and spent the rest of the day wrestling the kids and watching cartoons. So much for the nostalgia of the Arctic North, I’ll be happy when it is a balmy 30 degrees again.
Tags: cold, New Hampshire, winter
Oh, the Joy of Taking your Kids to Work
I am very fortunate, and grateful, for the flexibility my job allows me. Some days I travel, some days I work from home, and on some rare and unforgettable days…I bring my kids to work.
Recently, I got called into a last minute meeting and was told, “Go ahead and bring your daughter, she can play while we meet.” Aside from my daughter, I was the only woman among 6 CEOs, selectmen, and various leaders of the community. We made a rather grand entrance (accessoriized with purple feather boa and pink sequenced pocket book) to the stuffy board room full of austerity. To her credit, my daughter did play very patiently under the table with her toys and my purse (which I really did scan for incriminating objects beforehand.)
After awhile, my daughter peeped up, put something on the table and whispered to me, “Mommy, can you open this for me, I need it.” I was busy scribbling down notes and (foolishly) did not look up right away. To which she urged, “Mommy, please open this up for me, I need it now!” I heard one of the gentlemen awkwardly clear his throat and I looked up to see what she “needed” me to open. To my horror, there on the table lay the most gigantic-mega-ultra-maxi-”heavy flow”-pad fully equipped with overnight wings so large I prayed right then and there that it would fly straight out the window and carry me to freedom right along with it.
My daughter again loudly whispered, “Mommy, I need it, can you open it please?” I turned beet red, tucked the feminine napkin-monster back in my purse, and told her, “Not now honey, but maybe in another 10 years or so.”
So, will I ever take my kids to work again? Of course! I think it is vital to have my daughter learn how to be a successful woman in the workplace. I will just have to be more careful about what I carry in my purse next time. Did I lose any respect at that meeting? Of course! But they all got to see me in a whole new personal light and get a good laugh at the same time!
New kittens in the house!
I’d like to take a moment and introduce to you the latest additions to our happy home, “Guinness and Killarney.” If you can’t guess which one is which, I suggest you to go get a beer, preferably a dark Irish one.
Now, don’t go thinking this blog will all of a sudden turn into a cute-fuzzy-make me puke-kitten-picture blog (although they do rank high on Google.) I just don’t have the time, or patience, to photograph kittens. They rarely stop for a moment long enough to allow you to capture their cuteness. Their only goal is to dart through the room too fast for my shutter speed, and they attack the lens as soon as they hear that focus sound at work. So, maybe in a year I’ll have a lot of “lazy fat cat” pictures to post…but until then, enjoy this shot as it may be the last one you’ll see from me.
By the way, they are now 11 weeks, and are both boys. We surprised the kids Christmas morning with these two fur balls. My daughter took hers out of the basket and was holding her “new kitten” for a few minutes when it moved and she looked up at me in shock and exclaimed, “Mommy, these are REAL kittens!!!”
Tags: kittens
"You can't keep me from Christmas"
This little girl just had quite enough teasing. The boys said they were too tired to open Christmas presents and pretended to fall asleep on the stairs. Needless to say, she got those boys up, showed them who was boss, and opened every stinking present with a smile on her face. I pity the man in 20 years that tries to pull the wool over her eyes!
