What's up with that?

Do you ever watch SNL? Steve and I used to watch it when we were young and could stay up past 10:30. I do miss watching it although it's not as funny as it used to be. I have seen it a few times recently while I've been up nursing the baby and there is a segment called "What's up with that"...it's pretty funny.

Anyway, I want to know what's up with why getting your hair cut/colored costs so much. Seriously. Can I tell you what it cost me to have my hair done the last time? I'm sick just saying it. $320. That is BEFORE the tip.

Now, if there is one thing I could change about myself it would be my hair. I have not been blessed with good hair. It's stick straight, thin, fine, falls out...not only do I have some gray in my hair but a white spot of  hair on the top of my head. My hair and I fight daily.

O.k. so we've moved a lot as I've said, which means I haven't had one hair dresser that I can trust. Finding a hair dresser is difficult. It seems that for some reason I seek out the most expensive salon each time we move. I remember going to one salon when we lived outside of Philly and I guess I got the owner. When I went to tip him he informed me that salon owners were not supposed to accept tips. They offset this with charging more for their cuts...I guess because they're more experienced.

At the next salon I requested the owner. She apparently did not object to accepting tips. I found this out when I went to pay at the desk. The bill was around $250. As I am handing over my credit card, feeling sick, the woman behind the desk says.."Do you want to add her tip to this?"   Then she asks if I want to make my next appointment six weeks from now. Yeah, that's just what I want to do...spend $300 every six weeks on my hair.

Since moving here a year and a half ago I've seen 3 different stylists. The last one was the kicker for me.  It might be almost worth it if I enjoyed sitting in the salon chair for 2-3 hours. If I could just think of it as a mini day at the spa. I can't though. The whole time I'm sitting there I'm thinking...how much is it going to be this time?

I just don't get it really. Why is it so expensive? I've done some research on Beauty schools. It would cost anywhere from $10-20K to get your liscense. Forget medical or law school...I'm pushing beauty school for my kids. They're done in a year, the tuition is cheaper, and they can do my hair...FOR FREE!

Sunday Supper

Don't you just love how that sounds....Sunday Supper. Please come for Sunday Supper!  In our last house our neighbors would have Sunday supper every week with their extended families. They all lived close by so that made it easy. I would peek out my window on Sundays and watch them all gather at their dining room table and I wanted that. Steve and I had always lived so far away from our families that it wasn't possible for us to have that tradition.Now that we live closer to our families we can.

Normally on Sunday I make a big dinner anyway but now I want to start including our extended families more often. Every Sunday.

 I don't have a great memory at all, but I have many memories of our family at the table. My dad used to call the jug of milk something...what was it Dad? You used to say.."could someone pass the....." that was a big joke. My mom used to make certain dishes on each day...for instance...Friday was fish sticks. Who eats fish sticks?? We also did a lot of spaghetti and meatballs and American Chop Suey.  She used to make it in this portable skillet that you plugged into the wall. Kitchen appliances have come along way.

I recall my mom including outsiders in our family meals as well.  There was a girl who lived next to us who lost her Dad at a young age and she was alone a lot. Many times my mother would  invite her to stay for dinner. My mom still is a great host. I get my love of entertaining from her.

There are many holiday meals I remember too with great Aunts and Grandparents. My Great Aunt Mil passed away a few months ago....she would have been 100 this April. One time when I was a kid I think she had one too many Manhattans and right at the dinner table she fell back in her chair. I think her wig came off when it happened. 

I wonder why so many of my memories are at a dinner table? I couldn't tell you what I got for Christmas as a kid but boy I remember sitting at the dinner table at my Grandmothers house every year.

I want my children to have memories of big family meals together. So, if you're not busy on Sunday...come for Supper!!

*Steve won't appreciate the picture of him in his painting shirt...but don't you just love our centerpiece in this picture!!

I gave this away

No, not the kids. We still have them plus another one. The dog. So a few years back the kids were begging for a dog. Hannah mostly. After much research and reading Golden Retrievers for Dummies, we bit the bullet. Steve and I both grew up with dogs and we felt our kids should have one as well. Now, we didn't just go down to  your local shelter or pet store. No way. We had to have THE dog. We found a breeder in Maine whose dogs were featured in the L.L.Bean catalog.  That's the dog for us. So, after being interviewed a million times by the breeder to see if WE were a good fit for the dog, she o.k'd us and we could now refinance our home to pay for the dog.

We timed the dogs' arrival just right. We wanted to bring him home for Christmas. After trying hard to work out the logistics of having him delivered to the kids Christmas morning we opted to pick him up the week before. We took the kids out of school and told them we had a surprise. The surprise took over 3 hours to get to...you can imagine that ride.

We got to the kennel and the kids just freaked. They all stayed in the car and I went in and picked him out. Oh man was he cute. The kids fought over who was going to hold him, sit next to him, clean up the dog puke..o.k. maybe not that. We named him Fenway... as in Park... as in Red Sox. The kids loved him, I loved him...it was fun having a puppy.

Fast forward 6 months. I'm crying my  head off handing over the dog to a stranger who promises to love him and take good care of him. The past few months had been trying. And honestly, it wasn't really the dog. He was just doing normal puppy things...pooping, chewing, biting. He really was a good dog. I'm crying over this dog as I write this! Anyway, it just wasn't our time I guess. Or maybe we're just not dog people. I WANT to be a dog person...I really do. I love the IDEA of having a dog. Hanging out on the beach with us, going to the dump with Steve with his cute head sticking out the window, the kids walking him around the block. And then I'll see someone walking their cute dog. I'll start to get the bug again...I'll look at Steve and he just shakes his head. Then that someone bends over with a plastic grocery bag and picks up dog poop. With their hands!

Anyway, I'm kind of back on the dog kick again. I know it's probably not time right now with the baby...right? Or is there ever a good time? Maybe I could just track down the guy we gave Fenway to and ask him if we can have him back. Thanks for taking him for a few years, but we're ready now....I think.

What do you see?

Do you see a woman in an old pink bathrobe who desperately needs her hair done and  to drop 15 pounds? Do you see a messy room with a bed that needs making, walls that need painting, windows that need dressing? Do you see a big ugly honkin t.v. that should not be in the room in the first place?

I'm trying to look past all that and see a happy mom. A happy mom that loves being home all day with her baby.  A happy mom that's trying to better her photography skills so bear with her please. (I guess I could have practiced my skills after I was dressed, hair blown out and makeup on...although lately the last two don't happen much.) A few years ago I would never have posted a picture of myself looking like this. Honestly, I don't know what's come over me. I do know that only recently, like within the past few years, I've stopped caring what other people think. I wish it didn't take me so long because boy is that free-ing!

Anyway, I love blogs with great photography. There are so many out there. Lately, that is what inspires me. My kids can attest to that. "Mom, enough with the camera!" You just wait, someday they'll thank me.

Stop thinking so much

Sometimes I think I look back too much. Whether it's something I did or said ten minutes ago or something that happened 10 years ago. I also think I look ahead just as much....what kind of adults will my children become, where will Steve and I retire, will I be needing a walker when Griffin graduates from college..that sort of thing.

When I look back at my life I don't really think there is much I'd change, if anything. However, when I look ahead, even just to tomorrow, I want to make changes...simple things really, but still changes.

While I was walking on the beach with Griffy today I just kept telling myself...just be. Don't think. I think too much I think. (Could I say THINK anymore?) I'm really trying to be in the moment more. Isn't that how we come to appreciate our moments more?

For me, this is how I can slow life down. Not looking back or ahead.

With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Can I Sleep Over?

No, you can't. I cringe when I hear.."Can we have a sleepover?". I really can't stand them and would love to know who came up with them. Maybe this makes me a not fun mom but sleepovers are just not my thing. I don't like it when my kids are not home in their own beds. Maybe it's a control thing..who knows. I just love to tuck all my kids in..even the 15 year old..into their own beds at night knowing they are safe and sound. And I really don't like having kids sleep here either. I am all for having my kids friends come over and I want our house to be the house where the kids hang out..(again, maybe the control thing here) but please go home and sleep in your own beds..I'll even drive you.

When I was a kid...(here we go again)..I know I had sleepovers. As far as I know, I don't think my mom minded them. I'll have to ask her. Although I wasn't that crazy about sleeping at other kids' homes.  I never slept great. I was scared to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. The only thing I did like about them was that for breakfast the next morning I got to eat junk cereal. My mom NEVER bought junk cereal. I think I ate an entire box of Cookie Crisp at my friend Kelly's house one time. My mom used to say that when I got older I could buy all the junk cereal I wanted. What kind of cereal do you think is in my pantry now? I think the junkiest kind is Berry Kix. I know...fun mom here.

P.S..I couldn't find a sleepover photo (probably because my kids are deprived and don't have them) but I just love this shot of the back of Griffy's head!

Happy Birthday David....

This is my little brother. Why I still refer to him as my "little" brother when he's 36, I don't know. I can still see him riding his big wheel all around the neighborhood trying to catch up with the big kids.

How handsome is this kid?? And he is the funniest person I know. He calls me and leaves music messages..he doesn't talk, it's just music playing...usually Neil Diamond. He loves Neil Diamond. He loves music. And boy can this kid dance.

I love you David...I'm glad you're my little brother and I hope you make it on the cover of "Cool Magazine"...Happy Birthday...

$100

I found this in Will's school folder the other day. I love that he wants to give some of his money to Haiti..but the two televisions? Well, you know how I feel about that. Hey, he's honest.

What would you do with an extra $100? As I was at the kitchen sink this morning I was thinking about that. For me it's a no brainer. I'd hit the bookstore. I can not have enough books in my life. And I LOVE being at the bookstore. Any bookstore. I love the big ones..Borders, Barnes and Noble. But I also love the smaller bookstores in town and there is nothing like an antique bookstore. Old books smell great. The Harvard bookstore in Cambridge is very cool. Makes me want to go to school.

If you ever want to buy me a gift..get me a book. Any book really, just make it a hardcover. I love cookbooks. My mom gave me a great one for Christmas that she picked up from the thrift store. It's the White House Family cookbook. It dates back to the Johnson's up until the Clintons. I love decorating books, autobiography's, self help books, craft books...I never met a book I didn't like I don't think,even if I didn't like what was written, it still looks good up on the bookshelf. My dream Great Room has a huge wall of floor to ceiling bookshelves..you know, the kind with the rolling ladder.

Anyway, I would spend the day and my hundred bucks at the bookstore. I'd load up with magazines and books I'd like to buy, get myself a Starbucks coffee or tea and a scone, plop myself on the comfy couch, nurse Griffy to sleep and that pretty much does it for me.

How would you spend $100?

P.S....While writing this post guess what came in the mail? Books!! My Uncle Mike works for Little/Brown publishing and being the generous Uncle that he is, frequently sends us books. Today we were lucky enough to get (in hardcover!!)..Toot&Puddle and Jerry Seinfeld's illustrated kids book, Halloween. It's hysterical. Thanks Uncle Mike! You made my day!!

Waiting for the Milkman

Who knew that my Steel Cut Oatmeal would taste just as good without the heaping spoonfuls of brown sugar? And can I just say...it's the little things that make me happy. A simple bowl of oatmeal and my organic milk that I now have delivered. I have a milkman! Having local, fresh, organic milk delivered to my door is heaven! I know...I'm a little crazy about things like that.

I read a book recently that has changed the way I think about what we eat and how I shop for our food. It's not a new best seller or anything...Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. Why I haven't read this book before now is beyond me because it's right up my alley. The author talks about how they pack up their home in the West and head East to basically live off the land. I love how she brings to our attention the fact that we spend or rather waste so much money, manpower, energy to transport blueberries from Mexico in January just so we can have them in January. (Really, she didn't just talk specifically about the blueberries...I'm just using them as an example.) Doesn't food taste better when it's in season? One of my favorite things to eat is a summer tomato. I can barely bring myself to buy a tomato now...they're mealy, tasteless and cost a lot because they've been shipped from somewhere in South America. I was in the grocery store tonight buying salmon for dinner. Now, mind you, I live on the COAST of NEW ENGLAND...What I found for sale were scallops. They were $4.99/lb. They looked good and I thought I'd opt for those instead of the salmon. Then I looked at the fine print. They were shipped in from Iceland. The local scallops were $14.99/lb. I don't get it. Why would we need to ship scallops in from Iceland? I bought the local salmon.

 We are now a society that doesn't need to wait for anything anymore. If we want something, we want it now and we can get it now. How can we appreciate all the goodness from a juicy red tomato in the summer if we haven't had to wait for it? Well, I'll be sittin here thinking about that summer tomato while I wait for the milkman.

*By the way...the strawberries pictured above were not local but they were from Florida. I should really be waiting until Spring for them shouldn't I?

Back to basics

Over the next 40 days there are going to be some changes going on over here. Maybe I'm getting in over my head here but it's time. Since the baby was born last June..(can't really use the "I have an infant" excuse anymore)...I feel like I've let some things go. O.k, I've let a lot of things go. My house seems to be in a constant state of dissaray, my eating habits are basically whatever I can grab or make with one hand..(baby in the other)...I'm not excercising regularly, money just seems to fly right out of my wallet, my hair hasn't been cut/colored since before Thanksgiving..(there will be no recent pictures of me on this blog)...I've got a million projects that I've started and can't finish. UUGH.

So, here is what I'm going to do.

1. I'm going off the sugar. I know a lot of people are giving up sugar and from what I hear, it's all good. I'm not one of those "French Women Don't Get Fat" girls that can eat one croissant or one piece of chocolate. Nope. I will eat the whole pan of brownies, the chocolate cookies for breakfast with my French Vanilla drenched coffee, an entire box of Girl Scout Thin Mints...so that's what I'm giving up for Lent...sugar. The tricky part will be in March when we celebrate 2 birthdays..mine included.

2. As for my house. I feel I have to give myself a bit of a break with this one as we're constantly fixing up a house. As I've mentioned we've only been in this house a year and a half and there are still rooms that look like I just unpacked them yesterday. However, I think I need to come up with a cleaning schedule...you know, Mondays-wash sheets, Tuesdays-bathrooms...just so I can stay on top of it. Right now, I'm way under it and it's not pretty.

3. Excercising. Now that I'm not running around the tennis court in those cute skirts anymore, I have to make myself get out side every day and at least walk. Yes, the weather just makes me want to stay in my pajamas all day, but fresh air and excercise are vital.

4. Projects. Last fall a few women in my neighborhood decided to take knitting lessons. I was the first one down at the shop signing up, buying all the pretty yarn and needles. Since the first lesson in October, I've knit one row and have not been back to a class. O.k...so in my defense again we had a very sickly winter and it seemed like every time knitting class came up someone was either sick or Steve was traveling. I did just start to paint a dresser I got for FREE from my awesome neighbor. It's half done, sitting in my dining room waiting to be finished. My goal is to get it done by the end of school vacation...(4 days left).

5. Maybe I should cut and color my hair myself. I'm really not one of those women who enjoy going to the salon anyway.

So there it is. It's out there and now I need to be accountable for all of it. I just think it's time to get back to basics here. Quick, healthy meals for my family, excercise, fresh air, clean, organized home...and put down the credit card. Easy enough, right?

Our favorite place

So we went to the Vineyard for a few days. My sister and her family live there as well as my mom. We feel  darn lucky that we have family that live there so we can visit pretty much whenever we want. I love it there. It's got something for everyone...it's a little bit preppy, little bit earthy crunchy, little bit artsy...It's just a nice mix of all kinds of people. Now, as much as I love being on the Vineyard, for me, half the fun is getting there. There is just something about getting on the ferry. I'm telling you, as soon as I get on that ferry, something just comes over me. Even on a cold, dreary day like this one...I'm still happy. I have a little routine when I get on the boat too. We make our way up to the snack bar...the kids always get hot dogs and a soda. (We don't drink soda at home so this is a treat)...I always have a glass of Chardonnay and a cup of clam chowder. That's my last meal by the way. Do you ever play Last Meal?? What would your last meal be? Mine is always and always has been this....Glass of Chardonnay, Clam chowder and a Lobster roll. Desert would definetly be coffee ice cream with hot fudge.  So, that's what we do on the boat. It's only a 45 minute boat ride...just long enough.

Steve and I actually met on the ferry. We were both coming home from Nantucket. Way back when..when we were in our early 20's, there used to be a party on Madaket beach in the summer called the Madakasham Jam...I don't think I have the spelling right but anyway...it was a sort of preppy Woodstock on Nantucket I guess. I only went once. It was quite the party and I met Steve, so even better.

My summer job for a few years was working on the ferry. Looking back I'm thinking..could there BE a better job for a kid? You're on a boat in the summer, going back and forth to the islands. Let me tell you...that was a killer summer job. I got to meet so many great people on the ferry. Ted Kennedy was on a few times. And, I'll never forget Mr. Rogers. I freaked when I saw him. When I was little, I LOVED Mr. Rogers! I had him autograph a hot dog wrapper. Steve got to sit next to JFK Jr. on the ferry once. Geez,  forget J.Crew, ,maybe when I'm done having kids I'll go back to work on the ferry.

Happy Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day Steve...I could not ask for a better husband or father to my kids. I love you and our life together.

LOVE YOU!!!

Going away for a few days...wish it was somewhere WARM!!

The fringed vest that aged me

So if you really want to feel old here's what you do. Go to the mall (I can't stand the mall) and go into Abercrombie or Hollister. Better yet, go into one of those stores with a baby and a stroller. I went into Hollister for the first time the other day. It was not a fun experience at all. Hannah did really well on her report card and I promised her a shopping trip. She needed a few things anyway so off we go...Hannah, the baby and I. So we start off at Gap. She's really not diggin the Gap anymore. I agree. I get it. She's 11 1/2 and feels it's a bit too babyish for her. However, we did score two pairs of leggings. We leave Gap and she asks to go into Hollister. I look at her, look at the stroller and then look at the store. I'm not psyched. Now, just to get in the store you have to walk up a couple of steps and with a baby stroller...not convenient. We make it into the store. It's pitch black. The music is BLARING. Not only is the baby scared, his 41 1/2 year old mother is too. Hannah takes off in the back some where and I'm left to manuever my SUV of a stroller to find her. Now the baby is crying and I have to hold him AND push the stroller. This is not my idea of a mother/daughter shopping experience. I pay for the fringed vest that was originally $70 but got it on sale for $19. The girl behind the counter looked at me like...what do you want. She said something and I couldn't hear her so I said loudly..."WHAT??" I swear the whole store looked over at me...poor Hannah. The girl had on a SHORT skirt and flip flops. Hello! There is 3 feet of snow and it's 20 degrees outside. Does your mother know you are out like this??

Anyway, Hannah knows I'm not a big fan of these stores. Not just because I'm afraid to go in them. I don't really like the clothes...and they're expensive. Maybe I could convince her to shop at Talbots. It's quiet and the nice older woman that works there makes me feel really young.

Pizza and Dorothy

Friday nights are family movie/pizza night here. Steve makes a great homemade pizza and calzones for the kids. I really look forward to Friday nights. Tonight we're watching the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics. While I was chopping garlic for the sauce and Steve was rolling out the dough he started telling me that when he was a kid he really wanted to compete in the Olympics. He just thought it would have been a really cool thing to be a part of. I agreed of course and started thinking about when I was a kid also. I remember wanting to be Dorothy Hamill...really, what girl didn't want that in 1976. I was 8 years old. I remember ice skating as a kid quite a bit, I don't think I was anything great but I liked it ok. Where we grew up we would skate on cranberry bogs in the winter. So much safer than skating on a pond! My Dad also used to flood a portion of our backyard and I remember being out there at night with the back light on trying to twirl like Dorothy.

Then of course came the haircut. Again, what girl didn't want the Dorothy Hamill haircut? Did everyone just walk into the hair salon and say "I'll have the Dorothy Hamill" ?

Anyway, we'll be watching the Olympics over the next few weeks. Maybe one of my kids will dream of competing in them some day.

* My heart goes out to the family of the young man from Georgia who lost his life today practicing for the luge competition....

When I was a kid....

I have threatened many times to get rid of every t.v. in our house. We have 3. One in the family room, one in the basement and one in our bedroom..which is probably a big no no. Someday I just may follow through with that threat. I really can't stand television. It seems to be a constant battle in our house. With 4 kids that are spread apart by 14 years, there never seems to be something that we can all watch together. There is nothing but crap on anyway. Seriously, even Disney channel is junk. Who the heck is iCarly and why do my kids need to watch her makeout with some kid? Zach and Cody living in some hotel in Boston or on a cruise ship? Come on. And the latest one I've seen...Wizards of Waverly Place. Another teenage Disney star wannabe singer. I'm done with all of it. My kids aren't allowed to watch t.v during the week. I don't care if your homework is done and you have straight A's. That may sound harsh but when I was a kid...(here we go, my kids can't stand it when I say..."when I was a kid"..) I spent most of my time when I wasn't in school, are you ready for this.... OUTSIDE! Unless it was 30 below or pouring rain, we were outside. Making forts, riding bikes, playing kickball...my parents used to ring a big ol' railroad bell to call us all in for dinner. That was just how it was.

It's not just the television that I can't stand. It's the PS3, the Wii, the DVD, the DVR...for crying out loud, I've got a headache just thinking about it all. Stephen wants to crash cars on the PS3, Will wants to play Wii sports and Hannah wants to watch her DVR'd American Idol...all at the same time. That's a good time right there. I wish we could go back to the days when we had to listen to the Red Sox on the radio. I love that. I could so go off on a tangent right now about video games, too many choices on television, but I'll try to stay on subject here. Kids need to be outside..in my opinion. Not inside sitting in front of a GIANT television that cost more than Steve's commuter car.

Blog and burn

So if you haven't figured it out yet, this whole blogging thing is pretty new to me. My 11 year old has taken me by the hand and shown me the ropes. However, Sarah over at Clover Lane posted two blogs about how to lay out a fun header and how to make your photos bigger...so she gets all the credit there. Thanks Sarah! Your blog is lovely by the way. It's one of my first stops in the morning after the kids get on the bus. I love her views on parenting...so refreshing and similar to how I parent.

So the big N'oreaster was kind of a bust! Kids got out of school early for nothing! At least Steve was able to work from home in his jammies with me today!

Tomorrow I have to get to work on the kids Valentines..still looking for a few little treats for them. And, if it's not to cold for Griffy I'm hoping to get a walk in down by the beach and take some snow pictures. I have become WAAAY too sedentary lately...this blogging stuff sure doesn't help with that. Maybe I could come up with a way to burn calories while I sit here.

Doorknob

So this is my newly renovated powder room and I LOVE it! (Still in the process of hanging picures, but thought I'd share) When we moved into this house a year and a half ago knowing that EVERY room in this house needed updating, I begged Steve if he would do this for me. And being the incredible husband that he is. ..he obliged. I was inspired to decorate this powder room through a decorator that I love. I have been following Tracy Porter for quite a few years now, in fact it is through her that I started blogging. A year ago I didn't even know what a blog was. Anyway, Tracy's blog had videos showing snippets of her home, recipes, gardening, etc. It was right up my alley. One of her videos showed this fabulous powder room that they painted a dark artichoke green color and the wainscotting high gloss black. I showed Steve the video..he was not psyched. He labored through that powder room all winter. He cut and hung each piece of wainscotting. He applied at least 3 coats of paint. As he worked I stood there watching, eating my Friendly's Reece's Pieces sundae's all pregnant. While he was painting the door...the inside black and the outside red, I went to Anthropologie (my favorite store!) and bought a doorknob. The doorknob really was not meant for a powder room door but I HAD to have that doorknob. Steve took a hacksaw (is that really what it's called?) and cut the doorknob because it wouldn't fit properly. When he finally got it to fit, guess what? It wouldn't turn. Steve then went to Home Depot to buy a sliding lock to install...all so I could have my doorknob. He's the best. Now, about that kitchen....

Why not

We have moved...a lot. Mostly due to Steve's job during those first years in our marriage. Most recently because we wanted to "come home" to our families, the beach, where we grew up. With each move there has generally been not only the stresses that come with a move, but usually a new job and a new baby. I remember reading in a magazine years ago what the top 10 stresses were in life. Along with death and divorce; moving, a new baby, and new job were right up there. Some days I wonder if my kids will be giving me their therapy bill. Most days I look at them and can't believe how well they handle transition.

This is not how I grew up, it's not how Steve grew up either. There were two houses I lived in during my childhood years...my parents moved us an hour south, closer to the beach when I was 5 or 6. All my childhood memories were from that house. My kids won't have that. Unless of course we stay in this house until Griffy and Will are out of school. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Who knows really. I do know that I wouldn't trade it. I love that Hannah was born in Germany, in a German hospital and that Stephen called our landlords Oma and Opa. I love the traveling that we were able to do in Europe and here in the States. I love the friends we've made in each place we called home. I love the process of making a house a home. Setting up the kitchen is always a favorite of mine. Each box opened carefully and in it finding a tea cup bought in England or a piece of crystal found in Prague. The memories of those trips are in my thoughts as I find a new spot for them in a cupboard.

With each move there have been many tears and arguments and back breaking work. I remember well the first move. Steve and I had been living together in a great little apartment in Beacon Hill in Boston. The day after our wedding we packed our car and a U-haul trailer with our few possessions, hung a sign on the back that read "Just Married" and hit the road. Waving goodbye to our parents and siblings, I was excited to start our new life. Who knew there would be at least 6 more moves, 4 new jobs and 4 kids in our future. People have asked us if we're done moving. Who knows. Just the other day Steve said.."Wouldn't it be cool to live in Europe again, maybe after Stephen goes to college?" I said, "Why not."

J.Crew or peekaboo

So lately all I can think about is another baby. It consumes my thoughts. And I HAVE a baby! What is up with that? I don't think I can handle not having more kids. I really love being pregnant, I have really easy labors, breastfeeding has been a breeze for me, sleepless nights...not that big of a deal...and most importantly, I have a husband who is most definetly on board for more kids. So, what's holding me back? Well, the one and only thing I'm freaked out about is...my age. Uugh. I'll be.....forty.....two next month. I'm kinda thinkin that I'm hitting that point where I should say...O.k, we're done. I certainly had no problem saying it 4-5 years ago. I was done. I mean I did have that little voice in the back of my head that sometimes said..maybe one more. But I kept telling that voice, not now, I'm still young, I have time. Do you know how depressing that is for me that I can't say that anymore??? Now I'm saying...hurry up, you're out of time!!

I had Stephen when I was 26...Hannah at 30...Will at 34. Griffy was born last year right after I turned 41. Before Griffy, Steve used to beg me for another baby...I'm not kidding. I was kinda liking my freedom. Kids in school, I was playing tennis 5 days a week, we were starting to travel. And then we moved and I thought maybe I'll work for J.Crew a few days a week for the discount or maybe I'll just get pregnant...and just like that, I got pregnant. Boy am I glad I don't have to go fold sweaters tomorrow at J.Crew. I'd much rather hang out in my jammies all day and play peekaboo.

Sleeping like a baby...or with one.

Why is sleeping with your baby, co-sleeping, sharing sleep..whatever you want to call it, so controversial? I LOVE having our babies share our bed...there, I said it. Did you hear me Dr. Pediatrician? I have had four healthy, happy children who have all shared our bed. What is so wrong with that?? I certainly do not judge other mothers for putting their babies in cribs please do not look at me funny when I say, "he sleeps with us."

When we brought Stephen home from the hospital almost 15 years ago, (how can that be?), I promptly placed him in the cheapo crib we bought. We were dirt poor back then, but that's a whole other story. I had decorated the nursery with said cheapo crib, a rickety rocking chair I bought for $25 at an antique store and painted it white, and a changing table that my mom bought and had delivered. (We were living no where near home...that's another story too.) Anyway, I bring him home and put him in the crib. I remember thinking how small he looked in there...but more importantly, how alone. So, I brought him into my bed when Steve was out flying at night. I also remember feeling like I was doing something wrong.

When Hannah arrived a few years later I found the Dr. Sears attachment parenting book and finally I felt validated. We've had two more babies since then and they've all shared our beds. I'm aware it's not for everyone...but for us, waking up next to a baby snuggled up with you is pure bliss.

I miss this

This is my last kitchen sink and boy do I miss it. We recently moved to a new town, a new state and as much as I love it here, I REALLY loved my old house. It was so me! This house isn't very me but I must say we're trying our hardest to make it me. So, we gave up the great house to live in really great town. Our family is thriving and that is what's important.

Steve and I grew up on the ocean and have always wanted the same for our kids. Nothing brings us greater joy than to watch Stephen race on the water at a regatta, or Will taking sailing lessons for the first time, or Hannah catching a fish off a friends boat. I know watching baby Griffy this summer as he tries to eat the sand and kicks his tiny toes in the cold water will be just as joyful.

So, as I look out from my kitchen window this morning, I will think about how lucky I am to live where I live.

"We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch,- we are going back from whence we came." JFK

Here we go

I spend HOURS in front of my kitchen sink..in fact, I bought a kitchen timer to calculate the exact number of hours I spend there. I'll start the timer tomorrow..if I remember. Anyway, I do a lot of thinking at my kitchen sink and since I don't journal or scrapbook, I thought this would be a great way for me to write down what I'm thinking about at the sink.

The sink is usually where my day starts. Filling the coffee or tea pot, cleaning the dishes that didn't get done the night before, (no, I'm not a flylady follower), looking out the window (that so desperately needs to be replaced) to see what the weather is like. As a stay at home mom of four awesome kids, I'm at the sink all day it seems. Three meals a day, snacks, bathing babies...that's a lot of time at the sink. When Steve comes home from work at night I am most likely at the sink, drying my hands with a dishtowel to greet him. The sink is also where my day ends it seems, wiping down the counters before bed.

Looking back at over 16 years of marriage I've counted 9 sinks that I've stood at. Many in different states and one in a different country. I'm hoping to find pictures of all my past sinks but until then I'll post one of the sink I live at now. It's not my dream sink by any means, but it does the job for now.