All White

When the holidays 

are over..

I usually need a break 

from color.

An all white 

mantel usually does the trick.

Although,

I can't get too comfortable here

because..

...my kitchen table

has been an explosion

of pink and red for the past 

few days.

Coming Home

Well, we got our snow!

And today Steve comes home.

He left for Dubai last Monday

and is flying home today.

All week long Griffy has been saying,

"Daddy up in air in air-pee"

We're so happy he's coming home.

Griffin loves drinking his "app-ee juice"

in little tea cups.

And then does his little dishes

while I do mine.

Friday night Stephen went to the movies.

I'm still not used to him getting into

his car and driving away.

And as much as I love the snow,

it's just one more thing for me to worry about

while he's out driving.

Hannah went to a class play Saturday night

and then had a friend over to watch scary movies.

Sunday we played in the snow

and watched the Patriots win!

 A good weekend I'd say.

What I do all day

We awoke this morning to a few inches of snow.

Freshly fallen snow makes everything looks so pretty.

We are expecting 4-7 more tomorrow!

By mid morning the sun melted most of the driveway.

But Griffin still loves to shovel.

Wish my 16 year old 

who needs gas money

loved it just as much.

Griffin is growing so much.

I wish he'd stay little.

I love our days together

while the big kids are off at school.

Unplanned and unorganized.

I love not having anywhere to go.

Stephen has had mid-terms this week.

So he's been home every day by noon.

Some days he'll come home

and Griffy and I are still in our pajamas.

He'll say, "is this what you do all day?"

Yup.

Do You Ever..

save your jars?

I have quite a collection let me tell you.

Everything from pickle jars, artichoke jars, cherry jars, jam jars...

I save them.

I try and find interesting ways to repurpose them.

I have been wanting to make these cupcakes in a jar

that I've been seeing all over the internet.

These are red velvet with cream cheese frosting.

Could not be easier or cuter I think.

Lunch box treats for sure.

Won't this jar be cute for sipping milk?

Je veux vivre a Paris

I'm starting to get restless.

I guess it's because generally we move about 

every 3 years.

Well, now we've been here for almost 3 1/2

and I'm ready to move.

To Paris.

Steve called on his way home from work

a few weeks ago asking what I thought about 

the idea of moving our family to Paris for 3 years.

The kids overheard me talking 

and now they're all pumped up about the 

possibility of moving there.

We won't know for a few months

but it's all I can think about.

We lived in Germany for 3 years

and loved being able

to travel throughout  Europe.

I keep thinking about what an awesome

experience it would be for my children

to do the same.

This picture was taken in April of '97.

(there were 951 days until the year 2000)

Stephen was Griffin's age now.

And I...was a lot younger.

28 to be exact.

Crossing my fingers.

Simple Days

we've had some sunny but cold days.

griffy sleeps so well out in the fresh air.

listening to the sounds of the ocean.

today we listen to the rain pouring down

as we snuggled in bed reading.

dinner simmering in the crockpot

teapot whistling on the stove

i love being home.

A Year of Blog Headers and a New Book

I can't find January '10! 

 

It's physically impossible for me to walk 

into a bookstore and not buy a book.

So, while on the Vineyard Monday

we went into the bookstore and of course 

I bought a new book..

even though I've got many books

sitting on my nightstand

waiting to be read.

But, I had just read about this book

in the Sunday paper 

and had to have it.

Now, I'm not a young, new mother

but this book looks interesting.

I am fascinated by 

 other cultures and how they raise their children.

Now I just need to find time in 

my day to read all of these books

and watch the last three episodes of 

Mad Men.

Oh that Don Draper.

I love him 

and I hate him.

Can't wait for Season 5!

Beautiful Snow

It was so wonderful to wake up to this today!

I must admit,

I'm a bit obsessed with my weather app(s)

on my phone.

Snow was not expected.

It got me thinking.

There aren't many surprises in life anymore are there?

We can predict so much these days.

I'm not sure if that's good or bad.

Yesterday was my mom's birthday.

After the older kids got off to school,

Griffin and I jumped on the ferry to the Vineyard.

We spent the day with my mom

and sister and her kids.

I had only planned on staying for lunch.

But we were having such a great time,

we stayed for dinner too.

Happy Birthday Mom!

We also celebrated Steve's birthday on the 5th.

FORTY FIVE.

Wow.

I love that he's older than me.

I always feel so young on his birthday.

:)

Happy Birthday Steve!

Lately...

....I'm loving instagram..

..... and these books on my nightstand.

.... we visited the museum of Science in Boston.

Always a fun day.

....the kids have been creating and 

playing games and 

getting dizzy on the Spooner .

Happy New Year!

We've had a wonderful Christmas vacation.

Lots of relaxing

sleeping in

reading

movie watching

(Little Women, a tradition..

Crazy, Stupid, Love

The Help

Midnight in Paris

and many

many episodes of 

Mad Men. :)

  

Today we continued our tradition

of throwing our stones in the ocean 

for the New Year.

After Mass,

 we went to the beach,

found our rocks, 

wrote what we'd like for the New Year

and threw them in.

I should add that it was sunny and in the 50's.

The beach parking lot looked like it does in August.

Not right.

Last night,

New Years Eve,

we kept with tradition

and each wrote on paper

what we'd like to 

lose

or forget

about 2011.

We fold them up,

and throw them in the fire.

AND

 traditionally,

on New Years Eve

we allow the kids to 

pick out junk food.

Lots of it.

Seriously,

they eat it until they 

can't anymore.

And then we do it again next year.

I'm so glad there are

364 more days

until we have to eat like that again.