Back from Shawnee & a Shoutout to Syracuse

I got back from my weekend away yesterday evening. After getting home and dropping my bags and atrocious amounts of scrapbooking paraphernalia in my mudroom I made the couch my home for the evening. I vegged and watched the ridiculously long and drawn out Oscar show and went to bed.



This morning dawned all too early, leaving me a little out of sorts and feeling like I had missed a weekend. Although it was relaxing, fun and productive to be away with my girlfriends, my boyz are back at school today and I am trying to catch up on all of the little things that weekends usually entail. Maybe it will take another day or two to get back into the swing of things.



Speaking of the boyz, Daddy D is training them young in a habit I am not all too fond of. I returned home and after hugs and kisses I asked about their weekends. Mid-sentence of Seth starting his monologue of activities and experiences Daddy D reminded him that what happens on boyz weekends we don't tell Mommy. Leaving me a bit miffed. So I know nothing catastrophic or wildly inappropriate occurred, but Daddy D is standing firm on his brotherhood of silence and I am left in the dark about many of the weekends happenings.


What I am happy about is that I got to spend the weekend with both halves of my best friend from childhood. Sounds a little odd? That's because my best friend are twins, half of a whole and one no more important than the other. Granted, one lives a couple of miles away and spends several evenings a week at my house. But in some ways that makes the time spent with the other even more special.


So to Kathy, the long distance twin, I got myself blogging earlier than I wanted this morning for you--who reminded me that you read in Syracuse on your lunch hour and get miffed when there isn't a new post for you to devour with your afternoon meal.


I can't wait to write and share more about the people who I had the pleasure of spending time with and the wonderful behind the scenes friends and family here at home who makes it all possible as the week progresses. But for now I will leave you with two of my favorite photos while I recoup for the day.

My best friend sandwich- Kim, myself and Kathy

Walking on the grounds on Sunday this lovely surprise greeted me...

see those shoots---spring might actually be coming!

P.S. I got it done and posted by 11:39, just in time for lunch Kathy!

Scrapbooking, Shawnee & Stroudsburg Oh My!

This is where I am headed today, the Shawnee Inn in northeastern Pennsylvania. For one weekend a year my girlfriends and I head here to go to a scrapbooking retreat. Some of my favorite things about the weekend- not having to cook or clean, the yummy food (everyone swears by the sweet potato fries, but that's not my thing), sleeping in and not being woken up early morning, or even the middle of the night, by strains of "mommy, mommy, mommy", and the awesome fruit smoothies they have made to order.

My other favorite thing- the SPA! Come noon tomorrow I will be sitting here...

having a pedicure in the most spectacular of heated massage chairs. I always pick a bright and fun color for my tootsies that makes me look forward to summer days in flip flops and reminds me that spring is coming despite my winter doldrums!

So I am off to scrapbook away. This years project is to make Eli an album. He is sorely lacking in the scrapbook department. I can't wait to put our memories down for him to treasure for decades to come. Plus working on legacy items for my children helps with the mommy guilt of leaving my five men to fend for themselves for the weekend!

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JC said...
Hubby is a big fan of Chinese Lo Mein, I'd like to try Shrimp Lo Mein first!tcarolinep at gmail dot com
February 17, 2010 10:05 PM

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Remembering When

Daddy D was charging up Seth's MP3 player today. By chance he started scrolling through the photos saved on there. He was chuckling away and then brought over the shiny red small piece of technology.

There, in the palm of his hand, was a tiny little time machine of sorts. My little boyz. So much littler than what they seem to be now. Time frozen in smaller eyes, tinier fingers, smiles with less teeth.

It reminded me to treasure my moments here and now. Because in no time at all I will look back at the pictures of today and treasure the innocence and simplicity of now. Despite the poopy diapers and matchbox car littered living rooms, I will miss this.

My favorites that the time machine held...

Gabriel & Seth, Easter 2006

Seth & Gabriel walking down the hallway

to meet their new brother, 2/2006

Nathan, March 2007

Gabriel, March 2007

Daddy D the Letter Carrier Goes to Kindergarten

Today was Daddy D's day off for the week. As Gabriel's Kindergarten class was learning about the mail this week it was a great opportunity for Daddy D to go in and talk about his job. Although he was a little anxious (shh, don't tell him I told you!), he went this afternoon prepared with the tools of his trade.

Adorably, the class had prepared questions. The asked things like whether or not he drove a truck (not normally) and how far does he walk in a day. Daddy D told them that in one day he walks the distance between our elementary school and high school (a point most of the children know from bus rides) at least twelve times, the equivalent of twelve miles.They asked if they could ship animals. When Daddy D explained that every spring they deliver lots of chicks and baby ducks they asked if they could ship an elephant. He brought a variety of hats for all different seasons and showed them that they have to be prepared for all kinds of weather. As proven by last week and the fact that they delivered mail in several feet of snow amidst a State of Emergency.

Before he finished they took pictures of the class. I think it will be a day that Gabriel will remember for a long time, and I can't wait to put the unedited ones-complete with goofy bug eyes-in his scrapbook this weekend!

Snowpocalypse and Escaping to Stroudsburg!

We have survived the snowpocalypse of 2010 rather unscathed. Two back to back storms dumped about 2 1/2 feet on us in about 72 hours. Thursday and Friday weather conditions were so bad that they declared a State of Emergency in our county. We were lucky and did not lose power and the boyz and I were warm and toasty for the duration. Daddy D was not so lucky. He was out delivering mail every day last week, despite waist high snow. Which left us with a very tired and worn out Daddy D at the end of the day. He did, however, direct the minions in shoveling efforts...



I look at this picture and think that in a few years I will have a house full of huge guys able to attack mountains of snow in no time!




But in the meantime I am enjoying my little boyz reveling in the mounds of white stuff accumulating.

And this, this is Eli's first romp in the snow. Last year he wasn't much for snow being only a few months old. Mostly when the older brothers were ready for some outdoor snow playing, Eli was upstairs sleeping. So we bundled him up and set him loose. Surprisingly he enjoys the snow more than any of the other boyz at this age. Even when I brought his pink cheeked, runny nosed self in to warm up, he spent the few minutes before his older brothers made their way in banging on the back door and wailing to be let back into the fray. I was waiting for a "not fair" from his 18 month old mouth.

Which brings me to the fact that in the middle of the storm Eli Noel turned a year and a half old! Where did the time go?

Well, this morning the big boyz headed off to school for the first time in five days. I am enjoying the relative quiet of just two at home. And I am scheming and planning. Why? Because somehow in the hustle and bustle of a house packed with stir crazy sons I had pushed off my excitement. This coming weekend is my FAVORITE weekend of the ENTIRE YEAR! Why? Because I am going away. Sans kids and Daddy D. It is my scrapbooking weekend where we go to a resort in the Poconos and sleep in, eat yummy food we didn't make, get pampered at the spa and scrapbook to our hearts desire. So excuse me while I do a little dance, start ordering my pictures and get excited beyond reason. Four days and Stroudsburg, PA--HERE I COME!

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The winner of Kidorable Umbrella Giveaway is comment #56

Candace said...
I follow you on twitter (@caotto7446).
February 19, 2010 3:34 PM

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