One Last Fire

Last night S surprised me and brought home a little firewood.  We lit the fire, enjoyed some Harvest Moon and said "Good-bye" to our fireplace.  Today is the day that our new pellet stove insert arrives and I can't wait.  This was a big decision for us (really difficult for S....they are pricey) but we felt it was a worthy expensive purchase.  Despite my excitement for the new pellet insert, it was nice to have one more cozy moment with the old fireplace.

A Beautiful Weekend (with just a touch of crazy)

The warm sun was shining, the weather unseasonably warm (people were waterskiing and swimming in October!), the foliage got brighter every day, family and friends gathered and a beautiful life was celebrated.  It was the perfect send off....a combination of personal stories and memories, Michael Jackson, Ave Maria, a performance from my father and ended with a slide show of pictures to Stayin Alive (her request).  There were tears, laughs, trips down memory lane and just a few moments of CRAZY.  No family is perfect, mine is far from it, but we came together, put our differences aside and made the best of it.  We did it for her. 

The best part of the weekend was spending so much quality time with my great Uncle Richie and beautiful Auntie Mary.  They live in Florida now and we rarely see them.  This weekend we got to spend a lot of quality time with them, more than I have ever spent in my life.  It was wonderful to be with them and have them get to know my children and I miss them so much already!

I love you Tante, I miss you each and every day.  I hope that you were smiling down on us on Saturday and approved of the celebration of your life.  Thanks for blessing us with Florida Sunshine on a weekend that is normally frigid.  It was nice to spend three wonderful days in the weather that you most loved.  May you rest in Peace and know how much we love and miss you.

My Mom, Auntie Mary and Sister K

A Beautiful Setting for the Reception

My Cousin Pat and Uncle Richie (Tante's Brother)

Playing on the Beach

Posing with Daddy

My Beautiful Tante

Bring on the Crazy!!!

This weekend people will travel from all over this great country to celebrate the life of a very special lady.  My Tante (Aunt Nita) passed away almost a year ago but this weekend we will be able to pay tribute to her beloved soul.  I am so excited to read the reading I wrote for her (hope I can get through it without crying too much), see my Great Aunt and Uncle who are flying in from Florida, show the slideshow that I have been working on for weeks and witness the social experiment that is about to happen.

What will happen when you bring together "relatives" we have never met (who we are told don't get along with each other even though they are siblings), a Meth addict, an estranged cousin and his family, a wanted convict in two states (doesn't every family have one of those??), a police officer (who does not know about the wanted convict and we can't tell him because it kind of puts him in a weird spot), our lake family and a bunch of other friends and family we haven't seen in a LONG time??? What will happen??  I do not know but I can't wait to find out!  Bring on the CRAZY!!!!

More Z isms

While cleaning Z's room:

Z:  Mom the coolest thing happened last night.
Me:  Really, what?
Z:  I peed in the shape of Africa!
Me:  huh?
Z:  Last night, I peed my bed in the shape of Africa, isn't that sooooo cool!
Me:  Yes Z, so cool :)

Later in the kitchen:

Z:  Mom dad has adult knees inside of him
Me:  Yes Z, Daddy has adult knees
Z:  Yes he has adult knees inside his body and I have kidneys!
Me:  What?
Z:  Daddy has adultknees to help clean his pee and I have kidneys.

Where does he come up with this?!?!?!

S and J's Oktoberfest!

This past weekend S and I were not only fortunate enough to have a date night (first in months) but we also enjoyed our own version of Oktoberfest.  For the last few weeks we collected 4 seasonal beers.  It was 5 but once we found out that Pumpkinhead was a malt beverage (no wonder it always tasted like soda to me), it got booted from the competition. 

So the competitors we had were:  Sam Adam's Octoberfest, Blue Moon's Harvest Pumpkin Ale, UFO Pumpkin and Wolaver's Organic Pumpkin Ale.

Last week I covered the labels in white paper, covered the caps and peeled off the upper labels.  Before we began I removed the caps and numbered the bottles.  I was really happy that I had this week to forget my labeling....I totally forgot which was which :)

So on a rating scale of 1-5 (5 being the best), we rated the smell, initial taste and the after taste.  My winners are shown below in order.  S had Wolaver's and Blue Moon tied for first but the rest of his order was the same.   I was so bummed that my favorite of the four came in last!!!  I guess I only like the UFO for it's Jack-o-Lantern label :(  S was really bummed that Octoberfest was so blah...we thought we really loved it.

The winner had a delicious pumpkin spice smell, had a delicious initial taste and the only issue was a bit of a bitter after taste.  Over all though it was delicious, Good Job Otter Creek in VT!  Massachusetts your two beers finished last and I am very disappointed ;)  Colorado you did very well with your Harvest Moon. 

My Winner!!

This was super fun way to spend the afternoon (or at least 30 minutes of it) and we plan to do it again with winter brews.  What were the kids doing??  Well watching Curious George of course ;)

Gazillion Bubbles-A Birthday Adventure

 This weekend Mimi and Grandpa J treated the four of us, for our birthdays, to see Gazillion Bubbles at the Providence Performing Arts Center.  What a show!  The kids (and adults) were completely mesmerized as Fan Yang created the most amazing bubbles.  The finale of the show (as well as the Intermission entertainment) were the favorites of the Raising Z household but the entire show was wonderful.  It was the perfect gift for our clan, memories that will last a life time!  It was Lil C's first theater experience and she did great.  In the beginning she really wanted to go up on stage and pop Fan's bubbles but once she understood she had to just watch, she sat pretty still.  She did hop laps (which we all enjoyed) and her eyes were glued to the stage and all that went on up there.  Bubbles are an amazing thing....simple, beautiful, innocent and filled with magic.  Thanks Mimi and Grandpa for an absolutely wonderful day!


A few pictures of our adventure.  There were no cameras allowed but I did sneak a few shots of my kids inside with the flash off :)

Focus on the Family--October Edition

I am shocked that it is already time to turn over the calendar.  This month was tough but it FLEW by.  It seems like just yesterday we were unpacking the car from our time at the lake....I can't believe it is already FALL and now October!  This month is another busy one for us.  We will be spending some time at the lake, my baby girl turns 2, a bunch of parties and then of course Halloween!  This is my favorite time of the year and I am not trying to let the crazy get to me :)  Here are our family goals.

Family Time

*Go on a family adventure

*Spend a weekend (or 2) at the lake

*Host a big Family Party for C's birthday

*iChat with Daddy more often

 

Z and C Time

* Help Z night potty train (it's me)

*Get Outside every day we can

*Keep one morning a week a Lazy Morning

*Limit screen time
*Plan C's Birthday

Momma Time

*Join the Pilates Studio (and go at least once a week)
*Girls Night Out

*find some ME time each week

*Month 3 of my Happiness Project

Momma and Papa Time

*Date Night

*Really Start 5 Hours a Week (more on that later)

*Try to see each other at least once during the week (M-F)

Home Time

*Finish the Garage Make Over

*Start up Once a Month Cleaning Again

*Get back to healthy eating
*start the basement Make Over

Counting My Blessings
Today I am thankful for my beautiful Tante.  My great aunt, "Tante" passed away almost a year ago but we will finally celebrate her life at the beginning of this month (long story as to why it has taken so long).  There will be an entire weekend dedicated to the beautiful person that she was and people will travel from all over the country.  It will be a time filled with laughter, tears and great memories.  I was so blessed to have my Tante in my life.  She was always more like a 3rd grandmother to me and I miss her each and every day.  I love you Tante, thanks for bringing so many blessings into my life!

Apple Time

We went apple picking over the weekend at the cutest little farm.  We had to drive a ways to get there but it was so worth it.  S and I are not one for big crowds and the apple orchards around us are always PACKED.  You end up fighting for good apple picking trees and the lines in the farm stand are always out of control.  We had this orchard pretty much to ourselves and it was so darn quaint.

We bought a big bag and then took a tractor hayride out to the orchard.  The ride brought you through the farm where we got to see the pigs, their extensive garden and even the honey bees.  There were only two families out in the orchard while we were there and the kids had a ball picking apples.  We then returned to the farm stand and the kids played on the playground while I shopped in the store.  After some apple cider donuts, it was time to hit the road.

 It was a little warmer than I would have liked for apple picking (high 70's) but the rain held off and we had a wonderful time.  When I got home I made up a big pot of apple sauce and will dehydrate a batch of apples this week.  I love this time of year....it is so tasty!

Z's Birthday Tree

Today my baby boy turns 5.  He officially leaves the baby stage of life and heads into the young child stage.  This leaves me with such mixed emotions :(  I am so proud of the little boy he has become but I so miss the baby that I use to snuggle up with.  Today, while Z is at school, I will spend some time looking through his photo books and watching old videos.  I will most likely sob through the whole ordeal.  Then when I pick him up from school,  I will hug my big boy and tell him how proud I am of him and how excited I am for this next stage of his life.  He is such a special person.

We have celebrated 5 in a big way :)  He had two parties (one at the lake in early September with family and one here on Friday with friends).  For his birthday present, Z asked to go to Story Land and so we did that last weekend, this morning we will have our traditional cake for breakfast (well Z is going to have a birthday cookie but the rest of us will eat cake ;)) and my dad is coming into his classroom for the special birthday ceremony that they do.  This year Z also asked for a "Birthday Tree".  He wanted to decorate it with the Peace Ornaments he made at school and wanted his smaller presents under the tree (Story Land wouldn't fit).  Considering how much I love Christmas and the fact that it is only 60 days until we would have put it up anyway....we did it!  It is in his room and he LOVES it :)

Happy Birthday Z, I love you more than words can say.  Thanks for making me the happiest mommy in the world and for giving me the best job on the planet.

I LOVE you 100 x 5 x 1,000,000 x INFINITY more :)

Story Land Pictures

 A Few Birthday Party Pictures From Friday

Today I'm Happier Than A Tornado in a Trailer Park!

Da Gum!  Today is Z's big birthday party!  He and 10 friends (and 6 babies) will gather together for a Rootin' Tootin' Good Time...Tall Tale Mater Style.  We have organized a party that centers around that lovable Tow Truck and the DVD of Short Tall Tale Stories, Cars Toon, Mater's Tall Tales.

We had a whole outdoor obstacle course planned where the children would have had to jump over cars, spray fire out with hoses, fight a bulldozer, race Tokyo Mater style and fly to the moon......but rain is predicted :(  So we had to move the party indoors and set up a whole bunch of new activies.

There is a scavenger hunt to look for the 9 different maters from the movie, a table where they can make their own UFO ("Mator") and Mater, a Monster Truck Wrassling ring, Luigi and Guido's Tire Toss, our Radiator Springs Village with all of the Cars Characters, a Cars Reading Nook, Ramone's Tattoo parlor and the Cozy Cone Play area for all the little ones.  When the kids are all tuckered out they can come to Flo's V8 cafe for some pizza, juice and a mater cupcake.

Below are some pictures of the set up.  My friend Claire is the Artist who made all the big (bed) sheets we have hung all around the house :)  She made them for her son's birthday a few years back.  I was thrilled when she offered them to us, they are so great!

It should be an AWESOME day and if "I'm Lyin, I'm Cryin!"

Hanging in our Cathedral Family room :)

The Kitchen :)

Arts and Crafts and Tattoos :)

Design a Mator (UFO) and Mater

The Cozy Cone Play Area

more cozy cone stuff

bathroom :)

Tire Toss

Monster Truck Wrassling Ring

Prehistoric Radiator Springs

Cars Play Village