While waiting for Auntie to finish making dinner, Liam performed his "cleaning song." Cutie pie!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Thanks Jen!
Stacey and I went to the Newburyport Literay Festival yesterday. It was a blast!
We started out attending a reading by Andre Dubus (author of House of Sand and Fog.) His new book is a story of a woman who is a stripper, who brings her young daughter to work with her one night because her usual babysitter is sick. The little girl gets kindnapped, and..well, I don't know what happens after that! The book totally drew me in, and the discussion afterwards was interesting and very funny.
Next we went to a reading by JoeAnn Hart. Her book was Addled, which takes place at a posh exclusive country club that has been invaded by a gaggle of geese. In a room of 25 guests, Stacey and I were the only ones who were stonefaced through the reading. The discussion was interesting, though. This woman's approach was completely opposite of Andre's! He said write, write, write--even though you may end up throwing a lot of it away, you never know what you're going to learn about your characters. She had a very narrow view of her characters, and seemed to have them all sketched out in her head before she started writing. He refuses to create an outline because he doesn't know what is going to happen in the story; she knows the beginning, middle, and end, and writes different sections as she goes. Interesting.
After lunch with Bill and Jen, and a relaxing cup of tea, Bill joined us for one more session--Investigating Crimes of the Century.
The panel consisted of two authors. Stephanie Schorow, who wrote about the Brinks Robbery, and Keith Ablow, who wrote about Scott Peterson. Keith was pretty pompous, but he had some really interesting tidbits about Scott's upbringing (his grandfather was murdered, his mother was placed in an orphanage, she gave up 2 children when she got pregnant as a teen, she gave up Scott's brother when he was a teenager, etc.)
I bought the book , and stood in line to get it signed by the author. Some wacko lamo lady cut me in line, and then asked the longest most roundabout question of the author. Whatever! Here's me and Jen trying to act sophisticated.
I read half of it last night, and will probably finish reading the second half tonight.
This morning, I went online and ordered the Andre Dubous book from Amazon.com. Hopefully I'll have it to read for vacation at the end of May. While there, I ordered a few books for Liam, so he'd have some to read on vacation, too. Both books are the first in a series--I'm hoping he gets hooked and we can buy the rest of the series throughout the summer.
The first is Nate the Great, about a young boy who solves mysteries. I have a feeling it might be a little bit like The Great Brain, which I loved when I was younger.
I have to remember to tell Liam about "the case of the missing fingernail file" that Auntie wrote when she was younger!
The second is Henry and Mudge, about a young boy who doesn't have any brothers and sisters, and his best friend, his dog Mudge. Sound familiar?
I would bet $1M this is going to be a hit with Liam.
We started out attending a reading by Andre Dubus (author of House of Sand and Fog.) His new book is a story of a woman who is a stripper, who brings her young daughter to work with her one night because her usual babysitter is sick. The little girl gets kindnapped, and..well, I don't know what happens after that! The book totally drew me in, and the discussion afterwards was interesting and very funny.
Next we went to a reading by JoeAnn Hart. Her book was Addled, which takes place at a posh exclusive country club that has been invaded by a gaggle of geese. In a room of 25 guests, Stacey and I were the only ones who were stonefaced through the reading. The discussion was interesting, though. This woman's approach was completely opposite of Andre's! He said write, write, write--even though you may end up throwing a lot of it away, you never know what you're going to learn about your characters. She had a very narrow view of her characters, and seemed to have them all sketched out in her head before she started writing. He refuses to create an outline because he doesn't know what is going to happen in the story; she knows the beginning, middle, and end, and writes different sections as she goes. Interesting.
After lunch with Bill and Jen, and a relaxing cup of tea, Bill joined us for one more session--Investigating Crimes of the Century.
The panel consisted of two authors. Stephanie Schorow, who wrote about the Brinks Robbery, and Keith Ablow, who wrote about Scott Peterson. Keith was pretty pompous, but he had some really interesting tidbits about Scott's upbringing (his grandfather was murdered, his mother was placed in an orphanage, she gave up 2 children when she got pregnant as a teen, she gave up Scott's brother when he was a teenager, etc.)
I bought the book , and stood in line to get it signed by the author. Some wacko lamo lady cut me in line, and then asked the longest most roundabout question of the author. Whatever! Here's me and Jen trying to act sophisticated.
I read half of it last night, and will probably finish reading the second half tonight.
This morning, I went online and ordered the Andre Dubous book from Amazon.com. Hopefully I'll have it to read for vacation at the end of May. While there, I ordered a few books for Liam, so he'd have some to read on vacation, too. Both books are the first in a series--I'm hoping he gets hooked and we can buy the rest of the series throughout the summer.
The first is Nate the Great, about a young boy who solves mysteries. I have a feeling it might be a little bit like The Great Brain, which I loved when I was younger.I have to remember to tell Liam about "the case of the missing fingernail file" that Auntie wrote when she was younger!
The second is Henry and Mudge, about a young boy who doesn't have any brothers and sisters, and his best friend, his dog Mudge. Sound familiar?
I would bet $1M this is going to be a hit with Liam.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
A guest post by Flynnie
This is me on Easter--don't I look so handsome with my blue bandana, and my fur all brushed out? I am a big boy, and mumma says that I am fluffy, wooly, cuddly, handsome....but she also says that sticks & leaves stick to me, that I keep bringing mulch in the house with me, and when I swim, it takes FOREVER for my fur to dry out.
Yesterday I got my summer puppy cut. I was really sad getting into the car without Gretty, and I missed her all day long. I think she missed me, too. It took SOOO long for the nice ladies to get all of the fur off. But they were really nice and gave me lots and lots of pats (but no water!) I feel so light and airy! And I smell so good! DiDi says that I look big and strong. And Uncle Brad patted me allll night.
Don't worry Liam, I'll still burp even if I have a short hair cut! The best part is that when Gretty and I wrestle, there isn't so much fur for her to grab on, so I think I might be able to beat her pretty soon.
Thank you mumma for getting my haircut...Al Roker said it is going to be 80 degrees today, and I am ready!
And here is me after a big swim on Sunday! Soooo wet!
Yesterday I got my summer puppy cut. I was really sad getting into the car without Gretty, and I missed her all day long. I think she missed me, too. It took SOOO long for the nice ladies to get all of the fur off. But they were really nice and gave me lots and lots of pats (but no water!) I feel so light and airy! And I smell so good! DiDi says that I look big and strong. And Uncle Brad patted me allll night.
Don't worry Liam, I'll still burp even if I have a short hair cut! The best part is that when Gretty and I wrestle, there isn't so much fur for her to grab on, so I think I might be able to beat her pretty soon.
Thank you mumma for getting my haircut...Al Roker said it is going to be 80 degrees today, and I am ready!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
13 noses, 26 ears, 52 paws!
The whole dog-gang went for a big walk today, with lots and lots of swimming. Even Zachy did some swimming/walking-in-the-water!
Can you tell which one is Flynn and which one is Zach?
It's not easy to take photos of Gretty, especially when she is running and playing and protecting her friends. But she was there, leading the pack, and having a blast!
Getting a group photo of 13 dogs isn't as easy as it sounds. From Left: Timmy, Winona, Mac, Molly, Zach, Sandy, Sienna, Lucy, Gretty, Flynnie, Rocky, Stormy.
But where's Buddy??
There's Buddy! But now where is Zack?
Can you tell which one is Flynn and which one is Zach?
There were two people sitting quietly on this bench when we arrived...after being greeted by 13 dogs, I wonder why they left?
It's not easy to take photos of Gretty, especially when she is running and playing and protecting her friends. But she was there, leading the pack, and having a blast!
Getting a group photo of 13 dogs isn't as easy as it sounds. From Left: Timmy, Winona, Mac, Molly, Zach, Sandy, Sienna, Lucy, Gretty, Flynnie, Rocky, Stormy. But where's Buddy??
There's Buddy! But now where is Zack?
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Easter Egg Hunt
Auntie Sue cooked Easter dinner for everyone at Auntie Nancy's house this year. While Sue was cooking, the kids & doggies were busy scouting the back yard for eggs & toys left by the Easter Bunny. The video is so long, I can't get it to load to this site...but I won't give up!
After the hunt, the kids brought their treasure inside and sorted through it with Auntie Nancy and Uncle Frank. Some of the toys were silly!
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After the hunt, the kids brought their treasure inside and sorted through it with Auntie Nancy and Uncle Frank. Some of the toys were silly!
Liam's ribbon says, "I try my best!"
Caroline got some quarters in her egg!
The kids decorated Auntie's window, then we went back outside to play.
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Auntie Shelly and Liam help strenghten the tee-pee we started building yesterday. What good helpers!
Flynnie LOVES the tee-pee. I think he appreciates the shade!!!
After a yummy dinner, Auntie Sue and Catherine had some much needed snuggle time.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
The Girls
Caroline and Catherine moved to Massachusetts in January, and they are the cutest little girls in the entire world. Caroline has huge blue eyes, has a great sense of humor, and is super smart. She's already mastered the art of teasing--offering DiDi some fruit snacks, then laughing hysterically when DiDi realized all of the fruit snacks were gone!
Catherine has made soooo much progress in the 4 months she's lived here. She can now sit up by herself and eats cereal--but she still doesn't like to be alone! She has a HUGE smile and loves all of the doggies.
Catherine loves to pat the doggies...she's very tactile! Flynnie waited until their second meeting to give Catherine a full fledged kiss.
We are all sooo happy to have our beautiful girls with us!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Polar Express December 2007
Last Christmas, Brad and I took the boys on The Polar Express.
A 2 hour ride to the North Pole (aka Gillette Stadium) turned into a 5 hour ride, because it was so cold out, we weren't allowed to get off the train. Fortunately, there were lots of activities to keep everyone entertained.
The highlight was when Santa came on the train, and with Willie & Charlie by his side, Liam was finally brave enough to have his picture taken with Santa!
The highlight was when Santa came on the train, and with Willie & Charlie by his side, Liam was finally brave enough to have his picture taken with Santa!
You are my sunshine
Today Caroline went on her first Massachusetts adventure with her cousin & 2 of her aunties. Yesterday, the temperatures hit 70 degrees, so we planned to go to the beach to get some sunshine and let Flynnie and Gretta do some running and swimming. (Zoe had a hurt leg, otherwise she would have come too.) Well, it turned out to be overcast, rainy, and in the 50's. But that didn't stop us.
The kids rode with DiDi, and the doggies rode with Auntie Nancy. Everyone packed an extra pair of clothes, and Auntie brought lots of towels, so we didn't have to worry about getting wet. (Auntie gets full credit on that one.) By the time we got to the beach, it had stopped raining, thank goodness. Liam insisted he had been at this beach before, when we had our pictures taken 2 years ago. Auntie rolled up her jeans and walked into the water all the way up to her knees, and the kids did the same....except they went in all the way to their piggy toes.
Gretta did lots of running and a little swimming. Flynnie did lots of swimming, and a little running. There were a surprising number of other people & dogs out for a swim, but Gretta and Flynnie were on guard to make sure none of them got to close to the kids. They were the perfect--although we didn't collect all of our tennis balls!
After an hour of playing, we all started to get a little cold (not Flynnie!), so headed back to the car to change. Auntie gave Caroline a shoulder ride, and even climbed on some rocks. We stopped to take some photos, then got changed in Auntie's car. Caroline couldn't quite sit on the rocks, so Liam had to hold her up. Then he offered to give her a shoulder ride.
Uncle Frank packed a picnic (as well as Caroline's portable potty and a roll of toilet paper!), so the kids had juice and fruit snacks while they cuddled under some blankets. Fortunately, they were protected by doggies on both sides.
After the picnic snack, we headed to Pizzeria Uno for lunch. Caroline didn't like her grilled cheese, so Liam shared his pasta. We ended with a brownie sundae with 4 spoons--Caroline only liked the vanilla ice-cream without any black stuff on it, and Auntie was happy to accommodate her. [Note Liam's breadstick soaking in melted butter below.]
All in all a great day, and a perfect first adventure!
The kids rode with DiDi, and the doggies rode with Auntie Nancy. Everyone packed an extra pair of clothes, and Auntie brought lots of towels, so we didn't have to worry about getting wet. (Auntie gets full credit on that one.) By the time we got to the beach, it had stopped raining, thank goodness. Liam insisted he had been at this beach before, when we had our pictures taken 2 years ago. Auntie rolled up her jeans and walked into the water all the way up to her knees, and the kids did the same....except they went in all the way to their piggy toes.
Gretta did lots of running and a little swimming. Flynnie did lots of swimming, and a little running. There were a surprising number of other people & dogs out for a swim, but Gretta and Flynnie were on guard to make sure none of them got to close to the kids. They were the perfect--although we didn't collect all of our tennis balls!
After an hour of playing, we all started to get a little cold (not Flynnie!), so headed back to the car to change. Auntie gave Caroline a shoulder ride, and even climbed on some rocks. We stopped to take some photos, then got changed in Auntie's car. Caroline couldn't quite sit on the rocks, so Liam had to hold her up. Then he offered to give her a shoulder ride.
Uncle Frank packed a picnic (as well as Caroline's portable potty and a roll of toilet paper!), so the kids had juice and fruit snacks while they cuddled under some blankets. Fortunately, they were protected by doggies on both sides.
After the picnic snack, we headed to Pizzeria Uno for lunch. Caroline didn't like her grilled cheese, so Liam shared his pasta. We ended with a brownie sundae with 4 spoons--Caroline only liked the vanilla ice-cream without any black stuff on it, and Auntie was happy to accommodate her. [Note Liam's breadstick soaking in melted butter below.]
All in all a great day, and a perfect first adventure!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Clowns
DeeDee and Corey planned on taking the boys to the Big Apple Circus on Saturday, but then realized that Saturday was Courtney's prom. So, DiDi and Liam got to go instead!
With seats in the second row, we didn't miss a thing. Willie's favorite was the poodles. Charlie's favorite was Grandma Clown. And Liam's favorite? Charlie & Willie.
When riding in the car together, the boys like to pretend that they are going to college. (Wouldn't that be nice?) We ate 3 boxes of popcorn, 3 hotdogs, 1 pretzel, 1 cotton candy, and 3 waters. When we got home, it was time for a quick Happy Meal dinner and bed, so Charlie let Liam wear his LightningMcQueen pajamas home. Nice boys.
Note that Willie was too nervous to be in the photo with Grandma Clown. It's nice that the big-boys aren't too big.
With seats in the second row, we didn't miss a thing. Willie's favorite was the poodles. Charlie's favorite was Grandma Clown. And Liam's favorite? Charlie & Willie. When riding in the car together, the boys like to pretend that they are going to college. (Wouldn't that be nice?) We ate 3 boxes of popcorn, 3 hotdogs, 1 pretzel, 1 cotton candy, and 3 waters. When we got home, it was time for a quick Happy Meal dinner and bed, so Charlie let Liam wear his LightningMcQueen pajamas home. Nice boys.
Note that Willie was too nervous to be in the photo with Grandma Clown. It's nice that the big-boys aren't too big.
Follow the bouncing ball
Caroline and Auntie Shelly went to their first show at The Opera House last weekend. Uncle Frank and Catherine picked them up after the show, then came to DiDi's for lunch and a visit (lunch = take out sandwiches.) Although DiDi's house is small, there are lots of interesting things to touch and see. Caroline has always loved the little rocks, and all kids love the fruit whistles. Catherine has very proud to show DiDi that she can sit up all by herself! What a big beautiful smile!!!
Both Caroline and Catherine enjoyed bouncing on the blue ball (with a little bit of help from Daddy.)
Caroline was very silly, and loved jumping on DiDi's furniture.
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