Dieting tip

Half a cookie on your face equals half the calories .....

A few questions....

1. Do you suppose he looked in the mirror before he headed to the beach and thought to himself, "Self, I look good!"?
2. Do you think he ever experiences self-doubt, self-consciousness or self-awareness?
3. What's your best guess as to what's playing on that ipod? I'm think something by Right Said Fred....I'm to sexy for this beach......
4. Notice, the ipod is tucked into the "bathing suit". Do you suppose he was concerned about ipod lines? Or chafing?
5. Why don't more men wear these?
6. If I got one for Brad, what color would you suggest?
7. Do you think I'm really mean?

Duh!

After her second, huge bowl of cereal.... "Gracie, where do you put all that food?"

"In my mouf?"

Maine, the cherry stones are sooooo good!

"Hmmm...what are those things that look like rocks that you are all eating?"
"I really think that I would like to try one."

"I know there's still one in my mouth...
but keep them coming!"
"These things are awesome. Can I have a glass of Chardonnay?"

Whenever my aunts are around, the food is sure to be amazing. I'm really not sure how they manage to stay so thin....Jackie steamed the cherry stones with fresh basil and garlic. They were the best I have ever had.

Change in plans....

"Mommy, I changed my mind about what I want to be when I grow up."

"You did?"

"Yeah, I'm going to be a dinosaur hunter instead."

Phew! No need for us to get long term care insurance or save for retirement...Sam will have no trouble paying our bills.

Maine, the water's cold

My sister moved to southern Maine a few weeks ago. She's a little over and hour from me now and it's been great to have her so close. This weekend my aunts Jackie and Ellen were visiting her. We went up for the day and ended up spending the night. So fun.

You'll just have to believe me, but the water in ME is so cold that it hurts. I couldn't get more than my toe wet. These guys didn't seem to care.

See all these big kids? They're my cousins. Sam and Grace had so much fun playing with them.

Hermit crabs are fascinating....
My little loner...
Ted was born my sophomore year of college. He's a freshman in high school this year. I am old.
My aunt Jackie...looks more like a sister than an aunt I think.

Hello Vermont!

Growing up, my family went camping in Vermont several times each summer. Every year, we would "rock hop" up the river that my hippie parents lived on before they had me. We would visit a "natural water slide" where you could slide down the side of a mountain into water so cold that you started swimming back up the minute your toes hit. We would swim in quarries so deep and so dark that I was actually scared. We fished in the river, slept in a lean-to, picked wild raspberries and ate maple sugar candy. At night, we would lay in a field and watch shooting stars. We launched paper airplanes and throw rocks from the Ball Mountain Dam and then eating at the "Dam Diner". I loved it.

Although they have upgraded from lean-to to rather large camper, complete with bath tub and air conditioning, my parents still go every year. I haven't been since before I got married. As much as I love it, the prospect of camping with really young kids has not been overly appealing. This week, we finally felt brave enough to give it a try.







































We had a wonderful time. My best camping trip ever. I get a little teary eyed thinking about how incredibly special it was to be with my parents and Brad, Sam and Grace doing the things that I loved when I was a little girl. I think my parents felt the same way that I did.

How to build a fire

when it's been raining for days and all your wood is wet.....

1. Stack your wet kindling so that plenty of oxygen can get to any flame that you may get started.

2. Stuff plenty of wet newspaper in the gaps and light. Fan and blow on it...till you get red in the face.

3. Wet wood and paper will smoke a lot.....keep small children away.

4. Once the paper has burned up, your fire will die. Wet wood doesn't like to burn. Ponder the laws of physics and engineering that you studied 20 years ago and try to come up with a better plan.

5. Sing and dance to Staying Alive in hopes that mother nature has a sense of humor....

6. When all of the above fails, get out the lamp oil and give everything a good dousing.

7. Viola! Fire!

Beautiful family Photos....

If only they would look at me....

Eye conract isn't necessary for a great photo. I mean, Brad looking down at Grace is actually sweet. Sam looking over at where the lesbian couple was getting married (gotta love MA) incredibly frustrating. We won't even talk about Grace. I'll just say she is my nemesis.

In this one, Brad is actually saying, "Look at the camera or I'm going to spank you." Sam doesn't care. He's making sure he doesn't have any stains on his shirt.

This is about the 20th one I took. I was no longer cool, calm and collected....I was yelling and threatening to leave the park and go home and take naps.

Lovely, isn't it?