We Are Family

Cousins. These days it's not so easy to get everyone together....distance..family scheduling..kids' activities...work. We do our best.

Sometimes we have.to think like Nike,"Just Do It!" rather than wait. Sometimes we wait....trying to get everyone at the same time, in the same place, with the same people. That's quite the challenge.

Thanks to Facebook, we were able to coordinate a wonderful day with cousins...from Biff's side...although since we've been married, Biff and I have no "sides"....we have "our" family. It's such fun to get together at home ...share the dogs,cats, kids and tbe beach, laugh, tell stories, see things and family from a different perspective, learn little bits of family history...and have the time to really know each other...now, as adults, on our own terms.

Biff, the kids, the cousins and I had a blast! And they brought cake and cookies from one of my favorite bakeries! Coffee and bagels, beach, dinner, home for dessert and coffee...talk and a funny movie. A vacation in a bottle day!

Best of all, they're coming back soon. Think of what we might have missed if we waited until....until...until. We just did it and we're so glad we did. Simple abundance...family fun.

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Cat Scratch Fever

Daisy and Fitzy averting their eyes ... inside they're thinking, c'mon already. You're a cat!

Just Hanging Around

Boo suddenly jumped, flew through the air and clung to the screen of the window....latched himself onto the screen. Hanging there, he seemed to be trying to prove to me that he meant to do that. Yup. Uh huh. Here I am attached to the living room window screen. Weee! Lookk at me Daisy, Fitzy, T.J. and mom! Now I'm really having fun. You bet! I'm loving it!

I sometimes feel embarrassed for Boo when he gets himself into this kind of predicament. Really. It's awkward! For all of us. HmmmmMmmmm...we' not paying attention Boo. It's. not like we feel your pain..la-di-da.

He jumps up at the windows and doors when he sees a fly, a moth or a leaf. Sadly, he jumps up on the glass and goes plummeting down...bump. Oh sure, like he meant to do that. I wasn't born yesterday. Doesn't he have any dignity?

Frankly, I don't like to offer help in these situations. I mean, Boo is a cat...it may leave him feeling less than feline. It may diminish his confidence as a cat. Maybe we won't have to let the cat out of the bag....ssshhhhhh.

To Market, To Market

Here in Connecticut, spring is officially here when the farmer's markets fill the town greens. Each market has it's own energy. Staying at the local market or visiting out of town, it's a taste of the simpler life and natural goodness.

With folk music, flowers, herbs, fish, soaps, meats and cheeses. Folks of all ages bring lawn chairs, picnic blankets scattered all over green grass, toddlers dancing and spinning, babies in backpacks, grandparents with grandchildren, tourists and teenagers

Imagine how it was long ago...the town green...the meeting place...news...families...happenings ...activities
...politics...music...the place to be. Now, some find it kitchy. Ironic. Everything old is new again.

Sun, Sun, Sun, Here We Come

Another gray day. Until it/ changes ...for awhile. I change my clothes. Grace and T.J. arrive home after school as the sun begins to shine. Yay! It's Friday. I love the weekends. Always have, always will.

The kids are exhausted by Friday. It's nice to have them laying low after school...relaxed having some "chill time"...for now. Grace has to babysit. T.J. has no plans...til tomorrow. After making some "indoor s'mores" and chatting, I was off to walk Daisy and Fitz.

We walked down to the beach....in sunshine. "Walking in Sunshine," as the song goes. Beautiful.

Kayaks are beginning to spot the racks...soon these racks will be full with colors like a pack of Lifesavers candy. The pop of color delights my eyes and reminds me it's time to get our kayaks to the beach...and the sailboat too.

Dogs swim and shake sell over...me. Who cares! It's sunny! Sea glass sparkles on the dry sand....heaven. Heavenly. Life is good. I'm grateful for the little things....I go home and change clothes...it's a bit damp. Here we go again!

Mud Room

Yes, it's true. It's Connecticut after all. Everyone has a "mud room" at the back door. Well, almost everyone. We have the back door. Oh wait...sometimes the front door. There are mud rooms that are as formal as the Oval Office and there are mud rooms as basic as hooks and a bench with everything in between. I'm not sure when the mud room came into existence…it is definitely a New England thing…certainly now that our living is just a bit  more rural than suburban. Now we have dirt, boots, sand, sneakers, dirt, hiking shoes,  sand, sandals and shoes….and paws! Lots of paws…with dogs who could use their own mud room. For the dogs, we have the ever coveted Billy Maes ShamWow as seen on TV! Don't laugh! It works! I'm a real live testimonial!

Growing up in my lovely suburban bedroom community, we didn't have mudrooms...we kept our shoes on. There was a mat to wipe our feet, even in our upscale community...just a mat. Kids just kept their shoes on....unless a mom was the type that didn't want the kids in the living room. The front door was a clue, an unwritten kid code that signaled the type of house we were entering.

As we walked in the door, instantly we could sense the atmosphere. Shoes...on or off. Check. Everything perfectly in place with no sign of life. Check. Volume in the house. Check. Some houses were ultra quiet, uncomfortably quiet. Check. Whoop! Whoop! Playdar! Our playdar went off! This is a show house....this house is fun! The mom has lots of rules. Check. Playdar let us know how to behave. Tiptoe shoes off house or skip shoes on house? By the way, the skipping, shoes on house had better snacks too!



Houses are different. Families are different. Energy kicks in right at the door...or mudroom. Just wondering, is Martha Stewart reponsible for the mudroom? What kind of energy does your home have? Really, all that matters to me...to make everyone welcome.

I try not to send the signal that I'm one of "those" moms. I don't want to be THAT mom, as Grace and T.J. say. Funny but I'm not thinking I stand a chance to be THAT mom. Byt thte way, THAT mom might run right out of our house without a specific place to keep her shoes….and we don't often wear slippers…we're not THAT family either! Don't get me started. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Weather Or Not

Weather. Everyone's talking about it. Rain. Wind. Damp. Windbreaker. Slicker. Polarfleece vest. Pants. Rainboots. Sandals. Shorts. Skirts. Sneakers. Sweater. Tee Shirts. Baseball cap. Socks. Sweatshirts.

All of the clothing worn in the last 2 days....hot. cold. steamy. damp. sunny Wndy. Blue skies. Thunder. Chilly.

3 clothing changes before 5 p.m.

Do you know what all of this means? It's back to the dungeon with a gigantic pile of laundry! Happy weekend? Don't worry...the weathers report is for partly cloudy wit some rain and maybe some sun...probably damp until it dries up...in which case it may be warm with a breeze it cold with wind unless the sun peeks out and heats things up. Maybe. Sometime. Or not.

What's a Connecticut girl to wear?

Love

Red

Chatty Catty

Every now and then T.J.mentions to me that I'm talking to him in the same tone that I talk to the dogs. Oh! I probably should mention the way I talk to the cats too.

It's true. I'm quite aware that I use the tone...we all do it. Biff, Grace and T.J. too. Grace pops in the door after school and squeals, "Feets! ....Dooog! ....Buddhist! .....Blink!" Translation: Fitz, Daisy....Boo..Jinx. And I'm the one being reminded? Hmmm. Kaley, Grace's BFF, told me I was talking to her like I talk to the dogs...I told her she should be flattered! I love our dogs.

Once, when Biff's brother was visiting, in the middle of a conversation, we noticed Grace's new kitty attempting to jump up onto the kitchen counter.......instantly we all sang out,"MEHHH-HEHHH!!!!" Ed burst out laughing and choked out,"I'm afraid to ask!"

So when i get a little reminder from T.J., it's not with the same teenage sarcastic tone or disillusioned look that he might give me when I ask the name of the song on his i-phone. It's not the pained look he gives me when I mention my twitter name to a friend....or that shake of his head when my blog is being discussed. His reminder is merely a cue to catch myself before I ramble on throughout the day speaking animal speak. At least I think that's why he calls it to my attention.

It's not that T.J. doesn't chat in his own "talk to the animals" tone of voice...he understands. It's the other people. I think T.J., like any other teenager we know, is desperately afraid that I'll continue my animal speak at the grocery store or at a school event. Really.

After all, the sole job of our teenagers is to monitor us or do damage control for every situation they have to be seen in public with us, the parents. That's quite a full time job! I wonder how Grace and T.J. can go to school with the responsibilty of reeling us in. Oh well, we manage to get by...until we're out with them in public again.

Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again

Wet Dog Days

Yes it's the day after...cleaning, scrubbing, mopping, washing, wiping, steaming. Today...wet dogs! Wet dogs smell. They shake. Paw prints on the white tile floor. Life. Life goes on...and on and on. I love our family, including dogs and cats and muddy prints, way more than the white tile floor...most of the time...just kidding...kind of. It's just more challenging the day after the mean clean.

Ooh, Ooh, Ooh, Looking Out My Back Door!

Ashlaen Farm Coffee, Old Lyme, Ct

Here in Connecticut it's a treasure to have a family run farm reinvented by roasting coffee, serving it fresh in the small coffee bar right there at the farm. What a step back in time..a real niche for locals to meet and swap stories, coo at new babies, keep up on local news and events.

Always greeted with smiles, a warm hello and immediate attention to the business at hand....putting a cup of steaming hot coffee in my hand.

It's the people, the place and the atmosphere...horses and random farm animals outside add to the peaceful, natural beauty while the interesting and friendly people that make it all a pleasure. I stop in for just a moment to get a morning jolt and ironically stopping at the farm gives is a little treasure....slowing down! For a mom, that's a good thing!

Do you have a favorite place that slows you down or gives you peace?

Cuddle Kitten

It's been a busy day. Finally I mademo it home between the raindrops and downpours....I took a moment to flop on the plumped up couch while reading my emails....suddenly Boo appeared and as if calling to me with a trill so I was aware he was ready to pounce, get some cozy time while nestling into my arm, settling in, purring and falling asleep. He was so sweet, stretching across my arm, I took those minutes to enjoy the quiet and his warmth on such a damp day.

Grace and T.J. arrived home from school just as my arm began falling asleep....funny because they don't think I do anything while they're at school. Now they have proof. Bon Bon mom!

More Laundry

just when I thought I was safe.after 7,658 loads of laundry today...in between taking out 214 bags of trash for the garbage collector, scrubbing bathrooms and attempting to look like a glamorous, put together stylin' wife/mom and dog walker (glamormama)....I heard footsteps coming downstairs long after our Good night and God Bless You's were through...maybe 10:30p.m.? It was T.J. He called, mid-staircase, "Mom, did my khakis get washed? I have to wear them tomorrow."

O.k. Practically the only thing unwashed? The khakis. I probably didn't need to tell you that...if you're a mom!

A Yogi Berra Monday...it ain't over til it's over and it's not over yet! I'm going to bed. It's after midnight. I put the khakis in tbe wash. First, I moved the load in the washer to the dryer. I poured in my Tide with bleach and closed the lid. I pushed the power button and went on my way.

About an hour later, I went to switch the laundry to the dryer.......Horror! Ahhh thr agony! Apparently, in my enthusiastic attempt to do yet another load of laundry, I must have skipped off after pushing "power" but not the "start" button. The khakisare on spin cycle and I'm on fluff...my pillow, that is. I'll have to switch the khakis to the dryer in the morning....when I wake up...if I wake up...in time to put the pants in the dryer..and remember to push the start button..or maybe I should just do the switch now???

What's a mother to do?




..

Me. Now. Tonight. Or Is It Tomorrow Already?

"Mom? My khakis?"......the first words I'll hear in the morning. Yawn. Zzzzzzz.

Forgot The List

As I skipped throughout the aisles at the grocery store, hunting and gathering dinner, I made it throught the fruits and veggies before it hit me. The list! I forgot the list. Again.

There I was smack in the middle of the meat department with no idea what to make for dinner The meat department is not usually my kind of place to linger but I have been working on my Becky Home Becky skills...like cooking. It's not that I can't cook...it's just that I've been boiling water and tossing in a different pasta every night....for years! Dinnertime is challenging...although pasta works with many dishes.

Grace is 16...her meal of choice is still pasta...white pasta. Peas or frozen Lima beans. Thankfully, T.J. has branched out in his Epicurean delights...although he doesn't eat peas...or frozen lima beans....or oatmeal, another staple in Grace's culinary repertoire.

Try not to judge...we all have to pick our own battles. Yours may not be food ...it may be school...or hair....or clothing...or friends...or homework....the battles go on and on. I didn't eat lasagna until college because I didn't like the name...the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. By the way, Grace and T.J. both like apples.

Yes, we are an odd bunch. Speaking of bunches, bananas were one of Grace's favorite fruits...until they weren't. T.J. still likes banana. Both kids liked meatloaf...until one day at age 4 when Grace stopped liking meatloaf...and every meat. T.J. likes a variety of meats. Grace doesn't eat sandwiches. Or jelly. Yes for peanut butter on Ritz crackers. T.J. likes sandwiches. They both like waffles. Grace loves scrambled eggs...You guessed it....T.J. not so much. They both like cereal...Cracklin' Oat Bran yes...Grace doesn't care for Cheerios...T.J. does. They both like clementines, oranges, grapes, melons and strawberries. Raisins for.T.J, not for Grace.

Funny, I guess I should have made a fruit salad for dinner. Don't say it...you're thinking we're a bunch of fruits. Yup...maybe even mixed up. It makes life interesting.

Cleaning Lady

Mondays are like that. Why is the house even more upside down when we have a whole weekend to get it right side up? I guess I know the answer. Considering my mom taught me there's a place for everything and everything on it's place, you'd think I'd have caught on by now.

She's also the one who taught me to make the bed first thing in the morning so if all else fails, at least your bed looks pretty and it pulls the room together. At least I caught on to that tid bit of wisdom...or really, now I think it might have been the working mom's attempt to get it all done!

Oh! One other thing she taught me...if your house is perfectly spotless, then you're not having any fun. I guess I've been having too much fun....until today.

NOT!

Monday Morning Mellow

Gray day. Damp. Drizzly. Oh to cuddle up under the comforters again.

Bookstore Date

We've been going on bookstore dates from the very beginning. Biff and I love books. Today was a lazy, rainy day at home until early afternoon. We took some time to get out on our own. Sometimes we just need our own time....it's still a treat. It's not about where or what...it's just time for us to be alone...together. So we spent some time, side by side, in the bookstore. Reading. Sharing. Talking. Just a couple of hours....so sweet.

We called the kids and told them to get ready....we all went out for dinner for some family fun together.

Ladies And Gentlemen

Oops! He forgot to open the car door! His parent's jumped! How could you forget. We reminded you of that's earlier. You're supposed to be a gentleman! We all laughed. Awkward moments. Grace glided over to her car door...business as usual.

Pre- Prom Moments

How can it be possible? Our little girl is all dressed up to go to prom. It may not be her prom...her day will be soon enough! The boy invited her about a month ago. He arrived with yellow roses the day he came to ask Grace to the prom....sweet? Yes. Kodak commercial? Yes! Our little girl was asked to the prom...by a boy she knows from the winter ski bus.

It's prom day. It's time.

Fancy That!