An Enchanted Afternoon

Sunday December 11

This year was the first year I took Aila out for a Christmas adventure and boy did we have a good time. I picked her up after church and amazingly enough she said she was hungry, and since I hadn't eaten lunch we headed to Chipotle. Aila ate nearly her whole taco so I considered that a win for this amateur auntie! After lunch we drove to Jordan's Furniture in Avon to see the Enchanted Village. In typical fashion, my little protege fell asleep in the car on the way there. I drove around for a few minutes hoping she'd stay asleep for a little while (secretly hoping this very overworked, overtired auntie could find a spot in the parking lot, lock the doors and take a nap along with Miss A), but as soon as we got to the light to pull into plaza, Aila startled awake thinking she'd missed the whole surprise! I assured her that she hadn't and we made our way inside.

We had to walk through Jordan's Clearance Center to get to the Enchanted Village. Aila was already sold on how cool this place was! She oooohed and ahhhhed the whole way through "Seat!" "Seat!" "Couch!!" She loved it! If only the long, winding line went through the store, we'd have been all set.

That wasn't the case. It was a Disney World kind of line that took us at least 30-40 minutes to get through, which with a very energetic 2 year old wasn't exactly easy, but Aila did great. I brought her 2 favorite giraffes that live at my house so those kept her happy for a couple turns. Then she saw the ads for the Jordan's Polar Express Movie Ride and that got us through another few. By the time we got closer, she was about to lose it, and I broke out the big guns- my smartphone which was able to find the opening clip from Lion King. JACKPOT!!!

We finally got to the end of the line--- the big blue wall with the white silhouette of the enchanted village on it-- the houses that Aila called "The Castles!!" When we finally got inside, she was thrilled! She loved the figures, especially the scenes that had animals. She named them all "Puppy!" "Cat!"....

Miss A and her babies taking in all the scenes.

(For the record:: yes, she tried 4 times to hike her tiny leg up and get inside with the characters! LOL)
Enjoying our festive afternoon...
...... with this silly little goon
A nice lady behind us saw me taking photos of the two of us and kindly offered to take a shot of us. I agreed. Why not right? Well, Aila just wanted to talk to the nice lady. "Did you see Sampa? Did you see him? He's right there. Go say hi! Did you see Sampa?!!" (pointing at the display we just passed, with the animated Santa Claus).

No longer pointing but still talking. Sampa, was afterall, RIGHT THERE! Didn't she know?! :)
Taking in the last of the sights before we made our way out.

The one thing they changed since the last time I went is that when you exit the village you end up right at Santa (no separate line, hooray! this 2 year old was done with lines). She walked right over, waving frantically "Hi Sampa!! HI Sampa!" He asked if she wanted to sit on his lap. She turned around and looked at me as if to say "Yeah? Am I allowed?" I gave her a big nod and told her to hop on up. Well, it being Aila- she did! She hopped onto the stool in front of his chair, and then bounded right up into his lap. He was totally taken with her. Aila was pulling on his beard and just saying "Hi Sampa" over and over again, ignoring his questions about what she wanted for gifts. We got a photo and made our way out to the car.

It was time for a treat for this well behaved little one. We went to Starbucks and she got a mini donut and a mini whoopie pie. Delicious!

It was a great day with my little munchkie! I wasn't sure if she'd had as much fun as I thought she did, but when I picked her up the next Saturday (for the dance recital) she wanted to leave the house as soon as I could get her dressed. When I got her settled into her car seat she asked "Are we going to the Castles??!!" I guess that's my answer. She was ready to go back. Line or no line. So I think we'll be going back next year (and next time it won't be based on my crazy work schedule so I can do her a favor and try to find a time where the line won't be so horrendous).

I can't wait! Love you baby! :)

Nothing Says Christmas Like a Kickline!!

On Wednesday December 7th, Mom, Terri, Krissy, Megg, Emelyn and I met for a Christmas surprise! We met up after work at Rockbottom in the Theater District for dinner, and then headed over to the Wang Center to see the Rockette's Christmas Spectacular!! It was a complete surprise for the Fortin girls and they were thrilled!

Emelyn requested that I sit next to her, and I have to say that made the experience even more amazing. Watching her watch the show was so enjoyable. She loved every minute of Santa and the different performers. And she was totally entranced by the theater... looking up at the gorgeously decorated ceiling (all the while eating her cotton candy).





I was in the middle of a crazy couple weeks at work, and I had to go back to the hospital after the show, but I can't think of a better escape than a few hours spent with some of the people I love most in this world. And at Christmas time! I'm a very lucky girl!

All Aboard... the Polar Express!

Saturday December 3, 2011

This year marked our 3rd trip on the Polar Express and I think it may have been the most fun yet. I was a little worried that Willy's getting older and it may not be as much fun for him... he started asking why the train car wasn't the same as in the movie and stuff like that. But still, he was psyched to go!

We boarded the 2:45p train out of Greenbush and got a great seat! Willy took his spot at the window and was immediately enthralled with the rest of the engines in the yard.

Once everyone had boarded the train, the lady leading things for our car came on the PA system and enthusiastically asked "Where are we going today?!!!"

Every child on the train yelled excited at the top of their lungs "To the NORTH POLE!!!!!!!!"

And at exactly the same time, Willy yelled (with matched excitement) "NOWHERE!!!!"

I lost it! Full on giggles that it took about 10 minutes to fully stifle! But, he was just as happy as the rest of the kids, even if we were just going up a few miles and turning back around!

He enjoyed a chocolate chip cookie...

And some chocolate milk!
We sang Christmas Carols (here we are, mid-tune)....
"all is Merry and BRIIIIIGHT!"
Willy loves the elves (always pretty high school girls). This one had tattoos! She passed him by 3 times before I could flag her down and I think he thought he was going to totally miss out!
And then the big man arrived! Willy was so excited, waiting for him to come see us...
He asked for a Polar Express Remote Control Train and a Garbage Truck.... Santa asked if he'd been a good boy and shook his hand.
But the best part of all comes last. Willy got his bell!
I'm so happy that this sweet boy still believes, not just in Santa but in the "magic" of the Polar Express. I'm overjoyed that he still loves spending time with his Auntie, doing silly things, singing and sitting on my lap and telling me stories!

Merry Christmas Buddy! I love you to the moon and back!

a weekend tale

this weekend, and most weekends of late, was absolutely lovely.

friday:

low-key and quiet

dan tidied the basement.

i cleaned out the spare room- packing away all of the christmas purchases

and handmades that i'd spread across the bed so I could admire and fondle them

whenever i so chose

(but i didn't think our friend mike would like to sleep with books, toys and

my oodles of sharp knitting needles- so the cleaning was a must)

its ridiculously dark this time of year.

i cleaned up and did my "to-do's"

i sat down on the couch thinking i'd watch a half hour of tv and go to bed

and then i realized it was 6:30p not 8:30p.

oy! i guess i was tired!

i did some knitting, watched some Breaking Bad on loan from the library

to catch up with where Dan was

and then we got to bed early

saturday:

we woke up early. 7am i think it was

but we were both ready to go and go we did.

dan went grocery shopping.

i did oodles of dishes and tidied the house some more

then we had some breakfast and relaxed for a bit

until i headed out at 9a for a 10a yoga class with Mom

we went to the Whitman Wellness center

our first class

on a Living Social Deal we'd bought awhile back

(and will soon expire)

its definitely out of my way but it was a great value

and a good chance to do some exercise + hang out with Mom!

the teacher was great.

it was a restorative focused class with some flows mixed in.

lovely

a great way to start out the weekend.

i got home and showered and spent the mid-day working

on some christmas gifts- both knit and otherwise

catching up on Grey's Anatomy and some other DVRed shows

Matt brought Willy over to get the bonfire started

so the little man and I played with beanie babies for awhile

until it was time for me to leave for Bubba's 5th Anniversary Mass

at St. Bridgets.

After mass, Gram had us all back to her house.

Aunt Milly, Uncle Richie, Aunt Florence, Nancy, Paul & the girls,

Joannie, Mom, Dad and me.

We told some funny stories, ate dinner

and watched a slideshow of Mom & Dad's photos

from their recent trip to Illinois.

Oh those sweet faces of my niece and nephew make my heart so happy

I wish I could reach out and hug them every single day.

Sigh.

I got home a little before 8p to join the bonfire

already in progress at our house.

We had a great crowd!

Mike & Maureen (whom we just learned is pregnant! Congrats)

Dana, Sheri, Shawn, Mike Carter, Michelle, Jill

Ryan & Frank

Dave, Kathryn, Tony

Matt, Kris and the kids (the latter I missed because they had to head home to bed)

Chris, Karl

Larry (who I didn't get to see)

Mom and Dad

hmm sorry if I missed anyone. It was a really great time.

Rather warm and definitely perfectly toasty with the fire going.

Lots of laughs

Dan's new and old records playing on his new record player.

Some target practice was done w/ the be-be gun before I got home.

A great, fall + friends day!

sunday:

Dan made breakfast for Shawn and Jill who slept over

(Mike left early to play football)

we watched and made fun of some sunday morning programming on the tv

then they headed out and Dan and I charged ourselves

with watching the rest of Breaking Bad Season II

(so I could return it to the library with only minimal fines)

and watch we did.

I had my 4th headache of the week

and so it felt great to be lazy.

I didn't even knit most of the time.

I just had nothing left.

the rest of the day was much of the same.

tv, knitting, a few other small projects.

i ran out to the library

dan finished clean up outside, putting the backhoe back to bed.

and then there was football.

lots of football.

which i don't mind if i can knit! :)

it was the perfect end to the weekend.

some cuddling.

lots of yelling at the tv (dan)

lots of stitching and websurfing (me)

oh how i love the fall weekend!

this week

its a rainy, raw thursday evening. i'm sitting at home with a fire blazing, thankful that dan came home after work to get it going before he headed out to Mr. P's for their weekly card night. i ate some cereal while watching some DVRed Rosie and while blog surfing realized that the blog post with a video tutorial on how to crochet a circle had been posted! i put my bowl in the sink, grabbed some yarn and a hook and i got started! and i did it!! i've been wanting to know how to crochet for a long time now and never seem to make the time. so now its finally happening. don't get me wrong, i can't see crochet having quite the place in my life that knitting does, but its a good skill to have, especially for things like flowers (soo cute for hats and accessories) and for baby blankets (from what i hear they come along much more quickly that way).... so the learning is in progress!

what other tid bits from this week can i share?

did 3 days at the gym. 2 cardio days and an hour of yoga.

i'm still obsessed with podcasts. my favorite being the Knitmore Girls! i just can't get enough of Jasmine and Gigi. they just fascinate me to no end :) i think i listened to 5 hours straight of them on Sunday on the way home from Philly!

speaking of Philly, i broke down and got myself a Fast Lane so i can speed through those tolls like the rest of the smart drivers do! yaay for that. no idea why i'd been putting it off.

i finally ordered the Origins facewash and lotion i've been coveting! can't wait for that package to arrive in the mail.

i came home to a nice surprise on Sunday- Dan, in his basement cleaning, dug out some old photos and our handpainted Mexican tiles and some other things and hung them around the house! :) he did a great job! feels even more cozy here now somehow.

the last episodes of Sons of Anarchy (both of which I watched last night, the second of which with Dan) were "kick you in the crotch spit on your neck fantastic" as Rachel would say. unbelievable! the show is sooo well written! i'm obsessed!

i LOVE Rosie's new show! I'm not sure if its doing well in the ratings, but I think she's brilliant! insightful, funny, relevant, real, easy-going. just great!

still knitting up a storm! i started and finished another project this week- which of course i can't share because its a christmas gift! i'm making really great progress on my list, though as i get closer and closer to the end i just continue to think of things i just HAVE to make to wrap and put under the tree! it will be a very handmade christmas this year, which is something i'm immensely proud of.

i guess that will do it.

time to put on a podcast, wash my face and tidy up the house... and then perhaps a little knitting before bed!

night kids.

random bits

I've still been seriously bad at blogging but I was going to jot down a few things and realized I had some pictures here on my computer that would add a little pizzazz so I plopped some in! Serious effort, really!

My new desk space at work! I'm the most senior member on my team (in terms of Project Specialists anyways- Kim has technically been working at MGH longer than me), and so I got first pick of the 4 desks in my office space. I chose this beauty with a gorgeous view of the Charles River!

In the excitement of moving I took about 20 minutes worth of crafting fervor and decided to make a small canvas as the start of my redecorating of my space. I love this little guy!

And what always makes me smirk when I look at it is the fact that when I originally painted it, I forgot the "to" so it read "work hard and be nice people" more of a command than a reminder to myself! funny.
i've been knitting up a STORM lately- doing really well in the 'handmade Christmas gift' department this year. my percentage should definitely be up from last year which was one of my 2011 goals! and i've just got the knitting BUG now that its been cooler. i finished some baby stuff for and a hat and some other things. working on another hat now, and geeez i wish i could share every last one of them, but alas that would ruin the surprise so you'll just have to wait until december 26th at the earliest!

i've also gotten into knitting podcasts. its a nice compliment to my knitting obsession! i didn't think it would be interesting to HEAR people talk about knitting since (to my way of thinking) knitting is such a visual art... but, i like it! a lot! the only one i've listened to so far is called knit knit cafe- a mother/son team who are really interesting. i'm learning some new things and linking to new patterns and books because of their podcast. and best of all, its free! i love it!

yesterday kris sent me this gorgeous snapshot of my babe, Aila Grace! isn't she the sweetest thing. I can bet you $1000 that she picked out this outfit- the vest I think I gave her for Christmas last year but since she's just barely out of 12 month clothing I'm guessing she's just barely fitting into that stuff now! Little peanut!

She really is the sweetest! And such a girly girl. I babysat for her last Saturday night so Kris and Matt could go to the movies and Willy could have some quality time with Nanny and Grandpa. I brought her 2 purses, a giraffe zipper pouch and a giraffe beanie baby (after a massive clean out of my own stuff in the basement). She went nuts for them, carrying all 4 everywhere she went, even wanting to bring them to bed with her (mean-old Auntie Jen forbade the purses in the bed but she forgave me). All things pretty and all things giraffe interest this little one. Her fascination with these things is just pure joy to watch.

And now its time for yoga! Namaste.

right now

anticipating:: wood chopping weekend this weekend! getting stuff done + hanging out with friends and relatives + cooking yummy food and hopefully having a campfire. life is good

missing:: my friend kim who's on vacation this week.

happy:: that my friend dan has finally, somewhat, mostly moved up to our humble little 4-person office on the 6th floor and he can keep me company

needing:: to go to the gym. i will get there today. hoping the rest of the week will keep me motivated

wishing:: i had more motivation to clean this weekend instead of just declutter a few things. add that to the to-list for the week

awed:: (continually) by how cool Skype is. Ryan and I skyped (while cropping) with 4 of our other friends and fellow scrapbookers (Christine, Jenni, Beverly and Jill) who were cropping in Gettysburg on Friday night

obsessing:: about Christmas presents. i've gotten a lot done already. more than years past by far. both making and buying things. but i still have a long way to go and with my goal of doing MORE handmade, i'm still putting a lot of pressure on myself.

hating:: that having officemates (as much as love THEM) means I can't listen to Stern when that's the one thing that would put this morning into the over-the-top-awesome categoy

loving:: the season premieres of the shows I love. while alternatively wishing I didn't watch TV at all. yes. i'm a gemini. get over it.

dreaming:: of all sorts of creative projects that i never seem to have the time to complete.

life right now

• Sons of Anarchy is back on television and it makes me as giddy as the 10 year old version of myself shopping for binders and folders for back to school!
• Knitting cables is definitely more effort but the results are so stunning I'm surprised I don't work them into everything I knit.
• Nora Ephron is amazing. Her books I Feel Bad About My Neck and I Remember Nothing are delightful. Short and funny. So real and relateable. She reads the audio-version herself. Well worth it! (Here's one excerpt from the latter- #20 cracked me up!!)
• I have so much trouble waking up in the morning lately.
• I'm fairly addicted to Chipotle's rice and beans!
• I am still thankful not to be coughing (I was literally starting to think I'd cough for the rest of my life after the events of this summer)
• I am looking forward to apple picking and wearing sweaters, and eating honeycrisp apples
• I desperately need to get new glasses. On a nearly daily basis I find I can't see most things at work. Yet I'm too busy at work to leave for an hour to get an eye appt, so that remains unresolved!
• Meal planning during a crazy work week is absolutely useless. I was so excited to eat my tidily prepared lunches but was too busy to get back to my desk to eat them. Instead my very kind co-worker Dan brought me a boxed lunch. 1/4 of which I ate on a bench in the lobby of one of our new units, 1/4 I ate in small bites when I was alone in an elevator. 1/2 went in the trash.... meal planning take 2 next week.
• Sleeping in on the weekend feels luxurious!
• If I get my nails done every week or two I can actually have beautiful, girly nails. Who knew?!
• I now have the skills of a nearly more than amateur DJ! Dan taught me how to do it, and I DJed for my cousin Megan's wedding! Granted, I didn't actually mix anything until everyone was packing up. But I did it, and I didn't screw it up. That's gotta be a good sign right?!
• I finally got new LL Bean slippers (in Berry). My first pair have been washed so many times they are stiff and uncomfortable- the 2 least desirable qualities in slippers. I'm not in love with how these look but they are SO comfy and warm.
• Dan's finally on the motorcycle trip he's always dreamed up... he got off to a late start, has gotten rained on nearly every day, and had to shorten his route. BUT he's having a great time and after working countless hours at work for months on end, he so deserves this! I got a postcard from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame yesterday. Who knew he'd think of something so sweet to do!? Love that guy.
• I got to Skype with Riley & Garret the other night from home. Not always easy to do both from a timing perspective but also because I have a data limit on my internet use, but it was SO wonderful SEEING and HEARING them. I miss those two munchkies and can't wait to meet their little brother or sister in December (I think I'm getting a new niece for the record) :)
• so many things. this is what happens when i don't blog. photos coming next time :)

Update on 2011 Goals

When I am this behind on blog posts I never know where to start, but another blog post I read today made me think about the goals I'd set for this year... and as usual, the year has flown by and I couldn't for the life of me remember all of what I'd written down, so here I am.

So here's the latest:

Photography:

1. Take another class. I'd like to go back NESOP in the Spring for their Advanced Digital Camera class. And if that does work (schedule-wise or otherwise), I will find a similar class to build upon the basic understanding I learned in my Beginning Digital Camera class.

I haven't taken a full-on class, but I did a Boston Photo Tour through Chimpsy last Saturday with Mom, Kim and Ryan. I learned a couple new things and was reminded of a few things I'd forgotten! Definitely a fun and useful 2+ hours. It made me want to take a fall class at NESOP but I'm feeling like Spring will be a better opportunity for that. And I'm ok with it.

2. Take more photos of the everyday. I'm going to make a point to leave my camera in specific places around the house in hopes that it will remind me to capture small moments at home, or take it with me when I hop in the car to go somewhere that I wouldn't normally take my big honkin' camera.

I did well with this earlier in the year but come the late spring and then summer (during which I was sick for over 5 weeks), that definitely fell off the radar. No excuses. It just didn't happen....

3. Try my hand at some more semi-professional photo shoots. I really enjoyed working with Angela & Barry, Dave & Cara, DJ & Manda, and little Mackenzie & Brielle. Definitely wanting to try some more challenging photography in 2011. If you're interested in a free session, let me know!

Haven't done this, but perhaps some Christmas cards? :)

Crochet

I've done a little dabbling with this craft both during 2010 and already a little bit in the new year. I'm not convinced I'll ever love it as much as knitting, but I already know that it is has a lot of great applications and I want to learn at least the basics with crochet. I have a book that my friend Ellen leant to me over a year now (if you need it back please just holler), and I'm looking forward to tackling some of the squares from that book, even if its just to make a doll blanket for one of my nieces!

Nothing. Really want to!! :)

Sewing

I think a Thursday Night Sewing Club is already forming and I love that prospect. My Aunt Florence has graciously offered to teach Mom and me how to sew (Mom knows some basics. I do not). My friends Ryan and Kim are also very interested, and so I think us ladies (plus Nathan when he's free) may just have a grand old time learning how to sew. I'm very much looking forward to it. If I can sew a button on a shirt by the end of 2011, I'll consider that a success since I can't even do that. Anything more is a bonus!

We started the year out strong with our sewing lessons. As a result I sewed a whole pile of cloth napkins (which means we do not buy paper napkins or paper towels anymore)!! :) And I made a few other small items- a fort kit for Riley's birthday complete with a drawstring pouch to put it in. Not bad for a beginner. And then we had Riley and Garret a couple nights a week as Jeff and Melissa got them ready to move to IL, so time was better spent giving baths and snuggling and cleaning baby food out of Garret's ears... and those are the trade offs in life. I'm happy with how those hours are spent. I have no grand dreams of being a seamstress. If I can sew a few things if/when the urge strikes me, I'm happy with that.

Knitting

I've learned a lot about knitting in 2010 but there's more I'd like to learn and projects I'd still like to accomplish. This year I'm planning to make at least 1 more hat and 2 more afghans (one is in progress now). I will also learn to make mittens.

I've finished 1 afghan and I've got one in progress!

I've made 8 hats (holy cow!!), 2 cowls, 2 baby vests, 3 dresses, a baby sweater, and a pair of legwarmers. Not too shabby! Mittens will likely strike my fancy as these cool temps roll in.

Make More Handmade Gifts

1. I very much enjoyed this part of my Christmas routine this year. I am planning to update this post with an exact percentage of how much of my gift giving was handmade by me (or others) this year with plans to increase that percentage for next year's Christmas season.

This is a good reminder for me. I've already knit a number of Christmas gifts :) And I've been keeping an eye out for local and handmade gifts (a few of which I've purchased).

2. Start Christmas crafting by May at the latest. There simply wasn't enough time to do all of what I wanted to do this year. I have zillions of notes saved in Evernote. Lots of ideas. Just need to start executing earlier.

Success! I started in June I think. Close enough :)

Think about Simplifying on a Daily Basis

I'm finding that there is a lot of clutter in my life lately. When I am mindful about how I am spending my time and what I am wanting to accomplish I can do a lot of these things that really make me feel productive and happy.

1. I am aiming to watch less television on weeknights so that I can spend more time reading and crafting. Sitting in the quiet by the fire right now is so amazingly peaceful. I am in the midst of a stressful week at work and yet I am not stressed. I write this to remind myself of how well this CAN work.

This comes and goes... I've done well with this this week while Dan's been away. I put on the radio throughout the house and putter around... if he's already got the tv on, I'm easily sucked in. I'll have to work on that.

2. I want to be better organized with my work bag and items I always think I need on a daily basis and yet rarely do (until the moment I need that specific thing and its inevitably at home)... I need less stuff and I need to be more organized= the bottom line.

I found a great, big bag this summer and use a large Vera Bradley cosmetics case to hold most of my normal purse things (lipgloss, gum, pager, etc) and its worked REALLY WELL! :) Yaay for a $15 target canvas bag.

3. Cleaner car & cleaner home. To be fair neither are actually dirty. But they are both cluttered. It's part of who I am. I'd rather work on something until I drop than to stop 15 minutes early and put everything away (really, that doesn't sound like it's any fun at all does it??). However, at the end of the week it looks like 2 adults, 6 kids and 3 circus clowns live in this small house and as much as it doesn't take me 2 days to clean, its still mildly overwhelming and let's face it, unnecessary. It drives Dan crazy and that's not fair. I am happier when the house is clean and clutter-free and I need to do the little things every day to make that happen. If I put stuff away at night, it will make my morning's easier... It's a good thing all around. I just need to push myself.

I did well with the house portion (for the most part) except when I was sick. Then it got really ugly around here ;) I got my car detailed and have been good about keeping it looking nice ever since. I may have created a monster though because now I think daily about wanting to get it detailed again. Must find another Groupon!!

Pay It OFF

1. Pay off my Student Loan.

2. Pay off my Car Loan.

My car is paid off!!!!! WOO HOO!

Student loan is well on its way. I should have this done by December! :)

Not bad, all in all!

Still some work to do. But manageable I think.

Looking forward to fall, crisp air, relaxed weekends and Progress!

yikes

echo.

echo.

echo.

life's been a whirlwind.

more to come soon.

i promise.

3 Day Training 2011

Training for the Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure

It's tough. It's fun. It's beautiful.

I usually try to keep up my pace so I haven't been great about taking photos.

But I'm overjoyed at the ones I have.

The routes I travel around my house are gorgeous.

Trees. Flowers. Animals. Farms. Barns. Beautiful Homes.

I am such a lucky girl.

And so I wanted to share it with all of you.

Enjoy!

4 times the fun

April 12, 2011

Tuesday afternoon usually means hanging with Willy & Aila.

But this particular Tuesday had twice the fun in store.

My parents had Sox tickets and Melissa had to work,

so I picked up Riley & Garret at school and headed over to see Willy & Aila.

The afternoon started out like any other- Aila occupying my shoes as soon as I vacated them.

These 4 get along so well. Garret is a year younger than Aila, but she thinks he's fascinating. She dotes over him as if he were a newborn.

The two bigger kids set to trains and building towers.

Of course its never all-smiles all the time.

Aila's faces crack me up. I wish I knew what Riley had said to her!

So much to keep track of when following the 4 of them around the house....

Garret always getting into something and the others are usually glad to help him!

Again with the faces. I think I asked her a question.

Either that or Garret was trying to take her princess cup (for the 8 millionth time) :)

You tell him, A!

Gosh those cheeks are priceless!

And even more yummy up close!!!

"The Face" makes a reappearance.

Followed by a sweet face from this little princess who wanted her own portrait taken after Willy got his turn.

But this is my favorite capture of the day. Aila. So focused (a rarity).

And so ironic considering what I cropped out of the rest of the photo- the 3 other hooligans who were in a state similar to that shown below---

Love it! They so wanted to take pictures but trying to get all 4 of them in order. Impossible.

But this is real and I love it even more!

Willy's sensitive side.

I can't believe how grown up he's looking lately. Less and less baby each passing week.

Speaking of getting big- this peanut is getting longer and longer. But she's still got a baby belly and is glad to share!

It was a whirlwind afternoon. We stayed for dinner since Matt offered and since Riley was obsessed with the idea. It was a great spring afternoon with 4 cutie pies.

life according to my phone

I was flipping through the photos on my phone

and realized what a lovely little snapshot of my life it is.

April 7th: photo courtesy of Emelyn

during her birthday dinner at Friendly's

Another by budding photographer Emelyn Mae

She sure enjoyed that Shirley Temple!

and taking photos of it! there must have been 8 on my phone. I saved only the best one.

all birthdays should be this happy.



Clearly its been too long since I've done anything with these photos, but I believe this was Dave's last day at MGH. I had left 1 box on his chair the day before. I walked into the office on this particular morning to find this.

My computer monitor is behind that angled box in the back! LOL

I laughed so hard the people in the office next door (who I don't know very well)

must have thought I was insane!

I love having co-workers with a sense of humor.

Life has been really busy these days and take-out is an unfortunate part of my routine. Not every day but some days. I try to make the healthiest choices that I can.... one of my new favorite options is Chipotle. Rice, black beans, corn salsa, peppers, onions and guacamole.

On this particular day, the server added mild salsa which was not what I ordered and so I got my whole meal free! Gotta celebrate the little things :)

Having a camera phone is handy while shopping. I found these shoes that I thought Dan would love, but he's so unpredictable when it comes to shoes... so I sent him a text.

As it turns out, he didn't get it for weeks! No idea what happened there.

Best laid plans.

But- I bought them. He loved them!

Car detailing.

I've never done it before. $125 well spent! My car looked brand new!

Such a relief after 2+ winters of sand and crumbs and dirt....

It was truly gross.

It got a deep clean and then I put in new WeatherTech rubber mats to keep any new dirt (which entered the car 5 minutes later), from seeping into the rug. Success.


And then Dave was gone. But we never thought to change the sign.

I finally took it out one morning. But it seemed like a waste to print a new one, especially when our office inhabitants will likely change again very soon.

So I figured, keep it simple- just cross Dave off.

Shopping for our Trivia Night Fundraiser! I was at BJs picking up a few things I needed for our house, and instead of writing down prices, I just snapped some photos. Check a few more things off the giant to-do list.

And for more Trivia Night Planning- a night out with Kris. She wanted to try out PinkBerry at Derby Street Shoppes. A great idea! We chatted about plans, made sure our lists were up to date and that everything was accounted for, with a treat in hand.

Little snippets of real life.

Courtesy of my EVO :)