signs you are on vacation

- the baby arrives at inn wearing only panties and a tank top (classy) because at the last rest stop girls' bathroom is closed for cleaning (?) and the boys are taking a terribly long time forcing you to take said baby into a port-a-potty where she ceremoniously drops the super cute pink skort to her ankles and into the sludge on the floor. ew.

- you say things like, "don't eat too many donut holes or you won't have room for ice cream."

- you obsessively spray sunscreen on anything that moves, but somehow miss the backs of your legs.

- you find yourself listing for your kids the pros and cons of public beach restrooms vs. ocean peeing. choose wisely, young grasshoppers.

- going for coffee at dunkin' more than once a day becomes an unspoken rule.

- $12 for a lobster roll is a bargain.

- fried clam strips are an acceptable breakfast food.

- a kid in the pool after a day at the beach counts as a bath.

- you learn the word "wicked" can be used to describe anything.

in the heart of the sea

in the spirit of travelling to new england for vacation, i picked this book from mm's bookshelf.

it was horrifying, but i couldn't put it down.

then, while shopping in nh, i saw a shirt that pretty much sums it up,


"bring a gps... it's awkward when you have to eat your buddies."

catch-22

eight-year-old had a meltdown. it just doesn't happen that often, so when it does, we are caught a little off guard. okay, extremely off guard.

"i cannot take you in the store if you are crying." i patiently say, "we will have to stay in the car until you stop." yeah, i said it, i don't know what i was thinking, really.

mm and other kids head in. "hey mommy, i'm not crying. i'm a good girl." three-year-old just has to add. "i'm not crying either, mommy," six-year-old brags. nice.

"i can't stop crying," eight-year-old wails. "because i want to go in the store and you aren't letting me."

ah, a catch-22. i'm game. we sit. and sit. i think about how i'm not going to be able to sneak those double stuf oreos into the cart. or the rolos. or the bacon... grr.

"i haven't had any fun today." she whines.
"me either." i can whine too.
"this is so unfair!" she continues.
"tell me about it." i think about the bacon.

finally, the impasse is over. we head into the store, hand in hand.
and, as usual, for the life of me, i cannot even remember what started the whole thing.

sweet mother of bacon.

lost and found

so now that the july birthdays are over...

i found the birthday candles. right where i put them.

do over, anyone?

don't give me no hand me down shoes

when i was pregnant with m (the first) people were always trying to give me stuff...

big stuff - beds, exersaucers, pack n' plays, etc.
little stuff - clothes, toys, etc.

i politely declined, thinking, "me? no way! no hand-me-downs for my kid!"

i bought everything new. i hand-picked each outfit.

fast forward to third kid...

i have not purchased clothes for k in months, maybe even a year. thanks to friends and family, she has more clothes and shoes than me. definitely more swimsuits.

thanks to friends and family, m and g have lots of "new" hand-me-downs as well.

hand me a bag o' clothes. i'll take it.

i'd like to think it's because i have grown as a person.
so let me just think it.
it's also quite green of me, no?

change always comes bearing gifts. ~price pritchett

belly love

we were sitting in our favorite pizza place waiting for our order.
just talking and relaxing.

k snuggles up next to me and pats my stomach, ahem, muffin top.
"i love your big belly." she says.

oh, she is so cute, and so used to be my favorite...
pass the pepperoni!

great to be eight

everything's been different
all the day long,
lovely things have happened,
nothing has gone wrong.

nobody has scolded me,
everyone has smiled,
isn't it delicious
to be a birthday child?

~rose fyleman~

stars align

these are my teva sunglasses.
from marshall's.
circa 2006.

first beach trip post-purchase, nose thingy fell off. put it in my makeup bag. have been to the beach two times since.

for three years now, i have moved the nose thingy from place to place. jewelry drawer, kitchen drawer, etc. thinking, i should glue it.

but where are the glasses? in the car. where is the glue? too far.

this morning, stars align.
can finally mark this off my freaky long list. whew.

kids and fireworks

poppers - throw them on the driveway - burn mark on g's ankle.
poppers - pull the string - red mark under g's left eye.
parachutes - float down from the sky - burn mark on g's hand,
"why yes, i really think i should run and pick up that smoking tube."
sparklers - spark hit m's hand, scared her, so she threw it down... on her leg.

this list doesn't include the g's fall off the (evil) teeter totter within four minutes of arrival, before i even got to impart (evil) teeter totter wisdom...
or k's flip off the trapeze, landing on her knee.

and you people make fun of my first aid kit -
that is in my backsack as we speak.

hope ya'll had a happy fourth!