Splitting Some Ash

"I'm going back out to split some ash." Those were Davey-baby's first words to me when he got home from work tonight. In my "no school, three fighting kids all day long" stupor, the words sounded more like "I'm going back out to kick some a--" But we all know Dave's not the fighting kind of guy. So here we are, the kids and I hanging out in the family room listening to the thunk, thunk, thunks as Dave chops us some wood. What a guy - gotta love him.

Crazy Daisies

Call us tacky, call us goofy… whatever you want. Still, the flower arrangement of choice here on Belmont Road is Crazy Daisies. It all started a few years ago when Dave decided to bring home some flowers from the grocery store and the kids were with him. Even though daffodils are my favorites, followed by lilies… the kids wanted the unnaturally colored daisies. They’ve been a hit ever since. Sophie was delighted with them on her ninth birthday and Lucy requested them for her seventh. If memory serves me correctly, even John wanted them for his birthday. From now on think of us and smile as you pass by the flower buckets in the grocery store and see the fluorescent-like daisies sticking out – because soon, I’m sure, they’ll be in a vase on our kitchen table.

Suite Night VII

Tonight is the big event - our seventh "Suite Night" party. It all started almost twenty two years ago when Dave started hanging out with a group of guys who shared his dorm room suite and second floor. Though we didn't start dating until two years later, I attended a few of their infamous parties thanks to our joint friend (and future matchmaker) Liz.

So around three o'clock this afternoon between 20-25 friends and their children will join us here on Belmont Road and relive both college and past Suite Night memories. We'll catch up with one another, the kids will play and then, after appetizers and a few drinks, the grownups will head to the hockey arena arena and our rented suite to cheer on our favorite college hockey team - the University of North Dakota.

In late July, the trend continues, except this time we all head to Minneapolis and a suite at the Metrodome to watch the Twins play. My preference of the two? I do believe it would be Minneaplis because then we leave the kids at home and Dave and I get a mini-vacation. But whatever the case, it's all about fun and catching up with dear friends.

Pictures, Updated

We're home and I've finally got the pictures uploaded... so if you're interested in London scenery, go back and take a look. I thought one of the neatest things was to find the webcam of Trafalgar Square on the internet... if only I would have known that earlier we could have called the kids and told them where to look as we waved at them. Oh well... live and learn.

Wicked

Last April, our niece Kylie, went to New York City with her chorus and came home raving about the musical Wicked. It sounded somewhat strange to me - what's all this about the Wicked Witch of the West (Elphaba) being a good person, a person who tried to stand up for what she believed in and make a difference?! But then we read the book by Gregory Maguire for book club and I, too, became a strong supporter of Elphaba. As we researched theatre productions in London's West End, I was thrilled to see Wicked on the list... and we managed to get 7 tickets for our last night in London. I built it up so much in my mind, and to the others, that I was afraid that it could never live up to our expectations. In fact, I told everyone that before they complained about it, they had to read the book and then, only then, would I accept complaining emails - one a day for the year.

But I was soooo wrong. During the first act, Lorraine looked over at me and gave me a thumbs up. At the intermission, Jonathan and Maureen loaded up on the soundtrack and t-shirts for their son David, and Brian even bought a t-shirt for Caroline (his 12 year old daughter). In the meantime, I loaded up on ice cream and couldn't wait for the second act to commence.

Although it did, at times, vary from the book, it was fabulously well done. The two leads were so well joined together - and yet so very different. The careful movements of Elphaba's hands to illustrate her passion versus the flighty hair "toss, toss"es of Galinda were in sharp contrast to one another. I will admit that after reading the book, I couldn't imagine where the music fit in - songs such as Popular and Defying Gravity... but they, too, were absolutely perfect. I went to sleep, long after Dave's snores started, thinking about Elphaba and her attemps at making things better for all... and thought, "If only we all could do the same..."

Thanks for the Phone Calls!

Hey Mom and Dad, we loved hearing from you.

On Sunday we decided to take our new interest in basketball to a new level and so we (the kidderoos and your guest blogging babysitter) went to the YMCA to practice shooting some "hoops." John got better and better as the day went on. Sophie and Lucy were dribbling fools and were both pretty good at making the shots.



Later in the afternoon we decided to see a matinée of Night at the Museum. We loved it. There were so many great characters in the movie it is impossible to choose who to "be" when playing the story out at home. There's the Easter Island statue who calls Larry "Dum, Dum" and Teddy Roosevelt, and the head of the Roman soldiers, Sacajawea, Rexie, and Attila the Hun to name a few.

London Days (Monday)

Just look at the view from our hotel room... the fountain and courtyard was beautful to see and walk through on our way to the hotel lobby. Today was the day for the whole group to hang out – the meetings were finished and everyone was able to relax. I got the most relaxation with an hour long Sodashi massage in the morning while Dave, Jonathan, Maureen, Harley and Lorraine headed to the Eye of London. Later, Brian (who enjoyed his own relaxation and lie in) and I walked to Trafalgar Square (bottom left) to meet up with them at Waterstone’s bookstore.

From there, we all trekked in the rain, taking occasional pauses from the rain underneath doorways and in lobbies. We made it to St. Paul’s Cathedral where Harley looked around as Brian and I, after carrying almost empty coffee cups for 45 minutes, managed to spill their remains all over the marble floor in the lobby area. The joke then was that we spent the afternoon mopping up the floor of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Brian, the Irishman, was surprised that the ticketsellers then took the cups from me and threw them in the garbage. (The reason why we carried the empty cups around was that there were not any garbage bins in sight – one less place to put bombs.)


We then headed to Sloane Square so I could buy some wool for our dear babysitter and knitter extraordinaire Carmyn. After lunch/supper in a pub, we headed to a china shop and back to Harrods so Harley could see it. Our night then ended with a West End Theatre production of “Wicked.” That, however, deserves its very own post!

The picture on the left features Dave, Lorraine, Brian and Harley... and Big Ben.

Monkeyin' Around

Well, we had a FULL Saturday. I had no idea what sorts of crazy times I was signing on for. We started the day bright and early... 6:30 am on a Saturday. Like I said, I had no idea! And then before lunch we made a library trip (I had books to return and books to get for myself so it seemed like a great idea...) The kids settled on 8 books each... for an even two dozen. I thought that sounded about right! ;) We may actually read most of them before mom and dad return too... Today we read a couple Tacky the Penguin books and one called The Ballad of the Pirate Queens and Skippyjon Jones. We practiced some knitting and I even made an eye patch for Pirate John. Then we decided it was time to get ready for the big night.

The half-time show of the girls basketball game.

We got the hair done, the suit on, and we were off to the ballet company for practice... We fed Sophie some snacks before she left us--bananas, of course. And then the rest of the crew ate at the basketball game. There was a wee bit of miscommunication though. We thought the game started at 7:15 and would be done at a reasonable time... Ahhh, no. It started at 7:45 and so the halftime show wasn't until much later. We were ready to leave then (or shall I say, --I-- was ready to leave then) but there was no way John could leave until he saw if his team would win. And his team? Why whichever one was wearing blue. In this case, the "away team"-- the Spartans. So, he and Lucy cheered for their opposing teams and when the half-time show was done Sophie joined in. Lucy was recruited to draw the winning ticket for the 50/50 drawing. I think we have some future Knights on our hands.

The performance was fantastic. Our little monkey, I mean Sophie, did such a great job. They were one of three numbers and I overheard a man say theirs was the BEST of all of them. Of course they were all good, but I sort of agree.

I will say I am a little shocked at how little Lucy and John seem to know about basketball. And it was a bit of a test for me to try to explain the game in 5 year old terms; I think we covered fouls, free throws, jump balls, traveling, how the points are done in twos except for free throws and silly me, the three point shot. We also talked about sportsmanship, standing for the opposing teams school song etc. John even had an idea for how they could add goalies to the game. Each basketball hoop could have a person up there with a big stick to knock the ball out of the way. I said I thought that might be dangerous, but he explained they would wear a helmet. "That would certainly keep the scores low," I replied. "Yeah, like in hockey" was the response.

The Knights won; the day was fun. Don't even ask when they got to bed.

London Days (Sunday)

While Dave has been in meetings all weekend, I’ve had a wonderful time exploring London. Our hotel is located in an excellent area – it seems most areas of interest are only a 10-15 minute walk away.

Each day I’ve enjoyed a “lie in” and then met the girls: Maureen (Isle of Man) and Lorraine (Princeton, NJ) for brunch.

After brunch today we walked two blocks from our hotel to Buckingham Palace and saw the changing of the guard – it was so very crowded but I still managed to get a few pics.

From there we managed a 15 minute walk along Constitution Street to Knightsbridge where we admired the shops and did a bit of shopping ourselves at Harrods. (The picture of Harrods was actually taken Monday evening.)

After Dave’s meetings were over, we went to a pub to watch the highly touted Ireland/France rugby match. Poor Brian (Dublin) had tickets to it, but was stuck watching it with us rugby ignorant Americans while Fiona and her father got to see it in person. As we watched I found I preferred all the action to American football (gasp!) and was sad to see Ireland lose in the last minute of the match.

Finally, we gathered at Simpsons on Strand for a dinner with the whole group. While there, we were surprised to see a side order called Bubble and Squeak. Fortunately, Maureen was able to explain that it is a dish made up of fried-up leftover vegetables.

It was nice to have Pat and Ellen’s (Scranton, PA) kids with us. Every time we saw them they were all smiles, and Patrick (the 15 year old) even tried the goose pate as a starter. Harley (Lorraine’s husband) raved over his sponge cake dessert so much that our waiter, Talat, brought seconds just for him. Not to worry – we all helped out with seconds.

Manners Don't Matter... tee hee

Woo Hoo... glad you made it to London. Sounds like you are having a great time. And let's hope your "dogs" hold out with all that walking, Marci. The kids loved the double decker bus and now are convinced they need to see that show... will there be another trip to London just for Scooby-Doo?

Our Friday was pretty typical. We just hung out around home and for supper we feasted on spaghetti... or Parmesan noodles for John, and as you can see we were all on our best well-mannered behavior. Before bed we read some of a pirate Geronimo Stilton book. Guess who picked that one. We love you too.....

We're Here in London

Twenty-two hours after leaving our house, we arrived at the Crowne Plaza just in time for a pint, a quick shower and dinner with friends. Today, while Davey-baby was in meetings, Lorraine and I walked 15 minutes to the National Gallery. Along the way we saw Big Ben as he rang out at 11:30, walked by the Westminister Abbey and 10 Downing Street, and, finally through Trafalgar Square. The National Gallery was a true pleasure - seeing the actual work by Picasso, Monet, Van Gogh, Renoir, Vermeer, and Da Vinci was wonderful. I got so excited at one point that the guard came over and told me to stand back. Silly is pretty much how I felt at that point.

Sophie, Lucy and John - take a look at the double decker bus; I bet you wish you were here! The good news for you three is we'll wait to see Scooby Doo until you're with us. In the meantime, enjoy your shows from the Scooby Bowl.


We love you and miss you!

Back on the Homefront

While the dynamic duo are wending their way across land and sea, the kids are doing fine back home. Tonight we did spelling words and tried on the hockey gear and played some sort of tickle monster game in which I (the guest blogging babysitter) kept being instructed to pretend to fall asleep like their dad or allow myself to be fooled by the substitution of "cheese" for "please" or to be distracted by random phrases like... "Look the TV is on...." or "Oh no! Your computer is broken!" Ahhhh, yes that is ONE way to distract the tickle monster. But nothing was broken and the spelling words can be spelled flawlessly and McDonald's Playland is no place for grownups... at least not in the actual PLAY area... my hair is permanently static-filled and yet... once home they were asleep in no time... a bit later than normal, but asleep safe and sound nonetheless....

We're off to London.... sort of

Although Dave and I left the house at 2:30 for a 4:40 flight, it's 6 pm and we’re still right here at the Mark Andrews International Airport. A few minutes ago a cheer rose up after the announcement came that the plane we’re waiting on is in the air and should be here within the next 60 minutes. The cafeteria/dining room/gift shop which is usually occupied by one or two other people is bursting at the seams and Dave’s on his third gin and tonic. Too bad they only have two choices of beer: Bud or Bud Light. I guess I'll wait until we arrive at our destination – and then get myself a pint.

Thanks for the inspiration Ashleigh and Carmyn!

I did it - last night at 10:30 I finished the scarf I thought would never end. For those of you that don't know the story it started sometime in November when Carmyn brought over some gray yarn, handed me some needles and said, "OK, now you're going to make a scarf." So I tried, and I tried and I tried. On our roadtrip to Arizona, I knit all the way through Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico. Unfortunately I kept adding stitches. Once I discovered that, I tried decreasing stitches - all resulting in a big hump on one side of the scarf. I was ready to leave it be, but when we made it to Sedona, Mom, without hesitation, took out row after row after row. There went Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico. Still, I plugged away until the same thing happened again. This time it was Carmyn who did the pulling out, but upon seeing my despair she then knitted back up to where I'd been. Then I stalled - for about a month. In the meantime, Carmyn went crazy - check out her blog for her creations. So, finally inspired, I overcame my knitting block and finished up. The picture on the left are all knit scarves and gloves: the gray one by me, one confetti one and matching gloves by Carmyn, and the two on the right by my 20 year old neice Ashleigh - she paved the way for all of us. Thanks for the inspiration Ash!

Valentine's Tradition

Each year at this time Sophie, Lucy and I head to my favorite coffee shop, The Urban Stampede, for hot chocolate, sweet treats and some intense valentine making. We started this when Sophie was in Kindergarten, last year Lucy joined us, and next year there will be four of us making valentines as John will be in Kindergarten. Nothing beats drinking hot chocolate, thinking about friends and family, and sneaking in a piece of chocolate candy every now and then. Happy Valentine's Day!

Favorite Book Series

Since first grade, Sophie has devoured the Geronimo Stilton books. They are the typical formulaic fiction that ultimately help kids take risks and become better readers - not unlike the Trixie Beldon books of my day. There's always the same constant set of characters that the reader comes to rely on; they provide a certain sense of predictability and stability that can be comforting to a reader. The Geronimo Stilton books are a bit different from other series novels because of their layout – they still have some pictures and the text font is, at times, colorful and whimsical.

Although Sophie is still sure to order a Geronimo Stilton book from any book order she’s more apt to dig through my baskets of children’s literature and pull something out from there to read. However, she’s begun sharing her love of Mr. Stilton with Lucy and John. For the past three nights they’ve cuddled up either in Lucy’s bed or by the fire as she’s read The Search for Sunken Treasure to them. Three kids cuddled by the fire, reading – what a wonderful sight.