No inspiration

Just a shout out to let you know that I just plain haven't felt like writing.  I feel I want to have a niche to write about instead of the mundane dealings of everyday.  I had someone ask and so I thought I'd let you all know.  Thanks for reading.  I may or may not be back!

I'm heading to OH tomorrow for my mom's memorial service.  She died in January and we're finally going to meet and celebrate her life.

Changing things up

1.  Blogger added some new templates.  A friend mentioned she saw hummingbirds the other day, so that's why I chose this one!  It feels appropriate for summertime.

2.  I took Lola to Chuck E. Cheese's today.  We met some friends and had a really good time!  The new CEC's is near the Danbury Mall.  We then went over to the mall for a Happy Meal.  I had a large fries and a frappe.  Oh yum!  What a guilty pleasure those two items were!  We then went over to The Christmas Tree shop.  We got some outdoor games and some crafts for "camp."  We got back and got right in the pick up line at school.

3.  We had a late afternoon doctor appointment and then went to John's Best for dinner.  Lola had a very full birthday and then got to come home to more presents!  She went to bed a very happy little 4-year old!

Outdoorsy Day

1.  Lola and I started the day by meeting friends at Cranbury Park in Norwalk.  It's located at 300 Grumman Ave and is really nice!  It has a playground and walking trails, frisbee golf, and an amazing old weeping birch tree that you can play under!  It was like a fairy tale!

2.  We then went to Bartlett Arboretum in Stamford.  It's free on Wednesdays!  We walked around on the woodland trails and then went to lunch at Parkway Diner nearby.

3.  We took Grace to her last social skills class.  SuperKids is a good program, but she says she's done!  I won't miss the drive over to Norwalk every week and the obligatory walk to CVS for gum with Lola.  We took the sealife cookies from Lola's party and still have tons left!

Farm to Lake

1.  Lola and I started out at Sport Hill Farm where we planted a pizza garden!  We planted a tomato, oregano, basil and chives.  It will be fun to see if we can get them to grow and not be eaten by all the wildlife in our area!

2.  From the farm we went to the lake in Trumbull.  One of the girls in the Mom's EMT group invited everyone over for swimming at her parents' house.  It was freezing, but the kids still had fun.  We ate pizza and then I brought cupcakes to celebrate Lola's birthday.  I have so many still leftover from her party!

3.  Tomorrow will be a busy day with a playground playdate at Cranbury Park in Norwalk then we're meeting a friend at the Bartlett Arboretum in Stamford and then having lunch.  I did walk on the treadmill today and need to make sure I can squeeze it in tomorrow, too!

Presents

1.  Lola has had a ball playing with all her new presents.  I'll have to say that I've enjoyed them, too.  Either I get to play them with her or she is playing quietly by herself.  We really have to start going through all our old toys and blessing others with them!  Flylady taught me that!

2.  We went to The Little Gym and then to LA Fitness and then had swim class this afternoon.  This was the last swim class for the session.  Show week is next week for TLG.  I also went to Trader Joe's and The Fresh Market.  Dinner was spaghetti and meatballs.  Rich asked me what the meatballs were made of-they were the turkey ones from TJ's.  I think that means he didn't like them very much!

3.  I typed poems for Grace's class to publish in a book tonight.  It was fun reading what 7 year olds write about!  Rich and I watched two episodes of Pawn Stars.  Love that show!

Party Day!

1.  Lola's party finally got here!  She has been waiting so long and really had a great day.  I spent all weekend getting ready for today and am pooped, but satisfied that it was a good time.  We had 45 people in our house!  It was a stressful weekend and next year I'll think long and hard about having the party here vs. somewhere else!

2.  We have mounds of new presents.  I'm going to have the girls help me go through old toys to donate to charity.  This will be a good rainy/hot day project this summer.  I donate things to the Vietnam Veterans Association because they take most anything and pick it all up!

3.  I'm looking forward to starting a new week and to getting back into a routine.  Grace is better and will go to school tomorrow.  Actually, the way it's looking on my calendar, we won't be getting back to the gym at all this week!  I'm going to have to make a point to at least get on my treadmill.

Exhausted

1.  I went to bed very late last night after making the cookies for Lola's party.  I fell asleep and was called by one kid.  She said she had just woken up and was hungry.  I got her oatmeal and brought it to her bed.  Then I went back to bed and fell asleep and she called me again.  This happened a few times.  Then I got back to sleep and the other kid called me!  Needless to say, it was a bad night!  My husband slept fine!

2.  Lola woke up early and got me up then we went to her last soccer practice.  She played really well and then got a medal and a ticket for ice cream from an ice cream truck they hired to come for the day. 

3.  We came back and immediately started baking.  I had bought one of those pans that makes doll cakes since she wants a mermaid cake.  My first attempt at the cake was an utter failure, culminating in a very wet cake and a very messy oven.  I then made cupcakes as a back up plan.  After that I cleaned out the oven and made another cake for the mermaid cake.  It seemed to turn out much better.  Tomorrow will be the frosting and decorating day.  I hope it turns out ok!  The kids helped me decorate the cupcakes and they're very cute.  I spent hours standing today and am so pooped.  Rich and I went out to dinner in New Canaan and now I'm hitting the hay.  Big party day tomorrow!

"Sick" Kid

1.  Today Grace had to stay home because of the fever yesterday afternoon.  We all got to sleep til 8, which was a rare treat!  She was feeling fine all day and could easily have gone to school.  I decided we'd go out and do all the errands I needed to do today.

2.  We went to Target and got loads of stuff for the party.  I even was able to get Lola's birthday gift with Grace distracting Lola so she didn't see it.  Then when I was done paying, Grace showed me the "treat" that she had wanted and had forgotten to put in the cart.  I then went to pay for it and the lines were pretty long.  One lane opened up and I looked around to see if anyone who was waiting longer than me was going to go to it, when they didn't, I headed that way.  A man who hadn't even been in a line came zipping over to the line.  Ironically, one cashier told the other that that register was broken.  So, I laughed bitterly and said to him, "Might be Karma!"  At that point we were at the next register and he told me I could go ahead.  Obviously, he realized he was in the wrong.  Sometimes I just can't hold my tongue when I see an injustice, however small.  I just thought that was so highly rude that I had to say something.  Glad I did!

3.  Tonight I made dozens of sea life sugar cookies for Lola's party.  I'm planning on having the kids decorate them with frosting and sprinkles.  The weather looks iffy for the weekend and I want to make sure we have inside things to do.  The cleaning ladies came today and I had them work in the basement to get ready for guests if it does rain.

Sick Kid

1.  Lola and I went to her end of year picnic at school.  One of the members of the Swingset Mamas performed for the kids and then there were pony rides!  Wow-pretty impressive!

2.  We went home to regroup and then went to Sport Hill Farm to get our first veggies through their "Crop Cash" program.  I got white radishes/turnips, asparagus and bread.  I didn't like the turnips as I thought they'd be more like radishes.  I ate one raw and now wonder if I might like it better cooked.  The asparagus was great!  The bread is from a Fairfield bakery and was really good.  Lola got to feed the chickens and loved that!  The girls are going to farm camp through the Unquowa School and will be visiting Sport Hill Farm.  Neat!  Maybe they'll eat some veggies after this!  Lola did try the asparagus and immediately spit it out.  Oh well!  We went to Old Navy and The Children's Place with coupons in hand and got some things.

3.  On the way into our driveway after being out, I got a call from the school nurse.  Grace had a high fever and had been vomiting.  Uh oh!  I went right over to pick her up.  She was sick a few more times, but after some medicine, felt much better.  So much so that she was asking for mozzarella sticks!  I let her eat the peaches she was also craving, but thought mozzarella sticks aren't the bland food that she should be eating with a stomach bug.  She went to bed willingly and, hopefully, will have a good nights' sleep.  The nurse said no to school tomorrow.  Bummer!  A friend was going to watch Lola while I got some party things done tomorrow.  C'est la vie!

Scrabble Night

1.  Just finished a rip-roaring game of Scrabble with Rich.  OK, it wasn't that exciting, but I did win, as usual!  There was nothing on TV and we thought we'd get some use out of the deluxe board he gave me for Christmas.  Too bad Lola is still awake and keeps calling me!  She fell asleep in the car today and slept for at least an hour. 

2.  I finally got back to yoga today.  Lola had fun at the kid's club and made some friends.  I unloaded the laundry from the camper and worked around the house.  We picked up Grace and went home for a bit before Super Kids.  We dropped her off then went to the Pepperidge Farm store for Goldfish for her party.  What other kinds of snacks should I serve for a mermaid party?!  Then we went to CVS and I used some coupons and scanned my card at the kiosk for some extra savings.  Oh, I love a bargain!

3.  The other day they were sampling the turkey meatballs in marinara sauce on ciabatta rolls at Trader Joe's in Fairfield.  I was so hungry that the serving was so large it was a mini lunch for me.  I bought all the fixings and made it tonight with corn on the cob and cole slaw.  Of course, the kids wouldn't touch any of that.  I thought it was all pretty good, but not as good as at TJ's!  The corn was deliciously sweet.  Summer must be here!  (Can you believe I have kids that don't like corn on the cob?!  Grace likes it raw and I forgot and cooked all the pieces.  Argh!)

Lola's Last Day of School

1.  It's so annoying that preschools let out so darn early!  I'm now on early summer vacation planning mode.  I'm considering going strawberry picking tomorrow.  I was hoping to also go to Playtime Village, but have found out that they're now closed.  A friend said that they couldn't afford to pay the rising rent.  Too bad, we never made it there. 

2.  I'm busy thinking about Lola's party.  Really I'm envisioning just a play date in our yard with a cake and some snacks.  Nothing fancy, but good, old-fashioned fun with friends.  Now, let's just hope the weather report of thunder storms doesn't come to fruition!  The skies sure opened up today!  I've decided to take her to Chuck E. Cheese's on her actual birthday.  I'm hosting a play date there, but not having another party.

3.  Today I went for a massage.  Amazingly, I didn't have many knots!  Now, I really must get my house in order, the party planned and myself back to the gym!

Summer Begins!

1.  Memorial Day weekend always kicks off the summer for us.  Our tradition is to head to Keuka Lake to spend time with family and to camp at the state park.  This year was no exception.  We headed up Friday around 4 and got in around 10.  We had three relatively good nights of sleep and spent the days at the cottage with family.  Today we had a very long drive back through construction traffic and didn't get home til about 8.  The girls are finally tucked away for the night and I'm hitting the tub.

2.  Grace started a different dose of her medicine on Saturday and it was amazingly effective!  We had a really calm weekend.  She sees her Dr again this week and then Rich will come with us next week.  I'm feeling really good about her!

3.  Lola's birthday party is next Sunday.  Eek!  I'm hoping my cleaning ladies can come on Friday to help me get ready.  I'll be unpacking, doing laundry and cleaning out the camper and truck all while trying to get the party preparations done.  Here's hoping for another amazing weather weekend!  Oh, I am taking a little break out tomorrow for a massage!  Tomorrow is Lola's last day of school.  I can't believe it!  Grace still has three more weeks.

Hope

1.  I feel a real sense of hope tonight after meeting with Grace and her new doctor.  It was a good experience for her and I feel like we have someone that has "our back."  Ahhh.

2.  After the doctor appointment I took advantage of having a sitter and went out to dinner with a friend.  It's so nice to have a friend who tells it like it is.  Ahh.  I'm feeling much better today than yesterday, as you can tell!

3.  I spent a good portion of the morning getting the Airstream cleaned up.  I packed up the car with the cushions and bedding and drove it out back to load up.  Rich is out of town and it's a lot for me to get done, but will get done by the time we hit the road.  I'm sorry that I've missed most of my workouts this week, but wouldn't have had time to do the packing otherwise.  Or, wouldn't have had time to take advantage of the killer Boden sale!  I finally ordered after loving their catalog for so long.  They offered me 25% off plus free shipping and returns.  I ordered a bunch for me and some for the kids.  I have very little in my closet and need some new stuff.  Packing for the weekend was tough as I don't even have t-shirts!  Grace is asleep and I'm hoping for another good night.

Boo Hoo

1.  OK, I did get a little emotional watching AI tonight.  It was Simon's farewell show and it just won't be the same without him.  Paula was embarrassing.  I liked some of the collaborations.  I was rooting for Crystal at the end, but do like Lee.  Don't know if I'll let myself get sucked into another season.

2.  Tonight was a bit depressing on several levels.  I went to Grace's new school orientation.  And, as was the case last week at her school concert, I barely knew anyone.  I've found it difficult to meet other parents as she doesn't do play dates and there aren't many other opportunities to meet other families.  I did sit with a friend, but she was talking with someone else.  Later she sent me a sweet email, which boosted my spirits.  Next year I plan to be more active in the PTO and also the Newcomer's Club.  I happen to be feeling particularly isolated right now and don't like it.

3.  Today I was able to get the electrician over.  He wasn't able to fix our problem.  I was able to get the landscapers to come to get a major project done.  Turns out there are multiple problems that need to be addressed.  He and the arborist are working together to get our property back under control.  I do hope I'm feeling more optimistic tomorrow.  We all got an amazing night of sleep last night, but now Grace is still up at almost 11.  Ugh!

New Friend

1.  I'm delighted to say that I've met a new friend!  She and I met for coffee today and we had a really nice conversation.  It was fun to talk to someone so real!  This set the mood for a good day! 

2.  Next I headed to the gym for yoga.  I'm still amazed at how difficult this is and how it's going to take me a long time to get it right.  I then got a shower and left my hair to dry naturally.  I haven't done this in a long time and now remember why.  I look like a poodle tonight!

3.  I got two doses of reality tonight.  AI with Lee and Crystal.  I think it's going to be Crystal after her stellar performances tonight.  I watched the Bachelor last season and then had to tune in to see Ali become the Bachelorette.  Why, oh why, do I get sucked in to these stupid shows?  I'll tell you why!  Life is draining and stressful and it's a way to escape for a short time.  Thankfully I have a DVR so I can zip through the commercials and other stuff I don't want to see and can watch it in much less time.  How's that for rationalization?!

Brutal Night

1.  Last night was ghastly.  Grace fell asleep and then was up within the hour and didn't fall back to sleep til 5 am.  She slept three hours and then I took her to school.  She wasn't able to swim for the third week in a row because she was just too tired when she got there.  I explained our situation to the person that heads up the swimming and she was nice enough to give us a credit for the unused classes.  Can you believe Grace is still awake now at 10:15 pm?!  I don't know how her little body can keep going.  It was all I could do today to get up and clean up her massive mess and then get her to school and Lola to her gym class.  Then later we went to friends' for a play date and then to swimming.  I did take on the ambitious job of cleaning out the craft cabinet.  That was spurred by not being able to find Grace's project that is due Friday.  Neither of us have no idea where it could be.  I was happy to find some lost library books, though.

2.  I just booked the hotel for my OH weekend.  I decided to stay where my aunt and uncle are staying.  Hopefully my sister and her partner will stay with me.  Since we just stayed at a Choice Hotel I'll now have the opportunity to get the $50 Chili's gift card for staying two times by August.  So, not that I'm trying to make a profit on the weekend, glad that something positive can come out of it.  I'm really dreading it.  I'm not looking forward to going through all my mom's things.  Although, I do hope I can find some things to bring home as mementos.  I gave her a bracelet for Christmas and when I went to see the psychic she told me that my mom wanted me to have the bracelet-and to wear it!

3.  I'm praying for some sleep for all of us tonight.  Tomorrow I'm planning to meet a new friend for coffee and then go to my yoga class.  I hope this happens!  (I just figured out how to use spell check and won't have the yellow marks anymore!)

Old Sturbridge Village

1.  We've driven by the "brown sign" on the Mass Pike several times and always wondered what Old Sturbridge Village was-til now.  We are members of Mystic Seaport and can get a few bucks off to go to OSV, which isn't bad.  But, Lola's school had a silent auction for their yearly shindig and we were the only people to bid on the OSV tickets!  We got them for a very good price.  I had seen on their website that if you come for a day you can come in the next ten days for free.  So, I called them to ask if we'd get in free the next day, too, with our passes.  I wasn't trying to be greedy, but just trying to plan the weekend.  They were very nice and offered us the second day free without much begging.  When we got there, the woman at the counter knew about us and we weren't given a hard time.  The drive from our home was only 2 hours.  This could have been a day trip, but we decided to stay over Saturday night.  We stayed at the Comfort Inn and Suites in Sturbridge.  We read the reviews on Trip Advisor and weren't disappointed at all.  The place was very clean and nice.  They're right behind a gas station with a Subway and Dunkin Donuts and a Cracker Barrel.  The grounds are immaculate and while the furnishings aren't my taste, is still very nice for a night away from home.  Grace wasn't enjoying the car ride so we stopped at a rest area and kicked a soccer ball around.  Then we stopped at Tim Horton's for donuts and lemonade and then got some food at McDonald's.  Yes, this is foreshadowing for a very bad eating weekend for me.  I've been very good during the weeks and on weekends I've started letting loose a bit too much!  We ate in the car and then went directly to OSV.  We spent about 2.5 hours there the first day.  If you've been to Colonial Williamsburg it's along that vein-as well as similar to Mystic Seaport.  It's a gorgeous natural setting and there are costumed people walking around like back in the 1830's.  They have a boat ride, wagon ride and stage coach ride.  These all cost extra.  We did the boat ride as they were having a special $1/ride/person this weekend.  I could go on and on about this place, but suffice it to say it's a "must do" if you have kids and especially if you have kids that are interested in history.  We had the continental breakfast at the hotel and then went in for our second day.  We spent another few hours and then hit the Chinese buffet restaurant down the street on our way out of town.  Speaking of eating, we had Saturday night dinner at Picadilly.  This is a chain restaurant throughout MA.  We had a really good dinner.  It's extremely kid-friendly.  We may make a tradition out of this weekend!

2.  Grace had two really bad nights back to back this week.  Saturday we spent at OSV and then after dinner we went to the pool at the hotel.  We spent about an hour there and in the hot tub.  I guess I'll fess up and mention that we ate donuts for dessert.  I mentioned there was a D&D nearby.  Ugh!  I forgot to mention I also had my favorite apple fritter at Timmy's that morning!  I digress.  The point is that we all had an amazing night of sleep and slept til 8:30-9.  Ok, my sleep wasn't amazing because Lola's feet were constantly poking me somewhere on my body, but it was pretty darn good considering.  We got a suite at the hotel with two double beds and a pull-out sofa.  We thought we'd let Grace have the bed to herself to make sleeping as easy as possible for her.

3.  Tonight we got home and cooked out.  I'm happy to say that I took the propane tank to Stew's myself and got it filled.  $13.99 for a fill is an amazing price!  Don't pay more than that when you can go to Stew's!  I just ate the remains of my New York Super Fudge Chunk and now will try to abstain from all the junk til we go away next weekend!

To the Dump, to the Dump, to the Dump, Dump, Dump!

1.  That title is to be sang to the "Lone Ranger" theme.  Anyone remember that show?!  I took both girls with me to the dump today.  They were both really good about helping to sort all the recyclables.  I feel like taking our trash to the dump teaches all of us to use our resources more wisely and to recycle what we can.  Also, it just takes me back to dump runs with my dad when I was a kid.  Aww!

2.  Lola has had a cold this week.  I kept her home most of the day to just rest so we can go away for the weekend.  I skipped my workout, which was a bummer.  Grace got home early from school for a teacher in-service day.  She had a rough night last night and went into school late.  I can't wait to get this insomnia problem solved!  Praying for a good night tonight!  Too bad she's still awake at 11:22 pm!

3.  We had a sitter and went to Greenwich for dinner.  We ate at Asiana.  Frankly, I didn't love the dumplings, summer rolls or salad I had.  Rich liked both his rolls.  We then drove around Greenwich ogling large homes and ended up in NY.  We then drove back downtown Greenwich and walked around.  Of course, we ended up in the cute little crepes place called Meli-Melo.  Yum!  Tomorrow we're off to soccer and then off to Old Sturbridge Village for an overnight.

Mexican Fiesta!

1.  Today was an incredibly busy day.  I got Grace out the door, got Lola to school, ran to Stew Leonard's to fill the propane tank and to do a bit of shopping.  Then ran home to put stuff away.  Found the "Call Before You Dig" guys checking out our dead trees that are to be cut down.  Then went to school for Lola's wonderful parent teacher conference.  Then went to meet a new psychiatrist and was thorougly impressed.  Then went home and vegged for a bit.  Nope, no exercise today.  Picked up Lola and came home for a while.  The handyman came and took care of putting the batteries back in the Airstream.  We are all ready for our first camping trip of the season!  Then went to pick Grace up and took her to the glasses store to have her glasses spruced up.  Then went home to relax for a few hours-and got to take a shower!

2.  Then we made smoothies and had some snacks before we left to go to Grace's concert.  They had a lovely Mexican Fiesta with a musical concert and art show.  It was really impessive!  The kids sang all the songs in Spanish and Grace's group danced the Mexican Hat Dance.

3.  Then we went to Cobb's Mill Inn for dinner.  This was our first experience.  When walking in the place smells very musty.  After all, it is old and on the water.  The place was empty at 7:15 on a Thursday night, which seemed very odd.  We were surprised not to see other families from the school there.  We got a table in the empty dining room with a great view of the waterfall.  There were cobwebs on the window treatments and the chandeliers.  The server we had was quite odd and not very good.  We found the food to be good, though.  The problem was that everything took too long to come out.  We thought this was strange given that there were no other customers.  The kids had the ubiquitous pasta and chicken fingers and french fries.  I had a salad and Rich had the special prix-fixe menu.  We were stunned that the price was $86 with tax and service.  We would go back, but just have to know that the kids' meals are $12.  Rich was charged for coffee when it was supposedly included in his meal.  He said it was very strong.  We were in a hurry to get home to get the kids to bed so he didn't dispute the charge.  If I were still in the restaurant I would have!  More people came in as we were winding our dinner down.  We saw a woman I know and I mentioned that we'd never been there before.  She shrugged and said "It's convenient."  So, I don't hear people raving, but they will go for convenience.  I do like to support a local business that gives back to the community.  I know the family that owns the restaurant donated a large sum for the building of our new firehouse.

Good Belly Laugh!

1.  I got my mom's obituary emailed to me today.  It hit me so hard to see it in print.  I was so happy to get to watch Modern Family tonight.  Oh, we laughed so hard!  Too bad it's the end of the season. 

2.  I did yoga today.  I'm really sore and have had a headache all day.  I've taken 6 Advil today.  Ugh.  Lola and I went to storytime and picked Grace up and went to SuperKids.  I had a delicious meal waiting in the crock pot.  Rich and I enjoyed pulled chicken bbq sandwiches.  Yum!  I also tried the canned marinated bean salad from Trader Joe's.  Yummy, too.

3.  Rich shared his Yankees story with his Dad tonight.  So, we just took a break from watching American Idol.  His story is that he went as a client and got to hear the general manager speak, had a huge buffet dinner, got his picture taken with the '09 World Series trophy and got to meet David Wells and Bucky Dent.  He told Bucky that I used to watch because of him!  Bucky said that was what he brought to baseball-young girls started watching!

Over 500 Hits!

1.  Thanks to you folks reading this blog!  I don't think about what I'm going to write and then just sit down and dash off three things for the day.  I'm hoping once I have two kids in school next year I can really take off with something.  I keep thinking about what I'll do with all the free time.  I've been mandated to start a filing system.  I have to go through the art cabinet.  I have to go through all the toys in the basement; all the books in boxes...so much to do and really so little time.

2.  Grace had two sleepless nights in a row.  I'm praying she (and I) get sleep tonight.  I'm not very productive when I don't get much sleep.  I've been so worried about her that once I'm awake I barely sleep the rest of the night.  I'm seeing a new doctor this week in my quest for answers.

3.  Lola had a very busy day with The Little Gym, playground and swim class.  Grace was too tired to swim.  She's missed two weeks in a row.  Part of the problem is that she complains about the pool being too cold.  Rich is at the Yankee game tonight and I had two very tired little girls to deal with-should say three as I'm pooped, too!

Waffle Iron Burn

1.  Lola wanted my homemade waffles for breakfast.  She enjoys helping me make them.  I stepped to the sink and then looked at her.  She had a very odd expression on her face and I immediately knew she was burned.  I asked her and was so panicked myself that that's when she started to cry.  Poor baby!  I've been putting Neosporin on it all day and will continue to do so.  Tonight she explained how it happened and told me it was her hand's fault.

2.  Later we went for brunch with friends at The Bear and Grill.  They have a coupon for BOGO free buffet!  We had used the coupon before and found it to be very good.  We had another good meal today.  We then went to the beach armed with chairs, two towels and sand toys.  Luckily I had thought to bring jackets for myself and the girls.  Brrr!  When the sun was behind the clouds and the wind was blowing, it was cold.  We saw friends there that we chatted with and then when they left we packed up, too.  Two days down on our beach pass=$60.  I just might get our money's worth this year!

3.  This weekend has been all about panicking about something or other.  The big panic is over how I've been taking care of our brand new marine batteries for the Airstream.  Basically, I've dropped the ball and now hope our handyman can help me pick it up and run with it.  I'm so hoping that I haven't killed the very expensive batteries and we'll be able to use them.  We're camping for Memorial Day weekend.  He is just back from vacation and will be here on Tuesday morning.  I'm feeling better all ready. 

Power Outage

1.  Started the day with soccer.  Another chilly, windy day on the field, but at least Lola played.  Rich then took her to make up this week's swim class.  I cleaned up, Grace was intently working on art all day.  We went to lunch at Moe's.  Good coupons in the Clipper.  Then went to Coldstone's with coupons from the newspaper.  Oh, eating so well this weekend!  Raced back to get Grace to yoga.  Power out due to a tree that fell on the line down the street.  Lines were smoking!  Rich took her to yoga and said he'd go to the grocery for food for a cookout.  Relaxed with Lola and read some stories.  Power came up about three hours later.

2.  Rich used the new grill for the first time.  He did an exceptional job of cooking his burger, Grace's hot dog and my chicken kabob.  We ate out on our patio for the first time this season.  I had planted some flowers with Lola's help today.  It was a pleasant dinner-that I didn't have to plan, shop for, our cook!  I did have to clean up, though.

3.  We settled down to watch a movie after the kids were in bed.  All of a sudden the power goes out again and it's pitch black.  Grace was apparently still up by the screaming we heard from her room.  We walked up as quickly as we could get there and then did a flashlight search.  We definitely found ourselves unprepared for this and will get more flashlights and place them strategically for the next outage.  Seems to happen around here a lot!  Amazingly, Lola slept right through the screaming.  Must have been all the exercise!

Sore Today

1.  That exercise class left me very sore today.  Unfortunately, now there will be a bunch of days til I'm back at the gym.  Today I was the sitter for my babysitting swap with a friend.  The kids played beautifully while I actually got some things done.  Then we went to Bertucci's for lunch.  I love how they give the kids dough to play with as well as crayons and coloring menu.  I raced back to meet Grace off the bus early because of conferences.  Then we did a make up class at The Little Gym.  I lazed around the rest of the afternoon and evening.  Rich just ran out to Five Guys Burgers and Fries to get some dinner.  It's after 9 and I'll be eating French fries for dinner.  What a way to start the weekend!  He's celebrating a low cholesterol number.

2.  At lunch my friend brought up the idea of me starting an AD/HD blog.  She suggested even having Grace write some of it from her perspective.  This is exactly what I've been thinking about doing.  I think I would do it anonymously so I can be very candid.

3.  The weekend is full of soccer, swimming and yoga.  We have a free day on Sunday and it looks like it's going to be really nice.  We'll probably hit the beach!  I've already used my Compo Beach sticker once.  I want to see if I can get my $220 worth this year.  I don't think I did last year.  However, if I didn't have the sticker I wouldn't go because it costs around $20 to get in on weekdays and $40 on weekends!

Thanks!

1.  Wow!  Thanks for the encouragement and for reading!  There are a few things I am passionate about and I keep thinking of writing about them.  I promised my daughter I wouldn't tell people about this, but she has AD/HD and our lives are a daily struggle.  I'm definitely passionate about finding a way to live more peacefully.  I don't feel I betray her trust by talking about it here.  She was referring to school and doesn't want anyone there to know.  I'm also interested in adoption advocacy as my two girls were adopted from Vietnam.  I'm interested in fitness and healthful eating.  I'm thrilled about saving money by using coupons, shopping off-price stores and consignment or thrift stores.  I used to sell on eBay and am thinking about doing that again once both kids are in school for longer days-which will be the fall!  I'm also interested in spirituality and what is beyond this life.  Oh, so many things to think about!  I do find that it's helpful to write about my day, but find that I'm not truly authentic in what I write.  If I kept anonymous I could write about nitty gritty stuff.

2.  I went to a killer weights class today and then took a shower!  It's a huge accomplishment to shower and blow out and flat iron my hair.  Then I went to Grace's conference and then we picked up Lola.  We headed over to Stew Leonard's for groceries, animal viewing and ice cream!  I find I don't buy much there as the prices don't really seem that great and because they don't offer organic produce.  I'm really trying to buy organic where possible and to avoid the "dirty dozen."  Google it if you don't know what I'm talking about.  I did buy their cheese ravioli, which Rich and I ate.  It was good-especially since I upped the nutrient factor by adding spinach to the sauce.  Neither kid would eat it.  I'm really tired of them not eating a regular dinner.  Grace was up before 4 this morning telling me she was hungry.  She's been up since then.  It's after 10 and she's still awake.  I truly don't know how her little body does it.

3.  Rich and I played my new Scrabble game tonight.  He got me the fancy deluxe version for Christmas and we haven't even opened the box til now.  It was fun and made me feel I was stretching my mind.  Of course, I won.  I didn't mention that during the game we kept hearing sounds from above.  I went to check it out after the game and yelled some obscenities when I found blue dots spattered over pink bathroom walls and floor.  There were markers everywhere and huge ink stains on the comforter.  I have vowed not to buy her new bedding until she is responsible enough to take care of her things. 

Why?

1.  Why am I doing this blog?  I realize it has no real purpose or theme and is probably boring to most people.  I'm really trying to think of a niche to write about, but can't come up with something compelling that hasn't been done before.

2.  Today was cold and rainy and just plain lousy.  I did make it to yoga, which helped my spirits.  Grace came home early and we went to storytime.  Grace decided to read about dogs while we were there instead of participating.  She is putting on the full court press for a dog.  She knows exactly the kind she wants and keeps telling us things about it, how she'll take care of it and on and on.  We don't feel it's a good time for a dog-and may never will be.  I know that it will be me that will end up taking care of it.  I also wonder how we'd work it out to be away as much as we are and have a dog.

3.  I made the nastiest dinner tonight.  I am so uninspired.  I knew I'd be gone til after 6 so I threw some chicken in the crockpot with what I thought was going to be tomatoes.  It was crushed tomatoes and was more like tomato sauce than tomatoes.  Then I threw rice in with water and put it on high.  The chicken turned out moist and tender, but the flavor with the tomatoes wasn't very good and the rice was still crunchy.  I took the chicken out and will probably wash it off and make pulled chicken sandwiches or enchiladas out of it tomorrow night.  I can't stand the thought of wasting it.  Rich ended up going to a diner for dinner.

Beach Walk

1.  I walked with a friend at the beach today.  It was so chilly, but sunny and beautiful.  It was so nice to get out and feel like summer is around the corner.  I did miss my yoga class, though.  We then went to Westport and did some shopping before we went to Villa Del Sol for lunch.  I've eaten there before and didn't love it, but it was pretty good today.  We rounded out the visit by sitting on our patio and then I had to go pick up Lola from school.

2.  I love to find bargains.  One of my secrets is that I look for the produce rack that has been drastically reduced.  I'm usually able to find bags of organic apples for $1.  Last week I got 35 oranges for about $12.  I pulled out our expensive juicer and made lots of orange juice.  Boy was that not fun to peel all those oranges!  I guess it sounds like a lot of money to spend on juice, but freshly squeezed juice is expensive.  Lola had a ball helping me with the juicer.  We then made popsicles out of the juice.  They both loved them!  I don't let them drink much juice because of the high sugar content vs. low nutrients.  But, sometimes I'm willing to make an exception.  We were in Williams-Sonoma today and I saw the same juicer that Rich paid $250 for online for $400!  I thought what we paid was outrageous, but felt better after I saw what it's going for there.  I also look at the day old bakery items and the "scratch and dent" section.  I'm able to find a lot of good deals on things I'd normally buy anyway.

3.  I'm not looking forward to the next three days of early dismissals for Grace.  I'll have to come up with some outings to keep us busy!

Missing my Mom

1.  Here it is the first mother's day after my mom passed.  I had a good day with my family, but feel like something is missing.  I wonder if this feeling ever goes away?

2.  We went to Allentown today.  We left at 7 am and got there by 9:30 to have breakfast with all the family.  We stayed til 1:30 and then headed over to a friend's house to see them and their new place.  We then went over to the grandparents' for a little while and then headed home.  We stopped and looked at a few places for dinner at 4.  They were all packed!  We drove a little farther and got into a diner that was also pretty crowded.  By the time we left there was a wait.  Who else went out for Mother's Day?

3.  The kids played with my sister-in-law's dog today.  They were both asking for a dog all afternoon and evening.  Grace went to bed with a book about a girl with a dog and took pen and paper with her, too.  She said she was going to come up with good reasons to get one.  I can think of one big reason not to get one...because I would be the one to end up taking care of it!  We didn't say "no," but did say, "not now."

Super Saturday

1.  What a busy day!  It started with soccer for Lola.  Rich met our arborist while I took her to the field.  I retuned to some unpleasant news of our trees.  Then we quickly got ready and headed out to the zoo for a birthday party.  It was a cute party and we all had a good time.  Then we got home and cleaned like crazy in anticipation of guests coming this evening.  Nothing like having people over to light a candle under you!  I then took Grace to yoga where she met her friend that she met on the cruise.  They had a nice yoga class and I got to grocery shop.  Then we all went for ice cream.  Then we came back and cleaned some more and got the table set up for dinner.  Our dear friends came for what was supposed to be dinner and Scrabble, but ended up being a nice dinner and chatting and then we were all too tired for the game.  At some point I'll get to use my new Scrabble game I got for Christmas!

2.  I was a bit starstruck today as we spoke with Grace's new friend and her mom at the ice cream parlor.  We were talking about vacations and I said that we asked Grace where she wanted to go for Christmas last year and she had said "Paris" because she loves the movie, "Ratatouille."  The mom told the daughter to tell us her grandfather's little secret about that.  Turns out the grandfather had been the voice for Django!  I couldn't think of who that was, but as we talked more I realized her dad and the girl's grandfather is Brian Dennehy!  Rich and I are fans of his and really admire and respect his work.  Rich saw him back in '89 in Chicago where he was performing in "The Iceman Cometh."  Then he and I saw him on Broadway in '99 in "Death of a Salesman."  We've seen him several times at EPCOT doing the candlelight processional, including this past Christmas '09!  He's terrific in all his varied roles.

3.  Tomorrow we'll be in Allentown for breakfast with the family.  We're leaving very early and I need some sleep!  I'm going to bed with a belly full of "Half Baked."  I'm so good during the week and weekends I really let go!

Under Your Skin

1.  I just finished watching the documentary about Lyme Disease called "Under Your Skin."  That was one of the scariest things I've ever seen.  I have a friend suffering with the disease and now understand a bit more of what he's been going through.  I've spoken to so many people that have had Lyme.  Fortunately, most caught it early enough that they weren't debillitated by it.  Please watch this movie!  I spoke to a landscaper tonight who told me he thinks Lyme is an epidemic here and that it's being covered up to protect home values.  He said his son just had a tick test positive for Lyme.  They were fortunate to have a Lyme-literate doctor that put him on the antibiotics before they even got the test back on the tick.  He told me to make sure to take baths or showers every night and scrub with a wash cloth.  He said to inspect the kids and myself thoroughly for ticks.  I was just out weeding yesterday and don't think I'm going to be doing any lawn work myself anymore.

2.  I went to a mom's group meeting today.  Our meetings have changed in that there are no longer speakers, but it's just a social time.  The kids have babysitters in the church nursery and the moms get to talk.  I've been going to this group since we moved here almost two years ago.  Honestly, I have felt that I have never fit into this group.  Today I was trying to figure out why.  I think it's age, geography, religion and socio-economics.  I love the concept, but just don't have a very good time for the most part.  I took Lola out of the childcare an hour early and went to the gym.  I did the elliptical trainer and saw one of her classmates in the childcare and then went to look for his mom.  That's the second mom from her class that I found that works out there. 

3.  We have a busy weekend ahead.  Lola was invited to three birthday parties on Saturday.  I decided to only go to the first one that we were invited to and also do soccer and yoga for Grace.  Grace met a girl from a nearby town on the cruise and she will join Grace at yoga and then for ice cream afterward.  Grace is so excited!  I'm hoping they have a good time and will keep in touch.

In the Weeds

1.  I've decided to take on a few jobs that I normally pay to have done.  Recently I cancelled our trash pick up and have been taking our trash to the dump.  It's amazing how much less trash we have now!  I make sure that everything that can be recycled here goes to the recycling bins, which are free, instead of into the trash.  Next, I weeded the front of our driveway today.  I don't know if I'll be able to keep this up as there is just too much to weed, but did get a feeling of accomplishment from it.  I also felt more of a pride of home ownership than I've felt in a while.  It was fun working outside, but I know this will get tougher as it gets hotter outside.  I've been thinking about getting a mower and doing the lawn myself, but I don't think this is realistic.  I heard my neighbor saying he hit a rock and bent his blade.  There would be a lot of maintenance on a mower that I wouldn't be able to perform.  I used to take my little lawnmower to Sears service, but that wouldn't be as convenient around these parts.

2.  I went to pilates again today.  I feel like I'm starting to get the hang of pilates and yoga.  They are definitely wonderful for core strengthening and making me feel powerful.  I used to get on the cardio machines or weight machines and am now switching gears for a while.  Between the weeding, pilates and pushing Lola on the swing today, I'm pooped!

3.  Oh yeah, and eating Mexican food with a friend tonight.  We had dinner at Ole Mole, which I always enjoy.  I had half a veggie burrito and will have the rest for lunch tomorrow.  Looking forward to my mom's group meeting and just the fact that it's Friday!

You're Fired!

1.  I had to do something very unpleasant today.  I had to fire the landscaper.  This guy has been really good to us and even let us borrow his box truck on our moving day when the big truck couldn't get in our driveway.  We have three dead trees and something called a "shotgun fungus" in our mulch that has left tiny spots all over our house.  I had a home restorer/painter come over and try to pressure wash it off the house and it wouldn't budge.  He said it comes off by hand, but who would want to pay to have someone scrub your house?  There were a few other things and I finally called to tell him it's over.  He told me it wasn't fair and kept trying to defend himself.  I truly don't think he meant any harm, but we just felt he wasn't as competent as we would like.  Now I have to find a new landscaper-pronto!  I had a referral and the guy hasn't called me back.  I used to mow our yard in DE, which took me three hours with a push mower.  There is no way I could do that here.  And, I don't think I want to invest in a riding mower.  Any referrals would be appreciated.

2.  After the grill fiasco Rich went out and bought a new grill.  He ran out to Home Depot with my car and then came back to get the truck.  It's another big one and we need help getting it off the truck and into the back yard.  So, let's see when we'll actually be able to use the thing!

3.  We watched Modern Family as usual for a Wednesday night.  That show is such a hoot and always produces belly laughs.  I usually don't watch the elimination nights for AI, but did because I wanted to see Harry Connick, Jr.  Oh, how I used to love him!  I just don't know what the appeal for Lady Gaga is, though.  Yuck!

Om

1.  I took a yoga class today!  It was really hard, but really exciting.  At the end the teacher read a poem about a butterfly from "Going In and In."  It was so amazing it made me cry.  She started the class by telling how her kids watched a Sponge Bob episode this morning that talked about making the day the best ever.  She asked what would make this the best day ever for us.  I thought if my mom were alive it would be the best day.  We went through the class and then her poem struck me as so profound because my mom had told me only months before she died that the butterfly (and heart) was going to be the sign she sends me when she's gone.  The poem struck me to my core because it brought my mom to me today.  I'm going to order the book and try to read the poem at her memorial service.  I actually don't think I'll be able to do it, but may try.

2.  Grace met a girl on the cruise from a nearby town.  They exchanged info and we finally sent her an email asking if she'd like to join Grace for her yoga class and ice cream on Saturday.  Grace is so thrilled that she's going to join her!  She had been asking everyday to contact her friend-and the friend has been asking everyday to contact Grace!

3.  I just watched an episode of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.  Amen.  I'm doing really well with my challenge to myself of better eating.  My problem is getting the kids on board.  I'll keep plugging away. 

One of those Days

1.  We had a doozy of a night last night.  Grace was up the entire night.  Rich was sneezing and finally got up with her.  I was up and down with her all night.  Lola slept like a rock.  I had to get up and do the mad cleaning dash before the cleaning ladies came this morning.  Rich didn't get up til very late and Grace was up when I walked downstairs with Lola.  I got them ready and took Grace to school first.  I then ran Lola over to her gymnastics class to find that the power was out in that part of Westport.  So, no class and no time for me to dash to the grocery store.  We dashed home so I could continue the mad dash cleaning of the kitchen and family room.  Did I mention Grace's room was worse than normal because she was playing all night long?!

2.  Later I decided it was long overdue to clean the oven.  I pulled the racks out and got a sliver of metal in my finger.  I worked for a long time to try to get it out.  I think I got most of it.  At least it doesn't hurt anymore.  I took Lola to swim class, but couldn't find Grace's wetsuit.  Fortunately, she didn't have a fit.  She miraculously made it through the day and through swim class and didn't get to bed til after 9.  I don't know how her little body can just go and go.  When we got back from swim class and the pharmacy I turned on the oven to clean it.  Phew!  I about smoked us out of here!  We had to have windows open and the stove fan on to draw out some smoke.  Rich and I both were complaining of burning eyes.  I had to run back to the pharmacy to get another RX that was called in late.  I barely have any gas left and have a few things to do in the morning before I get to a gas station.  Let's hope I make it!

3.  I speed watched two American Idols tonight.  I do love when they get down to the end and you get some really good performances.  We keep saying we're going to turn the tv off at night and play a game or read books.  Hasn't happened yet!  When I'm done putting kids to bed I like to plop down on the couch and veg!

Marvelous Mystic

1.  We enjoyed a great day at Mystic Seaport!  We joined in March and have now been twice on beautiful spring days.  We're always amazed at how empty it is.  We stopped into the membership building for some free lemonade and the lady there told us that it is wall to wall people after Memorial Day.  Ah, good to know!  Their new restaurant Latitude (something) was open and we had a really delicious lunch.  It is upscale, but also kid-friendly with a nice kids' menu.  We highly recommend it! 

2.  On the way home we stopped first at Tim Horton's, which is now a tradition whenever we're in the area of a Timmy's.  I had their iced cappuccino and Rich had hot chocolate!  We then stopped at the Christmas Tree Shoppe and A.C. Moore and found some things for Lola's birthday party.  She is having a mermaid party and it's really tough to find mermaid-y things.  We've branched out a bit to include other sea things to make the planning a bit easier.  We bought the doll cake pan at the craft store and then came home to watch some youtube videos of mermaid cake decorating.  Of course, other things come up when searching and we found ourselves watching a tutorial of a woman putting on mermaid eyeshadow.  Then Lola wanted to watch something with Barbies.  I let her watch and then came to check that she didn't click on anything else and found that what I thought was a kid's video was a porn video!  Thank goodness it said "Blocked for your safety."  Yikes!  Be careful of youtube!!

3.  To continue with my scary story from yesterday...this morning I was putting on mascara and noticed that the side of my head that had the hair burned also had burned eyelashes!!  I am still so shocked that I wasn't hurt and so grateful!!  Rich cooked another burger tonight and I let him light the grill!

Thank God!

1.  No kidding, I've been thanking God all night that I'm still alive and/or not burned.  Tonight Rich wanted to grill out and I showed him how the handyman had told me to light our grill.  The grill fell over and is not working very well anymore.  He showed me how to turn the burners on and then light it.  I did that and then lit it and POOF!-a huge woosh of fire came up in my face!  It was the single most scary thing that's ever happened to me.  At first I thought I was going to die and then I thought I was not going to die, but be burned very badly.  Rich was standing by me and I jumped back very quickly.  I could smell a bad smell and noticed my hair had burned.  Thank God we were both ok!  But, one side of my hair did burn.  It curled up at the ends.  I ran upstairs to check the damage and combed it out.  A lot of burnt ends were in the sink.  I also singed the hair off both forearms and slightly burned one arm.  A little Neosporin helped that to feel better quickly.  I really feel someone was looking out for me tonight!  I kept thinking it could have been so much worse.  My mom worked at a place where a chicken fryer blew up.  A woman in front of it was burned severely.  My mom was burned quite badly and went through a lot of burn therapy.  She said it was the worse pain she had ever endured in her life.  Oh, thank you God!

2.  Rich and I had date night tonight.  We went to see Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes at the Ridgefield Playhouse.  It's our third time seeing them together.  He grew up listening to their music and turned me on to them several years ago.  Good concert!  We called around looking for places to go for dinner afterward.  Needless to say nothing was serving that late so we ended up at Orem's.  So, if you want to know when to go to Orem's and not have to wait-late night is the best time!

3.  We started our morning at soccer.  Lola played for about 30 minutes til she got knocked over.  She then was done.  That's better than her first time she went and clung to me the entire time.  I worked at the concession stand today and enjoyed it.  It made me feel like I was back working in high school.  I then took Grace to the doctor and Rich took Lola to a make up swim class.  We then all met up and went to Wilton Pizza and sat outside.  The best part of the day was the gorgeous weather and driving around in the convertible.  Ah, summer is just around the corner!  I even got to take a small nap today.  And, the sitter cleaned up the huge mess in the family room.  Now it's off to bed before one of the kids is yelling, "Mooooommmmyyyyy!"

Group reading

1.  I had a reading done after my mom passed and it was really amazing.  I was hoping to hear from her tonight during a group reading.  She did come through gently, but my grandmother came through loud and clear.  It was wonderful!  I never believed in this sort of thing until my grandparents died and I began getting signs.  I now watch for them and am convinced that there is a life beyond life on earth.  It's very comforting.

2.  I went to an aerobics class today and heard the teacher talking to another student.  The student asked where she goes for vacation and she said "Keuka."  Well, I had to get in on that conversation!  It was fun to find someone here that knows and loves where I grew up!  The class was a killer.  I had to modify the abs portion after having done the pilates class yesterday.  I swear my sternum and ribs were hurting along with my muscles!

3.  We had a BOGO coupon for Friendly's and went for the salads.  They were actually very good.  I purposely didn't order dessert because I knew I'd be the clean up team.  Sure enough, I got some of everyone's leftovers.  I did write it in my log!  I'll start afresh tomorrow.  Tomorrow is a busy day starting early with soccer.  Gotta hit the hay.

Keeping it Real

1.  I got back from the cruise and thought I'd weigh myself.  I never weigh myself.  Well, I was the heaviest I've ever been.  I decided to start keeping track of what I'm eating.  It's amazing how that simple act has kept me from eating a lot of stuff I shouldn't be eating-and that I'd normally eat.  I'm not on a diet, but am trying to be more mindful about what I'm putting in my body.  I'm trying to get back on an exercise regime and did pretty well this week with a treadmill walk, walk in New Canaan today before my dentist appointment and a pilates class.  Whoa!  Pilates looks easy, but it's not!  This was a mat class and it's all about stretching and core strength.  It's truly an amazing workout and will complement my cardio and weight training well.

2.  I mentioned my dentist appointment today.  Thankfully all is well.  Last appointment the hygienist really had to go to town with her instruments as it had been a year since my last check up.  This time it was a painless procedure and I was out in no time.  I'm usually fastidious about my teeth and was ashamed to admit it had been that long between appointments.  Both my kids have teeth issues.  Grace has already had 4 pulpotomies after about 10 cavities.  Lola has already had one filling and a spot we're watching.  I wish I had been even more careful with their teeth, but have been told that their problems probably came in utero, which I couldn't have helped.  But, I do make them floss every night.  Grace often tries for a "floss break" and I rarely give in!

3.  I haven't felt very motivated to do much this week.  The only reason I'm writing tonight is a friend said she'd "read about it on my blog."  I have so much to deal with-roofer, landscapers, insurance agent, etc.  As another friend and I always say, "Calgon, take me away!"  You'd only know what that means if you're of a certain age!

New Do

1.  I wasn't sure I was going to make it to the hair dresser today.  Lola was up at 4 with poop in her diaper.  Then she had a tummy ache this morning and two more poops.  Note to self: don't let her eat so many cucumbers!  She was better after the potty breaks.  Phew!  I got her to school and then flew to my appointment.  What a gorgeous ride in the rain.  Seriously!  Spring is gorgeous here in New England with all the varying colors of green and the pops of color from the blooming trees and flowers.  As usual, it took hours for my services and I was out by 1 to fly back to pick Lola up.  My hair is a bit shorter than I would like, but looks pretty good.  I'm set for another 6 weeks-or 8 if I'm pushing it!

2.  Today I got on the scale and was horrified to find that I'm the heaviest I've EVER been!  I decided to start a food diary to keep myself honest about what I'm eating.  It really made a difference in what I ate today.  Last night I roasted a chicken for dinner.  I made broth from the bones and then used it and the leftover chicken in a chicken jambalaya for dinner.  That was really good.  I'm hungry, but will go to bed without my usual bowl of ice cream!  I got on the treadmill today.  I had it serviced after it was acting funny and had a dedicated outlet installed.  It's still giving me the same odd error reading and turned itself off.  Argh!

3.  Every day of our vacation Lola had a moment where she was down.  I'd ask her what was wrong and she'd say she's sad that Olivia is moving.  Her best friend from school is moving to Manhattan.  Tomorrow her mom is dropping her off for a playdate so the girls can play while she packs up her kitchen.  It's sad, but interesting to me that kids at such a young age understand and are affected by what's happening around them.  I hope she'll get over it and move on.  There are some other very sweet kids in her class.

Forgot My Head

1.  I feel like I would've forgotten my head if it weren't attached today!  I just tried to sign in to this account and couldn't remember the password.  That's not nearly as bad as completely forgetting to take Lola to swim class.  Then at 4 I was looking out the window waiting for Grace to get off the bus.  Then I remembered she was at swim class and I was supposed to bring her wet suit and pick her up!  I wasn't late, but raced out the door anyway to make sure she wasn't too upset that I didn't show up.  She was not interested in swimming when I arrived as she looked like she was freezing.  Once she saw us she did get back in the pool, but refused to jump off the platform in the deep end, claiming it was too cold.  Bad mommy!  I attribute this to being off for a week and out of my routine.  Truly I know it's due to my computer addiction.  I was catching up and just got sidetracked.  I will try to keep the computer off for most of the day.  I promise.  (If you're wondering about the wet suit, we decided to try one to see if it keeps her warmer in the pool.  She has almost 0% body fat and can use all the warmth she can get!  She says it helps a little.  I got one to swim in the lake this summer!)

2.  We had a really wonderful vacation.  I won't go into all the details, but suffice it to say that a cruise is a great family vacation.  The kids had a ball and always wanted to go to Camp Carnival.  We were able to eat dinner almost every night by ourselves!  Our waiter always kidded us that we were on a date.  Yep, felt like date night every night!  We're already thinking of next year and the cruise we will take...

3.  Tomorrow is hair salon day.  I was referred to a woman that is truly wonderful.  She has a little hole in the wall salon in the middle of nowhere.  She's African-American and always has a new hair style, which is fun to observe and wonder what the next will be.  She's fantastic with the kids and very reasonably priced.   She gives the best washes and scalp massages.  She's extremely thorough and meticulous.  This could be good or bad as she takes a very long time.  I hope my 10 am appt lets me out by 1 so I can pick up Lola at school!  If you want her info, let me know.

Handymen

1.  I started the day, as usual, in my jammies out at the bus stop.  Then I see two trucks driving in to our driveway.  Oops!  I forgot the handymen were coming today!  They got the grill put back together and working-probably only for one more season.  Then they moved the patio table and chairs from the basement to the patio.  The chalk was all over the patio from the kids little chalk party the other day.  A painter with a power washer came and was looking at the "shotgun" fungus on our house.  It's some kind of fungus that shoots out of mulch.  So, beware when you're getting mulch that it's good stuff!  When he was done checking out the fungus his helper pressure washed the patio.  Looks good and ready for a BBQ!  A few other things got done and I got a quote for a lot of landscaping that has gone undone or not done well.  We've lost 3 trees since last season!  Ugh!!

2.  I took the kids to Target tonight to look for sandals for the trip.  Lola only likes things with "something on them".  She got Tinkerbell shoes and Grace got gold thongs with big flowers on the top.  Neither were what I would have chosen!  Grace's style has done a 360 lately.  She now refuses to wear pink, even though practically everything she owns is pink.  And, drum roll, please....she has worn jeans for the past 3 days in a row!  This is a kid with some sensory issues and hates anything binding around her belly button.  She even wore her sneakers to school today since it's a gym day.  That's instead of packing them in her backpack.  After Target we got lost in the mall and finally found Johnny Rocket's.  I had a veggie burger.  A report came out today about how soy products, if not organic, can be toxic.  It definitely didn't taste as good as they used to!  But, a friend's husband who is a chemist said they aren't as toxic as the news is making them out.

3.  We watched a dvr'd American Idol tonight.  I liked the Elvis night and seeing Adam Lambert.  I missed the results show where he sang, but caught a glimpse online.  I still think he's awesome.  My favorite contestants this season are Crystal and Lee.  My other shows I watch are Modern Family, Two and a Half Men and Project Runway.  I watched the last episode of Dancing with the Stars.  I love having a dvr so I can record these shows and zip through them on my schedule.  I've got all my shows scheduled to record for next week while we're on vacay!  Catch you all on the flip side!

Give an Inch, Take a Mile

1.  I tend to let my kids do what they want when it comes to art and messes.  I then feel like I've given an inch and they've taken a mile.  Tonight they wanted to draw with chalk on the patio.  I let them do that and continued cleaning up from dinner.  I looked out to find that they had brought out water, which I did know about, but added it to the chalk and then painted on themselves.  They were covered from head to toe!  I had to carry each one up to the bath.  The chalk stained their skin and is mostly still there!  I want to let them have fun and be creative and then I get mad that I let them do it because it always turns into a mess.   I'm hoping that chalk comes out of the grout!

2.  I had a really good start to my day!  Lola was up early and we actually got to school right on time.  Then I went to Fairfield to Einstein Bagels.  I had a coupon for bagel, shmear and coffee for $2.12!  I ate and then stopped in at Old Navy with a coupon burning a hole in my purse.  I looked around and didn't see much.  I then went for a massage at Massage Envy.  If you want to get on a regular massage program, it's a great place to go!  Tell them I sent you!  I had a bad crick in my neck that felt much better afterward.  I tried a trigger point massage, which was really good.  Afterward, I went back to Old Navy and really tried to find some stuff to buy.  I tried on a bunch of things and only walked out with a tank top and a baby gift.  I gave the coupon to a lady walking in.  Hopefully she was able to use it.

3.  We have a date confirmed for my mom's memorial service.  It's June 19.  Since school won't even let out til June 23, I've decided to just fly there by myself for the weekend.  I've started looking at flights and hotels.  I'm actually looking forward to going on a trip by myself, but just wish it were under happier circumstances.  It's been 3 months since she died and at least one point out of every day I think about calling her and just can't believe she's gone.

Sunday in the Park with Daddy

1.  Weekends are always spent going here or there as we don't usually like to stay home.  This past weekend, though, I had lots to do to prepare for vacation.  Sunday morning Rich told me he'd take the girls to the Bronx Zoo.  Wow!  What a day I had!  I worked most of the day, but really enjoyed doing it by myself.  They ended up being gone from 9:30-6!  He called and had me go out and get Planet Pizza.  Ugh!  We have that so often that it is not a treat.  I finally have started saving the coupons on the box that if you save 10 you get a free pizza.  We're well on the way.  Rich even told me that maybe he'll take the kids one weekend day a month and go have a daddy and kids day.  Sounds good to me!

2.  The kids both slept through the night last night!  I'm so tired because I keep staying up too late-like now, case in point!  I was watching Dancing with the Stars.  Last night I watched Undercover Boss.  Why am I so obsessed with reality tv?!  I'm also trying to finish The Help.  It's a fantastic book, by the way.  I had to take back The Space Between Us because it's already due at the library.  I hadn't even started it yet.  I'd like to take it on vacation, but couldn't renew it because it was on hold.  I don't like buying books and would like to borrow one if someone has a copy.

3.  Mondays are always good days because the cleaning ladies come and make me feel like I'm starting anew every week.  I'm always running around "cleaning" in front of them.  Then I take Lola to her gym class.  I then got a lot of little things done.  I've been trying to decide on an electricity provider since CT has been de-regulated.  It really seems like a no-brainer to switch from CL&P to save some bucks.  I've narrowed it down to two companies and think I'm going with Viridian because it's a greener company, they have a tie in with the Weston Booster Club and the rates are reasonable.  I also got some info about an insurance company called, "Pure" in the mail and called the local rep.  I want to see if I can lower our home and auto rates.  I figure if I'm saving money by taking my trash to the dump, maybe I can find ways to save even more on the really big things we spend money on!  We finished up the day with the kids at swim class and came home to dinner, homework and play.  Rich was in the city at a dinner meeting tonight.  He ate at La Colonial.  It's an excellent Vietnamese restaurant with a sister restaurant in Saigon where we ate when we were there.  I'm a bit envious!

"Date Night" for Date Night

1.  We started the day with great hopes for the soccer season.  It was a real challenge to get everyone up and out the door to get to practice by 9.  Lola was excited and up early and ready to go.  We got there, parked and walked out onto the field.  She immediately jumped in my arms and said she didn't want to play.  Now, granted, it was 40 degrees and there was a wind chill and we weren't dressed appropriately.  She complained of being tired and cold and wasn't going to play.  She met the coaches, saw two kids she sort of knows, but still didn't want anything to do with it.  Finally we gave up and went home.  So much for my idyllic visions of being a soccer mom!  Let's hope that when we're back in a few weeks it's warmer and she feels more comfortable.

2.  I had our treadmill serviced yesterday.  If you need anything repaired, Rob's Repair Service, is the place to call.  Unfortunately, we haven't been taking care of our treadmill and it's been given a fairly short lifespan.  Don't forget to have the belt oiled every 6 months.  Who knew?!  I'll admit we're terrible with maintenance of stuff.  We tend to wait til there's a problem.  Friday I looked up on my bathroom ceiling to find a water mark around the vent.  Ugh!  I've been thinking of calling a roofer just to look over the roof to make sure all is well.  I called our handyman who said it's probably not a roof problem, but that sometimes condensation forms at vent sites from air conditioners.  That could be it as I had just had the a/c tech out doing the annual service and had the a/c on for two nights last week when it got so hot.  He'll be over this week to check it out.  I'm also having him stain our swingset as we must keep up that $7K investment!!

3.  I worked at trying to get some vacation packing done yesterday and Rich took Grace to yoga.  I didn't get much done with Lola around, but feel I'm at least on the way.  Our sitter came at 6:30 and we headed for the movies.  We rarely go to see a movie in the theater, but saw that Date Night was playing and had seen the posters for it last weekend in NYC.  It got good reviews.  Well, I'll have to say I was LMAO!  No, I wasn't ROTF, too, because it's just too sticky at the movies!  We thoroughly enjoyed it and were still laughing when we left.  If you see it, don't forget to sit and watch the outtakes at the end.  We had a large tub of popcorn and a large Doctor Pepper.  What a great dinner!  For dessert we headed to SONO and tried to find parking.  I'd heard of Chocopologie and wanted to see if we could get in.  It must have been meant to be, because we were able to find one spot not too far away on the street.  We walked in and it looked full, but they have gallery seating in the back that overlooks the kitchen.  The menu looks great!  It has breakfast and sandwiches and salads and lots of desserts!  Rich had a Croque Monsieur and then the nutella and banana crepe.  I had the chocolate gelato.  One scoop was so rich and creamy and perfect for me!  What a great date night!  Too bad Lola woke me at 3:30.  She said she couldn't sleep.  I popped her in the guest room bed and got in with her.  We slept well til 7 when Grace was screaming her wake up calls!

Fun Friday

1.  Lola was up at 1 am telling me she was cold.  I put a warmer top on her and she slept through the night.   I heard Grace at 5:45 and went into her bathroom to find her doing a science experiment with two bottles and water.  Oy!  I'm hoping for a good night!  We need to get up early tomorrow to get Lola to her first ever soccer practice.  She's very excited!  She's been putting on her shinguards and soccer socks everyday and "practicing."

2.  Today Lola and I went to our mom's meeting.  The meetings have morphed into a two hour babysitting session for the kids while the moms talk and eat breakfast.  I had an enjoyable time talking to a friend the entire time and then we took the kids to Frank Pepe's for lunch.  Yum!  Lola and I then went to Pier One and then Swoozie's.  The latter is having a going out of business sale.  I found some mermaid Valentine's that I can make into invitations for Lola's mermaid birthday party!  And, they were half price!  We then went to Trader Joe's for some groceries.

3.  Grace had a playdate with her best friend.  He happens to be a boy and she really seems obsessed with him.  She only wants to play with him at school.  The funny part is they are complete opposites-she's the overbearing bossy one and he goes along for the ride.  It works!  They had a good time.  We then went to Southport Brewing Company for dinner because there was a BOGO coupon in that coupon advantage book that comes in the mail.  That coupon saved us $18!  Then we stopped at Garelick & Herb for dessert to take home.  Rich ran in and then out without anything.  He didn't want to buy a whole cake.  Well, thank goodness for that!  Then we stopped at Balducci's and got some cannolis.  They are among my favorite desserts!  I got the kids down pretty early tonight and Rich and I watched Hancock.  I didn't think I'd like it, but actually did.  Now it's time to get some sleep so we can get up and kick some butt tomorrow!

Ladies Who Lunch

1.  I tell you, there is no rest for the weary!  Lola was up at 2 am with a pain in her leg.  She had gone to bed complaining of the pain, too.  Then I heard Grace around 4.  She was up for a few hours, I think.  I let her sleep in and took both of them to school late.  There went my workout class.  I suppose I could have gone to the gym anyway, but had the goal of actually getting a shower today!  So, I went home and finished my closet cleaning and did some other things that needed to get done and then took a shower.  Ah!  Before that, though, I realized that I had forgotten to give Grace her meds before school.  I called school and then raced over to give her the medicine.  They had to pull her out of an assembly, but all went smoothly.  Phew!

2.  I actually put on a skirt and a cute top and low-heel sandals and met two girlfriends at DaPietro's in Westport.  It was delish!  We've passed by the cute, little place many times and always wondered about it.  If you get a chance, try it for lunch.  They have $12 lunch specials and the other items are reasonable as well.  I had a crab cake salad, which was so yummy!  I noticed the desserts were all $11, which seemed pricey.  If I'd had room I would have gone to Sunny Daes next door for ice cream.

3.  Today as I was racing to do laundry and clean out the closet and was tired from being up in the night, I started thinking more about what I will do when Lola is in school 5 mornings next year.  Rich has already mandated that I start a filing system and unpack all the boxes that are still here from the move almost two years ago.  I realize I will have my work cut out for me.  I think what I'll do is try to get our clutter under control and then get more involved in both schools.  I'll also put a bigger priority on working out and taking better care of myself.  That should last me a little while and then maybe I'll be thinking about what I want to do again.

Yawn!

1.  Thankfully Lola slept through the night last night!  Too bad I heard Grace at 4!  She was up getting something to eat and then reading.  At least she can entertain herself.  It was tough getting her up, though, after she fell back to sleep.  It was tough for me to get up.  I then had a burst of energy and started cleaning out a closet and putting away all the winter clothes and packing donation boxes up.  Too bad all that stuff is still sitting out.  Lola could only play and watch a movie for so long and then wanted to play with me.  We went outside to play soccer and couldn't believe how hot it was!  Did we bypass spring?!

2.  My trainer came and I made it through the work out even though I was feeling very low-energy.  Lola had fun playing around while I was sweating it.  I can't believe the cruise is coming up so quickly.  So much for the images of me in a bikini!  Ha!  Too bad I can't give up my sweets.  That would really help things along!

3.  It was a very busy day and I had the forethought to make bread in the bread maker and put chicken in the crock pot.  We went to storytime and then picked up Grace and brought her home and then ran out to her social skills class.  Lola was asleep through most of this.  That's probably why she's still awake at 10 pm!  While Grace was in her class we made our weekly pilgrimage over to CVS for gum and she rode her scooter around the parking lot.  We stopped for printer ink and gas on the way home.  I'm trying to figure out how to print, but save money on ink.  We spend a fortune on the stuff!  We stopped in to get gas and then I realized we were at a car wash and there was no way out without a wash!  I decided to just go ahead and get the wash because it was a $2 savings with the gas and the car needed a wash anyway!  The dinner was almost ready at home.  Too bad the girls had no interest in my chicken, couscous, green beans and bread.  I'm beyond frustrated at meal time.

Carpel Tunnel?

1.  My right wrist hurts.  I know it's from too much keyboard time.  I had started turning off my computer by day, but eased back into having it on all day so I can keep in touch with the rest of the world.  I love Facebook, I love online shopping and blog reading and writing and email and on and on.  How do you limit your online time?

2.  Last night I made a recipe from the CSA we belonged to over the winter.  It was a summer sauce of Carolina tomatoes and squashes.  It was quite tasty over a brown rice pasta.  Rich turned his nose up, but then said it was good.  The girls wouldn't touch it.  Tonight I turned it into a soup using up the rice from Chinese food from Easter Sunday and also added one link of a frozen Italian sausage.  I thought it was good, but Rich really didn't like it.  He heated up frozen pizza and then had Lucky Charms for dessert.  What am I doing wrong?!

3.  Lola was up at 3:30 am and called me several times.  I put her in the guest room again with the tv on.  She called me several more times and then I finally got in bed with her and turned off the tv.  She slept til 10, which meant she was very late for school, I missed my massage, which cost me money, and I didn't have my trainer come because I was too tired.  I took a nap after I dropped her off.  I wasn't able to sleep really well knowing I had tons to do and had to pick her up.  But, I did get a rest and was able to play soccer, make pudding and get through the bedtime routine-and watch American Idol-and write my blog.  Night all!

Sleep, What's That?!

1.  We didn't get a good sleep in NYC and then last night Lola called me a bunch of times starting at 3 am.   Finally I took her to the guest room and turned on the tv and "slept" there while she watched cartoons.  Thank goodness for all night programming for kids!  Amazingly, she only took a brief morning nap and then went to her Little Gym class and swim class this afternoon.  We had some down time in between, but she stayed awake til about 9 tonight.  I'm still up and wondering why!

2.  I actually stayed up to clean up my desk.  I also wanted to enter my bills in http://www.mygreenquest.com/ so I can start tracking our energy usage.  I've been meaning to look into electric suppliers, too, and have started the search at http://www.ctenergyinfo.com/.  There are a lot of things to take into consideration.  For example, how "green" the energy is, how much they charge, any complaints lodged against them, are they hooked in with another company or non-profit, etc.  I'm leaning toward Viridian to help out the Weston High School Boosters.

3.   Today was my first dump run!  In my attempt to shave costs where I can, I cancelled our trash service and decided to take the trash to the transfer station myself.  It was very painless and rather enjoyable!  The day was beautiful and Lola helped me put the stickers on the bags and put the recyclables in the bins.  I was nervous about the weight of the bags and the procedure, but was helped out by a nice garbage collector that was there dumping the truck.  He tried to sway me to switch to his company, but I told him I just cancelled them to try to save some bucks.  He said a lot of people are doing that.  It turned out that there was noone there monitoring what you do or weighing your trash.  It's an honor system and suited me just fine.  I feel so virtuous when I'm saving money!

Easter Weekend in the City

1.  I'll start by saying the weekend wasn't all we were hoping for, but turned out ok.  We started out having a plumber over on Friday to deal with the hot water heater problem.  Ironically, he was telling me about trying to adopt from China for the last 3 years.  Then I dashed around packing and we got to the train station with not too much time to spare.  We got to the city and took a taxi down to the Marriott Downtown/Financial District.  We got checked in and then went out for lunch nearby.  We then walked down to the Staten Island Ferry and realized we didn't have time to take the ferry over and back and then get back to get up to MoMA.  So, we went back and relaxed for a bit and then took the subway up to Times Square and walked over to the museum.  We had decided to go there because on the first Friday of the month Target offers free admission, which would save us 40 bucks.  Well, we saw a long line and kept walking to see if it was for the museum.  We found out it was, indeed, the line and followed it around and around the building.  The line almost completely went around the entire building, which covered over 2 blocks!!  Rich, of course, was angry and said we'd never use a coupon or try to get a deal again-he'd rather pay full price.  So, instead of waiting in the massive line, we took the girls to the American Girl store, which wasn't too far away.  They always have a good time browsing.  I can't stand how crowded it is and how the items are placed too high for Lola.  I have to carry her all around so she can see the dolls.  Ugh!  We had a reservation at Johnny Utah's for dinner.  We got there a little early and had a good table right up front-right near the mechanical bull!  I thought it would be fun for the kids to see some bullriding.  We got there before 6 and were warned that we'd have to vacate the table by 8 for another reservation.  I actually thought it was nice the hostess told that to us up front instead of kicking us out later, as that's happened to us before!  We couldn't imagine being there that long that night, though.  The menu was very limited, but the service was great.  The bull turned out to be broken and the guys were busy working on it for a long time.  We waited and waited and finally it was fixed.  We waited some more and noone rode him.  So, we finally left, disappointed.  We took a taxi back to the hotel.  The kids did pretty well that night and slept in a big bed together.  I had bought glow sticks for the circus and let them have two for nightlights.  We all had a decent nights' sleep.

2.  The next day we had to get up by an alarm so we could get down for breakfast and get over to the circus pre-show.  The breakfast buffet at the hotel restaurant was great and included with our room.  We croaked when we got the bill for $87 and quickly made sure that we weren't supposed to be paying this.  No, we just needed to sign for it.  Phew!  We walked over to the subway station to find that the station was closed due to changes.  We walked back over to the hotel and just got a taxi to Madison Square Garden.  We got there with time to spare and wait in line.  When we got in we realized the floor there was a lot smaller than other arenas we'd seen the circus in.  It was a lot tighter and more crowded, but Grace still managed to get quite a few autographs in her program-one of her favorite things to do.  Lola loved seeing the elephant paint a picture.  She loves elephants.  We then headed up to our club suite.  The tickets we got were from a vendor at Rich's work and were free to their box.  That was exciting to be in a box with food, beverage and a clean bathroom!  We knew a few of the people there and had a nice time.  The problem with the box is that you're so high up that you don't really feel engaged with the entertainment.  The kids watched some, but were happier playing around.  The food was pretty mediocre at best-hamburgers, chicken fingers, etc.  The bathroom toilet got clogged up and I won't even mention what I had to do about it.  Ick!  After the circus we took a taxi back to the hotel to rest.  Later we went down to the ferry and did take the free round-trip to see the Statue of Liberty.  It was funny to get off in Staten Island where everyone had to disembark and then see most everyone getting back on for the return trip.  It's one of the best free things to do in the city!  Don't be alarmed when the boat tips-everyone is sitting on the statue side for a view!  We then walked over to Southport Seaport and ate at Red for dinner-Mexican food, yum!  We walked back and the kids took baths.  But, they didn't get to sleep til very late for some reason.  Poor Lola has a cold and had a hard time breathing and was coughing throughout the night.  It was a rough night!

3.  Today we woke at our leisure and got up and went for round two of buffet breakfast.  We checked our bag and headed for Chinatown.  Grace wanted to get a parasol.  She had bought one in Boston that had broken and she wanted a new one.  We went in the first store we saw and she ended up getting two rings and Lola got a Chinese coin and lucky money envelopes.  After looking for a while we saw that we'd paid too much for these things-we just needed to walk further in.  We went to find the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory and then went to the Buddhist temple.  The kids loved the temple and were fascinated by the offerings and the incense.  A man there gave them clementines and told us they had lunch in the basement.  We weren't hungry yet, but were intrigued to see the monks eating.  For some reason after this Grace got very emotional, but wouldn't tell us what was wrong.  The day seemed to be shot after this and we headed back to the hotel.  Grace finally perked up and we got back to the hotel.  We decided to go to Grand Central and get snacks for the train and home.  We got a pretzel and Grace dropped one of her new rings and lost it.  We searched for a while, but couldn't find it.  She was very upset, needless to say.  We also got the requisite Zaro's black and whites and got on the train.  I was happy to get seats facing the way we were traveling, not like the previous trip.  We finally got home and the kids were playing and Lola somehow let her new coin go and it went rolling under the range.  We haven't located it, either.  It was a tough weekend, but we made it and were happy for the nice weather.  Now I'm hoping for a good night sleep!

Anticipation

1.  Is making me late, is keeping me waiting....Oh, how I love Carly Simon.  Anyway, we're heading to NYC for the long weekend and I'm really excited!  We have so many fun things planned, but I don't want to be late in leaving as I haven't even packed yet.  The plumber is coming to deal with the hot water heater in the early morning, so that will be a much-needed wake up call.  Otherwise, I'm sure I'd sleep as long as I was able!

2.  Lola played on the playground a full hour after school ended.  She has a very good friend that she was playing with and just adores.  I'm sad to say that her family is moving to the city.  This will be Lola's first time to deal with "losing" a friend.  I've been gently explaining the situation to her so it's not too much of a shock when it actually happens.

3.  We never see anyone we know when we go out to dinner.  Tonight we used a free kid's meal coupon at Friendly's.  It's not our favorite place, but knew it would get the kids interested in going out.  By the end of the week they're tired and don't want to leave home.  I was right!  The funny thing was I saw a family I know sitting down when we got there.  Then another family we know walked in after we sat down.  I asked Grace "isn't that the girl from your gymnastics class?"  She immediately ran over and gave her a hug.  She then proceeded to disappear.  So, Rich went over to find her and found that her father and he know eachother from work.  Funny!  As usual, our meal wasn't the best and the service was slow, but the kids had a ball.  What more can you ask for to start a holiday weekend?  Happy Easter!