Jarom' s Triathlon

Jarom took it to the swim, bike, and run! He was awesome. It was so fun to see him try this new sport. He took 2nd over all! Go Jarom!!
He swam 50 meters, biked 1 mile, and ran .5 miles

Cottage Vacation

Once upon a time a family took a weeks vacation in a little cottage along a big beautiful Lake of New York.
Each day they woke up to the birds singing and a full day ahead of them to do as they pleased. Breakfast, lunch and dinner was served on the porch overlooking the water. They played at the beach until late afternoon then visited the playground, fished, or rode bikes. Evenings were quiet, bed time came when the sun went down. Kids fell asleep to bedtime stories that sometimes lasted over an hour. On the last day of this vacation they went to an Amusement Park where roller coasters, flying swings, and water slides sent them home in a complete exhausted state of bliss. And they lived Happily Ever After.....
Until the youngest awoke the next morning to find he was back home in his OWN bed and climbed down from his top bunk and marched into mommies bed demanding they return to camp! "I don't want to be in my own bed! I want to be at camp!"

24 hours of FUN!!!

Friday afternoon I loaded the truck with sleeping bags, whining kids, a tent, and a bike rack. We picked up Sam from work and drove to Winding Trails in Farmington, Ct. We arrived around 2pm had a picnic and hit the beach! For the following 24 hours the fun didn't stop. Sam, Jarom and Jennica played in the water diving for rocks while Jace and I ventured in the pedal boat. At 6:30pm we pitched our tent, enjoyed a BBQ, then spent the evening boating, playing tag, hide -and -seek, and telling stories on the playground. We rolled into our tent around 10:30pm and enjoyed a warm night in the woods. The next morning breakfast was served, we took down our tent, went on a bike ride, then hit the beach again. By 2pm we filled the truck with sleeping bags, HAPPY kids, a tent and a bike rack and returned home a better family than we were the day before.
This was a great program I stumbled upon at the last minuet, surprisingly enough they still had openings. All we had to do was pay $50, provide the tent and they provided all the fun and food!
We'll defiantly do this again!

I Tried!

This is where it all happened. This is where the race began. A race I showed up late to, cheated in, and felt good in the end!

A friend and I drove an hour and a half to participate in the 'Winding Trails Triathlon' but due to TRAFFIC we arrived just as the race began. We didn't let that stop us though. We ran INTO the water just as the others were runinng OUT. I jumped in, fully clothed, with groups of kids, lifegaurds, and families witnessing my desperate attempt to swim 1/4 of a mile. I laughed within at the pity applause that greeted me as I emerged from the water 10 min. after the others!! I had to shake my indignity along with my water loaded clothes and move on to the next challenge. To the spectators we were the two that swam 10 min. SLOWER than the rest of the pack. I was thrilled that I swam 1/4 of a mile in 10min. given the last time I swam was in the St. Geroge Triathlon in Utah last year! It was still a little on the embarassing side to start out 10mins behind everyone else! But hey, I didn't have to deal with the kicks in the face and splashes that come with jumping in the water at gunshot.
As a matter of fact showing up late offered more than I expected. Because the race had already started we weren't able to register, therefore, we didn't get a timing chip or have to pay the fee! We also missed out on the directions reguarding the trail paths. This "little" detail worked to our advantage! Once we managed to get our soggy feet into our shoes we climbed on our bikes and took off. All went well until the blue arrows and the red arrows that had consistantly pointed in the same direction now split up! We paused for a moment and realized we were missing some critical information and pushed ahead following red. After a few minuets we noticed through the trees, on a different path, some bikers. I called out: "Which path is for the biking, red or blue?" The reply was: "red for run, blue for bike." We were obviously on the wrong path. We sloved that problem easily by cutting across the grass and joining them! Now, the question is- How much time did we cheat by doing this??? I still have no clue. But this is where things got intense.
This trail riding was serious adventure stuff! I had a firm grip on my handlebars in fear of being shaken off my bike! The trail was all over the place! Up, down, up, DOWN, over logs, between trees, over bridges, bumps, bumps and many more bumps. I was nervous about my bike falling apart. After 8 miles of this constant pulsation the transation station was a happy site. I hopped off the bike and again started the run down the path with the blue and red arrows together. This time fully aware of their meaning. At this point of the race I could see some (perhaps a lot) of time was made up due to the bike mishap. hehehe
The final event was the 3 mile run. I was happy to see I wasn't alone at this point. Running on trails was very entertaining. I really pushed myself in hopes to make up some more time. In the beginning I could see people ahead of me but once I passed them I seemed to be the only one out there. For about a mile I didn't see anyone. A sudden fear struck me! I totally cheated on the bike and now I'm running at the head of the pack! I am such a CHEATER!!! That's about as long as I dwelt on that and I kept running with a sly smile on my face. I was feeling rather energetic. I soaked up the glory thoughts and pushed my strides. This may be my best run yet! Then it happened... the wall that most out- of -shape -runners hit was just around the corner. That wall didn't effect me at all but appearently it was bruital to a lot of others. I came upon groups of people walking. My vision of kicking butt (thanks to cheating) was kicked to the dirt. I just about choked on my HUGE slice of humble pie as it was made obvious that I am still catching up! I kicked it into gear again and refused to let up on the hills that were coming like waves. I had to resort to "positive" thoughts and even chants at times like the Little Engine That Could. I was puffing away up those hills, passing those big engines that "looked" very capable but didn't have the Little Engine heart. This "positive" self-talk must have been a bit overboard because just around a bend I emerged from the trees into a soft meadow of sand. As I entered into the clearing I took my mind off the trail and SPLAT, just like on Bambie. I went down. I was doing the log roll in the mound of sand. I jumped right up and sheepishly looked about and ran on, hoping the people I just passed on that hill weren't within sight. I was a little uncertain where I should allow my thoughts to wander. I had enough humble pie for the evening so my brain switched to default and my normal thoughts while running alone through the woods began....I was worried about seeing a snake! Now, this was the proper motivation I needed. My feet were quick! I crossed the finish line (well, not really. I had to walk around it because I didn't have a timing chip) with my mind obsessed with snakes, my stomach full of humble pie, and my body covered in sand. It was clear at the finish line that I was definatly in my "own world" during the race. People were already pulling away from the parking lot, or deeply relaxed in a messauge. When I returned to my once over filled bike rack. My own bike stood out as if it were mocking me. I admit, I too, laughed at myself for getting such a kick out of a little white CHEAT and over indulged imagination. But, I did put forth an Honest effort while I was cheating!

First Pick of Cucumbers!!

I know it's a little weird to write about cucumbers but I am thrilled that they actually turned out!
My "little" garden is too much fun!

4th of July

Our 4th of July tradition is experiencing fireworks at Waveny Park.

Piles of Hobi's

Girls having fun!

Jennica and her girlfriends, Clair and Camille, had a great time at the fireworks.

Hit the road running!

Beginning today I am a Triathlete in training....yesterday, not quite so. I have 3 months to train for the Darien Ct. Triathlon. Over the past two months I have been a slave to my mattress and to treats. I have enjoyed ice cream, brownies, pecan pies, ice cream, cookies, and did I mention ice cream? As a result I have, of course, added a few "fluffy" pounds over the summer.
So this morning at 5:30am I greeted my encouraging alarm with a sigh of relief. Time to get my butt in shape! (literally) As I was running I felt "myself" once again. I love exercising. I love what it does for me emotionally. (the physical aspect is a great perk too) I find I am a happy, motivated, proactive Mama if I am exercising. I get things done by 9am that would otherwise take me all day to get motivated to do. I eat better, I sleep better, and I love my kids and man better.
So, I am happy to say good-bye to my sweet tooth and hello to my bike, shoes, pool, and my life again. Any takers??

I Quit!

A few weeks ago I gave my two weeks notice.  I don't know why it took me so long to realize this job isn't for me.  At first I loved it.  That was 10 years ago when the group was just two of us.  Since then we have grown into 5 and this change is long overdue!  I was inspired to "quit" after reading an article in a magazine.  The following day I wiped my hands on my apron and haven't looked back.  As of today my job title of Mom (aka, cook, dish cleaner, taxi, doctor, maid, gardener, coach, queen, story reader, wall scrubber, clothes washer, bed maker, bath giver, teeth brush er, floor cleaner, hair doer, vacuum cleaner, yada yada yada...) has been shortened!  Now that I have given my two weeks notice I no longer carry the title "Clean up after my kids"  It's a beautiful thing!  

I use to fill the dishwasher daily with the cute little cups, bowls, and plates.  Everyday was the same thing.  A sink FULL of those cute little people dishes- and a dishwasher FULL too!  My last day at this job I piled all those cute little dishes in a box and put them in the attic, NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN, and taught my kids how to clean their own dishes!  Each child has their own colored cup, plate, and bowl.  If they want breakfast served in a clean dish they better wash after dinner!  You can bet I have a smile on my face when I am sitting at the table and I see my kids clear the table and wash their dish before they run off to play.  The color coded dish identifies the culprit if a one gets left behind.  I know the pink plate outside on the picnic table belongs to Jen, and Jen knows it too!

Ahhh, my job title is getting a little lighter to carry.  My goal this summer is to outsource most of my tedious chores to their rightful owners.  So far I have seen some creative ways to make a bed and hang up clothes, and have been quite impressed with efforts in scrubbing the bathroom, and love the fact that Jace can be dressed with the help of siblings instead of MOMMY!   Why didn't I think of this sooner?    I wonder how I can teach a 5 and 6 year old how to go grocery shopping???

My dishwasher loves me now.  It only runs every other day.

Flower Girl!

This Spring I took on an intimidating task and planted flowers on my own! Don, our GREAT Landlord, has Husted lane blooming with beautiful flowers every year. This year I asked if I could plant the flowers on our Terrace. I spent over an hour in the Garden Center trying to get in touch with myself to learn what flowers appeal to me. Talk about deep self-reflection! I had never paid attention to what type I like. So that night I had to do some serious bonding with the flowers.
I have really enjoyed the time and effort I have had to give to my flower beds. Jace and I are out watering and weeding everynight for about 35 min. It has been the perfect way to end my day.

Growing a Salad

BEFORE

AFTER 1 MONTH

Jace and I are growing tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and basil.   Everynight Jace is by my side helping me water.  It has been really fun to see all this grow.

 Tonight we are going to create our first salad.  A little mozzarella from the Farmers Market and we have a tasty "homegrown" treat!

Happy 5th Birthday Jennica

Princess Jennica finally turns 5!  It seems like she has already been 5.  I think we skipped the 3rd birthday or something,  She has always seemed older than she really is.  We pulled a quick one on her and celebrated a day early because Sam's graduation was on her actual birthday.  It was her last day of Pre-School too.  She is growing up way too fast!

I found a Hobbit house!

I wonder if they get any trick-or-treaters??

Best Pout of the year!

My Jennica can pull the most pathetic pout.  On this particular day I found it rather cute.  I think this one was caused by the wrong flavor of sucker! boohoo!

Church with Flags

I loved the look of this church with all these flags pegged in the ground. Each Flag represents an American solider lost in the war.

Camping with the Amish

For Memorial Day weekend we left the city life, the cell phones, and the toliets behind and joined up with the Amish in Lancaster, PA.  This provided a welcomed dose of "family time."

We pitched our tent, made a fire and enjoyed the SLOW pace of life- right in the backyard of an Amish Farm!  It is so great to have Sam around for long weekends.  Camping is at the top of our To Do List!  We had a great time here!

The Amish way of doing buisness

I bet you don't see this in your neighborhood!

Green Thumb?

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Our wonderful Landlord, Don, built an area for us to plant a garden.  He gathered the kids and had them plant all the seeds and tomatoes so they could see how things grow.  Now it's up to us to keep them alive!???  Last year Jarom grew pumpkins, we'll see if we can keep the rabbits, and chipmunks away!  Jen suggested we grow a scare"grow" to scare off the animals.

We Did It!!

A picture says a million words!

A lot of people have asked me how I feel now that Sam has graduated.  Well, this picture sums it all up!  Great work Babe and welcome back!!

Jennica's Dance Recital

Jennica had a busy day!  She had a morning soccer game and then rushed to perform on stage.  It was so fun to see her "feel" so beautiful.  It's amazing what  a huge red feather on your head can do.  I think I ought to wear that thing on a rainy day! 

Happy 3rd Birthday Jace

Happy Birthday to my "Soccer Monster!"

I can't complain about his first 3 years, he has been my little buddy!  I could have a dozen more babies if they turned out like him!

Birthday Boy!