Listen to 2011-The Beginning

Tubing with Friends

I have driven by this tubing park at least twice a month since moving to MA and everytime, I think to myself, "OK that looks like so much fun!" Then finally I had a good reason to go. Paula, Connor and Colin's friend from South Africa has come to visit and we decided to do some tubing instead of watching Narnia. We had so much fun it was ridiculous! I was able to get Kaya to go down with me and Miss Jen once and then she decided that was enough, no matter how many times I asked or what I promised. Miss Jen had no luck either but Kaya ended up having a ton of fun on the "bunny hill" and soon there was a whole gang of little ones doing their own hill. It was pretty cute. Of course the rest of us went crazy and the boys went down around sixteen times and laughed all day. I forced Linh and Manty to go down and they became tubing fiends. Manty and I went down together spinning and we laughed so hard I had tears streaming from my eyes. Miss Jen was the only one to go down face first then promptly discouraged the rest of us from doing it...lots of snow in the face! Courtney was home from her college break so she joined us and gave Miss Jen and me more turns down the hill since someone had to stay with Kaya on her hill and so we ended up doing a rotation so we all got to get in our fair share of runs.

But I still have to say that as much fun as the day was.....it wasn't skiing at Alta!!!!! I really miss the mountains and promptly booked a ski week-end at Jay's Peak for some powder. I know it's not Alta but it is the best the East can offer and it will absolutely do!

Dreaming of a White Christmas

It seems as if everyone everywhere else in the US has been hording all the snow in a very un-Christmas like stingy way. It was probably snowing in Florida along with Ohio, North Carolina and Utah. OK, OK....I give those in Utah a break. After all, you need all the snow you can get for all that great mountain skiing. Still, it really seemed as if everyone got snow but those of us in New England. And then this morning I get a 6 AM wake up call of, "Mom! Mom! You got to look outside! It's a Christmas Miracle!!" I put quotation marks around it for a reason because this is exactly what Colin and Kaya were screaming into my ear. Although, unlike those states unused to snow, school was not cancelled but I let the kids go outside to enjoy it for fifteen minutes before I had to drive them to school. I thought I was pretty cool.

Then I got home from work at around 3:30 after picking Connor up from 2nd grade and we helped get them all out for a little snow play. (The we is Miss Jen...highlighted in the pictures below...) Well, I couldn't find my gloves but Miss Jen had hers and a real snow ball fight ensued. Clearly Miss Jen was outnumbered but I think she held her own. The squeals of delight of kids attacking a grown up must have carried because soon Jimmy and Sarah were right there joining in the chaos. Miss Jen was as always a good sport and even taught Kaya how to throw a snowball just right to hit her victim, which just happened to be Miss Jen. Ah how the pupil becomes the Master. Now that is a cool babysitter! And really...what a fun way to kick off the winter season. By the third winter storm, we will all have become quite jaded but for now...it's a "Christmas Miracle!"

Santa Grampie and Mrs. Di

Well Steve and Di made their way up North to deliver joy and Christmas presents for all! It is always the official kick off for the Christmas Season and we all look forward to it every year-especially the boys who have quickly figured out that Grampie goes nose to nose with Old Saint Nick in the best Christmas presents contest. This year though Kaya may have come to the realization all on her own. When she unwrapped her present below she said, "This is what I told Santa I wanted!" Words can not descripe the pure wonderment in her voice. As I said, nose to nose.

Meanwhile, Connor and Colin went right through their snow ball making slings and Star Wars Legos to the coveted Hess Trucks. If anyone has boys, you need to include this on the "must have's" list for Christmas. They are so well made and boys just love them. This year, the jets even changed their flight sounds based on the direction you were flying them. Super cool. Though I must say I overheard Connor and Colin planning their new snow ball making ability and how they were going to put it to use. Miss Jen and I are in trouble!!! What an ambush they have planned.....shouldn't they be taking on Brian????? I think they think they are going to be like Will Ferrell in "Elf". Oh their imaginations are running wild!

Grampie and Di took the kids on the walk where I believe that Kaya impressed them with her running in snow boots skill. (40 degrees outside and not a flake of snow but I have learned to just let her go with her own style i.e Sleeping Beauty nightgown) Kaya and Di got to do a little bonding and I got to see Di's wedding ring. If anyone thought that a new star appeared tonight, it's just her ring! :) Well....the season for us has started with family and laughter. I hope yours does too!

A Christmas Favorite

S-Q-U-I-R-R-E-L!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A trip to Edaville

A friend of mine from work, Karen, dragged me out to see the lights in Edaville MA which she said was amazing! She also promised fireworks and just to close the deal, mentioned that they were probably closing down and this would be the last year to see them. Normally I would jump all over this but it was a good two hour drive there and back and Brian wouldn't be able to come with me because he is almost out of days off already this year. (We were a bit Vacation Crazy this year!)

I am so glad I made the trip because the train ride was amazing! The lights were unbelievable (7,000,000 of them which puts even The Griswolds to shame) and the fireworks were worth waiting for! Seriously, there were probably my favorite fireworks ever. It was fifteen minutes of red, green and gold fireworks over a beautiful lake with kids oohing and ahhing all around you.

We even went to Santa's Village and got our Christmas wishes done. Karen's husband, Andy, played Star Wars with all the kids in the village (they had red and green glowing lightsabers for only $7.00 so every kid there had one) on this huge giant hill that kids were either rolling down or running around on. Even the merry go round was a hit with the boys because this was no 2010 safety merry go round but one from the old days that went 20 miles a minute. The older kids loved it!

It was a great night and for those that are close, you might want to take one more trip there to waltz down memory lane surrounded by a forest of lights and enjoy the impromptu carolling on your way out!

Kaya and her "Frosty Prince"

First let me tell you a story about a certain girl say 32 years ago that came to first grade with a King Kong lunch box and throughout the year managed to convince all the girls in her class that a.) she was someday going to marry King Kong and b.) there was nothing at all strange with the fact that she wanted to marry a 60 foot gorilla.

Then maybe at the same time, her younger sister was in the bathroom during a "difficult" time on the toilet. (I really can't remember why she was having such a time in the bathroom so if those there would like to clarify please feel free). We were made aware of the situation due to the screaming of "Save me Pop Eye, Save me Pop Eye!" You see while one girl was in love with King Kong, her sister was in love with PoP Eye. (Must be those famous arms!!)

Now since I can't do it any better than Miss Jenn, let me copy what she sent me along with this picture she took today:

"I thought you might get a kick out of meeting your future son in law! I met him today and found him a little cold! Your daughter has made my Christmas season a very joyful one! See you on Monday...Miss Jenn"

Yes it's true...Kaya is in love with Frosty.

Thanksgiving 2010

I made an oath this year, a bit of an early New Year's Resolution-to make sure that I spend more time with my family so that my kids know both sides of their family. First step was to buy tickets to Ohio and spend Thanksgiving with Mary, Holly and Brysha. Of course this meant that it would include a relay of time spent at Holly and Brysha's houses and a speed play date kind of game with their cousins. Some things I learned:
Don't eat outside of the kitchen unless you want to get "the look" from Holly.
Brysha has slept sitting up since she had her twins.
The boys absolutely adore Joey and Corbin.
Kaya loves being the princess with her girl cousins as her ladies in waiting.
Holly's bathtub is big enough for the kids to think of as a small swimming pool.
Between the four boys (Corbin, Joey, Colin and Connor) every game they played seemed to involve a monster.
Holly's house would be great if it didn't have so many tattle tales in it.
Sleeping at Brysha's means reliving the days of being mom to newborns.
Arelynn is going to marry someone named Eric.
Dad can still make us all feel like we are twelve years old by lecturing us on Christmas checks. And finally but not in any way in the least, even with Mom in Idaho we could still have twelve deserts for Thanksgiving. Check out Connor's fingers....a message to the US and North Korea I think.

Brysha's little identical Joshua and Caleb. And if you think they are crying in this picture you would be right. If they aren't touching Brysha, they aren't happy!

Angelina Jolie...eat your heart out!!! This is my sister after twelve children!

I'll slyly move this way....

Cousins and their secrets....something about a princess and a prince I bet.

Joey and Connor...best friends since day one.

You'd think these four would be trouble makers but really, they were just boys having fun. I hope it last until they are in college.

Whatever game they were playing, the boys seems to think they were the victors. Or maybe this is just a cheer for testosterone.

A picture of cousins....I asked them to scream cousins....wish I wouldn't have said "scream" since they do seem to enjoy that part.

Here's the boys watching The Grinch with Isaac and Noah. Ah...the beginning of the Christmas Season.

So Mary and Mark don't believe in telling their kids about Santa Clause. Hmmmm.....maybe the doubters are the true believers :)

For a whole hour they boys stayed in Holly's basement playing quietly. The picture looks innocent, right? If only they weren't playing a kids version of dodge ball. (Their version required hitting someone in the face, not just any body part would do to win...)

Sweet moment #1

Sweet Moment #2

Sweet Moment #3

Sweet Moment #4

Sweet Moment #5...better than any pie!

Always plotting and planning something...but they had so much fun that it would have put any Thanksgiving NFL game to shame.

One bite for mankind~

Aww yes, the infamous pies!

It will always cause a pie coma.

Holly and Bronte hanging out with the girls.

The original girls....(we are starting to look alike which only means we are doing the Barker aging process...ARGGHH)

Up and coming gang!

Here's Connor and Colin with Papa...

Holly and her daughters having a moment with Papa.

To the left you will see the escaping Adeline. Yep...twenty kids all in the same house. And all still for just the one second it took to take this picture. A miracle.

Connor loves his Papa and as soon as he saw him he ran to jump on him and give him a hug. Luckily there were no casualties.

Here's Colin reminding Papa that his name is Colin and not Collier...(not sure why but my dad insist on calling him Collier...no matter how many times we correct him.)

The morning we left Brysha convinced Brian to hold both of the twins. The twins in OSU suits and Brian in his Bruins shirt. Made me laugh! North and South can still coexist. And since I am a southern girl married to a Northern Man, I am thankful for that!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving full of family and memories to keep you smiling until next year.