GQ Photo Shoot

Check out the six-pack abs. He's been working on those lately and loves to show them off.

Mini-Me

That girl of ours LOVES girl time with Mommy and that boy can't get enough boy time with Daddy. The reason for more boy pics is the girl only smiles about once for every 17 pictures taken. This was the closest we could get to a legitimate smile. Notice there is NOT A SMIDGE of Mommy-look-a-liked-ness dwelling in that little man. At least I've got the girl. We can each have a mini-me.
(I'm hoping any future children don't end up looking like Mr.Biggles to round out the mini-me's in the family!)

NKOTB

Confessing is good for the soul. So here it is. I'm not going to lie anymore.

I never stopped liking New Kids on The Block.

I feel better now after holding that in for 20 years.

There definitely came a point in NKOTB's history where it was not, how you say, fashionable to admit your continued liking. So I didn't. I went to their concert in 7th grade (with my "Homeboy" t-shirt and cut-up jeans just for Donnie Whalberg) and vowed after that obnoxious showing of my love that I would tone it down and begin to find other, more reputable bands to follow. Thus began the 20 year facade of "Oh of course, I'm so over NKOTB" when really, that bond to my first boy band was still there.

And now, they're coming back. I saw them on the Today Show and got just about as giddy as I did 20 years ago as I watched the beautiful medly including "Please Don't Go Girl", "Right Stuff", "Hangin Tough" et al. I stood in front of the tv and mimicked all those old dance moves I had previously memorized from my Hangin Tough video. Though I was thoroughly enjoying myself, my kiddos looked on almost as if they were embarrassed. Can I really embarrass a 3 year old and a 1 1/2 year old? I didn't even know it was possible.

I think, as a parent, though I want to install important values, morals, blah blah blah in my children, there's also a smidge of myself that would love for them to love my music. Hey I did it for my parents. I took the Elvis adoration to another level and I've been to more Chicago concerts than I can count with 2 hands.

It's obviously not working with my kids and NKOTB because there was 0 interest (no worries, I shall try again, especially if this becomes the "Comeback of the Century")! However, there was a breakthrough today. Little Man, in playing with the stereo he's not allowed to play with (that's been broken for about 3 years) pressed just the right button and one of my "mixed" tapes from high school blared through the house. It was a BEAUTIFUL sound. (You all know how those "mixed" tapes made you feel!). Michael Jackson's "Beat It" followed by the Jackson 5's "Got You Back" were the first 2 songs. I belted out "DANCE PARTY!!!" at the top of my lungs and the babes couldn't suppress it. They joined right in and we busted loose. I even got Sister to attempt some break dancing. If they can respect Michael's music, they'll surely come around to the "Right Stuff" soon...

Home Sweet Home

Smiles on faces. Real food being eaten (and staying appropriately in one's tummy). Meds administered. Dressing up ensued. All is well. No more hospital visits allowed. Ahhhh...home sweet home.

Spoke Too Soon

In regards to #4 on the previous blog entry: momma did get sick and the house did cave in. Now Little Bit is getting pumped full of fluids in the pediatric ward (of which, unfortunately, we know quite well thanks to Little Brother). We're hoping for a Friday release...would love sooner, but doc says that's the earliest. Send a prayer up for our sickly little fam if you could.

You Know You're A Mom When...

1. You catch your kid's vomit with your hands.
2. Though you have no nursing degree, the entire household is looking to you for immediate medical relief, and you give it confidently.
3. Your house becomes an infirmary because one sick child = 3 other sick family members within minutes.
4. The aformentioned sick family members do not include you because if it did, the house would cave in.
5. You run the washing machine throughout the entire night, and you change sheets on 3 beds 7 times in a 24 hour period.

Happy Mother's Day Week to me.

Bah-stin

Had a whirlwind 24 hour trip to Boston this weekend to see my oldest bro graduate with a doctorate's degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. First doc in our family. Even has a diploma with Billy Graham's signature (he's a co-founder of the seminary). Now that's pretty darn cool.

I feel like Boston is probably a fantastic town though I only really saw the airport, the seminary, and the traffic in between. I still haven't figured out why every city in America is not laid out like NYC. Whoever invented NYC's layout was a genius. Perfect 90 degree angles everywhere. Atlanta is a mess. Boston is a mess. You'd think they would learn from the Big Apple (no spaghetti junctions there), but nopers, they're still a mess.

Though it was a short trip, it was great to see the family - parents, brothers, sister-in-law, favorite nephews on the planet, and my faux-in-laws.

Here's a few pics from the grandeous occasion...

The brothas and me



Future doctors just like their dad!


A most scholarly young man!


The whole fam: Mom, Steve, Jerry, Suz, Dad

The Conclusion

If there is a soul who is not taking advantage of the "birthday week" celebration option, I must stop right here and encourage one said person to quickly and reverently begin this must-have tradition (for yourself first and then slowly add additional family members if they just won't be quiet about it...slowly though...like one every five years...don't want to get too stressed out about it).

Carter gave me an "agenda" for the week with something special each day. We began the week with a night out to dinner - all 4 of us - to one of our favorite little shrimp boat seafoody places in Darien called Skippers.

You can hang out on the porch and see alligators in their natural habitat right on the river. Great theory until you actually see one within chomping distance. Then you just channel your inner bulldog and destroy the little whipper snappers...as usual.

The next day we spent at the beach on a most perfect of perfect days. So perfect that I made sure to lather up the babes with spf 1000 and somewhere in the mix forgot to lather myself. A little cancerous sun poisoning is the perfect addition to birthday week...I thought.

Our next night was to be dessert night out; however, due to the previous day's excitement in the sunshine, we opted to stay in and not allow the blood to hit our ankles and offer up an explosion when we stood up. Bad news. Bad bad news.

Now comes the true birthday day. Made perfect at my fave pizzaria, Broomeli Boys. Loaded up on 75 ounces of Coca Cola, pesto stix and pepperoni/spinach pizza. Then, as anyone would do after a meal that size, I headed to the softball field where I was cheered on by my little family as we got SPANKED by the other team...as usual.

Following night I got a homemade meal and birthday cake by my near-perfect husband. I got to pick the meal out of a cookbook and was reminded throughout the evening and well into cleanup the degree of difficulty and the vast amount of ingredients called for in my little "birthday pick". he he he. I just thought since I cook about 18-20 meals a week, he should experience the same amount of joy I get...just all in one!

Next night again cancelled...this time due to strep throat. Hey, why not, we're just about over the sun poisoning, so let's add a little strep TO THE ENTIRE FAMILY for a few days. Perfect.

Rounding out the week was a night at Relay for Life. This has become a little tradition for us and is so much fun to see the community come out in one big heap for such a good cause. Sore throats and all, we walked, gallopped, skipped, and danced lap after lap. Then we slept for days.

All good things must come to an end (though I've tried to offer the "birthday month" option - to no one's liking).