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My week so far
...and what a crazy busy week it's been! I am EXHAUSTED and need a nap.
So, the kids are all back to school - except the oldest, Tony, who is here with us and leaving tonight to head back to UMASS. Nick started classes Monday at UCONN and of course called to say he needed more money for books and what not, Phillip started on Tuesday and his big news was that he has a new girlfriend and she is a junior (one year ahead of him), Joseph started Wednesday, and again, his news, he has a girlfriend AND two others who want to be his girlfriend - wonderful. And Anna started Kindergarten today and did super :) Her teacher is a doll and I just know she is going to have a great year - which makes mom rest easier. Hope all the moms out there who got there kids off to school recently got off to a great start :) I know one thing for sure - I am sleeping in this weekend! Here's the rugrats this morning all ready to go...
Got to go for now - Tony and I have lots of running around to do today before he leaves for school...
Have a fab Labor Day weekend!
~Paula
School days, school days
How many more days?
For some, school doors have reopened weeks ago. Here in Vermont we are just getting started. My son Nick who goes to UCONN will head to class bright and early Monday morning (have fun Nacky), and I have another (Phil the big 10th grader) starting Tuesday, Joseph my 7th grade rocker starts Wednesday, and my little Anna Banana starts Kindergarten on Thursday (ands she is so excited). The oldest, Tony, he heads back to UMASS Amherst at the end of next week after he comes to visit his good ol' mom and dad for a few days and then it's back to the books. Hard to believe I have a junior in college (my BABY!) about to turn 20!...Let's talk about something else shall we...
So, the magazine is doing great! We have been working on the next issue for fall which launches at the end of September and it is awesome! Please check it out at www.momwriterslitmag.com
I have a question - just curious - what is your favorite season of the year? Spring, summer, fall, winter? I'd love to hear from you - on the lit mag and your favorite time of the year :)
Ugh, I have a b-day coming up in a week and a half. Well, I am looking forward to going out with my girlfriend Deb - we could have a good cry together over getting old (she is one year younger than me, darnit). What am I sulking about - we still look 29 ;)
OK, enough on that. It's the weekend, YAY!! Can't wait to see you tomorrow night, Tony - we've got pizza :)
Cheers!
Paula
A trip to the lake
So we finally went. We packed up and decided to put our work aside (and get the wallets out) and headed to Lake Winnipesaukee, NH - one of our favorite family vacation spots. The kids want to stay there. Several times I have heard "Why can't we just buy a vacation house here on the lake and come here all the time, why??" Don't I wish. My reply, "The day we win the lottery, we'll do just that." I can dream can't I? So we spent hours eating, shopping, eating, playing by the water, eating, sight seeing, eating, playing putt putt (which I must mention here that mom was the big winner :)) and eating. Groovy. Hey, do any of you moms remember those candy cigarettes from your younger days, you know, the ones that used to be SO cool, sucking on that cancer stick, and then you would gobble them up? They were totally harmless (other than the loads of sugar eating away at your teeth). Well, we are in this shop, one of my gangs favorite shops on the lake, and my two younger boys spot the damn candy cigarettes. I'm trying to persuade them to buy the candy necklaces instead, but no dice, they aren't going to be caught dead wearing those god awful things...OK. So I figure, what the heck, we're on vacation and we're just having fun - no harm - no real nicotine and tar, just sugar. The damn candy cigarettes got all the attention at The Pirates Cove Putt Putt. Here's my guys pretending to be scurvy pirates (and all the other kids there thought they were so cool) but you see their little sister Anna...she knows they are REAL pirates - just ask her :)
Here's a shot of me with my pirates :) 
And now back to reality...laundry, cooking, laundry, grocery shopping, laundry, working, laundry.....
Have a good one!
~ Paula
Soccer season and celebs
It's finally here. SOCCER MOM season and this mom has been on the go constantly (and it is actually pre-season right now with just practices - twice a day for a total of 4 hours of soccer!). Quite honestly I feel that two hours a day is just peachy for the boys, but no, they are doing four. If nothing else it will get my son in shape this fall. He is already complaining about how sore he is, but hey, he loves the game and is looking forward to playing on the JV team this year, so button up the complaining and get out there and sweat. I'm actually looking forward to the season starting which is September 4th, so come that time, this mom will be screaming from the sidelines...
Has anybody else had enough of Brittany Spears and Nicole Richie? That is all I hear about in the celebrity news - oh, no, I am wrong - let's not forget Lindsay Lohan. GOD! These girls are such a disgrace. How can they live the way they do? Such an embarrassment to their families...
Off that subject and on to books - again :) I just started reading Jenn Kaufman and Karen Mack's novel Literacy and Longing in L.A. So far, so good. And you'll never guess where these two ladies are from...right, L.A., busy working on their second novel together entitled, A Version of the Truth. All the best to Jenn and Karen!
Anybody go on a FUN summer trip this year (with or without the kiddos)? Or better yet, how about a disastrous summer trip? I'd love to hear about it with all the details ladies :)
Here's to a great week!
Paula
Drummer camp and the Duggars
So J is back from camp - that would be my youngest son who is 12 years old. He has been playing the drums since he was 10 and he also plays piano and most recently, the electric guitar. He loves music. He also sings (and not just in the shower), however, he doesn't really like to admit to it because of how young he is and he's afraid that at any given moment his voice will CRACK while belting out a tune *sigh* Anyhoo, we totally enjoyed his drummer camp performance, along with all the other campers - they were all awesome! Here is a movie link to J's first song by Weezer. He got to play with a former member of the group 8084 (who was excellent I must say) - warning: this download takes quite a bit of time but it is so worth it ;) http://www.paulaschmitt.com/images/M2U00469.MPG
Hey, I thought I was a busy mom - have you met the Duggar family from Tontitown, Arkansas? The whole story is all sweet and wonderful, but how can one woman give birth to 17 children, let alone raise them? I mean, the grocery bills and how many rolls of toilet paper must they go through, really?! I know with a family of seven I feel like I'm putting on a fresh roll everyday. Good God. And the LAUNDRY...how do they manage that task?! I don't even want to think about it - I've read all about their lifestyle and quite frankly, I'm tired. If you haven't already checked them out, here they are www.duggarfamily.com They plan to keep adding to their beautiful family and i wish them all the best...
Anybody reading a good book? I am close to finishing In the Woods by Tana French - really good mystery set in Ireland.
Days left until school begins - 17!!!!!!
~Paula
Another busy weekend...
for this mom and I am pooped.
Spent the whole day Friday in Amherst, Massachusetts moving my older son, Tony into his apartment that he will be living in for his junior year of college. It was 100 degrees out that day - the hottest day so far this summer - figures, right? It's never 100 degrees in Amherst - not until we show up to haul furniture around. We were sweating our butts off! Here's the moving crew :)
On Saturday we were at our house in Chelsea for the day and today, Sunday, we took our youngest son, Joseph, to his drummer camp where he will be staying for the week. Such nice people there and the kids are great. This is Joseph's second year and he loves it. Can't wait until he returns home and plays all that he learned while there. We go over at the end of the week to see his performance. Rock on J!
I just have to show off this terrific snapshot of my good friend and MWLM editor, Samantha (Sam). She sent this to me from Florida when she went there to be on the iVillage show - isn't it great?!! Way to go Sam!
It's gorgeous out today - 70's, sunny and NO humidity - gotta love it :)
Toodles,
~Paula
A week of sadness
My father-in-law, Jack, was a special man in my life - he was a great person. A devoted husband, a wonderful father of seven and a loving brother to three siblings. My father-in-law sadly passed away last week at the age of 91. He lived a happy and healthy life for those 91 years and I'm going to miss him terribly. Here is one of our favorite pictures back a few years ago in Florida. Jack is the good looking, tall gentleman with the big, contagious smile :) (Sending a huge hug and kiss to you dad xo)...
Next, the Petit family from Cheshire, Connecticut...this news made me so sick to my stomach. HOW any person on this earth could do something so horrific to another human being is beyond me. And to children no less! I hope the two sacks of shit who had their "fun" and whose asses are sitting in a jail cell at this moment FRY. They need to suffer - they should be beaten and raped repeatedly, hung by their ankles, have their privates cut off and fed to them for breakfast and then FRY. Then in my eyes, justice will be served.
And finally, the Minnesota bridge that collapsed yesterday during rush hour. It is amazing that anyone survived this disaster and I pray for the families and friends of loved ones who are still missing today and for those who have died and are in the hospital with injuries. I can't even begin to imagine what they are going through...
~Paula
