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
Hurray for HP - and I don't mean Hewlett Packard
Yes Harry Potter has returned once again in The Order of the Phoenix. Now that the crowds have died down a tad my guys decided last night to go see the show. Their report...not what they were expecting. They read the book and were disappointed in the movie and felt that a lot of details were left out. They felt the same way with the last movie and I have to agree with them as I saw The Goblet of Fire and I didn't think it was all that great. My favorite HP flick is still the very first one when the Hogwart's kids were little tikes. Anyway, my guys are waiting for the next HP book to show up as they enjoy the books more than the flicks.
So I am getting my fill of mommyhood again this coming week and carpooling to yet another basketball camp, yahoo! This camp is an all day camp so that will be nice :) Then today I realized that the school season starts here in 45 days. 45 DAYS! Then I realized that we all need a vacation - a real PACK UP THE CAR AND WAVE BYE BYE TO HOME vacation.
Guess I'd better get busy planning. But that's just half the fun anyway :)
Stay cool this week!
~ Paula
Big City Here We Come
I recently attended a conference for the National Society of Newspaper Columnists in the beautiful city of Boston. When signing up for the conference I was having a good day and had happy thoughts of taking my entire family along for the trip and making a vacation out of it. What the heck-it is summertime and I figured the seven of us could enjoy some real quality family time together. And as I mentioned before, I was having a good day.
Going to the city is a big deal for our gang as we live in the country. So, after talking with the hubby about my idea, which he was all good with, I decided to ask the five kids if they would like to go hang out in Boston for a few days and get away from country life.
"Hey guys! Do any of you feel like a vacation, you know, getting away from the quiet countryside and heading over to the big city where it's nice and crowded and noisy?"
My son Phillip perks up and says, "We're going to New York City, dude?!"
"Relax Phillip. NO, we are not going to New York City."
"L.A.?" Nick asks.
"Boston!" I say out loud. "We are going to Boston."
"Boston?" Joseph asks. "Cool dude, so we are going to a Red Sox game?"
"Well, not exactly unless your father wants to dish out $700 bucks to ticket scalpers for one night of baseball pleasure. Sorry guys, I don't have tickets for a Red Sox game. I have a conference to attend and your Dad and I thought it would be nice if we all went. We were even thinking of going to see the Aquarium and a show at the IMAX theatre."
"The Aquarium?" our oldest son Tony squeaks out. "How about the beach, or maybe even the hotel pool, you know, where the chicks are?"
"Baby chicks are in the hotel's pool?!" Anna, our four year old daughter asks, excited at the thought.
"No sweetie, but we will see Penguins at the Aquarium" I tell her, giving Tony the evil eye.
While in Boston I had a great time at the conference and actually learned quite a bit from other writers. After the conference, it was family time. Time to put on our walking shoes and hit the streets. Walking was fine. It was keeping track of five kids and walking through the city that was the difficult part for me.
Ok everyone, we are approaching a crosswalk so lets all stay together." I say as I hold on tightly to Anna's hand and as I grab on to eleven year old Joseph's hand.
"Um, Mom. What are you doing?" Joseph asks looking over at his older brothers who are snickering at him.
"Nevermind, hurry, it's our turn to cross!" I yell out dragging him along.
Then every few minutes...
"Tom, where is Phillip? Nick, where is Anna? Tony, where is Joseph?"
I couldn't help myself. I'm a mom and I need to keep track of all my children.
Overall, we did end up visiting the Aquarium, which was enjoyed by all - even our oldest son Tony who got to see chicks - Penguin chicks that is. We saw wonderful street shows, shopped and ate great food for three days.
Maybe next time we head to the big city of Boston this mom will think to order Red Sox tickets well in advance...
On the Road Again...
I just returned from Florida where I attended my grandmother's funeral this past week. I will truly miss my grandmother - she was one terrific lady and the sweetest thing on this earth.
I was away for six days. We drove from the state of Vermont to the state of Florida in a GMC Yukon - Two straight days and nights there and two straight days and nights back (visiting family in Florida for 2 days). My three younger kids went along on the trip (leaving my two older sons home - am I nuts?!!).
Most think I am crazy to begin with for driving and not flying to Florida...I disagree. I enjoyed being couped up with a 14, 11 and 4 year old for hours on end in a vehicle singing Old MacDonald Had a Farm and listening to LOUD rock music - why wouldn't I?
Heck, just think of all the wonderful reading one can accomplish from the millions of billboards along the way - There were a few dozey's too, especially for my two younger sons to chuckle about that read, "We Bare All" Exit 49 and "Ultimate Massage" Exit 20, oh, and let's not forget the wonderful billboard signs from HOOTERS with their eye-catching half dressed bimbos.
Then we had bathroom and food breaks every few hours...when the time came to get back in the car and strap in, my four year old daughter decided that she was going to walk. My sons were good with that decision...
The embarassment came from what we were driving - a filthy, mud and salt covered northern SUV. The further south we drove with clear blue skies and the sun shining brightly, we quickly began our search for a drive through car wash (this happened in the state of Virginia). The kids love this - it is, by far, their biggest excitement of the entire trip. After 3 minutes of a scrub-a-dub-dub, we were all pretty and sparkley again.
So, now we are home (Thank God) and back to our normal routine...and out of that car (which, by the way, is once again a filthy, mud and salt covered northern SUV!).
