First Day of School!

It is official! All of our children have begun school this morning. We walked them into their classrooms and they were ready to begin their day - our little man began Kindergarten with a wave and the blow of a kiss. The girls all marched into their rooms, sat down and began listening to the teachers speak completely in Spanish! We are so grateful to have the children in a bilingual school so that we can maintain the Spanish language in our lives!



I thought I would feel a sense of freedom, a bit of elation or at least enjoy the silence... but, after dropping our children off at school and my husband off at the airport it seems that the feelings I thought I would have are not here at all. I miss the children and although the house is quiet - my thoughts are turned to them and what they are doing and if they are enjoying their classes. I can't wait to pick them up!

Happy Birthday to our Little Ladybug!

She is nine! Our little 'L' is not so little any longer! This year for her birthday celebration she, Daddy and I went out to a special dinner and then shopped until the stores were closing around us! We had a great time with our daughter... we laughed and ate too much at the restuarant - 'L' benefitted because I didn't have room for my cheesecake dessert! Then we had a great time shopping.

We had given 'L' a budget and told her of our plans for a date; she coyly asked if she could get "anything" with her money. We unsuspectingly replied, "Yes". After dinner when we asked what store she wanted to go to - "PetSmart" was the answer... UH OH! Luckily all the hamsters had nasty, little tempers that day and the guinea pig was too hairy! Phew... next time we will make sure to give a couple tiny limitations to our birthday budgets!

We love our beautful daughter and we are SO glad that she has blessed our family these last nine years with her wonderful smile, willingness to help, sense of 'style' and her friendship!

End of Summer

For the final week of summer we had a cousins sleepover, visited museums, went bowling and to lunch and celebrated our little "L's" ninth birthday! We have had a wonderful summer - returning from Mexico, traveling to New England, going on a whale watch - and seeing whales jump out of the water, visiting water parks and the library (every week) and spending time together!

Here are a few shots of our fun in the museum!

Living in the 'Project'...

When we wake up in the mornings we are living in our little, family project! Over the last few weeks we have pulled up flooring, painted a bed for our little man, stripped wallpaper and my cute husband and I are in negotiations for a half wall in the entry area and a reading nook off the girl's room. (Basically building a new wall in the entry and knocking a hole and building a header in an area of dead space off the girl's room!)

We are busy, busy... but with only 2 more weeks of summer we are going to focus a bit more on summer fun and a bit less on renovation!

Here are some pics of the fun we have had so far this summer!

For all those who think you can't...

Often people tell me that it is amazing what our little work crew can do to a home - and that they could 'never do that'. But, here are some quick pics of our current painting, demolition and redesign of a fireplace surround & pulling up linoleum to replace with tile projects.

It is easy enough that our children are doing most of the demolition... it really is THAT easy! (But, it must be done with safety in mind.) The kids love it as well - what child wouldn't love to tear a house apart?

Note to my cute husband: I included pics of all the kids helping and one of yours truly! (Since you haven't seen us in over 5 weeks!)



Cute story: While we were on vacation I awoke to some squabbling on Saturday morning and went out to the television area only to find my kids trying to defend why an HGTV television show was more interesting than Saturday morning cartoons! (We watched one HGTV show and then all the cousins enjoyed cartoons together.)

Quotable Quotes

"Goodbye to all you dead guys laying in the dirt."
- Our little Ladybug shouted out while leaving 'Sleepy Hollow Cemetery' in Concord, MA - where Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne & Henry David Thoreau are all buried.

Sights, Sounds and Flavors of New England

While we were have been here, in New England, we have had a wonderful time! We have gone to the beaches in Newport, Rhode Island - Airshows - the New England Aquarium - Old North Bridge - Boston Common & Public Gardens - the site of The Liberty Tree - Tall Ships at Sail Boston 2009 - New Hampshire and more! We have had Canoli's from 'Mike's Pastries' in North End - Steamers & Lobster Dinner at home and TONS of Ice Cream! It has been a wonderful trip - we have enjoyed every day here!