Foto Friday

Oh yes we Did

The Electronic Age

Apparently we've entered a new age here at the house - the electronic age! Norah got her own kindle for Christmas, and while she understands there *will* be rules around its use, we're not there yet. I figured she just got it, and we are on vacation so the rules can wait a few days. She is understandably quite enamored with her new toy.
Roddie didn't get any new electronics per se, but he did also get a pair of kid headphones, mainly for our benefit on long car rides. We also got a few new games for our Xbox, including a car racing game - that doesn't even use the kinect that he is a big fan of - I am amazed at how fast he has figured out how to keep the car "between the drains". Papa and roadie will surely have fun with this the next time they visit! Roddie insists on using his headphones for his helmet, and refuses to drive without it - safety first!!
I guess we will have to figure out how to navigate these new waters as we go.... Maybe I'll google it from my new toy :)

Pre Christmas pictures

Foto Friday

Biker Chicks - The Next Generation

I'm fortunate to have met some really great women during my time in Massachusetts. Many of my m more recent friend acquisitions are parents of my kids friends, as tens to happen during this phase of life.  However, I have some great pre-kid friends who have endured through our changing phases of life.  We've shared weddings, funerals, pregnancies and parenting, not to mention to mention job changes, new houses, and looking further back, countless first dates before some of us landed on "the one"   These were the ladies I hiked and biked and camped and triathlon'ed and centuried with - back when we all had time for such frivolity!  We all hope that one day again soon this will be a regular part of our lives!

The down side, of course, is that life is such that we don't live close enough to get together frequently, though we do manage to get together several times a year - without kids or husbands - and we have a standing playdate for a long weekend in October.  This year, we were able to get together, WITH our kids and husbands (and a new love interest for one!)   Matt and I were happy to host, and the house worked out just great for this size crowd.  The coolest thing was that the kids, even though they see each other 2-3x per year, were very excited to see one another and had a blast!

Emily, Laurel and Norah are fast friends... Roddie is a little wired on chocolate!

Claire, Jason, Roddie, Laurel, Norah and Emily watching a movie

I guess it was funny... Claire, Jason, Roddie, Laurel, Norah

Biker Kids, the Next Generation!

Hey Santa - Do You See This?

There's something going on at Norah's school called the Kind Kids Klub.  I really don' t know what it's all about, other than the fact that Norah came home tonight saying that she wanted to help mom and dad with an extra chore.  It's not for me to ask questions!  The kids have some regular chores that they need to do - usual stuff like tidying their room, making their beds, clearing the table etc.  

On this day, Norah decided her extra chore would be to wash the dishes.  Now, we have a dishwasher, so it's not that hard a job, but there are usually a few items that don't go in that need to be done by hand.  What was really cool about this day was that she actually asked Roddie if he wanted her to teach him how to wash the dishes.  Roddie, always happy to have his big sister's undivided attention, jumped at the opportunity!  

Me?  I just sat back, let bath time slide and wondered if I should call Santa or if the Elf would report!

Foto Friday

Happy st Nicholas day

Foto Friday

The Great Mitten Match Up of 2014!!!

When the weather turned cold, we started to dig into the bin of hats and mitts.  Every morning, there was a crisis over matching mitts.  Then, there was the issue of whether there were any that fit or not.  I bought a few pairs and they just went into the abyss!  before I bought any more, I needed to get a handle on what we actually had already - so I pitched the idea of "The Great Mitten Match-Up of 2014!" to the kids.  They loved it.  To the point that they were obsessed with it for the few days it took us to actually do it.  

So, one Wednesday night, when Matt was at a meeting, we threw all the hats and mitts in a big pile and matched them all up!  It was more fun than it sounds, and now I know for certain that I really don't need to get any more mittens!!  We threw some in the wash and matched up pretty much all of them, picked out a few that were too small.  I think it has the making of an annual affair :)