ewer wondering...

The Magic of the Fourth

I love the Fourth of July.  It's all about tradition for me; tradition and family.  This is the only holiday I spend with my parents and sister, which probably makes it all the more special.  The only thing that'd make it better would be having Eric's family here as well, then we'd have all of our loved ones around.  We tried hard for this year and it has happened before...  So I'm super hopeful it'll happen again.

2009's celebration started just as it does every year -- at 8 AM sharp for our annual Horribles Parade.  As always, it was pretty silly, even though it did not make national news.  All of the traditional groups marched -- from the lawn chair brigade and the steel drum Jamaican band to the kids' decorated bikes group and so many more.  I love them all!

Once again, Auntie Liz and the cousins created a masterpiece for a float with some friends.  This year's was based on the recent Pixar movie Up and it highlighted varied "up and down" moments of our town's government and events.  I have no idea how they blew up all of those balloons but believe a consumed beverage or two might have helped along the way!

 

 

 

 

It's always fun seeing and reading the floats (which carry satirical and political messages in many cases), especially when friends are riding along -- it's a sure guarantee for an extra toss of candy.  Jack thinks he'd like to join the cousins next year and Eric's always suggesting that our kids decorate their bikes and ride (the group is made up of moms and kids from my mothers' club) but in the end everyone always opts to hang out and watch, probably for the candy!

Once the parade was done, we enjoyed coffee and such at my family's home with a group of their friends and ours.  We watched a bit of the town's old timer's ballgame right from their deck, while munching on coffee cake, bagels and fruit.  Here's my dad and our friend Sally taking in an inning -- close your ears, the words fly as much as the balls!

During the visit, Eric raced to the beach to claim our spot, then back to get us so we could pack up.  I don't think he understood the specialness (i.e., sacredness) of this day's events early in our relationship, but he totally buys into it now, and I'm so happy he does.  We had the BEST spot ever, conveniently located near the bathhouse (translated:  bathrooms, showers, store).  It was all his idea, spending the entire day at the beach, from morning until fireworks, no convincing needed anymore!

It was the first time we'd done that with the kids, usually we go home mid afternoon then return after dinner, but they're at great ages now and we decided to just go for it.  The kids did great, in spite of the long day, and thanked us on more than one occasion for the best day ever!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The day was filled with silliness and fun, sand castles and races, but before long it was time to shower and dress for dinner.  We grilled steak tips, burgers and dogs, and drank a whole lot more...  The deejay played song after song, and the kids did a bit of dancing, a few grown-ups, too.  Sand was everywhere!!  And they got slushees -- two times, the lucky ducks!  Hey, it was a special day, right!

 

 

 

Finally, though, it was time for the fireworks!  And fireworks it was!  Boom!  Zip!  Boom-boom!  Jack and Audrey had memories of other year's and Will might have also.  The boys sat with Grampy and the girls were with Grammie, so I got to hold my sweetie's hand in the dark while the magic flashed overhead.

 

 

 

Yeah, for some people it's all about Thanksgiving and Christmas...  but for me, it's the magic of the Fourth!

Happy 3rd!

 

Our holiday weekend is off to a great start -- no rain today after three solid weeks of it even though it threatened most of the day!  And hey!  Look there... a rainbow above the kids' heads!  It looks like our 4th of July plans just might happen after all.  From left are:  Will (age 3), Jack (age 6), Charlie (age 5), Ellie (in back, age 7) and Audrey (age 5).  What a cousin crew!

 

We started our celebration off at the Hastings House, a neighborhood 'club' that hosts a holiday party each 3rd.  There was food galore ranging from burgers and dogs to chowdah (we're New Englanders, remember) and tips.  Lots of salads round things out, and ice cream for the kiddies.

There is a balloon man every year, and my kids look forward to choosing their weapons (pun intended because the boys always get swords) and an Allman Brothers cover band that rocks the street, which is closed to traffic.  Lots of friends and neighbors around as well with whom to chat, many of whom I've known my entire life.  Our local fire department even joins in, bringing a truck for the kids to drive.  They love it all, racing around with their cousins and classmates -- it really is a day made just for them.  We love it, too, it's all such good fun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So a very Happy 4th to you and yours, from us and ours!  We're hoping for more sunshine tomorrow -- at least enough to get us to the parade first thing and the beach right after, with fireworks at night, of course.  Traditions to carry out and on...  Lots more fun to be had!

You can see last year's celebrations here and here, and 2007's here.  Cheers!

Order in the House (aka Most of the Elephant)

Between Eric's absence the past few days and the rain storms the past few weeks, I have been in super-organized overdrive!  Our house has never looked or felt so good!

It all started with a little shopping trip last week (love love love Home Goods and Target) where I came across some trinkets that made me happy.  I put them up and out, did a little rearranging, and voila (!) our house started to feel more like us instead the magazine houses I'd been trying to emulate.  I think my excitement at this sort of snowballed, and I went into organizing mode, and well, now it our house feels even better!

The biggest project was my office, which is finally clutter free -- seriously, friends, you can actually see the floor and the AV vents that had been long hidden.  It took two long years (and many many cleaning sprees where I basically moved objects from one side of the room to another) to get to this point, and in the end the answer was in purchasing a little bureau to house all of Eric's camera equipment (okay, it's really only some of his stuff, the boy is so addicted).  I then purged a ton of paper, kids' artwork and other items, filling two contractor-size trash bags in the process.  It's just heavenly coming into this room now and seeing nothing!

I straighted out the linen closet in our powder room, pitching things we don't use and returning odd items to their proper homes.  You know I labeled every shelf, and now, every time I pass by, I pop in and take a peek, giggling every time!

Because my darn kids grew again this month, I went through their clothes again, tucking away [someday] clothes for Will and donating others.  This will be the fourth time this month the Veteran's have come to pick-up donated items.  Isn't it great!

I also began the long process of sorting through the kids artwork and school papers in the hopes of making them memory books.  I also sorted my magazine and catalogue piles, saving some for clippings and sending everything else to be recycled.

We tackled the playroom before dinner, with me barking out orders!  It looks great!  One of my summer projects is to move the majority of the toys to their bedrooms and the game room in the hopes an empty room will either entice them to play in those places or us to purchase a dining room set.

Today I redid the food side of the pantry -- though already fairly organized, it needed a little fluffing.  I imagine I'll get to the other side this week since more rain is predicted!  And my bedroom closet could use some fluffing as well!

If the office was the biggest task, then the most satisfying was certainly the laundry pile!  I had the biggest pile ever going on my bedroom floor.  Gross!  Originally, everything was clean and sorted into five laundry baskets, but the kids dumped it on me last week (to use the baskets for a train) and it just got away from me with all of the end-of-the-school-year activities.  I gave up and started dumping the newer clean stuff on top.  I'd tell myself each day that I'd get to it that night (and treat myself to a chick flick while folding), but I never did, preferring to work on the projects listed above.  Apparently my Dad saw it the other day and commented to my mother that he was a little worried about me! LOL!  So today, with Eric's return looming, I was determined.  But my darn kiddies kept coming in and 'helping' and I wasn't making any real progress... until my mother surprised us and stopped by to entertain the kids for a few hours!  Boy, that made all the difference!!

I still have odds and ends to tackle tonight and in the weeks ahead, but it feels so good to know I have eaten most of the elephant!

Three

 

Jack told me yesterday that he cannot believe he is a First Grader now.  He went on to say, "I mean, I know, I'm SIX Mom, but I still feel like I'm THREE!"

photo above:  jack, age 3

The New Kindergartner

Daddy sent Audrey a beautiful bouquet of peonies today to commemorate her graduation day because he couldn't be there in person.  She was very surprised and so proud.  When asked if she wanted to put them into her bedroom, she declared that she wanted to display them in the family room so 'everyone could enjoy them'.  She's such a big girl now, don't you think?

The graduation was held at our community center, and the 4-5 year old class performed for their families.  They started off with a poem about colors, with each child saying a line.  Audrey's line was "I know purple stands for grapes."  About a month ago, we weren't sure say it let alone stand on stage after the school's director called to say she refused to practice, but our Audie came through like a champ.

Eric and I had privately discussed her timidity or shyness or whatever and then told her and her teacher that we expected her to stand with her friends, that she didn't have to say her line if she just couldn't, but that she would always regret it if she didn't at least try.  It was quite a pep talk, and she obviously listened cause the girl rocked it!  She's shown below in the green dress at left.

 

After the poem, the kids gave a rousing performance of Summer Lovin' from the Grease soundtrack.  The girls and boys paired off, lip syncing and dancing to the music.  Audie's teachers and I knew this would probably put her over the edge, so they wisely created the role of 'rock band' and she pretended to play keyboard for her dancing classmates.  It was adorable, what little I saw of it -- I was trying to video the show, take still pictures and capture video on my telephone to send to Eric -- but you can see Audrey below on the right at the keyboard.  Poor thing looked so unsure, but again, she was wonderful!

 

 

 

Diplomas were given out following the performance, and our girl shyly marched up for hers.  She started at Creation Station when she was 14 months old for two half days a week.  Her teachers have cared for, hugged, disciplined, taught and loved her for years now.  They are family and I know she will miss them.  It helps, she says, knowing that she can visit them when we pick Will up.

 

 

 

Before the celebration, I was nervous about her participation and anxious that she would hold back, but seeing her conquer her fears and shyness reassured me that she is going to do great, that she is great and that she can do anything!  Congratulations Audrey, Kindergarten awaits!!

Farrah and Michael and Me

Man, the news yesterday was intense!  Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett dead.  I was never a huge fan of either (if your name wasn't Sting or Bono, I had very little time for you), yet I vividly can recall many details of their iconic lives as well as their impact on my youth.  They were definitely figures of the 70s and 80s!

My childhood best friend's dad had the infamous Farrah poster hung behind his bedroom door.  We didn't understand it at the time, being that we were too young to watch Charlie's Angels, and would giggle at it whenever we watched TV on her parents' bed.  Not much later, my parents let me watch the show's reruns on afternoon TV and I was charmed myself by those Angels.  Chris, Farrah's character, was by far my favorite because I knew the actress was married to the Six Million Dollar Man in real life, and I loved that show (though I always thought he should have married Jamie Summers, or Lindsay Wagner, in real life).  Over the years I paid little attention to Farrah, yet was always happy to watch her Lifetime TV movies on a lazy Sunday afternoon even after her ditzy Letterman performance.  Hearing of her battle with cancer reminds me we have to enjoy everything because it goes so quickly.

 

Oh, Michael, Michael, Michael.  What happened!  You had everything, or at least appeared to, and yet you were always so troubled.  Too much, too soon perhaps.  Your controversial life is disturbing, yet you were always so innovative and intriguing.  The Jackson Five songs take me right back to my youth, especially the ones featured on your Saturday morning cartoon.  And Thriller completely reminds me of my high school days, the introduction of MTV and well, just everything that the teen years brings.  Diamond gloves will never be the same, and though I never did learn to moonwalk, your music has given me the memory of seeing my 6'6" husband try it with our kids.

May you, Michael, now have the peace you so desperately sought and may you, Farrah, finally be free of pain and suffering.  I hope that one day my own children have such similar icons to take them back to their carefree years when they're my age.

Sleep Well, Baby Girl

 

Sleep well, my baby girl.  You have a big night tomorrow.  This one graduates from preschool tomorrow night and becomes a real live Kindergartener this September!  She is so ready for a big change and I'm eager to see her experience it all through her own eyes and not her big brother's.

Her preschool is hosting their annual art show, featuring her work and that of her classmates'.  There will be a special musical performance after.  We've been rehearsing the song for two months now, and much to her surprise and dismay Eric and I already knew all of the words!  I'll capture it all on video for Eric, who left for Indiana this afternoon to take care of a few things with his family.

So yes, sleep tight dear girlie, and don't let the bed bugs bite.  'Cause tomorrow night, you'll be on your way!

I Overheard a Conversation Between the Kids Today...

As I cleaned my office today, I heard the following conversation through the screen...

"Guys, I was there when Daddy died.  Reaaalllly I was!  Daddy died.  He's gone.  Something happened to his heart and now he's dead.  But his heart started up again, you know.  And Mommy's with him, too.  They both are hurt.  Yeah, they're both hurt.  Mommy is at the hos-sis-pi-tal and they're both really hurt.  They are?  Yeah, so I'm in charge now.  Cause they're dead.  Mommy's dead now, too?  Yeah, she's dead dead dead.  No Mommy?  Yeah, no mom or dad anymore.  Just me.  But you know what, guys?  Daddy's heart is okay now.  Daddy's alive.  I'm still in charge 'cuz he's really really sick.  But Mom's dead.  Yeah, she's really really dead.  For real life.  Mom's dead."

Man, they're tough.  Seriously, to kill off Eric is one thing but can you believe they did it to ME as well!  Heartless, I tell you.  They're heartless.

I also overheard Jack and Audrey planning a show not too long ago, he was to be JACK RUNNER ROCKSTAR while she was AUDREY MILEY CYRUS.  It doesn't matter what they were to perform, all that mattered were their names.

Right Now...

Outside my window... we're having a Nor'easter storm in June, if you can believe it!

I am thinking... about Eric and his [our] family in Indiana.

I am thankful for... my husband's drive and ambition which allow me to be with my children the way I want and need to be.

From the kitchen... four cheese ravioli and nectarines for the kids; grilled steak salad for us.

I am wearing... jeans, a blue girlie t-shirt and my hot pink flip flops.

I am creating... going-away presents for the kids' teachers, to be delivered in the morning.

I am going... upstairs shortly to fold Eric's dress pants before the dryer cools and they wrinkle.

I am reading... The Beach House by Jane Green.

I am hoping... for a fun day tomorrow with my mom, our last child-free one in a long long time!

I am hearing... voices in my head replaying a conversation from today as well as Handy Manny on the TV entertaining the kids.

Around the house... there are dishes to put away, laundry to fold and an office to organize!  Always...

One of my favorite things... is hearing the beep of our driveway sensor announcing Eric's arrival home.

A few plans for the rest of the week... include the kids' last day of school, Audrey's PreK graduation/art show, an eye exam for me, a potential picnic at a local park if the rains clears, more gardening for me and hopefully time at the beach for all of us.

Jack's Kindy Field Day

Jack's elementary school held a field day on Wednesday; it's an annual tradition and one the kids just love.  There are all kinds of games and events like the 'egg toss' and a potato sack race, and the day culminates with a Grade 5 vs. Teachers volleyball game -- this year the kids beat the teachers.  There's also a hot dog lunch with potato chips and ice cream, every kids' dream.

I didn't make it in time to watch this year, Audrey and Will had their last gymnastics classes and we had a little 'listening' problem at home resulting in a time out.  Thankfully a girlfriend snapped some pics of our boy and I can share one because it was on Shutterfly.  He had a great day and wants to show us some of the activities this summer at our very own Ewer Family Field Day!

Audrey, Will and I did get a quick peek of and wave to Jack before he went back into his classroom, and they are now very excited about their own field days in years to come!