Stacey Needs a Hobby

Addicted to Facebook

2008-09-30T14:03:00.002-04:00

Addicted to Facebook...
Addicted to Facebook...
Addicted to Facebook...
Addicted to Facebook...

Presidential Debate

2008-09-26T20:48:00.001-04:00

Are you watching? You should be! I'll be checking it out in high-def so I can see McCain squirm.

Sarah Palin: Huge Step in the Wrong Direction for Women

2008-09-13T08:42:00.003-04:00

A snippet from a Boston Globe editorial:
Will Hillary voters buy Palin's extreme antiabortion stance that allows no exceptions, not even for incest or rape; her belief in "market- and business-driven healthcare"; her support for teaching creationism in public schools; her rejection of global warming as man-made?

Read the rest here.

Mathieu meets Thomas

2008-09-10T14:09:00.003-04:00

Mathieu and I went for a Day Out with Thomas at Edaville Railroad. It turned out to be a really great day for both of us. Mathieu had fun and I enjoyed some one-on-one time with him. Mathieu may not look happy in most of these photos, but it's because I kept making him look into the sun when taking his picture.

Speeding

2008-09-05T15:41:00.003-04:00

This morning my husband pulled over a car for speeding. When he approached the car he said, "Hey, your my daughter's kindergarten teacher." She was appropriately horrified -- especially when he told her that she was doing 37 mph in a 20 mph school zone.

Kindergarten

2008-09-02T09:22:00.002-04:00

Nobody cried -- Rory was too happy & excited! Well, Mathieu cried because he couldn't go to school with his sister.

London At Night

2008-08-31T09:11:00.003-04:00

Amazing photos from Jason Hawkes, a British photographer who has a knack for aerial photography. Check out more here.

A Bountiful Harvest

2008-08-30T11:20:00.002-04:00

This is the haul from one day of our very small garden. The plum tomatoes are a bit mushy and tasteless so I've been making quite a bit of salsa. (I use a recipe from Rick Bayless, which you can see here. But the cherry tomatoes are fantastic and taste great right off the vine.

Curb Appeal

2008-08-29T11:31:00.002-04:00

Every time someone compliments the gardening around my house, I make sure to point out that I had nothing to do with it -- it was all my husband. I took these pictures while everything was in bloom in case we put the house on the market this winter or spring. What do you think -- not bad for a man who carries a badge and a gun, huh?

Completely Gratuitous Cuteness

2008-08-20T13:42:00.001-04:00

Rory turns 5!

2008-08-20T13:35:00.002-04:00

Rory and a few of her friends had a blast at Build-A-Bear. I was very pleased and impressed with the party. They took a 5-minute activity and turned it into a full-fledged party for all the kids. They encouraged them to have fun and be as loud as they could. Well done Build-A-Bear!

Irony

2008-08-15T12:01:00.002-04:00

The Fisher-Price Learning Pots and Pans gets recalled for being a choking hazard. Whatever happened to quality control? Or well-built toys? The massive recall of toys made in China due to lead paint hazards made me start shopping more often at Learning Express. Well-made toys that last and inspire open-ended play.

1001 Books for Every Mood

2008-08-08T14:19:00.002-04:00

I love reference books, which is probably why I used to want to be a librarian. This new tome from Hallie Ephron, a local to Boston writer, culls the massive offerings on the shelves of your library and breaks them down by mood. The Boston Globe listed the books recommended for if you're in the mood for romance (not a Harlequin romance cover to be found on this list -- thankfully):
1. A Cup of Tea by Amy Ephron
2. The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald
3. Dirty Girls Social Club by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez
4. The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
5. The Great Fire by Shirley Hazzard
6. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
7. Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks
8. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
9. The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch
10. Sentimental Education by Gustave Flaubert
11. Waiting to Exhale by Terry McMillan

Vacation?

2008-08-05T10:36:00.002-04:00

I took a week off from work so I could feel like a Mom. Rory had summer camp and instead of making my retired parents/babysitters do all the dropping off and picking up I used vacation time so I could do it. I loved it. I loved having a few hours with just me and Mathieu as well -- we don't get much one-on-one time. I hate that I have to work full-time and it's weighing on me. But we had a great week. We went to Fenway (an ugly 9-2 loss, but the end of the Manny era as well), hit the beach, saw Wall-E (which was really great)and just enjoyed being a family. I ended the week by going to the Counting Crows/Maroon 5 concert with some friends from work. A great show. Adam Duritz puts his whole heart into performing. Add the dreadlocks and the angst-ridden personality and I was mesmerized. Adam Levine of Maroon 5 was slick and well, fun to look at. The music is pop rock, so it was fun, but lacked the emotional pack of the Crows show.

Girls-only camping trip

2008-07-23T14:00:00.007-04:00

Yup, the tent got up and we had a fire both nights -- no men required. Although we did need a Y chromosome to help when the car battery died. We camped in the White Mountains and did some hiking and swimming along the Kancamagus Highway. This was after I insisted that the girls put away the Gameboys and Nintendo DS. Everyone had a great time.

When a Song Can Change Your Life

2008-07-09T08:28:00.003-04:00

I just turned 40. I have a daughter turning five years old next month. My son is two and one-half. I work full-time. My husband is a police officer working the overnight shift and takes overtime or detail work whenever it's available. I'll admit to being overwhelmed on a regular basis. Lately I've found myself looking forward to when the kids are older and not so hands-on. While browsing through my satellite radio channels, I came across this song on a country channel. Country music is easy to bash with the simple lyrics and talk of drinking beer, pick-up trucks, and broken hearts -- but this one hit home and made me think. The lyrics are now hanging on my fridge. The part that really got to me is below.

Five years later there's a plumber workin' on the water heater
Dog's barkin', phone's ringin'
One kid's cryin' and one kid's screamin'
And she keeps apologizin'

He says, They don't bother me
I've got two babies of my own
One's thirty-six, one's twenty-three
Huh, it's hard to believe

But you're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days
Hadn't gone by so fast

These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
Buy you're gonna miss this

Chilling Words

2008-07-01T09:42:00.002-04:00

From a Boston Globe story about a 7-year-old boy who was shot while playing kickball in his Roxbury neighborhood, "Bullets really have no name." How sad that a little boy playing ends up hit by a stray bullet.

Random picture

2008-06-30T11:20:00.002-04:00

Came across this one and got a good chuckle. This was the only time I could get these dogs (not mine, just visiting for a few days) to sit still -- when they were waiting for the kids to drop food.

T-ball

2008-06-24T14:12:00.002-04:00

Rory played T-ball this year with the Red Sox (of Methuen!). As you can see from the pictures, she loved being at bat but was decidedly distracted when playing the field.

Rory's Rainy Day Outfit

2008-06-24T14:08:00.002-04:00

Who says rain has to dampen the fun?

More Fenway pics

2008-06-24T14:06:00.000-04:00

Our Day at Fenway Park

2008-06-24T13:32:00.002-04:00

Shawn and I predicted that the kids would only last 3 or 4 innings, but they surprised us both. We left at the top of the 7th only because I was tired! The kids had fun as you can see from the photos. Mathieu most enjoyed watching the planes fly overhead and calling for "Peanuts!" Rory enjoyed the cotton candy and eating the peanuts.

More Easter

2008-03-27T14:46:00.000-04:00

Easter 2008

2008-03-27T14:40:00.003-04:00

The kids decorate eggs, hunt for eggs at home and at Meme's house, and everyone has chocolate for breakfast.

Wacky Wednesday

2008-03-18T14:32:00.003-04:00

It was "Wacky Wednesday" at preschool for Rory last week. She wore her "Perfect in Every Way" shirt backwards (and understood the irony of it), her pants backward and with one leg rolled up, two different socks, two different shoes, silly hair, and, wait for it...TUESDAY underpants!

Rory Gets a Haircut

2008-03-18T14:22:00.001-04:00

She loves it!

New England Flower Show

2008-03-18T14:11:00.002-04:00

Rory had a blast at the flower show. She learned about composting and held a worm. Then decided that she wanted a worm when we hit the face painting. She planted sunflower seeds and made a magic wand. The best part according to her: the cotton candy.

Mathieu Wants Cereal

2008-03-11T10:35:00.002-04:00

I have come to recognize the sounds of Mathieu when he is downstairs and I'm upstairs getting ready for work or whatever. I know the sound of him dumping out all 50 of his matchbox cars, and the sound of him knocking over every framed picture so he can run his cars back and forth along the sofa table. The other day I heard sounds I didn't recognize. When I came downstairs he started calling for help and this is where I found him. He had "climbed" up the lazy-Susan corner cabinet, stood up on the kitchen counter, and reached up for the Cocoa Puffs. He just couldn't get down. He was pretty proud of himself as you can see.

Oscar Party

2008-03-06T13:26:00.002-05:00

This year's Oscar party was another success. Well, except for the fondue. Not sure what happened there, but it just wasn't good. Shawn's homemade crab rangoon went over big at the party and at work the next day with the leftovers. Rory was beyond excited for the party and had a blast dressing up. Here she is showing Jessie the too-small shoes that she still insisted on wearing because they were "pink and sparkly and matched her dress" and demonstrating the twirl-effect of her dress.

Mathieu destroys Toy Room...

2008-03-06T13:21:00.002-05:00

...and then takes a nap. Must have been exhausting making such a mess.

Baby Loves Disco

2007-07-30T22:31:00.001-04:00

I came across these pictures today. This was an event the kids and I went to back in May. Baby Loves Disco is a monthly party where a nightclub is turned into a dance club for kids one Sunday afternoon a month. The kids had a good time -- Rory busted a move and Mathieu made some friends -- but 2 hours was all Mathieu (and Mom) could take.

Camping?

2007-07-30T21:56:00.000-04:00

I took Rory and her three cousins camping for a weekend. We went to Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park in Ashland, NH. I knew that I was in for a less than ideal situation, but it was even worse than I feared. No trees between our tent site and the ones next to me. All I could see were rows and rows of RVs and trailers on the way to the stage featuring a bad Elvis impersonator. The kiddie pool probably broke local noise ordinances. Dennis, a co-worker, goes camping in the true sense of the word, in the back country. No smelly bath houses with pay showers; no bad Elvis impersonators; no "campers" walking around with cell phones and draped in jewelry and makeup. The good news? The girls had a blast. And Rory enjoyed playing in the mud at the river more than the kiddie pool from hell.

Newest professional shot of the kids

2007-06-28T09:53:00.000-04:00

More to come soon. Photography By Linda

I Wanna Be A Rockstar

2007-06-28T09:46:00.000-04:00

Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar

Hurricane Mathieu Strikes Again

2007-06-28T01:27:00.000-04:00

I'm in the shower and after convincing Mathieu that he doesn't want to keep opening the shower curtain and sticking his head in the shower, I hear him playing with the toilet paper. I try to get him to stop, and then think, well, one roll of toilet paper is $.50. That's money well spent if it means I can finish my shower in peace. When I get out of the shower, this is what I see. Instead of just unrolling the toilet paper, he's shredded it and spread it all around the upstairs. He doesn't even look the least bit remorseful, does he?

Dad turns on the sprinkler...

2007-06-12T12:45:00.001-04:00

...and the kids think it's great, until the sun goes down.

The first pictues from Summer

2007-06-12T12:19:00.001-04:00

Mathieu puts two and two together and Rory digs a hole. Can't get any better than that.

I'm Not the Only One Who Thinks Rory is a Star

2007-05-29T15:35:00.001-04:00

Awww, my photographer thinks Rory is a pretty cool kid, too.

Can I have some sand with that juice box?

2007-05-29T15:34:00.001-04:00

Mathieu is not afraid to eat a little sand.

Geek Alert!

2007-05-18T09:43:00.000-04:00

Bionic Woman Remake Looks Great!
Take a look for yourself here. A couple of people have noticed that you don't get the same fun sound effect when she's using her bionic powers, but I think I can live without it considering how good these clips look.

The Sickness

2007-05-14T14:17:00.000-04:00

I think we are finally out of the woods with the nasty virus going around. Here's what the living room looks like when Mom is down & out (picture courtesy of Rory). I really hate that bookshelf in the back there, and seeing it in print makes me want to toss it even more. And the other picture is of the kids when things weren't too bad, but there was still an occasional vomiting session. I'm thinking of keeping one of those companies that comes in and cleans up crime scences on retainer next winter.

You Know You're a Mom When...

2007-05-09T13:45:00.000-04:00

...your 3-year-old vomits into your hair at 3am, and instead of getting in the shower, you towel off what you can, throw it up into a rank ponytail and climb into bed with her to make sure she isn't alone when she gets sick again.

Geek Alert!

2007-04-27T14:59:00.000-04:00

The "new" book from J.R.R. Tolkien, Children of Hurin gets a good review from The Washington Post.

Gas Prices Going Higher

2007-04-26T15:28:00.000-04:00

Why am I not surprised that right after I buy an SUV, gas prices are predicted to hit $4 a gallon?

Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures

2007-04-25T11:57:00.000-04:00

Rory was trying to nap on the couch, I was trying to make homemade salsa for the first time, and Mathieu was bored. NOT a good combination. Mathieu kept either going over to Rory and waking her up to play or coming over and bothering me. I was desperate. He didn't want to play with his cars or anything else. So I pulled down the Easter Bucket and just let him have at it. Six Hershey's chocolate eggs later he was out of my hair and playing by himself.

Painting with Pudding

2007-04-24T10:23:00.000-04:00

Mathieu is pretty good about using a fork or spoon when he eats. But when it's something like yogurt, applesauce, or pudding, he gets frustrated and uses his hands, clearly. It gets messy and can be irritating, but when he and Rory decided to take it to the next level and paint themselves with the chocolate pudding -- well, at that point it's just ridiculous and it becomes funny. They definitely thought it was funny.

The difference between boys and girls, pt. 1

2007-04-23T12:12:00.000-04:00

Mathieu is at that stage where he is into everything, climbing on anything within reach, and generally creating mayhem. There's a vase of fresh flowers on my dining room table. Rory at this stage would have crawled up on the table to smell them. Mathieu climbs up onto the table to rip them apart and destroy them! Who are all these people that say boys are easier to raise than girls???

A Harry Potter Theme Park!

2007-04-20T14:10:00.000-04:00

Well, if the rumor of a Harry Potter theme park is true, I'm booking travel now!

Easter pics

2007-04-12T13:11:00.000-04:00

The earlier egg hunt at our house didn't go so well. Rory had a MELTDOWN when I wouldn't let her take the one egg that Mathieu found to add to the bag of seven she had found. Oy vey.

What I Come Home To

2007-04-11T12:51:00.000-04:00

On a good day, this is what the house looks like when I come home from work. Shawn just lets them tear the place apart. I generally pick up throughout the day when I'm home with them, but I guess I can't complain too much since also waiting for me when I got home is dinner on the table. I just have to wade through the mess to get to it!

2 Trips to the ER!

2007-04-10T09:35:00.000-04:00

Mathieu went one-on-one with the coffee table and then 3 weeks later Dad slipped carrying Rory into the house and hit her head on an open door. They both got 5 stitches, same spot, different eyes. I called them my stitched-up bookends.

Back to Blogging

2007-04-10T09:28:00.000-04:00

Okay, so it's ridiculous that I can't find ten minutes a day to update the blog. So I'm back, and back to daily (or as close to daily as I can) posting. What I have been up to? Besides being completely overwhelmed with being a full-time working mom with two small children and a husband that works nights, I'm obsessed with Battlestar Galactica. That's right, I'm coming out as major geek.

2006-12-08T12:18:00.000-05:00

Where does my time go?

2006-12-08T11:51:00.000-05:00

It only takes a few minutes to post something, and it's not like I don't have pictures of the kids coming out my ears, but I still can't seem to maintain this blog on a regular basis. Anyway, my friend Andrew had a baby recently and posts pictures here. She's pretty cute. Love the ET pose.

My mother-in-law is having difficulty with her hip and hasn't been able to take the kids for their weekly overnight visit since late October. I never realized how much I depended on this night: to make up time at work, to go out with friends, to RELAX for a minute. I'm pretty stressed these days, but I'm hoping to get a handle on it. I'm at a breaking point, that's when I usually make a change and get my ass in gear.

Rory Entertains Mathieu

2006-10-05T16:11:00.000-04:00

No one can make Mathieu laugh like Rory does.

Siblings

2006-10-05T16:10:00.000-04:00

One of the very few quiet moments when these two are together.

Cheese ball

2006-10-05T16:06:00.000-04:00

Rory is in that stage where she makes a silly face every time the camera points her way. This is one of the now rare genuine moments.

Self feeding.

2006-10-05T15:58:00.000-04:00

After this incident, Mathieu started getting finger foods only. I don't have the patience to fight with him over who has control of the spoon!

Rory's First Day of Preschool

2006-09-12T15:45:00.000-04:00

Went off without a hitch! She barely batted an eye when Shawn and I said goodbye. Not sure if I should be happy or insulted?

Teagan gets pierced!

2006-09-07T16:38:00.000-04:00

The third Musketeer gets her ears pierced. I know, try to look at something besides the blue eyes, right?

Mathieu & Delaney

2006-09-07T16:37:00.000-04:00

Chilling at a pig roast.

Delaney's dad recently had some trouble when we went peach picking at Smolak Farm. First I heard a ripping sound and sure enough he ripped his jeans climbing a tree and then I heard some rustling and branches breaking and, yup, he fell out of the tree!

Halloween costumes

2006-09-07T16:27:00.000-04:00

That's right, I'm scouting Halloween costumes now. I've learned my lesson. Waiting any longer and I might not be able to get this beauty for Mathieu. Rory wants to be Elmo, but I'm going to have her check out this and this before we make the final decision.

Rory Turns 3!

2006-09-06T13:40:00.000-04:00

Here are some pics from Rory's 3rd birthday party. She looks a tad overwhelmed in one while itching for a trip to the ER in another. And Mathieu -- I'm thinking chef or competitive eater may be in his future?

What Happened to My Life?

2006-09-01T12:03:00.000-04:00

I completely forgot the Emmys were on this past weekend and didn't even attempt to watch the VMAs last night. Cripes!

Mathieu Pierre on the Move

2006-08-31T11:42:00.000-04:00

Seriously, the day he starts crawling and already he's in my cabinets and making a mess everywhere -- I love it!

From Brisbane, Australia to Methuen

2006-08-31T09:56:00.000-04:00

Well, imagine my delight when I see a comment on my blog from someone I don't know -- and then to find out she's from Australia. Very cool. Flee comes to my blog via Things That Make You Go "Hmm." Ahhh, the World Wide Web finally is turning out to be "worldwide" for me.

Watch out for the sharp claws!

2006-08-30T00:47:00.000-04:00

That's what Rory kept saying while we were eating lobster for dinner. Here she is previewing the "menu."

Better Playground = Better Life?

2006-08-30T00:39:00.000-04:00

I live in blue-collar Methuen, but my kids play in N. Andover. This is the park in N. Andover we go to and Rory goes to the Andover/N. Andover YMCA. I might not be able to afford to live where I want, but at least my kids can get a taste of "the better life." If I could move my house to N. Andover or Andover I'd be very happy. I love my little New England-style home. Okay, I'd make a couple of modifications (a little bit more room in the bedrooms, a bathroom downstairs, and kitchen cabinets I can reach!).

SPF 50

2006-07-18T19:54:00.000-04:00

Looks like I'll be the only one in this group who needs to wear a t-shirt at the beach. Mathieu and Rory have great tans at this point -- and we only went to the beach a few times this summer! Here's one day last July.

Mathieu Debuts on the World Wide Web

2006-06-27T22:19:00.000-04:00

Check it out here.

Kryptonite

2006-06-27T16:21:00.000-04:00

Just in time to take some steam from the Superman Returns hype, a trailer for Spiderman 3 debuts at apple.com.

I Pulled A Britney...

2006-06-20T10:00:00.000-04:00

Well, Rory, Mathieu and I were having a wonderful time at the Franklin Park Zoo, we saw all the new baby animals, played in the park, and were on our way to take a train around the zoo before we left when Mathieu fell out of the stroller! One minute he's sleeping, the next he's facedown on the concrete! Poor guy -- I forgot to strap him in! Anyway, he's okay -- as you can see, just a little road rash. I, however, was slighty mortified.

Top 10 Places to Visit

2006-06-15T16:16:00.000-04:00

I spent an inordinate amount of time at CNN's travel special rating which 10 big cities I'd most like to see. Here's my list:
1. Hong Kong, China
2. Barcelona, Spain
3. Cairo, Egypt
4. Moscow, Russia
5. Prague, Czech Republic
6. Sydney, Australia
7. Rome, Italy
8. Buenos Aires, Argentina
9. Athens, Greece
10. Paris, France

Rory Rocks the Bikini

2006-06-14T16:07:00.000-04:00

2 Days without TV? Yikes!

2006-06-14T11:40:00.000-04:00

So the lamp unit on my big expensive TV blew last night. My immediate thought was "I hope it isn't expensive to fix." (It's not). And my very next thought was "What in God's name am I going to do with Rory tomorrow?" Hmm, read a book maybe, or do some puzzles.

Mathieu takes a dip

2006-05-30T16:20:00.000-04:00

Tommy Hilfiger beats down Axl Rose!

2006-05-24T16:09:00.000-04:00

Well, I must say, I can't wait to see this one on Celebrity Deathmatch.

Merrimack Valley Flood '06 -- Part 2

2006-05-24T15:36:00.000-04:00

Merrimack Valley Flood '06 -- Part 1

2006-05-24T15:29:00.000-04:00

Here are some pics Shawn took while on duty.

Moms defending Britney

2006-05-24T15:19:00.000-04:00

See, I'm not the only one that thinks this has gone too far.

Leave Britney Alone!

2006-05-23T16:17:00.000-04:00

Okay, so we've all had our fun watching every gaffe and mistake that Britney makes, particularly since she became pregnant (the first time!) and had litttle Sean Preston. But I'm beginning to get uncomfortable with all the scrutiny. Yes, the no car seat incident was just plain stupid, but the rest of her constantly documented parenting skills aren't necessarily signs that she's the bad mother some are making her out to be. Be honest, how many of us have made similar mistakes with our own children. Imagine having cameras recording every parenting decision you make? Yes, being a celebrity means you forfeit some privacy, but I think she needs a break from the constant critique. Don't agree, check out her breakdown here.

In another life...

2006-05-11T14:01:00.000-04:00

...or if I had a blog before I had children, this is how I picture myself to be: A witty, pop-culture obsessed cool NYC chick. Like P is for Payj

PopWatch

2006-05-09T13:36:00.000-04:00

If you haven't yet checked out EW.com's PopWatch, you don't know what you're missing. You get all things pop culture, such as today's DVD release of The Facts of Life! I mean, come on -- that's gold!

Toes = Fun

2006-05-05T09:12:00.000-04:00

At least for babies. It's so funny when they discover that these feet with five small toes are actually attached to them. It's a built-in toy! Here's Mathieu, fresh from playing with his "new toy" and Rory sound asleep mid-Chicken McNugget.

I look like Mischa Barton!

2006-05-05T08:49:00.000-04:00

No, really. This website that uses face recognition says so. Check it out here: MyHeritage.com. So I'm officially back on a diet, I mean if I can look like Mischa Barton or Keira Knightley (another one that I matched several times) after losing, oh, I don't know, 100 lbs., then I'm motivated!

On an interesting note: I also got Emma Watson several times. She plays Hermione Granger, the female lead in the Harry Potter movies. And both Shawn and Mathieu got Alexis Bledel almost every time. She plays RORY on Gilmore Girls. Funny.

Easter

2006-04-21T10:56:00.000-04:00

Mathieu wears a cap and Rory looks for eggs left by the Easter Bunny!

Here You Go, Tara!

2006-04-12T12:43:00.000-04:00

Between the two of us, Tara and myself, we couldn't seem to email this pic so she could look at it. I'll blame the technology, not the users!

You're Fired!

2006-04-10T13:43:00.000-04:00

As long as his hair doesn't end up looking like Trump's ...

$6.32

2006-04-07T14:24:00.000-04:00

That's how much change our mechanic found in Shawn's radio. Hence the reason it doesn't work. Rory seems to think it was me who put all that change inside the radio (via the tape deck we're assuming). I have different thoughts about how it got in there. No more playing in the car for Rory!

Night Owl

2006-04-04T12:29:00.000-04:00

Rory readily goes to bed these days, and I even have her down to three stories before she'll let me leave, but last night she pulled a new one. When Shawn came home around 12:45, he found Rory asleep downstairs on the couch. As he says, "ass up in the air with her Elmo and a book." Apparently she got up sometime after I went to bed, went downstairs with Elmo, grabbed a book and then passed out on the couch.

Milestones

2006-03-29T11:06:00.000-05:00

While there are the established milestones in the life of a baby, I have a couple underappreciated ones I look forward to. When your baby sleeps through the night for the first time it's like magic. You go from a baby that wakes up every few hours, instantly screaming because he's hungry, to a calm baby who sleeps anywhere from 8 to 12 hours and then wakes up happy. And when you walk into the room, they light up with a huge smile. It is such a great way to start the day, even at 6am. See Mathieu above on a recent morning. Although the smile isn't as big as usual because he gets distracted by the camera's flash.

Another moment I love is the first time your baby grabs onto you when you pick him up. That little hand holding onto my arm is so sweet.

Just Say No to Double Ds

2006-03-29T10:35:00.000-05:00

The annoying "Pinks" get sent home on last night's Amazing Race! Thank god. And, although the token old couple walked by the clue box again, I would really like to see Lake and his subservient wife go home next. I don't think I can take one more "dang it" or "dadgum it" or whatever else hick saying comes out if his mouth! Here are my highlights: The Hippies won! And wearing Bowling Mom t-shirts! LOVE the Hippies! Palomino = not a dumb blonde? And seeing how geeks fight.

Here are some highlights from the EW.com recap.
Every week when I watch The Amazing Race, there comes a time when I have to double-check my channel guide to make sure I'm not watching the Cartoon Network. That moment is when Lake comes on and yells, ''Dadgum it!'' or ''sumbitches!'' — because for a moment I think I'm watching an old Yosemite Sam 'toon. I can only imagine what this dentist is like in his workplace. I picture him walking in to see a patient, stomping from foot to foot in a cloud of dust while waving two spinning drills. ''Dadblasted humdingered hornswogglin' impacted wisdom teeth, you git out of those dangflabbered flapjackered gums or I'm-a gonna yank ya to smithereens!''

When she [Michelle] walks with him — three paces back, to show the proper respect — is she always thinking, ''Look at him, going left, right, left, right, with his legs. Honestly, how does he figure that out? If it weren't for his example, I'd probably be just using my left leg and we'd be going around in circles''?

...while — no surprise — the hippies breezed through: Those two seem to be dancing along on a lucky cloud that may or may not be medicinal.

Gwen Stefani, if she were a 14-year-old boy

2006-03-24T11:54:00.000-05:00

Check this out.

Scenes from the Southie Parade

2006-03-22T14:04:00.000-05:00

Uncle Leo Finishes 4th!

2006-03-22T11:32:00.000-05:00

I was somehow able to stay up and watch Amazing Race last night. (My ability to stay up past 8pm seems to be linked to Rory finally sleeping in her own bed. Hmm, imagine that.) So, okay, Uncle Leo and Fran weren't incredibly annoying, and they finished fourth, but I'm still not going to invest in them! The Frat Boys, as annoying as they are, seem to be unstoppable. But god, I LOVE the Hippies. The one who looks like Shaggy -- when he was dancing around during the Roaming Gnome field thing , I was in tears. The Double Ds really need to go -- and before the old folks, I'd say. They're just lazy. Did any of you mothers out there feel really bad for the "Spanglish" comment Desiree made to her mother? Oh, I know that kind of thing is coming my way. Anyway, I was sad to see them go, they were interesting. And we discovered that, yes, all men really are the same, even when you're half way across the world. The German guy on the train telling the Frat Boys that German girls get better looking the more beer you drink? Right back at yeah handsome. I'm not linking to the EW.com recap because it isn't good. The regular writer is on assignment and someone is filling in. She stinks.

On a totally unrelated note, I had to post this picture of Mathieu in his Farrah t-shirt before he grows out of -- which could be at any minute at the rate he's eating!

Amazing Race - No recap!

2006-03-15T09:56:00.000-05:00

I missed all the TV I really wanted to see last night. I fell asleep right before Chris sang on American Idol and never recovered. I have a vague recollection of seeing like, 2 seconds, of Amazing Race... Anyway, here's the EW.com recap. The only thing I have to add is that there's something oddly familiar about the old guy, Barry. A post on EW.com revealed why he's familiar: he looks just like Uncle Leo from Seinfeld. Hello!

Family Time!

2006-03-13T13:24:00.000-05:00

With the warm weather and Shawn off all weekend, we got in some quality family time. Friday night we headed to the ever-upscale (!) Salisbury Beach. Yeah, I know, but you can't beat the pizza. Shawn and Rory played some arcade games and then we got a box to go. On Saturday we headed to Newburyport -- along with every other young couple with kids! It was crowded at the play area, but everyone had a good time and it was just nice to get out.

Do I Need a Reason? Part II.

2006-03-10T09:01:00.000-05:00

"I'm ready for my close-up."

Do I Need a Reason?

2006-03-09T11:04:00.000-05:00

Come on, really, it's just an awesome picture of Mathieu, so here it is.

"Kiss, 3."

2006-03-08T09:32:00.000-05:00

Oh people, I came THIS close to winning a contest at Kiss108 to have breakfast with Nick Lachey. How cool for the blog would that have been? I was going to bring the kids and get pics of Nick with them. Just imagine it: A mom, still struggling to lose baby weight, dragging her infant son and toddler daughter to the radio station and making Nick Lachey sit down and take pictures. The teeny bopper girls would have been horrifed!