M-I-C-K-E-Y

Starting to think about our next trip to Disney. 
Honestly, I love this place more than one person should.
Our whole Four Family does.
It is, in these years of our lives, the perfect vacation for the four of us.  It won't always be. So we take advantage as much as we (and our wallets) allow.
G and I love every minute of planning our Disney trips and all four of us have a complete and total blast from start to finish. 
We have figured out a way to deal with Mouse stress-free and relaxation-filled.
(Well, the only stress is keeping it a secret from H and M who insist on being surprised for every vacation we go on. So, sssshhhhh...)
Can't wait. 
Now, only 300 or so days to go...

Quite Possibly a Tear Jerker. Sorry Folks.

I think about them a lot.  More than most of you would imagine.

What would they look like now?

Would they be funny and do well in school?

Would we like their friends?  

What would their favorite foods be? 

Would they be each other's best friends from the start?

They'd probably be starting to get a real sense of what they'd want to be when they grow up. 

I wonder what that is.

Would they love to cuddle with me in the morning?

Would they love us to the moon and back?

If things had happened the way (at the time) we thought they were "supposed to happen", we'd not have been blessed with H and M.

And that thought simply.  takes.  my.  breath.  away.

And yet, I still wonder.

Nearly every day.

Mid-Life Crisis Alert

 Exactly a week after he turned 43, G is clearly in the throes sort of mid-life crisis. 

It could be worse.  Much worse.

He could have come home looking like this.  And to be honest, I'm not sure what would be worse - the tattoos or the hair.

He's not coming home with one (or ahem...both) of these

while riding one of these. 



Or even worse with one of these. 

He's not suddenly developed an affinity for this

or this. 


So, really, who's to complain?

He just suddenly wants to be like this. 

And really, who doesn't love Alex Van Halen, right?

So, I'll buy him one of these, soundproof it, and throw it in the backyard.

He can practice his drum licks to his heart's content. For hours on end.  Through the night even.

And then, that way, when I have MY midlife crisis and come home with this,

he'll be too busy to notice.

Problem solved.

Sometimes I shock myself with my brilliance.


Ridiculous with a Capitol R

I'd have been really angry if someone told me that I couldn't marry G because he is a guy and I am not.

That'd have been completely and totally asinine, right?

Aren't there better things that politicians need to deal with these days?

Honestly.

Walkin' the Tightrope

This weekend was all about balance. 

Boys' Night for G and a fun night out with some gals for me.
"Date Night" (where we left the restaurant without paying...we apparently need to not be left alone so that our friends can take care of us...). 
Mumma and Daddy cuddle time with H and M.
But also a sleepover at a friend's house/bowling/birthday party.
A little bit of working but not "too much".
Family party. 
Late night hang with besties.  
Dinner and drinks (and lots of laughs) at home with great friends and the 'rents. 
We even got to spend time with A Babe this weekend! 
The only thing missing was getting in enough hang time with the "usual gang" (although we did have a few minutes on Saturday and plenty of texts back and forth).

This balance is hard to get.  We're all going in so many different directions.  It's hard to not get pushed and pulled and then, before you know it, you're very heavy in one direction or another. 

It's not always easy but both G and I try to keep this balance in our lives and the girls' as much as possible. 

After a weekend like this, it makes you realize just how important it is for the soul. 

Aaaaahhhhh....

Coming Soon To A Downtown (Franklin) Near You

A table of women, friends since grade school, celebrating an admission in to grad school for one, an engagement for another.
A 40th birthday celebration complete with friends, old and new.
A nervous pair on their first date, trying to think of what to say next.
A "we finally have a babysitter" couple, thrilled to be out for the night sharing a quiet dinner and drink, but secretly wondering how their babe is doing at home without them. 
A bunch o' guys out celebrating a promotion and saying goodbye to a pal before he moves cross country.

Incredible food.  Exciting food.  Interesting food.  Food you talk about the next day. Food you wish for the next day. 
A bar filled with the best beer, wine and spirits around.
A roaring fire when there's a chill in the air or an outdoor patio to spend our perfect New England summer nights.

Pick up a fun gift for a housewarming party.
Grab dinner on your way home.  (You won't want to cook again.)
 Drop in for a quick drink.
Stay all night.  (You won't want to leave.)

Summer, 2013.
Downtown Franklin.

So exciting.

1,300 Miles

You know when you walk in to a house and it feels like "home"?  I mean, there are plenty of houses that I have been in and I feel completely comfortable.  And that's a great feeling too.  But I'm talking about that house that literally feels like it's your home. 

Well, that place, for me (us) is sadly far away from here.  It's 1300 miles far away. 

We (well, not just us but all visitors there) have our own little guest cottage with our name on the door.  H and M, of course, sleep in their own room in the main house and like the fact that they are in a different house than us.  I think it makes them feel as if they are on a vacation without us.  And, that's way cool.

We have been there many times.  But it's never enough.  Each time, we immediately start talking about when we can go back.  

H and M learned how to swim there. 
It is there were they had their first knitting lessons.  (They need to have another knitting lesson soon.) 
We played our first game of Mexican Train dominoes. 
H and M saw their first real live orange tree and alligator...or was it a crocodile??
We eat delicious food, drink too much (well, some of us) and I make extra batches of sauce to be frozen and eaten once we head back home. 
We tool around in a golf cart, laughing the entire way.
Last year, we celebrated La Befana (or as I called it, "La Botswana").  We made homemade Christmas gift tags for next year.
We have become obsessed with one visit each trip to "The Sweet Tomato" (pronounced "to-MAH-to" in our house) and sometimes, "The Sweet Tomato" staff shows up in our kitchen back home.
We pile in to the car with enough food and drink to last us a lifetime, on our way to visit Mickey. 

On paper, there are only two children in the car.  But in our hearts, there are six.  Because it is impossible to not giggle, squeal and practically fall on the floor with happiness when with these two.

We swim, we eat, we drink, we cook, we laugh,  we read, we relax. We live.  We love.

You know those people that are in your life that you thank your lucky stars for? Well, we've got two of them.  I honestly cannot imagine life without them.  We share them with many (they are VERY popular peeps) and we are so grateful for every minute with them.  They truly have taught me (and many others) how to "be".  It's that's simple. 
And I am missing them dearly. 

Love you, Verena and Fred.  Love, love, love you !!