10 Days to the 5K

On Saturday, October 11th I am going to run in the 5K road race at UNH homecoming. I have never been a runner. Until recently you would hear me tell people "I can't run." I have never competed in a race before either - unless you count track in elementary school when I was kicked off the relay team. (The horror!)

All of this changed in August when I watched my sister Michele compete in the Tri for a Cure triathlon. She inspired me to commit to exercising and to motivate myself by planning to run in a race. And now the time is almost here. I paid my entry fee and have a little more than a week to make sure I am ready.

I know I can run the distance (3.1 miles) but I am worried about finishing last or taking way too long. I plan to run the course for the first time this Sunday and time myself to see how I do. I am excited and nervous but this is a good thing for me and has kept me motivated.

Here is the course at UNH:

My Attic

I decided it was time to finally straighten out the attic.  Our attic is the #1 storage location in our house.  It is quite large so there is room for almost anything you may need to store. Unfortunately my typical routine is to place something in the attic with the intention of then going up later to sort through it, organize the items and then properly store them.  This rarely happens so the attic becomes a messy catch-all for anything and everything.  

So, here is the attic after 4 hours or dedicated straightening, sorting and tossing things in the trash.  I probably should have taken a before picture so folks could appreciate how much better it looks.  Sad, yes very sad.  I think I still have many more hours ahead of me before this chore is completed!

Do you see the giant SpongeBob in the corner overseeing things?  I won him years ago at the Stratham Fair on the bottle/ring toss game.  I don't usually win anything at fairs so I was very proud of myself.  I have tried many times to get rid of him but the kids always find out what I am trying to do and demand that SpongeBob stays!  

Up at 4:45 am!

For some reason Jacob and Ben  both woke up at 4:45 am this morning ready to go!   It is great they are excited to start the day, but 4:45 am is out of control.  They are almost self-sufficient in the morning, except for Benny's constant migration back to our bedroom - to get a drink, to use our bathroom, to ask me questions or to climb into bed to then toss and turn and kick me.   We have put a moratorium on video games until 6:00 am but that does not stop them.  What am I to do?  Good thing I have some tried and true concealer for the dark circles under my eyes!  

One last thought -  it is only 7:45 am and my kids have already been up for three hours....that is wrong, very, very wrong.  

Competent

The definition of competent is:

1. having suitable or sufficient skill, knowledge, experience, etc., for some purpose; properly qualified: He is perfectly competent to manage the bank branch.

2. adequate but not exceptional.

Tonight at dinner, Benny said he was competent at splitting apart his peanut butter and fluff sandwich. Yes, Benny was having a sandwich for dinner because I made turkey paninis and Benny does not like them.

So, while eating, he said - "I am competent at this." I had to laugh and ask where he learned this word. He said at school. I then asked what it meant and he said "it means I am talented at something." So, evidently they are teaching kids quite a bit at kindergarten these days!


Benny demonstrating his competent behavior...


Very pleased with his abilities...

What a spectacle!

Jacob got his glasses today. A while back George noticed that Jacob was squinting a lot. A trip to the eye doctor confirmed that Jacob is near sighted meaning he can see near but can't see far.

His appointment was over a week ago and at that time Jacob picked out his frames. He had wanted orange but they did not make that color so he settled for blue. For the last week now Jacob has asked every day about his glasses. And today they finally came in!

He is so excited to have his glasses and to be able to see clearly. I think he looks pretty cool but then again I am his mom. I am happy he is so excited about them!

Krazy Kids!

It was a fun Saturday. Jacob and Ben both went to birthday parties. The party Jacob attended was at the Hilltop Fun Center - so Jacob played laser tag, raced go-carts, and spent countless tokens trying to win toys from the crane game.

After tonight's dinner, Benny decided to jump in the pool. We have turned off the heater and taken off the solar cover so the pool temp has dropped to 68. Ben was a trooper though and got right in. Crazy!

George has also been acting like a crazy kid. On Friday his dream of having Direct TV and access to every football game was finally realized. After two unsuccessful attempts to install a satellite dish by the Direct TV folks, George found an independent antenna and satellite company to do the job. He is now in heaven. I hope to be able to figure out how to turn the TV on and off.


Jacob and Brendan posing with crazy glasses.


Ben in the pool...


All the way in.


Okay, that's enough!

Big Night Out (on a Tuesday no less!)

Last night George and I went into Boston to see Jackson Browne at the Orpheum Theater. George organized the night out - bought the tickets, researched the parking garage and picked a few restaurants for us to consider.  All I had to do was jump in the car!

We had a great time - got into Boston around 5:00 pm and went to an Irish Pub named Emmet's for dinner.  George got Shepherd's Pie and we enjoyed a couple of pints.  

After our meal, we then stopped into a restaurant/bar close to the theater named Silvertone and had a drink.  Based on George's research, the Silvertone is a trendy place so it was fun to see what people were wearing, drinking and eating in the big city.  

The concert was fantastic and we had excellent seats.  Jackson Browne is a great singer and puts on a really good live show.  We got in pretty late last night so I paid for it today and was a bit cranky at work.  

Here are some pictures of me at the trendy bar and one of the theater.

See how I am being trendy drinking my white wine!

A view from our seats - we were in one of those side boxes -

just like the opera!  

The Power of the Yakee Candle

Yesterday I switched the house over from my summer decor to my fall favorites. What this really involves is putting away the summer time candles, fake flowers, sea shells, wreaths, etc. and bringing out the fall versions of these same items.

I enjoy the transition from summer to fall because that means I can bring out my favorite Yankee candle - Harvest. Each season I put a new Yankee candle on the window sill above my sink and then spend too much time trying to decorate the area around the candle. This is probably some sort of affliction I picked up from reading too many Pottery Barn catalogues. I probably spend 20 - 30 minutes trying to decide what to do with this tiny area. (Yes, I have issues.)

After a few lack-luster combinations I found a look I liked. As always, I love the candle. I think it is the best Yankee Candle out there! So here is a picture of the candle with my accompanying decorations.


How peaceful...(but would you think it took so long to
throw this together!)


The candle helps me forget about the mess below!

Where's my jersey?

I think I need a Steeler's jersey too!

Yes, Benny is eating his favorite snack - Cheese Puffs - at

least he is attempting a smile!

Rain or Shine!

When I pulled in the driveway today after returning from grocery shopping (why I shop on Sunday morning when the store is super busy is another issue) I saw the boys outside playing in the rain.  A smile came to my face because it is fun to see them enjoying themselves and I was happy to see them burning off some energy outside.

Making good use of their rain slickers and rain pants!

One plastic blue cup = rainy day fun.

Benny Plays Soccer

Today was Benny's first day of soccer. We are not a soccer playing family but Ben asked if he could play so we figured we'd give it a try. I am responsible for bringing Benny to soccer because George "does not like soccer."

We did not buy Ben any soccer shin guards since we thought he could use Jacob's old pair that were left over from Jacob's 1-day soccer stint. Of course I could not find them so today Benny wore some of Jacob's old hockey leg guards to practice. At first I thought the hockey pads might restrict him too much but Benny proved to me he could still move by running around the house. So off we went to practice.

The practice was great - well organized and the kids learned some good skills. At the end of practice they had a scrimmage and I think Ben scored a goal. He says he did but you have to take that with a grain of salt. So, maybe Benny has found his calling - soccer. I certainly don't mind a sport that makes him run around (outside of the house) and will use up some of his endless energy.

Drug Store Indulgence

A few weeks ago I was waiting for a prescription at the Rite Aid drug store in Lee and while killing time I found this interesting looking product - Alba Coconut Cream Lip balm. It was priced at $3.99 and I opted not to buy it.

Now that the weather has changed a bit, I thought I needed a little something to remind me of the summer. So, during my last visit to the drug store I bought this expensive lip balm.

And it was worth every penny. It smells great and reminds me of the summer and of some tropical island I have never visited. It is a Pina Colada to go without the alcohol!

So, if you need a little treat and want to ward off dry chapped lips this winter, try Alba Coconut Cream Lip Balm. This company has a bunch of other fun looking products too. Check them out at: Alba Botanica.

True Blood

George put on this new HBO show tonight called "True Blood". It is a drama about vampires who have "come out of the closet" due to the invention of synthetic blood. The show was great - funny and a little scary at the same time. It is chock full of adult themes so it is not for kids but it was a good indulgence. Years ago George and I used to watch the HBO series "Deadwood" but sadly the series ended. Now with the this new series True Blood I may have found a show I'll watch on a weekly basis!

Go Fly a Kite!

The boys and I decided to test our skills at kite flying. A while back Uncle Caleb gave the boys a big "bat" kite. The kite had been getting dusty in the basement but today seemed like the time to give it a whirl - the perfect combination of a windy day and a mom who just had a relaxing girl's weekend.

We did not have much success. The kite only got off the ground a few times and did not go very high. This seemed a lot easier when I was a kid. Here are a few pictures of me and the kite taken by Jacob. Luckily the playground at the Community Center requires no special skills or sustained winds so we had some fun at the playground after the boys grew tired of my efforts to launch the kite.


Starting out...


A little better...


Spinning is more fun -


Is Jacob sleeping?


Pump those legs Ben!

Girl's Weekend

I got away this weekend and spent a couple of days with my good friends Kathy and Laura. Our main activity was attending this giant antiques festival in Brimfield Massachusetts. This town is known for its antiques and has several events each year where hundreds of dealers from across the country set up shop and sell their treasures. Kathy is a Brimfield veteran and Laura has been before. Both of these girls collect antiques and have things that they look for.

George says - "We don't have any antiques and I am not sure we need any." - but I wanted to see what it was like and what I could find.

We had a great time! The storm held off so it was mainly sunny. I was overwhelmed with the amount of stuff available but did find some small things and even a couple of Christmas presents for my family.

Kathy, Laura and I also enjoyed some wine and girlie food - fancy salads and crab cakes. We also hit a HomeGoods store, a super Marshall's and a big TJ Maxx on the way home from the antique fair. What else could I ask for? My legs are so sore today from all of the walking and shopping - how sad is that?

As for antiques and the question of do I need any: I have decided I should collect something and think that I might start looking for vintage barware. That could be fun. And I will definitely go back to Brimfield!

26 Things Tag

Katie, of the Betts-Levine Family, started this tag a while back.  I just got tagged by Lorraine of The Ferland Family.  Here is how the game is played:

1.  If you are tagged, you are responsible for taking a picture of an item that begins with your letter. Be creative! Anything goes.

2. Post the picture on your blog.
3. Tag someone new with the next letter of the alphabet.
4. Since there are 26 letters, someone may be tagged multiple times. That is perfectly fine, but try to spread the love if you can.
5. If someone doesn't want to play, they should pass and someone else should be tagged.

I was given the letter "K" so here goes:

========================================

K is for Kegerator.  

Every household with a beer drinking husband needs a kegerator.  It is also good if the wife likes to drink draft beer.  This keg is currently filled with Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale - a nice summertime treat.  

I now tag Elizabeth of Elizabeth's Chicago Blog with the letter "L".  

Rivalry - What Rivalry?

I had to laugh and then take a picture of Jacob and Brendan as they huddled over the Lego's today.

Best buddies despite their baseball allegiances.

Labor Day Weekend

We had a great Labor Day weekend.  The weather was perfect.  What a nice way to end the summer.  My long weekend started Friday since I took the day off because the kids did not have school.   

Uncle Colin came over Friday for a BBQ and for an outdoor fire.  Saturday we did nothing and lounged by the pool.  We had planned on going shopping and running some errands but the boys were wiped out from the night before.  And cranky kids are not fun in the stores!

On Sunday my folks and sister Michele came over.  My mom won a dozen or so lobsters through a church raffle so we enjoyed some Surf and Turf - very good.  

On Monday, George's folks visited for some poolside fun.

Benny getting some air!

My sister ended up with two of these cover-ups and gave one to me!  

We are dorks yes!

Yummy lobsters!

Enjoying the meal.

Michele and Benny splashing around.

A little poker game to end the evening.

The boys in the pool late night - 8:30 pm!

Grampy and Benny.

Jacob relaxing like his dad...not sure why he was wearing the UNH cap!

Benny and Grammy discussing their options.