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:

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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".