Private Jet

Another blessing...the freedom to travel, the ability to travel, the money to travel, the places to go, the husband to help and share it all with, the kids to show the world to, the places still left to see....

Noah & Team Thompson Boys

I'm sure I'm going to have my feminist card revoked because I secretly hope Noah and Matthew fall in love, of course when they're much older...I mean much older. Or at least very good friends. There are many aspects of my life that I am grateful to have - one of them are good friends with kids and husbands and lives we can be honest about with each other. I feel blessed that my children may grow up spending two weeks a year in the Vineyard with two families that share our values. I am grateful that I like my husband, most of the time. I am thankful to have friends whom I can trust and laugh with - laughing is really important to me. I can't believe that I have a mother who doesn't pester me or try to run my life. One of my biggest wishes is that she would come live with us. I regret that she doesn't live down the street. Most days when I walk the neighborhood I picture moving my mom and John and their two dogs into one of the houses in the square - or that Broderick and I buy one of the REALLY big double lot homes and giving my mom this place. I imagine a guest house where my dad and Doreen can come and stay for long periods. Maybe I'm naive or dumb or corny, but I'd really think I would enjoy having everyone on the same block.

Beach Babies

Again from the Inkwell - my favorite beach on the planet - not because the water is crystal clear, nope this place is a little murky. Nor does the Inkwell have a beach with sand like velvet, but it does have the softest surf and the kids can play and I don't have to worry about them being pulled out to sea. Noah and Isaiah could spend the day at the beach. Every time we decide to go to the beach I curse myself for not packing the night before or for not having a better system - but the moment we get everything unpacked, the kids lubed up with sunblock and the blankets unfolded, I wish I did it more and start to dream of a mommyhood where I take them to the beach every Friday morning. I do a lot or dreaming, not much sleeping and very little sitting.

More Disneyland

Driving for Change

This is from a few months back. We were in our rent-a-car on ship heading back to Mass from the Vineyard. Both the kids love to wrangle their way our of the car seat (once it's been unbuckled) and jump into the front. Noah likes to push all the buttons, which can be tricky the next time you start the car. Isaiah, on the other hand, likes to drive - boys!!! He also has started pushing his hot wheels around the house and making car sounds with them. He loves balls, animals, food, cars, books and his mommy. He calls me mama and calls Broderick Daddy. He has eight teeth and the cutest, fat, square, Flinstone feet ever. Noah's feet are long ad skinny and she has big Broderick toes that she always asks me if I want to eat. She also thinks it's very funny to tell me that I have toe jam in my hair. On our way back from preschool she immediately takes off her shoes and tries to tease me with her toes. She also likes to roll down the window and pretended she's going to stick her feet out the window and perhaps a bird, a monster or a tiger will eat her toes. After she tires of that she tells me about the toe jam in my hair. Today she hummed at her highest pitch and loudest voice, the Little Mermaid song. We then pretended that daddy was King Trinton.

Dang, my windows were just shacking - I think a helicopter just landed on my roof. Or maybe it's ET.

Groceries and chil-ren

I wish I could say that I take the kids to the grocery store every time, but I'm just not that stable or that talented. I usually go on Monday mornings and take Isaiah while Noah has her Spanish lesson. Sometimes though I get into something and miss my awake window with Isaiah and leave them both with Delmy. I enjoy going with the kids - it takes four times as long, and I usually have to do some yelling, and on bad days a little pinch to get Noah to sit down, but I get to talk to them and I see them take in the other people and all the colorful items in the store. Noah ALWAYS wants to sit in the front and it's ALWAYS an issue, but sometimes she gets her turn and Isaiah sits on and eventually cracks all the chips. One time when Noah was in the back of the basket I noticed she had eaten the whole pint of blueberries.

Sleepy Smurfs

This is a perfect example, everybody gets to nap except me, These pictures were taken while we were on vacation in Martha's Vineyard. It was our second year joining the Simmons and Thompsons. I love seeing the kids together. There are so many little kids, it warms the heart, to see them enjoy and like each other. Noah fell in love with Gigi, Rhonda's daughter who is five and all the pre-teen girls fell in love with Isaiah. I didn't have to worry about him falling off the porch or playing in the toilet because he had a harem of babysitters. There was one incident that showed how the week went - I needed to feed Isaiah lunch and the girls, all five of them, asked if they could do it. They organized themselves and each got a spoon and gave him one bite. Then a few days later they did the same thing but decided to start with the person who went last, last time. We loved being in the Vineyard so much that we've decided to rent a bigger house (so we can take a few real sitters) and go for two weeks. I'm glad to be leaving the blue house, as I still believe it's haunted, even in a good way. Next year the kids will be really easy at the Inkwell. Isaiah will be two and Noah will be four. They're playing together right now. They think it's so fun and funny to crawl and tumble on the futon in my office. I had to hide the chalk because Isaiah puts it in his mouth and looks like he swamp thing with green drool or demonic with red slobber. I don't understand why he likes the taste of chalk!