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{oh daniel… the photog skillz… here}
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WANTED.
anyone have this that they want to give me?
or $3000 to spare?
pleeease?
Sometimes I laugh at the wrong time.
Now that the two youngest go to public school, they learn some things
that we’d rather they didn’t.
Such is life, I guess.
We talk it through with them, explain why certain things aren’t appropriate.
Lindsey learned something the other day.
“Mom, there is a really gross girl that says gross things in my class,”
she says, entirely seriously.
“What does she say?”
“She says, ‘{insert any name} went to China with a
dirty vagina.'”
(Can I write that on my blog?)
I tried not to, but I totally laughed.
What was I supposed to do?
“Yes, Lindsey, that is bathroom talk.”
(My attempt to bring it back to proper Mom-standards.)
Good friends can be hard to come by.
If you’ve been reading for awhile, you know that I married a widower with four kids. Our love story talks about how we came to meet and fall in love (not yet marry, that is for chapter four). It doesn’t talk about the little intricacies though like the insecurities that can come with falling for a man who was with the same woman for 14 years, blending families–ours and his–together smoothly, and how the friends he shared with his late wife would accept me, his new wife.
All of those things have gone remarkably well.
But I’m going to talk about the last one.
Making friends with the friends my husband shared with his late wife has been such a pleasure, particularly because of this family. They live in Minnesota, the state he lived for quite some time while he was married. They came to our wedding (3 days before Christmas–it was no easy task! Especially for man who has a major hatred of flying! And for having six–yes six!–kids!). And since then have driven to Massachusetts (yes, driven–remember?! He hates to fly!) from Minnesota twice (and hopefully a third this summer!) to see us in the summertime, to boat on Lake Winnipesaukee, and to talk about all things health-related. See, here’s where Jessica and I initially bonded. We love to talk about our omega-3, non-processed, granola-crunching, essential oil, tree-hugging ways. She is so wise. But, our friendship quickly became about more than that and when I say that we so enjoy their company, I mean it. If only they lived closer.
Now, besides being so cool and fun to hang out with, Jessica sends the most amazing packages*. It is like Christmas morning and that is no lie.
I just received this one. Could that be more fun and more stuffed with the coolest goodies?! And get this–yesterday was her birthday, and I forgot.
Better late than never?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESSICA!!!
So, this is to Jeff and Jessica, and their lovely brood–we love you guys!
*I realize I recently posted a little package from a different friend, so while it may seem like I’m trying to say, “Look how loved I am!” that is not the case… though it is the truth.
Also, if you send me a package there’s a good chance I’ll blog about it, so why don’t you give it a try?
My very own before-and-after!
Remember I was redecorating? Well, it is coming along quite nicely. It’s not finished yet, however. I know you are all waiting with bated breath to see the finished before and afters. Hold your horses. We’ll get there soon enough.
But, here is one of the most exciting transformations yet! With two bottles of $3 spray paint… voila!… something ugggg is turned into something fabulous (so sorry if you are one of the five people in the world who prefer these brass chandeliers to something actually pretty else).
Who needs Design Sponge when you’ve got Tales of Me and the Husband!?!
I almost can’t even write that with a straight face.
A lovely night.
My parents were in town this weekend. Never for long enough, but such is life. My sister Meghan and her husband Brent hosted the six of us for a lovely dinner last night. Lovely people, lovely ambiance, lovely food… I enjoy using the word lovely and lovely it was.
We celebrated my Mom’s belated and my Dad’s early birthdays since us Boston-folk don’t get to see them on the actual day of birth. We celebrated it over a lovely roasted vegetable lasagna, and lovely bread, lovely wine, and lovely sour cherry apple crisp. Are you getting sick of that word yet? Too bad.
And then, while the men watched some Olympics, the ladies danced. We can’t help but be extra inappropriate when my Mom is present. The shock value is just too fun. But–don’t tell her I said this–the apples do not fall far from the tree.
Look at her act all coy. Silly woman. You can’t fool your own kin.
When you grow up one of four sisters, you enjoy any attention you get. Pathetic, really.
I’m such a real blogger now that I’m getting tagged.
Lady Lee passed this Bogart Award on to me a couple of days ago and since I fear that in 10 years I will be a lethargic nobody, I’ve been reticent to publicize that information. But, I’m going to dream big here, so bear with me:
I’ll be 35 — woah! I hope my husband and I will have added to our already large brood of children but that we are still sane and giddy with love for each other. And that we continue to date as much as we do now, which is a lot. One of the best things about being married to this guy.
I hope my four step-kids (who will be 17, 19, 26, and 25 at that time) will be successful, confident, contributing members of our society and who treat others with compassion and kindness.
I will be in a home–doesn’t necessarily have to be the dream home–but it will have a tub big enough for my 5’10” frame without having to have either my knees or shoulders sticking out of the water at all times. And a pantry off the kitchen with big steel restaurant style open shelving wouldn’t be so bad either. Ooh, and a second floor washer and dryer instead of the basement. Okay, if it’s my dream home, I won’t complain.
Echoing Lady Lee, I will be making oodles of money because I am the most famous blogger in the world. I cook some food, try a beauty product, endorse it, go to the grocery store, write about it. They pay me.
I have written and published something.
I’ve been to a couple more countries– Thailand, China, Argentina, Italy… whatev, maybe I’m even a world-traveler. No biggie.
Maybe I’ve met Oprah. And we exchanged cell phone numbers.
I am content.
And that’s all for now.
Now, the rules are I am supposed to pass it on to 10 bloggers. I don’t know if I even “know” — in the blog sense or not — 10 bloggers so I’ll try my best.
1. Ahnika
2. Becca
3. Elizabeth
4. Emily
5. Mara
6. Kelly
7. Shannon
How’s that? 7 is as good as I can do right now.
Dear Massachusetts and dear husband:
Dear Massachusetts,
Today is a beautiful day. I complain about you a lot. It’s really mostly your winters that I find ridiculously long–and your springs are a little too on the gray side. I’d like a little more yellow. But, I am going to put all that aside, call a truce, and tell you today that you have given us a gorgeous day of snow and sun and we are going to go sledding. So, though it sometimes pains me to say it, thank you.
Yours truly, Bridget
Dear Husband,
Why do you wear slippers when you snow blow/shovel/partake in outdoor activities involving lots of snow? Do you not remember these beauties that you own (see below) that are so much
more suited for this than your fluffy slippers that I bought you for your birthday? It’s really pretty silly. But, I do love you regardless, maybe even a little more because sometimes it seems like there’s not a whole lot going on upstairs, even though I know this isn’t the truth. And thank you for
taking care of the snow. William and Lindsey, thanks to you guys too. Love, the one who cares about your slippers
there are no words.
i had had had to post this as soon as i discovered it.
i want to squeeze her cheeks.
and now it is off to bed i go.
oh design sponge, you never cease to inspire me.
i hate these chandeliers that builders between the years of– oh i don’t know… 1970 and… now– felt the need to put in every single one of the houses they built. we have one. and we hate it. it looks almost identical to this one, just a little smaller.
the chandelier still hangs in the office that i’m redoing, taunting me from its little ceiling home tempting me to rip it out of the ceiling and chuck it in the woods out back. but, maybe i don’t have to.
cause check this out.
take that chandelier.
{images via here}