The Life and Times of the Snow Family

Concur!

2011-01-16T20:19:00.002-05:00

This is one of those stories that I've been meaning to write about for awhile. Back before Christmas Jake was trying to plug in his laptop but unfortunately the outlet is between the wall and the couch. It's sort of a pain to get to.

Jake: Whose idea was it to put the couch here!

Me: Probably mine.

Jake: Well, you shouldn't have done it!

Me: It may have been my idea but Daddy concurred.

Jake: Well don't ever concur with Mommy again!

Me: Oh yeah? If Daddy didn't concur with Mommy we wouldn't have this house. We wouldn't have....

Link: ....You.

Me: That's right.

Jake: Well don't do it anymore!

Me: So Jake, if Mommy were to go to Daddy and say "I think we should take the kids back to Niagara Falls." what should Daddy say?

Jake: Concur! Concur!!!

Career Day

2011-01-16T20:18:00.002-05:00

Jake: Guess what I want to be when I grow up?

Me: What?

Jake: I want to work in a bank.

Hannah: Are you going to be a bank teller?

(pause)

Link: Or a bank robber?

Aunt Lorraine

2011-01-11T01:25:00.003-05:00

I don't know where to start.

I know it has been a seriously long time since I've blogged.

Until tonight it has also been a really long time since I talked to my parents or my sister Debbie.

I don't know where I am mentally.

On one hand I feel better than I've felt in a long, long time. I feel like me. I feel happy and confident and not depressed.

You would think that's a good thing.

But the days that I feel the best....I feel the worst.

Doesn't make sense, does it?

Christmas was great. For Christmas I planned a series of trips for the family. Link got a trip to Dublin with me in January. Hannah got a trip to Paris and London with me in February. Jake got a trip with the whole family to Niagara Falls in April.

I was happy. I was excited for our travels. I had actually paid for almost all of Christmas with the debit card and not the credit card.

And yet.

I cut.

I cut myself on Christmas. Two long slashes along my arm.

Why?

I don't know.

It had been one of the happiest days I've had in a long time.

But I did.

And then a few days later I was curled up in the fetal position afraid to take care of my kids while Link was at work.

Then New Years Eve came along.

Once again, it was a good day. We had Lincoln's brother and sister-in-law over. There was good food, a few drinks, and a fun time playing cards.

But the night ended in tears, a lot of cutting, and me in the treehouse by myself praying to a God I don't necessarily believe in.

I think about this blog all the time.

I have notes all over my desk about funny conversations that I've had with the kids. About things that are happening at work or at home.

And yet, I don't care.

I don't want to blog.

For a long time this blog was very enjoyable for me. I loved the fact that it's a diary of my kids' childhood.

And maybe that's why right now I don't want to record what is happening.

I'm happy and yet apparently I'm miserable. Maybe subconsciously I don't want to record what is happening in my life right now.

If I have learned nothing else over the past year, I've learned that depression is not something you can control or even understand.

And apparently it's not something I can conquer.

At least not yet. But I'm going to keep trying.

So, what does this have to do with Aunt Lorraine?

I don't know.

I was reading a book tonight and it made me think of her. How she lives in a very, very, VERY small town in Iowa and lives a fairly simple life with Uncle Bob. She is always warm and welcoming and even if you drop by without a moment's notice she'll lay out a spread of food like she has been expecting your visit for months.

She symbolizes home. And comfort. And family.

And whatever it was that I was reading earlier that triggered my memories of her got me to blog tonight about my problems.

I guess, in that way, she still symbolizes home, and comfort, and family.

And that's what I need to hold onto.

Presidential power

2010-12-19T18:14:00.002-05:00

Tonight we were having a fairly casual dinner. Jake was making his hot dogs, Hannah was eating what she had made, and Link and I were eating fondue. Because everyone kept coming and going I was reading my book while we were at the table.

Hannah: I thought you said we're not allowed to read at the table.

Me: You're right, I did. But I'm the mommy so I can break the rules sometimes. When you're a mommy you can do the same thing.

(pause)

Hannah: Well what about Daddy? Doesn't he have any say?

(I look at Lincoln)

Link (laughing): Not really.

Me: Daddy is sort of like the Vice President. He has a title but no real power.

So proud

2010-12-09T23:58:00.002-05:00

Jake can't go into a single store - or watch a single commercial - without wanting to buy something for himself. He wants everything. The other day I had a $50 credit at a local nursery that I knew was going to expire at the end of the year. I didn't want to let time get away from me and then realize that I had lost that $50 so I decided to let Jake spend it. At first Hannah was a little jealous but then I explained that she and I get to do all sorts of Mommy/Daughter things and I thought this would be a good Mommy/Son thing since Jake loves to garden.

But do you know what?

The little bugger surprised me.

He bought more stuff for Hannah than he did for himself. She recently decided she wanted to decorate her room with a "nature" theme so he bought her a plant, a stuffed owl, and a small fake Christmas tree. Then we went to another store and he bought her a frog doing a yoga move on a rock (she's into yoga lately because her teacher has the class do it at school).

What a softie.

Good things CAN come in shirt size boxes

2010-12-09T23:55:00.001-05:00

(Unwrapping a birthday present the size of a shirt box.)

Jake: Mommy, why do you get to choose all of my clothes? They're too small for you anyway.

Link: Jake! How do you know that is clothes? You haven't even opened it yet.

(To me, under his breath.)

Link: Is it clothes?

Me: Yep.

(Upon discovering they're dinosaur pajamas.)

Jake: Wow! Thanks! (big hug for Mommy)

Bruce, Leo & Riley

2010-12-07T08:58:00.001-05:00

Aren't they adorable?

The youngest child's Christmas lament

2010-12-05T10:14:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we put our Christmas tree up. As we do every year, the kids put up the ornaments while I string the popcorn. Lincoln supervises the kids and hangs the popcorn garlands as I finish them. Of course this year our jobs overlapped as the kids wanted to help me string the popcorn and hang it too. I'm thinking in a year or two Link and I can just sit back and let the kids do all the work.

The one and only thing I put on the tree is a red elf that I had when I was a kid. They still sell these in the stores but what I remember about the elf was it was the "special" thing we put on the tree each year.

Jake: Can I put this on the tree? (holding up the elf)

Hannah: No! That's Mommy's. Mommy hangs that every year.

Jake: Why?

Mommy: Because every year when Mommy and her sisters were decorating the tree we fought over who got to put the elf on the tree and because Mommy was the youngest - something you're familiar with Jake - I never won. So now I get to put it on the tree every year.

Jake: That's not fair!

Mommy: Don't worry. One of you will inherit it when I'm dead.

Auntie Rachie's owl collection to the rescue

2010-12-05T10:12:00.001-05:00

Hannah: What is Hooter's?

Me: It's a restaurant with a lot of owls in it.

Hannah: I think Auntie Rachie would really like that place.

Aunt Debbie: I think Uncle Kevin would probably like it more.

This girl is too smart for me

2010-11-23T15:31:00.003-05:00

This week the kids and I are down in Arizona visiting my parents. For some reason while we were riding in the car today Jake brought up the topic of their first words. This is a conversation that we've had many times before but today it ended a lot differently.

Jake: Do you know what my first word was?

Me: Yep, ball.

Jake: And what was Hannah's first word?

Me: Boom.

Hannah: Yeah, but is that really a word or just an onomatopoeia*?

(Both Mom and I whip our heads around to Hannah....)

Me/Mom: What!?!

Hannah: The spelling of something the way it sounds.

(silence)

And for those of you playing along at home, Webster's defines onomatopoeia as "the naming of a thing or action by the vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (as buzz, hiss)"

I have no idea what her second word was so if we're not classifying boom as an official word anymore we're in trouble.

Radio Silence

2010-11-05T23:13:00.003-04:00

I don't know where to start.

I have lots of things to say. I drive around every day and think of things I want to talk about on my blog but for some reason when I get to an actual computer I have nothing to say.

And my mother must be seriously freaking out by now. When I was in college if I didn't call every 3-4 days she would call me to make sure I was alive. That has continued well into my 30's and yet I haven't talked to her more than two or three times in the past three weeks or so.

When I don't talk to my mom on a regular basis my dad calls under the pretense of "you should call your mother" however, in this day and age of email, he sometimes just emails me and says "are you alive?"

I am alive.

And I'm fine....usually.

I'm certainly not having the trouble I was having when I was in the Nut Hut but I still have days that are worse than others.

And yet over all most days are good.

But I still don't call my mother.

Or blog.

I don't know what it is. It's like a mental block. I think about doing both but I just don't do them.

Why?

Who the hell knows.

This entire process has been a learning experience for me and everyone around me. I don't know what the fuck is going on. I don't know what the fuck to expect. But I do appreciate those around me giving me the chance to figure it out.

One of these days all the pent up blog postings in my head will come pouring out and you guys will be saying "Enough already!!!"

Until then, thank you for letting me deal with this on my own.

I love you all.

My very stylish kids

2010-10-26T07:49:00.004-04:00

Aren't they adorable?

A five year olds view of his father

2010-10-19T22:47:00.003-04:00

In my continued quest to catch up on things I've neglected over the past few months, I am finally posting the Father's Day story that Jake made at daycare for Lincoln. It is similar to the one that he made for me on Mother's Day.

The story is pre-written but Jake supplied the answers to fill in the blanks. His answers are in bold in the story below.

My Dad
by Jacob Snow

My Dad is the best Dad on the planet. His name is Lincoln. He is as strong as a pig. He is 38 years old. He weighs 100 pounds and is 5' tall. His eyes are black and his hair is black. My Dad's favorite sport is football. His favorite things to do is take naps. My favorite thing to do with my Dad is play the Wii. Dad makes me laugh when he tells me jokes. But when he gets angry he sends me to my room. I love my Dad more than spaghetti.

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

Love, Jacob

A lesson in joint checking

2010-10-17T22:15:00.001-04:00

Jake: Mommy, since it's Daddy's birthday today YOU have to buy lunch.

Me: Okay.

(later)

Hannah: When it's my birthday I'm going to have Mommy buy lunch.

Jake: When it's my birthday I'm going to have Mommy buy lunch too.

Me: What you guys don't realize is that Mommy and Daddy share the same account.

Jake: Wait, what?

Me: Basically we both put all our money in the same piggy bank and either one of us can take money out to spend on things.

Jake: But what if you and Daddy don't agree on what to buy at the store?

Me: Then we talk it out like two grown-ups......and then Mommy wins.

A young Lincoln in training

2010-10-17T22:09:00.001-04:00

On Friday night my friend Tracy and I went to a 40th birthday for our friend Tanya. It was a late night out and Tracy crashed in the Treehouse afterwards. The next morning Tracy, Hannah, and I were chilling up in the Treehouse while the boys fed us breakfast. Jake loves nothing better than to serve us in situations like this. At one point, when I had to go down to show him where something was, he got so mad and made me go right back upstairs once I had pointed it out because it was HIS duty to do this and I couldn't help him. Not only did he serve us breakfast upstairs but according to Lincoln he poured, flipped, and plated the pancakes all by himself.

Talk about a little Link in training.

This morning was Link's birthday and I was preparing Link's breakfast in bed. Since this is a rather unusual occurrence in our house Jake naturally asked why it was happening.

Jake: Why do you get breakfast in bed every weekend and Daddy only gets breakfast in bed on his birthday?

Me: Because Daddy spoils me rotten just like you're going to do to your wife someday, right?

It's never to early to start training them.

Jealousy...not depression

2010-10-17T21:58:00.002-04:00

I realize I haven't posted since Wednesday but that's not because I've been in another downhill slide. In fact, I haven't felt this good in a long time. It has just been a crazy week.

Thursday night I went to a concert with my friend Tracy and my little sis Shani. We had a fantastic time but it was definitely a late night.

Friday I attended a 40th birthday party for Tanya (a wonderful woman who I met through Tracy) which was also a late night.

Saturday we had Link's family over for a birthday dinner. His mother's birthday is on the 20th so we usually celebrate the two of them together. That, again, was a late night although not nearly as late as Thursday and Friday.

Today was Link's actual birthday so I got up early to put in the egg bake that I had made last night and then the kids and I served Lincoln breakfast in bed. The best part of that was Jake asking why Mommy got breakfast in bed every weekend and Daddy only got breakfast in bed on his birthday. I'm sure you're wondering why Link doesn't get breakfast in bed on Father's Day but that's because we're usually down on the Vineyard with a bunch of other families that weekend.

Now to the jealousy part.

One of my favorite shows of all time is the Amazing Race. It is currently in its 17th season and I have watched every single one of them. As much as I would love, love, LOVE to be on the Amazing Race at any point in time, there are only two times that have been absolutely green with envy over what they get to do on the show.

The first was when they got to go on an African safari and feed raw meat to the lions. That is an absolute dream of mine. As in, if I get a terminal diagnosis tomorrow we are maxing out every credit card we have and going to Africa so that I can feed raw meat to the lions.

The second time was tonight. The teams had to go to Sweden and race a pack of sled dogs. I would love to do that. They seemed like they were having so much fun. I could pass on the time they had to run a mile or so in their underwear in Russia, I could pass on eating the live octopus that stuck it's tentacles to their tongue as they tried to swallow, but man oh man, I would give anything to have done those two challenges.

So, the moral of the story is.....

Not depressed, just busy and enjoying life again (thank God, Buddha, Allah & Vishnu!)

And I'm very, very, very jealous of feeding raw meat to wild lions and forcing sled dogs to drag me through the Swedish country side.

I seem to have misplaced my handbook

2010-10-13T22:16:00.002-04:00

I've now been at my job for 8 years as of 10/30/10. In those eight years my co-workers have mostly consisted of married men, with or without children, one married woman with a grown daughter, one married woman with no kids, many single men and women, and any number of gays and lesbians. Very few of my female co-workers have been married much less have children. That has changed a bit over the years as a few of them have gotten married and started having families but they're all "newer" moms than me.

Why am I writing about the demographic of my co-workers?

Because it cracks me up when they call me up or pop in my office to ask me a question that "a mom would know" such as "how can I tell if this is still fresh?" or "do you have static guard (or a sewing kit) in your purse?" This is often followed up with "I figured you would know (or possess the item) since you're a Mom". One person - who later became a mom herself - once said to me, "Isn't that just something all Moms know?"

I laughed and said that I obviously never received the Mom Handbook.

The funny this is, I still call my mom for advice on how to know if something is still fresh or how long something should be cooked or when should I go to the doctor. You get the idea.

It's true that Mom always seems to have the answer but I personally seem to have misplaced my handbook. Or maybe I never received one.

I should ask Mom about that.

Lost in translation

2010-10-12T20:52:00.002-04:00

I realize the last half dozen postings or so have been about Jake. It's not that Hannah isn't doing anything funny or exciting, it's just that Jake never shuts up so of course he gives me endless amounts of material.

Like this one.

Sunday the four of us went shopping at Kohl's. I needed to pick up a silver chain necklace and Hannah loves to try out all the different perfumes. She found one that was really nice smelling and she sprayed it on me. It smelled wonderful which was a good thing because, while I wouldn't have had any problem saying no if I didn't like it, it made it easier for me to sort of buy my daughter a bottle of perfume named "Provocative Interlude". I like it too so I bought it for myself but she can borrow it. This way it's actually my perfume but she can borrow it without saying that she personally owns a bottle of Provocative Interlude.

Because, as Link said, that just seems wrong.

(Okay, so some of this story actually was about Hannah.)

But we're not talking about bad parenting choices, we're talking about things that Jake says. While Hannah was trying out all the different perfumes he wanted to do it too. Of course we were trying to tell him that men wear cologne and women wear perfume.

But this is what he took away from the conversation.

(As we're pulling out of the parking lot.)

Jake: When do I get to wear man-fume?

OMG....This kid NEVER shuts up

2010-10-12T20:42:00.004-04:00

Jake talks.

A lot.

And I mean a LOT.

The other day he fell asleep in the car on the way to Kristen's soccer game. When he first woke up he started babbling incoherent sentences. I wasn't even sure he was speaking English. All we knew was that he was awake and therefore he had to be making noise.

Have I mentioned he talks a lot?

Since I walked in the door about an hour ago Jake hasn't been quiet for more than about 10 seconds at a time. He's either talking about school or Dinosaur Train or orange water (OJ mixed with water) or balloons. Seriously, he just talks.

And talks.

Jake: Today, on the bus ride home, it was REALLY quiet today.

Me: Oh yeah?

Link: Why, were you asleep?

(laughter from me, Link, and Hannah)

Hannah: I know! Let's play the quiet game!

(Lincoln, Hannah and I immediately stop talking.)

Jake: HOLD ON! HOLD ON! HOLD ON! Ready? Uno, dos, tres....

(silence for approximately 20 seconds)

Jake: (as he bites into his taco and starts chewing) Num, num, num, num

(The 3 of us burst into laughter again.)

Hannah: You should blog about that. I might blog about that. That is definitely blogworthy.

The key to getting Jake to snuggle

2010-10-12T18:22:00.002-04:00

Jake hates to snuggle. His idea of snuggling is a quick, half-hearted hug before he races off to the next thing. I told him yesterday while I was cleaning up the house that as long as he sat in my lap and snuggled with me he wouldn't have to help me clean.

I don't think he has sat in my lap that long since he learned how to crawl. I'm happy to trade a dirty house for some snuggle time.

Jake is always looking for a way to make money

2010-10-12T18:17:00.002-04:00

Yesterday Lincoln took the kids and their cousin Kayla for a hike in Purgatory Chasm. I've never been there but after their last hike there Lincoln swore he'd never do it again because it was too nerve-wracking. Apparently there are any number of drop offs and rocks. Delightful, huh?

Apparently Lincoln is a sucker for punishment though because they went back yesterday. I stayed home to clean the house. Fun for me!

Me: Well, on the good news front, the life insurance policies are paid up on each of you.

Jake: What is life insurance?

Me: If something were to happen to you and you died, someone would pay Mommy money.

Jake: Wait? What? I should get the money!!!

Me: You'd be dead.

Jake: Okay....how about this? If we come back alive YOU pay US!

Words of wisdom

2010-10-09T23:18:00.002-04:00

Today at lunch we were talking about how the kids needed to clean up their rooms this afternoon. Hannah said that she wasn't happy about having to pick up her room because most of the mess in her room was from Hunter and Jake last night. (Not that we believe her to be blameless.)

We told her that she could solve that problem by not allowing them to play in her room.

Hannah: I don't like letting them play in there because they make a big mess but I like letting them play in there because they're a lot of fun.

Link: Yeah....sort of like having kids.

Jake's first day of kindergarten

2010-10-09T23:11:00.004-04:00

I may not be on the top of things these days but I did manage to get Jake's first day of kindergarten pictures taken. I just took me a month and a half to get them up on the blog.

Hannah's first day of 4th grade

2010-10-09T22:55:00.010-04:00

Better late than never....ignore the overgrown grass please.

Jake's apple tree

2010-10-09T14:27:00.004-04:00

Despite all the chaos around here this summer we did manage to get Jake's apple tree in just in time before he started kindergarten. Like Hannah he'll have his picture taken in front of this apple tree every year for kindergarten through 12th grade.

An October picnic

2010-10-09T14:20:00.005-04:00

Today is a gorgeous fall day and the kids decided to put on a picnic lunch for the family. They made the sandwiches themselves, got every one's drink orders and laid out the blanket. Even Leo had his food and water bowl outside although, as you'll notice in the pictures, he would have preferred to be eating the people food.

Desperate Dog

2010-10-09T09:58:00.002-04:00

Auntie Di has been doing a wonderful job of teaching Leo all sorts of fun dog tricks over the past few months. Beyond the usual "sit", "stay", and "lay down" she also taught him "paw" (shake) and "kisses".

Typically when we go to give Leo a treat we have him do one of his tricks. I personally tend to get into a rut and do the same one over and over again - usually whatever his newest trick is - so as soon as Leo sees a treat in my hand he immediately does the whole trick (i.e., he'll immediately sit down and hand me his paw instead of waiting for me to say "sit" and then "paw".)

Last night I took out the granddaddy of all treats from the treat box. A big old bone called "The Busy Bone". He loves these things and doesn't get them often. As soon as I had it in my hand he immediately started going through every trick he knows in order to get me to hand over the bone.

He would sit and then try to hand me his paw. When I didn't take that he would jump up and try to kiss me. Then he would lay down. When that didn't work he'd try them all again. Finally he was laying down while trying to give me his paw at the same time and putting his face up trying to give kisses from the floor. Over and over and over again. I have never seen a dog so desperate to come up with the right combination of tricks that would get him what he desired.

He's lucky I could stop laughing long enough to hand over the Busy Bone.

My latest attempt at organization

2010-10-08T17:40:00.003-04:00

I never realized how much trickier it would be to have two kids in school at the same time. It's hard to remember who is on what bus at what time since our schedule requires three different buses (one for Hannah on Monday thru Wednesday morning and both kids Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon, one for Jake at mid-day Tuesday thru Thursday, and one that picks up Hannah on Thursday morning and both kids on Friday morning plus drops both kids off on Friday afternoon - confusing, right?)

And then they have gym, art, music, and library on different days so it is hard to remember who has to wear tennis shoes on which days. Of course there was also the book fair for each grade on different days which required sending in money on the right day for each kid. And of course you can't misplace the library book that has to be returned on the right day.

Ugh!

Well thank God we built the breezeway off the side of the house into which we can move the old shoe racks because I decided it was time to revamp the area where we go in and out the door each morning before and after school.

After a trip to the Container Store, and a little color coding, I came up with this little pink and blue gem of an organization system. Each kid has a bin on the floor where their backpack goes as soon as they walk in the door so that they know where to find them the next morning. On their little pink and blue dry erase boards we write notes about schedules, when to bring in money, and other reminders. They also have magnetic boards to hang notices from school, school picture checks, milk tickets, lunch tokens, and their gym/music/library/art schedules. Additionally they each have a bin hanging on the wall with pink and blue folders in which to put fundraising catalogs, library books, book order forms and the like.

Finally, there are two "talkie" boards addressed to each of them. These aren't pink and blue but they were too darn cute to pass up. On these boards we write notes to them about things like "make sure you clean up your room today" or "don't forget to take your library book with you". Jake can't read yet but Hannah helps him out. Sometimes her board just says "please read Jake's note to him."

I also put up a dry erase board for Link and me (which didn't go up until after these pictures were taken) which shows our schedule for the current week and the next week. It's helpful for things like Link knowing when I have a PTO meeting or me knowing when he has an early job start.

So here it is.........The grand unveiling!

Men are such babies

2010-10-08T17:30:00.003-04:00

Earlier this week I went to the Paper Store to buy a card for Lincoln for our anniversary. At the checkout was this little book designed to look like a police officer's ticket book. It had a list of violations that you could charge your kids fines for including whining, not cleaning their room, leaving dirty laundry on the floor, swearing, etc. Fines range from fifty cents to about $2.50.

I thought it was hilarious.

The kids didn't.

Yesterday Hannah got a warning violation - meaning she didn't have to actually pay the $4.50 in fines - posted on her kitchen board (more about that later). This morning Jake left his dirty laundry all over the floor and I told him that he had to pick it up.

Me: Jake, you need to pick up your dirty laundry. That's what Hannah got a warning violation for yesterday.

Jake: What?

Me: Yeah, you know, a ticket? Part of her fine was for leaving dirty laundry around. I'll give you one if you don't pick up your dirty laundry.

Jake: Seriously? SERIOUSLY? You would seriously do that to a man with a cut?!?

And then he proceeded to show me the world's smallest cut on the back of his hand.

Nice try Bud.

Memories and Regrets

2010-10-07T22:01:00.004-04:00

Over the last few months I have worried about how my depression has affected my kids in many different ways. I must admit, one of those ways is the fact that I haven't been blogging about my kids and the funny things they do and say. I love going back and choosing a random month from the archives and reading about something the kids did that I had completely forgotten about. The fact that so many memories haven't been recorded in the past few months makes me incredibly sad. I know that despite the misery of the past few months we've had some great times as well. At best I manage to write up a quick recap on Facebook but I haven't committed much to keeping up with the blog. I just haven't had it in me and that makes me sad.

A few weeks ago, during one of our regularly scheduled Friday night Mexican dinners with my friend Tracy, I somehow started thinking about how when Jake was first born Hannah used to always want to play "baby on the doorstep." It was a big elaborate game we would play where she would pretend that she found Jake on the doorstep and we had to bring him in, decide to keep him and then I would always suggest naming him Henry which she always rejected. That game went on for months and yet it was something I haven't thought about in years. I didn't have the blog back then so of course I never wrote it down anywhere and I'm glad that I can do it now. It does make me sad though to think of all those other memories that I never recorded the past few months.

Another memory that I had forgotten about until that night was "Hecuba Buttmunchkin". When Hannah was little we always used to call her buttmunchkin (and still do sometimes). I used to tease her that her real name was Hecuba Buttmunchkin and she would get so mad at me. I told her that it was what was on her official birth certificate and she wouldn't be able to convince me otherwise. It used to get her so riled up and always made me laugh.

You always think, in the moment, that you'll never forget that funny joke or special thing that the kids did, but you do. Even when it's a game you played for months and months and you figure you'll be playing that same game until they're old and gray, you don't realize until years later when you're sitting around eating enchiladas that one day that game just stopped.

And that's just depressing (pun intended).

Ten years

2010-10-07T21:53:00.003-04:00

Today is our 10th wedding anniversary. The last 10 years have gone by in the blink of an eye. It's so hard to believe. Lincoln and I often do up celebrations like this in grand style. Any birthday ending in "0" is cause for a celebration. Any anniversary divisible by 5 is also a big deal. For our 5th wedding anniversary we went to Moab, Utah and visited Sand Arches National Park. For our 10th dating anniversary last year we went away for the weekend to a lovely hotel and spa with a fireplace in the room as well as champagne and roses. So you would think that we would do our 10th wedding anniversary up big, right?

Not so much.

Our big plan for today was for both of us to take the day off and veg out all day watching movies and not getting out of bed unless we wanted to....just like back when we were dating and first married. You know those Saturdays when you just stay in bed all day and pop in a movie and do nothing at all? That was our plan for today.

Of course it's hard to stay in bed and veg all day when we had to get Hannah on the morning bus, do the grocery shopping for dinner tonight, get my overdue inspection done on my car, and get Jake on the afternoon kindergarten bus. That left us with just over 2 hours to crawl back in bed and watch a movie before rushing out the door to meet the bus and take Hannah to sewing lessons and then coming home and making dinner.

We may not have gotten to veg out and pretend we were newly married like we had wanted to - and we may have followed dinner with an exciting towel and underwear folding laundry session - but it was still a perfect day.

I wouldn't have wanted to do it any other way.

Best Friends Forever

2010-10-07T00:30:00.003-04:00

BFFs

It's a term that is thrown around pretty casually these days....best friends forever....but it is one that has given me much thought over the years.

When I lived in Iowa I had many close friends. My "BFFs" were Rachel and Kelley. I also had incredibly close friends in Shannon, Renee, and Julie. I would consider Rachel and Kelley as my Iowa BFFs even though the three of us never hung out together. It was either me and Rachel or me and Kelley.

When I was two months shy of eleven years old we moved to the suburbs of Seattle. Out there, if I had to pick one (or more) BFFs, it would definitely have been Breanne and Bryan.

Then, after 9th grade, we moved to Arkansas. In Arkansas, hands down, my BFFs were Dawn and Stephanie. I had many other close friends as well...Stefani, Ricky, Scott, etc....but Dawn and Steph were my BFFs.

In college I was very close with Becky and Molly and their friends but I would say my BFF was Carrie. I was also very close with Cyndi but unfortunately we didn't have as much time to get to know each other as we could have.

After I moved to Massachusetts my closest friends were the Walkers. Deb and Michael are much older than me (Deb was my 10th grade teacher) and their daughters, who are my most beloved little sisters, were much younger than me.

I met Lincoln two months after I moved here and not only did I fall in love with him but he also became my best friend. I had other friends through work but I never really hung out with anyone on a regular basis. For the first half of our marriage that was certainly enough. And had nothing changed, that would certainly have continued to be enough.

But then I met Tracy.

I met Tracy the spring before Hannah started kindergarten. That fall our kids were in the same kindergarten class and since then we have been inseparable. She is definitely a BFF.

So where does that leave my other BFFs?

And that is a question that has plagued me for years.

What defines a BFF?

Someone that you're friends with forever? It is in the title after all? BFF stands for Best Friend Forever.

But what if you drop the second "F" and just had Best Friend.

What does Best Friend mean?

Is it your one and only best friend in the entire world? If you had to save one friend from drowning on the Titanic who would it be? Or can you have multiple best friends?

So let's review.....

Rachel: My mother babysat her while she was pregnant with me. I have literally known her since I was born. I am still in constant contact with her and think of her more as a sister than as a friend. My youngest childhood memories are all of her and she (and her husband) are the godparents to Jake.

Kelley: Ahhh....my later younger years. Kelley was older (and wiser). We had such good times together and I am so glad that she was a part of my life. After we moved to Seattle we kept contact through junior high and most of high school but drifted apart a little over the years. She and I were each other's personal assistants at our weddings but since then we haven't been in touch much. I think about her often but unfortunately don't get to talk to her other than on Facebook (although I'm hopeful to see her in a few weeks when I'm back in the Midwest).

Breanne: Another great friend. She and I were inseparable through much of junior high and early high school. Unfortunately we drifted apart after we moved to Arkansas. I greatly value her friendship and I'm glad we've reconnected over Facebook. She was a huge part of my teen years.

Bryan: Ahhh....this is a tricky one. Bryan and I met in 6th grade but didn't become good friends until junior high. After that he was my rock. My everything. The one I could turn to with any sort of problem. I could confess any secret to him. One wiggle of his ears would solve any problem that I had and he was the sweetest, most wonderful person. When I moved away to Arkansas he gave me an old jacket of his. When I called him crying about how miserable I was after we first moved he told me to put on his jacket and pretend that it was him hugging me. I can't tell you how much that helped me through things. Despite the distance Bryan and I continued to be best friends throughout high school and most of college. We attempted dating in college and while it was wonderful it was probably for the best that it didn't work out. That still didn't stop us from being best friends. Whenever Bryan introduced a girlfriend to me she was instantly bitchy because of our close relationship. My boyfriends were also threatened by my relationship with Bryan.

When I first moved to Boston I briefly dated a guy named James. He was nice. I think we went on about three dates. And then one night he threw a hissy fit because I was talking to Bryan on the phone. Well that was the end of that. A few months later I started dating Lincoln and we went on a trip to Niagara Falls, Canada. I remember sitting with him at an outside table at a restaurant and telling him I knew we had a great relationship because he was the first guy ever that I would be willing to give up my relationship with Bryan. Luckily he never asked that of me and when we got engaged he actually planned on asking Bryan to be one of his groomsmen even though he had never met him just because Bryan was so important to me. I told him that wasn't necessary but I have never forgotten that gesture.

Unfortunately Bryan got married a year after us and about two years later he informed me that "since his marriage he was re-evaluating his friendships" and thought it best that we not talk anymore. I haven't spoken to Bryan since May 14, 2003.

I still count him as one of the most influential friends in my life.

Dawn and Stephanie: You can't separate one from the other. Dawn and Steph were my BFFs Junior and Senior year of high school in Arkansas. I can't say enough about them except that they made my life wonderful and made me love living there when nothing else could. I had other great friends there - Sheri, Andrea, Scott, Ricky, and so on and so on - but they were the best. I've unfortunately lost touch with Dawn over the years. Mostly because she's not on email and Facebook, but I'm still in touch with Steph. I haven't seen either of them in years but I still count them amongst my BFFs.

Carrie: I had many great friends in college but my BFF would definitely have been Carrie. I don't know what I would have done without her. I can't put into words how I feel about her but she was a wonderful, funny, perfect part of my college experience.....so much so that she was part of my wedding party ten years ago. Unfortunately, once again, we've drifted apart over the years.

Tracy: Tracy. What can I say about Tracy? We met when our kids were in kindergarten together and we've been inseparable ever since. I have her listed under "family" in my phone groupings and people often mistake us for sisters. She has a standing invitation to Friday Night Mexican night and a key to our house she can use anytime. The treehouse is pretty much hers whenever Mom and Dad aren't visiting. She is definitely my BFF.

And here is where I get confused. BFF is a term that is easily thrown around but "best" friend seems to me like it should be singular. Who is my one best, best, bestest friend in the entire world?

Well, that's a tough one.

In a day-t0-day "who would you want to call up and hang out with" way, I would totally say Tracy. We do everything together.

In a "who has been your one true constant friend for the past 33 years and the one person you would be devastated without" way, I would totally say Rachel.

In a "God-damn it, why is his wife such a horrific bitch?" sort of way, I would say Bryan. But even with that he wouldn't win out over the others.

So.....

In a tsunami, or the sinking of the Titanic, who would I choose to save after my 33 years of friends in 5 states? I would have to say, I would go down trying to save both Rachel and Tracy. But if we had only one floatation device I would give it to Rachel. Tracy and I would just have to hang on and hope a boat arrived soon.

He has a point....but it is still annoying

2010-10-06T23:59:00.002-04:00

Tonight we had tacos to celebrate our 10th anniversary. Our anniversary is actually tomorrow but we had the tacos tonight to commemorate our Rehearsal Dinner at the Mexican restaurant. While we were eating we started to reminisce about a night when we where eating tacos and joking about Jake's inability to be quiet. As we were talking about how Jake talks and talks and talks he piped up (interrupting us, of course) and said: "Hey! I'm a curious man!"

The battle continues....but I think I'm finally winning

2010-10-04T18:22:00.002-04:00

It has been a rough few months as I battle depression for the first time in my life. I've been taking a leave of absence from work which has been very helpful in allowing me to get things sorted out. My medication seems to be at a good spot these days and today was my first full day back at work. I have to say, it feels good to be back.

Bad name

2010-09-16T20:42:00.003-04:00

Jake: What is Hannah's bad name?

Me: What?

Jake: You know.....mine is JACOB DANIEL SNOW!

New season, new color

2010-09-09T12:39:00.002-04:00

SPRING / SUMMER:

AUTUMN/WINTER:

And a picture that was just too cute not to post:

He's determined to find a way around this

2010-09-09T12:37:00.001-04:00

Jake: Mommy, can I watch TV in my head?

Me: Sure.

(Zones out, smiles, laughs)

Me: What are you watching?

Jake: Phineas & Ferb

Okay, seriously, WHAT are we going to do with this kid

2010-09-09T10:19:00.003-04:00

If you haven't already read about Jake's punishment this morning click here before reading this post.

This kid is certainly working all the angles on this punishment. It's almost scary how creative he is. I can see a career as a defense attorney in his future.

Jake: Can I watch TV at Grandma's house?

Me: No.

Jake: But it's not our TV.

Me: Doesn't matter. It's still TV.

Jake: What can I have to drink?

Me: White milk or water.

(pause)

Jake: So, I can still have regular milk?

Me: Yes.

Jake: Ok. Then I'll have chocolate for dessert. You know, chocolate in a wrapper.

Me: Ummm....not necessarily.

Jake: Why not?

Me: You'd still have to have permission to have chocolate for dessert and the way you're going that isn't going to happen.

Jake: Can I use my computer?

Me: Yes, we didn't ban you from that....yet.

Jake: Ok.

(pause)

Jake: Can I watch YouTube videos on my computer?

Me: No.

Jake: Why?

Me: Because it's too much like TV.

Jake: But it's not like TV. It's smaller. And on the computer.

What are we going to do with this kid?

2010-09-09T09:09:00.003-04:00

This morning Lincoln and Jake walked Hannah up to the bus stop. When they came back to the house Jake came into the room and confessed to me that he had been thirsty and since Hannah had a water bottle and he didn't he punched her. WHAT? Apparently, while she had it up to her mouth, he punched the bottom of the bottle so that it went into her teeth. Overall she wasn't really hurt but of course it was sore and she started to cry.

When Link and Jake got back to the house, and after Jake's confession, Jake was sent to his room to come up with what he thought was a suitable punishment while Daddy and I discussed it.

Jake (calling from his room down the hall): I know what my punishment should be!

Link: What?

Jake: How about no books read to me at bedtime for three days?

Link (shaking his head no at me): No Jake. That's not good enough.

(pause)

Jake: Well, that's all that I've got.

(Thank god he was in the other room because this is when I buried my face and started to laugh uncontrollably.)

Link: How about no TV all weekend?

Jake: I thought about that but then my brain said "no".

(More uncontrollable laughter.)

In the end, due to the severity of the crime, he received a four part punishment. No TV until Monday. No chocolate milk until Monday (he can have white milk or water). He has to clean the kids playroom all by himself with no help from Hannah (they usually have to do it together) and he's not allowed to whine or complain while he does it. And finally, he doesn't get to have Mommy's "best ever" Mac 'n Cheese that he had requested for lunch today.

Into the Lion's Den

2010-09-06T10:47:00.003-04:00

Yes, I have apparently started naming all of the rooms in our house. I'm a dork, what can I say?

This is the room that used to be Jake's nursery (and Hannah's before that). It is now my library. I can't tell you how much I love this room. And of course since I decorated it with all of my favorite lion stuff, we call it the Lion's Den.

The ladder - my favorite touch in the room - was a gift from my friend Rachel. I'm working on getting a little plaque to put on it. LOL.

Welcome to the Treehouse

2010-09-06T10:12:00.005-04:00

Here are pictures - FINALLY - of the mother-in-law apartment we put above the new garage this spring. We're not done yet. We still have to do the baseboards, door and window trim, put on the toe-kicks for the kitchen cabinets, glue down the counter top, etc, etc, etc.....

I didn't intentionally set out to decorate it with all trees but I bought the comforter and then the shower curtain and it all just went from there.

It's a wonderful space to have and I'm very proud of it. Now all of you out there need to come and visit us!

Still alive

2010-09-05T21:24:00.003-04:00

Wow, it has been two and a half weeks since I've posted last. Is anyone still out there?

So, let's see, what has happened in those past two weeks?

Oh.....

Right.....

I committed myself - at my doctor's suggestion - to a psychiatric hospital.

The good news is, it was one of the top three psych hospitals in the country with such famous alumni as Sylvia Plath, John Nash, Steven Tyler, and pretty much the entire Taylor family including James Taylor (at least according to Wikipedia).

So I spent roughly 48 hours in a locked facility that, once admitted, I wasn't allowed to leave without a doctor's approval. And if I wanted to force said approval I had to put it in writing and then they had three business days to approve my discharge or petition the court to keep me there.

Wow.

That's some serious business.

So how did I end up at McLean?

Well, it all started by chewing on the inside of my lip.

Which evolved into me biting on my tongue until it was so sore I could barely taste my food.

Which then evolved into me using a scissors to scratch - not cut - a couple dozen marks on my left arm. Some drew blood, most didn't, but it didn't matter. It looked like my arm lost a battle against 100 angry kittens.

And all that got me a round trip ticket to the Nut Hut.

Luckily I was the least nuttiest nut in the nut hut and I was released after 48 hours. I didn't spend much time with the doctors or attend a lot of therapy sessions but I think it did the trick none the less. I like to think of it as the "Scared Straight" program for crazy people. Because as much as I know I needed the help - and the adjustments they made to my meds were possibly life saving - the worst part was knowing that I could lose my freedom, my ability to see my kids whenever I wanted to, and that there were people - of all ages - that have it a lot worse off then me.

So now I'm home. I've had a really good week and I'm starting to feel like myself again. Am I cured? No. But when I start to feel overwhelmed I sit down, think about what is bothering me and why, and come up with a game plan to tackle it so that I never, ever end up back there.

Is guilt and nagging a good parenting style?

2010-08-18T00:18:00.002-04:00

Jake is my youngest.

Jake is spoiled rotten.

Yes, rotten.

I love him to death but he is definitely coddled - especially by his Grandma and Grandpa Snow. And us. I can't excuse us from the blame.

I just did his school shopping for kindergarten and got him all elastic waist pants because he "can't do buttons".

I picked him up from G & G Snow's yesterday and told him to clean up his toys but he looked at me and said "Grandpa cleans them up."

Then when I asked him to put his shoes on he told me he liked it better when Daddy picked him up because then someone (either Daddy or Grandpa or Grandma) helps him put on his shoes.

We've finally gotten him to wipe his own butt when he poops but that was quite the trial for awhile.

Today Mom, Hannah, and I picked up Jake at G & G Snow's so that I could drive them up to stay in a hotel with Dad up at Ft. Devens where is working. While we were in the car I was talking to Mom about how Jake is never going to learn to do anything for himself because everyone always does everything for him.

I listed all of the things above (the shoes, the wiping, the elastic pants).

Me: But, he is learning how to tie his shoes.

Jake: (piping up from the back seat) There! Are you happy now Mom?

I probably should have felt ashamed as a parent but to be honest, I burst out laughing.

God I love that kid. Elastic waisted pants and all.

I'm still alive

2010-08-18T00:09:00.003-04:00

Wow. This is the longest I have ever gone without posting something on the blog.

Yes, I am still alive.

Hannah and Mom flew to Boston and arrived on August 8th. It's so great to have Hannah back and I'm so glad that Mom is here. It was fun showing her the apartment and she has really gotten into making it her own. As much as I have always loved having my parents visit it's nice (for both of us, I'm sure) that she can retreat up to her space if she wants to get away and in the mornings we don't all feel like we're stepping on each other's toes trying to get ready.

Dad arrived in Massachusetts on Monday but won't actually be down to see the house and stay with us until tomorrow. He is teaching up at Ft. Devens for a few days and then will come join us for the next week.

My birthday last Thursday was very nice. I had a nice dinner with Link and the kids, Mom, and Link's parents. Unfortunately, for the first time in my life, this depression that I'm suffering from made me not want to celebrate my birthday. I ALWAYS celebrate my birthday. Heck, I celebrate my entire birthday MONTH. And it wasn't because it was my birthday that I was depressed, it was just a bad couple of days for me.

I'm actually out on a leave of absence from work right now for the next month or two to hopefully help me get back on an even keel. Everything was just getting too overwhelming and I've decided to take a step back for awhile and get thing straightened out. I still see a great psychiatrist weekly and we're working together to find a good medicine combination for me.

I may not write on here as often as I used to. There are a couple sure signs that I'm slipping into a bad spell: not blogging, not opening the mail, and not reading my email. Last week, on my birthday, I had 64 unread emails. That is incredibly unusual for me.

So please don't forget me. Please check back every now and then. I hope to be back to my usual self sometime very, very soon.

God, I hope so.

Professional cleaning

2010-08-07T14:18:00.001-04:00

Lincoln pointed out to me today that we used to have our house professionally cleaned before my Mom came to visit. Now we just have the dog professionally cleaned before she gets here.

The miracle of cleaning!

2010-08-07T08:26:00.004-04:00

Me: Jake, you need to clean up the kids room before Hannah comes home tomorrow.

Jake: But it's too messy! I can't do it all by myself.

Me: Well, you're the only kid that has been here all month so get cracking.

(a little while later)

Jake: But it's too much for one person.

Me: Just pick up one thing at a time and put it away and then you'll be one step closer to a clean room.

(a little while later)

Jake: Mommy, Mommy! Guess what!

Me: What?

Jake: Every time I pick something up there is more room to step in there!

Me: Go figure.

5 years

2010-08-04T23:48:00.002-04:00

Five years ago this coming December I was out on maternity leave with Jake. I am now about to take a leave of absence from work to help me deal with my depression. My first real absence from work since Jake was born.

Tonight, when Jake fell asleep on the couch, all long limbs and stretched out body, it knocked me on my ass just how quickly these past five years have gone by. The last time I was on leave from work he was a tiny infant, nursing and sleeping all day long. Now he's tall, handsome, outgoing, sometimes annoying, and all around hilarious.

What a difference five years make.

It's time for a step back

2010-08-03T20:44:00.002-04:00

I haven't written much about my battle with depression on the blog. I haven't even mentioned it since the end of June to be exact. And those of you that read this blog regularly, you've obviously noticed I don't post nearly as often as I used to either. Unfortunately, despite a supply of pills and a great psychiatrist, this battle is one I'm slowly losing....for now.

I feel like I'm broken and I don't know how to fix it.

I do feel like I'm in good hands with my doctor though and I know that Lincoln and my family and friends will be with me through it all but it's still a tough time. As someone who also once suffered from depression told me, "it will get worse before it gets better, but it will get better." That's what I'm hanging all my hopes on.

Today I spoke with my bosses about taking a leave of absence from work. I need time away from the office to get away from the stress there and try to get stuff in my personal life and around the house in order. I just feel like there is so much piling up that I'm going to get buried under it all and it makes me feel like I'm suffocating. After I spent last Thursday, in my pajamas, at my shrink's office, I knew it was time to ask for some time off work.

I talked with my bosses today and they both immediately agreed to this new situation. They've been wonderfully understanding through this whole process and I couldn't ask for anything more from them.

I told Lincoln, and my mother as well, that you can tell when I'm slipping into a bad spot. I stop answering emails, I stop opening the mail, and I stop blogging. Those are the "superficial" signs of my mood. I think the eyes that won't stop crying, the lack of showering, and the long periods curled up by myself in the bedroom staring at the TV are two clues that Link sees way too often.

My mom is coming out next Sunday and staying for two and a half weeks. I've asked her for help getting my life back together but I told her I need to be able to walk away and hide when I feel like it. I know she'll be very understanding even though it will be frustrating to her. It's hard for anyone to understand when they haven't been through it before. Heck, it's hard for me to understand. And like I told Mom, I'm learning my way through this too so just follow my lead. I'm just glad she's going to be here. As wonderful as Link is, sometimes I just want my Mommy.

I am now an official New Englander

2010-08-03T20:35:00.004-04:00

Last Saturday night Lincoln and I were invited to my boss's 30th wedding anniversary party. It was a traditional New England clam bake and while I didn't try any clams (or oysters), I did try lobster. Considering I don't eat seafood of any kind I thought this was a HUGE step. It wasn't too bad. I wouldn't rush out and eat it again but I'm glad I can finally say I've tried it.

Lincoln isn't a big lobster fan either so we decided that we would share one. When you go through the line you can stop at a station where a man in a big white apron takes a huge knife to crack your lobster in strategic spots. That was sort of crazy to watch.

Luckily we sat next to a very nice lady who eats lobster all the time. She taught me how to crack open the tail and get the meat out. She also showed me how to remove the "poop line". And yes, that's exactly what it sounds like.

The first picture below is our lobster in its entirety, although a little banged up by the man with the hatchet, on Link's plate. The second picture is of my plate with the lobster tail only. I love the fact that I had lobster, which is very New England, and corn on the cob, which of course is very Iowan, on my plate.

Quality Dining Experience

2010-07-30T17:59:00.002-04:00

Me: There are some very stubborn chunks of Velveeta that just won't melt in my dip.....Probably because it's not real cheese.

Link: Yeah, what temperature does it take to melt plastic?

Great minds think alike

2010-07-29T00:09:00.004-04:00

(Earlier in the day I called Link from the office)

Me: I found the perfect $7.8M home for us today while reading Boston Magazine.

Link: Oh yeah?

Me: Yep. It's on Snows Hill Lane. I think we should get a discount.

(After I get home from work I show him the ad)

Me: So here's the description on the house. This sensational, custom designed 6 bedroom, 10, 814 square-foot residence offers exceptional living space including a gym, sauna, 2,700 bottle wine cellar, four-car garage, tennis court, lap pool, and heated driveway on 4 landscaped acres.

Link: Only a lap pool?

Me: That's exactly what I said!!!!

Well.....back in my day.

2010-07-28T18:19:00.003-04:00

The other day my young assistant and I were talking about the internet and IMing and the like.

My wonderful assistant: I remember back in high school when IM came out....)

Man I felt old.

I am silent, hear me roar!

2010-07-28T15:31:00.003-04:00

Part of my job as Office Manager is to handle employee disputes. Recently we had a dispute between two employees, both female. Ones name ended in "y" and the other in "i". I now have another dispute between two employees, both female. Ones name ended in "y" and the other in "i" (but not the same employees).

I was recently exchanging IMs with a friend about this to which he replied:

Names that end in "i" do not fare well with names that end in "y".

It's like they are fighting over the vowel sound.

But you trump them because you have a name ending in "e" but the "e" is silent.

I have to say, that was one of the funniest things I've heard in a long time.

Jakey's big boy bedroom

2010-07-25T23:04:00.004-04:00

It's time to move Jake out of the nursery and into a big boy room. We've moved him down the hallway to a slightly bigger room and decorated in a theme of his choosing (Super Mario Brothers). He also picked out the lofted bed and tent from IKEA himself.

With him up in Maine this weekend it was a good time to get everything together and ready for him to move into his new big boy room.

Check it out:

Jakey says the darnest things

2010-07-25T22:53:00.004-04:00

For the past few days Jake has been up in Maine with my sister-in-law Diane and his cousin Kayla. Earlier today Diane took the kids to York Wild Kingdom where they have all sorts of carnival rides and games. Apparently they went up on the Ferris Wheel and when they came back down Jake said he didn't like the ride, he LOVED it. He then proceed to talk about the "magnificent view" from the top. Di was cracking up at his vocabulary.

I've talked to Di a couple of times each day but Jake hasn't really missed us enough to want to stop playing and chat. We talked to him very briefly last night and then missed a call from him a little earlier this evening. About 20 minutes after he called I noticed we had missed the call on my cell phone so we called him back. At the campground up in Maine you have to walk away from the trailer to get a good cell signal. After he got my voice mail he walked back into the trailer with Kayla, stomped his foot, and announced to his Aunt Diane "Seriously? She doesn't even have time to talk to her son!?!" Di was still laughing about it when I called back 20 minutes later.

Jake has done wonderfully being off by himself. I was worried that he would get homesick and that he'd certainly miss Daddy but I guess he's been having a blast and behaving really well for his Aunt Diane. I am so incredibly proud of him.

Like mother, like daughter

2010-07-25T22:04:00.000-04:00

Hannah has updated her blog from Seattle. Check it out: http://bananasnow.blogspot.com/2010/07/point-defiance-zoo-is-place-to-be.html

A very exhausted girl....and dog

2010-07-25T21:40:00.003-04:00

Hannah stayed with my sister Debbie and her husband Mark this weekend. They have a yellow lab puppy that followed her everywhere but after a long, busy weekend I think both of them were completely worn out.

I love the fact that he's laying on her legs like Leo does but he probably weighs about 50 lbs more than Leo. What a difference!

Coast to Coast

2010-07-25T21:34:00.001-04:00

I know that technically we've been separated by an entire continent from Hannah ever since she left, but it hit me tonight while both kids are off on vacation without us, that they are literally spread out coast to coast. Hannah is in Washington State. Jake is in Maine. They couldn't possibly be any more spread out then they are.

Lincoln and I have enjoyed a very lovely, very peaceful weekend without the kids and the only question we have is, "When can both kids start going to Seattle for the summer!?!"

Jake's first sleepover AND his first vacation away from us

2010-07-23T23:20:00.002-04:00

Diane (my sister-in-law, not me): So, we thought Jake could spend the night with us and then go up to Maine with us for the weekend.

Me: Huh?

Diane: And no, before you ask, I'm not drunk. I'm perfectly sober and making this offer.

Me: You want to take Jake for the weekend? But you're taking him next weekend when we're out of town. Then you'd have him both weekends in a row.

Diane: I know.

Me: Are you sure you're not drunk?

Single again....together

2010-07-23T23:17:00.001-04:00

Hannah is in Seattle for 4 weeks with Grandma and Grandpa Lentz. Lincoln's sister-in-law, Diane, volunteered to take Jake to Maine for the weekend with her and his cousin Kayla.

We're alone.

With no kids.

Alone.

On one hand, it's exciting to think how much we can get done around the house and in the apartment. No kid to stop and feed. No kid to entertain. Nothing. Just us. Freedom to work and work and work.

OR......

Lay in bed and do nothing. Spend hours watching movies and not having to clean the house, do the laundry, feed the kids........just like when we were dating.

So, what will it be?

2010 Tick Count

2010-07-23T22:49:00.000-04:00

Jake: 1

Hannah: 0

Leo: 1

Skinny Living

2010-07-23T12:45:00.003-04:00

Last week I mentioned that I let Jake go skinny dipping in the pool one day which he has taken to the next level with skinny walking around the house.

Anyway, here is a picture I just couldn't refuse when he was swimming. Pretty artistic, huh?

An Army of One

2010-07-23T12:34:00.001-04:00

This morning Jake was picking out his clothes and chose his "soldier" outfit which consists of a pair of camouflage shorts and an Air Force t-shirt.

Jake: Daddy, do soldiers wear underwear?

Link: Yes.....except for Commandos for some reason.

More fun at the doggie daycare

2010-07-22T22:20:00.003-04:00

Playing tug-of-war with Sam:

Chilling in the pool:

My new favorite picture of Leo

2010-07-22T22:16:00.002-04:00

I just got this picture from my sister-in-law Diane. It was taken many months ago when Leo was still a very little puppy with her dog, Bruce.

Aren't they adorable? Especially since, as a rescued greyhound, Bruce is trained to chase little things like Leo and yet they get along so well.

IKEA's new satellite showroom

2010-07-22T09:11:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago we took advantage of the 4th of July sale at IKEA to buy all the kitchen cabinets and furniture for the mother-in-law apartment. We drove over there with both Link's pickup truck and my SUV. As you can see from the pictures, by the end of the day we had loaded both vehicles up with everything including the kitchen sink.

Now we're in the process of putting all that stuff together and therefore our living room has turned into an IKEA showroom. A very messy IKEA showroom full of cardboard boxes. We've been having to assemble everything in the house because we still don't have electricity out in the apartment and we've been working on this in the evenings. What you don't see in this picture are the other six kitchen cabinet frames that I had assembled and Lincoln had already moved up to the apartment.

So far I've put together seven cabinet frames, one entertainment center (with Link's help), two kitchen chairs, a kitchen table, a bookcase, a coffee table, and two laptop tables. Soon I'm going to hire myself out as a professional IKEA assembler.

Well that didn't work out the way I thought it would

2010-07-22T09:08:00.002-04:00

Jake: Mommy, you didn't come look.

Me: I'm sorry Jake. Mommy was just finishing up something in the office.

Jake: It was just in the kitchen.

Me: I know. I'm a bad Mommy. Maybe you should get rid of me.

Jake: And get a new one?

Me: Sure.

Jake: Hmmm, like who?

Gee, that wasn't quite the response I was looking for from him. Usually when I tease Hannah about that she throws her arms around me and says "No! I love you. You're the BEST Mommy."

Sleeping arrangements

2010-07-22T08:59:00.004-04:00

I've never been a huge animal lover and I've never been a fan of dogs but that all changed with Leo. I'm so madly in love with that dog. He is just so darn cute and sweet and well-behaved.

Not long after we got him we discovered he did a lot better at night if we didn't crate him. Basically we came to the mutual agreement with him that if we didn't crate him he'd stop pooping and peeing on the floor while we slept. As soon as we let him start sleeping in our room he magically was able to hold it all night long. Go figure.

And once he was out of his crate there wasn't anything to stop him from sleeping with us. We sleep with the door open because of the kids so he'd just come right on in and sleep at the foot of our bed. Occasionally he sleeps with Hannah and once or twice with Jake but nine times out of ten he sleeps with us.

Once again we have come to a mutual agreement that benefits him more than us....and yet I don't mind it all. For such a small dog he takes up a surprisingly large amount of room in a king size bed. The new agreement is that he sleeps wherever he wants and I contort myself around him. So far it's working out. An added bonus is that it has brought Link and I that much closer - literally - since Leo usually sleeps on my side of the bed, I sleep in the middle, and Link sleeps on his side.

Who ever thought I'd turn into such a dog lover?

Exhausted

2010-07-20T14:52:00.002-04:00

For the past four days (and into the foreseeable future) Lincoln and I have been plugging away in the garage. The walls are all sanded and painted, the floor is down in the bathroom and kitchen, and we're starting to put the kitchen cabinets and furniture together.

The first thing we do in the morning is go out and work on the garage and the last thing we do at night is assemble stuff in our living room since there still isn't any electricity out in the garage. It's madness but I absolutely love watching it all come together. I promise to post pictures when we're finally finished.

Major progress

2010-07-16T22:17:00.003-04:00

Today Lincoln and I sanded and painted the kitchen, bedroom, and living room walls in the apartment. We also laid the linoleum floor in the breezeway and hung up pictures in our living room in the house. It has been a VERY busy and very manual labor intensive day.

Below are pictures of the painted breezeway (which I did before work yesterday morning) and the new floor. We still need to put in baseboards and trim around the doors but we're getting there. The bench in the picture is one I found in a secondhand store yesterday for $20. I've been looking for a bench for the breezeway and have been amazed at how ridiculously expensive benches are. They're only a few pieces of wood but start at about $75 a piece! What a rip off.

I'm very proud of my $20 bench.

Into the vortex

2010-07-16T22:08:00.003-04:00

For the past week Hannah has been in Seattle and Leo, every now and then, seems a little confused as to her absence. I was telling my sister-in-law, also named Diane, about this and she said he probably wonders what she did to get sent away.

We always use the side door of our house to go in and out. I can probably count on one hand the number of times we've used our front door before today. We did have to use it today though because I painted the breezeway floor with bond adhesive before we laid down the linoleum. Most of the day we had to use the front door, including when Leo went up to Di's doggie daycare. Lincoln was standing on the front step, with the door open, calling his name but Leo just stood there and looked at him. This is exceptionally strange since Leo usually just sits by the door anxiously awaiting the trip up to Di's house so that he can play with the other dogs.

Me: It was so funny this morning. When Link went to bring Leo up to your house he sat by the front door and didn't know what to do. He didn't seem to want to go out that door.

Diane: He's probably thinking "Is that the door Hannah went out?"

Working hard

2010-07-16T14:11:00.003-04:00

I'm learning all sorts of new things in this process....including how to use an electric sander.

Hard working man

2010-07-15T16:21:00.003-04:00

This morning Jake helped me paint the breezeway at the house. I will only be posting the pics of him from the waist up since he was in his underwear at the time and I don't need to get arrested for kiddie porn.

Skinny Walking

2010-07-15T08:36:00.002-04:00

I made the mistake of letting Jake go skinny dipping in our pool one day. Obviously he liked it since he just asked me if he could go "skinny walking" around the house.

Love vs. Torture (subtitled: a very fine line)

2010-07-14T21:33:00.002-04:00

Jake can be a bully sometimes but he's usually only a bully with kids that are older than him. He is really good with babies which led me to believe he'd be really good with a puppy. Unfortunately that isn't always true. He tends to love Leo just a little too hard. Jake squeezes him too hard and pats him on the head too hard but it's all because he loves him and just doesn't quite understand how fragile a puppy can be.

Tonight Leo, Jake, and I were riding home in the car together. Leo was curled up on the seat next to Jake and Jake was petting him very nicely.

Jake: Mommy, look at how gentle I'm being with Leo.

Me: I see that. Good job.

Jake: Just wait until Hannah comes home and sees how nice I'm being. Usually I torture him!

A difference in realities

2010-07-14T21:30:00.003-04:00

Hannah is out with my Mom and Dad for the next month in Seattle. Today was the first day that Mom and Hannah went shopping which, I must admit, surprises me that they lasted that long. They love to shop together.

Hannah texted me to tell me they were going to Kohl's. When they left the store, she texted me with the amount they had saved (but not what they had spent). I asked her what she had gotten and she replied that she got "a pair of shorts and a shirt".

Not exactly.

According to Grandma she got five pairs of shorts, three shirts, a 7-pack of underwear, and an undisclosed number of socks.

Which leads me to this question...

Why did I even bother packing for her?

A big step

2010-07-11T18:03:00.002-04:00

Here is a picture of Jake jumping into the pool for the first time! He's finally overcoming his fear of the water.

Meat Loaf (the man, not the food)

2010-07-10T15:06:00.002-04:00

Thursday night Lincoln and I went to Meat Loaf at the Pavilion. He's not a huge fan but I am. My wonderful friend Melissa managed to get me into the "Meat" & Greet backstage. It was a great show and we had a blast.

Our little independent traveler

2010-07-10T15:03:00.002-04:00

Here is Hannah this morning getting ready to get on her flight to Seattle. This is the first time that she has flown by herself and she absolutely loved it. She was so ready for this and so excited to be doing it. It was a long few hours for Mommy but now I know she's safely on the ground and in Grandma and Grandpa's custody. I know she's going to have a great four weeks out in Seattle.

Fun with hair

2010-07-07T17:11:00.002-04:00

Last night we took the kids to get their hair cut. Jake's stylist had a little fun with his. Don't worry, it isn't permanent.

Eaten alive

2010-07-07T10:36:00.004-04:00

Monday was a beautiful day and we spent most of the afternoon and all of the evening in the pool. The other Snow's came down to join us as well and we had a nice dinner on the pool deck before starting a fire to hopefully keep the bugs away.

Well, it didn't work.

I officially have at least 70 mosquito bites on my body. Most of them are on my back and shoulders where I can't reach them because I was in the pool and only my shoulders and head were above the water. I have 15 of them on my forehead, cheeks, and ears. Yes, that many.

I look like a castmate on Survivor. Or like I have the chicken pox.

Kicking it pioneer style (subtitled: TV can be good for kids sometimes)

2010-07-04T18:07:00.003-04:00

Jake: Where's Daddy?

Me: He's over at Grandma and Grandpa's taking a shower.

Jake: Why?

Me: Because our boiler is out and we don't have any hot water.

Jake: What are you doing?

Me: Boiling water so that I can take a bath.

Jake: Just like in the olden days!

Me: Right.

Jake: When they didn't have any pipes.

Me: That's right. How do you know that?

Jake: Sid's Grandma.

Me: Who?

Jake: Sid the Science Kid!

Maine

2010-07-03T18:58:00.003-04:00

Last weekend we went up to Maine to stay at the campground seasonal that Link's brother and sister-in-law own. The kids and I went up with Diane and her sister Donna (who has the seasonal next door) on Friday night. When we got up there we unpacked and then headed out for dinner at a local Chinese restaurant. Hannah absolutely loved it and mastered chopsticks almost instantly. Jake struggled a little bit but once he started spearing them he was fine. He did, however, fall asleep at the restaurant because it was pretty late.

Saturday morning was incredibly sunny and almost unbearably hot. We say out in front of the trailers and just hung out for most of the morning. High tide was in the middle of the day so we couldn't go the beach. Instead we filled up the kiddie pool that Diane and Donna keep for the dogs and let the kids hang out in there. By the time the tide had gone down it was too cloudy to go to the beach so we just hung out back at the trailer.

Kayla, Hannah, and Jake explored the campground and went down to the playground and rec center. Hannah has her new cell phone so it was nice to be able to send them off with that and she would text us with constant updates. Once she discovered picture texting she'd even send us pictures of them playing to prove they were at the playground.

Saturday night Lincoln drove up to join us. We all headed out to dinner and had a wonderful time just kicking back that night.

Sunday we headed down to the beach after high tide. It was pretty much sunny the entire time with a few clouds here and there. The kids had an absolute blast at the beach and even I managed to get in the water and hang out for awhile. Considering how much I'm not a fan of the ocean this was a big deal. Hannah and Kayla hung out on an inner tube for hours just riding and waves and Jake ran back and forth in the waves like I've never seen him do before.

The entire trip made for an absolutely fantastic weekend and it was so nice to hang out not only as a family but with Diane, Kayla, and Donna as well before Hannah leaves for Seattle next week.

We really do live a pretty good life.

Maine - a photo essay

2010-07-03T18:39:00.008-04:00

She's so darn practical all the time

2010-07-03T18:31:00.001-04:00

Me: This time next week you'll be in Seattle.....and Mommy's heart will have started beating again.

Hannah: What?

Me: When you're on the plane next week Mommy's heart will stop beating when she says good-bye and will start again when Grandma calls to say you're safely in Seattle.

Hannah: Then you would die.

Me: I'm speaking metaphorically.

Hannah: Well why didn't you say that?

Jake: My heart will only stop for a second!

4th of July.....in the cemetery

2010-07-03T18:23:00.003-04:00

Last night we went down to the Franklin fireworks. The best place to view the fireworks - other than high school where they light them off - is the graveyard. Yes, the graveyard. At first I thought it would be a little creepy because it's one of those really, really, REALLY old graveyards that New England is known for, but luckily we ended up in the "new" area. We sat with people that were born in the late 1800's and died in roughly 1960-1970. The only thing that creeped me out was at the end, I realized that the flat stone that I had rested my hand on was part of a family plot and the stone read "Mother".

SEE!!!! They're dangerous

2010-06-30T21:17:00.003-04:00

Last November I finally came to terms with my fear of hardwood floors. When I was in 3rd grade my friend Rachel and I were playing at her house, I slipped on the hardwood floor, and broke my finger. Back in the fall we put in hardwood laminate in our office. Now technically it's not hardwood but it still freaks me out a bit. AS IT SHOULD!!!! Check out what happened to me last night. I was walking across the floor in the office, slipped, and came down really hard on the open drawer of my desk. Check out this bruise.

Mother Nature has some competition

2010-06-28T23:18:00.002-04:00

Me: Hannah, never turn your back on the ocean.

Hannah: Why?

Me: You never know what she might do.

Hannah: How do you know it's a woman?

Me: Because Mother Nature is a woman.

Hannah: But Poseidon isn't.

Me: The God of the Sea?

Hannah: Yeah.

Me: Wow. That's an excellent point.

Detecting a pattern

2010-06-28T23:13:00.002-04:00

Jake on the Vineyard:

Jake in Maine:

Martha's Vineyard - a photo essay

2010-06-28T23:00:00.007-04:00

Leo on the Vineyard - a photo essay

2010-06-28T22:40:00.005-04:00

Martha's Vineyard

2010-06-28T22:13:00.004-04:00

I haven't posted anything about our trip to the Vineyard yet because I wanted to post pictures and as much as I love this blog software, it's a pain in the butt to post pictures. So I'm going to at least get this written and then I'll start working on the pictures. I also need to post about our trip to Maine this past weekend.

Our trip to MV was fantastic. Shani and I headed down on Thursday with Tracy, Cliff, Hunter, and Hunter's friend Alex. It was very foggy when we left Cape Cod but by the time we got to the Vineyard the skies had cleared and it was beautiful and sunny. This was especially great since last year we had a mostly cold, rainy, miserable weekend.

Once we got the car unpacked Tracy, Shani and I headed down to East Chop Beach which is closest to the house. The boys and Cliff decided they wanted to stay back at the house so us three girls decided to have some grown-up time at the beach. It was very relaxing and a lot of fun although it resulted in a fairly bad sunburn on my back. Oh well, it was definitely worth it.

After the beach we went back to the house, got Cliff and the boys, and headed out to lunch. Later that day Cliff's daughter and her boyfriend joined us. We ordered pizza and sat around having a few beers and watching the Celtics lose to the Lakers in the NBA finals.

On Friday we all got up and headed over to the beach at Chappy. After we spent a few hours there Shani and I headed back to pick up Link and the kids from the ferry. That Friday was Hannah's last day of school and she had her talent show in the morning. She was doing a jump rope routine with two other girls and there was no way she could miss it. After she finished the talent show the three of them headed down to catch the ferry over to MV.

Friday night Shani stayed with the kids while the grown-ups went out for an "adult only" evening. We headed over to Edgartown and had cocktails at a nice place down on the water. After that we found a great little pub that served racks of beer. After a great dinner we headed back to the house.

On Saturday we had another great day and headed down to East Chop Beach again. Earlier in the morning we had walked down there with Leo and he loved to run around. That afternoon we took him with us to the beach (even though we weren't supposed to) but we couldn't let him run. He basically just curled up on my beach chair and took a nap. The kids had a great time playing in the waves and then we headed back to the house. Cliff's daughter and her boyfriend had left that day and that night Tracy, Cliff, and the boys went out to dinner and the rest of us hung back at the house and Lincoln cooked.

Sunday morning Lincoln and I took the kids and Leo down to the beach. This time we got down there a little earlier so we were able to stay down there for quite awhile before we were supposed to have the dog off the beach. Leo was having a blast and even loved jumping from rock to rock. Sunday ended up being cloudy and windy but it was still hot and humid - with no rain - so once again we headed out to the beach. This time we went to South Beach which is one I have never been to before. It has fantastic sand but the current out there is pretty intense. It was fun to watch the kids play in the waves but it was also a little nerve wracking. It's definitely not a place you can take your eyes off the kids for even a second.

Finally we headed back to the house, packed up and headed home again. This year's trip more than made up for last year's trip and as usual, I'm already looking forward to next year. MV is such a great place for a vacation and when you're there it's hard to believe that you're still in the state. It totally feels like a vacation that you had to travel a long ways to get there.

Hopefully I will get the pictures up soon but first I have to sift through the millions of pictures that I took and pick out my favorites.

The worst part

2010-06-28T21:11:00.002-04:00

The worst part about my struggle with depression is when it directly affects my kids. When I'm in such a dark place that I snap at them for no reason or when they ask me to do something with them and I say no because of the mood that I'm in. It sucks for them and that is totally not fair. I hate this.

Going off the grid again

2010-06-25T17:36:00.002-04:00

And now we're off to Maine. Or to be more exact, the kids and I are heading to Maine. Lincoln is staying here to do some work around the house. Two weeks ago when the kids and I were in Iowa he made himself a big long list of things to do outside and then it rained the entire weekend. So this is his second chance. Hopefully the weather will be good this time.

Some of my favorite Jakey quotes lately

2010-06-23T23:58:00.002-04:00

Jake has been full of some good quotes lately.

The first one was down on the Vineyard. We were getting ready to leave and he was hiding something behind his back.

Link: Jake, what do you have behind your back?

Jake: Ummm....nothing. This is just my natural pose.

The funny thing is I can't even remember what he was hiding because we were laughing so hard.

And then the other night Diane and Kayla were down here. The kids were swimming in the pool and Diane, Link, and I were watching the kids. I don't remember what startled Jake so much.

Jake: That scared the hell out of me!

Me: Jake, don't say that.

Jake (very seriously): I'm sorry. I just got carried way.

I have been blessed with not one, but TWO, incredible families

2010-06-23T23:31:00.002-04:00

I moved to Massachusetts 11 years ago this August. When I decided to move out here I didn't know a soul except for the fact that my 10th grade yearbook advisor from Arkansas had moved here. I looked her up - never knowing if they even still lived in Massachusetts - and not only did she remember me but they invited me to come stay with them.

My senior year of college I came out here for spring break to look for a place to live. When I moved out here the following June I lived in their basement for 2 months while I waited to get into my condo. Their daughters took part in our wedding and Deb and Michael threw us a wonderful post-wedding brunch the day after our wedding.

Their daughters - Shani and Kristen - have become my little sisters. They have become my "East Coast" family. They have become another set of grandparents to my children. I am so blessed to have them in my life.

But it never hit me just how included we have been in their family until last night. I've always felt loved and included but this was different. We co-host the Derby party with them every year and they introduce me as their daughter. We've always been tight and have taken part in family events. Like I said, they played a big part in our wedding - not only by throwing us a brunch but also acting as "host and hostess" at the wedding.

Last night was Michael's retirement party. He is retiring from his position here in Massachusetts and has accepted a new job in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The party was put on by the people he works with. It was a great evening.

The evening was to be for co-workers and his family. It didn't surprise me that they had us added to the guest list but it did sort of surprise me that we were at the head table. That's right. The table of honor. It blew me away. Lincoln and I sat there with Deb and Michael, Shani, and Michael's wonderful children from his previous marriage. (Kristen was out of town on a previously planned graduation trip.) I have never felt so honored.

I have loved and respected and cherished them for so many years but I have never felt so loved and cherished as I did last night.

I am proud to be part of that family and I can't thank them enough for letting me - and my husband and children - into to their lives all of these years.

I might be running from something....I'm just not sure

2010-06-23T23:13:00.002-04:00

In the fairly recent past I've put up some posts regarding my battle with depression. I never expected to be one that suffered from depression. I have a fantastic life. I have a husband who loves me and worships the ground I walk on. I have two beautiful, wonderful, smart, healthy children that I adore. Lincoln and I have jobs that keeps the roof over our heads. What do I have to be depressed about?

I don't.

But I am.

After my physical exam back in April my general practitioner put me on an anti-depressant. It worked for a little bit and then came "the episode".

I don't know how else to refer to this situation. Every day when I got in my car to go to work I would burst into tears and cry the whole way in to the office. I could usually hold it together through the day but I never felt good. I never felt like me.

And then came "the episode".

That day I got in my car and drove to work - crying - and my mother called. She asked me how I was and I started to cry some more. Then I got to the office and realized I had missed a due date on one of our personal bills and started crying again. Then my boss - my wonderful, understanding, great boss - walked into my office and asked me how I was and I started crying. I told him I would talk to him later. After another conversation - including tears- with my friend Melissa I went into my boss's office and told him I needed to take some time off. I was a horrible, sobbing, humiliated, mess but he was incredibly understanding. After explaining the situation - again in tears - to my assistant I then proceeded to drive home talking to my dad. Yes, you guessed it, in tears. I don't think I've ever cried that much in my life.

Since then I have had my medicine doubled - and then tripled - and I'm feeling better. My boss called in some favors and hooked me up with an incredible psychiatrist associated with Harvard and I have been seeing him for the past few weeks. It really has done me a world of good but I still have good days and bad days.

In the past three weeks I have traveled to Iowa, Martha's Vineyard, and - this coming weekend - Maine. Why?

I love to travel. That's no secret. But what is with my current inability to stay home? I love being home. I'm more relaxed when I'm at home. When I can take time off of work I definitely have better days.

So why?

I think my love of travel has always allowed me to step outside of my own world. It allows me to experience new things and new places and new adventures. When I travel I'm not tied to work or home or life commitments. It's a choice. I travel because I love it. I think it's the only time I actually feel in control.

This battle continues to rage inside my brain. I can't explain it. I don't understand. As I've stated above, I'm the first to admit I have a wonderful, wonderful life. It just goes to show that depression is not a situational thing, but a chemical imbalance.

I appreciate all the love and support that I've received from many of you. I don't understand what is going on in my head these days but I know with the love of all of you - and the professional guidance of Dr. Romansky - I will eventually come out the other side.

Thank you.

And in the meantime, feel free to forward me any travel deals you find!

Back home......again

2010-06-21T07:51:00.002-04:00

We returned from our annual Martha's Vineyard trip last night. It was a fantastic trip and we had absolutely beautiful weather. I have lots of pictures to post later. We also discovered this weekend that Leo is absolutely a beach dog. While he wasn't too keen on the waves he didn't mind going in the water of the little tide pool. And he absolutely loved running up and down on the beach.

And we're off......again

2010-06-16T22:13:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow is the start of our annual Martha's Vineyard trip. We're going off the grid until at least Monday.

Jake's first mugshot

2010-06-15T15:33:00.005-04:00

Last Tuesday Lincoln and I took the kids to have their passport photos taken so that we could renew their passports. Jake's came out looking like a mugshot and I LOVE it. I particularly like the bruise under his eye (courtesy of his roughhousing with his cousin over the weekend).

Doesn't he look like he was in a bar brawl?