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

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".

Happy Easter!

Not your mother's Easter bonnet

Here is Hannah trying on her new Easter outfit. Somehow I remember my Easter bonnets looking a little differently than hers but damn is she cute.

More pictures from the dance

Father/Daughter Valentine's Day Dance 2010

Tonight is the Annual Father/Daughter Valentine's Day Dance put on by the Upton Men's Club. In case you're wondering, Jake and I will be sitting around in our sweatpants playing Super Mario Brothers Wii.

Happy Valentine's Day!

My wonderful husband and kids made me a two layer chocolate cake for Valentine's Day. What a wonderful way to wake up!

Accidental Tradition

Our first Christmas in this house was when Hannah was one year old. We decided to put up our Christmas tree but only decorate it with lights so that we wouldn't have to worry about her pulling off all the ornaments. This worked well for a few years and kept us from the hasslbe of having to decorate (and later take down) a tree. When Jake was one year old we figured we'd continue with the tradition since he was then of an age to bother the ornaments like Hannah was when she was little. Of course Hannah was now 4 and wanted to decorate the tree. We compromised by only putting paper ornaments that Hannah made, unbreakable ornaments from our collection, and strings of popcorn to decorate the tree. Since then we've gone to full on decorating of the tree with breakable ornaments and everything but the strands of popcorn have remained. Since I'm the one that has to string the popcorn I thought maybe we could get rid of the tradition this year and just do the ornaments but one of the first things Jake asked about decorating the tree was "and we're going to do popcorn too, right?" I guess since he has never known a tree without popcorn (except when he was 3 weeks old) I have committed myself to a lifetime of popcorn stringing. I suppose there are worse traditions I could have gotten myself into.

Thanksgiving in your birthday suit

Yesterday Lincoln and I were getting ready to have Lincoln's parents over for Thanksgiving and Lincoln sent Jake upstairs to get dressed. At one point right while we were in the middle of something in the kitchen I vaguely remember Jake coming in and asking for help with something and us telling him "we'll be right with you" as the two of us were measuring, mixing, and pouring.

By the time Link and I had finished what we were doing Jake was happily off playing in the kids' room and I just assumed he had figured out whatever his problem had been. Turns out he hadn't. He was just happily playing naked in the kids' room and no longer cared about asking us for help getting dressed.

A Very Lentz Thanksgiving

Even though I make the same dishes every year for Thanksgiving I still call my Mom the night before and ask her questions on how to make them. And they're usually the same questions each year so really, at this point, I know the answers but it's part of the tradition.

Me: Hey there. How's it going?

Mom: Good. Dad just finished making the Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes.

Me: Oh good. That answers my question then. I was going to ask if I should make those the night before.

Mom: And now he's crushing pretzels.

Me: For the raspberry jello salad? That's next on my list.

As Lincoln said afterwards, we're obviously having a "Very Lentz Thanksgiving" since we all cook the same dishes. I can pretty much guarantee you that they're having Butterfinger Dessert today too.

Holiday shopping in the new millennium

How did people ever shop before the Internet? Today I was working on the kids shopping lists for Christmas. This is a rather detailed process that requires a lot of research, a 3-ring binder, and Excel spreadsheets. I'm trying to stay fairly true to my "no toys" pledge because our kids have way too many toys as it is. I'm trying to get them things they need and/or useful or educational things.

There are many wonderful things about the Internet when it comes to holiday shopping.

1. No need to go to the mall.
2. Comparison shopping is easy. I thought of something I wanted to get Hannah for Christmas and wasn't sure where I should shop for it. I typed it into Google and the first place I found it the item was $39.95. After a few more sites all of a sudden it's down to $30. I saved $10 and never even left the house!
3. Online coupons. Even for the stores that we actual have to go to in order to pick up the items you can find coupons for almost anything online these days. I've got all my coupons lined up and ready to go on Black Friday.

Lincoln and I go out the day after Thanksgiving every year to do our holiday shopping. We don't get up crazy early and hit the really big sales but we like to time it after the rush and before the shelves are picked clean. We usually still get some pretty good deals. Some of the items that we're getting this year will actually be through Black Friday online specials.

I really feel for all the parents that came before me and had to do their actual shopping in stores. I don't know if I could do it.

Five days

I have five whole days off for Thanksgiving break. I am so excited even though, of course, I have a long list of "to do" tasks. But 5 days!!! How sweet is that?

Another Darn Hallmark Holiday

I have a major Chapstick obsession. I have them in my desk, in my car, in my purse, in my pocket, in my bathroom, in the kitchen......you get the idea. Every year for Christmas Lincoln puts like 25-30 of them in my stocking. Then for Valentine's Day 2008 he put another 20 or so in with my gift. Add that to the other 25-30 he gave me this past Christmas and I've been doing pretty good on my Chapstick stockpile.

Me: Uh oh. My stock of Chapsticks is getting low. You may need to restock me for my birthday....if I can last that long.

Lincoln: I'm sorry but you don't get a stocking for your birthday.

Me: I hear that 4th of July is a gift giving holiday for men to their wives.

Lincoln: Oh yeah, where did you hear that? Hallmark.com?

Giving credit where credit is due

Tonight Lincoln and I took the kids down to the Upton fireworks. We got down there about 20 minutes before the fireworks started, spent 15 minutes watching the fireworks, and then 1 hour getting out of the parking lot and back home a few miles away. I did enjoy trying out the "fireworks" setting on my camera though. That was pretty interesting. Here are a few of the pictures that I took.

We sat in our car for quite awhile waiting to even move from our parking spot. It looked like we would be there for a long time and Lincoln said that next year we'd be smart to bring a cooler, sit outside the car and have a cold one while we waited for the parking lot to clear. It would have been a lot more entertaining than just sitting in the car while the kids fell asleep (and yes, Jake even talked in his sleep.)

We were right next to a big Ford Bronco and in my head I was thinking that it would be a battle of who got to go first since we were side by side heading into a single file exit lane. Instead, when I rolled down my window to get some fresh air they struck up a conversation with us and we sat there and joked around with them for awhile until we started to move. When the line did start to finally move the guy told us to go first.

Me: You know, sometimes I don't give Upton the small town credit it deserves. I was really thinking in my head that it would be a "who can edge out who" battle with that big truck just like when you're commuting in Boston but he was really nice. That's exactly something that would have happened in Decorah.

Link: Yeah but if we were in Decorah he would have had a cooler full of beer in his truck. And had I stuck my hand out the sun roof he would have tossed me one.

Me: Very true. Good point.

Our patriotic duty

Lincoln and I did our patriotic duty today and stimulated the economy. We went out shopping today for all our summer gear and spent a ton of money. We are now the proud owners of two new bikes, pool gear, 6 pairs of summer shoes, jumbo size bubbles, and 3D sidewalk chalk.

Hannah and Jake made out like bandits. Hannah got two new pairs of flip flops, a pair of tennis shoes, and a pair of dress shoes. Jake got a new pair of tennis shoes and a new pair of sandals (boys are SO much cheaper in the shoe department). They both got new bikes for the summer along with new helmets and knee/elbow pads. Jake got his first bike with training wheels and Hannah got her first bike without training wheels. We weren't very smart the first time around so all of Hannah's toys are pink and purple. Since I won't subject my son to riding around on a purple bike he got to purchase his own today at Target. But since we did finally learn our lesson, Hannah did NOT get a purple bike this time and instead got a boys bike with the name "Rip Claw" on it. While we didn't tell her she had to get a boy's bike, we did tell her it had to be unisex so that she can hand it down to Jake. Luckily she's pretty much past the pink, purple, girly-girl stage with most things. We also got those jumbo bottles of bubble refills for all of their bubble blowing toys and some new pool stuff. We opened up the pool today and once we get all the green nasty gunk out of there it will be fun to play with the new toys.

Last but not least we bought a clock for Jake's room. The two of them are dying to purchase a game called Sorry Sliders so he and Hannah have asked for chores and an allowance in order to save up for this game. They did their first set of chores yesterday and Jake earned $2 and Hannah earned $3. We told Jake that for every morning that he doesn't wake us up before 7 a.m. he can earn an additional 25 cents. Hence the new clock.

If you're wondering what their chores are, here is the list:

Hannah $3/week: Empty the dishwasher at least two times a week, hang up all her clean clothes after laundry day, clean her desk weekly, clean the kids room weekly, strip her bed on Saturdays, and start the load of sheets in the washer.

Jake $2/week: Clear the dinner dishes nightly, clean his desk weekly, clean the kids room weekly, and strip his bed on Saturdays and put them in the wash for Hannah to start the washing machine.

Why is the rest of the country always trying to steal our holidays

Back in 2001 George W. Bush tried (I'm not sure if he was successful or not....which is probably my answer) to make 9/11 Patriot's Day. He was obviously ignoring the fact that Maine and Massachusetts already celebrate Patriot's Day on the 3rd Monday of April. Now the Conservatives are trying to take over the Boston Tea Party by having people hold "Tea Parties" today to protest what the government is doing with our tax dollars.

I would be more upset by it except I can't help but laugh every time a serious TV commentator encourages people to tea bag the government. They are encouraging people to send tea bags to the government as a form of protest. For those of you that don't get the joke (those few readers that I might have that are pure of mind and body) you can click here to get the Urban Dictionary definition of what sexual act the conservative movement is encouraging Americans to do today. Technincally tea bagging is actually illegal in many states....including Washington D.C. You also have to wonder why no young intern bothered to tell the executives what it meant before letting it go on air. Ahh.....good times.

Anyway....back to my original point.....HANDS OFF OUR MASSACHUSETTS HISTORY AND HOLIDAYS!!!

Easter cleaning and little brothers

Me: If you want the Easter Bunny to hide eggs this year you'll have to make sure the kids' playroom is all cleaned up.

Hannah: Okay. Will Jake help me?

Me: Probably not.

Hannah: Jake refuses to clean.

Me: Yeah. It's a youngest sibling thing. I didn't like to help my older sister clean either.

Hannah: I know! I'll pick him up, put him in the middle of the room, close both doors, and then tie them closed with jump ropes and lock him in there.

Me: And when he kicks the door trying to get out of there and breaks the door who do you think will get blamed?

Hannah: Me?

Me: Yep. You might want to come up with another plan.

Hannah: Okay.

Me: How about we tell him that if he doesn't help you clean he can't have any of the eggs?

Hannah: That sounds like a better idea.

Time to renegotiate the contracts

Sometime in the past year Hannah lost yet another tooth. At the time she said she was hoping to get a toy from the tooth fairy like some of the other kids she knows. Hannah gets $1.00 per tooth. Other kids get $1 plus a Webkinz. Some get $5. Some get a toy, a webkinz, and money. It's insane. Hannah gets $1. If the tooth fairy is feeling wild and crazy it is delivered as a $1.00 coin instead of a $1.00 bill. When Hannah told me she was hoping to get a toy that time around I told her that when Moms and Dads decide to have kids they sit down with Santa, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny and we tell them what they're allowed to give our children. It is a parents way of controlling how spoiled a child is. It also goes a long way towards explaining the differences that kids experience at Christmas (for example, does Santa wrap the gifts or not?).

Tonight the conversation came up again at dinner.

Me: Remember what I told you about how Mommies and Daddies meet with Santa, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny?

Hannah: You talk with the Easter Bunny!

Me: Yep.

Hannah: Cool.

Me: We told him that you're only allowed to receive apples this year in your Easter basket.

Hannah: I got candy last year.

Me: Yeah, well we renegotiated the contract.

This sounds familiar....

New Year's Eve 2007:

• Lincoln working; Diane home with the kids.
• Substantial snowfall expected.
• Medical Flex Spending money not yet spent.
• Jake jumps down the stairs, splits his head open.
• Diane spends 3 hours in the ER with Jake (Lincoln arrives for last hour)
• Every last penny of Medical Flex Spending now spent.

New Year's Eve 2008:

• Lincoln working; Diane home with the kids.
• Substantial snowfall expected.
• Medical Flex Spending money not yet spent.

Let's hope the last few items on the 2007 list don't happen tonight. I really don't want to spend another New Year's Eve in the ER.

The Day After

Last night the four of us stayed up and played Wii for awhile. It was actually a lot of fun and we had a family "bowl-off". Hannah is really good at the bowling.

Today was a fairly lazy day. The kids slept in a little bit this morning and then came downstairs by themselves and let Lincoln and me stay in bed a little longer than usual. After that we all cleaned up both the front and back living rooms since they looked like a Christmas tornado had blown through them.

Once we got the downstairs cleaned up I headed out for some "day after Christmas" shopping. I was hoping to find some stuff for the master bathroom which I'm hoping to redecorate while I'm off of work these two weeks. I took my nephew Kyle with me since he told me yesterday he's always willing to play chauffeur since he has his driving permit now. He actually did a pretty good job and we even went out on the highway. He drove me to Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, and A.C. Moore because I had also decided to do a few returns while we were out and about.

After that I came home and played Mario Kart on the Wii with Hannah while Lincoln took Jake for a doctor's appointment. Jake has an ear infection although it certainly doesn't seem to be bothering him too much. We have him on antibiotics now and hopefully he'll be all better in the next day or so.

Hannah has a pajama party birthday celebration to go to tomorrow for her friend Christina. They're not actually having a slumber party but she gets to go in her pajamas and they're watching movies and eating pizza and all that fun stuff. It's from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. which is staying up late for some kids but that's about the norm for my two darlings.

That's it for us today. I struck out trying to find stuff for the bathroom. I'm trying to re-decorate around these six beautiful hand-painted tiles that we bought at the Grand Bazaar in Turkey last March but so far no luck. I'm waiting to be inspired.

I guess I have nothing left to learn

Everyone received classes of some sort this year except for me. Jake has been signed up for karate lessons, Hannah will be starting sewing lessons in January, and Lincoln received a gift certificate for cooking lessons at the Culinary Underground.

A few months ago Lincoln told me that when he was in high school he had wanted to go to culinary school. I looked up a local school that does lessons for the general public (as opposed to signing up to get a degree) and he gets to pick out what classes he wants to take.

Here is a picture of Hannah already getting started on her fashion career: