Friday Fill-Ins

1. My car is a van and is treated like an addition to our small home.

2. Apple-picking is coming up next.

3. Lately, things seem calmer and more balanced. Just the way I like it.

4. The beach is one of my favorite 'hiding' places.

5. What happened to people seeing the world as the place to explore and discover, grow and learn and not just what you go out and see if you have time.

6. Restoring balance after a busy summer is not impossible!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to the observatory at the science museum and seeing the Omni film "Antarctica", tomorrow my plans include throwing a birthday bash for my "little" boy and Sunday, I want to have the grandparents over for lobster and watch my boy play soccer!

Friday Fill-In

1. Please feel free to discuss your differing ideas. I don't need people to always agree with me .
2. When I am near one of my sons' heads I can't help sniffing it occasionally.
3. My favorite thing to cook is a chicken pasta dish, loaded with veggies.
4. Joy with my kids is something I can't get enough of.
5. That's the thing I love most about November; the good excuse to stay in sweats and slippers all day due to the weather.
6. Stepping on a scale after weeks of exercising always makes me think to myself, what the heck?
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going out to listen to music, tomorrow my plans include puttering in the house and having friends over and Sunday, I want to go for a long walk!

Fever and a Friday fill-in

My youngest son experienced febrile seizures last night which is something I had never experienced before, and something I'd rather never see again. Febrile seizures happen when their is a sudden spike of a fever, and while frightening to witness, they are considered fairly harmless. My boy had been running a low-grade fever and experiencing headaches for a couple of days, but the fever really peaked last night to 103. Twitching, eye-rolling, moaning....scary.

Today...normal. Nothing. He wanted to go to the park and play. He's eaten and run around, talked with friends. Little kids' bodies are amazing.

And now for my Friday Fill-In:

1. My blueprint for success includes knowing yourself and what you love and taking it from there.
2. A Snickers Bar offered graciously from my son from his bottomless trick-or-treat bag was the last candy I ate.
3. The best facial moisturizer I've ever used is coconut oil.
4. Electing the new leader of the free world and knowing he's the right guy can be good therapy.
5. I'd like to tell you about how I lost twenty pounds...but I haven't...yet (see#2).
6. Being a decent and attentive listener is my strongest characteristic.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to sleeping, tomorrow my plans include going to a double-dutch demo and going to the Y (see#5) and Sunday, I want to drink coffee, play with my family, and maybe visit a friend!

Friday Fill-in

1. When I'm sick I'm usually very sick. For some reason, I rarely get sick, but when I do it's a doozy.

2. When I take a walk, I think about how grateful I feel to have some time to myself. And sometimes I try to organize my thoughts, check in with myself if I've been feeling irritable or scattered. It's a time to recharge.

3. Money can't buy happiness but it can enhance the happiness that's already there.

4. Cotton makes me ummm, comfortable, I guess. Especially cotton flannel PJs in the winter and leather makes me feel bad for the cows. I don't own any leather clothing, but we do have a leather couch that's very comfy and doesn't make my allergy-prone son sneeze. And I love my leather clogs which are very comfy.

5. The strangest person/character I've had lewd thoughts about was ahhhummm...I'm not going to go there..

6. My favorite color these days is teal because it's always been my favorite color, and I'm not fickle about teal. My whole house is painted in teal.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to hanging out with my family, tomorrow my plans include going to a party with a bunch of people we camped with this summer and Sunday, I want to get ready to go camping again!

Family-friendly Friday Fill-In

1. If I could travel back in time, I'd go to the days I gave birth to each of my boys...after the pain part. Those days were the happiest days of my life.

2. Give me a fresh garden tomato sandwich or give me homemade sangria. Really, either would do. Why do I have to choose?

3. I am listening to the dishwasher running and my husband snoring while he "watches" the baseball game.

4. Somewhere, someone is thinking boy, he sure is a loud snorer.

5. I'll always be glad that I married my husband. Well maybe not EVERY moment, but...overall. Really, really glad.

6. My idea of a good time includes doing just about anything with my family. It is not hard for me to have a good time. Usually.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to watching The Alamo with my oldest, tomorrow my plans include cleaning up the house and preparing some food for a party and Sunday, I want to have a lovely lunch here for my mom's birthday, then take everyone over to the local polo matches. We've lived here ten years and have never been!

Filling in the Blanks and random photos

Since I cannot seem to form very many sentences of my own lately, I have decided to resort to an old favorite, the Friday Fill-In. I kind of miss blogging, and maybe this will jumpstart me to a new beginning.

1. Birthdays are very fun celebrations at our house. Middle boy is celebrating his 1/2 birthday next weekend as he decided he would like a summer party. A Star Wars cake and laser tag party are in the works!

2. I can't decide which season is my favorite season because they each bring their own unique joys and celebrations. I love camping and beaching in the summer, the beauty and coolness of fall, winter snow, and the relief of spring.

3. I feel my best when my boys are happy and our whole family is together enjoying the outdoors. And when I am exercising and taking care of myself. And when I am sharing time with my mom. All those things make me feel relaxed.

4. A lovely fresh garden salad with egg and homemade dressing is my favorite food!

5. First impressions are maybe more important than they should be, but they are often telling.

6. The best piece of advice I ever received was to trust my own instincts as a mother. I got it from LaLeche League and it has resonated throughout my motherhood.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to a family sleepover at the Museum of Science in Boston, tomorrow my plans include more museum fun, exercise, and rest and Sunday, I want to garden and play at the beach!

Friday Fill-in

1. I love springtime in the woods, hearing peepers and spring bird songs!
2. Homemade bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches and home fries are foods I love to eat for breakfast.
3. It seems I'm always searching for something interesting to write about in my blog. Not much luck lately!
4. Snuggling my kids to sleep, then enjoying a bit of wine with my husband is a great way to end the day.
5. I think I see the sun!...whoops, no...here come the rain clouds again!
6. Sunshine and warmth is what I've been craving lately.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to helping my son enjoy a sleepover with his friend, tomorrow my plans include going to see a play of Frog and Toad stories and Sunday, I want to sip my morning coffee and see what the day brings!

Friday thoughts

1. My son's soccer team winning last night after 15 straight losses is so exciting!
2. Strawberry fields will soon be here and offering summer's first sweetness.
3. Fresh strawberry shortcake with homemade whipped cream sounds like it would taste delicious!
4. Why does a long hike, camping, a day at the beach, a sweaty workout, or a glass of wine make me feel so good?!
5. The Grand Canyon is something I've always wanted to see.
6. It's sad when people become shut off to their feelings.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to starting a new book, tomorrow my plans include exercising and Easter Bunny prep and Sunday, I want to visit my parents and eat jelly beans!

Friday Fill-In

1. Once I was a springboard diver.
2. Being pampered is the only good part about being sick.
3. Today at home I ignored Mount McLaundry.
4. What's The Old Spice Girls tour all about?
5. If I make a mistake I try not to make it again.
6. When I woke up this morning, I thought it would be a good day to stay in and watch movies with the boys.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to my husband coming home, tomorrow my plans include going to the Ricki Lake movie about home birth with a LaLeche friend and Sunday, I want to get outside with my kids!