Back to Reality....

Yippee, Yahoo!!! School is back in session!!!!!!

Now, I absolutely adore my two handsome intelligent sons, but after a kiss at the door yesterday, I breathed a sigh of relief! It has been ONE CRAZY SUMMER!!!! I am in desparate need of some sort of routine to my life and now its time to start. It is so nice to hear.....nothing. No laughing, talking, fighting, asking me when I'll be finished on the computuer, whose turn it is, he had it last. I am so happy to see them when they get home and tell me about their day, but I LOVE SCHOOL!!

I admit I was a nervous wreck when Billy left for his first day of middle school (jr. high) yesterday. His two friends, Emily and Marissa, that we have known since they were 3 came to the door at 6:45 all adorable and giggly and ready for school and he walked out in between them, all 5 feet 9 inches, size 12 feet of him. A little piece of my heart broke right then and there. Of course I was waiting at the door to see how his face looked before I asked about his day and he was so happy and smiling! He has friends (good ones) in all his classes, likes his teachers and is looking forward to joining some clubs! I breathed a nice fat sigh of relief.. then I had to start filling out gazillions of forms (he didn't get homework, I did).

Matt also had a great day in 5th grade. His teacher is young and fresh and excited about the year. He is hoping to get high math placement (which he usually does) and has a couple football buddies in his class. His biggest concern this year was the shoes to buy.. DC's... Am I the only one out there that think these are totally ugly? I refuse to get heelies because I think they are dangerous and they also make you walk on your tiptoes.. (sorry for all you fun parents that like heelies!!!)

Anyway, day 2 and I am still smiling.....Hooray for school!

TAG!!! You're it!

Here we go...

1. The one household chore I don't mind doing is: ironing (rarely) up in my room with Days of our Lives on. I also don't mind cleaning the kitchen because I love a nice clean organized kitchen. I HATE laundry because its never ending.

2. The last person to make a surprise visit to my home: Since I'm currently residing in my in-laws home, I have to say my mother in law's brother Paul and his wife popped down here to say hello and of course, have the tour of our house that we are building.

3. I cannot comprehend: People who don't know how to parent. I don't know if my standards are too high or what, but it seems harder and harder to be a good parent and raise your kids right when there are so many people out there that have no right being parents at all. phew.....

4. At this momemt I wish: that my father would have some more years with us.. that his chemotherapy will work, they will be able to do surgery, and that life will go on as I have known it.

5. The last serious discussion I had was: with my mom about my dad... BTW.. chemo went well yesterday.. My sister went with them and spent the whole day. He loved that they fed him lunch :) Only complaint was that he was cold. As of last night, he felt good but hungry! Here's to day 2.....

6. The thing that made me laugh the hardest today was: When I talked to my mom last night she told me that my sister and her husband, my brother and neice and my mom and dad were sitting around talking.. my parents have french doors which look out on pine trees with bird feeders in them.. as they were looking out the window at the birds they saw one that looked different. They all got up to crowd around the doors to look out because there was a parakeet in the trees amongst the other birds! They were all pressed up against the door watching when my cousin Kathy came walking up the path to see all these weird faces pressed up against the door... it struck me so funny and I wished I was there to see it! Of course it all came down to the discussion of the parakeet that I owned that I thought loved me so much it wouldn't fly away... but that's a different story!

OK... Jessica, Drew, Melissa.. and anyone else out there.. YOU'RE IT!!!!

PURPLE HAZE

We spent the afternoon yesterday doing "new house things". We shopped for all lighting at the famous PURPLE BUILDING and found everything we need! It was actually kind of fun and we picked out everything together with not even any fighting involved!

I think I'm a Purple Building fan!

Prayer request....

Hello friends....

My father's first chemotherapy treatment is tomorrow. You have all been so kind and encouraging, so please continue to pray for him and wish him peace... He and my mother came down last week to see how the house was coming along because he doesn't know when he'll feel up to it again. He was so happy for us when he saw the house and really loved how it is coming along. The visit was very short (too short) but I'm so glad they made it down here.

Usually, this time of year my father is so tan and healthy looking. It broke my heart to see how pale and fragile he has become. Please keep both him and my mother in your prayers. They are wonderful people...

Good o' Cape Cod...

More traveling this weekend! Our good friends have a beautiful house within walking distance the Falmouth Center. It is such a quaint yet very happening place to be. There are so many shops, restaurants and bakeries right at your fingertips. We didn't get there til Friday night where I drank too much wine and ate yummy pizza and slept in a bed with an extremely comfortable mattress. We weren't expecting beach weather but were pleasantly suprised to wake up to a nice sunny day. After numerous cups of coffee accompanied by many different flavors of fresh baked scones, we met up with our friend's relatives who happen to have a son the same age (and with so many of the same likes!) as Billy and also an adorable 3 yr old and headed on down to a private beach. This beach is unique because it has the bay on one side where you can catch hermit crabs, soft shell crabs and all kinds of little fish and the other side is the wide open ocean. Although the air was too cool for me to dip, the kids did and had a ball while we were able to enjoy some fine company and conversation. What a nice time we had.. It's great to have friends!

Survivor RACE edition...

Have you heard the rumors about this season's Survivor? Supposedly, they are going to compete by RACE. Just curious to get other people's opinion on this. I don't think it is a good idea at all. Why pit people against each other so stereotypes and prejudice can prevail? Why start that? In the paper it said that Donald Trump almost did this on The Apprentice but chose not to. Very smart of The Donald. I wonder if they will really do it. What do you think?

They call me the wanderer....

I roam around! This weekend the gypsy family was up in Maine on Wells Beach. Friends of ours own a beach house RIGHT ON THE BEACH! He has three kids and the youngest girl and her cousin were buds with Billy and Matt. The kids were in the water, out of the water, in the hot tub, out of the hot tub, in the house, out of the house.... I'm sure you get the picture. Bill and I pretty much sat on our behinds and ate the wonderful food that they served us (lobsters, grilled salmon, bbq chicken.. and later in the day grilled pizzas...delic!) We lit the chiminea and ate s'mores (yes, more eating) and stayed out into the late evening. It was a really nice visit. The weather wasn't great but just to sit and listen to those roaring waves was like therapy for me.

Always in the back of my mind is the thought of my father having to go through chemotherapy. He starts next Monday and is scheduled for 3 consecutive days every three weeks. He is still positive. I'm going to get him the "Everybody Loves Raymond" Cds to give him some laughter through this mess. He loves that show.

Watson and the Shark

Here's the painting that I was afraid of when I was little.. see below post!

MFA and memories...

Billy and I had our annual mother/son visit to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. We go every year just the two of us and walk around the museum, have lunch in the courtyard, and walk around some more. One of my favorite rooms is the European Art Room where the paintings are from the 15th century and depict roman/greek myothology and lots of portrayals of the Virgin Mary and the baby Jesus.. There are also some darker ones depicting Christ being crucified, and scenes of John the Baptist's head. The paintings are so HUGE and dramatic that I am always astounded and awed when standing in front of them. Another one that fascinates me is the painting of Watson and the Shark by John Singleton Copley. My father went back to school in his 40's to get his Bachelor's degree and he took an art course. He had a big art book of American artists and I used to sit and turn the pages and stare at the pictures. This one always scared and fascinated me. In it there is a boat with some people in it overlooking a naked man in the water with long flowing hair who is about to be eaten by a HUGE SHARK! It freaks me out to this day!!! In the museum it says that it was painted to depict a true story and that the boy (Watson) actually did survive but lost a leg.

My parents always took us to the museum when we were little and I'm so glad Billy shares my love for it. We have the best time walking around and looking at things and just spending some time together. I am also very silly so we have some good laughs while we are in there.

Coming home I took a detour through Jamaica Plain and Roslindale to show him the house where I grew up and where his father grew up. It feels so weird to go back in time and see things. My house looked so small for having 7 people living there! The driveway was tiny and I was sad to see that the outside wasn't kept up nice like my parents had it. My Mom always had flowers blooming everywhere and a freshly painted fence. I wished I could have gone in the yard, but that might have been a little weird for the current owners! Anyway, it made me appreciate my parents and my life now as I know it. I'm grateful for the memories that I have and grateful to be able to make new ones with my son.

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL!!!!???

Full gear and hitting last night for the Warriors! This is Matt (right) and his very best friend from the time he was 2 years old, Tommy. They get to play on the same team this year. Tommy is a year older so last year one was Mites and the other Pee Wees. They are already sore from practicing, but looking forward to a great season.
I love sitting on the sidelines with the other football parents and watching them practice and when game day comes we all wear either black or red to support them. It's a great sport and I think I understand it a heck of a lot better since Matthew has been playing. This is his fourth year and it is his very favorite. So I know my other blogging friends don't want summer to end, but I'm ready for football and I'm ready for the Fall!!!!

Bad habits...

Now, anyone that knows me knows that I am a bit of a health nut. I like to read labels, I like organic products, and I like to limit the transfats that our family eats.

Living with my in-laws, I have been subject to salami, soda, ice cream, donuts and today, I fell into the oreo cookie trap.

I consumed about 7 oreo cookies in a row. I myself don't buy oreos (well, maybe the Paul Newman ones once in awhile). I didn't even savor them with a glass of milk.. I just popped the tops off and ate em one by one. I am feeling a little guilty, but boy are they good!

The Descent...

I actually got to pick the movie today! Bill and I had a friend's 50th birthday to go to, so... since we already had a sitter we decided to see a movie too. I chose (mainly because I didn't really want to see anything else) a suspense/horror/sci fi film called The Descent. It was about 6 women who went cave climbing and were stuck in the cave because of a tremor in the earth.. While in the cave, they discovered that there were other life forms in there with them.. It was really creepy and I had to watch through my fingers many times. I had to make sure that my shoulders didnt' touch Bill because he hates it when I jump in the movies. I do LOVE a good scary movie though. It gets my blood pumping and I love that rush! All in all, I liked it. Bill would have liked a different ending. Check it out for yourself.

Let sleeping Lifeguards lie....?

I took Billy, Matt and my pseudo-son Tommy to our little local beach this afternoon. It was a wonderful day. Cool when the sun went in but blazing hot when it was out. I was able to start a new book while the kids played and ran around. Now, I remember what it is like to be a teenager and I have great sympathy for the sleepy young things, but I was fairly appalled at the fact that the boy lifeguard never once lifted his head from his surfboard to check if there were flailing arms in the water or if anyone was out past the buoy....Especially after the fiasco with the 3 year old boy at Houghton's pond recently and the bad rep that lifeguards are getting.. You would think he would at least pop the head up once in a while for show. Good thing I'm a good mom and watch my children or you might have seen us on the evening news...... Off to the mall (once again) for Billy to spend his border's gift certificates and perhaps Uno's for dinner!Bon appetit!

Papa...

The meeting with the surgeon went as I expected. They are sending him to meet with a medical oncologist on Thursday where he will hear what plan of action to take. The bone scan results were good, showing no evidence of anything unusual (other than some arthritis that we already know about). He is prepared to fight. I think he is so surrounded by us all that he is starting to get sick of talking about it! I'm going to give him some space to get used to everything and I'm hoping that he'll go away for a few days with my mom and aunt and uncle to just chill out before he starts any treatment. He's a great man, my father, and he is showing (as usual) dignity, courage and humor while facing the unknown...

Homeward bound....

As you can see, we are slowly getting there! We met with the builder last night to go over what's next and some excavating issues. The kitchen is coming in today! All the trim boards are inside the house. The painter is lined up and ready (my colors are mostly picked out). Red oak natural wood flooring and tile has been picked and hopefully ordered. So... we are on schedule. Hopefully, we will be in by October 1. I miss my bed. :)

Sugar and spice and everything nice...

That's what my neices are made of! We minded them yesterday while my Dad went for his bone scan. We did sidewalk chalk, playdough, movies, snacks and took a walk. The boys also played with them all day in the yard and pushed Maria in the carriage. They are just adorable and it was a fun day. I was hugging and kissing Maria and she said to me "Remember, this little Maria belongs to her mother".. priceless! I think she was nervous that I wanted to take her home!

Sugar and spice and everything nice, that's what little girls are made of!

Setback...:(

Just an update on my Dad...my Mom called me yesterday with news that the surgery had been cancelled. Apparently, the CT scan showed nodules in his ribs and a spot in his pelvis...a question of metastasis (cancer spreading). The doctor spoke of more tests and possibly chemo to shrink the nodes. My mother and I had a good cry together on the phone and she of course said that she and my father would discuss all options when they have more information. The thought of him going through chemotherapy at his age and health scares me to death, but it is totally his decision. He has an ultrasound today and Monday he has a total body bone scan. This is when they inject dye into you and look for "activity" in areas. If they see "activity" they do more tests in that area to look for cancer. He will get results on Tuesday. I'm staying over there with the boys on Sunday night so that I can babysit my neices on Monday so my brother or his wife don't have to take another day off....I'm happy to do whatever I can to help and to go up and spend some time with them.

I spent the day yesterday talking to my family and crying a lot. If feels like someone has knocked the wind out of you. I feel so bad for my father. It's so weird that you know without a doubt that you will lose your parents someday, and even if you are lucky that they have lived a good life, it still is so hard to comprehend..... My mother made me feel better by saying that it is almost a gift that we have this time (if it is really bad news..) to be together and support each other.

Thanks for all your prayers and good thoughts and please keep them coming.

FEELIN HOT HOT HOT...

How did everyone beat the heat yesterday?

Here in Massachusetts, we are not used to temperatures with three digits. The heat was unbelievable! It was too hot to go to the beach or sit in the sun. My internet didn't work all day because of a power outage! What to do???

Well, we went to the mall. I picked up Billy and three friends from Recreation camp and along with Matthew and I, we traveled to the mall where we had lunch in a cooler temperature, walked to the Pet Store, visited Borders (of course) and went to see a movie.. John Tucker Must Die, A total teen flick rated PG 13. The real reason for this expedition was that Billy's birthday is next week and since we don't technically have a house right now, this was his "party". These are the nicest kids and they didn't mind the "mom" hanging out with them at all.. There were many "thank you Mrs. T" and "hey, Mrs. T.!" and I almost felt like one of them! We were up the mall for 5 hours, the longest I have ever in my life been at a mall. We beat the heat, the kids were happy and I was fed and entertained. What more could you ask?

Golden Slumber...

I had a good night's sleep last night.. just so you know.