Thanksgiving recap

This year on Thanksgiving I was very thankful for Patrick's sense of style and zest for celebrating!! He decided we should all dress for our meal. Patrick dressed first, and then the rest of the Fogarty men followed along.....Taf reminded me of my Uncle Phil, you can't see in this picture but he had on dark socks pulled up and he had on his dress shoes!! I am not sure why Patrick chose to wear dress khaki shorts but it didn't take much for the others to follow along. Us girls felt like we couldn't let the boys be the only finely dressed crew and we decided it best to get fancied up too!
We had a nice dinner, watched movies and napped. It was a lovely day.

TUESDAY

I just came home from parent teacher conferences. I met with Kathleen's teacher Miss Ferron and Patrick's teacher Mrs Williams. Both Kathleen and Patrick are A students and are working very hard, which causes a 15 minute conference dedicated to discussing whats going on with my child, to be rather boring. I am lucky to never fully be out of things to talk about so therefore it was not a complete waste of time.

My body aches from head to toe from my recent trips to the gym, another benefit to exercising, aside from the overall health benefits, is the ability to sleep well. I slept so well Sunday night that I did not even hear poor Quinn, he was throwing up over and over again, throughout the night. It wasn't till the next mornng when Tom went to wake him did he tell us he had been sick. I felt guilty. How could I not hear him??!!I know it must be true because he did not eat anything until he had a half a cup of chicken soup for dinner and even that he was not crazy about. I asked him why he didn't wake us and he just said " I don't know....you were sleeping..." !!
What a nice boy!

My shopping

I have officially begun my Christmas shopping. Although it will be hard to maintain my Christmas spirit this year, I know I will get through the season and enjoy it the best I can if I try to be organized, have a plan and have some fun things to look forward to.

Each year I try and think how to approach my shopping.....should I take care of one kid at a time, should I try to get one thing for each kid at a time, should I spend the same amount on each.......usually i just throw caution to the wind and it always works out perfect. My "plan" will be that this year will be no different. I am always amazed that I pull it off each year. When I look back over my life in years to come, when my kids are grown and no one is truly waiting for Santa anymore, I will know that making Christmas Magic happen over and over for 5 kids will be one of my life's greatest accomplishments!!!

The Big Line and the hiccups

Margaret came home from school yesterday and was telling Patrick, Kathleen and I about her teacher Mrs Reedy.

A boy in her class, Josh, had the hiccups and they were loud and kind of annoying....Mrs Reedy said" Josh, we are going to have to see what we can do about those hiccups......"

As class progressed, everyone was doing what they were suppose to be doing when Mrs Reedy took her shoe off and threw it down on the floor in front of Josh, trying to scare the hiccups out of him..

Margaret said it was so funny, some time went by and again the kids were working and Mrs Reedy took up a tennis racquet and jumped in front of Josh and screamed....EEERRRRR!!!

Margaret said the class all jumped!! As Patrick listened to her tell the story he said " Oh did you make a big line on your paper?"....and just like that, I was 8 all over again, and I remembered everytime the fire alarm would go off and I was writing, I would jump so high that my pencil would make a big line on my paper!

I started to laugh and I said to Patrick, I remember making the big line and he was surprised that I had done it too.

Margaret knew what he was talking about and she was laughing, but she continued to finish her story by saying that Mrs Reedy's methods worked because Josh's hiccups went away!

Veterans Day

The other day, Margaret remembered something funny that Pops had said......

It was two years ago and we visited Grammy and Pops on a weekend in November.....while we were there Grammy announced that it was Veterans Day, she then said "we need to thank the Veterans".....My kids usually do not need much prompting and in unison said "thank you Veterans"......Coming from down the hall a voice responded......."Your Welcome", said Pops!!!

Margaret thought it was so funny, we all thought it was funny, now it is even more funny!
I knew I wanted to write it down and have tried to write things down that the kids are remembering.......
Just so you know Patrick is looking forward to Thanksgiving so he can eat a Hot Turkey Sandwich with the gravy on that night, just like Pops and all the other soldiers!!

Sweet Victory

Thank you to those who still check in on the blog.....

Today was a big day for Taf and the Hebron Academy Football team. It has been a very hard season. Hebron met with one defeat after another, week after week...they never seemed to get a break.
Today was the last game of the season against their rival school Kents Hill.....

Hebron ended the season with Sweet VICTORY!!! HEBRON 28, KENTS HILL 14
Taf caused and recovered a fumble in the first quarter and played some fierce defense for the rest of the game.
Check out number 83....that is my Taf surrounded by his team mates as they ring the Victory Bell!! We all had such a great day!!

First day of School and my 5K

It has arrived, the first day of first grade for Kathleen and the first day of third grade for Patrick. They seemed exhausted when they got home. Taf, Quinn and Margaret have not started yet, next week for Margaret and Quinn and then the next week Taf will start.

On Sunday I walk/ran my first 5K.....with the help of my trainer Keena. She pushed me and kicked my butt the whole way around the course. I had agreed to do the race back in late May, with Keena and a couple other girls from the gym. With all that has gone on this summer , my work out schedule suffered and I didn't want to do the race. I was not as prepared for it as I wante dto be. Keena would not take any excuse I made, she told me to use the race as a new starting point.
It was a very emotional day, I was angry, I complained, I missed my Dad....I had told my dad I was going to do the race.....I knew I was going to miss not being able to tell him that I really did it.
Well we started off running and then we walked a bit and went back and forth never really slowing down. Keena was so great and at times I felt like i was in a therapy session. It was a HUGE deal for me.
I knew going into it I could easily walk it in an hour, I never thought for a second I would quit or not be able to finish. So I was thinking if I cross the finish on 59:59 I will be glad it is over and proud of myself. Well, Keena had a different goal for me and I crossed the finish in 46:50! I was shocked!!

I am once again surprised by what I am capable of, like I said I never thought I could stand at my Dad's bedside and watch him slip away...but I did. I never though I would cross that finish line in anything less than an hour......but I did. So I guess I am just going to say......"what will I do next?"

I am going to try and get faster and keep working out and I may come up with a list of other things to do....I have promised the kids I would let them teach me to ski this winter.....The possibilities are endless!!!

Here I am.......

Here I Am.....

I am just coming off of one stressful situation after another.

The summer would have been hard enough with just having to deal with the loss of my Dad, but we have had a few more things to deal with.

The next thing to happen was the tenant we had at our house in RI, moved out with no notice, breaking her lease, and leaving the house filthy and damaged and not paying the rent, which of course means no rental income for us. Less money is never a good thing!

The city here in Maine where we live, put a new road out in front of our house, as they dug the drainage ditch, they ruined our basement runoff pipe. I knew it had happened and they supposedly came and fixed it in the early summer....I realized that they had not fixed it really, when last week, with all the rain, we had a good 6 inches of water in our cellar.

So I have had to deal with the city, that has gone pretty well and I made friends with the workers who came and ended up putting in a brand new pipe. They did have to dig up a huge section of my front yard and sacrifice a big bush.....I gave them soda and cookies. The next day I was getting in my car and they drive by and tooted there horn and waved to me.....cookies and soda, makes friends...and friends do better work!! So for as much of a hassle it was to make the arrangements it did get all fixed....they replanted the bush, which we have given some extra love and seeded the front yard....and so far no water in the basement.

As far as the house in RI goes, we have alot of work to do. It has hurt my feelings that a woman, who is in her 5o's would be so irresponsible.

Tom also has taken a new job, which means he will be home and not in Vermont anymore, just like a real husband!! Tom will be the new Assistant Head at Hebron Academy. We had the stress of deciding where our own kids would go to school this year too. Taf , Quinn, and Margaret will all go to Hebron and Patrick and Kathleen will stay at Trinity. Hebron is a school for 6th-12th grade. It is a boarding school for 9-12.

I think thats about it.

I miss my father every day, I am always thinking of things I want to tell him.......
I cry often, it creeps up on me without much warning.
When I see someone out, about my Dad's age, I am sad.....and jealous.
When I catch myself having fun, the same thought pops in my head....." I wish my dad was here"

The other night we had a BAT in the kitchen, Taf and Quinn wrangled it...I screamed and took pictures, and laughed and screamed some more.....When all was done I wanted to tell my Dad so badly.....he would have loved that the boys took care of getting the Bat out.

Paw Sox

Tomorrow, I am taking my kids to see the Pawtucket Red Sox Game. My cousin Maureen's son Joe is the bullpen catcher for the team and is getting us tickets behind home plate.....very cool.

This will be the most exciting thing we have done this summer. Our summer has been pretty awful, with poor Pop's and then rain, rain, rain,.....So I am looking forward to tomorrow.

The person who rents out our house in RI is vacating the premises tomorrow, so I will make the inspection of the house on Monday before heading back to Maine. I am planning on Grammy coming home with us too, she probably could use a change of pace and a change of scenery.

Trying

Trying to have fun is so much harder than just having fun. Trying to be happy is so much harder than just being happy. Trying to write about something fun and happy is so much harder than just writing about something fun and happy.

Last summer I sent Margaret to summer school at Rectory and she was gone for 5 weeks. I remember saying to Tom that I did not want to get use to her not being here. He assured me I would not and I certainly did not get use to it, I counted down the days until she came home.

I am going to have to get use to my father not being here. In this case I have no options, I am going to have to get use to it , he is not coming home in 5 weeks. It is very hard to come to terms with that. Lots of people have told me that it will take a very long time to feel better ....I know that they are right, but what can I do to help myself now??....what can I do to make myself feel better now???......

I have decided that for all of us we are going to have to ask ourselves each day " What would Pops want us to be doing?".... and we all know the answer to that question, for each of us,there is something that we know he would want us to be doing.....
I know he would want us to take full advantage of the summer days, of everyday, plan family get togethers, practice our pitching, our jump shots, back strokes, switch hitting, writing, follow throughs, drawing, driving, putting, singing, cooking, running, reading, cross words, ukelele, recording, blogging, music, biking, .......he would want us to plan parties, visit with friends, study hard, try new things, go on trips.....He would want us to take care of each other and not get so busy that we forget to ask anyone if they need anything, he would want us to be happy and he would not want us to waste time......

Many have told me that my Dad will always be with me and up until just now I have not really talked to him, I have not asked for his advice, or felt his pressence. I have felt the hole and the pain, and been consumed with the loss......I think I needed some time, to really realize what has happened. I also am thinking that Dad needed some time...ya' know, to get the lay of the new land, to reconnect with his family that got there before him and to get the answers to the many questions I am sure he had on his arrival. If I know my Dad, I am sure he had a word with St Peter....and perhaps shared some observations regarding the pearly gates. Up until now I have not spoken to my Dad, but I am going to and I will be sure to let you know what he has to say. I can not imagin getting use to him not being here but maybe I don't really have too. I don't have to get use to him not being because I can choose to look at it differently.
My Dad is here....with me....always!!

That makes me happy.

I guess I did have something happy to write about today after all.

I got nothin'

I am having trouble writing these days, I have no funny stuff to report...

I will be back, have no fear....but for today I will just say that I am fine, my family is fine and the prayers, kind words, and support I have been shown is so uplifting. Very Comforting and I am very thankful.

Something funny will happen today and I will write about it for tomorrow. I will find something to say....

( by the way, Don...this post says it is 4:44 am, that must be pacific time, it is 7:44 in Maine....I did sleep well last night....8 hours!)

Back in Maine

............and life goes on.......

We are all back in Maine and we are trying to get back into the swing of everyday life. This seems to be easy for everyone, except me.

I guess the worst part of getting back to everyday life is that when I am doing something regular, like grocery shopping, all of a sudden I have that nagging feeling that something is different....and then I remember what it is .....it fills me with sadness.

My Dad use to be terrible to talk to on the phone, he would say "Hello Dollin' your mother is right here" and pass the phone off. Over the years and I would imagin because I lived away, he got much better at it and we spent a lot of time talking in the phone. I am already missing telling my Dad stuff ....I would call and if Grammy would answer I would say I have a funny story for Dad and she would get him on the phone. Over the last few months I talked to him more than ever. Tom has heard me say hundreds of times " I can't wait to tell my Dad". Whether it would be updates on a sporting event or something funny the kids would say, or like when I got to tell him that I primed the furnace!! Being back in Maine, I am missing that the most....

The other day, Taf begged me to give him a buzz cut with the dog clippers....so funny! Well , I did and it came out nice....Patrick wanted his done too, so Taf did his and left him a mohawk....I only allowed it for the evening and it since has been buzzed. Quinn is way to smart and has too much hair to go for a buzz so he kept his distance. The boys were so funny, I took some pictures and they ran around and jumped in the pool. Taf was egging Patrick on with the mohawk....they spiked it up and everyone had some good laughs.....For a nano second I had that " I can't wait to tell my Dad" feeling and it was crushed by reality and I missed him so much that I cried.

Everyone says that over time I will feel better. I realize that that will hold true....but for today I am aching.

What you can do even when you think you can't

There is a big difference in what you think you can't do and what you actually can do. I sat at my fathers bedside as he passed away, I held him and kissed him and told him over and over how much I loved him.....
I never thought I would be able to make it through and as painful as it was, it was exactly where I wanted to be. As much as I wanted to go home, pretend it wasn't happening, runaway and hide, I could not leave him.

To make funeral arrangements is something I did not think I could do. Picking out his casket, flowers, readings, songs, clothes, seemed like a job for someone else. Someone who could handle it better than me, because I just could not do it......but I did. My Mom, Don and me did it all together, and we chose exactly the right "everything".

I don't think I can get through my fathers wake, or funeral..I do not want to hear the words, the songs, the guns fired or Taps being played.I do not want all the people that I love and all the people that loved my Dad to be hurting. I do not want my mother to be alone.....

But, I know I will be there and I will embrace my Dad's friends andfamily and thank them for all that they are, I will listen to the words and feel the pain, I will be proud when the shots are fired and at peace when he is laid to rest. We will all hold up one another, we will carry on, we will remember and we will laugh.

What I can do, is all of this and I am so very grateful to God for it all.

A Sad Day for us All

It saddens me greatly to let you all know that my father passed away this afternoon. Ray, Don, Mary Ann, Joe, me, Tom, and Mom were all with him. He faught such a battle. A true champion.
Words can not describe how much I loved him and how much I will miss him.

Thursday Update

I don't have much to say,
My Dad is the same,
He is still fighting to live, It is hard to say if he is winning or loosing though.....
I just don't know
It makes me sad, very sad.

I said the same things today to him as I did yesterday, we will just have to wait another day to see what happens.

Please say your prayers tonight, and have sweet dreams

From RI

The kids and I arrived in Rhode Island yesterday around 3:00. After settling in at Grammy's, I dropped the kids off at Susans and went to the hospital, by myself, to see my Dad.

He was looking kind of sad and tired, but I immediately said Hello, told him his favorite dollin' daughter had arrived!! I started telling him that I had come down with the kids, that it was Taf's 16 th birthday and that everyone wanted him to get better. I filled him in on baseball and basketball and reminded him that I had bought two really nice chairs for out by my pool and they were waiting for him to sit in.....

I had him listen to some songs off my ipod, and then I had him listen to some off of his ipod.....I choose which songs to play and he listened for a while.

I then explained to him what was going on with his body and told him that he really needed to take advantage of the respirator and that he needed to focus his positive energy on healthy pink lungs. Feel them and let the healing begin....
Apparently he was fighting the respirator and not going with the flo ( ....so to speak!!)

Today the doctor report was that there was still some concern regarding his stomach.....he has a build up of stomach enzymes.....
However he had stopped working against thr respirator and was letting it do the work ( just like I told him too)
So, tonight I went in and explained that there was concern over his stomach and still his lungs and that he needs to focus on a healthy stomach and healthy lungs.....healthy stomach and healthy lungs....

I figure it can't hurt to ask him to try....he seems to still be fighting, so I am still fighting, i am not giving up on him yet, not until he shows me he is first....
Please say prayers.

Just for a laugh

I want to write a Happy Blog today....all my other posts make my mother cry!! So no crying today, Grammy.

I have had some classic laughs with my Mom, we are ususally disappointed if we get through a visit without a good laugh....

One of my favorites was the time we went to this little dress shop and my mother was trying on dresses to wear to my wedding. The woman who worked at the shop introduced herself to us, her name was Francis , she had a british accent....and mother says " oh Fronsis ( with her own british accent ) its nice to meet you.....I nearly wet my pants.....

Fronsis, gathers some dresses for Mom to try on....we go into a big dressing room together. At one point my mother gets stuck in a dress, one arm is up and stuck with a belt tie of some sort and she looks like two muppets in a fight....she wants me to help her but I can not see clear enough through the river of tears that are coming from me laughing so hard. To add to it, we are trying to be quiet so Fronsis does not hear us! I finally got the dress unzipped and she was released from captivity!

Next she puts on a lovely mint green dress with pretty sleeves....We both love it!
We go out to look in a bigger mirror and Fronsis comes over to have a look.....she tells my Mother that she likes the dress, it fits her well, and it will look even better if Mom wears control top panty hose....My Mom whispers to me " I AM wearing control top pantyhose!" .....Oh My....I could not take it anymore, my sides were aching!! We bought the dress anyway, and it did look lovely!!
Huge side aching laughs !!

Take Two!

(I previously posted the results of this weekends baseball games below entitled Disappointments! )

This is my second entry for today because as I sat at my computer this morning, I was remembering last years Fathers Day. A funny thing happened last year, I forgot Fathers Day.
You see, Kathleen's birthday is June 18th and the last few years has fallen on or near Father's Day. Last year we had a party for her on Fathers Day. Early, early in the morning the kids gave Tom some cards and gifts and we did some yard work and then spent the day getting ready for and celebrating Kathleens birthday. I never thought of Fathers Day again....until the next morning when I woke up in horror!! I cried over it, I could not beleive that I had forgotten my very own Dad on Fathers Day!

I immediately went to my computer and composed an email to my Dad and I included a little poem. I just searched through my email until I found it so I could read it again, I thought I would share it with you all......I will pick it up where I have made my lousy excuse for forgetting and and am explaing how awful I felt..........

"So today I feel terrible for having forgot but I am banking on you understanding.

I could not have a better Father.....I am a lucky girl. I have enjoyed being your favorite daughter for years!
If I had remembered to call you I may have just said "Happy Fathers Day from your favorite daughter" but now as I sit here I have made a list of reasons I have the Best Dad and what my Dad has taught me."

I have the best Dad because he is very forgiving!
My Dad has taught me that you can't remember everything! ( Right?)
I have the best Dad because he tells Fantastic Stories!
My Dad has taught me to have fun telling stories too!I have the best Dad because he makes yummy food, especially pizza
My Dad has taught me some great techniques...especially when I make extra yummy pizza!
I have the best Dad because he can fix anything
My Dad has taught me to try and fix things, like cesspools and toilets...
I have the best Dad because he learns new things
My Dad has taught me to keep learning new things!
I have the best Dad because he can tap dance
My Dad has taught me not to believe everything I see!
I have the best Dad because he makes me laugh!
My Dad has taught me that making people laugh and enjoy themselves is a gift in itself!

I have the best Dad because I do!
My Dad has taught me that!

Happy Fathers Day I love You!

your favorite daughter,
Tricia

Disappointments

Our baseball season has come to an end. Auburn lost to Lewiston yesterday in the 8th inning 6 to 5.
It was a good game and the calls were much more fair today. The kids played great.
It was very hard to see the disappointed faces at the end of the game. This was Taf's last year, he will be too old to play next year. Seems silly to say that 16 is too old. His coach is such a great guy and had a great talk with the team after the game and he shook Taf's hand and told him that he could be on his team any day!

So we move on......

My Dad is not getting better, the doctors say his lungs are very injured. They have called in infectous disease doctors to see if they can help. At this point I guess they just don't know what is wrong. My optimism is slowly slipping away, although I am trying really hard to keep it up.

Life's disappointments are so hard, it seems silly to be disappointed over a baseball game but to a boy who turns 16 tomorrow it was his hole world. He wanted to win this weekend, and I know he wanted to win for Pops. He was ok after the game he hugged his Mommy, took a shower, sulked a little and then went to his friends house for a little while, and that was all good.

He may be starting drivers ed today. ( Lord hear my prayer.)

I don't mind loosing...really

I certainly do not mind loosing a game when the other team outplays us. If their bats were swinging to the fence, If their pitcher was sitting us down.....BUT to loose a game that involved close, questionable calls is extremely upsetting.

Five calls, two at home, two at first and one at second, all were close, ......NOT ONE CALL IN OUR FAVOR!!!!!

the two plays at home were of course most crucial and the most upsetting....the score was 3 to 3 at the bottom of the 6th.... Our runner at third slides into home and gets tagged on the shoulder and they call him out......( the kids six feet tall, his feet were their long before his shoulders)

So we head into the 7th inning.....( we only play 7)
Our pitcher throws a passsed ball, he runs to cover home, he is all over it, the catcher tosses him the ball as the runner slides in.....SAFE!!! It was a mirror image of the previous slide into home and this one goes against us again....

At our last at bat, we had a runner called out at second....causing the second out, I vocalized how it be nice if just one close call was in our favor and then I walked away because I could not watch the rest. I listened from behind the back stop as the game came to an end.

Aside from the passed ball by the pitcher, the kids were flawless.

They need to win three in a row to go to states, they play Lewiston today at 1:00.

****a Pop's update****

He is resting like Rip Van Wynkle, he has been on the respirator and on major drugs since his operation last Tuesday.....I think on Monday or Tuesday they will try to get him off the respirator and wake him up.

Game #1

Each player was introduced and cheered for by the home town fans......they looked sharp in their brand new jerseys with their name and number on the back..navy blue with white and red trim. Their smiles were big and bright! I was so proud ,I had tears in my eyes as they called out "Starting on third base tonight for Auburn .....Taf Fogarty!!!
The Star Spangled Banner played in full force filling the complex. I looked around and watched as little boys admired the big boys, and the old men looked at those " big boys" and must have known just how they were feeling. I was gushing I was so excited!!

The game was exciting and Auburn was triumphant winning by 10 runs in the 6th inning. !11-1
Taf''s contribution to the game was a super man dive off third to catch a line drive on his belly. He jumped up and just missed the double play at first. Everyone in the stands thought he had him out at first but the ump said differently. Anyway, the batter was out and I could see my orthodontic investment shining bright from that kid of mine at third!!!

Game #2 Today at 4:00

All Star Weekend

Tonight will be Taf's first All Star Game, ever. This is the first year he has made the All Star baseball team and the last year he will be eligible to play because of his age. I think he really deserves to be there and we are all really excited about the games. His first game is tonight at 8:00pm.

I am hoping my Dad will have an All Star weekend as well. He is hanging in there, in ICU, yesterdays report from my Mom was not good, although I found a few things to focus on that were positive and I am sticking to that because it works for me.
His pnuemonia was worse yesterday and so they suctioned a sample and sent it to the lab and then after those results changed his antibiotic to fight this particular strain of bacteria. I am grateful for that. The right meds for the job is always a good thing.

He is still on the vent and the doctors have kept him sedated since his surgery on Tuesday. They have also added some nutrition to his routine, prior to surgery, he was nibbling and drinking ensure.....now they have strapped on the automatic feed bag! I am grateful for that.

I keep telling myself that he can get better, because after all this is not the cancer that he is fighting. The tumor in his lung was small to begin with and the spots on his brain were even smaller, he had hardly a symptom from the cancer, just a winter cough which had lingered a little to long. This battle is one against the treatment. The poison (chemo) which was used to kill the cancer and give him some more time, bred an infection which has stolen his summer. It is hard to accept that these are the cards he was dealt but again, I still feel as though if anyone can come out of a situation like this it would be my Dad. He is an All Star.

Could this be another I told you so?

My Dad told me two weeks and two days ago that there was something wrong with his stomach. He told me that he thought there was a blockage and perhaps something blocking his liver function.......
This conversation took place the first day I drove down to see him in the hospital.....
I asked him why he thought that and he said he just did.....he could tell.....I tried to encourage him to eat and told him that if things were passing, he was probably ok. He hoped that was teh case but didn't think so.

Two weeks later, after many doses of anti-nausea medicine and mylanta, he spent Sunday in extreme pain........ in his stomach.
Lots of Morphine....

Yesterday they did some tests and he was moved to ICU.
Today he had exploratory abdominal surgery where they found and repaired a hole in his stomach. The surgery went well...he is sedated, on the respirator and in the ICU.

I am rather speechless, I am expremely grateful....and I guess the next time I hear someone say that we all need to listen to our bodies, I will have a much better understanding and appreciation for that advice.

I am still hugely optimistic and know that he will do all he can to get better.

My kids are all saying there prayers, as am I and I hope you will too!

Monday June 30th

First things first,
Pop's has had two good days in a row....woohoo!! He seems to be coming back to his usual self and has asked my Mom some interesting questions...like " how did I get here".....being dehydrated and having low oxygen levels can really mess with the mind!! Asking the questions seems to be a step in the right direction.

I am still in Maine for now and got the kids situated with their basletball camp this morning. Quinn and Margaret play at 10 and Patrick and Kathleen play at 8:30.....Kathleen did very well going with her group. I was proud of her. I was afraid she may cry or cling to me but I was busy with filling out forms when they called for the kids so I had Margaret push her in the right direction and she went. I strategically did not look at her for a while. One look could change everything! I did see her make a basket and she looked over at me and was grinning really big and I gave her a thumbs up!! She was proud and so was I .
So camp meets each morning for 5 weeks, lots of exercise!!

Margaret was guarding one of the Allstar softball girls ( the daughter of the Coach) to the point where the girl did not know what to do.....she could not shake Margaret! She finally made a pass, the girl she passed it to, passed it right back to her and Margaret came outta nowhere and stole the ball. It just filled my competitive heart right up with pride!!

Rollercoasters

In 1976 my mother and I got into the wrong line at a Disney World attraction ( I think we were planning to go on those slow moving cars that travel around space mountain, and show you the space program through the years.) We ended up being in the line for Space Mountain, Pop's and Joe were with us. Mom and I were almost crying as we wove through the line, I just kept saying" don't like, don't like, don't like it at all!!" ( I made that line famous for years to come) ..We read the warning signs about whether you have a heart condition and if you were pregnant.....ride at your own risk....caution!! .....the cars were glowing green and shooting above our heads ...Before panic set in, Mom and I backtracked and climbed over ropes and cut out the back through an emergency exit! Thinking back, a more reasonable choice would have been to simply explain to the attendant that we did not want to go on the ride.I am sure they would have shown us the way out, Pop's and Joe were all for it and waited in line.
We were on a mission, to escape Space Mountain without looking like wimps! We left the building by way of the emergency exit, after all this was an emergency and we then climbed over the train tracks and a fence, which I thought was funny. My Mom was not much of a fence climber and I wondered of she was going to make it! We made it back around to the front of Space Mountain, where we found Pop's and Joe waiting for us, they had finished the ride before we even got out of the building!
I rode Space Mountain at DisneyWorld back in 1987....twice, being a bit older I was more brave and I was with a friend, I liked it, and liked even more that my friend was scared and I was not.

I rode it again with Tom in 1990 and decided it was NOT fun, not funny, just bad!" Don't like it, Don't like it, don't like it at all."

In 1999 I rode a rollercoaster with Taf and Tom at Six Flags, it was Taf's first rollercoaster ride and I felt obligated to be the cool Mom and go....It was terrifying and made me sick to my stomach......
My opinion of rollercoasters today is that they are scary and I am not sure if I want to go on one again. It will depend on who asks me and where I am.

Rollercoasters go up and down and twist and turn they do loop-de-loops and some even have you hang upside down as you go. People scream and some get sick, they hang on to each other or white knuckle the hand rails........People always seem happy getting on and happier that they make it off........You hold on tight, say your prayers and hope you reach a soft landing as soon as possible.



Soemtimes life seems like a rollercoaster
So hold on, say your prayes and look ahead for the soft landing.....

Friday in Maine

I asked Pop's yesterday what do I tell people when they ask me how he is doing and he said to tell them "I am doing much much much better!!"
He looked fantastic yesterday and seemed stronger. So considering that, I decided to head back to Maine with the kids, so they could play some baseball.

Last nights game was nothing but FUN!! Because Taf and Quinn's team is in first place heading into the playoffs, the coach let each player play in the position they wanted too. So the kid who had been on the bench and played right field most of the season was able to play First Base. The kids who usually played teh infield played teh outfield, The goofy kid who usually plays shortstop (Taf) was the catcher and three kids wanted to pitch......Quinn was one of them. Another boy named Nick started pitching and let 8 runs in with two men on before the coach put Quinn in, Quinn did an awesome job!! He threw some stricks, kids made some hits ....he pitched for 4 innings and the only runs that came in on his watch were the two runners he inherited from Nick.
Our team was down 10 to 1 for awhile and then started making some great hits....the final score was 13 to 14.

I am still hoping praying and planning on my Dad improving each day and I plan to head back to RI on Sunday to see him.

The Fogarty Seven are also praying for:
Bob G, Eileen, baby Marianne

The "I told you so" update

"I told you so" is a very powerfull phrase.....I think everyone has said it, especially mothers, hundreds of times, in a variety of ways, I told you it was cold out, I told you you would get a tummy ache, I told you blah blah blah.....I also know that saying "I told you so" has had a bad connotation....people may think you are being rude. One certainly can not run around constantly saying "I told you so", in a way that offends. However how your " I told you so's" are delivered are a key to their reception.

I told you so, is just confirmation that the person saying it truly believed what he said the first time....He believed,he intended and it happened.

"The medicine is working, I am better with each breath I take, I am a super hero"......I TOLD YOU SO!!!!!

The doctor confirmed last night that Pop's can say I told you so and we can believe him....( Just for the record, I always believed him and I can say I told you so, too)

The Best $100 I will ever spend

Yesterday my Mom and I went to see my Dad and he was happy and making jokes and was eating beef stew for his lunch.
After a few hours he kicked us out!! He wanted to sleep and once I had tucked him in and kissed his bald head he gave my Mom a hug....as good a hug as one can do under the constrictions of IV lines, monitors, and a breathing aparatus that looks like a fighter pilots face mask. She laughed and then cried and had to take out her industrial strength hankie and my Dad said " what are you crying for?? I will be here tomorrow!"........

It all makes me so sad but it makes me happy as well....No one could be trying to get better as much as my Dad, and I truly feel as though if anyone can do it , he can.

I drove home to Maine last night, and will bring the kids with me back to RI today.....yesterday I went to Pep Boys in RI and had to get two new tires, a tie rod and a tail light on my car, there is more that needs to be done but my wallet is empty!! ......and back at home I had to have the septic tank pumped and the furnace repaired on the same day.... the furnace needs to be replaced which is something I don't even want to think about right now!!

But when I do think about the stresses of all the things that impact us everyday....the price of gas, the furnace, the heat for winter, catholic school tuition, food..........ARGH!!!!

I am going to STOP because I know this.....

For $100 in gas today, I can drive three hours, with 5 kids, and spend time with "Pops" and it will fill all of our hearts ......... and that seems to be the best $100 I could ever spend.

Please pray that he is well enough for the visit, I believe he will be.

My Dad

I am sitting at my Dad's computer as I write this blog. He sits in his hospital bed.
He now has congestive heart failure and pneumonia and just typing the words is hard for me.
My Dad also has Super Hero powers , and I know that he is fighting to live! Nothing would make him happier than to be able to tell us all "I told you so", I told you I would get better......it is still a possibility, the doc's are saying he could still get better. We have plenty of hope and prayers.

If you are reading this, then you know my Dad, "Pop's" is very special and he needs us all to be thinking only positive thoughts and to pray!

First Communion and Confirmation

Patrick made his First Communion and Confirmation on Saturday. Here are some pictures from a very special day!! Patrick with Father Dan , his godmother Caitlin and his Godfather, Uncle Joe.

Father Aaron was celebrating his first mass, he was ordained last weekend, so it was a special mass for him as well. He was proud of Patrick. Everyone was proud of Patrick!!

Patrick received a special blessing .............

After mass people came to congratulate Patrick...he made a lot of people smile!!!





After the Mass, Patrick had a party and had a great time with his family and his friends!! Especially Brendan and Peter.

So what have you been doing?

I have been like a duck.....calm and smooth on the waters service, gliding about....... but underneath I am paddling like hell to stay afloat......
I am good though, the school year is winding down, Taf finishes today so I will make my last trip to Portland after I write this. The baseball games and softball games have been fun. Taf is playing shortstop and hitting like a champ. Quinn plays on the same team, he plays either at third or second. He does great in the field but has had some trouble in the batters box. He has been hitting, its just the other team has been catching!

Margaret has become a switch hitter which is remarkable. We had talked about how she maybe should have been left handed to begin with because of her goofy eye.....well she decided to hit left handed at batting practice one night.....She was awesome and since then has been hitting lefty in her games.....I am amazed but not surprised. She has not actually switched up in a game but I think she will be able to at some point, after a little coaching as to why, and when you could use that.

Patrick has been playing well and just started pitching a bit. They let the little kids pitch and walk 4 batters and then it goes back to coach pitch to move things along. They usually play a variety of positions and Patrick makes some good hits now and then. It is like watching the grass grow in comparison to the others, but I make sure he sees me watching him before I sneak away and go watch the other kids!

The pool is getting clear and I am getting some repairs taken care of....like the lovely matching set of broken windows I have that sit on each side of the strike zone, (AKA the chimney) Those are being replaced today and then reinforcements will go up during pitching practice so-help-me-God! They do not have to throw the balls there but something just invites them....at any time, any ball, any kid......

Tomorrow is Pop's last chemo for this round of treatment. He will have a few more radiation treatments and then hopefully a nice break to enjoy some summer activities.
(The lounge chairs are waiting poolside!)

Prayers continue to be needed.....
please pray for
-Eileen who just had surgery for her breast cancer....( she is doing well)
- for my friend, Deana, who tragically lost her niece in a horrible accident.
-for the family of that little girl.....She was only 9 and leaves her parents and two sisters.
- for the man who caused the accident....it was an accident.....no drugs, no alcohol, just the blinding sun on his windshield....
- for all who have to deal with the pictures in their mind of such a tragedy....

please continue to pray for Pop's
and his friend Bob

And the next time you are stuck in traffic, late for work, pumping gas or trying to figure out how you will heat your house this winter....stop and be thankful for the little things!! Hug your babies, no matter what age and count your blessings!

Observation

I went and had my mammogram on Wednesday..... very important to do, but not fun........ I did observe something rather disturbing when I entered the Breast Care center...the receptionist was an older, big breasted, overweight woman who was not wearing a bra. I was very puzzled by the fact that we were in a breast care facility and she did not seem to be concerned with her breasts care. She was well dressed in a flashy top that normally would be worn by a much younger girl and I believe she was counting on an empire seam to do the work of more reliable spandex. Perhaps it was laundry day.....maybe she forgot.....maybe she thought no one would notice......maybe she thought she looked nice.....

Whatever she may have thought, she was WRONG! No matter the age, the size, the place of employment .....every woman needs some support!

Gratitude

Today I am thankful for a lot of things. If you have ever read the Secret, starting your day off being grateful is a key ingredient to a happy life. This is my own example to share with you.....


This morning I woke up and realized that I am surrounded by clutter, dog hair, and dust bunnies. When I look out my bedroom window I see gardens to tend, a lawn filled with dandy lions and a pool ready to suck more money out of me this summer. I think of my day ahead....three baseball games, a drive to Portland , another trip to the gas station and the grocery store. There are piles of clothes to be folded and more to be washed......
Depending on how I look at all of this is how my day will go.....

HERE IS HOW I LOOK AT IT
This morning I woke up......and am thankful to be here another day!
I am surrounded by clutter.......I have everthing I need and I am thankful!
The dog hair.........I am lucky enough to have two dogs that I adore and who I know LOVE me!!! and I am so thankful for their company and loyalty!
The Dust bunnies, along with dog hair......I will get to it eventually and it will be gone with a few passes of my vacuum, I am thankful for that! At least I have a vacuum and am not out beating rugs!
The gardens to tend and the lawn of dandy lions........the gardens remind me how much I love spring and summer and my yard is like owning a piece of heaven. I love it eveyday no matter if it is covered in snow or dandy lions, I am so lucky to live here!
The pool......The pool has been something to share with so many friends, it reminds me of how much fun summer is, it reminds me of the hot summer nights that we have had ice cream as our dinner and swam at night as the desssert! I am very thankful for that!
The baseball games, drive to portland, laundry, gas and food......This all reminds me that I am a Mother and of all the gifts I have recieved this is the one I treasure most! I have 5 smart, funny, healthy and happy kids! What would I be without my family. I am so thankful for that!
My day today is going to be great! I am already happy after having thought of all these things I mentioned.
So today depending on what you have to do, start off thinking about some things you are grateful for and then live a great day!

You know that you are a busy "Baseball Mom" when there is a pair of baseball socks hanging out the window of the car, and you are hoping they will be dry, by the time you get to the game!!

May 7th

I felt confident enough to pack away the ice scraper and rock salt today!

Every Days the Fourth of July

There is nothing like starting your day off with a nice song....Whether it be on your ipod, or on the radio...This morning I was on my way to bring the kids to school and "Chicago's -Saturday in the Park" came on the radio. It is impossible not to feel good after listening to that song. My suggestion to everyone reading this today is to find that song somehow and listen to it. Go to itunes, get yourself hooked up and get it!

Follow me people, readers of my blog.....imagin yourself there.......


Saturday in the park
Youd think it was the fourth of july
Saturday in the park
Youd think it was the fourth of july
People talking, really smiling
A man playing guitar
Singing for us all
Will you help him change the world
Can you dig it (yes, I can)
And Ive been waiting such a long time
For today

Slow motion riders fly the colors of the day
A bronze man still can tell stories his own way
Listen children all is not lost
All is not lost
Funny days in the park
Every days the fourth of july
Funny days in the park
Every days the fourth of july
People reaching, people touching
A real celebration
Waiting for us all
If we want it, really want it Can you dig it (yes, I can)
And Ive been waiting such a long time
For the day

Now wasn't that FUN!!!

Opening Day

It is that time of year again and Saturday was the kick off to another season of baseball/softball. Keeping right up with how things go around here, on Saturday we had three games to see at the same time! Tom and I took turns watching each field and got plenty of exercise in the process.

Patrick was really excited about getting his uniform shirt, he got to pick his favorite number!!

I love this picture, I wish I could say it was a "caught moment" but I made them stand there with their backs to me and then Taf was acting goofy telling Patrick that there was a whole wide world out there.....!!!

The day did end up getting rained out but everyone got a little playing in first.

I also am sporting a new hair cut......

Someone who I love said I looked like a teenager.....I just want to be able to pull off calling myself 37 for a few more years!

The funny for the day is this....

When I call Lilly ( our yellow lab) to come into the house I always use my high pitched sing-songy happy voice and Lilly always gets all excited and comes running. The other day Kathleen asked me why always talk so nice to Lilly and not her!!! Kind of made me stop and think about how I must sound on a schoolday, and we are late and no one has turned any lights off throughout the house and there are cheerios on the floor and no one has their stuff ready!! My answer to Kathleen was " Lilly always comes when I call her and you don't!"

One Up-ing

This is a long story but I think it will be funny in the end.....I will give it a try anyway.....

First a little back story, Back in November I bought Tom a new Coffee pot that brews one cup of perfect coffee at a time. He loves it, he calls it the "Magic coffee pot" it has been a great addition to our kitchen and I recommend a Keurig Coffee maker to anyone.
Moving on.......

One of Kathleen's classmates needs a ride to school for the next few weeks because her mother has a broken arm, the little girl is named Sadie. Sadie tells tall tales. The other day, Kathleen wanted to tell Sadie how she burnt her finger on the toaster and Sadie told a much bigger and more dramatic story of how she once stood on a stove and burnt her feet and had to stand in a cold pizza to relieve the pain and suffering that she had endured. Kathleen told of our time in Mexico and how she had been on a water slide in the pool....well Sadie knew all about water slides, let me tell you, she told us all about how she had been on a bigger, faster water slide and had bumped her head and her foot and there was a little blood on her leg!! Heavens to Betsy! Each day it has been more stories....she always has one more.....

Today, Margaret felt obligated to take on Sadie and her Tall Tale Telling Talent..... Todays car ride was
Smack talkin' Showdown....Margaret ( age 12 ) VS Sadie ( age 6) ( duntduntduhhhhhh)

The rest I will write in a dialog format:

(sadie enters car)
Trish- Good morning Sadie how are you today?
Sadie- You know what, I have a new turtle necklace that whistles * whistle*
Margaret- Hey, you know what, I have a turtle necklace too, but mine has TWO whistles, and mine is purple
Kathleen- I have a necklace
Sadie- Well I got mine a few days ago
Margaret- I got mine yesterday
Kathleen- I lost mine ( poor kathleen was just trying to get a word in.....)
Sadie- my baby sister likes to play football and run all the time....
Margaret -My baby sister, Annabelle, likes to play with our turtle named Fred ( no worries, she is making that up!I still only have 5 kids and 0 turtles)
Kathleen- I drew this picture of a rose
Sadie - thats not a rose, it is a tulip
Kathleen- it is not a tulip, it's a rose
Sadie- NO, it is a tulip
Kathleen- rose
Sadie-tulip
Kathleen -rose
Margaret was in hysterics at this point and was letting the two 6 years have at it!
Sadie-Tulip
Kathleen- Rose
Sadie- TULIP
Kathleen- ROOOSSSSEEE
Trish- If Kathleen drew the picture and she says it is a rose then it is a ROSE!
Sadie- My Mommy says that its a tulip
Trish- ITS A ROSE

Kathleen had not drawn the picture at all, Margaret had... bless Kathleen's heart, she was just trying to join in the showdown......by the way ....It WAS a tulip! But I was not about to let Sadie tell Kathleen she was wrong!!

Sadie- My whistle works really well * whistle* whistle*
Margaret- I have to decide which of my two whistles I like better, one has a sweet shrilling sound and the other has a low melancholy tone
Sadie- Well my whistle is brand new and it sounds like our tea pot
Margaret- Oh, you have a tea pot? Well, WE have a MAGIC COFFEE POT!!!!
Sadie-....................

There was an erie silence that fell over the car


BAM>>>>>SHOWDOWN OVER>>>>>
I believe Margaret is the winner!


I must confess, that some of the dialog was fabricated for your enjoyment but the gist of the story is very accurate.....especially the part about the Magic Coffee Pot, that had me giggling all day.

This entry was written by Trish with the help of Margaret!

Snowmen and Gardening

Last weekend when I woke up on Saturday morning, I had the option of either building a snowman or working in the garden....I chose to put winter behind me and pick up the rake. I am happy to report that as of today, with the help of today's rain, the snow in my yard is officially gone.....
The daffodils are in bloom and the grass is turning green. It is like there is a master switch that gets thrown and....bang....its Spring! However it gets here, I am glad it is here!

I saw a great movie with the kids on Sunday.....Nim's Island. I recommend it to any age audience. Jodie Foster was really funny!

Saturday is opening day for Baseball/softball.....I think we will have 6 games to watch. The big boys have three games...kind of a round robin ( one hour games) and Patrick has a game, and Margaret has two. I am excited about that day!
The first Trinity game is Thursday after school....I am excited about that too!! Unfortunatly Quinn and Margaret's games are at the same time....hopefully not to far apart.

Tomorrow I am working out at the gym with this crazy trainer named Keena, we will be doing some interval training......it is so hard, but really fun, I love it when it is over!

I have had a lot of bad news recently....a lot of people need some special prayers....I think today I will make a list in case you have a few minutes....

1) For My Dad , we prayer that his cancer gets very small and disappears, and that his happy days multiply and seem to last forever!
2) For the Father of Cooper Campbell, a boy who went to school with Taf, Cooper was killed in a car accident last night....his father is in ICU....his mopther had passed away a few years ago.
3) For my friend Eileen who just found a lump in her breast and is having a lumpectomy
4) For Sue Devoe's grand daughter Marianne, who has been fighting for her life since she was born this past Oct.
5) For my Dad's buddy Bob Greco, who was just diagnosed with a terrible leukemia.

I am anxious to hear anyones good news if you have any......

To sing or not to sing???

After having bought an Ipod shuffle for my Dad for his birthday, I have been using mine more,
maybe not quite as much as Pops.....I guess Grammy had to tell him he should not wear it/listen to it, while driving!

I know it is a pretty well known fact that music is a very powerful thing. I thought maybe I would just state some of Musics obvious goodness......

It makes a work out much easier
It makes housework go by a little quicker
It makes taking a tubbie seem like a day at the Spa
Car Trips are way more fun
When things are not going to well or you feel crummy you can "let the music get down in your soul!!"



When your life gets to complicated
Let the music get down in your soul,
everyday ain't gonna be sunny......
Let the music get down in soul.....

Things ain't as bad as they seem.......Get on up....
Let the music get down in your soul

That is a song I was just listening too......yeah, thats right I have my ipod playing while I type. (Gitchie gitchie ya ya da da )

One drawback to having great songs and perfect sound playing in my head is that I have trouble keeping my mouth shut......
To sing or not to sing, that is the question????

Weekend Update and Team players

The kids and I had a great weekend. We travelled to Grammy and Pop's house on Saturday. Oh, funny thing happened when I got off the highway....I stopped in Dave's Market and 10 seconds after I entered the store, I see a girl I know whom I had not seen in 10 years. We chatted a bit and then I picked up some of Dave's specialties for our dinner with Pop's. As I went to get in line....there was a tall dark and handsome man in front of me ( those details are to spice the story up a bit!) .....he turned around and said to me " I know I know you from somewhere" .....and I said " you do???".......then he asked me where I went to high school.....I did not recognize him at all......then I asked him his name and once he told me I completely knew him!! It was so much fun!
I had been in two acting classes with him and production in RI....I was able to tell him that I remembered him as a extremely nice guy....he was glad that that is what I thought! I hated the second acting class that i was in and he was in that one too and I remember him as being really funny and always saying Hi.....nice guy.....So anyway, that was fun.

So on Sunday my brothers and I gathered to celebrate Pop's birthday along with Grammy and my kids and Joey's kids. Kathleen and Nathan are the same age and they had a ball.....they did it all that day. From playing the piano to karate chopping in the living room. All the kids played kick ball and baseball outside.....where there is NO SNOW!!!! ( yes we still have snow in our back yard! but it is melting!!)
There were plenty of laughs, Pop's initiated the help of the grandchildren to help blow out the candles on his cake ( 81 % lung capacity is good enough but having grandchildren help is way better and much more fun! ) .......Joey wanted to joke and say is it 1, 2, blow.....or 1, 2, 3, blow? Well as soon as Joe said 1, , 2 blow....Nathan blew out all the candles and we all had a great laugh. I suggested that we have a do-over, after all Pop's needed to make his wish......The second attempt was a group effort and that cake was yummy. Pop's and Margaret were Baker #1 and Baker #2!!
I bought my Dad an Ipod Shuffle for his birthday.......we spent a lot of time sorting out a internet connection and windows issue before downloading itunes and spending his gift card that Joe had gotten him. Ray had some excellent headphones to use with it and Pop's really seemed excited about it.
Word has it that he listens to his ipod as he watches the ball game!
So it was a great visit.....we hope to visit again soon.

Sports in my family is pretty important, its what we do. However, Quinn has done something that is very unusual, to me especially.....he has joined another team....A team which he will compete with in the next few weeks....in MATH!!! WOW!!
I am not sure how it came about, but he asked me yesterday if on Wednesdays he could get to school a half hour early for Math Team practice.......of course I said something very encouraging, full of pride...what I wanted to say is ...." are you kidding me? You want to do Math for FUN!!"

So along with baseball, and softball I will now have to report on Math Team!

Monday Monday

My sister-in-law Mary Ann's mother passed away on Saturday night. She was what most people would say is old....Ninety something....Mary Ann had been making many trips back and forth to New York to care for her mother and I know that it has not been easy for Mary Ann. So I am thinking of her today....

I continue to say many prayers for my Dad....I have not mentioned his health issues yet on my blog but I will take time to do that today. He has Lung Cancer and we are praying for a simple surgical removal of the tumor and then a nice short road to recovery!! It is looking as though that will be the case and just in case you think of it, any and all prayers seem to be working, so feel free to join the kids, Tom and I as we keep praying and being positive!

Margaret spent some time in the kitchen on Saturday and wanted me to post this picture knowing that Pops would be impressed! The bread was yummy and did not last long at all!

That Margaret, she is too much! She just won another award at school for Most Improved Student. She recieved a free ticket to a Sea Dogs game, that will be FUN!!

Speaking of baseball, last Thursday, Margaret tried out for the junior high softball team. The team is usually just 7th and 8th graders but because they were short a few players they let the 6th grade girls try out. 9 girls tried out for 2 spots....Margaret was their first choice ( so says the baseball coach who helped judge them) She did an awesome job!

Taf has been practicing with his team and Quinn has also been playing. The snow outside does not seem to be melting fast enough but we are getting there!

Kathleen had a very exciting thing happen on Saturday......

My Baby has lost her first tooth!! The tooth fairy brought her a $2 bill and she was so excited today to show her teacher.

The Spa and the furnace

Today I spent a couple of hours having my hair done at Cloud 9 Day Spa. I love that place. It smells good, everyone is nice and fun, and I like to go there. I have previously hated having my hair cut and usually go to any place that has an open appointment.....but recently I decided that going there was a nice luxury, I deserve to go and enjoy!

Sometime during the morning we ran out of oil at home, perhaps when my hair was being deep conditioned while I sat next to the aroma therapy candle.....I did have an oil delivery coming today but when I returned home, looking lovely , I noticed that even though the delivery had come and there was oil in the tank the furnace was not coming on.....bummer......
Whatever shall I do???
I grabbed my plumbers wrench and a coffee can and headed downstairs to get that little problem solved! I can prime a pump as well as the next spa girl....and I did just that. All by myself!

I am proud of myself.....and my hair looks nice .....I smell like oil....and perfume. The best part was being able to call Tom and tell him that I took care of the problem and him telling me I needed to call my Dad. ( Of course I was going to call my Dad anyway....) So
I did call my Dad and he could tell me again how he always wished he had a son just like me!

* theme from johnny carson should sing in your head as you read on*

BACK BY POPLULAR DEMAND.....HEEEEEEEEERRRRREEEEEE's MY BLOG!!!!!

* crowd goes wild!!!!!!

I hope you all had a Happy Halloween, ( skip a few) and a Happy EASTER!!

We have all been fine. The winter has been LONG and cold and we have been covered in snow. I have seen the robins , so I know Spring is coming. I swear I heard one of them Swearing like a trooper the other day....something about the snow and little birdie feet!

We had to have our annual Easter Egg Hunt indoors yesterday for the second time since living in Maine. Although one year we went to RI to avoid the snow, too. It is just not the same. The kids had fun though.

We travelled to Mexico back in February for Juan's wedding. We were in Acapulco and it was 90 degrees with a constant ocean breeze.

We had a lot of fun, kind of hard not too! My favorite part of teh wedding was when Li and Juan had their first dance and then there was a fireworks display ( I kid you not!!)

Since then we returned to more snow!

As you can see, the kids have FUN no matter if it is sunny and 90 or there is a chance to jump off the roof into the snow!!