Summertime...and the pics got lost?

We had an AMAZING summer!

Learned a lesson though: I need to stop relying on my cell phone to take our family photos!  Unfortunately, this fall my cell phone needed to be replaced, and the new version has no SD card, so I didn't have the store move my old pictures to the new phone.

 

Fast forward to tonight, and there's about a three month gap in photos on my laptop.  So, as I try to resurrect the old phone to get the summer pics, I will have to fast forward to September.

 

EVERYBODY's in school!  Our district has full-day Pre-K, so even Tommy is out the door at 8am, returning around 3:30pm.  This means that Wes FINALLY gets some sleep!  This transition has been wonderful for us--no more rushing home on certain nights so that Wes can go right to sleep.  It's both of us, nearly every night, having a family dinner, helping with homework, and just spending time with the kids as a family.

 Do you think Tommy was a little excited for his first day of school?

 Like last summer, Grandma and Grandpa came to NY for an extended stay and we took the family pilgrimage to Charlestown, RI.  Only this year, all three kids stayed in the RV with the grandparents, meaning that Wes and I had a hotel room to ourselves, every night!  No little people waking up in the middle of the night, or waking us up at the crack of dawn.  It was heaven.

 And I'm happy to report that my parents are still the most fun grandparents ever!

 The kids were big fans of Grandpa's bike.

It was a summer of fun, friends, family, sunshine and love.

June travels.

 In June, we took a trip to Chicago for my 20th college reunion.  I hadn't been back since Dani was 6 months old...so it had sure been a while.  It was so awesome to be back in a big city and to see great old friends, and enjoy all of the cool things Chicago has to offer.

Navy Pier and the Chicago skyline.

 One of my best friends from college, Chang, spent tons of time with us.

 The kids had a blast with Uncle Chang!

 We rode a trolley.

 Enjoyed some Mexican food in the sun.

 Rode the rides.

 And enjoyed a wonderful reunion with my old besties!

 I'm sure not going to wait another 6 years to go back!

North Country.

We took the kids up north on Saturday to Dave & Gail's second home.  Dani was so excited, "Why do they have two houses, mommy?  Can we get another house?"  They couldn't wait for the rain to stop so they could check out the deck.

 

 Tommy had to enjoy the deck from behind the glass doors.

 The kids got to rip and run around a different house.  Dave and Gail cooked us an awesome meal, and we had a great time.  With Wes' schedule, and all the kids, we don't get out much.  We really don't get invited too many places...probably because of the chaos we bring with us.  It was a much-needed night out.

 Little Tori didn't have a nap--by about 7pm, she lets us know she was getting ready to go home and get to sleep!

 Meanwhile, Tommy was quite excited about buttons!  Buttons on his shirt!  Perfectly chewable buttons!

I got to look at his little belly all day...adorable!

Tales from the DNC: Day 4, and the long trip home.

The main night of the convention was supposed to be in the outdoor stadium where the Carolina Panthers play; I had managed to get my folks tickets to hear the President's speech.  But, we kept having rainstorms in the afternoon--heavy ones.  I started to dread the though of sitting in a stadium for 5 hours in the rain.  Since the forecast was severe, the powers that be decided to keep the current location, and not move to the larger venue for the night the President was speaking.  As you might have guessed, with security like it was, we didn't exactly get curbside dropoff.  There were charter buses for delegates, but they could never get closer than 5 blocks or so from where we needed to be.  On Thursday, the big night, we got in the bus and it started to downpour.

 

Honestly, the rain made me feel a little better because all the folks who no longer had tickets probably understood.  And then, a miracle!  In the 20 minutes it took my shuttle to get me to the arena, the clouds parted and the sun came out--so I didn't get wet!

There were TONS of cool things...great speakers, music.  James Taylor, Mary J. Blige, and the Foo Fighters played live.  Big Man loves the Foo Fighters!

Great speeches--John Kerry found a sense of humor--he has apparently finished licking his wounds from 2004, and gave a kick ass speech.  The NY Delegation had a famous guest--Sandra Lee from Food TV (she dates Governor Cuomo).

Michelle Obama introduced the President, and we all just listened, and got inspired!  Because of the last minute move of venue, we didn't have the typical balloon drop--instead we had confetti launchers!  It was the most amazing, energetic crowd, full of hope and excitement!

And I was there, a part of it!

And another late night, and it was time to come home.  Thank GOD I booked an afternoon flight.  Due to volume it was recommended we get to the airport at least 3 hours early.  I took the noon shuttle for a 4:30pm flight...wasn't too bad, and had time to surf the web and relax at the airport--if you've ever been to the Charlotte Airport--it's really pretty lovely; lots to do, eat, and see.  My local news station met me at the airport for a story...I was quick, because after 6 days, all I wanted to do was get home to my family.  I missed them!

Tommy enjoying the slinkys I bought for Dani and Tori.  I swear, they all grew inches while I was gone.  It was a long time to have been away--sure we Skyped, and talked, but I didn't kiss my kids or my husband for six days!  I made up for it today!  Happy to be home, but thrilled with my experience.

Tales from the DNC: Day 2.

Day two of the DNC was crazy!  Traveling through the city of Charlotte is extremely difficult, even by secure DNC buses.  There are police from all over the country, all wearing their home uniforms, and with every possible mode of transportation, including dirt bikes!

 

Protestors are set up in varying zones around the city.  Closest to the convention center were the 'lifers.  There's a lot of hate here, and dozens of 5 foot tall photos of aborted fetuses to be seen.

 

Just around the corner, Planned Parenthood was having a rally--it would have been much more interesting if they let the 'lifers protest right nearby!

There was one big protest, but I couldn't get close enough to it.  There were rows of police in the streets, with bicycles and riot gear.

And the weather!  Oy vey!  Like walking around in a hot cloud.  We've had severe thunderstorms every afternoon...and to think we laughed at Tampa's hurricane during the RNC.  Payback's a bitch, as they say.

We just learned that tomorrow has been moved inside to the Time Warner Arena--it was supposed to be at the Carolina Panthers' stadium, and there were over 65,000 regular people who were promised tickets (including my mom and dad).  But due to the severe weather, they are moving it inside.  Honestly, I'm good with that--I was not looking forward to sitting in the rain for the night!

Walking into the convention was amazing.  I've been fortunate to do a lot of cool things in my life, and have been a delegate to NY conventions for a decade, but nothing really prepares you for this.  Every state, each territory, and nearly every major news network in the country are here.  History is being made, my friends. 

And the speakers, there are not words.  So many of the elected officials who spoke last night, literally came from nothing.  They grew up poor--not Ann Romney's version of struggling--eating spaghetti in your basement apartment--all the while knowing that you have a serious safety net in your wealthy parents, and a trip to the country club for a bowl of lobster bisque is just a limo ride away---but really poor.  Ken Salazar, former Attorney General of Colorado grew up in a Mexican-American ranching family and had no electricity or running water in his childhood home.  Mayor of San Antonio, Julian Castro thanked his mom, a housecleaner, for pushing a mop so he could stand before the convention holding a mic.  One of my favorite speeches was Ohio's Governor, Ted Strickland.  "If Mitt Romney was Santa Claus, he would fire the reindeer and outsource the elves," he joked with the crowd.

There was a tribute to Senator Kennedy, which had clips from his 1994 debate with Mitt Romney...priceless.  Mr. Romney was asserting that he believed in a woman's right to choose and that Roe v. Wade was the law of the land and should be upheld.  How far his position has changed to court the right!  Teddy Kennedy capitalized on it, as Mitt's positions were ever changing, even 20 years ago, providing a list of all the things that Romney had decided to switch position and support during his campaign, concluding with, "Now, it looks like he's for ....reform, if we give him two more weeks, he may even vote for me!"  It brought the house down last night!

And of course, it's not a party without Kumar!  A few weeks ago we watched A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas.  Harold and Kumar are the modern-day Cheech and Chong.  Kumar is definitely the Chong to Harold's Cheech.  But he cleans up pretty well, and delivers a surprisingly insightful speech.



Michele Obama was the keynoter of the night, with some insight to the person who is our President.  She was remarkable.

Tonight is President Clinton--and I can't wait!

Leavin' on a jet plane.

In just a few days, I'm going to say goodbye to these little smiling faces for the better part of a week.
A week!  Part of me is so excited--I'm going to be an Obama delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte--a once in a lifetime experience!

I won't have to change a diaper, wipe a little booty, or get up in the middle of the night because someone is fussing.

But, the other part of me is really going to miss these smiles.  The mad rush to the door with cries of, "Mommy's home!"  Family dinners.  Little people sitting on my lap just to snuggle.

And Big Man, who is more capable of holding down the fort than I, has once again absolutely encouraged me to participate in the things I love.  He's taken the week off, and will be, essentially, a single dad.  He'll also get a week of more sleep than he's used to getting, which is the small plus for him.

I received a really nice card in the mail today, from an old friend and teacher telling me she was so glad that I would be representing our county at this event--and telling me I should keep a journal so someday the kids can read about "Mommy's trip to the convention."  And, I will.  I've focused this blog on the kids, primarily, and not as much on the Big Man and me.  I have it printed every year, and hope that for the kids, they will be able to go back and read the narrative of their lives, and see pictures of so many days, and remember so many things.  But they will probably really want to know about what mommy and daddy did too.  So, Dani, Tori, and Tommy, Mommy's going to start telling you about the neat things she and Daddy do, as well as telling everyone what adorable little monkeys you all are!

Over I-81 and I-77 to Grandmother's House We Go!

We left, actually early, on Wednesday....thinking we'd be in Hickory, NC, shortly after midnight....
.............we were so wrong!

Road construction, traffic, and an event serious enough to close the interstate had us arrive at about 3:30am. My dad secured us our own apartment in the complex he works for, so he met us at the entrance to take us to our place.

Tori slept like a champ. Dani literally slept about 90 minutes the entire trip. She never slept in the carseat as a baby, and apparently won't as a toddler. Good thing is that, unlike when she was a baby and she just wailed (on the Great Chicago Road Trip of 2009) she just sat in her carseta singing songs and talking to us for twelve hours. I was amazed she didn't tire.

We pulled into the parking lot and Dani saw "GrandPA". Grandpa told her Grandma was sleeping (it was 3:15am). So everyone slept.

But, as soon as the kiddies were awake, it was Grandma-Grandpa fun time! Here's Grandma helping Tori crawl forward. And kisses from Grandpa.
Grandpa also gave horsey rides! And Grandma did double-duty with Dani and Tori!
Wow, just like Dani, Tori seems a little camera-focused......

Fun, fun. Kiddie road trip tomorrow to a town with a kiddie train and carousel!

Family time.

It was a rare weekend--Big Man had Friday and Saturday nights off. As per the usual--he was so tired on Friday, after a six day week, that he sacked out early. But on Saturday, we actually had dinner together and watched a movie--just like real married folk!


And we drove to Columbia County to attend the Columbia-Greene Humane Society Paw Picnic at the Waldorf Farm. A client of mine in Columbia County is a big benefactor--and invited us to join her and her friends and family.


Dani really didn't want to sit still at the table....not while there were so many things to see!

She did agree to pose for a quick family photo before she took off to see the farm and all the horsies. (of course we can't show Big Man's face on the world wide web!)

She ran and ran all over the grounds.

She followed horsies, and teen girls, and babies in strollers. She was so bold. She saw a group of three teen girls sitting under a tree texting, walked up, said hi, and started yelling "horsies", "hi", and my favorite, "wiggles" while dancing! The teens just laughed and smiled.
She had a blast. From the stable hands to the families with strollers, Dani wouldn't sit still and had to smile at, and run after everyone, saying "hi'. So flippin' cute.

This cuteness was prompted by a stable hand who asked Dani if she was trying to climb the tree or if she was hiding behind a tree. That made Dani grab the trunk and lift her legs to try to climb it! End result was cute pics. She also ran around looking for "horsies" which were everywhere, in stables and the grounds...there was one instance where I had to stop her from charging the legs of a horse walking by!

It was a nice day out--but hard. Big Man sat in the tent with our friends and Tori, and I ran around outside with Dani. Once she had eaten, she refused to go back into the tent. Since we were at the reserved table at the front of the auction, I knew I couldn't make a big scene. I tried to carry Dani in to see daddy and Tori--and was met with screamy/squirmy and laying flat on the ground--we left so that the auction could continue without Dani's disruption!

I'm having an awful time trying to get a video to upload, so I'm calling it a night. Cute video to follow at some point.

Surprise!

We pulled up at around noon.  Gram has "the macula" (aka macular degeneration) so I knew she wouldn't recognize us until we actually got to the doorstep and she heard my voice.

Happy 90th, we said, and meet your newest great-granddaughter!

To say she was surprised was an understatement.

She couldn't get Tori in her arms quickly enough!

She was a great sport and wore her "Birthday Princess" hat we brought.  Aunt Barb, Uncle Dick, Lisa and her family showed up bringing ice cream cake!

And, Auntie Barbara brought this awesome bubble shooter!  Dani had a blast!

Packing 2 babies, two diaper bags, two tote bags, a portable crib, and mommy and daddy into a car, gas, tolls, food on the way, and nearly 8 hours of driving.

Celebrating someone you love's 90th birthday, priceless.

Totally worth it.  Happy Birthday Gram!