Catching up (again).

From last week's visit to Old Sturbridge Village.
It was much needed, considering how messy the house was, how grumpy we were that morning, how far behind I was on my paperwork AND that our car was one of the ones that was recalled!
It was a great time. Thanks Brenda and Callie!
So I'm just sitting here, listening to some great music (we've been on a kick ever since Fr Thirb's sermon two weeks ago) and blogging while Jim has the urchins in the bath. Bedtime is soon and life is good. =-)







I've been hoping to blog a bit more about the music we've been listening to lately. Every year at the beginning of winter guard season I have flashbacks to all the shows I've been in and seen. Because of guard, I've been exposed and have (at least some sort of) appreciation for most music out there (even Philip Glass). Right now I'm hooked on The Pat Metheny Group. Awesome stuff. But I've also gotten into some Jon Anderson - I remember seeing a guard perform to "State of Independence" when I marched in Sac and having it hit me that I had achieved what I had set out to do by marching with an Independent World guard in Dayton. I've loved that song ever since. =-)
Oh! And how could I forget? There was a great article on the WGI website about Gates Chili. They have come such a long way in a short period of time. Makes me remember when the band kids thought they were all that and made fun of the color guard on a regular basis. It's wonderfully satisfying to see the guard shine on the national stage. Great job, girls!

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS....

...When Daddy works the graveyard shift!

Catching Up

Okay - so my fist excuse for not posting so frequently is that our new camera, while taking very nice pictures, does NOT upload easily to the computer. Grrrrr. It takes my about ten minutes to get the computer to even recognize it. Most nights I don't have the ten minutes to spare (or the patience to spare it).
Today is Caroline's fourth birthday. Wow. It sounds corny to say, but it really seems like just yesterday when we were calling her "Crash" and she looked like this.
She's come a very long way since she was that wee-tiny breech baby in my belly. Sometimes I think that being breech was a signal to let us know that she wasn't going to see the world as other people see it. Sometimes I can't quite figure out what the view is from her perspective, but it's always amusing.
We love you very much, CJ. Happy, happy birthday.


Pictures courtesy of Caroline and Sam's Grampy and Grampa.

This is also the first weekend of winterguard season. I guess that Gates Chili had a good showing in their first performance in Scholastic World Class. But information is hard to come by (especially since they haven't updated their website since their promotion). Caroline and I hope to get to an Eastern Mass show this year. She has been watching my old videos and they have piqued her interest - especially some of James Logan High School. I'm trying to teach her that she has to learn to spin before she can dance. Let's just say she's not buying it.

Today's Patriot's game was umm...interesting. Kind of reminds me of this or this.
Awww....am I being unkind?
Poor babies. If you know me at all you know that I am so tired of hearing from Patriot Nation. At least now the whining will be amusing. And yes, I am still bitter about 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994. But I don't blame Norwood. I just wear my Posluszny jersey and keep my head high. Even when I am given the finger and screamed at by passing cars while I'm walking down my street (with Sam and Caroline).

Okay - enough with the chitty-chat. We'll get on with the pictures.
Here are the kids making cookies with Dada. Sam is obviously having the best time of anyone!

Here are some of Caroline, Sam and Pops checking out the new rig at the Fire Department.







And that's all she wrote (or will write).
Time for bed!

Happy New Year!

I've been slow with the pics, I know.
It's a looooong story.
Here are some from the past few weeks.