I want...

Whoever invented this is a genius!

Thank You Jana!!

We love LOVE the new outfits you sent for the girls from Janie and Jack. :)

What can happen when Mommy is busy

Today while I was tutoring....

Eva had a read-a-thon on her bed

Naiya took Leo to the hair salon

and apparently, there was some sort of earthquake in my girls room.

Yummy Summer Salad

At my b-day party, my good friend Elissa made a DELICIOUS summer salad. I had to have the recipe. In the last couple of weeks, I have made the salad at least 4 times... mostly just for myself (although my girls really like it too).

She got it off of wwww.foodnetwork.com, and here it is for you:

Tri-Colore Orzo
1 pound orzo pasta
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1/4 cup
2 cups fresh arugula (about 3 ounces)
3/4 cup crumbled ricotta salata cheese (or feta cheese)
1/2 cup dried cherries
12 fresh basil leaves, torn
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta and put the pasta on a large cookie sheet. Drizzle the pasta with 3 tablespoons olive oil, toss, spread out, and set aside to cool.
Once the orzo is cool, transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and toss gently to combine. Serve.

My Changes: I've been making mine with spinach instead of arugula (about 3 cups) and I use 1/2 a pound of the orzo to make it more green. I didn't have feta so i put tiny cubes of mozzarella in it instead. Also I didn't toast the pine nuts.

(The picture above is the Food Network's version. I took a picture of mine, but I don't have my camera cord to download it!)

Another Lesson Learned

While we've been house/dog sitting for my parents, we've been doing a little (tons of) driving from their house to ours and back for things like tutoring and laundry (my mom's washer started leaking the first time I used it... of course). Yesterday, as I was driving back to their house, I noticed that my gas gauge was quickly slipping towards the E. I debated. I was tired. It had been a looong day. The girls (mostly me) were hungry, and dinner was waiting in the Crock Pot back at Neema's. Should I stop and get gas or wait until morning taking the chance that I would forget and then be running late tomorrow? (Which happens ALL the time.)
Just as I was passing the turn off for the last gas station before Neema and Pa's, a car from the oncoming lane swerved right into me... almost. Seriously, I think we touched sided mirrors for a split second (maybe).
I pulled over and regained my composure... then I turned around and went back to get gas.
Thank you fate for reminding me that my goal for the 30's is to be on time.

rhinoplasty?

As I mentioned in my post about my new addiction, we are house/dog sitting for Neema and Pa. Although Eva sleeps in a big girl bed at our house, she had a crib here at her grandparents house. The crib makes night time snuggles difficult, but she still has been getting tickles.

For whatever reason (too many to list), I have been even more tired than usual lately. So yesterday instead of standing up and reaching down into the crib to tickle her little back, I sat on the floor and carefully squeezed my arm in through the bars of the crib. (Thankfully my arms are the skinniest thing on me!) As I closed my eyes, leaned on the crib and tickled her, Eva looked at me and said, "Mom, you need to stand up and tickle me." To which I replied, "Mommy's sleepy and wants to sit for your tickles today." At this point my sweet, innocent child stood up in the crib with her hands on her hips and said, "Well, when you are close to me your nose looks like a rhinoceros and I would like it if you tickle me from a little further away...... please."

At least she said please. ;)

R.I.P. Auggie!

We'll miss you Auggie Froggy!!

Auggie Froggy Chamberlain

Some time before February, 14 2007- July 20, 2009

A Joke from Naiya

Why did the chicken cross the kitchen?

Because when he crossed the street, he got hit by a car.

A New Addiction

We don't have cable at our house, and apparently that is a good thing. We are house sitting at my parents house (where they DO have cable). Jared turned on

and now we're stuck. Can't turn of HGTV.... Help!!!

How the heck do I get these guys to come over and finish my basement?!!!

Summer Toes

The girls have been BEGGING and begging me to paint their toe nails. I don't like the idea of toxic polish, but I finally found some nontoxic polish. This is the result of their first ever pedicure (complete with soak, scrub, lotion and polish) courtesy of their mama. They were so good through the whole process and now LOVE to show off their tootsies to anyone (friends, family, the guy behind us in line at the grocery store... :)

Our New Family Puppy

Yup! That's a picture of my oldest child balancing a treat on her nose!

I am...

Many, many years ago (like 1988), my grandma came to visit and brought me a book. The book was like my journal only with empty pages (not lined). She (and my aunt and cousins) had each taken a page to write me a note or draw me a picture. I excitedly took it to my family members (except for George who wasn't writing at the time) and had them write something. Martin (being all of 11) wrote "hi" with a smiley guy and his signature. My mom wrote something lovely about how she will always love me. My dad wrote this:

To tell you the truth, at the time I was sad. I wanted him to write something about how he thought I was beautiful and how much he loved me. Something like that. It's funny now that, on my 30th birthday looking back, those four words are probably the most meaningful in the whole book. Not so say that the praise, love and well wishes are not wonderful. They are. It's just that now I realize that even at the ripe young age of 9, my dad knew that who I am is perfect and I should always be true to myself.

In the spirit of this wish made for me by my dad 21 years ago I write this list of 30:

I am a mother.

I am a wife.

I am wondering if wife should be before mother.

I am a teacher.

I am short.

I am curious.

I am nosy.

I am shy.

I am stubborn.

I am sarcastic.

I am sincere.

I am frustrated.

I am frustrating.

I am funny (ha ha funny).

I am funny (hmmm funny).

I am a worrier.

I am a warrior.

I am smart.

I am scared.

I am spiritual.

I am strong.

I am conflicted.

I am lucky.

I am grateful.

I am loving.

I am loved

I am trying.

I am 30.

I am me.

I am wonderful. (and so are you!)

Tea for Two... or Maybe Three

The girls got all dressed up today and wanted to have a tea party. We boiled a pot of peach tea, got out some treats and practice calling each other "darling." It was simply fabulous!

30 is the new 20...Right???!

Last night, Jared and I were going to go out for my birthday dinner. We dropped the kids of at my parents house, got gas in the subie then went over to spread some quick cheer at my good friend Betsy's house before our dinner reservations..... or so I thought. Instead it was a big surprise party.

Yay for surprise parties with lots of dear friends!!!

The reaction?... I cried. Seriously people... CRIED. I'm a baby. I'd better toughen up by tomorrow cause I hear that big girls don't cry and I think 30 certainly qualifies as a "big girl." (maybe even a woman... wait no.. that's still almost as weird as being called "mam.")

My mom made the yummy cake: Seriously... 30 candles is a fire hazard already! I'm voting that from here on out we just do the numbered candles as to prevent the loss of hair/structures/lives.

It was so nice to see lots of dear friends that I don't' get to see enough of. I've posted more pictures on facebook, so I won't post a bunch here, but thank you to everyone who helped with, came to, thought about, or would have been to my party. Especially thank you to Betsy for hosting/doing tons of prep for the party, my mom for supplying lots of food (and CAKE! :) and Jared for the idea, the phone calls and the banner. It was the best!

Swinging Life Away

A few years ago this song used to play on the radio every five minutes. I'm not sure who it's by or what it's called but it went something like this:
"We live on front porches and swing life away. We get by just fine here on minimum wage. If love is a labor I'll slave 'til the end. I won't cross these streets until you hold my hand. Swing life away. Swing life away..... "

A day at the park recently reminded me of this song. It's been stuck in my head since that day, and since the above lyrics is all I can remember it's driving me crazy. If you know the song, let me know! Either way remember to swing life away! :)

Meet Farmer Joe

We went to Wheeler farm with Daddy for the first time. (First time this year for the farm and first time with Daddy ever)

We fed sheep. We fed ducks. We saw lots of baby animals. We played in the tree house. We got licked by a cow. Pretty much covered all there is to do there.

Eva decided that she was "Farmer Joe" and that I was her boy. She greeted all of "her" animals in as low a voice as she could muster. (Wish I had it on video cause it's hilarious.) Quickly after deciding this she told me to hand over my sunglasses as boys don't wear them but grown up farmers might. (Makes sense to me!)

Her lips are pursed because she's attempting to talk in the "Farmer Joe" voice. Gotta love it!

Pictures from the Ranch

THE CHAMBERLAIN FAMILY

The two that made this reunion possible, Goompa and Nana:All 15 grand kids. GAME DAY

Eva trying to suck a Skittle up through the straw:

Naiya and Jace... also suckin' skittles:

THE TALENT SHOW AND MY TALENTED FAMILY Naiya had planned to sing the theme song from Milo and Otis, but when all eyes were on her she quickly (but beautifully) belted out the alphabet. :)Look at Eva workin' the crowd in this one!! ;)

THE HOT SPRINGS

Daddy and his girls:

Nudie Patooties:


So... This has to be the least amount of pictures I've taken during a ranch trip (except maybe the one we took this spring when we got rained out the whole time). I promise to do lots more exciting things next year... like finally hiking Greylock (hopefully).

A Good Day...

We started the day off by walking to the nearby park. We played. We lunched. We pushed the stroller with yet another flat tire home. Thankfully the girls are big enough to walk the whole way back from the park now.

The girls napped. BOTH of them. At roughly the SAME time.

The afternoon was:

Painting (These Squeeze Um's are the BEST!)

Balloons to keep us company in the car
Home Made LemonadeA Pizza Picnic
Movie Night with my hubby

Our 4th of July

"Parade" in my parent's neighborhood: The girls 1st running race at the starting line:

Naiya's Prize (2nd Place, Wa-Hoo!):

Eva getting some help with the crab walk (For each race she waited until everyone was done before she would even start. That's my Eva... she'll get to it when she's good and ready! :) :

Eva's Prize (She was much happier about it than she appears):

Pony Rides:

Swimming with Pa:

Goompa's Water Slide:

Aunt Chelsy & Uncle Todd's Trampoline (Love Eva in this pic!):

Of course there were BBQ's (2 to be exact) and Fireworks to cap it off. And that's all just ONE day of the weekend. Yeah, the girls weren't in bed until 11:30. We are still trying to recoup! :)