My Rookie

Written in May, 2014. Wow! It's been a while, eh? Things are good, business is good, everyone is healthy. Who can ask for more, really? Ben is playing U8 or "Rookie" baseball this year and Rebecca is starting TBall. Ben's team had their first game this morning and they won 9-8. Woot! I am having a blast acting as assistant coach. :) Well, that's it for now. Keeping it short today as I just rediscovered the blog~ but keep checking back!

All Grown Up

It is mid July, 2019. My youngest is now 11 and while much seems the same, so much has changed. For one thing, I have a fourth child, Kyra. For another thing, Kyra and Rachel are both drivers now. That is quite the change from posting about big squeeze hugs and wanting firetrucks for Christmas! Things are just as busy and I am just as crazy. But today I am also proud. Proud of my Rachel for bringing herself to the bank and opening up a checking account on her way to being an adult (only 6 months to go!) She has some pretty debilitating anxiety that we (yes, we) have been fighting for years , but this evening she has ordered herself dinner to go and is out picking it up all by herself using her own $$!! I know that to many this is a day-to-day thing, but to those with social anxiety and self esteem issues, this is a many-step process that is to be CELEBRATED!! GO RACHEL!!!

New year's day 2012

What a beautiful day it is! Last night we had the Murdoughs and the Bryands over for a get together. Chad out did himself with the food as usual and the kids had a great time making a haunted house upstairs and scaring all the parents. We counted down the new year at 9 PM and blew our horns while the guys showered the kids with balloons . A great deal of laughing and popping followed.:D
Today dawned bright and a beautiful 45 degrees so we decided to take a hike at Farrar Marsh in Hillsboro. Hiking in January in NH. Love it! Nice to have so much family time together. Happy New Year !!!!!

Funny names

As we were driving down Loudon Rd. the other day, Rachel made a comment about the funny names people have chosen for their businesses. "Take Olive Garden, Mom....I bet they don't even sell olives there!" Made me smile :)

Summer fun

The Saga

What a Fubar! 20" of snow.....sick as a dog.....Rachel having surgery for new ear tubes....having to wear masks in the hospital due to coughing....fever....unable to enjoy the pool due to the tubes...roughhousing.....exhaustion.....still snowing....riding the elevator for fun.... coughing.....enjoying the ice machine....no sleep due to fever and stuffyness.....coloring....fever.....still snowing...........what a trip!

To the Woman

To the judgemental woman who was exercising at the Courtyard Marriot while I sat poolside with my children....
I saw the disgusted glance you gave my figure (or lack thereof) and noted how your eyes suggested that I should totally be the one on the treadmill and not you. This is all I have to say: I got married when I was 24, just after completing my Master's Degree at Smith College. I have been married to the same man for 18 years and he is the father of all three of my children. He comes home to me each night, and works hard to keep his family comfortable. He does not go to bars or hang out with the guys or cheat on me. I am a teacher and am well respected in my field where I worked for eleven years. I have been blessed by being able to stay home and raise my children for the past 9 years. Even after all that time out of the workforce, I was hired back into my choosen career at my very first interview (not bas in this economy, eh?). I own four pieces of property. My children all love me and come running to greet me if I am away for even an hour. I volunteer on a regular basis and my opinions and ideas are respected by my contemporaries.
I may carry extra weight around my middle, but when I look at my life I let out a satisfied sigh. Well done, Christina. Good choices, good work.
Can you say the same, fitness princess?

The Drum

Rebecca got a drum for Christmas this year. She is a riot with it! She has her drumsticks and is content so it there pounding on it for several minutes at a time. The best part about it is her tongue. She opens her mouth and moves her tongue back and forth in time to the beat. So freaking cute!! Between that and the shaking of the hips she is quite the little performer :)

New Year Celebration: Postponed

Poor Rachie was sick this new year. She has another cold, her ears full of fluid. I had bought hats and horns and poppers to celebrate the New Year. Alas, everyone was in bed at a normal time and we settled for listening to the neighbor's fireworks.
However! The next night we made all sorts of goodies and invited our friends over adn spent the evening playing cards and blowing our hornes and having a great time celebrating the coming of 2011. It isn't the day or the hour that matters, my friends. It is the friends and the feeling of well being that comes from being with them. Happy New Year!

Memories

Both my girls were awake in the middle of the night last night...simultaneously. So I popped them both into Rebecca's bed and sat in the rocking chair and sang lullabies to them. Memories....
Sitting on that chair holding newborns in my arms. Soft skin, tiny little hands and eyes looking into mine. Rocking...rocking. A baby over my shoulder, patting a tiny little back. Rubbing their backs with my fingertips as they burrowed their heads into my shoulder, their legs tucked up under their belly. Rocking....rocking.... Thinking about what they would be like when they grew up- and then looking down at them now and realizing that they are better than I ever imagined.
Looking at them asleep side by side and noting that Rachel is so long she almost reaches from the top of the bed to the bottom. My little girl, only 18" tall when she was born. My Rebecca, 22" long at birth taking up a good portion of the bed herself. Rocking.....rocking. They are my pride and joy, my babies who look so big now. Thinking that I am glad that I will have a few more years with them safe at home with me. With mama. Thinking how lucky I am that they still want me and my lullabies in the middle of the night. That I am so blessed that it is me that they want to ease their pain...to make them feel safe and protect them from nightmares. Rocking....Rocking....it doesn't matter that it is the middle of the night, that I should be tucked into my own bed. I am enjoying the memories of my rocking chair... Lullaby and goodnight, my girls.

The Nutcracker

Rachel is really enjoying watching the Nutcracker on TV. She had taken dancing lessons a few years ago and has always enjoyed the music, but it is fun to see her not only enjoying the ballet but actually understanding the story, as well. She is so smart, that one. Maybe one day the Nutcracker will come to NH and I can take her to see it. :)

The treadmill

I have yet to introduce the concept of the treadmill to Ben or Rebecca. Rachel has fond memories of it from several years ago....trying to walk in front of me....riding down the belt to be dumped with glee on the floor. I just wasn't brave enough to take it out with the younger ones. But I have to do something. So today was the day.
It took them all of about 19 seconds to figure out that the belt moved and it was off to the races from there. Ben has the strength to move the track and Rebecca was more than happy to go for the ride. Repeatedly. For more than an hour :)
Then she got the idea to put a spoon on the belt and watch it move. That kept them occupied for a few minutes, then they moved on to a pile of books....then books and a toy....then books, a toy and part of a train. When they loaded the belt with laundry and started shooting it all over the room I finally put a stop to things. Awwww, mom!

Firetruck!

My son has decided that he would really, REALLY like a firetruck for Christmas. Actually, he would prefer it before Christmas, thank you very much. But, alas, his mean old mom said no, he would have to wait like all the other good little girls and boys.
This morning, however, my inventive son collected some spare change off the floor and gave it to me saying, "Here mom. Now you can go buy my firetruck!" If only it was that easy!

Hunting??

Chad was very excited this morning to finally get an opportunity to go hunting. He left as early as he could and spent a rather uneventful morning in the woods, but was thrilled to be there.
Rachel expressed an interest in going with him when he got home. Really? Hunting? My anxious girl? OK. Well, lets see.....there is no minimum age for hunting in NH. So they did a field trip to the hunting store for a vest, hat and mittens in hunter orange, went to the shop for some practice shots so the sound of the gun wouldn't startle her, then into the woods they went! Oh my, oh my. I really hope they don't get one!!

The Fells

John Hay's estate on Lake Sunapee was open to the public today all decked out in it's Christmas finery. How beautiful! I actually managed to take all three kids through the mansion (Don't touch! no, no-no! Careful! Over here, please! Dont touch!) and then enjoyed time in their children's corner making crafts. What a gorgeous day it was! Short sleeve shirts, pictures of the kids on the lawns....and within a day or two I will even forget that Ben threw a fit and didn't want to get out of the car....that Rachel really wanted to stay and see everything because she didn't want to have to clean her room.... and Becca refusing to walk every 5 minutes or so and plopping down on the driveway with her scowl. But none of that mattered. I was with my kids, I saw Christmas decorations in a beautiful house that had no drawing on the walls, and when it was all said and done they all said that they had a good time.

When I Grow Up

I brought Rachel up to CHaD in Hanover for her follow-up appt with the ENT and audiologist. She STILL has fluid in the right ear and a mild conductive hearing loss. I was talking to the audiologist and looking at the audiogram and happened to mention that I was a teacher of the Deaf. Or at least I had been. She said, " A T-O-D? Thats great! They are really in need of T-O-D's in NH. I has always thought of myself as a teacher, not a T, but OK! It was then that I realized that maybe I could have my cake AND eat it too! How about being a T-O-D on MWF and a historian/curator on TTH? Hmmmmmm! That just might work!!
I have been typing up a storm ever since trying to find places where I can polish up my rusty ASL and find workshops to get my 35 ceu's to get my certification back. I am really excited!! Wish me luck!

Just a little update

Hello, my blog.
I have really missed you! The incident that happened in late August with the Hillsboro fiddler scared me off from posting for a while but I really need to let go and this is the place to do it! So here goes-
Chad is ALMOST finished working on "the new house" and I can't wait until he has time to keep himself insanely busy at the house where the rest of us live. The kids have even taken to calling the houses Daddy's house and mommy's house. Out of the mouthes of babes!
Rachel is doing well with Dr. Lisa and I am starting to see her employ some of the tactics she has been learning to get through the day easier. I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!
We had a crappy summer and early autumn for the Lawn Service (drought is a horrible thing) but it is finally picking up and all my bills are paid, the trucks are registered and I have even made an installment payment on my taxes! Gotta love the wood furnace, though. I LOVE that we dont' have to worry about buying oil!
Ben is my handsome boy, everyone says so, and he is doing well in school (once we get him into it!) His speech is coming along VERY slowly, and although he is much clearer on the day to day stuff, I worry deeply about him and pray that his frustration level stays low. I feel like he must have so much more to say and stories to tell, but it is just too hard at this point. Makes me cry sometimes.
.....and my Rebecca. What a blessing she is! She is talking up a storm, has a great attitude and is truly an individual. Thanks to her, Ben and she potty trained together this summer and there are no more diapers in the house! Hahaha! LOVE THAT!
She says yeah as two syllables (yee-ah) and just has the cutest little voice. Reminds me of Rachel at that age.
Well, lunch is cooking and my duties call. Been nice having you back. Hope to talk again soon! Love, Christina

Jack-o-lantern carving

Auntie Jody came up to visit and helped us carve our pumpkins. Everybody got right down to business and there were guts everywhere! I think Halloween is getting to be as big (if not bigger) than Christmas as far as the commercial part of the holiday goes. We do it up big! No pic of Rebecca with her pumpkin as she was napping during the festivities. We'll get you next year, my love!

Decorations by Rachel and company......

I just love the fall.......:)

Halloween 2010

Are they cute or what??
Poor Ben has spent the last 4 weeks asking everyday if it is Halloween Day yet....Rachel has been wearing her costume since 9:00 this morning, and Becca really enjoyed being on the float and did her darndest to keep up with everybody. It was coooooooold but a great day/evening was had by all! Happy Halloween!!