because sometimes...

sometimes a mom just needs to see the sweet in their sibling relationship.

sometimes a mom just needs to see a little camaraderie. 

sometimes a mom just needs to see the freakfaces she birthed from her loins.

happy birthday to my baby

she wrote us this letter...

my family
what does a tall man, one short woman and one boy have in common?  all of them are in my family.
my dad is a tall but wonderful man.  he works a lot but he can also play, but not loud.  he sits in a quiet, shallow and gloomy room all by himself and all day.  [here is where she drew a stick figure of him crying over his keyboard].  he will always love me!
my mom is a short but very wonderful woman.  she works hard, goes on long trips and comes back wanting to love her family.  she knows how to play! she will always love me!
my brother is very very smart and knows how to play. in all sorts of ways! wow do i love him! and he loves me!
and that's my amazing, wonderful, talented family!

and that's my nadia.
she finds the good in all of those around her.  nine years ago she slipped into this world all gooey and full of giggles and goodness to complete our family.  she inspires us all to find the happy in the day and when in doubt, dance. 

happy birthday nadia my love. 

love every minute of nine while we love every minute with you.

who loves a good cause?

i do. 
but what i love more is a ton of people working together for that cause. 
and even better than that, a leader who puts in countless hours of planning and worrying and perfecting and pleasing and most of all making it all fun. 

thank you KAREN!!  you are boob worth admiring, a boob worth emulating, a boob to cheer for! 

thank you for inviting me to be a boob too.

the glow run was such a success. 

rumor has it that more than $7000 was raised to fight cancer. 

about 400 of the very coolest people were there getting their glow on. 

and next year....

next year is going to be even better.  karen & the rest of the boobs are already planning.  
you probably better plan on being there.

and by the way...relay for life is just around the corner. 

rocky road

things have been a little rocky around here lately. 
one minute you're laughing about an odd fork in you're hand, one minute your wiping tears.
not exquisitely good, not devastatingly bad, just emotional bumps about things that are insignificant and mostly related to being impatient about the summer countdown. 

and really that can be read in a loud, booming plea as...

get here NOW summer because i don't think we can take any more of this rigid routine.  we need freedom and space and freckles from the sun.  the kind of elbowroom where papa rides a skateboard for no good reason and you decide it's time to shave a kid's hair into a mohawk.  the kind of laxity that finds you roasting marshmallows on a perfectly good thursday night with a group of equally untethered friends.  there are just too many good things coming our way.

the countdown has officially begun people.  much earlier than years past but not a moment too soon...

she makes it happen

that nadia.

my sweet, sweet nani girl.
did you know that she sits patiently at every practice and game for aidan without complaint?  she is deeply pained when her brother or when one of her friends is feeling blue.  she jumps at the chance to help when asked.  she is a dream come true. 

oh yeah, and she kicks the pants off of her goals. 

she ran in her 2nd 5k as part of girls on the run. 

i was lucky enough to be her running buddy.

she beat her time and smiled, sang and skipped along the way. 

and when i asked her the best part she said she loved the running, she loves the activities, she loves that she is with her bff's and new friends too and she loves her coaches! 

and she is super ready for next year.

finding the positives

my main man has been having a hard time lately.  it's the awkward social stuff and insecure kids trying to find their place in the world by knocking others down.  ugghhhhh.

nothing hurts worse than when your baby hurts.  but he has had some moments were things are mighty fine, so let us dwell on those instead.

like his hit tonight.  this is him moments before:

 and this is safe on first:

 and this is him being sweet to his sister:

 and speaking of her, she took those first two pictures.  pretty impressive my little grasshopper.

ah, aidan,
chin up bubbies.  all of this crappy kid drama stinks right now, but you are a fantastic person with a wonderful heart, a killer smile and brains ta boot.  i know it hurts right now, but stay strong.  just keep looking for the positives in life and you are going to come out of all of this just fine.  

a dozen years with you

happy anniversary my love.

thank you for this charmed life and our perfect-for-us children and our mutt margo and all my cats and kisses goodnight and locking up the house and being hot and bringing me coffee the way i like it each morning and believing in me and running your hand across my back when we are passing each other in the kitchen and mowing the yard and working hard at being a fantastic dad and giggling and squash-squash and schmeagal too and being creative and keeping me up on world events and having dreams & indulging mine and promising me a lifetime and





loving me
exactly the way
i need it.