Winter Wonderland

This weekend it snowed...and snowed...and just kept on snowing. It was pretty impressive. School was let out early on Friday and canceled this Monday! Which seems like a good deal, but it leaves me wondering how on earth am I going to complete all my holiday projects?

During the storm.

This morning.

Looking down our street.

Fun with Fionn

Am I ever looking forward to the upcoming break! My kiddos are crazier than ever with the impending holidays. This is the time of year when it doesn't matter what you say, all they hear is "Santa Santa Santa..." One more week, and then we are into my favorite time of the school year. I love when everyone comes back refreshed and ready to learn.

As promised, I've finally sorted my DC Thanksgiving images. Here are the highlights of playing with my 19 month old nephew!

Eric & Fionn play with the bike.
(Actually we all took turns as it ended up being quite a workout for the grownup!)

Fionn helps Eric 'build' as Kim eggs him on.

The traditional sister pig-pile, while I help Fionn drink from a big people glass.

Thanksgiving

Eric and I spent a very pleasant Thanksgiving in the DC area. It was a coming together of both our families, as my sisters joined us at Eric's mom's & sister's homes! Everyone got along well and much fun was had by all. I am thankful that I have such wonderful family :)

As I find the time to process the 200 shots taken this weekend, enjoy this one of Erica & Fionn (with assistance from Kevin) pulling for the wishbone! Fionn won...beginner's luck!

Zoo

Today we went to the Franklin Park Zoo for our annual first grade field trip. We had surprisingly warm weather and no rain! I think everyone had a great time. I'm too tired to look through the photos I took today, so I thought I'd share the pics from the NYC zoo instead. Then, I'm taking a nap!

Trying to communicate with the goat.
He was very busy ignoring me...
But what zoo outing would be complete without a goat picture?

More sights from NY

It was fun to be a tourist in NYC again. I feel like I haven't been able to do that since college, going into The City with Liz and having her show us the sights... Or visiting Dione at Thanksgiving and watching the tree light up... All good times =)

Curtain of Hairspray.

Ice skaters at Rockefeller Center at night.

A street fair.

Columbus visits the Big Apple

The annual Columbus Day gathering brought us to New York this year. We had the most perfect weather! Which is good because we walked and walked and walked... But it was definitely a good time. As an added bonus, my sister Christina decided to join us this year! Very fun!

The whole gang.
Rob, Eric, Matt, Christina, Lauren, Me, Meg, and Matty.

Christina & I pose at the Statue of Liberty.

Matty demonstrates how Duke raises the roof.

Very tired group of tourists.

Tribute to Grandpa

My grandpa, who passed away this weekend, was the epitome of grandpas. He was warm and loving, never short on hugs or kisses and his whole face would light up when any of his grandkids walked into the room. He was always so proud of us, boring the neighbors and random folk in the grocery store to tears (I'm sure) talking endlessly about our accomplishments and triumphs--no matter how large or small. He was funny, jolly, and good-natured, easy to talk to and wonderful to listen to as well. He was all that, and so much more--intelligent, gentle, athletic, handsome...I could go on and on.

I never doubted that he loved me with his whole heart, and I hope he knows how much I love him too.

Ceiling

I'm pretty sure that I like having the slanty part painted... It's subtle, but I think it makes the room feel warm and cozy. The paint got a stamp of approval from Erica, Annika, and Cate, so I think it was the right decision. What do you think?

White

Vanilla Latte

More Colors

As promised... More pictures of the new wall colors! Although, it's ridiculously hard to get a photo to show the true beauty of the paint colors. Also, notice that in these pictures we now have trim and doors. Woohoo!

Upstairs guest room. An awesome purple (here is looks more gray), but Deirdre described it perfectly as a periwinkle and Annika said it looks like a Monet painting. I love my friends!

The combination of brown and sage in our master suite was taken from our new Calvin Klein bedspread. We debated and debated about the tray ceiling and just today decided to add another color to the slanty part. It was too dark to photograph tonight, but I'll try to get it up here this week because I would love to hear other opinions!

Painting Process

Last weekend we painted for roughly 37 hours. It was tiring, but looking back, I think it was fun too! (Of course I'm a big dork who loves to paint...Erica says it has something to do with my love of instant gratification...)

So, we learned a couple of things this weekend:
1) Not all ceiling paints are created equal (or the same color)
2) Better brushes DO make a difference
3) Do not let me handle a roller unless you want it back lumpy
4) Taping the ceiling is not necessary if you have a steady hand
5) Always, always find a helpful friend who is willing to be paid in beer and pizza!!

Eric painting the guest bathroom upstairs.
The blue is a little darker than I had imagined, but I think it will be lovely with the right accessories.

The faithful friend Erica who even came back on Sunday to help finish up!
She's painting the spare room the same color as we painted the hall and stairs.

And me... The photographer is never in the photos!
I'm painting (edging) the master bath a gorgeous sage.

More photos of wall colors to come...

Staples Loves Teachers

It's that time of the year... Back to School! The pencils are sharpened, the folders are labeled, the books are straightened... Everyone is experiencing butterflies before setting out to spend 180 days with each other. (Or maybe that's just me...)

I routinely spend big bucks at Staples stocking up during their wonderful summer sales. This past week though, I felt like I hit the jackpot. The open bag below is stuffed with eraser caps and handheld pencil sharpeners (25 of each) that I got for FREE! Staples sure knows how to make a teacher's day!! They definitely made mine. Happy Back to School everyone, may your year be full of smiles, hugs, and joyful learning.

For FREE!!

Christina's visit

Last week my sister Christina came for a visit. Being the great hostess I am...I promptly put her to work! Actually, the plan had been to sit on the couch and watch as much Olympic coverage as possible. However, due to a delay in getting into the new school, I was in desperate need of extra hands to help with setup. She cheerfully cleaned and organized and it was exactly what I needed! Thanks Christina, you rock!

The whole classroom in splendid disarray.

Christina sorted the books into such a cute circle.
Then she cleaned the bins and stacked them in a pyramid.

The finished classroom library area!
There is still a ton of setup left to do, but this was a huge task to be able to check off.

The Upstairs

I had a difficult time figuring out how best to show off the new upstairs... Finally, I decided to stand in the middle of the house and take a 360 degree view. For those of you who've been here before, I've started you off in the front of the house on the driveway side. Also, you can see the stairs on the far side of the first picture. Hope you can visualize...if you can't, hope you'll be over to check it out sometime. =)

Front bedroom. Stairwell on right side.

Second front bedroom. Linen closet.

Office nook. (Sorry, wasn't paying attention when I was taking this picture and the auto-features based it's setting from the very bright window... There's only so much Photoshop can do to correct that!)

Master bedroom. (Please notice the lovely tray ceiling. I love it!)

The master bath and the other full bath we're adding upstairs.

The other bath and the hallway to the stairs.
Which completes the rotation and my tour!

Stairs

I'll never forget how excited I was back in June, when one of the contractors heard me come home from school and stuck his head out the upstairs window to inform me that we had a stairway. I threw down my school bag and ran up those steps for my first glimpse at the second story. It was amazing.

The new steps. (Located on the driveway side of the house.)

A quick 'sneak peak' from the top of the stairs. Will post in more detail soon.

One month...and life carries on

It is hard to believe that only a month has passed, it feels like I've aged a lifetime...and yet, I'm also amazed at how much has changed. It seemed like everything stopped for me on July 10th, but now I look around and see that life does carry on, whether you pay attention or not. Slowly I've started living my life again, figuring out my place and future in this new life. I feel a bit like a groundhog, peeping out and scurrying underground again at the sight of my own shadow. I take comfort (and gain strength) in something written by a friend from school, "Know that life continues on and you are stronger because you have experienced unconditional love."

Speaking of messages from friends, I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone. From food to kind words to the space given to grieve, nothing has gone unnoticed or unappreciated. I felt supported and loved, and that has helped me to realize that life isn't over. There are people out there who love me and so I can't just give up and sit in a dark room and cry for the rest of my life. So, thank you...two small words trying to contain my heartfelt appreciation for encircling me with love and support in my worst moments.

One of the biggest, most in my face, changes this past month has been the progress on our house. When I was finally able to pick up my camera again, I took a bunch of shots of this progress. My aim is to start sharing with the world again, and I think this is a good safe topic. Hopefully I don't bore you all too much...

The new exterior, all sided and complete with porch.

And a Waltham memorial...
Written above the window in what should have been their nursery:

Although you never came home to this nursery
We hope your spirits will reside here as well as in our hearts
Look after those who live here as we remember and love you always

Grief

For Rebecca and Maria Jewart
Our beautiful girls who were delivered too early
Even though you lived only a few brief moments,
Our love for you could fill the ocean.
We left a part of ourselves behind with you in the Bahamas,
And we carry a part of you with us forever.

I grieve for you
You leave me
so hard to move on
Still loving whats gone
They say life carries on
Carries on and on and on and on
-Peter Gabriel

School's (been) out!

Yes, school ended awhile ago.. However, we've had some connectivity issues which are just now cleared up. To celebrate the end of another year, I'm showing you photos of my brand-new classroom! Woo-hoo! I can't wait to move in and set everything up this August. This morning Eric & I are off to celebrate our 5th anniversary, so hopefully I'll have some fun pictures to share when we get home in a week!

My purple wall. (Feel a bit like Harold with his crayon!)

Some desks and the cabinet.

The Girls

Normally when I'm speaking about "the girls" I mean my girlfriends (or, yes, Josh, sometimes I suppose I mean those too...) But now I have two new girls to think of!! Eric & I had our 18 week ultrasound this Friday and found out that we will be blessed with two little girls this fall! I cannot wait to meet them. I sure hope they have Eric's cute little curls (instead of my bald until 2 yr old head...) While Liam (see below) proves that bald can be beautiful, I'd just love to put little bows in their blond curls!

The pictures below are from a wonderful weekend spent in DC (early June-cherry blossoms were lovely!) with most of my original girls and the latest addition, Liam (Annika & Steve's handsome fellow) who was a bit overwhelmed by the noise and excitement, but later happily settled in for a group shot. He even tried to 'hi-five' baby boy Milliken (due in August)!

Oh my! Are you all looking at me?
(Annika holds Liam)

Yay! Girls-weekend rocks!
Myself, Deirdre, Cate, Annika, and a happy Liam.
(Oh, and, yes, I cut all my hair off again! 14 inches this time!!)

Empty Rooms

Bear with me... I find myself a bit loquacious and introspective today...

Thank you all for the loving & supportive messages! It makes me rest a little easier knowing that I have so many folks to help me if I need them =) as we embark on the Great Twin Adventure. (That's how I've been thinking of it lately...all caps, like the title of a book or something!)

I have been enjoying this holiday weekend, even with the head-cold still lingering and Eric being away. It's always nice to have a chance to rest and recoup. Plus, I was able to have a wonderful afternoon catching up with friends (and their new little ones) while dinning on yummy bbq and many varieties of cheese (all pasteurized!! yay for brie).

However, as I woke this morning and wandered through the house, footfalls echoing through the empty rooms... I had a feeling of what can only be described as melancholy. As excited and thrilled as I am for all the changes (new house, new babies), I find myself a little sad too. Eric & I lived four happy years here in our little ranch house, with lots of great memories, and even though we aren't moving, it won't be the same house with the new upstairs. It certainly won't be the same once it is filled to the brim with toys & noise & babies too! I know this is going to be a great change, one we've fought hard to get, but just for right now, I have a nostalgic feeling for our newlywed years and the life we are leaving behind...

The empty front room.

Doubling

Given that we are doubling the size of our house... We thought it only right to double the size of our family too! Can you believe it?? Twins!!! We are excited and overwhelmed and just about as happy as one can be! So, without further ado, it is with great pleasure that I'm posting the first (of what I'm sure will be many) pictures of the twins. (Or lefty and righty as we are affectionately calling them)

Progress (at last)

Hi everyone! I'm back! Kept waiting to post until I had house news to share... First it was looking like March, then April... and well, now it's May. But, hey, I'm done complaining because work is finally happening. And quickly too =) Here are some photos to share the progress & excitement!

The front of the house with lumber, supplies & dumpster.

The roof is off! (And a shout-out to our awesome mailman Bob!)

What it looked like 'upstairs'.

Is that a second floor already??
We're no longer dwarfed by our neighbors!!