Now I akchilly (actually) like to smile

For a few months Lexi has been watching her right front tooth. It has been moving for a while. Over the last couple weeks it has been wiggling more and more. We have been getting daily reports followed by requests to wiggle it for her.

About 1 week ago she noticed there was a space between that tooth and the others. That is when the excitement really heated up.

Finally, tonight at dinner we were eating fajitas. Having the wiggly front tooth made it hard to bite into most things. Tonight was no different. After one particularly rough bite, her top tooth knocked her bottom tooth. This was followed by much crying and bleeding.

Juls and Lex went up to get ready for bed. After a bit Julia crept downstairs to tell me that Lex was going to let Joe take out her tooth. She said it under her breath and told me "don't tell Dad". Of course Joe was standing behind her so he heard the whole thing.

A few minutes later Lexi came down with stuffed animals and her blanket in her arms. She timidly requested that Joe take out her tooth. That was followed by a few nervous squeeks and a couple "no, not yets." Finally, after requesting Julia's hand, she let Joe at her tooth. He wiggled once, twice and voila there was Lexi minus one tooth.

She was SO excited! She said "Now I akchilly (actually) like to smile" That all got into how much will the tooth fairy bring. She and Julia ran off chattering about where to put the tooth and what to write in the note.

Julia started a tradition when she lost her first tooth. After each tooth she writes a note to the tooth fairy. She has asked the Tooth Fairie's name and if she knows any of Julia's friends. So now Lexi wrote a note.

So right now, upstairs there is a tooth in a zebra tooth box on top of a note asking the tooth fairies name and if the fairy knows Julia.

So in the morning we will see who the tooth fairy is, if she knows Julia, and of course, how much money the Fairy akchilly left.

Dance and Drama

This is a grainy video of Alexa in her first Summer Camp Dance recital

This is a grainy video of Julia at the summer camp dancing

Can't Sleep

Today was another one of those fun filled, action packed days. I picked the girls up from school and whisked Julia off to dance. While Julia was at dance Lexi and I hung out on the couch looking at homework and snuggling. Once we picked up Julia we headed home for dinner. Joe went to Kevin's game tonight so we decided on a light pancake dinner. They love to make them and I love the ease of clean up.

After dinner Julia showed Lexi and I her dance. We all chatted for a few minutes and then it was time to get ready for bed. Lexi who normally travels at her own pace, was moving like she was in her own time zone. Getting her to bed took a lot of prodding and too much pouting. "Mom where are my pajama bottoms? "In the wash." that was followed with a slow methodical heavy footed walk and LOTS of whining. Then I headed up stairs to round everyone up only to see Lexi sitting in front of her dresser turning the knobs so she could "watch the flowers spin."

"Lexi why are you sitting there?" She said, "I want my pajama shorts that are in the wash." Then a suggestion from me, "You have another pair of the same shorts in a different color." She said, in a whiny needy tone "I want the shorts I got for Easter." So after reading this you are getting the gist of the night and how smoothly bed time went.

After everything was settled she climbed into bed. I went to tuck everyone in. After I kissed Alexa good night and headed over to see Julia, I heard tiny little sniffles. When I looked down at Alexa, she started openly weeping. Then she said through her tears “I miss Daddy!”

That came totally out of the blue. I sat with her and consoled her. Julia came down and gave Lex a big hug. After some snuggling and rocking, Lexi was finally settled. I said goodnight and headed downstairs. While down stairs I heard plastic rustling. “Girls, what’s going on?” Julia said, “I’m getting a garbage bag.” Then quiet. I heard whispering and knew they were chatting, but I figured they would settle each other down. After a short bit I heard little feet going back and forth, up the ladder down the ladder.

When I went upstairs to check on the girls, Lexi was asleep. Julia was leaning over checking on her. I said good night to Julia again. “Juls, have you been taking care of your sister?” She said, “Yes, but Mom she was sad.” Julia then went on to explain how she got more tissues and a bigger garbage bag. She climbed into bed with Lexi to rub her back. She hid all family pictures from Lexi’s sight so Lexi wouldn’t see her dad. She removed everything that started with the letters J or D. Then lastly she moved the guitar because that reminded Lexi of when Joe sings them silly bedtime songs. Julia did all this just because her sister was sad.
Part of my final good night to Julia was “you get to sleep now.” As I walked away Julia said “Mom, but I can’t sleep when someone is sad.” She was saying that she feels so bad for people that she just wants to care for them. Julia is always there to make her sister feel better. She helps her when she needs it and she gives that extra hug. How lucky is this family to have a daughter in our lives that has such a good heart?

Now here they are sleeping like little angels Lexi still has her giant garbage bag and hopefully they are both having sweet dreams.

Easter Egg Hunt

Every Easter the girls know the Easter Bunny leaves colored eggs in our backyard for them to find. On Easter morning they get up and strain to look out into the darkness to see if the Easter Bunny has been here yet. The girls realize that when they first look out the eggs aren't there. We usually go to church and then come home to find the eggs in the yard. Alexa explained this phenomenom by saying the Easter Bunny sprinkles "magic powder" on the eggs so we can't see them until after church. This must be true as today once again we did not see the eggs when we woke up but sure enouogh they were there once we returned from church. The girls were very excited and grabbed their easter baskets running outside to scoop them up. This year the Easter Bunny left two "golden" eggs which had cash in them!! I didn't know this....I'm headed outside now to see if maybe they missed any!! $$$

Easter and the Dying

The girls have been asking for weeks to dye the Easter eggs. Of course we kept saying "sure", "of course", "We'll do it before Easter." Well all of a sudden it was the day before Easter and there were no eggs to dye. Joe went out late Saturday afternoon and purchased white eggs for the kids. They waited and waited and waited. After it had passed 7:00, already past their bed time, they finally got to dye eggs. At 7:30 the coloring was dissolving and the girls were going out of their heads. Sometimes I wonder though, who likes it more the girls or Joe. In the end we had a dozen colorful eggs that no one will eat and I will throw out a in a week. They all had fun though.

Once the dying was over the kids got ready for bed. They were both anxious for the bunny to arrive. Julia decided this is her favorite holiday EVER (which she says every holiday) and Lexi said "I am SO EXCITED to go to bed so the Easter Bunny will come." They were so happy that they drifted off in what felt like minutes. They were most likely dreaming about chocolates, egg hunts, and how many sweets they could slip into their tummies with out getting caught. No matter what they were dreaming about you know they were dying for Easter to arrive.

Some days I wish I could bottle the joy and excitement that the kids show so readily and often. On Tuesday, when Lex got in the car she heard Julia and I talking about April 1st. Lexi immediately perked up and said "That means it's April Fools. How are we going to trick Daddy?" After Lexi asked that, she told the story of April Fools 2008, while Joe was at work, we moved his closet. I was moving his clothes and I was looking for a way to get the girls to help me without making it a chore. So, I told them we could play a trick on him and move his stuff. Of course, they were both all for that and it was a real hit!

So they began planning. Talking about what to do "should we move different clothes", "pretend to not feed him and so on." Finally they came up with pretending they weren't dressed and ready for school. They huddled together to write it down, in case they would forget the idea in the morning. They plotted about where to hide the note so "Daddy wouldn't find it." Things like, "the garbage - what if we throw it out by mistake" Or Julia said "My dresser drawer. No it's too messy, I might not find it." Then the laundry, "Dad won't find it there, he NEVER does laundry." As you can imagine it was all pretty funny and even I was getting excited.

So this morning as soon as they awoke the conspiracy began. Alexa called out, "No one come in our room!" then the door slammed and there was A LOTof giggling, running around "Where's the note?", and planning "I'm not wearing tights because Dad will see those under my bathrobe."

When I left for work I went downstairs and told Joe that I just could not get the kids to put on their clothes and I did not have time to stay and get them to do it. He said he would take care of it and get them ready.

And so the dance began. He would say "Go get dressed" and they would say "We don't feel like it." When I was heading out the door the girls were finding it hard not to giggle each time he asked. It really made for a festive morning mood.

The girls pushed it all the way until they were leaving. Joe finally said they had to go. The girls dropped their robes and between giggles yelled April Fools.

Everyone looks at them and says they look like me. That is great to hear, but what makes me happiest is they both have Joe's great sense of humor and interest in enjoying life.

Hard Work and Determination Pay

Raising children in this day and age, Joe and I wonder how we will raise children who understand the value of a dollar and know that want isn’t the same as need. How do we instill the understanding of earning things?

This past Christmas each girl got a hand held video game. I have been against this for a long time, but the girls wanted them and we got a great deal, so we took the plunge.

Once the girls had the handhelds, they immediately wanted MORE games to play in them. Julia wanted Guitar Hero in the worst way. To get that game you have to purchase the game for $35 and then also purchase the guitar unit in order to play. To purchase everything ran anywhere from $80 to $90 depending on the store. It was more than was appropriate to spend “just because” and more crazy seeing that Christmas had only just passed. From the beginning we told her we weren’t going to purchase that, thinking we would buy it for her birthday or next Christmas, but not just on a whim. At one point I told her that if she could buy it with her own money she could have it. When she heard that she became determined to save her money and own it soon. I suggested that she should watch the sale fliers and see if should could get it for a better price.

So, every Sunday she would pour over every flier looking for Guitar Hero to go on sale. On the weekends she would do extra things to earn money and her allowance. She organized the food pantry without being asked, she would dust, offer to help with jobs that weren’t really her responsibility. It was great to see her have such a focus on a goal. She managed to save up quite a bit of money for an 8 year old. While all this was going on, Lexi got the bug for a new game too. She wanted to get the I Spy, but she wasn’t set on getting it herself. She didn’t really want to put the effort in to earning it.

So the day finally came when the ever elusive game was ON SALE! Best Buy had Guitar Hero as a package deal for the guitar unit and the game for only $60. Julia ran upstairs and brought out her money. She had saved $30. I had not given out her allowance yet for the week and that $5 brought her to $35. She was trying everything to convince Joe and me to kick in the extra cash. She has worked so hard to save this money. It was REALLY hard to just stand our ground and say no. Finally, Julia approached me and said “I have a $25 Target gift card in my dresser. Would you please buy that from me and then I will have enough money.” I thought that was a very creative thought. She had her goal within arms reach and she figured out a way to accomplish it. I think we were prouder about her industriousness than she was happy about getting the game.

Once Lexi realized that Julia was getting a game she was then really determined to get a game today too. She wanted her I Spy game and she wanted it NOW! Again I went with the “if you can pay for it you can have it.” So Lexi was defeated, but Julia came up with the idea that they could count the money in their piggy bank and come up with the $25 Lexi needs to get the game. Off they went to get the bank and count money. They sat on the living room floor for the longest time counting money. Lexi had just learned the value of the smaller coins so she was counting away right beside Julia. About an hour later, the girls had $25 in coins (which mostly Julia counted) and Lexi was grinning from ear to ear with pride that she had figured all this out and she would get a game. Julia was kind enough to let Lexi have the lime light. It was a great day for everyone. We were so impressed with Julia that day. She knew she was going to be happy and she wanted Lexi to be happy too, so she went out of the way to help Lexi.

When the day was over and we had pried the games out of the girl’s hands, they drifted off to sleep with big smiles on their faces. Joe and I started to talk about what Julia had accomplished and how she diligently worked at meeting that goal. On top of that, she didn’t want Lexi to feel left out so she figured out a way to help her too. It was then that we realized we are teaching the girls little by little that not everything comes easy and that hard work and determination do pay off. There will still be times that they get things too quickly and too easily, but we are also teaching them that "want" isn’t the same as "need" and there are times when you will have to work hard before you can reach your goal.

Old Memories made new again

It's February and that means school vacation for the girls. To them it feels like it takes forever to get here. To me it always gets here too quickly. I struggle with "I can't take time off" and "being home with the kids is the right thing to do." They just can't wait to have nothing to do but relax.

Once we get everything figured out and I get to stay home a couple days. Granny and Pops always help and take the girls for a couple days too. These are the days when it is just us at home that we get to make the best memories. You know those memories, when Mom would say "clean your room." "Did you pick up that mess you just made?" These are all great memories. It reminds us of the other memories like when Mom would make hot chocolate after we came in from the snow. Or she would play board games with us or treat us to McDonald's for lunch. Oh, remember when we would get to help bake, or decorate the Christmas tree. Not all of you had my mom, but I bet you all have memories like this or things that are special to just you and your family.

So yesterday after I finished my 12 hours at work. I tredged home in the dark and the snow. I started wondering what the girls and I would do today. I thought about going places or giving them things to do, then I thought about baking. Hanging out in the kitchen is a great way to make memories.

So at 6:30 this morning when Lexi climbed into bed to tell me it was time to get up...immediately followed by "what are we going to do today, Mom?" I quickly responded with let's watch a movie, play a game, and bake. Of course, to her that mean getting up right then and either playing the game or watching the movie NOW. All the while in my mind I was thinking...I'll sleep til 7:30 or so. Have a leisurely coffee, check on work, relax for a bit, then around noon get started on their stuff. So because it was our one special day this week I dragged myself downstairs and begged Joe for a dunkins.

After he delivered my coffee the girls quickly put on the movie. I got to drink my coffee, log into work to be sure I hadn't missed anything drastic, and be there with the girls while we watched the movie High School Musical 3. Once that was done they jumped at the chance to play Chutes and Ladders. Julia won....and for a change Lexi didn't mind that she didn't win. Once the game was done it was off to the showers and then into the kitchen.

The kitchen, that is my favorite time with the girls. Time to be together, just us, we get to laugh and learn. I always get to talk about cooking memories of days gone by. Special times I got to cook with my family. Like when Shirley's beautiful cherry pie was crushed by an orange Tupperware canister. Or when we lived in Boston and Susan cracked the egg open that had the dead bird in it. I also talk about how I first learned to make scrambled eggs when I was a little older than Juls and my mom teaching me. Learning to make cheese cake with my mom and watching her make Black Forest cake which was just delicious! I remember my parents eating the Eggs Benedict that I made when I was about 12. I thought it was fabulous, but when I think back now the eggs were runny and the sauce was a strange color.





The girls are always interested in baking. They can't wait to dig in and get busy. They measure the flour and sugar on their own now. Julia does a lot more than that too. Lex has mastered greasing the cake pan and she is so proud when she is done. "Look mom I didn't miss a spot!" Today Julia's pride was in making the caramel sauce by herself. She did a great job, too!



A lot of our baking is from new recipes that we like to try, but their favorite recipes are those that I have acquired from other members of our family. Today we baked Aunt Laura's Apple Cake and BOY did it taste delicious. Some of their other favorites are Nana Morgan's Brownies, Nana Mitchell's Sticky Buns, and Aunt Shirley's lasagna. I'm hoping to get hold of Aunt Susan's lemon bars so they can learn to love lemon as much as I do.

Every time we bake they learn a little more. We talk about little tricks to make things easier or ways to stretch what you have. Today I got to show the girls a little trick my mom taught me LONG ago. We took out the brown sugar for the caramel topping and it was rock hard. Luckily I had an orange peel. I told the story of how I was making cookies once and the brown sugar was hard. My mom showed me how putting the peel of an orange in with the sugar and being patient will soften the sugar. Julia was amazed that Nana knew this and even MORE amazed that it worked. She kept checking the sugar until it was soft.

It is great to have days like today where we can just hang around and have a good time being together. At the end of these days I am always reminded how much I like our kids and enjoy spending time with them. We got to be together talk about memories of the past so they could learn more about me and my family. And most importantly, today we got to make our own new memories. Maybe one day Julia will get to tell her daughter about the day Nana saved the caramel sauce with an orange peel and Julia got to make the caramel sauce all on her own.

Welcome Hazelyn

On Tuesday February 3rd we were excited to learn our neice Melinda Mitchell gave birth to little baby Hazelyn Rose! This would make Hazelyn our great niece. Hazelyn weighed 7lbs 11 oz. Both Julia and Alexa had been anxiously awaiting her arrival since they learned Melinda was expecting. Having been the youngest kids in the family for a while now, the girls can now say Hazelyn is younger than them. Shelly wasted no time and took the girls up to New Hampshire to visit the baby. Both baby and mom looked well and everyone had a great time.

It's all fun and games until someone gets kicked in the eye

Today was a beautiful, bright, sunny, and windy day. The perfect winter day for sledding. I know I have already told a sledding story, but this one has a twist. You have all heard the saying "It's all fun and games until someone get's poked in the eye," well today's tale falls along those lines and poor Julia ended getting the poke....well not really a poke....

As you have heard the girls and I went sledding in the backyard. It was great first time out for the season, but the slope is small. When we went to the dentist on Thursday we spotted a good mid size hill or as Lexi says "mountain." And we decided that we would make the time to sled on it this weekend. Saturday arrived and with it the perfect opportunity to go. We had a 10:45 and 11 showing and that left us with time to kill. So the girl's begged Joe to take them to the mountain to sled.
When we started to get ready to leave Julia decided she was not going sledding. She would get out with us, but there was no way she was going down that mountain. So Joe headed up the hill with Lexi in tow. Getting the track started so that Lexi could go fast and far. Julia and I hung back froze and took pictures. We like doing that. I took her picture and she took mine. Then I took Joe's...we looked as cold as we felt. Lexi and Joe Finally made it to the top and they sledded down.

It was a great experience for Lex. She is so adventurous and loves all things exciting. She went a bunch more times. When she went alone she had a good time and landed safely. Each time she went with Joe she wiped out. So as Julia watched she decided she wasn't going to go down.

Even though I only had on jeans, I couldn't resist the action. I took a turn with Lex and we had a fun and crash free trip. I noticed that Julia was watching closely and started to seem interested. So I offered, well more like cajoled, Julia into taking a try. She finally agreed and I promised her a crash free and completely uneventful trip. I was not as right as I planned on being. She got to the top on the track and we got on the sled. By this time she was actually excited. So as we headed down I was muttering words of reassurance and excitement. Just as I was confident this was going to end with her begging for more, we lost control. That's when it happened. We fulfilled the prophecy of "fun and games and getting kicked in the eye by your mom"...Yup, I was the kicker. See as the sled was headed out of control I felt the sled tilt and I knew I was going to land on top of her. Apparently she realized that she was going to get crushed, so as I moved to keep from hurting her she moved to keep from getting hurt and in the ruckus, her eye made contact with my boot. Then her face made contact with the snow and of course, no crash would be complete without the sled whacking you in the back of the head.

So needless to say there were no more sled trips for Julia, but there were lots of tears. And I felt horrible. What a mom! I tried to encourage her and show her it would be fine and instead I tortured her.....so she went back to making her snow house. And of course immediately wanting to leave. It took some of the shine off of the day for her and me, but it didn't stop Lexi.

Lexi had a great time. "Mom, just 5 more times" then 5 turns later "Dad, just 3 more times" and so on. You can see where this is all going. In the end, we were all freezing and had to practically drag Lexi off the field. By the time we got back to the truck we were all in better moods. Julia made her snow house and that lifted her spirits.

Of course the fact that Joe said he would take them out for hot cocoa didn't hurt anyone. In the end we are all looking back on this as a fun time. Julia now has a little snow rash on her cheek bone and her ego is a bit bruised, but after many apologies, a few rounds of hangman, and some hot cocoa with a cookie to wash it down, she too has some fond memories of the day when there were lots of "fun and games until someone got kicked in the eye."

Snow Fun

Today was one of those great funfilled winter days for the girls. We woke up this morning to another 8 or so inches of snow. It was unexpected, but from the girl's perspective very welcomed! As I was out cleaning off my car and grumbling at 5:30 this morning in the freezing cold. The girls were chomping at the bit to get outside and help dad shovel. Since today was a planned day off from school the kids were already in a great mood knowing they would be going to Granny and Papa's house for the day. Everything was going their way.

Once they got to granny's they were armed and ready to play their handheld video games. That is always pure joy for them. After being there a while, they were unexpectedly surprised by a visit from not only Aunt Brenda and Kevin, but also Aunt Linda. Aunt Linda took them outside and they built their first snowman this winter. The girls were so excited and proud when they told me about it.

As it was a holiday, I was able to get out of work a bit early and I picked them up. Once we were headed home I asked how they would like to go sledding. The snow we got was nice and fluffly, but after being packed down a couple times the sled glided gracefully down the slope in the backyard. Well if you call the girls each falling off separately or them tromping up a perfectly wonderful sledding track graceful. To them it was pure bliss. This was an especially great time because this is the first year that Julia was excited about sledding. In years past she would always decline. Lex would trudge along in the kiddie sled letting Joe tug her around. Now they couldn't wait to take a turn. I was finally able to sneak in a quick ride down the yard, but I was barley finished my turn when they were begging to have another turn.

When I was finally ready to go in because I was turning into a popsicle, the girls were still hanging out. The could not get in enough fun. It was great to see them out an enjoying themselves. I went into the kitchen to make them a special warm up treat and I watched them playing like two best friends. Sharing turns, pulling each other down, riding together and all the while laughing and having the time of their lives.

Once they finally decided to come in. They unbundled still laughing all the way. After talking about how cold they were they suddenly realized the kitchen smelled like warm chocolate.
They couldn't wait to sit down and dig into their favorite hot cocoa mugs. There is something really special about using mugs with your name on it and whipped cream piled up high.

After Lexi started in and got her first sip she was already on the road to contentment. Julia couldn't wait for her first indulgence and immediately rushed over. Do you remember those days when you just dug right in and enjoyed those sweet indulgences with great abandonment.....they were definitely living that kind of day today.

Expect the Unexpected

Alexa at 5 months old

When you find out you are going to have a baby girl, there are some things that you Never Expect to see. She won't be mischievous or like smelly things or be inappropriate like a boy.

A girl is sweet and kind. She is clean, well mannered, and she knows the proper way to behave.

Well, at least that is the delusion that festers while she is growing in your belly and you fantasize about how perfect and well behaved she will be. Bottom line, there are some things you think you are saved from because you had a girl and not a boy.

At least that is what we thought until we had Lexi. One day last week I was rushing around getting ready for work in the morning. As usual I had no time for anyone. When I suddenly heard little feet enter my room. Right at that moment all I could think was "I know anyone who has little feet should be in their room dressing." The next thing I hear is a little voice saying "Mommy look". I turned around getting ready to send Alexa back to her room when I see she is grinning ear to ear. Then I stopped to really look at her wondering what she is grinning about. After a moment I realize she is standing there with her underwear on her head and her hair poking out of the leg holes like Mickey Mouse ears.

Of course, instead of admonishing her, I cracked up laughing. It was just the break everyone needed that morning. Once I stopped laughing I sent her down to Joe so he could take a picture. These are the moments that make us glad our girls aren't always sweet and polite and just pretty. They love life and aren't afraid to show it. There is nothing that Lexi loves more than making someone laugh even if it means being a bit silly and just having fun. The lesson here is whether you have a girl or a boy you should ALWAYS expect the unexpected.

Nerd Quest Laser Tag

Jim "The Target" Dreselly

The Infamous Sharlene

The Laser Tag crew - L to R
Lauren, Joe, Dan, Noelle, Shelly
Jim and Sharlene









Raise your hands if you can honestly admit (or just admit) that you have been to laser tag before? Not many hands I see. My limited knowledge of this (do I call it a sport?) thing, has always conjured up images of techno geek star trek wannabes running around blasting away at each other giggling wildly like school girls. That is, however, until I had the chance to enter this realm this past weekend. Shelly and I joined our friends, Jim, Sharlene, Lauren, Dan and Noelle to play laser tag at the Kings Quest Laser Tag in Berlin CT. Anytime there is some sort of quirky adventure you can bet Sharlene is behind it. Sharlene works with Shelly and since I met her I have been to Laser Tag, mechanical bull riding and last but not least Rolloer Skating. Yes, Roller skating. Remember WAY back in the 80's when we kept our comb poking out of our back pcoket and our hair was feathered? Shalene has an appetite for the unique and loves a challenge. That being said we all met at the place after work. When Shelly and I arrived we checked out the surroundings and wondered how the whole thing worked. The rest of the crew arrived shortly and we paid our admission. Once the admission was paid we were led into a room that was not unlike a ride at Disney. You know where you go into a dark room that starts to sent the scene for the ride you are about to take. Here though, we were in the room to get directions for playing laser tag. It told us how to put on our laser tag vest and how to gain points by shooting your opponent. Everyone agreed the only reason we were here was to shoot Jim. Jim just has this look about him that makes you want to take him out. Ha ha ha! After the video we were told to put on our laser vests and shown how to operate the gun. This was all fun and games but to me I could feel my competitive juices flowing. My gun identified me as "Black Hawk" I suddenly envisioned myself as a mercenary who wouldn't be taken without a fight. Once the doors opened we all ran off wildly into the dark and soon were faced with maze like corridors, stairs and obstacles to hide behind. The room was filled with blinking lights, smoke and a criss cross of red lasers everywhere. I surveyed my environment and soon made my way to a bunker to take up my position. Through the smoke I noticed someone in the corner behind a wall. I crept up slowly and slid along the opposite wall to get a better shot. As I aimed my gun I could make out that it was Shelly. Our eyes locked as I peppered her with my laser and soon her vest was blinking wildly indicating she was hit. Proud of myself I scurried away smugly. The game continued with each of us darting into the line of fire and running up and down stairways to avoid the inevitable laser shots. In all the excitement poor Sharlene took a header onto the floor while trying to escape. While she was lying on the floor I did what every gentleman would have done. I shot her repeatedly to pad my own score then ran away and hid. Each of us had our moments ..Noelle was mostly a walking target, Dan played sniper from the crows nest on the upper level, Jim shot people in the back and Shelly refused to move from her perch behind the wall. Tired and beaten up a little we then headed to Shea's in Manchester for a few coldies to rehash our adventure. Shelly and I had a great time and couldn't remember the last time we stayed out that late. We both secretly admitted we enjoyed laser tag and I'm considering wearing a laser tag vest as part of my regular wardrobe. If you ever get the chance to go play "tag" jump on the opportunity. If nothing else, you will have a chance to let all your worries go and just have fun.

Bowling Fun

On Saturday we asked the girls what they wanted to do for fun. Julia picked duckpin bowling. So ,we trekked over to T-Bowl on the Berlin Tpke in Newington. The place is pretty nice and seems to be designed more for family fun than any type of competitive bowling. For example, the balls they provide had "divots" in them and bounced down the alley as they rolled! Despite this the kids really enjoyed themselves. Alexa has her own style which is to jump up and down after each throw. She didn't care if she missed the pins or not, just was more interested in jumping. Julia showed her competitiveness when she pumped her fist after getting a spare. Shelly and I attempted to convince each other that we were playing "for the girls" but secretly each of us wanted to beat the other! Throughout the game Shelly double checked my score keeping to be sure I wasn't cheating. Me? Can you imagine??! As usual the camera was out and we took some fun pictures. It was a good time.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone. We spent a quiet night at home to ring in the new year. The next day I thought I'd get the family out and decided to take a ride to Northhampton Massachusetts. I have heard many good things about the town and figured it would be a good way to spend the day together. I looked up a few restaurants in the area and decided we could have lunch and walk around the shops in town. We drove about 45 minutes to reach Northhampton. If you have never been there its a quaint, artsy type of town. Store fronts, and many different type of restaurants of all ethnicity's. I decided on a little restaurant called Jakes. I understood it to be a "pubby" type restaurant. Shelly had her mind set on having a real hamburger and fries. We all walked into this place and settled at our table . The waitress handed us our menus and I looked around at the other people eating. I noticed everyone seemed to be eating only breakfast. I looked at my watch and saw that it was 1:30 so I was confused. We asked the waitress and she said they were only serving breakfast. Uggh . We had already eaten breakfast at home. Already settled in we decided to just go with it and had breakfast again. After we ate we headed out to walk the city streets and check out the shops. On most days this would be a fun thing to do, however it was about 15 degrees out and we discovered most of the stores were closed due to the holiday...Uggh... Despite the disappointments, we still managed to spend some quality time together and had a nice walk around the town. Next time I think I'll do a little more research before taking a day trip!