A lesson in Blue and White

So ... my dearest Sonny Boy and Mrs. Boy were here this weekend, and I cannot stress enough how much I enjoyed their visit.

While they were here, Sonny Boy was very helpful with some man-around-the-house/tall-person jobs. I even mentioned to him that I might want him to go a certain store where exotic rugs are sold, to help me buy a rug I had had my eye on for many moons and then help me move the furniture necessary to lay it down.

Just yesterday when we had a few minutes before taking them to the airport, he mentioned it to me, but I foolishly declined and made him haul around pool tablets at a different store instead. Besides, I hadn't entirely made up my mind on the rug and wanted to add a few more months to the decision making process ... because that is what I do.

And yet today, when I just happened to make my way to that store and happened to pass by the exotic rug department I decided, what the heck, I can do this thing by myself.

Which I did ... while expending much sweat in the process. The moral of this story:

Moms ... listen to your children. They are generally smarter than you.

boy oh boy!

So ... Christmas has come and gone. And although I had thought at one point that it might just be something to get through and then cross off of a list of "firsts"... it was actually quite lovely. With three of the fantastic four (children) and one of the amazing three (g-kids), melancholy was just not an option. For instance take a gander at Mr. Candy Cane pictured above with his new firehouse from Santa. Grinning was all we could muster up.

Later, Auntie Gee let him use her real camera which he used to take close-ups of the firehouse. Then he figured out on his own how to scroll back and view his handiwork. Clearly the "G" in Mr. Gee stands for Genius.

And here are my Bestest Boys. Sonny Boy (and Mrs. Boy, not pictured) tutored him on the art of the skateboard. I just love those boys.

Hope your holiday was just as Merry and Grin-ful. Do tell.

A really big bite from a really big apple

So ... here's a trick question for you: Is the ever-so-lovely picture above ... (a) our home, now that the summer folliage is in bloom, (b) a cottage where small creatures speak in squeaky voices and clean stuff without being asked or (c) Tavern on the Green in Central Park? The answer of course is (c), although we didn't go inside so (b) may still be an option.

Yep, we spent the last 6 days in the Big City. Wow ... is it BIG! What a thrill to see so many things I had read about (and seen on Law & Order) for so many years. (This was my first trip, PDaddy hadn't been there in 30 years.) I am black and blue from the constant pinching. The picture above was taken at the "Top of the Rock" at Rockefeller Center.

This picture of Radio City Music Hall ... not far from our hotel ... was the scene of the Tony Awards just two days later.

This picture is of our lovely and oh-so-serious tour guides, Sonny and Mrs. Boy. It was taken after a most delicious dinner at Joe's Shanghai in Chinatown ... home of the soup dumplings that are so delicious you want to cry.

And just in case you are wondering ... there are blog posts up the ying-yang with just some of the hundreds of pictures we took. Did I mention that we also walked miles and miles and ... miles?

Excuse me while I put my feet up and bask in the memories.

Blatant Plagerism

So ... due to a lack of personal blog-worthy material ... plus the fact that I have the most intelligent/funny/creative/darling/slightly-weird children/grandchildren in the world, I am just going to direct you to go here so that you can lift your weary holiday spirits without further ado.

If you are not personally acquainted with my progenity, here are a few navigating tips ...

* The bearded Elf is my son, Sonny Boy and yes, he always makes those faces in photos. The fact that he didn't in (most of) his wedding photos was nothing short of a miracle.

* Yes, this is why I love my Sonny Boy so much.

* Mrs. Boy is the other adult who put together this bit of revelry and so it's pretty obvious why I love her so much.

* The two children involved are not their children, but they are knee-deep into a campaign to win the "Favorite Aunt/Uncle Competition" and this could pretty much cinch it.

*Miss Dub has her finger up her nose in the first video and has not mysteriously grown a trunk.

* Li'l Gee looks like two different children in the two videos, but that is just my multi-faceted baby boy.

So go. Indulge. Make yourself Merry!

Your welcome.

We'll ALL Scream !

So ... just in case you were confused and/or really had a need to know about The Timeline, as it relates to Sonny-Boy and the Mrs., here goes:

June: Got married, honeymooned and moved in with us. Shortly thereafter, Sonny-Boy got a job in Alacante Spain.
September: They left for Spain, but were still waiting on the work Visas, so ... at worst ... they had ... at most ... 90 days there.
December: Worst case scenerio is alive and well and they leave Spain promptly on the 90th day. After the adventure of a lifetime, fyi.
January: Visas are nowhere in sight and Plan B is put into effect. Plan B involves a trip to New York City where they get umpteen interviews and multiple job offers apiece. Yes ... I am proud ... and I am not afraid to say it.
Today ... this very day: I just got back from the airport where they boarded the plane for their new life. These pictures were taken at our "going-away" dinner a few nights ago. Mexican food for dinner and ...

... Baskin Robbins Ice Cream for dessert. "Why?" you may innocently ask, because you know that there is never room for dessert after Mexican food! Because Mrs. Boy is going to be a marketing supervisor for Baskin-Robbins and we had some free coupons already. You know the significance of this, do you not?

Free Ice Cream. Lots of Free Ice Cream. Possibly for Life.

And Sonny-Boy is an architect, so we could be eating it in a pretty sweet home.

The End.

Sonny-Boy + Hours of JOY!

Not to detract from the post where I was to pay homage to our sweet Miss Dub, I must take a moment first and pay birthday respects to my very own baby-boy ... Sonny Boy. Today is indeed his birthday, and I am thinking of him alot. He and The Mrs. took a whirlwind trip to SoCal (while we basked in the frigid north) and Mrs. Gee made him buttermilk pancakes and a birthday cake (not in the same meal, as far as I know) and L'il Gee read to him.

So ... Happy Birthday Sonny-Boy. This month IS such a special one ... thanks to you.

But wait ... what about our trip where we indured single-digit temps and teeth-chattering cold ... all the while warmed by the antics of the Dancing Lady Dub? Yes, it was precious to see her walk and heavenly to hear her talk and worth every single layer of clothing to hold her close. She is quite the young woman (pictured above, tired but well behaved at a long awaited dinner with the T* fam.)

So ... why is it that PDaddy and I are now home alone with nary a birthday-boy or a grandchild in sight?

I guess that's why blogs were invented.

Collecting My Thoughts ...

True Story:

When Sonny Boy was 4 or 5 and considered PB&J to be a food group, he developed an interesting ... if not annoying habit. I would make him his favorite sandwich, (which had to be cut crosswise -- heaven forbid I should cut it into rectangles) he would take a couple of small bites out of the center ... and then pretty much call it a day. I figured out pretty quickly that he was adverse to the "crusts" as all children are wont to do at some point or another, but he wasn't within miles of the crust. This resulted in a) a waste (something I am adverse to) and b) Sonny Boy being hungry in approximately 14.5 minutes. In not long, the following conversation took place:

Mommie: "Sonny Boy ... why won't you eat the crusts on your sandwich?"

Sonny Boy: "Because ... mmmm..... (long pause) ... because I am starting a crust collection."

I knew immediately I had to take some responsibility for his answer, because I too was a collector. And I still am. I have been thinking of devoting some posts to my collections . . . and yours. Start thinking about it. Be prepared to answer the following questions.

What are your favorite collections and why?
Do you have some collections that were important once and no longer drive you ... but still take up a lot of space?

And most importantly: Do you think Sonny Boy still has his collection stored somewhere in my home?

P.S. It worked! The Clam Dip worked! One day after that post, the temperature dropped almost 20 degrees -- with nary a stormcloud in sight. Ooooh ... I should try and sell my clam dip recipe. Ya think?