I look pretty damn good for fifty three...

too bad I'm only forty eight.

How do you know you're old you ask?

1. You have a child who is a SENIOR in college
2. You were invited to your THIRTIETH high school reunion
3. The skin on your neck looks more CHICKEN than HUMAN
4. Wearing shorts in PUBLIC is simply NOT an option
5. Cookware sounds like an EXCELLENT gift

Worth a Post? Hard to Say

Oops, I didn't mean to fall off the edge of the earth. But what have I been up to that's worth writing about?

That I missed my blogoversary back on August 10th?

That I turned 47 on Monday?

That I haven't heard back about my last interview BUT got called for an interview from the second resume I sent out?

That the Precious Daughters are busy navigating new college classes?

That my parents are celebrating their 48th wedding anniversary today?

I just don't know. What do you think?

This and That

The interview was interesting. The job would be a stretch. We'll see.

In other news - my birthday present came yesterday! I'd told the Precious Daughters ALL DAMN SUMMER that all I wanted for my birthday was for them to for have a picture taken together. Lord knows they've been bitching about what's been on display lo these many years...

At two and six months - I STILL like this photo!

At Seven and five - Precious Youngest looks constipated.

At ten and twelve - I think was taken for the parish directory and is particularly heinous.

Somehow after that we never got around to having another picture taken of just the two of them. Well naturally they waited until three days before Precious Oldest went back to school honor my request, but they did it!




I may be sleeping with this after we take Precious Youngest to school. You never can tell.

How in the world....

Her entrance into the world was dramatic. I will put your fussy, colicky, demanding baby stories up against mine (and throw in a spouse who traveled several nights a week, EVERY week) and I will WIN!



Then one day she sat up, looked around, and decided to be delightful. And her laugh! OMG! It started in her toes and rolled up out of her a deep and startling chortle. She could captivate an entire roomful of adults for hours as we tried to think up new ways to make her laugh!



My girl. My baby. She's messy. She's a night owl. She's creative. She's loyal. She's guarded. She's funny. She’s mine and I love her.



Happy 18th birthday Precious Youngest!

Quiz

1. Fried chicken
2. Mashed potatoes
3. Ice cream cake
4. A nap

What can this mean? The Saint is fifty two today. He is a man of simple tastes . Happy Birthday!

Merry Christmas

Just wanted to pop in and say Merry Christmas to you and yours. I've got house guests and more on the way so I'm a bit off my game, but will have stories to share.

On another note Precious Oldest is TWENTY today. She was quite funny yesterday being sassy and rolling her eyes and slamming doors as it was her last day to be a teenager! She makes my heart glad.

Happy birthday to Baby Jesus and Precious Oldest!

So it begins

I think I'll knock off early today. Precious Oldest is driving in today and tonight the Precious Daughters and I will go out for dinner and then to see Kathy Griffin. Because we're starting birthday week here in Whoville. That would be the seven to ten days that surround my birthday. (Shut up. You'd do it too if you could.)

It's good to be Queen.

Oh my freaking.....part 2

My father's surprise birthday party is tonight. The ruse to get my dad to town and to the venue is that I "won" a wine tasting at an auction and I wanted them to come. *Much to the Saint's dismay, this is NOT an unusual occurrence. My father KNOWS this.*

Ahem, so I called the restaurant today to confirm time, numbers and to make sure the hostess knows that when we show up and ask for the "wine tasting" they play along. But they couldn't find our party on the books. Well not booked under insertmaidnenamehere, so I tried my name. Nope, nothing. So I asked to speak with the party planer gal. Who is not in today. Well shit folks, it's tonight at seven o'clock and there's seventeen people....oh, they found it! My mother used an ALIAS!

They live three hours away, but my mother decided to book the party under an assumed name. And then failed to mention that fact to ANYONE. The woman cracks me up.

By the by, I've been working all week on a slide show for the party. It's AWESOME. I went through all the old photo albums and pulled dozens of pictures to scan, then started in on all the digital stuff. I started with an album my paternal grandmother gave me a few years before she died.

*Grammy was convinced that upon her death we would sweep through her house and unceremoniously pitch everything. While that most likely would have been my unsentimental M.O., I think cooler heads would have prevailed. But Grammy, being practical in nature, thwarted any future attempts to jettison the remnants of our collective childhood by putting albums together for each of her five grandchildren. Each album was filled with pictures of that particular grandchild growing up. Smart, no?*

So I have about 120 slides that will run on a loop. And my father is grinning from ear to ear in every single one!

Happy Birthday - Yes, Again!

Do you know anyone who is a double threat?

Who has an infectious laugh that has you clutching your sides, wiping tears from your eyes? And you can't remember what got you laughing to begin with?

AND

Who has a sense of humor, and the timing to go with it, that takes your breath away?

Seventeen years ago today, after lingering in OB Comp and praying as much as I've ever prayed in my life, we had Precious Youngest. (Our pediatrician was present for the birth, which made subsequent doctor visits....awkward.

She is an Irish goddess
She is an introvert
She is a night owl
She "met" her best friend when she was three days old
She exhibits no typical "youngest child" characteristics
She was NOT happy being Precious Only when her sister went to college
She is a great photographer. (Check out the flikcr in the sidebar, all hers)
She starts her senior year of high school next month, I am in shock.

I'm considering about forbidding her going out of town for college next year, what do you think?

Happy Birthday Pop

My dad is seventy years old today.

• He was an only child, unusual in the working class Catholic neighborhood he grew up in.
  
• He and my mother lived on the same street growing up.
  
• He was a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne .
  
• He has an incredible zest for life. Whatever he’s doing, at the exact moment he’s doing it? Is the best possible thing one could be doing AND at the best possible place.
  
• He doesn't like to be alone; he doesn't even like to go by himself to put gas in the car.
  
• He is an Eagle Scout

[Warning, RANDOMNESS AHEAD: Along with my father, my brothers are Eagle Scouts, my grandfather was an Eagle Scout, the Saint is an Eagle Scout, as are HIS father and HIS brother. My mother was the Brownie/Girl Scout/Cub Scout leader for probably a gazillion years. I was a Girl Scout through 8th grade (I know, total dork right?) I was a Girl Scout leader BEFORE I HAD KIDS! I went on to be the Girl Scout Leader, Daisies through 6th grade, for BOTH of the Precious Daughters. So yeah, the Scouting? Is in our blood.]

• He (and my mother) can still ski, camp, hike, sail (and all manner of other activities ) in a way that would put people half their age to shame.
  
• He brags about his awesome roses, but truth be told he replaces half of the bushes every.single.year.
  
• He is never happier than when he is together with all of his children.
  
• He knows a little bit about a lot of things; and he's not afraid to use it.
  
• He only has two speeds; full on and asleep. (Seriously, I've seen him fall asleep standing up!
  
• He appreciates a good meal as much as I do.
  
• I hope he's around for a long, long time!

*Update on yesterday's post*
I WAS born in the Bronx.
I din't say OLYMPIC medal for pete's sake, see numbers 16 and 38.
I DO hate winter, despite being a kick ass skier, see numbers 12 and 49.
I DO shave my legs every day, see number 3.
I DID go to London when I was seventeen.
So - still waiting for a winner - carry on!

Random Friday Thoughts

Today is my birthday. I am 45. If I live to be 90, my life is half over. I'm looking forward to the next half. I like to think I will do things better, that I have learned some things along the way.

This is the first time since Precious Oldest was born that I won't see her on my birthday. But she called me this morning and that's better than nothing!

The Girls got me a "Banishment Kit" for my birthday. We only have two televisions in our house. One in the family room and one in our bedroom. When large gangs of unruly teenagers come over to watch the game/a movie/the latest greatest TV show We often get banished to our room. Bahh! (Then I have to keep thinking up reasons to walk through the family room and make sure all activities remain above board.) The "Kit" was a DVD player (hhmm, The Saint might have helped out financially with that one), these great movies, pop corn, twizzlers, raisinettes,and the best movie candy of all time Good and Plenty.

Tonight The Saint and the P's are taking me to dinner at this place. Yum!

Tomorrow I'm taking my GNO girls to the lake. We'll They will be drinking by noon so I'm hoping I'm not hungover.

That's all folks.