Happy St. Patrick's Day!
I actually forgot I was Irish today, in part because today also happens to be my daughter's (Briana) birthday. Happy birthday, Briana! The big 3. I can't believe she is three years old. It seems like yesterday that she was a little premature baby in the neonatal intensive care unit. It's crazy how time flies. My darling little girl is three.
Anyway, Briana had her birthday party today. Joining in on the celebration were my parents, my mother-in-law, my father-in-law, my favorite sister-in-law (Janine), my niece (Kaleigh), my nephew (PJ), Karen's aunt and uncle (Denise and Paul), and Karen's grandmother. The theme for the birthday party: Cars. Ka-chow!
Too bad I suck at celebrating my daughter's birthday. We kept the party pretty simple: pizza from the Boston Pizza Company, a strawberry spinach salad, a cake, and Cars decorations. Despite the simplicity of the party, I think Briana had a great time. Funny thing is, I don't think she enjoys being the center of attention. There were moments throughout her party where she went to hide. Of course, maybe it's because she doesn't want to hang out with relatives. Just kidding.
Seems like the present Briana was most excited about this year was her Fisher Price Kid Tough digital camera. As of tonight, she has already taken 90 pictures, mostly of random things like the floor. She's funny with the camera.
Anyway, I think she had a great time and that's all that matters. Happy birthday, Briana! I love you.
Showing posts with label pj. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pj. Show all posts
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Monday, February 25, 2013
I Suck At Celebrating My Daughter's Birthday
On Saturday, Karen and I celebrated my daughter's first birthday. Happy birthday Bridget! Unfortunately, I suck at celebrating my daughter's birthday.
Originally, the party was scheduled for Sunday but with the upcoming snow storm this weekend, we opted to move the date a day earlier. As it turns out, having the party today probably would have been okay. Weather forecasters (shake fist). Just kidding. And interestingly enough, we lost power for over an hour on Saturday during the party. So Sunday may have actually been the better day. Oh well.
Anyway, I think my daughter enjoyed the party. She practically inhaled her birthday cake. Surprisingly, Bridget ate her cake much neater than her sister (Briana) did when Briana turned one. And for anyone curious, there was a heart theme for the party. The cake was decorated with hearts. Karen and Briana made a "Happy Birthday" streamer of hearts. My favorite sister-in-law (Janine) cut bread into heart shapes for sandwiches. We made heart shaped ice cubes. It was nice.
Most importantly, Bridget had fun. And what's not to like about constant attention from both sets of grandparents, an aunt (Janine), cousins (PJ and Kaleigh), godparents (Karlene and Tommy), a great grandmother, and Karen's aunt and uncle (Denise and Paul)? And of course, I got to rib Karlene, the self proclaimed "fuddy-duddy". So that was always fun.
Incidentally, Saturday also happened to be Janine's actual birthday. Happy birthday Janine! Thus, following Bridget's birthday party, we immediately headed to the Villa Rosa in Quincy to celebrate Janine's birthday. For anyone curious, I think the Villa Rosa has the best eggplant pizza. I'm not sure what they do to their eggplant pizza, but it's always so good.
All in all, Saturday turned out to be a birthday celebration day. Hopefully everyone enjoyed it.
Originally, the party was scheduled for Sunday but with the upcoming snow storm this weekend, we opted to move the date a day earlier. As it turns out, having the party today probably would have been okay. Weather forecasters (shake fist). Just kidding. And interestingly enough, we lost power for over an hour on Saturday during the party. So Sunday may have actually been the better day. Oh well.
Anyway, I think my daughter enjoyed the party. She practically inhaled her birthday cake. Surprisingly, Bridget ate her cake much neater than her sister (Briana) did when Briana turned one. And for anyone curious, there was a heart theme for the party. The cake was decorated with hearts. Karen and Briana made a "Happy Birthday" streamer of hearts. My favorite sister-in-law (Janine) cut bread into heart shapes for sandwiches. We made heart shaped ice cubes. It was nice.
Most importantly, Bridget had fun. And what's not to like about constant attention from both sets of grandparents, an aunt (Janine), cousins (PJ and Kaleigh), godparents (Karlene and Tommy), a great grandmother, and Karen's aunt and uncle (Denise and Paul)? And of course, I got to rib Karlene, the self proclaimed "fuddy-duddy". So that was always fun.
Incidentally, Saturday also happened to be Janine's actual birthday. Happy birthday Janine! Thus, following Bridget's birthday party, we immediately headed to the Villa Rosa in Quincy to celebrate Janine's birthday. For anyone curious, I think the Villa Rosa has the best eggplant pizza. I'm not sure what they do to their eggplant pizza, but it's always so good.
All in all, Saturday turned out to be a birthday celebration day. Hopefully everyone enjoyed it.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
I Suck At Blizzards
It has been one crazy weekend.
And sadly, the weekend is pretty much over and I can't say I really did much this weekend other than shovel snow. Interestingly enough, I do own a snow blower. My driveway is long enough that shoveling it by hand can take some time. So when the blizzard forecast came about, I thought I'd be good and actually get the snow blower ready. After all, the snow blower has practically been untouched for about two years, which was the last time there was a big chunk of snowfall.
Needless to say, I think my snow blower incident was an indicator of things to come during this blizzard. Yep, I suck at blizzards. Not only could I not get the snow blower running, I actually pulled so hard trying to get it to start that I ripped the chord right out of the blower. Not just once. Twice. Both times, I had to take apart the back just to rewind the pull string. It was frustrating, especially since I still could not get it to run.
And since I really couldn't spend too much time tinkering with the snow blower (I have kids), I decided I'd just forget about the blower and remove the falling snow the old-fashioned way... with a shovel. It took a while. But I suppose the plus side is that it was a great workout. Heck, I'm still a little sore from shoveling.
And yet, shoveling was not the worst part of the blizzard. Shortly after 11 p.m. on Friday night, we lost power. I only happen to know the time because I was up late watching a movie on my laptop. For anyone curious, I watched Fright Night. The reboot was actually pretty entertaining. I enjoyed the movie. But while the movie was playing on my laptop, I noticed the power went out throughout the house. Thankfully, I still had enough battery power in my laptop to finish the movie. Just kidding.
But for most of Saturday, we were without power... which I suppose made shoveling that much more bearable since it was something to do to kill the time. The down side of course... heat. My house runs on electricity, including the heat. If it were just Karen and I, we'd probably have no problem because we could always just wear layers and layers of clothing to keep warm. Well, I'd probably have no problem. Karen gets cold easily. But when kids are involved, that's when things get a little tricky. Truth be told, I was starting to get a little concerned after a while for my eleven month old daughter (Bridget).
Luckily, my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) had power during the blizzard. Not only did she have power, she had heat. So off we went to her place, just as the driving ban was being lifted by the governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. I always knew Janine was my favorite. It probably should go without saying that it's good to know that we have a bunch of good friends and family who are willing to help us during times of need. So thank you everyone.
Anyway, it definitely felt nice to take a nice warm shower at Janine's. My two year old daughter (Briana) had a blast playing with her cousins and her auntie. It was a great time. Interestingly enough, Bridget took her first steps at Janine's. Similarly, Briana also took her first steps shortly after being at Janine's when she was learning to walk. That was yesterday.
So as to not wear out our welcome, we packed our things and headed to my parents in Quincy today. After all, the town of Norwell was not supposed to get power until three days from now... Wednesday. Things were looking pretty grim, not only because the temperature in our house had fallen to 40 degrees, but because living with my parents until Wednesday wasn't too high on my list. Don't get me wrong, I love my parents. But spending that much time with them may drive me crazy. Yes, I know. I'm a terrible son.
Anyway, my parents definitely enjoyed seeing Briana and Bridget. They were extremely happy because today is Chinese New Year (the year of the snake) and they thought it was such a nice way to start the year off. The "nice" part being the fact that they got to spend time with Briana and Bridget, not the fact that there was a blizzard that wreaked havoc. I think my parents get all giddy whenever Briana and Bridget are around. It's cute.
While at my parents, my neighbor (George) called telling me that power was restored to our neighborhood. That was exciting news. Thank you Stop and Shop for being so nearby. I am guessing that may have benefited us. Truth be told, I think my parents were slightly disappointed to see us go home, probably because they wanted to spend more time with Briana and Bridget. But at least they got to spend some time with them, right?
All in all, it has been a crazy weekend. Thank you again to everyone who was involved in helping us. I hope the best for those who still do not have power from the blizzard.
And sadly, the weekend is pretty much over and I can't say I really did much this weekend other than shovel snow. Interestingly enough, I do own a snow blower. My driveway is long enough that shoveling it by hand can take some time. So when the blizzard forecast came about, I thought I'd be good and actually get the snow blower ready. After all, the snow blower has practically been untouched for about two years, which was the last time there was a big chunk of snowfall.
Needless to say, I think my snow blower incident was an indicator of things to come during this blizzard. Yep, I suck at blizzards. Not only could I not get the snow blower running, I actually pulled so hard trying to get it to start that I ripped the chord right out of the blower. Not just once. Twice. Both times, I had to take apart the back just to rewind the pull string. It was frustrating, especially since I still could not get it to run.
And since I really couldn't spend too much time tinkering with the snow blower (I have kids), I decided I'd just forget about the blower and remove the falling snow the old-fashioned way... with a shovel. It took a while. But I suppose the plus side is that it was a great workout. Heck, I'm still a little sore from shoveling.
And yet, shoveling was not the worst part of the blizzard. Shortly after 11 p.m. on Friday night, we lost power. I only happen to know the time because I was up late watching a movie on my laptop. For anyone curious, I watched Fright Night. The reboot was actually pretty entertaining. I enjoyed the movie. But while the movie was playing on my laptop, I noticed the power went out throughout the house. Thankfully, I still had enough battery power in my laptop to finish the movie. Just kidding.
But for most of Saturday, we were without power... which I suppose made shoveling that much more bearable since it was something to do to kill the time. The down side of course... heat. My house runs on electricity, including the heat. If it were just Karen and I, we'd probably have no problem because we could always just wear layers and layers of clothing to keep warm. Well, I'd probably have no problem. Karen gets cold easily. But when kids are involved, that's when things get a little tricky. Truth be told, I was starting to get a little concerned after a while for my eleven month old daughter (Bridget).
Luckily, my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) had power during the blizzard. Not only did she have power, she had heat. So off we went to her place, just as the driving ban was being lifted by the governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. I always knew Janine was my favorite. It probably should go without saying that it's good to know that we have a bunch of good friends and family who are willing to help us during times of need. So thank you everyone.
Anyway, it definitely felt nice to take a nice warm shower at Janine's. My two year old daughter (Briana) had a blast playing with her cousins and her auntie. It was a great time. Interestingly enough, Bridget took her first steps at Janine's. Similarly, Briana also took her first steps shortly after being at Janine's when she was learning to walk. That was yesterday.
So as to not wear out our welcome, we packed our things and headed to my parents in Quincy today. After all, the town of Norwell was not supposed to get power until three days from now... Wednesday. Things were looking pretty grim, not only because the temperature in our house had fallen to 40 degrees, but because living with my parents until Wednesday wasn't too high on my list. Don't get me wrong, I love my parents. But spending that much time with them may drive me crazy. Yes, I know. I'm a terrible son.
Anyway, my parents definitely enjoyed seeing Briana and Bridget. They were extremely happy because today is Chinese New Year (the year of the snake) and they thought it was such a nice way to start the year off. The "nice" part being the fact that they got to spend time with Briana and Bridget, not the fact that there was a blizzard that wreaked havoc. I think my parents get all giddy whenever Briana and Bridget are around. It's cute.
While at my parents, my neighbor (George) called telling me that power was restored to our neighborhood. That was exciting news. Thank you Stop and Shop for being so nearby. I am guessing that may have benefited us. Truth be told, I think my parents were slightly disappointed to see us go home, probably because they wanted to spend more time with Briana and Bridget. But at least they got to spend some time with them, right?
All in all, it has been a crazy weekend. Thank you again to everyone who was involved in helping us. I hope the best for those who still do not have power from the blizzard.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
I Suck At Ted
On Sunday, my friend (Andrea also known as Rachel) invited my friends (Marc and Kelley), my BFF (Kerry) and I over to her place to watch a movie. That movie: Ted. Now, I suck at Ted.
The movie Ted actually has some significance for Andrea, Kerry and I. After all, the three of us took part in being extras for the filming of the movie. Granted, the scene in the movie only lasted a few seconds and we really couldn't be seen in the shots... but nonetheless we took part in the making of the movie.
Anyway since Karen had no interest in the movie, she decided to watch our kids while I went to watch the movie. And truthfully, I think Karen wanted some quality sister time with my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) whose family has been staying with us the past few days.
It turns out that Janine's husband (PJ) had closed the chimney flue shortly after using the fireplace on Christmas Day. Somehow that caused the items in the chimney to smolder. From there, the smoke essentially filled their house and set off all of their fire alarms.
Thankfully, no one was hurt. And luckily, they had returned back to their house before the smoldering fire got worse. Things could have been a lot worse for them. Needless to say, Janine, my niece (Kaleigh) and my nephew (PJ) have been staying with us since Friday.
The movie, Ted, however, was okay. It was silly fun, which was to be expected. Plus, it was good to hang out with everyone without feeling like I had to always make sure that neither my two year old daughter or my ten month old daughter were doing things they shouldn't be doing.
The movie Ted actually has some significance for Andrea, Kerry and I. After all, the three of us took part in being extras for the filming of the movie. Granted, the scene in the movie only lasted a few seconds and we really couldn't be seen in the shots... but nonetheless we took part in the making of the movie.
Anyway since Karen had no interest in the movie, she decided to watch our kids while I went to watch the movie. And truthfully, I think Karen wanted some quality sister time with my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) whose family has been staying with us the past few days.
It turns out that Janine's husband (PJ) had closed the chimney flue shortly after using the fireplace on Christmas Day. Somehow that caused the items in the chimney to smolder. From there, the smoke essentially filled their house and set off all of their fire alarms.
Thankfully, no one was hurt. And luckily, they had returned back to their house before the smoldering fire got worse. Things could have been a lot worse for them. Needless to say, Janine, my niece (Kaleigh) and my nephew (PJ) have been staying with us since Friday.
The movie, Ted, however, was okay. It was silly fun, which was to be expected. Plus, it was good to hang out with everyone without feeling like I had to always make sure that neither my two year old daughter or my ten month old daughter were doing things they shouldn't be doing.
Friday, December 28, 2012
I Suck At Christmas
I had a great time on Christmas. Too bad I suck at Christmas. Like my two year old daughter (Briana) said this year, "best Christmas ever". Okay, so maybe it's not the best ever.
As a father though, this year was really nice because Briana simply enjoys Christmas. Even though she seems scared stiff of Santa, she seems to understand that he brings gifts to the good girls and boys and all of that. So needless to say, she was quite excited on Christmas morning.
This year, Karen and I hosted Christmas. It was a small gathering, consisting of our respective parents. But it was a good time. I think both of our parents enjoyed seeing Briana and my ten month old (Bridget) playing with their toys.
Later that night, we headed over to my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine) to celebrate Christmas with her and her family. And by we, I mean my family and Karen's parents. Luckily, I didn't have to kick my parents out on Christmas to make Janine's.
Needless to say, it was an interesting time at my favorite sister-in-law's. I got to school my little niece (Kaleigh) in Just Dance 4. Yep, I have moves. Or perhaps I can only bust a move to "Call Me Maybe" because I got schooled in subsequent dance offs against Janine and Karen. I think Karen may be addicted to the game now. Or maybe she's just a dancing machine.
As a father though, this year was really nice because Briana simply enjoys Christmas. Even though she seems scared stiff of Santa, she seems to understand that he brings gifts to the good girls and boys and all of that. So needless to say, she was quite excited on Christmas morning.
This year, Karen and I hosted Christmas. It was a small gathering, consisting of our respective parents. But it was a good time. I think both of our parents enjoyed seeing Briana and my ten month old (Bridget) playing with their toys.
Later that night, we headed over to my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine) to celebrate Christmas with her and her family. And by we, I mean my family and Karen's parents. Luckily, I didn't have to kick my parents out on Christmas to make Janine's.
Needless to say, it was an interesting time at my favorite sister-in-law's. I got to school my little niece (Kaleigh) in Just Dance 4. Yep, I have moves. Or perhaps I can only bust a move to "Call Me Maybe" because I got schooled in subsequent dance offs against Janine and Karen. I think Karen may be addicted to the game now. Or maybe she's just a dancing machine.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
I Suck At Birthdays
On Sunday, Karen, my two year old daughter (Briana), my eight month old (Bridget), and I celebrated my father-in-law's birthday. Also joining in on the festivities were my favorite sister-in-law (Janine), my niece (Kaleigh), and my nephew (PJ). My mother-in-law, who we were not certain would be attending, was also there. She had been feeling a little under the weather the night before.
Anyway, I suck at birthdays. In celebration of my father-in-law's birthday, we went to Quan's Kitchen in Hanover. Needless to say, it was a good time at Quan's. The staff at Quan's just absolutely loved Briana and Bridget. Briana managed to even get some special treatment from her peeps by getting additional fortune cookies.
Like I said, Quan's Kitchen was a good time. Following Quan's, everyone headed back to our house for presents and cake. And I must say, the Friendly's ice cream cake was delicious. Yum! I think I'm going to have to request it when my birthday comes around. Mark your calendars. Just kidding.
Anyway, I suck at birthdays. In celebration of my father-in-law's birthday, we went to Quan's Kitchen in Hanover. Needless to say, it was a good time at Quan's. The staff at Quan's just absolutely loved Briana and Bridget. Briana managed to even get some special treatment from her peeps by getting additional fortune cookies.
Like I said, Quan's Kitchen was a good time. Following Quan's, everyone headed back to our house for presents and cake. And I must say, the Friendly's ice cream cake was delicious. Yum! I think I'm going to have to request it when my birthday comes around. Mark your calendars. Just kidding.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
I Suck At Hotel Transylvania
On Sunday, Karen and I took my nephew (PJ) out for his birthday. For several years now, Karen and I have take our niece (Kaleigh) and nephew out for their respective birthdays instead of giving them material gifts. After all, there's only so much collective junk that a kid can get at such a young age, right? And it just so happens that Sunday was the day for PJ.
Incidentally, my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) wanted to do the same thing for our daughter (Briana). Let's just say, I think that plan may be on hold since Briana's birthday was back in March... and it's now October.
Anyway, PJ wanted to watch the movie, Hotel Transylvania in 3-D for his birthday. Now, I suck at Hotel Transylvania. For Karen, it was her first time watching a movie in 3-D. And I must say, I thought the movie was cute. In fact, I would say the film is definitely one of Adam Sandler's better movies, which isn't saying too much considering Adam Sandler's recent string of movies. Needless to say, Hotel Transylvania was an enjoyable movie.
From there, we headed over to the nearby Hanover mall to feed PJ's addiction to "the claw". For some reason, PJ is addicted to claw machines. For anyone curious, he did not win anything from the claw machine. He would have gone to the arcade at the mall too, were it not for the fact that he had an ice cream in his hand. The arcade at the mall does not allow food or drinks.
I was quite surprised that PJ was actually willing to dump his hardly eaten ice cream just to go to the arcade. To me, that is such a wasteful mindset. Hingham (shake fist). Needless to say, we did not go to the arcade.
Anyway, following the mall, we ended up back at our house where Janine and Kaleigh were watching Briana and our seven month old daughter (Bridget). They ended up staying for dinner too... a nice home-made dinner (hint Karlene... just kidding).
It was quite fun as we watched a few video clips on YouTube on our smart television. It turns out Kaleigh is into One Direction. In fact, she seems to know a lot of pop music these days. They grow up so quickly. Regardless, it was a nice time and I think PJ enjoyed the day even if he didn't win anything at the claw machine or go to the arcade. Perhaps next year.
Incidentally, my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) wanted to do the same thing for our daughter (Briana). Let's just say, I think that plan may be on hold since Briana's birthday was back in March... and it's now October.
Anyway, PJ wanted to watch the movie, Hotel Transylvania in 3-D for his birthday. Now, I suck at Hotel Transylvania. For Karen, it was her first time watching a movie in 3-D. And I must say, I thought the movie was cute. In fact, I would say the film is definitely one of Adam Sandler's better movies, which isn't saying too much considering Adam Sandler's recent string of movies. Needless to say, Hotel Transylvania was an enjoyable movie.
From there, we headed over to the nearby Hanover mall to feed PJ's addiction to "the claw". For some reason, PJ is addicted to claw machines. For anyone curious, he did not win anything from the claw machine. He would have gone to the arcade at the mall too, were it not for the fact that he had an ice cream in his hand. The arcade at the mall does not allow food or drinks.
I was quite surprised that PJ was actually willing to dump his hardly eaten ice cream just to go to the arcade. To me, that is such a wasteful mindset. Hingham (shake fist). Needless to say, we did not go to the arcade.
Anyway, following the mall, we ended up back at our house where Janine and Kaleigh were watching Briana and our seven month old daughter (Bridget). They ended up staying for dinner too... a nice home-made dinner (hint Karlene... just kidding).
It was quite fun as we watched a few video clips on YouTube on our smart television. It turns out Kaleigh is into One Direction. In fact, she seems to know a lot of pop music these days. They grow up so quickly. Regardless, it was a nice time and I think PJ enjoyed the day even if he didn't win anything at the claw machine or go to the arcade. Perhaps next year.
Friday, October 12, 2012
I Suck At Flu Shots
I've been slacking off of late. I haven't written a post in quite some time, mostly because I have been lacking the time to do so. But today, I just had to make time for a post because something comical happened to me today.
Before I write about today, however, I'll quickly recap all of the things that I had missed since my last post.
Wednesday: (at least I think it was Wednesday) Karen, my two year old daughter (Briana), my seven month old daughter (Bridget) and I went to Wild Willy's Burger located in Quincy. My friend (Marc) apparently had been craving Wild Willy's. So he, my friends (Kelley, Andrea, and Sam), and my BFF (Kerry) went to satisfy his cravings. As usual, the food there was very delicious. I had the "all natural" burger, which was a burger made from cows fed a vegetarian diet. It was quite delicious! Probably the most memorable part of the night was my attempt to give Bridget a strawberry allergy by giving her a taste of my strawberry shake. For anyone curious, she was fine... no allergy... yet. Aside from that, the only thing I really remember from that night was heading back to Marc and Kelley's afterward and possibly scaring Andrea by mentioning she may have a ghost in her basement... her dark basement... which wouldn't be scary otherwise were it not for the fact that she could possibly be alone in the dark basement with the ghost. (Yes, I'm a jerk... but it's almost Halloween.)
Saturday: My friends (Garv and Leeann) decided to have a whiskey/fire pit night. The original idea came about as Andrea really wanted Garv to host a night to show off the fire pit. Interestingly enough, Andrea could not attend the shin dig that she was instrumental in cajoling. Attending the party were my friends (Cass and Ellen), Marc, Kelley, and Kerry. As usual, it was a fun time, if you throw out the part of where I got lost driving to Garv and Leeann's. I knew I should have taken that left turn at Albuquergue. Oops. Regardless, it was a fun time even if most of my time was spent with the ever active Briana.
Sunday: Completing my Marc and Kerry weekend was breakfast at Stars on Hingham Harbor in... Hingham. As usual, the food there was delicious. Truth be told, I was not even sure if I were supposed to go to breakfast that Sunday. Originally, Karen told me that her, Kerry and my friend (Jen) were meeting there for breakfast. Thus, I wasn't sure if it were a girls' thing or not. Luckily for me, Marc was also invited (on Saturday night). So I figured it was an open invite. Needless to say, the food was delicious as usual, and it was good to hang out and see Jen.
Following breakfast, Karen, Briana, Bridget, and I went to my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine) to celebrate my nephew's (PJ) birthday. The theme for the party was sharks. It was an interesting party. I'll leave it at that. I've never been good at being fake around people, especially people who I may have grudges against. I usually don't hold grudges, but sometimes I just can't let it go when it relates to my son (Braden) who passed away. Luckily for me, I don't have to see them all that often.
Yesterday: Last night, Marc and Kelley had us over for our usual weekly get together. Joining in on the fun were Andrea and Kerry. We basically just hung out and had some laughs. One of the topics of conversation that came up was my stellar fashion sense. For those who don't know, I will wear something until it literally falls apart. I've never been big into clothes as evident from my t-shirt/shorts attire. The topic came about because I was wearing a t-shirt that is older than most teenagers. Eventually, that led to my regimen of wearing certain dress clothes on certain days... which only has been restarted since my current employer has a business casual dress code. It should be noted that I dislike dress codes. After all, I'm a t-shirt and shorts type of guy.
Anyway, all of that has led to today where my daughters had to get a flu shot. Too bad I suck at flu shots. In fact, I suck so badly that I have never had a flu shot as an adult. Yes, I put a hefty price on my antibodies.
Needless to say, Bridget was not a fan at all of the shot as she immediately started crying. Briana, on the hand, was one tough cookie. The needle didn't faze her at all. So in celebration of flu shots (Yay flu shots), we went out to Bertucci's in Hingham for dinner.
And it was not until I went to the bathroom at Bertucci's did I realize... I had a big gaping tear in my dress pants. The tear was from the inseam across one of the butt cheeks. I have no idea how long the tear was there. The pants were fine this morning. The pants were fine when I got home. Either the tear happened at the doctors' office or at Bertucci's. Either way, I'm sure someone got a nice look at my styling boxers. Good thing I wasn't going commando.
Anyway, I got a good chuckle when I got home to see just how big the gaping hole was. I guess now I can introduce a new pair of pants into my stylish wardrobe routine for work.
Before I write about today, however, I'll quickly recap all of the things that I had missed since my last post.
Wednesday: (at least I think it was Wednesday) Karen, my two year old daughter (Briana), my seven month old daughter (Bridget) and I went to Wild Willy's Burger located in Quincy. My friend (Marc) apparently had been craving Wild Willy's. So he, my friends (Kelley, Andrea, and Sam), and my BFF (Kerry) went to satisfy his cravings. As usual, the food there was very delicious. I had the "all natural" burger, which was a burger made from cows fed a vegetarian diet. It was quite delicious! Probably the most memorable part of the night was my attempt to give Bridget a strawberry allergy by giving her a taste of my strawberry shake. For anyone curious, she was fine... no allergy... yet. Aside from that, the only thing I really remember from that night was heading back to Marc and Kelley's afterward and possibly scaring Andrea by mentioning she may have a ghost in her basement... her dark basement... which wouldn't be scary otherwise were it not for the fact that she could possibly be alone in the dark basement with the ghost. (Yes, I'm a jerk... but it's almost Halloween.)
Saturday: My friends (Garv and Leeann) decided to have a whiskey/fire pit night. The original idea came about as Andrea really wanted Garv to host a night to show off the fire pit. Interestingly enough, Andrea could not attend the shin dig that she was instrumental in cajoling. Attending the party were my friends (Cass and Ellen), Marc, Kelley, and Kerry. As usual, it was a fun time, if you throw out the part of where I got lost driving to Garv and Leeann's. I knew I should have taken that left turn at Albuquergue. Oops. Regardless, it was a fun time even if most of my time was spent with the ever active Briana.
Sunday: Completing my Marc and Kerry weekend was breakfast at Stars on Hingham Harbor in... Hingham. As usual, the food there was delicious. Truth be told, I was not even sure if I were supposed to go to breakfast that Sunday. Originally, Karen told me that her, Kerry and my friend (Jen) were meeting there for breakfast. Thus, I wasn't sure if it were a girls' thing or not. Luckily for me, Marc was also invited (on Saturday night). So I figured it was an open invite. Needless to say, the food was delicious as usual, and it was good to hang out and see Jen.
Following breakfast, Karen, Briana, Bridget, and I went to my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine) to celebrate my nephew's (PJ) birthday. The theme for the party was sharks. It was an interesting party. I'll leave it at that. I've never been good at being fake around people, especially people who I may have grudges against. I usually don't hold grudges, but sometimes I just can't let it go when it relates to my son (Braden) who passed away. Luckily for me, I don't have to see them all that often.
Yesterday: Last night, Marc and Kelley had us over for our usual weekly get together. Joining in on the fun were Andrea and Kerry. We basically just hung out and had some laughs. One of the topics of conversation that came up was my stellar fashion sense. For those who don't know, I will wear something until it literally falls apart. I've never been big into clothes as evident from my t-shirt/shorts attire. The topic came about because I was wearing a t-shirt that is older than most teenagers. Eventually, that led to my regimen of wearing certain dress clothes on certain days... which only has been restarted since my current employer has a business casual dress code. It should be noted that I dislike dress codes. After all, I'm a t-shirt and shorts type of guy.
Anyway, all of that has led to today where my daughters had to get a flu shot. Too bad I suck at flu shots. In fact, I suck so badly that I have never had a flu shot as an adult. Yes, I put a hefty price on my antibodies.
Needless to say, Bridget was not a fan at all of the shot as she immediately started crying. Briana, on the hand, was one tough cookie. The needle didn't faze her at all. So in celebration of flu shots (Yay flu shots), we went out to Bertucci's in Hingham for dinner.
And it was not until I went to the bathroom at Bertucci's did I realize... I had a big gaping tear in my dress pants. The tear was from the inseam across one of the butt cheeks. I have no idea how long the tear was there. The pants were fine this morning. The pants were fine when I got home. Either the tear happened at the doctors' office or at Bertucci's. Either way, I'm sure someone got a nice look at my styling boxers. Good thing I wasn't going commando.
Anyway, I got a good chuckle when I got home to see just how big the gaping hole was. I guess now I can introduce a new pair of pants into my stylish wardrobe routine for work.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
I Suck At Apple Picking
This past Sunday, Karen, my two year old daughter (Briana), my six month old daughter (Bridget) and I went apple picking. Sadly, I suck at apple picking.
We ended up going to C. N. Smith Farm located in East Bridgewater. It actually turned out to be a family outing as well since my mother-in-law, father-in-law, my favorite sister-in-law (Janine), my niece (Kaleigh), and my nephew (PJ) went too.
Truth be told, it probably took us longer to get there than to actually pick apples. Of course, we took an extended route since... I knew I should have taken that left turn at Alberquerque. (By the way, Route 123 intersects Route 18... who knew?) Nevertheless, traffic getting into the farm was a little busy.
The picking of the apples did go by pretty quickly. For a while, it looked like Briana would only pick one... and only one... apple, but she ended up picking a few more as the day went on. I think it helped that I sat her on my shoulders for the first time to pick those hard to reach apples. Of course, Briana was probably jealous that I had Kaleigh on my shoulders to pick apples at one point as well.
Anyway, it turned out to be a good day to pick apples. As an interesting side note, we ran into our friend (Jenny) at the farm stand. The farm stand was tiny, but it had a cow, sheep, and chickens milling about. It is also located near the family photo area where you can stick your head through the hole for pictures.
It was actually there where we saw Jenny and her family. It was nice seeing her. Jenny used to own a day care, but she recently gave it up to work for Early Intervention. She seems to be enjoying her job, which is good.
All in all, it was a fun family day at C N. Smith Farm.
We ended up going to C. N. Smith Farm located in East Bridgewater. It actually turned out to be a family outing as well since my mother-in-law, father-in-law, my favorite sister-in-law (Janine), my niece (Kaleigh), and my nephew (PJ) went too.
Truth be told, it probably took us longer to get there than to actually pick apples. Of course, we took an extended route since... I knew I should have taken that left turn at Alberquerque. (By the way, Route 123 intersects Route 18... who knew?) Nevertheless, traffic getting into the farm was a little busy.
The picking of the apples did go by pretty quickly. For a while, it looked like Briana would only pick one... and only one... apple, but she ended up picking a few more as the day went on. I think it helped that I sat her on my shoulders for the first time to pick those hard to reach apples. Of course, Briana was probably jealous that I had Kaleigh on my shoulders to pick apples at one point as well.
Anyway, it turned out to be a good day to pick apples. As an interesting side note, we ran into our friend (Jenny) at the farm stand. The farm stand was tiny, but it had a cow, sheep, and chickens milling about. It is also located near the family photo area where you can stick your head through the hole for pictures.
It was actually there where we saw Jenny and her family. It was nice seeing her. Jenny used to own a day care, but she recently gave it up to work for Early Intervention. She seems to be enjoying her job, which is good.
All in all, it was a fun family day at C N. Smith Farm.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
I Suck At Celebrating Nana's Birthday
On Sunday, my in-laws celebrated Karen's grandmother's birthday. Nana, as she is more commonly known as, turned the ripe old age of 90. Granted, she turned 90 several weeks ago. The party, however, was moved to this past Sunday to accommodate Karen's southern relatives. And as it turns out, none of the southern relatives could make it anyway. So moving the date of the celebration was... well... in my opinion... pointless.
That is just my opinion. I guess you can say that I suck at celebrating Nana's birthday. The celebration was nice. It was good to see my in-laws.
Truth be told, I don't really remember any topics of discussion. Of course, it didn't help that I was seated away from everyone because my two year old daughter (Briana) wanted to sit at a specific spot. That spot was on the other side of the room...
One of the things I do remember, of course, is taking Briana to "potty" at the nursing home where the birthday celebration was held. I remember it only because I think the same thing every time I am in the bathroom at Marion Manor: don't touch anything. Of course, I think that at most public bathrooms but nursing homes and hospitals more so.
You can probably imagine the cringe I feel when Briana attempts to use the potty at the nursing home.
My bizarre germ behavior aside, it was a nice celebration. I think Nana enjoyed seeing everyone there. Happy birthday Nana!
That is just my opinion. I guess you can say that I suck at celebrating Nana's birthday. The celebration was nice. It was good to see my in-laws.
Truth be told, I don't really remember any topics of discussion. Of course, it didn't help that I was seated away from everyone because my two year old daughter (Briana) wanted to sit at a specific spot. That spot was on the other side of the room...
One of the things I do remember, of course, is taking Briana to "potty" at the nursing home where the birthday celebration was held. I remember it only because I think the same thing every time I am in the bathroom at Marion Manor: don't touch anything. Of course, I think that at most public bathrooms but nursing homes and hospitals more so.
You can probably imagine the cringe I feel when Briana attempts to use the potty at the nursing home.
My bizarre germ behavior aside, it was a nice celebration. I think Nana enjoyed seeing everyone there. Happy birthday Nana!
Sunday, July 22, 2012
I Suck At The 99 Restaurant
On Friday, Karen and I decided to take our two year old daughter (Briana) and our five month old daughter (Bridget) out for dinner. Truth be told, we were both feeling a little lazy on Friday when it came to dinner. So dining out it was.
And thanks to Cody Ross and the Red Sox, we ended up at the 99 Restaurant. For anyone who does not know, kids eat free the day after a Red Sox victory. It was looking pretty bleak for the Red Sox on Thursday night as they trailed in the bottom of the ninth inning, but Cody Ross pulled it off. Unfortunately, I suck at the 99 Restaurant.
Truth be told, it was a nice dinner. I had been craving a burger for some time, so I ordered the Brewhouse Burger. Sadly, the most notable part of dinner involved Briana only because it was the first time she ever threw up solid food. And of course, it had to be at a restaurant.
Briana was good though. I think she just had too much in her mouth at one time and it just went down the wrong way. Consequently, up came a lot of the food she had eaten. She seemed totally unfazed by the entire thing because she started eating the rest of her food as though nothing happened.
And since we were in the neighborhood, we stopped by my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine) after dinner. Janine and PJ were grilling pizza for dinner. Janine's BFF (Gretchen) was also there with her niece, whom she had been watching for the past few days.
It was an interesting time at Janine's. One of the topics of conversation that came up was the Cookie Monster parody of Carly Rae Jepsen's song. For anyone curious, the following is that particular parody. Sesame Street is so clever.
And to cap off the night, PJ had a mini fireworks display for the kids. It was definitely a nice way to end the night.
And thanks to Cody Ross and the Red Sox, we ended up at the 99 Restaurant. For anyone who does not know, kids eat free the day after a Red Sox victory. It was looking pretty bleak for the Red Sox on Thursday night as they trailed in the bottom of the ninth inning, but Cody Ross pulled it off. Unfortunately, I suck at the 99 Restaurant.
Truth be told, it was a nice dinner. I had been craving a burger for some time, so I ordered the Brewhouse Burger. Sadly, the most notable part of dinner involved Briana only because it was the first time she ever threw up solid food. And of course, it had to be at a restaurant.
Briana was good though. I think she just had too much in her mouth at one time and it just went down the wrong way. Consequently, up came a lot of the food she had eaten. She seemed totally unfazed by the entire thing because she started eating the rest of her food as though nothing happened.
And since we were in the neighborhood, we stopped by my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine) after dinner. Janine and PJ were grilling pizza for dinner. Janine's BFF (Gretchen) was also there with her niece, whom she had been watching for the past few days.
It was an interesting time at Janine's. One of the topics of conversation that came up was the Cookie Monster parody of Carly Rae Jepsen's song. For anyone curious, the following is that particular parody. Sesame Street is so clever.
And to cap off the night, PJ had a mini fireworks display for the kids. It was definitely a nice way to end the night.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
I Suck At Brave
Today, Karen and I took my niece (Kaleigh) out for her birthday. It has been one of the few family traditions that I actually enjoy.
Ever since my niece and nephew were young, Karen and I decided that we would do something with them for their respective birthdays until they no longer wanted us to do so. It was a way for us to give a gift of a memory, as opposed to just giving them some secular toy or whatever that would most likely collect dust after a few years and become clutter.
Lucky for us, neither Karen nor I have reached that stage yet for my niece and nephew where we are uncool to hang out with. So today, we ended up taking Kaleigh to see the latest Disney Pixar film: Brave. Now, I suck at Brave.
Without giving anything away, I enjoyed the movie. Plus, we got to see the trailer for another upcoming animated movie with a video game theme that looked pretty funny as well: Wreck-It Ralph. And although I can't say for certain, I think Karen may have shed a tear during one of the more touching mother/daughter scenes of the movie.
My father-in-law also joined us for the movie. He has been wanting to see Brave. Originally, he was planning to take my niece and nephew to the movie, but apparently Karen and I threw a wrench into that plan. Consequently, he came with us to the movie which was somewhat comical because Kaleigh imposed a rule for my father-in-law: no talking during the movie.
And after the movie, we headed to one of Kaleigh's favorite dining spots for lunch: the 99 Restaurant. It was fun to hang out with just Kaleigh. And of course, no birthday celebration would be complete without having the staff of the 99 sing Happy Birthday to Kaleigh, right? Needless to say, the staff was very accommodating.
I probably should mention that Kaleigh's birthday was two months ago. Two months ago, the plan was to do something else entirely. But since my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) never provided us with an available date to take her out back then, we waited... and waited... until the timeframe for celebration became a little absurd.
Incidentally, Janine wanted to do a similar tradition with my two year old daughter (Briana). She had been talking about taking Briana to the zoo. That was almost four months ago and she hasn't gone. So at least our delayed birthday celebration for Kaleigh isn't as bad in comparison.
All in all, I think Kaleigh had a good time watching Brave and having lunch with us, which is what is important. She even got to spend some additional time with us as we watched her and my nephew for a few hours while Janine went to the movies herself with PJ and her BFF (Gretchen).
Ever since my niece and nephew were young, Karen and I decided that we would do something with them for their respective birthdays until they no longer wanted us to do so. It was a way for us to give a gift of a memory, as opposed to just giving them some secular toy or whatever that would most likely collect dust after a few years and become clutter.
Lucky for us, neither Karen nor I have reached that stage yet for my niece and nephew where we are uncool to hang out with. So today, we ended up taking Kaleigh to see the latest Disney Pixar film: Brave. Now, I suck at Brave.
Without giving anything away, I enjoyed the movie. Plus, we got to see the trailer for another upcoming animated movie with a video game theme that looked pretty funny as well: Wreck-It Ralph. And although I can't say for certain, I think Karen may have shed a tear during one of the more touching mother/daughter scenes of the movie.
My father-in-law also joined us for the movie. He has been wanting to see Brave. Originally, he was planning to take my niece and nephew to the movie, but apparently Karen and I threw a wrench into that plan. Consequently, he came with us to the movie which was somewhat comical because Kaleigh imposed a rule for my father-in-law: no talking during the movie.
And after the movie, we headed to one of Kaleigh's favorite dining spots for lunch: the 99 Restaurant. It was fun to hang out with just Kaleigh. And of course, no birthday celebration would be complete without having the staff of the 99 sing Happy Birthday to Kaleigh, right? Needless to say, the staff was very accommodating.
I probably should mention that Kaleigh's birthday was two months ago. Two months ago, the plan was to do something else entirely. But since my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) never provided us with an available date to take her out back then, we waited... and waited... until the timeframe for celebration became a little absurd.
Incidentally, Janine wanted to do a similar tradition with my two year old daughter (Briana). She had been talking about taking Briana to the zoo. That was almost four months ago and she hasn't gone. So at least our delayed birthday celebration for Kaleigh isn't as bad in comparison.
All in all, I think Kaleigh had a good time watching Brave and having lunch with us, which is what is important. She even got to spend some additional time with us as we watched her and my nephew for a few hours while Janine went to the movies herself with PJ and her BFF (Gretchen).
Saturday, June 16, 2012
I Suck At Amazon
Thankfully, today is Friday. This week seemed too long in part because I think I may be overtired. After all, I careless purchased an MP3 from Amazon in the wee hours of night last night. I normally do not purchase digital media at all. So that right there may have been a good indication of my tiredness.
For anyone curious, I purchased "Pictures of You" by The Last Goodnight. The funny thing is, I already have the song in my library prior to making the purchase. So now I have two. Oh well. I guess you can say I suck at Amazon. Sadly, I can't even explain it. I apparently went a little too click happy with my mouse. A few clicks here. A few clicks there. Lo and behold, I made a purchase by accident.
My original intent was to look through Amazon's MP3 download library because I came upon a promotion code that provided a $2 credit which actually expired today. Who knew the promotion code would end up costing me? Oops.
Anyway, today was a good day. After all, it's Friday... Friday... gotta get down on Friday. Just kidding.
Karen and I took our two year old daughter (Briana) and three month old daughter (Bridget) out for some yummy goodness at Pinkberry in Hingham. I haven't been to Pinkberry since the place first opened at the Derby Shoppes. So it was good to go back and enjoy it. For anyone curious, Pinkberry has a peanut butter flavored frozen yogurt. We got to sample it. It was good... like peanut butter.
And following Pinkberry and a quick walk around the Derby Shoppes where Briana fell on her face, we took them to see my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) and her family. For anyone curious, Briana is okay. She has a mark on her face now.
It was good to see Janine, PJ, my nephew (PJ), and my niece (Kaleigh). Karen and Janine discussed couponing. Janine also had a fruit fly issue at work because the laptop bag they gave her contained banana remnants from its previous owner. Gross, yes.
We didn't stay long, but it was a nice way to end the day for Briana and Bridget.
For anyone curious, I purchased "Pictures of You" by The Last Goodnight. The funny thing is, I already have the song in my library prior to making the purchase. So now I have two. Oh well. I guess you can say I suck at Amazon. Sadly, I can't even explain it. I apparently went a little too click happy with my mouse. A few clicks here. A few clicks there. Lo and behold, I made a purchase by accident.
My original intent was to look through Amazon's MP3 download library because I came upon a promotion code that provided a $2 credit which actually expired today. Who knew the promotion code would end up costing me? Oops.
Anyway, today was a good day. After all, it's Friday... Friday... gotta get down on Friday. Just kidding.
Karen and I took our two year old daughter (Briana) and three month old daughter (Bridget) out for some yummy goodness at Pinkberry in Hingham. I haven't been to Pinkberry since the place first opened at the Derby Shoppes. So it was good to go back and enjoy it. For anyone curious, Pinkberry has a peanut butter flavored frozen yogurt. We got to sample it. It was good... like peanut butter.
And following Pinkberry and a quick walk around the Derby Shoppes where Briana fell on her face, we took them to see my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) and her family. For anyone curious, Briana is okay. She has a mark on her face now.
It was good to see Janine, PJ, my nephew (PJ), and my niece (Kaleigh). Karen and Janine discussed couponing. Janine also had a fruit fly issue at work because the laptop bag they gave her contained banana remnants from its previous owner. Gross, yes.
We didn't stay long, but it was a nice way to end the day for Briana and Bridget.
Monday, June 4, 2012
I Suck At Beauty And The Beast
Surprisingly, the most interesting part of Saturday was not the birthday party celebration for Karen's grandmother who turned the ripe old age of 91. Don't get me wrong. The celebration, which was held in Dedham, was a nice event.
There were a whole slew of people at the party which included my mother-in-law, my father-in-law, my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) and her family. There were also a bunch of other relatives on Karen's father's side that she hardly sees who were also in attendance.
And like many other outings, I spent much if not all of the event doing the parental thing as my two year old daughter (Briana) wanted to run around and play on the lawn in the drizzling rain. Fun. It appears though that the hot topic of the party seemed to be the fact that Karen's grandfather's brother looked exactly like Karen's deceased grandfather. At least, that is what I have been told.
Needless to say, I think Karen's grandmother had a good time which is all that matters. Following the party, Karen and I got sucked into a movie when the kids went to bed. It was sort of an impromptu date night. Getting sucked into a movie rarely happens in my household, primarily because Karen doesn't watch as many movies as I do. But there we were on Saturday, sitting in the couch and glued to the television.
The movie that we were so intent on watching was Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Now, I suck at Beauty and the Beast. It just so happened that ABC Family was showing the movie (back to back). Karen and I haven't watched Beauty and the Beast in quite some time. Surprisingly enough, we still knew most of the words to the songs and some parts of the movie. I don't know if that is sad or not.
Without a doubt though, Beauty and the Beast is one of Disney's better films. After all, the movie was the first animated film to ever be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. I'm still partial to the Little Mermaid which I have seen over 50 times. Beauty and the Beast, though, might be second on my list.
For anyone curious, back in 1991 when the movie was released, I saw Beauty and the Beast with my friends (Jenny and Robin). It was Jenny and Robin's feeble attempt at getting me to admit that the movie was better than the Little Mermaid. Even with my selective memory, I do remember watching that movie in the theaters with the two of them, probably because Robin gave me candy during the movie. I was a flirtatious youth back in the day. Now, I'm a crotchety old man shaking his fist at things like the irony of social networking making people anti-social when they are actually face to face.
Anyway, I had a blast watching Beauty and Beast again. It was definitely the highlight of my day on Saturday.
There were a whole slew of people at the party which included my mother-in-law, my father-in-law, my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) and her family. There were also a bunch of other relatives on Karen's father's side that she hardly sees who were also in attendance.
And like many other outings, I spent much if not all of the event doing the parental thing as my two year old daughter (Briana) wanted to run around and play on the lawn in the drizzling rain. Fun. It appears though that the hot topic of the party seemed to be the fact that Karen's grandfather's brother looked exactly like Karen's deceased grandfather. At least, that is what I have been told.
Needless to say, I think Karen's grandmother had a good time which is all that matters. Following the party, Karen and I got sucked into a movie when the kids went to bed. It was sort of an impromptu date night. Getting sucked into a movie rarely happens in my household, primarily because Karen doesn't watch as many movies as I do. But there we were on Saturday, sitting in the couch and glued to the television.
The movie that we were so intent on watching was Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Now, I suck at Beauty and the Beast. It just so happened that ABC Family was showing the movie (back to back). Karen and I haven't watched Beauty and the Beast in quite some time. Surprisingly enough, we still knew most of the words to the songs and some parts of the movie. I don't know if that is sad or not.
Without a doubt though, Beauty and the Beast is one of Disney's better films. After all, the movie was the first animated film to ever be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. I'm still partial to the Little Mermaid which I have seen over 50 times. Beauty and the Beast, though, might be second on my list.
For anyone curious, back in 1991 when the movie was released, I saw Beauty and the Beast with my friends (Jenny and Robin). It was Jenny and Robin's feeble attempt at getting me to admit that the movie was better than the Little Mermaid. Even with my selective memory, I do remember watching that movie in the theaters with the two of them, probably because Robin gave me candy during the movie. I was a flirtatious youth back in the day. Now, I'm a crotchety old man shaking his fist at things like the irony of social networking making people anti-social when they are actually face to face.
Anyway, I had a blast watching Beauty and Beast again. It was definitely the highlight of my day on Saturday.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
I Suck At Celebrating My Mother-In-Law's Birthday
This past Sunday, my family and I celebrated my mother-in-law's birthday. Too bad I suck at celebrating my mother-in-law's birthday. For the celebration, Karen's family took everyone out to Quan's Kitchen located in Hanover. Apparently, Chinese food has been a tradition when it comes to my mother-in-law's birthday celebration.
Joining in on the festivities were my favorite sister-in-law (Janine), my favorite niece (Kaleigh), and my favorite nephew (PJ). If it were a competition between son-in-laws, I scored some major son-in-law points on Sunday in part because PJ could not attend the celebration. I would say I'm up a few points by now. Just kidding.
Anyway, the food at Quan's Kitchen was quite delicious. I must say, the manager of the restaurant is very friendly. She came over to our table many times to ensure everything was good. Plus, I think she wanted to say hello to my two year old daughter (Briana). Incidentally, I think Briana likes the restaurant a lot.
I spent a good chunk of time at Quan's Kitchen walking around in circles up and down the aisle of tables with Briana. If she takes after Karen, she'll probably be a distance runner. Truth be told, I'm not sure how many laps I made around the tables. I lost count after 10.
Following the delicious lunch, everyone headed back to our place for dessert and presents. Turns out, my mother-in-law loves Martha Washington geraniums. Apparently, those geraniums are hard to find this season. Luckily, Karen was able to find one for her mother's birthday.
And what may be the most memorable part of the day for me is the look of joy my mother-in-law had when she saw her "Nana" t-shirt. My mother-in-law wants to be known as Nana to my kids (and my niece and nephew). Her claim, however, is that there are not a lot of shirts that use the term "Nana". Luckily again, Karen was able to find a shirt that mentioned "Nana". (Karen is such a good daughter, right?)
Anyway, I say the Nana t-shirt was the most memorable part of the day because I don't think I have ever heard my mother-in-law shriek with joy. If only I had recorded my mother-in-law's reaction... if only.
All in all, I think my mother-in-law had a great birthday celebration.
Joining in on the festivities were my favorite sister-in-law (Janine), my favorite niece (Kaleigh), and my favorite nephew (PJ). If it were a competition between son-in-laws, I scored some major son-in-law points on Sunday in part because PJ could not attend the celebration. I would say I'm up a few points by now. Just kidding.
Anyway, the food at Quan's Kitchen was quite delicious. I must say, the manager of the restaurant is very friendly. She came over to our table many times to ensure everything was good. Plus, I think she wanted to say hello to my two year old daughter (Briana). Incidentally, I think Briana likes the restaurant a lot.
I spent a good chunk of time at Quan's Kitchen walking around in circles up and down the aisle of tables with Briana. If she takes after Karen, she'll probably be a distance runner. Truth be told, I'm not sure how many laps I made around the tables. I lost count after 10.
Following the delicious lunch, everyone headed back to our place for dessert and presents. Turns out, my mother-in-law loves Martha Washington geraniums. Apparently, those geraniums are hard to find this season. Luckily, Karen was able to find one for her mother's birthday.
And what may be the most memorable part of the day for me is the look of joy my mother-in-law had when she saw her "Nana" t-shirt. My mother-in-law wants to be known as Nana to my kids (and my niece and nephew). Her claim, however, is that there are not a lot of shirts that use the term "Nana". Luckily again, Karen was able to find a shirt that mentioned "Nana". (Karen is such a good daughter, right?)
Anyway, I say the Nana t-shirt was the most memorable part of the day because I don't think I have ever heard my mother-in-law shriek with joy. If only I had recorded my mother-in-law's reaction... if only.
All in all, I think my mother-in-law had a great birthday celebration.
Monday, May 14, 2012
I Suck At Girls Night Out
Yesterday was a nice day.
I spent the late morning talking about solar energy, which for an enviro-nut like myself, was actually fun. I probably should clarify that. I really didn't do much talking about it. It was more like listening to a presentation about solar energy.
From the very beginning of my home ownership, I have always wanted to have solar panels on my house. Neighbors be damned! Just kidding. Going solar, especially the notion of being "off the grid", was always very intriguing. Unfortunately, going solar was always an expensive option that my measly income could never afford. The panels themselves were just too darn expensive to purchase outright.
Needless to say, thanks to my friends (Garv and Leeann), I learned about Solar City, which is a company that leases the panels to you. Not only do they lease the panels, they take care of everything solar panel-related. And heck, Google is one of their clients. If it's good enough for Google, it's good enough for me. Just kidding.
Anyway, it seems like solar panels will be in my foreseeable future. Yay solar! (And thanks Garv and Leeann.) Now if I can only figure out how to get a windmill on my postage stamp-sized property, that would be also cool too.
So how does one top off a day like that? Well, if you are me, you get to spend quality time with two members of the opposite sex. Hubba hubba. Unfortunately, those two members happen to be my two year old daughter (Briana) and my two month old daughter (Bridget). Yep, I got parenting duty Saturday night. It turns out, Karen had a planned girls night out. And since I suck at girls night out, I was more than happy to watch over my kids.
The night actually went by very quickly. After giving my kids each a bath, I was surprised by a spontaneous visit from my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) and her family. They happened to be in the neighborhood after eating out at the Tinker's Son located in Norwell. (Shake fist for making my starving family wait over an hour without any explanation!)
It was definitely a nice surprise, and one that apparently made the night go by quickly. All in all, it was a very good day.
I spent the late morning talking about solar energy, which for an enviro-nut like myself, was actually fun. I probably should clarify that. I really didn't do much talking about it. It was more like listening to a presentation about solar energy.
From the very beginning of my home ownership, I have always wanted to have solar panels on my house. Neighbors be damned! Just kidding. Going solar, especially the notion of being "off the grid", was always very intriguing. Unfortunately, going solar was always an expensive option that my measly income could never afford. The panels themselves were just too darn expensive to purchase outright.
Needless to say, thanks to my friends (Garv and Leeann), I learned about Solar City, which is a company that leases the panels to you. Not only do they lease the panels, they take care of everything solar panel-related. And heck, Google is one of their clients. If it's good enough for Google, it's good enough for me. Just kidding.
Anyway, it seems like solar panels will be in my foreseeable future. Yay solar! (And thanks Garv and Leeann.) Now if I can only figure out how to get a windmill on my postage stamp-sized property, that would be also cool too.
So how does one top off a day like that? Well, if you are me, you get to spend quality time with two members of the opposite sex. Hubba hubba. Unfortunately, those two members happen to be my two year old daughter (Briana) and my two month old daughter (Bridget). Yep, I got parenting duty Saturday night. It turns out, Karen had a planned girls night out. And since I suck at girls night out, I was more than happy to watch over my kids.
The night actually went by very quickly. After giving my kids each a bath, I was surprised by a spontaneous visit from my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) and her family. They happened to be in the neighborhood after eating out at the Tinker's Son located in Norwell. (Shake fist for making my starving family wait over an hour without any explanation!)
It was definitely a nice surprise, and one that apparently made the night go by quickly. All in all, it was a very good day.
I Suck At First Communion
I'm afraid I'm falling miserably behind with my postings. Seems like raising a two year old and two month old are harder than I thought. Just kidding.
Anyway, last Saturday was my niece's (Kaleigh) first communion. Yes, that is how far behind I am with my postings. I suck at first communion. It's not just because I still have original sin, which I do. I suck at first communion because I actually did not attend the service for Kaleigh. I undertook the parenting duties that Saturday so that Karen could attend.
Regardless, this year was a two-for-one deal. Not only did Kaleigh have a first communion party, she also had a birthday party as well. Luckily for me, I was able to attend the party following the church service.
The party was fun. Not only did I get to see my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) and her family, I got to see my mother-in-law, father-in-law, the Lowell contingent (Aunt Denise, Uncle Paul, Karlene, and Tommy), Karen's grandmother, Karen's Aunt Margie, and PJ's family. There were definitely a lot of people there on Saturday, that's for sure.
I remember thinking on Saturday night that I was going to write entirely about Tommy for this post, despite the whole "Jesus Saves" slogan concocted by PJ for banks to use. Tommy had mentioned how he only reads my blog to see his name. I thought that was kind of comical because I don't even read my blog and I'm in it. So in honor of Tommy, I wanted to put his name in. Here it is: Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy.
Kidding aside, the two-fer party was fun. It was good to see everyone, albeit briefly. I think I spent more time watching my two year old daughter (Briana) go up and down the slide an endless number of times than actually socialize, but it was fun.
Anyway, last Saturday was my niece's (Kaleigh) first communion. Yes, that is how far behind I am with my postings. I suck at first communion. It's not just because I still have original sin, which I do. I suck at first communion because I actually did not attend the service for Kaleigh. I undertook the parenting duties that Saturday so that Karen could attend.
Regardless, this year was a two-for-one deal. Not only did Kaleigh have a first communion party, she also had a birthday party as well. Luckily for me, I was able to attend the party following the church service.
The party was fun. Not only did I get to see my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) and her family, I got to see my mother-in-law, father-in-law, the Lowell contingent (Aunt Denise, Uncle Paul, Karlene, and Tommy), Karen's grandmother, Karen's Aunt Margie, and PJ's family. There were definitely a lot of people there on Saturday, that's for sure.
I remember thinking on Saturday night that I was going to write entirely about Tommy for this post, despite the whole "Jesus Saves" slogan concocted by PJ for banks to use. Tommy had mentioned how he only reads my blog to see his name. I thought that was kind of comical because I don't even read my blog and I'm in it. So in honor of Tommy, I wanted to put his name in. Here it is: Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy.
Kidding aside, the two-fer party was fun. It was good to see everyone, albeit briefly. I think I spent more time watching my two year old daughter (Briana) go up and down the slide an endless number of times than actually socialize, but it was fun.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
I Suck At Baptisms
This past Sunday, my seven week old daughter (Bridget) started down the path of hypocrisy and despair. Yep, Bridget was baptized on Sunday. Too bad I suck at baptisms.
In comparison to my two year old daughter's (Briana) baptism, I'm afraid I did not pay as much attention this time around to the sermons. The first time around, I learned all about the holy oils and the chi ro symbol, which really was not part of the sermon. Sadly, this time around I spent much of the sermon being distracted by Briana as she grew weary of being stuck in a pew for an extended period of time.
Don't get me wrong. I was still able to crack a smile when the priest mentioned the Oil of Catechumens, only because ever since Briana's baptism I have called it the Oil of Cat and Humans. Meow! But aside from that, I don't really remember much, which is sad considering I held Bridget the entire time. For the record, Bridget was very good during her baptism. Granted, she was asleep the entire time... even with water pouring on her head.
Anyway, following the baptism, everyone in attendance headed back to our house for a little celebration. Attending the shindig were Karen's relatives: her aunt (Denise) and uncle (Paul); her parents; my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) and her family (PJ, PJ, and Kaleigh); and Karen's Lowell-loving cousin... and Bridget's godparents (Karlene and Tommy). The turnout this time around was smaller than Briana's baptism, which only feeds into the notion that the younger child gets the short end of the stick on things.
Truth be told, I was a little disappointed that my parents couldn't make it. My mother is currently on vacation in Hong Kong visiting relatives. But at the end of the day, it's okay that they weren't there. After all, my parents are not religious at all, which was a blessing growing up.
All in all, I think everyone in attendance had a good time. It can be quite the rigamarole at family gatherings. For me, the part that I enjoyed the most about the little shindig was hanging outside with PJ, PJ, and Briana. PJ and I were hanging outside, sitting in lawn chairs in the backyard, while my nephew and daughter played around in the yard. It was a good time.
In comparison to my two year old daughter's (Briana) baptism, I'm afraid I did not pay as much attention this time around to the sermons. The first time around, I learned all about the holy oils and the chi ro symbol, which really was not part of the sermon. Sadly, this time around I spent much of the sermon being distracted by Briana as she grew weary of being stuck in a pew for an extended period of time.
Don't get me wrong. I was still able to crack a smile when the priest mentioned the Oil of Catechumens, only because ever since Briana's baptism I have called it the Oil of Cat and Humans. Meow! But aside from that, I don't really remember much, which is sad considering I held Bridget the entire time. For the record, Bridget was very good during her baptism. Granted, she was asleep the entire time... even with water pouring on her head.
Anyway, following the baptism, everyone in attendance headed back to our house for a little celebration. Attending the shindig were Karen's relatives: her aunt (Denise) and uncle (Paul); her parents; my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) and her family (PJ, PJ, and Kaleigh); and Karen's Lowell-loving cousin... and Bridget's godparents (Karlene and Tommy). The turnout this time around was smaller than Briana's baptism, which only feeds into the notion that the younger child gets the short end of the stick on things.
Truth be told, I was a little disappointed that my parents couldn't make it. My mother is currently on vacation in Hong Kong visiting relatives. But at the end of the day, it's okay that they weren't there. After all, my parents are not religious at all, which was a blessing growing up.
All in all, I think everyone in attendance had a good time. It can be quite the rigamarole at family gatherings. For me, the part that I enjoyed the most about the little shindig was hanging outside with PJ, PJ, and Briana. PJ and I were hanging outside, sitting in lawn chairs in the backyard, while my nephew and daughter played around in the yard. It was a good time.
Monday, April 9, 2012
I Suck At Easter
Yesterday was the day Jesus Christ became a zombie. Just kidding. Happy Easter everyone! Yes, I suck at Easter.
My Easter morning began with a little egg hunt. As it was a little cold during the morning, we decided to hide some eggs for our two year old daughter (Briana) within the house. For me, it was cute watching Briana searching for eggs. When she found one, she would yell "Egg!" and hold it up in the air for both Karen and I to see. It's those little things that crack me up.
Following the hunt, Karen and I along with our newborn (Bridget) and Briana were invited over to my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine) for brunch. It was good to see the in-laws. There may have been an initial rigamarole with the brunch because Janine lost her list detailing who was bringing what, but in the end it all worked out.
My nephew (PJ) cracked me up. In an effort to make some money (to buy a robot), he was asking everyone if they wanted their cars vacuumed for a paltry $2. "I want my $2." That was a reference to the classic movie, "Better Off Dead". Mental note: make sure to get your car vacuumed first. PJ seems to lose focus after the first vacuuming.
Needless to say, PJ is one step closer to getting that robot. My niece (Kaleigh) also wanted in on the action, but she had yet to figure out what she could do to earn money. I was going to suggest babysitting only because she does a great job playing with Briana. I then thought better of telling my niece that suggestion since then she would probably demand that I pay her whenever she played with Briana.
All in all, it was good to see my in-laws, Janine's BFF (Gretchen) and PJ's relatives. Sadly, I did not get to see my father on Easter. Apparently, my father spent Easter alone after telling me that he had plans for Easter while my mother was away. Turns out, my father's plans were shorter than expected. As a result, he was home alone for the entire day. Thankfully, the neighbors brought him over an Easter dinner. I thought that was very nice of them.
My Easter morning began with a little egg hunt. As it was a little cold during the morning, we decided to hide some eggs for our two year old daughter (Briana) within the house. For me, it was cute watching Briana searching for eggs. When she found one, she would yell "Egg!" and hold it up in the air for both Karen and I to see. It's those little things that crack me up.
Following the hunt, Karen and I along with our newborn (Bridget) and Briana were invited over to my favorite sister-in-law's (Janine) for brunch. It was good to see the in-laws. There may have been an initial rigamarole with the brunch because Janine lost her list detailing who was bringing what, but in the end it all worked out.
My nephew (PJ) cracked me up. In an effort to make some money (to buy a robot), he was asking everyone if they wanted their cars vacuumed for a paltry $2. "I want my $2." That was a reference to the classic movie, "Better Off Dead". Mental note: make sure to get your car vacuumed first. PJ seems to lose focus after the first vacuuming.
Needless to say, PJ is one step closer to getting that robot. My niece (Kaleigh) also wanted in on the action, but she had yet to figure out what she could do to earn money. I was going to suggest babysitting only because she does a great job playing with Briana. I then thought better of telling my niece that suggestion since then she would probably demand that I pay her whenever she played with Briana.
All in all, it was good to see my in-laws, Janine's BFF (Gretchen) and PJ's relatives. Sadly, I did not get to see my father on Easter. Apparently, my father spent Easter alone after telling me that he had plans for Easter while my mother was away. Turns out, my father's plans were shorter than expected. As a result, he was home alone for the entire day. Thankfully, the neighbors brought him over an Easter dinner. I thought that was very nice of them.
Friday, April 6, 2012
I Suck At Touch A Fire Truck
Saturday has been quite the busy day. Granted, I woke up late at 9:00 AM thanks in part to my non-sleeping newborn daughter (Bridget).
Anyway, the day began with a little visit to the public library, which only seems fitting since I am running to be on the Board of Trustees for the public library. Nevertheless, the public library was having a family event called "Touch A Fire Truck". Too bad I suck at Touch a Fire Truck.
For anyone curious, the name of the event says it all. The town's firefighters would be at the library, complete with an actual fire engine for kids (and adults) to see... and touch. The fire fighters provided little plastic fire helmets and balls to the children to play with. I wonder if my BFF (Kerry), who apparently seems to know all things firefighter related, knows the fire chief. Just kidding.
Needless to say, Karen and I ended up taking our two year old daughter (Briana) and Bridget to the event. We also ended up taking my nephew (PJ) to the event as well to give him a little break from going shopping with his sister and mother, which I'm sure is thrilling. Briana, incidentally, did not seem that into the event. She was more into the sugar cookie at the refreshment stand than the fire truck.
It was good hanging out with my nephew. We ended up taking him and our daughters to Chipotle too for lunch. It was the first time he had ever eaten at Chipotle and he appeared to enjoy it. For anyone curious, we ended up at the Chipotle at the Derby Shoppes in Hingham because there was a family event for Easter that we also wanted to attend. Yes, Saturday was family event day.
At the Derby Shoppes, Briana did a craft project involving making bunny ears. There was also an obstacle course, but Briana seemed more interested in... you guessed it... food. This time, it was the chocolate eggs that caught her fancy.
Anyway, with all the family events complete, my friends (Dolores and Tom) stopped on by for a visit. They wanted to do a little meet and greet with Bridget, which is commonplace these days. It was good to see Dolores and Loser Tom. I haven't seen them since our little excursion into Boston for the dietitian summit between Karen, Dolores, and my friend (Hot Amy). Dietitians Unite!
Among the topics that came up were the show "Once Upon a Time", playing Jenga with my chimney, and a Bobcat. Dolores and I share similar interests. Among them, besides "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", are other shows like "Once Upon a Time". As well, it turns out that we both also want to own Bobcats. And by Bobcats, I am not referring to the furry animal. I mean the company that creates construction equipment like a loader, excavator, etc. Of course, I have no idea where I would even store a Bobcat, but just owning one would be pretty cool in my book.
As for Jenga with my chimney, that topic came about because we were discussing with Loser Tom, who is a handyman on the side, how to remove a chimney. Our house used to have a chimney stack that ran straight through the middle of the house. When we renovated our house and added a second floor, the chimney was rendered inoperable. Instead of carrying the chimney through our second floor and consequently through the roof, we had the heat vented directly out the side of the house instead. Unfortunately, the bricks that made up the chimney remained on the existing first floor, enclosed behind a wall column. So, we were discussing with Loser Tom how to remove those bricks. Hence, Jenga with my chimney.
All in all, it was a pretty busy day. It was great to spend time with the family, and it was great to see friends.
Anyway, the day began with a little visit to the public library, which only seems fitting since I am running to be on the Board of Trustees for the public library. Nevertheless, the public library was having a family event called "Touch A Fire Truck". Too bad I suck at Touch a Fire Truck.
For anyone curious, the name of the event says it all. The town's firefighters would be at the library, complete with an actual fire engine for kids (and adults) to see... and touch. The fire fighters provided little plastic fire helmets and balls to the children to play with. I wonder if my BFF (Kerry), who apparently seems to know all things firefighter related, knows the fire chief. Just kidding.
Needless to say, Karen and I ended up taking our two year old daughter (Briana) and Bridget to the event. We also ended up taking my nephew (PJ) to the event as well to give him a little break from going shopping with his sister and mother, which I'm sure is thrilling. Briana, incidentally, did not seem that into the event. She was more into the sugar cookie at the refreshment stand than the fire truck.
It was good hanging out with my nephew. We ended up taking him and our daughters to Chipotle too for lunch. It was the first time he had ever eaten at Chipotle and he appeared to enjoy it. For anyone curious, we ended up at the Chipotle at the Derby Shoppes in Hingham because there was a family event for Easter that we also wanted to attend. Yes, Saturday was family event day.
At the Derby Shoppes, Briana did a craft project involving making bunny ears. There was also an obstacle course, but Briana seemed more interested in... you guessed it... food. This time, it was the chocolate eggs that caught her fancy.
Anyway, with all the family events complete, my friends (Dolores and Tom) stopped on by for a visit. They wanted to do a little meet and greet with Bridget, which is commonplace these days. It was good to see Dolores and Loser Tom. I haven't seen them since our little excursion into Boston for the dietitian summit between Karen, Dolores, and my friend (Hot Amy). Dietitians Unite!
Among the topics that came up were the show "Once Upon a Time", playing Jenga with my chimney, and a Bobcat. Dolores and I share similar interests. Among them, besides "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", are other shows like "Once Upon a Time". As well, it turns out that we both also want to own Bobcats. And by Bobcats, I am not referring to the furry animal. I mean the company that creates construction equipment like a loader, excavator, etc. Of course, I have no idea where I would even store a Bobcat, but just owning one would be pretty cool in my book.
As for Jenga with my chimney, that topic came about because we were discussing with Loser Tom, who is a handyman on the side, how to remove a chimney. Our house used to have a chimney stack that ran straight through the middle of the house. When we renovated our house and added a second floor, the chimney was rendered inoperable. Instead of carrying the chimney through our second floor and consequently through the roof, we had the heat vented directly out the side of the house instead. Unfortunately, the bricks that made up the chimney remained on the existing first floor, enclosed behind a wall column. So, we were discussing with Loser Tom how to remove those bricks. Hence, Jenga with my chimney.
All in all, it was a pretty busy day. It was great to spend time with the family, and it was great to see friends.
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