Bill Cosby Thoughts-December 30, 2015

I know no one really cares about my Bill Cosby thoughts (my children claim no one cares anything about what I think or write on this blog...I beg to differ), but I think that being within earshot of the helicopters circling overhead while he was being arraigned gives me a little bit of permission to speak my mind about some things.

I thought it was weird yesterday when I saw an ABC Channel 7 news van leaving the parking lot near the Acme....I said to my kids, "that is really weird...what is that doing here?  Something big must be happening."  We couldn't figure out what it was.   About an hour later, Lily was playing with her friend in the back yard, and she came in to complain that the helicopters overhead were so loud, they couldn't hear each other talking.  Also weird.  Then I walked through the room where CNN was on mute, and saw the district court less than 3/4 a mile down the street from us on the news, with throngs of reporters around a black SUV.   And then I realized, it was all about Bill Cosby.

Cosby's Cheltenham home is about 1/2 mile from our house.  It is really a beautiful house.  Anyway, I was only watching a little, when I saw his attorney walk out of the SUV.  The male attorney is a guy I used to work with at Cozen,  Brian McMonagle.  I have seen Brian McMonagle several times over the last 20 years since I left working full time as a lawyer after I had my first baby.  The point is, that it occurred to me that this attorney who worked at the same firm as me (he was a few years older than me, I think), is now on national news as a criminal defense attorney, and I am a stay at home mom of 5 kids. Interesting the different paths people can take.

My other thought is how much Bill Cosby has aged...either because his attorneys told him to look like an old man to try to get sympathy, or because he is now 78 years old, and getting old.  Either way, the strategy worked...he looks old. He was shuffling along, with a cane, looking befuddled, actually stumbled at one point, and being helped along by two attorneys each holding an arm.  I think a lot of people will feel sorry for him, actually.    For me, however, it made me mad, because I suspect it is part of a legal strategy to garner support, and he apparently wasn't all that befuddled and stumbling when he (allegedly) sexually assaulted all those women.

Which brings me to all those women.  I think there is certainly the threat of a few women jumping in claiming that they were victimized, when they weren't really victims, but in this case, there are over 40 women who claim Bill Cosby assaulted them over the course of the last 50 years.  I heard his attorney Monica Pressley saying on one of the news programs that these ladies aren't to be believed for numerous reasons, one of which is that many of these alleged victims never told anyone about their assault until recently.  Which I think is the nature of sexual assault victims, especially when the (alleged) perpetrator is a (once) powerful man.   So, I believe these women.  I think there is the chance some of them may be fabricating their stories, but overall, I believe these women.

Lastly, I think that Gloria Allred represents everything that people hate about lawyers.  I wish she would just shush her mouth.

Merry Christmas!! December 25, 2015

This was a wonderful Christmas...and not because it was 70 degrees outside!  It was wonderful because everyone was home, and we were all together.    Which is something I realize may not be the case in a few years, so I am enjoying it while I can!  Will post photos later...they are all waiting for me to watch a movie after dinner!!

Happy Winter--It's Beginning to Feel a lot Like Christmas....December 22, 2015

As you can see, I haven't really posted anything for weeks.   I think partly it was because I wasn't really into posting something really jovial and happy after the post about Joe, my brother-in-law's passing.  It is hard to post happy things when you are so sad.

But I also haven't posted because I have been really busy.  I have been doing some part-time work, and finishing up the class I have been taking at La Salle, and I have been trying to get ready for Christmas...which is what this post is about.

We always try to get the tree up by the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. And, that is all we have done...get the tree up.  Actually, Chris did put some lights on it, but that is all there is.  No ornaments, no balls, no tinsel.  It is really kind of a pretty tree, but there is nothing on it.

We always make decorating the tree a big family event.   We all do it, and we play music, etc.   But this year, I think we are going to try to fit it in real fast tonight,  maybe even tomorrow--Jack just announced he wants to go to Nick's, and Anna isn't home from Crew yet... Not exactly very Christmas-y.

We were looking forward to going skiing over the holidays, but with 75 degrees scheduled for Christmas Eve around here, it doesn't look like we are going to get there over the holidays...we may have to put it off until later in February!

So, happy first full day of Winter!  I hope your Christmas preparations are going better than ours!

A slice of Pie and a cup of coffee--Rest in Peace, Joseph Roche--10/18/50-11/26/15

A really great man passed away this morning.  He wasn't great by anyone's standards, other than mine, and to all those who loved him, which included me, and so I thought he was great.   His name was Joe Roche, and he was married to my sister, Lisa, which made him my brother-in-law.  

I first met Joe in the early 1990's, when he started dating Lisa.  I was working a lot as an attorney, and I was dating my husband, so I didn't really pay much attention to Joe.  But that was the way Joe was.  He was just kind, thoughtful, and an all-around good guy.   For some reason, he was just happy to be with Lisa, and he loved her.   A lot.   And then they got married, and he became my brother-in-law. 

Joe came to every event at my house for the last 23 years.  He came to baptisms, Christmas dinners, and yes, Thanksgiving dinners.  He was always a pleasure, and never a problem.  He went back for seconds, which was what a good hostess wants, and he complimented the food.   Even the year I ordered the whole Thanksgiving dinner from Whole Foods, because I had just had Lily.    He was always happy to have a piece of apple pie at the end of the meal, and a cup of coffee.  Just apple pie and coffee.   He was just happy with a slice of pie, and a cup of coffee.  Nothing fancy. 

Joe was a devoted father.   He had Kyle and Laura from his first marriage,  but his wife died after a long illness.   Then he married Lisa, and had Joseph and Reily with Lisa.  He never left his children without saying "I love you."   I can remember him dropping off Joseph for something at my house a year ago, and he said "I love you" to Joseph before he left.  It was only going to be overnight or something.  I say that often to my kids, but I was surprised that Joe would say it to Joseph with such meaning for what was only going to be a day or so away....and I think Joseph was 18 years old at the time.  

Joe got ill a few years ago with cancer, and he seemed to have fought it successfully.  For 6 months or so, he seemed to be doing better.  In September, he complained that his back hurt.  Oh no, I thought, not the back,.  I thought, that back pain meant that perhaps that meant the cancer had come back, and he had tumors on his spine.   I was correct.  He did.  

A few weeks ago, I was driving home from a late meeting, when my nephew called to tell me his father only had weeks, or months to live.  A few days later, I walked by this tree, and I thought, "that tree is like Joe.   It had a long season, is full of life, and is now fading away."   A few times, Lily and I would go for a walk, and we called it our Uncle Joe tree.  I noticed it a week ago, and it was more than half-way gone with its leaves.   

Yesterday, I walked by, and I stopped, because I noticed that there were virtually no leaves on the tree.   And that's when I knew.   Joe's time was almost over.  

On November 6, 2015, this tree reminded me of Joe's life: 

                   On the morning of November 25th, less than 24 hours before he passed, this is how that   tree looked...and I knew the end was near for Joe.

So I was not surprised when Laura called me late Wednesday night to tell me that Joe was not doing well, and this was probably the end.  I couldn't go down, because Chris was out picking up kids, and I was alone with Lily.  But we all went down last Saturday, and many times over the last few weeks, and every time I left, I made sure Joe knew exactly the way we all felt about him, and that, to me, at least, he was a great man.

Tonight at dinner, we said a prayer for Uncle Joe.  And when I brought the apple pie out, I thanked God for letting Joe Roche into my life.  But this year, I didn't need to make coffee for anyone.  Rest in peace, Joe Roche.  I will miss you very much.

Apparently no one is a whole person until they've danced on Dancing with the Stars....November 25, 2015

So, last night was the finale of Dancing With the Stars.  Apparently Bindi Irwin won, which kind of annoys me, because I think she is only famous because her father died.     I know, I am being really unkind, but seriously...do you think we would know her if her father, Steve, hadn't died?  No, we would know her father, not her.  But he died, so now we know her.   And she won Dancing with the Stars.

I don't really watch the show.  We have it on the screen on mute while we are all doing homework in our kitchen,  and I do usually know who gets kicked off because we tape "Castle" to watch later, and it immediately follows DWTS.   But what I am fascinated with about that show,  is that when the people are being interviewed after being kicked off,  every single person says that doing that show has completely changed their lives and that they will never be the same.  Which kind of begs the questions for the other 99.9999999999998 percent of the world...what kind of shallow, meaningless existence are all the rest of us going to have, since we are unlikely to dance on DWTS?

I do like that that Alek guy was just a tourist on a train three months ago, and then last night he was one of the three last dancers.  That is actually pretty cool. But I just think that whatever is happening to contestants on that show is something that the rest of us should be able to bottle and take some home with us, also.

Black Friday Tips....Tip #1--Don't Go. Tip #2--Don't Go.

I love a good deal, but as I said earlier, I just don't get the whole Black Friday thing.  I tried it one year, about 10 years ago, when I heard people start talking about it, and I thought I was missing out on something.  I left my house at 5, drove up to the mall, and just basically meandered around for 30 minutes, so I decided to leave.  On the way home, I thought I would stop by Target, to see what was going on there.  At Target, there were tons of people running around, but I couldn't really figure out what was so great....there were a couple of good deals, like $25 toasters for $9.99, but I don't really need that many toasters,  so I left there, too, within 5 minutes.  That is my experience with Black Friday shopping.

Now, my children and I usually leave our house at 10, go to Chick Fil A for a late breakfast, and head over to Target to buy a particularly fuzzy blanket that they always have on sale the day after Thanksgiving.   Surprisingly, lots of the good "deals" are still there  when we arrive at 11 am, so why would you go out the night before, or at 4 am?   Last year I got several Milton Bradley board games for $5 each, which I donated to various Toys for Tots drives.   I think almost all of the "deals" were still there.  No need to go crazy.

One blog I really like, the Penny Hoarder (hits home...??), has an article today about how to deal with Black Friday stress, and they suggest doing things to help get you prepared emotionally for the big day.  This includes the exercise of going to the store a few days early (you should be on your way to that store, if you want to use this technique!!), getting everything you want, then putting it all back, so that you teach yourself what it feels like to miss out on a deal.  Are you kidding?  Who the heck would ever do that?  That is insane.  

In addition, they suggest you practice breathing exercises to relieve stress, and, finally, to utilize a stress-relieving app to help you through the stress of Black Friday (how can an app relieve stress?  I find most of my apps create some level of stress, such as trying to get the Cartwheel bar to scan an item at Target, for example).  Presumably, the stress they are referring to is the stress that comes when you don't get that good deal.

At one point, the article points out the key to a stress-free Black Friday is remembering that Black Friday is just a shopping day with better prices.  That seems pretty simple to me.   You can read the whole Penny Hoarder article at http://www.thepennyhoarder.com/black-friday-shopping-stress-free/.

I really just don't understand this--how much stress can shopping be?  Is that how unhinged society is?  If so, I should be more careful the next time I go out, because I operate on the assumption that most of us are pretty normal, but I am not so sure anymore...whole articles (like this??) about staying stress free  and not going ballistic during a shopping trip?

So, here is my tip (which I kind of gave away in my title):   Just don't go.  Seriously, just don't go. Stay home.  Be with your family if you are so lucky not to have to go to work.   I can't think of a thing I would need that much to battle through that much commotion.

Before I sign off, I must address those of you who know me well enough to know how excited I get during a good 90% clearance sale at Target, or during the Lilly Pulitzer warehouse sale.  To which I say this--I get excited, not stressed.  It makes me happy to get a Lilly dress for $40.  In might make me unusually happy, and I might clear my schedule to be at Lilly sales, but that doesn't involve me having to do deep-breathing exercises and frantically searching for apps to keep me, well, not frantic.  That may be the hypocrite in me, but, to me, it makes sense.

So, stay home this Thanksgiving night, and watch a good true-crime murder show, like Dateline.  That is my idea of a perfect way to relax--watching a murder show.  

Paris Attacks---"How do you destroy an ideology? This isn't a nation we are going after." November 14, 2015

The Paris attacks last night were, as I heard this morning, a "game changer."   An act of War, as France's President, Hollande, stated.   But, I heard Savannah Guthrie ask today on the Today show (and you know it is a big deal if Savannah Guthrie and Matt Lauer are the hosts of the Saturday show....I think I can remember one other time in the last 10 years when Matt Lauer hosted on a Saturday morning was in the Midwest after a hurricane or tornado) the following to a National Security expert:   "How do you defeat a group that is identified by an ideology, not a nation?"

In other words, these aren't Russians, or any other group/nation that we are fighting against.  It is a way of thinking--a terrifying, horrific way of thinking.   It is difficult to defeat because it disseminates across national lines, and across borders.  It is terrifying.   And today, I thank God we are in the United States.   Because although it is not absolute, it feels a lot safer to be here.  

Operation Christmas Child---They are collecting boxes this week at Chick Fil A!

If you haven't turned in your box for Operation Christmas Child yet, you can do so at Chick Fil A this week. Just be sure to call ahead to make sure that they are accepting boxes.   It seems as if some of the Chick Fil A's in my area only accepted them yesterday, which is a change from previous years.


This was the boxes all over my floor for the last week or so as I was filling them..

 And this was just a amount of them, packed up, and ready to go out the door...it feels great to get them out of here, to be honest!!  I already have some stuff I have gathered for next year that didn't make it into boxes for this year--there almost wasn't space for it!

My family and I made up a whole bunch of these boxes this year, and Chris dropped them off last night in Warrington on the way home from work. It feels so good to get them out of the house, and knowing that they are on the way to brighten someone's holidays.

Happy Veteran's Day--November 11, 2015

I was surprised by how few people were flying their flags for Veteran's Day.  I think when we were growing up, we had off for Veteran's Day.  Now, it seems as if people don't really celebrate it as much.  We saw a commercial that asked for people to put up a green light for Veteran's Day, to let people know you support veterans, and I am pretty sure we are the only family that has a green light out.

That seems wrong.   It is Veteran's Day.  At the very least, put out your American flag.

Happy Birthday, Lily--She turns 9 on November 9, 2015!

Lily turns 9 today.  I can hardly believe it.  I think 0-5 is so hard, 5-9 flies by!  I can vividly remember what we did for all four of my older children's 9th birthdays, and now they are all so much older.   I can remember Jack's 9th birthday party--we took a group of boys to the Phillies game, and Jack D. threw up in my car on the way home (into the pocket of the seat in front of him for some reason...Chris cleaned it out).   And now, both those Jacks are sophomores in college. It goes by quickly!!

We have been celebrating this birthday for weeks!  First, we had the birthday party on October 24th---a good old fashioned birthday party in the back yard:

Then, we had a special "last single digit" birthday dinner at the Blue Bell Inn, which is one of our favorite places.   We took Chris and my brother in law, Joe, there for Father's Day this year, and apparently Lily liked how fancy it was, because that is where she wanted to go for dinner.

And then, tonight, we had her special birthday cake--an ice cream cake I made myself.  I think it turned out very nice!

Happy 9th Birthday, Lily!!

November 2015--The Autumnal colors are amazing!

I love being able to use the word "autumnal."  You don't get to use it a lot, so there you go!!

So far, November has not been what I usually think of it...drab, dreary, drafty.   This year, this area has had an unusually warm spell of beautiful weather.  In fact, according to Action News, the last 4 days have been the warmest stretch of November weather in Philadelphia in the last 40 years (I love all this worthless information!)

Just look at these colors around here:

It has been between 74 and 77 degrees every day, and my kids who aren't in uniforms are wearing shorts to school.  This is the weather I love.  Unfortunately, it comes right before the weather I hate (i.e. the cold/winter/snow/ice),  so I know it is coming, and I dread it.  But still, I appreciate the nice weather while it is here.  And it sure made raking the first round of leaves very pleasant this year.

Happy Halloween!! October 31, 2015!

Times have certainly changed around here.   Or maybe it is  because Halloween is on a Saturday, this year, but overall, this Halloween day was a little quiet.  My kids were mostly doing there own thing, while Anna was working on her college applications, and I was helping her.   Instead of going to the Notre Dame Mass down at the Basilica said by the President of Notre Dame, Father Jenkins, I went over her essays.  Oh well....if it helps her get into college!

We go out early usually for trick or treating, but this year, it is all messed up because Chris is going to the Notre Dame/Temple game.  For now, Happy Halloween!

Notre Dame vs. Temple Football Game coming up on 10/31/15!

At least 6 months ago, we got an email from the Philadelphia Notre Dame club asking if we wanted to buy any tickets for the Notre Dame game against Temple which was set for 10/31.   We said yes, and we bought tickets for our family to go (and two for our daughter's Cookie Dad from the Girl Scout troop....I think if you are the Cookie Dad, or Mom, you should get some tickets to your favorite football team).

Shortly after getting them, though, we all kind of realized that 10/31 is Halloween, and of course, Lily didn't want to miss Halloween.  The bigger problem, we soon realized, is that none of my children really wanted to miss Halloween, so we found ourselves with a whole bunch of tickets to get rid of.   Luckily for us, there is no shortage of Notre Dame football fans near us, so we have had no problem getting rid of the tickets.  

What is so strange, though, is that the fever where we live is all about Temple, not the team I really want to win, which is Notre Dame.  I did go to Temple to Law School, but I have been rooting for Notre Dame teams to win since I was 8.  While Temple winning would be really amazing for Temple, and I do think they have a great team, the simple fact is that I really want Notre Dame to win.     Someone pointed out, though, that for Philadelphia Notre Dame fans, we have the best of both worlds....if Temple wins, we are happy, if Notre Dame wins, we will be thrilled!!  

The most stressful day of the year--getting the Christmas picture taken! October 23, 2015

 
                         Waiting for the photo session to begin...

                                       Lily always manages to get into the big picture...

                                     
                                                      Jack....

                                                   
                                                                  Getting placed....

                                         Someone apparently pulled Lily's hair....

                                         This was the goofy photo.....

                       And then, Lily made herself the subject of all of our attention, as always!!

                         
                                                        And, a change of clothes....


Last year, I didn't get our Christmas picture taken until the day after Jack came home for Christmas break (he got in late the night before), which I believe was on December 22nd.   I had to get him out of bed to get his hair cut,  waited for people to come home from school and work, and then we went up to the Picture People, which is where we always get our Christmas photo taken. Unfortunately, even though we had an appointment, we waited for at least two hours.    I worked hard, but the cards didn't go out until December 23rd, which means they were lost by anyone who received them on the 24th (who looks at the mail on Christmas Eve?).

I can't believe that many people wait to get their picture taken.  I used to try to get ours taken by December 1st, but Jack didn't come home for Thanksgiving, and I wasn't thinking about the Christmas picture in mid-October when he came home for Fall Break last year.

This year, though, I was thinking about it.   I told Jack to get his hair cut at Notre Dame in early October, so it wasn't too short for the picture.  I got matching shirts for the boys at the GAP, and Anna and Lily wore Lilly Pulitzer dresses they already had.    And I made an appointment at the Picture People at the Montgomery Mall for Friday night, right after work.  

I say every year, this is the most stressful day of the year, which I guess is a good thing that my stress level is pretty low.  I think I always make a big deal of this, because I have so few photos of me and my siblings as children.  In fact, I think I have about 5 of me.   So, I always said that if something happened to me, I wanted to make sure that my children had good photos of themselves growing up.

To be honest, it is definitely less stressful getting this annual Christmas picture taken than when they were young, because the intricate planning and buying of matching outfits could all go terribly wrong if someone got upset about something and refused to cooperate.  I remember a lot of bribing, which usually involved promising to get them something sweet after the photos were done.  So, it has definitely improved, but the feeling of dread, for some reason, hasn't gone away.  PTSD, perhaps.

Anyway, I have also learned that I have to be fairly hands-on with the photographers.  These photographers are unbelievably nice, but they do have an agenda, which is to get a few shots, and hope that when presented with a few shots, parents will in desperation buy whatever is presented to them.  But with 5 children, that increases the odds that someone will not be looking, will have his eyes closed (Timmy!!), or just not be smiling.  So, I have learned that I have to keep on pushing for them to take numerous shots and poses (it is just digital now, right?) and we always buy several poses, so I think it is all good.

Anyway, this year, our appointment was at 5:40, and we were out of the place by 6:30.  We always go up to eat while they are developing and printing out the poses, and then, in the old days, Chris and I would go back and order the pictures, which would take up to an hour deciding all the various things we wanted.  It was torture.  There were many years when we would literally be the last people out of the mall.

About 3 years ago, I got smart, and let Chris do it by having him order only 25 cards.  Then, I can go back, look at the shots on the disc, and order the one I like.   He pretty much knows what to do, but f he decides on a pose I don't like (like this year!!), I can go back and order the cards with the pose I like.

So, another year down.  I will show you all the photo we decided on later.  One of the joys of getting your Christmas picture done early, is that you have time to kill before you have to worry about sending out the cards.   But, I have included some of the "behind the scenes" shots while we were waiting to get the shots!!

Timmy's 16th Birthday--October 4, 1999

So, my sadness at Jack turning 20 is compounded by Timmy turning 16 today...it is like someone is laughing...sees I am a little sad, and decided to make it harder for me by having two of my children with back to back birthdays.     Timmy turns 16 today, which is a milestone.  It is the age, I think, when you really start to see your children "growing up", which mostly means growing away.

A 16th Birthday for a girl is a big deal, a little rite of passage.  A sweet 16 for girls.  But not for boys. For boys, it is just the age when he can get a license.  Which means, it is a big deal.  It is the age, I think, when boys start to move on, becoming more what they should be...young men.  For me, that makes it sad, because all I want is my little boy back.

                                                              February 2000--4 months old.

My God...he was so adorable.   A rare photo of Timmy not miserable.....he was a tough baby!!

                                                   Probably my favorite photo of Timmy.


                    And today--well, actually, this was from the first day of school this year:

I didn't feel this way about Anna, and I never really get sad on her birthday...I think it is a little true what they say about girls.   They are with you for your whole life.  I think lots of women have devoted boys--boys who are devoted to their mothers throughout their lives, but it is a little harder, I think.
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For Timmy's birthday, we went out for dinner to Grub last night (which is always a little weird, because it is actually Jack's birthday...but he is not home, so we took advantage of it).   Very simple. And for breakfast, I made his favorite waffles.  We were going to maybe go out again tonight since it is a Sunday, but instead, all he wanted was for me to make his favorite...grilled cheese.  So that is how we will celebrate Timmy's 16th birthday...just what he wants!

Jack's 20th Birthday--October 3, 2015

Jack turned 20 years old today.  I don't like it when people say this, but I can't believe it has been 20 years.  I have mixed feelings, but mostly, honestly, it is sadness, for the time gone by.

This is how I remember Jack...so much fun, always smiling as a little boy, and eager to make friends.

Jack is almost 4 1/2 here.   February 2000.

                                    He was so good to his little sister and brothers, and silly.

                                           He was devoted to me..and used to talk my ear off.

   I love this picture of us...I am holding Timmy, but leaning down, also holding Jack, smiling at him.  

 I can remember so vividly the day he was born, but it is now 20 years ago.  We had the hardest time deciding on a name.  I liked the name Jack, but I was resistant, because I said every Jack I knew had a drinking problem.  But who could deny that Jack Gallagher was a great name for this baby?   He became Jack.  And he  now he is 675 miles away, at Notre Dame, and he is doing what he should be doing--in college, having fun, but all very far away from his family.

Happy Birthday, Jack...we miss you!!

Trip to Notre Dame--September 25-27, 2015 Sophomore Parents' Weekend

After volunteering this past week for the World Meeting of Families,  on Friday afternoon, I rushed and picked up Matthew and Timmy from school,  so that we could begin our trek to Notre Dame. First, we took a train to the airport, and then a plane into Chicago, and then, after traveling for 7 hours already, we took a 4 hour shuttle bus trip to get to Notre Dame.  We were trying to meet up with Anna, Lily, and Chris, who drove out to Notre Dame on Thursday to meet up with Jack for Sophomore Parents' Weekend.   By the time we arrived, it was almost midnight, and we were exhausted.

We woke up the next morning, had breakfast at the hotel, and then drove over to Notre Dame.  I hadn't been there since April, when it was a quiet Easter weekend, and it was the first football weekend I had ever attended.

I must say that now I understand why people are so crazy about Notre Dame football.  I realized as we were sitting in our seats (in the most uncomfortable seats I have ever sat in....), that this was the first football game I had attended in 35 years!  I,  obviously, am not a football fan.

But, my son, Jack,  goes to Notre Dame, which makes me a Notre Dame football fan.   But more, I guess, I am a Notre Dame fan.  The whole place.   The whole place is really fabulous.  I can't begin to tell you how happy I am that Jack is able to have this amazing opportunity to have that type of college experience.

Blogging from the World Meeting of Families all week....

When they announced a few months ago that they needed volunteers for the World Meeting of Families events, I jumped right on it.  This is the week-long event, which culminates in the Pope arriving in Philadelphia on Saturday, and the Papal Mass on Sunday.   I signed up to attend several events as a volunteer worker.

In addition, I got an email a few months ago asking if I would be willing to be a volunteer attorney for the WMOF for the week.  Frankly, I thought this was a joke. Who needs a volunteer attorney at an outdoor event with the Pope saying Mass?  I said it was like needing a volunteer astronomer.....more later!

I Met Mayor Nutter today (and the Pope!)--September 19, 2015

Today was the first day you could volunteer for the World Meeting of Families.    I went down to the Convention Center to pick up my uniform (this is it...a bright orange shirt), and work a 3 hour shift handing out the uniform packets, when the woman helping me announced that Mayor Nutter would be arriving in 10 minutes.  Which meant only one thing....I was going to get my photo taken with Mayor Nutter: 

 He was very pleasant, although he did tell me he thought I was bossy--I kept on making him take photos with people, including the  people in the back, etc.

 This is Denita, who I was working with--she thought I was a riot.  This is her trying to stop herself from laughing too hard!!

James, another guy, and I took our photos with the pope (print out). It really does look good.  And when did I get to be looking like this????  Oh Lord...

First Day of (2 New) Schools--5 Children in 5 Different Schools! September 9, 2015

Today was the first day of school for my children.  Well, technically it was the first day of school for the youngest three, because Anna did go to school for two days last week, and her first day of school was yesterday, but we have been all calling this their first day of school, so I will treat it as such!

This year was a year of big beginnings for all my children.   Jack is now a sophomore, not a freshman, at Notre Dame.   Anna is starting her last year in school...she is a Senior.  She says it hasn't hit her.  She remembers seeing the Seniors when she was a freshman at her school, and wondering how she would feel, but she says she doesn't feel the way she thought she would feel.   I love Anna.

This is her leaving for school today:

Timmy started at a new school--10th grade at Abington Senior High School, which for us, means he started high school.  Every other school district around here has the high school beginning in 9th grade, but in Abington, it begins in 10th.   Typically,  Timmy was not the least bit worried.  It helps that he actually went to the Senior high  all last year on the Senior high bus,  and took 10th grade math, and then walked over to the Junior high and took the rest of his 9th grade classes.   He already knows the school, and has lots of friends who are older than him.  That is Timmy--very easy.

This is him leaving for school, and hoping we get the golf clubs on that are at the bottom of the photo:

Matthew started his first day at a new school, Ancillae Academy,  and he is going into the 7th grade.    I am so excited for him.  This is exactly what he needs, and I am thrilled he is getting this opportunity.   Other than figuring out the bus (he waited for 20 minutes), I am sure this will be a great transition for him.

Chris always takes off to get them off on the first day of school. 

I couldn't do this last year with the Abington kids.  This bus only has about 6 kids on it....

And Lily, is starting into the 3rd grade at McKinley.  And I am thrilled, because I love her teacher, Miss Livingood.  There is no way Lily won't have a great year!

So, this is it.  The first day for my kids at several new schools, and the end of a fabulous almost three month summer break.  My kids had such a great summer.  There was lots of pool, some beach, lots of fun trips with our family, lots of golfing, etc, etc, etc.   And it doesn't help that it is going to be 94 degrees today.  I can remember for a few years, it always seemed to rain on the first day of school, which made it easier for my kids to go back.   See, I would say, it is a miserable day..you might as well be in school.!

I try to say all the right things to my kids about how great it is to go back and see their friends, and how once the weather gets chillier, it is better to be in school than to be with me, and how I am just boring, etc, etc, but the fact is, I love being here with them, and I do miss them when they are gone.

I was talking to a friend last night about dropping off her oldest son at college for the first time, and I asked her how she was doing.  Instead of just saying that she missed him, she said the politically correct thing that she feels she has raised her son to move on, so this is the way it is, etc, etc, etc.    That seems ridiculous to me.   Yes, I am raising my 5 children to be healthy and happy independent people, but that doesn't mean I don't get to engage in some mommy-sulking/feeling sorry for myself, and that I can't articulate that to my friends.    When I dropped off Jack, I was really happy for him, but as time wore on, I really missed him.   Between October, and right before Christmas when he came home, I went 2-1/2 months without seeing him, and I really missed him.  I think you put yourself in a state of waiting, but once I knew I was within days of seeing him, I can honestly say my heart was aching I missed him so much.

So this day marks the end of another summer break, and the beginning of another school year.  Next year will be another different story...Anna will be at college.    And that is going to be really, really hard for me.    But for now, we have the Year of Anna to enjoy (see previous blog post!!), and lots of busy school days.

The Year of Anna..begins on September 1, 2015

Today begins the Year of Anna.  She doesn't even know it, but it is.  I am kind of stealing that from The Middle, in which the girl character, Sue Heck, declared her Senior year, the Year of Sue.   Okay, I am really stealing it from The Middle.  Sue Heck declared her senior year was a year to celebrate everything about Sue.  And if you know Anna, she is very similar to Sue.  Watching that show, I am constantly thinking about how much Sue reminds me of Anna.

Anyone familiar with the show may think this is not a compliment, but I think it is, especially if you are truly a fan of the show.  You will know that Sue is kind, thoughtful, and compassionate.  She is friendly, and big-hearted.  And she is always enthusiastic and tries really, really hard at everything....and sometimes doesn't get the results she wants, but she always tries her absolute hardest.

So, I have decided this is the Year of Anna, because she starts her Senior year tomorrow, and because that means I only have one year....12 months....52 weeks with her.   And that is something I want to really celebrate, because I want to make every one of those days special.

Waning days of August, 2015

In these last few days of August, there is a lot of sadness around here.  No one really wants the summer to end.  It isn't that they don't want to go to school, they just don't want the summer to end. Luckily, with the exception of two half days on Tuesday and Wednesday, no one around here starts school until September 9th, so they have another 10 days to enjoy the 94 degree days Accuweather is predicting through next Saturday.

There really hasn't been much going on around here, but that is largely because I have been working for the last two weeks, on what will be a three week temporary job with a company I have worked with before.  I am not doing lawyer work...it is strictly customer service, but I actually like it a lot, and I really like the people I work with.   But then again, I know it is only for three weeks.  

What I haven't liked, is being away from my kids all day--i.e. being a working mom.  I am used to being here, and I miss them.   Their days are carefully planned out by me, and I have a schedule of fun things for them to do, but I think they miss me.      Lily tells me all the time how much she misses me, and so does Matthew.   Timmy is only interested what is in front of him....of all my children, he is the most likely to leave and never come back.  He is just happy wherever he is.

But today Anna told me that I have missed important things in her life by not being there for these last two weeks.   Specifically, I was sitting outside of Sprinkles, and I was talking about working, and how I feel like I am glad I am working, but being out of the loop for two weeks has been difficult, but that I guess for 2 weeks, I haven't missed much, when she said "Oh, no, you have definitely missed out on parts of my life these last two weeks because you were working.     You are so busy when you get home getting ready for the next day, that there are things I haven't told you."

Wow.  My first reaction was "poor baby.....you weren't able to tell me a few things."   But then I started thinking about how unbeliebably lucky I am, and how lucky my kids are, that they DO have me there the overwhelmingly vast majority of times, to tell me how their tennis match went, or how they did at golf, or what funny thing Lily did with Grace...

Being a stay-at-home mom isn't always the greatest, at least for me.  I don't love cooking or making fancy dinners, and I don't really enjoy the domestic life.  I don't live on a street where there are lots of other stay-at home moms....most of my neighbors are much older.  I also don't have siblings/mom/dad, family to hang out with.  My best friend, Ellen, lives within 5 minutes of two of her siblings with great spouses, and lots of nieces and nephews.   I would have a lot more fun if I had that, but I do have great friends.

Moreover, before I became a mom, I was a lawyer, which is a job I was good at, and I loved doing it. Whenever I go to a lawyer continuing legal education course to keep my license, I am reminded of how much I loved being a lawyer.  But, ultimately,  I love my children far more, and at the end of my time, I will not remember the cases I won (or didn't win), but I will remember all the school events I was able to attend, and all the time I spent with them, and for me, that means more than winning a case before the Supreme Court.

And, by the way, Anna couldn't remember those things that I missed...so maybe they were just fleeting anyway.

So, as the days of August move into September, enjoy the last few days of true summer.... the ones before school begins.  I will be finishing up my last week of work, and trying to call Anna to tell me what is going on while I am driving home from work!  

Part 2 of...Learning how to say goodbye when your child leaves for college.

This year, my saying goodbye to our oldest son, Jack,  was very different from last year.  Last year, I was sad, but brave (not Chris...he was just plain old sad--all weekend, and on the way home, in a sad, needy, not brave for your child way...he just missed his oldest son).    This is the post here about my feelings on the morning we left for Notre Dame.

Last year, in mid-August, my family, all seven of us, rented a large van, and drove two vehicles in a caravan to drop our oldest son, Jack,  off in South Bend, Indiana, and spent an amazing 4 days at the University of Notre Dame.   It was so great.

 We arrived on Thursday night, parked without a problem, and then walked around, taking our own  informal tour of the campus, which was really, surprisingly quiet.  There was no one on campus.  It was hot, and this place looked very manageable to me.  It was big, but no hills, and easy to walk.  It was very peaceful.

That all changed the next morning, when the freshman reported to their dorms, and it became very busy.    I became the mom that I remembered seeing other people have on the first day of college (no helpful parents for me...).   I was putting on sheets,  putting clothes in drawers, and meeting the other three sets of parents of his quad-mates (he had three roommates).  I was busy, and I was really liking this Notre Dame place.  It was wonderful.  I went to a parent thing in his dorm, and met the RA's (the call them Rectors, I think), and they were very reassuring.  Not that I was worried about Jack, but they said something which was very reassuring--they said words to the effect of "we are here to do all the things that you do for your child...if there is something wrong, we take care of it."    What more could a parent ask?

I met Governor Chris Christie on the second day, and that was also good--if this place was good enough for Governor Christie (who I like), it was okay with me.

At the end of the third day at Notre Dame, on Saturday night, we said goodbye to Jack, and left him,  660 miles from our home, at a campus I had visited for all of 96 hours.   Before we went back to our hotel, I told him that we were getting up early on Sunday, and, that unless he needed to see us, we would leaving for our 12 hour trip back to Jenkintown at 9 am.   Of course, he didn't call, although he does admit that he had missed us on his first night in the dorm....when we were still in town.

This year, we thought we were making the trip to Notre Dame this weekend, but a few days ago, Jack kind of told us that he was going out with his roommate (who is from this area), and that we could drive his stuff out if we wanted.   Well, no thank you.  I can mail his stuff out for less than $100....assuming he couldn't put everything in his roommate's car.  I am willing to drive him, but I don't need to drive out his stuff.

So, that will make this year's good bye much easier...it was a quick goodbye in our driveway, not a 4 day event.    But I also felt differently.  I know he will probably be back for Fall Break in about 2 months, and then I will see him 2 months after that..a few days before Christmas, because I doubt he will be back for Thanksgiving.    Last year, I missed him so much before he came home for Christmas.  I really needed to see him.  He isn't a good phone talker, and he was very busy with Engineering, rowing for Notre Dame's team, and doing freshman stuff.

But Jack has a way of making it easy not to miss him.   I guess all teenagers do.  My friend Ellen once told me that by the time her oldest left for college, she was barely seeing him anyway, so his going away wasn't so bad.  Jack is the same.

So, this year's saying goodbye to my college student was much different, and much less difficult for all of us, I think, largely because we all know that we have adapted to some extent, to Jack not being here.    But I have to admit that I already know that next year will be brutal bringing Anna to college.   I can't imagine saying goodbye to Anna.   That will kill me, and if I seem brave or happy, it is because my first desire was to be an actress because I am very good at acting, but I can't sing, and my high school only put on musicals!!

Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale starts August 17th at 8 am...are you going to be shopping?

I love Lilly Pulitzer clothing,   and tomorrow morning, the Lilly After Party sale starts at 8 am (I don't like this name...it used to be call the Endless summer sale, which I like better...), and in stores at 10 am.

I am not sure I ever saw that store part before.  I am not sure if that means that stores will be putting all their stuff on sale,  or if there is stuff that is part of the online sale, if that will be on sale?   Either way,  I will be online at 8, and I may even head on over to one of the stores near me to see what is on sale there.  I usually just shop the Warehouse sale, but over the last several years, I started buying stuff online during these sales, and I have been really happy with my buys.   I usually regret not getting something, and will get it during the online sale, or I decide I want to get something for my girls....Last winter, I bought two pairs of the Travel pants, and I wear them all the time.

Good luck!

Trip to Ellis Island--August 15, 2015

One of the things I have never done is go to Ellis Island, and I really wanted to go and for us to take our children.   We finally decided to go today, and it was a great trip!

We left our house at 9, which is not too early  (I actually think we should have gone a little later in the day, so it wasn't so hot).    We made it to the parking lot by 11:40 after stopping once for gas, and then made it for the 12 o'clock ferry.  I think we purchased tickets for a specific ferry, but the way it looks, I think they just want you to have a ticket.  

Our first stop was Ellis Island.   Once you get there, they give you an audio set, which is part of the admission fee, but we all decided that the audio things were hard to hear, tough to maneuver, and that we would rather just do it ourselves.   We wandered around there for an hour, and then went to see the movie on the second floor called "Island of Hope, Island of Tears."   I highly recommend it--it had all kinds of cool archival photos, and film.   Made you feel like you were really there.

Matthew wanted to go...I know because he asked me every 4 minutes..."when are we going to the Statue of Liberty?"   It wasn't that he wanted to go to the Statue of Liberty...he just wanted to leave Ellis Island.  So, we left, and took the ferry over to Liberty Island to see the Statue of Liberty up close.  Apparently you can't get tickets for the actual Statue until November 4th, and so we just walked around the base, took tons of pictures, etc.  

This is when we all got hot.  It was probably around 92 degrees at 3, and there is no shade, and we were all hot.   Which makes me tired and grumpy.  Now I wanted to go.  And so did the others.  We got on a ferry, walked a nice little walk to our car, got on the New Jersey Turnpike, and we were home at 6.   It was easy, fast, and a great trip.

One of the things that I have learned is to not make these trips all day events...this makes everyone exhausted, and grumpy.  As it turned out, Chris went to a friend's house tonight, Anna met a friend, Timmy went to a friend's house, and Matthew went to see his friend, Davis, who just got back from a week down the shore.  So, they all had fun at Ellis Island, but still had fun the rest of the day, so they don't feel like they missed anything fun by doing something with their family.  

Here are some photos:

I think it is great the Beckhams allow their daughter to keep her pacifier.

I am not a fan of the Beckhams--especially the woman, who looks like a sick puss in every photo of her.    I don't pay much attention to them, but I was impressed when I saw that David defended his daughter for still using a pacifier at age 4.  I am all for anything that helps make a child feel better...including a pacifier, blanket, a thumb, or a bottle.

 Anyone who knows me that the majority of my children have kept their bottles until they were at least four.   I think all the talk about dental and speech issues is absurd.   I think if that little girl wants to use a pacifier...then let her.  She will eventually stop.   She will be fine.

Anna's Surprise Party--August 9, 2015

Anna really would not let us do anything for any big event in her life--no Sweet 16, she has already said no to a graduation party, so, when her 18th birthday was looming in the future, I decided I was having a party for her, like it or not.   I knew she would not like it, so I decided to make it a surprise party, and it was tonight, and I am so happy with the way it turned out...she was so happy, and I think she had a great time!!

I enlisted the help of her friends, Grace and Mia, to get a list of girls to invite.    Even though a Sunday afternoon in August is a tough time to have a party, I was so happy with all the girls who came.   The party was at Magerk's in Fort Washington, a place which used to be the Bent Elbow...and where I used to go to hang out in my college years.   Now I am having parties for my teenagers there.  Anyway, the party began at 4, and I told her we were meeting my old friend from high school there. We got there at 4:30, and Chris and the boys had done a great job of making the place festive.

I took tons of photos, but here are just a few, and then I will post more late, because I want to get this up tonight....

Anna with Maddie, her oldest friend, since Kindergarten.

These girls were so nice to come to a party on a Sunday night in August...several of them came up from the beach to be there.  

These girls were about to leave for college.  Crew friends!

     Chris and Lily had blown up tons of balloons, and Chris went over to add them to the room....

  Anna loves her friend Zoe...Anna hadn't seen her, so she was so happy Zoe was there!

     Again, Anna's oldest friend from grade school, this time with Lily sneaking in to the picture....

  These girls were so nice to chat with Lily...it seemed like every time I turned around, Mia was talking to Lily--she is the sweetest girl!!

The boys and I sat outside, out of the way. 

   They were really good sports about being there, but I think it had something to do with the Phillies game playing in the background so that they could watch the game while eating!

We got Anna's cake from a Piece of Cake in Elkins Park...it was delicious, and absolutely beautiful! 

After the party was over, Anna stayed at Magerk's around the fire pit with a group of friends for another three hours...well after her family went home.  I am so happy it went so well for her!