Merry Christmas!! December 25, 2017!

This is a weird Christmas for the Gallagher family.

18 Months after Chris' Stroke--November 27, 2017

18 months....

A Very Happy Thanksgiving--November 23, 2017!

I was thinking this morning that yesterday was a perfect Thanksgiving, and it really was.   When your children are little, you might take these Thanksgiving days for granted, or even find them a little bit difficult/stressful.  But when your children are getting older, and you are so happy they are all home, then these Thanksgivings are wonderful.  My Thanksgiving was wonderful.

I will be honest.  I usually only share this with my girls, but Thanksgiving can be a drag.

Happy Birthday to my Lily--November 9, 2017!

Happy Birthday to my Lily, who turns 11 today.  It was probably the second happiest day of my life, the day she was born.    I think she was around 2 in this photo--my lord, look at that head of hair!

And this was taken a few weeks ago--she still has the most amazing smile!   She is absolutely adored by all of us, probably the most, because she is the baby, and because she has a punky personality!  All of them have a soft spot for her.

 I always say that while I thought our family was fantastic when it was just the four of them, when we had Lily, I realized how much "better" our family had become.  I have explained this to others.  Not only was she a perfect blessing, but she unites our family in a way the others can't.   My kids will be coming back to attend her life events--graduations, proms, etc, long after the trips home may not have been a priority for some of them.

And for that reason, she is the one who will make our family stronger, closer, more united.  And for that, and for thousands of other reasons, I adore her.  Even with the hair. Actually, especially with the hair, because she thinks she is the "bomb diggity."  Her words, not mine.

Happy Election Day-Timmy votes for the first time! November 7, 2017

Does this just say it all?  My Timmy is now old enough to vote!

And so we did, together, for the first time, without him in my booth.  Now he gets to do it himself.

Happy Halloween! October 31, 2017!

I know this sounds bad, but I am a little weary of Halloween at this point.  I kind of want it to be over, which I guess it will be in just a few hours!

We started the day by Lily going to her old school's Halloween parade, which made her a little sad for her old school.  So, we came home, and I gave her some hot chocolate, with a bowl of whipped cream.  Yes, you read that correctly.  I gave her a bowl of whipped cream.  It melts quickly, she usually doesn't finish the hot chocolate,  she is super skinny, and frankly, I just don't care.

Happy 18th Birthday, Timmy--October 4, 2017!

So I now have three "adult" children.  Timmy is 18 years old today.

Happy 22nd Birthday, Jack!! October 3, 2017!

I can't believe my first baby is turning 22.  I really don't like getting letters or emails that begin with "I can't believe it is already.....(fill in the blank)", but I really can't believe it has been 22 years since I had Jack.

Honestly, sitting here right now, it seems like so much has happened in 22 years.  Years of watching Thomas the Tank Engine and Toy Story, walking with him back and forth to preschool, walking him to the bus, going to countless sporting events, driving him to La Salle, then, finally, driving him out to Notre Dame for college.  It seems to have been a long time, especially when I add in all those other children memories--playing golf with his brothers, walking in the stroller with Anna pulling his hair...has all this happened in only 22 years?

This was one of my favorite photos of Jack--he is around 8 months old:

And this is him today:

I took this from the photo proofs we were sent for his Notre Dame graduation photos.  He really doesn't like it, because he thinks it looks like he just woke up.

Notre Dame Football Weekend! September 28-October 1, 2017!

So, for now, I have two children at Notre Dame.

Timmy and Golf

Years ago, in early August, 2013, Jack, Timmy, and I were having lunch at a bagel place in Jenkintown, and talking about what he was going to do in 9th grade.

Last Day of Summer, September 21, 2017

So, today is the last day of summer.  The last full day, because Autumn begins at 4:02 tomorrow, and Lily pointed  out that part of tomorrow will be summer.  

This summer was really only so-so.  I mean,  I loved everything about the heat, and my children being around, but I worked a lot, so it was not as much fun as I wish it were.  

Every year, we walk down to Sprinkles for some last day of summer ice cream.  This year, it was just Timmy, Lily and me.  Matthew is exhausted every night after practice, and Chris was at a Men of La Salle event.

I really can't wait until the first day of Spring--only 6 months away!! 

Boston College vs. Notre Dame game-September 16, 2017!

Now that Anna has transferred (for now) from Boston College to Notre Dame, she has decided she really loves BC. Of course.  Oh well.

Anyway, we decided to let her fly up to Boston for the BC vs. Notre Dame game this weekend to see her friends.  Then, we decided we were going to go, because, well, we bought 6 tickets to go to the game back when we thought Anna would be there, and we were going to make this weekend our Parents' Weekend at BC, because the last Parents' Weekend was such a washout.

So, we went.  And we decided to make it a one day trip, which is a little crazy, because each way is almost 5.5 hours.  But now, I am not thinking of the time on the road, I am thinking of how crazy fun it was this past Saturday to see Anna, if only for a short time, and how great it was to see such amazing college spirit from both BC and Notre Dame.  

At my college, tailgating was not really a big deal.  And while I have gone to another Notre Dame football game at Notre Dame two years ago,  it was with all 4 kids with me, and we were just trying to make it to the game.

But this was really fun.  The BC campus doesn't have one really huge parking lot like Notre Dame does for tailgating, so the entire campus was essentially shut down, and there were tailgates everywhere.  It was so much fun!

Lily's First Day of 5th Grade at Ancillae Academy--September 6, 2017!

So, Lily is now at a new school--Ancillae Academy.  This is the same school that Matthew attended for 7th and 8th grade, and we loved it so much, we decided to have Lily leave McKinley and go to Ancillae.  We are thrilled.

Lily is not so thrilled.  She shadowed there in February, and when I picked her up, she was so excited about going to Ancillae.  But then the reality of leaving the only school she has known for the last 6 years, with all her friends, and she was having second thoughts.  What I love about Lily is that she thinks her second thoughts matter to me, which they don't.  I look at her, as she explains to me the reasons why maybe she should stay at McKinley, and then I simply say "no, you are going to Ancillae.  You will love it there."

Still, there were some transitional issues.  Namely, the bus comes a full hour earlier than the McKinley bus, which is tough for Lily.

Timmy's first day of his last year of high school, Matthew's first day of high school--September 5, 2017!

Today was a big day here.  It was the first day of Timmy's senior year at Abington.  This is what he and we, looked like on his first day of Kindergarten, in 2005:

And this is what he looked like today: 

...and the first day of Matthew's freshman year at La Salle.

Last Day of Summer--September 4, 2017!

While I know it is not really the last day of summer, if you have children, you know that the last day before school starts is really the last day of summer...even if the weather continues to be sunny and hot.

Tomorrow is the beginning of all sorts of things.  It is the beginning of Timmy's Senior year of high school.  It is the beginning of Matthew's freshman year at his new high school, LaSalle.  And Lily will be entering 5th grade at her new school, Ancillae.  

Summer's last breath...August 31, 2017!

There is something so sad to me about August 31st.  First, tomorrow will be September, which means Fall.  I do love the Fall (when I was younger, it was my favorite season), but as I got older, I realized that after Fall comes Winter, and I hate the Winter!

And then there were five--Jack and Anna are off to Notre Dame! August 18, 2017

So, the three months of a crowded home are over for now.   Actually, Jack spent the summer in Pittsburgh, so there were really only one extra person--Anna.  But Anna adds so much to our home and family, so having her around is always such a pleasure.

Jack got back on August 1st, in order to have shoulder surgery on August 2nd.

Philadelphia Night--August 13, 2017!

These are some photos of Philadelphia night;

Happy 20th Birthday to Anna--August 8, 2017!

Happy 20th  Birthday to Anna!  How do you say happy birthday to the love of your life?  Maybe, it is best to do in photos:

Here, Anna was around 12 months.  She was so easy going. Poor thing would fall asleep on her high chair while she was being ignored.  

Anna at approximately 18 months.  Just the most gorgeous little girl.  And if you look closely, you can see the beautiful heart beneath that pink dress! 

    Her 20th birthday cake was an ice cream cake from her favorite ice cream store--Sprinkles!

And all 5 of my children--Anna, Lily, Timmy, Matthew, and Jack (a week post-surgery.)

Our Family Trip to Washington DC...without me, Jack, and Anna!! August 4-6, 2017

So, the first thing is that we didn't really go from August 4th through the 6th, because even though I told everyone to make no plans,  one of them picked up a shift.

A Space Odyssey--The Philadelphia Orchestra at the Mann Music Center--July 25, 2017

We had a very nice evening tonight at the Mann Music Center.

Happy 4th of July--July 4, 2017!!

We have done the same thing for the Fourth of July for almost 21 years straight.   Except for one or two years that I can think of, we start the day by going to the McKinley Firehouse festivities.

First Day of Summer--June 21, 2017!

I guess I am a glass half-full kind of person, because this day always kinds of bums me out....the longest day of the year, which means, to me, that every day after this is going to be shorter, with less sunlight.   A more positive person may see this day differently, but to me, it is a little sad.   Which is why it makes sense that I love December 21st, because it means the days are only going to get longer.  What doesn't make sense is that I should just be enjoying the amazing weather, and not being bummed out about a few less minutes of sunlight each day.

I just desperately need to move to a warmer climate.  I just really do not like the cold of January, February, March, April....and this year...it went into May in the Philadelphia region.  I like hot.  I like really hot.  I like sweating hot.  I hate the cold.  And I hate everything that goes with cold.  Shorter days, more clothing, less activity, etc.

So, for now, I will just enjoy the first day of summer--I am heading to the beach tomorrow, after staying up here for a Bucknell event last night, and a doctor's appointment tonight.  It is supposed to be crazy hot, which is how I like it!

Last Day--June 19, 2017

I have had at least one child at McKinley Elementary school since less than a week before 9/11.  My oldest son started at McKinley on 9/5/01, and less than a week later, 9/11 occurred.  And I have had someone, and at one point, four of our children, at McKinley since that time.

But today was the last day.  Because Lily's last day at McKinley was today, and she is not returning in September.  She is going to a new school, Ancillae Assumpta Academy.  So, this September, I will not be returning to McKinley to be a room parent, or in charge of the Teacher Luncheon, or anything else, because I no longer have a child there.

Honestly, I really wasn't sad.  I am so happy for Lily.  But still, it is a passing.  Because today is the last day at McKinley for my family and me.  And that is a milestone...the last day.

Busy Weekend--Matthew graduates, Lily has her ballet recital-6/2/17---6/4/17

This was a crazy busy weekend.   Way too much going on around here!

Memorial Day--May 29, 2017

I don't have a good history of Memorial Days.  That isn't fair.  It has only been the last two, but the last two have been lousy.

Our Stroke of Luck--a year with Chris' thalamic stroke...May 28, 2017

I don't know that anyone can understand how a stroke can be something of luck, but for our family, it is.   This year has definitely shown us how lucky we are.

We are so lucky that Chris is not worse.  He really could be so much worse.   We are so lucky that he has nothing "physically" wrong with him---I know, it seemed strange, because isn't a stroke a physical thing, but seeing other stroke patients, I now understand.  Chris' stroke was in his thalamus, which means that his stroke affected his cognitive abilities (which are still far better than mine, even without a stroke!).   So, yes, we are lucky that Chris can drive, can walk, can eat....we have seen other people who cannot.

We are also so lucky that Chris works for an amazing employer, and that he has amazing benefits.   While we are definitely not "making" anywhere near what we used to make, it is not bad.  And we have kept his benefits.  And he works for a university, which means we get a university tuition benefit.  

We are so lucky that I was able to go back to being a lawyer after being a stay at home mom with very limited computer skills (I am not exaggerating when I say Timmy had to walk me through the first 5-6 postings of this blog...forget me initially trying to add photos!!)    While I may not get appointed to the US Supreme Court...I am really lucky I was able to go back to work within three weeks of realizing I needed to go back to work.

We are so lucky that both of our children in college love where they are, still reach out to us, and as a parent, I am so lucky at how brilliant and smart my children are--each of them got through this year of college with gpa's of close to 3.9....even with the added burden of worrying about a sick parent.

Monday Flashback--to May 22, 2016!! Anna at Stotes!

Anna on the Schuylkill River on May 22, 2016, rowing at Stotes.   When life was very uncomplicated.

Hamilton! May 20, 2017

Today....

Happy Mother's Day--May 14, 2017

Happy Mother's Day!

Flashback--May 10, 2008!!

Are you kidding me?  Could either of these two more cute?   That is Lily, 18 months, and Timmy, 8 1/2 years, at his First Holy Communion.  Exactly 9 years ago (well, yesterday!)

Happy 15th Birthday to Matthew!! May 7th, 2017!

I can't believe Matthew is 15.  He was really my baby for several years....before Lily, that is.  But his birth was the craziest, and he was the cutest baby, and was just so pleasant....and he started sleeping through the night at 8 days....so he was such a joy.  It is hard to believe that he is now 15!!

Matthew and Chris in Williamsburg on Matthew's 15th Birthday!  

The Wizard of Oz at Ancillae---April 20-23, 2017!

We just came off a marathon weekend of Wizard of Oz performances at Ancillae, where Matthew is in the 8th grade.

Boston Marathon--April 17, 2017!

Chris left early on Easter afternoon with Timmy and Anna to return Anna to Boston College.   Instead of just dropping her off, though, Timmy spent the night with Anna, and then spent all day today with Anna and the rest of the Boston College campus cheering on the Boston Marathon runners.  I think Timmy was somewhat less than thrilled to be going up--it is a long drive up, but apparently the day was more than worth it--they had the best time!!  

Happy Easter--April 16, 2017

Happy Easter--here are some photos!

9 months and counting--February 28, 2017

I still say "my husband just had a stroke so..... "  Or "my husband just had a stroke which is why...."   But to be honest, it has been 9 months.  Which is not "just had."  It is getting to be something we look back on in terms of years.  Like i"t is almost a year since my husband had his stroke."

Notre Dame Junior Parents' Weekend--February 17-19th, 2017

What would make me drive 12 hours in mid-February in what could be sub-zero freezing weather to go somewhere for 36 hours, see someone for about 6 hours, and then turn around for another 12 hours of that same drive?  It is for the chance to see Notre Dame's Golden Dome...and to see Jack, our Junior at Notre Dame.

But, as it turned out, the weather wasn't sub-zero.  It was actually record-setting warmth.   It was amazingly beautiful in South Bend, and all the way out there from Philadelphia.

This never gets old:

A view from slightly further away:

And, as always, a trip to the Grotto to light a special candle:

It was really a fun weekend.  We decided to do an Airbnb, which we had never done before.  It was literally across the street from the Southeast corner , about

Ebates January 2, 2017

I really don't usually rave about things...I really only love a few products (Diet Dr. Pepper...I know, it is so bad!), Dry Idea deodorant, and a few more.

There area  few sites I really like, and one of them is ebates. Ebates acts (here is the technical computer talk) like a portal, to get you to your favorite online shopping sites, and then if you make an online purchase through the website that you got to through ebates, you earn a percentage of your purchase back.  So, for example, if I am buying something Amazon, or Target, I go to Ebates, hit Target, and that brings me to the Target site.  So, if it literally one extra step.

The great thing is, that it is literally free money. You are going to make the online purchase anyway, so why not go through Ebates?  I was very pleasantly surprised before Christmas.  I wanted to buy my daughter a new pair of Uggs, so I went to Ebates, typed in the name "Ugg", and when the site came up, I saw I was going to get 10% of my purchase back, which for me, came to $14 back!  I was thrilled.

It isn't like I am going to Aruba on that $14, but the site sends you a quarterly check (or pays you through paypal....I want to make sure I get the check), and that is it.

On top of that, if you sign up as my referral (as opposed to just signing up yourself because you think it sounds good), you will get $10 after you make your first qualifying purchase of $25 within 90 days, which is really not too hard to do.  I had my friend sign up, and she signed up, made the $25 purchase, got the $10 back (which she felt justified the purchase of the $25 GAP shirt she wanted for New Year's Eve), and said she won't use it again until she needs to make a purchase.

I really think this is kind of a no-brainer.  I don't see anything on the site that raises concerns, and I limited the emails I get from them (I was getting at least one a day before), so it isn't a problem.

Here is my referral code.  If you click on this (you might have to copy and paste it...), it will get you Ebates.  When/if you sign up, it asks if someone referred you.  Tell them Leslie Gallagher sent you!!  Thanks!


https://www.ebates.com/r/LLGALL13

Happy New Year!! January 1, 2017..Resolutions....

So, Happy New Year!   I think my first resolution of the New Year will be to start being a better post-er on this blog.  I have really fallen behind.  But, it is late now, and we just got back from our friends who seem to invite us to every lovely party at their house, so we are tired.    So, for now, just Happy New Year!  I am really hoping that 2017 is a good one!!