This Full House

Mommy Needs a Mojito!

Day 1 - New England's looking good already, right?



Day 1 - Tastes good, too!

Greetings from Cape Cod, MA!

© 2009 This Full House - All Rights Reserved.

Open House Blog Tour - Summer Vacation Edition

My husband, Garth [not his real name] and I are taking the kids to Cape Cod, Ma this week [first time we'll be going away, together, all 6 of us, at one time, in the same car, in like, 3 years] so, I've decided for this week's Open House Blog Tour, I am going to leave my blog open for the entire week!

Seriously, my husband insisted that I put out the Gone Fishin' sign and since Garth [not his real name] is my #1 sponsor to BlogHer, this year, well, you know.

So, while I'm spending the next 6 hours, fighting traffic, car sickness and playing, "I Spy With My Little Eye Something That Is Green" for the eleventy-hundredth time [it's always a tree, by the way] feel free to come on in, make yourself comfortable and leave links (PG-13, please) telling us about your individual blogging events, fundraisers, giveaways, book tours, contests, or if you have a burning blog post and just need a shout out, go for it!

I mean, who couldn't use a little linky love?  Make sure you leave a link in the Mr. Linky fields below along with a short description of the event. 

Okay, I'll start:

Leave a comment, if you'd like -- trust me, I know how busy you are -- and, don't worry if you forget, it'll be here, every Thursday linked permanently in my archives here and on my shopping website (two linkies for the price of one entry) so, if you happen to stop by, whenever, just go ahead and leave your link; I'm easy.

Feel free to share - here's the button and the code to use:

 

<a href="http://www.thisfullhouse.com/reviews/open-house-blog-tour/"><img src="http://www.thisfullhouse.com/design/open-house-blog-tour-badge.jpg">

ALREADY SHOWING: OPEN HOUSE BLOG TOURS

Happy blog hunting and see you all on July 13th!!!

© 2009 This Full House - All Rights Reserved.

Love Is Like a Turtle

His name is Toughy.  He lives in a lake.  A man-made lake in my parents retirement community, actually.  Don't know how he got there.  Judging by the scars on his shell, and missing foot, our turtle friend has seen some tough times.  Hence, his name.  Toughy is old, slow and a bit sluggish.

The old boy invokes quite an imposing shadow.  Rising up slowly from the darkest depths.  Suddenly, breaking the surface into a thousand quiet little ripples.  Oh, that's just good old Toughy.

I often wonder what he's thinking.  Probably looking for food.  Although, I would never profess to know what a hungry turtle looks like.  Perhaps he's only looking for a little company. 

It can get awfully lonely, out there in the cold, dark and wet, I suppose.  Unless, Toughy has a little turtle friend.  Of course.  

We've seen their nests.  At least, that's what I think.  Empty as they are.  For years, since my parents moved in, I've wondered.  Are they happy?  Or, angry and as suspicious of everyone, as we are of them.  You never really know with turtles, I guess.

Then again, how could anyone be unhappy, surrounded by all this beauty?  If it weren't for those darn trees.  I bet you could see clear across to the other side.  The old man in the boat doesn't seem to mind, nor does the turtle, for that matter.

Perhaps I'll just try to be more like our friend.  Toughy, the turtle.  Leave my mark in the sand, unafraid and at ease in my own shell.

Happy Love Thursday, everyone!

© 2009 This Full House - All Rights Reserved.

Yeah, but it just wouldn't be as much fun...without them!

 
June, 2004
Greetings from Seaside Heights, NJ

Yesterday, my mom and I carried on the tradition of celebrating the first days of summer vacation and took the kids to the boardwalk in Seaside Heights, NJ...alone (my husband was at work and my dad wasn't feeling so great) and, yeah, it was a beautiful day, still.   I can't help but feel as if the kids and I were, you know, missing something.

Besides, my dad and Garth [not his real name] I mean.

Oh, we got there in plenty of time to sink a couple of battleships, since Wristband Day ($15.00 per person gets you on rides until 6 p.m.) didn't start until noon and we had, surprisingly enough, very little traffic getting there. 

Aaaand, since my mother already saved up a wad of dollar bills the size of a small infant, we spent a leisurely hour hanging out in the air-conditioned arcade.

Look it her.  The woman's gone through a double-knee surgery, twice.  Still.  My mother was able to show the girls, you know, just who's the boss in skee ball, anyway!

Holly gave up trying to beat her grandmother (Heather, however, who is "supposedly" as stubborn as her mother, stayed behind for a second beating) while, Hopey came "THIS CLOSE" to winning an extra 250 tickets, "DAWN-IT!"

Then, it soon hit me (no, not the Wheel of Fortune, STOPIT!) around the time when I took this picture of Hopey, standing in front of one of those funky little fun-house-type mirrors they've got scattered all around the arcade, that I felt as if I were, you know, taking a glimpse into the future.

"I look weird!"

 

Spring 1999
Mommy and Glen at Pt. Pleasant, NJ

The kids are growing up SO FAST and, well, it just doesn't feel like 1999, or 2004, anymore, you know what I mean?

Yeah, going to the beach IS a whole lot easier (sans stroller and diapers) and hanging out on the boardwalk is a lot funner (yes, it's a word!) especially, when you have parents (like I do) who insist on, "Showing you kids a good time," time and time, again.

 

I can't help but feel as if things are going just a little too fast, even my poor mom and I had trouble keeping up with the kids, this time (stupid bum knees) I wish we ALL could have taken just a little more time, getting here, you know?

"So, what are you guys going to do on your summer vacation?"

Yep, after 3 years of staycations, we're going away to Cape Cod, this weekend.

Why?

Well, my husband and I honeymooned on the Cape (because, tropical islands were "highly over-rated") and it has been over 5 years since our last visit with the kids.  In fact, my parents were with us that time, too.  My youngest girl and the boy don't even remember it, much.  Still.  We love it and, since they're all old enough, I asked each of them to write down the things "they would like to do" and combined them into one big master list of things to do.

[Note:  Word-for-word list via kids, links via me for those of you who've never been to Cape Cod]

Things to Do on Cape Cod Vacation

• Beach and swimming
• Little shops and stuff
• Walking
• Mini-golf @ giant ship place
• Sundae School
• The candy store (forget the name)
• Marshside
• Hearth & Kettle
• Crabbing
• Fishing
• Shell picking
• No arguing
• Hike
• Boat ride (?)
• Game night (all 6 of us)
• Relaxation!
• Aquarium
• Blue skies & no rain
• Fireworks
• Arts & crafts
• Play sports
• Have fun
• Boogie boarding
• Museums
• Family movie night

Honestly, even though it may sound like a lot to pack into 1 week, I was surprised by the number of things on their list(s) that don't require tickets (or, reservations) and I think my mom secretly wishes that she could come, this time, too.

"You could always leave the kids with us, you know."

Yeah, but it just wouldn't be as much fun...without them!

© 2009 This Full House - All Rights Reserved.

Let's All Get Buffed, Beautiful and Bitchin'

The "before" picture - this, my friends, is the face of a woman on the edge - but, wait until you see the "after" shot!

Ever get the feeling that, you know, there's this unseen force, hanging out in the universe somewhere, with nothing better to do than rain on some poor schmuck's parade.

If the kids & I don't get (or, see) some sun soon, we may ALL just lose our sh*t today; considering a trip to the mall I am THAT desperate!

Summer's been very, very slow to start (here in Jersey) rain, rain and more rain, even the ants, that normally bug us around this time of year, have packed up and left town.  So, understandably, the kids and I are gettin' a little...um...antsy.

If it were not for Twitter, I would have totally lost my sh*t by now.

Who wouldn't? With 6 people living in a 7 room house? Quick to lose your sh*t, if summer refused to show it's bright & shiny head, I mean.

So, my friend Melisa (with one S and one L, I think) Twittered (Twitted?) a suggestion:

@thisfullhouse How about a family field trip to the tanning salon? That might be fun.

[cue choir of angels on high]

Hey, wait a minute, that's right, I almost forgot (thanks, Melisa with one S!) you see, I HAD A GET OUTTA THE HOUSE CARD for free, well, sort of. My husband, Garth [not his real name] gave me a gift card for a massage (or, a me...ssage...as he likes to call it) and 3 days into our summer break, I was already SO, you know, ready to use it!

Open House Blog Tour - 21st Showing

My husband, Garth [not his real name] and I love attending open houses - especially, if it's a home that we've admired from the sidewalk, or wondered...you know...what the heck is going on in there? 

Welcome to the Open House Blog Tour where everyone (and anyone) is free to come and leave links (PG-13, please) telling us about your individual blogging events, fundraisers, giveaways, book tours, contests, or if you have a burning blog post and just need a shout out, go for it!

I mean, who couldn't use a little linky love?  Make sure you leave a link in the Mr. Linky fields below along with a short description of the event. 

Okay, I'll start:

Leave a comment, if you'd like -- trust me, I know how busy you are -- and, don't worry if you forget, it'll be here, every Thursday linked permanently in my archives here and on my shopping website (two linkies for the price of one entry) so, if you happen to stop by, whenever, just go ahead and leave your link; I'm easy.

Feel free to share - here's the button and the code to use:

 

<a href="http://www.thisfullhouse.com/reviews/open-house-blog-tour/"><img src="http://www.thisfullhouse.com/design/open-house-blog-tour-badge.jpg">

ALREADY SHOWING: OPEN HOUSE BLOG TOURS

Happy blog hunting!

© 2009 This Full House - All Rights Reserved.

Wordless Wednesday: If You Give a Kid a Piece of Chalk

Prettiful things begin to happen...

Check out the Official Wordless Wednesday HQ
Tag, you're it: Wordless Wednesday  

© 2009 This Full House - All Rights Reserved.

Now, that IS some serious feminine protection!

Disclaimer:  This is not a review. I don't do those, here -- although, I do, do those, over there -- but, you don't even have to click on that link, if you don't want to, since I wasn't approached by anyone,or offered to do a review for Kotex, now, or at anytime during the month, or am I considered an "insider" for Kotex -- although, that would be funny, right? -- so, this blog post is being published for no other reason than, you know, it's been raining for a really long time, the kid was bored, we got a sample in the mail (linking just in case you might want some, I SWEAR!) and it's just some funny stuff we do, sometimes, here at our house and I'm just darned surprised she actually let me film it...I mean, her...d'oh...blogging used to be so much easier, you know?

[inhales deeply]

Edited to Add:  Just noticed I forgot to move the bottle of hand lotion, as some may even consider that a serious offense and poor excuse for product placement, but I'm not mentioning (or, typing) the name of the brand, so it's ALL good.

© 2009 This Full House - All Rights Reserved.

A Kinder, Gentler and Colorful Kind of Immigrant

My 10 year-old son's class celebrated Heritage Day, last week.

"This is my Mama and Papa and they escaped Hungary in 1956 and they're gonna talk to you about immigration."

I asked my parents if they would be interested in speaking to the children about their experiences.  My father did something similar for my middle daughter's girl scout troop on International Day a few years ago.  Still.  This time, he'd be speaking to a much larger group of kids (2 of the 4th grade classes, combined) so, my mother agreed to tag along, for moral support.

"What was the most scariest thing that happened to you?"

My father has a colorful way of manipulating the English language and is very rarely known to be at a loss for words.

"Vell...you zee...vhut you keeds don't know iz...I mean...eeet iz harrrd forrr me...forrr us..."

My father's eyes began to glaze over, as he tried to speak, but I could see that he was getting all choked up and having trouble finding "the right words" and a few of the children giggled as he visibly began to shake.

"What Mr. K. means is, staying alive was scary."

I nearly dropped my camera and I almost didn't recognize my mother's voice.  You see, she is the ying to my father's yang and, after nearly 46 years of marriage, Anyu is very comfortable with quietly observing from the back.  Not this day, however.

"I was only 14 and can still remember the sound of the tanks rolling into town, late that night."

 

The rest of the parents and teachers seemed to be very engrossed in what my parents had to say, but the kids...well...you know...it's almost summer and, well, they're kids.

 

Though, I tried to take my son's picture and he turned his head to shush someone right before I clicked.

"How many of you have ever gone hiking?"

A couple of kids jumped -- I guess they didn't see me quietly standing way in the back -- and then many of them quickly raised their hands.

"How many of you go hiking in a forest?"

Less hands.

"At night?"

A couple of hands go up.

"Without a flashlight."

Seriously?

"Okay, how many of you guys have gone hiking, in a forest, at night, without a flashlight, a coat, or shoes, in December?"

This time, even Survivor Man's son had to put his hand down and, now that I had their attention, I quickly told the kids the stories about the shoes.

"Did you have a machine gun?"

And then I started to think that perhaps this wasn't such a great idea, after all.

"No, I didn't, but the Freedom Fighters did and all we wanted to do was get to the Austrian border where it was safe."

 

My mother needed a moment, so I passed around my father's immigration papers issued in Salzburg (many mentions of the Sound of Music made, here) which gained him admittance into the U.S.

"Why did you pick America?"

For my father, it was because he loved going to the theater and watching American movies, in particular, old westerns, about cowboys and how they roamed the wide open ranges, free and without any borders, or papers.  Also, the Andrew Sisters always looked so, you know, happy.

For my mom?

"Because, it was far away from Russia."

Then, she went on about how the authorities separated my mother and her sister (who was only 4 years-old, at the time) from her mother, because my grandmother failed the physical examinations.

"I was only 14 years-old at the time and so scared that we wouldn't see our mother, again!"

Then, the bell rang.

"Would your parents mind moving over to our classroom and staying a little longer?"

Glen's teacher canceled the rest of her lesson plans for the day and I was surprised to see that the other 4th grade teacher did the same.

"Pssst...we have to go to gym, now..."

An hour later, my parents were exhausted, but in a therapeutic sort of way (if that makes any sense?) even if the kids didn't get most of what was being said.

The rest of us grown ups?

"We've had Heritage Day for the last 8 years and this, by far, is the best one, yet!"

Well, there wasn't a dry eye in the classroom.

"Liz...all those years of baseball ...who knew your life was so colorful?"

And the kids?

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Katkics,

Thank you for coming and telling us how hard immigration was because I thought it was easy to go through.  I liked the pictures you showed us because they were old, nice and interesting.

I have a whole pile of Thank You notes, just like that one, to give to my parents, when they visit for Hopey's birthday tomorrow, including this one:

Thank you for coming and explaining how difficult your journey was when you came here.  I hope the rest of your lives aren't difficult like the old days.  Stay out of trouble.

Yeah, I think they got it.

Me?

I'm still pretty much hoping for the same thing, too.

© 2009 This Full House - All Rights Reserved.

Open House Blog Tour - 20th Showing

My husband, Garth (not his real name) and I love attending open houses - especially, if it's a home that we've admired, or wondered...you know...what the heck is going on in there? 

Welcome to the Open House Blog Tour where everyone (and anyone) is free to come and leave links (PG-13, please) telling us about your individual blogging events, fundraisers, giveaways, book tours, contests, or if you have a burning blog post and just need a shout out, go for it!

I mean, who couldn't use a little linky love?  Make sure you leave a link in the Mr. Linky fields below along with a short description of the event. 

Okay, I'll start:

Leave a comment, if you'd like -- trust me, I know how busy you are -- and, don't worry if you forget, it'll be here, every Thursday linked permanently in my archives here and on my shopping website (two linkies for the price of one entry) so, if you happen to stop by, whenever, just go ahead and leave your link; I'm easy.

Feel free to share - here's the button and the code to use:

 

<a href="http://www.thisfullhouse.com/reviews/open-house-blog-tour/"><img src="http://www.thisfullhouse.com/design/open-house-blog-tour-badge.jpg">

ALREADY SHOWING: OPEN HOUSE BLOG TOURS

Happy blog hunting!

© 2009 This Full House - All Rights Reserved.