ch...ch...changes

Isn't
that
what
life
is
really
all
about?
Changes....
How we change through the years from our minds, to our hearts, to our bodies, to our lives.
People change, situations change, our faces will change.
And change can be bittersweet.
I came across some photo albums in my sons closet tonight and got swept away looking back to the old days...
The old days of my pink polaroid camera and when my black dog, my beautiful black lab Sammi was so young and she had a black shiny coat of fur and endless energy.
The old days of thinking nothing of splurging on lots of clothes for myself at the mall and racking up the credit card but knowing I could pay it right off with my weeks paycheck from the law firm.
The old days were without stretch marks and flabby stretched out baby belly.
The old days were the nails being filled every 2 weeks and going to the nail salon and they'd say "hi kristin, pick a color" and pedicures too.
The old days were being able to afford MAC makeup whenever I wanted too and having late night conversations in my cozy bedroom at 6 Mill St. Place, on the phone with big daddy when he use to live in Boston with his mama, Zonia.
The old days, I was the tae bo queen and had toned legs to prove it. You couldn't stop me then!
And then ch...ch...changes....
but they are the 3 best changes ever to be in my life.
Jordan, Maxwell & Isabella.
So yes, I have had to let go of alot of selfish indulgences but to hear their little voices say "mama, no matter if you are fat or skinny, i still love you" (that was Jordan who said that to me not so long ago) or when i give Bella her dora sippy cup with orange juice in it in the middle of the night and she says "thanks, mama" half asleep or when Max says in his husky little voice, really just about anything...it makes all the ch..ch..changes make sense and so very worth it.
So we have to accept the changing (the good along with the not so good), the growing (the aging, those darn wrinkles), & the years that inevitablilty go by, but just try to always see the glass half full...that is what I do daily, a very special person taught me that when I was a little girl and she also said "when you have lemons, make lemon aid" and I will always remember that on the days when ch...cha..changes are hard to accept or understand.
me & Jordan, he was almost 2 years old here

the long ago tae bo toned legs at my surprise party that me & jenny kind of planned ourselves and then i pretended to be surprised, remember that?

Revere's gut it goin on!!!

We saw
"HURDY GURDY MONKEY & ME",
today at Sonny Myer's Park. This is Coco, the monkey....i think Hurdy Gurdy is the guy in the striped shirt (if not, i don't know what the hurdy gurdy part is all about).
I have to say Revere's gut it goin on because all these shows, such as TOE JAM PUPPET BAND (they are amazing!) and Big Joe, the Storyteller ...etc...all these shows are funded through a grant in the city and it makes up the Revere Parks & Recreation Summer Program. Every day is free lunch for all between the hours of 11-1 at parks all over the city, along with activities and shows like Hurdy Gurdy (cutes name) and today this little monkey came to the park and was so smart & funny. Very grateful for the programs that Revere offers in the summer. Very grateful cause when big daddy has been in & out of work since October, this summer hasn't been no walk in park when it comes to having alot of bread (aka ~ money!!!)+ gas prices suck & these summer shows have really helped break up the many long days of summertime.
This little monkey, Coco, was catching the baseballs, rockin the little helmet like a true Red Sox playa!!! He had me laughing. Wouldn't you if you saw this cutes right in front of you???? "hi"
I love this little guy!


no, he wasn't really pickin nose, just the way i caught the hand in action...cutes...
"A-PEEK-A-BOO"!!!!

it was all about the hermit crabs today

"we had to pull up the chairs for these cutes hermits"

at lovely revere beach...
the kids were in great awe over their new friends "the hermit crab familia", just take a look at the shots and you will see 3 very interested little people gathered around a big bucket full of hermit crabs.
Also notice in the background of the pic of Max & Jordan walking with their buckets, there is a little woman reading her book, she was kind enough to help the boys find lots of hermit crabs in the ocean shore. What started out with just 1 (that Mr. Jordan discovered), ended up with a whole posse full of hermits (thanks to the little nice lady on the beach), they observed the little hermits, crabbing and crawling and tap dancing on the bucket, cause Jordan said to us "sshhh, listen" and we could hear their claws click clackin on the dance floor. It was good to get them away from the xbox and out all together to observe hermit crabs on sweet revere beach.
It is always the little things, life is all about the little things....

yep, observe it

"joggin it down the beach in my pink flower bikini"

incentive

Last night my husband & i began tae bo again. I remember the days when I had the energy and the body to do 5 to 6 nights a week of tae bo. It was just after having Jordan and I had gained over 40 pounds being pregnant with him. At 5 feet and 180 pounds, holding the most precious little baby boy, I was determined to take off the weight and I did it. I lost 60 pounds from doing tae bo & even did pilates (kickin it up on the living room floor). I also was 24 & 25 years old at the time so I could even eat pretty much whatever I wanted and just made sure to tae bo at night. The legs got toned, the arms were strong. I felt good. It was so simple in those days. Being younger, having one little baby (not 3 crazies!) and the time & energy.
Well back to last night. I had my husband take some sweet shots of me, like they do on celebrity fitness so I can have some before and afters. Well these before shots can't even be published on this blog! I was mortified at how out of shape and how much weight I have gained, just from having Bella 2 years ago. I weighed less when she was 4 months old and through her first year then I do now! No need to complain or rant and rave anymore. All I can say is these pictures have truly given me an incentive to do it this time.
Too stop eating all the cookies and break the addiction.
Too start pushing myself to exercise daily, no matter how big or small the amount of exercise I can fit in, just to move everyday!
And whenever I am in the kitchen and want to reach for that cookie, I will look at the pictures my husband took and be reminded that I am on a mission to get fit, to get firm (or as firm as a mama of 3 can get, i gutta be realistic here & now) and do this for myself and no one else!
I am ready.

If we're lucky....

we'll be here someday, so
Be merciful today. Cut people some slack. Smile at people like you're smiling at chubby little babies.
Peace out.

Build A Bear, Build A Hello Kitty, Build A T-Rex!

Max picked the new T-Rex, very cool and he ROARRRRRRRRRS and Max wasted no time picking out a PATRIOTS football uniform (with helmet!) for Mr. Dino (that is what he named him on his birth certificate)
Bella was going to put a construction helmet on her hawaiian hello kitty but decided the hello kitty bowling bag pocketbook fit her much better. A very special person named her "sun-kissed Hello Kitty" so we stuck with that sweet name and she rocks the jean skirt and tropical hk hawaiian tanky top!
And we love so much that we not only stuffed our animals with red hearts but purchased the lavender hearts which benefits great causes for children and animals, so worth it!
But I am going to keep it real, Bella is much to young for the Build A Bear workshop process, she doesn't get it. She wanted to run around, look at herself in the mirror, climb on the tables to get a better look at herself in the mirror, press all the buttons on the computers, she drove her mama bananas!
But to calm us down, an ice cream cone and a nice rest in the living room watching Woo Woo Wubbyz, works all the time.

The Toe Jam Puppet Band!

2 Cutes rockin it out a summer day!!!
Look at Macky with his UPS hat on rockin it out!

What an absolutley amazing fun show these guys did, absolutely amazing!

They rocked it out today at the Sonny Myers Park!
These 2 guys got the party started, the speakers were booming and they really captivated all the children with some pretty jammin songs!
They got out their bubble machine and that really got the party started!
They also did a song about laundry and had a laundry basket and threw out all kind of clothes to the kids and the kids had to throw them back in the basket!
They did the limbo and a car wash song where the guy used a spray bottle to spray everyone off, the kids really loved that one!
They will be back in Revere at Revere Beach on August 16th at 2:00, I think we will go see them again!

My Strength

My Little Firecracker!

I took my little Bella girl to see the fireworks for her first time, last night, at Revere Beach. She loved them! She sat on my lap and looked up in awe and clapped for the pink and purple colors (her 2 favorite colors) and when they were over she said "i wanna see that again"! I loved seeing her face watching the fireworks for the first time.
We also had great time hangin with Auntie Erica, Uncle Joseph and the girls, Celeste & Gianna on sweet Revere Beach! The kids played in the sand, we looked for shells but unfortunately found more trash than shells and Bella must of called for "auntie edica" over 100 times, she just wanted to be next to her the whole night! Thanks for sharing the chicken nuggets, water & dorito's! I am so glad Georgia was there and I got a sweet picture of her sitting under the pink sunset.
We love ya's! Happy Summertime Little Firecrackers!!!
The one and only Georgia! She rocks! Love this lady so much!!! Looks like she is saying "aaa, don't you be taking my picture under the cotton candy pink skies"! Georgia always describes colors with lots of adjectives and sweet foods...like cotton candy pink socks or chocolate browns...love Georgia!

Sometimes you just got to put on the spiffy socks and represent

Jordan's (aka Spiffy Socks) favorite new quote "All it takes is some imagination and a little science and you can make the world a better place" ~ Luis from We Are the Robinsons

And it doesn't matter if it's 95 degrees on a hot summer day, if he wants the browns up to his knees, let it be. Maybe he just got tired of the boring low cut ankle ones that don't show, maybe he was looking for something new, something special to really jazz up the shorts. Bring the whole look to another level.
And I let him because he's not hurting anyone or himself, just expressing some spiffy socks on a hot summer day.
Love you & ya spiffy knee socks, baby! I just love you! I love how he wore them with no shame and thought they looked kind-da sweet and let me snap a shot, standing proud in the kitchen.

O What a Night!

Beautiful smiles
Lots of Laughs
The most delicous eggplant baby stacks ever!
Freshly squeezed ice cold lime water, free refills
Central air on muggy night in the country
and
for desert:
strawberries with not just cool whip but whipped cool whip!
and of course
there was decorating shells freshly picked off of Revere Beach (nothing but the best!) with paints and a sparkling glitter glaze
Remember:
"Happiness is not having what you want. It is wanting what you have."
Thank you so much, we had a blast!
love ya, Steph & Jenny!