March Madness 2010

We celebrated Kermit's birthday with style this year! He blew out 45 big ones with all the girls gathered round to witness. His favorite gift (or maybe our favorite) was the pack of sticky mustaches! All the pics I took were on my phone....why do I do that? They just don't turn out. Luckily my parents were in town and snapped a few with a real camera. THANKS DAD!

I really need to just catch up on this blog. Too much time has lapsed and I'm drawing blanks. This much I do know.....Kermit had an awesome birthday! I have a picture to prove it!

Birthday weekend review.

This weekend we celebrated Kermit's birthday. 44 big ones! We decided to have a low key "family party" this year. Annaliese was very concerned because all of Kermit's family were not here...like his mom and brothers. Yes, that would have been nice. (Like we had a few years back, a surprise "whole family party". Maybe we'll try that again another year! Shhh.) This year however, was a happy one nonetheless with just the 5 of us. We had wonderful weather so we loaded the kids up for a day out at the zoo. Ahh, spring. It's coming, or rather it's finally officially here! When we got home we worked in the front yard a bit while the twins just played and "helped". Poor Annaliese slept on the couch, she's been sick the last few days. Kermit cut some stones and laid a little path that leads to the water spickett (sp?) and hose so we don't have to get muddy every time we walk back there. He cut the hedges too. It looks great! That evening we had presents and cupcakes. The girls were thrilled! Kermit wished that I wouldn't take any pictures of him at his party...but his birthday wish didn't come true. I mean how could I blog about his birthday without a birthday picture? Sorry Honey. But his other birthday wish did come true. He had a relaxing, no commitment to anyone, low key, happy day with his family.

Happy Birthday Kermit! I love you so much! Your girls adore you! May 44 be as good as 43! xoxo from all of us!

(This is just a funny picture I thought I'd add...the girls loved "helping" to make the cupcakes!)

Goal Setting

So we've had this piano for a few months now and we have been loving it. Kermit has been working on it's restoration little by little. His goal to rebuild all of the insides has been put on hold until after Christmas though. Why? Because I also have goals. I love Christmas music and I want to learn to play Christmas songs...and how would I be able to practice if the piano is out of commission while Kermit rebuilds it? So here we are in October and I'm practicing all kinds of Christmas music from the Hymn book so I can be ready the day after Thanksgiving. Kermit has been working on a few Christmas songs himself. He is working on some of the music from Charlie Brown Christmas. Yes, it is very Christmasy around here. My goal is to learn a new song every week.

Speaking of goals....kind of random but I made a goal to get a 72 hour emergency evacuation kit ready for our family. Done. (Oh yeah, I still need to make copies of all our important papers to throw in there.) The duffel bag it is packed in is bursting at the seams and weighs a ton. Among it's contents is the T-shirt that I am wearing in the picture below. It's the perfect T-shirt for such a kit don't you think? Our family received about a dozen of these fancy type shirts this summer. We have T-shirts with puppy dogs, cheetahs, more fairies, kittens, horses, wolves you name it - we have the shirt. So naturally I stashed some in the duffel for the kids too. If we ever have to actually use the kit, the kids will be excited to get to wear these fancy gems. Kermit says that if we are ever refugees anywhere, we will fit right in. =)

I think His Tractor's.....So Cute

Here are some darn cute pictures of my girls with Kermit on the old tractor this summer. I even gave it a go this year. I found it to be much more difficult than I thought. I felt exactly like I did the first time I ever drove a car. The shifting thing is very different, so is stopping and going. Practice is needed for sure. Maybe next summer I'll be able to spend a couple hours in a field practicing. I NEVER thought in a million years, I would ever want to learn to drive a tractor. IT'S FUN, the kids loved it too. Kermit loves it for sure! Okay, I'll just say it....I think his tractor's sexy....(blush, blush).

Cool Beans

To see something pretty cool click on the "Featured Video" thumbnail at the bottom left here.

Didn't he do great! Kermit has been busy with his corporate client work but his firm also has asked him to take on some recruiting in addition. This was his first time in front of a camera. He says he was nervous! I'm not sure why he would be...it's just a little old interview in Times Square for Businessweek... KERM, you did GREAT! XOxoxoxox No need to be modest here! Congratulations on a job well done!

Welcome to the Family

Kermit found this little baby for a SONG on ebay. It's a 1901 Steinway Upright "Grand". He snatched it up and had it delivered from Tennessee. We weren't sure what kind of condition it would be in until it arrived. Let's just say we were pleasantly suprised and are 100% convinced that we got an amazing deal! We really feel like this old piano just belongs in the family.

Kermit has serioiusly been obsessing with it's restoration. He started with the exterior finish. It looks great especially considering its over 100 years old! He then read from cover to cover PIANO SERVICING, TUNING, AND REBUILDING by Arthur A. Reblitz. Before long he had the entire piano disassembled for a thorough cleaning and repair job. 100+ years of dust takes a bit of elbow grease to remove. I helped when I could and have a new appreciation for piano construction. It was really fascinating to see how everything fit back together. Last week we had it professionally tuned. Good report from the tuner. He thinks we got a great deal too.

Kermit will continue to obsess until it plays like new working to rebuild all the action parts. Both of us are obsessed trying to remember how to play the few songs we once knew. I hope that we can have Annaliese started up in lessons in the next couple of years. I'm thinking I'd like to take lessons along with her. Why not. =)

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to the father of my children.

Kermit is such an amazing dad! I don't think there is another person out there that is more crazy in love with their children than he is. The best part is that all three of our girls know how much they mean to him and know they are so loved by him. The time that he spends with these little girls is such quality. Nearly every week night he is home to read to them and rock them to sleep. Every weekend he makes sure that we are out as a family on some sort of adventure. His phone calls home from work during the week will often include a chat with each of the girls. They are always thrilled to be talking with dad. And, oh the joy at the end of the day when he comes home from work!!! There is no doubt the feelings are mutual! Kermit honestly cherishes every moment with each of them. And these girls cherish every moment with their dad. I've learned so much about love watching him with these darling little girls. What a great man I married. What lucky daughters I have...

Happy Father's Day Kermit! You are simply the best father in the world to these girls. I'm so glad I found YOU to be their dad. I love you so much! And so do your daughters!

a few MOMENTS in FATHERHOOD

Here's to the many adventures ahead!

A picture of health.

Here is a picture of Kermit and his little girls on his 43rd Birthday! "A picture of Health." I asked Kermit what this quote means. He said that it comes from his father. Every year on his dad's birthday, he gathered his four boys around and made them sit on his lap for a photo, even when they were fully grown. The annual photograph was always referred to as "a picture of health." Maybe his dad thought that the children gathered around him made him feel young and vibrant, healthy. Maybe because good health is also one of the best wishes one could be granted. Whatever the reason, a birthday picture with the young ones gathered will forever be referred to as "a picture of health." So here's to another year of good health and happiness. Happy Birthday sweetheart. May all of your birthday wishes come true.

Meet "Pumpkiny"

A couple of nights ago Annaliese got to stay up a little later than normal to carve a pumpkin with her dad. You don't have to ask her she'll just tell you that "I'm daddy's girl." Yes, she is daddy's girl...but mommy is crazy about her too!

The last few nights at bed time Kermit has taken "Pumkiny" up to Annaliese's room and they've watched the pumpkin glow as they read stories and fall asleep. Too precious for words.

Who's that? What's he doing?

Yep, that's Kerm! Working like a mad man! Loving every minute of it! We spent 10 days in Princeton, MA at his mother's farm house over the fourth of July holiday. Every morning Kermit was up before sunrise clearing fields of overgrown bushes, brambles, weeds, etc. - quitting after sunset. He cleared an entire field and took down dozens of scrubby trees in hopes that the surrounding ones will have less competition and really take off and get huge. He LOVED loved LOVED it! We're hoping to go back for a quick weekend of more chainsaw fun before summer closes.

More good times....

Another favorite game is Horsey...complete with sound effects of course.

Birthday boy!

When Kermit came home from work on his birthday, Annaliese immediately told him that we had a 4 and a 2 to put on his chocolate cake for his birthday! I guess it wasn't supposed to be a surprise but it was still cute. We had a perfect dinner together...all five of us. Steaks and mashed potatoes. Yum! After the twins were in bed we opened presents...we meaning Annaliese. =) She just loves birthdays! Then for the chocolate cake, double yum! I think he really did have a happy birthday just being home with his girls. That weekend we got a sitter and he and I grabbed a cab and headed to the movies (Amazing Grace). We walked home with some yummy Starbucks cocoa. Simple pleasures.

So far 42 has found Kermit down in his shop. He finished a project he has been working on for a long time. A tool chest! A thing of beauty that holds EVERYTHING! Now everything has a place and he is able to find anything he needs quickly. He put it to the test by making a backyard swing for the kids in record time! What a cute swing too!

I'm so glad when Daddy comes home....

It's true! True for the little ones and for me! When Kermit comes home in the evenings, he will announce his arrival by giving a little whistle. When the girls here that..."DADDY!!!" Everybody runs for the front door to greet him! What a reunion! Hugs and kisses galore! If Kermit can make it home early enough we'll have a quick dinner together and then it is off to bed. The girls LOVE to be read to every night before going down and they love it even more when it is dad whose lap they are on!