Monday, February 8, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
"Times they are a changin'"...Waxing philosophical from the minivan
Some days, I look around and feel like I don't even recognize the person I've become. I drive a minivan loaded with Disney paraphernalia. I live in a spacious 4 bedroom in the burbs. I drink nary a drop of alcohol, and I'm NOT wearing Doc Martens. If any idea could've been more shocking and offensive to me in 1998, it would have been this!
Tailgating before a show in Camden with two girls I never would've thought I'd lose touch with! It was probably about 2:30 in the afternoon... we were artful about our tailgating!
This was how we tailgated before the last Pearl Jam concert on Halloween. It's no U-haul, but we had a great time!
Ironically, the party days for Eddie, father of 2, are a lot tamer than they used to be. Going to one of his concerts is more spiritual than physical these days and that's just the way I like it. Watch Eddie rock out his quintessential "Alive" in 1992 here.
Tailgating before a show in Camden with two girls I never would've thought I'd lose touch with! It was probably about 2:30 in the afternoon... we were artful about our tailgating!It's funny, because this life is what I've always wanted. I never expected anything less. As Joe likes to remind me, it is all part of my master plan and it's true. But, sometimes, when I'm driving around my Mickey mobile, in between the Laurie Berkner songs on the Ipod, a Pearl Jam song comes on and I am transfixed by the memories. Suddenly I'm standing amid the palpable waves of the crowd and it's just me and Eddie. I turn up the music, belt along with his crackling baritone and remember what it was like to be carefree! Back then, the biggest decisions I made were cider or shots for pregame, and who was going to be "sober sister" (the ultimate sacrifice!) We would have entire conversations about how much we loved Miller Lite and insisted we would be cool forever! We would still go to Pearl Jam concerts even in our 30s (why not our 40s? Oh yea, because 40 was unthinkable!) We used to scoff at the "old heads" sitting down at concerts, and swear it would never be us! Having kids and driving a minivan was a "someday" thing, but certainly not a reality! It was like a fairytale; a story I could see myself in, but the characters and scenery were so far fetched! 
This is my best friend Helen and I for Pearl Jam's 1998 tour. I flew to South Carolina for a show in that tour! Incidentally, that was also the closest I've ever gotten to Eddie... a personal high for me!
Today, as I live my own personal "fairytale" it is with no regret. I don't look back on those days and wish I were there. I lived those days to their fullest. I made sure I was the last to leave the party. If there were fun to be had, I was having it. I played my share of beer pong, forged my share of fraternity pranks. I held my Bic high waiting for the second encore, without worry of getting home at a "decent time" or "fighting the traffic to get out." I never said no to a concert, in fact, tailgating could've been my minor. One time, we rented a U-Haul and loaded it with living room furniture and a BBQ and drove it to a concert with about 15 of us lounging in the back! I lived carelessly for as long as the universe allowed, for I knew one day I would be living for someone else.
I have the two most precious boys in the world who devote their undying love to me every day. Charlie drops his schoolbag and gives me the biggest hug every time I drop him off at school and Finny calls me "prinpress." Every day I'm aware of just how fleeting life is at every stage. Although those drunken days and nights seem so distant now, I have a lifetime of memories to take with me. And all it takes is one Pearl Jam song to bring me right back!
Nobody wants to be the oldest one at the party. I've seen the moshpit after everyone's gone and it's a sad amalgam of shoes, clothes and teeth. My carefree time was brief, but well lived. I can't look back on a single thing and wish I did it another way. I believe in never living with regret. I only hope I can fully appreciate my children at every stage because I am all too aware of the little old lady at the supermarket looking at my chaos with a knowing smile and a jealous glance. I know that one day, I will be walking Shop Rite alone buying Clam Chowder instead of Alphabet Soup and missing the days when all I needed in the world was sitting in the shopping cart pulling each other's hair!
Nobody wants to be the oldest one at the party. I've seen the moshpit after everyone's gone and it's a sad amalgam of shoes, clothes and teeth. My carefree time was brief, but well lived. I can't look back on a single thing and wish I did it another way. I believe in never living with regret. I only hope I can fully appreciate my children at every stage because I am all too aware of the little old lady at the supermarket looking at my chaos with a knowing smile and a jealous glance. I know that one day, I will be walking Shop Rite alone buying Clam Chowder instead of Alphabet Soup and missing the days when all I needed in the world was sitting in the shopping cart pulling each other's hair!
This was how we tailgated before the last Pearl Jam concert on Halloween. It's no U-haul, but we had a great time!
My Doc Martens may be Uggs now, but my life, as is my footwear, is a lot more comfortable! My choice of beer (albeit rare that I drink it) happily is no longer Miller Lite. My 4 bedroom house is WAY better than the 6 bedroom sorority house. And who are we kidding? I used to drive a 1989 4-door Toyota rollerskate, the minivan is definitely a step up!! And I'll take the love of my husband and two wonderful sons anyday over the love of Eddie Vedder (my inner stalker just said "what?") The lights have gone out on my party days, but I have other things lighting my life now and they are way brighter!
Ironically, the party days for Eddie, father of 2, are a lot tamer than they used to be. Going to one of his concerts is more spiritual than physical these days and that's just the way I like it. Watch Eddie rock out his quintessential "Alive" in 1992 here.Eddie's guttural voice only gets better with age. I may be sitting down at his concerts someday, but I'll still be going. Maybe I'll even bring my boys! A more mature Eddie, singing one of the prettiest songs in the Pearl Jam catalogue here.
Friday, January 1, 2010
A Holiday to Remember
Well, the holidays are over and as you can see we are pooped! But at least we all had some fine Irish Whiskey before it was all over (those of us over 21 that is!)
We had an expected, but still tragic loss in Joe's family just before the holiday. Joe's Grandma, "Grandma Mary," passed away from a long battle with cancer. She was much loved and lived a wonderful life, touching everyone she knew. She was great Grandma to Charlie and Finny (and Mackenzie) and she always had a little religious token or book for the boys. She wrote them letters and cards that were always so endearing. Charlie and Finny always talked to her on the phone, and in the end, made videos for her to see from her bed. She was Mom to Rosemary, JoAnn and the late Anthony who had Down Syndrome. Grandma Mary cared for Anthony for 50 years, all the while encouraging him and others with developmental disabilities to live amazing lives! She was truly an inspiration. Her caring heart and warm smile will always be remembered. We know she is in heaven with Anthony, her husband Joe, her sister Kay and many others.
We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning at my parents' house. It's a big holiday hoopla and we look forward to it every year! We each made our fish for the Italian 7 Fishes and we exchanged "Dollar presents" like we have done every year since there were just the 7 of us in a little rancher in Effort, Pa! As usual, my Mom went crazy buying everything under the sun for the grandkids. The living room was teeming with presents and the kids were chomping at the bit since 5:30am waiting for dawn! It was a frenzy of wrapping paper and screams as the kids unveiled their much awaited presents. Jack and Luke even got a drum set, which Luke has been asking for for years! He's going to start a "wock and woll band" and I think Charlie and Jack are going to join him! 
We celebrated my birthday for about 3 days straight! We took advantage of every babysitting opportunity we had and really tried to spend some time together! We went to a movie, played Quizzo at a bar (yes, a real bar. I haven't seen the likes of those in quite some time!) and finally on the actual day we all celebrated together (just as I like it!) Joe spoiled me once again and made a bevvy of appointments for me from haircut and color (I don't know why he made the "color"), mani/pedi, massage and shopping! I am a lucky girl! 
We celebrated the New Year at our house with Marissa, Matt and their college friends (whom we have adopted as our own) Aubrey and Pete (who are always a party where ever they go!) It was a little tamer than years passed, but we had fun! 
We pulled up 2007's ball drop on youtube and watched it on tv pretending it was this year's. Charlie had a blast screaming "3-2-1 HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Then, at 10pm, we went outside and banged pots and threw the traditional pot of water to wash away last year (a Cuban tradition Joe and I have kept alive every year... every year we're awake that is!)
We eventually made it to the real midnight and banged a few pots of our own.
2009 was a good year, it brought us Quinn and Mackenzie and countless other blessings. Grandma Mary's passing brought a bittersweet end to the year, but I try to think about her life not her death. I know her legacy long surpasses the sadness we feel right now. We try to honor her daily by finding the little "angels" in our everyday lives!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
A Charlie Costal Christmas
As Sue McConnell unknowingly pointed out, I haven't blogged in some time since she thought I cut her from my blog! But like the poltergeist, we're baaack!
We celebrated my Mom's birthday with her (a few days late), but I didn't want her not to get cake and a little love on her birthday! The boys and I made her dinner, but as Charlie is too quick to point out "Mommy doesn't cook as good as Mom Mom!" I can't argue with that, but at least she had a night off from cooking and cleaning! I'm shocked my Dad actually didn't make a goofy face in the picture! 
We took the boys to Storybook Land in the beginning of December for the first time ever. People drive from all around (Burlington and Gloucester counties) to go to it and it's right here in our back yard and we've never been! Now I know why. Just kidding. It was cute, in a retro, creepy, "Weird New Jersey" kind of way. The lights were definitely amazing! And the kids were just awestruck, but it's definitely a every-couple-of-years thing for me! I'm waiting for the "Jersey Devil" mascot to be introduced there. 
We've been on our usual tour whoring ourselves around all the towns and their Christmas festivities. We've seen Santa twice and talked to him from behind the velvet ropes on several other occasions! We're known for screaming down from the 2nd floor of the mall to Santa. Finny's 1st attempt was a bit fitful, but the subsequent ones were a success! Hey, practice makes perfect!! 
Charlie is really into Christmas this year, but also reminds you that it's not all about the presents. One day, my Mom and I were talking about Christmas Eve and Charlie said "Why are you talking so much about Christmas and not saying anything about Jesus?" I guess the 2 hours twice a week at the Tabernacle is really paying off! And Finny said the other day that he built the Ark (yes, THE Ark) not Noah. I just let him go with it!! And by the way, they are now crediting Noah's wife with helping build the Ark (or at least they are at the Tabernacle), so that's a big step forward for women's rights!! 
We foraged through the tree farm once again this year in search of the perfect Pine. And once again we found it! Getting it decorated was a bit harrowing since it almost fell on us, but once we got it fish-lined to the wall (a patented Kazooti specialty) and then my Dad rigged it from underneath with some boards to stop the leaning... it was all good. The boys just love it. Charlie turns off all the house lights and we sit in the glow of the tree and he calls it "magic." Last year, Santa brought them an authentic Disney World locomotive complete with all the characters for under the tree. The boys sit for whole minutes (wink, wink) watching it go around. It blows real smoke and everything! I love watching them watch it! (And yes, Finny is wearing purple and pink jammies in that picture. Mom Mom got them for them. They picked them out and they both love them. When he's not wearing them, Finny carries them where ever he goes!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my2RKbWWXPE
Sadly, Joe's Grandmom is not doing very well. She's really ill and in a nursing home, but the boys always want to talk to her, so we make her videos and upload them to youtube for his Mom to show her. I thought this one was particularly cute because Charlie is talking about Christmas... "it's not all about playing in the snow and all that stuff!" And then the other video is him hamming it up talking about the Christmas play at school, in which a girl played Joseph b/c he "didn't want to dress up!" He'll wear purple jammies, but he won't dress up like Joseph!
If I don't blog again before Christmas, Merry Christmas and hopefully our Christmas cards will get to you before the big day! Writing them out was a breeze, it's the buying the stamps that trips me up!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
A Little Holiday Gift, from all of us to all of you
Pearl Jam Live at Austin City Limits...a historic rock n roll landmark, longest running rock show in American history. Nice live versions of Backspacer songs.
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