Somebody Turned Seven Today

We piled into two cars.
Teenagers in one car.
Seven-year-olds in the other.
(Mom and Dad were with the seven-year-olds.)

We formed a caravan all the way to Funset Boulevard.
It's what the youngest wanted to do for his seventh birthday.

They all played laser tag, road the train, played games, ate pizza, bashed each other in the bumper cars, drank Pepsi, played laser tag again, played skee-ball, cashed in their ticket for prizes, ate cupcakes, and talked non-stop all the way home. It was a very late night, but my little one said it was the best birthday ever.

Happy birthday to my seven-year-old!

Sabbatical 2014: A Brief Trip Down Memory Lane & a Little Stopover

One of the things we wanted to do while on sabbatical was see some friends we haven't seen in a long time. 

So we invited ourselves to their house in Maryland. 

It was a short visit. We spent two days laughing, getting to know their kids (great kids), reminiscing, and doing a little sight seeing.

The first day, we drove into Baltimore to take the kids to the Inner Harbor. What a beautiful city! 

One of the first things you see when you arrive downtown are the tall ships.

It was very cool for my boys to see these since we had just studied the early days of America and the role these ships played in the founding of our country.

 

After seeing the tall ships, you are constantly reminded by the incredible aromas that there are tons of eating places along the water. We knew the first thing out of our boys' mouths would be, "I'm hungry." 

So my husband decided to make our kids work for their lunch.

We climbed a hill overlooking the city called Federal Hill.

The view was amazing!

My husband can't resist challenging the boys to feats of strength. So when we saw this canon overlooking the street below, one of the boys came up with a great idea!

Pretty cool, huh?

After climbing the hill, we decided to take a breather while the kids played in the park at the top.

It was really fun seeing all the cool things about this beautiful city.

If one were inclined to want to shop (I am always inclined to want to shop.), and if one did not have mostly boys around all the time (I always have mostly boys around.), one would find that the Inner Harbor is a fantastic place to do a little shopping. I, however, do not enjoy the process of flying through stores in a hurry so as not to frustrate the males in the group. I hate hearing, "Are you done yet?" I feel it takes away from the thrill of shopping. 

So this is the only photo I have of my shopping experience. Everyone had to buy their favorite candy, and by the end, I was begging, "Are we done yet?"

We were exhausted after a day of sight-seeing, so the next day, we decided to spend the day at my friend's mom's house. She lives on the Chesapeake Bay. Unfortunately, to get to her house, we had to cross the Chesapeake Bay 

Bridge. 

I almost hyperventilated. I literally had to close my eyes. It is over four miles long. They told me they have drivers who will drive you across if you just can't do it. I asked if they had riders who could ride for you if you just couldn't handle it!

I actually survived the ride and we ended up having an incredible day on the water!

(Thanks Mike, Ann and Grandma Jo!)

After too short a visit, we had to be on our way. We made a brief stopover in Connecticut. Another friend had arranged for us to stay with his mom for the night. We were there for less than 15 hours, just long enough to have dinner at her favorite restaurant, stick our feet in the ocean, and sleep in her basement. She was delightful, and by the morning, the kids were calling her Grandma Betty.

(Thanks Jim, Cindy, & Grandma Betty!)

Next stop: Cape Cod!

~ Tomorrow I'm Mommy, Tonight I'm Me

"There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in..."Graham Greene

If I had been a child, this past Saturday evening would have been my moment. The Milwaukee Symphony performed the music of Rachmaninoff with guest pianist Joyce Yang. (She's from South Korea, and you know how we love South Korea around here!) She played Concerto No. 2 in Cminor, and she took my breath away.

Click here to listen to her perform Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 in Sydney Australia.

If I had seen Ms. Yang perform when I was a child, I feel certain the trajectory of my life would have been forever changed.

Oh well, since I can't make music like that, I'm thankful to our dear friends Brian and Linda who made the lovely evening possible.

Thanks guys!

For those who don't get out much (me!), here's a recap of the best evening I've had a long while.

We started the evening off with a little taste of Ireland at Milwaukee's County Clare.

First we tried the Irish Battered Sausages with curry sauce and the Brown Bread and Bleu Cheese Dumplings with creamy Gorganzola Sauce and crispy Sweet Potato fries. Then we dipped four spoons into the Root Soup which was a smooth puree of Sweet Potato, Carrots and Leeks topped with a perfect cream Shamrock. (Next time we might not share!)

When it came time for our entrees, nothing says Ireland more than Shepherd's Pie and Corned Beef and Cabbage, which is what Ken and I had for dinner. But the absolute best part of the evening (aside form Ms. Yang's performance and the taxi ride we took to the PAC when Brian locked his keys in the car) was the perfect bite of Pumpkin Creme Brulee we had at the end of the meal. (OK, I may have taken three or four bites, but I wanted to lick the plate. I came to my senses just in time!) I don't get out much! (Did I say that already? At one point while I was looking at the menu, Ken asked if I wanted them to order some chicken strips and French fries just so I would feel at home.)

We headed over to the PAC where we sat spellbound for an entire evening of beautiful music (no "Brady Bunch" theme song or Thomas the Tank Engine music playing in the background).

I didn't have to yell at someone to pratice their piano or grade a single paper or cook a single meal. It was a true grown-up evening. I've forgotten what that is like.

After four standing ovations, Ms. Yang closed out the evening with an encore of Chopin's "My Joys." It was like a little lullaby, and it was the perfect ending to a perfect night!

Click here to hear that beautiful piece!

~ How To Have a Country Wedding

Find the perfect spot...

Make sure there's an awesome barn...

and a tractor (of course).

Surround yourself with people you love...

and people that love you.

Find ways to make it meaningful.

The bride's two grandpas had passed away, but their belongings hidden behind a tree made the day special for the bride.

The couple's chuppa had belonged to the bride's grandmother who passed away.

Keep it simple...

No unity candle here - just salt and sugar!

Old fashioned fans for the guests

Add a touch of whimsy...

Do what country folk do -

Have a campfire!
Roast a pig!

Keep it family friendly.

Remember every detail...

Savor every moment...

and linger long after the sun goes down.

All photos were taken at the wedding of a friend's daughter. It was held at the amazing Cedar Hill Barn in Markesan, Wisconsin on a perfect August afternoon.