Trick or Treat

For Halloween, I wanted Currier and Rya to dress as surf and turf (a lobster and a cow) but Currier wouldn't have it. He insisted on being a Transformer thus ruining my coordination and you know how I must have coordination or my head will explode. So I worked with it and coordinated in pairs. I dressed as Gorton's Fisherman and Rya was my Catch of the Day. We looked pretty cute but very sweaty in 85 degree weather... I'm not complaining... we moved to the south for the weather... I'm just saying... 85 frickin degrees on Halloween night?

Currier got to be his requested Transformer and Trent earned Father of the Year for also dressing up as a Bumblebee Transformer. Rya and I only lasted about 10 houses for Trick or Treat before she started getting cranky so we went back to the house to get out of our hot costumes and hand out candy while Currier and Trent went Trick or Treating for two hours with the neighborhood kids.

It was a great Halloween and Currier is very excited about his loot!

My 29th Birthday (+7) Weekend in Chicago

On Thursday I flew up to Chicago to meet my cousin Cheryl at the super swanky Dana Hotel and Spa. A few beers after checking in, we rushed off to our three hour serenity spa package—aromatherapy body wrap, a Swedish massage and an anti-oxidant vitamin facial. It was absolutely glorious!—except for the reaction my cheeks had to the chemical peel. It literally burnt my face and so the rest of the weekend I looked like a friggin Raggedy Ann doll.

On Friday we woke to a rainy and foggy Chicago day, but we didn't let that ruin my 29th birthday (+7). We set out via cab for Millennium Park where we spent at least an hour looking at our reflections in The Bean and acting like complete idiots including but not limited to licking The Bean. After taking in the sights and possibly catching the swine flu, we had a wunderbar German lunch at the famous Berghoff and then a very early happy hour at the Hard Rock Cafe. Later back at the hotel, getting ready for our night on the town, buzzed, dancing and blaring Run DMC, we got a little visit from hotel security... It's Tricky to rock a rhyme, to rock a rhyme that's right on time It's Tricky... It's Tricky Tricky Tricky! Here we go...

And then there were three—After security busted our hotel room dance party, our cousin Michelle who now lives just outside of Chicago, met up with us at the hotel for a Girls' Night Out. We kicked off our cousin reunion with a few beers in our hotel room (sans Run DMC), followed by more drinks in the Vertigo Sky Lounge, by more drinks at the Hard Rock Cafe, followed by more drinks at The Second City comedy club where we saw Studs Terkel's Not Working. We had a wicked fun night full of beer and laughs and one of us may or may not have married a Romanian cab driver named Eugene Busco.

The following morning, we nursed our hangovers with a big breakfast and took our time checking out of the hotel. Another Newburyporter turned Illinoisan, Rosemary, came and picked us up and took us for a lovely ride along Lake Michigan to her home in Winnetka where I finally got to meet her husband Paul and adorable son Auggie. After a brief visit with a very pregnant Ro (she's a week overdue with baby #2 and still a total Rockstar), she brought us to Michelle's home in Schaumburg for our final night in Illinois. After a Chicago style pizza for lunch, Michelle and her husband Michael took us to their favorite watering hole The Easy Street Pub—a dive bar with a ton of character, cheap beer, a great jukebox, and a friendly bartender. It was a great weekend and the first time in over eight years that Michelle, Cheryl and I have been together and we would do our livers a great favor by waiting another eight years for our next reunion.

Ps. Does anyone know the cheapest and quickest way to annul an Illinois marriage?

Pumpkin Carving in Pajamas

For the past week Currier has been sick with a fever, congestion and cough. I took him to the doctor last week and had him tested for the swine flu and thankfully the test came back negative but since he had most of the symptoms I was told to keep him out of school for a week (and started Rya on tamiflu just to be on the safe side). We spent most of the week sipping ginger ale, eating Popsicles and watching lots of Diego episodes. We also carved a pumpkin, painted pumpkins and leaves and baked two apple pies. Currier is feeling better now and went back to school this morning and I already miss lounging around in our pjs and taking it easy.

Kathy Griffin Live Surprise

Last night my husband surprised me with tickets to see Kathy Griffin live in Charleston. We went out to eat with Carrie and Hilde, who were visiting us for the night on their way home from FL to TN. During dinner at Poogan's Porch (I had the Gouda mac & cheese and fell head over heels in love. Seriously, I'm leaving Trent for this mac & cheese!), I kept going on and on about which place we were going to go for coffee and dessert until he finally took the tickets out of his shirt pocket and said, "How about we all go and do this after dinner?" It was a complete surprise and a total crack up, especially her impressions of Oprah and Whitney. I love Kathy Griffin and my husband is pretty awesome too!

Professional Photos

We had professional pictures taken yesterday. We loved this photographer! If interested, here's her blog- http://www.toriryanphoto.com/blog.

Eleven Months Old

Dear Rya D.,

Seriously? Are you seriously eleven months old already? How on earth can you be eleven months old? I just can’t wrap my mind around how fast you're growing up. It was just yesterday that we took you home from the hospital, cradling you in my arms and feeling your tiny breaths on my chest. And now that tiny baby is walking!

It was in the morning a few weeks ago before your father left for work so everyone got to witness those first steps. It was a beautiful moment and we're all so excited for you. I think you're pretty proud of yourself too.

This month I went away to Massachusetts for a long weekend to visit my father, who is ill. I've never been away from you except for the occasional hour here and there so this was a big deal for me. I wish I could say that I missed you the moment we said good-bye at the airport but truth be told I really enjoyed the break from you and Currier. It wasn't until the third day that my heart began to ache for you guys. I think you guys ached for me too because ever since I've been back you've both been a little more clingy and that's okay because I'm feeling a little more clingy to you and Currier too!

All my love,
Mama

Friday Favorites—Mount Etna Original

While living in Sicily, my cousin, Cheryl, came for a visit and I took her for a ride, pulled over and said, "This is it—the best view of Mt Etna. Isn't it breath-taking?" She took a picture and a few years later painted me that view and gave it to me as a housewarming gift when I moved to Charleston. It's one of the most thoughtful gifts I've ever received. It's perched on my kitchen cabinet surrounded by Mt. Etna lava rocks and it always takes me back to Sicily.

Ego Booster

This morning I was reading People Magazine to Currier and Rya (Don't judge. How else does a stay-at-home-mom keep up with her Hollywood!) and when I turned to this page I asked Currier who he thought was the prettiest. Without batting an eyelash, "You're the prettiest Mama!" I've got that boy trained.

Columbus Day Weekend

We just ended a great weekend filled with all sorts of outdoor activities. Per Currier's request, we rented a paddle boat at the Palmetto Islands County Park in search for alligators. We saw turtles, tons of fish and a water moccasin but thankfully no alligators. Currier loved it, as proof by the jazz hands and goofy smile. Rya hated it, as proof by the squirmy, sweaty body and high pitched screeching.

On Sunday morning, we packed a cooler filled with sandwiches, snacks and drinks and headed back to the Palmetto Islands County Park to fish on the pond. Currier caught the first and only catch of the day—a turtle!

After our morning of fishing and a picnic lunch, we stopped at the Boone Hall Plantation pumpkin patch and picked out a pumpkin, fed the goats, played on the jumpy castle and drank lemonade. Fall is finally here!

Friday Favorites—Lobster Roll

While visiting my dad, we drove to The Beach Plum on North Hampton Beach, NH several times for their award winning lobster rolls. If you've never tried a lobster roll (pronounced "lobstah roll"), I advise you to go try one right now. It's a grilled hot dog bun filled with pure happiness—fresh lobster meat mixed with mayo. Oh yum!

Lobsters and Lighthouses

Two months ago my father was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a blood cancer that affects the bones. He's half way through his chemo treatments and responding well. I flew home to Massachusetts for a quick visit to spend some time with him. We spent the weekend eating lobster rolls, visiting lighthouses, taking rides to the beach, playing scrabble, eating beach pizza, drinking Moxie, reminiscing about the past and most importantly making plans for the future. I enjoyed our visit and look forward to many more good times together.

Friday Favorites—Mederma

A few years ago I had several suspicious moles removed from my chest and back. They turned out to be nothing but left behind nasty keloid scars. A few months ago I started putting Mederma cream on them every night and now I can't even find the scars. This stuff works crazy, mad miracles!