Happy Birthday America!

We've been busily celebrating our Independence with good friends, good food and great fireworks... more will be posted about that later... But I had to share these adorable little hamburger cookies! Just too cute not to share. Excuse the photo quality. I am going to make these tonight to bring to another 4th party this evening.

How to make Hamburger Cookies

You will need:

Sesame seeds
Nilla wafers
Keebler Grasshopper cookies, or Girl Scout Thin Mints
Canned frosting
Food coloring, red, yellow, green
Shredded coconut

In a small baggie place shredded coconut with green food coloring and shake until you get the color you desire to resemble shredded lettuce.

In a small bowl, mixing frosting and food coloring together until you reach the color of "special sauce" or cheese -- start out with small amounts of red and yellow to achieve a pastel orange color.

Take one Nilla wafer, apply a small amount of frosting to use as a glue, place the mint cookie on the Nilla wafer, then add a generous amount of "special sauce/cheese frosting", top with the lettuce then add another Nilla Wafer.

To get the sesame seeds to stick on to the bun, use an egg wash. Apply *egg wash on to the Nilla wafer then add sesame seeds and voila!

To make an egg wash use egg white, egg yolk or whole egg and 1 tbs. of water or milk. Mix well and brush on to surface.

I am going to buy some little American Flags and stick them in the middle of my burgers!

A Giveaway For all lovers of Lilly and Libations!

... and one more thing before I go... because so many of you are so incredibly supportive and kind I have decided to host a giveaway for my new friends... I think you'll like it. I know you'll like it if you like Lilly & a lovely libation!

I am giving away a cocktail shaker and 2 sets of Lilly cocktail napkins! I bought the napkins on a whim about a month ago as I loved them so, but realized that the colors did not go with our decor inside or out. I decided that instead of exchanging them at Swoozie's I would hang on to them. Packaged with something else they would make a lovely hostess gift. Then earlier today I was rummaging through the basement and found not one, but THREE cocktail shakers. (We have one upstairs already.) I know we enjoy a little drink here and there, but 4 seemed a bit over the top. As soon as I saw the shaker I knew what I would do with it and my napkins... have a little bloggie giveaway for my new friends! I know so many of you are in the throes of summer and bedlam and chaos and everything that is children and teenagers. I would have you all over if I could. Wouldn't that be so much fun?! But I can't... so instead I am giving away the cocktail shaker and the Lilly napkins. And here's what you can do to win...

1. For an easy entry leave me a comment, telling me how you will put your shaker and napkins to use.

2. Become a follower and you will get an extra entry!

3. Blog about my giveaway and you will get a total of three entries!

4. Create a drink for me and give it a cute name and you'll get 4 entries!

Have fun ladies and cheers and when I get home this evening I will report about our trip!

(Giveaway ends 8pm Friday July 10th)

We Made it Over the Hump Day!

Add whipped cream and instant fun! I mean how can a day be bad when it starts off like this? Trying to think of inventive ways to use our 5 pounds of strawberries I decided it would be another strawberries and pancakes day. No one could refuse when topped off with a beautiful squirt of Reddi Whip!

I had resigned myself to a day of cleaning and laundry as the weather forecast was gloomy. The kids were OK with hanging out at home since we'd had a couple of fun-filled days. As long as there is rain TV is permitted during the day. Kids had their faces glued to the windows anticipating rain!

I tossed a load in the machine and a load in the dryer. Emptied the dishwasher, wiped down counters and sinks. (Kept checking email every now and then.) Got a call from a friend asking to take my boys to the playground. Since there was no rain I was more than happy to send them packing. I told her that I would follow behind with lunches for my boys. Made the lunches, switched some laundry around then headed over to the playground with Rebecca and her scooter. And the thunder rolls. And the skies darken. And we wait it out as long as we can. (We actually were there for 45 minutes.) And then down it poured. The skies opened up and an ocean of water poured down on us. Luckily we made it to the car in the nick of time. My friend offered to watch the boys for a couple of hours so Rebecca and I headed home. She headed to the television and I to the laundry, er, computer! But I was productive nonetheless. I did all the laundry. (Put none away.) And scrubbed all the bathrooms, toilets, sinks, showers. And vacuumed the kitchen. But none of the other rooms. And cleaned the playroom. But didn't vacuum it.

Did you know that grass grows indoors? Seriously, it must. I have more inside my home than on either the front or back yards. Were my floors fertilized instead of waxed? It's insane. I'm going to get myself a Holstein and let her graze among my floors. And then I'll have sweet organic milk (we use no pesticides on our grass) and can make sweet organic ice cream!

Eventually I (had to) pick up the boys and squish all three in the second row. OH.... MY... GOD... Seriously folks, you think alcohol and driving don't mix? Kids in cars are a far more lethal combination. I swear my life almost came to an end the minute I pulled on to I-95. As I was pulling over to my left from the ramp onto the fast lane, I mean that very exact second, Christopher pinched Rebecca and she screamed such a blood curdling scream that startled (scared the SHIT out of) me that I swerved nearly missing a big rig by inches. Boy did they get a scolding. My throat still hurts.

We made it home alive. I know you are relieved, you'd miss my blog :)

Once we got home I lost my interest for all things vacuum related. I snuck up to my room and turned on Oprah. Kids meanwhile were fending for themselves without television privileges.

Soon it was time for dinner (wine) and I made everyone a fabulous salad for dinner and another sweet treat (with the strawberries of course) for dessert. And called it a day. Happy to be alive. And in one piece. And have wine!

Today we are headed off to the Eric Carle Museum in Springfield, MA. It's less than 2 hours away. I'm sure it won't be a cheap day. I'm a sucker for all things Eric Carle, books and gift shops. But I've been very $$ savvy so far this week. We're bringing one of Rebecca's friends with us as both her parents were called out of town on business. She'll be spending the night as well. And tomorrow Daddy has the day off and I'll leave him with the kids and I will head off to get my highlights... and maybe never come back... at least not until evening as we have a party to attend. With great food, great fun and the most fabulous fireworks.

Because you have all been so wonderfully supportive while I have been whiny and spoiled and terribly ungrateful, I am tossing you all your very own pair of Big Girl Panties!

The storm was in the air... you could see it and feel it!

Sweet Endings! (Recipes are on food blog)

Fun for (Practically) Free!

I felt so much better once I got my Big Girl Panties on yesterday. I had a mission. We were going to be out of the house by 10:00 to go pick strawberries at a farm not terribly far away. Only we didn't leave until close to 12:00 because at 10:00 the kids decided that they wanted breakfast so had a lovely leisurely breakfast out on the deck beneath the warm sun. Then the kids started to play outside and one thing led to another. And if the kids are playing and having fun and getting along I, for one, am not going to stop it.

Shortly after we left the house I checked the Trip Information screen on the car's navigation system and saw that we had enough to get us 22 miles. The farm was 20 miles away. We'd be cutting it close but surely there would be a Mobil station along the way. (So I could use my gas card and not have to part with cash... I mean God forbid I actually stop for gas and money along the way.) But the GPS took us an unfamiliar route with no Mobil station. With enough gas for two miles I seriously hoped we were high enough in the hills to be able to coast our way down! I also vaguely knew of another way home that would bring us by a Mobil station. Otherwise I would have to hope that Lexus Roadside Assistance would help... but I would worry about that later.

There was a lovely breeze as we arrived on Pumpkin Hill which made the sun seem less strong. The views were divine, breath-taking! We headed to the Ferry Berry so that we could be transported to the strawberry fields. Jones Family of Farms has fields for strawberries, blueberries, pumpkins and Christmas trees. We absolutely love it there!

I never knew that Strawberry picking was so strenuous, but when we were done the kids needed a rest. So I paid up, $11.50 for nearly 5 pounds of strawberries and $2.50 for a huge head of red leaf lettuce. Entertainment and a healthy snack (and dinner!) for less than $15. Can't beat that!

I took another way home and found a Mobil station. Filled up. ($50 worth -- do I include this or not in the daily total?) On our way home the kids decided they wanted to go to the Sprinkler Park at the lake. So, once home, the kids suited up and I made them some lunch to eat on the beach.

More fun was had at the lake. The only money I shelled out was $6 for 3 ice creams. (Town's beach and lake pass for $120 was paid for a couple of months ago.)

We got home and the kids were a sandy mess. I told them they had to hose off outside because I was sick of having the upstairs bathrooms resemble a beach. More fun was had as they decided to play Hose Tag!

What fun we had for just under $20!

We'll spend no money today. We'll go to the play ground for a little while and we'll cook up some recipes using our strawberries, and we'll do some crafts and I will tend to my terribly neglected house. I will do some laundry and, gasp, even some ironing! (Will try to refrain from sending clothes that need ironing to the dry cleaners this summer!)

My Own Little Pitty Party...

I was so excited to have some time off this week. The boys were supposed to be in camp and I was going to have some time with Rebecca and some time to myself. I was actually looking forward to getting some things done around the house... finding and wiping all the little fingerprints and marks off the walls and doors that have been driving me bonkers, organizing and making lists for our trip to Maine, stuff like that. Now that it is summertime I don't have much time to myself. If I hire a sitter it's so I can get to appointments -- hair, doctors, etc...

On Sunday night Christopher came in to my bedroom and said that he really didn't want to go to camp. He didn't give me a good explanation, but since it hadn't been paid for, I didn't argue too much. And because he didn't want to go Alexander didn't want to go. Suddenly I was back to having three kids at home with me this week. No break in the horizon whatsoever. And I started feeling sorry for myself. Christopher then said that he would agree to go to tennis camp next week (where Rebecca will be) and I saw that there was a program for little ones too. I could technically have next week to myself. So I told Daddy. He asked how much. It was a lot. Not much more than the other camp, but a lot none the less.

We've had to tighten our purse strings a good bit this year. Yes, the children had their five star Disney vacation but we all knew that there would be sacrifices down the road so that we could do this. Everyone was on board. Well, today I am writing the children's tuition check. Private school in the Northeast rivals private college tuition. It's pricey and it stings. This is our decision for the moment. To allow our kids a top notch education we have to sacrifice some other things. That's what life is about, right? It's about making decisions and making the right ones. And learning along the way. It's good for the kids too. Unfortunately most of Rebecca's friends don't have to make such financial decisions, but I think it is important for her to learn that everyone needs to learn to make choices. More importantly it is a lesson in the value of not having everything.

And we also have our property taxes due in a couple of weeks. Also the price of a college tuition. So I decided that I could go without spending $600 on camp for the week for the boys. I would put my big girl panties on and suck it up. But I didn't. I couldn't. I could only focus on the fact that I would not have any time to myself. That I would have to entertain the kids and find creative ways to do so so that the children would not be chanting to the Boredom Gods every hour of every day. It just seemed like such an arduous task. And the boys were bickering all morning. Christopher wanted to play Monopoly. Alexander is too young. Alexander wanted to play Snail's Race. Christopher hates it. It's for babies. I couldn't just pack up and go to the beach because we were waiting to hear from Rebecca and when I would need to get her. So I sat and sulked. And sulked some more. (My liquor cabinet is somehow devoid of both rum and vodka too, and that didn't help matters. So, no It's 5:00 Somewhere Happy Cocktails for me to look forward to.)

Shortly after Noon we got Rebecca and brought her home. I told the kids they could not go back in the house until 6pm! They had to make their own fun. And they did. And slowly I grew out of my funk. They ate lunch on the deck, blew up the pool (that they played with for all of 10 minutes) played with bikes and scooters and baseballs and tennis rackets and went exploring in the woods (not terribly deep) in the woods behind the house and we had dinner outside and before I knew it it was 7:00pm and I was inside and they were still outside!

Instead of focusing on what I didn't have (downtime with no children) I looked around and saw all that we do have and how lucky we indeed are... I suddenly felt so incredibly stupid and spoiled.

So I made a game plan. We'll have a planned activity every day this week. Later on we'll go pick strawberries. When we return we'll make something with them. And we'll play outside. Perhaps I will create an obstacle course. Later this evening or tomorrow evening we'll meet some friends at the beach. On Friday we have a big party to go to. Next week I am meeting friends at the Roger Williams Zoo in Providence, RI. And we'll take the ferry over to Port Jefferson (Long Island) to meet up with a friend from college and her littles... we'll survive... and we may actually have some fun along the way!

But it was my friend Lorraine who really put the smile on my face yesterday. She lives in the Midwest and we talk via Facebook. She saw my status... a comment about wanting summer to be over already... she was having a similar day, and then she told me that there were indeed people having worse days than we were, Bernie Madoff The Sociopath, was one of those people. Oh did that ever make me laugh!

So today I have put on my big girl panties... and today I decided to start the day with a smile... and today the sun is out... and I think that's a pretty good start. And a little trip to the liquor store is planned so that my day ends on a positive note as well!

(If you want to order the above sticker click on it and it will take you to the link!)

Summertime BBQ With Good Friends

Nothing to kick off summer like a barbecue with good friends. A fairly impromptu gathering, we decided to celebrate one couple's 13th Anniversary and welcome another couple back from a 2 year stay in Japan. There were 8 adults, 6 children and we had a whole lot of fun!

(Rebecca was off in NYC for the day celebrating her bff's 10th Birthday. The girls took a Hummer Limo into the city, had lunch at Serendipity's, visited Dylan's Candy Bar, saw Shrek the musical, went out to dinner and returned back for a sleepover. I wonder, if this is just a 10th Birthday, what will her Sweet Sixteen be like?!)

My friend Beth greeted me with the lovely bouquet pictured above that I promptly placed in water and put in the foyer for display. The kids took off to play and the adults had some nice quiet time together. It was so nice to catch up with everyone and I love that the children were finally old enough to socialize together unattended so that the adults could as well. It made all the difference!

And then it was time for the slide... add water and let the fun begin!

The food and drink were a huge hit!

The Menu

Grilled Vegetables

Corn Salad

Lemon Parmesan Pasta Salad

Tomatoes with Basil and Feta

Cherry Tomatoes Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Basil

Grilled London BroilBBQ ChickenLemon Garlic Chicken
(For the children:Corn on the CobGrilled Hot Dogs)

Dessert
Warm Brownie Ice Cream SundaeWatermelon

(All recipes have been posted on the food blog!)

I used all the Cynthia Rowley melanine items I purchased from her Swell line at Target last summer. I hate to have anything breakable on the deck or anywhere little bare feet are present.



I used the above picture frame as a menu, which is what I had in mind when I purchased the frame.

The weather forecast for the rest of the week doesn't look so great. The sun is out now, but I hear thunder in the distance. We haven't had the best of weather so far so this summer and because of this it was especially nice to be able to take advantage of our beautiful day. I do hope to have many more barbecues this summer. I will keep my fingers crossed!

Before everyone left, I made sure they signed the Guest Book. The kids got in on the act and left lovely messages too!

Angela Moore... or less...

When we were in Newport the other day we stopped off at Angela Moore to see if we could find a dress for Rebecca. (We had about 20 minutes to kill before meeting Gabi (from Tickled Pink Talk) and her boys. We headed straight to the back, Rebecca about 20 paces ahead of us. The Sales Person asked if we needed any help. I explained that we were looking for a dress for Becca. The children's pickings were slim at best. There was nothing in her size. The Sales Person then directed us over to the adult dresses and said that Rebecca might fit in a 0 or 2 then showed us this lovely dress. And it was lovely, really lovely, but I am NOT spending $220 on a 10 year old! Perhaps I was being directed toward this particular dress because my boys (as adorable as they looked) were well, not on their best behaviour. Alexander knows better but he is still young, so he still needs a reminder here, there, and apparently, everywhere. Christopher surprised me actually. He kept spinning the standing mirror (think cartoon where the mirror spins around at 65 mph!) I told him, repeatedly not to do so. At this point I was getting evil looks. Alexander kept hiding in between the dresses and popping out exclaiming "boo!" While this was a little bit funny (would have been very funny at say, The Gap or Old Navy) but not here. I was cringing slightly. Rebecca was getting annoyed with her little brothers as well. I kept threatening to take their frozen lemonade treat away from them. (There's a wonderful frozen lemonade truck that comes to the beach. The kids really look forward to it.) It didn't help. My boys are normally not behaved in this manner. My boys usually have manners. But not that day. Rebecca and I took one stroll over to the other side of the store to check out the light blue Jack Rodgers and when I spotted the boys, their hands rolling over the ties (not in a bad way -- they were picking one out for Daddy.) The old sales ladies were looking (glaring) at them with such disgust as though the boys had mud or peanut butter or dirt smeared all over them that I had to laugh. I'd had enough. I took the kids by the hand and declared, as I walked out of the store, "Come on kids, we're headed over to Michael Hayes!"

And if you ever to go to Newport you have to (really have to) stop off at Michael Hayes and Michael Hayes for Kids on Bellevue Avenue. You will thank me!

Seriously, the Angela Moore people were r.u.d.e... If you don't want children in your store then don't sell children's things. I'm not sure I will go back in. I mean really, who do they think they are? The ladies at Tiffany's are far more engaging toward my children, and yes, even my boys!

And all the while, I kept asking myself, "What would Semi-Slacker do?"

He Knew... as blogged about by Lisa Marie Presley

Under the title He Knew., Michael Jackson's ex-wife, Lisa Marie Presley, took to her MySpace blog to record some very touching words.

She says:

"Years ago Michael and I were having a deep conversation about life in general. I can't recall the exact subject matter but he may have been questioning me about the circumstances of my Fathers Death. At some point he paused, he stared at me very intensely and he stated with an almost calm certainty, "I am afraid that I am going to end up like him, the way he did."I promptly tried to deter him from the idea, at which point he just shrugged his shoulders and nodded almost matter of fact as if to let me know, he knew what he knew and that was kind of that.14 years later I am sitting here watching on the news an ambulance leaves the driveway of his home, the big gates, the crowds outside the gates, the coverage, the crowds outside the hospital, the Cause of death and what may have led up to it and the memory of this conversation hit me, as did the unstoppable tears. A predicted ending by him, by loved ones and by me, but what I didn't predict was how much it was going to hurt when it finally happened. The person I failed to help is being transferred right now to the LA County Coroners office for his Autopsy. All of my indifference and detachment that I worked so hard to achieve over the years has just gone into the bowels of hell and right now I am gutted. I am going to say now what I have never said before because I want the truth out there for once. Our relationship was not "a sham" as is being reported in the press. It was an unusual relationship yes, where two unusual people who did not live or know a "Normal life" found a connection, perhaps with some suspect timing on his part. Nonetheless, I do believe he loved me as much as he could love anyone and I loved him very much.I wanted to "save him" I wanted to save him from the inevitable which is what has just happened.His family and his loved ones also wanted to save him from this as well but didn't know how and this was 14 years ago. We all worried that this would be the outcome then.At that time, In trying to save him, I almost lost myself. He was an incredibly dynamic force and power that was not to be underestimated.When he used it for something good, It was the best and when he used it for something bad, It was really, REALLY bad.Mediocrity was not a concept that would even for a second enter Michael Jackson's being or actions. I became very ill and emotionally/ spiritually exhausted in my quest to save him from certain self-destructive behavior and from the awful vampires and leeches he would always manage to magnetize around him. I was in over my head while trying. I had my children to care for, I had to make a decision. The hardest decision I have ever had to make, which was to walk away and let his fate have him, even though I desperately loved him and tried to stop or reverse it somehow. After the Divorce, I spent a few years obsessing about him and what I could have done different, in regret.Then I spent some angry years at the whole situation.At some point, I truly became Indifferent, until now. As I sit here overwhelmed with sadness, reflection and confusion at what was my biggest failure to date, watching on the news almost play by play The exact Scenario I saw happen on August 16th, 1977 happening again right now with Michael (A sight I never wanted to see again) just as he predicted, I am truly, truly gutted. Any ill experience or words I have felt towards him in the past has just died inside of me along with him. He was an amazing person and I am lucky to have gotten as close to him as I did and to have had the many experiences and years that we had together. I desperately hope that he can be relieved from his pain, pressure and turmoil now. He deserves to be free from all of that and I hope he is in a better place or will be. I also hope that anyone else who feels they have failed to help him can be set free because he hopefully finally is. The World is in shock but somehow he knew exactly how his fate would be played out some day more than anyone else knew, and he was right. I really needed to say this right now, thanks for listening.

LMP

Newport news...

My apologies for not uploading any pictures... Blogger's not cooperating at the moment.

We had such a great time meeting Tickled Pink Talk and her kids. Her boys are lovely, truly lovely and everyone got along so fabulously that we are planning on getting together again in Newport in August. The kids became instant friends and after chatting a few moments I felt like I knew Gabi forever!

When we first met up at the beach the weather was not so lovely. There was a think blanket of clouds over head and it was quite windy. I had an old jacket of my father's that I had borrowed and was still chilly! A couple hours later the clouds made way for sunshine and the afternoon could not have been more delightful! We had to tear ourselves away at 5:30 only because I had to get back, get the kids cleaned up for dinner. Next time we'll tell Moo and Popsy not to count us in for dinner and we'll hang out longer!

So I was telling my mother about all the fun we had. "You'd never met?" My mother gasped, and asked in shock? "No," I responded. She then asked me a question. "What kind of message is that, you are sending your kids?" And I hadn't thought of it in that manner. Of course I had chosen a very public space in case ... well, in case. But I hadn't thought about the message it would be sending the kids. After all of the crazy and terrible stories you hear about children meeting people they meet on the internet, I shouldn't be encouraging this. So how do I explain that what I am doing is OK and yet they should never follow in these footsteps? I've now met two wonderful bloggers. I'd like to think I have a good head on my shoulders and have the sense to be safe and take care of myself and my children. But indeed, my mother raised a valid point.

What would you do and say in response?

Greetings from The Cool and Cloudy Ocean State!

My parents live in an older home along the coast. They love the architecture and charm of it. While much has been done over the years in terms of decor and renovations downstairs, very little has been done upstairs. My parents rarely venture up there. It's now the Children's Area. They still have the old cast iron tub and the two old sinks that have different spouts for the hot and the cold water. The old doors are charming but do not close properly. Lock the bathroom doors and you might never get out! The old wood floors are gorgeous. And loud and creaky! I never noticed all these little foibles when I had the upstairs to myself, but with three loud children not only does the sound reverberate over and over and over again off the walls and ceilings and floors, but every time someone tosses and turns the whole upstairs creaks as well! The boys are in my old bedroom. They also use my old four poster beds. Beautiful and loud and creaky! But the kids love it here.

I'm in my mother's office next to the kitchen. In the kitchen Alexander is watching Handy Manny, Rebecca is playing Play Doh and Christopher and Popsy are about to resume a game of Monopoly they started last night. Sandwiches have been made as we are due to meet up with Tickled Pink Talk in a couple of hours... It doesn't look so great out there. The skies are grey and the weather is still cool. I've packed sweatshirts for the kiddos, but typical, I have forgotten my own! My cousins are in town and we hope to see them too. Rebecca is headed back into Manhattan on Saturday for a Birthday Party. The girls are going to see Shrek on Broadway and hit Serendipity for some Frozen Hot Chocolate. She absolutely "needs" a new Lilly dress she informs me. Hopefully we will have time to check out Angela Moore. If not she'll have to (gasp!) wear hers two days in a row. Her others are just way too short and a little HoochieMama-ish for my taste. I hate when she outgrows pretty things as she looks nice so seldom these days... well, you know what I mean!

I keep looking up and peering out the French Doors with the hopes that the sun will soon shine. It's been a long, cool summer so far. I know many of you in the South are suffering from too much heat. This has not been the case here. So far. I'd better watch what I say and wish for!

I'll try to post later on and tell you all about our afternoon with Tickled Pink Talk!