Ready or Not...

I love traditions. Even when they don't last very long, so many of my childhood and family memories are centered around these rituals, real or attempted. We had a "tradition" of having chocolate-chip pancakes for breakfast on Christmas morning, and even though I think we only did it a couple times before determining that a big, sweet breakfast only ruined our appetite for the remainder of the day; I still love the memory of piling on the whipped cream - they were happy mornings. Of course, it's also the rituals gone wrong that really stick in the memory - who could forget the year of the upside-down turkey? or of the extremely under-cooked pumpkin pie that my sister poured into the pan? These are the things we still laugh about, years later. 

We have so many traditions that life within our house feel so much the same every year between Thanksgiving and New Year's. I love these comfortable routines, and my boys look forward to them every year. We get the tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. We watch A Charlie Brown Christmas after decorating it. We bake and decorate cookies just about every weekend in December. We watch all the movies. We go see the Boston Pops' holiday concert. We eat lobster mac and cheese on Christmas Eve. The boys open one present that night (pjs or slippers). There are little differences that make each year unique of course, but the traditions are the reason Aaron has declared it his favorite time of year. I'm right there with him.  

At the same time, it's a busy time of year, and I am overwhelmed. I am too busy at work right now, and exercise isn't happening, which means I don't feel great and am less able to be totally present for all the good stuff. I also haven't been spending enough time with friends. I need some friend time. We went to brunch at some friends' house last weekend, and it was so refreshing to have a fun, social conversation and connect with people I care about. More of that, please.

We went to our company holiday parties, which were tiring but also fun. It's fun to have an excuse to get dressed up and go out. I bought this jumpsuit last year and took forever to get it altered (I think you need to be 6 feet tall), so this was my first time wearing it. I was late to the jumpsuit bandwagon, but I looooove it. It's so comfortable, and with heels and big sparkly earrings it's dressy, even though my legs are hidden. Love.

My son turned 10. It feels strange that I didn't record that event here yet - almost like it didn't happen. And yet, it did. He's 10. Officially a pre-teen I think, considering his relationship with his brother. (All of a sudden he has no patience for him.) He's a sweet and generous kid, though, and I'm proud of him every day. To celebrate, he had a few friends to sleep over at the house. It was fun to look at this group of boys and see the men they are becoming. So far, he's doing a great job choosing his friends.

Christmas is coming, ready or not. The cards are out, the packages to be mailed will be late this year but I know my family will forgive me; I have started the wrapping, but I haven't started the menu. Ah well, no matter...we will be ready enough when the time comes, and it will be wonderful. There will be a warm and cozy house, a tree with lights, two excited boys, good food, plenty to drink, and family with whom to spend time. Bring it on.

My Favorite Music of 2016

I love going through the music I've enjoyed throughout the year, determining which I think will become long-term classics vs. those that were special in a specific time. I love different types of music for different moods and activities. My driving music is different than the music I want to listen to when I'm alone in the house or cooking or entertaining.

When I look back at 2016, Chris Stapleton looms large. (I know his album technically came out in 2015, along with a few others on this list, but this is the year I came to know them. Sometimes I'm late to the game.) When Kevin decides he likes a band, it goes on repeat for months - Chris Stapleton was his favorite of the year for sure.

Other most-played artists include John Moreland, whose gorgeous, sad voice we discovered in Newport. Sturgill Simpson is now grammy-nominated for his awesome follow-up album, which contains beautiful lyrics inspired by his new son. The Revivalists are the band I turn up loud and want to dance around to. Whenever a song comes on that I love and need to check who it is - it's Rayland Baxter; I love every song on that album. Dawes' latest album is so different from their previous albums, and I love it for that.

The entire list of my 2016 favorites:

Chris Stapleton - Traveller
John Moreland - High on Tulsa Heat
Sturgill Simpson - A Sailor's Guide to Earth
Sarah Jarosz - Undercurrent
Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats

The Revivalists - Men Amongst Mountains
Rayland Baxter - Imaginary Man
Ages and Ages - Something to Ruin
Blind Pilot - And Then Like Lions
Kingsley Flood - Another Other

Jamestown Revival - The Education of a Wandering Man
Dawes - We're All Gonna Die
Conor Oberst - Ruminations
The Lumineers - Cleopatra
The Head and the Heart - Signs of Light

Shovels & Rope - Little Seeds
Margo Price - Midwest Farmer's Daughter
Carseat Headrest - Teens of Denial
Amanda Shires - My Piece of Land
John Paul White - Beulah

A few honorable mentions and albums I'm still getting to know:  The Felice Brothers, Lucy Dacus, Brian Fallon, and Courtney Marie Andrews.

Recently Read

Last Letter from Your Lover, by Jojo Moyes. I will read anything by Jojo Moyes. She's a wonderful writer, and she loves a happy ending. This story weaves together two couples, a generation apart, with their affairs and their relationships and their drama. I love the older story with its romance documented in letters, with a bit of amnesia mixed in to increase the tension. It might not be as great as Me Before You, but then that's a pretty high bar, isn't it?

Monster, by Walter Dean Myers.  This Young Adult book ended up on my nightstand after I received it as a part of a gift basket from our local library. (We won a raffle during last summer's reading contest.) Otherwise, I'm sure I never would've booked it up. But it's a fast and worthy read. It's written in screenplay format from the perspective of the main character, a 16-year-old who is in prison and on trial for allegedly participating in a robbery that ended in murder. Did he do it? You, the reader, will get to determine what you think after reading his words. It's thought-provoking, and I could see how it would generate some interesting discussion.

We Should All Be Feminists, by Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie. A short, smart essay about modern feminism and what it means to be a feminist today, with all the baggage and misconceptions that term still holds. It's only 60ish pages, so there's no excuse for everyone not to give it a read. Or if you're really lazy, listen to her TED Talk, which is essentially a verbal delivery of this book. She is wonderfully relatable and not at all preachy or condescending in addressing this topic, and she talks about the treatment of boys as much as women in assessing the gender divide.

Charleston, South Carolina

I didn't take enough pictures, but trust me - there are so many gorgeous streets and homes.

My mom and sisters and I went to Charleston, South Carolina for a long weekend to celebrate a couple milestone birthdays. My mom turned 70, and my little sister is now 40! We had a fun time getting caught up in person. I had never been to Charleston before, and it's such a beautiful little city. Gorgeous homes, great restaurants, a rich and fascinating history. The weather was not great - cool and dreary, and soaking wet one day - but we still managed to venture out and explore the city. The food was amazing. 

I loved getting to know the city, learning a little about its history, and I really loved getting the opportunity to catch up with my mom and sisters in person. We are all bad about talking on the phone, and it's never the same, so there was a lot to catch up on. It was also great that it was just the four of us - no spouses or kids or home responsibilities to distract us. Hopefully we'll get the opportunity to do it again at some point. In the meantime, we continue to struggle to find time to get the families together. Geography, flight times, work/vacation/school schedules, money, space...these are just some of the challenges we face. But we'll do the best we can to stay connected.

There was a lot of laughing and silliness.

Letters to Cleo

Last weekend, we went to see Letters to Cleo at The Paradise in Boston. It was such a fun show! It was great to listen to the songs of my 20s. I still remember all the words, and I sang them out and danced along with Kay Hanley and the band. Most of the audience knew all the words too. One of my favorite things in the world is to experience live music with a crowd of strangers. 

This is from the night before, in New York. This was their closing song - one of my all-time favorites.

Thankful...

My boys

I say it every year:  Thanksgiving is the best day of the year. A day focused on family, food, and gratitude. What could be better?

I am thankful for so much.

I am thankful for the new snood my mom bought me in Charleston. We are calling it a "birthday present" even though my birthday is in March. It is so soft and warm and cute, and I will most likely wear it every single day this winter.

Speaking of Charleston, I am thankful to have spent four days in that beautiful city with my fabulous mom and sisters. It had been many years since the four of us had spent time together, without kids and spouses and general chaos involved. It was lovely. We walked, rode bikes, toured historic homes, visited a museum, did some shopping, ate a ton of really fabulous food, and laughed and really caught up with each other in a way we hadn't in years.

I am thankful for our sitter. She picks the boys up from school, takes them to piano/drums/soccer/etc, reminds them to practice their instruments and to be nice to each other, plays games with them, and generally makes my life better. Oh! And she also cleans my kitchen and tidies the house each day. Last week she took everything out of the pantry, cleaned the whole thing, and organized everything on the shelves. Amazing!

I am thankful for the times that my boys like each other. Unfortunately, it isn't all the time, but there's a decent amount of love in their love/hate relationship. I'm going to focus on the love. They play soccer, trade pokemon, make up silly games, have races... When they play well together, it's beautiful to see.

I am thankful for my cute little old house. It's warm and comfortable. It's home.

We are heading to Connecticut for Thanksgiving. I have been the host for many years now, but I'm handing the reigns over to my sister-in-law this year. I am thankful for my family, for yummy food, for the opportunity to spend time together and enjoy each other's company.

What's Going On...

Election Day in Boston

I didn't mean to take such a long break from the blog. Sometimes I get overwhelmed by the stuff of life and have so much to do that it becomes difficult to do anything. On election night, I watched the results come in, and once the tide started to turn in an unexpected direction, I simply couldn't look away. We stayed up too late, until just before the final call was made - I couldn't watch that. Following the election, I became very engaged online and watching the news, and after a while I realized that I had to turn it all off. It became too much. The initial shock and disappointment has worn off, but I am still overwhelmed by the number of articles and opinions hitting my feeds every day.  

It's impossible to avoid the news, and it's still necessary to remain engaged. I am incredibly saddened by the events occurring in my country right now, including acts occurring in my own town. If it's happening here, in the bluest of blue states, what must it be like for people in other parts of the country? So I will speak up more. I will do what I can to encourage tolerance and understanding. I'm honestly saddened by the voices on both sides right now - it feels like we're pushing each other to our corners rather than listening to each other. I hope that will change. I don't want these current despicable actions to become normalized, but I do want things to calm down enough for us to hear each other. 

I had to explain to my kids who our next President will be and answer their questions. Then I donated to the ACLU and Planned Parenthood, called my state representatives, signed up to provide a Thanksgiving meal to a family in need, and attended a peace rally in my town. Doing something positive made me feel better, and I want to show my children that what we do as individuals matters. I'd encourage everyone to do the same.  

Halloween 2016

 

As we enter the month of gratitude and look forward to my very favorite holiday, let's not forget to document the fun that we had this past week. Between our company Halloween party, the school carnival, and of course the big day itself...fun was had by all.

This year, the boys and I decided to go as Gryffindors:  Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger to be specific.  Nathan was so excited to have orange hair!  

Of course the Stormtrooper also made an appearance and got in on the trick-or-treating fun.

Recently Read

The Life Intended, by Kristin Harmel. I liked this one. Sweet, engaging, well-developed and likable characters, and an interesting plot. The main character is a woman named Kate, whose husband died 12 years earlier. She becomes engaged to her boyfriend of two years, but she's not happy and begins to have dreams about her dead husband. These dreams lead her down a path of discovery, and that's about all I can say without getting into spoiler-territory. I wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to the characters at the end, which is always a sign of a good book.

Getting Naked:  A Business Fable About Shedding The Three Fears That Sabotage Client Loyalty, by Patrick Lencioni.  This is obviously a business book. I've been reading more non-fiction lately, and this one is a very fast read and is very applicable to my work as a business consultant.

Americanah, by Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie. A beautiful and important book. It is too long, and there is more emphasis on author's observations on race and culture than there is on the plot of the story, but both the plot and those observations are very worthy of reading. As I've said before, my favorite books provide me with a different perspective on the world, and this book definitely does that.

Weekend Recap

My handsome goalie

The sun is coming up a little later and going down a little earlier every day. Getting out of bed in the morning keeps getting harder. Having a good book to read never helps. On the other hand, the chilly weather puts us in the mood for turning on the fireplace, watching football, baking cookies. 

A few highlights from the weekend:

*Nathan played in his first soccer tournament. He and most of his friends formed a team and entered our town's Columbus Day weekend tournament. They are all second-graders (ages 7-8), and they played against third-graders. This team hadn't played together before and only had two practices, so we were a little nervous about it, but they did great! They played four games, and they ended the weekend with 3 wins and 1 hard fought loss. It was a really special experience for all of the boys, and even though it was raining all day on Sunday, it was a ton of fun to watch.  

*We made these pumpkin cookies - such a great recipe, and it's become an annual fall tradition. (Note:  Every time I make them, Kevin complains that there aren't enough chocolate chips in them.)

*My sister-in-law, a friend, and their toddlers came for a visit on Sunday afternoon. It was loud and messy for a while, but we managed to have a nice time relaxing and hanging out, even with the kids in the mix. 

*Kevin and the boys played a lot of football together. They have such a great time, until someone inevitably loses and has a tantrum. At some point, they'll learn to deal with losing, right? 

*I made this vegetarian chili on Monday. (Note:  I only used one chipotle pepper, since it was too spicy for us last time.  Also, don't skimp on the cilantro - it is absolutely the key ingredient in this awesome recipe.)

*Kevin and I watched the first two episodes of Westworld. I'm fascinated. 

Little Things...

When things don't go as planned or hoped, it becomes even more important to be able to focus on the positives. I was supposed to fly to Charleston this weekend, to spend a few days with my mom and sisters, celebrating my mom's 70th birthday. Instead, the city is being evacuated due to a big nasty hurricane, so we are all staying home. It bums me out, but let's focus on some good stuff so I don't get too sad.

• We were able to reschedule our trip, so our Charleston trip will still happen - just a month later than planned. 
• Nathan is playing in a soccer tournament this weekend. Because I'll be home, I'll get to watch him play - I'm pretty excited about that. 
• It's fall in New England! Gorgeous trees are everywhere. 
• New TV shows are starting - This Is Us certainly grabbed me, and I am also excited to see Kiefer Southerland again. Everybody's talking about Westworld - I think I'm going to have to convince Kevin to get HBO.
• Aaron and Nathan made dinner last night - eggs, english muffins, and fruit salad. 
• I love finishing a good book and starting a new one. 
• Our new sitter is helping out around the house, so I come home to a clean kitchen every day. 
• Next year won't be as full of travel as this one was, but we just booked our February ski week - fingers crossed for good weather and snow. 
• The boys are working on their Christmas lists, and I keep trying to remind them that it's not even Halloween yet! 
• On Monday night, I had worked from home, and the weather was gorgeous, so I suggested a bike ride before dinner. So lovely.
• Dawes' latest album, We're All Gonna Die.  Really different from their usual stuff, but I dig it.

It's Close to Midnight...

I've had this blog post sitting in my drafts folder for over a week now. I'm struggling with putting my thoughts into words for some reason. I have nothing profound to say, but I can't seem to calm my mind long enough to organize my thoughts. (Is this a symptom of technology addiction? Or of busyness? Whatever it is, I don't like it. I am feeling the need to head out into the woods in solitude.) So I'm just going to write as if I'm talking to a friend. If it's incoherent, well...a friend would laugh and then forgive me. 

Last week, I was walking through downtown Boston, heading from my office to meet with a client, and I was all dressed up in a suit and looking very cute and professional, if I do say so myself. It was a gorgeous and warm September day, and it felt great to be walking outside, even in heels. I looked around at the people in the Boston Common - it's as good a place to people-watch as the airport, maybe better. There were parents with kids, students, homeless people, older people taking power walks and doing tai chi and painting, and other professionals like me, walking quickly in business attire. It made me think about how I wish I interacted more with people who are different from me. It also made me think about how I must look to those around me - a professional woman in her forties. Is that me?  I suppose it is, but it somehow often surprises me to realize it nonetheless. There are definitely times when I can own it, and other times I feel like I'm faking it. I feel more comfortable dancing like an idiot with friends, trying to remember the dance moves to 'Thriller'. Does everyone feel this way? I am sure the answer must be yes. Right?

Meanwhile, outside of work, we've all been way too busy, with soccer and baseball games and birthday parties and fun with friends. (Seriously, though - dancing with friends to all our 80's favorites? A really good time.) It's all been great fun, but it has left us tired and craving time to be still, to contemplate, to sit on the couch and watch movies we've seen 100 times before. This weekend, we still have soccer and baseball, but our Saturday night is wide open. The couch beckons. 

I'm just going to leave this right here...

Recently Read

Truly Madly Guilty, by Liane Moriarty. I was really looking forward to this, since I've enjoyed several of her other books. This one let me down a bit. Overall, it was entertaining and kept me engaged, but I got a bit bored at times. She draws out the big reveal (What happened at the cookout?!) for so long, and by the time I found out, I was almost over it.

The M Train, by Patti Smith.  I love this review I saw on Goodreads:  "I can't believe Patti Smith wrote a book about drinking black coffee and watching serial crime dramas and it's the best thing I've ever read." I totally agree. This book isn't about anything - there's no plot, no characters outside of Patti herself, and yet I adored the book. Her writing is gorgeous, descriptive, and moving. Patti Smith is an observer of life, and by reading her words and stepping into her life for a bit, I'm inspired to look up more, to make deeper connections (with people, places, and things), and to go on adventures.

Better than Before, by Gretchen Rubin.  I read this one as a part of my book club at work. I haven't yet read her first book - The Happiness Project - although I've read many blog posts by her, so I get the main points. This one defines and organizes themes about how we form and maintain habits. It's nothing ground-breaking, and yet sometimes just by putting a name on something, it can make it that much easier to understand and put into focus. My habit tendency is a Questioner - that is, I only do things when I understand how they benefit me. There are lots of great anecdotes and examples in here, and it was helpful to think about my own habits. An interesting read and worthy of discussion.

Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl, by Carrie Brownstein.  I really enjoyed this book. It helps that I'm a fan of Sleater-Kinney, which is a love-em-or-hate-em band for sure. I remember seeing them as an opener for Pearl Jam, and my husband complains about them to this day. They are not for everyone, but I've been a fan since I bought the Dig Me Out CD in college after hearing about them through CMJ. Carrie's writing is smart, thoughtful, and honest. She doesn't dish on anyone, and you can tell there's a lot she does hold back - the purpose is to write about the band, about what music means to her, and how the band saved her life.

Taking Stock - September 2016

Saturday mornings

Watching - Lots of soccer and baseball. Saturday soccer, Sunday baseball. I love watching my boys play.
Wearing - Dresses. I've been taking advantage of the warm weather by baring my legs more often. I know that boots and sweater weather is on its way. This may be the most comfortable dress I've ever owned. 
Loving - Our Halloween costumes. Yes, I already have them. I'm a planner, and it's fun to get excited. 
Eating - Salads every day at lunch. Small dinners. Ice cream. Raisin toast most mornings for breakfast - I'd like to have a healthier option there. I don't like overnight oats, but maybe there's a slow-cooker option that would make sense to try over the winter? Any of you have a suggestion?
Listening - A couple nights ago, Aaron asked me who Bruce Springsteen was. I sighed and realized that I am failing as a parent. We've been playing Bruce since then. Also - Letters to Cleo has a new album coming out, and we have tickets to see them next month (yay!). And a decent amount of Sleater-Kinney, inspired by my reading of Carrie Brownstein's book.
Wanting -  Sweaters. It's almost sweater weather! 
Reading - I will do a Recently Read post again soon. I just started The Life Intended.
Enjoying - My morning yoga. I've started to fall out of habit again, and I'm not sure how much I will be able to keep it up, but I love it so much. 
Drinking - A lot of water. I'm finally back in the habit of carrying my water bottle around at work. It's amazing how much more I drink when I bring it. 
Thinking - That I'd like our election to be over. It feels so terrible that nobody is happy with our choices this year. In previous years, I always had an opinion, but I wasn't scared if it didn't go my way. This time, I'm legitimately afraid. And not all that excited the other way either. 
Appreciating - My new sitter. In addition to watching the boys after school, she is also helping me out around the house. She's wonderful, the boys like her, and I hope she stays for a long time. 
Planning - School-year activities. I have most registrations complete, and the calendar updated. Baseball, soccer, piano, drums (!).  I need to update the calendar with the school events, and then I can start thinking about the next vacation. And of course the holidays are rapidly approaching. SO much planning this time of year!
Feeling - A little anxious. I start at a new client next week. New relationships, new commute, new project... Lots of newness can intimidate me. 
Working - At being more patient. When I'm going through a change, I lose patience much more easily. I have to remind myself that the boys are going through a transition too - new teachers, new processes, new classmates, new teammates... We all need to allow ourselves time to settle in.
Wondering - When we can go see a movie in the theater again. This is the time of year that good movies start coming out. I know I want to see this one.
Finishing - Stranger Things. Such a fabulous blend of X-Files sci-fi weirdness and 80s nostalgia. The kids make the show - but Winona Ryder is pretty fun to see, too. It's very fun. 

Stranger Things

Catching Up...

Just like that, summer is over. It was fun and full and memories were made, and yet part of me wishes it had been slower and included more quiet moments. Getting into the school-year routine almost feels like a bit of a relief. I need more time at home. Thoughts to consider as we plan for next year. 

The boys are a couple weeks into the new school year, and we're settling in. My sister-in-law noticed our calendar on the wall and commented that every single day has something written on it. I sighed. School, sports practices and games, music lessons, birthday parties, gatherings with family and friends... It all adds up. I've found it actually requires effort to plan for those free afternoons or weekend days when we can relax. 

I said to my husband just the other night that I felt like the pendulum was swinging too far. Too much work, too much busyness, too much stress. Not enough me-time. I'm going through another transition at work, starting at a new client - one with a bad commute - and that's already a stress. I'm also taking on more responsibilities, and I'm worried I may be taking on more than I can handle. We'll see. I do know that I can push back and say no when I need to. 

On the positive side, I've been getting on my yoga mat more often, and I love it. I completed an eight-week yoga program over the summer, and I only missed the days I was in Europe. Other than those ten days, I was on my mat five days/week, and it felt amazing. I'm trying to pick up that rhythm again, also incorporating some cardio, because it has a profound affect on my attitude and ability to handle the daily stresses of life. 

I'm working on staying in the present. Balancing the need to plan for the future, reflect on the good times in the past, and savor the moment while the moment is happening. Always the challenge, always the desire. What's in this moment right now?  A moment to consider my thoughts, think about all of my far-away blog friends and family, my feelings about our life right now. Deliberately taking the time to think is a beautiful thing and one that I want to continue to do as often as possible. Expect to see me here more often again.

The Lake 2016

I swear, I am going to get back into blogging soon. I absolutely miss this space. The kids are back to school, and we're settling down into the school-year routine, which is welcome after a busy and tremendously fun summer. 

To cap off our ridiculously fun summer, we spent Labor Day weekend at our family cottages on Lake Ontario. We have gone every year for the past 5-6 years, and I do hope to continue that tradition for as long as possible. When we looked at the calendar, I wasn't sure how to make it work this year, but Aaron pushed and we made it happen. A 7-hour drive is a little tough for a long weekend, but we managed, and it was totally worth it. 

The lake is my happy place, and last weekend was absolutely wonderful. The weather was spectacular, and the crowd of people was fun without being too overwhelming. (As much fun as it is to see everyone in the family, it can also make it too difficult to actually catch up with anybody!)  My Nathan was the youngest one there, which led to a very relaxed and casual atmosphere. The kids played games, we took walks, swam, hung out and talked, had bonfires both nights, sang, skied, danced, laughed, cooked and ate...  It was great. I actually had the opportunity to talk to people and to relax a bit. 

Spud!

It was great sailing weather, but we got some skiing in each day as well.

This felt great!

This was epic. We all gathered on the gazebo and dock to watch the sunset on our last evening. After the sun went down, a few people decided to jump in the lake. Fully clothed. And then proceeded to chant people's names, pressuring them into jumping in as well! It snowballed from there, until every single person was in the lake with their clothes on. Even the neighbors started jumping in! I haven't laughed that hard in a long time, and I will never forget it.

A Sunny Week in Barcelona

We had a lovely visit with my sister and her family in Barcelona. The weather was perfect, and my sister's new home is full of so many amenities that Nathan determined that it was like a "hotel of goodness". Being August, many Spaniards were on vacation, so we had this gorgeous pool mostly to ourselves every day; but there were still enough kids around to participate in soccer matches.

A few highlights from our trip include surprising the boys with a Barca game (Messi scored two goals and Nathan could not have been more excited), an amusement park at Tibidabo, and an evening at a local beach. We also ventured downtown once, although coordinating five little boys can still be a challenge. Mostly, we spent a lot of time by the pool, in my sister's lovely patio, and on one of the many sports fields. I love that this is a trip that my boys will most definitely remember.  

Sooooo cool - a definite highlight of the trip!

There were many games of soccer.

The amusement park was fun...

...and the views were spectacular.

Walking Las Ramblas

Oh! And we managed an adult date-night! We overdid it with a final gin and tonic, but it was a fabulous night.

Lots of reading and relaxing by the pool

This is the view from my sister's patio - so pretty!

Another definite highlight - a visit to this beach followed by a wonderful dinner

A Few Cool Days in Dublin

Since we decided to visit my sister in Barcelona for our summer vacation, we wanted to add on a few days in a city that was new to us. We'd have to connect somewhere else anyway, so let's go on an adventure! Flying through Dublin turned out to be cheaper, and I've always wanted to go to Ireland, so we went for it.

It felt like a tease, since we only had a few short days - not long enough to venture out into the Irish countryside, see the Cliffs of Moher, Killarney, the Ring of Kerry... - but it was great nonetheless. We did a Viking tour of the city, took the train out to a seaside town called Howth for pretty views and fish & chips, rode bikes through the enormous Phoenix park, toured the Guinness storehouse, and walked a lot. It also allowed us to start getting adjusted to the time change before heading to Spain. There was a little whining along the way, but all in all, it was a pretty fun time and only makes me look forward to one day going back for the full country tour.

sitting on the shore in Howth

Riding bikes through Phoenix Park

A carriage ride to St. Patrick's cathedral from the Guinness storehouse

Newport Folk Festival 2016

Another fabulous weekend at the Newport Folk Festival. This was our 5th year, and we're getting better and better at maximizing the fun (or more likely, the kids are just getting older and easier to hang out with). 

Kevin's sister and brother-in-law joined us on Saturday, and it was a great day in the hot sun. We stayed for Sunday this year too, which was filled with amazing music. We were exhausted by the time we got home Sunday night, but it was a happy exhaustion.  

Here's who we saw:  The Banditos, John Moreland, Rayland Baxter, Amy Helm, Dave Simonett and Dave Carroll, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Ryan Adams, Norah Jones, and Patti Smith. That was just Saturday!

On Sunday: Berklee Gospel and Roots Choir, Ian Fitzgerald, River Whyless, The Oh Hellos, Brian Fallon, Glen Hansard, Middle Brother, Elvis Costello, and Alabama Shakes. Phew! And that doesn't include the surprise artists we saw in the family tent, where we continue to spend a decent amount of time, this time mostly to escape the sun.

Glen Hansard was my absolute favorite. He owned the Fort stage with his beautiful songs and funny stories from Ireland. The Oh Hellos were awesome and loud and fun. And John Moreland was my favorite new-to-me artist. Beautiful, beautiful music.

For a look at our previous years in Newport: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. 

Surprise performance by Spirit Family Reunion in the family tent 

The Oh Hellos on the Fort stage

We submitted a silly picture and made it on the big screen!

The boys spent an inordinate amount of time building forts to escape the sun

The beautiful view, before the crowds filled in