[ stupid elmo! ]

sooooooo... a lovely friend of mine bought the boys passes to sesame place for their birthdays. (it's a sesame street theme park, with lots of water play) i confess i have been i think twice... but yesterday, i thought, what a beautiful day it will be today & asked the boys if they wanted to go! i swear they would have done back flips if they could! they were MEGA MEGA excited!! they call it elmo slides.

so most of yesterday was spent discussing this adventure, what we were going to take with us, what we were going to ride on etc etc & that it was going to be tomorrow... you have to go to sleep all night first & then we'll go!



the first thing that comes out of their mouths this morning was 'we've been asleep can we go to elmo slides now!!'

we packed towels, swimming trunks, sunscreen, hats & 9 million other random objects, items of clothing, most probably a piece of furniture or 2 (well it just felt like that when i lifted this enormous bag!)

oscar didn't complain about having to find his shoes & even put them on his feet without being prompted, they weren't on the right feet... but i appreciated the effort!

i hopped online to check the address & somehow stumbled on the page that said it doesn't open until may!!!!! i thought no this can't be true, it's easter for goodness sake!! so i rang them & they're closed till may...

it's 9 o'clock in the morning, i have 2 hyped up little boys & i am about to burst their bubble. i call them over & break the news... flynn, 2,  took it remarkably well... oscar, 4, started screaming & crying... then flynn says 'can we go to elmo slides now!' it's going to be a loooooooooooong day!

i ask them if they would like to go to the zoo instead... flynn says yes, but oscar isn't having any of it... i rattle off a list of places & the only one that sparked a twinkle in his eye was chuck e cheese... so off we go... it's a GORGEOUS day & we are going to be stuck indoors in an arcade like setting...

i really dislike that place... & here's why...

my friends came to visit me from MA, yes chris & helen that's you! helen had to go into the city & i took chris, his 2 children & my 2 children to chuck e cheese. this was in the days when flynn was still in the stroller that the car seat clicks on. often when i'd lift flynn out the stroller would fall back from the weight of my overloaded bag. i'd been in a hurry that morning & surprise surprise couldn't find my car keys... so i grabbed the spare & off we went.

we'd played & played on everything, had the yukky food & were more than ready to leave... i looked in the cup holder of the stroller for the car key & it wasn't there... chris in the meantime was putting ski suits on his children in anticipation of going out in the cold to the car. i pull my bag apart looking for the key ~ it's NO WHERE!!! i'm going hot & cold all at once. oscar starts crying because he is so tired & over excited... i asked a member of staff if anyone has handed in a key... nothing. i start looking under rides for it, getting carpet burn on my cheek... i am now panicking!! where the hell is it!!! strangers are going through my bag trying to help me...

then a cheerful chuck e cheese lady comes over & says with a beaming smile, i haven't found your key but i have found LOADS of tokens... mmmmmm!! not helping me... i felt like saying 'great!! go have fun on the rides then!!'

i suddenly thought... what if someone took my key... & my car... but it was still there!

chris's children had super rosy cheeks from wearing their outdoor clothes, oscar's crying had got 10 times worse... & flynn was starting up too...

then this really really nice lady, with about 6 children,  took over & said listen i'll give you a ride home & you can get your spare... so that's what happened. arhhhhhhhhh!! what a wonderful person!!

i never found the key, i wonder where it is... a replacement costs $265

& ok ok... elmo's not stupid!!

[ april fool ]

sooooooo... i was dating a guy when i was in college who had planned a year long trip to australia before i'd met him... honestly it was BEFORE i met him!!!

there was this tv guide magazine in the uk, not sure if it's still around & he would religiously do the competition crossword. the prizes ranged from money, trips & furniture. well... me being the jokester that i was forged a winning letter announcing that he'd won a wonderful trip on the orient express! this was for himself & a guest, non-transferable & would take place when he'd already left for australia... i think i also put something about with his permission a film crew would like to film some of the trip for future publicity. oh how i giggled to myself when i dropped it in the post box.

well...he was staying in a bed-sit at his mom's house, he'd given up his apartment as he was about to go away for a year... i turn up around lunchtime of april 1st to a family meeting... (he was one of 6 children). i'm thinking what the heck is going on... !!my heart plummets when i realize it's over this letter... i had actually forgotten about it & certainly thought he would see straight through it!!!

he sees me,  takes me to a quiet room starts this whole monologue about how sorry he was because i would have been his guest on this amazing trip of a lifetime & how he'd been on the phone all morning with one of his brothers trying to sort something out, maybe he could get away with saying that his legal name was different....(so his brother could go)  he'd tried to change his airline ticket to australia (but thankfully wasn't able to...) he went on & on & on & on... & the more time that passed the more i didn't know how to break it to him that it was a joke...

his mom had got a bit worked up about it too & she was in a very fragile state ~ this definitely was not helping matters...

the whole thing completely changed from being this, what i thought, very funny prank to a nightmare... & still i kept quiet!! i started feeling slightly sick & promising myself i will never do anything like this again!!

finally...i couldn't take it anymore... i just blurted out... how sorry i was, it was meant to be a joke & not cause all this anguish to so many people! i begged forgiveness & swore my prankster days were over!

BUT the crazy thing was... he didn't believe me!! kept telling me to stop joking & being silly, apparently i wasn't helping the situation... oh man this was going rapidly from bad to worse!!! but it WAS me ~ believe me for goodness sake...

i had to go on & on for ages to convince him... & recite the letter word for word... needless to say it didn't go down very well with anyone... people were just staring at me with this semi angry semi pitiful look...

so of course i didn't joke like that again... until... oh the next year!! same boyfriend!! UNBELIEVABLE!!  before i moved to america i used to give blood regularly (the usa won't take foreigners blood so i've had to stop now). i got my boyfriend to come along & he got into it too ~ he had a rare blood group.

again i wrote a letter to him, from the local hospital, saying that their stocks were extremely low on that particular rare blood group & that they would appreciate it if he could come in & give some ~ i gave a time, ward name etc etc...

i remember returning home just as he's leaving the house... when i inquired where he was going he told me to give blood!! ARHHHHH!!!

needless to say... we're not together anymore & that i have grown up (just a bit) & do not perform these acts of merriment!

&... if he ever reads this... i am really sorry!

[ uncle pete ]

sooooooo... my uncle pete wasn't really my uncle but my parents raised us like that. he was my dad's best friend, best man at his wedding, my sister's godfather.

when i was 18 & ran away from italy, where i was living, [ that's a whole other blog right there ] he took me in with open arms.

very sincere, supportive & not at all judgmental, he always had time for me & would listen.

positive & funny!

an amazing letter writer

so it is with great sadness that i write: today the world has lost one of it's most genuine, wonderful & kind people

i can not believe this has happened...

my uncle pete gone ~ my heart has a hole that will never mend

'perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy.' an eskimo quote, & very appropriate because he was a lover of stars.

why is death so final... why can't we get the opportunity to talk to people that have passed on once a year or something? (& i don't mean using any type of clairvoyance).

i miss you so much & will never forget you, you will always remain in my heart.


Miss Me ~ But Let Me Go

When I come to the end of the road
And the sun has set for me,
I want no rites in a gloom-filled room,
Why cry for a soul set free!
Miss me a little - but not for long
And not with your head bowed low.
Remember the love that we once shared,
Miss me, but let me go.
For this journey that we all must take
And each must go alone;
It's all a part of the Master's plan
A step on the road to home.
When you are lonely and sick at heart
Go to the friends we know,
And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds.
Miss me, but let me go.

~ Edgar Albert Guest (1881-1959)

[ with a little help from our friends ]

>

sooooooo... today was the day of the mr RAY & friends concert! i kept waking up every hour because i was scared i was going to over sleep!

the concert was BRILLIANT!!! it was a room full of big hearted people enjoying music from really generous, talented musicians, coming together to do something good for haiti.

from the ticket sales & the auction we managed to raise $4000!!


the needs in haiti are vast & will continue to be for the foreseeable future. if you can help in anyway, resources, time etc please contact info@ForThisOne.org

you can follow their progress here: www.facebook.com/ForThisOne

[ an extract from an update posted there: ]

'The UN is distributing food and water, but entire families are required to stand in line all day in the sun in order to receive it. If they are in line, this means they cannot do anything else - like search for loved ones, remove rubble from streets or from their own homes, or look for jobs. They cannot be productive because they must be in line for food. Also, the UN is patrolling these lines with heavily armed guards. This doesn't feel very good to the honest civilians standing in the lines and it has caused more than one scuffle. (We're not knocking the UN - we know they mean well. We're just suggesting there's a better way).

JT and Adam spent their week in PAP developing relationships with the organizations stockpiling food at the airport, working with them, and procuring food from them which they then discretely (so as not to be robbed by gangs) brought back to the team at Sherry Faussey's school and orphanage. Here, the food reaches the team of missionaries who are intimately familiar with the neighborhood and the local pastors as well as the school's teachers. The local pastors and teachers also know the neighborhood. With their help, they are quietly dropping food into each tent in the neighborhood. So everyone eats. No one stands in line for it. And there are no guns involved. Humanely obtained, compassionately delivered food.

THIS is why For This One supports the work these missionaries are doing. They live in haiti. They know the people. They know the turf. They know how to get what's needed where it needs to be. And it is always done in a way that is dignified and peaceful and compassionate. And it works.

The work of the teams has been so effective that it drew the attention of other groups and the U.N. itself. Everyone wants to know how they have been able to get so much done '




THANK YOU:

to everyone that came to the concert! we hope you had a blast!!

to everyone that donated something, however small ~ it ALL helps!

For This One (jenn, darren & christine) ~ who tirelessly are doing everything humanly possible to raise money & collect supplies to help the people of haiti.

mr RAY for generously starring at the concert & having the talent to draw the crowd! without you doing this we wouldn't have had a concert! YOU ROCK MAN!

mr RAY's special guest friends: lisa bouchelle, paul geiger, carmen plummer-rubin, joe bellia dusty micale & miss amy ~ you are all wonderful!

carolyn taylor ~ coolest PR person ever!

kiddie academy princeton for the drop off of haiti supplies, you really are the best daycare center!

thomas sweets & contes ~ THANK YOU!

best buy ~ for the 26" TV!!

the following people for gift certificates: thomas sweets, contes, music box studio ~ janet campbell, music together ~ sarah orfe, director of the princeton lab school, cropping circle, getting2knowU ~ jane klein conklin

the awesome guy that donated $500 ~ THANK YOU!

sharon dunham, robert wood johnson, conference manager ~ for hosting & all your help with that!

all those that posted posters & forwarded emails about the event.

friends & family that came early to sell tickets

[ when stars align ]

sooooooo... i had real trouble breastfeeding (that's a whole other blog right there) & when oscar was 11 days old i made my first trip out with him to a breastfeeding class with enough supplies & equipment to have safely overcome almost any emergency & survived for 3 months. seriously it looked like i was going on vacation!

little did i know that this class was the foundation to so many adventures & meeting so many wonderful people.

a few of us have kept in touch & have been great support.

last august, one of these people announced she was going to help out in haiti. first of all, i had no idea what a devastated country haiti was, without electricity, clean water, food, medical treatment...  & secondly i couldn't believe my friend jenn whose 3 children were all under 4 at the time had the ambitious drive to organize this & go, i was in awe...

if i had been asked to go i probably would have thought of a million excuses as i'm sure jenn could have but she didn't & she went on her way raising money collecting formula & supplies. i felt kind of guilty but very proud of her & wanted to help as much as i could. i posted the list of things she needed on free cycle & went round collecting items from generous people.

jenn returned with lots of stories, photos & a big piece of haiti in her heart.

she started up a charity with darren & christine ~ For This One   www.ForThisOne.org  *(please see below for the story that inspired the name)

and now... the earthquake

needless to say jenn, darren & christine have been selflessly working around the clock raising money, organizing drop offs etc etc  please visit their website www.ForThisOne.org

there are some people you meet in life that make you a better person, jenn, for me, is one of these. her enthusiasm & passion for this cause as well as juggling a job & family have inspired me to do more to help.

trying to think of a way to raise money i contacted mr RAY to see if he would do a children's benefit concert. i knew deep down he'd do it if he could & he is! he also has 4 guests lined up too!

(if you've not heard of this rock legend look up this older blog [ oscar & flynn's party! ~ featuring mr RAY ]  )

www.mrRAY.com

so please come out & show your support for this cause ~ SPREAD THE WORD!

here's the flyer:
http://tekprosystems.com/forthisone/mrRAYhaiti.pdf
Saturday, Jan 30, 10:30 am (doors open at 10 am)
Mr. RAY performs a benefit to HELP HAITI!
Robert Wood Johnson Hamilton Center for Health and Wellness

also we are looking for some cool stuff to auction off! & please let us know if you know of any other ways of publicizing this, radio etc

info@forthisone.org

i'm just off to deliver a car load of donations from kiddie academy princeton ~ thank you guys sooooo much!!

*(inspiration to For This One name)

The Star Thrower

Once upon a time, there was a man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work. One day he was walking along the shore. As he looked down the beach, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself to think of someone who would dance to the day. So he began to walk faster to catch up. As he got closer, he saw that it was a young man and the young man wasn't dancing, but instead he was reaching down to the shore, picking up something and very gently throwing it into the ocean.

As he got closer, he called out, "Good morning! What are you doing?" The young man paused, looked up and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."

"I guess I should have asked, Why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?"

"The sun is up and the tide is going out. And if I don't throw them in they'll die."

"But young man, don't you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it. You can't possibly make a difference!"

The young man listened politely. Then bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves. "It made a difference for that one!"

His response surprised the man. He was upset. He didn't know how to reply. So instead, he turned away and walked back to the cottage to begin his writings.

All day long as he wrote, the image of the young man haunted him. He tried to ignore it, but the vision persisted. Finally, late in the afternoon he realized that he the scientist, he the poet, had missed out on the essential nature of the young man's actions. Because he realized that what the young man was doing was choosing not to be an observer in the universe and make a difference. He was embarrassed.

That night he went to bed troubled. When the morning came he awoke knowing that he had to do something. So he got up, put on his clothes, went to the beach and found the young man. And with him he spent the rest of the morning throwing starfish into the ocean. You see, what that young man's actions represent is something that is special in each and everyone of us. We have all been gifted with the ability to make a difference. And if we can, like that young man, become aware of that gift, we gain through the strength of our vision the power to shape the future.

And that is your challenge. And that is my challenge. We must each find our starfish. And if we throw our stars wisely and well, I have no question that the 21st century is going to be a wonderful place.

[ joe hill ]

soooooo... we were introduced to an elderly couple, joe & tina, who live oppersite. everyone had the upmost respect for them.

joe walked with a crooked wooden stick & i often had chats with him when i was out gardening. he was always very cheerful & had good things to say. one day he pulled old photos of our house out of his pocket & gave them to us ~ he grew up there.

they have lots of cats & had to buy a ton of cat food every week, he’d leave his stick leaning up against his burgundy mini van while making trips, often leaving the trunk open for hours. both my husband & i offered to help him if we saw him ~ but he had a great sense of pride.

on day flashing lights flooded our sitting room, my boys were going nuts as they LOVE anything to do with the emergency services (especially firetrucks). it was an ambulance outside their home. joe was wheeled out & driven off. later i saw his daughter sitting on her porch so i went over to offer my help in anyway i could.

then i’d keep asking after him & it was always the same news.

last week it really snowed... my husband, mike, took a road trip with us to the supermarket ~ the boys were so excited driving in the snow! mike has a ‘shopping window’ ~ i could tell he’d had enough by the time we’d got to the check out. then i couldn’t get oscar’s zipper up & he was trying to show me a giraffe on an advert!

mike had started to walk out with flynn our other son ~ i saw joe’s daughter, paying for her grocerys, said hello & asked after her dad. she told me he’d died... i could contain my sadness & started sobbing as i gave her a big hug at the check outs. then i didn’t feel i could just walk away, so i stayed sobbing for a minute. mike is wondering where the heck i’d got to comes back into shoprite... to find his wife & neighbor crying... needless to say he handled it very well.

the exciting trip in the snow had ended for me... i was so sad... the last thing i said to joe hill was could i borrow his wheel barrow! & the image of the burgundy mini van, with the open trunk & crooked stick leaning up against it is burnt into my mind.

once he saw me getting out of the car with flynn, who was 2 weeks old, i’d been crying & he asked me what was wrong. i told him i’d just been let go from my job (i was literrally returning from that ‘meeting’) he said great time to be fired! gesturing to flynn & it was true! thank you joe!

...another candle blown out. i will really miss you mr hill.