NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST CHAMPIONS!!!!!!

yes...it has happened, since 1993 I have waited patiently...& in between football games today...my son, my husband, my favorite neighbor Zach & my Mooshie watched it happen with me...we saw my beloved Phillies win the National League East! They watched me cry & tell Brandon repeatedly to remember this moment...I want him to remember the heart pounding excitement I just felt!

It was electrifying...I haven't been that excited in so long...just knowing how excited the people I love the most are at this very moment moves me beyond tears...we have done it, we've finally arrived!!!!!!!!!

Now...let's just hope those stinking Eagles don't play as well this evening!

beautiful weather...

this weather is perfect...the crunchy leaves, the crisp air, the cool breeze...doesn't get much better than this! It's FOOTBALL weather...as soon as baseball season is over...& for the Phillies fans I know & love completely...I hope that's not for quite some time yet! That game last nite was freaking incredible!! I was screaming & cheering...& having some drinks...I LOVE BASEBALL...almost as much as FOOTBALL!!!

Good luck to my fabulous boys of summer today...hope they kick ass & take names...GO PHILS!!!!!

Then we're off to Celie's birthday party this evening...so Happy 13th Birthday, Celie!! We love you!!

2 for 1...

It's been one of those past few days...so I'll share...LOL!

The sleepover party I had with Margie certainly wasn't like the ones we used to have, I put Brandon & Katie to bed around 8:30. Barry was out in the garage working & Margie & I just watched t.v., she was myspacing a bit & I can't for the life of me remember what was on t.v. I just know that at 10 we were both exhausted & hit the sheets. Well, I did...she hit the sofa in the basement.

We were up bright & early (6 a.m.) on Saturday for our road trip to Virginia...cleaned the windows in the car & all, we were so stoked! We ran to Dunkin' Donuts for some coffee & were headed to Mom & Dad T's to get our day started! We start to load ourselves into the cars & Dad says my car is making a funny noise, I shouldn't take it...now you know I have to smoke, we have to have the tunes from the IPOD & we're so excited about a 3 hour drive just to goof around together that we object repeatedly & I INSIST on having my own way...like any responsible 33 year old woman would! LOL!

We get there perfectly...the noise gets louder but I do as Pop always tells me & I just turn the radio up- we load things up for Aunt Flo in just a few hours (the 5 of us together ...me, Moosh, Ant, Mom & Dad T.~ were a well oiled machine!) & I'm rubbing in the fact that we wouldn't have been able to get all of her belongings back to Jersey in just 2 vehicles...guess I showed him who knows what, didn't I?? We get back on the road & we're loving life...got the tunes cranked, we're singing & dancing & laughing...& reminiscing on how much fun a road trip is! Then...this happened...

"Your battery light just came on!?" says Margie.

"My what? Look at the temperature gauge, that's not good," I reply.

"Shut off the air conditioner, turn the radio off," she hollers.

"Oh MY GOD, Marge...there's smoke...pouring out behind us, pull over, there's smoke! Get out of the car...NOT ON THAT SIDE, get out my side!" I'm screaming.

~And that was how we discovered the fact that my beloved father-in-law is always right!~

Once we got to the side of 95 North and stopped the car which at this point was pouring antifreeze all over the ground & smoking like a BBQ pit in Texas, all I could do was laugh...& be grateful that my glorious in-laws have AAA Plus! (that was after I got upset & cried briefly on the phone with Barry!)

We waited on 95 N. for about an hour with Pop & Anthony...who loved every single second of being trapped with his Aunt Anne & I know it...he's gonna be telling his grandchildren how rockin' that day was! The tow truck came (the driver was easy on the eyes...Margie should have gone in the truck) & we were off again...to Jersey...Pop, Margie & Fern in the front seat...& me...on a plastic step stool in the fetal position in what should have been the back seat but that was folded up to make room for a t.v. that would be given to cousin Eric to drive back to Virginia to keep in just a few short hours...GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

We laughed so hard all the way home...it really was a great road trip, even with the smoking car & being trapped on the side of the highway...Sunday, Pop fixed Wilma (my car) & has her running LIKE NEW! My beloved Giants won, Zach, Brent & Moosh came over for football & wings...it was a great end to a great weekend!

Then, yesterday...Moosh, Brandon & I went to see King Tut at the Franklin Institute...Brandon was as amazed as I was by the entire thing...it truly is something everyone should do at some point in their life if they're given the opportunity- the thought of it all just gives me goosebumps, really just an incredible sight! To know how talented these people were & to see the things they made & had...it was UNREAL! Not to mention...there were items that had frogs & cows & horses on them...Bran thought it was "totally cool" that while they wrote differently & their dogs didn't look like ours do (LOL) the cows & horses & frogs looked exactly the same...that's my boy, always SUPER observant! :) Just a few days left before Tut is gone for who knows how long...the last time these items were here in our area was in 1977...you may want to go if you haven't already...INSANELY AMAZING!

It's been a surreal few days...hope you're all well...LOVES YA!!!!

ok, well...

Bran finally had show & share today...of course, I had to write her a note asking when his day was before she let him do it...but, it's done. He loved it...he's the only shy kid I know who loves showing off toys to his class. He took a spelling test & a reading test today & got 100's on both~ I'm creating a genius! He had school pictures today & I can't wait to see his beautiful little smile!

Waiting to hear from Margie...we're having a sleepover tonight...I know you're all thinking we're going to be having some wild, crazy girl time...which I'm sure I will...but, she's sleeping over so she can be the sweetest girl tomorrow with me...we're taking a road trip to go help Barry's Aunt Florence move from Virginia to Jersey! It's going to be fun...well, the road trip part will be! LOL!

Happy Friday, my loves!!!

obituary...

ok, i know this is supposed to be the day i write my obituary & put it on here so you can tell Barry where it is when the time comes...(some of you are freaking out at that...i have an obsession with obituaries & i want mine to be REALLY about me...that explanation & the writing of the obit is for another day! i really will explain my NEED to read them daily...it's really a thing & i feel a sense of confusion when i don't do it...I NEVER SAID I WAS FREAKING SANE!

Today...I'm having an issue...I'm feeling a little Mrs. Nicely loss...every nite since school started I get the massive pile of papers from school & I try to sort through them. I just feel LOST! Which scares me...does Bran also feel lost? I find myself saying (when there are 3 sets of instructions for homework & none of them are the same...) , Mrs. Nicely never did it like this. I know it's wrong of me & I know this poor sweet girl is just starting out...but, I'll be damned if her school website didn't have mis-spelled words!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You know how I am about that...& you're teaching MY SON!?

I really know it's just starting out & I should relax...but I feel the tension when I need to go over these things. Barry is equally confused. Tonite she sends home a paper saying tomorrow is picture day...the school calendar says it's Friday, the paperwork from the photographer says it's Friday...everything we got prior to this said it's Friday...& she now says it's tomorrow...do I send him in what I want his pic in & hope she's right or do I use my better judgement & save it for Friday? & why is everything so confusing this year?

i'm holding out hope that she WOW's me on back-to-school nite...i REALLY am...I'll reserve judgement until then!!!

hoping i'm just being over-protective ME!

This day in history...

5 years ago today...this man asked me to marry him & I said yes!

4 years ago today, we got MARRIED!!!

Happy 4th Anniversary, Barry...I love you entirely for the rest of my life!

9/11/2007

Painfully, it's been 6 years since the Towers fell & thousands died. It's clearly one of those things that people are going to be able to say for the rest of their lives they know where they were at that very moment. It's the Kennedy assasination, MLK assasination, John Lennon assasination of our times! And I woke up this morning with a heavy heart, I listened to the live feed of the day's events & found myself feeling that pain & fear all over again.

The sense of loss is immeasurable. And I come home, hug my children & pray that this isn't the world I'm giving them. Then, I see a commercial...it's a wounded veteran of this "WAR" in Iraq...telling me that he supports this war even though it cost him his legs & that pulling out is quitting...that this is not a time for politics...ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME???

Seriously...on this of all days...is that propaganda the kind of thing our fearless President really wants to cram down our stupid throats...TODAY??? & it's not a time for politics...it's a politically motivated commercial on a day when THOUSANDS of families are merely trying to survive one more anniversary of their immense loss...and this is how our government respects those people who were VICTIMS of just being! They are not the reason for this war...that attack is not the reason for this war...if it were...we would be in AFGHANISTAN where Bin Laden is...not in IRAQ!!!!

Do not blame this war on those poor innocent people who just got up to have a regular day at work & were stolen from their families in a moments notice!! This is GOERGE BUSH'S war...not the War To Defend The Thousands That Were Stolen From Those That Love Them!

I'm getting off my soap box & I'm not going to let those FUCKERS ruin a day that I think should be spent THANKING God for the people we love...& letting them know it...so YOU...all of you who read this...I LOVE YOU!!! I do, from the very core of my being! I am eternally grateful to know and love you...SINCERELY!

I will pray tonight for peace in the hearts & minds of those who lost loved ones six years ago...& for those of us who just feel the heart break of that day when we think of it. It truly is a national tragedy, one we should take more time to reflect on...it changed my life, that day...I appreciate the little things so much more...the beauty in JUST waking up, or getting a kiss...or the opportunity to yell at Brandon & Katelyn for bickering...they're all treasures!! And I'll pray for all of you that I love...for God to keep you safe, and warm & here with me for many more years...no matter how far away from me you are...Amy! :)...or how close! Peace & love be with you all!

I also have a request...a friend of a friend (her name is Lisa P.) is having surgery tomorrow...surgery that will require great strength & love...if you could all send her a little bit of yours, it would mean the world to my girlfriend Dawn & to me! Say a little prayer that all goes well, that she is fearless & fights this battle knowing that there are people she doesn't even know who are wishing her the best in the trying times ahead & knowing that she is going to be PERFECTLY fine! Keep the FAITH, Lisa...you are beautiful & strong and our hearts are with you through all of this!!!

I love you all so immensely...know that...you are all so special to me & I wouldn't be who I am without each of you!!!

SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT...

I get into bed Thursday nite & Barry snuggles me...it's been an emotional week for me...so I breathe in deep & sigh...with that I say, "You smell beautiful, you smell like... forever." & he looked at me like I had just told him the most incredible secret in the world...he hugged me tight & kissed my forehead & his response was..."I love you!" I don't know what it was about my statement...I was just thinking out loud, but I knew letting him know that something about that smell I smelled at that moment made him feel loved.

This got me thinking (& staying up for hours) about smells...the ones that mean the most to me...& here some of them are...& who they relate to.

The earliest smell I can remember is that of Old Spice & Heineken...mixed in the most incredibly scrumptious way~ that is my Pop Dugan.

Then, there's sea salt, the smell of the bay & a slight hint of a great bottle of Italian wine~ that's my Granddad Smith.

My mom's smell is Fall, pumpkin spice, The Cookies That Got Bob Fired, & a menthol cigarette (it's not a bad thing).

Funnel Cake, posterboard paint, the smell of crepe paper streamers fresh out of their package, street vendor popcorn & crisp fall air accented with the sound ofcrunching leaves will always be my sister Heather to me. She is Sun Ripened Raspberry & the smell of burnt toast. :)

Kelly is the smell of glittery hairspray, wine coolers, the stink that comes off of pom poms that are flat & need to be scrunched...it's a really good plastic smell that a very few of us love. The smell of a midget football field stand (they all smell the same) it's completely Kelly to me.

My Meggie comes to mind whenever I smell a bakery, Bath & Body products, and really yummy hair products. Meg is the smell of a sweet cocktail, Ralph perfume, the smell of lip gloss, Dunkin' Donuts coffee, & Arbor Mist.

Always the newest, expensive, and most beautiful perfumes I smell when walking thru Macy's perfume section take me to my Red instantly...that along with the smell of a great pair of new shoes, the smell of a new car, the smell of clean baby, the smell of champagne (which she never liked but I always get to celebrate a milestone between us...engagements, babies, whatever) they are all her...the things we've experienced together & love equally. Lasagna, birthday cake, Miller Light, cigarettes, Colonial Diner coffee & because of her intense dislike...french toast. A dirty bar, broccoli, rain on a summer nite, sunscreen, they're all smells that make me think of her!

Margaret Alice...she's the winner for the weirdest ones...I can't smell a Dorito & not think of her...she's my Boone's Farm babe, the smell that happens when you light your hair on fire...or your acrylic nail, she is Colonial Pizza Fries...she always has the same smell about her...I can't for the life of me name the perfume & no one smells like her when they're wearing it...but, I love it on her. Pizza Hut, Mad Dog, bug spray, baby oil, burning bed...it's got the most insane smell...LOL!

The smell of kerosene in the parts washer, gasoline on the floor & kitty litter being used to soak it up...things you're probably wrinkling your noses at the thought of...they give me butterflies...they are my early smells from Barry (late nights spent watching him work his magic in his parent's garage) & they're the same smells I equate with his Dad...my Daddy-in-law...the best father-in-law in the world.

The smell of AC Performance...dust & motorcycle exhaust, gasoline, grease & the smell that comes off the pavement in 90 degree heat...it's Barry too...it's also Tom!

Barry is in a world of his own when it comes to smells...he is the smell of a mechanic...the smell of Ivory soap, clean laundry, my babies, grilled cheese, microwave popcorn, car cleaning products, freshly cut grass, the smell of the dirt after working in the yard, the smell of paint, polyurethane, propane, Aqua Net, MGD, food on the grill, they all remind me of him.

Brandon is Baby Magic (forever, it will remind me of his first bath), Crayola crayons, the smell of that awful blanket which I could sleep with nightly just to be close to him, baby breath, the smell of the soil being turned over by an enormous tractor...an amazing smell! The smell of chocolate makes me think of him, the smell of vanilla ice cream, and hot dogs, cotton candy, mud...they're all pure BRANDON to me!

Katie is Chanel No. 5...she LOVES it, nail polish, nail polish remover, fruit snacks, pretzels, cheese, & Lavender baby shampoo, baby lotion, ketchup, baby powder, strawberry, green beans, Kraft macaroni & cheese, fruit snacks, bananas & MILK.

My mommy-in-law is the smell of a great big juicy turkey, a nice bottle of wine, Windex, the smell of blush...it does have a smell, Suave hairspray, the smell of a BURNT hot dog, sweet things make me think of her...not only because she's sweet...but because she & Brandon share a sweet tooth...& are equally skinny so they can indulge.

The smell of Citizens Bank Park, Apricot Ale, the subway, Acqua, 2 eggs over medium with a side of bacon & potatoes, a Colonial burger, a new beer, a slice from Sal's, Dove pit stick, hair gel, minty chewing gum, the smell of a just opened cd, of a really great hoagie, or a soft pretzel...they're all smells that bring me back to superb moments in time with my very best friends!

I can still smell Sammy, Joanne will forever be Beautiful by Estee, the smell of mums is Trish, Barb is Red Door without a second thought...it astounds me how something in your nose can affect your heart so deeply...but it does.

My heart pounds when I smell these things...they make me think of all of you...they make me laugh & smile...& sometimes look back with a heavy heart, wanting to be the little girl who can snuggle the scratchy wool sweater of the man that smells like beer & Old Spice. I want to have one more walk on the beach with my Granddad, I want him to see Brandon & Kate again. I want the people to know their smells...to know that for as long as I live, these silly things will be them to me & it means the world to walk by some stranger & be back in that moment because of a smell. You're all there...living in my heart...thru my weirdly shaped nose & I wouldn't have it any other way.

SMELL YOU LATER!!

so it's been a while...

i keep meaning to write...to tell you all about how perfect & beautiful the last days of summer truly were...but then something else comes along that requires Mommy's immediate attention. Today...this was it all day...my MAN...my sweet boy! He's officially a first grader & a beautiful, sweet, sensitive one at that! Today...I had multiple epiphany's...this boy...makes me a better human being, this I know!
This was Bran & Kate on one of the last days of summer 2007...just these happy, giggly little creatures that see the amazement in laying in soft grass that tickles your toes through your flip flops...I swear to you all...we just laid there on that blanket (thanks ABC) for hours that day...laughing & coloring & being the 3 of us!! One of my favorite things about a Saturday...is I get ME time with the 2 of them...just the 3 of us! Then I get rescued just in time...LOL! Seriously though...this was one of those perfect days...one I know for the rest of my life I'll be able to hear in the back of my mind...the sounds of the 2 of them...& the smells of them...the love they give me when it's just us...those are the things I LIVE for!!!
Then, somehow, I blinked & today was here...& he kept repeating over his Pop Tart this morning...through the tears he was trying to choke back...I'M NERVOUS...that was all he said...repeatedly...I wanted to scoop him up & run away with him...to tell him Mommy would never make him do anything that scares him...but I can't...this is one of those things...these are those life lessons...sometimes you're scared & nervous about things & you STILL have to do them...they're things you'll love with all of you! I wanted to tell him...those butterflies...they're the things that let you know you're alive...they're not scary...love them...they're the things that let you know good things are ahead...that I hope one day...he'll be saying...I'M NERVOUS to me over a Pop Tart & there will be a beautiful girl getting into a white dress talking to her Mommy...who has those same butterflies! These are all the insane things I think in those moments! I know how much he loves school...how much I loved it...it's just the not knowing what you're about to face that makes him nervous...but that is the good stuff!
So...yeah, I'm sitting here crying now...thinking about how much has changed since this time last year...since just last week...it's an incredible gift Barry has given me...these 2 tiny little people...these 2 little souls that carry my heart in their hands...I can see it beat faster with every new day...with every single step that takes them closer to their beautiful & inevitably brilliant futures (c'mon...it's still me...these kids are gonna be god damn rock stars or something!!!...if i'm too serious for too long i become hysterical...gimme a damn break!!!) But, I do...I feel my heart race...it's a good race, a long hard race...it's the same race Brandon's butterflies are doing...& I can't wait to see what's waiting at the finish line...
run fast little one...just don't squeeze your hand shut too hard...my heart is a very, very sensitive thing...& take your time every so often to stop...& just enjoy the grass tickling your toes through your flip flops...no matter how old you are!


I will love you for my lifetime & far, far beyond, Brandon Alexander Thompson...you, my love...are my reason for being alive!!!