KIND

We were at a swim meet this weekend and while sitting there Kate gave Grandma a great big hug.  I watched and smiled and got a tap on the shoulder. A gentleman behind me observed this and said that was so nice, I should have taken a picture.  Darn.  So I grabbed my camera and tried to recreate the moment.  That of course didn't happen.  

So Kate and I got silly.  We started taking some self-portraits as we often do. Think tongues sticking out, bunny ears, etc.  I feel another tap on the my shoulder.  The same gentleman is packing up to leave and he shows me his iPad. He took some lovely photos of Kate giving me a great big hug.  He thought it was a special moment to share.  How kind.  He handed me his business card and said if I email him he would send me the photos.

Turns out this man's son was looking at the swim photos and thought our photos were taken accidentally so he deleted them.  Sigh.  My new friend is having the IT department at the University of Delaware, where he works (think math professor with a PhD), working to retrieve them.  Oh my.

So the next time you catch someone else's special moment, take a picture and share.  

Tracy

this & that

1. Ok..enough of this weather. I know you love to ski, but would it warm up already? We took a field trip to the beach today just to see the brisk, blue ocean. It made me want summer even more. I'll even take spring!

2. Well done on your room freshen up! (insert round of applause here) Love the gray walls, camp blankets ;) and super-fresh-and-modern work station. The boys must love their "new" room. I do.

3. If you have a daughter, you should read Girl Land by Caitlin Flanagan. As the cover read, "Boys. Other girls. Menstruation. Dating. Diaries. Sex. For most girls, these are the signposts along the road that leads from childhood to adulthood, in the territory Caitlin Flanagan calls Girl Land." Honestly, as a mother of two daughters, the book scared the daylights out of me (especially the chapter on proms) but it did provide wise advice for navigating Girl Land in today's complex world.

4. There may be a field trip to The Golden Nugget Flea Market in Lambertville soon! I am sure my kids will love it. (not) Although, they do love walking across the bridge that takes them from New Jersey into Pennsylvania and back again. Maybe a promise of ice cream will gain me some extra time at the flea market too. Great picks (with a little digging and a bit of vision) ~ still regret a small oil painting of an old man I passed on. Wish me luck! (with the kids that is ;)

tricia

Spring at Spring Lake

REVEAL

I actually carried thru on a project.  It took a week, two weekends and a lot of help from G&B (Grandma and Buddy).  The goal was simple: freshen up and add function. I think we succeeded.

I love the boys room and their work space soooo much.  And so does someone else. Take a peak below.  

Tracy

Before

After

Surprise

I Heart NYC

For Grace's spring break, she and I snuck into the city to enjoy all things New York.. I wanted her to experience the city like a local instead of a tourist. To (hopefully) achieve this, we stayed at The Mark on the Upper East Side and became part of this neighborhood for a few days ~ we explored the Guggenheim Museum, enjoyed the shops along Madison Avenue, walked through Central Park, hailed taxi cabs (Grace loved cab rides ;) and frequented nearby restaurants. All in all, I think we did feel like locals, even if just briefly.

{On any vacation, it is tempting to pack too much into one visit..this is what I learned on this trip --> often, less is more and experiencing a place in an 'authentic' way yields memorable memories. Think quality vs. quantity.}

tricia

view over Madison Avenue

from our room

at The Mark

Hello Spring

Winter wasn't ready to depart without one more blast of snowy weather. Brrrrrr. While I love a cozy, day by the fire as snowflakes fall..I am ready for spring to arrive. While walking the dog, I spied a bunch of Lily of the Valley, already in bloom. Perhaps nature knows something we don't. Let's hope so!

tricia

WHITE

I think everyone is ready for Spring which officially starts on Wednesday, March 20th.  But today it is snowing.  And hard.  We are expecting 2-3 inches.  Our biggest snowfall of the winter.  Go figure.  Let it snow!

Tracy

p.s. boy bedroom renovation is done --- getting ready for the big reveal :)

SAVE

Is it just me?  I don’t remember daylight savings time kicking my butt as much as it did these past couple of years.  A friend on Facebook said the same thing.  I feel it especially in the spring when you spring forward.  Waking up at 6:00 am feels like 5:00 am even though going to bed at 10:00 pm should feel like 9:00 pm.  I don’t get it!!!!

Tracy

Somewhere in Manhattan