Ten Years

What a whirlwind of a week! I am exhausted! I'm going to curl up on the couch under the skylights and listen to this crazy rainstorm that is the edges of Hurricane Hannah...

Besides, I want to keep this brief so I can enjoy my handsome husband's company this evening- our tenth wedding anniversary!

We had a beautiful party last night to celebrate with lots of family and friends at the inn where our wedding reception was held... with the same band playing as on our wedding day. The food was amazing, so we hear. Between Skip and I we ate a total of ONE crab cake (appetizer-sized, to boot!) and ONE chicken satay skewer (also an appetizer.) Ugh. We were starving by the end of the night! We finally ordered pizza after getting up to our hotel room for the night!

As soon as I get pictures of the party I'll share them. But for now, I'll post pictures from the lovely wedding we attended last week at our friend's home. His daughter got married at his house on the lake... Skip & I danced all night long and then walked home in the beautiful summer night.

The next day, our sweet baby turned two years old! We took him to the animal park and then out to lunch to celebrate with his big brothers. The following day, we had a small family party with grandparents, aunts/uncles & cousins. R had a blast... the theme was a "puppy party" since he loves two things these days: dogs and cars. (Dogs seemed like a cuter theme than cars!)

Anniversary party pics (and more details!) just as soon as the photos are ready!

Sunset Ceremony


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The bride & her father showed up in his Godfather II replica limo
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Bride & Groom- just married
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Skip in action on the dance floor
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Blurry self-photo of Skip and I at the wedding
(The photographer was enjoying some fruity drinks that
her darling husband kept feeding her all night long...)
Although I somehow think, by the look on Skip's face, that
the photo wouldn't have been any better if he'd been the one to take it!
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Wedding Guests under the twinkly lights
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Skip & I on the dance floor
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Rocco, the birthday boy...
holding hands with Oscar for much of the day
Soooo cute
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Saying "cheese"
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Rocco & his daddy
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At Toys R Us on Rocco's bday-
we let him choose his own present- a couple of small
Geo Trax vehicles that he hasn't left alone all week!
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Birthday lunch at Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse-
Rocco loved watching the talking, moving animals
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Birthday party the next day- Uncle Dan caught a dragonfly
and Rocco was "petting" it
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Rocco checking out his new bike from

Aunt Donna and Uncle Gary
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Make a Wish, Baby!!
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Before I go... Some outtakes from the wedding...
(Try to guess how many drinks I'd had when taking each photo... hahaha)

Skip dancing
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Striking a pose
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Whoa... Ultra closeup
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This is a photo of Skip and I.
Or, more accurately, our outfits... as I apparently took a picture
pointing down towards the dance floor.
Skip's got a nice tie on, though, doesn't he!? haha
I'm the black dress. Aren't we cute? ;)
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To my dear readers... I promise a more organized, interesting read next time. This is a pathetic excuse for an entry, but at least it keeps you abreast of our comings and goings until I get with the program....

To my fantastic, loving husband, you are the best thing EVER!!
You really put the pep in my step, Baby!! Happy Anniversary-
from the luckiest girl in the world.

To my humble little blog, Happy 100th Post!!
It seems like just yesterday that I posted this.

xoxo Mrs. Sullivan
(for ten years and counting...)

School Buses, Sunshine & Suits! Oh My!

Big O and Little o...
ready for the first day of school this morning!!
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Ahhhhhh.

The delicious sounds of the school bus as it roars up the hill that is our street... the squeaky brakes... the hydraulic door opening! School is back in session and, although I was initially indignant about such an early start to the school year, I could not be happier today!

Oz was full of zip-zam-zoom this morning...
very excited for first grade!

I am still indignant- for the kids' sake, mainly- about the first day of school falling on "August" anything!! Everyone knows that it's supposed to be the first Tuesday after Labor Day. Which means September. Apparently our school board never got that memo. So we are starting about a week earlier than many surrounding towns. However, for some absolutely ridiculous reason, we have the entire week of Thanksgiving off. Go figure.

I'd rather have those extra days off right now- when we could be lazing at the beach or running through the sprinkler for a few more days... Summer in Maine is short enough! But, no! Instead, I get the kids home for three extra days in November when it's so chilly and there's nothing to for them to do but to get underfoot as I try to hustle about making Thanksgiving preparations! Perfect.

Big O
3rd Grader Extraordinaire
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But, things are what they are. And that just happens to put me here now... today... in a fabulous mood, because my house is quiet, except for the sounds of neighbors in their yards and James Blunt filtering in from the iPod in the kitchen. (I still like him- even if he is considered passe in the hip crowd these days. I'm just hip enough to listen to whomever I like without a care! haha)

I do love my new school day schedule already... Rocco is blissfully sleeping in his room and I'm eating a goat cheese and mesclun salad right out of the Whole Foods container. Yeah, I've never been one to transfer the food onto a plate just for the sake of appearances. It just seems like an extra dish to wash. While I wouldn't serve guests out of takeout containers- obviously!- little ole me is just fine with it.

The day seems so.... long... when the big kids aren't here demanding Lego battles all the time! (There always has to be a battle. I've learned that you're not allowed to just play peacefully. There MUST be bad guys vs. good guys. It's a rule.) So, without the Legos- or nearly as much cleaning up after people- today I have gotten quite a bit done!

R and I drove into the city to pick out a new suit for Skip. He needs a new suit for our anniversary party and, of course, he doesn't seem to have a worry in the world about the fact that he has just over a week until he needs to have the thing on his back. *sigh*.... Would that I could be so carefree!! However... I cannot. Considering that I carefully- and with much joy- selected my party dress almost 3 months ago at Neiman Marcus in Boston, I just couldn't bear the idea of him showing up in a Mens' Wearhouse jobbie. NOT that there's anything wrong with Mens' Wearhouse. He has a couple suits from there, too. But their suits don't last nearly as long as the stuff we get from Joseph. And Skip looks so handsome in everything- but especially the Joseph's suits! His wedding tuxedo came from there, too. So, naturally, that's where he should go to get a suit for our 10th anniversary party! I'm sentimental like that, but you knew that already.

TEN YEARS!! (And that's just the "married" anniversary. We've actually been together for almost nineteen years!) Ohhhh, I love that guy. I think he loves me, too, when I'm not getting in his hair and chatting during his shows or when he's trying to read. haha

Anyway, lest you think Skip's a kept man and that I select all his clothing for him... let me assure you that's not at all the case! Occasionally I buy him a shirt or something that he will glance at and then shove to the back of his closet. I guess I buy stuff that's too hip and trendy for an old stodge like my man! haha The truth be told though, he just gets busy and buying a suit isn't exactly utmost on his to-do list. He needed my help.

So I tucked R into his stroller, my party dress tossed over the stroller canopy and my purse on my arm... We lurched and jerked over the cobblestone streets (quite a trick, unless you don't mind spilling your baby face-first onto the stones) and barged into Joseph's quiet store just after opening. Joseph studied me a moment as he held the door for me... Then as I finally got all the stroller wheels up the step and into the store I looked at him and declared "I need help." He didn't recognize me on sight- it's been awhile, after all- and with my appearance today he may have thought I was a tourist looking for a bathroom or something. My hair was a little wild from the open car windows and my haircut being a little too short this last time around- my hair looked quite a bit like Medusa. And I lost my favorite nose stud down the shower drain over a month ago, so I've been wearing an actual nose ring. It makes me look just rebellious and unpredictable enough that I think I had poor Joseph wondering. He carefully asked how he could help (bless him) so I laid it out for him and we were on!

We picked a suit that I think will be sharp on Skip and will look great with my dress. I also asked Joseph to set aside a handful of ties for Skip to check out. The idea is that the hard part is done now and Skip just has to show up to get measured! Of course, if he doesn't like the one I chose then he can veer off in his own direction! But at least he'll have an idea about what colors will look good with my dress. (Besides, Joseph HAS seen my dress and can offer some tips on coordinating pieces.) I don't need/want us to match, but looking nice next to each other in pictures would be good.

Geesh- would you look at me?? Only I could write about suits for so long! Well, me... and probably my mother. heehee (Love you, Mom!!)

Party in the driveway
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And now... because I've been a little lax about photos for the last couple months...
Meet some backyard amphibians
we caught this summer:

Little froggie
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Big froggie

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"Gardener" snake, as Oz called him- saved by Daddy
before the lawn mower annihilated him!
We all agreed he was too stinky to be our friend for long!
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Below are a couple pictures from "Fun Week," as I had dubbed last week in a moment of "brilliance." The thing is that I'd had all these grand plans for summer activities that I thought we'd get a chance to do after our vacation to Missouri... The problem with the plan was that most of the activities called for there to be SUN... which we didn't get after we returned from vacation! Sooo, with a sunny weather forecast- finally!- for last week and with it being the last week before school, I vowed that we'd do something fun every day.

We did.

And- WOW- did it tire me out!!
(For the record, I do not recommend taking three small-ish children to a water park by yourself. It's like feeling like you lost a child on the playground-- times twenty... and then you toss in the added possibility of someone being lost and drowned! Nerve wracking!)


Rocco at Funtown/Splashtown
for "Fun Week"
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Oscar & Rocco on the kiddie swings at Funtown
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Skip met us at Funtown after work and enjoyed the Thunderbolt with Oz.
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I have a few short minutes left to relish this quiet afternoon so I'll sign off now and enjoy the peace. Wishing you a mood as happy and chipper as mine today!

xoxo k.