I'm Back!

Hi there! How are you?
I know it's been a long time but we are finally back from vacation and I promise to write weekly...let's change 'promise' to 'hope'!

So, what's new?

• I weighed myself this morning and the sight was so rewarding and joyful, I had to step down and step up back again. And again. Once more. I would have been standing there still if not for my kids who needs me desperately whenever I'm not right next to them. Did you know that pants, a short shirt, 1 wrist watch, 2 rings and makeup can add 2 pounds (2 pounds!) to your weight? and no, it's not the diamond weight, this I can promise.
• Schools are way under rated. If I was the education minister I would have everyone on the year round system. It's much better academically (knowledge retention), emotionally (emotional sanity of parents and guardians), socially (built in play dates) and organizationally (time wise).
• We found a house and will start renovating soon, TV's only station currently is HGTV. Yes, even hubby watches. And I get to hold the remote - life IS beautiful!
• Still looking for employment, have an interview today, got to go!

Stay calm, be happy, summer vacation is almost over and soon we get Hurricane Erl!
Happy Rosh Hashsana to all of you that celebrate:)
Yours truly, Sarah Brown.

My Parents are Here

There's something amazing about growing up. Suddenly you have grown your own family and you find yourself saying the same things, doing the same things, caring for some of the same issues your parents did. At first you pinch yourself - how did I become such an old person? Than you start getting it, the WHY. Why they did it, said it, cared for you in that way. What were they thinking then and there... You understand the thought process behind those routines/sayings/ceremonies. Congrats, my friend, you have just joined the old parents league, and you can't go back.

That stage happened for me a while ago, I'm half way into 'veteran parent' now. Soon I'll grow even older (and wiser?) and become an honorary member of the Parent to an Adolescent Child. Believe me, those need all the honoraries they can get, they don't get much of anything else from the adolescent side of the deal.

So now I see things through multi lens: my old young self, my parent self, and my new older self. Confusing? yes, sometimes, yet I gained more appreciation for my parents. The way they brought me up, their concern, advice, and wisdom.

These coming two weeks, as we plow the celebratory streets of New York (i.e "The City") and, of course the one street of down town Smallville, I aim to show them what I like, what I do when they are not here, what their grandchildren daily routine looks like, creating a scene of sorts, so they can picture us in that scenery when they're back and far away from us, lessen their concerns, creating a backdrop to our adventures.

Our Boston Trip

I came back in love with Boston. The architecture, the food (Legal Seafood and others), the vegetation, the air, the history laid against the modern - everything was so beautiful in this city and we had a wonderful time.

Chestnut St.in the quint Beacon Hill neighbourhood is just AMAZINGLY beautiful.

Taking a swan ride is fun, as long as you come in season for it. Pay attention to your driver's thighs - it's a pretty good workout...

Window shopping at Newbury Street - it's fun to see how windows were designed to lure you in(not that I need much luring)...

The Children's Museum is a wonderful place to spend some quality fun time with your family.With many interesting exhibits, Arthur,Japanese and the climbing structure, all of us had a ball!

Having a tea pot just on top of Starbucks.....

Boston has walking tours around the city, called Boston by Foot. We took one the Little Feet tour, the basic for families kind-of-tour.