New York, New York!

Excuse this post...the pictures are in reverse order...they start with the end and work their way to the beginning of our stay in New York.

A highlight of any McAllister family vacation is always bronzed weenies

Sitting in front of the fountain at Central Park.

The Manhattan Temple

Grandma with Biff from Letterman. I'll give you three guesses on who was more excited for this picture...

Checking out the weird "Central Park Bugs" with their new CSI Magnifying Glass

Checking out the super cool "New York City Sewer System" with same magnifying glass

Hubby with Rupert

Grandpa getting his groove on in Times Square (wish it wasn't blurry!)

All of us in Times Square at night. #2's by far the coolest in the crew

The boys busting up the Brooklyn Bridge

This is #3's cool new trick that he discovered on the New York City Subway. He would inhale through his nose as hard as he could until his nostrils stuck to his face. For some reason, having the little buck teeth protruding helps with suction. Everyone on our subway train was laughing until they cried.

Three little monkeys in front of the Statue of Liberty. No, #3 doesn't need to use the bathroom.

#3 running "routes" on the Statue of Liberty lawn.

Granpa and Gramma with the boys

On the ferry to S of L

This is the inside of the Ladder 10 Fire Station across from the World Trade Center site. Notice the six plaques on the wall. Those are the six men from this engine that died when the WTC came down on 9/11.

This is John, our new hero. He was in the WTC when it came down and got out untouched. He was so gracious to tell us about his experience that day. (And couldn't he play himself in a movie??)

#1 with the foul ball that the beer guy handed him at Yankee Stadium

Hubby and Grandpa before the Yankee Game. And no, we are NOT Yankee fans. Grandpa was sure that if we all showed up in NYC with Boston hats on we'd be mugged and left for dead in a dark subway corner so they all bought $5 Yankee hats on a street corner the minute we hit the city.

All of us outside the future Yankee Stadium

The stadium that is no more. I'm so glad we got to take our baseball fanatic family to see this baseball shrine before it came down!

This was Manny Ramirez's second to last game as a Red Sox...he hit a homer just for us!

"Big Papi" is #3's very favorite player (maybe because it's the only name he can say!)

Anchor's Away!

All my boys outside of Fenway before the big game

The whole gang in front of Paul Revere's house

All of us in front of Paul Revere's grave

Me in the coolest cemetery I've ever been in. Those of you who know me know I'm fascinated (borderline obsessed) with old cemeteries. Call me creepy.

Just a cute pic of a stinking cute kid with the cutest pot gut ever!

Finishing up Boston/NY

So I finally caved and got the internet at home again...I wasn't as tough as I thought I was. Oh well.

I will try to catch up our summer and then move on...The boys standing in the Providence Center overlooking Boston (note Fenway right behind #3)

Hubby driving the Duck Boat down the Charles River (For those of you wondering, the Duck Boat is a remnant from World War II. It can travel on land and sea. We took a tour through Boston and down this river on a purple relic.)

#2 taking his turn driving

#3 concentrating very hard on steering the boat. I think this was the single most stressful part of his vacation!

Another long day ends with a public nap!

More Boston...

Sitting at a reflection pool in front of the oldest Cathedral in Boston.

The kids and Grandpa posing in Downtown Boston...Grandma almost made it before the click of the camera!

All that post-hopping downtown wore Gran out! She's out for the count.

Grandma wasn't the only pooped member of our party...we're waiting for our turn at a famous seafood restaurant.

All of us in front of Mr. Harvard on the campus of Harvard. It's a beautiful campus, but I hope my kids decide to educate themselves a little closer (and cheaper) to home!

First of MANY Boston/New York trip pics

We had to start at the Museum of Science since they had the Major League Baseball exhibit!

#2 was selected out of the crowd when we stopped to watch a group of street dancers. He was so excited!

They used him as a human jump rope...I don't know who was more nervous...him or me!

You can barely make out one of the dancers flipping backwards over #2. We he got done, I asked him why he thought he was picked out of the crowd.
"Was it because you're so cute?"
"Nah...it's cuz I got skillz."

Next step was the original site of Cheers. Would a trip to Boston be complete without it? Hubby and his dad were pumped about this stop.

3 on 3 Basketball#1 getting his game on at the 24th of July 3 on 3 basketball tourny

#1 with teammates Dyson, Koy and Porter. They didn't take first this year but they were the youngest in their age group and did very well anyway.

#2 hitting a jump shot at 3 on 3

Teammates Brodee, Kaleb and Treven with #2. These guys took first in their age division...WAY TO GO GUYS!

Pics, pics and more pics...finally!

24th of July Parade Pictures

#3 shooting his water gun at innocent bystanders

#4 rummaging through candy with friends Kamree and Carter

#3 and 4 on the float

#2 riding on the All-Star Baseball Float

Quick Update

So, I don't have the internet at home anymore...it was sucking too much time out of my days so I axed it... Anyway, I only get on the internet now at work. And seeing as how my pictures are all on my home computer, I haven't posted anything in a couple of months because pictureless posts are sooo boring.

But, this is all about the journaling isn't it? So, here's my quick update.

Since the last post, we've had a fantastic camping trip at Fairview with my fam...check out Lisa's blog for some great pics (I'm cheating, I know). I froze my tush off every night but survived the second night by shacking up in the back of Chris and Lisa's toyhauler and keeping Josh and Kristen's neoprene bottle full of boiling hot water at my feet. THANK YOU! I don't do well in 40 degree weather. The kids stayed toasty and the older boys even stayed in their own tent the first night...alone! (They won't sleep in the basement without 30 lights on and the dog guarding their rooms but they'll sleep on a bear infested mountain with nothing but the stars to light the night...go figure!) Anyway, it was a blast and we need to do it more...such an inexpensive vacation.

We had a rockin' 24th of July celebration shortly after the camping trip. We small town inhabitants know how to kick it on Pioneer Day, I tell ya. All four kids got to ride on various floats amongst giant tractors, llamas and 14 different city, county and rodeo princesses. #4 has never had more fun than the day she got to toss candy (illegally) off the hospital float. She was in heaven. #3 also rode the hospital float with a high powered water gun in hand that didn't get anyone but me wet. #1 and 2 got to ride their All-Star baseball floats with all their friends and also enjoyed themselves. The only one who wasn't involved was Hubby...he was stuck at the end taking all the pictures that I can no longer post. Bummer.

The next day all of us except #4 flew to Boston with Hubby's parents and sister, Brooke for a Boston/NYC baseball trip. (Yes, the whole point of the trip was baseball.) We spent four days in Boston, saw all there was to see and hit Manny Ramirez's last game as a RedSox. Hubby and the boys were even lucky enough to get a home run ball during batting practice when it ricocheted off of #3's leg and hubby recovered it. Good job, honey! We did the Freedom Trail and got to see Paul Revere's house, Boston Commons, a couple of very cool cemetaries with the likes of Ben Franklin, John Adams and Mr. Revere himself's gravestones and even stopped by Cheers! Then we took a train to New York and spent 3 days cramming in everything we could, including a game at Yankee Stadium (the final season). And as luck would have it, we got another ball! A foul ball came soaring all the way up to our nose bleed seats and the beer man caught it with one hand (other hand securing the beer tray on his head). After his little dance was shown on ESPN, he turned and handed the ball to #1. Highlight of the trip. We also managed to hit the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park, Times Square at night, the Hello Deli (where we met Rupert AND Biff from Dave Letterman), the Manhattan Temple, and Ground Zero. At Ground Zero we were able to meet John, one of the first responders on 9/11. He was actually in the WTC when it came down and got out untouched, though he lost 6 of his men. It was the highlight of my trip. We got a picture with him and tried to impress on the boys that they had met a REAL hero...they were very excited. It was a great trip and #4 did well with Grandpa and Grandma, although I really missed her.

The night we flew home I was able to catch my cousin's wedding reception and see some of my favorite people for the first time in YEARS - loved seeing you all! To top it off I had a night cap with Cam and Kent. I wish we lived closer...a couple of hours every year just doesn't cut the mustard!

School started a couple of weeks after we got home and life is calming down again. #1 started fifth grade and he's feeling really important being the king of the elementary. (Middle school next year...holy cow!) #2 is loving 3rd grade because his best friend and long time crush are both in his class (two separate people, btw) and life doesn't get much better. The 3rd graders all take a camping trip overnight and that's coming in a couple of weeks...he's so excited. (Me, too...nothing like camping with 100 8 year olds!)

Anyway, I know it's boring without the pics...I will post soon with all the exciting photos for those of you who care!

And congrats to Hubby for the big win last night! We had our first football game of the season and won 28-10! Go Rams!

Sum-Sum-Summatime

I'm so excited it's finally getting warm. I can't remember the last time we had cabin fever in June. The kids were getting tired of all the jobs I was making them do when they came to me with their "I'm bored" and "There's nothing to do"'s. Finally we have something to do!

We set up the WTP yesterday. Our climate really doesn't justify the real deal so we have the white trash version...and we LOVE it! It's such a summer saver. We haven't been able to set it up the last couple of years for various reasons. Last summer we had no yard and visions of a mud swamp convinced us otherwise. The year before, we were in a rental knowing we would be moving mid-summer, therefore not making the hassle worth it. (And with the threat of June snow showers a couple of weeks ago, we weren't convinced this year would be the grand-reopening either.) But alas, with the 90 degree days this week, the WTP came out. And it fits. It's nestled nicely in the white trash corner of our yard. While our front yard is looking beautiful (thank you, honey) our backyard continues to be a work in progress thanks to the basement excavation project earlier this spring. Bless his little heart, Hubby works day and night on it and it should be gorgeous by fall.

Back to the WTP, it takes HOURS to fill up and #3 and #4 could hardly stand it. They got their little inner-tubes out and waddled around in the 12 inch 20 degree water until their toes turned purple and rigid. Now that it's full this morning, they won't go near it. It's going to take another week or so of these 90 degree days to get it a tolerable temperature.





#1 and 2 had a sleepover last night and played a little midnight baseball by the full moon. I LOVE summer! This morning they couldn't wait to be the first in the full pool...until...their little toes touched the icy surface and they started shivering. They all took turns jumping in, hoping against hope that they would warm up once submerged. No such luck. They hardly dared let their arms touch the water! We'll be getting that solar cover on it today and hopefully get to actually USE the stupid thing now that it's set up!





Once they gave up on the idea of chillin' in the pool (no pun intended) they donned headbands and jerseys for an old skool game of hoops. My guess is it won't be long before they're back in the swim trunks and ready for a dive.




Ahhh....summertime.

I love XM

I'd like to meet the chap that thought up XM radio. Seriously. What a cool dude. Granted, he was probably just out for a little extra cash but for those of us living in "lesser populated" corners of the world (aka "the sticks"), having endless musical options is truly a gift.

Case in point:
This evening, on my way to work, I was flipping through all of Hubby's presets in his truck. I paused for a minute on a Daughtry song on the Hitlist channel, singing a little line, then flipped through and air-guitarred with Bon Jovi on the 80's channel before coming to a screeching halt on the 90's channel and Bobbie Brown. Oh baby! I haven't heard a Bobbie Brown song since, like...oh my gosh, the 90's! I didn't even realize I was such a Bobbie fan until I started singing along to "Good Enough" and realized I knew every word. I had a serious 90's throw back jam session all alone in my truck and got to work in the best mood ever. I'm actually contemplating downloading a little BB for the ipod. If it can get me that excited on the way to work, it could do wonders for me on the treadmill!

So, thank you XM and the brilliant creator behind it...thank you Bobbie. You all made my night! (Now please enjoy a little "Good Enough" for yourself!)