We are flying to Boston tomorrow, a place I always considered my home, my spiritual home, a place I would always live. Obviously that did not happen, but it feels so good to be going back. We are spending the week in Rhode Island and then going to the college graduation of my youngest brother. So much fun planned, so many old friends to see. Ais most excited about renewing his acquaintance with the anaconda that resides on the top floor of the Boston Aquarium. Little does he know that we are probably going to the Mystic, CT aquarium this time. I love Boston dearly but the aquarium does not impress me for the price tag. Seaworld has spoiled me.

Florida in general has spoiled me. I was talking to my mother on the phone last night and I had to ask her if I would need socks on our trip. Do you wear socks in 50-60 degree weather? I would think so, but I hate socks. Hate them. I wear flip flops year round, and if it is too cold for them, I wear some sort of slip on sneaker type shoe with.no.socks. It looks like I need to pack socks. Ah, spring in New England.

Last night we were talking and we are probably going to move our company to a lower wage area at some point in the next 5 years. The state of Alabama was mentioned. Please, hold me.

It has been a long time since I have had a fan-crush. Robert Downey Jr. was actually my last big crush, but all I did was faithfully tune into Ally McBeal for his too short stint. But right now, as I type out my new, embarrassing crush, I am actually listening to Chris Daughtry sing on my computer. I actually went to a FAN SITE and grabbed some music clips. Oh the shame! I am too old for this. I am too much of a mom for this for pete's sake. But there is just something about him that reaches into me. Maybe it's because he is a dad, is there nothing sexier than a rockin' dad who can admit that fatherhood is hard? All of that aside, I am counting the hours until American Idol tonight and I am going to do what I thought I would never do, actually call and vote! Seeing him in the bottom 2 last week was almost more than I could take - no more Chris?!

So please, join me in the madness - vote!

Dear Liron,

Mark and the kids have been in Florida this past week and I have been soaking up as much time as possible with them - as I am sure you know, Mark's parents are loathe to ever part with him, but we have gotten much QT in. A lot of our old Boston gang came down so there was lots of laughter and lots of joking going on. I missed you. Everyone did. Chris brought his new girlfriend and things are very serious, you'd be so happy for him. Peter brought his new wife! She is very sweet and a fellow Aussie, sometimes hearing her accent and missing yours was almost too much for me. Things change, things always change. Doug and Victor came and they are very much the same however, I missed hearing you call them Dougie and Vic since no one ever did but you :) No one called Mike, Mikesy either.

Mark's not doing all that well, but I am sure you already knew that. My heart breaks for him, Liron. And your kids, your beautiful kids. I was keeping it together rather well until Chris got his first glimpse of T, and I heard his sharp intake of breath and his whisper, "God, she looks just like her mother." And she does. She has your spirit and spark and I just wanted to eat her up the whole time. Even with her wild side she did let me snuggle her just a bit :) And your son, Z, is such a sweetie, his jumbled accent made me smile everytime. Especially when he told A, "A, you are such a naughty little boy!" It broke A's heart, but he got over it soon enough and they were back to playing Rescue Heroes like best of friends once again.

Our kids were meant to be lifelong friends, the pictures speak clearly. The whole time we were together and I was snapping enough pictures to make up for the ones I didn't snap the last time we were together, I kept thinking, Oh this is a good one, I'll have to send this to Liron. I really felt as if I could share them with you. SO here you go, didn't we make beautiful babies?

Well, I should be channeling them. I could use some help. I seem to be having 12 houseguests arriving in oh about 4 days and I have no food or wine. Hmmm. I have, however, borrowed a bounce house. And I do have lots of chocolate and jelly beans and little plastic eggs. I think those will go over well with both the over and under 4 crowd.

I see the world's most gargantuan and expensive BJs trip in my very near future. Thank goodness I got that minivan. Now if only I could drug my baby O into submission while I shop. The kid can not possibly be mine. He hates to shop. Hates it. Today at Publix I had to strap him into the crazy driving car cart and speed like a madwoman with screaming, wriggling, almost escaping child directly to the bakery. Where the manager ran right over and said - "Chocolate chip, right?" Hmmm, perhaps O is my child afterall. My child screams at Petco, hello, it is like a mini-zoo! What is with the screaming!

Anyway, I do have a ham. And my MIL is bringing something called sweet potato salad. I am thinking roasted asparagus and some sort of yummy roll. Strawberry angel food cake for dessert. And lots of wine. Works for me.

And then we are having a cookout on Monday. It's a new holiday, we'll call it "Good friends come from far away so no one will go to school or work day". I am thinking Sangria, lots of flank steak on the grill, 7 layer dip, sangria, spinach artichoke dip, broccoli salad, sangria, greek pasta salad, green salad, s'mores, sangria, and more s'mores.

And I'll be using the good glasses all weekend because Liron's husband Mark is coming with their kids and I know she'll be with us in spirit. She loved a good party, so this one is going to rock.

Bald is sexy.

M has been working late this week and normally I don't mind - I get a break from cooking, some me time after the kids are asleep. But see that is the point - after they are asleep. I seem to have a problem getting them to sleep when M is not here. Usually we each take a child, no problem they go to sleep rather well. However, when it is just me, I am vastly outnumbered by even greater numbers than 2 to 1 would have you believe. Tonight, after much exasperation, I tossed them in my bed and let them wrestle, um, snuggle, themselves to sleep.

Feel free to send those parenting awards my way.

Some nights there is just not enough wine or enough chocolate to soothe the soul. A girl can try though, a girl sure can try.

I am back, I swear this time I am really back. If anyone is out there....