Liam Had a "Great Idea"

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.
Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.
The winds will blow their own freshness into you...
while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.
-John Muir

Liam had a great idea this morning. He wanted to go mountain climbing. He asked if we could get some ropes and "climb the rocks all the way to the top of the mountain." I think he had visions of climbing El Cap or something. I suggested that we take a hike instead. He agreed, so we went to Bear Mountain, which isn't far from our house.

This is where I have to brag a little and tell you how proud of him I was. We consulted the map and decided on a trail with a cool name -- Doodletown. It is rated Difficult, so I wasn't sure how long or far we would end up going. (I must note that the trail wasn't really that tough -- it was a piece of cake compared to the "death march" Resa took us on in August.)

Liam was a real trooper. He hiked for approximately 2.5 miles and didn't whine or complain until the very, very, very end when we were in sight of the car. He made me laugh when he said, "Mommy, I have no more energy left in me."

Of course he slept the entire way home. As soon as we got to the house he was re-charged and off to the backyard -- first to play golf (and I use the term loosely), then to skateboard, and finally to his friend Nicky's house where they are currently playing outside, and from what I hear, enjoying some ice cream.

Ah...to be a child!

Consulting the trail map.
Preparing his hiking stick.

Enough said.

Children say the darndest things

Liamisms of the Week

Kids are so much fun. I love some of the things that come out of their mouths. Here are a few words of wisdom that Liam shared with us this week...

While dropping him off to go working with Daddy, Liam very seriously stated:
"Mommy, all the money is in the big houses, there is no money in small houses."

This one is a new standard:
"Boys rule, girls drool."

Bobby and Liam were playing, and Bob hide the two of them under a blanket. Liam said,
"Daddy we shouldn't put this over our heads or else we might get affect-i-cate-ed."

Seeing a cantaloupe on the counter this morning, Liam said,
"I have a great idea, let's have some antelope for breakfast."

Liam is famous for all his "great ideas." At least once a day we hear, "I have a great idea..." A majority of the time, however, it might not be the world's best plan.

Plant a Pine for the Planet

"You can live for years next to a big pine tree, honored to have so venerable a neighbor, even when it sheds needles all over your flowers or wakes you, dropping big cones onto your deck at still of night."
-Denise Levertov

Liam and his friend Nicky preparing to plant the pine.

Bobby helping the boys move the tree.Back-filling the dirt.

Bob prepping for the first outdoor fire of the season


The boys took it upon themselves to do a little Spring yard work.

Our House

Mendie requested pictures of the house, so I thought, "what the heck, I'll post them on the blog." How fun!

The back yard in winter. What a mess! In a couple months flowers will be blooming, the pool will be open, and we will be doing most of our living outdoors. You can't see it from this picture, but there is a large patio where Liam likes to ride his bike, skateboard, and rollerblade. We also have a little fire pit that helps to turn the patio into our spring/summer/fall living room.

This is an older photo from Christmas past. But...you get to see not only part of the family room, but Gigi playing hockey with Liam.


The living room, which is in desperate need of a decorator. If it weren't for Mom, who gave us the couches, the room would be bare. This room was originally closed off to make a landing at the top of the stairs and a bedroom. There was also a much larger fireplace. Bob took out the wood burning stove and replaced it with gas. We love this room because it is nice and airy with high ceilings and sky-lights.

Note: I've skillfully shot the room so that you can't see Bob's Bowflex which is housed in the living room until the basement is finished.

This is the basement which is under construction. Although it's a small area, it was originally chopped-up into several rooms. Bob, Liam and I had fun knocking down the walls. Now for finishing -- all in due time, when Bob has free time.

The New Year in Ireland

As our first post, thought we'd share some photos from Ireland. We went after Christmas and spent the New Year. Liam got to feed the cows with Grandpa Tom, check-out rainbows with Aunt Pats, and hang out with Aodan at Inch Strand.

34" of Awesome Powder Fun for St. Pat's Day

Went to Killington, VT this past weekend and had a great time. The luck of the Irish was definitely with us. It snowed 34" over the weekend, so we had lots of fresh powder (and then moguls) to enjoy. Because Bob's Ford F350 is over sized we got to park in the valet section - the first row of cars from the lodge. Most helpful when traveling with a five-year-old and lots of gear.

Liam skied well as usual, but had a little trouble following the tracks set by his instructor. He found it much more fun to make his own tracks in the powder.

Note: The date-stamp on the camera is off -- it's ahead one day.