Happy Father's Day, Tony!!!

While there are many wonderful fathers in the world, we have a very serious preference for our own, King Tony. He's kind hearted, thoughtful, funny, super smart, very handsome, and most importantly, a truly wonderful father. He changes diapers, horseplays, arranges superb family trips/vacations, works very hard and was just named to the distinguished 2010 list of New England's Super Lawyers!

This past Sunday, we celebrated Father's Day with King Tony. After swimming in the pool of the Seaport Hotel in Boston, we all strolled along the Charles River before returning home to open a few gifts especially made for our Papa. So here's to King Tony--an awesome human being, and an excellent father! Without any real role models, you still turned out to be 'the best of the best, sir!'

The royal kidlets deliver goodies for their Papa to open....

He struggles with some of them as they were wrapped in child-proof fashion. :)

A few Boston-oriented goodies have made their way into the batch...of course!!!!

Handmade blanket designed from many special t-shirts worn over the years--highlighting King Tony's role as father, son, brother and husband. :)

King Tony gets hugs from Prince Aramis...

....and Alec 'Monstah' ....

and a big smooch from his baby girl to top it all! :)

Tea at the Ritz and Family BBQs....

What young girl wouldn't be smiling when seated with her best girlfriend in the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Boston--enjoying her very first "Tea at the Ritz"?

Our guess is that all young girls would cherish this moment where cupcakes and tea time meet girl bonding at the most posh and luxurious hotel in Boston. And that is where Princess Abigail spent a recent afternoon--after receiving a mani/pedi and getting dressed up. Along with best friend Colleen, the Princess continued to revel in her royalty by beginning an annual tradition of Tea at the Ritz.

Princess Abs and Colleen pose mid-giggle for the camera....

The first lick is the most important--especially since Princess Abs LOVES frosting....

The trio of cupcakes presented to the girls--chocolate, red velvet and vanilla--complete with M&Ms, oreos and gummy bears to decorate them with before eating!

The moms in attendance each received a flight of five gourmet cupcake concoctions....

The favored and voted 'best' from the group was the chocolate bliss. Check out the superb embellishments!

Miss Colleen shows off her Strawberry Shortcake glasses....


Then breaks to pose with her mother, Jean, for a memorable photo....

After ingesting so much frosting, the girls are unflappable. They cannot stop giggling and enjoying every minute of their upscale adventure. Thank goodness they were so cute and managed to ensure that every person in the hotel fell madly in love with them. They ended up with more unexpected gifts from hotel staff prior to departure!

(Note to parents: Take adorable, smiling little girls everywhere for TONS of freebies!!!) :)

Abby opening some of her special gifts from the day--including some new jewels and a purse within which to put them.

"Oh, I just cannot look! Are all of those goodies just for us??? Yummy!"

Queen Wendy, Princess Abs, Jean and Colleen....a lovely girls tea in the afternoon....

The week wouldn't have been nearly complete without visits from Godparents Abra and Peter. They always bring with them humor-filled stories and adventures and don't at all mind getting 'down and dirty' with the Kindom's royals. Auntie Abra even said "okay" when her God daughter Abby asked her to play "horsey"--proving yet again the absolutely incredible character of our special Auntie Abra and Uncle Peter who we love so very much!!

"Giddyap Auntie...."

Auntie Abra: "Okay Abigail, let's stop. I'm tired."

Princess Abigail: "No....keep going Auntie Abra...Abby's not tired!" :)

Uncle Peter and his God daughter Abigail--an unbelievable duo--getting into hijinx every chance they get!

Cake and Crab....

For many years, I (Queen Wendy) have tried to remain under the radar when it came to birthdays. While I'm excited to invest in the celebrations of others, I'm rather uncomfortable when big 'to-dos' are made in my honor. It's just not for me. I'm more of a 'behind the scenes' kind of gal.

Today, I celebrate my...er....25th...birthday. Okay, I'm short a couple of years, but you get the idea. I'm not young, I'm not old, I'm somewhere in the middle. :) And, to respect my wishes to remain under the radar, King Tony and the royals put together an intimate, very special, incredibly well-orchestrated celebration which began with my favorite food in the world--birthday cake! I don't understand how cavemen managed without this glorious concoction, since it may very well be the fruit of the Gods! (at least in my book)

As I'm a fan of Deadliest Catch, my husband (King Tony) had former client, Cakes for Occasions (www.cakes4occasions.com) put together an awesome F/V Northwestern birthday cake--which he presented with a number of sentimental goodies, a birthday serenade by the entire group, and of course, king crab legs (his favorite!).

On this most special of days and amid all the celebratory attention, I took serious inventory of my life, my life's work, my passions, my accomplishments, my failures, and all that I have left to do. (A proper time to do so, wouldn't you agree?)

I am proud of many things--predominantly my three incredibly strong, courageous and beautiful children--and my loving and supportive husband, Tony (who may just be the most awesome human being on Earth).

I'm a woman rich in many ways, but richest within my four walls. I have no regrets. Not one. I've lived an honest life--sometimes to my personal detriment--but I would never change myself or my past actions. I'm beyond content. I feel I have it all--although I don't have nearly that of many others. I relish the smallest of gestures--be it an unexpected visit from a neighbor just to say hi, a phone call from a geographically distant friend, a note from my husband tucked inside the cup holder of my car, or the gentle kiss from one of my children reminding me that I'm not just 'me' anymore, but someone's mother--three someone's to be exact. I've had to learn how to be a "good" mother in ways that others could never imagine or wouldn't dare consider.

While others question and complain about the littlest of life's intolerances, I instead choose to leverage the experiences of family members who have returned from the brink of tragedy due to illness or worse. These individuals have become my role models (Uncle Mario, Auntie Penny, cousins Doug and Shae, Beth, Tia Juliana, to name a few.) and I am thankful that through their experiences, I continue to forge ahead even when the challenges seem too burdensome. I have perspective--something that so many people do not have nor will ever acquire. I don't live in a microcosm of just myself or my family. I don't revel in the past, but dream of what the future holds. I raise my children through experiences, friendships, and the knowledge that they have two parents who limitlessly love them, will never give up on them, and will forever be their biggest advocates and champions.

On this day of personal celebration, reflection and introspection--I feel incredibly blessed. I not only have a delicious chocolate cake and ice cream, but more love than most people will ever have in their lives, and the knowledge that every step I've taken, word I've uttered, or deed I've completed, has been the right one. And that is a truly amazing gift worth celebrating!

Oh yeah...not just cake, but cake WITH Cold Stone Creamery's Birthday Cake Ice Cream--the best!

Before the 'real' party begins, the kids enjoy some cake. Prince Alec really likes the blue icing...

..while Aramis prefers the chocolate cake. :)

What a fantastic way to celebrate--cake and crab--a winning combination! :)

Togetherness.....

So, the question is, does it matter where you do your reading, as long as you do it? :)

Our answer is, of course not!!

Princess Abigail has spent the last few weeks encouraging and assisting the twin princes in their efforts to toilet train. She shows them how it is done, helps them select proper reading material (and vice versa as you can tell from the photos) and cheers them on when they succeed! We're all learning in our expanded family what it is like to share...an important lesson which the three royals are resisting at every turn--much to their parent's shagrin. Yet, we forge ahead and try to teach our little ones the rights and wrongs in life--even if they hate the lessons they are forced to learn.

One of the best ways we've found to teach sharing and working together is the three-person see-saw which requires all participants to put forth effort for results to occur! Fortunately, the royals realized how this worked and have spent many hours working together towards the common goal--lots of fun on the see-saw!! :)

Into the attic have gone our winter jackets, boots, mittens and hats, now replaced by shorts and tees. And, instead of hot cocoa, the most popular treat on the list is of course, ICE CREAM!

Using the Nubs....

As the phrase states, "waste not, want not" and in today's slumped economy, avoiding waste certainly is a financially sound idea! Even in the most tiny of ways, the Kingdom has diligently worked for many years to use resources smartly, recycle aggressively, and appreciate all that we have. So, when it came to the bottom of a Ruffles potato chip bag filled with sad, broken chip nubs, we were temporarily left scratching our heads. Since Queen Wendy has a culinary background, the most obvious use was breading--so off to bread tilapia filets she went--and of course, the result was crunchy/salty deliciousness. However, the Kingdom's royals (and our favorite Uncle Peter) love chips...so we have lots of leftover 'nubs' that cannot be placed as breading each and every time. So, this morning, we tried something new--potato chip cookies! Not only was it a fun activity for the kids--to crunch the crumbs into fine bits, but allowed us to be a bit creative! Instead of just doing potato chips, we added chocolate chips to add some chocolately sweetness! You can also put in coconut, pecans or even walnuts to zoom up the flavor and texture--but for our little ones--chocolate chips seemed a necessary and in they went! So, here are the royals working on a new kingdom staple--potato chip cookies. Next time you pop by, ask us for some, and we'll gladly bake you some!

Prince Alec crushing up the nubs....

Princess Abs begins to place all ingredients in the bowl for blending....

Alec takes the reigns and decides to do the mixing---although it got a little challenging at the end, so he asked for help! :)

And here's the dough and cookies before they go into the oven. Pretty fun way to use what would otherwise be tossed away. And, have we mentioned that the cookies actually taste GREAT!?!? :)

After the flood....

Sitting within the heart (or sink hole --- depending on your view) between the Merrimack and Shawsheen Rivers has both its advantages and DISadvantages as the royals have learned after establishing the boundaries of the kingdom in the Northern New England region. There is much beauty, geographic expanse, closely meshed communities, and of course, lots and lots of water.

In the recent spring 'melt' of snow and additional rain (courtesy of Mother Nature) the castle received a few extra inches of water which temporarily uprooted its residents. Alas, spring cleaning commenced as usual and the benefactors of this unexpected weather incident were the kingdom's fair royals--who earned themselves a brand new, pristine new playroom!

Previously thrown together just to keep them at bay, the new play area boasts new carpeting, colorful decorations, lots of soft, cushy spaces for all kinds of horseplay, and even a 'Snack Shoppe' complete with lollipops, M&Ms, pez and a few other goodies--for both royals and guests to enjoy! :) Signing Time videos (including Princess Abs who stars in several of them) are on hand as are a number of Disney favorites to ensure that all guests have something to watch as sleepovers transition from full-on playtime, to reading, storytelling and movie time.

On the opposite side of the play area (photos to come) is a lovely bar/lounge area for the adults so that all have a spot to enjoy. In the end, while we would have been happier without the extra H20, the old adage remains true....everything happens for a reason! We're even happier with our new 'digs' and look forward to sharing it with visitors, young and old, in the months to come!

Prince Ari reviews his new 'alphabet flooring'....

Prince Ari enjoys his car track ---way in the back... :)

Prince Alec marches around his tunnel forts with cars firmly in hand....

Princess Abby investigates the new toy shelf and Snack Shoppe...Yum! :)

Easter 2010....

HAPPY EASTER 2010!

The Kingdom was abuzz with activity as the warm weather returned to the region and major flooding began to subside. It was a joyous time for all as we emerged from winter's grasp and springtime's rage--enjoying the bounty that comes with the Easter holiday. King Tony invested much time in teaching the fine art of egg coloring so that the Easter Bunny would have many items to hide around the royal grounds...and each of the royals is now able to fully participate in the artful process!

King Tony teaches "Egg Decorating 101"....

Our sweet nanny, Carol (or K-WOL as the kids say), helped the twins get some coloring done as we had to color nearly 4 dozen eggs this year! She's super at doing tye-dye eggs!

The next morning, the royals find a special note and 'remains' from the Easter Bunny!
And, a GIANT basket filled with all sorts of goodies, games and fun stuff for each of them! Lucky little guys. Soon after, the egg hunt begins...

Aramis finds a lovely orange egg...

Princess Abigail and Prince Alec both seek out the brightest of eggs...and cross paths many times...

The day culminated as family and friends dined on delicious rosemary-encrusted lamb with all the trimmings (including adult libations). This indulgence obviously led to behavior entertaining both children and adults alike! Thank you Godmother "Left Eye" Abra for some of the funniest photos we've ever posted! We love you!