All of us

Celebrating Mom's 77th While We are in the Neighborhood

2008-10-24T12:06:00.004-04:00

the crowd gathers for mom's birthday brunch.

sarah, will and dave chillin' at the end of the table. notice that i am dropping my g's as that is very much in vogue these days.

the hoodlums waiting to see what desserts there are to choose from.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Party Time

2008-10-24T11:41:00.011-04:00

mike provided the musical selections for the evening.

mom and cousin eileen. if you don't interrupt them they will talk all day.

cousin sue and my brother-in-law charlie catching up.

cousin jay,john and dave enjoying their wine.

my niece, lesley, look more like my sister every day.

here is the new and updated bearded version of will.

sarah, wondering why i always have to take pictures.

have napkins, will be entertained. yes, he is 11 years old and yes, i know this may be only slightly age inappropriate. makes a mother proud.

Dad Turns 80!

2008-10-24T11:16:00.003-04:00

the candles have been blown out, the wish made, and another birthday celebrated.

sue and dad getting ready for the cake.

mom,lou,nahid and joan enjoying the dinner

mom,dad and cousin sue starting the dinner line.

dad and cousin mark engaged in a heated election discussion. we forgive mark for being on the dark side.

A Day at the Farm

2008-10-24T10:55:00.004-04:00

got to love this man. been together 31 years and my heart still skips a beat when i see him.

i tell you- this family is easily entertained.

with madeline heading off to college next year, i spend this year pondering the "lasts". this is the last time madeline will be coming on this family outing to the farm the first weekend in october to find our pumpkins.

A Day at the Farm

2008-10-24T10:43:00.002-04:00

goofing around with the vegetables. my children are easily entertained.

whose idea was it, all those years ago, that we should get a pumpkin for everyone in the family?

mike putting in his time pushing the wheelbarrow.

green with envy.

with this beauty, tell me, why do we live in the suburbs?

John's Weekend

2008-01-20T21:52:00.001-05:00

What a great husband- it is Sunday evening and John is installing hardwood floors in Mike and Tom's room instead of watching the Giants vs. Green Bay. You know I will owe him all sorts of favors for this one!

Sushi Master

2007-12-31T20:04:00.000-05:00

Madeline treats us to a New Year's Eve sushi dinner with her new Christmas gift- a sushi making kit. She is impossible to buy gifts for- she is the only 16 year old girl who abhors clothing and jewelery (as evidenced by her stylish sweats- of which she has many varieties)- her only gift requests were Harry Potter books in spanish and sushi making supplies. We are definitely the beneficiaries of this gift- the sushi was deliciious!

All the Casey Cousins 2007

2007-12-31T19:59:00.000-05:00

And now, all the Casey cousins together at Christmas-Tom, Madeline, William, Bobby, Matthew, Sarah, Mike, Mary, Caroline and Caelyn

Casey Cousins 1993

2007-12-31T19:43:00.000-05:00

Here are Madeline,Will, Bobby,Matthew,Sarah, Mary and Caroline on Christmas 1993.

And here they all are 14 years later.

Tom

2007-11-10T12:43:00.000-05:00

Tom seems to take after Madeline in his love of soccer. He loves nothing more than chasing a ball down a field for an hour, routinely getting kicked in the shins. And so this is how he spends his Saturday mornings.

Privacy at Last

2007-09-19T20:28:00.000-04:00

We built our deck ourselves, 5 years ago when we had a kooky but charming old woman living next door. Her garden was wild with plants, untended but beautiful. Our deck overlooked the riotous color that filled her yard each season. Then she moved. A very nice family moved in and proceeded to take out everything alive from the back yard. In one day, the chainsaw destroyed all that was beautiful back there. Gone were the tall specimen evergreens. Gone were the beautiful maples, whose fall colors were awesome. Gone were the prize azaleas. Even the koi were buried alive in the pond as they filled it in with dirt. All in the name of "neatness". It made me cry everytime I looked over there. Not to mention my pleasure when we sat on the deck eating dinner and the little ones next door would lean out the window and say "what are you having for dinner miss judi?" John has now solved the problem with this wonderful privacy screen he built. Now all I have to do is paint it white. And, the best part is that it made me realize how perfect this part of our deck is for a hot tub!

Lusty Larry

2007-08-31T09:38:00.000-04:00

With 48 years of living behind me, I didn't really think of myself as naieve , but now, with the press from the Larry Craig bathroom debacle, I am finding myself wondering where I have been all these years. I have always just used the restroom, not paying any mind to the people in the other stalls. Not once in 48 years did it cross my mind that there was a whole other world out there, people using restrooms for completely different purposes. I guess I should have figured it out- people use most other venues to find sex partners-but I just never thought of the restroom in that capacity. Live and learn.

But now I am wondering, if sending signals for sex solicitaion is illegal, what happens to the whole bar scene, whose primary purpose is sexual solicitation?

white mountain fun

2007-08-14T18:21:00.000-04:00

after a week on the cape, we picked up sarah from logan airport and drove up to the white mountains in our 10 year old minivan with 175,000 miles on it. our mechanic just shook his head in disbelief when i told him we were taking it. my version of walking on the wild side.

the mountains were as breathtaking as i remembered- and the hikes as punishing.
in the foreground are lakes of the clouds and the lakes of the clouds hut, in the distance are mt. monroe, franklin and eisenhower.

sarah and madeline on their hike up to mizpah springs. the plan was for the girls to hike up to mizpah and stay overnight in the hut and then hike along the ridge to lakes of the clouds in the morning, where we would meet them and all continue to the summit of mt washington together. unfortunately, freezing temperatures, thunderstorms and 99mph winds undermined our plans and the girls hiked back down in the morning and we had to wait a day to climb mt. wahington.

we spent our rainy day hiking mt. tom, shrouded in fog.

taking the ammonoosuc ravine trail up mount washington. everyone looks exuberant ot the start! looking forward to climb waterfalls.

closer to the summit, but not quite as lively.

and finally at the summit of mt.washington. an amazing day with 100 mile visibility- a far cry from the previous day's storms.we can see canada and the atlantic ocean.today, the mountain is not earning its title of "worst weather on earth".
a 4.5 mile hike with a 3800 ft. vertical climb- not a bad morning's work.

whale watching

2007-08-14T18:17:00.000-04:00

we went on a phenomenal whale watching trip where we were lucky enough to visit with a humpback who was in a breaching mood. she breached at least 12 times right in front of us. her size was impressive! unfortunately, the camera batteries chose this day to die, so all we got was this picture from the trip.

cape cod

2007-08-14T18:10:00.000-04:00

the cape is an amazing place to camp. bike to beaches. bike/walk to fresh water ponds to sail and swim. awesome seafood.
and you can make your own sandcastle in your tent every night after the kids look like this at the end of the day.

keeping it simple

2007-08-14T18:03:00.000-04:00

leaving the modern "comforts" behind, we set out for two weeks camping in massachusetts and new hampshire.
not much for privacy, but this tent is our home for now

Finally Mrs. Casey

2007-07-23T17:15:00.000-04:00

Well, this afternoon, I finally became Mrs. Judi Casey, after 26 years of marriage. I thought I had changed my name 26 years ago, but this morning I found out that was not the case.
I went to renew my driver's license this morning, being expired for 6 months, I figured it was time. After waiting an hour in line, I was told by the clerk that the name for my ss# was my maiden name from 26 years ago- it had never been changed and that he, under no circumstance, sould issue me a new license unitl the situation was rectified.
Now, I clearly remember changing my name on that ss form and bringing in the marriage certificate 26 years ago, but apparently, the computer does not have the same memory. So, I have been living a lie all these years. Of course, the IRS was perfectly happy to take tax money from Judi Casey, who did not really exist. But now, with the new anti- terrorist laws in place, the MVA can not issue a license to anyone whose name on their license does not exactly agree with the name associated with their ss#. So off to the social security admin. office I marched and sat for yet another hour, after which I was told the the MVA was absolutely correct and I would have to produce our original marriage certificate to right this wrong. Now, I am not the most fastidious of record keepers, in fact anytime I have to find any paperwork, I end up with a bedroom full of strewn papers,old drawings, locks from first haircuts, old stamps, and various other sundry items- usually unearthing the needed paperwork after an hour or two of cursing and vowing to visit the Container Store soon. Today was no different, and the original marriage certificate was found sandwiched between Will's nursery school graduation certificate and Mike's birth certificate with imprints of the tiniest feet ever seen.
Back to the SS office, with marriage certificate in hand, I waited another hour, when the clerk finally called my number. Satisfied that the marriage certificate was original, he asked for identification- I handed him my driver's license which he promptly said he could not use because it was expired. I handed him an expired passport for yet an additional source of identification. He did not find it amusing. Finally, he accepted a health insurance card (which thankfully has NO expiration date on it) as proof that I am who I say I am. And I changed my name!!!! So, I am now officially Mrs. Judi Casey! I think I should register at Tiffany's all over again!
And I happily drove up to the MVA with proof of name change in hand, received a new license and can drive 90 miles an hour without trepidation.

No More Bleary Eyed Mornings For Me!!!

2007-07-11T07:32:00.000-04:00

Madeline passed her driving test, is licensed and now drives herself to 4:45 am practice! I am a happy woman!

A Sad Farewell to Shadow

2007-07-09T09:23:00.000-04:00

We sadly bid farewell to Shadow, our beloved dog of 11 years. We picked up Shadow, an unwanted product of an illicit rendezvous between a prize winning Old English Sheepdog and a neighboring Black Lab, a year before I became pregnant with Mike and Tom. She became the twins' protector and never left their sides. She spent many years running beside them, up and down the court, as they rode thier bikes for hours on end. And she was the only member of our household that ever listened to me.
She will always hold a special place in our hearts.

Madeline's Garden

2007-07-09T09:16:00.000-04:00

We are beginning to harvest tomatoes and have had a great harvest of green beans this year from Madeline's organic garden.
We also seem to be keeping the woodchucks happy and well fed.

Hummingbird Central

2007-07-09T09:13:00.001-04:00

We have had a steady stream of hummingbirds to watch outside the family room door this summer, thanks to 3 mandevillas that must be very sweet.

The Fondest of Memories

2007-05-14T07:00:00.000-04:00

This weekend we lost a guiding light in our lives.

John's mother passed away on Saturday night after a long struggle to recover from a knee replacement operation.

She taught us about simple pleasures in life. She was never too busy to find an opportunity to sit and read to the children, watch a movie with them or find a topic they loved to talk about. Time stood still when she was present. She felt no compulsion to be a slave to the dailiness of life, choosing rather to invest her time in what she treasured most- her family and her love of books and music.

Mary's generosity was boundless- she would spend an entire day in the bookstore looking for just the right book to bring to a friend or family member. And it was always the perfect choice. When she came to visit, she would come with an entire car full of groceries and clothing- as if we lived in the wilderness, not the suburbs of Washington DC. And she had the insight to know just what it was that each of her children/grandchildren needed. If it was time, not money- then time was what she gave. If it was space, not advice that was required- she gave room to think. Mothering was instinctive for Mary. Her love was, and still is, unconditional.

Mary, you gave us more than you could know. Each step of the way, as we go through our lives, we will remember your love.

Mothers Day

2007-05-14T06:55:00.000-04:00

The kids kicked me out of the kitchen and created this masterpiece for Mothers Day.

Not only was it beautiful, but delicious too!

This Great Nation of Ours

2007-04-17T08:51:00.000-04:00

How many deaths will it take to convince our government to pass gun control laws?

I can not imagine the profound sorrow of the families affected by the Virginia Tech killings. My heart goes out to them.

Passover '07

2007-04-10T20:13:00.000-04:00

This year was a youthful Passover with kids outnumbering adults 4:1 (sorry Will,Dan, Melanie,Bob and Danielle- you are still kids from our perspective). But, the older kids have finally reached the point of no longer dying of embarassment when we sing "If I Had A Hammer" and were even seen singing along with their aging hippie parents.

Easter Weekend

2007-04-08T08:07:00.000-04:00

A snowy surprise on a spring Saturday morning.
Tom took these pictures- enjoying his new self-designated role of family photographer.

Cherry Blossom Time

2007-04-05T13:30:00.000-04:00

Took the boys downtown to see the FDR Memorial in cherry blossom season. I had forgotten what traffic is like during the peak week of flowering. But we had a great time in spite of the crowds. Their comments about FDR went something along these lines... "wow, he is like the polar opposite of george bush". so true.

Snippet From Last Night's Two Hour Dinner Conversation

2007-03-17T07:36:00.000-04:00

Sarah is home from college for spring break and is attempting to reintegrate.

Sarah: So, what is going on with the ceilings in this house? The dining room and basement ceilings are totally torn up.

Me: Yeah, we must have done something to anger the water gods- two leaking pipes in one week.

Mike: You had better watch out for the minotaur.

All of us stop and cluelessly stare at the little kid.

Me: MIke, where did that come from?

Mike: Well, you know the legend.....

All of us, shaking our heads stupidly: Uhh, no.

Mike: Well,on the island of Crete, Popseidon's domain, the sea, surrounded it and he wanted to be honored by people on Crete. Poseidon sent a bull from the sea and ordered King Minos to sacrifice it to Poseidon. King Minos' daughter thought it was to beautiful to sacrifice and she persuaded her father not to do it. Poseidon was angered and caused the king's daughter to give birth to a minotaur.

Madeline: Now that would be the icing on the cake to complete this family.

Another Day of Outdoor Fun

2007-02-14T14:26:00.000-05:00

Lauren, Mike, Tom, Samuel and Daniel worked hard to build a fort to protect them in their snow ball fights with the older kids on the block.
A good group effort produced excellent results.

Snow Day

2007-02-13T14:56:00.000-05:00

Today, school was let out a few hours early for the impending ice storm.
I have very happy children!

Mike and Tom have moved on from sledding in our boring yard and have headed down to the creek to more adventurous territory. They have decided that the ultimate thrill is sledding down "Deadman's Cliffs" and ending up flying over the iced- over creek at the end.

Madeline is busy baking cupcakes for her friends for Valentine's Day.

Even the dog is happy!

Math Was Never My Strength

2007-01-28T18:22:00.000-05:00

I have spent the last week trying to get an answer from our local school system, Montgomery County Public Schools, regarding the implementaion of their grading policy. It seems to me to be a flawed system that produces invalid grades, but math was never my strong suit and I was looking for an explanation. I could not get an answer that made sense- the only answer I heard was "it's the policy". Not particularly satisfactory.
So today I emailed my concerns to Jay Mathews, education reporter of The Washington Post. He is going to ask MCPS the same questions I have been asking- perhaps he will be able to get a more satisfactory response.
I have spent hours on the phone with this issue, and John keeps shaking his head and muttering something about chasing windmills and I keep reminding him that "foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds". Thank you Emerson.

R & R

2007-01-09T20:17:00.001-05:00

cliftoninn1, originally uploaded by funnkds5.

John and I settled in the this cozy carriage house cottage at the Clifton Inn in Charlottesville Virginia for 3 glorious days of rest and relaxation without kids in tow. Sarah was generous enough to spend 3 days of her vacation babysitting for her younger siblings (getting them all off to school at 7 am is no small feat for a college student on vacation).John and I are eternally grateful for the 72 hours of uninterrupted time together!

A View to the Bedroom

2007-01-09T20:11:00.001-05:00

cliftoninn2, originally uploaded by funnkds5.

Looking up from our living room to our bedroom loft. Very romantic! Especially without 5 kids running around.

Scenes from a Williamsburg Visit

2007-01-07T10:13:00.000-05:00

Scenes from a Williamsburg Visit

2007-01-07T10:05:00.000-05:00

Churchill High School Incident

2007-01-05T07:08:00.000-05:00

A troubling incident occurred yesterday at a local high school in Potomac.
Potomac is like Lake Woebegone, where all children are above average, perhaps even exceptional.
But two days ago, five kids at Churchill had a rumble on the front steps, a fist fight, that injured several of the involved kids and a security guard. Apparently, these tensions have been building over the last few months and the principal had brought in the parents, the kids, police specializing in gang activity etc. to try and work things out.
The rumble was of concern, and I have no doubt that the students will be appropriately punished. However, what is of more concern to me, is the note that was sent home from the principal, classifying this incident as "black on black violence". Since when is violence color coded? What is that meant to infer? The good white folk of Potomac can still sleep easy? If this incident had occured on the steps of a DC high school, would it even have made the news? Isn't it this "we"/"they" mentality that begets this violence? Sometimes, it seems that we have made precious little progress in the whole race relations area.

Holiday Picture

2007-01-03T21:02:00.000-05:00

Finally, I found a holiday photo in my ridiculously overstuffed iphoto files.

Time to make my will

2007-01-03T17:45:00.000-05:00

Teaching Madeline to drive tests the patience of a saint. She seems to have the Italian attitude that the speed limit is merely a suggestion.

Cooking, Will style

2006-12-28T14:35:00.000-05:00

A Man, A Can, A Tailgate Plan: The cookbook for Will.

Let the fun begin

2006-12-28T14:27:00.001-05:00

The Christmas tree decorating begins with Madeline's friends, Amy and Steffi, over to help.

and the finishing touches are added

While the cookies bake....

2006-12-28T14:22:00.000-05:00

Madeline knits. Her natural talent in crafts astonishes me- since I can barely sew on buttons, I am in awe.

Madeline's Handiwork

2006-12-13T07:38:00.000-05:00

Leave Madeline alone for an hour and this is what you get:

Finding Just the Right Tree

2006-12-13T06:51:00.000-05:00

Visiting Mayne's Tree Farm on Sunday in search of our Christmas tree.

Not only did we find a beautiful tree that everyone loved, but we were graced with this spectacular sunset!

Boys In Hats

2006-12-08T22:31:00.000-05:00

Akshay and Brendan in hats.
Madeline knitted the hat Brendan is wearing-a bit small for Brendan, but not bad for a first try.
Her knitting ability must come from some recessive gene- sure skipped me.

Wootton Swim Team Party

2006-12-08T22:24:00.000-05:00

The party has hardly begun and already our hallway is filling up with party shoes.
What a great bunch of teenagers- polite, helpful and fun loving. And they sure can eat!
Although banned from the basement, John and I had a good time listening to them all singing at the top of their lungs while watching The Lion King.

Annual Thanksgiving Hike

2006-11-29T08:09:00.000-05:00

the kids watching a hawk and waiting for us to catch up

my men

somehow bunny ears always end up in the picture

a spectacular view over Middletown Valley- we could almost see the house we want to move to.

This year we went up to South Mountain, hiked and talked about the civil war history that took place here. Sarah, having gone to bed at 4am, didn't awaken in time to join us- but we had a great hike- although I think the kids spent a fair amount of time waiting for us old folks to catch up.

Thanksgiving '06

2006-11-24T06:44:00.000-05:00

another fabulous holiday feast with our friends, lisa and paul farhi and tobi and eric starin. our dinners are getting larger as the kids come home with friends and significant others. as parents, nothing makes us happier!
dan and peter were nowhere to be found, but the others actually gave me 15 seconds to take this photo:
rich, arden, will, bob, maurice in back
jessica, sarah, helena, danielle, madeline, liz in the middle
and mike and tom in front.

Thanksgiving Football

2006-11-24T06:35:00.000-05:00

William's shoes, after the annual thanksgiving football game. and they would have been muddier, except that they stopped the game after half an hour to take nabil and chad to the emergency room to get stitched up- it seems they were both a bit too determined to catch the same pass. good news was they were fine in the end and actually had a good time bonding with all the other guys in the er who were there with injuries from their thanksgiving football games.

Raising Atheists

2006-11-10T07:59:00.000-05:00

This was a conversation I overheard between Mike and Tom, our twin 9 year-old boys:
Mike: When I grow up, I will have a library in my house and I am going to put the Bible in the mythology section.
Tom: But what if some of those really religious people come over and see it there. They can get really crazy mad, you know.
Mike: Well, they're just going to have to learn that the Bible really is mythology.

Looks like we are 5/5 on the atheist front.

Listen Up, George!

2006-11-08T11:05:00.000-05:00

There was not a whole lot of gray in the results of last night, so King George should probably be able to understand what the American public had to say yesterday at the polls!
I am so happy that finally, after 6 very long years, people have come to see the current administration for what it is, a group of good ol' boys look out for themselves, thier cronies and their collective wealth. Folks who make no attempt understand the complexities of human nature, let alone the interactions between individuals or groups.
For George, in his mind, not much had changed since his Skull and Bones days at Yale, when he could swagger around campus, intimidating others with his wealth and postion- only his campus had become larger over the years.
But now there is hope that his fearmongering,simplistic,self absorbed ways will be stopped.
Thank you, America!

wrestling fun

2006-11-06T07:08:00.000-05:00

tom declares victory
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

the monkey house at the zoo looks significantly more civilized than our home.
tom declares victory in the boys vs. sarah wrestling match.

big brother fun

2006-11-06T07:05:00.000-05:00

big brother fun
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

what could be better than a 23 year old brother who acts nine?

where have the years gone?

2006-11-06T06:55:00.000-05:00

happy birthday will and sarah
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

23 and 19, it doesn't seem possible.
it seems like only a few years ago that i was swinging will to the moon on that swing john hung so high up in the huge backyard oak tree. i turned around and now he has a real job as an economist with the bureau of labor statistics, lives in his own apartment and " looks forward to coming home....at least until i get here and remember how insane it all is".
and sarah.... i can still see the look of wonder and joy on her face as she first learned to string steps together, walking across the whole dining room at the rusty scupper in philadelphia. so fiercely independent from birth, she seems to be tempering it a bit in her old age- enjoying her time at home- a respite from dorm life.

jack-o-lanterns galore

2006-11-01T20:25:00.000-05:00

jack-o-lantern galore
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

our front walkway on halloween night.

kid heaven

2006-11-01T20:24:00.000-05:00

kid heaven
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

admiring the loot post trick-or-treating.
one thoughtful fellow gave them a toothbrush.
looks like we will be needing that.

sometimes they can be so sweet!

2006-11-01T20:22:00.000-05:00

sometimes they can be so sweet!
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

i hadn't heard any jumping, screaming, banging or maniacal laughter
for over an hour... and here is what i found. mike and tom, good as gold, reading "bud, not buddy" and "redwall" on the hammock.
maybe they are growing up.

halloween 06

2006-10-31T21:29:00.000-05:00

halloween 06
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

mike and tom as thing1 and thing2 for halloween.
i love these costumes- cute, quick and easy!

what a husband!

2006-10-30T21:44:00.000-05:00

what a husband!
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

a flurry of activity the night before halloween. finishing costumes, carving pumpkins.
since i don't sew- the task falls to john- finishing the Thing1 and Thing 2 costumes for mike and tom.
he is a good husband!

pumpkin prep

2006-10-30T21:41:00.000-05:00

pumpkin prep
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

mike and tom prep the pumpkins for the big carving extravaganza.

dad and boys

2006-10-30T21:39:00.000-05:00

dad and boys
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

john does the handiwork to mike and tom's specifications. Mike and tom oversee to ensure quality control.

4 of 7 complete

2006-10-30T21:36:00.000-05:00

4:7 complete
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

Well, for the first time in our lives, we are slightly ahead of the game. 4 of our 7 pumpkins are carved before Halloween night- this is unheard of in our family of procrastinators.

will is "getting ready" to travel

2006-10-26T20:39:00.000-04:00

will is "getting ready" to travel
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

We are getting ready to travel to Connecticut for my mom's 75th surprise birthday party. This is Will's version of helping to get ready.
Have football, will travel.

john and sue

2006-10-26T20:36:00.000-04:00

john and sue
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

john and sue getting ready to read our clever toast to mom.

lesley and mom

2006-10-26T20:33:00.000-04:00

lesley and mom
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

sue's daughter,lesley, wishing mom a happy 75th!

lisa,charlie and david

2006-10-26T20:31:00.000-04:00

lisa,charlie and david
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

lisa,david and charlie chatting it up.

mom's calendar

2006-10-26T20:29:00.000-04:00

mom's calendar
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

mom admires the calendar the kids made for her

farm

2006-10-17T18:44:00.000-04:00

farm5
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

for 22 years we have been coming to the farm to unwind,pick fruits and veggies and get our fill of fresh air and beautiful vistas.

guys and pumpkins

2006-10-17T18:42:00.000-04:00

farm6
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

a full load to carry. looking forward to all that carving!

tom chooses

2006-10-17T18:39:00.000-04:00

farm3
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

tom decides between his finalists in the perfect pumpkin contest.

the one

2006-10-17T18:36:00.000-04:00

farm2
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

after a few hours, mike has finally found the perfect pumpkin.

farmtime

2006-10-17T18:34:00.000-04:00

farm1
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

the boys have decided that want to move here full time and jump haybales forever.

homework time

2006-10-11T16:46:00.000-04:00

homework time
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

homework time at the caseys.
we don't seem to have gotten that whole work/study skills bit.
nothing like doing a bit of weightlifting with the left hand while the right hand is doing math problems.

will is home

2006-10-09T22:08:00.000-04:00

will is home
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

a new family tradition (thanks for the idea goes to our lovely friend, ursula epstein, who recently passed away)- every sunday evening we cook a huge pot of something delicious and the big kids come over with friends (whoever is in the mood) for a good meal and lively discussion. this sunday will and bob appeared and enjoyed fantastic white chili as well as the amazing entertainment provided by the younger brothers. it is good to see the older kids and sit around discussing politics,school,jobs,life etc-of course, politics reigns supreme in our household as a topic for discussion. lenghty discourses on the absurdity of the current administration peppered with quotes from " the daily show".

thoughtful contemplation

2006-09-06T10:14:00.000-04:00

thoughtful contemplation
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

labor day spent hiking along the potomac river.

john and tom

2006-09-06T10:08:00.000-04:00

wishing we had our canoe. a perfect day for a paddle on the river.
swim?
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

hi ho hi ho

2006-09-06T10:07:00.000-04:00

off to school
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

it's off to school we go.
school is starting and both boys are returning to fallsmead after some intensive negotiations with the school system. all seems to be going well so far.

boys and walls

2006-08-25T00:58:00.000-04:00

boys and wallsJPG
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

you just can't fight the magnetic attraction between boys and walls. got to climb each and every one.

mike, tom and i took the day to explore the franklin instititute in philadelphia. one of my favorite museums for kids.

the heart

2006-08-25T00:55:00.000-04:00

the heart
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

walking through the heart- a rite of passage of childhood, not to be missed.
mike and tom pose before entering the left atrium.

domino fun

2006-08-25T00:53:00.000-04:00

domino fun
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

mike is enjoying building a LONG domino chain. this museum is fantastic for learning about science in a hands on fashion.
ben franklin would be proud.

tom is mesmerized...

2006-08-25T00:51:00.000-04:00

tom is mesmerized
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

by this rube goldberg contraption. 30 minutes of uninterrupted joy as he examined each and every part of this machine. the engineer in him was overwhelmed with excitement. sort of like on the ride up to philadelphia, when we passed under the maze of soaring, tangled highway overpasses in downtown baltimore, tom says" oh man, this is my favorite part of the ride- those overpasses are just beautiful'.
it is all in the eyes of the beholder.

finally, dinner al fresco

2006-08-08T21:37:00.000-04:00

finally, dinner al fresco
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

the heat has broken and, once again, we can dine al fresco.
the best!
it is a quiet evening tonight with both madeline and sarah out at the movies.dinner with only two kids seems so empty.
you can see by the darkened sky that we are on our usual european dinner schedule- 9 pm is actually a bit earlier than usual.
the start of school willl be harsh.

mandevilla mania

2006-08-08T21:33:00.000-04:00

mandevilla mania
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

evening is my favorite time on the deck. the mandevilla are beautiful- they must have enjoyed the recent searing heat. one of the nicest attributes of these flowers is that they attract hummingbirds.

today's haul

2006-08-08T21:30:00.000-04:00

today's haul
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

the garden is flourishing even if we do have to share it with our resident woodchucks.

The Gang Partially Assembled

2006-08-03T10:15:00.000-04:00

the gang partially assembled
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

the casey clan begins to assemble for tom and rebecca's wedding at their horse farm in new jersey. sarah has yet to arrive after driving up to new jersey herself, in the morning, because she could NOT miss the kenny chesney concert the night before in dc. bob is in the farm house helping out, leslie and matthew are on their way in from nyc and vincent and christina will arrive one minute before vincent has to walk down the aisle, making an entrance in their beautiful blue mercedes convertible. mary and ben will be pleased to have all their sons and families together.

Thoughtful Moment

2006-08-03T10:09:00.000-04:00

thoughtful moment
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

john takes a moment, before the ceremony begins, to compose a toast for tom and rebecca.

solemnity

2006-08-03T10:07:00.000-04:00

solemnity
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

our big kids watch with solemn interest. who will be next?

getting ready for the cold weather

2006-08-03T10:06:00.000-04:00

getting ready
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

john helps the boys to assemble their various layers. it is ninety seven degrees in the shade and the rental tuxes have polyester shirts. enough said

Rebecca

2006-08-03T10:03:00.000-04:00

rebecca
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

rebecca is a truly beautiful bride.

A Rare Sighting

2006-08-03T09:13:00.000-04:00

leslie, vincent, christina and john. once every ten years we are lucky enough to see vince and christina. it is always fun to catch up with them. and it has been too long since we have seen leslie too. so much to talk about at these family gatherings.

A Job Well Done

2006-08-03T09:10:00.000-04:00

their job is done, rings are delivered and i can heave a sigh of relief after only having to search on the grass once for a ring that fell off the pillow.

Mushy Stuff

2006-08-03T09:06:00.000-04:00

tom whispering "do i have to watch the mushy stuff"

Cousins

2006-08-03T09:03:00.000-04:00

tom,elizabeth and mike were adorable as ring bearers and flower girl.

Chris and Bob

2006-08-03T09:01:00.000-04:00

the happy parents of the bride. though i imagine this is a bittersweet moment. sweet to know they have found a soulmate with whom they will share their life and yet somewhat sad to realize that they are moving on from the family you have created to create one of their own.

Wow, Who Are Those Big Kids?

2006-08-03T08:56:00.000-04:00

matthew, will, bob, madeline and sarah.
when i see pictures like this, i have to accept the fact that my kids are well on their way to adulthood.

The Recessive Dancing Gene

2006-08-03T08:53:00.000-04:00

finally taking a break. the things you don't know about your own children. who knew mike and tom were such wild men out on the dance floor? and just where did mike learn how to brakedance?
fantastic 11 piece band from the city had us dancing into the wee hours of the morning.

Now I Recognize Them

2006-08-03T08:51:00.000-04:00

the real mike and tom resurface. got to love them.

bathing beauties

2006-08-01T00:26:00.000-04:00

bathing beauties
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

steffi, amy, audrey and madeline spent every waking hour in the water. even the jellyfish did not deter them.
it may be hard to believe, but these 4 teenage girls were a pleasure to have on vacation with us- and any one with teenage daughters will appreciate what a monumental statement that is.

riding the waves

2006-08-01T00:18:00.000-04:00

riding the waves
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

mike seems to have conquered his fear of sharks. he rode the waves with the best of them, even venturing out into the deep water with the dolphins.

tom to shore

2006-08-01T00:16:00.000-04:00

tom to shore
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

tom must have ridden 1500 waves to shore in our 4 days at the beach. he has always said that he wants to live in hawaii- i am beginning to think he knows what he is talking about.

mike at the beach

2006-08-01T00:14:00.000-04:00

mike at the beach
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

looking for clams.
this was the first year that mike and tom spent more time in the water than in the sand.