Your Step Dad

Today we had the funeral mass for Steve's brother, Chris.  Alex, it was so nice that you came to the funeral!  It's been a long day, but things are generally OK knowing that Chris is at peace now.

Steve has been so involved over the past couple years helping his brother (I won't elaborate), and now in making many arrangements which are necessary and significant when death comes.  Steve wrote a lovely tribute to Chris on NCFE, which you can read here.  And he gave the eulogy during the funeral. This is very difficult stuff, and I admire him for being such a strong person, so very thoughtful & eloquent, and above all a wonderful brother.

When talking about a friend, co-worker or family member, sometimes Steve says "He's a good man".   Well, we all know from living together that Steve absolutely fits that description himself.  And his role as a Step Dad is important to him.  He thinks about both of you a lot, is generous with his time and otherwise, and offers advice without drama.  I honestly believe he is the best parent to teenagers and young adults that I've ever known.  Here's a favorite picture of his, from our 2016 vacation in Florida - looking out at the NASA vehicle assembly building of the Kennedy Space Center.

We all are very lucky to have him in our lives, for many reasons.  Steve and I, with Aunt Pam especially, know that we're providing a stable foundation for your lives.  And showing you what it is to have loving family relationships.  Outside Rob B's and Joy A's offices, I've often looked at a tree poster with the quote below.  I hope that as you walk through life together as brothers, you will be true friends.

Family:  

Like branches in a tree, we all grow in different directions;

yet our roots remain as one.

Summer Solstice

Yesterday was the longest day of 2013.....  appreciated for extra sunshine (no special rites were performed, unless cleaning up kitty litter upon return from vacation has significance).  What have you boys been up to?  Here's a recap: 

Birthday - In mid April, one of Sasha's friends turned 16.  As a surprise, you Sasha and another friend got a lovely gift.  The items below were well-received and probably enjoyed best by young sister Katie.

Visits to Wyncote - A weekend visit to Wyncote in early April provided Sasha an opportunity to kick off spring fishing with Mark.  Steve, Brock and I had time with Lucy touring the Eastern State Penitentiary, followed by playground fun.  On Sunday morning, we made it to church at St. Dunstan's with Grammie and Grandad.  In a return trip over Memorial Day weekend, we helped Grandad celebrate his 76th birthday.

Airsoft and Fishing!  Sasha, you are an active member of the Exeter Airsoft group.  Hours in the outdoors and fun with friends!  As to fishing.....  well, this is absolutely one of your favorite times of year.  Steve has also taken an interest in fishing, and now has 2 poles and multiple implements in his tackle box.  Frances Slocum park has been a good location for trying out new equipment, and catching fish plus the occasional turtle.  Brock, you and I have enjoyed playground time, walks, and "sparky" scooter rides including a fast, frightening ride down the steep hill toward turtle pond (brakes were not so great in steepest stretch, but worked OK toward the bottom).

Tiger - A few weeks ago, Tiger had his annual bath & "slenderizing" treatment i.e., extra fluff is shaved away for the summer.  His flabby paunch is quite noticeable and of no concern to Tiger - petting anywhere including his belly is wonderful.  Sasha has provided this list of his alternate names for Tiger:  Tigrero, Tigroog, Toiger, Fatty, Fat Cat, Chunks of Love, and Love Chunks.  Here is Tiger (pre-treatment) enjoying a moment with Steve's sneakers:

Additions to the Family - Over the winter, our latest batch of tropical fish suffered a premature demise due to hypothermia (secondary cause:  lack of attention to temperature in the fish tank).  Sasha immediately announced that we would introduce lake critters to the tank when spring came along.  So after a recent fishing trip to Frances Slocum, he brought home Flappy the Crappy, and 2 large snails - Dung and Pooh (as in "who flung....").  Next, Dung and Pooh had babies known as the Poohlets.  A couple weeks later after a fantastic job cleaning algae off the fish tank, Dung and Pooh went home to the turtle pond.  Here's a picture taken shortly after arrival:

Crappy seemed to be doing fine, until today that is.....  His favorite food - wax worms.  We has also gorged himself on guppies, but unfortunately didn't keep it all in his tummy (fish parts make a return trip into the tank, only to be cannibalized by other guppies).  This afternoon he passed on to the fish heaven, and will be missed.


Vacation in Washington DC - We got home yesterday from a few days in the Washington DC area.  My favorite was visiting with my cousin Annie, who lives near Bethesda.  Steve's was probably the Air and Space Museum at Dulles Airport.  I'm not certain that you boys had a favorite, though Sasha you seemed to enjoy talking about fishing with Andrew from "Augie's Adventures" who was trying to photograph Capital Hill at sunset from a park near Reagan National Airport.  And Brock you seemed to especially like climbing on rocks at Great Falls National Park overlooking the Potomac River.


Steve's Mom - Sadly, Steve's mother died on June 7th after being hospitalized in Philadelphia.  It has been a difficult time for Steve and his brothers, as you can imagine.  It is quite an accomplishment for a Mom to raise four boys mostly on her own, and certainly it was not easy for her.  I am genuinely interested in older people, and would have liked to know her better.  Be sure to appreciate your family members - every one of them is important.

Christmas Day 2012

OK, so I have been neglecting "Carroll Boys".  It's true, and excuses like getting ready for Christmas and upcoming birthdays, my work schedule, etc. don't cut it.  Certain readers are getting quite annoyed with looking at the Camp Lazlo post....  So, finally here we are......  It's Christmas Day!  Here is an update on what we've been doing for the past few weeks.

Thanksgiving - Sasha, Steve and I spent an overnight with Grammie and Grandad for Thanksgiving.  It was very pleasant, including a long walk through Wyncote and neighboring town(s?)  Kyra and Lucy were glad to see us, and we enjoyed Grandad's grilled turkey and Grammie's apple and chocolate pies.  Yum!  Then on Saturday, we had a second Thanksgiving dinner with Brock.....  Italian-style, with penne a la vodka aka "pink stuff".

Lost and Found - While going through our winter gear to figure out what does/does not fit, there was an incredible "find".  Sasha's fly boxes, lost since last December, were zipped into inner pockets of his winter coat for practically an entire year !!  It was been a long time since such joy has been known on Sharpe Street.  Here are the long-lost items  :-)

Tiger - Actually, there's not really much new with Tiger.  .... unless you consider some occasional crankiness, though he is never as out-of-sorts as "grumpy cat" looks (see picture above).  Tiger is taking "Natural Chicken & Tuna Flavored Joint Supplement" for stiffness in his back legs.  It gets sprinkled onto his food, and does seem to help.  Mostly though, he continues to be very fluffy and interested in frequent petting.    Here's a recent, adorable picture of our boy:

Christmas - I mailed out holiday cards, with a photo collage of you boys (Brock with Tiger, and Sasha at Harvey's Creek).  I really must show you the pics sometime soon....  Our Christmas Eve started with a late afternoon service at Grace Church in Kingston.  Sasha, you got to see Dr. Ferraro who delivered you almost 16 years ago (a formal introduction is in order, since you were a few minutes old and unclothed at your last meeting).  Steve navigated another Episcopal service very successfully.  And I grumbled about hymns being played too slowly.  Brock, you went to Dad's house instead - a good arrangement, especially given the length of the service (over 1 1/2 hours!).  This morning, Steve salvaged bacon before it became over-cooked and made french toast for us.  Tonight we had our traditional Christmas night dinner - wimpies and banana cream pie.  Our tree is pictured below.  Favorite gifts:

• Sasha - A Sage 9 foot, 10 weight fly rod - with which you hope to catch Susquehanna river monsters i.e., musky and pike.  Additional fly tying material also seems popular, as you have been busy making flies as the evening wears on.
• Brock - The PlayStation 3 game Far Cry 3, a "shoot 'em up" and "stab 'em through" game.  Probably not appropriate for a 10-year old.  But on the bright side, you are still not permitted to watch Family Guy at my house.

Most cheerful traveler:  Steve, who made 3 round trips from Scranton over the past 30 hours.  

Best surprise:  My gift of a Schwinn red and white bike from Steve.  It's beautiful!

My wish for you both this Christmas Day:  That you grow up to be happy, productive men.

Merry Christmas!

October Events

Time to get caught-up on recent events in and around Wyoming.....

• Sasha is fully recuperated from removal of his wisdom teeth.  Meanwhile, Brock had 5 baby teeth pulled as well.  Like Sasha, he missed 2 days of school - and generally bounced back very quickly.  Here's a picture of Brock's teeth (which are now going to Dad's china cabinet for safe-keeping).  The tooth fairy kindly left $20, but did not take the teeth due to their excess weight.

• Our neighbor Sherry has been taking very good care of Mr. and Mrs. Leopard, and now she is also taking care of Baby Lep!  He/she (it's too early to know gender) was incubated at Pet Zone, and came home to Sharpe Street a few weeks ago.  Baby is colorful and growing nicely - eats small crickets voraciously, per Sherry.  Here's a picture of the newest addition to our extended family:

• In Scout news.....  as of the October pack meeting of Cub Scout Troop 366, Brock you have now officially graduated to become a Webelo.  We are very excited that you have finished all your Bear Cub accomplishments!  They included tying knots with Dad, and researching local history e.g., Frances Slocum & the Wyoming Massacre.  Also involved attempting to make a bird feeder with me, the remains of which effort are in a local landfill.

• The"Warrior Nation" is us:

1. Two weeks ago, you Sasha spent a cold evening at a Wyoming Area vs. Meyers football game.  Had a nice time with friends Gage, Conrad and Alexis1 (Gage had a romantic interest in Alexis1 when school started; quite recently, he switched his attention to Alexis2).  Temperatures were in the '40's, so in an effort to keep warm you frequented the nearby Dunkin Donuts.  Had 1 energy drink and 2 large coffees, then stayed up until 4 am Saturday while the caffeine wore off.  Read more about the actual game here -->  WA Wins 50-20
2. Brock, Steve and I spent a lovely evening in the '60's at yesterday's Wyoming Area vs. Northwest Area (i.e., Shickshinny) game.  Unfortunately, Sasha did not come along.  Brock, you were disappointed about not getting your hair spray painted green, but perked up when offered an LED flashing mouthpiece instead.  You had a great time playing/running with your friends especially Bryce and Michael.  Steve kept me company, including active prevention of cold hands, attempted translation of cheers, instant-recounting of plays that I didn't see, and a walk around the field.  And 5 years after the last Cookie Corner graduation, there's another use for your toddler sleeping bag - it's the perfect size to drape over bleacher seats!!  A good time was had by all.  Plus Steve wrote about the game on NCFE -->  Yeah Team!

• Last Tuesday, we were over-scheduled with 1) therapist appointment at 3:30, 2) soccer practice at 5:30, and 3) appointment for flu shot at 7:45 (note:  first and third items are at the same location, Pediatric Associates in Kingston).  At 7 pm, I sent the following semi-desperate text;  "R fell in the mud at soccer, came home & put him in the shower, changed shower head to fire-hose setting he wanted, came downstairs to finish dinner, bathroom floor flooded, burned rice, A tells me over dinner that he needs dress-up clothes for tomorrow and I left my jacket at the therapist office."  As it turned out, things improved slightly - I found my jacket upstairs on the ironing table.  We did still make it to the flu shot appointment and  got khaki pants & attractive shirt at BonTon.  After school Wednesday, Sasha reported this English presentation for which dress-up was required went Very Well!  Wish I had gotten a picture before he left in the morning, as it will probably be a couple months before there is a chance to see him in duds other than t-shirt and hoodie.

• The Pioneers fall soccer program wrapped up this week, with Brock's last game held on Thursday evening.  The end-of-season party was this afternoon at Fort Cafe.  The wings and pizza were popular, and I was a bit surprised to hear "You hurt my wienie!".  You later informed me, Brock, that your teammate Steven (a 3rd grader) was the injured party.

• With Halloween approaching, tonight Dad took you Brock to the "Trails of Terror" sponsored by the West Wyoming Fire Department.  (During your outing, Sasha and I went clothes-shopping at Sears and looked around at Best Buy.)  You are now sitting and the front porch with Ashley, serenading Sasha and me by playing your recorder.  With Hurricane Sandy aka "Frankenstorm" approaching, there is talk of trick-or-treating tomorrow night (Sunday), rather than on Halloween night (Wednesday).

And to wrap up, here are two of your current favorite songs from YouTube.  Here are 21 Guns  by "Green Day" and Welcome to the Black Parade by "My Chemical Romance".

Recently Overheard.....

• "They're hard as a rock!" - You, Brock, referring to gummy vitamins offered one morning when I decided we really must start taking our vitamins faithfully.  The (very) old bottle of vitamins has since been replaced with a fresh one.  For all to note, we have been doing much better lately with our daily vitamin routine.

• "1,2 Skidoo Quickie" - Our new term for brief (and completely inadequate) teeth-brushing effort.  Even shorter that the "1,2,3 Quickie" which has sometimes occurred late evenings e.g., on a Friday night.

• "A kid at school owes me $70", Brock said to me. (What?)  Upon further inquiry it was revealed that you Brock and your friend Stephen made a $10 bet, which Stephen lost.  When I asked you what the bet was over, you said "It's complicated".  OK....  Brock, you further explained that Stephen did not pay up - so you're now charging him $10 in interest per week, recently accrued to $70 total.  Yikes!!  Maybe you will go into banking or, though I sincerely hope not, organized crime.

• "Are you a Marine or a little boy??" - Steve's question to Brock, who was ready to turn back after only a three quarter mile walk & scooter ride on the dike behind Midway Shopping Center. Brock's reply?  "A little boy!"  When Steve asked his young daughters the Marine question (substituting "girl" for "boy"), amazingly enough, he always got the same answer.

• "Maybe they can make a fashionable pink one for you!" - Text from Steve received as I was going for an x-ray on my hand, regarding potential cast if it was fractured.  Thankfully, turned out not to be broken (just bruised).  Yahoo!  Lesson Learned: especially when past age 40, avoid falls in rocky creek beds. 

• "..., My Love" - Brock's very affectionate wife talking to him on the game Skyrim, which Brock and Sasha play regularly.  Skyrim is a video game, which impresses me all the more having realized how complex it is (Read here -->  The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim).  I've watched you fighting dragons, ogres, and trolls, as well as talking to various characters.  In my opinion, Brock doesn't appreciate wife Lydia enough.....  you say she "blabs", but to me she seems quite loyal.   You've also told me about your dog Viglance, and more recently a new dog Barbos.  I was quite disappointed to find out that your name on the game is Robby (!) - thought for sure it would be "Dogmar" or something equally old-fashioned.  You've further told me the you are a Redguard (Redguards) and Sasha is a Wood Elf (Wood Elves).  Very cool, and what-a-ya know, here's Lydia!

Easter 2012

Well, it's Easter evening and I'm enjoying some quiet time after a busy weekend.  Here are highlights of this year's Easter Day:

• Sleeping relatively late for a holiday.  Brock made it to 7:15 !  
• Looking for Easter baskets.  There was mild grumbling that the Bunny did not hide the baskets very well (behind fish tank and inside the clothes dryer).  Maybe he/she will do better next year.
• Going to church.  Good music, and uneventful except for the mouse that Sasha saw scurrying under the pews heading toward the front of the church.  It didn't seem to bother anyone else such as the minister or organist - probably a good thing.
• Tulips!  Steve brought lovely red & yellow tulips, which were the centerpiece for the dinner table.  The colors are similar to the tulips in the photo above, which Steve shot at the 2011 Philadelphia Flower Show.
• Turkey dinner, at Brock's request.  It was my first roast turkey with stuffing that turned out REALLY well (!!)  I am quite proud, and happily acknowledge help from Steve - cleaning & chopping vegetables, cooking green beans, doing dishes, and general encouragement.  Sasha gets credit for mashing 3 bananas for the banana bread (1 additional banana was a casualty, as it fell on the floor).  And Brock gets credit for eating both a drumstick and wing, plus 2 green beans.  I am saving the recipes, mostly off the Internet, and hope to repeat in the future - just not too soon.
• Aside.... due to an unfortunate incident just before dinner in which Tiger knocked two of Brock's Lego Ninjago models off a table, Tiger was banished to the laundry room.  Luckily, Brock made repairs quickly.
• Our Easter egg hunt in the back yard (now that the trampoline is gone, there's lots more room).  Sasha packed plastic eggs & hid them, while Brock and Sterling went 'round finding them.  I have to say Sterling is the tallest egg hunter I've seen in many a year!  The yellow egg floating on top of the pool cover was very imaginative, Sasha.
• Watching Disney's Lilo & Stitch, a surprise from the Easter Bunny.  Was very relaxing and enjoyable to get re-acquainted with the characters, story line, and scenes from the Hawaiian island of Kauaʻi.  And nice to think that Grammie, Grandad, Aunt Julie and Mark are going to Hawaii this week!  

Here's to many more happy holidays.  As a bonus, I know you'll like the wonderful "Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride" song written by Mark Kealiʻi Hoʻomalu.  He performs it with the Kamehameha Schools children's chorus:

The Philadelphia Flower Show

You guys know that last weekend I went to the Philadelphia Flower Show with Steve (yes, I realize it's "gay" to go see flowers).  We had a good time, and you might enjoy looking at photos he took over the weekend -->  NCFE Philadelphia Photos  Since I was missing you, I mailed you postcards that I found at a nearby shop.

Sasha's was of the Philadelphia Water Works, with Art Museum in background, something like this:

Brock's was of Rittenhouse Square, with kids floating sail boats in the fountain (unfortunately, no boats in this photo):

Expect we will spend a spring weekend visiting Grammie and Grandad sometime after Easter.  We're lucky we can spend time with family and do fun stuff in the city.

Valentine's Day Fun

Following tradition of the past several years, today we had a good time as you hunted through the house for your Valentine presents.  You got to follow a trail of notes which eventually led you to a hiding spot (Brock even learned where his underwear drawer is).  I take great pleasure in alternating the note "sites" between upstairs & downstairs so you get lots of exercise...  it's very entertaining!  We also had "pink stuff" for dinner AKA penne a la vodka, along with Mama Lucia and Steve Albert meatballs.  Adding to the evening fun, Steve told us about his favorite disease (causing "swiss cheese" brain atrophy) - I've already forgotten its long name.

Recently Brock has been enjoying YouTube videos from the Disney movie Hercules.  This adorable song is sung by Megara, who was Heracles' wife in Greek mythology (read more about here here -->  Meg).  Especially for Valentine's Day, here is "I Won't Say I'm In Love" performed by Susan Egan:

"Carroll Boys" - The First Month

Well, this journal is now about 1 month old.  It went very quickly for me, how about you?  I do enjoy thinking about what I'm going to write, doing a little research, and sitting at the keyboard creating each post.  A few thoughts to share with you, Sasha and Brock:

Being Thankful:  I was driving home from Newark yesterday thinking about how good life can be.  It is so easy to take things for granted, especially as well-to-do Americans.  Remember, most people around the world can only dream about the life style we have.  Since we have access to computers and the Internet, it's possible for us to play games on-line, communicate easily, find information quickly, and for me to write to you boys via "Carroll Boys".  Some other things that I'm especially thankful for:

• The two of you.  As a young girl, I didn't know what I wanted be when I grew up except that I wanted to be a Mom.  I intentionally planned and tried to direct my career so that I could work part-time when I had children......  and luckily, that wish has become a reality.  It makes me very happy to have time with you, help each other out (homework, school projects, household jobs) and be together for "fun" time like your sports & other activities, holidays and vacations.
• Being healthy.  It means I can be physically active with you, work to provide what we need, and fully enjoy being just being alive.
• Family and friends.  There are many special people in our lives - people who help us in difficult times, who make us laugh, who make us happy.

My "Blogger Support" Network:  To my knowledge, only the three of us and Steve know about this blog.  I am very grateful for Steve's interest, willingness to answer questions, and his help with the technical stuff (although even I have to admit it's not complicated!).  And you will notice that "Carroll Boys" borrows heavily from the format of "NCFE"....  Thank you, Steve!  Brock, I really appreciate your interest in checking out new posts and revisiting YouTube videos from older ones.

More Favorite Songs:  Brock has mentioned two of his favorite songs "Nightrain" (although for some reason I keep thinking it should be "Soul Train") and "What I've Done".  And I know Sasha is a huge Guns N' Roses fan.  So, in keeping with tradition of the past month - here they are:



Unfortunately, embedding is disabled for this "What I've Done" video by Linkin Park.  But you can link to it on YouTube here:

     What I've Done

Why I'm Doing This

This blog by Christine Elizabeth is intended to be a journal for my sons, who are now ages 14 and 9. I don't spend as much time with you as I'd like, and so now.... I have a cool place to write "stuff" I'd like to share with you. 

Beginning On..... November 11, 2011 otherwise known as 11-11-11. A fortuitous date (you can look that up in a dictionary), a Friday, and also Veteran's Day. You can read more about it here:   NPR Story

How the "CarrollBoysWyoming" blog came into existence:   You might be interested to know how this blog was created. Yesterday I said to my friend Steve that I wanted to start a journal for my sons and wanted it to be on-line (mentioned backing it up to a flash drive). His eyes lit up - well, figuratively speaking, not like a zombie or Superman - and told me it could be a blog and I wouldn't even have to pay $10/year for a URL. So, Steve sat at the computer with the monitor tilted up (as he is Tall) where he set up hotmail and blogspot accounts, almost messed it up, fixed it up, said "Aarghh" a few times and 20 minutes later it was done. AMAZING!! He is very good at all things "computer" and now in addition to being our Helpdesk for when the printer doesn't work or the screen is accidentally minimized to 10% so we'd need a magnifying glass to use it, Steve can be my blog administration and writing advisor.

Disney Vacation exactly 1 year ago:   On this date in November 2010, we were on vacation at Disney World in Florida.  I had a wonderful time.  Do you remember?  Port Orleans Riverside which included fishing, Animal Kingdom (Kali River Rapids!), Blizard Beach, and taking the ferry to Downtown Disney.  At Epcot, we went on Test Trak, Spaceship Earth, and I was dizzy for an hour after spinning on the Mission Space ride. We had a hibachi lunch in Japan.....  afterwards at the Mitsukoshi shop, Sasha picked out an oyster so I could have a pearl (had it set in a pendant).  And Brock picked out a beyblade set (tops), a favorite toy.  

Summer memory and a great song:   In June this year, we went to see the movie "Cars 2".... also, Brock you happen to be watching the Cars 2 DVD while I'm writing today.  This evokes nice memories of summer 2011, on our way home from New Hampshire.  Sasha, hope you like the guitar shots in this video featuring Brad Paisley & Robbie Williams - Collision Of Worlds:

You already know lots about me. For example, you probably realize I am a "No Drama Mama" as in I prefer life to be on the predictable, calmer side without too many surprises. But did you know that I like to write and am reasonably good at it? This is a legacy of reading a lot as a kid, but also practicing a lot in school and at work. It will be interesting to see what I do with this journal.

So I'll conclude this first entry with a quote about beginnings from Harry Emerson Fosdick. If you're interested, you can read about Mr. Fosdick here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Emerson_Fosdick

"He who chooses the beginning of a road chooses the place it leads to. It is the means that determines the end."