Grandma Shari

Back when I had my Lindsay women retreat in Boston, my mom stayed for a few extra days to play Super Grandma.

Amidst all the Uno playing, princess memory matching, and dispensing of hugs and kisses, she managed to teach Lucy to "crawl"

...a month later this army crawl wormy thing is much improved...proof of that will come later:

Girls Weekend

How is it the last day of August? This summer has blown by and it has been a fun one. It didn't hurt that my mom, all my sisters and sister-in-law (so fun to have one of those now) came to Boston for a girls weekend. We stayed in a fabulous hotel downtown and had more fun (and more food) than you would think is womanly possible.



This photo is courtesy of "Mike" our cab driver who was also a "professional photographer" ...really?

We kicked off the weekend at Boston Public Library (my favorite spot in Boston).  My mom and sisters fulfilled my 6 year fantasy of eating lunch in the courtyard while discussing literature.   My sister blogged here about our main topic of conversation. FYI the BPL cafeteria has really great soup.

We ate...a lot
(don't you think that Megan and I look alike?) We sound alike too. When I call her on the phone I feel like I am talking to my own voice...weird- but cool

We shopped a little
check out the amazing antique and costume jewelery

We did some sightseeing

Some unexpected resting...

because the local Bostonian didn't know that the state house was closed on Saturdays...duh!

We went out to eat some more


The older we get...the more I think my sisters and I look alike...I couldn't be happier about that- look how cute my sisters are.

We also celebrated my and Katie's 30th birthdays! Katie and I are still living it up in our 20's for a few more months but my mom and sisters couldn't pass up the opportunity to do the now traditional "30 presents for 30 years" dinner celebration. Check out that loot!

Adam came to join us for more food and then a tour around Harvard. He was a good sport for letting us take his new wife for the weekend and he helped Chad play Mr. Mom while I was away. I don't feel too bad for the guys because somehow they managed to get take-out Indian food and sneak off to see Harry Potter.

I don't have pictures of our afternoon at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum but it was wonderful.  I do have pictures of everyone during their afternoon naps...but I won't post those (Anne, Kate...you can pay me later).  It was so fun to be with all the Lindsay women!  Thanks mom for a fabulous weekend! And Megan, hurry up and turn 30 so we can do this again!

In Bloom

As a daughter of Shari Lindsay, one of the original "Soil Sisters" I am bound to have at least some sort of a green thumb right?  We'll see how it all looks come August (the last two years of gardening efforts took a turn for the worse when I kept forgetting to water about mid-July).  But for now, the blossoms make me smile every time I step outside. I smile because of the beauty and I smile because I am reminded of my mom!


This basket also makes me think of my mother-in-law because she was the one who introduced me to Bacopa (the pretty little white flowers) and I think that with the little blue flowers (forgot their name...mom help?) makes the basket!

This picture needs an update because the (Dianthus?) is blooming and the daisies (which I dug up from my mom's yard 3 years ago and brought them to Boston stuffed in a garbage bag at the bottom of my suitcase) are just about to open up!

Mother's Day

Like so many out there- I have so much gratitude and love for my mother.  People say you "become" your mother.  Whether you like it or not.  I like it.  I've noticed ( and Chad has definitely noticed) that I have picked up quite a bit of "Shari-ness" over the past few years.  For example:

1. I make a shocking gasping noise ( the kind that makes people think you just cut your hand off) when I think of something I forgot
2. Last night- as our Mother's Day guests were coming in the door I noticed that my daffodils needed to be dead-headed and that was suddenly the most important thing for me to do right then. Truly I felt better after if was done.
3. I put an excessive amount of hairspray in Marian's hair
4. I listen to NPR in the car all the time
5. I tell people about "boundary issues"
6. I use the phrase "that's an idea" when I really mean "that's not going to happen"
7. I itch my ear in a weird way only my mom and her Anderson family do...it feels so good
8. I constantly think about ways to redecorate my home and fantasize about buying dishes
9. I use baked goods and cut flowers as a way to show my love to others.
10. I tell my kids to be kind to everyone- and if someone isn't kind to them, that just means that person  needs a friend.

 There are so many wonderful things about my mom (gardening, cooking, quilting, serving, fun loving, etc...I could go on forever).  But lately the thing I have been most grateful for is her ability to always make me feel like I am awesome.  Whatever is going on in my life- no matter how deserving...or undeserving  for that matter- she always compliments me and praises me in such a sincere way that  I always come away feeling so good about myself.  I love that. Especially as a young mom I realize you need that SO MUCH!  My favorite talk on motherhood from my church leaders does basically the same thing.  Every time I read it I feel so validated and much better about what I am doing.  For anyone with young or even young-ish children I highly recommend reading it.  Here is the link.  "Because she is a mother"

I am so grateful for all the mothers in my life.  My mom, my amazing mother-in-law (who I think of anytime I am about to walk out my kitchen when it is still messy-she would never do that), my grandmothers, my sisters and sisters-in-law, my friends, aunts, neighbors...the list goes on and on. I am so grateful to be surrounded by such wonderful women in my life.  Your good examples are so appreciated. Thank you and Happy Mother's Day!