Halloween

College Halloween fun...dance team buddy group...

Roommates...

Valentine's Day, NYE, Christmas and Easter...

Homecoming

Very last Homecoming for Gianna...and for us too. She looked gorgeous!!

Mikey loves her but doesn't like to be held hence the tense feet...

Fun homecoming week at school and the football game...

Teens

There are times when raising teenagers that no matter what you do, your relationship still isn't what you want it to be.

You give space, you give grace.

You pick and choose your battles.

You encourage and try to set reasonable boundaries.

You love them at their worst and stay available.

You say yes whenever you can, and no to keep them safe.

You show interest in their interests, you show up to all the things.

You listen, you love, you keep trying.

Yet still, there is a distance between you; still, there is tension; still, it does not feel right.

And even when you've been down this road before, each and every step is covered with something new, making it harder and harder to find your way back to a time when you were close with your child, harder to be in a place you both find comfortable and content.

When you've done all you can to make it work, and yet it still isn't working, there are only a few choices.

You can give up,

push back,

or keep trudging forward, knowing you may lose control for a while.

So today, I surrender to the fact that although my relationship doesn't look the way I want it to, that our growing pains may hurt a little more than others, I have to believe that teens come back to their mothers.

I know this because I was once a teen daughter, too. Almost overnight, I went from feeling like my mother was always breathing down my neck to her becoming one of my dearest friends and confidants.

It's hard for me to imagine now, it's hard for me to remember, but I know in my heart it’s true.

And despite the way I treated her in my teens, despite my pushing her away and fighting her affections and believing she was holding me back, she patiently waited for me to come back to her—just as I will be waiting for my teenager, too.

Because ours is a tale as old as time, and while she continues to walk farther in front of me to sever the last remaining strings of our bond, I silently hold on to the few I have left.

And I cling to the hope that one day, not too far off in the future, my teen will find her path back to me, where I will be waiting with open arms.

Because no matter how hard the road is between us, how treacherous the terrain, or how I might lose control, I'll be on it every step of the way.

As that’s what mothers do for children who spend their teen years breaking free.

Whitney Fleming Writes

Happy Birthday Sandy

Our tradition continues. We celebrated Sandy's heavenly birthday at The Chieftain...

Missing her so much : (   HAPPY BIRTHDAY SANDY!  Love and miss you forever. 

Two nights out

 Last night Danny and I went to this place in Providence...

It was amazing and so incredibly relaxing!! I was actually dozing during my foot massage! Then we went here right after which was right around the corner...

My boss gave me a gift card to celebrate my 15th year at my company.  So nice!!  

The food and wine were wonderful...

Then Limoncello and cheesecake for dessert...YUM!

Then tonight I had dinner with these two wonderful ladies...moms of Julia's friends...

Feels wonderful getting out!! 

First college game

Nicholas played in his first college hockey game today against Virginia Tech...

and won! Yay!!

Beach photoshoot

These gorgeous photos were taken by the college sports photographer...

Kid Rejection

You know it's a real thing. When I feel my kids are rejecting me, I try and do the following...

1. Feel the emotion...whether it's anger, sadness or a plain ole' pity party.

2. Then let the emotion pass. 

3. Try my hardest not to take it personally.

4. Remember what I was like at their ages. It really helps!  

5. Try and let it go and get busy doing something else...anything else. 

6. Still ask for their time, phone calls/facetime, etc. Even if they say no...they may also say yes. 

College Tour #7

The 7th college tour with Gianna was Quinnipiac. First I have to say what an absolutely gorgeous day it was yesterday! The perfect quintessential fall New England day! Warm temperatures in the 70's, sunny skies and bright orange and yellow leaves everywhere. We first toured the New Haven campus since she is considering Health Science. Then we drove the backroads over to the Mount Laurel campus and oh my goodness!! I have never seen such a glorious road as the one we were on! It literally took my breath away! No video or pictures as I was driving. I drove Gianna nuts with my "look...look...look!" and "it's so beautiful!"  Her 17 year old self just didn't care and didn't get it. I hope she will look around and appreciate it all someday but nope. Not now. Anyways...

It is a gorgeous campus with beautiful state of the art buildings. With their sky high tuition it should be!!

It has the major she is considering and she did like it but...she likes SHU better and so do I. 

And yesterday was Danny's birthday. N&J facetimed us while we sang Happy Birthday and blew out the candles on the whoopie pies : )   Next year it will just be D&D at home.  And the party gets smaller and smaller...and so it goes. 

Family Party

It was a gorgeous day for a family party.  Danny's cousin lives on a farm with donkeys, goats, chickens and lots of dogs and puppies!  

Bre and her cutie pie 3-month old Vinny...

I got to hold him a lot today!  Oh my goodness...it was so relaxing.  It's a feeling like no other. 

Danny with his Uncle Frank and cousin Danny...

Auntie Louise and Vinny...

and me and my Daniel...