Custom Made Miracles

Extended Vacation...

2010-04-26T22:52:00.008-04:00

and I'm not just talking about the remainder of the week in Florida we spent visting Eric's parents! Hello.... would someone care to actually BLOG over here!!! Jeez.

This final vacation post has taken FOREVER, but these pictures are truly priceless. On the first day we spent with my in-laws, the weather was the warmest (70'ish), the sun was shining and it was time to hit the beach. Even though there was a slight chill to the air and the water was freezing cold, it wasn't enough to deter any one of us from taking the plunge in the crisp, biting waves of the ocean. Fully clothed and the whole bit! Here's something: see the silhouette to the far left? Oh! Hey! That's me! I went on vacation and actually turned up in a photo! Just as we began to sink our toes in the sand, I joked to Eric that maybe he could take a few clicks on the other side of the camera, so as to get some pictures of me with the kids. (which I have very few of because The Hubs doesn't take pictures - and usually it's only the 4 of us) It was then that my very generous Mother-in-Law offered to take my camera for a whirl. And she wasn't stingy with the picture taking either - she got some amazing shots! In fact, she captured some of the most beautiful moments we shared with our kids. As for the days following, we finally caught up on some sleep, we went to the pool, shopped, went to a children's museum (to which I forgot my camera!) and enjoyed the laid back style of what vacation is all about. With the added bonus of a very doting grandma and grandpa to help entertain our kids!Even though our kids were mostly napless throughout our entire stay, not to mention Very late bedtimes, I was so proud (and impressed) to see that they were able to behave for the most part given all of the activity that came along the way. It actually made me think that vacation is getting easier already and more enjoyable with young kids. Last year, in comparison, was work. Good work, but definitely more involved when there was a 1 and 3 year old to look after. All in all, we had a wonderful winter vacation and LOVED spending time and making memories with our family. To my Grandma, Aunt Shirley, my Dad and my In-Laws: thank you for your hospitality, your never ending energy and all of the little things to make our vacation so enjoyable. It never would have been the same without you!

Clips:

2010-03-31T22:46:00.002-04:00

Just stopping by to let you know that I haven't forgotten all about posting the second half of our vacation. (Because I know that y'all are on the edge of your seats, right?) It just seems that life and circumstances have gotten in our way. Besides, the pictures I have are too good not to share.

With that, I'm going to bring you up to speed on what exactly is making blogging so difficult at times.

For the past 2 days, Eric has been out of town and true to fashion, one of my kids ends up sick. This time was Elaina's turn. Eric hadn't even been gone for 24 hours when she begins to run a fever, chills, and vomiting. Needless to say, I have been home from work playing the role of Exclusive Caregiver to both kids on very little rest.

This morning as we were cuddled on the couch, Elaina had gotten sick in her "puke bowl" just as Lincoln was crawling over the sofa to investigate. He eyes up the bowl and declares, "Soup!" Not so much Kid. Ewww.

At dinner, Lincoln started on a roll of making noises to see which one Just Might Be the Funniest of All. He began to "Oink" which led Elaina to follow with "Oink, Oink!" <<-- with inflection. Soon I found that I was listening to an entire conversation between my Darlings which only consisted of the word "oink." They were cracking each other up.

While watching TV, I sat down on the floor to cuddle up with Lincoln and soon Elaina joins me on my lap. As I was hugging them together, Elaina noted that "we're a small family without our Daddy." She's right, I think we are all missing him.

Finally, Lincoln is not potty trained. He is not actively potty-training and furthermore, I don't know when he will ever express an interest in being potty trained. As I was changing his stink diaper tonight, we had a conversation all about where poopy goes and how big boys don't wear diapers and yadda-yadda-yadda... same as always. (He knows the answers!) My final question to him was, "Lincoln, when do you think you'll be a big boy and not wear diapers anymore?" His reply, "Good question Mom."

Just one more that is too sweet to not make note: A few days back Lincoln was having a Behavior Issue (read: crying like a banshee for no particular reason except he's 2) and I've learned some multi-step tactics to deal with his fits. This particular moment found me cradling him in my arms without saying any words and just letting him calm down and cry it out. Before long, he takes his thumb from his mouth as he began to wind down and in a tender voice says, "Mom? thanks." IlovehimIlovehimIlovehim.

So this is what parenting is all about isn't it?

Florida, 2010

2010-03-22T22:06:00.012-04:00

If you didn't already know, I am in love with what has become our winter tradition of a trip to Florida. Not only for the much needed break from Ohio snow and ice, but because my grandma is there and she does her best to make her house our home for the time we stay with her. And like anyone and their grandma, I really can't get enough of her. Oh, and the sunshine, of course!

This year's trip was different from any other for a lot of reasons. This was our first trip down since my grandpa's passing, God love him. I haven't blogged about it previously, but my grandpa was an amazing man and a pillar in our family. I'm even more grateful than ever for our Florida vacations in the past in that he was able to meet both of our kids and even though they may be too young to remember him, they'll be able to see his pictures with them and know that they were such an important part of his life.

Another hardship that our family had to face was the untimely passing of my Aunt Sandie who also lived in Florida and my grandma's oldest daughter. Her death happened only a week prior to our already scheduled visit. For this, my dad and my Aunt Shirley remained with my grandma for the duration of our time there as well. In the deepest sadness, we found joy. Being together as a family, supporting one another and sharing laughter and memories brought us all a step closer to healing.

Without dwelling on our sadness, we made the most of our trip, filling our days with fun and togetherness.

Do you want to know what I absolutely love about this picture?

It reminds of me of last year when my grandpa played music for us. Lincoln was surely captivated.

And about that little Lincoln of mine, did I mention that he came down with croup the week before we left? He seemed to be better just prior to our trip and then we arrived in Florida. And the coughing began. Croup again, which his prescription medicine couldn't even touch. Croup which caused him to be unable to breathe without coughing for a whole 2 minute stretch. Croup which landed us in the Urgent Care for an antibiotic. As an added bonus, he picked up the start of an ear infection somewhere along the way. My little Trooper!
Speaking of added bonus: despite the unfortunate circumstances, it was really nice having my dad assuming his Grandpa role while we were there.

Never mind the windblown hair and the unprepared smiles, this picture was taken just before we boarded a 2 hour boat ride for a Family Fun cruise which my grandma arranged.
It was easily the highlight of our time there for all of us. They had exotic animals for the kids to touch. (yes, that would be an alligator that my son is petting!)

They had face painting which made for toddler sized pirates and unicorn fairy girls! (I hope they don't expect me to do this at home!)

And best of all, they had a dance contest which Elaina entered, and WON!! I seriously thought my heart may have sprung a leak as it was about to burst with pride! Even though the winner was chosen by audience applause, and we did happen to have 6 very loud and very proud family members cheering our girl on, many of the other guests applauded Elaina and easily made her the winner. OH, was she ever cute!!!

As the winner, she received a goody bag full of candy, a gift certificate for the cruise line, a super large milkshake of her choice AND she got to steer the boat with the captain! My four year-old, commanding the ship! Her mother beaming!

With this, treasured memories were made, sorrows were laid aside and we look forward to many more great trips to be with my grandma. And after all of this, can you believe that this is only a part of our Florida trip this year??? This year, we added a second leg to our tour. Stay tuned!

SO much.

2010-03-11T22:38:00.003-05:00

Have you ever had those kind of days in which you find yourself already at work, dressed for your work day and 2 hours into sitting at your desk, you decide to look down to make sure that your shoes match? And that your clothes coordinate.

Come on... I can't be the only one! Okay, maybe so.

There has been so much going on here lately that I hardly know where to begin to try an catch up. Maybe you can guess where this is going... YES! Bullet-point recap!! Sweet!

[edited to add: okay, so I can't find actual bullet points on here soooo... looks like hyphens will do!]

- One week ago today, we came home from a week long visit to various family members in Florida. The first half of our trip was spent with my grandmother while the latter was with my in-laws. For 7 straight days, our days were full, our kids were napless wonders and we were all spoiled rotten. A great vacation indeed! I will do my best to follow with pictures and a separate vacation post soon.

- Over vacation, that little Lincoln of mine became an explosion of energy, eagerness and enthusiasm. Maybe it was the favorable climate, maybe it was break from our routine or maybe it's because he's come upon a burst of maturing. Whatever it is, he is ever-complex and I look forward to telling you all about him in a future post.

- The saying is true: sometimes you have to take the good with the bad. This winter has found us safe, happy, mostly healthy and continually blessed. For this I am thankful. One who didn't bear the wintertime and (geriatric) life in general was our dog, Keegan. Keegan was laid to rest the week prior to our vacation. I'm pretty sure that a follow up post about him is necessary as well.

- In other random ramblings: I registered Elaina for Kindergarten. My truck (we bought new) hit the 100,000 mile mark at (almost) 7 years old. I ordered the most expensive vacuum cleaner of my life - a Dyson - which I am so anxious to fall in love with. The kids and I are leaving Eric behind this weekend to spend a night at my brother's house; our fun-line-up will blow my little kiddies minds! I can't wait! With a much needed break from our snow-filled state, our weather has finally hit a breaking point and I've already begun my psychotic- decrapification from my house - A.K.A.: Spring cleaning meets crack. We've gotten new furniture for Lincoln's bedroom and a full sized bed is being made. Within a few short months, I hope to have his bedroom transformed into a big-boy room. The most obvious reminder that my last baby is growing up and won't want to sleep in a crib until he's 7. Where does the time go???

Speaking of time, where do you suppose I am going to find the time to sit down to write all of these follow up stories? Has anyone discovered a way of making time stand still? Oh, and not have to get tired. <-- very important!

Puppy Love, or at least I hope...

2010-02-08T21:50:00.002-05:00

With Valentine's Day soon approaching, for tonight's topic I'm going to write about Elaina and her "boyfriend." While my intention is to use the term "boyfriend" loosely, Elaina has a very different idea.

I still remember the day; it was summer time and lovely weather. We were outside enjoying the day, talking to neighbors and watching the cars go by. Elaina was about 18 months old and was holding onto my hand as she walked the landscaped brick wall which frames our driveway. With each step, she became more brave, more daring and less likely to look down at her feet as she scurried forward. And just like that, she lost her footing and scraped the side of her ankle against the brick. Being the protective Mother Bear that I am (and a first time mom) I pulled her close to comfort her as she buried her face into my chest. As she laid against me, I could only hear a slight whimper and hardly any tears came from her eyes even though her ankle was scraped red with blood. I saw her look up, resting her eyes on "Sammy" and realized that she didn't want to cry in front of him.

Just then, I began to wonder if Elaina was holding back her feelings to show Sammy that she wasn't a baby. Odd reaction for a child who wasn't even two years old and hadn't ever seen that kind of behavior before.

In the two years that have come to pass, she often talks about wanting to marry Sammy. She has asked that when she and Lincoln outgrow their baby toys, if we can send them to Sammy's house for Their kids to play with. During a recent conversation with Eric and myself on what she wants to be when she grows up, her answer was "a doctor, a teacher, a veterinarian and the lady who puts your tray up on the airplane." My reply was that it seemed as though she would be awfully busy with her careers that I wondered how she would ever have time to see her mom and dad. "Don't worry Momma, I'll still live right here, next door, with Sammy. And you can come over any time you want. And I'll even make you dinner." "I'm going to marry Sammy you know."

Concerning, no?

But it even goes further, she'll often talk about when she grows up, when she and Sammy will be married, what color her dress will be and they'll live next door and even what she will be naming her kids. (RosaBella, Maggie Flowers and Junior are a few that I can recall) She doesn't stop. She reminds us of her future plans at least a couple times a month, sometimes multiple times in the same week. I try not to react, but only to listen when she begins her fairytale life story with Sammy, but HOLY SMOKES KID, you're 4 years old! Where does she come up with this imagination? These ideas? Dora doesn't have a boyfriend. TinkerBell isn't interested in getting married. My child has her children named!

Did I mention that fact that Sammy is our next door neighbor? Who is also our friend. Who is also approximately 3 weeks older than Eric. He is well aware of Elaina's "love" for him and he is VERY much appropriate toward her and brushes her off as if he were a kind uncle reacting to her attention.

Yes Elaina, when you are 25, your Sammy will be Golden Buckeye card carrying member and looking towards retirement. Every young girls' dream right?

The only upside to all of our musings is that any time Sam lets me down for any reason, I remind him that he will not be my favorite son-in-law for long.

Refresher

2010-01-29T22:47:00.013-05:00

Remember these little Munchkins?

(Yes, Mom, I know you're so excited to finally see pictures up!)

These are the same two who have been growing like crazy and occupying all of our time. Not like I mind, of course, but GEEZ, slow down!

In the early part of the fall, Elaina learned to ride a 2- wheel bicycle all by herself. After weeks of the training wheels barely touching the ground on her bike, she felt that she was ready to take a spin sans extra wheels. With only a few slight steady, starts from her dad, she was off like a flash and didn't turn back.
As for this little guy, he is pure speed on his scooter. He rides his 2 wheel scooter like it's his job! The first few weeks of the winter season were tough on Lincoln. With each passing day, the weather grew colder and he became more bitter about not being able to go outside to ride his scooter. It was pure torture for us to hurry him inside from the cold weather only to leave his scooter alone, without a rider for days on end. Eric has caved a few times, bundling the kids up and taking them out on clear days and letting them enjoy some time to zip around the driveway for a short while. Even if the weather was in the low 40's. And this girl... oh yeah! This big girl started Pre-K at school! Elaina goes 3 half days during the week and absolutely loves being in school. Her enthusiasm hasn't wavered in the months since school began. In my telephone conference with her teacher last week, she reported that Elaina is one of her brightest students in the class (of 10) and very social and friendly. The teachers have been impressed with her language skills and memory. Pre-K has been an excellent experience for Elaina, but it leaves this 4 year-old beat by the end of the school day. Oh, the hectic life of a preschooler!

This picture of Lincoln pretty much says it all. He's so cute and SO mischievous!!! This boy is stealth! The 2's have hit Lincoln in just about every stereotypical fashion. He has begun hitting, yelling, pushing, kicking and having a hard time learning to share. Yep... our boy is 2. VERY, VERY 2. But seriously, when he flashes that Sweetheart Smile... OH, how I melt! God I love this little StinkerBoy!

Four is fun age for a girl. Elaina continues to be into all things Girly. The more girly, the better. The best part is, she wants to do as much stuff with her mommy as she does her daddy. This is the same girl who demands to wear a dress every day no matter what the day holds. In the same moment, she is also the child asking her dad when he's going to take her hunting and when they can go camping together. She loves everything sparkly and glittery, yet she asked to see the groundhog her dad shot - just to see what a dead groundhog looks like. Not grossed out or anything. Just - "Oh." "Daddy could we go get Slurpees?"

And this My Friends, is what my blog is all about.

Because everyone needs a starting point...

2010-01-29T22:32:00.002-05:00

Even if it's to restart a project for the 4th or even 5th time.

The good news; I'm energized. I'm refreshed. I want to renew my blog! (and get my Lovely, Well-Meaning Family off my back over Blog Guilt!)

I'm not going to spend a moment longer dwelling on why I have taken such a long hiatus from blogging other than to say that it's a blog worth saving!

My fresh approach: tidbits.

Yep. Tidbits of our lives. As they happen. I'm not the best writer, nor am I the most witty, but my kids and some of our daily occurrences are well worth noting and a blog is just the spot for all of that. Of course it always has been, but I'm considering this my written permission slip for "quantity performance" over "quality." It's a recession People; it's time for cutting back!

Join me in a toast: "Long Live THE BLOG!!"

Cheers!!

Dropping by...

2009-09-28T21:48:00.004-04:00

So it's become pretty clear to me that blogging is most definitely taking a back seat in our lives these days. I don't even feel the need to make excuses any more, let alone, empty promises. Now, if someone were to offer a couple extra hours in my day or help me find a way to never tire, well then, bring it on!

Since it's been a month since my last entry, I'm happy to report that Elaina's "bad spell" ended just as abruptly and swiftly as it started. Our sweet, little darling is back to normal. While I'm on the topic of Elaina, one more thing that has changed is that our baby has started school in a Pre-K program. She has wanted to go to school for the past year and a half so this is like her dream come true. I'm more than pleased that she loves school and along with that, I'm very glad that it's only 3 days a week. We've come to realize that on the days she has school, she is worn out. I mean, BEAT! When I arrive home, I've often been finding her laying on the sofa, zombified in front of the TV, too tired to even acknowledge me. When we make plans for Friday evening (another school day) she does everything in her power to stay awake, alert and pretend to not be tired even though her eyes become all starey when she idles for longer than 2 minutes. The good thing is that she loves school and we've gotten good reports from her teachers.

With all of the talk about Elaina, how about that little brother of hers? My little Lincoln Man! OhMyGoodness! That little guy has begun talking up a storm! I thought it would never happen! He was certainly taking his time in the language arts department. Along about August, he began putting words together and expressing that he was actually getting something out of the words he's been using and hearing. Every single day, he picks up more words, shows more personality and even a sense of humor. Up until this point, he's always been a little reserved to the more-serious side and quick to react when things don't go as planned for his little self. This is still the case, but the reassuring part is that by and by, some of his quick-to-react fits are gradually improving with the help of him learning to communicate. We're all happy about that!

And since I'm spilling all the beans about my kids' behavior, let's talk about Lincoln and hitting. Oh, that child is SO 2! His "thing" has become hitting. Swatting rather, since he just swings his little arm from side to side until he hits what he's been aiming for in his path. This, I cannot stand. It seems that every single day he is hitting someone; even if he's generally happy-ish, he makes it a point to give someone a whack, quite possibly just to see their reaction. I don't know how to explain that. With a variety of tactics in place, we're getting through each day with fewer and fewer instances, but hitting still seems to rank pretty high on cool-things-to-do-to-upset-your-family.

Other than that, life here is pretty good. Our days are busy, our children are loved and we're all very blessed to have happiness each day. With every hurdle I face throughout the day, I continuously remind myself, "Work hard, play hard." And that's exactly what we've been doing!

NOT part of the Fairy Tale

2009-08-20T22:05:00.004-04:00

See this little Cheezer?

This is the same little Cheezer that I live for. I adore. I share my heart with and pour every ounce of love into. My sweet Elaina.

Without warning, without explanation and without cause, this sweet, darling daughter of mine has warped into an absolute brat. Did I really just call my child a "brat?" This time : YES.

I'm not sure if the planets are out of alignment, maybe the air is a little too thick or maybe I'm just due for some cruel twist of fate. Whatever the case might be, Elaina has been bad. Like B-A-D bad.

It wasn't even a slow progression either. Along about 3 weeks ago, we had been running in a crazy-typical-busy-but-structured fashion and her behavior seemed to indicate that she was overly tired and needed a break. We slowed down, made earlier bedtimes and exhausted every bit of patience with her to see her through her rough patch. Every day that following seemed to amplify more misbehaving and more attitude. While I don't know every one's view on spanking kids, (and this is not the time nor place for a full justification or debate) but the only thing that seemed to slow her down, get her attention and curb her behavior was a firm swat on her bottom. She's gotten more swats in three weeks than she's had in her lifetime. She's already told me that she likes going to time-out and staring her in the eye (with a firm grasp on her arm) and sternly explaining the necessity to STOP her bout-of-crazy, eventually became ineffective.

To try to better explain what exactly it is that we've had such problems with is likely vast and ever changing. Basically, it's the fact that she has been taking deliberate actions to intentionally defy and disobey us and do things that she already knows are wrong. And that she seems to take such pleasure in knowing that she is being defiant. And then does more. All this with the added bonus of a teenage-sized attitude. If she's seemingly run out of leads to get in trouble, then she turns on Lincoln and SQUEEZES him and hugs him so hard or plays with him so rough that she thinks she ought NOT to get into trouble because she "is just loving him."

I can't even begin to explain what a toll this has taken on me. Each day I wake up believing that it will be a fresh start and then I get more of the same and sometimes even before work which is just GREAT! I have been missing my sweet daughter and it has torn me up that she has been acting so crazy. Each night I lay in bed with her and we try to talk about her day and the things that make us happy. I've talked to her, encouraged her and praised her. Sometimes I can just about my see my words slipping right out of her ears as she convinces me that the "good Elaina" will soon come back.

As of tonight, I'm happy (blessed) (overjoyed) (proud) (excited) to report that Elaina seems to be on an upswing. The past three nights have been successful without incident and without attitude. Thank you Sweet Jesus! In turn, I have done my share of praising her and reminding her of all of things she is doing right and how much I love her nice words. And how much I have missed her sweet self. I'm not sure what kind of crazy she had going on but I am more than relieved to see us all on the other side and that she seems to have literally snapped back into the little girl I know and love so much.

Is this what you would call growing pains? If so, I'd like to order the antidote right now. Monthly installments, please.

Anyone for a little June?

2009-08-11T21:29:00.006-04:00

This is how I felt about most of the month of June. It was a fun ride with lots of smiles, but a little bit blurry and it went by fast.

The most outstanding event which occurred in June was that our daytime babysitter went on a week long vacation. And why would that be significant to us, you may wonder? It's because we filled her position with temporary, out-of-towners to watch our kids during the day. Grandparents!

My parents were willing to come to stay with us for the better part of the week to watch the kids during the day so that Eric and I didn't have to use all of our vacation to be at home with nothing planned. From what I understand, they had a pretty good time and Lincoln made it pretty clear that he is my dad's biggest fan. He began to call my mom "Eema" which suited her just fine as he finally gave the person changing his dirty diapers some well deserved recognition.

It was during this same week that we happened to have our pre-scheduled dental check up for Eric and myself and Elaina's first visit to sit in the dentists' chair. The first thought to cross my mind was how unfair it seemed to leave my parents on duty all day long strapped with a kid (kids) while we were gone until the better part of the evening. (we were scheduled after work and our dentist's office is an hour away) The more practical side of me began to think of what a great experience this could turn out to be for Elaina with her first trip to the dentist and a special date night with just both of her parents and herself. In the end, all of our appointments turned out well and we rounded out our day with a trip to Build-a-Bear, a restaurant and an ice cream cone. Lincoln managed at home just fine.

During my parents' stint as full time babysitters, my mom and dad also filled the role as part-time help with household projects. My mom was a huge help with our laundry and making dinner while my dad joined Eric with more outdoor projects than I can list.

And just in case it's worth my while, (for posterity of course) I should also like to mention that I made a full fledged effort to get the kids pictures taken at the portrait studio. On the day we arrived, they said that they had our appointment scheduled for the day before. (they were wrong) The blame fell on the shoulders of a new worker and so we rescheduled to an even better time slot for the following weekend. Come picture day (again) Elaina was still sporting a scuffed up scab above her right eyebrow and I refused to consent to her idea of letting her wear a band-aid to cover it up. Lincoln, being otherwise healthy, woke up that same day with a persistent fever. Picture appointment cancelled. Oh, and after about 4 days of Lincoln being mostly miserable with a fever and loss of appetite, Elaina came down with the same, only hers involved vomit. So there. No 2 year old and 4 year old pictures yet.

This too...

2009-08-11T20:49:00.003-04:00

Maybe I failed to also mention that Elaina has spent a good part of her summer months growing. While I wasn't aware that a steady diet of hot dogs, salami, cheese, bread, yogurt, pudding and cookies will make you grow, Elaina somehow found a way around the rules. Her hair is also on board with the growing trend. When her hair is wet and brushed straight, it hangs to the middle of her bottom. Her body is growing sturdy and she's really taking on the shape of a school-aged kid.

I think she is going to be a little upset that they don't allow princess dresses as part of the regular school dress code.

BLING

2009-08-11T20:02:00.000-04:00

I'm realizing that a summary of the month of May wouldn't be complete without mentioning Elaina's new bling. Girlfriend got her ears pierced! It had been something that we had discussed and even though she wasn't nagging with eagerness, she never changed her mind letting us know that she didn't want to. Much to my pleasure and surprise, it was a mere coincidence that she chose her birthstone ruby studs as her starter earrings. I hesitated to tell her too many details about the quick procedure they were about to perform, and so with two store workers and two quick snaps of the piercing guns, my baby girl now has earrings.

She cried a little out of pain and the fact that no one had ever hurt her so intentionally before. We celebrated her triumph and milestone with a $4 cookie and hugs. And the minute I turned to really look at her with her ears all blazing red and her sparkling, ruby stones gleaming, I wondered what I just let happen to my BABY! And then I began to cry.

And May went on...

2009-08-04T22:47:00.008-04:00

Have you ever had so many things going on in your life at the same time that you begin to see those "things" as hurdles to cross before moving onto the next one? That would pretty much sum up my feelings toward the month of May. Of course, the biggest, best and my favorite event of all was celebrating Lincoln's birthday. Oh, my little guy and how he has grown and changed in such a short period of time. I could just eat him up. But there's plenty more about Lincoln still to come. Let's talk about May for now.

The weekend following Lincoln's birthday I flew to Florida by myself to be in one of my best friend's wedding. I served as the Matron-of-Honor and I'm pleased to report that I did my reading during the ceremony without flaw, without being nervous and without passing out. (which DID fuel my stress level immensely as I truly believed that at least one of them Would actually happen to me) By the way, the ceremony took place at a gorgeous hotel, outside, in 90 degree heat. God bless them; the sun fell directly on the groomsmen in their tuxedos and not one of them passed out! It was a good day. The wedding was gorgeous, my visit was fun but I can't even begin to tell you how much I missed my babies. This was the very first time I've ever spent a night away from both of them. Minutes felt like hours until my plane landed and I drove myself home. Hugging and squeezing them in my arms is the best feeling in the world, how could that ever get old?

*Hurdle #2 : Success!

The days continued to fly by and believe it or not, Memorial Day weekend was already upon us. Along with some of our closest friends, we've begun a tradition of them traveling to our house for Memorial Day weekend. My girlfriend and I are garage sale junkies and there is an awesome annual allotment garage sale scheduled for the same weekend. The better part is that her parents live there which provides us with a free lunch and convenient potty breaks at their house. The dads have a pre-arranged "Daddy Day" which gives them charge of 5 kids under the age of 7. As for next year, Daddy Day will incorporate child number 6, once my friend delivers their new addition this winter. The dads take the kids to a great playground/amusement park which is somewhat near our house, while my friend Beth and I load my truck with great steals and treasures. Dinner always follows at our favorite local pizza place and we always end up eating mountains of S'mores that same night. I guess there's something to be said for tradition.

The following weekend was my last Bunco/Girls night since we decided to break for the summer months. I never really know how much I need a day or evening or even an hour to myself until I get one. Playing Bunco with my girlfriends has been so much fun for me. It's a true break from any thinking, planning and acting like a grown up. It's not that I don't treasure the time I spend with my husband and kids, but girls' night doesn't require for me to tell anyone to finish their food, wash their hands, stop pushing their brother in the babydoll stroller, etc.... what a welcome stress-buster to have to look forward to each month. And now, we've been on a break. At least the month was coming to a close anyhow.

And that was May.

Out of the Gate

2009-08-03T22:41:00.008-04:00

Remember these little faces?

These are the faces of the same little munchkin grinners that have kept us so busy all summer long. Although I've not been blogging, I sure haven't missed a beat with my camera in hand just ready to flood my blog pages with pictures.

I've spent the past 30 minutes logging all of the pictures I plan to post from the past couple months. Without exaggeration, I have taken close to 300 pictures since the middle of May. So, even though my blogging hasn't been up to par, I have the filler content just waiting in the wings, ready to overtake my pages here.

Thanks to my family and friends who have commented on my last post, I think that I have actually come up with a plan of attack to begin making up for lost time. I'll get there slowly. It doesn't look like the dust and cobwebs in our house are going anywhere any time soon. Let the blogging resume!

Rekindling the Romance

2009-07-29T22:32:00.003-04:00

Well, hi there!

Remember me?

Um yeah, well, where do I begin?

I feel like a 7 foot freshman trying to make friends at a new high school. In May.

I guess that after a little impromptu blog hiatus, I need to start again sometime. (I've missed writing and I've missed your kind comments. I haven't missed 1:00 a.m. bedtimes and the feeling of commitment that I sometimes attach to blogging.) The problem that faces me now is where to begin to make up lost time?

An explanation for my absence? (there is none)

Jump right back into blogging like time has stood still? (I'm pretty sure that if you've come back to visit, you've noticed that almost 2 months are not accounted for)

Call off work for 2 weeks straight and send the kids to the babysitter's house to begin to start from where I left off? (not enough vacation time)

Back date my posts? Because if I'm blogging purely for the sake of posterity, in a year from now, the fact that I skipped out on 2 months could be our little secret. (the beauty of blog editing)

Pretend that we spent the past couple months at Graceland and met Elvis at a diner and we've been hanging out with him ever since. (because that could happen to anyone)

So, if anyone has stumbled back here still checking for a pulse, feel free to offer your grand insight and helpful suggestions on where I should begin to account for almost 2 months of sheer craziness, living each day to the fullest while writing about it all has taken an unfortunate back seat. And I'll be sure to tell Elvis how nice y'all are.

Good to see you back My Friends!

Lincoln Turned 2

2009-05-31T23:11:00.013-04:00

It's really been too long my dear blog buddies. My parents have been griping at me to "post some pictures of our grandkids! We miss seeing them!" (Bonus points if you used a pretend mom-voice when you read that!) Blogger barely recognizes my log-in. And my picture file is nearly bursting at the seems. BUT! In the midst of this crazy month, my precious baby boy celebrated his second birthday and is making his making his debut as a terrific 2 year old.

With an early May birthday (May 7) I'm pretty sure that Lincoln's birthday will likely collide on a Mother's Day weekend more often than not. My in-laws were kind enough to host Lincoln's birthday party at their house this year, which just happened to go hand in hand with celebrating Mother's day as well.

The weather was perfect, the food excellent and the company couldn't be matched. Lincoln's second birthday party was a success.

Here are some of the highlights of our day:

My birthday boy waiting for the party to begin!

Great-Grandma W. and Elaina look summery fresh in their coincidental red and white gingham.

Elaina just "happened" to get a new princess dress to replace her tattered blue Cinderella dress.

Aunt Cindy thought of everything and supplied the bounce house to help counteract the affects of the cake and ice cream on my rascally children.

This is the truck that did my boy in. It was attached to the top of a gift and once Lincoln got his hands on his new wheels, as far as he was concerned, his birthday was complete. It was only present #2. No more were necessary or even remembered.

Along with Elaina's generous help, she and I had to finish unwrapping Lincoln's gifts and tried to entice him into noticing something more than just his truck. Hello one-track-mind

-child! Lincoln's cake theme ended up being Sesame Street this year. Aside from cars, trucks and everything else with wheels, letters and numbers seem to fascinate my little guy and he does seem to enjoy the show as a whole. Let me not fail to mention that little boy party themed decor is minimal at best.

The cake was the only thing that distracted him from his new truck. Gotta love a kid who's willing to take the first taste for his guests, right?

Happy Birthday my sweet son. I'm so excited to see what age 2 has in store for us. I love you Lincoln Todd.

And my list keeps growing...

2009-05-13T21:07:00.002-04:00

I just knew that May would be like this. To say that I've been busy would be an understatement. May is kicking my butt and we're only halfway through the month!

The worst part is that I don't even foresee a break for (serious) blogging until the end of the month and there's so much to catch up on. This past weekend we celebrated Lincoln's 2nd birthday and Mother's Day together. Not to be out done, Elaina got her ears pierced. I still need to post pictures of the kids' cute new bathroom. And there is just no time. NO TIME!!

As I'm stealing away some time here to whine, I should be preparing for my weekend trip (alone) to Florida to be in my friend's wedding. I should be googling something about what to say at the reception as it is my job to give a toast to the new bride and groom. At some point I should be confirming my flight itinerary. It would be a really good idea to figure out what summer dresses fit me AND that I like from last year because other than my peony colored bridesmaid dress, I'm clueless about what I'm going to wear. And shoes! Aack! Shoes!! And since I'm leaving Eric to run the show around here, it would be nice if I could at least make sure that he's not left with mountains of laundry. (READ: ME being stuck with EVEN MORE laundry when I get home) and my baskets of laundry could use a little ironing by now. My head is hurting with anxiety and I feel like my allergies are acting up with this crazy weather. OH! And I really didn't mean to take all this time just to complain, but there's more. Really. The weekend after I get home, is Memorial Day and we're hosting our friends (family of 5) for the entire weekend and there is CLEANING to do. With 9 people moving about the house for 3 days straight, it surely helps when things are in order and the dust bunnies and cobwebs are history.

So. WOW. That's my month. Maybe you can stop back when the crazy lady is no longer behind the keyboard and not complaining. I promise that there will be a flood of pictures one day soon and stories upon stories of what May was all about. Until then, I think I need to go dust off the suitcase.

Behold!

2009-05-04T23:09:00.005-04:00

I've likely mentioned before what great friends and neighbors we have in this little town of ours. And being friendly in return, we just couldn't expect our neighbors to drop their plans on a whim, on the most beautiful days that this year has brought to us and expect for them to work on our swingset in the hot sun on their days off. And so we waited. And waited. Patiently as you can see. This is how our driveway looked for an entire week until Eric was able to pull together some help to get this mammoth secured in our yard.

Judging from the pictures, our 80 degree days have dropped by about 15 degrees and given way to overcast skies, but still nothing to keep our kids from enjoying THIS!!!

Although it's a little hard to tell from the picture, there is a rope ladder to the right platform and an opening to the left which accommodates a slide. The unfortunate part is that the slide is just a little too big for our yard to contain. It slides the kids right onto the the driveway. oops. But how about that for a FREE swingset!!??? We're going to look into buying a curved slide to attach on but in the meantime, Eric is going to have to do a little detail work on fencing or blocking off the unused openings. It seems that a certain fearless boy child is very much into learning to jump right now which doesn't bode well for this nervous mother or his barely 3 foot structure versus the 6 foot drop to the ground.

Let summertime resume!

Monkey Business

2009-04-26T22:35:00.003-04:00

Okay, really? It seems like I was just here writing a little something last night and a whole week has passed already.

I'm here to report the highlight of this past week is that we got a whale of a deal on a PLAY SET for the kids!! Woot! I had been secretly wanting one for the kids but I thought Eric would veto my idea since our backyard space is minimal to say the least. What do you expect when you live in a (very) small town on a main street? A smallish yard, that's what. When Eric presented the idea of a play set, well I had to bite my tongue to not seem overly eager in letting him know that I had thought of that first and of course, it was a great idea!!

We slowly began pricing swing set/ play structures to learn that $600 affords you a rather modest one. We're not asking for an Olympic sized play set, but we wanted more than a set of swings attached to a couple rungs of wood. While neither of us were particularly eager to dump a cool $600, I began to ask around and talk to some people at work. Within a weeks time, a friend of mine came up with a friend of a friend whose kids had outgrown theirs and just wanted it GONE from their backyard. My friend jumped on the case, brought us pictures, Eric checked it out and as of yesterday, we're the proud new owners of an enormous backyard play set!! The best part of all? FREE!!! Oh YES!! Free is a beautiful thing when it comes to saving $600! And it's awesome! So, what if it does eat up MOST of our backyard? So what if the kids can climb to the upper lever fort and peek into our neighbors yards and windows? It's a pretty cool structure and recycling at it's best. Hello and Happy Earth Week!

As for pictures? Well, Eric had anticipated having a couple buddies over today to help, but when a fire call interrupted his afternoon and the temperature peaked at a stiffling 85 degrees; well, let's just say that no one was coming knocking on our door, just asking to help in the sweltering sun. The weather forecast isn't looking quite so intense for the remainder of this week and a completed play set may just be in our future, sooner than later. That will put an end to Elaina asking 76 times a day if her new "tree fort" is ready for her to go swing yet. The bad part is that I am nearly as giddy as her to see this new behemoth all set up and ready for it's new life with our kids!

Sunday Chronicles

2009-04-19T22:38:00.004-04:00

It seems like my blogging pattern has been unimpressive to say the least. As a happy medium, I've decided that until I can reach full capacity of blogging or our life slows down even a little bit, I'm going to settle with a commitment to reserving enough time each Sunday night to wrap up our week and posting. If by chance I get a light week night, well, consider that "bonus" blogging.

The fortunate part of this past week has been that there is just not too much going on. That's good. No, that's great! It's not to say that we haven't been busy, it's just that Eric has been home early every night, we've had no evening commitments and our week has run pretty smoothly. Typical week. Good week!

So, while I'm not sure about everyone else's "typical" week, but let me tell you a little bit about our evenings in our typical week.

As far as I'm concerned, the evening starts when the work day ends and everyone is at home. Eric generally picks up the kids at 4:00 and I get home from work at 5. I change my clothes as fast as I can to begin dinner so we can eat promptly at 6:00 before a certain little boy loses touch with himself and his stomach begins to eat at his backbone. At least to hear him yelling as he's trying to climb into his highchair, one might suspect is the case.

Dinner and clean up can sometimes take up to an hour and Eric and I work together to get things cleared as quickly as possible to get on with our night. During our clean up time, the kids get about 20 minutes of "free roam." This is generally their time to wind down, watch tv, play with toys or play games on the computer. Every other night is bath night and they are still a fine age that they can bathe together without incident. Once they get jammied up and their hair dry, we've taken to hosting a dance party in our bedroom for the kids to romp around. Eric pulls a few favorite songs from the "music on demand" channels and Elaina and Lincoln hold hands and dance and swing each other around. And yes, it IS pretty much the cutest thing ever! After a few songs, we rotate nights to put each kid to bed and after 2 books per kid, it is down time. Our bedtime routine is pretty consistent each night and the kids know what to expect. The only setback to the whole game plan is that Elaina still likes for someone to lay with her for "just 3 minutes, pleeeassse." And I'll be darned if that innocent request of 3 minutes hasn't lasted an hour or more before I peel myself off of her covers. And so goes our typical evening.

Easter: In all of it's glory

2009-04-15T21:45:00.019-04:00

Let me just begin by saying that this Easter weekend was fun, exciting, happy, full, busy and great. In a nutshell, perfect.

For the past few years, Eric and I have decided that hosting Easter for our family (anyone who is able) is something we enjoy doing and hope to make a tradition. Part of having a big house is wanting to have the people you love the most come to fill it up. And this weekend was proof that we did just that. My parents, Eric's parents and Greg, Kate and Colin came to town for the weekend to celebrate Easter together and also a belated celebration of "Kate's" birthday.

When our weekend was all said and done and our guests parted ways, we were left with a fridge full of delicious leftovers, a floor full of Easter grass and a camera loaded with happy memories. So many great pictures in fact, I've taken it upon myself to dole them out here for you with prestigious award captions attached to each. Without further ado, here is our weekend in pictures:

Prettiest Birthday Girl: "Kate"Best Use of Air Quotes: Kate (just read the writing on her "cake") Most Apt to Initiate a Cavity from Abundant Sweetness: Lincoln wins over a double helping of spice cake and ice cream

Perseverance Award: Kate in her most notable performance as a willing artist, held hostage in my bathroom with constant interruptions and people of all sizes looking over her shoulder. We have all learned that the kids' bathroom maximum people capacity is approximately 8, provided they are all standing. The great reveal of this room will be noted in a future post once all accessories have been put in place.

Most Notable Quote of the Weekend: Kate with: "Colin, I never knew who would teach you about guns, but I never would have thought it would be your cousin, Elaina with her pink gun."

Endurance Award: Lincoln; this veteran driver of almost 2 seasons withstands driving conditions in almost any climate. It looks the driver in the other lane has completely lost sight of her car, but Lincoln is going strong and continued his race long after his captive audience left the stands. Only his dedicated race team of Grandma and Grandpa W. stayed with him to help avoid racer's rage leaving the track. Most Team Unity: Greg and Colin; they worked together collecting the great loot that the Easter Bunny left out for them, while carefully avoiding the land mines in the grass left by the Easter dogs. Best Disguise: I don't even know who that is but she deserves an award for looking cute and producing three of her secret agents to conspire with her.

Child in Most Need of a Shopping Cart: Elaina; this Lightweight Champion enjoyed collecting her treasures so much that she didn't want to put them down for even a second. You never know when that sneaky Easter Bunny could come back and snatch all of her great finds. (I'm such a proud mom!) Most Daring Attempt: Colin; take note of this adolescent Brown's fan (by default of his parents) touching the holy grail of Steelers collectibles and not growing athletic talent on the spot.

Best Pose: Elaina; as I asked her to turn and show me her Easter basket, she pivoted, popped her elbow back and showed me her stuff! Oh how this girl makes me laugh!

Most Likely to Melt his Mother's Heart: Lincoln; after our family left and Elaina, Lincoln and I shared some quality nap time, Lincoln pulled out his new Car book and began to read to himself.

And with that, our awards ceremony must come to a close. An honorable mention should also go to Kate for posting a great recap of our weekend on over at her blog as she shares more details on how our Easter egg hunt almost didn't happen and how "Kate" came to be. Here's hoping everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend while remembering the reason for the season.

twitch-twitch

2009-04-14T10:50:00.002-04:00

If you're reading this, you know that Easter is 3 days in the past and Monday has already come and gone and judging from this entry, there are no cute pictures as promised and no whimsical recap of our Easter weekend. In fact, all that you have before you is a sorry post about my internet being down last night. Aack. Nevermind my slight twitching from being disconnected from the blogosphere and facebook for an entire evening and a sporadic weekend of internet usage. Hello, my name is Laura and I think I may have a slight addiction to the "wwwdot."

Eric was on the phone first thing this morning with the cable company and is trying to resolve the issue of our disconnect. Until then, I'm accessing the web from work in a super-sleuth fashion while drinking my cappuccino and trying to keep the cute and funny stories of our weekend locked up in a file in my mind until I can roll them out onto my blog later on this evening. The silver lining of no internet access is that my bedtime last night was closer to 10:00 versus the standard-too-late bedtime of midnight, so I am feeling very rested, if not even punchy today. I hope this stays with me until tonight and that we're connected by the time I come home from work. Stay tuned.

Un-Quality

2009-04-07T22:20:00.002-04:00

"Un-Quality:" I'm thinking that is the best word to sum up what I am about to lay out for this grand daddy of an update.

It seems like forever since I've posted and while fleeting moments sweep through my mind and funny conversations play out in front of me, I can't seem to run my bedraggled self to the computer to get it out of my head just as fast as something else new pops up.

So here it is; my crazy, random, disorganized collection of things that have been occupying our time.

* Since the spring weather greeted us a few weeks back, I've been stricken with "the fever." Spring fever that is. I've been on a mission to sort, clean up, clean out and purge every corner of our house. It will be a long time to get accomplish every room, but that's been my goal. My intent is to make my house 200 pounds (of useless stuff) lighter by the time summer comes around.

** Last week, our babysitter caught a horrible case of the flu which happened to coincide with Eric being out of town. I stayed home from work with the kids for 2 days, while Eric rounded out Friday at home with them. On my stint as a homemaker, I took down curtains to wash, iron and rehang, I washed a few windows, cleaned out a few closets, tackled some heaping mounds of junk mail etc., and even made a trip to the library.

*** I really enjoyed staying at home with the kids. Our days were sometimes long and it is definitely a lot different than a scheduled work day, but I kinda hated going back to work.

**** I've wanted to redecorate the kids' bathroom for several months now. Last week, I came across a picture which was the perfect inspiration for the pond-theme I've been wanting to decorate with. I finally conned, I mean, convinced Eric to repaint the walls and with the help of my artistically inclined SIL- Kate and my mom, they will be able to add the final touches on making the bathroom wall details complete.

***** The timing of our project had everything to do with the fact that my parents, in-laws and bro, SIL and nephew are joining us for Easter weekend on Saturday. I thought it would be great to have their art displayed on our walls and fun at the same time to see the whole project completed. Lucky for me, my mom and (SIL) Kate are totally on board with creating works of art relating to amphibians and insects. WOOT! (Now, if I can just think of a way to lure them back when I'm ready to re-do Lincoln's bedroom....)

*I've mentioned previously that Eric's work has taken him out of town a lot lately and I'm very happy to say that his overnight trips are finally calming down after this week. He'll still have trips away from home, but they won't be nearly as frequent starting soon.

** I have severe mom-guilt. I'm pretty sure that no one is on the edge of their seat awaiting Lincoln's list of "25 Random Things," but every single day, I am fully and conscientiously aware that I have not done one yet. Soon. Very soon. My mind is reeling with fun Lincoln tidbits that I can't wait to share.

So, um, I think I might be done. Quite possibly that's all that I have left as I've been shaking out my head and trying to play catch up here. Easter weekend is soon approaching and our families will be joining us this holiday at our house. While I'm very much excited, I've been trying to combat clutter and stay on top of the never ending laundry piles so that when the weekend rolls around and we have a house full of people, I can rest easy and just enjoy all that the weekend brings. And as for my picture drought, I can assure you that will be taken care of by Monday.

Well, now what?

2009-03-30T21:46:00.001-04:00

At dinner this evening, I warned Elaina that if she got up from her seat one more time before she was finished, she was going to sit in time out.

To this she replied, "Okay. Momma, I like time out. I'll go now."

Me: (crap. crap. crap.) "Sit down young Lady. You need to finish two more bites before you leave this table. Tell me why you would like time out."

Elaina: "I like time out because it's comfortable and quiet to myself. Mommy, can I go now?"

Me: (crap. crap. crap.) "TWO BITES!"

Custom Made Kids: Ours

2009-03-29T22:04:00.010-04:00

For as long as I can remember, I've never wanted any more out of life than to be a wife and a mother. The kind just like my own mom.

And as long as I can remember, I've always wanted 2 kids; my daughter first followed with my son, 2 years apart. And in the most round about way and in a way that I would have never in a million years would have imagined, I got exactly what I wanted. Without flaw, without mistake, but pure perfection wrapped in sweet Elaina and Lincoln packages.

One of Ava's nurses from the NICU once told me that if it weren't for Ava's passing, Elaina would have never been a part of our family. On the same token, we would have never gotten Lincoln if we weren't already prepared for adoption.

It's these reminders that I hold dear when I look at our family dynamics and how our children came to be ours. It's for these reasons that I started blogging in the first place. It's been plenty healing while at the same time, pure and honest. Having adopted both of our children makes our bond of love even a little bit more unique than that of having biological children. Even though this isn't the way that I dreamed our family would be created, this is the family that I've always wanted. From the moment we held our newborns in the hospital rooms, we gazed upon the faces of little strangers. Little people who would change our lives and capture our hearts. With minimal family history at best and hardly a description of their biological fathers, their stories would be unfolding in our homes as they shared our last name. All the while knowing that their lives and their futures were changed from that very moment.
With promises of love, happiness, family, faith and abundant spoiling, our bond was cemented. While I'm not naive enough to believe that raising our kids through the hormonal teenage years won't always be sunshine and rainbows, our kids will always have that extra "circumstance" of being adopted to cause a potential riff in our Fairy Castle Dreamland. I'm using our time right now to capture these pure and celebrated moments to remind our kids that there wasn't a day in their lives that they weren't loved. That there's not a single thing in this world to suggest that they weren't meant for us and us for them.

One of very reasons that I began blogging all those years ago was to have a keepsake to come back to. A time capsule of pure and honest tales of our kids growing up and the happiness they have brought to everyone around them in the process. Memoirs so clear that I can just about hear their throaty, little giggles in the hallway while each of them thinks that the other looks the silliest. While they chase each other from one room to the next until finally realizing that they both want to crash atop mom and dad's bed with the silky comforter to squirm around on.

To remember the tender moments of the eldest convincing her mother that she wants to lay with "Lil'Lincoln in his crib so that he doesn't get lonely." And then laughing and playing with each other for nearly an hour before either lets the other rest.

And at the end of our crazy, long days, finding a mom that is most happy and satisfied with both of the little strangers who have made her life even better than she could have ever dreamed.

Friends and Family

2009-03-22T22:16:00.002-04:00

This evening is the first time all week that I've actually been able to breathe in some down time. A big deep breathe of QUIET time. Quiet time for me means kids are in bed (obviously), husband is home, house is clean-ish, and every little preparation I do for the next day has all been squared away. Deep breath. Aahhh.

It's been like one crazy, zippy, fast roller coaster ride for much of this last week. Hence, no blogging which I so much wanted for. Somehow this time of year shoves Eric's work schedule into full swing, however unrelated to weather his job duties are. Our calendar is like a hopscotch pattern of multiple overnights dates that he'll be out of town. And this past week and weekend weren't any different. It's nice to finally have him home.

Speaking of traveling, my parents have returned home from Florida and since we were dog-sitting for them, we were the last stop on their almost 3 week trip. Which, coincidentally panned out beautifully for them to be here when I had to take Elaina to a very structured open-house at preschool (which Lincoln would have never sat through) and I was set to host our monthly girls' Bunco night at my house on Friday. And boy, did grandparents ever come in handy! Eric actually returned home late on Thursday evening, which we took full advantage of my parents being here by asking them to put the kids to bed while we high-tailed our way out the door to have a grocery shopping date at Wal-Mart of all places at 8:30 on a week night! Let it not be said that the romance has died after all these years!

As for girls' night, playing Bunco, it totally rocks! (I'm over 30; not sure if I'm allowed to be using that expression.) I've taken the commitment to hosting our group in our garage since it's plenty large enough and we can be as loud as we want to be. No one has to clean and prep their house, kick out their family, shush their friends for sleeping children or cram 12 people and 3 tables into one room. A garage party it is!

Bunco was initiated by a friend of mine almost a year ago and we've been trying to pull together our (girl) friend group and commit ourselves to one girls' night each month. So far, it's been awesome. It's the one night we hoot and holler, laugh until we cry and eat until we want to burst. And then we walk to the local bar and drink, dance and tell secrets that ought not to be revealed. It's the best night ever! And this time, it was my mom and dad that saved the day by taking care of the kids all day and night and even the next morning while I did a little bit of much needed recuperating. Thanks mom and dad for allowing me a few extra punches on my Mom-Off-the-Clock-Fun-Card. I really needed that!

Girls and Genie's

2009-03-16T22:38:00.004-04:00

If the very reason I blog ever slips my mind, it's stuff like this I want to come back to.

As Elaina was going about her business on the potty tonight, she identified a sound and asked if it came from her tongue or from her tongue-butt. Hmmm.... give Mom just a minute here Kid, did you just say 'tongue-butt?"

When I replied that I didn't know what a tongue-butt was, she motioned to her "girl parts." Okay, so I already know that I'm a wimp for not plunging into proper anatomy terms with my 3 year old, but for now, "girl-parts" is working for us. She told me that "it" looks like a butt and a "that thing looks like a little tongue." Although I'm dying a little bit right within my skin at this point, the conversation proceeded.

Mom: "Elaina, that is not called a tongue-butt. Those are your girl-parts and we just call them girl parts."

Elaina: "Mommy, boys have boy parts. And sometimes, they're long. But not always. Girl parts are long too-- but not too long. They just look like butts-- but little butts. And they're fat-- but not too fat. Mommy, we're both girls, right?"

Mom: "Yes Honey, we're both girls and there's a lot of special things that go along with being girls."

Elaina: "I wish that Daddy was Lincoln and that Lincoln was Daddy and that you are Elaina and that I am Mommy and if I had a Genie, I would have lots of wishes and there would be purple clouds and I would be the Princess and Aladdin...."

Comeback

2009-03-15T22:38:00.003-04:00

Well, would you lookey there? Darned near 2 weeks since I cut out for a very impromptu blogging hiatus. And the more unusual twist was that it was for no reason at all. Well, unless you count laziness, procrastination and my total, utmost addiction to facebook. Darned friends talking all over there. Actual conversations. Almost.

I think that my sudden lack of blogging was that I simply needed a break. I mostly save my computer time for late at night, after a long day of working, wrangling kids, cooking dinner, looking over my favorite websites and then, and only then, do I try to kick-start some creativity and imagination of what I want to post about that night. And quite frankly, sometimes I have no imagination, no creativity and not even an ounce of energy to give back to the blogoshere. Sorry.

So, in my nearly 2 week blog-cation (vacation from blogging, that is) our world most definitely hasn't been standing still. In fact, the simple act of forfeiting midnight blogging sessions hasn't even afforded me earlier bedtimes. Oh NO!!

Last week I registered Elaina for preschool. I made my very last official Tastefully Simple order, which as you may remember, I was calling that side business QUITS clear back in October, but that's another long story. The paw-licking-stinkering bundle of fur next to my feet is reminding me that we have been dog sitting for my parents while they are visiting my grandparents in Florida. The time of year where Eric has to travel out of town for days at a time is upon us once again. I've taken advantage of some severe bouts of OCD and tackled some nagging projects around the house which have left me with a great sense of accomplishment. I am in desperate need of ONE ENTIRE day to clean out baby clothes from my attic and attempt to resale or pass along mounds of outgrown sizes which we no longer have need for. I scored an autographed print of an OSU football player AND money just by numbering some prints for a friend. Eric and I enjoyed a night out with a group of friends to listen to an 80's rock band that I enjoyed more than I ever thought possible. And finally, FINALLY, I think that it may be safe to say that I am headed to an upswing on my blogging initiative. Really!

That's all I've got Folks. I feel like a severe novice trying to get back in the swing of things over here in my old neighborhood. I hope no one was beginning to think that I had moved out. I'll be back.

The other side of sick

2009-03-02T21:44:00.003-05:00

The one (and only) thing I don't mind about our kids being sick is being able to stay home from work to take care of them. So what if I did use up nearly 30 hours of my sick time to be at home with my kids. And so what if I found myself plucking an almost-gone roll of toilet paper from the toilet bowl on a random afternoon at home. And who can blame me for wanting to stay in my pajamas the whole day long when I have no place to be?

By Wednesday afternoon, I could pretty much tell that Lincoln was turning the corner to feeling better. His fever was gone, his appetite was improving and judging from his less-croup sounding cough, the breathing treatments seemed to be doing their job. The only pitfall was that he was still fairly cranky and still possibly contagious. So, we stayed home. The whole week long.

Lucky for all of us, my parents paid us a visit which was actually twofold in their purpose. Of course they wanted to lend a hand in simplifying our week with a sick child but also, they were leaving their dog behind for us to dog sit while they headed to Florida. Elaina and Lincoln were totally beside themselves with having new people around rather than same-old-mom and same-old-dad day in and day out. Grandma and Grandpa even stayed home with them on Friday which allowed for Eric and I both to go to work. Simultaneously.

In juggling all of what last week threw at us, I've become more completely aware of a couple things. First of all, I would be happiest working my day job only part-time. And secondly, stay-at-home moms never really get any kind of break. Nap time hardly constitutes a 'break." Har. That's the time that you clean off the highchair tray for the 37th time of the day, chase millions of loads of laundry through, prepare the next meal, clean up and hide all of the "projects" that you would prefer not to tackle with a 3 year-old and go to the bathroom in peace.

In my days of staying home, I would admit that leisurely sleep-in mornings beat the crap out of our morning rush of dressing and feeding 3 people to leave the house at an exact time. Spending time painting banners, baking cookies and drawing pictures albums with my eldest and reading, singing and holding my youngest on my lap are things all more valuable than a paycheck.

Monkey B

2009-02-24T21:51:00.003-05:00

Just one little side effect of being a working out of the home parent is having to leave your child(children) with a day care provider. As for our childcare provider, I've mentioned Nancy before, and we love her. Even better than that, she loves our kids.

The things that we don't love about child care is the occasional parent of a sick child who deems their work day more important than the condition of their sick child. These parents sometimes overlook that when their child has a cough for more than 6 weeks and their appetite and behavior seem slightly altered, maybe it's time to take them to see their doctor rather than day after day, back to the babysitter's house. But instead, wait until said child spikes a drastic fever and acts lethargic and then has no choice but to rush their precious ones to the emergency room upon which urgent test results reveal that the child with the persistent cough and changed behavior patterns does in fact have the RSV virus. And unbeknownst to them, has shared the same virus with the other darling children at the same child care providers home.

Any guesses who currently shares the same diagnoses? Hint, it's prevalent in children under age 2. Four gold stars to anyone who guessed that Lincoln has RSV.

I think that maybe my previous sarcastic remarks may be a little uncalled for, but at the same time, my kid has RSV and the "carrier's" mother was only going to keep her at home for only one day so that she could go back to work. Hello...! This virus is contagious as all heck and since Lincoln's swab test came back positive, we've mapped out our entire week, sharing shifts to stay home with him and Elaina to get him well again.

Again... deep breathes. I'm not angry. I just can't seem to put this story together without acknowledging the ignorant thought process of some other day-care moms. See?!!? There I go again!

Let me take you through chain of events that have brought us to now. On Saturday, Nancy (child care provider) called to let me know that two siblings that she cares for had been diagnosed with bronchitis. Okay. So that would explain why Lincoln, Elaina and I have all had a quick onset of deep, throaty coughing attacks. By Sunday, Lincoln had hardly eaten anything in 2 days and when he did eat, he would soon have a coughing attack which made him throw everything up immediately. (Gross. Sorry.) Other times, he would be coughing so hard that his face would turn beat red and he would have trouble catching his breath. And let's not forget about his fever. Since Saturday night, Lincoln's temperature has been hovering in the 102- 103 range. All courtesy of Monkey B. (Yeah, I do seem kind of hostile don't I?)

When I called Nancy early on Monday morning to let her know that I would be keeping the kids at home, she told me that the bronchitis carrier had since been diagnosed with RSV and that my kids were around them most.

Our pediatrician was able to see Lincoln early Monday morning and deemed it necessary for him to have a nebulizer breathing treatment right there before he went home. We have since had a nebulizer delivered to our home, 2 prescriptions filled, non-stop ibuprofen, worrisome fevers, coughing-into-barfing fits, no appetite and little interest in drinking, wanting only to yell and be held at night, thus not letting the rest of the family sleep and many days of sick time used from our work schedules. Did I mention how cranky that kid is? Apparently, so am I.

What IS new here.

2009-02-22T22:02:00.007-05:00

I think that for now I'm not going to bother lamenting on how lazy I've been about blogging and I'm even going to spare myself from trying to catch up on everything that has been occupying our time too. (You're welcome!)

For now though, I did pull out some fun pictures that I've been meaning to share and what better time than now!

A little while back, Elaina pulled out all of her dress up clothes and made up her own original costumes. This would be her rendition of a ladybug fairy. I think.
Isn't she adorable? Sweet and innocent with her sparkly, fresh, 3 year old face?
Then tell me where did THIS come from? As her mother, I did not authorize THIS! She looks like a suggestive barmaid fresh off her shift at the LadyBug Night Club. Eric told me that he told her to pose like a rock star. (She's been in a Hannah Montana phase lately; against my will of course. She's only 3!) I wonder what was going through her mind. It's back to Dora for this kid!

Moving right along... come with me please...hurry. THIS is NEW! Check out this big guy! There is no action to report and I haven't even been the one to coaxing him onto this seat. I think that he sees his big sis and the other kids at the baby sitter's house strike the same pose that he is wondering what magic comes from sitting bare-bottomed on the big potty seat. Although I don't feel that he is especially ready to go full board potty training, we allow him up on the seat whenever he shows an interest and I plan to pull out his little potty seat for his bathroom very soon. I'm just happy that he's showing an interest in this rather than the LadyBug NightClub.And here is my Valentine boy loving his musical card from G&GH. God, they are growing up so fast!

"Da Beach!

2009-02-07T22:49:00.001-05:00

I guess that I hadn't realized just how close my grandparents lived to Daytona Beach. It was a lovely kind of "close." Since we didn't come with any pre-conceived ideas about how to fill our time there, we just took each day as it came and made things up as we went along. After all, that's what vacation is all about and the most important part was to spend time with my grandparents.

As a day filler on one particular morning, we set out to do some treasure hunting at the flea market at Daytona Beach followed by a stop at the actual beach. Since it's still early in the year and even though Florida's winter means jackets and jeans versus shorts and flip flops, the air was still a slight bit brisk and just in the low to mid-70's that day. We wanted to take the kids to the beach just for the experience of being there. And when our day was said and done, it was totally worth every minute of it! Just see for yourself:

Elaina first went in with excitement, only expecting to get her feet and legs wet. (notice: clothes still on) VERY soon, her clothes were completely soaked and we gave in to letting her put on her brand new princess "babing suit" for her to drench herself however she felt necessary.

When we first arrived, Lincoln was fast asleep in his car seat but woke soon after to develop his sea legs. He was unwilling to unbend his little legs in the beginning until......

...until he discovered how cool the sand was and how much stuff he could get into by exploring on his own.

And then... he LOVED IT!! As he lay on his little tummy, his chin shivered and his teeth chattered but the smile never left his face! And his little giggles were more than contagious!

I'm pretty sure that a summer beach vacation will definitely be in our near future!

Beach Babes? Maybe not. Did we have a great time. Definitely so!

Manatees are not playgrounds!

2009-02-06T23:55:00.000-05:00

One of our first day trips on vacation was to a nearby park which is home to a great number of Florida manatees. Knowing that that these gentle sea cows are endangered, it's a neat experience to see them and have the kids gaze out upon them even if the pictures will be their only reminders that they were there. What Elaina did remember about being there once before is the awesome playground that this State Park has to offer. I think that her shirt says it all:

A perfect afternoon for a little ring-around-the-rosey! How many other almost-80 year old, great-grandma's prompt their grandkids to race them through the park? Ours of course!I can't even begin to express how nice it was to feel the sunshine on our bare skin and be free from the weight of our winter coats! Tell me why we're still living in Ohio when we can have this in February! Don't you love it?

Florida: We have arrived!

2009-02-06T23:32:00.000-05:00

We have all been so ready for a winter vacation! And I mean SOO READY! And when a vacation means sunny skies and grandparents? Well, it just doesn't get much better than that now does it?

It's been a while since we've visited my grandma and grandpa in Florida, so long in fact, that they hadn't ever met Lincoln. Elaina and I went down when Lincoln was only a few months old and the boys stayed at home and let us enjoy some special time traveling by ourselves.

We couldn't have asked for an easier flight with both of our kids and with my parents shutteling us to and from the airport, we may just as well been royalty. Elaina seemed to remember her great-grandparents with ease and flung her arms around them with joy. Lincoln, meh. He's just Lincoln.

Riding in grandpa's golf cart was easily one of Elaina's favorite memories and this year she was even big enough to steer the wheel all by herself.
Even though Lincoln carried himself with a independent, little cranky attitude much of the time we were there, listening to Grandpa sing and play his guitar was something that caught his attention if even for a moment.

Eric is still Lincoln's top idol and hanging out with him and his blanket while watching Noggin pretty much constitutes a good vacation in the eyes of this one year old.

Black and Gold Forever

2009-02-05T23:20:00.000-05:00

Have I ever mentioned that we are a black and gold kind of family?
(Lincoln will get there.)(This was about 2 hours past his bedtime and we all know how important bedtime is to Lincoln)
You know the kind of family who roots for Champion Football teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers? And with all of these fancy cheerleaders, how could the Steelers not have won?

Eric favorite football team in the land and their second Superbowl win in 2 years; I can't even tell you how happy this man was!

(Photo Courtesy of Elaina)

Ice Princess

2009-02-05T22:50:00.000-05:00

Even though this happened a dandy long time ago, in my opinion and the valued opinion of Holly:-)) I present to you, Elaina on ICE!

In the months leading up to Christmas, Elaina had been asking for ice skates. Not a fleeting request, but over and over and over. I felt bad that Santa never made good on her request and I told her that I'm sure it's because she never sat on his lap to tell him what she wanted. BUT! Her Daddy brought this little girl's dream to life when he took her out on the ice at an actual ice rink. Since we were only days away from leaving on vacation, I parked my broken down old self on the bleachers. Eric did a great job of leading and balancing her around on the ice and even though she fell more than a few times, she loved it! Towards the end of our time there, she even tried out skating by herself. I probably don't have to tell you how that turned out for her...I loved seeing the kids as young as 6 and 7 whip around the rink and people of every age and every speed giving it a go around the ice with such ease. But I was most impressed with my own little girl and her excited 3 year old self, holding onto her dad for all of the joy and safety he was worth and loving every minute of it!

If I still have membership here...

2009-02-04T21:29:00.002-05:00

Disgraceful is one word I could use to describe my commitment to blogging last month. What a stinky way to kick off 2009. And to think what this blog means to me and how much I rely on it for posterity and marking milestones and cute baby faces. I'm a traitor. I'm a cheater. I disappoint, if only myself.

And the truth of the matter is, I don't foresee much free time coming my way anytime soon. With these being my circumstances, let's recap what has been contributing to my delinquent blogging habits shall we?

Well let's just see now... I can't even begin to account for January as a whole. However, one special day included celebrating Elaina's "Got-Me-Day" by taking her to the mall (exciting, I know) to play in the great play area. What else do you do with a 1 and a 3 year old in 15 degree temperatures to make a day special? That was her request, along with dinner at a restaurant. All in all, the whole point of Got-Me-Day is to spend a special day with our family to recognize the joy of just being together so our purpose was fulfilled.

In January, I also hosted Bunco night with my girlfriends. Each month, a group of friends and myself have been trying to steal away just one night together to eat, drink, gossip and laugh until we cry. Mission accomplished. We're already looking forward to our February date!

Most recently, we spent last weekend on our three city tour visiting our family and friends. Friday night was spent at Eric's parent's house celebrating Eric's mom's birthday. On Saturday, we took Elaina ice skating. She has been talking about ice skating for about the past 4 months and even wanted ice skates for Christmas. (Unfortunately, she forgot to ask Santa for skates and none were left under our tree.) Eric decided that since his parents were able to tend to Lincoln and there was a skating rink nearby, this was our chance to indulge her. Very soon, I will post some pictures of Elaina "skating" and report on how she did.

The same day, we joined our niece in celebrating her sweet 16th birthday before going to my parent's house to stay the night. And everyone knows what Sunday brought... none other than Super Bowl Sunday. Eric and his best friend Derek have been Steelers fans together since the beginning of time. And since their beloved Steelers had made it to the Super Bowl, they had to share in their victory by watching it together. Even though we live 2 1/2 hours from them. We had a great time visiting with their family and cheering the Steelers on to their big win, but that meant driving home afterward and unloading our truck and our children at 1:30 a.m. A long night and an even longer Monday.

And finally, today. This evening we are back at my parent's house with our suitcases loaded with summer clothes and sandals. We are leaving for Florida in the morning to visit my grandparents. They are desperately in love with their only great-granddaughter (Elaina!) but have yet had the opportunity to meet our sweet Lincoln. That will all change tomorrow when we arrive at the airport at 2:00 and they can load up on all of the hugs, kisses, chatter and busy-ness that a 1 and 3 year old bring. We couldn't be more excited!

Finally I have an actual, legitimate excuse for taking the next couple days off from blogging. (Just in case any of you have stuck around, that is!) And when we return home, I plan to bombard you with pictures and get back in a better routine which doesn't involve severe neglect to my old friend, Blog.

Elaina and "25"

2009-02-02T22:18:00.002-05:00

Even at 3 1/2, Elaina gets her very own list of "25 Random Things"

1. Up to this point, Elaina hasn't really latched on to any certain type of toy or themed-type of toy. One thing that has been unwavering since she was very young is her love of books and reading stories.

2. Elaina sometimes pretends to be someone else and the pseudo name she has begun using is "Carasell RockStar" or just simply "Carasell." Ever heard of her?

3. She is a pretty scheduled kinda girl. For nearly the past 2 years, her bedtime has been right around 8:00 - 8:30 and she is generally awake by 7:00 a.m.

4. In the world of 3 year-olds, she thinks that her joke telling is superb.

5. She has an incredible vocabulary and imagination.

6. Elaina can't wait to begin school. She will be starting pre-school in the fall but in the meantime, we've been telling her that she needs to begin eating new foods like the kids that go to school do.

7. When her hair is long and straight, it hangs right at her waist. Pretty impressive for a 3 year old. She's usually pretty patient with having me brush and put her hair up except for the occasional moments when she is especially "fragile" and "tender."

8. Her current favorite movie is Cars. It has finally won out over Land Before Time and Lion King.

9. When she was just a year old, her Uncle Tim and Aunt Teri had bought her a warming teddy bear (similar to this one) for Christmas. He came with the name "Buddy Bear," but in time Elaina renamed him to "Teddy." She never plays with Teddy but she always requests him at bedtime.

10. She continues to be a horribly picky eater. Her current menu consist of only about 10 items.

11. Some of Elaina's nicknames include: "LuluBelle, LuLee, Laina, Bootie, Sweetsie, Love, Angel and Baby Girl."

12. Within the past few months, Elaina has become proficient at playing games on the computer. She has mostly figured how to play them on her own. For not knowing how to read, she navigates her way around pretty impressively.

13. She can now spell her own name. She knows her address and phone number too.

14. Elaina has the best sense of humor of any 3 year old I know.

15. She loves her little brother to pieces. In fact, there has never been a time that she was less than accepting of this new little yell-machine that we introduced into our home. It was like she was meant to be a big sister.

16. Though I'm not sure to what extent she knows about angels, she knows that her sisters, Ella and Ava, are angels in heaven. She will sometimes ask to see Ava's plaster hand and foot prints and seems unusually mature about the significance of them.

17. Elaina is tender.

18. Right now, we both share the same shoe size. Size 9.

19. She is just as much a Mommy's Girl as she is a Daddy's Girl. However, sometimes our popularity depends upon the hour.

20. She knows her alphabet, she can count numbers alternately to the number 100. She can identify shapes and colors too.

21. I think that she is working on a singing career. She has recently started making up her own words to songs and tries so hard to learn the words to the songs she hears on Noggin and on our CD's.

22. She is nothing short of a miracle in our lives.

23. God knew exactly what he was doing when he created her life. Her life was meant for us and ours for her.

24. Elaina will probably never know what a strong and fierce love that we have for her. No one could ever love her more.

25. Elaina is all of my love in a sweet, little package.

Eric meets "25"

2009-01-27T22:08:00.002-05:00

So I'm crossing my fingers on this one. Eric and I have known each other for about 14 years now, let's see how long it takes me to begin to struggle on his list of 25.

1. Eric's middle name is Todd. Same as Lincoln's. Not a coincidence. "Lincoln Eric" just didn't sound as good as "Lincoln Todd."

2. Eric's parents had originally spelled his name with a "k" at the end. Erick. With too many misspellings and questions, his mom decided it would be better off to drop the "k" after all.

3. Eric is a member of the NRA.

4. Eric owns more guns than I own purses.

5. If he could live anywhere in the U.S., he would probably pick West Virginia or Alaska.

6. He is an avid fisherman, hunter and bowler.

7. His highest bowling score has been 288.

8. Although he loves tuna steak, he exaggerates puke noises when I open a can of tuna.

9. Even before I met him, his clothes hung in his closet according to color and family. (Short sleeves, long sleeves, jeans, slacks)

10. He can fix most anything in our house and his carpentry skills impress even himself.

11. When our kids need help with science and math, Eric will be the go-to man for those subjects.

12. When it comes to remembering peoples names, well, no... that just doesn't happen.

13. Eric is employed as a safety consultant for the state.

14. He is also a volunteer firefighter for our town's fire department.

15. Eric has an older brother and an older sister.

16. We grew up in the same town, but Eric moved away when he was in junior high school. We never met until college.

17. We both fall under the Sagittarius sign. He is three years older than me.

18. Eric didn't think he ever wanted to go to college. Turns out that he did much better in college than he did in high school.

19. He has been a Pittsburgh Steelers fan since he was in elementary school. (Go Steelers! -SuperBowl 2008!)

20. Eric helps me out tremendously around the house. On most occasions, he does the dishes after dinner, vacuums and helps to get the kids bathed and in bed.

21. He is the best dad to our kids and turns into Jell-O when it comes to his sweet, little girl.

22. After college, he applied for jobs in Hawaii. Even though he got a few bites on his resume, no job offered a substantial salary to meet the cost of living there. (Too bad!)

23. Eric is a steadfast advocate of driving American made cars. He scoffs at people who buy foreign made, even if they are family.

24. He is one of the most hot-blooded people I know. It can be 40 degrees and he'll be wearing shorts and a tee shirt.

25. His wife still thinks he is handsome after all of these years. (Except when he decides to buzz cut his hair)(even his mother comments about that!)

** Hey! That wasn't too bad at all! I think I could even dish out about 25 more! But I won't. And you're welcome!

Laura's 25

2009-01-24T23:15:00.004-05:00

Yeah, right! I'M not 25, but I have been tagged through facebook to do a 25 Random Things List about myself. I begin to think to myself, "I like lists!" "I can do this on my blog and facebook and cover 2 bases for the price of one!"

Even better, my Dear Readers, you are getting a list of 25 not only about me BUT! Elaina, Lincoln and Eric! Yes! This is a family style blog and since I write this mostly for the sake of posterity, I'm pinning the whole family into this little exercise.

I'm choosing to let myself go first since I've known myself the longest.
Without further ado:

25 Things!

1. I consider myself to have thin blood. I don't specifically know if that is actually a term, but it seems to make sense because I am desperately cold in the winter and I absolutely can't take the heat more than 85 degrees in the summer.

2. While I'm trying to curb my "neat-freak-germaphobe-hypochondriac" tendencies, I still get very much bothered by things being out of place and I don't touch handles when I'm out in public.

3. I really like to shop but I never pay full price. Getting a good deal on something makes me very happy. Even if I had more money than I knew what to do with, I would probably still use coupons at the grocery store.

4. I've always wanted to be a mom. Growing up, I never really had any career aspirations, but I've always wanted a family. I knew I would always have a job, but I would be a mom first and foremost.

5. I'm pretty much late, pretty much always.

6. I'm not very coordinated. I don't have any specific talent. But I have pretty decent handwriting.

7. Although I can eat a lot, I'm a pretty slow eater. When I go to lunch with friends, they make me order first and ask the waiter to bring my food first.

8. I don't consider myself to be too fat nor too thin. I'm fortunate that my weight has never really been an issue (cause I have plenty of others!) but I can pretty much eat anything I want without much worry. With that said, I'd probably look really good if I actually made an effort to drop about 15 pounds. Meh, who cares though?

9. I knew I was going to marry Eric even before we went on our first date. It was only the second time I had talked to him at a party and I told my then-roommate that I didn't even need to date him, I was going to marry him.

10. Early this winter season, I've discovered that I've developed severe ice-anxiety. I just about tremble when the temperature drops below 32 and there is precipitation on the ground. I would rather eat dirt (remember: germaphobe!) than be in a car on the icy roads.

11. My parents named me Laura but had always called me Laurie when I was younger. It was my 4th grade teacher who determined that 2 Lori's in my class would be better balanced with 2 Laura's, (imagine 4 Lori/ Laura's out of a class of 40 kids!) and would only refer to me as my formal name. To this day, I really can't think of myself as "Laurie."

12. I really like to cook and bake. I wish that I had a bigger kitchen with more counter space to take on some more complicated recipes.

13. I am really good at remembering names. I don't even need a class list of people that I went to grade school with to recall their names. Even the kids who only attended a single year in another class, I know their names.

14. I fake interest in sports. I'm a Steelers fan and a Buckeyes fan by default. I'm just happy that I like the team colors and they are both pretty successful teams so I can trash talk their rivals!

15. I'm not afraid of death. I think that I may be jaded by dealing with the passing of people I loved more than life itself. For this reason, I feel that death is a natural step which leads to ultimate peace and comfort. Life is hard. Eternity is a blessing.

16. I'm not very technically-inclined. I'm a novice on computer functions and intimidated by my own cell phone.

17. I take things way too personally. I analyze people, situations and things that cause me stress over and over until they consume me and make me feel all crazy inside. And since I don't like confronting my problems, I let them just eat away at me.

18. I don't like pie. I may choke down a piece of pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving just to appease my Mom, but I'm not a fan.

19. My body is pretty much in pain all day, every day. I neglected a sprain in my back a few years ago which has led to my back muscles being tight, my leg muscles being short and arthritis surely to make a debut before I'm 40. If not already. I broke up with my chiropractor after 3 years of him being unable to provide any long term relief.

20. I really should start doing yoga and stretching but I always come up with too many reasons to postpone it until tomorrow.

21. Genuine people are like treasures to me. If a circumstance should arise which would raise question to a person's credibility, it takes me a long time to put back the trust, faith and respect I once had in them.

22. I'm not very good about e-mailing. (Yes, didn't I just say how much I love my friends?) It has a little something to do with me trying to be a perfectionist. If I don't have time to make it "perfect," I don't do it at all. I know, it doesn't make sense does it?

23. My graduating class consisted of about 52 students.

24. I feel that I am the luckiest mom in the whole world to have such awesome kids to call my own.

25. I still get a lump in the back of my throat when I think of what incredible miracles my kids are.

Burnin' Baby

2009-01-24T22:47:00.003-05:00

I'm glad this past week is behind us. As a county worker, we were off on Monday (thank you Mr. King) which made for an ideal appointment time to take Lincoln to the pediatrician to get caught up on his vaccines. It seems like every time he is due for shots, he comes down with a cold and I then cancel his appointment, thus not making matters worse for my little guy.

As it stood, last Friday, Lincoln was a slight bit fevered and also had random bouts with a high temperature throughout last weekend too. Monday morning rolled around and Lincoln was still keeping his appointment whether it be to get his (4) shots or to discuss his random fevers. The doctor didn't feel that a fever would compromise his health and we both agreed to get the shots out of the way once and for all. These are his 18 month inoculations by the way. He's almost 21 months old. Behind much?

As expected, Lincoln was especially cranky throughout the day on Monday and we had given him some pain reliever meds to help ease his discomfort. Tuesday thru Thursday though, he was still experiencing high fevers (highest with meds was 103.8), diarrhea, loss of appetite and just generally not feeling well. By this point, we had all had enough. The doctor's office got us in for an appointment on Friday and sure enough, Lincoln presented with a flaming red, irritated throat. His ear tubes looked good, his nose wasn't runny, his throat seemed to be the culprit of his discomfort.

So, here we are on Saturday. I have worn myself out with worry over my favorite little boy in the whole world. Eric had spent a few days out of town this past week leaving me to do all the holding, hugging, comforting, we have both woke up in the middle of the night to give Lincoln a dose of medicine to keep his fever under control and today we are all just plain old exhausted.

Today was the first full day of his antibiotic and I'm crossing my fingers that he starts feeling better soon. We're leaving for a family trip to Florida in exactly 10 days and germs and infections are not invited!

The Big FREEZE

2009-01-20T22:19:00.003-05:00

Top ten reasons that I am DONE with winter:

10. Keegan is knee deep (for a lab anyhow) in the snow drifts and keeps doing his "yard business" on the edge of the yard because he can no longer distinguish yard from driveway.

9. There's really nothing like rushing into work (walking 2 blocks) in 5 degree temps. and your nose begins to run but because your face is so frozen, you can't feel the "run" until you've actually arrived at your desk after taking 2 elevator rides with at least a dozen people who have seen your run-freeze in the meantime. (I just love it when that happens!)

8. No joke: I've seen icicles on houses around here that are bigger and longer than a surf board! (Okay, maybe a boogie board, but they could fatally stab someone if they landed on an unsuspecting person.)

7. Because we had that fantastic idea to have our patio done in stamped concrete, we can't spread any type of ice melt granules or salt on our main walkway in and out of our house. Any type of salt would corrode the surface of the concrete and therefore ruin the finish. This means we strap on ice skates and kneepads anytime we want to go out the backdoor.

6. The morning radio stations hardly play music in the morning. Between reports of traffic accidents, school cancellations and commercials, I'm lucky to hear one song during my 30 minute morning commute.

5. How do you explain to a 3 year old the difference between 5 degrees and 30 degrees and why she can't play outside when it's 5 degrees even if she is wearing 4 coats, 6 hats and 3 pairs of pants? "Dangerous cold" seems to be lost on the mind of my cold blooded child. 4. It's too cold to shop. Seriously. With our run of single digit temperatures and continuous snowfall, I've made due with the local grocery stores just buying up basic items to get through the week. When it's dark and cold outside, getting home from work seems to be just a feat in and of itself these days.

3. Damn 4- wheel drive doesn't mean squat on the ice. Enough said. 2. Our pilot light in our furnace blew itself out (repeatedly) on Friday and Saturday. Our inside temperature quickly dropped to a freezy 55 degrees. Luckily, Eric had come home from being out of town that same day and was the first one to recognize and fix the problem.

1. Three straight weeks of negative degree nights and single digit mornings is making me want to quit my job, stay home, eat bon bons, cuddle with my kids and sleep 24/7. Curse you blasted winter for tempting me... I teeter every day.

the adventures of Solo Mom

2009-01-15T22:40:00.000-05:00

Single mom work day:

6:00 a.m. -- alarm goes off; take advantage of the sleep timer for 15 minutes longer minus another body next to me kicking my legs to really get up already!

7:00 -- be completely ready to begin the day, Elaina is probably up by now and watching her shows in my bed or asking to put on my jewelry or chap stick

7:15 - 8:00 -- peel my sweet boy from his warm crib, feed both children breakfast, dress kids, Keegan goes outside, warm up truck, make a steamy cup of cappuccino for my travel mug

8:00 -- goal to be out of the house and en route to the babysitter's house

8:30 - 5:00 -- work day, 30 minute commute, pick up kids from babysitter

5:00 - 6:00-- feed Keegan, change out of my work clothes, half-watch children as I try to prepare dinner

6:00 -- MUST eat! Lincoln came equipped with a belly timer which emits a squawking alarm if his belly has not made contact with food at precisely 6 p.m.

6:30 - 7:00 -- clean up dinner table, let kids play, enjoy a 10 minute brain break by checking blogs or facebook for entertainment

7:00 - 8:00 -- bathe kids together (every other night), jammies, dry hair, kids play

8:00 - 8:15 -- read books to Lincoln, gamble on if he will give me kisses before I lay him down or not, he's sometimes fickle and sometimes just wants to be asleep

8:15 - 9:00 -- pull Elaina from her tv show that I asked her to occupy her time while I had quiet time with Lincoln, brush teeth, tinkle time, she picks out 2 books, we read, say prayers, she stalls, asks me to lay with her, I can't refuse, I fall asleep

9:00 -- wake up, if I'm lucky

9:00 - 10:00 -- really clean up the kitchen, pack my lunch for the next day, figure out what's for dinner the following night, sort mail, do laundry in some aspect, clean up toys, maybe make a phone call

10:00 - 11:00 -- my time! read blogs, check e-mail, feel too tired, too uninteresting and too lazy to write a blog entry of my own, go back and hope someone has updated their facebook page or blog, shop for things I clearly don't need but the e-mail said there is a big sale, etc.

11:00 - 12:00 -- some aspect of laundry, get kids clothes and my clothes ready for the next day, let the dog out, clean up my room as Elaina did her own "redecorating" as she occupied herself in there, check on sleeping children, take off make up, curse at gray hairs, curse at the clock which now reads 12:15 and I'm JUST climbing into bed, remind myself to hurry up and sleep because tomorrow is already here and I'm performing the lead role in an encore of the same act, different day.

Snowed in Saturday

2009-01-12T22:25:00.012-05:00

Lincoln seemed intrigued by the snow, which was turning into light ice crystals by the time it hit the ground. He was mystified by the light tapping noise upon his hood.

Elaina's first sled ride of the year!

Success!

Lincoln's first sled ride ever! He's hard to see but I promise that he's tucked in there close to his Daddy!

Even though the snow had blasted him in the face, he didn't cry! I think he liked it!

Within a short time, he discovered his new mobility in his snowsuit and how much fun it was to plop his little self into the deep snow.

My snow angels!

At home, Lincoln was more than happy to have me tug him around the driveway in his sled. He was pretty upset about having to get out after 59 trips up and down our driveway. I think that he is most likely going through wagon-ride withdrawal this time of year.

Check out the snow fort that we built! (Eric deserves credit too, but couldn't be in this photo since Lincoln isn't so good at taking pictures with mittens on!)

Even though I'm not a big fan of snow, I think that my opinion is beginning to sway since having kids to play outside and enjoy it! Better yet, our snow day reached us on Saturday when we had no plans and were able to take advantage of our winter wonderland!

(*** Edited to add: My mom gets so annoyed when my pictures aren't able to get larger with a double click. Mom, these all can be made large, just for you!)

My Lulu-Belle

2009-01-07T23:41:00.001-05:00

On the many ways I am LOVING age 3:

**The other night we were getting coats on to go out to dinner and Elaina commented in her very grown-up, polite voice, "Momma, it's a lovely day today." I finished zipping her into her coat and out of no where she throws out a "Merci'." Surprised by her French, I asked where she learned that and she told me from the book Fancy Nancy! (Thanks Aunt Kate!)
** We had just pulled into our driveway after a weekend away and the kids began to wake up in their car seats. Lincoln let out a short, whimpering cry to which Elaina replied sleepily, "Go back to sleep, Linkin' Dinkin."

** Elaina professes her love and affection for her brother VERY often. The other morning, she told me that she "wanted to keep our baby brother forever because he's just such a good baby boy and God made him for us." More true words have not been spoken Elaina. (We're definitely keeping HIM!)(and his big sister too!)

** I don't know how it's possible that your love for your child can seemingly multiply 100 times overnight, believing that each days' memories were the epitome of the BEST it could ever get. And by the next day, you love them even 100 times more than the day before. It's for this reason that I often ask Elaina if she can just stay 3 forever and we'll just hug each other and never let go. She sympathetically reassures me that she can't because she "has to turn 4 and then 5 and then 6 and.... and she has to go to school and ride the bus." Okay then, I'll just have to love her a million times more by then.

** One morning, Elaina told me that when she grows up and gets to be as old as me, she wants to be a mommy and have a husband and a job and be just like me. Oh, seriously Kid! You want a pink and purple pony too? Okay! I'll buy you a seven of them!

** Speaking of pink and purple... Elaina has already put in her order for her birthday cake. In July. She wants a pink and purple cake with sprinkles and a little kitty on top. Just so I know ahead of time.

** While eating cinnamon rolls for breakfast one morning, Eric asked Elaina how they were. After her very appreciative "Mmmm!" she told him that her cinnamon rolls were going in her mouth, past her heart, saying "Hi" to God and zooming down to her tummy. I guess they were good.

** At one point, Elaina had shared some information with me and when I asked her who had told her that she proclaimed, "My Daddy. Your Husband. Eric." (as if we had never met)

** I find it hysterical when she tries to help Lincoln perform some new skill, like coloring, she talks to him like he is a dog. "Here Boy! No Boy, like this. Come here Boy!" Oh, and she's been trying to teach Lincoln to talk and helps to translate every non-syllable sound he makes into a new word. When he does this, she squeals with excitement that "Mommy, Lincoln said the word 'Do!' Good job Baby Lincoln! You learned how to talk!"

** The other night as I walked into Elaina's room, I realized that my presence had surprised her. As she was sitting in her window seat, she told me that she was "talking to God and her angels, Ella and Ava. My angels."

Her conversation went something like this:

Elaina: "Do you believe in Santa? You have to believe! You just have to believe! Santa came at Christmas and bringed us presents. Oh, you just have to believe! You do?! You DO! Mommy, they believe in Santa!"

From her dialogue, I think she was recalling some emotion from the movie Polar Express about believing, but then again, we didn't get an opportunity to watch that movie at all this Christmas season. That child has an amazing memory but more than that, she can fill this mommy's heart so full of love and pride that I could nearly burst. This would explain why she is my angel on earth and I couldn't love her more. (Until the next day rolls around.)

Out with the old...

2009-01-02T21:19:00.001-05:00

and in with the new.

2009 has arrived!

You know, there's just so much that I could say about reminiscing 2008 because there were so many great things that happened. Best of all, our family was spared tragedy, death and unemployment. When my children read about the year 2008, like 20 years from now, I hope they get the whole sense of how fortunate our family has been. Yes we have been blessed!

Since I mainly like to write about fun, happy kid-related stuff here, (oh yeah, and I always seem to get a little long winded and sometimes off track) I'm just going to write about how we welcomed our new year and wish every one of you and your family a fantastic and blessed 2009, spared from tragedy, death and unemployment. Cheers!

On New Year's Eve, we stayed overnight at our friends' house and had an absolutely wonderful, fun filled evening together. Another couple of our friends and their 2 kids were visiting from North Carolina and staying over also. Our party consisted of 6 long time friends and 6 well-behaved children. Making our evening even better was that Lincoln, who is sometimes a problem sleeper away from home, fell asleep with ease and Elaina asked to go to bed around 9:30. Are you kidding me? Wahoo! This mommy and daddy had the night OFF!! I didn't even drag my camera out of my bag but once! My kids had the night off too!

I can't imagine a better way to spend the last evening of 2008 than sharing it with friends, food, drinks and sleeping children!

Finale

2008-12-28T22:45:00.001-05:00

As we near the end of our Christmas Chaos tour 2008 we came home to one final surprise waiting underneath our Christmas tree.

Meet our new babysitter for Lincoln!
I think he likes it.
Santa left a small sprinkling of gifts on the Christmas tree for Elaina and one big toy underneath the tree with Lincoln's name on it!

Christmas for our family this year was great. I recognize how fortunate we are for having the opportunity to be with those that we love and celebrate that our Savior was born. As I cradled Lincoln in my arms each night before bedtime, I've been singing Silent Night to him. As my heart begins to swell with love and gratitude, I thank God that of all things He put on this earth for us to enjoy and make our lives happy and easy, the gift of our children and the love and happiness that we share with them means the world to me. I sometimes wonder if would have ever known true happiness without them? Elaina and Lincoln complete us. They are our most treasured gift each minute of our lives. All is calm and all is bright. Thank you Jesus.

Bring on the birthday!

2008-12-27T22:08:00.000-05:00

What's Christmas chaos without a birthday party thrown in for good measure? Just ask my brother and sister-in-law as their son, Colin turned 4 today. A Christmas baby who will forever give his parents a run for their money to see how cleverly they can maneuver a birthday party in the midst of this crazy time of year.

This year however, may have proven itself to be one of the best birthdays on record for my sweet nephew. (You know, out of the other 3 he's had;-)) It was an astonishing 65 degrees outside with a sky full of gorgeous sunshine and a special birthday surprise visitor who came knocking on his door. You can catch the video clip here. Greg and Kate never told Colin that we were tagging along with Grandma and Grandpa for his party. Judging from his reaction, I think that he was pretty happy to see his cousin Elaina. (i.e. - his biggest fan) Well that AND the awesome party that his parents rolled out for him. Kate did an amazing job perfecting every detail of a Spongebob Squarepants birthday theme party right down to serving seafood (because Spongebob lives under the sea!) and blue ice cream for their guests.

Even though my kids didn't quite fill their nap quotient for the day, the played nicely and happily and made for pleasant, little party guests. Happy children are key to me enjoying any part of my day. And we all had a great time. Want proof?
(thanks for allowing us to join you for such a great birthday party Greg, Kate and Colin!))
Lincoln doesn't have a clue who Spongebob is but I think they both like cheeseburgers. Colin, cake AND bunnies?? YES!

Lincoln's version of balance. A car in each hand.

Birthday boy! (It's okay, no one saw that!) Happy birthday Colin!

Christmas vacation

2008-12-26T21:30:00.000-05:00

The 26th of December! What a lovely day, December 26th. The day following Christmas has always been like a little reward for me. Christmas is still a lovely and fresh memory, you're still pouring over your new goodies from Santa and if you're lucky, there's a refrigerator full of delicious leftovers upon which you are now granted permission to graze upon. What's not to love? On top of that, if there isn't a giant ice storm in the town you're staying in, the day-after-Christmas shopping is great!

This was a great day of full blown laying around and I loved every minute of it. I took Elaina to see her first basketball game at my old high school gym in the evening. My friend happened to be one of the players in an alumni girl's game and I thought it would make an excellent opportunity to show my support for her while seeing how long Elaina would be able to sit still at a sporting event. I reached my conclusion after only 8 minutes. That was it. We sat down, greeted some friends around us, she ate a snack, she was thirsty, wanted to go to the bathroom and then wanted to go home. Okay. Good thing it was free admission.

Later in the evening, Eric and I joined some friends for a night on the town. Alright, we were with friends, we were at a bar and although we had a nice time visiting, it would really be a stretch to it was a "night on the town." If only you saw the town bar. That will just be one of those fun, little memories you tuck clear back in the corner of your mind. But hey, it's the company you keep, right?

In which Santa delivered

2008-12-25T21:37:00.000-05:00

We woke up in the morning to find that Santa was not only in our state, but had actually left presents underneath Grandma and Grandpa's Christmas tree! Of course, Lincoln was the first one awake in the house and could have cared less, but when Elaina caught wind of more presents, she was very interested to see what Santa had left for her. (thus being Christmas the Second)

By noon, we had made our way to my parents' house to celebrate Christmas the Third. We were fortunate that both kids napped before Greg, Kate and Colin arrived which often comes with a little more assurance that our kids will be able to handle themselves for the day without turning into raging monkeys who have gone without food for a week.

Elaina and Colin continue to be each other's biggest fan and were more than ready to see what gifties waited inside of all of that pretty wrapping paper. I mostly loved that both (older) kids shared their toys, were happy with what they received and didn't get their undies in a bunch over taking turns unwrapping. Lincoln was the exception as he (AGAIN) made himself completely unavailable for our gift exchange. He was more than content playing with his cars in the next room and getting into the Chex party mix that my mom had left out on the table. At 20 months, he is very much his own little person and he won't be persuaded to change his independent play time if it involves distracting his attention from rolling his cars around.

Elaina and Colin both received cameras which they used to document every square inch of our day together. Elaina had taken pictures of G & GH's floor, her pillow, the TV, her toys, the chairs, Daddy in his underpants, etc., etc.... you get my drift. One great feature of her new camera is that the "delete" button functions very nicely and easily.
So, didn't the kids just get through unwrapping a mile high mountain of Christmas gifts? (not really, but plenty enough) One might be inclined to think that they would be all consumed in playing with their new toys. Uh. No. It was the empty box that Grandma and Grandpa's new dishwasher came in. They had left it there just for the kids' visit which seemed to be the greatest gift of all. (I hope I have gift receipts; new toys, patooey! cardboard boxes, here we come!)
With one more full day and new location under our belt, Christmas day was grand and just downright enjoyable! Now, if I can only fold that cardboard box down flat enough to fit into my truck...

Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T21:04:00.000-05:00

Since the ice storm in the western half of Ohio affected our travel plans, we enjoyed one more night in our own beds before embarking on our five day tour of Christmas Chaos 2008.

We arrived at Eric's parents' house before noon and while the kids napped peacefully at Grandma and Grandpa W's, Eric and I squeezed in a quick date to the mall sans kids for some last minute shopping. A little free time with my best husband was great, but I also found the perfect pair of winter boots that I've been longing for. And on sale! Woot!

Shortly after our return to the homestead, the Christmas party began to roll in. Eric's family gathered together for dinner and as the extended family began to go about their merry way with their bellies full, the adults finally conceded to the begging children to allow them to open gifts.

My little Lincoln was not amongst the begging children this year. In fact, we couldn't even keep in the same room long enough for him to open his own gifts. Lucky for him, he has a big sister who was more than willing to lend a hand in the unwrapping and then track him down to show him what great gifts he received.
Elaina with her boy cousins on the W. side. One of Santa's elves got left at their house by accident.

Although this wasn't Lincoln's gift, he enjoyed taking it for a test drive.

After all of that gift opening, Elaina and her cousin Raina kick back on Lincoln's 5' teddy bear from Grandma and Grandpa W. Elaina had to catch up on texting to her peeps.

Christmas the First was great! The food was plentiful, the family was together and memories were made. We were fortunate enough to end our evening by seeing a special report on the evening news that was tracking Santa's sleigh in our state which was enough to send one young, non-sleeping child scampering off to bed without another word. A perfect end to a perfect day!

ramble, ramble, ramble and a happy new year

2008-12-23T21:30:00.002-05:00

I'm not exactly sure what did it. Maybe it was the Christmas music. Maybe it was exchanging gifts at work. Maybe it's the prospect of having 5 days off of work (in a row!) to spend with my family. Or maybe it's because Christmas is 2 short days away. Whatever it was and whatever it took, I think that I am finally in the Christmas spirit!!

Merry Christmas!

After Thanksgiving fell so late in the year and my dear husband's time being consumed with hunting season, things have been moving so fast around here and just the thought of hauling of the Christmas stuff down from the attic and going through all of the hassle of decorating the tree and the house, well, it just seemed like a pain. Worse than that, I hated that I felt so scroogey about letting myself get in the Christmas spirit because of the hassle it took to get there! Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas, but Christmas can sometimes be a lot of work.

Lucky for us, Eric and I encouraged one another and brought down storage container after storage container and our house has looked like "Christmas" for almost 2 weeks already. And I love it! Once I started pulling one pretty, sparkly decoration out, one after another, my stingy-scrooge mood began to slip off of me and I am ready for full blown holiday hoopla!

As of this evening, Eric has all of the gifts wrapped, we had our bags packed and the truck filled and ready to roll on out to my in-laws for Christmas celebration #1. Just as we were getting ready to leave, my mother-in-law called to warn us of the icy conditions of the roadways in their area and that the weather predictions seem to be favoring tomorrow for a safer travel day. In any case, I would much rather be safe than in a hurry. So, here we are, kids tucked snuggly into their warm beds, my final blog for the length of time we will be away from home and all of us anxiously looking forward to all that Christmas has to offer us this year!

Wishing each of you a happy and warm Christmas and a great new year ahead filled with blessings and with love!

Winner #1 and Winner #2

2008-12-20T12:52:00.003-05:00

Whew, so there was my first, last and only contest ever to be posted on this blog. Pay it forward is a good idea in theory and a good idea if you have a large reading audience and a good idea if you don't host it exactly the week before Christmas and a good idea if you have readers who may not already be burned out from hosting more than their share already. Not such a good idea to host here.

The good news is that Tracy and HollyLynne have been selected as the grand prize winners of my Pay it Forward contests. Contest #1 and contest #2, respectively. I've decided not to put anyone else through the torture of a potential second contest, thus accounting for two winners from one contest. Sarcasm aside, I'm happy to be able to send out some pretties to these lovely ladies because Tracy and I have gotten to know one another through our blogs and I love following her life through her amazing photos and reading about her sweet girls. As for HollyLynne, she's already reaping what she sowed from her PIF contest in which I was on the receiving end of these stunners which are the current BFF's of my ear lobes. Aren't they beauties? She has an awesome collection of handmade jewelry available for purchase at her Etsy shop with an assortment of styles that will make you only wish that you were HollyLynne herself to have the luxury of having all of these pretties for yourself. Not to mention that the craftsmanship she puts into each piece is something to be admired.

So Tracy and HollyLynne, when you have a minute please send me your mailing information and I'll be happy to ship off some pretties to you!

let's get to it! PIF style!

2008-12-14T20:58:00.005-05:00

Let's talk.*

*My husband always cringes when I approach him with those words.* *And that's why it's just fun for me to say sometimes.* (evil: "heeheehee")

So I haven't mentioned what a what a big winner I've turned out to be on a couple of fabulous Pay-It-Forward contests now have I?

Nope.

Not until now, I'm ready to spill!

I WON! I WON! TWICE! even!

The reason I haven't made mention of it sooner is because I knew I wanted to save something this huge for just the right timing AND I had to be ready to come up with something even close to as beautiful, fabulous and lovely as the awesome loot that I received. Get it? Paying it forward!!! And now, it's my turn.

Since my original plan was to host my first Pay It Forward contest for my birthday, (and that came and went) I am still going to plan on the PIF prize package to include loads of little goodies that I personally like and therefore you should like too. Heh, okay, I can't afford to send you a heated mattress pad or my GPS because I would literally be lost without them! But! I will be sending the randomly selected winner a healthy amount of goodies, some edible, some not, of things that put a smile on my face and make my day happier. (Children not included.)

The rules are pretty simple. And I'm all about simple here at the hectic holidays. On second thought, they really shouldn't be considered "rules" after all because they are more or less "suggestions" of how this whole contest goes down.

Suggestion #1: Since my original plan was to give you presents on my birthday, I am asking you to leave me a comment telling me about your most favorite birthday present or birthday memory ever and who it came from. Be detailed, I like to pry, I mean read.

Suggestion #2: Comments must be received by midnight (Eastern time) on Friday, December 19, 2008. I'll see how quickly I can scurry to the post office and cause your postal carrier even more work this season that you may receive your goodies by Christmas. Just be sure to link me to your blog or provide a valid e-mail address for me to contact you if you win.

Suggestion #3: Once you receive your package, it's up to you to Pay it Forward in some way or another. If you don't have a blog, no problem! I'm certain that you have loads of real-life friends who would love to be on the receiving end of a kind deed or small gift or favor. Won't you be popular? Just remind them that what comes around, goes around. Enough said.

Easy peasy! Isn't this so much fun? Just in case you're new here or have just never commented, isn't this a fun way to break the ice? Letting me give you free stuff! What's not to love? Start thinking about those birthday memories!

And while you're doing that, let me share with you the great, motherload of goodies that I received from Kelsey which started this whole thing! ShaZAM, that Lady was good to me! And my kids!

*** Remember how I mentioned I won two contests? Oh Yeah... my next PIF is will be shiny!

settling

2008-12-12T22:52:00.007-05:00

Yes, that sneaky Christmas holiday will be arriving right on schedule again this year in just 2 short weeks. Do you think that we've made time for a posed kid picture for Christmas cards? NO! Do we have our Christmas tree up and fully decorated yet to use a backdrop? NO! Can we afford to grovel to JCPenney and tell them that we should have ordered 80 overpriced Christmas photo cards of our lovely family portrait and kindly ask them to do a reprint into card format for no extra charge? NO! Do we have $100 to spend on Christmas cards this year? NO! Would we rather slap together a mostly unprepared family picture on a Christmas themed card stock, pay for overnight delivery and send it out to our most beloved friends and family? YES!! Check your mail.

The long and the short of the story is that since Thanksgiving fell so late in the month this year, December hit us square in our unsuspecting jaw thus causing panic and stress in our household. Well, for me, anyhow. Eric is a non-stresser. About anything. Ever. I digress. When we had planned our trip to Children's Wonderland with our parents, I already set about the mission of dressing the kids cute (how did I do?) and have them pose in front of one of the many gorgeous backdrops they had to offer. Still following? Yes, I said pose. A one and a three year-old. Ooh BOY! Any guesses on who stood still and who didn't? If you guessed that NEITHER child stood still within arms length of the other for longer than a second AND looked in the general direction of the camera: YOU WIN! (A Christmas card, maybe?)

It wasn't long before we reached the decision that in order to have a Christmas card photo taken this weekend (could not waiver) and to keep the kids still, we had to restrain, I mean, hold them. Alas, Eric and I got produced onto our Christmas picture as well. Not really as I planned because, hello... I would have put on a little more lipstick and taken care of a little less shine across the old, stressed Mom -face. Also... tha hair. **quiver** Not so good. BECAUSE I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE IN A PICTURE!

Here's what we were up against folks:

What did I miss? Did Lincoln tell his first joke because I'm seeing two heads swiveling in his general direction.
Elaina, you know I love you. And that's why I'm asking you not to cheese quite so hard. You're cute, we get it. Meh... I also wasn't entirely impressed with this Christmas background.
Okay, this background is much better. It looks all chilly and glistening doesn't it? Again, Elaina, still cute but how 'bout a little less leg and rump showing for a family picture. Nice lollipops Kids.

I'm afraid that there is no great finale here Folks. This is it. The picture below is the one we ultimately decided on because I still love the background, nothing seems to be growing out of any one's head from behind them, body parts appear modest and even though Elaina is looking everywhere else except at the camera, it could have been worse. As presented above.

If it were all left up to me and casting all appropriateness aside, I would have just decided on this one and called it a day.

I love the look of laundry baskets stacked in the background, teetering on which may fall first. Oh, and Elaina... way to compose yourself. Now.

Roseanna

2008-12-11T22:49:00.008-05:00

Earlier in the week, Santa Claus made a special visit to our town (again) to see all of the good little girls and boys. Prior to going to see him, I talked to Elaina about what Santa was going to look like, sound like and that it was okay for her to talk to him without being shy.

Once we got there, Elaina was much more excited about the treats from the cookie table and didn't realize how soon our turn with Santa was coming. She told Lincoln that he could go first. Polite isn't she? And so, Lincoln did. While he wasn't terribly impressed, he never turned his head to see exactly who was holding him. He would be okay as long as he kept looking the other way. Lincoln, my man of few words, really didn't ask Santa for anything more than when he could go back to his mom, which he made clear by his repeated "Ehhhh!" plea in a desperate tone. While I was decending my son onto Santa's lap, I had a brief request of my own for Santa Claus to fulfill. I pulled a little "magic" from the lining of my jacket, straight into Santa's furry, red suit. Since it was more than obvious that Elaina wasn't going to have anything to do with coming within 5 feet of Santa, I asked that he give her a magic elf, straight from the North Pole. Can you believe how lucky Elaina was to have her very own elf come and live with her?
In all actuality, Aunt Kate and Uncle Greg were the original "gifters" of the elf and I decided that the best time to help create some Christmas magic for Elaina would be straight from the big guy himself. Of course then, it was my turn to harp on how lucky she was because none of the other kids got elves from Santa and that she already came named "Roseanna" because Rose is her middle name and Santa already knew that. (Fact: the elf really did come pre-named and ironically-to me anyhow- my grandma's name was Anna Rose; fitting that "Roseanna" would come to be a part of our family:->)So more about the elf later, here are pictures of everything I have ever wanted for Christmas. Signed, sealed, paid for and delivered! I couldn't decide which picture was my favorite, so you get them all.
**While I'm at it: You can double click on any of these pictures to make them larger and just tell me if it's just in my head, or is the resemblance between Eric and our kids unbelievable? Hello miracle and thank you God. Beautiful pairing you've done here.

Birthday help

2008-12-09T22:00:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, we celebrated Eric's grandmother's 90th birthday by surprising her with a party. This was the primary reason we made a second weekend trip (in a row) to be out of town. Seeing the reaction on her face and just knowing how much she enjoyed having all of her family there, showing how much we all care for her, made our trip so worthwhile.

Lucky for her that she had so much help when it came time to blow out her candles. Check out who is front and center just waiting for her piece. Why, it's Picky Pickerson, the cake eater!
The kids had so much fun and were actually on pretty good behavior which totally eases my stress level and lets me enjoy the occasion too. This just proves that the day will eventually come when all of our plans don't have to revolve around our kids' napping schedule. What a happy, little world that will be.

Almost all of Eric's immediate family (dad's side) for a four generation picture.

Happy 90th birthday Grandma W!

Icy wonderland

2008-12-08T22:15:00.000-05:00

Lincoln had a bad-baby night our first night staying with Eric's parents. He has a very specific internal clock which doesn't allow for much wiggle room on his particular, little schedule. He likes to eat the minute his butt hits the highchair, he MUST be fed dinner promptly at 6 p.m and his bedtime window is only open between 8:00 and 8:30 p.m. Any deviation from what he wants will surely be grounds for a baby-retaliation.

We missed the bedtime window and said child was fussing and fitting his ever-loving head off from 3:30 to 5:00 a.m. Lawrdy, Child! Sleep already! Aside from this being a major pain the arse, we all needed to rest for the big day we had ahead of us. It was Children's Wonderland day!
Eric's parents, my parents, Eric's sis, BIL and nephew had all made plans to take the kids to a children's magical wonderland of vivid animation and holiday showcases. This indoor, seasonal display has been around since the time our parents were kids and I remember going there when I was in grade school. I was so excited to share the magic and lights with my kids and with both sets of grandparents joining us.

The unfortunate part about the day was that the weather began to turn wicked cold and snowy, rendering the roadways sheets of ice. My anxiety and stress level reached an all time, panic-button-high during our almost one hour drive to get there on the slick roads as we passed accidents almost every 5 miles. I could have thrown up by the time we finally got there. Safely of course, but I was more than rattled.

Aside from the gut wrenching anxiety of traveling, the kids loved the winter wonderland and we all had nice time making memories together.

Here are some of the highlights of our day:

And now you know where Santa keeps his reindeer... they were all waiting to play "reindeer games" with Rudolph.Eric's parents with the one and only grandchild that would hold still for longer than a hot second. My parents with the happy, sticky-lollipop-face child.My Elaina, what long legs you have! What's wrong with your brother's head?

Despite the rocky start to our morning, the kids behaved very well for the better part of the day and even through dinner which was creeping dangerously close to their bedtime hour. The only thing that could have made the day better was having a group photo of all 11 of us together. But seriously, 11? Didn't so much happen this time. We'll have to put that on our list for next year.

Lately...

2008-12-08T11:12:00.004-05:00

There has been too much going on lately with the W family. (That's us.) Things are well with all of us, but we need to find a way to shift our lives into low gear. Every day, I tell myself that "next week won't be so busy, just get through this week." And do you want to know what happens then? The "busy" doesn't cease.

Last week, I was embarrassingly light on the blog front. One evening was spent with Elaina at the library for story time and then a special, "surprise" visit from Santa. Elaina enjoyed the Christmas stories sitting front row with the other kids and she liked the paper crafted reindeer that we made together but when it came to the big, jolly fat guy himself, she cowered behind me, not wanting Santa to see her. Lincoln had a case of the yellies and it seemed much more sensible to leave him home for some Daddy time.

(The reindeer head is made of a tracing of Elaina's booted foot and the antlers from tracing her hands.)(She glued on the eyes and mouth and even decorated eyelashes for her girl-reindeer.)
This past weekend, we were headed out of town for the second trip in a row to visit our parents. I worked my tail off on Wednesday and Thursday night trying to get all of the laundry done, bags unpacked from Thanksgiving weekend, bags packed for the upcoming weekend and everything put away to avoid a giant mess-collide upon return from another weekend away. Eric picked me up from work on Friday and away we went. Let the busy begin. Oh, and I had a birthday too.

sinking

2008-12-08T10:54:00.003-05:00

Woe is me for I don't know where to begin.

I don't know where to begin catching up on my blogging that has taken a back seat in my life.

I don't have a clue how I am going to find time to squeeze just 2 more hours of work (at home) into my day and maintain the inadequate 6 that I am currently getting by on.

I'm desperately ashamed that it's December 8 already and I still have half of my Fall themed decorations hanging in my house and the other half recklessly packed away.

I'm teetering in my mind if I'll go out and drag all of our Christmas stuff down from the attic to decorate for the next 30 days, or if I'll do a very minimalistic Christmas theme at our house.

I don't know when I'll find time to get a Christmas card together and mailed out, Christmas presents wrapped and what in the world am I going to buy for the remaining 3 people on my shopping list.

I don't know who honestly cares at this point to read all of my pointless rambling since it only seems whiney and pathetic and that I could seriously benefit from either a stiff drink, anti-depressants or some crack.

(okay, maybe not crack, because I wouldn't have time to find a dealer, but a glass of wine and a day off would do me wonders!)

*** And now, we'll return to our regularly scheduled happy family stories and cancel any future program notes of self-pity and grumbling.

Little Turkeys

2008-12-05T00:11:00.009-05:00

Hi my name is Laura and I'm truly pathetic for taking almost a week to find time to post pictures. Based upon the evidence I am to present, wouldn't you agree that there is no excuse for not sharing these sooner?

God does this boy melt my heart!! Oh, my handsome boy!
Is it just me, or is anyone else having trouble figuring out whose body parts belong with which kid? It's a tangled mess of kids.

While Colin was changing out of his wet shirt, Elaina also decided that turkey day was best spent shirtless with her cousin.

Let the posing begin. Aren't they animated?

I hope they always love each other this much. I just hope that in the coming years, they opt for shirts.

Can you tell that we enjoyed our Thanksgiving? And I couldn't be more thankful for the little turkeys that I got to share it with!

Gobble-dee-goo

2008-12-02T22:17:00.002-05:00

Here I am!

I just know that you were on the edge of your seat just waiting for my return, right?

Since I hardly know where to start to sum up what has been our previous week, I may as well just jump in feet first.

The first part of last week, Eric was in West Virginia and the kids and I actually had a pretty easy time together from Saturday to Wednesday. On Wednesday afternoon (before Thanksgiving) I decided to leave work early and bust my tail to pack our bags and head to my parents' house a day early. After running like a maniac gathering everything we would need for 4 days away from home (and I still forgot stuff!), I was finally ready to pick the kids up from the sitter's house and get on the road. However, in all of my planning, I happened to discover that I had a 100 pound problem that I seemed to have overlooked. Keegan. How in the world was I going to get his furry, hind end into my truck? Up until only a few years ago, he would have himself positioned in the truck bed with even the slightest hint that we were going on a trip. As the years have caught up with him, he has since grown heavier, more arthritic and is now mostly blind.

Because it was the middle of the afternoon on a weekday, none of my neighbors were home to lend a hand and I was most certainly not holding up all of my plans of leaving this day because of my dog. And then it dawned on me. I carried our oversized ottoman outside, guided his front paws on top and then his rear end and then heaved his happy self into the truck. Victory was mine!

Our trip to my parents' house was lovely and uneventful and we were all happy to start our mini vacation together. Since my brother and sister-in-law have other turkey day obligations, we have taken to a new tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving day by feasting on crab leg. As my mom quoted weeks prior, "What's Thanksgiving without crab leg?" And so we did. Thursday was also plentiful in the napping and slothing department too. Do we know how to enjoy a holiday or what?

Now let me tell you about black Friday shopping! Another tradition that we have fine tuned in our own custom way is having my on site baby sitter's (Grandparents) watch my kids on black Friday while I get up before the crack of dawn to have my hiney in the stores collecting deals. I scour the sale ads the night before like it's my job; prioritizing, labeling and mapping my route for optimal efficiency and maneuverability. I was in my first store (under the influence of a tall cappuccino) just a little past 5 a.m. and when I finally thought that I may have just run out of stores to shop, the time was quickly approaching 2:00 p.m. I had to add the numbers a couple times to really make myself believe that I had been shopping for 9 hours! The best part is that everyone was happy, rested and fed by the time I returned home. No harm, no foul. A lovely day and great deals!

Saturday finally brought Thanksgiving day for my family in the way of Greg, Kate and Colin. (And a bounce house.)(We'll get to that.) Colin was the first in the door upon their arrival and the minute Elaina laid eyes on her cousin, she ran across the room with outstretched arms that flung around his little body like he just had jumped out of the television set off of one of her favorite shows. In her mind, Colin is an idol. Like rock-star-idol in the life of a 3 year-old.

The kids played so nicely and happily together and while we were stalling time, waiting for dinner, we sent our wild monkeys out to the garage to bounce in the bounce house that Greg and Kate had brought along and loaning out to us. Lincoln was so excited and eager to jump but he had just jammed a giant serving of cheese and crackers into his mouth and hadn't yet finished the whole chewing-swallowing process. As he was about to squirm out of my arms, I finally coaxed him into spitting out his mutilation into the trash can so that he could get on with his business of bouncing. They had the best time ever!

Saturday and Sunday were lovely and leisurely and the times that I could have spent blogging or doing something the least bit productive, I spent sleeping or watching T.V. Two of the things I love to do but never seem to find enough time in the day to do them. I've heard that you can't "make up" lack of sleep, but over the course of the weekend, I tried my best to disprove that theory. I beg to differ and if you want, I could keep on re-testing that for a truly accurate conclusion. But only if you insist that I keep trying.

So there you have it, Thanksgiving 2008.
Highlights: bouncing, shopping, Lincoln liking shrimp, Mommy enjoying extra sleep and Elaina calling my brother "Aunt Craig!" <--- (loved that part!)
I can't wait until we get to do all of this again in another year!

a date, perhaps

2008-12-01T22:24:00.002-05:00

ooohh, it's been almost an entire week since I've made time to sit my happy, little butt down for a quick mind-spill and wanna know something else? I can't even make time tonight to recap our fabulous and LONG Thanksgiving weekend to do it justice. So, is everyone free tomorrow evening? Say about 10:00? I'll be here then doing my best to let the kid pictures flood my page and tell you how many consecutive hours I can spend shopping on Black Friday. Sound good? Good. See you then!

(yes, it's been one of those days!)

100

2008-11-25T22:46:00.002-05:00

I love it when blogging posts get handed to me on silver platters, er, um, pretty blog backgrounds from my neighborhood pals. This idea I'm pulling from Heather and I so much loved reading what she's done and see what she's created to share with her kids one day. So, I'm following suit to see what I can check off.

The following is a previously compiled list and the things I have done are highlighted in bold and obviously in purple. Some things... well, some things are just better left for some one else. But I'm still finding plenty on the list that I can aspire to do one day.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day.

So, 40 out of a pre-listed 100 that I have done. When the day comes that I have more money than I know what to do with, maybe it'll be easier to knock off a few of the world- traveler themed items. I'm sure that the Sistine Chapel and a gondola in Venice will still be there for me when that happens, right?

day two

2008-11-23T21:35:00.005-05:00

Have you ever had one of those days when you really just feel like you were a really good mom? Not like you're not a good mom any other day, but there are some days when the kids seem happy and content, the day runs without incident and you feel most of your sanity and composure still intact after the kids go to bed. THOSE days.

I'm happy to say that we enjoyed one of those kind of days today. And since I'm running the show by myself (and didn't let Elaina recruit herself to plan our day) I feel like today was a pretty nice success.

Since it's about 4 degrees warmer than an iceberg outside, we had no plans of going anywhere today and only opened the door to let the dog out. That's it. Elaina got to play with Play-Doh and Lincoln tried to eat Play-Doh. Lincoln didn't like Play-Doh because he couldn't eat it. Elaina played happily for almost an hour. Elaina also earned a reward for her good behavior and had me paint her finger and toe nails sparkly pink!
Lincoln's behavior seems to be changing by the week. He's learning that his bedtime routine consists of brushing his teeth while I sing to him and then we read books, we snuggle while I rock him and then I ask for kisses, he laughs and tries to squirm away from me as I press a dozen kisses into his head and face and then it's crib time for my boy. This is the same little boy who had me so worried that he hated books and hated to sit still and didn't want to have anything to do with sitting quietly and rocking on my lap. Progress has come with time and along with him growing older, both Eric and I remained diligent about keeping "Squirmer" on our lap long enough to get through even the shortest of books. Now we read 2 or 3 books and on the occasional nights that he comes to me with outstretched arms to sit on my lap to read, just about brings tears to my eyes. Progress, Little Man.

Other than that, I think that I'm losing the battle with the nasty sinus infection that's been toying with me all week. My laundry is nearly caught up and I might just make it to bed tonight before 11:00. That's the last goal on my list: early bedtime. I gotta go!

day one

2008-11-22T21:58:00.001-05:00

This morning, Eric left for his annual hunting trip in West Virginia. It's the start of gun season down there and he stays with family and is able to celebrate Thanksgiving with them to conclude his week away.

Now that both kids are a little bit older, (that's a relative term) I don't seem to feel quite as anxious as I did when Lincoln was still a baby and Elaina was still learning the whole single parent routine. What I mean by that is I now have only one child in diapers, both kids can entertain themselves for reasonable lengths of time and Elaina can be trusted to behave without having Daddy to have to fall back on. This is a nice feeling compared to just one year ago.

Since I also plan to celebrate Thanksgiving away from home, I'm keeping my eye on the prize just knowing that I have to only make my way alone from Saturday through Wednesday before heading out to stay with my parents. Five days. I can do that.

Today was pretty good. Although I felt like my day consisted of washing dishes and scrubbing the table down 78,000 times, we did well. At one point, Elaina was playing games on the computer and Lincoln's scraggly baby hair was just screaming at me for neglecting it for so long. All of the sudden, I could no longer handle waiting for a professional to get us in for an appointment, nor could I wait for a hand from my mom to help cut it. (Incidentally, my mom is a self-taught beautician. Key word: self.) I dug out my haircutting shears (that's the only professional thing I had going for me) and began to snip away at Lincoln's golden, wispy, baby locks. I took advantage of the perfect staging doing it myself; Lincoln was standing in front of the TV, fixated to Yo! Gabba Gabba! which was prime time for his first haircut. Plus I even remembered to take before and after pictures and I saved his hair for his baby book! How do you like me now!!

BEFORE: (Scraggly. I know!) (Plus his head was angled up.)

THE LOVELY AFTER: (pay no attention to the grump face, it was not haircut related)
Surprisingly enough, it actually turned out pretty good. No more scraggly baby hair, but layers which actually look like "texture" in his hair and not so fine and flimsy. Although you can't tell from the picture, the back is straight and even. I should have combed through it before taking his picture.

I must have been on a haircut high because it was that moment that I decided that Elaina also, was due for her first haircut. Three and a half years old and getting her first haircut! I trimmed the length of her hair after she was fresh from her bath and only took off the uneven ends which was all of about one inch. Her haircut saddened me just a little because to me, these were the last thing that connected her with the tiny newborn that we brought home from the hospital. These were the same golden curls that she had when she was a year old and the same ones that began to touch her shoulders when she turned 2. Lincoln, well, he was a peach-fuzz head from day one and his hair only really began to grow within the past 8 months.

How's that for posterity? Another "baby's first" to put down in the baby book and retell when my kids are pre-teens and actually have an interest in when things happened in their life timeline.

you know you're getting old when...

2008-11-21T22:52:00.000-05:00

you appreciate how nice your new trash can looks in your kitchen.
Behold what has come to make me feel just a little bit giddy inside. I'm so weird.

The best part is that it comes fully Lincoln-proofed. Yep, I really like my can.

Not Ignoring the Ringing I Hear

2008-11-17T22:46:00.000-05:00

After work today, I made my bi-monthly Wal-Mart run (shopping Day 3 if you're counting) and if I'm not mistaken, it looks as though it is the opening day for the Salvation Army's bell ringers to be out in full force with their red, metal kettles. I didn't see them yesterday and it's going to be a long time before they go away.

I parked my fat SUV in a close parking space and took off my warm gloves to check over my shopping list. Included on my list were several food items, but also items that just seem to make our lives a little more enjoyable. A little more luxurious and a little bit easier. It was that moment that I looked up and spied a Salvation Army bell ringer, volunteering their time in the freezing cold weather, being ignored by shoppers too busy rushing past to get into the warmth of the store and buy what they need and what they want. I began to think how many times I've filled that role, making up excuses in my head that I don't have any pocket change or I don't want to take my gloves off to look or I simply don't have time to drop in a spare dime. Embarrassing excuses don't you think?

From that moment, it struck me how fortunate I am, how fortunate my family is and how blessed we are every single day. We really don't have a "need" for anything. And isn't that nice to be able to say? While there are most certainly plenty of people with greater financial wealth than ourselves, just think of how many people right in our own community, who don't know when or where their next meal is coming from. And one season a year, volunteers step up across the country, reaching out to make a difference. All you have to do is stretch out your arm.

So, I'm doing it. From this day forward, a new tradition has been born into our family. I will no longer pretend that I'm not acutely aware of that ringing bell in the cold night air. I won't think of how much money I don't have in my purse, but rather dig until I come up with something. And most importantly, not let a single day go by without thanking God for how blessed we are and how He continues to provide.

The side effect of this effort in giving is twofold. Can you imagine a better lesson and tradition to share with your children? When our kids are grown and they hear that bell ringing next to the red kettle, I don't want them to remember a single time in their life that that didn't mean for them to take action. Like making a simple contribution was ever an option given to them. It's just the way it's always been. In addition to that, even with the simplest contribution of my spare change each year, it accounts for something. It may be the difference in feeding a hungry person their next meal. Or it may that a lovely 3 year old girl or boy gets their very first new toy to call their own.

Whatever it means, I'm in. Anyone care to join me this season?

We could get used to this...

2008-11-16T22:09:00.001-05:00

My parents came into town to stay with us this weekend just after last weekend's visit with Grandma and Grandpa W. Whew, do you suppose we could we ever get used to so much attention and new people to put kids to bed and new people to sit beside at dinnertime and new play companions? Um, yeah!!! (you didn't think the answer would be "no" did you?)
Elaina and Lincoln were mostly hysterical and kept the four of us on our toes at all times. I think that my mom and dad finally understood that I've never exaggerated when I say that you need to keep an eye on Lincoln all of the time. That little stinkbug isn't so much into watching TV like his big sis, (which is FINE) but what he enjoys the most is putting himself into places he doesn't belong and running his cars ANYwhere that he can find a flat surface. Oh, and the fact that he is part monkey and likes to climb ONTO everything! My parents witnessed firsthand what a little Stinka-Stink Linky-Dink really is.

Other than not being on any time table other than making an effort to sleep in, we went shopping. Let's just say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree:-)) We shopped on Saturday and on Sunday! My mom has always been a shopper and my dad, since retirement, has enjoyed the thrill of the hunt more than ever, but most especially, when there are kiddos to help wrangle. God love him for that!

We all enjoyed our time together and so much looking forward to our next visit with them at Thanksgiving! Which is next week already. Seriously.

Things

2008-11-13T22:15:00.003-05:00

Since this week has been relentless at kicking my tail end, I am going to wrap up my week with a list of "things."
Categories: Mad, Sad, Glad and Bad "THINGS"

Ready?

The MAD things this week had to offer me:
1. My co-worker has a serious stench problem. And in utmost honesty and fairness, it is severe. No exaggeration. The whole office has pitched in and tried to remedy the stink (coming from her coat in the coat room also) by spraying their well-intended air fresheners which have only taken on a new stink and caused me to come home with a headache each and every single day.
2. ^ headache.
3. ^ every.
4. ^ single.
5. ^ day.

The SAD things that have occupied me this week:
1. It's hunting season. This is the one month each year that I don't expect to see hyde, not hair of my own husband as he forsakes me for long walks in the woods with his gun.
2. I've heard too many stories of children being victims this week to last me 8 lifetimes. Needless to say, I don't work in a very happy place. No one comes there for anything good.
3. Even though I was off work on Monday and Tuesday, I don't feel like I accomplished very much even though I took the kids to the babysitter's house.
4. I should have bought more stuff at Kohl's when I had my 30% off coupon. (Yeah, that makes me sad.)(I like stuff.)
5. I only wish that I could read Lincoln's mind. The past two nights he has woke around 10:00 crying his ever-loving head off and the only thing that makes him happy is to let him wander around and play. I don't know if he's not feeling well, if he's getting his 2 year molars, or what.

The GLAD things that I have enjoyed this week:
1. I took Monday off and our offices were closed on Tuesday in recognition of Veteran's Day. Hello 4 day weekend;-)))
2. Did I mention that I won my blogger-friend Kelsey's Pay It Forward prize? And I won another awesome Pay It Forward contest last month too! (this is coming from the girl who never wins anything!) We don't get our mail from the post office on a regular basis so I've been anxiously awaiting the arrival of my next big prize!
3. With my fabulous winnings now bestowed upon me, it will soon be my turn to host my very own Pay It Forward contest. Get it? Win, pay it forward! Since my birthday is only a few weeks away, I've pretty much decided that I will be holding my first contest then since I've already learned that it is better to give than receive. I'll host my second contest to kick off the new year in 2009. (Seriously, that's like 90 days away!) That's exciting stuff Folks!
4. Last month, frugal-me took a serious plunge and splurged (invested) on purchasing a a professional hairdryer to tame my naturally frizzy, unruly hair. Every. Single. Morning. I am so happy to have that sucker, err, um, blower. I've had seriously happy hair ever since.
5. I'm glad that this work week is almost over. 3 days? I can do it!

And finally, the BAD things that have caused me stress this week:
1. During our play date on Sunday, Elaina must have bitten her tongue at some point, however didn't complain until that night and it's been causing her pain ever since. I was really taken back at how badly she chomped down on it to cause the marking that it did. It's caused her so much pain that she wakes up in the middle of the night crying because of it and it hurts her to eat. That's the last thing this kid needs; something to cause her to want to eat less than she already does. I didn't know that "less" was possible.
2. Eric's regular work scheduled compiled with his generally-inconvenient-hunting schedule has left Eric burning the candle at both ends and us not seeing much of him. This has also created me to cover as "solo mom" to pick up the slack along the way, both morning and night.
3. The "Super-Mom-Wannabe" which I aspire to be finds me at midnight bedtimes and 6:00 mornings. While this is ordinary to some (you're crazy by the way!) this Momma needs more sleep! My eyes want to slam shut by noon and then again at 3:00 and 8:00. But no.
4. Judging from the telltale crappy weather we've been having recently, I just find myself dreading the beginning of a long, cold and dark winter.
5. Some of my fellow blogger friends have been so diligently working on posting a new blog each day this month as part of National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) and since this week has been already taking it's toll on me, I can barely squeeze in time to read all of their posts, let alone keep up by trying to comment on what a great job they are doing keeping me entertained.

That's my week in a nutshell. Dare I say that next week will be better?

NO. It's STILL hunting season. Maybe by February. Cross your fingers.

Why "2" fit us fine

2008-11-09T22:49:00.001-05:00

A friend of mine is going through a little rough patch with some circumstances in her life and her marriage at this point and I thought the only thing that I could possibly think to help lend her a hand at the given moment was to offer to watch her kids for a few hours to allow her some time alone.

When I called her asking for her kids to come over for a play date, she told me how nice it was for me to think of that and that while many other people have offered to help her in other ways, what she really needed most was some kid-free, adult time. Just by her acknowledging so openly that I was actually providing some much needed help to her, I felt like she was the one doing me a favor. I can't even tell you how good it felt for me to know that the simple favor I was doing for her, meant so much to her and how much she appreciated it. And it didn't cost me a dime, or any of my time, nothing except for being there to play with her kids for a couple hours. Better yet, my kids thought it was a major event hosting their friends at our house. What a giant boost to my self-esteem; realizing that it is better to give than to get.

So, what in the world do I do with 4 kids? The cast of characters include my 1 and 3 year old and my friends' players, a 3 and a 5 year old. I let them decorate cupcakes, color, and jump and bounce around on the sofa and the slide. They played kitties melting in hot lava. (5 year old imagination?) They were wild, screaming horses on a rampage. And myself and the 3 older ones even sat on the floor and took turns rolling the ball to one another. We had only one snag in misunderstanding (read: not listening) which resulted in a shattered picture frame from a ball kicked in the house. No one was injured. All kids remained intact.

The afternoon was interesting to say the least. I very much recognize that 2 kids is exactly the right amount for me (like I have a choice) but at the same time, 4 kids wouldn't be impossible. (as long as I had earplugs on standby) Also, because our mini-guest siblings are 2 years apart, as are my duo, it was like catching a glimpse into our future with a 5 year old Elaina and a 3 year old Lincoln. That alone, made me want to freeze Elaina into forever being 3 and let Lincoln catch up to speed. A little bit. At least until he can talk to me and we can have conversations. And he's done teething. And he can feed himself.

When the Grandparents come visiting

2008-11-08T22:20:00.001-05:00

On Friday afternoon my mother and father-in-law arrived for an overnight visit. It's been a while since they've happened this way and the kids were especially happy to see them.

We enjoyed dinner out together as timing would have it that they would be celebrating their 45th wedding anniversary the very next day. The pre-kid, well rested me would have gone through a little more trouble and planning and actually had a nice evening meal prepared at home, but those days are gone and the joy in eating is now having someone else do the preparation and the cleaning up. The old me would have even been so thoughtful to get a card for the occasion. Current status: I haven't been in a card store since before Lincoln was born.

All of that aside, they didn't come here looking for any fanfare or party balloons, just some quality time with their youngest son and his family. So, do you want to know what we did first thing on Saturday morning? My mother-in-law accompanied me in taking the kids (and myself) in getting a flu shot. Yep. Come on over to my place if you want your fill of family bonding, skin piercing, baby screaming, lollipop-licking moments. (Thanks Brenda for coming along with me! Really.)

Other than that, we had nothing on our agenda other than hanging out around the house and losing count of how many times Elaina had to be told to stop squeezing her brother. She loves him. Intensely. To the point of wanting to squeeze him into tiny, Lincoln bits. My poor boy.

Storage solution

2008-11-06T22:54:00.000-05:00

His second favorite place to be. Seriously. Thank God that Christmas is coming up... forget real toys, I hope we can get our hands on some oversized boxes. A virtual playland in the making.

Welcome to my evenings

2008-11-06T22:48:00.001-05:00

And I wonder how I haven't been able to find time to blog.

A Family Affair

2008-11-04T21:39:00.018-05:00

The time has come. Elaina is almost 3 1/2 and Lincoln is 18 months old today. I was determined to finally get a family picture.

We've always had good luck at the JCPenney studio and didn't hesitate to book our family appointment there. I made sure to steer clear of the kids' nap times, I secretly packed Lincoln's favorite musical toy for the photographer to lure his attention and we didn't even have to wait when we arrived. Things were looking good.

As we piled into the room, I instantly felt warm. Like their thermostat was set inexplicably high, even for a cold-blooded gal like myself. I knew that while we were all dressed for outside temperatures, our photographer was going to be have to snap some pictures quick before my wild bandits decided not to sit a moment longer dressed in their pressed shirts and layers.

We started with a family pose since that was our ultimate goal and immediately after the first click of the camera, things only went down hill. For the little one especially. Lincoln had made up his mind to get his little self right out of that room. Elaina was great except for her most gigantic, pretend camera-ham smile from ear to ear. Nothing says "natural" like wide, transfixed eyes and an overly- clenched mouth that seems to be screaming GIGGLE! Funny though she is. Most of hers turned out rather good.

Even after Eric pulled Lincoln to the side for a thumb-suckin' break, he made it clear to us one more time that he was finished. F-I-N-I-S-H-E-D! At this point, the photographer had only gotten a few pictures of the 4 of us and we had plenty of time left. I suggested that she just go ahead and take pictures of Elaina then. She was most definitely cooperating to say the least.
Once she had posed by herself for a few shots, I asked that Eric and I both get an individual picture with her pretty, little self too. Lincoln on the other hand, well... Eric had to put him into his stroller, wheel him out and buy him a soft fleecy blanket for him to snuggle against since that is the one thing I did not count on needing to take pictures. So Lincoln Todd, if you ever complain that you don't have have an "official" one year old picture taken closer to your 1st birthday, now you know why. By no means are you a delight to pose in a formal picture setting. In fact, I already find myself beginning to dread his 2 year picture. Lincoln has 6 months to practice sitting and smiling. Got it Kiddo?

Without further ado, let me present to you our first family pictures!

Cute and fun, but I passed because I found the next one to be just a little more cute and a little more fun.
This one was the keeper.

I loved everything about this pose except that my handsome husband's eyes look all wonky and Elaina's smile is just about verging on goofy. I probably should have ordered this one because the more I look at it, the more charm I'm seeing. This didn't make it on the purchase list either.

Instead, I chose this one. And now that I find myself in super-critic-analyzer mode here, I see that each of their smiles look a little less intense without as much personality as the other. Still good, but better in actual print.

I could have loved this picture. Oh, but darn you little StinkBug Lincoln! No one told you to get out of the smooshed-face line-up. I just couldn't get myself past the breaking- stride-leaning-forward bit in the front row.

It is THIS ONE which was the very first picture taken and proved to be the very best of all of us. I find myself being rather pleased with the colors and shades I chose without being too matchy-matchy. Every one of us had just enough detail in our clothes for interest without clashing and most importantly, I didn't want our picture to scream "Seasonal!" I just wanted a classic, warm-but-casual feel to our picture in an effort to match our warm-but-casual kind of family.

How do you think we all fared in our first-ever-family-of-four portrait?

(Could the photographer not have made mention for me to tuck my giant leg and SHOE behind me while I posed?) ("Warm and casual," I never mentioned perfect.) (As noted and obvious thankyouverymuch.)

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T21:56:00.000-04:00

Picture this: Friday morning, let's say 7:30, Elaina confirmed my fear of what I could have only guessed could be her Halloween trick for me. She told me she didn't want to be Ariel the mermaid again for trick or treat that evening. Oh really.

This child, God love her, is so me. And I mean that in the nicest way. She wasn't throwing a fit or being bratty about not wanting to be Ariel, she just simply hasn't grasped the whole idea of what it takes to get a costume together and expressed that Ariel just didn't thrill her anymore.

Judging from the weeks leading up to Halloween, she had first asked to be Fufah from the Noggin show, Yo Gabba Gabba! She soon moved onto Ariel which I panicked over finding Ariel until a friend gave us her daughter's outgrown Disney costume (HOORAY!) and then Elaina told me that she didn't want to be Ariel, she wanted me to be Ariel. Oh. After that she asked to be a square, an angel and exactly one hour prior to trick or treat, she asked to be a clown. So, what alternative costume can I come up with in an hour you may ask? Heeding a suggestion offered by my mom over the phone, I dug through the storage bins in her closet and she became a firefighter. I actually impressed myself at what a great 5 minute costume I paired together for her from stuff I dug out of our closets. I even found a toy fire extinguisher! Impressive, no?

Lincoln was innocently contented to dress as a puppy once again and the three of us made our rounds through the town collecting the treats. Even though Lincoln wasn't given the option to go to every house like his big sister, he still managed to haul in a substantial amount of candy from his happy seat in the wagon while Elaina, as a seasoned beggar, made her way up winding driveways and steps to bring in her loot.

And like every year, our town concludes trick or treat with a bonfire at the park near our house. Since it's a lot of standing around, our little dressed up beggars conned us into letting them swing on the playground swings in the dark of the night while their hands began to freeze against the swing chains at a chilly 45 degrees outside.

That sums up trick or treat with a one and a three year old. I can't wait to see what's in store for us next year when Elaina has even more opinions to share and Lincoln will be talking his way through protests over how I plan to dress him. Their costumes have already been purchased and neither of them involve a shiny red nose and afro. Halloween 2009, we're ready for you!

Supplement

2008-10-30T23:05:00.001-04:00

I can't wait to tell you all about trick or treat, but until then, can you tell me what I did with my daughter's legs? I can't seem to find them anywhere.

Tumbling and Touring

2008-10-29T22:42:00.001-04:00

Lately my weeks have just been whirlwinds of activities and craziness. (No wonder I'm posting out of order AND cheating by back dating AND offering excuses!)

Eric has recently been working late a few days each week which really throws a pipe wrench into my Tuesday night plans when Elaina has tumbling class and I'm having to tote Lincoln along with me for the duration. Because it's only a 45 minute class, I've been trying to be creative about how I plan my time there. The best plan I've come up with (only because the class is literally 2 blocks away) is zipping home from work, picking up the kids, making tumbling class to the minute, letting Lincoln bounce around before he decides that he wants to join the class, making our presence known to Elaina, jet home to throw dinner in the oven and pop Lincoln in the stroller and wheel our way back to pick up Elaina. Whew! Weather permitting, of course.

This past Tuesday, Eric arrived home after tumbling class finished and after the fastest dinner on record at the W. house, we even made it to the open house at the fire department. Although it's not like our kids can't go the the fire department whenever they want with Eric (Fire Captain Eric, that is) but the open house is a little more special with other kids there and really, they don't just have iced pumpkin cut out cookies and punch all of the time either. Here are some pictures of our crazy-fun trip to the fire station.

About that shiner

2008-10-29T22:07:00.006-04:00

My beautiful baby boy.
And his big, bad bang up.
Just two days later and SERIOUSLY! Black and blue and green and bruised. My poor kiddo.

(On the above picture, those are just crumbs on his lips- no further injury, just crumbs:-))

Even a few days later, the bruising seems to be sallowing out in color but you would never believe the swelling that came along with the color that just doesn't capture on photos.It's sad isn't it? My Sweetie boy; banged up and bruised. And while you're heart is full of sympathy pain, how about the Mom-Guilt that I've been carrying since this happened on my watch? Horrible, I'm telling you.

It happened last Saturday when Elaina and Lincoln were busy playing in the living room, creating ramps and forts with the giant cushions from the sofa. This hasn't been uncommon since Elaina recently learned that jumping off of her slide onto the stripped sofa is a much more thrilling jump without the extra 20" of padding, making it way steeper. Anyhow, I was busy making dinner while Eric was hunting and had been peeking around the corner every couple minutes as I moved from task to task in preparing our meal. One minute I saw Elaina manhandling a sofa cushion as Lincoln bounded happily at the other end of the stripped sofa awaiting his turn to land himself onto a heaping mass of cushions piling upon the floor. Barely 2 minutes had passed when I heard a God-awful cry coming from Lincoln that I had never heard before. As I ran to see what had taken place, I could only determine that rather than landing safely on the cushions, he took a spill onto the edge of the toy box which had been bordering the mound. His nose was instantly bloodied and I could hardly deny the sick knot forming within my throat.

A closer look at his face revealed the most obvious cut in the side of his nose, slight blood coming from each nostril and a scratch next to his eye. Taking into account how and where he must have landed and the damage that was clearly visible, I was thanking God that it wasn't worse. God, it really could have been worse. Can you imagine? With that, I actually felt a slight sense of relief that he was really going to be alright despite what was before me.

So, there's the story behind the shiner and the gauged nose on my handsome boy. We've established a new rule in the house that the sofa cushions may never come off of the sofa unless a grown up is helping. It takes just one bumped up kid to take away all of the fun doesn't it?

The Wagon Train

2008-10-28T22:17:00.000-04:00

For the second year in a row, I've broken one of my all-time general guidelines in regard to holidays: don't trick or treat outside of your neighborhood. And just look at this candy-hungry bandwagon of sugar stalkers.My little puppy looks like he had to duke it out for some candy, but no, I'll have to explain his nose-boo-boo later.

Some friends invited us to their neighborhood to trick or treat once again, given that we were going to be the ones supplying the trailer for the hayride. Early in our day, we found out that another trailer was going to be used rather than ours but we were still requested out for the afternoon of candy hoarding with the kids.

Elaina was a super-warm Ariel as the Little Mermaid and Lincoln was a snuggly, little puppy.

Our real trick or treat in our neighborhood is on Halloween on Friday and I'll see what I can do about getting a little more posed shots than this. Sometimes it's good to break the rules. We had a great time.

they're moving!

2008-10-26T23:20:00.002-04:00

Omigosh! Omigosh!

Call it a lucky accident or a glitch in my computer but I was finally able to post a video! I haven't been able to put my finger on what exactly was causing my videos not to post, but I tried it again and lookie here what I have to show for it! I didn't even know it uploaded so it was even a surprise for me! Thanks Blogger!

With our older (and nicer) camera and the convenient feature of uploading video that Blogger introduced a while back, posting videos couldn't have been easier. That is until I got my new, smaller camera that is far more convenient to grab from the shelf which I've been using all of the time. For some unknown reason my recent videos have been a no-go when it comes to uploading.

You know what this means.. lots of videos coming your way. I think I have some to post from back in July. My kids were active and video worthy even then!

How about Elaina's too-big pants that seem to be wearing her. Yeah, that wiggle she does is not natural, it's just to keep them on her little no-butt rear end.

one decade down... and still going strong

2008-10-24T22:21:00.001-04:00

On a gorgeous, crisp, fall day just 10 years ago, my stomach was in knots and I couldn't wait to get on with my vacation. I was antsy with nervous excitement and was so much looking forward to being alone with the love of my life for 8 solid days with no appointments or interruptions. We were headed to Hawaii (Kauai, actually) for a long, romantic getaway, but first, we had to get ourselves married.

It's funny to think about how much time, money and effort goes into planning a wedding. I do remember loving just about every single detail of the planning, yet when it came to the big day, I was so nervous about having all eyes on me and being (1/2) of the center of attention all day. Of course I knew it was just family and friends that I was going to be happy to see there, but there's really nothing that can prepare you to feeling so much in the spotlight. A little anxious indeed.

Yet through all of my shaky nerves and butterflies flopping around within me, the minute my mom and dad escorted me down the aisle of the church, I knew that it was all worth it when I could actually feel the love radiating from my parents and my spouse-to-be when we joined hands. This was the moment I had been waiting for all of my life. Not the shaky, dry heaving moments which I felt hours before. Not the stress of not knowing if everyone who needed a corsage was going to receive one. And not wondering of there was going to be enough seating at the reception hall. Seeing the man who I loved most in the world awaiting me at the altar with a beaming smile and glistening eyes who was about to become my husband. For better or for worse, happily ever after.

God and everyone who has known us since, knows that we've had our share of "worse." Eric and I have gone through our share of heartache, grief and hopeless despair and we made it through together. And while I don't mean to refer to Ella and Ava as the "worse" but when you lose a child who you've waited so long to love and then have it happen a second time, I don't know how much more unpredictable "worse" a couple can experience. And then, look at us now. Just look what kind of ride this life of ours has taken us on. Elaina and Lincoln have become our now and complete our happily, ever after. We're all here together.

Through all of my life, all of my struggles, all of my joy and all of my laughter, I can't imagine that God could have paired me with someone who completes me more than Eric. We have surely seen our way through our fair share of arguments and differences in opinions, but there isn't anyone who I could ever want to forgive so easily and want forgiveness from and want to make an effort to restore peace. We work as a team, share in a partnership and enjoy a friendship that is about as unique as they come.

With all that we've been through in the past 10 years together, I know that this happiness and love for one another is just the ground work for many more years to come. With that same beaming groom from 10 years ago with the twinkle in his eye, Eric is still the man I want to be married to and share all that our future holds. If the best is yet to come, our future is looking incredible.

Crispy Crunch

2008-10-23T21:28:00.000-04:00

At this time last year, Lincoln was just a mere, itsy-bitsy 5 month old baby. Nothing really meant more to him than his warm bottles, silky blanket and thumb and somebody to hug him. A lot has changed in a year. He's still caught up in his thumb and silky blanket and this child will most assuredly never run low on hugs, but there is a big, colorful world right outside our door just waiting to be explored. Although we don't have any trees in our backyard, we didn't have to look much further than our neighbor's house to find a massive jackpot of colorful, fall leaves just waiting to be tackled and crunched upon.

Since the weather was cool but still crisp and sunny, I turned the kids loose to play in the leaves. With only one crunch underfoot, Lincoln decided he was done. He found himself a path right on out of this nosiy patch of ground and tried to get away.

Elaina on the other hand, grabbed her basket and was beginning to stockpile leaves to take over to our yard. (no thanks, Kiddo) Soon after, our neighbor (our friend Sam) (Elaina's "boyfriend") (he is 36; keep looking Elaina) came out and began raking a mountain of leaves for the kids to play and jump in. Shortly after that our other neighbor boys came home and couldn't resist the fun that awaited them in this seasonal explosion of leafy goodness.

And before you know it, look who ended up having the best time of all. Lincoln sat happily in his little nest of leaves and was a giggle box of excitement when the leaves happened to be raked in his direction. He and another neighbor boy sat like anchors on each end of the leaf pile, roaring with laughter as each of the bigger kids took turns jumping and splashing their way through the mound.
I'm pretty sure that the adults had almost as much fun as the kids as we watched them laugh and bounce around outside, but next time I've decided to make sure that the pants my kids are wearing don't have cuffs. Just sayin'.

Gotten

2008-10-22T22:47:00.004-04:00

Do you want me to tell you what our little family was doing just one year ago, today?
We got a Lincoln! More specifically, the state of Ohio, the United States of America, the North American continent and the upper crust of the universe will forever declare that today, Lincoln became our son.

Today is Lincoln's first anniversary of his Got-Me-Day! Like many adoptive families, celebrating the actual date in which the courts and every legal, binding document declares your child to be yours, happily, ever after; we celebrate Got-Me-Day.

God, just to think that one year has passed since we took our tiny, little boy into a courtroom filled with our family and friends and a magistrate making a final ruling of what our hearts had already known, just seems surreal. This is the same little guy who wags his right arm beside him as he chases around our house, lays on his tummy to watch the wheels on his cars roll and can't get enough of being outside. The same one who makes my heart melt with his toothy, baby smile and laughs so hard that I think he will surely run out of air. My son who I cling to tightly and can't think for a minute how our lives would have ever complete without him in our family. My blue eyed boy who bears an uncanny resemblance to my husband, who may never figure out if his real name is Handsome, Turdlett or Lincoln-Little. Each night as I squeeze my baby angel boy close to my heart, I can't begin to think of him ever belonging to anyone else. Though he didn't come from my body, he is everything that my heart, my hopes and my dreams could have created. In fact, he is more.

Lincoln, your family is so blessed to have you in our lives. There is no one who could ever love you more than we do and we thank God every single day to have the privilege of calling you our son. Your story began with a phone call and that was truly your very first Got-Me-Day. A day that made our lives richer than we ever thought possible. We love you, our Baby Angel Boy!

Lovin' My Man with Dishpan Hands

2008-10-18T22:20:00.001-04:00

A few weeks back, I found myself wondering why my bedtimes are getting later and later, while my Dear Husband is already nestled in bed reading his magazines and catching up on sports highlights way before I have even made a dent in my mental to-do list. I know that this is partly due to the fact that I'm a freak about keeping things up around the house and obligate myself to doing a little bit of my mental "everything" so that "everything" doesn't just come and overtake me one day. A freak, I tell you.

I implored said Dear Husband to give me a little more help around the house in the nightly chores that seem to be sucking so much of my time. Before I go any further, I must first issue a full disclaimer that Eric (Dear Husband) really is a great help around the house and doesn't have to be told, nagged or reminded what needs to be done. While we don't have specific rules of who-does-what, we are always able to divide and conquer the workload to keep things running relatively smoothly and keeping peace within the home.

Lately, I have been feeling like my nights with the kids are going by so quickly. Often I feel cheated that in the few short hours I get to spend with them each weekday evening, at least one hour is spent in the kitchen, cooking, eating (which is hardly enjoyable) and cleaning up. The rest of the time I try to be exclusively theirs. What ends up being my free time boils down to only 2 hours and with two kids, well, you can see where this is going.

So, my Main Man stepped it up a notch. And consistently. And without complaint. And without hesitation. Eric had previously cleared the dinner table while the rest of us finished eating, but has since taken on washing dishes, loading the dishwasher and packing leftovers for my lunch the next day. Isn't love grand?

In the 20 minutes that it takes him to do this, I am finishing my dinner, coaxing Picky Pickerson to finish 3 more bites (because she's 3) and wiping child faces and hands. Just overlapping the workload while we both work to jump the mealtime hurdle has really made a difference in my evenings. Once dinner is over, we can both enjoy more time together with the kids and I'm not feeling so pinched for time. The one problem that I now have made for myself that I need to kick is adding even more things to my mental to-do list now that I'm not so beaten by every single night chores. Is freak coming to mind?

Thank you my Dear Husband for coming to my rescue. Some people like to get flowers? Me? Come do my dishes! Be sure to bring your apprentice.

Happy Sweetest Day Darling!

Accessory Queen: Tumbling Optional

2008-10-16T22:45:00.006-04:00

I had nothing to do with helping to pose this child. I may be guilty, however, of hyping up the start of tumbling class just a wee bit too much. Elaina was so excited to go to her class that she could hardly stand herself. I believe that I lost count after the 87th time she asked me if it was time to go yet. She was ready to be out the door. While I did let her choose which pretty, little, gymnast outfit that she wanted to wear with pants, she decided to kick it up a notch and accessorize her pretty, little, gymnast outfit herself. First she decided it was sunny and wanted her Ariel sunglasses. Okay. Next she reached for her bracelet. Reluctant; okay. And then Diva went all out and insisted upon sparkle earrings to match her bracelet. Oh. Dear. God.

All I have to say is that she got quite a few laughs as she walked her sparkly, little, fancy self into tumbling class. In her defense however, she was quite agreeable to take off her bling to go and play in the class when it was time.

What a girl.

The no-sparkle-forward roll.Like Elaina, I am so much looking forward to this session of tumbling for her. A friend of mine is the instructor and Elaina's best friend, Ali, is in her class once again along with several other little friends of hers. I'm excited that this year finds her older and more capable of doing new things. She's never been particularly fearful of anything, but seeing her try new things in someone else's care is big when you're three.

All in all, it was a great class for her, I just need to remember to not remind her what night is tumbling but spring it on her before she has a chance to say "sparkle."

Picture Intermission

2008-10-14T22:34:00.000-04:00

While this week is going to busy to the brim and full of something crazy everyday, I 'm going to try my best to keep up a little bit better with posting.

In a lame attempt to cover today's post, enjoy the following...

Lincoln has recently learned "Ring Around the Rosey" and even falls down right on when "we all fall. down."

I love his concentration face when he sticks his tongue out the corner of his mouth. Doesn't Michael Jordan do the same? Must be a sign of great talent, right?

They could ring around the rosey for seemingly hours.

I'm not really sure how to explain this on account that I didn't actual birth this daughter of mine, but Good GOD, she is so much like me. Neat and orderly, she has been stacking things, lining up objects and using them in creative play lately.

I don't think her video tapes saw this coming.

And this...

2008-10-13T22:01:00.015-04:00

I happened to mention previously that Lincoln had an acute case of irritable-baby-syndrome while we were away for the weekend, but I didn't elaborate on how bad he seemed to be feeling. The latter part of last week, both kids had their share of snotsy-runny noses, but then again, so did every other kid at the babysitter's house. We were all skeptical and hopeful that the symptoms were nothing more than allergy related with the change of the season, weather, etc. especially since no one presented with fevers. Taking into account that Lincoln sometimes has issues with sleeping away from home, plus having snotsies, plus 4 new eye teeth coming in, I had loads of excuses to try to explain his unlikely temperament and his eating and sleeping strike. That was until about Sunday.

It seemed like over Saturday night into Sunday, Lincoln developed this horrible raspy, somewhat croup-like cough that sometimes left him breathless and gasping for air. Other times, he seemed like he was trying to cough so hard that it made him almost choke. That was enough for me. I was fortunate that our doctor was able to see him Monday afternoon when I was already off work. The good news came when she said there was no sign of ear aches and that his ear tubes are still perfectly placed, but when she peeked into his throat she nearly jumped back in startling confirmation that there was surely an infection already brewing down there. Our doctor was considerate enough to write a prescription for an antibiotic for both kids (without having to bring Elaina in) since they seem to have the exact symptoms, minus the choking-cough for Elaina.

In a bittersweet twist, I'm somewhat relieved that there is an actual, valid excuse that helps to explain Lincoln's eating and sleeping strike other than just being away from home but the down side is obvious, he's sick. I guess that the second half of October will already find us digging out the vaporizers and the Vick's rub. And we're just getting started.

Fall Favorites

2008-10-13T22:01:00.014-04:00

Well, I'll be the first one to admit that I have no idea what happened last week that there were almost zero posts on the blog front. All I can remember is that I conceded to some early bedtimes for myself and every night seemed to last only minutes before the stroke of midnight demanded to shut down the busy.

With that said, let's just jump into what we had been looking forward to all week; a long weekend away to relax and play. Because of Columbus Day and because that's one of the few benefits of county employment, I was prepared to spend Friday thru Monday at my parents' house while Eric made the decision to stay at home and catch up on some yard work and other nagging household projects.

Our first night at my parents' house started off much later than I anticipated and only lead to even later bedtimes. Lincoln was the absolute. WORST. SLEEPER. EVER. and could NOT rest his little head being away from home. And of course, when the three of us are sharing a room, a screamy, yelly baby leads to a wide awake toddler and a crabby, sleep deprived mommy. He seriously reminded me our days together when he was newborn baby still figuring out a sleep pattern. It's even more unfortunate that both kids seem to have battling some symptoms of allergies or the early start of colds for the past few days. At least that's what I'm guessing is a result of all the snot that I've been collecting from the dozens of tissues they've been pouring through as of late.

And guess what the next day was to bring? Well it was only the day that we had the biggest and best laid plans of all! And our cranky, non-rested trio wasn't about to have a prayer at having fun unless we got some make-up-sleep. After a forced nap for my overtired children, Greg and Kate arrived with an overly excited Colin ready to play and go to the pumpkin patch.

The rest must have worked wonders for us all because we all had the very best time ever. The pumpkin patch was awesome. There was a hay ride, a straw bale maze, pumpkins galore, horses and apple punch (cider) to chase down the dirt from the already sticky kids' faces.

When we first rolled into the pumpkin patch aboard the hay wagon, Lincoln was blatantly fascinated with the tractor that pulled us there. Once we were let off, a train barreled through on the nearby train track and a semi truck made it's way down the country road. Lincoln's first trip to pick pumpkins was already complete before he even got within 2 feet of his first pumpkin! Elaina and Colin made off like little bandits, never to be heard from again. Actually, Greg and Kate kept a watchful eye out for the little partners in crime as Lincoln and I ended up on the whole opposite side of the field. That would explain why I have no Elaina-patch pictures. And besides, with her army green pants and her pumpkin orange shirt, I camouflaged her just as well that I couldn't hardly spot her if I tried. In the end, we ended up with our share of perfectly picked, plump, pumpkins.
Did I happen to mention that the weather was like the most gorgeous, fall day you could ever imagine? It was gorgeous because the leaves have all started to turn and the air had the perfect balance of a crisp undertone to it, but it was almost edging on too hot with the temperature nearing 82 degrees. We all ended up a little bit sweaty, but seriously, 80 degrees in mid October? It was a perfect, memorable day for all of us.

As I was putting Elaina to bed that night, I asked her what her favorite part of the day was. Since there was so much to see and do for the better part of the day, I couldn't wait to hear what she had come up with. I fully expected her to say that the horses were her favorite or riding in the hay wagon or drinking "apple punch" (cider) at the picnic table with Colin had made her day the best, but she decided that jumping off the bales of straw with Colin and yelling "Geronimo!" while holding onto Grandma's hand was her favorite part of the day.

Some kids are easy to please.

What's New?

2008-10-06T21:50:00.007-04:00

Can someone explain to me how a million and eight thoughts of what I want to blog about next go through me head each day and then when I finally make enough time open the flood gates of stories to share, I've got nothing?

It's really not fair. I just don't get it.

I have been thinking that it's been a long time since I've written a little personality- progress report on those there monkeys of mine, so let's start with that shall we?
How about the little monkey first? The little monkey is commonly referred to as "Lincoln" and most often "Turdlett." He gained notoriety as Turdlett during his experimental phase of estimating exactly what toys will and won't fit into the toilet. And speaking of toys, who really needs toys when it's more fun to open and close the toilet lid? We seem to be a little bit past that phase, but the name stays. When he gets himself into any type of mischief whatsoever, he is my little Turdlett indeed.

Monkey is also one of my son's latest monikers. Have you ever heard the saying, "Just because you can, doesn't mean that you should?" I'm guessing that my little bruiser will hear that more times than he hears his own name by the time he reaches kindergarten. Monkey likes to climb. Like Elaina at the same age, he can't get enough of going up and down his slide eleventy hundred times in a day. He thinks he is big stuff climbing up all of the 4 steps of the ladder and has taken to standing at the top platform, not holding onto anything, but beaming from ear to ear at his greatest endeavor as a Turdlett. The climbing doesn't end there. My grandma used to laugh at Elaina when she went through this climbing/ exploring phase and joked that we needed to tie bricks to her ankles to keep her on the ground. Every day since, I've been searching for some bricks and string to use for Lincoln. The boy is a non-stop climbing machine. His prize and claim to fame is climbing himself atop the kitchen chairs, parking his hiney squarely in the seat and making an "mmmmm" noise. Apparently, the boy is ready to eat. Mmmmm.

Just to round out Lincoln-Turdlett-Monkey's update, on the topic of eating, again the boy is a machine. I think God realized that maybe he didn't spend enough time on Elaina's eating mechanism and made it up to us twofold with Lincoln. Lordy, that kid can eat. Oh, and he needs to eat dinner at 6:00 each and every evening. He's not too particular with the timing of any other meal, but if it's 6 p.m. and the kid is not being fed, he will most certainly let you know about it. Loudly. And while I didn't think it was possible for kids to eat and like such a vast variety of foods, I can't think of a single food that Lincoln hasn't been entirely crazy about up to this point. He's hardly picky and even surprised us by eating everything from salmon to chips and salsa. Trust me when I tell you that I've never seen anything like this before. We plan to do everything in our power to keep him this same way. Trust me when I tell you...Now we can't talk about food and kids without mentioning Elaina. Oh, wait, yes we can! There's nothing new to report on Elaina's eating habits or lack thereof. She eats what she likes, she likes what she eats and calls it a day. Her menu, however limited, doesn't consist of junkie foods and she is somehow continuing to grow and thrive and that just is about all we need to maintain any degree of happiness at the dinner table. It is what it is. Gone are the days of bribery an struggling. We still encourage and offer and remind her of all of the great foods that her tummy would like and yet, no progress.

While what I'm about to say next absolutely qualifies for TMI overload, skip this section if you wish: Despite her love affair with string cheese and other binding foods, she has done exceptionally well at putting her poopy in the potty. It was only a few short months ago that she would make herself absolutely miserable and struggle to hold herself that over the better part of a week, she became so terribly miserable that OF COURSE it pained her like no other to just GO already. It's almost like she's jumping the last few hurdles in the race to become a big girl. This is progress. This is necessary. And this is my baby growing up so fast.

The POOP report ends HERE.

In other happenings of the life of a three year old... Elaina has proven at her tender age that she does indeed, have the whole world by the tail. From the things she says and the things that she does, there are becoming fewer and fewer moments that my jaw doesn't just about drop in wonderment of how this little girl thinks and feels. Every single day, this child makes me so proud to be called her mother. And a beautiful privilege at that.

Some things that do register in Elaina's list of all time favorites include the movie The Land Before Time. Remember that one? I think I was all of 13 when that came out and I remember thinking how I couldn't wait to have kids to share that same movie experience with. She still loves books. I've caught onto her little trick of trying to get me to read a book when we're trying to rush out the door in the morning or when it's bedtime and the last book has been read. It goes something like this: She asks to me to read her just one more book. I tell her no due to bedtime/ leaving the house and welcome her to read what she thinks the pictures "talk" about in the book. She points to the words and ever-so-innocently asks, "but Momma, what does this part say?"
And before I forget, the latest thought that's been weighing on my mind and list of things to blog about is Halloween costumes. Lincoln is set to be the cutest puppy dog on the block and Elaina... well, I don't know what Elaina is going to be. She still wants to be a mermaid, but, um, y'all know that we live in Ohio right? You can never plan a Halloween costume that doesn't come with the option of layering eight pieces of clothing underneath and still uphold a great costume. And the ever so slight detail that mermaids have tails and don't walk. Part of me is leaning toward the kids having sort of matchy-match themed costumes and then again, I have no imagination or creativity and find myself at a loss. But what I do have is YOU!! Please people, please... what can Elaina be for Halloween? Any ideas of how to make her a warm, walking mermaid or a matchy friend of a puppy?

The 90's were bad enough

2008-10-02T22:30:00.005-04:00

Lucky for me that I didn't have a digital camera 15 years ago because if I did, I would mostly feel compelled to reach into the depths of my stored pictures online and root around for a senior picture of myself. Alas, I don't. And I'm not about to scan one. No Sirree. Go through all of the trouble to just be able to give you a side by side, mind-burning image of this:Scary, no? Sorry. This could have been my class picture if I had graduated high school the same year as my mom. Freaky, right? God, and to think that I often feel like I take too much time doing my hair as it is. Can you imagine all that work to get that result? **cringe** And the glasses? **goosebumps** (Mom, I'm sure you looked gorgeous anyhow.) Dear Lord I can only imagine what my kids will say one day as they look back on photos of me and how I've dressed them. On the other hand, since I'm always the one behind the camera, they may never know what I looked like in the first place.

Try on any year you'd like at http://www.yearbookyourself.com/, and don't forget to let me know what a dated you goofball you look like too. Fair is fair.

The 90's may not have been so bad for me if only I had known that thick, Brooke Shields eyebrows and silk shirts buttoned up to your nose wouldn't be cool 15 years later. Then again, maybe I did. Maybe I didn't.

What else would it be?

2008-10-01T16:10:00.002-04:00

As Elaina was finished with her bath last night, she wanted some extra time to play in the tub with her dissolving colored tablets which effectively turn the water either blue, red or yellow. Eric had cautioned her not to make a mess while he stepped out of the room briefly. When he returned just a minute later, he walked into Elaina laying on her back in the bath water, splashing both legs.

Eric sternly asked, " Elaina, what did I tell you about not splashing?"

To which Elaina quickly answered in earnest, "No, it's okay Dad. It's just my tail."

Apparently she is part mermaid. Must have slipped my mind.

The Little Weekend

2008-09-29T21:45:00.010-04:00

Yeah, um, I'm not so sure what happened to last week. As a whole. Missing. Gone. Busy.
Whatever it is that has kept me from blogging, it sure has been keeping me busy. So let me just pop in over to the start of our weekend. That was only a few days ago, I can surely remember some noteworthy points of interest from then.

For the past few weeks, we have experienced incredible weather and perfectly comfortable temperatures both day and night. This is the same reason that on Friday night, Eric decided to build a fire in our fire pit and enjoy the almost-fall season. It's only the second time that we've taken both kids out at bedtime to cuddle on our laps and watch the fire, but surely just the beginning of a nice tradition. The last time, Lincoln was entirely too wiggly and Elaina just wanted to eat marshmallows. Straight from the bag. This time Lincoln cuddled on my lap contently sucking his thumb and Elaina was endless help tossing kindling and sticks into the fire. Only one time did she get slightly closer than I would have preferred, but in her tender age of 3, I think she showed much respect and caution in regard to distancing herself from the fire pit.

The part I enjoy most about sitting by the fire in the night air, is that it reminds me of so many nights my family spent camping as we were growing up. We were always the family that had the biggest fire, the best popcorn and the biggest circle of old and new friends gazing into the warm, open flames. While we don't have any intention of camping until our kids are older, I so much want our kids to be able to reflect back on their childhood and have such fond memories of such simple things as enjoying a toasty, warm campfire.

On Saturday, Eric tackled some projects outside and Elaina and I baked cookies inside while Lincoln napped. After many delays and interruptions, we finally made our way to a fall festival I had read about in the local newspaper. We arrived a full hour before it was scheduled to end and everything had already been packed up, cleared out and cleaned up. Apparently, a light rain shower had passed through and they decided to close down early. I was hugely disappointed for the kids until we learned that the people at The Little Gym were welcoming everyone to play in their facility. And as we are huge lovers of PBS, and The Little Gym just happens to be a proud sponsor, I have always been curious as to what all it has to offer. This was a great opportunity for the kids to run, bounce, swing, play and slide with no limitations. The best part is that they practically had the place to themselves as there were only a handful of kids left playing.

Even though we missed the activities I intended upon, The Little Gym was great (free) fun for the kids. And while I'm not willing to make the 40 minute drive (one way) to enroll my kids in their classes, I was happy to see what it's all about. Do these kids look happy to you?

As much as I had been looking forward to a fall festival day with my family, I have to admit, I was very much looking forward to Sunday which was a girls' day out. Three of my girlfriends and myself ventured out early in the morning to make the hour and a half trip to Ikea in Pittsburgh. I proved to be a disappointment to myself because I was totally off my game that day and didn't manage to score any super-fantastic finds or even great deals. How did that happen? We even went to the mall and I found nothing. I must be coming down with something. All in all, it was a great day to spend with my friends and the better part was getting home mid-afternoon and still having plenty enough time to spend with my family.

How's that for a fun, little weekend update? This week, I'll try to do better.

However. Late. Anyhow.

2008-09-21T23:12:00.009-04:00

While these pictures aren't exactly fresh from the memory card, they were still taken with the intent to post and worth the viewing. Here are some clips from my favorite moments in the past few weeks.

This was taken at our favorite park about 30 minutes from our house. This time, we remembered to bring some bread to feed the ducks and geese. Elaina was the "feeder" while Lincoln watched intently from his stroller. Next year he'll be big enough to throw on his own.
The first day our power went out, I stayed home from work and McDonald's was the closest place that still had power, thus providing a warm meal. There were at least 5 other moms there donning their ball caps (from not showering)(no power) with their anxiety-ridden children in tow. Lincoln was such a big boy exploring all of the tunnels he could maneuver. Since Elaina hardly stood still for longer than a second, this is the best picture I could capture. While playing with the other kids at the play area, I paused to hear that Elaina's voice was the loudest, serving as the director-of-pretend to all the children within earshot. She wasn't so much bossy, which I'm happy about, but she was definitely the ring leader to make sure everyone was going about the same pretend mission as herself.

On Monday evening, (our first night without power) we drove an hour and a half away to a friend's house to borrow a generator. We ate dinner at a restaurant and dressed the kids in their jammies right in the restaurant, ready for the long trip home and straight into bed in our already dark house.

This past Sunday, a friend of mine came over with her daughter, Ali so that the girls could enjoy a fun dress-up play date together. Every time I tried to take a picture of the girls posing in their finery, Lincoln wandered right in front of the camera, completely obstructing my view of the girls. He was like an ant at a picnic, coming over to see what we had for him. Lucky for him, I'm always happy to take a picture of his sweet, goldfish-chomping face!

Drum roll please.... ta-da-ta-da! The Fanciest Friends ever! Ali-bug and Driving Miss 'Laina.

Because Nobody Likes IKE

2008-09-20T15:13:00.000-04:00

Just in case you missed it, thousands of Ohio residents became the latest victims of the remnants of Hurricane Ike. Since a huge-a-freakin-normous wind storm passed through our area on Sunday night, we became a tally mark on the long list of areas without power. The storm, ironically without a single drop of rain, left mounds of destruction and debris all over our neighborhoods, tattered homes and uprooted trees from their cemented bases. I haven't even had a chance to post a picture of our lovely, new sun canopy we've added to our back patio, the one that has the nice netting panels with split sides that roll back and the one that Eric just (Saturday night) strung the frame with rope lights, but it's that one that is now bent, warped and uneven as a result of the high winds. I would have loved to show you how pretty it was. But not anymore.

Also, I had wanted to reserve a chunk of time Sunday evening to write about my parent's weekend visit and how we had such a good time hanging out and not doing too much of anything but laughing and playing with the kids, and how they had to drive back to their house in the thick of the wind storm. Alas, no power, no blogging, just good memories.

What I can do is recap some of our days living like the amish. After only an hour without power, I was desperately missing my luxurious, well-lit, appliance-efficient lifestyle. Hello Spoiled American. After nearly 72 hours of camping out in our house, we finally regained power on Wednesday morning. It was a blessed event if ever there was.

Things that I have learned to love about being in the dark:

Really getting to know how resilient my kids are. Although Elaina had asked to watch Noggin every single day without fail, she really made considerable adjustments and has enjoyed reading bedtimes books by the light of the lantern and sleeping in our bed. The power outage hasn't fazed Lincoln in the least. I've paid more attention to how well my kids play together and entertain themselves with the toys that they have in front of them. Their easy dispositions have made this ordeal bearable for all of us.

I never take friendships for granted and friends with generators available for loan are even better! We were able to save most of the food from our refrigerator and freezers, including the half side of pork we just picked up 10 days ago.

I found myself enjoying earlier bedtimes for all of us. We had to get the kids into a quick bedtime schedule since it becomes pitch black outside and inside, right around 8:00. And since there isn't particularly much housework I could do without power cords and appliances, and most certainly no internet browsing, I was able to fall asleep to the tune of the frantic hum of the generator around 10:00.

Lord, what would we have without a gas hot water heater? Take cold showers, that's what we would do. Amen! for hot water showers and no water shortage! And candlelit showers are always calming don't you agree?

I very much enjoyed the team work and partnership of my husband. Since we had limited time before the sun went down and lantern time began, we learned to rush through our evening routine to keep as much consistency for the kids.

As anal as I may be sometimes about having everything in it's proper place and housework kept up as much as possible, I certainly found it all working in our favor while accessing things that we needed by candlelight.

Since Wednesday, things have gradually been getting back to normal around here. There are still plenty of people without electricity, but we all have to consider ourselves fortunate that we've hardly had the burden and hardship to deal with as the residents in Texas. And even though I found myself shaky and filled with anxiety about what our week had in store for us as the electric company predicted an entire week without power, we managed and we managed well.

Tomorrow is Sunday once again and the forecast is looking sunny. I still plan to reserve a chunk of time in my evening to finally post some pictures and hopefully get back in the swing of things on the blog front. Until, let our thoughts and prayers be with those who have suffered even greater burdens than us without lights and conveniences.

Party ON!

2008-09-10T21:59:00.003-04:00

Since I haven't posted in a few days since my Fisher Price party, did anyone begin to wonder if I survived? No? A party in which babies and toddlers outnumber the adults and in the home of someone who can't stand not having symmetrical pillow shapes flanking the sofas? ( <---- okay, I'm really not that obsessed, but I really do like the appearance of symetric pillow shapes on my sofa)

Well, let me just tell you about my cool party. Eric spent Friday night putting together all of the toys and learning how to hook up the (super cool) wireless, "Smart Bounce & Spin pony" and we hid all of the new toys in another room until the guests arrived. And speaking of my party guests, there was a little issue with that. Fisher Price encouraged each hostess to invite at least 10 kids aged 6-24 months that were certain to attend. The problem I ran into was that I didn't necessarily want to invite too many more than 10 because I only had 10 nifty FP party favor bags to give to my guests. As the day drew nearer and most everyone was confirmed, I learned that 2 (sibs) guests were battling a cold the morning of the party, one kid came down with a super high fever and two of the moms of my potential guests, had work obligations and couldn't make it. I ended up with 7 kids in all, counting my kids. Not as nutty, crazy, busy, messy, loud and crowded as I suspected and I was alright with that.

The kids all had a really great time playing with the new Fisher Price toys which made for great photo opportunities, just as Houseparty had expected. I made such a point to capture the guest-children in poses, taking for granted that I would have plenty of pictures of my kids as always, but the opposite was true. My little Turdletts only wanted to play on the slide because I moved it to a new area of the living room. Twice. Turds.

Here is a link to my party page on their website. Look for Lincoln wearing an orange shirt and Elaina in long ponytails and a white shirt. Somehow they managed to stay mostly clear from the camera and were just as happy to have other kids to play with at their house. I drew two lucky winners to take home 2 of the younger age category toys and kept the 2 toys that I saw my Monkeys enjoying the most.

All that Houseparty.com has asked for in return is to simply complete a short survey about the party, posting pictures and videos to the their party website and a comment on their blog that highlights the fun we had at my party.

Hooray for Fisher Price and great, free toys! It was an awesome experience for me and my guests, now go sign up and when you get selected to host a fabulous, new party, don't forget to invite me over!

How Awesome is this?

2008-09-04T21:33:00.011-04:00

If you recall from my 50 Random Things post a short while back, I mentioned that I got selected to host a Fisher Price party through Houseparty.com.

So here I am to gush about the caliber of awesomeness of which I am so excited to be a part of. First of all, I came across information on Houseparty.com through a random bargain blog that I read and went over and signed up a quick little profile of myself and hoped that something peeked my interest that I could experience a party of my own. The whole concept of hosting a houseparty boils down to select families across the U.S. are chosen to host a theme-type party in which a major company sponsors to get real reviews, reactions and opinions from real, live potential customers. The company sends you a boat load of free goodies that they want feedback on and in turn, you host your friends over to party with you and all they ask in return is your feedback and pictures posted on their Houseparty blog. Easy! Awesome!

When I first signed on, I was a bummed out because I had missed the sign up for hosting a taste testing of the new Hershey's Bliss chocolate candy that has recently hit the stores. (BTW: DELISH!) The company continued to send e-mail announcements of party themes to host and Fisher Price soon struck my eye as they were looking for kids aged 6-24 months and I already have one of those! Plus, I know lots of those!

Out of over 100,000 registrants who applied for the Fisher Price party, only 1,000 were selected. The specifics required to the host to have 10 or more 6-24 month old children in attendance and hold the party between Sept. 6-7. That way 10,000 families are hosting the same party all across the U.S. at the very same time. How cool is that?

The really, really awesome part of the whole party is that Fisher Price has sent me such an incredible load of new toys and age appropriate party favors for each guest. Also included were gift bags, coupons, product manuals and batteries. Seriously!
Here are some pictures of my jackpot:

The Party Favors:

The following are mine to keep, but seriously, do my kids really need 4 new giant toys and where would I put them? I've chosen to keep 2 of my kids' favorites and pull 2 guests' names from a hat to win the other 2. Surely there will be 2 very appreciative babies and mom's who can enjoy these way more than my kids.

If you have a 6-24 month old kiddo and no plans for Saturday, stop on over, it sounds like my house is going to be a full blown Fisher Price fun house. Do you think I'll survive this? I have a lot of cleaning to do. Before and after. oh.

Heading West: West Virginia, that is

2008-09-02T21:36:00.000-04:00

For this lovely 3 day weekend we held true to what has become another annual tradition of going to spend Labor Day at Eric's grandma's house in West Virginia. Mamaw just lives on the outskirts of Charleston which gives us the added bonus of celebrating the Sternwheel Regatta Festival while we're there.

Because we were there from Friday until Monday, I'll just share half of the load of pictures that I took and highlight the most fun, sweet and unforgettable moments of our trip. Our first night, we foolishly thought that Lincoln would sleep happily in his pack 'n play. Imagine our weary dismay when he began to cry to get out of it at 3:30 in the morning. Eric lay Lincoln in between us in our bed where he flopped around for 2 hours and then began to scream at 5:30 a.m., waking up the entire house. Needless to say, our first day was off to a rocky start but with a much needed scheduled nap time for the whole family in the early afternoon.

Since it was near 90 outside, we sought out a cooler climate and free entertainment in the mall. Both kids loved playing with the oversized train table in the most awesome toy store. Lincoln picked out his favorite train cars and didn't want to ever give them up. Elaina made a little seat for herself out of a package and played with the doll house filled with little bear people and pint sized furniture.When we arrived back at Mamaw's house, we were pleasantly surprised to walk in on a toddler bed set up in our bedroom with a giant, full, Winnie the Pooh comforter set atop of it. Eric's aunt and uncle who live nearby, so kindly brought over these accommodations that they use for their grandchildren for our kids to enjoy. Our lucky day, indeed. We lined the pack 'n play with the comforter and Elaina slept happily in a perfect sized bed for her. Aaah, the beauty of a good night's sleep! Thank you very much Gail and Ernie!

On Sunday we ventured out to the Regatta Festival held on the river bank, packed with food, entertainment and rides. The inflatable slide was awesome for Elaina and she wore herself out by making at least 15 trips up and down the slide until she was so sweaty and flushed we had to make her stop. Lincoln was finally big enough to ride some rides too. I don't think I would have been especially trusting if Elaina wasn't at his side, but Elaina would never let anyone or anything harm her baby brother. Who's that in the back seat of the crazy car ride? Why, it's me and Lincoln. Eric finally stepped behind the camera and with some stroke of luck, I actually look like I went on a family trip with my family! There's finally proof that I was there! (Tangerine shirt, visor, baby to the right... it's ME!) (And look where Lincoln's arm rests. LOOK. It looks like a giant fat roll seeping from underneath my shirt. And that leaves me to critique my picture. Maybe this is why I'm never in any ;-)) And this would be Mamaw. Eric's grandmother who is 85 years young and still believes and lives good, old southern hospitality. For her, it's all about family and good cooking. Thanks for a great visit Mamaw! I love this tree. The actual tree stump is grounded off to the left. Years ago the tree was struck by lightning and bent just so that it planted itself upright to begin to grow in a new direction. (Tracy, eat your heart out at this photo op! You could spend all day capturing angles and poses with this tree.) Here, Eric was tossing Lincoln in the air and on one particularly high toss, he got hollered at by not only his wife but his Mamaw too! ERIC!! But if only you could hear Lincoln's belly laughs bursting from his little self. Look! There's a Buckeye in the West Virginia tree! Eric, do you just want to be hollered at by your wife?Just before we left, Eric's Aunt Debbie got some help picking tomatoes from the garden. Elaina already asked to come back next year to help when the tomatoes are even bigger, like she will be.
And the tradition lives on.

Kidding around at the FAIR!

2008-08-27T22:39:00.000-04:00

Upholding a long standing work / play tradition, I volunteered myself once again to "work" my employers' information booth at the county fair. The best part about the shift I sign up for is that it allows me to leave work early, people-watch from our booth along with my girlfriend from work and then Eric and the kids meet me at the end of my shift for us to enjoy the evening together. Almost every year that I've been doing this, the weather has been perfect to accommodate late nights, riding the rides and filling up on enough greasy fair -food to last me another year. This week, however, we had been on a cycle of cold, rainy weather and this day didn't see above 60 degrees. Despite my warning of the inclimate weather and still-dripping rain, Eric wanted to make an effort to bring the kids out to the fair, with the promise that they would be warmly dressed. Oh.

We managed to rig an umbrella over the double stroller and with hats and hoodies, we mostly stayed dry. We took in all of the sights and smells from the animal barns and the informational booths and like every other fair goer, picked up some cheapy-freebies along the way. Helium filled balloons were very much appreciated by our passengers aboard our stroller limo.

Elaina was most impressed with the goats and every one of them became her friend. She couldn't bear to pet only one goat at a time because in an instant, another lonely goat caught her eye and she darted to give him it's share of attention. I can't hardly believe we made it out of that barn without a scene. I was just happy it was the little kid goats that struck her fancy rather than than the larger than life cows and pigs that you could smell before they were seen.
Lincoln was mostly content to steal away some drinks from his sister's sippy cup and hang out in his warm, dry seat.

Even when the goat became a little too interested in the taste of Lincoln's blanket, he took in stride as if he's around goats nibbling out from their pens everyday.

Despite the rain and cold, we had a really fun family night. I guess this is one of those instances of when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. In our case, just really, really watered down and cold lemonade.