My Crabby Thoughts...

New blog...

2009-02-24T07:20:00.003-05:00

Hey guys, I have had a great run on Blogger, but it's time to move on. I have created a new blog at Wordpress and am hoping to be able to do more fun things over there. Everything has been exported so you should be able to see all old posts over there and all new posts will be posted over there in the future. Click here to link to it:

http://g-ratedlife.com/angelle

Things I want to remember

2009-02-23T11:39:00.003-05:00

These are some things I want to be able to remember about this age with Erin...

* How she will cling to your leg and say "uppy" when she wants to be held

* How when she counts she always says "one, two, sick" (six)

* How she is like a vulture when she sees food, she always has to share yours even if she just finished eating

* How she chases and tackles Ally all day everyday

* How she loves to do anything physical (climb, jump, push)

* How she will tell you "kishes" or "huggies" and then give you one

* How when I leave her in her room at nap/bedtime she says "Bye, Mom"

* How, if Mike is the one to get her in the morning, she gets into bed with me and gives me a big hug first thing, then asks to "wash (watch) a show" then says "'mote pees (remote, please)"

Smartest girl alive

2009-02-23T07:21:00.002-05:00

I know Mike already blogged about this, but I wanted to tell it too in case you don't check Mike's blog. Last night he called me into the craft room where he and Leah were playing around on the Paint program. He said, "Watch this," and he wrote H-A-T on the screen. Leah spelled it out first, then proceeded to say the sounds for each letter. It took a few tries to blend it together, but without help from us she figured out it said hat! Next we did frog, but I think that was too hard (the F-R blend AND the unusual O sound), but she got the next one, pig. It was pretty exciting.

I have to say though, I attribute a little of it to this new DVD we got called Letter Factory by Leapfrog (they have it at Target for $10). I was at the bookstore the other day in the children's section and I overheard two women talking. One said that her son had been watching this video and within a week was sounding out small words. So we ran right over to Target and picked it up. Leah has watched it twice and already is understanding letter-sound relationships. The next DVD in the series is the Talking Words Factory, which teaches them how to put sounds together to make words. In fact, this pack may be your best bet as its got the whole series plus Math Circus. It got absolutely fabulous reviews. I highly, highly recommend either the pack or the first DVD to see how it goes. I wish I had seen the pack before I bought the first one by itself.

MNO

2009-02-20T08:06:00.004-05:00

Mom's Night Out (MNO) was a blast last night. I made the Tokyo Tuna (we never buy tuna so it will be fun to eat something unusual) and I won the door prize of a dessert. I chose Key Lime Freeze. After the event, about 8 of us went across the street for a glass of wine and chit-chat. I really got to know about 3 of the moms and liked everyone I met. I am definitely looking forward to more events with this group.

Leah has had a low grade fever since yesterday afternoon. She is staying home from school today and will hopefully make a full recovery by tomorrow afternoon so she can attend a classmate's birthday party.

First date blues

2009-02-19T13:09:00.003-05:00

So I will have to tell two stories here to get to the point of the post.

#1 - I have been looking for a local mommy group to join for about a week now. I finally found New Mommies of South Charlotte Playgroup 2 days ago and promptly joined. The first event I could attend is scheduled for tonight, a Mommy's Night Out! We are meeting at Mr. Food no-Fuss Meals and we are having a food & wine tasting AND we get to bring home an entree all for $10! So I am excited about the opportunity to meet some new people, but for some reason I am nervous like this is a first date. Will they like my new haircut? Is it going to be cliquey or will they accept a new member readily? The pressure...

#2 - I went to the dentist today to have a cavity filled. Of course they numb you up good so my entire lower right jaw was numb. I was starving on the ride home so I decided to eat the apple I brought, I would just chew on the other side. Everything was going smoothly until I felt something weird on my lip. I looked in the mirror and saw that I had chomped down and the inside of my lip was all skinned and bleeding a little. Now two hours later, I have a fat lip.

So here is where the two stories converge. I have a fat lip to take with me to the Mom's Night Out. Yeah, I'll have to say, I gave myself a fat lip. Nice to meet you.

Our new haircuts

2009-02-17T13:47:00.005-05:00

What do you guys think? You can't really see my color because I took this in my bathroom and the light stinks.

Erin's Stats

2009-02-16T14:24:00.003-05:00

I forgot to update with Erin's stats from her 18 month appt on Friday. She is 24.6 lbs (55%) and 31 inches (25%). Her head is 47 cm. She is pretty much on target with all of her developmental things and WAY ahead in the area of communication. Her peed did tell us something interesting though. Erin has dysplasia abdominal muscle. Basically the muscle in the center of her stomach running vertically is weak. When she goes from laying on her back to sitting, you can see a vertical football-shaped muscle protrude as her stomach muscles contract. The dr said that she will have it all her life, although it will strengthen and get smaller with time, and it will not affect her in any way. Very strange. I had never really noticed it before. Maybe that's why it took her so long to roll over or go from laying to sitting up.

Also she did have an ear infection again. We are finally on Augmentin and are seeing a big difference this time around. She is sleeping well at night and napping well. So we are all happy over here now.

Winterguard

2009-02-15T20:01:00.003-05:00

So, you guys, Stacy and I went to the Raleigh Regional this past weekend and watched Open class and above. It was sooooo bittersweet. To have something be such a HUGE part of your life, then to just drop right out of it is a strange feeling. My sophomore year of college I marched UF's marching band in the fall and Paradigm Winterguard in the spring. So weekends were at games or rehearsals from August until April. I LIVED school and guard that whole year. Then I did Paradigm the next two seasons which, if you know anything about winterguard, means I was at rehearsals every Sunday and once a month the entire weekend again from August until April. I also marched my last two years of high school. So from '95-'00 I was a guard junkie. And then... nothing. I went to a few shows for the next year or two, but I wasn't performing anymore. Performing is like a drug, it is a high like no other. And I don't have any other way of feeling that any more and no prospect of it either. It is a tough pill to swallow. Made me a little bit sad to realize that is well and truly behind me.

Chatty Cathy (or Erin)

2009-02-13T13:16:00.001-05:00

Valentine treats and cards

2009-02-12T17:05:00.009-05:00

I have spent the last two days making Rice Krispie Treats for all of Leah and Erin's classmates and making cards for their teachers. Thought I'd share how everything came out.

Rice Krispie Treats saying Leah or Erin

All wrapped and ready for transport

Front of card to teacher, Erin's were different colors

Inside of card, Erin's had a different saying because I didn't find this one until this afternoon

On the back of Erin's teacher cards, I put this picture.

Here is the one I used for Leah.

Family Movie Night

2009-02-11T20:16:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago, we started a new weekly tradition of Family Movie Night. We decided that on Friday nights, I would make something for dinner that we could eat on a blanket in the living room (or we would order in). Mike and I would pick a movie Leah had never seen and we would all watch together. It helps to expand Leah's repertoire of movies (Tink and Cinderella were getting old) and we are doing something together. Erin of course doesn't actually watch. She runs around and hugs us and lays on top of us. It's pretty cute. Anyway, just wanted to let you guys know about our fun new tradition.

PS We are going to Durham this weekend to hang with the Wrigleys and Stace and I are going to a winterguard show!!! So Family Movie Night will be in the car this week. :)

Erinisms

2009-02-11T16:49:00.000-05:00

* The other morning in her crib, Erin was singing "Sue-pah Leah" (SuperLeah after Super Why!) over and over.

* Erin runs up to you when you are standing up, hugs your legs and says, "Hi Mommy." So freaking adorable.

* This morning I sneezed and Erin said, "Bess you, Mommy" and then repeated it when I asked, "What did you say?"

* The phone rang this afternoon and Erin said "I gegit" (I'll get it)

It's like having a newborn...

2009-02-11T12:17:00.002-05:00

For some reason, for the last month I have not slept through the night. Almost every night, one kid or the other wakes up and needs something. Last night it was both of them an hour apart. And then on the nights that no one wakes up, I can't sleep. I wake up every hour it seems like. It is getting beyond frustrating.

I think Erin got used to me going in to her because she was sick and now expects it. So tonight I am breaking that pattern. No going in unless I think she has thrown up (which is unlikely). She can just cry it out and learn that nighttime is for sleeping. Maybe once she sleeps through the night consistently again, she will stop waking up at the butt-crack of dawn.

I am So tired in the mid-afternoons, then by 7 or so I am wide awake and can't settle down until after 10pm. So going to bed early is not going to help. Maybe I will take Tylenol PM one night and let Mike handle any emergencies.

We confess...

2009-02-09T08:41:00.002-05:00

Leah was not RIDING a snowboard. Mike's snowboard hangs on the wall in the music room. She was tugging on a little string hanging from it and it fell on her face, right between her eyes. Mike thought it would be funny to write it like she was actually snowboarding. Maybe she will in March!

Snowboard accident

2009-02-07T10:22:00.001-05:00

Leah had a snowboard accident. Here is the result:

Not to leave Erin out...

2009-02-07T10:12:00.003-05:00

Here is the info on my second born:

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED? Yes

2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? Yes

3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS? Excited, more surreal than the first time

4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU? This question is ridiculous for me

5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? 28

6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? Peed on a stick during our CDS Progressive Dinner because I wanted a glass of Sangria (I didn't get it)

7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? everyone who was there when they saw my face coming down the stairs

8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX? Oh yes!

9. DUE DATE? August 17, 2007

10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS? Not really

11. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE? ice cream, especially rocky road

12. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? going up and down the stairs

13. WHAT WAS YOUR CHILD'S SEX? Girl

14. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING? No, I was scared to have a boy.

15. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY? 50

16. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER? A small CDS one

17. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW? I knew

18. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY? nope

19. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? Presbyterian Hospital-Matthews

20. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? 29 hours

21. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL? Mike

22. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH? Mike and my mom

23. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? Natural

24. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? even better epidural than the first

27. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH? 7lbs 11oz

28. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN? August 13, 2007

30. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER? Erin Audrey

31. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY? 1 1/2

First Born Survey

2009-02-07T10:04:00.002-05:00

This was stolen from Facebook. I don't like to put too personal of stuff on there for people I knew a million years ago to read. So you want to participate, feel free.

Here you go mommies - a different kind of survey for a change - it's all about your first born!

Let's see how much you remember!

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED? Yes

2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? Yes

3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS? Scared, excited

4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU? Not on a planned pregnancy

5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? 26

6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? Peed on a stick at Stacy's house the week of her wedding

7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? Mike & Stacy were waiting downstairs

8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX? Oh yes!

9. DUE DATE? May 19, 2005

10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS? Not really

11. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE? milkshakes and cereal

12. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? my sciatic nerve

13. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX? Girl

14. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING? Oh no!

15. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY? 50

16. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER? yes, several

17. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW? The first in N.O. was a surprise. I was barely pregnant but I wouldn't be back there until after the baby was born, so they threw me one anyway.

18. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY? nope

19. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital

20. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? 41 hours

21. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL? Mike, Stacy was in the back seat and my mom was following

22. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH? Mike, Stacy, my mom

23. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? Natural

24. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? Thank god for epidurals

27. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH? 6lbs 11oz

28. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN? May 17, 2005

30. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER? Leah Cathleen

31. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY? 3 1/2

As the world turns

2009-02-05T20:27:00.003-05:00

We finally had no drama today. Erin was not sick, she napped 3 hrs. Leah watched Tinkerbell while I napped. She said that she had a headache a lot of the day and a tummyache at times. Don't know what that was about. Hopefully she doesn't get that stomach bug tonight.

We loaded up and went to the mall this afternoon to buy Leah Crocs with the fur lining because she HATES socks. I mean writhing, fit-pitching every time I ask her to put socks on. She claims they feel funny. So I thought maybe with those Crocs she wouldn't have to wear socks as often. And I got a pair too at buy one get one 1/2 off. We played at the playplace, then went to Toys R Us to buy Ian's birthday present. I did not have a stroller the entire trip but Erin did SO well at the mall. She stayed close and listened when I talked.

All in all, much better day. Thanks for listening. :)

Night of the Living Dead

2009-02-05T08:49:00.002-05:00

As I am sure you can ascertain from my last post, last night was straight from hell. Leah woke up coughing at like 9pm, but she fell back asleep before I could get back upstairs with her warm juice. Then at 1:30 Erin woke up throwing up (BAD, all over her bed and onto the floor. Her room reeked of vomit all night) and continued to throw up every 1/2 hour until 4:30.

At 4:45 just when I was dosing back off for the first time, Leah comes into our room claiming she has to pee. When she has to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, she usually comes into our room so she doesn't wake Erin up by using their bathroom (so sweet). Anyway, I hear her in the bathroom quietly crying to herself, so I go in to check on her. She says, "I don't ever want to play in the pile of leaves again." What? "Or on Daddy's ramps." I have no idea what she is talking about, so I bend down to comfort her and I see dried blood smeared from her nose all the way to her left ear. Her hands and her jammies have dried blood on them. I started to freak out a little but she said she wasn't hurt. Her nose looked full of blood so I had her blow it. There was quite a bit of blood and some was a little clotted so it came out in big globs (TMI, I know). When I tried to wipe her hands, she started freaking out and talking about splinters. I think she was dreaming of when we took her splinter out and thought that is what I was doing. It makes sense with the not playing on the ramps, because that's how she got the splinter to start with.

Anyway, she was scared, so she climbed into out bed for the rest of the night, which is a SUPER rare occurrence in our house because I usually don't get any sleep with her there. She always crowds against me and somehow wedges her elbow right under my shoulder blade. But I managed to sleep a little before I got up to call and tell Laurie Erin wouldn't be going to school today.

I want a nap!

God's way

2009-02-05T02:34:00.002-05:00

I think God may be trying to tell us something. We started thinking about having another child, and BAM Erin gets an ear infection. We say, "OK, we can deal with that," then BAM Leah starts her night coughing again. We say, "Bring it on, what else?" and BAM Erin is throwing up. So maybe we should not be having another? Is this God's way of politely saying get the heck out of Dodge? :) I apologize for the incoherency of this post but it is 2:30AM and I am waiting to see if there is another bout of vomiting before I try to fall asleep.

Ha ha, some joke, God.

Leahism

2009-02-04T18:31:00.003-05:00

This was the conversation at lunch today:

L-I am feeling guilty in my tummy.
A-Why, honey?
L-I think I have the croaks in my throat again. (this means her throat is tickling)
A-Why does that make you feel guilty?
L-Because croaks are guilty.

I think we need to have a vocabulary lesson.

Pacifier free household

2009-02-03T20:41:00.002-05:00

I wanted to write this on here because I am using this as my journal so I can remember milestones for my kids. The last 3 night have been nuk-free over here. Mike didn't give it to her the other night. Because she was so stuffy, it was actually harder to breathe with it in. And it hasn't come up again since then. It is amazing that both girls were so easy to break of nuks. I wonder what other thing will be tough to deal with because of that. :)

Ahhh, much better

2009-02-03T09:22:00.001-05:00

I am much better today. Everything went well yesterday (except I took Erin to the dr instead of going to the gym - more on that later) so I feel accomplished. Leah and I did an art project and we played outside a bit in the afternoon. So the schedule did its job.

Last night Erin finally slept through the night after going to bed at 6:15. BUT Leah woke up crying incomprehensibly at 11:30 (I had just fallen asleep) and then woke up for the day at 6am. Mike was like, "And you want another one? Then we'll have one more reason to wake up in the night." But it goes through cycles, there were like 2 weeks where they both slept all night and woke up at 7:30am everyday. It was awesome. So we just have to get through this cycle to get back to good.

I took Erin to the dr yesterday because she had been waking up in the night SCREAMING and could not be comforted. I was worried that the new prescription wasn't working. But her ears are almost back to normal, so I think we deduced that she may have had a night terror. I was not prepared for that, but it figures that Erin would get them.

Okay, that is it for today. I am not getting on here until bedtime again. I think not having the option to be on the computer makes me happier about the time I spend with my kiddos.

PS Congratulations to Min & Nicole on the birth of their baby girl! We hope to hear more soon. Lots of love!

Gotta stick to the schedule

2009-02-02T07:45:00.002-05:00

I was cranky again yesterday, even after that enjoyable Saturday night. But I think today I will force myself not to be by following my schedule. You can't be cranky if you are feeling a sense of accomplishment. So today I will clean up upstairs, vacuum up there, and change all the sheets on the beds AND I will play with Erin while Leah is at school and play with both girls this afternoon and NOT GET ON THE COMPUTER OR READ the whole time. You won't hear from me again until after bedtime.

Reading is really what does it. Once I pick up a book I don't want to put it down and apparently I get cranky if I have to. I have always kinda known that about myself, but it has been getting worse lately. Maybe it's because I hardly ever get to read anymore and I am resenting it. I used to always read a little before bed, but not I am either too tired or I stay up too late reading and am super tired the next day. I guess I will have ti put reading in moderation on my schedule. I think I may have a scheduling problem, is there a meeting I can go to for this?

Erin is still not herself. She is waking up at night and in the morning crying. That is not like her. She has been on a new antibiotic since Saturday morning since she wasn't getting better on the other one. But I don't see her getting better on this one either so I am calling to talk to her doctor today. Hopefully we can get her back to normal soon, the lack of sleep is not helping anyone.

Cranky

2009-01-31T19:24:00.002-05:00

I am so cranky today. I don't know why. I wanted the kids to disappear. I didn't feel like hanging out with my family. I just wanted to veg and read. I could NOT wait to get the kids in bed (both were up late last night and Erin was up SUPER early) and sit with a glass of wine, which I am drinking at this very moment. Mike is on his way to the video store to rent us Can't Hardly Wait, which was one of our favorite movies when we were dating. We own it only on VHS, so I think it is time to upgrade. AND he is stopping to get us some chocolate dessert. I totally needed this tonight. Thanks baby! Hopefully tomorrow will bring a tad warmer weather and a happier me.

2 random things

2009-01-29T14:22:00.003-05:00

1. I remind myself SO much of Kate on Jon & Kate Plus 8. I just watched the episode where they go visit their new house. They go into Jon & Kate's room and they tell the kids that they will never be allowed in there again. The way Kate explained it and the way she made the kids stay in the room and pay attention just reminded me of me. A minute ago I was telling Leah something and I made her stop and pay attention to me. I had a flash of Kate just then.

2. Erin can count to ten! This morning she was pointing to letters or numbers on their little table (I couldn't see which one it was) and she counted all the way to ten! Also her favorite color is "geen-pu-pul" and that is the first color she says when I ask what color something is.

Date Night

2009-01-29T07:19:00.002-05:00

After Tuesday night's fiasco or Erin not sleeping well, I was SO tired yesterday. AND we found out about Erin's ear infections. So I was not especially looking forward to date night last night. But as we had tickets to RENT and had the babysitter lined up, short of Erin having a fever or being truly sick, we were going.

We ate at Carrabba's, which is a favorite of ours sans kids. They now have mini desserts. They come out with this tray of six little cups and you can get as many of them as you want (or all 6 for $12!). We got the zabaglione (custard over crunchy biscotti type stuff) and chocolate brownie with chocolate mousse. Then we hit up Starbucks to stay awake the rest of the night. I was wearing my teal Old Navy kangaroo sweater and a lady stopped and said, "That blue is a really good color on you." Random complements are the best! Then it was time for RENT.

It was SOOOOOO good! We had the original Roger and Mark in our cast. Mark makes my heart skip several beats, he is that good. Don't worry, Mike agrees. :) I cried all through the second act for Angel, Collins, Mimi, Roger, etc. I love plays that truly make you feel. And we had pretty good seats too so we could see the faces and expressions pretty well.

All in all, great date night. And Erin was fine at home so I am glad we went.

25 random things about me

2009-01-28T14:21:00.002-05:00

I was tagged to do this on Facebook. I thought I would put it over here too in case I have some people who don't cross over.

1. I will never homeschool my kids, even though I am a teacher. I believe too much that absence makes the heart grow fonder.

2. I am addicted to The Bachelor and Biggest Loser. I always cry for the one not chosen on Bachelor.

3. I am a fan of Wii Music, after telling Mike I thought it looked stupid. Oh, and I suck at bass.

4. Most of the time, I CANNOT wait to go back to work. I think I romanticize it in my head A LOT.

5. Most of the time, I want to have more kids. The idea of a big family appeals to me.

6. I seriously think my husband is the best husband and dad I know. I almost never have to bitch about him to my friends. Our biggest problem is money.

7. I am terrified of having a boy. I only really grew up with sisters. I have girls. What to do with a boy?!?!?

8. I am SO HAPPY we moved to NC. I am just a happier person in general since coming here 2 yrs ago.

9. I loved teaching middle school and I think I will probably look for a job in social studies or English when I go back. I like how they think at that age. They have real opinions on stuff. And it is a challenge to come up with things they want to participate in.

10. I am a super-organized control freak who has a problem with clutter. How does that happen?

11. I am NOT a fan of cold weather. I am ready for spring!

12. I just recently realized that I do not have a best girl friend. My husband is my only best friend. I kinda wish I had a girl best friend too.

13. I LOVE eating out. My favorite part is trying new foods, so tapas is the ultimate.

14. I am really proud of the fact that I have been working out five days a week fairly consistently since last August. But I am disappointed that I don't see the effect of it more in my body.

15. I think I sing okay most of the time, but I get the impression from others that I am not that good.

16. I LOVE my minivan. But I miss driving something small and super-maneuverable.

17. I pretty much like ALL kinds of music except that one where the lead singer screams instead of sings.

18. I truly think TV has taught my kids a lot. I don't believe that whole no TV before 2.

19. I also don't believe the new no unprescribed meds for kids under 2 thing. I still give Erin cough medicine and stuff like that.

20. I really hate playing dolls/Barbies with Leah. I am not good at doing voices and making the dolls talk. I do not enjoy it at all.

21. I LOVE reading out loud. I miss reading chapter books to my class. I can't WAIT until Leah is ready for that.

22. I am not a frou-frou girl. I almost never wear skirts or dresses. I only wear makeup or fix my hair on special occasions. BUT as I age, I find that I would like to look nice more often. I guess I am thinking now that I need more help to just look decent.

23. I don't miss my kids when I leave them as much as I used to.

24. I will read just about anything. I used to be able to read a 200-300 page novel in an evening. Now I am too exhausted. I usually fall asleep after like 1/2 hour.

25. I love cooking for my family, experimenting with food, and trying new recipes. If you come to dinner at my house, chances are I am making something I have never made before. You are my guinea pig. Good luck.

Erin updated

2009-01-28T11:14:00.001-05:00

She has another double ear infection. It is either gym daycare or Leah carrying germs because Erin JUST started school. Ugh! She was up last night coughing and crying. I can't wait for the meds to kick in.

Erin these days

2009-01-27T19:39:00.001-05:00

Erin started school today. As typical of her, she ran right into the classroom and would not hug me good-bye. She actually told me no when I asked for one. I took Leah to go pick her up and she was playing away. When they handed me an art project (a cotton ball snowman) I got teary. I have never even attempted an art project with her yet I guess I assumed that she wasn't ready. They said she loved it. I am so glad we put her in school, she is such a social creature.

I swear this kid is older than she really is. Tonight after dinner Erin was stripped to her diaper. She grabbed it (it was pretty full) and said "I ge git, dah-pah" (I get it, diaper) and brought one over to me. She was ready to be changed. It was pretty funny.

Erin is also playing with the counting bears a lot lately. She can put all of one color in a cup. She may not know the name of the color but she can sort by color already. What a smartie!

Savannah

2009-01-25T20:49:00.003-05:00

I loved spending time with Mandi and Stacy this weekend. We all hooked up in Savannah at about 5pm on Friday and went to dinner at an English pub. Because we were all exhausted we were in bed watching Bourne Ultimatum at 9pm (don't judge us).

Saturday it was so nice to *sleep in* (I slept til 8am and read by the window-light until 9:15 when everyone else woke up) and have a leisurely breakfast. We headed out to find a spa for pedicures soon after. It was hard to find a place that wasn't booked, but eventually we ended up at this adorable brick building covered in ivy. I can't remember the name of it (Stace, Mandi, help me out) but it was fab! We spent 3 hours there getting pampered and relaxing and chatting and decided that spa trips are going to be a mainstay of all future girls' trips. We headed back to our hotel room to renew and refresh and get ready for the evening.

Dinner was at Jazz'd, a tapas/martini place. I had seen this place every time I had been to Savannah and always wanted to try it. AHHHHH! It was a small piece of heaven. Some group favorites: Beef Gorgonzola, Chorizo Empanadas with cilantro-lime cream, and Potato-Leek Frittata with fig chutney. The plan was to catch the 8:30 ghost tour that we already paid for (I know, I was coerced), but we arrived at the trolley site 2 minutes late and the trolley was already gone. We were able to grab drinks to chug before the next trolley arrived. The ghost stories told on the trolley weren't scary but I did NOT get off to tour the "most haunted house in Savannah" with the rest of the people. Mandi and Stacy said it was pretty cheesy though. After we went to the dueling piano bar Savannah Smiles.

I definitely had lots of fun at the bar. It has been a LONG time since I have been "out" like that. But I looked at all the other girls there and I realized that I was probably in the oldest quarter of them. It was kinda crazy.

Sunday morning checkout wasn't til 11, thank goodness. We got up eventually and headed to Starbucks for that caffeine hit before driving. Stacy left (she had the longest drive) and Mandi & I walked around one of the oldest cemeteries in Savannah. There were graves there from the 1700s. It was interesting to talk about all of their stories.

On the way back to the car, we happened to run across a honey store. That's right, a store completely devoted to honey. We got to taste 8 different flavors and I actually bought two small jars, one of acacia and one of sourwood. Then it was back on the road.

I have a total of 5 pictures from the whole trip. Mandi has most of them, so when she posts them (!) I will link to them here. Thanks, girls, for such a great time. I hope more of you can make it to the next girls' weekend in 2010.

The littlest Larsen

2009-01-25T20:30:00.003-05:00

My neighbors, Tiffany and Brandon, had their baby this evening. I just wanted to say congratulations on the birth of the newest member of the CDS crew, Weston Larsen. We can't wait to meet you!!!

Stuttering

2009-01-22T18:09:00.003-05:00

Is it too early to tell if Erin will be a stutterer? Because I am noticing it more and more. Especially on say the word "potty" which she says "pa-yah", she repeats the puh-puh-puh sound several times before saying it. It happens on other words too, but not every word. So I don't know what to think...

On to me, I am SO excited to meet up with Stacy and Mandi tomorrow afternoon in Savannah. Mandi and I were looking up restaurants to go to. (You can tell who the foodies are.) I realized that there are too many restaurants and not enough meals! That can only make me happier. AND Mandi is bringing me cupcakes! I thought I had blogged about these cupcakes before but I can't find the entry so here is Mandi's entry about the famous cupcakes. Seriously, read her entry before you go any further.

I know, right? And we picked some up on the way home from Hive in October and they were worth the detour. Holy deliciousness!

Can't wait!

Snow bunnies

2009-01-20T10:54:00.009-05:00

The girls LOVED the snow this morning, especially Erin. I will try to pick out the best pics from our playtime this morning to show you.

Our house

Erin is EXCITED to see snow.

Licking snow off the car

My first sled ride EVER

Leah's snow angel

Playing on the deck

Our website, G-Rated Life, has more pictures.

Snow Day 2009

2009-01-20T06:03:00.003-05:00

I just want everyone to know that I am watching the snow fall in our backyard as we speak. Why am I awake at 6am if there is no school and no work today? Well, I have a big overgrown kid for a husband and he was doing a giant happy dance this morning and now I can't sleep anymore. But very cool! Pictures to come today, I'm sure.

Baby talk

2009-01-19T20:30:00.002-05:00

Conversation with Leah at bedtime:

We were talking about whose birthday is next (is that grammatically correct? whose?) and I told her it was Ian's. Here is how it went:

A: You know whose birthday will come before Ian's? Baby Weston's! (Tiff is ready to POP!)
L: Can I go see him when he comes home?
A: Sure. And after Andy's birthday, Ian's new baby brother or sister will be born.
L: When will my new baby brother or sister be born?
A: I don't know. There is no baby in my tummy yet.
L: Why not?
A: Because we haven't tried to have a baby yet.
L: Can we try tomorrow?
A: No, baby. But we will soon.
L: How does the baby get in your tummy? Is there like a control that puts them in there? (I guess she meant like a remote?)
A: Daddy helps put the babies in my tummy. He helped put you in there. He helped put Erin in there.
L: I didn't see him put Erin in there.
A: That's because it's a secret.
L: No, it's not, Mommy.
A: Oh, look at that! Song is over. Good night sweetie.

AHHHH! I got out of that one as delicately as I could. How much am I going to have to tell her? I want to be as honest as I can without giving too much info. Hopefully she won't remember to ask about it again tomorrow, but I wouldn't put it past her.

The Supermarket Diet

2009-01-18T19:11:00.003-05:00

When I bought The Supermarket Diet Cookbook a few weeks ago hoping to find a variety of healthy recipes, I had never heard of the "Supermarket Diet." I was just looking for new recipes to try. When I got the book home and started to read through it, it really made sense to me. And the recipes sounded yummy. So I decided to try it. I have been doing it for a week now and as you can see by my weight loss counter, I have lost a few pounds (like 3 this week). I am REALLY enjoying the food and the portions seem huge! I am never still hungry at the end of a meal. I LOVE that I get a treat of 125 calories every day. I can still have a latte at Starbucks when I want. So I highly recommend giving this a read if you are interested in losing weight and you enjoy preparing your own meals. I wanted to post here two of the recipes we have REALLY liked.

Honey Pecan Belgian Waffles (9 servings)

1 1/4 c whole-wheat flour
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c oat bran (I used ground flaxseed meal instead)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 c buttermilk
1/4 c butter, melted
2 eggs
2 T honey
1/2 c finely chopped pecans, toasted if you like

1. Spray waffle maker and preheat. In large bowl, combine flours, oat bran, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, and honey. Stir until flour mixture is moistened (batter will be lumpy). Stir in pecans.

2. When waffle maker is ready, pour batter and make waffles according to manufacturer's directions. (I was able to make almost 6 waffles and I have this waffle iron.)

3. Serve drizzled with honey and 1/2 cup fruit (berries or diced peaches) each serving.

Greek Salad Pitas (4 servings)

1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans (also called chick peas)
1/4 c plain yogurt
2 t olive oil
2 T lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp cumin
1 garlic clove, peeled
4 (6 to 7 in) pitas (about 150 cal each)
3 c sliced romaine lettuce
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
2 oz feta cheese crumbled (1/2 c)
2 T chopped mint leaves (I didn't used this)

1. In a food processor, combine beans, yogurt, oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic. Puree until smooth.

2. Cut off top third of each pita to form a pocket. Use half of bean mixture to divide evenly inside pockets.

3. Combine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, feta, and mint. Use mixture to fill the pockets. Top with remaining bean mixture.

Schedule

2009-01-16T15:39:00.003-05:00

Since we have been back to our daily lives, I had been slacking on real quality interaction with the girls. There was too much TV and computer time and not enough imaginary and creative play. So I put together a daily schedule that included time for me to work out 3 days a week, time to run errands/get out of the house and just do something, and individual time for each girl (will work better when Erin starts school in February). So here it is:

It says Schedule B because I have alternating weeks on my chore list and this is the schedule I am doing this week. So far it is going extremely well and I feel like I have dedicated much more time to playing AND I still have gotten everything done! The only thing I am missing is time for me. I guess technically gym time is time for me. I mean scrapbook/computer time. I do get on in the mornings still and occasionally during the lunch hour. As we speak, I am watching Ian & Chase for Laurie so the kids are entertaining each other. In a way, it is nice to have something to force me off of here.

Anyway, just thought I'd share.

Hi-in'

2009-01-14T08:04:00.002-05:00

Erin does a lot of "hi-in'" (hiding) lately. She goes somewhere like my closet or behind the bathroom door and says, "Mommy, hi-in'." I ask, "Erin, are you hiding?" She says, "Yah." I know it sort of defeats the purpose of announcing you are hiding while you are in your hiding place, but otherwise we would never know to look for her. :)

This morning she hid in my closet. I peeked in at her then I hid in another part of the closet. She thought that was pretty hilarious. She giggled while I said, "Where's Mommy?" and then came to find me with the biggest hug. It was so sweet.

These things are the reason we are talking about trying to have another child again soon. She has gotten so BIG the last month or so. She is no longer a baby. She is talking, playing, running, climbing, and wanting her own way.

At breakfast she said, "Dampin' makey does?" (Jumping Monkey joes?) She remembers a week ago when I took them up there to play. Just now she laughed at something Leah said and told her, "Funny." What a kid!

Pajama Day

2009-01-13T19:56:00.002-05:00

Leah is SUPER excited because tomorrow she gets to wear her pajamas to school and bring her blankie and a teddy bear. Tonight she made Mike ask her at least 3 times, "Do you know what tomorrow is?" And as she lay in bed she told me, "Mom, I will remind you in the morning that I don't have to take my pajamas off." I told her that I wouldn't forget. She said, "I will remind you anyway."

I love that school can make her so giddy.

Triathlon bummer

2009-01-13T17:09:00.003-05:00

I logged onto the tri website on January 5th (the day after they opened registration) and the race we wanted to participate in was already full.

And there went my triathlon hopes. Just like that.

Mike and I are still going to do a "triathlon" in our own neck of the woods. We plan to swim at our gym, then bike and run from there to get a time for ourselves. It doesn't matter now when we do it, so there is no particular date. Just a day that it isn't too cold would be good.

Because of this issue, we pondered briefly on the idea of trying to get pregnant in February. We would only have the one shot. That baby would be born in November. That would give us time to attend Brittany's wedding in January. If it didn't work, we would have to wait until at least June in order not to conflict with the wedding. And if we are already waiting until June, it may as well be July so we can enjoy our cruise witha clear conscience. So we are back at July again.

In other news, Mike & I decided to start Erin at Leah's school in February on Tue/Thurs. Chase started there today, so they would be in the same class. Then I would have time to spend one-on-one with each kid. And I know Leah needs it. She rarely gets time alone with me. It will be fun to do errands with just her since she is easier to handle.

I think that is all that is new with us.

Erinisms

2009-01-11T19:19:00.002-05:00

Now that Erin is starting to talk, she says some really funny things. We sometimes have a hard time interpreting it, but sometimes not so much.

The other day Erin was pooping in her diaper and I guess it hurt. She kept saying, "Poo poo, poo poo" frantically. I asked her, "Awww, baby, does it hurt?" She said, "Hurt," in a pathetic voice. Then she thought about it and said, "Kiss it."

When we ride in the car awhile and she needs some attention,, she slips her arm under one of her car seat straps and says, "Arm out?" asking you to help her get it out. But she can get it out herself. She just wants some interaction with you.

Today Mike and I rode our bikes with the kids on the back up to Food Lion to get the paper, then around the back way home. Every once in a while Erin would say, "Mama?" "Yes, baby?" I would respond. "Fun," she would tell me. It was adorable.

Also today she brought us one of the play coins from Leah's cash register. She kept saying something over and over while holding out the coin and I had no idea what it was. Then it dawned on me, Channukah candy she was saying. The coin looks like chocolate gelt to her.

I love that kid.

Loving Two revisited

2009-01-08T08:22:00.003-05:00

I just reread the poem Loving Two I posted when Erin was born. It made me cry (of course), but I also really related to the part:

I watch how she adores you — as I have for so long. I see how excited you are by each of her new accomplishments. And I begin to realize that I haven’t taken something from you, I’ve given something to you.

I really and truly believe that. Erin ADORES Leah and Leah gets even more excited than we do when Erin does something new. They have each received something immeasurable by having a sibling, a sister. It is probably the best gift I could have ever given them. They may not think so at certain points in their lives, but I believe that ultimately they will look back and be grateful they have each other.

I am feeling sentimental this morning thinking about my kids, my future kids, and my family that I love so much.

Beware the sugar snap peas

2009-01-07T07:25:00.004-05:00

So we were sitting down to dinner last night. I had made chili and one of those Steam Fresh bags of sugar snap peas. Leah was sitting two seats down from me so I couldn't see her plate. All of a sudden she said, "Daddy, what is this?" Mike took one of her snap peas and looked at it. Then he handed it to me. Leah had torn it in half and in between two of the peas was a teeny tiny caterpillar or worm or centipede or something. Of course it was dead (I gag a little just writing this) because I had steamed it BUT STILL! Leah likes to tear the snap peas in half but what if that had been one I ate? I just munch right down on them without looking inside. Or what if she had taken a bite instead of ripping this particular one. I tell you my skin crawled. I opened up every snap pea I ate after that, threw away the leftovers, and do NOT plan on buying them again.

So the warning is beware all fruits or vegetables that you eat without seeing the inside. Yikes!

Back to school - NOT

2009-01-05T08:13:00.002-05:00

I was very much looking forward to Leah returning to school today. Alas that is not the case. She was up a lot of the night with fever AND coughing. Leah often coughs to the point of throwing up, so that happened too. I ended up sleeping in her room from 5-7:30am after being up with her at 4. It was a strange night, she fell asleep the night before at 5pm and slept til 7:30. Then she was awake until 9:30, but coughed in her room from 9:30 until 11 when she finally threw up. It was a miserable night all around. Thank goodness Erin slept all night.

My goals today are to complete my chores (clean the bathrooms and vacuum upstairs), ride our new (to us) stationary bike for 58 minutes, and stick to WW points for eating my meals. I also wouldn't mind napping when Erin naps due to lack of sleep last night. So that means I need to complete these things while she is awake. No easy task. At least Leah will be lounging watching TV most of the day (and I don't have to feel guilty about it, she's sick) so she will be pretty easy to handle.

Now that we are back to our boring everyday life (which I am pretty happy about for now), these blog entries will be pretty boring to read, I bet.

Training Graph

2009-01-03T21:57:00.002-05:00

I decided to put my anticipated week's training on the graph and will make adjustments as the week progresses as to what was actually done, if necessary. That way I can check my blog for my daily training schedule instead of having to go multiple places. Enjoy!

PS Yes, I went from week 11 to week 9 (were you paying attention?). I haven't really worked out in almost two weeks so I decided to go back and redo weeks 9 and 10.

2009 Goals

2009-01-02T23:20:00.002-05:00

After reading Keri's goals and now Nikki's, I am ready to state what I want to accomplish in 2009. Now, don't go reading Nikki's first, because she beat me to the punch, but mine are very similar to hers.

1. Go back to eating healthy and meal planning and shopping accordingly.

2. Try to hit my goal weight BEFORE my cruise in July. (Mike told me to buy 2 new swimsuits for this summer!!!)

3. Create a daily and weekly schedule for myself and the kids that includes working out, playtime, and one-on-one time with each girl.

4. Continue to train for and compete in my sprint triathlon in late March.

5. Stick to our budget so we can have money to go on trips with our friends.

6. Make more time with my girlfriends (all of them around the country). Our CDS girls don't do that nearly enough. I also think the girls' weekends need to be closer to twice a year. I miss you girls!

7. Sell our dining room table and buffet and buy new ones.

8. Get completely up to date on my scrapbooks.

9. Move closer to the lake or be in process to move in early 2010.

10. Make a new baby to add to our family.

As Nikki and Stacy both mentioned, my goals align with becoming a better wife, mother, and woman. That is all I can ask of each year. I hope at the end of the year I can look at each of these and see things I did to improve each area.

Spending our New Year's at the Beech

2009-01-01T17:07:00.017-05:00

Beech Mountain, that is. It was quite an... interesting trip, to say the least. The day we left, I had the doctor call in a more potent prescription for Erin because her ear infections symptoms were back. We got just a bit lost on the way to our resort (apparently the mapping websites do that a LOT), but made it in by dinner time. After a dose of the new medicine, Erin went to bed at a decent hour and slept til like 8:30am! It was a miracle!

Tuesday was lovely weather-wise. It was in the 50s and sunny. They were making snow on the slopes so we headed over to let the girls (and Mike) play.

My new hat-a present from my dad

Erin's adorable snow gear

It was warm enough to take jackets off. Isn't she lovely?

PawPaw helps Erin roll up her sleeves

The beginning of a snow ball fight

AND the end of it :)

That afternoon we took the kids swimming in the heated pool and played at the playground and hiked a bit through the local woods where Leah found a "treasure" (a golf ball). Mike went night skiing that night while the rest of us chilled in the condo. Erin decided she was done with sleep that night. I think her ear infection was NOT helped by the swimming, but we did not think of that in advance. I put her to bed at 7:20 and she was crying at 8, 8:40, 10, 10:30, and then about every 1/2 hour thereafter until 4am when Mike took over and of course she fell asleep for him. I was on the couch until about 8:15am.

The second day we woke up and it was freakin' COLD! I have never experienced weather in the teens, and there were winds gusting up to 50 mph too! Mike and I bundled up and headed to the slopes for my first real attempt at skiing. I went down the bunny slope several times no sweat.

Seriously that's how relaxed I looked on that slope. It was so much fun. So I decided I was good enough to hit the smallest slope at Beech. This was how I looked coming down.
A little bit more stressed, no? It was SO icy, I couldn't ski without skidding. The snow-making machines were blasting snow right in your face so you felt like you were in a blizzard. Mike said he had never seen the conditions so bad there. But I did enjoy it when I wasn't sliding out of control and smashing my elbow into the ice.

That afternoon Leah claimed she was interested in skiing so we decided to try her out. The skis were so tiny and adorable. Leah really loved Mike leading her around the bunny slope. Here are a few pics:

That night was more of the same from Erin. At about 4am, we decided that, we bad as we felt for Dad, Myrn, and Leah, Erin was crying it out. I think she got into the habit of us comforting her because we were trying to keep her quiet. Again Mike and I got about 3 hours sleep.

This afternoon, I said to Dad & Myrn jokingly, "So we were wondering what you would say if we told you we were dropping you off at home with the kids and going to a hotel room to sleep tonight."

Myrn said, "That's funny, we were wondering the same thing."

It was that kind of vacation. All Mike and I could think was that next July we would go on vacation without the kids. It will be, not a little, but a LARGE slice of heaven.

I know that Erin was probably hurting from the ear infection, which kept her from sleeping, which in turn made her SUPER cranky and cry about everything ALL the time. But even on a good day, she is getting harder and harder to take in public. She just has tantrums when she doesn't get her way and is not content to sit in strollers or carts unless she is eating, and even then only for a few minutes. My lifestyle may have to drastically change or she and I are going to battle it out EVERY day. Not too excited about that.

So on that note I bid you a Happy New Year. I plan on posting my goals for 2009 (thanks for the idea, Keri!) in the next few days so stay tuned.

30 looks the same as 29

2008-12-28T16:28:00.006-05:00

At least so far. :)

Friday night Mike gathered our neighbors for some delicious cookie cake, always my choice in cakes.

Saturday morning we got up and headed to Golden Corral for a birthday brunch buffet with the Maddexes. One of the things I love is a breakfast buffet. I hate having to decide what to eat for breakfast. Buffets allow me to have a taste of everything, which is what I love. It was Laurie's idea, so thanks for thinking of me and knowing me so well! :)

And here are the long-awaited pics of Mike & I on our date night.

What do you think of the dress and boots? I had a long jacket (but not a short enough skirt, if you know what I mean) in black to go over it and I was not at all cold uptown.

Dinner was awesome. If you have never been to a Brazilian steakhouse, you should go. There were 16 kinds of meat, and that is not an exaggeration. You sit down and can immediately eat from the salad bar stuff like fresh mozzarella and tomatoes, smoked salmon, creamy vegetable soup, and tabouleh. Then the meat starts coming around. The "gauchos" have the different kinds on long skewers and they just slice off small portions onto your plate. I ate Parmesan pork loin, garlic tenderloin, salmon, leg of lamb, prime rib, top sirloin, and the butteriest filet mignon I have ever had. They even served me a tiramisu-style cake because it was my birthday. Mike and I were in pain just a bit when we left because of the vast quantities of food we consumed.

Then we headed to the movie theater. They actually card at the theater because after 7pm it becomes over 21. Inside the theater is a restaurant and 2 bars. You can bring any of the food and your drinks into the theater. I had a pomegranite martini while watching the movie. The seats were in sets of two together with no armrest between and they were extra-wide and cushy. Each set of two seats had a little table on either side for your drinks and food. AND the seats were assigned, you chose them when bought the tickets.

After the show, we walked around the complex. There is a Howl at the Moon in there and a dance club called Whiskey River. We felt like we were in college again just being there. My boots, while pretty comfy, were not made for dancing so we didn't hit up the club. BUT we want to go back sometime. Anybody up for visiting and dancing?

On the train back, we each received a $50 ticket for not having a train ticket in our possession. Mike claims that he was under the impression his bus pass would also work for the train, but the officers were not under the same impression. Ahhh, well. Still all in all a fabulous birthday.

Day before the big day

2008-12-26T21:11:00.002-05:00

Mike decided to count today as part of my birthday weekend so we headed off to do some shopping at my request. I wanted to find a winter dress. All of the dresses I have are for warmer weather. It sucks when you have something specific in mind because it is really hard to find what you are looking for. Eventually I was about to find exactly what I wanted at Penney's for 40% off!

We are headed to Chima Brazilian Steakhouse tomorrow night for my birthday dinner and then to a movie at the Epicentre Theaters in Uptown. I am so psyched to wear my new dress for a night on the town. I will post a picture of me in my new dress after my big night out.

My dad and step-mom arrived today. I LOVE when my dad is here because we cook all kinds of stuff together and plan menus and go to the grocery together every day. It's like a little bit of heaven for me. About an hour after they arrived, my dad couldn't stand it anymore and made us all open our presents. The living room exploded yet again with paper and toys and clothes. My kids got a RIDICULOUS haul this year and I don't see it slowing down in future years. They are lucky enough to have 3 sets of grandparents and two holidays at the same time of year to celebrate. I don't think they will ever want for ANYTHING.

I was just thinking, yet again, about how it sucks to have your birthday so close to Christmas (hear me, Tiff and Christina?). Basically I get all the presents I am going to get all year in 3 days, then I have to wait an ENTIRE year for it to happen again. Mike and my girls have a much better deal, all of their birthdays are closer to the halfway point. It is nice to get presents at different times of year. Oh well, I have lived with it for 30 years now, I guess I will continue to deal. :)

Last few days

2008-12-25T19:56:00.013-05:00

Here are some photos from the last few days here in the Gallers household:

Grammy & her birthday cupcakes

Check out this pose!

Erin reading her morning paper

Price check, aisle 12

All the girls in Uptown

Leah as Ariel and Erin as Mickey (from Aunt Stacy)

Leah & Grammy with their gingerbread house

Carly with her "big towel"

In the wagon they got from Grammy

Girls enjoying their new train table

Leah enjoying Christmas morning chocolate

We had an awesome time with Mom, Lauren, and Carly here. I hope they enjoyed themselves as much as we enjoyed having them. It was so nice to actually kinda "get to know" my sisters a bit. Now we have a small breather before PawPaw and Mimi get here tomorrow night.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T15:20:00.000-05:00

Santa was very good to us this year. Leah and Erin got a train table (built by Daddy, shhhhh) AND a Jump-o-lene. What is that, you ask? Well, here it is in action:

Leah also got a kids' digital camera from Grammy, a Belle tea set from Aunt Carly, and the book Polar Express from Aunt Lauren (a family favorite).

We have eaten Berry French Toast and leftover brisket so far today. I am not cooking again until my dad gets here tomorrow night. He and I will decide the menu together for the next week (one of the things we always look forward to).

I gave Mike Wii Music and he got Raving Rabbids from Lauren. Wii Music is pretty fun, except I am apparently horrible at handbells. Who knew? :) And the Rabbids game is ridiculous. It consists of various activities like flipping burgers into the mouth of a monster and dancing to Austin Powers-type music. It is hilarious to watch.

We are having a relaxing day, just taking walks with our new wagon, playing Wii, and jumping. Hope you all got what you wanted from Santa!

Odds & Ends

2008-12-24T09:03:00.003-05:00

I took Erin to the doctor yesterday because I did not want to have to bring her to the emergency room on Christmas if something was wrong. I am SO glad I did, because she has a double ear infection, poor thing. Mike kept telling me he thought she had one, but I didn't think so because she has never really had one before. Anyway, she is on amoxicillin now and will be back to her usual self by Christmas.

Last night I went with Mike for the first time to play volleyball at this church where they have pick up games every Tues/Thurs. Now I have not played volleyball in YEARS except to bump back and forth with Mike so I was quite nervous about how I would perform in front a bunch of strangers. But I actually did pretty well. Obviously I am not a hitter (no height, duh) BUT I can put a pass in the right place to set up a hit probably 8 out of 10 times. And all my serves went over. AND someone asked Mike who the college girl was that he brought. COLLEGE GIRL!!! No one would believe we were married. I guess I have not aged a day since I graduated, which is starting to be a good thing in my old (30 in 3 days) age.

Today I am cooking a Christmas eve early afternoon dinner, then the kids are going to open their presents from Grammy and their aunts, THEN we are going to take a ride and look at Christmas lights. What a lovely Christmas eve! I hope all of you have a lovely day too.

Oh my God, PLEASE stop the coughing!

2008-12-23T09:52:00.003-05:00

My two girls are currently coughing fiends at night. They are in the middle of a raging cold and the drainage is awful. BOTH of them have coughing fits that last upwards of an hour at night. Thank goodness lately Leah's have been coming AFTER she wakes up in the morning, but Erin's came last night RIGHT after I had finally dropped off to sleep at 12:30. She cried and cried while coughing, so I went in and rocked her during which she promptly fell asleep. This happened 4 more times over a 2 hour period. Then when Leah wandered in at 7am, she laid in our bed and hacked up a lung for like 20 minutes. Over the monitor I could hear Erin start in too and all I could think was, Oh sweet Jesus, please save me from the coughing.

One meal down, one to go

2008-12-21T21:04:00.002-05:00

Channukah dinner is complete and mostly a success. I tried to make it as vegan/vegetarian as possible so I used an egg replacement for the latkes and to make the matzo balls. The latkes came out well. The matzo balls not so much. While they were cooking they pretty much imploded. So the soup ended up being more like a stoup (a la Rachael Ray), but it still tasted good. I decided to make the green beans today instead because Lauren wants to make brussel sprouts. The brisket was a tad dry but if you poured the juices over it, it was yummy. So check, check, and check. :)

Bridesmatron?

2008-12-19T11:21:00.004-05:00

My sister Brittany just got engaged to a wonderful man named Jimmy. We are SO excited for him to be a part of our family. Check this out:

He fits right in. Anyway, Brittany just called me and asked me to be a bridesmaid in the wedding (which is set for January 16, 2010) AND asked the girls to be her flower girls! How cute is that?!?!? I am so excited to be part of planning another wedding and my girls get to be part of it too. What a great Christmas present for us.

Love you to the mountains, sis!

Leah revisited

2008-12-19T04:07:00.002-05:00

I think Erin has the same problem Leah had (and has). Whenever either of them get a cold, they have GIANT coughing fits in the middle of the night. The past 4 or so nights almost always at about 3:30am, Erin wakes herself up violently coughing. Good thing it does not make her throw up like it does Leah. Tonight I tried the steamy shower thing and it seemed to help. Last night I tried taking her out into the night air, which did NOT help. It just seems like the coughing runs its course with the cold.

I know we all thought Leah had cough-variant asthma, and I guess she may, but it only surfaces when she has a cold. So it didn't seem like it was necessary to keep her on daily medication just on the off chance she caught a cold. And anyway it didn't prevent the coughing completely, it just lessened the severity of the attack. I really feel Erin has the same issue.

Leah has been coughing some the last few nights too, but not nearly as bad as Erin. Maybe the cold isn't as bad or maybe she is outgrowing it a bit. Here's hoping...

Cupcakes, cupcakes, and MORE cupcakes!

2008-12-18T19:52:00.005-05:00

I am FINALLY finished my cupcake platters and we delivered them this evening. I have one more kind to make, a vegan one, for my sister who arrives tomorrow. And I have to make rugelach on Saturday. But those are my last two baked goods this holiday season. Oh wait, I forgot about the butter balls we are going to make with my mom. Maybe I will just "let" her make them with Leah. :) Anyway, here are the promised cupcake pictures.

Left: Gingerbread cupcakes with ginger cream cheese frosting

Right: Eggnog cupcakes with cinnamon whipped cream

Peppermint cupcakes with white chocolate buttercream frosting

Spice cupcakes with coconut pecan frosting

I am the bomb

2008-12-17T20:05:00.002-05:00

Today I was super mom. Things I did:

washed, dried, folded and put away every piece of laundry in our house
mopped all the bathrooms and laundry room
scooped kitty litter and took all the trash to the curb
dropped Leah off at school, came home and made her lunch (that I forgot to make), & brought it back to her
made 3 batches of cupcakes (gingerbread, eggnog, and peppermint)
made ginger cream cheese frosting and frosted gingerbread cupcakes
decorated gingerbread cupcakes
washed mixing bowl, beater, and various cooking utensils 4 times
straightened up guest room and made the bed with clean sheets
fed everyone, dressed them, undressed them, changed them, etc.
played a good amount with my kids

Thank goodness today was Leah's lunch bunch at school. That extra hour (when I can get Erin to nap) is SO helpful. I really get things done during that time so I can interact more with Leah when she gets home.

I am gonna make white chocolate buttercream frosting for the peppermint cupcakes and frost them tonight. Tomorrow I will make the spice cupcakes with coconut pecan frosting and I have the cinnamon whipped cream for the eggnog cupcakes. Then I will take pictures of all the completed cupcakes.

Last minute swimming training

2008-12-15T20:07:00.003-05:00

Our pool is closing for refinishing from Dec 17-31. Mike was none too pleased about it and of course he made some calls and let them know it. Anyway, we only had two days left to swim so I had to bust it out today. For the first time since I started training, I swam the 500 yards straight without stopping to catch my breath. Then I did some backstroke and sidestroke for 200 yards. Then I swam 300 more yards freestyle to finish it up. I was so impressed that I was able to swim 1000 yards in 29 minutes! It feels so good to see improvement, that's what keeps you going.

I am running around like a headless chicken this week trying to get all of the items for my cupcake platter, Leah's gingerbread house building activity at school, her school party, Channukah dinner, a few vegan things for my sister to eat when they come on Friday, a few last minute presents, and still getting to the gym. While this week is not packed schedule-wise, I feel like I have a million places to go and things to get everyday. I know it will all work out but I am a wee bit stressed. When my mom and sisters finally get here in 4 days, I will be able to let it all go and just hang out.

I (heart) food

2008-12-12T14:15:00.004-05:00

I am addicted to meal planning and cooking elaborate dinners for special occasions. Today I have spent 1/2 the morning coming up with my menus for Channukah and Christmas Eve dinners. Here is what we are having:

Channukah dinner
matzo ball soup
20 clove brisket
latkes
vegan noodle kugel
baked cheese blintzes
homemade rugelach

Christmas Eve dinner
Christmas Cornish game hens
creamy spaghetti & beans
baked zucchini, potato, & rosemary pancake w/salmon cream cheese
garlic green beans w/ shallots & hazelnuts
fudge & butter balls

And for Christmas morning breakfast, I am premaking my Berry French Toast to pop into the oven when we get up.

I am also planning to make a cupcake platter next week for Mike to take to work. I will blog about those more with photos when I make them. Hi, my name is Angelle and I have a food obsession.

PS If you would like any of the recipes not linked, just let me know.

Sickie update

2008-12-12T08:15:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, for a combination of reasons I won't get into too much right now, we went house hunting in northwest Charlotte. I picked Mike up at noon and we headed over there. We looked at 7 houses. Leah was great, she loved seeing other people's houses. But my poor, poor Erin. At about the 4th house, she was DONE! She had not napped yet (she only slept 5 minutes in the car) and I think she was starting to get a fever. By the time we got home at 4pm, her fever was 103.5 and she went straight to sleep. She woke up at 12:30 and 2:30 crying but went right back to sleep, thank goodness. This morning, no fever. She seems happy and is eating a little bit.

Ahhh, house hunting. We are still unsure of where to look because Mike is debating on taking a new job. If he takes said job, we don't have to move right now because it is closer to home. We could then wait until we had enough money to actually get a boat before we move. But if he doesn't take that job, he feels really strongly about moving us closer to the city so that he has more time with the girls. We shall see, I guess...

Conjunctivitis

2008-12-10T12:47:00.003-05:00

Erin has pink eye. Don't know how she got it, probably from the gym day care. She was awake last night from 12-1:30 talking to herself. She never cried, just chatted away. So she is kinda cranky today. She is not pleased about the antibiotic drops for her eyes either. Erin has so rarely been sick that she doesn't even know how to act when the doctor checks her out. Leah had been to the doctor for sick visits so many times by this point in her life. Erin has only had one stomach bug, 2 or 3 colds, and that's it. She is one healthy little girl.

A weekend in pictures

2008-12-09T11:52:00.005-05:00

Here are our Gator girls getting ready for bed after our big win over Alabama. I love that the girls stand on the stool and brush their teeth together at night.

Mike and Stacy helped Leah and Landon make these menorahs out of letter blocks and washers. They said that they made ones like these as kids. Can't wait to use them!

These are their funny faces. I LOVE these sweaters I got them at Old Navy this weekend. Adorable!

This is Erin's dirty look. I am telling you, this child has a better evil eye than most. I guess Mike had told her is was time to go to bed.

SEC Champs!

2008-12-07T10:53:00.002-05:00

Stacy & Landon came to visit us this weekend. On Saturday, we shopped at Old Navy (I got 6 shirts, including two sweaters for $95!), ate lunch at Five Guys, went to the gym, watched the Gators take the SEC title, and Stacy & I saw Twilight. Now that was a fun day. Erin did lots of cheering.

Meeting celebrities

2008-12-05T07:59:00.003-05:00

Last night we got a babysitter and I met Mike at Village Tavern for the 12 Wines of Christmas tasting event sponsored by a local radio station. As we sat in the bar waiting for the event to begin (we heard it started at 5, but it didn't really start until 6), we looked around at all of the people in their 20s having martinis after work (1/2 off on Thursdays!) and were so excited just to be there. I wanted to have a martini so bad, but I knew that I had to drive home and I still had 12 wines to taste. I only ended up tasting like 4 or 5 of them, they weren't my taste. I did like the pinot noir though which was surprising.

Anyway, I don't know how many of you have heard of Bob & Sheri from the radio. They have a morning show based out of Charlotte. I used to listen to them driving to my internship in Gainesville/Lake City in the fall of 1999. Then we moved to Tampa and didn't get their show anymore. When we moved to Charlotte and there they were again. So I have been listening a LONG time. When you listen that long, you kinda start to assume you know them. The wine tasting was their event, so they were there. Mike walked up to them halfway through the night and said, "I wonder when Bob & Sheri are gonna get here." :) They laughed and we talked to them for like 5 or so minutes. It's weird to talk to someone you know so much about, but they don't know you at all. It's kinda like stalking someone's blog, but they have never read yours.

That was our adventure for the night.

The aftermath

2008-12-02T13:53:00.002-05:00

Getting unpacked and back into your routine after a vacation is always tough. We currently have two suitcases that have exploded into out living room. I have no idea what I am making for dinner. I need to get to the gym sometime today. Right now my children are putting one thousand hairclips into their hair. The dishwasher is running AND the sink is still full of dishes. I did manage to go to Target this morning and buy Leah a lunch box to take to her "Lunch Bunch" at school tomorrow AND get toothbrushes for the girls since we threw out their old ones after that stomach bug last week.

I called my mom this morning and left a message asking her if she was interested in taking home a free 16 month old when she comes to visit us. I swear Erin has entered into the terrible twos already. She screams and whines about EVERYTHING. She spent almost 2 hours this morning fussing about EVERY little thing that happened to her, from diaper changes to eating to playing with toys. Ugh.

The one with the yak

2008-11-29T07:33:00.005-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! After the stomach bug fiasco a mere 12 hours before departure, we made it on the plane to Ft Lauderdale with plenty of time to spare. In fact it was the easiest time parking, checking bags, getting through security and getting to our gate we have ever had with both kids, in spite of Leah throwing up all over the ground right when we got off the shuttle at the terminal (Yeah, that was interesting. I have decided that most travelers are very nice.).

Wednesday night I shopped a bit at an insanely packed Publix. Thursday morning Mike & I went biking and running, then we took Leah swimming. She could not touch the ground in this pool except on the stairs. Poor thing, the first time she slipped off the stairs she freaked out. But she gradually got her confidence back. I went back to the house around 11:30 to start cooking for a 2pm meal.

For whatever reason, this was again the most relaxed and easy cooking experience I have ever had. I worked straight through from 11:30 until 2 but everything came out great and everything was still warm. Maybe it was that I didn't make the turkey myself. That certainly takes a lot of the stress off. We had: turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce, roasted garlic parmesan mashed potatoes, yam casserole, green bean casserole, corn pudding, stuffing with cranberries, and rolls. I did not make any of the desserts, but we had apple, pumpkin, and pecan pies, although I did make homemade whipped cream. Yummy and delicious day!

Friday, I woke up feeling not so hot. But it was just a few little stomach cramps, not big deal. We made plans and followed the Stewart family to the Metro Zoo in Miami. After being there about 20 minutes, I began to feel nauseated. When everyone ate lunch, I laid my head down on the table and did deep breathing exercises. I could not go any farther, so I told them to go on ahead and I would wait on a bench with my cell phone. The benches were all in the shade and I was freezing, so I had to sit on the ground in the sun. Several nice people stopped to ask me if I needed any help. I must have looked so pathetic. :) Finally my group returned and we began walking toward the front. I took about 10 steps, fell to my knees, and yakked into the bushes. Mike said he felt so bad because of course everyone was looking at me, but I was past caring. I was just glad after that I felt better enough to make it to the car. I spent the rest of the evening on my back because I felt sick if I even sat up. But I never threw up again, thank goodness, and this morning I feel MUCH better.

Mike is terrified that he is next and we are supposed to be driving to Nikki's birthday party in Orlando today. Everyone cross your fingers for him!

From one to the next

2008-11-25T23:07:00.001-05:00

Leah woke up at 10:15 throwing up. 3 rounds so far. Here's hoping it passes as quickly as Erin's did...

Packing

2008-11-25T14:17:00.003-05:00

I'm glad I checked the US Airways website before I packed our stuff. They now charge $15 for the first bag you check and $25 for the second. We are not paying $50 in addition to the already paid flights. So I am trying to figure out how to get all of us in one big suitcase, two carry-ons, and a carseat case (holds a surprising amount). I HATE carrying on with the kids because trying to wrangle them and luggage is not fun. But I will do it to save that $15. Thank goodness Ronni & Steve have one carseat already and a pack-n-play or we would have two additional checked items.

In other news, my poor baby Erin either had a 6 hour stomach bug or our Chinese last night did not agree with her. She woke up at 3:30am throwing up and threw up every half hour until 6:30. Then she and I were finally able to sleep until 8am. But she has eaten applesauce, saltines, juice, milk, and a few bites of grilled cheese already with no side effects. I truly hope that is all it is.

Leah's Thanksgiving feast

2008-11-24T13:07:00.005-05:00

I love being a mom. We got to go to Leah's preschool today and attend her Thanksgiving feast. Before the lunch (potluck), each class sang a song. Leah's class sang a funny song about the Pharoahs (for the lyrics, click here) and they dressed up as Indians. The four year old class were Pilgrims, the ones and twos were turkeys. I got a little teary watching her up on stage performing.

Both 3 year old classes

Leah rocking out

How adorable are these munchkins?

Mommied out

2008-11-21T16:48:00.003-05:00

I love my darling baby girls, but I am just tired of hearing Mommy today. Leah literally calls my name 3 or 4 times (while I am saying "Yes, Leah?" after each one) before saying what she has to say. I feel like screaming, "What? What do you want?" after about the 5th time. She also says, "Mama?" and I say what and she says "I love you." It is so sweet and kinda annoying that she does it every 5 minutes. And Erin sat in her bed this morning for an hour, not crying, saying "Mooooommmmmeeee" or "Mama" in various tones of voice. She did end up napping from 1:30-3:30, but she has been napping twice a day for this whole week. It threw things off a bit.

Tomorrow we are going to Sam's Club for their tasting event, then I have my hair appointment at 4pm. That will be such a a nice break.

Grey's

2008-11-20T22:01:00.002-05:00

Seriously? When did I fall for Alex Karev? He is becoming a real person. And the Denny thing? I think I would lose it even worse than Izzy has.

And as always, I adore Dr. Bailey.

Heaven in my mouth

2008-11-20T21:50:00.002-05:00

Limited Edition Oreos with Old Fashioned Candy Cane Creme (think thick Thin Mints)

'nuf said.

Christmas family photos

2008-11-19T10:43:00.006-05:00

Place your orders now! :)

Ski trip!!!!

2008-11-18T08:32:00.003-05:00

Mike and I are so excited! I just booked 3 nights at the Pinnacle Inn Resort on Beech Mountain for Dec 29-31. We have a slopeside view from our 2 bedroom condo. My dad & Myrn will be with us from Dec 26-Jan 4 so they are going on this trip too. I cannot wait! I have all of Leah's snow stuff for Erin. I just have to look for stuff for Leah now. She has a jacket, I need pants or a snow bib thing.

I am so psyched! The only time I have ever been skiing is Dec 2000. Mike and I flew to Oregon to visit my friend Tracy and ski Mt Hood. I only skied for a half day and never got off the bunny slope. So I am determined to actually do a real slope. Maybe I will use those ski boards instead of real skis. They are like skis only way shorter. This is the first time in a long time that I am not pregnant and we have people to watch the kids. Ahhhhhhh! What an awesome trip!

Confession

2008-11-17T10:13:00.004-05:00

I have a confession to make. I thumped my daughter this morning. We were on our way in to school from the car. Ian was asking Leah a question and she wouldn't answer him. He kept saying, "Leah? Leeee-aaaaah?" over and over. I was behind Leah and I thumped her on the head. Not even hard, just to get her attention.

And she lost it.

She started crying so hard you would think I backhanded her. Screaming crying. In the parking lot of their preschool. With all the other parents watching. And some teachers.

Everyone was asking her what was wrong and did she fall down, was she okay, etc. It was such drama. The worst part was I knew it was my fault. Even though she was crying a disproportionate amount to what I did, I still knew I caused it. I felt awful.

When we got to her classroom, her teacher swooped her up and cuddled her. I tried to explain what had happened, but they kept saying things like, "Mommy didn't mean to thump you." That made me feel even worse. I did mean to thump her, just not enough to hurt (and I don't think it did hurt, I think it was all drama). It wasn't as though I lost my temper and spanked her. I wasn't even mad at her. I was just trying to get her attention.

I took her back and got her all calmed down, but then she didn't want to stay at school. I had to promise her McDonald's for lunch and to watch a movie when she got home.

I feel like crap about it. Some parent I am.

They must know what they are doing...

2008-11-12T07:58:00.004-05:00

On my triathlon training program, here is how the numbers go for a 4 week period:
Week 1 - previous month's week 3
Week 2 - add 10% more minutes to each exercise from week 1
Week 3 - add 10% more minutes to week 2
Week 4 - back down 25% less minutes for each exercise for recovery

Last week was a recovery week. I had been up to 24 minutes swimming and running and 48 minutes biking. So I thought 14 min S/R and 29 min B were going to be a breeze. I kinda felt guilty about "slacking" like that. But I followed the program. And you know what? Every day was a struggle to get through the minutes. AND I wanted to nap almost everyday/go to bed early every night. I was SO tired.

I began to realize toward the end of the week that those guys who make the program must know what they are doing. Obviously my body desperately needed that recovery week to get back on track. This week I have done fine with the 24 min swim and the 48 min bike so far. So I guess I will be listening to the program in the future.

Thing one and thing two

2008-11-09T19:30:00.006-05:00

Today we went to the Warriors and Warbirds Veterans Day Celebration at the Monroe Airport. I am not kidding you when I say there is always something to do around here. I could find an activity for us every weekend. Anyway, it was an airshow with a whole bunch of planes from WWII. We arrived for the last performance, called Tora, Tora, Tora.

These planes were manufactured in 1967 for the movie Tora, Tora, Tora. They are modeled after the Japanese planes used to attack Pearl Harbor. The whole performance was a reenactment for the attack, with the planes actually dive bombing the airstrip. They used pyrotechnics to mimic the bombs too. I did not take pics because I was holding Leah. The pics here are from their website of past shows.

During the whole thing, the announcer was describing the scene for us. He explained exactly what happened to each ship that was hit, talked about the men who were able to get into planes to fight, and detailed the patterns of the attacking planes. I was teary practically the entire show, thinking about the battle and everything. It was pretty amazing. Erin, however, did not enjoy the noise. She squirmed and fussed the whole time, probably preventing Mike from truly enjoying it. Sorry, honey! Afterward, we were able to get into a helicopter and a CAT (communications-ammo transport AKA a big tank). There were so many old military vehicles there to see too. We had a great time.

Tonight we ate dinner at La Strada (the best pizza around these parts). While we were there, Erin said pee-pee again. I brought her into the bathroom. But you know how public toilets are. The opening in the front is as big as her bottom. So there was no comfortable way to sit her on the potty. She did go the tiniest bit, but just couldn't relax enough to go for real. I can't believe I will have to start carrying my potty seat cover in my diaper bag already!

Mountain biking with children

2008-11-08T19:57:00.003-05:00

Today we went to Cane Creek Park to bike on their trails. I knew the trails were going to be unpaved, I thought like dirt paths. Not so much. It was actual mountain biking, going over tree roots and piles of leaves. Mike had Leah and I had Erin on the backs of our bikes too. I have to admit I was TERRIFIED at first. And poor Erin on the back. Her helmet hit the back of the bike seat with every bump. She just kept saying, "Mama, Mama," over and over. Then after a bit I heard her humming to herself. So I guess she got used to it. After I got over the fear of skidding on a root and losing control of my bike, I realized that biking through the woods this time of year is SO beautiful. I wish I had taken our "new" camera, but it's not like I could have stopped to take pictures.

Also, remember how I mentioned potty training a few posts ago? Well, today when Erin said pee-pee, I rushed her to the potty. She sat for a minute and Leah brought us a book. While I was reading to her, she strained, saying "Pee-pee?" and out it came! She pooped on the potty after telling me she had to go! It would be awesome if she could poop on the potty.

To all the moms...

2008-11-07T20:28:00.003-05:00

I truly cried tonight while rocking Erin. I began thinking how my mother must have rocked me when I was a baby. Then obviously I thought about how a grown daughter shows affection. We do normal grown up mother/daughter things, but nothing like the physical intimacy of mother and young child. And I got really sad thinking that one day I will no longer be able to hold my children and rock them. I know we all know this deep down, but it really hit me tonight. I don't ever want them to grow up! I guess I will have to keep having babies til I can't anymore, then I will have to adopt them. How do people deal with their children growing up?

Various & sundry items

2008-11-06T20:55:00.006-05:00

Item 1 - After I dropped our camera in the lake in Michigan on the first day of our trip, we weren't sure what to do. The camera dried out and worked fine, but a water spot dried somewhere inside making not only the view through the camera blurry, but the image itself. We took it to a camera shop at the end of August. The man said that they would let us know, but if the spot was in a certain place, then they would not be able to get to it. About 6 weeks later, the repair shop called and said that they were able to improve the image, but not completely get rid of the spot. They were not charging us for the repair since they weren't able to fix it completely. I said thanks, then promptly forgot about the camera since I couldn't really use it. They have called us twice to remind us to come pick up the camera but it has never been convenient (it's about 30 min away). Finally yesterday I stopped by to pick the camera up. The battery was dead, so I took it home to charge just to see what the picture quality was. You be the judge:

Item 2 - I took the girls to Monkey Joe's today after their flu shots. Leah's preschool sponsored a session there. I had not been there with Erin since she was too little to let out of the stroller. Well, today she LOVED IT! She climbed around the toddler areas. Then I took her down some of the bigger slides and she screamed and clapped and grinned her little head off. In the big bouncy house, it was very slippery. Erin rolled around chasing the beach balls that were in there. I got sweaty chasing her around. It was such a good time. Too bad my new and improved camera was at home on my sofa.

Item 3 - I have decided that Erin is in the most physically exhausting stage (for a mother) and Leah is in the most mentally exhausting stage. I CONSTANTLY have to be chasing Erin around. If a gate or a door opens she is through it before you can even think about closing it. She is all the way to Chase's house before I even get out of the garage. She is always finding something on my floor to put in her mouth. If I open the fridge, she is immediately climbing the shelves calling for her "na" (milk). If a chair is not pushed in at the kitchen table, she is climbing on it and soon will be on the table too. Yesterday I was putting her to bed when the timer on the stove went off (I had cookies in the oven). I shut her in her bedroom and went down to get the cookies out. I did not lock the upstairs gate because I was coming right back and Erin was shut in her room. She can't open doors. But Leah can. When I came back upstairs 30 seconds later, Erin was on the second step from the top, just sitting there. Leah, of course, had no idea why I had shut Erin in her room. I almost had a heart attack. That kid!

As far as Leah being mentally exhausting, she is just constantly asking questions. I have to explain everything. The one we discussed today was, "Where was I before I was in your belly?" I tried to explain nowhere, but that was not making her happy. So I told her a little about the eggs in the Mommy which is where all her kids are before they grow in her belly. Then she wanted to know how the baby comes out. I just told her that you go to the hospital and the doctor helps the baby come out. She didn't question that any further (thank goodness) but did declare that she wanted a girl doctor when she was ready to have her own babies. How am I supposed to keep up with this little smartie?

Ready for potty training?

2008-11-05T20:00:00.004-05:00

Today Erin came over while we were getting ready for school and said, "Pee pee?" I immediately checked her diaper and it wasn't warm, so I assumed that she was just talking. Five minutes later when we were loading into the car, I smelled it. She had pooped. So do you think she really knew it was coming? If so, we are ready to start potty training. Just kidding, I am not about to go there. But I thought it was cool that she seemed to recognize that she had to go.

I feel guilty that today was the first day I did not stick to my training schedule. I have been so tired lately and my back has been hurting. I have this pain underneath my left shoulder blade. It only bothers me if I am doing something. It hurts the most when I put Erin into her high chair or a grocery cart. I probably pulled or strained something the other day when I was doing pull-ups. Anyway, I have been extraordinarily lazy and I am not happy about that. I guess I won't take a weekend day off.

Leah can swim

2008-11-03T07:45:00.003-05:00

Not only that, but she can swim underwater too! We went to the pool this weekend. Last time we were there, Leah decided to swim without her life jacket on and she did really well. She still doesn't like to jump in and she won't go where she can't touch. But either way that's great! SO this time I told her about closing her eyes and holding her breath. She took right to it! I have to get her some goggles before the next time we swim. If I can convince her to put them on (she doesn't like the way they feel), she will LOVE being able to see all over the pool. Without further ado, I give you Leah swimming!

New triathlon goal

2008-11-02T19:41:00.003-05:00

All along it has been my goal just to complete the triathlon. I told myself if I could just finish it, well that would be accomplishment enough. Well, today I decided that was not enough. I want to finish in under 2 hours. I think they only allow you 2h15m anyway, but I am sure I can do it in less than 2 hours. Mike and I went road biking today and with our mountain bike tires completed 8.8 miles in 39 minutes. Then I jumped off and transitioned to running in maybe 4(?) minutes. I then ran 1.2 miles in 14 minutes. Now I was pretty tired after that and my stomach was just one giant cramp. But that was my first outdoor "brick" (event/transition/event) and I was able to complete about half of the last two events. So I think that the swim will take no more than 15 minutes, the bike hopefully about 60 min, then the run needs to be less than 45 minutes. Oh yeah, I forgot transitions. Well, I will just have to keep revising those numbers, because I will do it in under 2 hours!

Happy belated Halloween!

2008-11-02T09:15:00.006-05:00

Halloween night turned out to be pretty chilly. I didn't want to cover up the girls' costumes with jackets so I didn't wear a jacket either. That way I knew if I got too cold, they were probably really cold. In spite of the chill, both kids had a marvelous time. Erin would have kept going and going, but she was coughing and it did not sound good, so I took her home after about 40 minutes or so. Mike stayed out with Leah and the rest of the crew (Larsens and Maddexes) for a while longer. Apparently Halloween isn't so much a thing around here because hardly any houses had their lights on. In past years I thought that this being a newer neighborhood was the reason, but now there are plenty of houses here. So Leah did not get overmuch candy but still had the fun of trick-or-treating (which worked out better for us anyway). Here are our cutie girls.

And here is a sample of trick-or-treating.

Past pumpkin patch pics

2008-10-31T11:04:00.007-04:00

These are my favorite pumpkin patch pics.

2008

Leah at 3 1/2, Erin at 14 months

2007

Leah at 2 1/2, Erin at 2 months

2006

Leah at 17 months

2005

Leah at 5 months

Cupcake-o-rama

2008-10-30T21:12:00.005-04:00

Yesterday afternoon, Leah and I de-gooped our pumpkin. She liked scooping the goo out and playing with it.

Then, we sorted out the seeds to roast. Erin wove herself in and out of the table legs like a cat.

Today Leah and I made Pumpkin Patch cupcakes for her school Halloween party tomorrow. I love the fact that her preschool is not concerned about the whole store-bought treats thing. Anyway, the cupcakes came out so good, I wanted to share them with you. The actual cupcake is pumpkin-flavored. The frosting is maple cream cheese. YUM!

In the best news of the day, barring any complications, Mike should be home tomorrow late afternoon, in time for trick-or-treating. We are super happy that he will be with us. Ronni is doing a little bit better so that is a bit more good news.

Home Alone

2008-10-29T14:57:00.003-04:00

Mike is in FL helping look after Ronni who has pneumonia. So I am here with the kids for the duration. The day stretches out long in front of me. I so look forward to Mike coming home from work for the change of pace it gives to our day. I think if I were a single mother, even if I could afford to stay home (life insurance or whatever) I would want to work just to keep the days from all being the same. It's pretty dull.

In other news, I did 48 minutes on the stationary bike this morning for a total of 13.7 miles. I think I will have to up the resistance on it though because I wasn't even tired when I was done (my butt sure was sore though). I usually do the random hills program and the tallest hills are pretty tough but most of the ride is not bad at all. Tomorrow it's swimming and biking. I really love training, I love the sense of progress it gives me. This weekend when I do my bike/run day, I plan to do it outdoors instead of in the gym to see how much more it tires me out. :)

Leah says the Pledge!

2008-10-27T20:20:00.001-04:00

Biltmore weekend

2008-10-27T15:01:00.008-04:00

I enjoyed touring the Biltmore with my mom SO MUCH! It was an AMAZING place, the house and the grounds. Here is a summary of my trip:

We left home at about 10:30 Saturday morning (after my tri training and shower). We got there at about 1pm, checked in to our hotel, then went on to the Biltmore grounds. We had read that the house is CRAZY busy on Saturdays, so we skipped it and headed to the winery. There was a restaurant next to the winery called the Bistro that serves local foods straight from the Biltmore farms. So we waited for a table there while shopping in the winery gift shop. I ate sage-infused chicken, goat cheese, and bacon pizza and a butternut squash soup. They were both delicious! Then we toured the winery and had our wine tasting. The tour wasn't as fun or informative as the tour we went on in Michigan. You got to look into rooms that weren't in use, while a video played about how things were done. Kinda dull. The coolest part was seeing the cellar where they store one bottle of each of their vintages from each year.

Then we walked over to Riverbend farm. There they have a kitchen garden, and the old barn with a bunch of old farm machinery. We took some cute pics there.

At dinner time, we decided to head over to downtown Asheville to see what it was like. It was so much more eclectic than I thought! Within a 3 block radius, there was every kind of food you can imagine. My mom said it reminded her of a tiny NYC. We ate dinner at a place called The Noodle Shop. Before heading home, we stopped at French Broad Chocolate Lounge. We got a box of 15 assorted truffles to bring back to the hotel for dessert. We were able to sample ones like pomegranate (yum), lemon pepper (double yum), and strawberry balsamic (yuck, too spicy, had curry in it). It was fun to sample so many.

The next day we got to the house at 10ish. It look us 2 1/2 hours to complete the tour! The house is ridiculous. If you are ever up here, I totally recommend seeing this place. It was amazing.

You aren't allowed to take pics inside so we don't have any. We got the audio guides which were cool because you could listen to a few facts about each room. Afterward, we headed outside to the gardens. Here we are being clowns.

The rose garden was on its way out, but there were still a few pretty blooms.

We got some lunch at Deerpark restaurant on campus that had a delicious Sunday brunch. We were home with sushi by 5pm.

Spooktacular

2008-10-27T14:49:00.006-04:00

The Halloween party at the gym was held this past Friday night. It was lots of fun, as always. Just before we were about to get ready, I had a brainstorm for Erin's ears. Her costume is a black cat but she won't wear the headband I bought with ears on it. So I attached pink craft foam to black felt to make ears, then I sewed them onto hair ties. When I put her hair in pigtails, it looked like she had cat ears! I was so proud!

Leah looked fantastic as Supergirl and LOVED the games. She was adorable trying to eat the doughnut off the string.

Leah fished, jumped, decorated, threw, putted, and hunted.

Erin danced, crawled, ran, and patted. She loved this giant Frankenstein.

We loved having my mom here. She had a great time helping get the girls ready and chasing after Erin all over the gym. :)

Training update

2008-10-22T13:31:00.003-04:00

If you are checking out my sidebar, you can see this week's training. I am doing this training plan, 20 week bike-focused. When I started training last week, I did the swim-focused one because I was very concerned with my ability to swim the 500yd distance. At the time, I could barely swim 50yds without gasping for breath. After swimming just four training sessions, I noticed my ability to breathe properly improve drastically. I have discovered that when I get into the proper rhythm, with either swimming or running, I almost never get out of breath. I get physically tired before I get winded. Unfortunately with swimming, I don't maintain the rhythm as well. I just need more practice, that is what training is for.

So this week I switched to the bike-focused plan because of my one 40 min bike ride last week. Mike and I rode all around the surrounding neighborhoods, and in 40 min we only completed 7.4 miles. The race is 13 miles. So I have a LOT of practicing to do in that area. The training plan gives you two sessions a week in each area and an extra session in your focus area. So I have 7 "sessions" a week to complete, on two days doubling up and doing a transition too. I have really enjoyed training so far.

Yesterday Laurie and I did a swim session. I try to do a few extra minutes on the swim sessions because I still have to rest occasionally and I want to make sure I am swimming enough. Anyway, last week Laurie sent me this article about proper technique. We were trying it out last night and although it did make me swim slower, it made me concentrate on my strokes and breathing so much more. I was only breathing on one side prior to this, now I am practicing "bilateral breathing." It's like learning a new language! But truly, I am loving it!

Fours

2008-10-22T11:11:00.003-04:00

So the rules are: Go to your folder of pictures on your computer. Open the 4th folder, and upload the 4th picture, then explain it.

This is a picture from our visit to Clearwater in April. We were at International Mall in Tampa at their play area. Leah was getting her shoes put back on by Grammy.

I tag Mandi, Keri, Nikki, and Stacy.

Annual Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch outing

2008-10-20T20:07:00.010-04:00

We had such fun at the AwShucks Corn Maze. Although I misjudged how cold it was out with the wind, so we were a little underdressed. But other than that, we had a great day. It was so much better than last year when we had a horrible drought that killed most of the corn. The big kids loved the maze. We let them decide which paths to take (I kept the map so at least I knew WHERE we were). They discovered the corn in the husks early on.
Leah and Ian carried around their "corn swords" for most of the maze, swiping at the stalks and occasionally each other.

At the end of the maze, we let Erin out to run around.
Then we took pictures on this hay wagon.

At last we headed for the pumpkin patch. We didn't get any pumpkins, we just played around and took pictures.
After dinner at Big Bob Gibson's BBQ, we headed home exhausted but happy.

Bragging rights

2008-10-19T18:56:00.002-04:00

So I am gonna brag for a minute here. Mike and I have this site, NFLForLaughs, that we have been doing for a quite a few years now. Some of you know what it is already. Basically we pick the winner for each NFL game each week. There is no money involved, it is just for fun. So feel free to join in, or if you don't want to start halfway through the season, remember us next season. Anyway, the point is I am in second place right now. I am only 1 game back (potentially 2 after this evening's games). I am beating Mike by like 3 or 4 games. And I don't really follow stuff like who is starting or who is hurt. Seriously, bet on me in Vegas. I have never had a week under .500 (7-6 was my worst record). Apparently I am a football guru. :)

Not baby anymore...

2008-10-16T16:03:00.002-04:00

Erin has exploded with her words lately. Here is a short list of things she says: hot, up, Mommy, Dada, Ee-ah, pup-pup, duck (sounds like duh), good girl, night night, play, milk (says nuh for milk), and is repeating almost everything. It is AWESOME to be able to talk to her and know she is understanding you.

The very latest thing though is fighting naptime. She is not doing it at bedtime yet, but everyday at naptime, she stands in her crib and wails, "Mooooommmmmeeeeeeeee!" over and over. It is hard not to go in there and get her. For the past two days, I have had to go back in like 1/2 hour after I put her down and rock her a little bit. When I put her in bed after that, she still screams, but not for very long. This part is not so fun.

I just went back and read a bunch of Erin entries and nowhere have I blogged about her little attitude. No lie, she already has attitude at 14 months. I am DREADING her teen years. If you tell her no and she doesn't like it, she flails around and tries to hit you. When she wants milk and you don't give it to her, she screams and cries until she is holding her cup. And not just any cup, she only wants milk in her Nuby sippy cup, not the Playtex ones. If you give her the wrong cup, she just throws in on the ground and continues to chant, "Nuh Nuh" (milk). If you leave the gate open for ONE second, she is climbing upstairs immediately. I CANNOT get her to walk with me through a door if she doesn't want to. When we come inside in the evening to make dinner, she pitches her little fit in the doorway so no one can walk through.

I absolutely adore this little pill of mine. She is the light of my life! Some of my favorite kids when I was teaching were the ones who gave me a hard time. What is the deal with that?

Sidebar!

2008-10-16T13:49:00.004-04:00

I got my triathlon training graph from Google Docs to show up! I will have to resave the image every time I update it because it is static, but still it is there. Now you can follow along at home as I train.

Mother Warriors

2008-10-15T17:30:00.003-04:00

I just finished Jenny McCarty's newest book, Mother Warriors (it's in my Goodreads sidebar). It was AMAZING!!! I highly recommend it to all mothers of young children out there and anyone planning on becoming a mother. It made me think so much my brain hurt. It stimulated an intense discussion with Mike. I don't doubt any of the facts in the book. But I still am not wholly against vaccination. I guess I have to do more research. If anyone out there has researched this topic, can you send me some links or any info you found?

Training day #2

2008-10-15T17:24:00.004-04:00

I am trying to get a cute little graph of my triathlon training to show up in my sidebar, but I need Mike's help. So until then, I will post about it. I finally asked the lifeguard at the pool what the length was and he said 25 YARDS. The triathlon distance is 500 yds so today I swam the 500 yds in 20m15s. Then I ran 1.1 miles in 12 min. It will be so interesting when I actually have to do it because I change my clothes in between so that gives me a little rest time. Laurie came with me today and did the swimming part. It was nice to have someone to discuss swim technique with (we decided we don't have any). Anyway, day 2 complete.