I Shaved My Legs for This!

It has been years...

2011-06-05T09:17:00.002-04:00

I will need to overhaul this blog during the summer, but for now it will have to do.

So much has happened...good and bad.

Teaching is going well. Timmy (a.k.a. TJ) and Emma are growing and so unbelievably smart and beautiful!!! David is doing well. We have 3 dogs now. Yes, I am crazy!!!!

Two of my cousins were recently diagnosed with cancer. One with breast cancer and one with neuroendocrine carsinoma. So very scary! They are both in their thirties. Sisters each with a small daughter.

My family has been on many vacations. The most recent was on a cruise on the new Disney Dream. It was wonderful!!!

Hopefully, I will overhaul this during the summer months. 3 weeks then summer break for me and the kids!!!

Who I Sorely Miss...

2009-03-03T19:35:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine brought me out of the woodwork with this simple question above.

I miss my Great Aunt Jean. She was very sick with lung cancer after a life time of smoking. She and my uncle would call people for their birthday and sing on the phone. It wasn't your birthday until that call. She would always have dollar bills for the children at any gathering. She and my uncle would take me out for a special day when I was young. We would eat lobster tails and go for drives.

When Emma was born, she was so excited to see her. She could never hold her because of the oxygen and her lack of strength, but she admired her. I have a picture of her the night before she died just looking at Emma. Emma had just turned 2 and loved Aunt Jean as I did and still do. I was pregnant with Timmy and would be going for an ultrasound to find out the sex 2 days later. She passed the night before I had the ultrasound. She is the one person I wanted to tell. But I believe that she sent him to me. But boy would she have loved to see my children grow. They would have had her laughing every minute.

I miss her so much it hurts at times. It has been almost 6 years, but the memories are so fresh in my mind. I love her for that.

Read Any Good Books Lately?

2008-08-09T16:54:00.000-04:00

I have red 3 book that have been quite interesting.

An author that I really like is Jodi Picoult! My Sister's Keeper is one that many people are familiar with, but I have continued to stay with her books. I read Nineteen Minutes, which is about a high school student and what lead up to 19 minutes of chaos. I often think about this book and I read it TWO years ago.

This summer I read her book Mercy. Very intesting and really makes you think. You find yourself questioning many things throughout the book. When I started the book, I wasn't prepared for the first chapter. I had to reread a page 2 times to really grasp what was happening.

There was another book I read given to me by a colleague. She wasn't sure if I should read it because it was about a little girl Emma who goes missing on the beach. The woman who was responsible for the Emma could only focus on reliving those couple of minutes to find clues into her disappearance. The book was very good, but the ultimate ending was not what I thought it should have been. So I really need to discuss it with her and see how she felt. I have since passed it on, so I can't remember the name of the book or the author. If anyone is interested I can get it for you.

The last one I read was Lost and Found. Shockingly, I really enjoyed this book. It was a short read and had a few surprises in it. I loved the main character. She was strong and really found herself in the book.

I just started another of Jodi Picoult's books, Songs of the Humpback Whale. I will let you know if I finish it (time is limited) and what I think about it.

Happy Reading!

Bras anyone?

2008-08-09T16:53:00.000-04:00

Do you have a favorite bra? Maybe a favorite brand?

I haven't bought new bras since after Emma was born. I should be embarrassed by that statement, but I'm not. As long as they still worked and made my chest look good, who cares how old they are.

Well, I have been shopping at Kohl's. Apparently, a lot in the past year. They hubby said I have spent $5,000 over the yr. there. Funny thing is, I go in spurts. My shopping spurts involve leaving there in one day spending $600 at a pop. Now let me just tell you, (while your mouth is wide opened) I don't shop anywhere else! Oh, except one grocery store. So really it is not that bad.

So I went and bought bras. 8 brand new bras!!! They are wonderful. They are Vera Wang bras. I am not into name brands, but Vera knows how to make a good bra. It lifts and creates wonderful cleavage! They are also so very comfortable.

So do you have any brand of bra that you are partial to? I am looking for more good undergarments!

Can I be the biggest loser?

2008-08-09T08:06:00.002-04:00

Sometimes I feel like I am a big loser. Did you ever feel that way? Like you can't do anything right and everyone is smarter than you. That you are stupid for feeling the way that you do? But really that is a whole different blog post.

David and I are in a little competition to lose weight. What is the prize? We haven't worked that out. I really don't think we need a prize. It is just enough to beat each other.

Since my wedding day (over 11 years ago) I have gained 27 lbs!! That is just CRAZY! After one week I lost 4 lbs. Our weigh in is tomorrow night. I am hoping that I am down even more, but Sat. and Sun. are my worst days of eating. We are going for percentage of loss since we know that men lose quicker than women. Besides he has a lot more to lose. Although, he has only gained about 12 lbs. since we got married. Honestly, if I lost 20 lbs. I would be at my most comfortable weight. When I got married, I was sick all the time.

Really, I just want to feel comfortable in my skin. I want to be the hot mommy! Don't we all want to be the HOT MOMMY? I see you nodding your head.

Oh, my hair is longer and I have some red in it now. Yes, I know PICTURES! They will be coming. My camera is holding them hostage.

Blogging for Cancer

2008-08-08T20:41:00.002-04:00

If feels like a lifetime ago that I volunteered for a wonderful cause. Things happened and I moved on, but I happened to find a wonderful event happening in the blog-o-sphere. It is called blogging for cancer. Lois at Goodies for Mom has put this wonderful event together.

Go over there now and check it out. There will be wonderful prizes. The event starts on August 11 and runs through August 18th.

A Little Older, Wiser, and Much More Tired!

2008-08-08T09:17:00.002-04:00

Well, if anyone checks this blog anymore, I am still alive and doing well.

Taking on a job, renovating, adding on an addition, and still trying to be the mom I was, yea that was putting myself on overload. Don't get me wrong, it was a very good year for the first year back teaching. I got the children involved in a lot of activities and they really learned from their experiences. The parents, for the most part, were great and so very helpful. I made a CD for the children and help a pot luck dessert at the end of the year to view it. We only viewed half of the CD, because I was still working on the other half. The overachiever in my made the CD 1 hour long. I wanted to make sure I included all of the important activities along with the regular classroom routines so parents got a better understanding of what their children did all year.

So far this summer I have been in classes all of July with the exception of one week. I took a course on reading strategies that gave me some good ideas. It would have been better if I taught at the intermediate elementary level but I can scale down some things for my children. I had SMARTboard training (now all I need is my SMARTboard to come in). That is a whole big rant that I might do in the next week if I don't have it. Then I had Gissel training. The Gissel test is a developmental test. It is very interesting. I look forward to administering it to my son when the testing equipment comes in. Then I had curriculum development at my school. We are trying to make our school a "Responsive Classroom School". So as you can see I have been busy.

The week I was off in July we went camping at Lake Ontario on Association Island. It was fun although not great weather.

Timmy is doing very well. His teachers told me he was an exceptional little boy and ready for Kindergarten. Although, he is unable to go to Kindergarten since he is a January birthday and not of age for "K" yet. So another year of growing will just make him more exceptional.

Emma is moving on to second. She had a wonderful year in 1st. She was in an accelerated reading book club. She loved that. At the beginning of this week, she had to have a sick tooth pulled out at the dentist. Next week we get a mold of her tooth, and the following week the spacer goes in. Fun for a 7 year old during the summer, don't you think?

My Grandmother, broke her hip in December and now has ablood clot in her leg. Send positive vibes, prayers whatever you do for her. She is 89 1/2 and is very fragile.

David is doing well. We are in a competition to lose the most weigh (%). I took last week, although this week, I am not feeling good about. He took a new job with the same company. He likes it. It involves more day travel.

We have our final inspection on the house next Friday. After that, I can put pictures up on the wall, curtains over the windows, and just finish everything.

I am doing well. This year I gained the freshman 15 while working. There is alway food at that school! It is crazy. This year, I have to learn to just take the cupcake from the child and then throw it in the garbage at the end of the day. If I don't take it, they get upset. I tried that last year and it wasn't good.

Well, I need to take a shower and get to school. I have more setting up to do. We are taking the kids to the beach for a couple of days next week. I am more excited than they are!

It has been awhile.

2007-12-02T08:23:00.000-05:00

I was going to update with new pictures of the house, but apparently I didn't take any. I would go and take some right now, but it is snowing. And frankly, this girl is not ready for snow.

We are moving along. The wood floors are going in on Tuesday. I had to take my first day of from school to let the installers in. I am bummed because we are starting Holidays Around the World and we were supposed to be flying to Israel. So now I need to bump our flight to tomorrow and it looks like we might not have school tomorrow. I can't let a sub fly my children to the country. I used to live for snow days when I taught before, now I am dreading a snow day.

My class is having a lot of fun with it so far. We all made pilot hats. Each child will have a turn to be the pilot or co-pilot. They all have passports that we made on Friday. And of course, they all packed their suitcases. That was the best!!! We talked about what you should pack and then I let them cut pictures out of magazines to glue inside. It was quite funny!

So, I will be back with pictures of the house, once I venture out of it. But it probably won't be today. Or maybe it will be. A picture of my new house with new fallen snow...sounds quite nice!

What have I been up to?

2007-10-07T08:03:00.000-04:00

Well, I don't really have the amount of time ti takes to give you an in depth break down of everything but I will tell you briefly.

The renovations/addition on the house is moving along. Of course, not fast enough for me because I wanted it done by the beginning of Sept. That was not going to happen since the big part of it only started on Aug. 10.

Here is the before:

Here is the after:
This was taken before the roof was put on yesterday. The second floor that doesn't have a window is our new master bathroom. It will have a window, just not cut in yet.
The view of our back (taken from the side).
The view of the back. That new big part is the great room.

Yes, I know it looks like it is on steriods now!

David started the plumbing of the new master bath, and we just ordered the vanity, countertop, and tile. The roof of the existing house was ripped off yesterday and a new roof was put on the whole house. The front porch just needs the railing up and that will be complete, with the exception of my new front door that hasn't been picked out yet. And the stone work where the front porch is will take some time since David will be doing that also. I am tired of construction, but seriously, it could be a whole lot worse!

If you haven't seen this picture, take a look: Before
After! Yes, he is smiling!! He was so excited that his leg was broken. Probably because that is the first thing he said when I picked him up off the ground.

Timmy broke his shin bone while we were camping on Sept 22. We were trick or treating and when he started to walk to another camper he tripped over his father's foot and fell. We instantly new something was wrong. I brought him back to the camper and took him out of his outfit. It took awhile to calm him down. The next day we called the ped. and she said he needed an x-ray, but since it was Sunday, if we could keep him on bedrest to wait until Monday. Bedrest was not a problem, the boy was in pain. He was living on Motrin and not walking. So Monday we went to our orthropedic's office and found out it was a broken shin bone. He is now sporting the orange cast. It took us a week to get him walking in his walking cast. It was a week of my mother and David taking off from work, since it was my busiest week working.

Speaking of work, it is going very well. I am busy all the time and I have a lot to relearn, but it is good. I will report more on this at a later date.

Emma loves 1st grade! She is in an advanced reading class. The reading teacher pulls her and 3 other students out to do excellerated reading with them. She loves having me teach in her school and wants me to mve when she goes to a different school for 3rd grade. I explained to her that I hoped to be in this school for a very long time!

I am still here

2007-09-15T12:28:00.001-04:00

It has been a long time and really it should be longer, but Christy begged me to blog. How do you say no to a pregnant girl?!

Life is BUSY!! But everything is going very well. I have 19 sweet kindergarteners. I met all of the parents the 2 times within the first week. I think that connection being so early was a wonderful experience for all of us. I go in at 7:30 and usually get home at 5:15. Remember I live exactly 3 minutes from the school, so yes I am spending a lot of time there.

The renovations/addition on the house is moving along. It is taking longer than I expected though. I don't have any pictures yet, but I will take some within the next couple of days.

September is a rough month for me. There is a lot due at school and many meeting I have to get used to. Next week I have something after school every night. One day I will be at school for a little over 12 hours.

The kids are doing great. Emma's teacher didn't hand out homework this week which upset Emma, so the teacher made sure that Emma had her own homework to work on. Yes, my daughter requests homework from teachers.

Timmy is doing well. He has some adjusting to do, but all will be fine. He started his new preschool and also started with a new speech teacher.

I started classes with Finn again. We are working toward his Canine Good Citizen Award. Right now, we have a lot of work.

That is it in a brief nutshell. I miss chatting with my friends, but I know everything will settle down soon.

Thanks for checking in!

The Game of LIFE...

2007-08-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

My game of LIFE has gotten more complicated to say the least. Since getting my new job, I have been in the classroom everyday since July 9th (except for one week when we went camping in VA). I am tired people! Just so very tired and school hasn't started yet. BUT it is a good tired!! I am enjoying getting back in the saddle. Although, it is much harder to do with 2 children in toe. They have been wonderful. While in the classroom they make boxes into rocket ships, pretend to have picnics on the rug, Emma helps me sort books and stickers, and they sometime watch movies.

Oh, and at home, the renovations/addition is really getting up to speed now. The excavator was here yesterday and dug out all the dirt for the footings. Soon the walls will be poured and then it will be time for the framer to come in. I can't believe all this is happening at once.

Oh, and then...my sister in law who is watching Timmy for a couple of hours in the morning before bringing him to school for me...called on Thursday and told me she couldn't...PLEASE people, do you understand what a blow this was??!! So now I need to ask my mom if she could do it for me. He will get to school an hour before I wanted him to, but it is better than me dropping him off at 7:30 in the morning. Oh, the mommy guilt!

On a good note, I went shopping yesterday with the 2 kids and my aunt for back to school clothes for all of us. I made out so well I could just bust. Let's just say my credit card now whats to explode from the amount of bills that went on it yesterday. Timmy has all of his back to school clothes. Emma has some, but the store don't seem to have any long sleeve shirts out for girls yet. I will need to keep looking for that.

I had no luck with shoes. My feet are very bad and I have bunions (I HATE that word!) on both of them. I will be calling the doctor this week to have them looked at. I will need to schedule surgery to have them taken care of. Of course, now that I have a job they become a real problem. But the 6 years I took for maternity they didn't cause a problem. So I will need to schedule around the days off from school. It will all work out. Just stinks I have to take care of this the first year I am back to work.

Ok, the children are fighting. They have been together waaaaaaaaaaaay too much.

Here are a few pictures from a vacation in VA.

The cousins!
One of the beautiful sunsets over the Rappannock River.

Contest for $250 at Gymboree!

2007-07-31T07:15:00.000-04:00

6 Years Ago Today...

2007-07-16T07:21:00.000-04:00

I became a MOM!! What a wonderful day in my life.

6 years ago today...

6 in the morning a phone call to the dr. on call because I was having contractions. She said wait until they are 5 minutes apart...they were 7.

6:15 my water breaks and we call the dr. back. She reluctantly says to go to the hospital.

7:15 Triage on L & D. Got all the monitors on and hear the fabulous sound of a little train as I called it. My little girls heart beat.

10:15 Dr. arrives. Different from the dr. that told me to come in. This dr. was my favorite so I was thrilled that she was on call. At this time she checked me and told me that I was 3 cm and at this point we don't do an epidural. I was having extreme back labor so I told to to give me whatever she could. she then reminded me of my birth plan and I told her "I don't care."

11:00 The magic man with the epidural came and made life a lot better.

2:45 Ready to push although clueless how to do that since I wasn't allowed to go to any of the classes due to strict bedrest from 24 weeks on.

Finally at 4:12 Emma arrived into the world and made David and myself parents!!

Here she is sleeping in her cradle that her Daddy made her in his wood shop. She always sleep with her hands together like she was praying.

Emma's birthday party one year later!

Here she is with a very big hat on.

This was Emma the day after. Her dad thought it would be fun to put a swim diaper on her head. She did look pretty cute.

Emma's second birthday! She got a sandbox from Grammie and Grandpa. There is Jake in the background. He was never far from Emma.

I made her a caterpiller cake.

Uncle Keith getting a hug from the birthday girl. He is her Godfather.

The second party with David side of the family. I had no energy to make a special cake. I was pregnant with Timmy at this time.

Opening one of her presents.

Happy 3rd Birthday!! It was a Shrek birthday.

Making a silly face at the camera. Can you tell it was a hot day outside?

I made Emma a scrapbook book titled "The ABC's of My Life"...she loved it!

Here she is turning 4. Do you see what I mean about Jake and his girl?!

If was a princess birthday. So of course we needed Sleeping Beauty shampoo and soap.

Cinderella cake with a Cinderella princess to blow out the candles.

Snow White looking marvelous!

No step sisters here, just a little brother to do all of the shores.

Turning 5 brought 2 parties. One with Grammie and Grandpa. This is her ice cream cake.

Then a party with her friends. She had a great time. My camera decided not to work too well for this party, but I did manage to get a few pictures.

It was a Chicken Little party.

And today she will have her 6th birthday party. I will be baking the cake and trying to make my house look a little presentable with all of the construction going on.

It is a special day for David and myself also. It was on Monday, July 16, 2001 that our lives changed and we became parents. What a journey it has been.

I think I am in the right profession...

2007-07-11T15:59:00.000-04:00

and grade level...

Mingle² - Free Online Dating

What can I say, I'm a good little girl!

Renovations Step One

2007-07-10T09:19:00.000-04:00

Well the laundry room is complete!!

Here it is in pictures!

Here is what the master bathroom used to look like.

So this is what the laundry room looked like before. More like a laundry closet at the end of my eating area for the kitchen. So my dirty laundry was on the floor if people stopped over out of the blue. Or my drying rack (see it on the side) would be there doing it's job and people would come and see the clothes drying. Or how about the folded clothes on the kitchen table. That is always fun. When we first bought the house, we thought it was great having the laundry room there. After many years, we have found it is not so great.

After some very hard work on my hubby's part and some painting on my part this is how it looks now!

New tile floor. There was nothing wrong with the old floor, except for the fact that there was no tile under the bathtub and we didn't have enough spare ones to fix the spot.

I now have a soaking sink.

We are reusing the vanity from the bathroom and just got a new counter for it. This is where I fold the laundry.

I love my new sorting hampers. It makes it so easy to see what load needs to be washed. Before I would have a pile of laundry, then sort it on the kitchen floor and find that I didn't have enough wash for a white load and then carry the clothes back upstairs.

Christy, we are using the kids bathroom. So instead of my palm trees and beachy feel, I have all yellow ducks around me! It is working fine. But I am sure it will grow old. We are adding on to the second floor of the house at the end where our bedroom is. We will be putting on a new master bathroom and an exercise room. The latter is very funny because we don't exercise, so it will probably be my craft room.

Downsizing in a BIG Way!!

2007-07-06T08:22:00.000-04:00

I have so many posts that I have not gotten too and that just depresses me.

Things to look forward to:
1. Emma's Kindergarten Spectacular
2. The scary decision of what to do with Timmy in Sept.
3. Dealing with my mom
4. I finally have a Godchild...he could have been my kid
5. The house is in turmoil and it hasn't even started

Those are only off the top of my head! So are you intrigued to see what has been going on? Do you want to know me better? Stay tuned!!

Now on to downsizing. There is so much I need to downsize. the clutter in my house, my kids toys, the amount of crap I buy, the clutter in my head and the amount of blogs I read.

The good thing...I already downsized the blogs! Not that any of you care, because I got rid of about 20 and none of those people check my blog so it really won't hurt their feelings. That is not why I got rid of them. I was feeling bogged down and I was wasting my time reading about other people instead of taking that time to do things in the house or with the children.

Now getting rid of clutter in my house is a little harder. As a teacher and the daughter of a hoarder, I am destine to keep crap. You know, I might need it someday. If I go back to teacher (which thank goodness I am) I could use that in my classroom with the children...All of this has gotten me into trouble over the years. I have found that a lot of lower elementary teachers tend to be that way. It makes me feel a little better. So this weekend is going to be spent digging through my teaching closet in the basement and pulling out all of the stuff I will need. Then I will go through the garage that has more stuff that I am sure to be able to use.

Speaking of the garage, it is time for me to get rid of the 2 umbrella strollers, the big stroller, and the double stroller. These are the last of the baby items, except the cradle David made for me. Did I ever show you a picture of it? It is beautiful.

Going back to work is good for getting rid of the clutter that I buy because I will not have any time for that! My time will be very limited which is good from that angle.

The clutter from the children, I figure will get better with time. As they get older they need less of the toys and they will move into different items that can stay in their rooms. For those that don't know, I gave the kids our family room that is now a playroom. Nuts, yes, but we live in a colonial and I couldn't let them bring toys up and down the stairs. And frankly, I am way too lazy to do it for them. I am all about making my children self sufficient. Right now as I type, Timmy wanted help getting his short sleeves shirts down from the closet. I told him to get his step stool from his bed and use that to get them. See I am lazy, but I am trying to help them be better thinkers at the same time. Oh, the step stool didn't work so he called me, but I thought it would be better if Emma went to help him. You know, help that bond grow a little more! (Yes, people, I am lazy)

Now as for the clutter in my head, it kept me up last night. I ended up going to bed with a HUGE headache. I should have taken my Maxalt (the best migraine med in the world!!) but I was too lazy to get up. Do you see a pattern here? I am not just lazy with the kids, I am an equal opportunity lazy ass! Oh, while I was writing this, Timmy came downstairs naked and explain that "I'm sorry that I am naked, but I had to put my PJ's in my bathroom and I left my clothes down here. OK?"

So this clutter in my head, it is all about my classroom, the class, activities that I want to get together, and oh, how I can't believe that I am going back to work!!! I truly don't think it has really hit me. I placed my order for supplies so I thought that would help it sink in, but not yet. Next week, I have to go and start unpacking my room and figuring out how I am going to arrange it. So many decisions. If you follow me through the year, you will see that my classroom changed a lot. I am always looking for the best layout and flow.

Oh, I forgot to tell you...my master bathroom transformation into my laundry room is almost complete. I painted the ceiling and walls yesterday. The walls need one more coat and then my part should be done. I have before pictures that I will post with the after pictures sometime next week. It should be completed by then.

I've Been Tagged

2007-06-29T14:03:00.000-04:00

I am not good at these memes, but since Jenny is new to this blog thing and I would love for her to be my friend IRL, I am going to participate. Jenny if I ever get to TX, I will make sure that you, Tracey and Christy are available!

Here are the rules:

1. Link to name of person that tagged you.

2. Include state and country you live in.

3. List top 5 favorite local restaurants.

4. Tag 5 other people and let them know they’ve been tagged.

I live in Newburgh, NY. If you live here, you know that the restaurants need some help, but I will do my best.

1. Bugaboo Creek Steak House - they have wonderful Snowbird Chicken!! Soups are really good and the bet part is---they are KID FRIENDLY!!!! The place is covered in replicas of stuffed (real) animals. There is a moose that talks ever 20 to 30 minutes. There is an evergreen tree that talks. A fish that flaps it's fins. A goose that peeks out of a barrel. I am really can you ask for anything better than KID FRIENDLY!

2. Torches on the River - It is set on the Hudson River and there is a beautiful view of the mountains on the other side and and south. The food has been really good anytime I have gone there. The best are the drinks. I don't bring my children here, although I am sure they would be fine since it is on the river.

3. Villa Italia - The have the best chicken parm dinners. I am actually craving it right now. The chicken is always tender and the sauce is delicious.

4. Season's on the Hudson - Can you tell I like places on the river? They have many good things to eat. I haven't been there in a while but I am sure it will be on our list of a place to go while the weather is warm.

5. Joe's Pizza - For there Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad!! I love it. If the right guy is making it, I will end up craving it the next day also. This one guy, cuts up the chicken into bite size pieces along with the lettuce, and then makes sure the salad is thoroughly mixed. So good!!

Now 5 people...that is not going to be easy since many people don't check my blog anymore because I have become a slacker!!!

Let's see...Jenn, Beth, Lara, Penny, and Kim...even though you don't have a blog, you can tell me your favorites!

10 years coming up...QUICKLY!!

2007-06-27T13:41:00.000-04:00

Where does the time go?

On July 4th, my hubby and I will be celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary. As many of you know, he gave me a new engagment ring last year to celebrate a little early. Because of that, I didn't expect anything this year.

In May he asked me if there was a weekend in June we could go away. I picked June 22nd - the 25th. Everything was a secret except the date. Being a SAHM you have dates for everything so really he needed to check with me.

At the beginning of last week he told me some things that I should pack. I didn't want to know where we were going be I did want to know the state. It had to be a state since we do not have passports (we will be looking into that in the coming months!) He told me FL and I was excited because all I wanted to do was lay on the beach.

On Friday we got on the plane headed for Orlando International. Once there we got our luggage and then we found a taxi which I thought was strange because he always rents a car. He found out that the taxi would be over $100 to get us where we needed to go (which at this point I still had no idea). He turned and said we needed to find another way. With that I bit my lip because I was tired of not knowing anything. His words "Oh don't bite your lip! We need to go back to the cruise guy." Me "Why?!" Him..."I am taking you on a cruise!" Me still confused and not really processing everything just followed him.

So we went on a Royal Caribbean cruise to the Bahamas and an island that they own. We stayed in a junior suite with a balcony! It was wonderful!!! We have never been on a cruise before so this was our test drive to see if we would like it and if we would want to bring the children. Well all of it is a total YES! The kids would love it. I loved it. There was food all the time. I ate two separate lunches and dinners, piggy I know, but it was an expensive trip so I had to get my money's worth! Oh and breakfast, yes, I filled my plate twice. The food was soooo goooood!!

This is the first night out from our balcony!!!

Another shot from my balcony when we hit Nassua, Bahamas!

This is our ship anchored next to CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's island.

Here is the view from my lounge chair. Although, I was only in the chair for abut 15 minutes. We went snorkeling and then I rented a float and floated in the water that you are looking at. It was simply AMAZING!!!

Oh, we got professional pictures taken on the ship after our formal dinner. They came out great. Our scanner isn't hooked up, but I will try to take a picture of the picture!

So Very True!!

2007-06-14T07:09:00.001-04:00

"You have a shy personality. You tend to hesitate before trying new things or meeting new people. But once people get to know you, you open up and show the world what you are really all about."

I am a
Violet

What Flower
Are You?

You don't write, You don't call...

2007-06-01T10:59:00.000-04:00

Yes, I know it has been awhile without a real post and sooooo many promises of a real post. Well here is what I have been up to...

I just got a call that I was selected to be the new Kindergarten teacher of my hometown school!!! YEEHAW!!!!! I will be teaching in the same room where I attended kindergarten 30 years ago!! How crazy is that?!

I am pretty much speechless at the moment. After taking 6 years off to raise my children, I got the first job that I tried for...CRAZY!!! And the funny thing, I wasn't even looking for the job...it just kinda of fell in my lap!!

It is sooooo meant to be!!

Personality

2007-05-23T15:53:00.000-04:00

Your Personality is Somewhat Rare (ESFP)

Your personality type is playful, charming, open minded, and energetic.

Only about 7% of all people have your personality, including 9% of all women and 5% of all men
You are Extroverted, Sensing, Feeling, and Perceiving.

How Rare Is Your Personality?

Yeah, I know...

2007-05-16T15:59:00.000-04:00

I haven't been here in a long time. But I am hoping that in a couple of weeks that there is a very good excuse for that!

Here is a quiz I took...

I feel loved when...

The Five Love Languages

My Primary Love Language is Quality Time

My Detailed Results:
Quality Time:	9
Receiving Gifts:	6
Acts of Service:	6
Physical Touch:	5
Words of Affirmation:	4

About this quiz

Unhappiness in relationships is often due to the fact that we speak different love languages. It can be helpful to know what language you speak and what language those around you speak.

Tag 3 people so they can find out what their love language is.

Take the Quiz!
Check out the Book

Let me see if this shows up better...

Your Detailed Results:
Quality Time:	9
Receiving Gifts:	6
Acts of Service:	6
Physical Touch:	5
Words of Affirmation:	4

Spreading the Word

2007-04-17T16:18:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to help Beth and Boomama spread the word about Heather. Heather was diagnosed with a brain tumor last week, she is scheduled to see a neurologist at the end of April at the Mayo Clinic, the number one neurosurgery hospital in the country. The goal is to help Heather and her family with as much of the expenses as possible.

Boomama is trying to shower Heather with some love and raise some money to help offset some of the expense of the hotel and meals. You can go to Boomama's blog tomorrow and donate as little as a dollar to help Heather and her family. Beth is trying to get the word out by having a contest. All you need to do to enter is add the button "For Heather" on your blog. There are a lot of prizes listed at Beth's. Go check it out.

Organizing in Florida

2007-04-15T17:01:00.000-04:00

Well at least I made good use of my time in FL. I organized my father in law's house a little bit.

First, I cleaned out the refrigerator and freezer. There was a lot of stuff still in there from before my mother in law died in November. I then moved to the pantry and ditched anything I could find that had an expiration date on it. I consolidated all of the plastic bags into size order and got rid of any empty containers. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of that stuff.

I also organized in the main bathroom. I refolded and organized the linen closet. It made a huge difference. (no pictures) Then I took on under the sink. I purged out a lot of stuff that wasn't needed and just organized the area better. No containers used, because I didn't have access to them at the time.

These 2 are the before.

These are the after.

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

2007-04-15T16:04:00.000-04:00

This is my second book from the Spring Reading Thing. I started it on a Friday in the airport and finished it by the pool on the following Wednesday afternoon. I am so happy that I finally took the time to read this. Thank you Donna for sending it to me. I will be passing it along to other who want to dive into this book.

How would I sum this book up - A moving story of complex family dynamics. The book is written from all different perspectives. You quickly learn that Anna was born to be a donor to save her sister Kate from a rare form of leukemia. But her role doesn't end there. Through her 13 years she needs to give more and more of herself so her sister can continue to live. Her parents make some difficult decisions and lose themselves along the way. A lawyer gets involved and brings a whole different perspective to the situation along with his own surprises.

Sometimes family take each other for granted and sometimes people lose there way. In this book it is about a family trying to help each other. I found myself feeling for each of these characters and what they were going through.

The ending was not what I expected, but I understood why Picoult did it. I highly recommend this book. I used to fundraiser for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I met some wonderful people who I know call my friends.

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

2007-04-05T09:55:00.000-04:00

Disclaimer: This is a very hard review for me. I don't want to give anything away.

I started reading again because of the Spring Reading Challenge. I chose some books I know others read and put them on my list. Then I went to Barnes & Noble to find one of the books on the list. As soon as I walked in, I was greeted by the shelf of best sellers. Not something I usually pay attention to, but Jodi Picoult's last book was there. Now let me say I have never read one of her books, but I was in search of 2 of them on my list. I looked at the inside cover and started reading. At that exact moment I was hooked!

I hadn't heard anything about the book so I didn't know what to expect (which was a blessing.) As I began reading, I had no clue where this story was going and then I was shocked within the first 75 pages.

This book makes you question your parenting skills. Are you doing your best with your children? Are you teaching them to be respectful of others? Do you really have an open relationship with your children? Should children be granted ultimate privacy in their rooms? You realize that something you think is insignificant could truly impact your child for the rest of their lives.

This book has everything in it...young love, heartache, loss, friendships, teenage issues, parent guilt, finding your way through life, making decisions that you would never think you would have to make.

Two women from different lives connect through one's pregnancy. They remain friends and their children grow up together and go off to Kindergarten. Once school starts things change and lines get drawn. At the end of this book, lives cross again with outcomes you do not expect.

I highly recommend this book and would love to talk with anyone who has read it. I just don't want to give anything away in this post to people who would like to read the book. I will say that part of the book scared me and in the end I was sad at the outcome of everything. Life can be so hard for children to find their way through.

Preschool 101

2007-04-04T09:49:00.000-04:00

Tips For Choosing A Preschool

- Academics: Never too early to learn ABC's and 123's

- Play Time: Every day, both imaginative & physical

- Independence- Children should have choice of activities.

The above I just saw on The Today Show. As a former elementary school teacher and Universal Pre-Kindergarten teacher (a NYS thing), I can say these are very good tips.

Another important thing to consider is meeting with the teacher. Talking to her about the routine of the day, how she handles certain situations, communication between parent and teacher, the goals she has for the children in the class and most importantly, do you get the feeling from her you are looking for.

In a preschool teacher, I look for that warm fuzzy feeling. I look for all of the stuff mentioned above. I look to see that parents are welcome in the classroom. I look for the teacher to have activities that are open ended with the process being more important than the finished product. I look for controlled chaos in the room.

When looking for a preschool for your children don't feel a question is too stupid to ask. Don't assume you know the answers to those unasked questions. Open your mouth and ask. Your child will be in this person's care while you are out of arm's and ear's reach.

My son will be switching nursery school next year. For one reason, the money. For the other, I need that warm fuzzy feeling and to be welcomed into the classroom. I want to be there as much as I can. Once they are in the older grades I won't have that option anymore.

Are you up for it???

2007-04-03T13:17:00.000-04:00

This is a quote from Sanity Savers:

No Challenge, No Change.
If you don't give yourself a challenge, there can be no change, and without change, there is no growth.

The first challenge is to pick the room or one little space. Well I decided to take on both.

I am choosing our home office/junk room! It is very sad. Here are the pictures that I can not believe I am posting. So embarrassing!

This is supposed to be my husband's desk. Would you believe he tries to look at house plans on this desk?!
This is my section. I had already started moving my stuff out of it. So it is messier than it was because I was going through stuff.

This is a picture of where the wall shifted and we need to fix it.
Here is another part of the shifted wall.
1. What do I want the purpose of my room or area to be?
I would like it to be my husband's office and also hold our extra chairs for the kitchen. It will also house the cushions for the chairs on the back porch.

2. What do I need in or near the room to serve that purpose?
I need a new desk, filing cabinet, and bookshelves.

3. What can I remove from the room?
All of my craft stuff that remains in there. All of the toys that have found their way into the room along with children's clothes. The white wall cabinet and floor cabinet will also be removed with the white shelving.

4. What problems do I see with the room?
It is a collect all for everything on the main floor of the house.

5. What organizational tools might solve those problems?
We will be buying new furniture for the office. Bookshelves will help with the amount of books in the room. We will also have a bigger garbage can located in there so stuff doesn't collect on the floor. Some baskets will help to organize outgoing work and work in progress. Along with a basket for the mail!

6. What habits need to change to solve the organizational problems?
We need to get into a routine of putting things in their place. We will need to do a weekly check of the room to make sure nothing has found it's way into the room.

7. What kind of a budget do I have to create the organized room of my dreams?
We have a very big budget for this room. We are looking at about $1000 for the room. Besides furniture, we will be fixing the wall and repainting the room. It used to be the playroom. It will take primer and a dark paint color to go over that red, along with the ceiling. We will also need a few baskets.

8. What kind of a timeline is necessary to organize the room?
The full 30 days!!! Unfortunately, I can't start on this until I return from vacation. So it will be crunch time to get all of this done and the furniture delivered in time.

9. What is my plan of action?
1. Empty the room of all my craft supplies.
2. Remove all of the children's toys.
3. Remove misc. stuff that is not related to my husband's work.
4. Remove white cabinets and desk from the room.
5. Remove all of hubby's work materials.
6. Fix the walls, prime and paint ceilings and walls.
7. Add new furniture.
8. Add all of hubby's supplies and organize in a matter that will make his work space more efficient.
9. Bring extra chairs and cushions into the room.

10. Who can I ask to help me with this?
My husband will be helping me with this HUGE task. I am hoping we make the deadline!

The Mini Organizing Space:

I am choosing my junk drawer in the kitchen or make that 2 junk drawers because my 1st one was way too messy.

Take a look:

Can you see how I truly could use this drawer anymore. It is horrible!!

Here is the 2nd junk drawer:

1. What do I want the purpose of my room or area to be?
This area will hold keys, pens, pads, rubber bands, address labels, stamps, black sharpies, charger and 1 cord for the camera.

2. What do I need in or near the room to serve that purpose?
Nothing

3. What can I remove from the room?
Everything that doesn't belong. I need to find homes or get rid of the clutter.

4. What problems do I see with the room?
I see it being a trap for shoving all kinds of little things that we don't know where to put them.

5. What organizational tools might solve those problems?
Possibly some little pencil bins to keep things in place. A little tray to hold the pad of paper and one for the address labels and stamps.

6. What habits need to change to solve the organizational problems?
We need to stop throwing everything in the drawer.

7. What kind of a budget do I have to create the organized room of my dreams?
$5 at the most on some little bins to keep things separated.

8. What kind of a timeline is necessary to organize the room?
It should only take me an hour to accomlish if I have the little bins.

9. What is my plan of action?
To dump the drawer and go thing everything. To through away what we don't need or use and put the other stuff in it's home.

10. Who can I ask to help me with this?
No one to fix it, but my husband to keep it clean!

Birthday Meme

2007-04-03T11:22:00.000-04:00

Beth over at I Should Be Folding My Laundry tagged me.

1. Go to Wikipedia and type in your Birthday Month and day only.
2. List 3 Events that occurred that day.
3. List 2 important Birth days.
4. List 1 Death.
5. List a Holiday or Observance. (if any)
6. Tag 5 other bloggers.

3 Events

1. 1965 - Hindi becomes the official language of India.
2. 2001 - A 50-year-old Douglas DC-3 crashes near Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela killing 24.
3. 2004 - A whale explodes in the town of Tainan, Taiwan. A build-up of gas in the decomposing 56-foot long Sperm whale is suspected of causing the explosion.

2 Important Birthdays
1. 1497 - Emperor Go-Nara of Japan (d. 1557)
2. 1958 - Ellen DeGeneres, American actress, comedian, and talk show host

1 Death
1. 1979 - Nelson Rockefeller, 41st Vice President of the United States (b. 1908)

1 Holiday
1. Australia - Australia Day

5 Tagged Bloggers
1. Tracey
2. Christy
3. Penny
4. Lara
5. Jenn B.

Update on the reading and a contest!

2007-04-01T15:53:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to update you on my Spring Reading Thing! I am reading Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. I am halfway through it. So far, I am really enjoying it. I will keep you posted.

Now on to the contest! You know how I love a Dyson! Well there is a contest over at 5 Minutes for Mom. Would you believe they are giving away a Dyson!! You read that right! A DYSON! What are y'all waiting for...get over there and enter yourself in the contest!!

Thanks to BooMama for alerting me to this awsome contest!

Be back soon!

Spring Reading Thing 2007

2007-03-23T20:53:00.000-04:00

Updated with 2 new books!!!

What am I thinking. I don't have time for anything, but I will make time to read. It has been a long time since I picked up a book and read it cover to cover. Very, very sad.

This list is (hopefully) just the beginning of me getting back to reading thanks to Katrina at Caterpillar Days.

This is the list of books I would like to get to, but I am only committing to reading 2 books. If I get more done then I am ahead of the game. With a new puppy to train and bring to puppy kindergarten along with my 2 children (and husband) 2 books will be hard enough to get through. But I will commit to all 3 chapter books with my daughter!!

Let the reading begin!!!

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

Quaker Summer by Lisa Samson

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult

Marley & Me by John Grogan

I will read 3 chapter books with Emma from her Judy B. Jones collection. Book 2, 3, & 4 of the series. We already read the first one.

Read to Me Update

2007-03-23T09:46:00.000-04:00

I am chiming in a little late with this update, but it went well.

The children LOVED me reading to them again. It really helps them focus and have some down time.

I started buy picking the books out for the children. After about a week, I picked out one book and they picked out 2 books. Emma listened to all of the books. Timmy listened to the books he picked out (they were more on grade level for him). Emma also has started reading to Timmy a book a day. It is great to see them together.

My husband even read to them. He used to read books to them at bedtime, then life got too hectic.

Emma wrote a report about our new puppy and brought it to school to read to her class. This is huge for her. She is a very quite little girl so this was way out of her comfort zone.

As for getting the school to pick up a reading program, it wasn't a success BUT it wasn't a complete failure either. I did learn that they do have a reading program but they aren't using it. This WILL change next year and it will be because of me. As of right now, it appears that I am going to be the President of the PTA so things will be changing. Oh, and they didn't have a book sale this year. I have already talked to the existing president and voiced my opinion. He told me he will back me next year to make sure the children have the chance to purchase books. I will also make sure that the reading program is for all students and not just students that are struggling. It made be a battle but one the I will win.

This project has made me realize just how much my children love being read to! It warms my heart to know they have a love of reading and books. I love that Emma wants to read to Timmy. I love that we have all found something we can do together and it really doesn't take much time. The best part though, is it is truly quality time together to talk and listen. So thank you Jennifer for having this project and getting people involved.

Update on Finn

2007-03-22T10:49:00.000-04:00

Finn is doing GREAT!!

He knows the commands sit and come. He likes to fetch, although sometimes he is fetching our slippers, socks, towels and shoes.

Emma has learned that if she runs Fin chases her and bites her. When she hears Finn following her, she stands like a statue and Finn leaves her alone.

He sleeps in his crate from 9-6 with no accidents!! We love that. Housetraining is exhausting, but with this breed it is. Jake took 6 months to totally get it. We find squiggle marks on the rugs and floors from him. He has no clue he is going. Yet, when I bring him out and tell him "bathroom" he immediately goes. The good thing is we are ripping the rug up when he is trained and putting down hardwood.

Well enough talk...here are some pictures.

Finn alseep on my shoes!!

Finn stretching because apparently he is in a rush to get big.

Now look what his stretching did! His front legs are too long! (just kidding)

Chewing on his rope while relaxing on his bed.

I lasted all of 1 1/2 weeks keeping his off the couch. Here he is sleeping after I picked him up and put him there.

Helping mommy with the laundry! It really tired him out.

Are you looking at me because I am so cute?

Maggie and Finn playing. Her poor ears have taken a beating with this pup.

My sad hound dog. She is quite unhappy about this hat!!!

Finnegan getting ready for his beer.

Don't forget to ready the post below this about Timmy!

All About Timmy!!

2007-03-15T11:44:00.000-04:00

How this child warms my heart. I can never find the words to truly express how much this little man brings to my life. He was truly heaven sent. I haven't posted about him (or Emma) in quite awhile.

My little man turned 3 in the beginning of January. We had a CARS extravaganza. Every present he received from David, Emma and myself was from Cars.

Mater is one of our favorites!
This is his Cars light. It is actually a traffic light that flashes slowly.

Emma and Timmy looking at some of the books.

His Mater picture for his room. The kids are looking at the Lightening McQueen picture.

Getting ready to blow his blower.

Waiting patiently for the birthday song to be over.

This is a private celebration on his actual birthday. Timmy doesn't like cake so I got him a special glazed donut and put a candle in it. This is him seeing me coming.

He was very excited!

One of his new puzzles.

Here he is excited about completing his puzzles by himself.

Showing how many muscles he needed to put the puzzles together.

Telling me about putting the puzzle together.

"And that's how I did it!"
These are his puzzles. He has been doing puzzles like this for about 7 months.

On Monday, Timmy made his first trip to the dentist. He did GREAT!! (This was last Monday. I couldn't download the pictures last week.)

Watching Karen the hygenist. He was so excited to go.

He was not afraid at all!! Karen was counting his teeth.

Now she is scraping his 2 bottom front teeth. They get tarter buildup. He was amazing. Didn't flinch at all.

Getting his teeth all polished and clean!

The dentist coming to check his teeth.

Timmy is in "The No Cavity Club!!" He got a nice card and sticker in the mail from Karen. He also left with a goody bag filled with stickers and a "Cars" toothbrush. He picked Sally because he already has Mater.

Introducing Finn!!

2007-03-10T21:04:00.000-05:00

Here I am with Finn right after I got him from the Delta Cargo Warehouse. How freakin' cute is he?

Chillin' out at home!

Emma getting to hold her cutie!!

Sleeping with his baby. Can you see those big pink pads on his feet??

Sleepin' by Dad's good foot!

So much to write but I am so exhausted. I just wanted to share his pictures with you.

That's the way my life is going.

2007-03-06T19:45:00.000-05:00

Where do I begin...

A couple of weeks ago Emma had an earache which came on out of the blue. We got a drs. appt. about an hour after she first complained and were quickly on meds. On the way home from CVS she fell asleep. It's only a 5 minute drive. This was not a good indication of what was to come. Once home she got her meds and vegged out on the couch with David. About an hour later it happened. I hear David yell, "Oh God!" I ran from the kitchen to find him covered, the couch covered and Emma as white as a ghost. You guessed it, she threw up everywhere.

Here is what she looked like about an hour later.

And a close up...

The poor little thing then started spiking fevers ever day close to 103 when I caught them and they were still on there way up. She didn't fight me on taking naps. She hasn't taken a nap since March 2004, so this was a sure sign the girl was really sick. I am just so glad that it was Presidents Weekend and 2 snow days. If not for that, she would have missed a lot of school. This all lasted 6 days!

Fast forward to last Tuesday when I picked Timmy up from school. They said he took a nap and slept for awhile. Which surprised me because he looked exhausted. When we were driving home, he begged me to get home quick because he wanted to go to sleep. He also complained that his ear was bothering him. I gave him some meds and got him to bed. The next morning we were awaken by Emma crying that her ear hurt. I quickly put numbing drops in her ear and sent her back to bed. Later that morning I got an appt. with the dr. to get both kids in. Everyone checked out ok. So I dropped Emma off at school and brought Timmy home with me.
Here is where it gets interesting. The boy fell asleep on me for 2 1/2 hours and woke with a temp of 102.8!!! UNBELIEVABLE!!! For the next day and a half he had a fever on and off, was like a wet rag, pale as a ghost, and had the chills. I called the dr. and told her what was going on. Since she just saw him in the office 2 days ago, she dx him as having the flu. So for the past week, I have been trying to nurse Timmy back to health.

Here is a picture I got of him...

Not that all this wasn't enough...David got hurt Sunday morning. Here is the story...I hope you are ready for this.

He went out to get the paper and while walking to the mailbox he slipped on black ice. Yes, my hubby fell on his butt and laid there yelling for me. Now that we seem like the thing to do if you are hurt, but I was inside the house working in the office. He was laying on the blacktop with a short sleeve shirt on the ice ...he needed to take action. So he flipped to his stomach and crawled to lamp post and pulled himself up. He them hopped up the sidewalk. Yes, up. For those of you that don't know what our sidewalk looks like it is uphill! Once inside, he called to me "Tracy, I need your help. I hurt myself." I found him slumped over the banister in pain. At first I thought it was his back, but quickly found that it was his ankle. I instantly thought of my friend Lara and what she went through with her ankle.

He requested to go to the hospital right away. I called and finally got my brother to come and sit with the kids. Emma found blood and asked what it was from. He had cut his finger and we didn't even no it. Not a big deal though. So off to the hospital we went.

I pulled up the door and ran in to get a wheelchair. He couldn't walk at all. I came out and got him in and then tried to push him. Not an easy task if you have ever seen how big he is. Once in the ER, I left to park the van. When I returned he was in the same spot at the front desk. No one had moved him. So I got him over to the waiting room. Next the triage nurse called up. Thinking she would help...nope!! After being with her for 5 minutes, we were dismissed to the other waiting room. Oh, and I got to push him again!

After waiting an hour to get in..they did x-rays immediately and then we waited in a little cubicle next to a poor woman who was suicidal. This poor woman waited as long as we did. So David is laying on the bed with his sock off, foot, ankle, and lower leg swollen when the dr. walks in and introduces himself. and then say "So you are here for a cough?" WTH??? Was he serious? YES!!!! After clearing that up, he was off to check the x-rays that were waiting. He came back 45 minutes later to tell us that nothing was fractured but there was soft tissue damage. Great! Nothing he could do for us with that except prescribe vicodin. We leave the ER with x-rays (for the second opinion) and a script for vicodin. But here is the kicker...he didn't write David's name on the script so I did. Then at CVS we found out he didn't write the number to dispence. WTF???

So now, I am nursing the hubby back to health also. The second opinion doc told us that he pulled ligaments and physical therapy would help when he is able to bare weight on it.

Oh and here are some pictures...

These were from yesterday. It looks so much worse today!!

If you made it this far...thanks for stopping by!! Send some healing thoughts our way. Mommy really needs some rest!

2007-03-02T11:23:00.000-05:00

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Inland North You may think you speak "Standard English straight out of the dictionary" but when you step away from the Great Lakes you get asked annoying questions like "Are you from Wisconsin?" or "Are you from Chicago?" Chances are you call carbonated drinks "pop."
Philadelphia
The Northeast
The Midland
The South
Boston
The West
North Central
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Interesting, since most people I talk (or tawk) to say I sound like I am from NYC.

Please join me for...

2007-02-19T14:39:00.000-05:00

As I was browsing my favorite blogs (yes, I am a big lurker people), I stumbled upon Snapshot's blog and saw this amazing Read to Me 2007 Mission. I decided it was time for me to take action and join this mission.

What is it you might ask? Well, it is an incentive to read to your children more. Yes, I need this because I am ashamed to say that I do not read to my children. I used to read to Emma everyday. I would read 10 or more books to her in a day. Once Timmy came along the reading got cut back to 5 books a day. Then it started dwindling from there.

So now it is time to take action and set some goals.

Goals with Emma:
* To have her pick out a picture book for me to read to her every night.
* To read a chapter or 2 to her every night from a June B. Jones book.

Goals with Timmy:
* To have him pick out a picture book for me to read to him every night.
* To also read a book that I pick out every night.

Both children will probably listen to each other's books which to me is just a bonus. Every couple of days I will list what we have read together. I will use the blog as a journal to keep track of how we are doing.

To further this mission, I will present my daughter's elementary school with a reading program for the children and parents to impliment. Details to follow about that. I am also looking into getting information on Jim Trelease speak for a parents' night.

I will report back on all of the above.

Reading aloud is very close to my heart since in my prior life I was an elementary school teacher. I don't think I even realized what we had lost, but now I look forward to getting it back. Please join me in this mission to read more with your children. Test scores prove that reading to your child (no matter what age) is so beneficial to their growth.

Too much and not enough

2007-02-16T07:59:00.000-05:00

So much has happened in my life over the last two months. Some bad, but so much more good. Yes, I would love to share it all with you, but I can't right now. I have something that I would rather write about.

Warning for those reading...If you didn't watch Grey's last night...Don't read anymore until you watch....

So hopefully you have watched the show. If you haven't, go do it now. If you have never watched the show...Seriously, what are you waiting for? The writing is amazing, the acting even better, the character development awesome, the feeling of family and friendship unsurpassed.

So last week I watched and thought Meridith is in the water, huh. Well that is ok because Derek will save her. Derek did save her, well he got her body but did he get to her in time. My problem with the episode...if she isn't dead how will they bring her back and make us believe it. I'm not sure they can.

Let's move on to others...

George - way to go on finding that little boy. How fitting that Callie was fixing him up. He knew the mother would die if he told her the truth, so he lied and then raced like hell to find the boy.

Izzie - What a turn around her character made. I loved the part when she started the drill and the guy made that noise. I loved her reaction to him. She took control of the situation and really showed her strength. What a pivotal event for her.

Alex - Compassion...he showed compassion. I loved it!! Really have you seen Alex like that? Yes, with the death of Denny, but this was for people he had no connection. Way to go Alex. And the exchange between him and Addison...we all know that he would "Notice".

Sloan - I loved the way he helped the Chief and Izzie. He was serious and not cocky. Then the scene at the end. No words just action with Derek. Quietly sitting and squeezing his arm...could that have been any better.

Addison - alone and distant...yet at the end the feeling of love she has for Derek and Mer truly shows the kind of woman she is. How can you not love her?

Christina - Oh man...what will become of Christina? Her sister/best friend is fighting for her life. How will Christina be? What will she do? How will she react? Honestly, when I saw her reaction to the situation, I fell apart. I feel for her.

Derek - What can you say about McDreamy, Mer's Night in Shining Whatever...What a great actor...In his mind he thinks she did this to herself. He doesn't know the guy pushed her. He doesn't know. I just wanted to yell, "This is an accident!!! She didn't do this to herself!"

The little girl...symbolizing Mer and being lost. Does finding her mother at the end symbolize anything? Time will tell.

I love this show!! The writing is amazing and they take chances that other shows wouldn't. I loved seeing Denny and the bomb guy (Kyle Chandler) at the end. I am a faithful watcher of Friday Night Lights (it is right up there with Grey's for me) you might want to check it out. You do need to get used to the filming of it.

So that is my wrap up. I hope to find others that have blogged about it. I love hearing insight from others.

A CONTEST!!

2007-02-03T11:59:00.000-05:00

There is a contest over here . You might want to check it out. There are no strings attached, just a change to win a piece of pretty jewelry or a gift certificate. The jewelry is from Alli's Originals.

She has a really nice site. The jewelry is very delicate.

Do you know me?

2007-01-18T12:32:00.001-05:00

Create your own Friend Quiz here

When will it get easier?

2007-01-17T12:17:00.000-05:00

I have been having a difficult time lately. Grief has grabbed ahold of me again and I just can't shake it. I miss my dog. Actually it is more like I. MISS. MY. DOG. Do you hear me God?

I am not sure why at this point it is so very hard for me, but it is. I just find myself consumed with grief at moments. It just hits me out of the blue. For the past 7 days, I have cried at least 4 of them. Of course, it wasn't for the whole day, but 30 minutes out of my day I felt his loss so deeply.

He was MY boy. He was MY buddy. He loved ME unconditionally.

I know that Maggie misses him just as much. I can see it in her lately. She just seems so sad. A lot of it is probably because she can sense it in me.

Here are a few pictures of my best friend...

The Santa suit that was an XL but apparently, Jake is bigger than an XL!

Yes, that is David sharing the end of the recliner with Jake. Do you think this dog was loved?

AH, he gets the recliner to himself. Who is the master here?

Jake's gentle ways would melt anyone's heart. He could be trusted with any child or baby for that matter.

Jake with his new sister, Maggie. I was so worried about his nose being bent when I brought her home. Their friendship was heaven sent. They loved each other so much.

I sometimes wonder if all of this would have been easier if he went on his own without my help. Don't worry, I know this is just a rough spot right now and time has made everything easier.

He is always in my heart.

Not your Grandma's Decorations

2007-01-12T10:48:00.000-05:00

When I was in Middle School, I had this art teacher who was so enthusiastic about art. I mean it was like art oozed from his veins. Years ago (possibly 20) he started making decorations for his yard for the holiday season. Well over the years his decorations have grown and grown. The decorations span over 2 of his neighbors' yards. They even bought him a huge utility shed to store everything and he is still running out of room.

Each year we try to bring the chlidren. Last year we missed it, but not this year. The decorations are lit starting the day after Thanksgiving until 2 days after Christmas from 5 to 9:30. There is Christmas music playing and the teacher and his wife hand out candy canes with Santa hats. As you drive to their house, you come up over a hill and see this...

This picture doesn't do it justice!! It is serious business. Below are a close up of some of our favorites...

One of his new ones!

Cars...major favorite and also new.

Reindeer food and a little swimming

2007-01-12T10:34:00.000-05:00

The children made reindeer food to share with their classmates. Emma and I have done it for the past 2 years, but now it was time for Timmy to make his own. He had a lot of fun sprinkling the red and green sprinkles.

He is concentrating so hard that he has his tongue out.

Emma is such an old pro at this.

Here is my swimmer!!! Look at her go. She has moved from a starfish to a dolphin. We are very proud of her! I don't have pictures but Timmy has moved from a goldfish to an angelfish.

As you can see, she loves swimming underwater.

Gingerbread houses are so sweet!

2007-01-12T08:39:00.000-05:00

I went into Emma's class one Friday and helped them make gingerbread houses. Her teacher has a house left over with candy, so she gave it to us. We decided it would be fun to decorate it together. I also had one of the premade houses from the store that you just have to put together and decorate so we did that one also.

Here they are working on the first house. Timmy is concentrating very hard while Emma supervises.

Notice Timmy is still working while Emma is licking the frosting.

Timmy looking for a place for the candy and Emma (although it seems like she is looking) is watching me to see if she can sneak more candy.

Ah Yes! The boy has icing on his finger and wants me to get it off. We can't be messy can we? Emma although she doesn't look thrilled is really enjoying all the candy and sweets since I limit them.

Can you tell who took over this side? As you can see, I don't bother with the piping because I want the kids to get into it and do most of it themselves. So we just frost the heck out of the house and then they have at it.

Almost done!

Just putting the finishing touches on their masterpiece.

And the 2 gingerbread houses!! Timmy was yelling "Lightening McQueen" Go figure!

Don't miss the other 4 posts that I finally did. I will be back later to try and wrap up December. Thanks for hanging in there.

Life's little pleasures

2007-01-12T08:16:00.000-05:00

I came across these pictures and thought I would share some everyday life.

This is what Timmy's hair looks like after swimming and wearing his big wooly hat home. Such "BOY" hair.

Emma didn't want to be left out. She had just gotten her hair cut. We took about 4 inches off.

Timmy posing with Woody and his Mickey Mouse cards. He wouldn't put this two items down all day.

Sunrise at my house over the Hudson Valley Mountains.

Pancakes and Santa!!

2007-01-12T08:07:00.000-05:00

Really, who could ask for more on an early Sunday than pancakes and Santa! Not us!!

Here the kids are ready to go. Timmy is doing his pirate smile. Not sure where he got this. Do you like the way Emma poses with her foot out?

Here they are with Santa. This is at my parent's firehouse. We go every year!

There cousin Danielle joined them in this picture.

I love taking pictures of them in the car. Not really sure why. We were waiting for David to come out with our pizza!

Decorating the Tree

2007-01-12T07:55:00.000-05:00

A few pictures of the decorating.

Emma was very excited to be able to help decorate. Here she is putting a hook and an ornament we made last year. She loves finding the ornaments we made year to year.

Timmy hanging an ornament. Notice those PJ's. I swear they are washed all the time, but the boy simply loves them. Don't worry he got a lot of Cars pjs for Christmas!

Finding the perfect spot.

From the pictures I took you would think they spread the ornaments around the tree very well. One look at this picture truly tell you that is wrong. Once they went to bed I rearranged some of them. This particular master piece was from Timmy!!

And the finished product... Our TREE!!! As you can see, no angel on top for us. We have a snowman! Although, after 9 years, I think next year calls for a new topper. That is only if I can find a suitable replacement.

December in review!

2007-01-05T08:20:00.000-05:00

Wow, I guess I haven't been here in awhile. Let me see if I can get up to speed with one post.

Here is Emma out riding the snowmobile! The David brought the 2 kids to get a helmet and then they tried out their new sled. David put tires on the front so the kids could use it. Glad he did since we haven't had any snow yet!

Kind of far away (don't worry though, I got a new lens for Christmas and now I can really zoom in), but this is Timmy giving it a whirl. As you can see, David has a rope tyed to the quick release so if the kids are headed toward something, he can pull the cord and stop them instantly.

Timmy found the extra stocking that I have and decided to help himself to them! He was so cute. As you can see, no decorations on my tree at this point.

Oh, and if you can't tell, these are his FAVORITE pj's. How cool is this kid?

David's birthday! The children love celebrating birthdays!

This is an after picture. If you scroll down to the other post you will find the before.

I took about 10 snapshots of Timmy while he was telling me a story. Notice the pj's?

Here he is still telling me the story. If I could upload pictures quickly, I would have put the whole sequence in. It is really funny to look back on. He was telling me about how he went to the bathroom and didn't use too much toilet paper.

Oh, that face!!

This is the scene we see every night. Emma is the last one at the table by herself. I know many of you are thinking this is mean, but this is after we have sat for an extra 20 minutes after finishing our meal. She takes forever!

Here is the before of my kitchen. The soffet has birdhouses that I stenciled.

More of the kitchen.

Here are a few of the "after pictures. Of course, the shelf is empty because I just took my Christmas decorations down.

I am going to end here for now and then do some smaller updates. Be sure to check out what is to come.

Update in pictures.

2006-12-09T08:33:00.000-05:00

I am doing this update with pictures because it just shows what we have been up to. And this is only half of what has been going on.

As many of you know, David's mom died on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. It was a blessing after a long, hard fight against cancer. She was a very strong women and fought to the end. We will all miss her so much. Thank you all for your prayers, thoughts and kind words. They really meant so much to all of us. We will be having a memorial service on Jan. 3th. Please prayer for us on that day. I know it will be very difficult for all us us to say our last goodbyes.

Now on to my crazy life. The first picture says it all!!

This is my "Macho" son! Do you love this? He is in his motorcross shirt, camo pants, with the Snow White dress up skirt and white heels!!

I have been spending a lot of time in Emma's school and her classroom. I love going in there and feeling like a part of the class.

Emma's class is celebrating the First Thanksgiving. The turkeys were invited to be the guests.

This is my boy!! I just love him so much!!!

Here is the boy on Thanksgiving morning.

Emma loves getting dressed up, but you wouldn't know it from the look on her face.

Getting ready to go to Aunt Carol's for dinner.

The highlight for my chlidren was seeing Baby Hannah. Yes, my children were baby hogs. HOGS, I tell you. People were waiting to hold the baby and the line was always behind my children. It was so funny!

Emma with Hannah. Isn't she getting big?

They are helping Aunt Kimmie feed Hannah. Can you tell my children love babies?!

Can you tell these are forced smiles for the camera?

Timmy sharing a secret with Hannah.

I am sure my boy will teach Miss Hannah a lot!

Does that boy look happy or what?

Many of you will get a kick out of these next pictures!! I was involved playing a game and then looked over to see my children...

Emma thinking that using the Tide stick on the tablecloth is fun!!

You don't think that Timmy was going to be left out, do ya?

When we got home, I realized I forgot to take a picture of them in their dress coats.

Here he is in his Peacoat. Yes, Emma is clowning around.

Now she is mad because I wanted her picture in her dress coat. Such a mean mom!

Since November was so warm, Timmy and I went outside so he could ride his bike. Things went very wrong when he fell on the blacktop with his hand slamming on the blacktop withthe handbars and him on top of it. The result (after x-rays and an orthropedic surgeon) was a severely bruised hand. The pictures are scattered throughout the rest of the post.

Timmy's hand is very swollen in this picture although it is hard to see. It is the top hand at the base of his thumb.

David bought me a new camera. My Sony went south. So we stepped up and got a very expensive one...but I love it. The Canon Rebel XTi Digital SLR Camera

You can't forget Maggie. This was me fooling around with my new camera.

This is my new table set I got at Lowes. This is also a before picture. I painted the wall 2 days after this.

Here is my new powder room. I don't have a before. It was a pale green with an ugly medicine cabinet.

Emma posing and me with the new camera.

Trying to show you how swollen it still is. Hard to see though.

The kids HUGE present. I have better pictures to come in the next few days.

The kids huge present! Yes, it is a snowmobile. Did I lose my mind...YES!!

His hand is now bruising nicely.

Can you see how swollen and bruised the base of this thumb is?

Look at the purple on the inside of his thumb. He really got hurt very badly.

It got so much worse after this!! It was crazy. I have so much more to post but no time know. I hope everyone is have a great time getting ready for Christmas!!! I will be back soon.

So much to blog...

2006-12-05T16:08:00.000-05:00

not much time to do it in.

I have been incredibly busy. Here are all the things I need to update you on...

1. My new camera
2. Timmy's hand
3. Black Friday shopping
4. Updating the house
5. A HUGE toy for the children!!

I will be back in the next day or two. Sorry for delay but when I update you will know why!!

I hope everyone is getting ready for the holidays!!

Toying with going back to work

2006-11-20T12:46:00.000-05:00

Am I crazy or just at a lull in my life that I need something to do or am I beginning my winter depression...I don't know.

The last couple of weeks I have found myself longing for my old pre-k position. I actually went down to the basement to look for something for Emma in my teaching closet. While I was there I came across my evaluations. I read each one I found and remembered the lesson or activity that was taking place at the time. I MISS that. Emma is in school so really doesn't need me home during the day. Timmy on the other hand only goes to school 3 mornings a week so there is the dilemma.

What would I do or should I say what am I thinking about...possibly getting a montessori certificate and teach at Timmy school. That would solve the problem of what to do with Timmy. Another thought was to open my own preschool in my district. This would also help me with Timmy and also help me with getting Emma on and off the school bus. With that option comes a lot of liability and THAT scares me. Although I know that I would do an awesome job. The one thing about me I am confident in is my ability to teach pre-k. The years I taught pre-k, those children were so well prepared for kindergarten, they excelled when they were labeled "likely to fail".

So what do I do? Do I work for someone else and in essence take the easy way out. Or do I step up to the plate and put it all on the line and open my own school. I know David would support either one, I just want to make sure whatever it is...I am successful!

2nd post of the day!

2006-11-17T13:14:00.000-05:00

Which Positive Quality Are You? Your Result: Love You are Love. Love is the glue that binds us all together. The love of family, the love of friends, the love between husbands and their wives--these things form the foundation of our happiness, our security, and our comfort. "All you need is love."
Charity
Peace
Courage
Friendship
Faith
Which Positive Quality Are You?

Thanksgiving and swimming!!

2006-11-17T11:23:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday Emma brought hom a oaktag turkey to be decorated as a family project. We decided that a princess turkey was the way to go. I made sure to get pictures before she took it to school. She said "turkeyyyyyy" before each picture.

Does she look surprised?? I don't really know what she was doing.

Her she is so proud of her turkey.

A close up of the Princess Turkey. Can yo see the glitter on her foot? Every princess needs a pretty shoe.

On Wednesday, Timmy had his Thanksgiving Dinner at school. He is now off until after Thanksgiving. I have his parent teacher conference on Monday morning at 7:30. I will report back after!!

Timmy waiting for his drink.

Waiting for everyone to get their food.

Playing with his Indian headband.

Since I showed you pictures of Timmy swimming I had to show you Emma. We changed instructors for her and it was the best move ever!! She is doing fabulous!!! Oh, and her parent teacher conference is later today. I will try to report back later.

Look at Emma holding her breath!!

Learning freestyle and reaching for the fish.

Reaching for the kick board.

Practicing holding her breath while the other children get a turn.

Holding her breath and reaching for the stairs.

The children waiting for their instructions.

Walking the wall to build strength and confidence. Emma is the second in from the right.

Climbing out of the pool. Elbow, elbow, knee, knee!!

She is waiting to jump in. Can you tell she is freezing? The pool was 87 but the kid has NO fat on her.

Finally jumping.

Jumping in from the sitting position.

Walking the wall back to the steps.

Swimming on her own to the wall. Such a proud moment for me!!

The instructor was supporting her neck but she is doing the rest.

Swimming back to the steps. She is doing AWESOME holding her breath under the water!!

Trivia on West Point

2006-11-12T14:09:00.000-05:00

West Point's role in our nation's history dates back to the Revolutionary War, when both sides realized the strategic importance of the commanding plateau on the west bank of the Hudson River. General George Washington considered West Point to be the most important strategic position in America. Washington personally selected Thaddeus Kosciuszko, one of the heroes of Saratoga, to design the fortifications for West Point in l778, and Washington transferred his headquarters to West Point in l779. Continental soldiers built forts, batteries and redoubts and extended a l50-ton iron chain across the Hudson to control river traffic. Fortress West Point was never captured by the British, despite Benedict Arnold's treason. West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in America.

So this info is straight from the West Point website. As I explained it to Emma on the train...The military picked the best spot on the river. They could protect the river because they could see who was coming before they got there. The land juts out into the river at that point.

Emma and Timmy hit NYC!!!

2006-11-11T07:47:00.000-05:00

Yes, we surpised the kids yet again. It wasn't as big as Disney, but is was so much better than Dorothy the Dinosaur!!! The first part of the surprise was the train right which they loved!!! Especially because the train travels down the Hudson river and the sights are simply amazing. Can I just say that I truly live in a gorgeous part of this country!!! They saw West Point from the other side of the river that gave me a chance to explain to Emma why it was built at that section of the river. Do any of you know why West Point is where it is??

So as we traveled, I told them we were going to an island. People looked at me like I was crazy, but come on...Manhattan is an island people!

We got to Grand Central Station and the kids loved it. If you ever watched Madagasgar, then your children would love seeing the clock that the giraffe got his head stuck in. They loved the ceiling also. If you ever get to NYC make sure you got to GCS.

Then we were off to Radio City. It was a great walk. When we got there the crowd was quite big. The children loved looking at all the decorations when we got in to the theater.

The show was amazing. Their eyes were glued to the stage. We were in the 10 row from the stage...seriously good seats!! Santa arrived after the first act and walked down the aisle where we were and .....HUGGED TIMMY!!!! No pictures, because they request no flash photography once the show starts. I didn't want to be disrespectful to the actors and actresses. It was amazing. I LOVE living close to NYC!!!! There is so much to offer my children as they get bigger and yet still live far enough away were we are in the country!!!

We then saw the "World Famous Christmas Tree" begin set with a crane. Not exciting for the kids at all. Then down 5th Ave. to meet my cousin for lunch. Her office is so close to GCS that she walked us down and had a very quick bite to eat. Next time, I hope we are able to enjoy more of the city.

Here are some pictures of our day. I almost forgot to tell you...my mom and neice Danielle went with us. I had asked my mom because she loves the city and I knew would love to see the children experience the Christmas show!

Waiting at the train station. Unfortunately, just as a snapped a picture a train going in the other direction flew by casting this HUGE shadow!!

Timmy and Mommy on the train together!

Inside Radio City Music Hall.

Yes, not a good picture of the kids, but it is a good one of David.

This is how close we were to the stage...10 rows away!!!!!!

I love the expression on my niece's face!! The stage the orchestra is on began going below the main stage.

Our first glance at "THE TREE!!"

Here the crane was moving it into place. I am hoping to try and venture down with the kids once it is lit.

Timmy more interested in his light up Santa that Grammie bought him (Emma and Danielle also) at the show.

He was so very tired!!

A tall building (haha) go figure a tall building in NYC, but behind it you can see part of the Empire State building.

We were on a mission to get to 42nd and 5th Ave. to meet my cousin for a quick bite. Don't you love the two of them holding hands. They were not happy when we were in big crowds and they couldn't hold hands. And big crowds are almost all the time in the city!

Grabbing a bite in Grand Central Station.

All my boy wanted was a donut!

The kids very tired posing with cousin Kimmie.

Emma on the train stuffing pretzels in her mouth. Don't you love the way she was sitting!!

Timmy and Grammie sitting together.

There is little man talking to Grammie about everything he saw today!!

Another Monday Night at the Pool!!

2006-11-07T16:10:00.000-05:00

The children started swim lessons again. They used to both go on Monday nights, but it was too much. I decided to change Emma to Wednesdays. Here are some pictures of Timmy!!

Timmy watching his friend Teddy in the pool with the instructor.

Trying to pass the time while Teddy is walking the wall.

There Timmy is walking the wall. The instructor holds his hands there, but doesn't touch him.

There he is on his way back when the instructor stopped him. Timmy climbed out of the pool by himself and...

Jumped in!!! He is doing awesome!! We were going to move him to the next group up, but decided to leave him here for a couple of classes.

A surprise for the kids

2006-11-07T15:59:00.000-05:00

Well on Sunday, we decided to surprise the children. We took they to see Dorothy the Dinosaur's Dance Party at West Point. Emma wasn't as excited as Timmy, but that was alright because it was mainly for him.

The kids trying to check out the stage.

This is what they were looking out.

They were engrossed in the show. Timmy had been dancing.

After this picture, the usher (who are cadets at the academy) came over and told the people behind me that we couldn't take pictures. That was sad, because I just wanted to take a picture of the kids.

As you can see, at the end of the show I didn't really care. I was taking a picture.

There he is dancing in the aisle.

Timmy getting a lift to the car.

This is a view of West Point from Storm King Mountain.

The next time I am down there I will get better pictures. We stopped at the wrong viewing point so I missed the shot I wanted with the Hudson River in the background.

Halloween parties and fun!

2006-11-06T15:03:00.000-05:00

This is my 6th post of today. Can you believe that??!! Seriously, 6th!!!

I go into Emma class at least once a week, but sometimes twice. I help with centers. I love being in there. Not because Emma is in there, but because I love teaching the children and making a difference.

They had special pumpkin centers the day before Halloween. It was really cute. They tried to guess the circumference of a pumpkin with yarn, estimate how many seeds would be in a pumpkin, and make a graph of all the jack-o-lanterns that her draw by the class. They had fun!!!

Emma and some of her girlfriends posing during on of their pumpkin centers.

Timmy had International Day at school instead of Halloween. It was adorable as you will see. I jsut could squeeze this boy!!!

Timmy all ready for International Day.

Do you not love this face?!

Here are the children in his class. Notice my boy with his rug?

I love the hat.

He was trying to show me a picture of the turkey he colored.

Halloween at Emma's school. We did centers again. One was relay races, another was cupcake decorating and the last was candy corn Bingo.

Emma getting ready for the relay race during her Halloween party.

She was doing GREAT!

The children at the cupcake decorating center. They had fun!

Emma and her girlfriend enjoying there snack.

One AWESOME birthday Party!!

2006-11-06T14:52:00.000-05:00

Every year we are invited to our vet's daughter birthday party. Every year we go because the children absolutely love it. Who wouldn't?? Take a look at all the fun they had. Oh, and for the adults...awesome food. I love the steamed clams!!!

Having fun swinging.

Emma enjoying the breeze.

Timmy joining the big kids on the blow up slide.

Here he goes!!

He had to hurry and get up before kids come down the slide on him.

Here comes Emma!!

One more time!!

The beauty of FALL!!

2006-11-06T14:50:00.000-05:00

We were on our way home from the field trip and I couldn't resist taking this picture.

Timmy's Field Trip to PUmpkin Patch

2006-11-06T14:42:00.000-05:00

Timmy posing with the bus.

Going through the corn maze.

Looking for the perfect small pumpkin.

Feeding the goats.

Posing for a picture on the wagon.

Whoa, here goes the wagon.

Over looking the Mohonk mountains.

Playing in the play section.

Time for a slide.

Driving the tractor with Stephen.

Going to the Pumpkin Patch!!

2006-11-06T14:30:00.000-05:00

Heading down to the pumpkin patch.

The pumpkin patch with the beautiful mountains in the background.

Searching for the perfect pumpkin. Not easy when your parents wait until the weekend before Halloween.

The rules of the patch!

Notice Emma was in charge of her clothes. I think her legs were freezing but she wouldn't admit it.

Finally the perfect pumpkin for Emma!

And yes, Timmy found his also.

One last shot of the sad pumpkin patch. Note to parents, don't wait so darn long next year.

David and Timmy talking about who will be pulling the wagon.

Timmy won (along with Mommy's help!)

Our last picture with the hills and patch behind us.

Babysitting Baby Hannah!!

2006-11-06T14:18:00.000-05:00

A sleeping Baby Hannah!

Emma holding her first newborn since Timmy!

Timmy all smiles over Baby Hannah!

David getting in on the baby action.

Proud Aunt Tracy holding the newest little princess.

The Circle of Life

2006-10-30T19:29:00.000-05:00

I have been so busy that I don't think I would be able to be a working mom. I mean, really, I can't even get on the computer to blog about anything. But this...I just had to blod about.

Last Saturday, I helped my Aunt throw a baby shower for my cousin, Jacquie. She is due on November 16th. This past week she had to make a sudden visit to the hospital for high blood pressure. They gave her IV and then released her. Then she visited the doctors office for the next 2 days. Fast forward to Saturday and I was supposed to meet her up at my other Aunt's house to go through all of the baby clothes and get them washed. She wasn't feeling good so she joined us later in the day. When Jacquie got there she didn't look good. While we were eating I thought we should take her blood pressure. It was a little high but nothing crazy. Then about an hour later we retook her pressure to find it at 161/94...not good. I had her call her doctor and told her I would be around to bring her to the hospital if she had to go. Her boyfriend was already at work (for those reading, I feel the need to tell you she is 28 years old.)

I got the call at 9 that night that we needed to get to the hospital. Her blood pressure was ok there, but the doctor was not happy that she had been released from the hospital on Tues. He is the one that had sent her there and thought she would be spending, at the very least, the night there. He check her reflexes and they were not good. He said it was mild pre-clampsia. Then he did an internal and she was 3 cm. dilated. Well needless to say, she was there until the baby was born.

So Jacquie was admitted and I did a happy dance. And yes, everyone...I literally did a happy dance!!! You can ask her and her mother. So it was on to the room for lots of different drugs. Magnesium to control the blood pressure, pitocin to start labor, bolus for fluids, and another bag which I don't know what that was. It was a looooooooong night for all of us. Her boyfriend Henry showed up after work at about 2, so it was the 3 of us in the room. Once the sun came up, I headed home for some sleep, or so I thought. Everyone was awake so we got ready and headed to a pancake breakfast. Once I was home I called to check on Jacquie and my Aunt said she had been asking for me so I took a very brief nap and headed back. I found out that her blood pressure skyrocketed and the drs. got really nervous. After awhile they got it down. She was sleeping thanks to her epidural.

After being there for about 15 mintues the dr. came in to check on her and we were shocked to find that she was fully dilated. So they told her when she was ready she would push, but if she wanted to sleep alittle more that would be fine. She opted for sleep for about 15 minutes because the doctor came back to check and he said it was time to push because the baby's head was right there.

I immediately grabbed a tissue. She did awesome!!! It took her about 20 minutes at the most to get the baby out. Can I just say how amazing it is to see a baby be born!!! Yes, I know I have my children but I didn't get to witness it like that, I was working.

So I am proud to announce the arrival of Hannah Leigh my "neice" yes I will be called Aunt. Weighing 6 lbs. 12 ozs. 19 inches long born on Oct.29th at 12:50 pm.

Here are the pictures!!
Hannah meeting her mommy for the first time!!

All wrapped and warm!!
Getting weighed. She was not happy about this.
Daddy is already wrapped around Hannah's little finger!
Gramma holding Hannah for the first time. She couldn't keep her eyes off her.

I wasn't there for after her bath so more pictures will be coming as soon as I see her again. I am trying to be good and give everyone else a chance to see her. I am desperately trying not to be a baby hog...it is soooo hard!!

Maybe too much time is spent at...

2006-10-27T08:25:00.000-04:00

Ok, so this is a short little story so all of you don't think I dropped off the face of the Earth! Does the Earth have a face? Why do people use that phrase?

Anyway, the whole family went to my nephew's last home football game yesterday. It was very cold (Tracey, I would take the warmer weather!!) So the kids have their winter jackets on, hats mittens and all that stuff and we watch the game. Timmy is sitting on my mother's lap and David and I are sitting in front of them. Emma, of course, is right by my mother also. So as we watch and everyone is quiet Timmy yells out.."Look Mom, Target!!!" Yes my son sees the orange markers for the field yardage on the sidelines and thinks that we are close to Target.

David just shook his head, while I said..."Apparently we go there a little too much!"

My children always give me away!!

Crazy days ahead. I will try to get back before a month goes by again. So many pictures. Maybe I will try just a picture update. My friend Jenn tried to give me instructions, so keep your fingers crossed that I can do it!

Crazy week!

2006-09-29T08:14:00.000-04:00

Yes, chalk up another crazy week for us. A lot of it is a blur but I can fill you in on some of the important stuff.

We were camping last weekend and the kids, as usual, loved it!! They love spending time with everyone that goes with us. It was my parents first weekend out in their new camper and they brought my nephew along with them. Even though the weather was not the best, we still had fun!! We are scheduled for to camping trips back to the same place for next year already.

I can't remember much of Monday except we had swim lessons. Monday afternoon is so rushed. We get Emma off the bus, do homework, have a snack, and get to the gym and ready to swim. Then after swimming it is home for dinner, a quick bath and bed. Monday is nuts!!! They are both doing GREAT swimming. Each swim for 1/2 hour and are the best behaved children in the group. Especially Emma!!!

Tuesday was another big day. Timmy had school and then right after that we went into Emma's class for Johnny Appleseed Day. We cooked apple crisp, watched a movie, listened to a story, played outside and then shared the crisp. It was very good!!! Then it was time to take Emma and Timmy home, except Emma wanted to go on the bus. After some convincing she went with me. Then it was home for homework and some unwinding.

Then came Wednesday...what a day!!! School for Timmy, right after school he had OT and right after that I had to bring him to get a speech evaluation. We are in the middle of switching from early intervention to preschool services for him and it involves a lot of testing and this was the first of it. Let me say first that if they (the powers that be) would listen to me, he would only need to be tested for articulation, but there are procedures to follow. So he didn't do well on the articulation which is a good thing. She really needs help with phonological processes. Now what was interesting is that he did wonderful on the auditory and expressive. His auditory was scored at 5 year old level and expressive was scored at a 4 1/2 year old level. And the scary thing is, it would have been much higher but the test started at 2 and his nap time is at 1:30. So the boy was exhausted and the test was also 1 hour long and would have went longer if he wasn't so tired. I was so proud of him. He did wonderful and was so cooperative with the speech evaluator.

After the test it was home to get Emma and do her homework, get dinner and then it was off to her open house. I told you it was one of those days!! The PTA spoke first and I ended up signing up for every event they have! Is anyone surprised by that? I didn't think so. I am so excited that I have the time to do this. Then it was time to go to the class and it was awesome!! Can I just say that Emma has the best teacher!! It is so much fun! We did a mornign meeting and experienced what the children do. I so want to be a student in the class. Since I can't do that, I am the room mom! Yup, that is right, I took on more stuff at the school. This way I get to be more involved with everything going on. Next week the teacher opens the classroom up for parents to come in during centers and help out. So you know where I will be!! I am also due to be in the class to discuss the Halloween activities we are going to do. I just can't wait!! I also dicussed the homework being too easy for Emma.

Thursday was a little calmer. School for Timmy and then we went to Sam's club. I got two Mums that look like they are on steriods. Seriously...I promise to get pictures up. I also got some easy readers for Emma to start with. I have many in the attic but it will take some time to get my hands on them. Then it was home and a nap for Timmy while I photocopied a bunch of worksheets for Emma to practice with this weekend. Then Timmy had speech and after that we were off to the library to get Emma. She started an after school program at the library one day a week. She loved it. The bus drops her off right from school. So then you guessed it, homework, dinner, bath and then bed. Emma got extra work from her teacher. I loved that she listened to my concerns and gave her more work already.

Today, we have speech, my hair needs to get done and then picking up Emma a little early from school to start our weekend.

Oh, I almost forgot...Timmy is doing awesome with the potty training. While he is going, he sings "I'm a big boy now!" from the commericial. It is the cutest thing.

Pictures will be coming. I need to work on figuring out how to upload a lot at one time!

Thanks for checking up on us.

What is it about...

2006-09-25T11:14:00.000-04:00

Grey's Anatomy?? I mean, seriously!! I really like this show, no I don't, I love this show. It takes the place of Friends for me. I can't wait to see where the story line goes of each character.

When I was first watching the season opener, I wasn't excited about it. Now a couple of days out, I have had time to think about each of the character and what was happening and I have to say I really REALLY liked it.

Bailey threw me at first. Now I have had time to take it all in and I like the fact the her character is having difficulty with Denny's death. I feel like we really got to see Bailey when that child (the good speller) was being operated on by McDreamy. Do you remember when all of a sudden he had a tough time spelling and Miranda got scared? At that point I connected with her. Yes, she was mad that she was on the mommy track, but I am so glad she was assisting McDreamy. I think that Bailey feels that Denny's death was somehow her fault. She if feeling guilty. She should have been protecting Izzy. Those interns are her kids and she feels that responsibility. I'm interested to see where her character goes.

Calli, I remember that girl in school. That girl intimidated me until I got to know her. Calli is so right with saying they are still high schoolers. And when George walked in the door and she told him she loved him and the relief in her voice and body...I like Calli more and more. George is right in not telling her he loves her. I think he should feel it and not just blurt it out.

The Chief...what do I even say about him? Does he secretly wish he could go back and change his decision 20 years ago? Does he want his marriage to end? Adell has every right to be fed up.

Christina...Way to go!!! I love that she went to Burke. I didn't even realize he was missing until she went to him in the end. It made it more powerful for me.

Alex a character I am not fond of but I'm definitely liking him more and more. What is up with his hair?! Dude you need to grow some hair!

Addison with those panties. That was such and interesting way to play that out. How this story line will go really perks my interest.

Which leads me to Finn...I really like him, but he is the safe bet. Although what would Meridith's life be like with him? Then there is Shepard...What to do?

Izzy and the dress on the bathroom floor. That pretty much says it all doesn't it. I mean, I would leave that dress on also. That dress probably has Denny's scent on it. It is the dress she put on for him. Izzy is going to have a very tough time in the next couple of episodes. I like her and I hope everything works out.

At first I hated the flashbacks...I am not a flashback person. BUT they really helped me understand a lot. I loved the flashback of Derick and Addison. They really made it more real that Addison did cheat on him. Definitely my favorite flashback of them all.

Ok, so enough about that. I will try to get back to post pictures.

HUGE Apologies to all!

2006-09-22T10:39:00.000-04:00

Something happened and I just haven't had time to get an update like I promised. Nothing bad and no one is hurt just stuff I needed to take care of.

I am very busy for the next couple of days so I won't be updating with a good post until Monday.

Here is a very brief update without pictures...they will come on Monday

Emma loves school!! She is so excited when she gets off the school bus. All she wants to do is her homework. She is really funny. The homework has been way to easy for her so far, but I will be talking with the teacher next week about it.

She now has her glasses and wears them all the time. We thought we would have a problem with her wearing them, but not the case.

Swim lessons have been going very well. The 3 other children in her class are so annoying I can't even stand it. They don't listen or follow the directions and their parents don't even watch them.

Timmy is going to a Montessori school and so far LOVES it! He is doing great.

We started potty training and it isn't going so well, but I am not pushing him.

His swim lessons are going great. All of the children that were in our summer class are back. I love those kids and their parents. They actually watch their children and discipline them.

I think that covers a lot of the major stuff. There are many stories that I have left out but I will try to add them Monday.

Have a wonderful weekend and thank you so much for continuing to check on me and the family.

So much has happened...

2006-09-18T08:40:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone,

So much has been going on in my life, I feel that my head is spinning in 100 directions. I promise to get some of it posted tomorrow while Timmy is in school. Yes you read that right. Timmy is in school 3 mornings out of the week.

This weekend I had a yard sale and made $393!! I was a little disappointed, but I did price everything to sell. I did not want anything back in the house.

My children have grown so much since the last post. So hopefully you will all hang in there for another day. I will try to break the posts up so you don't end up reading a novel.

I already knew this!

2006-08-28T20:47:00.000-04:00

You are Summer

Warm sunny evenings and lazy days at the beach is is what you enjoy

Take the Season Quiz at Quizopolis.com

Snake, Bear, Shellfish, Oh MY!!

2006-08-16T19:58:00.000-04:00

We went camping this weekend to a campground I was looking forward to going to for the splash pool. Wouldn't you know that the weather this weekend was only the high 70's low 80's. I mean really all I wanted to do was have fun in this pool.

We got to the campsite to find that we were at the back of the campground. Which was good and bad. The good was the site was new and huge!! The woods were behind us and it was very quite. The bad, the playground was far from the site as was the store, pool and activity center. David was very happy with the site because we were in the shade and next to the woods. I went to plug the camper in and couldn't figure out how to open the electrical box, so I called David. As he was walking towards me, he instantly jumped back and stood still. The he says, "there is a snake right there!" Yup, it was not 2 feet from me. I was not a happy camper!!

As we were setting up, I asked David if he thought bears go through the woods behind us. Well, I got my answer about 2 hrs. later. We were outside and David said, "Remember your question about bears? There is your answer." Yup, a big black bear about 30 feet from the back of the camper. It was just walking along. At one point he/she paused and looked at us and then kept walking. While this was going on, I had gotten Maggie and Emma in the camper and David had handed Timmy to me. Once they were in, I grabbed the camper, but unfortunately I missed the bear. Again, not a happy camper!! More because I missed the picture!!

We had a good time while camping.
Well this was supposed to be the bear, but as you can see I missed him.

Time to make the S'mores!! My aunt and uncle joined us.

The kids watching the fire. Take a look at the way Emma is sitting.

Timmy enjoying a marshmellow.

Arts and crafts time! Emma made herself a hat. It was cute!

Emma's cousin Danielle making a sea creatures picture.

Enjoying a little lunch with a hound dog watching.

Notice the shirt. He wore it from the moment I got it in the mail on Friday until Sunday when we got home. The boy drove me crazy!

A little pose for the camera.

Emma with Yogi Bear!! He came to visit us at our site.

Timmy went for more allergy testing yesterday. Some test were redone. He is highly allergic to cats! That doesn't hurt my feelings since the rest of us are also. Soybean, corn and egg white he is showing an allergic reaction also. Here is the kicker, he is highly allergic to shellfish, mainly shrimp and lobster! That test showed no allergic reaction a month ago. I knew the test was wrong then. So know we are the proud carriers of 2 epipens. Thank goodness I didn't give him any shrimp this past weekend.

We are almost finished school shopping for Emma. I can tell she is starting to get worried about school. When I mention getting school things she just says oh and then you can see she is thinking about it. Keep your fingers crossed that the first month of school goes well.

2nd post of the day!

2006-08-08T18:55:00.000-04:00

I saw this on another blog and wanted to share.

I CAN

It is very powerful and I remember watching it on TV. What an amazing father and son team.

Pictures from Emma's party

2006-08-08T13:20:00.000-04:00

For those wondering about the puppy, I don't really have any answers. Life is a little easier and to add a puppy to the mix will definitely disrupt it a little. BUT it will also add a lot of joy. My biggest hurdle is all the camping that we do. We aren't sure if we will be able to bring 2 dogs with us. The breeder still hasn't even told me if we are an acceptable family for her puppy yet, so I think that is why I am having more mixed emotions. I promise once we decide I will let you all know.

So Emma's party was a blast for her, but extremely HOT!!! In the shade, I believe it had at least a 100 degree heat index. In the sun, well forget about it.

We had a Chicken Little Beach party! I had 2 kiddie pools filled with water from our pool which was about 95 degrees!! Everything was HOT!!

The children and some parents made foam flower leis. They came out adorable!!

Unfortunately, my camera decided to stop working correctly. We had a starfish pinata. I didn't think to get the pull string kind, so the kids were swinging with the whiffle ball bat. I didn't blindfold them because I feared it would take too long. Well, it took too long anyway, so I ended up ripping a hole in the bottom of it. This is Timmy getting his turn.
Here is the cake!!! I gave our cake lady a napkin of the party supplies and it is an exact copy of it!! She is amazing. She says that I am always the one to challenge her with what I want created. Hey, only the best for my kids!!

Here she is with some of her friends blowing the candles out! As you can see the party was moved inside. Once we got inside, the kids decorated can huggers with foam summer stickers.
Here are Emma's friends waiting for her to open the gifts. Take a good look at the playroom!! Seriously, it took me 2 hours to clean this thing up. It was crazy!!! So you see some of the girls in her dress up clothes? It was funny.

All in all, she had a GREAT day!! And so did all of her friends. I fell alseep at 8:00 that night. It was a long day. Oh, and by the way, this was her 3rd party. We had a little party on the morning of her birthday at the campground. Special pancakes with a candle for her. Then that night Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Keith and Matthew came over for dinner, cake and presents. She got a pink soccer ball from Timmy and a scooter from us. WHAT WERE WE THINKING???

I tried, I really did!

2006-08-02T07:35:00.000-04:00

Well my girl, Maggie, turned 4 on July 25th!! I tried to post that day, but blogger didn't allow me to post any pictures. It ticked me off. So her she is. The pictures are a little out of order.

So this is the first day she was home. Look how tiny she was. She was about the size of Jake's head. The first picture is her next to the couch and a play rope. The second is her first meeting with Jake and Emma. They soon became the 3 Musketeers!

Then after 3 days Jake and Maggie decide to rest together!!

This is Emma and Maggie thinking they are going outside together.

Maggie and Jake after 1 1/2 years together!! Aren't they adorable!!! Then there is Maggie on my bed. This is after Jake passed and she didn't know what to do with herself. She found comfort in my bed on my side!!

She had her 4 year checkup and she lost 4 lbs!!! Which is very exciting to us. She is down to 71 lbs!!! Yes we grow our dogs big!! Unfortunately, I got a call on Saturday from the vet and something came through in her blood. A tick infected her with some disease. Not lyme but something actually more serious that could kill her. The good news, we caught it before she was symptomatic and she is on antibiotics for a month.

More updates to come, now that blogger is allowing me to post pictures again!!

1.......2.....HOLD YOUR BREATH!

2006-07-20T13:08:00.000-04:00

I truly appreciate all of the comments and emails about my puppy dilemma. I still don't know what to do. My heart and mind are not agreeing, plus I am still waiting to hear if we are an acceptable family from the breeder. I will keep everyone posted. There are new picutres up on the website of the puppies. You can use the link in the post below to look at them. The mother looks so much like Jake. Her markings are so close to what his were.

So I got through Emma's birthday party on the hottest, most humid day of the year. I will post more about that soon.

I joined the gym today for a year. Don't be impressed yet. If I am still faithful in going in Nov. then be impressed. This is my big push to get me moving and in shape.

The kids had their 2nd swim lesson today. The instructor is awesome with the children. Timmy has 2 other children in his class and they are all doing so well that the instructor taught them more then he had planned. He even had then jump from the side of the pool. We have been doing a lot of this with Timmy. We always count 1.....2.....HOLD YOUR BREATH!! He really does well with it. Emma is in class with 2 other children and her lessons went just as well. I am so proud of both of them.

Yesterday Emma was swimming underwater with her eyes open. That amazes me, because I am too chicken to try it. Of course this underwater swimming is done with her safe t seal on, but hey she is kicking butt!!

I will check in again soon with pictures!

Just need to get my thoughts down

2006-07-17T15:09:00.000-04:00

Well as many of you know I am Catholic, but I don't go to church. I pray, believe in God and try to do my best in following the commandments. I am a better Catholic now (I believe) then I was when I was younger. Why do I start this way...because I am having a real struggle right now.

I feel that the universe, fate, or Jake is talking to me. You see, once Jake passed I started researching breeders for Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs. One breeder lead to another and another until I was led to a breeder I feel a connection with. She is in Washington, D.C. After many emails back and forth, I filled out an application for a possible puppy. She had a dog that was pregnant and due around July 15th, but nothing is definite with the date. She has offered a lot of information and helped me figure out what to look for. I am also trying to figure out when to go visit with her and her dogs.

Now over the past couple of weeks, I have gotten used to just having Maggie. We can go camping and not have to worry about who will watch the dog(s) because she comes with us. So I have decided not to get a puppy at this point unless Jake speaks to me. I think I am hoping he will be reincarnated and be lead back to me.

Fast forward to yesterday, Emma's birthday. I got an email from the breeder asking many questions about my application. She also mentioned that her dog Frida was looking like she was getting ready to have the puppies. I prayed that they didn't come on the 16th because I would feel the pull to get a puppy. Well wouldn't you know that the puppies came last night on Emma's birthday. It is like Jake is saying he is back. He took care of Emma. Emma was his baby. I cried when I got the email. Yes, I was an emotional wreck! Maggie (my other dog) was born on Emma's due date and now this.

So I want to know is it a sign? Is it the right time to get a puppy? Am I out of my freakin' mind to even consider a puppy? I don't have any answers. All I know is that 5 years ago July 16th my world changed for the better...should I trust this date again?

Here is a link to the puppies...
A possible puppy for us!

If you have any advice, please send it my way. Sorry this is a little scattered, but I am all over the place. Have a great day!

It is too quiet.

2006-07-12T13:14:00.000-04:00

Not a phrase you would hear people say that often when children are around, unless of course you have Timmy.

While sitting on the back porch with my parents the other night the children enjoyed playing ball. After awhile, they got tired and Timmy decided to go inside. Periodically we would check on him and he was usually watching TV except this one time. I was sitting outside and something made me ask David to go in and check on Timmy. It was just TOO quiet. Well before you know it, I heard this giggling down on the driveway. It was Timmy running from David. As David walked in the house to check on him, he was halfway down the front walk. This is why we have a deadbolt!! Except this was one time it wasn't locked.

The the next night while we were enjoying the porch it suddenly got quiet. This is where we found Timmy.

So as you can see quiet is not a good thing in my house. You never know where you will find him.

Oh, and for those you you that didn't see where we cound him last year when things got quiet...

Feeding Jake potato bread!!

And the picture that made the doctors in FL laugh out loud and most people in NY...

sorry but you will have to wait for this one. I can't seem to find it anywhere on my computer. I will look for it later. You will want to see it.

I realized there are so many pictures of Timmy getting into things.

This is too funny!

2006-07-11T14:52:00.000-04:00

You Are 39% Bitchy

You're a pretty sweet person, and you're definitely not prone to bitchy outbursts.
Sometimes, though, you can't help thinking mean thoughts about people. But at least you don't act on them!

How Bitchy Are You?

Well, I saw this on two of my friends' blogs. The funny thing is that one was at 35% and the other was 41%. Now I know why I like them so much!!! I hope the rest of you try this. I would love to know how the rest of you fair.

So much to say, so little time.

2006-07-10T13:38:00.000-04:00

Ok, quick update.

For those of you that know me really well, you might want to sit down for this. I went to a gym today. Here is a bigger shocker, I actually enjoyed it. I'm not sure if it was the workout, being without the children for a little while or both, but it was good. The children went to the kids club and loved it. They were upset when I got back.

Emma started soccer. The reviews are mixed at this time. I will post picutres soon.

I didn't forget about the Pluto hat pictures. I am working on getting them.

I am busy getting the house organized before Emma's birthday party. You know, the kind of party that other parents come to and they really only come to size up your house. Oh the pressure!

I will try to get back on here soon!!

Update on my mother in law - she is hanging in there, but prayers could definitely be used. She is dropping weight terribly. The poor woman hasn't eaten since the beginning of April. Her wound is still healing but very sore.

Part 2 Beach day

2006-06-28T15:59:00.000-04:00

Ok, I messed something up here, but here is the rest.

Water balloon toss was so funny with 20 preschool kids and some of there siblings trying to help!

Preschool version of pie eating. There was an M&M hidden in the whipp cream. Emma decided this was not for her and another children found the M&M.

Emma, Mrs. Garrison and her friend Lauren running through the sprinklers.

Emma getting a hug from one of her teachers!

Emma's Last Beach Day at Union

2006-06-28T15:47:00.000-04:00

This was the last beach day. Another bittersweet day. I love beach day, because Timmy gets to participate also. So following are a bunch of pictures for you to view. Enjoy!

Emma doing a great job with the potota sack race!!

This was when they had to carry a cup of water over their heads to the bucket at the other end and fill it.

Emma with one of her best friends Alaina. They were getting ready for snack.

Emma getting ready to blow out her birthday candle. We celebrated her birthday a month and a half early so she could be with all her friends.

Faith, Tim and a little Bling Bling!!

2006-06-24T14:46:00.000-04:00

So yes, I did got to The Tim McGraw and Faith Hill concert twice! The first time was up in Albany and the seats were great. The concert was more than I had expected and I spent time with my husband and no children!! So of course, when I saw there were still tickets for their NYC performances I knew I had to go. The search was on for the tickets. Shockingly, there were still some decent seats for tonight's performance, but I wanted something better. So I decided to check on Friday night's performance. To my surprise I found floor seats. My eyes practically popped out of my head when I saw were we would be sitting.

So last night I was with my hubby, Tim, Faith, and who knows how many other fans. The great thing...our seats were better than we had expected!!! I was singing and dancing all night. It was like a big party at floor level. That is the only way to see a concert.

So how close was I...here are some pictures to show you...

Faith

Tim

Do you see this picture??!! Seriously, do you see how close I was to him?! And he was in the middle of singing our wedding song "It's Your Love". Could it get any better???

YES! In the middle of the song, David handed me a new engagment ring!! He has never been happy with my ring so we had looked at rings and I fell in love with this one.

The picture doesn't come remotely close to it's beauty or fire. I will have to use a different camera and get a good picture for you to see. This is the other picture I have...

Still not a good picture but hey it is the best I could do!

These are the last couple of pictures.

This one is of Faith's dress as she touched my hand!!

After there last song!

Continued from yesterday

2006-06-21T14:27:00.000-04:00

Well some pictures that just didn't want to post yesterday.

Here are the kids with my parents.

Timmy was a wild man in the pool. He just wanted to jump in the whole time. No Fear!!

The two kids swimming together

Emma losing her fear about jumping in. She did a GREAT job

The Colorado cousins.

The kids with Mimi and Pop.

The last leg of our trip!! Was this boy tired or what??

I love this picture.

Not to be out done by her brother...

As you can see from the smirk on her face, she is pretending!!

This trip was absolutely the best trip we have taken. I know that our family trips are going to be awesome from here on out.

March 31st FINALLY!!!

2006-06-20T10:26:00.000-04:00

Ok, the much anticipated and long over due post about Timmy's big day at Disney.

Or last day was greeting with crazy packing before heading to MGM. Once the cars were packed, we headed to catch the bus. On the way I got a few pictures of the kids.

Timmy on a mission to get to the bus.

Emma and Timmy by the fountain. The sun was so bright they couldn't see.

Timmy's last bus ride to the parks!

So we arrive at MGM and we see a little cart out front with souveniors for all the visitors. We never stopped at these because frankly, the kids got a lot at all the shops. But this day, Timmy started yelling "My HAT!! My HAT!!!" What I don't believe I told any of you with all these posts, and if I did I totally forgot because it has been so long, is that the boy fell in love with a Pluto Hat! The kind that is a Pluto head with black ears hanging from it. The crazy thing about the hat...it only comes in adult sizes. What is up with that???

So the Pluto hat was discovered in the resort gift shop. Everytime we went into this shop (everyday sometimes twice a day) he went right over and put it on. The good thing, when we were ready to leave the shop he took it off without a problem. So now he sees this hat and thinks that it is his. I tell him that we will visit the one in the shop before we leave and that makes him happy. Until we start passing people with these hats on. Can I please catch a break with this hat?!?!

So my mission (and if you ask my parents that is what the whole trip was about...a mission to see certain things) was to get Timmy to all the things he loved.

First stop was Playhouse Disney. So adorable and the children loved it. They were both mesmorized by the whole thing.

Once we came out, I realized Chicken Little woudld be in the building next to us. So I went like a crazy mother and grabbed the kids and headed to get in line. To my surprise no one was there yet, so we waited. Since the movie had only come out, both the kids were excited they would be able to see them.

Chicken Little walked out first and Timmy was so excited. He couldn't stop looking at him. He gave CL a huge hug. Then Abby Mallard came out and of course David and I had no clue who she was. We hadn't seen the whole movie yet.

After that it was off to find Buzz Lightyear. On the way we ran into some other important people.

Donald Duck!!

JoJo and Goliath!!

And then Buzz!!

Woody!

And Jessie!!

Lucky we also found....

Mike and Sully!!! No autographs with them, but the picture was good enough!!

then some pictures with Grammie and Grandpa. We were so involved with getting pictures of the kids we forgot to get group shots!! What is wrong with us?

Once back at the resort we grabbed lunch. Grammie and Grandpa bought Timmy his Pluto hat. It is so adorable on him!!! I have to check and see if I have a picture on the computer. If not, I will take one for all of you to see him.

Some goodbyes and then off to south FL to see Mimi and Pop. The kids had a great time swimming and visiting with their cousins that came in from Colorado. Can I just say I haven't met nicer kids in all my life then the 3 of them.

The kids were GREAT at the house. We were worried because there is a lot of breakables there and we thought Timmy would have a problem. Thank goodness we were wrong!! Truly they couldn't have been better.

And here we are on our way home from sunny FL!!!

Once we were home, my sister in law brought back Emma's fish she was taking care of. She was so proud that she didn't kill it. So as I was talking to them, I started cleaning the little fish tank. Wouldn't you know the little bugger jumped into the sink! No kidding!!! I screamed and yelled for help as I tried to catch him in my hands. At that point he freaked and jumped into the air and them did a head dive down the drain. All of us (me, David, Debi, Matthew, Danielle, and my brother Timmy) stood with our mouths open and then started laughing. I couldn't believe I killed the fish and neither could they. I called Emma out and told her that Cockadoodledoo went down the drain into the big ocean to see his friends. She said "ok" and when on her way. Whew, that was a close one. I thought she would be really upset. As my brother said I was really lucky. No kidding. Especially with what was to come with Jake.

Promise more updates soon!!! By the way, I am not proofreading. I need to get the pictures on and then get lunch for the kids.

Ok, I need to add more pictures in a little bit.

So much to blog, just too tired!

2006-06-14T19:39:00.000-04:00

So here is a little brief summary.

Emma's graduation was wonderful! More to come.

I went to an awesome concert last night and it totally ROCKED!!

After a long drive to the concert last night and discussing many things with my hubby, I was floored today with an offer to help out a wonderful group. I find it so amazing when one door closes another one opens.

Tracey, it must be the universe working!! I am thinking of you. I hope everything is going well!!

Kim if you are reading, David and I went to "The Firkin and Fox" before the concert. Good chicken fingers. I really wanted the scallops wrapped with bacon, but I didn't want to chance any problems.

My crazy week is almost over so I can blog away!!!

The tough question - WHY?

2006-06-12T13:16:00.000-04:00

Why is it that innocent, beautiful little children get cancer? Why is it that parents that do everything right and have such a strong faith lose one of their children? Why does a child have to suffer? Why do 3 brothers now have to mourn one?

I am so sad today. A little boy named Jacob passed away last night. WHY? Because he had the beast named cancer living inside of him. But I will not remember Jacob because of his cancer. I will remember Jacob as a little boy who knew how to fight. A little boy who blessed his family for 6 years with a huge smile and an even bigger heart. A little boy who could light up a room.

Here is the bigger question that many that don't know Jacob would probably ask...Why is he so loved by so many far and wide? The answer, Jacob made us all believe in miracles. Yes, Jacob did pass away and some might say he lost his battle. Others say that Jacob has accompished what he was sent to Earth to do. Make the non believers believe again and build on the believers beliefs. Jacob was on the edge of the cliff so many times in his short life and so many times this little man has bounced back. When I say bounced back, I mean he was in the hospital one week with drs. watching him closely to the next week running and playing with his brothers. This little boy was amazing!!

His family has taught me to FROG. What is that Fully Rely On God. I have never met this family, but they have a place in my heart. As for Jacob, he has made an imprint on my heart right by Jake's. I know that Jake will greet Jacob and they will play together and be great friends.

Please take a minute to offer your prayers or thoughts for this family. They are hurting more than any family should ever hurt.

A teaser for you

2006-06-09T20:28:00.000-04:00

Ok, Emma Graduated today. I can't go into details right now, because I am awaiting pictures from my uncle. He took over 100 for me. But here is a teaser for you...

This is Emma right before I brought her to school this morning.

More to follow...

For all those that don't believe I will update again for awhile...I know how more time in my schedule, so I will be catching up on a lot in my life.

Emma is GRADUATING!!!

2006-06-08T09:41:00.000-04:00

This is just a quick update to tell you I don't have time to update. Emma is graduating tomorrow. I still have to find the perfect gifts for the teachers, iron our clothes, and buy fruit to cut and bring for refreshments. Oh, and still bring Timmy to school today for awhile to play. So as you can tell, there is no time.

Sad Tonight

2006-06-06T00:05:00.000-04:00

I am sad tonight. I have made a very tough decision to leave the team leadership role of FOA. That isn't what is making me so sad. It is the fact that the ladies that choose to stay, I thought were my friends, but I haven't heard from them. That makes me sad. I thought we had a bond apparently I broke that bond when I decided to leave.

A Little Set Back

2006-05-25T15:24:00.000-04:00

I was on the phone with my girlfriend about an hour ago. We were talking about the park we just left, that I forgot to pack dog food in the camper for Maggie, and that I stil haven't heard from the vet about Jake's ashes. We talked about how I would be with the call and I knew that I would be fine. Right after that conversation, I got a beep and saw it was Flannery. I told Lynnell I would talk to her later or tomorrow and took the call. The woman on the other side said, "Hi, It's Leslie from Flannery's." I immediately said, "Hi, I know why you are calling." Her reaction, "I'm so sorry." Those 3 words made me lose it. He is gone and now all I have are ashes. How did this happen? So I immediately called David to tell him, since I knew I would cry tellig him and he wasn't there. So I called Lynnell back and told her I totally didn't handle it the way I thought. We both cried and then changed the subject and she made me laugh. Thank God for good friends. I still have to tell David and that is going to be hard. It is closure although we still need the urn and a couple of other things to give him a permenant spot in this house since he already has our hearts.

Thanks guys for everything. It will all be good. Just a part of the grieving process.

So many things to say...

2006-05-23T15:15:00.000-04:00

First, Thank you everyone for all of your support and loving words that have helped me through this tough week. I am ok. Looking back on the past few months, everything has become so clear. It was the right time for him. He was so much worse and that was no way for my best friend to live. I will deeply miss him and he will be in my heart forever. This week will be hard when I get the call to pick up his ashes. But it will also be some closure. The search is on for the perfect urn for my furry boy. I will find it in time. What will I do with him, you might be wondering. His final resting place will be in my casket when that time comes. He was my furry soulmate.

Second, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Kimmie!!! My cousin has been so supportive of me. If all of my friends could meet her you would all love her. We had some good times together! Remember the skiing trips, Kim. It seems like a lifetime ago. I hope you have a woderful birthday!!

Third, I had a physical on Friday. I haven't had one in almost 5 years and it was time. I want to get healthier, but wanted to see what condition I was in first. My weight dropped a little since the last time I was in. I am now at 138. I want to get back to my prepregnancy weight, so I have 5lbs. to go. My total cholesterol was 161. Below 200 is good. HDL 67 Above 40 is good. LDL 85 below 100 is good. And my glucose was 93 and the normal range is 60-140. My thyroid was good and everything else looked good also. So now I need to start eating healthier and exercising.

Fourth, I apologize that Timmy's big day didn't get posted yet. I will try my best to do it soon.

Lastly, the start of summer is upon us this weekend. Go out and enjoy your life and family. Run like you don't care who is watching, go for a swing and try to touch the clouds, sing at the top of your lungs not caring who is listening, and just breathe in the fresh air. I will be spending the weekend camping and enjoying the family!

Thank You

2006-05-17T07:25:00.000-04:00

Thank you all so much for your support. I don't think I realized it would hurt this much. My eyes are still stinging and all of a sudden I am taken over with grief. I hate going to bed and I hate coming downstairs. Right now life sucks! On the positive side, I am blessed with 2 healthy children, one sad but loving hound dog and the best husband anyone could ask for. He brought me flowers last night along with a flower for each of the kids. Also, the support has been amazing. My friend Christy made a donation in Jake's name to Cornell for research on hip dysplasia. Christy, that meant so much to me and David. It really got to him. Lara and Penny, waking up to your ecards just showed me more love. All of the comments from everyone, I truly feel your love.

I miss Jake so much. A part of me wants to run out and get another Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. I told David that and he said he wouldn't fight me, but that is not the right thing to do. I need to grieve for him, not be distracted. Besides, Timmy and a new puppy, I am sad but I haven't lost my mind. In time, I am sure I will be on here showing you a new puppy. Now that I have had 2, I'm not sure I can just have one. Besides Maggie is very depressed.

Again, thank you all. You all mean so much to me. I will be out of it for awhile trying to learn to live with a quieter house. This weekend we will be planting a tree for Jake next to the kids playset. He loved them so much we thought that would be perfect.

My Best Friend

2006-05-16T10:05:00.000-04:00

The title really doesn't come close to what Jake was to me. He is gone and my heart is broken. Memories just keep flooding back. So many things he did and all the love he gave over 8 great years. This is one of my favorite pictures of him. He was full of pride!

* I picked him in June 1998. There were 2 puppies I could pick from. One was a calm puppy who just hung out and didn't care what happened around him. The other was "Top Dog" and thought he was bigger then the other adult dogs. He would run around, jump and bark at the other big dogs. I picked him. He was named Jake on our way home. I wanted Max but David really wanted to name him Jake. It was the perfect fit for a great dog.
* There was only 1 1/2 years that I worked full time. So I spent most of his 8 years with him. He was my saviour while on bedrest with Emma. Without him my days would have been long. He was my friend that I could talk to and cry to. He listened and just loved me. When we brought Emma home he instintly became her guardian. He truly loved her.

* When we brought Maggie home we thought he would be jealous that a puppy came into the house. I felt guilty because I didn't want him to think he wasn't enough. He took to her and loved her right away. They became fast friends. Maggie is hurting right now and doesn't know what to do with herself. Much like me.

* Then came Timmy or should I say my 6 weeks hospital stay. While there Emma was able to visit almost everyday, but my puppies of course couldn't. David brought me a picture of them. I missed Jake so much. I longed to pet his soft fur and smell his stinky breath. God I loved that dog.

* When we got home with Timmy, Jake accepted him as his second child. This dog just loved his kids.

There are so many memories that just flood back to me. The one that breaks my heart is of last night. It really shouldn't though. It was the look of peace after he was gone. I haven't sobbed that hard in a very long time. Actually, I can't stop crying. My heart hurts right now. I know he is in a better place, but when I I saw how peaceful and puppylike he looked, I longed for him to wake up and come home. I just want him home with me. His head and ears were so soft last night. He was so loved by so many. The staff had tears and our vet had tears. I know it was hard for her also. She did everything to help us with him. I know that I exhausted all the options that I had and I just couldn't put him through more. It was time to honor him and let him gone.

I pray that my beliefs that I grew up with about heaven really does exist. I need to see him again when I get there. I need him to lick my face, give me his paw and let me spoil him all over again.

Jake, my love
I can't ever thank you for all the love you have give us. I pray you know how much you were loved by everyone that met you. You touch a special place in everyone's heart. We will never be the same and we are so much better for loving you. Run and play the way you used to. Find Aunt Jean and give her a big lick from me.
Hugs ad kisses to you Jake. I will never be the same without you.
Your Mommy

Here are a few of my puppy:

Emma made Jake into an elephant. He was such a good support!

Our last few minutes with Jake.

Goodnight my sweet Jake. I will never stop loving you.

Interesting Conversation

2006-05-08T07:43:00.000-04:00

I know, I know...if blogger could fire me, it would. I am horrible at getting back to this. In my defense, I have joined some mom groups, have my house torn apart trying to move Timmy into his new room, painting my bathroom, getting ready for a big crop and then trying to make a gut wrenching decision about Jake. So my mind hasn't been on finishing the trip, but I promise, if Timmy naps today, I will be back!

So yesterday while Emma was eating lunch, I was at the counter fixing my sandwich when she says, "Mom when is Jake going to get better?"
My reply, "He isn't going to get better baby."
Em "But his hair is starting to grow back." (that was from his operation in Feb to remove a lump.)
me "Well that part is better, but his back and back legs aren't going to get better."
Em "So he is going to go to heaven"
me "yes he is"
Em "Oh, I am going to miss him, but he will be with peanut and hmmm, the human."
me "Who?"
Em "You know the human, what is her name?
me "YOu mean Aunt Jean?"
Em "Yes Aunt Jean. She will take care of Jake for us until we get there."
me "yes she will Emma and God will help her"
Em "Mom who is God?"
me thinking here is the question of a life time don't blow it. "Well God made the trees, animals, us"
Em "He made us?"
me "Yes, he picks us to join our family"
Em "What does he look like?"
me "I don't know"
Em "Are we going to meet him?"
me "When we get to heaven we will."
Em "And peanut (our rabbit) and Jake?"
me "yes"
Em "oh"
me "and the best part is that God will make Jake all better. So when we get to heaven he will be able to run and play with us again"
Em "How does he get a new body?"
me thinking why didn't I stop while I was ahead. "God is magical. When our bodies are to sick and tired they stop working and we go to heaven. When we get to heaven God gives us a new body that is healthy."
Em "oh, then I can come back to this house?"
me "no sweetie, we would stay in heaven."
Em "But I don't want to stay in heaven, I want to stay here in this house."
me "No one is going to heaven for a long time. You,Daddy, Timmy and me will be here for a long time!"
Em "And Maggie too?"
me "Maggie will be here for awhile longer, but not as long as all of us."
Em "I will miss my Jakie!"
me "Me too sweetie, me too."

This is fitting.

2006-05-03T21:15:00.000-04:00

Your Values Profile

Loyalty:

You value loyalty a fair amount.
You're loyal to your friends... to a point.
But if they cross you, you will reconsider your loyalties.
Staying true to others is important to you, but you also stay true to yourself.

Honesty:

You value honesty a fair amount.
You're honest when you can be, but you aren't a stickler for it.
If a little white lie will make a situation more comfortable, you'll go for it.
In the end, you mostly care about "situational integrity."

Generosity:

You value generosity a fair amount.
You are all about giving, as long as there's some give and take.
Supportive and kind, you don't mind helping out a friend in need.
But you know when you've given too much. You have no problem saying "no"!

Humility:

You value humility highly.
You have the self-confidence to be happy with who you are.
And you don't need to seek praise to make yourself feel better.
You're very modest, and you're keep the drama factor low.

Tolerance:

You value tolerance highly.
Not only do you enjoy the company of those very different from you...
You do all that you can to seek it out interesting and unique friends.
You think there are many truths in life, and you're open to many of them.

The Five Factor Values Test

A Little Off Topic

2006-04-28T15:43:00.000-04:00

Ok, I will post soon about Timmy's big day, but I had to post this...

You Are Miami

Sexy and beautiful, you turn heads wherever you go.
A little spicy and a little exotic, you're fully aware of your unique appeal.
Totally high energy, you keep the party going early into the morning.

Famous Miami residents: Anna Kournikova, OJ Simpson, Enrique Iglesias

What American City Are You?

I am sure many of you are laughing at the city that was chosen for me. Up all night...that was in my younger years! I swear!! It wasn't unusual for me to get in at 4 or 5 in the morning.

Day 5 - Epcot

2006-04-26T13:35:00.000-04:00

Now how coud this be another surprise for Emma? Really Epcot isn't for kids, right? Well if you are headed to Norway for a special meeting then it is just what is needed.

Breakfast with the Princesses!!!! Oh yeah, who are the best parents ever? Me and David!!! Really we were only the best parents for a short amount of time. But you all know how that goes.

She was so excited. We sat down in a back corner and I thought "Crap, we have a bad table and I paid a rediculous amount of money for this!" Just so happens, we were sitting next to the door where all of the princesses came out of!! Are you kidding me??!!! Life was good!!

First Belle came out, but just waved and didn't stop. What the heck is up with that? Well apparently, she was the princess that got to pose in a special spot all morning. So we got in line (short one thank goodness) and waited for our special time. Emma was so excited I just wanted to cried. To see that kind of joy on her face, just made me so happy. Timmy was excited also, but still a little tired from our world wind week.

This picture looks like the kids are trying to get away, but it was Belle's dress that was causing the trouble. It was so nice, because she talked to Emma and really took an interest.

So back to our seats we go to enjoy our breakfast. It was good, but hard to enjoy. Timmy was very fidgity so I asked David if he would take him outside to run around. Just as he did it, another princess appeared. This time, she stopped at the tables as she walked to sign autograph books and take pictures. So we only had two children that sat closer to the door that went first and then it was our turn. I can't put into words how Emma's face lit up. I mean it was better that Christmas. It was actually like the first time she met her brother. The innocence and wonder in her was amazing.

So here is the first picture...
Emma meeting Princess Aurora

Princess Aurora

Here she is waiting for her next Princess Jasmine. She had hoped Jasmine would be there. I am so glad she was.

And here they are together...

And last Mary Poppins...(Is she a princess? I don't think so. We were robbed!!!)

Emma loved every second of it!!! After that we went to get Timmy and Grandpa. Grandpa and Daddy switched placed after a little while. They we were out of Epcot! We were headed back to Magic Kingdom for a couple more surprises. So up to the monorail we go and wait. As we get out, Timmy has a major meltdown. And I mean MAJOR! So David jumped off the monorail with Timmy to bring him back to the room and we continued on. Instead of switching at the transfer station to another monorail, we took the ferry the rest of the way. Emma loved it! Here is a picture of her and Grandpa on the ferry looking at the castle.

So we get to Magic Kingdom and head back to ToonTown. We get there and get in line for MORE PRINCESSES!!! Did you realize that Cinderella was missing? She is Emma's favorite!! So as we are on line, someone informed us that it was an hour wait. Oh well, if that is what we have to do. Thank goodness it only ended up being 40 minutes. So we walk into the room and the excited was in the air or rather on Emma's face once again. Her princesses were in front of her and she couldn't control herself. She hand her hands squeezed so tight that her fingers her turning white from lack of blood.

The first princess was Aurora. Yes we did just see her, but hey you can pass up a princess!

Then her favorite Cinderella. She just stared at her for awhile, but then started talking to her.

Last was Snow White. This one had an unexpected twist. Snow White spent quite a bit of time with Emma. She talked to her, asked her questions all the while Emma just smiled. In her autograph book it says, "To Emma Love Snow White" She actually took the time to write her name. It was awesome. Then the best part and this earned her top princess!!! She gave Emma a KISS!!! Well, that was it. I was teary eyed seeing the look on her face. It meant the world to her.

Notice her hands in this one.

The Kiss!!

Here she is with her Princesses Hat on. Grammie and Grandpa bought it for her earlier that day. Then after seeing the princesses, they bought her a Snow White pin to go on it.

Then we went back to Main Street to wait for the afternoon parade. It was great!!! I wished that Timmy was there, but knew he wasn't up for it. I was just praying that he took a nap. If not, David would be one upset Dad!!

Emma, Grammie, Grandpa and I said goodbye to Magic Kingdom and headed back to the resort. She couldn't wait to tell her Dad about the princesses, especially Snow White!! When we got back, I asked if Timmy had taken a nap. David's reply, "What do you mean by that?" Not the answer I was looking for. Then he comes out with, he fell asleep on the bus back to the resort and sleep until 15 minutes before we got back. That would be a 4 1/2 hour nap!!! I guess the boy really needed his sleep!!! That night we hung out at the resort again and started packing up.

One more day at Disney and this one is for Timmy!!! Stay tuned!!!

Sorry about all the spelling and grammatical errors! But hey, at least I posted!

Day 4 - Sea World

2006-04-25T11:14:00.000-04:00

Two side notes first...
My mother-in-law is stil in the hospital. We are waiting for another update. Prayers are still needed. When she does get released, she will be on a feeding bag, IV, and need constant care at this point. I will update with more when we know anything.
Second, today is Jakes birthday! He is 8 today. Unfortunately, he is not doing well at all. We are bringing him to a new vet today for acupunture. Please say a prayer that this helps him and he has a huge turn around. Our fear is that it will not help, but we need to exhaust everything we possibly can.

Now Sea World...I thought the children would love to see all the animals and a break from the characters. Little did I know that we would run into a character.

Yes, Shamu was there signing and getting photos. Good thing I left the books and pens in the bag.

Here Timmy is ready for the day.

We went to a Sea Lion and Otter show. That was cute. The kids enjoyed that. Then we tried to go to the Penguin exhibit, but the fire alarm went off and everyone was evaucated. So on to the Dolphin Show. No luck there either. It was full. (Note: Don't go during Spring Break!!) So back to the penguins. The kids loved them. So did I. I think they are so awesome and fast! Next stop the sea lions. Oh my gosh, I wanted to take one home. I made David buy food so I could feed them. Then I told hime to get a picture of me feeding them. This is what he took.

Do you see me holding the little fish? Yea, me neither! He totally missed me.

This guy, I believe was blind. You know he is the one I wanted to take home.

So then it was on to the Arctic. On our way we passed some whales for the kids to sit on.

As you can see from the look on my face, Timmy was getting into some trouble.

Now this next picture, you might think I took because David and Timmy were together and it was cute, but no that is not why. I took it, because that is pretty much most of what I saw with my hubby. He walked so far ahead most of the time. My parents, walked much slower and then I was in the middle with the stroller. This happened everyday at every park. Even on our way to catch the bus.

The Arctic was neat. The kids like it. There was a polar bear right next to the window. Timmy loved it, Emma was a little unsure about being so close. Then the beluga whale swam right to the window to see the kids. It was really cute.

After that, we decided to head back to the resort for lunch and a nap. After naptime, we thought it would be best to hang around there for some down time. We walked to the resort next door to check out their gift shop. And then bedtime for our last BIG surprise for Emma!! Stay tuned to see what we had in store for her!

What Flower?

2006-04-19T07:41:00.000-04:00

You Are A Lily

You are a nurturer and all around natural therapist.
People see you as their rock. And they are able to depend on you.
You are a soothing influence. You can make people feel better with a few words.
Your caring has more of an impact than even you realize.

What Flower Are You?