Our new railings and landscaping 

A closer look 

Sprucing Up

Home Depot here we come! Steve, David and I spent our morning at the local HD picking out bushes and plants to landscape our front porch. Yes, we have been living in our house for 5 1/2 years and NEVER landscaped. I always wanted a wrap around porch, but when I did not win the lottery, we decided just to get new steps. That was last summer, so this summer we bit the bullet and bought some stuff. We bought 8 bushes total (4 for each side) and weed blocker for a total of $150! That is not bad. We'll need to get mulch either tomorrow or next weekend. Steve has been working his butt off all day, and already I like what I see. I'll post some pix later. Gotta go drop off a Consultant Agreement - YEAH!

The comforts of 'home'

I was advised last week that I can spend every other Friday in my New Brunswick office (a.k.a real office). I was glad when I heard it, but it made me think. If I can do the work that needs to be done from home and from my REAL office, then why do I ever have to be in the Newark office? That is a question no one seems to have an answer to. However the reason for this post is not to bitch about how much I hate my job, it is to tell you how NICE it was to work from my REAL office today. I had a great ride in, I made it in early and NO TURNPIKE! I got to see my friends, Kristen, Judy, Bill, Scott and Corey. I had a real lunch hour - we went to Antonia's for Bill's birthday. Most of all, I used my own computer, sat at my own seat, had privacy in my own cube and answered my own phone. Oh and I almost forgot, I used a clean bathroom and did not have to worry about who was in the hallway! I miss New Brunswick!

Honeymooners

My cousins Mark & Jen came for dinner last night. I invited them over last week when they returned from their honeymoon in Miami & Aruba. Steve cooked steak and shrimp on the grill, we had corn and I made a salad. The food was delcious and the conversation was great (not to mention grown up). I got to see the wedding proofs and the honeymoon pictures. They were gorgeous. They seem to have had a really wonderful honeymoon. Jen brought strawberry shortcake for dessert. David LOVED the whipped cream. It was yummy. We had a really nice night. I am so glad we got together.

Sleep on it

As you have seen from my last post, I am not myself lately. The stress in my life has taken over and I have been trying to figure out how to get myself back. Steve and I talked a little last night and he told me to leave work at work. Now I have heard this a lot before, but for some reason when I woke up this morning, it really hit me. If I leave work at work and home at home, I can at least separate the stress and make it more managable. I am still determined to get a new job - but for now - I'll try this. Sometimes sleeping on an idea is a good thing.

This morning my godson/nephew Tyler had his tonsils removed. He is doing real well and I am so very proud of him. I wish we lived closer so I could give him a hug and kiss, but his Mom is taking care of that for me. Love you Ty!

What should I be doing?

I feel lost. Aside from David, I do not feel that my life is going where I want it. I do know that I am in control of that - but I do feel there are circumstances pushing me one way or another. For example, I would love to be an elementary school teacher, but I do not have a college degree. To get a degree, I would need to go to college. To go to college I need time and money - I have neither. So, in that case I know what I want, but I do not have the means to get it. There are at least 2 other situations like that going on with me at this moment and it is frustrating. Very frustrating. Sometimes I think about moving far away and starting over or selling the house and living modestly so I can do what I want. Maybe part of this feeling is about always taking care of others and worrying least about myself. I think I will reorganize my people priority list: 1. David 2. Me. It might look selfish, but to keep my sanity, that is the way it needs to be. I have learned the hard way that no one is taking care of me and I need to do it. I have a lot of responsibilities and I will do my best to keep them up, but if they do not affect me or David, they will have to wait. I know life is not fair, but I have been pulling more than my weight for a long time, and I don't want to do it anymore.

The End is Near

Yesterday I decided to end the misery and I told David's school that he would not be returning in August. They did not seem surprised - I wonder why?

My cousin Mike came over for dinner last night and I feel horrible! I had a horrible day at work and when he arrived, I was not a happy camper. It had NOTHING to do with him, but I think he thought it did. Luckily Steve explained my bad day and I think he understood. I do not know of he knows this, but Mike was the highlight of my day.

Today I worked from home. When I say worked, I mean eyeballs burning, neck aching, brain bursting work. I had to do a lot of data comparing - it wears a person OUT! Tonight I did a Creative Memories class here in EB. It went really well and I met some great people. One of the girls is hosting her own show in August. When I got home, my angel baby was sleeping on the couch. He looked so cute. I am so glad I have him to come home to.

She's not Mommy

Today was interesting to say the least. I dropped David off kicking and screaming at school. Then I picked up my friend Theresa for our drive to Newark. We had our daily 9 am meeting and then moved to our new building. This needs some explaination. I have been working in a really old trailer with no air conditioning, no phones, no security and a dirty, smelly bathroom for the past 1 + month. Today we moved from there to a training room in the Behavioral Health Sciences Building. Yes, you guessed it, this is where the crazy people go. We are directly across the narrow hall from the Violence Center of Newark. So now we have air and phones, but can at any moment lose our lives. After work I picked David up at school. When I got there he was coloring a picture with a Bingo marker and a huge smile on his face. Once he noticed me, he came over and gave me a big hug and said "We're going home now?" I said "yup" and off we went. I had to stop at the A&P, so when we were on Summerhill Road, he said "I don't like Ms. Debra" so I asked "Why" and his answer was "She's not Mommy". Those were the cutest 3 words I ever heard. He is so smart - it's crazy! He did however have a good day at school according to his Experience Sheet. He cried in the morning and after his nap, but played and enjoyed the kids. I have decided that he will not be returning to school in August. I have paid for July, so he'll finish up, but that is it. David was great in the A&P. He helped me pick out corn on the cob and put the groceries on the register. Steve was home when we got there and had cut the back yard lawn, so David helped him 'clean up'. I made dinner. After dinner we played and David was asleep by 8:30 pm. I brought him upstairs to put him in his crib and he puked everywhere! So in the tub he went. This is the 3rd time in the past month that he has thrown up at random. I don't know what is going on. I will call the pediatrician in the morning. He is sleeping now and I am going to do the same.

Feelin' Crappy

I stayed home sick today from work due to a fever and sore throat. I guess I chose a good day with the storm we had in the afternoon - I actually took a nap! I'll have more to say tomorrow. Talk to you then.

Tailgaiting 

An Adult Night Out

Steve and I had tickets to the John Mellencamp concert at PNC Bank Arts Center last night. Yesterday morning however, my cousins Mike and John came over to play ball with Steve in the park next to our house. It was unplanned. While they were gone I cleaned the house a little and printed some pictures. David had gone with them, until he was hit in the head with a line drive off the bat of one of my cousins (not pointing fingers). Thank God his head is hard - he is fine. Steve cooked hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill for lunch and then we all settled in the living room to watch the Yanks vs Red Sox game. Mike's wife Laura-Ann was with my cousin Jill getting fitted for her dress for Jill's wedding. The girls came by after. Once Laura-Ann arrived, Mike talked her into joining us at the Mellencamp concert, so I went on-line and purchased their tickets with Mike's credit card. John called his girlfriend to see if they could join us, but they had other plans. Jill left to take a nap and Mike and Laura-Ann left to get ready. I went upstairs to get ready myself. John left while I was up there. Once I was ready, Steve spent 5 minutes getting ready and we left to go pick up Mike and Laura-Ann on our way to drop David off at my parents. As soon as we got in the car, my cell rang and it was Mike. He told me they decided they were not going to the concert. Steve and I were bummed and upset. We thought #1, we got them in a fight and #2, they just wasted $60! We drove to my parents and dropped off David. We played with David on the golf course a little bit and when we were getting ready to leave, my Dad's phone rang. It was Mike looking for us because they have decided to go after all. We were THRILLED! We said our good-byes to David and left. We stopped at the liquor store for tailgaiting supplies and headed to PNC. After a parking episode, we got a spot and soon Mike and Laura-Ann found us. John Fogerty was opening at 7 pm and we heard the show start while we were tailgaiting. He was not anyone we cared about so we did not rush to get into the concert. We went in about 7:45 pm. We were so surprised to see how crowded it was. Our seats were lawn seats and there was nowhere to sit! We ended up sitting under a tree by the fence at the bottom of a hill which meant we could not see the stage. You could still hear the music just the same. To our delight, John Fogerty was great! We knew every song he played, I was shocked. Ok, about the hill that was in front of us. Well, it was slippery. So to Steve and Mike's delight they were counting the people that fell and laughing at their misery. They had a lot of laughs and a lot of counting to do. People fell climbing up and going down. Some girls had skirts on and gave quite a show! Now the fence, the bathroom lines were insane, so guys started to "go" behind us on the fence. Steve and Mike would yell to try and deter them but it did not always work. Then there was the girl that did not want to wait in line for the bathroom. I was in the bathroom myself when this happened, however got the story upon my return. Apparently, she unzipped her pants while walking down the hill and squatted behind us near the fence and was there a while. I forgot to mention the 'Neil Young' character that was sitting by us - can you say WACKY - he stared at the girl doing her thing. After all that, John Mellencamp came on. He was ok - I thought he would be a lot better. He played most of the good stuff last and by that time, we had walked up the hill and could now see the stage. He looked good but did not give an encore which rubbed us the wrong way. We left and drove Mike and Laura-Ann to their car. We followed them back to their house with a stop to Dunkin Donuts on the way. We sat on their deck talking and drinking our coffees/hot chocolates. It was a great end to a really great time.

Laney Tagged Me!

I read this on Mrs. Laffey's and then I was tagged by Laney. Read on...

10 Years Ago: I was working at Shea's Place with my girlfriend Michelle. I had just gotten back from a vacation in LBI. Those that know me know the rest - rather not talk about it.

5 Years Ago: We had moved into our house in March of 2000 and we were fixing it up all summer. My cousin Todd stayed with us most of the summer while he worked at Rutgers.

1 Year Ago: David was 13 months old and just started walking. I am pretty sure we were on vacation at my parents apartment in Spring Lake.

Yesterday: I picked up my friend Theresa and we drove into Newark for work. After I dropped her off at her car, I went to Sam's Club to buy meats. When I came home I packed up the meats while Steve cooked pork chops on the grill. After dinner I went to the A&P for the rest of the food shopping. After I put the groceries away, David and I fell asleep together on the couch.

Today: I met Theresa in New Brunswick and we drove into Newark for work. After she dropped me off, I stopped at the Hallmark store to buy birthday cards. I went home and got Steve and David and we went to Pathmark so I could cash a check and buy a savings bond. Next we stopped at the mall so I could pick up a birthday gift. We had pizza for dinner.

5 snacks I enjoy: peanut butter ice cream, vanilla milk shakes, peanut M&M, banana pudding with vanilla waffers & hot pretzels

5 bands I know most of the lyrics of their songs: Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Madonna, Tom Petty & Vertical Horizon

Things I would Do with 100 million dollars: Give money to my family, buy a beach house, go on vacation, save money for college for David, never work again

5 locations I would run away to: Las Vegas, Spain, Italy, Hawaii, Tahiti

5 things I would never wear: Burka, Red Sox jersey, thong bikini, frumpy shoes, see through clothes

5 things I like doing: playing with David, shopping, scrapbooking, watching the Yanks, being with Steve

5 biggest joys of the moment: Leaving work, seeing David smile, teaching David new things with Steve, going to the beach, having a good drink

5 famous people I would like to meet: Tino Martinez, Jon Bon Jovi, Anthony Hopkins, Michael Madsen, Jessica Simpson

5 movies I like: Silence of the Lambs, Red Dragon, Shawshank Redemption, Meet the Parents, Radio

5 TV Shows I like: Sportscenter, CSI, Friends, General Hospital, Lazy Town

5 favorite toys: Camera, computer, cell phone, MP3 player & portable DVD player

5 people I tag: Tracey, Amy, Mom, Theresa & Laura-Ann

Yankees come back , PLEASE!

The past three days the Yankees have been on the All-Star break and I miss them. Yes, I enjoyed the home run derby on Monday but I could have watched that and a Yankee game. What I did see of last nights All-Star game was alright, but I would much rather have been watching the Yanks. Today there was NO baseball (gasp!). I am REALLY looking forward to tomorrow's Yankee game. So if you need to talk to me tomorrow make sure it is before the game.

Stupid things happen to good people

Today was one of those days. Steve took David to school today and accidently drove to work with my keys. Luckily my parents Jeep was here so I drove that to Newark. Once I got into the office I was rushing to get a cup of tea before our daily meeting. I walked into the break room, put my tea bag in the paper cup, got boiling water from the water cooler and slipped as I was walking out of the room. This resulted in a burn on my hand and face. Yes, that's right, I said face. I spend the rest of the morning getting treated for my swollen red burned face and hand. The afternoon went fine, but the morning I could have done without.

David had a good day at school. He did cry when he was dropped off and a little through out the day, but nothing like last week. He went to Chapel, played outside and took Gymnastics class.

I got a nice surprise in the mail today. My sister sent me a little gift and card to cheer me up. It did the trick!

Who's ready to play? 

Boys 

Divas 

Hey now, You're an AllStar

The 2nd Annual Kenny Family Softball game was held yesterday at Johnson's Park. Mike, Laura-Ann, Steve and John arrived early to set-up. David and I arrived around 11:45 am. The game was to start at noon, but because of the rain on Friday night, the field was not in great shape and most of the people were not there yet. We started the game a little after 1 pm and it was great. I played right field and batted last in the line up. 2 balls were hit my way in the outfield and I did NOT catch them. I got up to bat 4 times and made 3 outs. I did not get any hits - I instead got a fielder's choice. Needless to say I am NOT an all-star. Steve on the other hand was 4 for 5 with 2 triples, a double and a single. His defense left a little to be desired, but was overall good. He earned the MVP award. I was very impressed with all the family that did play. After the game we went to start BBQing and noticed that we needed more charcoal, lighter fluid and batteries. I volunteered to go to Stop & Shop and took my cousin Jackie with me. While we were gone the heavens opened and it POURED! It was still raining when we got back and some of the guys were standing over the grill trying to keep it dry. The rain soon stopped and it was time to eat. Mr. Ursino (Tony) was the chef and the hot dogs and hamburgers were delicious - so were all the sides. There was fried chicken, baked beans, pasta salad, potato salad, fruit salad, chips and friggin dip. We had plenty to eat. I have to tell you that David was an absolute BEAR! He was so bad all day and very clingy. He would not let anyone take care of him but me. Steve did give me a much needed break by taking David to the Raritan River. I tried to get him to nap in the car but he was not having it. So, we put him in the stroller and took him back over to the baseball field to watch Mike, Steve, Joe, Tony, AnnaMaria and Jill hit balls. As soon as I sat on the bench the rain came again. I walked David and the stroller back to my car and this time he fell asleep (so did I)! Steve woke me up about 6:30 pm when he got off the field. By this time everyone had left the park except for the Ursino's and the Kenny's minus Kelly and Ken. There was a lot of beer left in the keg so we came back to my house. Steve made coffee and I made tea for those that were done drinking and we sat around talking - it was a real nice night. Someone came up with the idea of doing keg stands and sure enough almost everyone took their turn - that was a riot! The 2nd Annual Kenny Family Softball game was a huge success - Thanks Mike & Laura-Ann! Can't wait till next year. By the way, if you roast marshmallows over citronela candles, you won't get bites in your throat.

Rain Rain Go Away

and don't come again until the weekend is over! Boy it is an ugly day in New Jersey. I hope it clears up for our Kenny Family Softball game tomorrow. My cousin Mike decided to do this last year and it was a huge success, so we're are doing it again. I will post pictures afterwards. I am working from home today which I have been told is a good thing because Newark is flooding! Gramps is taking David to Chuck E Cheese today because he went to school yesterday - not that is went well. Steve and I took him together (long story). We got to the parking lot and he flipped out. Steve carried him in to school kicking & screaming. I was able to coax him into the room but had to peel him off me. I left crying as he was screaming and crying for me. It was aweful. Steve signed him in and met me in the car. I waited until about 10 am and called school to check on David, the secretary said he was fine and watching the Magician. My Dad picked him up at 3 pm which made me very happy. When I got home, I read David's progress sheet. It basically said he was miserable. He did not sleep or eat lunch. I hope he starts to like school better. At least Steve now understands why I can not drop him off. Hopefully next week Steve will be the drop off parent.

Who's in charge?

Tuesday was David's school day, however, when we pulled into the parking lot, he screamed "NO!". So I drove through the parking lot, called my Mom to come up and drove home. I waited until my Mom got to my house and drove to work. I had called my boss to let her know what was going on - of course. When I finally arrived at work, my boss asked me if I was ok and then she asked "Who is in charge?", I simply said "He is." I can live with David being in charge a lot easier then I can live with him being absolutely miserable at school.

Today David went to Chuck E Cheese with MomMom and Gramps and loved every minute of it. He had been asking to go since yesterday. They said he was a good boy and did not throw a fit when it was time to leave. So, Chuck E Cheese is our new best friend. My Dad told David that if he goes to school and is a good boy, he'll get to go to Chuck E Cheese on Friday. Let's hope this works! Tomorrow is another school day. Steve is going to bring him in because my heart can't take anymore. I'll let you know how it goes.

Happy 4th! 

David at the beach 

Jackie's Graduation Party 

Happy 4th of July!

I hope you all have a safe and fun 4th! It is so beautiful outside today. The temperature is perfect and there is nice breeze. David is feeling much better today so we are looking forward to celebrating. I'll post pictures later.

More bloggers in my family

It seems we have a few more bloggers in my family. My sister Amy and my sister-in-law Tracey have started their own. They are good so stop on over.

Yesterday was my cousin Jackie's High School Graduation party. It was a great day. My Aunt Kathy and Uncle Bob live in Clinton, NJ and have a beautiful house with an awesome yard. The party was on the gorgeous big deck. There was tasty food, plenty of drinks and wonderful company. Our family was there - we always have fun when we're together. A lot of Jackie's friends were there too. They were real nice girls and guys - all very attractive. All the guys in our family (including my husband) loved having the young girls around. David loved playing soccer and baseball and hanging out in the hot tub. He 'fished' in the hot tub and later went 'swimming' with our cousin Jill. Even though he did not feel well, he had a blast. Congratulations Jackie! We love you.

Today was a bit different. David felt worse today. He woke up in the middle of the night with a fever and he was very congested. I gave him some Pedia Care and Tylenol and he went back to sleep. When we woke up in the morning, he was not feeling well and was not himself. We had plans to go down to my parents house and I wasn't sure we should go, but David said he wanted to. So, we got ready and went. Steve golfed with my cousins Mark, Mike & John and I went to the beach with David, my cousin in law Laura-Ann and John's girlfriend Michelle. We parked farther from the beach then I would have liked, so we gathered up all our crap and hoofed it. We found a good spot and set everything up. David played for all of 5 minutes and just did not feel good, so he fell asleep. My Mom showed up while he was sleeping. The girls talked while we laid out - it was fun. When David woke up, he was cranky but he noticed some kids playing and wanted to join them. I took him over and he played with them a little bit. My Aunt Carol, Uncle Tom and cousin in law Jen came down to the beach and brought David some fruit. He ate a little. He tried playing in his pool, but was uncomfortable and he asked me if we could go home. So, my Mom called my Dad to pick us up and we packed up our beach stuff and headed to my Mom's. When we got back, Steve and the boys were finished golfing, so Steve and I went out and picked up food for lunch. After we ate, everyone took a nap. We woke up about 2 hours later and I could not wait to shower. David felt a little better after his second nap of the day but wanted to go home. Steve and I packed up the car and came home. I gave David some more medicine and he is asleep now. Steve and I feel so bad for him when he is sick - he looks so sad. We miss his smile and giggle. Hopefully we'll hear it tomorrow.

Great Day Off

I had yesterday off - YEAH! My Mom came into East Brunswick to pick David and I up and bring us back to her house. We picked up my Dad and headed to the Breaker's for breakfast. Next we went back to their house and got ready for the beach. My Dad drove David and I to the beach while my Mom got ready. Gramps bought David a huge beach bucket full of beach toys - David loved it. When he saw it he said "Holy Cow, Holy Sh*t". My Dad and I looked at each other, but did not say anything. If you make a big deal he keeps saying it. When we got to the beach we went all the way down near the ocean. I layed out a towel for David and set up my chair. I applied sunscreen to us both. David played and I read. MomMom and Gramps showed up shortly after. Gramps set up the umbrella and the next thing you know - David is asleep! Not long after he fell asleep the ocean was coming up closer, so we had to move back, but David was still sleeping. We were there about 2 hours and the weather started to turn. My parents brought everything to the car and came back to get David and I. David woke up when we leaving the beach. He said good bye to the ocean and we went back to MomMom and Gramps' house. It was a great beach day. We had lunch and David played on the computer with Gramps. My Mom had a terrible tooth ache and finally found a dentist that could see her, so they went to Freehold to the dentist. David and I went to Target to get some gifts and things. David was great in the store. When we got back to my parents, I gave him a bath and then Steve showed up. They hung out while I showered. My parents brought back a pizza on their way home from the dentist. We stayed a little longer and then headed home. David was asleep before we left. It was a great way to start the weekend.

Boys do love the potty!

DAVID FOUND PUPPY!!!! Last night Steve was in the bathroom and David decided to join him. They were in there a while (I do not want to know what was going on) and all of a sudden I hear Steve say, "Show Mommy what you found". At first I was very nervous to see what David would find in the bathroom, but to my delight it was PUPPY! He was in David's potty! The 3 of us were SO excited that Puppy was back with us. We all gave him big kisses. By the way, in case you were worried, David does not USE his potty yet, so Puppy was poop and pee free.