One place to another

While I packed up suitcases and took the kids shopping at Downtown Disney, Steve hit the Disney Car Care Center to pick up our rental car. We drove to Palm Coast today to visit Steve's parents. The kids and I did real well while we shopped and waited for Steve to pick us up. No crying, fighting or tantrums! David even built his own lightsaber! He chose the Darth Maul version. Mighty cool.

It took us a little over an hour to get to Palm Coast. When we arrived, Steve's parents friends were there. My mother in law cooked a huge dinner and we ate like kings. The kids could not WAIT to get in the pool. By the time Ava was ready for bed so was I. We slept together in the TV room on the blow up bed. She woke up screaming at midnight, but after she got it out - she slept like a log.

Epcot

My favorite park. Breakfast was with the Princesses in Norway and it was delicious. After we went and Fast Passed some rides. While we were fast passing Test Track a lady gave up her 2 passes to David and Steve. It was David's 1st time on it and he really enjoyed himself. About noon, my sister and her husband met us at Spaceship Earth. We rode that together and then they took Ava so the 3 of us could experience Soarin'. WOW - what a ride. Fantastic. We met up with Amy, Andrew and Ava in Mexico so I could have my margarita! Our dinner reservations were at the Coral Reef. The kids loved the huge fish tank. Dinner was very tasty. We finished the night traveling the countries and completing David's mask and of course the fireworks. Fun, Fun, Fun.

Breakfast with Snow White

Donald and David in Mexico

With Pooh, Tigger and Eeyore

David in China

Fireworks

Disney's Hollywood Studios

Outside ESPN Club

Very exciting! We attended Star Wars weekend at the park today. It was so cool. David was in his glory. Again Steve's parents met us at the park. We rode lots of rides and saw the Indiana Jones show. I took David to see the Block Party Bash parade and Jedi Training. He did not get picked to be trained, but he was a very good boy and just watched. When I saw Darth Maul, I was happy he was on the sidelines. It was VERY hot today, so half way through the day, Steve took Ava back to the hotel to cool down. We all met up for dinner at the 50's Prime Time Cafe. Before we left the park Steve took David on the Tower of Terror for the 1st time. He loved it!

Jedi Mickey

Look what we got!

Darth Maul

Me and the kids leaving DHS

Animal Kingdom

Steve, Pluto and David at the Liberty Tree Dinner
David and Chip at dinner

This morning we had breakfast with Donald in Africa and spent the day at the Animal Kingdom. Steve's parents met us at the park. We had a wonderful day at hit all the rides and shows. My favorite is the Lion King show. For dinner we met at the Boardwalk and ate at ESPN Club.

Me, Donald and David in Africa

Ava in the Animal Kingdom

Magic Kingdom

The flight to Orlando was horrible. We had to circle Orlando only to be diverted to Jacksonville where we picked up fuel and later landed in Orlando after they re-opened the airport. Had we landed on time, Ava would have done beautifully - but instead she flipped out. We arrived 2 hours late. My sister waited in Downtown Disney for us where we met her for dinner at the House of Blues. Dinner was great and then we walked through the village. It ended up to be a nice night after a terrible day.
Kids on the plane

Outside the House of Blues

Today we are in Magic Kingdom. We'll end the evening with dinner at the Liberty Tree Tavern.

We're off!

Packed all night and we are headed to the airport! Cross your fingers that Ava is a good girl on the airplane. The last time she flew she was 8 wks old!

Talk to you when we return...

LIVE!

Last night I took David to see the Backyardigan's LIVE! Originally I had bought 4 tickets so we all could go, but I decided to offer 2 of the tickets to my friend Jenn so she and her son could attend with us. We had a great time. The show was in New Brunswick at the State Theatre. I picked Jenn and Drew up so I could park for free with my deck tag from work. The theatre was packed. There were a million kids and parents. The show itself was adorable. I enjoyed watching David and Drew the most. They were really into it. After, we went to Applebee's for a bite to eat. David was a little rowdy at the restaurant because he was tired, but we managed.

I hope we can have another fun night like that soon.

House Hunting

I have been wanting to live at the shore my entire life. My Dad is a realtor in Spring Lake so I have been having him scour the listings looking for something that we could afford and not have to re-do. Today we went from Belmar to Pt. Pleasant looking at homes. They were all very nice, with the exception of the 1st one. It was right at the end of an off ramp from Rt. 18! It had a pool, but the location and even the house itself was NOT worth it. The ones in Pt. Pleasant were real cute. 1 had a pool and the other was brand new. We just think Pt. Pleasant is a tad too far from our curreny jobs. My dream home was in Manasquan. I absolutely fell in LOVE with the house there. It was an old home with lots of charm. The only down side was the kitchen, but I love the house so much I am willing to live with it. I really hope we but a bid on it. I would so love living there. I'll let you know what happens.

Pack it up

We are leaving for Disney on Wednesday and everyone is very excited. I was going to take today to do laundry and begin packing, but I am better off leaving it to the last minute. Ava goes through clothes like nobody's business and she does not have much by way of summer clothes. Plus, a lot of what we are bringing we still need to use. At most, I'll bring the suit cases up from the basement. We are using the Magical Express, so I need to tag them with the luggage stickers Disney sent me. I suppose I can get that out of the way!

Smile!

Today I became a photographer. A co-worker of mine asked me to come to her daughter's birthday party and take pictures. She was having a bunch of family and friends over her house and they had a ton of fun stuff for the kids to do. I was able to get some really cool action shots. I hope she likes what I got. Once I get them on the computer, I am going to make a digital scrapbook for her. CM has some great themes to choose from as far as digital albums go. I love doing these types of jobs. I hope I can get some more chances to do what I love.

Last Minute

I decided when I got home this afternoon to take the kids to Pt. Pleasant. We had a great time. They were so well behaved and really enjoyed themselves. I knew we were going to have a good night when I got rock star parking ;) When we first got there we ate at Little Mac's. The kids shared chicken nuggets and fries and I had a cheesesteak. Most delicious. Next we went on the rides. David was very kind to Ava and took her on the baby rides first. She loved it. Then he got to go on the roller coaster - ALONE! He thought he was a big shot - and he is. The last ride we all took - up in the hot air balloons (fake). It was really nice and pretty to see the view. Before we headed out, we stopped off at the arcade. David did really well. He won 10,000+ points! He loved playing Deal or No Deal and he usually does well - he did tonight too. No trip to Pt. Pleasant is complete without a sweet treat, so we stopped for some of those on the walk back to the car.
It really was a great night although, we did miss Steve.

Teeth

I am a big 'teeth' person. By that I mean I am easily grossed out by bad teeth. I think one of the first things a person sees on another person is their smile - therefore - their teeth. Having said that, I try to take very good care of my teeth. I brush for a LONG time and use mouthwash. I never miss a 6 month check up with the dentist either. I have only had 1 cavity issue and that was when I was pregnant with David. Now, onto my reason for this post. David has been going to the dentist for a few years now and everytime he goes, he has cavities and/or worse. In October he had an absess because of a cavity and had to have a tooth pulled. He was only 4 at the time. Well, today was our 6 month check up and sure enough, he has more problems. One of his fillings is loose and he has a fistula on the gum of another cavity infested tooth. FUN! So, when we get back from vacation, he needs to have that tooth pulled. UGH! He insists on brushing his own teeth and he even uses the kid mouthwash - but he obviously does not do that great of a job. Steve or I need to do a quick brush after he finishes - just be sure. Hopefully that will help when we visit Dr. Lee again.

P.S. Steve HATES going to the dentist so he has not been in almost 5 years - YIKES! You know what this sneaky little wifey did? Yup, that's right...Steve has an appt on the same day he is taking David to have his tooth pulled :)

Exciting opportunity

My cousin referred me to a neighbor of hers starting his photography business. I have used him on a number of occasions and recommended him to a few people I know. In fact, my girlfriend used him for her wedding last month. He does fabulous work. I had emailed him a few weeks back to see if we could work together - his photography and my albums and framing. We met tonight to talk it all out.

The discussion went really well. Both Gus and his wife Olga are wonderful people. I don't want to jinx anything, so I will not go into detail - but I felt great when I left. There are many ideas floating around in my head. Olga and I plan on getting together when we return from vacation to put our heads together. I can't wait!

In the meantime, check out their site:
http://www.atdphoto.com/

If you are in the NJ/NY area, and you want a great photographer - give them a try!

Happy Birthday Kristen!

Today is my girlfriend Kristen's birthday. She is twentyflurf! I brought her coffee and munchkins this morning on my way in. For lunch, a bunch of us took her out for italian. The food was great, but the fun was even better. We disrupted the whole restaurant. I have some really cool co-workers. Her boss even bought her a cake that the waitress brought out for us to sing. The cake was so good - devil's food - YUM! Then it was back to work.

Happy Birthday Kristen!

Not gonna make it

I called in sick today. I had a headache since Saturday and I was wiped out. I could not get enough energy together to get ready and go into work. So, I turned off the alarm and went back to bed. When I woke up around 8, my head felt a lot better and by mid-morning, my headache was gone. The ironic thing was that I had a neurologist appt this afternoon that I had to cancel. I can honestly say that since I started the vitamin regimen for my migraines, this was the first one that was this bad. That is pretty good considering I used to get these once a week.

I did take David to the pediatrician to have his tine test checked and then took the kids to Target. David got to spend his gift card - he was thrilled.

I really needed this day.

Happy Father's Day

This morning we went to breakfast with the Yoegel's to celebrate Father's Day before heading back to NJ. The food was great as was the time with the Yoegel's. We really enjoy spending time in PA with them.

When we got back to NJ, I invited my parents and grandparents over for dinner. I ran out to the food store and to pick up dinner. We were going to grill, but that would mean that Steve had to do all the work, so I called Chicken Holiday instead. Everyone seemed to enjoy their dinner. Even the kids ate! After a while, I served dessert - a kid favorite. There were donut and crumb cake crumbs everywhere. The day winded down early, everyone was pretty tired.

Overall, I think the Dad's enjoyed themselves.

FORE!

Every Father's Day weekend since David was born, Steve golfs with our brother-in-law Rich in an outing in PA. It is an all-day event. While they are doing their thing, Tracey and I find something to do with the kids. This year she took me to some new outlets that opened not far from her. There were so many great stores and deals. I really did some damage. The kids were pretty good considering no child really wants to shop when there is a playground in plain site. At the end, we let them play and got them some ice cream. On our way back to Tracey's, we stopped off to see a house for sale. Ava had fallen asleep in the car right before we pulled in the driveway, so I had to run through the house. When we got back to Tray's we fed the kids some dinner and just hung out until the guys got home. We celebrated Ty, David and Tray's birthday's with a few brownies. The boys loved their gifts. It was a really great day.

Baseball Pay Out

Today was pay day. After all those months of hard work, Steve got his baseball stipend with his regular pay check. Taxes took a HUGE chunk, but I am still able to pay off a few things and set aside a nice sum for our Disney trip. It is always easier to go on vacation knowing it's paid for.

Only 12 more days until we leave!!

Note to self

Tonight we went to dinner with my sister, my parents and my Aunt and Uncle. At first, I was not going to go because it was going to be close to Ava's bedtime, but I was hungry and the restaurant is behind my house, so we went. I should always listen to my gut instinct, not my hungry gut. The kids were horrible. I left when the food came so that at least everyone would enjoy their dinner. I think I'll be canceling the dinner reservations for Father's Day.

David's BIG day

Not only is today David's 5th birthday - he graduated from Pre-School too! We are all SUPER excited.

The ceremony started at 9 am with the kids singing their tiny hearts out. About 30 minutes later the diplomas were handed out. The girls first and then the boys. David was the 1st boy to get his - so cute. I was so very proud if him. Steve missed it because Ava was flipping out and he took her into the hall. Afterward, there was cookies and juice and lots of good byes. I can't believe he is ready for Kindergarten.

From school we drove to Great Adventure. We have been taking David to Great Adventure on his birthday since he turned 3. This was going to be Ava's 1st time. We started in the Safari. The kids LOVED this. Not only did they think the animals were super cool they got to sit in the front seat! Next we went into the park. We grabbed a bite to eat after Steve and the kids came off the ferris wheel. After lunch David went on a few rides. There was not much Ava could do, but I was able to get her on a ride when Steve took David on the rapids. Then we went to the kids water area. This is where David wanted to be. He had a blast in one of his new bathing suits and surf shirts. Ava was playing in there too, but all she did was go up and down the stairs. She was barely wet. David was soaked. We had to drag the kids out of there to get to go on some other rides. There were 2 more rides Ava could do - she loved it. David did a few more things like the tea cups and the parachutes and then we called it a day.

On our way home both kids were snoring in the back seat. We were almost home and Steve and I decided to take them to Outback for dinner. David loves their wings and it's a nice place to celebrate a birthday. We had a great time. The food was really good and so were the kids. Their favorite part was the sundae at the end.
Happy Birthday David and Congratulations! We love you.

Hot

The past few days have been UNBEARABLE! The heat and stale air is really bad. I do not like being cold, but even these last 4 days have been hot for me. The worst part is dressing for work. If I dress for the outdoor temp, I freeze in my building and if I dress for the building I'll melt when I am outside or on my way home. I dress for the outdoor temp and have a hoodie at my desk. I hope we have nicer weather for tomorrow!

Toys R Us

David got quite a few giftcards for Toys R Us, so I told him I'd take him shopping when I got home. When we got to the store, I remembered that I had a few coupons and he had gotten a Birthday Club postcard. He gave the postcard to the girl behind the service desk and he received a birthday crown and stickers. Then his name and the fact that he was going to be 5 was announced to the whole store! He was thrilled. His first purchase was a case and accessories for his new PSP as well as the Indiana Jones Lego game. I was able to save him $5 with one of my coupons! Next he picked out a few Lego sets and a Darth Vader suit. I threw in a few bucks and a $3 off coupon and we were outta there. Once Ava went to bed, I spent 2 hours putting together one of the Lego sets. I must admit, I was proud of myself :) As was David.

It's a weekend of celebrations!

My cousins baby was christened yesterday. My Uncle Jack did a beautiful ceremony for baby Ryan. He was such a good baby too. After the church we went over to my Aunt Carol and Uncle Tom's to party. Everything was wonderful. The food, drinks and of course the company. Even some out of towners were able to make the trip. Amy came up from FL and Katie from CA. Jackie was finally home from Italy too. It was a really nice day.
This morning David celebrated his birthday with his friends at the Party Gym. He had lots of kids show up. Friends from school (past and present), relatives and kids of friends of mine and Steve. I think everyone enjoyed themselves. The place did a great job. I did not have to lift a finger except to carry the gifts and extra pizza to the car.We took my Mom to dinner at Bensi in the afternoon. It was her first time there. I think she really enjoyed it. Steve and I love their food. The kids weren't so well behaved, but what can you expect - they were exhausted from David's kid party.

Tonight we did cake to wish David and my Mom Happy Birthday with the family. My friend's sister made 2 delicious cakes for the party. Everyone loved them. We sang Happy Birthday twice to give each birthday person their due. David could not wait for presents. Katie helped him with the gifts so I could take pictures. He got A LOT of stuff. He will be a very well dressed kid this summer and have LOTS of Legos to put together. My Mom also received some unexpected gifts. Overall, a busy but really fun day.

The Big 6-0

Happy Birthday Mom! Today my Mom turns 60. I don't think she looks a day over 49. Thank you for taking such great care of my children and for all that you have done for me. You are a fabulous Mom and MomMom. Enjoy your day!

Upgrade

I am SUPER busy at work. We are upgrading our software to a whole new version. I'll be MIA for a while with work and all the parties. Don't give up on me, I'll be back.

Due Date

Today was the day that my OB/GYN predicted David would arrive. He didn't. But, I'll always remember what this day was - kind of strange, I know. I thought he would arrive a day or 2 early and share his birthday with his cousin or aunt - worst case - I thought he would arrive a few days late and share with his Grandmother, but he had other plans. As a person that shares their birthday - it has it's pluses and minuses. The minuses are mostly for the person that was born first. My poor Dad hasn't had a birthday in 32 years :) But, I think he likes having a day all about him.

Another Gemini

Today is my sister-in-law Tracey's birthday. I called her on my way to work this morning and left her a voice mail wishing her a Happy Birthday. We'll call her later when I get home so David can wish her one as well. Tray - if you are reading - I hope you have a great day!

I would like to ask a question to get your opinions. Please feel free to leave your opinion in the comments. When you receive an invitation of any kind that requires an RSVP do you respond? Whatever your answer, can you let me know why you do or do not? I just NEED to know.

Thanks!

Bringing in the law

When David was born, Steve and I did not change too much. In other words, we just went on doing what we were doing and added David into the mix. We did not have 'schedules' when it came to sleeping for David. We were lucky that he slept through the night at 3 weeks old, so why mess with what was working. He would eat every 3 to 4 hours and sleep when he was tired. If we were out, he'd fall sleep in the stroller or car seat and go into the crib when we got home. That all worked out fine until he hit about 2 1/2. By now, he had a big boy bed and was used to staying up late with us. He was no longer napping during the day, so by 7 pm he was on the cranky and miserable side. However, he WOULD NOT go to bed. We tried rewards and charts but it did not work. We even tried taking things away - nothing. So we lived with it all this time. He will 5 next Wednesday and start Kindergarten in September. So, last week I had a talk with him. I explained that he is the only child I know without a bed time. I told him that it is required to have a bed time and sleep in his own bed to attend Kindergarten. I told him that as of June 1, he would be going to bed at 8 pm. I'd read him a story, give him is bedtime drink (strawberry milk) and it was off to bed. I also made him a calendar on a wipe off board that Steve hung on the inside of his closet door so that if he went to bed on time, slept through the night and brushed his teeth, he would get a check mark. After 7 checks in a row, he could pick a prize. Well, last night was our first attempt and all went well. He had his milk, I read him 2 stories, we turned on his music and eventually, he fell asleep. I was not home when he woke up, but I made sure to tell Steve to make a BIG deal about his accomplishment. And he did. David was very happy to be able to give himself a checkmark on his calendar. I hope he can keep it up.

Ty Ty

Happy 8th Birthday to my Godson Tyler! David was so excited that is was Ty's birthday. He could not wait to call him. We both spoke to him before David went to bed. It is really cute to listen to them talk to each other. Ty got a Wii and told David he built him - you should have seen the smile on David's face - priceless. We are going to celebrate Ty, Tray & David's birthdays when we go to their house later this month. We can't wait.

Diet update: By Friday morning I had lost the 4lbs I gained the week prior. However, I did have a drink or 2 this weekend so by this morning, I had only lost 2 of those lbs. But, at least I lost.

It's June!

David was super excited to wake up this morning knowing that today is the 1st day of June. He has a lot to look forward to. Tomorrow is his best buddy and cousin Ty's 8th birthday. Then later in the week it's his Godmother's birthday, then his Aunt comes from FL, then his MomMom's birthday, then his friend's Bounce U party, then his cousin Ryan's christening, then his kid party, then his family party, then his pre-school graduation and actual birthday, then a trip to his best buddy and cousin Ty's, then a trip to Disney! Is he busy or what? June is a hectic, but fun month.

Weather wise, we couldn't have started the month off better. It was a gorgeous day. The kids ran in the sprinkler and I sat in my beach chair catalog shopping and drinking wine coolers. That's the life!

Welcome June, I too am glad you are here.