Trying something else

Today was David's final soccer practice and not a moment too soon. He barely participated this week. When he did, he came off the field in tears. Steve even played and David was still uninterested.

After soccer, we drove to the little league field to sign him up for fall t-ball. It starts right after Labor Day and is during the week. That will mean a lot of running around for me with Steve working, but I'll enjoy it as long as David it happy playing. He is very good at baseball, so I hope he likes this.

A whole lot goin' on

It's been a long, eventful day. This morning David graduated from the 'play' preschool at Steve's school. He has gone for the past 2 years and this is his final hurrah. I took an early lunch so that I could be there. It was cute. He got his diploma, along with Thomas. They had a fun time together. I hurried back to work and my Mom took the kids over to the allergist.

When she called me with the report, I felt horrible. There was so much going on with the 2 of them, I should have been there myself. David was put on allergy meds and Singulair for Asthma. Ava had severe eczema, seasonal allergies and possible asthma. She needs to have blood work done to see what foods, etc. she is allergic to. For her skin, she need to have Hydrocortizone cream 2.5% applied twice a day to her patches. Then, her whole body needs to be covered in aquaphor balm. I can only bathe her 2 times a week and the bath water must contain baby oil. I need to use a special soap for her body and not dry her. Poor baby girl. It sounds like a lot of work, but if it will help her, I'll be sure to do it.

After work, I took the kids over to my cousin Mar's to visit her and the girls. This was my first time meeting Ella. She is SO tiny and cute. I held her a few times and even got her to sleep on me. I miss those moments. She is a really good baby. Mar looks fantastic - as always and is loving her 2 girls. David, Ava and Lizzie played real well together. Lizzie is a riot. She talks so much and so well. I could just eat her up. The visit ended with Ava getting hurt, of course. She and David were on the see saw and she fell and got a cut right under her eye. She is un believable.

Soon after we got home, Steve came home. He had gotten to work early, so he was able to leave early. He brought dinner home and we got to hang out. I sure do miss him at night during the week. I am glad he is ours for the weekend.

Greasy = Happy!

My husband is a BIG jokester. He used to refer to me lovingly as Brows because of my big eyebrows when we first met. Overtime he felt comfortable to attack my hertitage and would call me a greasy guini (sp) - again, all with love. I for one love my eyebrows and skin. Unfortunately, neither of my kids are 'greasy guini's'. In fact, my poor daughter is a head to toe rash. Her skin is so dry I itch just looking at her. I really wonder how I birthed these children when they have not a single one of my traits! Blonde hair - nope, blue eyes, nope, dry skin - nope, attitude - yes (Oh, yeah, they did get my fat mouth). Well, I made Ava an appointment for tomorrow afternoon with David's allergist. With the hot weather coming, I can not stand to watch her suffer. I hope he can offer her some relief. Poor kid - maybe I can give her extra hugs and rub my grease on her :)

Super Mad

My laptop just died. It won't turn on at all. I am on the phone with HP trying to purchase a new battery for my 1 year and 2 month old laptop. I went onto their website and they no longer sell my laptop or the battery online, so I am now ordering one on the phone. It will cost me over $150 and I am fuming. Not to mention that my 'new' laptop has a bunch of letters missing off the keyboard. Thanks to my adorable daughter. I am sure that will cost me a pretty penny to have fixed as well. Very getto. Did I forget to mention that Ava threw the wireless mouse to the desktop that I am using now and that is broken as well? Oh, the joy.

Tipping the scale

I'll admit, I fell off the diet wagon last week. It started Monday night when I was at the mall and ate dinner at Ruby Tuesdays. I had all good intentions going in, but when I saw the Shrimp Pasta Alfredo on the menu, I could not resist. By the end of the week it was the 'holiday' weekend so I kept on the downhill fall. I had a HUGE crabcake sandwich with sweet potato fries and a margarita on Friday, lots of junk, wine coolers and more margaritas on Saturday, Dunkin Donuts for breakfast, junk, wine coolers, a jersey burger and nachos on Sunday and steak and a milk shake on Monday. Even the 8+ miles I walked on Saturday didn't help me. I gained 4 lbs back - UGH!!!! Back to the strick plan I had been keeping myself to. I was half way there last week...not any more. 18 lbs to go.

Happy Memorial Day!

We had some spectacular weather today. Not too hot or cold and just the right amount of breeze. We spent the morning in the yard and doing some house hold chores. We had SO much laundry to do! In the late morning, we took a ride to Target. Steve needed new car mats for his truck and I had a bunch of things to get. We spent a good hour or more there. Ava took a nice long nap when we got home and David played. When Ava woke up we drove over to the school that David will attend in Sept. They have 2 great playgrounds. We all had a great time. I hope we go back again soon. Steve cooked steaks on the grill when we got home and I washed up the kids. Their feet were black! We ate dinner on the deck and it was delicious. I cleaned up and then put Ava down for the night. I had a ton of laundry to put away and then I got to relax. It sucks that we have to get back to work in the morning, but I am so happy the weekend was so great.

A quick buck

Boy - we were tired! We did not wake up this morning until after 10 am. I so needed that extra rest. I took a shower when I got up and let Steve sleep a tad longer. When I got out of the shower, Steve got up and went outside to wash his truck and pack up his powerwasher to bring to my Mom's. On our way to my Mom's, I made Steve stop at Dunkin Donuts for a hang over cure. When we got to my poor Mom's - her house was A MESS! The kids really took a toll on her and the house. I tried to help clean up as Steve powerwashed her deck. As he was finishing my Mom's deck, her next door neighbor asked Steve to do his. When he was done, the man gave him $60! Pretty easy money! We waited for my Dad to get home and went to Legget's for dinner. I was SO bad on my diet this week and it kept up tonight. I had a jersey burger and some of David's nachos. I only ate half my burger, but only because it was not cooked enough for me. I really could have eaten the whole thing. Ava screamed our WHOLE WAY HOME. Probably had something to do with the fact that we woke her up when we got to the restaurant and she was super tired by now. Once I calmed her down and gave her a bottle she was out like a light for the rest of the night. David fell asleep soon after and I dozed off while trying to catch up on mt DVR'd shows. It was a busy weeekend.

Mommy's Turn

This morning it was my turn to 'race'. I participated in the Spring Lake 5 as did many members of my family and extended family. My family has been doing this race for many years. Last year was my first time so my goal was to beat last years time. We start off by walking from my parents house in Spring Lake Heights to the starting line (which is about 2 miles) than walking the beautiful 5 miles through Spring Lake. Last year it was very hot and humid, but this year it was gorgeous. I started the race walking with my Mom and Aunt Kathy, but soon left them in the dust. At about the 1.5 mile mark, my Aunt Carol caught up to me and we walked the rest of the way together. We finished at 1 hour 21 minutes. I did not beat last years time of 1 hour 18 minutes, but I did get a late start this year as well. The funny part is, I did not sign up this year because my girlfriend's wedding is today and I thought it was earlier than it is, but I did walk with my Uncle Jack's number on since he was sick. The poor guy usually does real well - plus he's a runner - and I destroyed his good name! I am lucky - he is a very forgiving man :) After the race, we walked back to my parents and hung out. I was a little bummed that Steve and the kids did not make it to the race, but David was exhausted from his race and slept till about 9 am! When I got back, I was STARVING. My parents had plenty of food and I also had a few wine coolers before we went home to get ready for the wedding. We both passed out when we got home and then rushed around to take showers and get ready. We arrived just in time to see Agi get married. The ceremony was very nice. It was outside and the weather was great. Steve and I had our reception at the same restaurant more than 9 years ago, so it brought back a lot of great memories. Agi looked gorgeous and the wedding was a lot of fun. We got to see some old friends and dance. I have to admit, my feet were KILLING me after all the walking I did earlier in the day, but I still was able to boogie! I am very happy for Agi and Billy and wish them a lifetime of happiness. Congrats!!

It's Racing Day, It's Racing Daaaayyyy

In a few hours, we will be driving down to my parents and attending the Spring Lake Kids Race. David has ran in it the past 2 years. He won his heat last year due to an over zealous father knocking his daughter down when he tried to push her to the finish line. In reality, there are no winners. All kids that participate receive a medal and a t-shirt for the $12 their parents fork over. The past 2 years Steve and I have missed the race due to work, but this year we are off and can't wait to cheer David on. My Dad had shirts made up promoting his real estate office and David will be wearing one. GO DAVID!!!!

The Un-Birthday Child

Even though David's birthday is techinically still within the school year, his teachers requested that we celebrate his birthday ahead of time. He will actually be graduating ON his 5th birthday - pretty cool, huh? My friend Kristen's sister is a baker and she so kindly made Indiana Jones cupcakes complete with a whip and bolder! David LOVED them - as did his class. I brought them in along with his favorite book to read to the class. Seeing as how Steve had a game and my Mom deserved a day off, I took Ava to David's un-birthday celebration too. David was thrilled to have us both there in his class. After cupcakes and a story, we joined David and his class on the playground. Ava loved every minute of being 'at school'. Maybe I'll sign her up for something this fall. It made my week to be able to celebrate with David and his class. They are a bunch of great kids. I can't believe this part of his life has gone by....boy, he grew up fast.

Framed

I hosted my framing kick off party last night with the help of my upline Melissa. The event went well, I just wish more people would have come. My Mom framed her wedding photo, my cousin Meghan framed a beautiful picture from Bermuda, my co-worker Kristin framed a photo of her nieces and my other co-worker framed a fabulous wedding card she received. I am really looking forward to getting their pieces back. Everyone seemed very pleased with what they chose. I am leaving the party open until Tuesday to see if I can add some more orders on. I'll even get something framed with the hostess credit I earned. I'll post photos of the items when I get them back. Be sure to contact me the next time you need something framed! You won't be disappointed.

I never learn

I had some errands to run last night. So after work, I packed the kids in the car and headed on over to the Pier 1 on Rt. 1 in No. Bruns. I wanted a new chair for my bedroom to replace the rocker that I am giving back to my aunt. Well, that store is no longer there. A very frusted person, was I. Since there is a new outdoor mall right down the road, I drove through there hoping to find a Bath & Body Works, but again, I struck out. After sitting in traffic, I ended up at the crappy mall by my house. They don't have a Pier 1, but they do have a Bath & Body Works and I really needed hand soap. David had so much fun testing all the scents - he was a riot. Although he was not so funny when he knocked over a whole shelf of body spray! I also ran over to the Hallmark for a wedding card and picked up a sound button that plays Star Wars music - too cute. Of course we played on the interactive mat and then ate dinner at Ruby Tuesday's. I should have just went home. The kids were SUPER bad at the restaurant and being by myself made it THAT much worse. Ava threw every piece of food I gave her. David was laying down in the booth with this feet in the air. They were loud and everything was No. I could not WAIT to leave. This is not the 1st time I have done this...but as you can see I never learn.

Half Way There!

Today marks the 1/2 way point in my diet. I lost another 2 lbs this week, so that is a total of 14 lbs. with 14 more to go. I know I can do it. I just need to stay commited and focused. I am also hoping my walk from yesterday will get me back in workout mode.

I got to take a nap!

Can you believe it? I drove home from PA due to Steve's hang over and when we got home - I was exhausted. I unpacked the bags and asked Steve if he it was ok for me to lay down. Ava was already napping. Of course he did not mind, so upstairs I went. I fell alseep the moment my head hit the pillow. I think I got a good 1 to 2 hours in. Holly called as I was waking up to let me know she was on her over to give Ava and I haircuts. I quickly washed my hair - as not to offend her since I did not shower today. She trimmed us up and was on her way. Ava can see again and looks beautiful. I feel much better now that my dead ends are gone. I got Ava to take an afternoon nap and Steve took David to work with him. I watched a few shows while ava was sleeping. When she woke up she was in such a good mood. We played until the boys came home with dinner. After dinner it was shower time for David and then the bed time rituals began. I think today was one of the best days we've had in a while.

We are family

This morning David had soccer and soccer pictures. All 4 of us went so we could hop on the turnpike and head to PA when soccer was over. This was the first Saturday I had gone to see David play where the sun was out. My parents came up to watch David also. At first the kids practiced and then walked down the hill for photos. Some of the kids on David's team are super wild (not to mention a few parents). There was one boy that kept touching David and I could see that he was getting annoyed. The mother was telling him to stop, but he would not listen. Poor David - all he wanted to do was get his picture taken! My parents and I watched David take his photo. He looked adorable. Steve took Ava on the playground to keep her out of trouble. Once the pictures were over, it was back to practice. David did not do too well this week. I am not sure if was the audience or the fact that the ground was wet and he HATES to be wet. When it was over, we packed into the car and headed south on the NJ turnpike to the PA turnpike. We were on our way to visit Tracey, Rich and the kids.

We arrived a little after noon. Ally was in the driveway when we pulled up. The kids were so happy to see her and her them. We all had some pizza for lunch and then it was time for Ty's T-Ball game. The guys and Ally went to the game and Tray, Ava and I stayed back at the house. Tracey's girlfriend Maria stopped over to say Hi and drop off our SLAH orders. It was great to see her. I hadn't seen her in a while. She is pregnant with her 4th and due in Oct. We just talked and caught up. Before long she had to leave and the next thing you know the guys and Ally were back. Tracey made a delicious dinner and then we just hung out. It was great because every other time we get together it's for a reason and there is never time to just relax. Ava was super tired, but it took me forever to get her to sleep. In fact, I fell asleep trying to get her down. Steve woke me up and we all played Yatzee - with the exception of David. He was sleeping! I know, I could not believe it either. Yatzee was fun. Ally and Tray were teamed up and Ty and I were teamed up. Steve and Rich were on their own. The adults each put in $1 and Tray and Ally were the big $4 winners! Once the 2nd game was over, everyone was ready for bed - not to mention Ava was up. I could not get her back to sleep. My night was pretty bad. I don't think I got an hours sleep. David however did great. He spent the whole night in the basement with Ty. I was so proud of him. Ava had me up before 7 am. I changed her, brushed my teeth and brought her downstairs for a bottle. I think we woke up the whole house. When Tray came down, she suggested we go for a walk. I really wanted to go, so I asked a sleeping Steve to watch Ava, but he never woke up. So, Tray, Ally, Ava (in the stroller) and I went for a walk (or hike). It was probably 2+ miles and very hilly. I loved it. Even the hard part of pushing Ava up their street. Working out like that makes me feel so good. I was sucking wind when I finally reached the house, but it was worth it. I had to walk off the margaritas from the night before! When we got back, we loaded up the car and went out for breakfast. We went to this great little place. I had french toast that was delicious. Steve was hung over and needed grease - so he had a pork roll, egg and cheese. The kids had chocolate chip pancakes. Rich's dish was gigantic - I think it was an omelete. Poor Tracey's pancakes were burnt. Once we scarfed down all our food we headed home.

We really had a great visit and are looking forward to the next one.

Guests

I am so excited to go home today. Even more so than any other day. Jen and Ryan are coming over to pay us a visit. This will be the first time Ava and David get to meet Ryan. I know David can not wait. Jen plans on being there before I get home so that my Mom can spend some time with him too. I have not seen them since I ran over to Applebee's for lunch. I am sure he has changed SO much. I will post about the visit and hopefully some pix too!

Pay up

Today is payday for Steve but the exciting thing is this was the FIRST payday with his raise! I was VERY anxious to check my online banking account to see his new rate of pay so I did it as soon as I got to work. I was thrilled when I saw that this crazy schedule we are living is actually paying off. It made everything ok again. Way to go Babe! Cha-Ching!!

A new baby girl

My cousin Mar and her husband Frank welcomed a new baby girl into the world on Monday. Her name is Ella and she joins her big sister Lizzie (18 mos). According to my Mom, Mar had a very easy labor. I can't wait to see her and hold her. I hear she looks a lot like her Mom. Congratulations Mar, Frank and Lizzie! What a beautiful family you have.

Happy 18 Months Ava!!!

Ava turned 18 months old on Monday. It's hard to believe she has only been in our lives that long. She brings us such joy everyday. With her beautiful smile and adorable laugh. From her hugs and kisses to her wild hair. Her big brother is just as in love with her and Steve and I. She copies him like a parrot. This is such a great age.

Monday afternoon I took her for her 18 month check up and got the most fantastic doctor. He was super thorough and very informative. The best Dr. appt. I have had for the kids to date. She was given a clean bill of health and I was told she is ahead of the curve. She weighs 25 lb, 9 oz (65%) and is 34 inches tall (97%). The down side was the 3 shots and TB test. She cried - but not for very long. She is a tough cookie.

Happy birthday baby girl! You are so very loved.

Surpises all around

I almost forget to mention that Steve received a nice surprise this weekend. My parents called to tell us the Courier News did an article on him. He had no idea they were going to do it. I thought they did a real nice job. It made me proud.

I weighed in Saturday morning and lost 1 lb. Surprisingly enough, when I weighed myself this morning, I kept that pound off! 16 more to go...