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| Marco - 2009 |
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
25 things...
If you are a friend of mine through facebook or part of my "hens" playgroup then this is nothing new. But, some of you are not part of those communities. And, I spent a long time putting together this list of 25 things. So, I thought I'd share them with my blog friends...
1. As I type this I am in Marco Island, Florida - the weather is beautifully warm with a nice breeze and I would not rather be anywhere else. My family has been coming here since I was 8. With my parents, brothers, sisters-in-law and their kids there are 17 of us.
2. I think my kids just get more and more fun. It is hard to imagine that this can continue. They make me laugh all the time - and are just so sweet to each other - when they are not driving each other nuts. Seriously, can it get better than 2.5 yrs old??
3. I really enjoy spending time with family and friends. Therefore, we entertain often. I think this has rubbed off on the kids. They are constantly having their dolls have parties - which I think is hilarious.
4. I enjoy long car trips with Dave. I can just drive and drive. And, we just talk and talk………
5. Some of my favorite summer family activities are: riding bikes, going to the pool, having picnics and going to concerts.
6. I forgive very easily, forget quickly and never hold grudges.
7. I gave up drinking pop over a year ago. I was a big diet coke drinker, but don't touch it anymore.
8. I really enjoy cooking. Lately, I have spent a lot of time using my crock pot, bread maker and pressure cooker.
9. Speaking of my pressure cooker... I have wild dreams of canning food. I want to make sauces, preserves and all sorts of other canned goodies.
10. I enjoy living in Chicago, but really HATE the winter months. Fall is great - as are spring and summer. Winter is simply intolerable.
11. I've never been a smoker.
12. I love having twins. If I ever get pregnant again I will both secretly hope it is twins and dread the possibility of it being twins. Although they are a lot of work, I could not imagine my child not having their little built-in best friend. But, the thought of twin boys is very scary to me.
13. When my husband proposed to me my first words were "are you drunk?" He was... but he had a ring, so it all worked out.
14. Having children has given me many blessings - the good friends I have found as a result of the kids is one of the biggest blessing of them all.
15. I feel very lucky to stay at home with my kids. Real Estate is a great career that allows me to be with the girls and work with a flexible schedule.
16. I freecycle something every day - and I love it!! I also love the blog I keep for it. It takes up a lot of time, but is something I really enjoy.
17. As I get older, I get greener. I don’t use paper towels and do use reusable grocery bags and cloth diapers. But, I’ve got a long way to go. I’d like to compost, but am afraid it will be gross.
18. When I was a little girl my brothers had me hold the dart board so they could play darts - steel tip darts. My dad saw what was going on and was not happy - the game ended very quickly.
19. Curious George has always been my favorite character/stuffed animal. I never had a babydoll that I loved. Erin has taken to a George I was given in high school an Ev sleeps with one Dave gave me.
20. I have so much gray hair - if I don't color it I'd probably look 10 years older.
21. Neither my husband nor I drink alcohol often. If I do want a drink my cocktail of choice is a gin and tonic with lime.
22. I left a good job about 4 years ago and fear that I'll never have another position like it. Being a stay at home mom has robbed me from all my professional confidence.
23. At my wedding there was a Curious George monkey in the Christmas manger - my husband showed me when we were up at the alter.
24. I've had 5 dogs in my life - Doc, Sluggo, Marco, Harley and Buddy. Harley was my favorite and I am still sad she is gone. Also funny that Doc, Sluggo, Marco and Harley were all females.
25. I wrote way too much about myself. Sorry!
1. As I type this I am in Marco Island, Florida - the weather is beautifully warm with a nice breeze and I would not rather be anywhere else. My family has been coming here since I was 8. With my parents, brothers, sisters-in-law and their kids there are 17 of us.
2. I think my kids just get more and more fun. It is hard to imagine that this can continue. They make me laugh all the time - and are just so sweet to each other - when they are not driving each other nuts. Seriously, can it get better than 2.5 yrs old??
3. I really enjoy spending time with family and friends. Therefore, we entertain often. I think this has rubbed off on the kids. They are constantly having their dolls have parties - which I think is hilarious.
4. I enjoy long car trips with Dave. I can just drive and drive. And, we just talk and talk………
5. Some of my favorite summer family activities are: riding bikes, going to the pool, having picnics and going to concerts.
6. I forgive very easily, forget quickly and never hold grudges.
7. I gave up drinking pop over a year ago. I was a big diet coke drinker, but don't touch it anymore.
8. I really enjoy cooking. Lately, I have spent a lot of time using my crock pot, bread maker and pressure cooker.
9. Speaking of my pressure cooker... I have wild dreams of canning food. I want to make sauces, preserves and all sorts of other canned goodies.
10. I enjoy living in Chicago, but really HATE the winter months. Fall is great - as are spring and summer. Winter is simply intolerable.
11. I've never been a smoker.
12. I love having twins. If I ever get pregnant again I will both secretly hope it is twins and dread the possibility of it being twins. Although they are a lot of work, I could not imagine my child not having their little built-in best friend. But, the thought of twin boys is very scary to me.
13. When my husband proposed to me my first words were "are you drunk?" He was... but he had a ring, so it all worked out.
14. Having children has given me many blessings - the good friends I have found as a result of the kids is one of the biggest blessing of them all.
15. I feel very lucky to stay at home with my kids. Real Estate is a great career that allows me to be with the girls and work with a flexible schedule.
16. I freecycle something every day - and I love it!! I also love the blog I keep for it. It takes up a lot of time, but is something I really enjoy.
17. As I get older, I get greener. I don’t use paper towels and do use reusable grocery bags and cloth diapers. But, I’ve got a long way to go. I’d like to compost, but am afraid it will be gross.
18. When I was a little girl my brothers had me hold the dart board so they could play darts - steel tip darts. My dad saw what was going on and was not happy - the game ended very quickly.
19. Curious George has always been my favorite character/stuffed animal. I never had a babydoll that I loved. Erin has taken to a George I was given in high school an Ev sleeps with one Dave gave me.
20. I have so much gray hair - if I don't color it I'd probably look 10 years older.
21. Neither my husband nor I drink alcohol often. If I do want a drink my cocktail of choice is a gin and tonic with lime.
22. I left a good job about 4 years ago and fear that I'll never have another position like it. Being a stay at home mom has robbed me from all my professional confidence.
23. At my wedding there was a Curious George monkey in the Christmas manger - my husband showed me when we were up at the alter.
24. I've had 5 dogs in my life - Doc, Sluggo, Marco, Harley and Buddy. Harley was my favorite and I am still sad she is gone. Also funny that Doc, Sluggo, Marco and Harley were all females.
25. I wrote way too much about myself. Sorry!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Florida 2009 Update
My time at Marco Island is half way over but Nancy and the girls still have a while to go. We have had fabulous weather and 4 consecutive beautiful sunsets. All of the cousins have enjoyed playing with each other every minute they can.
Erin and Evelyn have been waking up every morning and the first thing they mention is either playing with their cousins or going to the beach.
Erin likes going down to the beach and making "sand soup" which is just sand and water in a bucket. But she makes sure to make a lot of beeping noises as it "cooks" in an invisible microwave. Nancy might want to cut down on TV dinners as Erin thinks this is the only way to cook.
Other memorable things:
-Nancy told Erin that an outfit she had on made her look very pretty. When Nancy told her to show me how pretty she was, Erin told her "no, I don't need to. I'm pretty". We're glad she's developing a healthy self-image.
-Evie woke up in the middle of the night and because of the way the beds are set up in the room she could not see Erin. Ev started to shout out "Where Yaya?" When I went into the room to calm her down, I just needed to pick Ev up and show her that Erin was in the bed next to her and she went right back to sleep.
-We went to the 25th Annual Buzzard Festival. Lots of crazy people doing the Buzzard-lope which is a dance we can't quite explain. Lots of drunk people and even a boat of women who flashed the crowd.
-The girls really enjoy the hot tub and pretty much refuse to go into the regular pool, although Ev has taken to jumping into my arms from the side of the pool. Erin pretty much panics at the thought of going more than ankle deep in the "big pool".
-Ev started to call Erin by her name instead of "ya-ya" or "sissy". It sound more like Onion than Erin but it's a start.
-Potty training (although Nancy denies we are potty training) is going well. Erin will do anything for an M&M and we are trying to use this to our advantage. She thinks she gets an M&M for tooting, but we draw the line there. Something of substance has to come out or else we'll just be re-enforcing a behavior we'd rather not smell.
More later...
Erin and Evelyn have been waking up every morning and the first thing they mention is either playing with their cousins or going to the beach.
Erin likes going down to the beach and making "sand soup" which is just sand and water in a bucket. But she makes sure to make a lot of beeping noises as it "cooks" in an invisible microwave. Nancy might want to cut down on TV dinners as Erin thinks this is the only way to cook.
Other memorable things:
-Nancy told Erin that an outfit she had on made her look very pretty. When Nancy told her to show me how pretty she was, Erin told her "no, I don't need to. I'm pretty". We're glad she's developing a healthy self-image.
-Evie woke up in the middle of the night and because of the way the beds are set up in the room she could not see Erin. Ev started to shout out "Where Yaya?" When I went into the room to calm her down, I just needed to pick Ev up and show her that Erin was in the bed next to her and she went right back to sleep.
-We went to the 25th Annual Buzzard Festival. Lots of crazy people doing the Buzzard-lope which is a dance we can't quite explain. Lots of drunk people and even a boat of women who flashed the crowd.
-The girls really enjoy the hot tub and pretty much refuse to go into the regular pool, although Ev has taken to jumping into my arms from the side of the pool. Erin pretty much panics at the thought of going more than ankle deep in the "big pool".
-Ev started to call Erin by her name instead of "ya-ya" or "sissy". It sound more like Onion than Erin but it's a start.
-Potty training (although Nancy denies we are potty training) is going well. Erin will do anything for an M&M and we are trying to use this to our advantage. She thinks she gets an M&M for tooting, but we draw the line there. Something of substance has to come out or else we'll just be re-enforcing a behavior we'd rather not smell.
More later...
Where were you?
Where were you when the Challenger blew up?
I was in Marco Island, FL and a maintenance man told my family.
When the 9/11 attacks happened?
I was in Boston - just about to fly home - this could be a whole post on its own.
When Barack Obama was elected president?
I was at his Rally in Grant Park with my husband. He'd been "my" candidate since the beginning, so I could not have been happier.
When Barack Obama was sworn in as president?
I was at a play date at my friend, Christen's house. She had the best idea - celebrate this victory with friends and kids. We enjoyed champagne at 11am and had a wonderful lunch of Bush's baked beans, Hawaiian bread, red/white/blue jello, freedom fries... you get the point. It was just so wonderful to celebrate this event with friends next to me and my wonderful girls. Erin and Evelyn won't remember where they were - but I'll have memories to share with them.
I was in Marco Island, FL and a maintenance man told my family.
When the 9/11 attacks happened?
I was in Boston - just about to fly home - this could be a whole post on its own.
When Barack Obama was elected president?
I was at his Rally in Grant Park with my husband. He'd been "my" candidate since the beginning, so I could not have been happier.
When Barack Obama was sworn in as president?
I was at a play date at my friend, Christen's house. She had the best idea - celebrate this victory with friends and kids. We enjoyed champagne at 11am and had a wonderful lunch of Bush's baked beans, Hawaiian bread, red/white/blue jello, freedom fries... you get the point. It was just so wonderful to celebrate this event with friends next to me and my wonderful girls. Erin and Evelyn won't remember where they were - but I'll have memories to share with them.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
We're in Florida...
Yippie!! Yesterday we arrived in Florida. Marco Island to be exact. My parents have a timeshare that we have used since I was about 6 years old. So, we know most of the people and it is our "home away from home". My brothers and their kids and my parents are also here - so, it is a loud crazy group - 17 people.
Our flights went surprisingly well. Erin - who did not like take-offs and landings on our last trip was a real champ and did just great! She slept (and drooled) on my arm the entire 2nd leg of the trip. That's right, second leg. We had a layover in Atlanta. That actually made things pretty easy - 2 short flights and stretching legs in the middle.
Unfortunately, the airline broke our double stroller. One more reason to never ever gate check your good stroller! Thankfully, we don't use it much - but its days are severely numbered now. It is also unfortunate that Delta does not compensate for damaged items - unless they are packaged in their original box. What's the point in that??? Whatever.
A lesson learned... Don't buy give your child a brand new pair of shoes that light up on the day of travel. That will only make them want to kick the chair in front of them the entire flight - so they can see the lights! I am an idiot - and Ev loves her new shoes.
Erin & Evelyn just love it here! We've already gone swimming a bunch of times and they just hang on the steps and do their own thing. When they wake from their naps we're going to head to the beach. We'll start taking photos soon.
They love playing with their cousins! First thing this morning when they woke was a request to see their cousins. We told them they were still sleeping - so they wanted to wake up their cousins.
Their little knees are already all scuffed up with bumps and bruises from falling on all the stone out here. But, very few tears. Who has time to cry when there are so many fun things to do?
On our way to lunch Erin stubbed her toe. I told her I'd kiss it to make it better and she asked me to hold off and kiss it after lunch. God forbid my kiss interrupts her hot dog time.
Tonight we're going to a "party" at my brother Dan's "house". Should be fun!!
Our flights went surprisingly well. Erin - who did not like take-offs and landings on our last trip was a real champ and did just great! She slept (and drooled) on my arm the entire 2nd leg of the trip. That's right, second leg. We had a layover in Atlanta. That actually made things pretty easy - 2 short flights and stretching legs in the middle.
Unfortunately, the airline broke our double stroller. One more reason to never ever gate check your good stroller! Thankfully, we don't use it much - but its days are severely numbered now. It is also unfortunate that Delta does not compensate for damaged items - unless they are packaged in their original box. What's the point in that??? Whatever.
A lesson learned... Don't buy give your child a brand new pair of shoes that light up on the day of travel. That will only make them want to kick the chair in front of them the entire flight - so they can see the lights! I am an idiot - and Ev loves her new shoes.
Erin & Evelyn just love it here! We've already gone swimming a bunch of times and they just hang on the steps and do their own thing. When they wake from their naps we're going to head to the beach. We'll start taking photos soon.
They love playing with their cousins! First thing this morning when they woke was a request to see their cousins. We told them they were still sleeping - so they wanted to wake up their cousins.
Their little knees are already all scuffed up with bumps and bruises from falling on all the stone out here. But, very few tears. Who has time to cry when there are so many fun things to do?
On our way to lunch Erin stubbed her toe. I told her I'd kiss it to make it better and she asked me to hold off and kiss it after lunch. God forbid my kiss interrupts her hot dog time.
Tonight we're going to a "party" at my brother Dan's "house". Should be fun!!
Friday, January 16, 2009
It's cold!
It is cold. Really really cold. Like the kind of cold you can't warm up from. The kind of day you just stay inside and don't even look outside. What do you do on a day like this? Well, we decided to take off our diapers (the kids that is) and wear "big girl pants". That's right, for 4 hours the girls played in undies without even wearing long pants. They had a blast - and were accident free! Ev was a champ - every 10-20 minutes running to the potty and making a few drops. Erin did a lot of sitting on the potty, but no results. She held it and held it... until right before her nap we were in the bathroom and I was just about to give up. Then, she did her business and could not have been more proud of herself!!! I kept telling her, if you go, we'll make cookies! So, the minute they wake from their naps, that's on our agenda. Of course, this will be done in Elmo undies!
PS - I still don't consider my self potty training! This is just an experiment.
PS - I still don't consider my self potty training! This is just an experiment.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Nothing new to report....
This past weekend went by just too darn fast. Dave and I had to work a retreat and his mom stayed with the kids from Friday until Sunday. It really limited our time with the girls, and this morning Erin was so sad Dave had gone back to work - who could blame her.
The girls were very good for my MIL. We got to hear some good stories about them...
Our retreat went well. We really connected with several of the couples. We facilitate retreats for engaged couples through the Chicago Archdioceses. We've been doing it for about 5 years - and we really get a lot out of it. But, I am probably boring you...
Anyway - not much else to say. But, if you are still looking for something to read, check out my new blog about Freecycle - www.ifreecycle.blogspot.com.
Happy Monday!
The girls were very good for my MIL. We got to hear some good stories about them...
- They tried to convince her they normally wear snow pants around the house.
- Erin enjoyed Buddy's dog cousins being over and kept telling him to have a dog party.
- She said they ate 3/4 of a pizza.
- She said Erin ate 6 cookies. Why she was given 6 cookies is still in question. She has backpedaled on that number.
- When we got home we ordered pizza (normally I swear they don't eat this much pizza). When eating Erin told us we were not eating grandma's pizza, but Pizza Man pizza. We think that would be a great name for a pizzeria.
Our retreat went well. We really connected with several of the couples. We facilitate retreats for engaged couples through the Chicago Archdioceses. We've been doing it for about 5 years - and we really get a lot out of it. But, I am probably boring you...
Anyway - not much else to say. But, if you are still looking for something to read, check out my new blog about Freecycle - www.ifreecycle.blogspot.com.
Happy Monday!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Gymnastics Update
So, the girls are still in gymnastics and they have their good weeks and bad weeks. Tuesday we could not go, as I had to work all day. We went to a make-up class on Wednesday. This class had a different instructor and it was completely different! But, we liked it!! They had so much fun and were more willing to go to this instructor. Some of the funny stories...
They climbed up to the beam and held the teachers hand while walking across it. That alone is huge! They did not really want to be too close with our last teacher. When walking on the beam Erin stopped and turned to her instructor and said: "I no do roll." He had asked the kid before her to do a somersault. She was not interested in doing that on the beam. He looked at her and said "Yeah, I think that's a good idea". Very funny to watch. Ev also did a great job!!
Then, on to the rings. I had never been able to get the girls on the rings - no chance! Well, Ev went first. She climbed up and put her hands on the rings and the teacher held on top of her fingers and swung her around 3 or so times. She did great! Then, Erin's turn. Erin climbed up and was not too keen about holding on to the rings. But, she did it. He swung her and she screamed at the TOP of her lungs!!! HE only got her about 3/4 the way around and brought her back to me. She got down and said "I no do that again. I do that once. I no like. I no do that again." Well, speech therapy is going well - now we just need to focus on grammer! But, really... she did a great job. I was just so happy they both tried! Mission Accomplished.
They climbed up to the beam and held the teachers hand while walking across it. That alone is huge! They did not really want to be too close with our last teacher. When walking on the beam Erin stopped and turned to her instructor and said: "I no do roll." He had asked the kid before her to do a somersault. She was not interested in doing that on the beam. He looked at her and said "Yeah, I think that's a good idea". Very funny to watch. Ev also did a great job!!
Then, on to the rings. I had never been able to get the girls on the rings - no chance! Well, Ev went first. She climbed up and put her hands on the rings and the teacher held on top of her fingers and swung her around 3 or so times. She did great! Then, Erin's turn. Erin climbed up and was not too keen about holding on to the rings. But, she did it. He swung her and she screamed at the TOP of her lungs!!! HE only got her about 3/4 the way around and brought her back to me. She got down and said "I no do that again. I do that once. I no like. I no do that again." Well, speech therapy is going well - now we just need to focus on grammer! But, really... she did a great job. I was just so happy they both tried! Mission Accomplished.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Evie...
It is just a fact, my kids are not the most photogenic kids in the world. They don't love having their pics taken. If fact, they kind of dislike it. Ev is especially camera shy. But, last Saturday night she had on the cutest outfit and was just in the best mood and we got a few really nice photos of her - and I had to share. She loved the outfit and thought the headband was great! It was fun to watch her have such a great time showing off her pretty look!
Monday, January 5, 2009
Back to Reality...
Well, after a long few weeks of parties, family gatherings and fun we are back to reality. Dave went back to the office today and the girls took it amazingly well. No fussing or fretting over where Daddy was - what a relief!!
But, let's first review this past weekend... We had a great time - and it was so busy!!
Friday night we had dinner with Dave's cousin and she showered E&E with Christmas gifts. They love their new smelly monkies (Ev's is pink and smells like strawberries and Erin's is green, smelling like watermelon). Today they clomped around in their new pink fru-fru slippers! Their awesome polka-dot blankies and bath robes are also big hits!
Saturday night we were quite stir crazy! After 2 full weeks together, we just wanted to get out! So, we went out for pizza. Nothing too special, but we had to get out!!
Sunday we had a yummy dinner at a friends home. They got the girls the craziest princess heels - and they love clomping around in them!
That leaves us at today. We went to the library this morning for crafts and reading. They just love the library, although they have not mastered the whole being quiet thing. I guess that takes time.
Happy New Year!!
But, let's first review this past weekend... We had a great time - and it was so busy!!
Friday night we had dinner with Dave's cousin and she showered E&E with Christmas gifts. They love their new smelly monkies (Ev's is pink and smells like strawberries and Erin's is green, smelling like watermelon). Today they clomped around in their new pink fru-fru slippers! Their awesome polka-dot blankies and bath robes are also big hits!
Saturday night we were quite stir crazy! After 2 full weeks together, we just wanted to get out! So, we went out for pizza. Nothing too special, but we had to get out!!
Sunday we had a yummy dinner at a friends home. They got the girls the craziest princess heels - and they love clomping around in them!
That leaves us at today. We went to the library this morning for crafts and reading. They just love the library, although they have not mastered the whole being quiet thing. I guess that takes time.
Happy New Year!!
Thursday, January 1, 2009
The Holidays are Over...
Well, 2008 is over and we are one day into '09. I wanted to share some fond memories form this holiday season...
- Hearing the girls sing Happy Birthday to Baby Jesus on Christmas Day.
- Having Dave home for 2 weeks straight! It was so nice to have so much family time.
- Hosting a cookie party for the kiddies to decorate cookies and enjoy each others company!
- Spending time with out of town friends that visited.
- Watching the girls act as little elfs on Christmas morning passing gifts to the family - they started off great, simply handing everyone their gift. After a while, they opened just about everything they saw!
- Attending Christmas mass with Dave.
- Enjoying an evening of friendship and dinner at Heather's house - and the raspberry dessert was so yummy!!!
- Making a few 2009 resolutions I can keep. I will have the girls each bring a canned food item to church every week and will be freecycling me heart out! We are just so fortunate and have so much to share with others.
- Finding out Dave's cousin (Kayte) and her husband (Chris) are expecting!
- Spending a great evening with my family during our family dinner at my brothers home. The girls love their cousins so much and have a blast in their home!
- Celebrating another wedding anniversary with Dave - we had a great dinner out and saw a movie together - and just hung out!
- Enjoying a wonderful brunch with Dave's Aunt. She made family recipes and completely spoiled the girls - it was a great celebration!
- Seeing an old High school/College friend for lunch - we never see each other!
- Hearing the girls sing Happy Birthday to Baby Jesus on Christmas Day.
- Having Dave home for 2 weeks straight! It was so nice to have so much family time.
- Hosting a cookie party for the kiddies to decorate cookies and enjoy each others company!
- Spending time with out of town friends that visited.
- Watching the girls act as little elfs on Christmas morning passing gifts to the family - they started off great, simply handing everyone their gift. After a while, they opened just about everything they saw!
- Attending Christmas mass with Dave.
- Enjoying an evening of friendship and dinner at Heather's house - and the raspberry dessert was so yummy!!!
- Making a few 2009 resolutions I can keep. I will have the girls each bring a canned food item to church every week and will be freecycling me heart out! We are just so fortunate and have so much to share with others.
- Finding out Dave's cousin (Kayte) and her husband (Chris) are expecting!
- Spending a great evening with my family during our family dinner at my brothers home. The girls love their cousins so much and have a blast in their home!
- Celebrating another wedding anniversary with Dave - we had a great dinner out and saw a movie together - and just hung out!
- Enjoying a wonderful brunch with Dave's Aunt. She made family recipes and completely spoiled the girls - it was a great celebration!
- Seeing an old High school/College friend for lunch - we never see each other!
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