1. Haircut! So totally spur of the moment, I booked a hair cut for tonight earlier today! I love it! I so needed something different, and this is perfect, a bit shorter, but not too short. Love how much better I feel about myself. So revitalizing!!
2. And more importantly, Adrian (we think) is totally saying "mama." At least, I am going to count it as his first word. The last couple of days, he will call mamamamamamama and crawl to me! So cutecutecutecute.
PS I was going to post a picture, but I look way too tired! Picture TBP (To be posted...).
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Birthday Gifts Galore!
1. Girls night out! Last Wednesday, I went out with six amazing women to celebrate my birthday at Sabore! What a great night! Thanks Caroline, Irene, Natasha, Julie, Generosa, and Codie for making my birthday so special! I have awesome friends. Seriously. Most of these ladies have seen me at my absolute worst (aka sobbing, crying, angry, venting...etc.), and I don't know what I would do without their support, encouragement, kindness, generosity, and love. Their friendship makes me a better friend, a better person.
2. An awesome journal from Caroline and two delicious chocolate bars and a Barnes and Noble gift card from Irene! Love, love, love.
3. Triple-layer carrot cake from Caroline. I think I have personally scarfed down half of it already! So good!
4. Sick! From Shawn. Spent the whole weekend in bed. Thanks, Babe. Love you, too!
5. Money towards my new ultraportable and iPad!! Thanks Shawn and Mom and Dad and Grandma Toni!! Eeeekk. That's me being excited about my upcoming purchases. Just waiting to check out this season's ultraportables (esp. Lenovo's Thinkpad coming out in February) and the second generation iPad.
6. Panera giftcard! Thanks Mom and Dad! Going to head to my favorite writing destination tonight for dinner and thesis work! Can't wait!
7. Bath and Body Works Giftcard. Thanks Aunt Barb! I am pumped to stock up on sweet smelling soaps and wall-flower refills! Wahoo!!
8. Facebook greetings! My wall was packed with birthday wishes! So exciting!!
9. Cards from Shawn and the kiddos. Thanks, Babe! The cards were adorable and so funny!!
10. Cards from Bren and Libby and Aunt Lynne. Thanks for the birthday greetings! Thanks for thinking of me!!
Wow. 28. Here's to another awesome year. Wouldn't mind this year bringing a published collection of short stories and a new baby...I'm just saying....:)
Friday, January 21, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Another Milestone...
For the first time (and hopefully the last), Riley stuck something up her nose!
A Cheerio.
Never a dull moment, eh?
A Cheerio.
Never a dull moment, eh?
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Milestones
1. Adrian started crawling over Christmas break.
2. He started pulling himself up into a stand this past week.
3. He got his first haircut.
Pictures of our stud will be coming soon. He's sleeping now...
2. He started pulling himself up into a stand this past week.
3. He got his first haircut.
Pictures of our stud will be coming soon. He's sleeping now...
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Put a Rainbow in the Sky
Here's my conversation with Riley on the way home today.
Riley: "We need to put a rainbow in the sky. First, we need our butterfly wings so we can flap our wings and put the rainbow in the sky. Then we can color it with my crayons."
Me: "Where are we going to get a rainbow."
Riley: "From the store. We need to get it from a new store. First we have to build the store. We'll have to buy a small rainbow."
Me: "Then we can use Daddy's air pump to blow it up."
Riley: "That's a good idea, Mommy. We'll buy a small rainbow and then we can pump it up with Daddy's pump. Then we can flap our butterfly wings and put it in the sky. We need to get sticky tape too so we can put it in the sky. Then we can color it with my crayons.
Me: "That sounds like a great plan, Riley."
Riley: "First, we'll buy a small rainbow and sticky tape. Then we have to put it in the sky. We'll need to build a butterfly so we can get our butterfly wings. Then we'll flap our wings so we can put the rainbow in the sky with sticky tape. Then we'll color it with my crayons. And you can help, and Daddy, and Adrian."
Me: "I like family projects."
Riley: "We need to put the rainbow in sky so it won't rain anymore."
Okay, how cute is that! And creative! Oh, and just prior to this conversation, I was grumbling about a car in front of me who was braking for a green light. So Riley says, "It's okay, Mommy. You just need to have patience." Seriously, she used patience appropriately in a sentence! I love this girl!
Riley: "We need to put a rainbow in the sky. First, we need our butterfly wings so we can flap our wings and put the rainbow in the sky. Then we can color it with my crayons."
Me: "Where are we going to get a rainbow."
Riley: "From the store. We need to get it from a new store. First we have to build the store. We'll have to buy a small rainbow."
Me: "Then we can use Daddy's air pump to blow it up."
Riley: "That's a good idea, Mommy. We'll buy a small rainbow and then we can pump it up with Daddy's pump. Then we can flap our butterfly wings and put it in the sky. We need to get sticky tape too so we can put it in the sky. Then we can color it with my crayons.
Me: "That sounds like a great plan, Riley."
Riley: "First, we'll buy a small rainbow and sticky tape. Then we have to put it in the sky. We'll need to build a butterfly so we can get our butterfly wings. Then we'll flap our wings so we can put the rainbow in the sky with sticky tape. Then we'll color it with my crayons. And you can help, and Daddy, and Adrian."
Me: "I like family projects."
Riley: "We need to put the rainbow in sky so it won't rain anymore."
Okay, how cute is that! And creative! Oh, and just prior to this conversation, I was grumbling about a car in front of me who was braking for a green light. So Riley says, "It's okay, Mommy. You just need to have patience." Seriously, she used patience appropriately in a sentence! I love this girl!
Pages...
Okay, so I thought I would try to enhance my blog a bit for the New Year. I added a page on which you can ask me questions, and another page on which you can access my published stories. Pretty cool, huh? Now all I need is a new picture of me and Shawn! Yeah, the one of me in my swimsuit has been up for far too long!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
This and That: A Week in Review
Has it really just been a week since we returned home from our holiday trip to the North? Are we really 9 days into the New Year? Here's how we have filled that time...
1. Not feeling well...But fortunately, it was just me who was kinda sick and really, really tired. When I'm home, I don't really sleep all that much because I want to spend as much time as possible with my family. That means trying to get up with my parents in the am and staying awake with my siblings in the pm. And no naps. I think I was just spent after the holidays. My energy seems to be picking up now. Thank goodness. I want to enjoy these final two weeks of being 27!
2. Adrian tries toast! So the boy doesn't seem too fond of baby food. I've tried lots of it - yellow stuff, green stuff, orange stuff, fruit. He twists and turns and keeps his mouth sealed! But bitty pieces of toast he can shovel into his mouth - he loved it! So exciting! Messy, but exciting!
3. Adrian on the move. Adrian is too funny when it comes to movement. He does this pseudo-crawl thing that is part crawl, part bear scamper, part slither. He loves to roll into a sitting position, and he is starting to get really good at pulling himself into a stand. Uh, oh! :)
4. Riley and Adrian interacting. I am completely in awe of the whole sibling love thing. I mean, these kids LOVE each other. Riley gives kisses, sings Adrian to sleep, helps change his diapers, makes him laugh...and Adrian cannot get enough of Riley. If she is sitting on the floor, he wants to get to her. Whatever she has, he wants. If she's in the room, he cannot take his eyes off her. So cute.
5. Another thesis submission done! That means, just one more submission with new material before its time to turn the whole book around for a sixth and final submission before my second reader comes on board. I spent four hours at Panera writing this morning (okay, and eavesdropping...but that's what writers do!). I don't know where the time went. It felt so good to be in the zone!
6. Riley so into sports! This week, we've played basketball, soccer, basketball/soccer, and balloon volleyball. And we've run a couple of races. The girl sure plays hard!
7. Riley, the Boss. Already, she seems to be exerting leadership skills. She gave me three choices the other night (ride the car, ride the scooter, or sit on the bed). She orders Shawn to "Stay right here. You don't go anywhere." She tells him to "be nice to Mommy" (love that one!). She proposes a situation and then asks, "Is that a good deal?" And she even establishes an schedule: "after I eat my chicken, then I can have a Popsicle." I cannot believe how with it she is!
8. On the flip side, Riley and her emerging fears. Lately, she has been big on sounds. Usually, everything is okay as long as we explain every noise that surprises her, but she is really not a fan of Shawn's slingshot monkey and the screech it makes as it flies through the air.
7. A cleaner house. Okay, so it took a week, but I finally got my suitcase unpacked. And Shawn took down the tree. And we put away our Christmas decorations and new presents. And we did the laundry. And dishes. And straightened up a TON. Okay, so we still have some work on the bathrooms and our bedroom, but now that most of the house is clean, I feel like I can breathe again.
8. Internet research. Okay, so I am in the market for a new laptop. I would really like an ultraportable as my birthday and graduation gift from everyone in my family, and so I have been researching like mad online. I had my eye on a MAC, but now I'm thinking I might get a less expensive, more portable machine and also get an iPad. If anyone has an thoughts or opinions, I am all ears. I like the Toshiba Satellite T235 and the HP Pavilion dm1 as a couple of more reasonable machines. And basically, I just want my new laptop for writing and some Internet browsing and research. That means I need a GREAT keyboard, some memory, power, 13-inch screen, and less than 4 pounds. Not too much to ask, right?
9. Shawn: Coach of the Year! Three games this week: lost by one, won by one, and got crushed (of course, I take the kids to the crushing defeat!). It's been a busy week with a couple of close games. But Shawn loves it. We talk shop quite a bit and he plots strategies all the time. Hopefully this coming week he can get back on a winning streak.
10. So the plan with using a numbered list was to just hit the highlights, but I wrote a ton! But, this is a first draft, and I tend to be quite wordy in my first drafts (and sometimes second-tenth drafts!). The end.
1. Not feeling well...But fortunately, it was just me who was kinda sick and really, really tired. When I'm home, I don't really sleep all that much because I want to spend as much time as possible with my family. That means trying to get up with my parents in the am and staying awake with my siblings in the pm. And no naps. I think I was just spent after the holidays. My energy seems to be picking up now. Thank goodness. I want to enjoy these final two weeks of being 27!
2. Adrian tries toast! So the boy doesn't seem too fond of baby food. I've tried lots of it - yellow stuff, green stuff, orange stuff, fruit. He twists and turns and keeps his mouth sealed! But bitty pieces of toast he can shovel into his mouth - he loved it! So exciting! Messy, but exciting!
3. Adrian on the move. Adrian is too funny when it comes to movement. He does this pseudo-crawl thing that is part crawl, part bear scamper, part slither. He loves to roll into a sitting position, and he is starting to get really good at pulling himself into a stand. Uh, oh! :)
4. Riley and Adrian interacting. I am completely in awe of the whole sibling love thing. I mean, these kids LOVE each other. Riley gives kisses, sings Adrian to sleep, helps change his diapers, makes him laugh...and Adrian cannot get enough of Riley. If she is sitting on the floor, he wants to get to her. Whatever she has, he wants. If she's in the room, he cannot take his eyes off her. So cute.
5. Another thesis submission done! That means, just one more submission with new material before its time to turn the whole book around for a sixth and final submission before my second reader comes on board. I spent four hours at Panera writing this morning (okay, and eavesdropping...but that's what writers do!). I don't know where the time went. It felt so good to be in the zone!
6. Riley so into sports! This week, we've played basketball, soccer, basketball/soccer, and balloon volleyball. And we've run a couple of races. The girl sure plays hard!
7. Riley, the Boss. Already, she seems to be exerting leadership skills. She gave me three choices the other night (ride the car, ride the scooter, or sit on the bed). She orders Shawn to "Stay right here. You don't go anywhere." She tells him to "be nice to Mommy" (love that one!). She proposes a situation and then asks, "Is that a good deal?" And she even establishes an schedule: "after I eat my chicken, then I can have a Popsicle." I cannot believe how with it she is!
8. On the flip side, Riley and her emerging fears. Lately, she has been big on sounds. Usually, everything is okay as long as we explain every noise that surprises her, but she is really not a fan of Shawn's slingshot monkey and the screech it makes as it flies through the air.
7. A cleaner house. Okay, so it took a week, but I finally got my suitcase unpacked. And Shawn took down the tree. And we put away our Christmas decorations and new presents. And we did the laundry. And dishes. And straightened up a TON. Okay, so we still have some work on the bathrooms and our bedroom, but now that most of the house is clean, I feel like I can breathe again.
8. Internet research. Okay, so I am in the market for a new laptop. I would really like an ultraportable as my birthday and graduation gift from everyone in my family, and so I have been researching like mad online. I had my eye on a MAC, but now I'm thinking I might get a less expensive, more portable machine and also get an iPad. If anyone has an thoughts or opinions, I am all ears. I like the Toshiba Satellite T235 and the HP Pavilion dm1 as a couple of more reasonable machines. And basically, I just want my new laptop for writing and some Internet browsing and research. That means I need a GREAT keyboard, some memory, power, 13-inch screen, and less than 4 pounds. Not too much to ask, right?
9. Shawn: Coach of the Year! Three games this week: lost by one, won by one, and got crushed (of course, I take the kids to the crushing defeat!). It's been a busy week with a couple of close games. But Shawn loves it. We talk shop quite a bit and he plots strategies all the time. Hopefully this coming week he can get back on a winning streak.
10. So the plan with using a numbered list was to just hit the highlights, but I wrote a ton! But, this is a first draft, and I tend to be quite wordy in my first drafts (and sometimes second-tenth drafts!). The end.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Christmas 2010 in Photos and Bullet Points...
1. FAYGO!!!
2. Meeting baby Emma and hanging out with Paul and Jamie. We love you guys! Mmmm...roasted red pepper sauce and tosquitoes!!
3. Adrian's Baptism.
4. Games Galore: Settlers of Catan, Name Game, Scrabble Flash, Dora Memory, UNO, Balderdash, and more, I'm sure...
5. Hot water dispenser (a feature in my parents' newly renovated kitchen. Love it!).
6. Date night! And this year, we invited Bren and Libby to join Alli, CE, Shawn, and I. Welcome to adult swim, Kiddos! :)
7. Adrian starting to crawl!
8. Playing in the snow with Riley.
9. Primanti's Bros with Uncle Rob and Aunt Judy.
10. Eat n' Park with the Fords.
11. NINJA WARRIOR!!
12. Sleeping in until 7:30...Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa!
13. Children's museum with Riley and Adrian and the fam.
14. Girls' Day: tea plus shopping with Mom, Claire, and Alli. So much fun!!
15. Pedis with Allison and Claire.
16. Dinner discussion: what's the biggest problem in the world today. Bren's answer: hiphop, grinding, and not enough covered bridges. Best answer ever!
17. Grandpa's prime rib and ribs...yum!
18. CHRISTMAS!! I love how our family celebrates the holiday. All of us together all day...lots of laughs and thoughtful gifts and more laughs and snacks and sometimes a nap...:)
19. Coffee and breakfast runs to Panera! And a walk, too.
20. Puzzle-mania!
21. INSANITY! We go, girls!!
22. Potty-training 101: go, go, Grandpa and the money jar!
23. Gingerbread house-making with Riley and Alli...and the collapse of the gingerbread house ten minutes later.
24. Riley = coloring and paper-cutting frenzy!
25. I am so thankful for such a wonderful holiday and two weeks with friends and family. A big thanks to Mom and Dad for ushering in the Christmas spirit every year and keeping the magic of Christmas alive for all of us.
Oh, and of course, a Christmas recap wouldn't be complete without a big shout-out to my husband. Shawn drove all but 5 hours of our entire trip from FL to PA and back. Oh, and did I mention he splurged big-time and surprised me with a spa gift certificate for my stocking gift? Yeah, he blew the 20 dollar budget we had set. Best hubby ever! Our first Christmas with two kids. Craziness. And I love it. Every crazy, wonderful moment.
I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
Click here to view photos
2. Meeting baby Emma and hanging out with Paul and Jamie. We love you guys! Mmmm...roasted red pepper sauce and tosquitoes!!
3. Adrian's Baptism.
4. Games Galore: Settlers of Catan, Name Game, Scrabble Flash, Dora Memory, UNO, Balderdash, and more, I'm sure...
5. Hot water dispenser (a feature in my parents' newly renovated kitchen. Love it!).
6. Date night! And this year, we invited Bren and Libby to join Alli, CE, Shawn, and I. Welcome to adult swim, Kiddos! :)
7. Adrian starting to crawl!
8. Playing in the snow with Riley.
9. Primanti's Bros with Uncle Rob and Aunt Judy.
10. Eat n' Park with the Fords.
11. NINJA WARRIOR!!
12. Sleeping in until 7:30...Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa!
13. Children's museum with Riley and Adrian and the fam.
14. Girls' Day: tea plus shopping with Mom, Claire, and Alli. So much fun!!
15. Pedis with Allison and Claire.
16. Dinner discussion: what's the biggest problem in the world today. Bren's answer: hiphop, grinding, and not enough covered bridges. Best answer ever!
17. Grandpa's prime rib and ribs...yum!
18. CHRISTMAS!! I love how our family celebrates the holiday. All of us together all day...lots of laughs and thoughtful gifts and more laughs and snacks and sometimes a nap...:)
19. Coffee and breakfast runs to Panera! And a walk, too.
20. Puzzle-mania!
21. INSANITY! We go, girls!!
22. Potty-training 101: go, go, Grandpa and the money jar!
23. Gingerbread house-making with Riley and Alli...and the collapse of the gingerbread house ten minutes later.
24. Riley = coloring and paper-cutting frenzy!
25. I am so thankful for such a wonderful holiday and two weeks with friends and family. A big thanks to Mom and Dad for ushering in the Christmas spirit every year and keeping the magic of Christmas alive for all of us.
Oh, and of course, a Christmas recap wouldn't be complete without a big shout-out to my husband. Shawn drove all but 5 hours of our entire trip from FL to PA and back. Oh, and did I mention he splurged big-time and surprised me with a spa gift certificate for my stocking gift? Yeah, he blew the 20 dollar budget we had set. Best hubby ever! Our first Christmas with two kids. Craziness. And I love it. Every crazy, wonderful moment.
I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
Click here to view photos
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