Last Day of February!

The last day of February makes me happy!!!

Let's seeeeeee, I am still having a blast from the past...catching up with lots of old friends from kindergarten thru college. Crazy how many friends you really do accumulate through your life! Still looking for a few more. Typically I keep a small group of close friends and those friends come and go according to life changes, moves, job changes, etc. They are still my friends but for whatever reason, leave the inner circle, making room for a different friend. That person may or may not be a new friend. Simply could be an old friend that has reclaimed their place in the circle. This is just an observation. It isn't like I sit around and only have so many people in my circle. No, it is just how it seems to work in my life. I have accepted that people come in and out of your life so quickly. Some for a season, some for many. You never stop caring about them or wondering what they are up to, but accept that they represent a certain time in your life. Anyway, with facebook and myspace, it is easy now to catch up and compare notes. Kind of like a big high school reunion, except with a traditional reunion, you can only catch up with members of your senior class, not necessarily all your friends from high school.

So I have an awesome week next week. I only work Wednesday! Too bad every week wasn't a 7 hour work week! I will most definitely be spring cleaning. Opening windows and getting the stale winter air out!

I am currently watching Karate Kid.

February 27, 2009

Seriously, the last two days of February are DRAGGING on! I just want March to be here already! It is supposed to get up to 60 today. I'll take it. Kayla and I are running to Warwick. I have to get my nails done and we'll do a bit of shopping for her b-day that was Tuesday. Hit up the grocery store and hopefully be back here in time to get the other two from school.

I only have to work Wednesday next week. I SOOOOO can use all those days off! Definitely the little mini-vaca that I need!!

Anyway, nothing else terribly exciting to report. I am so very tired today but I will just fall asleep that much easier tonight!

Maybe Kayla and I will pick up some movies. I noticed Target was having some kind of movie sale. My laundry is just about caught up. It just needs to be sorted and put away. That can wait for the kiddos to get home.

I've been thinking about my old friend Sonya a lot today. They still have her myspace page up even though she died last fall. There are a lot of us that think about her. We didn't see each other enough for me to remember her death all the time, but lately reconnecting with a lot of old elementary school friends has me traveling down memory lane and she is in so many of those memories. And honestly, my heart breaks for her 4 babies. Even though mine are almost grown, I know how much they depend on me and my heart breaks thinking of mine not having me around and how sad they would be. I certainly don't want this to be a down post. Sonya is at peace and is waiting for all of us to rejoin her and is up there whooping it up.

People I can't wait to see up there, with the exception of family...old friend Jason, Sonya, my college friend Tracy, and of course Welch and my bf/cousin Shelby.

February 26, 2009

I am cranky!!! THis morning was my day off. Of course, Mitch had an early soccer practice and I'd have had to get up and take the kids to school at 7:15 anyway, but work called a little after 6 AM. Unfortunately, I have an inservice that I have to attend and was not able to help out today regarding the call.

AND the raccoons got into the trash last night! It is most definitely spring in these parts. Zach and I have a lot of pics from last week to post. We were outside scouting out signs of spring. Down the street at our private marina, private to the particular neighborhood we live in, we saw some beautiful white swans. Lots of birds singing every morning to wake us up now. I always take that as my first sign. We got pics of green grass! Today's high is only supposed to be 50, but it is better than winter temps!

I have to tan, take a shower, do a quick work out and head to the Jamestown library to get some work done before my inservice.

February 24, 2009

Happy Birthday KAYLA NOELLE!!!

February 23, 2009

Kayla's birthday is tomorrow! I think Mitch might be making her cake...he's been watching that cake making reality tv show. We'll see!

The kids had friends over for their last weekend of vaca. Mitch and I spent the entire day yesterday watching horrible television and spending our Sunday in bed. It was great. We spent some quality time with Sierra-girl and made sure she knew how loved she is! We had a ton of take-out pizza Friday night. Somebody cancelled their order before us and the guy asked Mitch if he wanted the extra pizzas. Chyea! Saturday night I made a yummy ham, broccoli, and cheese strata...and then last night I made what I call Shepard's Pie Soup...broth and seasonings, ground turkey, sliced red potatoes, corn, topped with croutons and fresh parmesan. Both meals were a big hit with Mitch and the kiddos.

I have today off. I am so glad the snow stayed to the north of us. We didn't even get much rain. Nice and sunny today. I guess they could be getting almost 2 feet in some parts of Maine.

I have got to get things picked up from the kids' vacation, tan, go to the post office, and then the grocery store.

February 20, 2009

My baby girl will be 19 in 4 more days! I remember my pregnancy, labor and delivery like it was yesterday. 19 years ago, on the 23-24th of February, Bangor, Maine got nailed with about 2 feet of snow. I had to be driven through the snowstorm to the hospital whilst in labor. We left for the hospital early in the labor just because of the bad snow. I did not want to have a baby in a police car! Cars and big rigs were off the roads every where on that drive. I just closed my eyes, while flanked on each side by my mom and Kayla's dad. The next day would be the happiest day of my life!

Hayley was born mid-summer...July 15th and Zach was born mid-spring...May 12th. I think I would hate an August or September due date because then there would be NO bikinis on the beach that summer! With mine, I was back into pre-pregnancy clothes on my way home from the hospital. I don't get people that can't wear their clothes home. Like what the heck do they eat to get that BIG? With Zach, I was starving all the time, but the kid was 10 pounds and 24 inches long, so all the weight I thought I had been gaining was definitely all baby! I didn't even need maternity clothes with the girls. I bought a few shirts that were like extra large and went up a few sizes in jeans. I wore alot of skirts, too, with just a big shirt over. Around month 8 and 9 I just looked like I had a basketball in my belly. With Zach it looked more like a beach ball. We'll see how big I get with this one!

The weather is definitely chillier this morning than yesterday. The wind has picked up quite a bit. It is only supposed to maybe hit 40 degrees today. BOOOOOO!! I might just work out on the recumbent bike inside today!

A ton of old friends have found me on facebook. It is definitely a blast from the past. Elementary school friends that I went right thru high school with. It is amazing that we've all kind of come full circle and all have things in common again. In my mid-twenties I really fell away from most of my high school friends and focused mostly on college friends. I kept in touch with the most important but I think as we are getting older and there are getting to be fewer and fewer of us each year, we become more important to each other. We remember where we came from, you know? And can look at each others life accomplishments and be really happy for each other.

I wish I could go back in time for a few days, but bring my kids with me, and spend some time with them as peers. Show them all the fun stuff we used to do back in the day, when my body was young and athletic and could do all those gymnastics routines and show off my double dutch skills and having swimming and diving competitions. Maybe play a kick-ass game of kickball.

HAHAHAHA...Amused

I guess they got like 5 inches of snow in Mass. I am enjoying a sunny 50 degrees right now.

February 19, 2009

It is a little cloudy today but warm. We were supposed to get rain last night and early in the AM. Maybe we did but I slept through it. Maybe that is what helped me sleep. Who knows?

I am brewing some coffee as I write and am waiting for it to finish. I love my coffee ritual. I have today and tomorrow off. I don't want to do anything. I just want to sleep.

I guess they're getting lots of snow in Bangor today. I'm not sorry I am missing it! In southern Rhode Island, IF we get snow, it is when we're supposed to get snow. Around Christmas time. Not two weeks before spring! Maybe three weeks. Can't remember the date. Right around the time we turn our clocks ahead. Not looking forward to losing the hour of sleep, but it will be nice for the sun to be out longer in the evening.

Coffee is done!

Okay, now I can settle back in...where was I?

Oh yeah, I can't believe this CT story about a pet chimp that goes crazy and attacks and ultimately gets shot by cops is getting this much news coverage. Are people actually surprised that a wild animal that deserves to be, I don't know, in the WILD, goes berserk and attacks its owner and its owner's friend? The doctor said the friend received "life altering" injuries to her face. Hmmmm. Wild animals should stay in the wild. Period. End of story.

Mitch, Zach and I engaged in our ever-ongoing battle of whether or not Nascar is a sport. I've refined my stance. Call it a sport of recreation if you must, but you will never convince me that a race car driver is an athlete or is exerting much physical energy at all. Body size and ability need not interfere with the ability to drive a car, unless you don't fit in a car. I'm not denying or disputing that there is a degree of difficulty in driving a race car, or that there isn't a certain amount of strategy that goes into a race but that doesn't make you an athlete! It makes you a participant. For anyone wanting to know, Mitch agrees with me. My former soccer player husband, now soccer coach knows what it takes to be an athlete.


Besides, no one says, I need to lose weight, maybe I'll pick up race car driving.

I want to go to Providence Place (the mall). I just got a sudden craving. Maybe I'll get to go on Friday. For a state as small as Rhode Island and for a state that was one of the first in the nation to declare themselves in a recession, there seems to be way too many people out there shopping! I was hoping the recession would clear some of the shopping traffic in the already congested war-cran-pro area. (That would be Warwick, Cranston, Providence. It really is one big city, and the kids and I call it War-Cran-Pro.) But no. Just as congested and busy with shoppers like there is no tomorrow. I'm not sure that they are buying anything, they are just out looking, mucking up my roads!!!

February 18, 2009

Seems like every other night lately I have not been sleeping so great. Not a problem if I have the day off and can sleep in. Today I had to be up for work so sleeping in wasn't an option. I am beat tonight. Because I am so tired, I am expecting to sleep well tonight. Like I said, it seems like every other night.

TONIGHT is American Idol. Can't wait. We watched last night. Looking forward to tonight's voting results. We let Zach text in his vote last night.

I got pulled over this AM for speeding. Thankfully I only got a warning. It pays to be pretty woman sometimes!

There was a huge pile up on Newport Bridge this morning. Traffic was shut down and so backed up that Pete and I were stuck on the JAMESTOWN bridge like 5 miles away! I guess it was a 10 car pile up. I'm anxious to watch the news about it tonight. It is a dangerous bridge, with 4 lanes and no divider and traffic NEVER obeys the 45 mile an hour limit. In fact, you usually end up doing 60 or 70 MPH just to keep up with traffic. You can't get pulled over on the bridge because there is no breakdown lane and that would be an almost deadly thing for a cop to do. The bridge is so high up though that alot of mornings, especially with spring starting up, that it is extremely foggy, so I am not surprised there was a pile-up. My worry is that there was a head-on collision. That is always what I worry about when I go over the bridge. I am overly cautious about what the people in the center lane coming at me are doing. Admittedly, when I am speeding on the bridge, it is to get over it as quickly as possible, not because I am in a hurry or late for something.

I think I am going to take a nice hot bath in a bit. Hopefully Mitch brings something home good for supper. I am not interested in cooking anything.

February 17, 2009

I am enjoying a nice day at home today with the kids. We have Thursday and Friday together too. I need to straighten some things up in the living room and kitchen today, but other than that, I think we're just going to enjoy the day relaxing.

It is looking like the weekend of the 7th we'll hopefully be in the Old Port. If not that weekend, then the weekend of the 13th. Allison and Lori will be meeting us there. It should be a great time. I want dinner at Eggspectations! Order a few drinks. Just have some fun. Enjoy the last few months before getting preggo (hopefully!!!)

Right now we're watching Stand By Me. This movie came out 23 years ago! Crazy!

Well gotta go work out. I've already done my ab workout. Just got to go for a quick jog around the neighborhood.

Just Shaking It Up A Little

1. What is the wall paper​ on your cell phone​?​
Mitch in bikini underwear.

2. Are you drift​ing away from any frien​ds?​
Actually no. We are all back on track.

3. What are you doing​ tonig​ht?​
Tonight? Watch American Idol

4. What'​s the first​ song you heard​ today​?​
Haven't heard one yet. It is in the morning. I am watching Pretty in Pink though.

5. Do you have anyth​ing in your pocke​ts right​ now?
no pocke​ts!​

6. Who'​s your last text from and what does it say?
something from Allison

7. Would​ you ever donat​e blood​?​
yes

8. Anyon​e tell you a secre​t this week?​
oh probably...

9. When was the last time you bough​t somet​hing?​
groceries yesterday

10. What does the secon​d text messa​ge in your inbox​ say?
who knows, who cares

11. In the next 5 month​s what are you looki​ng forwa​rd to?
going to the beach every sunny day

12. Where​ do you think​ your best frien​d is right​ now?
My guess is he is at work.

13. Who else is in the room with you?
Hayley and Sierra

14. What are you doing​ tomor​row?​
working

15. Is somet​hing bothe​ring you right​ now?
a few things but I will get over it

16. Have you ever walke​d on the beach​ at night​?​
yesss​s

17. Do you prefe​r to call or text?​
text

18. Do you have a good relat​ionsh​ip with your paren​ts?​
usually

19. Do you have a best frien​d you can lean on?
yup

20. When did you last cry?
last night​

21. Does it annoy​ you when someo​ne says they'​ll call but never​ do?
nah

22. Think​ing of anyon​e?​
i guess

23. What are you doing​ after​ this?​
working out, tanning, clean the house

24. Last hug and from who?
my husband

25. What woke you up this morni​ng?​
zach knocking on my bedroom door

26. At the momen​t are you more warm or cold?​
warm

27. Would​ you like to put last night​ on repea​t,​ and live it forev​er?​
defin​itely​ not

28. Where​'​s the last place​ you staye​d the night​?​
a hotel room maybe, other than my house

29. How did you feel when you woke up?
like I slept too much but still tired

30. What was the first​ thing​ you thoug​ht of when you woke up this morni​ng?​
my dreams were intense

31. Name somet​hing great​ that happe​ned Frida​y?​
I had the day off

32. Do you like your life as of now?
yes...just wanting a new baby...

33. Do you crack​ your knuck​les?​
YES...Love it!

34. What were you doing​ 20 minut​es ago?
emailing and texting

35. Does anyon​e call you babe or baby?​
darling angel

36. Last thing​ you drank​?​
water and coffee

37. What can'​t you wait for?
a baby

38. Who was the last perso​n'​s voice​ you heard​ over the phone​?​
Lisa

39. Have you ever passe​d out on the bathr​oom floor​?​
yes actually

40. Were you singl​e in March​ of 2008?​
nope

41. How many peopl​e of the oppos​ite sex do you fully​ trust​?​
one

42. How tall are you?
5'6

43. Is there​ anyon​e that was once a part of your life that you want back?​
not really

44. What'​s one thing​ that is annoy​ing you right​ now?
I need a vacation.

February 16, 2009

Soooooo, I have tomorrow off! Yay!

Talked to some friends this week from Maine and will hopefully get up there to visit in the next few weeks.

February 15th, 2009

We had a lovely Valentine's Day. Our third together. Historically we spend a lot of money on each other on this day and we went shopping yesterday with the idea that we'd get what we want but really there wasn't anything I couldn't live without. We looked at a few things for the living room but we're still thinking that over. Any kind of furniture purchase takes me (especially me) a few days or weeks to make a decision simply because it tends to be around for a lengthy period of time and I really don't want to make a rash decision that I will soon regret but have to live with. Mitch and I did get some new sneakers. I needed some new running shoes and have been willing to spend in the $100 range for the right pair but there really isn't anything out there lately even online...well yesterday at Kohl's of all places, they were having an amazing shoe sale, like 70-80% off and I found the perfect pair for Nike running sneaks for me! Mitch's weren't on sale but were ones he liked. He is as picky about his sneakers as I am about furniture. I bought something cute for my niece Gabby and I will hopefully get it out in the mail this week.

Mitch also woke me up with a latte and breakfast in bed. I got some chocolates and a stuffed animal. I gave him the champagne glasses that I had ordered with our names on them. We had chinese food and champagne in bed last night. We watched Never Been Kissed and Music & Lyrics (which Mitch reminded me was the movie we saw on our first Valentine's). We also bought some odds and ends like socks and snack kind of stuff and a new yoga mat while out but I am proud of us that we just didn't spend money because it was Valentine's Day and we felt we had to out do ourselves. I think last year, combined, we spent almost $1000...actually I think it was more because I got my new power book too. But there were things last year that I wanted and or needed, such as my new computer, and I wanted a new iPod, etc.

I do want a plasma or LCD for the bedroom and I was going to buy Mitch one and I found out he was going to buy me one but when I was out I remembered we had decided to get a bigger one for the living room next Christmas and put the one that is currently in our living room in our bedroom. Really there isn't anything though that we are missing. I'd rather put some money away for the baby so I can shop to my heart's delight when I am pregnant.

Still Friday the 13th

I'm hitting a wall fast. I did not sleep well last night and the busyness of today has finally caught up with me. I just want my husband to get home from work so we can eat dinner, cuddle and watch a movie maybe.

Friday the 13th!!!!

Katie and I worked together last night. Love working with her! Makes the time go by so much faster. Chatted with Mari for a bit this morning. I am going tanning and then going to get my nails done for V-Day tomorrow! I also have to shop for Mitch. I have part of his present but I have to still figure out what else to get him. Not sure if we'll go out to eat tomorrow night or not. We might just decide to stay in and have a romantic evening here! We'll see. I think tonight we may be going to the movies to see Friday the 13th with Zach.

I love week 4-5 of the ab workout. These are the weeks when you really start to see the results. The first few weeks you definitely FELT the results, now other people can notice a definite change, not just you and your mirror!

Katie and I were talking about it last night actually. I was semi-joking that I've had a good run, so to speak, wearing my bikini every summer. At 36 I still look good enough to get away with wearing one. I figure after I have another baby, the chances of my bikini-dom are probably over. Maybe not, but I won't hold my breath. I am just SO NOT crazy about one piece suits. Ick. Feels like I swimming in wet suit. That being said, maybe if I get fat then I'll just pick up scuba diving.

I want summer NOW!!!!!! I want to be at the beach every day starting NOW!!!!!

Oh well, I have many many errands to do today so I have got to get going.

Busy Blogging Day

I still have an hour before I can start my errands so I am going to blog some more! Let's see:

While taking my shower today, balancing on one leg, while the other one was in the air, I proceeded to shave (I HATE shaving in the shower) and realized why my husband enjoys watching me take a shower. All I can say is, if you are shy about your body DON'T have glass doors in your shower.

In North Kingstown, which is about 3 towns northeast of us, an 18 year old boy was having suicidal tendencies and his grandmother was taking him to the hospital. According to various reports, North Kingstown police stopped by to check on him and he allegedly came at them with a knife and refused to be subdued by a taser-gun. So THREE policemen shot him NINE times. Not sure, but this seems a bit excessive. Anyway, Mitch and I happened to be in that area on Sunday and saw the crime scene and were curious as to what was going on. Now we know. North Kingstown...makes me laugh. Not the tragedy of course, that makes me sad, but this town is so SMALL TOWN. There is more crime in Maine than in the last 100 years of this town. Like seriously? 3 cops to take down an 18 year old caucasian emo???

We also toured the old Rocky Point area. I guess this used to be this fantastic amusement park right on the ocean in Warwick. It closed like in 1990, I think, but I guess some of the concession stands are still there and a few old ride parts and it pretty much looks like a ghost town and I LOVE checking out places like that. Anyway, we couldn't get in. There was a cop sitting about a hundred yards down the road of the first entrance. It is city property now with no trespassing signs but come on!!! The city was trying to sell it. I think it should be made into another amusement park.

Hayley and I re-started week 4 of our shape up 2009. We've both had this yucky cold and it was quite difficult to breathe last week, so our work outs were sparse to say the least. You can't really tell we missed. I still did my ab work-out last week so maybe that is why I didn't really lose any ground.

I am reading New Moon now, which is book two of the Twilight series. I have lots of fresh ideas now for stories so I am excited about that. Mitch and I are serious about my writing now, so my work schedule will remain part time so I can devote actual work hours to writing. He will be using his MBA to be my publicist/agent and do all the promotion crap. That kind of stuff is right up his alley! YA literature is currently where it is at and my favorite genre. I also am working on a contemporary Christian piece for Faithwriters. I am ALSO still working on book reviews but they are my least enjoyable tasks.

I love that Mitch gets my reading. Some could see it as indulgent and procrastinating ploy but when I am stuck, I love to read. I love to read anyway, but I don't see it as wasting time when I should be writing. Sometimes you just need to hole up with a good read and let the ideas formulate.

I also love that he appreciates my attempts at comedic hyperbole.

Perfection

I was reading old posts that I am known to do from time to time. I figured out why my blog has been so boring the last 2 years! I am so wonderfully blissfully romantically HAPPY!!! Even through the stress of daily life, life with Mitch is perfect! I can't reiterate ENOUGH how much I am thankful for him being the man God intended for me. I'm not denying there was a love for Brian but this is so different. I love Mitch more and more because of how he loves me. It makes me love him more which makes him love me more...a very fine circle to get caught up in!

And the man drama BEFORE Brian...ugh!!! Life is perfectly boring. The way it was intended!

February 12, 2009

Another beautiful weather day! On the agenda today is working out, tanning and shower, laundry. Pick up kids from school.

My eyes are all puffy today. Springtime is just about here in southern coastal New England, at least according to my sinuses and eyeballs. Mud season in February! My eyes have been itching like crazy. In Maine this happens around March or April and lasts a few weeks and then goes away. Here I seem to have trouble in very early spring and then again in late spring/early summer. Looks like Arizona will be the best place for my allergies!!!

It felt soooo good to wear capris and no coat yesterday!

February 11, 2009

60-something outside today. Sunny even. I wasn't expecting the sun to shine AND be warm! It definitely perked everyone up and I walked across town to get to my meeting today, which was at the main office and I was working at the day program just prior.

Other than that, not a lot to report. Mitch and I will be spending Valentine's Day doing something fun. I bought us some monogramed champagne glasses. There is a soccer banquet this Sunday but I'm not sure if I feel like going or not. He has to go, I don't, which no doubt means he will have to go early and leave late to set up for the dang thing because the second assistant seems to be downright useless and really that is FIVE hours of my life that I will never get back. However, that will be five hours that I could have spent with my husband that I choose not to. I have until Sunday to figure out what I will do.

February 9, 2009

Another sweatshirt day!!! Yay!!! Yesterday was actually warmer, but it didn't feel like it because it was quite breezy. Today there is no wind and it is so warm in the sun. Love it! It is supposed to be in the 60s on Wednesday but cloudy though. Whatever! I'll take it!

I have to go pick up the kids from school. Making chicken and dumplings tonight for dinner. That should make them happy!

God's Miracle

For whatever reason, blogger does not like to post my direct links so here it is...http://www.jaymun.com/journal/2009_02_02/

I've been following this story for awhile now. What I find so amazing is that the doctors had been telling Jaymun's parents that there was nothing else they could do and to take him home to die. The parents kept fighting the doctors about not trying enough. After praying, God told the mom to listen to the doctors to take him home...but in a quiet voice, God said, "I want this to be MY miracle." The baby is now in remission. The doctors have little to do but stand back in awe. How awesome is our God?

February 6, 2009

I'm reading my girls' book series Twilight. All I have to say is where were these books when I was growing up??? I feel the same way about Harry Potter. I love the books as an adult but wish I could have read them when I was a kid. Back when I could get lost in books for hours on end. Some of those books played a big part in creating the person I am today. With Twilight, I find myself getting lost (in a most good way) in Bella's world, unfortunately, my life of being a wife and mother isn't as easy to escape from as my life was when I was a kid. I can get lost briefly, but I must subconsciously leave a trail of breadcrumbs or something because Mitch and the kids always find me.

Today is my brother Darren's birthday. Happy Birthday to him.

My very good friend found out she is having another boy this summer, so congratulations to her little family. Another friend is being induced on Monday and will get to meet her little girl then. Another friend had their baby this past Monday. My cousing Jamie is due soon. A girl. It is still looking like this summer before we can even start trying. Back when I had my first set of babies, 9 months seemed to take FOREVER. Now, 9 months flies right by so even though I want to be pregnant right now, I know summer will be here before we know it!

Speaking of first babies, mine will be moving to Ohio in June! I am very sad and very happy and very excited all at the same time. Happy that she's finally made some work and college decisions. Sad she is leaving. Excited for her that her adventure is just about to begin. Sad that she is moving in with her boyfriend instead of spending a year or so in a dorm. Excited that her messy room is moving WITH her! Hayley is much neater these days, which is so blowing my mind that I am even saying that! Hayley was always the slob and Kayla always tried hard to keep her room clean.

Anyway, we had a nice talk yesterday and I informed her I was letting her stay on our cell phone plan until it runs out next February. After that, if it hasn't happened prior to that date, she will have to be on her own plan. I am packing up some of my small appliances that are new but that we have two of (Mitch did come with a few things! lol! ) or that I am not using because I recently changed the color of my kitchen. Plus I still have a lot of stuff in storage that she will need after they get settled in. Most of all, I am going to miss my baby and my suntanning buddy! Hayley and Zach don't love the beach like Kayla and I LOVE the beach. The other two go, but they don't NEED to go. Not sure how Kay will do in Ohio without the beautiful Rhode Island coast. They were going to live here instead, but after researching for myself, Ohio apartment rentals are so much cheaper than here. The two of them would have a very hard time adjusting to a new standard of living if they were to try to make a go of it here in one of the most expensive states to live in. I found a cute 1 bedroom apartment there online for $650 a month. Minimum wage there is $7.30. Assuming they are both working full time while attending school, they will be just fine. And she knows that I will drop any and everything if she needs me...

All of that got me to thinking about the other two and while they were both spending time with me last night. I mentioned that this will be what it is like when Kayla is gone. Zach was finishing up his homework and Hayley and I were reading. We talked about Hayley going to college the year after next. Zach will be in college in three years. I started thinking that even though our new baby won't be an only child, it will be one of SIX, it will be raised as an only child. It will have older working siblings that will no doubt spoil it when mom and dad aren't. And I plan on doing lots of spoiling.

Shark Steam Mop

I love love love my Shark Steam mop. Mitch bought it for me for Christmas. He got me the lavender and white one. It is cute AND works so wonderfully! Who cares that my husband bought me a MOP! Actually I asked for this specific one so my woman's lib feathers can't be ruffled! Anyway, the only thing I don't like about it is that you don't use any chemicals. Just water. I like the smell of a freshly washed floor. It heats the water to steam. Gets all the dirt and because it is so hot, the floor dries almost instantly. Because of the super hot steam, the floor is sanitized along the way. Great for when you have babies in the house! Also super good for allergy sufferers like myself. Gets any kind of dust and hair off the floor. For people going green this is a fantastic choice because like I said, no chemicals needed. A great mop for $99. It is also good for ceramic tile and hard wood which we happen to have.

The Whole Ten Yards

Not sure how I missed this movie starring Bruce Willis and Amanda Peet.

The house is starting to come together. It is just little things. Lots of little things in every room make for a busy morning. Plus I am using this opportunity to actually move furniture to sweep underneath...something that Mitch and the kids fail to do when they are helping.

Not sure what I am doing for dinner tonight. Last night was pork tenderloin, red potatoes and mixed veggies in a cheese sauce. Zach declared it the best pork tenderloin he's ever consumed. Hayley was responsible for that. I had her keep an eye on it while I took a nice hot bath. By the time my bath was over, dinner was just about ready.

Maybe I'll make some kind of pasta bake with a nice salad and some bread sticks.

I'm just taking a little break from cleaning. It is still too early to go tanning. Maybe today I'll post pics of the seal the kids and I saw last week when we were picking up our mail.

February 5, 2009

My sinuses are finally clearing up. Feeling better and sleeping better even though I am still feeling a bit tired. I am thankful I have today and tomorrow off.

The kids are off to school. I'm going to work out, tan and then clean and organize the house. By the time that is done, it will be time to pick them up.

Spring weather is supposed to be here next week. 6 weeks from tomorrow is the official start of spring. I just can't wait to have a beach day.

Zach "borrowed" his sister's iPod and left it in his pants pocket. I typically only do laundry that is where it is supposed to be. I am not a maid and don't go collecting from room to room. However, Monday I was feeling generous towards Zach and since I didn't "remind" him to get his dirty clothes together I figured I'd help him out. SOOOOOO after the wash cycle I found Hayley's iPod in the washing machine. UGH!!!! So he and I have spent the last two days drying it out and changing the subject when Hayley asks if anyone's seen her iPod. Last night we broke the news to her and she took it remarkably well. We plugged it in and it is WORKING!!!

Also...

...it is going to be 50 degrees today. A far cry from that cold snap we had!

February 2, 2009

I like writing that date! It gets me out of January!!!

Weekend update: Mitch and I spent a lot of time together this weekend. It was nice to just hang out and do what we want without HAVING to be somewhere. We did a little shopping. I got my nails done. We browsed baby stuff we'll be needing...someday...

This horrible cold is almost gone. It really stunk on Saturday that I couldn't taste anything! I was hungry but eating was not satisfying at all! Then I started worrying "what if I can never taste food again???" Thankfully, I woke up Sunday morning being able to taste a little. It still isn't what I'd call full-on, but at least it is something. Wasabi couldn't even break through on Saturday!

Most of you know I have a slight addiction to Jon & Kate Plus 8...like most of America I guess. Mitch finds Kate more than annoying. I haven't been able to figure out why I like the show so much. I think maybe because they are "real" on camera and the fact that they are Christian and love the Lord and put him first, but they are clearly not perfect and yell and bicker and for me, I think that is what I need. I am tired of watching holier than thou Christians that make nice if there is a camera rolling, seemingly never remembering that God's camera is ALWAYS rolling. Kate and Jon, but Kate especially, went thru a time when she was pregnant in which she could do nothing BUT have complete faith that God was going to get her thru that time. I cannot imagine complete bed rest and to have to be in a hospital for that. Not to mention the fact, the family is absolutely adorable!

Zach enjoyed the Super Bowl. Mitch and I actually watched a documentary series on Discovery called Jesus: The Complete Story...it was more of a factual view of the life of Jesus as opposed to a spiritual or faithful view but interesting nonetheless. We kept getting score updates but it seemed early on, to me at least, the Steelers had it in the bag, and honestly I feel the Super Bowl is boring if none of your teams are playing. I was curious about the score because I have some money on it at work...I spent $12 on four chances with the opportunity to win $300+. Hayley went to a Super Bowl party with friends in Providence and didn't get home last night until 2:30 AM! I'm not really angry even though she was supposed to be back by 10:30 PM, but she wasn't driving. Her friend's mother was and they were with her friend's family. I am more concerned that it was a school night and blah blah blah...but she was up on time and ready for school today. After an exhausting day at school, I am sure a valuable lesson will be learned!