The Borrelli Household

Meatnalls

2010-10-23T08:52:00.003-04:00

Or, as some people call it, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. You know, the movie? It is Caroline's absolute FAVORITE movie in the whole wide world. We have Netflix and ~~can~~ used to be able to before someone (cough cough Henry) broke the Wii stream movies through the Wii. The most popular of which was, as Caroline calls it, Meatnalls. So after Henry broke the Wii, I decided to be the nice mom and got Caroline her very own Meatnalls DVD. You would have thought that I gave her a gold brick. Or a pink tutu. I made the mistake of giving her the DVD right before bedtime (well, ACTUALLY, Henry gave it to her. I was going to hold on to it until morning) and she flipped. All we heard for the next 20 minutes was "MEATNALLS! MEATNALLS! MEATNALL! FATCH MEATNALLS!" until Ed got her to bed. Of course, she had a death grip on Meatnalls so he had to tuck in her AND her movie. Fast forward to 3am. I wake up to Caroline staring at me holding Meatnalls. As soon as I opened my eyes it started - MEATNALLS! Fatch Meatnalls Mommy! GIVE ME A BREAK! So I threw her into bed with me, and Henry, and Ed (you know, the guy who was snoring through all of the Meatnalls?), and for the next 3 hours she tossed and turned and whispered "meatnalls... meatnalls... fatch meatnalls..." Finally at 6am Ed woke up and put Meatnalls on for his little princess.

I'm back!

2010-09-03T09:17:00.006-04:00

For now, at least! I'll really, REALLY try to keep up with posting this time around. I swear though, three kids did me in. I was so with the program with two.... now, not so much. Speaking of kids...

Everyone's been doing pretty well, finally. Caroline broke her arm back in April (fell off the couch. WHO DOES THAT?), and had to have emergency surgery on it in the middle of the night. That was great fun - I've never had a kid 1. break their arm or 2. need surgery for anything. Fortunately she did fine, and I financed another room at good old A.I. duPont.

THEN, Ed went and tried to kill himself in a tractor trailer wreck on May 12th. Fortunately he's fine, too - shattered his pelvis and had some nasty road rash on his arm, but he's well on the way to recovery. Nothing like a few more gray hairs for the whole family...

And that's about it around here.

How do you spell...

2009-10-12T19:22:00.008-04:00

SLACKER? Because, well, that would be me. Everything's been fine on the Borrelli front, I've just been in big time vacation mode. I just couldn't get back into the regular program until, oh, this week. So, we've been good. Ed was laid off, again, but I had a good postpartum job for about a month, and then a bunch of birth clients, so it's been working out. I attended 3 births last week, and all of the babies were nice enough to have their mamas labor during daylight hours. 2 out of 3 of them arrived in time for me to get home for dinner even! I love those kinds of babies! Keith is in 1st grade now, and just turned 7 on Friday. Where did the time go??? I swear I just had him! Next thing I know he'll be driving! Henry is doing fine. He started preschool and absolutely loves it. He goes in, puts his backpack and lunch box away, then comes over and says "bye mom!" and gives me a kiss goodbye. Once in a while he asks if I'll pick him up, but more in a 'I'm trying to make conversation with you and don't really care' tone. Caroline does pretty well with daycare one day a week. She gets to see Henry, and she's a little social butterfly, so she's got it made. Last week, however, the teacher told us that she stripped down naked TEN times. Hopefully she's just getting this out of her system now. It's cute when you're one... She's been going on the potty when she's home (WHO DOES THAT???? She's 14 months old!!!!!! Henry won't even pee on the potty!!!!), and she says a few words. When the bus comes by in the morning she toddles over to the door saying Bye Keith, Bye Keith. She's growing up too quickly, too! So yeah, we're good. And since I flaked on the vacation post, here's some pictures. My parents are leaving this weekend, since it's been snowing for about a week and the temperature the other morning was -10 degrees. I am so glad I'm not there right now!

VACATION: Traveling, part one.

2009-08-25T21:51:00.007-04:00

Ed and I have taken, oh, three vacations now since we got married. We just got back on the 17th from the third! We went to Wyoming to join Keith up on a mountain at my parents' cabin. It was quite the adventure. We left here on the 7th, flew to Chicago, then caught our connecting flight into Billings, Montana. I should mention here that I HATE to fly. Hate it. We're talking almost hyperventilating. Gin gets me through flights usually. So anyways, we're flying. Because it's a 3 day drive to Wyoming, and that's with one kid. Not two. Henry had his own seat (which he sat in his carseat in... the same carseat we had to drag through all the airports in order to get it into said airplane seat)

(see the carseat on the back of the stroller?)
but Caroline got to sit in our laps. She doesn't sit still very well. and I don't cope well with a baby who wants to look out the window.

I mean, we're pretty high up! I don't want to look, but I can't not pay attention to her, because she's not too steady on the feet. Ed usually ended up looking out the window with her, while I dug holes in the armrest with my fingernails. So we're on the connection to Billings. That was an OH SO FUN flight. It's one of those small planes - not a propeller plane but the next size up. So small that Chicago's airport doesn't use one of those tunnel thingys to get to the plane. INSTEAD, they make everyone gate check their carry ons which are bigger than, oh, a purse and THEN make everyone walk down some steps and out onto the tarmac. Oh, it was pouring when we were in Chicago. Especially while we were on the tarmac waiting to board the plane. And there were some issues, so we couldn't board the plane. Instead we enjoyed the rain for 20 minutes. Caroline was screaming, Henry was shivering, I needed a drink... you get the picture. So we get on the plane, the plane takes off, Henry falls asleep, Ed takes Caroline, and I order a gin & tonic. It was only a two hour flight, so fortunately it went by pretty quickly. That is, until the pilot said we were starting our descent into Billings. And then, a few minutes later, the pilot came back on and said that there were severe thunderstorms right over Billings that he wasn't going to fly through, and we only had enough fuel to circle Billings for 20 minutes so we might just be diverting to Bozeman. THAT announcement almost put me into cardiac arrest. So we fly for a minute or two (I swore it was more like 19, but Ed says it was just a couple) while I try to figure out how exactly the pilot knew that we only had 20 minutes of fuel - was there a low fuel gauge up there? Were their calculations right? What exactly happened if we ran out of fuel 10000 feet above the ground? All of this was running through my head while we were flying in some nasty turbulence. It was not a fun time. I think I told Ed that I was going to be moving to Bozeman, or Billings, or wherever the hell the plane landed because I was D.O.N.E. done. Then the pilot came back on and said that we were, indeed detouring to Bozeman to get fuel. So we go to Bozeman, land, get some gas, take off again, and fly the hour to Billings. I still haven't figured how a quick detour because we only had 20 minutes of gas turned into an hour return flight, but whatever. We landed, TWICE, in one piece. I was pretty impressed. I was also impressed that *I* was not the poor person who's final destination was actually Bozeman, which is about 3 hours by car from Billings. I overheard that poor soul at the baggage claim on his telephone. He was, how should I put it, not a happy camper.
Finally, we were off the plane. My mom's friend who had been staying with them was leaving in the morning, so she had driven their car up to Billings to meet us. We dropped her off at her hotel and then got on the road to the mountain. Fortunately the kids were exhausted (it was about 8pm Mountain time - 10pm Eastern! They go to bed around 7pm!) The road from Billings to Sheridan (I-90) is long, and straight, and boring. And the radio stations don't come in too well, and if they do you usually end up driving out of range pretty quickly. So we drove, and drove, and drove. We took highway 16 out of Buffalo, and then had to start paying attention to the directions. The directions said something like this:
Drive 27.4 miles out of Buffalo.
Turn onto state road 123.
Drive until you see a dirt road.
Drive down the dirt road 1.2 miles.
Don't drive through the fence, but instead go through the gate.
That last bit of directions is important. I'll get to it in a minute. So we're driving down highway 16, which is a windy highway up the mountain, and all of a sudden there's a tornado warning on the radio. And said tornado is in the county we're in. According to the radio, the tornado was outside of Story, and was going to be at mile marker 212 on highway 25 at 10:20pm, mile marker 224 on highway 25 at 10:23pm, mile marker 234 at 10:27pm, and so on. I know, you're thinking where in the hell is Story and all these mile markers? Don't worry, we didn't have a clue either. We were just crossing our fingers it was nowhere where we were! Fortunately, it appeared we were nowhere near Story or any mile markers on highway 25. We finally found the road we needed to turn on off of 16, and then found the dirt road. They weren't kidding - it was a dirt road. And dirt roads don't have streetlights. About this time (which was about 11pm), the skies decided to open up. No, it wasn't a rain storm, but instead a hail storm. So I'm driving down a dirt road with no light in the mountains of Wyoming in a hail storm looking for a fence and a gate. AND, the odometer on the car doesn't appear to have tenths of a mile on it, and we need to go 1.2 miles. After we drive what I'm guessing is just over a mile, I see a fence. And then we look, and it's a gate! So I stop. Ed's staring at said gate, I'm staring at said gate, and we're both thinking this can't be the gate. So I drive through the fence and keep going. A little while later Ed and I are discussing just how far we think we've driven, and he says he sees lights that look like a cabin, but they're behind us. So I turn around. I drive BACK to the fence and the gate. And I stop with the headlights pointed at the gate, and we stare at it. After a minute or so, I say "Ed, I think that's a horse corral."
(The daylight version of said horse corral, complete with horses. See the gate? I almost drove through that!)
So we decide not to drive through the gate, but to go through the fence again. I start down the road again, and Ed says "oh look! They sent help!" A car was coming down the mountain to find up - I guess they were watching our headlights going back and forth and my cousin's husband decided someone needed to rescue us. We drove toward the lights, and lo and behold, there was a fence. AND A GATE! And it was a serious gate - no horse corral here. Keith and my dad and my cousin's husband were there to greet us, and send us up to the cabin. Finally, a little after 11pm, we had made it! Stay tuned for the next installment :)

Keith's Wyoming Trip

2009-07-19T19:32:00.004-04:00

About two weeks ago, Keith left for Wyoming with his grandparents. I've talked to him, oh, twice since then, so I think he's having fun. Fortunately, every once in a while I get a few pictures in my email box.

Conversations with Henry

2009-07-16T13:35:00.001-04:00

Me: Henry! Be careful! You just poked me in the eye!
Henry (approximately 3 inches from my eye): I poke your eye? I see your eyeball. Open your eyeball.
Me: No Henry.
Henry: Open please your eyeball. Open please your eyeball. Open please your eyeball.
Me: Fine, Henry. Don't poke it.
Henry (approximately 1 inch from my eye): MOM! A baby is in your eyeball!

Yes, Henry was amazed by his reflection in my eyeball. It's the little things, huh?

Didja miss me?

2009-07-05T21:38:00.005-04:00

I've been busy! School got out, and all the kids have been home, and it was Ed's 40th birthday, and people have been having babies, and.... I could go on and on, but I'll spare you. So, where to start? Caroline is almost 11 months old! There's a birthday coming up pretty soon!!! She's cruising like a champ, and took her first step yesterday. I promptly knocked her down and duct taped her to the floor, so we should be good around here for a little while longer. Oh, for those of you who don't know me too well, that was a joke. I just said 'no no no Caroline!' and she sat down and hasn't taken another step. Yet. She's getting so big! Keith still loves her to death - he was taking her 'shopping' the other day...

She was having a blast, until he almost dumped her out onto her head. She wasn't a fan of that. Fortunately he caught her. How, I don't know, but I'll take it. We got new storm doors, and she loves looking through the glass at what's going on in the world. She also loves to smash her face against it and smush her nose up. It's pretty funny!

Henry's been, well, Henry. After shoving the lego through his eardrum, we were good for, oh, maybe 2 weeks. Then, he decided that he should jump off of the fort part of the swingset while holding onto the swing chain. Unfortunately he doesn't have a great grasp on the mechanics of gravity, and didn't let go of said swing chain until gravity decided maybe he should. Fortunately nothing was broken, but he managed to dislocate his shoulder. Guess where we went! That was a quick trip, too. He's talking up a storm, and will reenact the whole swingset fiasco for you if you ask. On the ground, though! We've appeared to have adopted my parents' dog, Kona, and Henry just loves her to death. He helps us feed her, takes her on walks with us, and tries his hardest to get her to play fetch with him. Unfortunately, she can't see too well, so she can't see the balls that he continues to throw for her. He gets a little irritated about that, and yells "KONA! Go get ball KONA!!!!' at her, which probably confuses her even more. So, that's what we've been up to. Keith leaves on Wednesday to go to Wyoming with my parents for six weeks, so Henry and Caroline and I will have to find something to do! I think I'm going to realize quickly just how much Keith does to help out with the little guys!

I scream... you scream...

2009-06-14T20:43:00.004-04:00

We all scream for ice cream! Make another mark on that mother of the year tally sheet for me - I made ice cream from SCRATCH today! Chocolate chip ice cream even! And it was GOOD.

Back to the mint...

2009-06-14T20:11:00.004-04:00

Hey, did I mention I have mint coming out of my ears? I made mint jelly with it today! From scratch! As in, I picked the leaves, boiled the mint, added the sugar, added the pectin (what, exactly, IS pectin??), jarred it, and sealed the jars. For real. I actually succeeded in my very first attempt at canning! I'm going to make pickles next.
Making the jelly...

Warming the jars in hot water so they don't break when I pour really really hot jelly into them.

Sealing the jars. It worked!!

Mint jelly!!!

What happens to your stove when you don't use a big enough pan. Think sugar, burner, smoke, fire alarm...

No fair!

2009-06-13T15:05:00.002-04:00

I had to take Henry to the ER yesterday, seeing as he shoved a lego through his ear. We went to the pediatrician, and she recommended we go to the ER (since, you know, it had been a month since the last time we were there). We came home to drop Caroline off with Ed, and got home a few moments before he did. I put Caroline down for a nap (she was D.O.N.E. done) and Henry and I took Kona for a walk. We were walking along the driveway, and Henry saw the swingset in the backyard.
Henry: I go swingset.
Me: No - we have to go to the doctors.
Henry: I go swingset.
Me: Not now Henry. We're leaving.
Henry: NO FAIR!
Who taught him that??????

Henry! Don't stick legos in...

2009-06-11T20:25:00.004-04:00

What's that? I know you're asking yourself that. Well, THAT is a lego ax for a little lego man. I took a picture of it next to my hair band to give you an idea of its size. It's pretty skinny. So. Henry. Wait, let me first remind you of Keith's experience with a lego. Ok, you remember that incident? Well, fortunately, this lego was cheaper. Mostly since we haven't gone to the doctor yet lol. Anyways, I was watching tv and Henry was playing in the foyer. I look over at him, and he's sticking that lego ax into his ear. Stick side first. I say "HENRY! Don't stick legos in...." and he goes WHAM and slams it into his ear. And then screams hysterically. I almost threw up lol - it really looked like it hurt!! Ed came running over and pulled it out - about an inch of the lego ax was in his ear. Fortunately it wasn't bleeding or draining any fluid or anything, so we'll be checking in with the pediatrician tomorrow morning. He keeps telling me "my ear hurt bad" and insisted on a band aid for it, but it seems okay. He's been complaining about the toenail he ripped off (unrelated incident) more. I'm pretty sure I see yet another gray hair.

Caroline and the baby

2009-06-11T19:49:00.002-04:00

My friend had a baby on Saturday, and we went to see her today and give her a present (which would be a mei tai from Divas N Babes). Caroline was absolutely in love with the baby. She'd crawl over, look at him, then turn and smile at us. She was a bit confused by the socks on his hands to keep him from scratching his face, and kept trying to pull them off. She looked so big with him!! I told her that he was her future husband so she better be nice!

Yum. Corn.

2009-06-11T07:41:00.002-04:00

Keith made breakfast this morning!

2009-06-10T22:06:00.002-04:00

See what I woke up to?

Keith made breakfast for me and Henry! He set the table, put out bananas, cherries, grapefruit, and spaghettios. Yes, spaghettios. He said we had to have soup, but I only had cream of mushroom in the house and I'm not a fan of cream of mushroom, especially at 7 in the morning. So he settled for Spaghettios. He opened the can and heated them up on the stove (with a little help from his mother!). Henry was THRILLED. Henry thinks spaghettios are God's gift to Henry, so he was on cloud nine. Unfortunately for me, they needed more so I had to give up my bowl so Keith and Henry could have seconds. Bummer. But, my coffee and grapefruit were good! And it's the thought that counts!!

Remember the mint?

2009-06-07T10:16:00.002-04:00

It's coming out of my ears. So I picked some more, and made mint iced tea. From scratch, I might add.

It is officially summer!

2009-06-07T09:51:00.002-04:00

Because there is corn. And fireflies. But this post is about the corn. Last night we had the first corn on the cob of the season. Of course, there were a few glitches in the preparation of the corn, but once it was cooked, it was good.

See that thing floating in the pot of corn water? The thing on the left? I had the water boiling and was just about to stick the corn in when I looked (thank goodness) and said "what the hell is that?" Henry piped up "A cracker." Oh, of course. Crackers. In the corn water. Who WOULDN'T put crackers in the corn water? Anyways, I wouldn't, so I dumped it and started all over. Fortunately there were no crackers in the second batch of corn water. So we cooked the corn, and some steaks and some rice. The kids really enjoyed the corn and the rice - steaks, not so much. Oh well, more for me and Ed!

My little entrepreneur

2009-06-01T10:20:00.004-04:00

Did I spell that right? Anyways, Keith has decided (with a little help from his mother) that he has too many toys. So he cleared out his room, put a whole bunch of toys in boxes, and announced that he was going to sell them. And once he sold them, he would be rich and buy the Lego Death Star (retail value $399.95). I said "if you sell $400 worth of toys you can buy whatever you want." I'm wondering if those might just end up being famous last words. So last night, Keith was bugging Ed about wanting to go sell his toys. He wanted to have a yard sale, but impatience was getting the better of him. He finally wore Ed down enough who said "fine, go outside and sell your toys. Just stay in the driveway - I don't want you near the road." Henry went out with Keith, and Keith set up shop out towards the mailbox. Henry hung out on the steps waiting for Keith. Not five minutes later Keith yells "DAD! I got FIVE DOLLARS!!!" Ed goes out, makes sure he didn't sell Henry, and says "What? You sold something?" to which Keith replies "Yeah! Someone was walking buy and bought a toy for FIVE DOLLARS!"
So, apparently, you CAN sell toys out of a box in your driveway at 5pm on a Sunday. Who would have known. Now if he just sells $394.95 more, I'll be buying a Death Star. And I have a feeling he's going to want to spend every waking hour outside selling toys, now.

Caroline makes a break for it

2009-06-01T10:09:00.004-04:00

Got mint?

2009-05-24T21:01:00.008-04:00

Really, do you? Because if you don't, I can give you some. Heck, I can give you some even if you do! I have the mint patch from hell. I spent the day today with Ed ripping mint out of the flower beds and trying to tame the mint patch. I shall have mint tea until the day I die, now, because you can't just throw mint out!

That picture is how the mint patch looks now. After, oh, gee, 5 hours of gardening. Really. FIVE HOURS of ripping mint out of the flower bed. Well, maybe 4 hours of ripping mint out, and one hour of planting the new stuff.

See that mulchy bit? Around the big flowering plant (I think its an azalea)? That was ALL MINT. ALL MINT. Oh, and some ferns. And mint. And MORE mint. Did I mention that there was a lot of mint in my flower bed?

All that? That was mint, too. But now, now it is fennel, marigolds, lobelia, dill, and lavender. And in the pots are tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, and peppers. I'm going to find a new place for the pots, but it was starting to rain so I just stuck them there so I could come inside. Pretty impressive, huh?

So the mint is now drying in my mudroom. That is, oh, gee, maybe half of all the mint I pulled. Maybe. So, if you need mint, you know who to call. And you better hope you're not on my Christmas list!

Caroline and the slide

2009-05-24T20:43:00.004-04:00

Yesterday Keith decided that Caroline needed to be introduced to the slide. So he got Henry and Caroline out the front door and carried Caroline back to the swing set. Henry has some kind of magnet in him that just draws him to the swing set, so Keith didn't have to worry about him. They got out there, Henry climbed up to the fort, and then I looked out to see Keith climbing the ladder while he was holding Caroline. After my heart resumed beating, I grabbed the camera. She loved the slide, at least until Henry went down after her and landed on top of her. She wasn't a fan of that. But the slide, and Keith hauling her around the swingset - she loved those!

More kitchen pictures

2009-05-24T20:15:00.003-04:00

It's pretty much done! It looks awesome!

My little environmentalist

2009-05-22T18:33:00.001-04:00

Me: Is that your second soda today? (the rule is one soda, if ANY!)
Keith: Yes (at least he doesn't lie, right?)
Me: Did Daddy say you could have it? (because I sure as heck didn't!)
Keith: No. I got it so YOU didn't have to waste water. (emphasis on the YOU)

OK, you got me. How do you argue with that one?

My kitchen

2009-05-22T15:35:00.004-04:00

Ever since we moved in (a little over a year ago!), I've wanted to put beadboard up in my kitchen, as the backsplash and in the breakfast nook area. And guess what?!? We're finally doing it! I have some pictures of the breakfast nook which is currently under construction, but I need to find the cord to get them uploaded. But, until then, check it out!

Friday Five

2009-05-22T15:30:00.002-04:00

Look, it's Friday again!

1. It sounds like it's going to be a decent weekend!
2. I'm teaching a class tomorrow morning.
3. The peonies bloomed and I cut them and put them on the table and they smell SO GOOD! And, I got rid of the ants before I brought them in.
4. Speaking of ants, our ant infestation is gone.
5. My kitchen is looking great!

Free Family Wellness Fair 5/16/09 in Media

2009-05-14T10:27:00.001-04:00

I have a booth there! Come see me!!

We have had several late vendor additions to the list below, so it's going to be a great day with lots of entertainment and information for the whole family. Please join us and tell all your friends and family to do the same!

Free Local Family Wellness Fair on 5/16/09

The Delaware County, PA chapter of the Holistic Moms Network, in conjunction with Ohm Chiropractic Center , is sponsoring a Wellness Fair on Saturday, May 16, 2009 from 11am to 4pm at Ohm Chiropractic located at 327 N. Middletown Road, Media, PA 19063. Free lectures start at 11am and fair festivities start at noon.

This family-friendly event is open to the public and free! Come early and bring your entire family to enjoy the lovely spring day and the scheduled outdoor activities. There will be an assortment of BBQ and vegan food available, live music throughout the day, raffles and more!

There will be free: massages, small reiki sessions, spinal check ups, reflexology sessions, adult yoga class and several fun children’s activities. Some of the vendors will represent a variety of products: essential oil bath and beauty products, handmade candles, handmade scarves, Ergo baby carriers, Juice Plus whole food supplements, handmade jewelry, Shaklee cleaning products and Selene Whole Food Co-op. There will also be several well-known area birth services, local non-profit organizations and other wellness practitioners with informational booths. Scheduled lectures include vaccine choice, homeopathy for moms and kids and traditional Chinese medicine for children.

For more information, please contact Heather Busovsky.

Oh, Henry.

2009-05-12T17:47:00.003-04:00

God bless that child. Really. Because of him, I need to buy stock in hair dye. So the other day he came in and said "I flush Jenga Fett down toilet." Yup, you understood that correctly - he flushed Jenga Fett down the upstairs toilet. Fortunately, Jenga Fett was just a lego and apparently went the way of the fishes just fine. So Ed and I explained to Henry that flushing toys was NOT appropriate, and Keith pitched a fit directed at Henry about how flushing his legos down the toilet was not cool. Yes, Jenga Fett was actually Keith's lego. So we made sure to keep the door shut and thought we had solved our flushing problem. Yeah. Until the other day when the toilet wouldn't flush properly. I tried twice and then told Ed about it. Toilets are NOT my department. So Ed worked on it. Nada. Wouldn't flush. So today we went out to my brother's house to get the snake to REALLY work on the toilet. Get home, Ed goes to work on it, I take ALL the kids to pick Keith up from school (I had to pick up something from his teacher). We get home, and Ed has the toilet on the front yard. I should have known that this was not a good sign and kept on driving, but I'm a glutton for punishment. We get out of the car, and Henry starts clapping and saying "I flush Jenga Fett!!" Um, yeah Henry. We got it. He also flushed one of Keith's medium sized chunky Star Wars figures. And a Weeble. A chunky Star Wars figure and a Weeble can seriously mess up a toilet, let me tell you. Fortunately, Ed was able to get them out of said toilet and get the toilet reinstalled in the upstairs bathroom. And promptly installed locks on the OUTSIDE of all bathroom doors in this house. Did I mention I need to buy stock in hair color???
OH, and then today. After the toilet excitement. Henry came into the kitchen pointing at his nose saying "bool. nose. bool. nose." I kept asking him what he was saying - "Your nose hurts? Your nose is bleeding? You want milk?? WHAT HENRY???" Henry grabs a butter knife out of the silverware drawer (yeah, that's a whole other post) and starts poking at his nose with it. I, being the caring mother I am, said "We don't stick knives up our nose, Henry" and took it away. He wandered off mumbling about bool and noses, and I didn't think anything else of it. About 1/2 hour later, Ed had to run to the store and said he'd take Henry with him. Took him out to the car, buckled him in, then came back in and said "where are the tweezers?" Yup, Henry had shoved a bool bead up his nose. A bool bead is Henryspeak for a blue bead. I am so glad Ed is handy with a pair of tweezers!
God bless Henry.

May the Force be with you

2009-05-10T07:55:00.001-04:00

Nine months old!

2009-05-10T07:48:00.003-04:00

Caroline is going to be nine months old on Tuesday! Where has the time gone? She's cruising around, standing whenever she gets near something to hold on to, and claps and waves 'bye-bye'. She even SAYS 'bye-bye' when she's waving, usually in response to someone telling her no.

Easter!

2009-05-10T07:36:00.004-04:00

Wow, I'm a bit late, huh? I thought I had posted about Easter, but then I uploaded my pictures from the camera and realized all of the pictures from dying eggs were still on it! So, have a look at the egg coloring festivities. Henry didn't figure out too quickly that throwing the eggs on the floor was NOT the way to go.

Friday Five

2009-05-08T22:38:00.002-04:00

It's Friday again! Yeah, I've missed a few, but here's today's five...
1. My friend Tracy, who has traveled a long road to get to this point, adopted a baby girl earlier this week and gets to celebrate her first Mother's Day this weekend!
2. I think I have figured out a great birthday present for Ed's 40th.
3. My Swiffer Wet Jet.
4. My first repeat client ever!
5. Replacement windows.

It's my party and I'll...

2009-04-30T09:12:00.003-04:00

mop the floor! That's right folks, it was my birthday yesterday! I'm 29. For real. Don't check with Keith though, he'll lie to you and tell you I'm older than that. Anyways, it was a good day. Henry has figured out how to talk so he's been jabbering to make up for the last 2 years. All day he'd come up and say "Mom, it's YOUR birthday?" like that was the strangest thing he had ever heard. Keith was so excited to give me my present. He kept telling me how much I'd love it, how great it was, so I had to open it first. Guess what it was... a Swiffer Wet Jet! So, and I quote, "you don't have to use a BUCKET when you mop the floor anymore, mom! You just PUSH A BUTTON!!!!" Gotta love kids - how sweet is that? Now, if it was Ed who gave me a mop for my birthday it wouldn't have been as cute. Caroline gave me a giftcard to the book store, and Henry gave me, to quote Keith again, "a box that you push a button on that wine comes out of." Gotta love Henry. I think the little guys had a bit of help from their father. AND I got a midwifery book that I've wanted for a while from my parents, AND flowers! I haven't gotten flowers since I had Keith! So we spent the day mopping the floors. I guess that's what moms do for their birthdays! Oh, and I almost forgot - a former client of mine called the day before my birthday needing to hire me - my first repeat client! So all in all it's been a good birthday!

The end is near

2009-04-15T06:08:00.002-04:00

Caroline is STANDING UP. It's all over. Next thing you know she'll be cruising, then walking, then in preschool, then driving.... ACK! She pulled herself up on the couch yesterday with the biggest smile ever. Then she did it again. And again. And of course, Keith and Henry are encouraging this behavior. Help me!

Another late Friday Five

2009-04-11T08:42:00.002-04:00

I was at a birth Thursday night/Friday morning, so I came home and slept the rest of the day. Sorry I missed posting, but, you know, it wouldn't have been a coherent Friday five. I was pretty tired. Anyways, I'm thankful that...

1. A baby girl was born on Wednesday!
2. A baby boy was born on Friday!
3. Wednesday and Friday are not the same day, nor are they consecutive days.
4. I don't have any babies due at the moment so I can sleep and not wake up in a panic that I missed a phone call.
5. Easter is tomorrow and I won't miss it this year!

Yardwork

2009-04-05T19:18:00.003-04:00

It was a nice day today so we decided to do some yard work. Ed got a new lawn mower from my parents, and today was the perfect day to try it out for the first time, seeing as the grass was getting to be a bit on the long side. But first we had to weed. and clean up the flower beds. And rake the leaves (did you know leaves don't just disappear if you ignore them in the fall??). Henry "helped."

Fun at the park

2009-04-05T19:08:00.003-04:00

The other day it was really nice out (one of the first nice days in a while!), so Ed took the kids to the park. They had a blast. Some lady was riding her horse (pony?) by the park and let Keith sit on it - he was thrilled.

Henry's favorite video

2009-04-02T12:21:00.000-04:00

Cross your fingers that Henry wants to grow up to be like Elmo!

Since I've been slacking...

2009-03-28T21:18:00.005-04:00

And Jane was kind enough to point out that I've missed, oh, a month worth of Friday Fives, I figure I'll do one today. I meant to post more this week, but my hard drive on my computer died. Sound familiar? Why yes, I *did* just replace a hard drive back in December. And no, it wasn't the same computer. And yes, I *did* learn my lesson in December about backing up your work so I didn't have to repeat that lesson. So my computer was in the shop and I only just got it back this morning. So, anyways.
I'm thankful that...
1. I have a working computer, again.
2. People sell used books cheap on Amazon.
3. Villanova is in the Final Four.
4. Ed took Caroline out last night so I could go to bed early. At 6:30.
5. Henry can talk!

Wow... how time flies!

2009-03-20T08:23:00.002-04:00

Where have I been? It's been 2 weeks since I last posted! Oops! Caroline turned 7 months old on the 12th. She's crawling, has 7 teeth, pulls herself up on stuff. I'm taking bets as to when she starts walking. I'd post a picture but Ed has the camera. Henry started talking in sentences yesterday. That one blew me away. Up until, oh, the day before yesterday I was pretty much the only one who could understand him, and I couldn't even understand him too well. Then yesterday he came in and said "Mom I want chocolate milk. Caroline bumped me in the head." Umm... WHAT? We went from "I choc mik" to a whole sentence in less than 24 hours? Go figure! I'll take it though. I attended a birth last week, and I'm on call for a couple more. So I might disappear again - births can take a lot out of you! So that's what is going on here... pretty uneventful.

Amy's Risotto

2009-03-06T13:58:00.002-05:00

Last night we had risotto for dinner. I absolutely love risotto. I found a recipe in Rachael Ray's Orange cookbook that I was planning on making - butternut squash risotto - but about 10 minutes before our friend arrived I found out that we didn't actually have the butternut squash for said risotto. So I improvised. And this is what I came up with. Make it. It is good.

Chop up a medium sized onion and a couple of garlic cloves. Saute them in olive oil over medium high heat for 5 or so minutes. Add 1 1/3 cups of arborio rice (whatever it's called. You know, risotto rice.) and saute for a minute or two. Add half a cup of white wine and cook for about a minute. Oh, while you're doing this have some chicken broth simmering on another burner. Then, once the wine cooks off, ladle in some chicken broth - about 3 or 4 ladles. Cook it down, stirring frequently. Repeat. Repeat again. Keep repeating until the rice isn't hard. Takes about 1/2 hour or so. Once the rice is cooked, turn off the burner, add in 3 handfuls of parmesan cheese, a can of artichoke hearts (drained and chopped), and a can of black olives (drained and chopped). Oh, and a splash of lemon juice. Let it sit up for a minute or two, then eat. It's good. Really, really good.

Friday Five

2009-03-06T10:48:00.002-05:00

1. Even though the kids are sick, I'm not. Knock on wood.
2. Mail. I love mail.
3. Henry started talking in complete sentences!
4. Sentences which I can understand!
5. Risotto. I love risotto, too.

It's a long wait for the bus!

2009-03-04T10:23:00.003-05:00

Friday Five

2009-02-27T11:49:00.003-05:00

1. Ed had an interview today. I haven't heard from him yet and it's been 2 hours - I wonder if that's a good sign?
2. I got a client from a friend yesterday!
3. Caroline is taking a nap and Henry has shown no interest in waking her up (knock on wood).
4. Keith is spending the night at his grandparents tonight.
5. Henry is a good eater.

Am I old fashioned?

2009-02-25T17:05:00.002-05:00

Or what? I went to Target today, and had to stop and look at the little girl clothes. I just can't help myself - I've been dealing with little boy clothes for long enough! I can't wait until Caroline can walk so she can wear some cute dresses. Crawling and dresses don't go together too well. Anyways, they had their spring/summer clothes out. And it made me realize that I must be a prude or something! They had bikinis for little babies! Like size 6 months! And shorts which wouldn't even cover Caroline's diaper! WHAT IS UP WITH THAT?? I found a couple of cute things, like a pink one piece swimsuit with a ruffly skirt. And some pink jeans with a peasant shirt. But probably 90% of the clothes were just... hoochie! Little girls have to grow up fast enough - this trying to dress 6 month olds like they are fifteen is for the birds! I found it pretty easy to restrain myself and not buy anything, unfortunately. So please tell me there are still places to buy cute little girl clothes! I can't sew well enough to make all of Caroline's clothes!

Teeth

2009-02-25T08:26:00.002-05:00

I was just reading some past posts, and noticed that not even two weeks ago I mentioned that Caroline had three teeth. Want to know how my past two weeks have been? Here's a hint: Caroline now has SIX teeth. Yes, that is six. As in the same number of months old she is. As in more than I can count on one hand. As in more than any six month old NEEDS! Hopefully we'll get a bit of a break on the teething front around here now. Cross your fingers!

I was on CNN!

2009-02-23T10:51:00.003-05:00

How funny is that? Actually, a tweet from twitter of mine was on CNN, but Don Lemon said "Amy" and was referring to *this* Amy. And my picture was on there. Just ask Keith! And what makes it even better is I ABSOLUTELY LOVE CNN. I could watch it 10 hours a day. I probably do lol.

Deep thoughts from Amy

2009-02-22T20:42:00.003-05:00

WARNING: Infant loss mentioned (in this entry and the link posted). Figured you'd want to know ahead of time.

Anyways, I read the blog little birdie, little bunny... - it's one of the blogs over there in my blog list. It's written by a mom who had planned a homebirth with her first child, birdie, who unfortunately passed away during labor. She transported during labor, had an emergency cesarean, but her baby had passed away. She just had another child, bunny, in September I believe... he's right around Caroline's age. Anyways, she just posted a couple of posts over the last couple of days which got me thinking, namely this one and this one. As you probably known, I'm a huge proponent of homebirth. Henry and Caroline were both born at home, and I truly believe that in most cases it is a safe option for healthy, low risk pregnant moms. When I first read her post, I wanted to comment, but I know that nothing I say will change her mind about homebirth. And I don't think it should be changed! I'm 99.99999% sure that if one of my children had passed away during labor at home, I'd be having any future children in a hospital. Unfortunately, not all hospitals are like the one she delivered her children in. For many women, it's not only a choice about location, it's a choice about having control. It's a choice about having what the research has shown to be best for baby in most cases - a labor which starts naturally. A labor which is not augmented with pitocin. Freedom to move around. Intermittent versus continuous fetal monitoring. A labor which is not dependent on the clock. Freedom to eat and drink during labor. In some hospitals, you can get all that, but not many hospitals, at least around here. The US has a cesarean rate of over 30%. One in three women have their babies via major abdominal surgery. No one can look me in the eye and tell me that one out of three women honestly cannot have a baby the old fashioned way. If that's so, it's a wonder the human race hasn't fallen off of the face of the planet. Anyways, I digress. It happens when I start talking about pregnancy and childbirth lol. So back to my thoughts about the posts. I kind of agree with her, to a point. I think women need to know ALL of the pros and cons of homebirth before they make a decision to have their baby at home. Usually, everything goes fine. Usually. Sometimes, it doesn't. Usually, when it doesn't go fine, there is a competent, trained midwife, like the midwife who caught Caroline and Henry, who can either deal with the problem, or knows that it is outside her scope and it is time to transport. Sometimes, there isn't. Women need to research their options, and decide what is best for them. For some, it's homebirth. For others, it's a hospital. I think my only problem with her posts is that it sounds like she's saying homebirth is never a safe option. I think what she's actually saying is that she wishes women who chose homebirth realize that things can go horribly, tragically wrong, and she's living proof. And it sounds callous when you face that reality head on and say "I know that babies die, but I'm still going to have mine at home." That sounds like you're cheapening her loss in a way. Like you want the experience more than the result. While I can't speak for everyone in the world who has a homebirth, I can speak for me. I said that. I know that babies die. I still wanted to have mine at home. I wrecked a car, in a big way, and STILL wanted to have my baby at home. When I write it out like that, it sounds really selfish. It wasn't, however. I wanted to have my baby at home because I had done all the research. I'd read everything I could get my hands on about homebirth, and hospital birth, and what could go wrong where. I knew that there was a chance, no matter how small it was, that my baby could die, but that small chance would be present at the hospital as well as home. I chose a midwife who I trust with my life, who is extremely knowledgeable, and who wouldn't hesitate to transport if it was necessary. And in the end, I felt in my heart that having my baby at home would be safer for both of us. And, I was one of the many women who had a safe, uneventful birth at home. I guess I'm lucky because of that. I don't think I could ever forgive myself if something had gone wrong and Caroline wasn't with us, but I think I'd feel that way if I had chosen a hospital birth, too. Anyways, I'm off on a tangent again. Someone said "Birth is as safe as life gets." I believe that, but I also believe that life isn't all that safe all the time. And the same goes for birth. I think I just hope that Birdie's mom understands that women who birth at home aren't doing it to be selfish, and they're not denying the fact that they could be in her shoes. They do it because they believe it's what is best for their baby. After all, isn't that what moms do? What is best for their children? I know I do, no matter how many times I joke about drugging them or duct taping them to the wall! My heart just breaks for Birdie's mom, and I wish no one, her included, would ever have to lose a child. So, if you're thinking about having a homebirth, make sure you do your research. Read her story. Read the statistics. Read about hospitals. Talk to other moms. Talk to midwives. Educate, educate, and educate yourself. And then do whatever it is that you feel is best for your child. And yes, a very pro homebirth mom is saying that! I'm the first to admit that if we all did the same thing the world would be a very boring place lol. And while I wish everyone would have a homebirth, or at the VERY least honestly consider it (I mean beyond the "oh, you can have a baby at home? huh, I didn't know that" consideration), I really think I'm on the same page as Birdie's mom when I say make an educated, informed decision.

And THAT would be Amy's random thoughts for the month. Don't expect another mega long blog post anytime soon!

Random Findings on the Web

2009-02-22T17:53:00.001-05:00

10 Most Insane Medical Practices in History
an excerpt:

To aide the stressed 19th-century mother, a series of "soothing syrups," lozenges and powders were created, all which were carefully formulated to ensure they were safe for use by those most vulnerable members of the family. Oh, no, wait. Actually, they pumped each bottle full of as many narcotics as it could hold.

No, I'm not getting any ideas. Really, I'm not.

What's in a flu shot?

2009-02-21T17:47:00.001-05:00

It would be even funnier if it wasn't true!

Benefits of getting organized...

2009-02-21T17:20:00.002-05:00

I got the paperwork back today - my kids are on CHIP! WOO HOO PARTY! Henry is once again free to do what it is that Henry does. I must say, I am amazed at how quickly I heard back from them, considering it is a government agency I was dealing with, and government agencies aren't really known for their speed, if you know what I mean. But I'm not complaining!

Friday Five

2009-02-20T22:46:00.001-05:00

1. No pudge brownie mix
2. My dad who can fix computers
3. And the laptops he gives me when he doesn't want to fix computers
4. Henry for making me laugh every day
5. savvydoula

Why you should keep important documents in a safe place

2009-02-17T16:45:00.002-05:00

So, my purse has been missing for a week or two. It was a nice purse, too. In it was my license and my social security card (you know, the one that says don't carry in your purse? That one? Yeah.). I applied to get my kids on CHIP for health insurance since Ed is unemployed and we have no health insurance and we have a Henry, and they needed birth certificates, ID, and social security cards for the whole family.

Oh my good lord.

I am NOT organized AT ALL. So I tracked down the kids info (they've only been on the planet for a few years - I haven't had a chance to lose their stuff yet). Ed had his ID and social security card, but no birth certificate. OH, and he changed his name in 1997 and didn't have THAT piece of paper, either. So he spent the day on Friday going from the courthouse in Wilmington to the birth certificate place in Newark, back to the courthouse, and had to go back to both this AM. Got all of his info.

Then there's me. My wallet and purse have been MIA for a couple of weeks now. I kept thinking they'd show up.... yeah. They haven't. Have you EVER tried to get any type of ID when you don't have any? It's downright impossible. The DMV wanted my social security card, social security wanted my driver's license, the CHIP people wanted my birth certificate and proof of my citizenship (which, according to them, my social security card is NOT. According to social security, it IS. And my consular paper? That would be MIA.) So we got Keith on the bus, piled the little guys into the car, and headed off to Media to the DMV. I had spent the morning on the phone, and they said that I could get my license if I bring in my vehicle registration. I didn't know that a vehicle registration was any type of ID, but whatever. I get there, get in line, and wait. 45 minutes later, I'm at the front of the line, and the guy comes out and says that they can't give out licenses because the system is down. I ask if I can get just a photo ID and deal with the license later, and he says to wait for the girl at the window. Somehow she manages to get me a duplicate of my license. I don't have a clue how it worked, because the systems were still down, but I took it. Then we went to Chester to the Social Security office. Note: DON'T go to Social Security on the day after a holiday. One hour later, I got a printout with my social security number on it, and a note saying that yes, it was proof that I am a citizen, because I had proved my citizenship to them 15 years ago (I was born in France). THEN we went to the CHIP people. Somehow I managed to skip the whole long line. I wasn't going to question that, either. So I unload my pile of birth certificates, social security cards, proof of income, you name it on the lady. I told her that I didn't have my birth certificate, I had to deal with the French Embassy to get it, and I had applied for a new consular form but I wasn't going to have it by tomorrow (when they need it). She said someone would get back to me. So I get home. I fill out the paperwork for the State Department and it's ready to mail in the AM. Then I called the Embassy. I speak French, but it's a bit rusty. And, unfortunately, they told me I would have to call the town hall in the town I was born in to get a copy of my birth certificate. I called my dad to see if he would call them because his French is better than mine, and he thought that he might have a copy of my birth certificate and my consular paperwork. He called me back and he had the original of my birth certificate and a copy of my consular paper. CHIP only needs a copy, so I'm in luck!

Do you think this is a sign I should get organized?!?

Bathroom Break?

2009-02-14T14:57:00.005-05:00

Who in their right mind would think that they could take a two second bathroom break in this house? I think someone is trying to follow in Henry's footsteps!

Please note, the Spongebob bandaid on Henry's head is only a fashion statement. And what a fashion statement it is!

I did it again.

2009-02-13T11:20:00.003-05:00

And it was a big one. I missed Caroline's birthday. Her SIX MONTH birthday. She was half a year old yesterday. AND, last night she slept through the night! My baby is growing up! She can do her military crawl thing like a champ now. She chases her brothers and the cat all over the place. And, she got her third tooth the other day, right next to the other two.

Playing is hard work!

2009-02-11T10:50:00.001-05:00

Saturday's Song

2009-02-07T16:19:00.002-05:00

Friday Five

2009-02-06T17:13:00.002-05:00

1. Keith has been entertaining Caroline for the past hour.
2. Henry knows some colors. Namely blue and yellow (boo and lello), but still.
3. My dining room is mostly clean.
4. Mom's group is Wednesday so I can hang out with some friends.
5. In three hours every child in the house will be in bed.

The Splinter Saga

2009-02-05T19:01:00.005-05:00

Keith got a splinter in his foot Monday morning - he was running around with his brother, we have hardwood floors... you see where I'm going with this? Anyways, Ed managed to get a HUGE chunk out of his foot Monday, and we could see that there was a little sliver left in his foot, but Keith was downright hysterical and it was pretty deep, so we thought we'd give it a little while. Had his soak his foot in Epsom salts, put some Neosporin on it... we did this a couple of times Monday, and then a couple of times Tuesday before school. Tuesday he goes to school, and the nurse called me to tell me his foot looked horrible and was infected. Um, oops. Before you give me the bad mom award, please know I have 1. a foot hangup and 2. a splinter hangup so I was trying not to look too closely at his foot. Ed and Keith were in charge of putting Neosporin on it. She suggested we take him in to the pediatrician. I call, get him an appointment that afternoon, and take him in. Oh, I forgot to mention, I don't currently have any insurance. I *could* COBRA our old insurance, but it's $1000 a month, so I'm hoping I don't have to. I have until 3/5 to decide though. Back to the story. I call my brother and beg him to take Henry for me, because the thought of taking all three kids to the pediatrician for an infected foot which you KNOW she's going to poke at was not on the top of my to do list. Oh, did I mention this was all happening in the middle of that snowstorm? Yeah. Adam was kind enought to agree to watch Henry, so I took him over there and then got Keith to the doctors. Sure enough, his foot was infected. Sure enough, she wanted to look at it. Key word there - LOOK. Not TOUCH, LOOK. Keith was NOT having it. He flipped out, screaming and crying and carrying on, the doctor was looking at me like *I* could reason with him, I'm trying to console a crying Caroline and convince Keith that SHE WAS NOT GOING TO TOUCH THE FOOT. Didn't work. So the doctor gave up, said put him on some antibiotics and come back on Thursday. At least she didn't tell me to take him to the ER where they had restraints, right? Because if she had I think I would have had a breakdown. So I pay them (cough cough seventy dollars cough cough) and load 2 out of 3 kids into the car and go get Henry. Take them all home, dump them off with Ed, and go to the pharmacy. I give the pharmacist the prescription and she says "is your insurance info the same?" and I said "no, actually, I don't have any. Can you get me the generic please?" Twenty minutes later, my debit card is smoking from the $89.99 charge at the pharmacy for a GENERIC ANTIBIOTIC. Yeah. Fast forward to today. We go back to the doctors, with all the kids this time. And Ed, because the doctor asked for two parents to be there to hold Keith down when she tried to get the rest of the splinter out. So we get in the room, I give Caroline to the receptionist, and the doctor gets the tweezers out. And, again, all hell breaks loose. The nurse comes in and gets Henry, because Keith is screaming and Henry is crying and did I mention all hell was breaking loose? Funniest part was Keith calmed down enough to catch his breath and said "Are you going to get my splinter?" when the doctor was halfway done digging around in his foot. I guess it didn't hurt as bad as he was letting on! So she pulls out about six little tiny splinters, puts the tweezers down, and looks at his foot again. Says "I really think there's more in there, squeezes it a little, and a ONE INCH SPLINTER comes out of his foot!!!! NO WONDER IT WAS INFECTED!!!! So now, all is well in the land of Keith's foot. He's got antibiotics in his system, neosporin on his foot, and no more splinters. His mom is broke, but I think it was money well spent!

This friend..

2009-02-02T20:03:00.003-05:00

This friend is always looking out for others and so eager to help others. He is often the first to volunteer to help whenever help is needed. He cares a lot about his friends and cares about trying his best in his schoolwork. He is very polite - you can often see him holding doors for children or adults as they are leaving the building. The great thing about this friend is the pride I see in him when he helps others.

That is what Keith's teacher had to say when she presented him with his award on Friday for caring. I must say, I am VERY proud of him!!

Is it cold in here or is it just me?

2009-01-28T07:33:00.003-05:00

At 5:08 this morning, my cell phone rang. Yes, you read that right. 5:08 AM. So, after Caroline and I recovered from our heart attacks (my cell phone is LOUD), I answered it to hear that school was closed. Really? REALLY?? They had to CALL me at 5:08 AM to tell me that school was closed?? WHEN THERE IS AN INCH OF ICE OUTSIDE AND PLOWS HAVE BEEN GETTING STUCK ON MY STREET???? I couldn't have figured THAT bit of news out on my own????? And did I mention that the bus comes to pick my child up at 12:12 PM? Talk about some advance notice. So anyways, I got that bit of news, hung up the phone, and tried to go back to sleep. And then I thought "man, it is COLD." The heat is turned down at night in our house, but to something like 60 degrees. So I laid in bed for a few minutes willing the heat to kick on. So at 5:30 I decided that it was REALLY cold and I should go turn the heat up. Sometimes the thermostat doesn't get the message to the heater that it needs to turn on, so I figured that was what was going on. I go downstairs, flip the light on, and look at the thermostat. 53 DEGREES. THAT IS COLD! So I pushed the button to make the heater turn on. Nothing. So I clicked the temperature setting down below 53 and then back up, thinking THAT would work. Nada. I just had an oil delivery earlier this month, so I was pretty sure we had oil. We BETTER have oil - that delivery was $$! So I open the basement door to go check on the burner and realize that SOMEONE (cough cough Henry cough cough) had flipped the emergency shutoff switch to the OFF position. Easy fix. I love Henry.
Oh, and it's 7:44am right now and it's still only 61 degrees, and the burner appears to need to take a break after being on for 2 hours straight.

Oh no. Please, no.

2009-01-25T08:23:00.003-05:00

So. Henry. You know this is going to be good, don't you? Anyways, ever since Henry figured out how to launch himself out of his crib, his bedtime and nap routine has consisted of us tucking him in and shutting the door. He'd cry for a minute and then go to sleep. He'd sometimes fall asleep on the floor right inside the door, but we'd move him into his bed if he did that. Wow, written out that routine sounds downright cruel, but we tried everything else. In Henry's ideal world he would NEVER sleep, and if he has any type of audience (like, say, his mom or dad laying down with him in an attempt to get him to fall asleep) he will NOT sleep. The boy can stay awake FOREVER. So anyways, the other day Henry showed me how he could open the basement door (make note AI Dupont - I can see an accident just waiting to happen!). He was really proud of himself. So Ed said we'd get a lock for the top of the door. No biggie. Last night, however, 7pm came around, Ed got Henry ready for bed, tucked him in, and shut the door. 5 minutes later, Henry was back in the living room. So Ed took him back up, shut the door, came downstairs. And 3 minutes later, Henry was back. Yes, Henry can open his OWN door, too. Shoot me now. I have no idea what to do with the little monkey. Ed said we should lock his door, but I have one of those "what if the house caught on fire and the key was lost or got really hot and..." fears so locking the door won't work. And I guess CPS frowns on duct tape. Ideas, anyone?!? He better be an angelic teenager for everything he's putting me through as a toddler!

Friday Five

2009-01-23T13:59:00.001-05:00

I'm thankful that...
1. Obama is president
2. My taxes are almost finished
3. Ed changes diapers
4. Ed cooks
5. Ed got a job

So proud!

2009-01-22T18:37:00.002-05:00

Keith came home from school today with the usual pile of papers. In the middle of the pile was a folded piece of paper which said "to the parent/guardian of Keith Borrelli." Uh oh. Growing up letters addressed to my parent/guardian were NEVER good. So I opened it. And it said...

To the Parents/Guardians of: Keith
You are invited to our Spirit Assembly on Friday, January 30th at 10:00 (AM class) 2:00 (PM class). Your child has been selected to receive a special award for showing the character trait of Caring this month. Please do not tell your child, it is supposed to be a surprise. It would be wonderful if you or a family member could attend. Please confirm that you received this note and let me know if you will be able to attend. Congratulations - you have a right to be very proud of your little one!

Well. Isn't that enough to make you tear up? I think that parent/guardian letter is going into the baby book! And I will definitely be at the Spirit Assemby on the 30th! Way to go Keith!

A New Day!

2009-01-20T16:53:00.002-05:00

I am JEALOUS!

2009-01-17T12:48:00.002-05:00

So, as you probably know, Obama is on his train ride to the Inauguration and stopped in Wilmington, DE. He's giving a speech there. RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY FRIEND'S HOUSE!!! Who gets that lucky??? Why can't *I* live on the Wilmington riverfront? And why didn't I think about making an unannounced visit to my friend's house?? I can't wait for Tuesday - it seems like it was ages ago that Obama won the presidential election. I can't wait to see what will happen once he is president.

And in other news, a plane crashed in the Hudson. Sorry, that was mean. I think the pilot of that plane has some absolutely AMAZING piloting skills. And if I was to ever fly again, I would hope that he'd be my pilot. However, that plane crash and the ensuing news coverage (you know, 500+ hours on CNN?) has thoroughly convinced me that flying is NOT the way to go. Good thing my friend already HAD her wedding in Miami, because I would NOT be flying down there this May. Nope. It took a lot of gin and tonic to get me to fly down there two years ago!

Henry, also known as his mother's son

2009-01-14T06:59:00.002-05:00

So, first off, my mom sent me this email this morning saying "did you send them this?" with this link. I was reading it around 6:30am, so I was scrolling through the article thinking "who would I send this to? I *know* kids can poison themselves, I have a Henry!" and then I got about halfway through the article. Go on, read it. I'll wait.

HA! HOW FUNNY IS THAT???? I have a famous son! Either that or someone is going to call CPS on me. I certainly got a kick out of it. I guess people *do* read my blog, huh?? Anyways, so back to Henry. I had a postpartum meeting yesterday afternoon (those are after the birth when I go check in with the mom and get to ooh and aah over the baby. Fun!), so I left Ed in charge of the kids. Well, Keith wasn't home yet, so it was just the little guys. I wasn't even to the exit off of I95 when my phone ran, and I answered it to hear Ed say "Henry is definitely YOUR child." Uh oh. Henry, apparently, had one of Keith's beads - you know, the larger ones that you can string together in Kindergarten? Not the huge ones, but the ones that are, oh, about the size of a nostril? Yeah. See where I'm going with this? Henry found out just how close to the size of a nostril they are. Apparently, they're a perfect Henry nostril size. He shoved it up his nose. Fortunately, he told Ed right away. Also fortunately, Ed is handy with a pair of tweezers and got it OUT of said nose without having to take him to the Emergency Room. Exciting times, let me tell you.
Oh, and why he says he's my child? Well, apparently, I was famous as a child for sticking beads and buttons and the like up my nose.

Five Months Old

2009-01-12T18:59:00.002-05:00

Miss Caroline celebrated her five month birthday today. She's a little over 14 pounds and 25.5 inches long. She's trying SO hard to crawl, and can get all over the place by rolling or crawling military style. She's in 3-6 month clothes, and got her first real food today. I figure with two teeth she'd be okay with some sweet potatoes. Happy birthday Caroline!

The Tooth Fairy is coming!!!!

2009-01-12T18:55:00.005-05:00

The tooth fairy will be visiting our house tonight! Yes, Keith has lost his tooth. He woke me up this morning by yelling "MOM! IT'S OUT!!!!" and showing me his tooth. It's now sitting in a shot glass next to my computer awaiting bedtime, which might just be early tonight! I guess my little guy is growing up, huh?!? And yes, I *did* take decent pictures of him showing off his tooth or lack thereof, but when I uploaded them you either couldn't see his eyes because they were closed or couldn't see his tooth because he had his mouth shut. So we were left with this one...

**Update** Keith just informed me that tonight is "the most excitingest night" of his life! I hope the tooth fairy remembers to come!

Saturday's Song

2009-01-10T09:20:00.001-05:00

Friday Five

2009-01-10T09:14:00.002-05:00

Yeah, I KNOW it's a day late. Sorry! These Fridays keep sneaking up on me! Anyways, I'm thankful that...
1. Keith is pretty healthy. He might need glasses, but that's nothing in the whole scheme of things.
2. Caroline is growing like a weed. Did I mention she's trying to CRAWL?
3. People buy random stuff on Ebay.
4. It's not snowing... yet.
5. The Eagles are in the playoffs!!!!

What the.....????

2009-01-08T15:17:00.001-05:00

Caroline is doing her damnedest to crawl. SHE ISN'T EVEN 5 MONTHS OLD YET!!!!! She does that millitary crawl thing to get all over the place as it is, and today she got up on her hands and knees.

Send tequila. Please.

Update on Mr. double vision...

2009-01-07T15:31:00.002-05:00

Sorry it took me so long to post - someone went and had a baby today! If you want to know how to get someone to have a baby, be sure to schedule a whole bunch of doctor appointments that you really can't miss. That ALWAYS does it. I was on my way to appointment #2 of the day yesterday when my phone rang - it was my client saying her OB had sent her into labor and delivery and she was going to be induced. Fortunately, L&D works really slow when it comes to inductions, so I made it to Keith's appointment AND managed to get a full night of sleep in before she needed me. Baby girl was born early this afternoon! Keith's neurologist said that everything looked fine except that his eyes weren't perfectly lined up - they'd track together just fine, but one eye seemed off a tiny tiny bit. So that could be causing the double vision - she said it might be the start of near sightedness or something. He has an appointment with an eye doctor on Monday, so we'll know then if he needs glasses or something. But, all in all, he's fine! Thanks for the thoughts!!! I'll update as I learn more!

Why do I have two toys, mom??

2009-01-05T19:26:00.003-05:00

That's what I was asked by Keith on Friday. No, he doesn't only OWN two toys, he meant "why when I look at my one toy do I see two of them?" I, being the good mother I am, said "what are you talking about? It's bedtime!" And then on Saturday he asked the same thing, And asked why there were two TVs. And two fireplaces. And two of Caroline... You see where I'm going with this?? So, after trying to ascertain if he was fooling around or if he really WAS seeing double, Ed and I decided that it really did appear that he was seeing more things than he should be. Add in a pretty much constant headache for the boy since the start of the new year, and we headed off to the doctor's office this morning. Of COURSE, once there, she can't find anything wrong with him. His vision appears to be perfect, but he insists that he sees two of everything. Like when the doctor held up 3 fingers and asked how many, he promptly answered six. He is a math whiz, but I'm really hoping he knows better than to try to show off his mad skillz at the doctors. Anyways, she referred him to a neurologist and an ophthalmologist to see if they could find anything wrong with him. So tomorrow morning we head off to the neurologists. Fortunately, the neurologist is not located at AI DuPont - I've about had it with that place. I'm convinced that my children are fine and just have random symptoms which need a really expensive test to determine that they mean nothing, but still - if I didn't get the tests done and something WAS wrong I'd feel pretty crappy, know what I mean?? So, if you'd keep my little man in your thoughts tomorrow I'd appreciate it! I hope we can either figure out what is up with his vision or it quickly resolves! Maybe loose teeth cause double vision? Wouldn't surprise me, knowing my luck with children and expensive tests!

Christmas and New Years

2009-01-04T13:31:00.004-05:00

I said I'd post about Christmas, so I should probably get around to it! We had a nice holiday. We went to a friend's house for dinner on Christmas Eve, then to my parents house for Christmas morning, then Ed's mom's house for the early afternoon, then back to my parents house for dinner. Can we say BUSY? It was a nice day, though. The kids made out like little bandits and we happy with all of their new toys, my parents got a Wii for Christmas and we played that until Ed had to be a party pooper and make us go home, no one ended up in an emergency room... Successful Christmas in my opinion! My sister in law gave the boys this slime stuff that they both LOVED, until Henry decided he should put his in his hair. Fortunately Aunt Mary was there to help get it out.

For New Years we went to a party at my friend Beth's house. We had a blast - wine, martinis, fireworks, you name it. The only bad thing was that ALL of the kids (and I do mean all) stayed up until we left around 2am, and then Henry promptly got up for the day at 7am. THAT didn't make for a happy Henry, let me tell you. So he went to bed around 3pm on the first and slept until 7am the next morning. And 3pm wasn't early enough in my opinion.
And, speaking of New Years, I don't do resolutions. I find that if I do, I always end up breaking them, usually before February. However, I was reading Carrie's blog, and I think I'm going to stick with the resolution of "swim in the water and not drown." Kind of covers everything, wouldn't you say? So, what about you? Resolutions? Yes or no??

Two Things...

2009-01-04T13:26:00.002-05:00

Okay, I'll jump on the bandwagon, Anita!

Two Names You Go By: Amy, Mom
Two Things You Are Wearing Right now: Jeans and a tank top (yes, I KNOW it's 30 degrees out!)
Two Things You Want Very badly At the Moment: A Wii, but I'm restraining myself, and Keith to just chill out
Two People Who Will Fill This Out (and post a comment here to tell us..) Heck if I know
Two things you did last night: Fed Caroline, and fed Caroline. Oh, and fed Caroline some more.
Two things you ate yesterday: Taco salad and risotto
Things you're doing tomorrow: Going to the post office and updating a couple of web sites even if it kills me.
Two longest car rides: California to Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania to Wyoming with a 10 month old.
Two favorite Holidays: Christmas and Labor Day
Two favorite vacation spots: I don't do vacations much, but Wyoming is nice. So was Miami!
Two favorite beverages: coffee and white wine. No, not together.

I can't TELL you what dad said...

2009-01-04T13:19:00.002-05:00

You tell me not to SAY bad words, mom! That's what Keith told me when I asked how his trip out to Ed's mom this morning was. I knew I'd get an answer along those lines, because unbeknownst to Edward I was out of the shower and downstairs in the living room when I heard the crunch of him backing my van into his Chevy. Fortunately he didn't do any damage to either of the cars. Unfortunately, I think the boys learned a new word today!

Well...

2008-12-29T21:15:00.003-05:00

I was going to post about our Christmas (it was great!), but I haven't had a chance to. And then, tonight, I had something happen that I just HAD to post about. Keith went to bed around 8 tonight, and then at 8:30 or so he was back downstairs. I was talking to him about how he had to go back to bed, and he said "hey, mom, my tooth is loose!" And don't you know, it is. And then, upon further inspection, we find out he has a grown up tooth behind said loose tooth! My baby boy is growing up faster than ever!!! We had to call Grandma & Grandpa to tell them, and to find out if Uncle Adam had had a tooth fairy pillow. I had one, but I don't know if they're appropriate for boys. And if they're not, what do boys do???? All I know is that my tooth fairy pillow was pink, so there's no handing it down. So, feel free to tell me what to do - I have no clue!

And on the tooth note, Caroline got the best Christmas present... a tooth. And a 2 day after Christmas present... another tooth. And the way she's been acting, she'll get a New Year's present, too.

Friday Five

2008-12-19T07:14:00.002-05:00

Here you go! I'm thankful that...

1. Keith actually WASN'T sick after my last post. I don't know how that happened, but I'll take it.
2. I found a first edition of a really expensive book that I really wanted but couldn't justify spending $100+ on on Ebay for less than $10 including shipping.
3. I'm going to be a step grandmother.
4. My house has stayed relatively clean with Ed and the kids home all the time.
5. Friends are coming for dinner tomorrow night! I love having friends over for dinner!

Siblings

2008-12-17T11:57:00.002-05:00

Or maybe the title of this post should be "Why Santa will NOT be coming to this house if some kids don't straighten up." Keith is in a funk today - the tiniest things set him off and he ends up crying about them for 20 minutes. THAT means that he's going to be sick. I'll bet $5 that he's home from school tomorrow. Hell, make that $10. Anyways, one of the things setting him off is Henry. Yeah - big surprise there. Henry is running around yelling, which makes Keith cry because "he's too loud," which makes Henry yell louder. See the evil circle? I'd tell him to stop but I'm hiding in my office. Fun times.

Wednesday Whine

2008-12-17T07:22:00.002-05:00

You know, I don't really have too much to whine about. But here's a few things.

1. I almost killed myself trying to get Ed and the little guys in the car to see Keith's Christmas concert, and don't you know - we missed the Kindergarteners singing. Saw the REST of the grades, but missed my little guy. DON'T TELL HIM!!!
2. I have to update my checkbook register. I hate updating my checkbook.
3. I need to clean up my office. That ranks right up there with the checkbook.

Saturday's Song

2008-12-13T06:37:00.001-05:00

Four months old!

2008-12-12T11:05:00.003-05:00

Caroline is four months old today! She still looks the same to me though - a little more hair, but generally the same. Heck, she's still in 0-3 months clothes! Who would have thought that my 9lb7oz newborn would be wearing 0-3 month clothes at 4 months old? She can roll over like a champ now - it made me realize how rarely we put her down when I put her in her crib for a minute a few weeks ago and she was flipping back and forth like nobody's business. She loves her brothers - they can always make her smile. And she is just too darn cute, surprise surprise. So happy 4 months Caroline!!!

Friday Five

2008-12-12T11:01:00.002-05:00

I'm thankful that...

1. I have a working fireplace for the first time EVER!
2. My MIL is getting out of the hospital today.
3. My son is interested in math and reading and all that good stuff.
4. All of my Christmas shopping is done.
5. Unemployment benefits exist.

Faces of Caroline

2008-12-11T19:44:00.003-05:00

Keith reading...

2008-12-11T19:25:00.002-05:00

My camera can take videos!

2008-12-11T18:58:00.002-05:00

Of course, Caroline refuses to laugh now that I could take a video of it. But, here's Henry!

Best of friends

2008-12-11T07:28:00.004-05:00

I really think I'm in for it when Caroline is mobile. I have a feeling these two are going to conspire against me as much as they can.

Yes, she had his hair in a death grip and was not letting go. I was laughing too hard to take any more pictures of her beating Henry up though.

My little helper

2008-12-11T07:21:00.002-05:00

Last night we were running a little behind when it came to dinner. A guy came to inspect our chimney so we could use it, and he arrived around 5pm so dinner got pushed back a little. Oh, but our chimney is GREAT. Get this - we live in a relatively old house - maybe 80 years old or so - and the chimney HAS NEVER BEEN USED! Go figure! We're about to change that, though. So anyways, dinner. After the chimney guy left, we started on dinner. I was dealing with Caroline, and Keith was busy in the kitchen. I thought he was coloring, but instead he set the table! Complete with placemats, mugs, even got the silverware right! He was so proud - it was too cute. He told me I had to take a picture looking down on it because "that's how it is in magazines" - I have no idea what home decorating magazines he's been checking out, but I was happy to oblige.

What do you think?

2008-12-10T19:19:00.001-05:00

I've got a new look! Like it? Thanks to The Cutest Blog on the Block for making free templates available - there were so many choices!

Wednesday Whine

2008-12-10T06:55:00.002-05:00

So, for a few weeks now I've been thinking of adding a Wednesday Whine to my blog. I'm kind of tired of always being chipper and looking on the bright side, and while I have a lot to be thankful for I still have one or two things to bitch about. So, my rules are simple. Only three things are allowed on the Wednesday Whine. And it can only be posted on, well, Wednesday. And man, if there wasn't a better day to start than today! So here goes...
I'm whiny because...
1. Every time during the past week or two that I've needed to go out to my office it's been either freezing, raining, or snowing.
2. I'm kind of sick of the emergency room. Especially when it starts off with "Name? Henry."
3. Ed was laid off. I know - LAST week I was thankful that he was going to be getting overtime... I don't know WHERE exactly overtime is synonymous with unemployment, but hey, you learn something new all the time, huh?
So, that's it. Now I'll be back to my chipper self, until next Wednesday.

Decorating the Christmas Tree

2008-12-07T14:46:00.007-05:00

So yesterday we put the Christmas trees up. Yes, I have two. One is in the living room and one is in the dining room. I have two big windows in the front of the house, and they just needed two trees. So yesterday was the day. We got them up, got the lights on, and decorated. Decorating with Henry is an experience. Keith was so excited - he did most of the decorating...

And Henry "helped"...

See the bowling pin in the tree? The one right above the child picking his nose? That was Henry's contribution.

Henry's other contribution was to try to eat the lights. The child thinks EVERYTHING is food.

Caroline thought all the decorating and eating of lights was great fun...

Henry did not like other people decorating the tree though. I wish I had a video camera - this picture was taken during one of his famous "NO NO NO" rants complete with fingers. As parents we're trying to nip this "no" crap in the bud, but the little exorcist child is kind of funny.

And to finish off our day of holiday decorating was the perfect ending... snow!

Saturday's Song

2008-12-06T13:48:00.000-05:00

Santa's in town!

2008-12-06T08:00:00.005-05:00

Last Sunday was the annual Kennett Square Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting. However, it was a MISERABLE day, so the good powers in charge rescheduled for last night. So I got the kids dressed, piled them in the van, and set out to Kennett. On one of the coldest nights this winter. We met Ed out there at Adam's house, and then walked up town to get a bite to eat before the big parade. While I was driving into town I was thinking that it didn't LOOK like they were going to have a parade. There were no signs, no road closures... While we walked to town from Adam's house, half an hour before the parade was supposed to START, I was REALLY thinking it wasn't looking like there was going to be a parade. So I called my mom, who said to call one of her friends who was a local merchant. Instead we ran into someone who used to work with my dad, and she said there was no parade. Santa and tree lighting, yes, but parade, no. Oh well. It was cold, and the kids (read: Keith) just wanted to see Santa. So we went and grabbed some dinner, and got back to the town Christmas tree about 2 minutes after they lit it. Oh well, the kids (Keith) really just wanted to see Santa. Screw the festivities. Besides, as anyone in Kennett knows, the best part about tree lighting is seeing what happens when they try to light the tree. Will nothing work? Will only half of the tree light? Will it fall over? Will it spontaneously combust? And this year, it lit. On the first try. COME ON PEOPLE!! Kennett has a TRADITION! Don't ruin it!!! So we hightailed it to where Santa was going to be. The rule in Kennett is as soon as the tree is lit/parade is over you should run like hell to see Santa so you're one of the first in line. And we were! Well, in the top twenty. So we got all of the coats off, bribed Henry to sit on the big man's lap (I promised him a candy cane), gave Mrs. Claus Caroline, and got the family picture.

It is REALLY difficult to get three kids on Santa's lap to all look at the camera at the same time to take a picture. ESPECIALLY when one is 3 months old, one is two and only wants his candy cane, and one is six and has a grocery list of toys he has to ask for in less than a minute. REALLY hard.

I have NO idea how Heather got all six of her munchkins to look so cute. I swear, she's supermom. But, I got a pretty good picture, considering. And I got the one that I have of both of the boys of Caroline...

So Keith got to tell Santa everything he wanted in 30 seconds or less, Henry got his candy cane (which he ate half of, and then tried to give to dad. Unfortunately, not HIS dad. Just a random dad he found.), and Caroline got, well, to be held. Which is all a 3 month old really wants for Christmas, anyways.

Friday Five

2008-12-05T07:53:00.002-05:00

I'm thankful that...

1. My daughter is finally legit - her birth certificate AND social security number both arrived!
2. My husband is getting crazy overtime for the next few weeks, just in time for Christmas.
3. That Santa Claus is coming to town - for real - tonight so we don't have to go to hell, er, the mall, to see him.
4. That I can buy all of the gifts I need to buy online or at stores which are not found in hell. Er, the mall.
5. That I don't work retail.

Some cute kids

2008-12-02T07:20:00.002-05:00

So. Poison Control.

2008-12-01T17:54:00.002-05:00

I've never needed the number for poison control before in my life, until this week. Of course, with Henry, you would think I'd be prepared and have it on speed dial. Well, now I do. On Thanksgiving morning we were getting some food ready to take to my mom's, and Henry was playing in the dining room. The room NEXT TO the kitchen. Approximately 5 feet away. Of course, it got too quiet. So I go to check on him, and he's pointing to his mouth with the look of "I don't like what I'm eating and I'm going to spit it out so you better stick a hand under my mouth pronto or it'll hit the floor." So, being the good mother I am, I stick my hand under his mouth. And he spits. And spits. And spits. But, there's no food. Then, I realize he's smelling awfully, I don't know, rosy. And I look on the window sill (the high ones, above the breakfast bar), and my little jar of fragrance oil with the sticks (I have no idea what the technical name would be) is not where it's supposed to be. Instead, there's a puddle on the breakfast bar, a dining room chair, and the floor. And I guess a puddle in Henry's mouth, which he's trying his damnedest to spit out. So I go and hit up google and get poison control's number, call them up, explain what happened and they say "Oh, he should be fine." Praise the Lord. I was NOT feeling an emergency room trip on a holiday.
So, fast forward to today. Everyone was up bright and early at 4am this morning (yes, THAT'S a whole other story), so at about 10am I put Henry down for a nap. He, apparently, had other ideas, and proceeded to find the little jar of Vicks Vaporub which was on his changing table (yes, *I* know that's a stupid place for it. Key word there *I*), open it, and eat it. And rub it in his hair. And in his eye. And then proceed to scream bloody murder. I'm thinking menthol stuff in the eye hurts. So I get him, notice the minty smell about him and the bright red eye and the greasy mouth. And go look up the number of poison control again. Apparently, eating Vicks Vaporub won't kill you (at least if it's less than a couple tablespoons), but rubbing it in your eye can seriously mess your eye up. So they told me to flush Henry's eye out with water for fifteen minutes (TWO YEAR OLD. SCARED OF RUNNING WATER. Fun, I tell you.) and then take him to the emergency room. So we do that, wait for a couple of hours to see a doctor, and Henry gets some dye in his eye to check for a chemical burn. Fortunately there was no sign of a chemical burn, but he looked pretty funny with his dyed eye.

Friday Five

2008-11-28T15:51:00.002-05:00

I guess if I was really good I would have posted this a day early, huh? But I'm not that good.
So, here goes. I'm thankful...

1. that my six year old is mostly responsible enough to keep the little guys out of trouble if I have to go to the bathroom.
2. that poison control doesn't take your name, address, and social security number down.
3. that Henry knows all of the Star Wars characters by name. He can't say Caroline, but he can say Anakin!
4. that Caroline wakes up smiling every morning.
5. that I have a door which shuts on my office.

Happy Black Friday!

2008-11-28T14:16:00.004-05:00

Did you get all your shopping done? I don't understand getting up in the middle of the night to go shop at some ungodly hour of the morning, but it appears some people love it. I think I have too many years of working retail under my belt to appreciate the Black Friday chaos. We had a fun Thanksgiving yesterday - went to my parents house. Adam and his girlfriend were there too, so it was just a small group of us. I guess someone forgot to tell Grandma that, though, because she had enough food to feed a small army. Three pies for six adults??? Er, wait, Adam and the girlfriend had to leave before dessert, so make that three pies for FOUR adults. Um, yeah. We have some leftovers though, so all is good! We smoked a turkey again this year, and it worked MUCH better that the last time we smoked a turkey. I think we ate at midnight that year. Drinks can only go so far, and they don't make it to midnight. Keith made sure we said the Thanksgiving Parade, too. I guess in more religious households it is actually called the Thanksgiving PRAYER, but Keith insisted it was the Parade and I was not going to be the one to burst his bubble. So all in all it was a nice, quiet Thanksgiving - the best kind! I hope all of you had a good day, too! Now we're off to Philly to spend some time with a few of my favorite midwives and their families! Have a good holiday weekend!

Oh I forgot - the sleepover went just fine! Henry slept like a baby. You know, the babies in movies who actually SLEEP!

Sleepover!

2008-11-22T07:34:00.003-05:00

Henry had his first sleepover last night with Keith and the grandparents! I'm assuming it went well, because my phone didn't ring in the middle of the night saying come get your son. Of course, that could have been because I "forgot" it in the car overnight. Nah, I'm just kidding - I had it with me all night. I hear that they had dinner and a movie night - my brother stopped in and gave us an update. I hope the grandparents survived!

Friday Five

2008-11-21T07:30:00.003-05:00

Well, it's that time again. So, here goes...

1. I'm thankful that the insurance company I dealt with to fix my van was easy to deal with.
2. I'm thankful that I had uploaded my favorite pictures of my kids to various places where I can download them.
3. I'm thankful I spent a day uploading 90% of my business files to somewhere I can download them from.
4. It's SNOWING! Like, there's white stuff all over the place outside!
5. I love watching a kid's face when they're seeing snow for the first time that they remember!

Update on my luck

2008-11-20T20:07:00.003-05:00

So, I went to the Apple store with my computer tonight, because, as my dad said, my computer was pretty fried. I'm not even going to talk about the drive, during rush hour, to get to Christiana mall. I'm sure you know how much I love Christiana mall. Anyways, so I took the computer to the Apple store. And they said...

yeah, your hard drive appears to be missing.

Where that hard drive WENT is beyond me. There appears to be some sort of hard drive graveyard around here somewhere. So I said "Can you get my files off of it?" and the nice young Apple genius dude laughed at me. Er... yeah. So he told me what they would do to fix the hard drive (that would be replace it) and he said he was going to try to reinstall the operating system which might work, might not. If it worked, woo hoo, and it would be a lot cheaper, but I would have to hang out in hell, (read: the mall) for about an hour. Cheaper is always good, so I said lets try that. And I asked if THAT worked, could we save my files.

He laughed louder.

I think he was thinking that I was NOT computer saavy and my files were long gone. So, in about a week I'll have "a brand new brain in my computer body." Hmm... sounds kind of kinky, huh?

Woo freaking hoo. But, it could have been worse. He could have laughed, then told me the only solution was to buy a new iMac.

Oh, and if anyone out there happens to have any pictures of my kids, or my business files, or, well, my checkbook register, feel free to send them to me!