My father keeps calling me to tell me everything we bought today would have been significantly cheaper because he just found the crazycoupon lady! Hilarious!

Bonding time with my dad

My sad and I are headed out on a shopping trip to furnish his house in Florida and I get a much needed despite from the crazy girls! I need to pick up pajamas for Stella, I have never seen a child grow so fast! Amelia would sit in the same size for months while Stella has grown out of three month size in about a month!

Beginning of the end!

Today marks the beginning of the end of grad school! I can't believe I have made it this far and I'm excited to get my thesis moving! I think now would be a good time to figure out my schedule so I can get all this raw arch done!!

Preschool

Amelia started preschool on Thursday and it was incredibly stressful for me! I was so afraid of how she would react or not react and that she would have potty accidents and ask us not to come back! Oh my! She ended up doing really good with one potty accident which I knew would happen since she was thrown by the wee little potty they have there. I'm not sure how to convince she needs to use it!
My little girl is getting big and it's both fantastic and terrifying!

Christmas

Christmas was lovely and low key around these parts.  Amelia really doesn't grasp the whole Christmas idea so she got some hello kitty boots, the Cinderella movie and a few other odds and ends.  Though, the big of the day was getting Jingle the dog.  She loves him so big score on our parts!  We spent the morning as a family and then joined my mom and stepfather, brother and new fiancee and niece for brunch.  Later, we had my mom and step dad over for a seafood dinner.  The rest of the family left for Florida and my mom and step dad leave this weekend.  We are looking forward to our trip this coming February, especially after today's snowstorm!

Potty Training

Potty training is the one thing they just don't tell you about when you have kids!  This is the most frustrating, mind-boggling thing I have ever done!  I thought it would be so easy, just take away the diapers, show her the potty and rock on!  Oh, no.  Not my stubborn child! 

We are on day two of potty training and today is slightly (by a miniscule amount) better then yesterday.  She pees and then tells me and finishes on the potty.  Which, hey good step in the right direction, but my house now smells like pee!  I think I'm going to start potty training Stella when she's two! ;0) 

It's a shame kids aren't like dogs and you couldn't just pay someone to do the potty training for you!  Course I guess daycare is sort of like that in some respects!  One more of the many joys of staying home with your kids! 

Santa

As you can see meeting Santa went over really well.  At least she didn't scream like the first time she met him and her baby sister did a much better job, but then Stella is much more laid back than Amelia!  Amelia had a fantastic time running around the country club with her little friends and eating too much sugar.  We aren't doing too much for the girls this year, mainly because they just don't need anything!  I would much rather give back to the community and teach them about giving to others than filling their already overflowing toy boxes! 

I think teaching about giving is one of the most important presents we can teach our children and probably one of the most difficult!

I don't even want to come back on here and discuss what is happening in Connecticut - it is to close to home.  I worry everyday that something will happen to my girls and I will be powerless to stop it or help them.  And then something like this happens and it is absolutely heartbreaking.  My thoughts and prayers are with that community and it will take years and years for them to recover from this tragedy.

So much has been going on this summer! We've moved to a new town and we are currently living with my mother and her husband. While it hasn't been too terrible, Jamie and I are so ready to move into our own place!

We found out over the summer that Amelia has a heart problem that is currently under control with medicine but it does mean we go everywhere with an AED. This also poses a problem with daycare. So far I haven't been able to find anyone who is willing to care for her. We're fine until December and then we lose our Bucknell girl and then I don't know what we'll do!

Otherwise, Jamie is working hard remodeling the apartment we'll move into and hopefully we'll be able to start moving some things in this weekend! Monday the countertop will get made and then hopefully appliances will be put in this week.

This weekend is the Selinsgrove Market Street Festival and then our friends Zap and Patty are getting married! Can't wait to show Amelia the festival and then I can't wait to put my new dress on and have some fun!

I'm Back

One of my good friends began a blog (go check it out http://hottogetto33.blogspot.com/)

so I figured I would come back.

A lot has happened since I stopped blogging.

A new job that is awesome! But a commute that is not! Up at 4:30, on the train by 5:50 and arrive at work by 7:45.

A new baby - who isn't quite so new at 9 months old! Look at that face!

A house for sale, that seems like it is never going to sell.

A SIL who is expecting a boy in July.

So. There we are - I actually have some work to do so I'll be back with more updates!

Book Review

I finally finished Who by the Fire by Diana Spechler who so kindly sent me a copy to review.

I enjoyed this book but I wasn't wowed by it and I think that is because I read it at night before I went to bed. Which means I would read a chapter or two and fall asleep repeat night after night!

At any rate this is a book that takes place about thirteen years after the youngest of three is kidnapped. The brother quits college and moves to Israel to become an Orthodox Jew and he blames himself for his sister's kidnapping. The oldest sister is a hot mess and decides to go to Israel to get her brother to come home. The story follows a few different characters including the mother and a man who wants to help her "rescue" her son. I particularly enjoyed the ending and was one of those neat endings that makes you feel good inside.

I think this book is worth the read and I think you should all run out and buy it! ;o)

The anti-Christmas tree house

I was thinking maybe I should post about why I haven't talked about Christmas yet. Jamie and I went out two weeks ago to get a Christmas tree because in the three years we've lived in this house we've never had a tree. And really there is no room for a tree, the house is pretty damn small! But this year I was bound and determined. So, on our way to church one Sunday we were detoured out through Chester Springs and there was a cut your own tree place.

When we lived in Selinsgrove we did this every year and our tree was always $15 or less. Oh, silly me for thinking it might be similiar in price. This place was charging $8 a foot. The smallest tree we could find was as tall as Jamie. Um, no thanks. So, once again no tree for us.

We have, though put our cheap ornaments on all our plants outside and put lights up and a holiday mat on the front porch. I also have a garland with lights I put over our entry into the kitchen so we aren't devoid of all things Christmas. Oh! I also have stockings hung on the stairs with care, because of course we don't have a fire place.

Seriously, I can't wait for a larger house! This stuff drives me batty!

Anniversary

Today is Jamie and mine 8th wedding anniversary. We both forgot it. We're actually going to a really nice restuarant on Thursday so we'll celebrate then.

I meant to bring in pictures to scan, but that obviously didn't happen! This picture is stolen from Facebook from my mom's wedding last summer.

Jamie and I met in January 1997 at a fraternity party. My best friend was dating his best friend and she dragged me out one night. J and I spent the entire night talking until 6 am and walking around West Chester. I had actually been watching him for some time since we had shared an art history class the semester before. He was too busy hiding under his baseball hat to notice me! We had our first date a week later on Super Bowl Sunday, we went to see Jerry Mcguire and ate at the Olive Garden.

That November I moved in with him and we've been inseparable ever since, it's a lovely thing marrying your best friend! We've been through a whole hell of a lot of things from our first house burning down to losing my brother, our best friend. But we're in it for the long haul and we're looking forward to what this year will bring!

Happy Anniversary honey!!!

Such a product whore

Sorry, but seriously this might be the coolest contest ever. Check this out at http://www.mooshinindy.com/ -

If I were to win this package, I would give three of the computers to the following places:

One would go to my church for their academy. I know they are in need of technology and this would greatly help them.

One would go to my high school (or middle or elementary, wherever they deem it necessary) because I know budget cuts have been awful and schools are so in need of new technology.

(I think I'm seeing a theme here!)

The third computer I would solicit friends and family for someone they know that is in need of a computer. Whether it's a college student who desperately needs one or nonprofit or something else entirely. That would actually make a great blog post and readers could vote....hmmmm....

For the fourth, we need it desperately. Our computer is six years old and barely turns on and we are lucky if it turns off. It took Jamie two hours last night to print one thing which was for his business. Jamie is a contractor and given the economy this year we haven't been able to put the money away for a new computer. It would be a beautiful thing to blog at home in a matter of minutes and not hours, to create artwork (since we are both artists) without waiting for stupid Illustrator or Photoshop to load. If I didn't work with fast computers at work, I'd be in trouble. But poor Jamie doesn't and continually tries throwing the computer on the street!

That would be the 2nd thing we would do is donate our used computer (once Illustrator and Photoshop were taken off since those puppies are expensive) is to give it to the family down the street that are barely scraping by and they have two girls that could really use it for playing with and experiencing new things.

So- there you have it - now go enter this for yourselves!

Mmmmm Books!

I received my review copy of Who by the Fire by Diana Spechler so keep an eye out for a review for the book coming soon. I think I'll have to put Edgar Sawtelle on hold to read this one first!

Turkey

Okay, so I do have a good story in regards to Thanksgiving. We were supposed to go up to Central PA to visit friends and my mother and her husband and my aunt and uncle. Well, since Hera hurt herself we weren't comfortable putting her in the kennel.

This meant we were doing Thanksgiving with Jamie's family. His mother, aunt, cousin, grandmother, great-grandmother, his two sisters and their boyfriends/fiancee's.

So, dinner was to be at 4. We got there at three to visit and give presents to his great grandmother. The turkey was out of the oven resting and we were all ready to eat. His mother called his sister at 4:30 asking where she was. She said I just got out of the shower we'll be leaving in 10 minutes. They live over 1/2 an hour away.

It makes me so mad that she is so ignorant of everyone else's feelings. Not to mention a 99 year old that wanted to eat! We ended up eating without them and when they finally showed up we were out the door. She does this at every family gathering and it drives me crazy!

Wow

Sorry for the complete silence but I had off last week for my birthday and obviously Thanksgiving. I didn't do too much since Jamie had to work but I got a couple miles of walking with Sasha, some knitting done and reading. Thanksgiving we went to my MIL and celebrated Jamie's great grandmother's 99 birthday!

Saturday two good friends came down from Central PA for some steak and lots of wine.

And this morning Hera got her stitches out and seems to be doing pretty great which is a huge relief.

Coming up Jamie and I celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary on the 8th, which is quite fitting! We don't have much planned but we have a gift certificate to Sullivan's so we'll forego our usual Gilmore's jaunt.

I promise to be back with more exciting items soon!

Hubba Hubba

http://flyers.nhl.com/team/app?page=PlayerDetail&playerId=8470905&service=page&tab=vid

Does anyone else think it's kind of freaking cool that Jamie is working on this guys house right now?
He has a cribs episode but I can't seem to find it on the website. He's much sexier in person!

The evil that prevails...

What a week! Monday Jamie and I took off since we were too exhausted from dealing with Hera all night and we really didn't get to sleep until 4 or 5 in the morning. Wednesday I had to take her to the Vet to have her wound looked at and her bandages changed. She was fine leaving the Vet and even jumped in the car but when I got home she wouldn't come out. Of course I had a luncheon I had to be at at school so I took her with me. She, of course wouldn't get out of the car at school so she stayed in th back seat until I could leave. So, once again, another missed day of work.
I finally got her out of the car by putting the backseats down and carrying her out. I have a RAV4 so it is a bit of a leap when you can't use both front legs.

Today I woke up to a frantic phone call from Jamie saying he was stuck in traffic and it's snowing. I ended up taking the train into work which of course got me here late but I guess better safe than sorry!

The plan for this weekend is to go see Twilight on Saturday. Then I only have to work Monday and I have the rest of the week off for my birthday and Thanksgiving. We were supposed to head to Central PA but due to my dogs injury we can't kennel her and we obviously can't even get her into the car. I was quite upset about that on Wednesday but life is what it is. Hopefully we'll be able to get up for Christmas.

Peg Legged Dogs

This weekend started out great, Jamie and I went to see the new James Bond movie which was excellent. Saturday we made steaks and watched Iron Man (excellent) and Don't mess with the Zohan (hilarious if you have a 12 year olds humor which apparently we do!).

All good things ended on Sunday. I had gone to bed since we were up late at J's fathers house for dinner. About 12:00 Jamie came in yelling at me to wake up. Hera was on our bed licking blood on her leg which actually was about a six inch gash. I through clothes on and we raced to the emergency vet which is luckily not far from us. You can see what the poor thing looks like. She walks like a drunken sailor not quite knowing what to do with herself. We searched the yard and we can't figure out what happened. It was a clean gash but we can't find evidence anywhere. Unfortunatly our house is covered in blood. Our sheets, bedspread, carpet. It's quite awesome.

Thankfully she seems fine and should recover just fine but we'll know more tomorrow when we take her back to the vet to have the dressings looked at...