calgon take me away
Hello Monday! It’s sad to say that I used to feel refreshed after the weekend, but with Deck getting more and more active – I look forward to having a break instead… Is that bad? He is just into E V E R Y T H I N G right now – climbing, chewing, not listening… It’s all part of the age, I know, plus he has more teeth coming-in so he’s constantly walking around with a finger in his mouth and drooling… He is still a joy and the love of my life, don’t get me wrong, but it just makes me wonder what it will be like if/when we have another one… He has his 18-mos checkup tomorrow where he’ll get measured, weighed, and vaccinated… I hate that part and if Eric can’t make it, I will have to deal with it myself and it won’t be pretty…
We went to another huge yard sale on Saturday – found more summer tshirts and shorts, and a pair of Stride Rite sneakers for only $3 (they’re $40 brand-new)… I wasn’t really looking for anything else since it was rather cold and cloudy, but Eric found a collapsible tool bench for $2 and I scored a kid’s canvas papasan chair for $3… The rest of our Saturday was spent swapping out light switches, outlets, and I’ve actually started to hang items since the painting is done… We also moved the oak hutch from the kitchen to the dining room, which has given us a lot more room to move around… This required taking everything out, which was a pain, but we couldn’t move it full – I took advantage of the empty cabinet and gave it a good polish before putting all the dishes back in… Deck enjoyed playing in it, when he wasn’t trying to help me move dishes (photo below)…
Yesterday, Deck was up bright & early so when he went down for nap – I scooted off to the store… It took me a bit longer this time since I was trying to find the WW points for a few items, as well as buy a lot of ingredients so I could make some dishes for this week… I made quiche cupcakes, black bean soup, and a turkey penne casserole… I’m all for making things ahead of time, but when doing more than 1 dish – it requires a lot of time in the kitchen which I don’t like esp. when Deck is antsy or if it’s nice out and I don’t want to be stuck inside… BUT I did it and hope to make it a routine, at least for 1-2 dishes a week… We took an afternoon stroll so Deck could play on the playground for a while – he tried to make a friend with a little boy, but the poor kid would have nothing to do with it… I think Deck is going to be a social butterfly, like his dad…
New product—if you’re a fan of greek yogurt, you must this new frozen, greek yogurt by Ben & Jerry’s… Though for WW it’s a pretty hefty 5-points (per half-cup), it’s well worth it if you have some extra to spare… The blueberry vanilla graham was awesome – very creamy and tart – and I can’t wait to try the other flavors… Yummy!
Time to get back to work, hope you’re having a great Monday!
2012
it’s good to have a backup, for the backup
so much for staying a healthy household… i’m not naming names, but someone that i know got a 24-hour bug starting sunday night… amazingly, this was the FIRST time in almost 16-months that we’ve had to deal with vomiting and diarrhea at the same time… he never once cried or got upset, and even though he was still under the weather yesterday – he pretty much played all day and napped really well… he skipped dinner and was ravenous this morning and so far, no calls from daycare so i think he’s doing okay… i’m crossing my fingers that eric and i don’t get it before/on vacation, but if we do – at least it will be gone quickly…
the rest of the weekend came/went… on saturday – we had breakfast at our favorite diner and then the boys got their haircut… in the afternoon, eric and i worked on getting our bikes ready and installed the seat for deck, we can’t wait to try it out… on sunday – i did the usual cleaning, laundry, and grocery store, and then we ventured out to get deck a bike helmet and some new shoes… the kid has huge feet for such a little guy – 6W… geesh…
happy tuesday…
2012
new year, new blog
for those of you that have known me for a while, you shouldn’t be surprised that i’ve been playing around with a new design… i decided to actually purchase a wordpress theme template this time around and was having some “issues”, but all is good now and i’m back in business… i will probably keep tweeking things here and there, so just bear with me…
work is starting to pick-up again because of our annual meeting, and even though it’s 4-months away – things are in full swing… i’m the lead (and only) designer so that means i have to do everything that could possibly be needed to promote the event between now and may 9… the only thing i’m excited about is maybe getting to meet george lucas who will be doing a panel on the last day (he’s dating the chairman of the conference)… so if it seems like i’m complaining a lot – you’ll know why…
our new elliptical was delivered on saturday morning and while trying to assemble it on sunday – we found a piece was missing… talk about disappointed! ugh! i had to contact the company and they’re sending a new one in the mail so fingers-crossed that it arrives soon and that i can start using it… eric, god love him, took apart the bowflex and being that i didn’t get much response from friends/facebook – i put a listing on freecycle.org and got a ton of responses… late saturday night, an 8-month pregnant woman and her boyfriend came over and took it away… she said she had 5 brothers and it would be going in her mom’s basement – win win, in my book!
not much else is new really – deck is really becoming a busy-body and quite daring on occasions… like trying to go down steps the normal way and not backwards and climbing on my footstool in the LR and jumping-off… are all 15-mos kids like this or just boys? we’ve also been working on cutting out his nap time bottles and think it’s going pretty well – the doctor on our last visit said that by the time he’s 15-mos, he should be having all his meals in the kitchen… it’s weird to not give him a bottle anymore and part of me is sad that he’s growing so fast, but the other part is excited to see what’s next… ah, the joys of parenthood…
happy hump day!
santa baby
friday’s trip to meet santa well really well – deck didn’t cry, scream, or jump of his lap, so it was a total success! two benefits of going on a weekday is (1) only having to wait 5-minutes and (2) finding a parking space! whoo hoo carrots! if we hadn’t rushed out of there, to beat rush-hour traffic, i would’ve stayed to do some window shopping (or real shopping esp. at crate & barrel)…
the rest of the weekend was pretty normal – on saturday, the boys got their haircut and on sunday, we visited with my mom and helped her w/a few things around the house… i also did some grocery shopping, laundry, and unpacked our books in the basement so the spare bedroom is almost empty… we also decided that the bowflex exercise machine that the previous owner gifted us, is going unused and honestly – i don’t see myself ever using it… so, i think we’re going to get rid of it and buy an elliptical – that way, we’ll both be able to workout at the same time and it will be something i know i will use (esp. this winter)… the gym in my building here is STILL under reconstruction, who knows when it will reopen, and i’m definitely not getting any skinnier…
this week should be pretty quiet here, at least after wednesday when all the work i have will be done for the year… my boss is out and then i’m off until january 4 – can’t wait…
happy monday…
deck waiting to see santa…
deck with santa (my camera)…
deck with santa (the official photo)…
my new, homemade chalkboard in the kitchen…
doesn’t feel like christmas
hope everyone had a nice thanksgiving – we survived yet another weakland holiday in state college (62 people this year) and deck got to meet some more aunts, uncles, and cousins… he did pretty good overall, but was wired and excited about being in a hotel room so his napping/sleeping was off… he’s all about checking things out and not standing still – which is why our attempt at going to church didn’t pan out and we spent the service in the children’s area (sound proof)… there was plenty of food to be had later on, but the downfall of not being the one cooking is not having any leftovers for samiches or soup… it was nice spending time with eric’s family, especially his parents since we don’t see them as often as we’d like, and deck enjoyed showing-off his scooter skills in their room… we headed back on friday morning and were home by 1:00… it’s always nice to be in your own place again and back in a normal routine…
our weekend was pretty low-key and full of the usual stuff… eric helped me get down all my christmas bins on sunday (too many to count) and we went to my mom’s to get our live tree that my BIL had dropped off on friday… it’s a beautiful fraiser fir and smells wonderful – can’t wait to put it up… since eric’s parents are staying with us in 2 weeks, i need to get my butt in gear this weekend and decorate! the only thing i’ve done so far is put up a small tree in our kitchen and then one in deck’s room, though it’s distracting when he goes to sleep so i have to unplug it (bah!)…
speaking of deck, i caught him trying to put his leg on the railing sunday night so i called eric and we lowered his mattress… the little stinker is all about climbing things and i guess that’s just him being a boy and more mobile, but wow – that was pretty weird to see… my little baby isn’t so much a baby anymore… i’ve done some christmas shopping, but not very much and have a lot more to do… i did buy us some very nice, monogrammed stockings today on landsend.com and being that we have a fireplace and a mantle – i’m all about traditions… neither eric or i really need anything, so we may do a big gift like a new tv or something… we’ll see…
happy tuesday…
favorite thing from the fridge…
sunday morning breakfast at the diner…
has it been that long?
geesh, eric was right – i haven’t updated this blog in quite some time! “why do i bother?” i often ask myself … i guess i’m just not ready to give it up quite yet… anyhoo, it’s been a hellish week at work and a busy few weeks at home… my boss was out sick mon, tues, weds so i had to step-up and take care of her things, plus handle what was already on my plate… then the temp called-in sick today, so i’ve had to handle her projects as well… AND since i’m complaining (which is totally allowed since this is my blog), i have yet to receive a proper “thank-you” for the annual report… so yea, that’s what i’ve been dealing with here…
we’ve been doing a lot of stuff around the house lately and poor eric has been raking the heck out of leaves (and there’s no end in sight!)… the new kitchen cabinets and counter are all done (will post pics later) – i’m very happy with the choice we made and it looks awesome! i also decided to paint the kitchen last weekend – since i had off on friday, i wanted to be productive and spent the next 3 days climbing a ladder and standing on a stool… i have some touching-up to do on saturday, but that’s it and then it’s on to another room…
deck turns 13-months today (what???) – he is doing so well with everything and continues to amaze us every, single day… he did great with his 1-year shots and is in the 75th and 85th percentiles for weight and height… he has almost 6 teeth now, got his 1st big-boy haircut, walks like a champ, brushes his teeth, and is going to bed w/out a bottle or cup of milk… the doc said that all meals should be done in the kitchen now and that he should be off bottles and onto cups by the time he’s 15-mos… she also stressed how important it was for him to eat with us at meals, which is what we’ve always done, regardless of what stage he was at… and he pretty much eats everything that we do (for the most part), and still loves his applesauce and yogurt (and crackers)… he’s also showing great interest in the cats now and the smallest of the three, tyler, has even allowed deck to lay on him… it doesn’t last long, mind you, but it’s very sweet and warms my heart… there’s nothing more that i could want, is a kid that loves animals as much as we do…
thanksgiving is next week (how did that happen???) and we’re heading to state college for eric’s huge family celebration… it should be interesting considering all the penn state allegations that are going on right now – all the sports stations here keep talking about it (and the sucky redskins)… since we didn’t go last year, i’m really looking forward to going and having everyone meet deck… should be fun!
and for christmas, the only plans we have is hosting the family dinner on the 26th… and eric’s parents will be staying with us for a few days on their way down to florida… this is the first time that they’ve stayed with us and seen the new house, so that too will be exciting…
hope you’re having a good week! happy thursday!
2011
happy birthday
on monday, my baby boy turned one… i still can’t believe that he’s not an infant anymore, and as most parents would agree – the past 12-months have just flown by… i used to laugh when people would say, “it goes by quick”, but now i totally understand because it’s true! wow! we didn’t have a big party or invite a ton of people to the house – i made him a cake and we sang ‘happy birthday’ (and then he proceeded to stick his finger in the flame and cried!)… we had been in pittsburgh for the weekend and had gotten back late sunday night, so monday was all about him… we went to our favorite diner for breakfast and then went to lowe’s to buy paint for the kitchen and a fire pit for the back patio… exciting times!
so what have i learned in the last year? a lot, and i continue to learn something new everyday… becoming a mother was the best thing that’s ever happened to me (next to marrying eric of course)… after he was born i remember saying, “i didn’t know it would be this hard” and now – there are more days that are easy, but there are still challenging ones to keep us on our toes… deck is really starting to show his personality – he’s funny and loves to laugh, and is curious about everything… he loves to follow the cats, look out windows, and push his little corn-popper around… i suspect he’s going to let go and keep walking any day now, so then we’ll really be in trouble…
they say you really don’t know what love is until you have a child… the times when he’s in my lap and looking up at me is the best feeling in the world… even though i tell him “i love you” a million times – it’s still not enough in my book… he has brought such pure joy and happiness to our lives, and i can’t think of my life w/out him… i love you, deckard james! xo
2011
longest week ever
has it really been since mid-september that i posted anything? wow, that just blows (i apologize to all of my 5 readers)…
it’s been a busy and quick few weeks, and this week was probably the worst since deck came down with a bad cold, then got an ear infection, then had a fever, and then a rash (roseola virus)… he still has rosy cheeks, but the splotches on the rest of his body have faded and his mood has improved for sure… eric and i took turns staying home from work, leaving early, and taking him to the doctor – wouldn’t be such a big deal if we didn’t both work downtown… i’m very lucky to have an understanding boss and the ability to work from home, so it wasn’t too bad (unless he was crying and needed to be held)… all i can say is i’m hoping this weekend is full of fun, love, and laughter…
on the home front – we’ll be placing the order for add’l kitchen cabinets tomorrow and they might be installed by the end of the month! yay! we had had both looked for a freestanding piece and i kept going back to the fact that having something, that goes w/the rest of the kitchen, is better in the long run… i would LOVE a cheaper option, but sometimes the best way isn’t always the least expensive… i cannot WAIT to have a pantry so i can put away my appliances and have a place to store bulk food and paper products… and having a small counter will be great when deck gets older because he’ll have a nice place to sit and do homework or keep me company while in the kitchen… i promise to take progress pics…
the rest of the weekend will consist of the usual – laundry, cleaning, and grocery shopping… my mom is coming down on sunday so i may drag her and deck along to the big thrift store so i can find some skirts for work… and some brown boots…
hope you have a nice weekend!
2011
we survived
it’s been nuts here @ work since the other designer is gone, so i’ve barely had time to do my stuff, plus whatever else comes my way… long story short – we had a great time at the beach, though the weather could’ve been better (we had 1 day of sun)… deck enjoyed the pool, the ocean, the sand, cruising around the condo, and going out to eat… it brought me such great joy to experience this was him and eric, just like i used too with my family for years and years… we still prefer camping though and the state park beach and MAY attempt it again next year… here’s some of our vacation pics…
weekend plans: my mom, deck, and i are headed to the mountains this weekend to see my sister… we haven’t been in a while and she has a ton of clothes for him which is great since the weather is starting to change here… not sure what eric is going to do besides change the brakes on my car, but i imagine he’ll be sleeping-in both days and i’m already jealous!
hope you have a great weekend!
2011
it’s the small things
deck finally saw the ocean for the first time and seems to be enjoying himself… the weather hasn’t been the best, but we are making the best out of it as we can (having a free place to stay, on the ocean, helps)… i’m keeping my fingers crossed that the rain doesn’t come until this afternoon – would like to hit the beach after his nap… there’s always the indoor pool which we tackled yesterday… either way – we are here, as a family, just like I remember doing with my parents… 
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