Because of you...

Because of you...

I am a better person

Words like "can't", "won't", and "don't want to" have left my vocabulary


I work hard every day to be a person you can be proud of and respect

I laugh and have fun regularly



Because of you...

I smile every day

I am challenged both physically and mentally on a daily basis.

I know joy and happiness beyond belief

I know the difference between a rescue truck, a ladder truck, and an aerial platform truck in fire apparatus

Because of you...

I read daily (even if it is Dr. Suess or an informative book about the rescue equipment that fire trucks take with them to fire calls).

I have a reason to get up and accomplish much more than I would otherwise

I am learning and growing

I get to rescue princesses and fight dragons

Because of you...

I see things through fresh eyes and with an open mind

I have a purpose

I see the wonder and excitement in seemingly ordinary things

I know all the words to the song/story "Fire Truck" by Ivan Ulz.

Because of you...

I feel pretty on my ugliest of days

I have a reason to slow down, smell the flowers, and watch the ants carry food into their hole in the ground.

I am challenged to know, guess, or figure out "why a machine makes that sound" or "how a sign got up so high"

I have a wall in my kitchen decorated with FANTASTIC creations

Because of you....I breathe.

I love you, Bug.

Wordless Wednesday - All Boy

Simple Woman's Daybook...March 16, 2010

FOR TODAY...March 16, 2010

Outside my window...it's dark.  I am very behind today so I'm typing this (literally) in the eleventh hour.  Couldn't miss TWO days in a row for NaBloPoMo, though!!!

I am thinking...about the RBTL show I just got home from.  I saw Grease.  It was a great version.  I've seen it a couple other times but this production/performance was pretty good.  Sadly, it's the last show of our season.  We usually go into April or May but not this year :(  

I am thankful for...FRIENDS.  I know I say this a lot but I really DO have the best friends a girl could possibly ask for!  Without them, I would be lost.  

From the kitchen...Avery is sleeping on her bed.  I think my Keurig is calling me for a late night cup of coffee before bed.  If I didn't think it would keep me up, I'd listen to it!!

I am wearing...hand-me-down Harley T-shirt from my hubby and my comfy polka dot pants....I wish I had socks on though!  Chilly toes!

I am remembering...the FABULOUS weekend the boys and I had in NYC with Tiff & Brie!  I am SO glad we made the trip!  The kids were fantastic and the company was perfect!  We had nasty weather on Fri/Saturday (READ:  Hurricane!) but I extended the weekend another day and we made up for it on Sunday with a trip on the Subway into the Big Apple!!  What fun!  

I am creating...a photo book of our NYC trip.  I haven't started it yet (or even uploaded my photos for that matter) but that is my plan.  Before I forget the stories and places I want to write it down.  It will be called "I CAN DO IT - 2010" :)  

I am going...to bed soon.  The weekend wiped me out! 

I am reading...a lot of blogs I am behind on (I hope!) - I have a lot of catching up to do!

I am hoping...that I don't forget any more blogging days in March.  I had a plan to dedicate all my posts this week to my birthday boy and now I'm behind.  I will have to make up for it somehow!  

I am hearing...the news.  My husband is watching it...

Pondering these words..."Run for your lives, PEOPLE!"...Nate was yelling this in NYC when he saw what he claimed to be a monster in a building (otherwise known as a giant bronze statue of Atlas holding the earth).  I can't help but smile when I tell this story (to anyone who will listen!)

Around the house...we have a whole new fleet of rescue vehicles acquired in NYC this weekend.  I think we have at least 3 new fire trucks (FDNY!), four new police cars/SUVs (NYPD!) and a police helicopter, fire boat, NYC Taxi, NYC bus, and who knows what else.  If there is ever a fire or emergency here, we'll be covered!! 

On my mind...my big boy.  I still can't believe that he will be 4-years-old in 5 days.  It's crazy!  He has grown up SO much in the last year.  

Noticing that...the pizza I ate for dinner gave me wicked heartburn.  I think this calls for a glass of milk to quench the fire.

One of my favorite things...my pillow.  I am looking forward to plopping my head on it tonight!!

A few plans for the rest of the week: Sushi lunch with Pam tomorrow (SO looking forward to it!), Walk 'N Talk, Nate's birthday party and Peter Pan with Becky Brown for Nate's big 4th birthday!!

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

My big boy.  

3 going on 15

I can't believe in one short week this little man will be 4-years-old!

Where has the time gone?!?

It seems like just yesterday I was sitting at home incessantly crying over episode after episode of A Baby Story.  Sleeping completely upright on the couch an hour at a time to keep my heartburn at bay.

Now this little man is almost 4 with the sass and attitude of a teenager, the imagination and story telling abilities of an old wise man who's lived many adventures, the sympathetic heart of a boy much older than his years and the energy characterized by all three of his years.

Stolen from my BFF, Pam, who believes birthdays are meant to be celebrated in style, I am starting Birthday Week 2010 for Nathaniel, starting today.  Every day this week, leading up to his birthday, will be a post in honor of my Bug.  Stay tuned!

Picasso, perhaps?

My littlest monkey is a hands on eater.  That's as nice as I can put it.  He's a total slob.  He really gets into his food and even though he mastered the art of using silverware at a very young age, if you let him go too long (which for him is less than 15 minutes at a meal), you wind up with this:

He's a regular little Picasso, isn't he?

But with a face like this, how can you be mad that he's honing his artistic abilities?!?

This kid has "trouble" written all over him....Am I wrong?

Now if we could get that same devotion and skill transferred to PAPER, we might have something here!

Learn Something...Packing

"Packing for two children for two days away, requires 2 weeks worth of stuff!"

I wish I were exaggerating, but I'm not.  The boys and I are taking a road trip to visit our dear friends Tiffany and Brielle in New York City!  We figured why not extend our usual adventures down to the Big Apple while Tiff is working there for the month!?!

So we head out today and will spend the weekend in the big city.  I am giddy as a school girl and looking SO forward to a girlie weekend with two of my favorite girlies!  Can you say "slumber party"!?!?

Woo hoo!

Ok, now that I'm done sounding 12-years-old...

I have been packing for this trip all week.  It started with a grand plan to get us all there in one suitcase.  Ha!  That wasn't working so I decided on one suitcase for the boys and one for my stuff and all their miscellaneous stuff.  Then it spread into two suitcases, a duffle bag, a cooler, a box of tricks for the car ride, and a bag of goodies to throw at them during the 6-hour trip down.  Don't forget the pillows, blankets, bedtime bear, glow seahorse, boo bankie, Bolt, pacifier, diapers, camera, stroller, and pack and play.

It's two days and two nights and requires enough stuff to last two weeks.  Seriously.  PJs for two boys for two nights, an extra pair (or two!) in case they wake up wet each morning...which has been known to happen lately!  Two outfits, two pairs of socks, two pairs of undies for Nate, plus at least one more outfit, a pair of socks and extra undies for emergencies!  Toothbrushes, soap, diaper cream.  The comforts of home take up even more room. There's warm weather gear and cold weather gear, since it is March in NY, afterall! 

I know I'm overpacking as this is what I do.  But I'd hate to get down there and be missing something that could make our trip more enjoyable, memorable, easier...you get the picture.

Anyway, here goes...Road Trip 2010!

Wish us luck!  I'll share photos of our big adventure when we return!!  NYC, here we come!!

(Gee, I hope I didn't forget anything important!)

Monkey See...Monkey Do

My two boys are a classic case of monkey-see, monkey-do. Ever since Alex was first mobile he's been following his brother around, watching him, and copying everything he does. He follows Nathaniel around like he's his shadow. I think it has helped Alex reach developmental milestones earlier than usual (walking, talking, jumping, CLIMBING)...but it also has a dark side. My littlest monkey has learned some not-so-nice habits from his big brother, such as grunting and growling (when he's angry or frustrated), screaming, throwing things, hitting. It's fabulous. Really.

At dinner the other night I was able to capture a classic example of my monkeys doing their thing.

Nate slurped his spaghetti ("some-getti").

And Alex slurped his spaghetti.

Nate used his fork.

And Alex used his fork.

Monkey See

Monkey Do

Monkey

See

 

Monkey

Do

Monkey See

Monkey Do

Monkey See, Monkey Do.

I sure do love my monkeys.

Wordless Wednesday - Honk, Honk!

Simple Woman's Daybook...March 9, 2010

FOR TODAY...March 9, 2010

Outside my window...the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, the snow is melting...it's a beautiful faux Spring day.  :)

I am thinking...of all the things I want/need to accomplish today.  Work deadlines.  Airline tickets for our trip to Arizona in April.  Packing for our big road trip to NYC this weekend.  Laundry. Tax Appointment.  Mapquest directions.  Blogs set up to post while I'm gone for NaBloPoMo. 

I am thankful for...good friends who keep me going, motivate me, inspire me, support me, and love me unconditionally.

I am wearing...khakis and a too-warm sweater.  I was trying to hide in "comfortable" clothes today (READ: Frumpy) but it's proving to be too warm for this attire.  I wish I had on a t-shirt and comfy pants....

I am remembering...everything I need to DO!  Everything I need to pack to have an arsenal of tricks of my sleeve for our upcoming 6-hour car ride.  Did I mention it's just me, a three-year-old, and a one-year-old?  I'm super excited about the trip but nervous about getting there!

I am creating...a plan of attack for this week and the rest of the busy month of March!

I am going...on a road trip to NYC with the boys this weekend!! In case I hadn't mentioned that already!

I am reading...nothing again.  I leave this question in to motivate me to find a good answer for it before my next Simple Woman's Daybook and yet I always seem to have nothing to report.  I will have to work on that.

I am hoping...this head cold clears up sooner than later.  I want to be healthy and energized for our trip to NYC to visit Tiff and Brie this weekend.  Did I happen to mention yet that I'm looking VERY forward to it!?! 

I am hearing...construction vehicles, birds chirping, welcome sounds of Spring!

Pondering these words...so many, actually.  The words are bouncing around my head like ping pong balls right now.  I can't seem to nail any of them down long enough to make them coherent. 

Around the house...mud, dog tracks, hats and mittens without owners. Signs of Spring!

On my mind...to do lists, responsibilities, obligations. It's never-ending!

Noticing that...even with my window open it's still hotter than heck in here.

One of my favorite things...it seems trite, but I'm going to say Facebook.  I know the evils of Facebook and the overwhelming addictive quality it holds, but it is such a wealth of information, support, and friendship for me during this period of my life.  I have met up with some great people on Facebook, made stronger friendships with people I knew but didn't know before, mended some bridges, and found old friends.  For every complaint and/or frustration I have with Facebook, I think it's a great way to connect with people and feel a wider community of support than time generally allows for. 

A few plans for the rest of the week:  Packing, Popcorn & PJs w/ Heidi and the gang(!), ROAD TRIP!!!!

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

My little guy is nearing 18-months-old and boy, has his personality busted out lately.  Suddenly, out of nowhere, he has a strong will, a loud opinion, and a temper to boot if he doesn't get his way, immediately.  Gone is that quiet, sensitive boy who was so laid back and easy going you could take him anywhere, at any time and do anything without worry.  He's definitely beginning to assert himself.  And he's quite vocal when he's disapproving of your answer!  He still listens well and seems relatively easy to reason with for a 1 1/2 year old, but it's almost funny when he throws a fit.  Watching this tiny little package yell, or throw something twice his weight.  Ha!  I mean it's not funny and I tell him so...but I have to laugh about it in retrospect!  Plus he's a little trouble-causer.  He's always instigating fights with his brother.  He may be small, but he's a wiley one!   Beware!

Check out the Simple Woman's Daybook to read others' entries!

I ♥ Faces...Jump for Joy

Over at I ♥ Faces the challenge this week is "Jump for Joy"

Now, I have two very spririted and energetic little boys so you can bet your bottom dollar (whatever that actually means) that I have LOTS of pictures of these two jumping for joy (or jumping for fun, or danger, or stitches...)

I realize this photo isn't fantastic in composition or editing, but it brings me joy because this is my son through and through.  He is partaking in a favorite winter day activity with his baby brother: couch cushion jumping.  Enjoy!

Be sure to check out I ♥ Faces for more photos of people jumping for joy!

Happiness is...

...fresh, clean, new sheets.

On my Black Friday excursion I managed to snag some great deals on some new bed sheets for our master bedroom.  We finally cracked into a pair of new microfiber sheets and they are heavenly!

There is something to be said for soft, fresh, crisp new sheets on the bed.  They're clean and organized and the bed is orderly.  It's fantastic!  I can't wait to crawl into them tonight!

Learn Something...Five Minutes

"Sometimes it's easier to give _____ (the dog, your kids, a project, etc.) 5 minutes of your time and attention rather than deal with the 20 minutes of frustration that comes from not giving that time"

I know this isn't an earth shattering realization, but it's just so true - about so many things.

While trying to get things done this afternoon, I got frustrated with the dog for being underfoot and nipping at me every time I tried to go anywhere.  I turned around and she was right behind me.  I would try to head downstairs to throw laundry in and she was on my heels, nipping at my pants and charging through the door to the basement.  So after at least 20 minutes of getting frustrated and yelling and not getting anything done, I stopped what I was doing.  I got down on the floor with her and gave her my undivided attention for 5 whole minutes.  I threw her ball, she chased it.  I sat on the floor, she curled up in my lap and rolled over for a belly rub.  She nipped at me, I gave her her rawhide to chew on.  She just wanted to play.  And after 5 minutes, she left me alone and let me do my thing.  

This is so true of so many things in my life.  How often does Nathaniel say "Mom, Mommy, Mom, Mommy!" and as soon as I give him the attention he's demanding he says "Um...I...uh...nothing"?  He doesn't need anything or have anything specific to say.  He just wants my attention.  If I give it to him, instead of trying to finish the dishes, he feels justified and moves on.  And I get to finish my dishes in peace.  

So with that being said, I can see the same correlation in devoting my time and attention to the projects I so desperately need to get done.  In the long run it will have been easier to spend 5 minutes chipping away at them than the 20 minutes needlessly spent worrying about how they're not done.   Don't you think?  Seems logical enough.

So that is what I learned today and what I hope to keep at the forefront of my thinking and apply regularly.  Hey, it can't hurt, right?

Out of Memory

I got an error message on my cell phone the other day.

The message read simply: “Out of Memory”.

Seems innocent enough, yet the dissonant chime preceding the bright red lettering made them mean words. Almost judging. It seems silly, but it shook me – ruined my day. Ugh. One more thing to figure out. One more thing to fix. Oddly, one more thing telling me I take too many pictures, save too many things. As if to say “Enough, already!”

It’s ironic considering this seems to be the running theme of my life lately.

“Out of Memory”

I get that at work on a daily basis. Disk space errors force me to save my work elsewhere, on second rate hard drives, using less than admirable methods of back up.

I get the message on my home computer. Same thing: compromise safety and security of my priceless data for anything that works at the moment. Inconsistent efforts. Scattered. Unreliable.

Quite often my brain gives me an out of memory message in the form of forgotten tasks and missed deadlines. What time was that appointment? When does Nathaniel have to provide snack for school? You wanted me to remember what? Where was I supposed to go? What did I come here to find?

I don't want to be "Out of Memory".  I want to have an infinite amount of memory to be everything to everyone.  I want to remember everything and forget nothing.  I want a bazillion terabyte hard drive so I don't have to lose something important just to gain something new.  My brain is constantly in purge mode, only I have no control over what is thrown out to make room.

Since that doesn't seem likely, I suppose I should go try and figure out how to choose between the cute shots of my children playing at the mall and the REALLY cute pictures of them romping outside with the puppy.  I'll purge what I can to bide my time until I am able to find the cord for my phone and figure out how to get my pictures off my memory card.  If I had any free memory cards, I suppose I could just replace it with a new one, but that's another issue.

It's moments like this when I feel like technology and the world is taking off without me.  Can you imagine me at 90?  Trying to figure out how to get my hologram machine to toast my waffles and heat my coffee?  Man!

RIP Naked Baby

Rochester: February 28, 2010. Naked Baby was predeceased by Howdy Doody and Captain Kangaroo. She is survived by a faithful owner, Shana, and a loving partner in crime, Nathaniel. She is also survived by her friends: Alex, Bolt, Bedtime Bear, and Firehouse Dog.

Naked Baby was a welcome member of our family. She was born "Baby Tender Doll" in 1975 to the Mattel family and joined our family a few short years later. She grew up with a happy girl who loved her so much she cut her hair, styled it frequently, and even painted lipstick on her lips with nail polish to make her look pretty. She kissed many people with a simple squeeze to her tummy that made her pucker up. In her later years Naked Baby's 30+ year old clothing became tattered and the elastic grew tired. She then shed her clothing on a semi-regular basis until such time that Nathaniel kept her naked 24/7, thereby giving her the new name, Naked Baby.

A Celebration of Naked Baby's life will be held in Nathaniel's "office" (bedroom), at the end of the hall on Saturday, March 6, 2010, at 2:00 P.M. (private prior interment). In lieu of flowers, please honor her life with a comment at the end of this post.

Naked Baby
1975 - 2010
Faithful Friend, Loyal Companion.
She will be missed.

 

  

  

  

Literally...loved to death.