I hate iTunes

Monday, December 29, 2008

I mean for real. Apple is known for their sleek lines and easy interface. And ITUNES is the best they can come up with? Seriously? It is so crowded and busy and confused. Granted, I have had some wine tonight and things may not be as clear as they normally are, but I always have some issue with iTunes and generally speaking I am not a total retard when it comes to computer stuff. (ok hubby may disagree but he is a bona fide geek so he doesnt count). I was just organizing my playlists and trying to get some songs on my iPod that I currently have on CD. I am all done now and just enjoying some music and wine.

11 years ago today

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Excuse the picture of a picture!!! We got married back in olden times, before digital cameras. I do have one picture scanned somewhere but I dont know where I put it. We have an anniversary tradition that we started on our first anniversary. Every year we take a picture of the two of us. Can be formal (but it never has been), can be casual, can include kids or not. Just a slice of life kind of picture. I print it out and put it in an album. It's a set of three albums. One has our wedding proofs, one has the candid pictures that guests took with the disposable cameras, and the third are our yearly anniversary pics. This pleases me, as anyone who knows me well knows I like sets of things. LOL Anyway, just thought I would share that little tradition because we really enjoy it.

What I got for Christmas!

Friday, December 26, 2008

I recently broke my hand mixer, so my mom got me a new one.

She also got me this cookbook

to go with the breadmaker she got me!

John got me these yummy snuggly sheets.

I have this for my two younger kids. I have a footprint from Andrew but the frame it was in is different and ugly, and I wanted them all to match, so he got me one.

a book

another book

a card reader

This is a laptop desk thingy so I dont burn my legs or have the laptop overheat (I tend to lay it on the bed)

This is a flexible tripod for my point-and-shoot camera.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Here comes Santa Claus!

Saturday, December 20, 2008

A picture is worth a thousand words...no need to explain this.

Christmas treats!

Friday, December 19, 2008

Today the kids made a gingerbread house. They had a good time and it came out really good! Its the Wilton brand, which comes all built - all you have to do is decorate it. Last year they did one that you had to glue the walls together with frosting and it kept falling apart so I will be sure to get this one again in the future.







This one I like because it shows how there was some argument over where to place the doorknob (the little purple candy), which you can see with the present location and the little dent where it was earlier in the process.

I had to laugh when they were done at the random placement of the oddly shaped purple candy on the front door. It looks like they ultimately abandoned the doorknob altogether in favor of the wierd purple candy.

Blog slacker

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Yeah I know. We have a lot going on right now, as does everyone!!! I will post pics this weekend of some holiday events!
For those of you who are as obsessed as I am, the Anthony's are on Larry King tonight! Get some popcorn and watch the denial.

So much to do...

Thursday, December 4, 2008

I am going to share the picture of all 3 kids. Liam and Andrew both have a little bit of wierd hand placement, but all 3 have such natural real expressions that I LOVE this picture. Yes, that is a natural real expression of Liam's. LOL He makes that face ALL the time, so that is why it is so perfect. Elaina has a little bit of a polygamist hair-do but whatever.
Beyond that, I have cookies to bake, a few last remaining gifts to pick up, and LOTS of wrapping to do.
Plus we took this convenient time to repaint our living room, and I got new blinds, and I am working on our master bath. Hey why not make it even more hectic right? LOL

SUCCESS!

Sunday, November 30, 2008

(Insert Rocky theme music here)

I got a good picture of ALL 3 KIDS!!! And cute individual shots as well. I am happy.

It is done

The pictures are done. I am uploading them now. There had better be something good of all 3 or I am going to scream. I know I got some cute ones of them alone, and a few of Andrew & Elaina...but 18 month olds are a tough crowd.

Today is The Day.

The Day that we are going to do Christmas pictures. I got some adorable outfits for the kids, not Christmasy though. I wanted to do non-holiday holiday pictures this year to give as gifts to the grandparents. I also need to do our Christmas card picture which is separate from that but haven't really come up with a plan for that yet. I am running late this year.
Anyway keep your fingers crossed for me! I know I can get a good shot of each individual kid but all 3 together is a CHALLENGE!!!

I must be getting old

Saturday, November 29, 2008

I seem to remember painting all day long when we bought our first home 8 years ago. Today we painted our living room - which really involves one big wall and two half walls - and I am wiped! Oh yeah, I spray painted something too. Now I am exhausted and need to go to bed immediately. The fumes probably aren't helping either.
Tomorrow is Christmas picture day for sure. I can't put it off any longer.

Baking Thanksgiving cookies

Friday, November 28, 2008

Thanksgiving

We had a great Thanksgiving. We went to a friend's house (Hi Cathy!) and we all had a fabulous time and the food was wonderful! Our kids are all friends and they all play so nicely together. We love having a family of friends like them.
In other news, today we got the Christmas decorations down. All 10 bins. Oy vey. I need to organize and condense this year. I dont even use them all. We are getting a REAL tree this year and I think we will get that next weekend. I thought I would be bummed that we weren't doing it this weekend but actually it's nice to focus on Thanksgiving and doing all the rest of the decorating. Then next weekend I can just concentrate on the tree.
Other tasks to do this weekend - paint the living room, bake Christmas cookies and take the kids' Christmas pictures. Busy!

Sharing some pics

Friday, November 21, 2008

Or not ... I just logged in to put up some pictures, as I haven't in a while, but Liam is awake now and yelling for me. His new thing when he wants me is to yell as loud as possible "MA!" Maybe I can get it on video later.
Anyway I will put some pictures up later on today. I am off to buy a fake tree today!

Fake or real?

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

We have always had a fake tree. Well as a kid of course we had real, since we lived in a real place. But here in Florida where all things are fake, we also have the fake tree. However all the lights were kind of crapping out and we got rid of it last year because we wanted to try a real tree. Well now that the time has come, I am torn. Here is my pro and con list.
Pros of Real Trees
-the smell
-the realness

Cons of Real Trees
-needles and sap
-the fact that I cant put it up as soon
-that they are less cost-effective than fake
-I have to actually put the lights on it

So I dont know. Reading this list I guess I am leaning towards fake. Help me decide, people.

Obsessed!

Monday, November 17, 2008

I am so obsessed with this case. Firstly, I am so sad that this poor innocent child is dead, and at the hands of her own MOTHER. Secondly, how freaking fascinating is it. I can't recall another case as psychotic as this one. I followed both Laci Peterson's case and JonBenet Ramsey's case very closely as well but this one I think is even more bizarre.

There's no place like home

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Elaina is watching the Wizard of Oz... you know, the movie where Dorothy is swept away by "the big giant tomato".
I love four-year-olds.

Today

Thursday, November 6, 2008

So I did end up being able to vote after all! After all the early voting lines and madness, I spent 10 minutes in line on Election day and got to vote. I was upset at the thought of not being able to! Not that it matters really. I wrote in a candidate so I knew he wouldn't win, but that is besides the point.
Today Elaina asked me for a shorter Tinkerbell dress, one that only goes to her vagina, like Tinkerbell's. Nice huh? I always knew Tink was a hoochie but even my 4 year old noticed? Sad.

Voting and kids clothes

Monday, November 3, 2008

1. Voting. Apparently, I am not going to do it. The lines for early voting were INSANE! So I waited. This morning I was resolved to get it done. I drove past the library on my way to drop Elaina off at school - no lines but still an hour and a half till it opened. So I dropped her off and went to Target for a bit. Around 9:20 I arrived at the library. No line. Fantastic. It opens at 10, I figured I could entertain Liam for 40 minutes. So I am sitting in the car for a minute and a guy comes over and tells me there is a sign that says no early voting today. DAMMIT! So maybe I will be able to vote tomorrow, I dont know.

2. Kids clothes. Just because my older son wears a size 7 or so does not mean that I dont ever want him to match the baby! Not all baby clothes are babyish. I dont get this. I recently found 2 shirts on Gymboree.com that had the same thing in baby and big boy sizes. I was so excited. AND they were on sale AND I had a coupon! A rare treat. It is just hard to find big boy, big girl and baby boy clothes that match that aren't some gay sailor suit or something. Not that I match them all the time, but sometimes its fun and of course for pictures you want some coordination.

ok so I guess I am back

Sunday, October 26, 2008

LOL... why not. So today Andrew lost his first tooth! And his second. I cant believe he lost both in one day! So cute. I remember when they first came in ... we were so proud and excited... and now they are in a baggie in my jewelry box... and we are so proud and excited that they are out. Time flies.
In other news, Liam is now able to climb to up to the fort on the swingset. Without help. Or even supervision. No more letting the kids out to play while I get things done inside!

Playing with kids

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

I just dont like it. I love to have conversations with my kids, and to make observations with them - like on a walk or drive. I (usually) enjoy doing actual things with them, like baking. But playing? It is torturous. I can barely keep my eyes open and focus on the playing that I am supposed to be doing. Elaina right now keeps trying to get me to play fairy/mermaid/somethingorother... and I keep losing focus. Of course it doesnt help that she is super bossy, and her version of playing involves telling me exactly what to say and do. We did a puzzle and that was fun, and we had a tea party, and that was good too. But I am now looking forward to Andrew coming home and they can play.

Taking a break

Friday, August 29, 2008

Taking a break from blogging for a while ... there is just a lot going on right now and I am really busy with the kids and things.

4 ... the best age

Thursday, August 28, 2008

I love 4 year olds. They are old enough to reason with, but still young enough to be little. Elaina will be 4 in a few days, and I just love the things she says and does. She is in her own little world of fairies and mermaids and butterflies and bats that wear nightgowns. I love listening to her play and talk and sing and imagine. She loves this commercial, and it totally reminds me of her, so I thought I would post it.

First day of school!

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

First day pics, as promised. I have to note that Andrew is in a very awkward photo stage... even when he is very happy and excited, he has a wierd look on his face. I have found that both A & E will go through a goofy-photo-face stage, and then mercifully it ends. Hopefully it will be soon because he does not look happy here, although he really was very excited.
My girl ready for her first day of preschool!

Ready to take on Kindergarten!

Such good sports, tolerating their mother's dorkiness

I can't believe how fast they are growing up.

Awww they know I love that sibling love.

Just sharing some pics

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

I really don't have a whole lot to say, so I am just going to post some pictures to keep people happy.

Here is the new shelving unit John installed this weekend, to organize the toys. Don't worry, it's all attached to the wall, and the tv is anchored to the wall too.



Here are A & E painting pottery this weekend:



That's it for now.

a complaint from a reader

Friday, August 22, 2008

Apparently I have been a blog-slacker. I know, I know. It's just the RAIN. It is sucking the life out of me. GO AWAY FAY. GO. AWAY.
Let's see. School has been cancelled twice this week. Of course, the worst two days we had school. But today school is out. Today the wind is not even strong enough to blow over a cheap plastic chair, and the rain is just rain. Man up, people. Good grief.
Elaina is dressed up in costume jewelry that her friend let her borrow... Andrew is playing with clay... Liam is asleep...
that's it really!

Phew!

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

I feel like we are really safe now, because Jim Cantore took off his storm-hunter goggles and has returned to normal eyewear.

I hate the media

Monday, August 18, 2008

OK.. so we are expecting what amounts to a tropical storm. Very windy and rainy. With the media coverage we are getting here, you would think we were expecting a direct hit from a category 5, or perhaps an invasion by the Russians. And they wonder why people have "hurricane apathy" ... good lord.. Right now they are having some sort of round-table discussion on the Weather channel, detailing all the various horrors of hurricanes they have been through.

BTW, I totally think real hurricanes suck. We had Charley and it was scary! Plus I was like 39 weeks pregnant and contracting while waiting for the house to blow away, so that was kind of sucky.

In other news, Andrew & Elaina started school today!!! Lots of fun. Of course, they aren't going back tomorrow because of the breeze massive hurricane. But hopefully school will be back in on Wednesday. I'll post pics later.

Look who's smoking crack!

Saturday, August 16, 2008

It's Pottery Barn Kids, who ask us to spend $79 to dress our kids up as a box of french fries this Halloween.



Umm.. no thanks.

Adorableness

Friday, August 15, 2008