Four weeks!!

Ev is four weeks old today and he had his first real bath. My sister
snapped these great photos!!

Sis in town!!

My sister is in town for the first time since Easter! Can you tell
the kids love their Aunt Amy!!

Apple's New Obsession

So, Apple is adjusting... adjusting to being a big sister, adjusting to baby cries, adjusting to not being the center of attention any longer. She is doing remarkably well, but it is still an adjustment. So, hubby and I try really hard to spend some one on one time with her every day. Right now, it's pretty easy, because the baby sleeps so much. I imagine, it will be more and more difficult the older he gets. We will figure it out.

So, she has really started liking word finds. You know, those puzzles that your teachers gave you in school as busy work? Lots of letters in a grid and you have to search for words in the letters. She is getting pretty good at it now. We do a puzzle at night before bed.

Over the weekend, she watched Akeelah and the Bee on the Disney channel. For those of you who did not catch it, it's about an 11 year old little girl from an inner city school district working her way up to the national spelling bee and winning. Apple is infatuated with this movie. We have actually watched it every day since it first came on. Over the weekend, she kept asking, "Give me a word to spell..." And we would. It was fun and challenging for her. (spelling isn't her strength)

Last night, she was working on her word search and finding word after word. The strange thing was these were big words. She could read them, but she didn't know what they meant... words like adjourn, parliament, approve.

So, I said, "You are doing so well with the word searches, we should add something else to it."
She said, "What do you mean?"
"Well, wouldn't it be neat if we had a dictionary and you could look up the words you don't know the meanings of and learn what they are?"
(Her eyes lit up.)
"Yeah! You have a dictionary in your room, right?"

She was right. I did have a dictionary in my room, but it is from 1952!! It was a dictionary my dad had when he was in school!! But, it was a Junior dictionary and it had definitions and sentences using the words. It was perfect, for now.

We pulled out the dictionary and I started to show her how to look up a word. (I forgot about all the alphabetization involved in this process.) I barely got started explaining it to her and she stopped me...

"Mom, I've already had a lesson on guide words. I know how to do this."

So, I watched...

The word she was looking for was 'adjourn'.

Sure enough, she turned to the A's... flipped the pages until she found which page the word was on based on the guide words at the top of the page... she searched the list of words, found adjourn, and read me the definition. WHO KNEW!?!?

So, I'm on the hunt for a terrific elementary dictionary... apparently, she likes words much more than I knew!!

Two weeks

Ev is two weeks old today! Wow, how time flies. He woke up this
morning all smiles, but had a rough day. I think he forgot that he
needs to nap!

The Tripod

Every Tuesday and Thursday morning Apple has yoga in her classroom. This evening, she came home and told me that she learned a new pose today. It's called the tripod. (see pic below). I couldn't get her in the exact pose... Imagine her toes off the floor... That's the tripod. I can only imagine how chaotic the classroom was this morning with kids rolling all over the floor!

Swan Dive

Prayer

Warrior

Reverse Warrior

Tripod

What is the secret...

To diapering boys? :)

Ev literally pees through every outfit. Every diaper change ends up
being an outfit change!

We've tried Huggies newborn diapers and Pampers premie diapers, both
with the same result. Is there some secret out there that I am
completly clueless about? We never had this much trouble keeping
Apple in dry clothes.

Any ideas? :)

Don't you wish...

You could sleep this soundly with all the lights on and sitting on top
of the kitchen table? :)

He's Here!!!

Baby Ev arrived late last Monday evening! (goodness, has it been a
week already?)

He weighed in at 7lb 6 oz and was 21 inches.

Apple's First Halloween Party

Apple was invited to her very first Halloween party on Saturday. I
had many reservations about even letting her go. You see, I'm being
extremely paranoid lately about the swine flu. It seems like it is
spiking around here right now. Just in the past week, I've heard of
five families on our block with it!! We are trying to quarantine
ourselves so hopefully we can avoid it. (especially with the baby
coming)

Anyway, after a long talk with the mom and plenty of promises to
Purell and wash hands during the party, I decided to let her go. She
had a blast! They fixed cookies, did crafts, and played games. I'm
really glad I let her go.

As you can see, she is Gabriella in her prom dress this year! She
even had to have her hair done like Gabriella!!

Pogo Stick

So, Apple's new obsession is the pogo stick. This must be a new toy
that her school has on the playground this year, because she is on it
almost every afternoon! I snapped this photo Friday afternoon when I
picked her up. (excuse her messy hair)

She says her 'world record' is 68 jumps. This is what she wants Santa
to bring her for Christmas this year.

Oh My Goodness!!

I can't believe I haven't posted to my blog since July!! Wow!!


I used to post a quick blog message every morning when I got to work. However, early in the summer, my work load got so huge that I didn't have a spare moment to blog. (Sad, I know) I was working nights, weekends and even on some vacation days... all while pregnant too!! Just recently - like in the past two weeks - have things calmed down for me at work. The huge project I was working on is wrapping up and is now in testing and life at work is becoming much more manageable.


Let's back up a bit and get caught up...


The last time I posted, I talked about our attic. Well, it's finished and it looks beautiful!! We have a brand new bedroom with built in bookcases and a full bath. My mother was our first guest and she really enjoyed her - almost, week long - stay.


That being said, I am still pregnant. I'm 39 weeks today. The pregnancy has gone extremely well, for the most part. Here in the later weeks, I've been having a whole lot of hip pain. Therefore, the doctors have agreed to induce me on Monday morning. So, as of Monday, I will hopefully be a mother to two wonderful children.


Did I mention that the baby is a boy? I probably did, but it's been so long since I posted, I can't remember. We are going to name him Everett. This is probably the last time you'll see his name on this site. From here on, we'll be referring to him as 'Ev' on this blog.


Apple is in first grade now and is absolutely loving school. She amazes me every day at what she is learning. A few weeks ago, she came home from school and said, "Mom, I had a lesson on improper fractions today." WHAT? I think I was in fourth grade before I learned what a fraction was. She loves for me to come into her classroom once a week so she can show me a lesson or two from the week.


So, I'm going to try to get better about posting. I won't promise that it will happen on a daily basis... because, it probably won't! But, I do want to keep up the blog with interesting tidbits from our days. Life is about to change for us in a massive way. It will be great to be able to blog about it.

Progress on the Attic

So, they are making huge progress on our finished attic. Yesterday was drywall day. They hung all the drywall, mud and sanded in one day! Monday or Tuesday they are going to install trim and then we can have the painter come out to do the first coat of paint. I can't believe it's moving along so fast.

I'm definitely ready for them to be finished though. I need my house back in order. It's currently a disaster. I have two rooms that I can't even hardly get in because they are full of *stuff*!!

Plus, the sooner they are done, the quicker I can get the nursery finished!!

Weekend at Nanny and Papa's

My mother suggested last Wednesday that they keep Apple for the weekend. At first, we declined the offer, but then we got to thinking about it... how could we be so crazy to pass up something like that? :)

So, we drove her in on Friday morning. Apple was *really* looking forward to it. Apple and Nanny's first stop was to buy a few new webkinz pets. Apple has really gotten into her webkinz since that webkinz camp she went to the other week.

On Saturday, the exciting adventure was going fishing with Papa. This was Apple's first fishing trip. She wouldn't touch the bait or the fish, but she sure did enjoy casting the line and reeling them in. She caught five fish and is extremely thrilled about her accomplishment.

In the meantime, back at our house, Hubby and I were able to do a lot of cleaning/straightening up that otherwise would have gone undone. You know, things like cleaning out closets and cabinets under sinks. :) It was nice to get some of that stuff done. Then, in the evenings, we went out on dates. Two date nights in a row!!

Friday night, we went with some good friends to The Melting Pot. It was hubby's first time there and he wasn't too impressed with the food. He didn't think it was fun having to cook your own food. I liked it though. :) Saturday night, hubby and I went to eat at The Cheesecake Factory and then went to see the movie The Hangover. It was raunchy, but extremely funny! :)

It was a great holiday weekend for all of us!!

Friday for me!!

Well, today is my Friday. I'm taking tomorrow off and I can't wait. In the morning, hubby and I are going to Babies R Us to finish our registry. Yep, that's right, I think I about have it all figured out. :)

Then, we are heading to Fred's Beds to look for a futon for our new room. Speaking of the room, it's coming along well. We are currently waiting for the town to send an inspector out to do the inspection. I hope it gets done next week sometime so they can continue on with their work. The faster they get done, the quicker I get my house back. (It's sad... currently, my dining room and the guest bedroom look like storage lockers rather than rooms.)

After our trip to Fred's Beds, hubby is heading back to work and I'm heading for a massage. My back is starting to bother me a bit and what better excuse to go get a massage, huh? :)

This weekend is jam packed with two birthday parties, a neighborhood bbq, and a trip to the symphony. It will be busy, but fun!!

It's official...

My girl is snaggletoothed! :)

She lost her final front tooth this weekend. Man, those top teeth? Are SO hard to get out. It had really been bugging her a lot so she was extremely relieved to get it out.

Now, I look at her and think... good grief, she's growing up... WAY too fast for me. She looks so cute when she talks without those teeth and she has a little hint of a lisp. I can't believe in a few weeks, she'll have her permanent teeth in. Time just flies by too quickly.

Webkinzville Madness

Apple was at a summer camp this week at a school that was right by my work. In the mornings, her camp was Mythbreakers where they would do different experiements and learn some scientific principles. They learned about chemical reactions verses physical reactions. In the afternoon, her camp was Welcome to Webkinzville.

Obviously, her most enthusiastic camp was the Webkinz camp. This afternoon, her class performed two plays that the kids had written, designed costumes/scenery for and performed. They were super cute. Apple's group's play was entitled 'The Curse of the Lip Gloss Magical Monster Bubble Gum'. :) (apparently they've been doing some brainstorming exercises) Their Webkinz started out in their houses - that the kids built all week. Then, they went on a walk. They smelled some bubblegum and were transformed into monsters. They walked a little more and they were transformed back into Webkinz. Finally they ended up back in their nice cozy new homes.

It was very cute and of course, these four girls ended up with the giggles before their performance was over with.

A New Room!!

When we moved into our house 3 1/2 years ago, we had our attic pre-done for an additional room. It was slightly framed and pre-plumbed for a full bath. We are currently in the process of having it finished completely. This will serve as our guest room and a little bonus room. This is the plan for what we're adding:


The contractor got started on it this week. Yesterday, the framers and the HVAC guys were out doing their thing. (We had to have all the HVAC work for the second floor redone b/c it was done rather poorly by our builder.) BOTH the framers and the HVAC folks finished their pre-inspection work yesterday. Here's what it looks like so far:

I know it's really hard to tell what it's going to look like from these pictures. Today the electrician and plumber are coming in and then we'll just have to wait for inspection.

Another decision made :)

Who knew there were so many nursery designers and nursery themes out there??

After looking over a gazillion websites (it seems) we have decided on this for the baby's nursery bedding. Well, that is if everything comes in and lives up to my expectations. :) Everything has been ordered. We're just waiting for it to arrive.

I like the animal theme. It's very versatile, I think. Plus, I love the browns and the cream colors. I doubt we will paint his walls this green color, but the joy of this set is that we could use any color we want.

Picking out a set for a boy was a completely different experience than picking out a set for a girl. When I picked out Apple's set (7 years ago) I just found a beautiful floral set with all the pastel colors in it that I loved. Most boy sets are very themed... either construction, sports, or animals. Anything that wasn't themed typically had circles or odd geometric patterns on it. I'm very excited and can't wait for this to arrive on our doorstep!!

Our Summer Entertainment

This is one of three pools in our neighborhood. We've lived in this neighborhood for about 3 1/2 years now, but haven't joined our pool club until this year. Quite honestly, we didn't feel like it was worth the expense until now. Apple has been taking swimming lessons for almost a year now and we got a big bonus this year from work, so we decided to join. (Actually, I decided to join... hubby didn't have much of a choice.) :)

Let me tell ya, this was the best money we've spent in a really long time. We have been trying to go to the pool about 2 - 3 times a week now since we joined. This is the pool that Apple likes the best because it has the lazy river.

But, her most favorite thing is the big water slide (far right). At first, I was a little nervous about her going down it. The rule is that parents can't catch the kids at the bottom and the kids must go down by themselves. (no riding on laps) But, Apple was DETERMINED she was going to do it. At first, hubby would go down the slide first and then Apple would go down after him. He would be at the bottom to pull her to the edge when she popped up. But, now, she's mastered swimming to the edge all by herself.

She swims better than I did when I was in middle school. It's amazing. (that doesn't say too much, I'm a horrible swimmer)

Last night, we went to the pool around 5:30 and stayed til 7:30. It was great because the crowd was very light. We got to go in the big pool (far left of pic) and Apple practiced her strokes over and over again and jumped into the 5 ft water from the edge of the pool. (with us close by, obviously) She's doing great in the pool. I'm so glad we joined.

Alice - if you're reading this and would like to bring R sometime, let me know!! There's a great kiddie pool with kiddie slides (red - middle of pic) he might like!!

Soooo Excited!!

So, I heard on the radio this morning that Miley Cyrus will be coming to a city near us in November and the tickets went on presale this morning for people with AmEx cards.

I immediately called hubby to ask if he would take her since it will be less than a month from when the baby is born. He wasn't too thrilled. But I convinced him that it would be a good present for her and something for her to look forward to after the baby and he agreed! :)

So, 10:00 sharp, I ordered them two tickets. I'm so excited. I can't wait to tell Apple b/c she is going to be beyond thrilled. But, we are going to wait until after the baby is born before telling her. It's going to be hard!! :)

Saying Bye-Bye

Guess what we did this weekend?

We cleaned out our attic. For six and a half years now, we have saved almost every peice of clothing that Apple has ever worn. We were hoping to be able to use them if we ever had another baby girl. Well, doesn't look like that's going to happen. :)

So, we went through bin after bin after bin of clothing. We itemized everything and put it all in trash bags to take to Goodwill. We literally had over 25 completely stuffed trash bags of clothing!! I was amazed at all that we had kept. Unfortunately, though, we only were able to save a few outfits that the baby might be able to wear.

We did save all Apple's 'special' clothing... you know, things that we had pictures taken in, what we brought her home from the hospital in, etc. One day, I'd like to give her those items.

Other things we went through included the bouncy seat, the pack and play, the stroller, the high chair, the baby swing, etc. Most of it, we are able to reuse. We will need a new high chair and a new infant car seat. All of the other stuff, we can reuse.

So, now... I think it's time to start my baby registry. I don't expect to get too much as gifts since this isn't our first baby. But, every little bit will help.

Oh! And I think we have a name picked out... I might announce it in a month or so. I want to make sure it's what we want. :)

We're making progress... slowly, but surely.

It's OUT!!

Well, it took MONTHS, but Apple has finally lost that front tooth. The thing was literally hanging on for dear life for weeks. It was pushed over and crooked and everything. Every night we tried to pull it, but it would never budge.

Finally, on Friday, she stuck a piece of chewing gum in her mouth and out it popped. No pain, no blood. It was the best way to loose a tooth!

I was working on Friday and she was at home with her dad. She called me at work to tell me that her tooth had fallen out. She was so excited and wanted me to come home as soon as I could so I could see it.

When I walked in the door, she was sitting at the kitchen table, writing a note and crying her eyes out. I asked her what was wrong and she said she had just lost her tooth down the drain in her sink. The child was DEVASTATED. She finished writing her note, crying the whole time. I tried to put her in bed, but she couldn't stop sobbing. So, guess what I did?

Yes, I took her sink drain apart and found the tooth. I? Was her hero!! I think she learned a lesson though about how things can get lost down the sink.

The toothfairy brought her $2 for that mischievous tooth!

Beach Bums

This is where we've been for the past week! It was a great break from
reality.

Thanks to everyone for the Congratulation wishes!! We are starting to
get very excited about our new addition.

I think it's safe to say...

that I'm pregnant! :) Yeah, I've known for quite a while... well, almost 17 1/2 weeks, to be exact. I just haven't be sure enough that it was going to last until yesterday.

We had our Level II ultrasound yesterday morning. Apple came with us to watch everything and find out the gender of the baby. We are having a boy. He is due on October 30.

A boy!! Half of me is thrilled to peices, the other half? Scared to death. What do I know about boys?? I grew up with a sister. I barely even talked to a boy until I was in high school. I have no idea how this is going to go, but I guess we shall see.

Hubby and Apple were pulling for a girl. I had a gut feeling this was a boy from the beginning because the pregnancy has been so incredibly different from my pregnancy with Apple. So, I had tried to prepare them both. Even with all that, they were both still a little stunned by the news.

I feel a little sad that Apple will not have the sister bond that I grew up with. But, from what I hear, sisters and brothers can bond just as well. :) I guess that is yet to be determined.

Wish us luck!!

Good Student

Last Friday afternoon, Hubby picked Apple up from school. On the way home, they stopped by the grocery store to pick up food for the weekend. Hubby, as usual, had his grocery list and to keep Apple occupied during the visit, he let her mark the items off the list as she put them in the grocery cart.

When they got home from the grocery store, hubby was looking over the list and noticed an item that had been added in cute kindergarten handwriting. It said...

"Good at school today. Get reward."

:)

PJ Day

Yesterday, we had a PJ Day at our house. What is PJ Day, you ask? Well, it's where we stay in our PJs all day long!! :) It was GREAT!!

The weather was yucky and rainy most of the day, so it made for a perfect PJ Day. We did fun things around the house like crafts, movies, dress-up, art projects. Hubby and I did some chores like changing the sheets, laundry, etc. I fixed some yummy BBQ ribs in the crock pot for supper.

It was just a laid back day and it was perfect! I wish I could have about one of those days a week!

I so want this...

So, Apple's school had their annual 'Spring Fling' a couple of weeks ago. The whole purpose of the Spring Fling is to raise money for the outdoor environment at the school. This year, they actually raised $12,000!! That's pretty amazing for such a small school.

Anyway, part of the Spring Fling fundraising is a silent auction. This is where companies donate their time and/or services and they go to the highest bidder at the auction. Well, one of the items I was most interested in (but did not bid on - cuz we didn't bid on anything) was a free sitting fee from this photographer.

OMG - I'm in LOVE with her work. I've started begging/asking hubby for some new pics...

He keeps saying... "What else do you want?" :)

MEN!!!

What do you think?

Beadazzled

So, last night, my company hosted an event at a local bead store called Beadazzled. Supposedly, it was going to be a mother/child event where the kids could make presents for Mother's Day. They waived the workroom fee, so we could go from 4:00 - 7:00 and bead until our hearts were content.

Considering Apple has really gotten into beading lately, I thought this would be a fun thing for her to do. I was right. She LOVED it!!

Honestly, it was quite overwhelming at first. So many beads to choose from and so many options. But, finally, we narrowed down her color scheme, I picked out the beads and she put them together. She made a beautiful necklace for my mom, a cute bracelet for Dave's mom and a bracelet for herself! It was a really fun time. We both enjoyed it!

Happy Easter!!

After six years, Apple was finally excited and ready to sit on the Easter Bunny's lap!! :)

We had a good weekend. My sister flew into town on Friday. On Saturday, we drove in to see the grandparents. We made a pitstop at Build A Bear at the mall and while we were there, Apple caught a glimpse of the Easter Bunny and just had to have her picture made. $25 and 3 5X7 photos later, here is the result. :)

The new obsession

So, Apple has recently discovered a love for beading. After a trip to
Micheal's this afternoon, these were her creations. This will be
great to keep her busy this week while I'm working at home with her on
Spring break!

It was a soccer weekend...

Thanks to three full weeks of rain, we are trying to cram in as much soccer on the weekends as possible. This weekend, we had two soccer games. Unfortunately, Apple's team lost both games, but they tried really really hard. Apple scored a goal on Sunday, but not Saturday. I'm hoping the rain will stay away long enough for them to have practice again soon. Cuz, you know, practice would really help!

;)

Here are some pics I took on Saturday...







She really seems to enjoy it and doesn't seem at all scared about getting in there to get the ball. So, as long as she likes it, we'll keep it up!

Ick!

Yesterday afternoon, I took Apple to dance class. There are several of my neighbors who have their kid in the same class and I sat down next to them in my usual seat (after getting Apple's shoes changed and her off to her class). Then, all the sudden, I was overwhelmed with the smell of vomit. :(

Now, my sense of smell seems to be stronger these days than most. So, I asked my friends if they smelled it too. Of course, they said they didn't. So, I moved to the other side of the room. (I couldn't take it... it was overpowering, in my opinion.) Later in the hour, I asked them again and one of them said they got a whiff of something. Finally, hubby came and I asked him and he didn't smell it either.

In my opinion, a kid upchucked somewhere in that room... I spent the rest of the night feeling like I needed to sanitize myself.

More Loose Teeth

For the past few days, Apple has been telling me that we need to work on wiggling her teeth before she goes to bed. I knew that they were a little loose, but it took the bottom ones like 6 months to fall out. So, I wasn't that worried about it.

Then, I started noticing there was a larger gap between her front tooth and the one beside it. This was exactly what happened to her bottom teeth as they got looser. The gaps got bigger as if the big teeth were moving her little teeth.

And, last night, we were at a neighbor's house and we noticed that one of her front top teeth actually looked like it was hanging crooked!! So, last night, I started wiggling. I still think it is a long way from falling out, but it sure does look funny hanging crooked like that.

I don't guess it will be long, but I sure hope the front two fall out about the same time and the permanent ones come in really quick!!

New Recipe

Last night, I fixed these. For some reason, they just look extremely appealing to me last week when I saw them on the Pioneer Woman's site.

I must admit, I fudged the recipe a tad. I didn't do the sauce just as she described it. (I'm not sure that I'd like tobasco sauce on my meatballs.) But, they turned out really really good. I have to remember when I do her recipes, that I need to reduce the sizes in the recipe.

She cooks for like 6 people and I cook for three! :) I have enough meatballs left to feed us about two more meals!!

Gonna try again...

Well, my big project at work is winding down. I think we'll be going production with it next week. This is the first project that I've released as a manager, and I must say, I am VERY proud of what my employees have done in such a short time. So, with that said, I'm gonna try to start blogging more.

Don't hold your breath that it will be a regular even though. :) Just when I have time, I will tell interesting stories...

For instance, when we got back from the park yesterday, I realized there was a dead frog in the driveway behind my van!! Ick!! I must have ran over it one day in all the torrential downpours and not realized it.

Finally, a pretty day!!

The sun finally decided to come out today so we went on a walk to the
local park. Here's a picture of our little monkey!

Spelling...

Sent from my iPhoneSo, I went away scrapbooking for the weekend with a group of girls.
On Saturday night we went out to eat at a local Japanese restaurant.
(my favorite) We were looking at the menu deciding between the filet
and shrimp combo or the chicken and shrimp combo when we saw this...

Skating ?!?

On Monday, we get an email from Apple's school that says that her class will be having field trips to the local roller skating rink every Wednesday during the month of February. EVERY WEDNESDAY???

First of all, I'm ticked because it's Monday and their first trip is Wednesday. This means I have to reschedule my entire day. Then? I'm ticked because it every.freakin.Wednesday. I think this is overkill. Then? I'm ticked because its all the kids in the school from kindergarten through middle school. That's 100 kids!! (Keep in mind... this little private school does not have transportation... it relies on parents to drive kids to fields trips... and I'll be darned if I let someone else drive my kid. I'm not ready for that yet.)

So, I sign up to drive. I said I'd take two kids. When I get there on Wednesday, Hayden had already picked out the girls that she wanted to ride with her. They were both very sweet, but one was rather unruly.

Anyway, we get to the skating rink and wait in line for skates... two of the three girls got skates that were too big. Luckily, the girl with the right sized skates put them on and took off. (didn't need to worry about her anymore) Unluckily, this meant Apple was at the back of the line for skates... it.took.for-ever...

We finally got her in skates and had the wheels tightened. She took off on the carpet around the rink and did really well. So, she wanted to try the hard floor. I told her to go ahead, but I wouldn't be able to go in there with her. She did EXTREMELY well. I was truly impressed. She had nerves of steel getting out there with all the other kids. She stayed close to the wall until she felt comfortable enough to get a few feet away from it.

She fell... about a million times. And, of course, I didn't think ahead when I dressed her that morning. She was wearing pants with snaps on the pockets. So, every time she fell, the snap ramed into her rump. By the time she was done, I was hearing complaints of her butt hurting. :) Also, she had picked out ankle socks that morning. Needless to say, we'll be more prepared next Wednesday.

And, yes, she has two bruises on her rump from the snaps. :(

She had a blast though. And, believe it or not, it wasn't that chaotic. The worst part was waiting in lines at the skate rental. She's very excited to go back next Wednesday... and we're going to loosen up the skates a bit...

until then... :)

A New Discovery

I'm sitting here watching Apple fix her own lunch. (cool, huh?)

She's recently discovered Lunchables Pizzas and believe it or not, SHE ACTUALLY EATS THEM!!!

Granted, it's not carrot sticks or something really nutritious for her, but it is new!

I must admit though, she is trying a lot more things these days. We've had fruit with every meal at home this week. (I figure she'll be more likely to eat fruit than veggies.) She has now acquired a tast for grapes. She's still not fond of apples though. We're working on it!!

Heavy Traffic

We had a longer than usual ride home this afternoon because the traffic was a little heavy. It wasn't that bad, but enough to be noticeably different than usual.

We were about 5 minutes away from the house and Apple said:

"Mom, are we almost home cuz I'm smokin' hot."

I thought it was hilarious. She got mad at me for laughing. :)

Too break or not to break??

That is, bloggy break. :)

So, a dear friend wrote on my Facebook wall asking if I was taking a 'bloggy break'. I guess I have been. And, I probably should explain why.

You see... I just got a new job at work. Remember that management position I interviewed for a few months ago? Well, it was made official and I am now a manager in my department. I have two people reporting directly to me. Two wonderful software developers. I know they are going to make my job easy, but I am SOOO busy at work that I end up coming home with work most nights.

And, by the time I get done? All I want to do is crash on the couch. So, my posts will be hit or miss here until I can get a handle on my new responsibilities at work.

But tonight, I felt like I needed to let you know where I've been! I promise to be back, but it just won't be a predictable situation. :)

Here's a funny story from dinner tonight though...

Apple got these for Christmas. Tonight's game went something like this...

• The youngest person in the family starts by naming one food that's on the table or in the kitchen, such as milk.
• The next player repeats the word and adds another word that starts with the same sound, such as meatball. In other words, that person would say "milk, meatball".
• Continue around the table, trying to say the words as quickly as possible, until it's too much of a tongue twister.
• When no one can do it, start over with another food.

So, it was going like this... "bread, banana, baked beans, butter... " It was getting tough and it was Apple's turn and she said, "bread, banana, baked beans, butter, beer". For a lot of people, this wouldn't be so shocking, but for us, it was very shocking. See, we don't drink. We've never had alcohol in our house. Apple has never seen us drink anything alcoholic. (She has seen other people drink, but not us nor in our house.) So where in the world did "beer" come from??

I looked up at hubby. We both had a shocked look on our face and started laughing. Then, I asked where that came from. He said that they pass the ABC store every day on the way to school. This morning, she asked...

"What is the ABC?"

"It is an Adult Beverage store."

"What's an adult beverage?"

"Wine, beer and stuff like that"

"Beer? What's in beer?"

"Wheat, barley... yucky stuff"

:)

I think I might be feeling better... FINALLY

So, this weekend was busy... busy, busy, busy...

As you know I was still feeling horrible Friday night. I forced myself to get up on Saturday, get dressed and go to Apple's birthday party. She only turns 6 once, right? There was no way I was going to miss that.

The party was excellent. It was downtown at a museum during the same time the governor was being inaugurated. Surprisingly enough, traffic wasn't bad at all. We got there about an hour before the party was supposed to start, but that's ok. We just looked around the museum for a while.

The party was a mad scientist party. The kids got to do experiments that were pretty exciting for them... for example, mixing baking soda and vinegar to create a gas to blow up a balloon... and mixing cornstarch and water to create a polymer (to them it looked like a liquid, but when they touched it, it acted like a solid)... the kids also got to see/pet four different exotic animals. There was a hedgehog, a odd looking turtle, a lizard and a python. Most of the kids were very brave and petted all the animals. They had a great time and Apple really enjoyed it.

After the party, I was completely wiped out. I fell asleep in the car on the way home and when we got home, I crashed on the couch for about 3 hours. I was miserable. I really wanted to go out that night with our neighbors so I was trying to rest as much as I could. Hubby was a HUGE help and entertained Apple the entire time. By the time I got up, I had started feeling a tad bit better. So, I decided that we would still go out.

We went to this really fancy restaurant downtown and it was fabulous. Our reservations were at 7:00, but we didn't start ordering until 8:00. We had a three course meal. My first course was a lobster risotto that was SO yummy. My second course was a Filet Mignon that was de-li-sh!! (it was $54!!) Then, I had a spiced apple crumb cake for dessert. Hubby's meal was similar to mine. I think it had to be the most expensive meal we have ever eaten, but it was so good. It is definitley a place to go to for very special occasions!!

We didn't get home until after 11 on Saturday so it was a long day... especially since I wasn't feeling well. Today we just stayed at home and I think I have finally turned a corner with my virus or whatever it was. I can swallow today without cringing in pain and I haven't had to take a nap all day. (That's the first time I've been able to say that for a week!!)

Apple's Mad Scientist Cake

Happy Birthday Sweetie

Tomorrow, my baby turns six years old. I honestly can't believe she's been such an integral part of our lives for an entire six years already. Time has flown by since the moment she was born. We have enjoyed every minute of it too... even the tough times!!

So, tomorrow and Saturday are big days of celebration in our home. Tomorrow starts off with her opening her birthday present before breakfast. This year, we decided to get her an American Girl doll. I, of course, have these fantasies of taking her on a Mommy/Daughter trip to Chicago, NY or Atlanta to the American Girl store for a day. But, who knows if she will even like the doll. She hasn't been too much of a doll girl, so hubby was a little leary of giving it to her.

I chose to give her Kirsten. Her class has been reading Little House on the Prairie. The teacher reads it to the kindergarteners a chapter at a time during group each day. Apple has been fascinated with this book and actually got her own copy for Christmas. Since Christmas, she's been reading a chapter a night to hubby and I before bed. Kirsten lives on the prairie and comes with a book about her life on the prairie. I think Apple will enjoy her. I guess we shall see.

Then, she has her 'celebration' at school. We will be there at 11 for 'special snack' which Apple was allowed to choose. (We just made two batches of brownies tonight!) Then, they will celebrate each year of Apple's life. It should be cute.

Saturday morning is her official birthday party. It is going to be held at a museum downtown. It is a 'Mad Scientist' party. The kids will be doing experiments and seeing some exotic animals. The kicker to this? Tomorrow is the inauguration of our new governer. Downtown is going to be a nightmare. We are going to have to go to the party WAY early in order to find parking. I hope it doesn't deter too many of the party participants. If I had known about the inauguration before I booked the party, I wouldn't have done so. Ugh!!

Regardless... with all the birthday festivities and me still being sick, it should definitely be an eventful weekend!!

SICK... (yes, AGAIN)

I had one day of feeling good and bam, I'm down again.

I woke up this morning with a really bad sore throat. I tried to will it away all day... to no avail.

This afternoon I went to The Minute Clinic at CVS for a strep test. It was negative. Honestly, I don't feel like I have strep, but considering how sick I recently was, I wanted to be tested just to be sure. They are sending off a culture just in case it is positive in 24 hours or so.

I can't catch a break...

But, The Minute Clinic? OMG!! It was awesome. I was in and out of there in 20 minutes. The nurse practioner I saw was better than some at my doctor's office. I'll definitely be going back for quick things like this in the future. It sure beats waiting f-o-r-e-v-e-r in the doctor's waiting room!!!

Curls!

So, my sis got me into the whole beauty craze again...

I went to get my hair cut today and my hairdresser showed me how to do
this with my hair. Think I can do it myself?

The jury is still out on that one. :)

Human again...

As of about 7:00 tonight, I've started feeling human again. I think I had an 'adult version' of the virus Apple had over Christmas. Last night I was running a fever of about 102, but when I woke up this morning, it was gone. Of course, I couldn't sit up b/c I felt like I was going to hurl... but that's gone away during the day today too.

I can't remember the last time I've slept so much. Seriously... yesterday, I didn't get out of bed til 3:00pm. I went to bed at 9:45pm and woke up at 9:40am this morning. I rolled over and went back to sleep for a while. Got up, tried to munch on some cereal and back to sleep I went... until about 3:00 this afternoon.

One thing is for sure, I should be well rested by now!!

I'm taking tomorrow off of work, just for peace of mind. I don't want to fall asleep at my desk or anything. :) Plus, there is plenty to do around the house!!!

Why do I even make plans??

Today? I was supposed to go purchase those jeans I was talking about the other day. I was going to have some 'me' time at the mall... just spend a few hours there and actually get to browse. Something I have rarely done in about six years.

But, when I woke up this morning, I felt HORRIBLE. I was extremely groggy and nauseous and I went back to bed. I was in bed until after 3:00pm today!!! And I still feel like I could go to sleep instantaneously.

What's wrong with me? Part of me thinks it is just extreme exhaustion catching up with me after taking care of Apple for so many days. But, then, the nausea makes me think it's a stomach virus of some sort.

I've barely eaten all day, but I haven't hurled yet. I feel like I could though... any minute...

Cheesecake Factory

Yesterday, my parents drove down to have one last meal with sister
before she flew out. We went to The Cheesecake Factory. (yummy)
Apple, of course, is too picky of an eater to eat anything on their 20
page menu. So we grabbed her some McDonalds on the way. (notice the
fries in the foreground)

Here she is eating her dessert... The largest serving of ice cream
known to man. :). Luckily, hubby was there to help her eat most of it.

The Visit is Coming to an End

My sister has been visiting with us for almost three full weeks. Tomorrow morning, I take her back to the airport for her to head across the country. We're thinking it will probably be another four months before she heads back this way.

We've had a very good visit... well, excluding the illnesses and crazy antics of the holidays. All in all, we really enjoyed our time together. I will treasure it always.

My sis is the "fashionista" of the family. Due to the fact that she's been here almost three weeks, I've picked up a lot. For instance, we went jeans shopping this week. She? only wears designer jeans. I? am lucky to purchase jeans at The Gap. I tried on designer jeans this week for the first time and I love them. Now, I can't say I'm going to buy only designer jeans from this point forward. (cuz my husband would kill me) But, I am getting my first real pair for my birthday this month and I'm really excited about it!

I've also picked up beauty tips and tricks that have long escaped me... brands of makeup, hair care products, brands of hair dryers and flat irons that are the best. Maybe I can follow in her footsteps in these areas. (Lord knows she's followed in my footsteps long enough!) :)

Thanks for a great visit A. I love you and I'll miss you. Hurry back.