Colder than a Blankety Blank

Last Friday it was about -8 (as in ZERO minus 8 degrees) in Columbus. Pretty dang cold. Or so I thought until I hopped on a plane to Chicago (with Beth and Jill for a girlie weekend with Andrea) and it was -16. In all honesty, my cold sensors implode around 19 degrees, so I didn't feel the difference between -8 and -16. Or the -35 when you consider the windchill. Not that we cared all that much once we got to Andrea's - we spent 75% of the weekend in our pajama's and it was perfect!! We did venture out on Friday evening to go to Babies R Us - to help Andrea get her baby registry in order.

We never could have done it without Matt - the world's youngest guru on all things BABY (never mind the fact that he IS a baby and HAS NO babies). No doubt if you search on YouTube for "4 deranged women wrestle stroller" you will see the store's hidden-camera video of the 4 of us fighting a stroller for 20 minutes (damn peg perego stollers - Graco's are much easier!) and then stripping our coats and sweaters off as we break a sweat... Luckily before we were standing in the store stark naked, Matt came to our rescue.

Here he teaches Jill the proper latches and buttons
for a smooth opening and closing - no sweating, no broken nails.

Reading up on the Good, Better and Best of baby gear.
What has happened to "I like that pattern best"??

On Saturday, we were coaxed out of jammies by the lure of a little pampering. We hit a nearby salon to get manicures and pedicures. It was lovely (and quite a bargin too).

Andrea, Beth and Jill busily texting (one another?)
while soaking their piggies.

I was quite happy with my toes - and wine - upon returning
to Andrea's and jumping back into pj's.

On Sunday we got a group picture - after a few odd shots...

Ah ha!

Fantastic time and I LOVE that I can go away for a couple days and not worry one iota about Justin's ability (or willingness) to take care of the kids!!
Damn I'm a lucky girl!

Now THIS is Winter!!

This is a winter much like I remember when growing up - some snow, some ice and bitter cold! Not that I necessarily like it all that much but it does have it's good moments. Yesterday we got 5" of snow (that doesn't seem like much to the NY and RI Youngers, I'm sure...) but for us, it's not too bad. I was SO sure that the kids wouldn't have school today that I let them stay up and watch a movie last night...until 10:30pm. MUCH to my dismay (and Mason's and Ella's) there wasn't even a delay this morning - 6:48 am...along came Mason's bus. Ella was a little late to school because I couldn't get her out of bed quite on time.

Justin and Silas went out to play some.

So did Zoe - good thing she has brown ears or we'd lose her.

Silas was amused by the "hat" on the smiley sun, making him look like an elf.


And Ella was worried that we wouldn't let her back in the house - thus the look on her face in the below picture.







Sorry for the crazy picture arrangement...
I am too tired to fix it!

Tomorrow (well, now today...) I fly to Chicago and leave Justin and the kids at home. A girls' gathering...probably a VERY COLD gathering, but I've got warm sweathers, socks, hat, boots, and pajamas packed...I'm ready!

School has already been canceled so the kids will have the day off to run Justin nuts - before they run him nuts all day Saturday and Sunday too.What a trooper he is... :-)

Keep warm!!

Why I Don't Ask Questions....

I'm sitting here doing some work reports and checking into some of my favorite sites when I need a little break...so I checked out www.imnotobsessed.com - saw a blurb about Ben and Jen naming their new baby.
So I ask: Ugh, do you know what Ben and Jen named their new baby?
Mason: Lynn?
Justin: Fin?
Mason: Ren?
Justin: Shin?

Then Mason comes over to to my desk and looks at the picture on the computer and asks:
"oh, do we know them, are they friends of ours?"
Yep, we bowl together every other Saturday....

Catching up

I have a few pictures from our visit with Em and the boys that I haven't posted yet...got sidetracked by being ill and lazy...yesterday I spent all day in bed with a massive sinus headache and a book. When I wasn't in complete, miserable pain - it was really nice.

The Younger & Bennett kids had a great visit together and were really cute (in-between coughing, snotting and puking). And Baby James really loved Ella. The day after Ella stayed the night with my parents (and her cousins Jaden and Brooklyn), James was thrilled to see her when she got home. He went right up to her and hugged her and lovingly slobbered all over her. It was sweet :)

Silas and Lil'Will watching Scooby Doo

James, Will and Silas acting silly in their pj's

_________________________________

Today was a big day for Silas - he had his evaluation for preschool. It's the school district's peer model program at the special needs preschool. We went last week for the orientation and he loved it. Immediately he was calling it "my school" and asking when he could come back. Today at the eval, they called his name and he went right up to the teacher with barely a look back at us. He went and stood right beside her and then when they were leaving the room, he took hold of her hand and marched on out with her. He was holding the teacher's hand when they came back into the room too. He did let go in-between. He told me all about playing with the boat and making the blocks fall down. I think he's going to LOVE the program. And I love it because is right behind Ella's school and the morning drop off should be super easy. His buddy Ry will be there too so that will be fun!

Mason is doing something that I am proud of too - he got a guitar for Christmas and is taking guitar lessons. He started learning the chords last week and tonight was his 2nd lesson. There is a wonderfully talented man at the church that teaches one night a week - I would love to go up myself and take a few lessons (I just might if Mason gives it up!)

And in another chapter of the Drive By - Drop My Stuff Off at Your House and Run saga, we inherited a kiddie recliner. The Bakers and the Youngers are always moving stuff around from one house to the other (most often as stealthily* as possible) - but somehow we usually end up with most of it eventually! It might look familiar to you because of this post

*by the way, did anyone else know that "stealthly" is not a word? The choices are "stealthy" or "stealthily" depending on if it's an adj or adv. huh, how about that.

Oh, What a Night

I should know better than to try to get a "good-night's-sleep" - I know this by now. I headed to bed earlier than I have been lately (considering the holidays, having company in the house the last 10 days AND the Buckeye's game - which we will NOT talk about).
Silas had been coughing (Thanks to Typhoid Mary and her sick kids - and that is Emily's self-label, not mine! :)

We got Silas to bed, lathered in Vick's vapo rub (yes, I do put it on his feet as well as his chest), got Ella to bed and all was well. Like I mentioned, I went to bed "early-ish". Woke up a few times around midnight to Silas coughing, woke up a few times because I didn't hear Silas coughing (and of course that made me nervous so I had to get up and check on him).

Woke up around 1:30 because Ella's elbow delivered a blow to my eyeball that could have knocked-0ut Mohammad Ali - I really thought she had deflated my eyeball (though I'm pretty sure they don't just pop like a balloon.)

2:00am - Ella wakes up and asks for a cup of water - got it - go back to sleep
2:45am - Ella wakes up and asks for a cup of water - got it - go back to sleep
3:45am - Ella wakes up and asks for a cup of water - got it - go back to sleep
4:00am - Ella says - Mommy, I have to pee - makes sense - then I see her in a full blown run to the potty - and then hear some terrible retching noises - she made it to the bathroom but couldn't get the toilet lid up in time - say bye-bye to one new roll of toilet paper and a box of Always maxipads :-(


The poor thing retched a few times. She is the best puker that I know - she takes it all in stride, it doesn't freak her out, she holds back her hair, wipes her mouth and then nods her head to herself like she is saying "okay, I think I'm done".

She then came back to bed (she was sleeping with us because Aunt Em and the cousins had her room). I tucked her back in, kissed her forehead and then stroked the side of her face a few times before putting my head down. As I laid my head on the pillow, she reaches up and strokes my face a few times and then reaches for my hand.
My first thought is: she is going to take care of me when I'm old.
My second thought is: we should NOT be holding hands with all these germs...

But of course, I don't let go.

Transcending...

I saw this on the BTeam blog - and just had to share it because it is oh, so true.
Author Kelly Corrigan wrote this moving essay about women and their remarkable capacity to support each other, to laugh together, and to endure...
*could possibly make you cry...just maybe

2009 - Seriously?

2008 - Now you see it, now you don't. Some highlights and lowlights:

-Braces - Yuck. But a good experiment on the benefits of eating in moderation.
-Ella's Birthday blizzard
-Margie's diagnosis
-NY Yankees trip
-Sarah's wedding
-A great visit from the AZ/NY Youngers
-Mason became a teenager
-And broke his arm
-a fantastic trip to Nags Head
-my 20 year class reunion
-Hardwood floors- what a project!
-Ella starts kindergarten
-Si's Santa outfit
-job loss
-lost a friend
-lost some steam from both...
-almost lost my garage door
-had a great Christmas

Now I get to reflect on a year that went by way too fast, but honestly I'm happy to see it gone.
I don't typically do new year's resolutions - if something needs to be changed, change it - not just because the calendar says Jan. 1 - BUT - I felt a surge today - something that made me think today is a clean slate.

I won't resolve to: exercise more, drink less or be a nicer person, (though I do want to get my butt moving a bit more).

I will work to:
-think less about death and more about life.
-be more focused at work and not mix work time and play time so much
-support Justin 100% in his self-employment endeavor
-pee my pants less when I sneeze

Happy New Year! Here's to a fantastic 2009!!