Bad service

Typically, I go through one of the cheaper websites to order our holiday cards.   This year I went all out and ordered through a more expensive website.   I was disappointed that the customer service was anything but good!   I waited for an online chat person for over 10 minutes and finally gave up.   When I tried to call there was a 17 minute wait time!

Next time I'm going to look at cheap catalog printing places!   Not only do they offer tons more options, but they know how to print a large amount at half of the cost of the other guys!

Bad luck

Yesterday we went out to the car to find that our battery had died!   UGH.   We ended up having to call the wrecker to come and jump the battery.  LD came down but for some reason it didn't work.

After all was said and done I had to get the new battery installed at Walmart.   It was time though...   We have had the car for almost 5 years and never replaced the battery.

That was best case scenario!   I hate having car issues and knock on wood --- we've been very lucky!

Christmas!

So I've started Christmas shopping.   I just want to be finished with it already and STOP SPENDING MONEY!   It's like we're bleeding cash.

Then there's the $1,500 that we have to spend in order for Margot to adopt Keane.  

At least she'll be able to get the tax credit and the deduction for the boy.

Toothfairy

It's been a while since the tooth fairy showed up.   THe first time she came it was somewhat unexpected and there was a major scramble to find silver dollars.   The local bank was out and so she had to leave dollars!

I saw they have susan b anthony dollar at goldeneagle.    So last case scenario, I get desperate next time I can just hop online and make a big order.   With three kids, I have a feeling that I might just go broke!

Black Friday

I'm just waiting to see the sales ads that will be going out in the upcoming week!   I am looking for a killer deal on a nintendo game boy and a Kindle fire.   Those are the girls big gifts.   The boy has totally been shopped for an he's in good shape.   Lucky thing.

We are doing Christmas pretty "lite" this year.   We decided that we're doing $200/Emmy and Graem and $100 for the boy.   Then we're celebrating Graem and Keane's birthdays a few days later!

Toot toot!

My son is totally obsessed with cars and balls.   It's so funny because the girls didn't want anything to do with them!

I just did his Christmas Wish List and put a handful of goodies on his list!

The other day we had a big 18 wheeler pass us.   I could see Keane's eyes follow it.   It had truck seat covers and everything.    I can't wait for the day that Keane starts getting them to honk!

I have a 10 month old...

The boy is almost walking!   I know my time is limited to get everything together before he's all over.  

I have a walker and jumper to get rid of so if anyone knows of someone who's looking let me know!

Shake that thing...

This Saturday we are going to the mall in Syracuse.   I can't wait.   I've been wearing maternity clothes for five years now!   I just got rid of all my old maternity clothes.

I might have some event designers in the next few weeks!   I know I want some khakis, jeans, and some nice clothing.   

I'm moving up!

10 months old!

Keane is almost 10 months old.   I really can't believe it.   His sleeping is awful!   Today was the first day that I tried to put him in his crib.   It was brutal.   At one point he cried for THREE HOURS.   The good thing was that I was able to make 24 pumpkin cheesecake minipies, a large pumpkin cheesecake, and 2 dishes of homemade mac!   I also did 2 loads of laundry, hung diapers, and cleaned up.  

This might not be so bad once Keane gets the hang of it!

Too many books...

and not enough space!

I think we are going to have to figure out another solution for all of the kid's books we have accumulated over the years.   We have way too many!

I want real wood furniture and even looked at rustic bookcases a few years ago.    

They look nice and would fit perfectly in the basement!

Dare i say it?

but I'm watching honey boo boo.    This is some seriously funny stuff!   Can't stop watching!

Finally, he sleeps.

These past few weeks have been hell when it comes to sleeping.   I wake up and I'm more exhausted than when I went to bed.

He is up most of the night thrashing around in bed.   Last night we went to sleep relatively early after giving up on sleep training.    He was awake every 30 minutes.

Finally, I left and went into the spare bedroom.   I feel like if I'm out of the bedroom he's not on top of me wanting to nurse every 15 seconds.  

Namaste!

When Emmy was younger I enrolled in a baby/mama yoga.  It was really great.  I could do as much/little as she would let me and typically the class was all about nursing and goldfish snacks.

These days I feel that with all of these children I need time away!

I'm looking at getting a gym membership and I'd really like to take advantage of a slower yoga class.

Of course, I'd need all of the gear - my own mat, yoga pants, and a yoga towel.

A neighbor friend!

We have new neighbors that seem a bit weird.  M met them the other day and said the woman is alright but nerdy.   We found out the guy works at CU and found out that BD knows him!   He thinks he's a total whack job and when I mentioned his name he said he could really be the next unibomber.

Awesome.

In other good neighborhood news...   Graem has a classmate that we didn't realize lives one street over!   Her and Emmy are over there now playing.   They have three kids and dad is a grad student in the business school.   THe bad thing --- they will be leaving in May.  

Easy come, easy go.

Almost 8 months!

I can't believe K is almost 8 months old. It's gone by SOOO fast. I just can't believe it. He's quite the little man. He's sitting, crawling backwards, he can stand, and he's so damn happy. Now, if I could just get him to sleep a little better! We talked to the pediatrician about it and when we get back from vacation we are going to start sleep training him. SO TIRED.

Mounted!

We just moved the flat panel television into our bedroom. There's was tons of drama involved. Included was the purchase of three different tv mounts! I couldn't figure out if I wanted the tilted, flat, or armed extension. We ended up going with the armed extension and although we didn't like it at first - it's grown on both of us. Now, I just wish we had a bigger television!

MEXICO!

We are leaving for Mexico Wednesday!! I am so damn excited. I really can hardly wait. I'm going to try to get us all packed up this weekend so that Tuesday night I can work on getting kids and myself to bed early! Typically, I'm trying to do laundry all through the night and by the the time walk on the plane I'm exhausted, my back is killing me, and I'm fighting sickness!

Carded.

A few years ago I ordered clear business cards for my consulting firm. Not only did they look great but they had my logo and information for easy contact. Clear cards and brochures is really essential in having a successful business. If you have something that looks fake or made up and home made people won't take you serious!

6 months old

I can't believe K is 6 months old!?!? He's teething now and has the bottom two teeth popping out! He's been super grumpy and the nights have been rough. I'll be glad once the teeth break skin!

What to do?

We are constantly looking for ways to invest our money. My retirement is pretty weak and we've been focusing quite a bit on Margot's. Her work has a pretty good program and the contribute annually. We have done fidelity bonds and they've worked well. It's low risk and at the end of the day it's important to have a diverse profile with a little bit of everything.

4

I really can't believe that Emmy is four years old. I remember being pregnant with her! I look at Graem and her baby pictures constantly. It's just going way too fast. I have so many incredible memories and I'm glad that I've been able to stay at home and enjoy time with the kids.

Happy Mother's Day - part deux

It's almost time for Margot's mother's day! (She gets Father's day since she prefers tools and there are better tool sales for Father's day!) I purchased her the Dewalt DCK492L2! I was able to get a great deal on it. Unfortunately, she found out where it was hidden in the garage! I figure I might as well let her use it. The more tools I get her the faster things around the house can get fixed! Of course, now she wants something else for Mother's Day since she's already seen her gift!

Birthday rescheduled.

We were suppose to have Emmy's birthday party today. Unfortunately, we woke up and it was pouring. We made the decision to reschedule for tomorrow. It just stinks because a handful of her friends can't make it tomorrow. She won't know any difference until after the party.

Cute boy

I think Keane's wardrobe is pretty good til he turns 2! Of course, I'm always on the lookout for good streetwear. I've been able to purchase some cute clothes at Gymboree and Gap. Emmy gets Graem's hand-me-downs and every once in a while I purchase her something new. Graem is getting harder and harder to shop for! She's starting to have opinions. How dare her. I mean she is only seven and has announced that she hates pink.

5 months

Time is flying. It makes me sad that the kids are getting so big! Right now we are in survival mode. Keane has been waking up every hour on the hour at night to nurse. To say the least...I'm EXHAUSTED!!! Margot took Emmy to daycare and what I should be doing is trying to catch up on sleep but I just can't seem to fall asleep during the day. My mind races and I instantly think of all of the errands I have to run, etc. Ugh.

Happy Mother's Day to ME!

We have comprised a way to get equal time relaxing. There was a point where we both celebrated mother's day and we would both sit on our ass and noone would take care of us. Now, I get Mother's day and Margot gets father's day. We figure that she likes tools and typically for Father's days there's better tool sales anyway!

Birthday time!

We are about a month away from Emmy's birthday! We haven't decided what we are going to get her yet. We saw this cool tent at Jillians. Of course, I think Margot has other intentions for the tent which include taking it to the beach and putting a sleepy baby inside! Another great birthday idea is new pjs! She wears hand-me-downs all of the time and so anytime she gets something new she really loves it! I can just imagine in a few years the boy will have all of these pink and hearted pajamas to wear too. Poor kid #3.

Dora.

I have seen endless episodes of Dora the Explorer and I'm convinced she's one bossy bitch I wouldn't want to come across.

Snow day.

THe kids were home Friday because the doctor thought that they had whooping cough. Of course, this morning I get the call that Graem's test was negative. THEN...we wake up to see snow. School called off school - SNOW DAY?! So now I'm home with three kids. It's 9:36am and I'm trying to find things for the kids to do that don't include television. I haven't had much luck.

Our biker days...

Pre-kids we had motorcycles. Margot took the motorcycle course and I didn't. To say the least...I should have! I was a total liability. We had two bikes. One was a 650 and the other was a 250. The 250 was tiny and the 650 was a monster. Since I was the bigger I decided I should ride the bigger bike, right? I mean it just makes sense. Bad idea. Everytime I rode that motorcycle I would drop it! I'm very lucky that I never got into a wreck or serious accident. Once the kids have left - I'm going to take the motorcycle class and I'm going to get a Sportster! Then I'm also going to have to get some hot harley davidson accessories!

Tree down.

I woke up this morning to around 4 inches of snow. Noone knows where in the hell it came from. The sad thing is...it took down one of my favorite trees in the backyard. TOtally bummed about it. I went to the back to try and cut off some of the branches but there are 3 big branches that have been severed. So sad.

4 months, almost 4, and 7.

The kids are getting so big! I really do wish I could freeze time because I feel like everything is just perfect. Plus, my kids still like me. I figure at some point there will be a time when they don't! Graem is such a good friend. She is so kindhearted and has so many friends at school. She's also SO smart. Everytime we have a parent-teacher conference the teacher raves about all of the great things that Graem knows. The way her brain works is very similiar to Margot. She still says she wants to be a scientist and there's no doubt that she's smart enough! Emmy is my little ham. She's really hilarious. Sometimes she says things and you ask yourself "did she just say that?" The answer is yes. She did just call her baby brother a "cute little tampon". Keane is our little man. We call him Mister Man. He's so damn cute. Everywhere we go he gives people smiles. It's funny because I'll wear him in the babybackpack and he is just smiling away and I won't even know it. Then I find out because big burly guys end up smiling back at him! I love these kids!

Get the job done...

We have yet to find a really good plumber. The last time Margot tried to do plumbing we had to call our guy out and he was here til almost midnight. Then there were curse words flying from his mouth and mutterings about what a crappy job Margot did! To say the least...she hasn't touched plumbing since. She has most of the welding gear including goggles but I really think if she wanted to keep doing it that she should probably consider purchasing welding jackets!

RSV

The boy is sick...really sick. He has the notorious RSV. I feel so sorry for him because he's such a great baby and even sick he is still such a good baby. We are on day 5 of it and last night starting at 3am he started coughing uncontrollably. I called the nurse hotline and they were able to tell me what to look for. Within an hour the coughing subsided and he was asleep in Margot's arms. We also thought that the girls had whooping cough. But I just got a call from the pediatrician that Graem has been cleared. We are still waiting on the other two kids.

The clothing never stops..

Can I just say that I'm in love with my new washer and dryer? I got the Maxima Maytag and it's so awesome! It cleans the clothes spotless and it's going to work really great when we put it upstairs.

This is the first laundry set that has ever been able to handle the cloth diapers! It gets out every single stain and makes them smell so good!!

A little boy!

Poor Keane has a birthday the day after Christmas. Graem is three days after Christmas! Couldn't we have timed this better??? YES.

I will start looking for gifts for him over the next few months. He's just going to be walking or toddling...so I have to start getting the house baby-proofed too!

Behind!

I'm totally behind on watching tv! I have some great television just waiting for me to watch it.

I wish I would have a free day of just hanging out on the couch doing absolutely nothing at all. I'd probably try to finish my book and then I'd watch my television.

Then there's sleep...

A little video goes a long way!

We try to do web conferencing every month or so with Margot's brother. Unfortunately, have of the time the connection is awful or the service crashes.

It's frustrating!

I've looked at web conferencing services and even though many people tend to do it for their job or business, I'm ready to purchase a commercial program so that we can keep talking without interruptions!

3 1/2 months!

My little man is getting so big! He's such a good baby. He has started to coo and I think he's right on the brink of giggling! He gets so excited and doesn't quite know how to get it out!

The girls are doing great with him too. Emmy is a little rough at times and we have to remind her to be gentle. Graem is just a sweetheart and loves him dearly.

On the road again...

We are trying to figure out what to do this summer for vacation. We have our timeshare in Orlando and that's an option. I was going to call and see if we might be able to go to another one of their destinations.

I've thought about getting road trip medical assistance. It just makes sense. Especially, when you're away from home and have three kids!

I'd hate to be stuck in a weird place where I don't know anyone or any of the services available!

The boys!

I'm so excited that the LA gays are visiting this weekend! Last time they visited I was pregnant and exhausted. So that meant Margot and them hanging out late at night and having a great time and me going to sleep at 10pm!

Now it's on!!! I'm sure we'll have a great time and I can't wait for them to meet the boy!

A new couch?

I have posted our old couch on craigslist list a dozen times now. It's a good couch and in perfect condition but I can't seem to get rid of it!

We were planning on bringing the bed from the basement upstairs. I figure it would be perfect for the boys...plus it's warmer upstairs.

I've looked at sectional sofas los angeles and I think if we had a nice couch in the playroom that had a great beds it might be the perfect solution for us.

Monday...

Tomorrow I have such a busy day! I hope that sleep tonight is good. Margot is leaving early in the morning for work which means that it's me and these three kids! I have to make sure that Graem gets on the bus and that I get Emmy to school!

Then the rest of the day is up to me to do errands.

Never a dull day...

Titles?

We're in the middle of working with the bank to refinance our home so that we can do the new addition. What a pain it has been! If there was an easier way than to fill out 100 forms and give them financial history from the past 10 years --- we would do it!

I remember when we got our car title loans New York we had to fill out a few questions and we were well on our way!

At least when we're done we'll be able to spread out a bit and the kids will have their own rooms!

I can't wait!

The Grammy's

I'm watching the Grammy's. Glen Campbell is retiring and they are doing a tribute. I guess he has Alzheimer's. He's singing now... I just keep on thinking... I hope he doesn't forget the words!

Like a rhinestone cowboy!

I'm addicted...

to Toddlers and Tiaras. Seriously.

It's incredibly trash and every time I watch it I'm shocked to see how those poor girls are treated. Giving your 4 year old daughter a pixi stick and a bottle of Mountain Dew. Really?

I also couldn't believe what they do to get the girls ready for pageants. THey typically do horrible tanning jobs. I wish they could at least find the best airbrush tanning solution so that it didn't make the little girls look orange!

RIP Whitney

We were at the hockey game last night when we heard the news that Whitney Houston passed away. That is just so sad. She was so incredible. I remember singing her songs so early in life. Then she had an amazing comeback in the 90's.

I wish she would have gotten her life together and lived happily ever after. I just read about her daughter too.

So sad...another incredible musical life lost.

7 weeks!

I don't think I've updated this blog since Keane made his appearance!!

Can I just say... I'm in love.

This little boy is the sweetest baby EVER. He's such a good baby. He sleeps, eats, and the girls love him too.

So blessed to have three beautiful and healthy kids.

Life is amazing.