Behind...

I'm pretty bummed that we're so behind on our television shows. when we were in the middle of moving we had to take down the television and so the DVR wasn't able to capture the typical shows that we watch.

I figure I can just hook up online and watch the episodes that I've missed. Hopefully, they'll still be available and FREE!

Beautiful day!

The past two days have been awesome! We've worn shorts and the kids have even been wearing dresses and sandals! It feels like it's summer.

But...

I just looked at the weather forecast for next week and it's due to rain and snow.

So much for having a SPRING break?

Playdate central.

Today Graem was quite the popular little girl! On our way to Emmy's therapy she got asked to go to Ava's house for a playdate.

I dropped her off and took Emmy to Speech Therapy. THEN...we had eaten lunch, gone to the mall, and were headed to my chiro appointment, when Nora's dad called. He wanted to know if Graem wanted to come over for another playdate!

Then this afternoon L and J stop over and Graem played all night!

Now she's sleeping!

Coming together nicely!

So I've finally finished painting the living room.

After going back and forth I settled on doing the fireplace a bright wall and the wall behind the television yellow. I think it looks great and once the sconces have been installed I'm sure it's really going to be the perfect arrangement!

I think the living room is still missing something and it could be two nice and comfy recliners!

I must say that I still haven't found my comfy spot to watch the tele.

I keep trying...

to rent our place out for graduation weekend. I listed it on the local list and I also bought an ad with the Cornell Daily Sun. I don't know why we have not had any hits because I have seen graduation invitations out and about and I know that Cornell seniors are gearing up for the end of the year.

Maybe they have been lost in spring break and it is not until they get back to school that they realize they are in trouble and don't have housing for their folks!

This week's to-do list.

I'm going to keep it kind of simple because it's SPRING BREAK. Damn! That means mama's going to be nutzo at the end of the week!

I'm going to try and paint the hallway this weekend and install new overhead lights in both hallways. Shouldn't be too bad because there are existing lights and so all I need to do is do wire for wire.

The hallway leading the bedrooms is a beast though. There are five doors and since we are replacing the doors we'll need to put the new doors up so that they can get painted too!

Ugh....I guess I'll try to nail out painting the ceiling tomorrow.

Keeping it together!

It seems like there are so many different things to do to the house. You can really get lost! I feel like if I were more organized I might not have to make ten trips to Lowes and Home Depot.

Maybe I should look into getting some project management software!

That way we can break down each project and see what needs to be done, when, and where and what supplies are needed.

Another day...

So I called yesterday to confirm my real estate interview only to find out that they were totally disorganized and had not gotten the message from the website that I had scheduled an appointment.

The good thing is...I wasn't up for meeting today. Graem is sick and I'm just getting over bronchitis.

I talked to the business manager and we decided that Monday would be a good day.

Wish me luck!

Get the word out.

These past few weeks I've really been trying to get my websites more exposure. Since I've become more active with the blogs it's been nice to see my pages receiving page rank and quite a bit of traffic.

Of course, if I was serious about getting exposed I'd really want to look into going with a seo software tool.

With software tools you can see how many visitors you're getting and where they're coming from. I assume that my visitors are old-time followers of the blog and typically they have found the page by doing infertility searches.

So glad those days are gone - but happy that I was able to make new friends along the way.

I admit it...

aside from thinking Miley Cyrus is way to slutty for being 17....

I like her music and her singing.

There... I said it.

Please don't share this with anyone.

Squinty.

My eyesight is pathetic. Even as I write this post my eyes are watering and I'm squinting so much I can barely see the screen!

I've always needed glasses and every few years I purchase them. Most of the time I get the really nice, lightweight, expensive ones.

Then they sit in the drawer or under my carseat.

Until the next time I think I need glasses!

I think the key is to go with eyeglasses that aren't as expensive and have a few pairs in different locations.

Zenni Optical offers top quality glasses at amazing rates. That way I could buy a few pair and put one in the car, one on my night stand, and the other next to the computer.

Zenni's was reviewed by The Examiner and noted as a top quality affordable place to get eyeglasses!

Gotta love craigslist.

With us redoing most of our house we've had TONS of shit that we're getting rid of. Old blinds, doors, cabinets, and our fridge!

Today I was able to get rid of the blinds and tomorrow I have someone coming at 6pm to pick up our old fridge. They're paying me $75!

If I could get my act together I'd go through the stuff in the basement and try to post it up to get a few bucks.

POP goes the pimple.

This week I have an interview of sorts. I'm going to talk to the business manager of the local real estate agent about becoming an agent. I'm a little nervous about it because this is the first interview I've had in a long time.

Maybe it's the stress of the move or the stress of the upcoming interview but I have a monster zit on my chin! I'm all about finding a blackhead extractor to deal with the nasties on my nose too.

I thought zits were suppose to go away as I got older?

Umm.....

I just heard something in the kitchen crash and Margot say "oh shit."

Should I go find out what happened or just play dumb?

Weight loss?

I wish I could say that I was still losing tons of weight. That's not the case!

I've been trying to keep the weight off that I lost and I've been fortunate to keep busy with the house. Typical nights include painting and/or installing something.

Maybe I should just put out the white flag and find the best fat burning exercise out there!

I told my friend, L, that I would join the club and that was over three months ago. The time is now, right?

A night of rest...

I'm finally able to take a break.

The past few nights have been filled with me painting like a crazy person. However, I"m at the point where I really need to be able to see what I'm doing and we just don't have good enough lighting yet!

The electrician is coming in the next few days and I can't wait to have lights in every room!

Insured?

Right now we're just going with the flow when it comes to home insurance. We've dealt with the same provider for over a decade now and truth be told we're way too busy and lazy to shop around.

However, I think once we move and are settled I'm going to start looking around for a Wholesale Insurance term life insurance quote.

Each time we get the bill from our current insurance provider we notice that the rate has gone up and we're not getting any extra services!

Boxes, boxes, everywhere.

We've been living out of boxes for weeks now. We started packing a few boxes a day and now we're at the point where we really can't pack anymore or else we won't be able to get dressed in the morning.

At some point we'll need to pack up the computer, put away clothes in the dressers, and pack away the bathroom.

Then there's the kitchen and all of the food in the fridge and freezer. We've been trying to finish it all --- but you can only do so much with canned soup and ketchup.

Pretty pictures!

We have tons of pictures on the computer. In fact, the last time we thought the computer died we were devastated to know that we might have lost all of our kids photos.

We have a digital frame from Margot's dad that is in the basement collecting dust. We figure at some point after we move we'll dig it out and Margot can use it at work.

OT!

Is here to save the day.

I must say that I'm so glad that we've gotten to the point where I can leave Emmy downstairs with her therapists and let them do their job - AND I can have a few minutes of blogging time.

This is a good thing!

Will you marry me?

It's been ages since we've talked about getting married. I know I should probably make an honest woman out of Margot but at this point I am not sure either of us see much benefit in it.

However, it would be worth it just to see Margot in a white and frilly dress!

I'd also like to think of a time when we could head out of town to a destination weddings at Karisma Hotels!

They offer amazing wedding settings where you can have a private wedding on a beach and eat some of the best first-class cuisine in the world.

Hidden Beach Resort in Riviera Maya offers a full service, all inclusive, nudist resort.

The good thing about getting married at the nudist resort is that at least we wouldn't have to worry about wedding attire and we'd get to pack light.

Snow, snow, go away....

come again - NEVER.

I think I'm ready to move somewhere tropical. We're on day two of constant snow. Day TWO of kids at home and mama's about to go CRAZY!!!

Thank God Margot's going to be home tomorrow and Sunday she even said she'd take them out. Maybe I'll have time to sit in a vegetative state and rock in the corner.

Ass breath.

I just ate a sandwich with onion and my breath smells like total ass. SEriously.

We used the same onion last night for hamburgers and that thing is strong.

Maybe I'll go down and brush my teeth before I pass out.

Are you covered?

Since we're moving to a bigger house it means that god-forbid something happens to Margot I've got to come up with the money to pay for the mortgage.

Considering I don't have a job and we're not independently wealthy I am glad that we've thought it through and decided to invest in life insurance.

Of course, I think we probably need to get another policy to cover the more expensive house and two kids!

Snow, snow and more snow!

Today we're stuck inside for a SNOW DAY!

I knew it was coming and people have been talking about it for a few days now. It's suppose to "sit and spin" once it hits our area.

I'm guessing we have around 4 inches out now and I just plowed the driveway.

I also took it upon myself to plow my neighbors driveway.

Damn, I'm a good person. Maybe I'll get some heaven points.

Ugh. Infection.

I went back to my doctor today for a check up on my belly. It's still disgusting, however, i was glad that I was able go et an appointment with the doctor that actually did the surgery.

He thinks it's a skin infection but he really looked stumped. I can't imagine he has never seen this before, right??

Anyway, I'm getting tired of seeping out my belly button and going through tons of gauze pads, bandaids, and qtips! Not to mention, the second I step out of the tub I have the drippies from my wound.

He gave me some heavy duty antibiotics 825mgs of Augmentin. I think that would just about kill any infection!

twine tastes so good cats ask for it by name

That's all I have to say about that.

Gold is a girl's best friend.

One thing that never loses it’s value is gold bullion! Even when our stocks are floundering you can always look to silver, gold, and precious metals to maintain their value. Our friend, L, has had gold bullion in her portfolio for the past few years and we constantly compare. Despite the crashing economy - she's always in the black!

I'm sure she's looking to buy gold bullion with her tax refund money!

US Gold Bureau offers silver, gold, and other precious metals for delivery or they will make arrangements to have your metals stored privately and securely at a bank or depository.

I didn’t realize this but US Gold Bureau is an industry leader. They sell gold in two forms: coin or ingot. The world demand now exceeds the supply demand for gold - which makes it a pretty smart investment.

Baby stuff is almost gone!

Well, I didn't think I could do it but the move has made it much easier.

I got rid of my baby stuff.

I must say that it's been a bit of a relief. Not matter how much I think about it...I'm tired. I loved being pregnant so much but I'm not sure I could take care of another baby. Especially if it was a high needs baby like Emmy.

Don't get me wrong...I love Emmy to death and she's so damn funny but she's a hard nut to crack! My friend, L, swears that I would have a different kid - but I just don't think I can take my chances.

Maybe I'll find some gay guys who will let me carry their baby! That way I can be pregnant and not have to deal with the baby!

Baby down.

It was a rough day today.

I got frustrated.

I'm sick.

Ugh...this motherhood thing is so much harder than I ever thought it'd be.

Emmy has been sick for a while now and she's on antibiotics for double earaches and an upper respiratory infection. She gets so mad for no reason and then she's unable to communicate so she instantly falls to the ground and starts kicking the floor.

The good thing is that the therapists have been here over the past few days and been able to see the behavior. They've been able to give me some tips to handle it when it happens.

Looking younger?

Since having a birthday I've been feeling a little bit older! I've realized that my body's getting older and the other day when I purchased beer at the grocery store I didn't even get carded!

I've looked at some youthology reports and think it's pretty amusing.

I realize the need to take better care of myself and my body but I'm not sure I'm going to go out of my way to look younger!

HGTV

Seriously addicted.

I can't stop watching Property Virgins and House Hunters. Seriously. I watch it 24/7 and I even went through a stage of denial.

Now I think I'm ready to admit my addiction and deal with it.

Vitamins!

My kids love their vitamins. Each night when they're in the tub we pass out their vitamins and they think they're candy!

These days they have vitamins for men, vitamins for women, vitamins for seniors, and vitamins for teens!

I think it's important for all of these different groups to have different vitamins because each group needs different things in a multi-vitamin.

USA Hockey

The other day we watched USA vs China Hockey and USA kicked some major ass. It was a great game. Tonight we're watching USA vs Russia and they're at it again. The score is 13 to 0. USA's winning!

There's no doubt in my mind that USA's going to win the gold!

Diet pills

Years ago I dieted. I lost a lot of weight and after losing 75 pounds I was able to get pregnant with Emmy.

I used fat blockers and diet pills with ephedra. The combination of the two worked great for me. The ephedra gave me energy and really helped with suppressing my appetite. The fat blocker helped reduce the fat intake I did have.

This time around I'm really trying to lose the weight naturally by better diet and exercise. But it's so hard! I wish I had more time and better controL!

I *heart* my washing machine.

Most of you know how much I love my washing machine. It gets out the deepest stains and makes our clothes smell so good.

So it might come to a surprise to you to know that I've sold it.

I was able to get a brand new washing machine $899 for a mere $200 during the rebate program offered through NYS and Maytag. Then I was able to sell our old machine to the people that are buying our house for $300.

Margot's results.

I wrote a few weeks ago about how Margot went for her physical and she had all of the testing done. Her cholesterol came back high and so her doctor ended up putting her on Lipitor.

Of course, we're looking at all types of cholesterol treatment. Including a change in diet and exercise.

When things calm down with the house and work we plan on getting gym memberships and taking the much needed time to get the workout that we need.

We've got to start taking better care of our bodies. They need to last us a long, long time!

The Olympics!

Each night I lie on the couch with my little girl and watch the Olympics! Most of the time Graem's attention span only lasts minutes - but I love it.

I love sports and miss that aspect in my life. The other night I saw the USA hockey game and watched them spank China.

It was a great moment to be able to explain to Graem what was going on and when the USA scored she started chanting "USA USA USA".

That's my girl!

Eating better.

We've been trying to take better care of ourselves lately. The whole gall bladder scare and then Margot's escalated blood sugar has really raised awareness. Not to mention, we are getting younger. And we have two little girls who need their mothers to live a very long time!

I did some research and discovered that CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) helps fight cancer, burn fat, and acts as an anti-oxidant.

I need all of the help I can get!

The new house!

It looks like we might be moving into our new house around March 5th or so. Or at least that's the goal. We still have to get the bank on board and then we have to make sure that the buyers of our house can do closing around then too.

Of course, that's a best case scenario and I feel like things are just lingering right now. We've done everything there is to do and now it's up to the bank and the attorneys to iron out.

We have a list a mile long that we want to do to the house ... I just wish we had more money!

Back and forth!

Since my gall bladder surgery my weight has gone up and down. It went down after the surgery because I just wasn't eating. I was scared! Then I realized that I could eat and it would be alright and I started to gain a little bit of weight.

I'm not just looking for quick weight loss diets because it seems like every time I lose weight fast I gain it right back.

I need to start eating better and once I'm healed from the surgery I really do want to get a membership to the gym.

Maybe I'll get better?

I went to the doctor yesterday and he said that my belly is looking better and he thinks that the antibiotics are doing the trick. I still don't know...

I'm having tons of yellow/brown stuff come out of my belly button and it hurts like mad when I'm not taking my narcotics.

I have another appointment Thursday and I hope that the wound will have healed up, no more yucky stuff coming out, and my other three wounds will have cleared up too.

Happy Valentine's Day!

A few days late.

Oops!

Margot and Graem got me flowers a few days before Valentine's Day and we were all so sick and on the couch that we didn't do anything for the special occasion.

Of course, now I need to find gifts for her! I might be able to pick off a candy heart 75% at CVS - but after we move in our new house I really would like to get Margot something special.

Maybe for our fifteenth anniversary we'll do something special - or who knows - maybe we'll even get married?!

Snow Penis!

The other day I was driving around the CU campus trying to get Emmy to sleep. I drove past the sororities and saw this snow penis. Of course, I had to pull over and take a shot of the biggest penis I've ever seen!

A warm heart...

Tonight I watched the news and it was so depressing. There's so much pain, hatred, and sadness that looms in our world.

Of course, that's what media feeds on and it makes "good news".

It always warms my heart when I see a story like richard willich.

Richard Willich donated $100,000 to his local elementary school for teaching technology.

It makes me realize that there are good people out there who value our education system and tomorrow's future.

Is it bedtime yet?

It's been one hell of a day.

Emmy's been so horrible. I feel like nothing I can do makes her feel better. She's still sick. She's on antibiotics and it seems like everytime something happens it's magnified by 1 billion and she throws a terrible temper tantrum.

I'm hoping this isn't terrible twos starting early.

I'm screwed.

Yikes.

Lately, I've been feeling the joints in my fingers seize up. I know my mother has grandparents and parents have rheumatoid arthritis and so I'm guessing that it's hereditary.

However, I'm only 33 and it seems to be starting pretty early. Ugh. I figure I'll try to deal with it and treat my body better with diet and exercise.

We got it!

We got the house on Kay St. and we're so damn excited! We were able to negotiate the price quite a bit and in the end we got the house that was listed at $219,900 for $195,000.

Not too shabby.

Now we just have to do the non-fun stuff - roof, siding and we're on to fun stuff like the kitchen, bathrooms, and inside painting.

I'm so damn excited.

And scared!

Is this a real diet?

So this family has all be on the stress diet! Between going through surgery yesterday and buying and selling houses - we're basket cases around here!

I'm thinking of submitting it to a website that has weight loss success stories!

Maybe I'll win all-you-can-eat Ben and Jerry's for a year!

Speaking of that...I'm craving some sausage links and since I just got my gall bladder out yesterday I'm suppose to stay on a low-fat diet for at least a week!

HELP!

The bachelor.

I must admit...I'm watching The Bachelor. This shit is the bomb!! I don't know quite yet if I like Jake or if he's too proper and cheesy. He seems a little fake at times and I don't know if it's him or the way the show has portrayed him.

Also, it's funny to see these stupid girls try to get his attention. Some of them are "there for the right reasons" and a few of them are just there to get their minute of fame on television.

I loved how the one hot girl ended up slutting around with one of the producers and got her ass kicked off the show. What a slut. Seriously?

Getting old.

Maybe it's the fact that I'm on my way to mid-thirties or the fact that I just had a birthday. Either way...I'm starting to feel old!

I know I need to start taking better care of myself. Including exercising more and even looking for a good anti aging product.

I think the years of sun exposure without using sunscreen have really taken a toll on my face and aside from the the blood vessels next to the bottom of my nose I'm starting to get wrinkles too!

Is this it?

So a few months back when Emmy was 15 months I thought she had completely weaned. She wouldn't take nor did she want babas.

With my surgery happening I was told that I had to wait 24 hours after surgery and in that time I needed to pump and dump because the milk would have anesthetic meds in it.

Of course, I forgot the breast pump had been moved to a friend's house and so I haven't been able to do that.

Emmy has been having a much better time not nursing than I thought...


Maybe the time has come?

Would it work for me?

These days my acne has been under control. I'm hoping that I've turned the corner and maybe in future years my pimple days will be history!

I saw a good proactiv review and everything I've seen makes the product seem pretty effective. Just over the years you've seen it on television and our local mall even has a kiosk that sells the solution.

At least it's reassuring to know if I do have a flare up there are good options aside from Oxy that typically burned the top layer of my skin off!

I'm up!

Yesterday was my surgery and I started getting a little scared a few hours before it thinking of the what ifs.

I'm so not ready to leave this world and I can't wait to see my two girls get older and grow up to be amazing adults.

There's just so much out there that I haven't done. I want to travel more and I want to spend more time with my family and friends.

Glad to know yesterday wasn't my time to leave...

Reviewed?

I'm always on the search for health tips and our ideas for weight loss. I recently came across http://www.proteinpowder.net.

It's an interesting website because it talks about the infamous protein powders and the benefits of using them.

My friend, Lydia, adds the protein powders to banana shakes. She freezes the bananas and uses a little bit of milk. Then she puts in a scoop of protein powder. The shake taste delicious and it's healthy too!

Cleaning out!

Right now we're thinking ahead. We're trying not to stock up on food and Margot's putting aside cans of food that we have to eat on a daily basis so that we don't have to move with them.

Tonight we're eating fajitas, a box of rice, and a can of beans.

I'm guessing when we're at the point of moving we'll be toting all of our sauces and nothing more!

Losing weight.

Over the past few months I've lost around twenty five pounds! I haven't done it the healthy way though and I'm afraid that after I have my gall bladder surgery it might come right back.

I've started looking at diet pill reviews in hopes to find the perfect combination of healthy eating, a diet pill, and exercise.

Of course, that would mean that I have to be proactive and motivated...

What happened to our weekend?

I swear it went by so fast!

Saturday I couldn't even tell you what we did. Then yesterday Graem went to a birthday party and we went over to J&L's for dinner and MORE birthday cake.

This morning Emmy has speech and OT coming to the house so I'm hoping she'll be exhausted enough to take a nice, long nap this afternoon.

Wishful thinking?

Pop goes the pimple.

I've always had awful skin. When I was pregnant my skin was at it's best and I don't think I had a pimple the whole nine months!

Now that I'm in my thirties I don't get big outbreaks but I have the constant blackheads on my nose.

I should probably look at blackhead removal treatment to get rid of them forever!

Typically, I pick at them and within a few days they appear again.

Ew.

Tomorrow's the big day!

So I'm starting to get a little bit nervous. Tomorrow's the day of my surgery. I've stocked up on trashy television and trashy magazines.

I plan on hooking up with my vicodin and hanging out on the couch.

Good times.

Kitchen remodel!

Margot is so excited about remodeling another house! I haven't seen her this excited in a long time! She's has plans in her head and we're both gnawing at the bit to get into our new house.

One idea was to make a kitchen bar and have some modern stools so that the kids could sit down and eat breakfast.

Another option was to open up the kitchen and have the stove face the dining room.

Sold?

Not quite yet.

We have a new house under contract and we have 9 days to sell our house. Holy shit, you're saying?

Yes.

We have an awesome agent and the house looks absolutely PERFECT.

Here's hoping that the perfect family buys our house!

Maybe...just maybe.

We're going to be moving! We put an offer in on a house and we're waiting for them to counter. We'll see.

Either way the house has some carpets that I see need to be clean. I'm looking at options like the Ladybug vapor steam cleaner.

Having two kids I think it's important to have something on hand instead of going to Wegmans and renting a machine every few weeks!

Therapied out.

Well it appears that Emmy has some sensory stuff going on and so now she gets OT, PT, and a social worker! I believe in being aggressive about this and so we're meeting each therapist two times a week.

So far I've just been setting up appointments and everyone's on break but I'm guessing that this is going to get tiring pretty fast!

We travel so much

that I've been thinking about getting roadside assistance.

Since both cars are getting a little bit older and one is out of warranty it really makes sense. I just realized that one tow can cost (easily) $85!

PLUS, you never know when living in upstate New York when you might need a tow out of this snow!

Gall Bladder

The other night I was in so much pain that at 2am I drove myself to the ER. There I was diagnosed with what appears to be Gall Bladder Disease or Gall Stones.

Tomorrow I go in for an ultrasound and they'll be able to tell me more.

I'm going to try and control it by diet - eat less fatty and spicy foods.

Boo hoo.

Merry Christmas to me?

Ready for Disney again!

We had such a great time at Disney when we went in October. We could have easily spent more time there and it was such an awesome experience for the kids.

I think next time we go we might look into the downtown disney hotels. They're so close to the parks and you can enjoy the restaurants and shops within a walks distance.

Plus, there's really no need to have a car if you're in the middle of all the action.

Just a few more days...

til Christmas!

Every day Graem asks how many more days and each time I tell her something different! I was able to get all of the presents wrapped and all of the presents that we're shipping out are gone!!

Now we just wait for Santa...

McFatty.

I know the new year is approaching and I feel like with each new year I try to commit to losing weight and end up another 10 pounds heavier the following year!

Maybe I should look at a weight loss austin!

My friend who lives in Austin lost 75 pounds at the local gym and women's work out center.

Festival of Lights

I can't believe that it's already that time of year when Graem's school does a Festival of Lights program.

Last year we went and couldn't even find Graem and sat so far back we had no idea that her class had even gone. Ooops.

Tomorrow we're going to be better parents and plan on getting there early so that we can have a good view of our kid!

DONE.

I think I'm almost finished with Christmas shopping. I bought most of the kid's stuff online and was able to get it on sale!

I have yet to find the perfect gift for Margot and I'm afraid that the clock is ticking...

So special.

I don't know where to begin other than saying...I'm tired. I'm frustrated. And I don't know what to do about Emmy.

She's having a super hard time with this sensory stuff that she's been "diagnosed" with and to top it off she has horrible allergies that's causing her to go crazy in pain.

Her therapy started this week and although I feel good about the care she's getting....I know it's going to be a long haul.

RV'ing cross country!

One of my friends mentioned that they were going to get an RV and head cross country this summer.

While the idea sounds awesome and I'd love to do it when the kids get older. I can hardly think about it with my children at this age!

I saw a motorhome for sale on the side of the road the other day and was wondering what the maintenance, motorhome insurance, and storage fees would add up to.

Tree shopping!

This afternoon we're going out to our local Christmas Tree Farm to buy a tree.

I must say this is one of my favorite activities of the season and I love finding the perfect tree.

PLUS...it's so much fun now with the kids.

It's really this time of year that makes me want to have three more babies.

Yikes. Did I just write that?

Feeling better.

Thank God we're feeling a little bit better after having a brutal cold for over a week. Emmy and I got hit with it the day before Thanksgiving and we were a wreck for the holidays and after!

The good thing about it was that we didn't overeat during the holidays and I was able to drop a few pounds.

A new bathroom

A few weeks ago our friend, Una, came over and we discussed adding a new bathroom upstairs. Una is quite the plumber and so it was good to pick her brain a little.

We talked about having a stand up shower, adding Toto sinks, and then a toilet.

Of course, we'd have to move over our closet, knock down walls, and put walls up.

Yikes. I think I just scared myself.

Sickly.

It's weird because the past few weeks I've been having belly issues. No matter what I eat in the evening my belly kills me and many times it will wake me up after being in a dead sleep.

What's bizarre is that Tuesday I got a call from the school nurse that Graem was having really bad stomach cramps.

Yesterday I took her to the doctor and he thinks that it's nasal drip that's causing her belly to cramp up.

So I kept her home today and hope that her relaxing will make her strong for school tomorrow!

What happens?

If I were to die tomorrow?

I've thought about this quite a bit lately.

Maybe it's because I have a family that needs me or maybe it's because I'm getting to an age where I really have to think about my future.

Right now I have a life insurance policy but I know it wouldn't cover the amount needed to take care of my family.

When I get some free time I should really look at a term life insurance quote online. I'm sure they can offer me better coverage at a better rate than my local insurance guy.

Calgon, take me away! NOW.

So I've taken a little bit of time to blog and get away from the children!

Emmy has just thrown a toy at Graem and now I hear screaming and crying.

HELP.

Still looking!

I'm still looking for options for the upcoming year when it comes to Emmy's child care. I've been thinking about returning to work for a while now and I think that it'd be a good thing for her to be around other children every once in a while!

I've been trying to figure out how to get good insurance and among my research found that Blue Advantage is one of the best healthcare plans available.

Unfortunately, since I'm only looking at getting a part-time job I'm not even sure if I'd be eligible for benefits.

Then there's the cost of childcare...

Guess what?

We're back!

I never thought in a million years that vacation could be as stressful as it was!

I had packed a brand new book and only got to page six. THe kids were pretty high maintenance and between the horrible trip to LA, the casuality of Emmy falling down the stairs, and the lousy trip back to NY....I'M FRIGGIN TIRED.

I can definiately see why couples take vacations WITHOUT the kids!

Disneyland this year...

Disneyworld next year?

HA!

Not quite sure that we could afford that but at some point when Emmy gets older I'm guessing we're going to have to re-do our Disney vacation!

The good thing is --- that orlando vacations are in a great destination and you can get some pretty good deals.

I'm all for pulling the kids out of school for a few days in order to get around the long lines too!

Just a little bit longer...

and we'll be up in the sky and headed to the west coast!

I'm really excited about going somewhere sunny and spending time with Alex and Dom. It's the first time we've been to visit them since they always make the trip out to see us!

Also, Graem is starting to get excited about Disneyland! At some point I'm going to sit down with her and go to the website so that she can see what they have to offer!

Books! Books! And more books!

I just ordered some Amazon books a few weeks ago.

I had read the reviews and after researching the web found that Amazon had some of the best deals. With the free shipping that Amazon offered it just made sense.

Now, I just have to find the time (read: WITHOUT KIDS) to get into these books and enjoy myself!

The school meeting...

This afternoon we're meeting with Graem's school to discuss the prospect of her moving to the next level of Montessori school. We're pretty nervous because we don't know how the teachers will react and hope that they see the same potential in Graem that we do!

Of course, we're also trying to work around a couple of other issues including the fact that there are 2 1/2 year olds in her classroom AND the fact that our kid is reading and ready to go the next level.

It's hard having a smart kid!

The money pit!

Our house is really a great little place. We bought it from a 70 year old guy who moved into assisted living and got a killer deal.

Over the years we've fixed it up and put a decent amount of money.

In the kitchen we laid down floor tiles and we're starting to realize that a few of them are coming up. Now the question is if we should retile in a different tile, lay hardwood floors, or just buy some replacement black and white tiles.

I'm thinking the quick solution will probably do best -- buy replacement tiles and call it a day!

SERIOUSLY TIRED.

I'm pooped.

Like to the point of falling asleep while driving. I'm not sleeping very good at night because Margot's snoring and I'm tossing and turning through the night.

Maybe tonight I'll dope up in hopes of actually getting a few winks.


Mmmm...Nyquil. I can feel the burn now...

Oops!

The other day when we went to Target I noticed that the cashier was not actually ringing up our merchandise.

She kept using the barcode scanner and it was making a beeping noise but not registering.

About three items into our order she realized it and went back and rerang our order.

Darn!

It's done.

Well, it's been close to three days since Emmy has nursed. I still have to pump every morning but I'm shocked that I don't have more issues with hard boobs or leakage or needing to pump more.

I'm pretty bummed that she didn't go longer. I enjoyed it because it was really the one and only time that she sat still enough for me to snuggle and hold her.

Now she's doing her own thing and on the go.

I talked to the pediatrician today and she agreed that it was probably Emmy's decision to be weaned and why she was biting in the first place.

So sad.

Take me away!

Our next trip is to Los Angeles to see the boys!

I can't wait!!

Of course, we're already looking for good deals for our vacation after that! We've talked about beach and sun, however, we haven't found the perfect trip. You know me, I'm all about getting a good deal and since we're traveling with a family of four ... it's hard to find!

That's why I'm glad I came across miami vacation deals.

Miami, here we come!

MONDAY MONDAY.

It's hard getting back into the swing of things after a weekend.

Graem has two more weeks before school starts and I'm out of fun things to do!

I might see if one of her friends can come over for a playdate this afternoon. She's had tons of playdates this summer and it's been good for our little social butterfly to hang out with her friends outside of school.

Of course, I've started the school countdown and ready to go back to only having one kid during the day!

She's a winner!

I'm talking about PDB! She won the local cute baby contest on the radio!

So glad that I'm not just a biased mom who thinks their baby is cute. She is cute, damnit and others think so.

And to think she's even turned into a good baby.

I didn't realize how fat I was...

until I saw the wedding pictures from this past weekend.

Seriously... I look horrible. Sometimes you don't realize it until you see a picture.

I've talked to my doctor about going on weight loss pills but my insurance doesn't cover them and they're SO expensive.

Maybe I can find an over-the-counter med that works just as well.

Water.

I swear...our house is doomed with water.

Yesterday we had a thunderstorm and when we got back from NYC and walked into the house I just knew we'd find water.

First it was leaking from the roof where the poop fan is in the bathroom.

Then we walk down to the basement and we have standing water. FUCK. Yes, it was bad and I'm ready to rent an apartment and sell the house.

Nice!

Tonight we had friends over who we hadn't seen in quite a while. It was good to see them but really nice to hear the positive feedback about our house.

They haven't seen it since we've done all of the improvements!

Our next big improvement would be to add a bathroom upstairs. I looked at bathroom sinks, showers, and toilets at Lowe's the other day and I just loved the copper sinks.

It seems like they'd be pretty easy to maintain and they look awesome in an older house like ours!

Hooked...

So I'm seriously hooked on FarmTown and FarmVille. They are games offered on facebook.

Basically, you have your land and you plant seeds and get to go to your friend's farms.

I like harvesting (the part where you make money!) It's been fun because Margot and I take turns playing and taking care of each other's farms!

What's the next step?

I met with my doctor a few weeks ago to talk about diet and/or diet pills. She gave me a script for a prescription medication to help with weight loss but my insurance doesn't cover it.

Which leads me to thinking about taking over-the-counter medication. I've looked at apidexin reviews and it seems pretty legit.

I was shocked that my doctor brought up gastric bypass and lap band surgery too. Not quite sure I want to go that extreme.

I figure at this point that I've lost the weight before when I was trying to get pregnant... I can lose it again!

I need another weekend.

Staying at home with the kids is a hard job. Can I just say that the weekends are just as much appreciated for me as they are for Margot?

Margot lets me sleep in and most of the time we have few plans.

This past weekend we attended a CRAZY 2 year old birthday party, Graem had a playdate and we had some friends over for dinner.

Tonight we might finish it all off by watching a move upstairs as we start to doze off at 9pm.

Life is good.

We're all getting a little older.

Including our one existing animal, Murphy - the cat.

We've tried to give her a good life, good food, and a comfy bed. However, we're starting to realize that she's acting older! We might think about adding pet supplements to her diet.

I've read that as cats age their joints can have arthritis and/or they can have issues with bladder control.

It's the pits getting older...

Bad mama blogger.

I've been a complete loser when it comes to updating the blog. I haven't been doing any blogs so I'm not just neglecting this one specifically!

I promise when Graem goes back to school I should have more free time to update with pics and "real updates"!