Lola's 1st Day of School

Lola started preschool today. Her school transitions very slowly, which is kind of nice. I spent the hour with her in class today. We played and I talked with other moms. She has 4 kids in her class and two fabulous teachers. They played with toys in the classroom and then went out to the playground for the last 15 minutes. Lola was the last kid of two classes left on the playground. I had to pick her up and carry her to the car. She didn't want to leave! I was very proud of her sharing skills and getting along with the other kids. Once she found the sandbox she hung out there by herself. We'll be adding sand to our new playset in the spring.

We switched Grace's bus to a different one that comes later in the morning and earlier after school. Today she got home at 4:05. Yay-that was much better than the 4:30 it has been! That's just too long of a day for little ones!

Rich's Birthday

Today Rich and I went in to the "city" as it's called around here. We hopped on the train in Westport and were in NYC in 55 minutes! I had made a reservation at Lucille's Grill for lunch. So, we easily walked from Grand Central to the restaurant in BB King's, which was right near the theater. We had a nice lunch and then walked around a bit. We stopped in to the Toys R Us store to look for Grace's birthday gift. We can't wait to take the kids back there. They have a huge ferris wheel right in the store!

We saw "Young Frankenstein" and really enjoyed it. It was raining after the show so we just walked quickly back to GC and got black and whites from Zaro's, as we had promised the girls.

We called from the train to tell the sitter we'd be home earlier than expected then called for a pizza for pick up. We had a good trip back and made it home in the pouring rain with pizza in hand.

The girls had fun with Jessica. They went to the aquarium in Norwalk. I was quite nervous about letting them go with a sitter again, but decided that I had to let them as I can't be overly protective. I had found these tattoos that you order that have your number printed on them. They also make ones that you can write a number on. So, I put both tattoos on the girls-one with my cell number and one with Jessica's. I went over all the safety rules with Grace and had Jessica take my car.

All was well, but I was glad to be home to my babies! After pizza we got out a black and white and put the only candles on it that we have-the ones from Lola's birthdays-so it was like Rich was "21" again! We turned out the lights and sang and the girls blew out the candles. Cute! Then we proceeded to gobble the cookie up.

Rich and I watched "The Devil Wears Prada," which was ironic because we were just in NYC and it is fashion week and the movie also shows fashion week in Paris, where we'll be in 3 short months!

Anyway, life is good and I'm ready for sleep!

Labor Day weekend

Grace had another good day at school. I'm so happy she is liking it!

Lola and I went to Trader Joe's and then went to pick up some fabric remnants from Freecycle. Gotta love Freecycle. If you haven't checked it out in your area, it's worth a look. I got rid of all my boxes that way.

I got packed and packed the Airstream tonight. We're getting up very early and heading to Keuka. Unfortunately, we won't be able to spend a lot of time there because the drive is long and the weekend is short. We didn't know that Grace would start school before Labor Day.

Lola' new trick is now trying to climb up my legs and do a flip. Grace used to do the same thing. She is also starting to hit and say "no!" a lot. I hope we don't have any problems with preschool! Most of the time she is really good, but she's starting to show that she's 2!

Have a great weekend!

First day of first grade

I haven't written in a long time because I've just had a lot to do with the move and vacation and school starting and everything else going on!

The move went smoothly and we're in our new home. We're still unpacking, but are getting settled in.

Grace started 1st grade today and went off on the bus like an old pro with her wheelie bag in tow. There was a bit of drama at the end of the day when I woke Lola to go with me to the end of the driveway to meet Grace at the bus. She was agreeable and then all of a sudden turned into a mad woman. So, for an entire 45 minutes she cried and wanted to be put down and picked up, etc.

The excitement besides that was that Grace didn't get off the bus that came by, but another kid that was with her when they got on the bus in the morning did get off. A family from across the street came to talk with me and even they were getting worried for me when it was 4:30 and the bus hadn't come yet. I went in to check messages and grab my cell phone and the phone book. I kept looking out to the road and tried to pull up the school website when Lola unplugged the computer. I finally got the bus garage number and called and they said her bus was still out. Finally a few minutes later it pulled up and she bounded off very excitedly.

She had a fabulous day and loves her teacher. Over the course of the evening I learned more and more about the day. Yay-so far so good!

She did just wake with a nightmare and I lied down with her for a while. Hopefully she's asleep for the night now!

A few other highlights of the summer were culture camp where Grace lost her first tooth, a week-long Adirondack camping trip and exploring fun stuff in our new area like the zoo and children's museum. Lola is getting much more talkative and spirited and is truly a joy most hours of the day!

Last night in PA

Well, here it is the last night in our Highland Street house. While I sit here amidst boxes it all feels a bit depressing. I know we'll be happy once we get settled, but that won't come soon enough!

Today the packers did a great job and finished up by 2. Jill stayed here with the kids in the morning and then took them to Jungle Fun, Arby's and then to a pool til almost 3.

They were both tired and we realized that there wasn't any way to watch tv since they had been dismantled. Luckily the computer was still up and running and they watched some Disney channel shows online.

We then brought a pizza over to Julia's. The kids played and we talked and it was really nice to get away from our chaos for a while. They gave us a big bag of gourmet snacks for the ride tomorrow. Such a nice and thoughtful treat!

Well, it's off to bed for me. Did I mention we're going to Paris after Christmas?! We asked Grace where she wanted to go and since she loves "Ratatouille" she picked Paris. So, we have our plane tickets and are now trying to pick an apartment so we can live like Parisians for a week!

Camping

Friday was like the movie, "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" for Rich. First he started walking to work and was given a ride by a guy passing by that he thought worked with him. Luckily he was just another nice dad going to work. Then he took the shuttle bus from work to the train station in the evening. From there he hopped on the train from Westport to Grand Central. He walked from there to Port Authority and got the Bieber bus to Allentown. His dad picked him up at 10:30pm. All that was so that he could leave his car in CT and then bring the truck and camper back to CT today.

We went camping with Klavonskis at Hickory Run from Friday til today. It was very hot and we mostly just sat around and took turns walking with the kids while they rode their bikes/trike or wagon around the campground. Today we packed up by noon and were home by 1. Rich got back to CT by 3 and easily parked the camper at our new house.

I've been making a huge pile of stuff to take with us when we drive up on Tuesday. Tomorrow morning the packers come as well as the stager to talk with me about what she's going to do to make the house look homey.

So, I don't look forward to the next week of work! The kids had a fun weekend and will be with a sitter the next three days. Hopefully that will be fun for them, too.

Picture day

This morning we met Thuy and Kaveh at Wildwater Kingdom. The kids had fun and the moms got to chat a bit. Then we hit Mickey D's on the way home. I've been so bad lately! It will be nice to get settled in our new home and start cooking healthful meals again!

I took the girls to Portrait Innovations to try to get Lola's 2 year old picture and a picture of both of them. I had sweet matching dresses and sandals. Too bad we had to wait a long time and then couldn't get Lola to cooperate. All she wanted to do was play with everything in the studio and didn't want to step foot on the backdrop. We were able to get a decent shot...

The countdown

Well, it's the last full week in our house in Pennsylvania! Mike and Tom took down the plasma tv in the family room and the girls and I miss having that tv to watch. We will never sit and watch tv in that family room again. I keep thinking everything we do is the last time we will do it in this house. We went through this when we lived in DE after Grace came home and now we're moving again not long after Lola has been home. I certainly hope this next move will be it for a very long time!

Grace's big news is that she has a wiggly tooth. The dentist told her that her two front bottom teeth were loose. One has proceeded to get more and more wiggly. I would guess by the time school starts she will have lost it!

Grandpa came over tonight and was knocking on the door while we were doing a bath upstairs. I finally ran down when I thought I heard the door. He was just walking away and the girls came running down the stairs and out the door-NAKED! We were all laughing, but quickly shooed them back into the house before we caused a stir in the neighborhood! I think Grandpa got a kick out of it!

We did end up watching part of the Miss Universe pageant Sunday night. Grace was engrossed. I let her stay up for the whole thing. They showed quite a bit of the country and I saw many things that I'd seen on my three trips to Vietnam. How exciting! Of course, Grace was more interested in the girls and their outfits.

Rich and I went to hear the Dalai Lama speak on generating a good heart on Sunday afternoon. It was a very simple, but profound talk. I was weepy through a good portion of the event because of the content as well as having the feeling that I was witnessing something historic. He was given an honorary doctorate degree by Lehigh University. He's a very funny guy and said that he was honored and happy that he didn't even have to work for it, since he's very lazy!

I'm slowly working on getting things wrapped up this week. Today I had to get a new windshield put in my car. Thankfully they came to our house. Tomorrow my car goes for detailing, but now can't be washed because of the new windshield!

This weekend we're camping with Klavonski's. Rich will take the camper and truck back to CT on Sunday and we'll come back home for the packers on Monday and the movers on Tuesday. After the movers are here on Tuesday we'll head up to CT to meet them on Wednesday.

Rain, rain go away

We stayed in all day and Grace never even got out of her pajamas! She said she didn't want to go anywhere, so we didn't! They were both quite good today and let me get some much-needed work done.

One thing that is starting is that Lola is hitting now! I know Grace will occasionally say she accidentally bumped Lola and I'm wondering if Lola is starting to retaliate! We need to nip this in the bud before school starts!

One fun thing we did today is to make popcorn balls. We had two packs of gooey marshmallows left over from camping and I was going to make cereal treats with whatever cereal we had. Grace suggested popcorn and they turned out great-I'm still full from eating so many!

I just found out that the Miss Universe Pageant is being held in Vietnam this year on Sunday from 9-11. I checked out their website and watched some of the information on Miss Vietnam. It looks a bit like "Girls Gone Wild" but I did see them in the New World Hotel, which we visited often for their fabulous buffet.

Here is a link of the contestants visiting Tam Binh, Grace's orphanage:
http://picasaweb.google.com/universe2008pics/Orphanage

I guess Angelina Jolie's adoption from Tam Binh made it a popular spot to visit. The pictures strike me as kind of cool and kind of strange at the same time! Frankly, any attention and gifts the children themselves can get is good in my eyes. A lot of the children shown were special needs and older-both groups ones that most likely will have no chance of being adopted.

Tomorrow the charity truck is picking up a huge amount of stuff from us. I hope it all fits on the front porch.

Carole and the kids are coming to visit and we're hoping to hit Dorney/Wild Water Kingdom. I'm determined to go a few more times to feel we're getting our money's worth from our passes-which we definitely won't this year as Rich probably won't even go at all.

Just returned from Keuka

We drove up to Keuka Lake last weekend. I got the fun job of driving the new Benz while Rich drove the camper and the girls. It was heavenly to have 6 hours of radio time all to myself!

We got up there Saturday and unhitched at a campground in Potter. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get KLSP again so we had to stay nearby. Suffice it to say, we won't be staying in Potter again. After Rich left on Sunday we'd spend most days at the cottage with Gammy and Gampy and then I'd take the girls back and lock ourselves in the camper for the night. Actually, it was totally fine and completely safe, but just wouldn't be my first choice for folks to hang out with-'nuff said!

The girls loved being at the lake and playing in the water. Grace got better and better at jumping off the dock and swimming to the neighbors' raft. They have kids and they both had fun playing with them.

Lola seemed to really blossom last week and is saying many more words and coming into her own. My little baby is really a toddler now! I hate to say she is getting an attitude, too, like her big sister!

Rich came back and spent Friday and Saturday with us at the lake and then we all came back today. We now have satellite radio in the Benz and I jammed to the 80's all the way home! Too bad there was loads of traffic!

He headed back to CT after taking the camper to storage and packing up again for the week. We had take out pizza and wings and he headed off as I put the kids to bed. I can't wait til we're all in CT for good!

So, lots to do this week with laundry, more car issues and moving stuff. Let's hope we all have a good nights' sleep in our own beds!

Car problems

Rich got a cute little sports car recently. Unfortunately, we had to take it to the shop for two new tires and a few other things. Also, it needs a little touching up here and there at our favorite place-Dent Tech.

The windshield in my mini-van is cracked and there are scrapes on the back bumper. And, the truck has a small dent. So, I'll be taking care of car issues for a while!

House closing is on Monday, June 30th! I've been dealing with getting services in the house this week.

We're heading to Keuka this weekend for a whole week. The girls and I will camp near the cottage and Rich will join us for both weekends. Should be a nice week! It will be nice not to have to keep the house clean for possible showings.

Today we went to Dorney Park with some friends. That worked out well having three moms keeping an eye on all the kids! Then we went to the Promenade shops for an errand, to play in the fountains and eat ice cream. The kids were pooped tonight. I do keep hearing Lola crying off and on in her bed. I hope it's not a long night!

Lola's new thing is counting. She has been counting fingers and anything else that comes in her path. I guess it all started because I count the steps when she walks down. She can count to 10 on her own-pretty good for a just-turned-two-year-old! She still loves stacking blocks and books and loves "fwimming" and "fwinging" and the "shide."

Grace loved the water play today. She is such a water girl. I admire her in a swimsuit with her very strong, lean body. She looks like a gymnast or swimmer. It will be interesting to see what she wants to pursue this year. She did say she misses swim class so I must find her a class to join in CT.

A little bit of culture

Our day started well with everyone having a good nights' sleep and sleeping fairly late. We puttered around and then went to the family Gymboree class. Both girls had fun!

Sadly, my mom called and left me a message that she wasn't feeling well enough for us to visit. So, we've decided that Rich will drive to Cleveland in a rental car and will drive the new car back all on Saturday. Mom called later to say she was better, but never knows how she'll be feeling from day to day.

We have an open house on Sunday. So, this means I'll have a little longer to prepare for it. I've had the windows open for a few days since it's been so cool. The house smells great and I'll be able to keep them open for the open house if it stays cool. I can put out some fresh flowers and maybe even bake some cookies for that "homey" smell.

I met a lovely woman that was born in Vietnam at Gymboree some months ago. She had married an Iranian and they now have two children. Her parents were visiting this week and they were so gracious to invite us for dinner. Besides Grace being tired and a bit too wild, the night was very nice. Lola played very well alongside Kaveh and the girls both ate very well. I couldn't believe how Lola begged for green beans! She also ate the yummy chicken and lots of rice. Grace ate lots of the tempura-style tilapia, rice and some chicken and beans. I ate all of that plus the chicken and veggies in some sort of sauce. Everything was truly delicious! Her mom worked the entire time we were there and then tended to the baby between bites to eat.

Who knows what the day holds for tomorrow. There is a MOMS Club picnic at night, which we may attend. Rich will be home fairly late. I have to go pick up the rental car for him at 9 pm. I will definitely miss seeing my mom, but not miss the long ride there and back by myself!

Day #3

Rich started his new job on Monday and so far, so good! We spent Wednesday through Sunday in Lake George camping and had a really nice time. We got home around 4:30 and then we unpacked the camper and Rich took it to storage and then packed himself up and headed for CT. The traffic was so bad that he didn't get in til 11:30 pm.

I titled this "Day #3" because it's the third day that I've been with the kids without Rich home. We're doing pretty well and staying busy. The first night my friend, Julia, and her daughter, Clara, spent the night, which was fun. Julia brought dinner, which was a huge help. We had done two errands that day and that was enough for Grace. So, we didn't make it to the grocery store.

The next day we went to "Flip Zone" at Parkettes. The kids really enjoyed running around and playing on the equipment. Then we met Grandma and Grandpa at Perkins to see "Mickey Mouse." The kids had a ball and truly believed it was he.

Today we had planned to go to Wildwater Kingdom. It was actually quite cool today and Grace wasn't that interested in going so we just stayed home. Joanna was here and we opened every window we could open in the house and turned off the a/c. Oh, it makes such a difference! The house smells fresh and is naturally cool. She is great with the kids and is an extra set of eyes. It was very handy to have her here once I got the call that we had a showing today.

I put Lola down at noon and then had to wake her before 2. We went to get the cashier's check for the car Rich is buying this weekend. Before that we went to McDonald's and the kids played on the outdoor playground and barely ate anything, which didn't bother me!

We came home for a while and then went to G&G's for dinner. They had bought Lincoln Logs for Lola's birthday and the girls played with them while there, which they enjoyed. After that we came home and watched a marathon of "Jon and Kate Plus 8."

Lola's speech is developing daily. Everyday she says something new. She will usually repeat what we say to her. She is putting two and three words together. Still my favorites are "love Mama" and "night night Mama." Joanna insists Lola is speaking Polish by the way she says "mama."

Grace is always making up a play and always wants to pretend. Tonight she wanted to pretend we had 100 kids. Other times she talks with me about very serious things. She asked me about something and I said that I usually tell her the real story not just what you would tell a child. She told me that's why she's so mature.

I got the roster for Lola's preschool class. I sent an email to the other 7 families and have heard back from several. One family is moving to CT from South Africa. They have all been very welcoming and have offered to help.

I saw my first fire fly tonight. I guess it really is summer!

We're heading to OH on Saturday to pick up Rich's car he's buying. He found it on eBay and decided to pick it up instead of have it shipped so we could go visit Grandma Sandy and Grandpa Bill. Rich will drive it back to CT on Sunday and I'll stay til Monday or Tuesday.

Crazy Day

Well, if yesterday was a lazy day, you could call today a crazy day! Thankfully Lola slept fairly well last night, but was up at 6:23 am. No rest for Momma! And I forgot to mention she was crying for her shoes! She adores shoes and usually wants to sleep in them. The first pair I found were squeaky shoes. These are the cute little shoes that squeak when the child walks. Well, it's not so cute that early in the am. Grace told me she was kept up by them and that's why she got up so early. Silly me!

We lied in our bed for a little while, but once I saw that she wasn't going to go back to sleep we got up and started our day. From then til 12:30 I was working to get the house presentable for the open house.

At 7:45 the doorbell rang and the piano movers were on the porch an hour and fifteen minutes early. Luckily Rich was just on his way down the stairs because I was still in my jammies. The guys did a great job moving the piano out. We look forward to having a "brand new" piano when it gets delivered to us in CT. Rich bought this 6 foot 5 inch Kawai grand piano back in his Chicago days and it has followed him ever since-that's a lot of moving for a piano!

Rich took the girls to Cabela's, which was great for all of us. I raced around working in and out and when they returned got Grace ready for her birthday party and took Lola over to Grandma's.

The rest of the day was relaxing and uneventful. I keep thinking I need to write the things down that I want to write about. Lola has really taken off with her speech and I think I want to write about it and then I forget!

I realize I write a lot about Lola. She is doing so many new things. But, I do need to mention what a good big sister Grace is to Lola. She loves her very much and will do almost anything for her-most of the time!

Lazy day

Lola hasn't slept well the past two nights. Oh, it reminds me of the "old" days with her not sleeping. How did I survive?! The kids were both up early and we just stayed around most of the day. Lola took a three hour nap and then we went to look at a car for Rich and then to the grocery to pick a cake for Lola's party. Della came over to visit for a while after we returned. Dinner was leftovers and take out from Cali Burrito-yum!

Lola is really trying to talk these days. Today she hugged Grace and said, "Love Grace" in the special way she says it-that only we can understand! She often will hurt me or pretend to hurt me and then I'll say that makes me sad and she'll hug me and say "love." We spent a long time building towers with Lego-type blocks today. She loves building and balls. She took a ruler and was hitting a ball with it on the floor. She'll play catch any time someone will play!

Grace went to a make up swim lesson today. She is doing very well with swimming and has moved up to the next level. When we move I need to find her another swim school. She is just a natural swimmer-or a fish as one of her teachers called her. She got out and rode her new bike today. It has training wheels on it, but just seems so much easier for her to ride than the old one. I'm so glad we got her a good one!

Tomorrow morning a mover is coming to take the piano to NYC for refinishing. They will then deliver it to CT once it's done and we're moved in. It will seem strange without it! Both girls are very interested in the piano, which makes me think lessons aren't far behind.

Rich will take the girls to Cabela's tomorrow for an outing. They love going to see the stuffed animals, aquarium, feed the fish, use the shooting gallery and get snacks and anything else that catches their eye. We have a public open house tomorrow and I've got to get the place looking good again. Once the kids are let loose, the place is a disaster! The weather has been very hot and I'm wondering if baking those cookies is a good idea? I also got some flowers and put them in a pretty vase. Here's hoping for some good interest!

When Rich returns with the girls tomorrow he'll take Grace to a birthday party at Bounce U and I'll take Lola for her nap at Grandma's. Hopefully I'll get in some more magazine time!

You may recall my addiction with Etsy.com. I've been looking for fun and different gifts for birthday parties. We have two parties coming up so I had custom capes made for a boy and girl. They have their first initials on the back. They can play super hero or princess with them. I hope they're a hit!

Weekend Coming Right Up

I got up early to start cleaning for the open house. You'd never know Joanna had been here yesterday! I spent almost every spare moment running around and then took Lola to Grandma and Grandpa's for her nap. I sat and read an entire People and Cookie Magazine! Woohoo!

There was a good showing at the open house with comment cards left behind for us. We're hearing most everything we already know that we can't or don't want to change. We have yet to speak with our realtor, but will discuss how to go forward with her tomorrow.

This weekend Grace will have a make up swim class and a birthday party. Other than that, we'll see what we feel like doing. It's nice to be home for another weekend, although I know I'll be up early cleaning on Sunday for the public open house.

Rich got Grace a new bike this week. Her old bike I had found at a consignment store. She never was able to ride it well. The new bike is a really good one and she's already doing much better with it. The girls rode their bikes after we went to Buca di Bepo tonight.

Lola is really talking up a storm these days. She mostly says the beginning of all words, but if worked on she can usually say the ending, too. She is starting to put multiple words together and is repeating a lot of words we say. With Grace being such an advanced talker, I was a bit concerned about Lola. She's still using signs and words for some things, but mostly using language to communicate.

Our friends aren't able to camp with us next weekend. So, we decided to have a "last hurrah" before Rich starts work on the 16th. We're going up to camp in Lake George again. There is a really great campground there that we tried for the first time last year. We love the area and will be there four nights in the Airstream. Ah luxury! Luxury to me is not having to get up and, um, tinkle outside at night because I don't want to walk to the bathhouse! Oh, and, I actually take showers now when camping because I can do it in the privacy of my own "home!" I'll admit, it's not as rustic as before, but is a heck of a lot more comfy!

I can't believe Grace is on her way to being a first grader! She brought home her nap mat and other things she won't need anymore because they have a field trip tomorrow to the fish hatchery and then three half days next week and that's it! And, little Lola will be two on Tuesday. Time sure does fly!

Open houses coming up!

Yikes! We have a broker's open house tomorrow and our second public open house on Sunday. I was happy that we were going to be home again this weekend, but might not be that happy now that I have to keep the house clean!

Joanna was here today and everything was nice and clean til Grace got home and spilled cereal all over the kitchen and family room! Luckily we were at swim class after school so we haven't been home too long. Daddy is out for dinner and we're just watching a movie.

Grace took a nap after school yesterday, which is always very bad for getting to sleep at night. She was up much later than me-til after 11. Getting up this morning was very difficult. Lately she has been saying she has a sore throat or that she just wants to school to be over or she'll cry and say she'll miss her house and teacher. So, she's definitely mourning somewhat from the news that we're moving. I do think she'll be fine as "she never met a stranger." Believe me, she'll talk to anyone!

Rich's parents took the kids to see Clifford the Big Red Dog at Perkins last night. We tried the new Shula's steakhouse. I'll have to say, being a quasi-vegetarian, it was darn good! Besides having to hear and see the spiel about all the beef, we both chose crab cakes, salads and fish topped off by the molten chocolate cake. It wasn't cheap, but was delicious! The girls had a ball and so did we-thanks G&G!

I've been researching our new area and what's available there. I found a Families with Children from Vietnam group! I'm very excited about this as we haven't had one in DE or PA. We've been a part of the FCC group here, but it's just not the same with everything being about China. There are some families in Fairfield Co. and one in Wilton with girls of similar ages. We're excited to meet them and found out they'll also be at culture camp!

We've got so much going on this summer with packing, moving and a few camping trips. Grace has been begging to go back to camp. So, back we'll go! It's in Glassboro, NJ, which is only 1.5 hours from Allentown. So, provided we're still here, it will be an easy drive.

The house inspection went well. The contracts have been signed on both sides without any disagreements. Now we're just waiting for the financing to come through and the closing on June 30. So, at some point we'll be moving after that. I have a home stager coming to look at our house tomorrow to give us an idea about what she'd do with an empty house. If you'd like to check out our new pad, go to http://www.vifp.com/presentation/video_flash.php?PresID=I5473S1QK2EB7J6236P01RYM3F0761T0&CustID=10904&Branded=logo10904.jpg .

Ok, so it's WAY larger than I had in mind-we're even finishing the basement! However, as Rich points out we want to be able to grow into it, have very specific things that we want that only new houses have, have a big back yard and space for the camper on the back of the property. I feel that if we work with a designer we can make it feel smaller, cozier and more intimate. I've never worked with a designer and am nervous about how to pick the right person to get the outcome we want. Oh, I wish I could hire Candace Olsen!

School year pictures

Lola really seems to be blossoming now that she is about to turn 2! Yesterday she said, "Poor Daddy, Sick" and touched her fingers to her face. Sure enough-Rich has had shingles for about a week and a half on his face.

Ms. Stout has a lot of pictures posted on her website that I thought I'd post here. She told me at the birthday party on Sunday that she has a really cute one of Grace and Gusti from the school picnic and field day.

Ok, so I can't remember how to get pix off the web. Here is the link: http://www.swainkids.com/faculty/stout/Parties.html

Weekend

I wanted to write about what Lola's new favorite thing is...stacking blocks! A few days ago she stacked 15 wooden, shaped blocks. They are different colors, but she stacked them by shape, not by color. Every so often she would take a few off, readjust and then stack them some more. We're really happy about this new activity!

When Grace had the Parents as Teachers woman coming to our house every month when she was two, one of the things she was tested for was stacking blocks. This was something Grace had no interest in, but that Lola is really enjoying. The woman said that stacking is a really great thing and would really be proud of Lola!

Rich and I went to CT overnight Thursday to Friday. His parents took the girls for two nights. Thank you!! We were able to do the home inspection and I was able to look at preschools and Grace's elementary school. Then we finished up with the lawyer. The scheduled closing is June 30.

On the way to/from CT is the Palisades Center in West Nyack, NJ. This place has about everything you can imagine! Initially we thought we'd stop and eat at Dave & Buster's, but found a Cheesecake Factory! So, we've now eaten there 4 times in the past several weeks! We never had to wait more than 5 minutes and have been astounded at that every time.

We'll be home for the weekend. Rich has a bad case of shingles and has been suffering all week. We'll get Lola's second varicella immunization today just to make sure she is safe from this chicken pox-related virus.

We may hit Dorney Park today if it doesn't rain. Grace has a pool/birthday party tomorrow. But, other than that, we're relaxing-and trying to figure out what preschool to pick for Lola!

New home

I haven't written in a while as I think I burned myself out and also had some news that I couldn't share til it was a done deal.

Rich has accepted a new job in Westport, CT and will start June 16. We've been house hunting and did find a house and agreed on a price over the weekend. We plan to go up this week for the inspection. The builder has been holding the house for a long time and is ready to move on. So, they want to move quickly, which is fine for us. Let's just hope our house sells quickly!

We camped in Watkins Glen over the long weekend. We were mostly over at Keuka. The girls had a ball playing with the neighbors in the lake almost all day on Sunday. Grace had on a wetsuit and Lola waded in and out. It really brought back such happy memories watching them having such a good time.

Swim Day

Joanna was here today. She cleans for us once a week and helps me feel like I've started fresh for the week. Everything gets very messy and she helps me reign it in.

Lola and I went to swim class. She is very clingy these days and her favorite word is "no!" Gee, brings back memories! She likes being in the pool, but tends to like to do her own thing, just like at Gymboree. So, I don't force her to do the group things, but we do a bit of both.

She is loving being outside. Her favorite things are squirrels, airplanes and bees, which are really ants. Today she enjoyed smelling the tulips and daffodils on our patio. Unfortunately, she didn't get a real nap today and was very cranky. Both girls ended up going to sleep right around 8, which was so nice!

We picked Grace up and went to swim class. We sat in the grass while we waited for class to start. The days have just been so lovely! Grace was a bit wild while waiting inside, but was good after class. She has so much energy and swimming seems to be the outlet she needs. Her teacher told me earlier in the day that he uses a different tactic with her-that he lets her blow off some steam first by jumping and playing and then starts the teaching when she's more able to focus.

Grace continues to ask intelligent questions. I wish I would have been keeping a log of them! Today she asked how seeds are made-are they man-made or are they just there? Well, that's the age-old question, isn't it?!

We cooked chicken on the grill tonight. Neither kid wanted to eat much dinner. Grace told me she's sick of home-cooked meals and only wants to eat out. Oh boy! We've created a monster! So, I grabbed the Cookie magazine that had an article with 30 meals the author had made for her finicky kids and asked her and Rich to circle what they might like to try. I really am struggling to come up with meals that everyone will eat-it's been impossible, actually!

Busy Day

The day started with getting Grace ready for school and dropping her off. Why has she started saying she doesn't want to go to school every day?! Then Lola and I hit Wegman's and then I went to vote. Then I went to drop money off with Missi at Asbury for the March this weekend.

We zipped home and then were off again to our playgroup at a playground. Lola had fun picking dandelions and running around. After that we headed home to meet my friend Julia for lunch at our place. It's always nice to catch up with friends!

Lola took a good nap, and as usual, I had to wake her to pick Grace up from school. She had lunch and we picked Grace up and went to a nearby park where we met my friend Mirella and her little girl from China, ClaraRose. For some reason Lola wanted to be carried almost the entire stay at the park and didn't get comfortable til we were leaving. I'm finding she is very clingy these days!

We took a breather at home and then went to Friday's for dinner and then to the art reception at school. Grace made us very proud with a lovely painting of a vase a la Picasso. Heidi, whom Rich knew growing up, took our picture looking at Grace's piece as she was taking pictures for the school. There were roaming waiters with food on trays and a trio playing! It was quite impressive! Then we checked out the new organic garden and chicken house. What a great school!

Lola didn't sleep well last night and I'm hoping for a good night tonight. Tomorrow is swim day!

Camping weekend

We made our maiden voyage in the Airstream over the weekend. As usual, it was a lot of work getting ready and it turned out Grace had a half day of school. We got out by 1:30 and got up to Hickory Run State Park pretty early. The first thing that happened when we pulled into our site was the hitch broke or something along those lines. It still worked, but one of the sway bars fell off. We didn't realize it was truly broken, though, til Sunday when it fell off twice after pulling away.

The other thing that we couldn't figure out was the awning. It got bent and didn't work. So, after we left on Sunday Rich dropped us at home and drove on to NJ to take the camper in to be repaired. We learned that we need to read the manuals and both know how to operate everything.

Other than those things, we did pretty well. The girls didn't sleep well the first night, which meant none of us did. Lola slept with us most of the night and the second night Grace was still having a hard time sleeping. So, I put her in the bed with Rich and Lola and I slept on the back couch where Grace had been sleeping.

We enjoyed letting the kids ride bikes and have wagon rides. We had a fire with s'mores the second night. We went to the playground and tried to go to the beach at the lake, but that was too chilly. For the most part, the weekend was a success.

Lola learned to say "tv". She normally just says "t" when she wants to watch something. And, her favorite is always anything "Pooh."

Grace was riding her bike with training wheels really well. She also is doing a nice job being a big sister and taking care of Lola.

Grace had her third crown put in today at the dentist. She is a very good patient! She also learned that her two front bottom teeth are loose!

This Sunday is the March for Babies! We're excited to get out and help make a difference!

Spring has Sprung

Well, we're finally on the road back to health! Rich and Lola were hit the hardest with the flu and both are still hacking away, but the fever has gone and the energy is back.

Grace went on a field trip to see Charlotte's Web yesterday and went to her swim lesson today. I was able to see her learning to dive! She's going to love the lakes and pools this summer! And, her reading is making great strides!

I'll take Lola to a make-up Gymboree class tomorrow. She and I have a lot of Gymboree and swim classes to make up. We'll also be trying to get outside more that the weather is nice.

We cooked out tonight for the first time this season. Yum! We plan to camp this weekend and use the new Airstream-finally!

On a political note, I watched the Democratic debate tonight and am still undecided. I changed my offiliation from Independent to Democrat so I can vote in the primary next week.

Officially Influenza

I just wanted to stop in to say that I haven't written in a while because it's been an infirmary around here! Dr. Perry, the house call doc came to see me on Thursday after I'd been sick since Sunday. I took Lola to her doc on Friday and we called Dr. Perry back today to try to figure out what's up with us. Grace has gotten better and I have, too, but the other two are still fighting it. As doc put it, Rich was to "take one for the team" and do the Influenza test because he suspected that we were all suffering from the Flu. Sure enough, within minutes of a nasty nose swab, it came back positive! Unfortunately, if you don't catch the flu in time, there isn't much to be done about it. He did tell me to watch Lola for signs of Pneumonia, but thought we'd all be back to normal within a day or two as it usually goes about 5 days. While you never know where you pick something up, he guessed that it was probably waiting around in the airport on our return trip to San Francisco. Oh well-I guess it's the cost of a great vacation! Now, if I can just get my sanity back with my physical health I'll be all set!

More photos

Fortune cookie factory
Lola near the Cliff House
Grace hamming it up at the Exploratorium

Well, that's all I have the energy for tonight! I didn't change out of my pajamas all day and am freezing tonight! I'm hopping in bed and will post more pix soon.

Trip photos at last

Easter Parade
View from Twin Peaks
Near the Cliff House

Self explanatory
Grace and Nittany overlooking GGB
Lola holding Easter egg at Amy and Erin's

Lola more interested in the dog than the parade!

I haven't written in a while because we didn't have easy computer access in Yosemite and then we went back to San Fran for a night before our long ordeal getting home on Monday. We ended up getting home at 2:45 am on Tuesday. We slept til noon and Grace didn't go to school. She still seems to be suffering from jet lag, but the rest of us are doing better.

Oh, one thing I do have to mention before I get to the photos, is that we have had a horrible skunk smell in and around our house for several weeks. I thought maybe going on vacation the problem would magically disappear. Well, it didn't so I ended up calling a trapper. He was able to trap the skunk in one night using a trap baited with marshmallows. Now we're hoping it was a mama who had made it's burrow under our house waiting to have her babies. If that's the case, there will be no others in the burrow. He's got the traps out and baited and now we'll wait to see if we catch anything else.

And, without further ado, here are the photos-or at least the ones I have the energy to post tonight. I'm finally succombing to a cold. I still don't have the formatting down, so the pix posted first. I'm not going to bother moving them! I just looked at the preview and one of the pix has posted twice, but I can't see that in my posting screen! Oh well!

San Jose Day

Yesterday I didn't have time to write because we got home late from San Jose and then Rich had some work to do on the computer and I was too pooped to wait up.

In a nutshell, Grace had a great time with Amy and Erin. We didn't get a call in the middle of the night and probably wouldn't have gotten a call if we didn't call them!

Rich, Lola and I went out after relaxing in the morning at the hotel. We went to Golden Gate Park to the Japanese Tea Garden. Oh, it was lovely! The "sakura" or cherry blossoms were in bloom, which were beautiful! We walked through the garden and then went to the Botanical Garden across the street. We didn't want to get lost there since we were meeting Amy and Grace soon.

So, we drove to the Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden also in the park. This park is so huge that we drove outside the park to get there and it took a few minutes. You definitely can get lost in the park even in your car! The garden has a huge windmill and the tulips were in bloom! It was so lovely and reminded me of our trip to Amsterdam and the gardens outside the city.

After the gardens we went to the Beach Chalet, which had a wait. What a view! So, we went to the restaurant connected called the Park Chalet. It was all glass and looked over the park. We had a yummy meal.

From there we went over to the beach to play for a little bit and then we had to leave for San Jose. It took about an hour to get to Mike and Jay's house. Mike is Rich's friend from college that was the best man in our wedding. Jay is his partner and was the piano player and singer at our wedding.

Mike was waiting for us since he's on vacation from teaching this week. We had Jay's famous lemonade and played out at their pool for a while. The kids both got their clothes wet! Luckily Amy had washed some clothes for us and we had them in the car.

We left to go meet Jay at Sweet Tomatoes, another buffet restaurant like the night before! It was fun to see them, but way too short. Mike will visit us in June. We came back to the hotel and the kids watched the "fish movie" and I packed and Rich worked.

Today we head for Yosemite! I may not have computer access and my not be able to write.

Exploratorium

Last night we had a decent nights' sleep! Lola woke twice, but patting her put her back to sleep. At 5:45 she was in bed with Grace and me, but at least we all slept til 7:30.

We got out early and walked to the Exploratorium. This is the biggest, best science center I've ever experienced! We spent only about and hour and a half there because it was just so overwhelming and tiring. Grace really enjoyed all kinds of exhibits and experiments.

After the museum we ate at Mel's Diner. We're not sure the deal, but there are 4 in SF and the first was the setting for American Graffiti, we believe. It was your typical diner fare, which we like!

We went back and rested early today and the kids made a mess of the Easter grass while we were resting. The maid was really pleased! After taking it easy for a while we drove back down to Chinatown where there were a few stores we wanted to visit. We saw a jacket and slippers that we loved, but the prices were too high.

After Chinatown, we headed for Oakland to have dinner with Amy and Erin. Unfortunately, our navigation system wasn't working in the city and the traffic was heavy at rush hour so it took us about an hour to get there. It could only take about 20 minutes with no traffic! The girls napped, which actually worked out well. It seems their best rests are in the car.

We got there and brought in another load of laundry. They were so nice to let us do it there-and do some folding for us! We decided to go to Fresh Choice for dinner. It's one of those healthier buffet places with a great salad bar and hot food and desserts. Lola finished off covering herself in red jello and spaghetti sauce!

Grace's big slumber party is tonight! Her aunties invited her to spend the night. So, she was excited to do it and couldn't wait for us to leave. We're hoping she does well and we don't get a call in the middle of the night!

Amy is taking off tomorrow and we're going to Golden Gate Park. There are some great gardens there that I'd like to see. Spring has come to the Bay Area and the cherry blossoms, tulips and other flowers are blooming! What a great time to be in San Fran!

We saw a little fog today

The morning started out just the tiniest bit foggy-outside and in my head! Lola and Grace didn't get to sleep til 11 and then Lola was up around 2 and after trying to get her back to sleep, succombed to letting her watch tv til 5am!

We got up slowly and finally got ready and walked down to Fisherman's Wharf where we went to the Aquarium by the Bay. It was a nice aquarium, but definitely not worth the price. The funniest thing was that on our way out I spied my friend Bethanie and her two boys! To be fair, I knew she was going to be in town, but hadn't planned anything with her because we already have so much going on. So, the chance meeting was really nice! She and I have been friends since 4th grade! We both grew up in Penn Yan, NY and she has been living in Southern CA for a long time. I don't get to see her much so it was nice to get a few hugs and see her boys and her big belly-she has another on the way!

Rich has always wanted to go to the Fog City Diner. So, after the aquarium, we walked down to the diner and got a table just in the nick of time. The place filled up with work people in the area. The meal was good. We walked back to the hotel afterward and rested a bit til we went out again around 4.

We drove down to Baker Beach to get a different view of the Golden Gate Bridge and for the girls to play in the sand. It was very windy and we stayed a while and then left to drive through one of the other parks. We then drove to the Castro District where we met Amy and Erin followed by Ben and Rita and another friend of theirs from high school that lives in Seattle, but happens to be visiting San Fran. It was a nice dinner at Home. Amy and Erin kept Grace for a while after dinner and the three of us drove back since Lola was getting very cranky and clingy with me.

Grace had a ball at dinner and with them afterwards and is looking forward to spending the night at their house tomorrow night. She loves her aunties!

It's important to note that she told me that she hasn't been with anyone that she doesn't really know that well by herself before. When I asked if she was ok with it, she said yes!

And, I have to report that Lola's words are really coming fast these days! She's starting to use the second syllable and putting two words together. We're really proud and so is she!

Tomorrow we plan to visit the Exploratorium.

Easter Sunday

We started off the morning very early again, but all got a good nights' sleep! Grace and I slept in the bedroom queen bed and Rich slept on the pullout sofa in the living room. We have Lola's pack n play tucked in a corner in the bedroom. Grace woke early and I sent her to Daddy's bed where she watched tv and Lola and I slept for a bit longer.

We got up and showered and headed to Oakland to see Amy and Erin's house and to see Ben and Rita that had just flown in this morning. Their house looks really cute and homey. It was nice to see Ben again and to meet Rita, who seems very sweet. They were both pooped after a very early morning flight.

Amy and Erin gave the girls Easter baskets and dyed eggs with them. Their neighbors came over and also took part in the festivities. We then went for brunch at a cute local restaurant and then Rich, the girls and I headed back to the city for the Easter parade.

We walked up two blocks to Union where the parade was supposed to take place. The entire road was blocked off and there were tons of people milling around in Easter dresses and bonnets. There were lots of street vendors set up with food and wares and restaurants were set up for dining al fresco. It was a very festive event! We walked along Union until the parade started and then got to the side to watch. It was a cute parade with fire trucks and anyone that wanted to participate walking the route. Lola enjoyed looking around and finding dogs to pet. A man that works at the Ritz gave her a little piece of chocolate. And, there was a booth giving out as much Ghiradelli chocolate as you wanted! Ugh-I ate way too much!

After the parade we went back to rest for a while. Rich and I fell asleep and the girls were incredibly quiet and behaved while we rested and they played. After resting we went out to see some more sights. We drove through Japantown and through Alamo Square where the "Painted Ladies" are and through Castro and then up to Twin Peaks. There is an amazing view from there-almost 360 degree views including the bay and the ocean. From there we went through the Golden Gate Park and then to Seal Rock and then to the Cliff House for appetizers and drinks. We then walked on the beach and played in the sand for a while.

On the way back to the hotel we put "Jack in the Box" in the navigation system and got food to take back. Rich and I used to love their Oreo shakes.

Tomorrow we'll probably check out the aquarium or the zoo. Seems like most museums are closed on Mondays. Our time seems to be zipping by!

Another glorious day

We woke (early!) to another beautiful, sunny day! Amy and Erin came to our hotel and we all piled into the Forerunner and headed for Muir Woods National Monument. It was awesome to see all the really big, old trees. The kids really enjoyed seeing them and being able to roam free.

On the way back we drove up the hill above the Golden Gate Bridge for the magnificent vistas. We weren't disappointed as it was a very clear day and there were lots of sail boats out on the bay.

We went back to the hotel and then walked over to Fillmore and found a restaurant for lunch. We had brunch and then went back for a rest. The kids weren't able to sleep as they'd napped a bit in the car. We watched cartoons and rested up for dinner.

We met Amy, Erin and Erin's mom and friend in North Beach at an Italian restaurant. It was fine, but pretty low value as it seems to cater to tourists. We then walked through Chinatown with Amy while the rest of the group went to a coffee shop for dessert. Then we headed back to the hotel and got the kids down fairly easily.

It will be fun to post our pix when we return as we have some really good ones. We're having a wonderful trip and look forward to seeing Ben (my brother) tomorrow who is flying in with his friend. We'll see Amy and Erin's house and maybe do some laundry. Then we plan to go to the Easter parade in the afternoon. Sounds like another full day!

San Francisco

Hello from sunny San Francisco! What a fabulous day! It started out cool, but was warm and sunny for most of the day. It was so clear and we saw some great vistas.

I'll start by telling you about yesterday. Lola and I dropped Grace off and then went to Target for some last-minute shopping. Then I ran around packing and cleaning. Then we rushed to school for the Easter party that ran long due to an ill conceived egg hunt. We then drove through the Arby's drive thru and went home to eat before I dashed around doing all the last minute things.

We left the house by 1:30 and were at the airport in Allentown in no time. Rich pulled right up to the front and we unloaded, took the bags to the counter, checked in and took the bags to security. Then he went and parked the car. That was easy! We then went through security fairly easily and then went to the gate.

We found out that our flight was delayed so Rich got in line to try to come up with a back-up plan in case we weren't able to make our connecting flight in DC to SFO. The flight finally took off around 2 hours late and fortunately Rich had gotten us booked on a flight to San Jose since all the SFO flights were booked for the night.

The skies were rough and the touch down was the worst I've ever experienced, but we got in and hurried to our gate. After a bit we found that our gate had been changed and had to hurry a long way to get to the new gate. Of course, our new flight was delayed, too. Oh, I forgot to mention that on our original flight we got on the plane and then had to get off and then got back on again later.

Anyway, we finally boarded and had to deal with having seats in two different rows, none next to eachother. Luckily we worked it out so that we all could sit in one row together. The nice man that moved from the window to a middle seat got an upgrade to first, which we were very glad about since he was so nice to take a worse seat for us.

Well, to make a long story short, the flight was 6 hours and very long. Grace slept briefly, but was awakened by Lola who could not sleep at all and who cried for a good deal of the flight. Finally she slept for a bit, but was awakened by a beverage service. A nice woman came to us and said that she understood our situation and wanted to help. She had some homeopathy called "Rescue Remedy," which she said were herbs that helped with distress. Sure enough after several minutes Lola calmed down. We still don't know if that was the reason, but I will be buying some to have for the flight home.

We got to San Jose and Rich ran off the plane because he worked out for us to get our rental car from this airport instead of SFO. However, they close at 11:30 and they said they'd stay open til 12:30 for him. So I stayed on the plane til everyone deplaned and then got off leisurely. It was strange to be the only ones left in the terminal! We then went to baggage claim and got our bags after everyone else and I piled them on the Smarte Carte. Rich pulled up after not too long and I wheeled out the cart. Of course, all the stuff fell off -some even into the road! There were a few people there helping, though.

We brought our navigation system and had no problem getting to the hotel, which took about 40 minutes. I looked at my watch when I got in bed and it was 2:10 am. That was 5:10 am for our body clocks!

I awoke at 6 and then Grace and Lola were both awake by 7. So much for sleeping in! Rich went down and grabbed us breakfast provided by the hotel. We then got out and went for a walk to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. What a gorgeous view of the bridge and bay and marina! We then walked through Fisherman's Wharf and had lunch at the Wipe Out Cafe at Pier 39. Amy met us there for the end of our lunch and then walked back to the hotel with us. We did make a pit stop at Ghiradelli Square for some free samples and ice cream!

We then all tried to take a nap, which didn't work out very well. The girls couldn't sleep, which meant we really didn't sleep much. Thankfully we have two tvs and put them on for the kids to buy a little time.

After the "nap" we called Amy and she came back over and took Grace to the pool. Then Erin came later and Grace was too tired to go to dinner. So, Amy and Erin watched her and we took Lola and set off to Union St to find food. We got some menus from the hotel and found a tex-Mex place and brought that back. We ate out in the courtyard by the pool. The kids played with Erin and then we went up to the room for stories and night night.


We'll call Amy and Erin in the morning and plan to go to Muir Woods. There are things that I'm remembering now that I forgot to write, but it's time for sleep! Also, sorry, but I don't feel like proof-reading this!

It's a Gymboree day

Lola at Gymboree last week...

Since it's the week of leaving for vacation, I'm cleaning out the refrigerator. So, of course, there is no cooking on a week like that! Last night we hit our favorite Chinese buffet and tonight was Red Robin. Last night we took my car for it's 15,000 mile check up. Could it have that many miles already?!

Today Lola and I played at Gymboree and then I worked at getting Grace's room cleaned up and went through her clothes. Why do I always do more than I need to do when I'm just trying to pack? I'm also working through mounds of laundry.

Rich went with us to pick up Grace from school and then we picked up my car. Wow! It hasn't looked this clean in a long time-on the outside anyway! That's a nice perk to get a free car wash with service.

From there we went to Grace's swim class. Hurray! She swam 6 lengths of the pool-some with a noodle, but still very impressive! Her teacher was very proud of her and has moved her to the next level.

Rich went to get new glasses while we were at the pool. Then we all went for dinner and then home for Pooh. Lola either begs to watch Pooh or Bear (in the Big Blue House) these days. Then, after a tough evening of getting them both to sleep, I was able to indulge in my AI addiction as well as "pounce" on Etsy. I found something really cool for Rich that I'm saving for Father's Day. Handmade is the way to go! I truly couldn't get to sleep last night as I was wracking my brain to come up with something I can sell on Etsy. I'm just not that crafty.

Actually, the craftiest I get is when we're heading for a birthday party. I buy gifts in advance when I find things online on sale and get free shipping. So, I most always have a gift for a party. I save all the old bags, bows, ribbons, etc. No, I decided long ago not to save the wrapping paper. I do keep the tissue paper, though. And, my number one favorite thing to wrap in is a brown paper grocery bag.

The last party a few weeks ago was for twins. They like pirates. So, I got them 3D towels-one with a pirate and one with a shark. Grace drew pirate chests on paper and then we glued them on the paper-wrapped gifts. We then took tokens from places like Chuck E. Cheese and taped them on like dubloons. Then I went online and found pirate clip art, which we taped on the packages. I wrote something like "Ahoy Mateys" on them and was done. They came out great!

Another time Grace and I wrapped a few small gifts in the brown paper and then tied them with brown raffia and stamped and addressed them to look like packages. I was very gratified when the thank you note came back commenting on our great wrapping job!

Yikes-didn't know it was so late! One more day to pack and then we hit the friendly skies!

I know it's more fun to see pix on a blog, so I couldn't resist staying up a bit longer-didn't realize Rich had uploaded our recent pix!

My new obsession

No, blogging isn't my new obsession, as you might have guessed from the lack of daily posts!

My cousin, Karen, started an Etsy Store selling her handmade purses. I had never heard of Etsy and now I'm hooked! It is all things handmade! I just bought a custom purse from her and a handmade shirt from someone in California! Here are the links if you're interested in checking out my new purchases!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9719064 My bag will be similar to this, but Karen will make the straps longer and put a few more pockets inside.

http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=7842341 I love this top! Ok, so I hope the stripes don't make me look fat! The woman that's making it is going to make it to my measurements!

My baby is growing up! I just signed Lola up for preschool in the fall. Actually, it's called Play Days and it's at a local church on Mon, Tues and Fri from 9-12. I really wanted Tues-Thurs, but took what I could get. She'll have two different teachers and one turns out to be someone from MOMS Club that I've never met, but have spoken to many times online.

It turns out this woman is the one that is doing the Breast Cancer 3 Day. I made a challenge to the MOMS Club that I'd match donations to her walk. We were able to raise $170 in support of my dear aunt that is battling the disease right now. The woman walking has pledged to raise $2500!

Speaking of charities, we're doing the 5 mile March for Babies for the March of Dimes in April. This will be our second time walking for MOD and our third walk we've done as a family. Lola will be joining the effort this year! If you'd like to support our effort, please go to my personal page at:
www.marchforbabies.org/LynMilliman

Thank you!

Swain School

Hmm, doesn't look like a way to edit my last post. I meant to post the link to Grace's class website. There are lots of pix here! You can click on "Shining Stars" and "Activities".

http://http://www.swainkids.com/faculty/stout/index.html

Frustrating technology

Well, this was the second time I've tried to write something and lost it! The site said it would be down for a while, but let me type away and then lost what I wrote-very frustrating!

Anyway, it's been a long week with Rich gone and the time change. We're all pooped tonight. The kids are fast asleep on time as we hit the playground and Chick Fil A today. It was a gorgeous, mild day and is looking even better for tomorrow.

Chick Fil A is donating 15% of the proceeds from tonight's fundraiser to our March for Babies team for MOMS Club. The kids had fun playing in the play area. Lola is quite bold and climbed up to the top of the jungle gym! She did that on the playground, too. Yikes! I took her down the slide myself, but she probably would have done it alone!

We leave for San Francisco next Thursday! I can't believe spring break will be here before we know it. I have so much to do between now and then!

Old Business

Nothing much happened today so I'll tell you what I did two weekends ago!

I hit a milestone birthday in November and had tried to get a girls weekend in NYC going with three friends. It didn't pan out to do that, but Carole and I worked it out to go recently.

She came up from West Chester, PA on Friday night and we got up early to take the bus into the city on Saturday. We took a crowded bus in, but got to sit together thanks to some lovely German ladies. When we got there we walked directly to the hotel and were able to check into the Grand Hyatt at 10:30 am!

We then left to go to Times Square to find the half price ticket booth at the Marriott Marquis. We found that the tickets for the night shows didn't go on sale til 3:00, but were told to get in line by 2:00.

We then took off walking in search of fabric in the garment district. We need some fabric to make a comforter for the rounded queen bed in the Airstream. Joanna, the woman that cleans for us, is going to make it for us.

We got hungry before we found any fabric stores and found a cute cafe called "Martinique." We were seated upstairs overlooking the street. There was a piano player upstairs, seemingly playing just for us! We had brunch, which was quite nice.

We did find a few fabric stores to check out, but didn't find anything we could use for the comforter. So, we headed back to the ticket line and waited in the cold and wind for about an hour. We got "half price" tickets for "Legally Blonde" for $66. It was a cute show, but I'm glad I didn't pay full price!

We went back to the hotel after getting the tickets and then got ready and went down to SoHo on the subway. We shopped around a bit-lots of trinket-type jewelry stores, right Carole?! We then grabbed a paninni to go and then headed back to the subway to get to the theater. I forgot to mention that I had lost a small diamond in one of my rings. Our jeweler is in the Diamond District near Times Square. So, I was able to drop the ring off and pick it up all fixed later. And, Carole and I both got our rings cleaned and the prongs checked. I don't want to lose another diamond ever again!

After the show we got back to the hotel and watched a bit of tv and then hit the hay by 11:40 pm. Carole was wiggling around early in the morning and I wasn't able to get back to sleep. She got up and took some Tylenol and then went back to sleep. I finally woke her at 10:15 after taking a shower and getting all ready and reading and just sitting on the bed since 7:15! She wasn't feeling well and I hated waking her, but we were wasting valuable time! Oh well. It really forced me just to relax. We went to Grand Central Station for breakfast and then walked to Port Authority and caught the bus back to Allentown.

The weekend was way too short, but nice to get away and just relax without kids. Carole at one point commented how nice it was that we didn't have to take anyone to the bathroom!

Rich is out of town til Wednesday. So, tomorrow I'll get motivated and get moving a bit more. We have Gymboree in the morning and will have to miss Grace's swim class to go to the allergist for a check-up.

Argh!

I just wrote a long post and somehow lost it! I have to get to bed so won't be re-writing it tonight! Sorry! :(

It Was a Very Blustery Day

This morning the kids were up early, which means so was momma! "Momma" is what both kids call me. I think Grace started calling me that again because that's what Lola calls me.



We decided to go buy Grace some new sneakers for school. I had already looked at Target and couldn't find anything so we went to Payless. Grace was more interested in all the accessories and other pretty shoes in the store. We were getting very annoyed with her and decided to go to Kohl's. Well, turns out we spent a lot more than I had wanted on a pair of Skechers. And, she still kept asking for more. We should have realized it was going to be a long day!



After shopping we went to Buca di Beppo for an early lunch so we could get Lola back for a nap. It wasn't very crowded, but did take a while. The natives were definitely restless and we were glad to finally leave with a lot of take out for dinner.



I have to mention that throughout all this time we were warning Grace that we wouldn't be going to the swim party tonight hosted by the Families with Children from China group at Swim-in Zone if she didn't start behaving better.



We hung around the house all day and really just had a lazy day. Grace just wasn't listening well and we did take the swim party away. We feel we have to get tougher with her or she'll continue to not listen and act out. She was a bit disappointed, but it didn't seem to phase her all that much.



We had a lot of rain throughout the day. It finally stopped and started to get brighter. So, I thought since we weren't able to get out to swim we'd go for a walk. We got the wagon out and bundled up. The kids were eating apples as Rich and I took turns pulling the wagon. We kept watching the sky and at one point Grace mentioned that it looked like it would rain. Sure enough, a few minutes later it started raining pretty hard and then sleeting. Lola seemed a bit alarmed and I really thought it was quite funny as we turned around and booked it home.



Rich pulled out a family movie and we watched Grace as a baby. Lola kept saying it was "La-Lo" as she calls herself. It was funny to hear us calling "Gracie." We don't call her Gracie anymore. I started calling her "Grace" as a nickname and it just stuck. When I'm talking to Lola about her I tend to say "Gracie," though.


The video showed us in Hershey and at Keuka with my family and in Spain. Oh, how it made me want to go somewhere!



Anyway, I need to get to sleep since we have to "spring forward" tomorrow morning.



We have just signed up to walk with my MOMS Club team in the March for Babies. Here is a
photo from our first March of Dimes walk in 2006.

Sock Hop Night!

Lola and I dropped Grace off at school and then went to Wegman's for a pre-weekend shopping trip. It's so nice to go early in the morning before it gets crowded. Another grocery has a new service where you can order groceries online and then just go pick them up. I love the concept, but after using the service twice, think I'll only use it periodically. Their selection of organics and other items I use isn't as good as Wegman's. And, the last time I got an oudated can, split open bananas and have to pay a $4.95 service charge.

After the trip I hunkered down to try to get Lisa Williams tickets as soon as they went on sale at 10 am. My friend, Julia, and I are going as a late birthday celebration for me. Rich did want to go, but we weren't able to get in contact with our sitter to see if she could sit that night. So, at the stroke of 10 I was vying for tickets and did end up with Orchestra Row K seats. So, hopefully, if anyone wants to come through for us, Lisa will be able to hear them! Yes, she's a clairvoyant. I never would have believed in such things if I hadn't had many experiences over the years that made me believe otherwise! Here's hoping G-maw comes a-calling!

I have so little clothes for myself that when I got the new Lands' End catalog that included free shipping, I thought I'd do a little shopping. I spent a long time shopping online today and have a full cart. Rich may do a little tonight and then I'll place my order. It's great to have it shipped to the house and then I can try everything on at my "leisure" and then take it back to the local Sears store if it doesn't work.

I did walk on the treadmill, but cut it short due to my virtual shopping trip and Lola waking from her nap. Naughty mommy!

Grace came home from school very excited about the sock hop tonight. It had been scheduled for last Friday, but was postponed due to impending bad weather that night. She was very happy because she was sick last Friday and would have missed it.

She was very excited because she had a "date" for the dance. She and Milo have been playing a lot at school lately and had decided to dance together tonight. They literally hung out the whole time and even kissed a few times. My baby is only 5-what foreshadowing! His mom told me he has nothing but honorable intentions-that's pretty funny!

Lola had so much fun running around the gym. She got knocked over a few times and didn't like that one bit, but still had fun. She kept sneaking in the limbo line and kept going under the stick. She especially loved the chicken dance! She was mesmorized watching everyone do that and other dances. Occasionally, she'd be moving to the beat. We did get pictures and will post them eventually!

Rich is going to watch a movie and I'm going to sleep.

Here's a photo from the porch at the Settlement. This was taken the last day we were in Disney and heading home with the truck and popup. Incidentally, the guy who took the picture was from Breinigsville, PA! It's a small world after all!

Crown Day

Well, little Princess Grace got a crown today, but not the type she had in mind! Recently we found out that Grace needs some extensive dental work. So, today was the first of four appointments. She donned a pink nose and breathed bubble gum scented nitrous oxide while the dentist went to work. She did very well and was treated with a chocolate McDonald's milkshake on the way home. Hmm, that's the kind of thing that got us in this trouble in the first place!

Lola did very well at the office, too. She gets lots of attention wherever she goes and today was no exception. She played with kids in the waiting room as well as with the nurses and dentist. She had a ball-and brought one home, too!

Besides our dentist day, Lola and I took a gift to the person that I'm the "Secret Sister" of for MOMS Club. It must have been a sight seeing me run up her lawn and drop the bag on her porch and run back to my car-all before 8:30 am! Then we stopped into Target for gifts for the twins' birthday party this weekend.

When Lola went down for her nap I jumped on the treadmill and really hoofed it today. I have been reading while walking, but just not getting the "burn" that I should be getting. After all, summer is on the way and I haven't been liking what I've been seeing in the mirror every week before Lola's parent/child swim class.

Now Rich is on the way to get us take out. Grace is eating all soft foods tonight and we'll just eat some junk. I've been so good about cooking, but sometimes just don't feel inspired.

I'll be ready to hit the couch tonight and enjoy my guilty pleasure-American Idol! Yes, I do watch it and enjoy almost every minute of it! Ok, so I don't love the night they cut people, but tend to watch it anyway. I've been watching in the basement as we have a cool function on that tv that enables me to have "picture in picture" and to "swap" channels easily. This way I can watch HGTV, TLC or Food Network and know when AI is coming back on.

Actually, lately I've been caught up in politics. It's getting very interesting! I even sent in a change of party form so that I can vote in the PA primary. So, often you can find me catching the spin on the day's headlines.

Grace watched the end of AI with me and has checked out my blog and would like me to post this picture of her at Disney World!

Oh, and here is a picture of Lola during one of our recent snows! Looks like she's having a blast, huh?!

I Be Bloggin'!

I'm not sure what brought me to start this, but here I am! I haven't read many blogs, but wanted a creative outlet and a way to share our everyday lives with those that aren't around day-to-day.

We've been camping quite a bit the past year and a half. We started in a tent, which lasted all of one very wet weekend. Then we upgraded to a pop-up camper. We've had a ball using it and took a big trip to Disney World and stayed at Fort Wilderness over the Christmas holiday.

Almost immediately after returning, we decided it was time for another upgrade. Rich had been coveting Airstreams for quite a while. Fortunately, one of the largest Airstream dealers is located in NJ, not too far from us. One day we went to check them out and were back soon after to purchase our 2008 International Signature 28'! Here is the picture taken at the dealership the day we purchased the trailer:

We haven't used the A/S yet, but can't wait for our maiden voyage! I'll have to admit that I'm nervous about that-there is a lot to know!

Grace has been participating in cheerleading club at school. They were supposed to culminate their training in a performance during a girls basketball game. There was a snow day that day and the performance was postponed. They actually set up an assembly for the school to have two scrimmages with the cheerleaders cheering for the teams and a "halftime show." It was very cute!

We are putting an ad in Grace's school yearbook. The yearbook editor offered to take one for me. Here it is-how nice of her-and how cute! Grace is in Kindergarten and learning to read this year!

Well, I'm off to bed, but will write more tomorrow and let you know what Lola is doing these days!