Living in a Petrie Dish

I was extremely proud to say for the 1st few years of my elder 2 children's lives they were relatively germ free. Meaning - they didn't contract every little sniffle and cough that came down the pike. My son (who is 5) still to this day has never had to take an antibiotic.
Now they are in Day Care. Germ central. So they have pretty much had runny noses 80% of their lives since starting at Day Care. I know I know.. they will never get sick once they hit grade school. yeah .. I'll believe it when I see it.

We are currently dealing with the ickiest bug to hit the eastern seaboard this year. Mommy was struck first on Sunday. I wouldn't wish that on anyone I ever cared about even in a fit of rage. Next Comes Alexa. Yesterday she wakes up at 6 am in a pile of her own dinner.... lovely. The other fun stuff hits her later . Four days later Mommy is still nauseous, but is coping and doing everything she normally does. which is well.. EVERYTHING.

So yesterday we go to day care for the holiday show. Talking to the other moms it seems it has run rampant through the center. Parents and children alike were dropping like flies. Nothing like discussing bowel movements and barfing with acquaintances. DH shows up. Looks white.. Starts in with the "I really feel horrible" . ugh.. and so it starts. He has it. The worst possible outcome of all this is my husband getting it. No one is ever as sick or as badly affected as he is. Well at least that's how he portrays things. **rolling eyes**

Please please please let this bug leave him soon.. because if that doesn't kill him I may have to. Oh and keep your fingers crossed that it doesn't hit the other 2.. since Christmas is less than a week away I hope we can all be healthy for it. :)

Sucked in .. yet again....

A week before Christmas and today I am scrambling to finish up the gift for my parents. Technically.. this should not be happening. For once I was not the original organizer of something important. Maybe that was my first mistake.

I get a call in November. From my older sibling. "We are thinking about going in on a bigger gift for D&S this year since everyone is sick and tired of giving them Home Depot Gift cards" I say "Great! I'm in" he says "We're looking at a big screen TV. Between the 4 of us we should be able to get them a nice one without breaking the bank" again "I'm in .. just let me know"

So a week goes by and nothing. So I call him. "What's going on with the gift?" "Well Dad says definitely do not buy them a TV. So I'm thinking maybe a weekend away at a B&B. " I say "OK.. even better!! " He says. "I will look into it if I can find the time"

I scratch my head.. find the time? These are your parents and you have two kids. The youngest of which is 11 and spends 1/2 his life with YOUR parents. You have a shitload more time than I do . But I digress.

So I leave it up to him.. I hear nothing... fast forward to 2 days ago.. I start looking.. I find a great place. So I email the link to the other 3 and ask if they are in. The other 2 say yes! Older sib doesn't not reply .. OK he hasn't seen his email. So I call his cell that night (he has it strapped to his waist 24/7) to see if he's read the email and what does he think. He does not answer so I leave a message. the next day.. no reply no call back. OK.. STILL giving the benefit of the doubt. I call again .. still no answer. By now I'm thinking he better be laid up in the hospital cause otherwise I may have to beat the living daylights out of him.

fast forward (from yesterday) to today. Little brother says he's in and so is sister but older sibling and his wife have already gotten something for D&S so count them out. WTF !?! All he had to do was answer my freaking phone call and tell me that so I can get it ordered earlier. But no. He has to be the extreme slacker and ignore me. I assume he's hoping I'll just go away and forget about it. But he doesn't seem to realize I am of the mind lately that I'll forgive but it's usually AFTER I've told you off.

So.. because of him we will not have the voucher for the weekend away in hand by Christmas and I am stuck printing an I.O.U. for them as a gift.

He had better watch his ass on Christmas Eve cause if he says a single little hint of anything about a gift I'll rip him a new one so fast he will wish he stayed home.

Moral of this story is.. don't get sucked into a false sense of security when someone else claims responsibility for something you will be putting your name on .. if you want it done correctly, DO IT YOURSELF.

Happy Holidays my patootie

If you know me at all IRL then you will know I am not one to give into political correctness. I hate being PC in order to spare someone's feelings. "Man up" and deal. So at this time of year I especially get a bit riled. All the Happy Holidays crap bugs the shit outta me. Say Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukah or whatever that person happens to celebrate. I sent out cards in December and as most of you know they are CHRISTMAS cards. Not holiday cards. I'm still pissed at myself for getting ones that said "Happy Holidays" in them but in my defense.. they were the only ones I found that were red & green and could be a portrait or landscape picture. So I made it a point to handwrite "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year" in all 95 cards.

I have recently come to the conclusion that people who say "Happy Holidays" are just lazy. They don't feel like saying Merry Christmas and Happy New Year or "Happy Hanukah and Happy New Year" or whatever that person happens to be celebrating. Now don't all you happy holiday-ers get your panties in a bunch and call me out or come to my house with torches. I say what I feel and if you don't like it you are more than welcome to tell me how you feel. I promise I won't get all PC on you and be offended with a gasp.

So in closing today.. I just want to say ..
Happy Hanukah, Happy Ramadan, Happy Kwanzaa, Merry Christmas and A happy and joyful New Year to everyone .. no matter how you celebrate. :)

The Quest for the Best Christmas Card Photo

I start mulling over in my head right around February of every year what I can do to top the previous year's photo. With each subsequent pregnancy and birth the creativity has dwindled. Now it's just a matter of getting a decent picture. This year with the 3 kids I had it all planned out. I would make them costumes like the Blessed Family and sneak onto church grounds that housed a large nativity scene on the front lawn. I would pull out Mary, Joseph and the Baby Jesus and toss my kids in for a picture. It would be priceless and talked about by the recipients for years to follow. Piece of Cake right?? yeah.. that's a negative. I practiced just trying to get all 3 to look at me at the same time.. that little practice shoot took approximately 20 minutes with 20 or so UNUSABLE photos. So I get to thinking.. how the heck am I going to get all 3 kids into the manger scene incognito ?? Not sure, but I hung onto that hope for a while.. Not even taking into consideration the possibility of being caught.. and the excommunication that would follow. Not that I care because I've pretty much removed myself from the church due to recent events. Last week I tried some more practice shots.. still nothing..


So now that we are into December and the photo hasn't been taken I am getting desperate. I finally give up the Great Nativity Scene photo. I was hoping for the nativity picture so I hadn't picked up matching PJ's yet. Well that's just great. I can't find matchy matchy sets anywhere now. So I have to settle for Christmas PJ's in general. Not a good thing for my anal retentiveness.

Finally after about a 1/2 hour of click click clicking away and taking over 40 shots. I found 1 picture decent enough of all 3 children (in their only "somewhat" matching PJ's) to go out to 100 family and friends this year.

I guess I better start thinking of some new ideas for next year and get on the stick alot sooner so I can do a better job for Christmas 2009.

They are all Specials

This is how we refer to the ornaments we hang on our Christmas tree. 95% of them are called "specials". Meaning they have a special meaning to us. Not just some random package of balls or other multi-pack ornament. The specials go on the parts of the tree that can be seen.. the multi-pack ornaments go around back cause I don't care if I see them.. and the balls go in the center under the branches as filler. That is Jim's job.. I could seriously chuck every ball in the box. (And we have a good 7 dozen) But he insists they help hide flaws and to reflect the lights inside. Whatever. As long as you're the one hanging them.

My specials are the ones we handle with care. The ones that get re-wrapped in tissue after every season. They are spread out on the dining room table so as not to get stepped on in the decorating process.

They each hold a special memory for each of us. Whether it be the "Baby's First Christmas" ornaments that we have for each of the children. The special little angel we bought after we lost Baby #1. Or the "Our First Christmas Together" from 1998. Even the super silly ones like my hot dog with a face and arms and legs, or the Magic Pickle, or Jim's Howdy Doody ornament. They all bring a smile or a sweet memory or even a somewhat sad memory. But that's why they are special. They invoke thought. I love the ones the kids made also. Those get a spot right out in front so I can look at them and fill up with pride thinking of all their hard work.

We have an 8 foot tree and are usually looking for places for ornaments by the time we are almost done. We have so many special ornaments now that they fill the tree. But gosh it's beautiful when it's done.

Fears Unwarranted

I was thinking the other day, while listening to Aedan sing a few different christmas/holiday songs (without missing a beat on the words) from the back row of the van, about how far we have come in less than 2 years.
When I was pregnant the 1st time I was so very worried about having to put my children in day care. I had this fear that it would be very bad for them. I lucked out and my Mom retired and watched Mr. Man at her house everyday and I could stop there for lunch feed him and just enjoy his company in the middle of an 8 hour day. Then I got pg with Chloe. Mom couldn't watch the kids anymore sot the fear of the unknown was back. I got seriously stressed and started back smoking. At 3 months I was ready to go back to work and we had a spot for both kids at the day care but I was still worried.. in steps Mary (Jim's Cousin) with no full time job. She'll watch them at our house til she or we find something better. Crisis averted.. yet again. So Mary ends up hanging for a good year and a half before things got dicey and she had to quit/we had to fire her. So Aedan is 3 1/2 and Chloe is 18 months. I call the day care and they have spots. *shudder* They start the 1st Monday in May, 2007. Chloe cries every morning as she is pried off my leg for 2 weeks.. Aedan is fine. After the 2 weeks Chloe is fine and Aedan starts that clingy routine. Makes my heart ache.. Is it really that bad ? Do they beat you? Make you sit in a corner for not listening? nope.. We play games and sing songs and learn our letters and numbers and everything.
Fast forward to geez.. 3 months later.. All is well .. they are flourishing. Both kids are way more advanced than I thought they would be.
Then I get pregnant with Alexa. ugh.. 3 in Daycare.. not what we had planned. But hey you take what God gives you and you are thankful. We toss around me quitting work but in the end it is a wiser choice for me to continue working and stretch the limits of our budget for a little more than a year until Aedan goes to Kindergarten.
I am amazed at the progress each child has made while at the center. They have learned so much in addition to the whole social aspect. So when it was time to leave Alexa I didn't even hesitate. I loved all the teachers that would be taking care of her so I pretty much dropped her off with a kiss and an "I love you" and went my merry way. I did call a couple times that first day just for my own piece of mind and she was fine. She has been fine ever since..

Aside from the random pink eye and other lovely transmittable diseases we are really loving the center and the people in it. And I am really loving all the songs I get to hear coming from tiny voices when we are driving or when I'm cooking and Chloe is concentrating on coloring at the kitchen table..

"Ahhhh, it's a marshmallow world in the winter,
When the snow comes to cover the ground.
It's the time for play, it's a whipped cream day,
I wait for it the whole year round!

Those are marshmallow clouds being friendly,
In the arms of the evergreen trees;
And the sun is red like a pumpkin head,
It's shining so your nose won't freeze!"

or from Chloe..

"Winkle winkle little star
how I wonder what you are
up above the world so high
like a diamond in the sky

winkle winkle little star
how I wonder what you are"


Gotta love it.. :) My fears were unwarranted and I am so glad to have been proved wrong. It so seldom happens. :)

The Christmas Lists

And no I don't mean the kid's lists for good ol' Saint Nick.. I mean MY lists of who I need to shop for with ideas of what to buy, the lists of what has been bought, the lists of what needs to be done today, this week, before Thanksgiving and before Christmas. I am a list maker. I like my lists.. I like them neat and tidy and all paper clipped together in my Christmas folder along with catalogs, envelope with receipts (with the names of people who's gift is on the receipt) and cut outs with pictures of ideas etc. . I make at least 2 lists a day. Sometimes I write a list and then rewrite it to make it more concise and neat. The Vacation list can get complicated but it is no where near as complicated as the Christmas list. There could literally be a sub-list from the main list. Now that is called covering the bases. The only down side is when I have no ideas as far as a gift for someone. And that happens every year.. and it's usually our parents.. all 6 of them. So next to their names goes "G.C." and a long blank space. All we hear is "save your money" , "we don't need anything" and yet when we say it we are told to shut-up and what do we want? So the list is unfinished and incomplete.
I like the list of what has been bought. Where I can cross someone's name out (still being able to read it) and say *done*. Now that is a nice neat list. I am 1/2 way there.. I still have a bunch of shopping to do but the list is detailed and I have an idea for just about everyone on it. So now all I need to do is get out and get shopping to finish and call the list complete. :)

Happy Birthday to Me

35 years old and feeling every day of it ... nuff said.

Happy 5th Birthday Monka Monkey !

Tomorrow at 3:52 pm Aedan, my 1st child and only son, will turn 5 years old. Damn time flies when you're having fun. Well at least most of it is fun. After finally getting pregnant after so many struggles and disappointments stretching over a period of 30 months I was blessed with my baby at 3:52 pm on Tuesday, November 11, 2003, Veterans day. All 9 Pounds and .06 ounces of him. Luckily for me he as a c-section baby.. I stopped work 3 weeks before my due date due to BP issues.. and yet he was 8 days overdue.. and still didn't want to come after being induced etc. over a 24 hour period.

He was my angel. A true blessing . God smiled on me that day.

He was an easy baby and yet there were aspects of our life that could have been better. Like the fact that the ONLY night in his 1st year of life that he slept through was Mother's Day Eve. And he would never take a bottle or formula he was a boob man at an early age and it had to be strictly from the tap. Lucky for him Grammy lived close to my office so I could feed him on my lunch hour. And he would hold out. He gets that stubborn streak from me. I was thankful when he started solids at 4 months. But the BF'ing lasted 13 months.

Since then he has grown fast. He didn't really talk til he was 3.. and that had us worried. but now he doesn't shut up. Even when you asked him to.. over and over..

He has an enormous amount of energy. And yet 2 minutes after his head hits the pillow he is out. Wish I could say that for Chloe.

I just hope that he accomplishes whatever his little heart desires and that the disappointments are minimal as he grows up and becomes the respectful, successful and loving man that I know he can be. Mommy and Daddy love you Aedan James.

Well that's that.

It's official. My baby making days are over. Drs. orders. It took my Dr. telling me that a 4th c-section would be a bad idea to make me understand that I should call it a day. I should be thankful for what I have. Thankful that I was able to get pregnant and carry my babies to term and deliver them healthy. At least 3 out of 4. As much as I appreciate all that I have, there is still this tiny little piece of me saying "what if". What if we didn't have to pay DC for 3 kids already ? What if I get pregnant by *accident* again ? What if we hit the lottery and money isn't an issue? So many what if's .. and yet it's my body that can't handle it. I know my heart could. The amount of scarring from the 1st two sections made sewing me up this last time a monumental feat. As he was sewing he made a joke about reserving a whole day if I have #4. yeah.. funny. But he's not joking now. Sucks to be me. Now that he has flat out said it the importance of his words make me want to run and pretend I didn't hear him. I love being pregnant.. being a mom... now when I say my baby.. that's what she is and will always be. My Baby.. the last..

My family (parents mostly) will be happy to hear it simply because they worry about me. They think I take on too much with a full time job and 3 kids. But gosh.. to have that excitement of findding out you are pregnant.. and the wonderful feeling you get when you feel that 1st movement .. and the butterflies you feel because you have a secret that no one knows yet.. and even better the day you meet your beautiful little baby.. that person that has depended on you for months and will now depend on you even more.. to look in his or her eyes and see everything .. all the hopes and dreams and all the potential in that scrunched up little face.
Ah.. just typing this all out gets to me.. I so wish things were different and yet I'm kinda (I said kinda) glad that I have a reason for calling it quits besides monetary ones.

I'll just have more time to devote to the girls' wardrobes and the boy's sports.

Independent to a Fault

I just can't understand my own mind sometimes. I refuse to relinquish power. I have this physical (albeit irrational) need to do everything myself rather than ask for help. If help is offered I sometimes will accept depending on what it is. Those instances usually involve cooking. I hate cooking. But for me to flat out ask for help. Never.
I came to this realization after giving birth via c-section to my son. The day I got home I went in to sit down and *pop* *gush* I stood up and I looked like an extra from a cheap version of a horror flick. Long story short I popped my incision and required many more Dr. visits, wound care visits, etc. than normally required after giving birth. And because of the section I could not drive. This lasted for 10 weeks. Which meant I needed help. It nearly killed me to have my Mom coming to help out on days that I had appointments. I wanted to be able to do everything myself like I had always done. I literally broke down crying one day because I had to have help. She looked at me like I was insane. I'm not insane.. I like doing things for myself and I like things done my way. It's the OCD I suffer from .. my way or the highway.. god forbid I need Jim to bathe the kids for me or do some cleaning. I can't even give him those simple chores to do because I know I will end up watching him and telling him how it should be done. I guess that's my biggest problem. I want things done the way I want things done. So I do it all myself. My world is a better place when things are done the right way.. my way.

Things I enjoy

It's odd how certain thoughts come to me.. in the bathroom.. while driving etc.
I just had a thought of how much I enjoy the feel of a beautiful autumn day. The sun shining on the multicolored leaves and the crisp breeze. Of course I came upon this thought while in the bathroom but hey that doesn't matter. Right?
I enjoy the belly laughs I get from my kids when I tickle them in just the right spot and how it is contagious. And the way their hair smells when they are fresh and clean.
I really enjoy being pregnant. Seriously. The whole kit and kaboodle. If I had the balls to do it I might consider surrogacy. My problem would be handing over the baby in the end.
I enjoy a nice bloody filet. Ahh.. the carnivore in me will never give up the red meat.
I enjoy catching up with old friends and current friends. Even if it is only via email.
I enjoy listening to Chloe totally massacre her ABC's simply because she's trying her best.
I enjoy having the kids jump into bed with Jim and I on a cold winter morning just to watch TV.
I enjoy the closeness my whole family has. Even my parents who are divorced and remarried. Everyone gets along so nicely to the point where my Mom is invited to my Dad's house for family stuff and vice versa. Never thought that would happen. But it did and we (my siblings and myself) are very thankful for it.
I enjoy the smell of wood burning on an autumn evening.
I enjoy any day at the Jersey shore.. even in a monsoon there is nothing better than a day at the shore.
I enjoy a back rub from my husband when he's doing it just to be nice rather than when he's trying to get lucky.
I enjoy the result of a good deep house cleaning even if it makes me exhausted.

There are so many other things I enjoy that I could go on and on and on but I won't.. because I also enjoy brevity. :)

Happy 3rd Birthday Chloe Margaret..

It's amazing ... my Middle Child is 3 years old today. I can remember going for the ultrasound and the tech saying that she is 99.9% sure it's a girl. Aedan and Jim looking on.. mesmerized by the little person flipping around in there. I wasn't believing the gender prediction until she came out without a penis. It was all new to me.. we never found out with Aedan so he was a surprise. So when the tech said "girl" for some reason I just couldn't bank on it. I still bought girly stuff and saved the receipts just in case, because those stories about babies coming out the opposite of what the tech said were always in the back of my mind. So when Dr. Murphy pulled her out and said it's a girl I was ecstatic. Girl stuff is just so much more fun in terms of shopping.

She is the polar opposite of Aedan. She is stubborn and opinionated. Independent and clingy all at the same time. And boy she has that Irish temper. She can try your patience and melt your heart in a matter of seconds. When she is angry everyone knows it but when she is happy she can light up a room. She is far more advanced than Aedan at her age. And I tend to handle her as if she were older. I have been reminding myself that she is only 2 and I should not expect the same behavior from her as I do Aedan. She is supposed to spill her drinks, get marker all over herself and the table, drop crumbs EVERYWHERE and be a tornado in general.

Her blonde hair with curls, her green eyes, her dimples and that devilish smile make you fall in love over and over. She can tell you a story with her eyes and you have to laugh most of the time and sometimes you ask yourself what she is up to.



Chloe is your typical girly-girl. My Mom and Step-Mom were hoping for a girly-girl when she was born. My niece loathes anything pink or princessy.. so they are in heaven with Chloe these days. Dress up, jewelry, her collection of "pocka-purses", dress up heels and countless other tiny accessories clutter her corner of my living room. But most days recently if you can't see her she is at the kitchen table coloring and drawing. Crayons and a coloring book can keep that child busy for hours on end. She gets that from me. :) We spent 2 nights away this past weekend and when we were in the room all she did was use the complimentary pen and notepad to draw. That notepad was full front to back, both sides of the paper. By Monday morning she had resorted to drawing on the newspaper ads. :)

I'm trying to raise her to believe she can do whatever and be whatever she dreams. I hope she knows that whatever she decides is OK with me.. go to college, get married and have babies, work or stay home. It's her choice and the world is her oyster. But for now I'm happy to tuck her in at bedtime, carry her when she's tired, and scrub the marker off her hands and face multiple times a day. Just as long as she doesn't grow up too quickly. :) Happy Happy Birthday Miss Moo. Daddy and I love you.

No Sleepovers... just yet

I did not go through fertility treatments, experience a miscarriage and give birth via c-section to 3 children to simply hand them over whenever someone wants to babysit or keep them overnight. Sorry. I mean geez.. they are 4 and 2. Why must they sleep over? and why would you *want* them to?? They get up before 7 every day and Miss Thing avoids sleep at bedtime like the plague. I realize you offer simply to give me a break.. but truthfully.. I knew what I was signing up for. So while I appreciate your thoughtfulness.. I'll have to decline.

I like having them at home with me. I don't want to part with them overnight yet.. they'll have plenty of time for that when they are like 20.. They are only little once so I think I'll keep them with me as long as they'll have me. I know once they hit the teen years they will be embarrassed simply by my presence so let's not rush things.

As much as they can drive someone to alcoholism I still would rather spend the day with them than anyone else. I've had my moments when I was curled up in a corner bawling my eyes out just because they've pushed me over the edge. ( Namely Mother's day 2 years running.. but we won't go there now) I still look forward to tucking them in at night and waking up with a toddler poking me and standing 2 inches from my face. Or getting Miss Alexa from her crib where she is so darn happy that it's morning that she has this big gummy grin and her legs are going a mile a minute until I pick her up. After 4.5 years I still rely on my body to wake itself up so I can go around and check and tuck at 2 am. to make sure the wiggle worms are still in their beds, or at least in their bedrooms. It's my job and I still take pleasure in it.

So as much as I'd like to sell them to a circus some days I'd still like them back in time for nighty night. So for all you nutjobs that have asked if my kids could sleep over..... No.... for now anyway.

Steer Clear... or else you may lose a limb

Ever have one of those days that starts out wonderful ? you're in a good mood, the sun is shining, and all is well with the world. Then all of a sudden BAM! Something happens .. you may not even know what the turning point was.. but now you are just in a sour mood. You dread someone saying good morning simply because you don't want to say it back.. you'd rather just tell that person to F off?? You shouldn't be required to be happy and cheery and smiley faced 24/7/365 right?? I mean sometimes I just don't want to be the nice guy.. or the people pleaser. But I give into the pressure from the angel on my shoulder and smile and give a wave and a "good morning" or "Have a Nice day" when secretly I want to trip that person and laugh as they fall. Even as I type that I have to chuckle.. I find other's pain funny at times.
These days aren't often enough to be a psychological problem so don't call Norristown State Hospital on me.. I think my mind just needs a few days every year where I can give the Polyanna a break.
I rather like being the Bitch on ocassion.. and yet I get the shakes if someone is mad at me. That's the people pleaser in me.. I'd love to just say no with a scowl and walk away and yet I can't. So if you could all be so kind as to just take the piss poor mood with a grain of salt.. I'm sure I'll be Little Miss Sunshine the next time you see me.

The South Philly Squatters

This is the title myself and closest neighbors have inherited in our 11 years living in our cul-de-sac. Not sure who coined the phrase but it was uttered to another neighbor during a trip to the salon. She in turn relayed the nickname to us. So we have been trying to figure who had the balls to say it in the first place.. we're figuring it's an older neighbor that has to slow down to drive through our *curb parties* every night just to get to her garage. We think she made the mistake of saying it to an ex neighbor while the Ex was cutting her hair. Now this Ex was a miserable piece of work while she lived there so we are glad she is gone. LOL. Seems she is still miserable from what I hear.

Anyway.. the reasoning behind the nickname is because every night (as long as it's not raining) we hang outside on the curb watching our kids play. Because we are responsible parents. And because some neighbors find it necessary to come flying into the court at full speed without care as to who may be in the street. So it's *game off* when we see someone coming.

We have a grand old time.. hanging out playing ball or whatever with the kids and drinking.. :) There are at least 4 of us and we can easily get up to about 7 or so.. these are aduts of course. The children ranging in age from Alexa's 6 months all the way up to 13 are all running around like nuts and playing. So we stay outside to keep our eyes on them and enjoy each other's company.

I'm not sure why being outside and keeping an eye on your kids is considered a bad thing? Maybe these people wish they were a part of our curb parties?? We'd gladly invite you in if you so choose. We don't deny membership. It may cost you a couple beers every once in a while.. but other than that no dues.

Halloween is coming up.. oh boy it's a blast in our development The kids could easily hit over 100 houses in a matter of a couple hours. And we light the fire pit in the driveway of another neighbor, sometimes pull a TV into the drive if a good football game is on and just generally have a blast. We could be out there til 10 pm or later depending on the weather and our beer supply.

You may think we are offended that we have been given that nickname but we revel in it. We're actually considering T-shirts. We are known to give other neighbors nicknames also, depending on their personalities.. we have the "fuds" because the 2 twins remind us of Elmer Fud, Stickman (cause he was soo skinny and pale), 50 Foot Woman, Crash ( he's the one in a car accident every other month), oh and The Hooch (younger girl renting the house with gentlemen callers at all hours of the weekend) and a few others...

So, call us what you will but we enjoy ourselves and keep our children safe and happy outside rather than inside tearing the joint up. And watch yourself or you may end up with a nickname from us one day.

Oh We'll Take Your Money

OK. I'm catholic. Raised that way, Married that way and chose to raise my own children in the church. But lately I'm becoming a bit cynical. When we moved into our home we went to this church. They allowed us to become parishioners no questions asked. Well we come to find out we are out of the boundaries for that parish. So if my children need to attend CCD they cannot attend it there.. but they'll take our $$$ on a weekly basis and tuition if we want to send them there for a catholic education. The other parish (that we were apparently supposed to be a member of ) is currently under construction of a new church in addition to a new school.

It started way back when I called to schedule Aedan's Christening. They had to check my file (to see how much $$ we've given to them in the past) and they'd call me back. We *were* regular churchgoers before children and after so it wasn't an issue. Same deal when we called about Chloe's christening.

Fast Forward to 2007. Our parish gets a new Pastor. Slightly younger than the last but he seemed nice enough. First week. Bulletin spells out a list of do's and don't for mass. Don't wear shorts, Don't wear flip flops, don't come in late, don't feed your children cheerios.. and so on with a few other idiotic *rules*. I always dress decently since that is the way I was raised but the way I see it you are there for mass what does it matter in the long run what the heck you were wearing while there?

Once Alexa was born we didn't have her christened at that church. A family friend ( the one who baptised the other 2) is a Monsignor in another parish so we went there. No biggie.. he married us and baptised the other two so we traveled. We haven't been to our church in a bit simply because of all the rules etc. that have been instituted and we are anxiously awaiting the *new* parish church construction. And now after hearing some even more recent developments I am sad to say I won't be back at all.

A family friend is a very active member of the church, volunteers etc. She has a toddler about the age of 2. She got a letter last week from the church asking her to please not bring her toddler to mass anymore and that if that will cause her not to attend then she can simply mail in her weekly giving.

I was flabbergasted that they would actually put it in writing and yet not surprised at all. And I wonder how many families got that same letter. I guess the church isn't open to everyone after all ??

I need my memories

Memory... is the diary that we all carry about with us. ~Oscar Wilde

I am so worried about forgetting something significant in my children's lives that I have been pretty good about updating baby books, taking photographs and just replaying information in my head over and over. So when I couldn't remember what time Alexa was born I started having heart palpitations this morning. I'm older, I know.. my memory got worse with each subsequent pregnancy and childbirth but short of having little yellow post-it notes all over the place I am doing my best to keep my memories fresh. I can tell you what I was wearing on my first date with Jim 15 years ago.. so when I forgot a time as important as this from just 6 months ago I freaked.

I want to remember how they smelled as a baby and when they first started to walk and just.. well... everything. I know it's impossible to remember everything but still I am doing my best to keep these memories alive so I can relay wonderful stories from their childhoods to my grandchildren when I am old and wrinkly.

I know the effort may seem futile and in the long run I can't remember EVERYTHING.. but I'm going to try my damndest to remember the happy and sad times, the not so bad times and everything in between .

just for future reference..
Baby Angel conceived on October 2, 2001 .. taken home to heaven on December 6, 2001.
Aedan was born on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2003, weighing 9 pounds and .06 ounces at 3:52 pm.
Chloe was born on Friday, Oct. 14, 2005, weighing 7 pounds and 11 ounces at 9:26 am.
Alexa was born on Thursday, April 3, 2008, weighing 8 pounds, 9 ounces at 11:11 am.

Go my babies.. grow, dream, experience and live everyday to the fullest and I'll do my best to remember it well.

Open Mouth.. Insert Foot.. and other random rants

Ever send an email and after hitting the send button realize you answered the email in a snarky, smartass tone?? And then also realize you did not in fact send it to the person you *thought* you were sending it to but someone else who could seriously get offended .. and to top it all off it's a member of your Dear Husband's extended family ?? ugh... I gotta really look at the sender of emails before hitting the reply and send button so quickly.. my sarcastic tendencies seem to get me into trouble.

Update on the customer service rant from yesterday.. I got what I wanted.. the free rental while my car is in for service but now I need to cancel the service altogether.. seems there was a fruit loop stuck in the track and that was what caused the door to act up.. that's what I get for letting the kids have dry cereal in my car. Now I have to call and cancel in a very sweet and apologetic tone.. grr.. I hate being sweet and apologetic.

Ode to Maternity clothes.. you seriously gotta love them. Anyone that has ever owned some decent maternity clothes knows what I am talking about. They are made to expand and be comfy. I guess this is why I kept some out when packing everything up for donation. I have these black yoga/stretch pants that I absolutely love and I have had them since I was pregnant with Aedan back in 2003. They still look good and boy, they always shrink back down to normal after every wash. And the sweaters. Not those big bulky ones you see around but the fitted nice ones. I've got them ready to go for colder weather.. because they come down far enough to camoflauge my ass and are *just* loose enough to cover that roundness in my belly that never went away after Alexa came out.. well not yet anyway. I'm guessing 3 kids and 3 c-sections in less than 4.5 years was a bit too much on those stomach muscles though.. I will happily admit that 9 weeks after the 1st two kids I was back in regular clothes.. now I'm in regular clothes most of the time but they are bigger regular clothes. So.. I am basking in the glory of maternity clothes.. at least for a little while longer, and enjoying the fact that I am in my regular junior size 5 short Levi's even if the sweater is bigger and stretchy.

Customer service my ass

OK.. the damn van is 4 months old.. the slider on the MINIVAN (that I swore I'd never own) doesn't shut all the way unless you click it open and shut like 5 times. I call to schedule service and a loaner. Because the car is so new I ASSUME (you know the deal with that) I'd get a loaner for something that is under warranty.. um.. no. So I call the saleslady. I rip her a new one because I'm already is a piss poor mood. She will talk to her higher up and call me back. Next thing I know I get a call from the rental place. I am not RENTING a car for a day. Gimmee your name and number dude .. I'll call you back. What happened to good old fashioned customer service?

Still waiting on the saleslady to call me back. In the meantime Dear Husband calls me. Boss gave him tickets to the Phillies on Wednesday... he's turned him down alot this year so he wanted to run it by me before he accepts. I mumble some F words under my breath and say fine. He can tell I'm pissed. There is no way I can drop off the LOANER on Wednesday and switch 3 kids with car seats without his help. But I say sure go ahead, have fun and hang up. So now I need to re-schedule the service.

Did I really swear off alcohol on Sunday morning???

Dry Pants ! Dry Pants!

Ugh!!! I'd forgotten how much I loathe potty training... Aedan was easy.. by the time he was ready he had just started Day Care and the peer pressure did my job for me. Chloe.. she is a totally different creature. She has been really good at school so her teacher tells me she's ready for big girl undies and that it's better to go cold turkey straight to undies rather than pullups to transition. BS ! By 8 am this morning ( a Monday which is stressful in and of itself) we were on outfit #3. I put a diaper on her before I left her at DC and told her teacher .. "there are 3 pairs of undies in her cubby and 2 more spare outfits.. do what you want." So I guess we'll see how much laundry I have tonight. Can't we ship them off to PT'ing school for 8 hours a aday and after 5 days they come back totally transformed??

I'm buying pullups tonight.

10 years and we're both still standing

As much as I love my husband I am still amazed that we made it to 10 years. We are such strong willed and stubborn personalities that we tend to clash sometimes.. and not in a good way..
He is my support and, god love him, he is such a wonderful partner in all things. He treats me like I deserve better and I used to think that every once in a while but I always come back to him.. and know that I couldn't find anyone that would treat me any better.

We had this awesome trip planned for our 10 year anniversary.. an extra long weekend away just the 2 of us.. to some island of some sort.. until last August happened and the 2 lines screamed at me and I rewound back to that fateful evening in July where I said.. (well we don't need to know that) .. let's just leave it at.. I knew there may be trouble..
and there was..
but not trouble.. but a beautiful little person growing in there.. just after the shock the happiness sunk in and we realized how blessed we have been..

With all the struggles and the loss we had so many (really not THAT many) years ago to be able to say I have 3 healthy and happy babies is a blessing. The first, a son, conceived via artificial insemination after 30 months of TTC and a baby angel in the mix. He was born via c-section because he just wouldn't come out. And boy he was big.. 9 pounds..
The second.. the princess...came with a bit more ease... a couple months of trying and a pat on the shoulder from my fertility Dr. with the words.. go home and get busy.. and we did.
The third...another girl.. the result of some lax BC usage.. and yet such a blessing that we could never imagine our life without her. Who would have thought back in 2000 that we'd get pregnant by accident ??

Anyway.. we are celebrating the beginnings of our family today.. the good, the bad and the ugly.