The Official New Mom Thread Part 2

[dizagain]

Morning! Look at me, posting so much in two days - wow. Just waiting on Carson to get bored with his bouncy seat and lights/music...

nucpharm - Well, Hannah and friends are just having a party for her DOLL today at home. She actually did have her b'day party at AG Place Chicago last February and it was SO MUCH FUN! My DD's are both very into AG and it was such a special day. I'm sorry you have sick ones at home - no fun. DH, Carson, and I have a cold and Hayley just started one yesterday. Haven't had runny diapers, though, thank goodness...aren't those fun? I'm sure you're so sorry to have missed the one at church

It is so cool that some of you will be at WDW together accidentally...I am enjoying reading your plans! Sadly, it will be quite awhile for us - at least November '08. At least I can enjoy your trip reports!

Well, as predicted, Carson is bored - on to the floor gym! See ya'! Have a great day!

 

[Hillbeans]

Hi Ladies!!

My weekend was so busy and I didn't have a minute free to post! My MIL came in on Friday to see one of Kevin's soccer games. We went out to eat on Friday night with the rest of my family, then had soccer on Saturday, and dinner - and then yesterday was the bridal shower we threw for my friend who is getting married in December. I am wiped out, and came to work today to get some rest from my busy weekend!

Loretta - I'm sorry to hear about the Lyme Disease . Being from the Northeast, it's always a concern around here with the amount of deer that are in the area. I hope that medicine and early intervention will help get this out of your system soon. I don't know much about it, but I do know a few people who have had it. One friend of mine had it close to 7 years ago and was very sick from it. I am so disappointed i'm going to miss you and Robin at WDW by just a few days next spring!

Nucpharm - Poor Matthew in church yesterday - PHEW! Those kind of explosive diapers are just the worst - and when you're away from home! I just loved the pictures of Emma and Matthew at the pumpkin patch!

Robin - We moved into a new house earlier this year and we have a nice sized mortgage. We would be able to pay our mortgage if I didn't work, but we wouldn't be able to do any vacations or pay for any extra's. If there would have been a way for us to stay in our townhome, we may have done it, however the schools weren't great. We decided to move into a house that cost a little more than we had anticipated, but we really love the house and the schools are Blue Ribbon. You all would think I was crazy if I told you how much our house cost. The cost of living here in the Northeast is crazy though, and having two working parents seems to be more the norm than the exception.
Have fun with your scrapbooking!!!!!

Joats - I just love the new pictures of Jace - what a big boy!!

Tamie - Great pictures of Tyler - he's getting so tall! Hope you had a nice night watching football and eating at your mom's house! Are you Viking fans? My husband is a Steelers fan and they just lost their 3rd game in a row - bummer!

Diskim - Glad you had fun at "Fright Fest". I went there once about 10 years ago and I remember it was a good time. Have you been on any of the new Roller Coasters yet?

Dizagain - I remember when my niece was into AG and she also has "Kit". She's now 12 (going on 20) and unfortunately is not really into them anymore. What's funny is that my best friend's daughter, who just turned 5, went to AG in NYC over the weekend for her birthday!

Justthat - Have you decided if you're going to be going to WDW in December?? You're so lucky! Now i'll be the only one home alone on Christmas Eve!!!! Hope that the kids are doing well and Henry is sleeping well!

Buzznbelle - Tell us more about "My other Kitchen" when you get back from going there. It sounds interesting, and maybe something i'll look into.

Oh, before I run, i've got to share this story - on Saturday, at Soccer, my husband, MIL and the baby were on the sidelines watching Kevin play soccer. We were just enjoying the game, and talking, and the baby was sleeping in his stroller. A woman who was standing near us had a 3.5 year old who was kind of out of control. He kept screaming and running around on the soccer field while the game was going on. His mother then yelled at him "If you don't cut this out, i'm going to send you to Daycare!".
My Mother in law kind of gasped and I just looked at her and shook my head. I can't even imagine what she "thinks" daycare is, but I can tell you that my kids - both of whom have been or are in some kind of "daycare" don't act like that!

I'll catch up with those i've missed tonight!

 

[tkyes]

Morning!

Today is my work at home day and I have tons to do. I thought I would check in here first though

I'm enjoying a glass of cider from the apple orchard, it's sooo good!

I'm so jealous of alice, zalansky and floridafam planning to meet up. It sounds like so much fun!!

diz - I hope the doll party goes well

nucpharm - Ewww!! Sorry to hear about the sickness bug, how awful! I hope everyone feels better soon.


How often do you all get family pictures taken? We haven't had any taken since Tyler was born and I was toying with the idea, but I can't decide. I dislike having my picture taken so much that I know I would be critical of every picture and not like them!


I need a Disney fix right now - let's play "what's your favorite treat at WDW?"

I think mine are the chocolate covered mickey pretzels. I always eat a bag (or two) while there and bring a bag home!

 

[Ginamarie]

DisKim- DBro also had a period when he thought it was funny to slip out the front door. My dad became the door warden because he was terrified of losing the little guy.

Tykes, Joats- great pictures!

Buzznbelle- I’d like to try one of those meal prep places myself, but I haven’t found any on Long Island. I think too many people around here eat out all the time, so it’s discouraged people from starting that type of business.

Dizagain- I love the Cheesecake Factory too. DH was talking about maybe going out to dinner for our anniversary next month and I think I’m going to push for that. Was the party at the AG place terribly expensive. We have the AG store in Manhattan, which my sisters love, but the parties there are ridiculously priced. DSis(8) went to a party there in the spring and was completely enamored, but when my mom saw what the prices were she nixed it.

Zalansky- I hear you about the mortgage thing. We’re getting killed with our mortgage. The cost of living has risen so much over the last few years, but the salaries haven’t kept up. It’s incredible to me that most people used to be able to live comfortably on one salary, and today it’s a complete battle.

DisKim- Glad you had fun at GA. Aiden sounds like my brother, flirting with all the ladies.

Alice- Sorry for the ebay trouble, but congrats on getting all that scrapbooking done. I’ve decided that I’m going to set up a little scrapbook station in the basement, which I’m REALLY looking forward to, but let’s see when I have the time to get that set up.

Nucpharm- Sorry your kids are sick. My DH is home sick today too. He’s still in bed. Olivia and I are also coming down with it, but I keep reminding myself there’s no time to get sick.


We had a good weekend. Yesterday was a long day, but we got to go pumpkin picking and to 6 Flags. We also stopped to check in with my great-uncle, who I love dearly. He’s 90 years old and took a fall a few days ago, so we wanted to make sure he was doing ok. Luckily, he’s doing well. My great-aunt was at a baby shower, so we missed her. I was disappointed, because she hasn’t seen Olivia yet, but we’ll just have to go back. I really wish they lived closer. Olivia was a great baby all day. She loves being outside. I actually got to go on a ride WITH my DH (the Pandemonium one). The kids were too afraid to go through the spooky trails after sundown, but we were getting tired by that point anyway. We also stopped at our favorite Denny’s on the way home, which has become a tradition. I ate too much, but I can’t resist a warm brownie sundae.

DH and I have been debating whether we’ll get 6 Flags season passes again next year. He only went twice this year because of his work schedule, but we had so much fun yesterday that we’ll probably do it again. The northeast is so beautiful this time of year with the leaves changing.

 

[poohangel]

Thanks to everyone for the encouragement, she sleep so good when you hold her but the minute you put her on her back in the bed those beautiful little eyes pop open and we start all over with the rocking and humming.

Faith gets her shots next Tuesday and I dread that, I probably will cry right along with her.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

Good morning all! The kid are all watching Sesame Street, and have built an elaborate fort in the family room. At least they're not screaming at each other! I think Luke likes being in the middle of it all--he can sit up on his own now, so he's feeling very proud.

Oh, and I've started to call him my "Chunky Monkey"--he feels noticably heavier to me since we've started solids. I've got him on two "meals" a day, and he's loving real food.

Okay, I've got a dilemma that I know you ladies can appreciate: DH has an opportunity to take a class in Orlando for a week in Nov. Do we go? The down side would be: Taking the older two out of school, we were at Disny in August, we'd need a second hotel room, and I'd be there during the day, just me with 4 kids including a preschooler and a nursing infant. It seems like an awful lot of work for me, not to mention the extra $ for everyone's plane tickets, park admissions, etc. I'm leaning towards no. Am I nuts? I told him to see if he can take the class next year.

 

[nucpharm29]

Poohangel--we were in the same boat with Matthew--he wouldn't sleep anywhere but with me--especially naptime--so during the first few months of his life, the house was never clean and I think we lived on frozen meals. But it will get better--Matthew is now sleeping likel an angel, 2 good naps a day and close to 12 hrs at night. Hugs to you that all get sleep soon!

bnb--I don't think you're crazy for thinking "no". But Iwould here what GLT has to say, as she's taken 3 kids by herself--one being a preschooler and a nursing infant as well--she's the expert!

tkyes--my favorite treat are the Tollhouse ice cream sandwiches and Mickey ice cream bars! I'm also a fan of the Goofy candies sold all over the place, especially the sours and salt water taffy-okay so I also love the mickey shaped rice krispie bars covered in chocolate--yes, I do eat my way through the world!!

just got done with my workout and need to hop in the shower. It's my at home cleaning day, so I got lots to do! Chat later!

 

[poohangel]

Poohangel--we were in the same boat with Matthew--he wouldn't sleep anywhere but with me--especially naptime--so during the first few months of his life, the house was never clean and I think we lived on frozen meals. But it will get better--Matthew is now sleeping likel an angel, 2 good naps a day and close to 12 hrs at night. Hugs to you that all get sleep soon!

That sounds great, I have to go back to work on the 15th and the sitter will not sit with her all day, i dont know what will happen.

 

[Alice28]

Ugh, when it rains it pours.

Our kitchen sink faucet sprayer broke last night and DH is unable to fix it (the hose is in a REALLY tight space). My dad is out of town til tomorrow, plus I didn't want to pay holiday pay to a plumber anyway. Grrr.....so we can't wash anything in the sink til it's fixed.

And the kitty- poor thing. We took them both to the vet last week and one had BAD ear mites in one ear. So he had amoxicillian to take; now he has these black lumps all over his nose and mouth. At first I thought it was grease, but I felt it and it was hard. So he's probably having a reaction to the meds. I need to call the vet this AM, but once again I have an extremely busy morning until about 12, and then Molly goes down for a nap around 1:30 usually. I am hoping to call them and they can just tell me to take him off the meds; he has an appt early Weds morning anyway.

Favorite Disney treat-- gotta have a funnel cake in Epcot or liberty square! I also like those pretzels in Germany.

BNB- I think I would lean towards no too for WDW with the 4 kids. My DH went to a conference at Christmas time 3 years ago and I wanted to go, but couldn't justify the airline tickets for myself and the 2 boys. He did end up going to WDW for the weekend (he was there for 2 weeks) because he got a FREE military pass (at that time Disney was doing free 5 day passes for military and $99 5 day hoppers for family- my mom and I had a girl's trip with those hoppers) and he got to stay in the Contemporary for only $66 a night! I had him call me about every 2-3 hours and hold the phone out so I could hear the ride he was on, or the music, etc. I'm such a dork!

 

[dizagain]

More "free" time today - somehting's strange around here...

Alice28 - Ugh! Sorry about the faucet - what a pain! Hope the kitty is ok!

poohangel - She'll get better, I promise! Carson goes next week for his shots as well (remember our kids are only a few days apart! ). I'm already stressing!

BuzznBelle - OOhh...I don't know if I'd try to get to WDW with the kids alone. Especially since you were there recently. But I know it's tempting!

Ginamarie - Hannah had an "official" birthday party at AG for lunch in the cafe' (didn't do the show). They used to require at least 8 guests but now any number is fine. We took my two girls plus two others and their moms in on the train. I think lunch for 7 was about $180 counting tip. But she got royal treatment and the girls got awesome goodie bags plus a great cake! It was just a very special day - we have always loved AG but lived in Texas. Since we had just moved to the Chicago burbs I promised her she could do this - Hayley's b'day was two weeks later and we went back into the city to see "Wicked". Crazy $$ month, but so worth it to take advantage of living here while we do!

tykes - MMM...WDW food...Have to have Mickey Bars, those choc. covered pretzels you mentioned, and the bread sticks at LeCellier!!!!!

hillbeans - sounds like a fun but busy weekend! Hope things settle down!

See ya - off to bake "mini" nestle cookies (no, not homemade!) for the doll party!

 

[floridafam]

Hi Mommies,

I hope everyone is having a great day. Kona and I had a bunch of errands to run this morning.

Robin,

Sorry your faucet isn't working. You better go out to eat so you don't dirty any dishes.

I will check with my kids about the pirate cruise. I'm not sure DS10 will want to do it but I will check with DD. Do you know what ages it is for?


Tamie,

The pictures of Tyler are so cute!! I want to wear a sweatshirt and eat an apple!!!


zalansky,

So sorry to hear about the Lyme disease. I hope the medicine works for you and you are feeling better quickly. Please keep us posted on how you are doing.

joats,

Your pictures are cute, too!


I don't have much to do today. I'm debating on taking back the TMX Elmo I bought at WalMart a few weeks ago. Kona doesn't really need it. I was going to sell it on ebay but I just don't have the energy. I have a feeling Kona would like it for a day and then get sick of it.

DH made it through 85 miles of his 100 mile bike ride yesterday and was upset about that. He just didn't have the strength to go any further. I don't know if he is going to be going to the Ironman in few weeks or not. If not, we lose the $400 entry fee.

I'll check back later. It's really nice hear today. I really want to go to Disney soon but I will wait. The kids don't have school on Friday but I don't want to lug all of them over there by myself.

 

[gottalovethem]

Hillbeans - I agree about the behaviour being better if they were in daycare. Although I am a SAHM, I know that some daycares are absolutely awesome and sometimes wonder if my kids would have more advantages if they did attend daycare, maybe better behaved, smarter, etc. The daycare dd and ds went to for a couple years was fabulous! They tought me a lot about how to take care of a baby/toddler (dd went for 2 years) and even had a curriculum to help teach the kids. Of course, for purely selfish reason I LOVE being home to spend time with my munchkins while they are young, as I know the time is passing quickly. Anyway, glad soccer worked out well and hope you are recovering from the weekend!

poohangel - WELCOME! Love the pics of your baby. I had 3 difficult babies. #2 was the worst, he cried all the time and for months on end. I think it was around 6 months or 7 maybe? when I first noticed that he wasn't crying so much. With him, I just couldn't wait until he turned one! Now though, although he has his moments, he's a great kid. Good luck, vent anytime and feel free to pm me anytime as well. I have soooo been there! -- DS wasn't too bad when he was at day care (though he only went for a couple months) but they didn't have quite as much crying as I did, maybe all the activity? Good luck!

robin - sorry about the sink, life's adventures are just never ending, aren't they? Good luck with the kitty! How's everyone doing with the pinkeye? Ihope the meds have kicked in! It seems we are using those drops every few months or so too Did that lady ever pay?

ff - I'm finishing up my pal's shopping today and will mail tomorrow at the latest!

GM - sounds like your house is coming along. If our family ever gets our butts in gear and heads to NY to visit family, I'll let you know -- I'd love to see your new house in person A warm brownie sunday sounds Soooooo good!

diskim - eeeks about Aidan escaping. Good thing he answered! Sorry Alex challenged you at GA.

joats - Jace looks so great! Love the pics!

nucpharm - glad the pumpkin outing went well for you! I hope you are doing well. yesterday was so nice here, low 70's, today we are hitting highs in the 50s with the threat of snow later this week, so enjoy the warmth of teh south! Thanks for the expert comment!

tamie -thanks for the belated b'day wishes! glad you and dh got to go out on a nice date! Love Tyler's pic! And you look great!

val - I hope your shopping trip went well!

jill - hope you are doing okay with school & all. Thinking of you!

Tasha - hope you too, are doing well with school and day care & such, thinking of you!

dizagain - the AG stuff sounds wonderful. I've been thinking about getting dd an AG doll but feel like she is not responsible enough with her stuff yet. She NEVER puts things away. We shall see. I was thinking maybe for xmas, but now I am thinking of getting her a practice balance beam and mat instead. . .we shall see.

bnb -- I just visited one of those meal prep places by me, I really want to go but need to make plans to do soemthing with the kids while I "Prep." Disney alone? Look who you are asking I say go for it as Jocelyn can probably give you a hand. But the $ thing isn't worth stressing over if it's gonna be too tight. Good luck with your decision! I will probably do again though!

GM/BNB - my kids loved MGM, and we didn't get to do nearly all we wanted. But they are way into the characters that are there, so maybe that's it? They had fun just playing on an empty street when most things started closing.

dizagain - glad you got to partake in the cheesecake!

zalansky - good luck with the whole housing decisions!

Gems - hope you are well

bellacam - hope all is well in your neck of the woods!

justhat - hi!

sl - hope you are having fun!

lissawynn - miss hearing from you, hope you are well!

We had super busy day yesterday. We went to some mountain bike races and walked through the woods, then to a firehouse festival thing (got to see a flight for life helicopter land and take off, visit the fire trucks and such) and then went to an apple orchard to pick apples. It was probably our last nice day, so I wanted to take advantage. We also went for a walk and played outside! I was worn out!

Hi to all the mom's I missed.

 

[Ginamarie]

PoohAngel- I have the same problem with Olivia. She always want to be held when she's sleeping. I give you one guess at where she is right now (snoozing on my lap). I've found a couple of solutions that work with her, but none of them are foolproof. (1) the swing- if she falls asleep in her swing she'll usually stay there for awhile. I have to let it keep swinging though because if I turn it off her eyes pop right open; (2) the stroller- if I wheel her around in her stroller while she's sleepy, she'll fall asleep. On nice days I'll leave her right outside of the screen door, but with the weather getting colder, I've been leaving her just inside of the door so she's nice and warm but also feels like she's in the sun; (3) the car-again, it works while she's moving, but she'll usually wake up when we stop. I hope that helps a little!

BNB- I'd probably lean towards not going to WDW too. It's so tempting, but it would probably be tough to be on your own with all the kids.

Alice- Sorry you're having a bad day!

Dizagain- Ooh, I wonder if the AG store here dropped the 8 person minimum. My mom might go for it if she could just take 3-4 girls.

tykes- I forgot about the disney treat! My favorite would have to be testing out the different chocolates in the WS in Epcot. I love the loose ones in the wine shop at Italy and the Picnic bars in the English pavillion. I also love the Mickey rice crispy treats.

 

[tkyes]

hillbeans - Was that mom using daycare as a threat? Lovely. Did you get to see Nick yet, or is that a different weekend?

ginamarie - I don't think I've ever tried chocolates from around WS. Hmm... good idea!!

glt - Sounds like you had a fun weekend! I know, the weather could be turning here anytime. The mentioned possible snow (gasp) for us here on Wednesday!!

ff- Sorry DH didn't do as well on his bikeride as he wanted. That would be a bummer to lose the entry fee. I'm in such awe of Ironman competitors. The physical endurance is just mind boggling! I wish I could send you a box of fall

alice - Bummer about the sink! I hope your dad can fix it. Sorry about the kitty too. Our friend just called to say his dog is deaf. They gave him drops for an ear infection and one of the very rare side affects is deafness. He's a hunting dog too so hearing is pretty important.

I love hearing everyone's treats. There are just too many treats. There are a lot I've never had. I've never had a mickey bar or a rice krispkie mickey either.

Time for a lunch break.

Tamie

 

[nucpharm29]

UGH--I've started looking around for a place to have Emma's bday party (yeah, it's a little early, but with Halloween, Matthew's bday, Thanksgiving, and xmas shopping--Ihave to do something early) Anyway, I digress--the 2 places I found that I really liked, get this, the cheapest is $250 (and all that included was the location, a party room, and juice boxes)!!!! Then the other was $285 (at least they brought the party to your house)!!!! I about fainted dead on the floor. I don't really want to do Chuck E. Cheese--no.1 the party would have to be on a weekend (yikes with the crowds) and no.2 it's not in a very convenient place for people to get to. Looks like we'll be doing the at home party again--I was just hoping to do something special for her, b/c we haven't in the past. Oh well--maybe I'll order lots of princess stuff and have a big party anyway here. I'm sure I"ll get out cheaper--maybe we'll get an inflatable or something--any ideas????

Alice--eekk about the faucet! Hope you can get it fixed fast!

tkyes--no mickey bars or rice krispie treats????? How is that possible! Definitely check them out on your next outing.

Okay, so what, this is my 3rd post today already!! Time to get outside and enjoy our nice weather--GLT, you'll appreciate this, it's supposed to be in upper 30s here this week (for the low) and you would think the world was coming to an end by listening to the weathermen--I think everyone should experience a "real" winter at least once--it has definitely changed my perspective on what cold really is! I'm sure I'll be back later--during nap time!

 

[gottalovethem]

nucpharm - funny about the weatherman freaking out about 30s Suggestions, balloon lady/man to make balloons for the kids, build an animal workshop, they have those in homes now; pony at the house , a princess party with build your own cupcakes would be loved by the kids too! (and is lots cheaper).

tamie - they are mentioning the dreaded "s" word here too And dd doesn't even have a winter coat yet!

gm - sounds like olivia keeps you busy. DD was a hold-me baby too. She even co-slept with us for months, actually, so did Leif. But now everyone sleeps in their own beds, on their own (well, except Leif still nurses) but we made progress!

OK, GOT to clean, fold laundry, run errands and time is about out before picking up dd. BTW, I'm thinking of getting personalized gottalovethem license plates, what do you think? (GTA LUV M)

 

[Hillbeans]

Hillbeans - I agree about the behaviour being better if they were in daycare. Although I am a SAHM, I know that some daycares are absolutely awesome and sometimes wonder if my kids would have more advantages if they did attend daycare, maybe better behaved, smarter, etc. The daycare dd and ds went to for a couple years was fabulous! They tought me a lot about how to take care of a baby/toddler (dd went for 2 years) and even had a curriculum to help teach the kids. Of course, for purely selfish reason I LOVE being home to spend time with my munchkins while they are young, as I know the time is passing quickly. Anyway, glad soccer worked out well and hope you are recovering from the weekend!

I should clarify that I don't think that daycare makes kids smarter or better behaved, but it just shocked me that someone would use Daycare as a threat to their child - like it's this awful place to go when you're being a bad kid.

GLT - I think it's great that you love being home with your children and i'm sure they love having you home to be there for them. You are right, the time goes by so quickly.

Tamie - I'm seeing Nick this Friday night!!!!

 

[DisKim]

nucpharm - My neighbor's DD had a princess b-day party at home. They rented an inflatable princess castle (jumpy thing) and made princess crowns. It was very cute. I thought Alex would run home, but he had a good time and he made a very manly crown.

I'm off to meet a friend at the park. It's so nice out and we thought of about a million things to do but Aidan just got up and finished lunch. He still doesn't sound great so I'm not going to push him.

 

[Alice28]

Hillbeans- I think that was weird for that mother to say that as a threat. I know several kids who probably could have used some time at a good daycare when clearly they weren't getting disciplined at home. (like the kid you were describing!) A neighbor of mine is like that about daycare AND preschool- she just thinks they are all glorified babysitting and that her kids won't get anything out of it. Whatever.

I just got home from another preschool morning/getting Josh lunch/getting Josh to school. In a little while I will call the vet, but Molly is crab-pot today and I don't feel like competing with her crabbing while trying to talk on the phone. I think her pink eye is getting better- both she and Joshua do not have the discharge anymore, but their eyes are still red-rimmed, like they are just a little tired. (not bright pink eyeballs).

FF- I think the pirate cruise is for up to 12 year olds. I hope you don't lose the $400 deposit!

And yes, we went to lunch at McDonalds. The dishwasher still works, so that's good, but it's annoying having to go to the bathroom everytime I need to wash my hands, rinse out the bottles, etc. I will probably take the kids back to McDonalds or Wendys or something for dinner, as Josh has soccer practice at 6. I was going to make spaghetti for dinner, and that is always a huge mess to clean up. Forget it.

At least I got a $5 Best Buy coupon at McDonald's. DS8 wants a PS2 Star Wars game for his bday next month and now I get a small discount off of it! Joshua earned the Game Boy game of the same game with his allowance and they just love that game! It's a good one.

Nucpharm- I hate that birthday party places are so incredibly expensive. I told DS8 that we would take him and 3 of his buddies to pizza, laser tag and video games at the local Family Fun Center (a bigger Chuck E Cheese type place) but not do his party there, as it would be over $200. I said if you really, really want the party, you can forgo any gifts from mommy and daddy in return for the big party....needless to say, he is choosing the small party along with gifts from mom and dad. But you can't really negociate like that with a 3 year old.

Ah........I just put Molly down for her nap, an hour early! She was a pill from about 5-6AM, and I had to wake her up to go to preschool with me, so she's tired. I'm going to DIS a little longer, do a bit of laundry that I never finished last night and then workout. Gotta work off those McD's fries!

Diz- sounds like your girls have had some really fun bday parties! I bet it is nice to live near Chicago and have all those great things to do nearby. Portland is a good sized city, but nothing like Chicago or NYC!

GLT- you always keep so busy with your kids! I am amazed at all that you manage to pack in with them! I feel like I always need to be home for something that we only really get out and do anything in the mornings.

OK, maybe not on the naptime- I just heard her throw something and then cry. It was too good to be true!

 

[gottalovethem]

I just brought up an "old" toy from the basement for Leif to play with, he loves it! Look at him clapping as the balls go, had to share.

While I'm sharing pics, these are from yesterday's firehouse fundraiser event thing.

Welp, didn't get done nearly as much as I hoped, but did dust, a little. Cleaned out some old art from DD's room (better to do when she's not home), dishwasher was run and vacuumed. Better than nothing

Robin - There are so many festivals and such around here this time of year, so I take advantage when I can. Soon it will be too cold for 6 months and we'll be indoors daily!! I hope your sink can get fixed soon. It is a pain to not use the kitchen sink. YOu don't realize how much you use it until you can't.

btw - as I type this my CAT is on my shoulder

diskim - sounds like a fun party

nucpharm - a game one of my friends did at her snow white party - one was decorate mirrors, the other everyone got flashlights (which they got to keep) and went into a tent filled with balloons to "mine" for candy, which was under the balloons. The kids loved it.