AWake in NJ...

I am glad to know that my insomnia is not limited to home, it kindly travels with me. Best part is, I never have to remember to pack it and it takes up no space in the car:)

A Quick Update In Pictures-

Here we are doing ALL the things tourist do at the Jersey Shore and a trip to Yankee Stadium-

Declan at Yankee Stadium with Uncle Jim and Pop-Pop


Decaln with Daddy at Yankee Stadium


The Girls down at the Shore:)



Declan and Killi on the rides at Point Pleasant Boardwalk!

First Day Of Swimming and The GAP

All three of the monsters made it to swimming. Maggie cried abit, but by the time I got back to pick her up she was happy and smiley and ready to go back tomorrow. Declan was happy, both his teachers are boys(a first for him:)and Killi had Declan's teacher from last year, who was great& she even remembered Declan from last year:)

I did not get to the beach as the sun was hiding behind the fog all morning, and the kids came home starving and too tired to go to the beach. Maybe tomorrow will be nicer. So, they had lunch(which Pop-Pop made while we were picking up the kids)and have been vegging on the couch since they finished lunch. Killi and I ran up to the GAP to look for some school clothes, we don't have one close at home(which is a very good thing:) Killi is hard on clothes and while GAP is expensive, the clothes last forever, so it is worth the extra money to me to have clothes that can be worn and washed a zillion times and still look good.

Back At The Beach!

We made it safely to NJ. It was a long,long ride:( It rained today so Husband took the kids to see Space Chimps, the kids found it ok, husband only said it was better than Wall-E(that is not saying much:) The kids start Swim school tomorrow morning so they were in bed early:) I hope I can get them up and moving by 8:30am, it has been awhile since we've had to be up and moving that early:)

Tomorrow night Husband is taking Declan to Yankee Stadium! Declan is excited(maybe not as much as his dad:) So, while they are off in the Bronox, the girls will go out to dinner with Grandma! And maybe a quick run to the boardwalk for some rides:)

As for me, I am hoping to get to the beach for an hour or so tomorrow while the kids are Swimming:) Hope for sun for me:)

No Phone or Computer...

We spent the better part of the day yesterday with no phone or internet. I am not sure what happened, but the road was torn up at the end of the block and verizon said there was a wide spread outage in my area. I would like to say it was quiet with no phone or computer, but with a cell phone, the phone continued to ring:)

It was a beautiful day here yesterday. About 83 degrees and only a few fluffy, white clouds in an awesomely blue sky. You know the one, the blue is so deep it looks like a picture. The kids and I spend the morning running errands and made it to the pool when it opened at noon. We spent the the next 3 or so hours at the pool. It was a bit chilly when you got out of the pool(which hasn't happened in weeks here:)and you needed your towel and to warm in the sun.

This morning is dedicated to packing for NJ, as the kids and I leave for 2 weeks and I haven't packed a thing. It will get done, it always does. Husband will be home early today(he has an appointment at 2:30)so he should be home by 3:30 or 4:00, so he can help pack(HAHA). It is beautiful here again today so some pool time will be needed this afternoon:) OH- BIG NEWS! Yesterday at the pool, Maggie swam all by herself! No floaty suit, no swimmies just her little arms and legs moving her along. She was even jumping in by herself and swimming by the time we left! She was very proud of herself and so was I!

A Sticky, Red Mess!

You know those days when you just feel, blah? And you are just counting the hours until bedtime. And your husband cannot walk in the door soon enough. I am having one today. Things were going along though. I was even going to make dinner(which I usually skip when in these moods). Anyway, I pulled it together and was gathering my ingredients for my "bacon-cheeseburger meatloaf" I opened the refrigerator door to be met by a shelf full of grenadine! Yes a wonderful, sticky, entire shelf full of grenadine.

However, to my own amazement, I did not freak-out, I did not cry, I continued making my meatloaf, put it in the oven and very calmly cleaned out the refrigerator. I was pretty proud of myself for staying calm. And when it was all cleaned up, I realized that it would have been a very silly thing to get all worked up over. It was done and I was going to have to clean it up, so I did and then I moved on.

Now, I just need to react to everything that way and my stress-level will decrease ten fold:)

Off Again, Almost:)

Soon we leave for vacation, well for my in-laws, for 2 weeks. While we are there the kids will go to "swim school". That will be fun for them, I think. Declan and Killi went last year, but Maggie was too little, so this will be her first time(and I am not sure who that will go:) It is nice though, they go from 9-12, so I get some beach time alone. And then they still have plenty of free time to go to the beach, or the rides or visit with friends and family.

While we are up there, my cousin is getting married, so my parents will fly up for a few days. That is very good since the kids we really sad about missing them in Florida. It should be a fun trip in all.

We had a low-key day today, it was hot again! We ran some errands in the morning and then came home and had a quiet afternoon. The monsters built pillow forts and then the dog knocked them down(I laughed, the monsters not so much:) I made "breakfast" for dinner which made the kids very happy and my life very easy. I did alittle laundry, some dishes and some vacuuming, all-in-all a pretty light day. The monsters wanted to hit the pool, but it was just too hot for me, I wanted to sick in the air all day. My sister suggested standing naked in front of the freezer- I haven't tried it yet, but another day this warm and I might.

The chore chart went over better than I thought it would and they even seemed alittle excited to be "helping out". Declan asked if he could PLEASE clean the windows too:) Who am I to discourage helping.

Tomorrow I will clean out Declan's dresser and closet in the morning and maybe we can hit the pool before the rain and if not maybe the library. Just to get out for a while.

**Meg, I found this for you:) Enjoy it!

NOT GOOD!

To revisit a topic a have talked alot about, my kids are spoiled brats! And 96% of the blame needs to be laid on Husband and me. We have allowed this behavior to go on and on and have even been responsible for buying and buying just because they ask for it. It has to stop. It is going to stop! I am going to stop it!

First, they will have chores. At almost 7, 5 1/2 & 3 they can start pitching in around here. I know that they may not do the BEST job, but it will be something. Second, they are going to start taking care of their things. I WILL NOT BE REPLACING BROKEN STUFF ANYMORE! If that means that they have no toys left, then so be it. Third, we are going to have some order and routine around here.

Husband is really angry this time so maybe it will work. Maybe he will really stick to it and we can change the way we live. Respect, Responsibility and Gratefulness, these are traits and values I want my kids to have and I know it is up to me to instill those in them.

Too Much Work!

After cleaning the kitchen and laundry room yesterday, Husband and I moved onto the girls closet and our bedroom. We cleaned out 7 bags of clothes and 3 bags of trash!!! Where were we keeping it all? Better question, why were we keeping it all? Now I only have Declan's room and the playroom to clean. I hope to get that done next week. Then we will be all neat and organized:)

What A Day!

Two things. First, why is it that people feel that kicking you when you're down is a good thing? You almost wonder if these same people would encourage you if you were standing on the edge of a bridge contemplating jumping. Seriously, I wonder.

Second, the inevitable has occurred. My lovely littlest monster decided to cut her own hair today. I can't find my camera, sorry no pictures:( It is not as bad as it could be, but it is not good either. Hopefully we will find someone to fix it for us tonight. I knew with three kids I was going to happen, I just didn't know when- so, now I know:)

Ah, The Mid-Day Slump...

It is 3:45pm, it has not been a quiet or slow day here. We just got back from a two hour swim at the pool, where there were at least a billion people because it is 100 degrees. The water was NOT even slightly refreshing, just warm. The kids are now tired and grouchy(but quietly eating popcorn and watching tv for the moment:)The laundry needs to be switched again, and we could use yet another vacuum.

I just need a teeny-tiny nap before I jump to-

It's Friday!

A quiet(haha)day at home may be just what I need. My chores are moving along, I am waiting to switch the laundry again and for the dishwasher to finish. I have made the beds and vacuumed, cleaned up the kitchen(Declan made breakfast:)and the bathroom and now I will write some essays for grad school or do some homework.

The kids are happily playing with a neighbor in the girls room, so the noise isn't too bad; however I am sure the mess will be:) I will start thinking about lunch and make a plan for dinner. I don't like to cook when it is so hot. If I cook inside the house gets hot, if I grill I get hot, no good, but I will make a plan.

I am hoping we can lay-low for the weekend, get some cleaning done and some packing. Taking the kids away for two weeks requires alot of planning, I don't want to bring too much, but I also want to have enough that I don't see the kids in the same outfits everyday:) Hopefully, they will spend most of the trip in bathing suits. One for swim school in the morning and another for the beach in the afternoon! Husband will spend most of the trip with us this year so that should be fun, the two of us can beach alone in the morning and then with the kids later. It will be a crazy trip though, as my parents will also be in town for a few days for a wedding. So much to do, so many people to see- two weeks doesn't seem like it will be enough time. It's good I don't have too many friends up there anymore, I'd never be able to see them:)

Alright, off to be productive-

Up Again:)

Ah, another sleepless night. I think this makes 4 or 5 in a row now. I get really tired around 3pm and then get a second wind about 9pm. It's not good. I don't like it so much. It's Thursday and I have all my homework done for school so there isn't much for me to do in the middle of the night. I don't want to start cleaning the house because I am loud and don't want to wake the monsters. So, I'll blog and apply for Graduate School, look for some jobs and think about what I need for NJ. I'll get to bed around 3am and hopefully the kids will let me stay in bed until 9am.

It is supposed to be really hot again tomorrow so I am not sure what we'll do(not much outside:) The girls need shoes for camp and I'd like to go check-out some clothes for Killi for school. Maybe I'll get out of bed before 9 and do some laundry and start cleaning out the drawers in the kitchen, then run to the store right after lunch and spend alittle time at pool in the afternoon. We'll see what happens. I am end up on the couch all day because I stayed up all night:)

Where To Start?

Have you ever gotten to the point where your house is so cluttered/unorganized/messy that you just don't where to begin? Right now is one of those times for me. Everything needs to be reorganized and de-cluttered. Closets, playroom, laundry room, drawers, the yard just everything! But where do I start?

Better yet, why bother, it only lasts a few weeks, then the kids mess it all up again anyway:)

This Is Why I Love Them

This is how Maggie went out to run errands today:) It was too funny not to share. We went to the Food Store and to see Dr. Tom:)

Sleepy

It is sunny! That's a good thing.

I stayed up too late last night watching the MLB All-Star game. It was very exciting, but it didn't end until about 2am. It wasn't all bad though, I got a good bit of homework done while watching:) I need to get on a better sleep schedule, I have been staying up too late and therefore sleeping too late in the morning.

Today, we will spend the afternoon at the pool(as long as the kids behave). I am packing up snacks and books in hopes of being able to stay for at least a few hours:) Hopefully I will come home with very tired kids to a clean house(since no one will be in it:)

Here's to hoping the kids WANT to have a good day!

Good or Bad?

I am not sure how to take this
at first glance this article does not seem to be very positive for the DC metro area housing market, where our prices are continuing to drop. However, after reading the entire thing I see that what is taken into account is the "good" economy(relative term) in these cities. So, I am going to see this article as a positive; yes, housing prices are low, but people should keep their jobs:)

I also say the the price of oil dropped,good? Well yes, until I read that part of the reason was the growing fear of inflation in the U.S. and the all time low of the U.S. dollar against the euro.

Have no fear though, the Fed Chairman and the Sec of the Treasury said that the economy is facing "difficulties", that is great:) Oh and GM has had to completely restructure to remain stable. And yes and Budweiser(Anheuser-Busch) is being sold to a foreign company(what will happen to the Clydesdale's and my Busch Garden's Passes?)

Crazy times we are living in. All very uncertain. I cannot help but wonder, is the media helping to fuel it? You can't help to feel uneasy when every time you turn on the TV or read the newspaper(or computer)you hear how much worse things WILL BE GETTING.

Here's to hoping for some good times soon-

Christmas Shopping!

I have always been one to start my Christmas shopping early, but this year I have decided to take it to the extreme. I have purchased two presents so far and have another half dozen in a cart to be checked out at amazon. This year I want to put little to none of my Christmas on credit cards so, I figured, if I make a list(a good list) I should be able to buy a few items off of it every pay period. The other nice thing about this is that I will be able to spend the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas decorating and baking cookies and all the fun stuff. Not to mention no crowded stores with germs to make me sick for the holidays:) This also frees up some money to be able to pick up that one last have-to-have item for the kids:)

I hope this works for me, unlike the house cleaning and organizing:)

It Is Easy To Love Him When...

Husband took the day-off to nurse me back to health and take care of the kids. It was very nice, but it makes me think I must have looked pretty bad when I woke him up at 4am:) Whatever the reason, I was happy to have him especially when Maggie decided to get up at 6:45am. I stayed in bed until about 11, then napped some more on the couch. I did have to clean-up the playroom, make the beds, cook lunch and dinner, vacuum and put the kids to bed, but all-in-all it was a very light day for me.

I think husband enjoyed his day off, he took alittle nap too:) He was up too late last night, and then up with me in the middle of the night and with Maggie at 6:45, so it was a much deserved nap.

I am feeling much better now and the kids are looking forward to me "doing" something with them tomorrow, so I will get into bed soon.

Plans Changed

We are still at home. We didn't make it to Florida. A sickness spread over us and so we bagged the trip:( I guess the positive is that it hit at home and not on the plane:)

Now, I have three sad little kids that were looking so forward to going. It is going to COST me I'm sure:) I do have to say, that while they were very disappointed, they understood why we were not going, and were not angry, just disappointed.

Feeling Better:)

I had done all I could to try and stop the panic attacks, but nothing help. So, I ate ice cream, and now I feel better:)

Yuck!

I have spent the better part of the day plagued by panic attacks. It is an awful feeling pounding heart, hot flashes, dizziness, shaking, it is not fun. I am not sure what is causing them and I can't seem to get them under control. I have some medicine to take to help, but it makes me very tired, and I have some homework to do. Boy, I hope they stop soon.

Good Bye, Tony Snow...

In the almost 12 years that Husband and I have lived in the DC metro area we have done alot of neat things and met a ton of very interesting people. One of my favorite memories of our time here was the day I met Tony Snow. It was a Saturday morning, Husband's was working as the communications director for a Congressman, who was asked to appear on a FOX NEWS show. I wasn't going to go with them, but I went in hopes of maybe getting a glance at Tony Snow(I had a little crush on him at the time:). I didn't expect that he would be there, as it was a Saturday morning, but as we walked into the room there he sat at his desk working away. I was so excited to get a glimpse of him(I am sure I stood there staring at him way longer than I should have)! When he looked back up from his desk(which I am sure he did because he felt my stare:)he smiled and said "hi". My day was made! I was in Heaven! I left there so happy to have said "HI" to Tony Snow.

Years later, Husband worked at the White House during Tony Snow's time as Press Secretary, and I again was lucky enough to share a "Hello" and a smile with Tony Snow and again, even with ALL of the other guests there(The President included:)My favorite part of the evening was Tony Snow's smile and kind "hello".

So, tonight please think about Mr. Snow's wife and young children and how lucky they were to have him in their lives even though their time together was too short. I will miss his smile.

Strumming Boy...

Declan started guitar lessons today and really enjoyed it. Husband went with him and said that he did well once he felt comfortable with the instructor(who I heard from both was GREAT!) She gave him a good bit of homework and a few more items we need to get started. She told Declan that if he practices, he will be playing songs in no time. He was very excited about that, and then she told him that playing Guitar Hero, did not count as practice for the day:)But she did tell him that playing Guitar Hero would help him with the REAL guitar. She asked him to pick two songs that he wants to learn to play and that would be where they start. Any two songs he wanted, that made him happy.

He seemed really enjoy it. I hope he keeps up with it!

Off We Go Into The Wide Blue Yonder...

Just a few more days and we are off again! Grammy and Happy here we come. Hopefully, I can get the laundry done and put away before I go, so that packing for our next trip(with only a week in-between) will be much easier:)

I really do love to travel, although it is not near as easy as it was before kids, but it is getting easier as they get older:) I will admit that I am still not an expert when it comes to flying with the three of them alone, but we always make it where we need to go:)

With school starting soon, and with two of them in "real" school, my travels will have to be limited to school breaks, well at least mostly:) I think the kids enjoy it too. I like that we are able to take them to see the country(even if it is mostly beaches:) it shows them that people really are different, and how exciting that is.

Off we go on another GREAT ADVENTURE!

Loving Every Minute Of It....

Why you ask, is it a beautiful day and we are not at the pool? Let me tell you. It is because my children have decided to actually turn into monsters. Yes, real monsters, I tell you. We have fallen into one of those ruts, you know the ones that most of us Moms get from time-to-time, the ones were you feel like you are busting your hump and on-top of not being paid for the "mom" work, nobody is appreciating it. The past few days have been that way here. Today, at the pool, was my breaking point. The monsters(and I am not using this term in the kind loving my I usually do:) asked me if they could have McDonalds for lunch before we went to the pool and I said sure. So, we got our(their) food and ate it in the car on the way to the pool. We signed into the pool at 1:17pm. And here is how the next 35-40mins played out:

1st- huge fight over WHO was going to get sun screened first(yes, yelling, push and crying)

2nd- splashing me in the very chilly pool

3rd- Declan and Killi holding each other underwater(and then crying about it)

4th- Maggie screaming because I would not stand where she wanted me to in the pool(I wanted to stand in the sun, it was cold)

5th- Killi asking at 1:45 if we could leave no, she was hungry

6th- Maggie screaming at me because she wanted to go in the pool NOW(it was break time, no kids allowed)

7th- Maggie refusing to sit in time-out, screaming, Killi yelling she was hungry, and Declan crying because I was leaving the pool and Maggie was not following me.

All in all, a great trip. Maggie did follow us and I think there were only about 50 people there today to stare at us as my kids screamed as we left the pool. Good Times:)

This Made Me Laugh!

This was forwarded to me today and it made me laugh 'til I cried:



Learning to Cuss

A 6-year-old and 4-year-old are upstairs in their bedroom.

'You know what?' says the 6-year-old, 'I think it's about
Time we started cussing.'

The 4-year-old nods his head in approval.

The 6-year-old continues, 'When we go downstairs for
Breakfast, I'm gonna say something with 'hell' and you say
Something with ass.'

The 4-year-old agrees with enthusiasm.

When their mother walks into the kitchen and asks the
6-year-old what he wants for breakfast, he replies,
'Aw hell, Mom, I guess I'll have some Cheerios.'

Whack! He flies out of his chair, tumbles across the kitchen
Floor, jumps up, and runs upstairs crying his eyes out with
His mother in hot pursuit, slapping his rear with every step.
She locks him in his room and shouts, 'You can stay in there
Until I let you out.'

She then comes back downstairs, looks at the 4-year- old and
Asks with a stern voice, 'And what do YOU want for breakfast,
Young man?'

'I don't know,' he blubbers, 'but you can bet your fat ass it
Won't be Cheerios.

Summer Fun!

To keep with the change theme, I found a new blog template. I am very excited about it as the only thing I love more than the beach is my family. You can only imagine my joy when I get the family at the beach- nirvana I tell you:)

We spent most the day yesterday either running errands or trying to escape the rain. Gus needed to go to the vet for a check-up, I needed some jewelry fixed, run to Rite-Aid, Target, and pick Gus up again. I did pick up The Bee Movie for the monsters, so they had something to do when we were home.

Today the sun is back and so we can head back to the pool. The pool is a great thing-entertainment mixed with outdoor activity(they get so tired) what could be better. Here are some pool pictures from the weekend:

Change

My life changed completely when I gave birth to my first child, and continued with the girls. My priorities changed, my friends changed, my marriage changed, our living quarters changed everything changed. I knew things were going to change when I had kids, what I didn't expect was that as the kids grew, how much my life would continue to change. With new schools and activities for the kids have come new friends and more to do. The change has been good(Well, as good as change can be:) I am having fun and I love people so, I thank the monsters for forcing me to meet so many new ones. Now, if they could give me a few more hours with my husband, I'd REALLY LOVE them:)

Things I Hate, cont...

I hate Blue Cross/Blue Shield Federal Health Insurance! They are a big giant rip-off. They don't pay for anything. Their representatives are misleading and they hide behind "legal" documents to cover the bad information their representatives give. I am now convinced that it is not that Americans cannot afford health insurance, but that they see no reason to have it because it doesn't cover anything(at least this is the case at BCBS) I cannot switch insurances soon enough, I only hope that I am not broke by the time "open season" comes around.

Things I Hate...

It pisses me off to no end that my children(6,5,3) know anything at all about people being TOO FAT or SKINNY! The fact that this is something that they hear people talk about is annoying to me. The fact that they ask me if they are TOO FAT or SKINNY is even more obnoxious! I believe that people should be happy and healthy and that is not the same size for everyone and how boring would it be if everyone was the same shape, size and color. To me the greatest thing in the world is the vast differences between people. I think these differences should be embraced and celebrated. I do not believe that people should be judged by how they look, but rather by their actions.

They other day my son asked me why do people call other people names like "Fat" and "ugly" my response to him was that people that do that do so because they are insecure and do not like themselves very much and that putting people down makes them feel better about themselves. I was very pleased when he continued the conversation by telling me that that is why he stopped playing with a boy at school because that boy was calling another child names and Declan told the boy that it wasn't nice and he didn't want to play with someone that would make someone feel badly. It was one of my proudest moments as a parent. First because this name-called was sort-of a leader and Declan walked away anyway. And second, because he really thought it was wrong to call someone names and be mean to them because of the way they look.

I wish my children lived in a world where people were more concerned with the way people act then how they look. I guess that will never change, but I am sure going to do my best to make sure it doesn't happen in my house.

The Weekends Over:(

Well, my brother and his crew are gone. We had a very nice visit, I even shared some of the "good beef" to take home with them. This afternoon Husband and Skippy took the kids to the movies so I was able to get my homework done and Kelly got a much deserved nap.

Tomorrow will start our week again full of errands and packing for the monsters and me to head to Florida for a few days. It's funny, every spring I swear I am staying in town ALL summer, it never happens. I am always gone more than I am here. It is fun though and I am excited to see Queenie, she is growing so fast, and we won't see her again until Thanksgiving, and who knows when after that, with two kids in "real" school this year, I will not be traveling so much:) See, that is why I am always traveling in the summer, I am trapped for 9 months of the year!

Lazy Days

This morning I am tired. Declan and Maggie didn't not sleep much last night. I saw every hour from 1 to 6 at least once and most of them more than once. This was made worse by the fact that I didn't go to bed until after one. I did sleep from 6:30 until 9:30 so I guess I should not complain.

It is gray here again, so it is not making getting up any easier. A nice day in bed with a book and my computer would be great! However I don't think it is in my near future:)

Party!

Our party went off without a hitch, thanks to Kelly, Billy and Husband working hard ALL morning and afternoon:) We had fun and the night ended with Billy setting off some fireworks for the monsters. They LOVED it.

Now I am doing homework:( Lots of it! I guess it will be a long night.

They're Here, They're Here!

My Brother and his gang arrived LATE Wednesday night and we have been on the go since.

Thursday we met up with Bec and her crew to pick some berries, then headed to the pool.
After the pool we fixed the kids dinner and got them into bed early. Then I share some of the "good" beef with the grown-ups for dinner:) Oh and I forgot, the day started great because Kelly makes breakfast when she is here:)

Friday, again started with Kelly's breakfast. Followed by some cleaning up and a few hours at the pool. Then home some food, showers and off to see the Fireworks downtown.

Tomorrow we are having donuts for breakfast, so that Kelly isn't too tired to help clean before our "little" Fiesta tomorrow night:)I hope the rain stays away, but I don't think I will be so lucky:)

This is Awesome! I Love It!

I saw this on a blog I frequent and I loved it, so I had to made myself one:) Now I will use it all the time!

Here are some more beach pictures(Yes, I do know you all are sick of looking at them:)

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

MEAT:)

My Freezers are packed. Both of them completely full. I have 50+ pounds of ground beef and lots of roasts and steaks. I hope my brother and Kelly eat burgers because that is what I am cooking up for dinner for them. Tonight though, I am going to spoil myself with a nice porterhouse. I am so excited!

Off to clean the house before my brother and his crew arrive.

We Are Off Again!

Sometimes Spirit Airlines Rocks! I just got 4 plane tickets for $170 round trip to Florida! With the price of gas, I could not drive for that price. I am very excited. Not sure how the husband is going to take it, it means a week at home alone, Oh Wait, that is a vacation for him:)