Warning: no pictures in this post. Just words. Pictures later, when I have time to download. ;o)
As you all know--or at least as you NOW know--I turned 30 on Thanksgiving this year (that's Nov. 27th). I was not looking forward to that number, although I did tell myself repeatedly that being able to turn 30 was better than NOT having a birthday and being dead, which would pretty much stink. ANYHOW--the good thing about having a holiday birthday is that there is a better chance of having family around to help celebrate! On Wednesday evening Craig and I went to Bella Monica for dinner--I know I've blogged about it before but I've provided another link because if you live here or ever visit the Raleigh area, you have to try it! We had buffalo mozzarella for the appetizer, I got some *very* good wine (I'd tell you the name but I don't even remember, our waitress recommended it) I had a Caesar salad and then pumpkin ravioli for the entree. It was one of their specials for the night and was fabulous! I know it sounds weird but I did read somewhere that pumpkin is a very traditional filling for ravioli--anyhow, if you ever have the opportunity to try it I highly recommend it. Afterwards we skipped dessert (I wanted some of their olive oil gelato--again, I know it sounds weird but I swear it's delicious! You can trust me....I'm not a very adventurous diner so if I say something strange is good, it probably is. ;o) and just enjoyed some hot chocolate at Starbucks. On Thanksgiving day, we had the usual turkey dinner and then two desserts--the pumpkin cheesecake that I make every year, and then an oreo ice cream thing my mom made for my birthday--both were VERY good. The best part of everything was spending time with the people I love, of course. (Although the Ann Taylor gift certificates were nice too! ;o)
On a side note (I have to finish up, Craig is waiting for me, he wants to play Uno...), my mom and I took Ava to see Santa on Wednesday...and she LOVED him. We really thought she was going to cry but she was very cuddly with him and even pulled away when I tried to pick her up off of his lap! Weird kid. Oh, and I am about 99% sure that her ear infection is back, which would make it the third one in two months. LOVELY. And on a weekend, no less. We're loading her up with the numbing ear drops and if she wakes again (I should say "WHEN" she wakes again :-P) I'll give her some Tylenol. The next time we see the doctor I'm going to insist on seeing a specialist, but I probably won't have to plead my case too hard, as the doctor said he'd recommend considering tubes for her ears if it happened again. Poor baby. :-(
Okay, so on a side-side note--I'm a phenomenally horrific mini golfer. I went with mom, Billy and Lauren (Billy's girlfriend) on Wednesday and it was not pretty. At all. Oh well....
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Wii want you to vote....
...for Ava's baby-sitter, Christina--she's trying to win a Wii for her husband! All you have to do is follow the link and click on her name (for some reason it's listed three times, vote for the top one). Thanks! :)
In other news, my parents have been here since Saturday and Ava is having a great time playing with them. When they first arrived she was just waking up from her morning nap and was a little cranky....having people in the house other than Mommy and Daddy freaked her out and she sobbed for awhile before finally warming up to them. This morning, my mom got up with Ava and I slept like the dead for an extra 3 1/2 hours! (Complete with uber-weird dreams, I should add...) Billy and his girlfriend, Lauren, arrive tomorrow night (Craig and I will pick them up from the airport on the way home from our date at Bella Monica, where we will be celebrating my 30th birthday...or as Kathie calls it, my "second 29th birthday." ;o) Thankfully, Michael WILL be joining us and he arrives on Wednesday night!
Let's see....oh yes, Craig and I go tomorrow to pick out the granite and cabinets for the house. We have the same taste when it comes to color and style for homes I think, so I imagine it'll be pretty easy, at least on our end of it. It took us all of three minutes or so to pick out the outside colors....the realtors were pretty surprised, as they're used to seeing couples full-on battle it out over those things. I guess we just save our battles for other things, like when I threaten to throw him over the balcony if he continues to brush his teeth all over the bathroom mirror right after I clean it....
Finally, enjoy some pictures! (Or not. Whatever.) My mom could not resist buying a fairy costume for Ava (the wings are still in Chicago, they would not fit in the suitcase) and to her surprise, I really thought it was cute so we put her in it and subjected the poor child to a relentless photo session until I got a good picture to use on her 1st birthday invitations--which, thankfully, have FINALLY been ordered!
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In other news, my parents have been here since Saturday and Ava is having a great time playing with them. When they first arrived she was just waking up from her morning nap and was a little cranky....having people in the house other than Mommy and Daddy freaked her out and she sobbed for awhile before finally warming up to them. This morning, my mom got up with Ava and I slept like the dead for an extra 3 1/2 hours! (Complete with uber-weird dreams, I should add...) Billy and his girlfriend, Lauren, arrive tomorrow night (Craig and I will pick them up from the airport on the way home from our date at Bella Monica, where we will be celebrating my 30th birthday...or as Kathie calls it, my "second 29th birthday." ;o) Thankfully, Michael WILL be joining us and he arrives on Wednesday night!
Let's see....oh yes, Craig and I go tomorrow to pick out the granite and cabinets for the house. We have the same taste when it comes to color and style for homes I think, so I imagine it'll be pretty easy, at least on our end of it. It took us all of three minutes or so to pick out the outside colors....the realtors were pretty surprised, as they're used to seeing couples full-on battle it out over those things. I guess we just save our battles for other things, like when I threaten to throw him over the balcony if he continues to brush his teeth all over the bathroom mirror right after I clean it....
Finally, enjoy some pictures! (Or not. Whatever.) My mom could not resist buying a fairy costume for Ava (the wings are still in Chicago, they would not fit in the suitcase) and to her surprise, I really thought it was cute so we put her in it and subjected the poor child to a relentless photo session until I got a good picture to use on her 1st birthday invitations--which, thankfully, have FINALLY been ordered!
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Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Using the Sippy Cup
This is for Grandma Cathy, who is afraid of having a granddaughter who still carries around a bottle when she's a toddler:
The reason we don't use it more is because 1.) I hate the mess, and 2.) she usually has her snack at the baby-sitter's house and I want her to be more used to the cup before I have her using it at someone else's house (more for their sake than Ava's!). So don't worry grandma....the bottle is on its way out before too long! :o)
The reason we don't use it more is because 1.) I hate the mess, and 2.) she usually has her snack at the baby-sitter's house and I want her to be more used to the cup before I have her using it at someone else's house (more for their sake than Ava's!). So don't worry grandma....the bottle is on its way out before too long! :o)
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Stolen from Emily (I have nothing much to say right now...)
If someone liked you right now, would you want them to tell you?
No, it would kind of weird me out.
What's something you eat or drink people would think is nasty?
Craig HATES that I love cheese-flavored snacks: cheese popcorn, cheesy pretzels, etc. Sorry! I love cheese!
How many people have you really loved?
In a romantic way? Three.
Do you enjoy late night phone conversations?
No! Let me go to sleep!
What’s your hair look like today?
A rat's nest, which is par for the course. A somewhat tamer nest though, since I did have it cut on Friday.
Is there someone you'd like to fix things with?
Nope. People are either my friends or they are not.
How's your heart lately?
Very emotional, lots of ups and downs.
What are you doing tonight?
Watching football with Craig (sound familiar? ;o)....messing around on the laptop.
Do you think you can last in a relationship for three months?
Long relationships were kind of my thing back in the day. I've been in one now for 7 1/2 years so I'd say so!
Could you go out in public looking like you do now?
Not without scaring people.
Have you ever made someone so mad that they broke something?
Probably one or both of my parents. I'm usually the one with anger management issues though.
What kind of mood are you in?
I'm a little down, actually, but generally not bad.
Plans for tomorrow?
Work, as usual.
Where did you get the shirt you're wearing?
Motherhood Maternity. Yes, I still wear a few of my maternity tops...they're comfy! Plus it's just a plain white t-shirt and it's fitted (well, on a pregnant person it's fitted).
What would you do if you won the lottery?
Right now? Give notice at work and then finish out the semester, totally deck out the house that we are building (or build an even better house on that lot), pay off student loans, pay off Craig's student loans, and buy some winter clothes....I am in desperate need since all of my funding last year went for maternity crap.
Do you regret anything from your past?
Nah....I didn't make mistakes, I had "learning experiences." ;o)
Do you pay any bills?
Yes...generally it's frowned upon to NOT pay them.
Have you ever made a mistake?
Nope....remember? "Learning experiences"
Are you shy?
In many situations, although with the right people I'm sometimes way too comfortable!
In the past week have you smiled?
Of course!
Have you told anybody you loved them today?
Yes!
Do you think too much or too little?
Definitely way too much.
Do you put shampoo in your left or right hand?
Left.
When you take a drink of something, do you hold your pinky up?
Sometimes. Then I realize I'm doing it, feel like an idiot, and put it down.
What's the most dominant color in your room?
Pale sage green.
How many times do you knock on a door?
Five
Does anyone completely understand you?
I think Craig probably understands me more than I realize, but nobody really completely "gets" me. That's okay.
Do you write how you speak?
Yes.
Do you understand football?
Yes!!! Love it! GO BEARS!
What’s the greatest thing that happened to you today?
Just spending the day with my little family.
Does it take a lot to make you cry?
I don't know. In situations where you'd think I'd be bawling, I'm fine. Then sometimes I cry for little to no reason.
Last time you wore the opposite sex's clothing?
A few days ago, I'm constantly stealing Craig's pajamas.
If you could move somewhere else, would you?
Yes....which is why we're moving to a new house in Youngsville in the spring!
Do you ever think "what if" about anything?
Yes. Like, "what if I won the lottery?"
Are you happy with the way things are going?
Mostly!
In the past week have you cried?
A few times.
Do you have a reason to smile right now?
I have many reasons to smile. :)
Has anyone said they love you in the last week?
Yes
Do you think you would be a good parent?
I don't know...I hope I don't screw Ava up too much, poor kid...! I try my best.
Do you usually have weird dreams?
The WEIRDEST.
Do you like your bed?
I love it! I wish I got to spend more time with it!
Is there anybody you wish you could be with right now?
Well, my family, but they'll be here soon.
Did you get a full 8 hours of sleep last night?
Well, six straight hours before Ava cried out at 5am...one more hour until she woke up at 6am....and then two more after she went down for her morning nap. So I got about nine hours but not all at once. I'm not complaining!
Why did you kiss the person you last kissed?
Because I felt like it. Being married is pretty cool. :)
What do you usually do right when you wake up?
Try to think of ways I could cut corners in my morning routine in order to be able to stay in bed a few moments longer.
Do you find the opposite sex confusing?
Nah, I actually envy their simplicity.
Tattoos?
No way.
How long does it take for you to take a shower?
At least 15-20 min.
What's the last thing you ate?
Tarragon chicken with rice, and zucchini in cream sauce. Yay for having time to cook on the weekend!
What time did your alarm clock get you up today?
No alarm, just Ava.
How did you feel when you woke up today?
Tired.
Is someone on your mind right now?
My family.
Do you curse a lot?
I'm going to have to plead the fifth on this one...let's just say I'm trying to watch what I say these days....
Are you too forgiving?
It really depends on the situation. In some cases I'm very forgiving...in others, not so much.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Ava Unplugged
So last night, the kid woke up around 11:30 doing the coughing-fussing thing. Inevitably it turned into crying so at midnight I gave her a bottle (I would not have been so quick do this but she hadn't finished her dinner bottle, so I figured she was thirsty). Afterwards, she went RIGHT down to sleep but there was still intermittent coughing, occasionally followed by a whiny, fussy noise. This is normal for when she's sick and usually that stops when she goes into a deeper sleep but I was DYING....after two hours of sleep the night before and only being asleep about 1 1/2 hours before she woke up, I was at the sleep deprivation breaking point. So, I took a big step and I opened up both of our bedroom doors and unplugged the baby monitor. That way if she cried for real I'd still hear her, but I wouldn't be getting coughs/fusses amplified directly into my bedroom. It took me about a half hour to fall asleep (even though I was dead tired) because I've NEVER gone without the monitor, but then I slept until the alarm woke me! And obviously Ava is fine--so from now on, unless I am worried about her for some reason, the doors will be open and the monitor off once we are all in bed. She's almost a year old, anyhow...not like she's a newborn. We'd been talking about doing this recently but just hadn't taken the step, so I had to do it out of necessity and it worked just fine! It was probably harder than anything just to have my bedroom door open--I have a thing about doors, I always have to have them shut. I can't teach in my classroom with the door open. I can't sleep (well, I guess I can now) with the door open. That includes bathroom doors and closet doors. When Craig is out of town, I close off all of the rooms that we're not using--he's gone right now so the only door that's open upstairs is my bedroom door. I know, I'm a freak, and now I'm definitely going to have to get over it if I want to keep off that stupid monitor. :)
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Meltdown Update
Got Ava in to the doctor this afternoon...two bad ear infections, and they tested her for RSV as well because her lungs sounded bad. Ugh. Didn't get home until 6:15 or so and then it was a mad dash to get the kid fed, bathed, and in bed. Fussed before sleeping but nothing unusual...pray she stays down, I'm headed to bed as well!
The Meltdown Post
I did a great job of getting to bed at a decent hour last night! I was in bed by 9:15, and looking forward to a solid night of sleep, which I especially needed to help fight off a cold. Ava had a meltdown at 10:00...I figured she just had a bad dream or something, however, this was followed by NO LESS THAN FIVE MORE MELTDOWNS. Here's a list:
10:00---first one, I assume it's a nightmare and rock her back to sleep. Cries when I put her in the crib, stops when I rub her tummy for a few min.
10:30--next meltdown...I give her a bottle and then notice she's somehow peed all over her sleeper, there must've been a gap in the diaper somewhere. Change her clothes and put her back to bed. Cries when I put her down, settles down with a few minutes of rubbing her back.
11:00--I bring her to bed with me after this meltdown. She flips all over the place, scratches at the pillows (I think she liked the texture), and kicks me; and starts having a coughing fit. We go downstairs and cuddle on the couch for about a half hour while she coughs, I give her Tylenol in case all of the coughing is hurting her lungs. Bonus: the Tylenol seemed to help coat her throat and ease the cough as well. I rock her to sleep but she again cries when I put her down, rubbing her back helps.
12:00--I let her cry, she eventually stops.
12:30--Starts babbling to herself, then sobbing her head off. I go into the room and she has thrown Duckie over the side of the crib, and has pooped. Retrieve Duckie, change diaper, put her back down. Cries, gets back-rubbing for a minute or two, calms down.
1:00--Cries. I leave her alone and this is the last meltdown until she starts fussing at 5:00
At this point I could've worked in about four hours of sleep, but no, I am sick to my stomach for the next hour. (This sometimes happens from the drainage when I'm fighting a cold....FUN!) So when all is said and done, I end up with roughly 2 1/2 hours of sleep. I considered staying home today but Ava did not have a fever this morning and nobody was throwing up, and those are now my only two conditions for staying home, since I can't afford to use up all of my sick days. I've already used more in less than one semester than I usually use for the entire year!!! Ugh. Please cross your fingers/hope/pray that things go smoothly tonight, or I will completely snap....
10:00---first one, I assume it's a nightmare and rock her back to sleep. Cries when I put her in the crib, stops when I rub her tummy for a few min.
10:30--next meltdown...I give her a bottle and then notice she's somehow peed all over her sleeper, there must've been a gap in the diaper somewhere. Change her clothes and put her back to bed. Cries when I put her down, settles down with a few minutes of rubbing her back.
11:00--I bring her to bed with me after this meltdown. She flips all over the place, scratches at the pillows (I think she liked the texture), and kicks me; and starts having a coughing fit. We go downstairs and cuddle on the couch for about a half hour while she coughs, I give her Tylenol in case all of the coughing is hurting her lungs. Bonus: the Tylenol seemed to help coat her throat and ease the cough as well. I rock her to sleep but she again cries when I put her down, rubbing her back helps.
12:00--I let her cry, she eventually stops.
12:30--Starts babbling to herself, then sobbing her head off. I go into the room and she has thrown Duckie over the side of the crib, and has pooped. Retrieve Duckie, change diaper, put her back down. Cries, gets back-rubbing for a minute or two, calms down.
1:00--Cries. I leave her alone and this is the last meltdown until she starts fussing at 5:00
At this point I could've worked in about four hours of sleep, but no, I am sick to my stomach for the next hour. (This sometimes happens from the drainage when I'm fighting a cold....FUN!) So when all is said and done, I end up with roughly 2 1/2 hours of sleep. I considered staying home today but Ava did not have a fever this morning and nobody was throwing up, and those are now my only two conditions for staying home, since I can't afford to use up all of my sick days. I've already used more in less than one semester than I usually use for the entire year!!! Ugh. Please cross your fingers/hope/pray that things go smoothly tonight, or I will completely snap....
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Trip to the Mall
I know--two posts in one day--I'm so ambitious! Ava is down for her afternoon nap (a little late, oh well!) so I thought I'd post a few pictures. We had fun walking around the mall: I'm on a sort-of mission to find a green sweater to match a skirt that I have, but I didn't find anything and I'm not even looking that hard anyhow. I did find a cute outfit for the kid, and I think I want this GAP dress for her first birthday:
It's so cute! I even found a little black shrug sweater in Macy's that would match....but I'd really like for them to go on sale first (the dress is already, not the sweater...although I could probably find a cheaper one elsewhere). Anyhow....here are the pictures:
Ava, playing on my bedroom floor while I got ready this morning
Happy and silly at the mall:
I'm not sure what was going on with her in the mall pictures--I bought a pretzel (didn't share, it was way too buttery so I gave her some of her Gerber crunchies and juice) and we sat down so I could eat, and she was being very silly...turning her head sideways and looking at me, giggling, stretching out her neck and smiling. It was pretty cute, but of course not long thereafter she started fussing so we headed home for naptime! It was a good day overall, and a nice treat to spend it with her in the middle of the week.
It's so cute! I even found a little black shrug sweater in Macy's that would match....but I'd really like for them to go on sale first (the dress is already, not the sweater...although I could probably find a cheaper one elsewhere). Anyhow....here are the pictures:
Ava, playing on my bedroom floor while I got ready this morning
Happy and silly at the mall:
I'm not sure what was going on with her in the mall pictures--I bought a pretzel (didn't share, it was way too buttery so I gave her some of her Gerber crunchies and juice) and we sat down so I could eat, and she was being very silly...turning her head sideways and looking at me, giggling, stretching out her neck and smiling. It was pretty cute, but of course not long thereafter she started fussing so we headed home for naptime! It was a good day overall, and a nice treat to spend it with her in the middle of the week.
Then and Now
So, we have today off from work (Happy Veteran's Day!) and I was just thinking how funny it is, the difference between a typical day off now and how I used to spend those days:
THEN
1.) Sleep until 10am
2.) Lunch out somewhere with a friend
3.) Going to the mall, looking for sales at Ann Taylor
4.) Watching movies and wasting time on the computer
5.) Making a nice dinner
NOW
1.) Up around 5:30am
2.) Breakfast at home with a baby, something for lunch if I'm lucky
3.) Going to the mall, looking for sales at Baby Gap
4.) Watching Baby Einstein and keeping the power cord from the computer out of Ava's mouth
5.) Completely unsatisfying and un-nutritious dinner after the baby is in bed
I'm not complaining...it's just amusing! Ava and I are actually having fun so far, and later I will take her to the mall, she loves to people watch and I have to start thinking about holiday shopping (yuck). We'll probably share an Auntie Anne's pretzel: last time I got one I gave her a few little pieces and she loved it! As her mother, it is my duty to introduce her to all kinds of things, including the exotic cuisine of...the mall food court.
That's about it here! The day off will make the week go by a little faster, and then we'll only be one week away from the Thanksgiving holiday (yay!) and my impending 30th birthday (boo!).
THEN
1.) Sleep until 10am
2.) Lunch out somewhere with a friend
3.) Going to the mall, looking for sales at Ann Taylor
4.) Watching movies and wasting time on the computer
5.) Making a nice dinner
NOW
1.) Up around 5:30am
2.) Breakfast at home with a baby, something for lunch if I'm lucky
3.) Going to the mall, looking for sales at Baby Gap
4.) Watching Baby Einstein and keeping the power cord from the computer out of Ava's mouth
5.) Completely unsatisfying and un-nutritious dinner after the baby is in bed
I'm not complaining...it's just amusing! Ava and I are actually having fun so far, and later I will take her to the mall, she loves to people watch and I have to start thinking about holiday shopping (yuck). We'll probably share an Auntie Anne's pretzel: last time I got one I gave her a few little pieces and she loved it! As her mother, it is my duty to introduce her to all kinds of things, including the exotic cuisine of...the mall food court.
That's about it here! The day off will make the week go by a little faster, and then we'll only be one week away from the Thanksgiving holiday (yay!) and my impending 30th birthday (boo!).
Monday, November 10, 2008
Welcome!
If you are reading this, you got my invite! (DUH.) I got sick of random, stupid people leaving me snarky comments. Seriously...if you don't know me, don't understand my sarcastic humor, and don't like my blog, why don't you go away? Is it necessary to send me a comment? So, I decided to just do away with open blogging. If you know people who read and I didn't send them an invite, just email me. :o)
breaking news--Ava has a cold!
Because that's, like, unusual. RIGHT. I'm going to start making announcements when she ISN'T sick. Anyhow, either because of the not feeling well or by coincidence, she did NOT want to nap or go to sleep all weekend. By Saturday afternoon I found a simple solution--I had to give her some significant cuddle time or rock her in order to get her to sleep. I'm not complaining!! I've tried rocking her before just so we could have that time together but usually she stands up on my lap and jumps up and down (apparently I am a trampoline?) and tries to rip down the curtains behind the rocking chair. So, cuddling/rocking it is. :o)
In other news, I apparently speak Chinese or babble like a moron, or speak in a frequency that only dogs can hear. There is a particular math concept that some of these kids keep wanting to make up fake shortcuts on. I've explained that it DOES NOT WORK...that by using the shortcut they are trying to use, they can't even get the right answer by accident...that's how far off base it is. I say, "DO NOT DO IT THAT WAY! I PROMISE YOU, YOU WILL NEVER GET THE RIGHT ANSWER THAT WAY! THERE IS NO SHORTCUT....YOU HAVE TO DO IT THIS WAY TO GET THE CORRECT ANSWER!" All they hear is, "blahblahblah do it however you want..." UGH!!! You want to know why I'm now getting copious amounts of gray hair? THAT is why.
In other news, I apparently speak Chinese or babble like a moron, or speak in a frequency that only dogs can hear. There is a particular math concept that some of these kids keep wanting to make up fake shortcuts on. I've explained that it DOES NOT WORK...that by using the shortcut they are trying to use, they can't even get the right answer by accident...that's how far off base it is. I say, "DO NOT DO IT THAT WAY! I PROMISE YOU, YOU WILL NEVER GET THE RIGHT ANSWER THAT WAY! THERE IS NO SHORTCUT....YOU HAVE TO DO IT THIS WAY TO GET THE CORRECT ANSWER!" All they hear is, "blahblahblah do it however you want..." UGH!!! You want to know why I'm now getting copious amounts of gray hair? THAT is why.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
First Halloween!
I didn't realize it had been awhile since I updated! The last week or so has been exhausting and it doesn't look like things will slow down anytime soon. I'll try to give a play-by-play of what's been going on, and I'll end with some pictures.
--Halloween was okay. I'm not a big fan of it...I hate dressing up in costumes and as an adult, the thought of an entire holiday in which kids go door-to-door and get complete strangers to give them candy seems pretty absurd. (I know, it's almost like I'm a cranky old woman trapped in an almost-30-year-old's body... ;o) But, whatever...I'll get into it for my kids, I suppose--this being Ava's first Halloween, we didn't do much: I borrowed a ladybug costume from a friend and she wore that over a shirt and jeans...I didn't even get black pants to make it match. It stayed on for maybe two hours. Anyhow, I DID get some cute pictures! There were a lot less trick-or-treaters this year...not sure why. Usually I buy a bunch of really good candy so that I have good leftovers to snack on, but I didn't feel like spending the money this year (and there's usually little left) so I bought the gigantic bag of cheapo candy and....we have most of it left. Ugh...thank goodness for teaching, I can take it to work and give it to the kids! I think the best part about Halloween was that at Ava's bedtime, we put a note on the door requesting that people knock quietly and not ring the doorbell and EVERYONE was kind enough to respect our wishes--they even whispered when they said "trick or treat!!" I put "baby sleeping" on the note as well and one little girl said, "I hope your baby stays asleep. I LOVE babies!"
--Ava helped me vote on Tuesday! It's so funny, I remember after the 2004 elections I said to a friend that the weirdest thing would be that at the 2008 elections, I'd probably be dragging a kid along when voting! Indeed...
Anyhow, we were very fortunate that there was NO wait. None at all...only about three people were even there...the most time we spent was talking to the workers, who were gushing over the youngest voter they'd seen that day. (Ava...not me! ;o)
--Only two weeks until the family arrives for Thanksgiving! Thus far it will be my parents, Billy, Lauren (Billy's girlfriend), and I have my fingers crossed that Michael will be able to make it as well.
--We've chosen colors for the siding, trim, shutters, stone, and brick on the house, as well as picked the style of window...they should be breaking ground any day now! This whole process takes forever and involves a lot of fighting with stupid builders who are trying to get out of building the house according to the blueprints we agreed upon, and now probably won't be done until April or May. What a pain....I just want to be moved already!
--Ava's favorite thing is a little blankie we call "Duckie." Duckie is a soft little blanket (about 1 sq. foot) with a duck head on one end...it's like some new thing so that babies don't carry around big old mangy security blankets, I guess. We try to restrict Duckie to the crib, but will sometimes bring it out if we want Ava to settle down in preparation for bedtime...it's like a signal to her that it's time to go to sleep, and she'll cuddle it and suck her fingers. Well, the original Duckie was given to us by Craig's Aunt Liz, and was purchased at a little boutique up in MA where she lives...so when I set out to find another one as backup I had no luck! Anyhow, Pat (Craig's mom) asked Liz about the duckies and she was kind enough to go back to the shop and find/send us two more! I gave all three Duckies to Ava at once and she was overwhelmed...she immediately started sucking her fingers and grabbing at each of the duckies! Ha!
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--Halloween was okay. I'm not a big fan of it...I hate dressing up in costumes and as an adult, the thought of an entire holiday in which kids go door-to-door and get complete strangers to give them candy seems pretty absurd. (I know, it's almost like I'm a cranky old woman trapped in an almost-30-year-old's body... ;o) But, whatever...I'll get into it for my kids, I suppose--this being Ava's first Halloween, we didn't do much: I borrowed a ladybug costume from a friend and she wore that over a shirt and jeans...I didn't even get black pants to make it match. It stayed on for maybe two hours. Anyhow, I DID get some cute pictures! There were a lot less trick-or-treaters this year...not sure why. Usually I buy a bunch of really good candy so that I have good leftovers to snack on, but I didn't feel like spending the money this year (and there's usually little left) so I bought the gigantic bag of cheapo candy and....we have most of it left. Ugh...thank goodness for teaching, I can take it to work and give it to the kids! I think the best part about Halloween was that at Ava's bedtime, we put a note on the door requesting that people knock quietly and not ring the doorbell and EVERYONE was kind enough to respect our wishes--they even whispered when they said "trick or treat!!" I put "baby sleeping" on the note as well and one little girl said, "I hope your baby stays asleep. I LOVE babies!"
--Ava helped me vote on Tuesday! It's so funny, I remember after the 2004 elections I said to a friend that the weirdest thing would be that at the 2008 elections, I'd probably be dragging a kid along when voting! Indeed...
Anyhow, we were very fortunate that there was NO wait. None at all...only about three people were even there...the most time we spent was talking to the workers, who were gushing over the youngest voter they'd seen that day. (Ava...not me! ;o)
--Only two weeks until the family arrives for Thanksgiving! Thus far it will be my parents, Billy, Lauren (Billy's girlfriend), and I have my fingers crossed that Michael will be able to make it as well.
--We've chosen colors for the siding, trim, shutters, stone, and brick on the house, as well as picked the style of window...they should be breaking ground any day now! This whole process takes forever and involves a lot of fighting with stupid builders who are trying to get out of building the house according to the blueprints we agreed upon, and now probably won't be done until April or May. What a pain....I just want to be moved already!
--Ava's favorite thing is a little blankie we call "Duckie." Duckie is a soft little blanket (about 1 sq. foot) with a duck head on one end...it's like some new thing so that babies don't carry around big old mangy security blankets, I guess. We try to restrict Duckie to the crib, but will sometimes bring it out if we want Ava to settle down in preparation for bedtime...it's like a signal to her that it's time to go to sleep, and she'll cuddle it and suck her fingers. Well, the original Duckie was given to us by Craig's Aunt Liz, and was purchased at a little boutique up in MA where she lives...so when I set out to find another one as backup I had no luck! Anyhow, Pat (Craig's mom) asked Liz about the duckies and she was kind enough to go back to the shop and find/send us two more! I gave all three Duckies to Ava at once and she was overwhelmed...she immediately started sucking her fingers and grabbing at each of the duckies! Ha!
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