Millimanstream

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

2009-08-03T20:18:00.000-07:00

I know, I should be packing and getting ready for my big trip tomorrow, but after receiving an email from the American Cancer Society today on the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, I put a lot of time and energy into starting a team and getting my "site" up and running.

Soon after my friend, Helle, died several months ago I swore that I'd try to do something to join the fight against breast cancer.

Please join us or if you can't walk, please consider donating to this worthwhile cause.

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?px=12593530&pg=personal&fr_id=19932&s_src=PPCviewpage

Just checking in

2009-08-02T19:19:00.001-07:00

Friday I packed the girls up and headed for Rowan University in NJ. We took a pretty good route and still ended up getting there in 3 hours 45 min. It "should" take under 3 hours. Of course, Mapquest never factors in traffic! Returning today took even longer. The girls were great and Rich made it really great by getting back first and going to The Little Kitchen for take out and Trader Joe's for some items. We actually had a healthy meal on the tail end of a weekend!

Camp was good. It's always good to reconnect with old friends we've known over our 6 years of being an adoptive family. We saw a family from our first travel group that came all the way from MI! We saw another family from our second group, too. Friends we see at home came with their 2 year old, which was great for Lola. They enjoyed being in the same group.

Grace did a great job sticking to her GF/CF diet. There were a few tense moments, but for the most part she is doing really great. I don't know if I'm seeing any behavioral improvements, though. I'll have to say that since starting this diet, Rich has started his own healthful eating plan, complete with calorie counting app on his iphone and is doing remarkably well. I think it's the fun technology that's keeping him interested. The last I'd heard he'd lost 4 lbs.

Tomorrow is cleaning lady day. That means the cleaning ladies come and I "clean" in front of them so they can actually clean. Then I've got loads of laundry and errands. We're heading out for Keuka on Tuesday morning. We're meeting up with my sister and her partner from CA and my brother, his wife and son from NJ and my parents. Should be a fun week!

I'll also catch up with one of my long-time friends that also lives in CA. We have a day planned for Thursday. Rich will come Friday and Saturday we leave for Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls, Canada. While up there we'll visit a friend of his from work that is from Canada and will be home for the weekend and also my aunt and uncle that have a cottage on Lake Erie.

I'm still suffering from the poison whatever that got me. I've been amazed to see it "spread" from one arm to many parts of my body, including my face and eyelids! I've been an itchy mess and wish I had gone to the doctor. I feel like I must be on the mend now and going to the doctor might be pointless. Frankly, I don't have a doctor for myself! I was thinking that if it had been one of my kids that had this kind of rash show up on them that I would have had them at the doctor's office as soon as possible! Sad how moms don't take as good of care of themselves as they do of their kids! With that, I'll give myself the gift of sleep!

Beach Day

2009-07-25T19:03:00.000-07:00

We got up late today, which was nice. I'm still not feeling great with poison ivy covering a lot of my body! One arm just burns and my neck and jawline are itchy. I found some new spots on my shoulder/back and leg. When will this end?! I did have a headache again today and still feel tired. I guess it's from the poison in my body.

After lounging around we decided to just hit Compo beach so I could rest. The beach was the most crowded I've ever seen it, but it was still fun. We saw friends there, too. The kids had a ball with their new boogie boards. I bought them months ago when in the Poconos at Five Below. Oh, how I wish we had a Five Below around here! If you haven't been, you're missing out!

We had the food from the beach concession, which isn't the healthiest, but is convenient. I will say I got a big thing of carrots and celery and made the kids eat that before they got anything too junky!

We went home and rested through the afternoon. Then we decided to try to find a water restaurant for dinner. I had seen one in So Norwalk when I was at Klaff's recently. This is the place:
http://www.sonoseaportseafood.com/sonodining.html

Unfortunately, it was very crowded with an hour wait for the patio and 20 minutes for indoors. We opted to leave and check out the place across the bridge that a friend had told me about. The place turned out to be Overton's and was the kind of little local place we love!
http://www.overtons-seafood.com/index.html

Ok, so the kids could only eat the chicken nuggets and my dinner of fried shrimp and onion rings and slaw tasted like it could have been about anything fried, it was still a fun place to eat. Oh, and the chocolate milkshake tasted like vanilla. I have to have a really chocolatey milkshake. Still, though, it's a fun place if you like fried seafood.

Here is another waterfront restaurant that is located right next to Overton's:
http://www.harborlightsrestaurant-ct.com/index2.htm

So, we have two waterfront restaurants that we want to try before the summer is over! The tricky part is that we're toying with the idea of trying a gluten free/caseine free diet with Grace. That's really going to cramp our eating out style!

Well, off to try to make a dent in the last part of The Ten Year Nap. Book discussion on Monday!

Poison Ivy

2009-07-23T16:52:00.000-07:00

I've really just not been in the mood to blog this week! With low energy and a nice bout of poison ivy and a broken computer, I've just sat out for several days! Of course, some days I wonder why I bother. Does anyone read this anyway?! If you do, please drop me a comment.

We went to the DE Water Gap over the weekend and had a really nice time. Somehow I got poison ivy. I walked between our campsites with shorts and don't have any on my legs. Somehow I got it on one arm. It has now spread to the other arm and to my jawline. Ugh! I hate to see where it shows up tomorrow!

I took my car for it's 30K maintenance this week. They forgot to change the thingy that tells you how much oil life you have left. If you have a Honda Odyssey (non-Touring edition) I have a trick for you! The guy told me how to fix it, which is usually hush-hush. First use the button that changes the odometer to temp and oil life and trip counters. Push it and hold it til it flashes. Once it flashes, push it once and it will re-set the oil life to 100%. This wasn't the first time this has happened. I was happy not to have to drive to the dealer for them to do this little trick!

Here is something cool that is happening this weekend:

www.betsyk.com/events.html

We went to a really great pediatric dentist today. Her name is Dr. Viera and she's in Norwalk. She had three full-size old video games in her office. I played Centipede like in the old days! The doctor spoke with us through the glass to say "hello" and how cute the girls were. Then she took a long time with both of them to explain everything. She actually did the cleaning! She was very loving and nurturing. I really feel fortunate to have found her. Our old ped dentist in Allentown called a friend of hers in CT who referred us to Dr. Viera. We have issues with the girls' teeth and now I feel confident that we'll keep them under control.

I've been looking for a dentist for a year now who takes our insurance and who has been referred by someone-anyone! Rich's doctor has a patient who's late husband was a dentist. She referred two dentists and one is on our plan. So, through this most circuitous route, I've hopefully found my new dentist. I must now call to see if I can get an appointment!

Camp finishes up for Grace tomorrow. Big sigh. I'm looking for fun for the next weeks leading up to school starting. Monday we'll be at the mommy book club in the morning. Maybe hit the Westport Library storytime on Monday afternoon. Tuesday a fun children's concert at noon in Trumbull is where we'll be with Moms EMT. Here's the performer:

www.amyrogell.com

Wednesday I'm meeting a friend in the city. Woohoo! If you have any ideas for fun places to go or things to do, let me know!

Thursday is playgroup. I'll also be waiting for this group to pick up a bunch of donations:
http://www.pickupplease.org/vva/veterans-donation.aspx?gclid=CMLOpcCH7ZsCFUdM5QodO1I5-g

Friday we're heading to Vietnam Culture Camp at Rowan University for the weekend. This will be our 4th culture camp! It's a wonderful way to be with families like ours and to learn about Vietnamese culture. The kids have a blast and learn a lot and make lasting friendships. The very wonderful group that hosts culture camp is Catalyst Foundation.

http://catalystfoundation.org/

While we're talking about very worthwhile charities, did you know you can donate to Paul's Kids and send two children in Vietnam to school for a year for just $100! We've been sending kids to school for the past two years now and just signed up for a third year. It feels great!

http://paulskids.typepad.com/home/welcome.html

Went to Bobby Q's for dinner tonight. We go because it's ultra kid-friendly. However, every time I go I think how the food just isn't that great. Oh well. At least I didn't have to cook!

Disappointment

2009-07-16T18:54:00.000-07:00

I had a busy day trying to clean up around the house and get ready for our weekend camping trip. (We're going to Delaware Water Gap in PA.) I also had to go to Rich's work to get a paper notarized, which led to lunch.

Needless to say, dinner was an after-thought! I gave Rich the option of leftovers, take out or The Beach Cafe. He chose the cafe, but didn't get home til well after 6. We hustled over to make our reservation and found it not to be crowded at all. In fact, our kids were the first there for movie night. Finding Nemo was playing. For some reason Lola had no interest in staying upstairs with Grace to eat and watch the movie.

I should have seen it coming. The whole idea is to get a nice dinner without the kids, but that wasn't to be tonight. Not much good came out of this evening.

Rich ordered the French onion soup to start. It was very salty and featured two bay leaves. I told him at least that means he'll have good luck! Then I tried my fish tacos. The first time I was there I had them and liked them. This time they just weren't very good and I couldn't even eat it all. Rich's lobster roll was poor. He mentioned that Stew's lobster rolls he had last night were so much better. Tonight's were $20 for one vs. the $10 for two at Stew's.

By the way, even though we enjoyed last weeks' meal there, Rich said the meatballs weren't good with the spaghetti and meatballs. I don't eat meat and wouldn't know. How do you mess up spaghetti and meatballs?!

The service tonight was really poor, the food was poor and the price was double what it should have been. They even charged us $3 for the chocolate milk that Lola had upstairs when she went up briefly-after already charging for it downstairs.

So, Rich has declared that The Beach Cafe is off our list. Darn. It was a great idea!

To top it all off, Rich had to drive to Waterbury tonight to get our Airstream from the "shop." Too bad there is now a thunder and lightning storm! I hope his trip goes smoothly!

Around Town

2009-07-15T20:19:00.000-07:00

I should really write down during the day what I plan to write at night. When it's late and I'm tired I tend to forget what I was going to blog about!

After camp drop off, we headed to Fairfield for an errand. We first stopped into the McDonald's in Westport. At 1:45 pm the place was a mob scene. Parking was a bear and the line inside was long. I told Lola I was sorry, but that we weren't waiting. In the year we've been here I have never been there because there is no drive through. I decided to treat her for her potty training efforts today. We ended up going to Arby's on the return trip because they have a drive-through.

Then we passed the Westport Inn. Turns out that Conte's will be opening there soon. They're new website is here http://www.contesmarketandgrill.com/ . They used to be on Saugatuck Ave and had closed not too long ago. I have a www.restaurant.com coupon for their old location and wonder if they'll honor it.

We stopped into the car wash on the way back from our errand and I wasn't really paying attention. I always just ask for the "regular wash." They often have the $9.99 outside wash deal, which is what I want. The guy said "you want the in and out, right?" I thought he was referring to a quick wash where you get in and out fast. After we walked inside I saw them trying to vacuum over the mounds of stuff in the car. I ran out to find that the "In and Out" is the $17.99 inside and out wash. Glad I stopped them in time!

After camp we went to Stew Leonard's again. Even after the bad seafood I got from there I purchased the lobster rolls for Rich's dinner. By the way, they're 2 for $9.99 and delicious, he said. He had the lobster roll from the snack shop at Compo beach one day and it was around $14 for one. He said it was very good, too. But, you can't beat Stew's price!

Oh, another thing I learned from a friend after my fish incident, was that Fjord Fisheries has excellent fish. I saw it today behind Pho Mekong (yummy Thai and Vietnamese food) on Post Rd. If I ever get brave enough to try to cook fish again, I'll try them. I've also heard from several people that the Rowayton Fish Company is very good and on the water. http://www.rowaytonseafood.com/home.html

We got a lot of stuff for our upcoming camping trip and then got the requisite ice cream that is free with over $100 purchase. I got Lola chocolate ice cream, which really wasn't very tasty. Grace wanted to try the tart yogurt. She actually liked it. We enjoyed visiting the animals. It was fun to see the guy again that takes care of the animals. He was on break and had just gone over to pet the baby goat. It's apparent that he really loves the animals. Last visit we saw him feeding the goat with a bottle. He said she drinks whole milk. One tip he offered is that if you want to pet them, go to the road-side of the pen and find some hay on the ground. You can reach over more easily and they'll certainly come if you have food!

Tonight we went to Levitt Pavilion for the first time. Princess Katie and Racer Steve performed. It was a cute venue and the group was really great. The kids had a ball and had no trouble going to sleep tonight!

There were fliers in the library parking lot for Robeks. They offer a nightly special from 6-9 pm at their Westport store for a 4 oz tart yogurt with three toppings. We'll have to check it out now that we know Grace is a tart yogurt fan!

Moms in Weston

2009-07-14T18:58:00.000-07:00

Had a nice day at Compo yesterday and today at the pond in Weston. Tonight I went to Southport Brewing Company with Mom's EMT friends. It's been a nice time talking with other moms this week.

Tomorrow night at Levitt is Princess Katie and Racer Steve. I hear they're good and just may go check them out.

Potty training is actually going pretty well. Lola has peed twice on the potty and made many more attempts. She's getting stickers, prizes, candy-whatever works!

Catherine of Bubbles n' Cups has started a mom's group in Weston. Check out the blog at www.westonctmoms.wordpress.com . Also find them on Facebook under "Moms in Weston."

After having been pres of my MOMS Club in Allentown, I entertained the idea of starting a chapter here. Fortunately, I put it off long enough and now have someone else doing all the work! Sometimes it's nice to be a follower instead of the leader! Thanks, Catherine! I do promise to help where needed, though!

Busy weekend!

2009-07-12T19:58:00.001-07:00

We had such a fun and busy weekend! Ok, Friday night wasn't so great at Quassy, but Saturday we went to the Weston Farmer's Market. Grace enjoyed the storyteller very much. We then went to MacDaddy's Mac and Cheese Bar in Georgetown. It was pretty good, but nothing amazing for the price. Then we went to Westport and walked around the sidewalk sale, got ice cream at Ben & Jerry's and then went to the Bon Odori Festival. We enjoyed hearing the drummers and seeing the dancing and just hanging out with friends.

Then Rich and I went to the Saltwater Grille in Stamford. We had a nice meal overlooking a marina and then drove around Stamford, where we lived briefly back in '01. Yes, we were there during 9/11. Then we drove around Greenwich and then as we were passing through Darien decided to hit the Melting Pot for chocolate fondue. What an eating frenzy!

Today we went to the Stamford Nature Center. They have a farm with animals that the kids loved seeing. There were turkeys and guinea hens walking around-free range style. The observatory was open for public viewing of the sun. We went up to check out the telescope and see the big circle that was the sun. No sun spots today-darn! There was a guy giving exotic animal talks and we were able to see an iguana, ferrets, frogs, millipede and turtle. The kids had fun touching them-or not!

We topped the visit off with play in the really great playground. There is a large slide and a bird's nest and a big hollow tree to play in. From there we went to eat at Route 22 in Stamford. It was pretty good. They told us that on Sundays from 12-4 they usually have a kid's club where kids get to do fun things while the parents eat. Since they were slow today they weren't doing it. Darn, again!

After that we went to Wal-Mart for some potty training supplies. Lord help me! Anyway, a great weekend was had by all!

Quassy Redux

2009-07-10T19:19:00.000-07:00

Today I had to go to Klaff's to take care of some plumbing issues. I realized we were so close to the aquarium that we should pop in since we are members after all. Lola actually loved Klaff's and all the pretty lighting and shiny bath fixtures!

I found a spot in the lot right by the aquarium and was lucky enough for the guy who was leaving to tell me the space was paid for all day. So, free parking it was! We ran around the aquarium and checked out the penguins for the first time. Lola had a ball. We headed back to camp to get Grace and Lola was asleep within minutes of beginning the drive back to Weston.

Tonight we went to Quassy for the 25 cent night. Well, the first time we went we had such a good time and it was a good experience. This time it was a zoo! It was so crowded that we stayed for an hour and left. The lines for rides and food were so long. While the kids were on the merry go round I got us cotton candy and then stood in the train line. I was almost to the front when the ride was closed because the train broke.

We decided to get something to eat on the way home. We stopped at Swanky Frank's in Newtown. It's your standard roadside grub with picnic tables outside. I had my yearly milkshake. So, not all was lost.

One thing we did do right was avoided the Merritt and took back roads. That saved us about 15-20 minutes driving north. On the way home we went the same way and I saw a racoon. So, we learned what route to take and to go to Quassy early in the season. We may try to go back again in the fall.

Tomorrow it's looking like we'll check out the Weston Farmer's Market and the new MacDaddy's in Georgetown. Yum-they only serve mac and cheese and salad. Interesting-wish I had thought of that! Then we plan to go to the Japanese Festival. Finally, we have a sitter tomorrow night and aren't sure what we're doing except relaxing without kids for a few hours!

The Beach Cafe

2009-07-09T18:32:00.001-07:00

If you have kids and need a break you've got to check out The Beach Cafe in Fairfield! www.beachcafefairfield.com

We made a reservation and got there right after 6. It wasn't crowded-we got a great corner table. Then the kids went upstairs for their dinner and a movie! The movie was Space Chimps and there is a sitter up there that takes care of the kids while the parents eat downstairs. The price is $8.95/kid plus tax and tip, which was a real bargain in our book. When we were done we went up to get the kids and they wanted us to go back downstairs! There was another movie starting and they were having a ball!

We're thinking of Quassy for tomorrow night! Love the 25 cent Friday nights!

Magic Show and beyond

2009-07-08T19:17:00.000-07:00

Today we picked Grace up from camp and headed to Nails and More on Post Rd in Westport. They were packed and we ended up waiting 40 minutes for a chair. They're packed for good reason Mon-Wed. They offer a mani and pedi for $25! Lola's class gave the teachers a gift certificate from there as a parting gift this year.

I figured I'd take the kids with me to get a pedi so I wouldn't have to pay a sitter. I figured it would be a wash. Well, that's not exactly accurate. The place asks you things like "do you want your calluses removed" and "do you want quick dry?" Of course, you say yes to both not knowing there is an upcharge for each additional item. Grace got a pedi and then got a mani-both with extras that weren't cleared through me. She got flowers painted on two toes and hearts on two fingers. Luckily the technician gave her those extras for free!

I didn't have time to get my mani and came out with a pedi. The girl did end up cutting my pinky toe with the file, which smarted! Everyone was really nice and we will go back, but knowing that the $25 special will likely end up costing $35 when it's all said and done. I spent $71 for both of us with tip. Would have been cheaper to leave the kids with a sitter! Grace was thrilled, so it was worth it this once!

We checked out the Learning Express because we had a birthday gift that was defective. They were pretty good about giving us a credit. I don't see me shopping there much as the prices are very high. But, if you want a quick stop birthday shopping experience, this may be for you.

We went to the Magic of Lyn tonight, which was changed from Levitt to Saugatuck Elementary School. It was a fantastic show! Friends had great seats and let Grace sit with them while Rich, Lola and I sat farther back with other friends. It was a nice night and really worth the price! The Good Humor Man was outside afterwards and the kids got treats. Lola went to bed with what looked like small hives on her cheeks from the Dora pop. I hope they're gone in the morning!

Tomorrow is playgroup, the pond and the piano tuner. Grace had her piano lesson today and did surprisingly well for no practice!

Lunch Bunch and Levitt

2009-07-07T18:25:00.000-07:00

Today Lola and I went to the Lunch Bunch with Miss Joy at the Weston Library. We had gone last year when we first moved here and it was packed. Grace was all over the place and Miss Joy wasn't too pleased with us. Today it was a small group and Lola sat right with me and paid close attention. She didn't participate much, but did enjoy herself.

Miss Joy is extremely animated in her reading style, which holds the attention of young and old alike. She read several books, played recorded music and sang and danced to it and played a "movie," which was like the old film strips we used to watch as kids with audio.

http://bubblesncups.wordpress.com/ Here is a picture from Catherine at Bubble n' Cups showing Miss Joy and one of her many facial expressions!

We had a really nice time! It was topped off by a lollipop and bubbles to take home!

We then went to Trader Joe's in the torrential downpour. Lola is always a sucker for a balloon. Don't forget to ask for stickers!

We picked Grace up from camp and went to Bisceglie-Scribner park to play on the playground for a while. Then went home to play in the yard while I set up for dinner.

Tonight's creation was just fabulous compared to last night's fiasco with the disgusting fish. I've since learned not to buy fish or seafood from Stew's in Norwalk. Anyway, tonight I made the braised chicken legs recipe from http://www.notakeout.com/. The recipe is one from Alice Waters of Chez Panisse fame. I'm not a huge fan of dark meat, but it was just so delicious in it's tomato and garlic sauce. Of course, the kids didn't eat it, even without the sauce. Rich thought it was really good. Phew. Sometimes I wonder why I bother to make nice meals, but it's nights like these that I realize why-at least he and I can eat well!

Tomorrow night the Magic of Lyn is performing at the Levitt Pavillion. We just may go!

We actually are home this weekend! We are thinking of going to Quassy again on Friday night for their 25 cent night. Saturday and Sunday are wide open! A friend mentioned an Italian festival, but I haven't seen anything about it. We have a sitter for Saturday night, but no plans. I love thinking of what the weekend might hold! Any suggestions are always welcome!

Bubbles and Stew's

2009-07-06T19:34:00.000-07:00

Grace went to camp today. She's attending the Little Explorers Camp through the town of Weston. She came home with a bubble recipe I thought I'd share. I've made plenty of homemade play dough, but never homemade bubbles.

World's Best Bubbles (from The Ultimate Book of Kid Concoctions)

What You Will Need:
2 1/2 qts. water
1/2 c light corn syrup
1 c liquid dish detergent

How to Concoct It:
1. Mix water and corn syrup together until completely blended.
2. Gently stir in the liquid dish detergent.
3. World's Best Bubbles will store for several weeks in an airtight container.

Concoction Tips and Ideas:
Add a little color to your bubbles by stirring in a few drops of food coloring.
Create bubbles in many different sizes by dipping various items such as a plastic strawberry basket or wire whisk into the bubble solution.

Lola and I picked Grace up from camp and headed for Stew Leonard's today. We had no food in the fridge after our vacation. I grabbed a few printed recipes from www.notakeout.com and figured I'd actually go to the store with meals planned. The kids both fell asleep, which gave me time to write out a list before we went in. Since it was so late I let them have ice cream before we shopped. We then took it and headed over to check out the animals. We got to watch one of the workers feeding the baby goat with a bottle!

I saw a sign there that said Friday nights they have character visits from 6:30-7:30. And, the best thing I learned was that if you spend over $100 you get a free ice cream cone. Save your receipt as the freebie doesn't have to be used on the same visit and doesn't expire.

Getting through Stew's can take a long time. Since I don't know the store that well I ended up not getting everything on my list and didn't have the items I needed to complete even one meal! I did wing it when we got home. I grilled the sea bass and also grilled some veggies and made couscous. The sea bass was so disgusting noone would eat it. It was so fishy and rubbery. I don't know if that's what sea bass normally tastes like, was the quality of the fish or my cooking skills. But I know it will be a long time before I attempt cooking fish again. Yuck! Had some Frosted Flakes later while watching Two and a Half Men-makes me LMAO!

Grace had no interest in going to the Wilton Library for their drop-in craft today. We did make a soap craft at home tonight, though. She loves crafts, but isn't liking me deciding our outings.

Lola and I plan to go to the Lunch Bunch tomorrow at the Weston Library. Bring a blanket and lunch and meet us there at noon!

We're home!

2009-07-05T19:41:00.000-07:00

Phew-what a long week away! I won't go into details, but suffice it to say that I'm glad to be home!

Grace starts three weeks of camp in Weston tomorrow. I'll be spending the time doing laundry to catch up after vacation. Lola and I will have to hit the grocery store, too.

Wilton Library has drop-in crafts from 10-8 on Mondays. Maybe we'll go there before camp.

Looking forward to catching up with everyone!

Finger Lakes

2009-06-26T17:52:00.000-07:00

I'm from a small town called Penn Yan in the Finger Lakes region of New York state. It's one of my favorite places in the world. It wasn't as a teen living there, but now is as an adult going back to visit! We're leaving tomorrow to camp for the week.

If you're ever looking for a nice get-away that's not too far from home-approx. 6 hours from Fairfield County, then this could be the place for you!

www.fingerlakes.org

I won't have a computer with me, but may use my parents' computer if I get a chance. So, you'll hear from me when you hear from me! Happy 4th of July!

The Family Coach

2009-06-25T18:17:00.000-07:00

Earlier in the year my husband's company sponsored a day of seminars by The Family Coach, Catherine Pearlman. She was wonderful! I received her newsletter today and thought I'd pass on her website in case you need some help on the homefront!

http://http://www.nyfamilycoach.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=

Moms EMT

2009-06-24T20:06:00.000-07:00

When I moved here I was disappointed not to find a local MOMS Club. I had been the president of my Allentown club and found it a great way to get connected quickly to the local mom scene. I did find this group and have had fun getting to know these women. They have a monthly meeting where the kids are in the classrooms downstairs with sitters while the moms have social time and hear a speaker. There are mom's nights out, playdates and other fun outings. The one drawback is that most of the moms are from Fairfield and Trumbull and most of the outings are over that way, too. What I have found refreshing is that they're all very down-to-earth and friendly.

http://www.momsemt.com/

I had a lovely day today. I did go for my massage and then went into Old Navy to look for a suit. They're all half price, but there aren't many sizes left. I also looked for shoes in the Nine West store and they didn't have anything that I like for NYC tomorrow. I want something comfortable that's cute. I'll have to come up with something from my own closet. I also got my hair cut and highlighted. Not sure I like it yet or not. She really cut a lot and I hadn't even planned to get a haircut!

I'm hitting the big city tomorrow. Should be a fun time!

Decadence Times Two

2009-06-23T20:20:00.000-07:00

We had a fabulous day! It started at Michelle's for playdate with Matthew. She had a delicious lunch of fried veggie rice and chicken nuggets for the kids. Then we got home to find an email from Catherine and headed to meet her and Kim and kids at the pond. We were there til 5. If you haven't been yet, Bisceglie-Scribner Pond in Weston is great! It's just a little man-made pond with a sand beach, life guards and playground. It's free for Weston residents. And, residents can bring guests for free. The kids had a ball! The moms enjoyed chatting.

Tomorrow we'll go to Pam's for her Arbonne open house, Grace will have her piano lesson (www.musika.com -the teacher comes to us!) and then the sitter will come. I'll head to Massage Envy. I joined at the beginning of the year and have really enjoyed the massages! They have a reasonable membership option:
www.massageenvy.com

Then I'll go to the salon for highlights (Ultima Thule in Westport-it's a nice, full-service salon that takes walk ins!) and then to get a mani/pedi. I'm going to try the place on Post Rd near Edible Arrangements. Mon-Wed they have a mani/pedi special for $25! In between I may even shop for that bathing suit I really need. That's the part I'm not looking forward to!

Fairfield Families

2009-06-22T18:31:00.000-07:00

Wow! This is a great site! I scour for fun stuff to do and it's all right here!

www.fairfieldfamilies.com

While checking out the week's events you can click on Chef's Table. They have live children's music on Tuesdays from 10 am-11 am. They also have live music for adults other times. The menu looks great! This is the place that's right next to Carvel on Post Rd.

http://www.chefstable.com/home.html

I'm going to go start reading the new book club selection. I haven't read a novel in years! Yes, sad, but true!

Last day of school, 1st camp day

2009-06-22T14:16:00.000-07:00

Despite the threatening weather we headed to Wilton after Grace got home from school. I can't believe my baby is a second grader now! Here is my "green" kid from the Weston Forum:
http://www.thewestonforum.com/ But, I digress.

We got to the library and I should have seen it coming when the parking lot was packed and there was no carnival to be seen. We did, luckily, find a good spot and headed inside. The carnival was indoors in a "large" room and overflowing into the courtyard. The first thing we did was get in line for popcorn. We waited 20 minutes and got two small bags filled half-full. After that I told Grace we'd go shopping instead!

But, while I was there, I checked for The Ten Year Nap and was able to check it out! Yay, that's for the new book club that's meeting in July.

We then headed over to Krik-it. They're having an amazing sale. I let Grace pick whatever she wanted from the 75% off rack and then she tried it all on. She got lots of summer clothes for a great price! Lola had a ball playing with the blocks, piano and watching Pinky Dinky Doo!

We hit Stop and Shop for dinner essentials and headed home. Now, I've got to get moving on these chicken shish kebabs. The recipe came by email from Self today and sounds great!

The girls are now watching The Little Mermaid and I'll have some time to cook!

Tomorrow will be a playdate in the morning and anything goes in the afternoon! If you're doing something fun and want company, let us know! :)

More Library Fun

2009-06-22T06:19:00.000-07:00

The Wilton Library also has a fun-filled summer planned! Today is their carnival to kick-off the summer reading program! I had planned to go to Westport for storytime later today, but if the weather holds we'll head to Wilton instead!

http://www.wiltonlibrary.org/childrens/

I tried to sign up for the marine animal activity and we're on the waiting list.

NY Aquarium and Coney Island

2009-06-21T20:08:00.000-07:00

Started the morning off with Rich's parents here and a Father's Day breakfast. After they left we headed to Brooklyn to the NY Aquarium. Since we're members of the Bronx Zoo we also get into the aquarium for free and get free parking. They had a special mermaid day and a real live mermaid made an appearance at the sea lion show along with some synchronized swimmers. It was the best sea lion show I've ever seen. The mermaid Grace insisted was someone with a tail covering her legs.

We ate lunch in their cafe, which was standard cafeteria food. Did get a 10% discount for members.

After looking around at more fishies we headed out to the boardwalk. The kids got Italian ice and Rich and Grace got some dogs at the original Nathan's. We'd heard that Coney Island was pretty seedy now, but it's really not so bad. It's definitely a mix of people, which we rather enjoyed.

The trip home was tough with traffic and the GPS taking us a screwy way. It took just about 2 hours to get home. It took about an hour and 20 to get there. I don't see going back often or by myself with the kids, but would go again at some point.

Grace's last day of school tomorrow and "Camp Milliman" officially starts! Lord, give me strength! haha

Lockwood Mathews Mansion

2009-06-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

I really must go to sleep, but found www.fairfieldcountychild.com and have been reading through and clicking links and the time just flies by!

The mansion near Stepping Stones is offering monthly storytimes. This would be neat-too bad none of the dates work for me-how 'bout you?

www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.org

Danbury Fair Kidz Camp

2009-06-20T19:59:00.000-07:00

The Danbury mall is having a Kidz Camp this summer. It sounds pretty good with entertainment and crafts. Unfortunately, it looks like you have to sign up on June 30 in person. I may call in our registration as we'll be out of town that week.

http://www.danburyfairmall.com/assets/danburyfairmall/Sales_Promotions/KidzCampFlyer.pdf

The mall has a kids play area-and says they have a new play area. So, don't know if they added another one or just updated the existing one. Anyway, we have fun just going to the mall for a junky dinner and carousel ride. If we can pair that with camp, that would be a nice outing!

Day recap

2009-06-20T19:19:00.000-07:00

This morning Grace was up by 7:30, which didn't give me much sleeping in time! My little Lola is a champion sleeper and got up around 9:15.

Spent the morning just cleaning up and doing laundry. Rich's parents called and said they had gotten lost. So, they didn't get in til around 12:30. Rich had gotten the requisite Gold's Deli stuff and the table was set. We all sat down to eat as soon as they got in.

We sat around for a while chatting and then Rich's mom suggested seeing UP. We hurried to get ready and headed to Fairfield. Lola fell asleep in the car and woke up in the theater. She did well and sat for the whole movie-her first movie at a theater-besides IMAX.

What a sad movie! Grace and I were sobbing through a lot of it. Me because I just found it so sad and touching and she for the same reason and because there were some scary, intense parts. She didn't like it much and wanted to go home. If you'd ask her now if she liked it, she may say she did!

We went home and then went back out to The Red Barn http://www.redbarnrestaurant.com/ for dinner. It's not really my type of place-typical continental cuisine-steak and seafood. The place really was an old barn, which I love. Some day I want to live in a barn house. The decor is rustic and filled with antiques. The food was pretty good. Everyone liked their food. I was very disturbed by the iceberg lettuce salad. I mean who serves that kind of pedestrian salad anymore? I'm not a big fish person, but decided to try the fish with BBQ sauce served over lentils. I adore lentils, but what a weird combo. Just didn't work for me.

The kids had the chicken fingers and fries. I tried the chicken finger and it had a lot of bland batter on it and just wasn't very good. Neither ate much. Most likely because they had filled up on bread. The bread was good, but can't usually be messed up too bad.

We skipped dessert and ate the eclairs that Rich's parents brought from Perkins. Well, that made my night!

Now, what to do tomorrow?!

Dinner out with the grandparents

2009-06-20T05:50:00.000-07:00

We're trying to decide where to take Rich's parents for dinner. Of course, must be kid-friendly, have a nice ambiance, good food, etc. Rich immediately mentions Bobby Q's, which he loves, but where we've already taken them! One time we had a lot of family visiting and made a reservation for 9 at Bobby Q's. Little did we know they have a large, private room upstairs. It was like having our own banquet!

Hmm, was thinking The Beach Cafe. I went there on a girls night out once and liked it a lot. I don't drink, but had a pomegranate cosmo-yum! This place has a fun, beachy atmosphere, that reminds me of the Beach Club in Disney World. They have movie nights for kids Thursday and Friday nights. So, I'm thinking since it's Saturday night we should go somewhere else and head there on a Thurs or Fri!

http://www.beachcafefairfield.com/

We've never been to Cobb's Mill Inn, which is debatable whether it's kid-friendly. I read a blog about a woman who went there with her husband and had a lovely time and then with her in-laws and kids and didn't have such a great time. Our decorator went for Mother's Day and said their ovens weren't working and the food was cold. I do want to try it sometime, but may wait for a date night or one of these many ladies nights out I may try at some point.

Rich ate at The Red Barn recently and said it was pretty good. It was your typical continental cuisine, but a Westport landmark-as the Inn is a Weston landmark. That's a possibility. He said he did see a kid's menu, which is always a good sign.

The Georgetown Saloon is a place I keep thinking we'll take my parents. I think it's a bit too honky tonk for Rich's parents. We went on a Sunday night for family night and had a ball. They had a guy playing kid's music and singing and the kids were all up dancing. Rich and I stopped in one night and immediately walked out and headed across the street to Donna Marie's. That was quite good, but didn't have great accoustics. That's also a place I'd hesitate to go with kids. Although, they do have kids' nights, I recall reading.

Rich's parents have already been to Orem's Diner. This is by far our favorite diner in the area. We'll probably go there for breakfast before they leave in the morning. The Sherwood Diner is ok, but is small and the food isn't as good.

I love the carmelized onion pizza at Bertucci's and love how they give kids dough to play with. But, it's not much on atmosphere.

Toozy Pasta in Wilton is fun. We went and sat outside one night and had pizza. It was quite good. There is another place next door that shares the same patio that also looked cute. It's tricky finding these places as they're behind the CVS.

Portofino in Wilton is also good and surprisingly kid-friendly. Hmm, that's an idea for tonight! Remember that when you go it's cash only!

Another place I'd like to try is Coco Bongos. I don't think that would be good for the grandparents, but maybe for Father's Day. I read that dads get a free entree tomorrow!

I could go on and on as we eat out way too much, but I must get ready for our guests! Oh, that also requires that Rich go to Gold's Deli for "deli" for lunch! If you haven't been there, they've got real NY Jewish deli food-it's across from Trader Joe's in Westport. It's also very expensive!

Quassy Recap

2009-06-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

Before I hit the hay with a cotton-candy induced tummy ache, I had to take a minute to report on our adventure.

We hit the road by 5 and took the Merritt. Of course, it was backed up so we didn't get to Quassy til 6:15-would take around 51 mins without traffic.

We purchased $10 worth of tickets and headed in and just started riding rides. It was a gorgeous night and the park is right on a small lake. We enjoyed the carnival, small-town feel of the park, but most of the clientele left something to be desired. Let's just say there were lots of tattoos and smoking.

We had dinner, which consisted of mac and cheese and chicken nuggets. I just ate what the kids didn't eat. That all came to around $16.50-with a soda for Rich. The kids meals do come with Quassy frisbees, which is an added bonus. Although, I got tired of carrying them around!

Rich got several 50 cent hot dogs for himself. The park wasn't too crowded, but we did have to wait for the hot dogs (and later, cotton candy) and for some of the rides. They didn't have enough staff and some of the rides were handled by one person, which meant they took turns running the different rides.

Later we got the 25 cent cotton candy-5 bags per family, which we did take advantage of. Ugh-I ate two whole bags before we got home. Rich had fried dough and Lola had a lollipop. Rich said the dough wasn't that good.

Overall, it was a pleasant experience and we would do it again. We did spend about $40 for the night (including $5 for parking), but have about $3 left in tickets to use another Friday night. The worst part was getting home so late and having hungry kids that had napped either going or coming and then getting them to bed. Lola was in bed by 10:45. Hopefully they'll both sleep in tomorrow!

Quassy Deal

2009-06-19T05:20:00.000-07:00

I was just reminded about this great deal. Since we're not having our BBQ tonight because of all the rain, maybe we'll head to Quassy! It's 25 cent night!

http://http://www.quassy.com/about_press_detail.asp?id=189

Shout Out

2009-06-18T12:02:00.000-07:00

I just joined a mommy book club that starts this summer. I met one of the moms on email that also blogs. Hers is so good I should just give it up! A shout out to you, Catherine! I'll ask her if I can share her link.

Whole Foods has a bunch of recipes to do with kids. Check it out!

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/search-results.php?convenienceId=1

A while back I posted about the summer free movies. Here are a few more links to other theaters with free summer kids' movies!

http://www.bowtiecinemas.com/pdfs/Kids_Flyer_2009_Marquis.pdf
http://www.regmovies.com/nowshowing/familyfilmfestivalschedule.aspx?state=CT

For other free summer fun, don't forget to check the libraries! Weston has a few summer programs and Westport has a whole bunch!

http://www.biblio.org/weston/summerprogram.htm
http://www.westportlibrary.org/children/index.html

Hammonassett

2009-06-14T19:24:00.001-07:00

We just returned from a fabulous camping weekend at Hammonassett Beach State Park. It's only an hour from Weston up I-95. The campground is within walking distance to the beach and is flat with huge spaces. They have a camp store, nature center, jetties, boardwalk, snack bar and trails.

We love the town of Madison. It's very quaint with shops and restaurants. There is a really fun restaurant we found today where we had lunch, ice cream and a carousel ride!
http://ljfishtale.com/page/2683-Home

This trip could also be done as a day trip. We checked out the park several months ago to see if we'd want to camp there and are so happy we found it! We're going back two more times this summer/fall.

Nearby are the Tanger and Premium Clinton Crossings outlets as well as at least three movie theaters. We went for a ride and went through Old Saybrook and Essex. Connecticut is such a beautiful state! We really felt like we were on vacation-and so close to home!

Guilford

2009-06-08T19:41:00.001-07:00

Daily Candy sent this info today about Guilford. Looks like a fun day!
http://www.suzysaid.com/westport/index.php?page=stories&family=momtomom&display=5827

Photos

2009-06-07T19:31:00.001-07:00

A nice playground.

The little restaurant across the street.

I take lots of pix and then Rich uploads them to the computer once a month. I thought I'd post some here of The Dinosaur Place. If your kids love dinos, it's worth checking out!

Splashdown

2009-06-03T20:23:00.000-07:00

I just remembered a sign for Splashdown USA that we've seen on the highway a few times. Mapquest says it's 1h 11 min from our house. Here's the link for a waterpark not too far away
http://www.splashdownbeach.com/index.html

Amusement Parks

2009-06-03T13:11:00.001-07:00

I signed up for the Lake Compounce email newsletters and was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of coupons included!
http://lakecompounce.com/

We haven't been yet, but have heard it's a nice park. If you go, check out their website for online ticket purchase deals.

Another park within an hour drive is Quassy Amusement Park. Check them out at http://www.quassy.com/ I just signed up for their email newsletter and hope they offer coupons, too. Their website has a few deals.

Finally, here is another park to check out http://www.ryeplayland.org/default.htm

I'd love to hear your experiences with any of these parks!

The Dinosaur Place

2009-05-31T18:32:00.000-07:00

Today we went to The Dinosaur Place in Mystic County. We found out about it on a brochure you pick up in those brochure kiosks all over the place. Grace has been wanting to go and we thought we'd check it out.

http://thedinosaurplace.com/

We got there around 11:30 and wanted to eat before we went in. There are a number of restaurants all around the exit (74) off 95. But, we continued to the place and found a little roadside restaurant right across the street. We ordered at the window and sat outside under an umbrella. They had chickens and we also visited them. The fare was standard burgers, grinders, salads, etc. The prices were very reasonable. We noted that they also had ice cream.

We drove across the street and went into the "outside" area and bought tickets. They have a splashpad that isn't open yet, which makes the price less this time of year. We ended up paying under $30 for the four of us. There is a really nice playground where the kids started their day. After that we walked to the side of the lake where there is a volcano that erupts on the hour. There were a group of people gathered waiting for the big event. The volcano starts to make a noise and finally spews steam and water. It doesn't last long and most are disappointed.

We then continue along the path and start checking out the dinosaurs. There are life-size dinosaurs along a pretty wooded path. If you're up for it, there are signs along the way that tell what their names are and their period in history. There are also boxes that you can put your hands in to try to guess what is in them.

After our nice walk we went in to the main building to see what else is offered. They have panning for gold, spin art, candles, cutting geodes and other things along that line. We didn't do any of that, but may go back on a rainy day. Grace was begging to do those things! The prices are pretty steep, but we felt the price for the trail was fine for the day.

After our day there we wanted ice cream. So, instead of buying it at the tourist place, we went back to the little place across the street. We saved about .75 per cone and $1 on the shake.

On the way home we all fell asleep, but Rich drove into the Clinton Premium Outlets (exit 63) to see what stores were there for future reference. We're camping at Hammonasset in a few weeks and may go outlet shopping since it's very close.

Movies

2009-05-29T06:14:00.000-07:00

The free bowling reminded me of the free movies that some theaters offer to kids in the summer. Here is what I've found so far:
http://bowtiecinemas.com/summer_2009.html

The closest Bow Tie offering the free movies is in Stamford. Maybe we'll try it one day there is a movie we really want to see!

Bowling

2009-05-29T05:54:00.000-07:00

I just learned about a great free bowling program for kids at www.kidsbowlfree.com. This allows your kids two free games a day all summer long! They also offer a family pass for up to 4 adults, including sitters and extended family members, for a one-time fee of $23.95. This allows them two free games a day all summer, too!

Since my kids are still young, I've signed up for the free bowling for them. I figure I can take them to the bowling alley and help them bowl a game and then we'll be done! This could be a nice thing to do on a rainy day or a day when it's just too hot and we want to be indoors.

Levitt Pavilion

2009-05-28T15:07:00.000-07:00

After the long weekend and Lola being sick, I've been sick, too. So, not feeling like blogging lately, but did come across something to pass on.

Yes, I heard Tom Jones was going to be in Westport in June. Rich and I always thought it would be fun to see him in concert. In our usual fashion we decide what we're willing to pay for tix and then see how much they cost. I had already checked and asked him what he'd pay and he said $60. Well, tix are $75 and $95. I'm guessing that's the end of that. When you add the price of dinner and a sitter, it makes for a very expensive night!

Anyway, last year I had heard about the great free concerts at Levitt Pavilion and found the link to this years' calendar:
http://www.levittpavilion.com/Pavilionpages/calendar.htm

Looks like a great way to spend some summer evenings!

Thanks to Jessica for all the great ideas in one of the comment sections. If you're checking out my blog, please leave me a comment so I know you came by. I'd love for this to be a place to give eachother information.

Libraries

2009-05-25T17:58:00.000-07:00

I'm really pooped after a long holiday weekend. It was wonderful to be with friends and family at Keuka! Lola had bronchitis last week and I've started coughing a lot today. I hope I don't have it too! I really do need to find myself a doctor, but that's another topic entirely!

While driving through Branchport, NY and passing the local library, I was reminded how great libraries are in general and how really great they are in the summer for kids. This library was advertising "Dumbo" Friday at 6 pm. When I'm up there the week of the 4th we'll definitely be hitting the Penn Yan and Branchport libraries.

When home in Weston, we'll be checking out what the Weston, Wilton, Westport and Fairfield libraries are offering. When I have more energy I'll look up their websites and report back what I find.

Now it's time for my guilty pleasure-"Two and a Half Men."

Newspapers

2009-05-21T19:04:00.000-07:00

Today in the Weston Forum I found a goldmine of information! There is a special section called "100 Things to Do"! There are definitely some ideas there that I didn't know about.

Also, on the Opinions page there was an article on summer vacation. It said in a recent study "State of the World's Children 2009: Investing in the Early Years" by Save the Children, things looked grim for America. 'On the fast track to the bottom of the class for industrialized countries, we are falling behind in the resource this study says is most important: human capital.' The idea this article brought up was to expose children to national parks. Since we don't have one here, it pointed out that there is something close in the Branchville section of Wilton, the Weir Farm National Historic Site. I've been meaning to check it out. This is the only National Park Service site dedicated to American Painting.
http://www.nps.gov/wefa/

Trains

2009-05-20T19:56:00.000-07:00

Today I had a super-busy day and also a sick kid. Poor Lola has had a cold and now a fever to go with the congestion and cough. She got so cranky and just wanted to sit on my lap and watch Wow Wow Wubzy. While watching an episode about trains, it got me thinking about train outings this summer.

Here is what I've found so far:

Essex Steam Train and Riverboat-Essex, CT
http://essexsteamtrain.com/

Railroad Museum of Northeast CT-Thomaston, CT
http://www.rmne.org/

Danbury Railway Museum
http://www.danbury.org/drm/

Reciprocity

2009-05-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

I'm all about getting the info out there for these wonderful museums! Here is the reciprocity list I was able to gather. I believe all of these could be day trips from Fairfield County.

Stepping Stones-Norwalk-my kids love the water room-bring extra clothes
The Children's Museum-West Hartford-kids enjoyed it
Kid City Children's Museum-Middletown-kids enjoyed it-nice town to walk around and have lunch
Children's Museum of South East CT-Niantic-only saw the outside, but it's right near the Niantic Boardwalk, which is fun to walk along
Imagine Nation Children's Museum-Bristol
Lutz Children's Museum-Manchester
Brooklyn Children's Museum
Children's Museum of Manhattan-several friens have said this place is fun

Beardsley Zoo-Bridgeport-nice local zoo-has a carousel
Bergen County Zoological Park-Paramus
Staten Island Zoo

Bronx Zoo-large and wonderful zoo
NY Aquarium-Brooklyn
Prospect Park Zoo
Queens Zoo
Central Park Zoo

Mashantucket Pequot Museum-Mashantucket-fun to walk around Foxwoods and have lunch and play in the arcade while there
N/A

Maritime Aquarium-Norwalk-fun to walk around SONO while in the area
N/A

February "Camp Milliman"

2009-05-19T11:34:00.000-07:00

Dress up and painting

Decorating a big box for a fort

Making a pinata

Making and decorating cupcakes

Stepping Stones with Yan and John

Stepping Stones with Gabriella

Chocolate fondue-marshmallows!

The EMS at IKEA

Here are some of the fun things we did over the February vacation. While I was disappointed not to go to Florida, we made our own phone right in our own neck of the woods!

Memberships

2009-05-19T11:10:00.000-07:00

"A family we know does this, and has a loose schedule for each day on the fridge when the kids wake up - as a general guide that helps everyone know what to expect, rather than re-inventing it all each day. They have found that helpful. Good luck!" Barbara

This was posted to my Facebook note on this subject. Thanks, Barbara! I know that Grace does better with a schedule. I'll definitely have a schedule mapped out so she knows what to expect.

So, to continue with the thought about memberships...

Stepping Stones
Maritime Aquarium
Beardsley Zoo
Bronx Zoo
Mashantucket Pequot Museum

These are all the places we have memberships. Most of them have reciprocity with other institutions. Next is to look up those places that would be in a reasonable driving distance and plan a day around a visit.

Summer camp planning in progress!

2009-05-19T10:39:00.001-07:00

Hello! Thanks for stopping by the new summer camp blog!

I'm planning to have "Camp Milliman" again this summer and want to share the experience. I really tried last summer, but once we got to our new home I really needed time to set up the house and did send Grace to a few camps. She had a ball!

Over February break I was disappointed to not be going on vacation. So, we had "Camp Milliman" over the break and really enjoyed having some friends join us on our adventures!

I'm hoping to share some fun ideas with you and hoping you'll have some ideas for me! Let the planning begin!

First off, let's think of all the places where we have memberships. These are great places to visit as well as their reciprocal institutions. Just last weekend we took our Stepping Stones membership on the road to West Hartford to The Children's Museum. While in that area we went to Cabela's for lunch and to purchase the kids' sleeping bags for the upcoming camping trips!

After the museum we checked out a restaurant that we had seen a billboard for on the highway. East Side Restaurant is a fun German restaurant in New Britain. When the big beers go by the servers yell Ticky Tocky, Ticky Tocky...hoy, hoy, hoy! Everyone joins in! The food was yummy, too!

Little feet coming-gotta run~

To blog or not to blog?

2009-01-27T20:15:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to think of a way to blog that won't stress me out. I was trying to write everything, but what if I use it as a gratitude journal?

Things are pretty rough for us right now. I am trying to focus on the positive. So, here goes...

1. Rich has the flu and Lola has Coxsackie...but, the flu was mild and Lola is in good spirits-and Grace and I are staying healthy!
2. The flood the wallpaper guy caused ended up being not so bad!
3. The economy is bad, but we still are employed for another day.
4. Our house sale fell through, but there are two other interested parties.
5. Grace is in the process of being diagnosed with ADHD. I'm looking at this as a blessing. She is a unique kid with wonderful characteristics and will go far in life!
6. Tomorrow is supposed to be another snow storm. I don't have to bake that cake for the senior luncheon and don't have to go to the meeting at school. If there is no school I'll be sure to use it wisely with the kids instead of letting it make me crazy!

Lola's 1st Day of School

2008-09-08T18:54:00.000-07:00

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

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

Rich's Birthday

2008-09-06T19:13:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Labor Day weekend

2008-08-29T19:55:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

Have a great weekend!

First day of first grade

2008-08-28T19:04:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Last night in PA

2008-07-21T18:33:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

Camping

2008-07-20T15:11:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

Picture day

2008-07-17T16:19:00.000-07:00

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

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

The countdown

2008-07-15T18:27:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rain, rain go away

2008-07-07T19:31:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Just returned from Keuka

2008-07-06T18:55:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Car problems

2008-06-25T19:25:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A little bit of culture

2008-06-19T19:53:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

Day #3

2008-06-18T18:42:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Crazy Day

2008-06-08T18:55:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lazy day

2008-06-07T19:03:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Weekend Coming Right Up

2008-06-05T19:35:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Open houses coming up!

2008-06-04T16:04:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

School year pictures

2008-06-02T19:37:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

Weekend

2008-05-31T05:20:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

New home

2008-05-26T17:55:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

Swim Day

2008-04-23T19:05:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

Busy Day

2008-04-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

Camping weekend

2008-04-21T19:01:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Spring has Sprung

2008-04-16T19:03:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

Officially Influenza

2008-04-13T19:28:00.001-07:00

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

More photos

2008-04-06T17:26:00.001-07:00

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

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

Trip photos at last

2008-04-05T18:32:00.000-07:00

Easter Parade
View from Twin Peaks
Near the Cliff House

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

Lola more interested in the dog than the parade!

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

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

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

San Jose Day

2008-03-27T08:22:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Exploratorium

2008-03-25T21:34:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We saw a little fog today

2008-03-24T22:13:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tomorrow we plan to visit the Exploratorium.

Easter Sunday

2008-03-23T21:05:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Another glorious day

2008-03-22T21:56:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

San Francisco

2008-03-21T21:13:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It's a Gymboree day

2008-03-18T19:46:00.000-07:00

Lola at Gymboree last week...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My new obsession

2008-03-17T17:50:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you!

Swain School

2008-03-13T19:06:00.000-07:00

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

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

Frustrating technology

2008-03-13T19:00:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

Old Business

2008-03-10T17:56:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Argh!

2008-03-09T20:06:00.001-07:00

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

It Was a Very Blustery Day

2008-03-08T19:11:00.000-08:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sock Hop Night!

2008-03-07T17:35:00.000-08:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Crown Day

2008-03-06T15:06:00.000-08:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I Be Bloggin'!

2008-03-05T17:49:00.000-08:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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