Cookie Time! December 9, 2011

I am on a mission to make 5 different kinds from scratch and I am currently on # 3.   I grew up with an awesome tradition of helping my mom bake Christmas cookies and today I got to include my little bugger with the tradition.

 

Ella is Miss Independent and always wants to help with whatever my husband and I are doing.  She was so excited to help today.  I had all of the ingredients but forgot a few storage containers, so we ran to the store to grab them.  When we came back she helped me unpack the bags and she put everything where SHE thought they belonged.  Later to find out the storage containers ended up in her dresser in her bedroom.  She must have really like them!

 

We got to baking and made one of Daddy’s favorites – Oatmeal Raisin.  I personally do not like them, but it was also something Ella can enjoy because it contained no milk.  (her allergy)  She added all the dry ingredients in, mixed everything up and even helped use the mixer…I held the back.  Once they were in the oven she watched in pride!  I must say…they taste pretty yummy!

 

 

Once we were done it was lunch time and naptime.  Once I got her settled, I came back out to my kitchen and started scrubbing.  I had sugar and flour in every nook and cranny.  Haha!  But I grabbed a broom with a big smile on my face knowing this is another beautiful memory I created with my baby!  and she enjoyed it too!!

 

Happy Holidays!

And so the sobbing begins… October 1, 2011

Tonight I am uber emotional!  My baby turns 2 years old in a week and a half and I am having a hard time dealing with it.  I love seeing her grow and learn and I know it has to happen, but it all seems like such a blur.  The past 2 years have just gone way too fast and it truly has been the best time of our lives.

 

I remember holding this teeny tiny life in my arms for the 1st time and at that time I was sobbing like a crazy girl as well.  Those were tears of amazement, awe and pure pride with the perfect little girl that we created.  She really has made us whole and I am so blessed to have her and my husband.

 

I had an emotional time with her 1st birthday too.  Why do I feel like it is only going to get harder and harder each and every year?  Tonight as I watched her strut her stuff around the house, the tears began to flow.  My hubby knows how I am, so he just looks at me and smiles.  Ella heard me sniffling and went out to the kitchen.  When she came back she said “here mommy” and handed me a napkin.  Oh my god, this brought the tears on stronger.

 

Everyday I count my blessings for this angel in our lives.  I am proud to be her mommy!  She is and always will be my baby.

After the Storm August 28, 2011

Man oh man…what a night/morning!  We were prepared for Irene’s arrival and I am glad that we were.  Mark had to stay at the hotel to be sure he was at work in the morning.  I know… I am still kinda bothered, but I will choose to keep my mouth shut about that one.  He came home for dinner and went back before things got super crazy.

 

Ella was in bed at her normal time and I was cleaning up from the tornado (a.k.a.the kid) that whipped through my house earlier that evening.  As I was doing the dishes, the lights began to flicker.  I knew it was coming but was still a little panicked when it happened.  The power went out around 10 p.m.  Shortly after, I heard the little one start to cry.  She sleeps with white noise from her air purifier and fan, so when the power went out…she woke up.  I brought her in my bed in hopes that she may fall asleep next to me.  With the sound of the wind and rain…there was no sleeping to be had.  She kept getting up and asking about the noises and wanted to see it.  She would lay back down for a few more minutes and then would sit straight up smiling at me and asking for a snack.  Haha.  Leave it to her to have hurricane munchies.  She was talking my ear off, but yawning at the same time.  I even pulled out my kindle and we read a few chapters of my book together.  I finally got her to fall asleep around 1 a.m.  I woke up around 2 a.m. for some reason and noticed my lights were on in the kitchen, so I got up and shut everything down.  Ella then woke me up around 5:30 a.m. chattering up a storm.  I knew the kiddo did not get enough sleep, so I put her down in her crib where she then got 3 more hours in.  Thank goodness.  When I woke for good, I got 2 cups of coffee in and when I was getting ready to start our hurricane omelettes, the power went out again.  So cereal it was!

 

Our power came back on about 12:45 p.m. and so far so good.  I have checked everything and the only thing that seemed to have impact from Irene is the tree in front of my house who lost a few limbs.  Some leaking in the fireplace, nothing major.  It is still a little windy, but this feisty chick is outta here.  “SEE-Ja!!”, as Ella would say.

 

Thank you to all my friends and family and the husband for the continuous checking in.  So glad everyone is safe and very grateful to have each and everyone one of you in our lives!

Our special Hurricane Treat. Notice the little hand reaching for it.

Come on Irene! August 26, 2011

This week has got to be the strangest week regarding weather and mother nature I can remember.  (at least on the East coast that is)  On Sunday, they were calling for possible tornado’s down state near the beaches.  On Tuesday, we had an earthquake that was felt up and down the east coast.  And now this!  Irene is ticked off and out to take vengeance on the east coast.

 

I remember growing up and the thought of tornado’s and earthquakes happening around me were unheard of.  So all this makes me wonder, what in the Sam hell is going on?  Way too much is happening all at once or at least within one week.

 

I have been in a hurricane before and we often were in the eye of the storm while vacationing at the beach.  As I spoke with my mother last night, who is at the beach now, she informed me that she is being evacuated.  She spoke to a sales clerk at a nearby store who said, they have not had a mandatory evacuation since 1980.  They are also not letting anyone else into the beach towns.

 

While I am usually not rattled by storms, I have to admit I am concerned with this chumfy heading our way.  Alerts are everywhere, even my company is sending us warning alerts and ways to prepare for Irene.  As I read the news, I realize just how serious this really is.  They say Hurricane Irene’s tropical storm-force wind field is larger than both Hurricane Ike (2008) and Hurricane Katrina (2005) at maximum size!  WHAT!!!  I believe this validates the concern.

 

Now, I am being informed that my husband’s work wants to put him up all weekend, leaving me and the little to fend for ourselves during the storm.  He works in a fancy restaurant at a hotel and they want to ensure all their employees are available to work.  Are they serious??

 

Well hopefully Irene does not make an appearance early, as I have a busy night of preparations ahead of me.  I will be filling my bathtub, getting my canned goods, water, candles and charging up the batteries for Ella’s DVD player and my kindle.  This weekend will be all about quality time, snuggling, dancing, singing, indoor fort building and whatever else we can come up with.

 

I pray for everyone on the East Coast to stay safe and be smart!

Life’s a Beach! August 23, 2011

There is no other place in the world that can make me forget about all my troubles, fears and stresses of every day life.  Just gazing out into the vast open waters or listening to the waves crash against the sandy shore, it brings a sense of peace to me.  The beach is also where I met my husband, so it also brings so much joy to the both of us!

 

This past weekend, Ella and I trucked into the sea salty air of Ocean City, MD and what a beautiful weekend it was!  Last year, she was a little too young to be able to really enjoy the fun of playing in the sand and jumping the waves.  Well, she more than made up for it this year!  As we stepped out onto the sand for the first time on Saturday, she was in awe at the ‘Big Sandbox’ or “Sandbock” as Ella calls it.  Once we had the blankets and umbrella set up, I took her down to the water.  She was a little apprehensive with such a “Big Tubby”, but after a couples waves…she was hooked.

 

After jumping waves, building sand castles, getting buried in the sand, enjoying Popsicles on the beach and absolutely no naps…needless to say my little bugger was exhausted.  She is a definite trooper and has proved over and over that she can hang with the big dogs!  haha.

 

It truly was a wonderful weekend, but there definitely was a piece of the puzzle missing.  Unfortunately, the husband had to work the weekend and couldn’t make this trip.  As a special token, Ella and I posed for some telescopes and brought them home as a gift for daddy.  He loved them!  Before fall is here, we will definitely be taking another trip to the sandy shores…all three of us!

The Cruiser Chronicles #4 – Bike Safety August 11, 2011

While I know I am not the most graceful person on a bike, but I try to keep my child safe at all times.  I may not have perfect balance, nor do I have much coordination with the bike…but if I do not feel safe crossing a busy intersection, I wait until I do.

The 1^st thing that came to mind when purchasing my bike was getting a helmet for Ella.  I tried talking Mark into sporting one as well, but I think he believes he’s too cool.  Haha.  The other thing that I found was extremely important was to make sure we had a safe and approved child’s seat for my bike.  We bought the WeeRide Kangaroo center-mounted child bicycle carrier.  The center mount allows for all her weight to be distributed where mine is, which in turn makes it simple to balance, turn and maneuver all around the neighborhood.  Her being in front of me allows us to have conversations and interactions that a rear carrier would not allow.

After witnessing the little girl that was hit by a truck in front of my house last Saturday, it has really opened my eyes to see how others approach safety.  I really wished that little girl was wearing a helmet.  I think she would have walked away with maybe just a broken arm, instead of head injuries as well.

Another neighbor just taught his 5 year old son how to ride a bike without training wheels, but the little guy never wears a helmet.  As we rode around the neighborhood last night, every kid I saw….not one helmet.  They also rode in the street and were not looking for oncoming traffic.

I know everyone parents their children differently, but it seriously saddens me that these kids and/or parents are not even taking any precautions to keep their kiddos safe.  When the time comes and Ella is out cruising on her own bike, she might get made fun of, but at least she will be safe.  She will be the one rocking a helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, a pillow strapped around her dupa…and I quite possibly might create a bubble to surround her.  SAFETY 1^st!!

The Cruiser Chronicles #2 July 19, 2011

 It has been a while, but that doesn’t mean we have not been out cruising this summer.  Ella loves going for rides on her Big Bike!  It’s not mommy’s bike anymore, it’s E-ya’s.  She likes reminding me of this.

Every night after dinner, we usually take a walk or go for a ride.  Last night it was a bike ride.  I have said it before and I will say it again…I am not coordinated at all when it comes to bike riding.  Reason #1 I got a beach cruiser over a mountain bike:  NO GEARS!  Gears just cause confusion and are a distraction to the task at hand “Keeping the bike balanced!”  If I had to worry about what gear to be in or switching gears, there would be some dents and scratches on me, Ella and the Pink Schwinn.  Simple is better.  Or is it?  Sometimes while riding up a hill I look over at Mark switching his gears and peddling with ease, I must admit I am a little envious.  But on the real…I have a hard enough time balancing let alone dealing with gears.

Rule #1 – Always tell me ahead of time which direction we will go.  Otherwise, it is pure chaos.  I get nervous and end up going in the opposite direction.  This happened last night.

As we were leaving the driveway, Mark told me to make a right and I did as told.  Once we got to the corner of my street there is an intersection (Brookside Blvd.), not a major one but it does get its fair share of traffic.  I was on the right shoulder of the road and a truck pulled up along side of me.  Mark proceeded through the intersection and made a left onto the Blvd.  He shouted out to me, “Make a left”.  I looked at him, then the truck, and lastly the oncoming cars from 3 different directions and decided to make a right.  TOO MUCH PRESSURE!

Rule #2 – Don’t follow me, wait for me.  I will catch up.  

As I proceeded with my right hand turn, I had to wait for cars to go past so I can bust a U-turn to get back to Mark.  As I approached, he was in tears.  Laughter of course.  And I pulled up in stitches myself.  So, we took off down Brookside Blvd. tears streaming down our faces from laughing so hard.

Rule #3 – Do not laugh hysterical around Ella.

I don’t believe the little liked mommy and daddy laughing so hard because she kept shouting, “No…Stop….Stop!”, while smacking my leg.  Haha, this made me chuckle a little more.

Once we gathered ourselves back to normal, it was on with the rest of our bike ride.  Ahhhh…can’t wait to see what other adventures are in store!

The Cruiser Chronicles #1 March 6, 2011

After tonight’s bike ride, Mark had made the suggestion of writing the experiences that I have down.  I figured I need to start reporting funny things that happen to me while riding my bike.

“It’s like riding a bike”, is not always a true statement.  For many years, I have been kind of apprehensive about riding a bike.  It stems back to my brush with death back in ’97 when I took my brother’s mountain bike to get myself to dance class.  For those who are not from the Scranton area…there are not many flat surfaces anywhere. I coasted along and got to a hill (Clearview Street) that would take me down to Main Ave and next to the studio.  I was really picking up speed and truly cruising, until halfway down I realized the brakes were not working. So, I did what any other person speeding on a mountain bike with no brakes would do…I freaked right the hell out!  There was a main road directly in front me and no way of stopping…oh but wait I was wrong.  All I heard was breaks squealing and the sound of my brother’s bike and my face crunching against a building on the opposite side of the busy road.  Lol…when I got up a woman came out of the building I just smacked into and told me she thought a car ran into the building.  No, no….it was just me.  A few people from the cars were there asking if I was alright. The one car missed me by a few inches. I got up, shook myself off and walked the jacked up bike across the street and went to dance class. LOL

So, now I live in Delaware where everything is flat and have decided to get back on that horse and try it again.

Wednesday was beautiful during the day, so we decided we would go for a short bike ride after dinner.  When we left the driveway, we realized it was too windy and chilly and decided to just go around the block.  As we were approaching an intersection in the neighborhood I thought Mark was going to go straight, but he then decided to make a right.  I cut the wheel and as I proceeded, I was struggling to find my pedals (totally lost my footing).  HAHA!  Mark looks back at me and asked if I was alright.  I had to confess to him that I couldn’t find my pedals.  He laughed at me the rest of the way home.

and Tonight…we were getting ready to head out of our driveway and I asked which direction we were going. Mark said, “Let’s make a right.”  So, I did what any logical person would do…I made a left!  As Mark headed in the opposite direction, he yelled “Where ya going?  I said make a right.”  I responded “We are going this way now!”  Haha…I couldn’t get myself to turn the bike around.  Once I mustered up enough courage to turn my bike and head in the other direction…Mark and I passed each other because he started following me again.

What makes this funnier is that a few of my neighbors got to witness this scene.  Oh lord!  And this is why I wanted an old school bike with simplicity and NO gears!  LOL

Oh…What a Beautiful Sunday!!! March 1, 2011

It was absolutely gorgeous outside yesterday and what better way to celebrate the sunshine than to enjoy a day outside.  And that is exactly what Ella and I did. 

She is so interested in the world around her, that we had an adventure outdoors.  Her curiosity is at its peak and she wants to know as much about anything and everything she can handle.  Every time she would point and ask (grunt), I would tell her what it was…and she reciprocated by repeating everything I would say.  We explored the back yard, front yard, school yard and the neighborhood.  She had a blast! 

When daddy got home from work, we went on our 1^st family bike ride.  To say it was great is an understatement!  It was the best!  No words can really describe how special this was to Mark and me.  I love having special family time together, but this was different and way fun!  Ella’s big smile was all the reassurance we needed.

As we cruised the neighborhood, Ella greeted everyone she saw.  I kid you not, she said “Hi!” to everyone!  Haha, it was so cute.  Then she saw a big dog and was so excited, she kept yelling “Doggie, Doggie!” 

These are memories that I am really glad we are creating for her.  I cherish so many of my childhood memories and can only help create the best ones for her!

Cruisin’ for Spring!!!! February 16, 2011

I cannot contain the excitement I feel right now. I finally did it! I purchased my bicycle last night. It has been sooo long since Mark and I have treated ourselves to anything other than food, so I think we both deserve a little something. I have been dreaming of the day that Mark, Ella and I can cruise the neighborhood and local parks as a family with our bikes. We are more than half way there…Mark still needs to get his.

I have had my heart set on this ONE bike for months now and it was unavailable for the longest time. After checking the website almost daily…it is now in stock again. YAY! I woke Mark up from his happy slumber last night just to tell him, and immediately ordered it. Hey, I can’t take any chances, right?!?!

So, my pearl pink, beach cruisin’ Schwinn is on her way to me by the end of the month. Of course I couldn’t forget my inspiration for this purchase. I got a front end Wee Ride Carrier, so that Ella and I can interact and it will be easier for me to steer than a rear carrier. And no worries, we got her a SWEET panda bike helmet so she is safe and stylish at the same time!

My anticipation for warm, Spring weather has just grown knowing that my awesome bike is on its way. I cannot wait for Ella, Mark and I to hit the streets. I just know my baby girl is going to love going for rides!

Thinking warm thoughts….