EE has officially become the champion of the game board Sorry on this vacation. He has won every game but one (I won once). We have spent a lot of time playing that game mainly because that is the only board game I brought with us. We found some kid's cards here and have been playing memory, crazy eights and go fish.
Yesterday we were joined by the husband's Dad and his wife. They will be here 2 nights. We are close to their home and are glad they were able to come spend some time with us.
Last night after dinner we took a bike ride with the boys around one of the golf courses here. It was nice to get a little exercise especially since we have not eaten the best in the last week.
The baby is still having problems with sleep. The other night he slept through the night in his pack n play in the room with the other boys but woke up before 6 am. Last night he woke up in the night and he ended up sleeping with the husband and me. We will try again tonight to get him to stay in his pack n play all night. And by the way I ended up having to change another poopy diaper yesterday. The husband was playing golf and the baby had a diaper full. I did refuse to change the one after dinner, that's right that would be 5 yesterday. Can a baby this small be stressed out?
Our time here is winding down. We will spend the next two mornings at the beach and do different activities in the afternoon. I believe the older 2 boys will go fishing with Dad and Grandpa after lunch. I will hopefully get to relax a bit while they are out.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Holy crap
Warning this post is not for those with a weak stomach. I have reached my quota on the poopy diaper changing for the week. The baby is taking about 5 to 7 bowel movements a day. How can a baby that small have so much crap built up? I have changed 3 today all before lunch. If that was not bad enough, I am finding little surprises in his diaper that really have me grossed out. The other day I had to pull out a hair from his bottom. Where would he have eaten a hair and it wasn't mine...it was way too long. Isn't most food supposed to digest in his stomach? There should be no reason to see the quartered grapes he ate in his diaper. Oh, I will spare you any more detail.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Careful what you wish for.....
As we were driving to the outlet mall today (one of my favorite things to do here), I made a comment that the lake and rivers looked low and how rain was needed. I didn't mean for it to happen today. There was a bad thunderstorm that rolled in this afternoon for a few hours with a lot of rain. During the storm we heard many fire trucks around. The rain did let up. After dinner, we were able to ride our bikes down to Harbour Town, where the park is located and the ice cream place.
The outlet mall was very disappointing today. Before the kids started school our visits were at the end of May. Most of the summer items were way picked over and fall clothes were on the racks. My gosh I am baking in the sun and they want me to think about fall/winter. I was able to find a few things for the boys and the husband while I got two shirts for under $5 each.
The Sea Pines resort has bike trails all around, one of the many reasons we love visiting. We rented bikes to ride to the beach, to Harbour Town and around the resort. Harbour Town has a few restaurants, a lighthouse, shops (not any that you would actually buy from), the park, a pier and live entertainment. We like to hang out there. Today as we were walking down the pier, the baby in my arms, we saw dolphins in the water. It was a nice site.
The baby is still giving us sleep issues at night. Last night, he woke up at 3 am so I joined him in his bedroom. I am standing firm on not having him sleep with me, it took him about 45 or so minutes to calm down and fall back asleep. He was up at 5:30 this morning. I am not sure how he is managing with such little sleep, I am not doing so well and neither is the husband. We are a little short tempered with the other two which is not fair. Our plan tonight, put the baby in his pack and play in the room with the other two boys. It was so cute to hear Jay sing songs to the baby to settle him down. He sang "baby go to sleep" over and over. We will see how it works.
The outlet mall was very disappointing today. Before the kids started school our visits were at the end of May. Most of the summer items were way picked over and fall clothes were on the racks. My gosh I am baking in the sun and they want me to think about fall/winter. I was able to find a few things for the boys and the husband while I got two shirts for under $5 each.
The Sea Pines resort has bike trails all around, one of the many reasons we love visiting. We rented bikes to ride to the beach, to Harbour Town and around the resort. Harbour Town has a few restaurants, a lighthouse, shops (not any that you would actually buy from), the park, a pier and live entertainment. We like to hang out there. Today as we were walking down the pier, the baby in my arms, we saw dolphins in the water. It was a nice site.
The baby is still giving us sleep issues at night. Last night, he woke up at 3 am so I joined him in his bedroom. I am standing firm on not having him sleep with me, it took him about 45 or so minutes to calm down and fall back asleep. He was up at 5:30 this morning. I am not sure how he is managing with such little sleep, I am not doing so well and neither is the husband. We are a little short tempered with the other two which is not fair. Our plan tonight, put the baby in his pack and play in the room with the other two boys. It was so cute to hear Jay sing songs to the baby to settle him down. He sang "baby go to sleep" over and over. We will see how it works.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Ah....vacation at last
We made it to our destination in 11 hours (door to door). We did have to make 3 stops along the way to keep the baby happy. The boys did well. The husband drove the entire way so I got to read magazines and take a nap.
Where are we? We are at our most favorite vacation spot, Hilton Head Island (HHI), SC. We have been coming here for the last 6 years. As a matter of fact, it was here that we found out we were pregnant and then, of course, found out we were having twins.
We have been to the beach. The boys love the beach. The baby has no fear of the water. He walks right into the waves and loves it. I remember EE and Jay not wanting anything to do with the water. We even had to persuade them to get in yesterday. We are perfecting our beach Olympics. You know where you have to follow your baby everywhere. It is here and then there and then back down to the water, you get the jist. He probably only sat down to play in the sand for about 10 minutes. It should be another fun day today.
The only problem we have encountered is that the baby does not like to sleep in his pack n play in a room all by himself. He woke up last night again and I ended up sleeping in the bed in the room but would not take him out of his pack n play. He finally fell asleep after a long while and slept until the morning. I am not sure what we will do tonight. We never had any issues with EE and Jay but it may be that they had each other.
We hope to have pictures soon.
Where are we? We are at our most favorite vacation spot, Hilton Head Island (HHI), SC. We have been coming here for the last 6 years. As a matter of fact, it was here that we found out we were pregnant and then, of course, found out we were having twins.
We have been to the beach. The boys love the beach. The baby has no fear of the water. He walks right into the waves and loves it. I remember EE and Jay not wanting anything to do with the water. We even had to persuade them to get in yesterday. We are perfecting our beach Olympics. You know where you have to follow your baby everywhere. It is here and then there and then back down to the water, you get the jist. He probably only sat down to play in the sand for about 10 minutes. It should be another fun day today.
The only problem we have encountered is that the baby does not like to sleep in his pack n play in a room all by himself. He woke up last night again and I ended up sleeping in the bed in the room but would not take him out of his pack n play. He finally fell asleep after a long while and slept until the morning. I am not sure what we will do tonight. We never had any issues with EE and Jay but it may be that they had each other.
We hope to have pictures soon.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Frantic Friday
The baby in his time out chair. Just in case you can't tell he is not happy!
I feel a little like the baby looks in this picture. I am getting ready for our vacation. That is packing for 3 children, myself, car ride toys/books, movies, toys, all the beach stuff and food. You know how you load up everything you think you might need but in reality you only use about half of what you take. Don't get me wrong I am really looking forward to the sandy beaches and a little bit of down time. It is the process of getting ready that wears me down. Our destination is a long drive away. I have a feeling that we will be listening to a lot of crying (see picture above)coming from the baby (and maybe me) being strapped in his car seat for a gazillion hours.
But once we get there and are settled in for the week I am sure we will have a grand time. I will try to post on location but I am not positive I will have an internet connection. If I don't I will be sure to post when we get home to let you in on all of the details of the wonderful vacation.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Finally some video
As I mentioned EE and Jay have been in Basketball camp each morning this week. EE has been complaining that he does not get to play in a game because I show up to pick them up. Camp is from 9 to 12 and this is the schedule:
9:00 - 9:15 Check in
9:15 - 9:30 Morning Lecture
9:30 - 10:15 Non stop reading (kids must bring in a book)
10:15 - 10:30 Stretching
10:30 - 11:30 drills
11:30 - 12:30 Game
I spoke to the head coach this morning and explained that EE has not been able to get a lot of game time. He explained that his coaches (just young teen boys) have been told to play the half day campers first because after they leave there is still time for more game playing. He will also not do half day camps next year. I really wanted to tell him that I think the camp sucks. I had no intention of sending my kids to camp to read for 45 minutes of the 3 hours they are there. I have learned my lesson for next summer. The positive side to this is that they are enjoying the game of basketball and I will get them on a team in the winter.
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Finally some video of Curios George. Thanks to Tony for slicing and dicing the video to make it small enough to upload.
9:00 - 9:15 Check in
9:15 - 9:30 Morning Lecture
9:30 - 10:15 Non stop reading (kids must bring in a book)
10:15 - 10:30 Stretching
10:30 - 11:30 drills
11:30 - 12:30 Game
I spoke to the head coach this morning and explained that EE has not been able to get a lot of game time. He explained that his coaches (just young teen boys) have been told to play the half day campers first because after they leave there is still time for more game playing. He will also not do half day camps next year. I really wanted to tell him that I think the camp sucks. I had no intention of sending my kids to camp to read for 45 minutes of the 3 hours they are there. I have learned my lesson for next summer. The positive side to this is that they are enjoying the game of basketball and I will get them on a team in the winter.
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Finally some video of Curios George. Thanks to Tony for slicing and dicing the video to make it small enough to upload.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
A little bit of Green
I mentioned that I would do research on how we can become a little more green. I am currently in the process of canceling all the catalogs I receive in the mail. Here are a few of them: Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, Lands' End, Lands' End kids, One step ahead. I am sure there will be many more in the next month or so. Yes, I do like browsing through the catalogs but I rarely ever buy anything from them. I really don't need them. I usually make my purchases on the website directly. I have turned to the Catalog Choice website for assistance. Once you register, all you will need is the information from the back of the catalog and they will do the rest. Did I mention this is a free service? Simple as that! I entered some in on Sunday and I can check the status on my page. None of the catalogs have been confirmed for cancellation yet but hopefully in the next week or so I will be taken off the list.
I am guilty of receiving a host of magazines in the mail. I can't do without my People, Parents, Redbook and my all time favorite Southern Living. After I read the magazines I take them up to a hospital, who usually loves having these donated, so that others can read them. It makes me feel a little better knowing that they are getting read a few times.
I am guilty of receiving a host of magazines in the mail. I can't do without my People, Parents, Redbook and my all time favorite Southern Living. After I read the magazines I take them up to a hospital, who usually loves having these donated, so that others can read them. It makes me feel a little better knowing that they are getting read a few times.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Not what I planned
I have been trying to upload video of George but just realized it is larger than the size allowed. I will get more footage of the boys/animals but make sure it stays under 2 minutes so that I can actually upload.
EE and Jay started basketball camp yesterday from 9 to noon. They had a good time but I am a little puzzled by what they actually do at camp. They have 45 minutes allotted for reading a book. If you know me, reading is a good thing but this is basketball camp. I do understand that some of the kids are there all day long where as mine only do part of the day. Today EE said he did not get to play basketball at all because I showed up to pick him up. Well, the point of me sending him to basketball camp was for them to actually play basketball and have some fun. I am hoping tomorrow goes better and that I don't have to talk to anyone about the camp.
It doesn't end there today. I took my SUV to the dealership around here about a month ago to get an oil change. They came back with a list of repairs my car needed. On that list, a note to change the serpentine belt (it was dry rotted) and they also quoted to change the timing belt but it was not time for that yet. I declined the work. This is a job for Tony. He did research and noticed they were charging high prices to do some of the repairs. Our normal repair shop in NC referred us to a repair shop up here. We decided to give them a shot. When Tony picked up the car from being serviced they questioned why we wanted to get the serpentine belt replaced. Good question dealership, one that we will certainly ask in the form of a letter to the corporate offices. This is not the first issue we have had with the dealership.
When we moved here, we, of course, had to get our cars inspected. Tony called the dealership to schedule an oil change and inspection. Tony shows up on said day, which happened to be a Saturday only to be told that the inspections are done every other Saturday and this was not one of them. Tony was very upset and left the dealership and immediately emailed them to let them know of his dissatisfaction. This was never addressed. We will no longer have any dealings with the dealership.
My second rant is about Tony's ex-employer. I am sure you remember the story about the letter we received regarding an overpayment of wages? If not read here. We noticed a charge to our bank account this week for those wages. I can not believe that it is legal for them to touch our account. We are still doing research on this one.
I know that you would have enjoyed the video much more than my ranting today but this is what I have.
EE and Jay started basketball camp yesterday from 9 to noon. They had a good time but I am a little puzzled by what they actually do at camp. They have 45 minutes allotted for reading a book. If you know me, reading is a good thing but this is basketball camp. I do understand that some of the kids are there all day long where as mine only do part of the day. Today EE said he did not get to play basketball at all because I showed up to pick him up. Well, the point of me sending him to basketball camp was for them to actually play basketball and have some fun. I am hoping tomorrow goes better and that I don't have to talk to anyone about the camp.
It doesn't end there today. I took my SUV to the dealership around here about a month ago to get an oil change. They came back with a list of repairs my car needed. On that list, a note to change the serpentine belt (it was dry rotted) and they also quoted to change the timing belt but it was not time for that yet. I declined the work. This is a job for Tony. He did research and noticed they were charging high prices to do some of the repairs. Our normal repair shop in NC referred us to a repair shop up here. We decided to give them a shot. When Tony picked up the car from being serviced they questioned why we wanted to get the serpentine belt replaced. Good question dealership, one that we will certainly ask in the form of a letter to the corporate offices. This is not the first issue we have had with the dealership.
When we moved here, we, of course, had to get our cars inspected. Tony called the dealership to schedule an oil change and inspection. Tony shows up on said day, which happened to be a Saturday only to be told that the inspections are done every other Saturday and this was not one of them. Tony was very upset and left the dealership and immediately emailed them to let them know of his dissatisfaction. This was never addressed. We will no longer have any dealings with the dealership.
My second rant is about Tony's ex-employer. I am sure you remember the story about the letter we received regarding an overpayment of wages? If not read here. We noticed a charge to our bank account this week for those wages. I can not believe that it is legal for them to touch our account. We are still doing research on this one.
I know that you would have enjoyed the video much more than my ranting today but this is what I have.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Busy weekend
We have had a busy yet nice weekend. On Friday, I had 4 ladies and their children over for some swimming. A little bit crazy but the kids had a great time! Our next door neighbors stayed for dinner (nothing elaborate, just pizza). My neighbor has a 10 year old and a 5 year old, both girls. My boys get along really well with them. I did have to make an emergency jump in the pool to get George, who decided it would be fun to jump in. He did have his life vest on and I WAS watching him. I really didn't think he was going in. The rest of the weekend was spent running errands and lounging by the pool(with no rescues involved). The best part for the animals was roasting marshmallows for s'mores on Saturday night with our neighbors.
A conversation one morning with EE went something like this:
EE: What if you put so much sun screen on your face?
me: Well, I guess your face wouldn't get sun burnt
EE: What if you used the whole bottle on just your face?
me: Then I guess we would go buy more.
What?
A video of George this past weekend.
A conversation one morning with EE went something like this:
EE: What if you put so much sun screen on your face?
me: Well, I guess your face wouldn't get sun burnt
EE: What if you used the whole bottle on just your face?
me: Then I guess we would go buy more.
What?
A video of George this past weekend.
My new space
"Life is a zoo in a jungle"
Peter De Vries
Welcome to our zoo! Yes, sometime it does feel like a jungle, but we wouldn't have it any other way. I have decided to rename the blog and some of the members of my world. I blog to keep family members and friends up to date on what is going on in our lives. I also blog to say what I may not be able to say to others around here. Here we are.
Zoo Keeper: Trish
Founder: Tony the Tiger (he's......GREAT)
EE the Elephant
Jay the Lion
Curious George the Monkey
Peter De Vries
Welcome to our zoo! Yes, sometime it does feel like a jungle, but we wouldn't have it any other way. I have decided to rename the blog and some of the members of my world. I blog to keep family members and friends up to date on what is going on in our lives. I also blog to say what I may not be able to say to others around here. Here we are.
Zoo Keeper: Trish
Founder: Tony the Tiger (he's......GREAT)
EE the Elephant
Jay the Lion
Curious George the Monkey
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Junk
"One man's trash is another man's treasure"
I am not sure who came up with the quote but I have found it to be so true recently. I am a huge Craigslist fan (www.craigslist.org). I mentioned that we will be getting some landscape done in early fall. We have/had 6 plants in the backyard that we are not going to keep or reuse. I thought it would be worth a shot to offer on Craigslist to see if I could give them away in return for the person coming to dig them out and take them away. Otherwise, we would be charged out the wazoo to have the Nursery take them out. The hubs could have dug them out but then we would be faced with how to get rid of them. Getting rid of them just did not seem very environmentally conscious. Sure enough listed them out there 1 guy/part-time gardener is taking 5 and one other person took 1.
We gave away our old patio set. When I say old I mean it was old. We had it at our first house, so it must be close to 9 years old. It was a wood table with 4 chairs and a bench. All of the bolts were loose and it needed a fresh coat of stain. I am also waiting for someone to come pick up our old grill, which was broken in our move (the movers reimbursed us for the cost). Today I sold a mirror and a fan and a few weeks ago we sold an old lawn mower. Now I need to get into storage to see what other stuff/junk we have in storage.
I am not sure who came up with the quote but I have found it to be so true recently. I am a huge Craigslist fan (www.craigslist.org). I mentioned that we will be getting some landscape done in early fall. We have/had 6 plants in the backyard that we are not going to keep or reuse. I thought it would be worth a shot to offer on Craigslist to see if I could give them away in return for the person coming to dig them out and take them away. Otherwise, we would be charged out the wazoo to have the Nursery take them out. The hubs could have dug them out but then we would be faced with how to get rid of them. Getting rid of them just did not seem very environmentally conscious. Sure enough listed them out there 1 guy/part-time gardener is taking 5 and one other person took 1.
We gave away our old patio set. When I say old I mean it was old. We had it at our first house, so it must be close to 9 years old. It was a wood table with 4 chairs and a bench. All of the bolts were loose and it needed a fresh coat of stain. I am also waiting for someone to come pick up our old grill, which was broken in our move (the movers reimbursed us for the cost). Today I sold a mirror and a fan and a few weeks ago we sold an old lawn mower. Now I need to get into storage to see what other stuff/junk we have in storage.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Reality TV
We are hooked on reality TV shows. We mainly watch the ones on ABC, NBC or CBS. We are currently watching The Mole, The Next Food Network Star and Big Brother Season 10. We have been hooked on The Bachelor/Bachelorette, Biggest Loser, Survivor, Amazing Race, Dancing with the Stars and Hell's Kitchen to name a few. The best way to watch these shows you ask? Definitely from our DVR(a recorded in the cable box for those who don't know). This is the greatest invention ever. Not only can we watch what we want when we want we can fast forward through commercials. Maybe we need to get a life!!
Funny Story: Green Lady had a birthday party for her dog (and his sister who lives in the neighborhood). We were not invited because we don't have a dog. Our next door neighbor went and stressed over whether she needed to take a gift or not. They (the dogs) were treated with Frosty Paws (ice cream).
Baby T Story: The other night we were going through our regular night time routine. Bath, brush teeth and book. After I finished the book I asked Baby T. if he was ready for nite nite. He immediately drops the book we were reading turns around on my body (he is now facing me) and puts his head on my shoulder. Funny I am fairly certain that nite nite means it is time to get in the crib.
Funny Story: Green Lady had a birthday party for her dog (and his sister who lives in the neighborhood). We were not invited because we don't have a dog. Our next door neighbor went and stressed over whether she needed to take a gift or not. They (the dogs) were treated with Frosty Paws (ice cream).
Baby T Story: The other night we were going through our regular night time routine. Bath, brush teeth and book. After I finished the book I asked Baby T. if he was ready for nite nite. He immediately drops the book we were reading turns around on my body (he is now facing me) and puts his head on my shoulder. Funny I am fairly certain that nite nite means it is time to get in the crib.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Out, damned moths, out I say
In the 8 months that we have lived in our house, we have been battling moths for about 7 of them. They are Indian Mill Moths which can be brought into your home from any type of grain product. We have cleaned out our pantry 5 times vacuumed all the shelves and thrown away anything suspicious. I keep all of my grain products (sugar, flour, pancake mix etc) inside a Ziploc baggie. There have been several times that we thought we had actually gotten rid of them. Then a few days after, we would see one flying around. We started getting our house exterminated in May and they promised to rid us of our problem. We have had no luck. We have killed too many to count and there were maybe 40 in our moth catcher located in our pantry. The bug guy came yesterday and looked puzzled by our little predicament. He asked that I take everything out of the pantry. He is coming back today to put spray some heavy duty chemical. He said this will kill any larvae or live moths instantly. Hm......maybe I should leave my food out for another day. I will let you know how it works out.
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In other news, it seems like Baby T. is having sleep issues. It began on our trip this past weekend and has continued the last two nights. On occasion he will wake up in the night and I am able to comfort him. The scenario goes something like this, he wakes up screaming, I get him bring him into bed with me (if you know me, this goes against my belief) for a short period of time, take him back to his bed, he may cry a little but eventually falls back to sleep. The last few nights it has taken him over an hour to settle down completely. He has periods where he has settled down and then he will begin to cry again loudly. I need to break out my sleep book to see if maybe I can find out what is going on with him.
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E and J have been in Vacation Bible School this week. They are having a very good time. I usually show up a little early to pick them up. They spend the last 15 minutes singing songs that have hand motions. E does the hand motions(at least tries to) but J just stands there.
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In other news, it seems like Baby T. is having sleep issues. It began on our trip this past weekend and has continued the last two nights. On occasion he will wake up in the night and I am able to comfort him. The scenario goes something like this, he wakes up screaming, I get him bring him into bed with me (if you know me, this goes against my belief) for a short period of time, take him back to his bed, he may cry a little but eventually falls back to sleep. The last few nights it has taken him over an hour to settle down completely. He has periods where he has settled down and then he will begin to cry again loudly. I need to break out my sleep book to see if maybe I can find out what is going on with him.
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E and J have been in Vacation Bible School this week. They are having a very good time. I usually show up a little early to pick them up. They spend the last 15 minutes singing songs that have hand motions. E does the hand motions(at least tries to) but J just stands there.
Monday, July 14, 2008
The Grocery Store Wars
I really like Maryland for the most part. It has most of what we need close by, the people are nice and there is lots to do around the area. However, it did not take me long to realize the grocery stores around here absolutely suck. We have several stores close by our house and I have been to them all. I thought for sure I would be able to find what I needed at least at one of them. How wrong was I. So every trip to the store brought out so much disgust in me. I can't tell you how thrilled I was to find out a Harris Teeter (HT) was opening in the area in May 2008.
I was so excited about the opening that I had the hubs take me their opening night. I can't tell you how overwhelmed I felt being able to find all of my special grocery items. The HT is about a 15 to 20 minute drive from my home, but it is only about 5 minutes from my gym. I try to coordinate the two. My big trips are done at HT but I do have to run into some of the local stores in a pinch.
Today was one of those days where I just need to get us by until tomorrow. Let me backtrack for a moment. One day I stopped into a grocery store and needed about 8 items. I put them all in one of those carry baskets. I took the basket and put it on the belt for check out. I stood there getting my bonus card out and my credit card so that I could slide it through. The cashier is just standing there and finally asks me to unload my basket. Are you kidding me? Today I thought I am going to do it again. I know I am such a rebel. So I put the basket on the belt. I only have 5 items, but I have a loaf of bread and bagels. The cashier takes the basket and dumps my items out on the belt. You can bet anytime I have to take a trip it will involve me leaving my items in the basket. This will be a new game for me.
Here are some reason why I think HT is so much better than all of the stores around here.
- The selection of items is just incredible.
- Their meats are unbeatable, especially their roast beef and burgers.
- If an item is spoiled, the store will replace it and refund your money. Get that, free item.
- Check out involves me wheeling my cart to the cashier and they get everything out. No more me trying to unload onto the belt while Baby T empties the shelved of magazines.
- They offer double coupons and once a quarter they do a triple coupon weekend.
- About 3 to 4 times a year they have a special promotion. If you shop let's say 12 of 14 weeks and spend over $40 you will get the prize at the end. I have gotten luggage, roasting pan, chairs to mention a few.
- I am always greeted with "did you find everything you were looking for" and they mean it.
Good luck to all of you other grocery stores around here I can only imagine that HT will expand to other areas and you will have to shut your doors.
I was so excited about the opening that I had the hubs take me their opening night. I can't tell you how overwhelmed I felt being able to find all of my special grocery items. The HT is about a 15 to 20 minute drive from my home, but it is only about 5 minutes from my gym. I try to coordinate the two. My big trips are done at HT but I do have to run into some of the local stores in a pinch.
Today was one of those days where I just need to get us by until tomorrow. Let me backtrack for a moment. One day I stopped into a grocery store and needed about 8 items. I put them all in one of those carry baskets. I took the basket and put it on the belt for check out. I stood there getting my bonus card out and my credit card so that I could slide it through. The cashier is just standing there and finally asks me to unload my basket. Are you kidding me? Today I thought I am going to do it again. I know I am such a rebel. So I put the basket on the belt. I only have 5 items, but I have a loaf of bread and bagels. The cashier takes the basket and dumps my items out on the belt. You can bet anytime I have to take a trip it will involve me leaving my items in the basket. This will be a new game for me.
Here are some reason why I think HT is so much better than all of the stores around here.
- The selection of items is just incredible.
- Their meats are unbeatable, especially their roast beef and burgers.
- If an item is spoiled, the store will replace it and refund your money. Get that, free item.
- Check out involves me wheeling my cart to the cashier and they get everything out. No more me trying to unload onto the belt while Baby T empties the shelved of magazines.
- They offer double coupons and once a quarter they do a triple coupon weekend.
- About 3 to 4 times a year they have a special promotion. If you shop let's say 12 of 14 weeks and spend over $40 you will get the prize at the end. I have gotten luggage, roasting pan, chairs to mention a few.
- I am always greeted with "did you find everything you were looking for" and they mean it.
Good luck to all of you other grocery stores around here I can only imagine that HT will expand to other areas and you will have to shut your doors.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
A quiet evening out......NOT
One of the perks in having a boarder is the fact that she will watch our kids for us when we need her to. We would never take advantage of her (honestly sis). After our trip this past weekend we felt we really needed a night out alone. We go to this very elegant restaurant (meaning no kids menu) expecting a nice quiet evening. Then all of the sudden we hear a kid shriek. Honestly, we chose that place to get away from our kids for just a few hours. This place has the best steaks ever which made up for the time the child was there.
A plane trip and a wedding
What a fun, quick and busy weekend we had. Thursday we flew to Orlando followed by a drive about 1 hour south east. My oldest brother's daughter got married on Friday night. Although I missed the actual ceremony (Baby T was not wanting to stay still in the church), I hear it was very nice. The ceremony was followed by a reception (dinner and cake) at the church hall. The bride and groom were glowing.
The Plane rides
The plane ride to Orlando was fairly uneventful. I do have to say I got many stares as Baby T. and I were walking down the aisle to find our seat. I could see it in every one's eyes, please don't let her sit next to me. Our plan was to take the car seat strap it in and let the baby ride there. After all, we did buy him a seat on the plane. The car seat did not actually fit in the chair so we ended up having to check it and Baby T. rode with me most of the trip down.
Here are the boys waiting to board the plane.
The trip home took most of the day on Saturday. Again we had to drive 1 hour to get to the airport, return our car and make our way to the terminal. The flight was a little bumpier than I care for but overall it wasn't too bad(I don't really like to fly). Baby T. had taken a very short nap in the hubs arms prior to getting on the plane. He was in rare form for the ride home. He was passed back and forth between us.
The Family
I don't get to see my family very often and we rarely get to see everyone all together especially with the parents. I have 4 siblings all older (I do remind them all the time). We all stayed at the same hotel so we got to spend a little bit of time together. It was so nice for our boys to play with their cousins. They have such a good time. They were able to play with their cousins and their funny Uncle at the pool.
We pretty much took over the Residence Inn in Melbourne. We made ourselves at home in their meeting room by pushing table together on Friday night while we got our last bit of together time. Together time really means that we were in the same room picking on each other the entire time. Good ole family bonding! We did miss out not having our older brother with us....
Here we are:
The Plane rides
The plane ride to Orlando was fairly uneventful. I do have to say I got many stares as Baby T. and I were walking down the aisle to find our seat. I could see it in every one's eyes, please don't let her sit next to me. Our plan was to take the car seat strap it in and let the baby ride there. After all, we did buy him a seat on the plane. The car seat did not actually fit in the chair so we ended up having to check it and Baby T. rode with me most of the trip down.
Here are the boys waiting to board the plane.
The trip home took most of the day on Saturday. Again we had to drive 1 hour to get to the airport, return our car and make our way to the terminal. The flight was a little bumpier than I care for but overall it wasn't too bad(I don't really like to fly). Baby T. had taken a very short nap in the hubs arms prior to getting on the plane. He was in rare form for the ride home. He was passed back and forth between us.
The Family
I don't get to see my family very often and we rarely get to see everyone all together especially with the parents. I have 4 siblings all older (I do remind them all the time). We all stayed at the same hotel so we got to spend a little bit of time together. It was so nice for our boys to play with their cousins. They have such a good time. They were able to play with their cousins and their funny Uncle at the pool.
We pretty much took over the Residence Inn in Melbourne. We made ourselves at home in their meeting room by pushing table together on Friday night while we got our last bit of together time. Together time really means that we were in the same room picking on each other the entire time. Good ole family bonding! We did miss out not having our older brother with us....
Here we are:
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Last minute
Nothing like doing a little last minute shopping for wedding attire. My boys seems to get taller by the minute. This morning we took a trip to Old Navy for some khakis. It is a good thing when you actually find what you are looking for. Luckily, the craft store was right next to Old Navy. We went in and I let the boys pick out a few different crafts. The boys love to work on crafts and I am hoping this will help some of the arguing.
We decided that E & J need some additional responsibilities around the house. Currently, they are responsible for making their beds everyday, clearing their plates at meals and cleaning up the play room. They are getting to the age where they can certainly help out in additional ways. They will now start helping with their laundry. They must put their dirty clothes in the basket, take downstairs, put in the wash and in the dryer when it is time. I still have to work the machines. They will also start helping fold and put away. They will also help by rolling in the garbage and recycle cans every week. I think the cans are a bit too heavy for them to roll out right now but they can certainly roll them back into the garage. I have to say the boys are happy to help. I have not heard them complain about the added responsibilities. I feel like they are happy to help out.
Baby T update: He seems to be growing like a weed. His vocabulary includes the following: pizza (ok I am thinking we may be eating a little too much of that), nite nite, bus, bye, more, mama, dada, E (this is for his brother), nana (banana), ding dong (for his belly button although doesn't really sound like I say it), bird, no no and I am sure there are a few more that I can not remember. It seems amazing to me that he knows as many words as he does. He favorite thing to do right now is turn in circles and get dizzy. He is close to figuring out how to go down the steps. Once he gets it I will video for you. And I know I still owe you his reaction to being on a swing.
We decided that E & J need some additional responsibilities around the house. Currently, they are responsible for making their beds everyday, clearing their plates at meals and cleaning up the play room. They are getting to the age where they can certainly help out in additional ways. They will now start helping with their laundry. They must put their dirty clothes in the basket, take downstairs, put in the wash and in the dryer when it is time. I still have to work the machines. They will also start helping fold and put away. They will also help by rolling in the garbage and recycle cans every week. I think the cans are a bit too heavy for them to roll out right now but they can certainly roll them back into the garage. I have to say the boys are happy to help. I have not heard them complain about the added responsibilities. I feel like they are happy to help out.
Baby T update: He seems to be growing like a weed. His vocabulary includes the following: pizza (ok I am thinking we may be eating a little too much of that), nite nite, bus, bye, more, mama, dada, E (this is for his brother), nana (banana), ding dong (for his belly button although doesn't really sound like I say it), bird, no no and I am sure there are a few more that I can not remember. It seems amazing to me that he knows as many words as he does. He favorite thing to do right now is turn in circles and get dizzy. He is close to figuring out how to go down the steps. Once he gets it I will video for you. And I know I still owe you his reaction to being on a swing.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
This and that
The boys continue to read most mornings(including Baby T)after breakfast. I really want to get my camera out every time Baby T gets up on the couch with a book just like his brothers. E finished yet another Junie B. Jones book and J has decided to join him in reading. The boys continue to bicker so I have come up with another punishment. Sentence writing is becoming a common practice in our house. They look something like this, "I will get along with my brother" or "I will not push my brother". I am sure we will have lots of other sentences before we are through.
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Green Lady stopped by yesterday. She wanted me to enroll the boys in Vacation Bible School at her church this week from 6-8pm. Nice invite, but the boys will do VBS (the same lessons) next week from 9-12 am, more along the times I need them to keep busy. Now Green lady is trying to get me to go to her church. She goes to a Baptist Church (we are Methodist). The church does not have Sunday school for the kids from age 6 and up. I am certain that I want my kids in Sunday school to learn on their level. I was told I could bring things for them to do in service, like books or coloring stuff. What would be the point? This is the 2nd time she has asked me to go to a church event. I have thanked her but nicely declined all offers. She doesn't take no for an answer easily so I am sure she will be back.
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We have a border in our house for at least the next 5 weeks. My niece graduated from a college up here, or so at least we thought. She ended up being 2 credits away from earning her degree due to a mix-up with her transcripts. She will be staying with us while she completes one course and works on her resume and interview skills at the Career Center.
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The boys have some friends coming over to swim today. I am finding that it is necessary to keep them a little more busy in the afternoon.
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Green Lady stopped by yesterday. She wanted me to enroll the boys in Vacation Bible School at her church this week from 6-8pm. Nice invite, but the boys will do VBS (the same lessons) next week from 9-12 am, more along the times I need them to keep busy. Now Green lady is trying to get me to go to her church. She goes to a Baptist Church (we are Methodist). The church does not have Sunday school for the kids from age 6 and up. I am certain that I want my kids in Sunday school to learn on their level. I was told I could bring things for them to do in service, like books or coloring stuff. What would be the point? This is the 2nd time she has asked me to go to a church event. I have thanked her but nicely declined all offers. She doesn't take no for an answer easily so I am sure she will be back.
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We have a border in our house for at least the next 5 weeks. My niece graduated from a college up here, or so at least we thought. She ended up being 2 credits away from earning her degree due to a mix-up with her transcripts. She will be staying with us while she completes one course and works on her resume and interview skills at the Career Center.
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The boys have some friends coming over to swim today. I am finding that it is necessary to keep them a little more busy in the afternoon.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Hoopla
Guess what the weather was supposed to be like today? Yep, that is right, cloudy and rainy. It actually didn't really rain (sprinkle) until the evening hours but not a day to be in the pool. Luckily, we got an invitation by our neighbors to go to see a Washington Mystics basketball (women's league) game in DC. She had been given a suite to use. And it was very SWEET. The boys had a great time watching the game....that includes the hubs. And me I got to sit and do some girl talk. Baby T stayed home with a sitter.
An outing
Saturday morning started cloudy and rainy once again. We had been couped in all day on Friday so we decided to take the boys to a Children's museum, Port Discovery. We heard great reviews of the place. We were going to buy a membership but the cashier told us to visit first and then if we wanted a membership they would convert us at the end. So glad she offered this option. The museum was 3 stories. In the middle of the museum was a large climbing structure. Kids can climb up to level 2 and 3. Are you thinking what I am thinking....How would you keep up with them because they can get off on a different floor. Each level had a few exhibits that were hands on.
We were very disappointed in the museum. There was no comparison to the museum in Charlotte, NC called Discovery Place. There was not much for the kids to do. We got there at 10am and were done by 11:30. We won't be back there anytime soon.
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Saturday night as we were watching TV we hear fireworks being let off somewhere near by. We go outside and a neighbor has this very elaborate fireworks display (probably better than what you might go to see on the 4th). We hear this is an annual event, a fairly wild party ending with the fireworks. Now our weekend even included fireworks....and we didn't have to drive to see them....can't get much better than that.
We were very disappointed in the museum. There was no comparison to the museum in Charlotte, NC called Discovery Place. There was not much for the kids to do. We got there at 10am and were done by 11:30. We won't be back there anytime soon.
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Saturday night as we were watching TV we hear fireworks being let off somewhere near by. We go outside and a neighbor has this very elaborate fireworks display (probably better than what you might go to see on the 4th). We hear this is an annual event, a fairly wild party ending with the fireworks. Now our weekend even included fireworks....and we didn't have to drive to see them....can't get much better than that.
The weekend that wasn't
It was Thursday afternoon, July 3rd, the bags were packed. We could almost smell the fresh ocean breeze. The thought of sitting out on the sandy shore was so clear in our heads. I happen to look over to J who is laying on the couch and thought I better go feel his forehead. I am not sure what triggered me to think something was wrong. It may have been that he kept telling me his stomach hurt or it may have been that he just looked a little pathetic laying on the couch. Yep, he is very warm.
My plan was to take these great pictures of us lounging on the ocean and doing other fun things but your not getting that today. We had been invited by some friends to stay at their beach house in Fenwick Island, Delaware. It is less than a 3 hour drive. Our friends have 4 kids and one of those is a baby who is about 1 month old. No way could we infect her children and especially the baby.
So here are a few pictures of what we actually did on the 4th:
J watching a little TV. We don't watch much TV in this house and being sick is a free ticket to be able to watch some shows. My kids don't like being sick but it makes it a little better since the TV will be on at least for a while.
E trying to soak in some TV time as well.
Baby T spent most of the weekend helping me shine my floors. He is starting to like to help clean up.
All in all the 4th turned out to be ok. The weather was cloudy and rainy most of the day (and it was supposed to be rainy at the beach also). It was probably good that we did not go!
The hubs got some much needed work done around the house. He installed the soap dispenser at the kitchen sink, hung a coat rack in the mudroom, installed a lock on our fence and many other odds and ends. And I was able to finally clean up my office. I actually have a desktop.
Not sure what J actually had, probably a little virus he picked up somewhere. He was much better on Saturday.
My plan was to take these great pictures of us lounging on the ocean and doing other fun things but your not getting that today. We had been invited by some friends to stay at their beach house in Fenwick Island, Delaware. It is less than a 3 hour drive. Our friends have 4 kids and one of those is a baby who is about 1 month old. No way could we infect her children and especially the baby.
So here are a few pictures of what we actually did on the 4th:
J watching a little TV. We don't watch much TV in this house and being sick is a free ticket to be able to watch some shows. My kids don't like being sick but it makes it a little better since the TV will be on at least for a while.
E trying to soak in some TV time as well.
Baby T spent most of the weekend helping me shine my floors. He is starting to like to help clean up.
All in all the 4th turned out to be ok. The weather was cloudy and rainy most of the day (and it was supposed to be rainy at the beach also). It was probably good that we did not go!
The hubs got some much needed work done around the house. He installed the soap dispenser at the kitchen sink, hung a coat rack in the mudroom, installed a lock on our fence and many other odds and ends. And I was able to finally clean up my office. I actually have a desktop.
Not sure what J actually had, probably a little virus he picked up somewhere. He was much better on Saturday.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Happy 4th of July
We are off having some fun. We hope to have some fun pictures and stories for you next week.
Have a safe 4th of July.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Lots of questions
It was another difficult morning and a lot of bickering going on between E & J. J always has to have the last word and will do annoying things to his brother if he does not do what he wants. Hmm...a little of this reminds me of my brother.
J has been taking care of his baby pet frog we found in the pool yesterday. There were actually 3 of them. J put one in a bucket with some water and they are trying to catch flies to feed it. This has been a nice distraction for today.
We have been faced with answering lots of questions for the boys lately. Last week I found myself explaining divorce to the boys. My neighbor (the Dad) has custody of his two children and their Mom gets them during her allotted time. The boy is a rising 6th grader, who is currently fighting Hodgkin's Lymphoma (and responding great to his chemo treatments), will come play with the boys sometimes. He had to leave one day because his Mom was here to pick him up. I had to explain why the kids' Mom did not live with them. It makes it more difficult that my neighbor has a "friend" that is at his house a lot. This past weekend the hubs (got a name from hubs' Mom - thanks) drove by a cemetery and explained death and being buried in a casket in the ground. The questions the boys asked: "Do the bugs get you when you are underground?" and "How do you see down there?". I think the hubs did a great job with this topic. And this morning during breakfast, J asked me how Santa see everything that everyone does. I was not ready for this one. It is July right? I gave a lame Santa sees all response. I am going to have to come up with a better explanation than that. I am sure that this is the start of many years of difficult questions. On my to do list is to prepare for the multitude of questions little people can ask. I guess by the time Baby T gets older we will be ready for anything.
J has been taking care of his baby pet frog we found in the pool yesterday. There were actually 3 of them. J put one in a bucket with some water and they are trying to catch flies to feed it. This has been a nice distraction for today.
We have been faced with answering lots of questions for the boys lately. Last week I found myself explaining divorce to the boys. My neighbor (the Dad) has custody of his two children and their Mom gets them during her allotted time. The boy is a rising 6th grader, who is currently fighting Hodgkin's Lymphoma (and responding great to his chemo treatments), will come play with the boys sometimes. He had to leave one day because his Mom was here to pick him up. I had to explain why the kids' Mom did not live with them. It makes it more difficult that my neighbor has a "friend" that is at his house a lot. This past weekend the hubs (got a name from hubs' Mom - thanks) drove by a cemetery and explained death and being buried in a casket in the ground. The questions the boys asked: "Do the bugs get you when you are underground?" and "How do you see down there?". I think the hubs did a great job with this topic. And this morning during breakfast, J asked me how Santa see everything that everyone does. I was not ready for this one. It is July right? I gave a lame Santa sees all response. I am going to have to come up with a better explanation than that. I am sure that this is the start of many years of difficult questions. On my to do list is to prepare for the multitude of questions little people can ask. I guess by the time Baby T gets older we will be ready for anything.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
What a Wednesday
I got a little break this morning. The sitter came to watch the kids. At 9 am this morning it seemed like it should be 5 in the evening. E & J were bickering non-stop all morning. Most of the time they are the best of friends and sometimes the worst of enemies. Once the sitter gets here I am sure everyone will be happy. Well, maybe not baby T (a.k.a Momma's boy) at first. He does have such a good time with her but has a very hard time saying bye to me.
The (scary) plumbers have arrived. I have to say they have as much personality as my pinky. We have had a leak under our kitchen sink since the end of May. When I had a plumber come out to diagnose our problem he stated that our faucet needed to be replaced. The Moen we had tends to get a small leaks in the meat of the faucet, something not worth fixing. That visit only cost me a little over $100 as he did a few toilet repairs. Let me do the math for you, that would be $50 to get to the door and $50 for the first half hour. What a racket. The husband and I did our research and picked out a faucet at Home Depot. We came home and ordered it on-line and saved a lot of money, plus got free shipping. I now have finally gotten around to having a new plumber ($80 for the first half hour and $30 for each additional 15 minutes plus a $5 gas charge) to come install. No more checking and changing the towel. At least we hope that this is the problem and the leak will be no more.
The (scary) plumbers have arrived. I have to say they have as much personality as my pinky. We have had a leak under our kitchen sink since the end of May. When I had a plumber come out to diagnose our problem he stated that our faucet needed to be replaced. The Moen we had tends to get a small leaks in the meat of the faucet, something not worth fixing. That visit only cost me a little over $100 as he did a few toilet repairs. Let me do the math for you, that would be $50 to get to the door and $50 for the first half hour. What a racket. The husband and I did our research and picked out a faucet at Home Depot. We came home and ordered it on-line and saved a lot of money, plus got free shipping. I now have finally gotten around to having a new plumber ($80 for the first half hour and $30 for each additional 15 minutes plus a $5 gas charge) to come install. No more checking and changing the towel. At least we hope that this is the problem and the leak will be no more.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
It's mine
I feel like a 3 year old when I say this is my space....all mine. My husband (I really need a good nick name for him) has suggested that I not write about neighbors or put anything offensive in my blogs. Well then why blog? My neighbors do not know that I blog nor would I let them in on my little secret. I can't imagine that anyone would think I would have the time to keep up with a blog.
So for today, I get to discuss one of my neighbors. I will call her green lady. You guessed it, as green as you can get. I have no problem being green, as I mentioned we will take steps to become more green in this family. She has very strong opinions(which are always correct) and lets them be known. She is encouraging me to grow a garden. That is right, she has a very large garden and grows lots of vegetables in her yard. On my to do list is to order a garden box (a suggestion from green lady) so that we can grow a few of our favorite vegetables. A garden box is an easy way to grow vegetables on your deck in one space.
One day she was discussing how she would love to have a clothes line to hang her laundry. We live in a community where the HOA would not approve an outdoor clothes line. As she was talking about how she loved the smell of the clothes, I remembered how I could not stand the smell of our clothes when I was young. We did not have a dryer so my mother had to hang all of our clothes. That would be for 5 children and 2 adults. How in the world did she ever get all that done? Honestly, I can barely get my laundry moved from the washer to the dryer and forget about folding and putting away. It was a big day in our family when my Dad purchased the dryer.
Back to the green lady. She is a nice lady but sometimes hard to stomach all of her views. In reality, I probably half agree with a lot of what she says but I have some flexibility within my life. I don't think things have to be black or white. So I will continue to talk with green lady....maybe she will give me more material to blog about.
I will have a kid update tomorrow. I am hoping to get Baby T's reaction on camera to being on a swing. Have you ever met a kid who doesn't like to swing? You will very soon.
So for today, I get to discuss one of my neighbors. I will call her green lady. You guessed it, as green as you can get. I have no problem being green, as I mentioned we will take steps to become more green in this family. She has very strong opinions(which are always correct) and lets them be known. She is encouraging me to grow a garden. That is right, she has a very large garden and grows lots of vegetables in her yard. On my to do list is to order a garden box (a suggestion from green lady) so that we can grow a few of our favorite vegetables. A garden box is an easy way to grow vegetables on your deck in one space.
One day she was discussing how she would love to have a clothes line to hang her laundry. We live in a community where the HOA would not approve an outdoor clothes line. As she was talking about how she loved the smell of the clothes, I remembered how I could not stand the smell of our clothes when I was young. We did not have a dryer so my mother had to hang all of our clothes. That would be for 5 children and 2 adults. How in the world did she ever get all that done? Honestly, I can barely get my laundry moved from the washer to the dryer and forget about folding and putting away. It was a big day in our family when my Dad purchased the dryer.
Back to the green lady. She is a nice lady but sometimes hard to stomach all of her views. In reality, I probably half agree with a lot of what she says but I have some flexibility within my life. I don't think things have to be black or white. So I will continue to talk with green lady....maybe she will give me more material to blog about.
I will have a kid update tomorrow. I am hoping to get Baby T's reaction on camera to being on a swing. Have you ever met a kid who doesn't like to swing? You will very soon.
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