Our landscaping was completed this week in our backyard. It looks amazing, I will post pictures soon. We now just need to wait oh 2 years or so to let the plants mature. We have 2 more major projects for this year, one is to get an irrigation system and the other will be to have the house painted. It really does need a nice fresh coat. We have so many other major projects but they will have to wait.
The theme for this weekend is to complete some projects around the house that have been on our list for a while. This will be the last "free" weekend we will have for a while. Next weekend we have to get back in the groove of having a game on both Saturday (basketball) and Sunday(baseball). A few things on our list will be to either build or buy a sandbox. I am leaving the build or buy up to my husband but I want it now. We will also be cleaning out the storage area. We have so much junk in there that we need to sort through. Some of the stuff may be listed on Craigs List this weekend. I am also going to finally be cleaning out some junk drawers in the kitchen. I am tired of opening the drawers to only have stuff falling out. I won't bore you with all the other projects but we will be busy.
We are hoping to be able to do something fun this weekend with the boys. We will have to see how it all plays out. I am glad we have a 3 day weekend. I think the boys need a little break and then a short school week. They are exhausted by the end of the day and it is very apparent in their behavior. This morning was a rough morning. The first words out of my mouth were to keep their hands to themselves or they would lose a privilege. I am glad to report that everyone made it out the door just fine. They will be happy when they get home as we have a few friends coming over to play. I planned a last minute happy hour to celebrate the first week of school but a lot of people are heading to the beach one last time before summer is officially over.
We are hoping for a little nicer weather this weekend than today (it has sprinkled on and off all day). We are heating the pool to get in a little swimming also. Hope everyone has a great Labor day weekend.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
School and more
I realized this morning at breakfast when the boys were arguing, that school is a good thing to keep them focused. I do have to admit I (and the baby too) missed them yesterday. It was our real first day back on a routine. The baby and I went to my fitness gym yesterday morning as we did most morning during the summer. I looked in the rear view mirror and he just seemed a little lonely in the back. When he threw his tantrum because I wouldn't let him have any more of my smoothie there was no one else there to get his attention. No doubt before long we will all be back in the groove.
The bus stop is interesting this year. There are so many new faces from the neighborhood. We lost lots of kids this year to middle school but the kindergartners are making up the difference and then some. This one lady I have met, I will call her Ms. Snooty (I think she is nice but everything I hear from others makes her seem snooty. I will wait to pass judgement on what I think as she has always been pleasant to me). Ms. Snooty has had her now 1st grader in private school for the last 3 or so years. Her choice would have been to keep him in the private school but for whatever reason he is now in the public school (lucky us he is in EE's class) with the majority of the other kids in the neighborhood. She is having such a hard time coping. I really thought she was going to cry on the first day of school. Now I have always been a fan of private schools. I went to one for K-12. However, we moved to this county specifically because the school system here is one of the best. I would like to explain this to her and tell her to get over it. My boys learned so much in Kindergarten, I can't imagine what 1st grade will be like. When I was young I had 1/2 day kindergarten and I am sure I was not learning what they are learning these days. Times have certainly changed.
BABY News
The baby had his 18 month check up today. It is good to be assured that he is growing and his behavior is normal for a child his age. Tantrums are starting already. He was hamming it up for the Doc. And no tear was shed for his one shot. The nurse was great and let me hold him while she poked him and was done in an instant. He was so enthralled by the band aid she put on.
As far as the Doc, I do like her(although very hard to compare her to my Doc from NC). The Doc is very soft spoken but she is good with the baby. She always answers all my questions even when I ask about the other boys. I am hoping we won't see too much of her this winter. The baby got sick a lot last winter and was on a nebulizer all winter and into spring.
The bus stop is interesting this year. There are so many new faces from the neighborhood. We lost lots of kids this year to middle school but the kindergartners are making up the difference and then some. This one lady I have met, I will call her Ms. Snooty (I think she is nice but everything I hear from others makes her seem snooty. I will wait to pass judgement on what I think as she has always been pleasant to me). Ms. Snooty has had her now 1st grader in private school for the last 3 or so years. Her choice would have been to keep him in the private school but for whatever reason he is now in the public school (lucky us he is in EE's class) with the majority of the other kids in the neighborhood. She is having such a hard time coping. I really thought she was going to cry on the first day of school. Now I have always been a fan of private schools. I went to one for K-12. However, we moved to this county specifically because the school system here is one of the best. I would like to explain this to her and tell her to get over it. My boys learned so much in Kindergarten, I can't imagine what 1st grade will be like. When I was young I had 1/2 day kindergarten and I am sure I was not learning what they are learning these days. Times have certainly changed.
BABY News
The baby had his 18 month check up today. It is good to be assured that he is growing and his behavior is normal for a child his age. Tantrums are starting already. He was hamming it up for the Doc. And no tear was shed for his one shot. The nurse was great and let me hold him while she poked him and was done in an instant. He was so enthralled by the band aid she put on.
As far as the Doc, I do like her(although very hard to compare her to my Doc from NC). The Doc is very soft spoken but she is good with the baby. She always answers all my questions even when I ask about the other boys. I am hoping we won't see too much of her this winter. The baby got sick a lot last winter and was on a nebulizer all winter and into spring.
Monday, August 25, 2008
First Day of First Grade
EE and Jay on their first day of First Grade.
Waiting and getting on the bus.
We met the teachers on Friday at a meet and greet. The boys got to see their classrooms and most importantly see if they have any friends in class. It seems like most of the people they had in their classes last year on all spread into different classes this year. One good thing is that the boys will be able to walk into class together because their rooms are right across from each other. I think they will have a good year and they will have the opportunity to make new friends. If you notice in the picture above the boys have a target bag filled with the school supplies they are required to bring in (there backpack is filled with supplies also). I did not realize that we were supposed to take our supplies on Friday when we met the teachers. This is our first full year at this school. At least I will know for next year.
I may have over committed myself but I will be actively involved in the school this year. I have volunteered as a co-chair on the Special Events committee on the PTA. We have 4 events that are spread out throughout the year and I have already scouted out my helpers for some of these events. I will be a Room Parent for one of my boys' class and I will help with the other class if no one has signed up. I am also making plans to volunteer in each of their classrooms at least 2 times per month or more if I can get it to work out with finding a sitter. I like to experience the class dynamics and the only way to do that is to be involved. I am sure I will have more to say about this as the year goes on.
The Moms and some Dads got together at my neighbors' annual Back to school breakfast. It was nice to see old faces as it has been all summer since we have seen lots of these people. My husband was home from work today so he was able to take the baby while I stayed and mingled.
Off to enjoy the last hour and a half I have before the boys come home.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
It is good to be me
The husband and I had a little get away this past weekend for free. The husband's company does business with the Renaissance hotel and they were sponsoring a Yankee's Family weekend for some of their clients. Before I go further, we are NOT Yankee fans but read the rest of the story and you will understand why we obliged their wishes with our attendance.
The husband came home from work early on Friday and after we got everything situated at home (more on that later) we took off to check into the hotel. The room was very nice and we were greeted with food, cotton candy, pretzels, caramel popcorn and beer. In addition, we both got an Orioles T-shirt and a hat. My shirt is very cute. A reception was being held that evening but we decided to bag it and go out to dinner. It is not often that we can get out alone and have un-interrupted conversation. We walked to this place called Flemings and our meal was spectacular. We both got steaks and split these potatoes that were to die for. It is my new favorite place. As we were walking back, we noticed that Billy Idol was playing in a music pavilion located on the Harbor. We debated about staying around to listen but decided we would head back to the hotel. Sleeping wasn't so great. We had probably 5 guys (Yankee fans at that) staying on one side of our room who came in around 2 am and made lots of ruckus.
Saturday we joined the group for breakfast and realized that we should have been at the reception the night before. So we kind of brushed over the subject and told them we had dinner reservations. We spent most of Saturday at the house getting some chores completed. Then back to the hotel for a reception. The food was spectacular at all events. We ate sliders, nacho chips, homemade chips with dressing, wings and lettuce wraps. All the beer and wine you could drink. After about 1 hour we started our walk to the stadium, Camden Yards. The Orioles were playing the Yankees. We were in a suite with you guessed it more food and drink. I couldn't eat any more until they brought in some chocolate. We headed back to the hotel where once again our sleep was interrupted by the guys next door. But when we got back in our room we had more gifts waiting for us: 6 drinks, snacks and some Oriole tchotchkes.
We woke up Sunday and took a walk to and around Fell's Point. It is a very cute area with lots of row homes, restaurants, pubs and boutiques. The last event was breakfast in the Presidential Suite. The spread was unbelievable. I got a canadian bacon and egg croissant, homemade potatoes and a few pastries. After more hobnobbing with the hotel group we headed home. It was good to get home and be with the boys again. We brought home t-shirt for the boys. When we told them we had a gift, the first thing EE said was "I hope it is not a shirt". I guess I can remember not really caring about t-shirts when I was that young. We will have to keep that in mind for the future.
The boys were watched by their cousin (my sister's daughter) who has been staying with us. It has been nice having her here especially so that the husband and I can do outings like this every once in a while.
The husband came home from work early on Friday and after we got everything situated at home (more on that later) we took off to check into the hotel. The room was very nice and we were greeted with food, cotton candy, pretzels, caramel popcorn and beer. In addition, we both got an Orioles T-shirt and a hat. My shirt is very cute. A reception was being held that evening but we decided to bag it and go out to dinner. It is not often that we can get out alone and have un-interrupted conversation. We walked to this place called Flemings and our meal was spectacular. We both got steaks and split these potatoes that were to die for. It is my new favorite place. As we were walking back, we noticed that Billy Idol was playing in a music pavilion located on the Harbor. We debated about staying around to listen but decided we would head back to the hotel. Sleeping wasn't so great. We had probably 5 guys (Yankee fans at that) staying on one side of our room who came in around 2 am and made lots of ruckus.
Saturday we joined the group for breakfast and realized that we should have been at the reception the night before. So we kind of brushed over the subject and told them we had dinner reservations. We spent most of Saturday at the house getting some chores completed. Then back to the hotel for a reception. The food was spectacular at all events. We ate sliders, nacho chips, homemade chips with dressing, wings and lettuce wraps. All the beer and wine you could drink. After about 1 hour we started our walk to the stadium, Camden Yards. The Orioles were playing the Yankees. We were in a suite with you guessed it more food and drink. I couldn't eat any more until they brought in some chocolate. We headed back to the hotel where once again our sleep was interrupted by the guys next door. But when we got back in our room we had more gifts waiting for us: 6 drinks, snacks and some Oriole tchotchkes.
We woke up Sunday and took a walk to and around Fell's Point. It is a very cute area with lots of row homes, restaurants, pubs and boutiques. The last event was breakfast in the Presidential Suite. The spread was unbelievable. I got a canadian bacon and egg croissant, homemade potatoes and a few pastries. After more hobnobbing with the hotel group we headed home. It was good to get home and be with the boys again. We brought home t-shirt for the boys. When we told them we had a gift, the first thing EE said was "I hope it is not a shirt". I guess I can remember not really caring about t-shirts when I was that young. We will have to keep that in mind for the future.
The boys were watched by their cousin (my sister's daughter) who has been staying with us. It has been nice having her here especially so that the husband and I can do outings like this every once in a while.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Over-scheduling a myth or not?
In our long car ride to the beach a few weeks ago, I was able to catch up on some reading in my magazines. I love to read my magazines. I find many good articles, recipes or helpful hints. I read one article about parents over-scheduling their children's activities. I have been one to always keep this in the front of my mind when signing my boys up for activities.
I did not do many activities outside of school for most of my 12 years. This was probably a combination of my parents not really "pushing" me to do extra activities and me not going after what I wanted to do. My parents came from a totally different culture and were very protective of all 5 of their children. I was child number 5 so all the energy had probably been drained by the time I came around. There were also double standards in my family, my brothers got to do lots more than the girls in the family. I am not complaining, this is just the way it was.
On the other hand, my husband played a lot of sports when he was young. He really enjoyed tennis and golf and is still a very good player in both. My husband is very competitive.
I would love to schedule my boys in everything under the sun (maybe stemming from the fact that I did not do much). I would like them to play sports, learn a musical instrument and be part of clubs. But I do keep a good schedule in check for them. In the fall, they are signed up for baseball (they have been playing for the last 3 years and really have fun) and an instructional basketball league. Baseball will keep us busy one evening a week and on Sundays at 11am, both for a few hours. Basketball will be on Saturdays at 9am. Both sports will last 2 months. I also wanted to sign them up for instructional golf, not sure yet. This would be one day a week for an hour. See how the extra activities just start adding up. In the winter, I will sign them up for basketball. It will be so cold outside that a good indoor winter sport will be great to keep them active.
I do have several reasons that I would like my boys to play sports:
I did not do many activities outside of school for most of my 12 years. This was probably a combination of my parents not really "pushing" me to do extra activities and me not going after what I wanted to do. My parents came from a totally different culture and were very protective of all 5 of their children. I was child number 5 so all the energy had probably been drained by the time I came around. There were also double standards in my family, my brothers got to do lots more than the girls in the family. I am not complaining, this is just the way it was.
On the other hand, my husband played a lot of sports when he was young. He really enjoyed tennis and golf and is still a very good player in both. My husband is very competitive.
I would love to schedule my boys in everything under the sun (maybe stemming from the fact that I did not do much). I would like them to play sports, learn a musical instrument and be part of clubs. But I do keep a good schedule in check for them. In the fall, they are signed up for baseball (they have been playing for the last 3 years and really have fun) and an instructional basketball league. Baseball will keep us busy one evening a week and on Sundays at 11am, both for a few hours. Basketball will be on Saturdays at 9am. Both sports will last 2 months. I also wanted to sign them up for instructional golf, not sure yet. This would be one day a week for an hour. See how the extra activities just start adding up. In the winter, I will sign them up for basketball. It will be so cold outside that a good indoor winter sport will be great to keep them active.
I do have several reasons that I would like my boys to play sports:
- I would like them to excel at a sport and have fun with it.
- Keep them active.
- It is a great way for them to socialize and meet new friends.
- Increase their self esteem
- As they get older I hope that sports will still be in their life and they would maybe be able to avoid drugs and alcohol.
- Stay motivated to be in good shape.
I don't want my boys to burnout at the age of 10 or sooner. So I will try to set our limits and let them experiment with different activities, let them continue the ones they enjoy and drop the ones that are not important.
I was happy to read that over-scheduling is considered as 5 or more activities and that at any one time 60% of children participate in extra activities and about 1 in ten is over-scheduled. I will make sure that I stay in the population of those other 9.
The baby will be enrolled in My Gym again in the fall. This is a class for little ones to be able to climb, jump and roll around on a padded surface. It helps them gain strength and stability with some of the exercises they do. It is also a way for me to meet Moms.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Should I feel Guilty?
I feel extremely guilty about that fact that I am happy that school starts next week. I have spoken to several other Moms who are all sad that summer is ending and that their kids will be back in school. Are you kidding me? I have gotten to the point where I can not stand the bickering that goes on daily between EE and Jay.
Some days I would just love to turn on the TV and let them sit there all day. They would be occupied (read: out of my hair) and off of each other's backs. But I don't let the boys watch TV. Although, they do get to play WII but I limit the time and it is not everyday. They do get to watch some occasionally but the TV is not on everyday. It is hard to believe because their first year of life I put them in front (strapped in their bouncy chairs) of Baby Einstein videos, 2 times a day. This was really the only break I got from the two of them. I loved this time of day. Yes, I had read the many articles stating how bad it is to let your children under the age of 2 watch TV. The TV sucks the imagination right out of their head. I didn't let that deter me one bit. Once they were able to play on their own the TV went away. For now, I will let them watch movies or a show from time to time. Their favorite shows are Hannah Montana and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Luckily, the boys do not need the TV to keep them entertained. They can typically find something to do on their own (especially bicker with each other): work on crafts, read a book or play outside. The baby is not interested in the TV. NOTE: I do not judge other because families work differently.
Well, just a few more days and we will have to start back on a routine ready or not. I look forward to getting the household harmony back.
Some days I would just love to turn on the TV and let them sit there all day. They would be occupied (read: out of my hair) and off of each other's backs. But I don't let the boys watch TV. Although, they do get to play WII but I limit the time and it is not everyday. They do get to watch some occasionally but the TV is not on everyday. It is hard to believe because their first year of life I put them in front (strapped in their bouncy chairs) of Baby Einstein videos, 2 times a day. This was really the only break I got from the two of them. I loved this time of day. Yes, I had read the many articles stating how bad it is to let your children under the age of 2 watch TV. The TV sucks the imagination right out of their head. I didn't let that deter me one bit. Once they were able to play on their own the TV went away. For now, I will let them watch movies or a show from time to time. Their favorite shows are Hannah Montana and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Luckily, the boys do not need the TV to keep them entertained. They can typically find something to do on their own (especially bicker with each other): work on crafts, read a book or play outside. The baby is not interested in the TV. NOTE: I do not judge other because families work differently.
Well, just a few more days and we will have to start back on a routine ready or not. I look forward to getting the household harmony back.
Our visitor
As I mentioned in a previous post my MIL visited this past weekend. I am very lucky to have great in-laws. We love having visitors and the boys loving hanging around their grandparents. We have only been in Maryland for the last 8 months so there is still a lot for us to see and do. We decided to ride the train into DC on Friday. We decided on a trolley tour as everything is very spread out in DC. We got to Union Station by 10am and were hoping to walk right onto the trolley. We ended up having to wait 45 minutes for an empty trolley to come by. The delay meant that we couldn't make the stops we wanted to. We were site seeing with 3 kids and you always have to stay on track as far as lunch and snacks go.
The boys did great in the trolley but asking them to walk a few blocks was way out of the question. We ended up having to stay on the trolley to get to a stop that had places to eat. Then of course we stopped by the White House.
More pictures!
Being on the trolley was nice because we were able to learn some history regarding some of the different areas in the city. Our next trip will include a visit to some of the memorials. In my senior year of high school (gosh I don't want to think about how many years ago that was), I took a school trip to DC. We were there for several days and made stops at each of the historical sites. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip there but don't think I appreciate it as much as I do now.
On Sunday, we took a Duck Tour around downtown Baltimore and the inner harbor. I never knew there was so much history in Baltimore. A few things to note: Edgar Allen Poe is buried here, Baltimore was the first place to have a YMCA (got to sing the song and do the hand motions), lots of very old churches and Micheal Phelps just purchased a place in Fell's point. Ok, the driver heard this from one of his friends who works in a bar. The Duck tour was nice (expect for the duck calls that were handed out) but it went so quickly that we hardly had a chance to see all of the different sites he pointed out.
Grandma and the boys at the inner harbor after our duck tour.
The rest of our weekend was spent playing in the pool and hanging out. One of the high points was making smores. YUMMY! We surely hope Grandma comes back to visit soon.
What I learned is that my kids aren't really all that interested in the DC stuff. They were all very well behaved but I don't think there interest is there yet. Maybe once we actually spend some time at the museums or memorials where we can explain the significance to them.
The boys did great in the trolley but asking them to walk a few blocks was way out of the question. We ended up having to stay on the trolley to get to a stop that had places to eat. Then of course we stopped by the White House.
More pictures!
Being on the trolley was nice because we were able to learn some history regarding some of the different areas in the city. Our next trip will include a visit to some of the memorials. In my senior year of high school (gosh I don't want to think about how many years ago that was), I took a school trip to DC. We were there for several days and made stops at each of the historical sites. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip there but don't think I appreciate it as much as I do now.
On Sunday, we took a Duck Tour around downtown Baltimore and the inner harbor. I never knew there was so much history in Baltimore. A few things to note: Edgar Allen Poe is buried here, Baltimore was the first place to have a YMCA (got to sing the song and do the hand motions), lots of very old churches and Micheal Phelps just purchased a place in Fell's point. Ok, the driver heard this from one of his friends who works in a bar. The Duck tour was nice (expect for the duck calls that were handed out) but it went so quickly that we hardly had a chance to see all of the different sites he pointed out.
Grandma and the boys at the inner harbor after our duck tour.
The rest of our weekend was spent playing in the pool and hanging out. One of the high points was making smores. YUMMY! We surely hope Grandma comes back to visit soon.
What I learned is that my kids aren't really all that interested in the DC stuff. They were all very well behaved but I don't think there interest is there yet. Maybe once we actually spend some time at the museums or memorials where we can explain the significance to them.
A good cry
We had a very busy weekend. My Mother-in-law (MIL) came for a visit. We had a great time and did lots of site seeing. I will post more about this later.
My boys slept in this morning until about 7:30. Yes, believe it or not that is sleeping in for my boys. The baby woke up around 7 but he can keep himself fairly happy playing in his crib for a while. So I watched The Today show to get caught up on Olympic news. As I was in the baby's room getting him changed, Jay comes into the room in hysterics. I had no idea what was wrong with him. He continued to cry and I could not get a word out of him. I thought maybe he had a bad dream and was thinking about it. But he said no when I asked. Then I thought well maybe he doesn't feel well. But I got a no to that one also. I am trying to think of what could possibly be wrong with him, he did just wake up. So I went on to get the baby dressed and let him chill out a little bit. I finally got him to stop crying and he said that he forgot to tell his Grandma goodbye last night. Grandma had to leave early in the morning to catch a 5:30am flight. I thought all goodbyes were said last night as she kissed them before they went to sleep. I was able to calm him down by a promise to call her later on today.
That is my Jay. Most of the time he can be so kind hearted. He loves having family around. As a reward on his chart one week he wanted all of his cousins to come visit us to swim in his pool. He does a dark side some of the time too but for right now we will just focus on his sweetness.
My boys slept in this morning until about 7:30. Yes, believe it or not that is sleeping in for my boys. The baby woke up around 7 but he can keep himself fairly happy playing in his crib for a while. So I watched The Today show to get caught up on Olympic news. As I was in the baby's room getting him changed, Jay comes into the room in hysterics. I had no idea what was wrong with him. He continued to cry and I could not get a word out of him. I thought maybe he had a bad dream and was thinking about it. But he said no when I asked. Then I thought well maybe he doesn't feel well. But I got a no to that one also. I am trying to think of what could possibly be wrong with him, he did just wake up. So I went on to get the baby dressed and let him chill out a little bit. I finally got him to stop crying and he said that he forgot to tell his Grandma goodbye last night. Grandma had to leave early in the morning to catch a 5:30am flight. I thought all goodbyes were said last night as she kissed them before they went to sleep. I was able to calm him down by a promise to call her later on today.
That is my Jay. Most of the time he can be so kind hearted. He loves having family around. As a reward on his chart one week he wanted all of his cousins to come visit us to swim in his pool. He does a dark side some of the time too but for right now we will just focus on his sweetness.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Communism alive in MD
All right I may be exaggerating a bit but I am feeling a bit restricted lately. We moved into a community that has a very active homeowners association. We received this 30 page document outlining the restrictions of the community. The document talks about playsets, landscaping, pools, fences and a host of other changes to the appearance of your home. Even though you have the guidelines all changes must be documented on a HOA form, mapped out on the lot map and submitted to the architectural review board (ARB) for approval. You got it....my changes will have to be approved by others in the community. These include changes in the backyard of your home as well.
We would like our house to look nice and we will do all we can to keep it up. We did the hard scape in our backyard around the pool to make it look a little nicer and now we are doing landscaping along the fence line to get a bit more privacy. I submitted all the paperwork and I am waiting to hear back from them. The company will start on the 25th and will be done by the 26th. I actually know the head of the ARB board. Right now I am not really liking him much....in fact I will call him an A**hole. I do like to mess with him every opportunity I get. I saw him out for a walk the other day and told him I was submitting paper work for the improvements we were doing. He asked me "When are you looking to have these done?". My response was they ARE starting on the 25th. of this month. He gave me a sour look and then said it shouldn't be a problem.
The other reason I can not stand the HOA is that I got a letter in the mail stating that the front of our house needed to be pressure washed because it was dirty. I have 15 days to respond. Yeah it is still on my list to do. Ok, our house is mainly brick on the front. We have a bit of stucco on the top and then the gutters. Yes, they are a bit dirty. On our list of to dos has been get the house painted. My initial thought was that my husband would get a pressure washer and wash the front of our house. Then I could respond and let them know that we did in fact pressure wash the front of our house as the letter stated. The fact is that pressure washing will do absolutely nothing to remove the dirt. We will need to get up there and scrub or we will have to get it painted. Since we had planned on the painting that is what we will do. But it will take time to get estimates and then make a decision.
To top all of this off my husband is an incessant worrier. He worries about the littlest of things. It doesn't matter what I say he tends to worry regardless. So now he is worried that the ARB will not approve our plans. You got to be kidding me. They would have no reason not to approve.
There I said it all to you and I have to say I am very vocal around here about how much I dislike the HOA.
We would like our house to look nice and we will do all we can to keep it up. We did the hard scape in our backyard around the pool to make it look a little nicer and now we are doing landscaping along the fence line to get a bit more privacy. I submitted all the paperwork and I am waiting to hear back from them. The company will start on the 25th and will be done by the 26th. I actually know the head of the ARB board. Right now I am not really liking him much....in fact I will call him an A**hole. I do like to mess with him every opportunity I get. I saw him out for a walk the other day and told him I was submitting paper work for the improvements we were doing. He asked me "When are you looking to have these done?". My response was they ARE starting on the 25th. of this month. He gave me a sour look and then said it shouldn't be a problem.
The other reason I can not stand the HOA is that I got a letter in the mail stating that the front of our house needed to be pressure washed because it was dirty. I have 15 days to respond. Yeah it is still on my list to do. Ok, our house is mainly brick on the front. We have a bit of stucco on the top and then the gutters. Yes, they are a bit dirty. On our list of to dos has been get the house painted. My initial thought was that my husband would get a pressure washer and wash the front of our house. Then I could respond and let them know that we did in fact pressure wash the front of our house as the letter stated. The fact is that pressure washing will do absolutely nothing to remove the dirt. We will need to get up there and scrub or we will have to get it painted. Since we had planned on the painting that is what we will do. But it will take time to get estimates and then make a decision.
To top all of this off my husband is an incessant worrier. He worries about the littlest of things. It doesn't matter what I say he tends to worry regardless. So now he is worried that the ARB will not approve our plans. You got to be kidding me. They would have no reason not to approve.
There I said it all to you and I have to say I am very vocal around here about how much I dislike the HOA.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Note to self
Before you get your children and children of another family excited about a movie, best to check the listings the day you will see the movie. We went with another family hoping to see WALL-E but found that the last showing was yesterday. We instead opted to see Space Chimps. The boys enjoyed it....I just thought it was ok. It was a good thing that the Mom decided to join us on this venture. Her son who is friends with my boys ended up breakind down during the movie because he was scared. She had to leave the movie about 45 minutes into it. His 3 and 4 year old siblings were ok.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Nobody is home
I have not given much detail to the people in our neighborhood. And believe me these people are not the same that Mr. Rogers encountered on his TV show. Most people are nice, I always try to give the benefit of the doubt. There are specific groups (ok cliques). They are nice to each other in appearance, but the tension doesn't go unnoticed. The bus stop should be interesting this year!
I am finally getting around to posting the story about my nieghbor from the other day. It really isn't that exciting, I hope I didn't get your hopes up for something juicy. It was a little wierd. Here you go.
Our doorbell rang around 1pm on Monday. It was a neighbor from across the street, that in itself is not so bad right? Wrong!
A little back round information on my neighbor. She is from New York, so I will call her NY. I have talked with her maybe 5 times and I know she probably doesn't know my name, but I know hers. It has been witnessed by others that she and her husband yell at each other outside for all to hear(I have only heard one such incidence). And she constantly complains about him, he is cheap, he doesn't tell her anything, he is very laid back etc. She is known to yell at her 4 boys, aged 11, 9 and twins who are 8. A conversation with her no matter how short will always include the words ass and damn especially when my kids are around. Lastly, she also has been known to show her ass to others and also her boobs. Sound lovely?
On the not so funny side, a few weeks ago she had a double mastectomy because of cancerous cells in her milk ducts. All went well with the surgery and she recovered amazinly. I saw her shortly after surgery and asked her if she needed anything, thinking of mainly making them a meal. She said she had more food than she knew what to do with.
Last week, she came out and asked if I would walk with her. Before our walk started, she was baring her chest so that we could see the scars and expanders they put in. Luckily, I am not offended by things like that as I find medical science amazing. She feels better when she gets out a few times a day. Me being the good neighbor, walked with her and listened to her chat non-stop. You guessed it she is one of those people who really likes to talk but not listen so much. Did I mention she is very opinionated? In the course of our conversation, she mentioned her great fertility. I managed to get a few words in and told her she was lucky because it was a struggle for us to get pregnant both times. This did not seem to phaze her at all. Somehow adoption came up and she made a comment that it was not good to adopt because you never know what you are going to get. This seriously came out of her mouth. Ms. NY I have a niece and a nephew who have been adopted and we have no problems. They are loved just like everyone else in the family. I was floored as we were walking and could not wait to step back onto my property and quickly leave her side. This was the longest walk ever.
Ok, down to her visit. She wanted my boys (by the way she didn't even know they were twins) to play with her 9 year old. When I told her my kids are only 6 she then thought about her twins. She is very pushy and said let me take your boys. I sat there for a moment not knowing what to say.....so of course I said well why don't your boys come over here. We would love to have them visit. My boys were just getting ready to play WII. Her twins came over and played for 2 hours. They have speech issues, it has a real name but I can not remember what she said. Basically, their is a breakdown with the brain getting their lips to move. One was not very easy to understand but I managed the best I could. In all honesty, her boys were very well behaved. They kind of did their own thing and then they would play with my boys for a while and then go off and play on their own.
My issues is that I am not sure that I want my kids to go over there. I am not sure what I am going to do if she comes back. I don't think she is a bad person but I don't know her very well other than hearing her opinions on our walk the other day. I better start thinking.
I am finally getting around to posting the story about my nieghbor from the other day. It really isn't that exciting, I hope I didn't get your hopes up for something juicy. It was a little wierd. Here you go.
Our doorbell rang around 1pm on Monday. It was a neighbor from across the street, that in itself is not so bad right? Wrong!
A little back round information on my neighbor. She is from New York, so I will call her NY. I have talked with her maybe 5 times and I know she probably doesn't know my name, but I know hers. It has been witnessed by others that she and her husband yell at each other outside for all to hear(I have only heard one such incidence). And she constantly complains about him, he is cheap, he doesn't tell her anything, he is very laid back etc. She is known to yell at her 4 boys, aged 11, 9 and twins who are 8. A conversation with her no matter how short will always include the words ass and damn especially when my kids are around. Lastly, she also has been known to show her ass to others and also her boobs. Sound lovely?
On the not so funny side, a few weeks ago she had a double mastectomy because of cancerous cells in her milk ducts. All went well with the surgery and she recovered amazinly. I saw her shortly after surgery and asked her if she needed anything, thinking of mainly making them a meal. She said she had more food than she knew what to do with.
Last week, she came out and asked if I would walk with her. Before our walk started, she was baring her chest so that we could see the scars and expanders they put in. Luckily, I am not offended by things like that as I find medical science amazing. She feels better when she gets out a few times a day. Me being the good neighbor, walked with her and listened to her chat non-stop. You guessed it she is one of those people who really likes to talk but not listen so much. Did I mention she is very opinionated? In the course of our conversation, she mentioned her great fertility. I managed to get a few words in and told her she was lucky because it was a struggle for us to get pregnant both times. This did not seem to phaze her at all. Somehow adoption came up and she made a comment that it was not good to adopt because you never know what you are going to get. This seriously came out of her mouth. Ms. NY I have a niece and a nephew who have been adopted and we have no problems. They are loved just like everyone else in the family. I was floored as we were walking and could not wait to step back onto my property and quickly leave her side. This was the longest walk ever.
Ok, down to her visit. She wanted my boys (by the way she didn't even know they were twins) to play with her 9 year old. When I told her my kids are only 6 she then thought about her twins. She is very pushy and said let me take your boys. I sat there for a moment not knowing what to say.....so of course I said well why don't your boys come over here. We would love to have them visit. My boys were just getting ready to play WII. Her twins came over and played for 2 hours. They have speech issues, it has a real name but I can not remember what she said. Basically, their is a breakdown with the brain getting their lips to move. One was not very easy to understand but I managed the best I could. In all honesty, her boys were very well behaved. They kind of did their own thing and then they would play with my boys for a while and then go off and play on their own.
My issues is that I am not sure that I want my kids to go over there. I am not sure what I am going to do if she comes back. I don't think she is a bad person but I don't know her very well other than hearing her opinions on our walk the other day. I better start thinking.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Batter Up
We had a very busy Sunday. In fact, it was non stop from the moment we woke up until the time our heads hit the pillow last night. We were exhausted to begin with because the baby spent a lot of time crying during the night. I happened to look in his mouth the other day and saw very red swollen gums. The fact that he has been drueling was a good clue also.
We started by running (no not literally) by the nursery to ok all of our plants that have been picked out for our project starting in 2 weeks. When we got back home it was a rush to get some dinner items made for the company we were having that night. And I had to finish preparing another meal I was taking to a friend who had surgery. Then off to the Orioles baseball game. We took the two older boys. We were sitting really close to the field. I almost felt like I could reach out and touch one of them. I am not a huge fan of baseball but it was fun to be there at the game especially when the boys were having such a good time. The heat ended up getting to EE and we had to leave to find some shade. Once we got a snack we decided to head home. We made it until the bottom of the 4th inning and if you know how baseball works that is almost 2 hours. Once we got home we worked on getting ready for our company. It ended up being a very nice night and a great cookout.
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I think I will be getting a new cell phone soon at least that is what my husband has been telling me for the last month. Yes, you got it an entire month or maybe even longer. At night he usually sits on the couch with his PC and visits the Sprint website (this is almost every night). We decided to stay with Sprint because we have a fairly decent rate and their service is about as good as what we would get with other plans, meaning cell service in my area stinks. I have even picked out the color of my new phone. I will have the capability of texting others. I am not sure why he feels it necessary to continually look at the same phones every night and not make the purchase. I suppose when he gets it all figured out I will finally get a new phone.
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A really weird thing with a neighbor has happened today. I don't have time today to go into it but boy do I have a headache.
We started by running (no not literally) by the nursery to ok all of our plants that have been picked out for our project starting in 2 weeks. When we got back home it was a rush to get some dinner items made for the company we were having that night. And I had to finish preparing another meal I was taking to a friend who had surgery. Then off to the Orioles baseball game. We took the two older boys. We were sitting really close to the field. I almost felt like I could reach out and touch one of them. I am not a huge fan of baseball but it was fun to be there at the game especially when the boys were having such a good time. The heat ended up getting to EE and we had to leave to find some shade. Once we got a snack we decided to head home. We made it until the bottom of the 4th inning and if you know how baseball works that is almost 2 hours. Once we got home we worked on getting ready for our company. It ended up being a very nice night and a great cookout.
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I think I will be getting a new cell phone soon at least that is what my husband has been telling me for the last month. Yes, you got it an entire month or maybe even longer. At night he usually sits on the couch with his PC and visits the Sprint website (this is almost every night). We decided to stay with Sprint because we have a fairly decent rate and their service is about as good as what we would get with other plans, meaning cell service in my area stinks. I have even picked out the color of my new phone. I will have the capability of texting others. I am not sure why he feels it necessary to continually look at the same phones every night and not make the purchase. I suppose when he gets it all figured out I will finally get a new phone.
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A really weird thing with a neighbor has happened today. I don't have time today to go into it but boy do I have a headache.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
An update
Thursday night ended up being a nice night out. We went to Downtown Baltimore and ate at this place called Rory's. It was a little fru fru for me but very nice. What I do I mean? The prices are high and the food is not so plentiful. The food I did have was very good. Instead of a glass of wine I opted for a Pineapple martini. I only had one because I was driving, yummy!
The two ladies I was with each had 3 martinis and had entrees while I got a salad and an appetizer (believe me it wasn't cheep). We also split an appetizer and dessert. When we got the bill ($200) I added up my portion and it was less than $50 and that included the full price for the appetizer and dessert. I told them I would pay $50 for my portion. I really felt that this was more than I owed. When I explained this to my husband he said I should have paid 1/3 of the bill. What? Really? Did I mention that they each had 3 martinis at $11 a pop. I feel like I did the right thing.
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LEMONADE AND BAKE SALE
We started baking on Friday. We made chocolate chip cookies, marscapone cheese cupcakes and toffee bars. The boys had a great time helping with the cookies and cupcakes. We ran out of time and I had to make the bars.
The boys set up around 11am and stayed out there until about 3pm. It was a very quiet day on our street. It just so happened that our neighbor had a paint crew at his house and they visited the boys a few times for drinks and dessert. The boys still managed to make about $25. This does not include the money that the husband's work is contributing for the chocolate pound cake I just made for them. They wanted to support the boys in their cause. As I mentioned the boys will donate the money to St. Judes Cancer Research.
The baby wanted a piece of the action. The boys set up near a tree so that they could have some shade.
The two ladies I was with each had 3 martinis and had entrees while I got a salad and an appetizer (believe me it wasn't cheep). We also split an appetizer and dessert. When we got the bill ($200) I added up my portion and it was less than $50 and that included the full price for the appetizer and dessert. I told them I would pay $50 for my portion. I really felt that this was more than I owed. When I explained this to my husband he said I should have paid 1/3 of the bill. What? Really? Did I mention that they each had 3 martinis at $11 a pop. I feel like I did the right thing.
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LEMONADE AND BAKE SALE
We started baking on Friday. We made chocolate chip cookies, marscapone cheese cupcakes and toffee bars. The boys had a great time helping with the cookies and cupcakes. We ran out of time and I had to make the bars.
The boys set up around 11am and stayed out there until about 3pm. It was a very quiet day on our street. It just so happened that our neighbor had a paint crew at his house and they visited the boys a few times for drinks and dessert. The boys still managed to make about $25. This does not include the money that the husband's work is contributing for the chocolate pound cake I just made for them. They wanted to support the boys in their cause. As I mentioned the boys will donate the money to St. Judes Cancer Research.
The baby wanted a piece of the action. The boys set up near a tree so that they could have some shade.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Nothing a glass of wine can't cure
The top 5 reasons on why I need a girl's
night out and why it is happening tonight:
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5) I am still trying to figure out the women in the neighborhood. There are definite cliques in the neighborhood and I like women from both.
4) Not being able to find the time to clean the main floor of my house which has been declared a natural disaster. Hm....maybe I should not be blogging right now.
3) Road construction annoyance. I take the same route practically everyday and everyday there is one side of the road closed. This has happened for the last 4 weeks. How much more work on the wires can you do?
2) Getting called out of my workout class because the baby has a dirty diaper and they are not allowed to change them.
1) The constant bickering between EE and Jay is more than one person can handle. I believe my head may explode at some point.
And that is why I am going out tonight with two neighbors. We have no real plan other than leaving our respective families for a night out of friendship and fun, which will more than likely include a glass of wine.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Toothless in Md
Last year when my boys started losing their teeth, I told them the story of how my Dad used to get our loose teeth to come out. I remember vividly that my Dad used to take a string and tie one end to our tooth and the other to the door knob (usually in the bathroom). Then he would SLAM the door shut so that the tooth would be pulled out of the socket. Would it not have been easier just to grab hold of the tooth and pull it out? The boys laughed when I told the story.
EE’s front tooth (the one that came out of the socket a few years ago after his brother threw a Hot Wheels car at him) got really loose over the last week. He had joked, or at least I thought, about getting the ribbon from the balloon and tying it to his tooth. Yesterday, when I was sitting in my office I hear the boys coming down the stairs talking loudly about something. I look and EE has his tooth in his hand and a bloody mouth. He went on to tell me that Jay tied the ribbon to the door knob and that EE put the other side in his mouth right underneath the loose tooth. Jay shut the door and voila the tooth came out.
I am happy to report that the tooth fairy did stop by to pick up EE's tooth and leave a dollar bill. For EE’s last tooth, the tooth fairy forgot to make the stop at our house. Imagine me at 6:30am trying to come up with a good enough reason on why the tooth fairy would have missed him.
We spent the morning today getting school supplies. They are very specific in what they would like you to buy but they don’t always make it easy to find the supplies. I still have a few items to purchase but at least we purchased most of the them. My pockets feel very empty at this time.
EE’s front tooth (the one that came out of the socket a few years ago after his brother threw a Hot Wheels car at him) got really loose over the last week. He had joked, or at least I thought, about getting the ribbon from the balloon and tying it to his tooth. Yesterday, when I was sitting in my office I hear the boys coming down the stairs talking loudly about something. I look and EE has his tooth in his hand and a bloody mouth. He went on to tell me that Jay tied the ribbon to the door knob and that EE put the other side in his mouth right underneath the loose tooth. Jay shut the door and voila the tooth came out.
I am happy to report that the tooth fairy did stop by to pick up EE's tooth and leave a dollar bill. For EE’s last tooth, the tooth fairy forgot to make the stop at our house. Imagine me at 6:30am trying to come up with a good enough reason on why the tooth fairy would have missed him.
EE right after his tooth came out on the phone telling his
Dad what just happened
******************************************************************We spent the morning today getting school supplies. They are very specific in what they would like you to buy but they don’t always make it easy to find the supplies. I still have a few items to purchase but at least we purchased most of the them. My pockets feel very empty at this time.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Lemonade anyone
Last night I attended a Mothers of Multiples meeting with a friend. As I suspected, it was very cliquey. I joined the group when we moved here mainly for the resources the group provides. I have sold many things to members and the members have provided me a lot of references. I am not sure that I will go to another meeting but you never know.
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The boys have beenbegging asking me to do a Lemonade and bake sale with them. I asked the boys what they wanted to do with the money they made. Of course, they both said they wanted to go spend it on “things” at the store. I told them that the only way I would do the stand with them was if they donated the money to a specific cause. I got to thinking more and gave them the option of donating the money in honor of the boy next door who is battling Cancer. We will let you know how it works out.
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On Sunday, as I was leisurely going through the mail, I came upon a letter from our Homeowners Association. They have asked us to pressure wash the front of our home. The front of our home is mainly brick with a little bit of surface at the top. I was fuming when I read it and really wanted to let them know what they could do with the letter. We do all we can to keep our house looking nice. I think we will just borrow the neighbor’s pressure washer and see if it will come clean….otherwise it will just have to wait.
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The next project on the husband's list is to build the boys a sandbox. He is to start sometime this weekend.
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The boys have been
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On Sunday, as I was leisurely going through the mail, I came upon a letter from our Homeowners Association. They have asked us to pressure wash the front of our home. The front of our home is mainly brick with a little bit of surface at the top. I was fuming when I read it and really wanted to let them know what they could do with the letter. We do all we can to keep our house looking nice. I think we will just borrow the neighbor’s pressure washer and see if it will come clean….otherwise it will just have to wait.
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The next project on the husband's list is to build the boys a sandbox. He is to start sometime this weekend.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Vacation photos
Here we are in front of the villa we rented.
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At the park. One of the few pictures where the baby is actually smiling and not running away.
At the park.
At the beach.
We had a great beach trip even with the baby's sleep issues. He had an ok night last night, woke up once but he went back to sleep on his own in a relatively short period of time. We hope by our next trip (I can tell you I am not ready to travel anywhere for the time being) he will be a little older and a better sleeper.
I have asked the boys to tell me their favorite part of the vacation and I have gotten the same response each time. "I liked everything!" They really did enjoy the beach and the many activities they did: tennis, hitting golf balls, fishing, swimming in the pool, playing at the park, going out for ice cream and riding bikes everywhere.
My favorite part was that we are together as a family for a straight week. Unfortunately for me, vacation doesn't mean no cooking, cleaning, laundry and other day to day activities. But vacation does mean that the husband helps in all of the chores. It is nice that the kids get extra special time with Dad.
We were intrigued by the games people play on the beach. One game is called beach golf bowl, click on the link to check it out. We saw a few version of that game. We also saw ladder golf, which the husband would like to get for our backyard. I think we will be a little more prepared for games next year as the boys will probably need a little more to keep them busy.
The drive home was very long as I implied in my post yesterday. We caught traffic in Virginia and it stayed congested just about the rest of the way home. I saw some real idiots on the road yesterday. One man was done with his soda can so he threw it out his window. We were on a highway going 65 miles per hour and he really thinks it is a good idea to toss his beverage. I so wanted to roll down my window and let him know how I felt but couldn't’t because I had kids in the car. The second person I saw was driving down the road, flying no less, talking on the phone, drinking a soda and driving with her legs. That is what I call talent.
You can view all our pictures by clicking on the picture over on the right under the Hilton Head title.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Home sweet home
We made it home, albeit a very long drive, safe and sound. We left HHI at 5:40 this morning and didn't arrive in Maryland until about 5pm due to traffic delays as we approached the DC area. I will update tomorrow with more details and pictures from our trip.
We had a great vacation but it is good to be home!
We had a great vacation but it is good to be home!
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