Its almost here folks!!! only a few more hours until it is OFFICIALLY SPRING!!! As much as I hate the winter, one of the benefits of living in western New York is the change in seasons, and looking forward to at least 3 of the 4 seasons...
It is fun to watch all of the flowers coming up, waking up to hear the birds singing again, the woodpeckers pecking for bugs, and the fresh air of the season that rushes in when I open the windows. What is even more exciting is watching how my son looks at all of these things for the first time. He has never experienced any of this, and I always have to wonder what he is thinking about as he sees these things. He looks at them all with such wonder and excitement. Ahh, to see things as a child does again - what a gift that would be!
I also love that every morning when he wakes up, I go in to his room and get the biggest smile from his cute little chubby-cheeked face. This morning he even laughed quite a bit. It was awesome. I love that I can have full conversations with him that consist only of the word "Goo" over and over again (as he and I are doing right now). Having him is a really fun and exciting experience.
Lanie has been great as a big sister, and as a companion to me. She is a wonderful helper and has been my buddy moreso over the past few months than ever I think. She has struggled a bit with no longer being the center of attention all of the time, and we have all been learning how to adjust to this new family life that we now have. All in all, I think we are all doing a pretty good job of adjusting and doing our parts. I want to work on making sure that Lanie and I (and Lanie and Daddy too) get some some one on one time. I want to do some girly type things with her without her brother coming with us, and I think that kind of bonding time will help. She is already excited that she has a girls night sleepover coming up next week. My good friend Vicky is coming over that night and we are doing a girls sleepover (daddy will have to go to the guest bedroom or Lanie's room) night. Vicky already comes over each week to hang out and give me a hand with the kids, and provide me with some grown-up conversation (much needed when playing the role of stay at home mom for the moment!). Friday will be fun. Today will be nice too since my awesome sister Shawna is coming out with her kids and they are all staying the night with us. That will be a lot of fun to have them all here. The older I get, the more I truly appreciate spending time with family.
Speaking of that, I have also really enjoyed spending time with my mother in law lately. Since I am home with the kids, there is much more time where I can go over to her house and visit, chat and just spend time together. It is so much harder when both Aubrey and I are working. At the end of a work day, we barely have the energy to get dinner together, clean whatever needs to be cleaned in the house (chores are never-ending), and get the kids to bed, then get up and do it all again the next day. That is probably hard to understand unless it is the life you are living. Then the weekend comes, and it is the only time we actually get to spend as a family together, and of course it is usually filled with cleaning and other necessary household responsibilities like shopping... time flies too fast.
Well, I am off again. Time to get the boy in the bath and clean his little tooshie. Then the big girl needs to get in the bath and get clean. She is learning how to do that herself these days, which is just amazing. She is growing up so very fast. She tells me that I am still growing too, and it happens when I sleep, and I can't even see it. She cracks me up. The things she says are so funny. I still can't believe that she will be in Kindergarten this year. Where did those 5 years go? She is so ready to be in school though. She has been for a long time. I just hope she doesn't get bored, and enjoys school. I hope that the school she goes to is a good one, and that her teacher(s) is/are great.
I will upload some photos later. Enjoy the first day of Spring everyone!
Tootles!
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Smiling Man
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Time for photos!
I need to get back to keeping this blog more up to date I think. Not that I have much time to be doing that, but with the changes that the baby will be going through all of the time, it will be nice to at least post some photos every now and again. So, here are a few more recent photos of the boy. He is getting bigger and as of today he is 21" and 7lbs 13oz... so we are going in the right direction! He has not lost his hair, which I am amazed at. I thought he would lose it or that it would change color by now - Lanie's did! He is his own guy though apparently.
Lanie is transitioning into big-sisterhood pretty well. We have had some major blow-outs and fits, much disobedience and frustration, so, pretty much normal I believe! I hope that we are able to stabilize soon though, as it is no fun to be fighting with your firstborn. She is a great kid, and is just frustrated at being asked to be 2nd fiddle for a little...
Anyhow, speaking of the bear, I need to go and get her from school momentarily. Here are a few pics of the boy, as promised, along with some of sister et. al.
TTFN y'll!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
His name is not Sylar
I can't tell you how many people think the baby's name is Sylar... though that is an 'interesting' name, it isn't the one we gave him. Sylar, for those of you who do not watch Heroes on NBC, is the very, very nasty villain character. This boy is far from evil....... he is one calm, cool dude.
Aubrey goes back to work this week, and we are going to take Lanie down to part time at daycare. That will be a challenge as she and I didn't cope well with each other this summer when she was home. I imagine that was due to being sick (me) and so, SO fatigued, and am hoping that having her home with me will allow us to do some more family bonding. It has been a rough transition for her going from being the only child to having a sibling who is getting the attention more than she is used to. She sure does love her brother though, and as long as it stays that way, we should be good. I plan on trying to get her into some classes at the rec center here, and also want to see about having her audition for a play that they are doing there, well, actually, it is at one of the area colleges. I think that she would love that, as she really, REALLY enjoys being on stage and in the spotlight. She always has. Plus, if she gets a part, I can only imagine how special that will make her feel!
Anyhow, we are getting a bit of s snow storm, and we have some things that we need to get done before the weather is too bad. I will post more photos soon, and as always, check facebook if you like since that is where I also tend to do updates.
Cheers!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
1 1/2 more days until baby
Seriously, I don't think there is enough time in the day for me to get done all of the things that I feel need doing. It still seems that no matter what, I can't keep up with this house. I am defeated by cats, kid and husband every time it seems. I am not complaining, but it gets a little overwhelming at times. I am making a list for Aubrey for when I am at the hospital. I know he hates that, but if I come home to a mess, I will be a mess, and that simply won't do!
Its hard to believe that I could get more tired than I already am. I want to sleep all day, all night, and all morning too. What the heck! Here it is at 11am and I am still in my jammies! I have an excuse today though. I am waiting for the dryer to shut off to get some clean clothes. Good enough excuse I think - at least for now anyhow!
If you watch Dexter and have not seen the season finale for season 4, skip this paragraph if you don't want it spoiled. I watched the season ending yesterday as we DVR'd the episode. The fact that the very last thing you see is that they killed off one of the main characters is not a surprise to be honest (though I will admit that I was a bit shocked when I realized what was happening). I mean, they killed off a main character last season as well, and it seems to be the kind of thing you can expect. However, I know so many, women in particular, who are so upset that this certain person was killed off. It was ironic I will admit (see, I am still keeping names off of here in case you are foolish and are reading this even though you know you shouldn't) that the 'cycle' is kind of repeating here... but I really could not stand the character that they killed anyhow. I mean, when I first met the character, it was great - perfect for the story line, perfect for the partnership, but grew increasingly annoying throughout each episode. I wanted to just pull my hair out with how annoying the character was at times. Yes, they created some kind of moral balance there, but it was the one thing in the show that I didn't think fit with the rest of it. Anyhow, I still almost cried... damn hormones!
Ok. Time to get dressed and stop fooling around. TTFN folks!
Its hard to believe that I could get more tired than I already am. I want to sleep all day, all night, and all morning too. What the heck! Here it is at 11am and I am still in my jammies! I have an excuse today though. I am waiting for the dryer to shut off to get some clean clothes. Good enough excuse I think - at least for now anyhow!
If you watch Dexter and have not seen the season finale for season 4, skip this paragraph if you don't want it spoiled. I watched the season ending yesterday as we DVR'd the episode. The fact that the very last thing you see is that they killed off one of the main characters is not a surprise to be honest (though I will admit that I was a bit shocked when I realized what was happening). I mean, they killed off a main character last season as well, and it seems to be the kind of thing you can expect. However, I know so many, women in particular, who are so upset that this certain person was killed off. It was ironic I will admit (see, I am still keeping names off of here in case you are foolish and are reading this even though you know you shouldn't) that the 'cycle' is kind of repeating here... but I really could not stand the character that they killed anyhow. I mean, when I first met the character, it was great - perfect for the story line, perfect for the partnership, but grew increasingly annoying throughout each episode. I wanted to just pull my hair out with how annoying the character was at times. Yes, they created some kind of moral balance there, but it was the one thing in the show that I didn't think fit with the rest of it. Anyhow, I still almost cried... damn hormones!
Ok. Time to get dressed and stop fooling around. TTFN folks!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Just some things to help me remember what is important
I know I said that I would not be writing again for a while. Some of that was in part to a lack of time, but part of that was me being just plain angry. I know I am hormonal, but I had been verbally hurt that day by someone I care for, and although it was only that they were probably unable to control their own emotions, I find that they must find some refuge in making me feel bad, if only to make themselves feel a little less bad. Is this ok? No, not really. It is at my expense. Should I shrug it off? Yes, I should. Unfortunately, some of my own self confidence gets knocked down each time this happens, and it has happened for too long. I believe it has to do with envy (not on my part) and feelings of failure (also, not on my part). I know this person well. I know that this person has struggles that are so very heavy. But I wish that one day he or she would remember that lashing out at me, and then never, ever saying sorry for it, will only push me further away. I had assumed that this was never their actual intention, but as I write, I could have been wrong all along. Nonetheless, life is only a brief moment, and way, way, way to short for these small things.
Small things. So many times in the day, I feel little movements from my unborn child. ALL kinds of blurps and burbles, kicks, what I think is a baby butt moving around on my left side, hiccups and the elbow jabs that are sometimes so high up that my boob actually moves! I know you wanted those details, right? Seriously though, I have ribs... how are we moving boobs with elbows and feet??? I have 5 more weeks before the baby comes, and I just can't wait to meet this little boxer. No idea if said boxer is a boy or girl, but healthy is all I care about.
Healthy. I was in a sheer state of panic when I had to take Lanie to the hospital for minor surgery to remove some suspect moles. I was nearly sick about it. She did fine, and is fine. We will be seeing a dermatologist in January to check for other moles, as one of her moles, known as a Spitz Nevus may serve as a 'warning sign' for other possible mole issues either now or down the line. Frighteningly, a spitz nevus is also known as a 'Juvenile Melanoma', but is not considered cancer. I thank God for this, and am so very grateful to her doctor, Dr. Davis for even having concerns about her moles in the first place. It is not something we would have thought of.
Shortly before Lanie's surgery, Nathan, the son of our friend Karen, passed away. He was just 4 months old. He was fine in the morning, and then everything changed. Watching Karen and Marvin go through such pain, and knowing that they are continuing to suffer from such a loss has been a strong reminder of separating the important from what is not. Though I know that they are still hurting so much from losing this amazing, beautiful little boy, they talked about how lucky and grateful they are to have known him. I don't know that I could be so grateful. I think my anger would be more than I could even handle. That kind of loss, how do you get past that? I tell my daughter each day so many times how much I love her. It still isn't enough. There is a part of me that feels so guilty that I am so blessed to have her when our friends no longer have their little one. I feel guilt over my own pregnancy and new child coming soon. I don't think I could be excited for a friend who was expecting, if I ever had to go through what Karen and Marvin went and are going through with the loss of their Nathan. He would be just over 6 months old now. That is such a special age. I think of all the things that his parents won't get to see with him. I think of how hard Halloween must have been, how thankless Thanksgiving will be, and how heartbreaking their Christmas will be. These would have all been firsts for Nathan. Firsts that will never come. I am so grateful each day to have all that I have. It makes me remember that the small stuff is just that. So very, very small.
On Monday I received another email that again reminds me how short and precious life is. Distant friends of ours found out that their youngest child has a rare form of leukemia. She is only 2 years old and is battling cancer. Reading about her treatment and what is going on with her in the hospital is so heartbreaking and I can't help but to just cry. I watched Lanie lose it and have to be held down to have her H1N1 shot a few weeks back. Little Juliana has already had some transfusions, spinal chemo, and goodness knows what else, and is of course frightened by all of the needles, tests, and God knows what else she has had to (and will have to) endure, just to try to save her life. Her parents are expecting baby #3 in January as well, which is probably bittersweet. Caring for a newborn, a 4 year old (their oldest was born 2 months after Lanie), and caring for a very sick little girl is just so much more than demanding. Mike and Christine (mom and dad) are such strong folks, but it is hard I am sure to not show their baby that they are terrified. Prognosis for the Leukemia that she has is better than others I have read, but it is all individually based, and so multi-layered. As I said to Aubrey today, I wake up each day and worry about my daughter. Will she be happy and healthy each day? Will she be safe? These are normal things that a parent thinks about I am sure. It is hard to imagine what life will be like for Mike and Christine's family, not knowing when and if the cancer will return once (and if) it goes into remission. I thank God for the blessing of a healthy child, and pray that others are blessed in the same way.
Adding to that, my father in law is dealing with some test results that are of concern too. He had Prostate cancer a short while back and had that taken care of by a very good doctor. His most recent bloodwork shows that the PSA results were not undetectable this time, so he is going for further testing. Not knowing what the results of this will be, we are of course just hoping it is something small and easily resolved, but not knowing, and hearing that damned C word again, well, that is really frightening. I know he is concerned as he should be. Hopefully, as I said, it won't be anything more than minor and easy to deal with. His wife, Linda is also I am sure worried. Her late husband passed away from cancer some years back, and to have to worry again about someone she loves so much in that way is, I am sure, unreal.
So, back to my original anger about small things. There just isn't room enough in life to let those small things take precious time out of my day when so many BIG things are happening all of the time. I am simply grateful for all that I have, for every hug I get from my daughter, for every kick I get from my unborn child (and I am getting those right now from him/her), for every time my husband does something to remind me why I love him so much (and that is often), and for all that I have been blessed with. Small stuff will just have to wait, and wait, and wait.
Small things. So many times in the day, I feel little movements from my unborn child. ALL kinds of blurps and burbles, kicks, what I think is a baby butt moving around on my left side, hiccups and the elbow jabs that are sometimes so high up that my boob actually moves! I know you wanted those details, right? Seriously though, I have ribs... how are we moving boobs with elbows and feet??? I have 5 more weeks before the baby comes, and I just can't wait to meet this little boxer. No idea if said boxer is a boy or girl, but healthy is all I care about.
Healthy. I was in a sheer state of panic when I had to take Lanie to the hospital for minor surgery to remove some suspect moles. I was nearly sick about it. She did fine, and is fine. We will be seeing a dermatologist in January to check for other moles, as one of her moles, known as a Spitz Nevus may serve as a 'warning sign' for other possible mole issues either now or down the line. Frighteningly, a spitz nevus is also known as a 'Juvenile Melanoma', but is not considered cancer. I thank God for this, and am so very grateful to her doctor, Dr. Davis for even having concerns about her moles in the first place. It is not something we would have thought of.
Shortly before Lanie's surgery, Nathan, the son of our friend Karen, passed away. He was just 4 months old. He was fine in the morning, and then everything changed. Watching Karen and Marvin go through such pain, and knowing that they are continuing to suffer from such a loss has been a strong reminder of separating the important from what is not. Though I know that they are still hurting so much from losing this amazing, beautiful little boy, they talked about how lucky and grateful they are to have known him. I don't know that I could be so grateful. I think my anger would be more than I could even handle. That kind of loss, how do you get past that? I tell my daughter each day so many times how much I love her. It still isn't enough. There is a part of me that feels so guilty that I am so blessed to have her when our friends no longer have their little one. I feel guilt over my own pregnancy and new child coming soon. I don't think I could be excited for a friend who was expecting, if I ever had to go through what Karen and Marvin went and are going through with the loss of their Nathan. He would be just over 6 months old now. That is such a special age. I think of all the things that his parents won't get to see with him. I think of how hard Halloween must have been, how thankless Thanksgiving will be, and how heartbreaking their Christmas will be. These would have all been firsts for Nathan. Firsts that will never come. I am so grateful each day to have all that I have. It makes me remember that the small stuff is just that. So very, very small.
On Monday I received another email that again reminds me how short and precious life is. Distant friends of ours found out that their youngest child has a rare form of leukemia. She is only 2 years old and is battling cancer. Reading about her treatment and what is going on with her in the hospital is so heartbreaking and I can't help but to just cry. I watched Lanie lose it and have to be held down to have her H1N1 shot a few weeks back. Little Juliana has already had some transfusions, spinal chemo, and goodness knows what else, and is of course frightened by all of the needles, tests, and God knows what else she has had to (and will have to) endure, just to try to save her life. Her parents are expecting baby #3 in January as well, which is probably bittersweet. Caring for a newborn, a 4 year old (their oldest was born 2 months after Lanie), and caring for a very sick little girl is just so much more than demanding. Mike and Christine (mom and dad) are such strong folks, but it is hard I am sure to not show their baby that they are terrified. Prognosis for the Leukemia that she has is better than others I have read, but it is all individually based, and so multi-layered. As I said to Aubrey today, I wake up each day and worry about my daughter. Will she be happy and healthy each day? Will she be safe? These are normal things that a parent thinks about I am sure. It is hard to imagine what life will be like for Mike and Christine's family, not knowing when and if the cancer will return once (and if) it goes into remission. I thank God for the blessing of a healthy child, and pray that others are blessed in the same way.
Adding to that, my father in law is dealing with some test results that are of concern too. He had Prostate cancer a short while back and had that taken care of by a very good doctor. His most recent bloodwork shows that the PSA results were not undetectable this time, so he is going for further testing. Not knowing what the results of this will be, we are of course just hoping it is something small and easily resolved, but not knowing, and hearing that damned C word again, well, that is really frightening. I know he is concerned as he should be. Hopefully, as I said, it won't be anything more than minor and easy to deal with. His wife, Linda is also I am sure worried. Her late husband passed away from cancer some years back, and to have to worry again about someone she loves so much in that way is, I am sure, unreal.
So, back to my original anger about small things. There just isn't room enough in life to let those small things take precious time out of my day when so many BIG things are happening all of the time. I am simply grateful for all that I have, for every hug I get from my daughter, for every kick I get from my unborn child (and I am getting those right now from him/her), for every time my husband does something to remind me why I love him so much (and that is often), and for all that I have been blessed with. Small stuff will just have to wait, and wait, and wait.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Last post
You probably figured it out, but I don't have time for the blog lately. I know a few of you read it, and I appreciate it, but I think for now, I am taking an official sabbatical from the blog. I may return to it when and if I feel inspired, but lately I just have not been. So, email or call if you need me, but otherwise, I'll be back when I am back...
Cheers
Cheers
Friday, September 18, 2009
Just a quick, dumb question
So, if the Chinese birth chart says that I am going to have a girl, and that my chances of having a girl are better than having a boy, then why do all the asian people keep coming up to me, touching my belly, and telling me I am having a boy? Seriously.... not that ANY of it is science...
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
The new house
Well folks - we did it. We are in the new house. Things here have been nothing short of wild and crazy (I hear Dan Ackroyd somehow in my head) but we are pushing forward to just get unpacked and settled. It seems unending, just like when we were packing to move to begin with. I don't miss the old house whatsoever though which I was worried that I would. That part is good.
So far in the new house, Lanie has already made a friend. She met Caroline, a little girl who lives on the same private drive as us. In fact, the two girls are playing in the family room right now (this is already their 2nd play date in as many days!).
Unix has found a new place to hang out - in the frying pan in the cupboard. That is right - he climbs in there on his own and that is that. We will have to put child locks on the cupboards anyhow, but now we will have to do that sooner rather than later!
Let's see what else we have going on here - BATS! Seriously large numbers of them too... not in the house, but outside. We came home from the pool last night (yes... we have a pool, with a lifeguard, and a playground. Totally cool) and as we were looking up at the stars, I saw one bat after another just flying around eating bugs. We are surrounded by over 50 acres of woods, so there are plenty of bugs here, hence the bats... I can't imagine how many bugs there would be WITHOUT them! There are deer here too as expected, though I have not seen any. I hear they sleep in our back yard though.
The cardinals have been happy eating the food we put in the feeder, and we enjoy watching them come to visit. There is a squirrel guard on the feeder, and it actually works. That is nice! The feeder wasn't emptied as soon as I filled it, which is a nice change.
What else... The house is so big. We get lost in here. I honestly think that we could use an intercom to communicate here. I have never lived in a home this size before, so as exciting as that is, it does take a lot to get used to. I certainly am not complaining, but I will admit that we have had to pinch ourselves a few times since we moved in.
Yes yes, I know everyone wants pictures. I will try my best to get those up as soon as I can. We have been so busy with the move and I get so exhausted so easily these days. I am sadly dreading going back to school, not because I don't enjoy the work, but I lose steam so fast these days that I have a feeling it will be really tough. I am going to set up my rooms starting tomorrow and want to get as much as I can done so I can alleviate THAT anxiety. It is looming overhead right now, and has been something I have not thought much of this summer. I am trying to be better about taking one thing on at a time so I don't get overwhelmed by too much and just quit before I start. With the baby, move, being sick and school stuff, I felt it was smart to only focus on the task at hand, one at a time. That has been a great mental help, let me tell you!
Ok. Time to go and unpack some more... good times ahead!
So far in the new house, Lanie has already made a friend. She met Caroline, a little girl who lives on the same private drive as us. In fact, the two girls are playing in the family room right now (this is already their 2nd play date in as many days!).
Unix has found a new place to hang out - in the frying pan in the cupboard. That is right - he climbs in there on his own and that is that. We will have to put child locks on the cupboards anyhow, but now we will have to do that sooner rather than later!
Let's see what else we have going on here - BATS! Seriously large numbers of them too... not in the house, but outside. We came home from the pool last night (yes... we have a pool, with a lifeguard, and a playground. Totally cool) and as we were looking up at the stars, I saw one bat after another just flying around eating bugs. We are surrounded by over 50 acres of woods, so there are plenty of bugs here, hence the bats... I can't imagine how many bugs there would be WITHOUT them! There are deer here too as expected, though I have not seen any. I hear they sleep in our back yard though.
The cardinals have been happy eating the food we put in the feeder, and we enjoy watching them come to visit. There is a squirrel guard on the feeder, and it actually works. That is nice! The feeder wasn't emptied as soon as I filled it, which is a nice change.
What else... The house is so big. We get lost in here. I honestly think that we could use an intercom to communicate here. I have never lived in a home this size before, so as exciting as that is, it does take a lot to get used to. I certainly am not complaining, but I will admit that we have had to pinch ourselves a few times since we moved in.
Yes yes, I know everyone wants pictures. I will try my best to get those up as soon as I can. We have been so busy with the move and I get so exhausted so easily these days. I am sadly dreading going back to school, not because I don't enjoy the work, but I lose steam so fast these days that I have a feeling it will be really tough. I am going to set up my rooms starting tomorrow and want to get as much as I can done so I can alleviate THAT anxiety. It is looming overhead right now, and has been something I have not thought much of this summer. I am trying to be better about taking one thing on at a time so I don't get overwhelmed by too much and just quit before I start. With the baby, move, being sick and school stuff, I felt it was smart to only focus on the task at hand, one at a time. That has been a great mental help, let me tell you!
Ok. Time to go and unpack some more... good times ahead!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Moving... 10 days and counting...
So, in 10 days from now, we are set to move to the new house. With any luck, all will go well, and the move will be smooth and easy. I am truly looking forward to this being over and done with, as the whole process is terribly stressful, exhausting, time consuming, and of course, terribly, horribly expensive.
So, I know that I have not been blogging lately. Energy has been lacking terribly lately, and as of yesterday, I hurt my back again, so I am really pretty useless. Luckily, much of the house is already packed, so I am pleased to say that I am not as stressed as I would be if I had procrastinated on packing. Though, I have been packing for months it seems. I am so, so ready to get this stuff out of here and into the new house. Fingers crossed for a smooth move (without the Ex lax ;-) )
So, I know that I have not been blogging lately. Energy has been lacking terribly lately, and as of yesterday, I hurt my back again, so I am really pretty useless. Luckily, much of the house is already packed, so I am pleased to say that I am not as stressed as I would be if I had procrastinated on packing. Though, I have been packing for months it seems. I am so, so ready to get this stuff out of here and into the new house. Fingers crossed for a smooth move (without the Ex lax ;-) )
Friday, July 31, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Paying it forward, Karma, Yoga and Peace
So, today I am anxiously awaiting the delivery of the mail. I got a phonecall on Thursday from a photographer named Michael Crane, who I met at Party in the Park. He called to let me know that he would be sending me the CD's of the photos he took from the Michael Franti & Spearhead show on 7/16/09. These are the photos that I have been waiting for, not only because I really enjoy (and have enjoyed for years) Spearhead, but because Lanie was up on stage that night (as I mentioned in my previous blog entry) and I didn't have my camera with me to take photos. Never again, let me tell you! It was pure luck that I was able to get in touch with Michael (Crane) who was kind enough to not ony offer up the photos, but also went back up, erased some of his previous photos because his memory card was full, and took more photos of Lanie and the other kids on stage! Did I mention, that when he refused to take money for the photos? When I asked how much I should send for the CD's, his response was: "The concert was free, the photos are already taken, and I want to keep this free for you too", or something along those lines. Free? FREE? Nobody does anything for free anymore... or do they? Well, let me just tell you - within 5 minutes of entering the concert grounds, a man came up to me and asked if I needed earplugs for Lanie (which I did). They were not selling them on site (which would be a great idea, by the way... maybe I should ask to be a vendor... a cheap one though), so he told me to go and talk to his wife, pointed her out, and said that she had brought extras for kids who needed them. She too would not accept money from me, gave me the earplugs, hugged me, and sayd "Here you go, mama!". Thank you Lisa (I believe that was her name)! Overall, just a really nice party, great music, lots of giving, lots of good juju all around that evening.
What is sad is this - I am always taken aback by such kind acts. People giving without expectation of receiving back. Is this just a New York thing, or is this a normal feeling everywhere? Should that be a normal feeling? I sure hope not - I don't want to feel normal about expecting things in return for kind acts. The whole experience has helped me open my eyes a bit. I know that will of course take time, but hopefully, I have a lot of time! Lots of good karma I hope for all.
So, yoga - this is something I have wanted to do for years. I have been to yoga classes here and there, have loved it every time (except when I went to a class at my former gym - I don't know that the instructor knew what she was doing - I know I didn't know what I was doing!). My favorite team building day when working at Nazareth College was when they had us go to the chapel and take a yoga class for an hour - it was unreal, exhausting, relaxing and refreshing. I don't know why I didn't seek out classes then - probably because I could not afford it. Now that I am home for the summer, dealing with the pains of pregnancy, and working through emotions and life in general, it is time to get off my butt and find yoga. I have been asking around, both duing different Dr. appointments as well as on facebook, and the most suggested yoga venue has been a place called Breathe Yoga and Juice Bar in Pittsford, so I am going to give it a shot. Price is right, place looks nice, and many people have said it is great there. I can't wait!
Links below will take you to the websites of the photographer I spoke of earlier as well as the yoga studio.
http://www.moontroll.com/
http://www.breathe-yoga.com
What is sad is this - I am always taken aback by such kind acts. People giving without expectation of receiving back. Is this just a New York thing, or is this a normal feeling everywhere? Should that be a normal feeling? I sure hope not - I don't want to feel normal about expecting things in return for kind acts. The whole experience has helped me open my eyes a bit. I know that will of course take time, but hopefully, I have a lot of time! Lots of good karma I hope for all.
So, yoga - this is something I have wanted to do for years. I have been to yoga classes here and there, have loved it every time (except when I went to a class at my former gym - I don't know that the instructor knew what she was doing - I know I didn't know what I was doing!). My favorite team building day when working at Nazareth College was when they had us go to the chapel and take a yoga class for an hour - it was unreal, exhausting, relaxing and refreshing. I don't know why I didn't seek out classes then - probably because I could not afford it. Now that I am home for the summer, dealing with the pains of pregnancy, and working through emotions and life in general, it is time to get off my butt and find yoga. I have been asking around, both duing different Dr. appointments as well as on facebook, and the most suggested yoga venue has been a place called Breathe Yoga and Juice Bar in Pittsford, so I am going to give it a shot. Price is right, place looks nice, and many people have said it is great there. I can't wait!
Links below will take you to the websites of the photographer I spoke of earlier as well as the yoga studio.
http://www.moontroll.com/
http://www.breathe-yoga.com
Monday, July 20, 2009
Lanie on stage
Lanie and her "new friend" Cherine Anderson after the concert
That little person wearing white on the left of the stage is Lanie dancing
Lanie and Michael Franti after the show
There were thousands of people in attendance at this show. How cool!
By the way, after the show, Lanie got to meet Cherine Anderson and Michael Franti again and got CD's and Tee shirts. She wore her Cherine shirt every day and night until finally yesterday we got her to take it off - what a riot!
Here is the link to the video (or you can click the title of this blog entry - either way works)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELDB80LDyeg
Monday, June 22, 2009
Life - full of changes
Well - time for change... many, apparently! So, here they are...
We sold our house. We have lived here for over 9 years, and it has been quite an adventure. This was our first home ever, and what a great home it has been. We are glad to know that another family will be moving in and enjoying it as much as we did.
That move, though it is time, will be hard. You never get another First Home I suppose!
But, I think we will get over it!
So, we bought a new home. Well, new to us. It is an O'Brien built home, which is nice. They are known for being very well built and long lasting. It is a large (nearly 2400 sf) home, and is in the perfect (for us) neighborhood. Lots of families, a neighborhood park and a pool club, not to mention that it is on a private cul de sac, so very safe for our kids...
Speaking of kids... we are expecting our 2nd child just after Christmas this year! I have been pretty sick this time, and have not been talking about being pregnant much because unfortunately I caught something called Fifth Disease from my students this year. This is a disease that can cause miscarriage up to 20 weeks, so every day that things go well is a good day. The Dr. thinks things will be fine as long as I can keep my iron up. I think things will be just fine, and I am looking forward to meeting this little jumping bean - at the last ultrasound, the baby was all over the place! Like it was a dance party in my uterus! Goodness...
Well, still not feeling well, so I am going to rest. If I have not called you lately, I promise, I will soon. School is almost out, then we visit the Soo for a week, and I will be better at catching up with my friends after that. Sorry about the distance!
Cheers,
C
We sold our house. We have lived here for over 9 years, and it has been quite an adventure. This was our first home ever, and what a great home it has been. We are glad to know that another family will be moving in and enjoying it as much as we did.
That move, though it is time, will be hard. You never get another First Home I suppose!
But, I think we will get over it!
So, we bought a new home. Well, new to us. It is an O'Brien built home, which is nice. They are known for being very well built and long lasting. It is a large (nearly 2400 sf) home, and is in the perfect (for us) neighborhood. Lots of families, a neighborhood park and a pool club, not to mention that it is on a private cul de sac, so very safe for our kids...
Speaking of kids... we are expecting our 2nd child just after Christmas this year! I have been pretty sick this time, and have not been talking about being pregnant much because unfortunately I caught something called Fifth Disease from my students this year. This is a disease that can cause miscarriage up to 20 weeks, so every day that things go well is a good day. The Dr. thinks things will be fine as long as I can keep my iron up. I think things will be just fine, and I am looking forward to meeting this little jumping bean - at the last ultrasound, the baby was all over the place! Like it was a dance party in my uterus! Goodness...
Well, still not feeling well, so I am going to rest. If I have not called you lately, I promise, I will soon. School is almost out, then we visit the Soo for a week, and I will be better at catching up with my friends after that. Sorry about the distance!
Cheers,
C
Sunday, June 21, 2009
No, I have not dropped off the face of the earth
There is so much going on these days, and I have been very bad about keeping up with the blog. Shame on me. I will get back to it soon, especially since I am almost done with school (yay!). Today is Fathers Day though, and I don't want to spend much time on this site, since I should be spending the time with Aubrey instead (and I have to get Dad's gift put together before we go to visit in a few hours). I promise though that I will catch everyone up after today. I just have a few things that I want to tell my dad today that I don't want him to learn through the blog (all good, no worries!)
Tootles!
Tootles!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
The Golden Apple Award for Norma
I know that I wrote a while ago about Lanie's teacher Norma. She passed away back in January and left a big hole in all of our hearts. Recently, the daycare was presented with a Golden Apple Award in Norma's honor for being an amazing teacher. It was the first time an award of this kind has been given after the teacher has passed away. Lanie was one of the students who was asked to say something on camera, and she sang her favorite song that she learned from Norma when she was in her room. Please take a look at the link below to see the video of the newscast which aired today at 5:30.
http://rochesterhomepage.net/media_player.php?media_id=354131#
http://rochesterhomepage.net/media_player.php?media_id=354131#
Sunday, May 3, 2009
New Music if you like Reggae
On our trip last week down to SC and Florida, we were listening to Sirius/XM radio station called 'The Joint' (it is a reggae station - imagine that...) and this song came on called "Dem a Bleach" by Nardo Ranks. Poor kid - I mean really, NARDO? Anyhow, the song is pretty fun and kind of funny too. If you are interested, take a listen -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTWEgiOrSb8
Of course, after hearing that song, we listened to Michael Jackson - Rock With You - speaking of Dem a BLEACH!
Aubrey specifically thought you would enjoy this one Uncle Chris! By the way, when are you guys free to do lunch/dinner at Tantalus? Give us a call/email/blog comment (haha - I'll get you to respond to this thing someday!)
Ok. Off to clean the house and pack to try and get this place ready to sell!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTWEgiOrSb8
Of course, after hearing that song, we listened to Michael Jackson - Rock With You - speaking of Dem a BLEACH!
Aubrey specifically thought you would enjoy this one Uncle Chris! By the way, when are you guys free to do lunch/dinner at Tantalus? Give us a call/email/blog comment (haha - I'll get you to respond to this thing someday!)
Ok. Off to clean the house and pack to try and get this place ready to sell!
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