Friday night my sister and her fiance had to put their dog Spike down. He was 12 and lived a long and very happy life - he couldn't have had two better parents in the whole world. Miche and Jimmy loved him so much and Spike knew how much he was loved. So Friday night Matt and I watched a movie and had a very low key night.
Saturday morning was spent at Fiori's Bridal looking at bridesmaids dresses with Miche, Des and Danielle. Danielle looks great in everything and there were a lot of cute dresses to choose from.
Saturday afternoon Miche, Cadi and I hung out while Matt, Ross and Jimmy went to the movies to take Jimmy's mind off of things for a couple hours. Saturday night we went out to dinner with Jimmy, Miche, Ross and Lindsey to celebrate Spike's life. There were many stories shared about Spikers and what an amazing dog he was. Since my mom was watching Acadia overnight, Matt and I decided to see Gran Torino after dinner - awesome movie!!
Today Matt and I got to sleep in for the first time in a looong while then I met Miche and mom for lunch and we went to a bridal show at the Sheraton. Right now Matt is at Costco and Acadia and I are relaxing - reading, learning new sign language and playing with her dolls.
Why do the weekends fly by so quickly?!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
BFs
After art on Thursday, we went to a new Mexican place downtown for lunch. Max took his girlfriend's hand and they strolled down Church Street together - very romantic!
Friday, January 23, 2009
We will miss you Spike...
"Not the least hard thing to bear when they go from us, these quiet friends, is that they carry away with them so many years of our own lives."
~John Galsworthy
~John Galsworthy
Downtown art
We met Ky and Max downtown today for a drop in art class. The kids had a blast and Ky and I were able to relax, as the room was probably one of the best "baby proofed" room I've ever been in. The entire floor was padded, which was awesome. Comfortable for the kids to lay down on while painting and comfy for us moms to sit down on. They had a play-doh station, a paint station, a water color station and a marker station. The kids had so much fun that Ky and I both decided to buy passes to the studio to make it a weekly outing together!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
TFT - Your dream job
My friend Bonnie recently submitted our book group in a drawing to win a copy of this book by Lesley Kagen. Not only did our book group win, but we were also able to speak with Lesley by phone conference for an hour this past Monday night.
I have never spoke with an author before and it was really cool to be able to ask her questions about how the process of writing a book goes for her. We asked if she had a hard time switching from writing about one character to the next (no), how long it takes her to write a book (a year to a year and a half), if she knows when starting a book how it's going to end (no she doesn't - she said she is just as surprised as the readers with what takes place during the course of writing her books), if she misses the characters when she's done writing about them like we as readers do when we're done reading about them (no she said, because they are always with her in her heart). It was an awesome conversation and was so cool to be able to get inside of an author's head.
One thing I was struck by is how often she said how lucky she was to be able to write for a living. That she needed to write every day. She said a couple times that it is her dream job.
I couldn't help but think what it would be like to have my dream job. I mean, honestly - what would my dream job even be? I love blogging, and suppose that would be the closest thing I could have to a dream job. I enjoy writing down my thoughts, as scary as it is to have my thoughts out there for all to see, it's also a bit freeing. So, if I had to chose, I would say that professional blogging would be my dream job.
I have never spoke with an author before and it was really cool to be able to ask her questions about how the process of writing a book goes for her. We asked if she had a hard time switching from writing about one character to the next (no), how long it takes her to write a book (a year to a year and a half), if she knows when starting a book how it's going to end (no she doesn't - she said she is just as surprised as the readers with what takes place during the course of writing her books), if she misses the characters when she's done writing about them like we as readers do when we're done reading about them (no she said, because they are always with her in her heart). It was an awesome conversation and was so cool to be able to get inside of an author's head.
One thing I was struck by is how often she said how lucky she was to be able to write for a living. That she needed to write every day. She said a couple times that it is her dream job.
I couldn't help but think what it would be like to have my dream job. I mean, honestly - what would my dream job even be? I love blogging, and suppose that would be the closest thing I could have to a dream job. I enjoy writing down my thoughts, as scary as it is to have my thoughts out there for all to see, it's also a bit freeing. So, if I had to chose, I would say that professional blogging would be my dream job.
What would it be like? To have your dream job? We all have stress in our jobs - whether we work in an office setting, a retail setting, are a stay at home parent or work in the medical field. But most of us have jobs we either can't stand or at least just tolerate. Imagine having your dream job. Sure, you'd still have some stress, but you'd at least be passionate about your job.
TFT: Do you have your dream job? If not, what is your dream job?
Gobama!
My mom had a Gobama dinner party on Tuesday evening. It was so much fun to be with family and friends to celebrate :)
I found this super easy cake recipe for the party
Of course Acadia's afternoon snack had to be blueberries, strawberries and whipped cream
The Paradees celebrating!
Acadia calling Obama to congragulate him
The future presidents??
Bonnie giving Acadia a bite of cake
A. Brenda, Colleen and Bon
Laurie and Tim
Gobama!!
My mom
I found this super easy cake recipe for the party
Of course Acadia's afternoon snack had to be blueberries, strawberries and whipped cream
The Paradees celebrating!
Acadia calling Obama to congragulate him
The future presidents??
Bonnie giving Acadia a bite of cake
A. Brenda, Colleen and Bon
Laurie and Tim
Gobama!!
My mom
Saying goodbye to each other
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
The kid is awesome
I just pointed to the pic of Barack I have on my blog and asked Acadia who it was.
Her reply? Rock Omama
Close, Acadia. Very close.
Her reply? Rock Omama
Close, Acadia. Very close.
Winter Party '09
Our friend Ross just passed his exam to become a head soccer coach (he is now the assistant coach at UVM for men's soccer) so we wanted to have a dinner for him to celebrate. Our dinner plans ended up turning into brunch and dinner - aka our second annual winter party. Although it was a little cold for sledding and outdoor bonfires like we did last year, we still had a blast with our friends!
Side note: Don't worry - the drinking games took place when Acadia was down for her nap!
The girls
Silly uncle Rossy
Side note: Don't worry - the drinking games took place when Acadia was down for her nap!
The girls
Silly uncle Rossy
Acadia and Auntie Lindsey arguing about how you play Cranium
Auntie Sissy, Acadia and her dolls playing Ring Around the Rosie
She was glued to Uncle Sammy the whole day
Auntie Sissy, Acadia and her dolls playing Ring Around the Rosie
She was glued to Uncle Sammy the whole day
Monday, January 19, 2009
I remember Monday
I remember....falling in love with your daddy.
Daddy and I lived together with a few of our friends, way before we started dating. I was 19 when I started living with him and he was 21. We lived on Canfield Street in Burlington and I loved it. I loved living with "the guys" and I loved being down town. I loved the parties we would have, going to school, working, staying up late, having people over all the time. I just really loved living there.
When I first started living with daddy, I was a little intimated by him. He was a manager at Burton Snowboards, whereas I was a college student. He balanced his checkbook; I didn't have a checkbook. He hung his towel to dry after every shower, whereas my towels usually landed somewhere on my bed creating a damp spot on my comforter. His room was literally spotless, and my room.....well.....not so much.
He was so smart, serious, moody, quiet, drawn in. I was the complete opposite (well...except for the smart part! LOL!) He was the one everyone went to for advice - about money, about work, about life. He was the responsible one of the group. I remember he would go on long car rides in his convertible. He would just grab his black leather jacket, wave to us, saying "See ya in a while" and just leave. We never knew where he would go to, but he could be gone for hours. I thought it was so sexy that he would just go on drives to clear his head and think.
Slowly, very slowly, he and I started hanging out more. One day, he asked me if I wanted to go on one of his drives - something he had never asked anyone to do. Of course I went and we just drove and drove. He wasn't headed to anywhere in particular - we just drove around Vermont. We probably stopped for lunch along the way - grabbed sandwiches and ate near a lake somewhere. We talked. And talked. I would hang on his every word - dying to hear what he would say next. He was so smart. So serious. I just loved to hear him talk.
Over the next year, we would stay up late and talk a lot. We would go on drives. We even went to Maine together once. Looking back, it seems a little weird and I can't quite remember why we decided to go together, but we went to Maine overnight - went to an awesome pub, drank, ate and laughed. Talked the entire time there and back. (Yes - our friends thought we were crazy. They figured we were dating and just didn't want to tell them. They made fun of us and told us just to tell them we were together and we looked at them like they were nuts! Us? Together?! Haa!)
One day, our friend Darren mentioned something about Matt's art work. I just stared at him. Artwork? What are you talking about? I've never known Matt to do any sort of art - he'd never mentioned anything to me. Darren took me downstairs and dug through boxes and boxes to find Matt's art portfolio. When I pulled it out, I literally gasped. Tears instantly came to my eyes. It. Was. Breathtaking. I couldn't believe the paintings and drawings he had done and the amazing talent he had. I asked Matt later why he never painted anymore and never got a great explanation. I think it just kind of fizzled out for him.
When I was 20, my mom finally told me I was in love with him. She said it jokingly, but she was quite serious. She and my sister told me that I told them everything about Matt - from what car rides we had been on together, to how work was going for him, to how often he blinked. LOL! I, of course, thought they were ridiculous. I mean, Matti? No way. Nope. He had become my very best friend, but nothing more.
The more we hung out together, though, I realized they were right. Somewhere along the way, I had crossed the line and fallen in love with him. Completely. In love. Here's the thing about falling in love with your best friend - I knew everything about him; good and bad. I lived with him and saw all his bad habits, saw him grumpy, sick, tired, drunk, sad, happy and everything in between. And I loved him. I loved him so much and had no idea what to do about it. I can say this without a doubt - he was (is) my soulmate. Our friendship moved beyond anything I had ever felt. He seemed to know what I was feeling and thinking. He knew exactly what to do to pull me out of a bad mood. How to make me laugh. And I did the same for him.
The year I realized I loved him was actually one of the most painful years of my life. I was in love with my best friend. My roommate. Matti. It was awful. There were many tears shed. Many late night conversations with my girlfriends about what I should do. Tell him, not tell him, tell him, not tell him.
I told him I loved him on my 21st birthday. All of our friends went out to celebrate and at the end of the night, it was just him and I. I finally worked up the courage from the past year to tell him how I felt. I said, Matt. There is something I have to tell you. He stopped me and told me he knew what I was about to say. My heart skipped a beat. But, no...I had waited this long to say it and I wanted to actually hear the words coming out of my mouth. I told him I loved him. That I had loved him for a long time. Not only was he my best friend but that I wanted him to be more than that. He just stared at me. Then he said some words that we can now laugh about, but which crushed me at the time. Oh. Ummmm. I thought you were going to thank me for a fun time tonight. Now it was my turn to stare. And stare. Finally he said that he'd better go to bed. And I sat. And sat. And sat. And cried.
To be continued...
Daddy and I lived together with a few of our friends, way before we started dating. I was 19 when I started living with him and he was 21. We lived on Canfield Street in Burlington and I loved it. I loved living with "the guys" and I loved being down town. I loved the parties we would have, going to school, working, staying up late, having people over all the time. I just really loved living there.
When I first started living with daddy, I was a little intimated by him. He was a manager at Burton Snowboards, whereas I was a college student. He balanced his checkbook; I didn't have a checkbook. He hung his towel to dry after every shower, whereas my towels usually landed somewhere on my bed creating a damp spot on my comforter. His room was literally spotless, and my room.....well.....not so much.
He was so smart, serious, moody, quiet, drawn in. I was the complete opposite (well...except for the smart part! LOL!) He was the one everyone went to for advice - about money, about work, about life. He was the responsible one of the group. I remember he would go on long car rides in his convertible. He would just grab his black leather jacket, wave to us, saying "See ya in a while" and just leave. We never knew where he would go to, but he could be gone for hours. I thought it was so sexy that he would just go on drives to clear his head and think.
Slowly, very slowly, he and I started hanging out more. One day, he asked me if I wanted to go on one of his drives - something he had never asked anyone to do. Of course I went and we just drove and drove. He wasn't headed to anywhere in particular - we just drove around Vermont. We probably stopped for lunch along the way - grabbed sandwiches and ate near a lake somewhere. We talked. And talked. I would hang on his every word - dying to hear what he would say next. He was so smart. So serious. I just loved to hear him talk.
Over the next year, we would stay up late and talk a lot. We would go on drives. We even went to Maine together once. Looking back, it seems a little weird and I can't quite remember why we decided to go together, but we went to Maine overnight - went to an awesome pub, drank, ate and laughed. Talked the entire time there and back. (Yes - our friends thought we were crazy. They figured we were dating and just didn't want to tell them. They made fun of us and told us just to tell them we were together and we looked at them like they were nuts! Us? Together?! Haa!)
One day, our friend Darren mentioned something about Matt's art work. I just stared at him. Artwork? What are you talking about? I've never known Matt to do any sort of art - he'd never mentioned anything to me. Darren took me downstairs and dug through boxes and boxes to find Matt's art portfolio. When I pulled it out, I literally gasped. Tears instantly came to my eyes. It. Was. Breathtaking. I couldn't believe the paintings and drawings he had done and the amazing talent he had. I asked Matt later why he never painted anymore and never got a great explanation. I think it just kind of fizzled out for him.
When I was 20, my mom finally told me I was in love with him. She said it jokingly, but she was quite serious. She and my sister told me that I told them everything about Matt - from what car rides we had been on together, to how work was going for him, to how often he blinked. LOL! I, of course, thought they were ridiculous. I mean, Matti? No way. Nope. He had become my very best friend, but nothing more.
The more we hung out together, though, I realized they were right. Somewhere along the way, I had crossed the line and fallen in love with him. Completely. In love. Here's the thing about falling in love with your best friend - I knew everything about him; good and bad. I lived with him and saw all his bad habits, saw him grumpy, sick, tired, drunk, sad, happy and everything in between. And I loved him. I loved him so much and had no idea what to do about it. I can say this without a doubt - he was (is) my soulmate. Our friendship moved beyond anything I had ever felt. He seemed to know what I was feeling and thinking. He knew exactly what to do to pull me out of a bad mood. How to make me laugh. And I did the same for him.
The year I realized I loved him was actually one of the most painful years of my life. I was in love with my best friend. My roommate. Matti. It was awful. There were many tears shed. Many late night conversations with my girlfriends about what I should do. Tell him, not tell him, tell him, not tell him.
I told him I loved him on my 21st birthday. All of our friends went out to celebrate and at the end of the night, it was just him and I. I finally worked up the courage from the past year to tell him how I felt. I said, Matt. There is something I have to tell you. He stopped me and told me he knew what I was about to say. My heart skipped a beat. But, no...I had waited this long to say it and I wanted to actually hear the words coming out of my mouth. I told him I loved him. That I had loved him for a long time. Not only was he my best friend but that I wanted him to be more than that. He just stared at me. Then he said some words that we can now laugh about, but which crushed me at the time. Oh. Ummmm. I thought you were going to thank me for a fun time tonight. Now it was my turn to stare. And stare. Finally he said that he'd better go to bed. And I sat. And sat. And sat. And cried.
To be continued...
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Preparing for her baby sister
The other day Acadia came up to me and said, "Read, baby" and proceeded to grab two babies, go into her bedroom, climb into her chair and read to her dolls. I thought that was about the sweetest thing ever.
Then, she said, "Baby pee pee" and brought one of her babies into the potty. Just then, I thought - Ha! No worries about this second baby! Acadia is going to do juuust fine adjusting to Emma's arrival.
But two seconds later, Acadia said, "Bye bye baby"
Then, she said, "Baby pee pee" and brought one of her babies into the potty. Just then, I thought - Ha! No worries about this second baby! Acadia is going to do juuust fine adjusting to Emma's arrival.
But two seconds later, Acadia said, "Bye bye baby"
Yup....I think I spoke too soon...back to reading the "You're going to be a big sister" books...
Friday, January 16, 2009
Thank you, readers
When Acadia woke up this morning, I knew instantly that the devil had left her body. She was happy, did her normal wave to the fishes in her crib aquarium and said "bye bye fishies". And she's been in a great mood ever since :) I know it's only 8:23 and things can change, but waking up to your little girl being in a good mood is a great way to start the day.
This blog has turned into way more than I ever thought possible when I first started it in 2007. It has changed from a way for me to simply share pictures with my family into an on-line diary. It's where I go to tell funny stories about our lives, to vent or to share pictures of our daily outings. It has given me the opportunity to make friends from all over the country - friends that I never would have been able to know without the blogging world.
Yesterday was a long day. I don't always share those days (I wouldn't have enough space on my blog! LOL!), but I decided to yesterday and I was overwhelmed by the comments and e-mails I received. You truly made my day and helped turned my mood around. To all my friends that leave me comments of encouragement, I thank you. Your friendships are so very important to me - regardless of if I have met you or not. I am very grateful for each and every one of you....
xoxo Jenny
This blog has turned into way more than I ever thought possible when I first started it in 2007. It has changed from a way for me to simply share pictures with my family into an on-line diary. It's where I go to tell funny stories about our lives, to vent or to share pictures of our daily outings. It has given me the opportunity to make friends from all over the country - friends that I never would have been able to know without the blogging world.
Yesterday was a long day. I don't always share those days (I wouldn't have enough space on my blog! LOL!), but I decided to yesterday and I was overwhelmed by the comments and e-mails I received. You truly made my day and helped turned my mood around. To all my friends that leave me comments of encouragement, I thank you. Your friendships are so very important to me - regardless of if I have met you or not. I am very grateful for each and every one of you....
xoxo Jenny
This is what happens...
when you allow your daughter to choose her clothes for the day
(her new fake smile)
(her new fake smile)
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Just one of those days
*Acadia woke up in a cranky mood. No biggie - it happens, and normally she shakes herself out of it by breakfast time.
*The dog was sick last night. Had to go out 4 times. In the middle of the night. My husband, the love of my life, let her out all four times. He's awesome.
*Tried to get ready for music time this am. Through tantrums. And the little girl throwing herself on the ground. And hitting her head. Hard. Tears. Lots of them.
*Get back from music time to find poo on my floor. Not mine. Not Acadia's. Not Matt's. Poor dog was sick again.
*Went to get Resolve to clean up poo
*Came back and little girl was walking in poo
*Said a swear word. Picked her up and gave her a bath.
*Lunch time. Little girl didn't want lunch. Threw it on the floor.
*Nap time. Did nothing. Didn't feel guilty.
*Little girl woke up from nap in a bad mood. Stayed that way for the rest of the day.
*Didn't want to read, do art projects, have a snack. Tried to give her money as a bribe. Please, take my money and be in a better mood. Please.
*Tried putting on Toy Story for a distraction. Didn't work.
*Matt got home late at 5:45. He's tired. I'm tired.
*Acadia is still crying and throwing tantrums.
*45 minutes until we put the little girl down for the night.
*Tomorrow is a different day. It has to be a better day. Right?
*The dog was sick last night. Had to go out 4 times. In the middle of the night. My husband, the love of my life, let her out all four times. He's awesome.
*Tried to get ready for music time this am. Through tantrums. And the little girl throwing herself on the ground. And hitting her head. Hard. Tears. Lots of them.
*Get back from music time to find poo on my floor. Not mine. Not Acadia's. Not Matt's. Poor dog was sick again.
*Went to get Resolve to clean up poo
*Came back and little girl was walking in poo
*Said a swear word. Picked her up and gave her a bath.
*Lunch time. Little girl didn't want lunch. Threw it on the floor.
*Nap time. Did nothing. Didn't feel guilty.
*Little girl woke up from nap in a bad mood. Stayed that way for the rest of the day.
*Didn't want to read, do art projects, have a snack. Tried to give her money as a bribe. Please, take my money and be in a better mood. Please.
*Tried putting on Toy Story for a distraction. Didn't work.
*Matt got home late at 5:45. He's tired. I'm tired.
*Acadia is still crying and throwing tantrums.
*45 minutes until we put the little girl down for the night.
*Tomorrow is a different day. It has to be a better day. Right?
TFT - What's harder?
Not long ago some women on the mommy board I visit were talking about what they thought was more challenging - being a mom or being a wife. Both can be very hard...both have ups and down....the highest highs and the lowest lows...
I chose that being a mom was harder for me. Before we had Acadia, Matt and I were able to do whatever we wanted. We could go whenever and wherever we wanted, only think about ourselves, sleep in late, stay up even later, had parties, hung out with our friends 24/7. We had a LOT of fun. Looking back on it, we had zero responsibilities - not that it seemed that way at the time, but really - pay your mortgage and go to work. That's it. Do those two things and you should be good.
Now, it's not about us. It's not about what party we can make it to or what our friends are doing. It's about changing diapers, trying to calm tantrums, making lunches, worrying about fevers, baby proofing everything, stopping your child from running with the scissors that you accidentally left out, packing up a car with toys, sippy cups, snacks, blankey, stuffed animals, all so you can run to the store to grab one item.
No one ever told me that my heart would literally stop when I see my daughter trip and fall. That I would wait an excruciating minute to see if she would get back up and get on her way or if I would see tears and worse - blood.
No one told me that I would go into her room every night and pray - literally pray to God - that he keep her safe.
That I would give my life for hers.
That I would worry during the summer if she was too hot and during the winter that she's too cold.
That I would want to physically hurt another child if he ran up to her and pushed her, taking her prized toy.
That I would be completely in love with her one minute and want her to just leave me alone the next.
That I would strive to be a perfect mom in every way (an impossible task, by the way), just so she will be happy. So that her childhood will be filled with laughter and not tears.
No...no one told me any of this...
I know that because most my readers are moms, I don't have to even explain that with all of the above, somehow being a mom is way more fun than not being one. Only a mom would understand that changing diapers, cleaning up throw up and telling yourself to breathe during a toddler tantrum would equate to the most perfect and simple happiness one could ever feel.
BUT - the question wasn't what makes you happier - it's what is harder. And being a mom is way more harder for me than being a wife.
TFT - What's harder for you?
I chose that being a mom was harder for me. Before we had Acadia, Matt and I were able to do whatever we wanted. We could go whenever and wherever we wanted, only think about ourselves, sleep in late, stay up even later, had parties, hung out with our friends 24/7. We had a LOT of fun. Looking back on it, we had zero responsibilities - not that it seemed that way at the time, but really - pay your mortgage and go to work. That's it. Do those two things and you should be good.
Now, it's not about us. It's not about what party we can make it to or what our friends are doing. It's about changing diapers, trying to calm tantrums, making lunches, worrying about fevers, baby proofing everything, stopping your child from running with the scissors that you accidentally left out, packing up a car with toys, sippy cups, snacks, blankey, stuffed animals, all so you can run to the store to grab one item.
No one ever told me that my heart would literally stop when I see my daughter trip and fall. That I would wait an excruciating minute to see if she would get back up and get on her way or if I would see tears and worse - blood.
No one told me that I would go into her room every night and pray - literally pray to God - that he keep her safe.
That I would give my life for hers.
That I would worry during the summer if she was too hot and during the winter that she's too cold.
That I would want to physically hurt another child if he ran up to her and pushed her, taking her prized toy.
That I would be completely in love with her one minute and want her to just leave me alone the next.
That I would strive to be a perfect mom in every way (an impossible task, by the way), just so she will be happy. So that her childhood will be filled with laughter and not tears.
No...no one told me any of this...
I know that because most my readers are moms, I don't have to even explain that with all of the above, somehow being a mom is way more fun than not being one. Only a mom would understand that changing diapers, cleaning up throw up and telling yourself to breathe during a toddler tantrum would equate to the most perfect and simple happiness one could ever feel.
BUT - the question wasn't what makes you happier - it's what is harder. And being a mom is way more harder for me than being a wife.
TFT - What's harder for you?
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