Series Finale at GR

Today is my last day of work and emotions are running high. Tomorrow, I will call myself a full-time mom and a part-time employee. After nine years here, I feel like I'm separating from one family to return to another. It is a bittersweet day indeed.

At the end of every finale, there is a theme song. When I woke up this morning, "Time of Your Life" by Green Day came to mind.

Another turning point;a fork stuck in the road.
Time grabs you by the wrist;directs you where to go.
So make the best of this test and don't ask why.
It's not a question but a lesson learned in time.
It's something unpredictablebut in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.
So take the photographsand still frames in your mind.
Hang it on a shelf In good health and good time.
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial.
For what it's worth,it was worth all the while.
It's something unpredictablebut in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.
It's something unpredictable but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.
It's something unpredictable but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

Tomorrow, a new chapter begins. I'm scared, excited, sad and happy all at the same time. Please let me make it through the day without crying too much!

How Does That Happen?

I've been here, stalking others. I've been fairly quiet, except on Facebook. It is too easy.

We're gearing up for the move, which is in about three weeks. We have boxes everywhere and now, I even have some at work. I decided I should begin acclimating myself to it. It is going to be a tough adjustment. Our clients aren't making it any easier by telling me how much they will miss me. It is nice to hear, but...

The house is ready. The sod is down and all of the details are finished. They will be cleaning up and getting ready for the punch list on the 2nd. I have a list already. Yes, I'm like that.

The kids are great. Nathan is adorable and even more fascinated with stories and television. Goodness gracious that boy loves the television. We really limit the tv in our house. Generally speaking, the kids watch tv for a bit on the weekends only. Sydney never really minded until recently. Nathan, however, is drawn to the television.

Nathan loves to say, "I hold you tight, mommy." and "That's scary." He uses complete sentences and loves to talk. He's got quite a temper, which he gets honest and has started whining as a tactic to get things. Ugh. I really dislike that. Sydney is famous for it and we're trying desperately to get her out of the habit.

Sydney is growing into such a little lady. I often forget her age. She acts like a tiny adult sometimes. She's such a big helper and will do her best work when she feels needed. She doesn't, however, like to help clean up her brother's messes. "I didn't make that mess!" She says. We explain that we are a team and we all do things in our home to help each other, including cleaning up messes we didn't make.

She's FINALLY started keeping herself dry at night. We'd tried on several occasions, but to no avail. We decided about two weeks ago to give it a try again and SUCCESS. She's received little rewards here and there, but has been banking tokens that she will use to get princess sheets for her new room. She's quite excited about that and so are we! I'm thinking I'll start working with Nathan after we move. Oh boy.

Last week, Sydney and I were talking about the move and how she wouldn't be going to school anymore, at least for the time being. I told her we were still going to learn things and asked what she wanted to learn. She gave me a few ideas and reminded me about the time she wanted to learn about milk. We'd visited a dairy farm nearby, etc. She mentioned something about cheese and I asked if she knew where cheese came from. She responded, "Yes, I do. It comes from cows. They give the milk to a mouse and the mouse makes the cheese." There you have it.

I'll check in later. Knowing me, much later. I'm still keeping up with the lot of you so, don't worry. :)

Hugs!

Feeling Better

Today is gloomy and wet outside, but my mood has certainly improved. Thank goodness!

I spent last night putting a puzzle together with Sydney and then I vegged on my bed watching 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta.' I'll admit it. I'm addicted to them. They crack me up.

Then, we decided to chat about the upcoming move, finances and Christmas. ICK! YAY! ICK! We've started spreading the news to the family that we will not be exchanging gifts this year, with the adults. We've got a huge life change ahead and we're trying to lay low. Instead, we'll celebrate in other ways and be together. I think that announcement made me feel a lot less stressed. It sucks, but it is the right decision.

My brother, Wes, is engaged. It actually happened about two weeks ago, but I've had my head buried in some other stuff. I've offered to cook dinner for the two to celebrate, but I'm not sure of what yet. Suggestions?

This past weekend, I cooked a dinner for Mom, Tom and Ashley in celebration of their birthdays. The menu:

-Shitake Mushroom and Goat Cheese Crostini
-Crab and Roasted Red Pepper Soup
-Salad Greens with Strawberries and Pine Nuts
-Lemon Thyme Sorbet
-Filet with a Gorgonzola Herb Butter, Broccolini and Potato Souffle
-White Chocolate Lemon Mousse Parfaits with Strawberries

We served dinner with a bottle of wine I brought home from California. It was nice. I didn't care for the potato souffle. I'm quite certain I did something to screw it up. Oh well. It happens.

Well, I'm off to stalk Facebook and other pages for the rest of my lunch. I hope you have a great day!

Mad At The World!

I'm keeping to myself today, in the physical sense that is. If you are looking for sunshine, let me know if you find it.

I'm in a bad mood today. In fact, I've been in quite a mood lately. I'm sensitive, easy angered and sad. I'm a big ball of emotion. I don't know why.

I could run down the list of my gripes today, but to what end? They are silly, mostly.

So, if you find the sunshine, let me know. I need it desperately!

Almost Done!

The house is moving right along and it nearly finished. We're getting so excited. Trees! Trees! Trees! We cannot wait to move where we don't have to live on top of our neighbors.

Keep your fingers crossed for more mild weather! :)

San Francisco!

The last month flew by me. We went to San Francisco, had a company picnic, celebrated b-days and our 7th Anniversary. That sums it up. If you were just wondering what we've been doing, you can stop here. The details below:

San Francisco was absolutely amazing. We arrived on a Saturday, just before lunch, and had a few issues getting to our hotel from the airport. Once we made it, we checked into the Hyatt at Fisherman's Wharf. The food there is not that great, but the room was nicely decorated, comfortable and clean. The staff was very friendly and helpful.

We walked down to Fisherman's Wharf and had lunch next to seal pier. It was stinky! They are cute, but boy do they smell.

On our first night out, we had dinner at The Stinking Rose, which is known for its garlicky menu. Overall I found it to be very overrated and would probably not recommend it. After dinner, we took a stroll, is there such a thing there, up and down the hilly streets and meandered into Chinatown. The Republic of China was celebrating its anniversary and the streets were decorated and we saw a dragon dance. I had a great time visiting the little shops and enjoying the nice weather. It turned out to be the warmest night of the entire trip.

I thought my legs would be sore the next day from all the uphill/downhill action, but they weren't. I'd like to also mention that we saw not only a lot of foot traffic on the streets, but a lot of biking as well. Kudos to the locals!

We decided to rent a car for the day and drive down the coast. We visited Seal Cove, Half Moon Bay, Monterey and Carmel. We made lots of stops along the way that included 17 Mile Drive/Pebble Beach Golf Course, Half Moon Bay Brewery, Hogs Breath Inn and lots of little shops. It was overcast and foggy for much of the day, but I didn't care. It was a lovely drive with my sweetie and he was so nice to do ALL of the driving.

The next day was probably one of my favorites of the whole trip. It was pampering and fun the entire day! No, girls, there were no facials or pedicures. It was eat, eat, eat and play, play, play. We started our morning by racing to the pier to catch the ferry to Alcatraz. What an amazing experience! Alcatraz was every bit as cool as I thought it would be and the audio guided tour was very well done.

After Alcatraz, we had a few hours to kill and I had been dying to get to Hog Island Oyster Company. Tyler Florence did a bit on ‘The Best Thing I Ever Ate’ a while back and raved about it. Having never had a raw oyster I thought it would be the perfect place to try them. They were amazing! Tyler was right and I thoroughly enjoyed that very expensive treat! I had a half dozen (Kumamoto and ???) and an iced tea that totaled $33! Marc just watched.

Oh yes! The Ferry Building is a must visit for foodies. I could have spent an entire morning in there. There are lots of restaurant type shops, but there were also fruit stands, artisan bread and cheese shops, wine stores, etc. Amazing! Oh yes, gelato too! YUM! Yep, I ate ALL day!

We raced to the hotel to freshen up and take a twenty minute nap. Then, we headed to the San Francisco Electric Tour Company for our Segway tour. I was terrified once I discovered they weren’t driven using the handlebars and that there wasn’t a stop button or brake. Something about rolling through the busy streets of San Francisco on something you do not know how to drive seemed scary to me. Hmm. I’m a sissy though so, I forged ahead. I didn’t breathe or move for the first thirty minutes at least. Once I got the hang of things, I don’t think I stopped smiling once, except maybe when Marc fell off. Then, I just laughed hysterically!

We turned in the Segways and headed to Scoma’s for dinner. Our table provided a nice view of the harbor and Ghirardelli Square. It took quite a while for our bodies to thaw. Yes, it was freezing cold. Who would’ve guessed? I had the most amazing meal there. It was so delicious (lobster bisque, scallops on a bed of swiss chard and fingerling potatoes and tiramisu). MMMMMMM! It is a little hole in the wall, but the locals swear by it and now, I know why.

On the way back to the hotel we picked up coats from a street vendor. Yes, coats. The weather was seriously fickle there. At any given point, I could be in one layer or another. I did see some really ridiculous tourists walking around in mini skirts and shorts. Seriously?! I could see my breath in the night air. Ding dongs!

It was hard to get up early the next morning after all the fun we’d had the night before. It was even more difficult for Marc, who wasn’t looking forward to some of the day’s events (i.e. wine country). We had breakfast at a little bread shop across from the tour company (ham and cheese croissant and a latte for me). The bread display there was picture perfect.

The tour company that ran our tour that day SUCKED SUCKED SUCKED! Seriously and totally sucked. I would never book with them EVER again. If I could remember their name right now, I would blast them all over the internet, but that will have to wait. Putting all of that aside, we had a wonderful day!
First stop, albeit very brief, was Muir Woods. I cannot even begin to describe it. It was amazing and you just have to go. I could have easily spent the entire day there. In fact, one day, I’d like to go back and do just that.

Next stop, Sausalito. We could have easily spent another day there touring the shops and hanging out by the water. It was a cute little spot and the birds there are NOT shy.

Final leg of the day was the wine tour and Marc’s least anticipated part. Marc doesn’t drink wine, but played along and indulged me. Turns out, he didn’t have such an awful time and he even tried a wine he liked! Holy crap! I bought it on the spot.

I had never been on a wine tasting tour before. We visited three wineries in Sonoma:Homewood, Jacuzzi and Viansa. Of the three, I think Viansa was my favorite. Jacuzzi also specializes in olive oils and it was a treat to taste several of those as well. By the end of the trip, I was getting the hang of it. I could actually pick out flavors in a few of the wines and I wasn’t drunk. Now, being the rare drinker and lightweight I am, I thought that was an accomplishment.

So, in a nutshell, that was our trip. We had such a wonderful time and I loved that city!

I would love to post photos, but Blogger is being a pain the butt today. So, you'll have to check them out on Facebook.

San Francisco Here We Come!

Marc and I are escaping for a much needed vacation tomorrow morning. We are taking this one on our own. We will surely miss the babes, but it will be nice to have some time for just us.

Have a great week!

Super Nanny, Nanny 911 and Doctor Whoever, What Now?!

We had a very long evening last night. Thank you, Sydney Elaine. We've had trouble getting Sydney to go to bed each night for a while, but it really kicked in to high gear last week and hit a peak (I hope) last night. She is adamant about not staying in her room. After trying all the "tricks" suggested, we are at our wits end. We know it is a phase, but we are tired and left without a plan.

Step 1: Establish a routine. Yeah yeah yeah. We've had the same routine since she was a little less than a year. It has only varied slightly with the birth of Nathan and, of course, during vacations and visits to the homes of others. (CHECK!)

Step 2: Eliminate sugary snacks and caffeine before bed. Seriously? My kid is four. She doesn't eat a lot of candy and she definitely doesn't drink caffeine, unless of course you count the two cups of coffee she drinks before school. NOT! (DUH and CHECK!)

Step 3: If the protest, return them to bed over and over. We've done this one a hundred million times. One night, I did it with ipod earbuds in so that I wouldn't get ticked after 1.5 HOURS! NEXT!

Step 4: Sit in the hall and return the child. It goes with Step 3, is just as useless, but at least I get to read a little.

Step 5: Create rewards for good behavior. Great. Sydney is interested in the computer. So, we bought the same educational game the school has and created a reward system that enabled her to earn time on the computer each weekend. It worked for two weeks. Then, she told me she didn't care. Perfect!

Step 6: If they are scared, eliminate the "bad." So, she decided a while back that there were porcupine bunnies in the house. So, mom made a "trap" for them out of a plastic basket and a recorder. Nothing caught and nothing gained.

Step 7: Take away privileges. We've taken away fruit snacks and other junk I cannot recall right now. "Take 'em!" She says.

Step 7: Take away her toys. Her room is now empty.

Step 8: "Spank her butt and that'll fix it!" Some have said. Yep, we tried that too. It didn't work and now we feel bad about it. Thanks!

Step 9: ________________?????????????????????? I have no idea what goes here.

I need help. Ideas please! I really don't know what to do.

Big News!

Some of you already knew and many of you found out yesterday on Facebook, but I'm moving! We are moving back to Fredericksburg to be closer to family. The biggest news of all is that I am going to be a SAHM for a few years.

Just a very short two years ago, I wrote an irate post to Anonymous about school, etc. While I still believe in that post, several things have happened over the last few years that have made us stop and think about the value of family, our time together and how FLEETING it really can be. While I want to teach my children the value of pursuing whatever you desire, we find it equally important to teach them to stop and appreciate what is around them. Now, I am and have been extremely thankful for all I have, but we were faced with, what feels like, a golden opportunity: to strengthen our family bonds and provide our children with a familial community.

I've struggled with this for a while, hold off on school and stay home or tough it out. As much as I wanted to tough it out, and attempted to for a bit, I found two obstacles: the LSAT and my heart. I took the LSAT twice. I cancelled my scores the first time and the second time, I blew it. I have crazy test anxiety and while practice tests would be acceptable, the real deal would throw me into a volcano of emotion. So, I've gone around the bushes, over the hill and through the woods to get to the simple conclusion that I likely have my whole life to continue my education or perhaps not. What I do know is that, where my kids are concerned, I don't want regrets.

So, for now, school is on continued pause and I'm gearing up for a new adventure. I'm excited to spend more time with my children and family. I'm thrilled that we will not be living directly on top of our neighbors and that my kids will have their aunts, grandparents and great grandparents close. I'm terrified, but hopeful that I will be okay at this difficult job.

Please wish us luck, health and happiness! *Crossing fingers, eyes and toes*

Still Around

It has been a few weeks since my last post and I'm still around. We're keeping quite busy this summer and trying to enjoy every minute.

This month, we visited my Dad's and Marc learned how to change the brakes on the truck. Yay! That was a blessing. Thanks again, Dad. Dad and Jenn also celebrated an anniversary. Happy Anniversary!

We went on our second camping trip with Rachel and Matt. This time we headed back to Deep Creek Lake. Marc and I hadn't been in ten years and it was quite different. The campsites are very close and the area in general has grown too much for our liking. We did have a great time, despite losing sleep because of rude neighboring campers. So rude and loud, in fact, we had to call the Rangers twice to get them to stuff it.

My photography class is over. I cannot believe it. It was a blink. I'm more familiar with my camera, but still terrible at taking pictures. I'll keep practicing. Ha ha! Didn't expect to run out and shoot a cover of Vogue. Although, it would have been nice eh?

We had to cancel our third camping trip this past weekend due to inclement weather. What a great call! It poured. What a relief! I usually like to push those things and take a "wait and see" approach. I would have been so sorry and WET! We went bowling instead.

We have our fourth and, most likely, final camping trip coming up next weekend. We're looking forward to it. We're going camping with Aunt Lois and Uncle Robert. I went camping with them a ton when I was a kid so, I'm really looking forward to the "blast from the past."

So, we have an official date night tonight. Woo hoo! Our last date night was a few months back. We had originally made reservations at Charlie Palmer, but it is gross and I'm tired. So, we're going old school tonight: The Outback! That's right. I'm going to stuff my face with cheese fries and a bloomin' onion. Then, we might hit a movie. I can tell you we WON'T go see 'Julie and Julia,' which I have been dying to see, because Marc would NEVER! Boo! Oh well.

The kids are shooting up like little weeds. Sydney has been ultra sassy the last few weeks, but this week has been lovely. It was a nice reprieve. In fact, yesterday, I took an impromptu day off work, picked up Sydney and went to meet Ashley, Shenan, Mom and Granny Joyce for a birthday lunch. Granny Joyce had a great birthday and I was glad I got to spend the afternoon with her.

Well, that is the update. I'm looking forward to the weekend. I hope you guys have a great weekend!

Not the Mama!

Last night, we were having dinner and Syd was having a whining spell. Marc decided to tell Sydney that she would have to trade places with us, if she kept it up. She looked confused. Then he elaborated, "Tonight, you will give us a bath, read us stories and tuck us in. Tomorrow, you will go to work and we will go to school and play." I couldn't resist and joined in. We went on and on about how she'd have to take out the trash, clean the dishes, do the laundry and cook for us. Before we knew it, she was crying. We thought she was kidding at first, but when we realized she was actually crying, we stopped. "I don't want to be the mommy! We will change back." She said.

She told us that being the mommy and daddy is a lot of work. After dinner, she was happy to have bath and story time as usual. Hmmm...for a minute, Marc and I thought we had it made. :)

Seven Days

I am Jessica and I am an addict. It has been seven days since my last Starbuck's bar drink. The first week was the hardest.

I'm in no way making fun of those with serious addictions and I am in no way kidding. I was/am literally addicted to vanilla mochas and mocha fraps. I easily spent 90% of my "fun money" at Starbucks. Was it fun? Did I enjoy it? Yes, but still. I was hitting Starbucks twice a day and I don't have to tell you how quickly that adds up. I've decided that I can have coffee, even Starbucks coffee, but I had to get it in check.

So, for weeks I attempted to replicate the mocha. WEEKS! I tried everything I thought might work, but no luck. Finally, I got guidance from my barista. Seriously, why didn't I ask before? Now, I cannot find my espresso maker because it is in a box and I had to improvise a bit. After a bit of guidance I finally did it! Each day it improved. This morning, it is perfect! Now, I can add the whip! Since I have labored over this for weeks, I will be happy to share my recipe with anyone who wants it. Email me at jesstadlock@gmail.com

Aside from that, we have been up to quite a bit lately. We went camping this past weekend. I am taking a photography class. All things I'd like to elaborate on, but I have to get to work. Bleah! I'll check back. Hopefully, it won't be another month! :)

Freaky Friday

Talk about Freaky Friday, man. Seriously! This week is nuts. First, Ed McMahon. Then, Farah Fawcett and now, Michael Jackson. What the crap?!

Now, I know there is all kinds of commentary going about about the King of Popl right now, good and bad. I just have to put my two cents in. I am surprised at how sad I am. Honestly. Michael Jackson turned out to be a tormented person, which makes me quite sad. Some of my first memories are of me dancing to his songs in my grandmother's bedroom in front of a mirror, of course. I wanted desperately to see him in concert, but I was too young. I was enthralled with Michael. I wanted to dress like him, dance like him and any opportunity to watch him on tv was special. I've cried to more than one of his songs and have been known to throw out a "He he" at odd times. Whatever personal demons he had, it does not discount his talent in my eyes. He was my first icon, who was replaced by Tina Turner. :) I hope he has finally found peace.

Alright, enough about Michael. Let's talk about me. Ha ha! I've been trying to keep notes on my crackberry so that I won't forget things I want to blog about and we'll see how it turns out.

First, last week, I had a rough week. It was nutty at work. I was getting hit from all sides and finally lost my temper on Thursday afternoon. It wasn't pretty. I left work, cried and headed to the salon for a wax. Yeah, talk about insult to injury! BLEAH! I hate being a girl sometimes. I picked the kids up and thankfully, they were in an okay mood, at least for a short time. I was running errands trying to get stuff together for the weekend. We hit Bed, Bath and Beyond for a rolling pin and Sydney starts tuning up about how hungry she is. "I'm really really really really....hungry." She says. Okay! Good grief. I'm literally standing in the parking lot looking around for food and I have two choices, Chili's or McDonald's. There was no way I was eating McDonald's so, we went to Chili's. Sydney convinced me that she just could wait for her dinner and she's never so emphatic about food so, I decided to get chips and salsa. The kids ate like little piggies and I didn't get to eat. So, I boxed up my dinner. Sydney was getting a bit sassy anyway so, I was glad we were ready to leave.

We hopped in the car. I had a few more stops to make and I knew the first had better be Starbucks because I was so sleepy. We headed in that direction. The kids were playing the "Ack" game in the backseat. I don't know why it is so funny, but I didn't care until I heard a real vomit sound and Sydney screamed. Oh boy! I pulled over and discovered that Nathan had vomited mac and cheese all over the back of the car. YUCK! Seriously? Geez. Sydney was crying, Nathan was crying and I was gagging. At this point in my day, I just started laughing. It was just getting to the point of ridiculous. I cleaned up the mess and decided that all of my other errands would have to be cancelled, with the exception of the Starbucks drive thru. That was not up for discussion.

We made it to the Starbucks with the windows down. Thank goodness there was no rain that day. We pulled around to find that the line was quite long. I considered backing out, but I waited too long to decide and then I was trapped by another car. Oh well. So, we sat. Sydney and Nathan were playing games again and I was thankful for their good spirits. Sydney had taken her shoe off and was playing with her umbrella. She was pretending it was a fishing pole and she'd pick her shoe up off the floor by the shoestring and squeal, "Look what I caught, Mommy!" It was cute and pretty creative.

There is a service station next to the SB drive thru. Sydney likes to yell greetings to anyone who will look in our direction, and those who don't. This day was no different, until she decided to show them what she'd caught on her "fishing pole." Before I knew it, she'd tossed her shoe out the window and into the bushes. I was mad at first and then I saw the surprise on her face. I wanted to crack up, but I had to keep my stern mommy face on. Throwing things out of the car is not good. Getting out of the car to retrieve them out of the bushes while everyone in the drive thru is watching isn't much better. Funny, but embarrassing. That is how that day ended and I was glad. What had been really just a nasty, frustrating day turned into a gross, but silly day.

I went to see a movie this week with Allie. We saw 'The Proposal' and it was fantastic! Honestly! If you haven't seen it yet, go right now. Get up and go! It was sooo good. I laughed out loud and often. I had a great time. Good dinner, good movie and good company. Awesome! Thanks, Allie!

Well, we are gearing up for a visit from Dad, Jenn and Josh this weekend. We're excited. It has been a bit. I'm not sure what we'll do yet, but there doesn't seem to be anything too fun going on in this area, surprisingly, tomorrow. We might just hit the pool. I do have some dinner plans, which reminds me I need to get a list going.

I hope you have a great weekend!

Ocks and Ooos!

Yep, my little Nate insists that shoes and socks are "ocks and ooos," but I'm okay with it.

Mr. Nathan's scar has healed up and the stitches fell out finally. He, of course, has two additional bruises on his head, a scratch under his eye and his fingers are scraped. He isn't phased at all.

Had a nasty headache yesterday and stayed home. Got dressed and drove down the street at one point to go to work, but decided (after Marc insisted) to turn around and go back home. It turned out to be a really good idea because I ended up feeling quite terrible again. Better now. Yay!

We are gearing up for a major celebration this weekend. Father's Day and B-days! Wow! Syd is turning four this weekend. I just cannot believe it.

I hope all is well with you! Take care!

Friday Already?! Yay!

This has been one busy week. I'm actually just starting to accept this pace as my new normal. Why fight it? It only brings frustration. So, from this point forward, I don't care. Sadly, this means that I will have a new goal of posting of twice a week. We'll see if this makes me feel any better. :)

We returned to reality a week ago today. We spent Saturday running errands and spending time together. It was quite a lovely day. Sunday, we did some chores and overall had a relaxing day. Wait! I thought I said "returned to reality." True, we did. We kicked the chaos off again on Sunday afternoon. Sydney and I were taking a nap when Marc woke us up with a sad Nate in tow. Nate had slipped on a stair and split his forehead wide open. So, we spent the next three hours or so hanging out in Loudoun Hospital waiting for Nate to get three stitches. Poor little guy was quite brave, Nathan too. :) Marc hates the hospital scene. I cannot blame him.

Work was nutty busy this week and it has been a bit dreary outside. In many ways, I enjoy it. I'd certainly prefer rain during the week. Also, it is nice to not have to water our garden, which exploded while we were out of town. We had our first salad last Sunday from our garden. I love it! Cannot wait to see the tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers appear.

Have a great weekend and stay chill!

Wednesday-Hump Day!

Today, I was required to leave the bay house and head to the local library (20M away) to do some work. Boo! :) Seriously, I have not missed even the tv. Although, we did turn it on to watch a movie yesterday.

We are having a nice time and are trying to catch up on our rest. With Sydney and Nathan that can be tough. :) If only I could absorb a bit of their energy.

We were supposed to leave today, but I couldn't resist. We are staying until Saturday. Then, it will be back to reality. We've eaten in every meal. We aren't suffering by any means!

Saturday: Steamed shrimp, baked potato and salad
Sunday: BBQ, coleslaw and baked beans
Monday: Mexican Fiesta-Take 2 (Enchiladas, Beans, Homemade Salsa)
Tuesday: Beer can chicken, 7-cheese Macaroni (Don't laugh! The beer can chicken was AWESOME!)
Wednesday: I have no idea.

I cooked all the desserts. I've tried all except the cake. From what I've tried, they all turned out well and the brownies were way awesome. I've actually got to leave to eat one now. YUMMM!

Have a great rest of the week! I'll be offline til Sunday.

Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day! It has been a nice weekend so far. We've had a few glitches, but that is standard. :)

I have no real desire to leave the porch. :). I could sit here all week. Eat, sleep, lounge, nap, stretch, sleep, eat, etc. That isn't possible with two munchkins running around, but we are close. :)

It is hard to believe that Monday is here already. :( Slow Down!

Tick Tock

I'm one of three people left in our office right now. I'm bored and I'm ready to leave to start my vacation.

Tonight, I'm heading to Toni's. I'll be working on operation wall paper. I don't know how much help I will be, but I'm going anyway. Tadlock support on the way!

Tomorrow morning, I'll get up, pack and hit the road. We're headed to Reedville. I haven't been in forever. I'm looking forward to seeing the place again and enjoying the quiet. Hopefully, the snakes stay away. It is right on the bay and they like to come out this time of year, so I am told.

I am in charge of desserts this long weekend. I will be making, or attempting to make:

Pecan Pie
Coconut Cake
Blueberry Scones
Outrageous Brownies
Sopapillas (We are having a Mom's Day rerun!)

I received a new book on professional cooking last week. I'm looking forward to reading it while I'm on vaca. I find it facsinating. Doubt my cooking will improve, but I could tell you what is supposed to happen. Ha! Ha!

Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday weekend!

A Month of Sundays

So, I got an email reminder from Jess that I haven't blogged in a month, which I knew. :) I've been meaning to get around to it for days, weeks and now, a month. I could just never find the time to sit still. So much has happened over the last month and I'll try to summarize.

First, we yanked the Contract on our house in Aldie. Yep. Decided we weren't in love with it and we were just anxious to get out of our pit rental. We decided it wasn't worth it to overlook flaws in the new house and neighborhood. So, we'll just sit back and keep our eyes open.

We went to a co-worker's wedding at the end of April. It was lovely. Marc and I left the babes at our house with Grandma and Grandpa for the night and we stayed at the lovely Queenstown Inn. We ate, danced and then had a late night dinner at Crackerbarrel. YUM! I had french toast and the waiter was astounded at the amount of food I ordered. I woke up the next morning with a yucky sore throat. It was unusually warm that weekend and when my parents went to turn on the AC in our rental, it didn't work. SURPRISE! After two weeks, it was fixed. Thankfully, the heat relented after a day or two so we didn't mind it so much.

We were shocked to the core shortly after our return. We found out that our friend, Brian Paap, had passed away from a severe heart attack while playing indoor soccer. He was survived by his wife, Toni, and his three girls, Madison, Morgan and Taylor. He was 35, full of life and was loved by many. Marc had worked with Brian when he first moved to Northern Virginia. He, Brian, Brandon and FJ started played soccer together and then the girlfriends stepped in. We were together nearly every week for years. We witnessed dating, marriages and births. We separated mostly after our children were born and some moved away. It just happened as it so often does. It was bittersweet to see everyone again for the first time in two or three years. In many ways, we've grown up together. I suppose I didn't anticipate adding death to our list so soon.

Toni, who is linked on my blog, but no longer active, has a wonderful attitude. She always has. Honestly, that is the one thing that makes me like them so much. They have a "take me as I am" attitude and that is so rare to find, especially here. Such an attitude will surely help her during this extremely difficult time. My heart goes out to her and her family. There truly are no words.

Events such as Brian's death, always causes us to stop and think about how we are living our lives and do we have our priorities in order (i.e. family, marriage, health, etc.). We are taking steps to ensure that we keep ourselves in line. We started reaching out to friends and family we haven't seen in quite some time. Who knows what tomorrow brings?

Mother's Day was the perfect time for us to show our mom how much we lover her. Mother's Day was a smashing success. My sister and I headed to the 'Burg to cook for our mum. Actually she and Shenan already live there. :) We had a mexican fiesta feast (nachos, homemade salsas, enchiladas, grilled shrimp, rice and beans, flan and margaritas). We made sooo much that we have enough leftover for our vacation this upcoming week. :) I LOVE freezers!

Sydney is well. She's quite funny these days. I got pulled aside by a teacher in school because she's been questioning the teacher's authority and then calling her a "silly donkey." Um, no, she doesn't watch HK. She loves to paint her nails and dress up. We have, at Rachael's suggestion, labeled nearly everything in the house (chair, light, lamp, etc.) and a new 'I Can Read' series to help her out.

Nathan is growing leaps and bounds and talking more every day. He was cutting three molars at the same time last week, which was no fun for anyone. Thankfully, he's through that. He loves to give kisses and hugs. He is finally showing an interest in books, so unlike Syd. He is a climber! I have to watch him like a hawk.

Camping season is rapidly approaching and I cannot wait. This weekend, we'll spend a few days in Reedville, VA. I haven't been in a while. In fact, I cannot remember the last time. We are looking forward to it. I'm in charge of desserts during the trip. Any suggestions?

I miss you all and think of you often. I really do.

Hugs! BIG HUGS! Now, go kiss someone you love!

Yay! It is Saturday!

Things have been quite busy here. Marc has been working a lof of night shifts to help out his pt employer, another employee broke a foot. He's also started participating in a golf league that is supposed to play on Tuesday afternoons. I hope they get on a regular rotation soon. Next weekend, he is going to start training for the Army 10 miler.

I have been ridiculously busy at work. I don't mind busy, but I do mind nuts. I hope thinks will settle down a bit soon.

The weeknights have been pretty routine: dinner, bath, stories and bed. Nathan did go back to the dr this week and his ears, for now, have relented. I hope it stays that way. Poor baby has had six or seven ear infections back to back.

Nathan's speech has exploded. He's trying so much harder to listen and repeat word. He's my snuggly little buddy and loves to give hugs and kisses.

Sydney is very helpful and I love to listen to her chatter to herself when she thinks no pne is listening. She tells her babydolls stories from storybook pictures. She loves to repeat words to be empahtic "It's taking a long long long long long long time." She yells going down the road or when you aren't moving as quickly as she'd like. She has sassy spitfire days, like today, when you want to keep her in her room. She has quite a personality. I see rough roads ahead. :)

It is a beautiful day. I hope you all enjoy it. :)

Five Minutes

I'm hanging out at the doctor's office, now with Syd. I swear these people are going to reserve a room for us. At least, it is a different doctor. We visit this one less frequently.

Okay, so what has been going on other than sick kids? Well, I've been working like crazy, during the work day and working at home just as hard. :)

Saturday, Marc had to work and the rest of us stayed home. Nathan was crazy cranky and had a fever. I had a sore throat and Sydney was sassy sassy sassy. It was not a fun day at all.

Sunday was significantly better. Nathan had gotten over his mysterious fever and, even though my throat was still sore, we went to the Baltimore Aquarium with Wes, Loretta and Tara. We had a very nice time and we were lazy for the rest of the afternoon.

Sunday night was no fun. I stressed about work all night AND Nate was up ALL NIGHT LONG. Marc and I were not a happy couple at 4am. Going to work on Monday was very difficult.

I am looking forward to Idol tonight, but I'm thinking I might miss it.

I hope you are all happy and well. I am thinking about you!

Thanks!

Thank you, Starbucks Stranger! I was having a bit of a craptastic afternoon and decided to stop at Starbucks for a frap. Nothing says cheer like a cup of frozen joe and a mound of whipped cream. Mmmm!

So, I pulled up to the window to pay and the cashier informed me that the car ahead of me had paid for my drink! I just got the biggest smile on my face. I've done similar things and I just thought it was so neat that ot came back around and on the perfect day. Pay it forward, folks!

Starbucks Stranger, you truly made my day!

The last week was no less than a complete whirlwind. Today, I feel, quite literally, like someone kicked me in the back. I am, however, happy to be awake and at work. Well, I don't know how happy I am to be at work. I could certainly find more enjoyable things to do.

Let's see, I was crazy busy at work again last week. Highlights:

-We closed a huge deal.
-The new Of Counsel dropped off his stuff. He starts in a officially on the 13th.
-I spent 40 minutes one afternoon in the post office. That is ALWAYS a treat.
-I heard some new ideas for marketing the firm.


Who cares about work? How about home! Highlights:

-Marc started his golf league last Tuesday. He'll be going every Tuesday until Fall.
-Nathan tripped on the carpet at school last week and smacked his face on the activity table. His tooth loosened. So, we spent much of the evening in a pediatric dentist's office. The result is that his socket should most likely recover; they do not believe his adolescent teeth were damaged; and his tooth may or may not discolor. He's just fine today.
-Sydney had accident after accident last week, both at night and during the day. She went through three sets of sheets at school last week and at home. Oy vey!
-Ashley, Shenan and I went to Mom's this weekend to help her clean out the basement. What a task! The good news is that after a back-breaking weekend, the lion's share of the work is done and Mom is feeling good.
-I have a nail in my tire.
-I think Nate has ANOTHER ear infection. I'll be making an appointment for him today to go yet again. This time, if he has another one, I'm putting my foot down. I'm not messing around with this crap anymore! Poor guy.

So, that is the long and short of my week. OH WAIT! I forgot to tell you the most important thing: the start of my day.

So, I raced to the service shop this morning after dropping off the kids. I had to get the nail out of the tire and the tire plugged and I'm late on an oil change. I walk to work from there. I got to work, stepped off the elevator, bent over to pick up an envelope that had been delivered and that's when I found it. I had absentmindedly tucked my shirt into my underwear this morning. Are you kidding me?! Since my pants are a little lower, I KNOW everyone saw them! I bet they were thoroughly impressed with my turquoise cotton undies. Good grief! :) I never cease to amaze myself.

Monday Monday

Wow! Another weekend has slipped right by me. It was a very nice weekend with lots of running around, as usual. :)

On Friday night, we had a nice dinner of leftovers (woo hoo!) and then, after Mr. Nate went to sleep, we snuggled up with Syd on the basement floor and watched cars. We had popcorn and lemonade. Yum! Oh yeah, I decided to hit the grocery store between dinner and the movie since I knew I would be gone for much of the weekend. Syd and I fell asleep on the floor around 9:30pm. Lame! :) I STILL have not seen that movie from beginning to end.

Saturday morning, we got up around 7:30am and got ready. Marc went to work and I took the kids to Gordonsville/Orange for most of the afternoon. We visited with my dad's parents and then, I stopped by to see my mom's parents. At about 4:30, we headed to Fredericksburg to meet Mom and Tom for dinner. We decided to try the Fredericksburg Pub. After an hour and twenty minutes, we got a table. The place was jammed and thankfully, the kids were willing and well behaved. The food was quite good. Marc had the sheppherd's pie, which I tried, and there wasn't one bite left. I had to try the fish and chips, another success. We got home quite late and I almost immediately went to bed. I had to catch up on Grey's and PP before. I STILL have to watch HK before Thursday.

Sunday we spent a lot of the day doing chores and then, we headed out to Costco to drop off my frames. I need new lenses. After the man broke them, he told me it would take TWO weeks to get them back. IPES! I'm not sure how I'm going to deal without my glasses for two weeks. I'll have to muttle through.

We drove out to the potential new home yesterday. I spent a lot of time looking at the neighbors and the neighborhood. I realized that it is so strange to drive into a neighborhood and see the backs of houses only. It also didn't look like there were a lot of trees or grass. I'm hoping this is just because spring hasn't sprung completely. We located the pool and tennis courts. There were lots of families out and about, which I did like. The chance to meet some new faces!

We had dinner at Golden Corral, laugh if you must, with my brother Wes and his girlfriend, Tara. I didn't know she was coming and was in my Sunday worst! Bad brother! She seems nice enough. The jury is still out though since it was such a brief visit. :) I'm very protective of him. I guess I didn't realize until yesterday just how protective I am. I know it is just my instinct when new faces come into the picture. I don't typically just let the gate down. It doesn't take long though. :) We're going to the aquarium together in a few weeks so that should be lots of fun.

Well, I'm off! Have a great day!

Surprise!

How shocked were we to get a call from our Realtor last night telling us that our last and final bid went through! Amazing! So that is the little photo of it above. It doesn't do it justice. It is a little brick colonial in a cul-de-sac and so cute inside. The owners really loved their home, like we did ours, and I will be stepping in with little to do, a bit of paint and a fence only. How awesome!

There are lots of things about the house I like and things I'll eventually change, but I'm so thrilled that we have a nice kitchen (double ovens!) that is off of the family room. So, we can all hang out together, even when I have to do the laundry or cook. Oh! Laundry! The home will come with a set of brand new front loading washer and dryer!! WOOO HOOO!

We envision a cute little patio off the back door to grill out and watch the kiddos play. I'm thrilled!

If that wasn't enough of a surprise, Sydney kept her pants dry again last night!! WOW! Holy cow!

Keep your fingers crossed for us. We've won the bid, but they still have to have their bank accept the short sale terms.

Night Potty Training and More!

Wow! After months of trying pull ups, underwear under pull ups, etc., Marc and I decided that on Friday night we would buckle down and do the training pants. Friday night was awful. She had three or four accidents during the night, a few of which she didn't wake up. Saturday was one less. Sunday and Monday nights were the same. Last night though, she did it! She went through the night dry. She got herself up at 2:30am and went potty. She's sporting her new Aurora undies this morning as a reward! Yay, Sydney! :) I'm sure we have many more wet nights ahead, but it is nice to have a ray of sunshine today.

The house hunt is about to cease. Seriously. I'm sick of it. We have one final contract bid out and after that, I'm ready to call it quits for a while. I hear complaints on the news about the housing market and it being a buyer's market and it leaves me dumbfounded. Marc and I are reading, willing and able buyers and we have been unsuccessful in finding a home. Nutty!

Mom and Tom had to put their puppy, Callie, to sleep this week. She was diagnosed with cancer last spring and it finally took charge. Mom and Tom are, of course, having a difficult week, but they find comfort in the fact that Callie won't suffer anymore.

My sister lost her job last week. Her company is in serious trouble and has laid off numerous employees. Thankfully, she had her ear to the ground and had already started circulating her resume. I'm betting she'll have a job soon.

Well, I'm off. I hope you have a great day!

Monday Again?

It is hard to believe that Monday is here yet again. Sydney protested school today, like every Monday, but she was happy to show her friends her apple this morning. Hmm..is that all it takes?

Traffic was nice this morning considering the yucky blah weather. People turn into straight morons around here with any type of weather (rain delays, fog delays, snow delays and YES, no kidding, sunshine delays). Today, thankfully, was an exception. I have learned to take back roads to a point further on the toll road, but this morning I just kept going. I didn't even notice until I was almost to the toll road. Whew! Talk about fog.

I am happy to report that I managed to bring in my lunch and breakfast in this morning for nearly a week, excluding bread. Yeah, I purchased a loaf of bread at Giant on Saturday, opened it yesterday and found that it was molded! Grrr! Now, I have no bread and I'll have to take it back. That is so irritating. I was going to take it back yesterday, but I was busy.

Busy doing what? Well, I slept in, tried to anyway. Then I got up, changed the sheets, put clothes away, cleaned up Syd's room, unloaded the dishwasher, cooked sausage for the week, packed lunches, made two casseroles and a threw a brisket into the crockpot, took a shower, went househunting, dropped off Sydney, got a haircut, got my makeup done, cooked dinner, put Nate to bed, watched Desperate and finally, turned out the light. Only I couldn't sleep. Hate it when that happens, which is almost every Sunday. I spend much of the night worrying about the week ahead.

By the way, I cut all of my hair off. I took a picture with my cell phone. It is a terrible picture, but you can see that my hair is gone.

Blah! Anyway, I've got lots to do! Have a great day!

Fact of Life

I've been absent. I know. Keeping up here has been quite difficult lately, but I'm trying. :) I do better keeping up on Facebook so, you can find me there.

Got back from Tampa on Friday and have been running ever since. Our office downsized last week and I can now add bookkeeper to my hat tray. I've been trying to get caught up this week and am finally reaching a somewhat comfortable state. I will be, however, extremely busy from this point forward. Generally, I pick other things to do before posting (i.e. eating my lunch in the kitchen with Rachel, reading a book or watching tv at night, etc.). So, there will be breaks between posts. I just cannot keep up with it all.

We put in an offer on another house. That was a few days ago. Still haven't heard anything and probably won't. I just look forward to doing something on the weekend other than look at houses. Come on!

Tonight I will have dinner with my cousin, Nicole. She's here for a seminar and finally we'll meet up. We've been trying for nearly four years to get together without success. :) It will be fun to see her again and we are going to the Rio Grande. BONUS! I love that place.

This weekend will be clean up the messy house weekend. Seriously. How do things get so out of control so fast? :)

I hope you are all having a great week!
Jess

Wednesday Already?

We've been lazy lazy lazy. We hit the outlets on Monday after making silly pancakes. We drove all around the bay area and just enjoyed the sun.

Tuesday was a stay in the house day. We watched movies, put together a puzzle and cooked. Syd and I took a walk and looked at the fruit trees, ferns and palm trees.

We are actually going to make it out this afternoon. We are headed to the zoo. We contemplated going to Mickey's house, but after I found out it would cost $120 for Syd and I to just get in, I decided to skip it for now. Maybe we'll go next time.

I'm hanging around and keeping an eye out for Starbucks. Yeah, Starbucks. Mmmm.

Yay! Yay! Yay!

We are finally finally here. After nine hours, we are here safe and sound. :) Whew! Now, time for dinner. :)

Yet Another Delay

Five hours in an airport...going on six and we've been delayed again. They are offering crackers. Um sure, a three year old can eat crackers all day. No problem. I don't think so. I've forked out nearly $40 between lunch and a light snack and we haven't left the ground yet.

Turns out the delays aren't weather related. Grrr.

Oh no!

We've been delayed again. Now, we are allegedly leaving at 530pm. Syd has been so good, but she's losing her patience. I'm amazed she's been this patient.

I'm crossing my fingers and hoping she falls asleep soon.

Waiting

Syd and I checked in at noon today ready to spend the std two hours waiting to leave. We were quite disapponted to find that our flight had been delayed two hours. This was, of course, after I had gotten a text from SW saying that it was on time and Marc dropped us off. We've been here for two hours and the status info online STILL hasn't been updated.

Try explaining to a three year old that she'll be hanging around the airport for an extra two hours. Ipes. So far, we've played cards, eaten lunch, had a cookie and we are now watching Rattatouie on the ipod. I was saving it for the plane ride, but I'm running out of ammo. :)

Wish us luck. No more delays please.

What is more effective than a snow dance?

The answer is really quite simple:buy a non-refundable plane ticket to somewhere warm.

I woke up this morning to find the ground covered in snow. I am wondering if there will be a flight today.

Hmmm. I've never had snow issues before when flying. Rain and storms have been issues, but not snow.

I'll check back in.

House Hunting-Take 10?

I am just about to give up on this hunting. It seems like the realtors are shady, nothing new there, and the majority of the houses aren't what you think they will be.

I believe I have seen two homes that are not short sales. Of the two, I liked one and Marc didn't and the other we liked okay, but the lot was not good.

It might be in our best interest to hold steady for another six months. I just don't know. Blah.

The good news is that I have a place to live in right now, even if it isn't mine. :). Oh and I'm going to Florida tomorrow.

Uneasy Feeling

Do you ever have that feeling of dread or uneasiness? It is like any moment the other shoe will drop. I've been having that feeling a lot lately and I can't quite put my finger on it. Something is not right.

Busy Busy Busy

It is a positive thing, having lots of work to do. I'm so thankful to have it. The days at work lately are flying right on by me, mostly.

This weekend I had a little cooking day with my friend, Christine, and her daughter, Trinity. It was fun, but the food was a disaster. I'll spare you the details, but let's just say that this kitchen is cursed.

Sounds like we won't be getting the house in South Riding. The realtor on the other side is playing games to drive up the price. Sigh. I'm just not in the mood for those games. We just want to buy a house.

I did pilates tonight for the first time in about six years. I've taken a few yoga classes since then, but this was at home. :) trust me I need the privacy to spare me the great embarrassment. :). The player is all set for the yoga tape. All I have to do is hit the play button. Wonder hoe long that will be. :)

Well, I'm off to bed. Speaking of bed...I won't utter a word.

Running on E!

Wow! I cannot believe how time keeps slipping by and that I haven't been out in the blog world for a while. I haven't even been able to catch up with everyone the last week and a half.

Alex, I got the bread book last week. I hope to try it this weekend.

We put a contract out on a house in South Riding, but it is a short sale so it still needs to be approved by the bank. We'll keep looking in the interim.

The kids are well, for a change, and we are also. We've had a terrible time trying to get Miss Sydney in her bed at night. After about an hour or so, she's down (not without a serious commotion), but a while later she ends up in our bed. If she's still, no problem. Lately, she's been a kicking fool. She stirs the dog up and then she wants to go outside. Last week was an awful sleep week and this one is not nearly as bad, but close.

I'll be heading to Tampa here in a few weeks. :) I'm very excited to take this spur of the moment trip with my sister, Shenan and Sydney. Shenan's mom lives there and we will be going to the Strawberry Festival. MMMMM! I have a feeling that I will turn into a strawberry.

I hope you have a great weekend. Thinking about you all!

Jess

One, Two, Three, Four...Ninety-Nine...

Yep, that was me today. I was counting circles on a tissue box and pleats in a curtain. You would think someone might do that because they are bored, but I was doing to keep from crying. I'm a very emotional person, to a fault. Today, I attended the funeral for Rachel's grandma and I was trying anything not to cry. I'd met Grandma Jeanne on several occasions and had even had brunch with her once, but I know she has moved on and is away from all that ailed her. It is thinking of Rachel that upsets me. I am easily upset when people I care about are hurt or are grieving. Also, it makes me reflect on my life.

So, my apologies to all that may have been offended today (spirits who could hear me counting in my head or anyone who caught me staring behind the Minister). I wasn't being disrespectful. I was just trying not to be a blubbering mess, for once. Rachel is not a cry baby and I didn't think it was appropriate for me to be one.

Lazy Sunday

Thankfully, I don't have to go anywhere today. I had a restless sleep last night and Sydney woke up with the chickens this morning and promptly poked Nathan. Since Marc has been working since 6am, we are hanging out around the house.

We have LOADS of laundry to do today. We spent part of the day looking at houses yesterday and then being slugs. We focused on Ashburn/Leesburg yesterday and I think that I prefer this area so far. I think next week will be Manassas. We'll spend our President's Day hunting. The good news is that there are lots of houses, the bad news is that buyers are coming out of the woodwork. So, like our last purchase, we are in competition with so many others to find the right house AND at the right price. The process is already making me anxious and edgy. I love looking at houses, but we are trying to stay focused. This is the house we are hoping to stay in for quite some time.

I received word yesterday that my best friend's grandma passed away yesterday. Rachel, I'm thinking of you and your family. Love to you!

Happy Anniversary to Me!

So, today is my official eight year anniversary with the firm. WOW! I can hardly believe that I've been here that long. Well, yes I can. :)

There is talk of a Vienna Inn celebration. :) I'm all for that! What is better than that?! Chili dogs and fried mushrooms, here I come! I'm so easy.

Marc will spend the afternoon today touring Leesburg for us. He's going to do a once over to weed out potential homes. We'll take a family trip out there tomorrow. Ipes! Wonder how many homes we'll actually get to see lugging two kids around. Mmm...I guess three or four. Between the snacks, potty visits and just general slowness, that should be about right. Do I feel sorry for us? Nope. I'm used to it, our poor realtor isn't. :) I hope Marc tells her to pack her patience tomorrow. Ha ha.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

BTW-yep! We've got the Scooby Doo mouthwash that turns teeth, and everything else it touches, blue. :) Yesterday, I found toothpaste UNDER the lip of the countertop. Good grief. :) At least it washes off.

"Sparklies On My Teeth, Mom!"

Sydney had a visit at school yesterday from a local dentist. They talked about visiting the dentist and brushing your teeth until they "sparkle."

Sydney came home last night with her little dentist treat bag and immediately wanted to open her toothpaste and string the entire kitchen with floss. She was thrilled to share and line up pieces of floss for me and Nathan. Hmm..we've been brushing teeth for quite some time and I've never seen her so excited.

After dinner, Sydney marched upstairs and proceeded to squirt toothpaste all over her new toothbrush (and the counter, toilet paper holder and faucet) and her task began. She was scrubbing for a good five minutes until I asked her if she was going to be done any time soon. Then, I got the hand on the hip and in her "duh" voice, "I'm trying to get sparklies on my teeth, Mom!" I couldn't help but laugh at that.

I finally coaxed her to bed, but had the same issue this morning. I wanted her to hurry and finish or we would be late for school. I knew that telling her that "sparklies" wouldn't appear wouldn't do the trick and would just kill her excitement. So, I told her I thought I saw them and that she should go to school and show her friends. YAY! It worked.

So, thank you Ashburn Children's Dentistry for making brushing, a previously dull task, exciting!

Ha ha ha! Sorry!

Sorry to get you guys all excited. I tried to start a post while we were out driving around in the car, but Marc thought my attention should be on the task at hand, sitting. Good grief.

Anyway, we did head out this past weekend to look at some houses. Most of them were ick, but there was one that was just amazing. I loved it. There more I thought about it and the more I think about it, I'm just nervous about moving to Bristow. I don't want to spend my life in the car. It sounds like the commute would be over an hour. Then, the Post (ironically) printed this today. Could it be a sign?

So, that leaves me with lots on the brain. How do we get all we need and all we want at the same time? Just talkin' about a house here. Ipes. This is when being a grown up sucks.

Thankfully, I have four months left to locate a home...the home. We plan on being there, wherever, for a long time. We've got to make it count.

we

Friday Already?!

Wow! I cannot believe it is Friday, but then again, it generally sneaks up on me. We've got a pretty big weekend planned, relatively speaking. :)

Tonight, I'm looking forward to going home, eating leftovers, picking up a bit and vegging. Tomorrow, we'll go out to look at houses for the first time. First stop, Bristow. I think there is one in Haymarket. We're thinking this location might be too far, but we're open people. :) We'll just take a look, even if it is to rule it out. Jess, we'll probably next hit Manassas or Leesburg. Marc found a neat website for searching and maybe you want to take a look. I think it is redfin.com.

After our house hunting adventure, we'll go home for a bit and the babysitter will come. I'm pretty anxious about the whole thing, mainly because Sydney tells me she does not want a babysitter. I'm thinking she'll be fine with the whole thing. I'm really looking forward to a night out with hubby sans babies. I love them to death, but it is nice to chew food at a normal pace. :) For me, that is pretty slow. :) I'm a very very slow eater. I cannot help it. I've always been that way. I'm not quite "chew every bite 100 times," but I'm close.

Sunday is the Superbowl and I cannot believe it! I typically get all excited, make food and watch. This time, I don't have any real plans. I'm thinking we're going to be sitting on the couch, which will be fine with me! :)

Okay, so I'm off to check in on you guys quickly before I have to dive in.

Have a great weekend!

Icy Day!

Wow! It was quite icy out today, but we made it in. I've been crazy busy this week and I am soooo thankful! It, of course, cuts into my goof-off time so, my apologies for not visiting.

We have our first official house-hunting appointment this weekend. First task-determine our area of interest.

I had dinner last night with Sandy. We went to Sweetwater. Boy! I hadn't been in a long time and it was such a treat. I feel so guilty, but I'm sure I'll get over it.

I'm off to have some lunch, but I wanted to let you know I'm here and thinking of you all. I miss you!

"I've Gotta Jump."

I've been crazy busy at work, but I had to post this quickly because I knew I would forget.

We have a client that is "too cool for school." Seriously, he pretends like he doesn't know who I am, even though we've met at least twenty times and have talked on the phone no less than fifty. We are a very small company. Anyway, that's not all, but you get the drift. He's the epitome of the poster, "You'll never be four collars popped cool." If you haven't seen it, you should Google it. I think of him every time I see it.

Okay, so I'm working on a transaction for him and he's pulling his usual garbage. Thankfully, those things don't generally bother me and, surprisingly, it doesn't happen more often. I have clients that come into our office far more affluent than he and they treat me like their best bud. Good idea! :) They are smart enough to know that people work harder for you, if you are not an ass!

Anyway, I digress. I called him for the ninth time today and he's always hurried and impatient. Listen, bud, you asked for the info. I've got it. Now, shut up and let me give you the answers. Well, he closed his phone conversation today with "Okay, I've gotta jump." Huh? Correct me if I am wrong, and I very well could be, but I believe it expression is "I've gotta bounce." Hmm..I wouldn't know. I'm just not that cool. :) Ha ha! Even funnier, I got a copy of his license and he is 56! Certainly that isn't old, but his attitude, dress and lame expressions show that he thinks he's in college.

Sorry, I'm in a hurry. Hope you get a laugh! :) I know I did!

Change is Here! :)

Yesterday was the BIG day! I know you were all watching from wherever you were. I witnessed history on the floor of my bedroom. Exciting right? My eyes were glued to the tv from the time W and Obama left the White House until after the swearing in ceremony. It was awesome and how about that Yo-yo Ma! He was really getting into it. I've got to check him out.

After the swearing in, Marc and I headed to the Olive Garden for lunch and then to DSW. I was soooo tired by this point because Sydney had kicked me all the night before that we went home and I took a nap. We were supposed to watch a movie, but I just couldn't do it.

I awoke from my nap and decided to go get my hair cut. I whacked quite a bit off and now have bangs, long ones! I tried to take a picture with my phone, but alas, I'm completely uncoordinated and I just keep getting my nose! :) He he. So, sorry.

I'm back at work today, sadly. Well, not really. I do like it here. I just like being at home with the fam. :) Things have been so quiet here lately that I'm falling into a lull of sorts. I think I'm going to have to create a job for myself so that I feel like I have a purpose.

Okay, before I go a few kid things:

-Sydney has informed us that she wants to fly like Tinkerbell. She told Marc that he needed to buy her some wings so that she could fly.

-Sydney is, for some strange reason, in LOVE with Hannah Montana. She got a HM doll from Aunt Kim and she's just cracks us up with it. She runs through the house singing, "It's the best of BONE world." Ha! Ha! Ha!

-Nathan's new hobby is to poo in the bathtub. YUCK!

-Nathan also loves HM and dances whenever the songs come on.

Crap! I know there are more, but I've forgotten. AGAIN! Wow! I've got the worst memory ever.

Have a great day!

Happy MLK Day!

Yay for the great holiday! I'm at work, but today is certainly a noteworthy holiday. Tomorrow is the big historic day! No matter where you stand, you have to be in awe of the moment. It will prove to be a tingle-creating, tear jerking and inspiring day. I'm just so thrilled to be a witness. Can I get a witness!? :) Sorry, I totally couldn't help myself.

So, I couldn't find my cord thingy this weekend for the camera. I must admit I wasn't looking very hard for it. I was ill (sinus infection and ear infection) and spent a lot of time lounging around. In fact, yesterday was another perfectly lazy Sunday. Nate napped a lot while Syd, Marc and I snuggled on the couch watching whatever lame shows were on. I don't even remember what they were.

I started (FINALLY!) my thank you cards. WOW! I'm so far behind. How fortunate I am to have such a problem, a lot of thank yous to write! I'm so thankful for it! Target is too! I certainly keep their notecard section turning over. :) They really do have the cutest notecards.

I'm a bit behind in something, but I'm ahead in others. Sydney and I started working on her valentines yesterday. Yay! I'm actually a bit ahead there. Of course, it will take until the day to get them all together. I'm just that slow. Seriously, how long does it take to write a note, tape a pencil to it and move to the next? Well, if it were just me, a minute or so. Since I'm letting Syd do most of the work...a really really long time. :) She loves it and I love to watch her doing it. :)

Well, I'm off to catch up with everyone. I hope you have a fabulous day tomorrow. Our office is closed and I will be glued to the tube. :)

Choppers All Clear!

I went to the dentist today. I so love going. NOT! I'm happy to report healthy teeth and gums. Yay! I do have to go back in two weeks to get fitted for a nightguard. I've got a few tiny jaw issues, but that should hopefully fix it. The issues are most likely caused from too much talking. Oops. I'm also supposed to limit my gum chewing and a few other things. Boo!

Yay! Don't you love it when you the all clear from a doctor or dentist. One 2009 check up-DONE! Now that is something to smile at!

Someone Stop Me!

Okay, this is getting a little ridiculous. This is my fourth? post today. Clearly I need to stay away from the coffee.

I'm all for cell phones. Love 'em! Love 'em! Love 'em! BUT...

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT USE THEM IN THE POTTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why? I just don't get it. There really cannot be anything that important. We have a group of girls on this hall that are serious potty talkers. Excuse me, but I find it strange that the person on the other end of the phone can hear me tinkle.

This is where great restraint comes in. My instinct is to start furiously flushing and bellow disgusting noises and grunts. Since I'm now 31, I'm thinking that behavior would be somewhat unbecoming. I'm still tempted! Catch me in the right mood and it just might happen.

Oh and lady on the 6th floor, why are you still wearing sandals? It is 20 degrees outside today and NO, they don't look any better with socks. If your issue is comfort, Naturalizer and Liz Claiborne make comfortable, sensible and CLOSED toe shoes. Check 'em out!

TV Wisdom

Who said television cannot provoke deep thoughts? :)

This week on The Unit...

Hebrews 13:2"Don't forget to be kind to strangers for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it."

Now, I never said that biblical lessons aren't good! Honestly, I think many of them are good. I'd just like to throw some of it out. I won't get into all of that. This, however, is one we should keep. To me, it falls in line with the Golden Rule. I try to make a general rule to be kind to others, even when they are being royal pains. I'm not perfect and, in fact, I lose my patience quickly. Yet, I try. BTW-patience improvement is a resolution this year.

You never know who you might meet and how they will touch your life. Show kindness and give them a chance.

This week on American Idol...

"You are either born with it or not." -Randy Jackson

Now, this one really hits home. It really makes me think about myself. What in the world was I born with? I'm serious. I got very mental on this one. I know, funny given that it is American Idol.

I'm not particularly talented in any given area. I'm awkward, shy and quiet (around strangers). I'm sorta smart and I don't think I was beaten by the ugly stick. If that isn't the case, let me go on in ignorance. :) What is my "thing"? I've thought and thought, but cannot come up with one.

Ever feel like you are bursting at the seams, so ready to do something great? That is exactly how I feel. I want to make a difference. I want to be the type of person to infect others with laughter and put them at ease. I want...to be me, whatever that means.

So, what was I born with? Just a little light pondering for me on an ordinary Wednesday.

American Idol Judge-Kara DioGuardi

American Idol started last night with new judge, Kara DioGuardi. When I heard the name I had NO CLUE! I had to, of course, Wiki her. I was floored when I saw this. You go, Kara!

If you watched last night, you know that Kara sang a few bars as a demo to some bikini-clad brat, who sounded like poo poo! BTW-I cannot wait to see her go. What is the deal with her making out with everyone? Odd. Anyway, Kara had a beautiful voice. I'm thinking she might help draw me back to AI on a fairly regular basis. We'll see.

Doesn't It Figure!

So, my body woke itself up this morning before the alarm went off. Strange.

I was lying there with a half hour to myself wondering what to do with it. Should I go back to sleep, do yoga, finish my cards, post pictures or just get a head start? I contemplated it for a good 24 minutes. Indecision at its best! Then I decided to just go post Nate's b-day pics. Yeah! That's the ticket.

I wrap up in my robe, grab the camera off the kitchen counter and head for the basement. Brrr. It is cold down here. Then I realized that the cord thingy has not been unpacked yet. I actually don't know where it is at all. Go figure. :) No pics. Sorry.

I was going to make cute little thank yous out of a few, but I guess that won't happen now. It will cause me to be even later on cards. Oh well, generic ones will have to work this time, as they have every other time. :)

Well, have a good time doing whatever you are doing today. I'm off to start my day.

72 Hour Packs!

Yay! I have a hairband. Thank you, Crista! Whew! I know you were all worried.

Okay, I've been following Jennie for a bit and I've gotten on board with her preparedness program. Specifically, the 72 hr kits. We've been saying for YEARS that we need to get one of these together and I've decided that we will do it this year.

I like to try to not think about things like tornadoes, hurricanes, ice storms and terror attacks, but the truth is that they have all happened right here. So, rather than get caught with my pants down, I think I'll pack up a few things. After all, we have our kids to think about, not just us.

So, resolve to be prepared in 2009! Prepared for what? Whatever you can stomach. For me? I'll stick with a power outage. :) Doesn't seem so bad.

Hairband, Hairband, I MISS YOU!

I tell ya what! I'm a serious creature of habit and when I do something out of the ordinary, its all over.

So, I jumped in the shower this morning and scrubbed as quickly as I could. Marc told me that we'd need to scrape our windshields this morning and being formerly spoiled by parking in an EMPTY garage, it hadn't occurred to me. So, I was worried I would be late.

In my haste to get ready this morning I neglected to put a hairband on my wrist. There is ALWAYS a hairband on my wrist, except when I am in the shower and, of course, when it is in use.

I ran out of the house to find that my sweetie had scraped my car for me. Thanks again, honey. I hopped in my car and headed off to work. There was a traffic jam at one of my regular intersections, which took out any possibility of Starbucks this morning. Boo! I got to work right on time, sat down at my desk, went to put my hair up and found no hairband. :( My only hope is Rachel. She might have a spare. Isn't it funny how little things like that can make you sad? Of course, if it is just me, it didn't bother me at all. :)

Tonight is the beginning of American Idol. I love the opening shows. They are so funny. I used to watch all of the episodes, but I've gotten bored over the last three or four season and watch if I'm around. We have a DVR now so, I might catch them all. We'll see.

Speaking of DVR, WOW! See, this is why I never wanted to get it. I'm afraid I'm going to turn into a couch potato. My friends tell me that it will actually make me more active because I won't worry about missing a show. Folks, I don't worry about that. Well, okay, I guess I have to watch 'Desperate Housewives' every week. Don't ask me why! I watch almost everything on Bravo, but they repeat episodes 900 times and I eventually get caught up. I love their Saturday marathons! If only I could sit on my butt one Saturday and just watch Bravo reruns all day long and eat. WOW! THAT is like vacation to me.

Before I go, I have to suggest that you try Dove's Invigorating body wash. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this stuff. I actually use the bars. I was passing by and smelled something soooo good. I had to immediately sniff it out and buy it. This stuff smells so wonderful. I think it is lemongrass and grapefruit. YUMMY! I smell it all day. I'm hooked!

Oh and I had to give into the zits! I purchased Proactiv for the first time over the holiday. It kicked my face at first, but once I got the frequency down, I quite like it. Yay! The blackheads and gunk are going away! Hip! Hip! Hooray!

Have a Sa-Weet Tuesday!

Happy Happy Birthday, Baby!

Little Natey Nate! You are one! I cannot believe it! You are the sweetest little pumpkin boy ever! You are my heaven! We love you and are so happy you picked us!

We had a little b-day party for the Natester this weekend. It was a wonderful weekend. The fam came up to celebrate and a few close friends in the area. Thank you everyone for coming to show your love for Nate! :)

I have pics to post from the party, but, of course, they will have to wait. :) I actually can get to our computer at home. I just never want to sit in front of one when I'm there. Hmm...wonder why? :)

I have to make a note of a few things:

-During the party, we noticed that Sydney and her friend, Trinity, had gotten awfully quiet upstairs. This, of course, is never a good sign. So, Marc went to check on them and found the bedroom door closed. When he opened it, he found two NAKED little girls running around the room playing "booty shots" with Syd's doctor kit. Oh my. These two girls have been together at school for the last two and half years and they are the epitome of BFFs. They hug each other furiously every Monday and talk about each other constantly. Turns out they have something new in common, they both reject clothing! :)

-This morning Syd informed me that Nathan won. Hmm? She explained that "when you are one, you are WON" and "Yay! Nathan! Good job!" Um-okay. :)

Happy Monday! Wow! Already? I've got to run to get the week started. Have a great day!

The Bright Side

It is no secret that I dislike the new digs. TEMPORARY digs. So, this morning I decided that I needed to start looking on the bright side and not judge the place so harshly. Here is a BRIEF list of pros to the place:

The poo bag/garbage bin is right across the street. Very convenient.

No one can see me running around naked in the morning when I'm upstairs. Yay blinds!

The kitchen sitting area was so small we had to relocate the tv...to our room. Hmm...it was awfully nice watching Desperate on Sunday in bed.

The light in our room may be a dining room fixture (Can we say ghetto?), BUT it is very bright! :) Sure makes getting up easier.

The cabinets in the kitchen are plentiful. If I were unpacking everything, I think I'd have room for all and then some.

I like having two linen closets (one in the hall and one in my room), even if they are half shelves.

Sydney's room is much bigger than her old room so she actually has room to play in it.

The steeper stairs are giving my legs a workout. Who needs a stair stepper?!

The water gets hotter than at the old house. LOVE THAT!

The ceilings are high.

The coat closet door doesn't stick. My old one stuck.

Hmm..okay. That is about it right now. Once we get more organized, I'll be able to name a few more things. I'm sure of it!

Hope you are having a great day! Happy Friday!

Gettin' Back In

I'm having a hard time, as you know, getting back into the swing of things. Especially when Sydney professes to me the other night that she dislikes her new room and wants her OLD room back. IKES! I certainly can understand that one! :)

I slept all night last night for the first time since we've moved. In fact, I slept right through my alarm or maybe I didn't set it. Thankfully, Marc took charge and sent me on my way so that I wouldn't be late. Thanks, babe! This was especially important since I ended up leaving early yesterday to take Mr. Nathan to the doctor.

Yep, double ear infections...AGAIN! Poor little guy will be just like his sister in that they both will have ear infections on their b-days. Nate is better off since his was discovered a few days before instead of the actual day. Keepin' my fingers crossed that the antibiotics work quickly. He's a pretty sad little guy right now. :(

The stovetop should be fixed today. I'm keeping my fingers crossed on that one too. After that, we should be back to "normal." It has been quite unusual this week being without a stovetop and microwave. I didn't think I used the microwave that much, but I do. It is more of a pain to reheat things, especially without a stovetop. :) Luckily I got an electric skillet for Christmas last year and it has come in handy, more than usual.

Well, I'm off to find something to eat. Again, I'm starving. I'm not sure what is going on lately, but I just want to eat eat eat. :) It is probably because I was actually fairly physical and am burning calories. :) Oh, I wish I had a few glazed doughnuts right now. MMMM!

Happy day!
Jess

A New Day

So, as of 4:30pm yesterday afternoon, we are no longer homeowners. I was expecting to only sign the Hud and a Deed. I surprised we were there for a half hour and a half hour is a long time to sit at a table trying not to cry. It is only temporary. I have to keep reminding myself of that right now. We are fortunate our home sold so quickly and I need to start moving forward. There really is no sense in being so sad when really nothing sad has happened. It is just the turning of a page.

I had a fitful sleep last night. I'm still getting used to the new noises of the transition house and Nate was a bit fussy last night. Oh and Madison decided at 3am that she needed a potty break. She NEVER did that at the old house. I think she's just doing rounds for now.

The faucet in the kitchen is finally fixed, after six hours of work. What an expensive fix for the homeowner! That guy charged $875! He did an awful lot of work. I'm convinced this homeowner could care less about the property from what I've seen. Thankfully it all happened in the early days so that we won't be blamed for it.

On to happier subjects! Nathan is turning 1 on Sunday. I cannot believe it! Time really flies. I know I say that all the time. We are going to have a little b-day party for him on Saturday. Since we just moved, we will just have pizza or I might pick up sandwich trays. Please! That would be sufficient even if we hadn't just moved. :) Marc laughs that we will have plenty of seating with the boxes scattered about. What more could you ask for?

Well, I'm off to check my email. It is raining and grey here, BUT I picked up Starbucks this morning. Starbucks can remedy almost any glum mood! :)

Thank You, Agent!

Thank you to the Buyer's Agent. You heard how upset I was over the prospect of me giving up the mirror my mother gave me and offered to buy a new mirror for your "a-hole" clients. That was so very sweet of you and I appreciate it more than you know. You agreed that their request was heartless and ridiculous. Thank you for going out of your way for strangers and admitting that the Buyers are jerks.

Lower Than Low-WARNING NOT A HAPPY POST!

So, we moved this past week. What a job! It was extremely emotional and I wish I could say I was happy about the whole thing, but today, I'm not. That home was the home we started our family in, the home where my puppy lived out his last days and our first home together. So, I'm sad.

On top of being sad, I'm mad. I'm mad that I have to go somewhere new that isn't painted the way I want. I am ticked I have to give up my custom closets, order fixtures and plates, flower beds, compost and extra fridge. I don't care if I can recreate all of it later, I want it back! I want all of it back! To top it off, the bastards are making me bring my picture mirror back to settlement. My mother gave it to me and they don't even care! Have you no heart?! Seriously. I am a person of law and order and whatever, but I wasn't a bitch to you! I cleaned that house from top to bottom when the contract said "broom swept!" It is called common decency you piece of crap! I would be happy to replace the mirror with something comparable, but that isn't good enough, a $100 you say? NOT TODAY! Why? I've been nickeled and dimed to death over this move between the deposits and repairmen and whatever, I'm done!

All of this is supposed to work out for the greater good. Finally a chance to score a single family home for us! That is the goal and we are halfway there. Right?

I'm supposed to be happy, but I'm not. I'm sentimental and I'm not taking this move well. NOT. AT. ALL!

New Homeowners-we had a wonderful almost five years in that home. I hope it sucks for you! I hope every time you look into that mirror, you see what heartless and cruel people you are! I also hope everything in that house breaks! JERKS! Reap what you sow!