Just a quick one

I have been horrible at this blog... started off I would update it weekly, then every other week and now I think I'll aim for monthly. That I should be able to do, right? ( don't answer that). So here is just a quick update before the big Christmas rush starts- only 13 more days.

The tree is finally up and all decorated!!! Boy do we have a lot of ornaments- we didn't even put up about half, mainly because we have a lot of glass, fragile ornaments and a pair of very tiny hands that like to take them off (Izzy!).

So what's been up with us?
Thanksgiving was spent at my parents house. Two of my sisters were there (missed ya' Haskin Family!). Got to see baby Harrison- boy has he gotten big- so stinkin' cute though! Alexa is wonderful too and H, O and I loved playing with her. Of course I ate way too much- my mom and sisters are awesome cooks and there is always lots of yummy treats at my moms.

Charlie- we know he passed 2 out of the 4 Praxis I sections- still awaiting to hear about the other parts. He is on the sub list and just waiting while he does a few hours a week web editing.

Children- are staying relatively healthy- few sniffles here and there. Hannah is an angel (again) in the church Christmas pageant and Owen will be a lamb. Slightly longer practices are keeping us busy on Thursdays. Owen has gymnastics still on Wednesdays. Today we went to see a really cool puppet show in Portland. It was all black light and they performed 3 of Erica Carle's stories (Little Cloud, Mixed up Chameleon and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. They loved it!.

We are gearing up for some classroom Christmas parties and a work one for me. So will share more later! Hope this finds you all well and having a great Holiday Season

Few updates

I updated my Favorite music and added to my book club reads. Just an FYI.

Been awhile

Sorry it has been awhile since my last post- how can one be busy and not that productive? I feel like I have had no time- yet I do not have much to show for it. I'll catch you up on the last month (!) since my last post.

Apple picking and photos
We had a great time apple picking and were able to get some awesome photos (look for them on our Christmas card). A friends daughter took them and she is a great photographer (you can see her work and some of our photos, although not sure this years are up yet, here Carrie Marine Photographics ). The weather was very cool but sunny so we flew our kite as well. Afterwards we purchased some baked goods from the great bakery and headed home. We have enjoyed eating the fruits of our labor (ok it was fairly easy picking) with Charlie's apple crisp and pies.

Halloween
We had a wonderful time as usual at my friend's Trick or Trunk party (now that girl is busy and productive- luv ya Heather!). Hannah was Minnie Mouse, Owen was a tiger (handmade by my Mom for a cousin a few years ago) and Izzy was Eeyore (now all 3 children have been my beloved Eeyore). The idea is for toys, crafts, games and "healthier" treats, instead of loads of candy. The night before this, Charlie and I went to another friend's house for a Halloween party. They had their house completely decked out- it was really neat. Plus hanging out with friends (especially our friends!) and playing games is always a fun evening in my book.

On Halloween Eve, Hannah and Owen, had their church choir Halloween party- Hannah as Minnie again, Owen as a red Power Ranger this time and Izzy still Eeyore. Halloween day was party time at school- Hannah went as Jasmine and Owen as a Pirate (we have a lot of hand me down costumes and dress up clothes in case you could not tell)- they loaded up on candy! Then we did the traditional Trick or Treating (Hannah was Aurora and Owen was the Power Ranger again). We invited a friend of Hannah's from school and her parents over to join us and we had a great time and they got even more candy. I sorted through it all -leaving them about 15 pieces each (and a few for Charlie and I) and brought the rest into work (I seriously think I brought in 4 pounds of candy!). They had more taken away when they were caught sneaking it (brought a much smaller load into work) and only have about 3 pieces each left. Glad that is all over for another year.

Hannah
Hannah had a cold with a cough that lasted about 2 weeks, now just a stuffy nose. Hannah is doing extremely well at school- her reading ability is amazing and her teachers adore her (wonder where she gets that from?). I think she is bored on occasion- but overall likes school. She is even starting to enjoy PE- a class she used to say "I don't like PE, but I try my best". She is still singing in the church choir, but no longer taking gymnastics- she dropped out and we will wait another year before signing her up for anything again.

Owen
No croup episodes and he has actually been fairly healthy this month- a slight runny nose is all (probably just jinxed us). He's doing well in school as well. We are having his speech evaluated for his mild lisp and trouble with some letters- although they all tell me he is fine and it's normal at his age- I just want to be sure. His writing is going really well- he can write out the whole alphabet and numbers 1-5 with very little help. He is even starting to spell a few words and recognize/read some. He is singing in choir and took over Hannah's gymnastics. He will probably continue it and still do the Tumblebus at school too.

Izzy
Favorite new thing to do is climb. Everything is an opportunity to climb- beds, couches, chairs, boxes- you name it- she'll try to get to the top of it. She has taken a few tumbles and is presently sporting a nice bruise above her right eye from going over backwards in her rocking chair (someday she will learn to sit and not stand on it). She is getting over a horrible staph infection on her bum- which caused a nasty red, bumpy, itchy rash. It's resolving thanks to oral and topical medications-but talk about a guilty mom moment as we tried to treat it like any diaper rash for a week before going to the doctors. She is not saying as much as Hannah did at this age, but she is smart and knows exactly what you are talking about. She wants to be very independent and do everything her self- so we are experiencing a few tantrums. She is still at home until Charlie gets some steady full time work.
Charlie
Has a part time job!!! He is working from home doing web editing for travel site. It takes all the hotel's special packages, breaks them down and tells you if it is truly a deal or not. He's happy to have a job- but is still pursuing teaching. He has been fingerprinted and can now get on the sub list. He takes his Praxis I in December. I still am in shock that he wants to teach junior high math! He is singing still as well and just keeping this household stable.

Me
I'm hanging in there. On the work front I'm doing about 1 extra shift a month- so not too bad. We are looking for a part time doctor to help us out- we will definitely need help once spring rolls around next year and we start our "busier" time of the year with tourists and summer folk. The slower pace has helped me catch up on all my administrative tasks though- I only have doctor evaluations to do now, but those entail developing a whole new evaluation process, so will take some time.

Went through some old toys and had a toy swap with some moms from the MOMS group- scored a pop up tent for the kids to play with in the house, a soft sorting toy for Izzy and some new books. I'm all set (except for a few small stocking stuffer things) for Christmas. Yep that's right I have all my shopping done (it helps that older nieces and nephews just get money and gift cards and I'm going in with my sisters for my parents and younger nieces and nephews). I'm working on some homemade gifts for teachers and friends- so those still need to be done. Still have to order the Christmas cards too- my goal is to actually get them out on time this year!

Joined a Biggest Loser competition on my scrappy message board. I'm not huge and I am ok with how I look right now- but in all honesty I could lose about 25#. So I'm watching what I eat (difficult to do this time of year, plus all the goodies that get brought into work), starting to exercise again (hope to get running again soon- taking it slow and just walking on the treadmill for now) and will start the free weights again too. Plus for some fun we did get a Fit for our Wii.

I guess that is everything- we'll see how I do with updating now that the Holiday season is upon us- don't hold your breath!

Fall is here!

Well it has been cool for a few weeks now. Only the occasional day that is 70+ degrees. Definitely long sleeve and fleece jacket weather. Leaves are looking beautiful and believe it or not some trees are bare already! We are heading to Rocky Ridge Orchards this Friday for some fall photos and apple picking. My children go through apples like water! Not unusual for Hannah to have 2/day- Izzy loves to munch on a whole apple and Owen- my fruit and veggie hater will even eat one daily.

What else have we been up to in the past week and half since I last posted? We went to the Brunswick Fire station for an open house on the 8th. Got to climb around a fire engine and slide down the pole, plus got some plastic fire helmets. Owen won a stuffed dog in a raffle- we were gunning for the ride to school in a fire engine- no such luck! Owen and I also go a tour of the Topsham Fire station today with our MOMS club. We have had a productive Fire Safety Month.

Got word this past weekend that the doctor who had left on emergency family leave is not returning to Maine- so we are on the search (again!) for a new doctor. So I will have a few extra shifts- but not many- we are trying to conserve hours as even the veterinary business is feeling the lows of this wonderful economy we are in right now. I'm ok with less extra shifts time wise but the extra cash was nice. Charlie has been studying for his teachers certificate, doing some free lance stuff and applying for jobs.

We are super busy in the next few weeks with Halloween parties- but will post more and some new photos soon.

O-Dog is 4!!!!

That's correct Owen, O-Dog, O-Dizzle is 4 years old. The big day was Wednesday October 1st, but he had some friends over to celebrate today. Since he really likes Spiderman we had that as a theme. We played pin the spider on the web, played with some silly string/webbing and ate cupcakes adorned with spider rings. He recieved some great presents and I think everyone had a great time. The silly sting was O's favorite part!

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and there are many ways to get involved. I am once again participating in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk here in Maine. The purpose of this walk is to promote awareness and early detection of breast cancer while raising funds for breast cancer research, education, advocacy and patient support programs. In 2007 over 3,500 Maine residents participated, raising more than $475,000! A wonderful client of mine is a survivor and runs the walk in Damariscotta, Maine. So even though there is a walk in my town of Brunswick- we head up to Damariscotta (about 20minutes away) to walk in her 3 mile walk. If you would like to support me in this walk please go to my homepage http://main.acsevents.org/site/TRC/MakingStridesAgainstBreastCancer/MSABCFY09NewEngland?pg=peditor&fr_id=11715&px=1551356 to make a donation. Wishes and prayers for nice weather are also appreciated.

My friend Jennifer over at ListPlanIt.com has a couple of items specific for this month of Breast Cancer awareness. One is a Brest self exam worksheet and another is a Buddy Check Contract so you and a friend or family member can be accountable to each other for monthly exams.

Melissa Frances (www.melissafrances.com), a breast cancer survivor herself, is hosting an Altered Bra contest this month in honor of National Breast Cancer Month. The details are at her site.

PageMaps is hosting a "Pink Sketch Challenge" on the PM Blog starting October 9th, with an awesome pink prize package up for grabs.

Please remember that early detection is the best defense against breast cancer

Way too busy

Well as you can see I have been way too busy to be on here updating. Wow I can't believe I slacked off for 20 days- bad Erica! Well I haven't actually been slacking, the blog was just not priority one. So, sorry to keep you out of the loop for so long- now to catch you all up.

So Hannah is into her 4 the week of school and it is going well- she has the routine down and we are getting into it as well. She is also doing gymnastics with 2 classmates and church choir. I have a parent/teacher conference tomorrow (that kind of makes me feel old) and Hannah has school photos on Friday. She has weekly show and tell with the letter of the week, as well as computer, art, PE and a trip to the library once a week (oh yeah and mas every Friday morning). One Friday a month we can join her for a spaghetti lunch which is nice.

Owen has started his preschool program and is doing very well with writing his letters and numbers and is learning some site words already too! He will soon start Gymbus (a converted bus that goes to the school so the kids can do some gymnastics- it has rings, trampoline and matts) and he also has been singing in the church choir!

Charlie, Hannah and Owen enjoyed the last Brunswick Naval Airbase Air Show the first weekends in September. We visited my sister the second weekend and saw the cutie Harrison. He's a bit gassy (and stinky) but adorable. It was a bit crazy to see Izzy and Alexa together. Alexa is 1yr and 1 month older than Izzy yet only about 1/2 inch taller and if I'm correct weighs less. Alexa would sit on the ride on car and Izzy would push her!

I have been working a lot. The doctor that left for a family emergency is not returning anytime soon (if at all), so I have been needed to do many extra shifts. I have been doing 4-5 hour days (with most of those days being 11 hour days by the time everything work related is done). The little bit of extra cash is handy since Charlie's last day was this past Monday, but it is very tiring and stressful. I have managed to schedule a small 4 day mid week vacation at the end of October.

We have also been sick- started with Izzy last week- congested- she was diagnosed with bronchitis and is on antibiotics and doing much better. Hannah picked it up mid week and I did too one day later. We are all improved with just the runny noses lingering. Amazingly Owen has not caught it yet- maybe our croup days are over (knock on wood).

We are in the midst of planning Owen's birthday. We had a small shindig at my sister's house complete with cake and gifts (too many gifts- Grandy!). We will have cake on his actual day and give him a few presents from us and then the Saturday after his "real" birthday he is having some classmates over for a Spiderman party. We will play pin the spider on the web and I'm going to make targets for them to spray silly string at. Wish us nice weather!

Well that is about it- I know it doesn't sound like a lot, but believe me we have been straight out.

First week of school

Hard to believe my oldest is ready to start kindergarten, but she is and she did! She was so excited too- up early and pestering me for 1/2 hour that it was "time to go", didn't want "to be late", "is it time to go yet?". "when can we go?". I'm glad she is so excited for school- I think she may get that from me- I have been called a "gunner" by some (who shall remain nameless). Hannah is extremely smart and that is not just proud Momma talk- she really is. She can read very well, can spell many words, can add and subtract and is working on multiplication. She also has an amazing memory (like I used to- 3 babies later has really taken it's toll). So off we went with her in her uniform (she is so stinkin' cute!) and her Hello Kitty backpack with Barbie lunch box (she's my girly girl don't forget). She walked right into her class and then told me I could leave- "you can go" she said and waved me away. I was proud of myself- no tears! Ok well a bit teary eyed but no active crying. I had work to get to so couldn't be a blubbering mess.

Owen is actually doing well at preschool without Hannah. He also gets to stay home with Izzy and me on Wednesdays and besides constantly asking when we were picking Hannah up, I think he is enjoying some alone time. We are working on writing his letters and his speech. Also gearing up for his 4th birthday party- Spiderman of course!

Izzy is walking more- but still prefers a hand or something to hold on to. Although she has no problems crawling up the stairs- boy is she fast and she figured out the gate too ( I think I have another trouble maker on my hands). Thankfully she knows to go down on her belly feet first. She is starting to talk more as well and has a great sense of humor- she cracks us up. She loves to play hide and seek and chase and loves any attention form her sister and brother.

With the school year, comes all the other activities as well. Hannah will be signing in the church choir again this year and is excited to do so. We will see if Owen wants to join or not. Charlie will be starting back up again as well- he took last year off to help me with the children- so this Sunday will be interesting to see me arriving/juggling them at church. My guess is I'll be spending a lot of time in the nursery getting Izzy adjusted. Hannah did not want to do soccer this year- so maybe ice skating this winter and T- ball in the spring? I'm content with only 1 extra-curricular activity thus far.

Another busy month. I have 3 extra shifts this month and then hopefully the other doctor will be back. We have the Air Show this weekend- the last one here as the base is closing. The planes and jets have been practicing all week- causing Charlie to rush outside every time he hears one go by (I like to laugh at him). I work this weekend so I'm hoping the air show keeps everyone busy and I can get some administrative stuff done. Then next weekend we travel to NH to visit my family and see our new nephew- Harrison, another cutie. I also have a continuing education meeting later this month- so every weekend is booked with work or activities. I'll get some fun though too- a book club meeting and a night of Bunco with some great groups of friends.

I think that covers everything for now. Hope you all are well and catch ya later!

Almost forgot...

Can't forget to mention that this past Saturday August 23rd (you know the one where we stayed home because we all were, or had been, sick) was our 11th wedding anniversary!!! We have known each other for 17 years! We met the very first week of our first year of college- pretty sweet huh? 11 Years sounds like a long time- but it sure doesn't feel that way! I can still remember our wedding day- it was a nice sunny day, DJ my nephew and ring bearer was adorable, my flowers were beautiful as was my dress,I got a bit teary prior to walking down the aisle, Charlie looked super handsome, we had a great time dancing, and were surrounded by loving friends and family. I would do it all again in a heartbeat. I probably don't tell him often enough- but I REALLY LOVE THIS GUY!

Last Week of August

Ok I'm still in shock that August is almost over- I need to get over it! To catch you all up from last post- I added a few new photos to my slide show- so make sure you take a gander at it. There are 2 new photos of me! Gasp- I know I hate photos of me- do I really look that bad? - it has to be the camera, right?

Love this photo of Owen "reading" and thought my layout of it was appropraite for school starting.

StoryLand was a blast- although busier than when we went last year. My advice to anyone going is to go after Labor Day. It is open on the weekends only after Labor Day from 9-5. The lines weren't horrible this time- but were longer than last year. We packed a picnic lunch and just splurged on cotton candy and some lemonades. We didn't hit all the rides but made sure to hit the favorites. For Hannah that is the flume ride and the roller coaster (she takes after me with thrill rides) and for Owen it was the train and the drive your own cars (tractors really). We saw one of the shows which was a "circus". Not a real circus as some of you know I am against animal circuses due to their animal cruelty- ok I'm off my soapbox now. Anyways they had 2 quick change artists- I have no idea how they change their outfits so darn fast- it was pretty amazing. A women who could handle 25 hula hoops (I can't even do 1), a "clown" on a trampoline, some trained cats- no inhumane training here, and a daredevil in a wheel on a revolving arm. We spent about 6 hours there and then headed on home- stopping at McDonalds for dinner (it was not the most nutritious day).

Saturday we did not make it to our friends party, which was a bit depressing, but the cold that had hit Hannah, Izzy and Charlie, finally hit Owen and I. And poor Owen gets croup with every head cold. So we bowed out instead of infecting everyone. We still had some fun around the house and the kids even swam in their kiddie pool.

Monday after work I took Hannah to an ice cream social at Hannah's school. She seemed to have a good time and I'm very happy to see that she knows a lot of other children. There will be 3 other kids from her daycare in her class- as well as a girl on our street, plus she knows 2 in the PreK program, 2 in 1st grade, 1 in 2nd and 1 in 3rd. She should be all set- now it's just me I have to worry about. I promise not to cry on her first day until after I have dropped her off. Her last day at BB is tomorrow and kindergarten starts Tuesday!

I'm more worried about Owen. He will be going to BB by himself this year. He is so used
having Hannah there with him. Even though they were in different classes they saw each other a lot and were able to play outside together. Izzy was going to go- but now that Charlie will be out of work for a bit (hopefully not too long), she will stay home. Owen will be participating in the preschool program which is why we will still send him.

Izzy is doing well- although still not walking more than 3 steps on her own without holding onto something and only says about 5 words. I'm really not comparing - oh ok I am a bit, it's super hard not to compare siblings- but I'm trying not to stress about it. She can still get into tons of mischief- especially with stairs, the bathroom and the dog bowls (thankfully we have wonderful dogs and cats that put up with her torture).

My extra night hours are over- I did pretty well and made a bit if extra cash for us. We had one of our doctors leave unexpectedly for family matters- not sure when (or if) she will be back- so I get to do a few extra days as well. Will be doing 3- which means I will be doing 4 days a week and one 5 day week. May get some in October too- we'll see. We are still planning on purchasing a new (larger) car (most likely minivan)- just don;t know when. Also still planning a Disney trip for October 2009 (yes I will be taking the kids out of school for a bit- they are only young once).

I think this is enough to bore you all with now- take care!

Where did the summer go?

Ok I'm in a bit of shock to realize that summer is almost over! What happened and where did it go? It does not help that I think we have had only 1-2 days of 80+ degree weather thus far in August. Last night was down right cool and you could almost smell fall! We actually needed our comforters. I guess we can take the AC unit out- huh?

Today is August 20th and while technically there is still another whole month until summer is truly over- we all recognize back to school as the end of summer. For us back to school is Sept 2nd. Hannah will be starting kindergarten and Owen will officially be in preschool. Hannah was supposed to start Thursday the 28th but they are doing work on the heating system and won't be finished until after Labor Day- so her first day got pushed back. So we get an extra few days of summer. I did organize their closets and they look all set with clothing for this fall- it helps that Hannah has a uniform.

This past week has been the same old same old- work, school, couple of play-dates. Had a doctor's meeting today and got the bills paid. Friday we are heading to StoryLand (http://www.storylandnh.com/index-flash.html) for a fun filled day of rides and fun. Guess this means I should scrap the photos from last years outing to StoryLand. Saturday is a multifamily party at our friends house- no camping out this time- but lots of fun, games, food and swimming. (Let's hope it warms up here quickly!)

Hannah had a bit of a head cold over the weekend, that we though was allergies- but seeing as Izzy has it now- I guess it was a cold. As long as O-dog doesn't get it- as his usually lead to croup. Izzy is also getting her lower 1st molars- boy she is not a good teether. She has still yet to take more than 2 steps on her own without holding onto something- but she can make it all around and get into some serious messes (mainly the dog's water bowl and the recycling).

Charlie has work until September 21st- we'll see if he gets another extension or not. Also waiting to hear from a few other places he has applied. I will be doing 4 days a week with every third Saturday as one of our doctors had to take some unexpected leave for family matters.

Still awaiting the birth of my new nephew (Baby Owen as my Owen as designated). Have plans to visit them in September to get my baby fill and hopefully not feel the need to have another myself.

That is all from here for now- hope you all are enjoying the end of your summer and are all done with back to school shopping. Catch ya later!

Oops I did it again!!!!

Maybe it's not a good thing to quote Brittany Spears what with her track record recently- but I let more than 2 weeks go by again!! Good thing I can't be fired from my own blog- or can I? Hmm. Ok I don't even know where to begin- hopefully I do not leave anything, or anyone, out as I catch you all up on the last few weeks.

Some good news- Charlie has received yet another extension for work and is now employed until September 21st. I'm happy with extensions but I hate the indecision. Plus it pushes the 6 months back to March. I have been doing ok with the extra shifts and may continue to do some in September- we'll see, I need to keep the appointments full to be able to do them. I also miss my "me" time- selfish I know, but I do like time to do things sans kids, or just veg out and relax.

My sister's new puppy- Luke- is adorable and we all survived fostering him the 3 nights he was with us. Our youngest dog (Lily) is 5 years old, so it was a bit tough dealing with house breaking again, but we just needed a routine. He got along great with the big dogs- except for Benjamin who was feeling a little put out. And he LOVED Izzy. I think he thought she was one of his littermates- he followed her all around and loved to tackle her. It was pretty funny to watch. Hannah and Owen were sad to see him go- but we'll get to play with Luke whenever we go to Grampy and Grandy's house.

We have been gearing up for Hannah to start kindergarten in 2 1/2 weeks! She is excited! Thankfully she wears a uniform so clothes shopping is done- now it's just picking up supplies for the room (paper, tissues, glue, ect). There is an ice cream social the Monday before school to drop off supplies and meet people. Plus she goes in the day before to meet classmates and see the class. I will be dropping her off in the morning (get ready for tears- from me!- that first day) and Charlie or a neighbor will pick her up. Owen will still go to Building Blocks but will be in the preschool program (he will attend kindergarten next fall) and until we know what Charlie is doing Izzy will be staying home with him.

There is a ton of milkweed pod plants at the end of our street and we were able to find (with my sister's keen eyes) a monarch butterfly caterpillar. So we are now watcing it eat lots of milkweed leaves and will await it's transformation. Hannah and Owen love to set the butterfly free and watch it fly away. We have had a host of summertime pets this summer- thanks to Owen. Many toads, newts or skinks, slugs, snails, even a tomato horn worm. Thankfully the snakes are too quick, especially sine many times the bug catcher makes it's way into the house! Oh and he loves to take the "pets" out and they sometimes get away!

We are still awaiting the arrival of my sister's new son. Due date is August 28th but she has been saying she's ready to go since July! She is at least moved into the new home (relatively speaking anyways). Talk about stress- she started a new job, moved to a new state and is in her third trimester all in the past few months. Will keep you posted!

Oops I'm Already Behind- July 25th

Ok I'm already behind in my goal of posting once a week- it has been 2 weeks since my last post. Life has just been that crazy and busy. Let's see where to begin.....

I'm doing extra hours (about 3- 5/week) at work to gain a bit of extra cash as Charlie has to take a 6 month leave from his work. Since he is contracted by the company he is supposed to work 18 months and then take 6 months off (something to do with the whole Microsoft contractor hoopla and whether you get benefits or not, if they do it this way they do not have to give you benefits). We have been so fortunate that for the past 5 1/2 years he has been able to work straight through with no 6 month time off period- but alas our luck seems to be running out. His last day was supposed to be July 21st but they extended him a month (until August 21st) and may be extending him another month (see how we got to do 5 years!). For me it's a bit stressful being so up in the air- but I'm happy they keep extending him. He's been looking for other jobs and has an interview today as well- so we shall see. If it turns out we are fine- I'll have extra cash for bills and maybe some scrap goodies!!!!

Hannah had her 5 year check up last week and 3 shots for kindergarten. She is still so excited for kindergarten- I'm still having a hard time believing she is old enough! She will be attending a local parochial school, so at least there will be no fights over what to wear- it's a uniform. She is so smart and can read so well already as well as writing and spelling and addition and subtraction. I'm a bit afraid she will be bored at school- but do not want to have her skip right now. We are hoping she wants to try soccer this fall and she will continue to do choir at church. Owen may join choir this year as well.

Wednesday the 16th, I did a kennel call for Mrs P's at Chesapeake Safe Harbor she rescues Chessie's although she ends up with a bunch of others as well. The website is http://www.chesapeakesafeharbor.com/ . I go about 4 times a year and make sure all the dogs are up to date on vaccines, heartworm tests and are in good general health. Mrs P is an amazing women with a big heart and I'm always amazed at how she handles the dogs. If you don't know anything about them- Chessies are great dogs they can be as wonderful as Labs and Goldens but unfortunately, because of poor breeding the have a bad rep for their attitudes and can be aggressive. She had a mix breed mom with 4 puppies and my sister will be adopting the little boy.

We had a blast at our friends Midsummer Eve Dance Party and Camp Out. Her family invited a few families over for a BBQ that included dancing to an awesome mix of music, silly string fights, bubble blowing, chalk art, making slime, hula hooping, milkshakes and then camping out for the evening. It was our first time camping out with the kids and they did great. Of course now they want to do it some more! It was just an awesome, laid back time with the kids being kids- perfect.

Sunday we got together with a college buddy and his family. Just chatting and catching up. It's funny how we have changed a bit now that we have families of our own. We will be seeing them for lunch tomorrow as well before they head back to NY.

Monday we had another BBQ, this time at our house with our best friends from Virginia. They used to live across the street from us, but moved to VA in November. We miss them a bunch but it has been great seeing them the last few weeks. This was to be their last night before heading back home and we were able to get them addicted to the Wii. I see them getting one very soon. I unfortunately had to cut the night short because I was going to see Big Papi/David Ortiz play with the SeaDogs- our local double A baseball team for the Boston Red Sox. I have never seen that stadium so full and loud! Papi hit for 6 innings- and was 3 for 4. I got some pictures and had a great time, even got to enjoy a SeaDog Biscuit (an ice cream sandwich).

Wednesday we had a playdate with some friends from daycare- some we don't see much anymore as they are no longer in daycare with us, so it was fun to see them again. The kids played in the kiddie pool and sprinkler, played in the yard and had a great time. We host the playdate next week- I'm hoping for good weather. Then I had a lobster dinner with some girl friends. We had lobsters and steamers and an amazing pie, plus tons of laughs! They are crazy and I'm so happy they have included me in their circle- they are an amazing group of ladies and are so fun to be around.

Alright I think I have caught you all up to my life now. I have a long weekend this weekend- it is also the only weekend from now until school starts for Hannah on the 28th that is completely free of a commitment. So I'll try to stay updated but we are looking busy!

TGIF July 11th

Time to catch up on the home front. It seems we have been so busy I have not been able to catch up on things in my life. The last few weekends and days off have been jammed back with things to do- mostly all fun- but for an OCD, control freak like myself I need time to organize and ensure nothing is forgotten.

Had to work Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Wednesday we had a blast at our friend Heather's house. One of our favorite and best friends is visiting from Virginia with her girls and we all got together at Heather's house for some beach fun, frolicking in the river, picnicking on the beach and having a great time. Hannah and Owen were beat afterwards- although no naps were had on the ride home.

Izzy had her 1 yr check up yesterday- she is 24# 12oz and 29inches long (all in the 51%). She was pretty cranky last night after her 3 shots, even with Tylenol on board. Poor little girl. Seems better today- but not much sleep for me yet again (maybe 4 hours?)

Today I am paying bills, doing laundry, got my haircut (just a trim), printed out the school supply list for Hannah's kindergarten class, organizing the school paperwork for her doctor's appointment on Tuesday, writing the thank yous for Izzy's birthday presents, sending off e-vites for the MOMS club bowling event later this month, and then off to my in-laws for yet another birthday party for Izzy.

This weekend I'm planning on posting some old clothes and toys on Ebay and scrapping some. Also need to pick up some spools of thread for H and O's art class on Monday (Art with our friend Heather- she is so creative and fun. She planned 3 mini art classes for the kids of her friends for the Mondays in July). See why I'm afraid things may get lost in all the shuffle- there is so much to do!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Fourth of July Fun

Hope everyone had a wonderful Fourth of July. We were at my parents house in NH from July 3rd- 6th and had a great time. We were able to cram in tons of things this trip. Took Hannah and Owen to see the new Disney movie WallE, which was pretty good, although the message went over both of their heads. Went to Build A Bear where they were able to use their gift certificates from Christmas- Owen got a triceratops that he picked out the roar voice box and dressed in a Spiderman costume (he is all about superheros recently, my Mom bought the batman costume for his birthday- shh) and Hannah got the pink Cheetah and dressed her all in pink and added a blonde wig (she is soooo girly!) Their cousins Alexa (2) and Sydnie (10) joined us and picked out a cute rabbit and the Boston Red Sox mascot the green monstah, Wally, respectively (go SOX!!!) We were also able to run to Harrison's for some roast beef sandwiches which I got with extra sauce- love those sandwiches. Charlie went and picked up some fireworks which we set off on Saturday for the kids- just small ones and sparklers (the real hit). Sunday my family hosted a big family brunch for all available cousins, aunts and uncles- it was an informal gathering for all the June and July birthdays (too many). So, lots of yummy food and catching up with family I only see about twice a year. The children feel asleep on the way home (and so did I- sleeping with Izzy during the weekend did not allow for a lot of sleep) to Maine. Thankfully we were going into Maine and missed all the wonderful traffic heading out.

Hope you all had a fun filled Fourth. Please keep in mind all the soldiers fighting for our freedom!

This past weekend and Izzy's Birthday

What a blast we had this past weekend. I was on vaca this past week and did mostly boring organizing and purging stuff, ended the week with the yummy Strawberry Festival in town. Saturday we went to a friend's (Jen - she has been my BFF since high school- we met at the orientation and have been friends since- 21 years now!) lake house on Panther Pond (near Sebago). The weather wasn't great, but we had a blast! Played a bit inside, had lunch, went out on the boat (Izzy not liking the boat so much) and despite the 62-65 degree weather the kids, (with Charlie and Jen- Vaughn and I were the sane ones just watching) went swimming! You can not keep my children from being in the water. We picked up fast food on the way home and had a picnic in front of a movie before crashing for the night.

Monday June 30th was Izzy's first birthday!!! Hard to believe a year has gone by already. She is so stinkin' cute and has really completed our family. Owen adores her and Hannah is such a big help- especially reading to her. We had a small our family only party for her that day with cupcakes- but Izzy was not all that interested (Owen would have gladly helped her eat hers). We will have a larger extended family and friends party this weekend at my parents house. Will update after that.

Vacation?

I'm going to start including a layout with some of my posts. This is one of my all time favorite scrap layouts. The picture was taken by a friends daughter who does photography (Carriemarine.com) and it's the best photo in the world. This layout is super simple- but I really wanted the focus to be the amazing photo.

Ok now on with the update- I was on vacation this week. Besides some long (3 day weekends), a 4 day weekend on Memorial Day and a 5 day weekend in March- this was the first vacation I have taken since being back from maternity leave in September! 10 months is a long time to go with more than just 2 days off in a row, but we have been down a doctor since the first week in February- finally filling that spot the first week in June. She is working out great and just in time, as we start to get busy in the summer with all the tourists and summer folk. I was getting pretty tired of doing extra shifts.

So how did I spend my week off from work? Cleaning, organizing and purging stuff. We have decided that our family is complete, so it was time to organize our storage areas- a bittersweet project. I needed to get all the boy stuff together for my sister who is due in August. I gave some girl stuff to a neighbor who is due in September and a co-worker who has a 13 week old. The rest, along with the maternity clothes I no longer need, I'm going to sell on Ebay and hopefully make some spending cash. Also went through some scrapbooking stuff to sell at the local scrapbooking store's yard sale (to get credit to buy new stuff :)- I'm a bit addicted).

The week was actually very nice weather wise- in the high 70s and 80s with a few T-storms in the early part of the week. Besides cleaning this week Charlie's parents moved into their new house in Topsham (the town next to ours), there was my Dad's 68th birthday on Monday- so he got a singing phone call (I'm sure it was off key), the dogs had baths, I had my book club (read "Love the One You're With" by Emily Geffen- quick chic-lit read), and today was the church's Strawberry Festival. We went and met some friends for some ice cream and strawberry shortcakes- strawberries are one fruit Owen will eat and he had many! I think we are going to go picking this weekend- if Owen stocks up on fruit during the summer, maybe I won't feel so guilty over the winter. I hope you are all enjoying your summer. I'll write more later.

Why That Title?

A client referred to her house of many animals as "happily chaotic". I loved it and felt like it described our house pretty well too. With 2 full time working parents, 3 young children (all 5 and under), 3 rambunctious dogs (between 30-75 pounds!) 4 attention seeking cats and some fish- we are certainly chaotic. But I wouldn't have it any other way. Although the clutter gets to my OCD at times I love that our house is "lived" in and not one of those sterile environments where you're not sure where to sit for fear of dirtying or wrinkling something. No formal living areas here, even our dining room is more of a laid back room- more of an eat in kitchen feel, with a bench and some small stools for the kids. When we got married we didn't register for (and still do not have) a fancy china pattern. We use some pottery pieces from LL Bean and almost unbreakable Corelle dinnerware. I do let my children jump on the couch and make forts (caves as Owen calls them) with the cushions. We will have picnic lunches and dinners on the rug in front of the TV. We have lived here for 5 1/2 years and still do not have all the painting done or all the window treatments up. And while I would love to live in the Pottery Barn catalog someday- for now this is my life and it is a perfect Happy Chaos.

Here goes nothing

Alrighty- here I go. First post on my blog. I finally jumped on the bandwagon and decided to start a blog. Thought it might help me keep in touch with friends and family better than I have been recently. So bear with me as I learn all the ins and outs of blogging. My goal is to ost once a week- we'll see how well I do.