Rain, rain, go away!

It rained all weekend. IN fact, that's all I remember is rain! It stopped long enough for us to have wine club Saturday but continued to rain through the night and into Sunday.

Maybe I can blame my demotivation on the rain...

To say the least...the bathroom is still unfinished and I am uninspired.

Next weekend we're having a painting party at 2pm and I'd love to be able to get the first coat up on the house!

Sorry second child.

The other night I was looking at photos of Graem and we were so good about capturing each month of her life!

My friend uses slide shows to capture her kid's growth each month and actually emails the link out to friends and family.

It's nice .. pictures, music, and even video!

I'm going to try and make a real effort to document this time because I know too well that it goes by so fast!

What did we do?

We moved back in March and since we've been here they busted up a druggie house down the road and a neighbor's car got stolen!

We're now in the market for good deadbolt locks that we can put on our back door and even our deck door!

Who would have known that you move into little town Ithaca and all hell breaks loose.

Maybe we should have stayed out in the country after alL!

Almost done?

We really don't have that much to do on the bathroom and I'm hoping in the next week or so that we'll be able to finish it up.

The tile work looks pretty good. Shawna gave up on using the little damn spacers and you can kind of tell.

We will probably start painting tonight and they do fixtures and radiant heating tomorrow.

I can't wait for this to be done!

A little PHilly Phun.

THis weekend we went to PHilly to visit Shawna's friends. I was like the dad and took the kids while the girls giggled and drank too much!

It was fun though. We spent most of the time in the pool and it was nice to be away from Ithaca!

The girls are getting so big and they're a lot of fun right now.

Of course, now it's Monday and I'm back at work.

When on when will I have another vacation?!

My poor hands.

Today I worked on the bathroom. It might not look so good now but I'm guessing over the next few days it's really going to come together.

When I'm working I typically use eye protection, and on occassion even get ear protection but today when I was working with all of the chemicals I had to use safety gloves.

Shawna got some of the blown insulation on her skin and for the rest of the day she was picking it off. Not to mention, it's pretty hazardous and some of it will just burn your skin off.

Terrible twos are here.

Emmy has been absolutely horrible lately. She's always been a tough kid. The other night we went to a movie and during the movie she kept standing up in the chair, leaning on the lady next to her.

Finally, Shawna walked out with her. I took over and within minutes she was throwing a major fit in the back of the theatre. It was so bad I got asked if I needed "assistance" by a movie watcher in the middle of the movie.

I finally just gave up and left the movie.

We have a meeting over the next few weeks to discuss strategies for dealing with these behaviors and temper tantrums. It just seems like we've tried everything and nothing at all is working.

A little SEO...

goes a long way.

Our business really is not the type of business that we feel we have to market. In fact, a firm from Chicago recently hired a seo chicago firm to market their website.

Not only does the website look incredible and was the talk of this year's conference but they've gained tons of business from the little marketing that they've done.

Considering we're in the computer age and with the market as depressed as it is you really have to take advantage of things. With that said, it might just pay for us to reach out to a SEO to market our firm.

Back to the grind.

So I'm on vacation. Can you tell? That's right in a few minutes I have to run to work to drop stuff off. Then I have a meeting Wednesday and one Thursday.

So much for the idea of a few uninterruped days off. Maybe when I'm in Canada for the 10 days I'll really be able to get away!

Zzzz...

Last night we were in bed by 9:30pm. We had tucked the kids into their beds and Emmy kept waking up. She finally ended up sleeping on the futon mattress with us.

I've thought about treating my skin better by applying a night face cream.

Since I'm hitting the big 3-5 I know I really need to do certain things so that my skin does not get wrinkles.

I've been trying to eat better and even wearing sun screen more often. I just hope that my past behavior will be forgiven!

Germany -VS- Spain

Watching the game on television now and I think I'm probably going to cheer on Spain here. I think it's going to be a good game and I love the crowds. It looked like a fan just ran to the turf and they're now running im off of the field!

I must admit that going to a World Cup game is on my bucket list.

Maybe they'll have another WC in the US soon.

These children.

Last night we all camped out in the basement because it was so hot upstairs. We moved the futon mattress to the floor and the kids slept on a comforter on the thick rug.

Emmy was quite the pill. She absolutely would not go to sleep. She kept climbing in Shawna and I and by 10:30pm she finally made it to bed.

Of course, I've been looking at eye cream for dark circles because despite getting a good eight hours of sleep last night having a tossing and turning kid just makes sleep miserable!

More time, please.

Yesterday Shawna called me in a panic because the faucet that I installed in the bathroom had started leaking again.

I'm not even sure why either. I called Moen last time and they sent me out a new part. I installed it and it seemed to help for a few weeks...then all of a sudden is starts leaking again.

I know I've got to pick up the pace on this bathroom because it's taking a brutally long time.

BUT>....I just don't have the time!

I've got to lose it.

The other day I stepped on the scale and I was totally depressed. I am now weighing what I weighed before having Graem. Ugh.

Shawna was on alli
a few years ago and had great success. She was on the prescription brand and her insurance paid for it and she paid a co-pay.

However, what I've realized is that many of the insurance companies are not paying for it because it's now over-the-counter and they're being cheap.

SO EARLY.

This morning I had to get up at 5am. That's after getting home from a softball game at 10:30pm. I'm friggin exhausted. I'm driving most of the day and on campus doing site work.

Hopefully, when I get home tonight I can just relax and the kids will be on their best behavior. I still don't know if I'm going to soccer practice. I guess it just depends on how I feel.

Pretty cool.

The other day Shawna went to the mall and peeked in the new fitness place. They have great deals and it's so close to the house.

I've though about getting fitness equipment for the basement but not only are they really expensive but I'm afraid it will turn into the same thing as the weight bench turned into - a drying rack for our clothes!

Soccer.

I've decided to do soccer tonight. My friend started a league and it's free. It's just a few women that are getting together and kicking around the ball. But it feels good and at least I feel like I'm moving my body a little bit!

Super Mario Galaxy 2

We were stuck in a routine of every night putting the kids down and then racing to the living room to play SMG2. It's been a great game and between Shawna and I we go right through all of the worlds.

Of course, I do miss the days of play Dynasty Warriors and being able to battle together. Maybe when the ps3 drops again in price we'll be able to pick one up!

The drama...

I must say that the past few days have been really hard for everyone. Saturday our minivan was involved in a hit and run and then Shawna started her job Tuesday.

Which means she's been trying to put in lots of hours to train and get that out of the way. Then I've been scrambling to meet deadlines and I was out of the office one full day.

This weekend Shawna has work all day Saturday and I'm going into work for a few hours Sunday.

I need a vacation.

I've got a craving...

tonight we went for Mexican food. It was alright. For New York.

I miss my mexican restaurant dallas! When Shawna lived in Texas we indulged in some of the best Mexican food. Heck, I could eat there almost every night.

Please don't get me started with the margaritas either!

The school play.

We just got back from Graem's school play. She's too young to be in it but I think she will be in it two years from now.

It was really cute. The kids were great, the staff did a good job, and what could be better than them finishing with "We are the World"?

Seriously...I loved it.

This weekend...

has a lot of stuff already planned!

I know I have to try and tackle the bathroom. There's so much to do on it though I'm just not sure where to start!

Plus, I really need help with hanging drywall and that's a two person job.

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I have used a water filter pitcher for some time now.

Not only does the water taste wonderful but I was able to cut down on the cost and waste that is created with bottled water.

Moving.

I'm not talking about physically moving houses.

I'm talking about moving my body! At some point I had talked to my friends about getting a gym membership and actually working out. I figured it would just add to my life and in the end it might even add a few years to my life!

I like reading weight loss success stories. At one point I was watching "The Biggest Loser" and afterwards I always felt like I should get off the couch and move and work out!

Maybe I should start taping it again and then get my gym membership!

Successful Saturday!

We got so much done today. I love that feeling!

Shawna was able to do the yard. I cooked dinner, made cupcakes, and was able to clean about half of the house.

Tomorrow we have a big day and I'm glad that the kids are sleeping without too much of a fight.

A birthday party!

Tomorrow is Emmy's 2nd birthday party!

I'm pretty excited! She's old enough to be able to enjoy it and more than likely she'll even sing the Happy Birthday song to herself!

I've been a bad mama because I have been eating way too many birthday cupcakes! So much for losing weight and fitting into my bathing suit?!

I've thought about getting on herbal phentermine because I like the idea of it being natural and I know that Shawna had such a positive experience.

Sunday.

Tomorrow we're all about cleaning the house. Today we were able to do about half of it.

We figure that since we're having the party here we want it to be super nice for our guests.

We've also promised Emmy that we would take her to the Ithaca Festival down at the park so that she can enjoy the pony rides.

Every morning when Shawna takes Graem to school Emmy looks at the horses and says "ride'm, mama".

I'm guessing she might be too scared to actually get on the horse!

Doh.

Maybe I should not have eaten the three cupcakes. But I felt it was my obligation since I am going to have others eating them tomorrow.

I just wanted to make sure that they tasted alright!

Of course, I'm thinking about hooking up with some apidexin!

I've heard it works wonders and everyone knows that I need a miracle to get rid of this muffin top!

Saturday night.

It's hot.

We're watching bad television.

And.

I just ate three cupcakes.

Damn.

A new room in the house!

Well, the basement is almost finished.

Shawna put the insulation on the walls leading to exterior and we have moved down all of the furniture. It looks awesome!

Now we just have to finish cutting ceiling tiles, touch up paint, and at some point I'd really like to find a cheap new mattress for the room.

We know Alex and Dom are visiting in August and the futon is not very comfortable!

Busy weekend.

It's Friday and already I know that this coming up weekend is going to be crazy and hectic! We have tons to do on the house including cleaning and yardwork.

Then Sunday is Emmy's birthday party.

God, before I know it I'll be posting Sunday night asking what happened to the weekend.

These boots are made for walkin'...

or workin'!

I've been thinking about getting some good work boots for some time. The ones I have are not steel toed and with all of this house stuff that I am doing I figure it might be a good investment instead of a trip to the Emergency Room!

Not to mention, I think I would probably look pretty kick butt in a new pair of boots!

Is it bedtime yet?

Tonight we went out for Indian food for Emmy's 2nd birthday. To say the least...she was awful! Seriously.

She only tried to get out of her chair a dozen times and almost tipped over the fake flower three times.

To say the least, I think we might be doing a few more take-out meals in the near future!

Always learning.

I feel like I always have to stay current in my job or else I'm going to be left behind. What I have realized over the years is that there is always a new trend and typically if I go to the annual conference I feel on top of my game and able to follow the upcoming trend.

I have also been able to learn more from some of the CEUs that are required. However, those are few and far between and many times they are offered by companies who want to market their products!

Let the painting begin!

Tonight we actually decided on colors for the exterior of the house. We're going with a dark sage green for the main body of the house, white for the trim, a mahogony for the new door, and a light green for the ceder shingles in the new porch cover.

Tonight we did a test run and painted a few boards on the back side of the house...it looked good!

Cancer. Again.

We just had another friend who was diagnosed with colon cancer. We couldn't believe it. He is 33 and it came as quite the shock.

Since I know cancer and specifically colon cancer runs in my family I feel the need to give my colon a little extra love.

That's why I've been looking at colon cleanse solutions for a while now.

I figure I'll do some online research and order one online.

Laundry.

Right now I'm trying to fold three loads of laundry. It's like the washing machine threw up all over the living room. I'm trying to blog, watch Glee, and fold laundry.

I'm guessing that the only thing that will get done is a little television !

Anyone know of a good investment?

Mama needs some help!

Just a few weeks ago I noticed that 2 of my 10 stocks weren't doing so hot. In fact I almost died when I realized that I lost $2,000 in one day of a very bad stock market.

Now I'm looking to diversify my portfolio and invest in things that are more solid and have a positive history.

Gold bullion has always been a strong metal. In fact, I think it's time to buy gold bullion when I get my retirement match from work.

US Gold Bureau is one of the biggest and most trusted distributors of the precious metal. They have been around for years and have a great reputation in the field of precious metals.

This is just the thing I was looking for.

God knows, I can't take too many more of those days where I lose $2,000!

Here goes nothing...

and everything!

We're starting up on the bathroom project today. Dave and I are trying to tackle the floor and the plumbing. Any walls would be a plus.

Of course, this morning our plumbing started to gurgle and bubble in the toilets when hot water is running.

SHIT. This house is sucking the life out of me!

A little marketing...

down the toilet.

Years ago Shawna started her own consulting business. She stayed at home with Graem and this was inbetween her trying to get pregnant.

We had business cards printed up, paper, and we even came up with a pretty good brochure.

At one point she was using her marketing materials and putting them in jumbo envelopes and dropping them off at local hospitals, assisted livings, and nursing homes.

To say the least...she wasn't able to put the time into the business and before we moved we disposed of the $200 of marketing materials that we had invested.

The kitchen...

is totally not coming around.

We thought we were going to get cabinets online and then we added all of them into the cart to find out that shipping is a total bitch and almost as much as the cabinets cost.

Talk about rip off. Now we're thinking we might just go through Lowes or Home Depot. We were quoted $5,500 for some pretty crappy cabinets and I'm sure that Lowes and Home Depot should be able to do better than that!

Too many cookies.

Tonight I made cookies with the girls. They were delicious and of course I ate way too many! At some point I really need to think about joining a gym and eating better!

I've even considered looking at diet pill reviews! Years ago Shawna took diet pills and did incredible. She lost tons of weight and I'm sure I could do just as good.

Our new home office...

is about to be unveiled over the next few days. I promise to post pictures. We purchased a nice Mission style desk off of the internet and also a black file cabinet. We're going to move the futon downstairs and we might also get some better lighting for the basement.

Of course no office would be complete without some sleek new office supplies!

Half way.

I can't believe we pissed away today! Actually we got tons done. We went to the plant sale (that sucked, mowed the grass, planted some plants, painted the basement, and had Graem's first sleepover.

Tomorrow I plan on putting up walls in the bathroom and I think Shawna wants to finish doing the painting in the basement.

Will this house stuff ever end?!?!?

Blubber.

So I still have my post-pregnancy ring around my belly. I must admit though that after pregnancy I lost tons of weight and at one point I was even less than before pregnancy.

Then life happened.

We started eating out, I started loving my food again, and now I'm a chunker.

I've looked into top fat burners and I'm pretty convinced that in the near future I might need to think about trying something.

Sleep over - 9:28pm!

Well, tonight we made cookies, did nails, and the girls are in bed with a flashlight reading a handful of books.

It went excellent. Both girls were so excited and it was fun to do the activities together.

Now we'll have to see how it goes....

I'm guessing there might be a mid-morning trip to drop someone off in our near future...

Got insurance?

I've been looking around for a good life insurance online quote. I called my local person and it sounds like I'm probably not a candidate for getting good premiums because I have asthma.

Even though I've never had major issues I'm on medication to control the asthma. They consider it a liability and then they want tons of money because I'm such a "risk".

Laxin'

Right now we're hanging out like grown adults and watching Nurse Jackie. LOVE IT.

Of course, I liked last years season better. I'm still lost on the cliff hanger and trying to figure it all out.

My body aches because I wiped the hell out playing soccer! Thank God Shawna has some good meds left over from her back injury!

Left Comment

Actually, I was given a two rolex watches from my grandmother when I was little.

I hardly knew the expense of the watches and to this day wish I knew where they were!

Now I’m much older and responsible and thinking about purchasing one of the newer Rolex watches.

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Great blog and I was happy to get the information on how I can save money on those high priced printer cartridges!

Now I’m headed your way!

Thanks for the info!

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credit counselling is a hard thing to go through… In fact, after I graduated from college I was faced with numerous bills and no job!

I was glad that I was able to get the help I needed.

ccofAmerica.com offers a great website that is useful, supportive, and unique.

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So refreshing to find an online website where I can get all of my health and beauty needs in one stop. They have something for everyone and my favorite part is that free shipping with a $25 purchase is absolutely unheard of! I’m off to shop!

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I just went to the spa store today to pick up cleaner and sanitizer. I was shocked at the different varieties and even more shocked at the cost! They had everything from http://www.spa-daddy.com/" target="_blank">pool filters to shocker solution.

Spa-Daddy.com is a great place to pick up good deals and they are a wealth of knowledge on pool and hot tub maintenance!

ZZZZZzzzzzzz

As tired as I am now I have a note that the electrician is going to be here first thing tomorrow morning. Which means that I'll probably have to wake up to and help him fish wire, ect.

The good thing is that this is probably the last time he'll be here and hopefully by the end we'll have poop vans in the bathrooms and an overhead light in the kid's playroom.

A little cosmetic surgery...

This website is so informative. Not only does it talk about something very sensitive and real like plastic surgery but also the costs associated with receiving quality care.

My aunt went to Mexico and received $20,000 of dental work for around $1,500.

I know in a few years I'm totally going to want a cosmetic surgery facelift.

CosmeticSurgeryMexico.com sounds like it has amazing staff and surgeons who are ready to make you feel good!

Speech Therapy...

Emmy's doing speech therapy right now and it's so nice to hear her using her words with the therapist. It takes her a few sessions to get comfortable and I think we're finally at that point with the new therapist.

PLUS...all of this therapy gives me a nice little break and time to go to the bathroom and put away laundry.

Yippee.

So refreshing to find an online website where I can get all of my health and beauty needs in one stop. They have something for everyone and my favorite part is that free shipping with a $25 purchase is absolutely unheard of!

I’m off to shop!

TGIF.

Maybe I'll just leave it at that...but it's been one slow ass week. I've been working hard with blogging and Emmy has been really high needs.

We switched out her crib for the big girl bed and that's been somewhat of a disaster. We might be bringing the crib back this weekend.

Everynight Margot has to go and put Emmy to bed and it ends up taking a good two hours.

SEO Services

It's good to see all of this information on SEO services! I signed up for a service last year. I paid a fortune and ended up getting very little.

ThinkBigSites.com offers unique and comprehensive SEO services, not to mention they have a wonderful reputation with many happy customers!

Just what I'm looking for...

Comment...

Actually, I was given two rolex watches from my grandmother when I was little.

I hardly knew the expense of the watches and to this day wish I knew where they were!

Now I’m much older and responsible and thinking about purchasing one of the newer Rolex watches.

Zitty.

I think it could be the humidity in our house because I feel like my face is constantly oily! Even after I get out of the shower I have quite the shine!

Then there is the whole issue of my zits. I don't get good zits. Typically, they are anti-climatic. It looks like a big one, I pop it, and it's nothing. Bummer.

Maybe I will look at pronexin. I've heard it works pretty good and I can hop on the website and purchase it directly.

Volleyball.

I absolutely love watching sports and many times I'll go months without watching television. Now I'm watching the National Championship Women's - Texas vs Penn St. It's such a good game.

These girls totally kick some major ass and I just love it when they spike it.

Plus, they're all really hot.

Stressed...

I don't know if we're ever going to get to the point where we are done with this house. It seems like there is so much we need to do in order to get it the way that we want it.

With work and then home being so crazy I have started getting pimples! I literally have had about ten zits my whole life and now at the ripe age of thirty four...zits.

I've looked at products like Acneticin and I think I might order some!

So much for a weekend...

we totally busted our balls this weekend.

Shawna took the kids Saturday and I stayed home to fix the home theatre and then the plumbing. What started out as an easy task turned into hell. Before long I realized that the plumbing in the basement was leaking water everywhere. When I went to fix the upstairs spare bedroom faucet the tiles started popping off at me.

Damn, this house has issues!

Lookin' purty in the south.

I have recently reconnected with my grandma and it was so great to hear how everyone was doing. Plus, since we don't have much family out there any family we have...we really need to work harder on making connections.

The last time I was in Louisiana I was 19 and went for my grandfather's funeral. I know...bad.

Now that I have kids it is not the easiest trip to make.

I am sure that Cosmetology school in Louisiana is quite popular and if you know what I mean....we aren't the prettiest girls on the block!

That is why I am glad that there are places like RegencyBeauty.com! They offer classes around the United States and have some of the world famous clients that walk the runways!

Dryer fixed?

We've had some seriously shitty luck when it comes to our washer and dryer. In fact, the washing machine crapped out first.

Then after putting totally damp clothes in the dryer - it died too.

THe parts have been purchased - and sure enough...I just heard Margot start up our working dryer!

She just saved us a good $75.

Maybe I will keep her around after all.

I can't resist...

potato chips.

I don't know what it is about the crunchy and salty taste...but I'm hooked! The other day I sat on the couch and ate a full bag while Emmy was taking her nap.

Maybe I should look into getting on the best fat buners out there!

I mean, it could be worse, right? It's not like I washed down the chips with Pepsi...

Oh wait...

Shawna here...

I've got to nail out painting two doors in an hour before I have to leave to pick up the kids.

Emmy fell right asleep for naptime and she is sleeping soundly in Graem's bed. Maybe we should set up her big girl bed! I have a feeling it's going to go pretty smooth!

All tied up.

So I'm constantly looking for things to buy my brother for Christmas and his birthday. I figure he has enough mens ties and business attire. However, when I spoke with him Sunday he said that he just purchased a new tailored suit set for around $250 US dollars.

Knowing that he has to dress nice for work maybe the perfect solution is to buy him work clothing! That way he can focus his time and money on picking out something entertaining!

Doors.

I'm about half way through the doors. Last night I was able to make two cuts, screw in hinges, and the door was hung! Really, not so bad. Of course, tonight I'm aiming to put up two doors and I will probably need to start once the kids have gone to bed.

I wish I could just take a day off of work and nail out the plumbing in the spare bathroom and the doors!

This is such a wonderful blog...

This is such a wonderful blog and I absolutely love the beds that you refer to.

A few years ago I purchased a twin bunk bed for my two daughters. They *LOVE* them! Right now we are just transitioning the younger one into a big girl bed and my older daughter can’t wait for the day when she gets to be on the top bunk.

I like the MOMs bunks because they look safe! The ladder bunk that we have makes me nervous because I can just picture a time where my daughter’s foot will slip and she will fall down.

The stair-like engineering provides steady footing and truly a brilliant idea!

Half day Friday!

Today I took a half day. Shawna had an interview (that got cancelled) and I had really wanted to take the full day and enjoy a day with the girls since Graem was off on spring break.

Since things are so busy at work I was only able to take a half day.

The girls picked me up at work and we went for Indian buffet and then off to Home Depot. We picked up paint and supplies.

When we got home Susan and David came over to drop off a rack of ribs and David stayed with us for a few hours while Susan went to go pick up the baby in Cortland.

Then J, L, and W came over for spaghetti and meatball dinner. It's amazing how much these kids like spaghetti!

The evening was nice and we sat on the couch chitchatting about taxes and watched Shawna paint!

Anyone know of ...

good investments?

Just a few weeks ago I noticed that 2 of my 10 stocks weren't doing so hot. In fact I almost died when I realized that I lost $2,000 in one day of a very bad stock market.

Now I'm looking to diversify my portfolio and invest in things that are more solid and have a positive history.

Gold bullion has always been a strong metal. In fact, I think it's time to buy gold bullion when I get my retirement match from work.

US Gold Bureau is one of the biggest and most trusted distributors of the precious metal. They have been around for years and have a great reputation in the field of precious metals.

This is just the thing I was looking for.

God knows, I can't take too many more of those days where I lose $2,000!

The car from hell.

That's what Shawna's car is. Seriously.

I found a bottle full of curdled milk and I have no idea how long it's been there!

What I do know is that it's got chunks and STINKS.

I decided that her Easter gift would be a clean van! There was caked on chocolate milk on the leather seats and the kid's carseats were nasty! I'm not sure if they had old raisins or turds in them...

Either way the washing machine is running and will be for most of the day!

The Easter Bunny!

Well we got a visitor last night!

This morning came and the kids walked out to find their baskets overloaded with candy, balls, CDs and DVDs! They had a great time and the two girls have totally OD'd on candy.

Emmy is taking her morning nap now and Graem is watching her new DVD!

Insured?

The other day the bank sent me a letter. It said that we had to contact them within 48 hours because our house had to be insured and our insurance was cut off!

I instantly called the bank and come to find out they had made an error and they had received the cancellation for the old house.

You would think with car insurance, house insurance, and health insurance, that we would be TOTALLY insured, right?

Too much work!

Next Friday I'm taking off and I'm sure that Shawna has a list down to my feet of house stuff she wants/needs done!

Of course, I have a different agenda and figure that I need to work on getting the shower in our room up and running.

We're having issues with it because after we use it (6 hours later) it starts dripping. Typically, this happens at 4 in the morning when we're both sleeping!

Stroll away!

It's exciting that we live on a dead end road. I can just imagine in a few years letting the girls ride their bikes to the end and turning around.

Of course, we could make use of all of the baby strollers that we have purchased!

Shawna had to buy a new Maclaren stroller when Emmy was born and has used it only a few times! It's in absolutely perfect shape. Too bad our little princess prefers the older Maclaren that has the wheels about to fall off.

Barf.

Last night was truly from hell.

Graem got totally sick from both ends! The bathroom still smells like barf this morning and I'm exhausted and still had to go to work.

This is a job that would be perfect for a third wife.

I wonder if Shawna can find one on Craigslist.

Buying time.

Our computer is on the way out. I know it. It's actually been alive a lot longer than I would have given it. We got it when Graem was 1 1/2 years old. After she spilled a bottle of water on our last laptop!

Now we're in the market for a new laptop and thinking that the Acer Aspire is a pretty good deal.

We're not looking for something over the top and for the most part we don't do tons of graphics. Just basic email and website viewing.

Any suggestions?

Go Cornell!

Tomorrow we're going to have a basketball get together. Cornell has made it to March Madness and that's just about all I know.

I do know that they will be playing tomorrow. That we will be ordering meaty pizza and drinking lots of beer.

Then I am guessing that the day after the big party will be followed with a killer headache and me asking WTF I was thinking.

I can't see a thing!

The last time I went to the optical I asked our old guy to give me an adjustment. He went to the backroom and then I heard profanities.

He broke my lenses during the adjustment.

To say the least I was in deep trouble. I can't see two feet in front of me without my glasses and he didn't have any replacements in stock!

I know I should be smarter and have an extra set of eyeglasses on hand but who can afford that?

Zenni Optical offers amazing eyeglasses at great prices! In fact, The Examiner wrote a great review.

I think it's probably time that I move on from our old optical guy and find someplace that doesn't break my glasses and offers great eyeglasses at a reasonable price!

RIPOFF

Tonight I ripped out the cabinets above the existing fridge. It was somewhat liberating and we're getting geared up to get our new fridge, stove, washer, and dishwasher tomorrow.

YAHOO!

I can't wait!!!

It's time...

So I've made enough excuses about losing weight!

I've got to take it seriously. My parents have both passed away at an early age and weight loss would help anyone stay healthy and live longer.

I've talked about joining the gym and my excuse was that I wanted to get moved into our new house etc.

Now I don't have an excuse. So maybe today is the day!

The weekend...

was a blur.

Maybe it was all of the beer I drank! Or it could have been that so much happened Friday with the closing and the moving that I have blocked it all out!

Both Friday night and Saturday night L, David and Susan came over for dinner! Friday night we had pizza and Saturday L treated us to a delish Indian dinner.

Hopefully this week will go fast and we'll be able to have another great weekend!

Going natural.

We've been trying to eat better since we moved into the new house. It's still hard to get berries and fruit because they are so out of season and cost a fortune.

Of course, I've looked into natural fat burners too!

Not only are we eating more and more organic fruits and vegetables but if I can find something that's all natural and good for me AND helps me lose weight then I'm totally hooked!

Too little sleep.

I don't know why I have gotten into the habit of waking up at 4am. The past few weeks I wake up SO early and I'm not able to back to sleep. Even on the weekends when I don't have to go in to work.

I think it's partly stress...but then there's the house. I feel like there's so much to do and my mind just races. It's so easy to spend HOURS on the 3d program that I downloaded and I can't wait to get started with the kitchen!

Are you looking ...

for differin reviews?

I sure am! I've started getting acne at the prime age of 34. I never had acne growing up and now it is my time.

It has not gotten so bad that I have to consider medication. It's more embarrassing than anything!

Boogies everywhere.

We have been so sick lately. Graem was home from school three days last week because she was sick. Did I mention that this was in the middle of our move?

Yeah, it sucked. Horrible timing.

Now Shawna is down for the count. She has a horrible sinus infection and went to the doctor today to find out that she has pink eye too! She was given an antibiotic and Claritin-D.

Hopefully, it will start to kick in soon and she'll feel like her old self again!

5 more pounds.

I just stepped on the scale and I swear it's broken. At least I hope.

It said I weighed five more pounds than the last time I stepped on the scale.

Darn.

Maybe I should look into getting on some fat burners so that I can continue my fatty diet and lose weight!

Of course, I could eat better and move more...

House Virgins.

I must admit...I'm hooked to the Home and Garden channel. We watch "Holmes on Homes" and it's a pretty good show! But we LOVE "Property Virgins"!

Typically, we work on the house in the evening and then pop a few ibuprofen - then we lay down and watch more H&G tv!

Can't get enough.

Too bad Shawna won't let me apply for "Curb Appeal"

Owwwie.

I have absolutely horrible skin. I have had it ever since I was young and I'm pretty sure that someone in my family gave it to me!

The eczema is so painful at times and I have a horrible habit of scratching it until it bleeds.

Typically I get it around my elbows and around my lips. However, I also get it around my earlobes and the back of my knees.

Just writing about it makes me want to scratch.

"OWWWWIE" as Emmy would say!

We moved!

We're in our new house and loving it!

Although it's suppose to be smaller than our older house it seems so much bigger. The space makes more sense. Instead of the biggest room being a bedroom it's actually the living room!

Shawna's already started painting the living room and this weekend Dave came over and helped me put up the television.

Doors are ordered and appliances should be in Thursday.

Here we go!

Sales.

Shawna was born to have a sales jobs. In fact, every sales and marketing job she's had she's been awesome at. She's exceeded all goals and made very good money.

That's why we're talking about her going into real estate sales. She could still keep a somewhat flexible schedule, work weekends and evenings, and make some good money.

Still more conversation to be had, obviously, but I think we're going down the right road.

Yahoo!

I just did the calculations for closing costs, bank fees, etc. on the house and it looks like might have quite a bit more cash than I though.

DAMN....stuff like this never works out in our favor!

Could it be true? An extra $10,000 to put into our new house?

Stay posted.

GET ME OUT OF HERE.

I swear this is the year to leave upstate New York! If we were not in the middle of buying a house we would be heading out for another family vacation!

Right now as I look out my window I see about two feet of snow and little flakes coming down. I'm starting to question if spring will ever get here!

A few years ago we left all of this behind and went on a fabulous vacation to Cancun! We had so much fun at the resort and really loved taking advantage of the beautiful scenery and swim up bars!

KarismaHotels.com offers an easy-to-use website with some amazing vacation deals! In fact, I have my eye on the gourmet all-inclusive vacation. This might be just the thing to celebrate our fifteen year anniversary.

Minus the kids, of course!

Clean up and touch up.

At this point we're at a standstill with the packing. We've packed almost everything we can...but we still have the computer and desk that need to be packed up, dishes, bathroom stuff, and some linens. Then there's food....

We're trying to eat everything we can out of the cupboards and fridge but you can only do so much with mustard and garbanzo beans.

Seriously.

Freakin' out here.

We have no idea when in the hell we're going to close. Shawna's been calling our attorney and he's not getting back to her. We could be closing as soon as this Friday....

However, douchebag sellers house has yet to be cleared out AND he has about 4 feet of snow outside so he's going to have to shovel the driveway just to get a moving truck in!

Is this ever going to happen???

My aching back!

When I was pregnant I had horrible sciatica. In fact, many times I could barely get out of bed our out of a chair without having terrible back pain that ran all the way down my leg.

After I had Graem it seemed to get better.

However, there are still times when I feel my back spasm and I run immediately to the chiropractor!

I was very impressed with Hassel Family Chiropractic located in West Des Moines.





They are staffed with professional and seasoned chiropractors who know how to help in areas of headaches, PMS, and backpain.

If you're looking for a full-service chiropractor - look no further! They give care to infants, children, teens, adults, and seniors.

Good chiropractic care is just a phone call away!

LoudLaunch - Compensating bloggers for their unbiased opinions, reviews, and analysis.

Back to the grind.

You've got to love Monday mornings. It was so hard getting out of the house today. Emmy was so snugglie and kept saying "nuggie"

She's become so snugglie and I feel like I'm catching up for lost time when she wanted nothing to do with me as a baby!

When I walked out the door this morning I could hear her crying.

Why can't we be independently wealthy like most of the other Ithacans?