The Ice Storm of 2008

This is a quick post to let you all know that I am still here......the ice storm has left me without cable and internet until January 5th! It is small potatoes compared to what some people are going without right now. We were very fortunate to only lose power for 48 hours (we live close to the police and fire station and apparently share the same power grid). It was a long 48 hours (more on that later) but it was nothing compared to many of my friends who lost power for 8 1/2 days and there are still people I know who will not have power until after Christmas! It is so sad.....especially at this time of year.

The ice storm has really helped to slow life down. Many of our parties, playdates and other events were canceled and not having the internet or television has really helped me to focus. Z and I had a fabulous week of making crafts, baking, going on special outings and enjoying all that the season has to offer. Many of my friends who lost their power for a week or more, have lost their Christmas spirt. I feel so badly and wish that there was something I could do to help them restore it....unfortunately time is running out.

We are at my mom's tonight helping her prepare for the big Christmas Eve Bash and wanted to take a few moments to wish you all a Happy Holiday! I will try to post again during the Christmas week but we will be very busy preparing for my sister's wedding!

Happy Holidays!!!!

December Madness.....

I am so sad that this month is so crazy that I do not have enough time to do the things I most want to do!!! Why do we let ourselves get so crazy this time of year? I hope to calm down a bit and hopefully enjoy the fun things happening this month. If I don't slow down a bit, I know the month will be over before I know it!

So here is my own version of the 12 Days of Christmas and I will call it the 12 days of December Madness...here we go :)

On the 12th day of December my busy schedule said to me...start work on all the gifts you are making and lose those 7 pounds so that your bridesmaid dress will fit!!!!
On the 11th day of December my busy schedule said to me...buy a Yankee swap gift and make an appetizer for your holiday party.
On the 10th day of December my busy schedule said to me...make 40 song books and organize a caroling party at your local nursing home and then drive to 90 minutes for a playdate.
On the 9th day of December my busy schedule said to me...clean the house for your holiday playgroup and then go out for drinks with your BF.
On the 8th day of December my busy schedule said to me...stuff 48 Christmas stockings for the needy children in the area.
On the 7th day of December by busy schedule said to me...attend the bridal brunch and drive home from the wedding.
On the 6th day of December my busy schedule said to me....get your hair and make-up done, look pretty in the wedding.
On the 5th day of December my busy schedule said to me...get your nails done and then drive down to the wedding!!!!
On the 4th day of December my busy schedule said to me....go to a Polar Express Party and then drive 45 minutes for a spray tan.
On the 3rd day of December my busy schedule said to me...organize and run a Preschool Fair for your town after finishing up your holiday shopping.
On the 2nd day of December my busy schedule said to me...have Park the elf make his big debut, wrap all of your presents and pack up for the weekend.
On the 1st day of December my busy schedule said to me....get presents for the elf to give, attend a very long meeting and make sure all the Christmas cards are mailed.

Okay so I know that wasn't even close to the real song ;) I am sure we all have crazy schedules like this (maybe even crazier). So please remember to enjoy the season and take time to have fun with the little stuff.

He Did It!!!

I want to start off this post by saying....my son is AMAZING! Not only did he steal the show in his little black velvet sailor suit....he made it almost all the way down the aisle by HIMSELF. He was the last person to go down (before the bride) and he stood at the back of the church in shock. Despite the hundreds of eyes looking at him, he started off, pulling his little wagon down the aisle. He stopped to "fix" a wheel (he thought it was stuck) and then had a hard time getting back up to continue his journey. S went down to help him and he pulled his wagon very quickly down the aisle. It was adorable and I sobbed (as did many people) through the entire thing. It was sooooo cute.

The whole wedding weekend was a blast. My mom and dad were so helpful and I am so appreciate of all of the work that they did (my mom did the most). Z was well cared for and had so much fun with Chi Chi and Neene! My mom brought Z back to the hotel alone and managed to get the luggage and Z safely inside. Dad then drove S and I back to the hotel :) Thank you so much mom (and dad)!!!

S and I had a great time attending the rehearsal alone and even got to go out on a date after the dinner :) Saturday was a blur of hair, make-up, getting dressed up and then pictures. I am a very simple person. I have naturally curly hair and don't wear any make-up. The only reason I own make-up is because of my wedding. When the hairdresser asked me what I wanted...I told her about my typical wedding look. I always have my hair half up and then the rest of my hair curled to help with the curl that is already there. When the hairdresser asked to straighten my hair before she curled it...I was a bit worried.

It took 90 minutes (I have a ton of hair) but this was the first time that anyone was able to successfully straighten my hair!!! I looked like a different person, people kept mistaking me for my sister (that is a good thing). I felt like I had been on a make-over show (did I mention that I also had my nails and my first spray tan done...love spray tans!!!) and loved the many compliments I received on this new look. Unfortunately, I do not have 90 minutes everyday to straighten my hair (or the ability to do so) but I told S that if we ever come into big money...I am going to hire her to do my hair once a week and then have the make up artist do my make up.

The only problem with this new look was that my son did not know me! He saw me in the church and called me "Auntie Water" (my sister) and then after the ceremony everyone was trying to convince him that I was his momma but he kept calling me "Auntie Water". It wasn't until about 20 minutes into the reception that I held him and talked with him that he finally realized who I was. It was soooo weird!

The whole event was wonderful and I want to thank my sister in-law for including us. She and her mother are probably the only people who could pull off an ocean themed wedding at Christmas time. It was amazing! No details were left undone and everyone was so impressed. A and A...I hope you are having a wonderful time on your honeymoon! We love you!!!

I am searching for some better pictures of Z. For now...this is all I have. Sorry for the quality but we are trying to protect our identities :)

Wedding Number One

As many of you know we have two weddings this holiday season. My sister in-law's is this weekend and my sister's is the weekend after New Years. Z is in both and I am a ball of nerves! Thankfully my mother is taking him today so that we can go down to the rehearsal alone. She and my dad will bring him to the ceremony, get him dressed and I will not see him until minutes before the wedding begins. I am not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing.

Z has been to the church, practiced rolling his little wagon down the aisle and did just great. I just don't know what Saturday will bring. He has been a real mommy's boy lately and after not seeing either of his parents for 24+ hours....he may be glued to my side and want to be held. I guess if that is what he wants...that is what he is going to get.

My other fear is the reception. He will be there as long as he can (since he will have not napped that day) and then he and my mom will head to the hotel which is about 15 minutes away. I have a feeling that this good-bye will not go well and know that this mama won't be able to really enjoy the open bar until Z is in the crib fast asleep ;) There is a good chance that I will be going back to the hotel with them, putting him to bed and try to get back before I miss all of the good stuff.

Many people have told me not to worry. "He may surprise you...", "He will be just fine...", "Whatever happens it will be adorable..." and I am sure these people are right but let's face it...two year olds are unpredictable and I want to be prepared for everything!

Have a good weekend everybody and wish us luck!!! I will post pictures and stories on Monday.

And So the Honesty Begins...

Yesterday Z and I were at the post office when we ran into a nice man from church. We said "hello" and Z kept repeating a phrase over and over. I laughed about how difficult it was to understand him sometimes and then we said "good-bye". As we were walking away, Z continued to repeat the phrase and pointed to the nice man from church. I then realize what he was saying..... "That's an old man". I couldn't help but laugh (I know, the wrong response). I immediately called S to tell him about this and we both wondered where he had heard the expression "old man". Maybe his grandpa J had said it over the weekend? We have no idea!

In the next store, we were checking out when Z started up again. He looked at the cashier and said, "Your a big man" over and over. I looked closely at the man and realized he was very tall and thin and said to Z, "Yes he is a tall man." The man did not even smile and I realized that Z was now unintentionally insulting people.

What to do? You want to foster this new classification skill, yet need to teach them to keep these people observations to themselves. I am open to any advice :)

A Great Weekend!

This past weekend was so jammed packed with family, fun and tradition.....it is hard to put it all into one blog post. So I decided to give you the top 8 highlights of our Thanksgiving weekend :)

1. I not only made it through my four mile (uphill) race but did okay :) My future brother in-law didn't make it to the race due to the fact that he was in the ER getting stitches from his 6AM Alumni hockey game (he got a puck right between the eye...which will make for great wedding photos in a month!) but I managed without him.

2. My husband, other brother in-law and dad came in 3rd in the traditional golf tournament they play on Thanksgiving. This brought them so much joy and excitement caused them all to be in bed by 8pm on Thanksgiving night ;)

3. My mother cooked a wonderful meal and we had a great time sharing it with my uncle, aunt and cousin. I was most thankful that Z slept through dinner and S and I were able to really enjoy ourselves!

4. Our visit on Thanksgiving night to see my Noni was nice. She was talkative and in a fairly good mood. My uncle left Christmas music playing for her in her room and I went out and got her some twinkle lights for her window. It really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas there.

5. I was able to leave my mother's home with some Christmas Cheer and then went on to do the same at my mother in-laws. I know they both really appreciated the effort I went to.

6. S, Z and I had a nice time decorating our tree. We had music playing, egg nog to sip and Z only broke one ornament. It was fun to see his excitment about all of our decorations.

7. I had a wonderful pre-bachelorette dinner with my two sister in-laws on Saturday night. My youngest sister in-law gets married in less than a week and we had so much fun talking about our men, the wedding and other fun stories. The food was delicious, the wine was perfect and I am so lucky to have them both in my life!

8. Z loves his grandparents so much. He not only got to spend two days with Neene and Chi Chi but then two days with Mimi and Grandpa Jeff. The child was on cloud nine with all of the attention, donuts, pancakes, walks, dancing, playing with trains and most importantly...all the love! It was a perfect weekend for him.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! We have a crazy week ahead and then our first wedding of the season (my sister's is after New Years). I am looking forward to it all :)