Tagged . . . again!

My sister-in-law Kimmy has tagged me for a meme. Here we go...

1) What was I doing 10 years ago?

I was working as a Director of Marketing for Apple Health Care in Avon, CT. I miss Avon, especially the two cute little coffee shops I hit every single stinking morning for lattes! I had recently moved into an apartment in an old Federal-style home on the Connecticut river. (Gini and Bill and Hannah lived in the apartment below me--and lo and behold I met Chris!)

2.) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order):

• finish Jerolyn's new blog design
  
• pick out and order a Little Tikes playground for James' 2nd birthday
  
• plan what I am making for Chris' birthday dinner
  
• hit Motherhood Maternity for the (eh hem) next size up in maternity capris
  
• Keep an eye on James as he woke up at 1:30am this morning with a 103.4 temp as a result of the freaking five shots he got yesterday--that was a wee bit scary, to say the least!
  

3) Snacks I enjoy:

• pretzels and peanut butter
• popsicles
  
• pieces of a huge hunk

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

• build my dream log home in Vermont
  
• start my own animal rescue sanctuary
  
• make huge donations to charities that benefit Americans living below the poverty line
• open a shop filled with vintag-ey and whimsical things
• hire a personal chef/fitness expert/health guru
  
• have one room in my home always filled to the brim with toilet paper
  

5) Places I have lived:

• San Diego, CA
• Topsham, ME
• Brunswick, ME
• Buckhannon, WV
• Stockbridge, MA
• Meredith, NH
• Glastonbury, CT
• Suffield, CT
• Enfield, CT
• Henderson, NV
• North Las Vegas, NV
  

6.) Jobs I have had:

• Assistant to an old-time Maine woodsman/lobster trap builder
• Assistant in a veterinarian's office
• Assistant to a college Theater Department Professor
• Scenic Artist in a summer theater
• Assistant Stage Manager in a summer theater
  
• Marketing Assistant and Publications Manager for a regional theater
• Marketing Director for a chain of long term care centers
• Communications Director for a non-profit health care education organization
• (and the best job of all??? Mommy!!!)
  

7.) 6 peeps I wanna know more about:

• Gini
• Christopher
• Katie
• Erica
• Jerolyn
  
• Denise
  

A Big Day

A little boy I know is happily watching cartoons, totally unaware of the fact that in about an hour he is going to be going to the Doctor for his 2-year check up.


And you know what that means . . .


SHOTS!!!!


I think I'll be seeing this lower lip quite a lot in the next few hours. Wish us luck!

Thanks Guys!

My recent obsession with re-designing my own blog has prompted some friends and family to ask me to re-design theirs as well. I just wanted to thank them so much for giving me the opportunity.

So . . . THANKS!!!!



Be looking out for the next two designs. Yes, Jerolyn and Jackie, YOU'RE NEXT!

If anyone else is hankering for a new design, just leave me a comment here and I will get in touch with you. I'll be open for new work beginning June 14th. (I do have a day job, so I shoe horn my clients in around that. That said, turn-a-round is usually only a week.)

MMMmmmmmm . . .

What could be better than homemade pasta sauce?

Well, maybe homemade pasta sauce with basil from your own garden!

Here . . . get CLOSER. Can you SMELL it?

Don't Blink or You'll Miss My Roadshow Appearance

Way back in August I went to Antiques Roadshow here in Vegas. I brought my friend Mel and several nice antiques from my parents. If you really want to read about the whole experience, click here.

Anyhow, it finally aired last night! Now, I am putting myself out there, for all of you to see in my "I'm Such A Dork" glory. Enjoy!

Memorial Day Weekend - Sunday

All aboard!

We took James to ride a REAL TRAIN on Saturday! The Southern Nevada Railway has a station in Boulder City, so we headed on out to give James his first real train experience. This train is pretty neat because it was the line that brought all of the materials for the construction of the Hoover Dam.

Here is Chris buying our tickets from "Grandpa Carl," the station master. He told us to call him that, and gave us a great recommendation for ice cream after the ride (which of course we took him up on!)

Here is James taking a look at the train.


All of the staff are volunteers with the Nevada Department of History Museums. These two guys were the ticket takers. Look at their great uniforms!



Need I mention that James said "Choo-choo" about a thousand times during the 45-minute trip?


I think we pretty much made his day. Nice hat, too, eh? He got it from his Grandma in Maine!

After we got off the train, I asked the Engineer if we could take his picture with James. He swooped him right up for this shot! (He looks a little grumpy, but he was GREAT!)


He was so great, that he took James and Chris to the engine for a private sneak peek!!!!


Not sure who is more excited about this, Chris or James . . .


James even got to blow the whistle and ring the bell all by himself!

When I was a little girl there was a train that used to go by our house in Topsham, Maine. I remember that the Engineer would throw candy to us out the window of the locomotive when he went by.


Next we stopped to look at all of the trains in the yard.


This one was a real steam engine!

After a stop at the Southwest Diner in Boulder City for ice cream sundaes, we headed home. James had a great time, and again, was completely worn out from the experience. Can you tell?


If you are ever in town and in the mood for a good, old-fashioned train raide, I would definietly take a ride on the Nevada Southern Railway. Adult rides are $8, Kids 10 to 2 are $4, and kids under 2 are free. (And according to Grandpa Carl, we can neak James in at the under 2 rate for a while longer!!!)

Check them out at http://www.nevadasouthern.com.

Memorial Day Weekend-Saturday

On Saturday we headed over to Mel and Gene's for a little cookout. The weather was beautiful, cool, breezy--almost sweatshirt weather (which is a nice break from the unseasonably warm 100 degree+ temps of last week.)

Here is James in their backyard with a cup of chips (which I think is all he ate the entire afternoon.) Doesn't he look like he is saying "Aww, com'on Mom! Put that camera AWAY!!!"




Neighbors Kim and Gary came over with their son Matthew and daughter Brooke. James LOVED Brooke (and who wouldn't??) They were inseparable during the party. She is just about a year older than James. And being that she is a little sister, she adored having a little guy following her around.


"Hey, got anything good in your chip cup??"


James spent a lot of the time running around Gene and Mel's lush backyard, pointing out flowers, trees, and plants of all kinds.


Here he is all happy and smiley, which was about a 1/2 hour before his first melt-down from hell. At which time we packed our things and hit the road in record time.
Sometimes you have to make a hasty exit when your child is acting like the world is falling down around him. A combination of a cute little girl, too many chips and no afternoon nap wore the pants right off of our little guy. But, we LOVE him nonetheless (especially because he actually slept in bed with us for about a half hour this morning--exhausted, giggly and cuddly. I need to wear him out more often!)

Oh YEAH BABY!!!!!

The first of my tomatoes is ripening. Oh sweet tomato . . . How I love thee!!!

I love thee sliced with mozzarella, fresh basil and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic!

I love thee diced with garlic and and sauteed in olive oil over cappellini!

I love thee sliced on white, country bread with lettuce, bacon and mayo!

I love thee cut up in salad with cukes, carrots, red onion and blue cheese dressing!

I love thee diced with scallions and feta cheese in my scrambled eggs!

I love thee skewered with chicken breast, zucchini and red pepper and grilled!

I love thee sliced with sea salt and pepper!

Oh, the day is fast approaching when I will call you mine, mine, ALL MINE!!!

(And the best part? I have about 30 more still to ripen!!!)

8 Years Ago . .

OK, my husband put out a challenge to us on his blog over at Life Outside My Recliner to post an old pic of ourselves and then a new one, just to show how much we have aged.


I found this one from 8 years ago. I just have one question--why am I so sickly pale???? Gotta say, that caricature is pretty much right on, though--maybe even better than the real thing!! (I certainly could never get that much volume out of my hair!)

And, I guess I finally found the right foundation--NONE!!!!


And this one is from about Thanksgiving this past year. It is one of my very favorites of myself. (Probably because it has James in it!) And incidentally, I believe our new baby girl was just barely a twinkle in my eye at this point!!

I honestly think that I look so much better than I ever did before. Am I happier? Is my life more complete? I don't know. But I'm diggin' it!!!

So there you go, Chris. I got to it before you could embarass me. HA!!!

New Things Everyday

I guess I was never prepared for how much joy having a child would bring into my life. I know I gush about James on this blog (It is the main reason I have it)--but it is just such a miracle to me to have him in my life. I watch him with his father and I am overcome with love.

Last night we were over at Gini's and James was up really late. He fell asleep on Chris' shoulder, something he hasn't done since he was probably a year old--and it was precious to see.


I am amazed at how fast he is learning, how fast his development is, and that he shares a new discovery with us everyday. James' Auntie Erica is in town from Connecticut, and she says that with her 11-year-old daughter Jenna, it is still the same.

For instance, James has been saying "Thank you" for about six months now. He says it after you give him a drink, after you buckle him in his chair, after you hand him a toy, after the check out lady at the grocery store hands him our receipt, you name it, he says it. All of a sudden now he has paired it with "You're welcome." It is adorable--"Thank you, your'e welcome!"


We were in the car the other day and he started counting to ten--IN SPANISH. Uhh . . hello!!??? Did he learn that on Sesame Street?

He knows all of the Thomas the Tank Engine train names, which I don't really understand because he doesn't watch much tv, so where did he learn it? The other night he said "Mickey Mouse." I said "WHO???" and he said "MICKEY MOUSE!" We haven't watched that either--so I just don't know where he learned it.


Yesterday I found him laying on the couch, practically nose-to-nose with Henry, who was sleeping. James was petting him and saying "Are you sleepy?" which is what I ask him before naps and bedtime. I would never have thought that a 23-month-old could model behavior like that.

I only wish that I had unlimited cash, vacation time and Hertz miles so that I could head to Maine every weekend and share James with his grandparents. I try so hard to depict his personality on this blog, but I know I can't get anywhere close to the real thing. James brought me the phone yesterday and said "Hello?" so I had him call his Grandma, (who he calls Ma-maw) and he had a nice talk with her, saying "I love you." I only wish he could do it in person!

Uh-oh

Hmmm . . . I see that my little mischief-maker was VERY BUSY before his nap today!!!

My Baby Boy . . .

. . .is growing up TOO FAST.

With the baby due in August, I have been wanting to help move James from his crib to his big boy bed in his new room. To ease his transition, Chris put the toddler bed rail on James' crib (it also converts to a twin bed). Last night was our first try.

James wasn't too sure about it--he went to bed at 8pm and got up three times in 30 minutes. I gently put him back to bed each time and sat with him in his room until he fell asleep. He slept thru the night just fine.

Today he took both of his naps in his new "toddler"bed, and I just finished putting him down for the night in it as well. This time he only got up twice, and he cried a little.

Looks like he will be fine. I said to my Mom today that I am sure there will be many points in my life as a mother that there will be change to make that is easier on my children than it is on me. She agreed.

I know it was the right thing to do, with James' sister on the way. So why does my heart hurt so much?

A Busy Saturday

First up, a pic of me at 25 weeks. I had another level II ultrasound on Wednesday and the baby has been cleared for any health issues. I am feeling pretty good--and I only really notice that I am pregnant when I am putting James in his crib and my growing belly gets in the way!


I can't believe that in three months James' little sister will be here. Time just flies--and the whole experience is surreal. I still don't think I'll believe that we are having another baby until they put her in my arms.

Here is James, monkeying around with his Mom for the camera. If I point to my stomach and say "what is in here" he says "baby inside." Ok, someone grab me a Kleenex, because I just can't take it.


We took James to the Mirage on the strip today to see the white tiger exhibit. There is a small free exhibit right inside the main doors, but lo and behold it was closed for renovations!!! Chris took us all the way in to the Secret Garden when they keep all of the big cats and the Dolphin Habitat. Can I just say--Mirage, COME ON!! No discount for locals??!! Are you freaking crazy???

Look how close we got to the dolphins!! James calls them "fish." Too cute!!




It was VERY HOT. We opted out of going to see Connor's last soccer game of the season because Gini told us that it was going to be crazy hot. We had not planned on being out in the blazing sun to see dolphins, but that is what happened and boy was it warm. That dolphin swimming pool was looking more and more inviting. And can I just say, those of you Las Vegans that have pools suck (but you better invite us over anyway!!)

"OK Daddy, its hot. Can I have some ice cream now?"


BTW, don't go and see the big cats in the middle of the day when it is crazy hot. All they do is sleep. B-O-R-I-N-G!!! I wanted to see them eat someone. (Sorry, Roy).

After the Mirage we went to Caesar's to go to F.A.O. Schwartz. Tired as he was, James got to see all of the Lionel train sets in action and then rode a cute, old-fashioned speedster around the store. Note to anyone considering b-day gifts for him--he LOVED this speedster!!!


We were all so tired when we got home that we took naps, and then had a nice meal of grilled chicken and veggies. It was about time to pick our home-grown green beans, so we did. Yes, Mom, I waited an itsy-bitsy too long to pick them. (Speaking of itsy-bitsy, you have GOT to click here for some to-die-for itsy bitsy yellow-polka dot bikini cuteness).


"Uhh, Mom, I don't really like this. Can I have a donut???"


Tomorrow we have a few errands to run, and a (gasp) haircut to get for James (you'll be able to hear him screaming in New England) and then we plan to hang out and lay low and play with the new toys we got from F.A.O. Have a great rest of the weekend!