Happy New Year (a bit early here)

but in Australia it's the new year already! LOL

Dh and I are home tonight. Same as last year and the year before that and the year before that.....you get the drift. I don't mind though. I've never really been into the whole NYE party scene. We did go to a party today however. Our playgroup had a NYA (that's New Year's Afternoon) party and Andie hosted for us. The kids had a blast! They played with the train table, played outside and then once it got dark enough, Andie's dh turned on the music and his old dj lights and had a dance party. It was so funny to watch! Logan and Olivia danced and danced together. By the end of the night, Olivia was calling him, her "Prince". Awww. There was also some wrestling/falling to the ground dancing going on between the boys. LOL Even Ian got out there and danced/spun for a bit. He was a bit overwhelmed sometimes I think though. The parents were able to relax for the most part in between refereeing and chasing the little ones (mainly Ian).

Now we're home, the boys are bathed and in bed and hopefully they are tired enough that all the fireworks later won't wake them. The FW have already been popping off for a few hours. I know I have at least 2 more hours to listen to them. My dog hates them. I'm not a Grinch, but I'll be glad when they are over.

On a weight loss journey note- tomorrow is D-day. It will be my one year anniversary on Weight Watchers. I know I've lost 60lbs this year. If that goes up tomorrow, I'll be thrilled. If I maintain, I'll be thrilled. If I gain, I'll know why! I'm already at least 10pts over for the week including all my flex pts. Oops! I have been drinking lots of water so hopefully that will help curb any gain. My "resolution" (I hate that word) is to exercise in the new year so I can finish losing the weight and tone up. I love that I've lost so much weight but now I'm flabby. I refuse to wear a bathing suit. My thighs are gross. At least when they were fat, they were firm. My arms need toning and so does my belly and butt. I know it won't all go away- I'd need surgery for that I think, but I know I can improve it. I think I need to go slow though. Maybe start out at once a week and move to twice a week and so on. I think I may need another video of some sort too. I keep hearing great things about The Firm. I already own Walking Away the Pounds and The Biggest Loser. Any suggestions?
ETA: I lost 62.2lbs total!! That's an additional 1.8lbs this past week. Yea!

On a totally different subject, if you had the chance, would you:

• get braces for your (my) teeth?
• get new floors in your home(my living room/hall to be exact)?
• save the money?

I won't go into it, but we have the chance to do something and I'm not sure what to do. Comments welcome!

AFRICAM- if you haven't seen it yet, this is so neat. It's a webcam facing a watering hole at a lodge on a reserve in Africa. I've seen an elephant, lions, baboons, gazelles and wildebeest (I think). I've heard zebras have been spotted too. Check it out!

It's a conspiracy!

That's the only rhyme or reason for it. Out of the blue, my Microsoft Digital Image program that I use for digital scrapbooking is refusing to save my layouts. We thought I needed extra memory so we bought some and dh installed it but that apparently wasn't the problem. He even installed the software on his PC and it did the same thing. Argh! I think it's a conspiracy MS does to make people upgrade to the newer version of software. Two years ago, I upgraded to this software because my MS Picture It program had slowed so far down I couldn't do anything with it. I guess I'm going to have to get out the wallet (not really, I know my CC# by heart LOL) and buy the new program. Grrr.

Waiting

I'm trying to be patient. My PC needs new memory and it came in yesterday. It's simple to put in or so I'm told but dh didn't do it last night. He KNOWS I'm waiting on it. I can't do any scrapbooking without it. I can't even finish the layouts I've been working on because they won't save. Argh! He's out tonight working on his business, he'll be gone tomorrow night for the same thing, Saturday we're going to a train show and Sunday we have a New Year's party. Monday he's meeting his buddy. Man, I hope he gets home early enough tonight to do it. I'm itching to scrap!!

On a totally different subject, I've found a new way to clean my diamonds. None of the store bought cleaners ever seem to work like a good steam cleaning from the jewelry store and my rings are looking so dingy- especially compared to my new one, sooo I boiled some water in a coffee cup and dropped my rings in it for a minute or 2. I pulled them out with an old toothbrush and held them with a kitchen towel (they were hot!) and brushed them with the toothbrush. Voila! So much better looking even if not steam cleaned perfect.

So Spoiled

Yes, I am spoiled and so are my boys. I freely admit it. Dh not only bought me an iPod but a beautful diamond ring like this one and a matching pair of Mickey mouse earrings and necklace that he also bought at Bond plus a box of Godiva SF chocolates-mmm. I received mucho compliments yesterday on them and him. ;)

My boys were also spoiled rotten. Logan got the entire Cars playsets plus Mack, the FP digital camera which he LOVES, and tons of other stuff. Ian now has the entire VTech Smartville playset. Where am I going to put it all?! Logan loves Ian's TMX Elmo too although Ian isn't real sure of it yet.

As for other gifts, I think people just don't think sometimes or they just don't care. Dh and I received a giftcard to Longhorn STEAK house. Hello? Dh doesn't eat meat- of any kind! I've checked out their menu before and there's nothing he can eat there. Don't me get me wrong, we're grateful, but come on! The comment I got was oh, there's plenty of side dishes he can eat. Ugh. Oh well, which of my friends wants to come with me and eat there? LOL Dh said to invite someone! I still have Outback and Red Lobster GCs too but at least they can be used at other more veggie-friendly restaurants. We just don't eat out as often as we used to. Then at dinner, I heard this more then once- I didn't add such and such since I didn't know if he ate it or not. Ok, I've been married to him for nearly 8 years and you can't remember from year to year that the only thing he doesn't eat is meat? I guess at least they think of him and try to accomodate him. The biggest gift of the night was the Roboraptor we gave my nephew. EVERYONE wanted to play with it. That was the COOLEST. toy. ever.

My house once again looks unclean. It WAS clean thanks to DH on Sunday. I cooked Sat./Sun./Mon. so he cleaned for me. I don't know how anyone can make an entire dinner in one day. Phew! Now I have a ton of laundry to do not only of dirty clothes but all the gifts from smokers we received. Ugh. Logan can't use his new comforter/blanket until I wash them. Each of them got clothes from my grandparents and they stink like smoke too.

Except for some family drama, it was a wonderful Christmas and I feel very blessed. I did notice that my dad did not say the blessing before dinner this year. Every year he says it and every year he tears up. I guess this year would have been too hard for him and he wouldn't have made it thru (his dad/my grandpa died last week). Hope everyone else had a Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

Aahhhh. Christmas Eve dinner(with the IL's) is over. Everyone has gone home and the house is quiet again. Both boys are in bed although Logan just went to bed (10:30). I had to go get him out of bed a second ago because we forgot to leave cookies and milk out for Santa. He was so excited. He picked out 3 gingerbread cookies we baked yesterday and he told me Santa likes chocolate milk so that's what we gave him. LOL Dh told him Santa would be so happy that Logan gave him chocolate milk and Logan's eyes just lit up. He practically ran back to bed so Santa could come see him. What a wonderful age he's at.
Dinner went very well. My HBH cajun fried turkey came out wonderful as usual. They just do such a good job- the flavor must be injected into it because you can taste it all the way thru the meat. I made fresh sweet potato casserole, fresh green bean casserole (98%FF and noone could tell!), turkey gravy and a vegetarian meat/mushroom gravy mix, pumpkin pie, pumpkin praline cake, oreo truffles and christmas crack candy. We also had rice & beans, mashed potatoes, eggplant parmesan (don't ask), arroz con dulce which is a sweet rice like a dessert, and bread rolls (1pt!). Everyone left stuffed I think. Logan didn't eat at all so he had a banana and milk before bed. He was just too busy playing.
Everyone opened gifts and the boys got a bunch of toys of course! Logan got a wood train he can put together with dh, one of those plug/play video games, a water gun(yay-not), and a Cars blanket, pillow and comforter. Ian got 3 of the V-Tech Smartville sets which means after tomorrow he'll have the entire set, a set of puzzles, a ride on Mater and a see & say toy. I got a pair of earrings (silver unfortunately but very pretty), a Disney Tinkerbell snowglobe, a set of glass votives and a vase to match and a GC to Bed, Bath & Beyond. Dh got a GC to JCP (which I'm sure I'll use LOL), Sean John cologne and I'm not sure what else. It was a good night though all around. I can't wait to see Logan's face in the morning!

I did get my iPod early. Dh said "Here, you already know you're getting it." LOL He also got me some new headphones with a bunch of different size ear thingys so I can find the perfect ones. The ones that came with it hurt my ears after a while. He did get me some other stuff too- some kind of jewelry I know. He left the bags out- duh! He's so funny. I keep telling him, Just hide the stuff! It's not like I was poking around looking either, they were in the dining room. Ugh. LOL

Labels from Heaven?

ETA: He hadn't died when this happened last night. He died at 5:55pm tonight peacefully with family surrounding him.

I'm not positive yet, but I believe my Grandpa died today. They were taking him off of life support. His kidneys had shut down and I was told he was brain dead. I haven't heard anything official though. That leads me to my story. Tonight I was getting ready to wrap gifts. I'm just starting so I have a bunch to do. I've been searching for Christmas labels and I know I have some but they are nowhere to be found. I went into my room to get a pen and I figured I'd look in my armoire to see if I had stashed some labels in there. As I'm looking, a bag of Christmas ribbon falls from the top of my closet- seemingly out of nowhere. Inside are labels- maybe enough to get me thru my gifts. It was like someone said, here some are. I looked up towards the ceiling and gave a thank you to whoever helped me out. Maybe it was my Grandpa. I told dh and he said his hair was sticking up after hearing the story. So thank you to my friend above for sending my labels! Now I gotta get wrapping. I had to share this first though.

Prayers

I got some sad news today. My grandpa (paternal) has been given 24-36 hours to live. He has dementia but the last time I saw him (late October) he was still very spry and he always had a smile. He loves to dance and danced with all the ladies at his anniversary party. He's around 87 yrs old I believe. He had to go into the hospital where they found out he has uremic? poisoning and he's contracted pneumonia. I feel terrible for my dad. He's tried to stay close to his family even though we live so far away (FL/PA). He always tears up during the Thanksgiving and Christmas blessing. I'm really glad we were able to visit one last time in October. The flight was a PITA but I know I would have felt horrible if I hadn't gone and this happened. I'm glad my boys got to meet him again. It was only their 2nd time. He was so good with them too. He loves kids. I can't believe it's happening right at Christmas time. My dad is planning on driving up after he gets the call that his dad is gone. I'm not sure why he's waiting. I hope that Grandpa is strong and can make it thru the holidays though. Doctors don't know everything! Only God knows when he wants my grandpa to come home. I can only pray it's peaceful and he's surrounded by family and love.

Busch Gardens, Burlington and Christmas is coming!

So we were given tickets to BG and we went yesterday. My BIL and his GF has passes but I'm not sure what they do all day there as BIL does not ride anything. Logan enjoyed it but dh and I agreed, Disney is worlds better. I'm seriously tempted to write BG about their policies.
1. It's a NO SMOKING park! There are designated areas to smoke yet everywhere we walked, there were people near us smoking. NOONE enforced the policy. One guy was smoking next to our stroller as we were getting off the carousel and could have easily burned someone as he wasn't paying a bit of attention.
2. Not a BG policy per se but maybe unwritten- Don't cuss in front of kids. Give me a break. I don't want my children hearing the F-bomb or any other swear words at a theme park. Seriously, if you can't find another word to use, then you are not that intelligent.
3. The carousel- I never would have taken Ian on had I known we would have to sit on a bench. What fun is that?! I guess he's considered an "infant" and I was told we had to sit on the bench for the ride. Even Disney and Lowry Park allow him to sit on a horse. It's not like I'm going to let go of him.

Rides- there's not much for the little ones to do with the parents. Ian had to sit in his stroller most of the day. There are rides for kids, but most are 56" or under which means parents are out. Logan went on them by himself but Ian couldn't do anything. I certainly don't trust him by himself on one. The train ride was rather boring. Logan was just happy to ride the train though. One good thing- Dragon land was fun! Logan and I went up and around and across the rope bridge (way up high!). We went down the bouncy rope bridge area. I swear I felt like I was still bouncy on land. LOL I'm glad I'm able to do stuff like this with him now and not get all out of breath or something. He didn't like the bounce house thing for kids- he couldn't keep his balance well. Oh and the baby white tigers were the absolute cutest!!! They were rolling around, biting and wrestling. each other. When the trainers came it, one was still very rambunctious and she kept having to grab him by the scruff of the neck- just like a mama tiger would do. Of course, there's always someone who thinks they are just being cruel- gimme a break.

People watching- Julie, I wanted to take a pic for you, but dh had the camera and was in line with Logan. If you have to squeeze/jump/pour yourself into a pair of pants- they don't fit! Noone wants to see your belly (muffin top)hanging out of your pants under your too short shirt. I saw too many women like this. Repeat after me- just because you can, doesn't mean you should!

Don't get me wrong, we did have a good time, but maybe it will be better when everyone is old/tall enough to actually ride the rides.

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Now onto Burlington- the boys and I went this morning to get something for Christmas. The store is so messy- it's ridiculous. It's not like we went on a weekend, it's a Monday and personally, I think they should have the store cleaned up after closing. When I worked at TRU (that's Toys R Us), we had to straighten up all the aisles and make sure we put toys back in the right places before we left for the night. Anyway, Logan had to go potty so we raced back to the restrooms and they are locked. You have to push a doorbell and they remotely unlock them. I had to push it twice and was looking to ask someone when I heard the buzzer unlocking it. Not very child friendly people! I understand it's for loss prevention, but is there a better way? No other store does this that I've been in. I did find what I was looking for at least. I'd love to shop there more if they could organize the place. Even Goodwill is organized better!
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Christmas is almost here! I can't believe it. I still have no tree up but dh says he'll get it tonight. I have GOT to start wrapping stuff. I can't do it while Ian is awake so I have limited time. I'm excited to see his reaction to the tree- keeping his little hands off of it will be another story.

I'm getting.....

an iPod for Christmas! Dh is no good at talking on the phone with me there. Why he didn't ask to call his buddy back since I was in the car is beyond me. Anyway, I know it's an iPod and I believe video was mentioned. It's also compatible with my radio so I'll never be without something to listen to (hate when all station play commercials at the same time!). He says this is the first gift so at least I don't know the 2nd.
ETA: He confirmed it's a video iPod 80GB. Woohoo!

Now, I'm still stumped as to what to get him. Nothing seems meaningful even though everything I buy him is something he wants or likes. Is it just me or is it hard to buy for your spouse?

Colds, MNI and more

I have a cold. Blah!!!! I hate being sick. My head is stuffy, my ears are stuffy, my nose alternates between running and stuffy, my voice is dying and I feel so tired. But I'm a mom and moms don't get sick days.

Despite that, we went to dh's office Christmas party yesterday. His boss closed early and we all went to the Rockhouse Grill. It's a bar/grill that's part of a hotel near the office. It wasn't condusive to kids but we managed. Most of the tables are the tall tables with tall chairs like bar stools. We did have a portable booster with us so at least Ian was somewhat safe buckled in. It was pretty good food and company. I got to see a few employees I used to work with and it's always nice to catch up. Everyone got a grab bag and we even won a tv. I have no idea what kind or size and I have no clue what I'm going to do with it. We certainly don't need one and I don't plan on allowing one in the boys' rooms anytime soon.

I had a Mom's Night In (MNI) last night at Jen's. Omg! I haven't laughed that hard in ages. I had tears in my eyes and had a hard time catching my breath. We did a "I never" game which is a drinking game (some of us were drinking, others only soda/water). It got rather R rated sometimes. LOL What is said to the girlfriends, stays with the girlfriends though so I won't post anything. I learned a lot of new stuff though about my girls! We also played Taboo and Heather's team kicked my team's butt! Everyone brought good food and we had good conversations. It's just so nice to get out with my friends.

Christmas is only 13 days away! I think we've bought everything but we still haven't decorated or even started wrapping. I have packages to mail and stuff to pick up. I feel more overwhelmed this year. I guess it's because I have a toddler and preschooler with me at all times. Getting both in and out of the car and keeping them content while shopping or waiting in lines can be tough. I need to start thinking of our Christmas Eve dinner menu and start buying food. On top of it all, dh has to finish painting a small section of the house and we have to make time to use tickets to Busch Gardens we were given. (I know poor me LOL)

I haven't done a single layout for my retrodiva scrapbooking team although I have tried. I've tried a few times and I'm not liking anything I do. It's like I've lost all inspiration. Ugh...

More Loganisms

"That's GISGUSTING"
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Today I told him we needed to go run errands. I guess he thought I said ERINS because he asked if we needed to run Olivia's too. LMBO!!!!

Should I be insulted?

While leaving Publix tonight, I had a discussion with the bagger who was taking my groceries out to the van. I had noticed the Toys For Tots box near the exit so I asked if I could just bring my new toys in.
Him: No, that's for people who buy toys in the store to donate.
Me: What does it matter, it's all going to the same organization. I have new toys at home I'd like to bring in.
Him: Ummm it's an organization for really poor kids. They don't want people's used, beat up toys.
Me: I have new toys.
Him: Are they still in their box, unopened?
Me: Yes, they are NEW.
Him: (very low voice- I think he said it was okay or something)

At this point, he was done with the groceries and I just walked to my door without a thanks or have a good night. Should I feel insulted? I really feel this guy was just an idiot. Ugh!

Lots of stuff!

Thanksgiving
We had 2 dinners, one Thursday and one Saturday. Food was yummy all around. I tried a new cake recipe that was WW friendly and everyone loved it! Noone knew it was light. I may have to make it for Christmas too or try something new.

Disney
Sunday after, we left for vacation. Yippee!! One full week at DisneyWorld. We stayed at the Coronado Springs Resort (on Disney property). It was a beautiful resort with a large lake in the middle. It's split into the Casitas, Ranchos and Cabanas all with their own bus stops. It doesn't share buses either so it's not a long wait or ride to the parks. We took advantage of the buses all week. The main pool is huge with a giant waterfall. There's an explorer's playground and some smaller pools around the resort too. It has 2 different lounges, a table service restaurant (Maya Grill) and a counter service type restaurant (Pepper Market). We ate a buffet breakfast at Maya one morning and it was only okay. Pepper Market was bad the 1st time and okay the 2nd time. They have different stations where you can order a meal such as pizza, mexican, chinese, etc. The resort is huge and never seemed crowded even though there were 2 conventions going on as well.

Monday we had breakfast ressies at Hollywood & Vine at MGM. It was a really yummy buffet. The characters were Leo and June from Little Einsteins and JoJo and Goliath from JoJo's Circus. They danced around the room and came to each table for pics. Logan wanted nothing to do with them. We did a few shows like Playhouse Disney which the boys both loved. Logan even got up and danced. For dinner, we had ressies at the SciFi dinner drive-in. You get to sit in convertible cars to eat dinner. They show funky monster movie clips (think 50's movies) on the big screen. The dinner was very good and our waitress was great! After dinner, we went over to see the Osbourne Family Lights which were set to music(TransSiberian orchestra) this year. Very cool!

Tuesday we went to Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary for breakfast. Logan said he wanted to give Goofy a hug before we left the hotel that morning and he did just that as soon as he saw him! We also saw Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Pluto. Good breakfast but not as good as HW&V. We ventured into the Contemporary's shops while we were there and dh found a Car he wanted. There was a guy buying stuff in front of us and he paid for our car as well. Spreading the Disney magic! We made our way to the Magic Kingdom for the day. We were having dinner at the Crystal Palace that night and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party(MVMCP) was that night as well. CP's buffet was Yum-o! They had this Pasta with wild mushroom/chicken sauce that was soooo good! It was raining on and off all day though. :( At the MVMCP, it continued to rain which sucked! They cancelled the 1st parade and show. Logan did get to ride his first Big Boy roller coaster though- Thunder Mt Railroad. He loved it so much he went twice in a row! We tried taking him on the little kid rc but he wasn't having it. We did get to see the fireworks before leaving for the night and got some great pics. The boys were exhausted. Logan and Ian both fell asleep on the bus.
ETA: How could I forget?! Ian had his 1st haircut at the Barbershop on Main St at the Magic Kingdom today as well! We waited for like an hour since people were lined up. Everyone was getting their hair cut or painted and glittered. Ian sat down very nicely though and the lady gave him like 15 stickers to play with. It kept him still for a short time. I had to hold him there though eventually so she could finish. She did end up with his bangs a bit too short but he was wiggly so I forgive her. LOL We got his hair clippings wrapped up with Disney confetti, a certificate and his first haircut (embroidered) Mouse ears. He didn't cry thru the whole haircut, only when I put those Ears on him. Silly boy! He's too cute though now with his haircut.

Wed we headed over to Epcot. We ate lunch at the Coral Reef. I was so not impressed. It was one of those "gourmet" restaurants and the portions were teeny tiny. Logan's pizza was bigger than dh's and my meal put together I think. My fish was underseasoned although the sauce was really good. The soup (lobster) was REALLY yummy though. Dh ordered a veggie layered dish and it was so little. Oh well. Live and learn. It was raining on and off all day Wed too. Wonders of Life was open though so the boys got to run around a bit and work off some energy. It was empty inside. They should really update it and add to it. We did get to hear a bit of the choir show they have at Christmas time and it sounded lovely.

Thursday we headed to Animal Kingdom. Dh found the jackpot in Cars here. We not only found Blue Mater (New Mator), but Hamm (Toy Story car), Cruisin' McQueen and Radiator Springs McQueen. We went on the Safari ride which Logan enjoyed. It was HOT out. No rain for the rest of our vacation thankfully though although we kept our ponchos and stroller cover handy. We left that park early so we could refresh before MY dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table. Yea!! I got to meet Cinderella! Getting to the castle was a feat in itself as the bus seemed to be running slower than usual and there was a show going on which made it hard to get into the castle. We had to go ALL the way around the park to get to the back of the castle. Ugh! We got inside and Ian and I took a pic with Cinderella in front of the Christmas tree. When we were called, we went up this long spiral staircase to get into the restaurant. The decor of the place made it so magical. The boys each got a sword which were promptly taken away by mom and dad. LOL The food was very good! Dh had a spring roll for his appetizer which I swear was bigger than his entire dinner at Coral Reef! I had the corn/crab soup which was very creamy and slightly spicy. Yum! Dh had the cheese tortollini and I had the pork tenderloin. He loved his pasta and mine was good as well. I think I'll try the chicken next time (yes I will be back!). Dh had the blueberry buckle and I had the Chocolate Mousse cake for dessert and both were delish. Ian got buttered noodles on the house as he's a little guy and Logan got the 3 course dinner as well- fruit/veg/chs plate, mini hotdogs with mash pot. and green beans and a sundae with a choco. crown for dessert. The waiter even brought Ian a sundae. Very nice of him! The 1st fireworks of the evening (before our 2nd MVMCP) went on while we were seated at the table and they dimmed the lights in the restaurant. It was awesome seeing the fireworks thru the windows. We got to see the mice and the Fairy godmother as well. It was just very fun! Since we were rained out on Tuesday's MVMCP, we bought tickets for that night and while busier than Tuesday, we still had fun. Logan rode his roller coaster again and we got our free cookies, apples, apple juice and hot chocolate. We did get to film the parade as well. There were 2 floats that actually had scents to them- both smelling like different cookies. Yum!

Friday was our free day so we went to Downtown Disney which was packed! We took pics of the huge Lego creations and did some shopping at World of Disney. We actually drove so Ian fell asleep in the car on the way back. I let dh take him inside the room while Logan and I went for a walk. They ended up napping together. Awww. Logan and I had an impromptu photo shoot on the beach and grassy areas of the resort. I got some good shots of him I think. We ended up doing takeout from Pepper Market for dinner. Much better than the 1st time we went.

Saturday we were supposed to go to Crystal Palace for lunch but I remembered the Disney Christmas Parade was being filmed all weekend and the park was going to be slammed! We decided to hit Epcot instead which was pretty darn busy as well. Logan did get to ride Test Track for the 1st time (and again) thanks to FastPasses. We walked around the World, ate lunch and I got to meet one of my GF from my Sept 2002/2002 Moms groups and her family. It's always so nice to meet someone you've talked to online. They couldn't be nicer! Logan took right to her and wanted to ride rides with her. LOL So we went on Nemo, saw the Crush show and went on Spaceship Earth with them. We talked for a bit too. It was time to go home though and I was so sad to leave. I know I can go back anytime I want but I really didn't want to leave. I could live there. Even Logan kept saying he wanted to go back to the hotel. I think he's happy to be home though where all his toys are. He's even gotten better at using the potty since we've been gone (Knock on wood). I'm happy to be sleeping in my big king size bed for sure. LOL I can't wait to go back!

Misc- Ian is obsessed with 2 things now- water and blowing raspberries at everyone. If he saw water anywhere- he was yelling waaaaerrrr. Every. Time. And there was water everywhere! Fountains, lakes, bottles...
He won't say Hi to anyone, he'll just blow raspberries at them. Ugh. Everyone thinks it's so cute too which just eggs him on. I'm trying to break him of it, but it isn't working. Mousekeeping was awesome. We had the same girl all week- Mary Ann- who always did something fun with the boys' toys. She also had towel animals, baskets made of towels, etc set up. She'd pose their trains in the window with Logan's GO pillow or on the bed in some cute way. We did get to meet her which was nice. She also left us chocolate kisses and Reese cups(mini).

What we bought- because people always ask. Not sure if this is all of it.
Dh- 3 shirts, lots of Cars

me- 2 shirts, a backpack (seam broke on straps 3 days later and was able to exchange w/out receipt- thumbs up CS), blanket (w/purchase), pin set (w/purchase), Minnie stuffed animal magnet, Tinkerbell ornament, Disney ornament storybook set

the boys- each a shirt, several Cars, Goofy doll, Figment doll, toy train

Have I said I want to go back yet??? Maybe next year or dh says the year after...we'll see.

Hmmm

Not exactly sure why I'm writing anything tonight. I'll have to make something up here......Thanksgiving is getting closer and I told my mom I'd make pies. I love making desserts. She wants me to make this pumpkin/cool whip pie thing from Kraft. I hate cool whip. Blech! It always leaves me with a tummy ache. She only wants "real" (aka fattening) pies too. She's gonna have to compromise if she wants that cool whip crap. LOL I'll make it, but I'm going to make something yummy and healthy for me. Dh suggested the spice/pumpkin cake I made a few weeks ago. Yum! I also saw a recipe for a praline pumpkin pie on WW website I think. I'll make an apple pie for my dad too. I'm lucky- dh always peels the apples for me. Isn't he sweet?

I can't believe Christmas is so close already. It's unreal. I think I've got the boys' shopping done. I have no clue what to buy some of my family. I'm at a complete loss. I don't want to do the same food baskets I've done in the past. I made my grandmother a towel "cake" 2(or 3) years ago bc I knew she wanted towels and this was a unique way to "wrap" them. As of last year, they were still in cake form bc it was "too pretty" to take apart. She uses them as a Christmas decoration in the bathroom. I take it as a compliment. I do think I'm going to make some photo calendars using my digital scrapbooking kit and have those printed for gifts. I guess gift cards will be in store for a lot of people. I just don't see them very often or they don't need anything.

Keela, I know you like to read what everyone's buying the kids so here's our list (LOL) There may be more I'm forgetting.

Logan- Mack (Cars) playset, FP digital camera, 2 wooden Thomas trains (if they get here in time), Ramone and Luigi (Cars) playsets, Cars carrying case/racetrack, hooded towel and we make fix up a bike he has in the shed.

Ian- Vtech Smartville train and ice cream shoppe, TMX Elmo, Thomas stuffed train, Playful Puppy thingy (moves and makes noises), hooded towel

Ok, I can't think of anything else to write right now. I know there were some very cute Loganisms recently but my brain is tired and doesn't remember them. I hate that I can't remember them. It's like a piece of childhood gone.

Accident prone or clumsy?

Poor Logan, he always has some kind of bruise on him- mainly on his shins. This past week, he's been smacked in the face with a heavy handicap swing, he "rolled" off his bed (his words) sometime Saturday night and has these ugly scratches on his face (I'm guessing from the storage tote next to the bed), he was spinning, fell and scraped his ear on a toy, he's always tripping over something or I'm hearing Owww from somewhere in the house. I was talking to my mom about him and she said my sister was the same way. What's funny is that Logan is the less daring of my boys and of his friends. He doesn't jump off of walls/beds/swings/etc. The joys of boys...


Christmas is coming!! Oh my it got here fast. I went thru my bedroom aka storage area on Saturday to see just what kind of stuff I've collected. I have so many toys it's ridiculous. I tend to buy things when they are on clearance and then I have stuff for Christmas, birthdays, etc when I need it but I still have stuff in there from 2 years or more ago. LOL I'm Ebaying a FP Powertouch system and books that I bought. I've got games that will be gifts this year. I've got some unopened stuff that was a gift to me that I need to re-gift or sell or something. (no more candles/candelabras please !) There's still more in huge plastic totes in my closet too that I haven't gone thru. I think Toys for Tots will be getting some stuff. Maybe one of the local hospitals would like some stuff too. I need to check into that. Anyone else want to donate? That may be a good idea to present to our playgroup. If everyone bought just one small toy ($10 or so) we could have a great donation to either TFT or the hospital. There are so many children stuck in the hospital all year long and I'm sure the holidays can be tough. Check out this BLOG I found on BBC yesterday. It's a good read.

As for my WL, I'm up 0.6 this week. My hands are a bit swollen feeling though this morning so I'm going with water weight as the culprit.

I'm sad

I recently found a friend on MySpace again. She was my best friend for years and then we drifted apart. I'd stop by to see her once in a while and drop her an email but very rarely did she make the effort to see/talk to me. The last time I spoke to her, she was getting married this fall and I was so looking forward to seeing her marry this guy. He's super nice and treats her well. I was told we were invited but when no invitation came, I figured the wedding was postponed or something. Like I said, we had been friends for years. I sent her a long email a while back but never heard from her. When I found her on MySpace tonight, she's already gotten married. I'm not sure why it makes me so sad, but it does hurt. I still love her and I still think of her all the time. I was there when she was pregnant and scared. I was there when she left her 1st dh. I was supposed to be there when her 3rd dd was born (she came quick!) and now this. Sigh.... Maybe we're just too different now.

On to happier thoughts- I'm finally redecorating my guest/hall bath. I got a cute monkey curtain from Target and we bought paint today. We're also looking for a new door for the front of the house. The one I like has to be custom ordered which adds like $300 to the price. Ouch! It's a medium oak fiberglass door with an oval window with zinc etching. I'm not a big fan of the brass etching I saw. My BIL will be here painting the outside of the house while we're on vacation. I can't wait to see it when we get back!

I can't believe our vacation is coming up so quickly either. I'm so excited though!! I just can't get tired of Disney. I'm telling you, I'd live at Cinderella's castle if they let me! (don't worry Julie, you can come visit! LOL)

Scary news- Friday night Logan, Ian and I were eating at the table. Dh had a computer case in the middle so I couldn't see Ian but I heard him fussing. I ignored him for a minute or 2 and then CRASH- he was on the floor. He was in his booster seat and had somehow pushed his chair and it fell backwards. The dogs' bowls were right behind him and it has a metal pole that goes up in between them. The pole went thru the slats of the chair and was no more than 1/2inch from his head. If Ian had fallen to the side a bit more, it could have been tragic. He was shocked but fine. It freaked me out though!

What else...Let's see...hmm...Julie has lost her artsy phartsy mojo so if anyone sees it, please contact me so I can get it back to the rightful owner. Thanks! LOL

Down on the farm and meltdowns

You'd think I'd know by now what my day will look like when Logan gets up at 5:30am. Thankfully, he doesn't mind playing in his room quietly while I sleep. At 5:45 I got up for some reason- the alarm usually goes off at that time but I don't remember hearing it. I open my eyes and I can tell that Logan's light is on. I went to his room and he's laying on the floor with his "go" pillow (I guess you'd call it his lovey- it's got Go/Stop in green/red on each side, he loves that thing and must have it to sleep) on his head. I tell him to get back in bed, the sun isn't up yet and I turn off his light. Not that it matters, in 10min it's on again. Whatever, I'm going back to sleep! LOL I have no clue whether he went back to sleep or not. Anyway, we were up and dressed to go to Granma's Hug N Farm this morning with our playgroup. Went to get on the interstate and some idiot on his cell phone neither speeds up or slows down knowing I'm about to merge and I have to floor it just to get in front of him. Grrr. Everything was fine all morning at the farm. We got to see a cute baby pig who acted just like a toddler. He/she just wanted attention and to be scratched/petted. We saw goats, horses, sheep, chickens, rabbits and a very preggo donkey. Poor thing looked ready to pop! We went on a hayride, ate lunch and came home. On our way home, we end up behind a pickup carrying a huge load of produce boxes. While on the On-ramp to the interstate, one of his boxes falls off, something green goes everywhere and something green and juicy hits my windshield. Now I have a juicy windshield. I had to manuever out of the way of the box though and I still clipped it but at least it didn't end up under my van.

We also had a playdate scheduled for the afternoon. Usually I wouldn't do 2 playdates in one day but I knew there were some new members coming and I wanted to be there to meet them. This is where Logan comes in. I know he's tired poor baby. He was playing with Hayden and Hayden walked away. Logan starts just crying "I want my Hayden back". LOL! It was so cute. Then, he and Alex were playing on the handicap swings and I guess Logan was pushing Alex and the swing came back and smacked him in the face. I'm across the park where I can see him but of course I wasn't looking at the time. I heard his wail though and knew immediately it was him. Amazing how you know your child's cries. He's now the proud owner of big swollen under eye. I bet it will be a shiner tomorrow but we'll see. On the way out, he wanted to push the stroller "all by myself!". I insisted on helping him bc it was turning all wonky (thanks for the word Julie) and that led to another meltdown. Sigh...I was so glad when dh got home and I was able to take a small break. Dh even gave both boys a bath for me. Yea!!! Now I'm busy blogging when I really should be working. I typeset the promotions for dh's company which gives me some play money every few months (yeah, like I don't play with the everyday money too! LOL). Here are some pics from today!

Donald Duck! (and poison control)

Logan has been asking dh to do the Donald Duck voice. He cracks up when he hears it. Ian loves it too but tonight he started trying to imitate dh. It was too cute! I went to put him to bed and was nursing him and he'd pull off, "quack" at me and nurse some more. I was dying!

My 1st (I think) call to poison control was today. Yippee. NOT! Logan started having what seemed to be diarrhea but it was only a little bit. I was sitting in the bathroom with him and he said his tummy hurt and "that" tasted yucky. I was like, What tasted yucky? He pointed to the TILEX bottle! OMG! I asked him if he sprayed it in his mouth and he said no but how would he know it tasted bad? The bottle said to give him water and call the DR. I called PC and they took the info and said if his lips aren't swelled (it's a corrosive) and he's acting fine, then he's fine. It wouldn't have caused diarrhea she said. Thank goodness for PC!

Silly girls!

I had the best time yesterday. It was one of those face-aching smiling, laughing til you cry, snorting good times. Amy, Jen, Julie and I went park hopping at Disney. What a hoot they are! I'm so inhibited compared to them. It was just us girls, we left all the kiddos home. Mission Space was an awesome ride! We did the more intense side and it was so much fun. We wanted it to last longer (well, maybe Amy didn't LOL). We ate at a few countries. Noone would try my escargot and it was yummy! We had sushi, cold noodle salad, baklava, greek salad, goat cheese tartlet, and more. Mmm.
Hopped over to MGM and did the Rockin Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror (so fun!). As we were walking into the park, everyone was lined up for the parade to start. Not even thinking about it, but trying to avoid the crowds on the sidewalk, we walked down the middle of the road. Several people started clapping for us. We were the parade! Hehehe.
Hopped on the bus to MK where we went to drive the cars first. Okay, I'm a good driver IRL but I SUCKED at driving this car. The steering was on the right side and I had to use my left foot. No matter how little I touched the wheel, we'd go all the way over to one side or another. Thank goodness for the mini barrier under the car so you couldn't plow into someone else! LOL OMG I'm cracking up just thinking about Julie and I in the car! She was dying laughing and Jen and Amy were laughing at us. Poor people next to us thought we were going to hit them a few times! ROFLMAO! I was so glad when it was over. The teacups were hilarious as well. Julie and Jen wanted to spin fast so they rode together and Amy and I rode together. They were a riot! They were squealing and throwing their heads back so they were practically upside down. Too funny! This pic is probably too small for you to see Julie's smile. Jen's got her head thrown back. It was hard to take a pic while spinning!

On to the Haunted Mansion. Jen had been on it years ago and tried to do the sinister laugh along with the recording, only it ended up being SO loud! I think everyone outside heard her! LMBO! We also went on the Thunder Mountain RR and I'm not sure what got them going but Amy started laughing and the sound of it got Julie laughing and then we were all laughing. Quite contagious(that's where the snorting comes in too)! We did get to see the fireworks before leaving the park. I get chills everytime I see them. It is magical. If it's that magical for me, I can't imagine for someone who is seeing them for the 1st time. It was a wonderful day and one I'll never forget. I hope we can do it again one day!! Thank you to my wonderful girlfriends for going!! Not sure what I'd do without you guys!

Oh I almost forgot. Julie loves to people watch so she noticed this guy while we were watching the flag lowering. Amy was trying to take a picture on the fly but being the Amy she is, she walked up to him and asked to take a pic of his hair. You have to be pretty secure to put purple paint, mickey confetti and a Mickey mouse head in your hair(on the back)!

Halloween

It's over! Phew! All day Logan kept telling me he didn't want to wear his costume. By golly, I went thru enough trouble putting it together, he was going to wear it! LOL Ian did not want to put his on either but once it was on, he was fine and even wore his hat all night! Wow! We went ToT to a few homes- most people had their lights off. :( There seem to be fewer and fewer ToT'ers every year. Here are some pics! On the first parrot pic- he was pulling at the feathers and it came undone. I had to reglue those.