My Three Peas in a Pod

Trying to catch up my blog entries and I was scrolling through my photos and these made me smile.   Sometime in early October I tried to grab photos of the kids together.  Ellie is still in her pajamas and Adam in his Red Bird Skywalker hood bath towel that he loves (which he hated at first...he has an aversion to hood and hat faces for some reason until he gets used to them).

So serious!

So let's try and get all three.

Yeah, this is the best shot!  Despite the chaos, our lack of sleep and my inability to read anything anymore, they are worth it...! Mostly ;)

Birthday Weekend

By Birthday weekend, of course, I mean mine.  But also Tammy's and Carolyn's.  But let's cover this out of order.  Let's start with Pam, who looks very nice in this photo I snapped.  We see each other only a few times a year, two of the times usually around each other's birthdays.  I go visit her cottage in the summer and she comes here in November.   Last year, I had dragged her to the Twilight finale for my birthday and turned her...her and her whole family went home and rented the whole series.  Night out is harder this year with Ellie.  She came over for a couple of hours on Saturday and hung out, snuggling Ellie and brought me a bag bearing gifts, including wine (YEAH!) and a frame that says "Behind every good Kid is a Great Mom"  I told her I don't think I get Great mom status but I've earned "good".  When Todd came home, we decided to run over to Azteca as we had just enough time, where I took this photo.  No cocktails for us old ladies, iced tea for her and mandarin soda for me.  It really hit me that we're 37!  Wow.  It's become a part of my birthday week I look forward to, touching base with a friend who knows WAY too many of my secrets ;), has picked me up out of a pile of my own vomit (Oh, college days) and saw me through every adolescent (and a few adult) "boy" drama you can think of.  She's lived in Buffalo a long time now, but I'll never stop hoping she comes back this way!!

Let's back up now.  On Friday, Tammy came over bearing gifts.  Of course, it's never been lost on us that our birthdays are a day a part...and have celebrated one way or another.  This year, Tammy brought me a bag FULL of Christmas decorations, including this toilet topper, which she assumed my kids would love and of COURSE they did! As a matter of fact, when I asked Adam on my birthday to sing me Happy Birthday as a birthday present to me, he informed me that the Santa Toilet was my birthday present.  HA!  I guess Miss Tammy was right!  On my birthday, Tammy also brought a post on her blog about how awesome I am which got me a little teary, of course :)

My birthday was on Monday, so I turned down repeated offers from Todd to go out to dinner.  My three little kids at 7pm at a restaurant just sounded like work!!!  We got Ruby Tuesday take out after they went to bed and I started to nod off on the couch..what a wild and crazy kid I am!  I had bought myself a Carvel cake that we all plowed into before we put the kids to bed and I'm sure you can imagine how easily they settled down...

No, it's not cake...but Ellie was loving her squash!!  Todd is getting me tickets to a musical I want to see in February because I said I wanted 1) more time with him and 2) a Dyson.  He said I could order the Dyson, but he wasn't going to do it and be the guy who got his wife a vacuum for her birthday!

Yeah, it was a turkey cake!  I also got lots of greetings on FB, including a couple of special messages from Jackie and Melissa, the kind that make your heart all gooey.  Waaaay better than a Hallmark!  Elizabeth sent me a Starbucks gift certificate....three kids has made me a HUGE coffee drinker.  And on Tuesday, I stopped by Bethany's office and she gave me the most beautiful frame.  It's going to have a pretty picture of Ellie in it soon!

But before that, on Saturday, the 16th, I posted a few photos of my sister Carolyn (who had sent me almost the same cookbook I sent her for her birthday...HA!) on FB to wish her a happy day.  This is her at Camp Good Days, as you know a defining experience in our lives.

I forgot about this family photo.  It's nice to have us all in it.  Dad looks healthy and happy and hey, I was waaaaay thinner than I thought I was.

Yup, Carolyn did ROTC in college.  Rocked the camo.  I always looked up to her.  She always seemed to have boundless energy for school, work and activities.

The hair in this is fabulous.  We had this done for my Mom circa 1994?  We look alike but in different colors.

So I was inspired to pull out the stops for Tammy's birthday.  I had been trying to figure out something special to do as it hasn't been the most fun year for her.  I decided on a "this is your life".  Some of these pictures were on, a few others as well.  This is going to Rocky Horror the first time:

Grand Cayman... 2000

A cafe in Cannes, France.  We were tired and dirty but isn't this just the quintessential I traipsed through Europe shot?

Saratoga Race track circa 2006.

College theatre.  I was behind the scenes and she was on it.  I look like a little kid.

College graduation, kind of a crappy day for me, but it was an exciting time.  I hesitated a bit as I know Tammy's "friends" on FB are often "fans", but I said what the hell because I knew, just knew, she'd love it...as long as I edited what I put up!

Where we first met, in third grade.  She said she did love it.  I'm glad I filled her birthday with a little surprise and fun.  We're not too old for that yet!  It was nice how many people cared to make my birthday special because I will admit it, after a hiatus, I like celebrating it again.  Happy 37th to me.  I can't believe how fast it's going by.

Abbey's Halloween School Adventure

Abbey's class usually walks to St. Luke's each year to trick or treat.  Her teacher had been worried that Abbey would struggle as they have a hard time getting her to leave her classroom, so we decided I would meet them there.  It through Abbey off because she knew it was a school day and things weren't going as usual.  By the time I got her there in a rain storm at ten am, it had been cancelled due to weather.  So we went over to her class where they informed me we were going to Bishop Commons, right next door.  Abbey was struggling and I didn't know what to do.  She calmed down enough for me to decide we'd try it, but I walked her over first to give her less time to panic.  She did struggle a bit in the foyer but once I showed her that she could get candy, it made her brave!  She trick or treated pretty well up and down the hall, only yelling once when an older man patted her on the head.  I was impressed, actually.  She even said trick or treat!  Look how well she did!

But when it came time to go in the party room, forget it.  It was crowded and some of the residents had masks on.  So we sat on the floor outside, watching.  She got her cookie and relaxed, a cute little Alice. I was so proud of her.  We walked back and she had a little meltdown when I left, but ended up having a good day.  I had been so worried for her...I hate that her anxiety keeps her out of some things but this was a decent milestone for Miss Abbey...

...especially considering the week before, Tammy had come to babysit Adam and Ellie so both Todd and I could take her to her Open House and it was rough.  It confused her that we went to school at night and we made her walk through each room to play the scavenger hunt.  She was upset the whole time, but since they couldn't get her out of the room without a meltdown during the day, we thought it should be pushed.  I think we were right.  She is getting more and comfortable and last week, she just walked in and said BYE! and didn't cry at all.  I felt proud of her.

Beat

Yesterday was such a long day.  It began at 3:30am and didn't end where I could sit down unil 10:30pm.  On top of the chaos of the three kids, I had to cram in an article for the Business Magazine I thought I had a few more days to do.  It's so hard to write with the three kids.  And even though Wagner has two kids, he's not the one at home.  He doesn't get it.  So he's asking me where's the story which is reasonable if I were at an office if I started writing it at noon it should be done at 5pm.  But in the mean time, I've had COUNTLESS things to take care of besides feeding a baby and making dinner and cleaning the house up there's always something that needs to be done or someone who needs help. And being up with the girls taking turn since 3:30am makes it harder.  I got Ellie to bed at 9:40pm and then I finished it.  Having the third kid has made free time almost non-existent, but when he contacted me last month, I wanted to be able to write here and there again.  Accomplish something outside my family, no matter how small and keep my little toe in the professional world just in case.  I love this job of being a mom, but I'm exhausted and there's no "down time".  I'm not in a hurry to get through the next couple of years because although the days can seem long, the years are flying by and I don't want to miss them, but I'm beat.  I am so glad we are going to a show tonight...I need a change of scenery.  I wish I wasn't going to be worried about Miss Ellie, but I know she's going to be OK deep down or I wouldn't go.

My clothes are all old and ill-fitting, my last few pairs of underwear are worn, my bras are falling a part, my hair's a mess and I just had to make myself shape my nails a little as they looked crazy and ragged.  I have huge circles and I'm walking around in sneakers from ten years ago that were in my donation bag before I split my other shoes.  I'm not into spending time on my appearance, never have been much, but this is a new level...I think I need to try and find the money and time to do something.  There's always something more important to spend my money on, something else to do besides deal with these things.  And with my weight being higher than I like, it's even easier to ignore the rest.  I guess I need to figure some things out.

We changed around our living room and bedroom this weekend and it was nice to have something different.  It feels better and we got a couch at Big Lots to replace that hulking piece of junk and we love it.  That was a nice way to start the week anyhow.

August Camera Dump

We went to Franklin Park a few times this summer.  I would say it was surely the summer of the city parks!  We met up with Bethany an her kids for a picnic in August.  Ellie was having a fussy day.  Bethany calmed her.

And she ended up not falling asleep until she was rocked in her carrier.  Bethany took the other kids to the fountain to splash around in but Abbey wouldn't go without me.  Adam loved it!

They had a blast on the playground, of course.

Adam just loves the big kids.

Devin is TOO grown up!

I just love this photo.  It's SO Abbey!  I ended up letting them go in the sprinkler in their clothes that day.  Why not?  Bethany and I agree it's exactly the kind of thing our Moms would NOT have done so it was a good idea :)

I'm not sure when I took this.  The end of August.  Handsome and serious.  My son.

So I grabbed a picture of the bassinet because at the time, I knew she'd be outgrowing it.  And she has. Her big girl crib is going up in our room this weekend and this will get carted upstairs.  Yes, I'm sentimental about it.  I used it for all of them!  Todd and I bought it as a store sample, one of the first items we got for Adam.

My family.  What a goofy shot.

Check out Adam's face lol

Adam in time out.  Clearly, he was nonplussed by being in trouble.

And my baby Ellie...  this was a couple of months ago, but so stinking cute.

Adam's Open House

A few weeks ago, Bethany and Briana watched the girls and we took Adam to is Open House and fall concert.  It seemed like yesterday we went last year.  He had seemed so young and lost.  Not this year.  What a difference.  He was singing right along.  Of course, I had to scold him to stop hitting people with his pumpkin!  But he knew what was going on and was into it.  He did such a good job and we were so proud!

Making faces during the If you Love Halloween and You Know it Just Say Boo! song...priceless!

SO grown up!

Singing away :)

We walked from the church to the school for Open House and here's Adam showing Daddy where his hook is.

And one of his projects hanging up, which he was so proud of.

Miss Elizabeth and Mrs. Pelow.  They are SO proud of Adam.  Afterwards, Todd and Adam went and got the car and I sought out his speech teacher.  She isn't my favorite person.  She doesn't answer my emails and she seems put off by my interest in what she is specifically doing.  Teachers who are irritated by involved parents are...irritating.  I haven't pushed it since he's doing so well.  A year ago, I was worried sick about Adam and now he's doing so well.

Should've Stayed in Bed. Except That's NEVER an Option for Me...

Yesterday pretty much sucked.  Any post that starts with a photo of a spilt shoe should tell you that.  But more on that in a minute.  Let's go back to the beginning.  Starting with the fact that Abbey got up for the second morning in a row at 4:30am, but not in a cute, I'm going to crawl in bed with my Mom way.  Awake and pissed.  And when Ellie was up getting fed, so I had been up since 3:45am already.  It was like she figured out when Ellie was up and needed to join in.  I got her a drink, got her some crackers and even laid with her for a few minutes.  Then she started yelling at 5:45am for help putting on a dress.  Um, no.  So we put our foot down.  So world war tantrum begun and went on until about 6:40am.  I had to put in the time.  It's hard.  You want to scold or give her something that she wants (she comes up with alternative requests I think to feel like she's still winning).  I got in the shower and then she emerged from her room a half hour later.  She seemed fine.  

We take a blanket from home with us to school, as Abbey likes to sit in the corner with it and have books read to her when she gets to school and is crying.  Yesterday, she decided to fixate on it and was really mad that we didn't bring it into Adam's school with us.  I literally don't have the hands and also, starting such habits only makes her worse.  She had a throw down tantrum in the middle of the parking lot at Trinity, stopping parents dropping off their kids from getting in and out.  We got through the side door as I'm dragging her, the baby and Adam, who was thankfully being good.  The secretary heard us, of course, and waved us down so I didn't have to walk through the foyer with her.  I walked to the basement and Abbey yelling for her snoopy blanket the whole time.  Adam's teacher met us at the door of his room, assuring us she would get him straightened out (Abbey is FAMOUS there).

I got her into the car and took her to school, where apparently, she had a great day...no crying.  I guess she got it out of her system.  And rushed home with Ellie to feed her before having to go to the doctor.  And stuck my hand in my coat pocket.  Onto poopy underwear from Adam's debacle at Toys 'R Us.  Well, I thought, I just reached the worst part of the day, right?

Got to the doctor for my appointment to check my blood pressure.  I got out of the car and twisted my ankle.  I limped in and just made it on time.  As they were about to weigh me (yeah), I noticed my shoe was split open.  On the opposite foot I had twisted.  Yup.  

Surprise, surprise, my blood pressure is still high.  Oh, and I have a clogged milk duct and infection.

Ellie and I went over to vote after that.  She was so tired from the day, she slept through the whole thing.  There was almost no challengers to the incumbants.  Oswego politics.

I had Adam stay at the school aftercare as I was uncertain how long my appointment would be.  He had stayed once last week for a 45 minutes to see how it went and it went well....  but today, he'd be bringing his lunch.  He was excited when I showed him his Shrek lunch pail all packed to go... healthy high five sandwich (ham and cheese to the rest of us), carrots, gummies and a juice box.  And a napkin.  And a napkin.  That's how it said it because there were two...!  This was a bright spot in the day... a weird milestone that got to me a bit.  He ate lunch at school!  In a cafeteria!  And loved it.

The rest of the afternoon is kind of a blur because I was so exhausted.  And Abbey was, too, but I was not going to push a nap as I am struggling to get her back on track with DST.  By the time Todd got home, Abbey was punchy and bouncing off the walls.  Ellie had been up since 12:30, so she was miserable, too.

She actually went to sleep OK fairly easily for the first time in a long time.  We ended up ordering wings after they were in bed and were going to watch our new favorite couple show Sleepy Hollow, but I fell asleep sitting up on the couch, full of wings.

I could do with a vacation.  By that, I mean a weekend in a Marriott in a fluffy bed eating room service.  Sounds like a dream....

Baby Imbesi

On Sunday October 13, Elizabeth came back to CNY for a baby shower.  A friend since college, my first Women's Center friend, somehow we've managed to stay connected despite few visits and her moves.  She lives in Michigan now, but both her and her husband are from Cicero.  Actually, she's doctor Imbesi now.  She is a psychologoist at a VA hospital.  Last year, after her and her husband decided they wanted to try for a baby...she got pregnant right away.  Yeah, it happens!  It's a boy... but the name is a secret...  It was mostly Jason's big, Italian family.  And a few friends; me, from Oswego, a friend from Buffalo where they went to grad school and friends from Boston, where they lived for almost a decade.  It was at Jason's sister's house in a subdivision....the house was very nice, the food was good and there was a lot going on.

I had Ellie with me, who was so well behaved most of the time, people didn't even realize she was there.  And even when she did get fussy for a meal, I took her upstairs to a bedroom and she refused to eat.  It was an odd day.  I ended up rocking her to sleep in her car seat while they opened gifts.

Here's Dad-to-be Jason with Ellie when I had set her up on the couch at the beginning so she could take it all in.

A food shot.  I like to try and do these even though I'd never eat this lol.  I ate the salad and the pasta.

Elizabeth wanted some maternity shots and I really wanted to take some.  I took them outside and put them by the fence as I didn't want the subdivision background.  I got a few nice shots, but I knew right away I wasn't going to get what we both wanted this way.  People were coming and going, understandably, and I couldn't find a spot they were both just at ease in.  Of course, the pictures look good and they look good....but I wasn't going to get THE shot this way.

They look nice...but posed.  (Of course they look nice, they are a very photogenic couple!)

Love this.

Their niece came out and I grabbed this shot..love it.

I decided to have them sit down.  Right away, they were clearly more at ease and there was more going on...  I love this picture.

They look great here... but not really a prego shot and they got photo bombed.  Guess I need some fancy software to edit this stuff out :)

Then she wasn't paying attention.  And I got my shots.  I can never rest until I got THE shot.  I got a couple.  She looks beautiful and serene, glowing and pregnant.

Cute interaction.

Happy glowing Mom to be.  Elizabeth said she didn't even know I took these.  Those are MY FAVORITE photos.  Most of us come out different when we are "aware" of the camera.  It was fun to be able to capture this moment and this phase of their life for them.  I learned from my first "prego" photos :)  It's amazing with everything going on, and with Ellie there, we got what we did... it's not hard to take a good picture...but it's exciting to get the RIGHT picture.

Ellie had had enough of sitting around by the time I was done, so I don't have a ton of great photos of the party.  I did grab this shot of the cupcakes :)  We sat down and ate and talked and then, as I mentioned, watched them open gifts.  They had put on their invitation that gifts were welcome, but not necessary, which I thought was a great way of putting it and that their baby was an eco baby and welcomed recycled items.  I told her when I got the invitation it was the hippest baby invite I ever got :)

They got a lot of nice gifts and a couple of bags of my old Adam clothes, too (I was delighted to give his stuff to someone I know will use it...it's very hard for me to let go of their clothes, especially Adam's.)  The TV was on some sporting event for the all the guys there (this was officially co-ed).  It was nice to see them enjoy the moment.  As you get older, you think you don't want or need these traditional things sometimes.  But in the end, it's nice to experience rites of passage like baby showers.  It's a way to mark the time and enjoy everyone's excitement and goodwill.  I don't remember much of my first pregnancy, but I remember my shower and sharing the excitement with everyone.   It was also nice to talk in person with Elizabeth, which is somehow never awkward, even though it's sometimes years.  I am so happy for them!  This is an exciting time and I know, despite all the time I'm SURE they've spent analyzing it, they will be amazing parents and I can't wait to meet baby Imbesi.