Angela's Chocolate and Potatoes

Claire Alese

2011-03-08T12:36:00.000-05:00

The newest member of our family was born on February 18 at 8:12 pm. Claire Alese weighed 8 pounds 8 ounces and was 21 inches long. She is a beautiful girl.
My water broke at 4 pm. I made it to the hospital by 5 pm. I luckily got an epidural in time and with only 4 pushes Claire was born. It was a quick labor. Gregory and Lucy both adore their little sister. I feel much better now that I have given birth. I feel so blessed to have three little loves in my life and one big one (my husband).

I do hope everyone is doing well.
Smiles!

another year

2011-01-02T21:41:00.001-05:00

Christmas was a lot of fun, but mostly it was relaxing. Thank goodness for that. The kids had a blast opening and playing with their new toys, especially Daddy. I got Cullen an automatic Nerf gun. We all have had fun with that. Even little Lucy. She will shoot it and stand up and scream in excitement and say something that we can’t understand because of her excitement. It has been so nice to have time off together as a family. Gregory does go back to school tomorrow and I will miss him. I enjoy having him around during the day. I sort of wish we had put off kindergarten for another year, but it is good for him.
I feel like a train wreck. It is normal though. My body and pregnancy don’t go well together. I don’t have much longer though. I am due in February. I love my children so much. All their love and excitement for life keeps life interesting. It is hard to believe I will have three soon.
We now have my Great Grandmothers piano and I have enjoyed playing songs on it. It brings back memories of playing when I was a young child.

Well I shall go and relax.
Smiles

Oh and Happy New Year!

Christmas time

2010-12-07T09:42:00.000-05:00

Well I have been gone quite a while. Life is pretty good. Pregnancy is hard and I feel like I am falling apart, but it is worth it. I love feeling her kick. I also can’t believe that she will be here in a couple of months.
We have gotten all the kids Christmas shopping done and everything is wrapped on the off chance that they find the presents. That way they can stay a surprise. We also put up the tree a couple of days ago. It only has lights and a couple of ornaments, but it is so nice to have up. We are going to put on ornaments and the angel in a few days. Cullen and Gregory put lights outside all down the railing. There is also a light up candy cane and little lights that go down the path to the door. The weather has gotten so cold lately and has been so windy. We have some bells on the door and every now and then the bells will hit the door and I will think someone is there and get scared. Then I remember.
I really have been enjoying this Christmas season. The past few days Cullen and I have been sitting in the living room with the Christmas tree and Christmas music playing. I usually am sipping on a cup of hot chocolate. It is just so relaxing.

This Saturday my Great Grandmothers piano will be moved to our house. My Grandma has wanted me to have it. It is very nice. I have some good memories playing the piano when I was little. I am so happy to have the memories and to share the piano with my kids.

Oh and the kids are both doing well. Gregory is doing better at school. He has learned so much. Gregory is growing up so fast. I can’t believe how fast time is passing. Gregory is so watchful and a big help to me. I do love how he still likes to cuddle on the couch.
Lucy is a parrot she is talking nonstop. I do love it when they can talk, because it makes it so much easier to figure out what is going on. She still loves to eat and is constantly doing so. She doesn’t look like she eats that much though. I guess it is because I have been blessed with another child who rarely sits down. Did I mention I am tired?

Cullen job is going well. I am so happy he likes his job. He has so much more flexibility with this position. It works out great with my doctor appointments. We went to a children’s Christmas party with his work last Saturday. Everyone had fun.
Cullen has been great spending time with me relaxing and playing games, or watching movies. Speaking of movies, we watched the third Twilight movie last night. It was almost painful. I think I had somewhat the wrong reaction to some scenes in the movie. I ended up laughing a whole lot more than I should have. Some parts were just too cheesy for me.

So that is about it for now. I just have been busy and tired.
Smiles!

I don’t wanna do homework!

2010-10-15T11:23:00.000-04:00

I already went through school and now I have to do it all over again. I will survive it, I’m hoping. Gregory has his good days and his bad days. I am having a hard time not pulling out my hair.
Pay attention, you can do it, just write your name, you know this, good job, etc…
Save me!
I can not see pencil, because it is not dark enough. So, when Cullen is not home for homework time, which is almost every night, I am stuck watching the pencil lead. I have to watch him write every single letter. I can see the lead so the way I can tell if he is doing it correctly is if the pencil tip moves incorrectly. Oh well, I do what I have to. Gregory is getting better.

Today is pajama day at school for Gregory. He was so excited to wear his pajamas to school. It was sort of funny we had him put on a clean pair this morning. He also has a field trip to the pumpkin patch soon. He is very excited about all the things he has been able to do.

Lucy is just such a happy little girl. I just wish I could hire someone to feed her. I swear she never stops eating. She also eats a lot during meals too. If you don’t feed her all day long she screams like she is being starved and will die. Other than the food screaming she is all smiles and giggles. It is sweet how Gregory and Lucy get along. They will sit at the table and just laugh at each other.

Cullen is enjoying his job still. He is happy. It is great too, because he will have both Saturday and Sunday off this weekend again. With Gregory being in school it is nice because Cullen has more time with Gregory with a schedule like he has now.

I am pretty good. I have been getting massages to help with the pregnancy pain. I still get sick almost every day. Other than that I have been able to feel my little GIRL through out the whole day. She is a very busy one. I can’t believe how much of a kicker she is. Having another girl makes finding clothes easy, because I haven’t moved any of Lucy’s little clothes out of her room. It is all very exciting. The only things I want to buy are a double stroller and a pack in play for the other level of the house. It is just easier having a place to put the little one without worry about other little hands.
Besides growing a baby, going to kindergarten (I mean making Gregory do his homework), taking care of a starving one year old, cleaning and listening to books, and watching movies. It doesn’t seem like much, but by the end of the day I am so tired.

Well it is time for me to prepare lunch. Smiles!

Is it really October?

2010-10-08T14:59:00.000-04:00

Well, so much for free time after Gregory started school. I do have more time to myself during the day, but there is cleaning and surviving nausea and headaches. My body just doesn’t like pregnancy. Oh well, I am able to feel my little one kick every day now and that is awesome. I am half way there.

Gregory is now five. I had a harder day on his birthday than I did when he started kindergarten. Five just seems like a big marker. Gregory is doing better in school. The first month was rough, but we are making it through. He also knows how to spell his first and last names now. I am sure it won’t be long before he starts reading small words. He knows all his letter sounds. All this seems amazing to me. It is crazy how my sweet little baby boy went from babble to speech to writing to soon reading books and is no longer a baby at all. I will save this time passes to fast crisis for after I turn 30. I have a year and a half left till then.

Lucy has been so affectionate today. This morning she gave me at least twenty kisses. She is so sweet and silly. She is so giggly. That is how she is until she wants food and then she turns into the incredible screaming monster. I still don’t know where she puts all the food she eats. She is also able to identify many of her body parts and her clothes.

I really do enjoy both my kids and the little one who kicks me. It has been a fun and crazy journey so far. I love my family. Cullen is a darling too. He has been so helpful with me feeling like running to the toilet almost every day. It is nice to know I have that support. He is also enjoying his new position. Cullen likes working in all the different stores. Each day is a bit different for him. I do think that a job like that is great, because it is not as easy to get board. He is happy and that is the main thing.

I am happy too. Life keeps me busy and I am never running out of things to do. It is good. Well, little miss Lucy just woke up from her nap so I shall go see to her.

Smiles

Cullen is changing jobs, Gregory started school, Lucy is talking, and I need a break.

2010-09-10T13:01:00.000-04:00

Well, I will start with Cullen. He just found out today that he will be changing jobs. He had an interview and will be working with his entire district on the Taste of Giant. He is quite excited. This means he will be now driving quite a bit more, but he wanted this very much and is so excited about it. I am not quite sure all what his duties will be but it has something to do with the taste tables at the grocery store. I am so happy for him. He has been working for the company since he was 15. He keeps moving on up. So, YEA!

Gregory started school this past Tuesday. Oh and the first day was a stressful one. He got off to school well, but getting home was a different story. The bus driver should not let kindergarteners off with anyone but a parent. The driver let Gregory off at the stop before his stop and with a neighbor. I was quite the mess when Gregory was not on the bus at his stop. Then the neighbor saw me at the other stop and came over with Gregory and her son. I was not happy. She thought I wasn’t picking Gregory up, because I wasn’t at that stop and so she took him off the bus. I realize that she was only trying to help, but she did not have permission to take my son anywhere. If the parent is not at the bus stop to pick up their child the driver should drive the child back to school. I called the school, spoke to the driver and things have been going well since. If I was not at the bus stop for some reason I would rather Gregory be taken back to school. That way I would know where to find him. I don’t want to have to call the police and knock on every door in the neighborhood. Also if for some reason I don’t make it to the stop there is probably an emergency and I would want Cullen notified that Gregory was not picked up. That way someone would know something is wrong. So, I am thankful that is fixed now.
Other than that disaster, Gregory seems to be enjoying school. He packs his lunch the night before and really likes that. I think he also likes riding the bus. He has learned a bit, but it is also only the end of the first week.
The hardest part of Gregory starting school for me is that I don’t have as much control of my child’s safety. I fear something happening to my kids. I have to let go the older they get, but sending Gregory off to school on the bus is a big step.

Lucy is growing up too. It seems as if every word she hears now she repeats, over and over and over again. It is cute though. I also can’t believe she is talking this early. Lucy never had a pacifier, but now I realize she does. It is food, especially crackers. She is always asking for crackers. That must be her favorite word. She loves music and dancing. It is so cute she will dance, by swinging her arms and moving from side to side with her feet. At the same time she will laugh, because she is happy.

Yes, and I have news too. I haven’t thrown up in a week. Although I feel like doing so everyday. Morning sickness can leave now please. I am 16 weeks along. Today I feel pretty good. I do think a nap would be a good thing for today though. I may lie down after I post this. So, now that I have only one child during the week days that naps. I have some computer time again. At least until February.

So that is it for now.

Smiles

Great Summer

2010-08-16T15:08:00.001-04:00

No, I don’t have time for my blogging in the summer. I miss it, but I have really enjoyed all the activities and keeping busy with the kids.

We got back from Nags Head NC last week. We spent five days at the beach. It was lovely. Oh and so nice to just go and relax. I only had to change two or three diapers the whole time. Cullen was awesome. I had quite a lazy time. The weather was great. Both kids loved playing in the sand. Lucy really liked the waves. I had to watch her closely, because she would just run to the waves as they were going out and then would come back in and knock her over. It was so much fun.

Yesterday we went and visited with the kids godparents. We had a cookout. We also went out and about. They live in the city where I went to college and it was so nice to just go back. I miss the quiet. Northern Virginia is just so noisy. I can’t complain too much, because I also like all the things there is to do up here. Next week we are probably going to take a trip into D.C. for fun.

Gregory is a busy boy who will start kindergarten next month. It doesn’t seem possible. He is always moving and doing things. He is my big helper.
I was putting him to bed and he said “Mommy say don’t let the bad boys bite”.
He meant Don’t let the bed bugs bite. I thought that was so cute though.

Lucy is growing and moving and starting to say all sorts of words. Oh and boy does she love her food. It seems as if she never stops eating.

It is crazy how there little personalities are different. Gregory was a quiet baby, but never could sit still. Lucy is as noisy as ever, but doesn’t mind being in one place for a while. She is a climber and is moving all the time too now though. Yes and Gregory is never quiet. Oh and in February Lucy will be a big sister. Gregory is also very excited about the addition. We are blessed. That is also another reason I have not been blogging. I have been so darn tired and sick.

Smiles

Life doesn't slow down

2010-07-17T19:29:00.001-04:00

I am still alive just very busy. It seems as if I don’t have two minutes to get on my computer. I could possibly but the moment I sit down little Lucy is climbing up on my lap. It is hot and humid here, but I brave the ickyness to take the kids outdoors. Oh now we have a little outdoor set. We have been eating some meals, when the weather is not to horrible, outside. It is the most peaceful in the mornings and evenings. Although the bugs really love me in the evenings.

Tomorrow I am going to see Lady Antebellum in concert. My friend is going and she was able to get me a ticket. It is great. I haven’t seen my friend in over a year. We will go out to dinner before hand and be able to catch up.

Both the kids are doing pretty well. Lucy eats like she has been starved. I really can’t believe how much she can fit in her little belly. She is a pretty happy little girl. Gregory is busy also he really loves to play games. We played dominoes today and then we played a treasure hunting game. I hid his treasure and then put an X on the spot where I hid his treasure and he would go search for it. I drew the map of the living room. It is a skill that I think he is getting better at.

Hope all is going well for everyone.

Gregory makes me smile

2010-06-27T12:12:00.000-04:00

Gregory was looking at pictures and he came across one with Jesus with wings. He asked who that was and then turned to me and said “Mommy I saw Jesus and he is the tooth fairy.

Last night “Mommy you have one nose and two sniffers”

Keeping busy

2010-06-27T12:08:00.000-04:00

A week and a half ago Gregory, Lucy, and I got back from a two week trip to Idaho. It was nice to go back for a visit and see family. Cullen stayed home and worked. Gregory had a bunch of firsts in Idaho too. We went to a drive in movie, Shrek. I also took him to a roller skating rink. He was holding on to the side bar for dear life. He did make it around the rink two and a half times.

The one tough thing was that miss Lucy had a molar come in she cried nearly the whole visit. :Luckily her pain started to subside two days before we left to come back home. The molar on the other side of her mouth is coming in now. Let me tell you she is not happy. Gregory was so easy during teething. You wouldn’t even know when one of his teeth were coming in. Lucy lets me know.

It was good to go, but it is good to be back home. I am still getting back into the swing of things and dealing with a cranky one year old. Her poor teeth are bugging her still. Now there is cleaning and much more to take care of. I just want a nap.

Smiles!

A morning beer anyone?

2010-06-01T11:59:00.001-04:00

The other morning I woke up and Gregory came in my room. I asked him to get me a coke. He came back with a can. I opened it, took a sip, and poured the rest down the sink. He had brought me a beer.

I am glad I am able to tell the difference between beer and coke. I am noting the post I made about the coffee.

Heightened what?

2010-05-22T09:15:00.001-04:00

I am legally blind and became that way when I turned 17. I am 28. People say that my senses should be heightened. I am sure in a way they are, but I am a bit frightened to think what level they were at before I went blind.

This morning I made coffee. I had a cup. I got another cup and drank two sips and then realized it didn’t taste right. I fix my coffee by pouring a little milk in the cup and then filling the rest of the cup up with coffee. Well, I went to my coffee maker and opened the lid. I had forgotten the coffee. So what I was drinking was hot water with a little milk.

It wasn’t that badd though.
I guess I like hot deluded milk.

six years

2010-05-15T16:25:00.000-04:00

Well Cullen and I have been married for six years. It seems strange. It feels as if we have been together forever. I also can’t believe how six years have gone by so quickly. Those are two feelings that don’t really go together, but that is it.
He has to work today, but we will have a nice dinner together. It is a beautiful day though and think I will join Lucy in her nap.

Smiles!

PS: I love my crazy husband very very much.

Gregory’s most convincing lie

2010-05-14T15:52:00.000-04:00

I broke a plate on the kitchen floor.
Gregory was sitting at the table eating peanut butter off a spoon.

Mommy – “don’t go in the kitchen.”

Hear the clunk of a spoon going into the kitchen sink.

Mommy – “Gregory did you go in the kitchen?”

Gregory – “No”

Mommy – “That is a lie. Go to the corner.”

Gregory – “I didn’t go in the kitchen.”

Mommy – “Well then how did you get your spoon in the sink?”

Gregory – “I’ve got a gadget arm.”

Mommy – “Gregory don’t lie to me.”

Gregory – “I didn’t.”

Mommy – “Well show me how you did it.”

Gregory – went to the edge of the kitchen. “I used my gadget arm and put it in the sink.”

Mommy – “You did not that is a lie, you went in the kitchen.”

Gregory – Cries

Mommy – “Tell me the truth. Did you go in the kitchen?”

Gregory – “Yes.”

He finally told the truth, but his lie made me laugh after I walked away. I guess the show inspector gadget really has put ideas in his head.

Not too bad

2010-05-13T16:29:00.000-04:00

Mothersday was lovely.

The kids are pretty well behaved.

The house is mostly clean (It can never be completely clean, because there are always more clothes to wash, dishes to do, and another toilet to clean). I can’t complain right now.

Today we spent a lot of time outside. It feels very nice. You know not too hot and not too cold.

Last night we watched “The Blind Side” and that was a very good movie. It was really the best movie we had seen in a long time.

Tonight we are watching “The time traveler’s wife”. We read the book some time back and then the movie came out and we haven’t seen it yet. I hope it turns out to be a good movie. Books are always better, but I do enjoy seeing the change into film.

Gregory is truly my son. Yesterday at the dinner table I told Gregory to stop talking and eat. He did, but then with great expressiveness he started mouthing words and waving his hands. I corrected him, but it still made Cullen and me laugh.

Happy Birthday Little Lucy

2010-05-06T16:07:00.000-04:00

Lucy is 1 today. It seems hard to believe this past year has gone by so quickly.

Lucy stuck her hand on her cake and pulled it away. I think the sticky frosting surprised her. She really likes birthday cake.

Well I seem to be of few words lately so that is all for today. I am going to enjoy my children. Both of them are sleeping right now. It is very surprising because Gregory never naps.

Lucy is pretty easy to get to sleep as soon as I walk in her room with her she starts rubbing her eyes. I rock her for a minute, put her down, and cover her up. She fusses for a minute, but then she falls asleep.

Smiles!

A lovely morning

2010-05-02T11:43:00.001-04:00

This morning I awoke to find Cullen and Gregory in bed with me. Then I fell back asleep. I awoke later to find only Gregory. Cullen had gone to work. It quite amazes me that I can sleep through the alarm clock, Cullen getting up and getting ready for work. Most days that Cullen works early I don’t awake when he does. I wonder if my mind knows that I didn’t set the alarm so I don’t need to wake up. It is funny. Even so I am usually up out of bed by 8 am. Today Lucy woke up before Gregory (it is usually the opposite). I took her down, we ate, and then played together for a little. I don’t do many things with just her. Gregory is usually awake and moving when Lucy is. Gregory woke up a bit later got dressed and came down. He ate and we all went outside. I filled up the little pool and Gregory and Lucy splashed. It was nice. Gregory asked me to get his little folding chair. I put it right next to the pool and he sat on it and put his feet in the water. Lucy acted like she wanted the chair. So, I think maybe we will have to get her a little chair of her own.

Awhile ago Lucy got tired so I put her down for a nap. It is quiet time for Gregory now too. He looks at books or does something on his own during Lucy’s nap.

I do wish that Cullen was off today. It is so lovely out. His next day off Lucy has to get shots so we won’t be doing much that day. I want to head to the DC zoo soon while it is more springy weather than summer.

Ah well, I am going to go figure out lunch.

Life's delights

2010-05-01T21:42:00.000-04:00

I will start off with some wonderful news.

My sister had her baby!
Now Gregory has another girl cousin. Her name is Isabelle.
My sister and little Isabelle are both doing well.

Now I will go from smallest to biggest.

Lucy has been running a fever since we got back from Florida. It has gone up and down. I will be glad when she gets better. We took her to the doctor last week and they had nothing to give her. At least we know it is just a cold.
I am sick too, but am on the mend. I was able to clean and do laundry today without feeling like I was going to die. I do like having a clean home.

Gregory as always has been bouncing off the walls. I have noticed if I am not happy or don’t feel well he doesn’t act well. It is good then that I am usually happy at home.

Today Cullen was outside all day, with music playing, selling hotdogs and so he also had a few. He didn’t tell me and then came home to hotdogs for dinner. It is funny how things happen.
Cullen works at a grocery store as an assistant store manager, but he does so many different things it is crazy.

Tomorrow will be warm again so I will fill up the little pool and let the kids splash. They both really enjoy that.

Now I am off to blow my nose listen to a book and get some rest.
I have been reading Wuthering Heights.

Disney World

2010-04-22T11:40:00.000-04:00

For the past two weeks we were in Florida. We were visiting with Cullen’s family and taking a trip to Disney World. We went to Magic Kingdom twice, Hollywood once, and Epcot once. We did three days in a row and on the fourth we drove back a few days later. Cullen’s family lives a few hours from Disney.
Gregory had a blast trading pins and he just loved all the rides. Lucy also had a good time. It was good to go. We will go back when Lucy is about five.

Well just wanted to make a quick post. I will write more later.

I need a rest now

2010-04-03T17:10:00.000-04:00

The past two weeks have been quite an exhausting mess. It seems as if everything is breaking down and we need replacements.
Gregory ran off the playground and I didn’t know where he ran. I got very scared. He came back all wet and muddy. He had been only missing for thirty seconds, but still that is scary. With my vision if he didn’t answer me I wouldn’t have been able to find him.

Lucy took 24 steps all on her own. She wanted Gregory’s truck. She would step close to it and I would slowly pull it away. She just kept walking. I finally let her grab a hold of the truck.

Other than that – cooking, cleaning, playing, teaching, reading, guitar, and some sleep.
Life is busy.

Fried Television with a side of dead phone battery

2010-03-29T13:22:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we discovered the remains of our poor TV. It was sitting on it’s stand with a flashing light. Poor thing! I am unsure what we are going to do. We will be TVless until the end of April. I guess it is time to cancel TV service.

This week my phone has also decided it is tired of hearing me talk. After 15 minutes of talk the phone starts to beep … low battery … be quiet, close me … and plug me in so I can get some rest. I guess I need to get that fixed or buy a new phone.

Lucy cleans her plate and Gregory cleans the floor

2010-03-25T11:04:00.000-04:00

For dinner last night we went to subway and got two foot long meatball subs.

I ate 6 inches
Cullen ate 6 inches
Gregory ate 3 inches
Lucy ate 7 inches
The last two inches accidently got dropped on the floor.

Gregory was full after his 3 inches.
Lucy still wanted more food.

Lucy is only 10 months old. How did all that food fit?

This morning Gregory and I were cleaning up the living room.
Gregory walked into the dining room to put a piece of trash in the trashcan and said “disgusting”.
I then heard a chord being pulled. I asked him what he was doing and he told me it was disgusting in the dining room and he was going to vacuum it.
I am so happy to have a child who sees what needs to be done and does it. I do hope this will last.

What I do with my free time

2010-03-24T10:07:00.001-04:00

Well writing every day is not working. So, that won’t be happening. I am just too busy with life. I’m not doing many different things, just the same things. They just take up a lot of time, the guitar especially. I would rather practice that than sit on my computer.
I also wanted to let you know about the courses I have been using to learn.
They are made by Bill Brown and it is all by ear. It is great because I am blind, but I think they are great for anyone really, unless you are deaf.
His website is https://www.musicvi.com/ you can just paste it in. I don’t feel like going through the time consuming process of making the link clickable. It is hard for me to do.

I have gone through the whole intro to the guitar and now I am working on the second course. He also has so many other songs that you can learn.
If the guitar isn’t your thing he also has piano, harmonica, sax, and many other lessons on that site.
Every time I have called he has answered his phone or called back within a few minutes.
I love that I have a way to learn music now. I feel so much less stressed and happier with my life. I still don’t sound that great, but it is amazing how I can play now.

Sweet and Sour Saturday – Klutzy kids who know their stuff

2010-03-20T22:21:00.000-04:00

The Sweet –

Mommy – “Is that a dinosaur on your shirt?”
Gregory – “Yes”
Mommy – “Oh I’m scared”
Gregory – “Don’t worry It won’t come off my shirt and get you.”

Lucy has been taking two steps in a row, on her own, every now and then. It won’t be long now. And I can tell you she is a determined little girl. She has a fit if I try to hold her back from what she has decided to do. It is cute right now, I’m sure it won’t be once she can run.

The Sour –

Gregory wasn’t holding on tight enough to the swing today and fell off hard. I felt bad, but after a couple of minutes he was fine. He really has a hard head.

It seems as if Lucy is following in Gregory’s footsteps as a klutz. She was holding on to a toy and fell over sideways. She got a scrape near her elbow. There is a big scab now.

Friday Favorites – life is pretty good.

2010-03-19T21:46:00.001-04:00

It seems as if Spring is here. The weather is just lovely. I have been outside every day this week. I love being out doors. It is so relaxing. I also love that I have been able to move up the kids bedtime. They are now in bed around 7:15. This means they are waking up a bit earlier, but I think it is good to be up before 11 in the morning. They wake up a little before 8 am now. It seems strange to have so much alone time at night, but peaceful. I like it.

Thursday's thoughts - have been deleted

2010-03-18T23:34:00.002-04:00

I am going to bed now

Wonderful Wednesday – cold water and hot coffee are far different

2010-03-17T09:45:00.001-04:00

I missed writing yesterday, but that is alright. Tuesday was fun. Cullen was home from work and we had a wonderful day. We grilled out and watched a movie. I played my guitar and we all went to the driving range and hit a couple of golf balls. While we were there Cullen decided to try the batting cage. He hadn’t done that in a long while. He had fun.
Today is going a bit differently. I woke up and Gregory decided he needed his clothes washed and started to separate his clothes by color (I have made that part of his little jobs around the house). I Got Lucy out of bed and fed everyone and started my coffee. I came back up from putting a load of clothes in the washer. And didn’t hear my coffee maker so I thought it was done. Turns out that I hadn’t poured the water into the chamber. So when I put it in my cup all I was pouring was cold water. It took me a minute I thought my coffee maker was broken.

It wasn’t so today shall be wonderful

Movie Monday – Scooby Doo how goofy are you

2010-03-15T20:47:00.000-04:00

Since Gregory has gotten into watching Scooby doo I have watched a couple with him. When I was younger I would watch Scooby Doo, but I don’t remember the show being so goofy. I guess my perception over time has changed. I find it a bit difficult to watch.

I don’t mind Sesame Street. It is different. I still like those triangles. And I will count to 10 anytime HA HA HA! Ten Triangles.

I called Gregory Scooby Doo the other day and he said “I’m not Scooby Doo, I’m Shaggy.”

Sunday Brunch – Gregory’s dinner choice

2010-03-14T20:08:00.000-04:00

I asked Gregory what he wanted for dinner last week. He went to the pantry and pulled out a can of stewed tomatoes, peas, and soup.
“I want tomatoes, peas, and soup.”

I said ok and I fixed him the soup. He was full after that and didn’t want the tomatoes or peas.
It was just too funny.

Sweet and Sour Saturday – Steps and maybe I shouldn’t sing

2010-03-13T08:51:00.000-05:00

The Sweet
Yesterday Lucy took her first step without holding onto anything.

The Sour
Mommy – (Singing in the kitchen)
Gregory – “Don’t sing Mommy you’re embarrassing me”.

I thought that wouldn’t start until Gregory was a bit older.

Friday Favorites – my next goal is up in the air

2010-03-12T14:20:00.000-05:00

I love to dream, plan, set out goals, and accomplish them. I wanted to go to college and get my degree. I did that. I decided I wanted a double major. I did that too. I wanted to go to massage therapy school. I went to school and then worked in a spa for a year. I always knew I wanted to be a mom. That has worked out well granted that is due to my body working right, but I am happy it has worked out. I wanted to be a teacher. I no longer want to teach in a school. I have school time with Gregory almost every day and he loves it. I wanted to learn guitar and was unsure how to do that, but I am learning how to play. There are a number of other things I want to do with my life that I will eventually do. Most require a bit of effort, but I believe all are reachable.

Right now I am looking into hopping a ride in a hot air balloon, this year or next.

Thursday’s Thoughts – house cleaning

2010-03-11T16:37:00.000-05:00

I have noticed this week that my home will probably be a bit messier during the spring and summer. With the temperature being in the 60’s I have been outside every day with the kids. For about two to three hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon. This leaves time for breakfast, lunch, naptime, and dinner. Then bath time and off to bed with the kids. So I have been getting some things done during naptime and after bedtime, but I still hate to use all that time for house work. I want to do me time stuff. I have decided a little mess is worth the time spent outside and a bit of time for me to unwind. I can always catch up on the day Cullen is off.

Wonderful Wednesday – Gregory gets to golf

2010-03-10T09:42:00.000-05:00

We went to a sporting goods store and found children’s golf clubs on sale for $10. We picked Gregory up a putter and a driver. Then we headed out to the driving range. Cullen taught Gregory how to hit golf balls. Gregory really seemed to like it. He learned how to line himself up and how to hold the golf club. Father and son will also be doing some putting around the house on occasion. Cullen is excided to take Gregory fishing and golfing this summer.
It has been so beautiful so far this week. The temperature has been mostly in the 60’s and you almost don’t even need a coat. We have been taking full advantage of this wonderful weather, by spending plenty of time outside. Today is a bit chillier, but that is alright as long as rain stays away we will be going out.

Creative Tuesday – My children my band

2010-03-09T12:00:00.001-05:00

Since I have started to learn how to play the guitar I have felt more satisfied with my life. It is nice to have a new hobby. I am getting better too. I practice about one hour each day. I am not very good, but I am really enjoying myself. It is fun. Gregory calls me a rock star. It is great! Music really is a mood lifter.
Cullen will sing with me or take the guitar I am not playing and add in his own notes and create an original. The songs are quite crazy. It is fun. I also have been mixing up chords and learning what sounds good together. While I practice Gregory likes to bang around on his play instruments and I usually give Lucy something to shake. Gregory also makes up his own songs while Lucy baby sings (squeals, growls, and other loud noises).
Music is such a fun outlet.

Movie Monday – 28 days later

2010-03-08T08:33:00.001-05:00

We decided to try out Netflix and really like it so far. We have watched almost all the episodes of Heroes. We are going to try Lost next.
The movie I will talk about is “28 days later”. Cullen picked it. I did not like it. I kept asking if the movie was almost over.
In the movie some monkeys with rage get loose and infect many people. The whole movie is about staying away from the infected, which act like crazy zombies (in my opinion). I can see how this movie could appeal to people who like horror movies, but me not so much.
Cullen said there is a sequel called “28 weeks later”. Cullen is going to rent that one too and he will be watching it by himself. There are certain things I don’t care to subject myself to.

Complicated Computer

2010-03-07T21:05:00.001-05:00

Well, I have been so busy and haven’t had the brain power to write much and I felt like I got really boring. I also had been missing all your comments for some reason the settings got messed up and I didn’t know it. I just thought I wasn’t getting any comments. Besides that I haven’t been on the internet much at all. I am full of energy now and ready to write. I have come up with subjects for each day of the week. I thought it would give me a writing goal. I may not write much but there will be something every day. Oh and I messed around with my blog and chose some colors. Remember I am legally blind and my husband is color blind. I figure if I get in a funk I can always just change the colors. Today’s writing is going to be named:

Sunday Brunch - Taco Salad

Growing up my mom would make this salad and boy every time I would stuff myself till I could fit no more in.

It is so yummy!

Taco Salad

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion chopped
1 head of lettuce shredded
1 can dark red kidney beans
1 bag of Doritos
2 cups cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp Taco Seasoning
1 cup Thousand Island dressing

Directions:
Brown Beef and onion.
Take about three handfuls of Doritos out of the bag and crush the rest into little peaces.
Mix taco seasoning and Thousand Island dressing.
In large bowl combine all ingredients (leave out the chips that you did not crush). Mix the salad while also drizzling the dressing.

Eat with a few uncrushed chips on the side.

Yes yummy!
PS: I put up a picture of my kids on the bottom of the page.

Gregory's first dental visit

2010-02-16T15:09:00.001-05:00

Gregory went to the dentist today for the first time and he did very well. Unfortunately his teeth did not. He had two cavities. I guess sometimes tooth brushing just doesn’t cut it.

I have a new hobby

2010-02-15T10:06:00.001-05:00

Well I turned 28 on the 11th and Lucy’s 3rd tooth came in the same day. It has been quite a month really. We have gotten so much snow. I have also gotten some great presents for my birthday. One was a CD set on learning the guitar for the visually impaired. I have practiced every day since I got the CDs. I do love my new hobby. Having a hobby really does make a difference. I have wanted to learn for a while, but it has been difficult, because I can’t really use any visual help. I had a hard time getting to lessons. So now I can do it on my own. It is really awesome. The fingers on my left hand hurt a bit from the strings, but that is alright.

Gregory and Lucy are both doing well. Lucy is more and more mobile each day. She smiles most of the time and when she cries Gregory sings to her and that makes her smile. Gregory has also taken to running in circles to make Lucy laugh. It is very sweet. They are very cute together.

Cullen has had to work nights the past two weeks and that schedule has been hard, but he is back to days now.

All else is going pretty well.
Smiles!

Yes, we are all falling apart

2010-02-05T15:26:00.000-05:00

Well we went to the Great Wolf Lodge. Gregory got sick. Then, Lucy got sick. Then, Cullen got sick. Finally, I got sick. In a few days our complete health should return.

A week ago I was cutting onions and I cut my thumb and went to the emergency room. They taped the flap down well. I can’t feel that part of my thumb. Hopefully the feeling will come back. They gave me a tetanus shot while I was there and my arm is finally starting to feel better from that. Those shots give quite a lasting impression.

Yesterday I hit my knee on the car and it hurts to bend it.

A few days ago Gregory fell and scraped his face so he has a mark near his eye.

Cullen had to work four overnight twelve hour days in a row.

Lucy has a few scratches from who knows what, but she is happy. She is also crawling up things all the time. So, I have to watch her extra close so she doesn’t do that and then fall.

We have been getting so much snow lately. Gregory woke up one day and told me that there was a blanket of snow. Today we should get more dumped on us.

There is always something.

Well Smiles!

So far...

2010-01-25T11:33:00.001-05:00

As the days of this New Year go by so quickly words are a jumble. I sit down to write over and over again and all that comes out are a few jumbled up words so I hit the delete button and try again later. I guess it is because we have been busy and I have been just doing and wanting to do more. My computer has started to gather dust. I didn’t want the memories of this New Year to be forgotten so I sit here now to record them. The windows behind my head are open and I can feel a breeze. The weather is just lovely. This January we have escaped some icy cold. Not only today, but we went to the Great Wolf Lodge, an indoor water park, and we had a blast. Getting away from home was just the break Cullen and I needed. We left our worries for a couple of days. The kids also had a blast. Gregory couldn’t get enough of the water slides and Lucy was pleased to splash and ride the lazy river with me. We went out to eat, which we rarely do. We ate both appetizers and desserts. Mostly we relaxed. It was a wonderful trip.

After all that we had to come home and home is always nicer when you have been away for a few days. There is truly nothing like your own bed. I also knew that being around many people is a sure way to get sick. Thursday Gregory came down with a cold. Yesterday Lucy picked it up. Today Cullen isn’t feeling the best. I am hoping I will escape the germs. It is much easier caring for my children with a clear head. I am sure the next few days will be the deciding factor. I am glad we went even though we have to deal with runny noses now.

I have also picked up my crochet hook lately. I have missed it.
I read the new Steven King book “Under the dome” and a few other books by other authors.
Life has kept me moving.
Cullen and I have been watching Heroes from the first season to the fourth, which we are on now. I wouldn’t understand it at all without his description. It has been a fun show.
2010 so far has been quite good.

Christmas and the end of the year

2009-12-30T12:29:00.001-05:00

We put our tree up at the end of November and now it is down. It is a relief. It is tiring having to constantly put things back on the tree and make sure Lucy isn’t going to eat any of the ornaments. One day I caught her with a gingerbread ornament. She was quite enjoying that one. It probably tasted better than the beads or metal ornaments. Gregory also likes to pull down the ornaments. It makes for a much more relaxing time in the living room to not have to worry about the tree, plus there is more room.

On Christmas Eve we went to Mass and it was very nice, but cold. Gregory fell asleep halfway through the service. We went at 10 pm because Cullen had to work and wouldn’t make it home till 9. We got back home and got Gregory into PJs and put Lucy to bed too. Then Santa came and fixed up the living room.

The next morning Gregory woke up and came to our room. We asked him if Santa came and he went downstairs to check. We could hear him scream with excitement. Then he ran up saying Santa came Santa came.

I called my Dad to come over. We let Gregory open the Santa gifts, before my dad got here. Gregory asked Santa for a Buzz lightyear from toy story. Santa brought that and also filled the stockings. At our house Santa brings one big gift for each person and fills up the stockings.

Santa also brought two play tents with tubes to crawl through. Lucy and Gregory were having lots of fun with those.

I think Cullen’s favorite present was the two voice changers I got him. He played with those driving everyone crazy. It was so much fun though.

We all had a great time. It was relaxing. I am all for that. We had a very nice dinner too, ham and lots of fixings.

Lucy is on the verge of walking. She has been testing her way. I can’t believe it. Such a busy girl. I think she wants to get up and go like her brother.

Cullen’s brother and his family have come up to visit. His wife’s family also live up here. It has been nice to see them. Gregory also has enjoyed seeing his little cousin, Emma who is about 1 and a half. She is a cutie.

Wow has time flown I can’t believe that it is nearly 2010. That seems so crazy. As I am sure everyone knows I have been busy. I have been in a writing funk due to family problems. I cut my dad’s wife out of our lives permanently. Her personality was too toxic and I didn’t want to put my children in that situation or myself anymore. It has been for the best. That eliminated much drama. I do not need drama. That is why my blogging has been so limited lately.

Overall though, life is pretty good. I feel so blessed.
Here’s to making 2010 a great year full of Happiness.

Christmas is coming and my tree is all a mess

2009-12-07T14:31:00.001-05:00

But that is alright

The Christmas season seems to be crazy for most people. It is for us, but in a every day of my life kind of way. The Christmas tree is fun for both kids. The ornaments have gone on and off the tree many times. There is a strand of lights that Gregory has unplugged and I need to find an other strand to plug it back in to. Toys are scattered all over the floor. They get that way every day. It all gets cleaned up at the end of the day, but during the day the living room is a fun zone.
Gregory can now pick Lucy up out of the pack-n-play, ugh. There is no safe place for me to put her. That is alright though.

The other day I had a sick migraine and was throwing up and Gregory patted me on the back and said he was burping me and told me I did a good job.

Lucy is pulling herself up everywhere and can stand for five seconds unassisted. She already gets around everywhere. I probably don’t have too much longer until she can walk, then I am in for a lot more trouble.

Lucy is also pretty easy to put to sleep. I could tell she wanted her nap today because she started sucking her fingers. I put her down and she was asleep in a minute.

When Lucy cries Gregory sings her a song “Corndogs Corndogs yummy yummy yummy.” She stops crying. I have no idea where he comes up with his lyrics.

All is good. I am busy, but can’t seem to get anything accomplished. My main goal is to keep the kids alive and well, any more than that I consider a bonus. I have two very high energy children that keep in motion pretty much every waking moment.

My life is pretty good.

Lights

2009-12-01T20:26:00.001-05:00

500 inside

1200 outside and a few light up penguins

I guess that is what you call festive.

Just a few things

2009-11-26T22:40:00.001-05:00

We have been busy, but here are just a few things

Lucy has 2 teeth one came in on Nov 9 and the other on Nov 16.
She can pull herself up to a standing position.
She is such a happy baby.

Gregory –

Mommy – “Don’t make a big mess”.
Gregory – “Can I make a little one?”

A different day –

Gregory – “Can I have some punch?”
Mommy – “Ask Daddy.”
Gregory – “Daddy can I have some punch?”
Daddy – “Go ask Mommy”
Gregory – “Mommy can I have some punch?”
Mommy – “If you ask daddy”

This went on for a few minutes until finally…

Gregory throwing his arms in the air and walking upstairs “I can’t take it anymore.”

At that point we gave him the punch. Sometimes you have to give your kid a hard time.

currently working on blog

2009-11-08T13:39:00.000-05:00

6 Months

2009-11-06T19:58:00.001-05:00

110609 Lucy
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

How can she already be six months old?

She laughs
She cries
She crawls – she does a Tarzan crawl moving around on hands and feet. When she stops she is on her knees but mostly only hands and knees.

Most of the time she is all smiles.

She is my sweet little Lucy Anne.

Happy Things!

2009-11-01T20:25:00.001-05:00

It is back!
My computer I mean. I haven’t had my computer for two weeks. I took it in to get repaired it needed a new keyboard and the screen was cracked. $450 of repairs for $0 it was still under warranty. Yea!!!
I didn’t even know I was going to have to take it in until the day it went in. So, I had no advance warning I was going to have to live with out a computer for that length of time.

Halloween was great. Gregory wore his martial arts uniform and said he was a karate boy. I just put Lucy in a ghost onsie. Gregory also handed out all the candy at the house. It was a lot of fun.

Last week we made a Halloween mobile. I will put a pic up later.

Gregory is healthy. That is good, because he was sick for a whole week. Cullen used the rug cleaner twice due to Gregory being sick on the carpet. Thank goodness no one else got it. So yes I am happy we are all healthy.

Lucy is all over the house. She is so mobile.

My sister is pregnant and is due on May 15. Exciting!

I am not liking my head so much lately

2009-10-17T19:06:00.001-04:00

After thinking it over I have determined my head is all screwed up. Thankfully I have some good points too so that helps balance the scale a bit.

THE BAD

- I get terrible headaches. I am so sick of my head I could scream or just wish to pass out. I get sinus, tension, migraines, and normal headaches. I have maybe one or two days a week in which I am pain free. It sucks!
- I am blind. Well legally blind, but still I can see as well as someone who has a tee shirt on their head and is trying to look through the shirt. Ugh!
- I get that high pitch noise sound from electronic things it is annoying.
- I still get pimples, but at least it is not so often.
- I get dry lips too often and it mostly happens when I am stressed.
- I have gray hair.
- My teeth are a little yellow.
- I have anxiety and depression issues.

THE GOOD

- For the most part I have a nice complexion (well that is what I have been told).
- I have thick dark pretty hair that I like.
- I am not completely blind my terrible eyesight makes it seem like I have eyes in the back of my head. I almost see as well behind me as in front.
- My teeth are strait.
- My face looks young. I have been told I look like I am 19 when I am actually 27.
- My face is kissable. Both my husband and my son like to give me kisses.
- My eyes look normal (you can’t tell I have bad vision).
- I can tell when the weather is changing due to the onset of a sinus headache.
- Due to my terrible headaches and walking into things because of my vision I have a high pain tolerance. Although if I could get my vision back and not have the headaches I would be fine with having a low tolerance. I am looking on the bright side right now though.

I guess the main thing is that I have had so many headaches lately that I feel as if it would be better if I was put into a coma. I am just thankful I have three wonderful people who live with me who are happy to see me every day. Even with a pounding head and only being able to lie on the couch.

PS: I am thankful for my crockpot. If not for that we wouldn’t have had dinner a few days this past week. My head hurt too much for me to stand.

A four year old’s perspective on ginger ale

2009-10-15T20:43:00.000-04:00

Gregory – “What’s that Mommy?”

Mommy – “Ginger ale”

Gregory – “Oh Ginger ale.”

Mommy – “Yes.”

Gregory – “You drink it and get sick and spit in the toilet.”

Busy

2009-10-13T10:43:00.001-04:00

I have been writing this post since last Wednesday. I just can’t seem to come up with much even though I have been so busy. I think perhaps I am just tired. Today Cullen is off so I hope to have some pictures up before this day is done.

Last Week
Monday I don’t remember.
Tuesday I don’t remember.
Wednesday we went apple picking. That was a lot of fun.
Thursday the kids went to the doctor and we made an apple pie. We also grilled out.
Friday I did a lot of cleaning.
Saturday I didn’t do much, but Gregory saw ET for the first time.
Sunday was busy
Monday I spent the day outside then ended up with an awful headache.
Today Cullen is off!!!! He made a lovely breakfast- coffee, pancakes, hashbrowns

At 4 years old Gregory is 38 pounds and he is 40 inches tall.
At five months old Lucy is 13 pounds 4 ounces and she is 25 inches long, but I could be wrong I don’t really remember her length. Oh well, I guess that is what I get for having two kids. My memory is gone. Lucy’s appointment was for her 4 month well visit. We were a month late, oops.

Now I am off to take a shower.

Smiles!

A painful but nice Saturday

2009-10-04T10:30:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was Lucy’s Baptism. It was very nice. Father Bob Baptised Lucy. Lucy and Gregory have the same Godparents.
It was very nice.
I only felt awful. My head hurt to the point that I was nauseous and I felt like I was going to pass out. I didn’t but I did lose my lunch. Everyone else felt good so I was happy about that.
We went out to lunch with the Godparents and their daughter (who Gregory just loves so much). Then on the way home the fire station was having a little activity for the children. I had Cullen stop there so Gregory could go look at the fire trucks and play in the moon bounce. I stayed in the car and closed my eyes. It was a very nice activity for children. Cullen saw one of his friends there with his child.
While I was waiting in the car the door handles got pulled a couple of times. I was glad the car was locked. I mentioned this to Cullen and he said that there were quite a few mini vans there so the people probably just got mixed up. Made me laugh, parents and minivans.
Well we went home and I went to bed. Cullen took Gregory and Lucy out to the store to pick up some crackers.
Today Cullen is going to a Redskins game. I feel much better, but my head is still pounding.
Off to rest and get rid of the pain.
Will post pictures later.

PS: Lucy can now get up on her hands and knees. She will probably be crawling soon.

Just Kidding

2009-09-28T16:07:00.001-04:00

Today I told Gregory to put all his dirty clothes in the hamper.
Then I went to his room to check.

Mommy: “Gregory what did you do with your dirty clothes?”
Gregory: “I put them in the hamper.”
Mommy: Talking in a serious voice “Gregory why did you do that?”
Gregory: Sounding worried “So they get washed.”
Mommy: Still serious: “Why did you do that?”
Gregory: “Ah…I, I.” Starting to back up and sounds worried.
Mommy: “You did it because you are a good boy!”
Gregory” Sounds relieved and giggles “Mommy you are so silly.”

They are bound to get into mischief together once Lucy starts crawling

2009-09-28T15:57:00.001-04:00

092809 Lucy and Gregory4
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

Friends

2009-09-28T15:54:00.001-04:00

092809 Gregory and Bot5
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

Gregory has found a friend two houses down. It is great. The little boy is older by a half of a year, but Gregory is a half of a foot taller. Gregory is very tall for his age. They play together almost every day. At times I watch the boys and other times Gregory’s friend’s mom watches them. It gives both us moms a break. I also spend some time talking with his mom. She is very nice. The only thing is she isn’t from the US and so her English isn’t the best. It is sometimes hard to find things to talk about, but I think it is like that when you meet most people. I am just happy that Gregory has a playmate.

This week also has been better as far as Gregory’s behavior goes. He has been helping out around the house and hasn’t thrown as many tantrums. I am thankful. I am hoping age four will be much easier than three.

Lucy’s Baptism

2009-09-23T16:41:00.000-04:00

Lucy will be Baptized in October. I am a very tired mom and don’t have energy to send invitations, but I would love for family and friends to come if they are able to. So, if I hadn’t let you know yet please call or email me for the information. We will have a little get together after.

And away he goes

2009-09-22T10:05:00.001-04:00

092109 Gregory in PJs
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

Grandma got Gregory some new pajamas for his birthday. Here is one of the PJs he got. Pretty cool.

4 years old

2009-09-21T10:05:00.001-04:00

092009 Gregory and cake
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

Today is his birthday.
Gregory is now FOUR!

He may be a handful at times, well most times, but he is as loveable as ever.
I am so glad to have him in my life.

We had a little party for him last night.
It was just Mommy, Daddy, Lucy, and the birthday boy.
I do think he had fun.

And all before 11 in the morning

2009-09-19T11:53:00.001-04:00

I sent Gregory upstairs to get dressed. I guess that was a mistake. Ten minutes later I guessed he was up to something. He had put conditioner all over the carpet and baby powder all over his room.

That did it. I had had too much this week.
I cleaned the mess the best I could.
Gregory is now in fresh pajamas and is in bed. I left him only with some books and his bear. I don’t know how long I will leave him there.

I don’t know what to do to get through to him. So after I fix lunch he will be back in his room.

The little time outs are not working, so hopefully a big one will make the difference.

He knows better.

Gregory’s 4th birthday is on Monday. I am hoping he will be good, because I want him to have a happy birthday. He won’t be getting his gifts on a day where he acts up.

Now to find a parenting manual. Anyone have one I can borrow? Just kidding, I am sure it wouldn’t work for my stubborn child.

I love him so much, but boy he sure knows what to do to give mommy a headache.

No, I really didn’t need any sleep

2009-09-18T13:46:00.001-04:00

I couldn’t fall asleep last night until after 4:30 in the morning. So, I only got about three hours sleep.
I am sure tired today.

Almost Bedtime

2009-09-17T23:51:00.000-04:00

Instead of going to bed I thought that doing a bit of rambling about life would be good. Writing down things seems to help make things into what they are and not blown out of proportion. So I write tonight. I am thinking this will probably be a long post. There is much going on.

I bought Cullen’s birthday present a month early. His birthday is October 30, but I knew he needed some new work shirts. So, I ordered them online and they came in yesterday. He is so excited to have some nice work shirts to wear. The thing is that I can’t get Cullen to go clothes shopping for himself. Today he came home with a new shirt for me. It was a surprise. I was very pleased. What he really needed to be shopping for was himself. He needs some new work pants. He likes shopping as long as it is not for himself. What I should say is he likes shopping for himself as long as it is not for clothes. Let him pick out electronics any day and he will be happy. I think that is a very man like quality. It is funny how guys have so much in common. Certain things just fit within a stereotype.

Today was Cullen’s day off. He took Gregory out to the store this morning. He came home with a few surprises. We spent some time at home and even went for a walk. Then we went out together to another store. We walked and looked and picked up a few necessary items of the food variety.

The time at home was a bit difficult, because of Gregory. I do love that child. He can be so incredibly sweet. Then there are weeks like this one where every day has tantrums. I think I need to get his ears checked, because he just isn’t listening. I don’t know what to do. I think he is going through a phase or something. It is at the point where I feel like just giving up and telling him you win and now you can stop throwing a fit. That would be the easy way. Yes anything you want little monster. No, I can’t do that because I love my hard headed wonderful child. He is just very determined. That is a good quality. That means he will be able to do anything he sets his mind to. I just hope I will live through this to see that. Gregory will grow up and so things will change.

I recently read the popular Twilight series. I thought the books were pretty good. Not the best thing I ever read, but not bad. The books got me thinking about life. The main character Bella fears growing old. I definitely can say that I don’t fear that. I actually thought about not growing old like the characters in the book. The idea seems like it would be a nightmare. Not getting older seems quite awful to me. A person grows and changes, life changes, the world changes, and I would hate to be stuck at any age. I feel like I have yet to experience the best years of my life. My life keeps getting better as the years pass. When I was 18 my body was very nice. I have now had two children and I am 27 years old. I am not as thin as I was. I am not as toned as I was. I sag a bit in places. I have many more gray hairs than I did when I was 18. My body is not the way it once was. I no longer have the perfection that only a teenage body can have. Well, I am not a teenager. I am in my late twenties. Hum, late twenties, that sounds so weird. Time has passed by so quickly. To tell you the truth I have never felt so beautiful.
Like most people I notice most of my flaws and magnify them, but I am ok with them. I still have ten pounds of baby weight to lose. I want to lose it, but secretly the little extra makes me feel a bit more beautiful. This statement doesn’t make much sense, but lots of things don’t make sense. It is just my feeling. I do complain like most people, but overall I feel good about my body.

I feel good about my life too. This however I have more troubles with. Since I was a teenager I have had problems with anxiety and depression problems. My parents divorce and my loss of my vision contributed to this. I have moved on and many of the things that once bothered me no longer do, but other life challenges have crept in. Family still is a big contributor. I have been doing better. I just have to keep reminding myself I can not control the decisions that members of my family make. They are their decisions to make and not mine. Even if I know their decision is a bad one. I only have control of my decisions.
My blindness still is a big contributor. There are just some things I can not do and that I never will be able to. I need help and that is ok. Although, many days I feel like me needing help is not ok. I just want to do it my self. I want to read my mail, but I can’t read my mail. I can’t do the bills all by myself. I need help and it is ok, even on days when I feel like it is not. Gregory gets away with more than he should some days, because I can not tell what he is doing. Not knowing that Gregory took a dry erase marker to the wall makes me very frustrated. I can not discipline him for something that I didn’t realize he did. There are so many other little things that frustrate me that would be so easy if I could just see. Most of the time I let them go. I have problems when they start to build. Then life gets to be too much and all the things that were once easy are now as hard as climbing a mountain.

I just have to remember to breathe and that the world isn’t ending tomorrow and even if it was I probably wouldn’t be able to do anything about that. So, I should just live happy. You know get up off my butt, drink my coffee, and take care of myself, my husband, my kids, and my home. Oh and the birds.

The thing that makes it easier to get up is that I have so many things to be thankful for. My children, no matter if they are crying or throwing a fit. Their smiles and laughter are the greatest thing. My husband, no matter if his memory is fried at times, cares for me deeply and I know he loves me very much. The birds little twittering makes the house seem happy. The home that is not a cardboard box and we have such a lovely place to live. The car, even though I can’t drive it, it gets us places. The job Cullen has, because I enjoy eating, clothes, being able to go the doctor, and so many other things that money can buy. We are all healthy. I do get many many headaches, migraines, sinus, tension, at least two a week (usually more than that). I am happy though that they are only headaches and thankful for the few days I am pain free.

When I feel down it is sometimes hard to remember all the great things. I just have to keep remembering.

And now I feel better, goodnight

Too much

2009-09-15T13:02:00.000-04:00

-My screen reading software keeps closing when I switch to another window. It has never done this before.

-Gregory is not sitting on the toilet seat when he poops. He is sitting on the toilet rim. He gets wet, yuck! Every time I have to tell him again where he should sit.

-I have been having anxiety attacks.

-Gregory has been throwing lots of tantrums and has not been listening. I am being consistent, but I wish he would get over it. He knows the consequences and knows I will follow through, but it doesn’t seem to matter. He will stand in the corner and cry and scream. I will leave him there till he calms down, but it grates on my nerves. I don’t know what else to do, but he needs to listen to me. He ends up in the corner at least three times a day. Each time he acts like he is being tortured. Oh and when we are in public and I make him hold my hand he says I am hurting him. He says this also when he is in the shopping cart and noone is even touching him. I don’t know what to do. I am sure eventually he will get over it. I am hoping.

-When Lucy is crying and I am sitting taking a minute for myself I don’t want to get up.

-I need some time to not think about anyone, but myself.

-I am tired. I am overwhelmed. I am feeling a huge range of emotions.

-I also feel like my life is wonderful. I really don’t understand myself sometimes.

-Thank goodness tomorrow will be different, hopefully in a good way.

Resourceful kid

2009-09-12T10:41:00.001-04:00

Gregory – “I want cereal”
Mommy – “Go watch TV I will get it for you in a minute” (I was still in bed)
Gregory – (goes away)
Ten minutes later
Mommy – wondering why Gregory hasn’t come back to ask for cereal again, gets up and finds Gregory watching TV with the last of the cinnamon rolls.

I feel like I got nothing done

2009-09-10T22:31:00.002-04:00

Lately things have been going pretty well. I am a bit depressed, but for the most part my mind is clear. There is just so much going on and nothing all at once. It is really strange how I can be so busy with what seems like nothing. I have lots of cleaning to do all the time. I really despise the bathroom right now, well cleaning it that is. Gregory seems to make a disaster of it every day. It smells like pee and there is usually water every where. It is truly a big pain. So, I clean it every day. Then tomorrow comes and it needs to be cleaned again.
I have laundry to put away. I don’t know how I didn’t get around to doing that. I didn’t rest today. Let me see. I am just going to write a list of what I did today.

Wake up
Get Gregory dressed
Make coffee
Get cereal for Gregory and me
Drink coffee
Check email
Clean bathroom
Books and play with Gregory
Get Lucy
Nurse, change, and put Lucy on floor to roll around
Talk to my mom
Get dressed
Look up information online to determine when Gregory starts kindergarten
Find out he will make the cut off and he will start next year
Hold Lucy
Look up information on line about preschool
Make phone calls about preschool
Play Legos with Gregory
Make lunch
Eat lunch
Make a few more calls about preschool
Nurse Lucy
Set Lucy down.
Practice letters with Gregory
Have Gregory write his name (took over a half hour)
Draw with Gregory
Sit
Look up the dinner menu
Take Gregory out to play
Follow Gregory around with Lucy in front carrier
Pray Gregory doesn’t get a concussion, because of his clumsiness
Go home
Nurse Lucy
Tell Gregory to go play
Start cooking dinner
Tell Gregory not to touch stove
Turn on TV for Gregory so he stays out of kitchen
Clean up as I go
Cullen gets home
Eat dinner
Finish cleaning
Make pudding
Eat pudding
Take a bath
(Daddy put Gregory to bed)
Nurse Lucy
Write a post

All those phone calls made it seem like I got nothing accomplished. Oh well there is always tomorrow.

I am tired.

Oh and Lucy slept till 10 am
She has been sleeping 10 hour nights from about midnight till ten.

Gregory wrote his name for the first time

2009-09-10T15:41:00.001-04:00

091009 Gregory wrote his name for first time
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

Gregory will be in kindergarten next year. I figured he should be working on writing his name. He did it today.

Now to figure out if I am sending him to preschool.
The problem is that I would probably have to stay in the building with Lucy during, because I wouldn't be able to get home and back in time by bus. Hum... Something to think about.

Guess which holiday Daddy loves.

2009-09-10T15:37:00.001-04:00

090909 Gregory and Lucy
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

Daddy couldn't wait till October.

Four months old

2009-09-06T17:46:00.001-04:00

090609 Lucy3
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

Little Lucy is four months old.
She
Smiles
Rolls
Giggles
Laughs

And of course

Cries
Eats
Poops
And sleeps.

She is so sweet!

My sweet little family

2009-08-25T14:57:00.001-04:00

Life is pretty good in general. My wonderful husband and sweet children help to make it that way.

A few stories –

A couple of nights ago Cullen was dressing Lucy. He pulled her head through a top and as soon as her head popped out she laughed. It was so adorable.
She is smiling all the time. It is so sweet.

Gregory is also silly. I have some dried mango and he wanted some. He asked “Mommy can I have some washed mango”. I guess he got confused between dried and washed. It was funny.

In the basement I have a big plastic bin with some of Gregory’s toys in it. Gregory climbed inside and I told him to get out. He didn’t listen. The top was on one side of the bin. He sat down and the other side closed. With the plastic bins the top latches a bit. Well it latched and Gregory was stuck in the bin. I left him there for about ten seconds. He was so scared. I hope that taught him not to do that again.

Cullen has been great lately helping out and just being a wonderful husband I am thankful for that.

On Sunday Cullen was off work. We went up to Maryland to see Cullen’s aunt and uncle. It was an awesome trip. We all had such a great time. They got a little Tomas train set for Gregory and he just loves it. Lucy got a couple of books with rings on them. They will be good to hook to the car seat.
It was really nice to spend time with them. Before going to see them we went to church. It was a great Sunday.

Lucy only smiles when the camera is off

2009-08-25T14:56:00.001-04:00

082209 Lucy in boppy
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

Gregory loves his Legos

2009-08-25T14:54:00.001-04:00

082209 Gregory2
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

And so does Mommy and Daddy

Little drooler got a bath

2009-08-25T14:52:00.001-04:00

080809 Lucy2
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

This is what is happening

2009-08-19T13:13:00.000-04:00

Cullen –
He is happy at work and is enjoying our new vehicle.
He is also being very supportive and helping out with the kids.

Gregory –
He is as busy as ever.
He is stubborn, demanding, frustrating and a pain.
He is sweet, loving, helpful, and fun to be around.
Every day he is learning new things and surprising me more and more.

Lucy –
Is full of smiles, but won’t smile for the camera.
She is rolling everywhere.
She peed on me yesterday.
She has turned into quite a happy baby.

I –
I am happy with my family.
There are issues I am trying to work out involving things I don’t want to discuss on my blog. I wish the issue would just disappear.
I am thankful to have people who love me and care enough about me to help when I need it the most.

Flood Warning

2009-08-07T18:05:00.001-04:00

Today Gregory sprayed Daddy’s cologne. So I sent him to the corner.

Gregory – “Mommy there is water over here.”
Mommy – “I know”
The corner I send him to is by the bathroom. So of course there would be water. There is a sink and a toilet.

SPLASH SPLASH

Mommy – Hearing Gregory stomp his feet “Oh No”
I run over to see what has happened.

Water covers the entire floor and has gotten on to the carpet.

Gregory had put the plug down in the bathroom sink and left the water running.

Looking on the good side I needed to clean the bathroom again and all the water made cleaning the floor that much easier.
I have to clean the bathroom almost every day, because Gregory makes it smell like pee. I am very happy that I hadn’t cleaned it yet.

Gray hair

2009-08-06T14:47:00.000-04:00

I know I am going gray. Cullen likes to pull my gray hair out. I like to keep my hair in my head. So I torment him by making him look at my gray hair that I can’t see.

My mom said that most of her gray hair came from me and my sister. I just thought I would write down a few of the reasons more of my hair is turning gray.

Today –

Gregory decided peeing in the laundry basket was a good idea.

He put water in with some clean towels.

Lunch took two hours because Gregory was being difficult and he didn’t want to eat his food at the table. He finally did but I had to get up from my chair ten times to keep him in his. He ate all his food and he wanted a yogurt afterwards.

He knocked over a pile of clothes that I had just folded.

A week ago –

Mommy – “I love you Gregory.”
Gregory – “I don’t love you.”

A couple of minutes later

Mommy – “Guess who is coming home.”
Gregory – “Who?”
Mommy – “Daddy.”
Gregory – “Oh I don’t want to see him.”

A few more minutes
Mommy – “Gregory you dropped a book.”
Gregory – “Whatever.”

Most of the time Gregory is as sweet as ever. He usually tells me how much he loves me. He usually likes to help. There are days like today that I just wonder how he can be a little monster and other days how he can be as sweet as ever.

Things are looking up

2009-08-01T15:43:00.001-04:00

080109 Lucy holds her head up first time
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

Lucy is now able to pick her head up off the floor when she is on her tummy. I am sure she will be rolling and crawling soon.

Life is so busy with two children. I always have something to do. Yesterday I had a terrible headache from the weather and I couldn’t do anything but lay on the couch. I am so thankful that Lucy is breastfed. It would have been so much harder if I actually had to function well enough to get up and fix a bottle.

Gregory is also a big help. He was able to find things and run and get things for me while I was on the couch.
Today I feel much better

This past week Cullen put up some baby gates to block off the living room. So once Lucy starts crawling I don’t have to worry as much about her going down the stairs.

I am going to get back to my two babes.

Smiles!

quiet time

2009-07-27T08:42:00.000-04:00

Our parakeets are being very noisy this morning. Gregory is sitting at the table working a 25 piece puzzle. He seems to really like puzzles. It is great because there are very few quiet activities that I can get Gregory to do. He much prefers to be loud and running around all over the place. This is one reason that my home looks as if a tornado went through every evening. Gregory helps clean at night and then after about ten minutes the next morning you couldn’t tell. That is fine. He won’t always cause a disaster in the living room. He is going to grow up so fast and so will Lucy.

**

I have decided I hate moving. Growing up it was fine. I think that was because as a child it was easier to adapt to changes. I am getting older though and like to have some social connections to my neighborhood. It seems as soon as I start getting to know people well I move. It is so frustrating. What I am trying to say is I miss just going out to the playground and having other moms to talk to. I didn’t have to explain that I was legally blind, because everyone knew. The introductory part was over. Here it is not. People don’t know about my vision. This makes it hard to make friends, because I don’t know my neighbors by voice yet. They don’t know that I am blind either, ugh. It also is pointless going to the playground to meet other parents, because there are usually no parents there. There may be a few kids, but it seems as if no one watches there children around here. I am glad Gregory has some other kids to play with. I just wish I didn’t feel like a babysitter. I really don’t think three and four year olds are old enough to play outside by themselves. It is not like we are in the middle of nowhere either. This is Northern Virginia.

Well I have two children to take care of so I must go.

A growing child

2009-07-22T19:09:00.001-04:00

Lucy now weighs 10 pounds 13 ounces and is 24 inches long.

A movie outing with the whole family

2009-07-22T13:37:00.000-04:00

It could have been a huge disaster.

Yes, Lucy, Gregory, Cullen, and I all went out to a movie. Gregory was good. Lucy didn’t cry. Cullen had a good time and so did I.
We saw the new Harry Potter movie. The trip was a very last minute decision. We were out and getting gas. The theater was right next to the gas station. Gregory had been very good the whole morning. I knew Lucy was going to sleep the whole time, because she has been on a tiny schedule lately. I should say it is her own schedule, because I seem to have no say in when she feels like sleeping. She does as she pleases with her sleep schedule. We went at 11:15 am. We just happened to stop to get gas at 11:10. I guess we were just meant to see the movie.

I think they did a pretty good job with the movie. They followed the book pretty well. They couldn’t have put everything from the book in the movie because the book was just too long for that. I think overall they did well.

I am glad we went to see it, but I am sure we won’t be going back for quite some time. After all I think it was luck having no problems with Gregory and Lucy during the movie.

Sharing memories

2009-07-19T11:29:00.000-04:00

I guess now a day it is normal for families to live far away from each other. This is one reason I am happy to have my blog. It is nice to be able to share what is going on with my family and friends.

Well I am off to go back outside. Gregory just saw his friends from the window.

Gregory riding his bike and scooter

2009-07-19T11:13:00.001-04:00

2009 071909 Gregory riding his bike and scooter
Originally uploaded by smileahug

Gommy and Pop got Gregory his new scooter.

Gregory has so many wheels he can't ride them all at once.

We do this almost every day

Gregory reading to Lucy

2009-07-19T10:10:00.001-04:00

2009 071909 Gregory reading to Lucy
Originally uploaded by smileahug

Lucy isn't crying this time.

Peace

2009-07-18T15:35:00.000-04:00

Shade covered the front stoop. Little bursts of wind blew my hair in front of my face. I sit there drinking my coffee and listening to my son ride back and forth on his bicycle. A few squeaks come from my sweet baby girl who is resting in her seat. I feel content.

The air conditioning clicks on. My son has fallen asleep on the couch. I can hear the steady sound of his breath. My baby girl is quietly nursing. I take a deep breath. I feel content.

Days strung together can be hectic, but there are still moments in which I try to keep hold of. During the crazy times I try to remember these moments. These two were from today.

A little bit of my craziness

2009-07-15T15:51:00.001-04:00

2009 071509 Gregory and Lucy
Originally uploaded by smileahug

I love my two children.

This is Gregory being silly. He knows his ABC's.

This is also Lucy letting Gregory know that is the wrong way to sing the song.

This is my first try at a video

A nice visit

2009-07-13T10:27:00.001-04:00

071009 George Kathy Gregory Lucy and Cullen
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

This picture is of Cullen's parents, Cullen, Gregory, and Lucy

Oh books are fun

2009-07-13T10:25:00.001-04:00

070409 George Gregory Lucy
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

Pop is reading to Gregory and Lucy

I think it is nap time

2009-07-12T17:03:00.000-04:00

Right now I could just take a nice long nap. I am tired. I guess that is what sun does to a person though. Yesterday we met up with some friends and went camping. It was fun. Gregory had a lot of fun. There were two other little boys there. We were camping at a lake so we all played in the water. Gregory is like his daddy where they both have a fear of water. Gregory mostly liked sitting on the little blow up floats in the water. I kept a life jacket on him the whole time, because I am not afraid of the water, but I am concerned about Gregory’s safety in the water. Everyone helped watch him, but things could happen. I am his mommy and so I worry.

We could only stay one night because Cullen has to work tomorrow. He has been off this whole past week. His parents also came for a visit last week. The visit went well. They got to see Lucy for the first time. They also got to spoil Gregory. They took Gregory to Chuck E. Cheeses for a little party. They gave Gregory a few little things and a scooter. Gregory has been wanting a scooter for the past six months. The scooter has three wheels to make it easier to ride and he just loves it.

We also took our car in for a check up and to get some things fixed. It turned out that there were so many things to fix and not the cheep things either. So, we bought a new car, actually a minivan. It is a blue-gray Toyota Sienna. We weren’t planning on buying a new car, but with all the things that needed repairing we were probably going to have to get a new one soon anyway. Cullen talked the dealer way down in price too. I was actually quite shocked how low we were able to get him. The deal was too good to pass by. So now once again we have a car payment, yuck! At least I like the car. With Cullen’s job he has to have something that is running well.

So we are all doing well and still keeping quite busy. An infant alone keeps a person busy, but we have been doing much more. It is a bit funny Lucy is only two months old and she has already gone to the beach and gone camping. Although she slept through practically all of the beach trip and most of the camping trip. Lucy is also doing less crying and more smiling lately. It is very nice and she has the cutest smile.

Oh and one more thing. On the way to the campsite Gregory said “I have to go pee”.
Daddy asked Gregory “Can you hold it?”
And Gregory replied “With what?”

I do love my son.

Another picture of my cute kids

2009-07-01T11:19:00.001-04:00

062609 Gregory and Lucy2
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

Cullen won’t let me get a picture of him. So here is another picture of the two children who look a bit like him.
Cullen is doing well he is in a new store. He is also loving his new job position.
The hours are longer, but he seems happier.

We went to the beach

2009-07-01T11:12:00.001-04:00

062809 Angela Gregory and Lucy6
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

We went to Virginia Beach this past Sunday. It was a lot of fun. Gregory kept asking to go to the beach so we finally went. It was such a great break. The weather was awesome too. It wasn’t too hot. Gregory really enjoyed the sand and he had fun letting the waves crash into him.
Lucy also got wet and sandy too, but that was on accident.

Gregory’s Godparents came to visit

2009-07-01T11:09:00.001-04:00

062609 Bev Lew Katie Gregory and Lucy
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

We went out to lunch and had a very nice visit. It is always nice to see them.

Smiling… and crying

2009-07-01T11:06:00.001-04:00

062609 Lucy
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

She is a sweet little thing when she isn’t crying, but I love her when she is crying too.

Gregory was in a martial arts class

2009-07-01T11:03:00.001-04:00

061909 Gregory
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

He would just stand there and do nothing during the class so after four classes we took him out. The funny thing is that once we got home he would do all the things they did in class. Maybe we will try again in about four months.

You Know just a bit busy

2009-06-18T17:54:00.001-04:00

061809 Gregory and Lucy2
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

A little over a week ago Gregory was playing on the deck in his little pool. He dropped one of his toys over the edge. He asked me to get it for him. I said daddy would get it for him when he got home from work. Some things are too frustrating for a blind mom to go find. These are the exact words Gregory said “Because he’s the best daddy in the sea”.
My response was “Yes, Gregory he is”.

So Gregory is still full of sweet things and little Lucy is letting herself be heard too. Lucy is much more noisy than Gregory was when he was a baby. Lucy demands more attention. On her more noisy days she makes me wonder if I really know what I am doing as a mom. I do guess each child is different. She is now 9 pounds 6 ounces. She is growing very well and is up in the 90th percentile.

As of now I don’t feel like having two children is much harder. The harder part is going back to less sleep. I do enjoy getting a full night of sleep. Lucy is worth it though. Oh and Gregory is doing awesome with potty training. Day time is practically perfect and he makes it through the night about four nights a week.

Gregory started in a martial arts class this past Tuesday. He has his second class tomorrow. During Gregory’s first class Gregory just stood there. The instructor and his assistant really tried to get Gregory to be a part of the class. I think he was too nervous. I am hoping tomorrow will go better. I know he likes the class though, because on the way home from the bus stop Gregory was doing all the things that the other kids did in the class. He was also very excited and he really likes his uniform. I guess he just needs to get over his shyness. We are going to give the class a month and see if it is right for Gregory or not. I think the interaction will be good for him.

Cullen is doing well too. He really likes his new position at work and can’t wait till his training is over so he can go to his own store. Now he is an assistant grocery store manager. His hours are a bit longer, but I think he likes the work more so the longer hours he doesn’t mind so much.

Well today after mopping all the floors, cleaning three bathrooms, cooking, cleaning the kitchen, washing, folding, and putting away three loads of laundry, not to mention caring for Gregory and Lucy I need a nap. I don’t think I will get one, but I am going to sit and zone while playing with Hot Wheel cars. Gregory is calling.

6 weeks old

2009-06-18T17:50:00.001-04:00

061809 Lucy
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

Life doesn’t slow down

2009-06-07T18:59:00.000-04:00

This morning Cullen, Gregory, and my dad went fishing. They went out in a little motor boat. Gregory was very excited about that. Unfortunately Gregory lost his fishing pole in the water. They all seemed to have a lot of fun on the trip.
I stayed home with Lucy and got some rest. Nana, Gregory’s Aunt Kristen, and Nana’s mom came over to visit.

Yesterday Cullen, Gregory, Lucy, and I went on the Race for the Cure. After that we went to the Manassas train festival. We took a 40 minute train ride. It was Cullen, Gregory, and Lucy’s first train ride. There were many model trains to look at. Gregory loved all of the trains. We all had snow cones and we split a funnel cake.

The only problem with yesterday was that Cullen and I were so tired. Cullen got two hours sleep and I got four hours sleep. Cullen watched Lucy till 3 am. If he hadn’t I don’t think I would have made it to the walk. Little Lucy has been doing a lot of crying at night. I am pretty sure it is gas problems. She slept pretty good last night though. Or I am just so sleep deprived that I don’t remember being up last night. Oh and we forgot the camera, so no pictures.

Life gets busy

2009-06-02T15:47:00.000-04:00

Well I sure don’t know where the past three weeks have gone. So much has happened. My friends Caitlin and Rebka came over. It was nice to have the company. I got some cute baby clothes and pretty flowers. Gregory also got some surprises. I am glad that he isn’t being forgotten. I was a bit worried about that, but most people are giving Gregory a little something. Balancing an infant and a three year old hasn’t been too hard so far, because Cullen was off. Then my friends came over. My mom also came for a visit from Idaho for two weeks. She just left to go back home. Now comes the real test of my multitasking abilities. I am tired though, but that is to be expected.
I have been so thankful my mom has been here, because little Lucy has been a night owl. There were a couple of nights where she cried all night in between her nursing. She has gas problems. I discovered I can’t eat tomatoes or onions, because those don’t sit well on Lucy Anne’s tummy. She also got a rash. Then we took her in to have her collar bone looked at, because one end is larger than the other. They checked the x-ray she had in the hospital. It didn’t show anything and if they don’t think she needs another x-ray I would rather not subject my baby to the rays again. Oh and because of her rash we already put her in cloth diapers and are using cloth wipes. We are trying to keep all the chemicals away from her. She seems to have very sensitive skin. So our diaper wipes are being used as hand wipes. Cullen’s mom also bought me some new pretty pink diapers.

Cullen and Gregory went fishing a couple of days ago. Gregory really enjoyed fishing. He just caught little ones. Then we got on a paddle boat. My mom watched Lucy when Cullen, Gregory, and I were out on the water.

Well I am sleep deprived and Gregory needs attention. So, updates will come when I can.

Smiles!

I'm awake

2009-06-02T11:48:00.001-04:00

060109 Lucy20
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

My pretty girl

2009-06-02T11:45:00.001-04:00

060109 Lucy17
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

This is the dress I was baptised in

My mom, my daughter, and me

2009-06-02T11:43:00.001-04:00

060109 Angela Cindy Lucy
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

Gregory is so proud of his little sister

2009-06-02T11:31:00.001-04:00

052309 Lucy and Gregory
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

Grandma and Gregory

2009-06-02T11:23:00.001-04:00

060109 Cindy Gregory
Originally uploaded by smileahug.

Lucy's head fits in the palm of my hand

2009-05-17T19:28:00.001-04:00

051709 Lucy
Originally uploaded by smileahug.