sippy cups have parts

Max

2010-08-16T21:41:00.000-04:00

August 16, 2010

Max, my dog died yesterday. It was unexpected. It is devastating. It’s more devastating to move on with everyday life. I’m sitting in bed, more than 24 hours later. It’s pouring down rain and all I can think of is that he is curled up in that little hole in the backyard becoming one with the earth so permanently. I can’t cope with this. I’m overwhelmed with grief. Sadness. Regret. Love. I just miss him. I want him inside my house where he should be. On the end of my bed or in the kids bed. I’m overwhelmed and consumed. I envy people walking around that are not consumed by sadness. Who are not feeling loss. I never know how to understand why these things happen. Why people who deserve to remain on this earth among others who love them? Who want them. I hate that I can’t look out for him, care for him. I don’t know why he died. I only hope and pray that it wasn’t something I did. That is what makes this so much more difficult. It reminds me of how fragile life really is. That all the details that we stress about in our daily lives can be so meaningless.
I think of my children. That it could just take one time to fall off the bed wrong, choke or step in the wrong direction. Like max, if a bowl of cherries was his fate in death—all I had to do to change that was move it from one table to the other where he couldn’t reach them. I just hope he knows that he was loved.
Right before he died he looked at me with a panic. It’s so odd to me that an animal can tell you something with a look. That I knew him well enough to know that something wasn’t right. I’m thankful that I was there with him. He wasn’t alone. But I was useless. I couldn’t do a thing and my heart is just broken over that exact moment. I couldn’t help him and it’s all I could say to him was that it was okay. You’re okay. But he cried and then stopped breathing. I replay it over in my head a million times over.
So I have to do what we all do in life. Grieve. Be sad. Share. Keep going. Remember my loss. I just don’t know that my sadness will end. My house feels so empty. Nothing feels the same and the small things are what get me. Not the dog bowl or his favorite spot. But that part of his neck I always petted. He licked my legs after a run. How he got excited and ran to the door every weekend morning because he knew it was his time to go in the car for coffee.
I don’t expect this to be easy. I don’t have to like it. But my heart will always be heavy for him and I will always remember him. My life is so different that he was in it and I’ll always be thankful for his personality and that he was my first chance to truly take care of another life and do it well. I can say that proudly. He had about the best life a dog could have. He never knew abuse. He never slept outside (except when we were camping). He never went hungry. He slept in a bed almost every night of his nearly 11 years. If he was sick, he was cared for. He never became lonely because he was always surrounded by people who loved him. He had a dog door to go in/out as he pleased with a yard full of things to hunt. He liked to sit in sunny spots in the spring and fall especially. His pretty white fur always felt the nicest after that.
I only hope wherever his mind is, it’s in peace. It’s safe, cared for and that he knows he will always be part of my family. Part of me.

This is unedited. I don’t know who reads this anymore. But I had to get my thoughts out on paper.

Max
He was a true gift of life on my birthday in November 1999 and passed away 9am on August 15, 2010.

UPDATES: Random Theme.

2009-09-20T19:02:00.019-04:00

Happy New Year!
It is the beginning of the new Jewish Year, 5770 in the Jewish calendar. No matter how far from home, no matter the chaos and no matter how Jewish you are, or not...I truly believe every Jewish person stops and looks around at the life they lead. Most importantly we stop to look in the mirror. It is and always will be a time to self reflect. I will spare you my sap & just wish everyone a Happy and Sweet New Year.
Let's go right for the fun stuff of what we have been up to...... since I totally bite at keeping you updated, shall we....
Let's start with the weekend. It's been raining. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

Now, I'm totally content with hanging out inside. Jay too. Ellie & Joe are cut out of the "must do something all the time or I will lose my mind and annoy you to freaking death" cloth. So Joe met the other bored "ants in their pants" parents at Hobby Lobby doing the same thing....what the hell we do inside!!???

Of course, we have the arts and crafts. Ellie made a fun name plate for her bathroom door.
What is really funny to me is Jay. He is really coming into his own quirky personality. He loves to open and close doors....ALL the time. Here Ellie wanted a picture of her and her new work of art and Jay kept opening & closing the door.
Don't forget her new house for our neighborly bird families...
But we can't have the activities that are non-transportable, right? Joe went for the less explosive type. Yes, AIRPLANES....and of course they snuck out in the light sprinkles to take them out for a spin...
We also had a birthday party that was a chocolate store.....YUUUMMMMYYYY. The kids learned about where chocolate comes from and how it's made.

They even got to make their own marshmallow yum stick.

They had a faucet of chocolate. The kids were really good about not sticking their hands in it...but errr, okay, i was the only misbehaved person in there trying to stick my mouth around the edge of the thing. My friend Kathy even took a picture..We were all interested in nature's sweet & yummy chocolate....

I have no transition from Chocolate to Underwear that isn't family friendly....so i'm just gonna get right to it...
Ellie is getting to be too smart and too old for me. She knows her months, days and starting to figure out how to spell. At Target, we got her new days of the week undies. I think this is so funny that they still sell them. We'll see how long she can keep it up....uhh, and me too with the laundry.

So other than that...for me, I've been trying run & train for a few upcoming races. I ran 7 yesterday and then a 10 mile (swim) this morning in the POURING rain. My poor shoes...soaked!!! Doing 17 miles in 2 days, i felt my shoes were worthy of a mention.
I came home & made a giant pot of vegetable soup. I love the fall and winter for all the soups. That's it for now. We have Halloween coming up & lots of good stuff... Jay's 2nd birthday!!! I am TRYING (guess i should start it, ugghhh) to put together a little video for his 2nd. He is so chatty and has a funny slash grumpy personality that is more charming than I ever expected.
He is trying desperately to learn the stairs. Here is an attempt on our back stairs that are carpeted, so it doesn't freak me out as much as the ones that are hardwood.
L'shana Tova!!

Love,
Carrie

LAKE WINNIPASAUIEORUJEIORJEIO (SP)

2009-08-03T16:05:00.009-04:00

One day i will learn how to spell the damm place. Ellie & I trekked up to Boston, rented a giant enormous car (btw, my feet don't reach the pedals of an Escalade) and headed NORTH to New Hampshire.
I love my cousin, Jill. It's rare that we get to spend a lot of QT (quality time) together so this was a real treat for me. Her hubby, who ellie now refers to as "special cousin richard" is so fun to annoy & we have a very "picky" relationship. But it's all fun and we can't wait to take Joe & Jay next year.
I gotta run--having to post this in seconds..but enjoy the pics!!
P.S. For those who are still blogger dumb...click ON the picture to take you to the album.

beach, birthdays & MORE!!

2009-07-24T14:51:00.003-04:00

So little-by-little, inch-by-inch i am catching you up!!

Here are TWO count-em....ONE and TWO posts!!! hehehe.

Click into the link for our annual st. george trek to the beach!! AND see below for a bonus post!!

Gavin turned 2 and we headed for a fun birthday party at the grandparents and then to the Yellow River Game Ranch. All the kids LOVED it. Jay especially--I admit, i was slightly partial to him with the camera---He loves watching all kinds of animals...bugs, birds, bunnies and of course ABBY. So i was super excited to see him explore all the variety of animals first hand. He liked the pigeons too.
enjoy!!

On Your Mark

2009-07-20T18:14:00.007-04:00

Okay...so my comeback into the bloggy blog world started out strong...and I'm racing to keep up. Let's see if i can keep it up on a weekly basis.....

Last week I died out---and with good reason.... i was on a shoot out of town last week.

So, you'll have to take me as a light walking blogger. for now keep the update on my I.O.U. tab. guess there are worse kind of tabs out there.

anywhoooooo....
Friday was joe's birthday!!!
wahooo.
and boohoooo.
wahooo to celebrate joe and boohooooo that since he is a year older, for cryin' out loud so am i.

so we celebrated with a nice family day. it really was nice and i have to say i haven't enjoyed a nice family day in a while like that. we went to waffle house in the morning, joe took them swimming (while i napped!) & we went to Marietta Pizza for dinner where the kids got balloons from an animal guy making balloons.
And we came home for CAKE. YES, homemade by yours & yours truly....Elise & Carrie.

How to bake a cake.... CRACK 3 EGGS

LICK THE SPOON....

FROST AND LICK SOME MORE...

LIGHT THE CANDLES....

COME ON IN AND MAKE A WISH!!

more to come......Especially Birthdays!! Gavin turned 2 (our nephew) and we went to the petting zoo...i will load those up this week too. Also--I've asked Joe to create a post about his Grand Canyon trip. Please encourage him to do so!!! I think everyone would love it.

have a great week & i hope you are all enjoying your summer!!!!!
xoxoxo

Sippy Cups Have Parts

2009-07-11T10:34:00.015-04:00

Today I packed up Jay's last bottle. Now, for those who truly know me...I am not the sentimental type. But for some reason packing the bottles made me think and for the first time in more than four months I found myself here.

FIRST. We are totally onto sippy cups. wahoo!

SECOND. This is the last time I will ever pack up bottles because my child is growing. They are changing everyday and I swear to you at least once a day I stop and enjoy it. I've never once taken their health and perfectness for granted. Yes, of course the everyday shit can be a pain in the ass----but at the end of the day I know matters. We are not planning for a third, so as i chase all of Jay's "Firsts" and now "Lasts" it does make me feel sad, sentimental and so lucky in the same breath.

THIRD. This blog. Not necessarily for the entertainment factor or the reader per se, but that the reason I began this blog was for Jay and Elise....a documentation of the different parts of their lives. I don't know if the URL will live forever and when they are running for President and Vice President of the USA, TMZ and People will totally need scoop or they might want to show their friends......I don't know where it will end up in 20 years is my point. But if it does survive they will have all pieces of their life that I wanted to remember or collect for them in some small way. They will always know what I enjoyed about them at that moment and how much they are loved. I can't shortchange them or myself as a parent and for that i'm sorry and I want to try & update more frequently.

That's it for the sap. Show is over. Moving on......

I will do an update fill in the __________ post in the next week. We've obviously been quite busy and on the move. For right now, here is a picture of each of them. I took it this morning the second all of this dawned on me.

Enjoy summer!!
Always,
Carrie

spring in our step

2009-03-09T10:05:00.004-04:00

Spring is so close!! We ventured out to the park with the Kinard fam on Saturday. The kids are getting to such a playful age together--here are a few pics.

LOOK OUT!

2009-03-05T12:30:00.007-05:00

We have a new family member! No, it's not in human baby form or superhero form for that matter.

Her name is Abby.

Her family had her since she was a pup. They have a one year old little boy who is dreadfully allergic to her. So they tried keeping her in the laundry room, medical treatments for the baby and nothing was working. Some friends of mine at lunch were talking about it & how sad it was because the family was heartbroken. It made me think of Max and if one of the kids were sick related to him. What would we do? I would be sick to think of him somewhere that might not be anything less than a loving family and a home. So Abby has joined our family.

She is 15. Yes, 15. She love tennis balls, her pink pig toy....and in traditional Jack Russell style, insists on sleeping under the covers.

She is TINY too!!! Max looks like a fat horsey compared to her! Joe had to redo the fence for 2 days straight and even built her a little ramp to help her in/out of the dog door. She & Max aren't exactly BFF's yet, but she is coming around. We are giving her her space to adjust.
A few pictures. And more to come! Please welcome Abby to our family!!

Love,
Carrie

FISHY FACES

2009-02-24T20:28:00.001-05:00

We took a trip to the Aquarium last weekend. It was Jay's first time and probably Ellie's 10th. It never gets old and I think we see new fish or animals every time. I don't post a load of text these days....figure you all just want the pictures anyway, hehehee. ENJOY!!!

Hope everyone is getting ready for spring, i know we are!!!

2009 Valentine's Day!

2009-02-16T18:01:00.004-05:00

If you wanna peep at all the photos i shot for the valentine...here ya go!! CLICK IN THE PICTURE BELOW. The original is in there somewhere...I marked it as ORIGINAL VALENTINE.

2009 valentine's day

suck your thumb, rub your belly & pat your head

2009-02-11T12:06:00.007-05:00

Okay....so Jay has a few funny quirks. They are SUPER cute & I love it! The biggest one is that he loves to suck his thumb & rub his tummy. Onsies are def a thing of the past for my little man. If he can't get to his belly, he sticks his hand in the top of his shirt to rub......and if he can't get to either of those spots, he'll do the next best thing & stick his hand in someone else's....hehehehe.
He also does a funny when pretends to wash his hair. I can't get a picture of it though. I'm trying--but by the time i get my camera, he stops. here are a few from over the weekend and the very first one is from his classroom. They get such a giggle out of him because of his "healthy" appetite & his favorite spot---in a little book box, sucking his thumb & rubbing his belly.

Ellie is pretending to suck her thumb--sorry, had to get one of her in too.

He has no problem doing it in public either. He LOVED the dog park.

Holiday of Luuvvvvvvvvvvvvve

2009-01-30T11:33:00.005-05:00

Well it's that time of year again!!!

The huggy-lovey-dovey holiday of LOVE. I'm shooting our annual Valentine's Day photo this weekend. My mailing list has practically tripled in the last year with all my new "old" friends......from every corner of the world. I can't complain for having friends for a lifetime, literally. I love it.

I loved getting Valentine's as a kid. I think everyone deserves one in the mail....old school, right? Anyway, I'd love to send you one, just email me your mailing address.

Here are the last 2 years.

happy birthday, ellie + more

2009-01-20T18:38:00.005-05:00

i will update this later....in a rush. so i don't have edit/flow--you're getting raw thoughts.

i'm thankful for my healthy girl, Elise. i could go on forever & ever about how special she is and what she means to me. but we all know that people. she is me--just a smaller version. although she said "on my next birthday time, i will be big & tall like you?"

what makes her a little more special in my book (besides the date also coincides with Audrey Hepburns death, who is my ALL time favorite woman in history next to Jackie O, but that is a different post) is that she was born on Inauguration Day--for Bush....and today-- her 4th birthday also marks up there with pure history.

i had a shoot today at the airport for the Inauguration.

no matter your political affiliation, watching the world the watch history and being some tiny small part of it always feels good. i am proud of my family, my work and hopefully my small contribution to the world. I had the shooter take a picture of me with a newspaper that a very nice passenger gave me. this is pre-photoshop too.
sorry, i should've warned you--it's a sap of a post.

Happy Birthday Party for Ellie's 4th

2009-01-18T16:38:00.005-05:00

Well...Jay has phenomonia. i can't spell it. poor little guy. joe, luckily saw all the symptoms early enough that it was caught in the super early stages.

So obviously, we were going to postpone Ellie's 4th birthday party--which, last year we had to do the same because of stomach bugs....blllhelllll....but we had a very small gathering today and it turned out nice, short & sweet. Here are the pics. Notice the cake....NOT store bought. and not falling apart---it's not exactly centered, but hey, either am I if you'll be kind enough to notice my outfit.

Happy 4th, Ellie. She turns 4 on the 20th. Inauguration day.

AGAIN, for those who still don't know---CLICK INTO THE PICTURE BELOW TO GET TO MORE...ENJOY!!

Happy 4th Birthday, Ellie!

if you haven't noticed....

2009-01-10T13:17:00.003-05:00

i'm out of em'....

jay feeding max

2009-01-09T14:46:00.003-05:00

forgot these....oy vey.

2009-01-06T09:07:00.001-05:00

yes that is the dishwasher. yes, that is the cabinet where i keep my wine, champagne and other breakables.

BOYS & GIRLS

2009-01-05T09:36:00.014-05:00

I swear, 100% of Jay's "boy" gene has officially kicked in. 99% of my time is spent rescuing him from where he is standing on a table, counter or something high in the air, diving from the staircase, climbing into or out of something.
And he looks at you like...."What?? Is something wrong?"

Notice the marking on the giant lump on his forehead...the cuts actually match the stone tile in our foyer where he fell off the stairs.

He also likes to push this little chair over to the piano.....climbs on top and bangs on the keys. He can't get his leg up to play with his toes....lord help him when he gets a little taller. He will push the chair across the room to stand on it.

The girls on the other hand.................Sam & Ellie had a sleepover.

Fun stuff!!!

They played dress up, ice-cream sundaes & of course the actual sleep over.

The difference between the boy & girl thing is just over the top!!!
hahhaa

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ellie's point of view

2008-12-09T15:32:00.004-05:00

so ellie has this camera.....

i think it's kinda funny the things kids take pictures of. she took it for our trip to florida over thanksgiving. cousin jack enjoyed takng a lot of pics too....there are like 20+ pictures of peoples feet. it gave me a little person perspective (less than 4 feet) and i thought some of you might enjoy it too.

ellie's camera

Look Right.

2008-12-05T17:31:00.002-05:00

12 days of Christmas.
8 days of Hanukkah.
4 days of shopping.
2 beers for Joe.
1 biiiiiiggggggg glass of wine. (for me)

It's Ellie, Jay & my lame attempt of trying to put together a "holiday" tree. For those readers who don't actually know me, I'm Jewish. I'm not a great one, but I count as a tribal member nonetheless. So we celebrate together in our split household (can't say the same about nov 4th outcome--we were also split household).

Anywhoooo......I'm taking pics this month of our fun filled month of December & will attempt to update the slide show to the right with additional photos weekly. For those who are still puter challenged, click ON the picture.

Enjoy.
Happy holidays.
L'chiam.
Cheers.
And to all a good night.

gobble gobble

2008-12-01T14:44:00.003-05:00

CLICK ON PICTURE TO SEE MORE (for those who still don't get it, LOL)

Gobble Gobble 2008

Above are the Thanksgiving pics from our trip to Jupiter!!! Exciting stuff, LOL.

I took the kids solo to see my family...everyone came, except Joe (teardrop falling, seriously). He was def missed. We had a great time--a little exhausting, but it was so nice to see everyone. My granny was def missed this year too. She would have LOVED all the kids and people.

I will get more pics from other people's cams soon--but here are the ones i managed to take. Attendees were: My dad (Pittsburgh) & brother Michael (San Fran), The Stettners (Denver) including Jill, Jack, Cutie Chloe and Richard, who is very special--so be nice to him. Also--Keith & Kelly (Greensboro), The terrific Zweibacks (Livingston NJ) who include Amy, Michael and curly haired Lexie! And of course, our amazing hosts...Jane & Gerry. They are amazing for having all those people & kids to entertain. Many thanks!!!!

So-i'm sure you want clued into my header picture?

It is December 1st. I think the holidays are officially upon us. Holiday parties, gifts, candy, shopping and holiday cards. I've decided to try & take it easy this year.

One thing I discovered on my trip to Florida is that Jay & Ellie like Snoopy....it mezmorized them for almost 20 minutes! In kid-time, that is an eternity! It got me thinking about how excited I was as a kid to watch the "Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" and all the holiday shows.......and not only that--as seasons change--- We enjoy the little things that make it so special to that very particular time of year. Even if it's only for a few days or weeks. For me, the smell of spring & fall. And during the holiday season...it's always the classic shows like Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.

We have a lot of to be thankful for this year...big and small.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

BVI PICTURES

2008-11-21T14:38:00.006-05:00

For the life of me i can't figure out how to post 2 albums?

I'm waiting for others to send their pics.... but here are the basics....

I had 2 cameras.
1st was a smaller underwater one that could go anywhere. the battery and/or its charger died on the latter end of the trip. Click on the picture to get to the site.

2nd was a fancy schmancy digital SLR that i attempted some beauty shots with. I was careful about where i took it & how i used it---even though i still came home with 395+ pics on it. click on picture...

So there are 2 albums!!
Enjoy!!

I am in a mad rush this week at work...so i'm short on the posts along with a few other things.

i have a blog.

2008-11-18T09:24:00.004-05:00

it actually took someone to remind me about this blog? my mind is in space somewhere???

gimme a few days to settle back in.

monday was my first day on a computer in about 2 weeks....it's taking me a little longer to adjust to the real world....this would also include wearing clothes other than bathing suits and driving. it's all coming back to me though.

i'll post soon.

and for anyone out west in the midst of the wildfires, please stay safe. it's hard to watch.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHAEL!!

2008-11-01T06:38:00.002-04:00

happy birthday to my brother, michael!!!

I hope it's a great one. I'm so proud of you & all you've done. I wish you another year of growth, good health and much happiness.

see you soon for turkey day!!

playing catch-up

2008-10-28T09:53:00.005-04:00

So the posts have been far & few in between....and it will likely get worse!! haha. November is a busy month.
So, a little catching up...

The big race.... Joe & I ran the 1/2 marathon on the silver comet trail. 13.1 of flat.
Joe finished in 1:53

I did it in 2:10. I would've been 2 minutes faster, but i had a shoe tying issue. Overall, no complaints except that I'm super sore and avoid stairs like the plague. We both won medals!! I think it's my first.
Next race is the ING 1/2 marathon....and it's hilly so it will be a new challenge.

We visited a little pumpkin patch before heading to a pumpkin carving party on Saturday too...here are few pictures from that.

In all honesty, I'm just lazy about taking pictures lately??? I will take some tomorrow because Turner has the annual Halloween event---so we'll all be dressing up.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Walking

2008-10-24T15:23:00.002-04:00

My little man. Walking. I love it!!!! Will post again later. have a great weekend & wish us luck on our 13.1 race tomorrow!!!!

hurrying up to wait

2008-10-21T15:12:00.002-04:00

we have a bunch of just nothing going on these days...mostly preparing for something.

1. Race day...is saturday. 13.1 miles on the silver comet trail. I'm up to a solid 11 miles without passing out or throwing up in the end..wahoooo!!

2. vacation. Latitude: 18° 28' 0 N, Longitude: 64° 45' 0 W .....on the sunny Sandy Grounds of Jost van Dyke.....lots to do....

here are a few pics i took last week when i butchered an innocent pumpkin.

redemption

2008-10-10T21:13:00.009-04:00

It's one of my favorite recipes from Hungry Girl.
I've been using dried cranberries & a tablespoon of pumpkin butter from trader joe's instead of the blueberries.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup uncooked oatmeal (not instant)

1/3 cup Bisquick Heart Smart Baking Mix

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. Smart Balance 37% Light Buttery Spread

1/3 cup light vanilla soymilk

3/4 cup blueberries

Directions:

Set oven to 400 degrees. Mix first 6 ingredients in a bowl. Fold in berries. Spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and form 4 mounds of batter on sheet (leave room in between 'em -- they expand!). Bake for 10 minutes. Makes 4 large scones.

Serving Size: 1 scone

Calories: 130

Fat: 3g

Sodium: 195mg

Carbs: 24g

Fiber: 2.25g

Sugars: 7g

Protein: 3.5g

* 2 Points

2+2= 1small world

2008-10-09T10:12:00.005-04:00

what are the odds?

This morning Cindy messaged me that she overheard someone talking about MY BLOG at the Mexican restaurant in Loganville last night??

Is there only 1 Mexican restaurant out there BTW? ???? LOL

So--of course I am more curious....well..what were they saying, what did she look like??? I didn't know i had readership? and i don't know if i'm creeped out or flattered?

after probing a little more...and after the description... & that they both live out there...LOL

i'm figuring out.....

It was Leslie!!!!! (at least I think?)

Just wanted to shout at you both--because i think it's strangely funny. Cindy is our old roommate and dearest friend from when we lived in midtown and worked at the watch store. Leslie is Ruth's (Joe's sister) BFF.

I'm gonna have to pull some old pics of both...fun, fun....bbbwwwwaaah. actually, i don't have any of leslie. ruth, you may have to do the honors on that one!! LOL

Have a great week!!

Happy Birthday, Jay!

2008-10-06T19:26:00.011-04:00

Dear Jay,

Happy Birthday!! Today you turn 1 year old. Only 1 of many more to come.

I know you don't understand it. I know you won't remember it. Today was just a regular day. Waking up at 5am on the dot. screaming in your crib till 6a--going back to sleep right when I need to get get up. Watching Ellie argue about putting on her clothes & her socks. Eating your yummy little waffle....well, one piece for you and then one piece for max. it's nice that you like to share with him. you don't cry in the car and if you don't fall asleep, you watch Ellie the entire ride in. You had a nice little day in school and even made excited smiley noises when we saw Judy on our way out. At home you light up when you see Joe. Rightly so. Ellie does it too. He is the ideal daddy. You watch Ellie tumble around & play....and dinner, again, one pea for you, one pea for max. you love to eat. You have 1 tooth in--it's a vampire tooth. You have one that popped through on the bottom but it's not all the way in. You are taking 1-3 steps now & then. So close. You are either cruising the furniture or sitting back sucking your thumb--observing. You giggle & smile all the time and say "AXXXX" but it's more like " ACCCHHXXXXS" when you see max. you watched your balloons and then we had a nice little nighttime routine.

it's nothing different to you, and not much different for me--but birthdays are worth celebrating and stopping to appreciate the birthday person's life. that you are appreciative of them being a part of your life too. maybe that's why I'm posting this sappy post? your birthday also falls in the midst of the Jewish new year...which is always a time for self reflection, celebration, remembrance and reminders of our priorities in life.

Today you're one. From the day i found out you were to be, a little extra pink line on a stick...it felt like I waited a million years until your birth-day. like i was actually holding my breath for your safe arrival. i don't think a day has passed since that day last year that i haven't looked at you & thanked my lucky stars for every minute that I've had with you...even if you wake up at 5am.

so, Ellie, on your birthday wanted to read the book Carolyn got her for her 3rd! it's hands down the longest Dr. Seuss book EVuh! but i thought the last few pages towards the end that i generally skip to were fitting (given the cake incident)

From Dr. Seuss's Happy Birthday Book:

And here comes your cake! Cooked by Snookers & Snookers,
The Official Katroo Happy Birthday Cake Cookers.
And Snookers & Snookers, I'm happy to say,
Are the only cake cookers who cook cakes today
Made of guaranteed, certified strictly Grade-A
Peppermint cucumber sausage-paste butter!
And the world's finest cake slicers, Dutter & Dutter
And Dutter & Dutter, with hatches a-flutter,
High up on the poop deck, stand ready to cut her.

Today you are you! That is truer than true!
There is no on alive who is you-er than you!
Shout loud, "I am luck to be what I am!
Thank goodness I"m not just a clam or a ham
Or a dusty old jar of sour gooseberry jam!
I am what I am! That's a great thing to be!
If I say so myself, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!"

Happy Birthday, Jay! I love you. I look forward to every single day of watching you grow in every way. I cannot wait to see many many more of your birthdays and life milestones.

All my love forever & ever,
Carrie
a.k.a. "MAMA"

ps.
there are 250+ birthday party pics. i will post them as soon as i can. including proof that people actually ate my cake. It was a great party & thanks to all that came to celebrate!

To all the members of the tribe....L'shanah Tova!!! I love you!

piece of cake.

2008-10-04T18:37:00.007-04:00

i attempted jay's cake design myself.

christ, carrie. what were you thinking????

pictures really are worth a thousand words. or laughs in joe's case.
more to come from the party.

final result.

first fall camping trip

2008-09-22T15:26:00.005-04:00

we went camping over the weekend!

to the right, you can see i made a slide show. when i have time this week, I will pull out a few of my favorites--photoshop & post them. i'm testing out a few new cameras & you guys will just have to bear a few more pictures than usual.

for now, click the slideshow to the right.

speaking of birthdays...

2008-09-22T10:12:00.003-04:00

I can't believe my little guy is going to be ONE.

I cut out the place, just in case i have any "questionable" readers or stalkers. LOL. It's at nearby park for the activities.

If you are interested in coming, by all means, e-mail me.

baby cupcake party

2008-09-22T09:46:00.007-04:00

There is a little girl in Jay's class (his little girlfriend), Maggie. It was her birthday last week. So her mom, my non-blogging work friend Sara, LOL, sent me all the pics from the birthday cupcake party they had at daycare.

I forget that they are like real little people, sitting around eating & talking about whatever. Jay is becoming so social, hahahahha.

Maggie the birthday girl

Have a great week!!

P is for Pancake

2008-09-09T10:46:00.003-04:00

Letters of the Week.

Ellie is learning a new letter each week at school. Last week, Quinn's mom--ANGELA, made banana PANCAKES. P, Pancake. Yummmm. So she totally saved me a post...hehehee. Ellie calls pancakes, PANPAKES.

This week-- the letter is D. Maybe I'll be slacker mom & just bring in Dunkin Donuts...mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, donuts.

Ellie is also having a D-Day tomorrow....lucky girl.
Errr, that would be Daddy-Day.

boo!

2008-09-08T13:52:00.015-04:00

So it will be THAT time of year again.

Yep, Halloween. Above are Joe's pumpkins from last year. The big question has now doubled in size...COSTUMES. FUN!!! Last year, they were the Tortoise & the Hare. it was cute & fun.

Although..Ellie HATED the ears...here she is below...i made her wear them. she is mad!

This year for her?? I don't know? I may let her decide what to dress as. My guess is that she will pick a princess or a mermaid. I swear, to convince a 3 year old to do anything but what they have already decided--you need to be in sales!

And what about MAX? he always gets left behind... I don't know that max will live up to being SPIDEY DOG. This Jack Russell is way cooler than him....lol

He may be better as a Tarancha-Pet.

For Jay.. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. He can't argue yet. He can't decide. He can't walk yet either. So he is ALL mine to dress up however i want. LOL. Another note: HE FINALLY has a few teeth and they are the...you guessed it, vampire teeth! Just like Ellie's first teeth. So-maybe a vampire? OR Ehhh, i don't know.
I can't make him a car freshener....or a whoopi cushion. WHAT ARE YOU GONNA BE?

AN APPLE A DAY

2008-09-04T18:33:00.005-04:00

So I tried it on Ellie....cause she has an equal love of certain foods.....besides chocolate, of course. Please, for the love of pete, don't ask what she is wearing....cause then i may have to actually explain it.

counting down........

2008-09-04T12:43:00.006-04:00

We have a few things coming up that are exciting!

well, not sure how exciting it is to you, but for us....stepping out of the day-to-day stuff always proves eventful.

the biggest thing is (drum roll please)

JAY's 1st BIRTHDAY!

I can't believe he will be 1. He has such a personality. I need to do a little post on all his new milestones....he has also turned out to be a little foodie...he will eat anything and everything.

He def loves outside too...here is the picture of him on the buggy at daycare.
Next up...
Our trip to Jost Van Dyke. The header picture was a snorkeling picture at Norman Island. We need to bump up Ellie in the swimming lessons again & try & get her to understand SNORKELING.....errrrr....already proving interesting.

Soon, the holidays will be here. We are going to Jupiter for Turkey Day & sadly, no Tuscany trip this year. Maybe next year....eeehhhhhmmmmmm Stettners, LOL. Which, i don't think they even read this??? hahaha

We also have a few races coming up. Joe & I are running the 1/2 marathon on the Silver Comet end of October & we ran the 10K Classic on Labor Day... Joe ran it in 58 minutes and i trailed behind at 1:02.

that's it. not much else happening except we've been (me, ellie & jay) have had colds/coughs. We are hoping to relax this weekend & maybe venture to the pool to practice snorkeling in paradise. not a bad problem to have.

welcome home Missy & Gemma + RAIN UPDATE

2008-08-29T11:02:00.018-04:00

So Carolyn & I never pass up the chance to be totally cheesy dorky friends.

Yes, we 'blended' in at the airport. Can you spot us?

We figured the Simms girls deserved a proper homecoming at the world's busiest airport.

Gemma is adorable..and they were both pretty dumbstruck from a days worth of flight time.

Sorry, Ellie, i cut your head off.

Grandma Kathy & Gemma.

pandasauris? i don't know what that thing is? missy? oh, wait, you see it in the video too...LOL.

Ellie is also slightly scarred from the airport though. not because of all the dragging her across the world & back...but the ants. it's some attempt at 'artwork' and they are life size ANTS?

I don't blame her--if i saw them as a kid, i'd be scared too.....So she finally gathered the courage to face them.

Carolyn & I also never pass up the chance to make a night out of making stupid crafts & sharing a nice bottle of wine. ok, well, let's be honest...we never pass up the chance to hang out & have wine.

Errrh, attempting to make signs..Ellie didn't have the wine though...hehehe

AND...IT FINALLY RAINED..............................on the DAY JOE HAD TO WORK!!!! So ironic. So sad.

no rain in sight

2008-08-23T13:31:00.013-04:00

I'm not sure who is more pitiful waiting for Tropical Storm (not so organized hurricane) Fay's spin-off of rain:

Joe or Ellie?

Here is Joe.
He just watches the radar.
No rain in sight.
No boating in sight.
It's like it is mocking & taunting him.

Ellie is taking it a little better..err, kinda

I got her this umbrella in preparation of the rain.......and also after a slight incident with my umbrella...which, uh, we'll leave it at this blurry picture.

So she has been dying to use it properly, but because there is so much wind, it's more of just a novelty. can you tell below? she is also opening it in the car. I was driving along & realized she was so quiet? no tv? hmmmm. I look back & there she is. Waitin. For the rain. In the car.

and.....she's not done. AKA, Mary Poppins.

Even Jay...has a rain dance, teeeheee.

We will keep you posted on the rain.

Have a great week!

don't chop my head off

2008-08-19T08:35:00.010-04:00

I know. You don't have to remind me. I've neglected all of you for some time now.

We've been a little busy with the menial day-to-day tasks.....nothing exciting to report or write about.

Don't take my head off, please.

Oh.

Wait.

(this is what i've deemed the Debby Sherback Blog Reveal)

My graphic guy did it for you....

I was not planning to share. But I know a good, cheap laugh when I see it. Enjoy.

just in case you wanna see mine a little closer...HAR HAR (insert my pouty face here).. my gfx guy (Mark) sent this to me in the middle of a meeting and a almost spit out my gum. Which, is just a bad idea all around...I'm aware.

Findlings found us

2008-08-11T11:29:00.003-04:00

Hank (Pittsburgh) & Michael (San Francisco) came for a visit over the weekend. It was very nice & uneventful--which is a good thing!

I'm sure they were both ready to be childless by today. We kept it low key...mostly going to the pool, the bakery (of course), the library and a semi-painless dinner out. Ellie had a great time & Jay loves seeing new people as long as one of us in "sight." He is starting to push off on his own & I'm wondering if he will be walking soon? Still...not one tooth?

Above are all the pics from my brothers camera & mine. I took a few extra from his of him & his girlfriend, Danna out in SFO.

Have a great week!

lake

2008-08-06T12:14:00.006-04:00

We went to the lake....

COPY CATS

2008-08-04T13:56:00.006-04:00

Jay is starting to mimic Ellie....and she is having so much fun with it.

He is such the little tiger....ROAR!!!!!!

LOL!!

new book

2008-08-01T19:38:00.005-04:00

Ellie thinks this is a book. She calls it a book, reads it like it's a book--it is not a book?!!

It's a cardboard insert thingy from a raft.
She carried it around for 2 days and even slept with it one night-only after i read it to her as a bedtime story.
thought it was worthy of one of those quirky things she does that makes me scratch my head. Missy, enjoy Humpty Dumpty.,,,,and Guam!

STRIKE 1......

2008-08-01T14:39:00.004-04:00

So this will go down as the dumbest thing I've ever attempted as a mom.

I don't have time to fill in the "story" parts....so I'll just give you the pictures we managed to take at the Braves game last night. I will just say this...LOL.....notice in the one picture, the PUKE all over my leg from Jay. We never even made it to our seats. They had a great time regardless & I managed to find some friends that hung out with us long enough for me to play bad mom & guzzle down a $9 beer. hahahahaha.

Greensboro, North Carolina

2008-07-30T14:26:00.014-04:00

Last week was just one of those weeks where if it could go wrong, it did.

Ten fold too. On any given day, this is what was happening:

Jay has fever
Why is that light on in my car?
Ellie has fever
Both kids are sick...cough & cold
Get the light to turn off..car is fine
Work turns into...uh, well REAL work, LOL
I need a haircut
ANOTHER light? seriously?!
Ellie needs a haircut
New light is telling me i have low tire pressure! I liked my VW, it didn't care about anything related to maintenance or safety

So we survived the week & headed for Greensboro's Grandover Resort at 4AM on Saturday morning. I only managed a few pics from my camera. My cousins have more & I will update shortly.

We visited with my cousins Keith & Kelly, who live in Greensboro; cousins Amy, Michael & their little girl Alexia (14 months) who drove from New Jersey; and my Aunt Jane & Uncle Jerry who came in from Jupiter Florida. It was a really nice visit & even though it was super short---I enjoyed the time.

WE SOLVED A HUGE MYSTERY!!!!
(hence, the GIANT puzzle piece in the header)

This is Alexia...Lexie is her NN. NOTICE HER PRETTY CURLS PEOPLE!

You could of scalped her & Ellie, swapped heads & they would match.
They have the same CURLY HAIR! Apparently it comes from my Grandma Gert!

Ellie had a great time too....
Here she is making herself at home in the hotel. She is a natural traveler, if I may say so.

She also experienced and mastered the revolving door....AKA, "The Spinny Door." She asks Joe daily when he is getting one for our house.

LOL..here she is going solo & VERY PROUD of herself. She almost gave the concierge guy a heart attack every time she went through the thing.

Jay enjoyed my Aunt Janie first hand. I only wish we had more time with everyone. Thanksgiving will hopefully come quick for all of us to be together again soon.

More to come. Hope you are all doing well. Thanks for checking in on us! I will post again shortly.

Best,
Carrie

sippy cups anitcipation?

2008-07-29T12:59:00.005-04:00

Hang in there people--I'm coming back soon.

In the meantime, here is a nice little distraction...Ellie & Jay around the same ages in the jumper.

Swingers

2008-07-15T16:02:00.009-04:00

I'm back-posting a little to catch up. Pictures & one video from the park on Saturday below.

Ellie is feeling 1000% better. I can't say the same for Joe.

Don't forget to wish him a Happy Birthday tomorrow! We are going to Rathbun's for dinner. I think we are the only ones left in the city of Atlanta who have not dined there. I'm super-excited! Hopefully his stomach will be better in time to enjoy it.

ellie found the stomach bug.

2008-07-14T12:12:00.007-04:00

anyone know how to get throw up out of mattresses & car seat straps?

you know you miss it

2008-07-11T12:08:00.007-04:00

This is so wrong on so many levels.

For the Taylors...

bbbwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh! (laughing)

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Budder-Fwyes

2008-07-08T14:46:00.004-04:00

I think I'm going for an animal theme this week?

As you can see, the "budder-fwye" bush in our front yard is the extent of our excitement around here. Enjoy Tuesday!

lucky 7/7 monday

2008-07-07T13:14:00.010-04:00

We had a very welcomed, uneventful 4th of July--with the exception of a short visit from Chris & Rosie en route to Lilburn from Bloomington, Indiana.

Chris (who has not aged 1 day, hmm, maybe it's all the beer?) is Joe's partner in crime from the early days. For those who know him or shall I say, know them together, uh, well, this is a FAMILY friendly site & we'll leave it at that. heeeheee.

I managed to snap 1 photo until my battery conveniently died. No one was looking of course & its not in focus, sorry.

From Left to Right: Stella (dog), Patrick (16 months), Chris, Rosie, Lily (5 in Sept), Joe, Jay & Ellie. And on the floor by Joe's feet is Roxy. The puppy we dog sat for over the weekend.

So we just basically hung out at the pool, I caught a movie with Carolyn (finally saw Sex & the City) & Joe headed up to the Ocoee for camping & paddling.

Sunday i was quite the ambitious crazy mom. I don't have any before or durings.....but i do have AFTER pics below. i just wasn't in a camera snapping mode this weekend i guess.

sunday events...
1st. priority..dunkin donuts. Once in a blue moon, I will order Ellie a munchkin.
me: "LARGE COFFE C/S & ONE,MUNCHKIN PLEASE"
order taker: ONE?
me: YES, ONLY 1.
they still give me like 6. so i gave them to max.

2nd. silver comet trail. I did not take MAX becuase i end up being a circus act. I got to use my stroller. i love it. mine is red--just like Brooke Shields. of course she is like a foot taller than me. and she is brooke shields.
Ellie sits on the top and peeps at Jay riding on the bottom. he giggles & rightly so. Most of the time she is flashing the passerbyers cause her tush is in the air peeping him. we def don't look as suave & fashionable as Brooke & her kids. LOL!

3rd. dip in the pool. yeah. there is no such thing as a dip in the pool with 2 kids. after pushing both of them for 2+ miles, wild horses couldn't have kept me from that pool. and on sunday mornings here in Georgia, everyone is in church. no one is at the pool, except us. love it.

4th. park. we met dawn, samantha & gavin at the park. i felt so bad about fattening max with those munchkins, dawn was kind enough to watch all 4 kids while max had a nice little run with his pals in the dog park. after that, we had a lovely little lunch--downwind and with a view of the dog park.

right about the time we were leaving a nice sized thunderstorm set in. our timings were working out so nice--it was odd, but hey, i'll take whatever works in my favor when i can get it!

WE ALL took a nice afternoon snooze........i swear, my favorite sunday afternoon thing to do is nap on the couch during a thunderstorm.

Finally, we went to an afternoon 4th of July BBQ. Busy day for the wrapping up of a 3 day weekend!!
Sorry, I didn't take any other pictures except of Ellie & Jay eating and playing with a spinwheel pinwheel.

have a good week.

Jay's 9 month milestones

2008-07-02T21:07:00.007-04:00

Jay is doing so much lately! It feels like he has hit 3 or 4 milestones in the last 2 weeks??! He loves eating REAL food. Peas, black beans, little pieces of meat, cut up fruit--pretty much anything. We won't talk about the dog food. He is also starting to pull up, cruise (slowly) and yes.....CRAWL. See for yourself.

TECHNICAL SIDE NOTE: for anyone that cares.
Our Flip video camera has been so handy. No complaints, until now.
Apparently, it's not audio compatible with a MAC? Yes, we are Mac people if you didn't already know this. We are not fans of the CTL+ALT+DELETE here in the Gildea household. I found a work around for the playback audio files in Quicktime. Apple offers Perian as the plug-in. Okay, so now I can at least HEAR my AVI files, but I can't edit them except in the Flip Video software--which is basically a cut on the front & back end. I still can't edit in iMovie. Haven't loaded FCP yet, so I don't know about that? Anyway, what this means for now, is that you'll have to deal with 1 or 2 videos that may be a little longer than I like versus 1 cleaned up video with music and all the nice edits. So, stay tuned because I will figure it out as soon as I can spend an afternoon working out my kinks & nagging the editors at work. I feel for you, people. My voice annoys even me after watching it once.

THE SHOW MUST GO ON!

Bathtime. He likes hanging onto the side of the tub, and chewing on it.

I guess with 2 kids, I gotta get the biggest bang for my buck--especially that we are in the middle of a drought in Georgia. So yes, they get a bath together. We're not in Alabama people--so it's okay, right? LOL. plus, Jay giggles at her.

Have a safe & happy July 4th everyone!!!

EXTRA BAGGAGE

2008-07-01T14:06:00.015-04:00

I think We the People carry around too much stuff.

Lightening the load is always a good thing. Even the airlines are catching on & charging you for extra baggage. Lighter loads. It's a chance to make room for new things. Healthy things. Creating new, positive environments.

You know who you are.

My heart and my support go out to you. Your first big ol' healthy first step in a new direction with a lighter load in an uphill battle. Old friends aren't hard to find these days. good ones are always a step away. I don't care how many years have passed.

that said---lemme lighten the mood!! teehee
We seem to learn early about carrying around STUFF? For example, Ellie.
She is no stranger to carrying around a bunch of things that she has deemed in her 3 1/2 year old little head as VERY important and necessary. Most of it ends up on the floor of my car. This morning i couldn't find her shoes. ANY of them. Turns out they were on the floor of my car--2 pairs mind you!
Can you spot them??

I've totally given up trying to help her out of the car too--because I too am bogged down with stuff!!! I am generally holding Jay, his bottle bag, food, blankies---all the stuff.

So here she is...trying to make it out of the car with all her crap that I will now have to make sure she leaves with this afternoon. Otherwise, she will notice 1/2 way home that she doesn't have her purse and cry for it until tomorrow. Do boys do this?????

So, let's review what we went in with......
1. purse
2. milk
3. book
4. there is a banana waffle in there from trader joes somewhere?
5. i made her put ON the sunglasses...for efficiency. HAHAH.

Just so you don't think i dress her crazy---it is TACKY TUESDAY. I tried. But her shirt is also stuck & not pulled down all the way--so it looks even goofier. that was a freebie.

JAY.

To young to hang onto anything but his little thumb. We moved him to the bigger car seat because he was literally getting stuck in the infant seat--between that & that it's getting hot here in Georgia---he was all sweaty when i finally unstuck him. he's much happier.

More space!! We are days away from a fun 3 day weekend!!! Wahoooooo!!!

a good friday

2008-06-27T11:51:00.012-04:00

Since I've had a bustle of activity on the site the last few days, I didn't want to disappoint and not post SOMETHING...heeeheee. Plus, I suspect Miss Tomekia thinks we are stalking her in real life. So I took a couple this morning....

Since 1982 is comin' back in style, (FTLOG, please explain how & why mohawks are now fashionable!?!) please, notice the 1 pony tail on the side of her head.

Jay is so mobile lately. I will take video of him this weekend. He is starting to pull up and yes, even cruise. This is exciting stuff for parents! He loves this walker contraption that was built to run into adults feet and injure & annoy the sh*t outta us. I was putting Ellie in the car & he had this funny look like, "HEY, I'm coming, don't forget me!"

And poor old Max in the background. He looks so pitiful, doesn't he?
Don't let that little guy fool you. He & I have been frequenting the dog park in the evenings. It's like a daily happy hour for them-- running, sniffing and barking. general happy dog things.

I also came across this one from a few years ago & it makes me giggle. He was trying to get a treat or something out of my pocketbook & got stuck.

Last, but NOT LEAST......drumroll, applause & if you are a ZTA reading this, that clappy song that I'm not coordinated enough for....

I'd like to officially send out a big giant congrats to Missy, who just adopted a little girl--GEMMA KATHLEEN !!! As of my late night phone call Wednesday night from a very veklempt new grandmother, Missy is officially a MOM!!! Welcome to the world of sippycups & no sleep!

Sorry, gals, this was the only picture I could drag up of you two......that i can post on a family friendly site at least...(ehhhmm, Kathy, teehee)

Can't wait to meet Gemma!!! Missy, also came across this one. Sorry, but your expression made me laugh. It's clearly a few beers in and I obviously said something stupid......or you're just annoyed with me taking your picture. again. Come home soon!!!! I need someone to annoy & insult since April went MIA. (oops)

Ellie, what is the river in Egypt?

2008-06-26T12:52:00.007-04:00

Dear Miss Tomekia,

Ellie is in De-Nile.

Elise has moved on from the Pre-1 class to Pre-2. She became very attached to Miss. Tomekia...and hasn't faced facts that she has moved into a NEW class with NEW teachers.

This was yesterday, on the ride home. I was at a long stop light, so it's okay. I wasn't actually driving and filming, and I was wearing my seatbelt-my car dings to remind me of the seatbelt thing.

And if you didn't catch the CRAB HUNTING video.......here is the encore presentation.

"Reel" Big Fish

2008-06-25T15:36:00.010-04:00

I was cleaning off my Flip Camera and caught a big one! Dawn, Ruth, John T, Joe, John G & Karen--awesome job reelin' em in!!!

Impressive, Dawn!!

You can do it Ruth!! in 2 parts.....

You had to at least see the pay off...

And don't forget the smallest of our fishers......

Passport Photos

2008-06-24T11:58:00.009-04:00

I've put it off long enough. We have plane tickets in hand for paradise...but Jay has no passport. I was really waiting for him to sit up so i could snap the perfect picture. Ha!! You would think I'm still on all the drugs from last week, cause it ain't happening people!

I will never forget trying to get Ellie's---and in time for our trip to Mexico...(to the nudist colony for Carolyn, teeeheee).

I took her to the Kinko's on Paces Ferry in Vinings figuring it was the fancy place to go for infant passport pictures considering the area. It's high fla-lutent.

Christ, she cried. she wouldn't sit still. she'd just fall over. At one point she just started chewing on the background. There were 2 workers trying to snap just one, just one!!---not even a good one that would fit into the laundry list of governmental criteria of passport pictures.

In the end. I draped a sheet over the front of the couch, got Ellie in a good mood & took it myself.

So, this is what the government has on file for her until the 5 year expiration rolls around. She was so sweet and, BALD.

Luckily, you can still find the exact same step-by-step instructions on how to Photoshop a good Passport Picture.

Well, I attempted it. This morning at daycare, i snapped a few for Jay. He had just woken up. Even Photoshop isn't helping his cause.

He is also, so sweet and wow, not so bald!! I'll keep ya posted.

Tree Hugger

2008-06-20T09:56:00.014-04:00

Hello All.
If you've talked to me over the last few days, you'll know there has been some drama. I somehow managed to pull a muscle in my back (in my sleep no less) rendering me overall useless.....more so than usual at work too. haha. Anyway, Jane came to my rescue. driving up from Florida with a moments notice. she took the kiddos to school each day so i could rest & attempt working from home. Now all the drugs are wearing off and I just feel like I'm having the biggest hangover of my life.

Never a dull moment.

Luckily, Jay & Ellie didn't notice a difference except that they had a fun visit from their grandmother...Ellie got to eat a few more snacks than usual and totally milked staying up late.

Anywhoooo...thanks for all the comments on the pics! I know there are a lot to sort through. Honestly, I'm just way to lazy these days to cull them down or name them. Hopefully, you'll notice there are few diamonds in that ruff.

I always get questions as to who is who since Joe has so many sisters. He has 3. Not 6. So here is a little primer, family tree if you will.

Joe's oldest sister is Dawn, pictured below with Gavin who will be 1 year in July.

Dawn is married to BJ, pictured with a shark. Nice catch!

In addition to Gavin.... Dawn & BJ's first born is Samantha, aka. Sam. She is hands down Ellie's hero! I always get those fun butterflies in my stomach watching them giggle together--they are just so sweet and Ellie never laughs so much as when she is laughing with Sam.

Joe's middle sister is Ruth who is married to John T.
This romantic newlywed couple will be celebrating their 1 year anniversary at the end of the month. Mazel Tov!

Last, but certainly not least is the youngest of the Gildea Gals, Karen. I've known her since she was 10 years old. Here she is with Ellie, who is sportin' the Elmo Undies, LOL.

Let's not forget Grandma Peggy. This is Mr. Gildea's mom. I've never met a feistier granny than mine.....with this spry lady being the exception, of course. No one makes a better margarita than Grandma Peggy, LOL.

Thanks for checking in on us!! Hope everyone is doing well, especially those out west in the flood. My heart goes out to you!

Take care,
Carrie

St. George Pictures

2008-06-17T09:11:00.002-04:00

So i narrowed it down to 435 pictures. This is between my camera & Karen's Canon SLR. She was kind enough to take some family pictures for us. I also caught a few good ones of the 2 girls---who seriously had the most fun of everyone. Loads of fish, sun & fun!!

For Photobucket. You can click into the album in the post below or use my link. The guest password is eatbugs.

http://photobucket.com/stgeorgeisland2008

ENJOY!!!!

St. George Island June 2008

2008-06-17T09:10:00.001-04:00

Photobucket Album

day 3 st. george island

2008-06-10T15:51:00.003-04:00

We are having a great time at the beach. the weather has been cooperating wonderfully, except for this morning. but it gave us a great show while we waited it out. a water spout! it was impressive to say the least. Joe, his sisters, dad & John T. are on the BIG fishing trip out to sea so they will have to see it from my pictures just like you. i will post all the other fun beach photos later.

Grandma Jane's Pictures

2008-06-04T15:38:00.005-04:00

Jane took a few great pictures when she visited for Memorial Day weekend. We had a very nice visit and our icing on the cake was our visit from the one & only.....MERMAID!!! This would be Carolyn. My near & dear friend who puts up with me for whatever reason. most of you reading this who are family are stuck with me., LOL...Carolyn just sticks to me & i'm happy to have her.

Anywhoooooo....Carolyn & Ellie enjoyed my hammock. It's my favorite place on earth these days besides getting a solid 8 hours of sleep, which, we ALL know will not happen for years (sniffle, sniffle)

A few of Jay enjoying the outdoors.....

hmmmmm, I don't have ANY of Ellie & Jay with Grandma Jane!?? Which is too bad because she is looking & feeling great!!

We did manage a trip to the park. Jay & I hung out at the dog park for Max (no pics, sorry) and Ellie tortured Jane with climbing on the playset ---some of it is nerve wracking because let's face it people, my kid is prone to falling down for no reason & the general-ness of "ouch, that looks like it hurt."

it's the weekend & officially 1 week away from the beach

2008-06-01T10:34:00.009-04:00

We are getting ready to head to the beach for a week (Joe for 2) to none-other than the remote, relaxing & fun-filled island of St. George in Florida- wahoo!! Joe is beyond anxious and already in his 'vacation mode.'

Yesterday, we went to REI & we got a new beach chair (see joe sitting in it, watching the Braves game & yapping with Jim about his boating trip today) and Ellie got Chacos. the fact that they sell them for her size ---what's next for kids?? toooo cute!!

On the bottom of the shoe. it actually says NO WHINING. I have respect for the shoe people having the guts to do that.

So the weekend overall started out a little rough. I was diagnosed with Tonsillitis & an ear infection. Jay was diagnosed with a double ear infection, but it's worse on the right. So, antibiotics for him. His first one. He is also getting 2 teeth on the bottom middle. So he's been up all hours of the night. No pictures of that, sorry, hahah.

Saturday was really nice out. Joe set up our beach tent for Ellie to play in. We couldn't get her out of it & she insisted on eating dinner in it too. At first we didn't want to, but it was so nice out & Jay loves being outside-so here ya go.........

Jay of course gets a bug bite right smack in the middle of his forehead...

Except for the few little bugs, it was a very nice little dinner. Good call, Ellie!
Have a great week!!

floating fun

2008-05-29T17:35:00.004-04:00

Ellie is doing great in her swim class, except for the fact that she cries during 99% of the lesson. I also wait in another room, except when i peep at her from the outside window...so technically, i have no idea. They just tell me she is doing good, LOL.

So I popped in at the end of class to see her floating. She also learned to hold onto the side let go, go underwater & float back up. Exciting stuff!!! Just in time for summer too! Here is the video......

picture of cat

2008-05-29T13:28:00.005-04:00

update...obviously I change out the pictures. i added the cat picture to the post. i wish i was this cat....even for an hour.

_________________________
if you are wondering about the cat picture above.

It's Pusser's Marina Cay in the British Virgin Islands. I was poking around for a new summer background on my computer and came across this photo I took during our lunch on the island.

that cat doesn't need 9 lives, this one seems to suit him just fine.

smores anyone?

2008-05-29T12:49:00.006-04:00

Wahooo!! Got a few more pics. Thanks, Karen!!

I will post again tomorrow with a few random pictures. Ellie started swimming classes & there has been a little drama involved, but we are getting past it.

Sorry, i don't have much to say that is entertaining or interesting. Things are just a little crazy this week. I will catch up soon!!

Ellie with Ruth (Joe's sister)

At least she isn't IN the fire. I think the fire was still hot enough to semi-cook that marshmallow, LOL.

My stick isn't much better. I love a toasty marshmallow. mmmmm.

Fishing with Joe.

Of course, Ellie inhereted my non-coordination and ability to get tangled in a fishing line.

The girls getting a fishing lesson from our favorite Big Fish Expert, Grandpa. They love it!!

family photos.

i look like some weird munchkin. geese, i'm short!!

Jay & Grandma Rose. He really loves being outside, and sucking his thumb.

camping pics

2008-05-22T10:14:00.008-04:00

Okay, so Karen, my sister-in-law (SIL) and i are still trying to pair up to get all her fabulous pictures from our superfun camping trip. In the meantime, here is what i have from my camera & she posted a few to my myspace account.
it is ALMOST friday....and a 3 day weekend. Wahooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

TGIF

2008-05-16T15:16:00.007-04:00

I am getting the camping pictures up here soon, I promise.

Meanwhile, i worked from home today. It's friday. There is no way i would've made it one more day. And we all know my extremely rigid schedule (laughing & rolling my eyes).

When I work from home, Ellie gets out of her routine and has completely unstructured time. i'm okay with that a few times a month, but she gets BORED. I am at her mercy when i have a conference call...she can wear whatever she wants, eat chips, cheese or a pound of bacon if it will save me from being on the phone with 10 people who have to hear her screaming. It's a cruel irony, haha.

So... I was working & she was distracted....and i hear her kinda singing. so luckily, the new Flip Video cam arrived the other day. so i peeped her, in her "babing soup" and all. You can see here she got a little embarrassed too, hahaha.

And, don't forget my little guy. He is getting so big. His feet touch the floor in his jumper now. Take a look!!

Clancy

2008-05-13T14:58:00.007-04:00

We went camping over the weekend. I don't have all the pictures ready for blogging, so you will have to check back.
Here is a little preview. Ellie & Sam playing around the campsite. We had a ton of fun, and the girls had 100000x more fun than anyone, except Max.

Meanwhile, in the mornings, when ellie is getting dressed or ready, putzing around, singing in the mirror, playing or just not getting ready--Jay has to hang out.
I've been sitting him on her floor with Clancy the bear. It's almost like they are becoming friends because I caught Jay kinda talking to Clancy the other day. I grabbed my camera & got what I could. Between Clancy & Max--jay is plenty entertained.

Picture Day

2008-05-08T09:11:00.005-04:00

Today is picture day at school. I put Ellie in this adorable frooooffy dress. I know everyone thinks their kid is the cutest in the world--but really, she looks like a little Gymboree or Baby Gap model she is so cute!!
Seriously....she is totally cuter than that girl!! LOL

She is having a total blast wearing it too. "Like a princess" as she would say. People, it actually has crinoline in it. If you don't know what that is, it's the fluffy stuff that you generally wear under wedding dresses to make them puffy.

I tried taking pictures of them this morning together---it's so hard to get both of them to, #1 LOOK at the camera at the same time and #2, SMILE too. so here is what i got.

He's not too sure about being held by her? Hahaa.

Miss Tomeka, her teacher took this of us this morning. she is pretending to be shy--don't let her fool you!

I didn't forget my little man, either. He has a cute little sweater outfit...but I took it off before I left because it is bound to get something on it. He is so sweet & smiley these days. His personality is really starting to bloom as a happy baby who likes to be entertained. He sits back & watches a lot--almost like he is thinking about what is going on.

Jay & his little girl friend

2008-05-06T15:31:00.004-04:00

There is an adorable little red-head girl in Jay's class, Maggie. They are only about a month apart. Her mom & I work about the same schedule, so the 2 babies spend quality time together in the mornings.
When i got there yesterday afternoon they were both asleep, head-to-head. It was so sweet. I scurried around for a camera and when i finally got one, i hit the video button, not the picture button. nice going carrie. needless to say, i got like 2 secs of them before he woke up. hahaha. I will have more pictures tomorrow.

Here is the video.

April Update

2008-04-30T11:33:00.009-04:00

So sorry that I've neglected all of you! My schedule has been a little crazy the last week or so. Not a whole lot happening around here. Joe was kind enough to handle some laundry last week and the little video camera my dad got us that i've been using to post videos....uh, let's just say that the camera got a good cleaning too. Sufficed to say, we ordered a new one on Amazon yesterday.

I'll just post some of my latest pictures.

A few of Jay, hanging out on Ellie's bed. He is sitting up--what seems like a little more balanced these days. He is definitely getting more personality and knows what he wants. He watches Ellie like a hawk & smiles all the time at her--even laughs at her when she dances around.

I took Ellie to get her haircut last weekend too. For those of you not familiar with my curly-haired cutie, she has CURLS!!! Lots of them. The gals in her schools say, "her hair is wild" but they love it.

So I took her to the fancy place in Buckhead this time. I wish they would cut my hair.

So here is the before picture...

And here is the during picture. ...note, the lollipop and that she watching THE BEE MOVIE in front of her.
And this would be the AFTER picture. Notice all the cr*p (i'm trying to not curse, since this is a family site) she racked up on ...the sunglasses, the blue jewels in her hair, the new Tinkerbell purse.

So she had a great weekend last weekend too....her favorite idol came for a short afternoon visit.

"Mommy, I want to play with Sam, she is my cousin and my friend" Sam popped over and they hung out outside. They helped me plant basil in the garden and then we sipped on a little chocolate rice milk & ate popcorn. They are so adorable together. I really hope they are close cousins & friends the way Jill & I are. I miss you, Jill. Where are you???????

So this past weekend was a little nuts. We had people over on Saturday to help receive our piano. We ate & drank and watched the rain outside. Sunday was uneventful with the rain.

More to come--i just need the week to catch up!!!
Hope everyone is doing well. Let me know how you are.

Daddy Day

2008-04-16T20:40:00.007-04:00

Every couple weeks Ellie stays home & has a daddy day with Joe. Today they went with Jim to play Frisbee Golf at Kennsaw Mountain.
They had a great time!! At dinner, Ellie was so worn out she asked to go to bed?!! Seriously, she was in bed at 7 o'clock! A REAL MIRACLE.

This is Jim, throwing the frisbee.

Ellie throwing the frisbee...it's behind her. She's workin' on her aim.

She didn't quite grasp the idea of "throwing it in the basket" she just walked up & put it in. Always a winner in my book though.

All these pictures were taken with Ellie's Fisher Price camera too....hahaha.

I wish i had a frisbee golf day!!

lazy days

2008-04-13T17:08:00.015-04:00

Today is fairly uneventful, which is a good thing.
Here are a few recent photos.

The photos of Jay in the stripes are a couple of my favorites. He was in a very happy mood and looks like a little pea in a pod. He is so sweet and loves to chew on everything..especially my nose. ouch.

We were trying...or I was trying to get them ready to go to the park this morning but Ellie insisted on reading Jay a few books. I don't have a chair for him in that room, so the laundry basket had to do...he didn't seem to mind. Park Pictures.....

VIDEO
Jay is getting used to his walker. It's great for me because I don't have to hold him or worry about him falling out of a bouncy seat. Ellie & I made our own popsicles or as she calls them "poss-sicles." First we made the orange juice from that frozen concentrate thingy. Then we poured them into one of those IKEA Ice Pop Makers. It was a nice lazy weekend.

Have a great week everyone!!!

Fhunder Bunny to the Rescue

2008-04-12T08:57:00.012-04:00

Last night we had a terrific thunderstorm. Loads of lightening & thunder. Ellie has never been scared of, well anything except when a large group of ducks were following her around at a petting zoo and maybe that giant pig--but that pig was even making me a little uneasy. haha.

I don't know that she is scared or just doesn't like the "Fhunder." Nonetheless, she walks around with her hands over her ears until it stops. I used to tell her it's just the clouds clapping and dancing. That lasted until about 2 months ago. So I made use of one of her gazillion stuffed animals.

Meet "Fhunder Bunny." A little bunny from PBK that she now holds when she gets scared of the thunder.

So we are aren't exactly on top of having consistent bedtimes. we're workin' on it people. there are only so many battles i can win around here. so i figure with the storms, there is no way she will go to sleep. but I have to at least try. In my favor: SHE IS TIRED!! wahoo.

side story: she wasn't napping at school, and it was a slow work day, so I snuck her outta school & she came to work with me...go ahead, say it--bad mama!! I don't care. any extra time we get together, just her & I, is gravy & it makes me happy--even if she totally reprogrammed my office television to only speak spanish. anyway, that is WHY she is so tired.

We go through the routine. reading stories...all the while holding her ears & Fhunder Bunny...and she falls asleep. It was so pitiful & so funny sweet at the same time--even an hour later still holding her ear & Fhunder Bunny, I had to break out the night-time setting on my camera.

Am I the only one out there taking pictures of their kids when they are sleeping??

Who is Who????

2008-04-11T13:37:00.007-04:00

Friday fun.....it is so amazing how much they look alike!! Look at those chubby cheeks!! as my Grandma used to say blei-eyin harah-poo-poo.
So I don't know what it means either, but she was always so cute when she said it. I asked my only expert via instant messenger. Yes, my brother, Michael.

findling67: blei-eyin harah literally means without the evil eye
ShuttlePrincess: what is poo poo
findling67: like sho sho
findling67: go away evil eye
findling67: you should only have good things
findling67: thank goodness as is well
findling67: we're so great
findling67: blah blah

blei-eyin harah-poo-poo to all of you!! HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

JAY, uhhh, and Max....roll over.

2008-04-10T18:24:00.008-04:00

Jay is turning into such a little wiggler. Every time I put him down--he flips over, haha.
Very exciting milestone here people.
I think he is enjoying the world from a new angle.
Enjoy!!
TAKE 1.

TAKE 2..without Max.

night night time..not happening.

2008-04-09T13:25:00.006-04:00

As a general reward, uhhhh, okay, I'll say it..this is what I do to make her actually listen to me.... Ellie gets to watch a television show in our bed. This is very exciting to a 3 year old--hence the good ol' fashioned bribery. So here she is, happy as a clam, watching "Dinosaurs" in my bed.

So, yes, this also means....... draaaama. For the love of pete..this girl WILL NOT go to bed when she is supposed to. She will finally go down....pretend she is sleeping & then you hear it.

The droning.....
"mmmmmmmmmooooommmmmmmmyyyyyyyy, daaaaaaaaadddddddddddddddyyyyyyyyyyyy, reead me a story. "

On the other hand, my little guy Jay... sweetest cutest bug in a little rug goes to bed with just a wimper & a thumb sucking. He is sooo sweet, I can't help myself. I go in & watch him in his peaceful little sleep at night for a few minutes. He's starting to roll over a lot lately & sleeping on his side. I took these around 9pm-ish.

Oh, the Dramatic life of 3 being years old. And a girl.

2008-04-08T11:34:00.007-04:00

I wish I could live inside Ellie's little head for a day. Apparently, she is in a clique at daycare. That's right, at the ripe of 3 it begins.....the drama. So this clique would consist of 3 girls. Ellie, Hayley & Addy. Hayley & Ellie refer to Addy as the 'baby.' Anywhooo....when I got to school yesterday, Ellie was clearly sad? She told Hayley that she wasn't her friend because Hayley wasn't being nice to her? such drama for 3 years old! She was sad all night. What happened? did she push you? hit you? take your toy? "No, she grabbed my pink shirt and scared me." Today they friends again. such is life and friends.....

Ellie & Hayley outside. Addy is on Spring break?!

Sitting Up!

2008-04-04T15:22:00.002-04:00

1/2 of 1

2008-04-04T14:27:00.001-04:00

Okay, so my cutie-pie will be SIX MONTHS old on Sunday!!

We had a bit of a rough start when we first brought him home. He may have had his day/nights mixed up....anyone that has gone through a newborn stage, the first few weeks are a giant blur. My surgery went well, but the pain was worse this time for some reason.

After about 4-5 weeks, we figured out Jay's tummy wasn't right....he seemed to have some colic and some acid reflux symptoms. He was always upset and it was touch & go in the way of comforting him. The doctor prescribed him some antacid, which after a few days seemed to do the trick. Even Ellie...trying to console him. pitiful!
He gets cuter everyday!! People...let me just tell you....we have a thumb sucker. he could care less about "BINKY." It's so cute---and i honestly don't know what is cuter, when he discovers it or when he realizes that it is soothing to him.

He smiles...all the time at whatever is in front of him. He likes people faces, bright colors, things that move, like the ceiling fan, of course.

He doesn't like NOISE. Yes, he is noise sensitive. He has done okay in daycare, but he doesn't sleep at well as he does at home because of the noise. When he first started there, the girls said they couldn't talk to him when he was getting his bottle--you had to be quiet, otherwise he got upset. hahah.

He eats solid foods. We tried rice cereal. Then sweet potatoes, pears, peas and this weekend I will try apples. He does okay, but he likes to chew on the spoon. So you have to hold his hand away from the food, otherwise, you can't get any food in there.
Hmmmm, now that i think about it...he has lots of cute little quirks that are his own...wait, isn't that the definition of quirky?
He was sticking his tongue out all the time. it was silly and i wondered & worried if he was defective or something? YES, I did Google it. I'm shameless. Nonetheless..here it is..

Okay....so let's keep movin' here.....bath time. Ah, fun. he seems to like it. he doesn't mind it and honestly, i feel so great putting him to bed nice and clean, dry & snuggly warm. Always makes me feel like a good mom.

Well. I'm done for the day. I will try & post a little video too. He is trying so hard to sit up. it's so cute. He really is a cutie!!!!! That picture is him him after bath....lookng at himself in the mirror!!! heehehehe

Jay Garrett Gildea 6 October 2007

2008-03-30T08:53:00.000-04:00

I'm a little behind on my little guy. Jay is almost six months now. I wanted to at least have his little birth story on here. For me, for him and because I think he's getting the short end of the stick compared to Ellie in way of documentation.

I was scheduled for a c-section on Tues 10 October. On Friday 5 October, Ellie was wiggling her way into staying up late with me, in bed. Thinking about that night, I wanted to have every second with her--I remember being worried that she wasn't going to be the center of my universe. This is around 9:45 pm. we were sitting in bed, watching one of her shows. There was a "POP." "Mommy, what was that noise?" It was my water breaking.

So, Joe, cool & calm, packed a bag for Ellie. We took her to Dawns (SIL)--thank g-d they live so close cause i don't know what we would've done with her! By now, I'm in full labor & in pain--not to mention the water keeps coming.

After getting to the hospital, and finally get something for the pain...i had heartburn, labor pains & my teeth kept chattering. I remember being really nervous. Okay, just plain scared. How could i possibly be so lucky to have two healthy & perfect children? How am I so deserving and others are not? Can it be? I don't remember being so scared except when Ellie was born. I remember as soon as he 'was out' they must of given me something to relax. I felt my whole world melt knowing he was finally part of our world as a healthy baby boy. He is mine. I will never take it for granted how lucky i am. I will always appreciate that I never knew how much love your heart is capable of. I still keep waiting for something or someone to come take them from me. that it is too good to be true. I just have to enjoy it. Every smile, every new milestone.

I can't very well go on without reminding myself how lucky I am for the other women in my life. Having so many people in my life that have gone through the process of creating life and losing life. It is an experience that is so raw and so human... and sadly one i can also relate to. Maybe it's why i am so neurotic and appreciative of the miracle of life. I've seen friends & family suffering through infertility, miscarriages, still births, birth defects, and the ultimate sacrifice of giving a baby up for adoption. We go on, mostly in a bitter sweet silence...reproducing and trying to make the world a better place.

Always in the back of my mind...there are those sad & sweet thoughts of who I am missing, I can't help it---I am human. But at the end of the day, I am still at the mercy of the unknown & right now I have a warm heart that my babies are here, healthy & what I think, happy.