Merry Christmas!

From our family to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas!  Hope that Santa treats everyone well (I'm hoping I get the cleaning lady -- who will come everyday; a personal chef and trainer; and a new wardrobe to fit the body!)

Wall E

We just bought this movie the other night and already, the kids have probably convinced us to play it 3 or 4 times. No, they don't watch the entire thing...but is has played in the background as the kids play.

I haven't really watched it. I missed the first part of it, but last night, when the kids were watching it and I walked into the second half of the movie, I found myself tearing up at how cute this robot was and the emotions he had towards the other robot, Eve.

Now this made me think one of two things: a) I'm overly sensitve and can really connect with characters, real or robotic, thereby allowing my inner feelings to expel from my heart in the form of tears or, 2) I'm starting menopause at at 31. What the deuce, people? Can I not watch ONE show, ONE movie, ONE commercial without wanting to cry? What is wrong with me?

But I think the best part of the movie, is actually hearing Ronan ask for it.

"Wall Wee" = Wall E

"Momma, I wah Wall Wee?" = Momma, can I please watch Wall E?

"Wall Wee, Pea?" = Put the damn movie in mom, I need to watch Wall E, please.

Gotta love it.

Now, I have to go, back to crying about a robot wanting to hold another robot's hand, even though they don't really have hands. Do robots even have feelings? And why does Wall E give puppy dog eyes? He shouldn't even have eyes. Robots don't have eyes. Or do they? I don't know.

A convo with Riley

Me: Hey Riley, did you know that the Victoria's Secret fashion show was on last night when you were sleeping?

Riley: Awesome! Uhhhh, what's a fashion show?

Me: It's when these girls come out and model the latest fashions for a certain designer or store.

Riley: Cool. Were you in it?

Me: No, Riley, I wasn't. I was home watching it.

Riley: (Silent and staring at me like I had three heads.)

Okay, so let's just rewind and evaluate this conversation. Me, in a fashion show? Ha ha. And not just any fashion show, a VS one. Right. I mean, I guess it IS feasible...if I were like 9 inches taller, 25 pounds lighter, had abs that weren't in the shape of Michelob Ultra beer bottles and could walk in heels on glittery gravel in front of millions of people. It's not completely unrealistic.

I know y'all are laughing right now.

And the menu continues to expand...

That's right, friends, Ronan had a veggie AND a fruit...all in one homemade muffin. I baked it. Can you believe it? It's got carrots and apples in it and he ate it. Got the recipe from the Disney Family Cookbook.

He ate two in one day and now has taken a break...but it's better than nothing, right?

Holidays don't always bring out the best...

I have learned that abruptly since I started working at Victoria's Secret.

I know how frustrating retail is for people. I know how frustrating shopping can be, too...I mean let's face it, I'm still a consumer despite the fact I stand behind the register at VS. But, I'm also human and the lowest stump on the totem pole at that store, so I do as I'm told. I don't make the rules there, I follow them.

As the holiday season started on "Pink" Friday, it was clear to me that the economic hardships people are facing have come through by how they treat others. We are all suffering in some way. But do I take it out on some stranger in a store? No.

We can't combine coupons. I'm sorry. We just can't. Every coupon states that it cannot be combined with any other discount, special promotion or offer. Yet, 7 out of 10 clients will come up and try to combine their coupons and when I tell them I can't, they literally throw fits and demand that all their items be rung up individually. All 20 items. I have learned to grin and bear it.

I can't say that the first dozen customers who have yelled at me and talked to me as if I were a piece of shit didn't hurt my feelings. I would turn my back to grab a bag and bite my tongue to fight back the tears. Who are they to tell ME what to do and how to do it? I get my direction from the managers there and personally, I'd like to keep my job and not lose it because some PMS-crazed woman couldn't get a free pair of panties with all 8 of her transactions. One pair of free panties per day, lady. Get over it, it's underwear and bras.

But it didn't stop there. If you have read my blog, you know a couple of friends and I started a side-business making cards/albums. It's going well...staying relatively steady. I decided to put an ad in Riley's school newsletter, hoping to drum up some new clientele. We had a bite. A lady contacted us via e-mail wanting a "sticker book." Long story short, we sent emails back and forth and agreed upon an album for the same price we quoted for the sticker book, $45. To you, it might sound steep, but after the cost of products and time, we were essentially giving her this album at a net loss. After explaining to her that due to the price, we were going to have to be very basic with the pages (and I provided her a sample picture), she didn't appear pleased and wanted more embellishments. It wasn't going to happen for that price.

So, with lots of consideration and collaboration, we opted to pass on the project and professionally declined via email to this customer. She became irate and composed an extremely rude email and actually threatened to take out an ad in the newsletter (if she saw another one of mine) and tell everyone how awful we were.

I was shocked. And when I say that, I mean that I really felt sick to my stomach and couldn't believe that someone would actually get that angry and vindictive over PAPER. If you know me, you know that I don't turn down anything. I'm a "yes" person. Even if it means sacrificing time, I will do everything I can to help anyone. So, even this was hard for me to do...and now I know why it was the best thing for me to do. I would've never made this woman happy...and I probably would have never gotten my money for making it.

What's scary is that she walks among us somewhere...her step-daughter goes to Riley's school and I have no idea what she looks like. For all I know, she could be standing right next to me when I pick Riley up at school. It's just repulsive that someone could be so vulgar and over nothing of huge importance. It's a scrapbook. It's not a mortgage payment or a traffic violation. It's paper and glue. Chill out, right?

But the big thing is that all this reminded me of how I want to live my life each day. Do I want to spread that negative energy all over? Absolutely not. The actions of these idiots just reiterates to me how I need to be a good example for my kids that we must respect each other. And if you don't like someone, you don't need to torture them...just take a deep breath, turn around and walk away.

I could end this post with a deep thought or quote, but I can't think of any good ones. I know Shelley mentioned something about 'silence being golden' or something about an owl and being wise and not talking or something like that. See, I told you, I can't think of one. So just know that maybe when you are shopping this holiday season and someone frustrates you, before you tear them a new one, think about what kind of example you are being for others and know that it isn't their fault they can't combine coupons and give away free panties all the time because it's only until supplies last.

Our Riley...

I'm her mom, so I guess I'm biased, but man...she's so pretty...
She's been so photogenic since the first day she was born...and it hasn't changed. I wish she wasn't so shy so she could do some modeling and make us the big bucks. Haha.

Instead, we are currently rearing her to be a plastic surgeon. She says she wants to be an artist or a teacher or a person who bakes cakes. We tell her that plastic surgeons ARE artists. She isn't quite convinced of that just yet.

But man, don't you just love that face of hers?

Poor Poor Baby...

Ronan's birthday, part two:

After we returned to Shades of Green for the night, we all hopped into bed for some much needed sleep. I awoke to a scorching pair of tiny, sized 7 toddler, feet on my back. In my haze, I reached for Ronan's forehead and he was burning up. The little man had a fever. I didn't have my thermometer, but if I could estimate, he was probably close to 102 degrees, if not warmer.

Lucky for me, I had a bottle of Infant Tylenol in my bag and gave him a dose (of what he would swallow because now, he likes to spit everything out) and fortunately, within an hour his fever broke.

As soon as we woke in the morning, I called the pediatrician and made our appointment for that morning. We had to leave Disney right after feeding the Koi fish to make it back for Ronan's doctor appointment. Turns out he has/had croup.

They checked his oxygen levels and they were not where they needed to be, so they made us nebulize him in the office...


So sad.

The treatment didn't bring the level up fast enough, so he was given an antibiotic steroid injection -- within 10 minutes, his levels went up and we were free to go home. What a way to spend the day after your birthday, huh?

He's getting better, I guess. The doc said his fever would be on and off for the next few days. Well, it's onto the 5th day and his fevers keep coming back. Doesn't help that he refuses any medication. But now, he's peacefully asleep and hopefully within the next day or so, he'll be rid of the fevers altogether.

Buddha Bear turned the big TWO...

That was then....(December 4th, 2006 and mid-December, 2006)

And this is now: (December 3rd, 2008, at Pump It Up and December 4th, 2008 at Magic Kingdom.)

We started Ronan's birthday celebration by hosting a party for 20, I mean 19, I mean 15, I mean 9 of Ronan's closest friends (the list deteriorated from 20 that morning to 9...how 'bout that!) at Pump It Up of Brandon. We decided to have it there because we knew Ronan would have a blast and that it was the safest place for him to play. Not only is it just bouncy houses and slides, but they have their parties set-up so that it's just YOUR party in a room during a set amount of time and it's virtually impossible to misplace your kid...unlike at Chuck-E-Cheese where when you turn your head, your kid is gone (or asking you for a handful of tokens!)

What was awesome about this party was that when I say Ronan's friends came, I really mean it )mind you, all were girls except for one and Ronan!) Everyone that came was someone that actually cares about Ronan and that he loves right back. It was great to have our "family" there to see the little dude having fun, all while having fun (or sweating their butts off) themselves!

Joni and Shelley made it to the celebration and from what I was told...Joni made a trip down one of the slides...I think you have to see Shelley's blog for the proof!

The biggest flop of the night wasn't Ronan or Riley flying off the slide, it was the fact that when the party was ready to move to the pizza room, they didn't have our pizza ready! Mind you, it was almost 8 p.m. and we were all starved from jumping around and not having had dinner yet...so we waited about 10 minutes before it came. Apparently the Pizza Hut next door forgot to put in our order! Anyway, Ronan opened his presents...or should I say, I opened his presents and then we chomped on pizza -- Ronan only ate the crust -- and cookie cake! [If you aren't sure why we didn't do traditional cake, it's because last year, we found out Ronan has allergies to the icing...]

We got a rare family photo that night... and here's a picture of all the kids that made it (and passed out on the way home, I'm sure!)

And then the next day, we decided that we would head over to Disney and check out the Christmas lights they had up. Because of my poor planning (or misreading of the Disney calendar), we ended up having to buy tickets for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Although it was an added expense we weren't planning, it was worth every penny. We sat for the parades, stopped in our tracks for the fireworks, and took the lighting of Cinderella's Castle in. Absolutely breathtaking. Looking at it that night, it was definitely our Disney dollars at work. I have never seen such a sight.

We stayed at Shades of Green and they had a beautiful tree that I will peg as our own. (I have no picture of our tree at home, so for those that want to see it, this is what it would look like):

During the day, we stopped at Downtown Disney and Ryan took a cute picture of the three of us...wish Ryan was in it, though...

And here is our little dude completely exhausted from the festivities...

Oh, oh, oh...I completely forgot to mention...

We had the chance to eat at CINDERELLA'S ROYAL TABLE! I know what you are thinking...whoopdie doo. But anyone who knows about Disney, knows how hard it is to get a reservation there. Most people who know they want to eat there, call 180 days in advance and even then, aren't guaranteed they can get in.

As we were walking by, Ryan joked that we should eat there. I said to him, "you should just go up and see if we can get in. I know we won't, but might as well ask." He happily obliged, thinking we would have no chance at all of getting a table. BUT, I crap you not, the girls at the desk said there was a cancellation and we could get seated right away. I have to tell you, I didn't believe them. I stood there with my mouth wide open in complete shock. Could it be that we would get to see Cinderella?! I asked the girls if they were joking and whether or not we were on Candid Camera. They assured me we weren't and off we were...into the Castle for dinner and a meeting with the Princess herself...

They gave us a photo they took and once I get it scanned, I'll post it, but it was pretty awesome to be inside that Castle. The food was delicious and the Fairy Godmother (along with those cute little mice) were there for singing and dancing. It was so cool!

Ronan and Riley seemed to have a great time and guess what...we didn't buy ONE souvenier. Not one pin, not one toy, not one shirt or pen or car or crown or jewel or sword...nothing. Our souveniers are the memories we have...

The Day After The Day After Thanksgiving...

Whew, I made it through yesterday.  For the past few years, I have been shopping on "Black Friday" for the deals and yesterday was no exception.  There were definitely some great deals out there.  

I stood in line at Super Target with my friend, Manami and her sister and friend starting at almost 4:45 am. The store didn't open until 6 am.  I have to say, though, that time went by pretty fast.  We were immediately approached by a group of people giving out coffee and honey buns (you know, the kind that last FOREVER), and in the midst of saying "no thank you" a dozen times -- they handed us several pamphlets on Jesus Christ and his teachings.  I mean no offense to anyone who reads this blog, but please...can't there just be ONE place I go without being stopped and given a teaching on the Lord and His work?  I believe.  I grew up going to Catholic school.  I went to church everyday.  I just prefer that I'm not solicited at every junction I make a stop at.

If I didn't mention this before, I was pumping gas one day with Ronan in the car, and this car pulls up in the pump beside me...the girl jumps out of the car and asks me if I would take her pamphlets.  I politely refuse and she hops back into her car and drives away.  SHE DIDN'T EVEN PUT GAS IN HER CAR!

Okay, so I digress, I'm sorry.  So as we stood in line, I swear, we were approached by the most random people.  They wouldn't talk to the group I was with, but JUST ME.  I guess I had a sign on my back that said, "please stop and talk to me this morning."  I found out from Manami's sister that I have a very approachable look.  I guess that is a good thing and I hope that look takes me far someday.  Maybe someone will approach me and offer me a million bucks.

Anyway, promptly at 6 am, the doors to Target opened.  It was as if the lights from Heaven were shining down (detect my sarcasm?), and you could feel the adrenaline rushing through everyone's veins.  I got that nervous excitement and warned all the girls to make a bee-line to the electronics section (because that's what they were going for), and I would try and meet them after I hit the toy section.  As I took a short-cut through the towels to get to the toys, I made my way to the aisle where the Star Wars stuff was.  I witnessed a man grab two Star Wars lego sets and another man HIT him and argue with him over why he was taking two.  

Can you believe that two grown men would actually fight over toys?  Toys, people. Come on. The minimum wage paid Target employee standing right there just happened to nonchalantly say, "please sir, that was not appropriate" (in her best monotone, it's too early for this shit voice).  I smiled at the lady next to me and just giggled.  Men can be so silly that early in the morning.

So, I headed two aisles down and found the Thomas the Train Trackmaster stuff that Ronan has.  I grabbed one of each (that were on sale) and opted to buy them and return them later, should I change my mind.  Did the same with stuff for Riley.  It was an easy shopping trip.  [And after talking to Grandpa or "Pa" I guess I'll be returning a lot because he too, went to Target, and bought a lot of the same stuff. -- Saves money for us!]

Anyway, I ended up having to go to work that afternoon and smiling at all those moody and greedy people who would yell at me for not having enough bags to give away (like I had anything really to do with it...)

The next morning, we pulled out our artificial Christmas tree.  I don't care that it's fake.  I love it.  It was $24 at Old Tyme Pottery and worth every penny.  The kids really got into it and wanted to help out as much as they could.  Riley wanted to tell a story for each ornament and Ronan, well, Ronan just wanted to destroy them all.  We have glass ornaments that are ball-shaped and anything round (in his mind) is something to be thrown.  We spent a good amount of time that morning telling him not to throw.  

I have no picture of the tree right now.  Why?  Well, because one strand of lights just burnt out and I don't want to photograph it without it.  This shouldn't surprise me, since the first 2 sets of lights we tried to put on it were all burnt out, too.  Guess that is what you get when you spend less than $2 a box on lights, right?

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'll post after tomorrow, as we are celebrating our 5th annual Friendsgiving this year.  Every year, it's with different people...and every year, I'm thankful to have had the chance to spend it with those that were there!

We've got a big crowd coming tomorrow, 11 adults and 8 kids!  Can't wait to eat!

Hope everyone has an wonderful turkey day!

From the mouth of Riley...

In the car last night....

Riley:  Daddy, thank you for taking me to the hockey game last night and for coming to my school for career day.

Ryan:  You're welcome, honey.

Riley:  Mommy, thank you for uhhhhhhhhhhh (long pause) whatever it is that you do.

Me:  Uhhhh, thanks?  (At this point I'm thinking, how about housing you in my uterus for 40 weeks, or for giving birth?  LOL)  

Conversation #2

Riley:  How does Grandma say McDonalds and Chicken Nuggets?

Me:  Mack Dah-no and Chee-king Mack Muggetz (in my best impression of my mom.)

Riley:  I'm so glad we are English, so we can say whatever we want.

Perfected the Asian Accent

Kids are sponges.  That is a fact.  They see and hear things around them and are able to remember them...whether they choose to respond, is their own decision.

Since we  left Pittsburgh, Riley has been really missing my dad.  It honestly BROKE my heart when, on the way to the airport to go back to Tampa, I turn around and see my mom bawling her eyes out and Riley leaning against her, quietly wiping away the tears.

We arrived at the airport and while my dad and Ryan began to unload the van, Riley completely lost it and couldn't hold back the tears.  And there she said it, she didn't want to leave Grandma and Grandpa.  Well, my dad started wailing, pulling his hat down over his eyes, hugging Riley so tight, you could practically see her body go limp.

We all said our good-byes, hugged and promised to call when we got back home to Tampa.

We did.  The plane landed, we exited the plane and I started dialing back to Pittsburgh. Grandpa asked to speak to Riley.  She grabbed the phone and said nothing.  She nodded (which she doesn't quite get that they can't see/hear on the other side of the phone) and after she finished the "conversation" with my dad, she gave me the phone and said, "I didn't talk because I was trying to swallow my tears."

*gulp*

Which brings me to yesterday.  Riley hasn't talked to my parents in a week.  Not because she doesn't want to, it's mostly because of my work schedule and missing each other's phone calls. But yesterday afternoon, I witnessed Riley doing her best impression of an Asian accent.

My dad asked her questions about what she wanted for Christmas.  She responded with "I dohn noh" which, if you can follow, means, 'I don't know."  And I heard a lot of "oh kayah, grang pa" -- again, 'Okay, Grandpa."  

I don't know where she gets it but when she starts to talk to them, it's like this little Asian Riley comes out and she does the accent.  Best part, I think they understand HER better when she does it...

Could I feel any worse???

On top of having a cold...I've had this slight sadness looming over me these past few days. When I left for work the other day, Riley begged me not to go. Then she said, in her quiet little voice, "I feel like I don't even have a mommy because you work so much."

My heart stopped. I glared at Ryan, not knowing what to say...only to see him mouth, "She's being dramatic."

But still...it hurt. And to be honest, it still hurts. I work retail. I'm in the bra and panty business...and I work my butt off when I'm there. People recognize how hard I work there and so I get a good amount of hours...and that leaves me to being home with Ronan during the day, picking Riley up from school, spending an hour with her and Ronan and then getting ready for work. I get home when they are both completely asleep and out for the night.

It's not stressful to me. It's just different. I don't have the perfect balance of work and home, although I feel like the situation couldn't be better -- because the kids are home with Ryan when I work and we don't have to pay for childcare. They get quality time with their dad and it's great. But daddy gets a lot of their fun time. He is the one to take them both to the park and Chick Fil-A. He's the one that sets up the train all around the room and laughs with them when it falls. He's the fun one.

I'm the one that asks Riley if her homework is done. I'm the one that is the drill sargeant in the morning, so Riley can make it to breakfast. I'm the one that hears the whining from Ronan because apparently, he doesn't do that when I'm not around.

I guess I'm just feeling like I'm not the fun one. I don't take them out. I miss their weekends. I miss their night times...

I don't know. I guess I'm just being a baby right now, but guess where they are at...a hockey game with their daddy and I'm here, blogging, cleaning, and getting ready to go into work at 9:30 p.m. I shouldn't complain because lots of people are looking for jobs and can't find any, but man, does it suck not be the fun one.

Happy Halloween!

This year, Riley didn't have much trouble deciding on what to be this year. It was either a princess, a princess, or a princess. Unfortunately, I was not about to purchase another princess dress and frankly, as much as I love Disney, I'm over the princess thing. That is soooo 5 years-old, if you know what I mean. So, she thought and thought and thought and thought and finally chose to be Dorothy, from the Wizard of Oz. Perfect. The costume was $20 at Wal-Mart and she looked perfect. I even had a basket to complete the picture.

Then, there was Ronan... ahhh, last year was so easy. He couldn't say no, well, he couldn't talk at all, so I chose his costume for him. He was Yoda. This year, I waited until the last minute and opted to borrow a costume from my friend, Joanna...and the little dude was going to be Chewbacca. How stinkin' cute is that? Well, we wouldn't know because he refused, outright refused, to put the costume on. It's furry, so we told him to pet it like a doggy and I think that freaked him out even more.

Using my mommy brain, I remembered that we had practically remortgaged our house for this outfit from Disney...a German soccer player uniform...he looked really cute and we got that PPW (price per wear to only $25 a wear right now!)

We trick-or-treated around our block and Ronan was all about it. He would say, "chee oh chee" and would happily scream "BYE" when we walked away. Because he still signs "thank you," people think that he's blowing them kisses and they just thought it was the cutest thing.

It was really nice to see the two of them walking around having such a good time with each other and getting along so well... I wish it was Halloween more often (and having the chocolate around doesn't hurt, either!)

Our Trip Back to the 'Burgh

Which of these is not like the other....

I'm kidding, I'm kidding...well, last week, we had our FIRST DRAMA FREE trip back to Pittsburgh, since we've moved away. My dad wanted to see the kids, so he flew all of us back for 5 days and honestly, it was the nicest 5 days we have spent in Pittsburgh since before we left in 2004. My parents treated us to practically everything and the kids wanted for nothing. Riley was truly the queen last weekend and now we know why her Grandma and Grandpa are in her top list of favorite people.

While we were back, we wanted to go the Carnegie Museum and see the dinosaur exhibit. It's been out of commission since before we moved and we thought the kids would be excited to see the dinosaurs. Riley was in disbelief that they even existed. She really thought they were just things to look at and was not at all interested in the history behind them and their existence. Let us not be surprised that her favorite exhibit was the gift shop in the beginning of the museum. Why they do that doesn't shock me, but man, does it annoy me. Yeah, go ahead and get the kids excited about the toys and knick-knacks so that the entire time they walk through this huge building, they can ask you around every corner, "what can I get at the store over there?"

The museum is really much more interactive than I remember it to be. There are lots of touch screens with explanations, which is nice...and the way you can walk around the dinos is so much more appealing than it used to be...

But nothing was more fun, to me, than to watch Riley and Ronan do the "dig" at the end of the dinosaur exhibit. They had to wear goggles and grab a brush and the metal rod (which I didn't give Ronan because the lady specifically said to me to not let them bang on it...) but OMG, Ronan was so stinkin' cute in those googles. He was so excited to get dirty and brush the sand around...

Riley always loves to hang out with my cousin, Alin and this day was no different. She barely left Alin's side, except to ask me if I would buy something for her...

And Ryan and I rarely have pictures together, so while we were at a stand-still, I made him smile and take a self-portrait with me...I think it turned out pretty cute.

Among the dolls and arts and crafts that my dad had ready for Riley when we arrived, there was no shortage of cars and trucks for little dude. The last time my dad saw Ronan, he was only 8 months and not doing anything, really...so my dad was totally eating it up. We arrived in Pittsburgh with 2 bags. We came home with 6 pieces of luggage and 2 carry-ons. If that doesn't tell you the enormity of what my parents splurged on for the kids, I don't know what will.

Ronan bonded with my dad, or "Pa" as he called him, over the trains. Pa bought Ronan not one, but two train sets while we were there and it took much convincing for them to keep one, so they could entertain him when we come back in the spring. Ronan would laugh hysterically with Pa over the train collisions and sound effects Pa would make...it was so cute to witness and definitely, a wonderful memory for me to have.

And of course, among our visit with Matt and Julie (sorry, I didn't have any pictures of that!), we spent our last night there having dinner with Rochelle and "Teeve" at their place in the South Side. Teeve makes a mean quesadilla...yum. The kids had a blast there, running around like they owned the place and at the end of the night, the kids were lovin' on Rochelle and Steve so much that it made me so excited to think that someday soon...they'll have kids of their own! I can't wait for that!!!

It was such a great visit. I honestly have no complaints. For the first time in a long time, I was able to see my dad in a different light...no stress...nothing but pure love for his grandkids. He wasn't kidding when he said to me that he just is living for the kids...

Although at any other time in my life, I probably would have been sad to not be in the mix of people he "lives" for, to see my parents genuinely happy with the kids around made me thankful they are a part of their lives. My kids knew nothing but extreme love that weekend and it was awesome. Just awesome...

Confessions of a Bad Blogger...

I'm baaaackkkkk....

I'm not going to make excuses about why I haven't been the ideal blogger, except I WILL say, that the computer I usually blog from was in need of some repair and now that it's finally done, I am back on, baby.

Okay, so back in October, waaayyy back in October, we planned a trip to Disney with our friend, Shelley. We had an awesome time. We booked two rooms in Shades of Green and because they were connecting, Miss Riley thought it would be in her best interest to bunk in Shelley's room for the night (and guarantee her very own queen-sized bed) and make it like a sleepover...which she did. Shelley brought her Cricut and I think they were up for a good while at night just cutting stuff out!

But during the day, we went to Epcot and ate/drank our way around the "World" at the International Food and Wine Festival. This was our first time experiencing it and I have to say that it is definitely something I would go to again. We just had so much fun trying different things and although I didn't drink as much as I would have liked to (due to cost...I mean really, who wants to pay $6 for a "shot" of wine?!), I had a great time trying things I normally wouldn't have.

We also had the chance to ride on attractions we wouldn't have -- because of the whole baby-swap thing, so Ryan and I were able to go on Soarin' and drag Riley on it later on during the day! (Thanks, Shelley!)

We got stuck on the Nemo ride for a little while -- and had we known this, we would have planned to take a nice long nap in there! The kids had a blast and I know they enjoyed spending every minute with Shelley, or as Ronan calls her, "Shay-EE."

That was a picture of Shelley and Riley right before we went into the Nemo ride. And the one below is a Riley with the Octopus from the movie. For some reason, she was really determined to get her picture taken with this thing.

Ronan doesn't always pose for pictures and today wasn't going to be anything out of the ordinary. I am not sure who or what he was pointing at...but it's a rare picture of the two of us nevertheless.

Generally, Ronan prefers that I am the only one to hold him. Occasionally, he'll let Ryan hold him if Ryan says something like, "Come here, daddy wants to show you something." But whaddya know, the little dude went to Shelley, had his picture taken with her, and demanded her attention when she wasn't giving it to him. Poor Riley had to stop mid-thought many times, just because Ronan would say, "Shay- EE!" over and over again. Just to get him to stop, Shelley had to acknowledge him and then he'd be done.

The next day, we decided to hit Animal Kingdom and I am soooo glad we did! The first time we went, I wasn't so crazy about it, but there is truly a lot to see there. We had such a great experience this time around. We adults were able to ride the Everest ride (fun fun!) and I think Ronan's favorite part of the park was going to the petting zoo where he brushed the goats. I couldn't believe I let him do this, because I think petting zoos can be major breeding grounds for bacteria, but I held my breath and let him touch everything (knowing that he would be washing his hands at the very end!) I am sure Shelley could feel my anxiety, but I'm glad he did it and had fun. He chased as many of those goats (or are they sheep?) all over the place.

The trip ended with us all exhausted, but sad to leave. We had such a fun trip with Shelley and can't wait until the next one!

*****
THE DIORAMA

Our friends, Rochelle and Steve ("Teeve" as Ronan calls him), are getting married in the spring and both Riley and I are in the wedding. Riley has been so excited for it since they asked her in August and finds any opportunity she can, to CRAFT it. This one Sunday night was no different...

We have borrowed Shelley's Cricut to work on mini-albums and she has a cartridge that is dedicated to weddings. Riley decided to craft her own version of their wedding, creating a diorama, where when you look through it, you can see them at the end of the aisle and all the guests.

She invited everyone that was in my US Weekly. Sarah Palin, Heidi Montag (which, if she's going, I'm gonna be annoyed with Rochelle for inviting her), Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Miley Cyrus, Jessica Biel and so many more... We knew that Rochelle and Steve were high class, but this is truly a star-studded event.

She left out NO detail. She added lights and pews...and of course, flowers down the aisle.

We expect that after I package it carefully and mail it to Steve and Rochelle, that it will find it's home displayed somewhere in THEIR new home! (Congrats on the purchase!)

If you need directions on how she accomplished this, I cannot give them to you. I'll have to direct you to her. She was the mastermind behind it all.

My stomach is in knots...

And it's not really about the flight tomorrow.  I always get a little antsy when we head back to Pittsburgh.  You know when you move away from your hometown and make "home" somewhere else, the old "home" doesn't feel much like home anymore...

Not only that, my in-laws live there.  They don't just live in Pittsburgh.  They live in the same town as my parents.  They go to the same grocery stores.  They shop at the same mall.  And here I am wondering how I'm going to survive through 4 days without running into them.  How am I going to do it?

I have replayed scenarios in my mind...like if we were walking down a street and they started to come towards us...I'd slowly grab the kids and duck into a store or restaurant.  Or would I just scoop them up and turn around?  Or would I cross the street and look the other way?  I don't know.  I do know that I don't have anything nice to say to them...which means I shouldn't say anything at all...and I don't know how I would get away with that if I had to see them face-to-face.

I am sure I'm overthinking.  I'm sure I'll have a good time, especially because I'll get to see friends and family and the kids will get to spend quality time with my parents...but man, the anxiety they cause me never really goes away when I return to that city...

Busy Busy Busy

Mentally, that's is what I tell myself I am during the day.  In reality, I think I might be, but in the eyes of others, who knows.  People might just think I'm playing trucks all day with Ronan for the fun of it! 

Anyway, this past weekend was pretty "busy" for me.  I work retail.  And let's face it, it's not all that exciting.  BUT, if you know me, you know my love of cash registers and pushing buttons. (Hence the fact that I was really wanting to work at Publix, but they would not hire me...perhaps it's because I had no register or bagging experience, who knows...)  Well, this weekend, I went to work early on Saturday, so I could get trained on the register and maybe attain more hours.  Let me just say that ringing people up and seeing what they buy, is worth it to me.  You have to know what goes through my mind when you see someone get in line and hand you a piece of lingerie from the 'Very Sexy' collection.  I giggle.

Well, I ended up working both weekend days and last night, I had a PTA Awards function with Riley.  All went as well as it could, but the funniest thing happened AFTER the awards on our way to the car.  Another mom on the PTA Board with me, Kim, has a son who is in Riley's class. They have become buddies and last night, Riley was standing in their van and somehow coaxed David into pushing the horn.  I yelled into the van, "Riley Egal, did you do that?"  She peered her head and sheepishly said, "no, momma."  I said, "Did you tell David to do that?"  As David is vigorously shaking his head  yes, Riley slowly admits she did.  And then, Kim says to David, "If Riley told you to jump off a bridge, would  you do it?"

David replies:  "I would if Riley went with me!"

Riley then chimes in and says, "I'll only go with an umbrella."

WHAT?  Where do they come up with it?

*****

Nothing exciting planned for today.  I have lots of orders to work on (which is AWESOME) and in between, I have to make sure I'm properly taking care of the child that is home with me -- who yesterday, was pushing a truck which slipped out from underneath him and now his face is all scratched up...I'll take a pic...and MAYBE I'll post it.  We are going to Shelley's tonight and I know she'll take a picture and post it, so if it gets up before mine (which I'm sure it will), I'll direct you to her site.

Toodles for now.  Gotta take Riley to school and get some work done!

I'm L-A-M-E

I'm sorry.  I haven't posted a thing about Disney.  I know you are shocked.  It's not that I don't want to, it's that I really haven't had a chance to!

The good thing, is that I'm busy.  But not with just "mom" stuff, with work and with WeAreFullofScrap stuff, too.  It's good...I'm not complaining.

I'll try and get some pictures on tomorrow sometime....

Disney, AGAIN?

Yep, we are going to Disney...again.  This time, we are dragging our friend Shelley along for the ride.  We are hitting the Food, Wine and Beer Fest at Epcot and then probably going to Magic Kingdom on Saturday before we head home.

I'm sure there will be lots of incriminating pictures to share when we get back.  Until then...just think of me...drinking my way around the World...such a rough life, such a rough, rough life...

My daughter said what?!

You never know what you are gonna get when you have a conversation with Riley.  Sometimes it's thought provoking (one that I actually have to tell her, "Baby, I have to look on the internet for that answer...") or one that makes you shake your head and question which side of the family she got that from...

Yesterday, she was at her BFF's house playing when I guess they got into a slight tiff (as girls often do) and Lori had to call and tell me that the girls got into a little because Hannah was being bossy (this is according to Riley).  Well, while Riley is telling Lori her ailments and complaints about what she and Hannah were going through, she went on to say that Hannah was being a "drag queen."  

Yes, you heard me correctly.  Apparently, when I refer to Riley as a DRAMA queen, she thinks I'm calling her a DRAG queen.  I asked her about it today and said, "Riley, I heard you referred to Hannah as a 'drama' queen..." She responded, "No, momma, I called her a drag queen. She was being dramatic, but we are best friends still and she forgot we had a fight."  

Ahhh, how quickly those 6-year-old fights end.

Now, how do I tell her it's DRAMA queen and NOT drag queen....

Feels like fall!

Florida lacks seasons. There is summer. And then there is summer. And then there is a season right before summer called almost summer. Well, when it's 'fall' in other parts of the country, here, it's almost summer. But it feels like fall when the pumpkins are out and people start decorating their houses with Halloween decorations and haystacks.

Now that I started working part-time at Victoria's Secret, Ryan has had to figure out how to occupy the time of two kids who absolutely LOVE being with him and moreso, being outside with him.

Riley has been asking to go to the Punkin' Patch for weeks. And everyday, Ryan will say, "on the weekend." Well, the weekend came and no joke, at 6 in the morning, Riley comes running into our room asking to get her punkin'.

Ryan ended up taking them one afternoon when I was working and they got out like bandits. 2 normal sized punkins and 3 baby punkins for only $10. And now, Riley can stop asking to get her punkin'. (At least until next year, right?)


I wished I was there for that. That's the bummer about working retail. My hours are pretty sporatic and have been late the night have worked. I am happy the kids get to spend quality time with Ryan, so I don't want to take that away, but I do miss the moments like this. Apparently Ronan fell in a pile of mud at the very end of the trip, so that part, I'm glad I wasn't there for...but you know what I mean...

Love a man in uniform...

That's why I married Ryan. No, really, I love him for all the other stuff, too. But when he gets into his nice uniform, I can't help but smile...he just looks so handsome.

He had to wear it the other day for a retirement ceremony...
And when I asked him to pose out front, there was Ronan, right beside him, saying "chee." I have the little man trained already (although he doesn't always like to look AT the camera.)
Of course Riley wanted to stand next to her daddy in a picture, too. So cute.

Mad at Momma

I upset Ronan badly yesterday. He was crazy...like a creature had invaded his tiny 25 pound body and taken over him. I stood in the office organizing my mess and he was yanking at my pants for nothing I could understand. So, what did I do? I knelt down and looked him in the eye and in a really stern tone said, "You get out of this room right now and sit down."

Like a dog with its tail between its legs, he hunched over and walked out of the room. I know he wanted to cry. He looked at me so sad (and I felt awful!) but I kept my stern look, in hopes he would listen to me. He did. This is what I walked out to:


But within minutes, he kept asking for "bweh" which translates to 'bread.' I gave him a piece he was eating and when I walked back from the kitchen with his water (no longer than a minute), this is what I discovered:

He was tired. He napped for an hour on that couch. I took the "bweh" out of his hands...but not until I snapped this picture. Too cute. Little devil, but too cute.

I give up.

The other day I said to Riley, "Baby, when the cleaning lady comes to the door, you can answer it, okay?" She delightfully responded with, "okay, momma! Who is the cleaning lady?" That's when I felt like going to the other side of the door and ringing the doorbell and having her answer it.

She's 6. How much is she to know about cleaning, right? Well, I think she should be more aware than this!

I've said in a previous post that I have done the cleaning for her. And I had a major purging session with her to try and remedy that situation. We haven't purchased anything new. I'm not kidding. I haven't bought any new toys and I can only recall that I got her one craft airbrush thing from Costco for $9.99 a little over a month ago. That's it. I swear. Well, being that she's an artist, her room suffers for it greatly. Mostly her art table...but that's to be understood. I'm just so tired of cleaning it for her.

We asked her to clean. We asked her to put her shoes away. This is what she gave us:
I love her. I can only blame myself for not teaching her properly how to clean. I just don't know what to do. I don't know what to show her in order to have her stop leaving her stuff EVERYWHERE. She literally undresses in the bathroom afterschool. She leaves her clothes in a pile by the toilet. Gross. Help me.
And then there is Ronan. He is not the neatest kid, but he's also 22 months old. He helped me pick up this mess in his room today. What's funny is that the majority of stuff in his room is Riley's. Now tell me, how did THAT happen?

Going back to Pittsburgh...

JUST FOR A VISIT!

My parents decided that they wanted to see the kids, so they offered to fly our family back to Pittsburgh in November.

I'm looking forward to it, mainly because I know the kids will have a good time.  My dad hasn't seen Ronan since he was 3 weeks old and knowing what a goofball my dad is, I think Ronan is going to love him.  Riley is pretty excited to see my parents and Barb (the lady that works for my dad) because Barb, well, she always takes Riley up to the bakery and gets her cookies.  Why wouldn't you like Barb for that, right?

Then wouldn't ya know, one of Ryan's high school friends, Luke, is having his bachelor party that same weekend!  What are the chances?  So, Ryan will be attending that one night while I figure out what I'm going to do with myself (because there ain't no way I'm staying in!)

I'm going to a baby shower (yeah Rhonda!) and in between all the excitement, I'm going to get to see my friends!

But no trip to Pittsburgh comes without some sort of anxiety.  Of course, my in-laws still live there.  The last few times we were back in the 'Burgh when they weren't talking to us, I walked on eggshells because I didn't want to run into them.  I avoided all local attractions and drove to the farthest malls and restaurants to avoid running into them.  This time, I am saying SCREW IT.  After all the crap they have put us through, there is no way I'm going to keep myself holed up in my parents house or spend more time in the car because I don't want to see them.  As mean as they were to us, why do I have to suffer more for it?  So, I have decided that I'm going to go about normal business and if the small chance should arrive that I accidentally see them coming towards us in the mall or on the street...don't think for one second that I won't be scooping up my children, crossing the street and walking away.  They don't deserve to see my babies and beyond that, they aren't going to benefit from this trip on my parents dime.

Am I mean and cruel?  Maybe.  People can think what they want but I'm so OVER this with them.  I can't lose sleep over them.  I can't be upset anymore over things they have said or done to us.  I'm sure plenty of people in Mt. Lebanon think that I'm the biggest bi-atch in the world, but they only have my MIL's story and if they believe her, then they must think the National Enquirer is truthful.  

Anyway, I'm praying that the trip goes without a hitch and that we can enjoy time with each other, our friends and my parents...we'll see, I guess.  I have less than a month to go before we trap ourselves on a plane for two hours with crazy Ronan.  Pray for us.

Random Pictures

Riley has been always been pretty creative...I think she gets it from my side of the family (haha) and since I've been working on the cards and mini albums the past couple weeks, Riley has gained more and more interest in scrapbooking -- so she sat down one evening and scrapped with me while I "worked."

She comes up with the cutest pages and even though a "professional" scrapper may see it as strewn together with glue and globs of sparkles, I see the making of a lifetime scrapper with an eye for detail. She's pretty amazing and one day, when she finishes the book she's on, I hope I get to share it with you on this blog.

And then there is Ronan. Ah, Ronan. He's still a little crazy (guess what side that comes from...LOL), but everyday, he shocks me. He's growing so fast and I'm so fortunate to be able to watch him progress and see the world through his big brown eyes.
He's talking more. He asks the very minute Riley gets out of the car, "whay-er wiley aht?" I say, "Riley is at school." He then repeats, saying, "Wiley aht skoo." Months ago when I feared the boy wouldn't talk, well, he's making me eat my own words. Some things, I understand. Others, not so much. BUT, we are working on it everyday and soon, I guess I'll be one of those moms that says, "When he was little he never talked and now I can't get him to shut-up." Let me be that mom.

So the headband. What is that? Well, crafty Riley decided to make herself one with paper I had given her and Ronan can't be without anything Riley has, so she had to make him one, too. He wore it in the car all the way to school and then for hours after we got back from dropping Riley off. He looked cute, especially when it would push his ears out to the side...not like Michael Phelps ears...just a smidge.
The other child that I get to see often is Thalia and MAN, the girl is growing like a weed. She's absolutely precious and each time I get to see her is a time when I squeeze her meatball legs and enjoy what a happy baby she is. She's sitting...she drools...she rolls over left and right...and she loves Ronan. She follows him with her eyes and Ronan is never one to not include her in things he does. He calls her "mah baby." He just adores her.
Look at those big brown eyes...and those folds on her arms. How cute is that?

And how can I forget to mention Baby Ryan. He's my friend, Joanna's, new little man. He's 9 weeks now and although Joanna claims that he's getting "fatter," I beg to differ. Let's just say that his legs no longer hang from his little bum like toothpicks. He's so cute and looks more and more like his dad everytime we see him. Soon, he'll be up and running trying to keep up with his brother, Thalia and Ronan...

And no, seeing these babies does not make me want one, thank you very much. LOL.