First Day of School Pictures

(from another perspective!)
Why I didn't have my camera with me after school last week, I don't know...but my friend, Lori, did -- and she snapped a couple of the kids together (Hannah, Riley, Abbey and Ronan).

So cute...

Box Tops For Education

I am asking all my friends who see these on products they buy, to cut them off and save them for me. Please....

We are collecting them for Riley's school and every one of these counts! If you can save some up for me, I would happily send you a SASE (self-addressed stamped envie) and have you mail them to me...

And if you are local, I'll come get them...

Thanks in advance to anyone that can help out! I really appreciate it!

(Just send me an email at maria_egal@yahoo.com and I'll send you the envelop.)

A Riley post...

I feel bad that I didn't have anything to share in the last two posts about Riley...so I thought I would just update you on her little life as a first grader...

1. She LOVES homework. She begs for it and when I have to stop her, she asks for more. It's something I hope she remembers when she is in high school because I'm pretty sure she won't feel that way when those hours and hours of homework come home with her.

2. She hates, hates, hates, the line at the top of her socks. I swear, we spend 10 minutes every morning trying to move that line around so it doesn't sit funny on her foot. I tell her it's just a fact of life and to accept that the line will be there and to ignore it. Then, I catch her fudging with it in the car on the way to school. OCD?

3. She will walk out of the house without her bookbag in the morning unless I remind her to grab it. Nevermind that I literally hand it to her minutes before we leave but somehow, she finds something else to do within those two minutes and will forget that bag even exists.

4. Bedtime is considered a punishment to her. She freaked out one night when we told her to go to bed (at 8:30 p.m.) and said, "you guys hate me! you guys hate me!" Where that came from, I have no idea. But, she falls asleep within seconds of her head hitting the pillow...and it makes me very envious because I don't remember those days of just being able to fall asleep like that.

5. She cannot watch tv and eat cereal at the same time. She can't balance the two activities and I have found that if I threaten to turn off the news or Disney in the morning, she will quickly shove all her cereal into her mouth.

She's been doing great in school, on this 8th day of the school year. She's currently a 'team leader,' which when asked what that entails, warrants the answer, "uhhh, I don't know. I collect papers." Fine, either way, she's happy in school, adores her teacher and is learning something new each day. What more could I ask for?

What does this tell you?

...that maybe we spend a lot of time on the computer? We have two computers in our office and Ronan decided that while I was going to update my blog, that he would check his email, too...and as soon as I whipped out the camera, he turned around and stopped typing...

Ronan's Day at Gymboree

If you have kept up with my posts, you'll know that Gymboree hasn't always been successful when it comes to Ronan paying attention and participating in all the activities. Well, for the past few weeks, we've decided to give it another try and he's actually amazed me with what he decides to do when he's there.

Circle time isn't a nightmare! I mean, he doesn't ALWAYS stand there and do the circle time thing, but at least now, he's not across the room freaking out when the teacher asks all the kids to come to the center mat. He will actually go over to the teacher now and see what she has to say, before he scurries away.

He is still the ultimate daredevil, which makes my heart jump out of my chest EVERYTIME, but I can't help but smile because he is so proud of himself when he does something shocking. He loves to climb up the slides (the wrong way, of course...) and if he can jump off a platform 3 feet off the ground, he will do it. The other moms say he is "all boy" and I smile because I'm not sure if it's a compliment or what! Haha. Either way, it's 45 minutes of decompression and play for him that he surely needs and really enjoys. Now, I have to brag a little about his balance skills. Ronan has been walking since he was about 8 months old. (Talking is another thing...but whatever.) Anyway, his motor skills are really advanced and the fact that he has no fear, helps him do things like this (see pictures below) without any help:

He walked across that beam probably 4 more times after that without any balance checks or slipping...even I couldn't do that now. I don't know...I thought it was pretty impressive for a 20 month old. What do you think?

Stampin' Up! Mini-Convention

I'm not sure many of you even know this, but I'm a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. Well, I use the term demonstrator loosely. I am more of a hobbyist and collector. It's nice to have the discount and still get the opportunity to attend Stampin' Up! events to learn some things or come home with some projects.

Last night, I went to a mini-convention (which is what they called it) and made the three things you see above. I also was able to get a sample of all the new designer series paper (which is 2-sided and pretty).

I'm hoping I can come up with some projects in the near future and hold some stamp classes at my house...maybe possibly do a holiday card buffet sometime in November. We'll see...and I'll keep you posted, in case you'd be interested in coming! (And for those of you far away, I might even be able to assemble some kits with instructions and you can just assemble them yourselves!)

Can I join that club?

My friend, Laura, started a post about clubs she doesn't belong to and wished she did...which got me to thinking about what clubs I desperately wished I was in but aren't...

1. The Eat Healthy Club: I don't eat UNHEALTHILY...at least not all the time. I vowed that after I had Ronan, that I would clean my diet up and eat the right foods -- but it hasn't really gone that way. I LOVE LOVE LOVE sweets and unfortunatly, I can't help but have a lick when I walk by one.

2. The Non-OCD About Vacuuming Club: I vacuum all the time. This is probably where Ronan gets his obsession. I can't help but grab it and use it when I see a pile of crumbs on the ground. It also doesn't help that Ronan just started licking the carpet the other day.

3. The Time To Scrapbook and Be Creative Club: I used to be a scrapper. Now, I am a card-maker...but more importantly, I have very little time to do either. Just yesterday, I had the chance to crop for about 5 hours...which I did accomplish something, but still, it would be nice to dedicate more time to it and be able to finish projects that I start.

4. The Love The Dentist Club: What more do I have to say about it...

5. The Fold Your Laundry Right After It Comes Out of the Dryer Club: I am usually pretty good about this, but when I'm not consistent, I either end up having to re-dry the clothes to get them unwrinkled, or we all walk around with wrinkled clothes. Sexy baby.

6. The Eat Organic Club: I know all the benefits and wish I could switch us over completely...but it's too dang expensive.

And lastly, 7. The Put Your Shoes Away Club: I swear, we are the only house in the world with a pile of shoes by the front door, the back door and the garage door. It's not like we don't have shoe racks or baskets. We all just choose to slip off our shoes wherever we are at and leave them there. Not only is it an issue for both Ryan and I, but now our children have followed suit and it's scary. The apples don't fall far from the tree...

So much for Mt. Lebanon...

...being an A-rated school.

This goes to show that shit (pardon my language) can happen ANYWHERE.

Read this article: http://www.wpxi.com/news/17267142/detail.html

I am DISGUSTED. Being that I am a mother of two kids and one being a GIRL...I am disgusted that our society is filled with absolute sickos. Don't these idiots watch Chris Hanson on Dateline NBC? What's even scarier, is that those guys they lure in and arrest end up walking away on some sort of technicality. I get so frustrated even thinking about it because I have to work just that much harder to protect my children from these ultimate low-lifes that walk among us. Like it's not hard enough having to prepare your children for life!

I know I could ramble on and on...but I won't. It's just so frustrating!!!!

Ah Bumbo...

If you don't know what a BUMBO is, don't worry...I didn't either, until I had Ronan. It's basically a foam chair for the ground, that can help a baby to sit up before they can sit on their own. Baby Thalia is at that stage (4 months!) where she is ready to use the BUMBO, so her mama went and got her one the other day... Look at how precious she is!But it didn't stop there...little man thought he was a baby and had to squeeze his bottom into that chair and looking at him sitting there made me realize how big he truly is. I always refer to both my kids as my babies...but seeing Ronan looking ginormous in that thing...well...he isn't a baby anymore. So I began to reminisce about the good old days where I could plop him down in the BUMBO and not worry too much about him going anywhere...and it brought me to these photos:That picture was taken when he was about 4 1/2 months...and this one below was when he was about 3 months. It is so funny to look back at his baby pictures because I realize what an influence Riley was when I would pose him. I found several pictures of him holding princess wands (when he didn't know any better!) and I, of course, would snap several pictures because it was cute. He probably won't think that's the case when he's 18...
Oh, how fast they grow up....

Chatterbox Ronan (who thought the day would ever come?)

It's happening...he's starting to talk. He is trying to repeat things we say and now we are beginning to understand words that come out of that sometimes crazy little mouth!

Wee-alls : Wiggles

Bees: Bees (so cute...)

Bee-E: Biggie (Becktor's dog next door)

Bay-E: Baby

Bah-bow: Bubbles

Eye-E: Riley

Dah-E: Daddy

MAAAA and Mama: Momma (that's me!)

SHOE: Shoe (this word is clear as DAY!)

Oh-shoe: Other shoe

Fah-Fah: French fry

Mee-mee: Mickey Mouse

And of course, DA: for everything else he can't say!

He's also singing and imitating a lot, which is cute. In the morning, when I go to wake Riley up, I always sing (in my awful voice) "good morning, good morning, good mooooorrrrninnng..." and he's gotten the hang of it to the point where he's doing it too. Progress. It's coming along...it's coming...

The Dreaded Dentist Appointment

This is going to be a long one, friends. So get ready.

Growing up, I loved the dentist. I went to every scheduled appointment. Then, I needed braces and with that came a palatal expander, extractions (4 of my molars and then all my wisdom teeth), this strange procedure where they cut all the fibers around your teeth to prevent them from going back to the way they were after the braces were off, whitenings, cleanings...you name it. Somehow, all those orthodontist appointments and trips to the dentist for those extractions gave me this MAJOR anxiety when it comes to going to the dentist.

Don't get me wrong. I take really good care of my teeth. I know the long road it took to get them to where they are. I brush, I floss, and I brush some more. My gums barely bleed and I suffer from no pain whatsoever.

BUT, Ryan pays every month to the insurance company for our family to visit the dentist for preventative care and after 18 months (I know, I'm bad) of putting it off...I went. I found a dentist office right down the street and made my appointment. I went in (nervous as can be) and knew that I was only going to get x-rays and a consultation. I was freaking.

They did the x-rays (I survived) and then it was time for the part where they probe your gums and call out numbers ranging from 1-5 (5 being BAD because that either means your bone is deteriorating or you have severe gingivitis.) So there I lie in the chair and this dentist (who couldn't have been older than 25) starts calling out "5, 5, 5, 4, 5, 4, 4, 5...2, 2, 5...." So I'm freaking, right? She finishes the probing and says to me, "Maria, you are going to need a full debridement." I ask her if it is necessary and if it will hurt. She tells me I have gingivitis, bleeding gums and that they can give me anesthetic for the pain.

Reluctantly, I make the appointments for this deep cleaning, leave the office with nothing but terror in my mind and go home to show Ryan the estimate. Ryan tells me that I don't need all that, he calls the insurance to find out why they won't cover it all and asks me over and over if it's something I really need. My history at the dentist isn't a good one...(when I was in San Diego and went to the dentist, I ended up spending about $180 on tooth paste and a mouthwash because they said I NEEDED it...Ryan was not a happy hubby.)

Well, I trusted the dentist. Why? Because they are doctors and you should be able to trust them. I tell Ryan that they wouldn't tell me to do something I didn't need and nervously go about the rest of the week anticipating the dreaded appointment.

The day before the appointment, I start to have second thoughts. I research the procedure and realize that I am not a good candidate for it so I start calling and texting all my friends. None of them knew what it was and wondered why I would need it. So yeah, at this point I'm very upset and confused as to what I was going to do.

My friend, Joni, tells me to call her dentist and make an appointment with them for a second opinion because they are super nice and will be honest with me. I do it.

Which brings me to yesterday and my appointment with Smilewright Dentistry. Not only were these people really nice, I come to find out that during my consultation and the probing they did, that I indeed, DID NOT need a full debridement and they questioned why I was even encouraged to have that procedure. Apparently, it is geared more towards people that have never been to the dentist and have visible calculus on their teeth (which I don't have!) The dental hygenist was calling out all 1s and 2s during the gum probing and it ends up that all I need is a regular cleaning.

Are you wondering why the heck I am ranting about this? Well, I have now learned that you can't trust all dentists. I was being oversold on procedures I didn't need and could've gone through a relatively painful deep cleaning for no reason. It frustrates me beyond belief. I feel like this dental group was taking full advantage of me and now that I look back at all the things I was told, it's clearly about the money. Would I gladly pay for a procedure I needed? Absolutely. I will be paying for the fillings and eventually some whitening. That, I don't mind. But don't you sit there and tell me I have gingivitis and that I have to have a deep cleaning when in fact I don't. Jerks.

I'm debating about whether I should report them to my insurance. Who knows who else they have scammed into having things done that weren't necessary. I think the biggest lesson I learned is that I need to go by references before I go galavanting to some specialist for something. I went to this dentist because they were close and it proved to be of no benefit for me.

Poo on them.

Not one drop...

We had nothing...not one droplet of rain.

Fay missed our area completely (a good thing) however, it's smacking up the east coast of Florida pretty badly.

Frankly, I'm shocked. All the news in this area honestly put the fear in me that we were going to see something nasty...school was canceled, businesses were closed...the works. We have a lot of wind right now, but the weather is actually pretty nice. We were able to walk to school and not sweat our behinds off!

A Snow Day Already?

Well, school is officially canceled tomorrow. Just when I got Riley back into school, she's gotta stay home all day tomorrow. (Not that I mind, I missed her today!) None of the native Floridians seem scared and so I'll just follow their lead and pretend not to be scared either. But, I'll take this opportunity to say that if you aren't prepared for it, get prepared! Buy those batteries, flashlights, non-perishables and water. Semper Paratus, baby, Semper Paratus. (That's the Coast Guard motto, just in case you didn't know...)

I'll keep you posted on what happens!

First day of FIRST grade!

My little Riley is now officially a FIRST GRADER! I definitely did better this year than I did last year. When Riley started Kindergarten, I cried and stood outside her classroom door staring at her as she was getting introduced to the other kids. I was heartbroken that I couldn't be there with her...

Today, though, I was really excited for her to get back in the classroom and make new friends. None of the kids in her Kindergarten class are in this new class with her and I know she was anxious about it -- but she did great. Her teacher, Mrs. Graves, is very friendly and sweet and knew exactly what to do to make her feel comfortable.

Mrs. Graves asked Ronan and I to stay in the classroom for about 45 minutes to help her out (by organizing the kids and their school supplies) to which I happily agreed. If it meant that I could be there to see Riley a little longer and see who her classmates were, I was going to accept it!

Anyway, here is a picture of Riley with Ronan this morning. After 10 hours of sleep, Riley was completely refreshed and in good spirits -- at least enough to pose in a few pictures to satisfy her momma.

Here's Riley outside with her new Hannah Montana lunchbag (thanks Becktor and Thalia). Everything on her -- from head to toe -- is new. New black shirt, khaki shorts, white socks and Camp Rock shoes.

If anyone remembers what she looked like last year on her first day, you'll remember her hair was shorter than chin length and she still had these chubby cheeks...well, their gone. Her hair is long now and her cheeks aren't baby chubby anymore...she's just become such a big girl.

Tropical Storm Fay

We've never been through anything major when it comes to tropical storms or hurricanes. When Katrina and Rita hit, we were stationed in San Diego and watched it from afar, although Ryan's unit left and responded to Rita.

Last year, we were fortunate to not have anything come close to us...I think the most that ever happened was RAIN. Apparently, FAY is only going to be a Category 1 Hurricane. To people that have lived here their whole lives, it's "nothing." Me, being the freak-out that I am, well, I'm freaking out a little.

Ryan and I have talked about our action plan and have worked out plans for evacuation with our neighbors...and even though it's "nothing" it's still a tad scary. We had a storm this summer that had winds ranging between 40-50 mph and we thought that was bad...I can't imagine being a part of anything much stronger...so you can only imagine my anxiety.

I'm getting all my crap together. My scrapbooks are going in a plastic bin and coming with us and I'm gathering all of our important papers. The cars are all gased up and I'm going to get lots of water in a couple hours. Call me paranoid or whatever, but when you haven't experienced anything close to this, the unknown can be pretty freakin' scary.

Ryan said NOAA was a good website to check out weather information and I've been on there trying to figure it out. Looks a little more confusing than it should be...but lots of information on there.

Just a few pictures...

Other than Riley being at camp all week, nothing exciting to share. I did capture a few cute pictures, though...

I had to resist the urge to tickle his little armpits while he was sleeping here...He looked so stinkin' cute.Riley and Ronan were playing nice here (for about 3 split seconds before it started to get a little scary...) He was trying to hug her and she wanted nothing to do with it.
This is Riley before we left for gymnastics on "Wacky Tacky Day." She wasn't feeling too wacky, but said I could do a twisty thing with her hair and to make her outfit even more tacky, she wore jammie pants under her leotard.
And this is the crazy little man about to jump off a 2 1/2 ft high ledge at Gymboree. I've chalked it up as him being whacked and just a boy. Apparently, boys do things like this to make their mom's freak out.

Why?

Why is it that even though I'm in my 30s, I still suffer from zits? Thank you, Riley, for pointing them all out to me...and reassuring me that I still look good, despite the bumps in random spots on my face?

Why does my son stick his hand down my shirt while I'm standing at gymnastics talking to other moms? It just isn't right.

Why am I losing all this hair and is it possible I'll need Rogaine?

Why can't I watch a show I've DVRed and have it not be interrupted by some news show? I missed Sunday's episode of Big Brother 10 because of that CBS show that preceeds it and that frustrates me.

Why does Ronan insist on pushing his loud toys around the house when Ryan and I are trying to watch the Sopranos? Is he telling us he would rather not listen to all that profanity?

Why can't stomach rolls and leg chub look cute when you are 31? They look darn cute on Thalia, but not me. So unfair.

Why do I have to cheat on Sudoku (or Sue-doh-key-oh as Riley says it) but tell myself that I did it all pn my own?

Why do McDonald's french fries have to taste so good? Whoever thought those up either weighs 400 pounds or has it out for the little person.

Why do I feel it necessary to spend at least $100 everytime I go into Costco. Do I need 4 pounds of garlic? Absolutely not.

Why is it that chapstick requires you to administer it all the time? Those people are geniuses. They make you use it up and force you to buy more because your lips can't live without them. I have started my kids on it and it's not a good thing.

Why do Terrible Two's even exist? It isn't hard enough that I had to carry the child in my uterus for 39 weeks and breastfeed him FORVER...now I have to go through this?

Why does Ronan have an obsession with shoes? And why did I have to get Riley 2 pairs for school? I guess I should consider the source.

Why does one have armpit hair? It serves no purpose, but as a reminder that one would need to shave before putting on a tank top and leaving the house to go into public. Thank you, Ronan for playing with mine, so I knew I had to do something about it.

Why did I buy that gallon of Chocolate Mint Chip ice cream from the Schwan Man? He knew I didn't need it, yet he forced me, yes, he held that catalog right up to my throat and FORCED me to purchase, not one, but two gallons of ice cream. He should be whacked. (I'm kidding...that is the Sopranos coming out of me.)

Ronan's newest word:

She-she

That would be Ronan-ese for FISHY. (The boy just loves those Original Baked Goldfish.)

Slightly Stressful

I've made the decision to try and look for a job and let me just say it's been quite stressful. It's not necessarily the job hunting part that has me all worked out, but it's the "what am I going to do with my babies" part that scares me.

With Riley, I only worked part-part-time (maybe 4 -8 hours a week) as a nail tech at a day spa and it was completely relaxed. Then, when she turned 3ish, I started her in pre-school and she loved it. The only reason she even went was because she said (at 3) "momma, I wanna go to school and make friends." How do you turn a kid down, right? So, when we decided she was going to school, I decided to go back to work.

Then, I had Mr. Ronan and knowing that he is my last child, I had opted to not work (with Ryan's support) for at least the 1st year of his life. Now, he's 20 months, completely attached to my hip and the fact of the matter is...it's a lot of pressure to survive on one military income. What's awesome is that we have a home, we rarely go without what we need/want and our kids are completely taken care of. It would just be nice to have some extras here and there without the stress.

So here I am, trying to figure out what I want to do and the hardest part is visualizing Ronan with anyone other than me for 8 hours during the day. Riley is at school and I know after school, Ryan could get her almost right away...but Ronan...he'll be with someone else and that scares me. The socialization will be good for him. He's definitely a momma's boy and it can be nice at times but frustrating at others. I don't know...perhaps I'm rambling on, but talk about feeling like your heart is being torn into pieces...that's how I feel.

Anyway, I guess I just had to vent and let it out. If anyone has any advice, bring it. If you have any job leads, even better! Haha.

Tagged?

I was tagged, so here it is...

Rules:

1) Link to the person who tagged you

2) Post the rules on your blog (this is what you are now reading)

3) Write 6 random things about yourself (see below)

4) Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them (This is only a game)

5) Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog

6) Let the tagger know when your entry is up

Six random things about me:

1) I have a 2nd degree black belt in Tang Soo Do. No, I can't kick anyone's ass...it was a long time ago and I was much more limber then. Would I like to go back and do it again? Sure. Next time, I am dragging my family along and making them do it with me.

2) I love scrapbook supplies and office supplies. I know you know about the office supplies part and most of you probably know about the scrapbook supplies part...but man, a girl can never have enough...unless your husband tells you to stop.

3) I stand in front of the mirror often, to figure out what position makes me look less chunky. And if you're curious, it's the slight bend with your arms lifted over your head. I never walk around that way, but I should. I look good.

4) I am slightly obsessed with Ryan, Riley and Ronan's eyes. I stare at them all the time and wonder how it's humanly possible that these three people in MY family could have such amazingly long lashes (and I got stuck with the short, straight Asian lashes).

5) I still get butterflies when I'm around Ryan.

6) My personal fear is public speaking. I'm one that Jerry Seinfeld would describe as someone who would rather be in the coffin than doing the eulogy.

Here is the TAGGED part:

1) Ginger is a gppd friend of mine from San Diego, who I spent lots of pregnant time with. Her son, Brody, is only 2 months older than Ronan and they were recently blessed with another addition, Chase. I get lots of my inspiration from her blogs and she was the one who pushed me to get started.

2) Jill is another good friend from San Diego. Her twins, Riley and Ryan, were BFF's with Riley when they went to pre-school together and if Riley had it her way, they would be here with us right now.

3) Shelley...ahh, what can I say about Shelley...she's one of my closest friends here and we all love her like family. She loves my babies and spoils them, all while teaching them better manners! Our Wednesdays have been better because she and Elsie are around.

4) Joni is our local ACE YOUNG fanatic. She is an amazing friend who not only loves me (who couldn't) but loves my kiddos, too. What more could I ask for?

5) Adriane is a good scrapper friend of mine who I happened to drag out to Bingo night!  We have gotten to know each other well through various crops and events at her house and I have become quite jealous of her many travels under her belt!

6) Mandy -- one of the original bingo babes and a good friend.  We've gone dancing together and share a love of Mexican food...

And I would've included Laura and Tara in on this too, but they were already tagged!

Hope you enjoyed that!

Here We Go Steelers, Here We Go!

Just when it felt like football season was over...I'm kidding, I'm kidding...

Doesn't it feel like everywhere you go, there are always Steelers' fans? When we were in San Diego, I swear, we'd see Steelers' fans around every corner. There, they had a bar called Bubs, I think...I never had the chance to go, but Ryan was able to check it out a few times.

Here in Tampa, we've made several friends who either happen to be from the 'Burgh or love the Steelers and it's no exception that there is a bar that happens to house the fans for every game...O'Briens.

We went to "watch" the pre-season game on Friday night. When I mean "watch," I mean, I ate and drank while Ryan TRIED to watch. We brought the kids along, dressed in their Steelers' attire and it wasn't a surprise they attracted attention. Our neighbors brought their baby along too...and honest to God, she was so stinkin' cute in her black and gold -- we had to get pictures (and because I'm Asian, I always have my trusty camera around!)

(Baby Thalia, Becky, Ronan -- wearing Big Ben's jersey, Riley and Me!)

(Riley and I)(Riley and Joni (a fellow Pittsburgher, great friend, scrapper and ACE YOUNG lover))

(Riley ALWAYS takes a self-portrait when she gets a hold of my camera -- isn't she CUTE?!)

(And she took one of me, too. Gotta love that finger in the top left corner!)

Just a day at the beach...or not...

The cost of two parking spots at two different beaches: $20

2 Lunch specials at the local pizza joint: $12

Spending 15 minutes at the beach before deciding to drive all the way back home and use the community pool: PRICELESS

Ryan had all the best intentions. We had decided that after our vacation, we would make every effort to hit a beach each weekend (pending weather) and enjoy the proximity of Tampa to all the warm water beaches we have surrounding us. Last week, we went to Anna Maria Island. This week, we thought maybe we'd try Pass-A-Grille Beach in St. Petersburg.

We packed up the car with all the beach gear and headed out after breakfast. It took us about 45 minutes to get there and find a spot to park. Ryan put $10 in the meter and we headed over to the beach...only to find that the entire beach was COVERED in seaweed (the water's version of lettuce, as Ryan described to Riley) and the water was anything but swimmable. Let's just say even Ronan didn't want to get in and the boy could give a rat's behind about anything...

So,we decided to pack our stuff up and try heading to a different beach. Well...we drove and drove and drove and somehow made it all the way to Clearwater. We paid another $10 to park, walked to the beach with all our sand stuff and whaddya know, more seaweed.


Okay, I know you are saying, "Maria, puh-lease, every friggin' beach has seaweed, get over it." Yes, I know that and Ryan knows that, but seeing as how clear the water was and how nice the beach was at Anna Maria, we just thought something wasn't right.


So, we sat there for 15 minutes and I tried to tan my white bum by giving myself a wedgie...and when that didn't work, we packed up and headed back home to swim at our community pool...which we did for a good 2 hours and came back with some sun.

From the mouth of Riley

We were eating lunch at Sweet Tomatoes this afternoon when Ryan got frustrated with Riley over not listening...to which he said:

Ryan: Dammit, Riley.
Riley: (sulking....)
Me: Riley, what's wrong? We aren't mad at you, we just need you to listen when we talk to you.
Riley: (still sulking...) Well, Daddy called me a bad word.
Ryan: What word was that? I didn't call you bad word.
Riley: You called me Dammit.

Apologies were exchanged and explanations were done, but man, was that funny. It took everything not to laugh, especially because now when we laugh at something she says she thinks we are making fun of her. Ahh....a 6-year-old. What fun.

Yeah baby, school supplies!

I'm a nerd, a complete and total nerd. But, I know I'm not alone. Every school year that I can remember, at about this time - is when I experience true euphoria.

Then, I graduated college and it stopped...until...I had Riley.

I took Riley and Ronan shopping this afternoon for her 1st grade school supplies and you would have thought I had full reign of the Louis Vuitton store...LOL. I love school supplies. I love the "new-ness" of them. I love that there are all these cool containers to store them in and I love all the cool gadgets kids can have these days.

We bought all the necessities and then a few extras. No, not for me...but for the kid in her class that might not be able to get everything they need or for the teacher to have as extras. I mean, how could you pass up a 24-pack of Crayola crayons for only $0.22 or the 5-pack of notebooks for $0.50 or the 2-pack of glue sticks (that dry invisible!) for $0.74. Unbelievable.

I do have to voice a complaint I have, which is the fact that I have to purchase all these supplies, yet, I can't label them as Riley's. I'm not sure why they do this, other than to say that maybe they all share the supplies...but if I'm buying them specifically for my child, then I feel that she should be using them. And no, I'm not trying to sound greedy (we bought extras of almost everything for goodness sake!) but I know that we also spent about $60 and I want to make sure that she's getting to use it all...is that too much to ask?

Mine Banana

Ronan ate banana yesterday. I know, most of you are probably saying, "whoopee, wow, the kid ate a friggin' banana..." But this is a HUGE deal. Ronan has really bad food allergies. He's allergic to milk, eggs, tree nuts and peanuts (I found that out when I had to call 911.) And he's not the best eater to boot. If you have been keeping up with my blog, you know he has about 5 foods in his repetoire (chicken fries, fries, waffles, popcorn and pizzelles).

Yesterday, I started eating a banana and offered it to Riley. Well, Ronan HATES letting Riley have anything...so he ran over to me and screamed, "mine!" I tried to give him the banana to bite but he refused and so back to Riley I turned when he jumped in front of me with his mouth wide open ready for a bite.

I let him have a taste and just expecting him to spit it out, you can only imagine my excitement when he actually finished his bite and opened his mouth for more! He and I shared a total of 3 bananas yesterday...and today, he finished his own entire banana.

Finally, fruit.

Our trip to Dela-Where?

We drove all the way from Tampa to Delaware in 16+ hours and let me tell you, thank God for portable DVD players and snacks. We opted to leave a day earlier than planned and headed out on our journey last Wednesday night. Things didn't start off too great, though. Of course, it was storming (as it does almost everyday here in Tampa during the summer) and with traffic, we were only able to drive a few hours and had to stop in Jacksonville, FL. I know...we didn't even make it out of the state. BUT, we couldn't push the kids too hard on the drive and knew it was time to take a break.

The next day, we drove about 500 more miles and made it to Rocky Mount, NC, which seemed to be a beautiful town -- but with our schedule, there was going to be no sight-seeing... What they did have was an Outback right outside our hotel and after a few beers, our food that took over an hour and a very apologetic manager, we were both back at the hotel with a nice little buzz. (Probably not the best thing to do when you know you still have 300 more miles of driving to do, but at the time, it totally took the edge off!)

On Friday, with only a few hundred more miles to drive, I volunteered so that Ryan could possibly get some rest. I'm so glad I did. We went over/under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel which was truly one of the coolest things I have ever experienced. I think it's about 17-22 miles long and I know I spent more than half that time wondering how the heck they built that thing and how smart those people must have been to have even come up with it. But then, after the CBBT was over, it was 2-lane driving for 120 miles and let me tell you what a major bummer that is with two kids that are so over being in the car.

We finally made it to Rehoboth at about 2:30 p.m. and Jason and Courtney greeted us with a fully-stocked kitchen and filled-up pool for the little ones...and there we were, at the destination of the long drive.

Courtney's parents have a house on the bay with a long dock and boat. Lucky for us, we had the chance to get out on the boat Saturday morning. Riley and I had been on one of Ryan's Coast Guard boats, but this was Ronan's first time. He seemed to have fun and didn't fight us when it was time to put the Coast Guard approved life jackets on...



Okay, so Ronan doesn't look super happy in these pictures, but I promise you, he was laughing and smiling. Riley shocked us on this trip, too...the princessy girl we all know and love was holding FISH. Real, live fish IN HER HAND. Courtney's dad was trying to catch bait for some fishing and put what he caught in a big bucket -- which Conner and Riley spent much of their time at, trying to grab some fish of their own and put in their own buckets.

I'm not one for touching anything slimy and I was shocked to see her all about the fish and showing us whatever she could find. Ronan wasn't too crazy about the fish, but he loved to dig, run and play with the big kids and he definitely kept up with them.

We also were able to go to the Boardwalk at Rehoboth Beach and although crowded, was a major source of entertainment for the kids. They have a mini amusement park inside called FunLand with small rides and games and for the small price of $20 (and 90 tickets), we had 4 kids who weren't crying, whining, or screaming. Nice, very nice.

The main purpose of our trip was to see Jason, Courtney and the kids. The other goal was to hit the beach and work on our tan as much as possible and that didn't quite happen the way we wanted it to. Yes, we went to the beach for a day. The kids had a blast. And I got some color.

But as the week progressed, everything started to go downhill. Wednesday morning, Ronan was throwing up all morning and basically became dehydrated...off to the ER we went. After spending 5 hours at Beebe Memorial Hospital, we finally got back to the house and relaxed. (We also played Rummy 500 and I swear, it took Ryan 3 days of playing before he finally understood what he had to do...love you baby...) Ronan was spent and slept more than he has ever slept since birth.

Riley was in good spirits, though. Jason and Courtney took her and their kids to the Sea Shell Shop and bought them hermit crabs. Riley named hers: Rostella and Stephanie. (So random, so random...) Poor Rostella and Stephanie were racing outside of their homes with Conner's hermit crabs -- torture, huh?

But then the next day, we obviously couldn't take Ronan out to the beach and so we opted to hit the Boardwalk again while Jason and Courtney took Conner and Maggie to meet other family and beach it. Just when we thought Ronan was better...Ryan decides he is going to get sick, too. Both my boys were quite ill on Friday and to ensure that Riley and I would be free of germs, we went to Dewey beach with Jason and Courtney. While fun and entertaining, it was still sad to be away from Ryan and Ronan...who I knew would have had a blast at the beach.

Sadly, we decided to start driving back home that night. It took us 3 days (2 nights) again, but it was a good drive. It does make you appreciate your home so much more when you are away. We loved seeing our family and had a great time (with the exception of the ER trip and the illnesses) but man, there is nothing like being in your own bed and in your own house...

The Cousins

The last time Riley and Ronan saw their cousins was in September of last year. Ronan had just learned to walk and so he wasn't really into the thick of things with all the other kids. Times have changed! This is the first picture I have of the 4 cousins together when we arrived and wouldn't you know that this set the tone for the entire trip. These kids were into everything! Digging, throwing, running, screaming -- you name it!

I'm Back!

You missed me, I can tell.  

I am working on a long and very drawn out post about our vacation we just had this past week. Should be done late tonight, so check back tomorrow!

Hope everyone is doing well!