Just a glimpse....

Back from the Dead...

2011-02-22T16:51:00.002-05:00

I have spent the last hour reading my old posts and feel it is time to revive this dead blog! I love my boys and my man and my God and I want to shout it TO THE WORLD! See you soon!

Making Plans....Why Bother?

2008-09-04T21:37:00.005-05:00

Well, days don't always go "as planned," do they? For example...the boys had "planned" to get the bus the first day of school at their new school, Hopewell - but the bus missed our stop. I "planned" to get an early start on the day with a run (while it was still cool and the sun lower in the sky), but it was pushed back because of taking the kids to school (late by the way.) I "planned" on using my iPod while I ran to make it more fun (if fun and run can be used in the same sentence...I am not so sure) but Jason had taken it out of the van that morning to give to me and he forgot - therefore my iPod was in his pant's pocket rather than my armstrap....oh well.

Once I got all these "unplanned" things out of my way, I did run (I use that term loosely, it was more like a jog) and I was able to refocus on things that were really mattered. I was able to focus on all my blessings, like my new house, my new neighborhood, my kid's new school, my family so close, my church, my kids, the ability to work from home, and so and so forth. It made all my "unplanned" occurences in perspective and made me realize how unimportant they really were. I had let these things get the best of me in the heat of the moment - I was frustrated, angry, bitter that things were not going "as planned."

I guess God needed to remind me that my plans aren't HIS! His perspective is what I needed that day and His perspective showed me all the blessings he had showered on me and my family over the past month and beyond.

Oink Oink!

2008-04-17T13:05:00.003-05:00

We attended our first of many Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs Baseball game last night! It was a beautiful evening and a great atmosphere. Our tickets were for the clubhouse level, so we were on the same level as the corporate suites - it was very sweet, indeed! Our friend, Laura, won tickets at her job and gave them to us to enjoy. We are so grateful for her thoughtfulness to us! We all munched on hot dogs and french fries (I know, not BFL approved!) and then Jason tracked down some cinnamo-roasted pecans and funnel cake which was AWESOME! The boys enjoyed sundaes in mini iron pigs helmets which we brought home to add to their collection of "goodies" on their dressers. The staff was very nice and the place was very clean! The bathrooms on the clubhouse level were not those you would expect at a ballpark, thats for sure! The field level was very similar to that of Citizen's Bank Park, which makes sense since they are the Triple A Affiliate of the Phillies. The staff did fun games on the field in between innings. It was Eskimo night so all their games had a cold, snow or frozen theme. We saw Ferrous, the mascot, trolling around all night saying hi to the kids. Andrew pointed out that when he was younger he would have been scared of Ferrous, but since he is older, he isn't scared!

We even bumped into my cousin, Andrea and her fiance' Frank. Ironically, their seats were within spitting distance of ours! (No, I didn't measure it...)

Cool Dude!

2008-03-10T20:20:00.002-05:00

Well, it has been awhile since I have posted but I thought I would take this opportunity to share a little about what we did today.

Both Ethan and Andrew were in desperate need for a haircut - with Easter quickly approaching. I also wanted to pick up some nice Easter shirts for them. I thought I would try out the new Hair Cuttery and Old Navy at the Promenade Shoppes and check to see if my mom wanted to join us. She very rarely turns down a chance to shop and I knew she wanted to see the boys. My mom agreed and thought my dad might like to see the boys, too, so we planned to meet later in the afternoon.

After a slight confrontation with Ethan after he got home from school, we ventured out to the Promenade. Unfortunately my mood had turned sour because of Ethan's lousy attitude. He did NOT want a haircut and he did not want to shop for a new shirt for Easter. Apparently he did NOT consider this to be "fun." He interpreted a trip to the Promenade as a "chance to walk around and talk to Nana, go to the toy store - like we always do."

Once at the Promenade, my dad and my boys all got haircuts simultaneously (by different stylists.) My dad surprised me by paying for the boys haircuts! That was a nice treat. One of the stylist gave Ethan some "cool" colored hair gel and spiked it(see picture). Andrew didn't want to "taint" his nice hair with the stuff.

We then proceeded to Starbucks and the boys were treated by Nana. They munched on an apple fritter and special drinks.

Much to the boys delight, we then visited the Learning Express toy store. My mom was looking for a specific toy for her other grandson, Jack. The place is so alluring...my mom was already picking out birthday gifts for the boys (7 months away!)

Old Navy was just the place to get the boys Easter shirts. I found 2 polos with a handsome argyle pattern (on SALE!)

It was a very nice afternoon - despite the sour start. Ethan's attitude (and mine) got much better thanks to pleasant company of my parents!

You got "webbed"

2007-06-25T20:27:00.000-05:00

So, I walk into my office and I see my tape dispenser on the floor. Hmmm....who was in my office using my tape? I have warned the kids before to leave their hands off my desk - so it couldn't possibly be one of my boys. Right? Wrong. "Andrew! What were you doing with my tape?" Andrew directs me to my right and points to where all the tape went. The tape is holding 2 Rescue Heroes hostage on the side of my bookcase. Huh? I still didn't get it. Andrew explained that Spiderman "webbed" the Rescue Heroes so he needed tape to act as a web and hold them up against the side of the bookcase. My frustration melted away into giggles. Andrew's imagination never ceases to amaze me. His fascination with Spiderman never ceases to amaze me as well. Although Andrew should not have been in my office using my tape, his ingenuity and creativity overrode my annoyance at his ignorance of my request to "stay out." Although I did warn him no more "webbing" with my tape!

I took pictures and have posted them so you can see how the Heroes got "webbed."

Family Day!

2007-05-28T20:29:00.001-05:00

Our Memorial Day started out without a bang.

I woke up and worked a couple of hours at computer, ran about 2.75 miles to downtown, around, and back and put on Andrew's training wheels so he can now ride a two-wheeler. As we watched the boys ride bikes (Ethan got a new 20-inch bike to replace the one he handed down to Andrew), Jason and I discussed what we should do for lunch. We wanted to grill something but were tired of burgers and we had picked up some boneless pork chops the night before. Jason scoured a Bobby Flay grilling cookbook and found an appealing recipe, so we made "Porkchops with Soy-Honey Glaze and Grilled Sweet Onions." It was really good, especially if you have a bite of the pork with a bite of the grilled onion. The glaze was awesome as well! After lunch Jason threw out the idea of going to Bushkill Falls (The Niagra of Pennsylvania), about 1 hour north of where we live. It was beautiful weather and except for a little traffic on 209N due to an accident, things went very smoothly. We set up the the 2 screen dvd player that boys got for Christmas from their Nana in the back of the van (first time we have used it). They watched Open Season the entire trip there, they weren't even phased by the traffic jam we encountered which added about 20 minutes to our travel time. They wore headphones so Jason and I could talk and not have to listen to the movie which was really nice. We didn't get there till 4:30 and the shops closed at 6:00 so we moved somewhat hastily through the walk around the falls but we still had a really nice time and the falls were just beautiful. The last time Jason and I visited Bushkill Falls, we were dating, and we were also in the middle of a drought so the falls were less than spectacular. We intend of having a lot more days like this together as a family this summer after the porch project ate up all our weekends last summer.

The day that started without a bang ended after a blast of family fun!

I just pray.....

2007-05-12T11:21:00.000-05:00

I just pray this isn't Andrew (in the Spiderman suit) in 20 years!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9nTAY-_Sjc

Easter Cuties!

2007-04-09T13:13:00.000-05:00

I couldn't resist these coordinating outfits! Andrew had to include a tie, of course. All jazzed up for Easter Sunday!

Drowned Rat

2007-02-19T19:12:00.000-05:00

Maggie got a sink bath - I think she looked so funny! She is much cuter when her hair is dry & fluffy!

Andrew's Favorite Gift - Seriously

2007-02-19T18:56:00.000-05:00

I hate to be a blogger bragger but I just think Andrew's face is perfect in this picture, what a handsome young man.....and a man is what his number 1 aspiration is! He requested a shirt and tie for Christmas from Santa and lo and behold, Santa knew exactly which one to buy! He loves to wear ties and counts the days until Sunday School and "family worship" days at preschool so he can dress up. He would wear this all the time if we let him! His favorite things to do include pretending to be a superhero (note the new pj's he is wearing) and pretending to be a man. He observes men around him, (particularly his daddy) and imitates the nuances in their dressing habits - like using a belt with his khaki pants, wearing an undershirt, making sure his tie is under the collar properly. He is a HOOT although it can be frustrating when he insists on wearing something specific and it just isn't appropriate for what we are doing that day.

Finally, no tears shed!

2007-02-19T18:47:00.000-05:00

5th Annual Christmas Party! Santa visits every year and every year Andrew FREAKS out. This year he didn't cry as much and we coerced him to quick sit on Santa's lap so I could get a picture. As you can see from this picture, his face says "Hurry Up and Take The Picture!" He got off Santa's lap quicker than you can imagine. He was not happy about the requirement in order to get his gift from Santa. But of course he was quick to brag to his Nana that:

"I sat on Santa's lap, did you see me?"

Pillow Talk

2007-01-22T22:19:00.000-05:00

I glanced at Ethan at the dining room table, he was trying to hide what he was writing. I pretended not to notice what he was doing and went about setting the table. I had a inkling that he was doing something for me or Jason by his sheepish look. I figured I would not ask him and wait and see.

We called the boys to the table for dinner and Ethan was upstairs, he said he went to the bathroom but I have a feeling he was completing his secret mission, the one he began at the dining room table. I didn't question his motives for being upstairs and we enjoyed our grilled cheese and fruit salad.

Later that evening I had forgotten to see what Ethan was up to and Jason said, "have you been upstairs yet?" I had not so I went up to our bedroom to see what he was referring to. On our pillows were 3 sticky notes. One on Jason's pillow that said in bubble letters "I love dad" and then another note with bubble letters that said "And" that was placed between our two pillows and thirdly a note on my pillow that said "I love mom."

It was so sweet to see an act of love that was not coerced or requested. He did this all on his own. I am not sure where he learned to put notes on pillows but I think his future wife will find it to be a very endearing quality.

Happy Birthday Super Ryre!

2007-01-15T22:48:00.000-05:00

For anyone who knows Andrew, they know he has quite the imagination. Lately he has been referring to himself as Ryan (which is his middle name) and Super Ryre which is derived from Ryan I believe. He is obsessed with superheroes and wanted a Superman birthday party. I made him a Superman Cake and he got more superheroes as gifts, probably the 343rd batman he has
received since his 3rd birthday! He was
looking forward to his birthday since Ethan's birthday because he knew his birthday was after Ethan's. I no longer have to answer the question, "How many days until my birthday? Is it soon?" This Saturday he has his first "friend" party, we are going to have a total of 7 five year olds in our house. This will be quite the adventure. We have lots of fun planned!

Maggie-licious

2007-01-15T22:34:00.000-05:00

This is Maggie, she is our new puppy. I picked her up on Christmas eve and Jason's parent's puppy-sat till Christmas day. She is a great dog and has transitioned into our life quite easily. She is a Zuchon. She is a mix of the bichon frise and a shih tzu. She has hair, not fur, so she is hypo-allergenic. She only barks when she is playing. She sleeps through the night in her crate and doesn't cry when we put her in each night. She loves to cuddle and be near us. She is content to know that we are in the same room. Often in the afternoon, I will bring her crate into the office and she will lay in there quietly while I am working. As long as she can see me, she is happy. Every once in a while she will sleep on my lap while I work on the computer. We love her! (even Jason, the number one "I don't want a small dog" guy) I have a couple of blackmail pictures of Jason sleeping on the couch, cuddling Maggie!

Learning by Good Example

2006-11-10T21:36:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, just sometimes, my kids surprise me. Now, remember, there are good surprises and bad surprises. This surprise happened to me the other day. Let me start with the back story:

I was at my parent's house with Ethan and Andrew and as we were on our way out, my dad came home. Andrew asked him to show Ethan the Spiderman video on his computer and before we knew it, we were hanging out for about another 1/2 hour (not just because I wanted a cappuccino, either...although that was a plus). At the end of our time together my dad gave the boys a few dollars to put in the church's annual "dare to care" bank (used to collect money for an African orphanage during the month of November). My dad explained that he puts money in it every day and encouraged them to do the same so we can raise money for people who need it.

Now FAST FORWARD......

An hour later I was in the kitchen preparing dinner and I heard Ethan in the living room, "Mom, I am putting money in this bank" (referring to the dare to care bank.) I said, "Ethan, where did you get the money?" "My bank." "How many dollars did you get, Ethan?" "I got 3."

I just smiled and said, "that is a good thing to do."

A few minutes later I realized why he did it, it hadn't registered right away. I remembered how my dad had given him a couple dollars out of his pocket and encouraged him to put in the bank and now Ethan took the initiative to take money out of his own bank and put it in the Dare to Care bank.

That was a good surprise.

It's Me!

2006-10-27T22:05:00.000-05:00

Ethan's Thoughts....."Yes, it is me, the cutie, Ethan. You may have thought for a second that I was truly a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, but don't be fooled....it is merely a costume. Look at my handsome face peeking out under this mask to reveal my identity. I will continue in this kindergarten parade to please the crowd; but just this once."

Anticipation

2006-10-27T14:00:00.000-05:00

Hmmm, who would have thought that Halloween Party day is more anticipated than Christmas morning? Apparently it is in my household, to my dismay! Andrew awoke 3 times last night in anticipation of dressing up for his Halloween party at preschool! He doesn't even do that on Christmas eve (probably because he is scared and doesn't want to see Santa). I couldn't believe it. He was so excited to dress up in his new Spiderman costume (which, by the way, is the same exact costume he had last year...just a size bigger). He just LOVES dressing up like his favorite superhero and has been asking me practically everyday, "how long until I can wear my Spiderman costume?" He was web-slinging all morning.

All Aboard!

2006-10-21T22:00:00.000-05:00

W K & S, Inc. A quaint train station located in the unassuming town of Kempton, PA.

Our family was in desperate need of some good old togetherness. It seemed that our entire summer and the beginning of fall was spent rebuilding our demolished porch so I declared that this Saturday would be family day. I wanted to do something close, fun, affordable and "fallish." I thought a short train ride through the countryside would be perfect. It was.

The weather was awesome and the sun shone down on us. The boys were excited to go on another train ride. It has been almost 2 years since our trip to Strasburg, and Andrew was ready to prove that he wasn't scared anymore. There was a bustle about the station but not such that it was overwhelming. There was a quaint gift shop (that surprisingly accepted VISA/MASTERCARD) and a little refreshment stand. Jason bought a coke in one of those old fashioned bottles, he was thrilled. I don't think I would have changed one thing about today; except that it would have been longer.

We finished our day with a short trip to Cabelas and dinner at the Cracker Barrel. The Barrel has wicked good food and with the fireplace burning, it was just great. I really cherish these times with us all together, laughing and having a good time. These days were in short supply since the spring and this was what we needed. I remember how important these memories are and I want to fill up my boys with good memories from their childhood.

ROOD

2006-09-24T22:44:00.000-05:00

Do I laugh or do I reprimand?

I was upstairs in the office working, which I do everyday. It is understood that while Andrew naps, I work, and Ethan plays quietly downstairs for about 45mins-1hr. Somedays this is easier than others. Ethan likes attention and loves companionship and he constantly asks me to "play with him." He very rarely embarks on an activity independently, he needs prodding and encouragement. He prefers to do things with others. That in itself is not a bad thing except it often results in a sour attitude when I tell him to "go downstairs and play." This particular day he had just asked me to come downstairs to see something and I said, "no" and I heard this mumbled from the bottom of the steps,

"You are so R-O-O-D."

Apparently Ethan was displeased and was trying to insult me and spelled the word RUDE instead of saying it (spelling it incorrectly - he sounded it out and he knows that the double "o" makes the "oo" sound as in RUDE instead of the U and the E on the end). I called down the steps, "who are you talking to?" He said, "my imaginary friend." I doubt that since his imagination leaves a lot to be desired otherwise we wouldn't be in this daily predicament but I didn't pursue it and just chuckled under my breath.

At least he is trying to spell and sounding out his words!

Go For Broke

2006-09-24T21:53:00.001-05:00

No one can ever accuse my children of not giving 100% to whatever they do. Whether it be taking on a Super hero persona, tackling their brother to the ground, or running to give a hug to a loved relative (namely Nana Nana), they give it all they got. Now, there is a time and place for 100% and there is a time for, well, about 25 to 30%. Friday would have been a good time for the latter. Ethan, Andrew and I were at a park, enjoying a nice picnic lunch and autumn weather. I was pushing Andrew on the tire swing ("faster, mom, faster") and Ethan was calling my name, "Mom, watch, I can get this if I jump, watch." That should have given me a clue. I look over and I see Ethan lunging for a bar that is up and out of his reach. He was standing on a platform about 3 feet off the ground was attempting to jump and grab onto a bar that moves so he can ride it to the other side. I said "go ahead, I am watching." Ethan leaps off the platform, arms straight up in the air and his fingers touch the bar and the bar moves out of his reach and he continues to fall straight down, his body lands onto the ground, with his face taking the brunt of the fall. I saw his head bounce off the ground and he jumps up, screaming, "my nose, my nose!" Blood was pouring out of his nose and the scene was just horrible. I couldn't tell if there was blood coming out of his mouth as well. There was no one else at the park, I had no tissues or napkins, and really no way to stop the bleeding. I didn't know how to comfort him because I couldn't touch his nose and there was no way for me to stop the pain. Ethan was crying, "Call the cops, call the cops." "Why?" I asked. He said, "So they can help me." It was so scary and so horrible at the very moment. He wanted help and I couldn't offer it. Finally, (it seemed like an eternity) I piled him and Andrew into the van and I decided to take him to the ER because it looked pretty obvious that his nose was broken. On the way to the hospital I called Jason and told him what had happened, I starting bawling because all the panic and emotions I had held inside had to come out. After I explained what happened I said, "Ethan is crying and I don't know how to make him stop." Jason said, "tell him he has to stop or he is going to make it worse, he will make his nose bleed more." I told Ethan what Jason said and Ethan immediately stopped crying. Little boys think their daddies are so smart. (Maybe if I precede everything I tell my boys with "Daddy said" they will listen to me!) Anyway, long story short, Ethan has a broken nose and I have about 2 years taken off my life.

Things That ROCK!

2006-09-13T22:30:00.000-05:00

Here is a list of things that rock, things that I was reminded of this past weekend when Jason and I were away in Ocean Grove, NJ.....ALONE.

1. Sleeping past 5:35AM
2. Eating Ice Cream in bed
3. An Ocean Breeze
4. Cuddling
5. Licorice
6. A stroll
7. Eating Ice Cream in bed
8. A mid-afternoon nap
9. A willing husband at a tattoo parlor requesting a wedding ring on his finger but advised against it by the tattoo artist due to the nature of the skin cells on the hands - constantly being renewed therefore the tattoo would not last.

Conspiracy Theory

2006-08-30T08:06:00.000-05:00

Who would have thought it would start so young? Ethan and Andrew conspiring against their mom? I thought I had a few years left to gear up and prepare myself against such attacks :-)

There I was, hiding for our game, "hide and seek," and the conspiracy began. I was laying on the top bunk in the boys room, staying as quiet as possible and laying as flat as possible when I heard Ethan. Ethan found Andrew hiding on the lower bunk and had yet to find me so the conversation went like this:

"Andrew, lay back down and hide."
"Why?"
"Because I want to find mom first so then she has to count next."
"OK."

Sure enough, Andrew laid back down and remained quiet in hopes that Ethan could find me and claim that he found me first so I would have to be the next counter! Can you believe that? They are definitely going to keep me my toes.

Then, to top it off, when Jason came home I explained this all to him. Jason just smiled and said, "That was clever." I said, "No, that was cheating." Jason then said, "It was still clever." GREAT! I can just imagine how the next 15 years are going to go....

The way it should be.

2006-08-30T07:56:00.000-05:00

I just returned from the bus stop a much happier mom than yesterday. No cocky comments from fellow riders and I saw through the bus window a smiling Ethan looking at me while pointing to his friend, Linus, that sat next to him again as to say, "I am OK, mom, I have Linus." Everything is right with the world.

Oh, and also....

2006-08-29T14:10:00.000-05:00

He got a sticker for good behavior today! We are going to celebrate his start of school by going to Don Pablo's for dinner, per his request. Ethan and Andrew like the way Don Pablo's is decked out with Mexican decor. Andrew asked if we were in Italy (where Aunt Robyn is) last time we were there....he sensed it was a different culture, just wasn't sure which one.

All is well.....sigh

2006-08-29T13:54:00.000-05:00

Ahhhh, I feel much better. This is a picture of Ethan getting off the school bus this afternoon (he is carrying the umbrella I left at his school yesterday) and the boy behind him is Linus, Ethan's friend. Linus (stop chuckling) sat with Ethan on the bus on the way to school. I guess my worrying was for naught. I hope this will get easier. I can dry my tears now.

Tears of Sadness

2006-08-29T08:19:00.000-05:00

If you haven't read my previous post "Thank God for High School Spanish Class" read that first. It sets the tone for my tears for this post. After calling a little kid on his spanish insult of my son's umbrella, the bus approached. Ethan got in line and boarded the bus and sat right in the front seat, just like mommy and daddy advised him to do. He stood up and watched the rest of the kids board the bus, a look of expectancy that someone would sit with him. He didn't care that he didn't know the majority of them, he just wanted a friend and have someone sit with him. He was expressing concern at the breakfast table this morning that no one will sit with him on the bus because everyone already knows eachother (yesterday kids who were neighbors sat next to eachother) and he doesn't. I tried to comfort him explaining that yesterday was just the first day and he will get to know more people as time goes on. That doesn't suffice for Ethan because he is a #1 approval and friend seeker. If he doesn't have someone to play with or talk to, it is the end of the world. If we go to the park, and there isn't anyone there other than Andrew, he is bored to tears. He loves to be with other kids and get their "approval." Ethan is shy initially and will not make the first move. He will make himself be near other kids and wait for them to ask him to play. He strategically places himself near others hoping they will notice him and invite him over. So, as I saw the rest of the kids pile on the bus, including the couple of older kids Ethan did knnow, walk right past Ethan, I started to cry. The tears welled up and I was so sad. I know exactly how Ethan was feeling. The yearning for someone to take that first step and say "hi" or sit with him. If being on the bus for the first time by yourself isn't hard enough, Ethan just makes it harder by placing expectations on it. He expected to have friends right away and expected to have someone sit with him, even after I explained that he doesn't really know anyone yet. I can just bet his heart was breaking with each person that walked past him. As the bus pulled away, my tears increased and I slowly walked home with Andrew. Ethan craves companionship and desires friends of all ages and unfortunately these other kids don't know that. I hope Ethan is able to initiate some friendships or maybe he will be able to identify other lonely kids in the future and make them feel welcome and less lonely. That is my desire.

Thank God for High School Spanish Class

2006-08-29T08:01:00.000-05:00

"The turtles es malo" a boy muttered under his breath, just loud enough for myself and my son who started kindergarten yesterday to hear. My ears perked because I knew he was referring to the very cool Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle umbrella my son was holding to deflect the drizzle. We just arrived at the busstop, our first official day of my son, Ethan riding the bus solo, with older kids and arriving at kindergarten all by himself. I was somewhat surprised at the large amount of kids at the school busstop but didn't think much of it. My younger son made quick friends with another child, asking him "how old are you?" and saying "I have a batman umbrella that my brother left as school yesterday." Ethan, however, stood quiet. He was nervous, and rightly so. A lot of older kids he didn't know and Ethan craves approval. He is shy initially but once someone shows interest, he is off and running trying to make them laugh or give some type of "you are cool" gesture so he can feel like he fits in. So, when I heard the phrase "The turtles es malo" I started to get a little angry. I knew the kid didn't think I knew spanish and I knew he was trying to make Ethan feel bad because he had an umbrella (this kid did not). Ethan didn't know what he was saying, but I did. I let him say it one more time and then I turned around and said, "So, Why do you think the Turtles are bad?" The kid didn't reply, probably not realizing I knew what he was saying. I repeated myself. He looked at me, not sure how to reply because you can bet he had no idea I knew spanish and he thought he was making me and my son feel bad. He said, "I don't know, its like a little kids show, I don't watch that anymore." So I asked him, "What do you watch?" "Cartoon Network." I continued, "So you watch like Foster's Home?" Another look of surprise. "Yeah," he said. I obviously caught this kid off gaurd and I was making him increasingly uncomfortable. I asked him what grade he was in and he ignored me and slipped away. Man, I thank God for my High School Spanish Class! This little punk was intentionally trying to make my son feel uncomfortable by mentioned the "turtles" and I called him on it. I have new resolve to learn more spanish and protect my son from people shooting their mouth off in attempts to make him feel inadequate and uncomfortable.

Here batter, batter, batter!

2006-08-26T17:22:00.000-05:00

Swing
Originally uploaded by Lynnzee.

Ethan took a swing in the batting cages at Point Pleasant Beach. He hit 3 balls coming at him at 35 mph! Not too bad!

What did you say?

2006-08-22T06:42:00.000-05:00

You Communicate With Your Ears

You love conversations, both as a listener and a talker.
What people say is important to you, and you're often most affected by words, not actions.
You love to hear complements from others. And when you're upset, you often talk to yourself.
Music is very important to you. It's difficult to find you without your iPod.

How Do You Communicate?

Just a little "quiz" recommended by my sister, Robyn

2006-08-20T22:02:00.000-05:00

YMCA

Ethan has learned to swim at the YMCA this summer. It has been really neat to see his progression from holding a kickboard with a floatbelt on to jumping off the diving board and swimming to the ladder over the last 10 weeks (he goes for 1/2 hour once a week).

God gives us "Next Times"

2006-08-19T21:22:00.000-05:00

My brain was saying, "he didn't do it on purpose" but my rising blood pressure was hard to control so I ignored my brain and went with my physiological response to anger. Enter the need for grace. Ethan had just climbed over the newly contructed joists for our porch, sandals full of mud, and entered the front door of our house to get a toy. I saw him just as he was entering the front door and I shouted, "take off your shoes" as the door was closing behind him. I had my doubts that he heard me so when he returned outside I asked him if he had taken his shoes off. "No" was the response. I proceeded to ask him if he got mud on the carpet and he answered "No." I figured I better check just in case. I climbed the same joists and peered in the doorway and to my horror was not one or two, but numerous muddy footprints on my carpet. My carpet is light enough to show mud and there was no denying the fresh stains. The anger arrived. "I don't have time for this, I don't want stains on the carpet, What was he thinking? Why didn't he just think? He shouldn't have climbed over the joists in the first place. Why didn't he take his shoes off?" These questions raced through my mind as I surveyed the damage. I couldn't contain my disappointment and when confronting Ethan, he appeared to care less that he made such a mess - which made it even more disheartening. I reacted in a irrational way in hindsight. He didn't intentionally put mud on the carpet. I just couldn't find the grace that I needed to give to him. In the back of my mind I was thinking of the hymn "Grace, Grace, God's Grace, Grace that is greater than ALL my SIN" Why couldn't I give him the same grace? This was such a trivial mistake, yet I couldn't get over the fact that he didn't appear remorseful and I told him to go to his room and wait for me to get him. My subconscious was telling me that I was not reacting properly, that God forgives me and show me grace daily yet I felt that I needed to prove "a point" and not think he can "get away with" this type of behaviour or lack of respect. It was just muddy shoes! I let this little thing get the best of me and I did not show Ethan the proper way to respond to someone who makes a mistake. Yelling is so fruitless and doesn' accomplish anything (except cause me to get a sore throat). I should have said, "Ethan, I am disappointed that you came into the house with muddy shoes and didn't take them off. There is a very large mess to clean up because of it and it may leave marks on the carpet but I forgive you. Can you please help me clean it up?" That would have been such a better witness of grace to my son, acknowledging that I was not pleased with what he did, but nonetheless I forgive him. I know that just because I am parent doesn't mean that I don't have a lot to learn. I need to remember God's grace to me and find a way to reflect that to my children.

Thank God for His grace, forgiveness and for the "next times." I can always try to do better "next time."

Writer's Blog

2006-08-16T17:45:00.000-05:00

I have a serious case of writer's blog (block). I desire to write something witty and cute but there is nothing right now very cute and witty in my life. Not to say nothing happened in the past few days, just not anything blog-worthy. The Phillies won 2 straight against the Mets, so that was good, the insurance paid a claim that I had appealed that was originally denied, so that was good. I made chocolate chip cookies from scratch which essence is now captured in my hair and i ate way too much cookie dough. I guess that is only interesting to me. Hmm. I will try again at another time. Sorry.

What was I thinking?

2006-08-14T20:15:00.000-05:00

I said no to a trip to the Ice Cream Store. It is unfathomable that such words would come from my mouth, yet they did. My parents stopped by tonight to visit their boys and offered to go out for ice cream. I said no because the boys bedtime was approaching, along with shower time, along with the fact that Jason and I are tired from a weekend of work on the house. What is even more ludicrous is the fact that I am 99.9% sure that my dad would have treated, so not only did I say no to ice cream, but I said no to FREE ice cream! See what home projects do to rational thinking? It is thrown out the window (but not onto the porch, because ours is missing right now)! Anyway, I am listening the Phillies whoop the Mets so life isn't that bad and I do have some Edy's Light French Silk in the freezer (light means you can eat twice as much) so things could be worse.

Nothing is easy....ever

2006-08-13T20:09:00.000-05:00

Well, what started out simply as wanting to repoint the brick on our house and
replace the railings and posts on the porch has turned into an entire summer
house project. My faithful and capable husband (along with some family and friends) chipped out all the old mortar and put new mortar in on the facade of our house, a small facade, yet it took several weekends and weeknights to complete this very detail-oriented work. Last weekend there was a light at the end of the tunnel, we planned on replacing the porch floor and proceed to the columns and rails and expected to be done within a week or so. The light burnt out and now we are just looking into a black hole. While taking out the old columns on the porch we found ROT and lots of it and realized that the entire porch roof needs to be demo'd and replaced which means the project just got a lot more complicated and a lot more expensive! We called our homeowner's insurance and even though they have a couple thousand dollars worth of premiums from us over the past few years, they are unable to cover any of our damage due to an exclusion in our policy. How convenient. However, the representative explained, if the roof would have fallen off the house due to the rot and caused damage, they would have replaced it. Hmmm.... Anyway, while demoing the roof and the floor, my husband decided to break up the existing walkway as well. So now, lets see where we are at. New roof, new floor, new railings, new columns, new concrete footers, new walkway and lets not forget new stairs. What started out as an innocent "lets make the most of our house" proposal has turned into Extreme Home Makeover, Zeiner Edition.

BUT, let's not forget our blessings in all of this: we have had some very wonderful family and friends helping over the course of this drawn out project, namely my father which the repointing, and our friend Pete with the demo and Shane came out today and helped to get the sidewalk poured God has blessed us with beautiful weather and Jason's dad has been able to donate some wood for us to use to help keep the cost down.

Over dinner tonight, at Jack Creek Steakhouse, using a buy one get one free coupon (from www.jackcreeksteakhouse.com) Jason asked me if I wanted to wait to replace the roof until after winter was over. I thought he was joking. He was not. I told him that I didn't like that plan.

I have posted some pictures to document our journey. I will continue to post to let everyone know how things turn out.

2006-08-10T07:52:00.000-05:00

Loose Tooth, Dental Floss and a Doorknob

It was daddy's idea!

Running in the Rain

2006-08-09T08:12:00.000-05:00

Ocean Grove July 2006
Originally uploaded by Lynnzee.

We (mom and I) allowed the boys to "let loose" in the rain while we waited for clear skies so we could head to the beace

My Gorgeous Boys

2006-08-09T08:10:00.000-05:00

My Gorgeous Boys
Originally uploaded by Lynnzee.

Here are my boys, Andrew is the shorter one, he is 4.5 and Ethan is 5.5.

Saywhatsablog?

2006-08-09T06:18:00.000-05:00

This is new for me, please have patience. No one will probably even read this but I suppose I can still use this to express myself creatively (so I think)....others may not share the same opinion regarding the "creatively" part. This is a picture of me and my hubby, Jason (of 7.5 years). We were at Crystal Cave on Sunday (in Kutztown, PA) with the boys. A very nice family day and we were able to get this rare picture of us together captured by our oldest son, Ethan, who is 5. Not too bad, maybe I have a future photographer in my house!