Can you even stand it?

The obsession (with summer) has started already. I think a lot of it has to do with the reasonably mild winter we're having. With no snow, lengthening daylight, and most daytime highs in the 40's and even 50's, it is easy to feel like spring is just around the corner. I doubt we'll actually escape this winter unscathed, but it's nice to dream about it. With that in mind, I've already bought 2 new bathing suits. I didn't mean to do it, it just happened. I was mindlessly browsing home goods online, dreaming of our new kitchen. In the midst of my oohing and aahing over viking stoves, sub-zero fridges and Grohe faucets, I happened to catch a glimpse of an ad/link for Swim 2008. Unable to resist, I found myself suddenly shopping for a bathing suit, with the urgency of one about to leave on a beach vacation.

In general, I do like to buy them early--earlier than most--because I have a hard time finding suits that fit me well. So, early means better selection, even if it does mean high prices. But, bathing suits definitely fall into the small category of things that I can justify spending lots of money on (bras, jeans, shoes and hair products). I certainly get my wear out of them.

So anyway, I have 2 suits on the way, via macys.com. All the more reason to stick to my gym routine before May.

Hump Day

It is only Wednesday, but I'm already so checked out of this work week. We have a plans for a great weekend ahead of us, so it can't get here soon enough, as far as I'm concerned.

Saturday afternoon, we're dropping the girls at my parents' house and heading in to the city. We're meeting up with Jeff and Anonda for drinks, and then going to eat here. No idea what we'll do afterwards, but with no kids to rush back home to, or any reason to have to rise and shine early on Sunday, I'm sure we'll come up with something fun.

Sunday afternoon, I'm taking Sadie and Matan to see this play, which looks really cute. Then, I think we're getting together with Evan's family for an early dinner.

So, other than looking ahead to the weekend, not a whole lot is going on. Eden has entered the bad dreams phase of childhood, and woke up crying hysterically at 6:11 a.m. We brought her in with us and while she did lay there quietly (possibly sleeping, hard to tell), I was unable to fall back asleep. Yawn.

In other Eden news, I put her hair in pigtails for the first time ever this morning. She is now, officially, the cutest. toddler. ever. Seriously, she looks like Darla from the little rascals. It is too cute, and even cuter is when she catches sight of herself and looks so thrilled with 'mine digtails!' If they are still somewhat intact when I get home from work, I'll snap a picture and upload.

Sadie is doing great these days. I feel like I spend an awful lot of time fretting about some aspect of her growth or personality or just general well-being, so it is really nice to just be enjoying every bit of her for the time being.

Anyway, I guess I'd better get some work done...

She Did It!

I posted earlier in the month about doing more to foster friendships and playdates for Sadie. This past weekend, I put my money where my mouth was, and invited one of her classmates and her mother over for a playdate yesterday. The other child (Jessica) is shy, too, and wouldn't come without her mom. So, even though I had about a million things to do and no real desire to make small talk with someone for two hours, I did it.

The kids had a good time, and Jen ( the mom) and I found things to talk about, so it was altogether pleasant. We ended up going to the diner for lunch and then, I had to get Eden home to nap. Sadie and Jessica didn't want the playdate to end, so I invited Jessica back to our house, but she didn't want to come without Jen, who also needed to get home at that point. So then Jen asked Sadie if she wanted to come to their house. Sadie readily agreed. I reminded her that I wouldn't be coming, and she was fine with it. So...she went! Without me! I picked her up at around 4pm, and from the sounds of it, she had a fine time. I'm so proud of her.

Next weekend, I'm taking Sadie to a play at the theatre at the JCC. I told Sadie we could invite one of her friends, and have suggested Jessica, Olivia, Amelia, or Matan. She hasn't yet decided who she wants to invite, but it will be one of them. I'm really going to continue to try to arrange something once a week or so. It was rewarding to see if pay off so quickly.

Travel-related.

We had a meeting yesterday to figure out who is going to be submitting proposals to present at the various academic and technology conferences that we normally try to attend. Is it bad that I passed completely on offering submit to a particular conference that I'm pretty sure I could easily have a proposal accepted, simply because I don't like the location?

Well, actually, it is a combination of things. The location (Memphis) = not exciting. The conference itself (vendor-sponsored, and therefore, not a very diverse constituency of attendants, and also seriously lacking on the awesome trade show booths that give away all sorts of awesome freebies) = meh. And, perhaps, the biggest downfall...the timing. July. I have no desire to be further than 10 minutes from the beach from June through September.

So, anyway, I passed on that one. But, I am going to submit for Educause, though, I think my chances of being accepted again are slim. On a good note, it seems as though we'll have funding to attend again, regardless of whether we're presenting. Why am I so excited? Well, for one thing, it is an awesome conference - very inspiring. For another thing, I have had a blast each time I've gone (Denver and Seattle), and I love the opportunity to connect with people I've known throughout my career. But, maybe the biggest motivator this year is the location.

Orlando.

Home of the House of the Mouse.

The timing (late October) seems like it would be perfect for taking the girls. Having my airfare and our accommodations covered would certainly make this a doable trip for us. I am dying to take them, and Sadie is dying to go. So, if things work out (a big if, it seems, as things almost never quite seem to work out when it comes to these things, as per the big anniversary trip to the Dominican Republic that I'm not ready to admit total defeat on just yet), this could be really good.

updates

• The kids are still sick.
  
• Sadie is really feeling well enough to go back to school, but on the advice of my (possibly overly conservative) uncle, I'm keeping her out the rest of the week. I'm guessing they aren't going to cover anything this week in Kindergarten that is going to keep her out of Harvard.
• With the onset of a rash all over her body yesterday, I think it is safe to say that Eden most likely has Roseola. Not serious, but a pain, nonetheless. After spending the first few days of the illness relatively unaffected, she has now hit the irritable as hell phase. She has brief bursts of pleasantness, punctuated by long stretches of crying, whining or sleeping. I do feel bad for her, and I hope by the end of the week, we she gets some much-needed relief.
• The silver lining is that we've opted to use this week as one of our two daycare 'freebie weeks' (where we don't send them and we don't pay). So, at least we've got an extra $300 in our pockets this week.
• Outside the confines of the illness compound, all seems to be humming along. Work is very busy, which is actually a good thing. Keeps me motivated.
  
• Evan is busy, too, getting ready to deliver another piece at the end of the month. A couple of more prospects (some more firm than others) are on the horizon, too.
• This morning, as I left the house, I was actually lamenting the fact that we can't fit my car into our garage. I had to spend some time scraping the windshield and warming the car up. Of course, having had to do that on an almost daily basis during the winter months in MA, I can't complain too much, but still. It would have been nice to just get in and go. It is doubtful our car will ever reside in the garage, given how much stuff we have, so maybe I should look into one of those car covers or some other way of not having to deal with a frosted-over windshield.
• Anyway, time to get back to work. Hopefully, the next time I post, I'll have some healthy updates on the kids.
  

Sick Ward

Ugh, sickness abounds at our house these days. Sadie had a "cold" all last week. It didn't seem too bad until Thursday evening, when she developed a really nasty cough and low grade fever. She coughed and coughed and hacked and gasped all night long. I can't imagine living with someone who has some sort of chronic respiratory disease, like emphysema or mesothelioma. Aside from feeling so bad for her, the sound of that cough.all.night.long. just about sent me over the edge. Anyway, it turns out she has pneumonia. She's been on an antibiotic since Friday, and responding really well to it, but in spite of feeling well (well enough to be stir crazy), she still needs to be recuperating at home.

As if that weren't fun enough, Eden spiked a fever on Friday night, and has continued to run one since. Yesterday was the first day that she at least responded to the fever reducer, and she stayed cool all last night, but as of this morning, it was creeping back up. She also seems to have developed a rash as of this morning, so I'm thinking, possibly, she has Roseola.

Both kids are, and have been, in amazingly good spirits considering their ailments, but I'm really ready for the healing to begin! Send get well vibes our way....

(Belated) Eden's Birthday Party

We had a nice little party for Eden on Sunday. Just the immediate family, minus a few members, for lunch and cake. Eden loved it. The poor kid is almost never the center of attention, so it really was special for her. Well, that and the Elmo balloons. Anyway, here are some pix from the day.

Back on Track

So far, so good with keeping up with my exercise regime again. My week has looked like this so far:

Sunday - 10 mile bike ride
Monday - 30 minutes (3 miles) on the elliptical trainer and a series of ab exercises
Tuesday - 3.5 mile brisk walk on the boardwalk
Wednesday - day off

and, I have the following planned:

Thursday - 30 minutes (3 miles) on either the treadmill or the elliptical and ab exercises
Friday - 20 minutes on the stair stepper and ab exercises
Saturday - 10 mile bike ride (weather permitting)
Sunday - day off

I feel energized by the new year, and motivated by my desire to look good in a bathing suit this summer, so I'm feeling good about sticking with it.

TV, HD, and Me.

Anyone who knows me pretty well, knows that I watch very little, if any, television. It isn't that I don't like TV, or that I think that I'm intellectually above it, it is just that it isn't my first choice of entertainment. I'd much rather read a good book, or mindlessly surf the web than watch TV. That said, lately, I have probably watched more TV than I have in years. I don't really know what is going on with me, but all of a sudden, TV is so appealing.

Prior to the writer's strike, I was faithfully tuning in on Thursday nights to 30 Rock and The Office. When I remembered, I would also try to catch Friday Night Lights on...what else but Friday nights?

With these shows in repeats due to the strike, I've started watching all sorts of things. Biggest Loser? Love it. Good Eats and Iron Chef? Yum. Trash TV, a la The Real Housewives of Orange County? Bring it!

So strange. How did I not realize how wonderful TV was before? Will this infatuation last? Will I soon be saving my blogging pennies for things like HD monitors, HDMI switches and surround sound systems? Stay tuned....

Bedtime Stories

I just love these pictures, because they capture two of my favorite things these days - Sadie's emerging reading skills, and the ever-growing sisterly bond these two share.

Sunday

I can't believe Eden will be turning 2 on Sunday. Where has the time gone? She is unbearably adorable these days -- I just want to bottle the essence of her at this age, because I have learned from Sadie how quickly it will pass, and that no matter how much I treasure it, it will be hard to remember her as she is. The sound of her little voice, the feel of her little body in my arms and the memories of all the silly and adorable things she says and does.

So, who is Eden right now...just days away from turning two? She is an incredibly 'spunky' little girl, full of joy and laughter. She has moved on from obsessing about unplugging the cables from the computer and writing on the walls, to sitting on the potty. This is progress! She sings all the time (her current favorite song is 'Let it Be') and she just wants to do and say everything Sadie does. She loves books and playing with her matchbox cars and her little people dollhouse. She has quite the sweet tooth, often asking (in vain, I should add) for marshmellows or m&m's first thing in the morning. She loves to dress up like a 'pincess' and dance around the living room. She loves her bath. She still eats almost anything you put in front of her (not crazy about pizza or grilled cheese) and the look on her face when you place a dish of ice cream in front of her is priceless.

In short, she is such a joy, and I look forward to seeing how she grows into the next phase of herself in the next year.

A Resolution

So, I have a few resolutions that I've made for 2008. I won't go into all of the boring details here, but as you can imagine, they have to do with such exciting topics as my weight/fitness level, the state of my nails, and how often I lose my patience with the kids. But, this weekend, I came to the realization that I want to add just one more resolution to my list, and it has very little do with me. I am resolving to be more proactive about arranging for playdates and opportunities for Sadie to socialize with other kids.

In general, I am really bad about this. In Boston, it was not a problem, because I had a group of friends with kids the same age (actually, this group came together through a new moms group sponsored by the hospital where we all delivered. Regardless, we clicked right away, and got together often long after the official meetings ended). But here, it is harder. Working full-time, I don't have the opportunity to meet SAHMs. And, since Sadie refuses to go to someone else's house without me, it means that I have to make small talk with the parent for a couple of hours while the kids play, or else always host the playdate at our house. Sadie does have one friend where I've gotten very friendly with her mom. But, as much as I enjoy hanging out with her and chatting, unfortunately, Sadie and Olivia don't necessarily play together so well. Someone (usually Olivia) almost always ends up upset or crying. Anyway, as a result, I've been bad about arranging playdates, but that's going to change.

Over the weekend, we ended up having two spontaneous playdates (a former classmate from preK stopped by on Saturday and we invited the neighbor up the street to come over on Sunday). It was good for Sadie to have a peer to play with, and I need to encourage it more. In particular, she plays really well with the neighbor, so that's a friendship I'm particularly keen to encourage. And, when it was time for Amelia to leave, we walked her home. Sadie and she ran ahead (I was doing the 2 year old, 2 mile an hour shuffle with Eden) and Sadie actually went into Amelia's house before I got there (kind of unheard of for her). And, she didn't want to leave. So, I kind of hold out hope that once she gets comfortable with Amelia, she might be willing to go play over there without me sometimes. Our neighborhood is very 'old school' in that there are packs of kids who play together without prearranged 'appointments' and just run freely from one house to another. It is one of my deepest hopes for my shy girl that she finds her way into that crowd and has those kinds of easy friendships.

So. Even though I don't necessarily feel like calling up some random parent that I don't know. Even though I don't feel like spending my precious weekends hosting other kids. And even though I really don't feel like chaperoning playdates at other people's houses...I will. I am going to try to have some sort of get together with another kid at least once a week.

haven't posted any home improvement updates lately

But that doesn't mean that they haven't been happening.

So, first up, the list of completed (or, nearly completed) projects:

The Backyard
I'm pleased to report that the deck (yeah, remember that one? The project we started last April?!?!) is *this close* to being finished. The only thing left to do is to put the front boards (for lack of a better term) on the stairs. I'm guessing that will happen the next nice weekend day we get. I cannot wait to start using the deck when the weather gets nice again. I'm already visualizing lots of summer entertaining out there.

The front and back hallways
Except for putting down carpeting and removing the unsightly cedar shingles that lined the walls (what were they thinking?), we largely ignored the hallway in our efforts to get the rest of the house in shape and move in. Our rationale was that when we eventually did our big gutting and renovation of the kitchen and den, the hallway was going to go, so why bother fixing it up? Well, after two years of looking at unsightly half primed, half spackled walls and a ceiling stained with old wallpaper glue, I got the urge to do something about it. Evan and my dad were kind enough to do most of the hard work help me with my 'vision'. We painted the ceiling a crisp, fresh white and the walls are a color called 'sundial', which is the lightest shade on the strip that our living and dining room walls are on. It really looks good. Aside from no longer looking like a crackhouse hallway, an added benefit is that the color of the walls somehow lessens the effect of the not so pristine anymore carpeting. We do still need to install a light fixture in the back hallway (right now, we're still sporting the interrogation lightbulb look), but other than that, it is done.

Projects in the hopper:
The Fireplace.

Ah, the fireplace. I, for one, have gotten used to the boarded up look, but Evan has ants in his pants to finish it. Given that I think almost anything would look great (as far as a surround and a mantle), I'm inclined to just let Evan do whatever he would like with this one (and, since I'm such a control freak about all other design decisions, it would probably be good for my marriage to just give him this one). Depending on the size of our anticipated tax refund this year, we may opt to put a gas fireplace in. They really appeal to me, so it is just going to come down to whether or not we have the money to spend on it. If I were a betting girl, I'd say that we don't end up with one, and that the fireplace project won't be completed before the next fireplace season (late fall). We'll see.

The Den

This one is a secret...shhhh! Evan has no idea I am considering doing anything in there, as the den, too, has generally fallen under the 'we're just going to gut it so why bother' umbrella. But, now that the hallway is painted so nicely, to me, the den stands out as the one, unfinished room in the house. I'm not talking anything too drastic, but the walls need to be painted (they are primer white, currently) and the ceiling fan/light set that we bought 2 years ago really needs to be installed. I just need to time it carefully before I spring this one on him. So again, taking a guess, I'd say this is likely to be a late spring/summer project.

There are, of course, a million other things we need/want to do, but those are the biggies until the big renovation happens (whenever that day comes). Slowly but surely, the house is coming together.

yeah, so...

the buzz and excitement of the holidays are behind us, yet spring is still way too far ahead of us. This is definitely what I consider the dead of winter. Bleh. It is freezing out today--I think I heard that the wind chill is making it feel like -3 degrees. Good times. I guess I should just be counting my blessings that there is no snow.

I need to plan some things to look forward to for the next few weeks. After weeks and weeks of plans and obligations, we have just about nothing for as far as I can see. We will be hosting a small celebration for Eden's birthday in two weeks, but other than that...not much to look forward to.

I really want to take Sadie snow tubing in PA. She's dying for the chance to play in the snow, and it looks like it would actually be a lot of fun. I guess I just need to figure out a weekend to do that.

I think once we get our vacation plans finalized (and booked!), then I'll really feel like the DR trip is happening, and can start looking forward to that. One thing I do need to look into, though, is travel insurance. I've never bought any before, but with two kids...it seems like a good idea. We'd definitely still go if one of them came down with a run of the mill sickness, but if for any reason, we couldn't go, it would sting a whole lot more to be out the $$ for the entire trip anyway.

I'm also planning a night in the city for the two of us. Our friends Jeff and Anonda invited us up to help them spend a gift certificate to a nice restaurant up there, so now that the girls are a-ok with sleeping over at their grandparents' houses again, I'm all for taking advantage of it!

So, I guess there are some things on the horizon...just hard to realize it when all I really want to do is hibernate until this weather goes away.

Back :)

Wow, I think this is the longest blogging lapse I've had since I started last year. I'm back at work today after a really nice 12 days off from work. So much happened, and there were many times I thought about sitting down and updating the blog, but I just never got around to it.

So, how did I spend my holiday vacation? Lots of visiting with friends and family, which was really nice. There is just never enough time during the workweek for stuff like this, so it was especially nice to just be able to spontaneously go visit someone, or be visited.

The girls got ridiculously overindulged with presents at Christmas. I'm so glad we weeded out some toys and outgrown clothes in advance. Sadie's favorite toy is definitely her Baby Alive. She named her Aurora and hasn't put her down since she got her. Eden doesn't seem to have a clear favorite yet, though she does seem to spend a lot of time running cars down the ramp of her fisher price parking garage.

Another thing I did a lot (too much) of was eating and drinking. Pair that with the gym being closed all week, and I'm sure I put on a couple. I'm back in the saddle today, though, and will be at the gym at 5pm trying to undo some of the damage.

Eden seemed to take a real interest in potty training this week (completely her lead) and has been asking to sit on the toilet each day. She's definitely off to a strong start, and I think it is reasonable to think she'll be well on her way to trained this year.

Finally, we hosted our brunch yesterday. It was a smashing success! 25 adults and 13 kids (8 and under) - I can't believe our house held that many people! But, everyone seemed to have a good time and it really wasn't too stressful putting it together. I'm glad it is over, though!

So, in a nustshell, that was the break. It was great to be off, and it is good to be back, too.