While I Wait...

Hello Loved Ones.

Right now I have laundry in the dryer, brownies in the oven, Lexy is napping, Glee is on the TV (love my DVD gift set Josh got me for my birthday), and I have a few things to finish before my parents come over for dinner. So, while I wait for the dryer to buzz and the timer to go off on the oven, what am I doing? Getting a much needed nap? Picking up and organizing toys? No. I am writing to you because I promised myself I was going to get back into the swing of things now that summer has passed.

Summer has passed. Today I bought two pumpkins for carving. And by carving I mean scraping out the insides to make delicious pumpkin seeds. That is my plan for post Lexy bedtime this evening. We'll see if it happens, but I love pumpkin seeds heavily salted, so there's a very good chance... But, back to the summer having passed. I realize that I was very negligent to my blog over the summer months. I didn't even write while I was on vacation in Rodanthe, NC. A whole glorious week of Josh, Lexy, beach, sand, sun, beach pizza, seashells, wind, surfers, and more family.

So, to make up for it I want to show you the beauty of September in the Outer Banks.
















I wish I was still there. Although, my house is just starting to smell like melted chocolate and there are pumpkin seeds waiting to be harvested. Those are good things, too.

Talk to you all soon.

C-

Celebration

April 26, 2003. Tonight we celebrate. What was the happiest day of my life to that point. The beauty of being with our family and our loved ones. Pledging to each other that we were a new family, together. Before each other and before God. And, gosh, I love that dress.

I *Heart* Dyson

Dear Friends,

I would like to introduce you to Finnian Hickey. Better known as Finn. Or Finny. Or, to Lexy, Inny. Finn is my fur-baby, the test run, the guinea pig, the company for me when Josh works and travels, and the most hyperactive bouncy dog you have ever met in your entire life. About 4 years ago after a few years of marriage, since I hadn't killed Josh with my housekeeping or cooking, I decided it was time for the dog. Josh agreed, we decided on a beagle and I was starting the search for the perfect pet for our little family. And then. The bombshell. Josh changed his mind and decided that he did NOT want a pet. One of his friends had told him that beagles were noisy and he figured that would be a bad thing in the long run. I'm not sure if there was any other thinking behind it, but that was his final say.

My final say revolved around being crushed for about 2 days and then taking a trip to the local shelter. There was Finn. Available for adoption the following day. I called Josh at work and told him that I found a dog I wanted and it was only part-beagle so the noise factor wouldn't be a problem. I told him the dog was small, tri-color, and about a year old. I told him that the dog went up for adoption the following day and I was going to head back to the shelter and adopt the dog. Final say. We got a dog.

Finn has been an adventure. He hates Golden Retrievers, he's always hungry, he sheds like nobodys business, he loves to run outside and can walk for miles without slowing down. He also likes to sit on the back of my expensive and beautiful living room sofa so he can be in the sun and see out the window at the same time. But most of all, he sheds. I can brush him everyday and still pull fist fulls of fur off of him, no exaggeration. It is seriously annoying. There is fur on EVERYTHING.

But, we love the silly dog and Lexy thinks he's great so it's all forgiven. And, as it turns out, Finn is a purebred American Rat Terrior. We ended up getting a purebred dog from the shelter. Gotta love it.

A few months ago I was given one of the best gifts anyone obsessive about dog fur could get. A Dyson Animal. It's BEAUTIFUL. It's purple and light, it has crazy attachments that I actually use, it sucks up everything and then some off the floor. It is the most amazing house cleaning piece of equipment ever made. I want to marry my Dyson. Or, at the very least, I want to make out with it. It makes vacuuming fun. I know, you think I'm crazy. I am crazy. About my Dyson. It changed my life. Not that there was anything wrong with the 30 pound 10 year old Hoover that I had before. In fact, instead of getting rid of it Josh actually decided to keep it for his personal use in the garage. What you vacuum in a garage I don't really know, but he has his space and I have mine. So, we kept the 50 pound Hoover.

2 days ago, I came home from work to find Josh already home. He was lucky enough to have a half day and got off early to come home to watch the Orioles game. Had a half day, took a half day. Who knows. I told you he LOVES baseball. And there was my Dyson, my gorgeous, life changing Dyson, sitting outside on the screened in porch. The screened in porch that was previously covered with cobwebs, dead bugs, pollen lots and lots of pollen and lots and lots of fur. See, when I groom the pooch, I take him onto the porch. So the birds (and the outdoor carpeting) can have the fur. It was a tad messy from the winter and hadn't been cleaned for the spring yet. Until 2 days ago. When Josh took my Dyson (not the 85 pound Hoover that he kept to use OUTDOORS) and cleaned the porch. I spent the evening taking apart the Dyson to make sure that all the pollen it sucked up, and man did it suck up pollen, was cleaned out of it and that it had clean filters and looked brand new like it did before it was stolen out of my loving hands.

The porch is covered with pollen again.

Updates and updates and updates

Dear Friends,

Yesterday was, for me, a deep post. I don't mean to get all philosophical on you... or maybe I do. I loved my comments and my virtual hugs. It means a lot and made me smile which helped me get through an "Eeyore" day. I thought that today I would let you know some of the updates that have been going on around the household. Just to lighten things up a bit.

I am officially a baseball widow. MLB has started back with a vengeance and Josh is glued to the TV. Orioles are the only team... but he's happy to watch anything when it's on if there's no Orioles game. I love baseball. For our first, third, and fourth anniversaries we splurged on AWESOME seats to Baltimore Orioles games, booked great hotel rooms and spent long weekends in Baltimore. It was awesome. I love going to games. I read the sports page religiously. I follow my team. I CANNOT watch 162 baseball games a season. Not counting postseason, but the O's haven't been there in forever so I haven't had to worry about that part. And then there's all-star break. AAHHHHH!!!!! I am happy for my DVR so I can record my DWTS (Dancing with the Stars), Private Practice (Okay, guilty pleasure) or House Hunters and go and hide in the bedroom and watch something that I want to watch. Of course, I am the supportive wife and I totally will watch some of the games. Some of them. For about 15 minutes at a time. When I'm not writing. Or reading. Or surfing the web. Or breathing.

I am going to be the Aunt to a bouncing baby boy. That's right. The decision has been made. Little Ian Daniel is going to become a bigger part of the family come September (hopefully, all prayers gratefully accepted). Carol is doing well and I love the name. Daniel is the Josh and Matt's fathers name. love love love. I can't wait to buy some decorations for the baby's room. I hope they don't mind but I rock at decorating boy's rooms. Not doing so great with Lexy's, but maybe that's because she's mine and nothing is good enough for my daughter? But that makes it sound like anything would be okay for my nephew, and that's not right. hhmmm.... Yea! A nephew!!!

The invitations have arrived for Tall Willowy Blonde's bridal shower. Oh my goodness, they are SO SO SO cute!!! I love them. I'm trying to plan a color theme around them and am planning on heading out to the stores Thursday to check on cake, balloons, flowers... Now, if I only had games and shower gifts nailed down. I'm pondering, people, pondering. Anyone have a great game they want to share? Email me, please. Personal creative block aside, my MIL suggests that we play the "toilet paper bride" game. NO NO NO!!!

Lovely Jennifer is doing well with the 2 babes at home. Although her last FB status update was a little scary so some attention from me maybe in order. She sounds a little stressed and I can't imagine how hard it is to have 2 children to take care of. But, she's an amazing trooper and I know she's doing better than she thinks she is. I keep thinking I'm giving her space and time to settle in, but I'm headed down that way in the next 2 weeks. Jennifer, I hope you're reading this. Make preparations for my mother, myself, and Lexy to head down to you. We bring time for a shower, laundry, and a nap with us. Take full advantage of us, please.

The reader count is up to 9, which is one of the most thrilling things that has happened to me in a really long time. I was hoping to get to 10, so we'll see. I am so happy to see my friends on here and to have their love and support in my little venture into the world wide web. If anyone wants to guest post, let me know. I have NO idea how to actually do that, but would love to read what my friends have to say about their lives and the world in general. Shelley, this means you. And Chimmy, if you want? I drafted the post last night. What a wonderful surprise when I woke up this morning and found my number at 10! Thank you thank you. Now that I met that goal where do I go from here. 10 is after all my favorite number. Should I aim for 15 or 20? Do I even know that many people interested in reading my thoughts? Share with your friends and lets try and get to 15!

Lexy is still talking about Easter. She had one of the best days ever, at least she thinks so. I'm hearing about her Easter egg hunt, her friend she got to play with, and lasagna (which is pronounced "Anya" for those of you out of the 2 year old loop). Oh, and CANDY. Candy is a big one. She'd never had candy until Sunday and I think she's addicted. I'm not sure what to do about it, although I'm thinking it maybe a positive thing for taking away the pacifier and teaching the potty-training thing. Give a little bribe in the form of candy. No, I am SO not above bribing my daughter. Oh, speaking of the pacifier. Anyone have ANY suggestions on that one? She only gets it for nap and night time and I'm ready to take it away, she's getting way too attached and I want to nip it in the bud. It's been too long, but she gets such relaxation from it. Should I just take it and tell her it went "bye bye" or do it at bed time and then add in nap time later? Clean break I'm thinking. And just deal with the tears and the talking and no napping for a few days. Ugh, the joys of parenting.

On that note, my lovelies, I am off. I love you all and I hope you have a beautiful day full of blessings (and comments. I love love love my comments).

C-

Marrying the Mob

Dear Friends,

Spring is here. With it comes Easter, warm weather, baby bunnies, the birds return and wedding season is almost upon us. Josh and I got married in April. Hard to believe it's been almost 7 years. But what I didn't know when we got married was that I was marrying into the mafia. No, not really. But, sometimes it seems that way.

I grew up with a VERY small family. I have 1 brother, and scattered cousins in the "tristate" area. Okay, for those of you who know me I am blatantly avoiding any discussion of where exactly I live because I know there are some wackos who will come and steal my husband, child and one of the 12 cars that he owns. Well, right now it's only 3 but he's out looking at another one so by the time I'm done writing this is could be 4. I've seen my only living grandparents, and only aunt and uncle a handful of times as they live really really really far away and for some reason they don't want to head down south almost as much as we never headed up north.

I never felt like I was missing anything, even without the large family gatherings all my friends had. It wasn't anything I thought about or noticed, even though I know my mother cared. And then I met Josh. And his MASSIVE family. And I thought, wow, it must be such fun to have such a big family. And then I realized (while planning the wedding that I wanted to be extremely small but extremely fancy), there are TONS of problems associated with a big family, as in how to fit 150 guests on just one side into a 150 guest wedding when all I really wanted there was 50 or so. Stories of wedding planning aside (although some of the stories might make for good posts so come anniversary time there may be a few) events with Josh's family are just nerve racking for me. I've come to realize not only do I not like large crowds I do NOT like to be forced into community events just because "everyone else in the family is going to be there". I keep having flashbacks to my mother telling me "don't do what everyone else is doing just to fit in" and "if all your friends jumped off the Brooklyn bridge would you do it too?" and various other after school special quotes.

I am just NOT comfortable with that many people with so many activities and that many family obligations. Insert picture of the family reunion where I was forced to wear a mu-mu. Is that even how you spell mu-mu? Okay, no one looks skinny in a mu-mu. And, yes, they tried to get me to put one on Lexy. That got a definite "uh, no". No one looks attractive in a mu-mu, and if you show me a picture of Heidi Klum in one when she was pregnant I will hunt you down and make you wear one!

Yes, that's me on the right with Lexy, and just for clarifications sake, the wind was coming off the water from BEHIND us. I am so NOT 200 pounds.

Why all this talk about the size of family and marrying into the mafia style family? Josh's beautiful, talented, nicest person you would ever want to meet, homecoming queen, tall, willowy, amazing sense of style, blonde cousin is getting married to Mr. I Stepped Right Out of GQ Magazine in May. I love weddings. I am so excited to see her get married. She is one of Josh's family that I truly love seeing and look forward to talking to at any family event. I would do anything for this event if they asked because I adore her and I think her mother, Josh's aunt is one of God's angels. So, my reaction when I was asked to host the family shower was of course yes. Where I come from I was taught that it was poor manners to host a family shower, that showers were hosted by friends and if you had a shower hosted by family it meant you were desperate to receive gifts or in a very bad financial situation. Yes, I know I was raised by Miss Manner's cousin. And, again, I must reiterate, I love Tall Willowy Blonde and I am SO SO SO happy to do this for her because I think she is an AMAZING person. So, I have been looking at invitations, trying to nail down guest lists and menus (any menu advice? Please please please let me know) and think of shower games that won't embarrass the heck out of the honoree. Come May we'll see how I've done.

The point of this whole long and crazy story? As I said, I married into the mob. I was asked in the following manner:

"Carin, I think it would be really nice if you would host The Family shower for Tall Willowy Blonde. I think The Family would appreciate it."

Again, I didn't know I had married into the mob.

Love to you all,

C-

p.s. After writing this and thinking I had the numbers for a guest list finally in the completion stage, I got a second list... with an additional 5 names on it. I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop with the 4th list and another 5 or more.

The Pickiest of the Picky

Picky eaters of the world, UNITE! I have found your leader and you may come and worship at his feet. Yes, I said "his feet". Ladies and Gentlemen, people of all ages. I would like to introduce you to.... drum roll please,my husband, Josh. No, this is not a post about my wonderful, eats almost everything, daughter Lexy. It's about Josh and the fact that the man drives me CRAZY when it comes to food.

I enjoy cooking. I may not be the most creative (thanks in part to picky eater numero uno), or the most talented, but I do tend to enjoy the process. I would love to try new things and spices and techniques... and then there is Josh. Josh doesn't eat anything. At all. Ever. Okay, that may be a bit of a stretch. He'll eat McDonald's for breakfast (almost everyday). And Pop-tarts. He loves Pop-tarts. And pizza. But only cheese. Pasta is good, but really only with tomato sauce. Bread. White bread, not wheat. Just white. And last night I was told snowflake rolls aren't that great because they have flour on top and isn't that annoying? What else does he actually eat? Golden Grahams. Chicken. Mostly chicken. I should be an expert on cooking chicken in 365 different ways by now, but I'm not.

So, what brings on this explanation of my husbands eating habits? Last night, after I worked for 7 hours, took care of Lexy before and after said work, I made dinner. Steak with mashed potatoes and peas. With snowflake rolls. Pretty yummy, if I do say so myself. Traditional meat and potatoes. How did Josh react? Well, it wasn't chicken so strike number one. Strike 2? Snowflake rolls have flour on top. White bread though they may be. Strike 3? "Why are we having another slab of meat with potatoes and a vegetable for dinner?". Yes, apparently I make slabs of meat with vegetables for the family to eat. And, it's apparently quite often. Now, you have to understand. Josh doesn't eat vegetables, save 2. Broccoli and iceberg lettuce. So, I knew the peas were a stretch, but Lexy had broccoli with her mac and cheese for lunch that day, so I thought "peas" with dinner. Slab of meat. Slab of meat. I'm not sure what he expected, but I was always taught that protein was an important concept for a meal. And, God forbid I feed his daughter vegetables! I'm not sure if people get scurvy anymore, but I don't know how he's avoided it to this point. One day I would love to make asparagus.

I've told Josh before, "you know you're lucky to have a wife that cooks for you". His response, "I could do pizza every night". Gee, thanks honey. It's not like I get to make things that include green peppers or mushrooms (such exotic ingredients). Things that have any type of spice. And how does this work with a 2 year old in the house? I am incredibly lucky. Lexy loves Chinese food, Mexican food, veggies, fruits... she tries most everything and tends to eat most everything. She isn't too into chicken or steak, but I think it's more a texture thing than anything else. I've asked Josh to eat at least 2 or 3 bites of everything I make just so she sees that he eats all his food, too, and for the time being this seems to be working (and getting more vitamins into Josh, too).

So, anyone out there with new recipes for BASIC chicken with something other than potatoes, rice, or veggies, then please please please email me. Oh, and make sure the sauces are very light in flavor and there is practically NO seasoning included. And the veggies aren't green, in fact make them almost nonexistent, and the bread should be just white. No flour. And make sure the recipe doesn't include that the chicken be presented in "slab" form. Thanks. I really appreciate it.

Love to you all,

C