year in review-by yahoo

Yahoo! '09 Rewind @ Yahoo! Video

See...it does get cold here.

When I got up it was 40 degrees outside.

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Nap time...oh so cute

Wish I could join them.
Priceless

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After animal show which kids loved

Christmas victoria

Mom always sai shed kick my butt here...ha ha ha

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anxiously waiting

So I dont normaly post personal stuff, but I have to put it out there.
It's been almost 2 years since Scooter was born via emergency c-section. Last week I noticed that the incision sight was starting to hurt. To the point that my shirt touched it and i dropped to my knees in pain. Not normal.
So I called my wonderful and amazing ob and scored an apt. I got a fist class ticket the next morning to have an ultrasound to make sure all was well.
I, didn't put much thought into it. The tech said there wasn;t a whole lot to stress about. YAY. good news right before the holidays.
Yesterday the ob's office called to see if I could move my apt next week since Dr. P is trying to take some time off with his family. Rock on I told them. Just call me with the results and all will be good.
Then I get the call. I've got a cyst on my ovaries. Nothing to worry about says the voice on the other end. I ask what does that mean? well, she said, you need to schedule another utrasound. We need to see if it's gonna grow or go away on its own.
Well, I ask, what happens if it doesn't go away?
The dr will talk to you when you come in on the 15th of jan for the ultrasound.
Ok, when will the results for the ultrsound be done in jan?
Oh, he'll have the results that day.
can you say SHIT. It makes me very nervous when people won;t answer your questions over the phone and they tell you that the dr will talk to you in a month. Really? why d I have to wait a month for this crap to end? or to have ALL my answers. Like i need more things to go wrong with this body. Gallbladder, 2 emergency c-sections, hernias...and the list goes on.
I.HAVE.HAD. E-N-O-U-G-H.
Yes, there's a part of me that doesn't care, but there's another part of me stressing meyond imagination. Merry christmas to me.
Int he mean time, I get to play and hang out with bot kids this week and next. We pulled Scooter out of daycare for the holidays. It;s been fun having both kids home. I love my kids.

Kids & the magical duck

Duck feeding

Thanks

Michael Brugger

note-sent from my phone, I am not on a pc.

have a good day & be profitable productive!

Our decorated tree

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Handsome

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One dish I make for the family is killer Orange Chicken. This is what it looks like. Even the kids eat it I will share my secret next year. The seasion one of top chef did me well.

Tree

This year we get something special...a real tree with all the smells and feel and yes, the mess as well. Very awsome!

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Logan

Notice the shoes he's got on. He did this all by himself!

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What a proud dad

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Beanies first trip to the library!

She is now a proud card carrying member

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snowing in florida, lol

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This was the kids first hockey game.

always the mom

So this afternoon I was given about an hour (while Michael went to get Logan with Beanie...he had an apt in the area, so he stopped by to say hello) to have all to myself...and what do i do with it?

Yeah, you know where this is going. I spend 20 minutes on something that I've been trying to finish for about a month, then the dryer goes off, so I go fold the laundry, start dinner, clean up the toys, put some holiday decorations out and finish the dishes that are in the sink and start the dishwasher. Yup, there goes the time to myself. and yes, I know, it was my choice, but it's so much easier to get those things does without the kids than it is with the kids. And those of you with kids totaly understand that.
It worked out well, dinner was on the table and the house was picked up when Michael and the kids got home. Dinner, however, sucked. tomorrow...roast. Yup, stop drooling, if you ask nicely, I'll let you come over and we'll share the roast and all the good things that go in with it. and all in my new crockpot! so exciting!

Thanks-giving

Our first thanksgiving in the new house. It was.....well....smooth.

Michael cooked the turkey (with some minor help). I cooked all the side dishes from scratch...yeah...not.

I bought the mashed potatoes, stuffing was stovetop, corn from a can, canned gravy; I know...it's a thanksgiving sin, you try cooking with 2 kids underfoot...I know, Aunt Brenda can do it...I should be able to, well,, she rocks, what can i say and she made pie...oohhh the pie and the turkey. Ok, I'll stop now cause I'm drooling and that's not good for the computer.

anyway, it all worked out well.

The kids hardly ate, we gobbled everything in sight and then some. We had store bought apple pie (dutch) and pumpkin that wasn't all that good. All in all it was a great day.

11-11-09

Having had family that has served. Today I remember my grandfather. He served to protect my freedom as many other still do today.

May they all find peace.

http://blogs.reuters.com/photo/2009/11/10/those-left-behind-the-legacy-of-arlingtons-section-60/#comment-340784

While most (including me) go about our day, take a moment and say thank you. If you pass a veteran say thank you. If you have your child with you, talk to the about today, someday they may be the soldier.

The 11th Hour: The Date Behind Veterans Dayby Claudine Zap
15 hours ago
452 Votes
While most know that Veterans Day honors those who have served in the military, the meaning behind its exact date (November 11) may not be so familiar. Here's the backstory:
Back in 1918, in the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, a stop to hostilities was declared, ending World War I. An armistice to cease the fighting on the Western Front was signed by the Allied powers and Germany.
President Woodrow Wilson immediately proclaimed the day "Armistice Day," kicking off the annual commemoration on November 11. But over the years, with veterans returning from World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became Veterans Day — a day reserved to honor veterans returning from all wars. But 11/11 still represented the end of the Great War in the public's mind, and the date stuck.
In 1921, unidentified dead from the war were buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., Westminster Abbey in London, and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The tradition to honor those killed in the war but never identified continues every year in the U.S. The ceremony is held at 11 a.m. at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.
Congress designated Veterans Day as a legal holiday in 1938, and since then, most Americans have come to know it as a day for store sales and parades. Yahoo! Searches on the holiday have already surged on the Web. People want to know "veterans day history," "veterans day closings," veterans day sales," and "veterans day free meals."

melts my heart

so this morning as dad and brother were heading out the door. beanie walked to dad and said " I love you dad, you make me happy!"

right before she went down for her nap she told me that I make her heart happy and that she loves me. AWWWWWWWW!

Nana '09

Yup, mom came down for a visit, this time for more then 3 days...and we weren't packing up a house and moving, she actually got to relax...well for the most part.

She came in the day we went to the Brad Paisley concert (which was awsome). It was hard to pick her up, then leave her with the kids, but it all worked out. They got some one on one nana time and we got a break.

Sunday we chilled. Monday I was on TV. i took mom to A Latte fun for the kids and I was asked about the prepaid college stuff, I guess I said all the right things cause I was on tv that night. But the better part of the say was spent watching mom and the kids chase one another around the place. Oh my gosh ws that great. By the end of the day both mom and I were tired...but the kids had energy to spare.

We went shopping, hung out, had lunch (yeah, I miss lunch and dinner with mom) and in general just played with the kids. we even tried to get into the pool, all 73 degrees of it. Beanie was thrilled, mom tried to stay dry (yeah not with my kid) and I just avoided it all together. Than goodness Logan gets cold. Beanie...not a chance. She loved the water. She was shaking like a leaf and refused to leave the pool. Go figure.

Mom bought Logan a new pair of deck shoes ( so now he can dress like Uncle Tom, and sail like Uncle Ernie). That boy is proud of his new shoes. He didn't take them for for 10 minutes( for Scooter, that's a world record)

Beanie got some great new shirts that she couldb;t wait to wear...all in the same day. Michael and I both got some new shirts, which was nice, cause when we go clothes shopping we come home with clothes for the kids, not for us. Ah the life a parent!

all in all it was a great trip, short, but great. It would have been nice if mom could have stayed for a few more days, but the cat and the bunny we waiting for her to return.

Kids, pumpkins and the ac

So Logan went for his 18 month check up. All is well. he is 24 pounds (still in the 25th percentile) and not sure about his height, but I do remember that he is in the 50th %. So...taller than he is heavy. Can you say bean pole?
Both kids got their flu shot. Beanie took it really well. She didn't cry when the needle went in...she did cry when brother looked at her, go figure. Logan cried, but he got over it fast and moved on to getting is shoes on and getting out of there before more shots could be found.

This year we let the kids pick out their own pumpkins, though this year we had an extra set of hands. My mom was in town for the big event. It was awsome to have her there. She got to watch beanie try to pick up pumpkins that were twice as heavy as she is. That was awsome. Logan got into the spirit, but he only want to pick up the small pumpkins, like the ones that you make pumpkin pie with. It all worked out well. Yes, I have pictures, yes I will get those loaded as soon as i can. I know you're waiting...I'm on it!

Beanie even helped me design a pumpkin for the front door. We used push in ears, nose, hands, eyes and a hat to complete the look. Think of it as mr. potato head for pumpkins. They push in and since we're not carving them, they last way longer than normal (no, they do eventually go mowdy...don't ask, yes, that's spelled correctly.)

As for daycare, Beanie's teacher left unexpectedly, so after noticing that she was having a hard time adjusting, we pulled her out. Scooter is doing great and I adore his teachers, and so does he for that matter. He's singing, clapping and talking more everyday, though there are still things that I have no idea what he's saying, but it's still great to hear him talk.
I don't regret taking beanie out of school, it ws the best thing for her and she seems to love being home with me. We play, color, dance, sign, nap in mommys bed and in general, just hang out. When I drop Scooter off, she runs for the door, she can't wait to get out. Next week I'm hoping to take her to mods (museum of discovery and science) and the zoo. Oh what fun there is to be had!

As for the ac, after spending the night in a hotel (very nice and spacious) it's all better, for the moment. The breaker had been tripped beacause the ac is working harder than it can to keep the house cool. There were a few contacts that needed to be replaced, so having had those replaced, all is well for now. It's just nice to sit and not sweat.

hot hot hot

Yeah, I know, we live in Florida, what were we expecting?
it sucks. Our ac went out 2 days ago...yup, took us 2 days to figure it out...it was cooling down just enough to deal with the heat (when I say just enough...it went form 85 to 78 in the house).
So I called the ac warrenty company this morning to see if I could get them to come out and fix it, they said that it would be between 1pm and 5pm. it's now 4:30 and they called to say that the tech won't be here until atleast 6:30pm.

That won't do. Even the dog won't move. The cat is staying at the local spa for the next few days (and by spa I mean under our bed where I wish I could be because it's cool under there).

I take back all the mean things I said about the house being too cold or anything else bad I said about snow...I would take snow over this crap any day of the week. We are even talking about having to spend the night in a hotel because it's so hot. Even our 73 degree pool feels great.
(by normal standards, 73 is considered ice water by pool people in Florida...go figure. I sued to swim in that all summer long and it felt great.)
bottom line, be nice to the ac people...someday you will need them!

kids say the darndest things

so this morning on the way to walk the dogs at daycare, beanie in the back seat goes "kids are so silly". I just busted out laughing. Little girl, BIG sense of humor.

that's all!

insert scream here

So we closed on the house on thursday, it took longer than expected. not because of our end, just a new closer and the wire transfere took some time.
It's all good. So we now own a hosue again. It's in a quiet area with a park. Nice!
Then starts the screaming and running around.
I am now on a first name basis with the people at home depot. I live there most mornings. The kids rooms had to be painted. Then comes more screaming.
The window wall (wall with window) was black spotted under the wallpaper. So the wall had to come out. This took 2 days. Then it had to be primed and painted. I spent thrusday, friday, saturday sunday (monday I had friends over to play in the pool...it was a day off I needed) and today. After covering a lot of the outlets in the kids rooms, there is way more to be done than I thought. The closets have to be wiped down (very dusty and marked up, yes, they will be covered with white contact paper) the shelves need to be covered or lined, there are 3 deadbolts yet to be replaced. HOLY COW people. I'm over it.

and you ask "what does that mean?" that means that if i never set foot into another home depot it will be fine with me. Even the pool is having issues. It needs to be cleaned out and rebalanced. So the filter has been running non stop for 2 days. crap, can't wait to see that bill. But so has the AC. I want it to DIE! its 18 years old and on its last leg, I want to help push it over the edge! yay me, i have ambition and a goal!

anyway, there are some small things, like gett he paint off the floor (its in cans) vacuum (dust from replacing a wall) and start moving the small things out of the apt so that moving day will be faster and easier. One car load at a time.

it's ask the parents time

As some of you might know, we bought a 4 in 1 conversion crib/bed for both kids. i think we got both at Target, though at this point I'm not sure. Anyway, They are both simplicity...after looking ont he website for simplicity, I have found that they are "under construction". Yeah, you better be with all the recalls.

Anyway, since we didn't think that far in advance to get the conversion kit for both bed (to go from vrib to full bed you need the rails) I'm not sure what to do. I willbe putting a call into Simplicity when they open at 9am this morning, but I want to know what you did for your kid(s).
Did you buy one of the 4 in 1's?
did you buy a crib then a toddler bed?
how long do those last?
did you go from a crib to a twin or full?

I'm stuck. I want to get both kids a bed that they will be in for another 10 years or longer...same frame, different mattress. i hate that both beds will have to be donated because we can't get the conversion kit for them. I know right now Scooter isn't ready for the rail to come off, but beanie is and hers is gone. Now with moving into a new house with a bigger room, I want her to have more options as to where the bed can go. Why not do it now and get the bed thing out of the way, right?
Makes sense to me. What did you do?

The battle has been waged...the war is over

This morning we got the results of the second appraisal. The battle is over!
We close at the end of the month, if not sooner.

I am glad to be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel for the apartment. It woll be great for both kids to have thier own rooms and a kitchen to bake and cook in. There is a lot of things that have to be done...painting, cleaning, repairs...but it's all worth it and I can't wait!

beanie-isms

"daddy abc's...you can go now"
"mama you leave the light on for me?!"
"you no close the door..leave open"
"i go potty now please"
"light on...MOMMY LIGHT ON" the last part she screams because I aparently cannot get up fast enough to make her happy.

She will ask us to sign the itsy bitsy spider and half way through she will tell you to sing the abc's and if you try to finish the spider song...she will yell at you until you sing the abc's and viceversa. yes, there are times when we do the same thing to her and she laughs about it.

"victoria's turn" she loves to say this. That and everything is hers. I guess in her case the toddler rules apply EVERYWHERE!

"i go pay with bocks now!" she loves her wooden blocks and takes every oportunity to play with them. She has even started to put them away when she's done*.

*note: when SHE'S done, not scooter. he could still be playing and she'll pack them all up and put them away.

Things she likes to do:
walk around naked...or at the very least, without underwear.
cover us up with her blankets, then when your head is covered, she drops down on you and laughs...then just for fun, scooter comes down to join in the fun! Gotta love the kids!

Back to the light and the door thing for a moment. Do you know of a night light that the kids can play with and or move around the house at night and not destroy? if you do...speak up!

House Saga continues

Yesterday we got back a verbal on what the house was appriased at and the news was not good.
The house came back at $270...$15,000 less than what we offered for it. So now we are faced with a dilema...what to do
Here are the options:
walk away
come to the table at closing with the $15,000 (the bank will only loan you what the house is worth, you have to come up with the rest)
get the current owners to come down in price either to match the appraised value or so we have to bring less to the table.

We still have a few more days to figure this out. I know it sounds odd...why would we want to bring money to the table?...because we like this house and both of don't want to have to go looking for another house. It's a hard and long process just to get this far. There's inspections, walkthroughs, appraisals and hope with a lot of fingers crossed that nothing goes awry.

By Monday we should have a game plan...maybe...possibly...hopefully.

The Boy

Since I am picking up extra hours at Doggie Day care for the week, Scooter had ot go into day care.
Yeah, odd thing for me too. I have been kid free since monday...well, atleast the mornings are free. I got the laundry done, the dishes done, the kids clothes put away...all I need is another week of this and I can get a lot more done. Like paint colors for the house, new knobs for beanie's dresser, a hook set for both kids rooms and some other misc. things.

Downside to having him in daycare...they called today. he has a fever of 102. In daycare terms, that means come get your sick child out of here. Unfortunatly, the people that I would call to cover the rest of this shift are busy with thier new found freedom and their families, so I called the husband to go get the boy.

I love being able to work and to let him have some exposure to kids and teachers and whatnot, but gosh...it sucks when you get that phone call. it makes me miss being home with him. I hate getting that phone call and knowing that I maynot be able to leave to go get whichever child is sick and needs to go home. I'm not sure how all you working moms do it.

Can't we pass some kind of bill that says if your child is under a certain age you can stay at home and get paid for it? I mean you work 24/7/365 and you work holidays, weekends and through being sick...why not get paid?!

Pictures are posted!

I know that many of you have been waiting so patiently for the pictures of what I hope to be our new home by the end of September!

Enjoy!

The house journey

Some of you already know that we have not only sold our house, but moved into a 2 bedroom apartment. Well, as of yesterday, we have entered into a contract for another home.
It's 4 bedroom, ranch split design. By split i mean that 2 bedrooms are on one side of the house and 2 are on the other. So the way it's going ot be is the 2 kids on one side of the house and our room with the office on the other. There is a pool and NO hoa with a park one house over.
Thus our journey home begins.

Today was the house inspection, If any of you have ever been through one of these, they.are. a.w.f.u.l. There was a team of 2 nice men who went through this house with no holding back. They look at EVERYTHING and you just wait for the results. I was told that the house is in good condition, but there are a few things that need some attention. Yeah I know, there's always a but!

Airconditioner condenser will need to be replaced in the next year, the master bath jicuzzi tub pump needs to be replaced and there are a few tiles on the roof that have to be replaced ( all this with a storm out in the atlantic...no pressure to get that done!) All in all...not bad. Nothing we didn't know about...well except the condenser and the pump all is in good shape. He said that he liked the house and thought it was a great deal, he also wished he was in as good a shape as the hosue is for the age of the house. It was built in '95 i think.
So the next deal is the appraisal. and the countdown. We have 13 days left before we can "back out" without any penalty. I'm hoping it doesn't come to that. I like this house. It works for us.

So today I was finishing up a pair of knitted pants for snowflake (a build a bear) when I got the bug to make something else, that's when it hit me. The things I want are in storage in some box that I won;t see for atleast a month, if not longer. I knew that living in an apartment was going to be hard, but there are so many things that I miss on a daily basis. A kitchen. I miss a kitchen that I can bake in and cook in without moving things all over the place. Or knowing where everything is. Like toilet paper or spices or washcloths. I also miss scrapbooking and my books and my string and the kids toys and their books (baby books) and all their pictures and the crossstitches with their birth info on them. I miss having pictures up on the wall.
I did think about putting pictures up, bu why? I had no idea on how long we would be here. well, that and all the pictures i wanted to put up had already been put into storage.

Having said all that, there are a few things that I'm looking forward to in the new house:
one level to clean. That means no more up and down for laundry or cleaning. No more lugging the vacuum up and down. The kids will have bigger rooms to play in. I can;t wait to put a chalkboard in beanie's room, right on the wall. I mean, hey, she's gonna color on there anyway, why not give her a spot to do it in! right???
Oh and did I mention the park? right next door? and it's shaded. To some that's not a big deal, but here in where it's always sunny and hot, that's HUGE! Everytime we see the house, beanie wants to go play on the swings. It's awsome! She gets so excited about it. Last night we went to go take pictures and she asked if we were going home and I said that we were going to a house...when we got there, she let out a big sigh of relief and said "no, home!" I agree little girl and I can't wait to call it home either!!!

I snuggle with mommy

yup, this is beanie's favorite thing to say when she doesn't want to do something...and it doesn't matter who's asking!

Or "i go potty" so we take to the potty and...nothing. So back we go to where ever we are and when we get there..."I go potty" yup...you get it now. over and over and over again. If we're lucky, she goes atleast once, if not, we take her 5 times and she pees in the carseat on the way home.
In the meant ime, beanie is milking this "being sick" thing for all she can. She's all done. She finished her meds on friday and refuses to admit that she's back to her normal cranky brother beating up self...though I think scooter has figured it out. He tried to stay out of her way.

As for scooter, he's doing better, though he still walks around like he's drunk, but I guess that will pass when the meds are all done and his ear infection is gone. I give him a lot of credit. I watch him fall and get right back up and he's not afriad to go up, on, around or under anything that gets in his way, though he's not a graceful as beanie was, but still, he's a tough kid.

As for me, I can breath through my nose...for about 5 minutes, then everything gets back up again and I start the same process all over of trying to breath. and I've tried everything short of going to the Dr. I can honestly say that I'm tired of seeing doctors. Between the kids, Michael and myself I think i've seen enough of dr to last this life time and the next one. I guess that's why I like my ob/gyn. I see once a year now. Why can't all dr's be that simple. They give you all the things that you need to survive a year of sleeplessness, colds and other minor things and that's that! That would be noce, barring anything major going awry that is!

3 out of 4...bad week indeed

So...it all started sunday night around 10:45pm. We once again took beanie to the hospital. Trouble breathing and coughing. They diagnosed her with:
influenza a (aparently swine flu)
small case of bronchitis
toncilitis
common cold
Thus she was on 4 medications. That's a lot for a small child, but she took it like a champ. After going to to the pediatrician for a follow up, we got to throw out 2 f the 4 meds. Today...it's scooters turn. He was diagnosed with an ear infection in his right ear and amazingly enough, nothing else. What a tough little boy.
So today I'm sick, beanie is sick, scooter is feeling so so and the husband is so far healthy. oh and get this, after getting all the results from the pediatrician yesterday, I called our dr to see if I can get tested. They told me that they dont test for that. that i'd have to go the the E.R.. Yeah, 'cause that;s what I want to do...spend the night in the hospital just for them to tell me that I have the flu and to go home. Yeah, don;t think so people. So...it's time to find a new dr. this was the final straw for them anyway.
so for now, it's nap time all day with a few meals inbetween!

potty time

ok this is huge! beanie went potty at a restaurant not once, but twice! all.by.herself!!
she said she had to go and she went. could this be the end of diapers during the day for her???

we will have to see hows she does over the weekend!

Day at Daycare

Beanie, what did you do at daycare today?
Pony mommy, i rode a pony
what was the pony like?
pony????
yes, sweety was the pony big or small?
small
was the pony brown or white?
white
was the pony white or brown?
brown!
mommy, i want a pony!
sure honey, put it on your christmas wish list!

So Today beanie rode a pony at daycare, and that is all she could talk about at dinner. That is all she could talk about half way up the street to carvel (yup, we decided to put the kids in the wagon and walk!!!)
On the way home, she sang. She sang to me, to brother, to Michael, to the cars, to sandy (who was at home) to anyone who would listen. It was great!
Tonight, little girl, I hope you dream about ponies and your ride today!

Apartment life

It's official. We closed on the house on Friday. I got to meet the new owners, very interesting and sad. Afterwords, the father came over and shook my hand and thanked me and wished me all the best of luck in finding another home. That was very nice and very thoughtful.

Anyway, here we are, almost a month into living in the apartment and I have to say...not all that bad. Yeah I know mom...i used to complaine about living in an apartment, now...truely not all that bad.
The laundry gets done faster, there is less to clean up and way less bills to deal with. The only hard part, besides remembering where we live while driving home late at night...is that the dog has to wait to go out. It's a long elevator ride for poor Sandy, but she does a great job at it.

Michael and I were talking about how long we could do this...the apartment thing. I think we could hold out for atleast a year, maybe longer. There are a lot of good things to be said about living in apartments. Though I do think that when the kids get bigger we will have to have a house, otherwise they might kill eachother. Right now, beanie sleeps in their room and scooter sleeps in the pack n play in the livingroom, which is fine, unless you want to watch tv, then it makes it a little tougher. Scooter likes to stand and watch and sometimes even comment on the show your watching. If he likes it he's quiet, if not...dadadadada...than maybe a rasberry if it's really bad. Yup, 15 months old and he's got an opinion about tv, though his favorite thing about it is turning it off, esoecially if there's a song on he doesn't like (we listen to music when te kids are playing, they have a toddler channel with all the kids songs...the wheels on the bus go round and round all through the town...sorry got side tracked!)

Oh and grocery shopping is hard. Afterall, there's only so much room we have to put things. Right now we are busting at the seems, but I know we will get things thinned out and we will have more room for important things like cake and cookies and goldfish!

I know you're wondering about the house hunting...yeah, not so much right now. We are still talking about what we want and what's best for us and the family. I still want a ranch...but now we're thinking 4 bedrooms is plenty...especially if they're big. If the master is big enough, we can put Michael's desk and stuff in there or even my stuff...but again, nothing major in the works yet. I guess after moving into a 2/2 it makes you realize that bigger is not beter afterall!

new home

So here we are, almost a week into living in the apartment. I have to admit, though there are a lot of downsides, there are a few upsides, like the great pictures of beanie sleeping next to Scooter or the fact that I no longer have to go up and down to do laundry and cleaning is a breeze.
The other night we were going to make pasta for dinner, until I realized that all our pans and pots were still back at the house, along with all my oven mits. guess you need things like that to cook and bake, right?
Bright side...Beanie can now go to the bathroom all by herself. Yeah, I know, she could do that before the move, but here they are lower to the ground and I can wash the dishes and watch her all at the same time. It's kind of nice. Today she went potty twice...on the potty. Holly cow is that huge!
i have never been so happy for her, she's so proud of herself and she should be, it's a big accomplishment! Rock on beanie!!!

awwwww

So before I got all the pieces to put Scooters bed together, we had him sleeping in the pack n play. One night he was having a tough time sleeping...so beanie helped him feel safe!
She put his mattress that was up against the wall on the floor and got her blanket and went to bed next to him.
it's the little moments like this that make parenthood worth every tantrum and sleepless night!

house to apartment

So today we moved. We moved the bed, the dresser, the kids beds, their dressers and so on. It was hard, I'm not gonna lie. I thought it would be easy, afterall, we have a place to live...but it's way harder than I thought.
I drove by the house tonight to go walk some dogs and I cried. i cried because that house represented so much of our family.
That's the first one we bought. We get the dog in that house. It's the house that beanie came home to from the hospital and Logan. Beanie took her first steps, her first tumble, first of a lot of things and the same with Logan.
We faced 2 hurricanes in that house, controversy in the neighborhood, made some great freinds (that I hope we stay in touch with). There were also a few tears shed in that house. It's the house that we got the news of both my grandparents and Aunti Bobby.

I know it sounds weird, afterall, it's a house, the memories go with you, they're not left behind when you leave, but it's still hard. it's hard going from a 2 story house to a 2 bedroom apartment where the kids have to share a room and the tub/shower are smaller than our potty room in the house. I know that we will find a home that fits us and one that we will have many more firsts, like Scooter finally walking...alone for more than 3 steps and many more happy occasions with us and with our families.
I still miss our house. It will suck having to go back and clean and get the things that we couldn't bring today (it rained...alot) or things we forgot, like shampoo and soap and the toothbrushes, yeah I know, those are big things...especially in the morning. did I mention that I miss our house?
The kids are settling in alright. It was funny to watch them go to bed tonight. Beanie looked at Scooter like he was invading in her room...scooter? yeah, out cold. Rough day...playing and eating and pointing to where he thinks things should go ( good thing we didn't listen, everything would be in the bathroom and kitchen, including his sister!)
All in all, things went well and soon we will be settled in and back on a schedule!

Adventures at Seaworld

Thursday night we decided to go up to Orlando for a much needed break. Break from home, a break from moving and packing, I guess just a break in general.
It was nice. We got up around 9pm or so and the kids went right to sleep. Friday morning we headed out to Seaworld. Now, I have to admit, I had my doubts, to say the least. 2 small kids who cant do a whole lot of anything and a big park on a hot day, yeah, not looking so good for us!
It tiurned out to be great. Beanie had a wonderful time seeing all the animals and watching all the shows, including seeing Elmo and Shamu. Even Logan had a good time watching all the animals and saying Hi to everyone that passed by. Oh how that boy loves to say hello to everyone as does his sister. She will talk to anyone that walks by.

There were some amazing shows. Even I;m impressed by the fact that these people can ride a killer whale. I'd be scared to say the least, but they make it look easy. Saturday we walked around downtown Disney. Michael took it well, having to walk with me in and out of all the shops. His shinning moment was making a box for mylitle pony for beanie. The idea behind it is you get this box and whatever you can stuff into it and still have it close is yours for $9. it's awsome to say the least. So Michael got 3 ponys, a bed and numerous outfits into this box, even the person at checkout was impressed with all the things in there! You rock honey and you made beanie a very happy little girl.
Yes, we did get the chance to ride a coaster but I have to say that after going to magic mountain, these seemed ind of well, lame. Sorry Disney, but the other coasters are way better.
So for now its back to packing and planning (where everything will go ahead of time to make things easier) and cleaning. As much as i would like to leave this house "broom clean" I know I won'tt, it' just doesnt seem right. I want to make sure that this house is ready for the next family to move right in without having to clean. I hope when we buy the next house that that family does the same for us.

In the mean time, I loaded the pictures from our trip, I even got a few pictures of the kids in the dog cage, yeah, I don;t know what the fascination is either, but they both love to be in the cage. Poor Sandy can't figure out what the deal is with that!

The big move

Originaly we were going to move into a 5 bedroom house, but after lots of looking and talking and more looking and even more talking, we are moving into an apartment. To be specfic, the "original" apartment where Michael and I started dating, well, not the apartment, but the same complex.

I guess I should back up a bit. We sold our house. We put it on the market on a friday and sold it the following Monday. This thursday is the inspection, after that, it's just a waiting game for the final closeing day that is scheduled for July 21st.

It will be VERY hard to go from a 4 bedroom house to a 2 bedroom apartment. Are we crazy? yeah, most likely, but there is an upside.

Beanie can now go into school full time (scooter would, but he has to walk first)
We can travel a bit more
Look out Disney, here we come!
Sleep number bed...I've always wanted one, they say they are great to sleep on
savings...we can pile some serious cash away for a new house, college for the kids, retirement and misc. other things
NO HOA fees
No grass mowing fees
If something breaks, call maint. person
4 windows to board up during a hurricane (though I really hope we dont have any, that would be nice)
less to clean, by a long shot!
I finally have my laundry on one floor, downside, I have to go grocery shopping more often. I know, it's shoping and it gets me out of the house. Guess now I can get the wagon for the kids I've always wanted!

yes, we will be squished, the kids will have to share a room and for beanie, that should be interesting. (she likes to go in and say good morning to Scooter. now she can do it by just rolling over) upside, we will be close. It will be easier to hear the kids laughing first thing in the morning or last thing at night!

There are a lot of things that have to go into storage. Until we go somewhere with more room, my arts and crafts are going into storage along with Michael's desk and a few other things. Yes, there are a few things for the kids that will go into storage, like winter clothes and toys, but nothings that we can't to when we need to. So, beanie rest asured that bear and blanket will be there when you are ready to go to bed.

Husband father friend

I know that I bust my husbands chops, sometimes a little too much, but really, he's an awsome guy.
He went from being single, to owning a home, becoming a husband to a father of 1 to a father of 2 and being the sole provider for our family. I sit back in aw and wonder how he does it. From the late nights, to the early mornings with grueling days at work, throw in a cranky wife and 2 mobile and demanding kids and you get one super dad.
At the moment we are looking at buying a new home as we have outgrown our current one. I still sit in wonder. He can go to work all day, come home, play with the kids, put them to bed, have some personal time then go clean up the garage, move boxes and be in bed by midnight just to get up and do it all over again.
I can only imagine how hard it must be to know that your family depends on you, but he does it with a smile.

Michael went from a hands off dad to a dad that all the other parents watch, he's not afraid to make an ass of himself to make the kids laugh. Beanie looks up to him and can;t wait to see him eveyday. At night, when she hears a car door close, she runs to the door yelling "dads home, dad home!" even Scooter gets all excited, he crawls over the the door and yells "dadadadadadadadadada". He is their inside jungle gym, swing, musician and bed time story teller. I couldn't be more proud to call him husband, father and friend.

Happy Father's Day handsome!

Father's Day

To all the Fathers , this day is for you!

Thanks for being there willing to make a fool of yourself to make your kids laugh!

For spending time with your grandkids and even taking time to show them how to work the skill saw!

!

History of Father's Day

Searching for the Origin of Father's Day
by Mike Krumboltz


Searchers have a question they'd like answered: Who started Father's Day? Who do they have to thank for the mandatory bonding time they're spending with dear ol' dad this weekend? Lookups on "father's day origin" and "who started father's day" inspired us to investigate. The results of our research shook us to our very core.
OK, maybe not to our core, exactly. But the story of how Father's Day came to be is still pretty interesting. A blog from a Detroit church explains that most historians credit a woman named Sonora Smart Dodd with creating the holiday. Ms. Smart Dodd was "inspired by her father, a widower and Civil War veteran named William Jackson Smart." She wanted to do something to honor his memory while paying respect to all fathers.
Clearly she was a woman with a plan. Alas, not everybody agreed with her pleas to "give it up for the papas" (our words, not hers). In fact, Ms. Smart Dodd's proposal was often mocked when it first made the rounds. Folks felt it unnecessary. And the all-male United States Congress felt that having a holiday for fathers might look like they were trying to give themselves "a pat on the back."
Additionally, many just plain didn't want the holiday. An article from Inspiration Line explains that, according to an article in The Spokesman-Review, "one group of men conventioneers laughed and said they didn't want a Father's Day. A National Fishing Day would be better, they told her."
Though many scoffed, the holiday was eventually accepted. In 1910, the first local Father’s Day was held. It wasn’t until 1924 that President Calvin Coolidge "made it a national event." Then, in 1966, President Johnson signed a proclamation declaring the third Sunday of June as Father's Day. President Nixon made it law in 1972.
It's hard to imagine a time when the idea of Father's Day was mocked and dismissed as ridiculous. If it weren't for the tenacity of a grateful daughter, it may never have come to pass.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Matt and Brittany on their marriage!
This weekend there are a lot of things to be happy for and about. Brittany and Matt tied the knot, we found out that another family member is expecting thier first child, mom is in town ( well, she's been in town since wednesday night) and the above all biggest and most baffling...we are selling the house. We put the house on the market officially on friday. no, we have not made an offer on another house, yes we will be doing that when we get one on this house. yes, life will be stressful for awhile, but we'll see what happens.

Oh wait..I forgot some news... ( no, i can't believe I forgot this news...we were thrilled when we first found out, even beanie clapped and said yay and good job!) Aunt Sara and Uncle Sam bought a house. Their first house. Congratulations to them as well. It's a huge deal and we are very happy for them and can't wait to see it first hand! Welcome home guys!

Little Leaps

I know you're wondering what that means and yes...that's what it means!

pee pee...egg

yeah, you're gonna love this!
Tuesday night, beanie come to me and says "mommy potty". So I take her to the potty and she sits and she PEES. ON THE POTTY. Holy cow! i was so verly impressed that I gave her 3 hershy kisses and lots of claps and high fives and everything else I could think of. The later I was getting her ready for bed, she climbs into bed, so i go put Logan down. She comes to the gate (we have one at her door so she can't wander a night) and she again tells me that she has to potty. and AGAIN SHE PES ON THE POTTY. can yo tell i'm excited?
I have never been so overjoyed about the potty. She was so rpoud of herself. Even she seemed to be impressed at what she had accomplished!
Next thing on her list: bigger trains and more butterflies!

Hospitals

Wednesday night beanie came home coughing, nothing new, right? Yeah, that's what we thought. She was barking and having trouble talking and breathing. So I called the oncall pediatrician and she recommended a hot shower. Sure, that'sll work for her!

After the shower, the cough and the breathing issues all returned full force. So i call ed the on call pediatrician again, she said "go the the Er, this sounds bad"/ So off we go. Just beanie and I. I wanted to spend some time with her, just not this way.
We get to Palms West and get all check in. We get a bed in about 20 min or so and speak to the Dr of the night. She, has croup. So, they give her some xrays (so not fun, she cried and wanted mom the whole time...nice, but they needed to be done) and some steroids to help calm down the inflamation. It was a long night, we got home at 2:30am. She was seen by her normal pediatrician and all is well, She should be back up to full hellraising speed around Monday or so. For now, I'm enjoying all the snuggles and long naps with her. Even Logan is getting in on the action. When Beanie comes to snuggle, so does he, and to that Beanie promptly tells his "no brother, my mommy!" and that is that!

Gdiapers

So I heard about these diapers...go check out their website it's AMAZING
to say the least. These diapers "disolve" and are fully flushable. I know, I tried and yes,the diaper was dirty. So far so good. Easy to change easy to figure out. I bought the starter kit and so far...happiness.

The upside of these..one size padding to cart around for both kids. No more what size is this? nope, wrong size. best part, flushable or biodegradable. You can use them as compost. Holy cow, does this mean no more diaper smell in the house? no more diaper pal changes? no more diaper pals period?
had I known about these things 2 years ago...life would have been even better than it is today.
Too bad other things can be so easily discarded!

Gdiapers

Rainy days lots of memories

Last week I had family come into Orlando (it's about 2 1/2 hours away from us) So I took them up of their offer to come up and see them while they were here on vacation.

It was a long drive with both kids (hey, if I can do an airplane then the car should be easier, right?) It rained the whole way up there and the whole way back, but I couldn't imagine not making the trip. I got to see Aunt Nancy and her 2 girls, Olivia and Rachel and her son with his wife, Grant and Shauna and her husband, Dave with his 2 parents. It was awsome, though I do feel bad for them, they were here from Indiana and it rained most of their vacation. Made it hard to boast about how great it is here with all the rain!

They...took a gloomy day and had some fun!


I know you can't see it, but it is raining in this picture. I was holding Logan watching Beanie get closer and closer to the edge of the pool, so I asked her if she wanted to go in...and she said yes! So I wwalked her over to Aunt Nancy who was kind enough to take her into the pool and let her play with Grant, Shauna, Olivia and Rachel. It was awsome to see everyone having such a great time despite the weather.


We were invited to dinner...steak..I had a very hard time passing it up, but the kids were tired and I had a long drive ahead of me. It was a short day, but I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Flowers, water, family and friends

Rochester. For me, home. For the kids...Nana 24 hours a day 11 days straight. For Michael, Movies with his wife without worrying about the kids.
It was a great trip to say the least.

I flew in early to suprise mom on her birthday with Logan, that was a great start to our trip. Michael and beanie came up later that night to join us. We spent the first day at home relaxing, then mom went to work thursday and friday. Saturday marked the start of the Lilac festival. For those of you that were there...you will understand this. It rained...it rained and rained and downpoured. We got S.O.A.K.E.D. to say the least. The only one to come home dry was scooter. He was covered up by a towel. must be nice little boy.
Sunday we went to Sonnenberg gardens, though we only went for the wine. This time, one of us will ahve to write down what kind it is and where we can get it. It's a long drive for 3 bottles of oh so amazing bottles of wine. Sunday night Michael and I went up to Niagara falls. that was awsome. Mom said we could stay another night, i still think that beanie had her tied up with the bubble machine pointed at her glasses.
While we were there, I got to spend time with family, dinner with an Uncle, breakfast with the other Uncle and Aunt, cousins who ran my children ragged in the short time that they were visiting That was the best part. watching my kids with the rest of our family. I even had a cousin offer to kid sit. That's odd. I still think of her as a kid herself. Not old enough to drive OR watch my kids. but she is and I am very grateful that she offered. Brave girl!

Michael and I got to see 2 movies. Wolverene and Angels and Demonds. Mom and I saw Star Treck and Jenna and I watched her brandnew dvd of Twilight. (I'm sorry if your not a fan...bad writing and all it's still a great escape from reality).

In between there were carriage rides, dancing, laughing, shopping (lots of shopping...we shopped until the kids dropped) the zoo and some great pizza from Pizza shack. Yes, we even spent a few hours roaming around wegmans (if you don;t know who they are...I'm sorry) I can;t wait for the day when they come down this far. Poor Publix they won't even have a fighting chance.

All in all it was a great trip. The next trip will be out to California, so for those of you out there, get your rest now while you can. My kids are headed your way and full of energy!

parents dream come true...

if only for a night.
tonight
we sleep under the stars
we sleep childless
we were questioned by a canadian boarder person
we sleep next to Niagara falls on the 11th floor of casino niagara

be jealous..i know I am and i'm the one that's here. What a way to end Mother's day. Thank you to my mom who bravely took our kids for the night and thank you to my husband who spontaniously took us up to Niagara falls for the night!

How was your mother's day?

mixed emotions

So tonight I went through all of beanies "younger" clothes. Her preemie and the 0-3 up to 18 months. Some I kept for memories, some I had to toss as they were too stained and some I am passing on to friends.

While I was going through them, I laughed, I cried...but mostly I cried. I cried because my little girl is growing up, I cried because she is turning into a fabulous toddler. i cried because never again will she be in those clothes. Learning to walk, talk, crawl, snuggle into me for an afternoon nap that lasted for hours.

When it was all said and done it was a great trip down memory. I kept a boxfull of clothes sonated 2 bags worth and sent 2 boxes up to Rochester with more to come as she grows out of more things.

i know that kids have to grow up, but why does it have to happen so fast?

way too funny

you just have to watch this...

scared mom

Now I know that many of you have heard about the swine flu going around, right? Well, if you have then you know that it's kind of scary. Especially if you have small kids or a newborn.

With us traveling to rochester next week, I called around to our pediatrician, walgreens, cvs and ending with Palms west hospital (they have a pediatric unit there). I found out that I am not being a crazy paranoid mom demanding that both Michael, myself and our kids wear a mask on both flight to and from Rochester. The nurse at Palms west had the same thought since she is heading to NY next week as well, though she is heading to the city, me...closer to Canada.

Am I scared? yes. Why? this thing gets into your lungs and there's nothing you can take to prevent it, no vaccine, no magic pill, nothing above soap, water, tissues and hand sanitizer...lots and lots of hand sanitizer.

Other than that, I am oh so looking forward to our trip to Rochester, to say the least.

Easter 2009

This year for Easter we decided to do an egg hunt for beanie. I got lucky and Michael took the kids saturday night to a friends house, who were also kinf enough to give her an egg hunt. Thank you for that!
So while they were out, i preped.

I put some beanie approved candy int he eggs and hid them. I also got the box ready to go that Nanna sent for Easter. Sunday morning, beanie did her first egg hunt at home. She got to chose between a duck or a bunny basket (yup, for those of you that know my child..and me, you know that she used one for the eggs, then took the other one for the rest of the day. brother was not allowed to have either.) She got the Duck forst, then grabbed the bunny later. And she was off!

She did a great job finding all the eggs, without a lot of help form mom (though I tried). Then we had eggs and toast for breakfast followed by some much needed nap time. I have posted some videos of the kids on Picasa. There is one of beanie telling me to get up. Too funny.

In case you may be wondering, no, we didn't get Scooter anything for Easter, afterall, we didn't get beanie anything last year, she was too small. This year she got bubbles, 2 baskets, candy and a fairy outfit to play in. Soon she will have to start looking for her basket through clues. Yup, I'm continuing the tradition that my mom had with me. With 2 kids, that should be fun to watch!

growing up and looking back

As we were playing with the kids tonight I realized that they will not have the same things that I did growing up. I remember playing "what's in the pocket?" with my uncle, it took me 20 years to figure out that when I got close enough, I got tickled. I fell for it every time.

I also remember going boating on the lake for many years. There was even one winter that I got to go ice boating. Scary, but way cool. So was boating. It was done without motors, but with sails. I even made it through a storm that rocked the boat to its sides, that's some scary stuff.

Then there were the crochet lessons, sewing lesson, cooking done from scratch and endless holidays with family. It was always great to watch how the fmaily changed form year to year. Christmas morning with mom, then off to the uncles house to open more gifts with the uncle, aunt and cousins. There was even an ice storm that I got to miss school, but got to spend some amazing quality time with family.

It's funny how things come around. I remember kicking my uncle and aunt out of bed when I would stay with them for a week during the summer so mom could get a break, then I would wake up and wonder where everyone went. I hated sleeping alone, not much has changed, i still hate sleeping alone. Victoria kicked me out of bed on one trip out to California, it was then that i realized how patient my uncles, aunts and my mom are.

I wonder what memories our children will have as they grow up and look back at these times. I hope that they are filled with love, happiness, laughter and most of all family. When we got married, I gained another wonderful family that welcomed me with open arms and lots of love. Just like my family, they are always there when I need guidence, like looking for that perfect dress to fit all occassions or guidence on life in general.

There are so many things that I got to experience growing up that I know our kids won't for whatever reason, I just hope that when they look back that their memories are as wonderful and full of family and love as mine are.

Today...

Today our little boy turns one. Today he is no longer considered an infant. 1 year ago today, Logan was born. He was born at 6:47am via emergency c-section. He weighed 4 pounds 4oz and was 17 inches long. He went from a small infant to a little boy with 6 teeth who can bable, pee on the potty, feed himself, cruise the furniture, crawl and pull himself up onto just about anything. .

I still remember the month he was in NICU. I spent my days playing with beanie, putting her to bed, then making the 20 min. drive to the hospital to spend a few precious hours with him. It was great, he slept, I slept, it was a match made in heaven! When he came home, I had to stop myself from going to the hospital late at night, thankfully he was always ready and willing to remind me that he was home and ready for some food. Logan is a great little boy. He takes his lumps from his sister (and gets his revenge in too, small but powerful and sneeky), never cries unless something is wrong and always has a big smile for anyone who walks by. Happy Birthday Logan Paige. We love you

Proud moments

Today is what hot. Hot enough that just walking to get the mail you have to shower. Yuck is an understatement. So I decided to take the kids to the mall so that they could play in the play area. Great idea.
There are 2 areas, one for the crawlers and babies and the other for the rest of the kids. While watching both Logan and beanie who are in their seperate areas.
There are big kids who come into the infant area and play...very dangerous to the little ones in there...aka my son. There were 2 moms who stopped the big kids and told them to leave. WOW! I have never seen other parents step in and take control of kids behaving badly. It made me proud to be a mom. i am usually the one who has to be the bad guy, not today!

Beanie, said hi to everyone she ran into...or that ran into her. She said hi, by and everything in between, she even sang her abc's to someone. That kid rocks. She can put her shoes on...the correct feet, tell you when she has poopies (but not go on the potty) she will even say thank you when you give her something when she asks for it. I don;t know what we did, but this kid is awsome. Scooter has some big shoes to fill as he gets older.

sounds around the house

Mama water
mom cup
mommy seepn
mommy where doggie?
mommy dada?
NO
NNNOOOOOOOOOOOO

waaaaaaaaaaaawaaaaaaawaaaaaa

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Mommy poopies (we've already discussed how dangerous these words can be)
mommy water?
mommy fish
ehehehehehehehehehehehehe

thus ends a day at the brugger household. I have to admit that with 2 kids, telemarketers don't call anymore. I miss them, someone to talk to...right up until they figure out I'm not intersted in what they have to sell me, then I get the pleasure of talking with the dial tone.

Logan now has 6 teeth. 4 on top (and all on the right) and 2 on the bottom. He is eating solid table food (fish beanie dropped, puffs and cherrios...when he can get them into his mouth faster than beanie can take them away). He is also being moved to a sippy cup, though he still has to lay down to be able to drink milk out of it. Guess it's time to teach him cup up! He is also crawling like a "normal" child. though he still loves to crawl army style, which is a kick to watch.

Beanie is talking more than ever, though when confronted by another person, she all of a sudden has nothing to say, not like me at all. She has also taken to a love hate relationship with her brother. She loves to push him down, sit on him, push him out of the house while he is in his highchair and he...well, he hates it.

Oh, did I mention that the boy climed up the stairs? yup, all by himself. ALONE. NO ADULT SUPERVISION. I was indisposed, came out...and couldn't find the boy ( no i didn't call 911 hysterical about it) I just walked around looking for him. Where did I find him, on the stairs about 3 steps up. HOLLY COW!

He can climb the stairs faster than beanie could at this age and has no fear about falling over, he thinks that part is funny. I think he's trying to escape much like the cat does when beanie is home on tuesdays and thursdays. I can't say I blame either one of them. She's a great kid, very loving and energetic (yeah, that's the word I'd go with) and like a sponge, but when she gets mad, watch out. Yeah I know, just like her mom...I get it. We're working with her about being nice...and me too. No more throwing things when there is no more chocolate to be found ANYWHERE in the house. After all, walgreens is open 24 hours and they do sell chocolate.

Oh, the potty training...going, but S.L.O.W. Beanie still refuses to sit on it, though she does enjoy putting it on her head...close kid, but wrong end. Logan, when he wants to. If there's nothing he needs to do and he gets put on it, he will claw and pull until he gets up. Otherwise, he just sits there happy, though feeding him goldfish helps too!

thus concludes the typical day at the brugger household...the Florida chapter.

2 words you dread hearing

Mommy poopies!
over and over again. i don't think that Michael and I could have gotten up any faster today.

After going to a wedding last night, we were very tired. So we got up, had breakfast and by noon we were all ready for a nap, or so we thought. Scooter went down quickly, so did Michael and I...Beanie was another story. The dog got up and walked out of the room, so Michael got up to go see where she had gotten off to (she likes to eat EVERYTHING, she is after all, a beagle). I hear "mommy poopies" from the other room and I know that can't be good. I hear Michael yell for me...yup, bad.

I go in...she's standing there with her diaper in her hand and poop.all.over.the.floor. Beanie...covered in it. On her hands, her shirt her legs, the floor, her feet. gross. So Michael takes her into our shower to hose her off while I tackle her room.
Vacuum cleaner...check
antibacterial gloves...check
floor cleaner....what, no check? UH OH.

Our little green machine is missing a part that is vital to cleaning. It's the "duckbill" for the fill capture tank. So in other words, you can suck up dirty water all day long, just don't move the machine, cause as soon as you do, you will find all the dirty water you've just sucked up. UGH.

Bottom line, NEVER EVER leave beanie alone with a diaper she can take off. Yes, we have invested in the duck tape stock, cause we'll be buying plenty of it, that and shampoo and body wash.

Watch out Bissel...make sure your carpet cleaning solution is in full stock and ready to go...she's taking off her diaper and running wild!

Potty training or mommy training?

so, here we are about 2-3 weeks into trying to potty train BOTH kids. Logan, well, you give him a toy and he will sit there for hours. Beanie...yeah, she sits, she laughs, then goes running off, diaper be damned.

We have tried the "big girl" underwear, those, she thinks are funny. THe pull-ups, yeah, just easier to get off, diapers, ever easier to get off. Wednesday she was home, sick...or so we thought. She took a nap for 3 hours, when she got up I hear "mommy poopies" so I drop everything and go running to see her. She...has already taken off her diaper and pooped ont he floor, right next to the bed. YUCK. though she was very proud of herself for not doing it in her diaper. She greeted me at the gate nude.

Yesterday, she played outside with her brother at the water table that Grandpa and Nonni got her last year. Int he middl eof playing, she tells me she has to go poppy, so in we go. I set Scooter ont he potty and she joins him, only long enough to egt the diaper off and go back outside...with just a shirt on. Well, atlease if she went, it would be easy to clean up!

So far, the boy loves the potty, he cried, we stick him on it, he does what he needs to do, then off we go to play. Beanie...not a chance in the world, She won't even let me change her diaper anymore. So for the moment, it's all scooter. If Beanie sits on the potty, it's a good day. All in all, it's been great. If I had known how easy it was to try this at a younger age, I would have been all over it!!!

and yes, we are nuts for trying this with both kids! but oh so funny to watch, especially when beanie pushes scooter all over the floor while he's ON the potty. He, laughs the entire time and so does she! Go figure!

Potty training

Yeah, we are nuts. We/ I am trying to potty train BOTH kids. Yes, you read that right, both kids. I try first thing in the morning and last thing at night for Beanie on the days that she goes to school and all day with scooter.

On Monday 3-2-09, Logan peed and pooped on the potty all day long. I only had 1 dirty diaper to change for him all day. Can you imagine that? I couldn't. He even did a few other amazing things...he pulled himself up onto his feet, and he somewhat walked the couch. Holy Cow. The boy peed and pooped on his first day of trying and it had gome great since.

Beanie...little more trouble. She has no interest in sitting on the potty and when she does, she sits for a few moments, then gives up and goes to play with her toys. She likes to sit with her brother and she will sit fo ra longer time on the big potty, but I guess that's because she can't get up all by herself.

Oh the joys of potty training. so, tell me your stories of potty training...mom, not you, I know you have a lot of embarassing stories of me on the potty..and I'm sure there are some that not even I want to know about! ha ha ha
alright, go ahead, embarass me! come on, I know you want to!

Nana and Florida

A few weeks ago I was happy to welcome my mom to Florida. Though I have to say, that I love having her here, infact, I love having any family here.

We got to shop, go to the Zoo, dinner, walk and talk and hang out with the kids. The best part, I got to hang with my mom...everyday for a week...in somewhat warm weather. It was awsome.

***Ok, so weeks later, I remember what we did...we got to go to the fair, where we dragged Michael all over the place to look at jewlery, cd's for the kids and paintings. Mom found these great necklaces that were awsome together, but when you wore just one...not so impressive. I was even lucky enough to have mom buy a ring for me...thank you mom!

We tried to get Beanie to go on some kid rides, but she had no interest, she even hated watching me go one some of them, but boy did that feel good. I love rides, rickety and all!

We also had lunch down at City Place at Cheesecake factory. That was great. We had the octopus at one end and beanie at the other. yes, we had room for cheesecake, no we didn't share with Michael who was hard at work that day! We also took a trip down to Barnes and Noble. Mom bought some great books for the kids, like hop on pop, thanks mom...what a hard book to read and ofcourse, that's one of beanie's favorite books. GO figure!***

There were a few things that we didn't get to do...the Zoo and Lion Country Safari. Guess you'll have to come back down so we can go see the animals and walk with the animals, talk with the animals...sorry I couldn't resist.

I know that there are things from moms visit that I'm forgetting, you'll have to forgive me, I can;t remember what I did a few moments ago, trying to remember January is hard. I just know I got to see my mom and spend some time with her and watch her with the kids, that's the best part of all!

Final Flight

Barbara Romano Weber made her final flight to heaven early wednesday morning. She lost her fight to Ovarian Cancer.

Tuesday morning the family will gather to say a final farwell to a Beloved Daughter, Sister, Aunt, and Wife.

She was my hero in fighting cancer. No matter how bad things got, she always had a smile on her face and a few laughs to share.

you will be missed, Bobbi.

Baby Meme

I got this from One mom's journey blog...it was interesting, so I inturn am borrowing it from her. Thank you for sharing!

This for all you mothers out there about your firstborn. Just copy/paste and write a new note.

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED?
Yes. We made a list of the months it would be good to deliver.

2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME?
Yes.

3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS?
I was thrilled and scared out of my mind. (I'm still waiting for my mind to come back)

4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU?
No

5. HOW OLD WERE YOU?
26

6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT?
I was a work and kept falling asleep at my desk. I took the test and a light pink line showed up. I took the other one and same thing. I fell off the toilet seat. I was in shock. 2 years later and I'm still in shock.

7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST?
My co-worker. She was the closest and she wondered why i was pale and looking confused. Then I called Michael and then my OB.

8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX?
Yes

9. DUE DATE?
February 28, 2007

10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS?
No, but I did have a gallbladder that needed to go in the worst way.

11. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE?
Salsa and cheese and steak. I couldn't get enough meat. Even with the vitamins.

12. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST?
People who touched the belly without asking. Then the people that said "atleast you didn't gain a lot of weight" especially while I was in the hospital.

13. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD’S SEX?
Female

14. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING?
Originally. Both of my friends had boys and I knew that Michael wanted a boy, so yes. I was sad that it was a girl, then I went shopping and the rest is history.

15. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN?
None. Because of the gallbladder, I lost all my weight and then some. I weighed less than I did BEFORE I get pregnant. That didn't last long.

16. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER?
Yes. Then a month later she was delivered. Guess she really wanted to see all the gifts she got!

17. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW?
I knew. I planned it because of where I was traveling. Both to California and to NY.

18.DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY?
Yes. Kidney stones, highblood pressure, gallbladder, high cholesteral, liver issues and low weight.

19. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH?
Wellington Regional. By the time I delivered, I was on a first name basis with all the nurses.

20. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR?
Contractions? About 12 hours, but they were very small. I was given petocin(?) to make them stronger, but it never took. The next morning I was given an emergency c-section.

21. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL?
Michael. This was the second trip in, so I packed the laptop/movies/books and even stopped for lunch. Little did we know that this was the last trip and that by the end of the weekend we would be parents.

23. WAS IT VAGINAL OR C-SECTION?
C-section.

24. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN?
Yes, an epidural. it was great until it wore off, then not so much fun.

25. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH?
5 lbs, 5 oz.

26. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN?
January 7, 2007. 6 weeks early.

27. WHAT DID YOU NAME YOUR CHILD?
Victoria Ann. Victoria was the only name that we could agree on. We found the name after we found out she was a she. Ann came from Michael's mom's middle name. She passed in 2003. It was a way to honor his mother.

28. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRSTBORN TODAY?
2. and a wild child who loves to laugh and play and knows how to make people smile.

Short trip, lots of memories

We had to make an unscheduled trip out to California saturday afternoon, returning on Tuesday to go see a family member. All is well, in case you are wondering. I want to thank both Aunt Pam and Uncle John for letting us invade their home for a few days and to Nonni and Grandpa for cooking such a great dinner and for staying up saturday night to make sure we got the pack and play for the trip to the desert.

The kids are both doing great. Beanie is singing loud, proud and off key, but it's great to hear her nontheless. She can now sign her ABC's and a few other songs, though we still can't make some of them out. She is also putting things together. Like...Daddy, come here and mommy cup milk, please? it's amazing to watch her put things together. Logan is doing great. he may be walking before he crawls. He loves to be on his feet and moving. he loves to walk with people and even tried to balance himself to stand alone...10 months...are you kidding? can't you stay small for a little while longer?

and the say we have been waiting for...are you ready? no, I'm not pregnant and that's not funny. LOGAN IS SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT! cue chorus..aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

life is great and I can't wait to get back to California next week. There have been whispers of a farmer's market for beanie, pools and playgrounds and even some low hushes of roller coasters for Michael and I. I can't wait! see you all in a week!

This day is for Logan!

Happy Birthday from Disney!