What A Day!

Today started off with a bang........ waking up on the couch.
 L was sick all night: 104 fever, vomiting, head ache, chills, body aches. Fun, fun! She wanted to sleep in our bed, and since whomever was "sleeping" with her wasn't getting any sleep, Mike and I switched half way through the night. I'm still trying to figure out why I slept on the couch and not in Lola's comfy double bed!!?
After deciding not to rush her to the ER in the middle of the night, we did try our best to rush her to the Dr this morning. Her Dr was not in the office today because her own daughter is sick in the hospital, so we had to find a place to take her. We finally did, she was diagnosed with the flu, and now she is feeling better and on an antibiotic. I immediately panicked when she got sick worrying that we would not be traveling to Delaware for Christmas. Lord knows what the hell we would do in the caase. Santa's sleigh has already dropped off all of the kids presents to Delaware! How would we explain that one???

Our boat has been stuck in the lift all weekend, it would not lower into the water. The man who came to check it out started a fight with hubby. Mike pretty much threatened his life, the man left. Come to find out he's a well know dirt bag drunk. I hope her never sees that guy in public, God only knows what Mike would say (or do) to him!

Oh, and Mike caught S playing in the toilet today. The best part is that L had just gone to the bathroom...... and forgotten to flush. Yummm..... Good times!

The joys of having children!

After only a few hours of sleep for me and 2 hours tops for Mike, I think we are ready to call it a day. Now if we could just get our somewhat hyper, feeling better little girl to go to sleep!

It's been a while.....

I have completely fallen off of the blogging bandwagon. I went from daily posts to nothing for weeks. Hopefully I can get back on it, but with the holidays, and our normal everyday activities, it has been a bit crazy.

We had such a wonderful Thanksgiving with our family in town. I really miss seeing them every day so it was nice to get to spend so much time together. I look forward to many more visits from everyone!

We are still loving our new home. L and S are doing great and changing daily. S has discovered his voice recently. However, instead of making words, he just screams. At the top of his lungs. He screams when he's happy, mad, sad, wants something, playing, you name it.......It is driving us up a wall!!!! We are not exactly sure how to make him stop, so suggestions are welcome!

We had such a fun weekend with our new boat! Mike told me that having a boat was going to make living on the water so much better. I didn't really pay attention to him or his daily searches on Craigslist. Well, he finally found, "the one" and he was right. It is so much fun! Both of the kids love it. There are so many spots to beach the boat and islands to explore. It really never gets boring.

It is hard to believe that in 10 days we will be hopping on a plane for Delaware. Christmas is coming so quickly this year! I am so excited to see my Delaware friends and family. I feel like I have so much to squeeze into 10 days. I am pretty excited for Christmas, but I have to admit that I am most excited for the Carl's annual New Year's Eve party!!! It has been a while since I have gotten crazy with friends, and I plan to take full advantage. (I have even been practicing my jump through the leg move, haha)

Here are some pics from our time on the boat this weekend.....

L checking our our new ride

L's find on Shell Island

Sunset

Captain

The Mates

Boat dance party!

I had a proud mom moment when L's picture was in the paper. We attended Cookies and Milk with Santa. I finally got her to sit on Santa's lap!!!

Success!!!!

Happy Birthday to the Big Guy!

When S was born, his nickname quickly became "The Big Guy". He was always tiny so I'm not sure how it came about, but it has stuck. And now my Big Guy is quickly becoming a Big Guy!! He turned 1 yesterday. It was very bittersweet for me. I know he will be our last baby, and although I do not want another, it is still sad to think I will never have an infant again.

S was a high maintenance baby, and he still is at times. He cried a lot, and Mike and I found ourselves wishing for him to grow up so that he would just stop crying! Now I look back and can't believe how fast it went by. The sleepless nights and constant holding were torturous at the time (especially with an attention craving 2 year old), but now I think it wasn't so bad.

My sweet little boy holds a special place in my heart. There is something about a Mommy and her son. It is not that he is my favorite, but we have a different type of bond. I find myself babying him more then I did when L was an infant. When I pick him up and he lays his head on my shoulder, my heart melts and I wish I could press pause.

Happy Birthday Big Guy, I love you so much!!!!

Here are some pictures of S over the past year......

Facebook Rehab

This morning, Mike was giving me a hard time (as usual) about being on Facebook way too much. So, we decided I was going to give it up for 24 hours. I have not checked Facebook at all today and I haven't really missed it. This was probably a good thing for me because I have to admit, there are days where I am a complete addict. Wake up, feed the kids, Facebook, take L to school, Facebook at the red lights, get home and make coffee, Facebook........you get the idea. And when Facebook gets boring, Pinterest is just as captivating. And then there is my new obsession, Hauzz.com. Technology rehab is definitely in order for me. So, if I have missed any exciting Facebook news today...please be sure to fill me in.

On this night exactly one year ago I was in the hospital getting ready to give birth to my baby boy. It was such a whirlwind of a night. I started having contractions around 6 pm in Walmart (yes, Walmart) and he was born 6 hours later. Mike and my 2 sisters were there with me in the hospital. I will never forget that night and it is so hard to believe that it has already been a year!! Tomorrow he will be 1! People always say "they grow up way too fast" and you never really get it until you have children of your own.

Tonight I was sitting on the floor playing with S when L came over to us. She gave me her best snotty girl look and asked me "Where'd you get your shoes, a garage sale?" It was quite hysterical. I don't know where she gets half the things she says!!!

p.s. I do not have to log into Facebook in order to post my blog on there. Just in case you are wondering if I caved.......

Home Sweet Home

I'm so glad to be back in FL with my kiddos and hubby. It is amazing how much the kids can change in the short time I was gone. I was away for less then 48 hours, and when I get back L is reciting the continents (at age 3!!) and S is climbing up onto the couch and jumping off like an animal!

Now we are counting down less then a week until my family gets here!! We are so excited!!!!!! L can not wait to play with her cousins!

We had a great time playing outside today. Here are some pics.....

Whirlwind Trip to Delaware

I am sitting in the Charlotte, NC airport enjoying a blue moon and a burger before my flight home. Perfect hangover meal! What a whirlwind trip! I arrived in Philly last night at 7 pm after riding two airplanes. Once I completed my superman quick change in the airport bathroom, it was into the town car headed to Wilmington. The reason for my trip north was to support my Mom and Doug's new organization, Foundation 11. 11-11-11 was to be their first fundraising event supporting Be Positive, an organization dedicated to raising funds for childhood cancer. When I learned about the event, I decided right away that I wanted to attend and be a part of the night. I also decided I wanted my attendance to be a surprise. After much planning and many secrets I was able to completely surprise my mom! The event was great! I had a blast, saw so many of my friends, and supported a great cause! Through the generosity of those who attended, Foundation 11 was able to raise a lot of money towards children with cancer. It definitely made my 7 hour travels, two days in a row, worth while. After all, the look on my moms face was priceless!!!

Even though I had so much fun, I am sooo excited to get home to Marco Island and my 3 loves waiting for me!!!!

In loving memory....

Next week marks the anniversary of my Nanny's death. This past July marked the one year anniversary of my Poppop's death. I still have such a hard time believing that they are gone. I often forget. They both have been on my mind a lot today since I woke up. Just thinking of the 2 of them brings a big smile to my face. Some of the happiest memories I have as a child are at their house. It was always a bright, warm, happy place. I always felt so welcome there. The sounds of Nanny ironing as she whistled along to her radio playing, or baking in the ktichen and Poppop either watching tv in his den or sitting at the kitchen table doing his "paperwork." I loved having sleepover's at their house complete with the bed time ice cream cone and made from scratch waffles for breakfast.

I know Nanny and Poppop watch over us every day. There are so may things that remind me of them every day. Every time I look into my children's big eyes, I see my Nanny.

Love and miss them every day!

Day 4

Has anyone seen my sweet baby girl? Cause I haven't seen her in about 6months. She's ran away and left me with a sassy, dis-obeying, cursing, (yes, she told me her damn feet hurt yesterday) disagreeable 3 year old! Today we argued over what she was going to wear to school. Apparently the dress I picked out (because she MUST wear a dress every day) did not spin big enough and just wasn't "gorgeous"!!! So, we settled on a pretty purple sweater dress. OY, that girl....I sure hope she's getting it out of her system at 3, because I can't even imagine what 16 is going to be like!!!

It's a good thing she is so darn cute, and man can she be sweet when she wants to be!! I guess this is a payback for being so mean to my Mom and Dad all those years.

Day 3

I am completely exhausted, but in keeping with my daily goal, I won't disappoint you. I know you're just dying to know what I have to say :)

It was cardio day at boot camp this evening, I haven't done cardio in a couple months so I'm ready to drop. Plus I walked a while this morning and when I got back this evening, the family wanted to go on another walk. Between Lola riding her scooter, Sebastian (or teen wolf as I call him) trying to surf the wagon and throwing everything out of it every 10 seconds, it was a slow, non-relaxing evening stroll. I'm sure the pumpkin mushroom soup I made and the pumpkin beer I drank negated all the effects of my workout. But yummmm, it was worth it!

If you want a great Fall recipe, you must try pumpkin mushroom soup, courtesy of the Back Burner in Hockessin, DE. My recipe tastes just like their version!!!

Off to bed!

Day 2

November 2nd: Still attempting to post every day. I wrote this yesterday but forgot to post. OK, that's a complete lie, I forgot. Great start to the month.
We are very excited and shocked because we saw a home under foreclosure last week and decided to put an offer in on it. The offer was rejected, however, yesterday morning they called and told us that the sellers have decided to accept it! Because it is a short sale, the bank has to approve it as well, so we are now awaiting their decision. The house is awesome, much more then we thought we would be able to afford. We have walked or driven by it several times just to look at it. I will be a little disappointed if it does not work out, but what's meant to be will be. We certainly were not planning to buy a home this soon if at all. I'll post pics of the house once we get word that it is ours!

November 2nd also marked the 2 week countdown until S turns 1! I can not believe it!!! This past year flew by. It is so funny the differences between S and L at this age. L had a full vocabulary but did not walk until right on her 1st birthday. S doesn't say a word (well, I have to give him some credit, he says Dada and ball), but has been walking since 10 months. We are lucky to have family in town to help celebrate his birthday. I am planning a whale themed party for the big day! I'm a bit sad that our usual party guests will not be there, but it will be fun nonetheless!!!

Happy NoBloPoMo

So I just read that this month is NoBloPoMO month. Have you ever heard of it?  Me niether. I saw it posted by a Facebook friend, so I googled it. Basically it means that I am supposed to post a new entry to my blog every month for a day. I am not doing so well with my blog so far. I have a hard time thinking of exciting and interesting things to write about. So, this is my initial entry in my attempt at daily posts for 30 days. November promises to be an exciting month around here, so hopefully I will have a lot to pass along. So buckle up folks, I hope to be a riveting part of your daily routine this month!!!

Until tomorrow:

My adorable kiddos heading out to Trick or Treat

A much needed lunch date

Today I had a lunch date with my husband. 2 hours of uninterrupted conversation and a hot meal that I could eat as soon as it arrived WITHOUT KIDS!!! There was no whining, cutting up food, picking up toys, coloring or trips to the potty. We finally found a very nice, trustworthy babysitter. Only problem is that she has a job, so her availability is pretty sporadic. Whatever, at this point I will take what I can get!

My children are wonderful, little angels, the loves of my life. I love them more then life itself.  However, lately, they have been driving me CRAZY!!! Absolutely, positively, push me off a f**king bridge, crazy. L is in school for the quickest 4 hours of my day. Sounds harsh, I know, but every once in a while I think every parent wants to sell there children.....or give them away. If you don't ever feel this way, then YOU are crazy! Parents who never complain about their children just are not normal. In fact, they get on my damn nerves. You love your children, we now, they're so great, blah, blah, blah.....but it is quite ok to rant about what little a**holes they are once in a while. Everyone knows you really don't mean it, you're just venting.

Thanks for a wonderful lunch date, honey!

And, let me reiterate the love I have for my children. Please don't read this and think that I am a horrible mom. 

And if my children read this 10 years from now, I love you very much!! You are my world! But boy do you drive me bananas!!!!! xo- Mommy

Foundation 11

Those of you that had the honor of knowing my Nanny and Poppop know what loving, generous people they were. Avid philanthropists, always willing to lend a helping hand. One of their charitable efforts was through their foundation The John and Edna Mae Marta Foundation. Since their passing, my Mom has decided to carry on their kindness through this foundation. Renamed Foundation 11, this organization is:  a network for charitable causes and a channel of support that empowers organizations and individuals in the art of giving.


As their kick-off event, Foundation 11 will be holding a fund-raiser to benefit the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to helping children living with cancer. B+ Website 


Please visit the Foundation 11 website to learn more about the organization and this exciting event. Tickets only cost a small donation of $11 to attend the event. 


I hope many of you will support this cause and join my family for a fun night!! (wish I could be there!!)


Check out and become a fan of the Foundation 11 Facebook page as well!

Rainy Days

This weekend has been "cool" by South Florida standards. It has been so nice to walk outside and not break out into a sweat! I was actually cold on our morning walk.

It is pouring rain right now. I kind of like it, though, because it is probably the closest I will get to those cool crisp Fall days that we had in Delaware. I know, I know.....cry me a river, right???

Mike decided to go out fishing today. He left around 11 this morning. L and I wanted to make cookies but we were out of eggs. So, we decided to go to the grocery store. So, I dressed the kids, got them packed up into the car and headed to Publix. At about this time the wind had picked up and the sky was dark. "We better hurry up so we don't get wet" was what I was thinking. We made it in the store dry, and as we were walking out of the store, the sky opened up. Damn it!! We ran to the car, I put them in their seats, unloaded the freakin groceries, returned the damn cart, and then returned to the car to buckle them in. Now I officially looked like a drowned rat! When we got back, I ran in to ask Mike for help, but he wasn't home yet. Damn it again!!! Once we were inside and settled, here came Mike paddling up the canal towards home. Soaked!!! He hurried up to the door towards us and asked if we were ok!! "Yea, why?" He thought for sure that I would be pacing back and forth worry to death about him being caught in the storm. Ummm.....no.......whoops! Sorry, honey! I guess I won't complain to you about getting wet in the store parking lot!

He did end up in a sketchy situation being in the middle of the bay during a heavy storm in a little kayak. But he is home safe now! Well, he is safely holed up in the local brewery right now! I'm meeting him there when the baby wakes.

Today is S's 11 month birthday! I can't believe it!!! It seems like just yesterday he looked like this.......

My sweet little boy...1 day old

Yesterday was a very special day for my dear, dear friend who gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. I am so excited for them! Having 2 kids is the most exhausting, rewarding, special, frustrating and wonderful thing in the whole world. Congratulations on their growing family!! 

There are times when I lose my mind completely and think that maybe I want another baby. Then I get smacked in the face by a ball and yelled at to "press play"!! 

What's been going on....

It's been a while since I've written. We have been super busy, which I guess is a good thing. L is in school every day until 12. It has been really hard because she cries every morning when we drop her off. I know she is fine once I leave, but it has been really tough on me. She is always really happy when I pick her up, so I think she is really just putting on a show for us!

L has been going through an interesting phase lately. Let's just say her listening skills aren't the keenest. She acts up every day at nap and bed time (because it's a big shocker that we sleep and we haven't been napping or going to bed EVERY night for the past 3 1/2 years!!!) and has been coming in our room at night. When we don't let her in our bed, she often sleeps on the rug outside our door! Oy this girl is driving us crazy!!!!

Picture day at school. Don't let the cute face fool you.....ooooh the attitude!

S is walking like crazy and been a really good boy! Most of the time. He can be moody but has really gotten into a routine and is a happy boy. He will be 11 months old in 4 days! Which means he will be 1 in just a little over a month!!! I can't believe it! Where did this year go??? I wish I was planning one of my famous birthday bashes for his 1st birthday, but since we don't know many people, it is just a small party this year, Luckily my family will be in town to help us celebrate!! We are having a whale themed party! We are so excited to see everyone!

The big guy....he is such a brute!!!

It seems like there is always something going on here on the Island. This past weekend there was a carnival. The kids had a great time and it was nice for us to meet some local people. We saw a lot of families from L's school so it was nice to meet them. This weekend there is a pumpkin festival, there is a halloween festival next weekend and a music festival the following weekend! Seems like there is always so much to do!

Mike has been fishing a lot and bringing home dinner! He and L love to fish off of the dock. Lola fell in last weekend while fishing!! I have to say it was quite hilarious! I missed the actual fall, but Mike and Lola showed up at the back door soaking wet and I just had to laugh imagining the entire scenario. Lola fell backwards into the water, and luckily swam right up to the top. Mike jumped in after her but was unable to pull them up onto the dock. He had to swim with L on his back around to the ladder and climb out. Once they got to the ladder, he realized that she had never dropped her fishing pole! Apparently L was screaming and he was calling for me the whole time. Jonnie and I were busy watching tv and didn't hear, but had to laugh hysterically when Mike told us! L did great though!

I'll try to write again tomorrow, because I am tired!!!

UNTIL NEXT TIME.....Good night!

-M

A perfect Friday evening

This afternoon we walked to the beach and spent the evening there playing, having a couple cocktails from the beach bar and watching the sunset. The weather was perfect and we had a great evening. Here are some pics....