We have time for fun too.

We aren't just working on the house all the time around here. 



We have time for stretches and a few workouts in Mommy's shoes.



We have time to draw on our face.



We have time to sort paperclips...the new favorite game.



And we have time to watch some Elmo - our new best friend.

Haylie is getting to be more fun every day.  She went to her friend Brixton's house and fell in love with "Melmo" last week.  I went and got her one at a consignment sale (the next day, whew) and she loves him!!  This is the first time she has shown an attachment to something other than her bears (which, I lost one the same day we got Elmo.  So far, she hasn't noticed.  Again, whew.)  She repeats everything you say and can recognize 21 of the 26 alphabet letters.  If she is starts to get upset, she goes through her list of names - Mommy, Daddy, Mimi, Umpy...I guess to see who is around to come hug her. And never fear, if she hears a phone ring, chime, ding, etc., she immediately calls out, "I'll get it!!"

What I will be doing tomorrow.

  

 

Dusting.  And hopefully removing the toilet from my front porch.

I was embarrassed when people came over.

Because my porch is in need of a makeover.  And I love me a good makeover.  So, my mom found this bench at a garage sale for like, $10 a year ago.  I spray painted it black and found these...pillows...on clearance at Lowe's.  They didn't fit, but I kept them anyway.  The bottom pillow was flimsy and you felt like you were about to fall through.  So...off to the fabric store I went.

Pathetic.  I know.

After spending a bit more than I expected (do you know how much FOAM costs????) I finally set to work.  I stayed up way too late and even gave up a nap.  Now, I can use a staple gun but a sewing machine?  We have had some fights in the past. 

So after a few hours and thankfully not having to figure out how to "wind a bobbin", I put together these pillows!!  Just don't look too close at the hand stitching - it's terrible.  Looks much better, yes??

I LOVE IT!!! Now that you don't fall through the bottom when sitting on our bench, I feel much better.  Now to work on my door wreath and other corner of the porch.  I might just have to wait for when it's less than 100 degrees out. 

Memory Lane

My 10-year reunion from high school is this weekend.
 

I can't believe I've been out of H.S. for 10 years.  I can't believe I've been married for (almost) 5...I have been a mother for 2...and that I will have TWO kids in less than another year.

What?!

It seems surreal that 10 years ago, I was walking in the hallways with my BFF's, thinking about prom, going to band practice (yes, I just admitted that on the internet), discussing boys and how dumb/great they were, wondering about college and basically not realizing that the next chapter of our lives would take us in so many directions.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to go back to PA for the reunion.  Time and money are a factor, but I'm unsure whether I want to go back. Would they remember my bomb of a year as Sophomore Class President, I actually was in band, that I loved algebra but almost flunked out of geometry, that I passed out after my social studies final exam due to period cramps in the hallway, had a major issue with bad bangs/haircuts, braces, glasses & sweaty armpits, and was is a really big dork?

It really doesn't matter if they did.  All of those things made me who I am today, which I am slowly accepting. :)

Yes, I definitely would LOVE to see a handful of people who really helped shape me and my personality.  But there will be a time for that later.  At least I hope so.

As a momento of my life in Pennsylvania, here is the house where I lived for eight years.  I loved this house, the yard, the friends who came over, the fact that my best friend Mikey lived across the way within walking distance.  Except imagine it wasn't an ugly yellow.  It was gray with red trim.

Thanks PA for (mostly) great memories.  I miss you.

Dave, my Hero

It's that time of year again, people.  Dave Ramsey is set to gazelle into our Sunday afternoons for the next 13 weeks.  I love this time of year.  I love getting to be reminded that I can help control the money that is coming in instead of letting it control me.  I know that we have a plan for any emergency - big or small - and that Haylie's college is on it's way to being saved for.  I love, Love, LOVE that we have no debt (minus the house) and haven't for a couple of years now.  Financially, we live a pretty peaceful life.  And you can too, if you are open to some tips from a pretty funny financial expert.  Trust me, it's not all fun and games and anyone who tells you that is crazy.  There are times when we have to say no instead of yes or eat at home instead of out with friends.   Don't let the phrase "13 weeks" scare you.  It will honestly change your life.  For more info & to sign up for the class, go to http://www.mrcc.org/.

Da Hood...and Da Floor

Now you see it...

Now you don't!!

Some people were a fan of this vent hood, I however, was not.  It was right in your face and you had to do a dance around the kitchen when talking with others.  Justin and I decided Saturday that there are some projects around the house that NEED to get done before baby #2 comes and to kick-start those...down comes the hood!  It just took a short hour of (Justin's) time.

Then today we decided it was time to remove the lovely peel and stick floor. I have had an issue with this floor since we moved in.  Some of the "tiles" were just floating on top of the concrete and were SUCH a pain to try to clean.

GONE!!!!!  We will actually have to live with the concrete floor for a little while until we get some other things demo-ed, but you know, I really don't mind.  It looks better already. :)

Justin is awesome - he worked on this floor ALL day.  I helped take up the tiles (they literally popped up - so easy) but there was a residue on the floor.  Since he was using some pretty potent chemicals, I had to go in the other room and nap.  But later, Haylie and I actually left because of some other chemicals that were much stronger.  It stinks not being able to be in your own house, but this is totally worth it.  More to come, I'm sure!

Party Time

This messy-haired girl...

 wants to wish her favorite cousin-named-Eli a happy 5th birthday!!!

Today we celebrated in Robot Style (per Eli's choice).  Once again, my sister was very creative and had the cutest decorations!





I think he liked his robot t-shirt!

 

Delicious robot cake



Party favors!



Eli also wanted a pinata...

So he got one!

We had a really good time at my sister's in-laws house even though I dropped my whole glass of lemonade, Haylie burned her feet, we got pizza all over her tablecloth and just basically destroyed their house in every way imaginable.  We might not get an invite back...

But thanks for inviting us - we had a great time.  Happy 5th birthday sweet Eli!!

My kid is a genius

20 months and already counting (still working on 8) to 10!!

Souvenirs

So I didn't mention that for an awesome souvenir from the beach, I caught a nasty coughing virus on the second to last day.  This made my last beach day almost non-existent while I slept (or tried to) the day away.  With being pregnant, I can't take much medicine and all I really wanted to do was chug some alcohol-included cough syrup to make me sleep.  But since my baby's health is at stake, I thoughtfully put the NyQuil back and got the recommended syrup.

Today I had an appointment with my OB.  Justin wasn't able to make it and I couldn't find a babysitter, so I hyped myself up and thought I could totally take energy-crazed Haylie with me - no problem.  This is something I will never do again.  Every stop on the elevator made for a quick escape, she had about 3 tantrums in the first waiting room, walked into the glass center table in the second waiting room, wouldn't stop crying after that (not even my awesome singing helped!!  What?!), was so enamored with the light that looks you know where, the Hazardous cabinet was her second fascination, decided she didn't want to be put down...I could go on.  Needless to say, with my virus, lack of patience and my daughter who desperately wanted a nap, I'm not thinking we will be attempting any solo doctors visits again. 

But, the visit ended well when my beautiful, wonderful, favorite doctor prescribed me some cough syrup with codeine in it to help me sleep tonight.  Yes, that went wonderfully well.

At the Beach

Missed me? We just got back from a glorious week at the beach with Justin's family. We went to Topsail Island, NC (google it because even if I tried to tell you where it was, you wouldn't know) and spent time on the beach, shopping, laughing, running away from creepy crabs, and just being ultimately lazy. It was Haylie's first time to fly in an airplane, first time at the ocean, first time to be away from home for a whole week. She did really good - minus the airplane. She actually was so excited that she was like a kid in a candy store touching everything in a matter of 20 minutes and then repeating throughout the whole 3 hour flight. Even though she is under 2, I really wished we would have gotten her her own seat. She was EVERYWHERE and hard to contain. Oh well, we survived but probably won't be flying anywhere anytime soon!

The Berkely/Cornell Family

Mommy and Haylie entertaining ourselves on the flight

Our home away from home - we rented both sides!

Fun times on the beach with cousins and Daddy

That raft was our lifesaver with H!

Love Italian Ice on the beach

Kisses

Papa and Gma with grandkids!

Goofy brothers

SUCH a great week...I really love this tradition and look forward to many more years with the fam.  For more fun photos of our trip, check out Brei's blog...and then leave her a comment and tell her to start a photography business because her pictures are amazing.