Monday, June 30, 2008

So thankful!


Saturday night Andrew went to a baseball game with his dad and I was left alone with Caroline while she slept, which I must admit I was sort of happy about. haha Not because I don't LOVE spending time with my hubby (you know it's true!) but because I wanted to work on my essay for the Real Simple essay contest and well, he distracts me.  

So, Caroline had been asleep for about an hour and a half and I was perfectly content typing away on my laptop, when the power started flickering.  I honestly didn't even notice that there was a storm going on outside.  The power flickered on and off three times and then went off for good.  I lit candles and tried not to be scared that my hubby was still in DC and that there was a severe thunderstorm happening outside.  Well, the hubby made it home safely and I finished the rough draft of my essay by candle light.  I felt like Jo March.  :-)  

The power came back on around 11pm and we went to bed shortly after.  

Sunday morning when we finally ventured out, we were shocked to see a frightful sight only ONE block from my house...  TWO trees down on the row of townhouses next to ours.   Those trees fell right on the front bedroom of the houses, where my little one sleeps.  I had a moment of intense thankfulness that our God was watching over us!  

Here's the first house...


And here's the second...

How devastating.  We have many trees in front of our house only steps away from this one. I know it could have been worse, but I can't even imagine a tree falling on my daughter's bedroom.  wow  I don't even want to have to think about it.  But we are blessed... our little girl slept soundly through the storm and was protected through the night.  
LOVE HER! 


Only two more days until we go to see my parents for the 4th of July weekend!  I CAN'T WAIT! 

Today is laundry day.  boo  I loath laundry.  ;-)  



Friday, June 27, 2008

Check one off


My list is getting shorter, as my latest task of painting the bathroom has come to a close.  It's amazing what one can accomplish when the internet is down for a couple of days.  But let me tell you, I'd paint three bedrooms before I'd paint another bathroom.  It was hell!  

I must share with you the ugly cave that we lived with for a long while before our beautiful new bathroom.  Unfortunately, I did not take a proper before picture.  This is a long time before picture.  This is one that still had the ugly bathtub doors!  eww!  But we had those for only a short time, because my lovely father took them down while I was in the hospital having my darling daughter.  :-)  

So, without further ado (whatever) I give you the bathroom... 

Before... 


And AFTER!!! 


(Yes, there is a light bulb that is burnt out in that picture.)  


Isn't it just great?  It feels so cozy now!  I LOVE IT!!!   

And now, last but definitely not least, my little one enjoying her favorite foods for lunch today... mandarin oranges and spaghetti.  YUM!  


Don't use your fork or anything, Caroline.  :-) 

Have a great weekend!!!  

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

summer rolls on

As the days of summer continue to move forward, I find myself becoming lazy.  I have complacently started to put off all of the things on my mental "to-do" list, thinking I have so much more time; however, I know the end will creep up before I know it, leaving me with unfinished projects and a serious disappointment of an unproductive summer.  I think this would be a good place for me to make a formal list and update just how much I get accomplished this summer while I am off work.  

Here are the things I really want to get done... 

1. Paint kitchen (you know I had to put at least one thing on here that I've already done) 
2. Paint upstairs bathroom
3. Enroll Caroline and myself in "baby and me" swim classes 
4. Write and submit my Life Lessons essay for the Real Simple essay contest
5. Lose at least 10 pounds 
6. Buy a new entertainment center or paint the one we have 
7. Put new hinges on my kitchen cabinets 
8. Take Caroline to free concerts in the park and/or cool library programs 
9. VACATION (This one won't be too difficult) 
10. Take care of myself (This one might be...) 
11. Read at least two new books a month that reach outside of my comfort zone.  I just finished reading A Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult, which I recommend if you're looking for a page-turner that's a little far from reality.  Right now I'm working on twilight by Stephenie Meyer and so far I'm really liking it.  

Okay... that's all I can come up with.  There are some things that I don't have on the list, like buy a new camera and go on as many dates as possible with my husband.  :-)  But I don't think I'll have difficultly doing either of those.  So... that's it for now.  I may add things as time goes along, but for now, these things should keep me fairly busy.  

I make this list in honor of my dad, who taught me that I could accomplish more if I make lists.  Thanks, Diddy!  

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Bring me back to 1989...

I was eight years old and I loved dolls.  Not Barbie dolls, but baby dolls.  Barbie was a grown woman. I didn't care too much about her.  No, my favorite dolls were most definitely babies.  I loved playing house!  I would take my babies grocery shopping, take them to school (where I was the teacher, of course), cook them dinner and put them to bed.  I was definitely a little mommy.  I truly believe that caregiving is my God-given gift and it shows with my life of service jobs and how much I still love to care for children.  Of course, as I grew I always hoped that I would some day have a little girl who loved babies as much as I did as a child.  

Well, so far Caroline has fulfilled that wish.  She has many babies and she is already learning how to care for them. She feeds them a bottle, puts them to bed and loves on them all the time. I love watching her and seeing how gentle she can be already.  Today, Nana brought Caroline the most wonderful gift and it took me back for a few minutes to my childhood love.  Take a look at this baby doll, Patsy, and all of her incredible hand-made clothes! 
Caroline is still too young to play with them, but I will put them away for a couple of years until she will really be able to cherish this gift.  I knew that my mother-in-law realized how captured I was with this doll when only a few hours after their visit she called and told me that she had a few other dolls with their own homemade clothes and offered to give me one for myself.  I wanted to jump back into 1989 and play dolls with my little girl, but I politely declined and told her that this one would be plenty for us.  For now, I will just live vicariously through my little girl and relish in the fact that I have the ultimate responsibility that I always pretended to have as a little girl... but now I no longer have to pretend.  I am a mommy and I am loving every minute of this ultimate gift!  





Saturday, June 21, 2008

D-O-N-E

Woo hoo!  I finished painting the kitchen and I took down those awful shutters on the window that I've hated since we moved here.  I take back what I said about the color looking 70's.  I think my perception was distorted with the mess in my kitchen and the blue tape still on the walls.  I think it looks beautiful and I am quite pleased.  Things look much more homey.  

Why don't you take a gander... 

Before... (snooze fest!)







































After...  (oooh ahhh)






























































Isn't it so much warmer?  I love it!  I think it looks great with the red and my dark table and the brick wall.  I'm quite pleased with myself!  Project for next week will be the upstairs bathroom. The dark grey cave will be no more!  Stay tuned for more of Erin's summer projects.  

For now, I am going to use the rest of Caroline's nap time to make quick trip to Old Navy to see if I can buy myself some cheap summer pants/shorts/capris.  Something... I have three skirts and two pairs of capri's that fit right now.  Thank you Weight Watchers.  :-)  And then we're off to the pool for a quick dip before Andrew leaves for the baseball game with his dad.  Go Summer! 


Friday, June 20, 2008

Nothing witty

I'm ready to rest!  Painting makes muscles I didn't even know I had ache like crazy!  Oh, I'm so out of shape.  Wait... have I ever been in shape?  Not so much.  Erin and exercise do not mix.  My main source of exercise is chasing my toddler and vacuuming the living room.  

Tomorrow I will post pictures of my newly painted kitchen.  I wanted to post them today, but I have decided to take down the shutters and put up new red curtains, so that delays my picture blogging.  

Anyway... writing something witty and posting pictures is not going to happen tonight.  Too sleepy.  So, I'm going to enjoy the rest of this evening with my sexy hubby and then call it a night.  :-)  


Thursday, June 19, 2008

Reunited and it feels so good!

How is it that when I'm in school a week seems like it takes years, but now that I'm home, I don't seem to have enough time in my day?  This day in particular was SUPER busy!  I have almost finished painting the kitchen.  I spent the entire three hours of Caroline's nap, plus about an hour after she went to bed this evening, painting my little heart out.  And honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about the color.  It's okay, but there's something very 70's about it.  I can't put my finger on it. More to come on that subject... But our other event today was Caroline being reunited with her long lost friend Peyton!  

Remember him? 


 













They were so little then!  

They have not seen each other since last summer but today they had their first play date. Peyton's mommy had a new little baby only weeks ago and he came along too.  Caroline was very intrigued by the "real" baby.  It was adorable!  After a little visit indoors, we had to get the wild toddlers outside to run around!  

We went to the park and they had a fantastic time!  

On the swings... 















And climbing the stairs... 


































On the slide...
 

































And last, but definitely not least... Patrick... so sweet!
  














Tomorrow we are going to attempt lunch with Daddy in the big city and hopefully I will finish the kitchen and post some pictures! 
And because you haven't seen enough pictures in this post... here is one more adorable one of my little artist!  

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

A long time coming...

I finally did it!  I have reentered the blogging world!  Go me!  Xanga had been around for years, but once I moved into a different stage in my life it just didn't seem a fitting place for me to blog any longer.  It was time for me to move on to new blog horizons.  So, here I am and to quote Annie (my favorite childhood musical) "I think I'm gonna like it here."  

I'm definitely still learning my way around this new site.  I have a lot to do to get this place to my liking, but I'm excited to have a place to share my thoughts about life and love.  

So, summer is in full swing and I am grateful for the time to rest.  haha  Who are we kidding? Rest doesn't come often chasing a toddler around.  Though I do find myself bored during her 3 hour naps in the afternoon.  That is exactly why tomorrow I will be going to Home Depot to by paint for my kitchen and upstairs bathroom!  The kitchen will be Toasted Wheat and I'm fairly certain I'm going to paint the bathroom Lemon Poundcake (just like my living room).  I'll be sure to post before and after pictures and I know all my new readers are waiting on the edge of their seats.  Oh, how I flatter myself.  Anyway, I'm looking forward to the project (even if you're not).  

So... to leave you with something summery... here is an adorable pool pic!  Don't you just love that orange and pink swimsuit and her crazy hair?!  Love her!