Friday, October 3, 2008

Today's TO DO list:

--Little bit of laundry
--unload/reload dishwasher
--go to bank & post office & probably the grocery store too
--pack for camping (DON'T FORGET THE SLEEPING BAGS!)
--dream up something for dinner
--don't forget to pick up the kids(just kidding!)
--take pictures for WITL
--drink more coffee
--go to work
--maybe try to squeeze in a bit of scrapbooking for Stephanie's journaling challenge

Notes: Enjoying working on my "Week in the Life" project, although I'm beginning to feel like it's getting monotonous. Seems like the same pictures every day, although I guess that's normal with any routine. Looking forward to this weekend to see family, and take different pictures. I think that will help bring a fresh breath of air to this project.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Week in the Life: Day 4


Day 4
Originally uploaded by emmayrand





Olivia woke me up this morning and climbed in bed for just a few minutes before wanting to head downstairs for breakfast. Woke Aidan up right away too. He needed to finish coloring his homework before school. (I kinda think the coloring part is pointless, especially when rushed.) Aidan was a bit difficult to get dressed this morning. Usually he picks stuff out himself, or I give him a couple options. Today he didn't like what I had picked out. The shirts were either too plain (meaning no graphics) or had itchy tags he didn't like.
Pulled the winter coats out this morning. Fall is definitely upon us and a regular sweatshirt wasn't going to cut it today! It was only 65 degrees in the house today, and I finally broke down and turned the heat back on again. (sigh)
Spent about an hour catching up on WITL from yesterday. Olivia watched Jonah, Veggie Tales movie. After that was finished we headed to the library for a long visit. As we turned into the driveway, Olivia exclaimed "Mom, that was close!" She thought the oncoming car was going to hit us. Looked at Martha Stewart Living while Olivia played with puzzles and brought me board books to read to her as well.
Came home and had an early lunch. I was very hungry and my tummy was already rumbling at 11:30. Toasted Ham & Cheese made in the oven. I've started broiling my sandwiches in the oven to get the texture of grilled cheese, without the extra 20 grams of fat from butter. Olivia wasn't really interested in eating much. Had a Gogurt and a few crackers with ham & cheese. My allergies had started bothering me at the library, so I took a Benadryl when we got home...followed by a cup of coffee!
Read "Fly High Fly Guy" and a "Maisy" book then it was time for a nap. Needless to say the coffee wasn't helping me at all, and we took almost a 2 hour nap together. Olivia was super grouchy, whiney and crying when we woke up. I don't think she feels the best. I was trying my very best to be patient with her, but it wasn't working very well. I put in the Strawberry Shortcake DVD from the library, and took a time-out from her.
Picked up Aidan from school. Came home for a bit. I took a shower and got ready to go to DS for Ryan's going-away party. Tomorrow is actual last day, but they were throwing a little party for him today. It was nice to be able to say our "good-byes". Ryan got a little choked up when he got a card from his team. You could see the tears in his eyes, although he was trying really hard not to let it show. Obviously this whole week it has been sinking in a little more each day. His team has been doing a lot of activities partly as a "send-off" for him. I know he will miss working there, but hopefully better things lie ahead.
Ryan had lodge tonight as well, so had to get going to that. I drove the kids home and we played with the neighbor kids for a while, until it got too dark to see outside! I wasn't too worried about having a "real" dinner tonight, since the kids (and I) had been snacking during the party.
The rest of the evening consisted of a shower for Aidan, a few more snacks (a couple bites of Daddy's cheesecake and some veggies & dip), and then books before bed. Aidan read Maisy & Fly Guy to us(again!). Time for pj's and brushing teeth and bed.
Put Olivia to bed, but still needed to get homework done with Aidan. He had to fill out a sheet with address/phone/state listed. He's working on his penmanship, and definitely needs a little help. He gets frustrated with it, if I tell him that he needs to erase and do it again. (practice, practice, practice)
Watched the VP debate on tv, talked with Mom again, sorted through Orlando vacation pictures for a while before Ryan came home. Watched the weather and had to head to bed.

Week in the Life: Day 3


day 3
Originally uploaded by emmayrand



Stories from today:
Kids had a lazy breakfast on the couch with TV trays. This is a leftover habit from this summer. Aidan eats PB Cap'n Crunch and kinda freaks out when he sees I'm taking a picture while he's "naked". He hides underneath his blankie--kinda embarrassed. Olivia has oatmeal.
Off to school this morning...quick pic of Aidan standing in line. Olivia plays on the playground for a few quick minutes before we head home to get ready to take her to school.
Have a few sips of my morning coffee. Olivia is playing with the calculator that was left on the table after figuring out Aidan's fundraiser this morning. I'm seriously debating buying one of those giant sized calculators. Such a great way to practice her numbers! Off to school for Olivia. She wants to push her stroller, rather than ride. Fine with me, that way I get to drink my coffee on the way! Everyday starts the same at preschool. Olivia finds her name on her orange square magnet and runs over to a big metal cabinet and always tries to get hers to be the highest. Say a quick goodbye. Honestly, she barely notices that I leave. There's still a lot of kids in her class that cry when their parents leave. Glad I don't have to deal with that.
Come home and catch up on e-mail for a little bit, before having to go back to Aidan's school. I get to help with the Fire Safety House, and I get assigned to do Stop, Drop & Roll with the kids. We rotate through 4 groups. Goes smoothly for the most part, with only a few trouble-makers! This was a great opportunity to meet some of the "new" kids in Aidan's class. A lot of the kids I already knew, but there were some others that he talks about that I hadn't met yet. Finished up about 11:15
Grab a chocolate donut for my way home. Go to pick up Olivia right away.
Come home and have lunch. Leftover pasta for me. Olivia has PB&J again. Seriously, it never gets old to her! Sliced one of the last pears that we had from our trees. Thought it looked really pretty--so of course, I had to take a picture.
Olivia asked to watch a movie...ended up being My Little Pony.
Wednesdays are "early-release" days for Aidan. They get out at 2:20, which is nice to have the extra time with him before heading to work. But that also means that Olivia usually doesn't get a nap, which is okay, I guess.
Picked up Ruby & Aidan and decided to play on the big playground for a while before walking home. Olivia played with the neighbor girls for a while. I'm happy that they enjoy being the "big sister" to her and actually let her tag along a bit!
Got home, had a bit of snack, then I needed to get ready for work. Left about 3:50. Chris met us at her house, and then had to take the kids with her to go pick up Florida Gma from the doctor.
Went to work and won $50 in gift certificates for McCormick & Schmicks. That was pretty cool. Was in Section 1--6 tables. Got my butt kicked for a little while, and was able to get home by 9:30.
Chris brought the kids back to our house to get them into bed at a decent time. She hadn't planned on watching them this late, and still had a bunch of packing to finish before heading to Hawaii for two weeks. (Wish that I could go too!)
Ryan had a team-outing that was suppose to finish by 8pm, but that went late. He got home about 10pm. He went bowling and then out to dinner. Consumed mass quantities of seafood and a glass of Riesling!
Ryan and I talked about our evening for a bit while watching a PBS documentary on breast cancer--quite interesting. Started watching another documentary about organic farming in Canada. I finished off the bottle of Cabernet and then headed to bed.

Didn't take as many pictures as I had anticipated today. Meant to take my camera & let Chris take pictures at her house with the kids. Not going to worry about it so much. Just a busy day because of work. Life goes on.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Week in the Life: Day 2

So far, so good.
I'm not getting every picture that I've hoped for, but happy with being able to capture and record those moments that I have.
It is ok.


My creation
Originally uploaded by emmayrand




Notes from today:
Ryan made the kids waffles for breakfast while I was getting ready upstairs.
Aidan got dressed, then undressed, and then had to get redressed before leaving for school. Left the house without a jacket or sweatshirt and was cold on the way to school.
It's definitely feeling like fall, cool breeze today and only a little sunshine.
Olivia went to play at Coco's house this morning while I did my training for the Fire Safety House at Roosevelt. Had a pumpkin muffin at the Romant's house when I was picking Olivia up.
Came home around 10:30am and was still really hungry, so I had some leftover pasta from last night. Olivia had PB&J, some yogurt and a fruit snack. She also broke a pink Fiestaware plate too. Oh well.
She watched Wallace & Grommit this morning. I spent a lot of time on the computer trying to update the blog with yesterday's happenings. Finally got the whole photo mosaic thing figured out again.
Quiet time this afternoon while Olivia napped upstairs in her "nest". She didn't want to sleep in her bed, and instead made up an area on the floor with a bunch of blankets and stuffed animals. After hearing her play upstairs for a while, I told her she needed to quiet down and go to sleep. Checked the Studio Calico MB for a while. People were listing their favorite adhesives, so that lead me on a chase to figure out why my ATG adhesive gun doesn't work. Finally got to another site, where they mentioned that some were defective. Contacted 3M, hoping that they will be able to replace it for me....really, really hoping for this!
Picked up Aidan from school and played on the playground for a bit before going home. Kids are watching cartoons from the PBS afternoon line-up. Next up, homework, then dinner...
Apparently, Barack Obama has the first grade vote. According to Aidan, everyone in his class is voting for Obama, except him and Elliott, who are McCain supporters, HA!
Homework went well, no opposition today.
I took a quick shower before dinner. As I was finishing up in the bathroom, I could here the kids out in the kitchen. I figured out that they were setting the table together. When I walked into the kitchen, they had it finished and it looked really great. Love that they didn't need to be asked to do this and that they did it without fighting!
The kids helped me make Chicken Alfredo pizza for dinner. Really it was just looking through my fridge and finding things that could be cut up and put on a Pillsbury pizza crust. I think they enjoyed being involved in the process. Aidan spread the alfredo sauce, Olivia added the chicken, Aidan & I finished with tomatoes, zucchini, and a little chopped broccoli. It was quite tasty, even though Aidan didn't want any of the zucchini.
After dinner, Olivia summoned us for family time reading books. I think that we are beginning to establish an evening routine that doesn't involve the TV. After reading Dora, Knuffle Bunny & Three Billy Goats Gruff (one of my childhood favorites) it was time to get ready for bed. Ryan got the kids to bed for me so that I could drive over to the Wolf's house for a Silpada party. Spent about an hour there and had a brownie too. Came home to a quiet house. Ryan was working on the laptop as usual, and watching Battlestar Galactica, season 2. T-minus 2 days of having the laptop at home. Looking forward to less working from home with the new job.
Finished up the evening by sorting out 2 huge baskets of laundry, watching this People magazine weight loss show, and the news. I also had a glass of Bohemian Highway cabernet that the Breitzmann's brought over last Friday night. I opted out of a second glass, although I was very tempted.
Lights out at 10:30.

Week in the Life: Day 1

So here's a little project that I will try my hardest to participate in all week long. Ali Edwards, the scrapbooking genius, was my inspiration for this. Please check out her blog, if you're interested.

So rather than keep notes on a million little pieces of paper, I decided that I should utilize the ol' blog to put down my thoughts for the day.


Week in the Life: Day 1
Originally uploaded by emmayrand




Our Monday went a little like this:
Cereal for breakfast, Aidan off to school, come home, finish getting Olivia ready, drop her off too. Come home, check e-mail, blogs, etc. Remember that I need to start taking pictures for this project.
Dishes, laundry, pick Olivia up from preschool.
Go directly to McDonald's for some lunch. Olivia 4-piece nugget meal with "lullaby munchkin" as her toy. Me Double Cheeseburger, fries, and sharing some of Olivia's lemonade. Spent a long time at McD's. Practiced writing her name on some scraps of paper from my purse. Thanked a worker on the way out for her food. Went to Target, and spent a long time browsing the aisles. The main purpose of the trip was to get fabric softener... and $50 later we left. Didn't splurge on too many things though.
Met a rapper/r&b singer named "Young Voice" in the Target parking lot--kinda strange, but whatever....
Olivia almost fell asleep on the way home. Got inside and made some coffee. Olivia had me make her a cup too. After I finished pouring mine, I couldn't figure out where she went. I called to her, and there she was already perched in front of the computer ready to check e-mail. (She knows this is "my thing". Coffee & computer.) Hung around the house for a bit, then it was off to pick Aidan up from school. Had to make sure I was there on time, since it was the first time the first-graders were coming out of the building by themselves.(kinda a scary thought!)
Went to Sendiks after school. Had to figure out what to make for dinner--the end results was rotini pasta with Italian sausage crumbles, red bell & onions, a little mozzarella baked on top. Broccoli for the kids, and zucchini for me & Ryan.
Squeezed in a couple afternoon cartoons, a little math homework, and then ate dinner. After dinner we read 3 books together as a family. No TV. Was nice to have "quiet" for a change. Early bed time since Olivia didn't have a nap, and Aidan was being pretty teary tonight.
Finished doing some more laundry. Ryan worked on his lap-top. I looked through some old journaling form my semester in Germany in 1997. Interesting to see everything that I had done while there. Called to Mom and talked for about half an hour. Trying to finalize plans for camping this weekend. Looking forward to that upcoming adventure. Ryan came upstairs to spend a little time with me before heading back down to work again. He had me laughing so hard that I started coughing and had to use my inhaler! 10:30 in bed, ready to sleep.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

thankful for us


layout made with Studio Calico September kit, Iconic

These pictures aren't the greatest, but I decided to use them on this layout anyhow. I figure that there's not nearly enough pictures of Ryan & I together. Photos are from Trisha & Matt's wedding in November of 2004. I was 8 months pregnant at the time, and wore this really pretty paisley print maternity dress. I know I never wore it again. So this is the only way to remember it.

In other news, Ryan quit his job this week after receiving a job offer from Kohls. This will be a major change in our family, as he's only worked for DS since college, almost 10 years at the same company. I'm hoping that the transition will be smooth, and will be beneficial for our entire family. In addition to a raise, I'm mostly looking forward to more family time. (Really, really hoping for this!)

Congrats, honey. I'm very proud of your perseverance.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Looking back on first day photos.

1st grade(2008)



Senior Kindergarten (2007)


Junior Kindergarten (2006)



I didn't realize it was our tradition to take a picture in front of the big tree until Ryan mentioned it on the first day of school this year. Looking back, I think Aidan looks pretty much the same. Taller, of course. And a couple less teeth this year!