October 29, 2008

The 46-Hour Inning

Game 5 has resumed. It's now the bottom of the 7th and the Phillies just scored to pull ahead, 4-3. Everyone looks very chilly out on the field.

I am feeling much better today. I think it is a mini-cold. Is there such a thing? My back is a little sore but it's nothing compared to how it felt yesterday!

H-man came up and played for a little while today. For once the Boogie was kind and sharing and not whiny. And as far as I could tell she didn't even try one time to bite him. They were so cute -- he was all in blue and she was all in pink. I tried and tried to get a good picture of them but they were just too active. Most of the shots I got looked like this:

And this is what you look like when you suck on crayons and then rub them on your face:

October 28, 2008

Snow

This is for realz, people. It snowed here today. It is OCTOBER. Here are some pictures to prove it.
These are medium-size flakes. The bigger ones came later. Thankfully none of them stuck and after a while the precipitation became liquid form again. It is still crazy windy and cold. The rest of game 5 has been postponed to tomorrow. They are supposed to play it in Philly but I'll bet every one of those players wishes it could be in that nice cozy dome in Florida. :) ***I am having paragraph spacing issues again. This time I'm not even going to try to fix it.***
Today we got a Babies R Us flyer in the mail. I gave it to the Boogie and told her, "Pick out what you want!"

This morning while I was blogging I turned my head just right (or wrong) and tweaked something in my upper back. I had to go to work to get adjusted! It hurt to move my neck or lift my arms or bend over to change a diaper. It feels a lot better tonight. However, I am sneezy, chilly, and drippy. I took my vitamins and drank some tea and orange juice. I'm going to put some ice on my back and go to bed.

Kinda Bummin'

*WARNING: you are about to read yet another complaint about apartment living. Feel free to skip to the following paragraph*
We have been very blessed not to have smoking neighbors in close proximity to us. There are a couple of people in this building who do smoke but we rarely smell it unless they are on the front porch and our windows are open (unlike BIL/SIL1 who live right next door to one of the smokers and have the smell come in through their electrical outlets.) However, over the last few weeks I've occasionally noticed the smell of cigarette smoke inside our apartment, like inside the water heater/furnace closet, and in the bathroom. I thought it was odd to have it in those rooms since the closet is completely enclosed, and the bathroom window is closed so it can't be coming from outside. The only thing DH could figure was that someone downstairs is smoking and it comes up through their furnace exhaust which he thinks is linked to ours. Then it can go right through our vents. It is annoying but hasn't happened a lot. Last night, though, when I went to check on the Boogie right before I went to bed, her room reeked of cigarette smoke. UGH. I am so disgusted. I don't want her to breathe that. I don't want her clothes/toys/blankets to smell like it. Most of all, I am worried that someone is smoking in bed downstairs. I am so freaked out about fire. My overactive imagination pictures a fire starting in the bedroom below the Boogie's and then going right up into her room. I am praying very hard that this was a one-time thing and never ever ever happens again.

So. The Phillies. The Phillies stomped the Rays in game 4. Stomped. All. Over. Them. Then game 5 last night was suspended in the sixth inning because of rain! Ack! I think it's kind of neat that the score was tied though. This way neither team really has an advantage. At least that's the way my limited sports-mind looks at it, ha ha. I've thought for a long time that baseball is a suspenseful game and this really proves it. The weather is still pretty nasty today so we'll see if they resume the game tonight or tomorrow.

October 26, 2008

Oh, Those Phillies!

After a rain delay of one and a half hours last night, the third game of the World Series finally started at 10:06. It was a good game and Tampa Bay scored in the 8th inning to tie it 4-4... and DH and I just couldn't keep our eyes open one more minute, as exciting as a tied-in-the-8th-inning game is. Wouldn't you know that those Phillies scored and won in the bottom of the ninth? And we missed it! On to game 4 tonight! So far it's been a really good series.

Downstairs Neighbor, etc., was quieter last night. Not quiet, but at least quieter. I'm really really hoping that it has just been a weekend thing and that the upcoming week will be more normal. This afternoon Next-Door Neighbors had their music thumping for a while and now I can hear someone small-ish running very loudly up and down their hallway. I feel badly for the R family right below them. As SIL1 said, isn't apartment life just peachy? :)

October 25, 2008

Play Ball!

As soon as I (finally) published my last entry, the game started. It's going to be another late night for me. :)

Rain Delay

The weather here is rainy, windy, and thundery. Game 3 is being delayed. Honestly I hope they postpone it to another day because I don't want to be up until all hours of the morning. :)

Last night after the Boogie's bath I let her run around naked for a while which made her all giddy and excited. I kept a close eye on her in case of accidents. Sure enough, after about ten minutes she peed. Oh, well! I didn't put a diaper on her because I figured that was it (oh, we first-time moms. How much we have to learn.) As soon as I finished cleaning up I came out of her room to find her standing in a huge puddle in the dining room! Silly me. I should have known. So I cleaned up the second mess but had I learned my lesson? Nope. Still no diaper. Yep, a third accident. All within ten minutes! I won't be doing that again.


Today was DH's monthly Saturday off. I stayed home from work and we slept in (sort of.) Then we wandered around in our jammies for a while and H-man came up to play with the Boogie. After a while his mom came up and we Google-mapped places where we used to live. It was really fun to see where HR used to live in Okinawa. This afternoon Di came over from church and baby sat while DH and I went outlet shopping. I got new shoes! Finally! Here they are: I've been looking for a while and have tried on many pairs but as soon as I put these on I knew they were the ones. (They remind me of you, Mrs. Holloway. Do you still wear shoes that look like this?) We also did some Christmas shopping. I am so happy to have begun Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving. Maybe, just maybe, if I'm diligent, I can actually get a lot of it finished before Thanksgiving. **Begin new paragraph. For some reason I can't publish this with a space between my last paragraph and the next one. I have tried multiple times. I give up.**
Downstairs Neighbor and her roommates/friends/drinking buddies have been at it again. Last night their party was so loud that it kept me awake until about 1:00. This morning around 9:30 when the Boogie and H-man were playing and we were going about our normal, everyday business, Downstairs Neighbor or her roommate/friend/drinking buddy had the gall to pound on the ceiling at us, very loudly. We weren't doing anything out of the ordinary. It certainly wasn't our fault if they had a hangover that made them uber-sensitive to noise. So, DH called the apartment manager to complain. Apparently BIL1 also called the apartment manager. Tonight the music has been going again though thankfully not as loud as last night. Some friends/drinking buddies have also shown up. DH just went down and asked Downstairs Neighbor to keep it a little quieter tonight. She said she wasn't there last night. Hmm. Well. We shall see what happens. I may have a very interesting entry tomorrow!

October 24, 2008

These Cookies ...

... are terribly, terribly addictive. They are soft, chewy, chocolatey goodness. Each one is about three bites and SIXTY CALORIES. I can't stop eating them. Someone please come up here to this apartment and take them away from me. Hurry, please, before I eat another one ...!

Too late.

October 23, 2008

Game Two

It's just not lookin' so good for the Phillies tonight. 4-0 Rays, top of the sixth.

Since it has been a while since you've seen The Cuteness, here she is:And check this out:
They are wall decals from the dollar store!

October 22, 2008

Game One

The first game of the World Series is on right now! The score is 3-1 Phillies, top of the 5th. I am now rooting for the Phillies, Cove Girl! I hope that doesn't mean that they will lose, since the other two teams I rooted for lost ...

Sweetgirl00god, thank you for identifying yourself. I was truly puzzled. :) (I didn't publish your comment in case you prefer to remain anonymous. We'll just keep my other readers in the dark, heh heh heh.)

The Boogie had her 18-month check-up yesterday. It was, however, scheduled for today. Yes indeedy, I took her on the wrong day in spite of the fact that it was clearly written on the calendar. I would like to take this opportunity to say that it's not my fault. You see, I always take her on Tuesdays and to be scheduled for a Wednesday completely threw me off. Also the pediatrician's office called on Monday to confirm. I listened to the first part of the message and ignored the rest since I already knew when her appointment was (I thought.) That also threw me because don't most doctors' offices confirm the day before? I know the one I work for does! Therefore a call on Monday would mean that the appointment is on Tuesday. When it comes right down to it, though, it's my fault and mine alone. I didn't listen to the whole message, and I didn't carefully check my calendar. Bless their hearts, they squeezed us in anyway. The Boogie weighs 22 lbs 7 oz, and is 32 inches long. She's good and healthy and right on track in her milestones. She was so good with the doctor, talking to him and even singing (which indicates that she is comfortable) and then she had to have shots. I will confess that everytime she gets shots I cry too. I can't help it. I hate that my baby is hurting. But a quick little poke that is soon forgotten is better than risking getting a dangerous disease.

Tonight SIL3 and HR and H-man came over for dinner. The Boogie and H-man played so nicely. They are really improving in their relationship, hee hee. Instead of trying to take each other's toys all the time, they now chase each other around laughing gleefully, and imitate each other. They still take the occasional swing at the other but things are much better than they used to be. I'm so glad. It certainly makes for a more comfortable time for the parents.

I am going to brush my teeth and climb into bed. I can watch the game just as well from there as I can from the couch.

October 20, 2008

My Baby ...

... is not a baby anymore. Last night I tagged along while her Daddy brushed her teeth (their nighttime ritual together.) She opened up the medicine cabinet herself, took out her toothbrush, got the toothpaste, and rinsed off her brush in the running water. After DH brushed those little pearly whites she put her toothbrush back in the cup, set the toothpaste on the shelf, closed the medicine cabinet, and turned off the light. (Disclaimer: she can only do these things while being held up as everything is way above her head. I don't want anyone to think that I allow my 18-month-old free access to the bathroom cabinet.) Tonight I told her, "Time for a bath!" and started filling the tub with water. She immediately ran to her room, opened up her dresser drawer, and got out a washcloth. When we say that it's time for bed, she goes right into her room and sits on the floor where we all sit together to pray. Yesterday she did that at naptime! She is learning sounds that animals make, specifically fish, tiger, doggy/puppy, kitty, and monkey. She can point to and say "eye" and "nose", and when you ask her where her foot is she holds it up while standing on the other leg. She is just too cute and too smart and I can't stand that she is getting so big!

Tampa Bay beat Boston last night, as unbelievable as that may be. I stayed up and watched the whole game! So, now on to the World Series. This time it's Go Phillies!

October 19, 2008

Go Sox!

I was sad that the Dodgers lost to the Phillies. I may have been transplanted to the Philadelphia metro area, but family traditions die hard and I couldn't root against the Dodger blue. Now I want Boston to beat Tampa Bay!

Our weekend was plenty busy: ladies' meeting here on Friday night, DH and I worked Saturday morning (the Boogie went with her aunt and uncle, Mom mom and Pop pop, and cousins to Chick Fil A where she played in the playland for the first time ever and had a blast), a birthday party for HE yesterday afternoon, shopping last night, and church today with a birthday party for SIL3 before the evening service. The party yesterday for little HE was so nice. The weather was beautiful and lots of family came. All the LCs did great and seemed to have a lot of fun. I totally forgot my camera so didn't get a single picture! Oh, well.

It suddenly turned chilly over the last couple of days. We've even turned the heat in the morning. It's really fall now.

Top of the second, BoSox 1, Rays 0.

October 15, 2008

The Lightbulb Goes On Over My Head

After I finished blogging this morning I had a blinding flash of inspiration and turned off the computer. Yes. I did. Then I went for a walk, played with the Boogie, vacuumed and swept the floors, finished a book I've been reading, did all the dishes, washed two loads of clothes, cleaned the bathroom, baked a cake, straightened and dusted and organized both bookshelves (a project I've been contemplating for weeks), and made dinner. It was amazing how I was able to go from one thing to another without the distraction of the computer. It really opened my eyes to how much time I actually waste on here.

Sweetgirl00god, thank you for your kind comment and for praying for me. I always appreciate all the prayers I can get! But may I ask ... who are you?

Another Lazy Day

Yesterday morning the Boogie and I went to BIL/SIL2's house to hang out with HE while her mom went to work. The girls were both very very good and played oh, so nicely together. HE is such a sweetie and awfully cute. Her birthday is Sunday! I can't believe she's going to be one year old already. That was pretty much all I did yesterday. Today is not looking too promising either so I'd better get myself moving. I've even already had my coffee! Maybe I should go for a walk first, before attempting anything else. Hmm, that sounds good.

You know, it used to be that when I would find myself doing something just like one of my parents would, I would make a conscious effort to steer myself in a different direction (don't most kids?) Lately I'm noticing more and more ways that I'm like both Mom and Pops. I don't care anymore. It makes me laugh. My parents are great people and I'm happy to be like them. But honestly one way that I wish I was more like them is in the self-motivation area. My mom is always busy doing something. She likes it that way. It makes her happy. Pops is not always busy doing something. He likes more down time. But they are the same in that if they see something that needs to be done, they just do it. That has been my example from them for my WHOLE LIFE. But do you think that I'm like that? Nope. I am a procrastinator. I am lazy. I need an attitude adjustment! So that's it. I'm getting off this computer right now and getting busy with all the things I need to do. After I write just one more thing ...

... I'm getting bored with the look of my blog and am in the process of finding something new and fun! So stay tuned. But don't get your hopes up too high because, after all, I am a procrastinator.

October 13, 2008

From My Window

I love this apartment. It has its quirks but there are lots of things about it that make me so happy to live here. One of those things is this view from my window: I've said several times over the last few weeks that I don't like fall because it is a precursor to winter, but with the beautiful weather we've been having and the amazing colors that are starting to appear, I think I'm changing my mind!

October 12, 2008

Cuteness!

The Boogie is saying lots of things now, some more clearly than others but I still know what she means:
Hi
Bye, see ya
Uh-oh
Oh, no!
More
Please
All right!
No no no!
All done
Daddy
Mama
Mom mom
Pop pop
Pops
Lela

Here are a couple of videos of her saying a few of these things:

And here she is drinking cold coffee (she likes it, Pops! We're starting her early!):

October 11, 2008

Saturday Already?

Yesterday I learned that my family in good ol' Warshington does not read my blog. This is not right. I want you to know that I expect you to read it faithfully and look at the pictures of your adorable granddaughter/niece/cousin.

Those of you who do read faithfully and, even better, leave comments: you are my favorite!

The Specktacular family left on Thursday. We had a nice time with you guys! Thanks for coming to Jersey! Good luck on teaching Warshingtonians to call the turnpike the "pike". So not gonna happen ... :)

I don't have anything else to blog about today. Besides, I have to clean the bathroom, fold laundry, make my bed, exchange the Boogie's summer wardrobe for a warmer one, and get my lesson ready for tomorrow. Also it's a perfectly beautiful day so I'm hoping to get a walk in at some point.

October 7, 2008

Specktacular Fun

Yesterday DH worked a half-day and we drove out to Point Pleasant. We visited Jenkinson's Aquarium and saw all kinds of great ocean life, walked on the vacant boardwalk, ate lunch, and went wading. It was a really great day! I made a slideshow but once again can't embed the code, so click here to see it.

Right before we left, the Boogie was sitting quietly on a bench next to DH when she suddenly fell forward off of it landing right on her face on the boardwalk. We still don't know what happened. My only guess is that she was leaning forward to look at something. She scraped up her face pretty badly, got a big lump on her forehead, and quickly developed the fattest fat lip that I've seen in a long time. Poor baby ... what a way to end the day!

October 4, 2008

Did You Know?

That clicking on the pictures I post will enlarge them so you can see them in all their glory? I especially love the picture at the shore where the Boogie and Furry are walking hand-in-hand away from me. I think I will print and frame it.

I have neglected my posting. Furry left on Tuesday. I was sad and cried. Thankfully DH left work an hour early so he could go to the airport with us so I wouldn't have to be sad all by myself. The next couple of days I spent at work and getting the apartment ready for the Specktacular family. They arrived in Philadelphia at exactly midnight, gathered their luggage, and I picked them up. By the time we got home and I got into bed it was 2 am ... however I am unable to go right to sleep after driving. I have to unwind. Plus the Boogie has been moved into our room and I'm not used to hearing her sleeping noises. So I didn't go to sleep until nearly 3, got up at 4 with DH, went back to bed after he left for work but didn't doze off till 5 ... THEN at 7:23 the lawn maintenance people showed up! They have come early in the morning several times over the summer. This was the final straw. They weren't just mowing and weed-eating. Oh, no. They pulled out their noisy gas-powered hedge trimmers and proceeded to trim all the bushes right below our windows for an hour and a half. Naturally it woke up the babies so Mrs. Specktacular and I just got up. I did complain to our apartment manager and asked if we could request that the lawn people not start until after 8:00. She said she would. I still think 8 is a little early for residential lawn maintenance but not unreasonable. Needless to say we were all a little foggy through-out the day. Mrs. Specktacular and I napped when our babies did.

Last night we had a girls night out! MIL, SIL2, SIL3, Mrs. Specktacular and I drove to Philly to see "State Fair". It was really fun! I love musicals. We sat all the way at the top of the nose-bleed section but we could see and hear everything just fine. At $10 a ticket we had no complaints.

Poor Mr. Specktacular woke up this morning with an ear infection so DH is taking him and Mrs. Specktacular to a walk-in clinic right now. I am hanging out with the Boogie and Miss Specktacular. The Boogie is having a hard time adjusting to our new company. Mr. Specktacular is particularly scary to her for some reason. Also she is very territorial and to have to share all of her toys all of the time is somewhat disconcerting. She's doing better today than she did yesterday so I'm hoping that time will do the trick.

Time to do some touch-up cleaning while everyone is gone and both girls are awake. The apartment gets dirtier faster with twice the number of people here!