The Toyota Wave

So while driving to my parent's today a blue corvette with the top down cut in front of me. No blinker. Old, gray-haired, pony-tailed man. Ok, no biggie. I can get over that since he didn't dilly dally after he cut in. Another corvette (top up!) drove by going the opposite direction. It was then that I saw the funniest thing: Old gray ponytail lifted up his arm in a wave. I checked my rear view just to be sure...and yup, I was right, it was another corvette. Apparently, same as motorcyclists, corvettists (?) have a "wave" for when they pass one another on the street. This made me snicker and consider what would happen if I was supposed to wave every time I passed another Toyota. The Toyota club. Aren't we cool. My arm would surely be tired, as it seems every other car at least is a Toyota.

I get the firetruck wave...that just makes sense. I now know about the cop wave. Ok, I can dig it. The motorcycle wave is okay. At least it's only a few months out of the year, here in the great Northeast. But the corvette wave? I think that's pushing it. But that's just me.

Old gray ponytail proceeded to turn again with no blinker. TMB? I think so.

some days are better spent in bed

Coffee grounds in the coffee. Annoying.

Sticky hot humidity. Bothersome.

Slow drivers when I'm in a hurry. Irritating.

BM's in underwear. (not mine) Upsetting.

Short naptimes. Aggravating.

Kids who refuse to listen. Exasperating.

Rain during the commute. Unpleasant.

A quiet evening at home. Enjoyable.

Subway for One. Pleasing.

Sole posession of the remote control. Peachy.

Day off tomorrow, no bedtime. Swell.

Rain pouring, no where to go. Excellent.


Right now the weather outside seems to fit my mood. I sit with my pj's on (at 7pm...) watching TV and surfing the net. I'm just waiting for the thunder. Tomorrow is a day to accomplish things. Today has already been long (very long) so I'm enjoying the few hours of quiet to unwind. I just wish I had a good book. I'll add the library to my list of things to do tomorrow.

On another note, please visit MckMama to get an update on Stellan. He seems to be doing much better, but they're waiting for a bed to open up at Children's Hospital in Boston before he's flown there for a heart ablation. It's heartbreaking to think of this little one going through so much trauma. I'm praying for him constantly.

Gotta spread the word

I've recently enjoyed reading about the life of MckMama. Her and her family...especially her little boy Stellan...are going through incredible trials right now involving heart issues. Please visit her blog for updates and pray for this special little boy!

Five Percent

Five percent of babies are born on their due date. If I was one of those lucky 5%, I would be delivering my baby today. But I'm not. If I was one of those lucky 5% I would have a nursery set up to go with a crib, changing table and lots of tiny clothes. But I don't. If I was one of those lucky 5%, my house would be overtaken with baby things: stroller, swing, highchair and bassinet. But it's not.

Instead, I'm left with an emptiness. I'll never forget that day...the most wonderful day when I found out I was pregnant. Our 2 year anniversary! It was just too perfect. I'll never forget the look on John's face when he saw "pregnant" spelled out on the test. I'll never forget telling our parents that I was expecting. I'll never forget the gifts and well-wishes I had already received.

I'll also never forget the day...when I was bleeding too much. When I couldn't stop crying, even in my boss's office. When I had to drive myself to the dr, to the hospital, back to the dr, then back to the hospital again. I'll never forget my family, rushing from all over the state practically to be with me. I'll never, ever forget the dreaded words of that day...ectopic, emergency, surgery.

The if only's cloud my vision. If only my baby had implanted in the right place. If only I was still carrying my little one. If only I could reverse time and go back and do it over...maybe it would work out better this time. And of course, if only I was pregnant again. Maybe then this would be easier.

By 9am this morning, I already was blessed by some very caring friends and family members. I have some beautiful things to remember my baby now. Not that I'd ever forget. But a visual reminder, although today makes me cry, will in the future (when I have kids running around and it's not a constant thought) be a gentle reminder of what I have waiting for me. Because I know for a fact that one day I'll hold my baby in heaven. Until then, I know she's in the company of a cousin and some good friends.

I've been holding in my tears for weeks now, looking towards today as my day to grieve. So this is the day. I'm allowing myself today to be miserable and sad. Tomorrow will be a new day, and I'll be ready to face the world again.

if only...

You know you're addicted when...

This morning my ever-so-loving and sweet husband informed me that he saw on the news how to know if you're addicted to facebook. He then proceeded to tell me that there is help for people like me. Thanks? I think.

First of all, how the heck is facebook addiction relevant enough to be on the news? (Although in recent weeks I've learned that relevance doesn't play much of a part in what makes the news.) Second of all, can my facebook addiction (yes, I'll admit to it) really warrant 'help'?

I decided to compile my own "You know you're addicted when..." list regarding facebook. So here goes!

You Know You're Addicted to Facebook when...

• you mentally write your next status update on the way home from work
• you say "like" outloud after a friend says something witty
• you mentally tag photos as you're taking them
• *insert brilliant mafia wars reference here*
• as you clean/cook/etc. you keep facebook on the computer screen and click on any notification flag you get
• first thing in the morning, last thing at night, you sign on just to see if anyone's left you any kind of comment or message
• your self-image rides on how many comments you receive
• if you need a recipe, directions or concert tickets you post it on facebook before you look anywhere else
• you can miss an entire TV show while sitting right in front of the TV because you're searching for people you went to nursery school with
• your dog has a facebook

And, true story. I did number one on my way home today, then also decided that I should make this list!

I know I'm addicted. But my defense is as follows: I can quit whenever I want (read: I can handle being without facebook while on vacation). It helps me stay in touch with friends I wouldn't otherwise communicate with (read: I'm too lazy to write a letter or even an email, so we stay in touch through status updates).

And finally...I don't want to be unaddicted. I'm happy with my facebook fanaticism. Real word? Not sure. I know I should try harder to be less addicted. I know it would make John happy and my house cleaner. I have 4 days off in a row starting tomorrow. Maybe I'll try to limit my facebook usage and see how much more productive I can be. Hmmm....

More Editing

So stop me if you've heard this before...I most definitely have the best, cutest nephews in the world! What? You haven't heard me say that? Well then let me say it again...I love my nephews and they are the cutest boys ever!!

I would be remiss (is that the right word?) if I didn't mention my adorable niece Olivia!! Of course, she is the CUTEST, most beautiful baby girl ever.

So here are my latest edits. It's so easy when the kids are already so good-looking. :)

My darling Caleb. The first nephew! He will always have a special place in my heart. I still remember holding him in the delivery room, him sticking his tongue out at me. I love when I see him and he says, "Hi Lynn! Where's Zoe?" :) He's the best.

Okay, so you can't see his face in this picture, but I just love it so much! Last night Zach was crawling all over my parent's house. He scooted over to the piano and proceeded to pull himself up by holding onto the bench...then he stretched his arms up to play some bass clef notes! I love his little legs spread...and his arm reaching...these moments are not taken for granted. I still wonder how this picture can make me exceeding happy, yet break my heart at the same time. Zach, our little miracle boy!

Then, of course, there's beautiful Olivia. I think we waited the longest for her...delivery-time-wise! She wanted to make sure we were good and ready...and good and ready we were! It's so amazing to see her turn into a baby girl with a cute smile and personality all her own. Looking at this picture (and, honestly, any picture of her!) makes me just want to snuggle with her and kiss her!!

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

First of all, to go back a few days, it was definitely not me who DVR'd the Michael Jackson memorial. And it was definitely not me who recorded channel 6 from 10am until 5pm...just to make sure I caught it. I would never care so much about something like that! And then of course it was not me who fast-forwarded through most of the service, stopping only briefly enough to hear who was singing and how they sounded. Nope. Definitely not me.

Then again, it could not have been me who baked half a pizza and 6 garlic knots....and then gobbled them all up. No way! Not me! I have a wedding to go to in a month. I have a dress to fit into. I already weigh the most I've weighed EVER. So no, it was not me who savored the fresh garlic and parsley. And it was definitely not me who poured extra butter and shredded extra fresh parm onto the knots. I would never be the kind of person who wouldn't save a knot or two for my hubby when he got home from work. So must have been someone else, because it was not me!

Finally, I know that it couldn't possibly be me who spends (wastes?) hours on end flittering away on facebook, editing away on picnik and blogging away on blogspot! Not me! I have way too many important things going on in my life. Would I leave the laundry and dishes undone just so I can prop the laptop on my knees and check everyone's status updates? Not me! Would I neglect cleaning the tub and toilet just to see how creative my uncreative self can become by adjusting saturation on and cropping photos? Not me! Would I ignore my self-inflicted bedtime just to write my very first Not Me! Monday?? Of course not! I am way more disciplined than that. That certainly is not me!

So what have you all been not doing this week???

photo editing fun

Some kids are just so photogenic, and so easy to take good photos of! Exhibit Number One: Cash. He's....gosh, I forget. How many months Jame? I know you read this... Anyway, he's a smiley dimply boy and I love this picture of him!
Exhibit Number Two: His older brother Trey. He was singing The B-I-B-L-E for us in his adorable little voice... He also has a dirty face! All boy...

And Exhibit Number 3, Miss Keelin Grace, the woman of the hour. Well, the 2-year-old of the hour, at least! We celebrated her second birthday today and Misty got her to smile for me here, in between bites of Doritos!

5 of the 7 (soon to be 8) Noyes grandchildren. Even though nobody's really looking at the camera here, I think it's a really good shot. They're all kind of doing their own thing...but what else do you expect with 5 kids this young?

Can't wait till I can do this with photos of my own kids!

dum, dum, da dum...

I took a lot of flack for this:

I am not superstitious is any way. However, I am a firm believer in the groom not seeing the bride in the wedding gown before she walks down the aisle. Call it tradition, call it sentimentality, call it what you will. I was determined not to see my fiance on the day of our wedding before the double doors opened and the wedding march began.

However...

What's the harm in a little phone conversation? John and I have always been very 'communicative'...if that's the right term. We talk on the phone all the time. Not necessarily long, drawn-out conversations. That's never really been the case. But he's always been the type to call me a lot just to check in, to let me know what's going on, or to see what's happening with me. So why not on the morning of our wedding?

Our ceremony didn't begin until 5:30pm, so that left a long day of primping and preparing. It was only natural to talk on the phone with John a few times. But if I recall correctly (this was almost 3 years ago) my sisters were adamantly against me talking to him on the day of our wedding. What's the big deal???

Here are a few other pictures from our wedding. I was given these pictures after the wedding, and I'm not sure who took them...so if you took them and you want credit, let me know!! All photos are unedited....that's my next project. :)

John & I with his best man, Sean, and my maid- and matron-of-honor, Christine & Sarah (my sisters)

The guys

The girls

I'm pretty sure this picture was taken by Mike Moriarty...

Aren't I Awesome?

So I just wanted to show off my mad photo editing skills. Ok, I know I'm not that good. Truthfully, I'd only edited 2 photos before the previous photos I posted of Caleb & Zachary. But I thought I'd post the originals so you could see the difference!

Big differences, right? I'm so proud of myself. I'm going to work on pictures of Olivia tomorrow...

Speaking of tomorrow...we're off to the lake! Can't wait to have a few days of sun, waves and relaxation. We'll be coming home each night though, so I'll be checking in. :)

And make sure you check back here next Monday...I'll be starting a weekly blog extravaganza!! It's called Not Me! Monday and it all started with MckMama. I'm excited to join in the fun. I bet you can't wait to see what I'm not gonna do!

I guess that's all. Time for me and Zoe to hit the sack.

Fourth Fun

I spent my 4th of July at a couple parties...and lucky for me these 2 gorgeous boys were at both! Ok, yes, they're my nephews. And yes, I've taken tons of pictures of them in the short time they've been around! But let me just say...I never get bored of taking their pictures, editing their pictures (even though I just started that!) or looking at their pictures! And I really never get bored of spending time with them! I love them to bits, and these pictures are just a little snippet into their spunky, happy personalities!

This is Caleb, 2 and a 1/2 years old. Spitting image of my brother, his Dad.


This is Zachary, 10 and a 1/2 months. Exact replica of his Mama!

photos edited by me using picnik.

daycare etiquette

I've often thought that someday, when I have the time, when I'm not working or anything else, I'd like to write a book. I loved writing when I was little. I used to write shorts stories and the like. Over the past several years my mind has taken a different route...I'd like to write a book about daycare. More specifically, daycare etiquette. A book for parents, from a caregiver's point of view. Names will be changed to protect the guilty, er, innocent.

I would encourage parents to drop and run. Prolonging the goodbye does not make it easier. It's actually the opposite. Take it from me, I've seen how it works!

I would tell parents to watch the weather. Don't dress your child in a sweatsuit when it's going to be 80 degrees. On the same note, don't bring 3 changes of clothes (so I can change the child, depending on what the weather does) and then yell at me when I don't choose the right outfit to put on. Layers, people. We all do it.

Don't interrogate us about why we're using so many diapers. Don't be upset when we seem to not be using enough.

Don't come in bright and early and tell me that you were going to keep them home today. Then why didn't you???

Pretend to give a crap about what we did today. Even if you don't really care. We work hard to do fun things with your kids. Read our notes and act like you care!

Unless your child has a doctor's appointment, don't drop them off during nap! If you "just wanted to spend a few extra hours with them," keep them home the whole day! Or pick them up early!

Daycares have a closing time. It's not a suggestion. We've been here working all day. Just because you don't want to hurry home, doesn't mean that we don't want to. Show up before closing time!

Show a little appreciation. Yes, we're getting paid for what we do. It's our job. But everybody who works with kids has bad days, stress and headaches. We're taking care of your most precious possession. It never ceases to amaze me how good I feel when parents voice their appreciation for all our hard work.

I may add more to this later...

after-hours

Last night John needed to pick up some hamburgers and cheese to grill at work today. Hannaford is open 24 hours, and it was almost midnight, so we stopped there. As we walked in, John leaned over and said, "You're sure they're open 24 hours?" I glanced around and saw another shopper, so I affirmed that yes, I was sure they were still open. However, they didn't look it!

Have you ever been to a grocery store at midnight? I had not. Maybe this is a usual occurrence, or maybe it was because it was Independence Day Eve. But the store was in shambles! The freezer aisle was filled with boxes, empty and yet-to-be-emptied. We could hardly make it down the aisle! There was a kid there working like a maniac. I wish I could have heard what was playing on his iPod. There was a guy with a HUGE broom sweeping the aisles. I guess a 24-hour store needs to clean sometime. It was strange though. Some of the lights were out. I don't know if they just try to conserve energy at night when there are less shoppers...??

There were only a couple other patrons that I saw. Right as we were headed to the one-and-only checkout lane, a couple girls came in the door and got right in line in front of us. With no items. I knew that was a bad sign. They wanted smokes. And they couldn't figure out which ones they wanted. And the guy had to go to another lane to get the cigarettes. And once he did get them, the girl decided she wanted 2 packs of that particular brand instead of one. So he had to go back and get more. I was so annoyed. It was probably a good 5 minutes we stood there waiting for them. I don't know why it annoyed me so bad...maybe because it was midnight. Maybe because there was only one lane open. Maybe because the cashier was taking his sweet time. Finally we were able to check out and get out of there.

I can see doing my big grocery shopping at midnight. There's basically no one else in the store. But the one lane thing is annoying...say I have a cart full of groceries being rung out, then someone comes up with 1 or 2 items. I would feel really bad.

Don't know why I'm so concerned with grocery store etiquette today.

Happy 4th of July to all! Enjoy the festivities and stay safe!

Rochester

John and I took a weekend trip to Rochester last week with his parents and sister. We went Friday for John's cousin's graduation party. On Saturday we had breakfast at Denny's. Then John rode along with his cousin Joe who's a paramedic, while the rest of us went to Harbor Fest, shopped at Wegman's and visited a winery. Then we had dinner for my Mother-in-law's birthday and went to a baseball game! On Sunday we headed home. It was a great weekend! Here are some pictures:

Mom & Kristen, on the way to Mike's party

John & I at Aunt Anne-Pat's house


Joe & John, saving the city


John, Dad & Joe, with Joe's paramedic fly car

Mom, Kristen, me & Aunt Anne-Pat

Me, Mom & Kristen at Lake Ontario

John & I at the winery

Triple A Twins team playing Triple A Yankees team

John & I at the game (cell phone picture)

John's parents at the game (cell phone picture)

Fireworks after the game! (both cell phone pictures)