Happy Anniversary

Well, it has been 6 years... of marriage that is. We have been together for 9 years! Wow, a lot can happen in 9 years...











Wedding proposals from the top of the Prudential: 1
Kids: 2.75
Guests at wedding: 14
Houses owned: 2
Apartments: 4
Towns lived in: 4
Foreign countries visited together: 1 (Canada)
German exchange students: 1
Cats: 3
Jobs: 7
College classes completed: 20
Dance recitals attended: 10
Nannies: 2
Sailing expeditions: 1
Times we have been alone overnight since birth of 2 children: 2
Decks built:1
Rooms painted: 21
Kitchens built: 1
Cars owned: 5
Ipods owned: 6
Broadway shows: 2
Trips to the ER: 4
Date of first date: 9/9/99
New living room sets purchased: 1
New beds purchased: 1
Computers owned: 5
Photos of our family: approx. 4000
Piercings received: 6
Plane trips for children: 1
Apples picked: dozens
Birthday cakes dropped on floor: 1
6 foot stuffed lizard given as gift: 1
Years in piano lessons: 1
Years living apart due to work: 1.5
Cards, poems & other writings penned for each other: to fill a trunk
Times Michele has been told "Ariana (and/or Annika) acts JUST like her father: countless (YIKES!)
Parenting books owned: 6
Dan Zanes concerts: 2
Wiggles concerts: 1
Ani concerts: 3
Buffett concerts: 2
9 Inch Nails concerts while quite pregnant: 1
Children started on fire: 1
Children fallen down stairs: 2
Children with stitches: 1
Number of the family members who dares to parasail: 1
Times Ariana cut her own hair: 4
Times Ariana has cut her sisters hair (so far): 1



It is a long winding road, but the trip sure is fun!

Late Breaking Update

I seemed to have found a random WiFi signal here on the lake, so I will post a quick update...

I had my 30th ultrasound on Monday, which showed she is the perfect size, approximately 5 pounds. BUT, she is transverse! That means, she has 2 weeks to get her head down or I will have to go into the hospital for a painful procedure that includes me being manhandled to manipulate her into position. I really do not want to do that, I have had such luck with easy deliveries with the first 2! But this does explain why I have felt like she is taking up my whole body... she is!!! This is what is making me so uncomfortable, I knew it wasn't this bad with the other 2.

We are having a wonderful vacation on the lake, although it has rained every day. The kids are having a blast and we are just content to relax and not have any responsibilities! We have had a few guests, which is really nice and we have enjoyed a lot of quiet time. I have read at least 10 magazines & almost finished 2 books. Colby & I have played each other around a dozen trivia games on the Wii (I think we are currently tied in the tournament) We are all not looking forward to going home, but we still have 3 full days of vacation to enjoy... so ta ta for now!

DISorganization

This is a post concerning one of my pet peeves... disorganized people. This peeve started in the workplace, because working with disorganized people can be one of the most frustrating parts of any job. My peeve was even further magnified once Ariana started school. I swear that every person affiliated with her school, from the PTA members to all of her sports coaches, have no organizational skills whatsoever! Case in point: She brought home the notice of signups for the fall soccer program yesterday... the signups were last Tuesday and next Tuesday!!! Since we will be on vacation next Tuesday, last Tuesday would have been the day would have needed to sign up... had we received the notice!!! The school is infamous for sending notes home that there is an event schedule the next day... how the heck can a working family plan ahead, take time off from work, etc, with one days notice??? Luckily, both of my jobs are very flexible, but I am sure I am in the minority.

I am also haunted by disorganization in my private life... it's hard when certain family members can't remember appointments or organize their own time! (You know who you are!) I also hate it when people don't RSVP... those of us who are obsessed with organization need to plan ahead and when you just show up at a kids birthday party without RSVPing, it is off-putting.

Anyhow, that is just the beginning of my peeve, but enough said....

The End, My Friend

Well, that's it... it's over. I was sitting here watching 'A Baby Story' when my TV went out. No more cable. Moments later, there was a knock at the door and in walked the cable man to take our prized cable boxes. The most annoying part... I no longer have a clock in my living room! Now I need to buy a clock.

I was talking to our married friends over the past weekend about our choice to remove cable... 2 days later, Colby's cell phone rang pretty late at night. It was the husband from the aforementioned couple. "This must be important," Colby said, as we do not typically get many calls at night at our house.

"Tell Michele thanks," the voice on the other end of the phone pouted. "I just got the news we are getting rid of our cable for the summer!"

Let me remind everyone... it was initially Colby's idea to get rid of cable. Unfortunately (for him), I am quick to take action, which didn't leave him room to rethink, which he is now regretting. So, we will see how it works out.

Space Invader

For those of you who took anatomy class, you would probably agree that there is not a lot of 'extra' room in the human body. There are not random pockets of space waiting to be filled. So, why is it that nature thinks we can squeeze a whole extra human into a females torso??? Yes, your belly skin stretches out a little, but that is not nearly enough room for a whole other person. My particular little person has decided to just take the space she needs... which leaves no room for my important organs, such as ribs, lungs, bladder, etc. I can see why the doctors are finding my belly measuring so small, she is simply usurping my body to do with it as she wants, and as long as i can't eat anything or breathe or hold anything in my bladder over 1 ounce, she is all set!

Ok, Michele, just 6 weeks to go and your body will be yours again....

Flow Free

As I drove towards Maine Friday, I looked in my rearview. Ariana was looking quietly out the window. I looked to Annika- she was looking back at me in the mirror, so I gave her a silent smile. She cocked her head and gave me the most beautiful smile back and it just melted me heart. Ariana broke my trance, "They have a huge field." I looked out the window and saw the bay as we neared the Maine border. There were ships & industrial buildings, but no fields.

"Who has huge fields?"

"Grammy & Grampy."

'Oh', I thought to myself. Where did that come from??? "What made you say that?"

"I was just thinking of going to their house, and in my head, I was thinking of when we get there and looking around and I noticed their big field."

She had just been sitting in the back seat, thinking freely, letting whatever might come into her head come. When is the last time you did that? Whenever I happen to have silence, my mind races... 'I have that door to paint... Ariana has dance tomorrow, did I pay my cable bill yet... I need to sign Ariana up for camp...' etc... etc...

I do not remember the last time I just sat and let my thoughts flow freely. That sounds so fun....

What a Turnoff

In an effort to simplify our lives (if that is at all possible) we are getting rid of our cable tv. We are hoping this will give us a kick in the butt to use our heads a little more. We have found Ariana to be getting sucked more & more into tv everyday. It puts her in some magical trance where everything else on earth suddenly disappears and it scares me.

Along with this we are getting rid of our huge 50" tv, it is just a huge piece of furniture which holds no aesthetic value. It will be nice to not have a tv in our bedroom. When we did not have a tv, Colb & I used to both read before bed every night, I actually had to visit the library pretty frequently to get us new books... since the tv has been in there, I have been on the same book for 3 months! And with the 3rd baby, that will probably be the only time Colb & I can converse without interruption.

Wish us luck.... there might be some withdrawals!

31 Weeks

Here is the view from above when looking down at a baby 31 weeks into gestation. At this point there are a lot of back aches, there is no way to be comfortable, I can feel random extremities pushing out on all parts of my abdomen... and the anticipation is really building about meeting my newest angel!

Sweet Sweet Morning

The lilac is a symbol of the emotions of early love and spirituality. I have had the pleasure the last few mornings of waking to the sweet smell of them. This means 2 wonderful things, I am able to sleep with the window open and I am very fortunate to have a beautiful lilac bush blossoming below my window.

Mmmm. spring!

Busy Week

We had an insanely busy week here. Dress rehearsal for Ariana's dance recital, which kept us out until 8:30 on Tuesday. Colby was gone all night Wednesday to a Van Halen concert. Thursday was Ariana's first dance recital, which kept us out until after 10pm. Friday Colb's parents arrived, so we were up late with them watching the Celtics make their way to the championship with the Lakers. And then Saturday was a full day of another recital & dinner with the in-laws. Today Ariana had her piano recital... I got to see my little girl play Beethoven and she was amazing. I just wish I had half her talent.

Needless to say we are all exhausted here and need a nice quite evening to just relax.....