I'm so happy the weekend is here. This was a short week, but somehow it seemed even longer than usual. We don't have much planned, which is a relief because the past few weekends have been packed with fun. I have some laundry to catch up on, and Christmas really needs to be packed away, but that's about all I plan to do.

Last Friday Natalie came over with the girls, and at the last minute Gary called and asked if we would mind his and Ava's company for dinner as well. Being a family that strongly believes in "the more the merrier," we of course did not mind. It was great seeing them since it has been too long since I've seen Ava. I missed that little bugger like crazy. I invited them all to come back again the next night for New Year's Eve, and told Gary to pack clothes for himself and Ava and plan to stay over, which he did. We had a small crowd on New Year's Eve - Greg, Sue and Sophie; Gary and Ava; Natalie, Carolynn, Grace, Kristen and Chris; a couple of Abby's friends; and my in-laws were all here. After a head count we realized the adults were completely outnumbered by kids. It was a fun night, especially since, for the first year, all the kids managed to stay awake until midnight to celebrate. The next morning, we woke up, ate breakfast, and straightened up the house to start the party all over again. Jay and Lisa were on their way over with the boys, and since Gary had already been living here for two days, we told him he may as well keep it going and stay for a third! He and Ava stayed and Norah's cousin (also named Ava) came over to hang out. At the end of the day, the adults (which at this point were just George and me) were once again outnumbered when Jayson and Jayme asked to stay over along with Norah's cousin Ava. George was off from work the next day so I didn't mind. Not that it would have mattered if he wasn't off from work since it's not very often that there is not a group of close to a dozen kids here. Despite the gang of kids on this particular Monday, and the continued preparing, serving and cleaning up of constant meals for more than a dozen people for four straight days, I did manage to squeeze in a few moments to sit back and take in the scene of all the happy, laughing kids, that to some may seem chaotic and stressful, but to me was a glimpse of a weekend I hope my kids will remember for many years to come, and I only hope we can recreate the same scene again next year.

Finding, and keeping, the resolution willpower.

Turn out the lights,
The party's over.
They say that all good things must end.
Call it a night,
The party's over,
And tomorrow starts the same old thing again.

Happy New Year to all. It seems that everyone is creating their usual new years resolutions list, and I am no exception. But resolutions are made to be broken, and I'm tired of setting myself up for failure. I could bore myself, yet again, with how many pounds I resolve to lose, the closets I plan to organize, or the extra time I would like to put aside for family and friends, but it would be a bit cliche for me to claim these asseverations once again. I need something a bit fresher and more updated this year, so I have come up with a few feasible ideas and jotted them down:

1. Go back to school. A very important, and workable one. My goal is to be enrolled by the spring semester.

2. Volunteer my time one night a week to a shorthanded charity organization. Something that would bring myself a little self-satisfaction at the end of the day. Maybe a nursing home, or the children's hospital.

3. Go to more shows. Theater, ballet, movies, concerts, etc...

4. Take an interest in creative photography. Not just endlessly snapping photos of my children. I'd like to try still life and maybe some candid shots of unsuspecting strangers...

So these are my resolutions for 2007. Check back in February to see if I've kept or broken them.

The day after.

After the many weeks spent carefully maneuvering through the stores, chockablock with overwrought shoppers; the days of meticulously wrapping dozens of asymmetrical boxes; and the hours of cleaning, organizing and decorating, Christmas came and went in, well... a day.

At about 7:15 on Christmas morning, I heard four little feet come bounding down the stairs, letting out squeals of excitement when Santa's stopover was confirmed by the many packages under the tree. The kids headed for their stockings hanging from the mantel, making sure Santa remembered to fill them with candies and other goodies, then quickly returned to the tree to check out the tags on the boxes, trying to sort out whose present were whose. Next came the forethought of waking George and me, who felt as if we had just closed our eyes only moments ago. I could hear them whispering from the other room:

Abby: Ok, first we have to tiptoe into Mom and Dad's room. And then... HEY! LOOK GEORGIE! THIS ONE'S MINE!!! SEE IT HAS MY NAME ON IT, AND IT'S THE BIGGEST ONE!

Georgie: Yeah, Ab. I see... HEY! THIS ONE SAYS NORAH! WOW! I CAN READ THAT, SEE?!

A: Ok, alright. So when we get to their room, you wake Dad... No. Wait. I'll wake Dad, and you wake Mom, Ok?

G: Ok!

A: Remember. Tiptoe! And you wake Mommy! Ok?

G: Ok, Ab.

A: SHHHHH!

G: O-kay AB!!

(I don't know why she insisted on tiptoeing. Wasn't the point of coming in to wake us?)

After being pounced on repeatedly, I did my best to hold back the wired masses for 30 tortuous minutes, until pulling a groggy Norah out of her crib. And then the ravenous attack on the presents began!

***************
When every last gift was opened and admired, Abby said, "I got everything I wanted in my WHOLE life!" (Whew!)

Georgie was too busy playing with Norah's new toys to care about his shiny new playthings - which worked out well, because...

Norah, the 18 month old baby, kept throwing all of her toys back into the bags. She had no interest in her new puzzles, books, dolls, or other extravagant toys. Instead, she spent the morning clutching her new shirts and dresses. She tried on her new shoes, and admired her new embellished jeans. She ripped open the packs of socks and onsies, and tried on the new clips for her hair. I think Santa may need to rethink (and re-budget) his gifts for next year for this little fashion diva.

Today, I am spending my day collecting shreds of crumpled paper, cursing wire twist ties, and sorting micro-sized pieces and parts from god-knows what toy sets. As I work, I hear my children hard at play - figuring out their new games, breaking in new dolls and action figures, and laughing at each other while garbed in their new dress-up clothes! It is a reward to know that what I have been working for the last few tiresome weeks, has finally paid off tremendously. We should do this again. Maybe this time next year?

Merry Christmas, friends!

Abby's school held their annual Christmas pageant on Wednesday, and there was one song that was rather touching. After the show, and referring to this particular song, Abby asked me, "Hey Mom! Did you cry your eyes out when we sang that slow song?" I guess the teachers were going for this effect, and explained to the kids their motive. So when she asked, I had to laugh sentimentally, and of course tell her that I did cry my eyes out.

"In fact," I said to her, "There wasn't a dry eye in the house." I knew this was especially true for George, who did actually get a bit choked up during the performance.

She was quite pleased with herself, and with the rest of her class. They worked really hard on their show for weeks, and in the end, their efforts and many practices paid off. The show was a hit!

The pageant at school got my spirit jumping, and now the excitement of the next few days is staring to creep up on me. I figure by tonight, when the tree is finally standing and decorated, I will be acting like a 9 year old again, as I tend to regress every year at this time. The kids, of course, couldn't be more charged, and are getting a tad impatient with the wait.

I keep reminding them, "Only two (and a half) more days until Christmas. It really is almost here!" I remember the anticipation, and when I think back to the years when I was an exuberant child - tearing frantically into my gifts on that one magical morning of the year, hoping and praying for the perfect toy. The feelings of jubliance come right back again when I watch my own children's faces light up with curiosity and wonder to see the many packages under the tree, these packages that were absent when they headed up to bed the night before. I relate to their utter elation when they realize that Santa has visited their home to grant their every wish.

Since becoming a mother, Christmas has taken on a whole new meaning for me. It's not about life on the receiving end anymore; the meaning has, by far, surpassed that. It's more rewarding than I could ever imagined, to give these memories to my children and live these precious moments with them.

The holidays always add warmth during the coldest winter days. May you have everything and everyone you need to make this year the warmest Christmas and happiest New Year, and I hope this holiday season brings you health, happiness and great memories to cherish.

Merry Christmas!

A little less likely to panic.

So with only three more days, I have gotten a few things checked off my last-minute list.

1. Buy gifts for a "few" more people.
My naughty or nice list is checked off, finally. All gifts bought and tagged.

2. Find a Christmas tree.
My Christmas tree has been found. It is across the street in my in-laws' attic. (We are borrowing their artificial tree, since they are not using it this year.)

3. Stand and decorate this aforementioned tree we are still lacking.
Well, the tree is not standing, and is obviously not decorated, but I have located the decorations for the tree in the garage, and they are ready to be displayed. You would know, that in itself is an accomplishment, if you have ever seen my garage!

4. Wrap EVERY gift.
Every last one of gifts still needs to be wrapped. All 197 of them.

5. Oh, that reminds me. Buy wrapping paper, since I have none.
But atleast I now have wrapping paper.

6. Buy Christmas dresses for the girls.
I found an adorable dress for Norah. Still nothing for Abby. Maybe Georgie will open something appropriate on Christmas morning from his grandparents to change into, since I seem to have excluded him entirely from my wardrobe concerns.

7. Send Christmas cards. I think it will be a modest - not so modish - email greeting this year.
The holiday greetings have been emailed.


All in all, I'm in pretty good shape. I can totally do this!

Panicked? Nah, not yet anyway.

Christmas is upon me, and you too I suppose. Only 4 more days. Am I ready? Let's see. Off the top of my head, I still have to:

1. Buy gifts for a "few" more people. (That may be a little under-exaggerated.)

2. Find a Christmas tree.

3. Stand and decorate this aforementioned tree we are still lacking.

4. Wrap EVERY gift.

5. Oh, that reminds me. Buy wrapping paper, since I have none.

6. Buy Christmas dresses for the girls. (I think they may be celebrating the day "dress-casual.")

7. Send Christmas cards. I think it will be a modest - not so modish - email greeting this year.

Can I do it in 4 days? Hey, I'm early this year. I don't usually start my shopping until Christmas Eve, so I am way ahead of the game.

I'm not very much in the spirit.

How am I supposed to get in the mood to decorate for Christmas when Mother Nature has misplaced her seasons schedule? We have completely skipped over Winter, and have gone straight to Spring. I'm not really complaining because I certainly enjoy these beautiful days in the yard. I'm just saying - it's not beginning to look (or feel) a lot like Christmas at all.

Edited to add: Yes, I understand the consequences of such a wish. I know I will regret this wretched hex I have just put upon myself and the good people in my part of the country. When the temperatures drop below freezing and the snow has fallen up to our necks, I will mourn for this day.

Busiest time of the year.

It was George and my anniversary yesterday. We spent last night looking at a house and afterwards we headed over to Denise's for Sean's birthday. George is at his company party tonight, and tomorrow we might go out for dinner - as long as Denise and Annie are still volunteering to watch the kids! My mom gave us a gift certificate for Villa Barone, so we may eat there for a post-anniversary celebration. George will not be home on Friday - he has another Xmas party, and Saturday we are looking at more houses! Possibly on Sunday, George is going to help Gary move some of his stuff into his new house. Busy, busy. I have to squeeze in studying and shopping somewhere too. My finals are coming up in a few days, and I have not even opened my notes yet! I am only done the kids shopping, and I still have to finish everyone else on my list. I will be happy when Christmas is over, and I can just sit back and relax for a day or two before I start getting this house ready to sell, and some of our stuff organized to move!

George loved the house we looked at yesterday, and I really liked it too... It's in our price range, and we loved the family room: it's 24' x 24'!! It's a huge room. We're going to look at a couple more houses, and we'll decide from there. Tune in again for more updates!!

Happy Fourth of July! Hooray!! I love fireworks!!

An update for the month

Well, hooray, hooray!! School ended last month for me until next September!! I'm not taking any classes this semester due to the circumstance of pregnancy! Classes end too close to my due date. I was a little worried about my English final. I had to write a five-hundred word essay from memory - no notes or outlines allowed during the final- on one of three controversial topics. The first topic was about anti-Semitism and why Jew-haters hate Jews, which I was not about to even attempt, being that my teacher is Jewish. The second was on the differences between the Protestant and Catholic religions, and the beef between the two groups. The third was about what blacks and whites hate about each other, and the long time battle between the two races. Eesh! I wrote mine on the latter of the three. Anywho, it turns out I was worried over nothing! My grades came in the mail... turns out I got an A in Sociology and an A in English, leaving my current GPA intact at a 4.0!! Hip hip hooray for me!

Christmas was fun this year! Abby was so much more involved this year, more than any other year and was so excited. We emailed Santa her wishlist, and she even put one together for Georgie! (I know, emailing Santa! Who knew?) Anyway, she got her exercise Care Bear, and many other toys... Georgie got the train set that Abby said he wanted. She left cookies and chocolate milk for Santa, which I'm sure he enjoyed very much... no regular milk at this house!

Georgie is talking more... his current words are: dad(dy), mom(my), Abby, baby, ba-ba, yea!, yeah, no, eat, go, ball, football, yum, hello, bye-bye, and during Sunday's Eagles game, he kept saying: "Go, go Eagles!" (if I think of any more, I will add them in later.)

We had about a foot of snow come down over the weekend, which Abby loved! (Georgie, not so much.) I spent the longest two-and-a-half hours of my life freezing in the cold while she played in the snow, making snow angels, snow pillows to sleep on(?), and she was digging and digging forever. The pictures are on our photo website, if you're interested.
sleeping in the snow?! 
That's all for updating now... I have to make something for dinner. Hopefully the only thing I will be making is a phone call for take-out. I'm too tired to cook!

By the way, here's a picture of the ultrsound we had done three days before x-mas (and no, we still don't know if it's a boy/girl! I'm looking forward to being surprised!)
"Baby #3" (head is on the right)