Oh The Funny Things Kids Will Say

This morning at the breakfast table, Samantha was just finishing up her French Toast when we had the following conversation:

Samantha: "I have to go potty!"

Me: "Ok Sam, go ahead and go potty. You've drunk a lot of juice this morning"

Ready?






Samantha: "I'm a wee-wee machine!"

It Seems Like Yesterday...

Today I would like to wish my best friend, my partner in crime, my other half, my better half a very happy anniversary. 6 years ago today we were married at Holy Family Parish in Lewiston, Maine, and it was one of the best decisions I have made in my life.

The weather was perfect...well, maybe a little really hot, but the day itself really was perfect. I remember being so nervous and hoping that our guests would have a great time. But, the morning of, I felt calm, and knew that things were going to go smoothly. I was just so happy that my family and my friends were going to witness the most happiest day of my life...next to the arrival of the Madore-ables of course. Looking back, the only thing I regretted was not having air conditioners at our reception hall.

Little did I know that while I was getting myself all gorgeous and dolled up, (as most brides typically do, hee hee) Jeremy was running around Lewiston doing errands. Can you imagine? Running errands on your wedding day? I found out during our first dance that we forgot about purchasing a unity candle and a cake server. So Jeremy took care of it just a few hours before he met me at the other end of the aisle. Oops! Yeah, that's my amazing hubby...always thinking, and always taking the initiative to get things done.

Today, 6 years later, we're definitely a little wiser. A little older (sorry hun), but the main important thing is now we're not forgetting things like cake servers and unity candles. Instead, our lives are focused now on games of Scrabble, sippy cups, new dinner recipes, trips to the playground or the beach on the weekend with the Madore-ables, "are you all set with everything?" and more importantly "I love you". I know we still have a lot of learning to do, but you know what? We've come such a long way in 6 years.

WARNING!!!! MUSHY, LOVEY, DOVEY MOMENT BELOW!!!

Jere, happy anniversary. 6 years have gone by so quickly. I know things home here can be an "organized chaos", and even then sometimes just plain chaos, but marrying you was the best decision I've made. You've helped me grow and become a better person in so many ways. You gave me 2 beautiful daughters. I thank the good Lord above that we're you and me and not like Deborah & Ray Barone (and I also thank the Lord above a few other dozen times that my in-laws aren't like Frank & Marie Barone too...but don't tell anyone that, hee hee). We've been through quite a bit in the last 6 years, but I know that I/we wouldn't have gotten through it if we weren't together. I love where we're going on this journey, and I want to continue this alongside with you and the girls. Thank you for all that you do for us. Thank you for working so hard so that I can stay home with our Madore-ables so they're not being raised by someone else. Thank you for always keeping me in your thoughts. You are the best husband that a girl could ever ask for, and an amazing father for our two girls.

Happy anniversary sunshine...I love you.

Five Things Friday

5 Things That Have Made Me Smile In the Last Week

1. Sarah is continuing to do VERY well on thin liquids. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! We're going on 2 months now without having to put any Thick-It (food starch) in Sarah's sippy cups, and we're also going on 2 weeks without having to put any baby rice cereal in Sarah's afternoon and nighttime bottles. We're just SO excited about this new accomplishment. Sarah's surgeon told us back in January 2009 that Sarah would eventually outgrow this, but of course it seemed so overwhelming and such a long time to wait for this day. It was a good feeling to send an email to Sarah's specialist/surgeon to share the good news. We just ask for continued prayers for our little monkey :)
2. I've really had a great week with the Madore-ables. We've certainly had a lot of fun adventures. Samantha is at a great age right now where her imagination is running wild and she's catching on to so many things. Sarah is just eager to learn and certainly learns a lot from her big sister, Samantha.
3. So much baby news this past week...not for me, but for former classmates, relatives and friends. Congratulations to Stacy & Bruno, John & Lucie, Ryan & Rachel for your new little arrivals. Congratulations to Christian & Kate, Jon & Catherine, and Will & Nicole for their their soon to be arrivals. HOORAY FOR BABIES!!!
4. Jeremy and I will be celebrating our 6 year anniversary tomorrow. I can't believe where the time has gone, and how far we've come. Nanny will be babysitting the Madore-ables for a few hours so Jere and I can go out to dinner. Jeremy & I don't get too many dates these days, so we're very excited about dinner tomorrow.
5. I recently got my hands on a Rachael Ray magazine and have been drooling over yummy recipes inside. I'm halfway through a project that I started working on forever ago: a schedule for meals. I have so many recipes I want to try, and if I know ahead of time what's going to be cooked during the week, it'll help me prepare and know what to buy at the grocery store. After all, I'm a busy mom these days, so any simplicity would be fabulous in my life.

Life Coming Full Circle...With A Little Bingo In Between

Every Wednesday, my Mom, the Madore-ables and I take a trip to Winchester, Massachusetts to visit my grandfather who's living in a nursing home for a few hours. It's really a fun event. Sometimes we have lunch at Nanny's house, out at Wendy's, or sometimes we have lunch with my grandfather, Grampy. The possibilities are endless!


We started visiting the nursing home in May of 2008 when my grandmother ("Grammy") first became a resident there. Grampy followed soon afterwards. Grammy passed away on April 30th of this year, but we still keep our weekly tradition of going to visit Grampy. Who would have thought the nursing home could be fun? There's so much entertainment to be had! We get to play fun games like Bingo, and crafts. We also know the other residents by name as well and even make our rounds with the girls just to say hi to everyone. Sarah doesn't say much, but always says, "Hi" or "Bye!" and blows lots of kisses. This afternoon, she even played a great game of peek a boo, and "high five" with one of the residents. It really makes me smile to see the other residents smile and laugh when we bring the Madore-ables. I look forward to going each week.


It took having the Madore-ables to realize just how important the little things in life really are. I've been very fortunate to have been able to grow up with my grandparents and have great relationships with them. Now that the girls are here, I hope my girls have great memories with their grandparents as I have with mine.



Here are some photos of me with my grandparents:

And here are some pictures of the Madore-ables with my grandparents:

Splash Pad...Fun For Any Age!

Today I took the Madore-ables to Derry, New Hampshire to Splash Pad. We were joined by my mom and my friend Kerry and her daughter Shannon.

My girls had an absolute blast. I had a blast just watching what they were getting into. First of all, there are so many reasons to like love Splash Pad:

1. Easy to drive to...if you're in the New England area that is. (Sorry out-of-state readers)
2. Plenty of parking (1 medium size parking lot, and 1 large size lot)
3. The parking is separated from the playground area
4. Plenty of playground space (1 large land lot with 2 playgrounds with various types of challenges for all age levels)
5. Plenty of swings
6. Plenty of picnic tables and grass...even a picnic area with a roof for large groups
7. Concession stand
8. Lots of areas to walk and explore
9. Clean bathrooms
10. Clean playground area
11. Everything looks updated, and safe...especially the stairs and the ladders
12. Did I mention Splash Pad is FREE?!?!?

That's just the playground part...I haven't even mentioned the "Splash Pad" part. In case you're wondering, the splash pad is an area with sprinklers, and water jets spraying from the ground. It's honestly just a bunch of fun for any age. "Splash" doesn't even touch the amount of fun the Madore-ables had today...more like "cannon ball".





Here are some photos from the day:

Splash Pad is located off exit 4 off of Interstate 93. If you plug in 14 Humphrey Road in Derry, N.H. into your GPS (if you have one), it will come up. The entrance looks like a long driveway to some one's house, but I assure you, it's not.

The 3-story large playground (red slides) in the foreground, and there's a smaller playground (blue slides) in the background of the photo.

3-story larger playground from a different view

The Splash Pad portion

Another view of the Splash Pad

Smiles were all around at Splash Pad

Sarah was a little timid at first, but she got more daring as the afternoon went on.

I think Sam had fun...don't you?

Morning At The Playground

I took the Madore-ables to the playground this morning before lunch. Sarah has so much fun exploring, and Samantha is just a little social butterfly and becomes friends with any child who appears to be playing nicely. I always enjoy taking the girls to Winnikenni Playground for several reasons:

1. The playground itself is always clean
2. It's the perfect place for a picnic lunch and an afternoon of play
3. The grounds are covered with nice green grass, a small lake (not for swimming) and if you have a sweet tooth, the ice cream truck makes frequent stops.
4. If your children get bored with playing on the playground, there are plenty of walking trails all around to go exploring, and for us Mamas to get some exercise! There's also bike trails and tennis courts too.
5. There a historical castle further into the woods...how exciting is that? Especially for you parents who have children with excellent imaginations.

The girls had a great morning and are napping now as I post this. Boston is scheduled to have some hot and humid weather this coming week, so I'm sure there will be more posts this week featuring "Adventure With the Madore-ables!"

Here are some photos from this morning. (Samantha was too busy socializing to stop for the camera).

Fun At Nanny's House

The Madore-ables and I spend a lot of time at Nanny's house during the week. Everytime it's something different: pool party, trips to the playground or even shopping. Yesterday, Samantha received an extra treat: she was able to wear her chef hat and serve us lunch. What was on the menu you ask? Well, see for yourself!






































































































And while Chef Samantha was creating her fabulous English Muffin Pizzas, Sarah was enjoying her lunch:

Five Things Friday

5 Things That Have Made Me Smile In the Last Week

1. Samantha always has something funny to say. She's going through a phase now where she's not very interested in listening to Mommy and Daddy. Although, she proves to me time and time again that she really does listen even when we don't think she does. Thursday morning we're sitting at the breakfast table and after eating her pineapple, she told me that it tasted "delicious and exquisite". Sam recently watched Eva Longoria on Sesame Street:
   
   
   
   This morning, the girls and I drove to my Mom's house, and like most car rides, we sang several verses of "The Wheels On The Bus". So after singing everything that I could remember, I decided to add my own. "The clown on the bus says HA HA HAAAA...". Samantha started giggling and told me that I was being silly. I responded back with, "You're the silly one you clown!". Without missing a beat, Samantha responds back with, "Mommy, I'm not a clown! I'm a monkey!"
2. Since becoming a mom 3 years ago, one of the many things that I knew that I would look forward to is playing with toys and doing things that I did when I was a child. These last few weeks, I've really been doing a lot of reminiscing of childhood memories. It all started last week when Chantal wrote a great blog about receiving an American Girl Doll catalogue in the mail and wondering if her daughter would enjoy pouring and drooling over the catalogue someday the same way that Chantal did as a child. I've been thinking of things that I enjoyed as a child: baking with my Grammy, coloring with my Mother, and even listening to the radio. Samantha is getting involved in all of these things. She loves to cook and bake, and if we're baking something, she always knows to ask to lick the beaters after we're all done. Sam has also become very interested in music, and who's playing on the cd or the radio in my car. So far, I don't listen to anything more than Christian music when the girls are in the car, but she can definitely identify Newsboys, or Jars of Clay. Sarah has taken a special liking to Play-Doh and crayons. All I can say is I thank God for washable Crayola products.
3. I've lost 25 lbs since January of this year, and I plan on losing more. I told myself that I wanted to wait to lost some more weight before I bought some new clothes, but lately most of my clothes have been 2 sizes to big and falling off of me. It was nice to go to one of my favorite stores earlier in the week to buy some new shirts with the letter "M" on the tag rather than "XL". And as an added bonus? I'm not ashamed to admit it, but I checked out the clearance rack first, and all the shirts that I found and bought were between $5.00-$7.50. BONUS! So I not only feel good, but my wallet does too ;)
4. Samantha has been my little Nancy Drew lately. Seriously, if anybody has lost anything, please call Samantha because she'll find it for you. She finds sippy cups, toys, and even Mommy's keys.
5. I'm just 24 hours away from going to Gillette Stadium to see Bon Jovi in concert. I have been very fortunate to see many musical acts in my life, so I'm very happy and greatful to add such a great band to my list. I'm also very excited to hang out with my friend Lindsey from high school for the night too. Two weekends in a row and I get some girly time! Bon Jovi said it best, "I ain't gonna live forever. I just want to live while I'm alive". WOO HOO!

Oh The Funny Things Kids Will Say

So after dinner last night, Samantha announced that she wanted to go to Carter's Ice Cream for dessert. They have excellent portions for excellent prices...plus, they have stellar mint patty frozen yogurt that tastes just like ice cream. Ahh, I'm drooling just thinking about it, and it's only 8:15 in the morning.

Jeremy and I explained to Sam that we couldn't go to Carter's because Jeremy took the girls on Sunday while I was in Vermont. Then we explained that it also costs money to go to Carter's. So Samantha's response?

"So, let's just go to the bank to get some money!"

Man I love that kid.

Who Needs Calgon? I Had Vermont!

I got to experience quite an event this past weekend. One that can only happen once in a blue moon. One that doesn't happen every day. One that I made sure that I enjoyed every single minute of peace and quiet. I got to experience a fabulous, fun-filled, girls weekend with two of my best friends: Molly & Rachael. Molly's birthday was last week, and she and her family were so gracious to invite me up to their beautiful log cabin on beautiful Lake Eden, Vermont. I tell you, I don't need Calgon to take me away. I don't need a week away to some huge expensive resort in the Hamptons. All I need is a few days away, just a few hours away with some good friends and some laughs.

My weekend started off on Friday morning. I dropped the Madoreables off at my Mom's house. (Thank you as always to Mom for watching the girls). I left my Mom's house and drove to my friend Molly's apartment in central New Hampshire. I had some fantastic tunes on my iPod to keep me company for the 2 hour drive. Bruce, Tony, Jars Of Clay, Kevin, David, Pat, and of course, what would a 2 hour drive be without a little Ann & Nancy? You wouldn't catch me at a karaoke bar, but when it comes to listening to Ann & Nancy Wilson in the car by myself, watch out! I just might sing like no body's around. Pretty soon, the 2 hour drive is over, and I've reached my friend Molly's place. We reached Lake Eden by dinner time on Friday, so there was plenty of sunshine still left. We broke out with the boat on the lake and had a nice relaxing ride around the lake. After a fantastic dinner provided by Molly's mother, Lynne, we made our way out to a nice campfire and made S'Mores. Ahhh. Heaven indeed.

Saturday morning I woke up pretty early, probably because I'm used the girls being up. So, it was nice to listen to the peace and quiet and sit on the front porch. I was so glad to have woken up as early as I did to see the still water on the lake and to just smell the fresh mountain air. There's nothing like it. I read some magazines and actually had time to write down some recipes for future dinner ideas. I took a 3-mile walk with Molly and after Rachael arrived on Saturday afternoon, we took about a 1-mile kayak ride on the lake. The awesome part of the weekend? The saying "time flies when you're having fun". Well, in this case, I was having fun, but time certainly wasn't flying by.

As much as I loved being away from the craziness that all stay at home mom's face, I missed the Madore-ables and Jeremy very much. Especially after the sweet voicemail message I received from Samantha Saturday night. I wish I could have recorded it, because it really sounded cute. Just picture this small, cute voice on the other end of the answering machine saying "I miss you and I love you Mommy. Come home soon!" Unfortunately the ride home wasn't as quick as it was on the way up. When I got home, I found Samantha all cuddled up on my bed with her monkey and her special blanket fast asleep. I was able to scoop her up and plop her into her crib without any argument. The other nice thing I found when I arrived home was another wonderful present from my husband: no dishes in the sink. He washed them all for me :) What a guy. I truly am spoiled.

Thank you to Dave & Lynne for being such wonderful hosts this past weekend. Molly, I hope you had a very Happy Birthday :)

There are a lot of pictures from the weekend, so here's just a sample of my favorites :)

Five Things Friday

5 Things That Have Made Me Smile In the Last Week

1. **FUNNY SAMANTHA ALERT** So last night while I was getting dinner ready for everybody, I decided to put a movie in for the girls to entertain them. I used to love and I STILL love Wallace & Gromit, so I thought Samantha would love the new movie I just bought. I put the movie in, the girls sit on opposite sides of the couch like they always do and just sprawled and lounged about. So after about 5 minutes, I peek in to the living room, and I see the girls are in the same spots as when I left them. Next thing I know, Samantha screams out and starts crying which causes Sarah to start crying. Oh brother, my first thought is Sarah crawled over too close to Samantha on the couch, or Samantha was scared of the movie. So I run over to the DVD player and shut it off immediately. I hug Samantha and asked her what happened. Mind you, Sarah was still on the opposite side of the couch giving me this look as if to say, "What the heck just happened Mommy?". I'm not sure if you're familiar with Wallace & Gromit's, A Close Shave, if you watch just the first 45 seconds of this video, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fV3f7tnZc20) this is why Samantha started crying. She wasn't scared of the video, she was upset that Wallace was dirty because of all the oatmeal. I couldn't help but laugh out loud.
2. Today I'll be heading up to beautiful Lake Eden in Vermont to my friend Molly's parents log cabin for a girls weekend. I'm so excited to have 2 days of nothing but beautiful mountain views, fresh air, peace and quiet and kayaking. I'm going to miss Jeremy and the Madoreables...but this Mama needs a girls weekend with her long time girl friends :)
3. I went to two of my favorite stores this past week: Target and Babies R Us. I am very blessed to have two children who love to go shopping. Samantha loves to go grocery shopping. We have a lot of fun going down the list and playing "Scavenger Hunt". "Samantha? Mommy forgets where the milk is...Sam, do you know where the bread is?" It keeps her distracted and focused which I think helps her tremendously. Sarah likes to be handed the items (non-breakable, non-squishable items of course) and put them in the back of the shopping cart. I was very excited to find several bargain items that I really needed at Target: pack of 4 toothbrushes for $1.79, and a $5.00 Wallace & Gromit movie. I love myself a bargain. Completely epic moment at the cash register.
4. The Madoreables (and me too) had fun playdates this past week with Kerry & her daughter Shannon and Chantal and her babies Bella & Bryson. I went to Middle School and High School with Kerry, so it's been twelve years since we've seen each other. It's so nice to know that familiar faces live so close by where we can get together again. I just recently met Chantal and her beautiful family and look forward to more playdates.
5. I'm still psyched that Jeremy was able to fix my Jeep last weekend. It was nice to drive around this week knowing how fast I was going and above all else, I knew how much gas was in my tank.

Ahhhh...the little things in life that get me through the week :)

A Day At The Water Park...H2Oh So Much Fun!

Today was a fun day for the Madoreables and I. We woke up very early and drove down to Arlington, Massachusetts to meet Trish, (one of the fabulous ladies I walked with this past May in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer) her daughter, Chantal and her two babies: Bella and Bryson. What a great time we had.

The day started off great. I packed our beach bag / outdoor bag last night so that I wouldn't forget anything. I got up earlier than usual to make sure I packed plenty of yummy goodies to eat for our picnic. I laid the girls outfits out and left the sunscreen near the changing table so I wouldn't forget to lather them up. I managed to get them up and dressed in 10 minutes including the sunscreen. I check the clock, 8:05...doing great for time. Ok, shoes are next. I don't bother putting Sarah's shoes on only because I know she's going to pull those shoes off before I stick my key in the ignition. Samantha was excited to wear her new water shoes that we just bought at Target. (To which she proudly announced to anyone and everyone that "Mommy bought my shoes at Target!"). Ok, let's get ready for my mental check list: beach bag / outdoor bag, check. Camera, check. Breakfast to go cups with lids, check. Shoes for Sarah, check. Sippy cups, check. Madoreables, check. Ok, we're good to go. We head down the stairs and out to the driveway. Samantha decides that she wants to take her time getting into the car. I look at the clock again, 8:25. Yikes. I don't have a cell phone, so I can't call Trish. I finally pull up to our meeting spot at 8:40. I hate being late.

The ride down to Arlington thankfully went very smoothly. One of the things that I don't miss now that I'm a stay at home Mom is the early morning Boston traffic. We arrived in Arlington just after 9:00 in one piece. We had a fantastic drive on the way down. Several renditions of "The Wheels On The Bus" and "Where Is Thumbkin" were sung. Several questions of, "Mommy? Who's singing this song [on the radio]?" and "Where are we Mommy?" were asked. And of course, Sarah's newest discovery is when cars are driving alongside at the same speed as I am in another lane, Sarah will yell out "HI" to the other cars and trucks. Not once, or twice, but until the car would pass me, or I would pass the car.

When we arrived at Chantal's house, the girls were very excited to meet the babies and of course meet Chantal. I open the back door and noticed that Sarah needed a diaper change...umm...stat. So, I pull her out of the car seat and follow Samantha and Trish inside Chantal's house and next thing I'm facing is what I'd like to call a "diaper-tastrophe". Need I say more? And while I'm in the middle of changing Sarah and up to my elbows in uhh...baby wipes, Samantha announces, "Mommy! I need to go potty!". To make a long story short, Samantha made it to the potty, and Sarah was changed with no further trauma. I was ready for a nap and it was barely 9:30.

Thankfully, the rest of the day was much more fun and many more smiles were to be had. We arrived at the public water park with front row parking and barely a crowd. The park was all closed in. One half was the water park, and the other half was a beautiful playground. Samantha was a little nervous at first, but she warmed up right away. Sarah was very timid and wanted nothing to do with the water sprayers, but once she found the playground, she wanted nothing to do with Mommy. The weather was absolutely perfect. Not too hot, the water was the perfect temperature. The girls had a great time. We had an early lunch, and by the time we left, it would have been the same time for Madoreables lunch had we been at home. So, by the time we got home, it was actually nap time. Sarah fell asleep just before our exit, but she didn't wake up at all when I pulled her out of the car seat, or when I put her in the crib. She didn't even flinch when I took her shoes off. Sam and I had a great story time, and then she fell asleep. Three hours later, the girls woke up and were well rested. Normally I do bathtime after dinner and right before bed, but I wanted the girls to have more time with my father who came over for dinner. So, I had the girls play in the tub for a little while. It was nice to see my father...the girls were especially excited to see "Bapa". Samantha had a great time showing Bapa her new toys that she got for her birthday.

Here's a few pictures from our day of fun!

My Early Anniversary Present

I don't say it enough, so I'm going to announce on my latest blog that my husband Jeremy is the most fantastic man alive. He's seriously, without a doubt the most thoughtful guy you'll ever meet. He goes to a lot of trouble to make sure that the Madore-ables and I are happy. Once he knows we're happy, and all set, he relaxes or more often than not, he'll go ahead and work on the "to-do" list. Not many husbands go for that extra mile for their wives, but Jeremy always does.

Last weekend, Jeremy crossed off another item off the ever growing "to-do" list. He bought my anniversary present :) Our wedding anniversary isn't until July 31st, but like I said, Jeremy is that good where he just ordered early. When I saw the brown box delivered from the United Postal Service last weekend, I distinctly remember yelling out "YAY" at its arrival. Back in April of this year, we spent a portion of our tax return on a car for me. After 15 months of working off of one car, we thought it was time to add another 4-wheeled child to our family. So after a lot of research, and looking, and dragging our friend Brad up to central New Hampshire to meet the car, we decided on a 2000 Jeep Cherokee Sport. I owned a 1996 Jeep back when Samantha was first born, so I was very excited about the choice. Of course, ANYTHING was better than the crazy vehicle that I owned prior to my Jeep, but that's another story for another blog entry. This is a happy story, and I want to keep it that way. Anyway, when we purchased the Jeep, the previous owner had told Jeremy that there may be some "voltage" problems with the dashboard panel. Not a huge deal. For a few months, I wasn't sure how fast I was driving, or I wasn't aware of how much gas was in the tank...but again that is another story for another blog entry. (Just for the record, I was never pulled over, but I did have to pull over for an empty gas tank). So last weekend when that brown box was delivered, I was very excited as you could imagine. Jeremy's good friend Rob from college was up visiting for the day, and the two of them went outside to install my present.


Most husbands buy jewelery, or a weekend away to a spa, or bed and breakfast for anniversary gifts. No. My husband gave me exactly what I wanted this year for an early anniversary gift:

an Instrument Cluster!





















Now if that's not love, I don't know what is.

Thanks baby :) It's the best present ever. I love you.

Graham Crackers & Bubbles...Mommy's Life Savers

Holy cow, what a day today...nothing bad, but just busy! First off, I'd love to thank the Madore-ables for my extra big treat this morning and letting me sleep in until 9:15 this morning. Normally Sarah wakes up first around 8 and sings in the crib while calling "Dah-deeee" or "Mamamamama". I was shocked when I looked over at the alarm clock and saw those bright red numbers looking back at me. It was nice to wake up watch the news on the t.v for a few minutes and check my email and read my friends blogs. Ahhhh, it was wonderful. Some people can't start their day without a cup of coffee, I can't start my day without hearing some amazing music from Sarah. Definitely something you can't download off of ITunes, but I do wish I had something to record her with. I think it would be very cool to hear her years down the road and say, "This is what you sounded like when you were a toddler".

After the girls were awake and had breakfast, we ventured out to Salem, New Hampshire to visit one of my favorite stores: Babies R Us. I tell you, if I worked in that store, I would not bring home a paycheck. I'd be spending it all on cute clothes, or fun "makes Mom's life easy" gadgets. No, instead I was the mature, responsible Mommy today and bought diapers and baby wipes instead. Ok, I splurged a little and bought some new sippy cups too. I love it when the cashier hands me those little coupon books at the end of the transaction. I especially love those coupons that say, "Save 20% on anything in the store". The only bummer about those coupons is that the stuff that I really buy on a regular basis and would love to save 20% are the things listed in tiny type at the bottom of the coupon saying what I can't use the coupon towards. Maybe that's God's way of telling me to spend economically.

After Babies R Us, and after singing "Row Row Row Your Boat" and "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Old MacDonald's Farm" twice we arrived at Nanny's house for lunch. We then hit Market Basket to do some grocery shopping. I figured we'd be in and out in about an hour, right? Good lord was I wrong. For a Monday, it was busier than usual. The girls were antsy, and of course everyone and his mother, brother and dog's mailman was at Market Basket when we arrived. Then we get to the checkout lane and my brain flips on, and I realize that I still hadn't bought meat. Oh boy. This involved turning around and going to the opposite side of the store to get meats for the grill. Once I managed to grab what I wanted, we walked back to the checkout lanes. The girls were super bored and cranky by then, but luckily a box of cinnamon graham crackers were on the top of my grocery pile in the cart and the world was happy and silent once again.

Once we hit home, I remembered that Jeremy was going to be late coming home. He needed to do a vinyl job and wouldn't be home until at least 8 o'clock. I prepared dinner while the girls were watching some "old school" Sesame Street on DVD. Once we finished dinner, the girls got to be cranky again and then I remembered my saving grace. Samantha received a fantastic birthday gift from "Auntie" Molly...a bubble blower gun. Big thumbs up from this Mom for several reasons: (1) Because who doesn't love a gazillion bubbles all at once? (2) Watching the girls smile while squeezing the trigger on these things was so worth it and finally, (3) Crankiness be gone! Smiles all around...including Mommy. I learned something today. Some parents buy expensive toys to keep their kids entertained...all I really need is a box of graham crackers and a bubble gun.

Some photos of the girls and their oodles of bubbles:

It's Madore-able...Family Style!

I hope everyone had a great weekend. We certainly had a great one. Jeremy's friend Rob from college came to visit us and stayed for dinner on Saturday. My girls loved seeing a new face, and of course loved having someone new to play with. Thanks again for coming to visit Rob :)

Today (Sunday) the Madoreables, Jeremy and I drove to Winslow Park in Freeport, Maine to celebrate my father-in-law's 61st birthday...but don't tell him I announced that ;) We had a great time even in the drizzly rain. Thankfully, two of Jeremy's brothers brought large "pop up" tents and we were all able to huddle underneath to keep dry. Jeremy comes from a large family, so when we get together, there's a ton of food, a lot of laughs and good conversation. Samantha and Sarah had a great time playing with their cousins.

After we left Freeport, we had a nice drive home. Thankfully our girls are fantastic passengers. Sarah was asleep in her carseat after 10 minutes of being en route, and Sam played with her new laptop that Jason & Rachael gave to her for her birthday last week for the entire way home. (By the way, this laptop receives a big recommendation from me to any mom who's kids are learning their ABC's & 123's. 2 thumbs up from this Mom). Once we hit home, I ran inside real quick to grab some leftover hotdog/hamburger buns and we went to Newburyport, Mass to feed the ducks. Well, unfortunately the ducks already had their dinner, so they had no interest in our sustanence...however, the fish were very happy to eat the bread that was being thrown to them. Samantha was quite intrigued at the fact the fish were eating the bread so quickly. Afterwards, we drove home for a quick splash in the bathtub, some story time, bottles and lights out. These girls had a long, but fun day! Time to rest up and do lots of errands with Mommy tomorrow!

Here are some photos from Sunday:

Fantastic menu as always when we get together...
















My sister-in-law Cathy made some YUMMY whoopie pies...chocolate and vanilla.
















My sister-in-law Jessica made a YUMMY home made cheese cake.
















I did manage to sneak a picture of Samantha just before lunch























Sarah playing on the playground at Winslow Park
















Samantha and her cousin Anna taking a ride on this crazy, teeter totter, bouncy thing at Winslow Park. Well, whatever you would like to call it, I think they had a pretty good time on it...don't you agree?
















Hmmm...I don't know...let's look at another picture to be sure there's plenty of fun going on here
YUP!

















As of today, there are 20 Madore grandchildren in total (17 were at today's picnic/cookout, and 3 live in Pittsburgh, PA who couldn't be with us today.) There are 2 more on the way...one due in September 2010 and one in January 2011.
















Sarah snoozed the entire ride home tonight.

























Samantha feeding the ducks...who we found out really weren't hungry after all. The fish had a great snack instead.
























Sarah trying to get a better view of the ducks.

Five Things Friday

5 Things That Have Made Me Smile In the Last Week

1. I just found out this morning that I'm going to see Bon Jovi with a friend of mine from High School on 7/24 at Gillette Stadium out in Western Massachusetts...I more than smiled, I did a little happy dance.
2. Tomorrow is my father-in-law's birthday and we'll be heading to Maine on Sunday to celebrate and visit with the family. It's been a few months since we've made the trek, so it'll be nice to see everyone. The girls are great car travelers too...especially if they know there are some Dunkin Donut's Munchkins involved.
3. It took me about a week, but I finally finished watching 1985's "Live Aid" concert. The entire concert (both from Wembley Stadium in London and John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philly) was on 4-DVD's. For those of you who don't know me, I am a HUGE 80's music fan, so I was in my element the entire time. (Thank you to Paul for letting me borrow it).
4. I have officially lost 25 lbs since January 9th...never thought it would be possible, but being married to someone like Jeremy and having two little cuties under my roof, they're all the motivation I need to keep going.
5. It's been at least 4 weeks since we have added any food starch to Sarah's sippy cups. Sarah was born with an abnormally shaped epiglottis ("Laryngomalacia") where she aspirates fluids into her lungs. When she was a month old, Sarah had a "Supraglottoplasty" performed on her where she was required to have a nasal gastric (NG) tube inserted down her throat about about a month. After Sarah had the NG tube removed when she was about 2 1/2 months old, we were told that we could remedy the situation by adding a couple tablespoons of baby rice cereal to her bottles. We started adding food starch to Sarah's sippy cups when she was about 5 or 6 months old. If we thicken her liquids, there's no problem...it's plain liquids is what she would aspirate on. Now, we have actually eliminated adding the food starch to the sippys and pretty soon will attempt to start reducing the amount of rice we put in Sarah's bottles. I've also stopped making baby food/puree too now that Sarah is eating more solid foods. We're so very excited about this new milestone. Sarah will continue to be an outgoing patient at Boston Children's Hospital until further notice. She won't have to go until September 25th for a check up. Jeremy and I were told back when Sarah was first diagnosed back in January 2009 that Sarah will eventually grow out of this, so we're hoping this is the beginning of the end of Sarah's trips to Children's Hospital.

It's the small things that make me smile and get me through the day...

A Playdate, A Heatwave & An Air Conditioner

Today I took the girls and met up with two of my college friends (Christine & Sarah) and their children (Abigail and Mackenzie) for a playdate / picnic lunch at Roby Park in Nashua, NH. We had a great time getting together. What a beautiful playground, I highly recommend it, especially if you like playgrounds that are fenced in. There's plenty of parking, and plenty of room for picnicking. Two thumbs up from this Mom.

Everything went perfectly today except for the weather. No, it didn't downpour. There weren't any thunderstorms or thundershowers. Instead, Boston is experiencing the first heatwave of the Summer of 2010. Sam & Sarah had a great time playing, but the heat really made them cranky. Oh, who am I kidding? I can safely speak for myself, and Christine & Sarah and the girls that we were all hot and sweaty and cranky. You know it's hot when you're just sitting down eating your lunch, and the sweat is just running down your forehead. Thankfully, my friend Christine's mother, Judy lives in Nashua, and had a very nice, air conditioned home just waiting for us at our disposal. Well, as much fun as the park was, we decided to dash to our cars and head on over to Judy's house. Judy was well prepared for activities for our girls. She saved Christine's "Little People" school house, and the farm house from when she was a child. Plus, she also had wooden blocks, large plastic containers and wooden spoons...the most simple of toys which provided hours of entertainment for the girls today. Happy children = happy mommies/friends who can talk and catch up on life. I tell you, it was fabulous. Special thank you to Judy for hosting our playdate soiree!

Here are some of my favorite images from the day:

(You can click on the photo to enlarge it)

Samantha Visits The Pediatrician

So this morning was Samantha's 3-year pediatrician ("pedi") appointment. Sam did a fantastic job at answering the doctor's questions, and following the doctor's directions too. I cannot believe what a difference a year makes. Samantha was able to:

1. Identify her ABC's
2. Identify her 123's
3. Identify her colors
4. Identify a bunch of shapes...including the rectangle.

The "funny" part of the appointment was when the doctor asked Samantha questions such as, "What's your name" and "What color is my shirt?" Samantha answered them very properly, and in full sentences by saying, "My name is Samantha" or "Your shirt is purple" rather than in 1-worded answers. Then the doctor asked Samantha "Are you a boy or a girl?" Samantha paused for a few seconds and stated very seriously, "Well, I'm not a boy". I had all I could do not to laugh.

Here's Samantha's growth and weight progression since July 2009:

July 2009 (24 month appointment) - 35.75" tall, and 30.75 lbs.

January 2010 (2 1/2 year appointment) - 38.5" tall, and 34 lbs.

July 2010 (3 year appointment) - 41.75" tall, and 36.5 lbs.

Looks like Sam received the height gene from both Jeremy and I, ha ha. Samantha is off the chart for her height, and in the 95th percentile for her weight. Like most pedi appointments, Samantha had to get her Prevnar 13 vaccination today. Thankfully Samantha understood that she may get sick if she doesn't get the vaccine. She cried for about 30 seconds, but once she heard that she could go choose something from the "Treasure Chest", those tears were no more. (The treasure chest is filled with fun little toys and goodies). Samantha chose a jelly bracelet in the shape of a heart. She even told a few of the mothers in the waiting room that she received the bracelet because she was such a good girl and got a shot. This girl cracks me up. Samantha (and Sarah too) were so good with their behavior and not too many tears after the shot was given, they were rewarded with yummy, sticky lollipops in the doctor's office...the "safety kind" of course :) Who knew lollipops could be so entertaining...and so messy? Yuck. I don't allow lollipops in the car for 2 reasons: (1) The safety reason and (2) If they're going to get it on themselves, Lord only knows where else they're going to put it.

The doctor was very happy with Samantha's progress, and said that Samantha doesn't have to come back until next July for her 4 year checkup.

Our Finest Visit Haverhill's Finest

I went through half the day today thinking it was Sunday, and then realized mid-day that it was actually Monday. Being stay at home mom, I find that I forget what day it is. The days just seem to melt into one. I always look forward to the weekends when Jeremy is home. It was a nice treat to have Jere home on a Monday. Jeremy had the day off from work today, so he was able to stay home. We both had a "lazy" morning which is an understatement due to the fact that our version of "lazy" may be different from everyone else's. A lazy day to me is staying home all day, and getting things done around the house. Jeremy did some vinyl graphics work for his business and I organized the girls Summer clothing. Although, I didn't finish the clothing project, I did manage to sort out quite a bit. It's a good 2 to 3 day project, but I know I will accomplish it...and by then Autumn will be here and I'll have to do it all again, ha ha. It's a never ending battle.

While the girls napped, I did manage to squeeze in a jogging workout on my Wii. I also found out that I have lost 23 lbs since January 2010. I feel that I've been slacking on my workouts since my Avon Breast Cancer walk this past May, but in this Summer heat, I feel so lethargic. I've really been forcing myself to jog for 30 minutes, sometimes 2-3 times a day. My ultimate goal is to lose 40 lbs by Christmas time. It'll be a challenge, but I believe it's a reachable goal.

After the girls nap, Jeremy and I took the girls on a surprise soiree: we decided to go to Haverhill's fire station. Samantha was very nervous, and thought that she was going to be taking a ride inside the fire truck. Once we told her that only the firemen drive and ride in the firetruck, she seemed to calm down a little. "Pete" the fireman gave us a great tour. He showed us all the trucks and what their names were, and what the purpose of each truck was. Samantha loved all the equipment and the axes, and thought the "Tanker Truck" (the truck that carries the water) was very cool. We could tell that Samantha really enjoyed it because she was making great observations like, "Hey, the firetruck has a gas pedal and a brake pedal" or "Hey, if you ride inside the fire truck, it would be very bumpy". We had a great 15 minute tour before the practice alarm went off, and we needed to leave. Afterwards we took the girls to Winnikenni playground and had a great time there before the bugs came out. Then we came home and the girls watched an Elmo video, and received pedicures from Mommy.

A great big thank you to Pete and the Water Street firehouse in Haverhill, Massachusetts for all that you do...including giving tours of the firehouse :)

Here's some photos from our firehouse soiree:

The ladder on this ladder truck can reach about 102 feet in the air.

Just to give you some perspective, Sarah was a little bit taller than the half-way point of this tire.

Pete showing Samantha where the firemen sit in the back of the truck

We Have A Birthday Girl! Sam Is The Big 3!

"...There she flies, clear blue skies. Reminds us with red, of those that died. Washed in white, by the brave. In their strength, she stands...." ~ Michael W. Smith "There She Stands"

First off, I'd like to say a very Happy 4th of July to all who read this. I hope everyone had their share of fun, cookouts, lots of goodies, and of course the fireworks. The weather was sunny and hot. (Well, at least in Boston anyway) Just the way July 4th should be.

Jeremy, the girls and I had a great weekend. We started off ours by celebrating our daughter Samantha's birthday. Sam turned 3 on Saturday, and I have to admit, I'm still in a little denial about it. I feel like it was just yesterday that I was "out to here" pregnant. Samantha graced us with her presence 4 days early. I remember sitting in my hospital room the night she was born and watching the fireworks from our room.

We started off Sam's birthday by going out to eat breakfast at Friendly's. Then we drove down to Stoneham, Ma to visit The Stone Zoo and saw quite the plethora of animals on display. Samantha especially loved the monkey's and the flamingos. Jeremy and I were quite impressed that Samantha knew what a flamingo was. Sarah loved the Sea Otters and the Pygmy Goats. The girls had a great time patting the goats. Sarah spent a lot of time patting, and saying "Hi!" to the little goat. ("Hi" is Sarah's new found word, and proudly says it to everyone...including Pygmy Goats apparently). Afterwards, we drove home to have lunch and then my roomate/friend, Molly from college came down to visit and had dinner. We completed our dessert with ice cream and sang Happy Birthday to Sam and opened up presents from Jeremy and I.


Today, we celebrated our 4th of July by going to my Mom's house to have a nice cookout and to celebrate Samantha's birthday. It was great to spend the day with family, friends and of course great food, (mostly homemade of course) birthday cake and oatmeal raisin cookies for dessert. I can safely assume that we all rolled ourselves to our cars after the festivities were all over. Sam & Sarah didn't have their usual naps today...but they were having so much fun playing and swimming in the pool, it didn't matter. They were happy little girls for the entire day...even on the ride home. In fact, Molly's balloons that she gave to Samantha provided quite a bit of entertainment. After a bath, and after some bathtub paint time, the girls were in bed very early tonight. I was able to squeeze a jog on my Wii while watching Toby Keith and the Boston Pops perform live on the Esplanade on t.v. I watch it every year, and I am still amazed by the amount of talent behind every player. God bless the U.S.A and God bless those who protect our country.

Thank you to my Mom for hosting...you did an amazing and fantastic job as always :)

Here's a few of my favorite photos from the weekend:

7.3.10 - Stone Zoo - Stoneham, Massachusetts

7.4.10 - Samantha's Birthday Party / 4th Of July Cookout @ Nanny's House

Happy 4th of July everybody!