- The Eagles CAN find a way to win, even when it's not pretty.
- One of my uncles played ice hockey (goalie) in high school and college.
- Traffic-wise, the drive to my parents' new house is much better than the drive to the old one.
- Some people in my family can't drink like they used to in college. ;-P
- I needed a short break from being "Mommy," but I was definitely ready to resume that role after said break.
- My mom, my sister-in-law, and I apparently wear approximately the same size... at least in tops -- which actually came in quite handy.
- You just can't get as excited while listening to a hockey game on the radio in the car as you can while watching it on TV or seeing it in person... you might drive off the road.
- Making fun of my "little brother" never gets old.
- My cousin who got married this weekend looked just like my aunt, and by extension, like a young version of my grandmother -- beautiful and amazing women, all.
- Some Giants fans have no sense of humor.
- There will always be something to fix or instruct about with regard to my parents' computer when I visit.
- I still don't like champagne.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Learned...
I learned several random things over the weekend...
Heard...
This morning while applying my mascara...
Ya know mom, there's a metal thing on TV that sticks your eyelashes up. You should get one.
Great. Now I'm getting makeup advice from my five-year-old. Boy.
Ya know mom, there's a metal thing on TV that sticks your eyelashes up. You should get one.
Great. Now I'm getting makeup advice from my five-year-old. Boy.
Monday, January 12, 2009
The one about my cousins...
Have I ever mentioned how much I love my cousins? Not just because they're family and I HAVE to like them... I genuinely love my cousins and enjoy spending time with them. We don't all see each other nearly often enough, and that probably amplifies my enjoyment of the time I do get to spend with them... and makes me want to see them more often. I saw almost all of my cousins on my dad's side of the family this weekend at my youngest cousin's wedding. We sat together at the kid's table. I guess we'll never get away from it. But we had a great time catching up and it just made me want to see them more often.
My parents and my aunts and uncles (on both sides of the family) did a wonderful thing while we were all growing up. They got us all together, at the very least, for all of us kids' birthdays. On my dad's side of the family, there were seven of us. Some of us had birthdays fairly close together and I think those celebrations were combined, but all those birthdays still allowed us to get together several times every year. On my mom's side of the family, there are only four of us, and we all got together several times a year, too. In a way it was easier with mom's side of the family because we had to coordinate with only one other family, as opposed to two other familes, for get-togethers. But it worked on both sides of the family, and I grew up KNOWING my cousins, not just knowing who they were. I honestly don't know a lot of people today who can say that.
We are a diverse group. Of the original cousins (not counting those that have since married into the family), I am the oldest on both sides of the family . Oddly, the youngest on both sides is also female, with boys in between on both sides -- two on my mom's side; five on my dad's. Three of my cousins, as well as my brother and I, are now married, and another is in a long-term relationship. So there are six more cousins in the crew now, bringing the total to 12 on my dad's side of the family; seven on my mom's.
We range in age from 25 to 38. Our chosen professions are all over the spectrum -- publications manager/editor, insurance underwriter, dock supervisor (unfortunately, currently unemployed), student (soon to be medical billing/coding specialist), radio big whig, actor/boring day job toiler, actress/life-sucking day job survivor, corporate communications professional, chemical engineer (I think), waiter/cook, teacher, train route scheduler (I think that's what the newest official addition to the cousins does... something for Amtrak, anyway), sheet metal genious, another teacher, and a journalist. I think we are all successful at what we do and, for the most part, enjoy it as well. We are spread out across five states -- New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Texas.
Where am I going with this post? I don't know. Nowhere, really. I just spent a lot of time thinking about how awesome my cousins are when I was driving home from my parents house yesterday (after the Eagles beat the Giants... Woooo!!) and how I don't think in this day and age that it's necessarily normal to (a) KNOW all of your cousins, (b) actually LIKE ALL of your cousins, and (c) make a concerted effort to keep in touch with said cousins (email and Facebook help a lot!). I just felt like I wanted to write about it... and for those of you who are reading this, I love you and I'm so glad I'm related to you. :)
It's easier to see some of my cousins than others. My youngest cousin on my mom's side of the family, and her hubby, live very close to my parents. I actually saw them for breakfast yesterday morning, which was great! Her brother doesn't live as close, but I see him about once a year and I keep up with him through his sister and my aunt. I see the cousin that is the new bride and her hubby a few times a year -- either Thanksgiving or Christmas, and usually at the shore over the summer. Same with her older brother. The NY/NJ cousins I've seen more in the past five months than in the past few years because of family weddings. Logistically it's harder to see them, BUT I do keep in touch more with them via Facebook. We've vowed to try to see each other more often going forward. One thing seems clear -- it appears that no matter how old we get, you'll always find us together at the kids' table. But that's okay. It's fun there. :-)
My parents and my aunts and uncles (on both sides of the family) did a wonderful thing while we were all growing up. They got us all together, at the very least, for all of us kids' birthdays. On my dad's side of the family, there were seven of us. Some of us had birthdays fairly close together and I think those celebrations were combined, but all those birthdays still allowed us to get together several times every year. On my mom's side of the family, there are only four of us, and we all got together several times a year, too. In a way it was easier with mom's side of the family because we had to coordinate with only one other family, as opposed to two other familes, for get-togethers. But it worked on both sides of the family, and I grew up KNOWING my cousins, not just knowing who they were. I honestly don't know a lot of people today who can say that.
We are a diverse group. Of the original cousins (not counting those that have since married into the family), I am the oldest on both sides of the family . Oddly, the youngest on both sides is also female, with boys in between on both sides -- two on my mom's side; five on my dad's. Three of my cousins, as well as my brother and I, are now married, and another is in a long-term relationship. So there are six more cousins in the crew now, bringing the total to 12 on my dad's side of the family; seven on my mom's.
We range in age from 25 to 38. Our chosen professions are all over the spectrum -- publications manager/editor, insurance underwriter, dock supervisor (unfortunately, currently unemployed), student (soon to be medical billing/coding specialist), radio big whig, actor/boring day job toiler, actress/life-sucking day job survivor, corporate communications professional, chemical engineer (I think), waiter/cook, teacher, train route scheduler (I think that's what the newest official addition to the cousins does... something for Amtrak, anyway), sheet metal genious, another teacher, and a journalist. I think we are all successful at what we do and, for the most part, enjoy it as well. We are spread out across five states -- New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Texas.
Where am I going with this post? I don't know. Nowhere, really. I just spent a lot of time thinking about how awesome my cousins are when I was driving home from my parents house yesterday (after the Eagles beat the Giants... Woooo!!) and how I don't think in this day and age that it's necessarily normal to (a) KNOW all of your cousins, (b) actually LIKE ALL of your cousins, and (c) make a concerted effort to keep in touch with said cousins (email and Facebook help a lot!). I just felt like I wanted to write about it... and for those of you who are reading this, I love you and I'm so glad I'm related to you. :)
It's easier to see some of my cousins than others. My youngest cousin on my mom's side of the family, and her hubby, live very close to my parents. I actually saw them for breakfast yesterday morning, which was great! Her brother doesn't live as close, but I see him about once a year and I keep up with him through his sister and my aunt. I see the cousin that is the new bride and her hubby a few times a year -- either Thanksgiving or Christmas, and usually at the shore over the summer. Same with her older brother. The NY/NJ cousins I've seen more in the past five months than in the past few years because of family weddings. Logistically it's harder to see them, BUT I do keep in touch more with them via Facebook. We've vowed to try to see each other more often going forward. One thing seems clear -- it appears that no matter how old we get, you'll always find us together at the kids' table. But that's okay. It's fun there. :-)
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Even Spiderman needs his mama
As it turns out, I am related to Spiderman! To be more specific, my three-year-old nephew (JGS) is convinced that he is "Pidey" (or Peter Parker, depending on his mood), although since leaving our house he is also quite into being Superman. But this post is about Pidey...
Pidey arrived at our house with his mom (Jenrie), his dog (S-dog), and his grandma (my MIL; Hubby's mom) the Monday night before Christmas. They stayed with us until the morning of the 28th and it was a wonderful week of family and fun.
As he is enamored with his older cousins (J-Mav and Keeper Boy), if any of us needed Pidey to do something, it was generally enough to ask J-Mav and/or Keeper Boy to do the same thing, and Pidey would imitate. Mission accomplished.
On some occasions, however, that didn't work with Pidey. On the other hand, statements like these did often work to distract him from potential meltdowns or accomplish tasks:
"Drink your Spidey Milk so you get big and strong."
"Use your Spidey Webs to help clean up."
"[J-Mav] and [Keeper Boy] are getting THEIR jammies on..."
"You need to go to sleep so you can get up when [J-Mav] and [Keeper Boy] get up!"
But there was one monumental force working against us all that even special Spidey powers couldn't overcome. Fatigue. Pidey is at that stage dreaded by parents everywhere: he's not really napping anymore, but he kinda still needs a nap, but if he takes a nap he doesn't go to bed at a good time, and so on. When Pidey was tired (a) it was very easy to tell, and (b) there was nothing to really be done about it. As his aunt and uncle (and not his parents), these events did provide many moments of amusement for Hubby and I.
When Pidey has hit the wall, most conversations with him are much the same. Following is a paraphrased example from a trip to Red Robin one night while they were here. Note: Pidey's lines are are verbatim. The rest is paraphrased.
Hubby: Hey [Spidey], how's your dinner?
Pidey [said in a somewhat whiney, somewhat sing-songy voice while looking away from whomever is speaking to him]: Mama
Hubby: You aren't going to finish eating?
Pidey: Mama
Me: How come you won't talk to Uncle [Hubby]?
Pidey: Mama
Hubby: I'm going to have to come over there and tickle you again.
Pidey: Mama
And on and on. It really was amusing. It was helpful in knowing when he had hit his wall though. No questions on that one.
I think I'll try that the next time I'm asked for something and I'm just too tired.
"Mama."
Think it'll work with the kids?
Pidey arrived at our house with his mom (Jenrie), his dog (S-dog), and his grandma (my MIL; Hubby's mom) the Monday night before Christmas. They stayed with us until the morning of the 28th and it was a wonderful week of family and fun.
As he is enamored with his older cousins (J-Mav and Keeper Boy), if any of us needed Pidey to do something, it was generally enough to ask J-Mav and/or Keeper Boy to do the same thing, and Pidey would imitate. Mission accomplished.
On some occasions, however, that didn't work with Pidey. On the other hand, statements like these did often work to distract him from potential meltdowns or accomplish tasks:
"Drink your Spidey Milk so you get big and strong."
"Use your Spidey Webs to help clean up."
"[J-Mav] and [Keeper Boy] are getting THEIR jammies on..."
"You need to go to sleep so you can get up when [J-Mav] and [Keeper Boy] get up!"
But there was one monumental force working against us all that even special Spidey powers couldn't overcome. Fatigue. Pidey is at that stage dreaded by parents everywhere: he's not really napping anymore, but he kinda still needs a nap, but if he takes a nap he doesn't go to bed at a good time, and so on. When Pidey was tired (a) it was very easy to tell, and (b) there was nothing to really be done about it. As his aunt and uncle (and not his parents), these events did provide many moments of amusement for Hubby and I.
When Pidey has hit the wall, most conversations with him are much the same. Following is a paraphrased example from a trip to Red Robin one night while they were here. Note: Pidey's lines are are verbatim. The rest is paraphrased.
Hubby: Hey [Spidey], how's your dinner?
Pidey [said in a somewhat whiney, somewhat sing-songy voice while looking away from whomever is speaking to him]: Mama
Hubby: You aren't going to finish eating?
Pidey: Mama
Me: How come you won't talk to Uncle [Hubby]?
Pidey: Mama
Hubby: I'm going to have to come over there and tickle you again.
Pidey: Mama
And on and on. It really was amusing. It was helpful in knowing when he had hit his wall though. No questions on that one.
I think I'll try that the next time I'm asked for something and I'm just too tired.
"Mama."
Think it'll work with the kids?
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Heard...
Keeper Boy: "Mom?"
Me (as I hear J-Mav playing his newly-acquired kazoo): "Yeah, bud. What's up?"
Keeper Boy: "Should [J-Mav] be playing a kazoo that fell in the toilet?"
Me (as I'm trying not to gag and swatting Hubby, who has fallen over on the sofa laughing): "Uh, that would be a no."
Me (as I hear J-Mav playing his newly-acquired kazoo): "Yeah, bud. What's up?"
Keeper Boy: "Should [J-Mav] be playing a kazoo that fell in the toilet?"
Me (as I'm trying not to gag and swatting Hubby, who has fallen over on the sofa laughing): "Uh, that would be a no."
Monday, December 29, 2008
I love my iPod!!
My MIL got me an iPod Nano for Christmas... an ORANGE one at that. :) I spent a few hours ripping songs from Hubby's and my CDs over the past couple of days and now have 93 of my favorite songs at my beck and call -- with space for many hundred more!! Woo hoo!!
The 93 songs that are currently on my ORANGE iPod are quite an eclectic bunch... country, rap, R&B, rock, pop, blues, and metal. With a few exceptions, the song or two I took from each CD was/were the only song I REALLY liked from that CD. So cool that I can create one big "album" of my favorite songs... one that isn't available in ANY store!!
Some of the recent songs that have played on my ORANGE iPod:
All Summer Long, Kid Rock
You Give Love a Bad Name, Bon Jovi
Layla, Derek & The Dominos
Down with the Sickness, Disturbed
Faithfully, Journey
She Thinks my Tractor's Sexy, Kenny Chesney
Home, Doughtry
Just Lose It, Eminem
Every Rose Has its Thorn, Poison
I Heard it Through the Grapevine, Marvin Gaye
Last Dollar (Fly Away), Tim McGraw (also the ringtone on my phone, FYI)
My current breakdown by genre is Blues (12), Country (54), Hip Hop/Rap (6), Metal (5), Pop (1), R&B (4), and Rock (11). OK... so it's still heavy on the country, and within that, it's very heavy on Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw. But I still have some more CDs at the office to bring home and go through.
And Hubby got me a speaker thingy to hook up to the ORANGE iPod, so that'll be great for the office.
I'm off to browse iTunes... I have a gift card to spend!!
The 93 songs that are currently on my ORANGE iPod are quite an eclectic bunch... country, rap, R&B, rock, pop, blues, and metal. With a few exceptions, the song or two I took from each CD was/were the only song I REALLY liked from that CD. So cool that I can create one big "album" of my favorite songs... one that isn't available in ANY store!!
Some of the recent songs that have played on my ORANGE iPod:
All Summer Long, Kid Rock
You Give Love a Bad Name, Bon Jovi
Layla, Derek & The Dominos
Down with the Sickness, Disturbed
Faithfully, Journey
She Thinks my Tractor's Sexy, Kenny Chesney
Home, Doughtry
Just Lose It, Eminem
Every Rose Has its Thorn, Poison
I Heard it Through the Grapevine, Marvin Gaye
Last Dollar (Fly Away), Tim McGraw (also the ringtone on my phone, FYI)
My current breakdown by genre is Blues (12), Country (54), Hip Hop/Rap (6), Metal (5), Pop (1), R&B (4), and Rock (11). OK... so it's still heavy on the country, and within that, it's very heavy on Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw. But I still have some more CDs at the office to bring home and go through.
And Hubby got me a speaker thingy to hook up to the ORANGE iPod, so that'll be great for the office.
I'm off to browse iTunes... I have a gift card to spend!!
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas!!
Merry Christmas to all who are reading this little blog! I am sitting here watching Keeper Boy and J-Mav play with the Wii Santa brought them for Christmas. They were so surprised that Keeper Boy almost started crying. He said, "I was just hoping for a DS; this is AWESOME." I say Christmas through the eyes of children is amazing.
Our three-year-old nephew (JGS) is here, as are my sister-in-law (Jenrie) and mother-in-law (GmaG). JGS tore through his gifts and screeched in delight with almost every new treasure he ripped open. So fun.
Two and a half hours after we started, the chaos ended and it looked like Toys R Us had barfed in our living room.
We've talked to both of Hubby's uncles, my parents, and my brother. Jenrie also talked to her parents and sister. And the best call of all was when my brother-in-law (Hubby's little brother) called from Iraq. We all had a chance to talk to him for a little bit. The only way it would've been better, of course, is had he been here in the living room talking to us. I thank him and every other man and woman who is serving in our armed forces so that I (and all other Americans) have the freedom to celebrate whatever holiday I choose to celebrate.
Merry Christmas!
Our three-year-old nephew (JGS) is here, as are my sister-in-law (Jenrie) and mother-in-law (GmaG). JGS tore through his gifts and screeched in delight with almost every new treasure he ripped open. So fun.
Two and a half hours after we started, the chaos ended and it looked like Toys R Us had barfed in our living room.
We've talked to both of Hubby's uncles, my parents, and my brother. Jenrie also talked to her parents and sister. And the best call of all was when my brother-in-law (Hubby's little brother) called from Iraq. We all had a chance to talk to him for a little bit. The only way it would've been better, of course, is had he been here in the living room talking to us. I thank him and every other man and woman who is serving in our armed forces so that I (and all other Americans) have the freedom to celebrate whatever holiday I choose to celebrate.
Merry Christmas!
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