tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219237282009-02-21T06:57:04.841-05:00Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146290376205588410noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21923728.post-1157581882117971692006-09-11T18:30:00.000-04:002006-09-10T21:21:34.226-04:00

2,996 is a tribute to the victims of 9/11. On September 11, 2006, 2,996 volunteer bloggers will join together for a tribute to the victims of 9/11. Each person will pay tribute to a single victim. We will honor them by remembering their lives,and not by remembering their murderers.I will honor Christopher N. Ingrassia.I grew up with Chris, our families were/are friends. As I try to write about

Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146290376205588410noreply@blogger.com58tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21923728.post-1156883682205833572006-08-29T16:28:00.000-04:002006-08-29T16:34:42.226-04:00

I have turned into a hermit. I am constantly in this office on the computer. I'm not doing anything even remotely productive. I'm playing spider solitaire. That's right, I barely blog. I check my blog to see if anyone comments, go to ebay to check on my auctions, check email, and then I play spider solitaire while my kids watch hours and hours of TV. I can't even sit out there with them for

Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146290376205588410noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21923728.post-1156707693267037662006-08-27T15:23:00.000-04:002006-08-27T15:41:33.300-04:00

We're back from our week in Virginia Beach. What to say, what to say. We had good times, we had bad times. I'm definitely glad to be home.The ride down was awful. While I believed the mapquest directions that said it would take 6 hours and 46 minutes, it took us 9 hours and 30 minutes. Not a good start. The kids actually we're okay until the last hour or so. And, at that point, I felt just as

Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146290376205588410noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21923728.post-1155736712411279872006-08-16T09:40:00.000-04:002006-08-16T09:58:32.436-04:00

My son, who turned two in June, has really hit the terrible twos with a vengence. I thought it had started already, but he was just warming up. The past two weeks have been almost unbearable (I say almost because somehow I've survived!)Now, these tantrums have occured at home, at the lake, at the movies, at my mother's, just about everywhere. They happen in the morning, the afternoon, and the

Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146290376205588410noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21923728.post-1155314784058392892006-08-11T12:39:00.000-04:002006-08-11T12:46:24.086-04:00

My daughter is the first one to ask if we bought her a "surprise." She has told her grandmother to bring her a "surprise" next time she comes for a visit (her grandmother brings a surprise about 80% of the time). She already has a birthday list (her birthday is in November) and I'm sure she's working on her Christmas list. However, my daughter does reciprocate. She loves to make surprises for

Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146290376205588410noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21923728.post-1155036374165748532006-08-08T07:16:00.000-04:002006-08-08T07:28:26.396-04:00

It's been a little frustrating here. As my last couple of posts have indicated, my husband has really been helping out more, making me feel appreciated, and been really supportive lately. Plus, just two weeks ago, we had our weekend away. However, I find myself wondering, why isn't that enough? I'm still annoyed a great deal of the time. Not specifically at him, but at life in general.I keep

Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146290376205588410noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21923728.post-1154717417558839502006-08-04T11:12:00.000-04:002006-08-04T14:50:17.606-04:00

After writing my last post, my husband has really stepped it up a notch (as I admitted at the end of the last post). But, things are only getting better (at least with my husband). First of all, my husband got sick. Now, this is aggravating to me on so many levels. In the past, my husband has moaned and groaned and carried on when he's been sick. It's a trait from his family, they all do this

Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146290376205588410noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21923728.post-1154466236966363462006-08-01T16:47:00.000-04:002006-08-02T09:38:04.240-04:00

This post may spark some angry reactions from the working moms and dads out there. I don't mean to start that age old fight. This is going to be about me and my working husband and my (I admit) unfair feelings. So, take it all with a grain of salt, knowing I'm in for another very long week.When my husband and I got married, it was understood that I was the moody one. My moods change drastically

Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146290376205588410noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21923728.post-1154436064091539182006-08-01T08:27:00.000-04:002006-08-01T08:41:04.116-04:00

Yesterday, I ventured into NYC (by myself) to visit some very good friends from graduate school. I should say I grew up in the suburbs of NYC, the child of a mother who warned me about how dangerous it could be in NYC. I've only ventured in twice by myself, but had people waiting to meet me at the train station. Never have I had to find my way around, ALONE. Maybe your rolling your eyes by

Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146290376205588410noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21923728.post-1153942804930939502006-07-26T15:28:00.000-04:002006-07-26T15:42:23.853-04:00

After seeing some of my friend's scrapbook pages for her daughter, I started to feel guilty. I have pictures all over the place, in so special order, just shoved in drawers, left on desks, piled high in cabinets. But, there is no special scrapbook or memento box. I did put some pictures in a photo album for my daughter. This covers about the first three months of her life -- nothing more. And,

Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146290376205588410noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21923728.post-1153769360297508092006-07-24T15:23:00.000-04:002006-07-24T15:29:20.336-04:00

Well, I joke a lot with people about what my kids will say to their therapist in 20 years about what I did to mess them up. It seems like it's always the mom's fault. Today, I know for sure I gave my little girl something to go to therapy with. She asked me very nicely to play with her in her room while her brother was sleeping. As you know from a previous post, I don't much like to play. But

Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146290376205588410noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21923728.post-1153695684249576082006-07-23T18:45:00.000-04:002006-07-23T19:01:24.270-04:00

My husband and I returned from our first weekend away without the kids. It was WONDERFUL!!!We went to a beautiful bread and breakfast, recommended by my friend, Stephanie, in Southern Vermont. This B&B was set at the end of a country road surrounded by gardens and forests. It was breathtaking. Our room overlooked a frog pond, where we saw dozens of frogs (one of my favorites)! The food was

Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146290376205588410noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21923728.post-1153394449436149402006-07-20T07:13:00.000-04:002006-07-20T13:43:48.013-04:00

My friend over at Forks And Chopsticks has tagged me. I guess I'm supposed to write seven things for each category. I'll try my best. Things I Want To Do Before Dying Feel really passionate about what I'm doingGo on a world cruiseDance at my kids' weddingsHire a maidTeach a college coursePut my kids' pictures in scrapbooks (or at least photo albums)Do a stand-up act (?)Things I Can Not DoSing --

Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146290376205588410noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21923728.post-1153246918262276472006-07-18T14:14:00.000-04:002006-07-18T14:21:58.283-04:00

Warning: This post will be one of self-pity. Please don't lecture me on how lucky I am. I know. But, sometimes, I still feel sorry for myself.----------------------------------------------------------------I just don't want to play anymore. I don't want to be the prince, I don't want to dress-up, I don't want to play Candyland one more time. I don't want to build, or color, or play with the

Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146290376205588410noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21923728.post-1152971642261147362006-07-15T09:40:00.000-04:002006-07-15T09:54:03.273-04:00

Well, my husband and I having been talking about our wills since, well, my daughter was born (over 3.5 years ago). I feel very neglectful for not yet having a will. It's foolish and irresponsible. Nevertheless, it is one of the hardest tasks I think I've attempted (and that includes my dissertation, which took me much less time to write).I think what has been the most difficult part of the

Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146290376205588410noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21923728.post-1152724058731027572006-07-12T12:53:00.000-04:002006-07-12T13:07:38.770-04:00

Okay, I'm about to write a post where I feel sorry for myself. As a school psychologist, I know what I'm feeling is silly. But, as a mom, it doesn't seem to matter.I feel like my kids are picking on me lately. I was going through a stretch where my daughter was really behaving. I was having a lot of fun with her and I felt like the long years of the terrible two's were coming to an end (my

Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146290376205588410noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21923728.post-1152478810821475322006-07-09T16:48:00.000-04:002006-07-09T17:00:10.843-04:00

Yesterday and last night I took advantage of my yearly Mother's Day gift that my husband has given me each year since my children have arrived. I get to spend one night at a hotel, by myself, where I can order room service, watch movies, or do nothing. Doesn't it sound heavenly???It is. This year, my husband encouraged me to leave early (what a guy!) I went shopping. It's wonderful to poke

Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146290376205588410noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21923728.post-1152283943236201722006-07-07T10:49:00.000-04:002006-07-07T10:52:23.273-04:00

My little angel son has taken up biting again. I thought that he had outgrown this awful behavior. It is much worse now (my daughter has bruises to prove it). I've tried time-out, vinegar in the mouth (which he liked!), taking things away .... I'm so frustrated. It seems to happen when he doesn't get his way. I try to monitor the warning signs and step-in before it happens, but it seems I

Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146290376205588410noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21923728.post-1151868556657214692006-07-02T15:14:00.000-04:002006-07-02T15:29:16.676-04:00

Well, the party was a success!!! It was a little touch-and-go when the ponies were almost one hour late, but everything turned out great.First, the kids had hobby-horse races. While it didn't go as I pictured it, the kids seemed to have fun. We raced until everyone who participated won some gummy horses and horseshoe candies!Then, we headed over to the sandbox for some panning for gold. This

Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146290376205588410noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21923728.post-1151589712804345522006-06-29T09:47:00.000-04:002006-06-29T10:07:17.386-04:00

THEN (June, 2004)NOW (June, 2006)Here's the Birthday Boy!

Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146290376205588410noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21923728.post-1151492677076984072006-06-28T06:50:00.000-04:002006-06-28T07:04:37.096-04:00

Every night, there was at least a goodnight kiss and a heartfelt, “I love you.” Each morning when my hubby arose, he would walk around the bed, lean down, and kiss me on the forehead on his way to start getting ready for his day. Sometimes he even left notes for me to find. When he arrived home, I always got a big hug and kiss. A phone call at lunch was a given. When watching TV, we sat

Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146290376205588410noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21923728.post-1151350109578607962006-06-26T15:21:00.000-04:002006-06-26T17:03:11.313-04:00

My son's second birthday is Thursday. I can't believe it's been that long! And, we're going to celebrate. We have a Wild West Party planned for Saturday with all the fixins', including pony rides. My son loves horses. He carries around horses, grabs any book he sees with a horse on it, and tries to ride anything he can like a horse. I hear, "yah, yah" all day. He is very serious about his horses!

Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146290376205588410noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21923728.post-1151150590261732252006-06-24T07:53:00.000-04:002006-06-24T08:13:58.666-04:00

We did it~ We scheduled a romantic weekend away for our 7th anniversary! We're going to a beautiful B&B in southern Vermont (recommended by my friend Stephanie)! It looks wonderful. Our room has a private balcony overlooking a frog pond. I just can't wait! Two whole days and nights away (from the kids).Now, as the reality hits as I get closer to my weekend, I wonder if I'll still be as excited.

Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146290376205588410noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21923728.post-1151062977885919962006-06-23T07:37:00.000-04:002006-06-24T08:14:18.730-04:00

My husband and I decided last night to plan a weekend getaway -- something we haven't done since we had kids. Of course, we have to okay this with grandma and see if she's up for the challenge. Last night, we were trying to think of a place not more than 4-5 hours away to visit for the weekend. It's hard to find a reasonably-priced place on a summer weekend (I know, poor planning). But, I won't

Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146290376205588410noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21923728.post-1150975199409664362006-06-22T07:06:00.000-04:002006-06-22T07:19:59.436-04:00

Caller ID is a wonderful invention and I recommend it for all newlyweds. It came in handy to have caller ID so when each of our parents called, we knew who should answer the phone. This avoided many uncomfortable moments for everyone involved. Let's face it, our parents call to talk to us, not our spouses. Okay, maybe I'm projecting here, but in our house it was true (and still is)!But, Caller

Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05146290376205588410noreply@blogger.com10