Monday, October 31, 2011

Happy Halloween! Abby was so excited for Halloween that I barely even had to touch her to wake her up this morning. She was out of bed, running to the shower, shouting "its Halloween" before I could even tell her to wake up! Both girls had parties at school today. I was the party mom for Mckenzie's class so I didn't get to see Abby's parade or party. Luckily, Scott's sim cancelled and he was able to see Abby's parade. She was so happy to see him and surprised too since we had talked about how neither Scott nor I could be there. I felt horrible I couldn't be there for her, but it worked out just fine. Mckenzie's party was a lot of fun. We had all sorts of snacks and the kids painted pumpkins and made caramel apples. They paraded around in their costumes outside and did a little trick or treating from the parents. It was so much fun and Mckenzie was the cutest Cinderella there! We went to a friend's house for dinner and then went trick or treating with them. It was so much fun. The girls both really enjoyed themselves this year. It was hard to keep up with Abby. She was running from door to door with a big smile on her face. Mckenzie was having fun too, but she couldn't keep up with the big kids. I loved watching the girls have so much fun. When we got home, we did a little trick or treating in our own neighborhood so the kids could see their friends. The amount of candy the girls got is unbelievable! Two buckets and two bags full of candy! I can see that visiting the garbage fairy soon :)

Sunday, October 30, 2011

We carved pumpkins this morning. Both girls thought it was gross to clean out the inside. We ended up carving a Cinderella and a Hello Kitty pumpkin. I think they both turned out pretty good :) I made bat shaped Rice Krispie treats for Abby's class party tomorrow. They weren't difficult to make, it just took a long time to cut out 4 dozen bats and decorate them all! The girls got to dress up today and walk in a Halloween parade in their friends' neighborhood. The fire department and police department escorted the kids down the streets and at the end there were games and snacks. The girls had a blast, even though it was chilly out. Afterwards, we hung out with our friends. It was a very busy day, but it was a lot of fun.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Scott took Mckenzie to her dance class and Abby and I hung out at home. It was nice to spend a little alone time with her. Since she has started kindergarten, we don't get to spend much time at all alone. After lunch, we headed out to the store to get some new clothes for Scott. He has a conference for working coming up and he needed some new things. Luckily, we found a great sale and were able to get most everything he needed at one store! Score! We walked around the mall and I found a great sale on holiday dresses for the girls. Now just to get the photos taken so I can get started on Christmas cards. The girls got to be a little bit feisty so we headed home. Both of them fell asleep in the car on the way home so we decided to finish up our errands while they slept. We stopped at a Japanese steakhouse for dinner. The girls were both scared by the chef cooking in front of us at first, but they warmed up to the idea pretty quickly. It has been raining/snowing today. I guess winter is just around the corner...

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Mckenzie had chef class this morning. I love how excited she gets about going to class and seeing her teachers. I hope she always has such a love for learning. Abby had a friend over to play. The girls get so crazy silly when they are together. They were bouncing off the couch cushions (literally since the old couch cushions are scattered all over the living room floor) and running around like silly little girls! I love listening to their laughter when they play. I asked the girls if I could take a picture of them and this is how they decided to pose.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

School, play date and dance. A pretty typical Wednesday around here.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Scott returned from his Vegas trip this morning. It was short and sweet but long enough to play a little poker and place third in a tournament. Mckenzie was so excited to see her Daddy and she got mad at me when I told her she should let him sleep (he came home at 5:30 this morning after flying all night long!). Our furniture arrived this morning and it looks great in our family room. I am so glad we didn't get another sectional couch for this room. The room is much more open now and the kids actually have space to play. The ottoman we had doesn't work with this new couch and I am sad to see it go. It had a lot of great storage space for hiding all those extra toys. The only downside to this is having a couch and ottoman hanging out in the garage. We could seriously have an apartment out there. We have a fridge, a couch, an ottoman, a bed, a crib and countless toys and children's clothing. If anyone is looking to stay, we have the room for you! On the plus side, we have an end table again! I just need to find a lamp. We have recessed lighting that is so harsh (and it is two stories high so I am not changing the light bulbs if I don't have to). The kids are having a blast playing with the old couch cushions. They sure make a fun fort and tower to jump off of! I would post the video of the kids jumping into their pile of pillows, but Mckenzie decided tower jumping would be more enjoyable sans clothing!

Monday, October 24, 2011

Both girls had school this morning. Mckenzie was feisty all morning before we left the house, but she perked up at school and ran straight to her teacher. Thank goodness she was happy there! I headed to the gym and when I got back home, I decided to call the furniture store to complain about the customer service we had the other day. I called the main service line instead of the store and they were very nice and apologetic. The gal explained that she wasn't able to do anything for me, but that a store manager would be contacting me within five minutes. I guess two and a half hours is just the same thing as five minutes. By the time I was done "talking" to the sales manager and general manager, I was about to go through the roof. I was shaking and I could hardly hold the phone anymore. Neither person could seem to understand that it wasn't about me wanting the $36 dollars back but rather about the rude customer service. The first person kept explaining to me why they needed the numbers on the back of the credit card. I don't know how many times I listened as she explained it and then politely told her I understand the reason for the numbers on the card. That is why we don't use them to shop over the phone as a way of protecting our account. The first person told me that we have already extended you free delivery. I corrected her and told her we had free delivery long before this ever became an issue because their store offers free delivery to military. As soon as I said that, she offered me to the general manager, who was insincere at best and very condescending and patronizing. I finally said "all I am looking for is a sincere apology and you admitting your store was wrong to demand we change our family policy to correct your mistake." The reply I got was "we have already apologized". The part that really got me fired up was the general manager told me they would be sending a refund CHECK!!!! I asked why I couldn't have sent in a check and rescheduled my delivery and he said it wasn't part of company policy. I will never, ever, ever shop there again. I am still really worked up over this. (As if you couldn't tell!!!!) I realize people make mistakes, but rudeness isn't a mistake. It is a choice and that store had a choice to treat us better as it's customers. Oh, when I started getting really mean, I asked them if they would like me to have the Infinity dealership across the street to pay them a visit and offer a class on true customer service. (We have never had anything but amazing service from them. They go above and beyond to serve their customers!) I don't think my comment was received too well! I do feel bad for getting so angry but it was more difficult getting them to understand my point (which I don't believe they ever did) than it is for me to get Mckenzie to understand why she can't eat candy all day long (and the girl loves her candy!). It was a beautiful afternoon here and the girls enjoyed spending it playing outside. They even let me snap a couple of photos!

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Scott left in the middle of the night for a quick trip for work. I felt terrible when I woke up and realized that he had left and I didn't even wake up to say see ya later. The girls and I didn't do much of anything today. We hung out in our PJ's most of the day. I let the girls paint a canvas to hang in their rooms. Abby made a story out of hers while Mckenzie drew circles and birds and fish. Abby went to a birthday party for one of her classmates this afternoon. I am not sure if she was more excited about going to the party or riding in her friend's minivan. That girl has an obsession with minivans and has asked me several times if we can get rid of my car so we can drive a minivan. Definitely not going to happen anytime soon. Mckenzie was upset she didn't get to go in the minivan or to the party but we made up for that by playing "boats" (Battleship) on the iPad and playing with the My Little Ponies.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Well, I guess it has been awhile since I have been on here. I love writing on this blog and sharing with our family and friends, but sometimes, it feels like such a chore to get it done. I will try to be better, but even as I sat down to do this, Abby walked over to ask if she could have the computer. I guess that is why I usually blog after the kiddos head to bed! Scott took Mckenzie to dance this morning and Abby and I stayed at home. We finally decided that it was time to get a new couch. The movers damaged the couch when they moved it this last time but it was still usable until recently. We were hoping to get by until we moved again, but the wood is now poking through and part of the couch is way lower than the rest of it! So, we have been looking for a couch and just happened upon a great sale at a local store. I had my eye on a beautiful Pottery Barn sofa, but it just pains me to think of spending the money only to have the movers damage it. Someday I will have one, but until then, I will settle for what I like to call "get me by until we live somewhere forever furniture". We found a nice sofa and over sized chair with an ottoman that we both liked. The only downside to the whole thing was after we got home, the store called to say they miscalculated the cost of the furniture and we actually owed more money than what they already charged to our account. Scott isn't fond of giving out our debit info over the phone so he asked if we could mail a check or give a check to the delivery guys when they deliver on Tuesday. The store was pretty rude and said unless we paid via phone or came back to the store to pay (at least a 25-30 minute trip both ways for us) they would not be delivering our furniture. We couldn't believe how rude they were considering it was their mistake and not ours. All this over $36. I guarantee we will not be giving this store our business again.
I took Abby to a birthday party for one of her friends this afternoon at Chick fil A. Abby had a good time and couldn't get enough of the cow (the store mascot for those of you that don't know). She kept giving her hugs and high fives. Scott took Mckenzie on a date to a different Chick fil A and she was so excited to explore a different play area.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Grandma Dawn walked Abby to the bus stop this morning. Abby is having a hard time because Dawn is heading back home today :( Mckenzie and Grandma spent the morning playing while I went to volunteer in Abby's classroom. I really enjoy getting into the classroom to see how she interacts with her fellow students. Scott was able to get home early in the afternoon so we could all drive Grandma Dawn to the airport. She will be missed :(

Thursday, October 20, 2011

The girls had school again this morning and it gave Dawn and I a chance to chat. It was a nice morning :) The girls spent the afternoon playing with Grandma and then we played outside for a bit. The girls just love having Grandma around and ask where she is at if she steps out of the room for a bit.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Both girls had school this morning and Scott was back to work.  We let the girls paint pumpkins this afternoon and they both had a blast. Mckenzie kept asking if she could paint more! Abby had dance this afternoon and we picked up her friend as her mom wasn't feeling good. The girls were ecstatic Sophia got to ride along with us!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

We were pretty busy today. Abby had school and Mckenzie had a pumpkin picking field trip. Grandma Dawn came along to pick pumpkins and it was a great time. Mckenzie wasn't really in the mood to pick pumpkins, she preferred to hang on her teacher the entire time. Luckily, her teacher is awesome and went along with it! The farm has an area with animals and the kids got to feed them. Mckenzie was loving that! We stopped by the farm bakery on the way out and picked up some apple cider donuts. They are DELICIOUS!!!! They are worth the trip alone. When Abby got home from school, we made a trip to Philly to grab a Tony Luke's Philly cheesesteak. They are the best cheesesteaks ever. I think the key is the cheese whiz. Then we headed downtown to see the Liberty Bell and walk around a bit. Mckenzie had a monster fit, but she was happy by the time we were leaving. I think she is super tired from our trip to NYC yesterday.
I am not sure why she likes to kick pumpkins, but she did it when we went pumpkin picking as a family and she was doing it again today...

Monday, October 17, 2011

We picked Abby up from school. Apparently the buses pick the children up in the back of the school and the parents pick the kids up in the front of the school. I didn't know this so Abby couldn't possibly know. Needless to say, she got lost trying to find me when I picked her up. Luckily, she was smart enough to go back to her classroom and ask her teacher for help. We headed to the train station to go to NYC for the afternoon. The girls were so excited. Abby just loves the city. She couldn't stop squealing as we were pulling into the train station. We walked around a bit and then took a bus tour so Dawn could get a glimpse of the city. We wandered around Ground Zero for a little bit before getting back on the bus. We had dinner at a nice restaurant called Moonstruck before heading back for the night. I think Dawn really enjoyed herself and I know the girls did. They behaved so good! They were pretty good on the ride back home, although you could tell it was past their bedtime :) I brought my little point and shoot camera along instead of my new camera (I don't have a camera bag and I didn't want to take a chance on breaking it!) I haven't uploaded any photos so I don't know if they are any good. Maybe one day I will get that done...

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Scott and I took an earlier train back from NYC so we could be home by lunch. It was such a wonderful trip for us and I am so glad we were finally able to do it! Thanks Grandma for watching the girls for us! Apparently, the power went out at the house last night and the girls were awake since 4 or 5 am. A little early if you ask me! We spent the day hanging out and watching football.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Mckenzie had dance this morning and Grandma Dawn got to go with. Mckenzie was very excited to have her go with. We are all enjoying having Grandma here to visit. While they were all gone, I tried to find a hotel room for Scott and I in NYC. Scott had already made a reservation for us, but unfortunately, he overlooked the date and booked it for this past Sunday! Oops. Luckily we were able to find a place right on Times Square for less than the other place! The girls didn't want us to leave, but promises of tattoos and glow sticks made them happy! (We did check in on the girls later and they were enjoying themselves!) We had a great time in NYC. We had dinner at this Brazilain restaurant and it was really tasty, although, I didn't want to see or think of meat after we were done. (The servers bring endless meat around on skewers until you tell them you are finished. Good, but very filling!) We made our way over to the Helen Hayes Theater to see Rock of Ages. The show was AMAZING and it was such a phenomenal experience. I couldn't stop smiling it was so good. I am so happy that our first Broadway show was one that we both enjoyed.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Scott's mom came for a visit today! So, while Abby was at school and Scott and Mckenzie were at the airport to pick her up, I managed to clean out all of the baby toys from the house! I am so proud of myself for finally getting it done. There is no reason a three year old needs rattles in her room! I know I was just keeping them around in hopes of having a use for them, but they are just adding to the clutter. So, now they can clutter the garage until I get them to the Good Will store. When Abby got home from school, we drove Dawn out to the base so she could see where Scott works and gave her a mini tour of the area. We took her to our favorite local restaurant for dinner. It's nothing fancy, but we always seem to have good service and decent food. It's perfect for a quick, cheap meal. The kids are so happy that Grandma is here to visit. I don't think they have stopped smiling at her yet :)

Thursday, October 13, 2011

I was the parent helper in Mckenzie's classroom this morning and I volunteered in Abby's class. So, my normally quiet Thursday morning was pretty busy. For Mckenzie's class, all I had to do was the snack and then clean up afterwards. In Abby's classroom, I got to help with centers. Centers is basically where small groups of students rotate amongst different learning activities. I helped out with a letters matching game. It was a great experience for me. I was able to put a face to some of the children that Abby has been talking about and it also gave me the opportunity to observe Abby's teacher. I don't know how she does it though day after day without an aide. There are some really strong personalities in that class!

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Do you ever have those moments where you are overwhelmed by how lucky you really are? I had one of those moments tonight as I was out running errands by myself. Maybe it was because I was all alone in the car with no noise by my own voice, but I was overcome by how thankful I am. I have been blessed with an amazing family, both my family and my family by marriage. : I have the most amazing, kind, smart husband who loves me unconditionally. (Oops, I forgot funny. He is very funny. sometimes.) I have been blessed twice with beautiful girls who stole my heart before I even met them. They are my world and they are both so special to me. I have parents who loved me enough to raise me with good values, even if it meant they heard "I hate you" or "you are so mean" a thousand times over. They knew in the long run, it would benefit me and I would respect them and love them even more than imaginable. I have sisters who would have my back in a heartbeat, even though we don't always see eye to eye. I have been blessed with so many friends. Some whom I still talk to and others who are just a memory, but still hold a special spot in my heart. We are lucky enough to be healthy, have a home and money to pay the bills. God has provided so well for our family that is overwhelming to me. My list of things I am thankful for is long, as I am sure yours is, and there is no way I could ever write it all down. I hope that you all take a moment to reflect on those things in your life that you are thankful for.

It was a pretty typical day around here. Both girls had school and Abby had dance. Mckenzie got to play with her friend while Abby was dancing. I realized today that Mckenzie and her friend were actually playing together and not just playing alongside one another. She is getting to be such a big girl! Abby was super helpful at dinner tonight. She helped set the table, pour all the drinks, and clear the table afterwards. It was just one of those dinners where everyone was cooperating and it turned into a dancing while we are clearing the table kind of nights.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Everyone had the day off for Columbus day today so we decided it would be a perfect day for pumpkin picking. We went to a nearby farm that has a corn maze and pumpkin picking. The kids had so much fun. Abby couldn't choose just one pumpkin and ended up getting three! Mckenzie settled on just two. Good thing Scott was with to help carry all of them! The corn maze was fun and we were each given a map to help guide us through. Abby was our leader and did a good job of navigating for us! It was pretty warm out so we let the girls have some ice cream before heading home for the day. I love that we are able to make these memories with our children. I know they won't always be excited about pumpkin picking but for now, they are and I am glad we are able to take full advantage of that!
Abby is so sweet. She saw Mckenzie couldn't lift the pumpkin and tried to help her :)

Sunday, October 9, 2011

We didn't go to church this morning since I'm guessing most people would rather us keep our pink eye germs to ourselves. We did go to the park this afternoon after the 24 hour mark of eye drops because it was way to nice outside to be stuck in the house all day. We had never visited this park before and it was really nice. I will have to take the girls there again. And, they have a dog park which would be great for Dakota. The girls had a lot of fun and I think they especially enjoyed having Scott at the park too. We generally go to the park during the work week so he doesn't get to join us all that often.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Scott got home late last night from his trip. I told the girls he wasn't coming home until this afternoon, so when Abby came over to sleep with me in the middle of the night, she was pleasantly surprised to find her Daddy was home. Mckenzie had dance class this morning and I am happy to report that she is getting very comfortable with the participating. She even walked into class alone! We ran an errand and then Scott took Abby to look at Corvettes. She has been fascinated with "sweet" cars lately and Scott was happy to indulge her. She was a little upset though there were only two seats and not four. We had lunch out and while we were eating, I noticed Mckenzie's eye was looking irritated so on the way home, we stopped by a walk in clinic. She has pink eye, but we caught it pretty early so hopefully none of the rest of us get it. Lots of hand sanitizer and hand washing going on around here. We all played outside for a bit this evening. Mckenzie fell off her bike, but she is such a trooper, she hopped right back on without a fuss.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Abby didn't have school today so we decided to visit the zoo. It was a great day to be outside and the zoo wasn't overcrowded. The best part was how well the girls behaved. No major meltdowns and very little whining. I couldn't have asked for a better day. I forgot to pack lunch and we ended up eating zoo food. As we were eating, both girls asked me if they could get a Nutella sandwich. I couldn't blame them for asking. The food was mediocre at best. I think the favorite part of the day for the girls was the petting zoo where they got to comb goats and sheep and sit on a tractor or playing in a water fountain. Abby saw the water fountain and asked if she could play in it. The way she asked, I knew she was expecting me to say no, but when I said yes, her face lit up in disbelief and excitement! The girls got a little wet, but we were heading out of the zoo anyway and it made them so happy. Mckenzie dozed off in the car and she got in a pretty good nap as I didn't plan our exit from the zoo very well and we ended up in rush hour traffic. Abby was a great helper when we got home. She gave Mckenzie a bath, washing her hair and all. Now, if I could just get her to do the dishes and laundry...

The goose that was begging for food while we ate our lunch