Christmas time fun!

Holiday Tea

Camp out under the tree

Christmas cookie time!

Shrek the halls

Cold!

Ice!

National Harbor tree

We had such a wonderful weekend of fun Christmas things to do! Friday I was invited to be Rowan's date to his school's Holiday Tea Party! The kids did a great job with their performance and Rowan was one of the loudest singers! Friday night Jason and Rowan did their usual Friday night bonfire in the backyard before we camped out under the tree in the living room. We read all kinds of Christmas books and listened to the Charlie Brown Christmas album as we fell asleep. It was a ton of fun even for Jason who doesn't like "camping". Yesterday we went to the National Harbor to check out the lights at The Gaylord Hotel and see Ice! The exhibit, which was themed "Shrek the halls", was spectacular. The tent was freezing (6-12 degrees) obviously to keep the ice display intact. It was pretty amazing to see. Then we ate dinner by the water and headed down to see the tree.

On the way back, we walked through the Gaylord to see their lights and trees. It's a beautiful hotel and was completely decked out for the season. They had a walk through Gingerbread house, a train for the kids to ride on and a colorful fountain display.

I feel so fortunate to have shared these wonderful things with Jason and the kids in light of recent events in Ct. Nothing means more to all of us than being with the people you love most in this world. It's so painful to even imagine how quickly things can be taken from us. Peace and Prayers to all the families involved in this senseless tragedy.

Morgan's real life Pillowpet

Morgan loves Pippa! Lately if she doesn't want Jason or I she goes to snuggle up with Pippa. She finds it very comforting to lay with her. Pippa has been showing her maternal instincts by snuggling right back. Our Airedale is a keeper as she keeps proving her worth. Now all she needs is a nice haircut so we can see her pretty eyes again!

A Marathoner in the House!

Congratulations to Sara who completed the Philadelphia Marathon a couple weekends ago! We are so proud of her for setting a BIG goal and obtaining it with not much training under her belt either! This is a true testament to her mental strength and determination.

Thanks to Sara for inspiring me and others who read this post that nothing is impossible as long as you put your mind to it. I also appreciate her teaching a lifelong lesson to Rowan and Morgan that no matter how difficult something can be...you never, ever quit!

CHEERS TO SARA ON HER AWESOME ACCOMPLISHMENT!!

Thanksgiving Weekend 2012

Hanging out at the pond

Riding back in Uncle Tim's truck

Celebrating Gigi's Birthday

We had a great Thanksgiving trip to Pittsburgh! Rowan and Morgan had a blast playing with all their cousins at Uncle Pete's Thanksgiving day. 8 little boys and 3 little girls = chaos but fun chaos! They ran around outside, took a ride in the truck to the pond, and enjoyed the late night bonfire. Friday we celebrated Morgan's birthday! She got lots of new hair accessories and couldn't wait to put them in.

Thanksgiving has always been a special holiday to me and it feels really that my kids get to enjoy all their cousins like we did as children. A special thanks to Uncle Pete and Alicia for making this tradition happen year after year!

Anniversary Weekend!

Narmada Winery

has what it takes to be the next Bachelor

Gaudino Winery

The Inn at Little Washington

Jason and I celebrated 8 years together this past weekend! We headed out to historic Washington, Va and enjoyed a couple wineries and a stayed at the Foster Harris House Bed and Breakfast. We ended up eating at The Inn of Little Washington not knowing just how special the restaurant was. Previous people who have eaten there are The Queen Mother, Laura Bush and Julia Child's. The meal was the best I've ever had and the staff could not have been nicer. They even gave us a 30%  discount since it was Veterans Day!

The Inn ended up having some available tables due to the fact that there was a big Birthday party celebration that was suddenly cancelled. Whose you may ask? Paula Broadwell, a.k.a General Peterus's Mistress! We also later found out that her and her hubby were also staying at the Bed and Breakfast across the street from ours where they abruptly left Saturday evening. As if this wasn't coincidence enough, Jason was also was on the pulse of things months ago regarding Tampa socialite, Jill Kelley. Her name came across his email and he didn't understand why she was the honorary consulate to MacDill AFB and who her connection was. In his words, "I started investigating her months ago and it just didn't make sense!" All the pieces finally came together for him this weekend and he was the first to give himself a pat on the back! As you might expect, he's loving all the media coverage of her from her Tampa home as she also lives on Bayshore Blvd so he has a birds eye view of all the drama unfolding.

I would say this was a very memorable Anniversary for us. We had a really great time and it felt good to sneak away for alittle bit. Thanks to the Little's and Sara who watched/entertained the kids for us. We're hoping to make the trip to Little Washington an annual event with alittle less drama next time around!

End of season soccer game/party

Rowan with his coaches

enjoying the party!

Rowan and his bestie

Today was Rowan's last soccer game of the season. The team was great and the coaches were even better. Rowan seemed to really enjoy playing and he's pretty good at it too. The most important thing to us is that he's learning teamwork and the importance of exercise.

Way to go Rowan and the Kings Park West Explorers on a spectacular season!!

Halloween 2012!

The kids and I had a really great time trick or treating this year! We went with Ms. Jen and Megan and hit about 30 houses. Several houses had bonfires going which was so fun. I'm so thankful that I was able to witness the absolute joy that Halloween brought to Rowan and Morgan. Rowan had a hard time controlling his excitement all day and Morgan was helping herself to candy bowls by the end of the evening. They topped the night off by watching "The Great Pumpkin" and snuggling with their Aunt Sara.

A special Thank You to Sara who raced home from work to hand out candy so we could enjoy the evening!

H and G Sandy!

Paintings by RoMo

Homemade Playdough

tabletop racetrack

My shot at pumpkin carving

Hurricane Sandy left town much faster than the several days of hype leading up to it. Thankfully, it really turned out to be an anti-climactic event here in NoVA. Regardless, we camped out in the basement last night just in case of any fallen trees. The camp out seemed like a fun idea - Morgan in the pack-n-play and Rowan in a tent- until the 2 of them had alittle too much fun carrying on and not going to bed until 9:30. I was extremely grateful to awaken to a house that had power and no damage.

Preparation was the key to the storm and that rang true to being prepared as to what to 2 with 2 little kids as well. We really had a fun and busy day yesterday. We baked muffins, made play dough, did some painting, watched a movie, did a few coloring sheets and make a racetrack. I found it alittle bit tricky to have things that both kids would enjoy because of their age gap. Rowan loved the painting and racetrack while Morgan really loved the play dough and coloring.  I also got to a pumpkin this morning since I missed Kara's annual pumpkin carving - the best party of the year!

An added bonus to the day was Morgan peeing in the potty last night out of the blue. She has shown interest as of late and knows where I keep it for her. She did her business and kept returning to it as if it was fun. If anything it's a good starting point. She gave me a hard time this morning when I tried to put a diaper on her though. I teased Sara that she will be an expert in potty training and RescueBots when she leaves here:) I'm not sure how many times Rowan said "RescueBots....Transform and Roll out" yesterday.

Fall photoshoot

A couple weekends ago I took the kids to get some professional pictures taken. I found Beth, the photographer, through a neighborhood friend. They are a Navy family that just relocated from Naples, Italy. The session was in her backyard which was one of the nicest yards I've ever seen.

I planned the session to be after Morgan's nap and lunch so they would be well rested and have full stomachs. Well, sometimes things just don't workout as you'd like them too, especially with kids, and this was one of those things. Morgan was a wreck - literally wrecking havoc on this woman's setup and burning up her yard. Rowan did well - almost too well - because he didn't want to stop getting his picture taken. Gotta love him!

After about an hour and 402 pictures later, Beth did get some great shots of both of them. The above ones show just how unpredictable kids can be and how photos can show their personalities as well. I learned that being a photogher is kinda like being a teacher. It requires lots and lots of patience and hard work. Thank you to Beth Moskal Photography. Hoping our next session will go a little bit better!

An unwelcomed visitor

No it wasn't pumpkins but I'm sure you'll be glad I spared you the photo of the "intruder". Yesterday morning, bright and early, I found a snake in the downstairs playroom. After screaming my lungs out while running to the top of the stairs with Morgan in my arms, I realized I had to go back down and figure out what the hell I was going to do! After trying to compose myself and remembering to breath (heart attacks run in my family), I found a heavy car battery charger and threw it several times on the sucker. My screams intensified with each hit yet it kept squirming away apparently unharmed. Next I called my friend Jen who found a neighbor who could help me. Dan and his wife Pam (angels) arrived with gloves, a towel, and a hammer. You might imagine what happened next. I cried as though I just survived a natural disaster.

Word quickly circulated around the neighborhood. One friend joked that her children would no longer be playing at our house and  - as if I wasn't already creeped out -  another told me that when there's one .....there's always another.

Jason seriously needs to come home! I needed a drink and a throat lozenger by 10am. Please pray that this never happens again or a heart attack may do me in!

Columbus Day weekend

Jason was home for 4 days and we certainly made the most of it! We visited cox farms, the Space and Air Museum, hung out at Rowan's soccer game and painted pumpkins. Rowan was so taken by the Kennedy Space Center this summer that he wanted to go back to the A&S museum to see the new Discovery exhibit. It's such a great place to visit. Next time Mimi and Hank or Darryl and Mary come to visit we have to go so remind us!

Jason was very excited to see Rowan play in his soccer game on Saturday. I'm glad he got to meet some of the other parents and see his son score 5 goals! Rowan hustles the whole time he's on the field and has great ball control. Not sure where he gets it from considering Jason and I no soccer skills whatsoever! We are so proud of him for having fun and listening to his coaches:)

Yesterday we visited the pumpkin patch despite the intermittent rain and 51 degree temperature. The kids had a blast and we found the most perfect pumpkins! Rowan really wanted to paint an angry bird pumpkin so Jason helped him. He is really artistic and they both did a great job!

Jason has also been showing his mad handyman skills around the house as of late. Last time he was home he did some stone work on the back patio which looks so nice. I had a big 'honey do' list this weekend and he got to all of the projects which was awesome. We have some major projects set up for when he comes home for good and I know these little things are giving him great confidence. Darryl told him that he has to be careful to not look too handy or I'll really put him to work!
So true....

Sleeping and Surgery

It's been a bit of a tough transition back for us, especially for Morgan. Her sleep patterns have been all over the place. The first week back she was giving me 5-5:15am wake up calls. Some days she would sleep til 5:30 or 5:45. A friend advised me to do a mid morning nap and keep her up til 8pm hoping that that would make her sleep in. It worked 2 days in a row in which she slept in til 6:15 and 6:30 and then it was back to @5:30. Monday she slept in until 7am and then yesterday was 6am. Today I got an early Christmas gift...she slept in until 7:20am. Does anyone want to take a guess what tomorrow will bring?

I had minor surgery on Monday and am so grateful that Mary and Darryl came down to take care of the kids for a couple days. I was able to sleep and relax while they took Rowan to school and kept Morgan busy. Bonus: Darryl also cleaned our carpet downstairs! I'm feeling ok when I get food in my system but have to be careful about taking my pain meds while watching the kids. I'm so excited that Jason will be home for the long weekend so I can really take it easy. Thanks to all who have checked in on us:)

We are anxiously awaiting for Jason to get his orders back here. Fingers crossed that it will be only another month or so.

Happy Fall Y'all!

Morgan taking the wheel

Char, Rowan and Ben

We had a great weekend in Pittsburgh hanging out with family and seeing good friends. Saturday we went to the strip district with Mimi and Hank. We stocked up on Steeler gear and food from Penn Mac. We also had a good lunch at Kelly O's! Afterwards we met up with Ben and Char at Soergel's fall festival. Rowan loved playing with his cousins! Saturday night Jason and I caught up with old friends while Mimi and Hank watched the kids. Rowan was thrilled when he heard that we were going out and that he and Mimi were gonna make cookies! He just adores her and Hank:)

It's weekends like this that make me miss the burgh:( Looking forward to having more good times over the Thanksgiving holiday!

The "L" word

It's been just about 2 weeks since we've got Pippa back from Hard Knocks summer camp. It must have done her good because she's come back a changed woman. She's calm, listens much better, and I can actually walk her now with the kids. Perhaps it's the fact that she's older ? That or they just set her straight at camp.

The thought of getting a puppy while being the sole caregiver of 2 little kids was overwhelming and it was as she behaved as most puppies do. Let's see...what pushed me over the edge...was it the chewing up of our new jute carpet or our pedestal table leg? Or it might have been her chewing through our laptop cord or the TV cables outside on Superbowl Sunday. Then I realized that our house phone line was dead. Upon inspection, I learned that the Pips dug a hole and you guessed it...chewed right through the line.

They say forgive and forget. I can do that because Pippa has become the dog Jason said she would. She is so great with the kids. Morgan yanks her tail and tries to ride her while Pippa takes it in stride. Rowan loves to play ball with her in the backyard and when she follows him around. He was so upset to leave Jason but Pippa has become a great distraction for him.

I love that Pippa is such a great watchdog. She becomes so dominant when a starnger approaches the house and positions herself between me and the door. I love that she comes back to my room in the middle of the night if she hears me stirring. I love that Pippa has become part of our family and she knows it. I never though I'd see the day when I would fall for her but I finally have. I love you Pips!

The Purple room!

ready to go!

huh? clearly not our child

love my baby sis

Rowan started school yesterday and was so ready to go! This year he'll be going 5 days for 4 hours each day. We're thinking it will be a good stepping stone in preparation for kindergarten.

We are transitioning back to life without Jason here in Virginia. Other than Pippa busting through the screen to our sliding glass door its been quiet around here.

Goodbye Tampa

sunset from balcony

345 Bayshore

Hey ladies, he's local!

Sadly, our 14 week staycation has come to an end. Tomorrow we fly out and settle back into reality in Virginia. This experience has been nothing less than fantastic. We took advantage of pretty much everything Tampa and the surrounding areas have to offer. We walk away with many new friends, great tans and awesome memories. We hope to return to this special town sooner rather than later.

345 Bayshore has been a wonderful home away from home. The security team, the cleaning crew and office manager have been so nice to us and we really felt at home. We loved having the pool and workout facilities just floors away-definitely the perks of condo living! Jason's condo had a great view of the bay and Hyde Park, our favorite area.

Lastly, I need to give a big shout out to Jason for riding his bike to work everyday this summer so we could cruise around town in the Camry. Everyday he happily hopped on his bike to make the 8 mile trek to base.  What an awesome way to start off your day!

Keep it real Tampa...we love ya!