Beach 2013!

We made it! Here are just a few pics of our activities in the last 36 or so hours, I will post all about our vacation next Sunday (right now I just want to enjoy it!).

Weekly Wrap-Up

We are on the final countdown to beach week 2013 J I feel like EVERYONE else has had their vacations and I have kindly (jealously) listened to what a wonderful time they had…now it is {almost} our turn!!!

While we will definitely enjoy our time away, it’s been busy at work and home planning for a whole week off. We have even started packing some items and I definitely have several lists! (this really shouldn't be a surprise for anyone who knows me, I have actually started planning Rose’s 3^rd birthday)

Our week was pretty typical... lots of playtime and silliness :)

Friday was different however, due to Grandma deciding it would be fun to go camping for the weekend, Rose got to split the day with daddy and mommy. Justin took off until noon to stay with Rose while I attended several meetings. Since I know lots of activities for children in the county due to my job, I told Justin to take Rose to the Muhlenberg Library for a play group. Justin said Rose had a great time and even saw a little boy who is in our music class. After the parent switch so Justin could go to work in the afternoon, Rose and I had lunch, went for a walk, and she took her nap. After she woke up we played and had her monthly occupational therapy session. Our OT was excited with all of Rose’s new words and with Rose rolling a piece of grass between her fingers J Justin was home in time for dinner and we enjoyed the evening together. 

Due to working only a half day on Friday, Justin decided to put a couple hours in Saturday. So  I got Rose up and we started our day after daddy had left. Rose and I took a quick trip to Target…I think I take her there too often, because I told her when we got to Target she could get out and as soon as she saw the Target sign she started pointing to it and saying ‘out!’.  We also had a mini play date, when a friend from high school came with her daughter to purchase some of Rose’s diapers. It seems Rose is really potty trained, although we do have an accident here or there, besides nap time and bedtime, she is in panties.

Rose decided not to nap on Saturday…she did lay in her crib for about an hour and rest, but never really fell asleep. It gave me enough time to make some things for our music class picnic on Sunday, but then we were up and playing again. After Justin got home from work, I put him to work, putting up the shelves in our office. We have almost lived here for 5 years. In those 5 years we have slept in every room upstairs (this is our second and final time in the back bedroom), totally lived on the second floor, had a kitchen upstairs and downstairs at the same time, had two bathrooms (but not the same two locations), and could only get to the second floor from the outside stairwell…we’ve been through A LOT in this house J We are {finally} using every room in the home as we have intended and except for our master bath, there are no other total remodels waiting to be done. We have accomplished so much in 5 years…I really hope in another 5 I can say we’re all done (fingers crossed).

My office space :)

Sunday after Rose’s speech session we got ready for our music class summer get together. We didn’t have any classes this summer, but will start up again in September, so this was a way to reconnect with everyone and get excited for classes again J

We also enjoyed a delicious meal at nana and papa’s on Sunday night, and Nana found Rose some daddy approved ice pops :)

So my next post next Sunday will be from the beach…

Weekly Wrap-Up

Rose is feeling much better! Monday she was still a little tired and not eating as much, but by Tuesday our little flower had returned to her normal self…actually a REALLY hungry version of herself. I don’t think we have offered Rose food this week that she hasn’t finished and asked for more.

Rose was easily, um...irritated with me this week. She does not like having her picture taken, especially when she would rather be doing something else. Example: on Monday Rose wanted to wear the necklace I wore to work and so I let her and then I wanted a pic of her with the necklace and me with the earrings, this is what I got:

No worries, once we headed out to drive the Jeep she was all smiles again :) (yes, I let Rose *drive* the Jeep back and forth in our yard)

This week has been pretty much our normal: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday with Grandma and Wednesday with Nana. Rose plays outside, goes for walks, plays inside, took a trip to the horse farm, and went to story time. Right now Rose’s favorite toys are her doll house and babies (babies have been a favorite for a long time and she has the cutest high pitch voice she uses to say ‘baby’).

Weekends we go to the farmer’s market and Justin works around the house. This weekend he completed the trim in our master bedroom. AND since he got that all done on Saturday, he had enough time to also install the reading lights over our bed :) Justin was able to work so quickly with Rose as his little helper! (on a side note: whenever one of Rose's toys breaks, such as a door coming off her car, she will get her play hammer and drill and start 'fixing" them. Papa is so proud!)

Sunday we went to a farewell party for Kate and Jon as they get ready to head to Rhema Bible College in a few weeks. Kate requested I make her cheesecake brownies J

(nobody was cooperating with my picture taking, so this is what you get)

As a going away present I sent some of Rose's artwork to decorate their new apartment and since they won't be home until Christmas, I sent along an ornament I made for them out of their wedding program. I also made one for Matt and Jenni (which they have, so I am not ruining any surprises). I had also made each couple an afghan for their wedding present (I really am semi-crafty!), but didn't take pictures...I will have to sneak into their homes and get pictures ;)

One thing I cannot do, but do plan on learning, is using a sewing machine. Last year I bought Rose and I matching shirts from an Etsy seller and I also purchased another one in the next size up for her, so we could match again this year. I think Rose understood that we were matching today, she kept pointing to her skirt and mine and then hers again...

On a sad note, we said good-bye to the Honda this week. We decided that while have an extra vehicle is nice, it's not necessary and not worth the upkeep. With 315,000 miles on it and who knows how many more to go, we sold it :( I hope she breaks 500,000!

We'll follow that with a happy note: I *think* Rose is potty trained :) Now she still wears a diaper for naps and bedtime, but this past week she has been 100% while in panties during the day! Part of me is really going to miss the cloth diapering experience.

We are on the countdown to our beach vacation. I am excited to see if Rose loves the pigeons as much this year as last year. Next year we probably will not do a whole week at the beach (maybe a long weekend), so I am going to enjoy this whole week with my family.  

Weekly Wrap-Up

It's one of those weeks, we just wonder where the time went and how we got through it all...

The week started out pleasant enough. Monday we celebrated Uncle Josh's birthday and Rose was in heaven to be able to have some time with Aunt Jenni :)

Tuesday also seemed to start out well. Rose took a trip with Grandpa and Grandma to Conowingo Dam to see the eagles. While Rose seems to have enjoyed herself she refused to take a nap in the car and so was exhausted by the time we had her first swimming class. Rose enjoys the water and swims a few times a week with grandma in their pool, but I thought this would be a fun activity for us to do with Rose.

Rose made it about 20 minutes in the pool and then started shivering and asking for out. By the time we got home and gave Rose a warm bath, she had a slight fever. 

By Wednesday she was very clingy and had a low fever on and off. I chalked this up to Rose being tired and we didn't worry much.  Thursday was pretty much the same except that after her nap Rose had several pimples around her mouth. So I called the doctor and made an appointment for Friday. 

I had thought it might be hand, foot, and mouth, but with no signs other than the sores on her mouth it was diagnosed as Inpetigo :( Rose got a prescription for a cream and antibiotic. This weekend was the annual clam bake and so my sister and her family were coming up for the weekend. Since we now knew what Rose had and what precautions to take we still went out for dinner with the cousins on Friday. 

Rose really enjoys being with her cousins

I am so focused on either Justin or I (and preferably both of us) being present in Rose's life as much as possible. This means we have both chosen jobs with flexibility to be home when Rose needs us and to have evenings and weekends together. However, once in a while Justin and I need *a little* time together for just us. Since we decided not to take Rose with us to the clam bake Saturday night I BEGGED my mother to watch Rose so Justin and I could have a faux date, with 20+ of my closest relatives :) (To be fair, Nana doesn't really like clams and she REALLY loves Rose, so I don't think she minded too much!)

Justin and I tended the clams for a bit to give others a change to eat. There were over 1500 clams to cook!

  I definately ate my share of these little guys, I lost track after 2 dozen, but think I was close to about 4 before the night was over :)

Sunday Rose was feeling much better :) Her cousins stopped in to see her before returning to VA. AND since they remembered the slide this trip up, Rose now has her climbing wall to go up and slide to go down!