Thanksgiving, Part 1

Happy Thanksgiving!!! I know, I know it's a little late...but it's been an awfully busy week for us so I'm just settling down to catch everyone up on the latest and greatest in our house. Well, if you read my last post you know that my brother Dave was coming down to Virginia with his family for the holiday. Owen and Mason were so excited since they were going to have three of their cousins here to visit. Lisamarie is 8, Sienna is 3 and Tavian is 1. Sienna and Owen are only a month apart and Tavian and Mason are just a day so it was great for them all to have a buddy. Then of course Lili fits in with everyone and makes herself the life of the party. We wanted to give them the opportunity to see some of the sights in the city as well as relax around the house so we managed to do a little of each.

We made a trip into DC to see some of the monuments and check out the Air and Space Museum. We got into the city late due to traffic so we tried to see as much as we could while there. The kids loved exploring the interactive exhibits and the planes you can actually get inside. I think that all of the kids favorite part about this whole day was riding on the Metro, the railway system in DC. The three big kids got to sit together in the seats and loved how fast and wild the ride was. If you've been on the T in Boston it's the same thing and when you're little like the are, all that jerking around can be somewhat of a rollercoaster effect...whatever the case may be, they loved it! By the end of the night we were all exhausted and happy to be heading home to bed!

Waiting for the Metro

 Sienna became a Pilot

 A view from upstairs

Ready for bed!

Eric promised Lili that she could see the White House before she went back to Massachusetts and since we didn't get to check it out while in the city, Uncle had to pull some strings and make it happen. Friday night we went to dinner and when we came back, Eric planned to take Lili and Steph, her Mom to make a special trip to the White House. They headed out around 9pm, way past Lisamarie's bedtime and she couldn't have been more excited. They drove in and saw the sights and Uncle got to keep his promise. He even got to surprise Steph with a stop just for her as she had been looking forward to seeing the Lincoln Memorial which we didn't go to either. They got to go check that out as well as visit some other memorials that were in that area. The girls were so happy and got lots of pictures for Lili to show off back at school. Here's a few of the stops they made along the way...

 Lisamarie at the White House

 Lisamarie at the Treasury 

Lisamarie at the Lincoln Memorial

There are so many fun and exciting things to do in this part of the country and if you've never taken the opportunity to check them out, you should! It is such a fun time for people of all ages to learn about the history of our country and take in all the sights around you. I feel pretty lucky to be living right outside all of this and hope to be able to experience it with our boys as much as possible. I also highly recommend checking out some of the monuments and memorials at night as there are hardly any people around and they're absolutely beautiful when they're all lit up. Stay tuned for more pictures and to hear about our Thanksgiving with the Persuitte Family! You don't wanna miss these turkey hats!!!

Couch Bound

And the new week begins! Thankkkk goodness!! Since I hadn't posted last week, that means most of you don't know what an absolutely boring and drawn out week we really had. Allow me to enlighten you...

We got back from Mass and then Eric immediately had to be back to work to make up for the lost time and to get things rolling at the gym again.  We started out Monday planning to get back to our gym routine,visit our new playground and maybe meet up with some friends. However, I realized around lunchtime that the boys had doctors appointments coming up and when I saw the date I found out the appointments were about 2 hours later. Luckily we noticed in time and were able to make it to the office so Owen could have his 3yr checkup and Mason could have his followup with a second set of shots he needed. Owen was really nervous and kept asking if he was going to need any shots too. I knew he would, but just explained that they might but that we'd have to wait and see what the doctor said. He went through his checkup like a real champ and impressed those nurses and doctors like only Owen could. He is such a little ham and full of so many cute and interesting little things to tell everyone...they just loved him. Finally things started to wrap up and the nurses and I secretly planned to have Owen get the shots first so that he didn't see Mase get them and freak out before we had the chance to give him his. Owen got a flu spray up his nose and 2 shots in his left thigh. He screamed and cried for just a couple minutes but sucked it up quickly so that we could move on to Mason. Masie got 3 shots in one leg and reacted about the same. They were both happy to be heading out of there and with stickers to show their bravery.

As soon as we started walking out of the patient room I noticed that Owen was limping a bit but thought that he was just babying it since it might be sore. Once we got home he asked me to carry him because he couldn't walk on his leg. I played along for a while getting him into some comfy jammies and tucked him into bed for a nap. Once he woke up he was just as dramatic as ever and I even sent Eric a text message telling him that the Emmy for best performance in a daytime drama went to Owen. Well, I was kicking myself come Wednesday because after continuing to fight me over walking and complaining about every little thing that even came within 3 feet of his leg, I decided to check out the wound again. I looked at his thigh and saw that the shots were red all around a pretty good area of his thigh and it was swollen in that area as well. I called the doctor and they said it sounded like a localized reaction of some sort and to baby it, as well as give motrin, warm compresses and baths. Here I was yelling at my son to get his butt out of bed and take himself to the potty all the while he's got a bad reaction to some shots and can't walk...awful mother I am! But, then again how was I to know it was anything more than a bad case of the "poor me" scenario we often hear from our guys...if you're a male, skip over that part! After a long week of doing absolutely nothing, once Friday came along he was back on his feet and out running around.

I am so happy to be done with this week where we were pretty much couch bound and going stir crazy to say the least. Looking forward to tomorrow and getting into our routine again...starting the week off by getting back to the gym and preparing for our big Thanksgiving visit from family coming into town. My brother Dave and his family are coming for the holiday. Owen is so excited that his Auntie Steph and Uncle are coming to see him along with cousins Lili, Sienna and Tavian...and their pug Tony of course. It's going to be a fun week!! Hope you're all enjoying preparing for your own Thanksgivings too!
 Until next time...

 Owen working on an art project with the leaves we found outside

My happy little boy Mason

My blog is just my blog.

In case you haven't noticed, I've taken the week off from blogging...and I have no doubt that you've noticed since I'm sure you've all been checking back daily in hopes that I've posted something new right?? Wink, Wink! Well, I didn't intentionally stop blogging, it just sort of happened. As you can tell from my last post I got somewhat of a writers block situation....and you might say that it just didn't go away. I'm not sure that it was even writers block to tell ya the truth because honestly, it's not very often that I run out of things to talk about. I had a conversation with my mother about this yesterday and realized that it was the pressure that was getting to me. Do you believe it?? The pressure of this insignificant little hole in the wall blog that is for no such purpose other than to document the life of my oh so sweet little family. And that's what I finally came to realize...that my blogs purpose is just that. I think I stacked myself up to have so much in depth and profound wisdom that should be offered up to the world and yet I wasn't really sure where to begin. At the same time...when I tried to begin to write about something I thought was a bit more interesting, I felt as if it were so unimportant that nobody would really care to read it. Imagine that, nobody would want to read something I wrote? Hard to believe I know...but I can guarantee I'm not the first person who set themselves up with too high expectations and got cold feet in turn...kinda like stage fright. But I hate that I let myself sabotage the experience, especially when it comes to something that is supposed to be a fun little hobby as simple as writing.

But, the good news is - It only lasted for a week and now I think I'm out of my funk. I've come to terms with the fact that I'm blogging because I want to. Because I want to open our lives up to our family and friends, because I enjoy writing and a huge part of it is honestly because I am actually happy to have something to call my own. Yes, it's about my family and our lives...but it's MY blog. I do the writing and I write when I want, about what I want, and whether people like it or not. I don't do it because my kids need me to or because I think it will make me a good wife...I don't do it because I'm trying to please someone or want to appear to have it all together...it is completely for me. Well, and for those of you who follow along of course. The truth is, I'm a stay at home mom to two small boys and a wife to a husband who works his butt off, a lot, so that he can support our family and allow me to stay home with our children. Now if you're having trouble putting two and two together that means that I don't get a whole lot of anything for myself...I don't even remember the last time I peed with the door shut or slept without a third or fourth little monster kicking me all night, fifth if you count the dog. Life is crazy and I love it, but if you've ever had children or can understand a little piece of what I'm telling you, you will know the importance of having something to call your own. And that's just what my blog is...mine. I really love the process or having meaningful experiences and telling those stories and then when putting it all into words to share with others it just brings a whole new life to it all. I get to relive the good times and sometimes the bad, and let others in on a very special piece of who I am and what's important to me...pretty cathartic I suppose. 

I hope to continue to blog regularly as I really do enjoy it. Tonight, Eric was home and I even asked him if he'd mind if I went upstairs to our bedroom so I could blog by myself. "What? Why?" he asked. And since Owen was still awake I told him that it's just difficult for me to gather my thoughts when I have distractions so I wanted to take a few to write in our bedroom. He didn't mind so here I am lying in bed, alone, in the peace and quiet...did I mention alone??? Well, if that doesn't get me to blog more often than I don't know what will!! It's almost as good as going to the gym and leaving the kids in childcare!! hahaha just kidding...kinda. But in all seriousness, I hope you'll continue to follow along and share all our experiences with us as I write about them. I love knowing that people are interested in what I have to say and that someone cares to take time out of their own busy lives to step into ours for a moment...people are reading this right?? Anways, if you are out there... I appreciate you! 

Lesson for today - Stop setting yourself up to fail. No need to give yourself unreal expectations that will only bring you down...Sometimes things need to be simply what they are. Which is why I'm happy to announce that my blog is just my blog.

Until next time...

To blog or not to blog?

To blog or not to blog? .....That is the question. And if you're reading this it means I posted it so we all know the answer now. This is my last attempt at writing tonight and I don't think it's going to end up being anything worth writing home about so don't get your hopes up! ..actually I guess in a way this is like writing home so forget that part, you get the point. Well, the truth is I have already written more than one post on this very same page only to get halfway through and delete them. What is my problem?!? I just can't seem to get in the swing of it tonight....it seems I've lost my mojo! haha But really, I have! Don't people call that writers block? Yup, that's what I've got is writers block. I sat here contemplating whether or not to blog because I didn't have too much on my mind and wasn't sure what to write about. I guess I should have stopped there because here I am writing about absolutely nothing, blogging about not blogging. How interesting is that?

I started out telling you about my day. But then I realized that I didn't have a very eventful day. We had our morning coffee and spent some time with the boys and then decided to tackle a few cleaning projects we'd been procrastinating on. Then Eric had to head off to work for a while so I spent the rest of the day doing laundry and playing referee for my very active children and dog. Oh, and I did have a great phone conversation with a very good friend whom I've recently began catching up with again -  Hi Christy!! You're famous now! :) Then it was on to dinner and baths before winding down for bed....exciting?? See, told ya it was nothing to brag about!

Then after deleting that post I moved on to write about how important good friends can be and how lucky I feel to have friendships that have lasted so long and can pick up right where they left off - hence the Christy call that sparked this topic. But, after a while it just seemed very cliche and I decided to delete that one too...you're welcome for not boring you..although someday I will tell you how much I love my girlfriends because I really do think they're just fabulous!

Which leads me to my last and final attempt at blogging tonight, this very one you're reading right now. If you're just tuning in to The Laundry Room, I'm usually not so boring and don't ramble quite so much...ok, not true...I ramble a lot. But, that's what makes me a good story teller! So, there you have it...my very unexciting, very poorly executed, and not so interesting blog. Please forgive me and don't boycott this site for the lack of content tonight...like I said, writers block people!! Maybe I'll drink some tea before writing tomorrow, or go for a run...isn't that what people recommend when you're in a funk? Or maybe we'll just have a little bit more of an exciting day so I'll have something to share! Thanks for coming by anyways, and if you actually read this whole thing through - You're either my mother, or a true fan of my work...Maybe next time I'll choose not to blog ;)

PS. I had every intention of deleting this post as well...however my husband really liked it and compared it to Seinfeld...he says it's a show about nothing, and my post was about nothing...Well, Eric...this post is for you babe!!

Family Park Day

Recently I came across this great park that the boys and I went to. I heard about it through a local Moms group that I joined after moving down to Virginia. They scheduled one of their meetups there for a walk with our strollers followed by some running around at the playground. We went and had such a fun time. Lots of Moms showed up and we all headed out on the path with our babies in tow and then brought them over to the playground to stretch their legs too. It is a really cool place with about five different play areas, tons of slides, and swings for both big kids and babies. I was even more pleased to find it since I've had a difficult time finding a spot that's age appropriate for both Owen and Mason and this one seems to fit them perfectly! The walking trail is almost 2 miles which is just enough time to let the boys enjoy the walk without pushing any limits of being strapped in a carriage for too long...and honestly, it's probably a perfect distance for a Mom pushing two very big boys in a double stroller up and around some twisty little hills! The trail winds through the woods and along this cute little pond with a fountain in the middle that we even saw some ducks swimming in during our first visit there. We enjoyed this place so much that we decided we needed to share it with Daddy too!

After Eric came home from work today we packed up and headed out to show off our new little spot. Owen was so excited and insisted that we all run from the parking lot so we followed along and hit the pavement. Once we got to the playground I ventured off with Owen to run wild and race down the slides while Daddy and Mason checked out the swings. Mase loves to be pushed and makes it clear when he's not ready to get out. If you ask and reach out for him too soon, he grips the chains tighter and starts to make noises which I'm sure is his way of saying we better not touch him. Owen can't get enough of chasing eachother around and seeing who can get to the bottom of the slide first. After exploring all the different parts of the playground, we crossed the parking lot to show Daddy where we walk and look for ducks. Although there were no ducks today, Daddy managed to find a neat spot near the water where they could sneak down and throw rocks and sticks. Mason and I decided to hang back and soak up the views while the two of them spent some time together.

Once the sun began to go down and a chill came along we started to head back even though Owen was a little disappointed that our trip was ending. We promised to come back soon and that he could have hot chocolate once we got home which made parting much easier on everyone. What a wonderful day we got to have together, sometimes just spending time enjoying the little things in life makes you appreciate how truly blessed we really are. I have a great husband who has been taking the time to thank me daily for being his wife and I have two amazing little boys who are so full of love and joy that it is contagious just looking at them! Thank God for my happy little family for I would be lost without them! Here's some pictures we took throughout the afternoon. I finally got a new camera this week so no more snapping pix with the cell phone...Yay, Thanks hubby!!

Massachusetts

If you don't already know that we've been on vacation - We've been on vacation! We left last week for a trip up to Massachusetts where we visited family and friends and celebrated Owens 3rd Birthday as well as a baby shower for my sister-in-law Nahir. Busy, busy, busy!!! It wasn't a long trip since Eric had to get back to work but it was well worth it! We had so much fun and enjoyed spending time with everyone and only wish we were able to visit more. 

We started out by making the 9hr drive from Virginia all the way up to Winchendon, Ma where my Mom and Dad moved to this past summer and offered to take us in for the visit, Rocco and all! It was nice to kick back and relax and nobody takes care of people like my mother can! She has this way of always filling up your coffee cup or bringing you homemade cookies and making sure every meal is taken care of. Meanwhile, Pepere keeps the kids occupied with all his special toys and surprises all the time. Eric and I appreciated having the help since the move has cost us that luxury. 

Saturday was Owen's Birthday party at Auntie Janelles house. We went with a big pirate theme bash as he's recently sparked an interest after getting a new pirate bed set, pjs, and has watched Captain Hook get chased by the crocodile on youtube over and over! He had lots of cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends all come out to help celebrate. We had such an awesome time and can't thank everyone enough for all the help that went into making Owens birthday such a hit! 

After the birthday party Owen and Mason got to go home with Gramma and Grampa for a sleepover. The boys were also lucky enough to be able to spend lots of time with their great grandparents while there as well. Sunday came and they were off to watch their cousin Tyler dominate the soccer field! Meanwhile, Eric and I got to take back our nieces Lisamarie and Isabel for a sleepover. We had tons of fun and managed to keep those wild girls under control, even if I did threaten to glue Belle's butt to the couch. Sunday came and all the girls headed down to Aunt Greta's for the baby shower. Nahir and Dan are expecting my little nephew on Jan 5th and we decided to celebrate the occasion. We spent the day talking, laughing, playing games and eating good food with good company. Nahir got some great gifts and big sister Belle was such a good helper which I'm sure is just a preview of what's to come with her soon to be little brother! 

After all of our big to dos were wrapped up, Eric and I each closed the weekend with a girls night in for me and a guys night out for him. Thanks to my parents keeping an eye on the boys, I was able to meet up with a couple of friends and spend the night catching up while Eric and a few friends went out and did the same. Then we finished up with some last minute goodbyes on Monday and it seemed like Tuesday came all to quick. Before we knew it we were back on the road yesterday afternoon. After a very busy and fun filled visit we were sad to say goodbye as is to be expected. But, as much as we're going to miss everyone there is no denying the fact that coming home after a vacation is always a great feeling! We were all so happy to be back in our beds and routines, except Eric who was dreading leaving us to go back to the world of DC traffic and a pile of work on his desk. When all's said and done we're home sweet home! So....until next time Massachusetts! Thanks for the memories!!

Captain Owen

Just a quick note to everyone - The day has come. My baby isn't a baby anymore!!! :-(  Ok, ok...it's not that sad. This is just one of the many days in your childs life where you're supposta use that line. lol I'm sure you're all wondering which big milestone this is so I'll go ahead and fill you in. Today Owen got a big boy bed! He has had a cute little racecar toddler bed since before he was two, and we figured it was about time he moved on to bigger and better things. The truth is, our almost 3 year old is actually about the size of an almost 13 year old. haha, not really..but almost. He is very big for his age and that toddler bed just doesn't seem to be fitting quite as well anymore. He wakes up all night long and climbs into our bed only to be carried back to his room time after time. Needless to say, everyone in our house is long overdue for a good nights sleep! With high hopes and a whole lot of desperation we decided that his third birthday would be the perfect time to "talk up" the whole idea about being big now and needing a big boy bed...with me? 

Thank the good Lord for my wonderful in-laws who so generously took on the project as their big birthday gift to Owen! Steve and Laurie, You are the best!!! He doesn't turn three until Wednesday, and we leave for Massachusetts on Thursday to have Owen's big party up at Auntie Janelles house this weekend. But, luckily Gramma and Grampa didn't mind giving the present early as I think it would be a little difficult heading back to Virginia with a twin bed in tow. We set it all up and had the big box full of pirate sheets and bedding and pirate pajamas and different accessories all wrapped up on the bed, accompanied by a super cool bean bag chair with a big bow! Owen got on the computer to skype the big to do so that they could watch the unveiling. He hadn't the slightest idea what was about to happen when Gramma told him to go check out his room and SURPRISE!!! He was over the moon! Daddy put the pajamas and bedding on quickly and before you know it there was a 'pirate ship' right there in the room. He was jumping up and down, climbing all over it, pretending to sleep, making Daddy walk the plank while he threw him off and then yelling "Man overboard!" while he laid on the floor. We even dubbed him Captain Owen! This was such an awesome present and he could not have been more thrilled about it. Thank you Gramma and Grampa for such a great gift, and here's to hoping that we all get to sleep through the night!! Sweet dreams friends...

Trick or Treat

Happy Halloween!! or Happy Belated anyways. Did you celebrate? Dress up? Take your kids out? Well, here in our house we have been looking forward to it for quite some time now. Not that Eric and I get into Halloween very much, we never were big on dressing up or going to parties...not sure why, I guess it just plays into our whole "homebody" type personalities. We always preferred to see the kids all dressed in their princess and monster costumes and pass out candy from home. Although there was that one year where things changed a bit and it will surely go down in history as one of my all time favorite Halloweens. It was back when Eric and I were first together. I might have been 16 years old at the time, Eric 18. We had been planning to stay in at his parents and pass out treats while we watched the little ones run from house to house. So the time comes and there we sat waiting...and waiting...and waiting. I don't think we got one single trick or treater. We even made our way to the front porch to see if we could gather up any kids that we could empty our candy bowl to and not one! I was so disappointed and Eric felt bad as he knew how much I was looking forward to it. He said he'd be right back and left me to talk with his mother for a while. Out of nowhere I finally see someone coming to the door and believe it or not, there was Eric...dressed in a giant pumpkin costume that was in the basement from a Halloween past. He had snuck down to dress up so that I wouldn't be disappointed in our wash of a night. What a guy huh?! No wonder I married him ;)

Now that you've gotten through my reminiscing I'm sure you're all waiting for the details on THIS Halloween. Not that Eric isn't interesting and all, but let's face it - Owen and Mason take the cake in this post. Like I said earlier, we have been looking forward to this night for a while now. We had gone back and forth for a couple months about what Owen wanted to dress up as, and what he thought his brother might like to be. We considered a fireman and a dalmatian, sharks-because his cousins in MA were sharks so he jumped on that idea for a while, and then we contemplated the famous Wolfman (a character from a NH theme park) among many, many other ideas along the way.  But no matter how many different costumes we came up with Owen always seemed to come back to the same one. He insisted that he and his brother should be tigers. I have absolutely NO idea why, where it came from...who knows. But, he was not going to let this one go. So, we finally get the costumes and tried them on while practicing the "roar" and "trick or treat" lines. It wasn't to long after that when Owen decided that he wished we was Mickey Mouse instead. Well, luckily I didn't run out and buy that costume too because he forgot and went right back to the tigers just like every other time. 

We spent the day talking about what we would do, how exciting this was, when we would go. We couldn't wait to get out there and experience the fun. Owen said Daddy needed to dress up too so Eric threw together a last minute costume and posed for a few pictures while I was in tears from laughing so hard. He decided not to go out in public in my leggings afterall, but I still have the proof that he wore them! At Owens request we had pizza for dinner and then got the boys dressed to go. We snapped a couple pix, got the boys in the wagon and off we went! Thank God we brought that wagon because as it turned out, our neighborhood doesn't seem to have much Halloween spirit. House after house and nothing but dark porch lights. Come on people!! Don't you know that my adorable little tigers have been looking forward to this for months?!? We could not have been more frustrated while we tried to stay positive and not let on that this trick or treat thing was turning into a bust. We walked for what seems like miles and finally came to a house with a light on! Owen did his cute little lines and the man gave him a fruit by the foot AND a full size butterfinger. WooHoo! Jackpot! We continued down a couple more streets while little Mason froze his little whiskered cheeks off and Owen shined his flashlight at us all. We only hit a few more houses who luckily filled the bucket up with a few things each,  so it turned out to look a lot more than you would think. We decided to head home as it was dark and cold and there wasn't a house in sight that looked to be welcoming trick or treaters. The boys didn't seem to mind and so we went back and opened up a few things to eat before getting ready for bed. I would like to say the whole thing was a flop, but I won't. To me it was at first, but after seeing the smiles on the boys faces and how much Owen enjoyed going up to peoples doors, even if it was only a handful of times it made it worth it. The boys wouldn't tell you that our neighbors stink at holiday spirit or that it wasn't fun walking around all night in the dark and cold. They'd tell you that they had a blast getting candy and got to be tigers while Mama and Daddy pulled them around in their wagon and that's what's important. Halloween turned out to be pretty happy after all! And lesson learned-when it comes to trick or treating next year, we're driving to a new neighborhood!