New & Improved
8/25/2009
Welcome to the new bravofam.com! After 5 years of the same look, we've decided to switch things up. Take a look around and let us know what you think. We're still making some updates so please stay tuned.

Time Flies When You're Having Fun
1/11/2010
It's scary how life can fly right by. Each day we're watching Ellie discover new things. She'll be standing and walking really soon. She's thinking about it. You would be amazed at how much she eats. I'm not sure where it goes! Phil is working hard at the bank. Long days, lots of clients- he says it's good. I'm back in class and studying for the DAT. Not sure where this road is taking me. Ask me again this summer. We're trying to remember to enjoy each and every moment. There is no "pause" or "rewind" button we can use later. Warm wishes from our family to yours! :-)

Big Week
1/27/2010
This is a big week for the Bravo's! I quit school this week. I just had enough. I hated using every ounce of free time to study. I really felt like I was missing precious moments with Ellie and Phil. Life is just too short. So, now I'm on to new adventures with my family. I'll keep you posted! We also put an offer on a piece of property down the street- on the water! I really hope we get it, but Phil's not so sure. Keep those fingers crossed!

Groundhog Day
2/2/2010
More winter, yuck. If we could just get a bit of snow, I think that'd make it better. Yesterday, I got great footage of Ellie standing up in her crib (while throwing a tantrum). She's pretty determined to stand up and have a look all over the place. But, she gets stuck...so I have to save her all the time. She falls a lot, too. Today she got a bright, red scratch on her forehead. Also, today she took a few steps with her holding my hands. She's a mover! On Friday night we heard our offer on the house was rejected with no counter offer. So, it's back to the drawing board. Fun!

Valentine's Week
2/8/2010
Go Saints! I wore my Mardi Gras beads last night in support of the team! We had a nice weekend- bright sunny skies, despite the rest of the country. We did some shopping, eating out, game night and dancing. And now it's Monday again. Ellie can now pull herself up and take steps while holding onto the table, chair, etc. It's amazing! Yesterday afternoon she walked half way around the coffee table (while pulling everything off)! I think she understands quite a bit, too. When I tell her to "say bye bye". She waves...or at least wiggles her fingers like a lazy wave. Very cute. Wait until you see her Valentine's Day pictures I took last week at the garden shop! I'll post them in a few days. Have a great Valentine's Day week!

Weekend Get-Away
2/15/2010
We're settling back after a wonderful weekend! After mass on Sunday we headed out to Amelia Island to the Ritz Carlton. We went to a nice little place off Center Street for a late breakfast. Great video of Ellie eating her first Valentine cookie! After check-in we headed to the pool and spa. It was chilly but sunny so that hot water felt awesome. We headed to Espana for tapas. Back at the Ritz at around 8pm the fire alarm went off. Apparently there was a fire in the kitchen so they had to close all the restaurants. To make everyone feel better they opened up a free buffet in the lobby! Complete with a chocolate fountain! They also gave me chocolates and a rose! Today was a beautiful day out there! We walked on the beach and just relaxed- fabulous! We met up with one of Phil's clients and then ran into my parents for a drink and headed back. What a great weekend! Nice, one Phil! Now, back to real life...

Ready to Run!
2/20/2010
I've been under the weather this week...cold/flu. I think I'll make it, though. We realized today that Ellie is getting a tooth up top so that must be why she keeps waking up at night. We gave her some tylenol before bed tonight. She went to her first Birthday party today- pics and videos are posted. Tomorrow is my big run- the Breast Cancer 1/2 Marathon. I'm not exactly ready for it. So, tomorrow morning will be pretty painful. I can't take too long, though. We have a friend's Baptism at noon. Fun filled day!

Happy Friday!
12/31/1969


Happy Friday
2/26/2010
Another Friday already! We've had a good week- dinner and drinks with friends a few times. Ellie is newly obsessed with ducks. She may be saying "quack, quack" but I'm not sure. She got 2 rubber duckies as a party favor from a friend's Birthday party last weekend. These new toys combined with her trusty, yellow, chubby bath pal are her favs. It's pretty cute. Fingers are crossed for warmer weather. I'm actually looking forward to doing a little yardwork! Happy Friday! Enjoy the weekend ;-)

Spring Fever!
3/14/2010
Spring is here! The weather is nice, the sun is out! I ran the River Run yesterday. It was a great run. I caught up with my friend, Heather the whole run. She's moving to Oregon so we chatted and before we knew it, we were running over the Hart Bridge. It was great. We re-fueled with Bloody Mary's and cupcakes and got a massage- not bad at all! Ellie had a bit of a virus that caused her to break out in little red bumps. She's not contageous and the peditrician said it's very common. But, on Friday I was a little nervous when the bumps were on her face. I guess that's just her body's way of reacting to the virus. Poor girl. Of course, her spirits are up and you'd never know she wasn't feeling well. Business is buzzing with Phil...both at work and personal investments. So, it's really exciting. Easter is around the corner and so is Miss Ellie's FIRST Birthday!

6th Anniversary!
3/26/2010
We've had a busy week! The Bravos were here last weekend. We went to the Arts Market- Saturday was a beautiful day! Phil and I went to a friend's wedding Saturday night at JU. On Monday the Kerkezi's came in town. Alex's first Birthday was on Tuesday so we had a little party. Ellie had so much fun playing with her cousins all week. Those boys are tough, but she held her ground. Tomorrow is our 6th wedding anniversary! We're going out to dinner to celebrate. The weather is gorgeous, the flowers are blooming. Spring is just such a happy time!

Ellie's 1st Birthday Week!
3/29/2010
It's here! I can't believe it! My baby turns ONE this week! We're having an easter egg hunt Birthday party to celebrate this weekend. It's amazing how quickly the time has flown! It makes me sad ;-) This past weekend, Phil and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary with a nice dinner and a friend's party afterward. We had a nice day together as a family. It feels more like we've been married for 10 years, not 6. It's funny how that works!

Great Weekend
4/4/2010
Whew! We made it! What a great weekend! Ellie has had a rough week with a new tooth coming in. But, I still think she partied like a rock star. Pictures and videos are up. Hopefully we can catch up on sleep this week and keep it calm. I'm exhausted. We had the Reinsteins and Bravos in town for the big Birthday weekend. I'd say the Easter Egg Hunt was a success. Lots of melted chocolate and a few "dares". I think it was one of the best parties I've been to in a while...especially since the magical bunnies cleaned the whole kitchen for me! I sat in mass this afternoon and just felt so blessed to have such a wonderful family and so many fabulous friends. Wow, we sure have so much to be thankful for. Happy Easter everyone!

Party Like a Rockstar!
4/6/2010
Check out Ellie's new Birthday party video on the video page!

Whew!
4/12/2010
What a great weekend! On Friday we went to Tallahassee to surprise Andrew and welcome him back to Florida. We know he misses Nashville, but it's great to have him closer. We stayed with the O'Donnell's and got to meet Ian. He and Ellie had their first of many playdates. We got to see the Watsons, in from Louisville and Aimee- taking a break from intense wedding planning. We even got to have a quick beer with Mike! It was so nice to catch up. On Saturday morning we got up and came back to Jacksonville. Mom and I headed over to Petra's baby shower. She looks GREAT! I know she's working super hard, it's tough. She's having a baby girl so we were able to "oooo" and "ahhh" at all the cute baby clothes. Ellie went to hang out with Mimi and Papa and Phil and I stopped by the "corked crew" wine tasting for a bit and then went to the Farnell/Rosenbloom wedding. That was the largest wedding I've ever been to! It was beautiful. The ceremony began at 8pm and they had candles lighting the church. The reception was at the Yacht Club. They used the entire outside, too! Great food, drinks and fun for sure! We spent the night at Mom and Dad's and Miss Katie came in from a wedding in Tally. We all got up on Sunday, it was fabulous to have help with Miss Ellie! Dad made omlets. Katie, Ellie and I went to church. Phil volunteered with Rotaract to prep for the Gala (more about that soon!!!). Sunday afternoon we went to Ryan's house for a Masters party. Such hospitality! We all went to bed pretty early after a fun filled weekend. Life is good!

Monogramming!
4/15/2010
I just added a new page for my monogramming! Check it out! Send some orders my way!

Steps!
4/18/2010
Miss Elizabeth took her first steps yesterday at the church carnival! We've been practicing quite a bit this week. I tried to get her to do it again today but it didn't happen. We'll try again tomorrow. We spent lots of time at the carnival- Bingo, Irish tea room, beer, rides, ring toss, Filipino food, live music, old friends, 25 cent books, silent auction...lots of fun! We partied like rock stars on Friday night at Square "Fun"...this was after dinner with all the kids at La Nop (best Mexican food and ritas!). Another fun weekend. But, PB is not feeling well. He spent the whole day in bed with maybe the flu. I guess you can't have it all, right?

Tallahassee Time
12/31/1969
We just returned from a weekend in Tallahassee. Our friends from FSU got married. They were orientation leaders with us and had been dating for 10 years...longer than Phil and I. And they finally got married! Amazing! Yesterday before the wedding we got a chance to walk around the campus to see how much it had changed. It was so much fun to see our friends and spend time back in Tally. Also this week, Uncle Bill and Aunt Jean were in town. All the way from McComb, Mississippi! It's never fun to make that drive. I love having MS family in town. What a treat! Ellie started her swimming lessons this week. It's more like a 'Mommy & Me' class to have her get used to the water. She's not swimming laps or anything just yet. We also got her new car seat checked out to make sure it's in correctly. I've been so busy booking movers, finding boxes and thinking of packing ;-) This week I need to price carpet. So much fun!

Fall in Full Swing
12/31/1969


Playdates Galore
12/31/1969
We're sitting outside on the porch, thinking of grilling burgers and watching the manatees. I used to

Monday Morning
4/26/2010
I'm having a tough time this morning. I guess I'm just tired from the weekend. I've been trying to talk myself into a long run for the last hour. I went for a super long run on Tuesday...about a 2 hour run! I should do that once a month just to keep fresh. I've decided to teach Ellie a few signs. She's still doing this super sonic terodactyl scream when she wants something. Sometimes by 5pm my ears are ringing. Saturday, Steve threw his wife a surprise 30th Birthday party. I just posted pictures. We had a great time. Happy Birthday Week, Chrissy and Suzanne!

The graduate
4/30/2010
Today Erik graduates from UF. Suzanne, Aunt Susan and Alex flew in yesterday, Katie got in at midnight and Matt comes in this morning. The Voss family unites for little E. I'm a bit nostalgic. I remember when Erik was Ellie's age. I used to change his diapers. And now he's graduating from college and in a few months, moving to L.A. to pursue an acting dream. Mr. summa cum laude, I am so proud of all you've accomplished thus far...and I can't wait to see what more you will do. Hats off to you, little brother!

Family Time
5/3/2010
Ahhh, another Monday after a crazy weekend! I'm feeling 1990-ish since I lost my cell phone on Saturday night. A police officer found it and left it at some goverment building front office...who knew there were so many of those downtown? I may be a little "over-Vossed" after a packed weekend with the fam. It's always so much fun when the entire family gets together! I love the non-stop entertainment. Erik graduated from UF! Aunt Susan turned 60! We even had lunch with the Hick's today! Ellie has given so many kisses this past weekend. And she is walking all over the place. I love it! And we're putting an offer on a house tonight...as a cherry to top the weekend! Fabulous!

Renters? We need good renters!
5/10/2010
We are moving! Our offer was accepted, we'll close in July! Anyone want to buy or rent our house? I've been cleaning and organizing all week. As soon as I put it away, Miss Ellie pulls it all out again. It's an endless process! We've had a steady stream of potential renters coming through, my phone keeps ringing and we keep raising the rent. We are having a ball!

Summer Fun
5/16/2010
It's already hot in Florida! We've been chillin' in the pool and spending the afternoons inside [because of the heat]. Today, Ellie kept putting her face in the water and then laughing. She's ready for her lessons! We signed the contract for our new house!!! It's amazing! And perfect! Still no renter for our house. So, please spread the word.

Stood Up
5/20/2010
Last night and this morning, I made the house sparkle. I had a call from a potential renter last night, very interested in the house- willing to pay more if we would hold it. Towards the end of the call, I was sketched out...just a little too eager. Well, the guy stood me up! I gave him 30 minutes and then called and texted- no effect. It's tough keeping the house super clean when Ellie is on the move. My mom came over and helped with her. When the looser never showed, she took us out to lunch. What a sweet lady! Well, at least my house is squeaky clean now!

In the works
5/24/2010
I think we found a renter! I'll know for sure this weekend. I just need to figure out all the details. We may be out earlier than we thought...and then couch surf for a month or so! We have a home inspection on the new house later this week. It's all happened so fast! I can't wait! Mom and I are getting a facial tomorrow! Fabulous!

Two Weddings and a Funeral
5/30/2010
Ellie visited Mimi and Papa and Uncle Erik while we headed out to Ponte Vedra for a wedding weekend. First, the Milford-Delaney wedding: a Catholic mass followed by a gorgeous reception at the Sawgrass Marriott. Lots of 'ole Rotaract pals, delicious food, local politicians...and it was awesome to see those two finally get married (it was a long time coming). Then, off to the Milne-Brace wedding: a full Episcopal mass and then dinner at the TPC Clubhouse. Gorgeous night! Lots of crazy dancing and a KISS cake! So romantic. The funeral was once we got back to the hotel room and a certain someone had too much to drink. The trash can in the room was filled- thanks Chrissy! Pool, brunch and now back to real life. No complaints! Happy Memorial Day!

Busy Bravos
6/8/2010
The fun just never stops: Birthday parties, baby showers, girls nights, renters signing contracts, bailing friends out of jail, story time, free museum night, dancing, singing and loving...that's what we do best! And that was all just in the last few days!

Oh Blueberry!
6/13/2010
We went blueberry picking on Saturday morning. We only lasted an hour but picked 3.75 lbs! Now, I'm blueberried out, though. We had a nice "client weekend"- India on Friday and Germany on Saturday. The Bravos arrive this evening for a few days. Check out the photo page- I'm always adding summer pics with Ellie.

All Signed Up!
6/20/2010
We have renters! Now, I just have to pack up the house! Luckily, I have more than a month to do so. The Bravos were in town this week from Sunday night to Wednesday afternoon. We had a packed schedule: zoo, art museum, story time, lunch with daddy! We had a great visit. Father's Day weekend was nice. We spent lots of time with the Valents...3 nights in a row! It was just like old times :-) We went to the beach on Saturday and then to a champagne party. Today we spent the day at the zoo and then hung out with Erik at the Voss estate to cool down in the pool. Ellie gave her daddy a personalized book for Father's Day. She loves books! Happy Father's day to all those great daddies out there!

Let Freedom Ring
7/5/2010
How lucky are we- to be born in this country, with all those glorious American freedoms! Cheers to our Independence Day! We celebrated in many ways this long weekend. We headed to St. Augustine on Friday to catch up with some old Wells Fargo pals. Saturday we party hopped and ended up across the street. (After a super long power nap at Mom & Dad's-glad they are finally back from the Baltic!) On the 4th, the partying went up a notch. We started and ended at the Leens...making a side trip to the Milne's at the beach. Today, we're taking a breather. We really are thankful for the good ole' USA! Happy Holiday!

Tallahassee Time
7/11/2010
We just returned from a weekend in Tallahassee. Our friends, Jason & Aimee finally were married yesterday. They were orientation leaders with us back in the summer of 2000. They were dating for 10 years! It was wonderful to catch up with our FSU friends and see how much the campus has changed. See the pics on the photos page. Also this week, Aunt Jean and Uncle Bill were in town- all the way from McComb, Mississippi! That drive is no fun! I love it when MS family comes to town. What a treat! Ellie started her swimming lessons this week. She's not quite swimming laps yet. :-) I've been busy booking movers, looking for boxes and thinking of packing. This week I need to price carpet for the new house. We're getting so close to moving day!

Ichetuknee
7/18/2010
Welcome to the world, Baby Dean Wilson Mitchell...born on Wednesday night this week! Ellie and I went to visit him on Thursday afternoon and he is adorable! Kat and Zach look great, too. Packing, packing, packing is the theme this week. The house is a wreck with boxes and clutter and piles all over. I'm trying to clean while I pack, it's taking forever. But, now I've hit a wall. I can't really pack much more because we need the stuff. Friday we went to a dinner party and Saturday we went with a group tubing down the Ichetuknee Springs. It was a wonderful day to relax down the spring. Ellie really liked it, I think. The water was super cold, but it felt great on a hot Florida day. Last night we had a fun, adults only dinner and then cards at the Leens. Today we are vegging, just looking at the messy house. We have a big week ahead!

Moving Time!
7/27/2010
Whew! I finally finished all the painting today...well, at least all I can do at this time. I've painted 3 rooms and a bathroom. The rest can just stay for a while. There is still lots of packing to be done. I'm trying to convince Phil to pack a few boxes...all he's done is put his clothes in his suitcase. Tomorrow we're replacing the carpets in the new house and Thursday the movers come! I can't believe this week is finally here! The more time I spend in the new house, the more I love it. I can't wait to call it a home. Also this week, my whole family is coming in town to say good-bye to Erik before he leaves for L.A. Suzanne has been here with her boys since last week. Matt will be here on Friday, Erik on Saturday and Katie next week. Let the fun begin!

We're In!
8/2/2010
We're in the new house! Now we just need to unpack! I accidently flooded the guestroom this weekend. I didn't hook up the washer correctly and the water seeped under the room. Right now I have the carpet, pad and mattresses lieing outside in the sun. What a treat!

Camp Voss
8/9/2010
All of my siblings were in town this week to say 'good-bye' to my youngest brother, Erik. He's headed to LA later this month to pursue a screenwriting/acting career. Suzanne's been here for almost 3 weeks with her 2 boys. Matt was here for 10 days and then Katie came in for the weekend. It's depressing now that everyone's gone. Luckily, Erik is still here, but busy prepping for the move. Now, I have to unpack...no excuses! We had so much fun together- skiing and relaxing in the boat, going clubbing and just sitting around the Voss Villa catching up. I wish they all lived in town. Tonight, Phil mom and sister come in town. Vanessa is giving a lecture at the law school here in town for a few days. Another busy week ahead. I guess I'll go hang a few pictures.

Bravo Biltmore
8/15/2010
Slowly, our new house is becoming a home! Phil's mom and sister were in town this week. As a house warming gift we received furniture for Ellie's room and a patio set! Phil's mom also helped unpack boxes and organized Phil's closet. She was a HUGE help! There are still boxes lingering about but I have most of it shut away in one room. We went to the Suns game on Thursday with AmerisBank. Friday was coffee club- the topic got a little heated "What Marriage Means to the Modern Family". Quite interesting, though. Saturday we went to a beach party in St. Augustine. It was really nice. We got out there early before the heat. At noon we came back and ate and then Ellie went down for a nice long nap. So, we were able to relax and hang out at the party. Last night we went to a poker night and I won! I'm $30 richer! This morning is slow. We're tired from the weekend. Phil is still sleeping and Ellie is playing. All is well at the Bravo Biltmore.

Big Winner!
8/22/2010
I won poker AGAIN last night! We had a last minute game at our house. I guess it was our first party here. I can't believe I won again! This time it was supposed to be $40 but somehow I only ended up with $27. I can't complain, though. This week, Erik is en route to LA. I was able to attend a few "last suppers" for him...including a lunch at Bistro Aix! I loved dad's reference to the Cher tour when citing Erik's farewell. Happy Trails, little brother! Best of luck to you out west! Friday night Phil and I went on a date. We had a gift certificate that was about to expire. The restaurant wasn't fabulous, but it was nice to have a night away. Lots of paddleboating this week. Today I have a girls afternoon! Brunch and then the movie 'Eat, Pray, Love". I wasn't a huge fan of the book. But, I hear the movie is better. Yeah, a great way to start the week!

Flowing Water
8/29/2010
I've been working on potty training Ellie. It's tough. I know she can do it, but it's taking lots of work on my part. I'm not very good at keeping a routine and being consistent. So, it's a challenge since that's really important when potty training. A BM on the potty has been easier since that's quite regular. But, the pee is driving me nuts! We've really used our house lately with entertaining. It's so nice to finally have a home where everyone can hang out and relax. Then, we can just go to bed when everyone leaves. Yes! We even had our first swimmer in the river (in the middle of the night on a bet, of course). Lots of rain this week. In fact, it's pouring right now. I'm loving the cooler weather, less sun and water for the plants.

Labor Day
9/7/2010
Well, summertime is officially over. Gotta pack up my white. Our home is officially warm. Today we had about 100 people come over and check out our new digs. It was an awesome party. In this new house, we can take house parties to the limit. We met most of our new neighbors and saw many people we haven't caught up with in a while. We're going to sleep happy tonight. We had a low key weekend (aside from the huge shin-dig); family time, seafood, beach party at the Landing for the kiddies, house projects and of course a few paddle boat rides. College football is in full swing- fingers crossed for my 'Noles. September is starting out well :-)

Try Again
9/12/2010
This was a tough week. Ellie and I stayed in all day Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to do potty training bootcamp. I set my phone and every 20 minutes we would go and sit on the potty. After 3 days, she only went on the potty twice. So, I've given up and am trying a different approach. I won't do another bootcamp for another month or so but in the meantime I'll just have her try it a few times a day to keep it fresh. Friday was much better- after a little problem with the garage door, the day and week improved. We had friends bring pizza and fudge for dinner. Saturday we had an FSU parade (we just wore all our gear and went for a walk down the street) and then went to a game watching party at the beach. Luckily we left before the seminoles were slaughtered. We went to a wine tasting and then dinner with a bunch of great friends. Today; a nice family breakfast, long nap and a paddle boat ride. In a bit some friends are coming over for an afternoon playdate while the guys play tennis. Not bad. Not bad at all.

Preggo
9/15/2010
Oh, and I'm pregnant! I'm due March 5, 2011. We're going to find out the baby's gender ahead of time, this time. With Ellie we were surprised. I got my way with Ellie so Phil is getting his way with this baby. October 11th is the big day. I've been sick, like I was with Ellie. I can't really tell if it's worse or better this time. Before I was taking classes and working full time. So, it was tough to get rest and relax. This time, I have the option to sleep when Ellie sleeps. But, my life is so different. I'm running around much more than I was before. Ellie has been practicing being a big sister with her baby doll. We still need some work in that department.

Girls Weekend
9/20/2010
This weekend I flew to DC to visit my sister. My other sister, aunt and mom and I all spent the weekend visiting her. We did all sorts of fun things- Smithsonians, bars, Mt. Vernon, high end dinners, lots of girlie time. Meanwhile, Phil's parents came up here for the weekend to help him take care of Ellie. Fun was had by all. Check out all the new pics and videos!

Fall in Full Swing
10/3/2010
As I'm sure you've noticed, bravofam.com hasn't been working the last week. No worries, after sacrificing a few cupcakes we're up and running. Last weekend we had a fun FSU football weekend. We stayed with our friends, the O'Donnell's in Tallahassee. The Orientation Leader reunion wasn't as big a deal as we were hoping, but the Friday night reception was nice. We got 3 tickets for $20 to the game on Saturday. It was super hot for the first half. We had a weather delay and the second half was perfect- no rain but a nice overcast breeze. Ellie slept through the delay and the 3rd quarter. It was great. And we beat Wake Forest! Phil played golf on Sunday morning, while Ellie and I went to mass. We had a fabulous farewell lunch at Momo's and polished off the XL pizza! A pretty good week (aside from a few pounding preggo headaches)- intense coffee club discussion, playdates, story hour & MOPs meeting. We headed out to Amelia Island on Friday around lunch. This time last year I won the weekend at the Southern Women's show. I gave it to Phil for Christmas: a 2 night, 3 day stay in a condo on the beach with a round of golf! Wow! We were right next door to the Ritz Carlton! We invited the Valent's to join us since it was a 2 bedroom condo. Pizza dinner on Friday after an evening in the pool and beach. Saturday began with a Ritz brunch, a bit of shopping at the Plantation, then Anna and I spent the afternoon in the spa. Can't think of any other way I'd rather spend a day! Nice dinner at Plae and dancing with the Island Spice in the lobby lounge of the Ritz (a Bravo favorite!) This morning the guys got up early for golf (Kevin's the hole in one!!) while Anna and I packed up and took the girls to the beach and then the pool. The vacation ended with burgers at Five Guys. Wow, what a GREAT weekend!

Halloween Activities
10/12/2010
This week was busy with Ellie's 18 month doctor's appointment, small group meeting, the Art Walk, a Wolfson's Women's Board mixer, corn maze playdate, wine club and a Birthday party! Ellie is weighing in at 27 pounds- very healthy and doing well. Make sure to see the photos of the corn maze playdate. It was so much fun on Friday! What a great fall activity! Corked Crew was a fabulous night out on Saturday. I wasn't able to endulge in the Shiraz theme too much, but it was still nice to get out. Ellie's BFF turned 2 on Sunday. She slept in until 7am on Monday after a super fun Bday party! Yesterday I had a MOPs meeting and was able to showcase my monogramming. I'm hoping a few orders come my way. We had our book club meeting last night for Wicked. Not a great book, but the discussion wasn't bad. I dressed as Elphaba (complete with a green face)! Today was Mr. Turner's funeral. The family is in our thoughts & prayers.

It's a Girl!
10/16/2010
I'm half way through my pregnancy. We found out on Wednesday that it's a GIRL! We are exstatic! She looks healthy so far, weighing in at 10 oz with a heart beat in the 140's. Another princess is on her way!

Cousin Fun
10/17/2010
Suzanne was in town this week for Halloween Horror Nights. Mom and Dad watched her boys so we were able to spend some time with them. Alex came with Ellie and I to story time on Friday. We carved pumpkins (again- the other one already melted). Ellie really loves her cousins. We had a Rotary Hoedown on Friday night. Phil's 1st social with the new club. We had a pretty good time- getting to know the members. This weekend we've been relaxing on the boat. The weather is fantastic! I posted the pictures in the Fall 2010 album. Last night was an Oktoberfest at the Arts Market. It was pretty neat. There were about 20 brews, live music and food vendors. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday night. Another day of relaxing and boating today. We're headed to a friend's BBQ for the afternoon. Lots to look forward to. Now we can prep for another little girl to join our family! Yeah!

Tinkerbell Fans
10/24/2010
I was looking forward to this week because of all the fun that lay ahead. We had a playdate at a pumpkin patch (our 3rd visit to the patch so Ellie knew to sit among the pumpkins and say "cheese". It was pretty cute). I even made her a little pumpkin shirt to wear. I tried to go to the Jags game Monday night and was unsuccessful. I'm too cheap to buy a $75 ticket...which turned out to be a good thing since we lost so poorly. We had a playdate with Cora,and Ellie showed off and showed her how to pee in the potty. She's been really great at that this week. I went to the Florida Forum and heard Bill Clinton speak. It was really motivating. I enjoyed listening to his perspective on the current economy. Wednesday was game day at the library. Someone was the only one in a seminole cheerleading outfit (and she can even do the chop). Phil got some sort of food poisening this week and was out 2 days. He's back but with a cold- ewww. Thursday was the Southern Women's Show....maybe I'll win something- new tires, a massage, new mattress. My fingers are crossed. Friday was coffee club. This month's discussion was social networking sites- good or bad for society. Great topic, lots of excellent points! Friday night I headed out to Amelia Island for a girl's night at Kerri's condo. It was super low key and very relaxing. I even was able to sleep in till 8:15! Awesome! I came home and we headed to Mercedes & Misters Birthday party. This was the first time I've been to a dog's party. Delicious ribs and pulled pork...oh and ice cream cake! It's so cool that Mercedes lives here...my foreign exchange student from college!!! We came home for a quick nap and headed to the Laird Spooktacular party. Halloween is Michelle's holiday. The house was dressed in spooky decor, costumes and kids galore, games, treats, a keg (for the lucky), and a full moon to boot! Miss Ellie was tinkerbell, Phil was Peter Pan and I was Wendy. I don't think we got a family photo. Too bad. I think Phil already lost his hat somewhere. Booo! What a night. Oh and it's not even over! This morning we went to the air show to sit in the VIP section with the Milne's. Wait till you see the cool picture of all the hot British sky divers holding Ellie! What fun! An afternoon of chores then Ellie and I went to mass while Phil played Bball. I think we're off to dinner now. Happy Halloween week!

Happy Halloween!
10/31/2010
I tried to have something Halloween-ish every day this week. Monday I had a MOPs meeting, not very Halloweeny but still fun. Tuesday I took Ellie to the zoo where they had the Spooktacular set up. The event is actually in the evening, but they still had most everything set up- lots of carved pumpkins, scare and candy zones. We had a good time checking out all the animals. Phil and I presented our stories in our small group Tuesday night, which was pretty neat. Wednesday we hosted a playdate and babysat Miss Broward Leigh. Ellie was very sweet with her. That evening we went to Anna & Kevin's church's fall festival. Ellie and Riley did some 'trunk-or-treating', which was super cute! Thursday was the Halloween party at the library. We found a Peter Pan to take a picture with us. We watched FSU almost beat UNC that night at Lilians. Rough loss. Friday, Ellie bit a girl at the story hour, so bad that it drew blood. Horrible. Mom took us out to a nice La Nop lunch, which can heal all wounds. She's been fabulous with the potty training this week. Gina had a great idea to use Halloween candy as incentives. But even the fruit snacks have been working! A giant Skwara was in and out of town this week. It was a treat to have him around, using his bedroom. Friday night we went to a Pig Roast (with a bounce house) and then Phil and the Giant went out drinking at the Suter's new house while I got into my new book club book. Saturday was the infamous GA/FL Showdown. We started the morning with an 'eggs and kegs' party then headed to two tailgates at the fairgrounds. We came home and napped and caught the end of the game. It was a great one, even into overtime! We're mourning the dawg's loss, though. After mass this morning we headed to the outlet malls to do a bit of shopping. This evening we began the trick-or-treating at Mimi & Papa's house. We spent the rest of the night working our street. Ellie was the only trick-or-treater. In the beginning she got things like breath mints and quarters (from the unprepared). Then, she struck gold many times when the overprepared dumped their whole bowl in her pumpkin! We now have way too much candy. Especially since no one came to our house. It was fun to show off our little tinkerbell. She enjoyed her chocolate dinner, too. Happy Halloween!

It feels like winter
11/7/2010
Lots of pretty good playdates this week, catching up with old friends and such. My dad's oldest brother and his wife came in town for a long weekend from Natchez, Mississippi. We got to tag along for the fun. Phil borrowed the super cool Amerisbank car for the night on Thursday. We had a night on the town- going to dinner and doing drive-by's. We stopped by to welcome Uncle Freddie & Aunt Pat and have dessert. Friday morning my coffee club had a spin off meeting about natural child birth. I walked away with lots of great reading material. Friday night was Pat & Freddie's 50th wedding anniversary. Wow! We celebrated at the Yacht Club and then Phil played a late night poker game. Saturday morning really began with a latte at DD's and then a boat ride in the cold! That night we went with the fam to the Festival d'Vine wine tasting in San Marco. What a great event. Lots of wine tents and food vendors...if only we left Ellie with a babysitter. This morning our friends had their son, baby Dean dedicated (Baptized) at their church. We went to their service and then stayed for the dedication. It's a nondenominational church spun off from Atlanta, called Access. It might be the opposite of a Catholic mass. We're taking advantage of one of their extra-curricular activities, the small group- which has really been neat. I'm really into the Stieg Larsson trilogy. My book club is currently reading the 2nd book- 'The Girl Who Played with Fire'. I had to move onto the next book. They are real page turners! I can't stop! Ellie's naptimes haven't been real productive this week, but I've been enjoying them! We had a steak dinner with the fam tonight to bid farewell to their guests. It's a long way to Mississippi but at least there's a few relatives to visit on the way!

Thank you, Veterans!
11/14/2010
First, I want to say thank you to all the people who've fought for my freedom. Our beliefs may be different, but the right to think and express our differences is a right fought for with lives. So, thank you to the soldiers and their families. Ellie and I listened to the new baby's heart beat this week. It was a super sweet moment at the doctor's office. I've been pretty tired and nauseous again, but I it'll be worth it in the end. The walks and prenatal yoga help. Phil played in a tennis tournament at the YMCA this weekend. He and Pete didn't win, but it was great to see them out there. Veterans Day was the opening ceremony which was pretty neat because the tournament benefitted the Strong Kids Campaign, Marine Corporal, Joshua Watkins Foundation and the Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund. We had a poker game on Friday night which was fun, but the Bravos didn't bring in a win. Saturday night we went to a friend's dinner party after the kid's bedtime, great idea! Then, today after Phil's last match, I went to the Jags game with my parents. What a fabulous ending! I'm so glad I went! We had homemade wings at a friend's for dinner. Phil's taking a 'Stay-cation' this week. It should be a thrill!

Staycation
11/22/2010
Phil took the week off this week, for his "Staycation". Which is super cool, for those of us still working (24/7). Ellie and I did a few fun things this week: a story time with the MOPs group and then the movement & dance class at the library. Then, she had 2 friends sleepover on Thursday. Their parents were celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary so we had them here Thursday and Friday. It was pretty cute to see the 3 kids playing and going crazy around the house. I'll post some of those pictures. My old boss from the arena had a going away party, she took a new marketing gig. It was fun to see all of my old co-workers- that life hasn't changed much. Phil went to a roasting fundraiser, a guy's night really. I had a coffee club meeting on Friday. The topic was "Simplifying your life". I think the conclusion was that it's possible to simplify so much that your life becomes more complicated. Interesting. Friday afternoon, one of Phil's buddies from high school came in town. We hadn't seen him in a while so it was nice to catch up. We took him to La Nopolera and then he and Phil had a night out on the town. Saturday we relaxed. I'm into the Vampire Diaries, the show on WB. A friend gave me all the episodes of season 1 on DVD. I'm hooked! We went to 5pm mass on Saturday night and then headed to the Leen's for a party. Kevin just took his CFP exam, a great reason to celebrate. Sunday we had a great breakfast at the Fox. Phil and I went on a date to hear the Orange Park Chorale perform their fall festival. It was a neat thing to do on a Sunday afternoon. Later, we had some friends over for a dinner party- I made homemade lasagna rolls. Well, the lasagna noodles weren't from scratch, but it wasn't Stoffer's so that's impresive. And now, let the holidays begin!

Thanksgiving!
11/28/2010
Whew, where does the time go? We celebrated Thanksgiving this year, just the 3 of us. On Tuesday night we played in a cash game of poker and walked away with cash in hand. Very nice! Thursday morning we got up and started cooking while watching the Macy's Day Parade. Phil made sweet potatoe casserole and stuffing. I made cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy and then a homemade pumpkin pie. Then, we deep fried a turkey! It was a bit nerve racking...but it was the best turkey I've ever had! We went on a long paddle boat ride and I think we hit a manatee, or at least scared one! The Leens came over for dessert later. It was a very relaxing day. We took full advantage of Black Friday. We were at the Town Center from 10am-9pm! Ellie rode the train and loved it. We met friends for dinner and then visited Santa. We'll have to try that again. Saturday morning we met some friends for breakfast that were in town for the holidays. Phil played basketball and then we had some friends over to watch our seminoles beat the Gators! Yahoo! Finally! It feels fabulous to live in Gator country at this time!! This morning we went to mass and then got a Christmas tree. We've spent all day decorating the house and then we took our Christmas card picture. It's been a nice week. I'm happy to glide into the holiday season!

31 Years
12/5/2010
Happy Birthday to me today! I spent the day at the spa with girl friends and my mom. I got a prenatal massage, which was so nice. A day at the spa is one of my favorite things to do. I can't think of a better way to relax. Then, we went to mass and Phil took me out to dinner to Bistro Aix while my parents watched Ellie. All in all, a fabulous way to celebrate 31 years! This weekend was packed. Friday was the Christmas in Avondale- an open street local festival. Saturday we had an early morning play date then a chili cook off (I actually placed in the upper half!), a 30th Birthday party and then a wine club "meeting". The holidays are here! Monday I had my one hour glucose test. They gave me the glucose drink ahead of time, which was super nice. I'm thinking I passed. That night we had our book club meeting for The Girl Who Played with Fire. A neighbor drew a dragon tatoo on my back so that I could dress the part! Tuesday was a playdate and then that night we had a small group dinner party. Wednesday we had a playdate at the park and then a friend took me to lunch for my Birthday. Delicious! We tried out the downtown story time on Thursday after a coffee date. I think I like it better than the Friday one. Ellie really listened to the guy and the stories. She's growing up so quickly! She's excited to meet her baby sister, too. It's chilly outside...I love this time of year!

Tis' the Season for Parties!
12/12/2010
With this cold weather upon us, I've been trying to pack the days with playdates and indoor activities. This week was a success. Three days this week we had friends over for a playdate. Instead of our walks outside, we moved them to the mall. There's a train to ride in there, too! Check out the picture of Ellie. One morning we got a group and went caroling at the nursing home. We decorated the kid's strollers and gave them bells. Then, the moms sang some tunes. And it was a week of parties. I went to an all girls Christmas party with a gift exchange. The theme was 'White Christmas'- such a group of amazing ladies. I came home to a house of guys playing drinking games in the middle of the week. A poker night (no Bravo win), two Birthday parties in one day (one and 30) and a neighborhood progressive dinner party. Whew!

'Twas the week before Christmas...
12/19/2010
Seasons Greetings! I got a notice from Pandora telling me I've almost used up my free listening time for the month. I didn't know that happens, but I guess that means I've been enjoying my Christmas tunes. Looks like I'll have to switch to my CDs this week. We did some fun holiday stuff this week. We're about partied out. Tuesday was the Rotary party, Thursday was a cookie swap party (how do you go wrong?!), Friday was the MOPs party and Saturday was a Birthday party at an indoor jump house, the Nutcracker and the Mandarin Mistletoe. Inbetween all of that, I had a MOPs meeting, taught mom's CCD class, went to the dentist for a cleaning, had coffee club at the new candy store in Springfield, had Ellie's carseat turned around and learned a lot about herbs to take to prepare for a natural child birth. The Kerkezi's are in town for a wedding. We've been trying to cram in time with the cousins. Katie's in route this very moment and my brothers fly in tomorrow afternoon. I can't wait for the family festivities to begin! Today we watched the Jags game with the Leens and Suters and then headed to the Napleons new house for the luminaries. Yeah, Christmas is almost here!

Merry Christmas!
12/26/2010
Monday was jam packed with holiday fun! Ellie and I visited Santa with the MOPs group. I can't believe she didn't flip out- she was in a zone, though. I was able to get a few good shots. I had a doctor's appointment with the midwife at FABEN- she's my favorite. That evening we had the Voss Family Christmas. We had shirts done with Erik's picture on them. This is part of my ploy to oust Matt from the "Prodigal Son" position. That, and Erik gave me so much grief for missing Thanksgiving- I had to do something. It was awesome. We made a sign and wore our shirts to welcome him home. The Cajun gift exchange went well. We ended up with a singing monkey and a cutter gadget. The night came to a close with us watching the Monster Movies. Lots of fun! Suzanne came over Tuesday morning with the boys. We took a long walk back to the Voss estate. The boys needed to release some energy because they drove all the way back to the ATL after a lunch at La Nap. Family steak dinner that night. Wednesday I had lunch with some friends while Katie hung out with sleeping Ellie. It was nice to have a real lunch break. The Hicks cousins came over for a visit. After a lobster dinner (oh yeah!), Katie, Erik, Phil and I went to the annual Thompson Christmas party. Thursday Phil and Matt played golf with a bunch of guys. I took Ellie to story time at the library where she made a Santa. Phil played poker that night and I finished wrapping gifts, cleaning and monogramming. On Christmas Eve we started out at Dunkin Donuts with the Ballards and then the guys played basketball while Ellie and I played at the park. I spent the rest of the day cleaning and cooking and prepping for the Bravos. We had the traditional oyster stew at the Vosses for dinner and hung out a bit until we heard from Phil's parents. We kept Ellie up until 11 to hang out with her abuelitos. Christmas morning was neat. It began at 6am. Santa brought Ellie a car, bike and laptop. Check out our Christmas video. It's cute. We had a big pancake breakfast, got haircuts and headed to mass. Amazingly enough, Ellie made it through mass. An Ecuadorian cousin gave Ellie a great baby doll backpack. We filled it with new cars from cousins and the Reinteins. We headed to the Vosses for a fabulous dinner and then they came back here for dessert. This morning is snowed during breakfast! Awesome! The Bravos put the new baby's crib together and then headed out. The post holiday depression was cut by a call to eat leftovers and watch the Jags game at the Suter's. Ellie's down to bed early and Phil and I are sitting by the fire with hot chocolate. Merry Christmas to you all!

Cheers to 2011!
1/2/2011
And I was just getting used to writing 2010. I feel like it's still '09, at least. The weather has finally warmed up and so has our mood. The beginning of this week was a little sad with Christmas being over and family leaving town. It's always so sad saying good-bye. Phil took Monday off- it was super cold so we hung out in the play area at the mall and ran into a few friends. He worked the rest of the week, though. Ellie and I walked over to Mimi & Papa's on Tuesday morning. We just needed to get out. I got a few odd looks- I guess it was maybe too cold for a walk. We had Matt's farewell dinner that night at Trent's and then went back to the estate for pool and dessert. Wednesday, Ellie and I went out to Fernandina with Mom, Dad, Matt and Erik. After a fabulous lunch at Brett's, the rents took Matt to the airport and the E's and I headed home. Phil snuck out and played golf in the afternoon. There was a spaghetti dinner for Erik & Katie's last supper. They left on Thursday. Ellie's been asking for them this weekend, it's been pretty sad. We met some JU pals for lunch on Thursday and then headed over to the Valent's for a playdate all afternoon. Phil met up with us that evening for dinner. Friday we ran a few errands in the morning, Phil came home early. After naps we chilled at the Valents and then headed to the Hopkins for NYE. It was super relaxed and kid friendly. It was tough for these moms (2 preggos) to make it to midnight. What a nice way to ring in 2011. Yesterday we tried to sleep in- Ellie is just not into that sort of thing. Another playdate with Miss Riley, burgers on the grill and then a game night. Team Bravo made a shameful showing in Trivial Pursuit. This morning, after mass we met Mom & Dad at the Yacht Club for brunch. Ellie and I took long naps and Phil is watching the Jags. I guess it's time to get back into a routine. Ellie and I have some prep work to do to prepare for her little sister. I have to work on her room and Ellie needs to perfect her potty skills. Happy New Year to all of our BravoFam fans! Thank you for your reading time!

Back into the Swing of Things
1/9/2011
Starting on Monday, we only used diapers for nap and bedtime. Some moments were better than others. I'm not backing down, though. This week, we'll try again. I know she can do it. I saw the midwife at FABEN on Monday afternoon. She looked at a list of herbs I had given her to help me with a natural delivery. She took 2 of them off the list. I'm getting closer to March 5...her due date! I'm almost ready. Tuesday night we had a pretty interesting New Years resolution discussion with our small group. More "be's" than "do's". I sub'ed for mom's CCD class on Wednesday night. It wasn't as tough as last time, but I was still pooped when I came home. Lots of fun playdates this week. Those are always a treat. Great discussions with the ladies. I even had help making pom poms for Ellie's room (I'll eventually post before & after pics of the girl's rooms). Ellie chats about her friends all the time "Bob Bob, Wiyee, and Cowa". I really like the Thursday downtown story hour better than Friday. Instead I went to Willowbranch this Friday. Neat to try new things. Friday night we went to La Nap...it's a different experience without an award winning margarita. Saturday I had the morning off and headed to Ponte Vedra for Gina's wedding shower. My pal since kindergarden is getting married next month. It was such an uplifting time to check in with old friends and cheer on her engagement. PB had a rough time with Miss E and was too eager for my return. After mass we hung out with the 'rents- frying dear Linda's lumpia. Then, we got a night out and met up with some friends for a parents night out in San Marco. After the Grotto and an afterparty at the Leens we returned way too late. So, today was rough. It's been a slow day. I made lots of fresh OJ from the oranges in mom & dad's yard. Fabulous! Burgers for dinner, skyping with the Bravos and prepping for the week ahead. Looks like Janurary is in full swing!

Beach Retreat
1/17/2011
MOPs kept me sane on Monday...rainy and a tough Miss E. I'm thankful to be a part of the mom's group. Tuesday we had quite the playdate over here with the Lauries and the kids. With the cold weather we've been trapped inside. We did a quick mall wall and sped home to prepare. This week's small group disussion was really good- Fear. We're reading Max Lucado's Fearless. A great chat about how crippling fear can be. Wednesday was a treat...coffee and a pedi with my pal, Michelle. That evening we broke up the cooking routine by meeting some friends for wings. Thursday morning we went to the downtown story hour. Ellie made a monkey tail, dancing and shaking that thing! Friday morning I went to a playdate on the Northside. Ellie's pal, Grayson has the best toys! We spent the whole morning and lunch over there. Phil came home early and we headed to meet up with mom and dad in Navarre beach. They bought a condo out there. It's gorgeous! Can't wait for some serious beach vacations over there. The sand is truly like powdered sugar and the water is bright blue. The pool was heated so we did lots of swimming. It was cold but at least the sky was clear and sunny. Aunt Del and Amy came with her boys from Mississippi and the Mallette's now live in Gulf Breeze. I loved seeing all the cousins and watching the kids play together. We went walking on the pier on Saturday, Phil played golf and of course we went for a few swims. A gulf shrimp dinner with lots of cathing up to do- oh and that sunset! Sunday we met at mass and then an extended brunch (raisen bread french toast- mmmm!). Ellie and I took a nap while everyone played in the sand and the pool (and jacoozie). We headed to Dane's for a spaghetti dinner and wii. Today we packed up and had a birthday lunch for Aunt Del. The drive back felt much longer- rain, fog and a crappy 21 month old. I was sad to miss book club tonight, but the trip was well worth it.

It's a Circus!
1/23/2011
At my doctor's appointment this week I discovered that I'm measuring 2 weeks ahead- 35 instead of 33 weeks. So, I started the 6 week herbal diet just in case. Nothing extreme- liquid chlorophyll, black cherry extract, rasberry tea and a specially made labor tincture. I found out a friend was pregnant- always fabulous news! At our small group meeting this week we had a decent discussion on getting caught up with the "in" crowd. I had a friend over for coffee to discuss more details of hyponobirthing. Then, I met up with an old pal for lunch and made a trip for more ribbon for the baby's room. We got a dresser on craiglist for Ellie- to move her dresser into the baby's room. We just need a few more items and then we'll be set...and I need to spend some time going though Ellie's stuff for the new baby. This month's coffee club discussion was Korea- what's going on over there, are they a threat? It was pretty good...a bit forced but I'm still glad we had it. Then, we watched the circus elephants eat lunch and did the Electric Slide with the clowns. It was super cool. Friday we ran a bunch of errands and dropped Ellie off for a sleepover. We headed to Ponte Vedra for a small group retreat. We had pizza and brownies and stayed up until 3am playing Mafia and just talking. What a great time! Sleeping in was amazing! We played one more game of Mafia and headed back into town to get Miss Ellie. We had a chili dinner at a family friend's house and had a low key night here at home. Today, after mass we went to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus! It was a wonderful family activity for a Sunday afternoon. Ellie didn't last for the entire show...but we made it a little under 2 hours. Corn dogs, cotton candy, elephants, clowns...great way to spend the day! We just went out on a paddle boat ride. It's been a while- the tide's been low and the weather cold. But, today was nice. I think we're going to have grilled fish for dinner and just take it easy again tonight. What a good week!

Ladies Who Lunch
1/31/2011
A friend of mine said once that she always wanted to be one of the "ladies who lunch". You've seen them...sitting out in the outdoor cafes taking a 2-3 hour lunch, drinking a fun drink, laughing and loving life. This week I got a piece of that! Three fun lunch dates this week (one was Phil), a working woman gal pal and on Friday a friend took me out! We spent the afternoon at Mossfire- fabulous! At MOPs we had a nutritionist speak. I learned a few things but I wanted her to go into "going organic" more. We had a fun dinner at a Puerta Rican restaurant with some friends on Wednesday. I got a toy box for Ellie off of craigslist. I've been using Ellie's nap time to take my own nap...trying to beat this congestion/pounding headache. Thursday night I went to a Vampire Diaries party- a new episode came out (finally): blood to drink, twizzlers and red M&Ms! Friday was a pizza dinner with friends. Saturday I threw an "Afternoon Tea for the Bride to Be" for my dear friend (since kindergarden!), Gina. I'll post pictures of the super nice afternoon. That night we had a mafia party, which ended in poker. Sunday we went to mass and when Phil was playing tennis he pulled his back. He's still in some pain. I went to see Black Swan with Anna (late Birthday celebration)- it was quite thought provoking! Dinner with mom and dad to visit with a Pecaro uncle. We ended the weekend with our new tradition of Rummikub! Today I had a doctor's appointment. I'm not measuring big anymore...so that's good. Everything looks great. We're prepping for our new sweet girl!

Super Time
2/6/2011
I feel like this week went by super slowly. The weather has been dark, foggy and rainy. I've always said February is the worst weather month here. Good thing it's short! I had lunch with a fellow Kappa pal on Tuesday. She's due with a baby girl the same day I am! Our small group was pretty good that night (although Ellie didn't fall asleep easily). The topic was seeking forgiveness. Groundhog day was the prettiest day of the week. We took advantage and headed to the park. Then, I missed the timing for the story hour. McDonalds made it better. I beat Phil at Rummikub! On Thursday we successfully made it to story hour (even through all the rain). Ellie's new thing is Dora the Explorer. I've never seen her so into something before. She hung out with her pal Nacho, ate some "Katie cereal" and watched Dora while Phil and I went to a client's Groundhog Day party. Then, the Leens had us for a fabulous dinner. Friday was busy...in a good way. Copying labor music, a late morning facial, dinner delivery to a nauseous friend. Ending the day with a low key dinner at chick-fil-a! Saturday we got up and headed to the indoor play area and to ride the train. We ate lunch at a new restaurant in town, like Dave and Busters. I finished my Book Club Book- A Spot of Bother. We went out for a friend's Birthday party last night. t began as a house party and then we headed to Square One. It was Frank Sinatra night! This morning we went to mass (Ellie was the only one in the nursery, again so she got all the attention!) We're headed to the Valent's for a Super Bowl party. Happy Super Sunday!

Baby Bravo II
2/13/2011
I packed this week full of activities to make up for last week. On Monday a high school pal and her son came to visit. It was raining and cold so it was nice to have friends to play with. And a night cap of Rummikub! Tuesday we met some friends at MOSH and then had a picnic lunch. Our small group discussion was pretty good this week- anxiety! Wednesday we went to the Mandarin story hour and then 5 Guys. Thursday morning we did the Thrift Store Challenge for MOPs. Suzanne and Aunt Susan flew in from Atlanta on Thursday night. Ellie and I hung out with them all day Friday. We went to La Nap for lunch. Katie flew in late Friday night. Saturday was a wonderful day. Five of my friends threw a Valentine Brunch for Baby Bravo II. It was great to have my sisters and aunt in town! I had about 30 friends together for the early afternoon. It was really neat. Oh and the cake was amazing! Check out the pictures. We all went to mass and that night dad made an excellent Italian seafood dinner and then Suzanne came with us to our wine club "meeting". Andrew and his girlfriend, Jennie came in town. Phil took them back to my parents house for a night cap in the hot tub. This morning we were all a bit tired. We had a breakfast send off for Katie, Suzanne and Aunt Susan. Then we all took a nap. Afternoon paddleboat rides, relaxing on the porch. Today is a beautiful day. We had dinner outside at Poons. Great way to start the week!

Is Winter Over?
2/20/2011
The weather is gorgeous! I hope this means winter is over, I love it! Well, this was an expensive week. I think Phil is freaking out a bit. Our rental is not being good to us, one car needs a new timing belt and the other may need some AC work. We're about to pay a hefty hospital bill and Phil left a pen in his shirt that was dry cleaned...ouch. The good news, we won $1,000 at a charity event we attended this weekend! What luck!!! Ellie and I have spent lots time this week in car repair shops and eating Valentine goodies (and Girlscout cookies!!!). We did have a fun playdate with Ellsa, even after Ellie bit her months ago. We went to Whole Foods for Storytime with Clementine (and Charlie and Bob Bob) and our favorite Toddler Power Hour downtown. Small Group's topic this week was fears we have for our kids. It wasn't too deep, something I feel like we talk about every day. The highlight of the week was the visit of Abuelitos de Bravo! I was able to enjoy a mini-vacation. I got a facial and pedicure on Friday and then treated to lunch. Ellie had constant playmates, assistants and audience. New clothes, a new camera, sleeping in and waking up to the smell of breakfast...Phil's parents are welcome back anytime! Today we celebrated Kevin's Birthday with power hour and some game where you painters tape a beer to your hand (huh?). Pizza and mammoth chocolate chip cookies with a surprise oreo inside made the preggo gals happy. Phil is napping, Ellie is eating...a typical Sunday with the Bravos. Let's hope the baby sister comes this week- I am ready. Time to practice on the yoga ball!

Waiting, waiting, waiting...
2/27/2011
No Baby Bravo II yet. I was hoping she'd arrive early, but now I'm thinking she'll take after her sister (12 days late). We had another fun filled week- loving this fab FL weather! Phil was off on Monday so we spent the day dealing with cars in Green Cove Springs. To continue the theme, I headed to Mayport on Thursday. I'd like to think we're squared away with 2 clean, working vehicles. We had a playdate in San Marco at the train park with some pals on Tuesday, story time at Whole Foods on Wednesday, climbing up the big girl playground in Arlington on Thursday and coffee club at MOSH on Friday. The discussion was pretty good, from an article in the Wall Street Journal- "Where Have all the Good Men Gone... too many men in their 20s are living in a new kind of extended adolescence due to the radical reversal of the sexual hierarchy. Among pre-adults, women are the first sex." We had a friend turn 30 this week so we celebrated at the new Hurricanes in San Marco on Friday night. We ran errands and relaxed on Saturday. Phil had a guy's night for a friend's Birthday. I had the girls over here to chill for a few hours. The guys lasted much longer than us. Today was church, relaxation and catch up with friends. I wasn't really making plans in case labor happened, but it looks like that's out of my control. Little Miss Baby Bravo's due date is this Saturday, March 5th. Maybe this week?

Still waiting
3/7/2011
I was really hoping to be in the hospital by now. It's almost 5am and I've been up since 1am timing contractions. They recently crept back up to 6-8 minutes but I was at 5min for most of the night/morning. I drank a castor oil Frosty on Saturday night so it's been a party since then. I've had a few real contractions this week, but nothing hard or consistent. At my doctor's appointment on Monday I was 2cm but my cervix hadn't started to thin out yet. I wish I could just go into labor or have my water break like normal. It shouldn't be this complicated. Alas, here I am. At least it's giving me time to write. Monday night at book club we discussed "A Spot of Bother". Most of the ladies were not a fan, I thought it was okay. We had a fun week of lunch dates. Tuesday was the JU gals, Thursday was a water-fun playdate with Cora and Jeb, Friday was another JU pal and a visit to our Arlington cousins. Friday night we had a sitter and checked out the new hot spot in town, Latitude 30. Baby Bravo's due date came and went on Saturday. We paddleboated & walked to no avail. Sunday I had contractions all day, but nothing strong enough to send me to the hospital. So here we are, in a holding pattern. Stand by for some news!

Welcome Marlyn Maria!
3/13/2011
She's here! Marlyn Maria blessed us with her presence on Monday, March 7 at 5:19pm. She weighed 8lbs 3.4oz and was 20" long. After working through the night to get labor moving, my water broke around 8am. We packed up and headed out. I really tried to go natural (no epidural) but around 6cm, I just couldn't take it anymore. I was a much happier person from then on. It took me another 4 hours to get to 10cm and then an hour of pushing (Miss Marly was face up) then I helped pull her out! It was awesome! What a miracle! Our hospital stay was nice...kinda like a mini break. Phil came home to stay with Ellie. So, Marly and I got plenty of bonding time. We came home on Wednesday. Ellie has been adjusting okay. We're trying to show her lots of attention, but she's been acting up a bit. Someone always needs something. My sister was in town this week with her two boys. It worked out perfectly. She and her guys entertained Ellie quite a bit at my parents house. They have all been super helpful this week- making meals and taking Ellie. Marly had her first pediatrician appointment on Friday. All is well! It took us 3 hours to get out of the house and head to the Arts Market on Saturday. We went to mass today and enjoyed the gorgeous weather. I'm nervous for tomorrow- Phil goes back to work and my parents are out of town. Should be interesting! Stay tuned...

Adjustment
3/21/2011
I'm not gonna lie- it's been a tough week! Juggling 2 is harder than I thought it was going to be. Marly is sweet and easy for the most part. She could probably eat all day. Ellie is the hard part. She loves her baby sister but sometimes she loves her too much. I've been trying to maintain our schedule so Ellie has something to do every day. Monday we had MOPS, Tuesday we spent 2 and a half hours at a park, Wednesday and Thursday we went to story hour, and on Friday a Saintly friend took Ellie for 4 hours. We've had dinner delivered every night thanks to fabulous friends. That's helped a ton!!! The Sacred Heart Carnival was this weekend- The Suters joined us for being bingo, lumpia, desserts in the Irish tea room and beer all to support the Church. I guess the hardest part has been the lack of sleep but we're getting by.

Happy Anniversary!
3/27/2011
Seven years ago today, Phil and I were married! It was a 2pm ceremony at Sacred Heart. Then, we headed over to the Timuquana country club for a huge party. Big Al and the Kaholics was the band. Full bar, great food, family and friends from all over! The weather was much like it is today- gorgeous spring weather, sunny, some wind, just super nice. We left the reception via ski boat and headed to a hotel downtown. It was an amazing wedding weekend. I can't believe that was 7 years ago! Looks like we made it to the "itch". Life is a bit different than it was 7 years ago ;-) Instead of a studio apartment downtown, we've got our waterfront villa and 2 kids! Wow! Our anniversary is starting out grand. The Bravos arrived last night for a week long visit. They are babysitting tonight so PB and I can go out and celebrate. We woke up to a nice breakfast this morning and then mass. We're just relaxing and putting together all of Ellie's new gifts from Miami! (Nice one, Michelle!!!) I made it another week with the girls- it is getting easier. The dinners are still coming each night, which is just fabulous! Ellie had a fun filled week of playdates, a day with Katherine and BobBob's 2nd Birthday! We did a mid-week scramble to get a birth certificate & social security card to switch insurance companies. We had Marly's 2 week and Ellie's 2 year appointment (that was a rough afternoon!)! Both girls are healthy- yeah! In small group we finished up our book on fear. I even had my first La Nap rita in over 9 months (and yes is was better than I imagined). Ah, a good week, I must say...and this one will be even better! Cheers!

Happy Birthday, Ellie!
4/5/2011
Whew! What a week! On Monday we went to the beach. My mom rented a condo for her girls weekend but they had to rent it for the week. So, we took advantage. The first part of the week was rainy and in the 60's. But, at least we didn't have to worry about getting hot at the beach. Ellie loved the sand. She didn't remember the beach from last summer so it was super cool watching her re-discover it. I can't wait for our beach trips this summer! On Tuesday, Phil's mom took Ellie to the park for a bit and to the grocery store while I ran a few errands. My dad had an open house at work so we went out there to check out the new building. The coffee club discussion this week was fantastic! We started with Libya and then branched into dictatorships, foreign aid and overpopulation. It was a lot of fun. I worked on Marly's announcement and will hopefully get it printed soon. Friday was Ellie's 2nd Birthday! We had a little party for her at the mall with the train. About 15 of her little pals had a ball riding around, playing in the play area and eating cake. I'll get the pictures posted. I can't get over that she's 2 years old! Man, time flies! We had a great Trent's seafood dinner that night and I believe we all crashed early...although the days/hours blend together for me. Saturday, I went and got a double jogging stroller from craigslist! Then we all went to the zoo. We had wine club that night- the Bravos watched the girls. It was great to get out and have a break. Sunday morning, after a great breakfast the Bravos headed back to Miami. We went to mass. We've had dinner deliveries all week, which was a saving grace. That night I snuck out for drinks with some girlfriends! On Monday I took the girls to story time at the library but first we met Ellsa on the playground. Some friends brought a pizza dinner and then Marly and I went to book club to dicuss Water for Elephants. It's back to being rainy again so we'll have to find some indoor fun this week.

A month ago
4/10/2011
Marly is already a month old! Wow! On Tuesday I took advantage of a friend's offer to drop Ellie off for a playdate so I could nap. I took a shower and Marly and I slept for about an hour. It was so nice. Another friend made chicken and dumplings for us for dinner- perfect for a rainy day. That evening we hosted our small group. We're reading the book of John. I've never just read a chapter of the bible, except in Catholic school. So, this is new for us. On Wednesday we went for a playdate with Ellie's pal Robert. We most likely overstayed our welcome- we played for 4 hours, borrowed a life altering swing and Ellie bit her friend. Uncle Ed and Aunt Sherry hung out with Ellie that evening while Ellie and I went to a baby shower for one of my co-workers at JU. It was great to catch up with everyone. Thursday we went to the downtown story hour and then met Mimi for lunch. I guess Ellie's pal Robert forgave her for the bite because they made us dinner on Thursday (of course she gave him another bite on the way out). Aunt Katie came in town for a wedding this weekend. She and Mimi came over to hang out on Friday. They took Ellie to add another pearl to her necklace while Marly and I caught up on Vampire Diaries. That afternoon we went to Disney on Ice. I was amazed at how much Ellie loved it- I was thinking she'd be too young for the show. It was pretty cute- a fun ladies afternoon out! Friday night, Marly slept 7 hours straight! I couldn't believe it! However, it was in the swing. We're not setting ourselves up for good sleeping habits....but, at least it's consecutive sleep! On Saturday some friends took me to the Ponte Vedra spa as a post baby treat! It was amazing! I got a 4th trimester massage! We sipped wine and enjoyed cheese, fruit & cookies on the pool deck. I am so spoiled! Phil was not pleased at me for taking so long, but he got over it. Last night Marly slept for 8 hours (in the swing again!)! We joined Katie for a farewell breakfast at my parent's house this morning and then headed to mass. Phil played basketball and we discovered the AC on the first floor is out. The ladies and I headed to my parents for a dip in the pool. It's pretty cold! Marly is not excited about sleeping tonight, but I'm hoping to turn that around now!

The ladies
4/17/2011
I was late to MOPs on Monday because I had to wait for the AC guy. (Luckily we are cool again). It was still great to be at the meeting-and have a break. On Tuesday I took the girls to the beach. It was a fabulous morning! Ellie loved it. I can't wait to take them back. I think we'll go once a week. This weather has been wonderful, too cold to swim, but great to be outside. We played with Robert again this week. The little guy broke his leg! Ellie had a great time playing with all his toys and he couldn't really stop her. I think we'll have to take a break from story hour- we've had to leave early the last few times. She just doesn't sit and listen. We had a Birthday party Thursday afternoon. See, I'm not the only one that plans a kids party in the middle of the week during the day. It was perfect: cupcakes at a park! Friday we spent the morning at another playdate with my old JU pal- she has a daughter 2 days older than Marly and a son 2 months younger than Ellie. The meal deliveries are still occuring. I'm so blessed! I'm not looking forward to having to cook again soon. Friday night was relaxing- I made cupcakes. Saturday we had an Easter egg hunt at the church- it was lame so we went to the zoo. Later that evening we went to a "Bloom" party at the Suter's- to enjoy all the flowers. Great pulled pork and margaritas! This morning we all slept in, Phil finished filling our taxes. We went to breakfast at a bar, interesting. We took a walk to Mimi & Papa's. Marly and I went to mass and the penance service this evening. I jinxed the sleeping thing...no luck this week. I think I've gotten a hang of my two girls. It's been a fun week. When Marly and I got back from church, Ellie said "Marly miss me". That was pretty cute!

Easter with the Danes
4/24/2011
What an awesome week! Seriously, it's been one of the best! Monday I had my 6 wk check up and Ellie had another Easter egg hunt. This one with the MOPs group (and there was actually candy in the eggs). We had a playdate with my JU pals at MOSH and then went to lunch together. The kids played so well and we got to catch up. We watched Phil's basketball game (where he sneaks into the 35+ league!) I took the girls to the beach again. Another fabulous morning. And the Danes are here in town! Let me see if I can get this right- Two of my dad's first cousins- Preben and Hanne from Denmark are here along with a bunch of family: Hanne's husband, Per and her two kid's Henrik and Maj-Brit. Henrik's girlfriend, Kirsten. And Maj-Brit's husband, Ted and two kid's Maria and Mathilda. So, a total of 9 Danes. Henrik and Kirsten are staying with us and the rest are at my parent's house. We have had such a great time sitting around and getting to know eachother, telling stories and learning Danish words and traditions. On Thursday we spent the day out in the boat, tubing and going to the Landing for lunch. Friday we took them to St. Augustine...complete with Kilwin's icecream on our way out. Yesterday we snuck away for a egg hunt in the morning and then another one later that afternoon. We dyed eggs in between. Ellie's schedule is up in flames...it's been a wild week with cousins, swimming and eating! Just awesome! Ted took a ton of pictures so I'm hoping to use them on the site. Stay tuned for visuals. Today we went to mass and then came home so Ellie could take a nap (much needed after many days of chaos) then we headed back over where more cousins came- Natalie, Mike and their kids from Orlando and then the Hicks' from Arlington...oh and a priest- Fr. Vic. What a party! Mom even did an Easter egg hunt! Super cool! We watched the sunset in the boat on the river and drank wine till the bugs started biting. The Danes are headed to Pensacola tomorrow to meet up with more cousins on the next phase of their trip. Marlyn is a champ. On both Wednesday and Friday night she slept for 8 hours!!!! Last night she slept for 6! What a rockstar! She really is growing up...smiling and showing all sorts of facial expressions. The girls looked so sweet dressed up for Easter today. We sure do have so much to be thankful for!

Royal Week
5/1/2011
It took a bit to adjust to all the company leaving. Monday morning was sad saying good-bye. The girls and I went over for the parting breakfast before they headed west. We went to a MOPs meeting- making gift baskets for a women's home. Of course now Marly is not sleeping long hours (at this moment, she's crying for me to come back and get her). So, I've spent the week trying to figure it all out to no avail. On Tuesday we went over to a playdate on the northside. My friend, Lisa has a house full of great toys. She sent us home with a fabulous dinner and breakfast for the following morning! We went out to the Y to watch Phil in action...and he won the Bball game! That was neat to see. Wednesday we went to the zoo with a few pals. Ellie really enjoyed the splash park...but after about an hour she came up to me and said "all done, mommy!" Thursday I went for a run in the morning with the girls...it was rough! Then we ran some errands. I'm finally checking projects off my list. That evening the Thakkars came and brought us dinner...chilli and beer- great way to spend a Thursday. Friday morning was a big deal...we had a Royal Tea party to celebrate Prince William's wedding. 10 moms and lots of kiddos packed the house. Cheerios were everywhere! We had scones, clotted cream, leamon curd, krumpets, cookies and commemorative Will & Kate English tea! Awesome! That night we dropped Ellie at KidsPark and we went out to nice dinner with Marly. That was a treat. Saturday morning we sat out on the porch for breakfast (the weather has been gorgeous) and watched the bass fishermen- a Bravo family tradition. Then, we headed to Ellie's Pal, Jeb's 3rd Birthday party at the train park. I went from there to Deb Ballard's baby shower and that evening, Phil and I went on a hot date out to Aloft & Whiskey River for Gornto's 35th Birthday! Lots of cake for me yesterday! Lots of fun! We were paying the price today, though. We took it easy around the house. Phil went fishing, Ellie played in her sprinker toy and pool. We had some friends over to fish and hang out. It was nice. Tonight we crashed the Suter's dinner party. We escaped with Tiramasu cake. (more cake!). We're all pretty beat and ready for bed tonight...let's just hope everyone has a good night sleep!

Thank you, Moms
5/10/2011
I typically blog on Sunday nights, as I look at my calendar and prepare for the week's activites. This past Sunday was mother's day. It's taken me 2 extra days to sit and write. Today I took my mom out for a late Mother's Day lunch. We went to a super nice place that had recently reopened. It was a nice, relaxing afternoon with mom and good food (Ellie was at a drop in daycare...I think she's really decided to lash out this morning). Last week was packed with fun stuff- the beach, Museam of Science & History, Cinco de Mayo playdate and lunch with friends. Marly had her 2 month check up...10.6 lbs and almost 2 ft long. She's sleeping 6-8 hrs each night...a wonderful baby! She's smiling a lot, looking around and holding her head up. What a great gal! Big sis, Ellie (AKA "Jaws") has taken toddlerhood to a whole new level. She can say full sentences (I counted 5 words in a row, last night!) and is very independent. I need to record her saying some pretty funny things. She can also scream louder than a banshee, kick like a samurai and watch out for that bite! Just ask the poor little guy from the park on Monday, who's missing part of his lip. ew. Friday night we went to the Catholic Center for our first meeting with the Engaged Encounter team. We're going to be the new junior couple to work the retreat Catholic couples seeking marriage must attend. Pretty cool. Saturday was a trip to the zoo, watching the manatees on the paddleboat and a family run. My parents watched the girls and we went out with a bunch of friends to celebrate's Phil's 32nd Birthday. Woo Whoo! Sunday was a rough day for some. We went to mass and then Dad fixed us a Mother's Day breakfast. That evening we went to the town center for pizza and icecream. Yesterday, PB's day, he played golf and then I surprised him with McDonalds and a few pals last night. I just want to say thank you to all the moms out there. Thank you to mine, for putting up with me and my siblings and doing so with such grace. For my mother-in-law...in siding with me, when PB needs a little slapping around. And for all those moms out there...helping me on a regular basis as we try to figure out how to do this- and loving every moment, of course! Thank you, Moms!

Busy Bravos
5/15/2011
Phil might be overwhelmed with our schedule. He's telling me to stop planning things. I'm not sure I can do that. Saturday was a rainy day- we didn't leave the house. Ellie and I were going nuts. We had a good week for the most part, though. Small group on Tuesday night was good. The discussion touched on faith and what it entails. We talked about who the "modern day" Pharisees are and how they were so skeptical. All day Wednesday I worked in the yard. I made two trips to pick up mulch- a total of 32 bags- and one trip for flowers. I think the yard looks great! I'm so proud! Thursday, Ellie had her first private swimming lesson. She was pretty good the first 20 minutes, and then not so hot after that. Maybe the pool was too cold? We'll see at the next lesson next week. I'm hoping to have her dog paddling to the side by the end of the lessons. We made two trips to Target that afternoon...I didn't bring a list and had to go back. That evening, Phil had his last basketball game of the season. It was too late so we didn't go. Friday I had a friend over for coffee. Phil went to The Players Championship golf tournament all day. We were late to his Rotary low country boil that evening. It was a neat event where the club split off in groups to compete for different chairities. Phil's group actually won...I thought it was a bit too spicy. Ellie loved dancing to the live band and eating all the shrimp! I mentioned Saturday's storm, but that evening I hosted a Cocktails & Mocktails baby shower with a few friends for my pal, Anna. She's having another girl next month. It was a low key party...nice sitting out on the porch with a cocktail watching the sun set. Today we went to 'Dine with the Dinos' at the zoo. They had a special event for pass holders (yes, that's us!). We rode the carousel and train, saw the new dinosaur exhibit (Ellie said it was too scary...a bit like Jurasic Park) and had lunch. It was a beautiful day. Marly and I went to mass while Phil and Ellie did some yard work and went on a bike ride. We walked up to the corner for Chinese food (a Bravo family treat). Now, Phil and I are waiting for the season finale of Desparate Housewives to come on. I don't know what I'm going to do next week...all of my shows are over for the season. Brothers & Sisters and Vampire Diaries ended last week. It's a rough life ;-)

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!
5/22/2011
We went to the zoo again on Monday, this time for a MOPs playdate. We did the splash park and hung out with a new friend. I hosted book club that night but only 3 people came. We discussed "Say You're One of Them", a collection of short stories from children's perspectives on the atrocities in Africa. Tuesday Ellie had a swim lesson and did so well! She can jump in going under water before being helped up. We need some practice, but she's doing great! We hosted small group that night and had a pretty good dicussion is Jesus for real, or just a nutty guy? On Wednesday morning we had coffee club with a fabulous turn out and a fabulous discussion: Continuallyrising oil prices are an indicator of how scarce oil is becoming and it is conceivable that within our lifetimes our reliance on cars will be tempered by the prohibitive costs of their ownership and operation. I hate driving, so I'd love an alternative! When Phil got home from work, we headed down to Orlando to meet up with Phil's parents. We met for a late dinner at a nice steak house and headed to sleep. Marly didn't sleep very well without her swing so I'm not running on very much these days. We got up and headed to the Magic Kingdom! It was such an awesome day! I think we all had a great time. Both of the girls were fantastic. With the fast passes we were able to do everything we wanted to. We stayed to watch the Light Parade. At the end of the day I asked Ellie what her favorite part was. She said "the lolly pop"! Pretty cute. We got the seasonal pass so I plan to have many more Disney days this year! On Friday we had a nice breakfast, hit the resort pool and checked out. Phil's parents came back to Jacksonville with us. We unpacked and settled in. Then, Phil and I went to the Arena for the Beerfest. It was super crowded but we were still able to sample many brews and catch up with friends from all over. We celebrated a friend's Birthday at Square One as an after party. Saturday was super low key. Everyone, but the girls and I, slept in. We just relaxed around the house, went out to lunch and then took naps. I went to my friend's bachelorette party for the night. Can't beat a girls night out with my old clubbing buddies! This morning Ellie said "Mommy, you party too much"! Awesome! We went to mass, the Bravos returned to Miami, we took a family nap and Phil played basketball. It's so hot here! I'm nervous to feel the FL summer heat in full force. The girls are asleep so I think I'll turn in early. It was a great week!

Congrats Janjics!
5/30/2011
One of my long time best pals got married this weekend! Congratulations Gina & Alex! Best wishes for a life of love & laughter! The Kerkezi's were in town this week. Suzanne and Jason had a mini-vacation at the Breakers so the boys were here with my parents for a few days. Then, they did some house shopping since they're moving here. Woo Whoo! They are looking on the southside of town. I hope they find something soon! Ellie had a blast with her cousins; swimming, the park, McDonalds and romping around Mimi and Papa's. Much more fantastic fun is in their future. We also crammed in a playdate with Will, birthday lunch with Erin, run with the bride (Gina) & pedi's with the wedding party, dinner to a new mom and a MOPs girls night. Let's not forget Kevin Valent's Birthday bash! Anna is due with baby girl Valent #2 in 2 weeks and was out there as grill master and hostess extraordinaire! Gina's wedding was last night- Phil tore up the dance floor (I kept reminding him it wasn't his wedding). I was able to catch up with friends from kindergarden, camp and years past. We closed the holiday weekend with a party at Uncle Ed's today. Lots of long lost cousins to see. We ate way too much. We're all headed to bed early tonight! I just want to say a special thank you to all those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Happy Memorial Day.

It's Summer Time!
6/6/2011
It is hot in here! We're embracing the summer already! Swim lessons are in full swing, we hit the beach this week, too. Mom took us to the Yacht Club pool after a morning of shopping. Phil had a busy week. He had something each night- flying solo at small group, happy hour, business dinner...very successful. We had a super fun weekend. Friday night we hit up our local La Nap with the usuals. Saturday we went blueberry picking with some friends. Then, we made the Jones' get up out of bed and join us at the zoo. It got hot fast (June in FL) so we headed to Moe's. We went home to rest up for a big night. First, we went to our wine club meeting. The theme was wines from 2005 or older. It was an awesome turnout! We stayed a bit too long. Next, we had the Rotaract Black Tie & Blue Jeans Gala. It was the 10th and the last one. They are trying something new next year. "Casablanca" was the theme. $30,000 was raised for the Gala's beneficiary, The Big Fun Box, a nonprofit that creates and distributes activity boxes to entertain and comfort hospitalized children. That afterparty spilled over to the Ivy Ultra Bar. Great dancing! This morning was rough but we went to mass and then a shopping trip. We crashed the Suter's Sunday dinner (again) and went for a swim. We're working through some bird issues here on the street. One of the neighbors feeds the geese. The result is sometimes 40 geese hanging out in the front yard...eating the grass and pooping all over the driveway. Phil called the fish & wildlife office to learn of a grape juice concoction for the grass. We also put up string to block them. I'll let you know if it works. Summertime is so far, so good.

Retreat Fun
6/12/2011
This weekend I did something different. I've volunteered to be a group leader in MOPs for the fall. We had our planning retreat on Friday night and Saturday. Brainstorming with the gals and getting to know the "steering committee"- it was pretty neat. I'm looking forward to a fun filled year with new friends. Phil had the girls to himself while I was away. Maybe he can appreciate my job a bit more? I hope! Ellie and I tried out a music class on Monday at a church downtown...it was good but the main library story hour is still the best (free) thing out there for the kiddos. So, I was inspired to head back there on Thursday. Ellie was much better than the last time so it was worth the trip (even if this creepy lady left me with her grandchild while she went to "pay her meter"). Ellie had her last swimming lesson- we have lots of practice to do, though. We went to a MOPs playdate at the Cummer art museum and a Suns baseball game with our small group on Tuesday (in a suite!) We hosted a playdate with some of Ellie's favorite pals- Jeb & Cora. I got an amazing deal with a double jogging stroller on craigslist this week- $175 for a Phil & Ted's!!! (Thank you, Elizabeth!) I washed it and it's still pretty worn looking but I have some ideas to jazz it up. Phil fixed the front tire so it's moving. I can't get over how compact it is- taking up slightly more space than an umbrella stroller. I decided not to join the local gym in town so this is where it's at. Goose Update: our tactics are working! We also have periodic family runs- where Ellie and I run out and scare away all the lingering birds. On the way out for mass this morning we saw a dying racoon, which was pretty freaky. Phil and I enjoyed a glass of wine on the balcony- something I'm trying to push more often. We have this fabulous house...we need to relish in it!

No More Original Sin
6/21/2011
I'd like to give a shout out to my bravofam followers...the ones who check in every Monday, thank you for your support! Sorry to keep you waiting. We enjoyed another fun filled playdate-packed week...story hours, museum of science & history and pool time with Mimi. There are some fires up in GA that are still blazing with this heat. So, we've had some smokey days which is rough. We need a rain dance! The weekend picked up with some ultimate family time in honor of Miss Marlyn Maria's baptism! We had family come from all over, it was fantastic! Aunt Susan came first on Wed night from Atlanta. She's the newest Mary Kay sales rep. Mom threw a little party on Friday morning. We sampled the products and learned about our skin. Friday night, Miss Katie flew in. On Saturday, the Kerkezi's drove in as did Phil's parents, sister and cousin from the MIA. Dad took us all on an evening boat ride (in the smoke) to see the osprey nests. Sunday was the big day. Matt, the Godfather, flew in that morning. Suzanne, the Godmother, helped us out in the cry room since the nursery was most conveniently (sarcasm) closed. Phil's aunt & uncle came in from Ocala. Marly was so good during the ceremony. She even smiled for the dunking. My mom had her wedding dress made into a Christening gown. It's beautiful! We had a little reception at our house after the mass and ceremony. It was really nice. I loved spending this special time with family and some fellow Catholic pals. Marly received some really sweet gifts including a Guardian Angel poster and jewelry. We spent the afternoon of Father's Day skiing, swimming and enjoying a fish dinner. It was fabulous! On Monday we went to lunch at La Nap to bid Katie farewell. I ended up babysitting the Kerkezi boys for the afternoon so SQ could house shop. Today the smoke is pretty bad. We were able to get in a quick swim this morning though. Well, it looks like nap time is over...so until next week...

Tiff Buck is hitched!
6/27/2011
The heat and smoke combo have prevented us from enjoying our regular outdoor activities. We did get a bit of rain recently so its gotten better...but I think we need a shower each afternoon. On Wednesday we surprised Matt at Rotary with a Paul Harris Fellow award. We ended up leaving all 4 grandkids with 2 new sitters...new, meaning they just took the babysitting course...meaning they are 7th graders....mmm hmmm. They turned out to be fabulous! Glad to have more sitters in the mix. Thursday we did a story hour and Friday we had coffee club at a cool hands-on museum! The discussion was on gender and how it impacts different aspects of our life; the work force, family, politics, etc. We ended up recruiting a new member. Wings & beer for dinner then I went to visit the newest baby Valent, Sawyer! She's a blond! Congrats, Anna, Kevin & Riley!! Saturday morning we drove down to Vero Beach for a KKG sister's wedding. We had family swim time and lunch on the beach. Tiffany's mom set up sitters at her house for us! Tiff Buck & Randy have been dating since high school so it was FABULOUS to be there for their special day! Best wishes, you two! We drove back up yesterday after a great breakfast and swim. We cheered Phil on in basketball and then had a great pizza dinner with pals to cap off the weekend. Looking forward to another great week!

Happy Independence Day!
7/5/2011
July already? I know I say this a lot, but time really does fly! My sister, Suzanne was in town still this week so it was wonderful to have a taste of what it will be like when they move here. They won't live down the street so we won't be able to split a bottle of wine after the kids are down, but still. It will be so nice to have them here! If only I could convince my other 3 siblings to move back...! The week began great with fun stuff for me I brought dinner to the Valents (and got to see baby Sawyer again) and then had book club. We read "Smarty Pants" by Tina Fey. Pretty great discussion that led to chatting about the lives of famous people- not great smart talk, unfortunately. But, it was still wonderful to have a night out with some gals. Tuesday, mom took us for a treat to the Yacht club pool. Alex and Ellie rocked the baby pool and then we had a fancy outdoor lunch. Small group led us all the way to the beach. Dr. Hilley actually made us each a printed agenda with extra readings- wow. I really enjoyed the part of the conversation touching on free will vs. divine intervention- deep stuff. I've been pretty good about running each morning. I even ran into Suzanne one time. Pretty good routine. I've also had lots of monogramming orders! We even had a playdate with our old pals, Cora and Jeb! We had a low key weekend. Hotdogs on the grill on Friday night and then the zoo and habachi on Saturday. Sunday was the Leens big party complete with power hour and flip cup. The 4th of July was memorable. Marly was/is running a fever so we had to take her to the ER. After 4 hours of tests, she just has a cold. There's nothing we can do about it, really. But, a newborn with a fever can be very dangerous, thus the drama. She sure scared the heck out of me! The pediatric ER is no fun. Poor baby girl! We still went to watch fireworks, which were amazing! I took Marly to the pediatricians for a follow up today and she's fine, well I mean she's still running a temp but is eating & sleeping fine. Whew! We have lots to be thankful for! Happy Independence Day!

Summertime Rain
7/11/2011
I'm happy to report that Marly is back to 'normal', aside from the raspy cough and the 10 hours of sleep at night. She's been waking up a few times each night so I'm running in zombie mode. One night was every 2 hrs...yikes! The girls and I did Storytime with Clementine and met Phil for lunch on Wednesday. That evening we went to a 'Families for Christ' speakers series on creating a family mission statement. I wasn't into it at first but it seems like a great group. So, we'll see. Thursday we went to the Plaster Palace, where Ellie picked out figurines to paint. I think the place was a bit old for her. We went for an afternoon swim right before the rain came. I met a friend for ladies night at Cantina Laredo that night- such a treat! Friday we had a playdate with Valents. Ellie and Riley swam like 2 little fish! They just love eachother. We went with my parents to a Suns baseball game that night. I thought for sure it'd be canceled because of the rain, but it cleared up. Baseball's never been hotter! ;-) The girls were great! Saturday was pretty lazy. We had my parents over for Eggs Benedict. I went to Lowes and bought a fence...now I just need help putting it up! We went for pizza that night. After mass on Sunday we went to St. Augustine for lunch and browsing. Then, we went fo a swim and then a dinner party. It ran a bit too late for a Sunday night...but a great way to start out the week! I'm loving all this summertime rain. It just gets so hot by the afternoon, its the only way to cool off!

Friends are Fabulous
7/17/2011
Phil and I are both the kind of people that get energy from other people. As you know, the girls and I have lots of playdates but its not the same as having a good coversation with a friend. Usually a playdate involves preventing my kid from biting another kid while launching a semi-intelligent sentence or two at another mom. I wouldn't exactly call it a conversation. This week, I feel like I was able to catch up with some friends. I'm not sure if it's because I had lots of time with friends so it all added up to a conversation or if maybe I did actually have a few good convos this week. Either way, who cares...it was nice. We had dinner with Kathleen, lunch with Kat & breakfast with Chrissy- playdates with the Thakkars & Valents! The girls and I began the week by hitting the beach...can't beat that. I have it down to a science at this point. It's a bit of a drive, but worth it. Wednesday was a rough day. We had Marly's 4 month well visit. (She's 13 lbs and 25 inches- a whole pound more than Ellie at this point.) Then, we were supposed to meet up with the Valents and go to a water park in St. Mary's, GA but Ellie was horrible at the doctor's office (rolling around and screaming on the floor of the lobby) and Marly had a diaper/wardrobe mishap. So, we bailed on the water park and came home for early naps. The afternoon wasn't any better- no need to provide details. The weekend brought more time with friends: La Nap Friday, arts market beerfest Saturday and a picnic at the Catholic retreat center today. Wooo Whooo! Oh and a neighbor actually put up our fence for us! Wow, I know! Well, I've been working on going to bed early all week, its made a huge difference for me. So, cheers to a great week!

Blurry Lines Between Night & Day
7/24/2011
I'm thinking about putting Marly back in the swing at night. I was so spoiled knowing she could go 10-12 hours in there at night! Now, I can get 6 (which is technically all night for a newborn) but it's just not enough. I'm also having trouble trying to coordinate the afternoon naps with the girls. I'm not giving up hope, though. Maybe if Ellie didn't wake up so early, I could swing it...but 5:30am has never been a great time for me ;-) We had some fun playdates this week. There's video of the first one on Monday on our youtube site. Mom took us to the Yacht club pool on Tuesday and we were the only ones there! How crazy! I hosted coffee club on Wednesday at the zoo. The topic was US Money Matters: the debt vs deficit, where does the revenue come from, former administrations adding to it, etc...it was pretty good...but maybe the splash park at the zoo wasn't a great spot. It was hard to talk and watch the kids at the same time. I was able to get girls to sign up to host for the next 5 months, which is great! Thursday we met friends at Pump It Up which is an indoor inflatable kids zone- slides, bounce houses plus lots of toys. It was cool. Friday we did the OP mall play area and train then lunch in the food court. You'd think all this fabulous fun would wear my girls out and they'd sleep well at night...no such luck! For small group this week we threw a surprise shower for the Hilleys to welcome their 3rd boy...wooo whoo! I went on a night run with my pal Erin on Wednesday. That was the first time I'd run without a stroller in a really long time! It felt great! On Friday night we met friends for dinner- typical chaos with all the kids running around. Saturday, Phil was supposed to work Habitat for Hummanity with Rotary but the contractor has a heart attack! So, he came home early. We finished the fence along the water!!! I blew up Ellie's pool for her to play in (now that she has some space out there). Later we went to a Moppet pal's 2nd Birthday at a place called the Little Gym. It was so cute...they did the balance beam, parachute fun, parallel bars, spring board, etc. Ellie loved it. Then, we went to one of our friend's Birthday's at a local brewery. We should have got a sitter, it was exhausting. There were other kids there, too...but I would have prefered the relaxation of a night out. The good news is that we went to bed early both weekend nights. This morning we went to mass and then the Town Center. It was a nice family day...but super hot. Phil played basketball while Ellie napped. Marly and I caught up on all our great recorded TV (Suits and Brothers & Sisters[can't believe that show was canceled!!!]) I made a spaghetti dinner and now we're closing out the night. If you see him, please send the sandman our way!

Starved for Hunger Games
8/4/2011
I'm way late in my posting...I don't have too much free time. Instead of doing chores or sleeping, I've been reading- the Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. Now that I'm finished, I can get back to my regular life. So, let me recap. The girls and I went to O2B Kids (an indoor play area) and storytime with Clementine last week. We did 'operation keep Ellie up from a nap' (since we hosted small group). It was a good meeting, Phil shared way too much and kept the group laughing. One day I didn't go anywhere, we actually stayed at home the whole day: Wow! The Kerkezi's are here! They're staying with my parents until they close on a house. So, we get lots of cousin time! Saturday we all went to the zoo. That night we went to a combo baby shower for the Leens and Suters. What a party! We finished a keg! So far we've had a good week. Monday was book club where we discussed the Hunger Games! We decided to read the next 2 in the trilogy for next month. Tuesday we had a playdate at a friend's house and then met mom and the Kerkezis for lunch. We've done lots of swimming over at my parent's house. Ellie is really a fish these day. Our AC keeps tripping a circuit so I think we're going to need a new compressor, which will be super fabulou$. Today we went to a water park with the Valents. It was amazing! Ellie loved it, there was even a lazy river! So, we're doing well. The girls are growing and changing so quickly. Ellie says the funniest things. Marly is almost crawling and eating lots of fun things- bananas, green beans, carrots (all in the blender, of course)! The summer is flying by!

Fish-like & Five Months
8/7/2011
To beat this Florida August heat we've been swimming a bunch. Ellie amazes me. My heart stops many times, waiting for her to make it to the edge. But, she really can swim. Both Saturday and today we spent lots of time in my parent's pool. By the end of each session, Ellie's eyes are red with the chlorine and she's ready for bed after her fish-like moves. It's so cool! She's so adventurous, not just in the pool but water parks, regular parks, indoor bounce areas...she climbs to the very top with no fear- I love it! We had some friends over for a playdate Friday and I set up her pool and sprinkler. I took a picture of our new fence along the water so check out how great it looks in the summer pics album. Today Miss Marly is 5 months old! I can't get over how quickly its flying...or how CUTE she is! Marly really is a calm, sweet child. Just holding her brings a wave of ease. A friend told me I could hire her out for people to get their 'baby fix'- because she just loves to be held and cuddled. We had a fun weekend. A family night at Chick-fil-a and then an early night to bed (not that it mattered with all our ups through out the night). Phil played tennis Saturday morning while the girls and I hit the pool. Last night we went to a friends BaByQ shower...super cute- with koozies, drinking games and amazing cake! We also had our wine club meeting with the theme of champagn...which means pagn-pong, oh yeah! And my new pal, Katie and I are reigning chick-champs! This morning Ellie and I went to mass (well, Ellie played with Miss Kim), more pool and then just a lazy, family afternoon- finished with burgers on the grill with goat cheese. All is well. Getting ready for a great week at the beach! Wooo Whooo!

Beach Vacation
8/14/2011
Monday we hosted a playdate with our regular pals. We have a standing date with 2 sets of pals and just rotate houses each month- its great. Way better when it's not at your house (no mess or lunch prep), but it's still a fun gig. Now that we have the fence on the river we have the pool and sprinkler set up. Tuesday-Friday Suzanne and I rented a mini van and headed to Navarre beach (on the Gulf coast) with the kids. It was a fabulous little vacation! The kids loved being together and spending all day going back and forth from the beach, pool and playground. Suzanne and I loved putting the kids to bed at night and then splitting a bottle of wine on the balcony. It doesn't get more relaxing than watching a night storm roll in over the ocean with a delicious glass of red wine. Wednesday, our cousin Dane came over with her 2 kids- Rachel & Michael. On Thursday our long lost pal, Liz happened to be visiting her grandmother in P-cola and came over for a swim with her daughter, Dahlia. Oh what fun! Friday morning we packed up after a quick morning at the beach and Suzanne drove the whole way back. Phil said he enjoyed his week of bachelorhood but was ready for us to return. He had a happy hour, watched a Jags game and then a Rotary event so he kept busy. We had a tame Friday night with fried chicken as a family. Saturday we celebrated Miss Cora's 3rd Birthday that morning. I went to Gina's clothing swap that afternoon (I arrived with 2 dresses and left with a huge bag!). We went for a quick swim and then Suzanne and her boys came over to babysit while we went to a friend's Birthday dinner. We actually got the time wrong and arrived an hour early so Phil and I went for a quick hot date at a bar in San Marco, which was a nice treat. Today we went to mass and then the Leens had us over for lunch. We were pushing nap time so it was a bit stressful with both girls. We all took a nice 2 hour nap this afternoon and then headed over for a swim with the cousins. Dad grilled burgers. It was a nice way to end the week.

Red Wine
8/21/2011
Well, Monday had high hopes to be a fun morning at the beach splash park with MOPs but I am not a morning person. I needed to add air to the jogging stroller tires and used the pump that plugs into the car cigarette lighter thing. I had turned the car on just enough to get some juice and left the key. So, two hours later when we are all packed and ready to go, I realized what I had done. So stupid, I know...just an example of how my brain performs at 7:30am after non-consecutive sleep. I sought a super old neighbor's help, Suzanne helped jump me using theartofmanliness.com and our fav contractor. Ta-da! It only took all day, and let's hope Phil doesn't read this week's posting. Tuesday we began with a playdate at the Edwards- 5 baby girls, oh my! Then, the Valents met us for a late lunch to kick-off 'operation no nap' since we were hosting small group. I stole an idea from a friend on facebook to put the kids slide into the blow-up pool. It was a huge hit! Small group that night was really good. We're reading Forgotten God- Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit by Francis Chan. It's a challenging book in the sense that the holy spirit is known for calling you out of your comfort zone. So, we discussed what that looks like. You know its deep when everyone is drinking a glass of wine! Wednesday morning I had a doctor's appointment so Ellie hung out at Kid's Park. That afternoon my Uncle Bill and Aunt Jean came in town. We had a fabulous visit with them- swimming, a boat ride and fun with the cousins. We put all the kids to bed and had a fantastic steak dinner (lots of bottles of red wine)! We came back over the next morning for a nice breakfast and to see them off back to Mississippi. Mom took us to the Yacht club for pool time and lunch. That night we got a babysitter to watch all 4 grandkids. Suzanne went to Owen's orientation and Phil and I went to Indochine with a group of friends for 'Eat Up Downtown'. The girls and I had a nice chat over some spicy food...well, I thought it was spicy and I got a 2...Kat got a 7! Friday morning on the way back from a run a neighbor stopped me and unloaded lots of toys her grandson had grown out of...uncluding 2 plastic pools! Super cool! I got an oil change and met Phil for lunch and then went to my parents for an afternoon swim...it was a rough afternoon though- both girls skipped a nap and were in rare form. Phil and I stayed up drinking wine and catching up on all our DVR'd TV- Suits is our new favorite! Saturday morning was the zoo for Jazoo's Birthday bash- meaning the stingray exhibit was free! Skipped naps again! But that worked out because after a swim we went to the Suters for the "last power hour" so Ellie went to sleep early. I thought Tracy was going to have the baby this week, but as of now, she's still pregnant. Any day now, really. It was a fun night. This morning we saw the Kerkezi's at mass. Jason is back from South America just in time to close on their new house this week! Mom and Dad took us all out to the Yacht Club for brunch. We're just waiting for Marly to wake up and we'll go back for a swim and dinner at my parents. What are we going to do in the winter when we can't do all this swimming?!

Summer, summer, summertime!
8/28/2011
This year I'm a small group leader in MOPS. It's much more of a time commitment, but so far, I really like it. I got the list of my group last week so I set up a playdate so we can get to know eachother a bit before the big meeting. Well, it was sorta a bust. Most of the girls have their kids in preschool so this week was the first week/orientation. I had 2 girls show up with their kids, but not at the same time. I'll have to try something else. We had a playdate with our regulars- "The Lauries"- those are always nice because the kids play together (kina) in one room, while we eat a high-end lunch in the dining room. We can actually have a conversation, a nice change. Wednesday was a big day for us- family day at the dentist! This was Ellie's first visit. Dr. Robeldo went all out! Phil had his appointment first so Ellie sat on his lap to watch. Then, I held Ellie in my lap for her appointment and then she helped with my appointment...the dentist actually let her squirt water and air on me...oh the fun. Of course, Ellie loved it! We are all cavity free! Ellie got all these gifts/prizes...such as a whole play-do factory kit. Until now, I have re-gifted any play-do she's gotten because its so messy. She loves play-do now! It's become her favorite afternoon activity, which has been nice because it keeps her busy while I make dinner. It's still messy, though. Phil complimented my dinners lately, that's huge! I've done ribs, lasagna, shrimp & rice in mojo sauce and chicken pesto with goat cheese! Thursday we went to the beach- it was stressful getting there but once we got out there it's totally worth it. The beach is just fabulous! We made sandcastles and watched the surfers on the storm waves (hurricane Irene). Friday we did the downtown story hour- this time for Marly! She sat up and just stared with those big, gorgeous eyes. We did a quick toddler story hour (Ellie didn't last) so we read Dora books until art time. We did a babysitting switch with the Kerkezi's this weekend. Hopefully it will continue. Friday night we went to dinner for my friend Kathleen's Birthday. There was a huge group of people. Then we went dancing for 80's night. It was a great night for diversity! Then, we watched the boys on Saturday night while Suzanne and Jason went to dinner out at the beach with friends. Saturday morning we participated in a writing workshop for Engaged Encounter. We have lots of writing ahead of us...the good news is that the weekend we signed up for is not until next summer! I think I mentioned that before- that Phil and I are going to be the junior couple for EE- the retreat weekend engaged couples must attend to be married in the Catholic church. Pretty slick. Then, we went swimming at the Valents. They put their slide/play house on the sun shelf in their pool, which turns it into a super cool water park for the kids! Today Phil played golf with the God squad. After naps I took the girls for ice cream, the park and then swimming at my parent's house. We had some great gal time. We're trying to cram in all our summer fun before its all over. I can already tell the days aren't as long anymore!

Labor Day Bliss
9/5/2011
Monday was a MOPS day. We had a playdate at MOSH that was very well attended. We had a quick get-away though as both gals melted. That evening I had a MOPS steering meeting talking about the upcoming season. There's a lot to do but I think its great. It's a good group of ladies! We checked out the Kerkezi's new house and christened the pool! It's perfect for them and I can't wait for them to move in! We went to story hour at Barnes N Noble and then McD's for lunch with the kids. We had a coffee club this week, which is always fun. It was at the Joneses house, which means the kids can play with all the toys while we actually have a conversation. The topic was presidential vacations- we pretty much all agreed that the president shouldn't be allowed to have a vacation at all. They can last 4 (or eight) years without a vacation and those diplomatic trips on air force one should be holiday enough. The conversation went so well that we stayed an extra 4 hours! Wow! Then, we brought dinner to a pal who just had her 3rd boy and is doing fantastic! Thursday we went to the beach with a friend and then saw another friend's new house. Ellie had her first ballet class, which was fun...sorta. I didn't sign her up for the class because I thought it was too expensive and we would most likely miss a lot of classes. She cried for the first half of the class (I even had to bribe her to get into the leotard) but finally she danced and was happy. I took a few pictures. Friday morning we did the Mother Goose storytime at the library again. Marly loved it. Ellie was better in her story time. The Valents had us over on Friday night. We usually go to La Nap with a group of friends but we've decided to rotate houses instead- its much easier with the kids. Saturday we had a fun family day- splash park in St. Augustine and then the beach and lunch. Phil played basketball and we hung out at the park. We all went to bed early, it was nice. Sunday we got moving early. Phil mowed the lawn and we had breakfast and then headed to church. Then, we spent all day Sunday and Monday at my parent's house- swimming, fishing, eating great food and having fun. Ellie may have OD'd on fun with the cousins! We even played an all out game of hide-n-seek- a famous Vosskid pastime, passing it onto the next generation. I'm glad summer in FL lasts longer than Labor Day, I'm not quite ready to let it go just yet.

Remembering September 11th
9/12/2011
I've been reading and listening to everyone's reactions for the tenth anniversary of Sept. 11th and I just feel frozen. I'm not sure exactly how I feel about the whole thing. I think I need some more quiet time to ponder exactly what it means to me. Being a stay at home mom entails working 24/7, it's the best job no doubt...it just doesn't leave me much time for myself. It's like I'm always "on". Watching the anniversary shows and seeing everyone's facebook posting just brings back the fear and sadness I felt 10 years ago. So, I need some work on that subject- maybe it should be the Sept coffee club topic! I think I'll tell of our adventures from the week going backwards, just to spice it up! Sept 11th was a quiet day for us- mass, yard work, unpacking, chores, a family steak dinner out and then I had to go set up for our 1st MOPS meeting. I got to meet Miss Tabitha Suter- born earlier this week! Great story, one for the books and the sweet baby is so tiny- its hard to believe they are that small. It's fun watching first time parents, I love it! Congratulations, guys! We met up with Phil's parents in Orlando for another Disney throw down. A full day in Animal Kingdom and then Magic Kingdom. It was really nice, I was actually sad leaving. The only rough part was leaving first thing Thursday morning, next time I vote for Wednesday night. Ellie never went back to sleep when we rolled out that morning so she was a bear in the park for the most part. The highlights: the Yeti rollercoaster in Animal Kingdom, date night in Epcot (5 fab drinks), staying on "Disney Campus" as Phil calls it & catching up with the Reinsteins. After check out we drove to the highest part of Florida to have lunch with "abu's friends" as Ellie says. Earlier in the week we had a playdate with one of my JU friends and met her baby girl, Kara. I flew solo at small group and took Marly with me. Aunt Sherry and UE watched Ellie since it was over on their side of town. The conversation was interesting- is your life too loud or is your life too safe? Tough stuff. Apparently Chan's next book calls you out even more...not sure if I'm ready for that one. Suzanne and I took the kids to the Loop's 30th anniversary and got free stuff and then to the train park. And a nice lunch with mom to kick off the week. I was even able to squeeze in a few yoga DVDs this week, not bad at all! Namaste.

Feeling like Fall
9/18/2011
We finally got some rain this week. Mother Nature is tricking us North Floridians into thinking we too can participate in fall. It's been overcast, windy...maybe even chilly. We had our first MOPS meeting of the year. I'd say it was a great start. I think we have a good group of gals. Recently the Catholic church has decided to revise the mass a bit. They are just updating the mass to achieve a greater adherence to the original Latin than the former. So, we had a speaker come to explain the changes. I brought Marly with me which didn't end up to be a great idea. I think she's teething or something. It's been a tough week for the poor girl- congestion and crying. Tuesday was a down day. The girls and I just took it easy. I reorganized their closets to pull out the next season of clothes. We skipped small group and had a family dinner out for sushi. Marly had her 6 month check-up and got some shots. We went to storytime with Clementine and brought the Kerkezi's lunch- the moving vans came! Book club this week was lots of fun. We discussed the 2nd 2 books in the Hunger Games triology- Catching Fire and Mockingjay. I dressed up as Kassia. Very cool! We had a playdate with the Lauries- always a treat. A gourmet lunch and excellent conversation- what more can a mom ask for! We brought the Suters dinner and the girls got to meet baby Tabitha. We took a few pictures, maybe one will turn out. That night Phil's breakfast club had a social. About 3 years ago Phil got a group together to talk about what's going on in different industries. He's currently up to 16 guys from 16 different fields and each month one guy has the floor. It's been quite successful. The only problem (in my opinion) is that in those 3 years, there's only been 3 socials (where I can come). It was fun to meet the new people and catch up with the regulars over classy drinks and then dinner. Friday we hit mother goose hour and then to the Valents to help prep for a baby shower. That evening we went to a 3 year old pal's Birthday party with a special guest...Jaxson de Ville! (The Jaguars mascot). Ellie even got a Jags hat as a party favor! We cheered Owen on for his soccer game on Saturday morning (they have to make him sit out because he scores so many goals- ha!) swimming and breakfast at the Kerkezi's! I love having them here! Later that night we went to a friend's party to watch the FSU v Oklahoma game. They had a projector outside to watch the game along with perfectly timed iTune/FSU favs on surround sound when we made a good play- just like at a game. What a treat to watch our game with fellow seminoles. That doesn't happen too often in this town. Too bad the outcome wasn't different. Mass this morning had a good homily- how life isn't fair, and aren't we so glad it isn't. Anna, Kat and I threw a baby sprinkle for Lauren- she's having her 2nd boy. We copied this cool blog that I found- It came out super cute- a great way to spend a Sunday with the gals. I'm still on a sugar high! Phil grilled burgers for dinner and we sat out on the porch with the girls for a while. Perfect weather to just relax. We agreed that we could spend hours staring at the water and never get tired of it. Those geese provide too much entertainment. Happy Fall!

Keeping the Hood Young
9/25/2011
So, we made a new friend in the neighborhood this week. I found out a girl in MOPS lives right down the street. On Monday we had a playdate at a park and I asked her to walk there with me (it was pretty far). Our families went to dinner together on Tuesday, Thursday we walked down to their house to help them move a couch and Saturday morning we 'greenlighted' them in the paddleboat. Yeah! Cool, young, new neighbors! I hope we don't over-Bravo them. I'm just so excited to have a friend on the street! We met up with my JU friend, Lisa and her kids at a park on Wednesday. We did story hour downtown on Friday but left early because it wasn't working. Ellie melted. Saturday we headed to the beach with our small group. We rented a house. Ellie had her first sleepover with Magdalene and Ally. Marly came with us. It was 4.5 couples, sushi, drinks, mafia, trivia, catch phrase, ultimate frisbee on the beach (complete with battle wounds)! The night ended with a late night discussion on the Holocaust, abortion and 'can men and women just be friends?' We have a great group. This morning we all went our separate ways. We celebrated Alfred's Birthday with beer tasting and Chinese food (his fav) while watching the Jags loose (not a great football weekend for us). Then, we celebrated dad's Birthday with all the kids in the pool and grilling burgers. It was another wonderful week. I need to rest up now for the upcoming week.

Happy 5th Birthday, Owen!
10/3/2011
Today is my Godson, Owen's 5th Birthday! Wow! We went to lunch and a park with them today to celebrate. I love having 'the cousins' here in town! Yeah, Owen! We had MOPS on Monday and made silouettes of the kids- which I'm still working on. I went running that night with my ole running pal, Erin. It's amazing how much more I can run without a jogging stroller and two kids. So, I'm feeling better about the upcoming races than I was before. On Tuesday morning, my neighbor and I walked the bridges downtown. She probably won't answer the phone the next time I call. It was about a 5 mile trek. We hosted small group here that night and had a somewhat heated discussion since we finished the book- Forgotten God. My conclusion is that kind of fire just scares me. I'm not ready for it. Wednesday we went to storytime with Clementine and then lunch with the Kerkezi's. We used some giftcards we had to the Loop and even with them it was so expensive. I don't know why that place is so popular. Thursday, I took the girls to the beach. Mmmah Haaaa (deep breath)- I love it out there. We had the place to ourselves...even Marly went in the water. It was such a nice morning. That night was the MOPS kick off party at one of the girl's house who lives on base in one of those houses on the water- gorgeous view! I guess I was expecting girls gone wild super fun party. I was really looking forward to it. I mean, it was fun...but not legendary. Friday we went to story hour and pretty much only made it for Marly's Mother Goose...Ellie didn't last in hers. That night we walked down to the neighbor's house for make your own pizza night. How fun! Saturday morning we cheered on Owen's soccer game and had lunch with them. We had a full day since Danielle, our fav sitter came at 4pm to watch the girls...oh and we finally sold a stroller on craigslist! Phil and I headed out to the beach to meet the Mitsi at the St. Paul's Oyster Roast...oh yeah! My FAVORITE food is oysters! I ate 3 trays of oysters...and the last tray had at least 3 dozen on there. Mmmmm! The night continued as we redeemed our tickets for free beers at a pub at the beach and then hit up a few of our old stomping grounds out there. Let's just say Sunday morning came too quickly. The girls and I headed to church and then we all went to Owen's Birthday party. We met their new neighbors and they even heated the pool. Yippie! I'll have to post the pics and videos from the week.

Wet n Windy
10/9/2011
Monday night we had a MOPS Steering meeting. I'm in charge of bringing the wine but I forgot a wine opener. I had to borrow one from another meeting going on at St. Mark's. We had a Topless Tuesday playdate...it was supposed to be a kids pool party, but the weather is officially too cold to swim. So, we just had mimosas and donuts. Not bad. At small group that night we had a couple talk to us and give tips on a successful marriage. Mom took us to a pumpkin patch on base to take the girl's Halloween pictures (see the updated Fall photos). I found these pumpkin topper headbands in the dollar aisle at Target. Oh, the pictures are so cute! I switched cars with Phil so I could take his car in for an oil change and check up. We got a groupon to a new place that ended up working out great. We met him for a nice lunch since he had a happy hour after work and would miss bedtime. Later that night I went to massage envy to redeem my Birthday present from Phil. It was fabulous! Friday morning we had a playdate with Little Robert and then went for a quick visit to see baby Tabitha. That night we had our neighbors over for ribs. I think I make great St. Louis ribs- just cajun seasoning in the oven, rotating every 20 min for about 2 hours...easy. They brought sangria. We sat out on the porch listening to the rain and enjoying the windy weather. Saturday we went to the mall and let Ellie play and ride the train. We watched the FSU game at a cool sports bar/game zone. Phil took a super long nap while the power was out and I tried to prep our house to host wine club. The theme was 'Fun Wine labels'. We had a good group and the girls went down early. It was just a late night. I think the little sleep is finally catching up to me. I broke out in hives a few times this week. This morning I took the girls to church- they both went to the nursery (Marly's 1st time! I didn't get called out until after communion), Phil went in to work to catch up on a few things. We visited mimi and papa and had eggs benedict. We all took a nice, long, much needed nap. I'm hoping to get back to bed early tonight. Went for a family run, sold another jogging stroller and went out for wings. I love listening to the rain fall when I'm snuggled up inside. Oh, and Marly has her first tooth, and another one on its way. Just in time for her 7 month Birthday!

SuperMom!
10/17/2011
There are highs and lows in my job, as in most, I assume. Some weeks, I feel like I shouldn't answer my door in case its the DCF. Other weeks (like this one) I am SuperMom. Oh yeah! Monday was Columbus Day so Phil was off. He hung out around the house while I took the girls to MOPS. It was a pilates class, which was pretty cool. We all went out to lunch and just took it easy. My parents started this Monday night pizza night thing. We all go over there, the kids play and we all eat pizza. Erin and I went for another late night run- not as successful this time, though. Tuesday I hosted the Lauries playdate. We had fish tacos and white wine, to take it up a notch. One of the Lauries taught me how to cook a whole chicken in the crock pot. It was incredibly easy and delicious for a few meals! I already bought another one! On Wednesday I took the girls to Disney World (this is where the SuperMom kicks in). There were a few rough moments- the park was pretty full for a Wed in Oct so the wait for somethings was like 20+ min...which is hard to do holding a baby and chasing a 2 year old. I got a few dirty looks when I let Ellie play with the chains in the lines. All in all, it was awesome. We actually did a lot. Both girls took a nap at the same time so I could enjoy a Mickey ice cream and watch a parade. I spent a grand total of $21 at the park= $12 for parking and $7 for my ice cream and water. I packed a lunch for us and lots of snacks. We had a bit of trouble on the way home- an accident near Palm Coast turned I-95 into a parking lot for an hour, other than that, it was great. Thursday I brought meals to two families with newborns. I'm playing the McDonalds monopoly game. I need cash to fly out and see my brother in Tahoe- my Feb goal. Monogramming is helping but looking at flights, I need like $600. I need Pennsylvania Ave. for a big win. So, if you get it, I'll split it with you! Friday I watched the Kerkezi boys while Suzanne went to a meeting at Owen's school and then for a walk through at a nursing home she'll begin working in next week. We all just hung out in the front yard- riding bikes and playing hide-n-go-seek. That night we went to a Concert in the Park in San Marco and saw lots of friends. They had a jazz band, face painters and ice cream. We enjoyed a nice picnic lunch (courtesy of my crock pot chicken). Saturday we cheered Owen on in his soccor game and then headed to Princess Riley's 3rd Birthday party. That night, Phil watched all the kids after they went to sleep while Suzanne and I went to a Baby Jessica party. Remember in the 80's that 2 year old (Baby Jessica) that fell in the well? So, our old pal, Louis started this fantastic party 4 years ago to raise well awareness. I dressed as a reporter for Channel 9, the local station in TX. Suzanne was a miner (thanks to CSX for the head gear). Great costumes- some highlights: a well salesman (complete with business cards), lots of mullet spectators & firemen. We played well pong, catapult the baby into a well and baby pinata. There were jello shots with babies in them (sour patch kids) and well cookies. Awesome! Sunday we went to mass (Marly did much better with Miss Kim, maybe because she gave her lemonade!) I carved a super cool pumpkin where the teeth actually say Boo! I made puree for Marly to eat this week and then froze some for a pie at Thanksgiving. I even roasted the seeds. Phil grilled burgers for the Jags game. The weekend concluded with Suzanne watching the girls while Phil and I went to dinner with friends at a nice Italian restaurant. Not bad at all! Today we had a pumpkin patch playdate. Hopefully a few pictures came out. A bunch of us went to lunch at a deli in San Marco. I heard someone say, "It looks like a daycare in here". Ha! Tonight we have book club and I can't wait. We're discussing the Black Dahlia. I need to work on my costume. Da da da da da daaaa.....SuperMom!!!!

Candy Apples
10/25/2011
In contrast to last week's Super Mom, I had a low point today. I took the girls to my neighbor's funeral this morning. She died of brain cancer last week after a super quick battle. Wish we could send some fairy dust or jumpy juice to all those oncologists out there working on figuring this whole cancer thing out. Well, it was a memorial mass, which is do-able. The Catholic church is just down the way and I knew they had a cry room. The meltdown came after the ceremony when I realized I couldn't handle the reception. When Ellie discovered she wasn't going to eat cake she threw a full on temper tantrum in the parking lot. I was maybe 50ft from the car and was holding Marly. I couldn't carry them both with Ellie kicking and screaming. So, I made a mad dash to put Marly in the car, while leaving Ellie there on the ground. Of course, Marly threw her usual back arch drama because she hates her car seat. Luckily, I still got her in there. When I go back to get Ellie she takes off sprinting through the parking lot the opposite way. Cool. So, I tackle her down and wrestle her into the car while the local priest is laughing at me. Whew! Ellie passed out right away in the car. Can't win them all, I guess. The beginning of this week was rainy and then cold. I took the girls to the Museum of Science and History. The girls especially enjoyed the water table and 'digging' for dinosaur bones. We had a great playdate with the cousins this week. We made candy apples! Check out the pictures. It was messy but the kids loved it and they are really delicious. We put sprinkles, chocolate chips and candy corn on the caramel. Mmm! We brought the Leens dinner that night and got to meet Mr. William Patrick...who doesn't look or act like a newborn. They all are doing well! I hosted a MOPS girls night Thursday night. It was bunco, which was pretty interesting...especially since we all played different versions. Hey, I still won $5. Not bad. Friday I took it easy. I was just tired from the week. I took the girls to a costume party at the Disney store, it was pretty cheesy. But, we got to meet some girlfriends for dinner while Phil had an Octoberfest Guys Night. Saturday we went to a corn maze. It was neat- the actual maze was intense, I would not want to do that at night! They also had a hayride, bounce house, playground, pumpkin patch (with pumpkins actually growing), corn kernal pit and petting zoo. Marly had a little fall during a photo op in the pumpkin patch so now she has a scab on her nose. Ellie got bit by a bug on her eyelid at some point over the weekend so now it looks puffy. They look like a rough pair. That night we went to the Kerkezi's for dinner and watched a movie called the Rite- based on a true story of exorcisims....hmmmmmm. Do you believe in them? Sunday the girls and I went to mass and then that evening we met up with some friends for the zoo's Spooktacular. It was really crowded but a holiday must-do. Hundreds of carved pumpkins, scare zones, candy stations, DJ's with dance zones, bouncy slides- Ellie loved it! Yesterday was MOPS with our pediatrician as the speaker. Pizza night to welcome Susanne Voss, our Danish cousin, here to visit for a few weeks. Oh and tonight we paddled over to have a drink with our neighbors. Well, I'm ready for bed! I tried to get Phil to write the blog tonight. He's snoring on the couch.

This is Halloween
11/1/2011
We have been celebrating Halloween all month. I think we've covered all the bases and done everything there is to do with the holiday. We went 'trunk or treating' at a friend's church. They had carnival games, a hayride, bouncy slide and then all the decorated trunks. We had a family dinner at Whole Foods. As I mentioned before, we have our Danish cousin, Susanne visiting for a few weeks. So, we've been taking turns showing her around. Thursday morning mom and I loaded up the girls and Susanne and headed over to Navarre for a long weekend. The drive is painful (especially when sitting backseat, middle listening to Dora movies over and over)- but when you step out onto that beach, it makes it all worth it. It's gorgeous over there. The sand is really like powder sugar (I think its the ground up sand dollars) and the gulf is that beautiful aqua blue...and yes it is the end of October! The mornings were really cold but it warmed up by the afternoons. My cousin, Dane had us over for dinner the first night. Ellie loved playing with her cousins, Rachel & Michael. Aunt Del even came over from Natchez. Friday mom took Susanne into Pensacola for sight seeings while the girls and I stayed to enjoy the beach. Unfortunately the pool was not heated (not until Thanksgiving). Ellie swam a bit but I think it was too cold. We mostly hung out at the playground and in the sand- and in the hot tub at night. Meanwhile, Phil partied like a rockstar while I was away. It was FL/GA weekend here in town so there were lots of festivites to partake in. As his boss said "While the cat's away the mouse will play". We drove back on Sunday just in time for a Halloween party- pumpkin carving contest, kids fun craft table decorating cookies and color sheets, chicken chilli, spooky decor and a real haunted house next door! Halloween morning we had a costume party with MOPS- treats, music, ghost bowling, pin the face on the pumpkin, festive play-do and pictures! Ellie had a lolly pop for breakfast and candy for lunch and dinner. At least she ate a multi-vitamin. I failed for nutrition that day. We went to my parents, the Leens and then down our street for trick-or-treating. The girls were so cute. Ellie was Dora the Exporer Marly was Boots the monkey. I was swiper the fox and Phil was the grumpy old troll. Today we took it easy. Checked out some books and the library, lunch with the cousins. Suzanne took Susanne to Savannah. Owen spent the afternoon with us. We made pumpkin muffins from scratch. Marly must be getting more teeth. She started babbling...and guess what she's saying...."da da da". Can you believe that? After all that work! I'm not recording that as her first word, though. I'm holding out. Phil had a bank meeting at the River Club (insert sexy whistle). Lucky guy! I hosted small group and had a great discussion. We're reading "Searching for God Knows What" by Donald Miller. It's quite scattered and not what I would expect from a Christian book. Completely different style from the last one. I registered for the Breast Cancer Half Marathon last night. It's in February. I've got a long way to go to prepare for that one! I guess it's time to take down the Halloween decorations and put up the turkeys!

Fun with a Dane
11/7/2011
We hit the zoo with mom and the Kerkezi boys. It was a great day to be outside and we even took a picnic lunch. Thursday I took Danish Susanne swimming with the manatees in Crystal River. If you've never done it before, you should add it to your "to do" list. It was amazing. I've been twice before in high school with the youth group, but it was nothing like this. Maybe because we had a smaller, quieter group- but we were rolling around with them, rubbing their bellies like they were dogs! It was so cool! We had some FSU friends over to watch the game that night- a win! The Ballards were in town because Deborah's father had surgery for brain cancer. It was great to see them and meet Baby Miles. Friday we went to story hour downtown and then chick-fil-a for a lunch date with the Edward girls. That night we went to dinner at the Joneses. Amazing lasagna and cheesecake! Wow! Of course, Ellie loved playing with her pal, Robert. Saturday we went to breakfast and then watched Owen's soccor game. Katie flew in and we all met at the game. Suzanne made us all lunch. It was fun! We had a sushi dinner with our neighbors. Sunday we went to mass and then headed out to St. Augustine with the whole family- we met Natalie and her kids, too. Ellie sat at a kids table with the cousins and somehow fell off her chair and hit her head. Blood was everywhere- it was quite the scene. We got her cleaned up and she got a free icecream. Just a bit of drama for the afternoon. We walked around the town and went to the fort. We went to mom and dad's house for dinner. It was late, but it was nice to spend more time with Danish Susanne and Katie. Marly has been sleeping through the night, I think all the partying with family has helped. It's been wonderful. And she is so close to walking, I can't believe it! Today is her 8 month Birthday! She is just so sweet! Well, Katie and Susanne left today. Party over. MOPS Steering meeting tonight. Back to the real world.

Bravotime
11/13/2011
Each month in MOPS there's a 'momology challenge'. Each groups gets points for completing the challenge. At the end of each month the group gets a prize. I was thinking the prize was a day at the spa or a fun lunch out. I recently found out that the prize is decorative soap. Well, I'm still working to get the yellow team some soap. This months special challenge is to get groups together on a playdate for extra points. We had the Yellow, Green AND the pink team together for a picnic at the park. It was a gorgeous day- lots of fun. 30 points coming our way! Small group was pretty interesting. I feel like the book is getting better. A couple interesting points: If an alien came down to Earth what would it say about the way we live and what we value? Why are we always comparing ourselves to one another? And the lifeboat theory- how do you choose who needs to be thrown out of the boat? We are supposed to all be valued on the same level. On Wednesday Phil left work early and we headed down to meet up with Phil's parents in Orlando. We had dinner at the Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney. I think Ellie was freaked out with the thunderstorms every half hour but the girls loved all the animals around the place. On Thursday we went to the Magic Kingdom. Suzanne came for the day with her boys and met up with us. We zipped through Fantasy Land before the crowds got too bad. We have a pretty good routine at this point. Phil and I took Owen on Thunder Mountain. I got a picture of Phil and I on Space Mountain. We left around 6 and went to Epcot. We had dinner in China and stayed for the fireworks, sipping my fiesta rita...not bad at all. Veterans Day we went to Hollywood Studios, which turned out to be a pretty cool park. Ellie really loved the Disney Jr. show...since that's what she watches in the mornings. She knew all the characters and songs. The Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground was neat, too. Both girls took a nice long nap. I rode the Tower of Terrors and Phil and I had a few beers. We attemped the Fantasmic laser light show but it wasn't as successful as I was hoping. We left around 8 and drove back to Jacksonville with Phil's parents in tow. Yesterday we cheered on Owen in his last soccer game- he scored 7 goals! Wooo Whooo! We went to lunch at Clark's fishcamp and saw an alligator in the river, just a baby though. Phil and I had a night out with our neighbors to check out a new restaurant in town, Seasons 52. It was fun and pretty healthy! This morning we went to mass and Phil's parents drove back to Miami. It was such a beautiful day and warmed back up. Phil played basketball and the girls and I went running with Erin. We needed to get back in the groove. Last night was late, we're going to need to make it an early night tonight ;-)

Playdates Galore
11/20/2011
We're sitting out here on the porch thinking about grilling burgers and watching the manatees. I've been seeing them out here a lot lately. I used to identify them by the swirl circles they make in the water, but now I actually SEE them- a fin here, tail there, maybe a nose! It's so cool! We've had a decent week. The MOPS meeting on Monday entailed a speaker on organization, specifically how to simplify the season. To be honest with you, I could have done the talk. It was nice to have a morning "off" though. We met some friends for a playdate on Tuesday at a place called "Doing Dishes" where you choose an article and have the kids paint it. Then they fire and glaze it. Very expensive but they look awesome. The girls did their handprints on a coffee mug for a Christmas gift for someone so I'll show a picture later. We hosted small group and had a pretty good conversation about relationships with God. I was supposed to meet a friend for lunch on Wednesday but I ended up taking Ellie to the doctor- she dislocated her arm. I wasn't in the room when it happened unfortunately so I really don't know what she did. The doctor said it was pretty common and just popped it back. It was sore for a few days but she's back to normal now. While we were there I had them take a look at Marly because she's been congested for so long. Turns out she had some fluid in her ear so now she's on an antibiotic. It was nice to leave there and have the girls back on the high road to good health. A MOPS friend had a child in the hospital working on breathing issues so we brought her dinner one night. And my pal, Lauren who had baby Luke a few weeks ago got a Bravomeal this week. She seems to be adjusting to her 2nd boy very well. I taught mom's CCD class this week, since she and dad were cruising the Caribbean on a friend's sailboat. I know that is NOT my calling. We did some worksheets and their prayer circle, which was cute. We had a playdate with the Purple group at chick fil a- but I was the only one from my group there (not cool). We still had a great time though. Great chats about adoption, since two of the moms in purple have each adopted 2 kids. November is National Adoption month, by the way. I did steaks on the grill one night this week, with sweet potato fries. Friday we hit up the downtown story hour and ran into lots of our friends. We actually made it 2 hours! Ellie even painted a turkey at art time. We met Katherine and Dean for lunch to catch up. Friday night we had a family dinner out for sushi and then Phil picked up my parents from the airport (he likes to drive my mom's car and tease everyone into thinking it's his). We went over to the Suter's for a night cap and speed uno with the Leens. I'm really horrible at that game. I honestly don't even know how to play. We probably stayed too late because Saturday morning came early. Off to the zoo with the Kerkezi's. You know, I've been drinking instant decaf coffee in the mornings since we're out of the regular, good stuff (and you know how I try to only hit up the grocery store once a month) I think that's what it must be. I didn't realize how much I need that jump start in the mornings. Well, Ellie threw a horrible temper tantrum on the way out of the zoo. I was glad Phil was there to carry her out kicking and screaming. It's no fun doing it by myself with Marly in tow. That night my pal Erin saved us by hanging out with the girls while we headed down to St. Augustine to celebrate Bill's 35th Birthday. Very classy party- live music, catered low country boil, even M&Ms with Bill's picture! Another late night, though. I took the girls to church this morning and sat with the Leens. Yeah, I love having church friends now! Then we went to my high school friend, Petra's house for a playdate. Her mom made a great lunch. We were able to meet all Petra's really cool, doctor/mom friends. Amazing group of gals! I'm excited for the holiday season. There's so many fun things to do with kids- I love it!

Thank you, thank you.
11/27/2011
It's this time of year when I think about all I've been blessed with and how grateful I am. Phil has helped me over the years to keep the holidays simple, and to remember what it's really all about. We had a nice Thanksgiving week. On Monday I helped watch the Kerkezi boys. Alex came with us on a playdate to a cool new park with MOPS. I filled up Ellie's pool (added some boiling water to warm it up). They loved it! Mom and dad resumed their Monday night pizza night after their travels. The principal from the school I grew up in passed away recently. They had a memorial service for her this week. Sister Josephine had an impact on so many lives, it was amazing to hear all the wonderful stories from past students. Aunt Susan and Bill came in for the holiday. Suzanne had us all over for a brunch. I made a frittata that was pretty good. I peeled 26 potatoes for the big dinner. I made the mashed potatoes, a pumpkin pie (using the pumpkin we carved from Halloween) and a key lime pie (Ellie juiced the limes). Phil made the sweet potato casserole (with marshmellows). We went over to mom and dad's. The Kerkezi's were there along with my cousin, Natalie and her kids from Orlando. Aunt Susan and Bill and then two priests- Fr. Vic (our 'ole fav) and then the new guy, Fr. Kiran. We hosted dessert at our house later. It was a really fun day. The kids had their own table, it was super cute- mom even made their own fun mocktail which they drank out of hallow apples. It was great to catch up with everyone and eat fabulous food! The day after Phil had to work so I took the girls to the town center for some black Friday fun. We rode the train and had lunch with friends. My friend Kelly came by en route back to DC from a visit in south FL. Kelly and I were best friends in 3rd grade, we've kept in touch ever since. Phil took Ellie to a friend's BBQ, we stayed and had a great visit. She left first thing in the morning to drive back home. We got up yesterday and picked out our Christmas tree and decorated the house. I know it's pretty early, I used to wait until after my Birthday to decorate. But, last year we started this early and I like it. We went to the Landing last night for dinner and to watch the boat light parade. We got a great table on the water so we could watch FSU BEAT the gators! and the boat parade, too. Afterwards they had amazing fireworks. It's been a while since I saw the Jacksonville firework display. It was awesome- especially the firework waterfalls off the bridges. Ellie loved it, too. (Marly was asleep by then). This morning we went to mass and then to lunch and playdate with the cousins and Ellie's favorite pal, Riley. It's another beautiful day here. I really do have so much to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving, thanks for reading!

Oh December!
12/4/2011
And so it begins...the holiday season! I love it! My favorite time of year! I had lots of fun things to do all week. We had a MOPS Monday where we learned how to make centerpieces. Okay, let me just say we voted on speakers at our retreat this summer. I was rallying to get the gals to vote for a prominent Jacksonville woman; Donna Hicken, Delores Weaver (could have been awesome this week), Santhea Brown...but no, instead learning to make centerpieces rocked the vote. Moving on. We had book club out this month. Drinking margaritas while discussing "The Untold Story" by Monica Ali. Great way to kick off the week! Tuesday we had coffee club at MOCA. The topic was "Why has the U.S. not elected a woman for President or Vice President? Great Britain, Pakistan, India, Chile, Liberia, Uganda and Germany, to name a few, have all elected women to lead. Why not here?" It was an awesome discussion and a great location! We finished our chat on "Searching for God Knows What" in small group that night. It's made me question a few things about our way of life: we're very judgemental and we care way too much about what other people think. Wednesday I watched Owen and Alex all day. Suzanne and Jason went on an overnight get away to celebrate their 7th anniversary. We had a great time. Ellie truly loves her cousins. I had a MOPS steering meeting/dinner that night. So, we haven't been sleeping so well in the Bravo house. Ellie was potty trained but has recently decided to regress a bit. I'm trying to figure out why. I feel like it's more of a behavioral thing. Not sure, but it's only at night. Thursday we had a playdate with the Lauries. Those are always fun! Friday we did the library toddler power hour and then did some Christmas shopping. That night we had my Birthday party. Wooo Whooo! We had a Mexican dinner with the best margaritas and then went clubbing. It was a fabulous night, although I'm still feeling it. Yesterday we took it easy. We went over to our rental house and did yard work- uck. I hope we can find a tenant soon! Ellie and I went on a paddleboat ride and saw the manatees up close. It was so cool. Suzanne came over and watched the girls while we went to our wine club meeting- holiday theme. Today we went to baby William's baptism. Yahoo! Another Catholic pal! We went to dinner with some long lost friends- the Bentons and caught up. Now, Phil and I are just relaxing and watching the hangover. I'm trying to bribe him to write out some Christmas cards. Seasons Greetings!

The Pink Candle
12/11/2011
We've been participating in Advent at home, somewhat. We have a wreath and light the candles when we say prayers at night. Marly tries to touch them and Ellie tries to blow them out. Today in mass we realized the pink Advent candle is lit this week to signify Advent being half way over. What? Half way? I thought the Christmas season just begun! The week started out rough. Monday was my Birthday. We had a MOPS playdate with Santa. It was really sweet. I got a few good pictures. Mom took me out to lunch and I think I got food poisen. The girls haven't been sleeping well so I was over tired and then I spent the night throwing up. No fun. Tuesday we had a playdate with some friends from when we lived downtown. I spent the rest of the day at Suzanne's, which was nice. She watched all the kids for a bit so I could take a nap. We had our last small group meeting that night. I really feel like I've gained so much from the meetings. I'm really glad we participated the last 16 months. Wednesday I met with a property manager so hopefully some stressed will be relieved. Too many vacant houses! I went to one of those sales pitch things to try to get a pair of flights. I'm trying to visit my brother in Tahoe in February. Flights out there are so expensive! Maybe more monogramming? That's all I've got. Thursday we went to a music class at Suzanne's library. It was packed. I took some video. Gara had us over for a nice lunch afterwards. Friday we hit up story time and then lunch with some gal pals- Kat and Lauren...oh and then we ran into a circus clown! Yeah, no kidding. He was in town doing PR (that's what I used to do!). That was a blast from the past. That night was the MOPS and POPS Christmas party. We had a great time. I think this is a good group of women. Saturday we went to the town center. It was a fun family day until Ellie had enough and threw a grand old temper tantrum. It was exhausting for the whole family. We stayed in and took it easy on Saturday night. This morning we went to mass. Ellie and I made cookies for my cookie swap tonight. It's been dreary and rainy- good December weather, I think. So, the clock is tickin'. I've got most of the shopping done, fun festivities planned, all the cards out. Fa-la-la-la-la. La-la-la-laaaa!

"Voices Singing, Let's be Jolly!"
12/19/2011
We had lots of fun this week...MOPS ornament exchange, all girls Christmas party at Bistro Aix, fab lunch with mom at the club, Disney World (I mean it is the happiest place on Earth), Birthday parties, a Kareoke Christmas party, neighborhood progressive dinner and then caroling at a nursing home today...but all of these fabulous events haven't been able to shake it. A good friend of mine's father commited suicide on Tuesday. She was her daddy's girl. Geeze. There's lots of confusion and grief running through the family. My heart goes out to them. I wish there was something I could do or say. So, please keep the family in your prayers. And a shout out to my Catholic pals out there, maybe an extra prayer for the souls in Purgatory. Thanks. I'll post some pictures from our week when I figure out how to get them off my phone. I got a new high tech phone and there is just so much going on there, I haven't quite figured it out. I'm super excited about all of my siblings being here in town. This will be Erik's first time meeting Marly! And the Bravos are coming up this weekend for Christmas. We're in for a good time, for sure! I hope you all enjoy this Christmas week..."let your heart be light"!

Merry Christmas!
12/27/2011
Man, this week just flew right by, in fact it's already Tuesday! Last week we went to a friend's cookie making party and coffee club. The discussion was: What are you allowed to say anymore? How politically correct is too much? Should public buildings be able to display a nativity scene? What about private buildings? A Christmas tree? And how about Santa? Is he offensive? We had a few differing opinions about the separation of church and state, but it wasn't a very diverse group so we mainly agreed about everything. We tried out a new pizza place with our neighbors and got a quick visit from the neighborhood Santa- how cool! Katie's flight was delayed on Wednesday night but I went over to visit with Erik late that night. Thursday I did some last minute Christmas shopping. Ellie helped me make a German chocolate cake. That night was the German dinner theme night. Suzanne made her delicious beef stroganoff, Dad made all types of brats with sauerkraut. Looking back, this night was the most fun. Everyone was in town, the kids were all wound up playing together, everyone was excited to be together, fabulous food, we played the game 'What'. It was just great. Oh and Santa even came by for a visit! That was awesome! Friday the Kerkezi's hosted a brunch at their house. The kids actually got in the pool for a bit. I've been taking lots of video on my phone but I still haven't figured out how to get it off my phone. We had steak at mom and dad's that night. Oh it's so nice to be able to eat a rare steak! When I was pregnant that was a no-no. On Christmas Eve the guys went dove hunting. Phil shot his first thing! Katie and Erik took Ellie with them to Target so I got a few hours with just Marly and mom, which was nice. We all met up at 5pm mass. We were a bit late, which caused some problems. We were all together for the traditional oyster stew, we opened gifts and did the Cajun Christmas exchange. This night was explosive in family drama. I guess it was about time. No holiday can be without it. Phil's parents got in late that night. Miss Ellie slept in until almost 8:30am on Christmas! Marly was up nice and early, though. Phil and I participated in Christmas this year. I gave him a wii and he gave me jewelry and yoga stuff (which I had been wanting). It was a really nice morning. Phil made pancakes and sausage. Phil's parents loved spending time with the girls and watched them open ALL their gifts! Santa gave Ellie a Dora kitchen. Santa is green, you know. Marly got a few recycled toys. ;-) Ellie's favorites are probably the Dora playhouse (thank you, Reinsteins!) and her play ice cream (thank you, Katie & Erik). Phil's parents took Marly to mass with them. I scrambled cooking, cleaning and getting the house ready to host dessert later that night. We went to my parents for a late Christmas lunch then everyone came back over for dessert. It was a really nice afternoon- complete with a Birthday cake for Jesus. Yesterday we took the girls on a paddleboat ride and saw 2 manatees! Phil played some golf while the girls and I went on a sail with my parents and Erik. It was Marly's first time on the sailboat! Katie babysat while Phil and I went to the Suter's for a post Christmas party....to polish off their delicious leftovers. Phil's back at work today. We are just enjoying a rainy, low key morning. The girls are enjoying all their new toys. Not a bad way to finish off the month. Merry Christmas, bravofam fans!

Twelve
1/2/2012
Happy 2012! Another year, new beginnings and the classic New Year resolution! I am starting out with 2 resolutions, actually. #1 to go room by room and organize and simplify my house. #2 make time for my relationship with Phil. I will keep you posted. Saying good-bye and watching my siblings fly home is always sorta depressing. We had a lot of that this past week. We hit La Nap for a farewell lunch for Matt on Tuesday, BBQ with Erik on Wednesday and then Katie that evening. Katie stayed with us a bit and was a huge help with the girls. In fact, Ellie named her pink babydoll, "Aunt Katie". Phil and I went on a date Tuesday night to Orsay, a nice French restaurant in town while Katie took the girls to chick-fil-a for kids night. Then, I used a giftcard I had to massage envy Wednesday afternoon while Katie spent more time with the girls before her flight out. It was a great break! Thursday was sad having everyone gone, so I was happy I had planned a playdate with Suzanne and her boys that morning to the science museum. I had a nice lunch with the current coordinator and mentor mom for MOPS. I've decided to be the coordinator for next fall. I truly believe in the ministry and what it does for young moms. It's really important for someone to tell you you're doing a great job every once in a while. So, get ready for me to rock n roll the Ortega chicks next year! Friday we had an all-day playdate with some friends- I guess that's what happens when you begin with eggnog at 10am. It was nice though, two of the girls are on maternity leave and go back to work soon. I know they enjoyed a last who-ra. Saturday my friend Erin had a brunch with a great group of gals...just to celebrate the new year. It was nice. Phil played basketball, the girls and I went to the park. That night we went to the Gator Bowl Gala to ring in 2012. I wore Suzanne's red hot bridemaids dress from her wedding, complete with the gloves (even though Ellie said I looked like Spiderman with them). It was a fabulous party, people, food and fireworks downtown! A late night stop at Krystals and now it's 2012. Man! On New Years day I took the girls to church and then went to a Jags game with my parents and Suzanne...2nd row, 50 yard line, oh yeah! And the Jaguars won! We had a great time. We had drinks down the street with our neighbors, he leaves for Afghanistan tomorrow. So, they had a little send off for him. Today we are just taking it easy. Dunkin Donuts for breakfast, a park and now Phil's playing soccor outside with the girls. It's sunny but pretty chilly. I think this week will get cold. Cheers to a fantastic new year!

Mmmmm, coffee!
1/9/2012
It was kina nice to get back into the swing of things this week; regular bed times, playdates. Still enjoying all the new Christmas gifts! On Tuesday we went on our first preschool tour. I think I have it narrowed down to two schools. The other is an open house later this month. The one this week was for a Catholic school, a few parishes over. The principal met us and showed us around, that's pretty cool. I think Ellie really liked it. We've had many school conversations this week. I know there will be many more, I mean we're only into preschool here! Alex came over for a playdate Wednesday morning. I taught my mom's CCD class that night and then went late to a MOPS meeting. Thursday we went all the way to the northside for a playdate with a co-worker I had from JU. Her daughter is Marly's age so it was more for her, but Ellie liked playing with both babies. I set it up with Suzanne for the weekend so she watched the girls on Friday and we watched the boys on Saturday so we could do date nights. Hers was way more successful than ours. We checked out the Hands on Childrens museum on Saturday morning- I just got the family pass to that on groupon. It's a great playplace! Mass on Sunday and then I went with my parents and Suzanne to see 'Wicked', the musical. I read the book last October with bookclub (and you know the book is always better) but it was an amazing show! Fabulous acting and singing. It was a nice break. (I'm paying for my last two Sundays "off" though...I think even double). Phil got in a game of basketball and then we had some friends over for dinner, after the kids went to bed. It was a great way to kick off the week. This morning was a MOPS morning. I've been drinking my morning coffee like it's a water bottle after a marathon. I don't know what's up with these girls but they are still sleeping in shifts. I was glad to have MOPS today. We did a white elephant gift exchange wearing our tacky Christmas sweaters. There was lots of post-holiday junk, which was funny. I'm skipping book club tonight, to keep the peace. At least I don't have to rush to finish the book: "Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me" by Mindy Kaling (Kelly, from the Office). It's a cute, funny read. I finished reading "Little Children" by Tom Perrotta and had a few fragmented, mind-blowing conversations with Tracy. I'm trying to get through Emerson Eggerichs's "Love & Respect", too. It's a good time of year to read. Still no video from my phone, but I did fix my camera!

Disney Again
1/18/2012
I'm trying something new with my evening routine. That afternoon/evening/twilight time is really hard for me. I'm tired by then, my kids are getting tired and hungry, the day is winding down and I try to tidy up the house and cook dinner. Everyone is awaiting the thrill of Phil walking through the door. I usually hand him a child and corral the family to the table for dinner. This craziness stresses him out after a nutty day at work. SO, I have tried to give the girls dinner and a bath before Phil gets home so he and I can enjoy a quiet dinner together. It worked a few nights this week. We had a few fun playdates this week- with the cousins, our long lost pal Robert and a happy hour playdate with the Lauries. My dad went in for knee surgery on Wednesday and was released Saturday. He had both knees replaced almost 20 years ago and the right one recently came loose. Aside from a hiccup (possible blood clot today) everything's been good for him. Saturday was jam packed. I hosted a baby shower for my pal, Jean with a few other ladies. I think it's always fun to be surprised with the gender. Then we went to Ellie's buddy, Dylan's 2nd Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday party (with a bounce house!) then we had dinner at a friend's -the Thoresens house while all the kids played together. Sunday we had no plans, which was nice. But, after church and the Holy Name breakfast we decided to head down to the happies place on Earth. We were so excited about planning our trip on the way down, deciding which parks to do when. We got all the way to the front gates of the Magic Kingdom- denied. Uh, it was SUNDAY and we have a weekday pass! Ugh! So, we toured some of the Disney resorts and had pizza on the boardwalk. Monday (Thank you, Dr. King!!!) we hit Hollywood Studios first. It was packed but luckily we ran into the Misti crew for lunch. We hopped over to Epcot for the evening and then came home. It was a really nice family vacation- just what we needed. Yesterday we really had no plans. We hung out at the house all day..wow. We just needed to decompress. Today we had a playdate at the Lairds estate and then celebrated the Circus elephant, Barack's 3rd Birthday. So, I did figure out how to get video off my phone! Wooo Whooo! I just haven't had a chance to do it. I know you're all waiting with bated breath!

Discover the Dragon Within
1/22/2012
Check out the video section! I made two new videos: Christmas and then I finally found time to do the Fall 2011 one. YouTube has been cutting the sound out of my vidoes when I use current songs. So, I found a new site that's not as popular. So far, so good. Let me know what you think. Thursday Suzanne hosted her first coffee club. The discussion was Iran. Lots of great minds at this meeting. I'd say the conclusion was not to worry so much about Iran but a less stable country (Afghanistan) or group of people with nuclear weapons. We've been visiting my dad each afternoon- just popping in for a visit. He's doing better. On Friday I had planned to go to the circus in the afternoon so we planned for it all day, early naps, low key morning. Well, we drove all the way down there and met Suzanne and parked. Turns out there was no 3:30 show. I guess it was canceled! Blah. We found a playground downtown, which turned out to be a nice thing to do. We met some friends for a BBQ dinner Friday night. We had a super low key weekend...no plans. Paddle boat ride and bike ride after a pancake breakfast Saturday morning. We ended up going to the circus that afternoon with Suzanne and Owen. The theme was dragons. It was pretty neat- a few weird things. Marly had her first lollypop, which was cute. She loved it. But, she ended up throwing it up that night. Phil offered to stay home with her- but I insisted we go as a family. He was right, she should have stayed. She's okay today, though. I think it was too much sugar when she was over-tired. Today we went to mass and ran some errands. Mom and dad had us all over for pizza night tonight. Proof that dad really is feeling better! Tonight I'm packing up the girls, we're headed to Miami tomorrow!

divertido en miami
1/29/2012
And head to Miami we did! Waiting for my Super Mom trophy to come in the mail. We had MOPS on Monday. A chick dicussed couponing. I got a few tips but I'm still a WD gal all the way. After the meeting we stopped at McDonalds for lunch and then I hit the road. The girls took a nice nap and I caught up with my pal Hilary who recently moved from Tampa to PA. I missed the turn off for the Turnpike at Ft. Pierce. I was thinking it'd be a huge, obvious exit from 95...not so much. Passing back snacks, changing the DVDs in the player and following the mapquest on my phone didn't make it too tough to miss one sign. We met up with my friend Tiff Buck from the 'ole KKG days. Luckily, I could still easily get to our meeting spot via 95- a ChickFilA across from another entrance to the turnpike. We let the girls play on the playground (Tiff Buck's Gracie May just turned one) then I got dinner to go and loaded the girls back into the car. After dinner Marly took a cat nap, which was key since I needed some peace navigating my way into Miami. We left Jacksonville at noon and I arrived at the Bravos at 7:30pm...not too bad. Tuesday was the zoo, which was super cool and HUGE. Phil's Godmother and her daughter, Michelle came with us. I'll post some video of Ellie playing in the water fountains. That night abuelita made a wonderful dinner, tia Vane came over, too. Ellie went with Michelle to feed some dogs she was caring for. Wednesday was the seaquarium. It was pretty neat, but I think a little too old for the girls. Lots of shows, which was difficult for them to sit through. Ellie said her favorite part was the chocolate covered banana. :-) We got to go by Vanessa's office and see her work set-up. Then, she showed us to an awesome pizza place on Lincoln Road. Michelle and I split a pizza with brie, artichoke and prosciutto..Mmmm! Too bad I lost my parking ticket to get out of the garage (it was in the trunk), not cool. Thursday we visited abuelita's store. Ellie did some shopping. Then, we went to the beach. Now, we can go to the beach here in Jacksonville in Janurary sometimes, too....but in Miami you can actually swim at the beach! How cool! Ellie of course, LOVED it. We came back for mac n cheese and hotdogs. I packed up and then headed out around 4pm. We met up with Tiff Buck on the way back, closer to her in Ft. Lauderdale this time. Marly took a while to fall asleep, which was tough. But, they both finally passed out and I enjoyed about 2 hours of peaceful driving. I got home at 11pm. In conclusion, the trip to Miami was really great. I think I'll do it again in a few months. Friday morning we toured a preschool for Ellie. I'm still sitting on the decision. I have it down to two schools...I think she'll be great at either school, but how can I choose?! I chose to reorganize the living room that afternoon. It involved moving the TV. I think it's much better (and kid friendly). Friday night we went out for a family dinner at the Brick. Then, we stopped by to check on my dad. He went back to work this week...nuts! Saturday we had a low key day, just relaxing and being togther. Marly went on her first bike ride. I unpacked. That afternoon we went to our friends, the Valents for a get together. They heated the hot tub so the kids could swim. We ordered pizza and caught up. Once all the kids went to sleep we played poker (the Valents always win). This morning we went to mass and just relaxed. It's a bit chilly but we went on a paddleboat ride and we're making a big pot of spaghetti for dinner. It's good to be a Bravo :-)

Walk for me!
2/6/2012
Yeah, that's not a joke what's in the right column there. Marly really did eat some goose poop. It was so nasty. We have those stupid geese all over the place, we're regularly chasing them out of the yard. We were outside washing the car one day and Marly quickly scooped up a leftover. I ran her inside to clean her up. Tough cookie. Maybe she'd got a tip from Uncle Erik's cockroach episode. Ewww! We had a pretty cool playdate on Monday at Winn Dixie with MOPS- a store tour and into the back complete with WD goodie bags. Tuesday we went to a park to make Valentine's (painting) with some MOPS pals. That evening we had a happy hour playdate at the Naugle's. Those are always so much fun. Laurie even made us dinner, awesome! Wednesday night Erin and I went running and I fell and tore up my knee and arm. The big race is Sunday so we were trying to get in a few runs. It's going to be a painful race. Thursday we went to the library for toddler power hour. That night, Marly took her first two steps! It's so cool watching her grow and change. I just love this time. She won't take more than 2 steps, and doesn't do that too often. Not a huge risk taker so far. Her personality is really coming out- fighting back with Ellie, screaming and laying face down when she doesn't get her way and today I saw her rocking a baby doll like Ellie does. Friday we spent the day with the Kerkezi's. I picked up the boys from school and we had lunch at the park. We had dinner with some of our past small group friends. It was great to catch up! Saturday we took Phil's car in for new tires and enjoyed the soutside of town, shopping and letting the girls walk around the town center. We went on a family run that afternoon. Ellie got her finger caught while running over the bridge. And then she played with a hammer (trying to open coconuts) and smashed another finger. Don't worry, I painted her nails really pretty with stickers so she's more focused on the unbandaged fingers but loves to show off her boo boo's. That night we had wine club- Italian night, homemade pizzas and lemoncello, post wine. It was a different crowd, lots of fun! Sunday we had mass and then Marly and I took a nap. I finished reading "Love & Respect". I highly recommend it! If you haven't read it, check it out. If you have, why didn't you tell me about it?! My parents had a superbowl party last night. So we gorged ourselves, I reminisced about the superbowl here in town when I was working like a waffle house girl on a Sunday morning. Today I watched the Kerkezi boys while Suzanne worked. For the first time in a really long time, I was able to sit and enjoy my coffee while watching the Today Show. Marly took a nap while Ellie and Alex played (Owen had school). It was great! A few exciting things to come: my race on Sunday and then the fab 5 trip to Tahoe (more on that later)!

Run to Finish Breast Cancer
2/12/2012
I didn't run at all this week, except for the half marathon today, but I still think it should be the title of this week's blog. What a powerful race; the only one that has 100% of its proceeds going towards the research and treatment of breast cancer. It feels like most everyone dies of cancer. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason, either. It hits the rich and poor, healthy and not so healthy old and young. It sorta scares me, especially when it happens so quickly. Suzanne's best friend, Monica is a breast cancer survivor and now fighting brain cancer. I'm only supporting from the sidelines. Geeze, the least I can do is run in a race like this once a year. And what a powerful race it is- reading the backs of shirts to see who they are running for; fighting surviving and not- moms, sisters, aunts, friends, grandma's...everyone. Fun ones: two guys in tutu's wearing shirts that said "chasing the boobies", a sign with cut outs saying "free mamograms here" and two sketch guys waiting to do the check, lots of pink hair. Man was it cold this morning, but totally worth it. Lots of fun playdates this week. We got to see Ellsa, Robert, Dean, William and Caydan (a high school pal was in town with her son). Friday's coffee club mirrored "the View" where we had 3 different topics that we discussed in shorter segments. 1. Insider trading by members of Congress 2. Gap between discrimination laws and disability laws for pregnant women 3. Urban Planning and it's effect on our health. It went really well. The last one launched into a discussion on the government's regulation of unhealthy food. There was a healthy debate on outlawing trans-fats. All in all a great club meeting. Of course the kids were loaded up on a Valentine's Day super buffet of sweets. Great group, too. I hosted a baby shower for my pal Elizabeth on Saturday. I got to meet her great friends. Baby Emma should be here any day now. Phil and I went to a Boy Scout honor banquet on Friday night (a client of his, I believe) at the OP Country Club. Suzanne watched the girls for us and swears Marly was walking up and down the hall. I haven't seen it. She will take a few steps without realizing it. But I haven't seend a full lap down the hallway! It was a good week. Now, I'm going to try to talk Phil into giving me a back rub. Wish me luck!

Heavenly Tahoe
2/20/2012
Oh my, check out how techy I am...blogging from my phone in the Denver airport...wooo whooo! I am returning from a fantastic vacation with my 4 siblings. About 6 months ago we began planning our first ever trip together. We all flew out to Matt's place in Lake Tahoe. Phil almost murdered me over this trip (Well, I guess that window's not entirely closed) thanks to our months of vacant rentals, among other things. But, I have to say it was totally worth it. The ski resort was called Heavenly, and what a perfect name. Everywhere was a breath-taking view (for height and beauty). And Matt has a great life out there, working in Fallon and weekends of extreme sports in Tahoe. His place is decked out and minutes from the lifts. The first day we were an embarrassement for sure; falling getting on and off the lift. We all improved, though. We came back exhausted, sat in the hot tub drinking gatorade and ordered pizza! The next day we went to a great brunch and then the girls hit the natural hot springs spa while the guys took the snow mobiles out for a spin (one of Matt's bad-ass toys). We had our sore muscles massaged and soaked in the sulfer pools...ahhhh. One of the snow mobiles broke down at the end of their trip so the guys didn't have as relaxing a time. We rallied that night for a fabulous sushi dinner then hit up a local casino for a bit of clubbing and gambling. The next day we were back out on the slopes. While Matt was fixing his toy, I convinced Erik to ditch Suzanne and Katie and go up higher with me. He did pretty well and I gained some confidence. For the afternoon Matt and I went all over the mountain. It was just amazing, some of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen! I took lots of videos so stay tuned. We met back up with Erik and took the snow mobiles for a quick spin. Suzanne made a delicious slow cooker turkey sausage dinner. This morning we got up super early due to my 6am flight out. It was wonderful spending time with my brothers and sisters..with no kids, parents or husbands. I loved catching up with them and seeing my brother's perspective out there. We truly are blessed to have eachother. Good job, Mom and Dad! I think it says a lot about how well they've done when we look forward to spending time together. And thank you to Hottie Phil for taking over my role this long weekend. I needed a time out. Okay, I guess I better pay attention at the gate. Happy Trails! 

Lent Begins
2/26/2012
I had so much fun last weekend, too much really...that this week was pretty tough. I had to assimilate back into my world. It took a few days to get the girls back on schedule, unpack, switch time zones and return to mommy-mode. Luckily I had playdates to keep it real. Fat Tuesday we went to a pancake dinner fundraiser for MOPS. Chocolate chip pancakes, bacon & sausage- great way to pack it all in before Ash Wednesday. I took the girls to get ashes in the morning then we went to the Hands on Childrens museum with my old God Squad pal, Zoie and her son Chandler. That place is total chaos (in a good way). Laurie hosted us for a fantastic happy hour playdate. Colin working late and John traveling sure are working out for me, I'm not gonna lie. Thursday we hit the Mandarin library for a zoo presentation. Too bad we didn't last. We met Phil for pizza since we were in his hood. Friday we went to the downtown library and saw a bunch of old pals. We had a few hot days here- I got back into my morning run groove and then chasing those geese all day ;-) We went to dinner with the Valents, Hopkins and Mitchells for Anna's Birthday. Ellie just loves her pal, Riley. It's amazing how much Ellie is talking and she says so many funny things. I'm taking so much video. I am sad my camera is broken. My phone takes great pictures but the quality and shutter speed is just not the same. Oh well, at least we have all the video. Saturday we went to the zoo and moe's for lunch. A fun family day, complete with a full family afternoon nap...yesss! Phil and I play wii a lot at night or during naptime. It's turned into a nice bonding time, instead of him watching TV and me going upstairs to read. Saturday night we met some friends at La Nap- crazy as always with a table full of kiddos. Later my parents watched the girls while we celebrated Kevin Leen's 30th Birthday at Bold City. Oh what fun (yes, I am playing dearly for it today). The girls and I went to mass...Miss Kim looked thoroughly exhausted when I picked them up after church- ha! My cousin, Natalie came to visit for the day with her kids Robbie and Emily. Suzanne and the boys came over so all the cousins ran wild. Too bad it was rainy today, although we needed it. Miss Marly has a big Birthday party coming up! How is she almost ONE? Wow! She is really walking all over the house and up the stairs (gulp). Ellie got a new bike from Phil's parents so she's been riding it and Marly pushes her car. It's pretty cute. My girls just amaze me EVERY day! My friend,Elizabeth had Baby Emma last weekend. Katherine was in the hospital for pneumonia and missed her baby shower today. And my friend, Deborah lost her dad to brain cancer this week. Oh what a world.

Happy 1st Birthday, Marlyn!
3/7/2012
Miss Marly is one today! Can you believe that?! It really just flew by; and now she's walking, eating full meals and saying "yes". We threw a big bash for her this weekend, with 86 of our closest friends. Check out the video of her eating a cupcake. I loved it! Phil's parents, Godmother and cousin came in town for the weekend. They helped so much with the party- I was super thankful. Last week we did some fun things: I learned CPR at MOPS, we had a family day at the dentist (you know that's my favorite), playdate with a JU pal, storytime downtown and dinner to the Jones'. This week we're recovering from the weekend. We had a fun MOPS playdate at O2B Kids- a playzone in town, fun afternoon with friends at the park and then yesterday we had 2 playdates. At the 2nd one, Ellie bit her friend Ellsa. I thought we were over that phase but I guess not. We need to get over this soon or Ellie won't be able to go to school in the fall. Biting is a big deal. Today we met Phil for lunch to celebrate Marly's Birthday. She received many new toys from her party, we're having lots of sharing lessons. All in all, I feel so blessed to have my two fabulous girls. I think back to all the fun we've had this past year. Some parts were really tough but mostly I remember their friendship forming into a strong sisterhood bond. Here's the post I wrote a year ago blogging about Marly's birth. Wow, what a wonderful year!

Play, Run, Party!
3/11/2012
I started taking the girls to the park first thing in the morning. We're up so early, we might as well get out there and start the day- do something before Marly's morning nap. It's always wet first thing at the park so I need to remember to bring a towel. We spend lots of time at the park, that's where we're doing Ellie's Birthday, actually. Now that Marly walks, she's working on climbing the slide. And we could spend all day swinging. When is it that I can sit and read while the kids play? I see ladies doing that, but I'm still the 'helicopter parent'. We watched Ellie's little pal on Thursday. Her mom is having a rough pregnancy so we gave her a break. Friday we did story hour and then picked up my race packet for the River Run. We went for an early dinner (pizza, my pre-game staple- hey at least it wasn't CiCi's ;-) We all went to sleep early. Erin and I started out together, but she sped on around mile 2. I ran the whole way, which is always my goal. But, this one hurt more than that 1/2. Not sure why, maybe because it was warmer. Maybe because it was so crowded (it never really thinned out). It was still fun to run and see everyone. Our pal, Jay hooked us up with access to the Strider's tent; which means a massage for me and all you can eat for Phil and the girls. We zoomed home and I took the girls with me to Stephanie's Baby Sprinkle while Phil respresented us at the Ronald McDonald House, Rock The House. I've never been to a baby shower that was also a playdate. It was pretty neat, actually. The girls had a wonderful time- cracked out on cupcakes, cookies and jellybeans! That night we went to the Denk's couples BaByQ shower. The Kerkezi's watched the girls. I enjoyed seeing the 'ole God Squad again. The time change hasn't affected this family. I tried out a new breakfast casserole (thumbs up). Once it was light outside, Phil did a bit of fishing before church. We rocked the cry room at mass and then headed over to Addison's 1st Birthday party. They did a super cute baby Minnie theme. I caught up on all the JU news from Bre. We're just doing some post-nap porch playing and enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon. What are your thoughts on the 2012 Kony video? Just curious.

Namaste
3/18/2012
This was the 4th week of Lent: the half way mark. For me Lent is kinda like a spring cleaning time. I make a New Year's Resolution so I can check up on that, do some soul searching and think about that constant struggle to maintain my personal balance. Fr. Vic gave a decent homily this morning about using Lent to re-set yourself. I like that thought. The week kicked off with a great MOPS meeting. My super blogger pal, Laurie gave a great recap, so I'm just going to steal it- here. Suzanne bought a new playhouse for her boys so we checked it out on Tuesday. I think they are going to turn it into a pirate fort, but Ellie liked the curtains and flowers. She had her first solo playdate this week. She entertained Cora so her mom could pack, I spent that time organizing the girls clothes (New Year Resolution, remember?). The Mitchell's had us over for burgers. Super cool to catch up with them. Wednesday, we picked up my mom and headed to Disney World to meet up with one of my Mississippi cousins and her family. That place is always fantastic. It got hot and crowded but we just loved catching up with Amy & Robby and their 2 boys (with another boy on the way!) A day trip to Magic Kingdom is light years better than that 12 hour trek to MS! Marly had her one year check up on Thursday morning. She is a very healthy girl. She weighs 23.14lbs (which is a bit on the heavy side, only 2% milk for her), 29.5 inches tall, 11:5 hemoglobin count (over 10 is excellent), 18.25 head circumference. According to her walking and talking, she's at a 15-16 month old pace, says Dr. Thornton! I am having her stool sample looked at (that's probably TMI for a blog) because of some funkiness she has going on. The doc didn't think it was necessary but I like to follow that mommy intuition. Baby Tabitha came over for a playdate that afternoon and Phil played in his first of many YMCA b-ball games that night (a win!). Friday, Suzanne and I took mom to brunch for her Birthday! It was a very sweet morning with the ladies. That night we went to our CEE meeting. We are supposed to present at a weekend in June and boy do we have a lot of writing to do! Yesterday I made green pancakes for St. Patrick's Day. We spent the morning doing yardwork and then a family pizza lunchdate and then the park (I got a few really sweet pictures of the girls). Some great friends brought over OYSTERS for dinner- my all-time favorite food! We spent the evening shucking and making Rockerfeller, cornbread, margaritas and salad. I felt like it was my Birthday or something. It was so much fun catching up- I laughed so hard I cried. Sitting out here on the porch was just perfect. Today was pretty rough. For one thing I was tired- I say this all the time but its like 'every night is a Friday night and every morning is a Monday morning'. 6:15am was painful today. And then to add some salt, neither child really took a nap. We spent the day in St. Augustine. I had to put Marly down at 6pm tonight, she was just done. So, I'm sure tomorrow will begin pretty soon. Marly's personality has changed in the last few weeks. She's not as laid back as she used to be; more outgoing, likes to be heard, no slack. It's neat watching these two girls grow. Namaste!

Spring Break!
3/25/2012
What a different meaning Spring Break is for us these days. In some ways its always spring break. But since my girls aren't in school yet, we just took advantage of lots of others being on spring break. We had a super playdate here one morning with the Lauries- all the kids were here so that was cool. We had the pools set up, too- complete with a sand finale meltdown from Ellie. We also had an afternoon at the park with the Leen family, baby William already loves the swings. Cora and Ellie danced their hearts out one afternoon for a big girl playdate. We did Toddler Power hour downtown and had lunch after in the courtyard with a few friends that we don't get to see too often. I tried something new and got produce at the flea market down the street early one morning. Hey, we're up anyway. That was pretty cool. Suzanne and I took turns trying out a new local spa in town (swapping the babysitting). Probably a one-time gig, but hey it was nice to enjoy a free promotion for an hour! We headed back to mom and dad's for family pizza night. No robbery this time. (I think I forgot to write about that last week. Someone broke into my parent's shed and stole some tools when we were all over there on pizza night. Talk about gutsy! Ellie actually was the one that saw them and told us someone was out there. Phil chased them down to no avail.) On Thursday night, mom, Suzanne and I snuck out for the midnight showing of the Hunger Games! How cool are we!? Friday morning was pretty rough but totally worth it. Coffee club was very interesting. The topic was: should pot be legal? I think we had a healthy discussion. Our host concluded the meeting by sharing the exciting news of her pregnancy with TWINS! Awesome! Friday night we attempted the Sacred Heart Carnival. But it started pouring so we ate and fled. Phil and I enjoyed a low key night, he worked on his CEE talks. Saturday morning the girls participated in their first (and most likely last) fashion show. Willies, a kids botiquehad a spring fashion show. We went last weekend and had them try on the dresses. It was just rough. Neither child had any interest in posing for pictures or walking the runway. At least we gave it a shot. Something to add to the baby books! We headed over for Alex's 3rd Birthday party! It's still funny to me that Ellie was due way before Alex (March 20th!) but Alex was born before her. He had a dance party. They transformed the garage into Club Kerkezi- lights, bubbles, fog, clubbing music, instruments! It was awesome! They even had a guitar pinata! The Bravos were so inspired by the dance theme that we wanted to keep the party going. We ended up staying way past the party (and we usually hate those people!), getting the kids ready for bed, hiring a last minute sitter and heading out for a double date! It's been a while since the 4 of us went out. We hit up Capitol Grill for drinks, Black Fin for dinner and then Whiskey River for clubbing! We even rode the mechanical bull...oh yes! As you can guess, today was rough. Especially since Mr. Bravo didn't bless us with his presence until 11am. Miss Marly just loves breakfast in the dark. We finally got around to celebrating Baby Mitchell. We had a ladies brunch, which was nice. We spent the late afternoon at the carnival. The weather was so perfect today. A great day to enjoy some lumpia. I'm so proud Ellie has my thrill-gene. She loved the ferris wheel and roller coaster. I'll have to post those videos soon. Needless to say, I am turning in early tonight. I'm just so pooped after my Spring Break. Ha, ha, ha!

8 Years, Disney and 3 Years
4/2/2012
Sometimes I wonder how we fit so much into one week. This was one of those weeks. I've always loved hopping from event to event, even when I was a kid. I'm so happy I married someone who also likes the high energy lifestyle (most of the time, at least). Our 8th wedding anniversary snuck up on us. I kept planning things for the day, forgetting. Suzanne watched the girls so Phil and I could enjoy a lunch together. Nothing extraordinary, just a chance to connect during the day. I wouldn't say the eight years has flown by, sometimes it feels like we've been married for more than 15 years. It just feels like our lives are so much different than they were back then. That's a good thing. We spent the evening of our anniversary with Cecil and Marilyn going over our CEE talks. Delving into the mechanics of our marriage is a heck of a way of celebrating. Also this week we had a productive MOPS meeting where I spent the time solidifying my 'Dream Team' for next year. It's shaping into a good start. The real rough part I hear will be planning the retreat this summer, so stand by. At book club we discussed our recent read, "The Power of Half". It's about a super rich family who sold their multi-million dollar home and gave half the proceeds to a charity in Africa. The thought was wonderful. I was even nervous to read the book because I really like my house and didn't want to be inspired to do anything drastic. Lucky for me, the book was very badly written. I'm very excited about our new book, "Shades of Grey". Probably too scandelous to review on the family blog. We had a quick playdate with Duncan and Tabitha before heading out to Disney World on Wednesday. We got a late start and ended up eating dinner on the way down. I pricelined the hotel the morning of and we ended up in a super nice place off I-drive. The only downer was that the hotel/resort was so huge that carrying a sleeping child from the car to the room was an ordeal. Don't worry, I sucked it up though. Thursday we began bright and early in Magic Kingdom. Fantasy Land opened up a few new rides so I wanted to hit those before the crowds appeared. We truly finished with the park by nap time so we headed over to Epcot. Marly decided not to participate in Bravo-kid-mandatory-naptime, right as I was sitting down to enjoy a Mexican-rita. But we still enjoyed the Epcot tour (the adult beverages always help). Somehow Phil landed reservations for dinner in Japan- window views of the fireworks display. That was super cool. Friday we got in a morning swim at the hotel and then headed out to Animal Kingdom. We hadn't spent much time there so we were able to experience many new rides and things. I think we were just tired from the day before, though. We left fairly early and decided not to go all out and hit the 4th Disney park that evening. We cut out and went to dinner at downtown Disney, shoe shopping for Phil and then a mostly quiet drive home. Saturday the girls and I participated in an awareness walk for the Hubbard House. Then, we cheered on Phil in a basketball game (which they won). We tried out a new local sub place for lunch. After naps we took a family trip to Winn Dixie (not a fab experience). Suzanne came over to watch the girls while we went on a Parents Night Out with 4 other couples. A nice dinner and then 2 other hot spots for drinks- a great way to unwind. Sunday Miss Elizabeth turned three! She was so cute (even when she woke me at 6:05 yelling "I'm free! I'm free!") Miss Kim did a cute tea party celebration at church with the kids. We had a low key park Birthday party for her. I let Ellie choose the friends (17 in all). We got a pinata, Phil grilled hotdogs and Winn Dixie did super cute Dora cupcakes. It was a great, no frills Birthday. I think all the kids had a great time. Phil was disgruntled that I forgot forks and the bugs got annoying. But, I thought it was super sweet. The girls have been playing with all their new toys- amazing shopping cart/baby car, Barbie's, babydolls, stickers galore. This is so much fun!

Toddler Tumbling
4/9/2012
I usually pull up my google calendar while writing the blog to remind me what we did. For some reason, this week looks awfully blank. I know we did some things, though so that means nothing was planned in advance, I guess! No, we did not enroll the girls in a tumbling class- by the looks of the title. If you check out the Easter pictures in the spring album, you'll see what I mean. Marly took a face plant on my parent's new boat one evening. They picked us up to check us out in the boat. We didn't make it very far. Marly does not have her "sea legs" yet. She was quite wobbly in her life jacket and fell right into the front (where there was no cushion, of course). She had a ping pong ball between her eyes for a few days. We almost raced to the ER but paged the doctor first. They said she was fine I just had to make sure she didn't have a concussion (i.e wake her every 40 min all night). The day before Easter, Ellie slid face first down the slide and got a nice rug burn on her eye. It looks much worse than it is. Hopefully she's learned her lesson having to tell everyone what happened. I took the girls to the beach one morning. I just love it out there. It's always a chore to get out there, but once I'm there, it is just paradise. The girls absolutely loved it. We could have played in the sand for hours! I love witnessing them experience the waves and sand; it's awesome! We had a playdate at the Naugles. They have their own bounce house! How cool is that?! Ellie went on a "big girl" playdate early in the week at Cora's. Marly and I snuck over to the hospital to visit our new friend, Sophia (born on Monday)! Stephanie was able to skype the birth with Carl so that was pretty neat, I'm sure. We tried out the Suter's pool one afternoon for a quick pool-date. Ellie has decided she "doesn't know how" to swim. I've showed her the videos of her fish-like experiences last summer. Hopefully, she'll see Owen swim and want to do that, too. I don't think I can handle 2 non-swimmers going in 2 different directions this summer. I may have mentioned that I'm not into community service these days. I know that sounds awful, but I'm not going to hire a babysitter so I can work in a soup kitchen. These days are numbered when I can be home with the girls so I want to milk them for all they're worth. I do, however, make lots of meals for friends in need. It sorta comes with the territory- all my friends are having babies these days. We all know cooking is not my favorite thing to do. So, I figured out a way to cheat a little bit. MOPS ("Oh, there she goes again talking about MOPS!") does a fundraiser for convention: take away meals. I can never help cook the meals because my kids are always with me (back to the service comment). But, I do volunteer to cook the chicken that goes into all the casseroles. It makes it easier when they get together to put the meals together when the chicken is already cut up and ready to go in. Well, I started buying these meals to give to folks who just had a baby. I throw in a bottle of wine and presto...it's a great dinner! (For all parties involved!) Phil and I got a free month of Netflix. Lots of people rant and rave about this deal. I just don't see it. There's nothing on there I'm dieing to see. On Friday night we popped popcorn and sat down together to check out our new Netflix. We were both disappointed. We finally agreed on the The Walking Dead. Oh dear. What do you guys think aboutthis series? We've watched the first 4 episodes so far and I've had 2 nightmares. Although, I'm interested to see what happens (ahhh! And that's how you get hooked!). We went to an Easter Egg hunt on Saturday morning. It was cute, more of a social event for us, really. That night the Suters brought over oysters. We decided not to do rockefeller this time- just raw and grilled. We finished the bushel! Delicious! Ellie helped me set out celery for the Easter bunny (sorry, we were out of carrots). I think I put too much candy in their baskets. They were high on sugar by 6:30am Easter morning. Scary. I'm nervous I will go overboard on the sweets, since I gave them up for Lent. It's been a slow walk back into that pool. After mass we went to the Voss Villa for some family fun. The Kerkezi's where there along with cousin, Natalie and kids from Orlando. And of course, the Sacred Heart priests where there. We went out on the new boat and had an egg hunt. The weather was just amazing! Oh, you know, we went as a family to a Penance Service this week. That was a trick, it's not like you can bring the kids into confession with you (I think I brought Marly once when she was tiny). It was still nice to be together, though. This morning we had MOPS (oh, there it is again!) and Chef Jessica talked us though a few delicious, quick, family-friendly breakfast foods. It was a good meeting, but you won't see me making citrus biscuits from scratch anytime soon. Well, Happy Easter to you and yours. I hope you're all enjoying this fantastic spring season!

Smokey Times
4/15/2012
It's tough to brag our fab FL weather to all our friends up north, when our pictures are mocked with a smokey film. And so the fires have started. One day this week it was so bad that the whole day was pretty dark. Our porch furniture had a layer of ash when I went to tidy up this afternoon. Luckily, we had a cold front and it pushed all the smoke away. We've had a gorgeous, spring weekend. I went to a coordinators coffee at Chick-fil-a one morning. We brainstormed with other MOPS coordinators in Jacksonville. That was pretty neat. Cora came to play with Ellie that afternoon. They play pretty well together. Wednesday I drove out to meet up with my friend from high school, Petra. I didn't realize how far away she lives. I think Ellie enjoyed seeing all the cows on the way over, though. Petra had her 2nd baby girl about 3 months ago and she has to go back to work (family physician at a local clinic) so we had lots of catching up to do. I really wish they lived closer. We had such a nice visit. That night I taught my mom's CCD class since they are out of town. (Suzanne and mom went to the beach house, I spent the week trying to keep busy to ward off my jealousy). The class was pretty interesting, about 'safe touching'. It was sad to me to have to talk about that to kids at such a young age. But, I was interested to see how they presented it. Phil grabbed some impromptu drinks with friends (I was jealous). Thursday we met up with an old Rotaract pal and her daughter, Emma at the zoo. We packed a nice lunch- this was the cold front day. That night we made it to one of Phil's basketball games. They usually begin pretty late at night so we haven't been to one. This time it was early enough to push the envelope on the girl's bedtime. They lost but it was still nice to see him out there. Friday we met Tabitha at the library and then had lunch in the courtyard. I was running around that morning buying Birthday gifts, delivering meals and little "happy's". We had an afternoon playdate with our Mu Omega Mu "sorority". It's the Lauries and I and our fantasticly scandelous happy hour discussions, while our kids play peacefully together (usually). We met the Suters for a Friday BBQ dinner at Monroe's. Then, the guys went on a very important trip to Lowe's (yeah right). I made a pit stop at my neighbor's house to scare off a creepy tree guy that was still "writing up an estimate". Saturday Phil made us a pancake breakfast and we were off on another wild, Bravo family Saturday. We went to a picnic out at a private, family's park. It was pretty neat with a cabin and a pond. The girls took a nap in the car on the way back and then we headed over to cheer on Pierce Benton for his Baptism. Afterwards was his 1st Birthday party complete with ball pit and bounce house. We snuck out early to meet and greet a new babysitter. The Girl Scout's are a new client of the bank so we got to go to their Cookies and Cocktails event to celebrate 100 years. Wow! How cool is that? VERY! Not only was I excited to go to this event since I was a Daisy, Brownie and Girl Scout myself...but I love s'mores, cookies and oh the cocktails! They had thinmint and samoa milkshakes! The s'mores were made with Ghiradelli chocolate squares! It was awesome! This morning Ellie and I went to mass and met up with the other two for lunch. We took a quick dip in my parent's pool. It was pretty cold but felt great in the sun. We're just bummin' around this afternoon. Phil and Ellie are fishing. We're going to enjoy a nice steak dinner once the girls go to bed. I'm ready for that. Ellie seems to have hit a record high for temper tantrums this week. Can't beat a nice spring afternoon on this porch, though!

The Intersection of Quest and Crisis
4/22/2012
Thanks for joining me on another monolog reviewing a week with the Bravo Family. I have lots spinning in my head to recall, let's see if I can unpack it all for you now. We had a successful* playdate here Monday morning with my new leadership team for MOPS next year. (*"What determines a successful playdate?" you may ask. I think it can be considered a success if you 1. polish off a bottle of champagn <for the mimosas, of course>, 2. no one bleeds, 3. adults laugh a lot, 4. more than 2 people show up, and 5. no one stays too long). On Tuesday I took the girls to the beach, which is always just fabulous. I know I blog about that greatness a lot. I'd like to get a group together to get out there. The beach just has all new meaning with kids. That evening Phil brought home the Ameris Bank car, which Ellie just adores. It's a cute convertible mini-coup. We picked her up from a playdate at Cora's and headed out for icecream. Cecil and Marilyn came over that night to go over our CEE talks. We are making progress- wooo whoo! We met up with Suzanne on Wednesday for a picnic at the park. This was a save after I invited lots of people to a story hour BEFORE calling to make sure it was still happening. THEN, I learned Whole Foods changed their story time to Thursday, woops. So, you can guess what we did on Thursday- yes, back to Mandarin for Storytime with Clementine. Tabitha came over to play Wed afternoon and baby Kara came to Whole Foods with us. We met Phil for dinner Thursday night and then watched him win a great basketball game at the YMCA. We couldn't make it through the 2nd game, Marly was melting. But, we loved watching him play awesome defense out there. Go, Phil! Friday we saw Tabitha again since her mommy hosted coffee club. The topic was Kony 2012. Attendance was crap, but the 3 of us had a decent discussion. We chatted about the criticism surrounding Invisible Children and their true motives. We had a "inside" view from my buddy Timothy Hatcher, currently living in Uganda. Then, we celebrated Laurie's closing on her house- yeah! That night we went to Marywood for a CEE roundup, which was sweet. You know I love fried chicken. We capped the night off by watching the sunset from the dock. Saturday, I went to Orlando for the MOPS Summit. I was an hour early so I kicked off my own party by getting a pedicure. FABULOUS! My expectations were pretty low for the summit. I was a little nervous since I had never been, I'm still new at this whole leadership in MOPS thing and I was the only one from the St. Mark's group. It turned out to be a great event. I was impressed at how streamlined the event was; no wasted time. Everyone was super friendly (I got 2 invites for after parties- one from the St. Augustine MOPS chicks <dinner> and the other from a local group <margaritas>!) We heard a wonderful speaker, Nancy Ortberg. You wonder why I'm so into this MOPS thing. Well, Nancy described motherhood so well. She explained that she once read that profound change happens at the intersection of a quest and a crisis. Bam. That is motherhood. Good stuff. We are constantly on a quest to figure out how to do this job better- reading books, talking to other moms, blogging, etc. And the crisis is like an identity crisis. My identity used to be with work. People used to know Lucy Bravo. Heck, I even had a semi-regular segment on Power 95! I used to manage an admissions team. Um, not anymore. This week, I had poop on my forehead (among other horrible places). So, it is during this vulnerable time in my life, that I am changing. (Hopefully into a better person) Nancy gave great leadership tips and made us feel good about the MOPS tagline: "Better Moms Make a Better World". I graciously declined my after party offers and came home inspired and jazzed up. Phil took us out to a great Mojo's dinner. This morning we went out to breakfast before mass. It's amazing how much you can get done in a day when you wake up so early. Mass in the cry room was rough, we always miss Ms. Kim when she doesn't show/is late. We crashed the Suter's for lunch and had an 'ole hood reunion with them and the Leens. Then, we went to mom and dad's so I could get my first lesson in getting checked out in the new boat. I have a feeling there will be a lot of these. Who cares, I still love being out there. We need to get a ski rope. I think this summer I'll work on some slalom tricks. Now, Phil is out for a happy hour with a "client". I think I'll work some more on our CEE talks. It's been a good week.


Disneyed Out
4/29/2012
How is it already time to write the blog again? Where did the week go? I just asked Phil if he wanted to write it this week and he said no. This was another Disney week for us. I've gotten lots of comments on FaceBook about all our Disney trips. Last May we got the weekday season pass. So for the last year, I have been to Disney World once a month (unless we were blacked out). For the first time, I am Disneyed out. Sorry, Mickey-lovers. I need a break. (How snobby does that sound?) On Monday morning I got a call from Phil's parents saying they were coming to Jacksonville first instead of meeting us in Orlando. So, the party started early. Monday flew by with the organic produce chick speaking at MOPS, an afternoon brainstorming MOPS session in the afternoon and preparing for my in-laws. Tuesday I watched Alex for a few hours, met some navy chick friends at a park, took Ellie to her 3 year old check-up and then welcomed the Bravos to town. Ellie is off the charts and doing fabulous, obviously. I am so proud of her. I asked the doc about temper tantrums and sleeping arrangements...no surprises but its always nice to bounce ideas and make sure I'm not nuts. I cooked a quick dinner for the family and my neighbor who just had sweet baby Sophia. Then, Phil and I went on a hot date to his Rotary Club's Gourmet Night. Wednesday may have been a little too crazy (one of those times when I cram too much in). I brought dinner to another friend who recently had a baby, stopped by another friend's house to visit a baby I hadn't seen yet, then picked up the family and met my mom and sister for lunch. But, we started out running late and never caught back up. I ended up packing on the fly and forgetting all sorts of things such as my bathing suit and the stroller. I was able to get a great hotel at a great price (thank you priceline) that morning. But, you can't have it all. We stopped at Walmart to buy 2 umbrella strollers, which ended up being fine. And I got an inappropriate bathing suit at Walgreens. Sweet. We went to dinner at a Johnny Rockets on I-Drive. I had a chocolate peanut butter milkshake that I'm still thinking about (with a salad of course). Phil took Ellie swimming. Then, he and I got another hot date in the hotel lobby. Thursday we hit Magic Kingdom and then Epcot for naptime. It was fun, but it got hot fast. We left early (by our usual standards) and got a pizza at the hotel- which was a great idea. We went swimming (cough) and cooled off. Another hot date in the lobby bar- yesss! Friday we went to Hollywood Studios. Phil rode the rockin rollercoaster with me, which was awesome. We dipped out early and came back to the hotel for naptime. Phil and I snuck out and went on a date to Epcot. We started the opposite way (Canada) and took our time, which was really nice. Did you know France has a video? We ran into some "new friends" and things got dangerous. Who's heard of doing 3 sake shots in Japan?! It's supposed to be 1 drink in each country! It's this guy's fault. Somehow we did make it to Mexico, and stayed there for a long time. Saturday morning was rough, we'll just say that. We had breakfast with Phil's parents before heading separate ways. It was great to get so many dates! I know the girls loved their time, too. We made it to Suzanne's to celebrate her Birthday. Jason made shish kabobs and the kids played in the pool and yard (Ellie is still not swimming). We took it easy Saturday night- grilled cheese and playing on the porch. This morning we went to mass and then mom and dad's for bloody mary's and eggs benedict (perk to living down the street). We went for a fantastic boat ride. Later, they brought the sailboat to our house for a while. So, it's been a nice, low key day today, too. Now, it's Sunday night TV time- Desperate Housewives and Mad Men!

My Refresher Swimming Course
5/6/2012
This week, let's do a toast to our health. When we're feeling good, we don't usually take the time to think about how great it is to just feel good. You may be so focused on your missing toenail (in my case, thanks to all those people stepping on my toes around here) or canker sore that you don't think "man, it feels so great to not be sick in bed today." This week started out with a text from my neighbor saying her newborn is in the ER with meningitis. Wham. I'm sure she'll blog about her busy week when she gets some downtime. That'll be her story to tell. Let's just say Stephanie knows how to prevent boredom in "the Farms" (as she's calls it). We made another visit to my friend, Petra before she goes back to work. I obviously love playdates just as much as my kids, but most times I spend the drive home frustrated with all the unfinished conversations. One day, that won't be a problem. I know this phase of motherhood is short-lived. We spent lots of time with Baby Tabitha this week. We even went swimming in her pool. Ellie still was not swimming (that was Wednesday). It's really hard to handle 2 non-swimmers at the pool (shout out to all the gals with TWINS!). So, I decided to do something more drastic with Ellie's decision to not swim this summer. On Thursday after naptime we went to my parents for a quick afternoon swim. I peeled Ellie off the steps and forced her to swim back. She threw a huge temper tantrum. But, once she calmed down and came back to the pool, I made her do it again. And again. Then, I made her swim with the fun-noodle- which she threw a tantrum. But at least when she kicked, she was moving all around the pool. And oh, by the way, she can TOTALLY swim...she just didn't want to. Then, I gave her ice cream when we can home for being such a super swimmer. We did this again on Friday and instead of a temper tantrum, she just wimpered. Phil came with us on Saturday for more and guess who was jumping off the side and swimming to the steps? Oh yes, super swimmer Ellie! So, she's back! We went again today and it's fantastic to have her right where she left off last summer. I guess she just needed her confidence back. Meanwhile, Marly is not a lover of the water (could be because she watched her sister freak out the last few weeks). I got her a floaty elephant thing and she's not too impressed with it. Now that Ellie is back to being a fish, I'll have to work on Marly now. Who-Ra! Tuesday night I got a night out with some MOPS moms. We took a friend out who's father recently passed. I was glad to have a break and drink good wine. Phil went out of town Tuesday night. He had business in Mutrie, GA (bank headquarters). I had a happy hour playdate with a friend we don't get to see too often (cause they are so popular)- Kassia and Laurie. Then, I took the girls to the FFCSummer Marriage Enrichment Series. I'm more excited about the next one, since I've actually read that book but this one was decent. The girls went to the playroom and had fun. On Thursday we had a down day. We didn't go anywhere (other than swimming down the street). Ellie was killing me with temper tantrums so I made a point to spend lots of time with her and I think that was the trick. She was much better the latter part of the week. Friday we went to the Hands on Childrens Museum with the Brocks. More great fragmented conversations. And then lunch at chick-fil-a. We went to support Phil at his Rotary Club's Low Country Boil. He actually cooked (which was amazing). They raised money for one of his clients. We got a great group out there. It was such a nice night with friends listening to the live music, eating and drinking. Yesterday we celebrated cinco de mayo by watching Owen's baseball game and having lunch at Moe's. We had the MOPS End of the Year party that evening. I think Phil enjoyed putting a face with all the names. It was a good party, but I think the bucket margaritas were too sweet (and they were my idea). I still have fun seeing everyone. I'm getting reved up for my reign ;-) This morning I took the girls to mass (truly missed Ms. Kim!). We went swimming at the Suters and had a seis de mayo party (meaning we ate leftovers and drank lots of water). I'm really enjoying my membership to Suter Pool Club. Such hospitality! We walked away with the first 3 episodes of The Walking Dead's 2nd season. Yes! I finished reading "Why marriages succeed or fail and how you can make yours last" and picked up a few good tips. It took me such a long time to read because there were quizzes and exercises. I learned a lot on how to fight well and actually solve the disagreement. I was super excited to begin our racy book club book. I'm almost halfway through and still waiting on the juicy parts I've heard so much about. Come to find out, I got the WRONG book! I'm reading "Shades of Grey" instead of "50 Shades of Grey". Woops. Okay, time to watch some Walking Dead!

Birthday/Mother's Day Week
5/15/2012
Phil's Birthday almost always falls the same week as Mother's Day. I'm sure his mom loved having him so close to her special day. At this point, I wish it was a bit more spread out. At out MOPS meeting on Monday a few of us had a conversation about our frustrations with Mother's Day. I think it doesn't really get good until your kids are old enough to do something special for you. One girl has a 9 year old and told us how her kids made her cereal and fruit in bed. How sweet. But, if your kids are too young and still dependent on you- you can't reap any benefits of Mother's Day. My sister told me of a time when she remembered us fighting all morning on Mother's Day. She was old enough to look at my mom and think "Geeze, what a horrible day for her." Now, things are different. Mom gets flowers, jewelry, lobster & champagn, movie tickets and a new purse. Plus, lots of calls from all her kids. It's up to us to train our kids to treat their mom on her day. Reading the "Happy Mother's Day, Mami" Dora book wasn't enough. Not that I had a bad day. We went to church then Bistro Aix for brunch. Later, dad took me water skiing on the boat. It was actually a fantastic day in comparrison. We had just gone ALL OUT for Phil's Birthday the night before- not relieving the babysitter until 2am. So, Ellie's morning temper tantrum at 6:15am was a brutal start to my Mother's Day. It could have been worse (it definitly has, but you know I try to keep a positive spin on my blog ;-) I hosted book club yesterday so I was busy prepping for that on Monday. "50 Shades of Grey" occupied my weekend. And since this blog is PG-13, at best- I can't even begin to discuss it on here. Let's just say our discussion was fantastic. We went though a lot of wine... and jello shots (woot! woot!). Let me reach way back to early last week for an update. I got a much needed oil change and visited with my old SHS friend, Kathleen. That was a fun morning. We were invited to a last minute dinner party that night. How awesome is a Monday night dinner party!? I love those! We met Katherine and her two boys at the beach on Tuesday. Baby William is 3 weeks old so she's super cool. We were having such a marvelous time out there that we pushed the limits and ended up getting rained on. Luckily we didn't melt but we did miss eachother for lunch which was a bummer. That night was our last MOPS Steering meeting so we did dinner at Biscotti's (yes, 2 fun nights so far!). Wednesday was Phil's 33rd Birthday! Yahooo! Ellie was so cute calling him the "Birthday Boy". We met him for lunch. That morning we met Tracy and Tabby at the Westside Flea market to buy fresh produce. We got all sorts of neat, new items like egg plants, mangos and some sort of melon I've never seen. That night the Freeman's had us over for pizza. The guys had whiskey and cigars on the dock and they had a cake for Phil. (3 nights in a row!) Thursday my old FSU pal, Leslie came for a visit. Ellie loved playing with Baby Graham. I sure wish they lived closer. She was my roommate in DC so we know way too much dirt on eachother to ever stop being friends- ha! Friday we went to the TPC with my parents and sister. It was a gorgeous day and a nice break. Marly was running a fever that evening so Phil stayed with her while Ellie and I went to Owen's baseball game. He got the game ball for an awesome hit! Don't worry, Marly's fever was gone by the morning. We cheered Phil on in his basketball game. Then that night began his huge Bday extravaganza at Mojo's No. 4. Whew! What a week!

Cousin Camp
6/4/2012
It looks like my hosting company (aka my prom date) has migrated sites to a new server and grabbed an older backup to bravofam. So, I've lost the last 2 blogs. How crappy. It's a good thing my site is purely social. I was planning on using it to update the baby books when I get some free time. Bummer. Well, Cousin Camp continued this week. The boys were dropped off to us on Memorial Day. The remnant of the tropical storm were still here. We had a tough day staying inside with all the kids. Tuesday mom treated us all to chick-fil-a. I was surprised the indoor playground wasn't full...I guess most people didn't want to go anywhere with all the rain. That afternoon I took all 4 kids to the Cummer. They all went their separate ways. We met some friends for dinner at Moe's. Wednesday I took the little kids to the Hands on Children's Museum. Then we met mom and Owen at the Yacht Club for lunch. The weather finally cleared up so we were able to take advantage of the empty pool! Thursday was Owen's graduation ceremony from VPK. They sang songs and got a diploma and all sorts of items to prepare for kindergarden. That afternoon, Ellie's new bunk bed arrived! Ellie was so excited! She spent the 2 hours watching the guy put it together. The funny thing is, that night she fell asleep on her toddler bed I had moved to the guest room. Ha! Now, she sleeps in it! Phil and I went to a happy hour to meet Aaron Bean, a friend of a friend running for FL senate. Phil dropped me off at a MOPS girls night to get a pedicure. Since we already had a baby sitter, he went to a local brewery to meet up with some friends. Friday was Alex's graduation ceremony. It was sweet. They sang songs and then had a little reception. That afternoon the boys came back here to play for a few hours. Later, dad took us all out for some local seafood. Saturday morning we went to Magdalene's 7th Birthday party at Pump It Up. My brave girls were able to party with all the 7 year olds. I'm so proud! The boys came back over to play. Dad took us tubing for about an hour. It was pretty windy- a great day for tubing! Mom stayed back with Marly as she napped. Marly is so difficult on the boat, it's almost not worth it. She won't stay seated and she hates wearing her life jacket. Jason came to pick up the boys around 7pm. I was pooped. I went right to sleep. Phil went out to a friend's house for a drink. He was stressed, too. All in all, cousin camp was great. Ellie cried when the boys left. It wore us out, but we had a great time. Sunday morning I went to mass with the girls. I finished reading my book club book, Sarah's Key. Wow, it was tough to get through. We went for a swim at mom and dad's house. Turns out Suzanne had the same idea. So, we got to hear all about her trip of a lifetime. The family went all out to show her a good time. We had some friends over and grilled some burgers. It was a nice way to spend a Sunday. This morning was tough to get going. Both of the girls were tired, too. Marly's been doing this awesome 3am crying spree lately. I took them to the park for the morning. It's hot but there's a great breeze. I met a MOPS friend up there and we brainstormed about our upcoming retreat. I think we'll go for a swim after naptime. It's summertime!

Blueberries
6/11/2012
This was a quiet week. I didn't plan much so we kinda just went day by day finding fun things to do. Tuesday we went to a park and packed a lunch. I threw out a last minute post on the MOPS facebook page to see if I could get a friend. And I did. Tracey and her 3 kiddos joined us. After lunch we took the trails to the river. We were wiped out! After naps we took a dip in my parent's pool. Wednesday we headed to the Joneses for a bow making playdate (I think it IS as difficult as it looks). I did make a few new bows that the girls have been sporting all week. Just need to figure out the glue gun component. Another swim at mimi's and then off to the second part of the FFC Summer Enrichment series. This lecture was on one of my fav books, "The 5 Love Languages". Phil refused to read it so this was the next best thing. I'm glad we went. Thursday we hit up the Westconnet library, a local hotspot. We were late for story hour (guess they aren't into updating times on their website) so we made it in time for the craft then we had our own story time. We went to cheer on Phil in his basketball game that night. I should have taken a few action shots. I had my hands full playing my own defense with the girls. Friday we went to the downtown library for story hour. My umbrella was stolen on the way in, luckily we remained dry. Someone must have needed it more than I. That was the place to be! I guess because of all this rain and school being out. So, bravofam is participating in a June challenge...no eating out for the month. It's only been a week and it's already super tough. Especially over the weekend. I did this organic produce co-op this week. I think it's too expensive but I gave it a whirl. (The Blanding Blvd. Westside flea market is tough competition) I got a few things that I wouldn't normally buy (i.e. mushrooms & kale). I had to get creative. On Friday night I grilled steaks and topped them with sauteed garlic & mushrooms. It was really good and made us feel slightly better about staying in. Saturday morning we got up early to go blueberry picking. We managed to escape most of the rain, which is a feat these days. We only picked for about an hour, but I had to name this blog blueberries. I feel overwhelmed with blueberries! We've been eating them all week (before the picking, too). On Sunday the Leens hosted a blueberry feast. Now, I'm over it...especially the aftermath of cleaning up after the kids, if you know what I mean. Gara made blueberry salsa and chicken. Mercedes and I made salads. Tracy made a cobler. Lots of blueberry beer. My skin tone is changing, I fear. Saturday afternoon we rode bikes to my parent's house for a swim. Ellie even rode her little bike the whole way! I get some heat for living 26 houses down from mom and dad. But, this is the good stuff. This feels like summertime to me: riding your bike in your bathing suit! We don't have the cost or responsibility of a pool. We can go over for a dip anytime and visit with my parents (or not, if they are out of town, which happens a lot). We enjoy the view and the cold (it's always cold) water. I even have a shower with our chlorine shampoo outside. Awesome! I'm loving this routine. Mom and dad watched the girls for a bit while we headed over to the McKinney's housewarming party. It was pretty neat because we went to an open house party for the couple that used to live there years ago, right after they re-did the house. Small world. Sunday morning Ellie and I went to mass (Miss Kim was back, Hallelujah!). Then we feasted on blueberries as mentioned above. Phil and I have been writing machines (thus the late blog)! We have one more talk to write for our big CEE weekend. We are 2 weeks out. The Gibsons gave us the sweetest motivational carepackage to keep our momentum up. Lots of fun 'hot tamale' and fireball candies. We have a 'Writing Process' banner up over the laptop. They are great mentors! We've also been sneaking in some Walking Dead episodes (thanks, Alfred). Just the season 2 finale left! MOPS keeps me busy... planning for this retreat in July, figuring out how to manage this wait list, calendars, oh my. It's going to be a good year. My new pal Suzanne cracks me up! Another thought, so June is the check in month for my New Years resolutions. Oh yes, still going. My first one was to de-clutter and re-organize our house. I'd say the bottom level is finished. And the girls rooms are good. Our room and the guest room are going to take me the rest of the year, though. I keep seeing the piles of clutter and its just not making the top of my list. (Yet bows are?) The second one was to work on my marriage. CEE is helping BIG time with that one. I think the weekend will be great for us. And maybe we can take a trip, just us 2 since Suzy Q owes us some babysitting. Oh and don't worry about the blueberries. I froze a bunch to space through out the year. Happy Summer! 

Writing, Writing, Writing!
6/20/2012
Lots of writing, but no blogging. Thanks so much for my fans that check in on me by Tuesday morning if there's no update. How flattering! Last week we had a few neat-o playdates. MOPS went to a fire station for a tour. The kids got to climb in the firetruck and ambulence. It was cool. We picniced in the park after which was a nice touch. We took mom to the airport to visit Miss Katie. It made Ellie and I think about when/where we could fly and visit. Mmmm. We did a shopping spree at Target, always a fun-filled activity. We did a mid-week beach trip with the Freeman Fam. We went to a new secret spot, a keeper for sure! I had a quick MOPS meeting on Thursday morning to discuss getting more space for our growing group. It was successful and I got a great 'lay of the land'. We met the Mitchell's for a pool date on the St. Johns River in San Marco. I loved catching up with Kat. That evening Suzanne and the boys came over to watch the girls while Phil and I went to Bistro Aix for his Breakfast Club social. Oh what fun! They have such a snazzy bar and its fun to catch up with all the wives. Suzanne volunteered to pick up mom from the airport when her return flight was delayed til 1am so we stayed up to watch the final Walking Dead episode. Friday we got up and took 3 hours to leave the house and head out to Miami. After a SEVEN hour drive, we arrived at the Bravos. The good news is we were welcomed with a delicious ceviche snack and fajitas. We had an evening swim with the Reinsteins. Saturday we went suit shopping for Phil at Macy's then all took a nice long nap. We headed back over to the Godmother's for a Father's Day/Birthday party for Phil's parents. Michelle went ALL OUT for the shin-dig! Ribs, burgers, dogs, salads, cakes, oh my! They are so good to us. Sunday we did mass at their really neat church. The cry room was strategically placed and the music was wonderful. We did a Father's Day lunch at Fudpucker's. Phil played tennis with his buddy, Paul while the girls and I attempted nap time. We had a quick dinner and a farewell dip in the pool and headed back to J-vegas that night. It only took 5.5 hrs (arriving at 2am)- much better! We had all day Monday to rest up (yeah, right!) A family paddleboat ride and bike ride to the pool and LOTS of writing and editing. I snuck out for book club that night to discuss Sarah's Key. It was a good read, but very sad. I would love to hear a modern day Jewish perspective on the book. We talked about a similar situation occuring today and how sureal that would be. Yesterday we went to Suzanne's for a pool party for her friend, Dorothy's Birthday. She just moved back in town. That was fun! Cecil and Marilyn came over for a last workshop session- we went on until after midnight. But, we are READY! The big weekend begins Friday afternoon! Today we met our pal Kara at the Hands on Children's Museum and then picnic'd in a park nearby (yes, we do lots of that these days). Post nap, we hit Club Suter for a pool date with Tabitha. Tonight Phil is doing a sleep study to figure out the cause of his sonic snoring. I would love to post the picture he just sent me of him all hooked up, but he might murder me. The sandman will be visiting tonight! Yes! Although, I had to put Ellie to bed early for biting Marly so we'll see how the night goes. Dun, dun, dunnnnn. Nighty night!

Engaged Encounter Weekend
6/24/2012
Thursday was a fun day. We went to the Westside library's summer preschool carnival. It was pretty cute. All the kids got a book of 'tickets' that were different colored shapes. For each color shape they had a station: games like a cake walk, lolly pop tree, rubber duck race and then crafts like coloring and spin art. There was a sketchy character siamese cat and a snow cone machine. It was a fun morning. After nap we headed to mimi and papa's for a pool party. Uncle Bill and Aunt Jean were in town from McComb, Mississippi. So, Uncle Ed and Aunt Shari came to visit (from Arlington). We went for a boat ride and the kids had pizza. That night the Kerkezi's and us hired a sitter so we could attend the adult's only dinner at Blue Fish. It was delicious and really nice. Quite a memorable dinner for sure! Friday we had coffee club at the train park in San Marco. Laura Brock (Laura, what's your blog?) chose a great topic: Voter Legitimacy in Florida. It took us a while to start the topic but once we did we had a great conversation. I think we all agreed that Rick Scott is a nut job, though. Who voted for that guy anyhow? I spent the whole afternoon packing up and cleaning up since Phil and I had to check in to Marywood at 5:30pm. We dropped the girls at Suzanne's. I'm not sure how much I should talk about it on here, in case a future engaged couple reads this and a surprise is ruined. Through out the weekend we gave 6 different talks on Family Background, Dealing with Conflict, Unity, Communication, Decision-Making and Bethrothal. There was a senior couple that also gave a series of talks. After each talk the couples would split up and answer a bunch of questions and then come together to discuss. It was neat to see these 15 different couples prepare for the sacrament of marriage. They came from all over: South Carolina to St. Augustine. Ages 21-48. Catholics, Lutherans, Methodist and Atheist. It was cool for Phil and I to experience this all over, we did our weekend in November of 2003. I'm really glad we did this. And man it feels great to have all those talks written! We picked up the girls from my parents house this afternoon. We're zapped and the girls skipped an afternoon nap and it's pouring outside. This combination makes for an interesting evening. I want to throw a shout out to those couples preparing for a wedding in the next couple of months. And a high five to Phil Bravo for making it this past 8 and a half years. After this weekend I feel like we have some sort of clue of what's going on. Good times!

Wet and Hot
7/1/2012
Summer in Florida is something else. The first half of the week it rained and rained and rained. Monday we did a last minute playdate to the Museum of Science & History (MOSH) with the Freemans. Somehow it stopped raining long enough to eat a picnic lunch outside. Tuesday we did a bit of shopping and then visited our pal Mercedes to lend a bag of maternity clothes. The girls loved sharing the chocolate covered rasberries with the dog, Mister. That evening I hit up the Cummer. This was not the wisest mom moment. The museum was great. But the rain was still coming and made a lake out of the roads. On the way home people were getting stuck all over. It was horrible. We did some praying in the car. We made it and Ellie is still talking about how cool it was to drive in the rain. The perk: Phil made a fantastic jumbalaya for us, despite his dibilitating canker sore. I was amazed at how the roads cleared up by Wednesday. We hit up MOSH again. This time with the Kerkezi's. Another picnic lunch. That night I hosted 10 new MOPS leaders for dinner here. I did lasagna. It was neat to get to know the gals better and we even started on a few of my agenda items. We've got a great group. Thursday we did Toddler Power Hour downtown. It was cute with a sand theme. Now the heat is on here in town. You can't really fully cool off. We've continued our afternoon swims at mimi & papa's. We cheered Phil on in his basketball game that night. Ellie was so cute yelling "Go, Daddy! Go!" Marly took a tumble down the stairs (thanks to a little sisterly nudge). Her face is showing the brutality of those concrete garage steps. Marly is a tough one though, she was way more concerned about her granola bar that broke into pieces on the floor during the fall. Friday we went to a fabulous playdate at the Leens. Hopefully there will be many of those to follow. Gara made wanton tacos, a high end fruit salad, sangria and smores for us! She had a cool wand making craft for the kids, too! That night our plans changed like 10 times. I texted our poor sitter with each time change. We ended up celebrating Shirin's Birthday at Kickbacks. It was an ecleptic group. I was tired and pretty grumpy. Not my best night out (maybe next year, Shirin). Saturday morning Ellie, my mom and I met up with Suzanne and a MOPS pal, Kathleen to stock up in flip flops at Old Navy. They had a one day only sale with $1 flops! We spent the afternoon at the Club Suter resort. It was a great summer day. We had dogs & burgers on the grill, swam, the girls took a nap. As I lay there on the raft resting in the middle of the pool, the "pool guy" actually brought me my own tub of Ben & Jerry's half baked ice cream. I'm not even kidding! We had fresh baked cookies after that. More swimming once the girls woke up. Phil even got in a nap. I truly do have the Platinum Membership! We hit up Mojo's for wings that night (because we must have been starving after all that eating) and then Yobe. Phil and I had a stay in movie night watching 'Morning Glory'. It was cute. This morning after mass, Fr. Vic asked where Phil was. I told him he was at home watching tennis. And Fr. Vic actually said "Oh well that is important, too." I said "Who's side are you on?" And he laughed. Huh? During nap time today I snuck out and went to see the movie "Magic Mike" with my mom. It was a nice break sitting in a cold theater chowing on popcorn and a slurpy while watching a bunch of hot guys. Not a bad way to spend the afternoon. (Happy Mother's Day, Mom!) I took the girls to mimi & papa's pool to cool off while Phil's enjoying a guy's night. Marly is really trying to swim. She is jumping off the side and trying to be like Ellie. Those two girls are great. It's a good Florida summer thus far. 

Cheers to Independence!
7/8/2012
To kick off the 4th of July week we met up with some MOPS moms on Monday dressed in our red, white and blue and paraded around a nursing home in five points. I decorated our wagon with lights and balloons which turned out to be genius. The kids played with the balloons with the residents. It was really cute. We hit up Chick Fil A afterwards. We did an afternoon swim while Phil went to a Rotary board meeting. Tuesday we saw Ronald McDonald at the library. He did magic tricks and read books. The girls really liked him. I thought the clown would freak them out but not at all. We partied at the Suter's again that night. The girls went to sleep, the guys did power hour and we went night swimming! The 4th of July was in the middle of the week. Phil made us banana pancakes to start out the day. We went swimming and tubing (all of us!) and had hotdogs at Mimi & Papa's. We came home for a power nap and then went back over. My parents had some friends over and we went back for more swimming. Too bad the sky opened up. We swam in the rain for a little bit, but the lightening ended it. Dad smoked some ribs, Hoss did potato salad, Mom boiled some corn, Boo did dips, I did beans, SQ did a fantastic fruit pie and Freeman brought cupcakes. It was a fun day. It feels great to be free! We came home and put the kids to bed. The coolest part was watching all the fireworks from our very own balcony. It was like a front row view! Thursday Jan and I visited many of the newbies starting MOPS in the fall. We still have a few more to hit, but I really enjoyed meeting the new gals. I was reminded of how lonely you can feel with a newborn. Some of the girls were begging us to come in and hang out. It was neat. Phil played a late bball game and the girls and I went walking with my old bf, Gina. They moved into a new house in OP so we checked it out. I loved catching up with her. It had been too long. Friday morning we went to Target and I noticed the check engine light came on in my car. So, I zipped over the Buckman to our trusty car guy for a look. After a sketchy 15min I was told a ventilator part needed to be replaced at some point. Nice! I loved the honesty. We met some buddies at Zoes for lunch. Then, took some Zoes over to the Denks for dinner. They recently had a sweet baby girl, Bailey. We got to meet her and say hello. We did a family dinner night at Carmines for pizza. Saturday morning Phil got up for a tennis match. When he got back we all headed out for Jack's 2nd Birthday bash. Steph did a great job with a bubbled theme party. The kids loved the bubble bath pool. It was so HOT but we stayed all morning and into the afternoon hanging out with a cool crowd. We all took a long nap and then met up with some friends for burgers at Cruisers. Phil and I gave the Red Box a whirl and rented Sherlock Homes. I enjoyed it, Phil fell asleep. This morning Ellie and I went to mass. Then we all went to mimi and papa's for swimming and brats. I ran up to St. Marks for a quick tour of the upcoming Vacation Bible School for Miss Ellie. This afternoon we went to the Thoresens to the FYC and ran into some new friends. It was a great way to spend a hot Sunday afternoon, lounging in the shaded baby pool with a bunch of parents. Ellie followed Cael and jumped off the diving board and swam to the side! Super cool. And you know Marly tried to follow her. I've been trying some more aggressive swimming moves with Marly. She is brave. Well, Happy 4th of July week to all of you. Cheers to our independence!

Summer Camp
7/15/2012
This week was Ellie's first week of school ever, Vacation Bible School at St. Mark's. We called it "camp" because I didn't want her to be confused and think that was her school. She's going to St. Johns in the fall. We are part of the St. Mark's MOPS. I didn't think to enroll her in VBS. I always just thought it was for older kids. Sacred Heart is building a new parish center. So, they cancelled their VBS this summer. I guess I automatically dismissed it. Well, my friend Laurie called me one day and said "Are you doing these VBS's? They are free or super cheap!". And they are. I paid $35 (that includes a late fee) for 5 days 9am-noon. Cheapest babysitter I know. It was a cool program. Ellie loved it. And Marly and I were able to spend time together, just us two, which is rare. I'd love to say I packed the week with fun Marly and me things...but she ended up coming with me to Joann's, the dollar store, jewelry store, the bait shop and Starbucks. Finally on Friday I did take her to the Busy Bodies storytime. I don't think it mattered where we went, though. She liked having all my attention. It was cute. Monday we had breakfast with a friend and lunch with the Freeman's to eat their party leftovers and use the bubble pool again. That night I went to a swap party at Kathleen's. Have you ever been to one of those? Somehow I always end up leaving with way more than I brought, which sorta defeats the purpose (and is NOT in line with my New Year's Resolution!). Wednesday I had to volunteer at VBS. I helped teach the bible class for the 3-4 year olds. The chick running the class ended up being a girl from my acting class in high school. (Not an uncommon occurance in Jacksonville). She was a pretty famous one so that was cool. It made the morning fly by. (Marly probably didn't agree from the windows of the nursery). After VBS I attempted a childrens theater production of "Country Mouse City Mouse". Very sweet concept, but we were going into naptime and it just didn't work for my gals. We lasted about 30min. They were asleep in the car by the time the car cooled down. That night I went walking with my pal, Erin and caught up on life while Phil did a happy hour with some friends. Thursday night I went walking with Gina again while Phil skipped basketball for another happy hour. Friday morning Phil was in a car accident. He's totally fine but others were not so lucky and were sent to the hospital. He was riding with a co-worker to pick up breakfast for the bank and someone got rear-ended and flew into them and another car. Pretty messy. Especially since the wreckless rear-ender was a poor teenager driving a van full of church camp kids. So, you know how distracting that can be. Not a fun morning for any of them. We recovered the day by going out on a last minute hot date. I booked the sitter at 4pm and she was here by 6pm. Pretty cool. We tried out a new restaurant, Pele's. We didn't hear great things but I'm glad we tried it anyway. It was great! Then we walked up and down the St. Johns strip and did a wine tasting and spice run. Such a nice date night, for sure! Saturday morning Phil made us pancakes. We went to my parents house for a swim and talked them into taking us tubing. We ended up getting a fab BBQ lunch out of it, too. I just love the family tubing. It was fairly rough out there. We actually caught air once. The girls were giggling the whole time. We tubed home so I could run to an afternoon baby shower. I cut it a bit too close (to the point where I smelled of river water...woops). And what a sweet shower! It's her second baby, a girl this time. The theme was "Sweet as a Peach" and I wonder if this host has a blog. She was good! It was at the Grotto, which is not your usual shower location. But very swanky. The food was awesome (even peach in the glazes), of course the wine was great (since its a wine bar). Peach filling in the cake. Peaches and flowers in vases. And the parting gift was a gourmet cupcake (oh my) and peach jam! Very lovely shower. And Meghan is a rockstar: hypnobirthing again, same doula and this time a possible homebirth with Fruitful Vines. Rock on, girl! We took it easy that night. Phil and I stayed up to watch "Midnight in Paris" which was so fitting since my book club is reading the Great Gatsby! This morning Phil made eggs benedict and then we all headed to mass. How nice. Then, we checked out a new restaurant at the town center, Pei Wei. Phil stocked up on tennis stuff (his newest gig) at Dicks and then we got a tour at the Apple store. We may be in the market for a Mac Air. Thoughts? Anyone have Apple TV? Maybe these are upcoming Facebook posts since my comments here are so light. Ellie and I went to her friend, Clare's MESSY 4th Birthday party this afternoon. It was cute. Painting on walls, bubble wands, pie eating contest, flubber, sundaes and cake. We came home, sold a toddler bed on craigslist for more than we bought it for without the mattress...oh yeah! Then we went on an evening cruise on the boat. Not too shabby. Now, Phil is off doing a power hour. So, that means I need to stop blogging and start MOPping...since our big retreat is this weekend and I still have lots to do! Tooda-loo for this week!

Party of Five
7/23/2012
I should title this email MOPS week since that is pretty much what I did all week long. I don't have much kid-free time when I can work so I had to cram in everything during naptime or once the girls were asleep. So, this week flew by. But, of course the girls are my priority so we did many fun things this week that were not all about MOPS. Monday we did the Willowbranch story hour with Tabitha. At first I felt like it was too advanced as they were doing much more than singing "Open Shut Them" but the lady did a good job. We even got a coupon for Taco Bell that we get free burritos if we read 10 books. We ate our picnic lunch with Tabitha at the park afterwards. I made great dinners this week. (I should have Phil blog this part to prove that to you) I grilled salmon with our new spices with crab balls that was super good. Tuesday morning I had a doctor's appointment because I am PREGNANT! Woooo whooo! Readers of the blog get a sneak announcement! This is the last week of my first trimester (13 weeks) and I'm very happy to say that I have been much better this go-round. I am nauseous and tired as usual but I am yet to throw up, which is a huge achievement for me. So, I had to go to this appointment because for my first appointment, last month I had subchorionic hematoma but thankfully its all absorbed now and there is one active child in my uterus! Phil and I are both thrilled to become a party of five. We took video of us telling Ellie and Marly this week. They were both super excited. Check out the video in the video section. Pretty cute. January 23rd is my due date! Wednesday I took mom to catch a MegaBus to visit Aunt Susan. She ended up missing it so we got to go out to a nice lunch downtown. She caught a flight that night up to Atlanta. Thursday we met up with Jan and went to visit more MOPS newbies. We have a total of 16 new people this year, which is awesome. We've been going to introduce ourselves and drop off a little treat. It's pretty cool. Friday we had coffee club at Stephanie's. The topic was the Affordable Care Act. It was a great topic but we needed more informed conservative people there. The liberals dominated the conversation, which is refreshing in this town ;-) Steph did an awesome job with her cinnamon rolls, breakfast casserole, pool and toys for the kids and keeping the topic going. We walked there and back and all took a nice, long nap that afternoon. I had finished most everything I needed to do for our MOPS retreat. I went to set most everything up that afternoon with the girls. We had a CEE Community meeting that night. It was neat to re-cap our engaged encounter weekend. Everyone there is super excited about our 3rd baby, too. Phil went out for a guy's night that night. I tried to get to bed early to be ready for the big retreat. I headed over to my parent's house (they were out of town so we had a great retreat center just down the street). This year's theme in MOPS is PLUNGE. "Love as if your life depended on it". There are 15 of us on the leadership team, 11 at the retreat. We spent the day planning the year and going over everyone's positions and responsibilities. What a great group of women- we laughed and cried, shared great ideas and even inside jokes. We took a pool break and cracked open a bottle of champagn. Not too shabby. I was exhausted that evening. Sunday morning Ellie and I went to church. We got some fish heads for our new crab trap. I don't think the fried chicken worked well. Yesterday afternoon we went swimming and bbq-ing with a bunch of friends, a nice way to start out the week. Today we went to visit my ole pal from JU, Lisa and had a playdate with her two boys. Poor Rowan broke his leg and has a cast, not that that stopped him at all. Lisa took us out to lunch to her local Mexican restaurant. It was a nice visit. So, that's our week. Exciting news! We're in for a treat!

Friendly Visits
7/29/2012
This week we got to visit with lots of friends who we don't normall see. That always makes for a nice week. We got a last minute invite from the Bentons for an afternoon playdate and pizza. Emma is one of my model moms. Our kids are similar ages and she seems to do it all with such class. It's a treat hang out with them. Tuesday we ran a bunch of errands and then saw the Valents at Chick Fil A. Ellie and Riley quickly rekindled their long lost friendship. They go nuts together! And it was so funny watching Marly bend down to talk to Sawyer. Wednesday morning Stephanie and I walked the bridges downtown. I'm not nearly in shape as I once was. I was huffing and puffing pushing that double stroller up the Acosta. My pal, Steph even traded with me for the rough part. I think it was a 4 mile gig...the girls were toast by the end...and oh it was so hot! That afternoon we traded our ClearWire for Comcast. So, no more uploads from my phone because our internet is out, yessss! Back to the Comcast bandwagon. That's what we get for going with the cheaper chicken. Laurie had us over for happy hour playdate. The girls played dress up, while we caught up. How nice! Thursday we went to the beach with the Mitchells. Oh, you should have seen Ellie on the water slide! (Luckily, I took some video). She was awesome! I'm sure she was the only 3-year-old flying down that thing and swimming back to the side ready for more, all by herself. What a super swimmer! We ate some cold watermelon slices out on the beach- a great summer day. Plus, I was able to catch up with my friend, Kat...win-win! We all took long naps (which is becoming rare :-() and then I had a MOPS wine night that night. Stephanie hosted a very successful girls night! We had 5-6 newbies come. We had a wonderful time getting to know them and relaxing in Steph's nice back yard. Friday morning we went walking with Gina. Then, we threw together a last minute playdate with the Thakkars at a park and then Target for lunch (who would have ever thought?) Meanwhile, Phil went fishing all day with some co-workers and clients. I'll have to post a picture of his fish! That night we went to Eleanor's 5th Birthday party at Chuck E Cheese! Both of the girls loved it. Marly went crazy, it was pretty cool. I found a stack of leftover tickets in my pocket and they've been playing with them all weekend. Pretty cute. Phil made us breakfast on Saturday morning and then took off for a tennis match. The girls and I headed over to Country Club Suter as soon as it opened. Phil came to visit for a bit and then went to meet up with John for golf. After a successful naptime we relaxed and had Emily come over. We went to a friend's wine tasting. Riverside Liquors does a pretty neat wine tasting, we've done one before that we won from a silent auction. Then, the Napoleons had us all over for pizza and to watch the Olympics. Fun night! This morning Phil made breakfast again and then we all went to mass. We even got some of the Filipino BBQ after. We visited with Dad for a quick swim. I didn't participate in naptime, I went to visit my pal, Chrissy instead. We grilled Phil's fresh-caught fish for dinner. Alfred came over to "help" install some fans. The porch is a whole new world now! Excited for another fun-filled week ahead!

10 Years Ago...
8/5/2012
Another amazingly busy week for the Bravos. This morning I made a comment to Ellie about how she's been in so many different bodies of water this week. Monday, we went to Ichetucknee Springs on a MOPS playdate. I rented a boat and brought a tube. We carpooled and caravaned to a small town about an hour and a half away. We went down the north end with 3 other moms and 3 other kids. The girls had a great time. We saw fish, tutles and ducks. Ellie went tube hopping. It started pouring about 20min in and then became really misty. It was pretty neat. As we were getting out it began to lightening- perfect timing. What a cool playdate. That night I dressed in flapper wear for our Great Gatsby meeting of book club. Jean's house was the perfect location with her bar and player piano. Tuesday we went to our first movie theater experience. Over the summer, you know how they have those dollar movies for kids? We saw Winnie the Pooh (I stole the idea from the Southside MOPS group). The girls weren't really good. The movie was 20min late to start so we had finished all our popcorn, which was a bummer. Marly got scared, I think. So, that was a handfull. I'm glad it was cheap and a kid movie. Not a terrible first try. On Wednesday we had a playdate with Laurie and Suz. Playdates are always great at someone else's house. Especially someone like Laurie...where a gourmet lunch is made for the mammas and the kids have crafts, dress-up and cookie making to entertain them. I truly appreciate playdates like these especially when I'm having a ginger-ale morning. That night I convinced both Suzanne and Phil to go to hear the FFC speaker, Lucy Knouse. She gave an very interesting and thought provoking lecture on “Stem Cell Research, IVF & Frozen Embryos”, The Morality of the Science. She shared the Catholic teaching regarding the ethics of embryonic research & frozen embryos. (I could have a separate blog on my thoughts on this and other views). Thursday was a tough morning but we manned up and made it to toddler power hour downtown to meet up with my pal, Lisa. That evening Suzanne watched the girls while Phil and I went out with the Thompsons. We had amazing thai at Basil and then head over for dessert and drinks at BB's. Oh boy, did I need that parent's night out. Friday morning we had a playdate with the Leens and Suters. It was a last 'hurrah' before Gara goes back to work. Its amazing to see how quickly these babies grow up, scary, really. Phil was able to skip out of work early so we could head down to Clearwater for my Peace Corps 10 Year Reunion. Wow. So, 10 years ago this summer, I was prepping for my departure to Turkmenistan. (Yes, that could fill up its own blog, too). We flew up to Chicago to meet up at the end of August, I believe then flew out to T-stan the first week of September. 10 years ago. That was like a lifetime ago. The last time I saw these people was in Turkmenistan about 9 years ago. You know I was nervous driving down there...and the kids were horrible in the car (no napping, lots of crying and constant "I'm hungry"ies). Plus, I was the only one going who had ended my service early so I wasn't sure if there would be any bitterness. My sitemate, Laura planned the whole thing and it was here in Florida so I just had to go. We met up with everyone Thursday night at a beachfront restaurant. Only one other girl had a kid and there were no husbands so that was a bit awkward at first. Luckily, Phil seems to blossom in those scenes. It was pretty loud with the live music so we didn't have too many deep conversations <and my girls were wiggly without nap>. St. Philip took the girls back to the hotel and let me hang with the PC gals for the night. We went to a wine bar and caught up, swapped stories, and gossip. People came from all over for the reunion: Chicago, Texas, NYC, Ohio, Atlanta, California and Saipan (no, really). Awesome! I got caught up on what I missed in the last year of service and all the wonderful things everyone is doing now. The next morning we got up and went to the beach and pool and then met up with everyone at the Clearwater Aquarium. We may have gone too far in taking the boat and trolley to Winter the dolphin's home. We all took a much needed nap back in the room. The girls and I walked to the pier to play at the playground while Phil went for a run. We met up with everyone and went to a seafood restaurant. We sat outside in a perfect area for the kids to play and us to talk. What a great night! Some of the girls went out but I turned in for the night. The next morning we hit the beach and pool again. A few of the PC girls met us at the beach so we could hang out a bit before we headed out. Hopefully I won't have to wait another 10 years to see everyone again. We packed up and drove home. The first part was okay but the second half was rough. The girls weren't so great in the car again. We were glad to be home. I took the girls on a bike ride to my parent's house, just to get out and do something active after sitting for so long. We showed up just in time and hopped on a boat ride with Suzanne and the boys. While out there the sky opened up and we rushed back. Phil picked us up and we had a pizza dinner. A nice low key way to end the weekend. Here's a tele-shot to all my T-stan pals!

Mississippi & Louisianna!
8/12/2012
Oh now this is pretty good...what a way to multi-task on a long car trip (especially the boring I-10 part)! We are on the long drive back from a fantastic weekend in the bible belt. The girls are decorating the car and each other with thousands of Dora stickers (as long as they're quiet). Phil is jamming to DMB, and I have time to blog :-) Monday of this week we had a neat MOPS playdate. We rode the skyway to the library for our own private storytime. Then, we rode back and had a picnic lunch along the river. The kids were worn out, naptime was a success. We topped off the evening with an afternoon swim with mimi (even in the rain). We went to E-street with the Bentons (kids eat free on Mondays) to celebrate JB's Birthday. Tuesday was a real treat for me. I went to lunch with Phil at his Rotary meeting, while mom took the girls out for Mexican. The speaker was Mark Lamping, the new president of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Since Phil's role is introducing the speakers, we got to sit with Mark and chat even more. He seems like a cool guy, gave an excellent speech and got us all excited about the new season. Bonus: I got a kids free lunch with Hottie Phil! Wednesday we had a great playdate at the Lairds. I had had a rough morning with the girls (those waves of nausea don't help), but something about the Lairds estate...maybe it was the donuts or extra sugar in my coffee. It's just such a calming, feel-good time, always over there. I love my Michelle time. I needed that for a nutty afternoon packing up to prepare for our adventure. We left that evening for Pensacola. I convinced Phil to break up the drive to New Orleans (Thanks, Uncle Bill). I talked ourselves into a great deal for a hotel right off I-10. It even included bfast! We got an early start into New Orleans. We booked a hotel for Phil in NOLA using Priceline that morning and ended up getting out of it (thanks, Alfred!). We ended up using hotels.com to get a place right off Bourbon Street for Phil to take refudge during the Big Guy in the Big Easy's bachelor debauchery weekend. We had a family lunch together at Bourbon House seafood and dropped Phil off for his best friend's bachelor party. The girls and I headed north to the great land of Mississippi. Just outside of NOLA I was rear-ended on I-10. I don't think it was a huge deal. The girls didn't even wake up from their nap! The guy felt awful and gave me all his info. My bumper has a few marks, nothing serious. However, around Hammond, LA I noticed my gas gage light was on empty (super E, with 0 miles left). I freaked and cussed myself for being negligent with 2 kids in the back in the rain. After a few Hail Mary's, I made it to a gas station only to find out, I really had half a tank left. Needless to say, the car is having some electrical issues, fun! We finally made it to McComb, MS to visit with Uncle Bill & Aunt Jean. Except, UB's flight was delayed so he didn't arrive until that night. AJ hired a babysitter for me so we could go out to my cousin, Parker's restaurant, The Caboose. It was so nice to have a break and enjoy Chef Parker's delicious cuisine. We had lump crab soup to start, then angel hair pasta with blackened drumfish topped with a softshell crab and crab meat! Dessert was strawberry shortcake with a made from scratch biscuit that morning. Amazing! Parker and his gf, Mary Grace (also a chef there) came out to sit with us and catch up. Pretty cool night! The next morning we baby proofed UB & AJ's house by getting into everything. After lunch we drove over to the Jackson area to rally with more cousins. We had dinner at Leigh's. It was so cool to have 3 of my gal pal cousins and all their kids running around. I'll post all those super sweet pics. I wish I could see them more frequently. MS is just so far away! I stayed up late talking to Leigh & Jeff. I don't think I've ever gotten a chance to visit with Jeff like that. There are lots of date nights in their future! Miss Marly has been quite a handful lately. Maybe she's teething, or just not enjoying being on the go. Not sleeping well, lots of winning and screaming. She also started saying "no" very clearly this weekend. Great. We all were up super early on Saturday and headed over to Jenny's for a Sip N See for Amy (to celebrate baby Colter). How perfect that the party was planned while I was there! Lori came up from Baton Rouge...more cousin pics! After the party we drove back down to NOLA to save Phil. For details of his weekend you'll have to read his blog (Ha!). Maybe I'll get to post a gallery of his censored pics. Let's just say it included partying til 5am, sleeping for 26hrs, walking a golf course and 80's theme night. We continued our adventure back to Florida. We stayed with another cousin, Dane in Gulf Breeze last night. We stayed up catching up and had a great night sleep. Up this morning at 8am for a swim before heading out. And that brings us back to the present. It's always sad driving home after a fantastic weekend with family and friends. The Bravofam sure is a blessed group! Thanks to all my relatives for that famous Southern hospitality! And thank you, Andrew for not killing my husband this weekend :-) 

This is us 'calming down'
8/19/2012
So much for winding down this week. We had an Original Works playdate on Monday. It was stressful. I was tired from the big family weekend. I had a tough time getting the kids to do decent art projects and it was hot. Luckily, there were lots of crafty people to help me...including my new Mormon pal, Katie. I haven't been really great about napping this week. Instead I've done some prenatal yoga and hynobirthing practice. I'm also in the process of interviewing volunteer doulas using this list. I've had some wonderful conversations thus far. Tuesday mom watched the girls so I could go to a doctors appointment. I saw Dr. Fox, one of the regulars there (The F in FABEN). She walked in and gave me a huge hug, so excited to have me back a third time. That's pretty cool. I like walking in and the nurses know my name and ask about the girls. I don't even have to give the receptionist my name to check in. Wednesday we had a playdate while cleaning out the nursery closet at MOPS. Suz had a few "mammas helpers" there. What? Yes, they are big little kids that play with your kid so you can get stuff done. What a concept! I wonder if she pays them. That afternoon we had a quick playdate with Tabitha. Thursday we hit up toddler power hour downtown. Lots of friends were there, too. We went to a Mexican restuarant with the Hannasch's afterwards. We did a family subs dinner and then I went walking with Gina. Man, did I need that walk. It's amazing how Gina and I can still hang out like best friends like we did in 6th grade. Friday we met the Thakkars at the Hands on Childrens Museum. Usually there's lots of camp kids there. It was so cool to have the place to ourselves. We met Erin for lunch at Zoe's to catch up. After nap we went back to the Suter's to help kick off their big family reunion with beer and burgers. Saturday morning we headed out to Ocala to see Phil's family. I'm sad to say I broke my morning sickness record this pregnancy by puking up my Cheerios somewhere on the side of 301. I had gone so long! That's what I get for bragging (and reading in the car). Phil's parents and cousins met up with us at his aunt's house. We hadn't seen the cousins since our wedding! They were awesome with the girls! It was great to have a break. Tia Lola and tio Victor had a party that afternoon...BBQ and Birthday cake for cousin Ziggy. On the way home I started having contractions. I guess I over-did it and didn't drink enough water. After resting and drinking some water, they went away. But, that was pretty scary. I tried to take it easy today. We went to mass, had lunch and took a nice family nap. We went back to the Suters for some swimming and ribs, enjoying their new porch (and the Centola family reunion). Trying to relax before another week of fun!

Visit with Erik
8/26/2012
We did chill out a lot more this week. It was one of those weeks where I didn't have much planned so we just made stuff up as we went along. We went to Hanna Park on Monday morning. I really went for the splash park, one of the items on my mental 'to do' list. But, the splash park was closed during the week, starting that week. What a bummer! The beach was still nice. As we walked out there, Ellie said "Mom, I like it when we have plans". This was supposed to be a MOPS playdate but we were the only ones who showed up. Well, maybe there were others out there but we didn't see them. It's a big park. Tuesday we went to Suzanne's. It's so relaxing over there. Maybe since she's my sister, I feel like it's kina my house, too. I helped her with a few technical pieces to her new Macaroni Kids website while the kids played. While on that side of town, I got the oil changed in my car. It was a nice, chill morning. Wednesday, we tried out Gyminators. They have an open play area, kind of expensive. But it entertained the girls for 2 full hours. They were sweating by the end. Ha! My brother, Erik came in town that evening. We went over for a visit after dinner. Thursday morning Suzanne and Alex came over to hang out while waiting for Erik to wake up (that LA time change, you know). We decided to walk/run/ride bikes & scooters down to my parent's house. We were about half way there when we saw mom and Erik drive by to come to my house. We all had a steak sandwich lunch here. After naptime (I've been participating much more this week) we went back over there for swimming and boating. Mom made a mojo pork dinner with beans and rice. Such a nice family night. Friday morning, I tried something new for the morning walk (yes, I stopped running a few weeks ago. It wasn't feeling so right so now I just walk). Ellie is more or less growing out of the jogging stroller. What I mean is, she won't sit in there for a 2-ish mile gig without a lot of complaining. And pushing that sucker is tough. Inspired by the morning before, I had Ellie ride her bike while I walked...for 2 and a half miles! Boy,was she tired! I think I may have pushed her too far, next time we won't go as far. I didn't feel as guilty on our next adventure- a playdate taffy pull at Sweet Pete's candy shop! Ellie and I had taffy for lunch. After a sugar crash nap we went over to my parents for more swimming. Erik was in Gainesville doing an improv workshop so he met up later. Dad took everyone out for fabulous seafood at Trents. I left early to meet up with some gal pals. It started as a monthly girls dinner, like 4 years ago...now its maybe once a year. We tied it into Eat Up Downtown and tried out a small place called Casa Dora. We were the only ones there but the food was just amazing! We were even treated to homemade cheesecake! I slipped out while the girls went bar hopping to spend more QT with Erik. Saturday was a marathon of a day. It kicked off with a baby shower honoring my past foreign exchange student, Mercedes. I could have a whole other blog talking about them (the Ortolá Ramón/Voloshin combo)..in fact, why don't they have their own blog?! The shorter story is that in college I did a month exchange to Allicante, Spain and stayed with Mercedes' family. She came back to stay with my family for a month. I had to go back to school early because I was an RA. So, I organized a schedule for my friends to hang out with Mercedes. Ilya, my old prom date was Monday and he ended up taking the rest of the week. They've been married for almost 8 years now. My mom, Suzanne and I hosted this amazing shower for her. It was truly dynamite. Phil doesn't quite believe that we were really at the Yacht Club for 5+ hours celebrating...but, oh, we were. We dashed to Tabitha's 1st Birthday party after that. Homemade cake, fried ____ (you fill in the blank here, it was anything you can imagine), keg, shots, you know...this is how we like to congratulate each other on making it through the first year as parents! It was a great party. (Complete with an awkward friend encounter). After putting the kids in bed...oh, I almost forgot to mention (sorry to go off on another story)...we started the girls sharing a room this week! I'm not sure why we chose this week...but Tuesday night we just did it. I'll have to post pictures of the progression. I think we finally have success today (knock on wood). I still need to move all Marly's clothes over...I just meant the sleeping arrangements. Anyway, I went out to see Mad Cowford that night with Erik performing. It was an okay show, at best. But, I enjoyed supporting him. This morning I made steak and eggs for breakfast then we headed to mass. We stopped by my parents for another breakfast, more swimming and a farewell to Erik. Then, we went to this Baby Disco party. It was pretty neat...dj spinning music and lots of free stuff. Then we all came home for naptime. We've just been chilling this evening. Phil did some yardwork. We had soup and grilled cheese for dinner. Now the girls are playing "monster" with Phil. Not my favorite game as it just involves them growling and chasing each other. But, they are laughing and having fun upstairs so I can blog and listen to Nora Jones. I like Sundays like this.

Preschool!
9/3/2012
This was a big week...Ellie began preschool! Monday we went to orientation and met her teachers, saw the classroom and I was able to ask lots of questions while the girls playes, since I've never done this before. We met up with some friends for a playdate at MOSH afterwards. Tuesday was the real first day. I went through the drive through drop off, she got right out and into the hands of a teacher to take her to the playground. I started tearing up as soon as I turned the corner. Then wait (que the sound of the record sratching). My baby is NOT growing up so fast! She's still only 3 years old! It isn't like she starting kindergarden! This is a voluntary deal...what rich people do, really. This is more of a fun-extra-curricular activity...no need for the water works just yet. Suck it up, mama. So, Marly and I continued on our way. This chick has become fiesty. Long gone is my laid back babe. Marly is a new gal! She pitched a full on temper tantrum in the car as we ran a few errands, including bringing dinner to a pal who just had twins at 39 weeks. We had just enough time to pick up Ellie after circling the entire city (thanks 295). Ellie got a first day cercy (milkshake) and when I asked about her day, she told me it was a secret. Huh? Over the next day, I got a few tid bits out of her: her favorite is the "gigantic playground", she learned to sit criss cross applesauce for circle time and she got to have snack and lunch. Wednesday we dropped Marly at Aunt Suzanne's so Ellie and I could visit the dentist. I really love the dentist. Even when my gums are sore due to pregnancy...there's not much better than a super sparkley mouth! That afternoon we headed to the Thakkar's for a playdate. Marly was a handful. Phil says he remembers Ellie being like this...so attached...but I just don't. Thursday was the 2nd school day. This time Marly and I had our own playdate with the Mitchell's. She only had to fight off Dean for toys and got awesome snacks like cheetos and juice! Ellie said she loves school but needs a break (HA!). That night Phil and I got to go to the Jags game. We were so lucky to step it up with rockstar parking and sit in the former owner's suite with MOPS friends (whistle)! Swanky, yes I know. I hardly saw the game...too busy stuffing my face and chatting with MOPS pals past and present. Friday we had coffee club at the zoo. Since we no longer have a membership, we haven't been there all summer. We pretty much had the splash park to ourselves. It was super nice. Ellie played the whole time. Marly was happy when she was eating a donut. (Uh oh...who is that like?!) The topic was really interesting: Bioethics with genetic studies. I only wish we stayed on topic more. Because of the set-up I was unable to corral the conversation. We kept getting sidetracked...and I hate that. Still a fun morning at the zoo, though! We had a fantastic dinner at the Napoleon's that night. It's always a treat, really...guaranteed healthy and tasty. We had awesome conversation, too. Great way to spend a Friday night! Saturday morning Phil made us a delicious breakfast and then headed out to play tennis. Aunt Susan and Bill were in town for the long weekend. Phil & Bill went to a clinic at FYC. Ellie rode her bike while Marly and I walked to my parent's for a swim. Suzanne and Alex joined the party, too. We came back for naptime, while Phil did the yard. I finished reading this amazing book, "Escape from Camp 14" about a boy who's the only one known to have escaped from this prison camp in North Korea. Amazing because its totally true and still occuring as I type. We can continue that discussion when I see you next, its worth it really. Phil played a pick up soccor game so I headed to Club Suter for a swim. We enjoyed some freshly fried lumpia, pool-side. Very nice. Of course Phil was exhausted when he came back so we headed to Moon River for a quick family pizza night. He was asleep before the girls. Sunday I dropped the girls with Miss Kim and listened to Fr. Kiran talk about the 7 Deadly Sins in mass. Nice refresher. I think I need to confess all 7. We headed back over to my parents for a day in the pool & boat. Suzanne made this awesome eclair dessert...I'm still thinking about it. We did some family tubing, fishing and tons of swimming. It was a great, laid back day. We ate burgers, dogs, brats & homemade ice cream! Today we took it easy, the girls actually slept in til 7...evidence of a fun filled Sunday! We went to the town center to walk around and have lunch. Marly threw a horrible temper tantrum-maybe her worst yet. I still don't know what caused it...but chocolate milk solved it. After nap we went back over for a swim. Aunt Susan & Bill took their MegaBus back to ATL. I was laying on a raft in the pool thinking of all the wonderful things we've done this summer. Bittersweet, I think. Phil is now out doing his fantasy football draft (lame) as I sit here in the hallway to prevent my escape artist 3 year old from leaving her room. It's been a nice, relaxing weekend to say good-bye to summertime. (But, since we live in FL, we can really hang on a bit longer ;-). I've decided to switch up the section on the right of the home page "What's in Marly's Mouth". It's still entertaining (i.e she picked up a lovebug...or maybe it was two, even better...on the boat this weekend. Looked at it and popped it right in her mouth!) But I decided to keep you up to date on my pregnancy. Ellie likes to know the size of the baby in terms of produce. She knows its ready when its the size of a watermelon. She even carries a tape measure around to compare. I hope you enjoy! 

Mothers of Preschoolers
9/11/2012
I had to title this posting MOPS since it has taken over lately...at least enough to kick off the start of the year. I'm a few days late in blogging and I'm so impressed at how many people noticed. All my comments are spam so its hard to see who's actually reading. I love the feedback. Ellie is really enjoying school. We lay out her clothes the night before (forget the fact that we have HOURS to do that in the morning, doesn't hurt to put it into practice) and pack her lunch together. Marly cried when she leaves (how sweet is that?). Today Ellie told Marly as we were putting her to sleep "Marly, I dream about you and think about you all the time when I'm in school. I love you very much." So, we must be doing something right. Yessss! Ellie's teacher told me during pick up one afternoon that she is so sweet and enjoys doing everything. I think her favorite is music. She shows us the games they play and songs she's learned. This is all pretty cute stuff. I'm trying to do things for just Marly and I while Ellie's in school. Last Tuesday, Marly and I went through Ellie's closet to make room for Marly's clothes in there. I started potty training Miss Marly last week. It's slow going. But, I know she knows how to do it...she just doesn't always want to. Marly is very independent in this. Once I saw her in the bathroom putting the potty seat on the big potty. I asked her if she needed help and she said "Yeah" (New word) so I put her on and she went! Maybe it's the treats. They are currently peanut M&Ms, but maybe I should try something else. I had a big doctor's appointment last week...the one where they check out the anatomy. I turned my head at certain parts so I wouldn't sneak a peak. The baby was moving so much it took her 45min to get all the pictures she needed. That was cool, I had been worried that I hadn't felt much movement. So, no issues there. We had a playdate with the Joneses the next morning. It was nice to catch up. Ellie loved holding Baby Emma. We helped clean out the MOPS closet that afternoon. Prepping for our first meeting has been on my brain. This is my first time being the leader of something. I've been on many leadership teams, but not the president. Funny that this is happening at this time in my life. Crazy how it works out that way sometimes. You know how I'm not a fan of cooking...eating, yes. Using "free" time to create healthy AND tasty food- no. I must say I've been doing okay at that whole cooking thing lately...especially in my queezy (nothing to complain about this go-round, though) state. I made Naugle's shrimp and grits one night. (Not sure how I got included in the Laurie's gourmet-trades, but it sometimes works out for me). Tonight I grilled steak. I've perfected spaghetti. Somehow, anything pasta is always eaten fully by all. Thursday while Ellie was in school I had my first leadership MOPS meeting. I think it went well. I was just stressed about time since we hired sitters to watch the kids during the meeting. That's a whole new, interesting piece this year. I'm constantly amazed at how much goes into this MOPS thing. But, I can't tell you how much I've appreciated the group in the last 2 years. So, it's totally worth it. I still managed to cram in a picnic in the park with just Marly and I while Ellie was in school. So, that was nice. Friday we ended up going to a last minute playdate at MOCA, which turned out to be nice. The kids could all play while Laurie, Tracy and I just sat a gossiped (yes, we did, I know horrible...but so nice on a Friday morning). We did a low-key family dinner at Chick-Fil-A. Phil went to do power hour (is anyone keeping score here?). Saturday morning we went for a walk/ride to my parents house for a swim. Phil did the yard. It was a nice day. That afternoon we celebrated Lauren's 35th Birthday. James did an awesome job planning the surprise party. We caught up with lots of friends we hadn't seen in a while. Sunday we went to mass and then to the Suter's the watch the Jags game. We're truly enjoying our club membership! We were treated to more fried goodies, pool time and fun. Poor Tracy had to do the clean up...just doesn't seem like she has the fun part. That evening I snuck out to buy a new router (thanks a lot, Phil) and set up for the MOPS meeting the next day. My brain was buzzing trying to whip up a few casseroles and make sure all details were taken care of. I've been staying up too late and Marly's wake up calls at 5:50 are no fun. But, Monday morning came and I was ready! I was jittery, but I think the meeting went really well. We played a good icebreaker so everyone could get to answer questions about themselves. We have 40 women, 16 of them are brand new to MOPS. 5 nurseries full of kids. Lots of wonderful thingscoming up this year. It's going to be awesome! I crashed at naptime, made some dinner and then snuck off again for book club. We discussed Little Bee. It was a very powerful book. Not easy to read, but necessary, I think. Today we dropped Ellie at school and then met Kara and her mom at MOCA again for a playdate. It's a good half-way point for us. I hadn't realized we hadn't caught up with them since early this summer. You know how time flies. This evening after dinner we went for a nice family walk while Ellie rode her bike. The weather feels like FL October. It's so nice! Marly climbed on top of the play car and busted her face. You would think she wouldn't climb on it anymore...ha! I'm having fun with my gals!

Little Miss Marly
9/16/2012
Marly gets the title this week. She needs some extra love and attention. She must sense the storm coming. Her sleeping has been off, lots of temper tantrums, crying & whining. Ah, my sweet middle child. I left Wednesday open as sorta a down day. We ended up running a few errands (I even redeemed a free oreo sundae coupon at 10am to bribe the girls into behaving: FAIL.) I did lots of organizing this week. I went through all the girls clothes and blended closets. Alfred helped Phil move the bunk bed so we can access the drawers a little better. I turned the guest room upstairs into a pseduo-library...with all the books and the kid's chairs. Just to give extra space in the bedrooms. We should not have to ever worry about space in this mansion, but we aquire so much STUFF that I often feel like I'm on a Hoarders episode. I volunteered to store all the MOPS donations for Jump N Jax (what was I thinking?) Phil has thought about murdering me on numerous ocasions. I have gone through everything, with the help of a MOPS pal to log it in, I just need to print tags. But, this has been exhausting! At the end of each day, the progress has felt so slow. I still have what feels like an endless to do list. Although, it feels good to write this because it makes me feel like I've accomplished a few things. The girls room is pretty much finished- complete with pictures on the wall! We are making some progress with the potty training. I switched the treats to plain M&Ms- maybe that + time is working. At home we are usually diaper-less but she still needs to wear one out and about. Thursday we dropped Ellie off at school and met up with Emma at Gymboree. It was a sweet class but I don't think I'd ever pay for it. Phil stayed late for a meeting so I finished up some monogramming and organizing. Friday we went on a beach playdate with our new friends from church. How cool! We finally made some church friends (cry room)! Our kids are the same ages. They were staying in a beach house in Fernandina. The girls and I went out there to spend the morning. It was super nice...a little rainy, but who cares, its the beach. Ellie pulled Marly on a boogie board, which was super cute. We drove back and had a failed attempt at naptime but luckily Phil came home early! That night we had our monthly CEE meeting. Ellie was running to get a cupcake after dinner and fell and hit a chair. Now she has this classy scrape on her forehead. So, the two girls look like they were in a nasty fight. I crashed Phil's impromtu guy's night and stayed up a bit later than I anticipated. Saturday morning Phil made us breakfast. He mowed the lawn while I took the girls with me to Target for my flu shot. My flu shot was free (a perk of my new insurance) plus I had this coupon for a free $10 Target card with a flu shot plus it counted for my pharmacy rewards (for a future 10% off)! Nice! We went up to Lilians to watch FSU cream Wake Forest. The girls and I left a half time for a nap. My parent's watched the girls while Phil and I met the Thompsons for dinner at Bistro Aix. This morning I made breakfast- cinnamon & raisen french toast. We went to mass and then to lunch with our new church friends! After nap we just hung out here and relaxed. My parents came to pick us up on the boat. But, Marly threw a huge tantrum so we made it quick. Bathtime put everyone in a better mood so we just read books. Phil was rough-housing with the girls (pretty common) and told Ellie he was going to put her in the crab trap. She screamed and said "No! You can't put me in the crab trap, then I can't protect Marly!" They fight and pick at each other but they are still pretty cute. Ellie calls her "Mar" and Marly calls her "Eddie". :-) It's been rough putting the girls to bed tonight. I'm not sure what I'll find when I go back up there. Well, this week I don't have much planned so maybe we can get in a lot of Marly and me time and work on her feeling better. Fun! Fun!

AHHHHHHH!
9/24/2012
I meant to write this post yesterday but I just ran out of time. Today deserves it's own entry or at least one for next week because it doesn't fit in with the theme at all. So, I'll work backwards. Today was a fun day- Monday=MOPS so I was buzzing yesterday and this morning prepping for our 2nd meeting of the year. We had a Wisdom Panel: a group of 4 more seasoned moms giving us tips and answering questions. It was super cool to feel the energy in the room! Lots of new people were there, everyone seemed excited. I love this! After the meeting the girls and I went down for a nice, much needed nap. When we woke up, I was brave and took them on a paddleboat ride. I don't think I've ever taken them both by myself- but the weather cooled down a bit, the water was calm, fish were jumping- I couldn't resist. It was a neat little tour, I'm glad I was brave. I made shrimp & grits again for dinner. Everyone was in a good mood. We went on a family paddleboat ride after dinner. The girls had a bath and are now in bed. What a great day! But, look back at the title...I could have used one of these days last week. I can't put my finger on the exact AHHH moment, but I did choose the title early in the week. I hosted a playdate here on Monday morning. I haven't been doing that, it just feels like a lot of work to clean up after more kids and cooking a meal for friends. But, I sucked it up and it was a nice morning. I cheated the meal by heating up cinnamon rolls and made some coffee- presto (it did take me 1 whole day to FIND the coffee- Marly was playing with it and I put it away and then lost where I put it). The Lauries came over and we had a nice chat downstairs over coffee while Cora and Ellie demolished the library I had put together last week. I know it's not great parenting to let the kids have full reign in the semi-kid proof upstairs but I was really seeking that mama-time. Yes, I did get my come-up'ins. I worked that evening tagging and logging the rest of those Jump N Jax donations for MOPS. This is a great example of me on being able to say "no". On Tuesday we dropped Ellie at school and then drove to drop off all the donations to be sold. My pal, Tracey helped a lot while her twins and Marly played with all the toys to be sold. We pissed off everyone else there- but we were moving as fast as we could. It was an exhausting, frustrating morning. The afternoon didn't get any better. We had a MOPS playdate at the Cummer but I was the only one to show up. I officially melted down that night. It wasn't pretty. We can just blame it on the pregnancy hormones at this point. You know when you just feel like there's not enough of you to go around? I go from room to room cleaning up, picking up, making meals, finding old sippie cups with milk residue from 2 days ago. Phil gets mad his clothes aren't clean or MOPS has taken over the dining room table. Beds always need to be made, clothes put away. I dropped my phone and it cracked AGAIN. Oh and it's going to get worse in a few months. Phil started helping a bit after my meltdown. Wednesday was better. We stayed at home all day. I worked on Marly's potty training- it's going super S-L-O-W. After nap we had the Berger family over while Tracey went to volunteer at Jump N Jax. All the kids played really well. I posted a picture on facebook titled "This is what it would be like if I had 5 kids and was pregnant with my 6th". Tracey and I agreed that next time, instead of volunteering we'd babysit swap to get a pedicure or facial. On Thursday Marly and I shopped at Jump N Jax, then played at a park with some MOPS friends and then I did a quick grocery run before picking up Ellie. Friday I was ahead of the game, went walking, packed a lunch and hit up the library. We ran into the Stanelle family- a MOPS pal I've been working to be-friend. We donated a bunch of books to the library. I tried to go donate at the Obama office, but they were all in a meeting. That was a little odd.



Fall in FL is HOT
9/30/2012
I just can’t cool off. I’m not great at taking showers, but I’ve gotten better this week…just to stop sweating. Oh, I’m the glowing pregnant lady alright. It’s pretty. Tuesday after dropping Ellie off at school, Marly and I went to the dentist. I got fitted for a night guard. I guess I grind my teeth at night. But, I think I only do it when I’m stressed (or at least just pregnant and during the Peace Corps). Then, we met mom and Suzanne for lunch at La Napolera- the way to brighten any day. Phil went to his buddy’s tax law class that night so we went walking with my friend, Gina. Ellie rode her bike but I think I messed up the training wheels putting the bike in the car so she fell a few times. It was a great catch-up session with her. Wednesday was nice and stressful in the morning. I signed up to bring meals to two friends who just had babies and I traded cars with Phil so I could take his in to get new tires. I made the meals put them in a cooler, loaded up the girls and headed out to Tires Plus. Waiting on a car with two kids is no easy task. We took the stroller down Baymeadows to Duncan Donuts. I read books with the girls. This only took up 30min. We took our time getting back…sweating like cheese in this “fall” weather. We came back to the car place and annoyed all the other people waiting, quickly going through the bag of toys I had brought to help entertain. Finally the car was ready (it really only took 2 hours, just felt like 6). We dropped off the first meal to Heather and baby Harper. In 5min we played with the baby toys, rubbed grimy hands on her new baby hands and put a pacifier in our mouth. I saw Heather wiping Harper’s hands and knew it was time to go. Next we went by Zung’s with baby Logan and left the meal on the front mat (literally). Nap time happened in the car (:-() so we had a long afternoon playing on the porch. I followed Alfred’s pork recipie and it was AMAZING! It worked! We had delicious pulled pork for dinner. It cooked low all day in the oven. I did worry the house was going to burn down, but I figured a neighbor would have called me. We rode bikes to the Freemans for a nightcap. It’s great to have Carl back! Thursday when Ellie went to school, Marly and I had a playdate with baby Will. Kat and I walked to Starbucks for a pumpkin treat. That night was Ellie’s open house at school. We chatted with her teachers, saw her artwork around the classroom and had a family taco dinner. It’s a sweet place. She really likes it. Friday morning we had coffee club! The topic was Dr. Shakil Afridi- the source for DNA identifying Bin Laden before the raid that led to his capture and death. We chatted about US aid to Pakistan. Pakistan’s relationship with Iran. It was a nice morning. Elizabeth saved me, no one else wanted to host for September so she took it over last minute. We all had a nice nap that afternoon. Phil came home early, which was nice. Suzanne came over with the boys to watch the girls so Phil and I could go out Latin dancing with the Freemans and Thakkars. Colin hurt his back so they were out for dancing. But, we all had a delicious Cuban dinner. Then, we did some salsa lessons (not as easy as I remember). Then, we heard the band that will be playing at Carl’s welcome home party in a few weeks. We stayed out late, I was tired. I think I’d be much more fun if I had some of the sangria. Saturday I got up and made pancakes. Miss Marly still isn’t sleeping great. I’m thankful for that nap time. We had a nice low-key day here at the house. We set up some crab traps, got crickets for fishing and put the paddleboat in the water. Phil’s friend from middle school came over, Marika. We got to meet her husband (master fisherman) and son. It was nice to just chill all day. We even got in a nice afternoon nap. Lots of babies were born this week. The Milfords had their twin boys. Meaghan had baby Poppy at HOME! Suzanne had her third baby, Tucker. Facebook is blowing up with newborn pics. I love it. (For some reason, I am having trouble linking so you can’t see all their pictures, sorry). Sat night we went to Sneakers for a family dinner and to see FSU beat USF. That was fun. This morning I made scrambled eggs for breakfast (my latest craving) and the girls and I went to mass while Phil did some massive yard work. We attempted this festival at a park, but it was so hot and anty so we let Ellie play in the bounce house and then went out for pizza. After a nice nap we watched the Jags game, went on a bike ride and then had a steak dinner. A relaxing weekend to kick off the week. Maybe October will be cooler?

Spa Week
10/7/2012
No, I didn't take off for Ponte Vedra or the Ritz Carlton, like my title suggests. (Although, it's a nice thought isn't it?) I was thinking my subjects have been complain-ish lately. And really, I don't have much to complain about. In thinking back on my week- I got a prenatal massage, eye brow wax and pedicure. Sounds like a great week to me! Monday we had no plans so Tracy and Tabby came over to hang out. We had PB&J for lunch and s'mores they brought. That night, my doula came over. We worked on my birth plan and then she gave me a fantastic prenatal massage for an hour. Can't beat a free massage in the comfort of your own home! We dropped Ellie at school then Marly and I went to my doctor's appointment. It was a lot of waiting, nothing new to report. Luckily, Marly was pretty good. We had lunch together at Chick Fil A in the hospital. It was a nice lunch date. Wednesday, I took Marly in for her 18 month appointment and Ellie got a flu shot. Dr. Thornton had lots of great things to say. Marly weighs 31.8 lbs and is 34.5 inches tall. She's as tall as a 2 and half year old! He was impressed with her running. After the appointment we went to celebrate my Godson, Owen's 6th Birthday! Since he broke his wrist (jumping off his bunk bed) they decided to keep it low key. We partied at McDonalds with a dinosaur cake! Yeah, Owen! Phil's parents came in town that night. We kept the girls up to greet them. I'm not sure that was a great idea, but the Bravos loved it. Thursday we woke up to a huge pancake breakfast. Phil went to work and the rest of us dropped Ellie off at school. I dropped Marly off with the "abus" and went to my MOPS Leadership meeting. We have lots of great things coming up in October. I was sad about half the group was missing, but what can you do. After the meeting I snuck in an eye-brow wax using the rest of a gift certificate I had gotten when I was pregnant with Marly. How can a waxing be a pleasurable experience, you might ask. Well, being kid free and doing something to beautify myself is very pleasurable, even if it's a bit painful. (Eye brow waxing doesn't even scratch the surface as far as pain & waxing go in my book ;-) Mom and Suzanne met me for a last minute lunch at Panera, which was really nice. I picked up Ellie and we all took an afternoon nap. I did the pulled pork again for dinner. This time I think I over-cooked it, but it was still eaten. Once the girls went to bed, Phil's parents tuned into their spanish novelas so Phil and I decided to go out. We had chocolate cake and hot chocolate at Biscotti's then hit the Brick for a drink. We crashed the Benton's 9th anniversary celebration and had a few laughs with them. It was a great impromptu date night! Friday, Phil left for work and we all went for a morning walk/bike ride. Ellie and I got hair cuts. Ellie had been saying she wanted her hair cut as short as Marly's. Now she has this stylish shoulder length cut. It's pretty cute. I snuck out for a pedicure before nap time. Now that was a treat! Phil came home early from work. We went out to Lola's for Latin cuisine and then took advantage of free babysitters again. We went to the Suters for beer and more s'mores. A few fun topics had me laughing so hard, I couldn't breathe. I love nights like that! Another morning of pancakes awaited us on Saturday. We took a trip to St. Augustine to look at condos in World Golf Village for the Bravos. We had lunch at the Gypsy sandwich place for lunch. Naptime was a failed attempt so we ended up going up to the pumpkin patch for pictures and a pumpkin. The girls and I carved a pumpkin, then baked the insides to make chocolate pumpkin cookies. We had wine night at the Holly's house. We hung out with this new couple and had another night of hard laugh..so much so that we didn't realize it was midnight! Woops! This morning was rough- especially in the cry room party at mass. The Bravos left right after to head home to Miami. Marly fell asleep on the way home so I tried to take advantage of the early nap time. We had lunch then Phil is tailgating and going to the Jags game. I took the girls for a swim at my parents. It was cold, but felt great for this preggo lady. Pumpkin chocolate cookies and leggo towers is on my agenda for tonight as we sit out in the "steam room" of this Florida fall.

Junk TV
10/14/2012
This week we spent a lot of time outside. The mornings were nice so we needed to max imize the coolER weather. Monday was Columbus Day so Phil had the day off. He was "sleepy" from the Jags game so when we left for MOPS, he was sleeping in. It was a nice & relaxing MOPS meeting- we did a craft. I'm not a very crafty person and don't get excited about craft meetings...I'd rather have a neat speaker. But from this new perspective of running a meeting, craft meetings are a breeze. I didn't even do the craft, I spent the whole time socializing and eating the delicious breakfast. We came home and went out for lunch (you know, because I was starving after eating all morning)- kids eat free on Mondays at Larry's Giant Subs, which didn't turn out to be a great deal after all. The girls and I took a nap while Phil did some yard work. Tuesday, after we took Ellie to school, Marly and I went walking with Kat & Will to Starbucks. I ran into Phil's old boss from the other bank...a slighly awkward conversation spiced up my morning! Wednesday we went to the grocery store and the girls were really bad. It was not a good experience. I thought about leaving my cart as is and just dipping out because Ellie especially was being so embarrassing. I don't know what their deal was, but it was awful. I ended up sticking it out and speeding up the second half of my trip, just because I needed the stuff. I packed a quick lunch and we met my friend Erin for a picnic at the duck pond park. Thursday, Marly and I had lunch with some of my old JU pals at our local Mexican dive. My pal, Bre is also preggo with her 3rd...we've been pacing each other for years. So, this will be fun. Friday we had a playdate at the Suter's and then walked up to their local fav, for amazing calzones. I've been watching some great TV. My shows are back up and running:Parenthood, Up All Night, The Office, Vampire Diaries and tonight The Walking Dead! I love getting excited about a show to watch at night once the girls are asleep. I enjoy my oreos or swiss cake rolls (since we recently had a grocery run, yes they were a need), watch my junk TV and take my break. It's great! Phil likes to watch reality shows. I get mad at him when he watches his 'junk tv' when the girls are up. Ellie sometimes gets mad at him for me: "Daddy, stop watching your junk tv and play with me."- awesome! We went to the library one afternoon this week to stock up on good reads. I finished Gone Girl this week...WOW! When I told Phil about the book, he compared it some of my junk tv...but isn't that "literature"? Suzanne and Jason had a romantic/party weekend in NYC so I helped watch the boys. Mom dropped them off after naptime on Friday. With Owen's broken wrist I was so paranoid. I was so sure he was going to hurt his other arm on my watch. We had a CEE meeting out atMarywood that night. Ellie slammed her finger in the car door as we were walking in- great start. All the kids played & ate pizza while we had our meeting. It worked out well. On the way back, I got a message from Suzanne's in-laws saying they were sick and couldn't help with the second part of the weekend watching the boys. Luckily, my fab babysitter was up for the challenge of two more kids...because we had a legendary party to prepare for! Saturday morning was a rough start. Marly woke first at 5am...super excited for more cousin playtime (she loves to harass Alex). I had all 4 kids riding bikes, scooters, wagons, etc by 8:30am out in the front yard. I waited until 10am to call my parents for reinforcements. They came by around 11am via boat and took us all on a nice, long boat ride. They dropped us off to enjoy naptime and took the boys for a few hours. A quick trip to Taco Bell to try the new Doritos taco and then we all enjoyed a nice, long nap. Our super sitter arrived and we were off to celebrate our neighbor, Carl's homecoming from a tour in Afghanistan. This was quite the party: 9 piece salsa band, cigar roller, scotch bar, margarita machine, Mojo's catering, Biscotti's cakes and lots of doctors. It felt like a wedding! And it was truly a perfect night for an outdoor party, light breeze and all. This morning was another tough one. The kids were up and excited to play pretty early. I bravely took them all to mass (Phil was invited to a last minute round of golf). I cried with tears of joy when I saw Miss Kim's car in the parking lot. I dropped off the younger 3 with her in the nursery and took Owen with me. It was really nice. The homily was even good- talking about how you're supposed to give away all your wealth... it's easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to get to heaven. COUGH, COUGH...hello, all you religious republicans out there...please tell me how you justify voting for Mitt?! I guess that's a whole other blog entry. I'm just tired of driving around town and seeing those signs. My whole street is covered with Mitt-ness. My next door neighbor, sweet Mr. Paul is actually pissed at me for not putting up a sign...as if! (Save it for coffee club, Lucy)...deep breath. Suzanne came and got the boys. They had a great time in NYC. The girls and I took a nice nap. Phil came back and we went to the FFC picnic. Met some more God squad pals. I got the girls down, took a shower and am now eagerly awaiting the new season premier of the Walking Dead! Happy October!

Political-ness
10/21/2012
On Monday we went on a last minute trip to the Hands on Childrens Museum. Laurie met us out there. It's a great play area for the kids, so its nice to have someone to talk to while they play. We packed a lunch to eat at this sketchy park down the street. Good way to kick off the week. After nap we went to the Zinns for a playdate. White wine and these chocolate-butterscotch things Laurie brought. It was nice. The kids trashed their house and yard- a perk to GOING TO a playdate. Don't worry, we did help clean up. Tuesday after dropping Ellie at school, we ended up not having plans (change of schedule) so Marly and I went to Walmart...I know a horrible thing to do on a Marly & Me day. But, I had to pick up our Halloween cards. We came home and Marly helped make pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. I had all that pumpkin puree from the one we carved a few weeks ago so we needed to use it. I got a craving for butterscotch from Laurie's dessert so I added those chips to the muffins, too. I only buy whole wheat flour and skim milk so these muffins weren't "OMG" or anything...but how do you go wrong with butterscotch and chocolate? That night, mom and I went to Suzanne's for a "Democrat Debate party". Obama did much better in this debate. I was proud. Wednesday morning my friend Tracey dropped off her twins for a babysitting swap. She went to FSCJ for a $16 European 90min facial! All the girls played really well, as long as everyone had a baby doll. I was ready for nap time! We went for an afternoon walk, trying to get in that cardio! Thursday was my turn for a facial! I dropped Ellie at school and met up with Tracey to drop off Marly and headed on my merry way. Just laying down for 90min was wonderful...the girl massaging my face was fantastic..what a break! I picked up the girls and headed home. I felt guilty about taking a nap after my morning so I did prenatal yoga instead (I should be doing more of that, actually). I've been feeling the baby move a lot, which is really neat. Lots of swirling & kicking going on in there already! That evening, we had the Freemans over for Chinese food (really, they came over with a bottle of wine and we made the guys go up to the corner dive to pick up the food...now that's the way to host a dinner party!). We talked politics the whole time. It was refreshing to have 2 smart, rich Democrats on my side! I think PB is still voting for Mitt, though. Friday morning was the most volatile coffee club meeting, yet! (I think that's a good thing). I hosted at our local pumpkin patch. It was a little too loud for my liking and the kids were tearing up the patch...while the mamas were on fire. I had to choose the political topic with the election looming. I was impressed Meghan was there with her baby Poppy she just had at home a few weeks ago. And April was there shortly after having her twins. Some super women! We had an almost even split with liberal and conservative- so the convo got spicey. I moved it over to the nearby park and the topic died, which was maybe a good way to end it. The girls and I made chocolate chip pumpkin cookies (with butterscotch). That night was Phil's Rotary Halloween party. We dressed as Mitt and Michelle...which I thought was a dynamite costume idea! I printed off color pictures to use as masks. I think we looked great. But, I posted our picture on FB and got NO comments...huh? We won the funniest costume at the party...but not overall. We were beat out by a butterfly catcher and butterfly- what? What's wrong with all these people?! Saturday morning I made pumpkin butterscotch waffles. (Am I overdoing it?) We went to the arts market and played at Boone park then headed home for a much needed nap. Marly at 5:30am is killing me. The plan was to take turns for a friend's farewell party that afternoon. I took the first shift and stayed for a few hours and a drink. One of our pals is moving to the ATL. I came home and went with the fam to a spaghetti dinner at church. Phil was supposed to take the 2nd shift but wasn't feeling well. We just relaxed here watching FSU beat Miami. This morning I took the girls to mass. After lunch I snuck off to my friend Amy's Spooks & Sparkles party. It was a nice chick-break in the middle of the day. We had dinner, bath & bed and now PB and I are waiting for the next episode of the Walking Dead. Yes!

Always a Good Time
10/28/2012
The tagline for BravoFam is 'always a good time'. We usually do have a lot of fun. Fun was one of the reasons I married Phil. He's a fun guy: loves to dance, play (drinking games, ultimate frisbee, night tag, monster, wrestle mania, basketball, etc), laugh and have a good time. So, together we try to have a good time. But there are sometimes when I use the "always a good time" sarcastically. Here are 3 examples: 1. potty training Marly this week (won't go into details for the readers with weak stomachs). 2. laying on the couch with a pounding headache while Ellie is sticking her finger in my belly button trying to feel the baby. 3. 5:15am holding Marly while she's throwing her morning tantrum to kick off the day because she wanted to open her string cheese herself. Now that is some fun! (sarcasm) I did get a dozen red roses this week, though. Phil said he felt bad for me for having to get up early with Miss Marly every morning. It felt great to be recognized. MOPS was cool this week. We had Cathy Hardageand Stephanie Kowald talk to us about brain development in little ones, how they learn and how their minds work. That night I went to book club to discuss the Family Fang. The general consensus was dislike, I believe. I thought it was entertaining, though. I think Gone Girl was much better. I finished that one last week. Suzanne watched Marly on Tuesday so I could go do my glucose test. I was glad to get the drink ahead of time so I didn't have to wait too long. I've been feeling the baby hiccup a lot, which is neat. This morning in church, Phil and I were watching my belly move while the choir was singing (horrible music). When the music stopped, the baby did too. Ha! Wednesday I watched Alex while Suzanne was at Halloween Horror Nights with her friend. He and Ellie did yard work in the their back yard. Skipping a nap was tough for both Ellie and I. Thursday we brought dinners to some friends: pork chops and sauerkraut. I made these lime cookies. We have this fab lime tree and I'm out of ideas for lime use. Oh, I cooked a chicken this week, too! My pal, Naugle is my go-to for great dinner ideas. She helped me through the process. I even made sausage soup with the broth and chicken salad. Friday was an awesome day (example of good time). We had a MOPS playdate at the Sykes & Cooper farm corn maze . It was overcast and windy. We started with the corn maze, which turned out to be a good idea. It was tough to get through. We saw some goats, chickens and pigs. Ellie jumped on this huge inflatable bubble. Marly loved the bouncy slide in the kiddie area. They both loved the super fast slide and the corn pit. I think everyone had an awesome time. I passed out for naptime, for sure. That evening we had a MOPS & POPS happy hour...which turned out to be a guys night, really. So cute watching the guys exchange phone numbers at the end of the night. We even had an after party at our new friend's house...location of the MOPS Christmas party ;-) Thanks so much, Harmon fam! Saturday we had breakfast with the Suters at Cool Moose. Then, we hit up a Halloween party at Ace Hardware. We now have our own little pumpkin patch at the front door. That afternoon we hosted a last minute GA-FL party with the Suters and Freemans. The weather has been nice and cool. It was neat to have the porch door open while the kids ran wild. We went to bed early last night, which was wonderful. Today after mass we celebrated Luke Hopkin's first Birthday party with a train theme. The girls and I came home for nap time while Phil watched the Jags game at the Leens. This evening we went to an awesome Kids Halloween party with a pumpkin carving contest. I think I should have gotten some sort of prize. I carved it to look like the head was on fire and put a tiki torch inside for the flame to be coming out the top. Pretty awesome, I think. Nada. That's okay though- it was still a super fun party. Ellie went to sleep with her glow stick. We sure are enjoying our Halloween. I love re-living my childhood with these kids. See, it always is a good time! :-)

Halloween Week
11/4/2012
I almost wrote the blog at 5:30 this morning (adjusted time) but thought I better not write while in a crabby mood. So, now I'm in full zombie mode, trying to keep the 2 little monsters awake long enough til bedtime. Luckily, I get to sneak out tonight for a girls night (great planning, Kat) so Phil will be left with the ticking time bombs. Perfect tone for the Walking Dead tonight. We've enjoyed this Halloween season. This week especially was packed with holiday fun. Monday was the MOPS Halloween party. We did ghost bowling, pin the face on the pumpkin, made ghost lolly pops (how about that Will Rudder sitting on top of the table trying all the lolly pops before finding his favorite!), super spooky treats, Charlie Brown Pumpkin Patch movie and a costume parade through St. Marks. That was fun! Ellie has Fun Fall Week at school this week. They did all sorts of fun things, that I don't know about...because for some reason she doesn't like to tell me about school on the way home. Sometimes it creeps into conversations later. Is that normal? I got my new mouth guard from the dentist. It's pretty sore at first but I think I'm getting used to it. Maybe it depends on how tired I am. And should I be wearing it while I practice my hypnobabies? I'm kicking myself for throwing out my retainer after college! Wednesday was Halloween and we had no plans. We went to Target and spent way too much money. But I needed to get Ellie some warmer clothes. She refuses to wear anything other than sweat pants (jeans are too "scratchy") so we compromised on a few new pairs of tights and undershirts for her summer dresses. (I thought the sassy stuff isn't supposed to start until 3rd grade?!) They wore their costumes to Tijuana Flats and got free meals, so that was a fun thing. After nap we had a grilled cheese to go and began our trick or treating early. First, a trip to Mimi & Papa's then to Ellie's school for a trunk or treat. We finished much faster than anticpated and still had time to do our whole street. Half way down they were having a party, knowing we were the only trick-or-treaters so Phil got a few beers, we picked up some grandkids to finish the street. The girls did well...neighbors gave toys, money and even a whole candy arrangements! Wow! Don't worry, I've eaten most of the good stuff so the girls teeth probably won't rot too quickly out of their heads. Thursday I had a MOPS Leadership meeting, which was pretty depressing because everyone I had on the agenda to cover items didn't show up. So, we spent the first 30 minutes (and precious babysitting time) chatting. I know MOPS doesn't rate as high on everyone else's list. But it sometimes sucks when I'm stuck putting in the time solo. Maybe its just the season for more to take than give. Not much I can do about it at this point. Meanwhile, I'm trying to figure out who can take my role for next year. Marly and I picniced in the park before picking up Ellie. We made a few friends and enjoyed the cooler weather. That night the girls and I did the Light The Night walk. It was a great night to walk the bridges downtown. It was a bit chaotic, especially later when the girls were tired. But, it was so cool to see all the lit balloons and walkers in front of us! Friday we headed to the library. I got some books to read to the girls and got in line to vote early. A nice old lady in front of me told me to sit at a table and she'd some and get me. SO NICE! We only waited about 20-30min, not too bad and even made it in time for story time with William and Tabitha. After the story part they had stations with arts & crafts, which was super cool. Maybe that can be our new Friday thing. We picked up my mom and headed to Cracker Barrel for lunch. Mom wanted to buy the girls Thanksgiving dresses she had seen and wanted to be sure of the sizes. Marly was warm and snotty so I gave her some tylenol and tried to encourage a long nap, which didn't happen. We hit the St. Marks Fall Festival. I had high hopes thinking of our church carnival. Not so much. We almost missed it. Ellie was traumatized when the bounce house deflation began. We had 4 hotdogs and were home by 7:30pm. We crammed in a meeting with some hopeful new friends. Saturday Phil got up with the girls (I don't think he was really excited about this) and made us an egg & sausage breakfast. We hit up MOSH for a few hours and then 5 Guys for lunch. Phil planned a last minute party at the Suters. It was so relaxing to eat good, cheap pizza, laughing so hard I was crying while my kids were sleeping at someone else's house. It's the little things, right? I needed that to prep for this morning when Marly decided she wasn't participating in Daylight Savings. Halloween candy and a diet coke has gotten me through this nutty/off schedule day. We got in a boat ride with the cousins, which helped. Of course Miss Kim didn't show up for mass (only when I need her most) so we got brave and took both girls in to the "big church". Marly slept through it (lucky) and Ellie was pretty good until the very end. So now it's November and the fall is flying! Before I know it, I'll be blogging about a new little person in our lives- wow! Oh the fun ahead! Time to sneak out for girls night...woooo whooo!

Potty Training Boot Camp
11/12/2012
We didn't have plans Monday-Wednesday and I decided not to make any. I decided we needed to take Marly's potty training up a notch. It's my fault we've been so slack. It's just hard to remember to put her on the potty every half hour. So, I set a timer for every 20 or 30 minutes. By Tuesday, it was like Pavlov's classical conditioning. Everytime she heard the timer, she'd run to the potty. Wednesday I didn't use the timer. Ellie also got a treat from the "boo box" everytime Marly went. As you can imagine, by Wednesday night there was not much left of our Halloween candy. I too got a treat, of course. At this point, I'd like to announce that Marly is pseudo-potty trained! What does that mean? Well, I don't trust her in plain panties out in public. She still has accidents. I put her in a pull up when ever we go anywhere I'd be embarrased if she had an accident. (Bad experiences with Ellie at La Nap, Target and Winn Dixie). It was sorta rough being at home all day for three days, but we made the most of it. We went in the paddle boat a lot for our manatee encounters. Seriously, this is so cool! Check out the video I posted in the video section. There are so many manatees in our cove they are practically rolling around on each other! I told Phil we could charge admission! I don't think my video page gets lots of hits, but it deserves the attention, I promise. Tuesday night was pretty exciting because my pal, Obama won again! Phil stayed up to make sure. I went to sleep earlier, quite cocky. It was nice. After a few days of bitterness, the Republicans have finally gotten quiet. My doula came over for my free prenatal massage on Wednesday night. Doesn't get much better than that. I listened to my hypnobirthing during the massage, which was pretty neat. Thursday when Ellie went to school, Marly and I went to get my rH shot. We had some time so we stopped in at MOSH before a lunch date. We ended up crashing the Freemans & Thakkars playdate. We dipped out and met up with some JU friends for lunch at our fave Mexican dive near the campus. We ran into other ole JU pals, too. So, that was really cool. A nice blast from the past. Friday we went back to the Webb library for our new weekly storytime. It's really the art after the storytime that's so neat. We met up with the Suters for dinner at Hurricanes. But they stopped by first for a spin on the boat in manatee cove. Dinner was nice and hectic. We green-lighted the Leens for a throw back Friday night gathering. The girls stayed up late playing in the chuck-e-cheese toy factory of Williams. Saturday morning I whipped up some chocolate chip pancakes, took the girls to see more manatees then enjoyed the morning outside riding bikes in the yard. Phil did some yardwork. Suzanne came over with the boys for a boat ride. Phil talked Suzanne into taking Ellie to Mimi & Papa's for a few hours while he had a playdate with Tabby. I snuck out and went to Abiona's baby shower at Maggianos. Wow! Very classy! I ate myself silly and enjoyed meeting her family and having afternoon girltime. Tracy drove so we got all caught up in the car (yet somehow missed the whole Vampie Diaries conversation). That evening we headed to the Freemans for a dinner party. We ended up staying super late (still paying the price with Miss Ellie) but everyone had such a good time, it was tough to leave. The kids all played together all over the house and yard. It was a nice, chilly night. Sunday was rough. I took the girls to mass (in their new super cute turkey dresses from Mimi) then came home. We went to lunch at Panera and then Phil did some shopping at Steinmart. After naps we did another paddleboat excursion but managed to thumb my parents down. So, we got picked up for a big boat ride, too. Burgers on the grill for dinner, kids in bed at 6:30pm...you'd think I had plenty of time to blog before the Walking Dead. But, no, I was running around getting everything ready for MOPS today. Throwing together a meeting with no speaker, making last minute cheese grits, updating nursery changes since many schools were out for Veterans Day, monogramming a onesie for a new mom...whew! Speaking of Veterans Day, thank you to all those who have served. We truly do appreciate you. I was sure thankful to have the banks closed today because I needed Phil's help. So much for me bragging about feeling good this pregnancy, as I did the toilet tango all night. I'm not sure if I ate something funky or if my body was saying "SLOW DOWN". The later happens a few times a year. Let's just say this morning was rough. I was very happy to have the MOPS support group (someone even shared a Zofran with me!) even if we were talking about food the whole time (recipe swap). It worked out to be a good meeting. I came come and crashed. After nap, Phil took the girls to the park. I was feeling better and let him leave to go to a board meeting tonight (after he bathed the girls). Soup for dinner and bed very soon for me. Just thought I'd do a quick blog first, since I know you all rush to check out our week on Monday morning!

Wedding Weekend Warriors
11/18/2012
Loving this smart phone on days like today. We're driving back from the Clearwater area from a legendary wedding weekend uniting the Skwara and Curran families. Great time to blog! Let's chat about the week. I had my 30 weeks doctor appointment on Tuesday. Suzanne came over to watch Marly for me, which was nice. I will still pretty weak. All is well with the baby. I got to talk with Dr. Caccam, the doc who delivered Ellie. Mom took us to lunch at Panera afterwards. Wed was coffee club at Tracy's with a slack attendance. Maybe we scared all the conservatives after last month? But, who cares because Tracy made her homemade cinnamon rolls from scratch! We discussed global warming. No debate, but I guess there doesn't always have to be. Thursday I took Marly to O2B Kids for morning magic. It was nice to just have a playdate for us, geared for Marly. It was some Thanksgiving celebration so we got all these treats. They did music, art, gym and storytime. Really sweet. (But, not something I'd regularly pay for) I'm spoiled by the public library. Marly was a bit sick and whiney so I gave her tylenol. She slept it off okay. Friday morning we got up and out to begin celebrating the wedding. Andrew is Phil's best friend. Sure to be a good time when these guys get together. It's fun to watch Phil in love with this guy. We stayed at this great hotel on the bay. We had lunch and checked out the cool pirate ship splash park. Phil went off to do best man duties and the girls and I met them all at the rehearsal dinner...Crabby Bills, a restaurant a block from the hotel. I had found a babysitter (via Facebook) to come to the hotel both nights at 8pm so we could stay out and party. I was kicking myself for not having her come earlier Friday night. We skipped naptime and the girls were melting at dinner. I made it back just in time to hear the groomsmens speech. They did a funny top 10 things you need to be happily married to Andrew. They had props and everything. We continued the party at the hotel bar. It was great catching up with all the FSU buddies and meeting Jennie's family. We even saw some friends of theirs from our trip to Nashville a few years ago. Fun! I dipped out around midnight to relieve the sitter. Saturday morning was rough. The girls and I hit the beach and CVS to replace broken flip flops. Then we hit up the pools. It was chilly out there at 8am. The best was the bubbles in the jacoozie. We made it back for the 10am mini golf championship. Then lunch and a much needed naptime! The actual wedding ceremony was at sunset on the beach. I had never been to a wedding in the sand. It was really beautiful & romantic. Their vows made me tear up, even with two kids fighting over shells at my feet. The reception was back at the hotel. The girls were cute running around the place, Ellie enjoying her first shirly temple! After they ate, I brought them back to the room and got them settled. I was back super quick this time and hardly missed a thing. Lots of dancing! Oh what fun! The after party in the lobby bar was great, too. Another rough morning for me with the girls. At least they slept in a bit this time (7). But the jacoozie was out of order and the pirate pool was being cleaned. We went back to the room and blew bubbles til the pool was ready. But then it was really nice when the sun came out. That splash park was perfect for the girls. We met everyone for the farewell brunch. One last hurrah before heading out. So now we're driving back to reality, discussing the fun of the weekend. So thankful!

Oh So Thankful
11/25/2012
It was a cold, drizzly dark week...perfect for November. It just makes me feel better about enjoying hot chocolate with a good show. I let the girls endulge while watching the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving a few times this week. We started out the week with a MOPS playdate at this cool park. Everyone brought an item for a basket to be left in the waiting room of the Ronald McDonald House. And somehow I still have all the baskets and stuff in my trunk. Waiting on info from RMDH. While Ellie was in school, Marly and I met up with Tabby to ride the OP mall's train and play in the play area. Miss Marly has been throwing some horrible temper tantrums this week. Crying and whining a lot. I've been asking everyone's opinion and getting all sorts of feedback. But, I think I finally figured out that she's just tired. We moved the pack n play into the guestroom and Phil has pushed me to let her just cry it out in the middle of the night. She was waking up sometime between 4-6 and I would go in there and lay down with her til she fell back asleep. I just didn't want her waking up Ellie. Well, Phil's advice has paid off. The last two days, she's woken up, cried for 30ish minutes and then gone back to sleep...to sleep 12 hours! I know, I shouldn't post this and jinx myself. But, the point is, that earlier in the week her temper tantrums were driving me insane. The last few days have made a world of difference. Wednesday I took the girls shopping to Winn Dixie. My mom happened to be behind us in line and saved me. She helped me unpack my groceries and took Ellie home with her for a little while. For all you that hold your nose up when you hear I live 26 houses down from my parents....BOO YA in times like this! I needed that mini break for sure! I had just enough time to put the groceries away, get Marly and I a snack and pee. Then, we went to meet up with my dad and the cousins for lunch. Thanksgiving Day was pretty low key compared to years past. We had mom and dad here in the morning for breakfast to watch the Macy's Day parade. I made Laurie's shrimp & grits. Phil made the eggs benedict. Later we headed down to their house for the big meal. I made a squash casserole and the Suter's buffalo chicken dip for an appetizer. Our cousin, Natalie came up from Orlando with her kids: Emily & Robby. We also had Fr. Vic and Ft. Kiran over. We basically ate all day. We went on a boat ride after the meal to check out the manatees in our cove (I can never get tired of watching them!) French silk, pumpkin and pecan pies for dessert. We read the Elf on the Shelf that night for bed. Our Elf has been renamed to Miss Elizabeth. I went to sleep at like 9:30 that night and didn't get out of bed until 8am. I don't think I've slept that much in YEARS. Phil made us pancakes for breakfast. We attempted a St. Johns Town Center trip. (Black Friday, crazy I know) Phil got a steal on a new pair of kahkis. But, it was Ellie who melted on this trip. They rode the train, played in Pottery Barn Kids and Barnes in Noble and then we headed back home. Marly and Phil took a nap and then we headed to the Suter's for a post Thanksgiving feast with the Leens. We're still talking about the sweet potato casserole and the cranberries. Suzanne and the boys came over to watch the girls so we could go with my parents to the Sullivan girls debutante party. WOW! Band, bars, catered by Liz, huge mansion on the St. Johns. I'm speechless. It was neat seeing lots of folks we haven't seen in a while. Phil and mom were ready to party all night but dad and I were ready for bed. Saturday we got our Christmas tree. Christmas is not really Phil's thing. But now I have 2 little helpers! Mom and Suzanne picked me up for lunch. They took me to the Yacht Club to celebrate the new baby. They even gave me baby books and picture frames...very sweet. I got home in enough time to still participate in nap time. Phil took Ellie to watch the FSU-UF game while Marly and I did more decorating. So sad about our loss. That evening we had dinner at mom and dad's then took a boat ride downtown for the Light Parade. It was cold but awesome. I've been wanting to do that for years. We had a great view of all the boats up close! This morning we all slept in til 8! After a quick breakfast we went up to mass but Miss Kim wasn't there. The girls came with us to the "big church". They were pretty good, not great...but it was good to practice. More decorating then we went to Tijuana Flats for lunch. After nap we went on a family run...well Phil ran. I walked with Marly and Ellie rode her bike. Then a paddleboat ride (more manatees!!!) and the girls and I made lime cookies. I think we picked the rest of the limes. Well, I've enjoyed my week of hybernating and eating!

Kicking off Advent
12/2/2012
Whew! One of those evenings...two babes fighting bedtime. But, we got it, they are in bed upstairs. We made it! This week began with a MOPS meeting. We did theHusband Project, which is a really great gig. I think I'm going to save it for a low point. We're in a good spot right now. We had book club that night at Regan's to discussCity of Thieves. It was a great discussion. She's always so good with the theme. It turned into a chat about circumcision. On Tuesday, after Ellie went to school, my friend Tracey took Marly and I headed to Baptist for a doctor's appointment. I had an ultrasound, which I was kina peeved about since I didn't/don't think I really needed one and had to pay $75. I had been measuring big a few weeks in a row but of course now everything is fine and on target. The only thing is the baby is upside down (breech) so now I'm slightly stressed. It's not too big a deal now, though. That explains the pain in my ribcage, though...a head! I had a meeting for MOPS to discuss the nursery then headed back to get Marly and pick up Ellie. Wed morning we checked out the new Toddler Power Hour downtown. It was cute, not many people there, though. We checked out lots of Christmas books. We met Erin for lunch at a park and had a picnic and saw the ducks. Thursday I watched the twins so Tracey could get her hair done. Marly had fun with them, it was a neat playdate. That night I went to Grassroots for a MOPS girls night. They had champagn and all these samples of products for us to try. We did a scavenger hunt and got a tour of the store. Super cool! Phil's been working late pretty much every night this week. Mom & dad came to watch the girls until he got home so I could still do the GNO. Poor Phil, but I think he got everything finished and caught up by Friday afternoon. I missed him coming home "on time". Friday we did the Webb library story & art time. The girls were pretty bad for the story portion. But, the art was great. Mom came over to watch the girls for a bit so I could volunteer for the Art & Antique Show for the Women's Board. I just sat at the info desk the whole time, but I got to listen to this awesome 3 piece string quartet. We had the Suters over for burgers and just did a real casual dinner. Tracy spiced it up by making a delicious dessert. The guys played Johnny 40 Hands. Sorry, can't post that pic. Saturday morning Phil went into work. The girls and I headed out to the River Walk for this community event. According to the weather report it was supposed to be in the 70's but it was chilly and drizzly when we got down there. So, we ended up at MOSH and then I took the girls to chick fil a for lunch (coupons). We crashed a Birthday party, which worked out great. I came home and put the girls down and noticed the toilet was broken and leaking all the way to the 1st floor! I freaked and called Phil to come home. We got a plumber (thanks, Alfred) and got it fixed for pretty cheap so it all worked out okay. Pretty stressful, though. After a late naptime we went to the Christmas in Avondale for a bit. The snow sledding thing was cool. We gave the girls a quick dinner, had Emily the babysitter come then we went to wine club. Another fun night. The conversation probably got way too inappropriate. We might get cut from the club. But, I laughed so hard my sides hurt (Steve Harmon). This morning I took the girls to church, yeah for Miss Kim being there! I was able to hear Fr. Kiran talk about Advent being a season to remain vigilent and ready as we wait for Christmas. I'm going to miss that guy (he is being transfered to a church in St. Aug). It's a great message, though. I love this time of year. I love having a packed schedule with lots of fun things to do. All the stressors as we ready for the big day. Craigslist hounding, card writing, checking my evite account, booking sitters, oh the planning. It was nice to remember to just be quiet, stop and enjoy the true spirit of the season. That's so hard to do sometimes. We went to the Kerkezi's for lunch. Jason's mom is in town so we were able to visit with her. Naptime was not very smooth. Ellie was a pain all evening. We picked oranges at my parents while Phil helped moved some furniture. My parents are re-doing their bathroom & closet upstairs. We did a quick Publix run, mainly to get sushi for dinner. (I still heart Winn-Dixie, its way cheaper, I don't care what you Southern Saver people say). So, that's our week. Another one, flying by! Let the Christmas season begin!

Happy Birthday to Me!
12/11/2012
Is my readership down? It's Tuesday night and I haven't gotten one request for a new post. Maybe you all just know I'm busy partying like a rockstar. I love my Birthday. I don't know why lots of people down-play their day. I mean, you only get one a year. Where it's all about you- celebrating your stuff. I have learned to make my own day a success. A guarantee. I'm much happier after making that decision. It is different with kids, though. They knew it was my Birthday...but I still had to get up early, clean up poop, make meals and deal with temper tantrums. It's just a season, though, right (motherhood). Monday we had the MOPS Breakfast with Santa. He & Mrs. Claus made a special appearance, just for us. We decorated cookies, made crafts, watched a movie, read books and visites with St. Nick. A few kids in front of us, the baby freaked out. So, of course that started a chain-reaction. Marly was not a fan. Great picture, though. I didn't expect to be in it, please note. That night, my doula came over for my monthly massage. Amazing, as always. And guess what, for the last month of my pregnancy, I get a free massage every week! Oh yeah! Tuesday I ended up getting a last minute sitter for Marly and attempted a facial at FSCJ. On my way out there, I called to get an appointment and found out they weren't taking any. Bummer! I turned around and ended up at Walmart (of all places). (Here I am paying precious cash to go to Walmart!!) I zipped in for quick Christmas shopping and zipped out. Marly and I still had plenty of together time. Phil brought home a pizza for dinner. He got me a gift this year. He did a sweet job and had the girls sign a card and bring my the present- a neckless and bracelets. But the BEST gift was the snore guard he brought home! Can you believe it?! No more snoring from Phil! YESSSS! Wednesday, my actual Birthday was a great day. I loved getting lots of calls, texts, emails, facebook messages and gifts from all sorts of people. It was awesome. I even got 2 sets of flowers! Roses from Aunt Susan! And a nice arrangement from the Ortola Ramon Voloshin combo! Wow! We attempted the Barnes & Noble story time, which was closed for the month :-( then met Phil for lunch at Let's Nosh. The beauty of this place is their kids corner with games! That night I had a Birthday party. I invited lots of girlfriends to meet up at a pedicure place. I provided wine and snacks. It was so much fun to have a girls night and catch up with everyone. Wonderful way to end my night! Thursday I kept the party going. The MOPS Leadership team went to Blue Fish for a nice dinner. I actually did conduct a meeting and amazingly we got a lot accomplished for January and even Feb. I did a trade with my neighbor, Steph. She made wreaths for all my windows in the front and I did some monogramming for her. The wreaths look awesome, it just took me a bit to figure out how to get them up (suction hangers). Friday we were all over the place. Walked with Gina first thing, then to Ellie's school's silent auction (I ended up winning 2 items!), downtown art time, a downtown holiday festival and then lunch with a clown! I was able to catch up with some PR pals from my working days and talk the circus folks into hooking up MOPS for circus tickets! That night was Phil's Breakfast Club's Holiday party. The Napoleons hosted a sit down dinner! It was super nice! I loved getting to catch up with everyone. Phil gets to see the guys on a regular basis. But, some of the wives I haven't seen in months! It ended up being a late night. And we paid the price. I woke up Saturday morning to Ellie telling me Marly had gotten into a blue marker. Not the blue one. The PERMANENT blue one I keep/KEPT in the back of the kitchen drawer to write names on sippy cups!!! As I laid on the kitchen floor googling how to get up PERMANENT marker, I realized...wow, Marly did a great job coloring in the lines. Wait, this is not the coloring of Marlyn Maria (that's the red permanent marker all over her), this is Miss Elizabeth Dane! We've had lots of conversation about lying this weekend. And the blue marker is no longer. Our fault, I know. Poor parenting. I don't want to hear it. It still sucks. And yes, it is still PERMANENT. It was a rough morning. I took the girls outside for most of the day so I wouldn't strangle them in the house. The best part: Elizabeth the Elf was hanging right over the whole scene- watching it all. I escaped the house by meeting my mom, sister and dad downtown for dinner before the Nutcracker (a Birthday gift). Lucky! Sunday was better. We went to mass and had the new priest, Fr. Dan. I think I like him! Dad came over and helped fix Phil's bike and Marly's car seat. We put the new baby's carseat in the car to start practicing. The girls are learning to buckle themselves in. That evening we did our neighborhood progressive dinner. Five of us hosted, it was a great turnout. Monday was a MOPS Monday. A craft meeting making jars of brownie mix. It was nice & relaxing. Last night we had the Book Club Christmas party at Black Sheep. The point was to sit at the rooftop bar, which didn't happen. But, we pretty much closed the place down having pretty good conversations (not about books). This morning Marly and I had a nice morning going to the park, my doctor's appointment then Chick Fil A for lunch. It turned dark when we picked Ellie up and naptime was ruined. Luckily today was a pretty day so we went on a bike ride and they played outside a lot. I finished all the Christmas cards! Whew! Now, I just have to get them out. I finally took a break from partying and stayed in tonight. Phil's at his Rotary party solo. Don't worry, I'll pick back up with the partying...there's still more to come!

'Tis the Season
12/19/2012
Another late post, 'tis the season. So far I have lost a Christmas present (sorry Vane, it's gotta be somewhere), lost my mp3 player with my Hynobabies (I think it was actually swiped) and baby Jesus is missing from the manger scene. On Wednesday we went caroling at the nursing home. For a moment there, I thought I was going to go solo...luckily, a few others showed up. It was a weak crowd compared to last year, but I still think it's great to go...even if I have to do it solo at some point. We did a playdate at Jean's afterwards. Thursday, Marly and I did the Morning Magic at O2B Kids. I thought it was their holiday party but that's this week. We invited the Freemans and Evans to join us. We kina did our own thing instead of following the schedule. Art was the best. Marly did some super cute handprint Santa's. I'm going to put them in her baby book- that good! I rushed out to meet up with my old pal, Michelle to pick up some monogramming work before picking up Ellie. Phil had his bank party that night and I bravely took the girls with me to a Penance Service at Most Holy Redeemer. I know it was nuts to do something like that at bed time. But, I really like the Penance Services and this is the only one I could go to this season. The girls were actually pretty good considering and I felt clensed. :-) Friday morning Suzanne hosted coffee club. The topic was "Should Susan Rice succeed Hillary Clinton as the new Secretary of State", which ended up being a moot point after she withdrew her consideration the day before. We still discussed it, though. I left early and headed to Ellie's Christmas play at school. Phil, Suzanne and mom came, too. It was cute. She was dressed as Mary and sand a song about the stable. We all had lunch at Moe's after talking with her teachers and seeing her classroom. I wanted to make sure mom and Suzanne knew the lay of the land in case they are needed next month to help get Ellie or drop her off. Nap time was unsuccessful so we did an exhausting Winn Dixie run then picked Phil up from work and headed to St. Augustine for the Winter Wonderland. The girls liked the elf village and train ride the best, I think. There was also a bounce house, obstacle course, ice slide, santa visit and toddler play area. I ended up selling our ice skating tickets and making the living social deal totally worth it. Saturday morning we rode bikes while Phil ran to mimi & papa's to get more oranges for juice. We came home and started on Christmas cookie baking when I broke the kitchen sink. I think it ruined Phil's day- he went to Lowe's to buy a new faucet and called a bunch of plummers. We didn't get one to come over til Sunday afternoon. Luckily, we have the wet bar as a backup. We did make Christmas cookies, which the girls loved. It was messy, but worth it. I think I've eaten cookies for at least one meal a day since then. Don't judge. After nap we headed over to the Suter's for Tracy's Fondue to Celebrate 32 party. The girls adore Tabby so the three of them enjoyed wrecking the house while we binged on cheese & chocolate fondue. Great night! I know Phil had a great time after a long, dark week. (He hates this time of year, with no sunlight). Sunday morning I made blueberry pancakes, with the last of the blueberries we picked this summer. The girls and I headed to mass while Phil stayed home to meet the plummer (who actually didn't come til that afternoon). We did finally get the faucet fixed so yeah, I can do dishes again, sweet. That evening we dropped the girls at my parents and headed out to the MOPS Christmas party. It was also the luminaries in Avondale. We spent lots of time in the front yard next to the fire. It was a perfect night. I loved chatting with all the MOPS folks, what a great group. As usual, we stayed way late. Monday we went walking and picked up the Freemans and headed over to a new neighbor's house. Well, they've lived here for a year now so they aren't so new...but we finally made it over to welcome them. Another young couple, pregnant with their first child. We stayed at the Freemans for a playdate. Such a beautiful day, I loved relaxing in their back yard while the kids had full reign on all the great toys in the fab, fenced in yard! Marly was coughing and running a fever so her sleep schedule was off meaning no naptime for me. I tried to cuddle and spoil her a bit. It was sad hearing her cough. It only lasted a few days, though. I attribute that to all the fresh OJ she's drinking. We did an afternoon Target run, spending too much money as always. The girls picked out presents for their cousins at the dollar store. I put together & wrapped some gifts. I stayed up super late finishing a monogramming order and just organizing & cleaning. Yesterday I took advantage of the Murray Hill MOPS Moms morning out. I was skeptical at first- not too organized. But, I'm proud of how much I was able to get done that morning. Nothing fun, just chores. Mailed some packages, dropped off overdue baby gifts, got my laptop looked at and delivered a monogramming order. The girls had a blast, though...which made it worth it. That afternoon the girls helped me bake cookies for Kat's cookie swap last night. I cheated, they aren't real cookies...just pretzels with caramel and an M&M on top. The swap was lots of fun. I ate lots of cookies, got great new baby news and caught up with some pals. I also came home with an obsene amount of cookies! Yes! This morning we were all over the place. We started out with mass at Owen's school. We skipped out right before his Christmas play to make it in time for Alex's play at his school (same time, poor Suzanne). Luckily, they have lots of support here in town so we split up. Alex's program was short and sweet..even Santa showed up! Then, we raced over to Argyle for a playdate. Another perk of being MOPS coordinator is you get invited to the groups playdates (sometimes). This one was awesome. Gina's house is perfect for a playdate- tons of toys, 2 playrooms downstairs, fenced in back yard. We were able to sit on the couch and chat while the kids ran amok! We made handprint ornaments, too! We probably overstayed our welcome, but naptime was successful today! This afternoon we enjoyed another beautiful day outside in the front yard. Phil's out on a run and I'm finally blogging instead of doing monogramming work. I feel like I should say something about the incident in CT last week...since I'm a mom and it scares the crap out of all of us. But, I don't want to give it any attention. I'm so sad for the families of the victims and found this comforting. I feel so blessed for all that I have been given. I love seeing Christmas through the eyes of the girls- Marly pointing at the Santa and saying "ho ho ho". Ellie freaking out every morning over where the Elf is hidden. They are loving this, too. So much fun- 'tis the season!

Merry Christmas!
12/27/2012
Christmas came and went, too quickly, as always. It was awesome having all my siblings here in town. But, it was slow going at first. I felt like we were so scattered. Thursday, I met Suzanne at a park in Mandarin with all the kids while we waited for Katie and Erik to fly in. (Erik flew to DC to spend a few days with Katie <and meet the BF> so they flew down together). We welcomed them at Metro Diner (Ellie and I wore our Erik shirts). We all hung out at the Kerkezi's after lunch. Katie stayed there, I dropped Erik off at the rents and then headed home. So that night was like any other, which was wierd. Friday I went and got Katie and brought her back to this side of town and convinced she and Erik to come to storytime at Westconnet (we missed the story part but art was cool). I crashed the BBQ lunch and fish dinner (Phil and I brought our own salmon). We welcomed Matt in late Friday night. Saturday, we hosted breakfast for the family- I did Laurie's shrimp & grits again and Phil did the eggs benedict. The Kerkezi's didn't make it due to their church Christmas practice. The guys all went to play golf for the afternoon. We did nap and then met up for 5pm mass, good practice for Christmas Eve. Katie spent the night and babysat for us while we hit up the Harmon Christmas Soiree. Amazing party; Biscotti's catered, band, magician, hot chocolate station (key for me!), lively bartender and I got a grand tour of the house. Phil had so much fun that he was unable to participate on Sunday :-( Meaning I took both girls to the Jags game, which was not the plan. Not the most fun I've had, but Marly was able to go to her first football game and I got some great pictures. The Kerkezi's hosted dinner that night: beef stroganoff. We played a great game of charades and finally had a time when the whole family was together! Christmas Eve I had a doctors appointment- 36 weeks, I believe. The baby is head down now, we think. Yahoo! I declined another untrasound for next time. It's getting real now. I really do feel like there is a human in there; kicking, spinning and head banging! Phil took the girls to Target and I had some down time before we did a social lunch at Chick Fil A. Naptime happened at my parents, since Linda blessed us with a visit. Phil went on a boat ride with the fam. We went to 5pm mass and the girls were pretty good. Luckily, we were able to squeeze in with the Clelands so they helped a bit. The Kerkezi family did their own thing that day/night but the rest of us headed over to the Vosses for the traditional oyster stew & Cajun Christmas. Phil parents actually got in early so they joined us for the festivities. The girls love the princess attire from Uncle Erik. It was nice and drama free this year. Christmas morning started early. Santa brought Ellie a tent, baby doll stroller and bath art set. Marly got a bike, talking dog and barnyard toy. ($30 all in!) The Bravos got the girls baby dolls and outfits. It was a nice morning together. Abu made us a nice pancake breakfast before they went to mass (and took Ellie again) so Marly was able to play with her toys in peace ;-) We headed back over to the Vosses for a day of fun. Tracy helped me out with 2 fab recipes that I stole from her Thanksgiving- cranberries and sweet potato casserole. Both of them were a huge success! Ellie had also helped me make a Birthday cake for Jesus. (Phil burnt it, but the frosting covered that up). They did the crown pork again, which was good...and it wouldn't be a holiday without Suzanne's broccoli salad. Marly went for an afternoon swim when outside checking out Alex's new remote control boat in the pool. Phil went in and got her out, but she kept her head up pretty well. Ellie melted down thanks to the lack of naptime and over-excitement so we had an abrupt get-away. I went back over to hang out while Phil stayed up chatting with his parents. They left at 5am the next day to get back to work on time. We went back over for omlets and then an afternoon boat ride to the Yacht Club for lunch. The most exciting part was sneaking under the small bridge while the train came through, got that on video! Steak dinner was that night. We had a poker tournament later. Matt is the current champ. Today was a sad day since everyone left...so life has to go back to normal. This was a long visit, so it's not too bad. Just always sad for me to see everyone leave. I went by this morning to say good-bye then took the girls to the Hands on Childrens Museum. I was pooped after a few hours there. Marly was, too...she passed out on the way home- meaning no family naptime. We did an afternoon paddleboat ride and bikes in the front yard to enjoy a sunny, crisp afternoon. Trying to keep the spirit of Christmas alive! Let's keep the merriment going!

Post Christmas Blues
12/30/2012
I feel like I just wrote a post, I guess I did. But, its Sunday night...and with no Walking Dead to look forward to, blogging is what I feel like needs to happen. Friday I took the girls to the downtown storytime. They were both pretty bad. They love to be read to at home, but for some reason a storytime just doesn't have the same effect. At least I got to catch up with Laura and Tracy. We came home for lunch and nap. When Phil came home we went out for a family dinner to Mojos, which turned out to be a good idea- nice and loud so the kids could be bad and the food was fantastic. Saturday morning, Phil made scrambled eggs and sausages and sorta got up with the girls. Marly climbed out of the pack n play, which is a game changer. The hard part is getting her down, the good part is that you don't have to go and get her out in the morning. We went to the great land of Orange Park to ride the train and check out the mall since the weather was pretty crummy. It turned out to be a great idea. The girls had a blast and we enjoyed a Chinese lunch in the food court. The Suters met us at Tiujana Flats for dinner. We tried to have them come back for after dinner drinks but Tabby didn't feel like a sleepover. This morning I whipped up cinnamon rolls for breakfast while Phil did his burger & egg specialty. We went to mass. Miss Kim is still out so we braved it in the "big church". How ironic that the theme for this week is the holy family. We're listening to the new priest talk about how we need to be better to each other as our kids are climbing over us. Awful. Phil took the girls outside to ride bikes so I could make lunch. It was cold today. We all took a nice, long nap. I think I may go early this pregnancy. Just a guess, but I'm ready. This sucker is applying lots of pressure, I'm tired all the time. (Doesn't help that I like to stay up late). I went through all the downstairs toys and got a huge bag to bring to the thrift store. We decided to move the toy box back upstairs and did some rearranging. It's nice to not have so much of a toyland downstairs. Burgers for dinner then a family shopping trip to Winn Dixie. Phil and I split up for check out so we could double up on coupons, a bit stressful but I believe it saved us around $50! I don't think that's allowed, though. Sorry nothing too thrilling to blog, maybe NYE will spice things up! Cheers to 2013 and kicking out those holiday blues! Oh, make sure to check out the Christmas video I posted this weekend! It's a good one!

Cheers to 2013 and a Babymoon!
1/6/2013
What a fun week! It was great to have a party in the middle of the week! The girls and I took a bike ride to the park on Monday to ensure an early nap. It worked for Marly but not Ellie. We went to Uncle Ed & Aunt Sherry's to see all the Mississippi relatives in town for the Gator Bowl. It was fun to get together and see some cousins. We threw together a last minute NYE party. Each couple chose a country and brought food and drink to represent that country. So, we drank & ate around the world to bring in the new year. It was a great party! We had Spain, Denmark, Ireland, Cuba, Ecuador, Turkmenistan, Poland and France. We even saw fireworks right in our cove! It was really neat. As to be expected New Years day had a rough start, bright and early. We went to mom and dad's for breakfast (really, brunch) and then came home for naps. Our neighbor had an open house, which was really nice. So, we caught up with the hood. Wednesday, we met the Mitsis ladies for lunch and then hit up the Mandarin park. Ellie went back to school on Thursday so Marly and I had the morning together. She's been quite a handful lately. Mainly, it's the nights. Since she's climbed out of the crib and pack n play, there's no plan B. So, you have to lay down with her or hold the door closed while she cries and tries to open it. Thursday night I even put one of those child locks on the door and she opened it right up. Friday morning I took the girls to storytime downtown. It was the thing to do! We ran into lots of pals. We had snack with Tabby in the courtyard after. The girls took a nice nap. Phil came home early so we could begin our Babymoon! Phil and I hadn't taken a trip just the two of us, since before we had kids! We were long over-due! I mean, we've gone places separatly or left the girls for weddings or that engaged encounter trip...but nothing where it was just the two of us. Suzanne had been pressing us to plan a trip so she could watch the girls. We finally booked a weekend....at the Ritz! It was just amazing! I could spend a whole blog gushing about it. We checked in and went for a dip in the pool and jacoozie. We got dressed and went to 29 South, a restaurant in downtown Fernandina. It was delicious and fun! We came back to the lobby lounge, one of our favs to jazz to the Island Spice. We stayed up watching an HBO movie and had great sleep! Phil went to the gym while I slept even longer! Wonderful! We had a fantastic breakfast and went to Amelia Plantation for some shopping. We came back to the Ritz and just sat out watching the ocean- me reading my book and Phil reading the paper. It was chilly but sunny and oh so nice! We went back for a quick nap and then more swimming. Made some new friends in the sports bar then got ready for our dinner reservation at Salt. Oh what a wonderful meal! We were wined and dined and the service was amazing. We went back to the lobby lounge for more dancing before bed. This morning we both slept in then had another delicious breakfast. We took a last dip in the pool and jacoozie before packing up and heading back. It was a great, romantic trip. I'm so glad we did it. Of course, the girls had a wonderful time with the Kerkezi's. Poor Suzanne is exhausted, I'm sure! I attempted taking down our Christmas decorations today, but I think that's a naptime project. Just de-decorating the tree caused broken ornaments, a temper tantrum and time out in the span of 20 minutes. We were saved by the Suters coming this way to check out a house. We joined their caravan then talked them into La Nap. Wisely, they sat us in our own section so we could have chaos and no one seemed to care. Nice way to end the week! So, we're in a count down now! Baby Bravo could really be here any day! Stay tuned for the arrival!

January in Florida
1/13/2013
It was tough asslimilating back into mommyhood after our weekend away. We had a playdate at Kathleen's on Monday morning to help organize for Jump N Jacks. I think all of us there were desperate for a playdate that morning. And then I was saved that night from a last minute dinner invite to the Bentons. Tuesday, Marly came with me to my doctor's appointment (after a trip to the playground attempting to wear her out). I now have appointments every week. Honestly, it's kina a drag, trucking it downtown for a quick 15min appointment. It takes longer finding a parking spot and heading up to the 15th floor. Everything is fine, though. Still in a holding pattern. We went to get our circus tickets and caught up with my arena pals befor picking up Ellie. I crashed Steph & Laurie's playdate that afternoon. Phil was late getting home due to a massage so it worked out perfectly. I also had a massage that night. My doula came over. She really is wonderful. I was even bragging about her on Facebook. I wish I would have know about this site earlier! I'm feeling fine, just big & uncomfortable as to be expected. And while we're talking about pregnancy, Tracy sent me this AWESOME link of pregnancy photos. I've been laughing all week! Wednesday, April came over with all 3 girls- we had a total chick playdate! The girls loved seeing the twins. That afternoon we hit up a park and Jan and I talked future MOPS. The weather has been gorgeous all week! I'm trying to keep them outside as much as possible. Thursday, when Ellie was in school Marly and I spent way too much money at Target. (And I still have to go to WD at some point) We met the Stanelle's for dinner at Moon River that night. The more I get to know Jenny, the more I feel like she's my long lost gal pal. All the girls played well together after eating lots of fabulous pizza...I love that place! I've been staying up way too late each night working on the girls scrap books. It's one of the items on my list to do before the baby comes. I wanted to completely re-do Ellie's and Marly's just needs updating. So, naptime has been real precious to me, moreso than usual. And of course, that's when Marly Houdini decides to perform her tricks. I mentioned last week how she's an escape artist (and the carseat, too). But the problem is when she doesn't want to take a nap...it just doesn't happen. I have nowhere to contain the wild woman. So, Friday and this weekend has been tough (and I even had Phil helping). Gina came over to go walking Friday morning, then we dropped Ellie at school for her pancake & PJ party (how cool that they let her go an extra day!) then off to coffee club to discuss Hagel's appointment. Thakkar did a wonderful job hosting at this great park. Good turn out and maybe 2 new guys?! After only a 50% naptime (just Ellie) we hung out at mimi & papa's to welcome Aunt Susan and Bill in from HOTlanta. Then, picked up Phil and went to our monthly CEE dinner. We stopped and got the 'hot now' Krispy Keme donuts on the way home. They made a fabulous breakfast Saturday morning! We went orange picking at mimi & papa's. The Kerkezi's are in Vegas for the weekend so we got to play with the cousins. In the afternoon (sans nap) we went to Jansen's 1st Birthday party. They did an awesome job with a backyard farm theme...it was like a Cracker Barrel with dunking for apples, sack races, ring toss, pony rides and they have real chickens! Amazing smoked pulled pork, too! We took 2 sleepy girls to the Suter's for a Christmas tree burning party. But, our tree is still sitting out to be picked up by the trash guys. (No trees were burnt, ironic? Can we get a re-do this week?) This morning we went to mass and sat with the Andersons (they think Phil is Jewish) then met the Thoresens for lunch at Poons. Naptime DID happen today! So, we missed a family boat ride, but did bike ride down to the Freemans in time to crash their potroast dinner...yesss! Luckily, this gorgous weather is supposed to continue for at least another few days...and so shall our parties! Yeah! Happy January!

Indecisive Baby Bravo
1/20/2013
I thought I'd be writing this post from my hospital bed. This whole pregnancy, I assumed I'd be late, since I was with the first two. My plan is/was to castor oil this baby on out. At this point in the pregnancy, everything is exhausting. Bending over to put on the girls shoes and socks makes me short of breath. Bathtime reminds me of doing cal-circuits from my rowing days. It's just how it is. So, after Monday's MOPS meeting, I was pooped. It was a fun meeting, playing the white elephant gift exchange with unwanted Christmas gifts. But, by the time I left St. Mark's, I was truly tired. Fortunately, I got in a nice nap and woke to sad news that book club could be canceled. I offered to host and threw it together last minute. We had a huge turnout and discussed Steve Martin's An Object of Beauty. It was such a nice night, getting great girl time, sitting on the porch and staying up too late. Tuesday, Marly and I enjoyed the morning together picnicing at the park and going to my doctor's appointment. I declined being checked, which I almost regretted that afternoon. Listening to my hypnobirthing that afternoon relaxed me so much I started having mild contractions. And again that evening with my fabulous massage by my doula, Sherry. And then continued to Wednesday where Suzanne pampered me at her house while my car was getting an oil change and tune up. Meanwhile, Phil came home early from work with 'flu-like' symptoms. My parents and Suzanne were supposed to go to Navarre for the weekend. This made me nervous since they were in charge of the girls if labor happened. Thursday, Marly and I went to a playdate at the arena to watch the circus elephants eat lunch. Maybe this excursion hit me too hard, because that afternoon I started having stronger contractions...like ones I could count. Phil's passed out with the flu, the Navarre trip was canceled. I'm texting my doula, packing bags and hypnobaby-ing like mad. The girls go to my parents house for the night. I'm up all night counting contractions...but still nothing truly painful. But, enough to wake me up. At some point on Friday morning, they just stopped. Nothing. Mom had taken Ellie to school for her special teddy bear party. Flu-boy Phil and I went to pick up Marly. Mom made us all a nice pizza lunch. Phil picked up Ellie who was not happy to hear the baby was still inside and Aunt Suzanne was not picking her up. After chilling the mega temper-tantrum, I attempt to get Marly down for a nap and Phil turns on a movie for Ellie (oh, and by the way, she doesn't do the nap thing anymore...PERFECT timing!) So, Phil's into the Tamiflu. I'm exhausted and our kids are running wild. Mom came and got the girls and then Suzanne came to help. I ate a whole pineapple trying to keep the party going. Friday night we finally got things back to normal. The girls had dinner and went down at a normal time (since nap didn't happen). Phil and I made dinner together and went to bed early. We all slept in. I made waffels and we went to a park. The weather's gotten much colder but it was still sunny. We all needed to be outside. We had Jersey Mike subs for lunch then Marly and I took a nap while Phil and Ellie ran errands. We decided to make it a family night since it'd been such a nutty couple of days. We took the girls to Ollie Koala's to play then to a habachi bar for dinner and a show. They loved it. I'm glad we made that move. More contractions last night, but still nothing for real. Today we went to mass, in the big church. Ellie and Phil went to the children's liturgy to check it out. The girls were so good we got ice cream after mass. We met the Suter's at Stinson park and then everyone took a nap- wooo whooo! Just in time for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus! We didn't expect to last the whole show (I didn't even think I'd be there!) but the girls really enjoyed it. We got some great video of them dancing while watching the elephants (I'm sure the cotton candy helped). So, I'm just in a holding pattern at this point. I feel like I could go at any moment. The good news in this back and forth is that I am finally really ready. Bags are packed (and re-packed), onesies are monogrammed, scrapbooks are up to date, big sister book is finished, and Phil has one more day on his antibiotic. Let's do this! Or, I'll just wait til next week and come up with a new way to drink castor oil. Today I had a friend send me this blog. It's kina crude so don't bother if you are easily offended. But, it made me laugh. We can't wait to meet you Baby Bravo!

Overdue
1/28/2013
So the week came and went and oh, I'm still pregnant. This isn't really a bad thing. Things will be much harder when the baby comes out. And I'm still claiming to need to eat for two. We just kept on trucking through this final week of pregnancy. Monday was MLK day so we went downtown to watch the parade. We got to shake hands with Gov. Scott and Mayor Brown! We rode the skyway and checked out the courthouse. It was fun. That night we went to Marly's pal, Duncan's 2nd Birthday party. It was a truck/construction theme...very cute. They even got tool belts and construction hats. Tuesday, mom watched Marly so I could go to my doctor's appointment. I was/am only 1cm. Figures. A few new things for the girls this week. Ellie no longer takes an afternoon nap. Talk about great timing! The silver lining in this is that she sleeps sometimes 12 hours at night. Finally! This child, who has always been an awful sleeper, finally wakes up with the sun! It's awesome! The only obstacle is Miss Marly. This girl is so grown up! She sleeps fine in her big girl bed on the bottom bunk. We haven't had an issue in a while. Sometimes she wakes up Ellie. But, Miss Marly is wearing regular panties during the day. Yeah! We're not accident free, but at least I trust her more when we're out and about. Oh! And guess what came in the mail this week- Ellie's seatbelt extender! Now she can put her own seatbelt on and I don't have to reach over and dig between the seats! Yes! Tuesday night I went to an info session for a new charter school opening. Seems pretty neat, I'm trying to find a downside, really. Sherry came over for a much-needed massage later. She did some reflexology, too. She's wonderful! Wednesday was my due date! I took the girls to MOSH, we had a picnic lunch then rode the skyway again. What a fun morning together. I'm trying to find fun things for Ellie to do in the afternoons (instead of watching TV) while Marly naps and I zone out. We met the Thakkars at a park after naptime. Laurie's so good about doing pm playdates! Thursday I had to go back to the doctor's office for an ultrasound to measure my fluids and take a look at the placenta. Everything is fine. I hate those kinds of appointments. I feel like they were just trying to get another $75 out of me. Ellie and I enjoyed the warm weather in the front yard while Marly napped. We went to the library that afternoon to check out some books on being great big sisters (not too many options on the deep west). Phil went to a business dinner with friends and stayed out til the wee hours. I wasn't thrilled. Friday we met my JU pal, Lisa at the zoo. It was a beautiful day to be outside. We saw pretty much everything there. What a fun day! We even stopped for ice cream on the way home. We threw together a last minute pizza party with some friends that night. I was so happy to put the girls to bed and kick my feet up, laughing with friends. Saturday morning I went to get Ellie's voucher for preschool next year. That was a great thing to check off my list! We came home for lunch and nap. But, Phil apparently needed one more than I did after his big night out on Thursday. You can imagine how thrilled I was. We met the Mitsi for an early dinner at Mama Fu's. The 4 girls are so cute together! I'm almost finished reading this great book I got Jason for Christmas: No Easy Day, about the killing of bin Laden. Sunday we went to mass. Ellie now comes with us to the big church. We went to Five Guys for lunch then came home for naps. Then, we went to Kinley's 2nd Birthday party and wow! Wish I had a link of pics to attach here! This party was off the chain with extreme Winnie the Pooh details! Ashley really went all out. The princess bounce house was just the beginning. This morning we had a professional organizer speak to us at MOPS. She was really amazing. It was a great meeting. I cheated for nap today. I took Ellie to KidsPark. We had a free hour coupon that expires soon. So, Marly and I took a nap while Ellie played! Yeah! Phil's parents came in town this afternoon. They've been in Gainesville cleaning out their condo for the last few days. We had a yummy La Nap dinner. And now it's time for me to drink some castor oil. I'm racing against a cervidil/pitosin appointment Wed night. That's as long as they'll let me go. Historically, it takes me 2 days after drinking a bottle to get the party started. So, tonight is my night to grease this sucker out. Stay tuned! It's going to be a big week for the Bravos!

Welcome Abigail Lucy Bravo!
2/3/2013
Picking right up where I left off...I drank a bottle of castor oil mixed with Winn-Dixie strawberry soda and half a squeezed lime. It was awful, let's not linger there. This was 11pm-ish. At 3am I woke with contractions and for an hour they were 5min apart and painful enough to keep me awake. I came downstairs and bummed around for an hour while timing & logging with a stopwatch. I texted my doula. They weren't lasting a full minute at this point, just :30-:45 so I decided to take a hot shower. Marly sensed something and woke up to join me at this point. Around 5:30am we woke Phil and I told him I thought it was time to go. My contractions were 3min apart. My doula suggested waiting another hour. Phil timed, I paced and his parents kept the girls in their room for about an hour. When they all came out, I decided it was time to go. By then Marly wanted to be picked up, Ellie wanted breakfast- I was in too much pain to deal. We got to the hoospital around 8am. I was 5cm! Half way there! My water hadn't broken so they let me walk around after getting a Heparin lock. Sherry, my doula came and was amazing. She took charge and did this amazing deep tissue massage on my lower back to counter the pressure of the contractions. Wow! Maybe it cut the pain in half! She told Phil where to rub and apply pressure and the two of them together were just amazingly supportive. I went from 5cm to 10cm in 30-45 minutes! We joked with Dr. Bagley earlier because she had a lunch meeting- we promised to get things going so she could make her meeting. Sherry told me to lay down on the bed, she got the nurse who called Dr. Bagley and within 5 or so pushes, our beautiful baby arrived! Phil was the one who said "It's a girl!" We were both so surprised! I really thought it was a boy because this pregnancy was so much easier! Oh and she is just beautiful and perfect! She was 7 lbs and 11.8oz, what a doll! I was sorta a celebrity at the hospital for going natural, mom of 3 girls all delivered there. I enjoyed my hotel/hospital stay- resting and cuddling with my new baby! My mom had been waiting (not for long) and came in to meet Abigail. Suzanne came up, too. Phil's parents came up with the big sisters! They were already fighting over who can hold the baby. Phil went home with his parents and the girls and my dad came, too. Wednesday was nice and quiet with no visitors (Phil did make a few trips) and Thursday I had to leave. Phil had his hands full. I know he was ready for me to be home. Ellie woke Wed night complaining of an ear ache. By Thursday morning, she was "fine" The homecoming was fairly chaotic. Phil's mom made BBQ ribs for dinner. The big sisters love their new baby doll! Ellie has been pretty good, I think Marly is having a tough time. Both girls had runny noses. Friday morning, Marly woke with gunky eyes. I called the pediatrician and was told to give them benedryl. I was nervous it was pink eye, but I think it's just allergies? Awesome. Phil's parents headed back to Miami. Phil took the big sisses to the park and then Suzanne surprised us with taking Ellie during Marly's nap time (and with cupcakes, a breakfast casserole and pizza!) Later, Marly woke up puffy faced, watery eyes and both girls are snotty. Tracy came to do a photo shoot that afternoon (and saved us with brownies, gifts and treats!) That was a circus. Phil got to have a bit of a guys night that night after all us girls went to sleep. Yesterday we picked right up with our usual routine. We went to visit my parents then came home for lunch and Marly's nap. Phil took Ellie to play golf at the park then we went to Dylan's 3rd Birthday party. Some may say it was crazy of us to go. But, at this point in the game, it's much easier to be out (there was a bounce house) with the girls somewhere fun. Abigail slept in the sling the whole time. The Freemans had us over for dinner later. We got to meet another young couple on the street. We toasted to the farms while the kids wore themselves out. Nice. Today we went to mass. Ellie did such a great job with the big kids! Marly played with Miss Kim. Abigail slept in the sling. So, we're managing! Just taking this whole thing one day at a time. Some moments are really cool- Marly peacefully holding Abby, having Phil here to spend QT with Ellie. Other moments are dark- getting Marly down for that afternoon nap, the potty training going to sh!t, Ellie not napping, painful nursing and the nights (notice I didn't mention those!) Yet, we are here...party of FIVE! Wow! We did it! We made another beautiful, healthy baby girl. Welcome to our family, Abigail! You are in for a treat.

First Week with THREE
2/12/2013
If I can continue a weekly blog, I think I should get a trophy...maybe a chocolate trophy or a bottle of wine. This is tough. I knew it would be, but that doesn't mean I'm prepared. On Monday we took off first thing for a family playdate at the Hands on Childrens Museum. That back room (for kids 3 and under) is perfect. The older girls have a contained place to play and there's an awesome rocking chair for nursing. I know the place is known for being "dirty" but what can you do? It was a little chilly for a park and we needed out. We went to lunch at European Street (kids eat free on Mondays) then we all went to Abigail's check-up and it's a good thing. As it turns out Marly did have pink eye AND an ear infection! AND Ellie had strep throat. Abby does not have jaundace (the silver lining) <the purpose of the check-up>. We did a Target pharmacy run and came home. I texted everyone we hung out with over the weekend. I'm so embarrassed to say we gave Jack pink eye and Tabby strep. We're not very good friends these days. Of course Phil fled to work on Tuesday. I spent the day hiding Abigail from the other two. Oh what fun! We played outside until it rained, I locked a few kids on the porch during temper tantrums, hid Abigail in the shower for safe keeping, made playdough, threw the playdough away after tracking it all over the house, watched too much TV and went half way insane. I saved the other half for Wednesday because we were still under quarantine that day, too. Thursday was better. The antibiotics kicked in and everyone seemed back to normal. Ellie went to school while the rest of us went to a park. Friday was much better. We finished Ellie's Valentine's in the morning. (I'm trying to find fun things for her to do in the afternoons while the other two are sleeping, luckily Valentine's took up most of the week. Learning to write "Elizabeth" can take a long time :-) Then, went to her school for her circus performance. She was a clown with her class. We had a pizza lunch. Phil met us, too. It was nice. I dropped Ellie at my mom's house that afternoon so I could do a nursing-a-thon while Marly napped. You would think nursing would be a piece of cake by now, since I've already nursed two kids through their 1st Birthday. But, it's certainly not. I'm not going to put details out here. Let's just say every baby is different. And it's not like I have a whole lot of time to work on technique. The wonderful thing about this week is that our meal schedule started! My MOPS pal, Ashley set up a meal schedule for us to receive dinner Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays. How beautiful! Monday, Ashley dropped of chicken tetrazini, Wed Jan dropped off Zoe's and Friday, Beth brought us swedish meatballs & noodles. I can't get over how much these meals save me! Friday night, my doula Sherry came over for my final massage. I think it was the best one yet. Maybe because I've had a stressful week...maybe because I could lay on my stomach. Saturday morning we hit up Dunkin Donuts. Yahoo! Then, we went over to my parents to see Katie and meet her boyfriend Zach. We stayed for lunch and a boat ride- yes, Abigail's first boat ride! She was so happy she slept right through it :-) The Kerkezi's came over, too. It was a fun day. I took the younger girls home to nap. That night we went out for a family sushi dinner. Katie and Zach came over later before meeting up with friends. My evenings end early, if you haven't noticed. Abby just wants to nurse and I'm exhausted once the older girls go down. Sunday we went to mass then raced home to meet my MOPS pal, Jenny. She offered a photo shoot as a gift. Can't turn that one down. It was a rough two hours (at lunchtime) but I hope something turned out. That evening, some fab friends: Katherine, Elizabeth, Stephanie and Suzanne threw a Sip N See for Abigail and I. It was an awesome party! Lots of booze, lots of treats, lots of wonderful women. And Abigail was wonderful and slept 90% of the time. It was a great way to have a bunch of friends meet the baby, hear my birth story and catch up all at once. I felt like I got a break after a nutty week, whew! Thank you to all my fantastic friends and Miss Katie for flying in for the event! Monday began week two. It was a MOPS Monday, which is always nice. Dr. Thornton came to speak. I got to eat a great breakfast and nurse in peace for a few hours. After the meeting I got a text from my mom saying Katie's flight was delayed and inviting us to meet them for lunch in Amelia Island. NUTS, I know. But, you also know I am, too. So, we took off for Brett's Waterway Cafe. It's sorta like going to the beach. Getting there is a pain, but once you're out there, it's so relaxing. We walked around the shops a bit after lunch then headed back. We had tacos made by Katherine for dinner. Last night was somehow more relaxing. Phil and I watched the Walking Dead online via TV (thanks, Alfred!) and ate some of the sweet treats from the sip n see. Ellie had school today. Abigail had her 2 week check up (the weigh-in) and is .6 of an ounce shy of her birth weight. Grrrr. We went to storytime and then lunch at the park. Now those two are napping while Ellie and I are playing on the porch. Loving this FL weather! It already feels like springtime today. So, I'm just taking this one day, one moment at a time. Oh my three beautiful girls!

Making Weight
2/19/2013
After Abigail's appointment last week, I've been trying to fatten the poor girl up. As a nursing mom, I take it personally when she's under weight. I didn't supplement, like they suggested. I did some pumping and lots and lots of nursing...which is actually what you do with a newborn. I just forgot how time consuming it is. Think about it: Abby nurses for 15-20min on each side every 2-3 hours. So, I spend most of my days (and nights) feeding her or wearing her or she's sitting somewhere crying waiting for me to feed or wear her. It's a bit of a life change. I know this is just temporary and will fly by, which is why I don't really remember this part. But, it's hard to remember that when I'm actually in the trenches, you know? I wouldn't say things are easier, but I am getting used to it...not the hang of it...just used to it for right now. My last post was on Fat Tuesday, also known as Shrove Tuesday. MOPS hosts a pancake breakfast at St. Marks. This year we had childcare to entice us to volunteer. It worked for me! Although, I didn't work very much...just nursed. Phil met us and we all had chocolate chip pancakes for dinner. Wednesday, Tracy & Tabby met us at MOSH. Marly threw a few temper tantrums so that was fun. We had Ellie tested for early literacy (a group just happened to be there testing kids) and she scored above average, pretty cool. We ate a picnic lunch during a rain break and then came home. Guess what, for about 30min all 3 kids napped! Amazing, I know! I did not get ashes this year on Ash Wed for the first time since I was in the Peace Corps. Instead I sent Phil to the grocery store and I went to sleep. Jenny made us her specialty fried rice dish and hot brownies...mmm. Thursday was Valentine's Day. I made the girls heart pancakes. Phil gave me tulips! Isn't that nice! After dropping off Ellie at school, the younger girls and I went to O2B Kids for a MOPS playdate. We did the morning magic and had a great time. Marly is a little monkey in gym- she loves swinging on the bars. Anne Marie brought us a special treat of cookies and milk while the kids played for a bit. That night we put the girls to bed and ordered pizza and watched the Vampire Diaries together. Friday we went to April's for a playdate. My girls were not very good. I think Ellie mashed playdough into their carpet and Marly took almost every toy from Emily. During naptime, Ansley came over to play with Ellie. That was wonderful, until Marly woke up. She wouldn't stay and play. The Thorsens brought us an enchilada dinner. It was nice to catch up with them. Phil went out on a beer waltz and I went to bed (seems to be a theme). Saturday was a fun day. The Leens had us over starting at 10am. We were doing power hour by 11. Fantastic! The kids had a ball with all of William's toys. Win-win for all of us. We had a family naptime then headed up to St. Marks for the Valentine's Day dinner. The kids had pizza in the nursery while we had Biscotti's. It was really nice. We played the newlywed game, too! Sunday we went to mass and then came home for lunch. Maybe we were all just over tired, but it was a rough day. We were all snapping at eachother. We ended up going to Ollie Koalas and letting the girls run around. Then we popped over to the Kerkezi's for a quick visit (and a glass on wine). Monday was Presidents Day so Phil was off. He took his car in for an oil change. On our way to pick him up I got a speeding ticket. Fine way to start the day. We went to the Avenues mall and rode the train and ended up having lunch with the Thoresens. I took the younger girls home while Phil and Ellie picked up his car. We did a power hour to take the afternoon up a notch. That's what we decided, just have a drink to take the edge off...it sure makes 3 kids crying at once much easier to deal with! We had dinner at La Nap with the Freemans. My first La Nap rita post Abby...and man, it knocked my socks off! Great way to start off another week! This morning we had another weigh in for Abby and good news, she gained 10 oz this week! So, she's up to 8.5 oz! Yahoo! She doesn't have to go back until her 2month appt...unless she gets this cold that I have. No fever but she is congested, the poor girl! We did storytime and the park again. Fun for Marly. Now just enjoying a beautiful day. Happy 3 week Birthday, Abigail!

Cuddletime
2/27/2013
Yes, I'm still here. I know you were worried. It's amazing how these weeks are just flying by! I know I say that sort of thing a lot. But, do you think it's speeding up? I can't wrap my head around it...I turn around and another week is POOF! We had coffee club last week. Kat hosted and we chatted about the guy who shot bin Laden. Great turnout and a great chat. Phil dipped out and went to Moultrie, GA for work. I had to fly solo for a few nights...so you know what I had to do: throw a party. I do it everytime he leaves town. It just doesn't happen very often. And this is not a hot time for me to throw a blow out. So, I just had 3 pals over to drink wine and watch chick flicks. But I also had Sherry do massages and her friend Michelle did pedicures. Nice! Great way to glam up any party! On Thursday Suzanne took Marly for the morning while Ellie was in school so Abigail and I could get in some cuddle time. It was AWESOME! I just can't cuddle with that sweet girl enough. Long gone are those days of staying in bed all day with a newborn. I took all 3 girls to storytime for the first time. We started out with Westconnett's storytime (where the word of the week is chameleon, you know for those learning to spell). Ellie was actually awesome for the story part, the best ever maybe! And since Marly's been going on Tuesdays she was great, too. We have some Mississippi cousins in town, which is super cool. We don't get to see them too often. On Sunday my parents threw a cinco de mayo party (in Feb with sangria) with lots a family. Natalie and her kids came up from Orlando. Some Hicks' came in from Ormond Beach. I guess Aunt Del hasn't been here since our wedding! Jenny & Scott took their oldest, Cate to Disney World today. Her (and Scott's) first visit! We had a playdate with Cannon (the little bro left behind) this morning. Yesterday we all went out to see dad at work and have lunch. Aunt Del played with Ellie while I got more cuddletime with Abby during Marly's nap. Yes! We're really enjoying the cousin visit. So, things are good. The Bravo-gal juggle is in full motion.

Swing, Swing!
3/3/2013
I put all my eggs in one basket. I was really hoping the right baby swing would change my life. When Marly was about a month old I put her in a side-ways swinging swing and she slept in it for the next 3 months. Abby turned one month old this week! So, it's her time to sleep on her own. Friday morning Elizabeth came over for a playdate and brought her swing. I was so excited. We had a happy hour playdate at the Freemans and the Suters came over for a late night power hour...it was the perfect time. But guess what, the swing did not work. She ended up back in the sling. I've tried it a few more time over the weekend. Nada. So, how do you do this? When can a baby cry it out? Is it 3 months? Am I going to have to carry this girl in the sling all day for the next 2 months? Hm. This weekend has been cold. Abigail's staying nice and snug, though. Saturday we ran errands and then went to Owen's t-ball game. Go Sharks! Phil had a guy's night on Saturday night. You know I was shooting daggars at him as he left me with 2 screaming kids at 5pm. We did an early dinner and then I did a super crazy thing: took all 3 girls to the Walmart on 103rd. I needed to do some shopping for Marly's Birthday party. The experience wasn't as horrible as it sounds. I had candy for the mid-store-meltdown. And I did the unthinkable...nursed Abby in the sling while walking around the store! The La Leche League would be proud. Don't worry, I had a cover, I don't think anyone knew what I was doing. But, man did I feel like supermom! I got all the girls bathed and in bed and finally finished reading my book club book: Love in the time of Cholera (too bad I missed a good book club last week). This morning I made cinnamon raisen french toast- so good! Then we all went to mass. Ellie threw a few wicked temper tantrums after but once everyone calmed down we had a family lunch at Carmines. We all had nice hybernation naps and then heated up a casserole for dinner. Okay, now I'm listening to Abigail cry in the swing. How long was that? 15min? What next?

Happy Birthday, Marly!
3/11/2013
We've been partying all week. Wait, everyday is a party, really! Sometimes the parties get really wild and out of hand- ha! My friend, Kathleen leant me her baby miracle swaddler to help Abby sleep. I'm not sure if it's a true success yet. It works sometimes, other times I'm just too tired to try. I still don't have one of those babies where you can set them down then walk away and they fall asleep. Soon, I hope! We did lots to celebrate Miss Marlyn this week. We went with Tabby to Pump it Up, this amazing indoor, inflatable bounce house/slide place. Great gift! Thanks, Tabby! We met Cora and Bo for a happy hour playdate at the park. Had a MOPS playdate during our leadership meeting, toasting with mimosas. Mom took Ellie to Owen's baseball game one night so we took Marly out for icecream. Phil's Godmother and her daughter came to town to help us celebrate. I loved having an extra pair of hands to hold Abigail. She's a happy baby as long as she's being held. And Michelle has some baby whisper hands, for sure! The morning of Marly's Birthday we went to her friend, Emily's Birthday party (she was due the same day as Marly -March 5th- along with another girl, too)! I worked to prepare for the big party that afternoon with the help of Michelle, Phil's "cousin" and Godmother. We took the girls out to Chick Fil A for a little Birthday dinner. Friday we threw Marly a Birthday bash with a bunch of her 2-year old-ish friends. We turned our street into the Sanibel Speedway- it was a BYOB (bring your own bike) party. Picture 20 2 years olds riding their tricycle/walker/wagon/kiddie toy all over the driveway and street while their moms sipped mimosas on a Friday morning. It was a super playdate, fun for all. I think Marly had a great time. Our little lady is TWO (but when you ask her she says "three and a half"...wonder where she got that?). Also this week, Ellie and I went to the dentist and are cavity free! We went to the FFC family night to hear Bishop Estevez speak. Phil and I had a date night on Friday. The babysitting was a Christmas present from my sister, Katie. We ended up running into some MOPS friends, also on date nights and did some bar hopping. What a super fun night! Saturday morning was rough, but you know I pulled through. I took the girls over to play with Owen and Alex before meeting up with Suzanne at the River Run. That afternoon we had another Birthday party, this time for William turning one. So much fun watching them tear apart the cake! The Suters brought over oysters that night. Too bad we really didn't get to unwind until late...thanks to Tabby and Abigail trying to pull all-nighters. Sunday we went out to a friend's beach house...WOW! Finally, a spring day around here! The girls played in the sand with their pals for hours! The afternoon turned sour when our hosts had to rush to the ER when their son got cantelope stuck in his esophogus! It's out, he's fine and none of us will probably ever serve cantelope to our kids again! Today was a MOPS Monday. The meeting agenda was the most layed back ever. It was an open meeting to work on whatever you wanted to; baby books, blogging, picture organizing, etc. Nice! So, we're good this week. The Bravos are just chugging along. So proud of our two year old, and all our gals!

Fun Nights Out!
3/17/2013
Whew! Another week! And the juggling continues! I had my 6-week check-up this week, meaning wow, Abigail is 6 weeks old! Everything is fine, I am back to "normal"- HA! HA! Marly had her first trip to Kids Park, and actually liked it so much she didn't want to leave, (what?!). I started back up running. I'm sure I'm a site to see...pushing 2 in the stroller and Ellie riding her bike along. We had a few down days (Cousin Jenny, you'd be proud!) We have all these new toys, the weather was cold and I didn't plan anything and didn't get invited to anything. This allowed me to plan for all the fun things in the evening. Thursday night was Phil's first time with all 3 girls! I went to a baby shower (more like a girls night out, awesome!) Friday, we got a babysitter and went to a Birthday party. The cool part is that the party didn't even start until 8pm. We did do a few pm-playdates at parks. It's always tough for me to get them going after naptime (assuming that happens) but when I do, I'm glad I did. I'm not a good "park mom". I get bored pushing them on the swing and I can't stand them playing in the mulch (why do they always go right for the dirt? Raise your hand if you made sand villages under the swings with me back in the day!) But, I know they love it out there and it really does wear them out. The church carnival was this weekend! We hit up the fish fry on Friday night and then spent all day there on Saturday. Ellie loved the rides. Marly was too short to ride much but she enjoyed the games (especially the lolly pop booth). The day started out real eventful, though. Marly burnt her hand on the iron. I turned my back for long enough for her to go right for it...even after I told her NOT to...but you know how 2 year olds always do exactly what you say. I feel awful. We're thankful Dr. Carl came over for a quick look and told us she'd be okay. It's all blistered today :-( Today after mass, Suzanne and I took mom out for her 60th Birthday! Just a girls lunch over margaritas...Mmmm. Phil's now a pro with the 3 girls (Yesss!) We went to the Harmons St. Patty's Day party tonight. It was a great way to kick off the week. The girls loved playing with all the kids. Win-Win. The weather has warmed up to feel like spring finally. I hope it stays like this.

Getting the Hang of It
3/25/2013
I realize I might be jinxing myself with this title. But, I think I can breathe again. I am definitly not SuperMom (yet). But, I've got this. Here is a list of things I've done while nursing Abigail: blogged, changed her diaper, wiped a poopy bottom of another child, blow dried my hair, brushed my teeth, pushed a child in a swing, shopped at Walmart, played power hour, and many other normal things like read, watched TV, etc. I'm not saying it's easy. It never really has been. Ellie threw this awful temper tantrum at the town center on Saturday. I mean, it was bad...hitting, biting, screaming...very embarrassing...one of those parent-fail moments. We got out of there as soon as we could, came home and put her to bed super early. Marly's potty training is not going well. I cleaned a horrible mess in a Lowes bathroom. Luckily we had many bright moments to make up for the dingy ones this week. Ellie went on her first field trip and rode her first school bus (to the library). Marly did an Easter Egg Hunt with MOPS. Ellie did one at school and had an Easter party. We went to storytimes, visited a pal on bedrest, and started a new lighting concept. I had a MOPS girls night out at Moon River, which was awesome. Phil and I put the older girls in Kids Park and did a psuedo-date night at La Nap with Abigail. Everyone had a happy evening! Abby is sleeping pretty well. I can get 5-ish hours out of her in the swing with the Miracle Swaddler (thanks, Kathleen & Elizabeth!) starting out the night. So, that's not too shabby. We celebrated Little Robert's Birthday at a fire station and with a bounce house and we celebrated Alex's Birthday with pit stations and a piñata race car. Two new 4-year olds! We even got in a power hour this weekend. So, we are figuring out this whole family of five thing. Oh yeah!

Celebrating 9 years, Easter & 4 years!
4/2/2013
Party! Party! Party all week! We have lots of wonderful things to celebrate. First, we made it to the 9 year mark for our marriage...amazing! My parents watched all 3 girls and we went down to St. Augustine to 95 Cordova to "talk about our love" (Phil hates it when I use that phrase). Dinner was awesome, especially the curry calamari...and so was the bottle of wine! The only looming shadow was that our car didn't start on our way out (got to take the benz) so the next morning we had it towed for repair. I couldn't really complain since we were stranded at home as opposed to the side of the road somewhere. Plus I cheated that afternoon. I got a sitter then went to lunch and a movie with mom & Suzanne. The day just got better with a happy hour playdate with my gal, Laurie. Good Friday we did this neat stations of the cross for kids out at Marywood with the FFC crowd. I was trying to figure out to explain Easter to the kids. It's such a gory holiday really. Well, this event did a wonderful job putting it on a kids level. Then, we had a picnic and field day and the weather finally warmed up. How perfect! It gets better...PH with Tracy and La Nap with a cool crowd. We did an Easter Egg hunt in San Marco and because we didn't have enough candy, we celebrated Sophia's 1st Birthday with another egg hunt! Phil's parents came in late Saturday. The Easter bunny visited that night, hid some eggs and filled some baskets. On Easter Sunday I drank a delicious cup of coffee and monogrammed dresses from the Easter bunny before mass...whew! We had a fun day at my parents with lots of cousins and Fr. Vic. Phil and I went out on a quick date night to Mojo's for a late dinner. Then we had the princess tea party galore on April Fools day. Princess Elizabeth turned 4! About 10 of her buddies came dressed in princess attire for a royal tea party. We had wand creating, tiara decorating, jewelry making, princess salon, dancing and of course, the tea party. The best part was when Ellie took the pink glitter tensil (for the wands) and tossed it all over the house!!!! So now our house looks like we really have been partying all week. We took cupcakes to her class today. I loved watching her in action at school. What fun with my 3 super princesses! Happy Spring!

Springtime
4/14/2013
I'm trying to think of what I've been up to preventing me from blogging. I can't really remember yesterday, let alone last week. Last weekend was blury...literally. I was so tired, I was seeing double. I think the non-consecutive sleep finally caught up with me. I went to sleep early a few days to catch up and that worked. That's the key: to go to sleep when they're asleep. But, that's so hard. We have shows to watch, pictures to post, agendas to print, clothes to wash, diapers to fold! Things are pretty good, though. We've done some fun things lately- spent the morning at the Landing for the Hubbard House walk (ran into my cousin!), took the girls to the beach (a bear to get out there, but once you're there- amazing!), storytimes, got a player piano!, post Birthday playdate at the park to eat all the leftover cupcakes, wine club, Disney on Ice,Angela Corey gave a great talk at MOPS, finished next month's book club book (but not this month's), the Perks of Being a Wallflower, power hours, MOPS Bunco night, Pierce's 2nd Birthday party, the Catholic Charities Ball, and today meeting some pals at the Town Center in the rain. Whew! Time just keeps going faster and faster. Ellie and Marly play pretty sweetly most of the time. I love when they hold hands and giggle together. It makes me tear up every time. Abigail is liking her bumbo seat. I like having a place to put her where she doesn't cry. The only other spot is her changing table (she likes to look at the stripes on the walls) or the sling, still. We're enjoying the Florida spring weather- getting outside as much as possible, before it gets too hot. Phil is getting lots of chances to juggle 3. I think it's good for him (and me). How do you make time stand still and just enjoy being present? That's the million dollar question. I love it.

Crabs & Tennis
4/21/2013
I'm always struggling in the afternoons. The mornings are packed with fun: Pump it Up, parks, walking to Starbucks, Barns N Noble Storytime, even coffee club (this week's topic: immigration)...but the afternoons are another story. With Ellie not napping most days, I struggle to entertain her and get stuff done and you know I'm crabbing & missing my 2 hour pm nap. Laurie gave me a great suggestion of the books with CDs from the library. Ellie is loving those and it's not as bad as watching TV. We read books together, too and I have her help with chores. This week, I took it up a notch and did something fun. I taught her how to go crabbing. This is a great pastime of mine. I spent lots of time crouched down on the dock with my brother and sister going crabbing. We even have a special way to do it. So, I got some chicken wings and taught Ellie how it works. We have not been successful this week. But, we're not giving up. It made me smile listening to Ellie explain to Phil what you do when there's a crab on the line :-) This weekend Phil played in a tennis tournament with John. What a great time! I'm not real into tennis...but I am into drinking margaritas, snuggling with Abigail while the other 2 are running wild in the nursery, enjoying the San Jose Country Club amenities all in good company...which is what I did while they played tennis. It was fun seeing Phil get back into it, too. We had a great weekend! Oh and we had an old buddy install our recessed lighting, too! I'll keep you posted on the crabbing.

Early Night for Once
4/28/2013
I put the girls to bed super early tonight (like 6pm)...everyone is tired. It's a win-win to do this every now and then. The key is I too need to go to bed early, though. First, I'll write this, though. We had a busy day today having fun in the sun. After mass we met Suzanne and her family out on the beach to celebrate her 35th Birthday. Happy Birthday, SQ! I was great about making sure everyone else had sunscreen/hats and glasses and of course I came back with red shoulders :-( Devon finished with our lights and Curt re-did our flower beds so now the house is in tip-top shape. We went on a nice boat ride and then to bed. Yesterday, Jan (our mentor mom), Abigail and I spent the day in Windermere at the MOPS Summit. So now I'm psyked and jazzed for another year as MOPS coordinator. I've got a great, new team rearing up. We have lots of neat things in the works. Okay so what did I do this week? We went to Black Sheep with Phil's breakfast club. So, I got to have many great conversations with amazing women and try new fun drinks, too. We did 2 story times, a power hour and a half, trip to the courthouse to figure out my speeding ticket, Mad Men playdate, got interior design tips at MOPS, 2 runs, 2 walks, wine & dinner at the Freemans, opened up a Bravo water park with our new umbrella and a trip to the pediatricians. Marly and Abby are healthy girls. Marly weighs 34.75 lbs and is 35". Abby weighs 10.5 lbs and is 23.5". So, we're doing well!

Raining and Raining and Raining
5/5/2013
It didn't rain all week, but with the amount of rain we had at the end of the week the first part seems drowned out. I knew the rain was coming so we tried to get out as much as possible early on. Walking to the park and meeting some MOPS friends for a picnic, Yacht Club pool playdate with mom and Suzanne, pm playdate at a park with the Thakkars and the zoo with my preggo pal, Lisa. And then the monsoon began. I didn't even plan anything for the indoors. We played on the porch a bunch, watched lots of TV, play-dough, coloring, going crazy! I mean the rain just didn't stop. The river came into the back yard. Ellie had her end of the year concert at school with an ice cream social. Lots of night time fun, too! Tuesday Phil's Rotary club had a gourmet night. We ate SO much! Just in time, too. I decided to give up dessert for the month of May...another trick to help get rid of some of this baby weight. Gourmet Night was like a last who-ra! Thursday was our last MOPS Leadership meeting of this year. We had dinner together at Black Sheep. I'm sorta Black Sheeped out but the burger was still fantastic. It was a nice last meeting, tieing things up and getting feedback for next year. I'm excited to work with the new team! Power hour turned into a neighborhood dinner party with the Freemans and Suters. No one wanted to go out much in the rain. Saturday I had Gina's baby shower at Maggianos. Phil walked around the Town Center with the older girls. That night was our MOPS End of the Year party. We had Tijuana Flats cater and Rollin Ritas to drink. Super Fun! We even continued the party to Orsay for drinks! Today we went to mass and Lowes and then all took a nice nap! (Except Ellie, as usual) We went to a friend's cinco de mayo party. The party had such potential. They had a rollin rita machine, too...quesadillas on the grill, a kingdom treehouse out back with a rope swing (over a giant mud puddle). But the thing is, this is great for their kids who are older...not for my 2 and 4 year old. I went back and forth between Paranoid Polly hovering near the ladder to the treehouse and Tipsy Tiffany sipping down the ritas. We left and went to an afterparty with the Harmons. Great way to decompress. It finally stopped raining today so hopefully we can enjoy the gorgeous spring weather this week!

Phil turns 34 & Celebrating Moms
5/14/2013
I love Birthdays, and Ellie has caught on. She throws Birthdays for her baby dolls all the time. So you know we celebrated Phil's all week. (Sometimes I feel like it's always Phil's Birthday :-) Thursday was the actual day. We brought him breakfast in bed and sang a few times. We kidnapped him from work and went to the town center for dinner and walked around a bit. Ellie's idea was for me to monogram him a shirt (since that's my usual bday gift for her buddies). Turns out he actually liked it and wore it for his Birthday party! He took Friday off to go to the TPC. Phil's party was that night at this speakeasy in town called Grape & Grain. You even give a password and go through a bookcase to get to the bar, pretty neat! Forty of his closest pals met up after a small pizza dinner across the street. Lots of drinks, great conversations, wonderful group of friends. We even did some family clubbing for Latin night at Square One. Fun Night! Saturday morning was rough. Someone dumped out the box of Raisin Bran and picked out all the raisins. A glass was broken somewhere along the way. So, when I finally came downstairs, I took a picture of the mess. Pretty nasty. Our week was full of fun as always. We had a MOPS playdate at a gymnasium. The girls loved jumping from a trampoline into a foam pit! A bunch of us continued the party for lunch at the Red Elephant. Marly had her first dentist appointment! She was not at all excited about it. I think Dr. Robeldo had all of 45sec to look in her mouth. We spent that whole day in Mandarin and finished it with watching Owen's baseball game. Phil had a board meeting but I still snuck out for book club (just in time for the post book chit chat and more wine!) Three library visits this week: our usual Music & Movement in Riverside followed by picnic in the park, finally ventured downtown to see Mr. Josh (picnic in the courtyard) and then keepin' it real on the westside for the amazing art stations. I also met my JU friends (both preggo with their 3rd) for lunch with Lupita and a visit with my Arlington cousins. I went for a run (really more of a walk, slackers...) with my old running group gals. Poor Phil had to spend the whole time with a crying Abigail so looks like that won't be a regular thing. She's sleeping in her crib now (but you never know how long ;-) Mother's Day was nice. After mass we brought fried chicken to my parents for a family boating and swimming day. I wanted to put Abby on the tube but dad wouldn't let me. (not for real you guys, calm down). Our last MOPS meeting was Monday. We played a fun game learning lots of details about everyone. I got roses for the moms and we used china! Love that group! Gonna have to post this for now, I hear a princess crying upstairs! Tooda-loo!

Another Week with the Bravos
5/19/2013
I mentioned last week that sweet Abigail has been a handful at night. It's gotten a little better, but just for me. She hasn't been real into taking a bottle. That hasn't been a huge problem (the sitters can still get her to sleep) but that's gotta change. I went to a sewing night Wednesday night with MOPS pals and Phil said she cried a while. My mom watched her so I could go to the courthouse and she didn't eat the whole time I was gone (again, not a huge deal). And then last night we had 2 sitters (for 5 kids) for a wine tasting at the Freemans and she didn't eat much then either. I think we'll start rice cereal in a few weeks so hopefully that'll change things up a bit. She's so sweet, though. I love listening to her coo. Back to the courthouse (I know that got your attention). Remember that speeding ticket I got back in February? Well, I paid it. Then, I took the driving class online and sent in the paperwork but apparently I was supposed to attach it all together and mail in at once. So, I had to pay $50 to re-open the case and then I had to appear in court so the judge could tell me she approved me re-opening the case and would apply the class to my ticket to remove the points. What a huge waste of time! The silver lining: I got to see the new courthouse. Ellie had her 4 year old check-up. She's looking really great! She weighs 46.5 lbs and is 41.25" tall. If she continues on this growth chart she'll be 5'7", like me! She did cry for her shots but was happy with the lolly pop. Mom watched the two other girls since it was during naptime (but you know Abby didn't nap and cried pretty much the whole time). We had a playdate at the Jones' and had so much fun catching up. I got back our exersaucer, which Abigail loves. (Maybe she's a little too small for it, but we make it work). We've been filling our little plastic pool to beat the heat in the afternoons (and entertain Ellie during naptime). Jack came over to play one afternoon when Sophia had to go to Wolfsons for a fever. Friday we switched up the PH. Trying to cut down on calories (still haven't had a dessert!) so I came up with a new summer beverage: bobo WD diet sprite + cherry vodka. Yum! So, we didn't drink beer on Friday night, we switched it up. I admit, I do miss power hour. We had a free hour at Kids Park so we dropped off the older girls and had a pseudo-date at Lola's. We tried to keep it going and put the girls down at the Suter's but it didn't work. Those days are long gone. At least we all went to bed early that night. Today started out rough. Too many sweet wines last night made my head pound this morning. And you know it's not good when we don't supervise downstairs in the morning. This time I was too mad to take a picture. They got into Phil's meal replacement shake powder and got it everywhere. I found them in the bathroom washing off their feet and followed the powder footprints to the scene of the crime in the kitchen. Luckily we got a great naptime before Jan's picnic table dedication ceremony. MOPS bought a picnic table to honor Jan's (our mentor mom) parents who both passed away last year. Mimosas and cookies- it was very nice. We did an evening swim at my parents house, drive thru at McD's then put the kids to bed. I'm excited to pick back up those evening swims that wear the kids out! Summer is already here!

Swimming & Boating
5/27/2013
I think we all smell like chlorine. Summer has begun! Marly had swimming lessons this week. Each evening, a teacher met us at my parent's pool. (The same swim teacher who taught Ellie to swim). I was expecting her to be able to jump off the side and swim to the steps, but we aren't quite there. Super close, though. She can do it; just doesn't want to. So, we've spent lots of time in the pool. On Thursday we bought a boat! It's an 18' ski boat from a family friend. I'm teetering between being super excited and thinking it's psycho that we have 3 babies on a boat! I did find a pretty good website about infant boat safety. The girls love it, they are so cute! You know "those Bravos" always have to take it up a notch. Ellie had her last week of school. I was sad for her, but I'm not sure that she really got it. Maybe she will next week when we don't go to school. Her class had a little picnic on Thursday with bubbles, balloons & popsicles. In the fall she'll move onto a new school, Sacred Heart (our church). They participate in the VPK program, which is nice. Also this week I had the new MOPS leadership team over for a dinner party. I've never had a dinner party for 16 people...but a neighbor's card table, mom's silver and Stouffer's lasagna can spice up any night. It went really well. I loved getting to know the new team. I'm excited for the year. It's a great group of gals! We had a MOPS playdate on Monday. We ran around the track and then did squats, lunges, weights, dips, etc while the kids played on the playground. My legs finally stopped hurting sometime this weekend! Good stuff! We had a great Memorial Day weekend. Marly finished up her lessons, we explored the river on the boat and tubed a bit. We met Phil's friend Lissette and her family for dinner (from the EverBank days). I finished reading my book: Delirium, which was really interesting. We had some friends over to go fishing. The purpose was to catch dinner...but no one caught anything! So we had to have frozen pizzas for dinner (which is what Phil preferred anyway). We still had a great time fishing, paddleboating (a little nervous to take friends out yet), crabbing, swimming in the baby pool and catching up with everyone. Today we kept swimming and boating. It was such a beautiful day to remember the service men and women who have died so we could sit around and relax. We polished off the night at a friend's BBQ (smoked brisket). Cheers to summer! It's here!

Summer! Summer! Summer!
6/3/2013
Oh, I just love this time of year...the beginning of summer (before it gets too hot)! Tuesday was tough, reassimilating after a holiday weekend. We got a super slow start and decided to keep the party going by going for a morning swim. (I forgot about our Tuesday library routine, woops). We hit up the Cummer that afternoon to take advantage of the freebie...by then I was back in the mix. Wednesday we had coffee club at this cool new park. The topic was discussed for a bit, the burial of the guy responsible for the Boston marathon bombing. We stayed out there for like 3 hours. I even got the beach toys out of the trunk and let them live it up in the sand. I was rewarded with one of those rare moments with all 3 napping at the same time! We were invited to the yacht club pool with some pals, which was a super cool treat. The girls even had their first slushi! Sweet Abigail turned 4 months old. That means she's no longer a newborn! And she can have rice cereal. I'll have to post the video I took of her first bowl. She likes eating with the family. I met my pal Kat out at the beach for a playdate- amazing! We hadn't been out there in a few weeks so it's warmer. They loved it. And they always love playing with Dean & Will! I've been great with making dinner this week. I'm proud of myself. Shrip on the grill with grilled asparagus (Phil actually said it's his new favorite meal-HUGE compliment coming from that guy), ribs, spaghetti & meatballs. Afternoon swims & evening boat rides, what a great life. How blessed are we! Friday I had a playdate with Ashley & her 3 to do the new MOPS group. Super smart Ashley had it done before I got there so we just did a few tweaks. No way could we have gotten any work done with 6 kids. You know about those fragmented convos! I had a super fun swimming playdate with my Friday pm pal, Tracy. Then we raced to meet the Jones' for dinner. But they cheated by getting a sitter for Emma. So I spent most the time juggling kids and chugged my beer while signing the bill. Typical. Saturday was super fun. It began with social hour at chick-fil-a, a drive by to the Thoresens new house. We swam, boated and met the Freemans for a lazy lunch. That evening we boarded a yacht to celebrate Kevin's 33rd Birthday. It was so amazing! We wined & dined while cruising around the Jacksonville area. Awesome Birthday! Of course we couldn't just stop there, we kept going and partied along Kings Street. Drank too much & stayed out too late and paid the price on Sunday. Packing the car and driving 6 hours to the Gulf Coast was a thrill to do hungover. We met up with Tally friends to break it up. Now, we're chillin in Navarre for a week. A family vacation! Cheers!