Cooking, maturing and days racing by

This has been a really good week thus far. Friday morning started with my taking Maisie to get the H1N1 mist. One of the urgent care offices really close to our home had the mist available so we headed on over, got in quickly as there was no line, I filled out the paperwork and was all set...only to find out that we have to wait until at least next week for her to get it as it could interact with the seasonal flu mist which she received the end of October during her physical. So, next week we'll have to see if and where the vaccine or mist is available and do the whole thing over again. Then that afternoon Maisie had an awesome swim lesson with her instructor Rosemary. Due to our travels, scheduling conflicts, a class time change and teacher illness, Maisie missed a couple of weeks so it was good to return. I was happy to see that Maisie had retained what she'd previously learned and was able to pick up right where she left off.

Our weekend was fun too and the beautiful sunny warm weather made for awesome days. On Saturday Eammon took Maisie, K & A to the playground and they had fun running around and playing games. I liked that it gave me some alone time at home to run the vacuum and sort though some of Maisie's old toys getting them ready for donation pick-up. On Sunday Maisie had fun playing outside for a good part of the day with K & A. I on the other hand spent most of the day cooking, cooking and a little more cooking. I've started making meals for Eammon to have while Maisie and I are away in Aruba. I figure if the poor guy has to stay home and work while we're lounging on the beach and playing in the surf and sand, the least I can do is pack the freezer with some delicious homemade meals. Before I leave I want to have about 30 meals in the freezer ready for him. So far I've frozen a couple containers each of roasted lemon-garlic chicken with caramelized vegetables, curried shepherd's pie, hearty curried beef stew with jasmine rice and grilled eel with udon noodles. Each time I make a meal this and next week I plan to make extra so that I can pack more away for him but if anyone has some good suggestions or recipes that freeze and reheat well, please pass them along.

Since I was cooking up a storm Sunday I invited K, A & their parents over for Sunday dinner. Our meal started with a spiced cream cheese spread topped with homemade pumpkin butter on butter crackers and also some brie with a great pepper jam on multi-grain crackers. We then feasted on some of the roasted chicken & caramelized veg, the curried beef stew and some wasabi coleslaw. We finished the meal with homemade s'mores brownies which I'm sad to say were only a partial success. It was a new brownie recipe that sat on top of a graham cracker based crust and topped with browned marshmallows. The crust and brownies were both wonderful but for some reason the marshmallows were too thick and chewy to the point of being difficult to eat. In the end I pulled off the marshmallow top and everyone enjoyed the brownies and crust. To make up for the failed topping Eammon pulled out the can of squirt cream and filled Maisie, K & A's mouths with cream and they all thought that was wonderful. By the time they all left it was bedtime, a super fun way to finish the weekend, good food and time with friends.

Monday felt a bit strange at first with Maisie not having ballet but I loved having the afternoon free as having extra time to spend with Maisie was fun. We worked on a few arts & crafts projects, did a little cooking and even made some homemade larabars. Tim our gardener was here working and I could have kissed him as he made me so happy when he told me that his plans of moving to Texas in January had changed and for now they're staying here in Georgia, woohoo! He is just such a nice guy and the best gardener ever, I wasn't looking forward to him leaving so I'm happy beyond words that he'll be here for at least a little longer.

Tuesday was school and gymnastics and it too was a really good day. Just like at school Maisie's the youngest and smallest of her gymnastics group and even though she's always been good at doing the required skills and exercises she would often have a tendency to float to the back of the line, allowing the other girls to cut in front of her and she wasn't always the best at paying attention to the coaches, numerous times missing out on her turn. Not that she was ever bad or naughty it was more that she would do her skill and do it well mind you but then she'd zone into her own little world figuring that she had done it and was ready to move on. Lately though I've noticed that she's maturing, being better about paying attention, keeping her place in line and if the bigger girls cut in on her, she's telling them no. Even though she's always loved gymnastics and being at the gym, with her new found maturity and standing up for herself, she's enjoying it even more.

This morning I finally took Maisie's long-sleeved school shirts to the monogram place, poor little Maisie has been in sort-sleeved school shirts with sweaters as I had yet to get everything monogrammed. Maisie had a good day at school and right now she's sound asleep for her nap and once she wakes we're off to do a little shopping. We have a fun weekend ahead with my parents arriving on Saturday to spend the week and Thanksgiving with us and on Sunday it's A's 5th birthday party which we're all looking forward to attending. Monday I have a girl's night out which I'm really looking forward to and I'll be sure to blog about it because I know it's going to be great fun. I have yet to think about Thanksgiving and the meal I need to prepare...OY!! So in addition to recipes for Eammon's freezer meals, any good suggestions for our holiday menu?? I love recipes!

The picture at the top of the post was taken this morning. Maisie's wearing one of her winter school uniforms topped with a sweater as she has a short-sleeved shirt under the jumper. I do love that they can wear any plaid and Maisie still loves picking out and wearing her uniforms each day!

My sweet sleeping angel

After school today Maisie took a nap and looked so sweet I just had to snap a piccie. I love how she nestled herself on top of the down comforter and covered herself with a pillow, just tucked in oh-so-sweet.

* Recently, sleep for Maisie has been better as she's mostly sleeping through the night and has been free of night terrors. In addition, most days she's been taking a nap and trust me when I say, that added hour of sleep improves both our moods. The solution for the time being has been to allow Maisie to sleep in bed with me at night as well as take her nap or quiet time there too. Unfortunately none of us sleep well if all three of us are in bed together so poor Eammon has been sleeping in the guest room, which needs to end soon. Since Maisie and I will be away all of December and she'll be sleeping with me then, we figured that there's no point in trying to transition her back to her own bed at this point but after the first of the year it's something that we're going to have to work on. I on the other hand have been experiencing a bout of insomnia so it's nice that when I do finally fall asleep she's not waking up screaming thus interrupting what little sleep I do get.

* Maisie's schedule has eased up a bit as I've pulled her from ballet. Maisie's been resisting going to ballet for a number of weeks but I've sort of forced the issue. Each time after class she'd go on and on about how much fun it was and how much she enjoyed the class but the following week she wouldn't want to go again. I'm not sure why she's decided that she doesn't want to attend any longer and hopefully in the future she'll decided to start up again but for now her schedule is pretty busy and an additional afternoon off is probably a good thing.

* This past weekend I cleaned all the summer clothing out of my closet and every item either went into the Goodwill pile or I packed it for Aruba. Here I am, just over three weeks until we fly out and I'm already fully packed! Twenty-three sleeps until Maisie and I are wiggling our toes in the warm Arubian sand...not that I'm counting or anything!

* Do not buy this item as they're totally addictive! All I can say is that I'm glad the bag is finished and they'll never be allowed back in this house again.

* This item and this one too are totally delish and I've stocked the house with extra boxes as they're only available this time of year so hurry, go get some while you can. (I found them locally at Walmart)

* I can't believe that Thanksgiving is only two weeks from today, where has this year gone?? Other than being packed for Aruba I'm so unprepared for the remainder of the year. I have nothing planned for our Thanksgiving meal nor have I started getting meals ready for Eammon for when Maisie and I are away. I need to get myself organized too as once Maisie and I return from Aruba we're home for only four days before we fly out again...OY, my head is spinning! I just purchased a couple of small Christmas pressies for Maisie that I can easily pack and take with us for our Christmas in London but that's all the holiday shopping I've done. Thankfully though during our brief four days home between trips I won't have to worry about getting everything washed immediately as we won't be taking any of our Aruba clothes on our England trip. On the other hand, I'm already dreading the amount of laundry that I know will await me once we return from that second trip...now my head is spinning even faster!

* Well, Maisie's sleeping soundly and it's time for me to get off the computer and try and get some sleep too. Ta for now.

Gymnastics times two

This afternoon started with Maisie and her gymnastics teammates doing a little performance at an event at a local park. The girls were adorable (naturally!) and they did a good job. Sorry for the bad quality on the video, I need a new camera and hands that don't shake like an earthquake is happening but it's the best I have. It's a bit difficult to see but Maisie is the last girl to enter and does her skills without a partner. If you can hang on and watch through the trembles to the 2:45 mark, check out my girl's awesome back-bend-kick-over.


After the performance we headed over to the gym to celebrate K's 7th birthday. (K is in pink and silver standing directly behind Maisie) The party was great fun as even I took a turn on the trampoline! Oh yeah, the children had a good time too doing all the gymnastics activities. Before heading upstairs for pizza & cupcakes they all received their medals. It was a long, beautiful and fun day and spending it with friends and having Maisie doing what she loves the most was just perfect.

Low-Low, Maisie, Emi & Bri

Today Maisie and I met up with Pug Mama & Low-Low, Liene & Emilija and Lisa & Briana at The Cheesecake Factory. We've been looking forward to meeting Low-Low since her arrival home in June and finally we were all able to arrange our schedules so to meet. It always amazes me how perfect our children are matched to our families as Low-Low is the perfect addition to the Pug Mama family. It was a great lunch, the company and the food and we can't wait to meet up again.

Low-Low was a great eater and a perfect little lady but chose to do only serious poses for my camera. Hopefully next time we meet up she'll be all smiles.

Emi seemed to enjoy watching the big girls but she did a lot better in the eating department than Maisie & Bri.

Maisie and Briana as always had fun together. Both of them filled up on bread & butter so that when their meals of mac & cheese arrived, neither ate more than a mouthful. They did though have fun playing math & word games on my iPhone and of course lots of giggles were involved.

When it was time to say goodbye the girls were so cute giving hugs.

The Mamas and their girls. Me & Maisie, Pug Mama & Low-Low, Liene & Emilija and Lisa & Briana.

Three years ago today

Is it three years already? On the other hand though, has it only been three years?? It was three years ago today that we received our referral of our sweet Maisie Miao Miao. The time has seemed to fly by yet it feels like a lifetime she's been with us. I still get teary eyed thinking back to that day, remembering the first time I laid eyes on our little cue-ball cutie. I'm truly thankful every day, even on the challenging ones, that we were matched with the perfect child for our family. We've loved you Maisie Miao Miao from the first time we laid eyes on your picture to today and that love will continue tomorrow and forever, you are our love and best girl ever.

Loser Mom Blogger

Shoot I don't even have a picture from Halloween. Time just seems to be getting away from me lately and I've been so bad about taking pictures, just not pulling out the camera. I know I've said numerous times in various posts that I need to or will get better about taking pictures and posting and the next thing I know, a week has passed without a picture or a post. In fact the pictures in this post weren't even taken by me, Michael & Ilene took them with his cell phone when we met for brunch on Sunday. I'm a total loser, I know!! So in my attempt to play catch up, here comes a post about what's been happening since the last time I posted.

I've been doing a lot of cooking lately, the colder weather has had me craving heartier foods and soups so I've made quite a few new recipes, some of which can now be found on CookLisaCook. Our recent dinners have included both new creations as well as some old favorites: Roasted Poblano Corn Chowder, Red Curry Soup, Creamy Tomato Soup Florentine, Curried Shepherd's Pie, a totally absolutely awesome Coriander Roasted Salmon with a Yogurt Cilantro Sauce and of course some sweets all of which have included pumpkin but the only one posted thus far are some super moist and delish Pumpkin Blondies. So needless to say, we've been doing a lot of good eating!

I also seem to be doing a lot of shopping lately, the sales have been too incredible to pass up. Just for example, yesterday I was at Land's End where I scored some great bathing suits for me at 85% off, perfect for when we head to Aruba in December. Then today I was in Macy's and though not as fabu of a deal, I now have some nice pants, sweaters and tops at 70% off, not too shabby and they'll serve me well this winter. Then of course there have been days like last Tuesday when I headed to Costco for gas and to buy one giant bag of Romaine lettuce (we've also been eating a lot of Caesar salad) and by the time I walked out the door, somehow managed to spend $187. I did have one other big purchase this week. Can you believe that after ONLY 24 years and trust me, not super heavy usage, my vacuum decided that it didn't want to work anymore?? Gosh, they just don't build things to last! So Saturday I purchased a new vacuum and just slap me silly as to how much better and how much easier it is to use. Of course even though it's shiny, new and powerful that doesn't mean it's going to get used any more often than the old one, but at least when I do use it will be easier and do a much better job.

This past week has been good in that Maisie has responded well to her increased allergy meds. After only four days at the higher dosage her nose was no longer running, she was no longer coughing from the drip and her throat no longer bothered her. In addition, because she's feeling better, she's sleeping better so her attitude and mood is back to normal. She's had a good week being busy with school, ballet, gymnastics and time with friends.

Maisie had the best time on Halloween. Both Maisie and K decided that they wanted to be gymnasts so an easy costume of a leotard, warm-ups and their gymnastics medals, easy-peasy but as I said, loser Mom here so no piccies. Saturday afternoon we all went over to K & A's house along with some other neighbors where we had a totally gourmet dinner as each person who brought over a dish really outdid themselves and all the food was awesome. After dinner and some playtime the Dads took the group of seven kids out trick-or-treating while a few of us Moms stayed back at the house, continuing to socialize and passing out candy to the oh-so-few trick-or-treaters. The weather wasn't the best, raining on and off so not many children out but Maisie and her friends had a blast. After all the excitement and way too much candy Maisie was wired and even though we all got into bed at the same time, Maisie was too wired to sleep and out lasted both Eammon and I, staying up way past her bedtime. Since she's been sleeping better and had been up very late Saturday night, I had high hopes of her sleeping in Sunday morning but alas she was up at sparrows fart and had no desire or plans to lay still, keep quiet or let anyone else get some additional sleep.

Sunday was another fun day as we met up with friends Ilene, Michael and April at Maisie's favorite restaurant, Nori Nori. As always we had a great time together and brunch was incredible. Maisie and April always have so much fun and of course are adorable together so that always makes for an enjoyable time. After the girls finished eating they had fun playing games on my iPhone while the adults finished and spent time socializing. Then it was hugs good-bye and sadly because of busy schedules for all of us, it will probably be next year before we all get together again.

Well that about sums up our week and here we start again, another chance for me to pull out the camera and post more often...let's see what happens...

And because no post is complete with out a piccie or two, the pictures of April and Maisie that Michael took with his cell phone.

Amazing Maisie and Fabulous Friends at the Maize Maze

Last year we had so much fun year meeting up with Lisa, Doug & Briana and Kathy, Matt & Chani at Cagle's Dairy we just knew that we had to do it again this year. We all met first thing Saturday morning for a day of fun getting lost in the Maize Maze, going on a hay ride, taking a dairy tour, feeding goats, pony rides and jumping on the bouncing pillows. Last year we had spectacular warm weather with blue skies but this year we weren't quite as lucky as it was overcast and quite cool but that didn't dampen our spirits.

Our day started with a trek though the maize maze and where last year we chose the easy maze, this year we challenged ourselves and made our way though the more difficult one. We made just a few wrong turns but eventually made our way out.

Towards the end of the Maize maze there is a bridge and the guys and little girls climbed up for a picture and to enjoy the view.

We then headed over for a tour of the dairy where we went on a hayride.

And the cow said, "I spy two little cuties!" I think Maisie may have jumped had she noticed the cow's face being so up close and personal.

After the hayride everyone was given some feed to feed the goats. Last year Maisie had to be coaxed and wasn't too thrilled to be near the animals but this year she had no fear at all and had a blast.

What a difference a year makes. Last year Maisie wanted nothing to do with the ponies not even wanting to get near them to watch Bri and Chani but this year she couldn't wait to ride and the smile on her face shows how much she enjoyed her first ever pony ride.

All the girls pose for a piccie.

The three and four year old children play on the bouncing pillow. Yes, when Eammon and Doug get together it's like having another two children in the mix but it's always fun.

Maisie enjoying some bounce time with Baba.

It was a fun day, both the activities and the company and we're already planning a return visit next year.

Friday Halloween play date...A fun ending to a very long week

This week has felt like one extremely l.o.n.g week. Maisie's birthday party on Saturday was great and Sunday was a quiet day at home with all of us just a bit over tired, recuperating from too much sugar and not feeling 100%, but an okay day.

Monday I awoke with a sore throat but Maisie said she was feeling better even though her nose was streaming, it was running clear so I gave her some allergy meds before taking her to school. When I picked her up though her teacher Miss. Nancy said that Maisie had been dragging, said she was too tired to participate during phys. ed. and just didn't seem to feel well. Maisie barely stayed awake during the drive home and willingly and quickly climbed into bed for a nap so I knew that she was not feeling great. After nap we spent a quiet afternoon at home playing with play-doh and doing puzzles instead of going to ballet. At bedtime Maisie was ready and willing to go straight to bed so an early night it was and she slept through the night.

Tuesday morning Maisie had no desire to get out of bed and asked if she could go back to sleep, a first for her, so we slept in and I kept her home from school. In the afternoon she took a brief nap, said that she was feeling better and wanted to go to gymnastics practice and since she hadn't been running any fever and I thought it just allergies bothering her, we went and she had a good practice.

Wednesday morning Maisie was up early and had a good day at school but was quite tired when I picked her up and she willingly took another good nap. Wednesdays are nice because we have no after-school activities so we spent a quiet afternoon at home together.

Thursday morning Maisie said that her throat hurt a little but it looked okay and I was still thinking that it was just her allergies as there was no fever so after some more allergy meds I took her to school. She had a good day at school and once home really fought nap time, only sleeping for about 35 minutes. When she awoke she said she wanted to go to gymnastics so we headed off to practice. Once at the gym though Maisie did not want to be there and I could tell that she just wasn't into it and didn't want to participate, which is highly unusual, so about 20 minutes into the practice I pulled her and we headed home. She and I had a quick dinner and then she asked if she could get into bed and play her Leapster, which she did and just before 7PM she was fast asleep.

Friday morning Maisie had her four-year-old physical which worked out well as I could also get some advice on her week of not feeling well. I was correct in my assumption that it was allergies bothering Maisie and the doctor has me doubling up on one of her meds for the next week and said that within a week she should be feeling better, and I'm very much looking forward to having her better. The doctor said that Maisie is doing great and growing well. In the past year she gained 4 pounds, now weighing 30.5 pounds (13th percentile) and she grew 3 inches now measuring 39.5 inches tall (43rd percentile). Poor little Maisie though got four injections and the flu mist so not a happy visit for her. On the way out she received a token to get a prize from one of the gumball type machines and she got a little toy dolphin along with a princess sticker and a lollipop so that made her happy.

After the doctor we headed over to Lisa & Briana's house for a Halloween play date. Lisa went all out having her house decked out for the holiday, crafts for the girls to do and even goodie bags for the girls to take home. Everyone brought food for lunch but Lisa and Angela really went with the Halloween theme with Lisa making ghost and pumpkin shaped sandwiches for the little girls and Angela made an adorable veggie plate skeleton. I on the other hand didn't do anything that cute but I contributed pumpkin blondies which were quite delish even if I do say so myself. I feel as if I haven't done a play date in ages so it was fun to be with all the girls and the Moms.

After the play date Maisie and I headed over to the gym as they were having team pictures taken. By this time though she was really tired and her injection sites were hurting so she was less than happy. She did sleep in the car for about 20 minutes but was just so uncomfortable. She was good for the photographer but kept asking when we could go home. Once home she only wanted to get into bed but I made her eat a little dinner, gave her some ibuprofen and her allergy meds then we both climbed into bed and we both were asleep before 7PM.

I'm glad that it's only allergies that have been bothering her and I do hope that the increased allergy meds help her feel better, and soon! We have only one thing planned over the weekend and as it's supposed to be quite cold it will be good to stay in, get some extra rest and hopefully start the week on a healthier note.

Briana & Mary Lin working on their crafts.
Liene helping Emilija with her craft.
Halee and Laney working on their crafts.
Maisie showing off her craft.
Angela's veggie skeleton.
Lisa's adorable ghost & pumpkin PBJ sandwiches for the little girls.
Maisie & Briana enjoying the computer together.

First report card

Maisie absolutely adores school and looks forward to attending each morning. Her teacher Miss Nancy says that Maisie is a wonderful child and a joy in the classroom and that she loves being Maisie's teacher. I'm so proud of Maisie and trilled that she's doing so well and that it's such a good fit for her. I hope that her love of learning and school continues for many years to come.

Happy birthday girl

Today our sweet little Maisie Miao Miao is four years old! Happy birthday sweetheart, your Mama & Baba love you more than words can say.

This afternoon we celebrated Maisie's birthday with some of her friends at her favorite place, the gym. All the children had fun playing on the trampoline, bars, rings, balance beam & in the foam pit. After the gymnastics fun each child received a medal and then we headed upstairs for pizza and cake. Poor little Maisie still wasn't feeling great and still a bit lethargic but she still managed to have a good time. Thank you to everyone who helped Maisie celebrate her special day.

To see how much our little sweetie has changed, check out Maisie on her third and second birthdays.

Pajama day

Maisie hasn't been feeling 100% and she had a rough night last night so I decided to keep her home today, cancel all our plans and spend a quiet day together. We stayed in our pajamas all day, did puzzles, played games, did some crafts, watched a little television and even a little school work for good measure. I'm keeping everything crossed and hoping that Maisie has a good night and feels great tomorrow as it's her birthday and her party.

Field trip

On Tuesday Maisie's class along with the 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th graders went on a field trip to a little local theater to see The Library Dragon. Maisie delighted in the idea of a field trip and enjoyed the play. She was especially happy that she was seated between me and her best pal Jonathan...well at least until he got frightened and ended up sitting in my lap for 90% of the performance. After the play the actors came out to speak to the children and the children were allowed to ask questions. Before leaving the theater all the children gathered on the set for a group photo.

The funniest part of the day for me was in the morning when Maisie's teacher Miss Nancy was letting me know which students I'd be taking in my car. She said of course Maisie and also Jonathan and Leah. That's when Jonathan said "oh I wanted it to just be me and Maisie, I wanted some private time with just her." Well Miss Nancy and I shot each other a wide-eyed look of o-kay, guess those older brothers of his are teaching him something! Needless to say he didn't get private time especially as Leah did ride with us and well I guess he forgot I'd be in the car too. Driving the three of them was fun, listening to them each talk about their favorite parts of the play and getting silly. It was a fun morning and Maisie's looking forward to her next field trip and I of course will be there to chaperon and keep my eye on that Jonathan and his desire for private time with my little girl!

Glorious days on the Glory

Eammon, Maisie and I just returned from an absolutely wonderful week long cruise which included perfect weather, total rest and relaxation, obscene amounts of good food and lots of family time. This was the first cruise that any of us have been on and I think it was maybe two days into the cruise when Eammon and I were already discussing when we would be taking our next one.

The day before our cruise we drove down to Florida and spent a night with my parents. Maisie was spoiled with numerous gifts & treats and the two people who brought her got a good dinner and a bed but we know who rates in Grandma & Grandpa's eyes! The following morning we drove to the port and Maisie spent the entire drive playing her new Kai-lan Leapster game that my parents gave to her...So I guess we did get a gift too, an engaged, happy and quiet passenger.

Our trip was absolutely perfect as we couldn't have asked for better weather, better service or a more relaxing trip. It was so nice being totally disconnected, no phone, no Internet and I didn't even watch television. Our ports of call included Cozumel, Belize, Costa Maya & Nassau and I hope to one day make it back to all of them...well maybe not Nassau...but definitely Belize. Eammon and I were interested in doing a canopy zip-line excursion which included five zip-lines and two repels but I didn't feel secure in leaving Maisie on board ship at the camp for six+ hours so we opted not to do it but next time it is first on our list. In Belize Eammon went scuba diving for the first time and loved it. Most mornings Maisie went to camp after breakfast and then we picked her up so that we could have lunch together, then a nap and our afternoons were spent together in the pool which was Maisie's favorite part of the trip. Another favorite part of the trip for Maisie was returning to our cabin after dinner to see the towel creation and get the chocolates that our cabin steward Fery had left for us. Once we left Port Canaveral, other than taking a nightly piccie of Maisie and the towel creation I didn't pull out my camera so this is about it for pictures. There were two formal dinner nights but Maisie and I enjoyed dressing-up pretty each night and Maisie loved helping me zip up my dresses and picking out and putting on my jewelery, she's such a girly-girl. I think one of my favorite parts of the trip was that every time we left the cabin we'd return to a straightened up bed and a clean bathroom stocked with only fresh towels and big fluffy robes. For Eammon the relaxation, time away from work and the exhilaration of his first dive had to be the highlights.

We had a really easy 9 hour drive home thanks in part to an early birthday gift for Maisie which my parents had given to me, to give to her for the drive home, another Leapster game, Disney Fairies. Maisie loves this game too and played on and off almost the entire ride. It's good to be home, rain and all and back to our usual schedule but trust me, I'm already looking at deals and options for our next cruise.

We of course have a busy week ahead and I have to prepare for Maisie's birthday and party this coming Saturday. Can you believe that my little baby will be four, where has the time gone, she's such a big girl now!!

Swing of life

I've been so neglectful in posting to my blogs and my only excuse is that life has gotten in the way and when the day finally winds down I just haven't had it in me to sit down and write a post. Nothing bad, all is good, we're just busy with life and life with a busy almost 4 year old is extra hectic. For now just a quick bullet post.

* We're heading off for a week-long Western Caribbean cruise and hopefully when we return I'll have lots of wonderful pictures and the motivation and time to resume more regular posting.

* In 16 days Maisie will turn four!! Oh my gosh, how did she get so old and where has the time gone? Maisie's excited for her birthday party which is being held at her favorite place in the world, her gym. I love parties at the gym, no clean-up for me before or after and a very tired little girl at the end of the party.

* I have a shiny new laptop, woohoo! Eammon hasn't loaded my camera software onto the new computer yet so I still have to use the old clunker if I want to add pictures. This too may be part of why I haven't posted because in my mind, every post needs a picture.

* Maisie loves, loves, loves school and the teacher reports and her papers thus far have all been good. Her first report card will be sent home the middle of this month, it should be interesting to see what it says.

* Maisie has learned to snap her fingers and loves showing me her new found talent hundreds of times each day.

* Maisie adores recess and the swings. She has no difficulty getting herself up onto the swings, even the high ones which on her are chest high. She no longer needs anyone to push her as she'll let you know, because she's a big girl who knows how to pump and pump she does, getting herself higher than I care for her to swing.

* Sleep is still a major issue as Maisie just doesn't want to sleep in her own bed all night and wakes anywhere between 10PM and 1am crying that she wants to sleep with me. No matter what I try she will not go back to sleep in her own bed so in with me she climbs so that we both can get some sleep. She's also been super clingy and attached to me lately so maybe this is all part of the same thing. I'm just giving her all the attention she craves and hopefully whatever is going on with her will pass. Honestly though I'm not sure how she functions most day as she averages about 10 hours of interrupted sleep a day. Is that really enough? Readers, how long do your children sleep?

* Eammon continues to work crazy hours arriving home most nights after 8 or 9PM so a week with no work, computer, phone or responsibilities will be a welcome change.

* Well I need to finish packing so posts and piccies when we return. Have a great week.

Rain...yet again!

It is dark, gray and pissing down with rain and I am SO over it now and ready for the sunshine again. Luckily our lake level was back to a high normal level and it doesn't appear that there will be any flooding for us and I can only hope that the other water-logged and previously flooded areas fare well. I am so looking forward to our cruise and thankfully in just a week we'll be sailing around the Caribbean with what I hope will be gorgeous sunny weather.

Friday I decided that Maisie needed a haircut before our trip so we paid a visit to Miss Tina and now Maisie's hair is adorable and cut perfectly! Tina is a fabulous hairdresser and a very precise cutter and in fact I've been planning on switching to her at the adult salon where she also works but I just haven't gotten around to scheduling an appointment so while we were at the kid's salon I decided to have Tina cut my hair too and she did a great job. Even though it's a kids salon there are many Moms and Dads that while there, get their hair cut too and yesterday I was one of them. Thankfully they have real salon chairs too and I didn't have to squeeze myself into one of the airplane, taxi cab, police car or fire engine chairs as that would have been quite the sight!

Friday afternoon K & A came over to play for a bit and since it was rainy and cool out I decided we needed to make brownies from scratch. All three kids had fun adding ingredients to the bowl and taking their turn at stirring everything together. The afternoon play date turned into a super long play time thanks to K & A's Dad being out at a concert for the evening and Eammon being gone for the weekend at the Petit Le Mans. K & A's Mom and I raided and combined what we had in our refrigerators and came up with an tasty, easy and loved by all dinner followed by the kids brownies. We then hung out until well past all the kids bedtimes with Anne and I chatting whilst watching the children play. After everyone left it took Maisie a while to calm down and she finally fell asleep around 10:30PM.

After such a late night my girl slept in a bit not waking until a little past 7am, which for her is a late morning. Our morning included more play time with K & A and then Maisie, K and I were off to the gym as there was a competition and Maisie and the other girls on the Jr. Pre-team were doing a performance. It was fun watching part of the competition and K enjoyed watching Maisie perform and the big girls too. I'm a little bummed because my camera didn't work properly so my video didn't come out and I didn't even get a decent picture of all the girls but trust me, they all looked adorable and did a great job.

Since Eammon is at the racetrack until sometime tomorrow, tonight Maisie and I are dining at K & A's and all I was asked to bring were some brownies, so an easy night for me and I know we'll have a good time as we always do. My big project for the weekend is to get everything we're taking on the cruise washed and packed and I'm halfway there as everything is washed, so off to a good start. Tomorrow it's supposed to rain again but Maisie and I have nothing planned so it will give me the time to get everything packed. After tomorrow we should be rain free until next weekend, woohoo!!