I’ve lost my ever loving mind.
In all the excitement of our upcoming vacation to Virginia, seeing my newest nephew, hanging out with the family, taking Keagan to the ocean and drinking copious amounts of wine I seem to have blocked out a very pertinent piece of information.
We’re driving.
In a car.
Ten hours.
With a toddler.
What the what? Are we CRAZY??
To be fair, we are doing it in 5 hour increments on the way down and treating ourselves to a hotel stay (Keagan’s first)…but the way back? Yeah. 10 hours. On a good day. And I HAVE to be back in Syracuse because Monday I start my new job.
I’ll say it again. I’ve lost my ever loving mind.
So here we go dear readers – I need a “must have/do” list to make this trip as easy as possible with a 19 month old and 31 year old that doesn’t like to stop often.
I’m begging.
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Monday, September 20, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
The One Where the Irish Girl, Married to a Polish Boy Goes to the Italian Family Reunion
This weekend we attended my Gramp's first annual Family Reunion. Now, some of you, especially the ones that know I'm an Irish Girl are going to be confused at the very obvious Italian pride flying around these pictures. Let's just say it's a long story.
It was a PERFECT day to gather roughly 90 people at our hostess' picturesque house. The sun was shining, there was a lovely breeze. Really perfect.
My Gram and the other party planners really did a wonderful job.
The amount of food was ridiculous (but hey, they are Italian) and it was all delicious. I did almost laugh out loud when I saw the Kielbasa and Kraut though...they must have known Randy was coming.
We were lucky enough to capture a picture of the oldest and youngest DiNitto's at the party. That's my Gramp who will be 87 years old in November, and Camryn who is 10 months old.
How sweet is that?
Of course, I took full advantage of to take some more pictures of my favorite little guy.
Until he turned into Angry Elf Keagan.
It was so nice to be a part of such a happy, loving and boisterous event. Meeting those that I've never met before and seeing those that we haven't seen in years was awesome. We're a pretty lucky family.
It was a PERFECT day to gather roughly 90 people at our hostess' picturesque house. The sun was shining, there was a lovely breeze. Really perfect.
My Gram and the other party planners really did a wonderful job.
The amount of food was ridiculous (but hey, they are Italian) and it was all delicious. I did almost laugh out loud when I saw the Kielbasa and Kraut though...they must have known Randy was coming.
We were lucky enough to capture a picture of the oldest and youngest DiNitto's at the party. That's my Gramp who will be 87 years old in November, and Camryn who is 10 months old.
How sweet is that?
Of course, I took full advantage of to take some more pictures of my favorite little guy.
Until he turned into Angry Elf Keagan.
It was so nice to be a part of such a happy, loving and boisterous event. Meeting those that I've never met before and seeing those that we haven't seen in years was awesome. We're a pretty lucky family.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Guest Blogger - Summer Fun For Families On A Budget
To kick off the summer season and to get this blog jumping again I've decided to feature a few guest bloggers*. Our first blogger is a good friend of mine Jenn from Monkey Butt Junction. She actually approached me with several ideas for a post and I jumped at the chance to have her share her infinite wisdom (yes, I'm laying it on thick, but I want her to come back some day!)
So without further ado, let's welcome Jenn as she shares some FANTASTIC Summer Fun for Families on a Budget.
*if you are interested in being a guest blogger, please feel free to email me!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There's no denying that a big destination family vacation is a great way to make memories. I know I cherish my childhood trips to Disneyland, the Grand Canyon, and Marriott's Great America. Sadly, the recession has hit a lot of families way too hard, and out of necessity "cheap" is the new in thing for a lot of us. I've made it my goal to plan a huge summer of free and inexpensive fun for my family this year and so far, our summer has been bursting at the seams. Each weekend leaves us breathless, tanned, exhausted and excited for more. Some of our low and zero cost adventures so far have included an air show, a military reenactment, a bike race, more live music than I can even remember, farmer's markets, swimming lessons, nature walks, library time, and playgrounds galore. I consider myself blessed to live in a neighborhood with a very active and family friendly downtown, but with a little effort, the world can be your free playground too.
Where do you begin?
1. Call your Parks and Recreation Department. One glance at my local Parks & Rec website introduced me to a whole world of beaches, trails, bike routes, canoeing, golfing, and camping that I never knew existed. My local nature center, which I didn't know about until I called Parks & Rec, has a near-daily calendar of events for children, from birdwatching hikes to nature exploration. Most had a nominal fee - $1.00 to $3.00 - but they also included a snack and a craft to take home. And incredible deal!
2. Call your YMCA. I was impressed by the availability of programs for children at the Y. Babes as young as six months can begin getting familiar with the water through their swim classes, and older
children can enjoy all kinds of activities from swimming to gymnastics to camp and sports. The Y offers scholarships and even reduced rates for single-parent families.
3. Get this book: Puddles and Wings and Grapevine Swings is no longer in print, but fortunately it does not have the cult status that it should really enjoy so you can easily pick up a cheap used copy from Amazon or eBay. The book is filled with wonderful outdoor activities for children. Nature arts and crafts, exploration and education via fun are the name of the game with this book. I bought my copy long before my son was born because I remember the hours upon hours that my own childhood copy brought me. Why this book isn't wildly popular will always be a mystery to me.
4. Call the library. Sometimes summer brings bad weather, so we can't play outside all of the time. Many libraries have summer reading programs, book clubs, reading challenges, and more.
5. Call the museum. Art museums, natural history museums, county museums - many have programs for children that are a lot of fun and educational. My local county museum has museum sleepovers filled with flashlight tours, movies, scavenger hunts and more. If I was eight years old, I would just burst with excitement over the prospect of spending the night at our museum. Call yours and find out what they offer this summer.
Is that enough? No? Well, let's keep going.
6. Keep your eyes and ears open. Street festivals and fairs are wonderful outings for families. Check the local newspaper for upcoming local events that have kid-friendly components.
7. Call your local university. Think universities don't offer anything for children? Many do - my own alma mater had a wonderful program about local Indian lore for children of all ages. It included a wonderful nature walk with a lot of hands-on exploration.
Our family's motto for summer comes straight out of a Harvey Danger song: "If you're bored, then you're boring." A lack of funds just can't stand in the way when it comes to summertime fun with the family. The sky is the limit, and the days are long - let's play!
So without further ado, let's welcome Jenn as she shares some FANTASTIC Summer Fun for Families on a Budget.
*if you are interested in being a guest blogger, please feel free to email me!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There's no denying that a big destination family vacation is a great way to make memories. I know I cherish my childhood trips to Disneyland, the Grand Canyon, and Marriott's Great America. Sadly, the recession has hit a lot of families way too hard, and out of necessity "cheap" is the new in thing for a lot of us. I've made it my goal to plan a huge summer of free and inexpensive fun for my family this year and so far, our summer has been bursting at the seams. Each weekend leaves us breathless, tanned, exhausted and excited for more. Some of our low and zero cost adventures so far have included an air show, a military reenactment, a bike race, more live music than I can even remember, farmer's markets, swimming lessons, nature walks, library time, and playgrounds galore. I consider myself blessed to live in a neighborhood with a very active and family friendly downtown, but with a little effort, the world can be your free playground too.
Where do you begin?
1. Call your Parks and Recreation Department. One glance at my local Parks & Rec website introduced me to a whole world of beaches, trails, bike routes, canoeing, golfing, and camping that I never knew existed. My local nature center, which I didn't know about until I called Parks & Rec, has a near-daily calendar of events for children, from birdwatching hikes to nature exploration. Most had a nominal fee - $1.00 to $3.00 - but they also included a snack and a craft to take home. And incredible deal!
2. Call your YMCA. I was impressed by the availability of programs for children at the Y. Babes as young as six months can begin getting familiar with the water through their swim classes, and older
children can enjoy all kinds of activities from swimming to gymnastics to camp and sports. The Y offers scholarships and even reduced rates for single-parent families.3. Get this book: Puddles and Wings and Grapevine Swings is no longer in print, but fortunately it does not have the cult status that it should really enjoy so you can easily pick up a cheap used copy from Amazon or eBay. The book is filled with wonderful outdoor activities for children. Nature arts and crafts, exploration and education via fun are the name of the game with this book. I bought my copy long before my son was born because I remember the hours upon hours that my own childhood copy brought me. Why this book isn't wildly popular will always be a mystery to me.
4. Call the library. Sometimes summer brings bad weather, so we can't play outside all of the time. Many libraries have summer reading programs, book clubs, reading challenges, and more.
5. Call the museum. Art museums, natural history museums, county museums - many have programs for children that are a lot of fun and educational. My local county museum has museum sleepovers filled with flashlight tours, movies, scavenger hunts and more. If I was eight years old, I would just burst with excitement over the prospect of spending the night at our museum. Call yours and find out what they offer this summer.
Is that enough? No? Well, let's keep going.
6. Keep your eyes and ears open. Street festivals and fairs are wonderful outings for families. Check the local newspaper for upcoming local events that have kid-friendly components.
7. Call your local university. Think universities don't offer anything for children? Many do - my own alma mater had a wonderful program about local Indian lore for children of all ages. It included a wonderful nature walk with a lot of hands-on exploration.
Our family's motto for summer comes straight out of a Harvey Danger song: "If you're bored, then you're boring." A lack of funds just can't stand in the way when it comes to summertime fun with the family. The sky is the limit, and the days are long - let's play!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Doesn't Feel Like a Year...
It doesn't seem possible. This was us, exactly a year ago. Man, a year. Where has the time gone?
Last year I was thankful for so much. Yet, it doesn't hold a candle to all that I am thankful for this year.
I'm thankful for my husband, who not only has become this amazing father but also has made me fall in love with him harder than I thought possible.
I'm thankful for my son, who makes me smile every day no matter what.
I'm thankful for my pup, who cuddles with me and loves me unconditionally.
I'm thankful for my family, who has been there without fail and who I love more than words can express.
I'm thankful for my friends, naughty and nice, that give me the friendship, support, love and laughs that make every day that much easier.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all. I can only hope that you are all as lucky to have people in your lives that make you as thankful as I am.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Fall Is In The Air
This past weekend we were lucky enough to have our family photos finally taken. The following are a sampling done by our wonderful photographer Marisa of Marisa Marie Photography.
Marisa was AMAZING especially considering how fussy Keagan was about 20 minutes in. I'll admit, I was worried that the shoot was in vain, but I definitely got a pleasant surprise when I received our CD.
Marisa was AMAZING especially considering how fussy Keagan was about 20 minutes in. I'll admit, I was worried that the shoot was in vain, but I definitely got a pleasant surprise when I received our CD.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Family Reunion
This weekend we had a family reunion for Randy's Osterhoudt side of the family. It was so nice seeing and meeting the family - and BOY were there a lot of babies!
From left to right, front row: Brayden (nephew), Raymie (brother in law), Emily (niece), Gram Bessie, Poppie Ralphie. Back row: Becky (sister in law), John, Ryan (brother in law), Janice (mother in law), Randy, Keagan and I.
Big girl Emmie wanted to hold Keagan - I think he weighs about as much as she does and she's almost 5!!
My sister in law, Becky and I. Becky is married to Ryan - also known as Randy's 5 year older twin brother.
And then our little family...
From left to right, front row: Brayden (nephew), Raymie (brother in law), Emily (niece), Gram Bessie, Poppie Ralphie. Back row: Becky (sister in law), John, Ryan (brother in law), Janice (mother in law), Randy, Keagan and I.
Big girl Emmie wanted to hold Keagan - I think he weighs about as much as she does and she's almost 5!!
My sister in law, Becky and I. Becky is married to Ryan - also known as Randy's 5 year older twin brother.
And then our little family...
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Tomorrow I Meet My Son
Tomorrow I meet my son.
Tomorrow I get to watch my husband become a father.
Tomorrow I become a mother.
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow we make grandparents into great - grandparents.
Tomorrow we make parents into grandparents.
Tomorrow we make aunts and uncles and cousins.
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow I get to see whose nose, whose hair, whose eyes, whose smile he has.
Tomorrow we get to cuddle, a new family.
Tomorrow we meet our son.
Tomorrow I get to watch my husband become a father.
Tomorrow I become a mother.
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow we make grandparents into great - grandparents.
Tomorrow we make parents into grandparents.
Tomorrow we make aunts and uncles and cousins.
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow I get to see whose nose, whose hair, whose eyes, whose smile he has.
Tomorrow we get to cuddle, a new family.
Tomorrow we meet our son.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Third Trimester
Well, it's 7:15 Sunday morning. The house is quiet other than the coffee brewing and the heat kicking on. Randy and Skittles, per the norm, are cuddled in bed. I'm sure I won't be seeing either of them until much later in the day.
So why am I up?
Other than Shamrock kicking me on and off since about 3am, I couldn't get my head to stop racing. You know what I mean. You wake up, get a drink of water, readjust and BAM ~ off goes the brain on a tangent all its own.
It's never just one thing either that you can think about, analyze, put away and fall back to sleep. Nope. Today mine was:
Did I finish the movie last night? Did Randy put the extra lasagna tray in the freezer? What am I going to do about Christmas presents this year (hello, I haven't done ANY shopping yet? Was that him moving? Yup, that's him moving. Awww...there's a baby in there moving. A real baby. Think we'll get the nursery done in time? Where should we put the crip? HOLY CRAP, WHAT am I going to do with a baby? Can we do this? How on EARTH do people do this?
And that continued on for roughly 4 hours while I tossed and turned, tried getting comfortable and listened to Randy and Skittles snore in harmony.
A few of my very good mommy friends have given me several gems of wisdom that should ease all these worries about what type of mom I'm going to be, how everything comes to you naturally once the baby arrives, how I can do this, we can do this and we're going to be great at it. I appreciate all this reassurance (and 100% prefer it over the horrors of labor stories that I've begun getting bombarded with) but nevertheless there is still that part of my brain that feels him kicking and goes "Oh boy, he's going to be on the outside doing that soon."
I know Randy and I are going to be great parents. I know that this baby is going to be so loved he's probably going to have to be in therapy by 18. Still, there is that part of me (and I'm sure every mom to be and first time mom) that wonders how on Earth you got chosen to be the one to guide this new little person through their life especially when you are still trying to figure out how to guide yourself.
And this my friend will keep my head busy for the next three hours until I have a thought about cookies or some other mindless whim that sends my pregnancy brain out and about.
Third trimester today. Not much longer.
So why am I up?
Other than Shamrock kicking me on and off since about 3am, I couldn't get my head to stop racing. You know what I mean. You wake up, get a drink of water, readjust and BAM ~ off goes the brain on a tangent all its own.
It's never just one thing either that you can think about, analyze, put away and fall back to sleep. Nope. Today mine was:
Did I finish the movie last night? Did Randy put the extra lasagna tray in the freezer? What am I going to do about Christmas presents this year (hello, I haven't done ANY shopping yet? Was that him moving? Yup, that's him moving. Awww...there's a baby in there moving. A real baby. Think we'll get the nursery done in time? Where should we put the crip? HOLY CRAP, WHAT am I going to do with a baby? Can we do this? How on EARTH do people do this?
And that continued on for roughly 4 hours while I tossed and turned, tried getting comfortable and listened to Randy and Skittles snore in harmony.
A few of my very good mommy friends have given me several gems of wisdom that should ease all these worries about what type of mom I'm going to be, how everything comes to you naturally once the baby arrives, how I can do this, we can do this and we're going to be great at it. I appreciate all this reassurance (and 100% prefer it over the horrors of labor stories that I've begun getting bombarded with) but nevertheless there is still that part of my brain that feels him kicking and goes "Oh boy, he's going to be on the outside doing that soon."
I know Randy and I are going to be great parents. I know that this baby is going to be so loved he's probably going to have to be in therapy by 18. Still, there is that part of me (and I'm sure every mom to be and first time mom) that wonders how on Earth you got chosen to be the one to guide this new little person through their life especially when you are still trying to figure out how to guide yourself.
And this my friend will keep my head busy for the next three hours until I have a thought about cookies or some other mindless whim that sends my pregnancy brain out and about.
Third trimester today. Not much longer.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Points over at Poll ~~~>
Wow guys, talk about an upset huh?
Randy, Gram, Skittles and I are headed to Virginia (that's right, pregnant woman in a car for 10 hours...should be fun) to see my parents, sister and two adorable nephews, leaving REALLY early in the morning tomorrow. Needless to say I probably won't be updating for a bit but promise to have something witty to put out there upon return!
Thank you all for the Congratulations. We are thrilled to be welcoming our son in a few short months. Now comes the hard part. Naming him. We're down to two names...and sorry, we aren't sharing! (What, something needs to be a surprise!)
So everyone have a wonderful weekend and I'll be back on Thursday!
Randy, Gram, Skittles and I are headed to Virginia (that's right, pregnant woman in a car for 10 hours...should be fun) to see my parents, sister and two adorable nephews, leaving REALLY early in the morning tomorrow. Needless to say I probably won't be updating for a bit but promise to have something witty to put out there upon return!
Thank you all for the Congratulations. We are thrilled to be welcoming our son in a few short months. Now comes the hard part. Naming him. We're down to two names...and sorry, we aren't sharing! (What, something needs to be a surprise!)
So everyone have a wonderful weekend and I'll be back on Thursday!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Words can't even begin to explain...
How FREAKIN' excited I am for today! I tossed and turned all night just thinking, wondering, waiting to find out whether or not Randy and I are going to have a son or a daughter to call our own.
Eight and a half hours. This is torture.
Eight and a half hours. This is torture.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Gee, thanks Dad.
Randy, Gram and I are driving to Virginia for a week in the beginning of October to see my parents, sister and nephews.
I just get a phone call from my dad:
Him: Hey, what type of beer does Randy like? Sam Adams?
Me: Yup, that, Guinness or anything light.
Him: Yeah, so I'm hoping the weather is nice because here's my plan: We'll sit out on the deck, enjoying the fall weather. Gram will drink her wine, Randy and I will drink our beer, and you...well you can sit there and watch us.
Me: Always nice talking to you Dad.
I just get a phone call from my dad:
Him: Hey, what type of beer does Randy like? Sam Adams?
Me: Yup, that, Guinness or anything light.
Him: Yeah, so I'm hoping the weather is nice because here's my plan: We'll sit out on the deck, enjoying the fall weather. Gram will drink her wine, Randy and I will drink our beer, and you...well you can sit there and watch us.
Me: Always nice talking to you Dad.
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