Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
4am Wake-up Calls
To keep Buster from getting into mischief while we're sleeping we close our bedroom door and keep him in the room with us. He's usually pretty good and goes right to bed, but these last few nights Buster has wanted water, a late night snack and a bathroom break around 3am. Not cool. I manage to ignore him and get him back to sleep until about 3:45, but then he starts whining in my face until I break down and stumble out of bed, taking him down to the kitchen and for a walk. You'd think he'd bother Rob after I ignore him - or that Rob would hear me complain in the middle of the night - but no such luck.
Let's hope Buster (or Rob) get out of this phase quickly. I don't have the energy to keep getting up in the middle of the night!
Let's hope Buster (or Rob) get out of this phase quickly. I don't have the energy to keep getting up in the middle of the night!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Quality time with the little ones
The highlight of this past weekend was spending time with my niece and nephew, who are 3 years old and 9 months old.
We had our community wide garage sale on Saturday so my sister-in-law came down to sell some stuff at our house. She brought my niece, who decided jumping on me and requesting to make cookies would be a fun wake up call. It's hard to say no to that cute little face so I dragged myself out of bed and we started baking. We also watched her favorite princess movie (Cinderella), blew bubbles and goofed off around the house while Rob and his sister were outside manning the sale. After my niece went home for a nap I got to spend some quality time with my absolutely adorable nephew, who fell asleep when I rocked him to in my arms (loved that moment!). Today, the fun continued when we went pumpking picking, hit up a local Octoberfest in Chester, and then went out to dinner.
It's a running joke that whenever we get together my niece prefers to hold my hand and be with me then the rest of the gang, and today was no exception. She gave everyone the boot on the dancefloor at Octoberfest except me, and as we were wrapping up dinner she had to go potty and requested I take her. Curious as to why I'm always the lucky one who gets to wipe her tushy when we're all together I asked her flat out and she said "Cause I like you a lot, Aunt Cole." It sounds silly but it melted my heart and was a great way to end a fun -- and exhausting -- weekend.
We had our community wide garage sale on Saturday so my sister-in-law came down to sell some stuff at our house. She brought my niece, who decided jumping on me and requesting to make cookies would be a fun wake up call. It's hard to say no to that cute little face so I dragged myself out of bed and we started baking. We also watched her favorite princess movie (Cinderella), blew bubbles and goofed off around the house while Rob and his sister were outside manning the sale. After my niece went home for a nap I got to spend some quality time with my absolutely adorable nephew, who fell asleep when I rocked him to in my arms (loved that moment!). Today, the fun continued when we went pumpking picking, hit up a local Octoberfest in Chester, and then went out to dinner.
It's a running joke that whenever we get together my niece prefers to hold my hand and be with me then the rest of the gang, and today was no exception. She gave everyone the boot on the dancefloor at Octoberfest except me, and as we were wrapping up dinner she had to go potty and requested I take her. Curious as to why I'm always the lucky one who gets to wipe her tushy when we're all together I asked her flat out and she said "Cause I like you a lot, Aunt Cole." It sounds silly but it melted my heart and was a great way to end a fun -- and exhausting -- weekend.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Hi, my name is Nicole and I'm a neat freak
I was in a meeting the other day and the topic of how often you clean your house came up. As people started going around the room, their responses ranged from once a month to every few weeks and I think one person said they didn't even own a vacuum! I kind of felt like the odd man out, but I admitted I clean my house routinely at least once a week.
Ever since I was a kid I liked to have everything in it's place. One time when I was a kid I actually tried to not put things away but it was too irritating and I cleaned it up after 5 minutes of having things "out of place." One of my roommates in college was the same way, so we enjoyed switching jobs of who cleaned what each week. Even after graduating college, cleaning was still part of my weekend routine. Now by Sunday night I like to have the wash and ironing done, the floors vacuumed and clean, the whole place dusted and bathrooms scrubbed. I'm sure that will all change whenever we have kids, but for now I love the feeling of sitting back and knowing that my house is clean... and ready for company at a moment's notice.
Ever since I was a kid I liked to have everything in it's place. One time when I was a kid I actually tried to not put things away but it was too irritating and I cleaned it up after 5 minutes of having things "out of place." One of my roommates in college was the same way, so we enjoyed switching jobs of who cleaned what each week. Even after graduating college, cleaning was still part of my weekend routine. Now by Sunday night I like to have the wash and ironing done, the floors vacuumed and clean, the whole place dusted and bathrooms scrubbed. I'm sure that will all change whenever we have kids, but for now I love the feeling of sitting back and knowing that my house is clean... and ready for company at a moment's notice.
Teddy Grahams
To change up our snacks in the house Rob picked up Teddy Grahams during a recent trip to the store. I thought he was crazy when he dropped those into the cart, since I typically associate them as being a kid snack. Since my husband never buys just one of anything, I took one of our boxes to the office in case I wanted a snack (and to make some room in our pantry).
The other day I broke out my box of Teddy Grahams and had a flashback to the first time I was given a handful - in kindergarten! My teacher Mrs. Collins brought them out for a morning snack one day. I think they were pretty new at the time - or at least they were to
me - and I thought they were the coolest thing! These tubby little teddys quickly became one of my favorite snacks as a kid.
Funny how all these years later they are still the perfect little snack, reminding me of how much fun it was to be a kid.
The other day I broke out my box of Teddy Grahams and had a flashback to the first time I was given a handful - in kindergarten! My teacher Mrs. Collins brought them out for a morning snack one day. I think they were pretty new at the time - or at least they were to
me - and I thought they were the coolest thing! These tubby little teddys quickly became one of my favorite snacks as a kid.Funny how all these years later they are still the perfect little snack, reminding me of how much fun it was to be a kid.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Happy 85th Grandma!
Saturday we went to Long Island for a birthday party in honor of my grandmother's 85th birthday. It was a wonderful time for everyone to get together, and I was finally able to meet my two new cousins Matthew and Joseph. They were both born at 9 lbs, 12 oz. and just two weeks apart this past spring. Below are a few pictures from our celebration.
Head table with the guest of honor
Dom, Rachel, Dom and Luke
Theresa and Matthew with Maggie and Joseph
The September babies blowing out the candles
My dad and Grandma Rosie, the birthday girl!
Uncle Ed and Aunt Vickie, another birthday girl
Rosie and Joe. They put the fun in disfunctional.
The birthday boy and girl - married for over 60 years!
Head table with the guest of honor
Dom, Rachel, Dom and Luke
Theresa and Matthew with Maggie and Joseph
The September babies blowing out the candles
My dad and Grandma Rosie, the birthday girl!
Uncle Ed and Aunt Vickie, another birthday girl
Rosie and Joe. They put the fun in disfunctional.
The birthday boy and girl - married for over 60 years!Saturday, September 11, 2010
9-11-01: We Will Never Forget
I think asking where you were on 9-11 is our generation's equivalent of the JFK shooting. I'll never forget that somber day. The sky was a beautiful blue and for some reason I woke up early to go for a run before class. I just started my freshman year of college.When I came back from the track I was getting my stuff together for the shower and turned on the TV for some background noise. I couldn't believe what I saw on the news and immediately phoned home to make sure everyone was okay. The lines to the house were busy and the calls to my parents cell phones weren't going through. Panic ensued on my dorm floor. My neighbor came in hysterically crying about her aunt that worked there, and everyone was running around completely shaken up. Classes were canceled that day and everyone sat by their computer or TV waiting to see what else was going to happen on that fateful day in Manhattan.
While it's so sad to think about how many people lost their lives that day, it is important to find comfort in the miracle of how many people were saved. Looking at the numbers it could have been so much worse. Those four flights held over 1,000 passengers but only 266 people were aboard. The buildings held over 50,000 workers but only 20,000 were in the towers when the first plane hit, and two-thirds of them were able to get out.
9 years ago today the lives of Americans changed forever. We will never forget.
Friday, September 10, 2010
A new meaning for word "promotion"
I went to visit my cousin Paige, aka Chickey, in the ICU after work tonight. I've been to the hospital many times to visit friends and family members but this was the first trip to the ICU. I got pretty emotional on my way to the hospital by just imagining what to expect of her condition compared to how I last saw her. She was always a bubbly, loving person with a passion for life and I had no idea what I was going to see.
When I arrived at the hospital and they tell me she is in room 213. So I head on up to the second floor. Room 218, 215, and then straight ahead I saw this girl laying in the bed with all of these tubes. I'm still a good length away but start balling. I'm glad she wasn't able to see me so upset because she would say 'Nicole, why are you crying?'
There was a very sweet guy, Don, sitting with her when I went to visit. He worked with Chickey for about 30 years. He was by her side for a while that afternoon and was able to update me on her condition - or to the best of his ability. Through my blurred vision from all my tears I see her vital signs displayed on the monitor, her fever, her slightly puffy hands, and all the tubes. It breaks my heart to see my cousin like that (technically she is my second cousin; she's my mom's first cousin).
Don and I got to chat about a variety of topics during my visit but one thing he said really stuck with me. He was talking about his family that passed on and referred to it as a 'promotion' because the next life is so much better. "This is like the trial run, and the real thing is what's up next." At least it put the possibility of something happening in a more positive light.
I just got off the phone with my mom, and we were both getting emotional about the situation with Chickey. Right now we can only pray that she comes out of it and is healthy. At the same time it's comforting to think about the wonderful life that lays ahead of her, and all of us, when we get 'promoted'.
When I arrived at the hospital and they tell me she is in room 213. So I head on up to the second floor. Room 218, 215, and then straight ahead I saw this girl laying in the bed with all of these tubes. I'm still a good length away but start balling. I'm glad she wasn't able to see me so upset because she would say 'Nicole, why are you crying?'
There was a very sweet guy, Don, sitting with her when I went to visit. He worked with Chickey for about 30 years. He was by her side for a while that afternoon and was able to update me on her condition - or to the best of his ability. Through my blurred vision from all my tears I see her vital signs displayed on the monitor, her fever, her slightly puffy hands, and all the tubes. It breaks my heart to see my cousin like that (technically she is my second cousin; she's my mom's first cousin).
Don and I got to chat about a variety of topics during my visit but one thing he said really stuck with me. He was talking about his family that passed on and referred to it as a 'promotion' because the next life is so much better. "This is like the trial run, and the real thing is what's up next." At least it put the possibility of something happening in a more positive light.
I just got off the phone with my mom, and we were both getting emotional about the situation with Chickey. Right now we can only pray that she comes out of it and is healthy. At the same time it's comforting to think about the wonderful life that lays ahead of her, and all of us, when we get 'promoted'.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
There's nothing like gelato
After dinner tonight Rob asked if I wanted to go out for an ice cream date. He didn't have to ask me twice. I'm a huge fan of desserts - especially ice cream - but after our trip to Europe last summer I have a bad habit of comparing any ice cream I have to the delicious gelato I enjoyed when we were in Venice. We tried a variety of flavors during our time in Italy, but the chocolate hazelnut gelato was heaven on Earth.I've tried a few other places that sell gelato in this area but no one has that particular flavor. I guess its a good thing that I haven't had it again...at least I have the memories of strolling the streets of Venice with that yummy goodness.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Goodbye Summer 2010
As I wrap up Labor Day weekend and say farewell to Summer 2010, I can honestly say I had one of the most relaxing weekends of the summer these last few days.
On Saturday Rob and I did some stuff around the house, went up to the pool (it was freezing, which made forced me to read my book), and then came back to make homemade pizza, foccacia bread, and play some games out on the porch. It was cute to see Rob let back and enjoy a cigar and a few beers, too!
Sunday we went out to PA to see my grandparents, as well as my aunt, uncle and cousins. We were all having a good time until my grandmother got a call on her cell from my cousin's home - she was rushed to the hospital, where she was put on a respirator, sedated, and placed in ICU. Last time I wrote to cross my fingers it didn't work, so this time I'm asking to please say a prayer for my cousin to come out of everything OK. It's been such a rough year, I can't imagine anything else happening to someone I love.
Today we had a community picnic where I caught up with old friends and made a few new ones. After that we went to my Dad's house for a BBQ and to celebrate my little brother turning 14 this week. It's crazy to think that I was his age when he was born!
After a nice weekend like this I am not looking forward to getting back to work. Things at the office have been incredibly busy and stressful lately so I'm hoping this four day week flies by. The highlight of next weekend - my grandmother's 85th birthday party on Long Island!
On Saturday Rob and I did some stuff around the house, went up to the pool (it was freezing, which made forced me to read my book), and then came back to make homemade pizza, foccacia bread, and play some games out on the porch. It was cute to see Rob let back and enjoy a cigar and a few beers, too!
Sunday we went out to PA to see my grandparents, as well as my aunt, uncle and cousins. We were all having a good time until my grandmother got a call on her cell from my cousin's home - she was rushed to the hospital, where she was put on a respirator, sedated, and placed in ICU. Last time I wrote to cross my fingers it didn't work, so this time I'm asking to please say a prayer for my cousin to come out of everything OK. It's been such a rough year, I can't imagine anything else happening to someone I love.
Today we had a community picnic where I caught up with old friends and made a few new ones. After that we went to my Dad's house for a BBQ and to celebrate my little brother turning 14 this week. It's crazy to think that I was his age when he was born!
After a nice weekend like this I am not looking forward to getting back to work. Things at the office have been incredibly busy and stressful lately so I'm hoping this four day week flies by. The highlight of next weekend - my grandmother's 85th birthday party on Long Island!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Watch out, Ocean City!
I was in Ocean City, Maryland with a great group of girls for Jacki's Bachelorette party last weekend. We had a fabulous condo overlooking the bay and a one block walk to the beach. The condo was spectacular - three bedrooms, three baths (necessary for six girls), a huge kitchen, a great balcony, and even a rooftop pool!
We got down there on Friday night and had fun girl talk. We were all so excited to finally be there, especially after our detour in a ghetto area of Delaware to stop for gas and visiting nearly every rest stop on the NJ Turnpike. Our goal for the weekend was to relax and have fun, so Saturday we hit up the beach and the pool and had dinner at Harpoon Hannah's, a place where half of our group got all you can eat crab legs - they were delicious! Thanks to Kristen and remembering the self-timer on cameras, we were able to get a bunch of group shots:
After dinner on Saturday night we went to Seacrets, what I endearing called "the best bar ever." You walk in and it's a Caribbean theme with sand everywhere. There were outdoor clubs, indoor clubs, tables out by the water, tables actually in the water - there had to be about 12 different places to go and party, and they all had different live bands or DJs. The cover was only $10 - considering the prices we pay to get in to NJ bars, that's cheap! Funny story regarding the cover: when the girl behind the desk said ten dollars I thought she said "Holla!", so I asked if she said that and then said Holla right back, to which she clarified and said no, it's ten dollars. Considering I gave her a $20 I'm not sure what the issue was, but either way at the time was pretty funny and we kept saying Holla for the rest of the weekend. I guess you had to be there :)
We met a bunch of fun people celebrating birthdays, bachelor parties, and two who refer to themselves as nomads. There was also one guy - not sure which group he was with - who gave me a new nickname, Skittle. Now I know I'm short, and I wasn't wearing heels to this bar since it was full of sand, but he said I was so tiny I was "like a midget, a Skittle, a little Leprechaun he could fit in his pocket" and then he proceeded to open his pocket and pretended to put me in it. I got mad at him that night, but the Skittle nickname stuck.
After an awesome night we hit up the beach the next morning to relax, and in the afternoon we went Parasailing. Lauren and Chrissy went up 400 feet, Trista and Kristen did 600 feet, and Jacki and I went up to 800 feet. When we were up there it wasn't scary or windy; it felt like we were just floating. The views were spectacular, and it was definitely a great excursion for our girls weekend.
The bride-to-be rockin' her fashionable sunglasses
Chrissy and Lauren before going Parasailing
Kristen and Trista on their way up
Jacki and I before going up
You can't see us, but that was us!
Everyone got a chance to dip their feet in the water on their way down, but since Jacki was the bride-to-be they decided to give us two dips in the water - one of which was a complete dunk. It was hilarious!!
Afterward our excursion we went back to the beach to relax for a bit before heading back to make a delicious dinner at the condo. After taking in a beautiful sunset we went over to the Boardwalk for some ice cream, funnel cake and shopping!
Despite Hurricane Earl churning up the waters, we had a great time at the beach the whole weekend.
It was an awesome weekend with an amazing group of girls
We got down there on Friday night and had fun girl talk. We were all so excited to finally be there, especially after our detour in a ghetto area of Delaware to stop for gas and visiting nearly every rest stop on the NJ Turnpike. Our goal for the weekend was to relax and have fun, so Saturday we hit up the beach and the pool and had dinner at Harpoon Hannah's, a place where half of our group got all you can eat crab legs - they were delicious! Thanks to Kristen and remembering the self-timer on cameras, we were able to get a bunch of group shots:
After dinner on Saturday night we went to Seacrets, what I endearing called "the best bar ever." You walk in and it's a Caribbean theme with sand everywhere. There were outdoor clubs, indoor clubs, tables out by the water, tables actually in the water - there had to be about 12 different places to go and party, and they all had different live bands or DJs. The cover was only $10 - considering the prices we pay to get in to NJ bars, that's cheap! Funny story regarding the cover: when the girl behind the desk said ten dollars I thought she said "Holla!", so I asked if she said that and then said Holla right back, to which she clarified and said no, it's ten dollars. Considering I gave her a $20 I'm not sure what the issue was, but either way at the time was pretty funny and we kept saying Holla for the rest of the weekend. I guess you had to be there :)
We met a bunch of fun people celebrating birthdays, bachelor parties, and two who refer to themselves as nomads. There was also one guy - not sure which group he was with - who gave me a new nickname, Skittle. Now I know I'm short, and I wasn't wearing heels to this bar since it was full of sand, but he said I was so tiny I was "like a midget, a Skittle, a little Leprechaun he could fit in his pocket" and then he proceeded to open his pocket and pretended to put me in it. I got mad at him that night, but the Skittle nickname stuck.
After an awesome night we hit up the beach the next morning to relax, and in the afternoon we went Parasailing. Lauren and Chrissy went up 400 feet, Trista and Kristen did 600 feet, and Jacki and I went up to 800 feet. When we were up there it wasn't scary or windy; it felt like we were just floating. The views were spectacular, and it was definitely a great excursion for our girls weekend.
The bride-to-be rockin' her fashionable sunglasses
Chrissy and Lauren before going Parasailing
Kristen and Trista on their way up
Jacki and I before going up
You can't see us, but that was us!
Everyone got a chance to dip their feet in the water on their way down, but since Jacki was the bride-to-be they decided to give us two dips in the water - one of which was a complete dunk. It was hilarious!!
Despite Hurricane Earl churning up the waters, we had a great time at the beach the whole weekend.
It was an awesome weekend with an amazing group of girls
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Wedding Season
This has been the year of weddings for us, and the last three weekends were filled with bridal showers and Bachelorette parties -- not to mention getting home late during the week due to a big project at work. So I haven't been able to make time for blog posts.
To recap, the first weekend was Jacki's martini themed bridal shower. We had a surprise brunch for the ladies in the morning at the Hilton, followed by a big BBQ at her parents house - complete with a surprise pirate ship cake (she loves pirates)! Everyone had a blast, and we're all very excited for her upcoming wedding on 10-10-10:
I also had a surprise bridal shower/Bachelorette party for my good friend, Melissa, who is getting married on October 2nd in Vermont. We went to dinner at Pavinici's, a lovely Italian restaurant on Lake Hopatcong, and then the girls came back to my house for a sleepover, yummy snacks, girl talk and gifts!
I'll have to have a separate post for Jacki's bachelorette in Ocean City, Maryland. There's too much to say and too many pictures to include in this post!
To recap, the first weekend was Jacki's martini themed bridal shower. We had a surprise brunch for the ladies in the morning at the Hilton, followed by a big BBQ at her parents house - complete with a surprise pirate ship cake (she loves pirates)! Everyone had a blast, and we're all very excited for her upcoming wedding on 10-10-10:
I also had a surprise bridal shower/Bachelorette party for my good friend, Melissa, who is getting married on October 2nd in Vermont. We went to dinner at Pavinici's, a lovely Italian restaurant on Lake Hopatcong, and then the girls came back to my house for a sleepover, yummy snacks, girl talk and gifts!
I'll have to have a separate post for Jacki's bachelorette in Ocean City, Maryland. There's too much to say and too many pictures to include in this post!
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