2.27.2012

Lent

Growing up Catholic, I usually gave something up for lent. It was usually chocolate or soda or gum. The real important stuff. I think one year I gave up cursing. I should have given up midriff tees. Why didn't anyone say anything??

Then, during college, I realized how 'not catholic' I was. I went to CCD, I went to church, and I still didn't know much. I had become Catholic in culture and not religion. So not what I wanted.

Now, I am a Christian. I know stories of the bible, I know prayers and I know Jesus.

This is all besides the point.

Anyway....I haven't given anything up for lent in years because I'm not Catholic (in culture or religion). But, I was thinking of starting up again. I mean sacrificing something for 40 days can really remind you each day what He did for us.

Then, I found this blogpost. Perfect.

Just what I was thinking

So, with that said, I am giving up Facebook for the rest of lent.  I wanted to pick something that I spend too much time doing.  No, every time I want to check Facebook, it will remind me to what sort of sacrifice was made for me.  Shouldn't be so difficult in comparison.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

2.25.2012

out and about

 I have about 24 days before I go back to work.  I was so worried about how I would feel about this big transition in our lives.  Surprisingly, I am not too worried or anxious about it.  If anything, I am just ready to start so I can stop thinking about what it will be like.  Of course, any changes in your life will cause some tension.  I am a little worried about how the dynamics will change, but Julian and I are both ready for the change.  The best part is that I am easing my way back into working full time.  I work for about three months (with a one week spring break in there! yay!) and then I am off for the summer.  It makes life a tad bit easier knowing that.  

Since work starts so soon, Julian and I decided to have a week full of fun outings.  Since the weather was so nice this past week, we took advantage and had each day planned out so we weren't just sitting around or doing our usual park outing.  On Monday, we had her first swim class, and then took her to Barnes and Noble to pick out a book and get a cookie.   On Tuesday, we drove up north to visit with my grandmother (Eloise's great grandma June).  It is so nice visiting and seeing my grandmother with my daughter. It is pretty amazing.  My grandma really appreciates us visiting and enjoys little miss so much.  We should really go and visit at least once a month. On Wednesday, we went to the popcorn park zoo.  It was a beautiful day out and since it was the middle of the week, there weren't many people there.  We took our Maclaran Umbrella Stroller because it's lightweight and easy.  But, little did we know, the whole place is filled with sand.  We will definitely bring the Bugaboo next time! Eloise really enjoyed  the animals and I think she liked the bears the most.  

 Julian and Eloise in the Reptile House....not Julian's favorite.

 Mommy and Eloise looking at the Camel and the Llama's.

 Eloise pointing to the monkey!

 Feeding the crazy goat!

 Hi, Mr. Monkey!

 Comparing beards.

 Waving to the animals.

 So tired after all the roaring he did.

Boo Boo the Bear.


What I really like about the Popcorn Park Zoo is the fact that all the animals there are rescued.  So you get to read their stories about how they got to come to the zoo and why they wouldn't be able to be re-released into the wild.  It's a sweet little zoo and we will surely be back!

On Thursday, we took her to the Point Pleasant Boardwalk and we visited the Aquarium.  I think she enjoyed the aquarium more than the zoo, because you feel like you are closer to the animals.  It was fun!
 It was a beautiful day at the boardwalk!

 Hanging with the fish.
 Daddy and Ellie
 What a cute seal!

 Sitting still for a picture...

 So happy because she just ate some funnel cake!

Beating Julian at Skee Ball!

*Then, on Friday we went to Nan and Pop's house and hung out there.  We had such a busy week, it will be nice to have a relaxing weekend at home! This fun-filled weekend gets me excited for what this summer is going to bring us! Lots of outings I hope :)

2.20.2012

Swim class

Eloise had her first swim class today! I was nervous because she typically hates the water. I think seeing the other kids (there were three of us in the class) get in the water helped. She pouted a couple of times, but mostly she had fun.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but we sang songs and splashed a lot. They learned how to get in and out of the pool, blow bubbles and kick our feet. They learned to 'jump' in and go under. They had water poured over their head with a bowl and they played with toys. They used noodles and 'floated' on their backs. I really was impressed with the class and am so proud of my little girl. She went all the way under and didn't even cry! And now she has two new friends (Talia and Christopher). Talia is a month younger and Christopher is about 6 months older. It really worked out well. I only have a couple of pictures from my phone, but I'll add my camera pictures when I get a chance!









- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

2.16.2012

Things I want to buy but won't buy just yet...

These are the things I want to buy...

Eloise needs this from the Easter bunny. Well, Julian says she does.  I think Julian wants this from the Easter bunny. 

Another Easter bunny present! Eloise already has the little people race cars. Now, all she needs is the track so Duke can stop chasing her cars around the house.



And a third Easter bunny gift for the little miss.  She loves dogs, so obviously she'll love Lady and the Tramp. Plus her mommy and daddy both love this movie. win-win.

How fun would these Toms be for spring and summer?? I want them bad. I would also like a blue pair with stripes if Julian is reading this.


Is this not the cutest summer romper you have ever seen? $48 bones for it, though.  Gigi could totally make something similar. But, I kinda want her to have THIS EXACT EXPENSIVE ROMPER. oh man, being greedy stinks.
These sandals would be the perfect shoe for the above romper. I could buy little girl clothes all day....


Oh my goodness this beach bubble....I could die....sooooo cute.

she needs it.


And how cute is this for me? Not that I need anything. actually I feel like I have no clothes but I am sure if I clean out that poor excuse for a closet I could find something to wear other than sweats. But, regardless of needing clothes. I want this.



Eloise does not like taking a bath in the big tub. This would make the transition a little easier. She's getting too big for duckie.  We don't want this. We need this.    

We also need that little snack holder that only lets out one cheerio/pea at a time. If we don't get one of those soon, Duke is going to become obese. It's bad enough that she throws her food to him when she's in her high chair. But she loves to walk around and eat and drop all the cheerios or peas on the floor. At least I don't have to vacuum :/




2.12.2012

random thoughts...

I have nothing really important to talk about today, but I figured I would just update a little about what has been going on with us. Don't mind my stream of consciousness.  Or my random pictures.

Eloise is growing up too fast. She loves to drop things so she can say 'uh-oh'. It might be the cutest thing EVER.
AND she blows kisses, waves bye-bye, and kisses me on the lips. YUM I could eat her up.

Superbowl was fun. I barely knew who was playing but we hung out with the Arzonico clan and Blake and Eloise really could play together (one might call it stealing toys out of each others arms, but I call it playing). It was fun to watch them interact.

Julian started taking half paychecks so that Highview could invest in flipping some jobs. Thank goodness I am going back to work. Sometimes investing in things is fun because you think of the return you can get and sometimes it is no fun because it's gambling and there's a chance you lose. AY YI YI. Anywaysss,  I start March 19! AND i'll be teaching 2nd grade. I am taking over for my friend who is having a baby girl.  I observe her the first two days I am back and then I take over her room until the end of the year. I am actually excited to be doing 2nd grade. I used to teach 2nd, so I have an idea of what I am doing. Plus, I haven't hung out with upper B-wing in a while and they have some fun (we might say pranks) up there.  Lower C-wing (1st) is definitely more quiet and serious when it comes to teaching but sometimes you need a change.  

My mom and dad took Eloise out to lunch for the first time without me.  They were so excited. It was cute and nice to know she is at an age where they can do things like that now. While she was gone, I cleaned my entire house (minus the bathrooms---I always conveniently forget the bathrooms when I clean....gross)

I know in an earlier post I said Henry was our boy name.  Well, I am really digging Phillip these days. I think I can convince Julian on that one.  Phillip Thomas Barker.

Not only is  Henry becoming way too popular for my liking....But Phillip is the prince in Sleeping Beauty ANDDDDD it's Julian's uncle's name (the one no-one likes, seriously who cares though? not me.) And you can call him 'lip' for short. I am obviously obsessed with Shameless. 
Lila is still our girl name.

I have the beginning of a cold. UGH. It started Saturday morning. I am fighting it with all the weapons in my arsenal (Emergen-c, lots of water, general complaining).  I can't wait to be over it. 10 more days. That's my estimate since colds tend to last 12 days in my mind.






I think I am going to stop doing monthly posts about Eloise.  Too much happens each month, I need tri-montly posts! hA! But, with going back to work, who has time for that? So, i'll just update randomly. like this.

Eloise is in 12-18 month clothing mostly. 
Her favorite words are 'uh-oh', 'mama', 'mine' and 'nooooooo'.
Her favorite things to do are climb up and down stairs, have someone chase her, chase duke, and go to the park to play.
Her favorite foods are still Mac and Cheese and grilled cheese but she will try new foods. I guess what they say is right. 12-15 months are THE WORST when it comes to eating. I see the light.
Little Miss LOVES chocolate chip cookies and brownies.
not the biggest fan of ice cream

That's all for now.





2.01.2012

Blog Prompt

I saw this prompt on another blog, and I thought I would play along...

11 things you might not know about me:

1. I really love all vampires. I love sparkling in the sun vampires (Twilight), I love vampires who wear magical rings in order to walk in the sun (Vampire Diaries), and I love vampires that sleep in graves and other underground contraptions (True Blood). I haven't found a vampire that I don't like. And I also love Jesus. You can love both, I'm proof.

2. I despise wearing heels. I would rather be in flats on any day in any situation. Comfortable shoes are very important in my life. I don't even care what they look like most of the time, as long as my feet are comfy!

3. My biggest girl crush right now is Zooey Deschanel (from my 2nd favorite show "New Girl"), and my biggest guy crush right now is Jeremy Allen-White (from my 1st favorite show "Shamelss").

4. I like to go to bed early and wake up early-ish. Notice I added that '-ish'. 5am is too early, even for me. Sometimes I wake up late but I always feel gross after doing that.

5. I don't drink cow's milk. Neither does my family or Julian's family. We are a bunch of non-cow's milk drinkers. My family drinks rice and/or almond milk. Julian's family does the same. His mom is really into coconut milk right now.

5. I hate swallowing pills. Yuck. I did it when I was pregnant but I gag at the thought of it, now. It has gotten worse with age. I take gummy vitamins these days....

6. My favorite place to go is Canyon Ranch in Lenox. It is amazing and life changing. Everyone should be required to go there at least once. It should be a law.

7. I could eat skotidakis dip for every meal on everything. My mouth is watering typing this. The Jalapeno flavor is amazing. Especially with pretzel chips.

8. My favorite fruit is an apple. I prefer red over green. I used to be allergic to apples when I was younger. Then, I went to a holistic health chiropractor for about a year or two and he cured me of that allergy. He did it with vials of liquids and pushing against him. Yes, weird. But, it worked. I can now eat my fav fruit with no itchy mouth or swollen lips. If you have an allergy, I recommend it.

9. My favorite board game to play is Cranium. But, it has to be Turbo edition. Turbo is soo much better :)

10. When I was younger, I went to all sorts of camps. Summer camp, swimming camp, art camp, drama camp, veterinarian camp (what?), dance camp, gymnastics camp. I have great memories of spending summers at camps and I hope that Eloise will love camp as much as I did.

11. I don't like mushrooms. It is really the only thing I won't eat. I can't think of another thing I don't like, or at least tolerate.

question portion



1. What is your guilty pleasure TV show?

I like a lot of TV and have a lot of favorite shows, but I guess the one I am most embarrassed about is Teen Mom 2. I love it and have watched every episode.

2. Name one song that you like to jam out to that is totally embarrassing.

Anything Kelly Clarkson.

3. Where do you want to send your kids to school? Public/Private/Homeschool?

Public schools as of right now. There's a possibility of private but more than likely it will be public. Definitely not homeschool.

4. Name one food you will never grow tired of?

Pizza. It really doesn't matter where it's from, either.

5. What is your favorite Pinterest Search?

I don't really search on Pinterest. I just look at my friend's boards and repin a lot of their things.

6.Have you ever ordered girl scout cookies and if so, what kind?

I was a girl scout for a while and then two of my cousins were/are and we always get girl scout cookies. My favorite are thin mints. in the freezer.

7. What color do you decorate with most?

I'm going to say green.

8. Which store is your total guilty pleasure?

For clothes for myself I would say JCrew. For everything else, Costco.

9. What are your favorite baby names?

If we had a girl right now her name would be Lila Kathleen. If we had a boy, Henry Thomas. But, these names change on a weekly basis so don't hold it to me.

10. What is your dream home vision?

I want a house with a wrap around porch, lots of land in the backyard. I also would want a nice size master with a biggggg master bathroom and two walk in closets. I would want a bedroom and an office downstairs, besides the bedrooms upstairs. I would also want a basement (a must) and a big laundry room upstairs. I also wouldn't mind a mud room. Hardwood floors throughout and an island in the kitchen.

11. Is your current job your dream job?

Teaching first grade is the only thing I can ever imagine doing. I do love being with the kids all day. Obviously, there are things about it I wish I could change (going to the bathroom whenever I wanted) but there are going to be a good side and a bad side to everything. I love summers off, and getting home early. I love that there are sick days and paid vacations. I love that I am good at what I do. I love that I got a full year off when I had Eloise and I got to keep my job. I wouldn't choose another job, besides staying home and doing nothing besides playing with my baby all day, everyday. Oh, and the benefits and salary aren't bad, either :)