Superhero!

Shout out to my friend Colleen, who gave me this awesome card before my little weekend of "superhuman" powers! She told me that radiation plus human=superhero! thanks Col!

So, I'm going to see "Sex in the City" again today--it was just too good! Kel and I are going--only to sit across the theatre from each other! but we can hear each other laughing...nothing like best girlfriends, huh!?

Hope Rob and the girls are having a great time at Gramma and Grandpa Longs--wish I was there!

So this is what a desert island is like....

Or at least the part of feeling like I'm all alone...I wish the ocean and palm tree were part of my landscape this weekend!

You know the old cliche.."I wouldn't touch that with a 10 foot pole!?"..well, close... no one can touch me with an 8 foot pole...I feel like I'm living in a bubble. I'm not supposed to sleep in my own bed this weekend, I have to eat off disposable utensils and dishes, and I have to use a separate bathroom, and the kicker--STAY away from my precious girls and hubby until Monday!
Why you ask? It goes like this...girl has overactive thyroid, girl likes this fact because it keeps her weight gloriously in check even with splurges on ice cream, but doctors discover that girl needs to remedy the issue before she has heart issues and bone loss as she grows older. So, the remedy...radiation iodine treatment. That's right...I'm glowing just a bit this weekend!

So, how do you spend a whole weekend without Anna wanting to crawl into my arms? that is the toughest part!

Yesterday I got the treatment done and they tell me that I'm not allowed to say anything after I drink the liquid--until I get out of the hospital and home! Tough thing to do, trust me.
They said I could go to a movie as long as it wasn't crowded and I sat away from people, so I went to a 12:30p.m. showing of "Get Smart" with Steve Carrell and Anne Hathaway.

.not what I was dying to see, but it was at the right time-I surprising found it very entertaining!

My first choice of movies was "Sex in the City"--


which is getting bumped to fewer showings with the new releases coming out. It was playing one afternoon matinee at 3:05, at a theatre across the city from where I watched "Get Smart"--but the timing was good--I could make it (the first movie got over at 2:30)...so I raced down the expressway and got into the theatre as the previews were just beginning.

Can I just say to all my dear friends...how I wish we were all watching this amazing movie together...I laughed, I cried--it was just great! Those 4 women we loved to watch on HBO for all those seasons, they are still making us proud.

A huge thank you to my mom--who is watching the girls when Rob is working--LOVE YOU--thanks Mom!

Today, I digital scrapped a page while sitting at my mom's house--because Anna was having a hard time not wanting to follow me around when I was anywhere in our house, and it just makes me sad--and it made her cry, so I left for awhile, and I'll go to mom's house to sleep again tonight. Here is the page:

credits: Heather Ann Meltzer "watch me grow" kit, font: cafe rojo, century gothic and CK Becky

Rob is taking the girls to his mom and dad's tomorrow--so they are really looking foward to that! Wish I could go--but that is the whole point, to get them away from me until the coast is clear..just one more day to go!

Class of 2008 Graduate of Nursery School

What a great night for our Catie! She graduated from Pre-K! It was a fun evening...she looked so sweet in her graduation cap and she was so proud. Gramma G. and Uncle Matt joined Daddy, Mommy and Anna in the audience! (Anna was such a good little sister in the "big auditorium!")

Catie was the leader on the way into the auditorium behind Mrs. Chipre--as "Pomp and Circumstance" played!

The best part...when each child got their diploma, Mrs. Chipre read a special description of what they wanted to be when they grow up. Catie said: "I don't know because there's really a lot of good jobs. My Mom and Dad say I have a lot of time until I grow up!" She got a huge round of laughter....just too cute, Cate!

We had a reception in the elementary school cafeteria afterwards, where we got some fun shots...including another of her friend Ellie with Cate.

Congrats to all her classmates! She told me that she can't believe it is over....and she'll miss Mrs. Chipre.

Catie's Last Day of Pre-K!

Just a couple pictures of Catie's LAST day of Pre-K! (sniffle, sniffle) I can't believe it! She had a beach party for her last day.... she and her friend Ellie posed for mommy!

Here they are with their teacher Mrs. Chipre--she is the best!

And with Mrs. Falcone, their classroom assistant!

Catie graduates on Wednesday night! We'll be sure to post some pictures!

While Catie was in school and Anna was at Kathy's, Rob and I had a movie date today--the early bird special at 11 a.m. for the new Indiana Jones

We loved it...some great little moments of homage to the earlier movies, and Shia LeBeouf was good. And Harrison "Henry Jones Jr." has still got it! Pure entertainment!

We had a fantastic weekend with Rob's mom and dad, and his brother Greg, sis-in-law Mary Ellen, and niece and nephew Emily and Thomas! I think we got some great photos--I'll post soon!

A shoutout to my friend Alicia--Happy 1st Birthday to Rory today!!!!!

Kung Fu Fighting!

Oh...my little Kung Fu Catie! Guess what we saw at the movies today!?! KUNG FU PANDA! it was very cute...I loved it the too! it was a mommy & Catie special time..she came with me to the hair salon..and then off to the movies! It was a great time to stay inside, too--since it was another hot and humid day of 95 degrees! We stayed through the credits, and a la "Enchanted"--she wanted to dance to the closing credits music score! She was down in the very front after everyone left, spining and doing karate chops! Too cute!

Then we got Chinese food with Rob and Anna for dinner--yum!

We're off to see Rob's mom and dad--and Greg, Mary Ellen, Emily and Thomas this weekend!

PRism WINNERS!

What a great Thursday night! Our Nazareth College team walked away with a big sweep of awards for the annual PRism Awards--for the local PRSA chapter (Public Relations Society of America) which I belong to. Our team won two PRisms, and 3 Awards of Excellence--very cool! I got to accept one of our PRisms for all the work that Rachel, Alicia and I did on the Arts Center press conference to unveil the renovation plans--a ton of work paid off!!

Then, I woke up to my photo in the paper with my friend and colleague, Sofia! And my best bud Kel was partially in the photo (her svelt arm and beauteous hair!)

Here is that photo and the link to the story.

me and Sofia at PRism awards on Thursday night--with Kelly taking the photo! It was in the Democrat & Chronicle!

The chance photo in the newspaper was all thanks to me running up to my best friend Kel right before the ceremony started to get a photo of the two of us! Here are the shots!

And, I had to get a shot of Kel, all glammed up--with her foot in a boot! She'd just broken her foot a week and 1/2 ago--and got the cast off just the day before the awards--still looking lovely!

Here is my Naz team! Rachel, me, Sofia and Colleen! Our great boss Kate was taking the photo! Missed you Alicia!!!

A Random Act of Kindness

I was running late to work today...the soothing white noise hum of our bedroom AC unit lulled me back into a slumber after Catie's 5:45 a.m. wake up call that she'd fallen out of bed! She is such a cutie--she comes in, taps me and says "I fell out of bed, but I'm alright!" what a trooper. She then wanted to tell me about her dream, (which must have revolved around Peter Pan or something)... I proceeded to fall asleep during her story, and I dreamed that I was pulling Captain Hook's hair! I woke up with a jolt (that darn falling sensation) and told her my dream--she thought it was hysterical--and she was off to her room asking if it was ok if she read some books!

When I awoke at 7:17, and have a departure time of 7:20--I was in speed motion! Catie was now asleep with her light on--(which was a blessing when I was so late, because she LOVES to eat breakfast with me, but I had no time for any food this morning)

I was cruising down our back road out of town and came around a sharp curve to find one of my mom's neighbors in the middle of the road, walking to pick something up. I thought he'd lost something off his car--when I saw it was a tiny turtle with about a 6 inch shell.

When the world is running so fast--the fact that he stopped to save this little turtle just made my morning. I stopped, rolled down my window and told him what a nice thing he was doing.

On another note--did I mention that my hubby is on vacation this week! Yippee! So nice to spend quality time when we are on opposite schedules normally. We're heading to his family's this weekend, which includes Father's Day--ordered daddy presents this morning!

Last night, Rob and I enjoyed the first DVD of Season 3 of Showtime's series Weeds--hilarious show.

We're seriously debating adding Showtime to our digital cable for the summer--because Season 4 starts this Monday! So nice to sit inside our tv room that is now air conditioned! :)

New Look!

Drum roll.....after staying up until 1 a.m. reading through a tutorial on how to customize my blog with the SMJ elements...my new blog look is unveiled! Hope you like it! I'm so excited, and thankful to SMJ and Kayla Lamoreaux the Shabby Tutorial Queen!

It is HOT, HOT, HOT here in our neck of the woods! We suffered through the night last night without the air conditioner. We keep talking about central air every year--our furnace is only a couple years old, and is all hooked up for air, but there is always something else to spend the money on (until we hit these 90 degree days!!) Rob put the big AC unit in our bedroom today--and it does a great job of cooling off the upstairs. We're planning a trip to Home Depot to get a second window unit for the family room...

The girls and I took a trip to the local pizzeria with Gramma G. tonight--who wants to cook in this heat?! Then it was off to Gramma's with the Ariel Sprinkler in hand--Catie was soaked and thrilled to run through the water. Anna is just at the right height that she got smacked in the eye with the water--so she wasn't too sure about it all! :)


Just a couple photos of the girls from the last couple weeks that I never got to post...Anna loves to go down the stairs now on her bottom...Catie has taught her how to "sha-boynk" down the stairs! A funny term that Catie learned from her cousins Emily and Thomas!

Summer Reading Isn't the Same!

My friend Alicia and I are in "Bella and Edward" withdrawal! We've both been listening to the unabridged audio books of the NY Times Best-sellers, the "Twilight" series by Stephenie Meyer. "Twilight" is the first book, followed by "New Moon," and the one I just finished "Eclipse." Now, I just have to make it until August 2 for her latest "Breaking Dawn."

Catie, Anna & I went to the library the other night to return "Eclipse" and I talked to the librarian about the new release...I'm first on the list! If you haven't heard about it...it is classified as "young adult"--but it is also a hit with my generation. Check out Stephenie's website at the link above to read all about it...you'll be hooked!

The other countdown: Until 12/12/08 for the movie "Twilight!" this is the poster above...if you're a Harry Potter fan, Edward is played by Robert Pattinson or "Cedric!"

CKC Photo

Here is a photo of Aunt Carrie and I at CKC Buffalo--we had a great time! I got some Anna baby book pages done..and I've made a commitment to myself to finish it--she is 2 after all!

Anna had her 2-year checkup...Rob took her at the beginning of the week, and she got to stand on the big girl scale. He said it was the funniest site, watching her stand naked as a jaybird on the scale, right in the middle of the office hallway, so proud of herself! The hardest part for her this past week is giving up her bottle before bedtime. She is on skim milk, but no longer at bedtime, and tonight she was not happy about it! She is certainly our little miss independent. Tonight--she refused to accept my help to put on her pajamas, she wanted to do it herself. Our little firecracker!

Catie gets to go on field trip to the elementary school tomorrow! Her whole Pre-K class is traveling to see where they are attending Kindergarten!