Motherhood Might Be Fatal

Life Lately: January

2012-01-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

In the last two weeks life has been busy. While Daddy is away Mommy is home holding down the fort, keeping our lives moving from one household chore to the next. It's not a super exciting weekly life but it's ours and Mommy tries to make it special for the kids.

1.Weeknight movie before bed (complete with popcorn & a drink)    2. Mommy relaxing a minute before bed     3. Breakfast table
4. Family Therapy (buried in reading and loving it!) 5. Learning to read    6. Aiden and his BIG books
7. Looking for more books to take home to read   8. Silly faces over cereal    9. Even SILLIER faces

1. Post run    2. Miss Hailee    3. Salt N Vinegar chips (lunch with Miss)
4. Hugs for Hailee    5. Hailee playing on the stairs    6. Post run (this time after the gym)
7. "Homework" thank you cards for her, reading for him   8. More reading. I do this a lot, yes?   9. Bedtime stories

Mommy got her office together. It looks great!

Amanda, Brie & I had lunch and did some shopping (and lots of laughing)

1. Mommy had a rough week. It ended in her first migraine in 7 years. They are as bad as she remembers. 2. Daddy w/the kids at their Winter Gala   3. Performing!
4. Margarita to dull the head pain   5. Pizza at home   6. Riley helping Daddy make Aunt Brie & Uncle Steven's Birthday Brownies!

Our January Birthday Celebration (for Brie & Steven). Lots of fun and food. And Twister. Love it. Oh and here's our 52 Week Shot:

Back to Life Lately

1.Re-upholstering the chairs.   2. EZ Bake Oven!   3. Mommy got to take a bath while Daddy made dinner!
4. Sunshine Boy   5. Daddy pumping Mommy's gas for her    6. Sunshine girl
7. Meatloaf (Daddy made it!)   8. Storytime before bed (Tangled)   9. Aiden's monthly haircut (Thanks again Daddy!)

1. Get dressed every day.    2. Tuesday Swim Lessons    3. Schoolwork
4. Library trip!   5. Mommy's lunch (a salad)   6. Bedtime reading
7. Pedicure with Aunt Amanda!   8. Consignment shopping (furniture)   9. Consignment shopping (clothes)

Sushi with Amanda & Brie

1. Face mask    2. Cinammon rolls   3 & 4 B&W silliness
5. Snow fun!   6. Chicken enchiladas (thanks Daddy)

This past weekend we spent Sunday at the Franklin Institute. It was a great time! We saw the special dinosaur exhibit, explored the entire museum, had lunch, revisted our favorite parts of the museum, saw Beauty & the Beast 3D and then stopped in to see the Air Show section of the museum we had somehow missed. We tried to have Gino's Cheesesteaks for dinner but there was only outside seating and we had no cash. So we made plans to do the Franklin Institute AND Gino's again one summer weekend. :)

Here's our latest 52 Week Shot.

Whew, now you're all caught up!

Life Lately: 2012 Begins

2012-01-11T12:30:00.001-05:00

The holidays were a blur. So we were really looking forward to settling down more in the New Year.

We celebrated New Year's Eve at Mom and Steve's where the kids had a great time running around together. There was a lot of great food and the kids both stayed awake to watch the ball drop. Yay!

Aiden was up bright and early anyway (think: 5:30!) and when his sister followed at 7:30 it was time to wake up Daddy. We had some cereal to tide us over until the big egg and bacon breakfast with Gramma Julie a few hours later. Then it was time to head home!

1 - 3 Waking up at Mom's
4. Riley's bedside table    5. Miles run in 2012 (525, btw!)   6. A new Sudoku book!
7. Fresh from my 10 mile (first long) run of the year! 8. Writing Thank you cards    9. My To Do List for 2012

Then on Monday we used our last day of break to run errands, have lunch with Grammy Ann, Pa Rich and Aunt Alicia who drove down.

1. Early morning game of Twister.    2. Aiden was supposed to be smiling here.    3. Riley LOVED Twister!
4 - 9. Mary Ann Donuts for breakfast!
10. Target trip!    10. New shoes (Riley learned to tie!)    11 & 12. Car Wash    13. All of us at the movies!
14. Our steak, twice baked potato and veggie dinner! 15. Story time!   16. Bath (opps, this is sort of out of order huh?)

The week after New Years was back to the grind, school, swim lessons, life and etc.

1. Mommy's lunch    2. Post strength training (ouch!)   3. Me and the boy watching Sissy's swim lessons
4. Being silly before bed    5. Lili came for a visit!   6. Shopping with Lexi
7. Pretty Lili Bug    8. My Boy, the Reader   9. Riley with this week's library haul

For the second weekend of the New Year we wanted to get a few things to finish up my office. Graduate school started on Monday so a trip to IKEA was in order!

But first we took our time getting out of bed, had a late breakfast (of eggs and bacon), then headed to IKEA where the kids got to play, Mommy and Daddy got to shop and have an adult lunch before we finished shopping, fed the kids, had some ice cream and cinnamon buns and got back on the road! Before we got home we made a stop at the park because it was a BEAUTIFUL day!

Then on Sunday:

1. Cleaning. I don't enjoy it. But we make it a family affair.    2. Fresh from another 10 miler   3. Afternoon treat
4. Kids patiently shopping at Target    5. Boxing at Bounce U (their surprise for the weekend    6. Riley posing
7. Down the slide!    8. Glow necklaces!   9. Daddy's beef stew (it was exceptionally good!)

Also, here's a look back at our 52 Week Project:

New Year's Day (Week 17)

Excuse the terrible quality of the image. I didn't change the settings on the camera so it was still shooting from the previous night's settings. Boo on that. But still. Here we are. That's life sometimes.

And Week 18 (after story time)

There, you're all caught up!

Happy Birthday Aunt Brie!

2012-01-04T12:00:00.000-05:00

Aunt Brie lives with us, she keeps a room on the third floor of our house and the kids love to see her even if its in passing between her two jobs and school. When she's free, she comes out to eat with us or does special things with the kids around the house.

Before Christmas the kids baked with her. If you missed it in my marathon end of the year blog, here's a few glimpses

of the baking activities.

Aunt Brie is awesome because she helps the kids make forts

will always pose for a picture

and play Just Dance on the Wii with them!

The kids were excited to share Christmas morning with her

The Monday after Christmas we went to our new favorite Mexican restaurant near our house. Aunt Brie had never been so we invited her to go along. Riley and Aunt Brie played tic-tac-toe (Riley won a lot, fair and square I'm told)

while Aiden played with some of his new toys

He even posed for a picture without making a funny/grumpy face!

The food was awesome and Mommy enjoyed her Mexican Coke. For those of you that don't know, Mexican coke is made without HFCS or High Fructose Corn Syrup. I like the taste a million times better but Rich and Brie agreed it wasn't as good as the real stuff.

The great thing about Aunt Brie is this: she doesn't take herself too seriously. She's always ready with a smile and a goofy face.

She love what she loves (video games like Resident Evil, HP, amongst other things).

She knows exactly who she is as a person and Mommy admires that about her.

We love you Aunt Brie! Happy Birthday

Daddy's Birthday!

2012-01-03T14:02:00.000-05:00

Daddy turned 33 on Thursday of last week. He also got home in time to pick the kids up from school - a VERY special surprise!

The wait to get a table at Olive Garden was super long. Annoyingly so. Luckily it wasn't 40 minutes like they said but about 25 instead! Once we got seated the kids stayed occupied with this:

Don't judge. ;)

They also played tic-tac-toe awhile (aren't they cute together?)

Out came our salads first (I LOVE Olive Garden salad!)

then our appetizer sampler. Aiden tried the calamari (he called it chicken, we didn't correct until after he'd tasted it and loved it)

and soon it was time for our food! Aiden got spaghetti (but hardly touched it, opting instead to eat all his grapes)

and Riley got macaroni and cheese (which she finished, along with most of her mashed potatoes)

while Mommy had her crusted Parmesan tilapia with angel hair pasta and veggies (yum!)

and Daddy ate his shrimp dish.

Because he didn't eat his dinner, Aiden had to watch Mommy, Daddy & Riley eat chocolate cake

and clear their dessert plate!

Here's also an Instagram Look at the last week 2011!

1. Me at my desk. 2. Daddy's Surprise Pick up   3. Wine at dinner   4. Wii players   5. Riley & Daddy having dessert for Daddy's Birthday 6. Mommy and her new scarf (Thanks Aunt Brie!)

Rich and I had a day date on Friday that started at the Farmer's Market. We had Charlie K's Pizza, walked around a bit, had a Mary Ann Donut for dessert and walked around some more. Always fun things at the AFM!

1. LL Bean shopping    2. Rich trying on pants (isn't he cute?)    3. Starbucks
4. Riley being silly! 5. Aiden & Daddy watching TV   6. Bye Bye Christmas tree
7. Lexi in her NYE glasses   8. Happy New Year!   9. Lili in NYE glasses

That was it for 2011!

A Recap: Life Lately, Christmas & Much more!

2011-12-29T13:47:00.000-05:00

This is really going to be a giant photo dump masquerading as a blog post. The truth is this holiday season has been one giant whirlwind. The really good kind where - blink - and you missed it.

Except the great thing about my camera being ever present, that constant shutter sound click, click, click at gatherings is this: The time is never really gone. It will always be there in the photos, in the sound of laughter of video recordings, in a quick four by four inch Instagram snapped and uploaded to the world of FB to be enjoyed by everyone who loves our family.

The time is never really gone. It slips away from the present but it stays forever formed in this digital memory. Every last week of December I have these thoughts. These moments of reflection wherein I simultaneously am grateful for another beautiful year and sad to see it go.

I always conclude this: time is gone but not forgotten.

Now onto the recaps! The second weekend in December we spent a day in New York City with Jonathan & Rachel.

And the city is just as beautiful, bustling and metropolitan as I remember it to be. It's not Christmas to me anymore without a trip to see the tree.

To see the entire wonderful adventure from our fancy camera click here:

If you're following along that means we spent December 2nd in DC, December 9th in Williamsburg and December 17th in NYC! What a bunch of lucky ducks we are! We're also incredibly lucky to have numerous friends and family with which to celebrate the holidays. So our "Christmas" gatherings began with a second Birthday celebration for Lexi on the 18th followed by a trip to Amanda & Eric's for dinner. There we met Melissa and Dave and all the littles to open presents. If you missed the blog post, read about it here.

Here's the Instagram look:

Later in the second week of December our friends John and Tara finally realized Tara's dream of operating an art studio. We went to wish them well at their Grand Opening. I plan to organize a Saturday craft day at some point in January to break up the monotony of Winter, so stay tuned for an invite to that! To read all about Jelly Bean Town, Inc, click here and go like them on Facebook!

The Instagram look:

The rest of the final days before Christmas fell away to errand running, real running (at the gym & outside), school drop offs/pick ups and day to day life. I finished up photo projects, ordered last minute gifts, wrapped (and wrapped). I always keep up with taking pictures and editing them but our lives are too busy for each and every thing we do to be chronicled here on the blog. Go over to Flickr to check out the whole set!

Meanwhile the kids occupied afternoons after school with things like playdates with the neighbor girls, perfecting their Wii playing skills, doing crafts and baking

with Aunt Brie.

Thankfully Daddy got to come home in time to pick the kids up from school on Thursday! By Friday it was time to take care of some things with the house, make a trip to refill our library book bag and grab the kids their Friday night pizza!

Later that night my friends from high school gathered at our house to celebrate the season and catch up. We may see them only a few times a year (some of them more) but it's always nice to see the same people come back, year after year, advancing and succeeding in their lives. It reminds me where I come from and how important it is to stay grounded. It really helps matters to know every one of them are kind, respectable people who treat my family with graciousness and love. Those who couldn't make it but show up in a variety of ways for me throughout the year, your presence was missed!

Starting early Saturday morning our family Christmas got under way.

Here's the Instagram look:

York for Christmas Eve with the Berkoskis and the Blasdells, then Christmas morning at home with Aunt Brie, Aunt Amanda & Cousin Drake

followed by Christmas dinner at James & Jenny's with Mom, Steve and the whole crew that afternoon.

So.much.love.

Hundreds and hundreds of photos + a weekend filled with love and many gifts both physical and emotional variety = Christmas came to a close.

I was unspeakably grateful to share this holiday season with our friends and families after two years away. There just aren't words so I won't even attempt them. Rather than wax poetically at length about the beauty of friendships, love and family, just go look. I whittled it down to less than 250.

The week between Christmas and New Years really isn't fair. People are all just chugging along trying to get to their next long weekend. Monday we spent the entire day organizing the house, basement and putting away new toys. We also went out to lunch with Aunt Brie who was about to leave us for a few weeks to go see her Dad in Iowa. It was hard to get back into the swing of things when Daddy didn't go back to work until Tuesday morning. Then Wednesday Drake came to see us, we had a playdate with Aunt Miss & Uncle Dave and before we knew it, it was Thursday!

Thursday meant Daddy's Birthday (and dinner out when he got home from DC). But that (and New Year's) belongs in another post. This one's gone on long enough, don't you think?

Okay, one more:

Happy Holidays, from our family to yours.

Alter/Berkoski/Lake Dinners

2011-12-22T14:00:00.006-05:00

When our children are grown I hope they can look back and fondly remember these monthly (sometimes more) dinner parties. I hope they will remember the laughter (and chaos) of our gatherings. I hope they remember the friendships, the family like quality of our growing group.

Where once there were two, then four, then five. Our group has grown and grown. Happily stretching with littles.

Some things remain the same. Like Rich's inappropriate jokes (please see Dave's look of surprise did he really say that? and Miss' mixture of amusement and uncertainty followed by Amanda's laughter. If Eric had been there for this picture he would have been egging him on.

These things never change, even when the trees grow heavier with handmade ornaments,

the children find new ways to play (or reinvent ways to wrestle),

and our littlest littles grow up.

Happily we add another photo of all of us to the already large pile of photos of all of us

Alters, Berkoskis & Lakes
Christmas, 2011

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-21T14:00:00.000-05:00

Family

2011-12-20T09:06:00.001-05:00

My mom always goes all out to decorate for Christmas. I could seriously write an entire blog about the way her house looks at the Holidays. But I'll skip that part and get down to the family togetherness stuff.

First, a picture of the tree

and the stockings hung by the chimney with care.

Back to the togetherness. When we're all together (or even some of us are together) it's crowded. But a good crowded. Arms filled with babies crowded.

Chubby cheek chuckles crowded

sweet smiles shared crowded.

Lots of us gathered around the table to eat crowded

People hanging all over furniture everywhere crowded

Sisters

and brothers,

lots of laughter and good conversation

and more arms full of baby.

When it's time to sing we all crowd in together to belt out the words

wishing one of the littlest siblings the happiest of Birthdays.

We smush together for a photo, one proper and smiling

another silly but still crowded.

This is a great crowded, a chocked full, spilling over, amazing and awesome. The greatest gift of all.

Family.

This Moment Monday

2011-12-19T07:00:00.002-05:00

I want to remember this moment.

Them, at 6 and 4 1/2.

Feet crossed the same way. Hands in their laps. Patiently watching their Aunt (who will grow up like a cousin/sister) open her gifts.

Them as kids. Little but big.

My babies.

I want to remember this moment.

Life Lately: December: Week Two

2011-12-17T19:00:00.010-05:00

1. Cartoons before dinner. 2. Macaroni & Cheese (comfort food) 3. Aiden's Appletree
4. Feeling under the weather 5. Light sabers 6. Grocery shopping
7. Chicken Noodle Soup (more comfort food) 8. Swimming Graduation (for Riley, Aiden is repeating Eel) 9. Dinner for 3 (Miss you Daddy)

1. Riley's "All Pink" outfit 2. Pumping gas 3. Drake's tonsils
4. Me & Brie the Baker 5 - 9 Christmas goodies in my kitchen

Also here's a recent My Life Moment By Moment:

Her: “Mom! Aiden’s going to tell on me!”
Me: “Are you telling on your brother for telling on you?”
Her: “HE’S GOING TO TELL ON ME.”
Me: *chuckle*

That's a look at life this week :)

Winter Weekend in Williamsburg

2011-12-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

I haven't taken the time to do a proper blog post in so long that when I had the chance to really process and arrange the photos from our weekend in Williamsburg I wanted to go all out. So here you go, a glimpse at our trip!

Day One:

Hanging out at the apartment

Christmastown at Busch Gardens: Sesame Street Live

Riding the rides in Christmas Town

Night Falls

Day Two:

Fambly Time

A walk through Jamestown

More Adventures in Christmastown

Fireside Feast with Santa

Day Three:

Pancake Breakfast @ Mama Steve's

Poolside

Fambly time back at the apartment

Lexi and her "Happy Cake"

Lexi opening gifts

Last night at Christmastown

To view the whole set, click here.

Life Lately

2011-12-15T14:00:00.002-05:00

Last week was busy. Mommy had lots to get done for Christmas (wrapping). Every day is filled with things to do like swimming, photo projects, housework. To help, Mommy asked Aiden and Riley to chip in on Thursday morning with cleaning the house. Together they managed to do it in about half an hour! Yay :)

1. After school snack.     2. Instagram Collage     3. Santa (from my powder room)
4. Some of my favorite Christmas ornaments    5. Bathtime!     6. Drakerdoodle (after lunch at the mall)
7.   Errands & Lunch    8. Draker lounging on the Toy Story chair    9. Trying to make a phone call on the chair remote

1. Friends since birth    2. Danielle & Lexi     3. Riley & Lexi playing Candyland
4. Birthday gifts for Lexi (my sister)   5. Video chat with Daddy    6. Dinner Party!

1.   Lunch!    2. Roadtrip     3.   Waiting patiently to leave the house
4.   On the road    5. Into the sun    6. Amanda & Lili
7. Mommy & Riley    8.   Boys playing outside at Mom's Timeshare    9. Going to Christmastown

That Friday the kids didn't go to school so when Aunt Amanda got home from her overnight shift at the hospital we could all get on the road to Williamsburg. We stopped in Arlington to pick up Daddy (and have lunch at Noodles and Company, yum!). By about 3:30 we arrived in Williamsburg to check into Mom and Steve's timeshare. It was a great two bedroom, living room dining room apartment with plenty of room for all ten of us!

Then it was off to Busch Gardens where we were selected as the family to dine and watch the show. They brought us hot chocolate and when the show was over the kids got to meet the cast. The kids thought was AWESOME (though Drake was scared). The kids all got Elmos afterward and Busch Gardens provided us with all the printed pictures taken by their staff. It was awesome! See below.

After Sesame Street Christmas we stayed another few hours riding lots of rides and drinking more hot chocolate. It was WAY passed bedtime when we finally made it back to the apartment.

1. Aiden & Riley keeping Lili happy     2. Third row seating: Aiden, Mama & Riley    3. Second row seating: Lexi, Lili & Mom
4. Lights @ Busch Gardens Christmastown   5. Mommy & Daddy staying warm   6. Daddy, Riley & Aiden waiting in line
7.   Mommy & Aiden on the bumper cars   8. Mommy, Riley & Aiden waiting in line at the bumper cars   9. Daddy & Riley on the bumper cars

We went back to Busch Gardens on Saturday after Mom, Steve, Rich and I took the kids to the Jamestown Settlement. The kids had fun exploring the Indian huts, going aboard the pilgrim ships and pretend cooking in the soldier fort. Then it was time to go back to Busch Gardens where we rode more rides and had a fireside feast with Santa!

1. Lili in the morning     2. Mama Steve's pancake house (Lexi's Birthday breakfast) 3. The boys playing with the iPhone
4. The boys playing with the Leapsters    5. Mama & Riley lounging on the floor   6. Lexi getting toweled off at the pool
7.   Riley & Aiden swimming    8. Drake jumping in!    9. Pa Steve & the Birthday Girl

Sunday we went swimming and had a little birthday celebration for Lexi. Happy Birthday to Lexi!

Sunday night was our final night at Busch Gardens and we made it just in time to see the Deck the Halls singing show. Then it was a final pass through all the rides (Riley & Aiden rode the bumper cars with Mommy & Daddy!). We said goodbye to Mom & Steve and Amanda, Rich and I took the kids to Cracker Barrel for dinner (and browsed the shop) while we waited to be seated. On the road, Drake got sick :/ Many (many) hours later Amanda and I unloaded the kids from our long weekend away.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-14T14:00:00.002-05:00

Life Lately: December: Week One

Autumn in America: Fall 2011

2011-12-13T14:00:00.000-05:00

Here's my album for this Fall on Flickr. It's about 1800 pictures, most of which have been blogged or posted in some variety. But I know the Grandparents love pictures, so I thought I would share even the ones that didn't make the blog/FB cut.

For those of you not familiar with Flickr, the images upload with full resolution. So any you enjoy you can right click, view small, medium, large or original and download them to your computer. I never mind family and friends printing my images, I post them to share with you guys!

Autumn in America: Fall 2011

Enjoy!

Attitude of Gratitude

2011-12-12T14:00:00.000-05:00

My Photo Challenge for November was a lot of fun.

I printed it because the challenge really forced me to think about how lucky I am and in what ways.

Here's the full book look:

Attitude of Gratitude by Photo Challenge by: Amber E. Berkoski | Make Your Own Book

Weekend in DC

2011-12-09T14:00:00.050-05:00

I was set to run the Hot Chocolate 5k in Washington D.C. at the National Harbor. So I drove the kids down to Grammy and Pa's. On the way, Riley got car sick several times (boo) and was really complaining her ear hurt (extra hurt). This had been a problem all week (along with the ongoing - worsening sinus infection). Once we arrived Grammy the Doctor checked her ears and listened to her breathe and decided she needed a stronger antibiotic (she had two courses of amox that just didn't do the job). Off to CVS went Mommy and Daddy (and a few other errands).

We departed York to meet Nieves and Marcus in Silver Spring for dinner. It was a great little Italian place called Olazzo with good food. The company was the best part though because in all the years we've been friends we always go out with the kids. It was nice for some adult conversation.

The next morning we were up bright and early. I mean BRIGHT and early. But the race was fun (despite a 45 minute delayed start) and it was nice to have a running partner this time!

After the race Nieves and Marcus dropped us off at Davey's (in Columbia Heights where we were staying) so I could shower and Rich could rest. After a quick pull together we were headed for the Metro and all the monument sites!

First we stopped at the Holocaust Museum. You can't take pictures through most of that but suffice it to say, if you have some free time (and a thick skin) make the trip. It is as chilling as it is beautifully done to honor the victims.

Next, we visited all the major monuments. We didn't go inside all of them (we've already been many times) but it was nice to at least see them again and visit the new Martin Luther King Memorial.

We took the Metro up to Foggy Bottom and trekked the last mile to Georgetown on foot. Once there we discovered Georgetown Cupcake had a line around the block so we hopped a bus back to the Federal Triangle. There we got some shots of the White House, rested a bit and soon it was time to go back to Davey's.

Davey and his girlfriend Amanda made us some yummy crab cake thing as an appetizer before we headed over to have dinner with a few more of Rich's college friends. Steve was in town from State College and we had a great time catching up. Then it was time to get back on the road towards York!

Later that night we arrived to hear that Aiden had thrown up unexpectedly that day (and was on another course of antibiotics for his sinus infection). We kissed our babies and went to bed because we were SO tired. The next morning we hung around the house for a bit. Aunt Alicia painted Riley's nails (Mommy always painted her nails) and Grammy let Riley and Aiden help bake cookies.

Then it was time to head to McDonalds. After lunch we stopped to get gas and a car wash before we met Grammy to see Arthur Christmas. The kids loved their popcorn, soda and the movie!

Our afternoon was going fine until Riley started throwing up too. This went on for the next several hours with Mommy and Daddy taking turns caring for her. Meanwhile the Blasdells were coming over to celebrate Grammy's birthday and we were having yummy roast beast.

Daddy and Mommy decided it was best if Mommy and the kids stayed the night to allow Riley more chance to get better. Aiden was still not 100% either so Mommy called off all her plans for Monday morning to stay at Grammy and Pa's another night. After the kids went to sleep Grammy and Alicia started not to feel so good either.

Before Mommy and Daddy went to bed that night, Alicia and Grammy were both sick. :/ Mommy was very worried she was going to get sick too but have to drive the kids home anyway. After deliberating about it Mommy and Daddy decided to try and get some sleep.

That morning Riley was still under the weather. Mommy packed up the car and got on the road as fast as she could so they could be home quickly. Around ten we pulled into the driveway and Riley went right upstairs to bed (after sleeping most of the way home in the car). Aiden (and Drake) had lunch and then everyone laid down for a nap.

Mommy was hurrying to get laundry, dishes and housework done in case she was about to get sick. But all day the sickness never came (and she was very productive). The boys and Riley woke up around 3 and played nicely together until bed. At bed they all went to sleep pretty quickly around 7:30 and slept the whole night!

Everyone must have been tired! Including Mommy :)

Life Lately: A Look Back at November

2011-12-08T14:00:00.010-05:00

I feel really behind in my photo editing. And my blogging. And pretty much everything.

In November we bought not one but two cars, we celebrated birthdays (like four), we were away in Philly for the weekend for me to run my marathon, I got accepted to graduate school (after hours upon hours of research and legwork), there were playdates and lunch dates and many wonderful social things.

And then there was the Thanksgiving Holiday. Plus decorating for Christmas. It was a LOT. Basically December is going to be the same way (and I wouldn't have it ANY other way). But still.

WHEW. I feel like I need to breathe after all that.

Click these links to view Week One & Week Two.

Alright, ready? Go! Here's a look back at the last two weeks of November:

1. Me, happy even after a crappy day. 2. Amanda & Drake at lunch     3. Drake hanging out on the bench while Mom shops
4. Me in my new scarf     5. Shopping for Rich's new job     6. Grocery shopping made easier by the hooks on the third row seats
7. Riley in her new swim cap!    8. Me, picking out our TDay Turkey    9. Leaf covered ground

Lunch on the cheap. Blogged here.

1. Me, after a run    2. An entire day of cooking/baking    3. Lunch @ the new Mexican place
4. Eyebrow wax      5. My husband     6. Mozz Sticks @ Copperhead Grille YUM!
7. Wine after a long day    8. The power of words    9. Getting a greener thumb

1. Saying goodbye to the Audi    2. Honda's Sale Sticker    3. Economic thinking (Blogged here)
4. All dressed up for a sad reason (funeral)    5. Relaxing on a Friday night    6. Loving liquid eyeliner
7. Packing for Race weekend in Philly!   8. Mom-mobile     9. Soccer pictures!

1. The skyline on the way in.    2. Picked up my packet! 3. The walk to lunch at Hard Rock!
4. HRC     5. Playing doctors/nurse @ the Please Touch Museum    6. On the carousel
7. Me and Rich being goofy    8. Lili, of course    9. Miss Lexi

To read all about my adventures with Thirteen Point One, click here.

1 - 3 Some more shots from Philly
4. Riley in the grocery store check out line     5. Old Navy STEALS 6. Mommy & Lili
7. Daddy and Lili    8. Brie and her niece and nephews 9. Riley remembering Romania

1. I needed caffeine (blogged here)   2. Laundry is a constant PITA   3. Finding beauty in unexpected places (blogged here)
4. Riley is sick but still happy   5. A leaf on my window (more beauty in unexpected places) 6. Mommy & Riley at the Doctor's office

1. Fresh from a run (I KNOW, it's all I ever do, right?) 2. Starbucks to start my Christmas shopping    3. Downtown Bethlehem after our Melting Pot (read about it here)
4. First cup of tea in my Christmas mugs :)    5. Swim lessons!    6. Found this rock in my washer, came out of one of the boys' pants

Thanksgiving! Read about it here.

Decorating our tree, see the fancy camera pictures here. Read about my thoughts on tradition here.

And if you missed yesterday's post, here's a look at how we celebrated Mom's birthday.

1. Draker telling me WHATS what!   2. School pictures.   3. Gratitude, to read my thoughts on it click here
4. Boys at dinner at Friendly's    5. Riley coloring at Friendly's

You're up to date on November! You're tired, right? Me too!

Wordless Wednesday: Mom's Birthday

2011-12-07T14:00:00.000-05:00

Friday Night's Alright for...fondue?

2011-12-06T14:00:00.054-05:00

Late Friday afternoon, after lounging around the house and not doing much of anything, we took the kids to the "big giant park" as Riley calls it.

There the spider web is a favorite for all three of the kids. They quickly climbed up inside it.

Drake held his own, even being one of the smallest kids there

Riley climbed all the way to the tippy top

Aiden shouted for me to take his picture (shocking, I know)

and Mommy even snapped a quick picture when he wasn't looking.

It was climbing down part that was harder than climbing up (I think here a foot is being stepped on).

Riley is also a fan of the monkeybars.

Drake loved the rock wall.

Riley got Daddy to balance on the rope with her

and then he spun her and Aiden (and some new friends) around and around (and around).

Daddy's a keeper, he's always game for anything (like taking ANOTHER picture with Mommy).

After the park, Mommy and Daddy had a surprise for the kids. We were going out to eat to a VERY special place. We packed a bag of toys to keep them occupied and headed to the Melting Pot in Bethlehem. The kids had never had fondue before so they were perplexed when we sat down and the waiter brought a bright stainless steel pot to the table.

We took a few pictures while the pot heated up, first Daddy & Aiden.

then Mommy & Riley.

Soon the waiter returned with the cheese

and the kids watched eagerly as he started to stir!

The cheese course included breads and veggies and Aiden was a HUGE fan

but Riley just ate the food without the cheese (this was one of her only bites with the cheese).

Mommy and Daddy got their salads

Then things got a little silly

while we waited patiently

(okay not so patiently)

(okay, a LOT silly)

while we waited for the chocolate course.

The chocolate course was BY FAR the kids favorite (big surprise) and it included sweet treats (to dip in MORE sweet treats)

Riley enjoyed the chocolate course much better than the cheese, success!

This Moment Monday

2011-12-05T14:00:00.000-05:00

I want to remember this moment.

Excitement. Joy. The simplicity of childhood wrapped up in his expression of glee.

I want to remember this moment.

Decorating the Tree: 2011

2011-12-03T10:00:00.000-05:00

Trexler Hike

2011-12-02T14:00:00.000-05:00

The end of November brought above average temperatures and we wanted to take full advantage of them. So Saturday after the kids had their pizza party for the end of the soccer season we went home to collect Aunt Amanda and Cousin Drake.

As an aside, I suppose I can stop calling him "Cousin Drake" now. I did this when we were away because our kids were so young (Drake was still a baby) and it was important Riley and Aiden remember who he was. Two years later, he's spent the last six months living with us and they are pretty clear he is their cousin (although he calls Riley "Sissy" because Aiden does). I digress.

We all went up to the Trexler Game Preserve to take a hike in the warm weather.

Right away the kids got down to business collecting sticks, rocks and leaves from the trail.

Before long we had walked half way down the trail and the covered bridge was in our sights!

As we crossed the bridge the kids practiced walking to one side, holding hands and staying out of the road (while Mommy walked in the middle of it to get a picture).

Once we made it to the other side it was time to collect rocks to throw in the river.

This side of the trail is much closer to the river (and without the dangerous drop off on the other side) and they wasted no time in gathering up stones.

All three goofy kids

were excited

for their chance to throw stones in the water.

Drake threw rocks with all his might while Mommy watched carefully to ensure he didn't end up in the river!

The rock throwing experience was a great success! (we did it two more times as we made our way back to the car)

Along the way we stopped to take some pictures of Mommy & her babies

and Aunt Amanda and her baby.

We took a shoe picture (like last time)

and the kids were even more goofy

as we made our way to the last bridge

to throw more stones.

We also took a few more pictures, first Daddy and Mommy

Aunt Amanda took our 52 Week shot

and Mommy took a picture of Aunt Amanda & Drake (he cooperated nicely, as you can see).

When it was time to go, the kids raced to the car!

Thanksgiving

2011-12-01T14:00:00.003-05:00

We started Thanksgiving Day with some leftover frozen waffles from Grandpa Boo (and lots of giggling)

But we're getting ahead of ourselves. FIRST, Riley painted

Turkey Placeholders

the night before.

Also Thanksgiving Eve was Daddy's first night home from his First Week at the new job. The three and a half hour commute turned into about six hours with holiday traffic and accidents so Daddy didn't mind getting take out! That night Amanda and Kevin also came over with Ethan and Ava to play (and eat pizza!). Grandma Julie and Pa Steve ALSO celebrated their anniversary so Lexi, Lili and Steven came over to stay for a few hours. Our house was full!

Lili is a breastfed baby and that means she's attached to her Mama. And needed lots of holding, comforting and loving while Grandma Julie and Pa Steve were away. First, Daddy took a turn holding

but when Lili started to get grumpy, Mommy took over.

It was well passed bedtime when all the guests departed so everyone turned in right away. Riley had been battling a cold so she and Mommy had very little sleep that week. Aiden always needs an early bedtime and it goes without saying Daddy was wiped out from his drive!

Thanksgiving morning was nice and easy going though. Amanda had made two of the dishes for dinner and Brie had already made all the pies for dessert. I got to work on all the other little things like salad, rolls, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, peeling potatoes for mashed potatoes, setting up the table and the dozen other tasks that crop up when you're preparing a meal for lots of people. All in all though, it was a pretty laid back morning.

I even contemplated going to the gym but since I'd been the day before, I chose to take a shower instead. I wanted to get myself ready so I didn't have a time crunch. By the time I got down to cooking my stove wasn't even that crowded and I wasn't stressed at all!

You see, it's a lot easier to forget the stress of cooking so many dishes simultaneously when you're husband is going to do this:

We will never bake a turkey again. If you haven't tried a deep fried turkey, do it. It tastes just as good (some of our guests said it tastes better than baked) and it takes 90 minutes, tops. Win/win. Anyway, here are some of my favorite shots from that day:

Mom and Lexi:

The table:

Pre-dinner conversation:

The chaos of serving food (crazy as it is, this picture just says FAMILY to me).

Paused in our eating for a group picture

and a shot of my plate.

The hosts,

a shot of Mom and Jamer,

and a shot of Mom, me and Lili.

Post-dinner games (I love that you can see the resemblance between Jace and his parents in this shot)

and a family shot before everyone departed.

It was a wonderful holiday with family!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-30T14:00:00.000-05:00

52 Weeks: Another Update

2011-11-29T11:22:00.000-05:00

I'm enjoying this challenge because it forces us to take FAMILY pictures. Most times Rich or I take a picture of the other one with the two kids. The 52 Week project gives us lots of opportunity to get into the picture together and make a memory.

Here's Week 12, at the end of our hike at the Trexler Game Preserve

Week 11 at the Please Touch Museum (and since I'm behind I haven't edited any pictures from our trip).

Week 10 at the Crayola Factory, you can view the album of our adventures if you click here.

Week 9 during our trip to the library (I blogged about what the library means to our family here)

Week 8 announcing our Stateside permanent stay (read about it here if you missed it)

Week 7:

And a look back at the first six weeks can be found here

This Moment Monday

2011-11-28T09:00:00.007-05:00

I want to remember this moment.

Laughing with family.

I want to remember this moment.

P.S. I want to wish a VERY Happy Birthday to my Mommy as well!

Thirteen Point One

2011-11-25T09:30:00.002-05:00

Race Day started bright and early. Well, mostly just early because at 4:30 AM there was no sun. NO SUN. In November, this means cold.

Special thanks to my husband for

a) waking up that early

b) driving me into Philadelphia

c) waiting around for four hours while I ran a lot more than any normal human being would ever conceive to run. For no reason at all.

Anyway, it was dark when we got there. We parked and followed the throngs of people towards 22nd and Ben Franklin Parkway where the race would start. We weren't sure how far Rich would be able to follow me in so we stopped by some trees to take a pre-race picture.

See? DARK.

We parted ways so I could find my corral. But HA! I didn't have the map (I had given it to Rich) so I wasn't sure where to find Orange Corral. A corral (otherwise known as seeded start) allows runners to estimate their finish time and line up by running speed. This is to avoid a bottle neck at the starting line. While I was looking, Rich called to say he had wandered his way farther into the race area. After we met back up he helped me find where I belonged (reminding me I'd be lost without him, which really I would in a lot of ways) and I walked into the wide open space of Orange Corral.

We took a picture

and then I caught sight of the skyline as the sun was starting to come up.

When we woke up, drove into Philly and walked to the race Rich commented a few times on how he was more excited for me than I was for me. That was partially true. I wasn't thinking of the Half Marathon as a special experience. I was thinking of it like another long run. I'd run over twelve miles, what's thirteen?

But standing there with all those people, I started to get excited. Rich left the corral when it got crowded and I realized this was more than a long run. All these people were headed into the heart of Philadelphia, a beautiful historic city on a beautiful Fall morning (and as the sun came up it wasn't even very cold).

The National Anthem played, the crowds started screaming and cheering, runners started stretching. The announcers signaled the start of the race and faster corrals started to move forward. Runners started wishing each other luck, stretching some more. Then it was time to set my running program.

Seeing that number clicked something inside me. I was going to do something amazing in just a few minutes. I cannot explain the great wave of happiness, excitement and anticipation that took over my body standing a few feet from the starting line. The sun peeking out from between the buildings, the Marathon banner hanging there like an announcement of the great physical achievements that were about to take place. The cheering sections were SCREAMING. It didn't matter if they had people in this corral or not. They were SCREAMING.

It felt special. Because it was.

You couldn't help but smile. That smile carried me the first three miles. I didn't even think about what I was doing or how long I'd been doing it. When my running program said, "Ten miles left" I almost stumbled in the street because I couldn't believe THAT much time had passed. Running as a group with dozens of people around you all with the same goal is that mind consuming.

Miles 4 through 6 were a bit harder as I navigated aid stations and twists and turns in the course. Then at mile 7 I realized belatedly we were going up a long, steadily climbing hill. I didn't even have time to slow my pace before it was over and I was really out of breath. But I followed my training and conditioned my breath back to normal.

It's a lot like life, learning to condition your breathing. Breathe in and out. It's hard right now but it's going to get easier. Your body will rebound. It knows what to do, what will be, relax and let your lungs do their work. And you know what?

They did. For another six miles. Up one more very steep hill and down the other side. Along the Schuylkill with the giant Museum of Art on the hill, we ran the last mile toward the finish line.

Let me tell you how I run my last mile. Every time I do a long run in my neighborhood I increase by one more mile. That last mile I designed to be up a steep hill followed by a steadily climbing hill. It takes about five minutes for me to clear, half of my total ten minute mile. It's hard, hard work. And keep in mind this is at the tail end of two and one quarter hours' running time. It's HARD.

Yet it changes my life in small ways.

This is one more mile than you've ever run

This is one more step towards the previously unthinkable. The physically impossible, less than likely, that which you believed was out of reach.

That mentality carried me right across the Philadelphia Half Marathon Finish Line, guys. And my husband caught a picture not far from that line (about .10 of a mile) so if you can see sheer determination in my face, it's because IT WAS THERE. In my bones, coursing through my blood.

You could say I felt unstoppable. I know. I KNOW, give me a break, right? We're all sick of hearing about how much Amber loves running. And DID YOU KNOW AMBER'S RUNNING NOW? I know, I promise we'll move onto something else. But the point of all this is it was never about running.

It was about taking back a part of me I had lost to motherhood. It was about challenging my fitness that was weakened by years of bad knees, flat feet and general lack of physical endurance.

It was about doing something I thought I could not do, about doing it with intention, about living with purpose. It was about abolishing the idea there is ANYTHING I CANNOT do.

In April I will run another 13.1 right here in my own neighborhood for the St. Luke's Half Marathon. And that same month I will sign my name to run the full 26.2 in the 19th Annual Philadelphia Marathon in November 2012. Because I can do it.

I hope you'll follow along. It's a gift to run this journey. It's my joy to take you with me.

The One Where I Go to Graduate School...almost

2011-11-23T17:30:00.001-05:00

Way back when I started college I had a plan. And of course with the way life typically goes that plan got all shot to shit. No fault of anyone in particular. It's just my husband lost his job. We had to move to Virginia. Then to Romania. Goodbye Amber finishing her undergraduate degree at a REAL college.

Amber: 0. Irony: 1.

Long story short I still got the degree but I did it in a way I didn't expect. I did it entirely online.

This means I had to do a lot of grunt work in justifying my time like discussion posts and endless papers to "prove" I was really learning. I've done some college courses face to face. They were not as much work as when you have to do them from home. When you go to class in your pajamas it's a lot easier to not go at all. You can fall behind. Two papers quickly turns to eight, turns to YOU'RE FAILING in about a week.

In my opinion it requires a lot more discipline than the average person wants to give. It's pretty much the disclaimer of every online class I've taken with the three different universities in which I was affiliated. This is going to be hard, they say.

And it was.

So when I embarked on Graduate School ambitions I hoped to go to school on campus. With a real library. And teachers I could glare at when they decided a 30 page examination of dissociative disorder in young adults is due at the same time as another 30 page paper on -

You get the idea. I wanted the real graduate school experience. But when another abroad assignment did not materialize, we were laid off. Again. Yippee! Suddenly we were Stateside and it was time for Amber to figure out Graduate School without warning. I got it together and put all the plans in motion. Then Kutztown tells me ALL their graduate courses are offered at night. You know, when Rich was going to be away WORKING all WEEK.

Amber: 0. Irony: 2.

I was really upset. I felt defeated. Then a friend mentioned Capella University. They have a CA-CREP (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs) accredited program, entirely online, designed for coursework and internships required for licensure.

I took a month and did exhaustive research to ensure this program will lead me to becoming a licensed Marital and Family Therapist. Graduate School is expensive and I don't want to make a mistake. Capella reviews great, people are pleased with them after they graduate though unanimously agree it's a really hard program given it's all online.

Here's how it will work:

(*) In two years I will complete all the coursework.
(*) During the last year I will also complete two internships as well as two six day long residencies required in order to receive the Master's Degree.
(*) With that degree I can work under the supervision of a licensed MFT (think of this like MD residency) for two years as a paid therapist in a group practice.
(*) Then I can sit for my board examination to counsel patients independently once I've satisfied necessary hourly supervised counseling requirements.

But first back to that going to school online thing. The hard part about this is you don't really get to know your professors. Which makes academic recommendations required for Grad School applications next to impossible.

Amber: 0. Irony: 3

Because of this I CAN'T apply to Capella's the Marital and Family Therapy Master's Program right now. Instead I can take two conditional courses with them starting January 9th. Given you know, I got a 4.0 in college and probably deserve a shot at a higher degree. Jeez, sometimes it really feels like it's all against me, you know?

Of course it isn't. Because I'm going to pass these "conditional courses" with a B or better (like I have to) and those professors will write me my necessary recommendations (which they have to for me to have ANY shot at acceptance) so I can officially apply and be accepted (WHICH I BETTER ALREADY). After THAT risky endeavor I will finally be a Grad Student.

There's a place here for something like "good things come to those who wait". Or "nothing worth having is easy" or whatever other hackneyed encouraging phrase. The blunt truth is this is hard and sucky and I'm sick and tired of hard and sucky.

So let's just call it a stepping stone, shall we?

GUYS I'M GOING TO GRADUATE SCHOOL. Not the way I thought but hey, IRONY, remember?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-23T09:30:00.000-05:00

Lunch on the cheap

2011-11-22T09:00:00.001-05:00

Rich and I bought our home in the Fall of 2004. Ever since (it seems) we have driven passed this Italian restaurant and said, "We should try that place."

Fast forward seven years (of living here and saying that) when Rich notices a Groupon come through for the restaurant. First let me tell you, if you haven't signed up for Groupon for your area DO IT.

YOU ARE MISSING OUT. <- It deserves all caps.

We have used them for many things, dining out, more than 50% off admission to places we are going and clothing purchases. It is basically free money, folks.

So when a $12 Groupon for $25 worth of food showed up? We grabbed that right up!

Here's a peek at our trip there.

Food was a bit pricey for our blood. For Rich and I, if we go out we want to do it on the cheap. Two $25 dining experiences is worth much more to us than 1 $50 experience. I digress.

The food was great, despite the price tag and we got a great deal!

P.S. I don't think I should have to say this but since people have asked....NO, Groupon did not pay me to say this. I'm not cool enough for any company to pay me to say anything. If I were, I still wouldn't say anything about anyone that I didn't believe on my own.

This Moment Monday

2011-11-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

I want to remember this moment.

Her hair falling into her eyes.

Her beautiful face.

Autumn leaves all around her.

These simplest of childhood pleasures.

I want to remember this moment.

I want her to do the same.

Fun in the Fall Foliage

2011-11-18T09:00:00.004-05:00

Our nearest park boasts tons of trees and this means in the Fall they provide a surplus of leaves to play in should the mood strike you to rake them into a pile. However, my husband does not rake leaves into a pile, he smartly uses his gas powered leaf blower.

Riley, Aiden and Drake couldn't WAIT to jump in!

In an instant they were leaf covered

and giggling

Did I mention they were leaf covered?

They rolled around

in the huge pile,

posing when I could get their attention.

Their little faces held huge grins

and goofing around quickly ensued.

There was also the very exciting game of leaf throwing

and Daddy blew more leaves in at them (which prompted great squeals of laughter).

Mommy attempted to get a decent Christmas card photo

however that plan didn't work out so well.

So Riley decided to strong arm Aiden into the task

by tackling her brother into the leaf pile.

Next the kids took turns running and jumping into the giant pile

which produced more leaf covered

results.

A game of tag was up next when Riley started chasing Aunt Amanda

and then Mommy took off in pursuit of Riley.

Our afternoon trip to the leaf pile left Aiden,

Drake,

and Riley with HUGE smiles on their faces!

To view the entire set of our leaf pile fun, click over to Flickr.

Life Lately: November Week Two

2011-11-17T09:00:00.030-05:00

My Life Lately posts are really just iPhone photo dumps but you figured that out already, didn't you?

My phone is much easier to carry around with me everywhere and it takes nice pictures that I can apply filters to in order to create a nice memory. I can email them to my friends and family, share them on Facebook and Flickr and not have to lug around the big DSLR that will later have to be edited before anyone can see them.

Don't get me wrong, I still love my camera. But Instagram shots are much more compatible with my every day life. I'm eager to assemble some Blurb Books (the 8x8 format) of our monthly shots for the year. They are an easy (and fun!) way to look back at the Every Day!

Here's a peek at the second week of November.

1. Drake, playing the Wii       2. Mexican Coke for lunch    3. Drake having lunch of his own
4. Chicken enchiladas 5. Beef tacos   6. Chicken Flautas
7. Salsa      8. Rich trying out the A7    9. An old fashioned Mercedes

1. Audi Row 2. Me at the dealership 3. Ferrari words to live by
4. Alex & Amanda, my siblings, after dinner conversation    5. The walk home from school    6. Mommy with Riley (and background Aiden) during after school p/u

1. Mama & Aiden, early morning chats in bed   2. Riley & Aiden modeling their new clothes from Grammy & Pa   3. All four of us in bed (far too early in the morning)
4. What I Wore Today: Day 1   5. Our glimpse of Fall on the walk to school   6. Swimming lessons!
7. Aunt Brie & Riley @ dinner @ Ruby Tuesday's 8. Riley dressed for school (and being goofy) 9. Aunt Brie & Aiden @ RT's

1. Amber & Lexi     2. Lili 3. Lexi & Drake with their technology
4. Rich & Lili   5. The Groman Girls   6. Amber & Lili

1. Drake (riding next to his Bear) 2. On our way out of the Park    3. Aiden's favorite pick from the library this trip
4. First snuggles of the day    5. Mommy's Cup of Tea         6. Mommy & Daddy snuggling on the couch watching TV
7.   Mommy & her babies watching cartoons before school     8. Riley waiting patiently for her brother to be ready to go (already and HURRY UP, please)   9. Aiden trying to put his shoes on

1. Starbucks (hot chocolate)     2. Me and the man I married 3. Finally have to gas up the Pilot
4. Aiden EAGER to see us after school    5. Sushi for dinner!    6. Friday night family movie
7. Saturday morning paper    8. Riley all ready for soccer    9. Straw shot (lunch @ McD's!)

1. Mommy & Riley    2. The sunset (driving home after a matinee)   3. Daddy & Riley do a puzzle (after soccer)
4. Aiden reading some gaming magazine (save me, now)   5. Rich renting a Redbox DVD   6. An Autumn salad
7. Chunky Monkey (a treat for all my Half Marathon Training)   8. Mommy & Riley @ the Diner 9. Squirrels got to the Baby Pumpkin

Our trip to the Crayola Factory

Pizza Hut Lunch & Leaf Pile Silliness

That's a glimpse into November: Week Two! Thanks for following along :)

Wordless Wednesday: New York City

2011-11-16T05:00:00.005-05:00

**Over the next few weeks I'm going to post some of my snapshots from our roadtrip to New England. I'll feature them in Wordless Wednesdays given the lack of explanation. Suffice it to say our child-free five day trip across New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Maine was WONDERFUL. Here's a glimpse at just how much**

To view the entire "big fancy" camera album from our New England trip, click here.

A Trip to The Library

2011-11-15T08:00:00.012-05:00

We love our local library. We show up and pass the big rows of big kid books.

After we locate the shelves along the wall Riley digs in to find the three books she's allowed to take home

Aiden typically finds a book right away (this time Daddy picked a gem right off the shelf) and wants to sit down and read through it right.that.minute.

Which is okay because Daddy will read to him

Riley takes a little extra time to arrive at her decision

and peruses carefully the covers of several books before making her choice.

When we're ready to go sometimes Mommy will suggest we read a few titles on the tiny stools nearby.

and we quietly listen to the story

before it's time to take it downstairs to be checked out!

Our library book bag gets filled until next time!

This Moment Monday

2011-11-14T13:00:00.005-05:00

I want to remember this moment.

Him. Growing. Learning. Doing something a few months ago he would have refused to do. A simple thing, a puzzle, stretching his attention span.

I want to remember this moment.

Life Lately: The First Week of November

2011-11-11T10:00:00.000-05:00

November started off just as busy as October finished.

1. Fall foliage     2. My Mister at D&D for a hot beverage    3. The West End in the Fall     4. Adult Beverage Purchase Stop    5. Ruby Red Lips (using up Riley's costume lipstick)    6. Steak, baked potato, green beans and salad (yummy dinner at home)    7. Riley doing word finds at 7 AM (she is SO my child)    8. Popcorn (a movie night with the kids)    9. Super sweaty from a mid-week run

Days filled with the every day hectic schedules

1. Bedside reading   2. Riley doing wordfinds (heh, I feature this twice, opps)   3. Aiden and his Spiderman workbook    4. Family Movie night   5. Riley watching Cars 2    6. Daddy & Aiden on the couch

as well some exciting future plans

1. Me, fresh from a Fall run    2. Rich waiting to sign the car paperwork   3. Fall outside our driveway   4. Aiden at the dinner table    5. Signing for the future    6. Riley at the dinner table    7. Riley's new flower hairtie (from our neighbors)   8. Cheese pizza!   9. Lehigh Valley Honda (with our new ride)

We also took some time to give Riley her special day.

1. Riley getting her nails done by Rhea    2. Mommy & Daddy picking Riley up from school   3. Riley's FIRST pedicure   4. OPI Nail polish   5. Riley under the drying fans    6. Pedicure materials   7. Skipping from the mall (SO happy)   8. Playing awhile at McDonalds   9. Apple Pies (2 for $1)

with her requested choice of movie

1. Waiting for Puss in Boots to start   2. Aiden (looking like a Blue's Brother)   3. Riley SO happy   4. Sunset after the movie    5. Another pretty sunset shot    6. Mommy with her feet up

and dinner

1. Carrabba's (her choice for dinner) 2. Mommy & Daddy    3. Salad (Mommy's)   4. Riley's dinner (chicken fingers & broccoli)   5. Seafood Canneloni (shared by Mommy & Daddy)   6. The waitstaff singing to the Birthday Girl   7. Riley showing off her nails   8. Riley & Mommy before story time   9. Mommy's Peach Sangria (it was sooo good)

We can't forget soccer (it was SO COLD this week) and hanging out with Aunt Brie

and our very special trip to Hershey. First we ate at Red Robin

Then we visited Chocolate World.

Before we finished the night watching Disney on Ice (such a good show!)

Sunday morning we ate at City View for breakfast. Mommy loaded up on carbs for her 12 mile run.

We spent the rest of the day resting and enjoying each other. The first week of November was busy and wonderful. Just how we like it. :)

Halloween: A Recap

2011-11-10T14:00:00.006-05:00

Halloween (the actual day, not to be confused with Friday, October 28th when the kids got to trick o-treat the FIRST time) we headed to Grandma Julie and Pa Steve’s house to trick-o-treat AGAIN.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. FIRST, we celebrated Grandpa Boo’s birthday He was turning another year older, we won’t say HOW old here ;). Riley couldn’t WAIT to give him his card.

Then Grandpa Boo made us all waffles before he and Melinda hit the road for Ohio.

We spent the day hanging out (we = me, Rich and Drake) until it was time to pick up Riley and Aiden from school. The kids COULDN’T wait to get to Grandma Julie’s house. Once there Mommy took some time to hold Lili

who was wearing her Baby's First Boo shirt (from her Biggest Sister Amber).

Then it was TIME to trick-o-treat! As you can see, this go ‘round Riley elected to be Princess Tiana (instead of Snow White) while Aiden and Drake kept with their costumes.

Lexi was the cutest little unicorn ever!

James and Jace dressed up too (as well as Brie, it’s her FAVORITE holiday)

and our huge group headed out.

There was snow on the ground (definitely a first!) but the kids didn’t mind as they raced from house

to house.

Candy bowl

to candy bowl.

We paused to take a family photo (even washed out, red eyed photos are treasured because they capture the moment)

before it was back to gathering candy

and gleeful excitement).

The kids had such a great time running up to the porches

and Lexi got a little help from Mommy.

In the end, the kids got SO much candy this year. Lucky ducks!

** To view the entire fancy camera album from our Halloween/Birthday weekend, click over to Flickr!**

Wordless Wednesday: Wineries

2011-11-09T05:00:00.003-05:00

Life Lately: The End of October

2011-11-08T10:00:00.054-05:00

The end of October is always a busy time for us.

What with all the school, swimming and soccer going on.

Not to mention Halloween!

I took about 1200 pictures in a single weekend. But no, I'm not going to show you all of them. Just some of the best (like the cousins trick-o-treating)

going door to door for candy!

Here's an Instagram Peek at the Boys' Birthday Celebration

(Jamer turned 14, Jace turned 12 and I felt really old).

Food was eaten, games were played

the baby was passed

and many laughs were shared.

Did I mention the baby was passed?

Lots

and lots?

Can't forget this little lady (she let's you know she's still around too)

There was also a freak snowstorm, did you know?

Oh, and we lost power. That was awesome because it happened to coincide with us hosting about 30 people at our house. No heat. No electricity. Oh and no fridge for all the party food. Karma, you have a funny sense of humor.

But we made the best of it and this girl was happy

so many people came out to celebrate her birthday (snowstorm or not).

Riley was showered with MANY gifts that she loved opening.

Some really surprised her (she thought this was something else entirely)

She was gleeful

as she discovered each new treasure (this one was a mini-Bolt)

and expended her play food collection.

Rich and I were thankful the friends and family that made the trek out to show our little girl how much she was loved.

Welcome to 6, Riley MacKenzie!

This Moment Monday

2011-11-07T13:00:00.012-05:00

I want to remember this moment.

Making a childhood memory.

I want to remember this moment.

**Stay tuned for the full report on Halloween, we're a bit behind around here.**

The One Where We Start Over

2011-11-04T14:55:00.000-04:00

I've started this blog half a dozen times but each time something ELSE happened. So let's just start at the beginning, shall we?

Okay, so Rich leaves Romania and we embark on the month off September with a family vacation to Stone Harbor followed by a crazy few days or running errands, assembling furniture and getting our lives back in order before Rich and I took our first solo vacation this side of six years.

The vacations were wonderful and the month of September continued with quality time together as a family (and for Rich and I as some of you have noticed through a flurry of lunch and movie dates). We wanted to take some time to enjoy ourselves together since living abroad forced so many sacrifices on us as a couple. Seriously, if you want to see how strong your relationship is

a) move to another country
b) leave behind everyone you know
c) work 1,000 hours a week (at least it felt like it)

But the end of September came with bad news. First our company was not awarded the job in Norway. Or Morocco. Or Laos.

We were faced with unemployment. Again. I cannot tell you the devastation that accompanied that news. Despite understanding the very real risk in doing this type of work, despite having built up our savings to inoculate ourselves from this very event the blow that came with that news was severe.

Luckily Rich made contacts in his time in Romania that afforded him several opportunities we would have otherwise not found so easily. So we started October hopeful one of the half dozen leads would result in employment. I tried to stay in a positive frame of mind.

We still have our savings. We still have our health. We still have each other.

Thankfully the interviews came with offers. At the risk of sounding ungrateful this made the situation more difficult. Are we making the right decision? Do we stay Stateside or go abroad again? What is best for us, our families, our children?

We chose Company # 1. Then Company # 3 called up with a better offer. We made the decision to turn down the offer with the Company #1 for an interview with Company #3. Amber the Worrier (and consummate pessimist) struggled with taking this risk.

Long story short: Three weeks after Rich accepted their initial offer Company #3 amended their offer (to the tune of $30k LESS) and Rich and I were up Shit Creek. Did I mention they chose to amend their previously "better" offer @ 4:30 on Friday afternoon after we spent the day solidifying a new car lease agreement?

People, PROFANITY WAS USED IN OUR HOME A LOT THAT DAY.

We spent Riley's Birthday weekend with our blood pressure through the roof on this emotional roller coaster. From our disappointment when our current company didn't get any future awards to the frightening return to unemployment to the uncertainty of the job market search our nerves were good and FRIED.

Thankfully a phone call to Company #1 allowed us to take their original offer after all.

Relieved is an understatement. Impossibly grateful this risk (and the one that took us to Romania) did not cost us. So now we begin again.

We're so excited (and grateful - ALWAYS grateful) to put the nomadic living chapter of our life behind us. As amazing and fruitful our time in Europe proved to be for us it was also incredibly challenging too. It was that juxtaposition that lead us to the decision not to pursue it again.

Instead we will keep our home in Allentown. Rich will commute to Arlington, Virginia during the week. The kids and I will stay here while I attend Graduate School. Our time abroad is finished for now.

With great happiness we're excited to announce our next adventure is right here at home with all of you. World traveled or not, we happen to think it the greatest adventure of all.

Strawberry Acres: Fall 2011

2011-11-03T14:00:00.000-04:00

First, a glimpse at how hard it is to get a decent picture of my son:

And a quick peek at our trip to Strawberry Acres to pick apples:

To see some more snapshots of the kids playing soccer, our full apple picking adventure and the always fun times at the most recent Alter/Berkoski/Lake Dinner party, click here.

Wordless Wednesday: Providence

2011-11-02T06:00:00.006-04:00

Happy Birthday

2011-11-01T03:00:00.000-04:00

A look back. Waaayyy back

Here is Riley MacKenzie, just minutes old

and a few hours later, cuddling with her Mommy.

Then, fast forward a WHOLE YEAR later.

And a look at our little lady at two

with her Mommy & Daddy.

On her Third Birthday with Daddy.

Fast forward another year (and thousands of miles all the way to Romania)

at Castul Magic with her brother and Mommy (Daddy, as photog).

Greeting FIVE

blowing out her candles

and getting her FIRST fancy salon haircut!

And this morning, on her sixth birthday:

This Moment Monday

2011-10-31T14:00:00.010-04:00

I want to remember this moment.

Graduation.

Their very first swimming class, Pikes. Passed with flying colors.

The pride on their faces. The growth, the courage to try something new.

I want to remember this moment.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A bonus This Moment Monday:

I want to remember this moment.

These three people. My daughter. My son. My husband. Three of the greatest loves of my life.

Her, smiling obligingly (typical her) at my lens. Him, distracted but cheerful (typical him). Mister, a rare, unguarded REAL smile (those are precious to me).

I want to remember this moment.

Our Lives Lately

2011-10-28T08:00:00.003-04:00

...have been wonderful. Really, really wonderful. New arrivals. Time with friends. Happiness. Lots of happiness. Also, we like to keep busy. The passed few weeks have been jam packed. I don't have time to blog in detail about them so I decided it was better just to piece all our little peeks at life together, scrapbook style.

1. Starbucks & shopping.   2. Grapes & a breakfast burrito = post run fuel.   3. Bought a running belt, a long run essential.   4. Riley & Aiden playing Angry Birds in Mommy & Daddy's bed. 5. Trip to the park.   6. Ready for school.   7. Drake & Aunt Amber.   8. Another trip to Home Depot (blergh, unlike!)   9. Mommy @ the park.

1. Mommy & Daddy.   2. Sunny smiles from Riley.   3. Mommy, Riley & Aiden @ Sunday breakfast. 4. Riley the photographer.   5. Daddy, Aiden & Riley @ Sunday breakfast.   6. Mommy & Riley!

1. Mommy!   2. Lexi with Big Sister Amber's glasses. 3. Lili sleeping.   4. Bounce House at Ava's Birthday!   5. Our Sunday, 52 Weeks Photo   6. Mommy's curly hair (taken by Riley)

1 -9 In case you missed it, I have a new baby sister.

1. Riley had Grace over for dinner.   2. Mommy made time for her week day runs.   3. We had a Sibling Supper with Amanda, Alex & Brie.   4. We walked the kids to school on non-rainy days.   5. We hung out with Drake.   6. We tried out our new Halloween socks.   7. Daddy & Aiden played Guess Who!   8. Mommy & Daddy lounged on the couch to watch TV (thankful for DVR!) 9. The kids picked out food for our local food bank!

1. Aiden hung out with Dad on the counter. 2. Riley posed for a pretty picture. 3. Aunt Alicia squeezed between the kids on the way to dinner. 4. Olive Garden salad is the best!   5. But we had to wait to be seated. 6. So Mommy took a picture with her Boys! 7. Mommy ordered Seafood Scampi for dinner. 8. Mommy also took a picture of Aiden cuddling with Daddy.   9. Sunset before dinner.

1. Riley's beautiful eyelashes. 2. Graduate School applications, eek!   3. A late night run to Target/Starbucks!   4. Mommy freshly showered and ready to go!   5. Salad for lunch!   6. Drake and his pink purse!

1. Aiden's Team Soccer photo.   2. On the sidelines during a game.   3. Daddy's coffee.   4. Mommy and her Soccer Star (she scored a goal during this game!) 5. Aiden & Riley's First Year in Soccer!   6. Aiden posing for his Soccer picture!

1. Drake LOVES Riley.    2. Gerber daisies (at Dorney, I believe).   3. Rich the Grill Master!   4. Steaming veggies for dinner.   5. Drake & Aiden playing on the iPhone.   6. Daddy & Riley in their Gap gear.   7. Did I mention Drake LOVES Riley?   8. Corn dog for dinner!   9. Drake watching cartoons on the laptop while I work.

1. Trying on work out gear @ Kohl's (it was on crazy sale, yay!).   2. Subway for lunch ($5 footlong, FTW). 3. Shopping @ Kohl's.   4. Registering for the Half Marathon!   5. Looking at clothes for Mister.    6. Onion rings @ Applebee's.   7. Swim lessons! 8. Thai Chicken Salad @ Applebees (Yum!). 9. Post-workout "glow".

1. Seafood canneloni @ Carraba's (out to dinner with Rich's parents).   2. Riley's outfit of the day.   3. Techie household (iPad, Macbook Air, iPhones).   4. Riley examining her nailpolish situation.   5. Test driving the Honda Pilot. 6. Inspection/Emissions (Audi).   7. Breakfast with Mister. 8. Mister put TARTAR SAUCE on my SALAD (accidentally). 9. Driving home from the Graduate Studies Tour @ Kutztown.

1. A rainy day (during grocery shopping & running errands, boo).   2. Picking up our painted ceramics (from three months ago, oops!).   3. Mommy happy with her afternoon run.   4. Mommy & Daddy snuck into school to watch Riley and Aiden listening intently to story time.   5. A trip to the library to refill our library book bag!   6. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes and corn for dinner (Mommy favorite comfort food meal).   7. Goofy kids (post-school pick up) 8. Little Caesear's $5 pizza!   9. Wordfind + Suduku + morning decaf tea = Happy Mama.

1. Fall colors on campus.   2. Mommy in her new Lafayette sweatshirt!   3. Farinon College Center.   4. Signage.   5. Admission's Building.   6. Map.   7. A fall stroll around campus.   8. Hogg Hall.   9. Shopping!

1. Lunch beverages.   2. Painted window.   3. Esposo.   4. Flautas (yum!)   5. Decor.   6. Chips & Salsa (spicy!)   7. Fall drive up 611.   8. More test driving (this time, Nissan Pathfinder). 9. Kisses from my Mister.

1. Coloring with Riley. 2. Riley's schoolwork. 3. Daddy chatting (on the counter?)   4. Drake lounging (watching Handy Manny).   5. Getting the kids from school (we have to walk through this big red door). 6. Scarf season!   7. Us (though I have no idea why this picture got taken upside down)   8. Aiden watching his Scooby Doo movie (while Sissy went to a movie at her friends' school, eep, she's growing up!)   9. Mommy got an eyebrow wax.

1. Sunny Smiles from our girl.    2. Mommy & Daddy    Middle. Mommy's Cup o' tea.   3. Mommy & Riley.   4. Daddy & Aiden.

1. Uncle Rich & Hailee    2. Grown Up talk   3. After Dinner Caffeine Fix   4. The Alter/Berkoski/Lake Kids   5. Riley, Matthew, Aiden & Emily

1. Daddy gives Aiden a boost (apple picking!)   2. Pony Rides (we didn't partake)    3. Miss Hailee    4. Our apple haul    5. Riley proudly holding our apple haul   6. Mommy & Riley on the Strawberry Acres bus

1. Aunt Amanda, Drake, Mommy, Riley & Aiden on the swings.   2. Riley on the Linus Launcher   3. Riley on the Cars   4. Planet Snoopy!    5. Mommy & Riley on the Music Express   6. Mommy & Daddy    7. Aunt Amanda, Drake, Riley & Aiden on the teacups   8. Aunt Amanda, Drake, Riley & Aiden on the Rollercoaster!   9. Aunt Amanda & Drake on the cars

Date Night:   1. Pretty Japanese Plates   2. Sushi Roll!   3. Mommy's Boots   4. Cooking!   5. FIRE!   6. Fried rice   7. Shrimp, lobster, chicken & steak, yum!   8. Miso soup   9. Lights in the foyer of the restaurant

1. Dorney in the Fall   2. Mommy's Suduku puzzles   3. Asleep after a night at Gramma Julie's!   4. Baby Lili: Two weeks old :)   5. Afternoon trip to the park   6. Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup in a bread bowl   7. Park in the Fall   8. Green beans for dinner   9. Excited to go the Gramma Julies!

1. Max's Vet Appointment   2. Aunt Amber & Drake   3. Drake at the park   4. Fall's Final Harvest   5. Love (The girl child) 6. McDonald's Halloween Buckets   7. Sam Adam's Oktoberfest = Yum!   8. McDonald's shake and fries = Mommy's comfort food 9. Aiden snuggling with Mommy during her post-long run nap :)

A trip to our West End hardware store :)

1. Our Superhero (Aiden as Spiderman) 2. Big Sister/Little Sister 3. Mommy's Jeans   4. Final Swim Class as Pikes :)

Whew, and that's a look at Our Lives Lately!

Fall Extravaganza!

2011-10-27T12:00:00.002-04:00

Before our Fall Extravaganza could begin Mommy had to run the three miles her training program called for on Saturday. Luckily she was back not long after breakfast (Mary Ann Donuts!) and then it was time for soccer!

Grammy Ann, Pa Rich and Aunt Alicia came to watch!

Aiden did a great job running after the ball!

Riley had a blast too!

In accordance with our Fall traditions we made a trip to Grim's Greenhouse and Farm to wander the corn maze. Rich and I took Brie, Jamer and Jace years ago when they were younger and we started taking the kids to things like this shortly after they could walk (for Aiden, earlier than that).

Grammy Ann, Pa Rich, Aunt Alicia, Aunt Amanda and Drake all came along for the trip.

Not long into the maze we found ANOTHER caterpillar, just like last year.

And we made our way through the maze by answering questions on the signs. The kids loved racing ahead to see if we got our questions right!

At the end of the maze we all grabbed an apple to munch on (and the kids posed for a picture)

before it was time to pick out our pumpkins (and pose for a Berkoski family picture).

Here's the Instagram look

at our Fall Day!

After the pumpkin patch we headed home to paint mini-pumpkins.

and carve the big ones!

Another instagram peek:

After pumpkin carving we did s'mores!

The next day Mommy had a ten mile run (while the kids did breakfast) and then it was time for Dorney! This time we had a longer wait because Dorney didn't open until noon! (Mommy was wishing she had waited a bit to start her long run and enjoy warmer temperatures, but live and learn).

Finally it was Dorney time! Daddy caught

these awesome action shots:

And finally, a peek at the Instagram version

of our Day at Dorney.

If you're interested, you can view the whole "fancy camera" set here

Wordless Wednesday: Boston

2011-10-26T05:00:00.003-04:00

Columbus Day!

2011-10-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

The kids were off from school on Monday, October 18th. Rich and I decided we wanted to do something special since the weather was beautiful. We took them to Trexler Game Preserve where we went on a hike a few weeks ago.

The kids wanted to play in the water right away but we forced them to eat a picnic lunch first

and join us for another hike (this one less grueling than the last).

The scenery was gorgeous in this changing of seasons

and the 1.2 mile trail took us about an hour to walk.

We collected leaves, nuts and answered all the kids questions (they seem to come rapid fire these days)

Then, as promised, they got to play in the water. Mommy and Daddy took off their socks and shoes too and took turns getting in the water with the kids. Riley was too brave and Daddy worried she would fall. But Mommy knew it would probably be Aiden who fell and sure enough, the Boy Child lost his balance and sat right down in the cold, cold stream!

After a trip home to change (we were all sweaty and decided to change into nice outfits for dinner) we were off to Friendly's! It was a great dinner with yummy sundaes for dessert.

Columbus Day capped off our whirlwind Holiday weekend. Saturday the kids played soccer and Mommy ran nine miles. Later in the day Emmy turned four with a party at Bounce U. LATER that day, Lili was born. Sunday Ava celebrated her Birthday (though she, Emmy and Lili actually share a birthday).

It was a marathon few days!

This Moment Monday

2011-10-24T08:00:00.004-04:00

I want to remember this moment.

Her. Me. A few crayon strokes.

I want to remember this moment.

Ava Turns Three!

2011-10-21T08:00:00.001-04:00

On Sunday the 9th we journeyed to Reading to celebrate Ava's Third Birthday.

First things first we sat down to have some ziti, made my Amanda (who is beautiful, no?).

The dinner table was chock full of kids (seven total though it was loud enough for twice that, it seemed)

Then we did cake!

Soon it was time to open gifts and Ava was VERY smitten with her new hat :)

But the best part was the bounce house (or Drake's outfit, he's such a ham)

Before we left I called the kids together for a Party Shot

To view the entire set, click here.

Life Lately: A Look Back at September

2011-10-20T09:00:00.000-04:00

In our time at home this Fall I really wanted to get back to what we enjoyed when we lived here full time. It was my goal to make our Summer full of summertime fun and I think we more than accomplished that with a two week long vacation at the beach, frequent trips to Dorney, sleepovers, dinners with friends and lots and lots of time with family.

For Fall I wanted to get back to busy weekends with friends and family. I wanted those dinners and get togethers we so missed in our time in Europe. And already in the five weeks since Rich has been home we have been very lucky to have enjoyed our friends and family to the fullest!

Here's a peek at our Day Dates:

and the busy

busy times

that fill

our day to day

with joy!

To view the entire set of our "big fancy" camera pictures, click here.

Wordless Wednesday: Liquor & Lighthouses

2011-10-19T05:00:00.003-04:00

Emmy Turns Four!

2011-10-18T10:00:00.000-04:00

I can hardly believe it's been so long since this:

Amanda was not far from delivering Emily. And now she's four! Here's a peek at her birthday party :)

To view the entire set (taken with the big fancy camera) click here.

And because I couldn't resist: Take a look at Riley and Matthew (and Aiden) back a few days before Emmy was born!

HOW CUTE IS THIS?

And wow, I had two babies in this picture. Now I have two KIDS. Time you are no friend of mine, are you?

52 Weeks: An Update

2011-10-17T18:31:00.001-04:00

Week Six

And a look back @ Week Five in case you missed it:

Have a look back at Week One, Two & Three, and Four.

This Moment Monday

2011-10-17T09:00:00.006-04:00

I want to remember this moment:

Smelling her newborn smell. Kissing her sweet face. Soaking in the joy of our expanding family. Celebrating motherhood, sisterhood, daughterhood anew.

I want to remember this moment.

Watching my mother do what she has always done best. Love her children unabashedly, beyond question. Understanding that bond is formed instantly, long before birth. For it is already a seasoned love by the time skin touches skin.

I want to remember these moments.

3am Ponderings

2011-10-15T04:06:00.001-04:00

So something woke me up (probably having to pee) and once I was up I had some trouble going back to sleep. I had a granola bar and a huge glass of water and sat staring at my blog reader bleary eyed. (my life is SO exciting).

I decided to open my email, took a look at the body of my Inbox. Had the sudden realization my life IS exciting (and busy). Inside were:

*GRE enrollment.
*Race registrations (four of them, two half marathons and two 5ks, WHO AM I ANYMORE?).
*Part time job applications.
*Volunteer requests.
*GRADUATE SCHOOL APPLICATIONS.

Scary, scary steps. But steps worth taking. It reminds me there is a ME in here again. There is a future for me too. I minimize the window and in the background is a picture of my babies' smiling faces. The power of a sudden, unprompted reality check should never be underestimated.

I realize there has been a ME all along. She was eclipsed (rightfully so) for awhile to do the very hard (and important) work of raising her babies. Now it is time for her to move forward.

Here we go folks.

*a very special thanks to my hard working husband who, while I stayed home with our babies, sacrificed as necessary to support us. Rich, you have all the love and respect I could ever give to a person and more.*

A Look Back at August

2011-10-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

Let's go back, shall we? Given I'm so far behind. It was summer. You were probably getting tired of my constant photo and video posting on FB (or not, if you're a grandparent). We were Month Two into missing Daddy. It was August. And back then, this is what we were doing:

We started the month in Stone Harbor. Then we went right back to our Dorney routine. By this time it had become a weekly trip to the amusement park (we traded companions, sometimes it was Matty and Emmy, others we were alone and occasionally Aunt Amanda, Drake, Ethan and Ava joined us). There were still many playdates and lots of fun in the sun (with sunblock of course!).

Oh and BOWLING. Oh boy, folks, did we ever do a lot of that too! The kids grew accustomed to trips to the bowling alley in between playdates with the Alters and the Lakes and the Kanes and Aunts and Uncles doting on them. We were always busy and remarkably we weren't even doing much. Just going from one activity to the next all day every day. It was a blur of entertainment for the kids and in between that Mommy made time for herself (at the gym). Her running was a two-prong sword: it gave her a reprieve from being a single parent and gave her energy to GET OUT OF BED. Whew.

They were spoiled rotten with love and gifts by their grandparents and we spent a long weekend in York for Aunt Alicia's birthday (where we saw another movie! another common summer past time for us). It was a month FULL of fun.

But the very best part? At the end of it DADDY FINALLY CAME HOME.

Alter/Berkoski/Lake Dinner Party: October

2011-10-13T09:00:00.001-04:00

The kids have known the Alter children since birth. They had periods of requiring monitored play time but over the years that has grown into throwing them into the play room and enjoying adult conversation (only interrupted by sporadic fighting or tattling). This makes for a wonderful dinner party experience!

We try to do this whenever we are Stateside (and back when we lived in the States once a month at least). This is a brief look at our October meet up!

We had fried turkey (it was awesome, thanks Dave!), lots of other good food (thanks Miss!) and we all fit around the table (there are so many of us now!).

The kids are such hams together and I am always glad to capture it with my camera (though this time I worked only with my iPhone).

Great fun was had by all! Thanks guys :)

Wordless Wednesday: Bed & Breakfasts

2011-10-12T05:00:00.003-04:00

Lili Arrives

2011-10-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

Mom was due to deliver on September 27th, however Lili waited quite some time after the fact to make her appearance. What can I say, she's a woman who knows what she wants? That's not a hereditary trait, thankfully.

What? You think it is?

Moving on.

Brie and I made the drive down to help with Lexi (well she helped with Lexi, Lexi doesn't much like me, which we're working on, thankyouverymuch). I got the immense privilege of being in the room the moment this little lady finally did enter the world.

And man, did my camera get a workout! Here's a little peek at the iPhone shots first:

There is just an overload of cute.

Seriously. So much adorable. I love the look on Riley's face in the one below:

These below are not all mine. I took some of them from Steve, Proud Daddy. Editing is me.

Okay. So now the fancy camera shots. Are you ready? Okay. Go!

I know. Just what do you DO with all that precious?

Mostly you oooo and ahhhhh.

Or coo.

Or squeal.

But mainly you just sigh and be thankful you are here to meet her,

hold her,

pass her around

from loving arms to loving arms

(no really, there are a lot of us).

The kids loved their chance to hold her

though that time was brief

because their Mama wanted her back.

Mostly we are all just enjoying the chance to give her tons and tons of love

(and gifts)

helped open by her Littlest Big Sister (who is copying Biggest Sister Amber's penchant for snapping photos).

Welcome to the world, Liliana Grace. You'll get used to my camera eventually. Your face is too sweet to pass up the photo opportunity!

This Moment Monday

2011-10-10T05:00:00.001-04:00

I want to remember this moment.

The excitement when they come through the door, ripping open backpacks to show us their day's work. Glee over what they learned/did. Pride to show it to us. Happily watching as I paste it to the fridge.

I want to remember this moment.

October's Photo Challenge: Day Seven

2011-10-07T08:30:00.000-04:00

A Fruit:

(and also a sneak peek from our Trip to New England)

A Look Back At July

2011-10-06T09:00:00.001-04:00

Let's go back, shall we? Given I'm so far behind. It was hot, the grips of summer. It was July. And back then, this is what we were doing:

Fourth of July we spent in York:

We started to fall into a at home rhythm

with trips to the park, library and Dorney

that became our new routine.

We spent lots of time with family and friends, near to home and far away.

At the end of July we journeyed to the shore

our family's favorite beach vacation location

two glorious weeks

in Stone Harbor!

Wordless Wednesday: On the Road

2011-10-05T05:00:00.004-04:00

Aledia's Challenge - October

2011-10-04T14:00:00.000-04:00

Keeping up with pictures of myself in the weeks following the end of my 365 has been harder than I thought. I fell back into not taking pictures of myself faster than I expected!

So this weekend while celebrating a Family birthday I made sure to take a picture with Riley. And when she asked to take a picture of me - I said yes. Even if my hair was in a ponytail (still messy from my morning run). Even if I'd spent exactly three minutes on my make up (running late getting ready from my run).

I handed over the camera because I know she (and her brother) will look and see ME. That's the most important part of all.

This Moment Monday: Part Two

2011-10-03T08:51:00.000-04:00

Another look at our weekend. Another moment I want to remember.

It says happiness, joy and laughter.

This moment says friendship.

This Moment Monday

2011-10-03T05:00:00.000-04:00

I want to remember this moment.

It says happiness, joy and laughter.

This moment says family.

52 Weeks: Week Four

2011-10-02T16:50:00.000-04:00

Swimming Lessons

2011-09-29T11:00:00.000-04:00

When Rich was a kid, he learned to swim at the YMCA. I never really thought about where I learned to swim except that I spent the early years of my life in California where it was warm enough to be pool bound most of the year and for that I can only remember learning to swim early.

This was our main reason in sending the kids to swim lessons. This summer they spent a lot of time in the water - a pool or the beach - and they each grew infinitely more comfortable with the idea of being in the water. Riley could go underwater to get rings, slide down into three feet of water and even swim without rings. So I knew she would take well to the lessons.

Aiden also did well and it was neat to watch them compete for "Who wants to go first?" each time. There were supposed to be two other kids in the Pikes class but they either had decreased enrollment or the other two were just no shows. So it was like a private lesson with the instructor who proved to be really good with them. The kids listened and followed all his directions and they had a really succesfull first class.

Here's a look:

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-28T11:00:00.000-04:00

2 & 3

2011-09-27T11:45:00.004-04:00

I'm so very behind in editing pictures. I have only sifted through a handful of our New England Vacation pictures and am struggling to keep up with the day to day pictures I'm taking. I'm trying to be more in the moment of our time with family, friends and most importantly, each other.

I promise to get back up to date once our lives sort out a bit and we're back to more routine. Until then, please bear with me!

Here's Week 2.

And Week 3.

My Life Moment by Moment:

2011-09-26T11:31:00.000-04:00

Here's a glance back at some of the little snippets of our lives I captured over the summer. I can't recall when each of them happened but I sure am glad I took the time to jot them down to remember forever.

~*~

*while Skyping with Daddy*
Riley: “Gramma Julie is on vacation.”
Aiden: “Yeah, the boys are with her.”
Riley: *shouting downstairs to me* “Mom, where did Gramma Julie go?!”
Me: “She’s in Virginia!”
Aiden: “Vagina?”

~*~

*while going to the bathroom*
Him: “Mom, did you know it’s morning?”
Me: “How do you know?”
Him: “The birds are awake. They’re whistling.”
Me: “That’s true-”
Him: *singing at the top of his lungs* “Whistle, whistle, whistle, whistle!”
Me: “Hush Aiden, it’s five am-”
Birds: *whistle*
Him: “WHISTLE!”
Riley: *screaming down the hall* “Mom, why is Aiden saying that?!”
Him: “I’m whistling!”
Riley: “That’s not how you whistle!” *stomps down the hall* “You have to do this with your lips.”
Him: “WHISTLE!”
Me: “Oh dear.”

~*~

Riley: *announcing loudly to the boys* “Who wants eye curlashes?” (eye lashes curled).
Aiden: “WE’RE BOYS!”

~*~

Me: “We’re going to Matty & Emmy’s tomorrow to play on the slip and slide.”
Aiden: “Aw man, I don’t wike the slip and slide.”
Me: *perplexed* “Yes you do. You love it.”
Aiden: “No, I don’t like the sprinkles.”
Me: *looks @Amanda Reeves Alter* “The sprinkles? Do you mean the sprinklers?”
Aiden: “Yeah.”
Me: *laughing* “Sprinkles belong on cupcakes. Sprinklers are for spraying you with water.”

~*~

*In the Old Navy Dressing Room*
Aiden: “Mom, how come you have those marks on your belly?”
Me: “When my skin stretched to grow you in my belly, I got those marks.”
Riley: “And you fed him with your boobies.”
Me: “They’re called breasts, but yes. And I fed you too.”
Riley: “But that was a LONG time ago.”
Me: “About eighteen months before your brother. That’s not long at all.”
Riley: “Mom. I’m six.”
Me: “You are going to be six in a few months. Still, you were a baby only a few years ago.”
Riley: *rolling her eyes*
Aiden: “See? I’m as big as you.”
Riley: “I’m still older than you. You get bigger but I get BIGGEST.”

~*~

*Upon her arrival home from work*
Aiden to Amanda: “Manda, today we are going to a birthday for college!”
Me: “He means a graduation party.”

~*~

~Last Night~
Riley: “Mom! Max ran away from home!”
Me: *very calmly* “He just went out to explore. He’ll be back.”
Riley: *growing hysterical* “No! He left! He’ll never come back.”
Me: “Riley, I promise you he will come back. We feed him.”
~In the morning~
Riley: “Mom! Max came back!”
Me: “I know. It’s time for him to eat.”
~And later~
Riley: “Mom, I think we should cut Max’s paws.”
Me: *snort* “Do you mean his claws?”
Riley: “Yeah, that’s what I just told you.”
Me: “Claws and paws are two very different things.”
Riley: “No they’re not.”
Me: “Somehow I think Max would disagree with you.”

~*~

Him: “Sissy, something is coming and it’s really mysterious!”
Me: “What does mysterious mean, Aiden?”
Him: “This.” *holds up car*
Me: “But what makes that car mysterious? What does it mean?”
Him: “Just, scary.”
Me: “Where did you learn the word mysterious?”
Him: “From school.”
Me: “You go to school?”
Him: “I learned it from my school I said!”
Me: “Yes, but where do you go to school?”
Him: “It’s MY school.”
Riley: “He means Spiderman school.”
Me: “Uh huh.”
Him: “Sissy, come over here. I found something really mysterious!”

~*~

~*~

Ann: “Oh, I didn’t teach Mommy how to French braid.”
Me: “Oh, darn.”
Riley: “You’re such an ass.”
*adults are flabbergasted*

~*~
*while rocking in the rocker*
Her: “Mommy, how fast did you rock me and brother when we were babies?”
Me: “Slowly, I tried to get you to go back to sleep.”
Her: “And you nursed us?”
Me: “Yep.”
Her: “Where did you feed us?”
Me: “Where did I feed you?”
Her: “Oh, I don’t know.”
Me: “I gave you milk, remember?”
Her: “Oh yeah, that’s right. You milked us.”

Stone Harbor: A September Weekend

2011-09-19T14:00:00.001-04:00

Rich didn't get a chance to go to Stone Harbor with us when the kids and I went back in July. So I booked us a hotel to stay for four days as soon as we could when he got home.

We had a great time, despite ominous weather reports. Friday the weather cleared after a foggy, rainy sky in the morning (and Uncle Bill's for breakfast). We headed to Cape May and took a carriage ride before we did a little bit of shopping.

Then it was time for Peace a Pizza for lunch and a few hours on the beach. The kids loved the water and the sand. Mommy and Daddy took a long walk and found an intact Horseshoe crab shell. Daddy carried it all the way back to show the kids (but it smelled :/).

That night we had Mexican for dinner, then Springer's ice cream. Aunt Alicia agreed to watch the kids while Daddy and Mommy went to see Contagion. The movie (while scary!) was good.

Saturday we had Polly's for breakfast and spent the morning at the Wetlands Institute. The weather cleared again so we packed a lunch of bologna and cheese to eat on the beach. After another great afternoon in the sand, sun and ocean we headed back to the hotel to clean up. Then it was off to the Lobster House in Cape May for dinner.

Dinner was awesome and after some games back at the hotel we headed to Springer's for dessert. It was a full moon so Mommy and Daddy took a walk on the moonlit beach. It was lovely and beautiful :)

Sunday we went back to Uncle Bill's for breakfast before we said goodbye to Grammy Ann, Pa Rich and Aunt Alicia. We had to pack the car and check out of the hotel, then we were on our way to Wildwood to walk the boardwalk. First the kids played on the playground before we did some sightseeing.

At lunchtime we headed back to Stone Harbor to get some fudge and buy some SH t-shirts. Then it was time to meet up with Alex and Amanda at Peace a Pizza for lunch. It was a coincidence that the Herrs flew to the East Coast to vacation in Avalon with their family. Since Rich hadn't had the chance to see them when Mommy and the kids drove out to St. Louis last October we were glad to meet up with them.

After Peace A Pizza it was time to drive home. We stopped for some fresh New Jersey produce on the way and made it home in time for dinner. It was a lovely weekend!

To view the entire set of pictures, click here

Life Lately

2011-09-16T13:30:00.000-04:00

Life Lately has been busy. We don't do anything super exciting but it's still worth writing down so years from now I won't forget.

The kids go to school Monday through Friday until 3:30. We pick them up and try to do something fun in the afternoon. This can involve bowling, trips to the library, playing with the neighbor girls, bike rides, etc.

During the morning Rich and I select whatever we want to get done that day. For lunch we'll either treat ourselves and go out or make something at home. Dinner is almost always at home before bath, storytime and bed for the kids.

Right now we're riding out this period of transition. Taking it day by beautiful day.

Hike

2011-09-15T14:00:00.004-04:00

During Rich's time off we wanted to spend quality time together (readtosay: More than vegging out in front of the television). So far we had to spend a lot of time shopping to finish getting the house together (the project that seems to have no end). We managed a few lunch dates and some trips to the movies but I had a long list of cheap day dates to try out.

One of them was a hike in Trexler Nature Preserve. I had a glimpse of the area when I took the kids to the Lehigh Valley Zoo (that's another post, I promise I'll get there) and I knew immediately I wanted to get back.

Unfortunately it rained the first week Rich was home (Hi, Hurricane whatever your name was, you suck). So the very first day the weather cleared (after our trip to Stone Harbor, that's another post that's coming, I promise!) we were out on the trails!

I had read about the Red trail, the Border Trail. I knew I would be able to handle it because I've been training three days a week in the gym for the last year. I'd been making the transition from couch potato to serious physical exertion for closer to two years and that was a project I took on alone. I wasn't sure Rich would be up to it and didn't want to pressure him into something he wasn't ready to do. Especially when all these years he had been so understanding about my reluctance to ski or hike or camp or anything physical because of my knees.

I shouldn't have worried though, because boy did he prove me wrong!

In sum we hiked about 7.5 miles, weaving from one hiking trail to the next to find our way around the perimeter of Trexler Preserve and back to our car. It took about two and a half to three hours and the weather was amazing!

Not too hot, a slight breeze and though we encountered plenty of tough hills it was a really good time. We couldn't have asked for a better way to spend a morning.

And in the end, I couldn't have asked for a better hiking partner. He's still my best friend after all these years :)

P.S. As this posts we are currently away on our VERY FIRST childless vacation since April of 2004. Squee!!

1

2011-09-14T12:19:00.002-04:00

1, originally uploaded by Berkoski Travelers.

Now that I've said goodbye to 365 (for the time being, I plan to start back up when we're arrived and settled at our next station) I wanted to focus more on capturing our family as it grows. Rich and I blinked and our babies were no longer babies, but kids.

Having said that, I know I take a lot of pictures. A ton really. However both the kids are in school full time now and that means they spend more time away from me than with me. *gulp*

So I want to be able to catch the subtle changes in them by comparing a photo week by week. This led me to the 52 Week Project. It also is a great way to challenge us as a family to get in more photos together (instead of Rich taking a picture of me and the kids or vice versa).

Though they didn't know it at the time, our Sunday evening trip to the park for Riley to ride her bike and Aiden to do boy things like swing sticks around, I decided we would take our first picture. Daddy will soon be making the commute into Virginia during the week so our Weekly date with the camera had to happen on a weekend. Sunday seemed as good of a day as any. It is Sunday Funday, after all.

Forward

2011-09-13T22:08:00.002-04:00

Forward, originally uploaded by Berkoski Travelers.

The second year of 365 taught me something entirely different than the first.

The first was about force, a strong push back into the picture after many years of existing on the fringe. It was about re-discovery of the Women left behind by Motherhood.

The second year was about reaching, farther. Reaching to get to the person I WANTED to be. It involved harder work in the gym to increase my endurance, to test my strength and abolish all those self-defeating thoughts. In six month's time I crushed every goal I made: run for ten minutes, run for 15 mins, run 5k in 30 mins, run 10k in 60 mins. Now, I optimistically look forward to the future. I'm thinking of running a few 10ks and training towards my first Half Marathon. Either way I'm going to keep moving.

It was about intellectual growth too. I finished my college degree. I'm looking forward to completing my second degree and setting my sights on Graduate School. Either way I'm going to keep moving.

This year I lost:
(a) 10 pounds
(b) 4 inches
(c) a lot of self-doubt, wounded self-esteem

This year I gained:
(a) confidence
(b) heart health
(c) endurance

Now:

I go forward.

The One About the Diet

2011-08-29T15:28:00.000-04:00

Before you get the wrong idea about this post, I am not on a diet. I repeat, I AM NOT ON A DIET. However I read an article last year that pointed out the ways in which the average American fails to adhere to things like the Food Pyramid (now the Nutrition Plate, you can read about it here) and typical guidelines for calorie consumption.

I did some research about calorie consumption and it lead me to many articles like this one that talk about how to calculate certain body rates, metabolism functions and lots of other fancy (yet logical) ways to view eating.

I watched movies like Food, Inc. and Supersize Me again. I realized quite abruptly that the problem was in easy access to high fat foods. I enjoyed a soda or a greasy fast food meal as much as the next person. However I really had to evaluate what I was putting into my body and how it made me feel. McDonald's was awesome while I was eating but it left me feeling bloated and crappy. Soda was tasty but it stained my teeth, didn't quench my thirst and was packed full of calories.

The bottom line in all of this seemed to be:

(a) Eat healthy.
(b) Exercise.

At the time I was already exercising as part of Taking Back Amber. Slowly over time I was adding more time to my work outs and I was definitely seeing results. Yet I was about to make a very important change to my diet. There's that word again. Let's not confuse the meanings for the term. These are from dictionary. com, for your reference.

* such a selection or a limitation on the amount a person eats for reducing weight:

* the foods eaten, as by a particular person or group:

I wanted to change my foods eaten. This was not going to be a diet. It was going to be a lifestyle change.

Long story short I made a few (permanent) changes:

(1) Cut out soda and sweets.
I've always cut back on the kids' consumption of these items but overindulged myself, hypocrite much? Now those things are just a treat when we go out to eat. The rarity of this shaved off the pounds, whitened my teeth AND helped me to decrease my sugar/caffeine withdrawals.

(2) I gave up caffeine almost entirely.
I did not intend to give it up altogether but as my exercise regimen picked up I found I no longer needed my morning tea to stay awake. When I dropped the soda, with it went the caffeine and it was as simple as that.

(3) I changed my meals.
By this I mean I started eating my largest meal of the day in the morning when I had all day to metabolize the food. This meant hot oatmeal, fresh fruit, a snack of high protein and good fats in nuts, an average size portioned lunch and smaller portions for dinner (and no food after 8).

(4)I made exercise a priority.
I'm not going to lie, working out takes dedication. Especially when you're busy. And I'm never not busy. But I make time for it because it is FOR ME. Just me, my music, and the treadmill. I cherish that time. When I started I could hardly get through ten minutes of walking without feeling as if someone was yanking my heart out through my throat. I am a week away from running my first 60 minute run. I have had two knee surgeries. I used to bend with my back. And I can run for an HOUR. It can be done, I promise you.

Francesca Battistelli's song "It's Your Life" (that was featured in my Taking Back Amber Slideshow) has a lot of little gems in the lyrics that solidify my journey over these last two years' time.

*~*~*~*~*~*
This is the moment
It’s on the line
Which way you gonna fall?
In the middle between
Wrong and right
But you know after all

(Chorus)
It’s your life
What you gonna do?
The world is watching you
Every day the choices you make
Say what you are and who
Your heart beats for
It’s an open door
It’s your life

Are you who you always said you would be?
With a sinking feeling in your chest
Always waiting for someone else to fix you
Tell me when did you forget

To live the way that you believe
This is your opportunity
To let your life be one that lights the way

*~*~*~*~*

I take the kids to the gym with me almost every time I go. Riley always asks me if she can exercise. She wants to run with me. That makes me feel good because the world that's "watching" me? It's her. And him. The legacy I live (for them and for ME) should personify a healthy, vibrant life full of the endurance and audaciousness necessary to make my time on this Earth the very best it can be.

"Let your life be the one that lights the way".

Craft Room

2011-08-29T12:48:00.002-04:00

Craft Room, originally uploaded by Berkoski Travelers.

I had an idea how to decrease the spills of paint, marker smudges and general paper mess from craft time.

I recycled our dining room rug (it was time for a new one), an old banquet folding table and the kids play tables from their rooms.

In a simple fifteen minute rearrange I had a new area in the basement where the kids can make all the mess they want (away from the rest of my clean house). Already the "Craft Room" is a hit!

They have spent hours down there creating

and with an organized table

they can return all the fun craft items

to their

rightful places

when they are done.

Their rooms look less cluttered and the kids are happy. This makes for a Happy Mama too :)

Strawberry Acres

2011-08-28T12:42:00.002-04:00

Strawberry Acres, originally uploaded by Berkoski Travelers.

One of the defining elements of life, in my opinion, are the traditions we make. One of the traditions we started shortly after Aiden was born were our trips to Strawberry Acres.

Our first trip happened to be earlier in the season when we could get peaches. Subsequent trips we picked apples (of a few varieties) and pumpkins.

There are animals there you can feed and pet. There's also a huge slide the kids love to slide down again and again (and again).

It's an amazing local orchard (family owned and operated) and it's one of the many ways we try to contribute to the community (rather than just buying produce in the stores). It always feels good to make these memories, to have the kids get excited about the ride on the school bus (with the top cut off) and reach high into the trees to get their very own sweet (and healthy!) snacks.

Love our traditions.

To view the whole set click here:

Family Ties

2011-08-25T12:44:00.002-04:00

Family Ties, originally uploaded by Berkoski Travelers.

On Tuesday my Mother-in-Law called to tell me Aunt Donna was coming into town. She and her fiancee Glenn live in Las Vegas and the last time we got to see them Aiden was just a few weeks old. So I had to make the drive down to visit while we had the chance!

It was a long drive (we left the house at 4 and arrived at 6) but it was well worth it for the yummy dinner and great visiting we did.

Dinner was salad, steak, corn on the cob, and fresh peaches for dessert. Yum! The kids got to play (they love to come to Grammy Ann and Pa Rich's house) and eventually warmed up to Donna and Glenn.

A quick bath, change into jammies and we were ready to say goodbye. Or Mommy was because she had a long drive home.

It was harder to convince the children it was time to go. Donna and Glenn are lots of fun :)

We headed back (left at 8, arrived at 10) and the kids fell asleep in the car. Needless to say Mama was TIRED. But still, it was worth the trip. Thanks for dinner Grammy and Pa. And thanks to Donna and Glenn for coming to see us!

To view the whole set, click here.

Running errands SOLO (it's wonderful to have great neighbors with kids)

2011-08-24T12:36:00.000-04:00

Running errands SOLO (it's wonderful to have great neighbors with kids), originally uploaded by Berkoski Travelers.

I was feeling very sad this afternoon and missing Rich Berkoski.

Then the kids went to play next door, I got to run errands by myself, said neighbors had us over for dinner, kids went to bed without an issue and I got to take a bath and relax.

What a turnaround!

2011-08-23T06:00:00.000-04:00

Sunday morning we met Nieves and Marcus for breakfast. The kids love to play with them and were excited to sit down and show them their toys.

Riley flipped through pages of her new Sticker book with Nieves.

Nieves happily read each pages' instructions.

Aiden showed Marcus his favorite pages of the Sticker book.

Mommy asked Riley and Nieves to be in her Picture of the Day.

The food came and we all dug into our plates. Though Riley was bossing her brother (who was being sort of a pain).

I wanted Aiden to wear a bib (he got a waffle with blueberries on top and was spilling it EVERYWHERE) but he refused. Riley agreed to wear one (and pose for a picture)

Then something shocking happened. Here's some back story:

Riley's second front bottom tooth became loose not long after I noticed her adult tooth poking through. I thought maybe we had a few more weeks since the first tooth took so long to get loose and come out.

How wrong I was. In under a week it got loose enough to be wiggled out. At breakfast it was SUPER loose and I told Riley we'd go back to Grammy and Pa's to take it out after we were done eating.

Except, it wasn't going to wait that long. She wiggled it out and handed it to me. No Drama!

See the video below:

Fun in the Summer Sun

2011-08-22T06:00:00.014-04:00

Summer is quickly coming to a close. This summer has been amazing and I fully plan to squeeze the last of the wonderous sunshine from it in the days remaining. This weekend we spent time in York with Grammy Ann, Pa Rich and Aunt Alicia to celebrate Aunt Alicia's birthday.

This meant a trip to Green Valley Pool which the kids thoroughly enjoyed the first time around (back on the Fourth of July). They had just as much fun this time only now they are both comfortable sticking their faces in the water. Riley can go completely underwater to retrieve diving rings.

We also made several trips down the slide.

Riley enjoyed her solo trips

and Mommy and Grammy took turns riding with Aiden.

Then Aiden rode by himself with hilarious results (he rode down backward we think) and Mommy helped him out of the pool.

We had hamburgers and hot dogs for lunch, tons of fresh fruit and some yummy cookies. We stayed for SIX hours so there were many eating events,

the kids enjoyed some ice cream!

even had some cheese pizza for dinner.

They ended the day with popcorn and a movie with Pa Rich while Grammy Ann, Aunt Alicia and Mommy all went to see The Help.

A great summer day!

Marriage Day

2011-08-21T09:43:00.001-04:00

Marriage Day, originally uploaded by Berkoski Travelers.

Riley and Aiden call anniversaries "Marriage Days". We spent the afternoon at Aunt Miss and Uncle Dave's house visiting with Hailee, Matty, Emmy and Aunt Amanda. Then since Daddy and Mommy had to spend their "marriage day" apart this year, we decided Riley and Aiden would help me celebrate with dinner out.

We chose Outback and the kids tried their first Bloomin' Onion. They deemed it "spicy" but still liked it. They had macaroni and cheese and Mommy had a sirloin steak and shrimp combo platter. All very good.

Then it was time to head to Home Depot for some supplies for the house before it was off for home, bath and bed!

What.A.Day.

2011-08-17T16:00:00.000-04:00

This is a long process because I had to decide what I could live without (the kids' toys, decor, etc) and what had to come home (winter gear, some must have cooking stuff, etc). With the extraordinary (readtosay: extortion) cost of extra luggage on an airplane it's just not worth it to haul stuff over the ocean in a suitcase.

This meant we had to buy stuff again. I've been doing this in stages so as not to overwhelm the number of items on my to do list. But now my to do list is mostly finished and I'm just waiting on the new furniture to arrive and be assembled.

But Sunday. Hoo boy, Sunday. The kids woke up ready to go at quarter to seven, fought me to do basic tasks through breakfast and then I had to haul them through half a dozen stores for the next five hours to replace all the things we've been living without.

We get home, unpacked and enjoy dinner with my brother (Uncle Alex, they LOVE him) when I tell the kids to go upstairs and set out PJs and undress for bath.

Suddenly Riley screams, "MOM, IT'S RAINING IN THE BATHROOM."

Cue my panic. We've had some leak problems with our old roof and Rich and I are living in that space where we are just waiting for the NOW IT HAS TO BE REPLACED to pull the trigger.

I pulled down the plastic peek square Rich put in when he cut out the damaged drywall. Water came down on top of me (but not as much as I thought it would) and (somehow) the insulation on either side of the beam remains dry (thank goodness).

Alex put the peek square back up for me before he headed home. I did the baths/teeth/reading routine with the kids before I settled down a date night in, by myself.

I needed a beer after that marathon day. I even splurged on some sour straw candies I used to LOVE (and like a lot less now, for some reason) while I watched a romantic comedy.

Then it was early bed for me. Because goodness gracious, it was ENOUGH for one day. Don't you think?

P.S. After I took this, I didn't even look at it. This morning I was a little bummed that I blew the focus and ended up with the dining room in focus and I'm so blurry. However looking back on the chaos and general fuzziness I felt yesterday, I think it's quite apropos for the day.

Music Express

2011-08-17T09:39:00.000-04:00

Music Express, originally uploaded by Berkoski Travelers.

The kids still proclaim this ride to be their favorite.

We only rode it three times in a row on this trip (Mommy's belly was starting to get a smidgen dizzy).

Night Zen

2011-08-15T12:54:00.001-04:00

Night Zen, originally uploaded by Berkoski Travelers.

After dinner, I give the kids a shower and we brush teeth, get in PJs and read a book.

I try not to sprint them into their rooms and shove them into bed, but in my head I am chanting "MAMA NEEDS A BREAK, YA'LL". When they are in, I come into the bathroom to do my own nightly routine of face washing and teeth brushing. It's where I find my Night Zen.

Facelift

2011-08-14T13:00:00.000-04:00

Now that we're nesting back into our home here in the States I had the bug to redesign. We're already purchasing new furniture to replace all the furniture we purged during the Downsizing of 2009 which took us to Virginia.

We are buying new dressers for the kids' bedrooms, another dresser for ours, a bench for the mudroom, a cabinet for the bathroom, and a couch table for the living room. Exactly what we sold to fit into a tiny two bedroom apartment near DC.

*Sigh*

That feels a bit like a backward step though we're in such a better place now than we were in those tumultuous few months between layoff, Rich commuting two and a half hours across three states twice a week and our gigantic relocation to Romania.

Looking back it feels like a blink. So I wanted to be sure the changes we made to the house in this very small period of transition were inexpensive, packed a lot of punch and really revived the house for us.

I don't want to feel like I'm just sitting here temporarily. I wanted to re-root. So I purchased things we have purged like pots and pans, utensils, and other kitchen items. I decorated a bit with new items, ones I found stored away and rearranged what we already had to work with until I was happy with the result.

And I painted our bedroom. Instant facelift to the room. Cannot wait for the furniture to arrive and for us to stretch out in our new-again space.

The best laid plans

2011-08-13T13:07:00.001-04:00

The best laid plans, originally uploaded by Berkoski Travelers.

I don't have a lot of time to set up a shot. For this project I want to document: me, our lives, the children, what our day looks like. Most times I get the idea for the photograph based on where we are or what we're doing.

I don't need to get all fancy with it (though I enjoy visiting the streams of people who go Hardcore with the 365 Project) because what is most important is I am present, in photographs and leave behind a legacy my children can remember.

But there are times when I set up a shot, think it will be all cute and things go completely to crap.

Like here, we're at my Mom's and my baby sister is bouncing in the bounce house. I set the timer on a long delay, arrange it to take several photographs and figure I'll get a decent shot.

Wrong.

Every one she was facing me. Her back was to the camera. This last shot? She walked completely out of frame.

But I am laughing. And when I look at this picture years from now I will remember her giggle as she stubbornly refused the photo and my enjoyment of our time together.

I call that a perfect shot for 365: My Way.

Paperwork

2011-08-10T09:33:00.003-04:00

Paperwork, originally uploaded by Berkoski Travelers.

Monday was a flurry of paperwork. To put it briefly, it was a mess.

I thought I was ahead of the game when I printed out the registration paperwork for Kindergarten for Riley. I went to pick up the enrollment paperwork for Aiden's pre-school class and got to work.

But then I actually went to Riley's school where I found out not only was kindergarten HALF day, it was only 3 hours. Three hours. For a kid who is accustomed to eight. And already WENT to kindergarten.

I went home. Called Daddy. We made an executive decision she belongs in an all day program. So now she is going to the same school as her brother. She will be with kids who are also 5 (Riley is not 6 for a few more months).

When we're back to living abroad she will return to a more advanced, longer school day. For now she will be just down the street where her father and I are certain she will do better than with a few hours of instruction.

She sleeps well, has a long attention span and requires pretty active instruction. Three hours was simply not going to cut it for our girl. Sometimes, I have learned, parenting means making a decision that is not what you expected (or would have liked) because it is the best thing for your child.

So I had to pick up ANOTHER set of enrollment paperwork. This time for Riley. The paperwork was about 12 pages long. I was filling it out long after dinner time.

Fireman

2011-08-10T09:33:00.001-04:00

Fireman, originally uploaded by Berkoski Travelers.

Aiden loves firetrucks. It's safe to say that is biologically programmed into boys, right?

Well Riley LOVED it too. She tried on all the gear (Aiden wanted none of that, I think he was intimidated by Bobby, the fireman). Riley ran from place to place, asking questions, wanting to touch things and see how they worked.

Aiden was more resigned. He really just wanted to drive. And listen to the horns and sirens.

Also I think he experiences the world in a different way. Riley uses words, asks questions, is bold and not afraid to speak her mind. While Aiden is full of questions with people he knows, he is much more reserved around new people. He walked around with his mouth partly open, in awe of the place.

I'm confident he got plenty from the experience, just as much as his sister. But I am always reminded of the vast differences in their personalities when I watch them in a new environment.

Home

2011-08-06T22:49:00.002-04:00

Home, originally uploaded by Berkoski Travelers.

Thursday, September 1st Riley, Aiden and I were set to return to Bucharest. However the job in Bucharest has now come to a close and instead Daddy gets to come home to us! In just 25 days we’ll be back together again for the first time in months!

Our contract in Romania is up, with the next contract just around the corner in October. The location is still to be determined but that news will arrive in the coming weeks. We still expect to mobilize to our next station in early 2012 but for now my very hard working husband will get to be with us and enjoy several weeks of much deserved downtime.

The last few weeks Rich and I have laid out our plans for the rest of the year with careful consideration to the needs of the children and our family. We made the decision to put them in school here, to establish more permanence for the Fall and Winter. As we did visions of our life began to float through my mind.

I’m about to become a Big Sister again (Lili is due September 27th!). There will be birthdays, barbeques. Corn mazes and pumpkin patches, apple picking and trips to Dorney Park. There will be a new school for Riley and Aiden and a routine to find. There will be bikes to ride and friends to visit. There will be Thanksgiving and turkey, trimming the tree, making cookies and Christmas.

With equal parts anticipation, gratefulness and hope we will seek to embark on a new adventure next year in either Norway or Morocco. It will be a two and a half year experience full of all the adventure, wonder, and challenge we found in Romania.

But for now, we are home.

Us four.

(Photo of us, at the start of the Big Change, April 2009)

Goodbye Beach

2011-08-06T13:30:00.001-04:00

Goodbye Beach, originally uploaded by Berkoski Travelers.

We enjoyed a beautiful final day in Stone Harbor. The kids and I were on the beach by 9:30 and we finally packed it in for the day at 5:00.

We had Peace a Pizza on the beach (hand delivered by Grammy Ann and Pa Rich, thanks guys!), then played and played and played in the sand and surf.

The waves were just choppy enough to be fun and the water was warm. It was a wonderful way to end two weeks of very beautiful weather and family time.

Springers

2011-08-04T22:08:00.001-04:00

Springers, originally uploaded by Berkoski Travelers.

The most popular ice cream store in Stone Harbor is a place called Springers. Their ice cream is amazing and the kids love it.

Tonight was our last night having ice cream since we're going home tomorrow night.

Riley and Aiden can each order their own, chocolate with multi-colored sprinkles for The Girl and Cookie Monster (Oreos with cookie dough) for the Boy.

Needless to say, Springers will stay in their memory for a long time. Even without the t-shirts they got tonight (purple for Riley, green for Aiden).

More Happy Beach Memories!

Crafts

2011-08-04T22:07:00.001-04:00

Crafts, originally uploaded by Berkoski Travelers.

It rained on Wednesday. It was overcast and cool out.

In the morning Alicia and I took the kids to buy paints for our shell project. Then we had some brunch (omelets for Alicia and I and french toast for the kids). Then we went to see The Smurfs.

When we got home we painted the shells and long after the kids lost interest Alicia and I stuck around to put the finishing touches on them. :)

Ocean

2011-08-03T16:28:00.001-04:00

Ocean, originally uploaded by Berkoski Travelers.

My earliest memory of the ocean is going there with my Mom, Grandma Bradley and sister. I remember warmth. The sun. The sand. The water.

The first time I came to the Atlantic Ocean it was decidedly not warm. I was not used to that temperature of water.

It has been nine years since my first vacation in Stone Harbor and though the water is cold, I still love the beach here.

Especially that first foot in where the water meets the sand. The surf.

That's my new favorite part.

A Look Back at June

2011-08-03T09:12:00.000-04:00

I haven't had much time to blog about our happenings. I figure uploading photos and video is a sufficient way to document the excitement of weekly Dorney trips, bowling bonanza, playdates and family dinners.

Instagram is a fun way for me to take by-the-minute snapshots of what we're doing. I upload those to Facebook to share with everyone so most of these have been seen before. However it is nice to assemble them in a look back at our adventures because the last week in June was jam packed!

Take a look

at the wonderfulness

that was June!