are we or aren't we?

.

I'm stressed out.

I've been so cautious about keeping us cootie free that I'm tuckered out.

Is the flu season almost over?

Nora had a cough last week and I kept worrying it was going to develop into something worse.

She looks and sounds good today, so Charlotte told me she wasn't feeling well.

Nora received an invite to a birthday party at a bounce house on Monday and I've

called the mom to tell her we can't make it. In my defense, Nora almost always does get sick with a germ after those places. A trip to the Strong Museum closed us down half a week!

Yes, we sanitize all the time. Maybe too much? Can you become immune to it?


(Charlotte's not in the bubble! She's outside in the previous picture and decided to go in!)

Is it possible to be too paranoid of H1N1? Is it as bad as I've read about? The girls had their flu shots and I was ready to call for the swine flu shot after Halloween, but I have yet to hear anything good about it.

One family told us after our neighborhood Halloween parade, they each got the shot and were never sicker in their lives.

Oh be over flu season, you turning me into a paranoid hot mess!

evidence.

Here I am editing pictures to send off for developing and I come across this sequence. It cracks me up! Typical storyline of two sisters.

Sweet pose for mama.
I'm going to throw you out of my picture now, lovingly of course.

You're taking too long, must use more FORCE.

reaction

"MOM!"

(the getaway.)

One room at a time....

Dorothy and Cinderella hope you had a Happy Halloween! So we've been missing in action around these parts since early August I see. That must have been when we started the renovating the scrap room. We have been living limbo wise computer wise since then. Plus we were busy with new schools, schedules, and getting a new routine going. Well it was certainly worth the wait because we have a MARVELOUS scrap room now!
I will post photos soon because right now three crafty tornadoes have hit it hard!


Nora has a new haircut. We call it her "kindergarten cut" and it is not visible in this photo but it brushes her shoulders and she looks adorable. She is in the afternoon kindergarten class which runs from 12:00- 2:30. She absolutely is loving kindergarten and is making new friends. She even has some friends on the bus who are in 1st and 2Nd grade! She is so darn cute getting on and off the bus everyday. Craig usually has Thursday and Fridays off and Nora likes to have her out front bus wise on those days.

Charlotte has preschool 2 days a week at Seton School. She probably wishes she had more days there. I initially signed her up for 2 days because I have Nora and Charlotte's schedules coordinated and I was worried about Charlotte's pick up time conflicting with Nora's drop off from the bus. Turns out we have a 45 minute window between the two. Charlotte is making little friends as well.

We have been making little steps forward on the house since we moved in during July. We've taken down some enormous pines on the side of the house. We've had the scruffy weedy backyard cleared so we can plant some new trees in the spring. Craig has gutted a bathroom and has done more projects than I can remember and the best thing to happen was he built us the best scrappy room ever! I can't wait to share pictures.

Family and friends love our scrap room and understand our need and enthusiasm for our room. When I talk to the neighbors and they ask what we've been up to, I tell them we finished our scrap room/ craft room, I'm met with a blank stare. I have to tell them Martha has one. I still think they don't understand!

Ducks & dinner

Craig has been working non stop since he moved up from Richmond, VA. So yesterday

was his first day off in Forever and we decided to make a family day out of it.

First we headed out for a delicious breakfast at the Highland Park Diner.

Then the farmers market which was very crowded. Each girl got their own tote to carry the fruit and veggies they each picked out. Nora spotted some fuzzy peaches and green pears. Charlotte spied some broccoli.

A stop in the afternoon in Pittsford to walk along the Erie Canal.

Which would not be complete without stopping to feed the ducks.

Love this picture! :)

My diet was destroyed this weekend because we had a kid free night out. My glorious niece

Lulu kindly said she would watch the girls and Craig and I were free to go out to dinner.

We went out with my brother Kevin & his wife Debbie to Veneto.

I love living in Rochester!

Monday the diet will be salvaged.

Used a sketch from Two peas class Super Sketches to create this layout. It was super fast to make. Love when that happens!

Lesson for today: Proper footwear

So in my never ending quest to drop some lbs. I've been walking.

Also trying to eat the right foods, exercise, blah, blah, blah....

Not exciting. I do like to walk though.

I missed my morning walk so I made an effort to get a walk in the afternoon.

Why I walk in the a.m.

1. Craig is still home until 9am and he can watch the girls while I walk unfettered.

2. Nobody's out and I don't have to stop, talk, or wave.

3. It's still pleasant in the morning. No overhead sun or heat making it sticky.

4. Did I mention the lack of parental responsibility?!

So I grabbed my camera and my kids after admonishing them to wear proper footwear and we left for Cobb's Hill Reservior. It's literally at the top of our street.

It started off pleasantly enough.

We walked a bit, stopped for pictures in front of the breathtaking (insert joke)

Rochester city view.

Then we continiued our 0.69 mile walk. How do I know this? It was posted all over.

Maybe it was in case someone freaked out they were walking too much.

Who would that be?

Maybe the two little girls who took off running and were chased down a red faced

woman screaming their names and mumbling some others!

After we took picture above (why is the dog the only one looking at me?) we started walking again at a leisurely pace. Maybe that was because Nora was wearing flip flops and Charlotte's shoes were on the wrong feet. I did try to be a good parent and fix them, but I was told by Charlotte she liked them that way.

Halfway around the reservior and the girls were Done.

Done.

Hence why I sneak out of the house and walk alone.

I can't seem to work on my house!

So everyone knows by now about the big move. Richmond, VA to Rochester, NY.

I've had oodles of really good pictures sitting in my camera since May.

I can't stop printing them, sharing, staring, and scrapping them.

So here are some pictures taken in May.
The beautiful bride, my niece Jen had a destination wedding in St. Pete's Beach, FL.
Best time ever!

Back to my story.
I have a house that's new to me, but it's old. Like built in 1950s old.
Our last three houses have been new construction and you walk in to everything new and shiny.
The new house needs a do over. It's not bad, but it's long overdue for some updating.
I'm not motivated to do it.
I know, I know.
I will be, but I want to start slow.




I plan on living in this house forever.
It's a perfect size ranch in a beautiful established neighborhood.
We're still in the subarbs, but the top of my street is the city.
Love that.

But I can't do it all at once.

Rememeber I sold a lot on the other end?

Now I have to buy new stuff.

Rome wasn't built in a day!

Plus I LOVE that I get to scrapbook again. I've been collecting supplies like it's my job.
Like my full time job.
Don't tell Craig, he can't tell what's new scrap crap and what I've unpacked!

We're back!

Guess who!

We're back in Rochester!

Hooray!

Can you tell I'm excited?

I have a zillion stories to tell and a mountain of pictures to sort through.

I'm finally back online with my computer and I'm ready to blog again!