That's grout!

6:23 AM Edit This 5 Comments »
The previous owners of our condo, for some reason never put grout in the tile that they laid in the entryway of the front room. I have been just dealing with it (the dirt, the bugs and the icky look) but thanks to my friend Brittany, we took the initiative and did it! I am so proud of myself! I feel empowered! There are so many other things that need to work around here (baseboards, paint, new floor in the kitchen) and with Mark going to work and school he just doesn't have time! Who knows what I will attempt next!

So fun!

9:28 AM Edit This 2 Comments »
After everyone's warnings I was really worried about Merrill's ability to crawl - but I AM LOVING IT! It is great! He really entertains himself a lot and now parenting has changed from trying to find ways to keep him happy to keeping him from eating something he shouldn't. He is also pulling himself up to standing on our furniture and  he just seems so much older! He is really a little human and not so much of a baby anymore! He likes to "play" Wii, and he loves his toys. Thank you garage sales! I have found so many great toys there that he just loves.



Crawling Chaos

11:49 AM Edit This 7 Comments »
Merrill can crawl! He has gotten it down pretty well, however, pants that are a little too big plus a slippery surface...

Boys and boo-boos!

7:35 PM Edit This 4 Comments »

Merrill had his first boo-boo today! I cried more than he did when I caught him from falling off of the bed and accidently gave him a little rug burn on his forehead. It is so tiny and you can barely see it in the picture. I know that kids in general get hurt, and having a boy will be even tougher - but it was so sad I was a wreck!

Fun Photos from a while ago...

8:19 PM Edit This 1 Comment »


We got these taken when Merrill was 3 months old... I was looking through them today and thought I would post them - they are just too cute!





Solicitors!

1:04 PM Edit This 3 Comments »
So, I was on my way to a visiting teaching appointment with Merrill in the stroller and I simply nodded to a girl with a backpack on a bike on the opposite side of the street... THAT WAS ALL IT TOOK!
She tackled me, pinned me down and tried to sell me children's books for hundreds of dollars!
Ok, so that was a little exaggeration, but not far off! I am constantly amazed by the tactics used by some of these people and it doesn't help that I try to be friendly and listen to them, I am naive enough to not realize that they are sales people until they start talking about pricing! This one was performing under the pretense of being a student from Europe and needing credit to practice her english with someone and learning new english reading techniques. UG!
I am proud to say that I was able to swoop in with decency, honesty and only managed only a 15 time waste!

My Boys

6:57 PM Edit This 6 Comments »

Mark and I have different definitions of what it means to "play" with Merrill.  

Yummy Food

3:32 PM Edit This 4 Comments »




My sister-in-law introduced me to this awesome website. There are so many wonderful recipes that you can get FOR FREE! I am not a very experienced cook and so it is a wonderful thing for me. So far, every single recipe I have tried has been AWESOME! Orange cream cake, broccoli chowder, broccoli fettucini, white bread... just super yummy and super easy! Give it a try!

On the Dash...a Daisy!

11:21 AM Edit This 7 Comments »
I went to get the oil changed for our car yesterday. I went to the Grease Monkey on 106 South in the Smith's Parking lot. I was amazed! Not only was the service fast, friendly and efficient, but the waiting room was clean, they had complimentary beverages and popcorn, and here is the best part - when Merrill and I got back in the car, on the passenger seat was a new car bag for our garbage, three cinnamon mints and on the dashboard was a freshly cut daisy! I KNOW!
I am now recommending them to EVERYONE!!! It just absolutely made my day! 


Good day

12:57 PM Edit This 4 Comments »
Wow. Well I certainly feel welcome! Thank you to everyone! I think this is going to be fun. Today has already been day of fun. Merrill and I got in a walk before it got too hot, and then we went crazy and went out to lunch. To anyone that hasn't tried one of Gandolfo's sandwiches, I totally recommend it. I don't even remember what sandwich I ordered but it was awesome! Breaded chicken with cream cheese and sliced turkey, tomatoes, lettuce, mayo... (they do have healthier options but I wanted to splurge!) it was really good.
Coming from that home to our wonderful new carpet on in our living room... it has just been a great day already!

Hello Blog World!

1:40 PM Edit This 10 Comments »
Well, I finally did it. I started a blog. 
Woooohooo!
I started this blog for a few reasons:
#1 - It is fun to share news.
#2 - Mark is very busy with school and work and so most of my conversations happen with an 8 month old kid. While Merrill is a smart kid, having other people comment on my opinions might be a little more satisfying that the occasional "ga ga."
#3 - I need to vent every once in a while, and maybe someone else will agree with me.
#4 - It looks like fun! 
So here goes!