tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18488026207030968862024-02-06T23:16:45.219-07:00Moxie UnrefinedMy life & journey as I (re) learn to live holisticallySophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17552647988807047997noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848802620703096886.post-14816526990384249662020-06-14T14:10:00.000-07:002020-06-14T14:10:22.980-07:00Back to School!ETA: I am not sure why I stopped writing beyond life just got busy, but this post from five years ago was sitting in my drafts. Chavi is starting 12th grade and J-Bird will be in 8th. How time does fly...<br />
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I have had no problem keeping my title as most sporadic blogger of all time. If that was an Olympic event, I would for sure get the gold!<br />
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Right now we are enjoying our last weekend of summer vacation, the year has just flown by I can't believe we are already gearing up for Rosh Hashanah. The boys go back to school this week, and I will finish the last of my summer classes this week too. Both boys have been accepted at the Hebrew Day school, they are very excited, and I am just hoping they will have a wonderful year. I can't believe that Chavi is an 8th grader, I am hoping to make this very important year special for him.<br />
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New school year means my most favourite shopping of all time SCHOOL SUPPLIES. No, really, I really do love school supply shopping. Both boys needed new backpacks Chavi picked out a very cool Space Junk ~ Sprayground backpack & lunch box with TMNT on it. JBird is all about elephants these days so he picked out somethings from Pottery Barn Kids; the WWF Elephants Mackenzie backpack, a retro lunchbox, and a matching drink bottle.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54494/252/29EFA99B7690C26C24F49C89658B9B8E.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0px;" /></a>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17552647988807047997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848802620703096886.post-20202241813803671322015-10-21T14:26:00.001-07:002015-10-21T14:26:26.626-07:00Facts are not feelings, trite but true<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><br /><br />As a mother of young men, I often worry about the lessons I am teaching them without meaning too. We have long conversations about behaviour, expectations, grades, & how to conduct themselves like gentlemen as we enter the teen years. We have talked about sex, drugs, alcohol, teen pregnancy, STD's, how the internet is forever, peer pressure, & bullying. I find it harder to discuss abuse, how not to be abusive, & how not to be abused. I wonder if I am doing enough, & how to delicately skirt the issues we have had in our own home of flared tempers, fear, & destructive words. None of it is easy, & all of it is important.<br /><br />My mantra has become "feelings are not fact" & it seems to me the only way to teach them is to hold on to my own inner power. Or as is the case with myself find a way to reconnect to that inner part of me. When you give your power away, allowing another person control over your feelings, you lose yourself. Sometimes, I think I can see me underneath years of emotional manipulation, anger, & blame. Not that I am blameless in the cycle, when a marriage fractures in so many ways everyone gets a piece of the pie. The struggle is how to remove that serving from your children's lives, so that the meal can end with you & not be handed down to future generations.<br /><br />My journey, the healing that needs to happen between myself & our sons doesn't have anything to do with my husband's choices. That is a really hard lesson to grasp. It means acknowledging that nothing is in your control beyond how you choose to react. With that reaction, you can give your power or you can keep it. I am jam-packed with feelings, I have acknowledged them but they are not in charge. I am & today I choose peace.<br /><br />"Life is like riding a bicycle, in order to keep your balance you must keep moving."<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/80/65856328DC4108BC884FFFCC9BFCB4C7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17552647988807047997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848802620703096886.post-36058269992141729512015-09-25T00:35:00.001-07:002015-09-25T00:35:51.934-07:00Yom Kippur - G'mar Hatima TovaThe Apple Pie Coffee Cake that I mentioned the other day tastes amazing. Sadly, I utterly destroyed it trying to flip it out of the pan. Whoops. I baked it, got showered & dressed, took it out of the oven, then went to get the boys up. That was where I went wrong. I forgot about it, letting it cool too long. When I tried to flip it out of the pan, it stuck because the gooey brown sugar apple pie filling. mixture hardened. I am going to remake it for Shabbat No'ar, but the recipe needs to be tweaked a little bit. It calls for you to have two layers of both the apple pie mixture & the cake batter, but there was barely enough apple pie mixture for one layer.<br />
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Yom Kippur services went smoothly, & Chavi sat through half of the days services before he needed a break. It is a very hard holiday, it is not a happy one. Many of the readings can bring up all sorts of emotions. I was proud of him it is an extremely long day, we were there for about ten hours. <br /><br />Chavi needing a reprieve worked out fine for me, because I needed to go help in the kitchen at that point. J-Bird spent most of the day in the youth room, & joined us towards the end of the evening service. Working in the kitchen while fasting was hard, especially while chopping up a mountain of fruit. I think the hardest part was no water to drink, my mouth was so dry by the end of the day. It really made me think about the people who feel hunger & thirst everyday, with no relief in sight.<br />
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I always cry at the part of the service where they sing the song <i>Shtiler, Shtiler - Quiet, Quiet.</i> The song lyrics are a poem written by Shmerke Kaczerginski and the music is composed by then, 11 year old Alek Wolkovisk (he now goes by the name Tamir). They wrote & composed this song while in the Vilna Ghetto, outside of the city Ponary in Lithuania. The song tells the story of what was happening there. Another part of the service that moves me is when they remember the children of Auschwitz. Of the 15,000 children sent to Auschwitz, only 100 survived & none were under the age of 14. This year I also struggled with "When I turned 13" a, as my oldest will turn 13 in just a few days. The reading compares a boy becoming Bar Mitzvah today, with a boy becoming Bar Mitzvah during the Holocaust (this is always read by two boys who have just turned 13). When I look at my children, & think of those children it always breaks my heart all over again. This year I found it to be even more convicting because of the crisis the Syrian people are facing.<br /><br />Yom Kippur is a time to remember our sorrows, to seek forgiveness, & to give it. As I enter this new year, I find myself searching for ways I can make it a more divine one. Not just for my children, but finding ways to help our community, along with those in our larger global society. What example do I want to set for my children? How can I demonstrate the love, patience, & compassion I want them to exhibit as they grow from children to men?<br />
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<br />*this is not a Communist song, this was just the best vocal I could find*<br />
<i><br />Shtiler, Shtiler</i> <br />
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Shtiler, shtiler lomir shvaygn<br />
Kvorim vaksn do.<br />
S'hobn zeyfarflantst si sonim:<br />
Grinen zet tsum blo.<br />
S'firn vegn tsu pona tsu,<br />
S'firt keyn veg tsurik,<br />
Iz der tate vu farshvundn<br />
Un mit im dos glik.<br />
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Shtiler, kind mayns, veyn nit, oytser,<br />
S'heift nit keyn geveyn,<br />
Undzer umglik vein sonim<br />
Say vi nit farshteyn.<br />
S'hobn breges oykh di yamen,<br />
S'hobn tfises oykhet tsamen,<br />
Nor tsu undzer payn<br />
Keyn bisl shayn.<br />
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Filing afn land gekumen,<br />
Un undz harbst gebrakht.<br />
Iz der tog haynt ful mit blumen,<br />
Undz zet nor di nakht.<br />
Goldikt shoyn der harbst af shtamen,<br />
Blit in undz der tsar,<br />
Blaybt faryosemt vu a mame,<br />
S'kind geyt af ponar.<br />
Vi di vilye a geshmidte<br />
T'oykh geyokht in payn,<br />
Tsien kries ayz durkh lite<br />
Glaykh in yam arayn.<br />
S'very der khoyshekh vu tserunen<br />
Fun der fintster layktn zunen<br />
Rayter, kum geshvind<br />
Dikh ruft dayn kind.<br />
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Shtiler, shtiler, s'kvein kvain<br />
Undz in harts arum.<br />
Biz der toyer vet nit fain<br />
Muzn mir zayn shtum.<br />
Frey nit, kind, zikh, s'iz dayn shmeykhi<br />
Itst far undz farrat,<br />
Zol dem friling zen der soyne<br />
Vi in harbst a blat.<br />
Zol der kvai zikh ruik flisn<br />
Shtiler zay un hof...<br />
Mit der frayheyt kumt der tate<br />
Shlof zhe, kind mayn, shlof<br />
Vi der vilye a bafrayte,<br />
Vi di baymer grin banayte<br />
Laykht bald frayheyts-likht<br />
Af dayn gezikht,<br />
Af dayn gezikht.<br />
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Quiet, quiet, let's keep quiet<br />
dead are growing here.<br />
They were planted by the tyrant<br />
see their bloom appear.<br />
All the roads lead to Ponar now<br />
there are no roads back,<br />
and your father, to has vanished<br />
and with him our luck.<br />
Hush my child, don't cry my treasure,<br />
tears no help command.<br />
Our pain callous people,<br />
would never understand.<br />
Seas and oceans have their order,<br />
prison also has it's border.<br />
Our torment is endless,<br />
is endless.<br />
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Spring has come,the earth receives her,<br />
but brings to us the fall.<br />
And the day is filled with flowers,<br />
but darkness calls to us.<br />
Autumn leaves with gold are softened.<br />
In us grow deep scars,<br />
and a mother somewhere orphaned,<br />
her child, goes to Ponar.<br />
Now the river too is prisoner,<br />
and enmeshed in pain.<br />
While the blocks of ice tear through her,<br />
to the ocean strain.<br />
Still, things frozen melt, remember,<br />
warmth and cold winds too surrender.<br />
The future brings a smile<br />
I know your child calls,<br />
I know your child calls.<br />
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Quiet, quiet, wells grow stronger<br />
deep within our hearts.<br />
Till the gates are no longer there,<br />
no sound must we impart.<br />
Child, rejoice not your smiling<br />
is not allowed.<br />
Let the foe encounter springtime,<br />
as an Autumn cloud.<br />
Let the well flow gently onward,<br />
be silent and dream.<br />
Coming freedom brings your father.<br />
Slumber child, serene.<br />
As the river liberated,<br />
springtime green is celebrated.<br />
Kindle freedom's light,<br />
it is your right,<br />
it is your right!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/80/65856328DC4108BC884FFFCC9BFCB4C7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17552647988807047997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848802620703096886.post-82120978359800891212015-09-22T23:13:00.000-07:002015-09-22T23:14:30.780-07:00RainSo the goal is just to write, even if I don't have much to say. It's been raining for the past two days which was really nice, it always cools the valley off. There has even been the nip of fall extremely briefly in the past couple mornings. Just in time for the first official day of fall!<br />
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Our washes & the river were flowing really nicely yesterday & today. Its funny how I took water for granted living in New England. Now I get so excited when I see it, I miss the ocean so much. This is just a mucky wash near my home, so not the same thing LOL.<br />
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Tomorrow is Yom Kippur, I am helping in the kitchen to help prepare the break fast after all of the services. I am also going to make an apple pie coffee cake for the break fast. I am slightly nervous because it is a new recipe & I am making it in the oven v. the crockpot. So we will have to see how it turns out.<br />
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School is going well, my Political Science class is a hoot, lots of interesting debates go on in there. Anatomy & Physiology are going really well, this week is the skeletal system. For the oral exam I recalled what I had learned 6 years ago at Cortiva so that was awesome. For history last week we had a pop quiz & I aced it, which was unexpected. To be honest, it was my Humanities course that really helped me pass the History pop quiz, they cover extremely similar material. Likewise the Philosophy course I took this summer, has so far been useful to my Political Science class.<br />
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Next week is my birthday & then four days after that Chavi turns thirteen I still can't believe I will be thirty-seven, when did I get so old!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/80/65856328DC4108BC884FFFCC9BFCB4C7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17552647988807047997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848802620703096886.post-4820140032778811452015-09-18T23:17:00.002-07:002015-09-18T23:22:58.115-07:00K'Tiva V'Chatima Tova - May you be inscribed for a good yearL'shanah tovah! This is the time of year were we prepare ourselves for the end of one year, & make ready for the next. This past Monday was Rosh Hashanah, and this Wednesday we will celebrate Yom Kippur.<br />
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If there was an award for most inconsistent blogger I would win it. As much as I love writing, it is the first thing to get tossed overboard when my life gets hectic. So let's play a little game of catch up!<br />
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We are well into the fall semester in my household, & so far it seems to be going along gang busters. Chavi is a 7th grader & doing pretty well this year (knock on wood). He has aspirations of being a TA next semester for his favourite science teacher this is encouraging him to maintain an A/B average. He will be 13 next month & is preparing for his Bar Mitzvah ceremony. We have time though, his ceremony is not until 2016. He DID join the knitting club at school & he seems to be enjoying it. He is contemplating joining the gardening club as well, but that would require getting up even earlier on Tuesday mornings than he normally does.
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J-bird is in the third grade & this is also his first year of Tuesday evening Hebrew school. He is very excited to be finally be with the big kids & has asked me about doing his Bar Mitzvah in Israel. That was a firm "we will see" from me. Also new for us this school year is J-Bird needing reading glasses! So far my forgetful little bird has managed not to lose them, which for him is a large accomplishment. Both boys were very happy with the chuggim (elective) that they were selected for at their religious school on Sundays. The drama chug suits them & their temperaments very well!<br />
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I am taking four classes this semester: Political Science, History of Mexicans in the Southwest, Humanities Intercultural Perspectives, and Biology A&P. I went with a wide range of methods as well I have a hybrid course, an online course, a self paced course, and a lecture course. I can say my course load is keeping me on my toes! I was pretty proud of myself for getting all A's in my summer courses.<br />
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For Selichot this year we went on a hike with one of our Rabbi's, & a few other families. It was very brief just about two miles but the water was flowing nicely in Sabino Canyon. Unfortunately, the weather was so lovely all week long but in true desert fashion decided to heat up again that morning. It was still a very nice outing though, we even saw a very cool desert tortoise crossing the path.<br />
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Something else we did this past summer that was a lot of fun was The Loft's Kid's Film Fest. It is a 100% free family event, they show one film a day for a little over a week. This year we were able to see Disney Nature's Bears, The Goonies (my two night owls feel fast asleep), & a Mary Poppins sing-along! They always have a cool craft going on for the kids to do, free bike helmets, & each film has a theme, & a raffle prize. It is a really well planned, & crazy fun event. Speaking of Sing-Alongs at The Loft we have been to FOUR this year (counting Mary Poppins)! We just love them to pieces.<br />
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My goals for myself this year are getting more involved in my community, and making my health a priority. So far since the middle of August I have lost a bit over 11 lbs! YAY go me! I am excited to continue this journey towards living a more healthy life.<br />
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I am continuing to be active in the Pima Community College Social Services Organization, & have joined the Veterans Student Association as well. At the synagogue I am in Chavi's 7th grade class Kiddush Club, am co-chairing the Purim festival, attending the Youth Education Council meetings, & making sure the Shabbat No'ar breakfasts go swimmingly. I also joined the PTA at their public school.<br />
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I think that it is going to be a really good school year, & I am looking forward to all the adventures my family will have over the next few months.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/80/65856328DC4108BC884FFFCC9BFCB4C7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17552647988807047997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848802620703096886.post-74206798524384618182015-02-16T17:58:00.001-07:002015-02-16T18:00:04.159-07:00Weekend Roundup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This week was Valentine's Day & J-Bird helped me make these little treat bags for his class. We used several items from #Target's Dollar spot: pencils, erasers, & treat bags. Price wise the cost ended up being only a little more than we would normally spend, & I thought this was cuter. The bounce balls were the #1 most loved item according to J-Bird.<br />
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He also informed me that he is in love with a girl in his classroom. When I reminded him of our no girlfriend policy his response was "Ima, it's just puppy love, it is junior love!" The things he says just crack me up.<br />
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Chavi was a bit bummed out about his middle school Valentine's Day festivities (there were none). He reported that only the girls got anything, they either have boyfriends or they gave things to each other. He said people would think it was weird if the boys gave each other things too. That made me feel a little sad for him & the other boys feeling left out just based on their sex, & lack of a girlfriend. Although in our home 6th grade is still under the no girlfriend rule, he has a crush on a girl in his circle of friends. It seems both of my boys have girls & puppy love on their minds lately. I want to dive under the covers, chanting "I'm not ready, I'm not ready".<br />
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My parents gave both boys a DVD, Chavi was given The Sandlot. I love this movie, every time I hear the word forever in my mind (and sometimes out loud) I repeat it just like it is said in the film "FOOOOOREVVVERRR" Both boys think it is just an amazing story, & I can see it being played often in our home. Saturday evening they went outside to play some baseball. It involved a ton of loud spitting, a lot of strikes & a few really nice pitches. Watching them play was hilarious, I was dying of laughter on the inside. Even the gross spitting, it was all so dramatic as they played just like The Sandlot boys did.<br />
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It made me miss the way we used to play back in the 80's, do you remember playing with one large core group of neighborhood kids? I wish children still played like that.<br />
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Keeping this short this evening, I can feel a tension headache building. I am thinking a nice cup of herbal tea, and a warm compress on my eyes might help. Either way it can't hurt.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/80/65856328DC4108BC884FFFCC9BFCB4C7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17552647988807047997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848802620703096886.post-80936818254979026232015-02-12T22:13:00.001-07:002015-02-12T22:16:11.015-07:00School & Other Randomly Assorted Thoughts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This winter I went BACK to school (yes again, I really, really want my BSW) My course work this semester is: Social Work 110, Psych 101, Spanish 101, & Writing 102. A ton of reading, exams, & research papers, not to mention one class wants AMA citation, another wants MLA *yikes* My Psych class is the hardest, it is just SO much being thrown at my brain in one go. All but one of them are hybrid courses, which is a whole new experience for me. Hybrid means a ton of work on the computer, with the added bonus of lecture times, & in-class work.<br />
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My youngest asked me the other day why I forgot to buy him gum at the store. I explained to him that I have three peoples schedules bouncing around in my brain, sometimes things fall out. To be honest (or fair?) gum wasn't ranked high on my list of priorities, & he was right there with me so he forgot too. Still, I know the boys depend on my NOT forgetting (even little things like a new pack of gum), they need me to have Super Mom brain. Sometimes, I feel like they have Swiss Cheese for Brains Mom instead.<br />
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As a result of my going to school I spend a lot of time driving: to & from my school, each of the boy's schools, school events for all three of us, Synagogue events, Hebrew & Sunday school, etc. (so much time in my mom mobile, my music of choice is currently Taylor Swift on repeat.) It is a lot to keep track of all of the things, with no one to remind, or at the very least commiserate with me. <br /><br />Writing things down, doesn't mean I won't forget, or double book, because I am so far from perfect (which I am at peace with, perfect is not ever going to be a goal of mine). It is not helping that winter, is the season I struggle most mental health/mood wise. To combat the mental fuzz, I put things in my phone, on the calendar hanging on the fridge, in my day planner, & on the white board. Being organized does not come easy to me, I am trying to learn though. Can you become type 'A' by sheer force of will? Ask me again in a year!<br />
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OH, & because I might be certifiable (I kid). I also joined the Social Services Student Organization at my campus, & I am on the Purim Festival committee at our Synagogue. Gold star points for moving out of my comfort zone, & getting involved on a deeper level.<br />
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My next step in the 'Take Control of Your Life, Be Better Organized, & Prepared' journey I am undertaking, is to write out a list of goals for myself. I am thinking short term, for just the next six months. I don't think I am quite ready for long term thoughts & that is okay.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/80/65856328DC4108BC884FFFCC9BFCB4C7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17552647988807047997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848802620703096886.post-89436514642463053032015-01-08T07:13:00.000-07:002015-01-08T07:13:36.806-07:00A Very Brief SynopsisI have been ignoring this blog. <br />
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Every time I think of updating I start to have anxiety and close the Mac.
Long story short my marriage crashed and burned a little over a year ago. Then my car died just to add insult to injury. That sounds flippant. I don't mean it to be, but I also don't want to blast the gritty details all over the web. It was painful, and private. <br />
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I didn't want to just ignore it though, so there it is. <br /><br />
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<br /><br /> At the end of June, I packed the little boys plus what could fit in the minivan, and we made a 3K journey across America. It was the scariest thing I have ever done, even now I can't believe I actually was brave enough to do it. Not so much the driving, or the camping, but leaving my old life.<br />
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Now here we are in our own little place, and our universe feels pretty peaceful most of the time. The boys are both in schools they love, and I am back in school too. I am finally finishing my degree, and pursuing a career in social work.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/80/65856328DC4108BC884FFFCC9BFCB4C7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17552647988807047997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848802620703096886.post-22578469982410058252014-01-22T18:18:00.000-07:002015-01-10T10:38:47.639-07:00Hit the Ice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I scored some free tickets to the Providence Bruins game this past Sunday! Mr. G took the boys to their very first hockey game, & I met them right before the third period started (I work every weekend). We lost, but that's ok everyone had such a good time! The boys even got to see their first ice brawl, one of the Philly Penguins got into a fist fight with one of our guys on the ice.
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I can't wait to take them to their first Boston Bruins game, they are going to love it! I asked Chavi if he still wanted to play hockey after seeing it in person & he said "YEAH!" I however am not sold on the idea, I think its just to aggressive for his personality. We will see how learning to skate goes though, he might surprise me.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/80/65856328DC4108BC884FFFCC9BFCB4C7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17552647988807047997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848802620703096886.post-49673739444743019992014-01-11T20:11:00.000-07:002014-01-11T20:14:54.103-07:00Catching up to the New YearIt's been a while, I guess I am some what of a fail blogger *whoops*<br />
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This past summer all sorts of things happened: both boys spent a week at sleep away camp, Mr. G returned from his deployment, we spent the 4th of July in North Carolina, spent time at the Y, beach, zoo, & of course the library. J-Bird even got to go on a canoeing adventure with our friends!<br />
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Big changes happened this fall: <br />
Chavi started middle school & decided to play the trumpet in band. J-Bird was placed in a collaborative classroom & is finally getting OT again at school.
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Some changes for me too, I went back to work! I am now gainfully employed, at a popular chain of small grocery shops. I love it there, it is the perfect job for me, for right now. Working while fun, has also thrown our household into all sorts of chaos. It has taken a couple months, but we are figuring it out. So of course Mr. G was switched from days to overnights, adding even more fun to our household routine. I am learning to really love scheduling, I have a planner, a gigantic calendar, & a dry erase board just to keep us all on track. It works MOST of the time.<br />
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me: post long crazy day of work, the holidays get to be bananas in retail
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OH, I learned how to can (finally) I took a two night workshop over at the URI outreach center. I can't believe I was so scared of it! Even the pressure canner is not so big & bad once you know how it all works. It is pretty simple basically, ALWAYS follow the instructions, & never get creative. Canning is not cooking.<br />
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Mr. G's parents & one of his brothers came up here in November. They got to experience a little bit of our Thanksgivukkah extravaganza, which was fun to share with them. The visit went really well, & for that I am happy.
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We discovered Chavi has my vision so new glasses for him & the Durango met with an unfortunate demise. We are now the proud owners of a new (to us) volvo, which was a win in my book.
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I think that pretty much catches us all up! Coming up in the next couple of months will be a trip to D.C. & a visit from my Mother (which includes a trip to NYC for me) I could not be any more excited, hopefully 2014 will be an amazing year!
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Hoping you are having a very dapper New Year so far!
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<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/80/65856328DC4108BC884FFFCC9BFCB4C7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17552647988807047997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848802620703096886.post-81694669894598348692013-10-15T09:01:00.001-07:002014-01-23T18:29:39.886-07:00You Get What You NeedI have been job hunting, which ends up feeling a lot like dating did in my early twenties. It starts out all shiny, you picture a Sixteen Candles kind of fairytale ending where you get that boy (job) you really want. Only, I am starting to suspect that I am not Samantha Baker. I might just be Caroline Mulford, ending the night with my hair chopped off in a strange boys car. What's a girl to do, when you cry yourself to sleep over that job you ALMOST got but in the end didn't. In short, six months of job hunting feels like an eternity, & what seemed fun has become emotionally draining.<br />
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Pity party aside, this has been a huge lesson on leaving my comfort zone, acceptance, & each interview is another chance to improve. I have some choices to make about what my next move would be & given Mr. G's working schedule, combined with the boy's school schedule somethings just won't fit. I want to go back to work, but is that what we need me to do right at this point in time? I will never regret putting my career on hold to raise my family, but I do wish an employer would take a chance on me.<br />
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I am giving it one more go, & then I will take a break until the new year.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/80/65856328DC4108BC884FFFCC9BFCB4C7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17552647988807047997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848802620703096886.post-17967705331163433872013-05-04T18:56:00.000-07:002013-05-04T18:56:22.877-07:00An Afternoon on the Farm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This afternoon, I loaded the boys in the car for an adventure. I refused to tell them where we were headed, it was a surprise. After several rounds of are we there yet, & where are we going, we arrived at the Coggeshall Farm museum in Bristol, RI. <br />
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Coggeshall Farm, is Rhode Island's only living history farm. This is a magical place, where you feel like you have stepped back in time, to the year 1799 the moment you arrive. It is one of the most peaceful places I have ever had the pleasure of visiting. <br />
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Today we spent most of our visit outside, it was a perfect New England spring day nothing but bright blue skies & a brisk breeze. The boy's were asked if they would like to help out & collect eggs in the barn, what a great treat! While they were waiting, one of the Tom turkeys was very curious about what might be in their empty basket. Later on during the day, one of the interpreters taught them a trick to fool bossy turkeys & nesting geese, so that the birds wouldn't chase them around the farm yard.
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The eggs we collected, the boys were so excited to try this but the geese were a bit scary so I helped. J-Bird is making one of his crazier smile faces, it looks more like he is growling at me!<br />
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Running through the pasture beware of Ox patties, but J-Bird managed to step in one whoops! <br />
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This ox was enormous, but ever so peaceful I could have spent all day patting him<br />
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The definition of a gentle giant, he was so very, very sweet. He would come closer, ever so slowly to get you to keep rubbing his nose.<br />
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Chickens roaming free in the yard. They all looked so happy, going about their chicken business. One of the hens in the barn was very broody. She was sitting on her eggs yelling at us, we of course left her & her eggs alone. <br />
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Chavi is creeping up on the sheep slowly, he wants to get a better look at the lambs.<br />
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That is a horse taking a nap in the far pasture & a little donkey grazing, all of the animals seemed so content.<br />
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We became very careful sheep stalkers. Moving slowly, & quietly, so that we could get a good look without startling them away. They have lambs to protect, so that makes them more skittish. They were all oh so adorable though. <br />
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This little lamb was born in January<br />
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The eggs in the basket were the ones we collected, the white dough is johnny cake batter. We were allowed to try a johnny cake, it was very tasty.<br />
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This is a museum where you can touch everything, just so long as you are gentle. Both boys enjoyed dressing up & pretending. They tried on everything even a corset, which they thought was a vest!<br />
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He is pretending to be hard at work<br />
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The farm is very near the bay, the views were just stunning. Connie, the female interpreter working at the house was amazing, so patient with both my & the boys many questions. John who was working outside, was also wonderful. They were just full of information, happy to share it, & obviously very much enjoy their work. <br />
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J-Bird, told John about the chicks they had hatched in their classroom (from Casey Farm) & how we would like to get chickens of our own. So then John, got to telling me about the chicken class they have during spring vacation week every year at Coggeshall Farm & that they if we really are interested in keeping chickens that their farm sells heritage breed birds. He had such a passion about the animals under his care, the importance of preserving the heritage breeds, & even though he was very obviously busy he took time to chat with us for a few minutes. <br />
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Headed back down the hill to our car, this was a perfect day I can't wait until our next visit. I am so glad we came to Coggeshall Farm today. It was very inspiring & I
love sneaking in education in ways the boys won't see as learning. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.coggeshallfarm.org/calendar.html" target="_blank">Coggeshall Farm Museum</a></span><br />
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*The farm is open Tuesday - Sunday 10:00 am to 4:00pm year round<br />
*Weekday rates are slightly cheaper than weekend rates, & they do not take credit or debit cards<br />
*There are picnic tables, & a restroom on the grounds, this is a leave no trace site so if you bring it in be sure to take it back out<br />
*There are various membership packages which have several nice perks: free admission during normal museum hours, discounted rates for special events & workshops, & a 10% discount on organic produce from their kitchen garden<br />
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<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/80/65856328DC4108BC884FFFCC9BFCB4C7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17552647988807047997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848802620703096886.post-62119702098336869082013-04-30T12:44:00.003-07:002013-04-30T12:46:27.731-07:00For the Love of Dirt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Finally spring is here! Which means its time to work outside, & play in the dirt. In my opinion gardening is one of the best ways to spend a day. <br />
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Mr. G
was home on R&R the last two weeks (he left yesterday, but will be home again for good sometime this summer), while
he was home he pulled out four ugly old boxwood hedges from along the side
of our home. I don't know if anyone else dislikes boxwood as much
as I do, but I feel they are very dated & just boring. They are my least favourite landscaping & their days have been numbered since we moved in!<br />
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This is also where our new sump drains out into the yard, we had a massive basement project happen last week too. I really like that the ground water will stay out of the basement & help to water our grass.<br />
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Adios ugly boxwood hedge<br />
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So much bare dirt to work with I love it<br />
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My friends very generously gifted me a little lilac bush<br />
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All of those rocks & the granite blocks were found in my yard. When ever I dig a new hole or till up an old bed I find tons of rocks, these are some of the smaller ones I have harvested. <br />
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Pansies in a rain boot, I hung up both boots, & now I want more LOL. These were MY old rain boots, I love finding ways to recycle in my garden.<br />
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I didn't notice she was missing an arm until I was paying BUT she was a thrift store bargain & I decided it didn't matter.<br />
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Another thrift store purchase, an old wire whisk. I filled it with yarn, cotton twine, & felting wool for the birds to snag.<br />
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One of my pretty chocolate terracotta pots, I have more waiting to be replanted. I just love the way the porch steps look with lots of planted pots. The rest of the pots are where I will plant my herb garden, & tomatoes. <br />
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I used to despise succulents, for some reason they bothered me on a tactile level. Now I love them, which is a good thing because my garden had a crazy amount of them when we bought the house. They are a super easy plant, & they relocate easily so I can use them as a quick filler.<br />
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I need mulch in the worst way but the local place I get it from is not open for the season yet & I am worried my seedlings won't come up if I mulch over them<br />
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My garden is still a work in progress, I don't think I will ever truly be done LOL. I have sunflower seeds planted along the house (I alternated mammoth & evening bliss), I am going to spray paint that tower trellis, a few more flowers along the rock border, find more rocks in my yard to finish the border, & mulch, mulch mulch. <br />
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I love it though, gardening makes me very happy. One of my favourite things, is to sit in my yard, or on my porch, & just stare at my flowers or the birds. There is nothing better than soaking up the sun & warmth after a long winter. I am gleefully counting down the days until we can have our first beach day!<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/80/65856328DC4108BC884FFFCC9BFCB4C7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17552647988807047997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848802620703096886.post-92098911648683176042013-04-18T19:35:00.000-07:002013-04-18T19:35:44.426-07:00House Work<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This week I decided to re-do our downstairs bathroom. (a work in progress the walls and cabinets need to be re-painted) its past life was as a ho-hum children's bathroom. However this is the bathroom all of our guests use & I wanted it to be more grown-up space. (no little boys allowed)
<br /><br />The bathroom before:<br />
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This is how the bathroom looks now:
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View from the back hall: blue ombre curtains & blue birds shower curtain both by Threshold</center>
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The garbage can doesn't normally live in the middle of the bathroom I just wanted to show it off</center>
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Shelf on the door wall (the door is off center it drives me batty) I need a small basket up there I think</center>
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I painted the vanity mirror Sweet Mint by Valspar</center>
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More storage yay</center>
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Motivating art</center>
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New handles</center>
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Closet organization</center>
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We have a very weird bathroom closet because it is ALSO the back hall closet</center>
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I have all of these Birchbox boxes, & they were the perfect size to help organize my drawers</center>
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No more room for new polish</center>
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Finding a narrow basket for this space was not easy, the tea cup is the perfect place for my rings</center>
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A magnetic board for hair clips & bobby pins</center>
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Eventually the walls are going to go from bland beige to Valspar Apricot Ice, the ceiling & doors/trim will be Polar White</center>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUBeb6DPRATP2dpbh6jxV7rowcylgCDU5cN-hyeUMvnQ0ZiCcg5SCKPWrl5CvmDzTnWO68bQWAC3mNfW1lKtfDBsA9WJuTz91KcQg5rGFJugcBsaDaLi3nb_P1XZniUdHBBDiqhbw7qQ/s1600/IMG_2356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUBeb6DPRATP2dpbh6jxV7rowcylgCDU5cN-hyeUMvnQ0ZiCcg5SCKPWrl5CvmDzTnWO68bQWAC3mNfW1lKtfDBsA9WJuTz91KcQg5rGFJugcBsaDaLi3nb_P1XZniUdHBBDiqhbw7qQ/s320/IMG_2356.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is our new front porch light, I LOVE it the spiral filament Edison bulbs just look amazing</center>
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Thanks for looking, I hope you liked it!
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/80/65856328DC4108BC884FFFCC9BFCB4C7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17552647988807047997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848802620703096886.post-15066406633950700262013-04-14T20:14:00.001-07:002015-01-10T10:39:22.681-07:00Playing with Fashion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Lately, I have been scouring fashion blogs (especially <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%5Burl=http://www.flickr.com/photos/21085172@N03/8650921706/%5D%5Bimg%5Dhttp://farm9.staticflickr.com/8259/8650921706_b1124c3828.jpg%5B/img%5D%5B/url%5D%20%5Burl=http://www.flickr.com/photos/21085172@N03/8650921706/%5DIMG_2328%5B/url%5D%20by%20%5Burl=http://www.flickr.com/people/21085172@N03/%5Dgreen.mammy%5B/url%5D,%20on%20Flickr">Girl with Curves</a>) trying to learn how to dress. It is amazing, how much of a difference it makes on my mood when I feel both confidant & well put together. I have also been taking risks, wearing tighter fitting clothing, pops of colour, & bold prints. In general, my new way of thinking about clothing is if I used to say "no I can't wear that" now it is "sure why not". <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMdogsLCsTLMBWjpTG2mYUZOFpZXLdaZZL566B9YGZOAap2JDIoK9psAbtbPztYToLhqz_G3-cyrgbZdhXtW1tOkJoLN2hzyTVFawC9xmLlzkfP7Xhe7umrJQcPCOyrHrQqixN4vGaw/s1600/IMG_2328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMdogsLCsTLMBWjpTG2mYUZOFpZXLdaZZL566B9YGZOAap2JDIoK9psAbtbPztYToLhqz_G3-cyrgbZdhXtW1tOkJoLN2hzyTVFawC9xmLlzkfP7Xhe7umrJQcPCOyrHrQqixN4vGaw/s320/IMG_2328.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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I love these shoes the stud detailing is just way too cute.</center>
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<a href="http://girlwithcurves.com/"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Girl With Curves</span></a></center>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/80/65856328DC4108BC884FFFCC9BFCB4C7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17552647988807047997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848802620703096886.post-4634623571534941892013-04-12T09:51:00.000-07:002015-01-10T10:39:51.094-07:00D.E.A.R. Bibliophilia <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This week the boys school has been all about books, books, books, because it is <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rhode-Island-State-Council-International-Reading-Association/142733412423873">Reading Week</a> here in RI! I love reading & sharing that with my children is just one of the most cherished parts of our day. Which makes this week, one of the best weeks ever in my book! <br />
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The theme this year is Digging Deep: Unearth a Good Book, there were daily contests, activities like share your favourite book, wear your craziest hat, bring a favourite stuffie, & let's read at the beach. We also had a wonderful family literacy night at the school! We went on a New England trivia hunt, heard an amazing oral story teller, prizes were raffled (no, we didn't win we have zero raffle luck), ice cream was enjoyed, & every child went home with a new book. <br />
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The classrooms have had lots of guest readers & parents come in to visit. I was able to share one of my favourite stories with J-Bird's class: Ferdinand the Bull by Munro Leaf. Nothing beats reading to a room full of young children. They are the best, & the questions they ask when you are done are just way too much fun. <br />
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The school is also doing <a href="http://www.dropeverythingandread.com/NationalDEARday.html">D.E.A.R.</a> (Drop Everything and Read) this week! Every day at 1:45 an announcement is made & all the students get to stop what they are doing to read from a book of their choice. National D.E.A.R. day is today (Happy Birthday to <a href="http://www.beverlycleary.com/">Beverly Cleary</a>!). Make sure you remember to join in with your family, trust me you won't regret it. <br />
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Friday's theme was dress like a famous (or infamous) New Englander, it was SO specific & I was completely stumped. We checked out what our dress up trunk contained & discovered it was woefully lacking when it came to famous New Englander. We had lots of cowboy, super hero, Star Wars, fantasy, construction worker things, but NO famous historical New Englander things. This did not go over well, & I refused to go buy anything new. We have our imaginations, a home full of things, & so the answer was no, I will not run out to buy something. That earned me the mean Ima award from both boys, oh well what can you do.<br />
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The boys really, really wanted to dress up though, so I thought about it, however by Thursday evening I was still completely ferhoodled. After I put the boys to bed last night, I realized that I was seriously over thinking it. My ideas were too big, I needed to think much smaller. The solution was name labels & button down shirts, so simple but very effective! <br />
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Johnny & Bobby</center>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiBLL6gwUYpK-_z-2dSIH76lRMLhGm0arFZabR_mqMvg765o9qlyP9crlyk1mPIWuHjM-CUa9uBL1sg91rzyGEFdSLoeXB9DWThXZnR8bqEnzZfAW9inCbrWQ768FsH1yZGhXi_6r-nw/s1600/IMG_2317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiBLL6gwUYpK-_z-2dSIH76lRMLhGm0arFZabR_mqMvg765o9qlyP9crlyk1mPIWuHjM-CUa9uBL1sg91rzyGEFdSLoeXB9DWThXZnR8bqEnzZfAW9inCbrWQ768FsH1yZGhXi_6r-nw/s320/IMG_2317.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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It was perfect, & even better after I dropped them off this morning I saw a tiny little Jackie walk in the front doors.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.dropeverythingandread.com/">The Drop Everything and Read Program</a></span></center>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/80/65856328DC4108BC884FFFCC9BFCB4C7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17552647988807047997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848802620703096886.post-38722868802775466912013-04-07T14:59:00.000-07:002015-01-10T10:40:55.687-07:00Playing Dress Up with Gwynnie Bee<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My friend Kyrstel (owner of <span style="color: #ffe599;"><a href="http://armywife101.com/2013/04/introducing-gwynnie-bee-its-like-the-netflix-for-my-closet.html" target="_blank">Army Wife 101</a></span>) recently blogged about a clothing rental that caters to sizes 10 & up, called <a href="http://goo.gl/AZ6ZE" target="_blank">Gywnnie Bee</a>. The best way to explain how Gywnnie Bee works is to compare it to Netflix, you pay a flat fee and you get to have a certain amount of wardrobe pieces sent to you. You can keep them for a while or send them back right away. You don't have to launder the clothing but they do include care instructions for each piece just in case you want too. The really cool bit is right now they are offering a free 30 day trial! Since I am all about free I decided to give it a try, I figure if I don't like it well I am out nothing so it is a win/win.<br />
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My three wardrobe items came less than 48 hours after I signed up in a white box, that had been winterized just in case there was weather. Each item was wrapped carefully in pretty tissue paper, & pinned to the clothing label was an instruction for care tag. They also sent in a black envelope: a handwritten welcome note, a couple business cards to share with friends, & a card explaining how the return kit works. <br />
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What I enjoy the most about <a href="http://goo.gl/AZ6ZE" target="_blank">Gwynnie Bee</a>, is that it encouraged me to try clothing pieces I would never have even taken off the rack in a shop. Something about not being out money if I didn't like it, really made me branch out of my clothing comfort zone! My first shipment contained an exotic print tunic from INC, a lace skater dress from Asos Curve, & a blue polka-dot dress by Style&Co. <br />
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Yesterday, I wore the INC tunic with grey tights, & brown boots to a birthday party. Surprisingly the fabric didn't cling in all the wrong places (I normally shy away from polyester & spandex), the dress was extremely comfortable, looked both simple & trendy. Which brings me to my current problem I lack a good mirror! Any time I want to take a picture of an outfit I have to climb up onto my step ladder & try to angle my camera just right in the vanity mirror. <br />
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So far I am in love with Gwynnie Bee, & can't wait to get my next shipment! This was just what I needed as I continue to lose weight. Now I can still have clothing that fits, without buying a whole new wardrobe of in between sizes. <br />
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<span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://goo.gl/AZ6ZE" target="_blank">Gwynnie Bee</a></span></span><br />
*The plans range between one wardrobe item up to ten, with the price going from $35.00 a month up to $159.00. Your first 30 days are free, billing starts on the 31st day, & you may cancel at anytime. <br />
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*Once you get your clothing you can keep it as long as you want there are no return by dates. When you are ready to send it back just pop one item or all of your items into the pre-paid return mailers. <br />
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*Let Gwynnie Bee know you have returned an item & they will get your new items out to you even before they get your mailer!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/80/65856328DC4108BC884FFFCC9BFCB4C7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17552647988807047997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848802620703096886.post-34425585004449813112013-03-22T07:16:00.000-07:002013-03-22T07:18:25.212-07:00Baby it's cold...inside?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeRYv7p-KSP64e0l5oarHrPEp1RAQ_4N0785mXPjn50XiH993jJSdzb4A6WD6z7D7VDfkT0PFZUDYevGbFHqsA1qsoH6R5vA_PX0TxmZuyRFQQhsU20PhgahaGVH1XM4c5mH_Cd9mHLg/s1600/IMG_2221.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeRYv7p-KSP64e0l5oarHrPEp1RAQ_4N0785mXPjn50XiH993jJSdzb4A6WD6z7D7VDfkT0PFZUDYevGbFHqsA1qsoH6R5vA_PX0TxmZuyRFQQhsU20PhgahaGVH1XM4c5mH_Cd9mHLg/s320/IMG_2221.JPG" /></a>
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It was 59 when I woke up at 6:30 am<br />
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Woke up this morning to a cold house, after messing with the thermostat I realized the boiler was not turning on. OH NO yet another swim morning ruined, this is just not my week. I called Petro & was told they could come anytime between when I was calling and noon (I called at 6:45 am). I was hoping they would come sooner rather than later. <br />
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I got the boys up for school & they had many complaints about getting dressed in (to them) a freezing cold house. As a result everyone was pretty cranky, & slugish. Herded the boys out of the house, & drove them to school worried the whole time that I was going to miss the Petro man! I have that sort of luck most of the time, if it can go wrong it almost always will. <br />
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When I get back home the first thing I see is Chavi's school binder sitting on the couch. So back in the car, & back up to the school to drop that off for him. (it figures the one morning I don't ask is x,y,z in your book bag, & the boys wonder why I am such a huk) Perfect timing because the Petro man arrived not 2 minutes after I got back home again.
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Our boiler is brand spanking new, it was just put in this past June. I find it really frustrating that a piece of it is already breaking down. The oil feed line has a valve, & on top of that valve is a little wheel knob looking thing. That is what broke the little wheel knob thing, it was not allowing the oil into the boiler. The Petro man told me that with these new boilers that is almost always the problem. It is just not a very well made little wheel knob thing I guess, at least the service call and part replacement is free that is a plus!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Fe4jZsN1jNv9RNnT39NU63QZ3fqxp5RWY5G0jp0hcEDl9jeFheTjQTLka_MGWfmQilfV7tFypPsmuz4lfmFuGxM7hjldjvq4O9h_LiT35FVvSKt940gN_nzbqeiTEvNAoOGRLRRtig/s1600/IMG_2223.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Fe4jZsN1jNv9RNnT39NU63QZ3fqxp5RWY5G0jp0hcEDl9jeFheTjQTLka_MGWfmQilfV7tFypPsmuz4lfmFuGxM7hjldjvq4O9h_LiT35FVvSKt940gN_nzbqeiTEvNAoOGRLRRtig/s320/IMG_2223.JPG" /></a>
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That is the feed line with the wheel knob thing off, such a tiny part to cause such a big fuss<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/80/65856328DC4108BC884FFFCC9BFCB4C7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17552647988807047997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848802620703096886.post-15577987971145256872013-03-21T04:14:00.000-07:002013-03-21T04:14:16.193-07:00Is coffee breaking up with me? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL-asG1-CP97D1jZXFxdOt5MuynKmD-y5Iw4n7pRl-TuDYAPW7Qq5bXIqc_EzFZsZanb5MNKWskYc7vHshM5i9mg3qbxXbr20Sh1v7oeGtkrbb9LAEQvQgzO24nm2SKHklnozERKHcNA/s1600/IMG_2217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL-asG1-CP97D1jZXFxdOt5MuynKmD-y5Iw4n7pRl-TuDYAPW7Qq5bXIqc_EzFZsZanb5MNKWskYc7vHshM5i9mg3qbxXbr20Sh1v7oeGtkrbb9LAEQvQgzO24nm2SKHklnozERKHcNA/s320/IMG_2217.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Sunday & Monday of this week I was so ill, it was just horrible. The kind of ill where you are pleading with the porcelain gds to just let it happen already, PLEASE! All week long my stomach was recovering, I haven't had coffee since Sunday. I have had mugs & mugs of wonderful tea. What is it about tea that makes it so wonderful, especially when you feel like garbage?<br /><br />Yesterday, I had one cup of coffee in the evening after swimming with the boys. Around bed time I started to feel ill again, still feeling nauseated this morning. The only connection I can make to how I feel is the coffee, which would be devastating because I love coffee! <br /><br />Now I am going to miss my morning swimming again because I don't want to get ill in the pool. I love swimming & have only been one time this week because my stomach is apparently out to get me. I have missed yoga all week too, which makes me just feel so blah. I love my pool & yoga time they recharge me, & make me feel wonderful.<br /><br />Pity party table one please! <br /><br />Now I am wondering if I have gallstones. Google U tells me coffee can cause contractions in your gallbladder & if you have gallstones bring on an attack. It is times like these when I feel like the universe is pushing back against me as I try to change & become a healthy person. I get into the swing of things & then something happens to knock me right out of my game again. I don't want to be sick, I want to be at the Y in the pool working towards being fit. <br /><br />I am not saying I have gallstones, or even that the universe is really out to get me, I am just saying I desperately want to feel well. <br /><br /><br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/80/65856328DC4108BC884FFFCC9BFCB4C7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17552647988807047997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848802620703096886.post-11076595383991488252013-03-20T13:06:00.000-07:002013-03-21T04:17:33.406-07:00Wordless Wednesday<center>
<u><b></b></u><br />(our last day in NYC I know, I know it took me forever to post LOL)<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>M<span style="font-size: large;">o</span>MA</b></span></center>
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Alice's Tea <span style="font-size: large;">C</span>up: Chapter 1</b></span></center>
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<center>
<br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><center>
The Met</center>
</span></b></center>
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<center>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Shake Shack & Leaving NYC</span></b></center>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.moma.org/" target="_blank">MoMA</a></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://alicesteacup.com/" target="_blank">Alice's Tea Cup</a></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.metmuseum.org/" target="_blank">The Met</a></span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><a href="http://www.shakeshack.com/location/upper-west-side/" target="_blank">Shake Shack</a></i></span><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amtrak.com/home" target="_blank">Amtrack</a></span></i><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank">
</a><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/80/65856328DC4108BC884FFFCC9BFCB4C7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17552647988807047997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848802620703096886.post-5054596707609786672013-02-23T11:06:00.000-07:002013-02-23T11:07:02.528-07:00NYC Day 2: Trying to see it all!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After a very good nights rest (seriously our room was SUPER quiet, if you are ever staying at Park 79 request room 118!) we were up, bright eyed, & bushy tailed by 7:30. J-Bird was of course starving so we got dressed & ready for our only full day in the city. <br />
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For breakfast we stopped in at the Amsterdam Diner, (between 82nd & 83rd) for some challah french toast! This is the boys favourite thing ever & they were so excited to see it on the menu. The staff were very friendly, the service quick, & the food was very tasty. Two plates of french toast (four pieces each) and one plate of home fries was more than enough for the three of us to share. <br />
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Today we had three stops to make, the Jewish Childrens museum in Brooklyn, F.A.O Schwartz, & the Empire State Building. I used the Hop Stop app to get around the city, between that & my phones compass we never got lost. (it is a free app & can be used in a few other large cities) I had to use the compass because I don't have a built in ability to figure out which direction is SE blah blah blah & will apparently pick the wrong direction to walk every time. <br />
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We
took the 1 train to Brooklyn, and it let us out right in front of the
Childrens Museum, the boys were ecstatic. They kept saying LOOK there is
a Jewish person, OH & look there is another Jewish person. I
had to tell them several times that they were in Crown Heights, which is
a very Jewish area to live. (I am so glad we made the trip because I
thought it was very exciting to see as well) They even got to experience
a tiny bit of Purim, Matanot l'Evyonim (gifts to the poor) &
giving Tzedakah.<br />
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<br />Chavi was enjoying the kosher super market.</center>
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Honey & Apples for Rosh Hashanah</center>
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Simchat Torah</center>
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Arts & Crafts</center>
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View from the roof, during our golfing</center>
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Giant Floor Clock</center>
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The museum itself is a very nice size, tons of things for little people
to touch & experience. The admission price includes a free art
project & putput golf on the roof. They also give you a wrist
band so you can leave & re-enter. The museum gift shop is not
open yet, but Mendy's deli is in the museum and the food was great. Not
cheap but the portions were large so you don't need a meal for everyone
pick a few things & share. I had 1/2 a pastrami on rye &
a bowl of split pea soup, Chavi had chicken, J-Bird had a hotdog. <br />
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Yummy</center>
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After the JCM, we took a little walk around just to look at things we popped into one shop Chavi picked out a new kippah, & J-Bird picked out a small clip picture of the Rebbe. Then it was time to get back on the subway & head to F.A.O Schwartz. This time we took the B train and got to enjoy going over the water instead of under it. Another fun thing that happened was a small group of dancers got on the train & then did some amazing hip hop dancing. <br />
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The view from the train</center>
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When we got to our next stop, the boys saw the horse drawn carriages, the man called out "carriage ride around central park miss?" & I looked at the boys they had HUGE puppy dog eyes. I sighed, "do you really want a carriage ride?" They did & since they were both being so well behaved I said alright. We were able to enjoy the park scenery & the boys had a street vendor soft pretzel for a snack. <br />
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It was chilly, but relaxing</center>
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Central Park</center>
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Just before we crossed the street to go into to F.A.O. Schwartz who
should we happen to meet? BIG BIRD! Both boys were over the moon
& J-Bird kept saying "this is were they MAKE Sesame Street, this
is where Big Bird LIVES!!!! "<br />
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<br />Big Bird</center>
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Finally we made it to F.A.O Schwartz which was remodeled in 2004 & looks nothing like it did when I was a teenager. We spent over an hour in there just looking at everything Chavi loved the Lego section, & the books the most. J-Bird's favourite things were the dollhouses, Playmobile, & the Calico Critters. I loved the Tonner Doll Company dolls & the Barbies, they were so pretty.
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Chima Tower</center>
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Giant Box of Nerds</center>
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Tonner Dolls</center>
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After F.A.O Schwartz we went into the Apple store because my phone was dying! This Apple store was so cool its a glass square you go in & then you go down a glass staircase into the store. They saved the day because we would have been lost without the phone!<br />
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Our last stop of the evening was the Empire State building, because it
is winter there was no line to deal with! We got in & right to
the top, spent about four minutes outside on the observation deck but
between the wind & the cold we had to go back in right away. The
boys got to see the view though & it was long enough to snap a
few pictures. <br />
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The View from 102 stories up</center>
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Fancy pants Walgreens on the way out of the Empire State Building</center>
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We grabbed some McDonalds (the boys picked dinner) and then hopped on the subway to go back to our hotel room, day 2 was done!<br />
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<center>
<b><a href="http://www.hopstop.com/" target="_blank">
HopStop app</a></b>
<b><a href="http://www.hopstop.com/" target="_blank">
</a></b>
<a href="http://www.jcm.museum/" target="_blank"><b><br /><br />The Jewish Childrens Museum of Brooklyn</b></a><b><br />
<a href="http://www.mendysdeli.com/" target="_blank"><br />Mendy's Kosher Deli</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.fao.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=3810526" target="_blank"><br />F.A.O Schwartz NYC</a><br />
<a href="http://www.esbnyc.com/" target="_blank"><br />Empire State Building</a></b></center>
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<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/80/65856328DC4108BC884FFFCC9BFCB4C7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17552647988807047997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848802620703096886.post-84725689997382892022013-02-21T22:11:00.001-07:002013-03-21T11:00:41.077-07:00NYC day 1: Natural History Museum & I really Needed a Nap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After the train ride down, we successfully rode the subway to our hotel. We stayed at Park 79 on the Upper West Side, for its very decent price & the location which could not be beat.<br />
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This was the narrow pass through from the sitting room & bedroom, it was a very cozy room.<br />
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The view from my sleeping area, J-Bird was so excited about these pigeons.<br />
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The view from the sitting room, our room was very private & extremely quiet. While The Park 79 may not have bells & whistles our room was very comfortable to stay in. (we also had an en-suite bathroom with a shower/tub combo.) The staff was very friendly, & over all it was a lovely place for the boys first visit to NYC. <br />
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Our first stop after checking in was lunch we ate at Ray's Pizza King. I had a slice of white pizza it was extremely good. Sorry I was hungry & forgot to take a picture!<br />
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Then it was time to walk across the street to the Natural History Museum. This is may be one of the largest museums I have ever visited. It was also one of the most confusing, we got turned around more than once. <br />
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Tons of amazing things to look at, we could have spent two days wandering around just in here. The Journey to the Stars Planetarium show was really cool, I am so glad it came free with our City Pass. J-Bird was so tired that he slept through most of the show, I might have dozed off for a teeny bit too.<br />
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J-Bird was hard to snap pictures of most of this outing. He is more of a speed looker when it comes to museums, always wanting to see what comes NEXT.<br />
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The boys learned what an adventurous person Teddy Roosevelt was, & all the interesting things he did during his lifetime. <br />
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We came to New York City but we got to see a little bit of our home state: Tucson, Arizona. The dioramas in this museum where out of this world, just gorgeous displays.<br />
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The best part though was all of the dinosaurs, a whole floor of nothing but dinosaurs. The boys were in heaven & now they want to be paleontologists when they grow up. <br />
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Which brings us to dinner, I had planned to eat at China Fun because of their dim sum that didn't go according to plan. When it came time ot leave the mueseum it was around 5:00 pm, the boys had been up since 4:15 am. Jacob rebelled at the idea of walking to go get dinner. Anyone who knows him, knows that this child does not skip meals. He was so tired that he would rather go back to the hotel & skip dinner if that meant he had to walk any further than the hotel. <br />
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I convinced him to walk to China Fun, he agreed if we could take it to go, I said sure. See I was thinking when we got there he would want to sit down & eat because he was tired. Nope when we arrived he was very serious about taking it to go. I myself was so exhausted I could barely focus on the menu so instead of dim sum we ended up with Hong Kong street noodles, sweet & sour chicken, & some chicken fried rice. I did get a bowl of delicious miso soup though. Then we schlepped it back to the hotel & were in bed by 8pm. <br />
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Chavi was a HUGE help all day long! His behaviour has been spot on this whole trip, and I know how hard that can be with his ADHD & so much new stimulation swamping him. I did buy him a special treat as a thank you for being so helpful while we were at FAO Schwartz. (that is NYC Day two though) <br />
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<a href="http://www.park79hotel.com/" target="_blank"></a><br />
<center>
<a href="http://www.park79hotel.com/" target="_blank">
<b>Park 79</b></a></center>
<a href="http://www.park79hotel.com/" target="_blank">
</a>
<center>
<a href="http://www.amnh.org/" target="_blank"><b>The American Museum of Natural History</b></a><b><a href="http://www.chinafun-ny.com/" target="_blank"><br />China Fun</a></b></center>
<b><a href="http://www.chinafun-ny.com/" target="_blank">
</a></b>
<b><a href="http://www.chinafun-ny.com/" target="_blank">
</a></b>
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/80/65856328DC4108BC884FFFCC9BFCB4C7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17552647988807047997noreply@blogger.com0New York, NY, USA40.7143528 -74.005973140.3291728 -74.65142010000001 41.0995328 -73.3605261tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848802620703096886.post-45601964463106075652013-02-20T07:43:00.003-07:002013-02-20T07:45:28.081-07:00All Aboard! aka Next Time Just Drive Your Car<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For winter break I had this insane idea that the boys & I would take
the train down to NYC. In retrospect I should have realized that J-bird
would like train travel as well as plane travel. Which is to say he does
not enjoy it at all; too noisy, too much motion, too much people coming
in & out of the door. As he said it so well, it is too much,
muchness. I thought he would like it since he loves Thomas & he
travels so well in our car, I know better for next time. Currently he is now content laying underneath our seats, & you know what I am going to let him stay there if it means the second half of the ride goes more smoothly for him. <br />
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We woke up SO SO early to get to the train station, up at 4:15 am
& out the front door in the car by 4:43 am. (This is like
AMAZING for me because I am almost always running behind) I wanted to be
certain of finding a spot in the garage for the car and now we have a
spot right near the train entrance so it will be easy to find when we
come home Friday evening. The only problem with needing to get the
garage so early was that meant we would have a bit of a wait for our
train. We had some breakie in the little train cafe, & then it was
up to me to help kill time. Mostly this was accomplished by me telling
J-Bird what time it was a googleplex amount of times. <br />
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Finally it was time, they yelled ALL ABOARD, whoop whoop! After walking
the whole train & starting to feel anxiety about seating
arrangements. The rows are two seats each, but every one was sitting
alone so I couldn't find a spot for us! We passed the conductor at one
point & then when we were turning around to re-check he came to me
& said he had a spot for us! Now we have a nice little four seater
section (two seats face two seats) & my stress level went down
enormously. Our train journey as about 3/4's done we are passing
Bridgeport, CT as I type. <br />
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Please J-Bird take a nap</center>
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Chavi, he is being such a good helper today</center>
As difficult as travel can be with J-Bird, my 10 year old is being an angel today! *breathes huge sigh of relief* He is going to deserve an extra special reward if he maintains such good behaviour like this for the whole trip! <br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/80/65856328DC4108BC884FFFCC9BFCB4C7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17552647988807047997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848802620703096886.post-22669996586513438692013-02-19T13:31:00.001-07:002013-02-19T13:31:30.840-07:00We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today, I am frantically rushing around doing the last minute little things to get us ready for our NYC trip. (SO SO very excited) Naturally, I thought NOW is a good time to dye my hair! I opted for the new Olia formula by Garnier (4.0 dark brown). My goal was just to cover up my red streak & the silver strands that seem to be everywhere lately. <br />
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Speaking of which WHY are there so many different kinds of hair dye? It took me forever to make a choice, because I can never make a choice when I don't know the product. Does this happen to anyone else? I get so overwhelmed when I go to buy a new toothbrush, deodorant, or what not. They never have what I usually use & then I have to find something else but they have way too many options.
Sometimes I just look for a few minutes, turn & walk right back out of the aisle without a thing.<br />
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Anyway, I finally made a choice, grabbed a box & went on my way. It was only when I was in the middle of getting the job done, that I realized I needed maybe 3 boxes instead of my one. I managed to slather the not enough dye around & then I was just hoping for the best. Considering I was just going with my natural colour give or take a slight shade difference, I was pretty sure it would work itself out in the end. <br />
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The Olia was around $15 and if I need three of them well it just makes no sense for me to attempt to save money by doing it at home. Next time I need my hair dyed I will just go back to Ranew Salon & my trusty, dependable hair stylist. This worked really well in a pinch though, I wanted the silver hair covered for our trip, & it is. <br />
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If you are ever in Newport, RI & you need a beauty treatment I highly reccomend Ranew Salon. They are amazing and always give their clients the star treatment. I am going to miss them when we move this summer.
<br /><br />As for my hair it came out all one shade YAY! <br />
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<b><a href="http://www.garnierusa.com/_en/_us/colorconnection/olia/index.aspx?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=%2Bgarnier%20%2Bolia&utm_content=Brand&utm_campaign=HairColor&gclid=CNDv4cGZw7UCFQ3znAodkggArg#!welcome" target="_blank">Olia by Garnier</a></b></center>
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<b><a href="http://www.ranewsalon.com/" target="_blank">RaNew Salon</a></b></center>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/80/65856328DC4108BC884FFFCC9BFCB4C7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17552647988807047997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848802620703096886.post-54179887776110219402013-02-17T09:29:00.002-07:002013-02-17T09:48:34.023-07:00Keep on Shoveling<center>
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Yes, what I needed was more snow to shovel! It is starting to feel like I won't see my yard again until March at this rate. I am also sad that this recent storm made me miss my Sunday yoga class. Out of all three yoga classes I take this one is my favourite. It puts me in the right frame of mind to deal with the new week, & I love the loopy yoga high it gives me. <br />
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Which brings me to my Monday yoga class, I have decided that I can not go back to that class. From the instructor answering her phone mid class, to the fact that she doesn't instruct (her eyes are closed 95% of the class), to her doing the same exact thing every week. I was leaving MORE stressed than when I got to class & that is not why I practice Yoga. I have tried it four times, I think that was more than fair. Instead I switched to a Wednesday & Thursday class on top of Sunday. <br />
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A new thing Chavi & I have been doing is family yoga on Tuesday evenings. He is hyper flexible, yoga seems to come naturally to him. I also think it is a much needed boost of ego for him, & it gives us some nice bonding time with out his little brother (who tends to be much more demanding on my time). J-Bird joined us for one class but he would rather go run around in the child watch room at this point then take a 60 minute class. I am hoping he will want to try it again because it can really help his low muscle tone and inflexibility. Yes my children seem to be polar opposites LOL. I think yoga is so beneficial for children (& adults), it helps you to focus on just that moment & to be fully present in it. I also find joy in my body being able to do so much more than I was aware it could do.<br />
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Which brings me to an amazing give away** that OMazing Kids is doing with Teaching Children Meditation. The grand prize is a book called Calm Kids & free access to the Calm Kids level 1 course, there will be a second winner who will win the book only. So if you have time check out the give away & both the websites involved.<br />
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<a href="http://omazingkidsllc.com/2013/02/16/review-giveaway-calm-kids-help-children-relax-with-mindful-activities-book-level-1-online-course/" target="_blank"></a><br />
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<a href="http://omazingkidsllc.com/2013/02/16/review-giveaway-calm-kids-help-children-relax-with-mindful-activities-book-level-1-online-course/" target="_blank">
OMazing Calm Kids Give Away</a></center>
<a href="http://omazingkidsllc.com/2013/02/16/review-giveaway-calm-kids-help-children-relax-with-mindful-activities-book-level-1-online-course/" target="_blank">
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<a href="http://www.teachchildrenmeditation.com/" target="_blank"></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.teachchildrenmeditation.com/" target="_blank">
Teaching Children Meditation</a></center>
<a href="http://www.teachchildrenmeditation.com/" target="_blank">
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/80/65856328DC4108BC884FFFCC9BFCB4C7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>
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**I get nothing out of sharing this give away, I only wanted to pass along the information.Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17552647988807047997noreply@blogger.com0