Monday, December 29, 2008

You no likey???

This is just an official posting letting everyone know out there that, yes, I DID make it through the holiday so far, and no, I haven't stepped off the face of this earth quite yet. I'm just, well, overwhelmed with all the hub-bub. As I'm sure you are too. Ever notice that the time of the year that's supposed to be sooooo MERRY, is so very, very stressful? Now before you go labelling me Ms. Scroogie Pants, hold on a minute. I've had a happy, happy holiday and yep, it's been tons of fun, but jeez, there's only so much partying a gal can do. So, sorry for my sloggy bloggy - it's a bit lame at the moment. I'm sleepy and my comfy woobie is callin' my name. So I'm off like a dirty shirt...but I'll be back soon with some cool pix and witty banter. I promise. If not, you can go put Stinky John Jones on the top spot of your faves list instead of my rockin' page...

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Icks nay on the ookies-cay.

It's Christmas Eve 2008 and things are getting jiggy around here. But first, I MUST tell you about the Santa sighting Zeke and I experienced last night. It was as mcnutty as a can of Planters. Seriously, I think Zeke almost fainted in the seafood aisle of Wegmans. That's how intensely hard his heart was pumping when we caught a glimpse of, well, Santa. There he was, standing in front of the seafood counter, long white beard, head full of glimmering white hair, and a jelly belly to top it all off. But, why was Santa in jeans and a gray shirt ordering 2 pounds of jumbo shrimp? And why was he next to some middle-aged brunette who seemed agitated that he was getting the jumbo shrimpies instead of the larges? It was baffling, but still.....it HAD to be Santa. Zeke and I stalked this Santa guy by pretending we were checking out some ham slices. He looked genuine, that's for sure. I told Zeke to go over and say hello. He told me he was afraid and that he wanted me to do his dirty work. Well, being the awesome mom that I am, I trotted over there, tapped the wifey-poo on the arm and simply said "my son here thinks that your husband is Santa Claus." She smiled and said "oh does he?" With that she tapped "Santa" on the shoulder and said, "this little guy wants to say a few things to you." Santa turned around, took one look down into Zeke's saucer-sized eyes, and said "Ohhhhhh, ho-ho-ho, I remember you sitting on my lap!" Zeke was mesmerized. Santa then told him to pull on his beard to guarantee the authenticity of his "Santacity", and asked Zeke what exactly was on his wish list. After Zeke spat it out in record time, Santa told him to be good, get home safely, and to simply get to bed early on Christmas Eve. With that, Santa walked away into the crowd at Wegmans as we stood and watched. It was simply...magical. Honestly, folks, I sorta' think it was Santa there at the seafood counter at Wegmans. And I'm not taking any chances. I'm signing off right now so I can whip up a few shrimp cocktails to leave out on our hearth for Santa's snack tonight. I've got some insider information now...Santa digs jumbo shrimp.

Hope your Christmas is magical too.

Monday, December 22, 2008

And that's just your TOP TEN???

Zeke's Top 10 Gifts He'd Like for Christmas this Year:



1. GPS System (so he "can know direction")



2. a digital camera



3. a scooter



4. Nintendo DS



5. Wii



6. a Thomas the Tank Engine dvd



7. a real drumset with 2 simples (cymbals)



8. a pogo stick



9. a skateboard



10. an iPod (he's tired of borrowing mine and wants his own)





Ok, so let's review this list, strictly on a monetary scale, if you will:



1. GPS = ~$300



2. digital camera = ~$200



3. scooter = ~ $50



4. Nintendo DS = ~ $350 when you get a case and 2 games with it.



5. Wii. Wow, here's the black hole of money, people. I never thought this Wii world was so...bizarrely EXPENSIVE. And it's the typical domino effect b.s. You buy one game and it requires a new controller and a cool chair to sit in while you play it, then new shoes to make you jump higher to score more points, then ankle wraps to support your ailing joints when you've played too much and you get early arthritis. It's just bananas. And I've entered the abyss. So has Pauly's wallet. Potential expense here: about $450 so far, but honestly, to infinity and beyond.



6. Thomas dvd. = ~ $12. NICE. I can handle this. This is a nice request. Santa likes this one. Why can't they alllll be number sixes?



7. Drumset = ~ ???????. I simply can't see myself allowing a drumset in my house. Not if I want any sanity at all. The 2 guitars already have me seeing double and hearing ringing noises in the dead of night. I'm drawing the line. I don't care if the drumset is being given away with a free pony. Well.....MAYBE then.....but only then.



8. Pogo stick = ~25. Easy. Done. But I guess when you factor in the emergency room fees, orthopedic visits, casts, orth checkups, cast removal, and possible rehab of the broken limb, the $25 pogo stick could start to enter the Wii monetary abyss.



9. Skateboard = ~ $25 but ditto #8.



10. iPod = ~ $250. And $250 is getting him the small one. He wants the iPod Touch so he can just touch the screen and navigate around without hitting buttons! I'm not giving in to this one.



Let's add it up: if you eliminate the iPod and the drumset, you get to a whopping total of about $1412.00. That's lunacy. But that's what my 3 year old has requested for just his TOP TEN items. It's scary how technology keeps on going and these toddlers jump right on the wagon. Problem is, that wagon is a Caddy and I was kinda' used to riding in the Chevy...

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Hey Pop Pop E!

Thanks for the awesome Christmas gifts! We came home on a cold, rainy, sleety day yesterday and WOW! There was a big box of gifts for Zeke at the front door! Zeke LOVES the UPS man - especially when the return address is from way out west!!! Check out the pix of the unwrapping action:














The toys are awesome and, as usual, very age appropriate! What a great Pop Pop! Thanks a million and Merry Christmas!!!
Love, Zeke

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

We interrupt this broadcast...

Just wanted to let all my friends out there in cyberland know that, yes, I know you're waiting patiently by your snailmailbox for the Kane holiday card. I know you're wondering...did she forget? Is she boycotting the card sending this year??? Well, nope, I'm on it people. A bit late, but on it. A few things sidetracked me in the past few weeks but, alas, they will be in the mail by this weekend. So, hold your breath, check your boxes, rearrange your social calendars...the Kane cards are on their way.

Now get back to surfing that web, wouldya???

Monday, December 15, 2008

If you're happy and you know it, slap me in the head.

I'm in the middle of trying to clean my home office. If you've recently seen my home office, you'd know I'm in the middle of hell. First of all, this office isn't all that big...which is why we deemed it "the office". Second of all, anything and everything that hasn't had a particular place to go in the past, well, 72 YEARS, has ended up in here. And now I'm in here, on my hands and knees, trying to make sense of it all. It's been on my mind...slowing eating away at me...and for some reason I just mustered up the energy to start tackling it a few minutes ago. So, you ask, why are you blogging, Nancy??? Why??? Well, because, in the middle of this tiny little hellish space I call an office, Zeke has found it necessary to come in, sit in the middle of the madness, and PLAY HIS *&%$#%%$@# GUITAR. Honestly, I can barely walk around in here without bumping into something...when I'm alone! Now with him in here plus the guitar....I'M LOSING MY MIND.

Just thought I'd let you know. Now, what were we singing, Zeke???

Friday, December 12, 2008

Hey, how'd you get that black eye?

I was just driving home, my mind was going about 75 miles per hour (funny, that's how fast my car was going too...) thinking and thinking about all the things I need to do before Christmas is upon me. I came to a red light and was staring into space when my eyes fixated on the bumper sticker in front of me. It simply said:

IF YOU DON'T LIKE MY DRIVING, GO PUNCH YOURSELF IN THE FACE.
I think that's about the funniest thing I read/heard/saw all day and possibly all week. Funny in a sick, twisted way I guess, but well, a to-the-point-go-pound-sand type of funny. I feel like I could use that bumper sticker to fill in so many places in my life: If you don't like how I do yadda-yadda-yadda, go punch yourself in the face. eeeeeeee! It's freeing and funny all at the same time. Maybe someday I'll get to pull that one out of the archives when I really need it. Save it for a rainy day...you may need it too.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Good boy gone bad.

So who out there has a 3 year old boy? Because I just want to know if it's just my kid that is way out of line lately or if it's some type of biological warfare that China is silently waging upon innocent moms everywhere. Apparently the toddlers go to preschool for a few hours, some type of airborne noxious gas is piped into the classrooms, and these toddlers come home with attitudes the size of a large continent. And here's my primary fear at this juncture: what happens after December 25th and my "Santa Warning" has expired? Because that's the only card I can lay on the table that even puts a dent in the behavior at this stage of the disease. Is it just my boy or are there others out there that aren't so nice anymore? A cute face and the occasional sweet hug just don't seem to cut it around these parts either. I need some manners, some listening ears, and some respect back. Is that too much to ask???

But, oh, how cute you look when you finally fall asleep.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Maybe he won't even notice her. She's really tiny.

Today is Pauly's birthday. Wow. What a special day. I really, really like birthdays. They're big time. Without a birthday, that special person wouldn't be here. So, yeah, I take birthdays pretty seriously. So, Pauly, when you finally do get around to reading this, happy birthday. You are the peanut butter to my jelly, baby. May this next year be filled with laughter, love, music, happiness and, well....this little gal:



CAN I PLEEEEEEEEEEASE GET HER??????? I really love her and I really, really need a girl pet in our house. Even the darn birds are boys...

Happy Birthday Pauly. You are very loved. Now isn't that a great feeling?

Monday, December 8, 2008

Boring is the new "thing"...didn't you get the email?

Monday, Monday. Ew. As usual, I dreaded the onset of Monday once again. More so for Pauly than for me, but still, it was dreaded. Pauly has had an insanely busy schedule at work and today and tomorrow are some majorly busy/stressful days for him. I don't know if I could do what he does...and for that I think he rocks. Good luck on all of your presentations, discussions and dinners Pauly. Zeke and I have been thinking of you and praying for your success!

This past weekend was a fun one though. Saturday we went to a friend's birthday party and hung out with great friends then we headed out to King of Prussia to have dinner. Sunday was Mom Mom Mare's Annual Christmas Crafting with the Kids, so we all headed over to her house where she and Poppy had the house decorated and some cute gingerbread trains waiting to be assembled by all 8 grand kids. Zeke had tons of fun and he always enjoys an event where his beloved cousin Joey is there to hang out with him.

When this morning came, Zeke asked if it was a school day. I said yes. He said he wasn't going because it was boring. I told him get ready for a minimum of 16 years of "boring", and that's strictly if we're not counting med, law, or any other type of graduate school which will be a requirement of him after I've put up with years and years of his mayhem. "Boring" better start looking pretty darn appealing to Zekey-poo... "boring" is all he will know for a very, very long time.

I think I'll end there because I feel really good about spouting out phrases that my mom used to spout out at me. Ahhhhhh....how sweet it is.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Happy Birthday (oh boy, it's belated.)


Hey Pop Pop E!!!!!


Here's to you and another Birthday!!! We love you and miss you tons! Hope you celebrated in high style - no doubt you did! We were thinking of you and had a slice of cake in your honor!


Happy Birthday and many, many more! We luv ya!!!


And even some foxy soxies.

TGIF. I mean, really. TGIF TGIF TGIF TGIF. I feel like I've just run a marathon this week and this is going to be the best weekend EVER!!!! I'm totally super stoked. First off, I received pretty good news about my eye dilemma and it made me feel a bit better about the whole thing. I have a ways to go and tons of ridiculous tests to get done...but all in all, I'm on the right track. YAY! Secondly, I've lightened my personal load a bit by stepping back on some commitments that were taking up waaaaaay too much of my time and energy. The only "extracurricular" commitment I have to contend with is being a homeroom mom for Zeke's school, which, in a way, I consider part of good parenting. So, now, I'm once again feeling content, peaceful, happy with the friends and family I have around me and well, just lucky that my life is full of such goodness. Thanks especially to my Pauly who has been my rock, my advisor, and my handsome hubby through it all. You are so super awesome...I don't know where I'd be without you.

Now that we're on the subject of amazing things...wanna' hear about my newest obsession??? It's neato-sweeto and well, let's just say I'm making room in my menagerie of animals for yet another little cutie to hang out with us. Check 'im out:

Now, this isn't the exact Foxy Fox that has been hanging around in my side yard, but he looks EXACTLY like him. About 5 out of the last 7 times I've pulled into my driveway in the past few days, Foxy has been there eating some berries. He checks me out. I check him out. We stare at each other for a moment...I contemplate pulling out my camera to get the money shot...and while I'm digging through the mega-purse, Foxy scoots away into the woods. Bummer. Yesterday he was hanging out with 3 deer just having some lunch. Today, he was alone, just napping in the grass. I really just love him and want him to love me back, but something tells me he doesn't think I'm too cool. If he only knew the treasures that await him in my house - he'd have his own little heated foxy bed, foxy snacks galore, homemade foxy food, and I'd brush his foxy fur everyday!!! Come on Foxy...give me a chance.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Eye feel yucky.

It's not lively around here tonight. Pauly is working late and I'm in a sad, sad mood. Here's the sitch: I thought I had pinkeye on Sunday night. I guess now I can actually say I wished I had pinkeye. That is now that it's way more serious than pinkeye. I went to the doc on Monday, got sent to an opthamologist who told me it could be a few things, but to take some antibiotic drops EVERY HOUR during the day and EVERY TWO HOURS during the night (that sucked) and to come back to see him on Tuesday (today). Today, I find out that I have Iritis in my left eye and sever corneal irritation that could lead to Iritis in my right. And most likely this ugliness is a lovely little tidbit stemming from me having Lupus. Yeah, I've had Lupus for a few years now, but it's never gotten to the point where I've actually had any organ involvement. I guess now it has. If eyes are organs? I don't know. But this is one of the worst dealios I've had yet. I'm sad, upset, angry, worried, pissed off, more angry that I actually Googled Iritis since it scared the pants off of me, and then sad again that this is all going to most likely be an issue over and over again throughout my life now. But here's the thing: I'm alive, I can still laugh and talk and have fun with my friends and family. I CAN STILL LOVE MY BOYS THE SAME WAY AS I ALWAYS HAVE. And that's what matters. I go back on Thursday to have the peepers examined again. Would all of you cyber-friends cross fingers, toes, arms, legs, and anything else you can physically cross so that maybe I'll get some good news??? I'd be eternally grateful and send you good cyber kharma.

Oh, I almost forgot the worst part of all this eye mess....I CAN'T WEAR MAKEUP!!!! So, not only do my eyes feel horrible...they LOOOOOK horrible too!!! I swear, if this is the week that Brad Pitt decides to leave Angie for me and he comes knockin' on my front door...I'll be reallly, realllly pissed. I need my mascara on the day he comes to sweep me off my feet.

England Slideshow

Fall Fun 2009

I got a lil' bored and started playing around with Zeke's pic...

Check out my slideshow from our trip to Cherry Crest Farm on 11/1/08!

Check out my slideshow from Tyler Arboretum's Pumpkin Days - 10/19/08

A Visit to the Petting Zoo at East Goshen Park - 7/29/08