Time for the Dentist

Today was huge.  So big, it involved ice cream for dinner as a reward.  Yes, that big!  

Some are not a big fan of the men or women in white coats and face masks,  but you couldn't help but love the people in the Southern Maine Pediatric Dental office.  Abby's hygienist was really sweet, patient, and kind.  I guess you have to be if you work with kids all day.  It was clear from the moment you walked in everything was kid friendly.

Here's what welcomed us!

Inside was a gorgeous blend of blues, greens, and lots of fish, puzzles, and super fun stuff for kids.  My favorite was the TV on the ceiling with earphones for distractions.  Today's showing was of course Curious George.  Who wouldn't want to work there??

Abby did just fine.  A bit antsy at times and very squirmy at others.  Especially when it was time to count the teeth and atempt to floss.  Tim and I got an A-.  Her teeth look great, enamel healthy and gums stellar.  They are a little crowded, thanks to my small mouth, and were told to start saving for braces.  Greeeat.  Keelan recommended a toothpaste without flouride and with and to use a tiny dot, the size of pin head.  Tiny.  So, where did the (-) come from in the A-?  Well, apparently gummy vitamins are a big no-no.  Anything gummy - fruit strips, fruit snacks, etc really do a number on teeth.  Tim and I use Little Critters vitamins since they are easy on the tummy and don't contain the fake sweeteners like some chewables have.  We have a recommendation which would mean a trip to Trader Joe's.  Sure, no problem! 

We asked at what ages should kids start going to the dentist because of conflicting information out there. Some say one, some say three.  She suggested 6 months after the first tooth comes up and usually by 1 year of age.

Not only did Abby get to visit a cool place and meet super friendly ladies, she left with loot!  A new toothbrush, a sticker, a magic wand, and THIS!  Absolutely fantastic!  I showed her off to all my coworkers today. 

LOVE!  I hope Abby likes going to the dentist as much as I do.  There's nothing like a mouth full of pearly whites!  Even after the rounds of braces, spacers, and extractions she might have.  Looks like we might have more nights of ice cream for dinner.  Just don't tell Dr. Whitney.

Some Days

Today, this week actually, has not gone as planned.  Abby was sent home from Day Care on Monday and the poor thing hasn't felt well since.  Thankfully, she's only had a fever and no other bodily excretions, ear infections, or anything needing antibiotics.  With the fever has come tiredness, sleepless nights, and the pathetic glassy eyes.  Whatever she's fighting is throwing us for a doozy.  Tim went on a trip on Tuesday and so we've had some creative scheduling to do.  We convinced MiMi she should spend time with Abby on Wednesday and I switched my coveted day off from Friday to today. Tim's back tonight and will be home with her tomorrow.  Some days are just crazier than others.  Let's hope she's feeling better soon!

Have you had a "some days" moment?  Check out this blog I follow for another refreshing take on a crazy day.  I love reading SouleMama. 

Family Time Part II

Family is absolutely a big reason why we moved back to Maine.  Not just mine, but Tim's as well.  We're a bit closer to everyone!  I have the privilege of having lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins. Lots of them. Fortunately, most of us live in Maine or pretty darn close.  One set of aunts and uncles live in Wisconsin and one cousin lives in Colorado.  You can imagine the spectacle when someone makes a trip home.  This week Cousin Kristie flew home for her future niece's baby shower/friend's wedding and boy did we celebrate!  We hosted a middle of the week BYOS (bring your own sandwich) gathering and really, really enjoyed everyone's company.  Out of 14 cousins half of us were there with our significant others and kids.  A last minute decision turned out to be a fantastic event.  Thanks, Kristie for coming home and sharing one of your precious nights with us!  Love you!!  Safe travels back to the West Coast!

Excuse Abby's  "are you kidding me" look

Stay tuned for another important event....My sister in law has turned "30" (aka 40) and we are celebrating with dinner sans kids (woo hoo!) in a Boston area restaurant!

Cape Cod 2011

As always it's wonderful to get away from it all and park oneself on the beach for a week.  We are fortunate enough to stay in Orleans with two other couple friends, two kiddos, and one on his way.  We're hitting the beach today for one more beach day and then enjoying our annual feast of lobsters and steamers. 

A quick peek:

The Girls

 

 

 

The flying object in the middle is Teddy

We've certainly been enjoying the nice weather, plethora of food, and good company!

Beach 2 Beacon

Tim has been dreaming about running this race for as long as I can remember.  He was salivating on registration day in March and had been training for the past two months.  His lunch hour encompassed a 5 mile run and wolfing down lunch.  We even did a trial of the race for him to get used to the curves and hills.

The race organizers prepped the race route and surrounding areas for two weeks prior to the race.  Race day was finally here and wouldn't you know Abby would be more excited than Daddy and be up all night?  :-)

Pre-race

I didn't get any pictures of Tim actually running - I did with my phone and the quality is horrendous.  His goal was to run the 10k in less than an hour and he was pretty sure he did.  We stalked the race results all the way down to the Cape and when I could finally report, cheers all around!  His time of 1:00:06 was just 6 seconds shy of his goal and something to be proud of.  He had stopped to give me a high five and kiss Abby - he won't be doing that again next year.

Tim comments about the race route and all the cheerleaders along the way certainly echoed the energy and love felt all around.  Bands played on lawns, decorations adorned houses, and "shower's of power" erected on the road.  Downtown Cape had ladder trucks in an arch and the American Flag proudly displayed.

I'm so proud of Tim for accomplishing one of his greatest dreams.  He is now talking about running a half marathon next summer.

We're on vacation now and relishing in some great family time and sun, sand, and fun!  Be sure to report back again soon!

The Watch With Ten Lives

I case you were following this.....the watch has been found. Seriously, what I'm about to tell you I can. not. make. up.  It's crazy.

I called all the stores I visited on the night of the disappearance.  I checked every crevice in the car and purse.  Every square inch.

On my way home from work today, I stopped into Sea Bags to drop off a sail given to me for my birthday (thanks, Katie!) to trade for a bag.  After chatting with the clerk about the size and her not feeling confident what the trade value would be, I left a bit disappointed.    No worries, though, I'll have my Sea Bag soon enough.  I walked back to my car and wouldn't you know what I saw on the DIRT next to the car???  Yes, the missing watch.  No kidding....The only think I can think that happened is that the watch somehow got stuck in the crevices of the folded up sail and when I moved in search mode it didn't shake out. 

I have no idea...it always just magically shows up.  Tim asked if he thought I should have the clasp fixed!  Why yes, honey, I do.  :-)  Let's hope we get to Eleven lives if needed. 

Long Locks

I know how annoying hair in the eyes can be...I wear my hair up more than down and rarely leave home without a hair elastic, which Abby affectionately calls bracelets.  They do fit her quite well. 

 

This was a particular hot day last week...she was flustered, we were playing, out came the camera to capture the tangled mess...

This was just last weekend.  Abby was trying to help us change the sheets and her idea of helping with unclipping the down feather bed from the mattress.  And the look above?  I can't decide if it melts my heart or scares me to death. 

I was brushing her hair this evening after bath and I realized how long her hair has become.  Since her first birthday it has grown extraordinarily fast.   From pigtails, low pony, high pony, to tangled mess, I love my little girl. 

The Watch With Nine Lives

I'm fairly certain my watch has finally used up its nine lives.  I've had my beloved Movado (style Kara) since June 16th, 2007.  Yes, it was a wedding gift from my dear hubby and a piece of jewelry I love dearly.  Obviously for sentimental reasons and for her simple time telling functionality. 

In the past  4 years this watch has gone from the missing, to the dead, and brought back again.  Here are her 9 lives.  

Life One: Kara landed on the ground after the steel band fell off from the face of the watch. Off to Day's for repair!

Life Two:  Battery Dead.  Off to Day's for repair!

Life Three: Kara found under bed after days of search.  

Life Four: While at the beach, I put Kara in the the chair's cup holder.  Folded up and put away, but not long forgotten - she was found a few days later. 

Life Five:  Walking to my car, Kara fell from my wrist and I noticed her pins were broken.  Off to Day's for repair!

Life Six:  While out and about, I realized Kara was MIA when we got home.  I frantically searched high and low to no avail.  Kara was found a few days later under Abby's car seat.  She would never have been found if we hadn't cleaned out the car from top to bottom.  This was absolutely the saddest I've been about the watch.  The emotional attachment to a material object was great and certainly an eye opener. 

Life Seven:  While at a wake, Kara fell off and landed on soft, plush, red carpeting.  Another visitor watched her fall and jumped to the rescue. 

Life Eight:  At work, Kara fell off during a meeting and landed on my office chair.  I had to retrace my steps and finally found her in the same chair!

Life Nine:  While at Snow Farm Winery celebrating birthdays, Kara was folded up in the camp chair and fortunately found when unfolding.

Life Ten: While shopping around the Maine Mall, I think a parking lot or a lucky customer of one of six stores has found a new watch.  :-(   

To my amazement, I actually wasn't too upset.  I've joked about this watch having nine lives and I'm still hopeful she'll appear.  It's my own fault for not having the loose clasp fixed.  At this point, the cost in repairs has superseded the cost of the watch.  Don't you get a new car when that happens??  Maybe it's time for a new watch :-)  We ARE celebrating our 5th anniversary next year....  What have I learned?  Material objects shouldn't be the source of happiness and can be replaced if lost.  However, if I'm late for whatever reason, don't blame me!

Wedding Festivities!!

This weekend was filled with pure joy.  We were invited to our friends' wedding and were honored to help celebrate their momentous event.  From the beginning it was slated to be a pretty casual affair and they pulled it off and even added a lot of class, beauty, and simple joy.  The brides were beautiful, the ceremony was sweet and loving with a few twists of fun, and reception was tasty and fun.  Jen wore a gorgeous simple dress with a rim of green around the bust and Liz wore a striking white suit with a one shoulder green matching top.  The musician (a friend of the brides) played great tunes and the blasted some Ke$sha while the bridal party danced in.  The officiant (a highschool teacher of Jen's) shared beautiful sentiments about the two gals and invited the guests to continue their love and support.  The ceremony and reception were held at Kingsland Bay State Park among the old trees, vintage buildings, inviting lake, and stunning grounds.  A yummy catered dinner led to scrumptious cupcakes (made by a friend), which led to lots of fun dancing!  The flowers (arranged by a friend) came out quite lovely, if I do say so myself.  And the photographer (also a friend) was easy on the eye (hehehe) and had a GREAT eye for photos. 

You might get the feel that this was a community event and boy was it.  It's clear Jen and Liz are surrounded by so many who love and support them.  It was echoed in speeches and touches throughout the memorable day. I really was so honored to be a part of it.  They must have thanked me a million times for doing the flowers.  I was nervous, but I'd do it all over again.  (Really, it was my pleasure and my assistants (Tim and Katie deserve some credit, too! I wouldn't know what I do know about floral arrangement if it weren't for Katie's business, I Do Blooms)

700 Stems went from this.....

 

to this and.... (7 arrangements)

 this and... (four bouquets)
 

to this (20 centerpieces)

Did I mention all the flowers were FREE??!!  Tim and I cut them on Friday morning in their gardens.

Our beautiful drive home

We are so lucky to be able to witness such great love in a world full of hate.  Jen and Liz are perfect for each other and have set forth on an amazing journey - one I am so blessed and excited to play such a small part.  We may not have survivor on Thursday nights with margaritas, but we certainly have lots of memories and fun times to look forward to.  Congratulations, Jen and Liz!!

(You may have noticed there are no pictures of the brides.  Come back soon after I get permission to brag about them more!!)

EDIT:  Here they are!!!