Who Thought Rain Could be So Fun?

Today it rained woofs and meows and I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to do with Eva all day. Luckily it stopped long enough for us to take a bike ride. But otherwise there was not a lot that could be done outside. So we played with chalk in the breezeway for awhile until it really started pouring and we had to move in further so we wouldn't get wet. Then I decided we could watch the rain and talk about the "boom booms" in the sky. I have never seen a kid have so much fun running around and trying to get wet and then running back in and saying "boom boom sky" when the thunder would sound in the distance. Too funny!

Her Father's Daughter

Two fisting it!

R.I.P. Nuk

Ding dong the nuk is dead! Eva has been chewing on her nuk (pacifier) for the past few weeks to the point that they are getting holes and I have to keep throwing them away. Finally, thanks in part to an e-mail from my best friend suggesting ways to get rid of the pacifier, I decided that it was time for nuk to go. So when Eva chewed a hole in her nuk this time I cut the rest of it off with a scissor to finish it off. She kept saying, "Nuk brope." Yes, nuk broke. So then I gave her options about what to do with it. After asking my parents and I to fix it about 1000 times she finally took the end I cut off and threw it in the trash. Then she kept trying to suck the end with the plastic ring but it was too short and kept falling out of her mouth. I told her that nuk could not be fixed and asked her if we should bury it and have a special ceremony to say goodbye. "Yuh." So outside we went to bury nuk in the dirt near the side of the house. First she seemed ok, but then she had a full on freak out tantrum next to the house. Tonight should be interesting but we are hoping for sleep!

New Moan Ya

And the hits just keep on coming. This morning Eva wasn't really acting herself. She and I drove up to PA yesterday afternoon and had a busy day at the market and at the beach. But this morning she was super lethargic and seemed a bit warm. By mid-afternoon she was REALLY warm and I decided to call a friend (thanks Mandy) and get info for a local doctor. So I took Eva to Urgent Care in Jim Thorpe. They were really good with her and did blood work and a chest X-ray because she actually had a 104.1 degree fever! And the verdict - PNEUMONIA! Great! So three hours, a stronger antibiotic, and what will no doubt add up to a hefty bill later we were on our way to pick up the new prescription at CVS. Poor Eva she is super sick and I feel terrible. So I am off to bed to rest up for what may be a tough night!

We're Back from the ATL

For our loyal readers who were wondering where we have been, then answer is - Atlanta! My friend Susan was married this past weekend in Hotlanta and I was the Matron of Honor and Eva was the Flower Girl. And we are not without some stories!

We arrived on Wednesday after an uneventful plane flight (with extra room so Eva was able to fly in her carseat). Ok, well other than the nasty dude sitting in front of us who kept making air noises every time that Eva got cranky (she needed a nap so she was a bit out of sorts until she fell asleep and he needed to let out a great big sigh each time she made any noises!) it was uneventful! We got the rental car - a black Dodge Caravan - this thing seriously rocked. Automatic everything and a DVD player - I was like, can I take this thing home?!

Our hotel, the Courtyard Marriot in Roswell seemed nice from the pictures and when we got there I thought, oh wow, this place is really nice. We had decided to book a suite for Matt and Eva and I to give us a place to hang out when she was napping and then got the adjoining room for my parents. They had a crib (we will get to that) and we had asked for that in the room. Plus we had a small fridge and a microwave which was perfect (and a huge TV and internet service, so Matt was very happy). Once we got there and checked in and got to our room I promptly found a cockroach in our bathroom, which I immediately squashed. See evidence:

Then my father found dirty black thong underwear stuck between the doors of the adjoining rooms. So just as we were beginning to feel as if we were staying in the Ritz Carlton (NOT) we discover there is no crib. Ok, so my mom calls the front desk and asks that they have the crib brought up to the room. About 15 minutes later this man shows up with a tiny pack and play. Yeah, I have an almost two-year-old child and we are staying for 5 nights. And your website says "crib". That is not an f-ing crib. It is like sleeping in a small tent over a rock. So we decided to call around and find out if you can rent a crib since the Marriot seems to think our standards are beyond them and refused to help us find one. So we called a service named "Babies Away" that rents equipment for babies who are traveling away from home. Later that night it was off to Susan's parents' home for dinner. After we got home, my father showed his strength by pulling the door knob completely off the door!

Unfortunately, we didn't hear back from Sue on Wednesday so we decided to see how it went that night. NOT WELL! After a relatively sleepless night for Matt, Eva and myself we called Sue from Babies Away again on Thursday. Luckily we heard back from her and she delivered and set up the crib on Thursday while we were enjoying a pre-wedding get-together at Susan and Murry's place. Speaking of this get-together, we had an interesting tour around Atlanta as our GPS couldn't find its you-know-what with both hands and had us in the Atlanta ghetto! Thank god for Murry and his friend Chris who got us out of the ghetto and over to Susan and Murry's lovely townhome - which was all the more lovely after what we had seen!

Oh yes, back to the wedding. So Susan married this guy named Murry (well, his name is sort of Murry). It is Murry to his friends and to Susan and her friends and family and Ryan to his family and close family friends. Why you may ask? Because his name is Murry Ryan and his parents had called him Ryan from birth. His friends renamed him Murry after they found out his real first name (sort of as a joke at first but then it stuck)! So that was a slightly confusing issue!

To backtrack a bit, we met up with Jim, a friend of Susan's from Dublin, Ireland and spent a great deal of quality time with him the whole weekend. He was great with Eva! She really enjoyed her "Uncle Jim!!" Jim was lucky enough to be with us in the family truckster when we took the tour of Atlanta! He was nice enough to continue to hang out with us despite the ghetto tour! Here is Eva with Grandma and "Uncle Jim" at the hotel pool!

Friday was the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. My parents were nice enough to bring Eva to the rehearsal so she could practice being a flower girl but then take her home since the dinner was late and she would not have gotten enough sleep. The dinner was a Louisiana style cajun meal that was supposed to be on this outdoor patio at Murry's family's favorite restaurant, however, the weather was iffy so they moved it to the clubhouse at their housing complex that is at least covered on top. It was fun but they don't call it Hotlanta for nothing! Tara (Susan's bridesmaid) and I were able to ensure that no one else at the rehearsal dinner was bitten by any mosquitos as we took many for the team!

Saturday, the day of the wedding went relatively smoothly. I did Susan's hair for the wedding (tradition!) and it actually came out quite nice if I do say so myself. My hair was another story, but whatever it was her wedding!! There was a slight disaster with the flowers as they froze the night before and all had to be replaced! Yikes, mother of the bride to the rescue! Eva picked her first day ever to not take a nap so I was terrified that she would freak out during the ceremony. But she was actually quite good even though she wanted to wander around the church and to my horror did spend a few seconds hopping up and down on the place Susan and Murry were supposed to kneel on during the communion portion of the service! If I ever figure out how to add videos to this blog I will post a bit of video from the wedding. Eva was able to party with the rest of us until relatively late into the evening at the reception. My parents were again nice enough to bring her home so that Matt and I could spend some quality adult time at the reception.

On Sunday it was off to breakfast at Susan's parents' home. We were able to see some of the pictures from the wedding (thanks Joanna) and talk about the week's festivities. It was so nice to have the quality time to spend with Susan and Murry and Susan's family and friends. We really enjoyed all of our visiting time.

On Monday we were off to the airport relatively early (with "Uncle Jim" getting up early to give us an Irish send off!). We got to the airport with relative ease but then we were stuck waiting for a wheelchair for my mom (back issues - long story) and finally made it to the gate with seconds - literally - to spare! I had to pee on the plane because there was no time. So this flight - not as successful as the last one! The flight was FULL FULL FULL - no empty seats. Which meant Eva - who had woken up at 4:30 in the morning (don't even ask) and had taken no nap was a LAP CHILD! AAAH! She was actually better than I thought she would be since she was able to lap hop between Dada, Mama and Papa (my mom was across the aisle). We got to the airport in Newark and I was exhausted and ready to get our bags and go home. I had this gnawing concern about my luggage, though. Apparently my concern was not misplaced as we got all the bags but one - my suitcase! No where to be found!! Oh yes, they lost my bag and I had to file a claim and wait for them to call and tell me they found it. "Sorry Ma'am, we don't know if it ever got on the plane or if it is still in Atlanta or went elsewhere in error." SUPER! Luckily they found it and delivered it to me late that night (after I was asleep, I might add - but thankfully my family was awake to get it off the front porch!).

In addition to my lost luggage, Eva was complaining that her ear hurt so off to the doctor we went and found out that she had an ear infection. The fun never stops!

It Only Takes a Pillow - Problem Solved

No, I didn't suffocate her with it to get her to sleep - I used it as a transitional object. She is really obsessed with this cute little fleece pillow that I use on her changing table so tonight I suggested that she could bring it with her to bed IF she did not scream and cry and get upset and just went to sleep. She said, "Yuh" so I thought - score! And believe it or not, tonight it worked! Bribery with a pillow - nice work Mommy!

The Girl Who Cried Poop

Recently, every time I try to put Eva down to go to sleep - whether it is a nap or to bed at night - she begins to scream. When I leave the room she cries, "Mama" over and over again. I don't usually go back in unless I think she dropped her Nuk or her froggy on the floor. The only other time I go in is when she says, "Mama poop" since then I know she has gone poop in her diaper and needs to be changed. Well today she decided to say it when there was no poop. So dutifully in I go to change her poopy diaper. Guess what? No poop. So then she tells me she has to "Go potty." Yipee I am thinking - this potty training thing is really going well. So we go out of her bedroom and go sit on the potty. "Bup" she says. Ok, so I give her a book to read while she is on the potty. And then she sits. And sits. And gets up and tells me to leave - so I go. And then I hear her running around. WHAT!? She is supposed to be napping NOT running around the house with no pants on!!! Now I am pissed. I feel so used! So I put her diaper on and put her back to bed. She starts screaming again. Groundhog moment. Then she starts saying, "Mama poop." Nah, not falling for it this time. She is the little girl who cried poop!

Seriously, My Mom Has the Smallest Head!

So, my Mom found her beach hat that she has been looking for and it is in bad shape. Too much time spent in a closet with mildew issues (we have since fixed that issue) so she was lamenting that she needs to look for a new hat. I told her I had the solution for her since there was a hat that we had for Eva that I thought might work great. Ok, so I was kidding - but it just about fit my Mom's head!!

I Caught a Fish and It was This Big!

So Matt and I took Eva fishing on the speed boat this morning as a break from all of the work we have been doing around the house (and to give Papa and Mom Mom a chance to sleep!). She had a blast. Matt caught two fish and she was so fascinated by them! She kept watching him throw out the lure and saying "Where'd go?" Repeatedly about a hundred times even though we kept explaining that it was underwater and Daddy was trying to catch a fish. But "Where'd go?" Whatever - we all had fun.

And we saw a Blue Heron which was a nice treat (I like birds that are pretty as long as they are from a distance!)

I am actually not so big on fishing, though. I always feel bad that Matt is hurting these poor things for fun and then just throwing them back. But then I am glad he throws them back and I don't have to meet the fish I eat!!

Steven Seagull

Ok, anyone who is reading this blog probably knows me well enough to know that I am not so much into birds. Ok, actually they terrify me. So the other day we are sitting out on the deck at the lake house and enjoying the peacefulness and watching the lake go by and all of a sudden I see this bird take off from the forsythia (sp?) bush nearby and start flying directly toward my face. He has this look on his face like he is on a mission and he is flying directly towards me! So, I do what any normal person would do - I scream and duck! So my Mom starts laughing at me and saying - what is wrong with you it is just a bird. To which I replied that he was "Charles Bronson bird" - meaning he had a death wish. But then I realized that he was the aggressOR so I decided to rename him Steven Segal - except since he is a bird he is Steven Seagull. (Yes, I am aware that it is a bit crazy to fear creatures that much smaller than me, but that is why they call it a phobia! And yes I also know all about exposure therapy and the like, but I am perfectly happy being terrified of birds!)

Eva the Little Mermaid

Eva is becoming quite the swimmer! She is working on floating - she can do on her tummy really well and she is learning to keep her legs down and butt up when she floats on her back! Everyone is amazed at how well she has taken to the water. I keep hoping she will develop a bit of healthy fear so she doesn't drown or scare the you-know-what out of me, but at least she likes the water! Here are some pics of my fish!!

It's My Tantrum And I'll Cry If I Want To!

Today we went to the Farmer's Market in Hometown (about 10 minutes from our lake house). This market has everything from vegetables to faux designer purses to chicken to candy - basically everything! I kept telling Eva about how fun it would be to go to the market. So she was excited to go (I think) - hard to tell w/ a toddler. But this morning she would not put on her shirt. She kept running away and saying "I'll help" which actually sounds like "Aul hulp." So I let her "hulp" but she wanted to put it on sideways and bass ackwards so I told her that she had to let me help her get her shirt on or we were not going to the market. She refused. And refused again. To the point that I was about to stay home until she finally seemed to get the idea of "I'm sorry" which sounds like "Sharry" and "Please go" which sounds like "Cheese go." So she said the magic words of "Sharry" and "Cheese" and we were off to the market! Once there she actually seemed to enjoy riding around in the stroller and watching all of the people shop. There are some interesting folks at this market so she had a lot to watch! Then it was time to eat a late breakfast and she wigged out in the middle of this little area where they serve breakfast and have booths and tables. She flipped out because I wanted to fold up her stroller and put it across the room so that we could sit in the booth. Here is the kid that NEVER wants to sit still to eat and she wanted to ride in her stroller strapped in rather than sitting like a big girl in the booth. So she threw a tantrum. Screaming, crying, shoving her fingers in her nose and her mouth until she gagged and then screaming some more. People were stopping to look at her. So finally my pride got the best of me and I took her outside "owshide" for a time out. She continued to flip out for another 5 minutes or so which allowed my parents to order our breakfast. When we went back in she said she was ready to "eeet" and be good so we went about sitting in the booth. She proceeded to squeeze a styrofoam cup of water all over the table and herself (that was fun) and then she sat down to play with the drops of water that I hadn't cleaned up yet since apparently napkins are a luxury around there. Then it was time to eat breakfast. She had about 5 bites of sausage and then decided she was done and we should be done as well. Since none of us were done she proceeded to stand in front of the booth and look at her stroller which was about 5-10 feet away and tucked behind a table for safekeeping and SCREAM her bloody head off. Yeah, it was tantrum time again. So out of the booth I came and "owshide" we went to have another tantrum.

Luckily when we got home from the market (which was not much later I might add) she took a 3 hour nap. Aah, blissful quiet!! So we cleaned out our storage room (how peaceful - NOT). But at least we got a good start on that room.

Tonight she threw a fit when it was time to go to bed. No idea why, just pitched a complete fit. Luckily this time there was no audience!! So it is 5 minutes to 10 p.m. and I feel like it is 2 a.m. My day warranted a sundae so I went to Redners (our local market) to buy supplies. Everyone had one (except for my sleeping tantrumer of course)!! Tomorrow should be a great beach day because it is supposed to be beautiful. Hopefully we will be back to "Yea beach" tomorrow!

Yea Beach!

Today we spent most of the day at the beach. As Eva said about 100 times, "Yea beach!"




She loved carrying the noodles down to the beach (I mean the float type not the spaghetti kind).

Eva is becoming quite the swimmer. However, as my mother has said, "She is the most oral child I have ever seen." She swims, she drinks the water, she swims, she licks the water. GROSS! I keep trying to show her how much stuff floats in a lake. There are fish, there is grass, there are bugs (there is likely bug crap as well but I can't say crap so I mention that fish and bugs go poo)! And still she drinks the damn water - actually I suppose I should say that she drinks the dam water (since it isn't really a lake it is a dam)! Not sure if fish poo is harmful but I hope not!! I even brought juice boxes to the beach (they are not good ways to drink at home since sometimes she squeezes them)! And still we drink the dam water!!!

Eva was watching the other kids swimming very intently and got braver and braver as she watched the older kids in the water. So many of the kids up here are so good with her. If she starts to get upset and seems like she is having trouble swimming where she wants to go, they lead her back to shore. They play with her in the sand. So cute!

I Love it When They Call Me Big "Pa Pa"

Eva has taken to calling my father "Pa Pa". And not just once or twice a day but every second. "Hi Pa Pa." "Pa Pa help." "Hi Pa Pa." "No Pa Pa help." "Pa Pa come." "Pa Pa come play." "Hi Pa Pa." AAAH! I don't think my father knows what to do with being so adored. Seriously, Eva is obsessed with him. No one else can help her get dressed. She wants no one else to give her a new diaper. Just "Pa Pa." My poor mother- I hope she doesn't feel slighted!!

Not So Much In With a Bang!

So the actual 4th of July was a bit of a drag. The whole fam went up to PA for the weekend but the weather hasn't been super. It rained all day today (and not Seattle rain but major soaking rain) so we were inside all day and couldn't go and watch the fireworks at night. There were some at the beach but it wasn't worth shlepping over to see them in that weather. So we set about to getting things done here at the lake house. So we stripped wallpaper in the larger bedroom (fun fun). Luckily it came right off the wall so we didn't have to use a lot of muscle to get it down. But then, SURPRISE, whatever idiots hung the wallboard hung it backwards so we now have to spackle in order to paint the room! DUH. So this weekend will be all about work and not so much about play. But the house is shaping up nicely. Stay tuned! I keep forgetting to take before and after pictures of the house. What a dummy - so now I suppose I will take a few of the in process pics and then the after pics!

This Girl Needs an IPOD!

Ok, so every time Matt wants to listen to his IPOD, Eva takes the ear pieces and puts them in her own ears! I know what Eva wants for X-mas!!

4th of July South River Style

Not sure why South River thinks the FOURTH of July should be held on July 2nd but I think something was lost in translation! Either way, on the 2nd, we went to Jessie's & Chuck's house (our friends/neighbors) to have a BBQ and watch the fireworks. Eva had a great time. She ate corn off the cob! And while all of the other children in South River were screaming and crying as a result of what I told her were "Boom Booms in the sky" she was shrieking with delight. Big fan of the fireworks!

My Mother is a Woman of Leisure!

My mom retired on June 30th! It was her last day of work ever (until the following day when she went to clean the rest of her personal belongings out of her office! Her colleagues are lining up to recruit her to do volunteer work now. I am hoping she can contain her impulse to agree at least for a little while! At her retirement party at work she received a major honor. Prevention Links is a nonprofit organization that does prevention and education in the area of substance abuse. In her honor, Prevention Links has named their resource center (drum roll please) the "Georgene Berg Resource Center". Pretty cool, huh? She actually has a door with her name on it!


Three generations!




The Whole Family!


Eva and the Guest of Honor!

Finally, a Boat Ride

Horaay! We picked up the boat, again and it actually ran! We made it around the lake without being towed by a good samaritan and actually drove around the lake several times. We did not get stuck and no one had to take a swim (though this time I was prepared with towels and bathing suits just in case!

Eva took her first boat ride of the season. And she drove!

Taking a Ride on the Couch

So, it was Eva's last day of day care yesterday at Donna's house and we needed to get back the car seat from Donna. So Matt unhooked it and brought it inside our house before we put it back in my car and return Susan's seat (thanks Susan!). So Eva climbed right in and buckled up for a nice ride on the couch!

Cleaning Out Papa's House

So, as I have mentioned we are doing some work on Papa's house at the lake. We have found some really interesting things while we have been cleaning out.

For example, this lovely look that my mother is sporting:

And how about this cute little hat?

Despite the fact that this may look like fun, we are exhausted every weekend!!

Beach Day & Boat Aggravation!

A cute moment at the house before the boat aggravation began!

I was so excited to pick up the boats this weekend. Well, ok, so the pontoon boat wasn't done yet because they were waiting on a part to fix the starter, no biggie. We picked up the motor boat yesterday. We had it serviced and "summerized" (that does not mean that the gave us a paragraph describing our boat, but rather they were supposed to make sure that the boat was in good working condition for summer). Key words "supposed to". I think that means they were supposed to put on the oil cap correctly so that the oil didn't leak into the motor and onto all of the tubes connecting the motor to the boat. It probably also means that there wasn't supposed to be nasty greasy oil all down the back of the boat and underneath the boat.

Ok, so we cleaned up all the oil. Except the battery was also dead. Um, ok, good working condition for summer generally means that the boat will run, right?? Am I asking too much?? Ok, so we got the boat started after jumping the battery and putting it on a drip charge for the night on Friday. So we launched the boat today and got our first ride. Picture in your mind....the boat motor is running beautifully and we are speeding down the lake, wind blowing in our hair. I slow things down and Matt starts to fish. He catches a fish almost immediately. Bliss!! So we are both feeling pretty giddy about a summer full of boat riding. And then, bam, the frigin thing stops running in the middle of the frigin lake! Frick! So we try to start it again and it won't start and it becomes clear that the dopey battery is dead again!! Double frick!! We can't start it manually so I dutifully jump into the water in my jeans and t-shirt and swim the boat into the closest dock (at the beach where our slot ISN'T) and Matt runs up to get the jump starter (why we didn't bring it I have no idea) and my bathing suit (just a bit too late)! So we jump the boat and it seems to run ok, so I figure it is a fluke (not the fish) until we get it not even half way to the next beach where our dock slot is. Super! So I jump in again and start to swim the boat in toward the dock. Matt starts babbling in an aggravated voice that I am crazy because it is about 1/2 mile to the slot but I am plugging away anyway because do we have a choice!? So this guy from heaven stops and asks us if we need help. Ok, it was actually a dude with a cigar, but whatever! So he towed us back to the launch slot so we could pull the stupid boat out of the water and bring it 40 minutes back to the marina to have it serviced yet again. We are pretty convinced that there is an electrical short somewhere and that is why the battery keeps draining.

[Here is Matt triumphantly displaying the fish that he caught about 5 minutes before he boat died!]

Anywhoo...after that we took Eva to the beach and she was swimming around and laughing and splashing. Then she was playing in the sand and pouring buckets of sand on me and my mom. Too funny! She has lots of trouble getting just water in the bucket instead of water and sand! Not sure when we will get the boat back (hopefully by next weekend) so I guess it will be beach days and fishing (for Matt) until we get the boat.

Tonight we took my parents to dinner at Sister's Cantina (our fav mexican restaurant up here) for Father's Day. Tomorrow I have a surprise present for Matt and I can't wait to give it to him. Stay tuned!

Guess Who's Back!

Ok, sorry, took forever for me to blog again. Things have been crazy. We are updating Papa's house (new carpet, new floors, new paint, etc...) so that has been keeping us busy on the weekends. This past weekend we had two graduation parties (Matt's cousin Sarah graduated from Princeton and my cousin Eric graduated from The College of New Jersey). What a weekend for outdoor graduation parties - it was about 100 degrees in the shade both days with 200 million percent humidity (if that is possible that is seriously what it was!).

Here are my parents and Eva enjoying the 100 degree weather!

All Eva could focus on was the farm next door!!

Poor Sophie got more love than she knew what to do with!

Chicken wings anyone?

This coming weekend we are picking up our boats from the boat doctor (marina) so that they will be in tip top shape for my first summer ever without having to work!!! I am so excited. My mom is retiring on June 30th and she and Eva and I can be found this summer hanging by the water at Lake Hauto!! I can't wait. Meanwhile back at the cape (I can't say ranch because we have a cape cod), Matt will be gutting and redoing our kitchen. Pictures of that to follow!

Cahills Come to Lake Hauto

To celebrate a belated Mother's Day we got together with Matt's family at Papa's house (weird to think it is now my parents' house) at Lake Hauto. Everyone arrived on Saturday. Lisa got here around noon, Chris around 1:30 and Nick and Sam got in around 7:00 p.m. While we were waiting for Uncle Nick and Aunt Sam we took Eva to play at the playground at the beach. She kept getting stuck on the slide because it was humid and she couldn't slide!!

It was time for a snack so Eva went bobbing for grapes on the table - weird kid, I know!

Then we made dinner (chicken enchiladas and guacamole) and then played some competitive Catch Phrase until around 1 a.m.! Love that game!

On Sunday we hung out at the beach and Eva played in the sand. She loved taking the bucket and filling it with water and then pouring it on herself!

Eva also loved playing in the sand with Uncle Nick!