And a partridge in a pear tree...

I've been oooohhh so bad about blogging in December - and just when I've been telling some folks on my also tardy Christmas cards that I "keep" a blog. If it gets much worse, I'll be in Reid's territory for the number of blog posts in a month...

We've had a whirl-wind December, but it has been so much fun! I was proud to have been in Mountaineer Field for Pat White's last game in Morgantown - despite the f-f-f-freezing cold conditions! After much debate, we decided not to go to the bowl game :-( as we didn't want to travel the day after Christmas. Good thing, as Reid is nearly over his cold...E has a bad one (we wouldn't have taken her, but wouldn't want to be away from her when she's not feeling well)...and I am just now able to breathe with the cold that I'm fighting. It didn't help matters that yesterday, while shopping at Rite-Aid for some Zicam to help with what ails me, I bought some Zicam...got it home to Mom & Daddy's...cracked it open and swabbed it up my nose. It burned like Hell. I thought that may be strange as to why it burned so much. Then I took a second look at the box...I had purchased Zicam for Cold Sores. That could explain a lot.

We have the absolute best neighbors! If the folks in Fairmont think that they are in the "Friendly City," they must reconsider. Wheeling has that beat with our neighbors alone. (Also, please keep in mind that with the number of years we were on Coleman Ave in Fairmont, one set of folks in our neighborhood would be considered friends, another at least spoke to us, the rest would look at me like I had three heads when I spoke to them.)

Anyway, back to the nicest neighbors in the entire world, Marie & Jim...in November, Marie told me that there was a little elf in the neighborhood that liked to visit small children and the elderly during the Christmas season and asked if it would be alright if the elf visited Elizabeth. Me being, well...me, thought that Marie was talking about a little person that dressed up in tights and curly shoes and visited the children in the elder to make for some nice Christmas cheer. I told Marie that it would be fine, but that Elizabeth would likely be scared (as she is scared of just about everything!) Silly me, Marie & Jim are "The Elf!" On December 1st, they hung a stocking on our back door with a wrapped present in the stocking for Elizabeth. Then each morning, Elizabeth would hang the stocking on the door...at some point during the afternoon, The Elf would drop a present in the stocking for Elizabeth until Christmas. (And to think I was looking for an advent calendar!) Here are the 24 days of Christmas, the Elf of Wheeling style:

1. Miniature tree with trimmings
2. Little People on the Farm look & find book
3. My Friends Tigger & Pooh paint with water book
4. Tootsie Rolls in a bank with $1
5. Bubble Yum watermellon chapstick
6. Santa cup, bowl, and plate
7. Snow shovel (the tag said, "To: Daddy's Little Helper")
8. Peeps shaped like gingerbread men
9. Get Ready Santa lift-the-flap book
10. Animal crackers
11. Tweety Bird bag
12. Fleece blanket
13. Puppy puzzle
14. Rice Crispy Treats (in holiday colors of red and green, of course!)
15. Sesame Street At the Zoo book
16. Reindeer candy corn
17. Three pair of gloves
18. Santa night light
19. Baby blanket with a doll sewn on it (perfect size for the car ride home!)
20. M&Ms in a candy cane
21. The Land Before Time book
22. Two Hello Kitty headbands
23. Teddy Grahams
24. Baby doll

How cool is that? It made Elizabeth's first Christmas in Wheeling so special! Marie & Jim have made us feel so welcomed, too, from only a few hours - literally - after we moved in! We are so lucky!

We've had a great Christmas! We celebrated Rick & Carol's 41st anniversary on the 23rd shortly after Rikki & Doug got to Fairmont. We did Christmas Eve and morning with the Amoses in Fairmont. Elizabeth was a really, really good girl and got a faboo play kitchen, among many other things. (Must download pictures before I can post pictures...will do so soon!) Then later in the day we packed up the car and headed to Webster Spring to celebrate with my family. Got to Aunt Cathy's house just in time for dinner. It's always a good time when the Morton clan gets together! Yesterday evening we headed back to Sutton to spend a little more time with my folks. We had a great time watching the Mountaineers today - as Pat White became the only QB in football history to win four straight bowl games as a starter beating UNC in the Meineke Car Care Bowl - no question the best player in a Mountaineer uniform in my lifetime! Oh how he will be missed!!! Then we kicked the tail of Ohio State on the road in basketball. It is a great day to be a Mountaineer - wherever you may be!

Merry Christmas to all...and to all a good night!

Thanksgiving Pictures

I just wanted to post a few pictures from our time with family this Thanksgiving weekend:

Elizabeth & Alex in their M&M shirts - too cute!



Alex had the cutest expressions as he was riding the lambie rocker that Caylin outgrew and gave to Elizabeth!

Caylin was such a doll! She not only gave Elizabeth the lambie rocker but also a vanity/beauty-school-drop-out play station. She was so good to play with her - which I'm still amazed over as Caylin is 7 and E is not yet 3. Then on the pre-game warm-up, she even shared her iPod so that the two of them could listen to the Pride of West Virginia play Country Roads.


Elizabeth really enjoyed getting to help Rikki decorate the tree at the Amoses!

What a nice weekend we had with our families! We're so blessed!!!

Long Overdue - Thankful Thursday

Today, I am thankful for/to/about:

• To be home safely from my trip to Las Vegas. I have funny stories from my friend Frickin' Lance, who is soooo not right in the head. Bless his little Canadian heart!
• Sweetness, as always. There is always something, even if it is a little thing (like the hook in the bathroom for my towel to hang on while I'm showing) that he does that is very thoughtful...that makes me smile...that is a nice welcome home!
• That E is for Elizabeth. And Elizabeth is a funny girl! She's playing "Kennedy" and "Ginger" (minus the bulimia, thankfully!) She waved to the snowman light (and he waved back) tonight when we were at Olgebay checking out the lights.
• Grandma - for spending the week in Wheeling to help us out in my absence...and for sticking around so we can spend some extra time together...and shop!!!
• That, thanks to Olgebay, Joy Shepherd can finally see her name in lights!
• That our country is moving closer to realizing Dr. Martin Luther King's dream, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." I'm still giddy that Barack Obama's going to be taking the oath of office on January 20th...giving me another reason to (like my shirt says) "Party Like It's 1.20.09!" And that Reid, Elizabeth, and I got to celebrate on election night with our friends the Koeglers! What a memorable evening!!!

Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful to/for/about:

• That we've found a good pediatrician...and that we trusted our instincts that something was wrong with Elizabeth even after the fever had broken. (E got a fever late Saturday, had it off & on Sunday - it was worse in the evening/night than it was during the day...ditto on Monday - it was really at its worst on Monday night when she had a fever of 104. The fever was gone on Tuesday, but we still took her to the doctor. Despite not showing any signs that her ears were bothering her, she has infections in both ears - plus her tonsils are inflamed as a result of the ear infections. She's all drugged up (I'll get to that in a minute) taking amoxicillin, Zyrtec, Motrin, and Tylenol.)
• Motrin - it makes a kid very, very sleepy. In fact, she's asleep right now! (8:30 pm - might be a new record).
• That Anne, Sean, and Alex are driving home right now. I miss them all terribly. We're going to have a great weekend - making apple butter at the Lazy W (Sean's parents' farm), there is a Halloween street parade on Saturday ("I be Wonder Woman [for] Halloween!"), and just some quality time with Grandma & Papi. It stinks that Reid won't be able to join us - we'll really miss him!
• My scrapbook space - thanks to my great space, I've been able to do quite a bit of scrapbooking. I'm up to Halloween (albeit 2006)
• Boo at the Zoo - Olgebay's Good Zoo, that is. When Elizabeth & I were waiting on Reid to get to Olgebay, I was telling her we were at the zoo and were going to get to see some animals. She said, "No we not. Where's Rikki?" Elizabeth was quite scared during the train ride and thereafter. I got a bit of a workout as a result, carrying her from the time we got off the train (that was the second stop for us at the Boo at the Zoo) until she was safely buckled into her car seat. Thankfully we rode the train while there was still a little bit of daylight - would have been absolutely tragic otherwise! We had fun, though! What a nifty event at Olgebay! The Charlie Brown & Lucy light set where Charlie tries to kick the football was lit - the other lights are being put out. I can't wait for Elizabeth to see the Christmas lights at Olgebay! I'll be thankful then for my GPS, so we can avoid Olgebay when going up to West Lib, unless we're wanting to see the lights...
• TV shows that I love - Top Design, Mad Men, Grey's Anatomy (which I'll be taping tonight so that I was watch the Mountaineers!) Speaking of Top Design - Eddie Ross, my fav because he's such a smart ass, talented as hell, and is the Senior Style Editor of Martha Stewart Living (go figure why I adore him so!) has a Blog. I've added him to my Blog Crushes.
• And that the Mountaineers were victorious tromping Auburn tonight - 34 - 17! Go Mounties!!!
  

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for/to/about:

• A smarty-smart gal named Elizabeth who was officially moved up to the 3 year old room (yes, 3 months early!) this week. She is cuddling next to me right now forcing me to type with the use of only my right hand (depending on how thankful I am today, this one hand typing might make the inaugural "Frankly my dear...Friday" blog post.)
  
• That Elizabeth is almost excited about her Halloween costume as I am. "I be Wonder Woman [for] Halloween! Chhhh! Chhhh! Chhhh!" (fighting off bullets with her indestructible bracelets)
• That my Sweetness gets me...and didn't bat an eye at my need to turn away from the Sox at the moment. For this and so many other reasons that I will get to in just a second (this one handed thing is already wearing on me) I am such a lucky girl!!!
• That I have a new dishwasher in my old house!
  
• That I have such an awesome mom...not just that she cleaned my house when she was here earlier this week (and no, Jake, she isn't my "new dishwasher"!). She's just fun to be around...and did I mention that she cleaned my house?
  
• That West Liberty hosted Dick Morris on Tuesday. I found him quite interesting - even though we don't quite see eye-to-eye on several major issues.
• That my Obama signs finally came in the mail today...can you believe that I was getting impatient???
• Facebook - just having fun this week with several blast-from-the-past connections!
• How would it be a Thankful Thursday if I didn't mention my original "Sweet Baby Girl," Kennedy? Happiness is a warm puppy!
  

Why Not? It's Free...

Here's a new easy way to raise money for your favorite cause - mine, of course is AACE International - the good folks who keep paying me for my wit and charm!

Just start using Yahoo! powered GoodSearch.com as your search engine and they'll donate a penny to your favorite cause every time you do a search! In addition, you can use their shopping through their online shopping mall, GoodShop.com, where you can shop at more than 700 top online retailers and a percentage of your purchases will go to the charity or school of your choice. You pay the same price as you normally would, but a donation goes to your cause!

Here's the web site — http://www.goodsearch.com. You can also read about GoodSearch in the NY Times, Oprah Magazine, CNN, ABC News and the Wall Street Journal.

Why not? It's free...and all the cool kids are doing it!

Thankful Thursday

"I peed on the potty. Let's call people."

What else should I be thankful for today? That seems like a pretty big one! Now, I can only hope that it will stick this time around...

Thankful Thursday

Today, I am thankful to/for/about...

• That I have a minute on a Thursday to make a Thankful Thursday post - have been missing doing these because there is so much I am thankful about on a daily basis
• That the Grey's Anatomy season premier is minutes away (but must admit that I am bummed that this is the final season for Boston Legal - Denny Crane, coo coo for cocoa puffs!)
• A margarita after spending too much time with people I don't care a ton about...
• My Sweetness, Reid, as he is so thoughtful...and for our most enjoyable dinner & conversation on Monday...
• Elizabeth - and that the Ye Old Alpha site of the aforementioned dinner has dark mirrored glass along the wall close to where we sat. I would have loved to have had a video camera of her playing with herself in the mirror. It was truly priceless!
• That the Red Sox have made the post season for the 5th time in 6 years! And that the Evil Empire is out! (Just like Heidi Klum would say, "One day you're in, the next day you're out!")
  

Gotta run...Grey's is on!

E's latest things that make me giggle

The other day, I bought E a new Cabbage Patch baby - the kind that when you feed them a bottle of water, the baby pees. (Work with me folks, I don't want to change diapers forever!) So we filled the bottle and she began feeding the baby. The baby filled the diaper it came with, but you couldn't really feel that the diaper was wet. So I took the diaper off so E could see the baby peeing. While E feeds the baby, the baby pees which was not to the delight of E. She said, "Ugh! Why is her peeing on me? I don't like this!"

While watching the conclusion of the Ryder Cup (way to go U.S.A.!), E was playing with one of her Cabbage Patch baby dolls trying to put it in her shopping cart when she told the baby, "Stop screaming."

We were happy to have Grandma & Papi here this weekend for a visit. They went to Daddy's family reunion on Saturday while E & I went to the first half of the football game at West Lib. E wasn't a fan of the crowd at the game. She refused to walk to the stadium. Refused to sit anywhere but on my lap. Barely spoke over a whisper. She's so funny in a crowd.

SNL is baaaack

If you didn't catch this on Saturday, it is pretty funny...frightening how much Tina Fey looks like Palin...enjoy!

I Couldn't Resist

I'll admit it. Every once in a while Reid comes up with a funny. His idea...Elizabeth's pantry:

Things That Make You Go Hmmmm?

Anyone who thinks that John McCain is a viable option to be the next President...especially in light of the vetting process for Sarah Pallin - wow! The Christian Conservatives must be banging their collective heads against a wailing wall somewhere...

This postcard that I got in the mail several months ago. I find it rather amusing...let's see who else can figure out why I find it so amusing (give me a jingle if you need help):

Why we seem to be having issues with the US Postal Service at our new home. First it was the graffiti on the house. (It was removed, BTW, after the phone call to the Postmaster General of Wheeling who laughed at me for telling him something so crazy as my delivery dillhole wrote on the side of my freaking house. Then it was me not receiving a package that was mailed to me after an eBay win - it was sitting in Wheeling for over a week...I had to go through the hassle of calling USPS general customer service to register the non-delivery of an item with a tracking number. Now the latest is another eBay item that has been shipped to the house. I was home on Friday when the mail was delivered, but the Delivery Dillhole (DD for short) couldn't have run the bell to get me - that's crazy. So he slipped a little "you weren't here but need to sign for this" notice in the slot - partially - not enough for it to come through on the house side. I didn't see it on Friday. We weren't home on Saturday, so another slip went in the box. This one I saw. I signed both slips and put them out for the Monday pickup & delivery. DD didn't bother to show up at all on Monday. How do I know this - because I was home all freakin' day! When DD does bother to show up, there is a note on the new slip that says the item is too large for the slot and we now have to go to the PO and pick it up. Hey, DD, you couldn't have told us that like say on Friday of last week? Also, the other "Hmmmm" factor - does it cost extra to have your mail delivered 6 days/week? If so, where can I sign up?

Party Planning 101: Don't spoil the surprise! Be sure to check the dates on this announcement that Papa Rick scored from the Times West Virginian for me!

Which Brady Are You?

Who among us doesn't love the Brady Bunch? Who can't sign all of the songs by the Silver Platters? If you were a Brady, who do you think you would be? I took a test and I'm...

You Are Cindy Brady

Warm hearted and sweet, you have a childlike innocence that lets you see the good in everyone. But you're also a bit of a baby. You stick your nose where it doesn't belong... and cry when you get caught!

What Brady Are You?

Thankful Thursday

Today, I am thankful for/to/about:

• That I'm looking to my left hand side and I can see Elizabeth cuddling with her precious lambie and her Daddy. They are two peas in a pod! And I look to the right of my feet and I see my sweet baby girl, Kennedy. It's good to be home!
• That Barack Obama is accepting our party's nomination to become the 44th President of the United States. A very proud moment...and I am totally geeking out on the Democratic National Convention!!! (Next week I'll be geeking out again, but you can bet I'll be much less happy and a ton more cranky!!!)
• That Barack Obama chose Joe Biden as his running mate. Solid choice, IMHO, a guy with no internal filter...I have a bit of experience with that a time or two (like when I told my former idiot boss, not to be confused with my current idiot boss - who by the way is a bigger idiot if you are into comparing idiots, "I can't fix stupid.")
  
• I found a heck of a sale at Belk's on bedding...now if only their "over sized" king bedding will truly be over sized so that I'm not having to hawk the good find on eBay in a week or so...
• That we got to go home to Mom & Daddy's last week to spend time with Anne, Sean, & Alex...
• For Elizabeth's "special box" (photo to be uploaded and put with this post later...I think the camera is in Reid's vehicle)
• That I was able to find a back-up lambie...and it is en route to me as I type...it would be most disastrous to not have lambie...seriously disastrous...
• That Nana, Papa, Rikki, & Doug will be coming for a weekend visit...
• That football season is upon us...Let's Goooooooooooo Mountaineers! Strange, I've got a craving for Jim Beam - wonder why? (Answer (to the tune of Iron Man by Black Sabbath: "Jim Beam's good for you; has nu-tritional value! We drink Jimmy Beam - Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy Beam...)
  

Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful for/to/about:

• That my kid is honest (well, unless you ask her when she stinks like nobody's business if she has a poppy butt - then she'll lie like a rug!) Last night, her Daddy kept telling her he was the fastest runner. He figured that at 2, she would be a believer. I asked her who was faster (this is before the finals of the 200m on Olympic coverage) - Daddy or Usain Bolt? She replied, "BOLT!" Furthering her being honest, when she was cuddling with me she said, "Ouch, Mommy! Your legs hurt!" Thanks for pointing out that I needed a shave - quality time I get with my kid!
• Reid - need I say more? He brought home a variety of beers...I AM the luckiest girl alive!
• That Jake has to work in the area tomorrow...we're anxiously awaiting his arrival...always good to get quality time with Jakey!
• Again I need to say that my kid is funny! She has stripped her un-named Cabbage Patch doll nakey because she needs a bath. Weezie discovered the tag and told her un-named baby, "Hey you silly goose, you can't have that!"
  
• Krispe Kreme - for, as Christian would call it, "the Devil's food." Those are some yummy non-trans-fat dognuts! When Kennedy was begging Elizabeth for bites this morning, Elizabeth told Kennedy, "No, Kennedy. Stop it. This is special dognut."
• Kennedy - because she is just the sweetest baby girl ever!
• Days when I work from home. I get so much more accomplished for both my job & my home life. There is an unbelievable difference...no lie...
• Video footage of priceless moments like these (go here for the QuickTime download if you don't already have it!):

Olympics Watch...

For starters, while watching the women's all-around gymnastics coverage tonight, Reid and I have have come to the conclusion that Tim Daggett and Elfi Schlegel must have done a cram session taking notes while watching Best In Show. Good grief - they are painful to listen to!!!

Secondly, I was looking on Wikipedia during Shawn Johnson's floor exercise to do the brush up on Nastia Liukin's parents. Moments after the results were in that Nastia Liukin won the gold medal, I went back to her page on Wikipedia. Check out the last sentence on her Wikipedia page...do you think this poster may lose his/her privileges???

Thankful Thursday

Today, I'm thankful to/for/about:

• Thankful Thursday posts - they at least keep me in the habit of posting on a semi-regular basis
• Reid - is a reason even necessary? Isn't he enough? (he told me to say this!)
• Olympics on the TV - in high-definition! Summer TV for the most part sucks the monkey - sports helps. Elizabeth has been taking in the games, too! On Tuesday evening when we were hanging out in the back "yard", she walked along the wooden 4x4's (ironically the proper width), she jumped down for her dismount, threw her arms up in the air, and then turned to me and said, "Clap, Mommy! Clap!" I gave her a 10 for the execution. (Not sure what the start-value was on the difficulty...)
• That my darling & handy husband has figured out the leak in the bathtub...and that this will now mean that Papa will call to see what the heck is wrong...(he told me to say this, too!)
• Joe & Jamie Trotta for getting married last Friday! Congratulations to the Trottas! And for them over-doing the cake situation - with one of these big boys on each table (in addition to their 3-tier cake, which was cake, not fluff, and take-home cake in boxes.) We were certainly benefactors to this, though, as I wasn't going home without some cake. So I walked out the door with an entire cake. Then on Saturday morning, Elizabeth pronounced, "Look, I brought you special cake!"
• The good folks at daycare - as Elizabeth has had a great week. Drop off has not been an issue as it was a few weeks ago. This week she's been all smiles at drop off. She waves goodbye (no tears) and says, "Bye bye, Jennie." Much easier for me to leave her there to "play with the kids" without all of the drama & tears!
• Anne & Sean (& Alex) for their thoughtfulness & generosity in bringing the yummy goodness that was the lobster & clam (& mussels & shrimp & crab) bake as part of our housewarming gift (which was ideal for Reid.) And to Mom & Daddy for bringing the garden-fresh corn for us to enjoy as well. (Sean made sure that the lobsters were brought from NYC live because he wanted to see what his "scaredy-cat niece" would do...which was absolutely, positively not touch them!)

  

• Anne for spying the ideal housewarming gift for me -
• And I must give another shout out to my Weezie - for being so darn funny! Saturday night during the lobster and clam bake, she was cuddling up on her Uncle Sean's lap. Every question he asked her, the answer was "Yessss" for about five questions running... Then it went like this: SEAN: Does my breath stink? ELIZABETH: Yessss. SEAN: Am I the most handsome man you have ever seen? ELIZABETH: Nooooo.

Thankful Thursday

This Thursday, I'm thankful to/for/about:

• Neil Diamond for excellent timing for his concert in DC...
• Rikki & Doug for their hospitality! What a great home they have!!! Elizabeth is especially thankful for Doug sharing his "cereal crunch" (Cinnamon Toast Crunch)
• The good ol' US of A - for having such a great national institution - the Smithsonian Institution - with its National Zoo! We had a great day at the National Zoo with Elizabeth! The weather was great, most of the animals cooperated - she is still talking about what she saw at the zoo!
• Facebook - for putting me back in contact with some long lost friends...
• Papa - for taking such good care of my Sweet Baby Girl, Kennedy, while we were away...she didn't take too many beatings...
• Elizabeth - for "show you my moves" on the elliptical machine at Rikki & Doug's - worth a good laugh...she tickles me so!
• The Container Store - for having some of the stuff that I need to organize my scrapbook space
• My Sweetness - for getting me stuff to cure what ails me...including ice cream
  

E's Trip to the National Zoo

Elizabeth, Reid, Nana, Rikki, and I went to the National Zoo yesterday. Elizabeth (well, and the rest of us) had a great time. At first we were concerned that it was going to be a bit of a bust as several exhibits were temporarily closed...and even Elizabeth was satisfied with watching the Giant Pandas sleep. She said they were soft. The Gorillas were fun, as were the Lions. We were there for just under three hours, perfect amount of time for a two-year-old. Here are a few of my favorite pics from our big day:

Thankful Thursday correction

Despite checking on ESPN's website 30 minutes after the trade deadline on Manny's status, there was nothing posted...then low and behold an hour or so after my post, I read that Manny was out and Jason Bay was in. Manny produced for the Sox over the years, but Manny was "being Manny" and was acting a bit of a spoiled brat of late. I was saddened with his departure. Probably not as much as Anne as I had gotten her a Manny shirt for Christmas, as he wears her number.

However, Bay will be a great fit in the Sox line-up (despite the depression of my in-laws in losing the best player on their Pirates). Here is a great story from the Vancouver Sun:

Bay plays hero at Fenway
Great debut for Trail slugger who grew up idolizing Rice, Yastrzemski
Gary Kingston, Vancouver SunPublished: Saturday, August 02, 2008

Jason Bay was too young to truly appreciate the Boston Red Sox onesie he wore as an infant or the Red Sox legends whose posters adorned the basement wall of the family home in Trail.

But now that he's about to patrol the most famous left field in baseball, the one in front of Fenway Park's Green Monster, his father's obsession with the Sox has brought a nice symmetry to his career.

David Bay kept that onesie, a bodysuit designed to go over an infant's diaper, even after Jason outgrew it.

"It has Red Sox on the front and Bay 1 1/2 on the back," David said from Trail on Friday. "When he had his daughter [Addison in 2006], I gave it to him."

"Still have it," Bay told reporters in Boston before scoring the winning run in Friday's 2-1 win over Oakland. "And I grew up my entire life with two big posters, one of Jim Rice and one of Carl Yastrzemski with the 'New England, I love you' saying underneath it.

"So I do understand a little bit [Boston's legacy of great left-fielders] just because my dad was a diehard Red Sox fan."

The right-handed hitting Bay, the 2004 NL rookie of the year with the Pittsburgh Pirates and a two-time all-star, was traded to Boston on Thursday in a three-team deal that saw future Hall of Famer Manny Ramirez shipped to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"It's kind of surreal," said David Bay. "I left work early, but don't even remember walking home."

He said the Rice and Yastrzemski posters are still prominently displayed in his basement alongside a Jason Bay Pirates' poster.

"Now I'm going to have to superimpose a Red Sox uni on him. It's too bad Pittsburgh didn't work out. He really liked it there, but ultimately for an athlete, it comes down to winning."

Said Jason: "If I was a free agent, I couldn't have picked a better place to go to. The atmosphere, obviously the winning. That's something I'm really looking forward to."

He made sure the atmosphere was great Friday, tripling with two out in the bottom of the 12th and scoring on an infield single by Jed Lowrie.

Bay, wearing No. 44, received a standing ovation when he came up the first time in the second inning. He walked and later scored on a sacrifice fly.

He also made an inning-ending sliding catch on a sinking fly ball in the fifth and a fine backhanded grab on a soft liner down the line in the ninth.

Bay, an original draft pick of the Montreal Expos and a San Diego Padre briefly before being traded to the Pirates in 2003, moves from a team that never finished above .500 in his time in Pittsburgh to a defending World Series champion in the middle of another pennant race.

"It's tough to be removed from what I've known for the last four or five years, pack a bag, get on a flight, get here . . and go out there and play a game and all of a sudden have it click that you're submersed in the middle of a pennant race and have a chance to win a ring," said Bay.

"I don't think it's going to resonate that quick. I might need a day or two to let it sink in."

Bay, who turns 30 on Sept. 20, was hitting .282 with 22 home runs, 64 RBIs and a .519 slugging percentage before Friday, similar numbers to those of the petulant Ramirez (.299, 20, 68, .529). But he understands that he doesn't scare other teams the way ManRam does.

"I'm not going to be Manny Ramirez. I know that. I'm going to try to do what I can. Going through what I've gone through, I'm equipped to handle that. Understand that stuff's out there, but it's beyond my control.

"Where I'm coming from we had some guys who could swing the bats, but I think everyone would agree that there's probably a little more thump in this lineup. And who wouldn't want to be a part of that?"

Bay said he's looking forward to playing in front of the Green Monster, noting it should involve less running than he had to do at Pittsburgh's PNC Park where it's 411 feet in the left-centre gap and 383 feet to straight away left.

Bay was traded just days after his best friend on the Pirates, outfielder Xavier Nady, was dealt to the New York Yankees, Boston's bitter AL East rival.

"I talked to him last night, a little banter back and forth. Whether we like it or not, we're going to hate each other for a weekend or two."

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for/to/about:

• That Elizabeth at least gets "something" from me. I may regret this one later, though. Here's how I know my kid is related to me (because she sure does look an awful lot like her Daddy!): Yesterday morning while she was eating her breakfast, she smacked both of her hands to her head and said, "What - the - hell?" To which I said, "Elizabeth, you can't say that." In all seriousness, she looked at me and replied, "I just did." I guess this means when I relinquish my title, she will be known as The Mouth of the South!
• That I'm taking a few days off next week - tired of work at the moment...we're going to DC to stay with Rikki & Doug in their new house...and taking Elizabeth (and Nana) to the National Zoo - woo hoo!
• That I'm done, at least for the moment, with my expense report from the Annual Meeting - one trip ~ 7 days + 2 currencies (yes, 2 types of math) = not a good time.
• That Erin came to Wheeling for a visit and got to see our house...I'm still so in love with it! (Check back after I begin dealing with the hideous wall paper situation...)
• Mad Men - just a well-written show on TV...helps me get through until Grey's is back on in the fall...
• XM radio in my car...which means Air America Radio all the time (that Elizabeth isn't in the back seat saying, " I want 'Ginia, Mommy!")...and Air America Radio putting The Young Turks back on for my morning drive.
• My folks & Reid's folks for their generous gifts for our anniversary...got our patio furniture with the cash...and we're loving being outside to eat in the evenings!
• The MLB trade deadline is over...and that Manny is staying put...now if only he will kiss & make up - GOOOOO SOX!!!!

What the F*#K????

Seriously, what the F??? Who in the F writes on the front of MY house in BALL POINT PEN??? Are you F-ing kidding me???

Are the "good folks" at the USPS that over worked that they have to mark up my house in ball point F-ing pen on my F-ing house in order to remember that we are the only F-ing people to live here???

I'll post happier thoughts when I've cooled off a bit... GRRRR!

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful for/to/about:

• Cards that make me giggle - like our Anniversary card from Anne, Sean, & Alex. Touché!
• My scrapbook space - it is shaping up, but I haven't yet gotten it to the point where I'm able to scrapbook...soon, I hope!
• Erin letting me crash at her place on Tuesday evening...and the yummy Thai noodles lettuce wraps! I am so about stealing that recipe!!!
• Catching up on missed TV shows on http://www.surfthechannel.com/ (thanks, EJ (assist from JP) for the hook-up!!!)
• The best hugs from Elizabeth when we picked her up from daycare today! "Mommy & Daddy you came and picked me up!"
• TV in my kitchen...
• In-laws that come to visit - and fix things!
• Clothes chute that help me stay on top of the laundry (who would have ever guessed that one?)
• EBay finds - I just got confirmation that my newest cookbook has been shipped - Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Cookbook (illustrations by Andy Warhol) - oooh...ahhhh....

Happy Anniversary

Today Reid & I celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary. It was a rather difficult one. Not because of our relationship with each other - that is great (unless there is something you need to tell me, Sweetness...) But, today was Elizabeth's first day in Day Care. Like we were told, it would be harder on us than it would be on her.

Elizabeth faired well. She passed on the beef-a-roni for lunch - and who in their right mind could blame her? But she did eat all of her green beans and peaches. She also ate all of her snack which was animal crackers and yogurt. She only took a 30 minute nap - not a shock to us, but I believe the other 2-year-olds take 2+ hours in a nap. She "played with the kids" and "played on the playground." She cried a whole big bunch when we came to pick her up. She wanted to stay and play. For dinner, she is insisting on sitting at the "big table" and to drink from a regular cup - not a sippy cup. She is inhaling her food right now as I type. She is still a little excited from her big day. When she took too big of a bite of rice than could fit in her mouth, she spilled more than she shoveled in. Then she said, quietly I might add, "Kennedy, come here. I need your help." Then she proceeded to feed her the rice she dropped in her lap. I was too busy trying not to laugh to play Amy Vanderbilt and correct the poor table etiquette.

Nana & Papa were her this weekend and helped out a TON around the house. Rick and Reid fixed the gate. Carol, Elizabeth, and I weeded in the back "yard." They got us a lot of gardening tools (Reid & I skipped out on the horticulture class - if there ever was such a thing) and attempted a crash course at what are weeds and what needs trimmed/watered/nurtured. I thought Mother Nature was doing a fine job...and to prove me right, it rained a bit yesterday afternoon and cooled things off.

Thank goodness for the rain as we had a power outage for 4+ hours last evening. We uncovered candles...and Reid's headband flashlight (saucy!)...and played a wee bit of Trivial Pursuit. I think the score was tied when the power came back on. Circulating air never felt so good - and we called it quits with the game to just enjoy AC and the ceiling fans.

Here are a few pics from the weekend that I was going to post yesterday, but lost the post in the power outage and the computer losing battery power...

E playing with her new sprinkler...Diego got lonely as E was perplexed with his spinning action...Nana, what's on your shirt? Water perhaps?..."Slick" Rick earning his nickname & Reid at work...Can it get any better than silky 'jamas & a popsicle? Elizabeth doesn't think so!

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful for/to/that:

• be working from my beautiful new home in Wheeling (come and visit us, please!)
• Elizabeth has excellent manners - and often says "Ganks, Mommy/Daddy/Grandma/Papi/Nana/Papa..."
• Comcast finally came to our beautiful new home in Wheeling (come and visit us, please!) and installed our Internet and cable so that Reid didn't have to break his foot off in somebody's [bleep] - or that his "less rational wife" didn't have to deal with the not-so-good-folks at Comcast
• despite me literally kicking my "Sweet Baby Girl" Kennedy out of the bed during our last night at Coleman Avenue, she still loves me dearly and wants to be right next to me all of the time - which she currently is! (Explanation of the literal kicking out of the bed - I was, for starters, exhausted - see my previous post referencing the meeting from Hell - and note this was the night that I came home. Then, you may need to note that Reid was sleeping in the middle of our bed, serious bed-hog Elizabeth (who was happy to see me after my being in Toronto for a week) was in between Reid and me...I was on a sliver of the bed, nearly falling off the edge. I went to move, and figured that Kennedy would be on the wide open space of the other 1/2 of the king size bed - on the other side of Reid. Naturally, she was not. She, too, had missed me after I had been in Toronto for a week. She was at my feet. I went to move. I kicked Kennedy. All I could see were her sweet little paws and this very puzzled look on her face as she slid off the bottom of our very high onto the hard wood floor. She landed on her right hip. She's been limping a bit since. Poor Sweet Baby Girl!)
• the best family ever! My folks kept Elizabeth this week, until we came back to Wheeling - including driving her back up to Fairmont so I didn't have to go all of the way to Sutton to get her. Anne, Sean, & Alex served as high entertainment and play friends as well. (Exception would be when Sean tried to get Elizabeth to feed one of Charlie's horses - she still says, "No I not feed the horses!" She does, at least, recall feeding the chickens fondly, "They ate all the corn!" And I have a sneaking suspicion that Aunt Anne had her hands in the painting of her fingernails - a much bolder color than anything I have ever seen on Grandma!) My awesome in-laws - not only provided me a comfy place to sleep, but yummy food - and good entertainment of the Home Run Derby & All Star Game (neither of which Reid had!) Talking with Jake as he walked through the house yesterday giving me his impressions and opinions on what we should do in each room - and then I got a little giggle to myself as I heard him say "Oooh. Nutty Bars."
• Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy on Sponge Bob for entertaining E at the moment...
• Sporty Baby Golf DVD - because, trust me when I say this - her swing looks unbelievable sweet for her 2-1/2 years of age...great turn, keeping her eye on the ball, makes good contact with the ball. Reid can see a college scholarship in her future. (I did have to hold him back last night, literally, from giving her tips - perhaps a wee bit premature on that!)
• batteries in the most annoying of toys don't last forever ;-)
• Snapfish - so I can share pictures and receive pictures from friends and family - totally loving Aunt Cathy's album from today!
• PhotoShop as I can do this (still a work in progress so that the lighting on Kennedy doesn't look like she was sitting in the living room and not with the three of us...which, of course, she was!):
• My DH & DD:

Gone, But Not Forgotten

I say: Hello. My name is Jennie. It has been nearly two months since my last post.

You say: Hello, Jennie.

Well, I've done it. I've pulled a Reid - in not posting to my Blog in what seems like forever. Let's just suffice it to say that I have been a little preoccupied.

Since my last entry:

• We celebrated Father's Day...
• Aunt Anne celebrated a birthday...Elizabeth sang
• Reid celebrated a birthday...Elizabeth sang "Happy Birthday" a lot - except for when there was a birthday candle. Then she obsessed "Blow it out. Daddy burn his finger" while remembering that Alex had burnt his finger with his 1st birthday candle.
• Mom/Grandma had a birthday...Elizabeth sang some more... (I'm still behind in my shopping, if you can believe that!)
• I've survived the Annual Meeting from Hell - the attendees all thought it went swimmingly well, which is all good, but here's the brief low down on why the 2008 Annual Meeting will go down in infamy: 1.) a flood in the back of our registration counter, 2.) Christian got sick - really sick and had to spend 2.5 days holed up in his room, 3.) a fire in the same room where the flood had been, 4.) Marvin passed out at the bottom of an escalator and folks watched him ride it up to the next level...he was taken to the emergency room where he was treated for a virus and dehydration, 5.) Megan went out of commission - sick, shaking, unable to sleep...need I go on??? Some pretty funny stories, actually, and fortunately everyone managed to survive...
• The day (yes, that's right sports fans - the day) after my return from Toronto, the moving truck arrived...and we packed it up on Friday & Saturday AM...and it pulled out for a MOVE to Wheeling...
• We (and by "we" I mean we had a lot of help - from Nana & Papa watching Elizabeth...and giving Reid, E, me, and my folks a place to sleep, my folks, Anne, Jeff Creamer & his buddy that I met for the first time, Herb Minch, Mike Wehler (another lovely 'gent I met for the first time), Scott Cook (ditto), and Dave Flatley (and ditto), Dan Hopkins (ditto again), and two of West Lib's football players, whose names I didn't catch, but I will most definitely be cheering for this fall (like I wasn't going to anyway...even when they play my Bobcats!) - I certainly hope I haven't forgotten anyone as we were so very fortunate to have all of their help!!!) WE moved an entire truck load of stuff from Fairmont to Wheeling...then
  Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, Mom, Reid, Elizabeth, and I unpacked...Jeff helped Reid move more stuff around - or out...
• On Wednesday I drove (95 miles from driveway to door) to Morgantown for work...I worked the remainder of the week...went to Mom & Daddy's for the weekend (after giving the new yet eerily old Gabes in Clarksburg a little lovin')...then have been back in the office this week...will finally get back to Wheeling on Wednesday night.
• Reid is going to "go Jennie crazy" on the not-so-good folks at Comcast if we don't have our cable and Internet installed today. I'm not kidding. Today on the phone with the not-so-good folks at Comcast he told them if the situation wasn't rectified by the close of business today that they would have to (and I quote) "deal with my wife, who is much less rational in situations like this than I am." I may be setting up a Pay Pal account to help with the funds to bail him out. I cannot understand why on earth it is so darned difficult to get someone to show up at your house when you have an appointment scheduled to hook up a little cable for Internet and cable. How on earth are people supposed to survive without TV? Or the freakin' Internet? (Fortunately for us, there is someone in the neighborhood that has an unsecured network - crazy, I know, but it has been slow but helpful!)

And to conclude this most random of posts, a few pictures of Elizabeth & Alex that make me giggle!

E riding "Big Pink" at the Belmont Stakes

E obsessing over her Daddy's birthday candle and refusing to sing "Happy Birthday" for the first time in days

E (2.5 years) & Alex (13 mo.) playing at Grandma & Papi's this past weekend

my svelte nephew

House Shopping

Reid, Elizabeth, and I toured 6 homes with our realtor on Sunday.

The first one was an older home that I had mentally moved my stuff into. Seriously. I knew exactly where I was going to put the Christmas tree...and the TV in the living room. In the pictures with the listing, it was stunning. I had concerns, mentally moving in of course, about how my dining room furniture was going to fit in the octagonal-shaped (yes, octagonal) dining room...and the kitchen looked small. But I was loving the look of the place online. Then we went there on Sunday. The living room, dining room, kitchen, terrace, and back yard did not disappoint. Beautiful. Then we went up stairs. WOW those were some tiny rooms. I was then mentally moving my Christmas tree into our faculty house on West Liberty's campus. Closet space wasn't good, but I don't expect it to be good in an old home. (And I love old homes!) I didn't, however, expect that two of the bedrooms (house has 4 bedrooms) would be so small that you could only fit a twin-sized bed and a small dresser in them. The master bedroom in that house is smaller than what we have in Fairmont. So, we moved on...

Then we were "treated" to a trip down Mike Brady's lane. A house built and last decorated in 1977 and one built in 1910 and last decorated in whatever year wood panelling would have been in fashion. Lots of freshly vacuumed shag carpet to go around both places.

Then we saw our house!

Built in 1915, it oozes charm. Warm and inviting. Stained glass windows in the entry, LR, DR, landing to 2nd floor, and family room. BIG closets (walk-in in the master BR, big one in Elizabeth's room, 3 regular-sized ones in the 3rd floor bedroom). Lots of extra storage in the garage and potential for lots of storage in the basement. There are 5 fireplaces in the house, but at the moment I can only recall where 3 of them are (LR, DR, master BR). The kitchen is sizable, but will need some work (although workable in the interim.) The downside is that there is only one bath, but it is a really, really nice one. There is a clothes chute (3rd floor, 2nd floor, main floor in the kitchen) all helping with the nasty chore of laundry (that neither Reid or I are fans of that task.) The family room is great - not too big, not too small - and just off of the kitchen. It will be the perfect place for Elizabeth to play while I'm in the kitchen. There are built-ins...two small seating areas on either side of the fireplace in the LR (pictured at left)...and two sets of bookcases/displays on either side of the entryway into the DR (pictured below right). There is a wonderful work-bench area for Reid so he can continue his tinkering with golf clubs. (Not that he doesn't already have a great work-bench for that task - he and Papa built one a few years ago.) But, ooh la la there is a rockin' scrapbook area for me!!! (Nice L-shaped built in area in the basement opposite of Reid's work-bench for me to catch up on my scrapbooking!) Coincidentally, it was the least expensive of the 6 homes we toured.

Then the rest of the house shopping was a bit of a blur as we couldn't stop thinking about the possibilities of that house.

We toured two more homes. One of which was very charming on the outside, but rather vanilla on the inside. (When it wasn't vanilla it was bordering on tragic.) The last home was huge, but I would need to either leave bread crumbs or hope my GPS unit could help me find my way around it. Not that I would need to GPS to help me find my way because of the size of the home, but rather the layout. It was like the architect was either mad or drunk...or both.

We put in an offer on Monday. The offer was accepted on Tuesday.

Wow! That was so much faster than what I anticipated it would be to house shop, put in a bid, and have the bid accepted. But what the hell do I know, I've never bought a house before...until now!

They Love You!

Cute E story...as most are...

E has recently been more obsessed with pictures than usual. She'll point to everyone she knows in a picture and say their name. If the picture is out of her reach she'll point and say something like, "That's Daddy on picture. That's Mommy on picture."

Last week as we were coming down the stairs in our house (if you haven't seen the house, you may need to note that one side of the stairway walls is lined with pictures, too many to count jammed on the wall.) A very, very small black & white picture of Grandma Ellen & Grandpa caught her eye (smaller than a wallet-sized pic...more like the small crappy size pictures that you gave out to your lesser friends in school - but those of course who still needed an annual picture of you...)

Elizabeth asked me who was "on" the picture. I told her that it was my Grandma and Grandpa. She replied, "Awwww. They love you."

Funny Stuff...

First of all, if you didn't see the Petraeus Hearings skit on SNL featuring WV "Senator" Bob Byrd, you're missing out. Get it here: http://www.veoh.com/videos/v69956042ckrJHPs

Now, some of Elizabeth's recent funnies:

• Yesterday on the drive to Nana's & Papa's, there were a few birds on the road. One bird waited until my car was very close before it flew away. My little back-seat drive said, "Sheeeew. That was a close call!"
• E is obsessed with Boo-Boos. She wants a bandaid on a freckle. She'll kiss anything that resembles a boo-boo. It's really awfully sweet. Last week, she wanted to kiss the boo-boos on Papa's hand. After several kisses, she gave up and told Nana, "Papa's all boo-boos."
• Last weekend, Reid, Elizabeth, and I went to Grandma & Papi's for Mother's Day. Reid was helping Elizabeth get ready for church when she started jumping around (literally) exclaiming, "I love church! I love church!"
• During Mass she was really quite good. She was on her belly on the kneeler "swimming" (albeit quietly.) When she was sitting on the kneeler, she discovered that she could see her own reflection in the back of the pew. Aunt Anne is so proud.

MEDICAL ALERT: Gem (WV) Chicken Bird Flu Virus UPDATE

This just in:

Anne reports - "Add Anne, Sean, Granddad Wine, Grandma Wine, Aunt Jane, Cousin Clint, and Aunt Cheryl to the "Typhoid Elizabeth Virus" list. She got sick BEFORE she saw the chickens so you can't blame it on them. I think everyone is on the mend now!!!!"

You say tomato (typhoid Elizabeth virus), I say tamato (Gem Chicken Bird Flu Virus)...

The Clap Is Not a Dance!

Elizabeth cracks me up! Well, that...and I am really to the point where I need to watch what I say around her. (Not to mention needing to put a muzzle on "Uncle Jake" when he comes to visit - Aye-yi-yi!)

Anyway, this morning when I was getting Elizabeth into the car for the drive to Nana's & Papa's house, I got a wee bit clumsy. Not to say that I threw her in her carseat, but I have put her in it much more gently on thousands of other occassions.

Upon my plopping Elizabeth into her car seat she said,
"Holy clap, Mommy!"

Naturally, I laughed. Then she said it again and again..."Holy clap. Holy clap. Holy clap."

The novelty of that quickly wore off before she started going through what I refer to as role call: "Where's Daddy?" He's at work. "Where's Kennenny?" She's in the house being a good puppy. "Where's Grandma?" She's at her house with Papi. "Where's Papi?" He's at his house with Grandma. "Where's Nana?" She's at her house with Papa. That's where we're going now. "Where's Papa?" He's at his house with Nana. "Where's Aunt Anne?" She's at her house with Sean & Alex. They live in New York City. "Where's Sean?" He's at his house with Anne & Alex. "Where's Alex?" He's at his house with Anne & Sean. [Need I continue???]

It's like the song that ne-ver ends...Yes it goes on and on my friend...Some people started signing it, not knowing what it was...And they'll continue singing it forever just because...This is the song that ne-ver ends...

MEDICAL ALERT: Gem (WV) Chicken Bird Flu Virus

So Elizabeth went to Grandma & Papi's this week. Aunt Anne, Sean, and Alex came in from the Big Apple for a visit this week. I took Weezie to Grandma & Papi's on Tuesday afternoon. I came back to the friendly city of Fairmont on Wednesday afternoon.

Thursday was to be Elizabeth's big day on the farm at Grandma & Grandad Wine's in Gem (WV). Anne, Sean, and Alex came to Grandma & Papi's to get her. They played at the farm for a bit...and then it hit - the Gem Chicken Bird Flu Virus.

Elizabeth got sick...on the throw rug at the Wines...then in the bathroom as Anne was cleaning her up. Then later that evening at Grandma & Papi's - nasty, nasty sick during the night (requiring a bath in her somewhat sleep induced state.) Then again a couple more times while she was in bed with Grandma (as her pack-n-play was left uninhabitable for the night while "stuff" was in the washer/dryer.)

She bounced back rather well on Friday. Got to go back to the Wines' farm - played in the creek, drove a tractor (that wasn't on), played with Alex's swing, fetched an egg from the chickens' house - a complete farm girl for the day. Then it hit - Grandma was struck with the Gem Chicken Bird Flu Virus...then Papi. Anne went to Grandma & Papi's to collect Elizabeth so Grandma & Papi didn't have to worry about a 2-year-old while being sick. Reid & I went to the Wines' Friday evening and spent the night. Then it hit - Alex got sick in the middle of the night.

On Saturday at Grandma & Papi's (Grandma was still feeling the effects of the Gem Chicken Bird Flu Virus), we didn't stay long - trying not to catch whatever in the heck bug they have all been stricken with. Hoping Anne & Sean and all of the Wines can keep from getting it, too!

Alex took his first independent steps - at 11 months! He's so big. It's too much fun watching E & Ali together!!!