clean house

So I did find something to do with much of my day yesterday (other than read transfer folders)....clean my house. I cleaned it top to bottom (the girls even helped). It had been a long time since it had received a really good clean. It felt so nice to come home from Cirucci's last night to so much organization (i know that sounds silly). I even mowed the front and back yard during the girls supposed naptime (when i came in they were changing the clothes on their build a bear monkeys...silly gooses!). I am still not good at mowing the front hill, and had to weed wack it. I must have looked really funny.

Last night, the girls helped me pack for our trip to NC for Auntie Wen's wedding. They reminded me that we needed to bring their "babing suits" which were hanging to dry in the bathroom since they have been running through the sprinkler the past few days. Laney can't wait to wear her pretty new dress and matching sweater. Of course, in her world, careful packing means balling everything up and shoving it into her tinkerbell bag. Alie was just pretty psyched to be going to the beach with Cici, Auntie Wen and Mommy. Unfortunately, I think its going t be a little cold for swimming. The girls will have to be content with playing in the sand.

I am really excited for Wen's wedding. It seems like we've been waiting for the day for a really long time, and now it's really almost here. My pretty MOH dress is hanging in my foyer (the exact place I left it when Cirucci gave it to me) and my shoes are all packed in my bag. I can't wait to see Wen in her beautiful dress. I need to not cry! I think it will be so special to be standing with Ciruc while Wen gets married.

And of course we have lots of fun things planned!

I did it!!!

Big academic news these past two days. Yesterday afternoon, when I returned home from work, I found an envelope on the counter for me. It was a letter indicating that I had passed my comprehensive exams!!! I was worried that the last question that I answered wasn't all that complete, but I guess it was because I passed! Then, this morning, I found out my grade for my final paper...giving me an "A" for my last course. I can't believe I'm done. I have earned a masters degree!

As I have said before, this has seemed very long and hard. With a husband who worked crazy hours for the first two years of my program and two little girls (plus a house and a job) to take care of, I sometimes look back and wonder why I decided to take this on. But today I'm glad I did, because today I found out that I was successful! I'm not sure I'll know what to do with myself and all of my free time now ;)

I love..

our home! Yesterday, after a busy Saturday, Carl the girls and I relaxed in our backyard and it was fabulous. It was fabulous just the way it was! The girls played golf and drew pictures on the sidewalk and steps with chalk. We had dinner at our picnic table. We chatted with our neighbors. We turned on the sprinkler and the girls had fun trying to touch the fishies (which are on the sprinkler). We filled the water table and the girls squirted each other with their little fish squirt toys. They dumped cups of water on our feet. The girls and I ate ice cream cones before it was time for their bath. It was just a lovely, relaxing afternoon and I think the girlies want a repeat tonight. Yay for the beautiful (if a little warm for this time of year) weather!

Who buys CDs anymore?

I do! This morning I purchased four new cds for our journey next week to Beaufort, NC. This afternoon, Brian was making fun of me for purchasing cds...evidently noone buys cds anymore, they download music or buy the mp3 album. Man,I am evidentally completely behind the times. The thing is, I love cds. I'm too lazy to download an entire cd to my sucky laptop to the burn it onto a cd so that I can listen to it in the car or in the family room or wherever I would like to listen to my music. I don't own an ipod (gasp...). I'm sure Laney and Alie will be horified at how behind the times their parents are in no time. At least both of their uncles are cool and have iphones!

First birthday tour of 2009....

ok well not really, but we did attend two first birthdays this weekend and spent a total of 8 hours in the car. On Saturday, we headed to York to celebrate with baby Ella. The weather was great and the girls really enjoyed spending time with Auntie Becky and visiting with Ella, even if it still takes them an hour to warm up to her. The girls ran around in the backyard, ate lunch (well salad and chips) and cake. On Sunday we headed up the northeast extension, past Allentown to celebrate Owen's first with Andy, Pam and family. The party was at Andy's parents house, which has an absolutely beautiful view of ski slopes. Carl was fantasizing about finding himself at the Fehnel residence during a snow storm. Lots of great sledding hills! The girls had a wonderful time running around and checking out all of the great things that Owen's grandparents house had for them to do (wagon rides, swings, toys, etc.).

The mini-long drives let us test-run our new car for our longer drive in a week and a half to Beaufort. It was super comfy and got pretty good gas mileage. The girls seemed to be happy and entertained themselves in the backseat singing, chatting and drawing. Sometimes their singing was a little loud, but I guess that's better than screaming or crying :)

This week I will be working on my last (cross your fingers) paper for grad school (besides my final of course). It's a stinking group paper and is due in a week.

senioritis

As I might have mentioned (well definitely mentioned) before, I have an extreme case of "senioritis" this semester. Wen attributes it to the fact that I didn't have a chance to slack off during my last semester of undergrad, I was taking too many courses. I have discussed and promised myself that I really would buckle down this semester and be the devoted student that I have been in semesters past, but it just doesn't seem to be working for me. My lack of motivation continues to rear its ugly head.

But something quite wonderful happened this morning...with respect to my senioritis, that is. My professor decided to offer a curve for our last two assignments...moving my current grade more solidly into "A" range. While I obviously need to continue "working" on my schoolwork for the rest of the semester, things are starting to look up. I need to earn 30 more points to earn credit for the class...which is certainly do-able, I think even if I get a 50% on every assignment I turn in before the end of the semester.

Outside of working on Saturday in the office and coming home to complete a group paper (ugh...I HATE group papers), we managed to have quite a nice weekend. Easter morning was just as leisurly as I had hoped and the girls really enjoyed finding all of the eggs that the Easter bunny had hidden. After breakfast, we headed down to the family room to try out the girls new princess wii game. The game is still a little too tricky for the girls to do alone (it requires that you use both the wii remote and the nunchucks) but it seems to be something fun that the entire family can do together. After we had played enough wii, we all relaxed and watched Pinocchio. We missed out on our "traditional" hike in favor of laziness.

I have a busy week ahead of me. I leave tomorrow for two nights of college fairs. I'm going with Brian, so of course it won't be all work and should make the week feel as though it flies by, especially since we have the last day of DT on Friday. Then, Saturday brings the weekend of 1st birthdays, first to York to celebrate Ella and then to Quakertown to celebrate Owen! Luckily, next week looks nice and relaxed (eventhough it is the last week before my big group paper is due).

Easter weekend

Easter is here. To be honest, it snuck up on me this year. Unfortunately, we haven't been to church in quite a while, and though I was ready for Cirucci to give up chocolate for lent, my family hasn't been quite as observant as we usually are (and I would like us to be) of this period. But I am excited to share this time with my girls and Carl. Since the girls have been born, we have abandoned our traditional sunrise church service and opted for a more spiritual reflection on the day, choosing instead to go hiking. Hopefully the rain will allow for that tomorrow.

We are also adding a tradition in the making for tomorrow morning. Post egg hunt, we will have a nice, long breakfast. After we dye our eggs this afternoon, the girls and I will start baking muffins, cutting up fruit and preparing other goodies for tomorrow. I have really begun to enjoy holidays as a time spent with my little family.

I am interested to see Laney's reaction to Easter eggs hidden around our home. As we were discussing the Easter bunny last night, she explained to me that the bunny was too too big to fit in our house. Alison tried to explain to her that the bunny would be able to bend his head down to get in through our door. Laney didn't seem to be all that convinced. Perhaps Alie's point will be better taken when the bunny leaves his treats behind tomorrow morning.

Woah!

I'm not sure when the last time I posted was, but I feel like life is whirling by right now. I have to remind myself to be like Ferris Bueller, stopping to look around once in a while. Before I know it, I will wake up and it will be May. In work news, we are in the heart of student matriculation time, and holding our yearly "DT" event. I have been working as part of a number of groups on a number of different assignments and feeling like I have no time. I did however, take my comprehensive exams (for school) this past Monday (right before we headed to Opening Day). Just taking them makes me feel as though a big weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Now I'm just hoping I passed.

Laney and Alie met the tiger last Friday, which they loved. They were still talking about it yesterday when we visited Bri and Cici. They have been helping Carl and I plant part of our garden for this year, and pulling the weeds. They seem to be more excited about playing in the mud, and watering the flowers than actually helping...but that works, as long as we're all together. I of course am still in extreme organization mode. Carl and I think we have made a decision to try to get the girls into magnet elementary schools (which of course won't be for two more years) which would allow us to stay in our current residence for another 7 years (at least). In light of this, we have started moving on some of our home improvement plans, and has kicked my need to "get everything straight" into high gear. I think I'm "nesting" three years too late.

I am really looking forward to Easter this weekend. Although I sadly do not get any days off from work, I can't wait to spend a lazy day enjoying my family.