The Calm Before The Storm...

...yes, that is certainly what today is.
Why, you ask?
Because tomorrow, this house & yard will be filled to capacity
with family from all over the US!
Here's the list of attendants:

Me & Ruby
Nanny & Nonno
Uncle Adam, Auntie Leanne & Bella
Nanna T & Uncle Steve
Uncle Andy, Auntie Kris, Stephanie & Jennifer
Uncle Alan, Auntie Sue & Joshua
Uncle Bruce (my mother's brother) and Aunt Pricilla his wife.
My cousin Alison (Antie Allison to Ruby), her husband Paul,
& their 4 YEAR OLD TRIPLETS, Marissa, Olivia & Tori!

Now, if my math hasn't failed me,
that's 23 people and that's ONLY MY MOTHER'S SIDE!
Several of my Italian relatives may pop by as well...

...stay tuned, this could be what 'CRAZY' looks like!

*grin*

But seriously, my uncle Bruce only visits but once a year (he's from Wisconsin)
and my cousin Allison (previously from AZ but now currently in NH, couldn't take the heat)
also only pops in about once a year.
Goes without saying that they try to plan these visits simultaneously and although it doesn't always work out that way, this year... it has.

Tomorrow also happens to be my birthday.
I'll be 35 which is fascinating to me since I feel more like an overgrown kid.
How the hell did 35 creep up without me knowing it?
I guess when you're having fun with your beautiful child,
you tend not to worry about such silly things as time.

Then it got me to thinking... two years ago at this time, I was nannying Emma, Abi & Sam and waiting (albeit not so patiently) for Ruby's referral, which I foolishly thought would arrive sometime around my birthday.
I guess I just always thought that it would be fantastic to have it arrive then, as it would be the BEST birthday gift EVER!
Turns out, as fate would have it, Ruby first made her appearance into my life on Sept 7th, 2005, her very first birthday.
Here it was my little girl's birthday & she was giving me the best gift I ever received.

To this day I don't think that my birthday will ever register as important as it used to,
as now my favorite day of the year is my daughter's special day.

It's wild to me to think that we've nearly been together two years...
...I can't remember what my life was like before her.
I love you Ruby.
So much!

Peek-A-Boo...

...I see you Momma!

I love when I come across an outfit in her closet that I was unaware even existed.
This outfit is one of those fantastic surprises I found today
while putting some of her things away.
It was tucked in the way back hanging there all lonely.
I don't remember where I got it or if it was a gift from someone,
but I DO know that it is ADORABLE!
When I called her into her room to try it on, she went crazy for the HAT!
I didn't know she had such a love for them.
Perhaps we're on the verge of phasing out the bows
& replacing them with hats?

Never know with my girl...
...but whether it's a bow or a hat, she's still my beautiful girl!

(Now if I could only get her to love bath time...*sigh*)

No Comment...

...that's right, not a one.
Yes,
from now on,
emails only if you have something you'd like to share.
Otherwise, silence is golden.
Thanks for your understanding.
-Amy

Who Needs A Grocery Store...

...when you have a father who maintains a yard to envy any Italian's?
Ruby's Nonno makes sure every summer is filled with san marzano tomato's,
gorgeous hydrangea
&
fat juicy pears fresh for the pickin' straight from the tree!

(Ruby nearly started to eat one of those tomato's before we got it into the house!
She eats them like apples! That's my girl, an Italian American of Chinese descent!)
*big smile*

In A Combination Of Watercolor & Finger Paints, I Proudly Present...

...Ruby's Artwork!


(done in finger paint)


I initially asked Ruby what colors she'd like to make her hand prints in,
hoping she'd say maybe red or blue or yellow, an actual color... but not so much.
My girl smiled & as she's making one awesome mess on her first practice piece of paper, said:
"Momma, NO color! Ruby make a messy hand print, more FUN!"
How right she is... hehehe!

Our finger paint kit comes with red, yellow, blue and green.
In my attempt to teach her how colors, when mixed, create other colors, she pointed out to me that, "Momma, no need a mix yellow and blue, have green a-ready!"
So we do baby girl, so we do...


(This one above was actually done with Crayon first,
*courtesy of Momma who drew the shapes*
& then watercolor via a very small paintbrush.
Impressive her attempt to truly stay within the lines!)

(When asked what we should call this particular painting,
Ruby replied with a clever but simple: "This One!"
So be it.)
hehehe

Height, Weight & Cuteness Factor...

Ruby is somewhere between 37 & 38 inches tall...
(& yes that's my living room wall I write her stats on,
been doing it since groundhog day of 06.)

She's 30 lbs...

And is absolutely in LOVE with her new jammers!

Her Nannie bought them for her yesterday & yes, they are sock monkey ballerinas!

I never had those 'sock monkey' dolls when I was a kid,
always thought they were kinda creepy.

Ruby doesn't have one either,
but because they're ballerinas & the waist and ankle cuffs are pretty RUFFLES,
Ruby feels like a ballerina in them & that is all that matters!
(and FYI, that discoloration on her cheek is actually the remnants of a face painting I did yesterday for her of a ladybug, NOT a bruise. This ladybug makes the second one this week!)

Yesterday she actually told both me & her auntie Kristen
that she wants to be a ballerina for Halloween.
Kristen's mother is going to hand make the outfit & asked what color she wanted it to be?
Ruby proudly replied: "GREEN!"
(it is her favorite color)

Ten Things:

1. Never apologize for who you are.
Some people may like you, some may not, so be it.
If at the end of the your day you are happy with the way you conducted yourself,
that's all that matters.

2. Never talk behind peoples backs, there is no honor in that.
If you have something negative to say,
chances are you just should not say it.

If you must say it,
have the gumption to OWN your words & say them directly to said person.
If you can't find the courage to do that much, perhaps reread the beginning of #2.

3. Be happy with who you are & not who others perceive you to be.
Putting on airs to impress others is never impressive in the end.

4. If you are unhappy in your own life don't try to take others down with you,
because the truth is, if they are happy with themselves, nothing you attempt will be successful in bringing them down, period.

5. Don't validate yourself through the way others view you.
If everyone did that, nobody would be happy because I can assure you that everyone has someone who doesn't like them, yes... even you.
Try, perhaps, validation through self visualization,
after all, don't we know ourselves better than anyone else can possibly claim to?

6. Remember that the more you share of yourself with someone,
the more they learn about you as well,
so if you don't want people knowing intimate details of your life, keep them as such.

7. Judgemental people are usually that way because some aspect of their life isn't how they wanted it to be, sad but true.

8. Jealousy is never a part of true lasting friendships but more a sign of pettiness.
A true friend isn't jealous of what you have or how you live, but instead is happy for your happiness. If they're jealous & angry all the time, chances are it's more them & less you.

9. Don't be fake in an attempt to be accepted,
but rather have the courage to just be yourself knowing that you might not be accepted.
Being true to yourself 100% is what's important.
Sadly, not many share that sentiment.
It's unfortunate.

10. Never say things in anger,
usually you'll regret them later
&
the person to whom you've said them to
may not forgive or ever forget.

Ruby Speak, things I don't want to ever forget:

Sunscreen: 'sum-scream'
Milo & Otis: 'mi-no & loless'
Kitchen: 'chicken'
Emperor: 'empiner'
Ketchup: 'checkup'
Makeup: 'make-mup'

When Ruby first started to talk, one of the first words she was desperate to say was Moon.
However, she could not say moon, so she started calling it the BOON!

And now, last but not least, a song or two:
(actual song first, Ruby's version second...)

Snuggle puppy of mine
Everything about you is especially fine!
I love what you are, I love what you do,
Fuzzy little snuggle puppy, I love you!
Ooooo, I love you!


'snuggle puppy a mine,
evrysing bout you a fine,
wuv a you are
wuv a you do
snuggle a puppy
I wuv you!
ooooo I wuv you!'

&

Row Row Row your boat,
gently down the stream...
Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Merrily,
life is but a dream.

Now, when we sing it we don't necessarily row a 'boat' down the stream,
but more often than not, sing it like this:

Row, row, row Bear gently down the stream...
etc.
Bear could also be Uncle Steve, Nannie, Nonno, Momma, Isabella, Uncle Adam etc...
Whoever she feels like sending down stream is the current winner.

So now, here's her version of this song:

Row row row BEAR
gentle a dream!
May-a, may-a, may-a, may-a,
life a but a dream!
who next?

Row row row MOMMA
gentle a dream!
May-a, may-a, may-a, may-a,
life a but a dream!
who next?
etc...

hehehe


What about your children? Any kid speak that makes you smile from ear to ear?

Equal Opportunity Simpson'izer...

...I proudly present:

Nonno Simpson



&



Nannie Simpson

(per Ruby's request)

Introducing: NONNO'S 1ST TOMATO OF THE SEASON!

...brought to you by, Ruby Cate!
(who went up into the garden & picked it herself!)

2 cents... Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Ok, so after finishing Harry Potter, I needed something new to dive into, yes?
How many of you have heard of this guy?

So here's the thing,
I'll admit that infomercials,
on the whole,
piss me off.
HOWEVER,
that being said, I watched this guy on SPIKE tv the other night,
and I was truly blown away to the point that my curiosity got the better of me and,
I picked up his book.
(only had to pay for shipping)

So, I will also admit that generally, I'm a skeptic until proven otherwise.
Kevin's book arrived & within the first chapter, I learned that he's from Lynn, Massachusetts.
Merely two towns away from us.
That, in & of itself, was impressive.
If you lived locally & knew Lynn, you'd understand why people sing this catchy little phrase about the town:

"Lynn Lynn the city of SIN, you never come out the way you went in!"

I digress...

So, I was browsing through his book & jumped ahead to his weight loss chapter.
Now I know he's got a book devoted all to weight loss but let's not run away with ourselves just yet, and take things one chapter at a time.

So, I read...
and I read, and I read.

He not only suggests but goes on to validate through personal use himself, that
unrefined, virgin, cold press, organic COCONUT OIL is a GOD SEND.

Skeptic reads on...

I was impressed to say the least of the number of claims he makes about this stuff...

...but knowing that they're just claims until I find out for myself, I went out & bought some,
knowing that the worst that could happen was that it would taste gross, not do anything he claims it does, and I've only lost 22 bucks on the oil.
(Plus, if even after a week I didn't see any noticeable changes, I'd have just used it to cook with cuz lord knows I love to do that much!)

So, here's the scoop:

I've been taking it myself since monday.
One tablespoon in the morning before breakfast,
(chased with TEA or else I could NOT do it! It's still OIL after all!)
and one tablespoon just before dinner.

In LESS than one week, I can say with 100% certainty the following:

I've lost, thus far, 7 lbs.
I no longer have heart burn, period.
Probably a little TMI, but my bowel movements are flawless & regular & I barely need to use any TP.
NO, SERIOUSLY!
I feel better, I have more energy, I am not as hungry as I used to be and I don't snack as much at all anymore.

Monday the 6th will be a week since I have been taking this stuff and if it's already doing this much in under a week, I can't wait to see what a month will bring!

How about all of you?
Any thoughts?
Concerns?
Input?
C'mon Johnny,
I know you still read the blog,
aside from Karen,
you're the one who I KNOW will call a spade a spade.
Throw me your thoughts on this guy...

Who Knew...

...that Yellow would be our color? LOL



Thanks to Karen, Gwen & Scott for showing us how to
SIMPSONIZE
ourselves!
LOL

I'd post the pic we did of Uncle Steve,
but I think he'd kill me!
LOL

In A Word...

...WOW!




To quote my friend Jen:
" I laughed, I cried, I loved it..."

Book arived Monday night, finally got a chance to crack it open at 9pm.
Read straight until 3am.
Went to bed.

Woke up Tuesday morning, read some more.
Breakfast for me & Ruby, then read some more.
Pool time with miss Rubes, then dinner, then snuggle time, then bed for my girl.
(omitted the nap specifically so she'd go to bed EARLIER rather than later!)
8:00pm: Read again until 3:30am this time.
Forced myself to leave the final chapter and the epilogue till morning...
...couldn't bear to go to bed knowing that come morning there'd be nothing more.

Woke up before Ruby,
(don't ask how that happened)
read the final chapter & nineteen years later.
And as I've said;
I laughed,
I cried,
I LOVED IT!

Now my question is, WHEN IS SHE GOING TO WRITE THE NEXT GENERATION OF BOOKS?
And anyone who has read it can't tell me,
positively CAN'T tell me that they weren't thinking the exact same thing!

The next generation of wizards & witches to enter Hogwarts...
...if only!

Just A Quick Post...

...to let you all know that I'm still alive & yes there's lots to write about but not just yet,
as first I need to take care of me.

Long & short of it is
that I've always been a sufferer
of frequent,
random bloody noses,
just because.

Ever since I was a child, I can remember having them.
In the last week,
I've had three,
one of which lasted about an hour.

Most of you have that piece of cartilage that separates your nostrils so that,
(and don't get grossed out but)
if you were to put a finger in one side,
you'd FEEL that barrier that exists keeping them individually separate entities.

Well,
I don't have that.
I may appear to have two nostrils,
but once inside the nose,
it's like a big open cavity.
Pretty huh?

Makes having random nosebleeds all the more interesting,
because you can't just block one side with tissue -
(or in my case, nearly an entire roll of paper towels)
no, that would be entirely too easy.
I,
instead,
have to block BOTH SIDES as it is more literally just one cavernous area.
One side bleeds, it all bleeds.
Period.

Ever try to do anything with your entire nose blocked off from even the smallest air supply?
Ok, now imagine that feeling but add to it the sensation of blood FLOWING,
(not trickling)
down your throat as it isn't being absorbed fast enough by the paper towels,
and you are left with no choice but to constantly swallow it.

I've discovered that should I have daily nose bleeds,
I could easily lose weight as I was SO full of blood the other night,
I wasn't hungry in the least,
and only had a steaming cup of tea & two Lorna Doon's in place of supper,
and I was STUFFED!
Gastric bypass? Who needs that?!
NOSEBLEEDS IS WHERE IT'S AT!
*ugh*
I digress...


And for those of you sitting there thinking,
"Good God woman, CALL YOUR DOCTOR ALREADY!"
I intend to do so first thing in the morning
& see what,
if anything,
can be done to help.

I am not holding my breath as when you've dealt with something like this your whole life,
you just kinda get used to knowing that it's something you live with,
not something to look to correct.

I have been living life as usual,
taking Ruby to parks,
attending my towns annual 'Home Coming' complete with tiny tots day at our local park,
but it hasn't come without it's challenges I can assure you.

I now travel with a half full roll of paper towels in the diaper bag at all times.

I guess the good thing about that was, at least today anyway,
when I proceeded to paint Ruby's face at the home coming, the kids all thought I was the 'face painting lady' and they formed a line behind her, all patiently waiting their turn for a rainbow,
or butterfly, or shooting star etc...
So, when it came time for cleaning up little mishaps, who needs baby wipes when I have an arsenal of PAPER PRODUCTS AT THE READY?!
LOL
I know, probably not funny but I have to find the humor in it somehow, yes?

The kicker was,
once I had painted all the kids faces,
(& did a pretty kickin' job I might add)
the 'real' face painters arrived
& were wondering why most of the under 4 crowd running around proudly showing their newly painted faces... hee hee.

It was a wonderful day with a few speed bumps along the way, but as usual, Ruby & I always seem to rally regardless of what gets tossed our way.
We make a pretty good team of two,
and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Hope you all are enjoying a wonderful summer thus far
& that the rest of it is filled with sunny days,
cool nights
& lots of POOL/BEACH TIME!

*oh, and CHOCOLATE, don't forget the CHOCOLATE!*

-Amy & Ruby

PS. Finished re-reading half blood prince tonight,
secretly hoping that tomorrow's mail will bring my much awaited deathly hallows to my door.
A muggle can hope...

*smile*

My name is Amy, and I'm a Harry Potter fan!

That's right, I'm nearly 35 & completely addicted to the books!
Sure the movies are fun but no movie,
regardless of who the producer/director are,
will EVER be able to capture the imagination & vivid details that my brain gives each & every one of these books. If you all could see the Harry Potter stories through my eyes, MAN OH MAN YOU'D BE HOOKED TOO!

Now, for those of you who also read the books, please note:

I HAVE NOT YET STARTED BOOK SEVEN!

I am re-reading Half Blood Prince so as to catch myself up to speed...

I will admit that years ago when the books first came out,
I really wasn't all that interested at all.
But, the day finally came that I found myself bowing to peer pressure,
and three pages into sorcerers stone- I was hooked!

I've read all the books thus far & have never looked back!

I remember it was the summer of 05 & I KNEW half blood prince was due out soon & I was determined NOT to read it until I was on that plane to China sometime in the fall, but NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO,
I totally could NOT WAIT and opened the book & had it finished before the summer was over.
They are THAT GOOD!

(What did I bring on the plane to China? This, but it was so utterly boring, and VIOLENT!
I put it down before we even left for the second leg of the trip, the long flight to Tokyo.
Sorry Oprah, you're cute & all but I just can't get on board with that one,
despite the pretty candy coated cover!)

Back to HARRY:

To those of you thinking:
'gee, I am curious about all this Harry Potter hullabaloo,'
it's truly worth checking out.
If the first book doesn't hook you then the rest won't either...

...but I'm willing to bet that, just like me, you too will be sucked in & salivating for the next book & the next one & the next one ...etc.

HAPPY READING EVERYONE!

Oh, and NO COMMENTS about WHAT HAPPENS IN THE END OF THIS LAST BOOK!
If any of you ruin it for me you'll be banned from the blog, comprende? ;)

"Just Like Ruby!!!"

My kid is BEYOND THRILLED about my short hair, it's really funny!

Every day she looks at me after I've washed it & she wants to brush it, all the while saying;
"Momma hair just like RUBY!"

Then, she'll hold the mirror up for me to see her excellent work, & say;
"Momma pretty just like RUBY!"

Then, when I suggest we take a picture together, she'll run & get me a matching bow & say;
"Momma get a red bow, just like RUBY!"



hehehehe

And since I've been asked by a few of you to show the finished new short locks from the front, voila'.



*DISCLAIMER: Nobody asked for makeup or actually DOING my hair, so just letting it air dry naturally & taking my pic 'sans' makeup, best do for now. ;)
God bless naturally wavy hair!
*smile*

*POOPIT* Continued...

...ok, so just now after having posted that last lovely story for you all to enjoy,
Ruby walked up to me & said, "Momma, Ruby Poopit..."
Meaning, she's got a poop in her pull up.
(still no big girl pants, but patiently working on it day by day)

I take her by the hand and we head into her room to change her & as she's laying there she looks up at me & said:
"Momma, brown beans come out! Beans have a POOPIT!"
(brown beans= Boston baked beans which we had last night with dinner)

I laughed & said:
"Yes Ruby, that's right... brown beans make you have gas & poop."

To which she replied: "Not carrots Momma, just brown beans come out!"

Again, after a good laugh, I said:
"Ruby, carrots come out too, all food that you eat goes in & comes out, ok?"

She thought about that for a second & then said:
"Momma, Beans are fast, not like carrots."


LMFAO I don't know when I've laughed this much before breakfast!

WOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Being a mother to a toddler is always fun,
but being Ruby's mother is just GOOD TIMES!

*smile*

You just can't be stealthy with a toddler...

...so Ruby & I are laying in bed this morning, all snuggled up in a wrap,
(my favorite thing to do)
and my cell phone rang. It was my friend Jen. So we're chatting & it's first thing in the morning & I was attempting to multitask...
listening & stretching, right?

WRONG!

Oh no, not JUST a stretch but, said stretch turned into a slight morning 'gas' that I hadn't anticipated. Ok, that's life, no biggie, everyone farts but it was a quiet one...
Jen probably didn't even hear it.

Ruby: *GASP!* "MOMMA POOPIT!"
Me: *HORRIFIED!* Ruby!!!!!
Ruby: *gigling* "MOMMA POOPIT! MOMMA POOPIT!"

Needless to say Jen's my best friend & isn't a stranger to things like this, we both had a good chuckle & got on with our conversation...

...'NOTE TO SELF': Never be on the phone first thing in the am with anyone OTHER than best friends & family so as to avoid uncomfortable embarrassing situations!

OY VEY!

To Cut -OR- Not To Cut...

...TEN INCHES LATER,
t'was an easy question to answer!
*grin*

Long hair was SO pretty,
but SO not for ME!

For the record, I feel FREEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got home & Ruby saw my hair & immediately said:

"Momma just like Ruby! Momma have a short hair just like RUBY!!"

She then smiled excitedly & gave me a big hug.

I love you too baby...
*smiling*

Almost there...

...just one last document to submit to Salem Probate Court & then we get our appointment date to show up & hear, loud & clear, that Ruby is MY DAUGHTER as seen through their eyes.
Why readopt? Well, a few reasons, but the biggest one for me is that it felt unfinished until this last leg of the journey was official. Secondly, once completed, I can then obtain a birth certificate from our town, something that can't be done until/if readopting is final. (At least for our state.) Having this birth certificate for her will make registering her for preschool (next fall) just that much easier.

Below is a letter my social worker asked me to compose for her so she can write the final home study report requested by the court. She asked me to just tell her a little about Ruby & our life together & fill me in on her most recent doctor visit, height & weight stats & the latest immunizations.
This is what I wrote...


Ruby Cate Pei Mu:

Ruby is a happy, healthy, silly little girl with her 3rd birthday fast approaching! Sept 7th is the big day & we can't wait! (She's asked for cup cakes with funny 'pokey dots' on them! AKA: Funfetti!) My girl loves to read and go for walks with me and adores her grandparents (who live downstairs)! Her Nannie & Nonno (my parents) are a VERY BIG PART OF HER LIFE and she sees them every day without fail! Ruby's Nonno is originally from Italy and speaks Italian as his first language, I speak fluent as well so it goes without saying that my daughter has not only come to understand us when we speak to her in Italian, but she is now speaking it on her own as well. Sometimes when prompted to do so and still many times of her own accord just because she knows she can and is proud of that fact. It's amazing to watch this little girl who, when I first held her, could barely crawl & only babbled, turn into this amazing little person with likes & dislikes and probably the worlds most amazing laugh on the planet!

Ruby loves PLAY DOH! Hands down, her favorite thing to play with besides her friend Bear. Bear was handed to Ruby on Nov 20th 2005, the same day Ruby was handed to me. The two have been inseparable since & it's a slight love affair if I ever saw one. Every day I think to myself how unbelievably blessed I am to call myself this child's mother. She's my living, breathing, walking, running, giggling, smiling, laughing, snuggly dream come true and I am so very very happy!

Ruby's most recent doctors visit went as follows:

Nov 17th, 2006
Height: 35.25 inches
Weight: 30 lbs

Ruby is up to date on all her immunizations, the most recent ones being:
Chicken Pox
Influenza

Ruby has completed Early Intervention & has progressed above & beyond their expectations, it's bitter sweet for us because although we're both happy that she's growing into a bright talented little girl, ending our sessions with EI means we don't get to see our dear friend Lisa who came faithfully, every Friday.

Ruby can run and jump and ride her tricycle and loves to play outdoors and enjoys swimming in our pool ( with help from Momma of course ) and she especially loves her sandbox and planting seeds & caring for & watering them as we watch them grow into beautiful flowers.
Her curiosity for life & everything around her gets bigger every day and is a gift to watch & help nurture.

I cannot imagine my life without this child.

My favorite quote that really sums up how I feel is:

"In the lottery of my life, my daughter is the six numbers AND the bonus! " -Unknown

I'm rich beyond any monetary means and thank God for that every day.