Match made in Heaven

You know those couples that are seriously meant for each other?

They just go together.

Two magnets.

Peas in a pod.

True Soulmates.

The real life Romeo and Juliet.

Well. I met that perfect pair last week.

Meet:

Dark Chocolate

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Raspberry

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Oh my goodness. I've died and gone to Heaven, My Friends.

Yes. I am very aware that this is a popular combo. I, however, have never tried it. I'm not one to mix fruit and sweets or fruit and...anything. I love fruit. I love sweets. Just not the two together. For example, when I eat strawberry shortcake, I eat the strawberries first and then the cake and whipped cream. Any kind of fruit pie? Forget about it. Something about warm fruit gives me the awkward tingles. Or how about fruit and meat? Ugh! That downright gives me nightmares.

But raspberry and chocolate? Yes please.

Dude. This duo seriously must have met on e-harmony. Couldn't pick a better match.

I particularly like this dark chocolate/raspberry froyo at our local ice cream joint. After some convincing from a friend, I went out on a limb and tried it and BAM: instant addiction.

My latest fave?

The Weight Watchers Dark Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream Bars.

Oh.My.Goodness.

Heaven I tell ya.

Day in my life

Just a small glimpse into my day's events :

• Started off the morning by getting pummeled in the thigh with a wiffle ball (This hurts a lot more than it sounds).
  

• Spent the rest of my morning picking up obscene amounts of goose poop
  

• After a great deal of consoling, convinced a five year old that contrary to what his friends told him, the water snail he touched with his tongue will not make him die
  

• Tried relentlessly to find one of my kiddo's hat, pants, and underwear after swim time - unfortunately without success (How he lost these items...I have no idea)
  

• Had to remind my kiddos to quit referring to their private parts as chicken nuggets - and simply not to discuss private parts at camp

Oh, the day in my life.

It's official

I am officially a Rhode Islander.

Saturday was a true, authentic, New England-packed day. (Aside from waking up at 6:00 a.m. to take my FINAL of three Praxis exams).

I would absolutely love to show you pictures from our amazing Rhody-filled day...but my camera is still being fixed. Roar.

But I can at least try to paint a picture to show you that it was EVERYTHING that New England summers are about:

Hanging at the beach ALL day long

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Del's Frozen Lemonade: Perfect fix for dehydration

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Finishing the night with Clamcakes and Chowder!

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I mean, summers growing up in Kansas meant 110 degree heat index with 100% humidity. Ugh. And our version of the beach was playing in the sprinkler with the neighborhood kids. Oh, and Kansas-style clamcakes and chowder were only found at Long John Silvers and Red Lobster.

Summers will never, ever be the same.

Umm. What time is it?

Really?

It is 9:42 p.m.

I have been working on schoolwork since 10:35 a.m.

Nonstop.

Ok, I'm exaggerating. I've taken 5 breaks. 3 to pee and 2 to eat.

And I did get out for 20 minutes to go grocery shopping with the hubs.

But wanna know the highlight of my day?

We were driving to the grocery store. I was silent...my brain fried from working and writing all day. There we are, driving in silence. When out of the corner of my eye I see Mr. Ruby's hands move...like he's motioning to someone. I look over. His mouth is moving, like he's talking to someone. But no sound is coming out.

I look at him. Dumbfounded.

He finally looks at me and says, "Yeah. I was talking to myself. So?"

Hmm. Luckily I'm not the only crazy one in this family.

Now I'm a Believer

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I have never liked really liked coffee.

That is, until I moved to New England.

Out here, you don't really have a choice in the matter. Everyone drinks it. Everyone. Even kids. Yes, I see children walking around with iced coffee drinks on a regular basis.

Not to mention, there is a Dunkin Donuts every 2 blocks.

I first noticed the coffee epidemic at my old job. Every single person was carrying coffee: in the morning, in the afternoon, into the building, on the elevator, in the executive building, during lunch, during break, even at the gym. Coffee was everywhere!

I decided I wanted to gain a better understanding of this whole "coffee" thing. Well, my inexperience became evident when I made the big mistake of ordering a LARGE iced coffee during lunch one day and went back to work. By 3:00, I felt like I needed to run around the building a dozen times in order to get the jitters out and prevent myself from crawling out of my skin.

I tried it again (a small this time) and really enjoyed it.

The rest is history.

Now, I'm a coffee junkie. (Iced only please). I love it. From Dunkin Donuts. From Starbucks. Homemade. Especially from cute little local coffee shops. Love. Love. Love. Oh, and I really love it from Mr. Ruby's French Press. Mmm. Mmm.

My favorite? Iced blueberry coffee from my FAVORITEST local coffee shop. Last week, I seriously had a meltdown in the middle of the coffee shop when they told me it was a seasonal flavor. I think I even teared up a little.

What can I say? Now I'm a believer.

P.S. HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!!!

We have a maj prob.

Yep.

A BIG problem.

I am addicted, I repeat, addicted to two of the most fattening things:

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AND

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I'm not kidding.

• I eat at least three quarters of a jar of peanut butter every week.

• And I eat ice cream almost every night. (I truly can't help this one...it's summer, People!)

I mean, at least I opt for the healthy choices: i.e. non-hydrogenated peanut butter and low fat ice cream or froyo. But still. This has to stop. And I mean right now. We are planning a trip to California at the end of the summer, and my peanut butter and ice cream thighs are NOT invited.

I seriously need to join some type of support group. This is getting out of hand. How many 26 year olds do you know polish off nearly a jar of peanut butter a week???!!?!?!

Another one bites the dust

Another fun-filled summery weekend.

Had a successful girls' night out on Friday, and then spent our entire Saturday with friends. Epitome of summer was surrounding us: spiked frozen lemonade, chips and salsa, Corona Lights, swimming pool (complete with creating our own whirlpool like we did when we were 7), staying up until 3:30 a.m., cooking out, and chilling on a backdoor patio.

Sigh.

I want this summer to last forever. And ever.

Only got a few pics...had to borrow a camera from my friends because mine still has not been repaired. :(

This little guy was our mascot for the evening - SO CUTE!

Miracle Doggie Update

It's been awhile since I've updated on the progress of our pup, Sienna.

She is seriously a miracle doggie.

She has made miraculous strides since her back surgery, and we are hopeful that she'll only continue to improve. She's still a bit wobbly and falls over from time to time. And she tends to fall into a split when she walks on our hard woods. And, we have four weeks to in terms of preventing her from using stairs, walking too much, and playing with Samson...which is becoming more and more difficult as she gains more strength. But things are going much better than expected!

It's so funny because I truly feel like we now quasi know what it is like to have an infant:

• In the beginning of all this, we did not sleep at all because Sienna kept us up by crying and whimpering.
  
• Then, we saw her walk for the first time, and we both had to hold back proud mommy and daddy tears.
• Finally, we had to work to "potty-train" her by helping her go to the bathroom...and when she pooped for the first time on her own, I felt like an excited and relieved mama.
  

I've been meaning to upload the following videos onto my computer...but couldn't figure it out because I took them with my cell phone. Had to wait until my personal IT man returned home from a work trip.

A couple of notes on the videos:

1). Turn down the volume - My voice is seriously and accidentally super loud

2). I swear I do not sound like this in real life - the videos portray an obnoxious mommy voice.

3). The first video was literally the first time I saw her walk - thus the excitement

4). These were taken over a week ago, and she has improved a lot since then

Helloooo Friday!

I'm not sure if I've ever been so happy it's Friday!

(Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm aware that I say it every week.)

But this was a looong week, and I'm in desperate need of a fun SUMMER-PACKED weekend.

First item on the agenda?

Girls Night Out.

A night of sushi, drinks, dancing, and my favorite Little Rhody Ladies.

What's on YOUR weekend agenda? :)

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Summer Faves

Whoa, Whoa, Whoa.

Is it seriously July 14th already?

Like, where did the first half of the summer go? Sheesh!

Although I'm dreadfully busy...I'm still trying soak in every minute of this beautiful New England summer. In fact, we already have a quintessential summery jam-packed weekend with pals.

Trying to savor every moment.

So, in light of the current climax of the season, I'd like to share some of my FAVE can't-live-withouts of this summer:

Old Navy Flip Flops:
Umm, is it just me, or did Old Navy seriously amp up the quality of their $3.50 classic flips? They are so comfy and go with anything.

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Skinny Cow Ice Cream Cones:
I have literally died and gone to sweet-tooth heaven. These things are so delicious, I have a hard time just eating one.

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Sweet Tea Lemonade:
So, I've always liked sweet tea vodka...but I've gone a little overboard. I order a sweet tea lemonade at just about every restaurant, and I polished off a hefty amount at our Fourth of July party. DELICIOUS!!!!

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John Frieda Thermal Protection Serum:
Highlights + Being in the sun all day every day = Disastrous split ends. However, I love this stuff! I put a dollop on my hair before camp every morning and pray it protects my hair from those big bully UV's.

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Crystal Light Pure Fitness:
It could be a complete scam. But I'm buying it. I love Crystal Light, but this new stuff actually (alledgedly) has electrolytes. MUCH needed after my full day sweat sessions with the kiddies.

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TREsemme Dry Shampoo:
Pure Genius. It's like the ol' baby powder trick without the smell of the baby. This stuff allows you to go without washing your hair - just one spray, and it just sops up the oil. And it smells fab!

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Getting Fit with the Hubby:
We're particularly digging biking. However, we haven't had much time (yet) so we opt for spin class on Saturday mornings. SUCH a great workout!!!

What are your summer faves?

My Arch Nemesis

Insomnia.

I've battled with it for years.

It comes and it goes. And when it's here for a visit, I'm quite miserable.

When I'm going through a spell, I usually fall asleep in an instant but then wake up in the middle of the night and cannot go back to sleep.

Lately, I've struggled with it for several reasons: It gets light out at 4:30 in the morning. I have to pee...and our bathroom is all the way downstairs. My body temperature can't get comfortable. I have way too much on my plate (i.e. trying to finish school in time). The dogs make some noise and it wakes me up.

Last night, I woke up at midnight to Samson whining. Apparently Sienna had gotten out of her bed and pooped and peed all over the bedroom. I spent an hour cleaning everything up. (P.S. She NEVER EVER does this...poor thing just isn't aware of her bowel movements since the surgery).

I luckily fell back asleep.

Then, at 3:30 in the morning, Samson woke me up again. He was barking. He tends to do this when Mr. Ruby is out of town. He thinks he's a guard dog.

However this time, I could not fall back asleep.

Therefore, I turned on the lights, poured myself a cup of coffee, and started working on a PowerPoint presentation for school.

Needless to day, I am going to be exhausted at camp today.

Does ANYONE else struggle with sleep when their stressed?

One of those weekends

It's been one of those weekends.

You know, the ones where you don't really do much of anything, but it still goes way too quickly.

Yeah. We needed it though. This was the first weekend in a very long time where we weren't busy from Friday evening to Sunday night.

And of course I have no photos to share because, you know, because I broke my camera again. (The $35.00 Best Buy insurance we bought with the camera was the best purchase we've ever made).

Significant events of the weekend:

• Mr. Ruby and I woke up early Saturday morning to go to spin class - our new Saturday morning obsession. Seriously, it is the best workout I've ever experienced; we leave drenched in sweat
  

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• Had a lowkey Saturday night with friends watching The Hangover. I still hadn't seen it. Absolutely hilarious...now I understand all the hype.

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• Went not once, but twice to get soft serve ice cream. :)

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• Went to FOUR different stores looking for pumpkin puree. Couldn't find it anywhere. The vet told us that if Sienna had gone five days without pooping to put pumpkin in her food. We settled for sweet potatoes. Worked.like.a.charm. Thing pooped yesterday...and we were the lunatic parents clapping and praising her in the yard.

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• And best part of the weekend? Dragged Mr. Ruby (again) to go see Eclipse. I had goosebumps throughout the entire movie - it was my favorite yet. Yes, it oozed some major cheese. But as I always say, and I simply have to say it again, the books are still better than the movies. Still, I dug the movie.

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Hope everyone had a great weekend!!! :)

Getting to know my campers

So, it's been three full weeks of summer camp.

I'm gaining more and more patience with my 5& 6 year olds with each passing day. I know what to expect. I know that I will hear my name called 10 times simultaneously in a given second. I know that I have to repeat myself a dozen times before anyone really understands what I'm saying. And I definitely know to pack extra snacks,water bottles,band-aids, bug spray, and sunscreen for the little tykes that forget stuff at home.

To shine some light on the happenings of my day, I'd like to introduce you to some of my campers:

The Wanderer: Welcome to my daily heart attack. Mr. Wanderer has a mind of his own, and I lose him at least twice a day. I can usually count on finding him at the following locations: somewhere in the woods, trotting down by the lakefront, or tagging along with another group of campers.

The Slowpoke: If it were humane to literally light a firecracker under his bum, I would. Mr. Slowpoke is unmotivated and slower than an injured snail. The group is always waiting on him to finish his lunch, finish changing for swim time...not to mention we have to stop and wait for him every few minutes during any transition time.

The Snotter: Not much explanation needed. The snotter has boogies or snot hanging from his nose at least 70% of the day. Travel packs of Kleenex are my best friend.

The Crybaby: Wa-Wa-Waaa. Eight hours a day. "I need a band-aid for my microscopic hangnail." "Sarah just cut me in line." "No one wants to play with me." "I don't like cheese."

Etc. Etc. Etc.

The Pee-er: Never fails: We just spent 20 minutes lining up to use the bathroom, and Pee-er refuses to go. Next, right in the middle of a hike, the Pee-er has to go to the bathroom. Oh, and of course multiple accidents have occurred.

The Scatterbrain: Simple. Loses everything. Seriously, this one has gone through three water bottles, a temporary lost backpack, and multiple articles of clothing.

But...I love em' all. I may go home every night with a throbbing headache...but it's worth it!

Recovery Update

I think I now slightly know what it feels like to have a newborn baby.

Crying all hours of the night. Carrying her everywhere. Not leaving the room for more than a second. Getting peed on.

So far, we think Sienna is recovering nicely. It's hard to say...because we won't really know until she starts walking again.

Poor thing is just a bundle of emotions: fear, anxiety, confusion, and frustration. She has no idea why she has no use of her back end and why she is immobile. She'll see a bug and want to chase it. She hears Samson barking and wants to play. We come home from work and she wants to run outside.

Can't do any of those things...at least not yet.

And we're trying to adjust as well. She has three medicines to take daily. We have to massage her thighs every few hours. We have to give her little physical therapy sessions with a scarf (to remind her of the motion of walking). And we have to help her pee. This is done by holding her back end up and squeezing her bladder...we still haven't gotten the hang of this yet.

Today, I came home straight from work to get Sienna out of her kennel and take her outside. The moment I picked her up, she peed all over me. All over the ottoman. All over the mail sitting on the ottoman. All over the kitchen floor. And then she peed some more outside.

She was mortified.

She has never even had an accident in the house.

So, it's adjustments for everyone. She is slowly getting color back in her cheeks. And we're still very hopeful.

P.S. Poor quality photos are taken from my phone...because again, I FRICKING broke my camera for a THIRD TIME!!!!

This is the only standing position she can do on her own

Check out my new haircut...and 6-inch scar!!!

Brighten this day right up

Wow. Thank you SO much for all of the love and support regarding our baby, Sienna. It means so much!!!

Between dealing with extremely cranky, disobedient kids on the hottest day of the entire year, getting an anxious night's sleep worrying about Sienna, breaking my third camera by dropping it again, and our electricity going out...it has not been the greatest of days.

BUT.

I do have some fantastic news! Sienna has been discharged from the hospital three days earlier than expected. The surgery went very well, and they still have high expectations that she will return to normal with a few week recovery.

It is still pretty sad because her entire back is shaved, she has a 6 inch incision, and her hind legs are still dragging behind her (this will be normal for awhile...but such a terribly sad sight nonetheless). Poor thing is just so frustrated that she can't walk and play with her brother. :( We can only hope and pray for a quick recovery!!!

On another happy note, I'd like to end by sharing some photos from our very happy Independence Day weekend (prior to the Sienna-incident of course). Two dear friends got engaged...and we were able to be there for it. So fun!!!

Hope you all had a great weekend.