C'est Magnifique

Bil gave me the most AMAZING birthday present a girl could ever dream of, a trip to Paris with one of my best friends, Karen! He is officially the best husband! It has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl and he made it come true. He did this water color and gave it to me enclosed in the book This is Paris. Finn couldn't wait to give me the present and seems to think that he will be going with me.

Happy Birthday Merry Christmas!

I love the holiday season, even more so because my birthday is just 6 days before Christmas. I have to say that I do get the shaft most birthdays, but it's easy to forget with all of the holiday excitement. This year feels different from any other. I am celebrating a huge milestone, turning 40. I've been preparing myself for the past year, so I am ready to say that I'm officially old. Although, I don't feel old and that is the good news. I started running for the first time in May and completed 3 5Ks and a half marathon in 6 months. It was my goal to run a 5K before I turned 40 and I'm so proud that I could accomplish that and more. Finn keeps saying that I need to decide what I want for my birthday. He says it is a tricky one and suggested a doll house. It's a very sweet suggestion, but I can think of many other things I would like. I have no idea what Bil has planned, so this should be interesting.

Giving Thanks

The past couple of years have been extremely difficult for my family. We've had to sadly accept an ending to many lives and relationships in a short period of time. When our son was diagnosed with ASD last year, it felt like the end. Little did I know, it was the beginning of something amazing. We were pushed to the edge emotionally and physically. After a year of hard work, I now see that it was all worth the effort. I am so thankful for our adorable, hilarious, loving and super smart little guy. I am thankful for my husband, who keeps me laughing through all of the crap and happens to be the most amazing father. I am thankful for our families who have supported us in more ways than I can mention. I am thankful for our friends who checked on us constantly and made sure we stayed sane. This year, I realize that I'm a pretty lucky lady. I can't wait to eat a ton of stuffing and celebrate with good friends. Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Halloween

Trick or Treat? Finn prefers trick or better yet a toy. Four Halloween parties this year and trick or treating. All of this candy that Finn will not eat! Who do you think eats it? Me of course! I do have my favorites, the chocolate is the first to go. Finn also likes to tell everyone that he doesn't like candy and that his mommy will eat it. He also tried to give some of the candy back at one house in the neighborhood. I wonder what they were giving away? We made it to 5 houses and Finn told me that he was ready to go home. When he woke up the next morning, he asked if Rudolph would be coming to our house. I guess it's time to get the Christmas decorations out.

nighty-night

Bedtime is very methodical at our house. Sometimes I wonder if my "Baby Wise" scheduling methods created a monster. Finn goes to bed without any arguments, goes right to sleep and sleeps through the night. He has always been like this, which amazes our friends when they witness the routine. The problem arises each night when we spend 15 minutes putting every stuffed creature in a particular order on the bed or the dresser, some covered with blankets, a few of them need squishy toys to hold to and aliens go on the dresser lined up nicely. This method is to be taken seriously. Finn is not messing around and it needs to be perfect before he can fall asleep. Luckily for him, I also have OCD and totally understand the method to his madness. Sometimes it is a little ridiculous, especially when Yoda requests a specific squishy toy.

Endless Summer

The weather in Florida is finally cooling down, mid 80's. We can actually go to the park and enjoy being outside. After spending the last couple of months hiding inside from the heat, Finn can't get enough of being outside. This is why I love FL, we will be outdoors through the winter and into spring.

Finn's View on Video

Finn was playing angry birds on my phone the other day while I was putting gas in the car. Later that day I was looking for a photo on my phone and noticed at least 10 mysterious videos. We watched them together 3 or 4 times. Apparently he is his own biggest fan, as he fell onto the floor from laughing so hard. Here's a little compilation...

Congratulations Karen & Mike

We had an amazing time in Raleigh this weekend. Karen & Mike's wedding was absolutely perfect. Jenny Hammar was the wedding photographer, a friend of Karen's who flew in from Sweden with her husband Tom. She posted this on her blog, a little tease of photos to come. Can't wait!

Friends Getting Married

One of my very best friends is getting married this weekend. I've been trying to write a little toast, so I thought I would share a bit of what has been on my mind. Even though we've spent most of our friendship communicating long distance, as I moved to Florida just 4 months after we met, we managed to continue to talk twice a week. Karen has been there for me through it all. We've spent many a night drinking wine either in person or over the phone, mulling over life or brainstorming our next creative project. She is not only a good friend to me, but also to Bil and Finn.

She sends Finn gifts from her travels.

And makes him the most adorable things that end up being presents for me too!

I'm so excited to see my friend off on her next journey. I know how special it is to marry the love of your life and begin a family. I can't wait to watch her as she experiences how amazing it all can be.

Finn's Playlist

This is Finn's most recent playlist, the songs he requests when we get into my car or during our afternoon dance parties. He refers to each artist by name, except for She & Him. Whenever he hears Zoey Deschanel sing, he tells me that it's our friend who sings the Winnie the Pooh song

.

I'm not sure why he thinks she is our friend, but it's kind of cute and she is pretty adorable. Maybe he has a crush on her?

Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal
Cee Lo Green - Forget You (edited version)
Selena Gomez - Love You Like a Love Song
Andrew Bird - The Naming of Things
She & Him - This is Not a Test

No he didn't just say that!

I bought this book a few weeks ago to record the hilarious things that come out of Finn's mouth. Life has become a comedy show and my son is the lead character. I have found myself either bursting with laughter or beet red from embarrassment. My latest embarrassing moment was in the restroom of the Orlando airport. Finn proceeded to ask a female security guard if she was a police officer, "Do you fight bad guys? You have a big belly! Belly, belly, belly, big, big, big". It was bad enough, but he had to make up a little song at the end. Needless to say, I was humiliated. He speaks the truth, but we need to work on the filter.

I picked him up at school the other day and ended up meeting his occupational therapist. I had a nice conversation with him and got lots of tips to help Finn at home. We said goodbye and went to the car. As I was buckling Finn into his seat, he was staring at my teeth with a confused look on his face. He told me that I had something on my teeth. By the time I got into the car and looked in the mirror, it was gone. I asked him to tell me what it looked like and he said "it looked like a missing tooth". Apparently the turkey bacon I shoved in my mouth on my way out the door was stuck to my teeth. Lovely!

Weekend at Home

I'm having trouble getting into the groove today after a lazy weekend sitting around the house. I took lots of naps and Bil taught Finn how to play Star Wars Legos on the Wii. He is also teaching Finn to how to paint. Man, I'm making myself look bad. Oh well! It was a much needed break, but I always feel guilty afterward.

Back to School Shopping

As a kid, I loved back to school shopping. All of my favorite things; new fall clothes, book bags, shoes and paper products purchased during a two day shopping spree. Wish I could still do that! Instead I'm shopping for Finn. It isn't quite the same, but I do love dressing him up.

Stripes and Cardigans - enough said!

Finn is extremely particular about his shoes. In the spring I ordered 3 pair from Zappos in hopes that at least one pair would work. He wouldn't wear any of them, so I bought the shoes he already owned in a bigger size. I think he will like this pair of Adidas.

I wonder if I can get him to wear a bow tie? Probably not, but it's so darn cute.

He has this backpack in a slightly different design.

Weekend Wedding

Our dear friends got married over the weekend in Central Park. It was a lovely wedding, despite the pouring down rain. There was something charming about seeing a cluster of umbrellas in an impossibly intimate little area of the park. We were all soaked afterward and decided to head to the Plaza Hotel for a drink. It was very impromptu, like most of our days living in the city. Such good memories! I miss New York, but I did come to the realization that we could never live there again. Schlepping through the rain, in and out of cabs (or subway) with a child, is not how I want to live my life. It's easy to forget how difficult New York City living can be. I have definitely romanticized the time we spent there, which is fine considering those were the best years of my life.

Weekend Update

We spent the past few days at the Postcard Inn in St. Petersburg with family. It felt so far away in time and space, complete with a beautiful beach and a 1960's vibe motel. Finn had a blast meeting ladies in the pool. We're in big trouble! We tried the beach with complete failure for the 2nd year in a row. Apparently the rubbermaid box of sand he plays in, my attempt to break him of his fear, did not pan out. Instead we spent lots of time in the lobby putting quarters in the toy vending machines. I also taught him my mad pinball skills.

Before & After

I'm all about Before & After reveals. Last year when Finn went to preschool I found myself in desperate need of a project. My sanity is dependent upon design projects, so I decided to start with the house. I love the bones of our house, but there are so many cosmetic issues I wanted (and still want) to tackle. I started by painting all of the wood trim in our over 2,000 square ft house, along with the brick fireplace. It took me almost a year, but it has made a huge difference.

My next project was the master bath/bedroom combo. This was Number 1 on my most hated room list and ironically where I spend most of my time. I began with painting the wood trim white followed by the vanity. We had the carpet replaced with wood laminate and removed the light fixture, replacing it with two separate light fixtures. And we finally took down the giant mirror and put two framed mirrors up in its place, which I found at a discount store and painted white. The walls are painted Whale Gray by Benjamin Moore. I have many more house projects on my list, much to Bil's dismay. Luckily for him, I am very determined and figure out how to do most things on my own. So far we haven't had any mishaps, knock hard on wood.

Gold Medal

That was hardly the case when I finally crossed the finish line of a 5K two weeks ago. I was still proud of myself, especially when Finn ran up to hug me. He immediately let go, disgusted by the amount of sweat on my body. I don't blame him! Finn talked all week about how I was going to get a gold medal for running the race. He gave me this when I got home. So sweet!

Stripes

Can you tell that Finn has inherited my obsession with stripes? It is a sick compulsion passed down to me from my mother. It is a guarantee that at one point during her visits we will both end up leaving the house wearing stripes.

Thank You

I used to be so good about getting thank you notes written and mailed in a timely manner. As Finn gets older, I seem to be moving slower. I'd like to think that I'm just a bit more relaxed about things these days. Anyway, a month had gone by since his birthday and I started to feel guilty. I had to come up with something great, no store bought thank you notes would suffice. I got Finn involved by helping me make the lego sign, which he liked until I took space ships apart to get the pieces I needed. I wanted to torture him a little more, so I made him pose for pictures. He is going through a phase where he doesn't like to sit still for pictures. That was fun! I had post cards printed and finally sent them out. I think it was worth the wait.

Here are some of the other pics that I didn't use, which I think are hilarious.

Finn's View

Lately it seems that whenever I look at my camera roll, mysterious pictures appear that I don't remember taking. Here are a few recent photos.

1st Piece of Evidence

Aunt Susie's Couch

Our Feet at the Vet's Office

Perfecting the Face

Quirky

Bil has been away for the past few days on business and I'm exhausted and feeling sorry for myself. I decided to watch a documentary on Autism, apparent form of emotional torture. To my disappointment, it was extremely positive. Loving Lampposts, a film by Todd Drezner whose son has autism. The film explored all of the theories on possible reasons for the rise in the number of children diagnosed with ASD. It went through the gamut of possible causes such as, the environment, food/GI issues and of course vaccines. Then suddenly they were interviewing parents who were extremely positive and accepting about their child's diagnoses. They were all part of this new movement on neurodiversity. One parent summed it up by saying "If you've met one autistic person... you've met one autistic person". It made so much sense. Why are we wired to think we have to cure this disorder? We are all different and no one person develops in the same way or at the same rate. As a parent, I signed up for emails to check Finn's weekly development and I used it as a benchmark for everything. I've been sick to my stomach with worry for the past 4 years. The past year has been the worst, dealing with the ASD diagnoses. For the first time I feel like my mind is clear and I can take a more relaxed approach toward my relationship with my son. Bring on the quirk!

Win a Trip to Paris!

I love reading blogs! Especially when the blogger moves to Paris with her husband and 2 children (my dream) and then offers to giveaway a trip for two to Paris. Jordan Ferney has an adorable blog Oh Happy Day. Check it out and you too can enter to win.

Have a Seat!

I'm happy to say that Finn approves of my new chair. He is my toughest critic, especially when it comes to comfort. He even pulled a criss-cross applesauce! He has two of his own chairs in the living room. One from Pottery Barn Kids from my parents and another that he claimed as his own. The kid likes to sit. Which brings me to a little story that I found humorous. I picked Finn up from school the other day and his teacher wanted to discuss something with me. She told me that Finn sat on the toilet for almost 2 hours. They kept checking on him, but he said that he wasn't done. My first thought was that he was sick and that he needed lots of fluids. When we got in the car I asked if he felt well and he said he felt fine. OK? Then why did you sit in the bathroom for the entire morning? He proceeded to tell me that the class was watching Little Mermaid and he said "I'm afraid of the octopus lady". I felt bad for him, but then I realized that he outsmarted the teachers. Kindergarten is just over a year away. Hopefully the teachers will have him figured out.

On that note... I had a bad day yesterday. As soon as Bil got home, I sought refuge in the bathroom. I just sat and read a magazine. It was the only escape I could conjure up at that moment. Suddenly I realized what I was doing and how I always complain about the amount of time Bil spends in the bathroom. Wow! Our family finds some sort of serenity in bathrooms. It has now moved to the top of my remodel list. If we're all going to use it as a safe haven, it needs to be beautiful.

Before & After

I saw this chair on the sidewalk in front of Habitat for Humanity a few weeks ago. I immediately made a U-turn and for $10 it was all mine. It needed a little more work than I had anticipated, but it was totally worth it. Three cans of high gloss spray paint, new webbing, new cushion and fabric... Ta Da!

Home Sweet Home?

We returned from San Francisco last week with mixed feelings. We were happy to be home with our dog and our stuff, but we really missed all of our amazing friends. There is something about San Francisco that makes a person relax. The landscape is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen and the weather was perfect. We have become accustom to the flat terrain and the unbearable heat that is Florida. Finn loved the mountains and bridges. We all had such a great time.

My question becomes, Where do we want to continue our life as a family? There are pros and cons that come with living in any city on the map. I've lived in enough cities to know that one is not necessarily better than the other. Each requires sacrifice to obtain whatever it is we need or want. Sometimes I wonder if I will ever be completely happy with living in one place. Does anyone else feel this way?

Mother's Day

My friend Karen of KLP Designs made this t-shirt for Finn to wear last Mother's Day and remarkably he fit into it again this year. The kid grows like a weed. It was a big hit! Finn spent the day with his Daddy while I went shopping, my favorite thing to do. One of those things that is almost impossible to do with a 3 year old in tow. I had a very nice day thanks to my sweet husband. Now, if I could only have Mother's Day once a month!