Pumpkin Picking with Daddy!

So Patrick has been on call every other night for over a week - and still has almost 2 weeks at this same rate to go. His poor body is taking a toll and his emotional energy is at a low too. He really needs some time to sleep and just relax and have some good quality family time.

He was on call last night, came home and slept a bit, then we headed out for our annual pumpkin picking trip. We have made a tradition of going to this place down the road - which is not the greatest pumpkin patch - but super close and cheap!!! You ride a tractor out to the patch, then they drop you off in a corn maze. Gavin loved having Mommy chase him and also to have Daddy go a different way than us, and meet up and scare us! Poor Daddy had Evelyn on his back though - and she would get so excited when we would come near - so she would squeal with delight and give up his location!!! But Gavin still had fun with it!

Once you are through the maze you end up in the patch. And to our surprise this year they had AWESOME pumpkins to pick from! We would see a HUGE, PERFECTLY SHAPED, GREAT ORANGE pumpkin and want to grab it - then see another right next to it. So we had a lot of good choices!!! Gavin searched around for a bit and then stood next to one a declared it his. He tried to pick it up but no luck. So he drug it to Daddy who helped pick it up for him, then we went back and rode the ponies and went on the jumpy thing. Evelyn just loved being carried around by Daddy and enjoying the scene. It was a balmy 70 degrees with strong winds - but a gorgeous day all-in-all. I hope it was what the doctor ordered for daddy. Now all he has to do is carve all of our new pumpkins!!!

You know it's bad when...

you wake up in the middle of the night and scream because you think someone else is in your bedroom. Then you realize it's just your husband you never see (who never sleeps at home because he is on-call every other night) and you just woke him up 45 minutes before he needed to.

Beautiful Sunday

Yesterday was a great day. Patrick was post call but only slept for about an hour and a half - so he was around for most of the day. I mowed the lawn while he napped (the kids played in the yard) and then we spent almost the entire rest of the day outside. There was an incident where Patrick went to chase Gavin and bumped into something on the deck and gashed his head...that was a bummer. That was the only time I took Gavin in (and Evie was napping anyway). Then we went to the elementary school so Gavin could practice riding his cool bike. It was 68-70 degrees, sunny skies, light breeze. Just beautiful. And to spend it together felt so good. Patrick bathed and dressed the kids and they were down by 7:30-8:00 so he and I watched a movie too. It really was just a great day...

Halloween Party

Today was our annual Halloween Party hosted at Ashli's house. Halloween marks one of my favorite times of year because it kicks off the holiday season and makes me feel all warm inside (even if the weather is getting cold outside). It is so fun to watch the kids dress up (and adults too) and have a good time. And Ashli and Ian always do a great job of entertaining and making sure everyone is having a good time for this party.

Cara and I went to Sams Club and bought the bulk item food that was needed and also helped with making goody bags for the kids. And each family brought a dish - either a side, appetizer or dessert. So everyone chips in! Evelyn dressed up as a princess pirate (thanks to my girlfriend Laura who owns Oh Baby Maternity and Nursery - who told me Heidi Klum bought this for her daughter - then got me one too) and Gavin was a Thomas the Train conductor.

Earlier in the day I watched our friends' kids, Gigi and Sophia, so they could go to the OSU game, so I got cute pics from that too. Gigi and Evie were born on the same day and Gavin and Sophia are only 3 weeks apart so they play so well together. So we didn't get to the party until 4 (and Evie had no pm nap) but we made it in time for the balloon man!!! He made the craziest balloons - he could make anything!!! We also had a piniata, played a toss game and just chilled with friends. The best was thinking we could get a group shot of all the kids. 17 families trying to get their kid to sit and smile was hilarious!!! Let's just say there will be no good pics of that!

Since Evelyn didn't nap - she was ready to go to bed at 6:30 so we had to leave early - but it's ok. Patrick is on call so I have a whole evening to myself since the kids got bathed and dressed and were in bed by 7:00. What is a girl to do? I think a nice long bubble bath is in the mix!!!

Fuuny Tagging Quiz

So you know those stupid "get to know you quizes" everyone emails you. Well here is a funny one that brings back memories...

1. YOUR ROCKSTAR NAME (first pet, current car): Chevy (CJ) Freestyle

2. YOUR GANGSTA NAME (favorite ice cream, favorite cookie): Mint Chocolate Chip Sugar

3. YOUR FLY “GUY/GIRL” NAME (first initial first name, first 3 letters last name): K-Bul (although I like K Why better!

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME (favorite color, favorite animal): Pink Puppy

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME (middle name, city where you were born): Lynne Doylestown

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME (first 3 letters last name, first 2 letters first name): Bulke

7. YOUR SUPERHERO NAME (2nd favorite color, favorite drink, & add “the”): The Green Cosmo

8. YOUR NASCAR NAME (first names of your Grandfathers): Edward Bo

9. YOUR STRIPPER NAME (favorite perfume, favorite candy): Happy Snickers

10. YOUR WITNESS PROTECTION NAME (Mother’s & Father’s middle names): Ann Edward

11. YOUR PORN STAR NAME (Middle name, street you grew up on or Favorite Pet's name and mother's maiden name): Lynne Bloomfield or CJ Hart (ok - CJ McClearn but my mom's mom's maiden name is Hart and it sounds better for a porn name) - or just call me summer haze..... (just kidding Monica - I know that is yours!)

That perfect moment...

I was driving in the car today with my kids in the back, windows down a bit to let the gorgeous 70 degree weather to come in, and the radio station playing quietly (to a song I like - not some kiddie music). I happen to look in my rear view mirror to check out my kids - who were being oddly quiet. The reflection back was one that put me in my perfect "mom"ent... the two of them looking at each other and smiling. No words exchanged, but smiles that lasted for minutes. Just happy to be there, with each other, with me. Perfect. Usually a moment like that ends in Gavin pushing Evie down or taking a toy away - but not this moment. This one goes in the mom memory file.

Annual Homestead Harvest

This weekend marked the Annual Homestead Harvest party at Homestead Park (one of our fav's - where we have the kids b-day party). Each year they have a little pumpkin patch, pony rides, tattoos, games, etc. This year we had record heat of 90-92 degrees - so it was not as crowded because people did not want to be out in that heat! But not us! Patrick was busy working on the deck again (putting the railing posts in) so the kids and I met up with Sarah and Josh and their family. This year they had a cool train ride thing for little ones that hooked up to a John Deere tractor and went around. It was perfect for the little guys!!! Gavin also rode the pony solo - but the nice man operating it walked right next to him just in case!!! The rest of the day we vegged out and wound down from the craziness.

PS - Patrick and I also got to go out to celebrate our friend Martina's 30th birthday party! We missed the surprise because of my Stampin' Up party but it was still a lot of fun to get out!!!

World Card Making Day!

This past Saturday was World Card making Day, and to celebrate, I threw a "Cocktails, Cuisine and Cards" Party! It turned out great. It was more of an open house, where we sipped wine (or water), ate some mini quiches, and ate baklava (which was soooooooo good)! It was a crazy day though because I went to Leah's open house in the morning, Patrick had a soccer game and worked on the deck all day long, I had to clean and watch the kids before the party...yadda yadda yadda.

Those joining me at my house were Ashli, Michal, Julie, Leah, Cara, Jessica, Angie, Christa and Beth. It was the perfect number of guests for my small house! I demonstrated how to use one stamp set in multiple ways, showed off cards I received from the card swap at Leah's house, and some other ideas (scrapbook layouts, candy wrappers, cute gift ideas). Some people were new to SU while others had never heard before, so it was a good mix. Leah helped prod me along by asking questions when I forgot to mention a topic, and helped get people excited about joining a monthly club or hosting a workshop themselves! It was very helpful to have her there.

I am posting some of the cards I did....hope you like them!

I LOVE MY HUSBAND!

So after last night's meeting, I feel really bad going back to reading my last blog entry. I just complained about the kids, Patrick, etc, when I really should be embracing those types of experiences and feel fortunate that I have two great kids, a very loving and caring husband, and great physicians who help keep my kids well.

We met last night with Bethany Vosak(sp?) who talked to us about Love Languages and marriage during residency (or during any stressful time in your careers). The first thing she did was have us close our eyes and remember the first time we saw our husbands. When we opened our eyes, EVERYONE WAS SMILING!!! It is so easy to be mad at them for coming home late (even though it is not their fault), for not being there to go to the kids horrible doctor appointment (even though they wish they could be there), and for coming home to study instead of cuddle with you and do things around the house (even though they wish they didn't have t study). It was so nice to remember what made me fall in love with Patrick, and what keeps our love alive today. It is also nice to realize everyone else has to "work" or "choose" to love their spouse the best way they know how.

One of the best parts I realize about my marriage is my understanding of his time commitments, and his natural communication skills. He MAKES me talk things out and communicate - which is hard especially since I am from a non-communicative family. He doesn't yell (even when he finds my credit card bills), he doesn't hold grudges, and he gives me a lot of "get-out-of-jail-free cards" when he just knows I am having a bad day and acting like a bitch. I also respect he needs some "him" time, and hardly ever (I can't say never) give him grief for playing soccer or golf with his friends.

Some questions Bethany asked were:

"How do you feel when he comes home an hour and a half late than when he is expected"? - I am bummed but know he must be even more pissed than me for being stuck there and not getting home when planned.

"How do you feel when he forgets to take out the garbage"? - I feel like something really must be wrong or he has a ton on his mind - because he is so anal and has a checklist for everything so if he misses something like that - he is really off his game and not feeling well. He would never do it on purpose.

"How do you feel when he forgets your birthday/anniversary/etc"? - This one used to bother me as Patrick is not good with dates. When he does remember - he goes all out and comes up with very meaningful and special cards and gifts. When he forgets, I buy myself flowers to remind him - then he usually feels bad and goes overboard making it up - so I win either way!!!

It was great to be forced to remember to be selfless in a relationship. Stop always thinking of how it makes you feel, and try to remember that you are one, and that if you feel crappy about it - then they probably do too. Not in every case...but in ours (during residency) it can be stressful because of lack of time together, commitment to being the best doctor he can be (which includes studying every night and going to journal clubs and conferences), coming home late, being on call every other night, etc. etc. etc...

So instead of complaining about things - I am going to list some of my favorite things that I LOVE about my husband.

* He knows when I need a break and when I need help
* He cleans up after dinner
* He does almost all the laundry
* He always asks how the kids and I are doing
* He calls me during the day when he can
* He kisses me EVERY morning before he leaves for work
* He fills up my gas tank when he takes my car
* He tries to help put the kids down (bath, books and bed) every night he is home
* He truly cares about our house and takes pride in it (building a new deck, painting, etc)
* He is close to his family
* He accepts my faults and has learned to love them and laugh at them (how I turn on every light in the house - even during the day)
* He loves when I am girly
* He tells me what a good job I am doing with the kids
* He lets me shop!!!
* He wants date nights
* He communicates very effectively
* He is good in bed (he made me put this one on here)

I could go on and on - but I want everyone to know that I LOVE MY HUSBAND!!!!

the worst dr. appt ever!

So today was Gavin's 3 yr check up and Evie's 1 yr check up. Things were going good. Got there on time. Evelyn had a good morning nap right before. Remembered to bring snacks and lollipops in case there was a wait. Going good.

Then I made the fatal mistake. I thought...these kids have been so good, I don't need to bring in the stroller. Gavin won't need time out, and I won't need to restrain Evelyn either. Wishful thinking, huh?

We got in and it started well. Gavin was cooperating with Dr. Morran. She asked questions, he answered. She said open your mouth...and viola, he opened! But things started getting shaky when he noticed the food/candy. He wanted it then and now. So a mini tantrum later, we compromised and gave him a juice box...since I was informed he was to pee in a cup. Pee in a cup? For real...I can barely make it into a cup and they need it from a 3 year old who is barely potty trained (and pees sitting down). So we attempt the cup. We are directed into the public bathroom and I have no where to put down Evelyn. No nurse to help, no stroller to sit her in. So I am one handed-ly helping Gavin strip to get on the potty, getting him up on the BIG potty and trying to hold this cup under his wee-wee to catch any ounce of pee that may come out - which he does not like!!! He doesn't want the cup anywhere "down there" and says he has "no pee pee for the cup". OK. I take him off the potty and stand him on the floor and turn my back to pick up his pull-up and clothes, etc. All of a sudden I hear a whizzing sound, followed by Gavin going - "Look, Mommy! I am peeing on the floor!" So I quick grab the cup to catch the last few drops that come out (hey - they needed the pee). Then, I sit Evie down on some toilet paper while I get Gavin dressed. She starts crawling into the pee. I almost cried. If it wasn't happening to me it would be funny.

So somehow we clean up and get back to the exam room. They try to check Gavin's hearing and vision - but he was yelled at by mommy so he is sad and not responding well to demands or requests. No vision or hearing checked. Next up is Evie.

She does great through the exam, but then come the inevitable shots. 3 of them. Usually there are 2 nurses to help hold and give shots quickly, but today only 1. So I have to hold her arms and upper body down while they give her the shots in her legs. She is freaking out crying (a lot more than usual with shots). Gavin hears her cry and sees me hugging and kissing her, so he starts to cry and wants mommy to kiss him and hold him too. I try to throw him off with a lollipop. Success.

Then comes an even worse part. She has to get tested for lead and some other things, so they have to prick her tiny middle finger and squeeze blood out into 2 vials. This makes her hysterical, almost passing out from crying so hard. Now Gavin realizes that this nurse is hurting his sister, so he pushes a chair up to the exam table, climbs up (and there is nothing we can do because the nurse and I are helping Evie - who is bleeding a lot - just not into the vial) and crawls towards us, yelling at the nurse. Then he falls off the exam table. He didn't get hurt, but I know I lost my mother of the year award.

In the end, I was mad at my kids (but shouldn't have been), mad at myself for not bringing in the stroller, mad at Patrick for not being there to experience that with me, and mad at the nurses for not helping more. Let's just say I am having a nice drink tonight after my meeting!!!

Playgroup

So today was a super fun playgroup. I would say the most fun one ever - but I'll just say one of the best!!!

We went pumpkin picking at Jacquemin Farms - only about 10 minutes from my house. We had a great group (us, the Welshes, the Williamses, theVicenas, the Stevensons, the Porcellis and the Carozzas) and Ashli had set up a great tour for us. First, we went back and a lady came with us to the fields. When one of the kids found a pumpkin they liked, they raised their hands and she would come and show them how she cuts the stem and them they got to put the pumpkin in their bag. There was a great selection and the kids like being able to roam free and select whichever one they wanted. At first, our buddy Nathan picked a poor little starting-to-rot one, but the nice lady explained how the stem makes it not rot as quickly as one without a stem so he picked a nice green one. So of course, Gavin wanted a green one too. Evelyn crawled upon hers right away and it is very nice. Good shape, color, etc. But Gavin's is green with a yellow "face" or spot.

Then we got to go in the farm part and pick gourds. There were buckets for the kids to chose from, and Evelyn chose hers by eating them (and some rocks). We then proceeded to some picnic tables where the kids were given coloring books and a snack (a yummy doughnut - which I ate) and some apple juice. But Gavin could care less about that because there was a "sandbox" that was filled with corn filler that had tons of toys, dump trucks, buckets, etc to play in it with. He jumped right in, and the other kids joined after snack. That left time for the moms to chat or laugh at the kids playing! There was also a corn maze that had cool slides incorporated in it. Great job Ashli!!!!

You can also check out all the pics - http://picasaweb.google.com/kellybull/Playgroup10307JacqueminFarmsPumpkinPicking

PA trip - Evelyn's dedication and kids b-day party!

We just got back from PA and had an awesome trip. We stayed with Patrick's parents and had a great time. So our main reason for heading home was to honor our baby girl and dedicate her and welcome her to this world (ok - I know we are a bit late - but give us a break!). It was another gorgeous weekend and we had about 45-50 people coming to my mom's for the ceremony and party.

Patrick and I arrived at my mom's around 11am the morning of the party - thinking that was enough time to prepare. The party didn't start until 2:30 so we had 3.5 hours to work. Were we ever wrong! Thank goodness some people came early to help and my little sister and her friends were there to help watch the kids and decorate too! Anyway, after a long morning of getting balloons, food, tables, etc ready, we were greeting people as they arrived. Thank God my best friend Eileen was there (as well as my mom and sister Anna) because they helped do all the behind the scenes things, like getting Evelyn dressed (thank you Eileen for her beautiful Christening Gown), to making sure the food was set out in the right area, to telling people where to place the gifts. The Reverend arrived also at 2:30 (although not expected until 3) so that threw me a bit but she waited patiently until we were ready. The ceremony actually began promptly at 3 and was about 20 minutes long. We were under an awning - but it was still HOT! Evie was good for the most part - although there was a lot of passing her back and forth to keep her entertained. She suffered a major bump to the head right before - so she was a little solemn from that (nice concussion Kelly!).

After the ceremony everyone partied to celebrate Evelyn's dedication but also Gavin and Evelyn's birthdays. We got a huge moon bouncer from my friend Josette (her hubby rents them out on the weekends) and it was a hit - for kids and adults alike. It was HUGE!!! But also tons of fun! Gavin got overheated a few times though and had to come inside in the air conditioning to cool off. It ranked as a very cool party! I was a chicken with my head cut off so I barely spoke to anyone for more than a minute - but overall it was a success. The fightin' Phillies also were playing to clinch a play-off spot and won! So everyone watched that during the 9th inning and celebrated!

We had lots of finger foods, dips, cookies, snacks and a beautiful cake. We also did a piniata which was fun - the pull string kind - much easier than the one you have to hit! People filtered out around 5:30 but the med school friends stuck around until almost 7:30 and played horseshoes and drank and talked. It was so good to see them all again. It was the first time since we moved to Ohio that I got home sick. I got that sad feeling, knowing we wouldn't see these people all together again for quite some time. My grandfather, my godfather, aunts and uncles, mom, dad, sisters and their families, best friends from growing up and their families... it was truly a blessed occasion celebrated by those who we love dearly. Thanks to all who were there - you made it so special for us!

The only problem (if you want to call it that) was that we could not fit all the presents home in our car in one trip! I had to go back the next day to get some - and help finish clean my mom's house. I have to say she and my sister Kaitlin, went all out in decorating and getting goody bags, and food and making sure it was an amazing time. Thanks to both of them for making it all possible! And thanks to my sister Anna for the amazing fruit salad - oops...that's right - you forgot it (heehee Anna - you know I am kidding...thanks for all your help with everything).

Monday was Gavin's real birthday so we celebrated more intimately at MomMom and PopPop's house for dinner and cake. Patrick's mom, dad, brother, sister (and her hubby and 3 girls) and my dad were there. Gavin got a few more gifts (just what we needed) and we had a great meal, wine and left over cake. It really was a short but sweet trip home.

Check out all my pics - http://picasaweb.google.com/kellybull/KidsBirthdayInPA2007

A day for blogging - or is it yogging (maybe a silent bl?)

Anyone familiar with Ron Burgandy will get my title joke. Anchorman anyone? Anyway - this afternoon I have SOOOOOOOOOOOOO much cleaning and organizing to do that I decided to skip it and just blog to catch up. We have had a lot happen in the past week! My primary items will be about Evelyn's dedication ceremony, our trip home, the kids birthday party in PA, and playgroup from today! All of which were so fun and memorable! So here we go...

Another cute pic from Evelyn's real birthday

My girlfriend, Jen, sent me this cute pic she took from Evie's first birthday. It was on the actual date and we had neighbors over for some cake. She wasn't feeling great in the morning but pepped up after dinner. Here are a bunch of the neighbor kids signing and blowing out candles...

First Steps!

Evie took her first real steps today! Just one or two at a time - but then she did like 4 or 5 when daddy came home! We tried to video tape it but of course she wouldn't do it in front of the camera!
I'll try to get pics!

Play Group and other funny events of the day

So today was playgroup as always on Wednesday. We went to a Fire Truck Museum which was way cool. They had all sorts of old firetrucks, told stories about how horses were used to pull the trucks, and had fun and games to teach kids about fire safety (and moms too). They had a bell that the kids could ring and they actually showed us how to put out kitchen fires. They also had a really cool play area that they made of firetruck things. There was a huge front end of a firetruck the kids could play in (that was on the ground a kid friendly - with flashing lights and all), a station where they could get dressed in boots and fire jackets and hats, a truck to sit in that had a tv monitor in front of it so it looked like you were driving a real truck to a fire scene and a fireman's pole that they could climb to and slide down.

Unfortunately, Gavin is still recovering from his illness and was a ZOMBIE! He was totally emotionless through the whole thing, I felt so bad for him. At one point it looked like he was going to pass out, so the mommy instinct in me took him home. He has been asleep for over two hours since then!

The other reason I had to leave early was because the washing machine man was coming between 11-2 to fix the washer. Turns out, one of Patrick's black dress socks he wears (on rare occasion when he does have to dress up), got sucked into the filter (God only knows how) and was stuck. The guy said it was good we called and didn't keep trying ourselves because it could of caught fire. YIKES! But it got resolved and he rinsed it with vinegar to get the yucky smell out and it's working again! Good thing because we were running out of clothes!

Another cute thing is that Evelyn is now trying to feed herself like a big person! So MESSY!!!

pics broken

For some reason I cannot download pics onto my computer right now. It is soooooooooooooooo frustrating! I am posting a link to my friend Mary's blog - she has tons of pics from this weekend for you to view.

http://columbuselliotts.blogspot.com

Gone Fishin'

Today started off as a rough day!!! Gavin woke up with pooh all over him and his bed. He continued to have diarrhea through the morning (very much like Saturday's version) and was pretty miserable. Evie was doing great though - enjoying all of her new toys and girlie things!!! Gavin started to perk up around noon and Patrick came home shortly afterwards. Unfortunately for us, our washing machine broke so I couldn't wash the pooh-y clothes, sheets, etc. We spent most of the day looking for the manual and setting up a day for the maintenance crew to fix it - good thing we got the extended warranty! And good thing Patrick found it!

Once that was done it was a pretty fun day. Evelyn slept a good 2 hours in the pm so I made some thank you cards (I will post them later) and cleaned up while Patrick straightened up our storage area and mowed the lawn while Gavin followed his lead. After a yummy dinner we went to the lake behind us and went fishing. It was a beautiful night with the family and we thoroughly enjoyed our time together. It is very rare Patrick is home early enough and the weather is nice enough to that! So over all - quite a better afternoon than morning!!!

Birthday Party!

We had Gavin and Evelyn's birthday party yesterday and it was quite a success! Although there were many things leading up to it that made me think it would not turn out as good. First off, on Saturday we went to Sam's club to order the cake. While we were in line, Gavin was crying and then all of a sudden stopped. I was busy ordering the cake so I didn't realize that the woman behind the counter gave him a huge chocolate chip cookie. Needless to say with his allergies to egg, this did not go over very well with his body! We got home fine (no outbreaks or illness) but a little while later he started having nasty diapers, broke out in hives all over and threw up. I gave him some medicine and he slept for about 4 1/2 hours then got up for some food, then went to bed all night. I was worried he would be sick for the party day - but he woke up fine!!!

Being the procrastinator, we arrived 15 minuted before guests were to arrive to try to set up! Patrick was not thrilled about that! But we got everything set and ready in the nick of time (thanks to Melissa the photographer and some early guests helping too). The kids played on the playground at the Homestead park for a while and then we had pizza, a fun game of pin the tail on the donkey, a piniata, some cake and more playtime! We had about 35 people there - about 17 kids/babies in all. It was quite the celebration. Thanks to all of our friends who could make it!!! I will post a link to view pics shortly!