Sick Days

Last week when I had to take some time away from my blog to take care of my sick kiddos I received so many sweet "get well" comments and emails. While I was picking up endless snotty tissues off of our floors your kind words really meant a lot to me. So thank you from the bottom of my heart! 

I am happy to report that we are all on the road to recovery. And that includes me because the cold got to me too. Hubby and I are referring to last week as "The Week Eileen Got Nothing Done!" Nothing was done on my project list. No new recipes were tried. We did however wear our pjs and slippers a ton.  We also cuddled a ton and read some of our favorite books.

We read many books by one of our most favorite authors, Mo Willems. If you have never read a book by Mr Willems I truly hope you make the time to do so. When an author can have my whole family laughing, yes adults too, you know that is one talented person! Mr Willems has won 6 Carnegie Medals, 4 Geisel Honors, 3 Caldecott Honors and 2 Theodor Suess Geisel Medals. Impressive if you consider the fact that his first children's book was published only eleven years ago!!!

Mr Willems has such a knack for making everyday events so entertaining. And any author that teaches my children (and me) to find the wonderful silliness that is in each and every day is priceless!!! 

Hot Mess

At this point in time, I think it is safe to say that I am in a fight with March. Cold bitter snow-days, the death of my coffee maker and now very sick children. A horrible winter cold has taken three out of three children out!

So dear friends please forgive me for not being able to give my all to the blogging world! April will be better, right!?!

No Power - No Post

The wind is blowing tonight! So much so that our power keeps cutting off. Which is such a bummer because I have pictures from M's birthday dinner to share with but can't upload them to my computer. 

Hopefully once the winds settle down I will be able to tell you all about M's birthday dinner. 

It Was Like Deja Vu All Over Again

Yesterday, my birthday, was going just the way that I wanted it to go.  As a girl that makes list after list and plans upon plans, I can tell you that I was over the moon that things were going my way. The sun was shining and the day was hot so the kiddos and I spent the afternoon at the pool.  We all had a wonderful time!

I got a call from Hubby that he was on his way home from work.  Hubby was kindly picking up some fixins for an easy summer dinner so the kiddos and I packed-up and headed home.  In the car ride home the kids suggested that I have the first shower since it was my birthday.  Not sure about your home, but first showers after the pool are a big deal. But as sweet as that offer was it was not meant to be!

In an act of helping his mom out once home from the pool poor L tripped and need a trip to not only the urgent care but the ER.  My sweet boy needed two stitches.  B pointed out that I need to stop having special days since Mother's Day did not go well either.  So I am happy to report that I will no longer have a B-day. At least none of my children get hurt again!

Could be like a fountain of youth right? 

Brave Boy

I am not sure that I have mentioned it but L has some severe seasonal allergies in addition to his food allergies.  Spring and Summer can be a truly brutal time for my little guy.  As soon as the trees start blooming he becomes miserable!

Since I can't keep my sweet boy in a bubble it was decided that we are going to start allergy shots for L.  Since allergy shots are individually based on each person's specific allergies and their severity, L had to go through a scratch test today.

I was just so proud of how brave L was as he was "scratched" 30 times this afternoon.  L simply held my hand and we counted down from 30.  Not a single tear which made it all the more harder for me not to cry.  

Having allergies does not just mean carrying an Epi-Pen and giving Benadryl each day to L (and B).  It also means yearly blood tests and painful scratch tests just to manage the allergies.  At times I feel like the meanest mother taking them to these "torture" appointments.  But at the same time I can't just ignore their allergy issues and not take them to the doctor.

God willing all of L's discomfort will be worth it next Spring when we hope his allergy shots will make it easier for him to handle all the NoVa's Spring pollen.  And his sweet smile after some chocolate ice-cream sure did make me feel better!

Home Repairs - Part 1

It would be the understatement of the year to say that I am far from pleased with the builder of our house!  During Hurricane Sandy we sprung a couple of leaks and the biggest one was around the front door.  After dealing with our insurance company and waiting for several contractors to submit binds we finally started work on the front door a couple of months ago.

What we all thought was going to be a quick fix was anything but that!  Almost as soon as our contractor started taking down the trim work above our door we knew things were not done right the first time.  Nails under the door's top decorative piece had caused cracks which were letting rain in behind the siding.  The top decorative piece was not put on correctly which basically caused water to pool behind the piece and have nowhere to go.

The water damage was unreal!  There was nothing that could be done but to order a new front door.  But unfortunately the new door took a long time to come in.  I can only image what the neighbors thought of our "work-in-progress"!

I am happy to report that our new front door came in and was installed this week.  It was an all-day job but that don't bother M and L.  My two boys sat and watched the whole thing from beginning to end.  I hope that the contractors, who were great all the way around, were not put off by all the questions my boys asked.  What is it with little boys and power tools!?! 

Nothing like have a gaping hole in the front of your house!  But I honestly did not care about all the flies that got into the house, I was just overjoyed that someone knew what they were doing and did it right the first time!!!

By the end of the day we had the new door that we needed! The guys did such a great job we had them do a few other much more minor projects as well. Even though they were smaller projects I think they will make a big impact in our living and dining rooms. I can't wait to show you the end results!

You can also find me at Savvy Southern Style, My Uncommon Slice Of Suburbia and No Minimalist Here

How Did Scarlet Do It?

Summer has finally come to our neck of the woods, in a major way.  Not even June and we are in the middle of our first heatwave.  So you can imagine how upset I was when I released that our upstairs AC unit was not working!  It got even worse when I quickly found out that every HVAC company was booked up until next week.  Thank God our downstairs unit is still working or we would be moving into a hotel for the weekend.

All of the heat without AC got me thinking about Scarlet and "Gone With The Wind".  I mean how did anyone live below the Mason Dixon line during the summer, without AC or even a fan, while wearing a dress with so many layers?  I for one know that I could not be cooled simply by drinking a glass of sweet tea.

No Need To Be Smug Part 2

So do you ever have a great idea that you think will save you time and make you a "fun" mom?  I had one of those "great" ideas before it went down hill so fast that I had no idea what hit!  

This past week I had what seemed like a million errands to run and L had the pleasure of coming along for the ride.  I thought that it might make things better if he could bring a couple of his toy "Army Men" along for the trip.  I was feeling  a little smug about how well things were going.  That was until we got to the bank!

After waiting patiently in line at the bank, we finally made it up to the teller.  And before I could say a single thing, L slaps his army man on the counter and say "put your hands up!"  I just about died right there and then!!! 

Keeping It Real

Like most bloggers, I try to keep thing positive and highlight the "highs" here at Lobster Meets Peach. But just like everyone else things do not always go as planned. So I thought I would keep things real and let you know how our plans for a nice Mother's Day breakfast did not go the way things were intended to go.

I was so excited that my Mom would be here for Mother's Day because I have not gotten to spend many Mother's Days with her since I became a mother myself.  My family had to get on the road before noon to head back to the other side of the Mason Dixon line so Hubby and the kiddos planned a nice morning for both of us. We were going to enjoy coffee, tea and buttered croissants on our deck while we sat in the morning sun.

Things were going well until L headed back inside for something and the wind caused the door to slam shut on his finger.  Not sure if it is just me but I knew that something was really wrong simply by the way poor L cried.  We all rushed and got his finger out of the door and quickly had his hand elevated with ice on it.  It was decided after Hubby, Mom and I got a good look at his finger that he needed a trip to the urgent care.  After a relatively quick short time at the doc-in-a-box we got word L was basically fine. Thank God his finger was not broken and only need to be "glued"!!!  And since L thought his bandages made him look like a ninja he was ok with the whole ordeal.

While the morning did not go as planned the day did get better once L was home from the urgent care.  And when L asked for a tv show and a cuddle in the basement there was no way this mom could say no!

Thank You Redbox!

After B and I visited the doctor on Monday we went over to our local grocery store for much need supplies.  Gatorade, tissues and soup were just what the two of us sick gals needed.  And as luck would have it there was a video at the Redbox that B really wanted to see, The Odd Life of Timothy Green!  (I don't know about you but I feel like we never find anything that we want to see at Redbox.  But I have friends that love it...maybe it is just me?)

Disney describes their movie as an inspiring and magical family movie.  "Cindy (Garner) and Jim Green are a happily married couple who can't wait to start a family but can only dream about what their child would be like. When young Timothy shows up on their doorstep one stormy night, Cindy and Jim - and their small town of Stanleyville - learn that sometimes the unexpected can bring some of life's greatest gifts. From Academy Award^® -nominated director/writer Peter Hedges (About A Boy, Best Adapted Screenplay, 2002; Dan In Real Life; What's Eating Gilbert Grape) - and complete with engaging bonus features - it's a heartwarming celebration of family as only Disney can deliver."

Now for B's review...."It was a well thought out movie.  And something that I thought was a little part of the movie turned out of be a big part of the movie.  I really liked it!"  For me there was a lot of willful suspense of disbelief but it was a great feel good movie for our sick day. 

Do you have any "go-to" movies for sick days?

Sick Day Shopping

Poor B was not feeling well on Sunday night so we where not surprised when she woke up with a high fever on Monday.  What did take us all by surprise was the fact that I developed a high fever on Monday afternoon too.  Doesn't my body know that I don't have time to get sick!?!

Since I can't really do much but sit on the sofa, I decided to shop on-line while resting.  There are a ton of great coupon codes right now.  J.Crew and Saks Fifth Avenue are both offer 25% off purchases today.  Just enter "SPRINGBEST" for J.Crew and "FRNFAM2" for Sak's.

Hopefully I will be good as new when my packages arrive!

My Bum Knee

My right knee has been bothering me for a while now so I finally took the time to go have it checked out.  After letting it rest and four weeks of physical therapy I was not feeling any better. That led my doc to order some tests.  He gave me the result on Monday morning and I was not happy with the news - I have some cartilage loss which is causing the pain.

First off this news made me feel crazy old.  Second there is no real "fix". Third I have to say good-bye to my beloved StairMaster.  I know that it is not the end of the world and I can totally live with the pain as it is now. But it's a triple bummer if you ask me!

So now I am on the hunt for an elliptical that will stand up to many work-outs per week yet not break the bank.  I dare to dream that it is possible.  Do any of you have any suggestions?

A Little Help Please

I would love to be writing a witty and fun post yet all of my blog-time has been put towards fixing some issues.  I tried to fix the spacing on my header since "Lobster Meets Peach" was longer than the cute little banner.  I thought I had fixed the issue but no I made it worse.  Now the header is gone and the font for my posts has totally changed.

I don't feel that I am ready for a "custom blog" yet but things needed to look better than they do today!  Any and all advice is more than welcomed!!!

Daddy's Girl

Poor B is still not feeling well and was really having a tough go last night.  Our tough tween was near tears, so after a quick chat with her doctors Hubby jumped in the car and drove all over town in search of some meds.  We had heard that this tummy bug had really hit our town and Hubby can tell you that he had to go to four stores before he finally got the medicine (Hubby's note- And even then it wasn't what I originally set out to find).

Hubby came home with the needed meds and a little gift for B.  B just adores One Direction and we all tease her about it, so this "gift" showed B how much her father loves her. (Hubby's note- While I do love my little girl dearly it also shows that I didn't look at the price before I grabbed it. $10?!)  

I am sure you will all agree, North or South, there is nothing like a father's love!

Harness the Good, Block out the Bad

I hope that your week is going better than ours!  Three phone calls to the pediatrician, one visit to her office, one trip to the ER and three very sick kiddos.  And it's only Wednesday!!!  I wish that I could tell you about a great DIY project, home decor or a recipe but I got nothing and I hope you can understand.

The kiddos did watch a ton of tv but we also looked at pics from last summer's trip to Cape Cod.  Just looking at pics of their own smiling faces seemed to perk them up for a bit. Focus on better times right?!  

Archived

Over this past long weekend Hubby mixed us up some cocktails and served them in our Waterford Toasting Flutes.  We only have two of these flutes.  Mom and I got them when the Ross-Simons store was closing at the Short Hills Mall in Jersey.  It was such a deal that I could not pass them up even though I knew they were a limited edition and it might be hard to find another ten flutes.

So while I was sipping my cocktail I got on the computer and tried to find more on eBay and Craigslist  But much to my chagrin, I did not find any more flutes and I got crushing news.  Waterford has archived my crystal pattern!

When it was time for me and Hubby to pick all of our dishes, china, crystal and stemware his eyes kind of glazed over. (Hubby's note- That is an understatement).  I felt it was important that we both have a say since I didn't want him to announce on our 50th anniversary that he never liked a single one of our wedding gifts.  I would narrow down the patterns to my top three and would then ask for his option   

For our stemware I narrowed the choices down to Wynnewood, Colleen Tall and Kildare (which is my mother's pattern.)  To this day I am not sure if he was just trying to get brownie points from my mom or if he really did like it best. (Hubby's note- I love my wife dearly but what in the world makes her think I had any clue what kind of stemware her mother has?! I thought stemware was something related to flowers.)

We were very blessed to be gifted 10 water goblets as well as 10 clarets.  I just figured that I would have no problem completing my set as soon as I won the lottery or found a money tree, whichever came first.  

After hearing the pattern was archived I thought that maybe I should pick a new pattern and mix and match.  But no sooner than I mentioned that idea than my mom said no.  What can I say, she is a rule follower!  And in her rule book you don't mix and match your formal crystal.  So I will keep calling all the Irish shoppes I can find in NoVa, NJ and on the Cape.  Maybe I will get lucky!

I hope this will be more of a "when Irish eyes are shining" moment and not a "Murphy's Law" moment! 

Another One Bites The Dust

I tried and I tried not to get the flu too but to no avail!  The flu got me this past Saturday and it was not pretty.  So I kindly thank you for letting me take a sick day yesterday.  After spending the weekend either on the sofa or in bed it was nice to take Monday slowly and ease back into things.

With Hubby's help the kiddos got off to school and we attended a quick meeting at the grammar school.  I even folded some wash.  But I would be lying if I didn't tell you that I was wiped out!  So I did change into one of Hubby's cozy race shirts and leggings and got under my old fleece "Grands!" blanket from my Pillsbury days to enjoy a cup of red zinger and a good read.  The little rest was just what I needed and I feel like to tomorrow will a better day.

Dear readers, no matter where you live - don't walk, run your doctor for a flu shot!  And stay healthy!!! 

I Feel Pretty

What does one do when they are stuck in the house with sick kiddos?  Shop online of course!  I was such a lucky girl this Christmas that I received not one but two gift cards to Sephora.  While it is not the same since I could not test any of the makeup, I still had a fun time shopping.

So decided to go with Urban Decay's "Naked 2" palette and a Stila lip-gloss set.  I have had my eye on both of these products for awhile now and can't wait for them to arrive.

North or South, what girl doesn't like a little "pretty" delivered to their front door!

Type A

I so wish I was talking about the Myers-Briggs personality test!  Unfortunately the only "type A" we are worried about in our home right now is the flu.  Poor M is as sick as can be and it really breaks my heart.  Luckily we caught it quickly so he was able to get Tamiflu.  M also asked for a prescription of Gatorade and hot-cocoa - our kind pediatrician was nice enough to write him a script for any fluids his heart desired.

Sorry, wish I had something clever to say or preppy to show but there isn't anything clever or preppy about the flu. I hope that you and your families stay healthy and flu free!