Stella & Dot

This past weekend I went to a Stella & Dot Party. I never heard of Stella & Dot before so I decided to go online and check out some stuff. They have really awesome jewelry thats funky/chunky and all full of summery colors. I wanted everything. The thing is, where would I wear it? Calvin isnt going to go "Hey Mom, nice teal sea shell necklace it looks awesome with your juicy couture track suit!!". He will just want to grab it and eat it. So I opted on a simple teal strand that you can either wear as a necklace or bracelet. I added a "C" charm for calvin and his birthstone which is a Ruby.



Because being with my son 24/7 isnt enough. I have to wear homage to him all the time too. I LOVE IT!!!

Week 3

This week marks the 3rd week of my SAHM adventure. I now wonder how I didnt decide to do this sooner.

I do NOT miss getting up and shoving myself into something that wasnt a track suit to drive half an hour in amusement park ride traffic and arrive at my office always 10 minutes late. I dont miss plunking my purse and lunch bag down at my desk as I heave this huge sigh knowing I would have 32 emails waiting for me (some of which I would not understand because there would an abundance of spelling/grammar/punctuation issues.) I dont miss wondering if some of my coworkers would call off for the millionth time that year due to some sort of never-heard-before-but-I-have-it illness that will leave me stranded to do twice as much work that I wont have time for. I dont miss watching the clock, waiting to get my ass out the door.

Cals a pretty easy going boss. As long as play roll the ball with him Im rewarded with tons of baby kisses.

Best. Job. Ever.

Take some time to enjoy the view.

One of the selling points of our house was the amazing view it has over our part of Ohio. We always would say how we hated driving through Ohio back home to NY because it was a lot flatter and had no personality. Since we live up on this huge hill I retract my statement that Ohio is flat (Im still working on the personality part. Im not fully ready to accept we live in this state even though we have been here like 6 or 7 years).

Beyond the fire chiefs house you can see the 8am sunrise. Absolutely beautiful and Im so lucky to say I see this every single day.

The little things

Tomorrow March 13th will be the 15th anniversary of my mothers death. 15 years have come and gone and while Id like to say it went by fast, it really didnt. A lot has gone on in my life since then and all of which she missed. Now that I am a mother, I can see how hard it mustve been that year and half she was sick to know that she may not be here for her kids. Thinking that I too may be taken from Calvin at such a young age ( I was 12, my brother was 8) drives me to tears and I have to force myself from thinking about that. I see Calvin and I cant imagine that situation for him and I hope he never has to go through that.

Right now I wake up everyday with the intention of being the best possible mom I can be. I NEVER take anything Calvin does for granted nor my time with him. I have memories of my mother taking us to the park, looking in the clouds for the ones shaped like butterflies, her sitting on the porch with fresh watermelon, warm brownies or a new polly pocket set or "Calvin and Hobbes" book waiting for me when I got home from school on my bed. I remember her being THAT mom, the one that took my class to Marine Land and bought everyone a sea shell to take home from the gift shop. The mom that would wrap my birthday gifts individually and then put them in a big box and wrap that so Id have mounds of things to unwrap. The mom who played trouble with us in her hospital bed even though she was very weak from Chemo. Becoming a mother was very important to me. I want to instill in my child what my mother did in the short time that I had her. I know that as a mother, I am one of the two most important people in his life and that I want him to know that every second of every day I love him and no matter what I always will.

My father stopped by my grandparents house when we were over there last week with a box. In it was my big bird cookie jar! My mother made it for me back in 1985 and now it resides on my counter top. Of all the material things I have in my life, this one is on the top of the list.

Its amazing how in the end, its always the little things that are worth having.

On the bottom she inscribed "to Erin from Mommy"

Your new golfing buddy.

It was 63 degrees today and I decided it would be a wonderful day to take Calvin to the outlets with me. I wanted to make a stop and pick up some jeans (hello Michael Kors!) and some Pj's for gigantic child. Im tired of cutting the feet out of his current ones. I got Calvin all dressed in proper spring attire and a lovely hat to keep the sun away from him and he was good to go.

I wonder if he will compare pictures in 80 years and they will look EXACTLY the same.

MUST BE NICE!

Mikes in Orlando this week for work. Must be nice to work for a company that pays for you to spend a week at Disney World. Grant it he will be in class most of the day but still its FlORIDA!

Enjoy the view honey. You lucky lucky man.

A Baby in Buffalo

My niece turned one on February 20th. One folks, ONE! I remember the 3am phone call from my brother that his "little girl was finally here". I remember saying "congrats!" and then that was it. It was 3am, and I was out of it. After, I remembered I shouldve asked how much she weighed and how long she was and if she had a third eye (shes perfect, all symmetrical. No third eye). Now shes walking and saying "look, eeee, baby". So fast they grow up.

My brother and sister in-law had a nice big birthday party for her and since shes my favorite little girl I made sure I would be there for it. This meant that I would have to make the 6.5 hr trek back home to Buffalo. Mike wasnt able to go (someone has to work around here and it sure isnt going to be me! A womens place is in the home. IN. THE. HOME!)and that meant I would be making the trip home with the baby alone. Not too bad really. Calvins been on a few trips home and hes pretty good at letting me know when hes hungry so I figured I could do it.

First, I had to pack. Apparently for a 5 day trip with a baby I need a months worth of crap.


Calvin was cake on this trip even though it exceeded its 6.5 hr drive to 7.5hrs due to HORRIBLE winter weather. Who wouldve thought that in February it would sleet/snow/slush AND have people in ditches my entire way up? Calvin didnt notice a thing.


We stayed at my brothers (with my sister in-law, my nephew and niece). Needless to say Calvin was very happy to have constant entertainment and NEVER ENDING array of toys. If toys do come to life when we sleep, they have an entire army in their house. Calvin and McKenzie played so nice next to each other.



Now I may be bias and all but Im pretty sure my niece is the cutest little girl. Ever. She has these two little bottom teeth and cute little dimples. Shes also very spoiled. AWW POOR GIRL


Calvin and I did a lot of running around when we went home. We had many dates with family and even though we tried to see everyone we managed to miss some too. There never is enough time and my energy was in the gutter by the second day anyways so sorry family, next time I promise! We did manage to see my grandparents on my moms side. That was nice and a bit retro. Calvin hung out in my high chair from 1982 (seriously) staring out the same window I did while also getting the joy of uncrossing your eyes at those same curtains my eyes have watered at too. SERIOUSLY.


Buffalo trips are always exhausting but fulfilling. It keeps us grounded to where we came from. I always leave feeling bittersweet. Happy to be heading home to my cats and my bed (and this case my hubby too)but also sad to be leaving family and food and DECENT DRIVERS. It was time though. My brother and sister in-law were so gracious to let us stay at their place but Im pretty sure we were THIS close to seeing a ugg up the butt as we packed the car. Calvin was ready to go home too.

Like I said, trips are EXHAUSTING.