happy birthday maeve!!

happy birthday to the classiest 3 year old i know

Happy Birthday, Julia!

How in the world can she already be FOUR?!?

A few weeks ago at the Allentown Art Fest, Julia was begging for a balloon the whole day. She was riding on Amy's shoulders asking over and over. Amy told her that she was broke and couldn't afford to buy the balloon. Julia responded with, "but Mooey is fixed."

She NEVER fails to make me laugh.

Can't wait for your super fun birthday party at the zoo! Happy birthday, sweet girl!

happy father's day!

Looking forward to a great dinner tonight and another (quick!) trip to the beach next week!

Neil just posted this picture on Facebook and I thought I'd share it here too. I can almost smell the Vix vaporub on his nose and the whiskey on his lips!

Happy Father's Day!!

rant of the week

I know it's late and I have a million other things to do, but I feel the need to get this out there. It bothers me that certain restaurants are trying to market their food as healthy. McDonald's has those dumb commercials where they show lettuce and tomato on a greasy hamburger and voila! it's healthy! Pizza Hut is trying to sell a new "natural" pizza. Even Nutella has a commercial about how she's practically tricking her kids into eating a healthy breakfast by spreading it on toast. I recently dipped some 100 Calorie graham crackers in Nutella, does that mean I chose a healthy snack? (It was delish, by the way. It was also 1 AM while I was working on a research paper, so it was totally deserved.) Anyway, not like I'm gonna start writing letters to Ronald McDonald or anything, just throwing it out there.

End rant.

Hope everyone is enjoying the nice weather :)

day 14

not much to say today, like usual. i've had 3 consecutive nights of 3 AM bedtimes though, so i don't have an intelligent thought right now anyway. here's what's on my mind:

• second year in a row that i've completed all 14 days of BufBloPoFo.
• what the hell is this crap?
• i just went and saw my best friend's new house. that she OWNS. why are all my friends grown ups?
• i tried to find a video of so long, farewell from the sound of music on you tube, but i couldn't find a good one! oh well, you all know the song. (and it will be stuck in my head for days)
• that's about it. peace out, homies.

day 13

I didn't post one year ago, but on March 24, 2008 I wrote this. Glorious spring break. I guess I will give you a recap of this year's spring break.

I went to Oklahoma to visit my freshman year roommate and her itty bitty baby.

I squeezed her cheeks.

I took a day trip to Dallas.

I saw lots of oil rigs...

...and even more cows...

...and a dead bobcat with a beer.

the end.

day 12

i know my BufBloPoFo posts have been pretty weak. uh, no excuses really. just stating the obvious.

anyway, i'm supposed to give some parenting advice. i'm no parent, but i have been referred to as "the baby whisperer" more than once. this doesn't make me qualified to hand out parenting tips though. you don't need my advice, but ask and you shall receive:

• have fun. turn on music and have a dance party. sing out loud in the car (in an opera voice... not like i've ever done this or anything...) you'll look and sound like a fool, but they will think it is awesome.
• relax, especially when they are freaking out. they smell fear, so don't be afraid of the inevitable tantrums.
• everyone is busy, but make sure you drop everything when they just want to cuddle and watch dora.
• ask how school was and help them with their homework.
• try to eat dinner together.
• let them wear tutus and tiaras to school.
• call aunt mooey if you need a break, i'll be over in a flash.

not to get all sappy, but i have worked with some pretty disadvantaged kids before. some of them didn't have parents at home to love them, believe in them, support them, etc. if you show a kid that they have the potential to succeed, something they may have never heard from anyone before, it's amazing how much they will push themselves. sometimes their teachers had given up on them completely, so they had no one to turn to. i always gravitate to the "bad kid" because most likely someone has told them they'll never make it (at least in the environment in which i worked). give them a little time and attention and they might see they are worthy of succeeding. granted, maeve and addie will never be put in the position where they don't get the love and support they need, but every kid needs a little push now and then.

day 11

i had every intention to take a picture much earlier in the day when my hair was done and i was wearing freshly applied make-up. but where's the fun in that?

it kind of looks like i only have half and eyebrow, but i promise that is not the case. those bags under my eyes are the real deal though. it's a little blurry, but so is my brain right now so i didn't retake it.

here's what i'm doing at the moment:

a case analysis and intervention plan for social anxiety disorder and panic attacks. fun times.

day 7643. or is it just 10?

I'm posting this from my crackberry in bed even though my computer is about 10 feet away right now. Yea, I'm just that lazy.

I once had to write about my hero in a high school essay. I wrote about Oprah. In my defense, this was pre-crazy Oprah.

Current heroes? No one person in particular. So many people inspire me and support me unconditionally every day. My parents are at the top of the list, giving more and more every day and always letting us know how proud they are of our accomplishments, no matter how small. (For the record, we're proud to be your kids, too.) That goes for all of my siblings too. Being the youngest, I do look up to them all the time. I might be the odd man out by not going into law or medicine, but I've never had to wonder if my family supported me.

I might be a seasoned texter, but my thumbs are starting to cramp. 'Night, all.

day 9

My question of the day, provided by Big Bear's Cave, is:

If you got a check in the mail today (yes, on Sunday) for $1000 that had to be spent by midnight tonight, what would you buy?

First, thanks for the compliments about my blog’s name. I have to give all the credit to Mikey for the creativity since he is the creator of blog, pink and be mary. I’m sure he didn’t think I’d ever really blog, but look how far I’ve come. All the way to day 9, and for the second year in a row!

Anyway, on to the real issue. I’m really trying to act like a grown-up these days since, well… I guess technically I am a grown-up. If I were going to be responsible, I would send in my rent check a little early, go to Wegmans, pay back the parents an itty-bitty fraction of what they have given me, buy a really nice 3-hole punch*… you know, grown-up stuff. Or, if it was possible to get my whole family together for dinner on such short notice, I’d take them out for a nice meal. But knowing myself, I would probably go on a really great shopping spree. I could drop $1000 in a few hours, easy. I’d also buy Lisa an awesome birthday present.


*I really do need a 3-hole punch. I borrowed Esther’s today and was a little too excited to organize my binders. Maybe I am a grown-up?

day 8

I don't know Alexandria, aka Cultural Cuisinart, but I come from the age of Facebook-stalking so I did some snooping. Here are some fun facts:

• A good portion of her posts are about TV, so I like her already. Although I'm pretty sure they don't show Gossip Girl, The Bachelor and Dancing With the Stars on Sci-Fi...


• She knows how to play the drums. That's pretty kick ass.


• She is a legit football fan. Not a fake fan, like me. I am obligated to like the Bills, simply because I live in Buffalo. Truth is, the only reason I knew who T.O. was is because of this.


• From what I gather, video games are to Alexandria as Perez Hilton is to Mary.

Here's my question: Tell us about the best vacation you've ever had. Where would you like to visit next? Also, just because I'm nosey, how do you know Mike?

day 7

Oops. Forgot to post. planned on posting about a dead bobcat with a beer bottle. Picture included. More to come on that another day.
At the sabres game. See ya'll for day 8.

day 6

Like Mikey, I also lived in Bosch and the Village Townhouses. Except mine always smelled like flowers and we didn't play video games. My senior year I lived in a pretty ghetto fab house with 5 girls. There were some pretty fun times in that house, and I have tons of great memories, but I will never live with that many girls again. That was technically my first "home" away from home, but I still just considered it school.

This is my first real home away from home. I lurve it. It's pretty and girly and always smells nice. I love the rooftop patio. I love the location. I love living with one other person who I actually get along with. We joke that we'll stay here and become old cat ladies together, minus the cats. (At least I hope that it's a joke...)

Tomorrow is my day off, so I'm celebrating by going to bed early! Woohoo!

day 5

so i totally tried to be a cool kid and look just like stephanie tanner. i even tried taking pictures with my webcam, tilting my head and squinting my eyes a bit. yea, i really did. i guess i'll have to settle for katie couric, circa 1993.

since i already did this one last year, i'm not putting nearly as much effort into it. here are my celeb look-alikes.

confession: i kind of wish kate winslet was on my list. i have a little girl crush on her.

oh, and who would mikey be? hillary clinton, duh.

day 4

I complain a lot about school, but the truth is that I am impressed with the effort I put into it. My program consists of only ten students out of many applicants and I was offered a spot in all but one program I applied for. I’m consistently surprised with the grades I’m getting but I know I’ve earned it. Very few of my friends finished college in 4 years and went right on to complete their masters, if at all. I was asked this week by two of my professors to sit as a student representative on the school’s Academic Integrity Board.

Also, I kick ass at Wii bowling.

day 3

Hm. Color me stumped. I’m not very crafty. I can’t really cook (unless ramen in the microwave counts). I don’t know how to make baba ganoush or tie a bow tie. Would you like to know how to make a birdhouse? I am not the girl to ask.

So I’m totally stealing someone else’s skill.

See this pretty basket of flower cookies? I didn’t even make them!



Esther made these as favors for a shower. Maybe when Lisa was preggers with Maeve? Anyway, they were a hit and they tasted delish. Start by buying a few different flower cookie cutters. Maybe add a butterfly or lady bug in there too. Make a bunch of cookies, frost them, decorate them, all that jazz. (What, you want the recipe? Uh, ask Esther.) Wrap them in clear cellophane, after the frosting is dry, and tie with a pretty ribbon. I honestly don’t know how the stick was attached- taped inside the cellophane? Outside? Was it baked into the cookie? Esther, help a girl out. Anyway, put one of those green floral sponge things in a basket and stick the cookies in there. Cover with Easter grass. Oh, and don’t forget to hand them out to people when they leave! (We would never do that…)

day 2

I have a presentation tomorrow that I’m working on, but I thought I’d take a quick break to blog. Plus I’m cutting things pretty close, I don’t want to be a BufBloPoFo loser on day 2!

I don’t really have one favorite food. I am incredibly lucky to have tried so many amazing foods, but I don’t think I could choose just one. It would not include mushrooms or shellfish, mostly because Mikey loves them so much. Maybe we'd jam out to some Spice Girls in the background. One thing is for sure, it would be at Mom and Dad’s table. Instead of choosing just one meal, I thought I’d list a bunch of my favorites!

Favorite Meal:
Mom’s roasted chicken. Rice with the drippings. Green bean casserole.

Favorite Left-overs:
Meatloaf sandwich on white bread, little bit o’ mayo. Only Mom’s meatloaf though. I’ve never ordered it at a restaurant and the thought of eating it at someone’s house grosses me out.

Favorite Fast Food:
Subway. (does this count as fast food?) Sweet onion, Chicken teriyaki on honey oat. Provolone cheese and sweet onion sauce, nothing else!

Favorite Drunk Food:
This is a toss up. Either a chicken finger sub from Jim’s or waffle fries from ETS. Or McDonald’s. Hm, guess I don’t have a real favorite for this category.

Favorite Hungover Food:
Ramen and a Diet Coke.

Favorite Restaurant Memory:
There are 2. Dad already mentioned the first one here. We still reference than night all the time! The second one was when all the siblings went to NYC to visit Cecilia and we went out for a fancy dinner with lots of wine. I was not very mature, apparently, and stuck a leaf from the plant on the table in my front teeth. I proceeded to smile at our waiter every time he came to the table. Ah, memories.

Day 1

Anyone who reads this (all 3 of you) or talks to me on a regular basis knows that I don’t lead the most exciting life. My regular schedule goes a little something like this: homework, class, TV, sleep. Repeat x 4. Booze a little on the weekends. Start all over again. Mikey, if I can’t think of 3, can I just watch the girls while you pack?

1. School. I’m taking a little homework break to write this pathetic little update on my life. You all know the deal… I love it, but I can’t wait to be done. It’s a ton of work, but I know it’ll be worth it soon. Blah, blah, blah. I should be finding out my practicum placement for next year pretty soon, which is super exciting. I can't wait to get into the schools and actually work with the kids.
2. IRELAND! After 2 sessions of summer classes, I’ll be headed to Ireland with the fam for Dad’s super sweet 60th. We’ve been talking about this trip for YEARS and it’s finally almost time to go. Since I’m the queen of procrastination, I spend tons of time googling things to do in Ireland. Oh, and looking for cute, comfy shoes.
3. My apartment. I know this isn’t really new news, but I still love it. It’s pretty and girly and it doesn’t smell like garbage. I don’t have to deal with the drama of living with 5 girls. It’s the perfect location for the St. Patrick’s Day parade (which is tomorrow… look forward to a post about my favorite drunk food!)

Ok, back to my homework. See ya’ll tomorrow!!

babies having babies

A 15-year-old girl had a baby with her 13-year-old boyfriend. THIRTEEEEEEEN! When I was 13, I'm pretty sure I was still playing with Barbies. If I had a baby when I was 13, it would be 10 right now!! Craaazy! Baby Daddy looks like he is about 10. He's only 4 feet tall and he still has a squeaky little boy voice. Even worse, she got preggers when he was only 12. WHERE are your damn parents? Ugh, makes me so mad and scared to work in schools.

In an interview, Alfie (the baby daddy) was asked how he would care for his new baby financially. His answer? Get ready for this... He said, "what's financially?" Look at more creepy family pictures and watch the video here.





In completely unrelated news, I had my first presentation last week and got a 49 out of 50. I beat myself up over the 1 point for about 2 seconds, then reminded myself it's still an A. I had a big report due today in another class, so I feel good about finishing that. I have a bit of time off in the next 2 weeks so hopefully I'll be able to spend some QT with everyone before things start getting really crazy. Perhaps some wii dancing at mom and dad's? :)

world's fastest recap

Even though I’m settled into a routine at school, I am still overwhelmed with how much work I have. Maybe that’s just because I never did the reading in undergrad and I read every word now. I can’t get away with skipping class to watch lifetime movies anymore. Last semester I ended up with above a 4.0! (3 A’s, 1 A+… I must be doing something right)

Over break I caught up on all the seasons of Lost. I’m completely hooked, but if I had watched it on tv when it started I would never stick with it. I think the sci-fi crap is stupid, and giant smoke monsters are just weird. I won’t say too much more because I know Mike and Lisa are slowly catching up. If you watch like 4 episodes in a row then go right to bed, you have some messed up dreams.

I’m so freakin’ excited to go to Ireland! My passport came in... just wait til you see my picture. It's hott.

Today Jess and I saw a guy pushing a woman around outside from the comfort and safety of our apartment (and by pushing, I mean beating the crap out of her). We called 911 but never actually saw the police come, and the happy couple left a few minutes later. As we watched, 3 different people walked by them and did nothing.

My freshman year roommate had a baby last week and I’m going to visit them in Oklahoma in a few weeks. Another college roommate is getting married next summer. This is all very crazy to me, and I think they need to stop playing house.

Miles has called me Mar-Mooey a couple times and it's really friggin cute.

I just watched all 3 1/2 hours of the Grammys. John Mayer is dreamy, but I can't watch his weird expressions while he sings.