Another John + Samantha Excerpt

courtesy Xtranormal, yesterday's important conversation:

S: I want some donuts.
J: Look at all that snow. I am not going out in that. Do you want me to die?
S: ...Eventually. (cue chainsaw)

Another Good Song

Susan bought this album by Them Crooked Vultures, which is a band made up of part Queens of the Stone Age, part Foo Fighters, and part Led Zepplin. They aren't very great, but this song is good. We think Queens of the Stone Age is still a better band--even though the lead singer is a Ginger Elvis.
Bandoliers-

Sledding Video

Here's a little bit of us sledding---didn't stay out too long it was so cold, and there isn't any of me sledding because Norman's hands were too wet and I didn't want to damage the camera! Plus he usually had to catch me at the end since I went a little faster...you know, I'm a little heavier than those kids! Callie, Bella, Norman, their friend Zoe, and our neighbor Dillon were having a lot of fun sliding down that hill, but at the end of one of them is a little creek (that wasnt frozen yet...) so we had to stop ourselves early! Might go again if someone babysits Olivia maybe I'll take Lucas too!

Snowed In!!!

I knew it would be cold and possibly snow a few inches, but it snowed all day yesterday! I forgot what it was like in NY and we don't have all our old snow shoes, pants, jackets, ear muffs etc. John came home for 2 days, and left this morning---he was able to drive in this snow despite the fact that snow plows don't come down our road. My mom's mustang was stuck in our driveway (couldnt get traction since the rear wheels were in a dip), but was able to get out this morning. They stayed the night and we played a little super nintendo and with the babies, and ate a lot of food. Norman and I went sledding a little bit yesterday at the little dog park by our house. Snow is so pretty but dang it's cold and I don't want to drive anywhere.


The first layer in the morning...

Lucas:" I think this is too small mommy!

Oops...he tried walking in this snow suit that is obviously too small for him and he fell on his face...his lip was bleeding a little...poor baby!

Checking out the snow

Icing his fat lip


Mom's mustang stuck in the dip

The weiners remember this!

Norman's snow angel

ready to go sledding

Sledding at the dog park


Climbing the hill

And sliding down

walking back home in wet shoes...

Lucas playing with his new fav toy..the directv remote

John and I shoveled and scraped the cars/drive with a neighbor's snow shovel--good workout! It got slippery as snot.


It was nice to have John home after being gone a week, but it looks like he's going to be gone another 2 weeks. Might be home in time for Valentine's Day.* Lucas will really miss him. Me too..


funny..this is the face i make when he kisses me too.

This morning--so pretty!


There is already talk of more snow next weekend...

A Good Song

Hadn't heard this song--didn't really get into the Kid A album. But I was in a radiohead-y kind of mood and was picking up the guitar earlier for fun(while the babes napped...for a second!) and really enjoyed learning some new songs, and relearning old ones. My goal this week is to get one down well enough to tape and post on here, we'll see if I get to it...
Anyway, this song despite the inevitable depressed (i.e. radiohead-y) feel to it, it makes you feel, well..optimistic!:
Optimistic- Radiohead

Lucas is a Big Boy?

These cute little girls came over asking for Lucas already! lol. They love Olivia and Lucas so I let them wake Lucas up from his nap while I bathed Olivia. He wasn't grumpy to wake up to them! This girl Callie really helps me out a lot. :)

Getting fatter off that breastmilk!


Lucky Boy

Callie, Lucas & his friend the curtain, and Bella

Lincoln is cute--he is the only 3 yr old boy I know that ALWAYS wants to hold Olivia! He calls Lucas "the other baby" who he also likes to play with


Dude, it's so cliche to say "they grow so fast," but I truly can't believe I have a "kid!" I still see Lucas as my baby (and Olivia is my teeny baby) but look how big he is on the playground! He had so much fun and we will be going back. We live right down the street from Magruder Elementary so we went with our neighbors to play--Olivia slept in our double stroller the whole time. Would like to go again soon, but the temp is supposed to be in the TEENS this weekend! eek!













Sebastian, Bella, Me + Lucas, and Callie (Lincoln was too busy playing!)

A Reason to Watch Football

I love this guy-

Univ of Florida's football player Tim Tebow is standing up for life, and for his mom choosing to have him despite a difficult pregnancy and doctor's orders. Focus on the Family is placing an ad in the infamous superbowl commercials advocating life and of course, all the crazy feminazi baby-killers are worried about their bu$ine$$. So evil to try and silence him, especially considering the caliber of commercials you typically see in the superbowl. The ad doesn't even have the word "abortion" in it, but it's still such a threat for someone to be grateful they had a baby despite hardships. Good job CBS, Focus on the Family and Tim! (ha! he's also born on MY birthday August 14th!)

This isn't the commercial, but it's just a little local news video clip on it.

Duo-Stroller, My Neighbor, Tennis

Today I received our duo-stroller! I immediately put it together and was very pleased with it! AND it fits in our trunk lol. Lucas liked it so far, and Olivia, well, she's just hard to please--let me tell you. Thank you so much to John's mom and Grandma Croce--a very useful and appreciated birthday gift for the 3 of them :) (John included!)

Nice eh?

Inspector Lucas

Nice Hand Me Downs!


Then my neighbor Stephanie and her cute kids Callie who is 10, and Lincoln who is almost 3 came to visit. She gave me some 18 month boys clothes for Lucas and they are adorable and fit him perfectly. Very thankful that we don't need to buy any more just yet. Steph also babysat for a sec while I took a shower. I was pleasantly surprised to see Lucas unafraid and playful with Lincoln as he played with Lucas' toys. He also played with Callie's hair and laid down on the carpet with her to watch Jonah*.

Lucas started getting whiney--but he did well!


Then we went to watch Norman play tennis at the William & Mary Tennis Center. He is getting really good, and he's grown so much! He's the biggest kid there--was the opposite last year! Lucas loved it. Olivia, well she's hard to please...

Yeah...no make up and sleep-deprived..

Lucas spectating from his throne

Playing peek-a-boo

Did you cut your hair again Susan!?

Norman's cool

Then we came home, ate the spaghetti I made with the pork and meatballs, Susan gave Lucas a bath, and I am about to start my night routine with Olivia. Meaning, not be able to sleep very much. :) It's tough, but it's working and most importantly, it's passing the time to get to next year!! But I am very grateful for my family, and fertility, and all the help I truly have and didn't realize. Thank you.

Thanks Aunt Susan

Even though we all miss daddy, Susan is helping to make things easier for us all. Thanks!



Olivia says "hi!"

One of my dad's favorite jokes

It was a lot more funny when he told it with his accent and everything, but it's still funny. enjoy:

Xtra Normal!

My little project, "Salad Sitter". I took a dumb conversation John and I had years ago in NY, when I was in one of my funny moods--susan was there to witness it. Doesn't make sense, but it literally happened--except the grenade-launcher--that's new. I look forward to making more mini-movies of other nonsensical episodes in our life, but the site doesn't always work for me and I am new to it. Enjoy, "Salad Sitter,":




S: "Hello. Would you like to sit on a salad?"
J: "What's wrong with you? You grenade launcher!"
S: "Sit on this salad!"
J: "There! Does that make you happy!?"
S: "I knew you were a salad sitter."
END SCENE

Awww

So John is gone for the week, and we all miss him, but things are different now for Lucas. Ever since we had Olivia, he has been thrown off his routine (me too..) and needs more affection. Plus when I was in the hospital, he had a lot of time to bond with Susan, grandma and John. I know he misses dada and it breaks my heart, so I know John must be really sad...this is for you! It's gonna be a rough year for us needy folk, but we love and support you Johnny and can't wait for you to come home to your family :) Here's a video of Lucas (and just watching it makes my boobs start leaking--out of the joy of being a mommy lol):

One of the only things that he likes and makes him smile is saying, "umizoomi" which is a new nick jr show. John comes home later this week and then leaves again so i know lucas will have more separation anxiety--he's worse than I am. But thank God for all of Susan's help esp on her days off today and tomorrow!

Local News

I just read this on the Daily Gazette (our local news) and had to post it:
Former Williamsburg mayor John Hodges dies



Former Williamsburg Mayor John Hodges died Jan. 23. He was 91.
Published:
Monday, January 25, 2010 6:01 PM EST
John Hodges, a retired Army colonel and former mayor of Williamsburg, died Jan. 23. He was 91.

He devoted years of service to Williamsburg, serving on the Planning Commission 1974-80, City Council 1984-92, and as Mayor 1986-92. He also formerly served on the board of Williamsburg Landing, where he resided at the time of his death.

More in Wednesday's Gazette

Not quite John's name, but still interesting that he was our city's mayor

Why Can't We Find This Guy?

I don't get it. How are we still getting these videos/recordings made by Osama Bin Laden in a cave when we can't find him? Or rather, won't. It's fairly obvious he is protected by a Pakistani government that is at the very least indifferent about their many radical militant terrorist groups (note: all the key Al Qaeda activists have eventually been found in Pakistan), but I mean, SOMEONE is getting these tapes directly from him, or someone close to him before they are submitted to Al Jazeera (I'm sure that network is TOTALLY innocent, right?)

Now we have threats of more attacks in a bold message starting, "from Osama to Obama"--a direct message with the audacity to address President Obama, where OBL says,

"The message delivered to you through the plane of the heroic warrior Omar Farouk Abdulmutallab (the Christmas Day bombing attempt) was a confirmation of the previous messages sent by the heroes of the Sept. 11...[and until there is] security in Palestine, [and the U.S. ends it's support of Israel], America shall not dream of security."

Really? The message delivered to us in the dirty underwear of a FAILED bombing was a heroic confirmation? That's almost as ridiculous as Secretary of Homeland Security Napolitano claiming credit for his failure in saying our security measures worked!

I just have little faith that this administration will fair much better than the last in succeeding in ridding the world of OBL--which in no way would mean 'we won', but at least he would no longer serve as terrorist propaganda; it would decrease the morale of the terrorist recruits who see his 9 year survival after 9/11 as proof of his superiority to our intelligence. I don't know how President Obama plans on answering these threats, but I sure hope it doesn't involve shitting on Israel and negotiating on bringing OBL's idea of "security" to Palestine.

Some leftist criticism of Obama--but I say, "damn straight!"
There may be hope for this guy (Obama) yet--he is expanding the drone attacks in Tribal areas of Pakistan---and without too much bitching from the left, who for the same reasons, called Bush, 'Hitler'. These drone attacks, which are carried out by unmanned planes (robots!) are controversial, because there obviously has been some collateral damage/civilian casualties. But they are doing their job; they have taken out many big terrorist targets, and reportedly 'confused' the Taliban to the point where some of them have turned on each other. It is somewhat comforting that Obama acknowledges the need to be a little aggressive.

An interesting note on the drone attacks:

In an analysis published in Daily Times on January 2, 2010 author Farhat Taj challenged the view that the local people of Waziristan were against the drone attacks. Author states on the basis of personal interviews with people in Waziristan that the locals in Waziristan support the attacks and see the drones as their 'liberators' from the clutches of Taliban and Pakistan's Intelligence agencies. She further challenged the government of Pakistan to provide accurate figures about the 'civilian' casualties and tell what methodology was used to collect this data. According to her 'The people of Waziristan are suffering a brutal kind of occupation under the Taliban and al Qaeda. It is in this context that they would welcome anyone, Americans, Israelis, Indians or even the devil, to rid them of the Taliban and al Qaeda.' In response to this analysis Irfan Husain writing in Dawn agreed with her assessment and called for more drone attacks. He wrote 'We need to wake up to the reality that the enemy has grown very strong in the years we temporized and tried to do deals with them. Clearly, we need allies in this fight. Howling at the moon is not going to get us the cooperation we so desperately need. A solid case can be made for more drone attacks, not less.