Love,marriage, & all things Republican?

Mr. R. Speaks: Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T07:27:00.000-04:00

In the words of Donovan Frankenrieter,

You can call me papa, and I'll call you baby

Don't forget that your Mama' s my, baby too.

Wherever you go, whatever you do

I will be there, I'll be there for you.

Mr. R., you are the cream to my coffee

2012-02-12T20:11:00.000-04:00

Today I got to spend time with Mr. R. ALONE!

Miss Rita came over to give Mr. R. and I a few hours of free time.

We had a plan to get dessert and coffee downtown and take a walk by the water.

This morning we woke up to the coldest day Florida has had all winter.

We opted for warmth and traded our outdoor plans for the town center.

We walked, window shopped, and I took my time browsing and trying on clothes. After all, we didn't have a nap or feeding schedule to stick to.

Our coffee and dessert was traded in for fried pickles and a Coke at Zaxby's.

I think Mr. R. is now a fried pickle convert.

We arrived home late this afternoon to a happy girl and a dining room table full of clean laundry.

Happy Valentine's Day indeed!

2012-02-08T20:38:00.000-04:00

I fully admit that I am addicted to a little website called Pinterest.

I could easily spend an hour viewing crafty projects, fun recipes, and home decorating ideas.

I love being able to search ideas for holidays, decorate imaginary rooms in my house, and plan menus for fun dinner parties I may or may not have in the future.

But most recently pinterest has been my go to for workout ideas.

I am five months away from practically living in a bathing suit all summer and six weeks away from turning 30, it's time to get serious about getting my post baby body back into shape.

Tonight I tried the one room cardio workout appropriately titled WEDNESDAY.

It was tough, but it felt good to be sweaty and tired.

I also found tonight's dinner on pinterest.

Italian crock-pot beef sandwiches.

Serve with provolone cheese and roasted veggies.

Your husband will think you are amazing.

And if you need a Piper fix, here she is bouncing and singing!

I don't get out of bed for less than 10,000 a day.

2012-02-07T20:13:00.000-04:00

Today I channeled my inner Linda Evangelista.

I drank my coffee out of the special mug.

I took my time in the shower.

I wore my favorite, I feel skinny skirt.

I wore a red flower in my hair.

I ate lunch leisurely at my desk while catching up on blogs.

I chose not be rushed, easily angered, or stressed.

I made time for spin class.

I made my favorite dinner.

And now as my day is coming to a close, I feel like a million bucks.

After all, I don't get out of bed for less than $10,000!

A little bit of nothing...

2012-02-06T20:42:00.000-04:00

I am thankful I had the forethought to take Monday off. After traveling all day yesterday I woke-up tired and weary. I was able to sleep in a bit this morning, take a VERY long and VERY hot shower, grocery shop at my leisure, make dinner in the crock, tackle the pile of laundry from this weekend, and visit my grandparents. It's been wonderful to have a surprise three day weekend.

And I think I just might be ready to return to work tomorrow.

Pictures from Piper's afternoon picnic. She is in love with pushing the shapes through the holes. Thank you so much Aunt Karen and Uncle Mark!

Celebrating 60 Wonderful Years!

2012-02-06T14:17:00.001-04:00

I have had the pleasure of knowing Mr. R's grandparents for 6 years.

They have opened their home to me on many occasions, providing love, home-cooking, and hilarious stories about Mr. R. when he was younger.

Mr. R's grandparents are the proud parents of five children. They once owned a farm and still maintain a working garden in their retirement.

Mr. R is one of 13 grandchildren. His grandfather is an amazing wood worker who made rocking horses for two generations of Republicans, bunk-beds for Mr. R. and his brothers, and most recently a doll house for Miss Pip.

Mr. R.'s grandparents are now Great-Grandparents to three little Republicans Bryan, Jonas, and the Pip.

We had an amazing time celebrating their milestone on Saturday.

We danced, we ate, we reminisced...

Everything is always better when we together!

Owl hats, pancake breakfasts, and grandparent love

2012-02-06T09:42:00.002-04:00

We arrived in Anderson Friday afternoon just in time for a swim in the hotel pool with cousins. Friday night brought Carolina BBQ with the grandparents and Great-grandparents. Pip loved all the attention! On the way back to the hotel Mr. R. and I stopped at Target and Miss Pip fell IN LOVE with a pink purse in the toy aisle. She didn't want to put it back on the shelf! Don't worry it will be an appearance on Valentine's Day :)

Saturday morning we met up with most of Mr. R.'s extended family for breakfast at the Cracker Barrel. The Cracker Barrel is Jeff's Grandfather's favorite restaurant. I actually think the love of Cracker Barrel runs deep in the Republican family. There were 19 of us at breakfast and I can guarantee you that NO ONE went home hungry. Pip also had her first taste of pancake, grits, and country biscuit. The pancakes were definitely her fave.

A quick trip to Anderson, SC

2012-02-06T09:31:00.002-04:00

Mr. R.'s grandparents celebrated 60 years of marriage on Thursday.

On Friday, The Florida Republicans reunited with the entire Republican clan in Anderson for a weekend of Cracker Barrel pancakes, swimming, picture taking, dancing, and Carolina BBQ.

Miss Pip was a trooper for the 7 hour drive North. It helps that we travel with Baby Einstein DVDs, an entire duffle bag of toys, and lots of coffee for me & Mr. R.

Stay tuned for photos of the Anniversary party and the rest of the weekend festivities.

C'mon Get Happy

2012-02-02T22:11:00.000-04:00

This week was not a good one.
In fact if you want to get real for a moment, this week STUNK.
My attitude, my eating, my workouts, my sleep, my actions sucked.
I could wallow in self pity. I could continue to give my husband the silent treatment.
Or I could put on my pajamas, put this day to bed, and get ready for the weekend.
The weekend is always full of promise.

So right now I am forgetting about the last 5 days. And instead I am embracing.

Right now...

Right now I'm...
watching: Parks and Recreation, love this show
drinking:...water in one glass and diet Coke in the other
wearing: my most favorite, most worn, pajama pants and my swim team hoodie from college
listening: Piper snore on the monitor
avoiding: packing and doing the dishes
wishing: that I had made it to the semi-finals of the fellowship nominees, i was eliminated at the top 25% (lack of experience)
feeling: excited about going back to the gym, spin class here I come!

missing: my mom, I need to see her again before the summer
thankful: for long showers, self tanning lotion, and Starbucks coffee
craving: Mellow Mushroom pizza
wondering: what Valentine's day will bring, hopefully a massage (hint, hint!)
weather: It was 72 degrees today, I am thankful for Florida winter
praying: for peace and contentment with my job, it's easy to keep looking for the next BIG thing
needing: a massage (hint, hint!)
thinking: I want to plan a mustache party, when, where, what to eat?
dreaming: spring break mini vacation! New Orleans? Charleston? Asheville?
loving: Miss Pip!

My Love Tank

2012-02-01T21:17:00.000-04:00

My love tank is on empty.

I am very very tired.

And my days this week have been very very busy.

I am traveling this weekend, I have laundry to do, a bag to pack, a car that needs an oil change, and lesson plans to write.

I am pretty sure a few good workouts, some coffee, and a night of uninterrupted sleep will fill my tank back up.

Until then, Mr. R. just has to bear with me and keep his snarky/witty/opinionated comments to himself.

I mustache you to be my valentine!

2012-02-01T04:04:00.000-04:00

(I must ask you to be my valentine)

Wishing you 14 days of LOVE!

Right now I'm...

2012-01-31T21:15:00.001-04:00

eating ice cream out of one of Piper's mini bowls. This is my attempt at portion control.
wearing shorts and a sweatshirt because that is winter attire in Florida. Jealous?
watching Modern Family on DVD while Mr. R. reads his zoning board book.
wishing the folded laundry would put itself away
thankful for good friends who have sisters who are willing to dog-sit for a few days
planning a monthly running schedule, 10K and half marathon distances I am coming for you!
congratulating myself on an awesome dinner, Pioneer Woman's cheeseburger salad is amazing
putting off writing lesson plans
thankful for Psalm 29:11

The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace

Made my Monday:

2012-01-30T19:58:00.000-04:00

Fitting into my favorite cords from 4 years ago.

66 quizzes graded and all but one roller-coaster project turned in on time.

Two good miles run while Pip hung out in her bouncer.

Chicken Cordon Blue made in the crock-pot

A quick Facetime conversation between Pip and her Pop-pop.

Pip fresh out of the bath, smelling like lavender baby lotion, and smiling a three teeth smile!

Date Afternoon

2012-01-29T20:40:00.000-04:00

Today our amazing sitter, Miss Rita, offered us an afternoon of babysitting. We didn't think twice when accepting her services and planning a date afternoon.

1. Epic Theaters for the 12:30 showing of One for the Money. I loved it. Mr. R. agreed is was funny.

2. Apps & 'sserts at Chilis. As Tom Haverford says, there is nothing in this world that is better.

3. Barned & Noble for magazine reading

4. Target (huggies, formula, and travel food for the Pip)

5. Publix (weekly grocery shopping done!)

We came home to a happy baby who napped TWICE! and can now crawl from room to room with ease. A few hours away from Piper really does make my heart grow fonder. We spent the rest of tonight playing blocks, reading books, and making farm animal noises. She made it to 7:30 tonight before demanding a bottle and promptly passing out.

Why I love Saturdays 1- 10

2012-01-28T21:43:00.001-04:00

1. Sleeping In

2. Neighborhood strolls

3. Slow-cooker suppers

4. Naps

5. New sneakers & time for a good run

6. Movies on the chaise

7. Lots of crawling practice (for the Pip)

8. A 95th Birthday celebration for our sweet neighbor

9. A chapter of my book read in actual peace and quiet

10. Peppermint tea before bed

It's a FIVE GUYS kind of night.

2012-01-27T20:31:00.000-04:00

It's been a long week.

We have been fending off sickness, wiping noses, taking medicine, and re-freezing teething pops.

We are caught up on laundry and housework.

My gradebook is up to date.

Mr. R. has been crunching numbers and making more money for his clients.

This morning the alarm went off and I said a thankful prayer that it's Friday.

Thank goodness for weekends and time to recharge our batteries.

And since I am feeling thankful, I am thankful for FIVE GUYS.

Burger for Mr. R., hot dog for me, and a red straw for Miss. Pip.

Someone learned how to play peek-a-boo!

2012-01-27T20:13:00.000-04:00

Three Things on Thursday:

2012-01-26T20:19:00.002-04:00

1. We are almost cold free and back in the land of healthy living.

2. I made breakfast for dinner. Mr. R. wasn't on board, but then he saw the monkey bread. I think monkey bread could solve world wars.

3. See how tired Pip looks in this picture? 10 minutes after it was taken she was jumping and dancing.

Stuffy, sneezy, and tired.

2012-01-25T19:41:00.001-04:00

If we were dwarves, living in an enchanted forest, mining for diamonds, those would be our names. Miss Pip is the stuffy one. Her little nose is red and runny. I am not sure if it's teething, her top tooth is coming in, or if she is coming down with the winter crud that all of my students bring to school each day. Pip is currently camped out in her Fisher-Price swing batting at her zoo animals. I am considering myself boy-scout prepared with a nose syringe, saline drops, infant tylenol and pedialite at hand. If the crud is coming I am ready for battle!

Going on with our dwarf analogy, I would be sneezy. What started out as a head cold last Thursday has turned into a full blown sinus infection. The good news I am medicated up and this infection is on its way out. Mr. R. is also taking pity on me and waking up with Pip in the middle of the night. He is a catch :)

And that leads me to Mr. R., he is just plain tired. Between Pip teething, the bathroom renovation, and an increase in workload, my main man needs a holiday or at least a restful weekend. I am thinking an at home spa date is needed.

Thank Goodness it's Wednesday and the weekend is just one day away!

What we have been up to:

2012-01-23T21:04:00.000-04:00

I am sure you have read that our bathroom renovation sucked up 98% of our time last week and this past weekend. But we wouldn't be The Republicans if we didn't try to squeeze in a few other projects/celebrations in the midst of our projects.

Friday & Monday: I am currently elbow deep in frog dissections. My students are LOVING it. And I have to say these kids are troopers. They didn't complain about the smell nor the amount of writing/observing that goes along with a dissection. Today I left school very tired, but so proud of my students!

Saturday: Pip is a crawling machine! Two seconds after this photo was taken she lunged forward and clotheslined Elmo.

Sunday: My grandparents invited Piper out to breakfast. She has quite the social calendar I tell you! Mr. R. and I were invited as well and we all enjoyed platefuls of pancakes, eggs, bacon and toast. Yum!

Tonight: My grandparents celebrated 64 years of marriage! Mr. R. and I have five years under our belt and we consider that a feat. I cannot imagine what 64 years feels like. My grandparents are incredible, there love for each other is apparent in every conversation and interaction. When Mr. R. and I grow up we hope to be just like them. Happy Anniversary G & P!

Saturday Progress:

2012-01-21T22:17:00.000-04:00

The floor is in!

The toilet is back in working order.

We put the final coats of paint on the vanity this afternoon.

Our sink is still a work in progress. I think is actually deserves its own post eventually. I am following a tutorial for a faux granite look and I think it's actually coming together. Here's a sneak peak.

Tonight Mr. R. handed over the credit card and a shower curtain, bath towels, and a pretty yellow rug are on their way. It feels AMAZING to be almost done!

I gotta pickle, I gotta pickle, I gotta pickle, hey hey hey hey!

2012-01-20T19:24:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday I bought two VERY large jars of pickles.

On Wednesday I carried those jars into school.

And on Thursday we dissected.

Yes, you read that correctly we performed a pickle dissection. Or as I like to call it a seed-ectomy.

The lab was a huge success my students LOVED it and the procedure and write-up taught them the proper terms as well as how to use the tools in the dissection kit.

WIN-WIN!

The anatomy of our bathroom:

2012-01-20T17:13:00.000-04:00

The walls have been painted. (Dolphin gray by Behr)

FYI: In my next life I want to be the person who comes up with the paint color names.

The vanity has been sanded, primed, and now sports two coats of sunshine yellow.

I just love how bright it is! (The real name of this paint is lemon sorbet, also by Behr).

The vanity doors have been primed and painted.

We debated for a LONG time about what to do with our sink and countertop. Should we buy new, leave it alone, or try to paint it? Buying new didn't make sense unless we were willing to replace the WHOLE vanity. I tried my hardest to ignore it and leave it the UGLY beige it was, but the bright yellow was so fun and happy and builder beige just made me sad.

In the end we decided to paint and after work today I wiped, sanded, and added the first coat of oil based primer.

Stay tuned for more updates this weekend!

Tonight we tackle the floor.

The many faces of Piper: 8 months

2012-01-17T21:55:00.000-04:00

A look at where we are going: Bathroom Day 2.5

2012-01-16T11:43:00.000-04:00

Before I start any home improvement project I like to have a goal in mind. I start with a photo of a room I admire and then figure out how to make the idea come to life in my own home on our verytight budget. We are shooting for a $300 makeover for the big bathroom and a $200 makeover for ours.

My inspiration photo: source

I am loving the barn door! But, in all reality we don't need a barn door at Casa Repub. What we do need is a neutral wall color (hello gray!) and a fun pop of color to add personality to our space.

I love the girly chandelier. We just happen to have one sitting in our garage at the moment needing a little TLC and spray paint.

A clawfoot tub would be amazing, but our tub/shower combo is perfectly suited for out needs and a funky gray or yellow shower curtain is all we need to make our not so pretty tub disappear.

With the help of pinterest I made this bathroom my own. And in just a few weeks I can hopefully show you the BIG reveal.

Bathroom Update Day 2:

2012-01-16T11:29:00.000-04:00

The wallpaper is gone, HALLELUJAH!

And now so is the floor.

We weren't planning on taking up the floor just yet, but as most things happen in our household, it just happened! And as per usual, there is a funny story behind it.

We needed to move the toilet tank in order to scrape off the last bit of the blasted shell wallpaper. The bolts that hold the tank to our toilet seat are rusted out so the tank for all future purposes will stay connected. This meant we had to move the WHOLE toilet. We turned off the water, emptied the tank and bowl, detached the toilet from the wall and then tried to move it. We pulled. We pushed. We shoved and the toilet WOULD NOT MOVE. Mr. R. might have also said a few choice words under his breath. He gave the toilet one final pull and by the grace of God it finally moved! But, it pulled up the floor tiles with it. We lost three 12x12 floor tiles to our toilet and made the decision to just continue tearing up tiles.

This means we are down a bathroom and the to-do list just got a bit longer, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Weekend Lens: Our very sad, long ignored bathroom

2012-01-14T22:16:00.001-04:00

Mr. R. and I have lived in Casa Republican for 3.5 years. We have also hated our bathrooms for 3.5 years. I can vividly remember doing a walk through with our realtor thinking I love love love this house, but these bathrooms are really bad.

Our house is a 1970's concrete block house. It has an open layout, three bedrooms, and our mortgae is the same as our monthly rent used to be back in DC. Did I mention our rent was for a 750 square foot one bedroom apartment? Bad bathrooms or not we knew we couldn't find a better deal. So we handed over every last cent we had and entered into the world of homeownership, 30 year mortage and all.

Since buying our place we have replaced carpet with wood floors, painted almost every wall, installed sod in the puppy park, chnage the layout of our living and dining room, made an office for Mr. R. and turned a gusest bedroom into a nursery. And most importantly we IGNORED the bathrooms, until today.

The bathrooms contain wallpaper, vinyl flooring that is cracking and peeling, crooked crown molding, loose bathroom tiles, and enough towel holders for the Duggar family.

As Home Depot would say, Mr. R. and I cranked up our doing dails and finally faced our wallpaper fears. We scraped on and off four 5 hours today. With the help of Zinnser DIF wall paper remover, two scrapers, and a butter knife we have almost 60% of the wallpaper off! Tomorrow we will continue our quest and hopefully I can update you with pictures of a paper-FREE bathroom tomorrow night.

P.S. I think Mr. R. totally looks like the Brawny Papertowel guy in that shirt. Do you see it too?

Weekend Lens: Pippa's Room 8 months

2012-01-14T21:46:00.001-04:00

This weekend I made a few changes/updates to Piper's room.
I love how bright and cheery her room is. I love that she has started to notice her animals and the patterns. She takes her little fingers and runs them across the outlines on her wall. I love her dollhouse library and that she can now pull books down from the shelves. She has quite the stuffed animal collection, thanks to so many of our sweet friends!, and needed a toy bin. Piper actually fits in her toy bin and thinks that it's for many use is carrying her around. Our babysitter gifted Pip with the flower laundry basket and it's the perfect size for housing two/three days worth of clothes. Her lamp is a Target find. I have been holding onto that lamp shade for two years, it was part of the Liberty of London collection from 2010. I found the base for it today and it fits perfectly on her changing table. Her crib is still on the highest setting, but we discovered that Miss Pip is starting to pull up on the edges and try to stand. Mr. R. will be lowering her mattress ASAP. This little girl definitely keeps us on our toes!

Nothing good happens after 2AM?

2012-01-14T03:52:00.002-04:00

There is a show I love, It's called how I met your mother. Mr. R. and I discovered it in 2006, we were newly married, learning to love and live with each other, and the two characters Marshall and Lily seemed to be living our lives, but on a TV screen. We watched our TV twins have similar fights over money, food, jobs, dreams, goals, and kids.

One of the episodes from season 1, clearly states that NOTHING good ever happens after 2AM. In fact, it goes on to say that if it's after 2AM, you better just head to bed because if you don't you are only asking for trouble. And until this May, I would have agreed to that very sentiment.

But this morning it is currently 2:45 and up until 10 minutes ago I was feeding a sweet little baby. She smelled of lavender baby lotion. She curled into me, so happy to cuddle and share my warmth. Her milky breath and little sighs melt my heart. Sure, I am tired. And yes, part of me would LOVE if she would sleep through the night. Heck I would be high five-ing the whole neighborhood if she gave me a solid 8 hours. But at the same time those little moments of cuddling, rocking, and bonding are my favorite. They are the good stuff and I know these little moments will not be around forever.

...so maybe, just maybe, a few good things do happen after 2AM.

Who's my pretty little baby?

2012-01-12T20:38:00.000-04:00

Pip has become obsessed with her reflection lately.

She loves to stare at her mirror image and make faces, wave, and babble. We ask her, who's that baby? And she just giggles than laughs and waves some more. She also loves to see her reflection in the photobooth app for my phone. She grabs the phone and holds it as close to her face as possible.

I think she is trying to figure out how we fit a whole baby into that tiny little rectangle.

Miss Pip is 8 months old today and I have to say this has been my most favorite month yet.

This face:

2012-01-11T20:50:00.000-04:00

loves bath time, her newest trick is using that watering can to pour water all over her head
likes to feed herself, this results in food EVERYWHERE!
has the craziest hair when she wakes up in the morning, she gets it from her dad.
loves to cuddle late at night
has learned to give kisses, they are big and sloppy and sometimes open-mouthed, but I love them nonetheless.

is the proud owner of two little white teeth, they look just like tic-tacs
wants to see and know everything, she is so nibby! Her little head is always turning and twisting to take in the sights around her.
is giving Miss Rita, our babysitter, a run for her money, she didn't nap AT ALL today

has learned to wave, she only uses her left hand and usually the wave ends with clapping
like to bite on our fingers
is obsessed with keys
is refusing to sleep right now and Mr. R. is having to be the strong one.

I love this face.

In the midst of chaos we find comfort in sameness.

2012-01-10T20:46:00.000-04:00

This week is crazy. I am giving midterms, entering many many graded assignments, and preparing to close my gradebook for the semester. I am also convinced Pip is going through a growth spurt this week. She is completely off schedule, she is refusing to nap, and she wants to eat ALL THE TIME. If I were Gwen Stefani, or Kelly Kapoor, I would be singing about how today was bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S! (FYI: My 2002 self LOVED that song!) I am grateful that even in times of change Mr. R. and I can take solace in our nightly routine.

4:00 Walk dogs, visit neighbors, catch up on our days
4:45 Pip gets a bottle, dogs get dinner, I run on the treadmill
(2 miles tonight)
5:30 Start dinner for Mr. R. and me, take Pip's dinner out of the freezer to thaw
(Salmon for us, broccoli carrot & butternut squash apple puree for her)
6:15 - 6:30: Dinner
(We have been really good at eating at the table with no distractions. Tonight's topic of conversation was the UNF debate on the 26th. Check out Mr. R.'s post below if you want to know his pick for the RNC nomination).
7:00: Piper in the tub. We read, we sing, we splash.
7:20: Formula for Pip, hot chocolate for me, tea for Mr. R.
7:40: Goodnight Pip (or so we hope!)
I blog, catch up on facebook, grab and shower, and head to bed praying Pip sleep until at least 2AM.

Do or do not, there is no try.

2012-01-10T07:18:00.002-04:00

Mr. R. was seemingly impressed when I busted out a Yoda quote this morning.

I have been using the word TRY so much lately.

Hilary are you working out?
I'm trying.

Hilary, are you still doing weight watchers?
I'm trying.

Hilary, how are the house projects going?
I'm trying to find time to do them.

The word try has become my personal cop-out this year. And I am not OK with that. I have been praying that I would find some motivation to get off my duff and accomplish some of the goals I have set for myself this year (and the ones leftover from last year).

Who knew my motivation would come in the form of a little green guy with fuzzy hair and a light saber?
I need to pull on my big girl pants and decide to walk with intention and reach my goals or to sit back accept that I am unwilling to change my current state. This trying business is not working for me. A blog I stumbled across last week talked about intention. If we intend to do something, we schedule time for it, we make a plan, and most likely we accomplish the task. The blogger decided that in 2012 she would walk with intention. She would plan, stick to her schedule, and only make commitments that she intended to complete.

The Jedi inside me is saying it's time to walk with intention. It's time to better manage my time, my diet, and my commitments. That means less time on pinterest, no more facebook stalking, less time to lounge in my sweats, but the payoff... finally being able to say, WHY YES I AM DOING THAT, it was my intention all along.

CRASH!

2012-01-09T19:58:00.000-04:00

Piper's new love is blocks. She loves for me to stack them and then she takes those little hands and knocks the block tower down as FAST as she can. She is also a fan of kicking down block towers and trying to chew on the edges of each individual cube. She also uses those monkey toes of hers to pick up a block or two.

Mr. R. Speaks: My Presidential Primary Endorsement

2012-01-09T17:57:00.000-04:00

Warning. If you don't care about politics, just skip this post. It's all politics and I make no apologies for my opinions. After all, I wouldn't be "Mr. R." if I wasn't known to speak my mind from time to time. Let me preface my remarks by stating that whoever the Republican nominee is, that is who I will support in the general election because Obama and his cronies have been an utter disaster for this country.

And now, the recipient of Mr. R's coveted endorsement for the Republican presidential nomination: Mitt Romney.

When looking for my nominee, I considered several factors:

1. Is this person presidential? Do they have a presence that commands the room? Are they knowledgeable on the issues? Do they have a record of getting things done? While a few candidates have shown glimpses of presidential behavior, Mitt Romney is the only candidate this year who always looks presidential. Almost every candidate in this race has had at least two weeks as the favorite "anti-Romney" candidate; and yet each of those candidates have wilted under the increased media exposure. As the "favorite," Mr. Romney has been dealing with this kind of media attention longer than any Republican in the field, and he continues to show a steady, controlled demeanor that is important to have for someone who hopes to have the most stressful job in the world.

2. How do the candidates line up on the biggest issues? There is no question the biggest issue in this election is going to be the economy and job creation. On these issues, no other Republican in the current field comes close to matching Mr. Romney's private-sector experience of turning around failing enterprises. If ever there were a failing enterprise that needs a turnaround, it is our federal government. It is also worth mentioning that Mr. Romney supports Congressman Paul Ryan's proposed federal budget reforms that will cut our deficit and bring Medicare spending under control, and that he has promised to repeal Obamacare starting Day 1 of his administration.

3. Is this person ready to be the commander-in-chief of our armed forces? There is more to commanding the military than just being able to defend the nation. A good commander-in-chief must be a diplomat and a strategic thinker; someone who knows that American actions are going to have global consequences that will be felt by our allies as well. In 2008, Mr. Romney looked weakest in this area. But judging from his debate performances and other speeches, he has clearly done his homework. Nothing about the phrase "Commander-in-Chief Mitt Romney" gives me the kind of nightmares that phrase would conjure if it included Ron Paul's name.

4. Is this someone that independents and even Democrats can vote for? It is a fact of life for both major parties: Neither the Republicans or Democrats can win a national election by appealing only to their base. Successful campaigns need to appeal to the 30% of the electorate who do not identify with either party. Mitt Romney, as a former Massachusetts governor, has a proven ability to attract independent voters. And although he's being painted as a "Massachusetts Moderate," Mr. Romney's stance on the issues puts him firmly in the Republican mainstream. He may not be the most conservative candidate we could hope for, but his election still moves the country in the "Right" direction.

After watching several debates and a close look at other statements and articles written by this year's GOP candidates, I am convinced that Mitt Romney is the best man to defeat Obama and repeal the Obama agenda.

Guilt-free Tailgating

2012-01-08T20:05:00.001-04:00

It's play-off season and Mr. R. is a buzz with predictions over who will win and who will lose.

His pick is the Packers. I am hoping for the Saints.

I love football season for the tailgating parties and the food. However, my waistline does not approve of my over indulgence in dips, chips, buffalo wings, burgers, and fries.

I am all about finding ways to still eat my favorites without feeling the guilt or gaining the weight. Today's creation stems from my love of buffalo wings.

My solution Buffalo Chicken Salad:

1. Chopped chicken breasts combined with hot sauce (1/2 cup) and 1 Tbs. of smart balance butter. (Melt the butter, add the hot sauce, whisk to combine, add your chopped chicken, cook long enough to coak you chicken and heat it through)

2. Salad: greens (romaine or spring mix), carrots and celery (of course), red onion, tomato, and low-fat/no-fat blue cheese dressing.

3. Top your salad with the buffalo chicken mixture.

4. I served ours with a side of oven baked potato wedges.

We are currently watching Denver v. Pittsburg. I love Polamalu, but this year Mr. R. and Pip are rooting for Tebow. He is a hometown boy after all.

I SPY

2012-01-08T18:49:00.001-04:00

with me little eye...

That was a favorite game of mine to play as a kid.

Today I needed to squeeze in a mini date with the hubs. We have been spending a lot of time together in the house. But the time has been house, work, or Piper focused. We needed a bit of fun and sometime to reconnect outside of work and chores. ENTER MINI DATE: I SPY.

One of our favorite places to go is downtown. We love to grab a cup of coffee, walk St. George street, and people watch at the fort.

With the help of the Dating Divas I combined our favorites into a date.

Mr. R. and I loaded Pip in the stroller, grabbed the camera, and two water bottles and headed downtown. I made a list of 25 things we needed to SPY with out little eyes. The person who spies the most items wins.

I have always loved date nights, but now that we are both working and have our nights devoted to Piper, quality time together, whenever we can swing it, is more important than ever.

Friday, Glorious, Friday

2012-01-06T18:47:00.000-04:00

I know I said my Wednesday was almost perfect, but come this morning I was ready for the weekend. Maybe it was the crazy fog, mixed with fire that I had to drive through or maybe it's the full moon or maybe it's the weight of midterm exams and a certain very important certification weighing on me... Whatever the reason I was so ready to kiss this week goodbye and blast music on the way home with my windows down and my hair flying in the wind. As I drove my 20 minute commute, the stress melted and away and I finally felt free. Hallelujah it's the weekend!

I got home just in time for family walk and Friday night 80s dance party. We are big 80's Joel & Elton fans around here. Piper loves Up Town Girl!

I have so many things to look forward to this weekend. Starting my new book, a long run, seeing my BFF and her adorable daughter, a trip to the Town Center, church and a coffee date with Mr. R.

Happy Weekend Friends!

Now stop reading this blog and go live it up!

Dare I say perfect?

2012-01-04T20:09:00.000-04:00

Today was one of those days that just went right. My students were well behaved, progress monitoring testing went off without a hitch, and most importantly I FINISHED MY FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION! This application has been weighing on me since October 22nd. Personal information, background information, education, experience, credentials, publications and finally the SIX ESSAYS I was asked to write. I pressed the submit button at 2:15 today.

And now we wait. Applications take 5-6 weeks to be reviewed and I should get my "yay!" or "ney" in February. Keep those fingers crossed please!

Dinner was also, dare I say perfect? I used another of Stephanie's crock-pot creations to make the main dish, of jerk chicken. 2 chicken breasts, spices, 1/3 cup lime juice, 6 hours in the crock-pot on low = perfection. Once home, Mr. R. and I combined the chicken with blackbeans, sauteed pineapple chunks with onion, and served our Caribbean creation over white rice with goat cheese. So good!

(If goat cheese is not your thing feel free to omit it).

In our house the end of dinner signals the start of bath time. Pip's new favorite book (along with Les ouefs verts an jambon) is the Chicken Incident at Number 7 Rue Petit. It's actually my childhood book and I am loving reliving the stories I used to love with her. Having kids really is awesome. It's hard and tiring a lot of the time, but moments like this are simply awesome.

I know you should never say that anything is perfect, but I promise you, today was pretty darn close.

Parlez-vous francais?

2012-01-03T19:21:00.000-04:00

I am not sure if I have mentioned this on the ol' blog before, but Mr. R. speaks French.

He doesn't show off his language skills very often, but every once in a while he will slip a french word or phrase into regular conversation.

We discovered that Piper LOVES when Mr. R. speaks French.

Her absolute favorite is when Mr. R. does an over the top French accent (ala Pepe le Pew) does a full on belly laugh and squeals with glee.

Mr. R. found a this copy of Green Eggs & Ham at Anthro last month and he insisted it become one of Pip's Christmas presents. Needless to say, she LOVES it!

Happy New Year from the Republicans!

2012-01-01T14:10:00.000-04:00

Wishing you 12 months of belly laughs, weekend adventures, date nights, pillow fights, good books, and cupcakes!

2012 Goal:

2011-12-31T16:13:00.000-04:00

I like to break-up my big goals into monthly or quarterly goals. They seem more manageable that way.

My goal for the 1st quarter of 2012 is easy to say, but will be tough on the follow through.

90 Day Fitness Challenge

In three short months I will turn 30! The BIG 3-0.

In all honesty I am not sure how I feel about turning 30. I know in my mind that I should be proud of all the I have accomplished in my 20s and embrace what is to come in this next decade, but I LOVED my 20s and I don't want to let them go just yet.

My only goal between now and March 19th is to workout every day and be proud of the body I have EVERY DAY. Sure I would love to lose 15 pounds and I would love to slip back into my favorite jeans from college. But at the end of the day I just want to feel strong, run fast, and be happy with the way I look in my favorite wrap dress.

I am one week in to my 90 days, meaning there are on 83 left to conquer :)

Sun: 5 mile walk

Mon: 5 mile walk

Tues: 2 mile run

Wed: 2 mile run

Thurs: 5 mile walk

Fri: 2 mile run

Sat: kettlebell arms

I have never been one to track my measurements, but I thought I would give it a shot this month and compare it to what I might be in 30 days.

Chest: 36.5

Bust: 42.25

Waist: 39

Hips: 42.25

Thigh: 24

Arm: 15

It really is...

2011-12-30T20:23:00.002-04:00

THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!

I really love Christmas and all the build-up that leads to the magical day marked December 25th. But what I really love is the days following Christmas. As a teacher I get the week after Christmas off and that allows me time to slow way down and enjoy my family.

As you know, my mom and Todd visited us this year and we spent the days after Christmas sightseeing, riding the red train, eating copious amounts of dessert, laughing around my grandparents dining room table, and catching up. We weren't on a time schedule. We weren't running to in every direction. We weren't rushed.

I spend at least 340 days a year on the run, making lists, planning the next big thing. It has been absolutely wonderful to spend the last four days just embracing the moment and going with the flow.

I know 2012 is right around the corner and with it comes new beginnings, new goals, and new lists. But tonight it is still 2011 and I am going to sign off, enjoy my one pot dinner, slowly sip my glass of wine, and snuggle with Mr. R. on the couch as our Christmas lights twinkle for one final night.

*Today's photos were taken this afternoon at my grandparents house. Piper has learned how to stop, roll, and catch a ball.

December Daily: 27

2011-12-27T22:21:00.000-04:00

'staching through the snow!

Warm winter wishes from sunny St. Augustine

This is what happens when you have a little bit too much felt and a small obsession with mustaches.

Thanks Rachel for the idea :)

December Daily: 26

2011-12-27T22:17:00.000-04:00

St. Augustine Nights of Lights & the Red Train Tour

It is my family tradition to see the lights as we ride the red train and sing Christmas carols. I have been riding the red train at Christmas since I was 15.

This year was a bit more exciting because #1 we have Pip and #2 National Geographic voted our home town as one of the top 10 places for the BEST Christmas lights in the whole world! Talk about some serious bragging rights.

It was as beautiful as ever and I think the best part was watching Piper take in all two million lights.

Two little girls sat in front of us and they were on a mission to find the one red light in all 2 million. They did and now I can say I found it too. In case you are wondering, its located on the plaza de constitution.

mmm mmm good

2011-12-27T16:16:00.001-04:00

It's cool and rainy today. The perfect day for a big bowl of tomato soup. I saw recipe on pinterest that I have been wanting to try. Tomato basil bisque with grilled cheese croutons! Mr. R. is a big grilled cheese fan so I knew he would be on board. As you can see from my empty bowl it was SO GOOD!

Our grilled cheese included: gluten-free bread, pepperoni, and garlic & herb cheddar cheese.

Domestication suits me.

2011-12-27T16:03:00.000-04:00

I spent this morning performing my motherly and wifely duties. On a normal week I am only domesticated on Saturdays. On Saturdays as a household, we clean, grocery shop, run a million errands, and cook for the week. Since I am off this week I took advantage of an early morning grocery expedition and spent a few hours steaming, blending, and freezing baby food in the kitchen.

Piper is now on stage two foods and is a big fan of fruit and veggie combinations. We also started oatmeal last month and she loves oats with apples, bananas, and raisins.

I was in a food rut and lacking creativity so I visited the baby food aisle for some inspiration. I love looking at all the different varieties and stealing their flavor combinations.

A few of Piper's favorites include:

Pumpkin & Blackbeans

Spinach & mango

Mango, Banana, and apple

Pear, apple, and broccoli

Oatmeal, banana, and prunes

Oatmeal, apple, and pear

Pumpkin, banana, & cranberry

Carrotts & pears

Sweet potato, pumpkin, and apple

Apples & banana

butternut squash, apples, carrots, and prunes

I am a huge fan of our baby bullet and having used it for the last three months I can say we could not survive without it.

I steam most of the fruits and veggies (minus the mango, banana, strawberries, and prunes), make the combinations in bowls, drop them into the bullet, and blend away.

After I freeze the combos in the bullet tray or ice cube trays. I usually leave them in the trays overnight and then pop them out and place them in freezer bags. This amount should keep Pippa full for a little over two weeks.

12 dates of Christmas

2011-12-26T15:55:00.000-04:00

Each year I give Mr. R. 12 dates for Christmas.

I plan the date activity, choose the day we will take the date, make reservations if needed, and give Mr. R. little clues as to when and where we are going.

(This will be our 4th year of the Date of the Month Club!)

We had a blast in 2009 (we were new to St. Augustine and I planned dates to help us get to know our new home and the surrounding counties.) In 2010, we were saving to go to London so our dates were planned on a budget. (We had in home movie dates, star gazing, indoor camping, and attended free festivals and concerts downtown). 2011 threw us for a loop, pregnancy did not agree with me and once Miss Pip arrived we didn't want to leave her. (To be honest, I have a hard time getting a sitter at night to this day). So we only completed 3 of our 12 planned dates.

2012 is the year we turn 30! It's the year our daughter will turn one! It's the year we celebrate ten years together! And I am determined to carve out one night/day each month to spend time with Mr. R. just the two of us.

12 dates in 2012!

Here is the rundown.

Dec: Sherlock 2 & a coupl'a pints at Meehan's Pub

January: Mini Golf

February: Mellow Mushroom Date (Anderson, SC)

March: Jacksonville Zoo with Pip

April: Kayaking & Picnic Lunch (at the state park)

May: Picnic Lunch (with offerings found at the Farmer's Market) at the Fort

June: Stand Up Paddle-boarding Lesson (@ Salt Run)

July: Ice Cream Date & Side Walk Chalk

Aug: Sushi & Saki Date

Sept: Food Tour

(Mr. R. and I keep talking about trying all of these new places popping up around town. For this date we will pick three and choose an appetizer off of each menu and split it).

Oct: pumpkin carving/CornMaze with Pip

Nov: Coffee and magazine picnic at the fort.

(We'll pick up coffee and something sweet at the Bunnery and then walk to the fort for an afternoon of reading and chasing Piper).

December Daily: 25!

2011-12-25T09:27:00.003-04:00

People are partying, songs are being sung, Sugerplums are dancing, all in holiday fun. Presents are under the tree, reindeer fly high above, peace on earth, goodwill to all, sending YOU joy and love!

Make your own free digital slideshow

December Daily: Twenty Four

2011-12-24T23:53:00.001-04:00

And the stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

Miss Pip is fast asleep and Mr. R. and I are enjoying cups of peppermint tea. Our Christmas tree lights are the only ones on in the living room. And I am taking a moment to bask in quiet merriment.

Christmas is a busy season full of shopping, wrapping, socializing, visiting, caroling, eating, traveling.... that I sometimes lose myself in the celebrations and picture taking.

Tonight we attended Christmas eve service and the message take home points were that the Christmas story is an intervention to save me from a sinful world, a redemption story of grace that I cannot earn but am given, and an adoption story that makes me a daughter of the king.

As I gaze as the wrapped presents, our beautiful tree, my handsome husband, and the sweet face of my sleeping daughter, I must remember who made this wonderful life I have possible.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son so that all who believe in him will not perish, but have ever lasting life.

December Daily: Twenty Three

2011-12-23T21:07:00.000-04:00

Here we come a'caroling...

My mom started a neighborhood tradition of caroling. For eleven years my family and our three neighbors have delivered cookies, cards, and sung two Christmas carols to the 20 plus houses on her block. I have caroled with the neighbors three times and Mr. R. even joined in for Christmases 2003 and 2004.

I have been wanting to continue the tradition down here, but never followed through. We always felt there were a few things holding us back.

1. We can't sing.

2. I don't bake.

3. We weren't sure how our neighbors would react.

Tonight Mr. R. and I realized we had a free night and we decided to face our fears.

1. We decided to sing just one carol. We wish you a Merry Christmas.

2. We gave out hot cocoa. With help from the dollar store mugs and coupons on hot chocolate.

3. We brought Piper and pups, hoping their cuteness would win everyone over.

The verdict: THEY LOVED US!

This is totally becoming a tradition, so fun, so worth it.

So many smiles!

December Daily: Twenty Two

2011-12-23T15:45:00.001-04:00

T is for teeth! Piper is now the proud owner of one bottom tooth and one more cutting through on the top. She is chewing on EVERYTHING! And frozen bread happens to be her teething toy of choice. Thank goodness Costco keeps us well stocked.

December Daily: Twenty One

2011-12-23T15:37:00.001-04:00

On the road again...

Our journey to northeast was short lived, but wonderful. We hugged and kissed our friends and family. We swapped stories, shared cookies, drank as much Wawa coffee as possible, saw snow flurries, froze our buns off, exchanged Christmas packages, and relived old traditions through the eyes of Piper.

We arrived home Wednesday night at 5:30, safe and sound. It feels fantastic to be back in the warm Florida sunshine. We are in short sleeves and flip-flops. Our tree is lit and our hearts are full of love.

This is certainly shaping up to be a very MERRY Christmas!

December Daily: Twenty

2011-12-23T15:26:00.001-04:00

Pitman Grove Lights

Back when Mr. R. and I were first dating he invited me to Pitman, New Jersey to help him put up and decorate his Grandmother's tree. As a thank you he treated me to a donut from the Pitman bakery and a trip to Pitman Grove to see the Hagerty Lights.

We continued this tradition for two more years and then we moved away and created new traditions in DC and now Florida. Last year we visited Pitman lights when Pip was an 18 week bean in my belly. I was so morning/afternoon/night sick that my Pitman bakery donut wasn't even appetizing.

But this year we continued the tradition with Piper in tow. My mom and Todd also joined us. We tried the peanutbutter and jelly donuts (so good!) and checked out a few more houses on Main Street.

December Daily: Nineteen

2011-12-23T14:51:00.000-04:00

Philadelphia is home to many things that we love.

Cheesesteaks, the Phillies, Reading Terminal Market (home of the flying monkey), LOVE Park, ice skating at Penns Landing, Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and Union Square.

On Monday we were able to introduce Piper to the City of Brotherly Love complete with a trip to the market, Love Park, City Hall, and a stop by the biggest Christmas tree she has ever seen.

We also tried Tommy Dinici's roast pork sub and got a cupcake a whoopie pie for the road.

And then she promptly fell asleep in her carseat and napped for 2 hours!

P.S. We took a few pictures of The Flying Monkeys creations. Pummple Cake (pumpkin and apple pie baked into a two layer cake) and Smoreo's (a s'more and oreo brownie).

December Daily: Eighteen

2011-12-23T14:25:00.001-04:00

Meet the Republicans!

Mr. R.'s Mama hosted a larger family dinner on Sunday to introduce Miss Pippa to her extended family. Mr. R. is a member of a large Italian family. Half of the Republicans live in New Jersey/Philadelphia and the other half reside in South Carolina.

It was great to see Mr. R's siblings and his Aunts and Uncles, cousins, neighbors, and old friends.

Miss Pip also put on quite a show. She rolled, scooted, danced, jumped, and tried her hardest to get her foot into her mouth. She certainly loves attention and the camera lens!

December Daily: Seventeen

2011-12-23T14:06:00.000-04:00

New Jersey is no longer my home, but many of my favorite people still live there. And more importantly I could not wait to introduce Piper to my sweet neighbors, high school friends, and church family. My mom hosted an open house on Saturday. Mr. R. and I had a blast visiting and catching up.

My heart aches now that we are home. New Jersey is where I grew up and it is so comforting to be back, but I know we are supposed to be in Florida right now and that our dear friends are only a phone call, email, and text away. Plus its only 6 more months until the next visit!

December Daily: SIXTEEN

2011-12-18T08:18:00.000-04:00

Pippa's 1st Road Trip!

Someone was psyched to be heading to Mimi's house!

We left Florida with much trepidation early Friday morning, hoping and praying for a safe and cry free arrival.

I asked several Mommy friends for advice about traveling with a babe and here is what I learned.

1. A DVD player and a stack of Baby Einstein DVDs are your friend.

2. Books provide great distractions.

3. Stopping every two hours is vital to your sanity.

4. And if you have to rent a car, go big, the more room the better.

December Daily: 15.5

2011-12-15T21:12:00.001-04:00

Holiday music, the start of winter break, and hugs and sweet presents from my students.

I am definitely feeling the Christmas spirit!

December Daily: FIFTEEN

2011-12-15T21:02:00.000-04:00

One of my most favorite people entered a new chapter in her life.

My sweet friend Danielle became a Mommy today.

I rejoiced with her when the two lines appeared on the pregnancy test.

I screamed with glee when she called me to say that Baby J was indeed a sweet little girl.

And today I jumped up and down, danced and celebrated as Harper Ann made her debut.

Happy Birthday Miss Harper!

December Daily: FOURTEEN

2011-12-14T22:20:00.000-04:00

The red cup.

There are a few things that I associate with that fuzzy Christmas feeling.

Candle light service on Christmas Eve.

Twinkle lights.

Johnny Mathis.

Handwritten cards with updates from friends far away.

And the Starbucks red cup.

The debut of the red cup means Christmas and peppermint lattes. It means holiday music being piped through the speakers. It means a coffee date with the cutest guy I know. It means a car ride through our neighborhood to check out light displays.

The red cup means so much more than just a cup of coffee.

And tonight Miss Pip got to experience the red cup magic first hand.

I think she liked it!

December Daily: THIRTEEN

2011-12-14T22:07:00.000-04:00

Last night we celebrated Piper's 7th month. And let me tell you she is getting sassy in her old age. Miss Pip is scooting, grabbing, and babbling. She stacks her tower of rings, turns pages in books and eats two meals a day.

Currently her favorite place to be is in my arms, riding along in the jogging stroller or in Mr. R.'s lap.

She still loves her walker and will spend up to 40 minutes spinning her alphabet wheel, grabbing at the bumble bees and butterflies, and staring at herself in the flower mirror, usually at four in the morning.

We are convinced Pip is going to talk soon. She has started clicking her tongue, blowing bubbles, and making vowel sounds in a continuous stream. I am still hoping that her first word will be Mama, but I have some tough competition. Mr. R. whispers "dada" in her ear all day long AND both my father-in-law and grandfather are lobbying for Pop-pop and Palsy (Pal-Z).

Our highlight this month was Pip's visit with Santa. She met jolly old St. Nick and not a tear was shed. I am not so sure we will be as lucky next year! We have also been attending Saturday night church. Pip is much better at night than in the morning so 4 P.M. church seems to agree with her nap schedule.

She is still taking two - three naps a day. One long nap in the morning (2-3 hours), a thirty minute nap in the afternoon, and another 1.5 - 2 hour nap in the afternoon.

Teething is still going strong at Casa Republican and we can see one bottom and one top tooth poking through. Pip has been a champ through the teeth process, but I must say I will be forever grateful for Hyland's Teething tablets and Baby Orajel.

I am so excited to be celebrating my favorite holiday with Piper in 13 short days. I know she will not remember the traditions and celebrations we created for her this year. But I will cherish these moments and these candid photos forever.

Happy SEVEN months Baby Girl!

December Daily: TWELVE

2011-12-13T07:31:00.000-04:00

LET YOUR HEART BE LIGHT

I am just five short days away from seeing my family. I have a Christmas countdown on my front board. I am belting Mariah and Celine Christmas albums on my way home from work. I bought a new supply of scotch-tape for my master wrapping session later this week. And our Christmas cards were delivered last night.

The hustle and bustle usually makes me feel rushed during the holiday season. But this year I am just plain excited. This year we have Piper to make us slow down. No matter what we are having homemade dinners at the table, we are reading Christmas stories at night, we are slowing down the car to stare in awe at Christmas lights, and drinking gingerbread tea before bed.

Last night on the advice of a friend we placed Piper under the tree to stare at the lights and touch the low hanging ornaments. Her own little version of Christmas magic. She LOVED it!

December Daily: ELEVEN

2011-12-11T15:08:00.000-04:00

Piper was invited out to breakfast this morning.

My Grandparents called last night to see if she was free. Luckily she could fit them in after her morning neighborhood stroll and before her afternoon nap. She enjoyed a pureed medley of pumpkin, blueberries, and oatmeal. And after she proceed to try to take all of my grandmothers jewelry. She removed her earrings and was trying to go after a ring or too. What can I say, girlfriend has good taste!

December Daily:TEN

2011-12-10T21:09:00.000-04:00

Bundled up Florida style.

We have definitely hit winter temperatures down here. Today the high was a chilly 63 degrees. Pip is a total Florida baby. And being born in May she is only used to warm temperatures. For today's walk we decided layering was the best option. Onesie, followed by baby legs, and her new winter coat. (Don't you just love those pink ears!)

December Daily: NINE

2011-12-09T20:11:00.000-04:00

That warm fuzzy feeling.

Today I came home from work and Pip was sound asleep. Rita, our babysitter, had been rocking her and Pip had just nodded off when I walked in the door. We completed the sleeping baby handoff successfully and I was able to enjoy a content snuggly sleepy baby for over an hour. I wish I had a picture, but you will have to take my word that Pip's new thing is to throw one hand over her eyes while she sleeps. We call her Miss Scarlet for that very reason.

December Daily: EIGHT

2011-12-08T23:08:00.000-04:00

Mr. R. was out on Republican business tonight so it was just me Pip again.

We read books, had bath time, prepped some veggies for roasting, and she was in bed by 7:15. I would love to say that I used the time she was sleeping for something productive like Christmas present wrapping or laundry or cleaning.

But in truth I took a shower, put on pajamas and passed out. Oh what an exciting life I lead.

PS: Excuse my nappy hair, it's been a long day.

December Daily: SEVEN

2011-12-07T21:01:00.001-04:00

Pip is definitely a morning person. This week she has been trying to push up her morning wake-up call. In fact this morning she was up at FOUR A.M. ready to play. Considering I had just fed her at midnight, Mr. R. took the 4AM shift. He says she played for a solid hour in her walker spinning the alphabet wheel and babbling away.

I am pretty sure girlfriend has some sass. Her babbles are getting more vocal and deliberate. She will stare right at me and bang on the table or toy until she gets her point across. This usually results in me grabbing every possible toy, pacifier, or book in sight in hopes to appease the princesses wishes.

Mr. R. wants me to include that this picture was taken during tonight's 80's dance party. Pip is a big fan of the Go-Gos.

December Daily: SIX (Manamana!)

2011-12-06T08:39:00.000-04:00

I need to state for the record that we currently employee the best baby sitter ever. She gave up part of her Sunday to watch Pip FREE OF CHARGE, so that Jeff and I could go to the movies.

Mr. R. and I both grew up in the 80's when the Muppets, Fraggle Rock, and Full House were the best shows on TV. When I heard the Muppets were coming back AND that Jason Segal was the director/star I was in.

Rita arrived and we headed out for movie popcorn, 90 minutes of awesomeness (Maniacal Laugh!), and some Christmas shopping. I've made my list and checked it twice, only two more people to buy for :)

December Daily: FIVE

2011-12-05T20:58:00.001-04:00

Mr. R. was out on the town tonight. Meaning it was just us girls holding down the fort. We played, bounced, read Christmas stories, had dinner, and Mr. R. was home just in time for bath time and good night kisses.

December Daily: FOUR

2011-12-05T20:55:00.000-04:00

May your days we MERRY & BRIGHT!

Christmas lights make everything magical. I love walking past our tree in the living room, I sometimes wish we could leave it up year round. And I cannot put into words how excited I am that Mr. R. was on board for outdoor lights this year. I think they look gorgeous!

December Daily: THREE

2011-12-05T20:43:00.000-04:00

Saturday we celebrated the birth of Betsy!

We love her sass and her stories.

Mr. R., Pip, and I were invited to Cruisers, downtown to celebrate over the BIG SALAD (Seinfeld reference), fountain drinks, and fried mushrooms.

The bonus, we also were able to see the grand illumination and the British Invasion of Old Town St. Augustine.

Pip continues to be enthralled with Christmas lights! So much so, Mr. R. actually added a few to our place.

December Daily: TWO

2011-12-03T16:36:00.000-04:00

Our hometown of St. Augustine comes alive at Christmas. From downtown light displays, to the island with it's street light decorations, to the Amphitheater's Winter Wonderland, St. Augustine is one of my favorite places to spend Christmas. I highly doubt we will ever spend Christmas anywhere else now that Miss Pip is in the picture.

Last night we ventured to the Amphitheater for the light display at Winter Wonderland. Pip loved the lights, the giant tree, the elves, the horses pulling the sleigh. She is at the age were lights are mesmerizing. Her little face was just in awe.

She was also enthralled with this guy!

Piper loved Santa!

I have to say that Mr. R. and I were in complete shock! Pip is usually not a fan of strangers, she clings to Jeff and I for dear life. But Santa, he made the cut! She went right to him and gladly stayed on his lap for multiple pictures.

December Daily: ONE

2011-12-02T15:18:00.001-04:00

Mrs. Republican (Mr. R's Mom) celebrated a birthday on December 1st. Although we couldn't be there we celebrated via phone call and with two awesome gifts picked out by Mr. R. The man has gotten much better at Christmas and Birthday shopping :)

And of course Miss Pip had to get in on the Birthday action.

Happy Birthday Mama R!

We love you very much!

And the picture below is what happens when you allow Piper to hold any type of paper.
Crumbled and shredded are her to favorite moves.

25 Christmas Challenges

2011-11-30T05:00:00.001-04:00

Happy November 30th!

Each year as Christmas approaches, I try to focus less on the commercialism and holiday rush and more on the people I love. I found these on Taza's blog and this Advent season I challenge you to 25 christmas challenges...

go out of your way-- befriend someone today that needs a friend and follow through to christmas
tell someone you love them
make a tree decoration that will remind you of Christ
in your prayers today, give thanks for every blessing without asking for anything
try to be as kind as possible to others today
try not to quarrel with family members today
do a good deed anonymously
make goals for yourself-- seal a copy in an envelope to be opened in a year
visit someone sick or lonely or sad
do volunteer work for some worthy cause
do something fun for a child or younger sibling
try to forgive someone who has wronged you, be reconciled
make a "give list" instead of a list of gifts you'd like
improve yourself in some way
quietly reflect and choose uplifting activities vs shopping
phone or send a card to an old friend or family member
listen to Handel's Messiah
make a christmas treat for someone else
be a calming influence today and control your temper
accept the gift of forgiveness-- pray for some weakness and ask for help in repenting of it
look at christmas lights... where does all light come from?
sing carols
do something nice for someone without their knowing it was you
be the first to say hello to people all day
ask someone to tell you about a past christmas

Still Thankful.

2011-11-28T21:08:00.001-04:00

Our thanksgiving holiday was wonderful. Good food, family time, Christmas decorations, shopping, book reading, and a daily afternoon nap.

I didn't share any pictures from our Thanksgiving celebration this weekend, so why not on Monday while we are still enjoying the last of our leftovers? Mr. R. polished off the last of the acorn squash for lunch today so I can officially say Thanksgiving is over in our place.

Also, the risotto was FABULOUS! I followed Giada's recipe, but put all the ingredients in the crockpot and turned it to high for 2 hours. I can guarantee we will be eating risotto ALL the time now.

I also have a few pictures from our Thanksgiving morning tradition. Coffee flavored with pumpkin spice, doughnuts, and Black Friday ads. Pip was really into the ads this year.

The Holiday Matriarch

2011-11-26T21:45:00.001-04:00

In the words of Buddy the Elf, "I thought maybe we could make ginger bread houses, and eat cookie dough, and go ice skating, and maybe even hold hands."

As the Holiday Matriarch, a job I take very seriously, it is my job to create traditions and make memories. Christmas is right around the corner and I am beyond excited. Christmas is my favorite holiday and with the addition of Piper it makes everything even more magical. She looks at everything with a sense of wonder and surprise. This year, even though she won't remember our merriment and celebrating, we are establishing the traditions that our little family will carry into the future.

Here's a look at this years Christmas Memory Making List:

Christmas tree decorating while listening to Johnny Mathis

Christmas movies on Saturday nights

Seeing the lights downtown

Hot Toddies

Baking cookies

Christmas caroling

Christmas pajamas and Sunday morning pancakes

Yacht Club Regatta

Make a gingerbread house

Creating our Christmas card

Hanging our outdoor lights

Write a letter to Santa, write a letter to Piper

Pitman Lights and bakery doughnuts

Red train ride

25 days of Christmas books

Crab bisque on Christmas Eve after church

Mariah's Christmas album in my car

Hot cocoa or apple cider before bed

Driving around the neighborhood at night to admire everyone's lights

Christmas present clues

Festival of Trees

Eating Chinese food and watching A Christmas Story

Visiting the live nativity

Opening one gift on Christmas Eve

Reading Luke 2

Watching the 24 hour Elf marathon

Creating our December Daily album

Watching the Rockefeller Center tree lighting

Deck the Halls with boughs of holly...

2011-11-26T20:07:00.000-04:00

or in our case an artificial tree, lots of ornaments, and a santa hat.

Full Bellies, Warm Hearts

2011-11-24T18:18:00.000-04:00

Thankful Part 3

2011-11-24T06:00:00.002-04:00

Today is the day! I will spend my morning watching the parade and brining our turkey.

Then it's time for food prep.

Dinner is at 2:00.

The cowboys play at 4:00.

And finally we usually round out thanksgiving night with Home Alone on DVD.

But that really isn't what today is all about.

Wednesday afternoon I showed my critical thinking class Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving and we had a chat about why we celebrate this holiday as a nation. And just what we should be thankful for.

It never ceases to amaze me that the Pilgrim's were able to come to a new land with just three months worth of provisions and build a colony. As a modern woman with a house full of appliances and conveniences I cannot imagine leaving all this behind to start a new life with just a suitcase of clothes, some food, and a toolbox.

I find it amazing that the Native Americans were willing to take the Pilgrims under their wing. Would I be willing to welcome random strangers from a foreign land into my home? Would I share all the food in my pantry? Would I give people I didn't know the clothes in my closet or the keys to my car?

When I think of the first thanksgiving it becomes so apparent that God has his hand in the lives of each person who celebrated. He opened the hearts of the Native Americans to allow them to give cheerfully and he guided the Pilgrim's to a promise land were they were free to worship him and prosper.

The first thanksgiving also reminds me that life is not always easy. Even with God's hand in my life it will never be a constant stream of sunshine and rainbows. The pilgrim's had months of famine, months of sickness, and many died while trying to live the life God had chosen for them. Right now I may be tired, my job may be hard, and my bank account may be less than I am comfortable with and that is OK.

Even in the darkest of days I am still God's child, I am still cared for, I am still loved and for that I AM THANKFUL.

A few thankful thoughts

2011-11-23T08:18:00.000-04:00

This morning I am thankful for...

hot coffee

just out of the dryer pajamas

sleepy babies with bed head

snuggles

puppy kisses

clean sheets

a dining room table (we didn't have one in our old apartments)

cute rainboots

running

peanutbutter on cinnamon toast

vacation days

crockpots

yankee candles that smell like Christmas

radio stations that are already in the holiday spirit

Black Friday Ads

Bathtubs and bubble bath

lipgloss and lengthening mascara

down pillows

new bathroom towels

The Keurig

Skype

Baby Einstein on You Tube

The smell of clean laundry

Lemon Pledge

and this face...

Hello Holiday Weekend!

2011-11-22T07:45:00.000-04:00

7 hours

(one school day and two labs and a few last minute grades)

is the only thing that separates me from...
5 days of vacation.

I am thankful for THANKSGIVING BREAK!

There will be cooking, eating, napping, Black Friday shopping, and holiday decorating.

Cue the holiday music and pumpkin spice coffee.

6 months!

2011-11-21T19:24:00.001-04:00

Piper turned 6 months old on 11/12/11.

At 6 months she is scooting and rolling like crazy. She is able to move across her playmat and has surprised us twice by rolling from the media room into the kitchen.

Piper is eating like a champ and loving pears, bananas, sweet potatoes, squash, zucchini, and carrots. She still views apples as poison.

Pip loves bathtime, running in the stroller, being carried in the baby Beco and riding in the car with the top down. She is an awesome little shopper and is amazed by the noise and colors in Target and Costco.

We had a Mommy-daughter date at Barnes and Noble last Sunday and she loved looking at all the board books in the children's section. Sister LOVES books. I think we will be frequenting the library for some Christmas books very soon.

Miss Pip celebrated Kristin's birthday on 11/10 and headed out past her bedtime for some awesome food at the Floridian.

We had her 6 month appointment at the doctor today.

Height: 27 & 3/4 inches

Weight: 17 pounds

Head circumference: 40

Percentiles: 75th for height, 50th for weight, 50th for head size.

I know I say this every month, but this month is definitely my favorite. Piper has so much more personality. She giggles, she laughs, she loves music and dances.
She is such an awesome little person!

This last video is from her 6 month check-up. She charmed the nurses and ripped all the paper off the table!

Scenes from our Sunday

2011-11-20T21:20:00.000-04:00

1. Pip is in LOVE with this book. It is always in her bag of tricks and I read it to her at least once a day. Today I realized I actually have it memorized.

2. Pip has been on a pear and sweet potato kick this week. She is still not a fan of apples. Tonight on a whim I tried giving her rice cereal again and she LOVED it. So maybe she will change her mind about my favorite fruit after all.

3. A lot of the baby books talk about letting your child learn to feed him or herself. It helps with food introduction, choking, and independence. As you can see Piper has no problem asserting her independence. Clean up is a doozy though.

4. Our friends loaned us a jumperoo and Pip is obsessed. She is a bit too short for it, (she is a small fry after all), but that is nothing that a throw pillow can't fix. She will bounce for up to 30 minutes! I think Jeff and I might love it just as much as she does :)

And so I cooked.

2011-11-20T07:18:00.001-04:00

I really hate to admit this, but I have started to love cooking! I feel at home in my kitchen. With music on, pots boiling, pan simmering, veggies chopping, and the dishwasher (always running now! It's all the baby stuff I tell you), I feel at peace.

I cook to feed my family and to control the quality of food we consume. I cook because I like to try new foods. And I cook because in truth I really don't enjoy eating out, especially with a baby. In the words of my father-in -law, it's like trying to eat a nice meal while holding a 15 pound watermelon. (Truer words have never been spoken).

Cooking has become a time to turn my mind off.

And so yesterday I cooked.

And we will be eating so well this week.

(FYI: I try to cook 6 meals on one weekend day and then eat those meals throughout the week. The other two days we will eat take-out or leftovers).

Dinner #1: Sausage, apple, onion stuffed acorn squash.

I made one squash (sliced in half it serves 4). We split one for lunch yesterday and will eat the other half later this week.

Dinner #2: Roasted, loaded, sweet potato soup.

Do not skimp out on the toppings, the marscapone, goat cheese, and bacon are where it's at.
(We had this for dinner last night and I would gladly eat it for all of my meals today)

Dinner #3: Turkey Apple Cheddar Sliders.

Follow this recipe, and make 16 sliders instead of 4 burgers. The sliders freeze really well and we will eat 4 for dinner this week (2 each) and freeze the rest.

Dinner #4: Cheeseburger Soup

Liquid cheeseburger. Enough said.

Dinner #5: Eggnog Waffles

I found pumpkin eggnog at Publix. And then I needed to find a way to use it. It helps that we really like waffles in our house. These also freeze really well. Just reheat in toaster over for easy dinner/breakfast.

Dinner #6: THANKSGIVING DINNER!

I am cooking Thanksgiving this year so dinner #6 will not be made until Thursday. And the leftovers will be enjoyed for weeks to come! I am in the process of finalizing recipes and a shopping list. I do think pumpkin risotto will be making an appearance on our table this year!

Image Source

I have it good.

2011-11-18T20:37:00.001-04:00

Today was a fantastic day. My students were engaged. My lab worked perfectly. The weather is amazing. We had just enough food to make dinner tonight and I could put off the grocery store for yet another day. Along with having food, clothes, and a few nickels to rub together my family is healthy and happy. Yep, I have it good.

Thankful

2011-11-16T21:49:00.000-04:00

I started out this month with great intentions of taking time each day to blog about what I am thankful for. And then life happened. So on thus Tuesday night, while dinner cooks in the over, and a very active 6 month old plays in her walker, I will attempt to catch up.

1: Facetime. This summer I splurged and purchased the iphone 4. For those of you who know me I am pretty frugal and my husband is down right cheap. A $200 iphone purchase is rather extravagant for us. But the iphone has facetime and for that I am thankful. Facetime allows us to real-time video chat with my Mom on an almost daily basis. From 700 miles away my mom has seen Piper's first bath, first laugh, first real food feeding, and first time in the walker. The iphone makes distance a mute point and for that I am thankful.

2: My camera. My camera is like my left arm. It is used daily to capture those everyday wonderful moments that could easily go un-photographed and forgotten.

3: My husband. In just 6 months my husband has transformed into a loving father who is an excellent diaper changer, bath giver, bottle maker, and night-time story teller.

4: Modern Family. I LOVE THAT SHOW. It is the highlight of my Wednesday nights and as much as I like to pretend I am not Claire, I secretly love her wardrobe.

5: Uncle Robert. He came for two weeks this month to celebrate birthdays, help out my Grandparents, and spend some much needed quality time with Piper. He kept us updated on the stock market, new books at Barnes and Noble, and the Wall Street Journal. We miss him now that he is back in Jersey, but we look forward to his return in January.

6: Rockin' Elmo. Pip loves him. He provides daily entertainment and he allows me to steal away a few minutes for myself while Pip bangs on her tambourine.

7: Community Season 2 on DVD and surprises from the hubs. He found said DVD on super sale at Target and brought it home Monday night as a surprise. We have been watching an episode a night and it is hilarious. I love that it has given a new nightly routine and a few more inside jokes to share.

8: Our waffle maker. Saturday morning waffles are my favorite as well as breakfast for dinner on week nights. Jeff is a big fan of the banana variety. I like that it means a healthy meal is on our table in less than 20 minutes.

9: The pups. They are always happy to see me. They are always willing to go for a long walk, even in the rain. They keep my side of the bed warm. They are the best alarm clock money can buy. Even with the time change they still somehow know when it's 5:00 AM

10: Pip's walker. She LOVES her new toy. It squeaks, buzzes, plays music, allows her to move around the house. Her walker has given her a taste of independence and girlfriend is loving every second of it.

11: Thankful for KRISTIN! She is one of my most favorite people and I am so grateful she is in my life. She is an amazing baker, a great listener, and a thoughtful friend. She always thinks of others first and is willing to offer her help to anyone in need. I am going to miss her so much when she takes her dream job.

12: My job. This year is not ideal and I am not loving everyday. But I am grateful I have a job that allows me to have nights and weekends off. I am able to arrive home by 3:30 and spend my afternoons taking family walks, cooking dinner, and playing with my girl. My job allows me to have summers off and travel during the holidays.

13: Thankful for Harper. Pip's BFF is currently growing and getting ready to make her debut. I am very thankful that Danielle has had a healthy pregnancy and that Pip will soon have a friend to grow with. I am also excited to have a friend to share Mommyhood with. It helps when someone else understands and is going through it at the same time.

14: My mom. Growing up I highly undervalued my Mom's brilliance. Now that I am "in charge" of my own household and I have to make the decisions I realize how hard adulthood and parenting really is. Thankfully my Mom is only a phone call away and her advice is still amazing.

15: The white noise machine. It blocks out all noise from phone calls, doorbells, barking dogs, and the fed-ex truck. The white noise machine makes 7:30 bedtime possible AND elongates naptime. I am a happy mom.

16: Smores. I know it sounds crazy, but this summer and fall smores have been our dessert of choice. They are the perfect bite of gooey, crunchy, and sweet. They can be made in the oven or around a bonfire. They make me think of my summers at camp and Missionette weekends.

Stay tuned for 14 more days of thankful!

We are still alive!

2011-11-11T14:29:00.000-04:00

I would apologize for my lack of updates, but truth is I'm not sorry. I'm exhausted. The month of October (and the last two weeks) were my marathon. And just like a real marathon it left me feeling proud that I finished it but VERY VERY tired. We had visitors, we celebrated birthdays (4 of them!), we caught the flu (all three of us), I tried to host a baby shower, we cleaned the porch, we had another set of visitors, and then I crashed.

It has been 6 weeks since I have followed by daily routine, 6 weeks since I have worked out properly. Six weeks since I have felt like me.

Today is a much needed down day and I look forward to getting back to my routine tomorrow.

Also, SOMEONE TURNS SIX MONTHS OLD TOMORROW! And we WILL BE CELEBRATING!
Stay tuned!

Here Comes the Bride!

2011-11-01T09:04:00.000-04:00

One of the best benefits of our growing school is new blood. This year we hired 6 new teachers and I can honestly say I love working with each of them.

Brianna, our new 7th grade team member is getting married THIS SATURDAY!

And as my school's part-time party planner, aka faculty social chair, I was asked to put together a small bridal shower.

We celebrated her BIG DAY with cupcakes, punch, and mad-libs.

Congratulations Mrs. Shaner!

Kicking off a month of THANKS!

2011-11-01T06:17:00.000-04:00

Each November, when holiday preparations start to take over my life, and my stress level creeps a little higher. I like to take time to remember THANKSGIVNG. And why we take time on the 4th Thursday of the month to give thanks.

So I ask, What are you thankful for?

Happy Birthday Grandmother!

2011-10-31T20:57:00.000-04:00

October 31st is not Halloween in my house.

We still buy candy, yes, we wear our orange and black, and we may carve a pumpkin or too...
but it isn't Halloween.

October 31st is Grandmother's Birthday!

And tonight we celebrated with cheesecake and candles.

And we thanked God for giving us another year together.

Happy Halloween from Pippy & the Pups!

2011-10-31T16:22:00.000-04:00

Currently working on my Plans B, C, and D

2011-10-28T06:37:00.001-04:00

My irons are in the fire.

As much as I say I like things to be calm and restful, to stay the same, and just enjoy the simplicity of life. The real truth is I am always looking at the mountain wondering what is on the other side.

Three cheers for trying something new and embracing the scary.

Pip Pip Hooray!

Family is forever

2011-10-25T21:48:00.000-04:00

We have had an amazing visit with Mr. R.'s parents. For us it was a chance to slow down and enjoy afternoon strolls, family dinners, homemade dessert and show off all the little things that Piper can do. Grandmom and Pop-pop Republican watched Pip for us Monday & Tuesday and they got their share of slobbery kisses, raspberries, giggles, growls, and Elmo.

They say a mother becomes a true grandmother the day she stops noticing the things her children do because she is so enchanted with the wonderful things her grandchildren do. We never thought we would enjoy playing second fiddle so much!

Happy Birthday!

2011-10-25T21:17:00.000-04:00

October 25th is a very special day for someone we love very very much.

Happy Birthday to YOU Granny Faye!

We hope there was celebrating, singing, and sweet treats.

We are so glad that you have adopted us into your family and we look forward to celebrating many more birthday with you!

Someone got a knuckle sandwich at bath time.

2011-10-25T20:24:00.000-04:00

She loves to chew on knuckles and fingers now! And as usual Sophie has to get in on the action. She is not a fan of her own bath time, but she is more than happy to hang out with Pip while she squeal and splashes.

Pippy and the straw

2011-10-24T20:22:00.000-04:00

You know those crazy tales about how kids prefer the box to their Christmas presents. Well tonight, our daughter ignored all the toys in her diaper bag in favor of my glass of water and plastic straw.

It's amazing how babies can find magic in the littlest things that we never think about. She was amazed that water comes out of a straw and after one sip she couldn't get enough. I think we created a monster. From now on we will be the couple that splits an entree and asks for 20 straws.

Hello? Hello? Can you hear me now?

2011-10-24T20:10:00.000-04:00

Miss Pip has her first cell phone. It says hello and goodbye, plays music, beeps when you press the keys and rings. On the way to dinner tonight Pip opened her phone and was babbling away. She doesn't know she is supposed to hold it to her ear yet, but she is a pro at dialing and hanging up. Perhaps she will stop trying to steal/eat our phones now :)

Cookie Dough Fondue

2011-10-23T21:02:00.000-04:00

I can't take credit for this amazing recipe, but I can tell you to run to the store buy the ingredients and make it very very soon. It tastes just like cookie dough, but it doesn't contain egg so you don't have to feel guilty about eating it... unless you eat more than your daily caloric intake in cookie dough fondue. (And that is totally possible, trust me. This dip in dangerous!)

Date Night, oh how I have missed you!

2011-10-23T20:51:00.000-04:00

Last night Mr. R. and I had date night. It involved make-up, drinks, a trip downtown and... as Barney would say, we SUITED UP! Piper has been in our lives for 5.5 months and this was our first night away from our little one. She cried just a bit when we left the house and I almost took off my heels and called it a night. But she was in the capable hands of my in-laws and Mr. R. insisted that tonight was a now or never kind of date.

It wasn't until we arrived downtown, that I realized how much I needed a date night. I needed that time to reconnected with my husband. I needed to have night that was not dictated by a feeding schedule. I needed to have a conversation that didn't revolve around Piper. Don't get me wrong, I love Piper more than life itself, but I also need to miss her every once in a while.