My Bathroom Project

In an earlier post I mentioned that I was working on the downstairs full bathroom. It's done except for a few details and I thought I would post some before and after pictures of my fine work! I painted the entire bathroom a color called Firecracker and I love it. I also painted the vanity white, it was black before and I painted the medicine cabinet, trim, and door the same white. I hung new fixtures for hand towels and our daily towels and I ripped up the brown carpet that was in the bathroom to expose the while tile with silver flecks and put down white rugs to compliment the rest of the while details and the new bright walls. Let me know what you think!

Please note that the items you see in the before pictures are from the previous owner and she left much of it when she moved out. While country can be nice, too much of it is more than I can handle.

The bathroom before:















The bathroom after:





You can see I still have a few details left to finish. The light fixture you see is still from the previous owner since I haven't decided what style I would like yet. I also have to finish painting the doors to the vanity and installing the new hardware I purchased. I have a picture to frame and hang, but for the most part I am proud of my work and feel more confident to take on future projects.

Happy (Early) Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is tomorrow! My in-laws arrived yesterday afternoon and my parents are coming tomorrow. I will be cooking my first full thanksgiving dinner for all of us and I am excited! I printed out my recipes on Monday and made my grocery list. Monday night I was off to the store to do all of the shopping. It was an experience.

I plan on getting up to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with the little man and whoever else would like to join us. I have vivid memories of watching the parade with my grandfather when I was growing up so it means a lot to share that with my son.

My other favorite Thanksgiving treat is the newspaper with all of the Black Friday ads! Last year I went out at 5am to take advantage of some deals. It was the first time I had ever done that before, but I figured everyone had to experience it at least once, right? I am planning on going out again this year if there are some good deals. I like the time to shop by myself even if it is in the wee hours of the morning.

So I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. May you all be blessed with plentiful food, good football games, and long naps!

ABCs and 123s

Last Thursday the Fairport Public Library held a Preschool Fair. We thought it would be great to take advantage of so many preschools in one room and it would be easier to talk and gather information. So the boys stayed home (I wanted to be able to talk with the individuals instead of chasing a two year old around a small conference room) and I went.

A very nice woman from the library greeted me at the door and inside were at least 20different preschools with tables set up and information everywhere. I took my time and went table to table talking to everyone and gathering any information they had. It was a bit warm in the library so after visiting each table I made a run for the fresh air outside. When I got home and had put the little man to bed, we then looked through all the pamphlets, brochures, and papers that I collected. I never knew there were so many different types of preschools out there!

One of particular interest is a preschool at the Strong Museum. This would be wonderful opportunity for the little man and I could easily drop him off on my way to work. Another that really peaked my interest was the Pittsford Cooperative Nursery School. The Pittsford Nursery School (PSN) is a coop run entirely by parents. Parents help out in the classroom about once a month and the more you help out the cheaper the tuition is. The parents also play an important role in the direction the school goes in and the hiring of teachers and assistants for the classroom. They also offer enrichment programs one day a week where they teach music, art, and drama. The little man would absolutely love this! There are a few other preschools that I liked as well among all those that we have looked at.

It dawned on my one night that applying to preschool was much like applying to college. The little man is only two years old! As parents we gather information to look at the many options and want to make the best decision for our child so they start off their education on the right foot. You have to apply be sending in an application and there are application and registration fees along with tuition if you are accepted. We want to make appointments for a tour at each place so we can watch classes in action and see how the little man reacts to each classroom.

I have to laugh at this whole process when we are only choosing a preschool...I can't imagine what it will be like in another 15 years when we choose a college for him!

As Time Goes By

I know, I know...much time has passed since my last entry. Where do I begin? Life has been so busy lately. Let's begin with work...My job can be quite demanding, I love it, but it has been hectic lately. I have been bringing work home with my me, staying late, and even working the "fluff" holidays. At the end of September I traveled to Albany for two days of meetings at SUNY Central. In the short time I was there I felt like I was indoctrinated into an "Old Boys" club. I had a lot of information thrown at me and I met a number of SUNY people in a short period of time and it was fun, but there is a loneliness that I have when I am all alone in my hotel room at night. Maybe it's me, but I don't think I am the only one to feel this way being away from home and the family I miss.

The house is coming together. We have a few stray boxes here and there, but most things are put away and organized. My husband has been working really hard on the kitchen. He has been sanding and prepping the walls and wood work so that it can be painted. The previous owner did a lot on her own and it isn't all bad, but we are having to clean up some areas that would have been more advantageous if she had someone with a little more experience do them. I am excited because I have taken on the project of the downstairs bath. I started this weekend by prepping the walls and last night I primed the vanity. We bought the paint for the kitchen and the bathroom this past weekend and we are anxious to see color! We have also been busy "winterizing" the outside of the house which is a lot of work and a challenge when you have a two year old who likes to wander and flirt with the ladies in the neighborhood.

The little man...what can I say? He's growing so fast and is an absolute joy. His vocabulary has exploded and we can have conversations with him now. He is in love with this puppy that we bought for him before he was born. He takes it everywhere, brushes it's fur, and they read books together. It's adorable! He has been taking music classes at the Eastman School of Music on Saturdays. He seems to really enjoy it and it's very entertaining to watch the kids interact with each other and the music. The little man is very active and it adds to the craziness of everything else.

My in-laws came for a visit a few weeks ago and stayed at the house with us. It was really nice to be able to have guests. In the past they would have to stay at a hotel because we didn't have the room, but now we can host them as well as others in our new house. They are coming again for Thanksgiving and I am making Thanksgiving dinner! I am excited. I plan on putting the Christmas tree up that weekend and to start decorating the house both inside and out for the holidays. I am looking forward to seeing our red living room decorated for the holidays!

So the holidays are coming fast and the week after Thanksgiving I leave for another trip to Albany. I think I see a light at the end of tunnel...Brockport shuts down for two weeks at the Christmas...I think I see a long nap in my future!

A Chill in the Air

I think fall is on its way. While we have been having record temperatures in Rochester this week, the nights are cool and I'm loving it. With the cool nights the leaves are starting to change and driving around town is a pleasure this time of year. If I could bottle the fall season I most certainly would...it's my favorite time of the year.

While the little man is only two, I still joke that we needed to get him his school clothes, shoes and haircut. So last week we took a trip to Stride Rite at Eastview Mall and picked out a new pair of skids for the growing boy. He measured a 6.5, but we purchased a size 7 so he would have room to grow. A size 7 seems so big to me! Is that normal for a two year old?

Sporting his new shoes we then walked down the mall a little and went to The Children's Place where they were having a great sale! I bought him two pair of wind pants, a pair of cords, and two shirts for $30. I was excited and the little man had some clothes in sizes that would actually fit him as in pants that didn't fall down! You would think he would be wearing 24 months or 2T, but we just pulled his 12 months pants out of rotation and he is now wearing 18 months. He can wear some 18-24 month shirts, but they tend to run quite big on him. Needless to say...buying clothes ahead to take advantage of sales can be a challenge at times.

Over the weekend we took the little man for what I called his back to school haircut. We try to see the same girl at HairZoo. She is incredible with kids and he will let her use the clippers in the back and over his ears. Before this could be a bit of an issue. So he left with shorter hair and a Spongebob temporary tatoo for being so good!

The little man and I have been snuggling under a blanket at night before he heads off to bed and I have come to love that time together. He will nestle himself in and we don't have to do anything special, we just sit together and enjoy the quiet time. So things are going along and fall is in the air. Life is good and I'll take it!

The Biggest Loser

Have you ever watch the TV show on NBC, The Biggest Loser? I had never watched it before and last week I happened to catch the season premier. I'm hooked! The premise of the show is great...two teams compete to lost the largest percentage of their body weight. Each team has a personal trainer that works with them on diet and exercise. Don't we all wish we could have a personal trainer to help us? The only issue I have with the show is that the losing team each week votes off their "weakest link". I understand it's a game, but isn't the idea to build confidence and lose weight not make someone feel like their hard work wasn't good enough that week?

I was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Is it a surprise? No. Is it a disappointment? Yes. Before I had my son I was diagnosed with PCOS which causes insulin intolerance due to a hormonal imbalance. I was put on Metformin, started a low-carb diet, and lost 50 pounds. I got pregnant and developed gestational diabetes at 16 weeks and was put on insulin at 17 weeks. By the end of my pregnancy I was taking three insulin shots a day and I followed a special diet. I was so careful with everything I ate because I didn't want it to effect my baby. The result was being induced two weeks early and giving birth to a healthy 6 pound, 11 ounce baby boy.

I have always struggled with my weight since I was a child, but when I stick my mind to losing weight I can normally do it. Unfortunately in the last few years I have been really struggling and I currently weigh the most I have ever weighed. It's hard and depressing. I certainly don't feel pretty or attractive. But since my weight is now affecting my health and I don't want it to affect my son, I am vowing to eat better, exercise, and work to be a better me. So in an effort to keep myself from straying from my efforts, I have posted a weight loss ticker on my blog. My goal is to lose 100 pounds over time. Stay tuned and we will just have to "weight" and see how things go!

The Magic Number Is ... 9

So You Think You Can Dance?

I'm in shock and can not believe that it has been so long since I last posted. Life has been busy between work, the new house, some travel and spending quality time with the little man. I feel like we spent the majority of the summer working on our house, cleaning, packing, and moving. So it was a priority for me once fall came to spend time with the little man in some structured activities. Since he doesn't attend daycare, it is extremely important to me that he spends time around other kids for socialization skills and I don't want him to become too attached to either myself or my husband so that he doesn't learn to become independent and take risks. So far it has never been an issue. When we take him to the park he happily runs up to the other kids on the playground and plays with them. He even tries to strike up a conversation with the other kids, but with this "broken" vocabulary, the other kids have a tendency to look confused and aren't sure what to make of him. It's entertaining to watch none the less.

Last week I signed us up for an early development music class at Eastman School of Music. The class is called Music Times Two and it is a small class of 2 and 3 year old toddlers. There are eight kids total in the class and it runs for 45-50 minutes and for ten weeks. The instructor, Beth, is amazing! She finds a good balance between sitting and more physical activity. She has a number of songs that incorporate the child's name so they feel part of the group. She teaches the kids how to make music with their own body and with small instruments like wooden sticks or shakers. At one point every child and parent was given a bright colored scarf and we danced to James Taylor's "How Sweet It Is to Be Loved By You".

It was amazing to sit and watch the other children in the class and how they reacted to the other kids during the various activities. One little boy refused to join the circle and sat in the corner most of the class. Another little girl just sat on her grandmother's lap and cried in absolute fear for a majority of the class. I felt horrible for these kids. I can just see them telling their therapist in another 15-20 years about the horrible music class their parents made them attend and it scarred them for life.

The little man seemed to do just fine! I was so proud of him! He would watch the instructor and follow her directions and if he wasn't completely sure he would just clap his hands to the beat. He and I had a ball dancing with the scarves while the other kids just stood there not wanting to do anything. The boy really loves to dance! At the end the instructor had everyone sit in a circle and she took a child's hand and walked them halfway around the circle and then they ran back while we sang a song. None of the kids would do it, they were all too scared, but my little man stepped right up, took her hand, and did it! He was the first kid to do it and even after watching him the other seven kids insisted on doing it with their parent. After watching the little man after one class, I think he will do just fine throughout the 10 week course and I will feel great knowing he and I will have spent this time together.

Moving In and Moving On

Today at work was SUNY Brockport's 11th Annual Move In Day for incoming freshman. As if I hadn't moved enough of my own personal belongings in the last two weeks, I volunteered to help the students and their families move into their new dorm room. When I worked at St. John Fisher College I worked very closely with the students and their families and I enjoyed that aspect of my job. With my current job, I've lost that connection which I miss and today allowed me the opportunity to reconnect with that part of the campus again. Everyone from faculty, staff, and even the president helps with the moving process and you can tell that the families are impressed and appreciative with how easy the move in process actually is.

Fortunately, I did not have to take part in any heavy lifting (that's why the football team was there) and I was put in charge of directing parents and students to check-in at Benedict and Dobson Halls and then making sure they had their pink ticket so they could drive right up to the dorm and drop off their belongings. I had to be sure that they didn't lollygag when unloading and the traffic was running smoothly through the loop in front of the two dorms. I became very good friends with Officer Dave from campus police and I think this may come in handy in the future!

I also had two very nice conversations with different families, one from Long Island and the other from central New Jersey. Very chatty people, but it is always interesting to see where they come from and if this is their first in college. One mother drove by me as she was leaving the loop and I asked if she was all set or needed help. She replied, "This is my third, I've got this down to a science, and I am out of here!" I laughed, but had a hard time imagining just leaving your child, whether it's the first or the tenth, in their dorm room and going right home after you unloaded everything.

So it was fun day and I will gladly do it again next year! And I would like to point out that three different parents asked what year I was in! That means alot once you turn 30.

The Old Apartment

Last night I stood in our apartment for the last time. I have been so excited and wrapped up with the purchase of our first home and the process of moving that it didn't hit me until I stood in the empty apartment that it was no longer ours. While I have a computer full of pictures and more memories than I can count filed away in my mind, it was still hard to leave and shut the door on that chapter of my life.


I know much of my sadness in leaving the apartment on Brook Hill Lane is associated with the memories and milestones that I have of my little man. It was here that we brought him home from the hospital after months of preparation and anticipation. I can still see him all nestled in his infant carrier as it sat on the chair in our living room with both Scott's parents and my own looking down upon the beautiful life we had created. I can still see him swinging back and forth in his swing as it sat on the floor and it was in that swing that he first smiled at me.


As I stood in the empty living room Monday night I could see the little man crawling and soon after walking. I remember sitting on the floor and guiding him as he took his first steps and gaining his first sense of independence. If I closed my eyes I could hear his first babbles, words, and the wonderful sound of his laughter. I can remember the anxiety and, I admit, the tears of being a first time mother. The late night phone calls to the pediatrician's office and my prayers that his acid reflux would soon go away and with it the discomfort that it brought him.


My little man spent his first two years in this apartment and it is with all of these wonderful memories that I paused to reflect before I walked out the door one last time.

My True Colors...

You Are Cameo

You are understanding and very empathetic.You don't tend to have acquaintances. Everyone is your friend.And all of your friends tend to be friends. You have a knack for bringing very different people together.

What Color Orange Are You?

I think this quiz describes me a bit better...

You Are Apple Red

You're never one to take life too seriously, and because of it, you're a ton of fun. And although you have a great sense of humor, you are never superficial. Deep and caring, you do like to get to the core of people - to understand them well. However, any probing you do is light hearted and fun, sometimes causing people to misjudge you.

What Color Red Are You?

And this one just made me smile (and those who know me best will know why)...

You Are a Blue Flower

A blue flower tends to represent peace, openness, and balance. At times, you are very delicate like a cornflower. And at other times, you are wise like an iris. And more than you wish, you're a little cold, like a blue hydrangea.

What Color Flower Are You?

Home Sweet Home

We did it! We finally moved into our new house. Saturday was the big day...the movers arrived at 8:59am and we were "settled" in by 1pm. So now we have furniture in place and a pile of boxes sitting in our dining room. And that's OK!


While we were definitely excited about finally moving, we will admit to being a little nervous on Friday night. We hadn't actually spent the night in our house yet so you begin to wonder about strange noises you might hear or the little things you just don't expect. The movers showed up right on time Saturday morning and got right to work. The little man took turns sitting on our lap and ate breakfast while thoroughly enjoying the moving guys carry everything out of the apartment. It took a few hours to load the truck and then we were off to the new house.


The process of unloading the contents of the moving truck seemed to go much more quickly and by 1pm we were done. Then it became the process of setting up the bedrooms so we could all sleep comfortably that night. My husband worked on putting the little man's crib together and I started laying out the pieces of our bed. We are all very tired at that point so we put the little man down for nap and we sat in the living room only to wake up to our doorbell. Very few knew where we were so we were both surprised to hear the doorbell chime. I answered the door and it was a nice young guy selling packs of meat! I nicely told him we had just moved in and were not interested at this time. I was laughing as I told my husband what he was selling since it reminded me of my father-in-law's stories of when he was young and worked for a company called Meat City, but that is for another entry.


We then went back to the apartment to pick up some smaller items we had left behind and get the cat. We weren't sure how he would react to his new home, but he seemed to take to it quite quickly and seems to be settling in (thankfully). We think he is enjoying his new hiding spots away from the little man and what cat wouldn't enjoy some peace and quiet away from an energetic two year old!


Sunday we all slowly woke up and then ran some errands including a good old trip to Target. I love Target! Some people love other stores that need not be named, but I am definitely a Target girl. Sunday night we had dinner and then all relaxed in the living room. While the little man played, my husband hooked up the modem so that we could resume our nightly rituals of surfing the web on our laptops. All seemed right with the world at last!

It's All Coming Together...

Since we closed on our house on June 25, we have been working every weekend and nights during the week on the house. The prior owner had A LOT of stuff hanging on the walls so we have done patching and sanding to prep the walls for painting. So far we have painted our bedroom, the little man's bedroom, the living room, half of the dining room, and the front entry/hallway. I say half the dining room because there is a chair rail that goes along the wall and we decided to paint the wall above the rail one color and the wall below the rail another color. You can actually stand in the front foyer now and see color in the various rooms...it's a great feeling!


Today I called Becker Movers and scheduled our move for Saturday, August 11. We have a moving date! This pleases me because we will finally be in our new house and not having to travel between the two. Becker Movers is the service we used when we moved three years ago. They were great to work with and extremely fast! I also called and put in the work order to transfer our phone and cable service to the new house. These are all definite changes, positive changes, and I can see progress.


So everything seems to be falling into place. I am very excited to start our life in our new house!

Geneva or Bust! (or Busted)

Each morning I go to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle site to look at the morning headlines. You have the normal headlines about local politics, crime, the weather outlook, and entertainment news. Yesterday morning I was perusing the headlines and I came across..."Man on lawnmower stopped, charged with DWI". This I had to stop and read:


(July 26, 2007) — A Wayne County man accused of driving a lawnmower while intoxicated early today remained in the Wayne County Jail. About 2:30 this morning, a Wayne County Sheriff’s deputy stopped Floyd P. Sincerbeaux , 29, of Lyons, Wayne County, who was driving a Cub Cadet lawnmower south on Leach Road in Lyons. Sincerbeaux reportedly told deputies that he had been drinking and was driving the lawnmower to a relative’s house in Geneva, Ontario County. Sincerbeaux was charged with felony driving while intoxicated and first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor, deputies said. He was also ticketed for operating an unregistered motor vehicle, operating an uninsured motor vehicle and unlicensed operator. Sincerbeaux was arraigned in Lyons Town Court and remanded to the Wayne County Jail in lieu of $2,500 cash bail, according to jail records.


This was Grade A material! Pure entertainment! I could not stop laughing! Now I should state that I grew up in Wayne County, graduated from Newark Senior High School, left for college, and haven't looked back. I am proud that I have planted my family roots in Monroe County.


Now as funny as I found this article, there were also many questions that begged to be answered. Such as why was he ticketed for unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle? Do you need a license to drive a Cub Cadet lawn mower? Also why was he ticketed for operating an unregistered and uninsured motor vehicle? Last I knew a person didn't have to register their lawn tractor with New York State or insure it. Granted it was 2:30am and he was attempting to drive a lawn mower approximately 15 miles to Geneva, but these charges seem a bit over the top to me. Also what prompted the officer to pull over Mr. Sincerbeaux? Was he weaving or did the mower cross the double solid lines? Come on people....these questions need to be addressed.


Needless to say I will be following this case closely. If nothing else, it makes me laugh and makes me feel better about no longer residing in Wayne County.

Thinking is Overrated

*** To my family and friends who may read this: Please do not take offense to anything I may write in my entry. I am simply tired and feeling annoyed at the moment. This is my rant for the day...week...month. ***


Do you ever want everyone else to just disappear so you can be alone? I'm not talking about forever, but just a few minutes so you can clear your head and make sense of everything going on in your life. I've had that feeling lately. There just seems to be so much going on between work and family and I'm just mentally tired. My brain needs a vacation because lately it rarely rests and has been forced to process so much.


I'm at the point where I just don't want to talk about anything. I don't want to talk about what's for dinner, what part of the new house we will work on, if we need to buy more paint, if the little man has had enough milk or fruit that day, the drama with my parents, will I ever finish packing the apartment so we can actually move to the house, whether the bills have been paid, other's "midlife" crisis, or have others tell me what I should have done differently or better so their life would be an easier and happier place. I don't want to feel pressure to be a better daughter because I have my own life and family to care for or to be a better mother because I work full-time. Who cares if I choose not to give my son candy, cookies, or jelly on his bread at 2 years old. Don't ever accuse me of not caring because I didn't pick up the phone one week to call you. Did you ever think that maybe something happened in my life and you should call me? Does anyone ever stop to consider how your selfish acts effect me when I give so much of myself to you on a regular basis?


I just want quiet. I don't want to think about details and I don't want to be expected to have answers. I want to feel appreciated for what I do and loved for who I am, but maybe that's too much to ask for right now.

One for you and one for me?

My best friend, who I have been friends with since childhood, is pregnant. She is due to give birth to a little girl on or about October 7. I am so excited for her and her husband and it will be fun to have a new little one in our "family".


Since finding out she was pregnant, she has frequently called, emailed, and sent instant messages asking for advice and with questions that expentant mothers have. And I have to admit, while I don't consider myself to be a wealth of knowledge when it comes to pregnancy/childcare, it has been nice to be the one who has already been through it. I usually preface what I tell her with "now this is what I did, but by all means do what feels right to you". I don't ever want to seem pushy or seem that I know it all because I am still learning each day with my own little man. Every day is a new experience when you have a little one!


My friend's shower is coming up on July 21. She is registered at Babies 'R Us, the mother ship of all things baby. Shopping is always fun, but shopping for a baby is the best. I believe in keeping to a person's registry. If they register for it, then they feel they need it and that item is what they prefer. I totally respect that. Plenty of people will give her cute little outfits, but they won't buy her what she needs. One day she will be sitting in her living room looking at this beautiful baby girl in a cute pink outfit and thinking "how I am supposed to feed this child, but damn she looks adorable in that outfit!" So I have bought many items for her off the registry and supplemented with some of my own baby "wonders" that my husband and I have found to be helpful in our quest to be great parents. I made my initial shopping trip a few weeks ago, but I am excited to make another one soon. She has since added some new items to her registry and some of these items are similar to items I "supplemented" with. So I will return my items and get her what she asked for.


Since I have been shopping for her, I have been having my own thoughts about adding to our family. It's a hard decision to make or at least it is for me. We went through the fertility process with our first and I just don't feel mentally and physically ready to go through that again. I find myself very content with what we have now, but know that I may always feel differently in the future. I just wish I knew. Another friend of mind knew she wanted another and she just did it. Now she has two beautiful children, one girl and one boy. And yet another friend has two and they are talking about adding a third to the mix. How do they know? Do they have some baby sensor that I don't? Is my sensor malfunctioning? Can I get it tuned up so I can just make a decision and move on?!


So I will keep thinking about it and enjoy the time I have with my little man. Besides, my friend's baby girl will be here soon enough and that will probably be the reality check I need.

A Fresh Start

I've decided to start my own blog! Why, you ask? I feel like I am starting a new chapter in my life...one that is positive and good and I want to be able to share this. You can see that I named my blog, Life on the Ledger. I am very much a finance oriented and organized person so it only seemed fitting to have my blog reflect this.

Much has changed in the last six months...

In February I started a new job at SUNY Brockport as the Assistant Budget Director. I love my job and the people are wonderful. Brockport has a very nice campus and I am truly happy to be part of such a great community. Don't get me wrong, I certainly have my days where I would rather stay in bed, but coming to work is certainly more rewarding these days. My boss will be retiring within the next five years and I am in line to get his job as Director of Budgeting. This is very exciting to me and it feels good to know that I have something to work towards.


In other big news, My husband and I bought a house in Perinton, a nice little suburb of Rochester. The house is a Cape with three bedrooms, two full baths, tons of closet space, central air, two car garage, and a great yard. Scott and I are very excited! If someone had told me at the beginning of 2007 that we would own a house, I never would have believed them. It seemed like a far off dream that has now become a reality. We have started cleaning and painting, but that is for another post.


Another big part of my life is my son or as I call him my "little man". My little man will be two years old next week on July 10. I can't believe how fast the last two years have gone by. He is a very happy little boy. He is thriving and can't get enough of Sesame Street right now. He is my bright spot and no matter what is going on in my life, he can put everything in perspective and make it all seem ok. Becoming a mother was something that was always hard for me to imagine, but now that I have Brady in my life, I can't imagine my life without him.