March 29 Fun at the Lake

The only thing better than a delicious dinner @ Carol & Dale's house is fun on the Lake after dinner! Today, mom & dad, the O'Connells, and Anna enjoyed a num yummy dinner with Carol & Dale. Afterward, the O'Connells and Care went for a small ride in the pedal boat, while Dale and Anna broke through ice in the canoe. It was fun for all!

March 28 A walk in the park

It was a beautiful day today; sunny and 60 degrees. To celebrate the coming of spring, we picked up Subs and took them to a nearby park. We threw the football around, we kicked the soccer ball around, and we even took a walk on a little nature trail. It was the perfect diversion from thinking about selling the house and getting Jim better. It was a great family day!

March 27 Meeting Phil & Lil

We finally met Phil & Lil tonight! Anna had to coax Lil out from under her couch, while Phil remained under her bed for the most part. But when they finally emerged, we could see that they were beautiful orange marmalade kitties! We stayed for just a few minutes, then took Anna out for dinner. When we returned to drop Anna off @ home, Phil and Lil were waiting for her in the bedroom window ~ so cute!

March 26 Juicy Burgers & More

We took a self-guided tour (LOL) through the new house today. Carol happened to be driving by, so she joined the tour as well. The sheetrock is up & taped. I am unpleasantly surprised at how little room there will be in the master bath between the jetted tub and the vanity. I make a mental note to mention this at our next authorized, escorted walk-through... After the tour, the family went to "Juicy Burgers & More" on Rowland St. The burgers were pricey, but juicy for sure! Num Yummy!

March 25 More dead ends

Thank God for Jim. He's a rock. In the face of his upcoming treatments, I have been a basket case, but he is thankful for a diagnosis and treatment, and he is strong. He has also devoted HOURS of time on the phone with our insurance company, his HR department, and Dana Farber, trying to get approval for his stay. Today, he learned that we MIGHT be able to have the treatment covered under what's called OUT for IN (out of network providers covered at in-network costs), BUT instead of the usual co-pay, it would cost us $15,000. Even though this is considerably better than the last news we got from Empire, at a time when we're building a brand new house and have already put our life savings down, this will ruin us. Hopefully, we will have a solid, accurate account of our coverages and charges before we leave on Monday...

March 24 First steak on the grill for the season

Price Chopper has their London Broils buy one, get one free this week. These steaks are AMAZING.... they are huge (appx $17 each) and so tender. On the way home from work, I stopped and picked up a few for dinner. I marinated them for just 1/2 hour in Caesar salad dressing and threw them on the grill for the first post-winter grill of the year. I also added asparagus with Olive Oil and Red Robin Seasoning, and had yellow & green squash w/broccoli and lime juice sauteing on the stove. The meal was awesome and it was appreciated by all :)

March 23 the Sunset Cafe

Jim was feeling tired this evening, so I volunteered to take Brendan to Boy Scouts. What this really means is that Brendan gets dropped off at Scouts, then that parent goes to a local eatery for a beverage & to unwind, before going back to pick Brendan up an hour later or so. It's been since before the New Year that it was my turn to do this, so I was more than glad to do my part. After dropping Brendan off, I went to one of my favorites, the Sunset Cafe. Immediately, I noticed that Tim upgraded the bar area to include not one but TWO high def TVs!! Whoo Hoo.... usually, Tim has a (dreadful) hockey game on. Tonight, he not only had hockey on TV, but also a WESTERN.... ugh... my two least favorite things of all time. Somehow, I grinned and sat through an hour of unpleasantness, nursing one glass of wine and catching up with Tim. It was a much needed break & I went back to collect Brendan more or less refreshed.

March 22 Brendan refusing to do boring homework

Brendan had just returned from working a Boy Scout baked ziti fundraising dinner, when his mean mom told him to do his homework. He tried several times to teach Jerry the cat how to do arithmetic, but to no avail. In the end, Brendan managed to finish his homework (without Jerry's help), but not without a fight!

March 21 Let's Play Jeopardy!

Brendan captained a team of jeopardy players which included Trevor Penesso and Ryan Cook at the Middle School's Jeopardy Tournament today. The trio sailed through the first round, but their luck ended there. Although they did not win the coveted limo ride into town for pizza, they DID win a raffle for an Easter basket full of candy. They had a good time, and stayed until the bitter end to see the final round. Who knows~ maybe they'll be in the finals in 7th grade!

We also had another house showing tonight. I must say, the house has never looked better! I did a top to bottom cleaning today, even taking down overhead lighting fixtures and cleaning the bugs out (eew!) While I was slaving inside, Jim was hard at work in both the front and back yards. We finished just in time to see the real estate agent drive up, then we headed across the street to watch from the Sander's house! The man with the NJ license plates stayed about 20 minutes and even checked out the tree fort! Now the waiting game begins again...

March 19 Mare & Liam are sick!

I had a 4:00 appointment with Dr Izzo yesterday & discovered that I had my usual strep throat & upper respiratory infections. Then, I picked the kids up from the BACC (Jim had to work), noticed Liam's throat & fever & took him right to Urgi-Care, where he, too, was diagnosed with strep. Off to the pharmacy we went, loading up on antibiotics, tissues, and cold remedies. It was early to bed last evening & sleeping in late today! We both stayed home to sleep it off. I ended up sleeping for almost 20 hours today- and boy, did my body need it!

March 20 dinner with Tina

Jim came home from work sick today. Poor thing ~ he must have caught the dreadful bug that has already gotten the entire Abreu family, Tina Blanchard, Liam, and me! Despite Jim's illness, I was beginning to feel better, so the kids and I went to Tina's house. Between Tina being sick, then me, it's been a while since we had gotten together. The kids had a good time, as always, while Tina and I had a low-key evening of chatting and watching HGTV. You KNOW the girls aren't feeling 100% when we each have only ONE glass of wine, and that was the case this evening.

March 18 Insurance woes

Today was another in a series of traumatic news on the health/insurance front. Jim mentioned something about our health insurance not covering the cost of his treatments at Dana Farber. So, I decided to get a second opinion. I called Empire personally from work. The first person with whom I spoke, Brittany, did nothing to console me as she flatly said that we have NO in-network coverage ANYWHERE for the Hematology/Oncology treatment that Jim needs. I was prepared with an online list of possible treatment facilities - Memorial Sloan Kettering (Manhattan), Dana Farber (Boston), Roswell Park (Rochester), etc... and one by one, she dismissed them all. After I hung up the phone, all I could do was cry and wonder how we're going to make it all work. Jim had previously learned that to go out of network under our plan would cost a $5000 deductible up front, then the insurance would pay 50 cents on every dollar of charges. This treatment will bankrupt us. Even so, Dana Farber is the best place for Jim to get better, and together we decided that regardless of the bills, Dana Farber is where Jim will go.

March 17 Wearin O the Green

Happy St Patrick's Day! This evening for dinner, I made grilled cheese in the style of a Monte Cristo, Chicken with Stars soup, and fried potatoes. Wouldn't you know, while the kids weren't looking, a tiny leprechaun came into my kitchen and sprinkled my creations with magic green dust. By the time the children came down, even the milk had been turned green for St. Patrick's Day.

March 16 Cool hands Liam

We took a tour through our new house today. The original intention was to take photographs of the electrical wires & where they came in to the outlets, etc... but the joke was on us, as most of the sheet rock was already up.
The most amusing part was how the workers were supposed to leave the front door unlocked, but forgot. Instead of waiting 15 additional minutes (which we didn't have) for Joe to show up with a key, I asked Liam to stick his skinny arm through the deadbolt hole, reach down, & unlock the door from the inside. Wouldn't you know, he did it! This picture is a reenactment of the crime. Notice Brendan's goofy face on the inside. I think he's tyring to re-lock the door on Liam! Gotta love those kids :)

March 15 Leapin' Lizards

Liam had his Cub Scout Blue & Gold banquet this evening. This year's theme was "BUGS!" As usual, mom was charged with the task of making the cake. Liam chose a ladybug, and I think I made a pretty good one! Although our ladybug cake didn't win any ribbons, it sure was yummy!
For entertainment, they hired a guy who brought coolers full of arachnids & reptiles. The kids were amazed when a giant tarantula came out first. He put on a good informative show, and we had an entertaining evening.

March 14 Let's Get Scrappin'

Today, I hosted an intimate crop at the Malta Ambulance Corp. Sisters Nancy & Carol were there, as were the Fongs, Christine Fitzgerald, and Deb Funk. Nieces Anna and Megan visited (Anna with homemade cookies!) The crop officially went from 11 - 7, but we stayed longer. Although there weren't a lot of people, those who came were happy they did. There was plenty of space to spread out, and not too many distractions.

March 12 We will miss the tree fort

The boys will miss the tree fort when we move. The top 5 things they will miss are: 5) the view from the windows; 4) the roof keeping them from the rain; 3) playing on and jumping off the deck; 2) the access code panel, eye & hand scan & password protection 1) the trap door!

March 13 Family Fun Night

This evening, we took the kids bowling @ Spare Time in Clifton Park. It was a good diversion from the stresses with the house and Jim's health. We ate pizza & wings, and each bowled two games. It was fun for all!

March 11

March 10

March 9 Brendan is up for the challenge

Brendan shone in Boy Scouts this evening! He challenged a fellow Scout in a song competition. Brendan chose "Citizen Solider" by 3 doors down, while his competitor sang the frog song. During the sing off, some of the Scouts raised Brendan up on their shoulders as they sang. Citizen Solider won hands down & everyone had a great time!

March 8 Open House

We had our first (and hopefully the last) Open House today. In the two hours, we had six families come through; one of which was very interested & put our house on his "short list!" Since we were displaced from our home, Jim went indoor golfing with Kirk and Bob, while the kids and I hung out @ the Blanchards. The girls did our nails, drank wine, and played Wii (a very interesting combination of activities...) Fingers crossed that we will sell quickly!

March 7 New Recipe

This evening, we invited Elise, Peter, & Rebecca Abreu over for dinner. I made a new recipe - Thai Chicken- and served it over white rice. The chicken was good. It had a sauce with Apricot Marmalade, Peanut Butter, Sesame Seeds, and (of course) hot pepper! We sealed the deal with a Chocolate Silk cheesecake. By the time dishes were done & food put away, it was past our bedtime. Tomorrow's our first Open House ~ a big day; and we need to re-energize to prepare for it!

March 6 "ABSOLUT" Friday

This has been one heck of a week! Between Jim's procedure, putting the house up, showings, and all of our other obligations ~ all I can say is, "TGIF!" Tina & Donna came over for pizza and a few beverages. Tina made a new concoction with Absolut Mandrin vodka, Triple Sec, and a fruity juice. It went down like lemonade on a hot summer's day !!!

March 5 Jim's appointment

We left the house bright and early for Jim's appointment at St Peter's hospital this morning. His procedure is called a "CAT scan-guided needle bone biopsy." It seemed to go smoothly; the Doctor assured us they have a good sample. We were at the hospital around 8:00, and Jim was discharged at 11:00. Now comes the hard part... the waiting until his follow-up visit on March 13th to review the results.

March 4 High Expectations

I love our church music director. He's talented, he's giving of his time, and he's a very nice man. Unfortunately, he sometimes has unrealistically high expectations for our performances. I am supposed to be playing a flute duet on March 15th. Darryl was kind enough to arrange a piece for Megan and me to perform. I don't think Darryl took into consideration the fact that it's been 20+ years since I played at the All-State band level. I've decided that playing the flute is NOT like riding a bicycle... I've already resorted to looking up fingerings online (LOL), and I am dangerously close to postponing the entire performance until my life calms down (building and selling houses, Jim's illness, etc...) ~ maybe next month?

March 3 It's Official

It's official ! The house is listed. We have a sign. We're on the "hot list." We have an Open House scheduled for Sunday, March 8th & hopefully the showings will begin soon.

March 2 Liam gets spacers

Little Liam had a very early dentist appointment this morning. He and Jim were out of the house around 6:30, to be @ Dr McDonnell's office in Clifton Park for 7:00. I was very proud of Liam. He got himself breakfast, got dressed, got his book bag in order, got his lunch packed, and brushed his teeth without having to be told twice. Jim said he was a great patient, not complaining once. When he came home around 8:00, Liam had a new filling, two teeth freshly sealed, AND the long-awaited spacers. And, mom and dad had to take out a 2nd mortgage for the bill...

March 1 Sigh of Relief

The house is neat. The house is clean. The pictures have been taken. I can breathe again.

Feb 28 Electrical Walk Through

The new house is coming along nicely. We walked through with Vince, the electrician; Joe Bordeau; and Kirk today. We got a feel for where our electrical outlets and light switches will be. We even made a few improvements as far as switch placement. I was surprised to see that all our tubs and showers are already in. Things seem to be moving along at a rapid clip. I just hope the sale of our existing house can go as quickly.

Feb 27 What Brendan will miss about his room

We've finally figured out the best furniture arrangements to maximize space! Brendan told me that he will really miss his room. He loves his ginormous bookshelves, and the new placement of his dresser. I'm sure when he sees that his new room is larger than mine, he will be okay with the move!

Feb 26 Is there no end to this packing?

I'm tired of finding hiding places for bills and really important papers. I'm tired of packing things we haven't used in six years, then having someone ask for that very thing a day later. The house has never looked better, but I'm just plain tired!

Feb 25 Space Derby

Liam and his Cub Scout troop had their Space Derby this evening. While I was stuck at choir rehearsal, Jim and Brendan went to check it out & give Liam moral support. His orange and black racer wasn't fast enough to advance to the second round, but everyone had a good time, and there were many unique racers to watch.

Feb 24 So much fun

This evening, Tina & Donna came over for another round of moving furniture. We re-purposed a bookcase, resurrecting it from the basement to main stage in the living room. I can't help but think of the HGTV show "the Stagers" every time I go through this. I can't help but laugh, because while it looks so easy on TV, I definitely do NOT have the Queer Eye for decorating, but am thankful that I have friends who do!

Feb 23 Packing with the Pros

Carol and Tina came over tonight to help me pack & stage. We ended up changing the configuration of the dining furniture. It opens the room up a lot, and really makes it appear as though it is bigger. YEA! Here, Carol and Jerry help fluff the carpet where the buffet used to be.