SpiderAsh

My nephew, Ashtin, sings the Spiderman theme song.



Spiderman, spiderman, does whatever a spider can.
Spins a web, any size. Catches thieves, just like flies.
Hey there, there goes Spiderman!

Our busy summer

Man, I've been busy since I last posted here. This summer seems to just be flying by. We had our bathroom remodeled over the past couple weeks and wow, it looks a million times better. Who knew getting the old vanity (that had chew marks from Webster) out of there could make such a difference? Yes, he chewed the side of the vanity. Apparently he hated the thing as much as we did. Redoing a room always amazes me how long we will tolerate an awful and embarrassing room as long as we do. Really, the flooring didn't even go from wall to wall. If you've never seen it, I'll just let you imagine that in your mind for a minute. But! We no longer have a trashy bathroom. Yay us!

Let's see, what else has been going on...oh right! We got new backyard furniture. I love it, even though we haven't had much opportunity to enjoy it with all this rain.

Other than that, not much has been going on. I've just been sitting around the house, not going to work, getting small amounts of sleep, and catering to the needs of our most exciting bit of news. Miss Corinne is here!!



I had her on June 5th and she's just absolutely amazing. I was admitted to the hospital on the 4th to be induced. They started the pitocin the morning of the 5th and we had her at 12:06. It was a piece of cake compared to Chase's birth. I'm talking maybe 10 minutes of pushing, if that. I was a little out of it so I don't have an exact timetable but it was short. I couldn't have asked for an easier delivery. Things are going very well and actually I can't believe it's already been 4 weeks. Chase is doing well with her, though he has been acting out a little. Since when does he throw a temper tantrum in Target? I don't know but it's getting a little old. I was THAT mom the other day. You know, the one with the screaming 3 year old who was crying for no reason and could not be reasoned with. I even sunk so low as to bribe him. I'm ashamed but it didn't help anyway. We made it home though and he was dealt with. I'll be surprised if it happens again. Other than that bit of trouble, we are all adjusting to the big change. She's healthy and beautiful and she will kick your ass if you say otherwise. We couldn't ask for more.

The Boss and The Buffalo

Hi, yeah, so, it's been a while and my only excuse is that I'm pregnant. Very pregnant. Like, I have 5 weeks left, People. I'll keep it brief and just let you know that things are good but I'm ready for Miss Thing to arrive. Corinne Michelle is her name and she is set to be here around June 9th for those who can't recall. Meanwhile Chase continues to grow in mind, body and bossiness. Take this video below as a prime example. And yes, I know, he could have totally fit through that space with his car but my Power of The Buffalo had him convinced that he couldn't, hence keeping him confined to a smaller space. This of course also limited the area I had to run to keep up with him. Smart parenting at it's finest.

My Grandmother

I wish this post could be a little happier after being away from here for so long but unfortunately my family lost a great lady this past week. My grandmother passed away on Wednesday after years of fighting Alzheimer's. She passed away peacefully surrounded by family which is the way it should be. She held on for a few days after the family was all called in and I know she did it intentionally. Even in such a sad situation, it was nice to spend time with my extended family that I just somehow lose track of in our busy day to day lives. We caught up on what's been going on, laughed together like we always do and cried together like we've done a few too many times as well. I know my grandmother was aware of the time we were spending together and I know she was cherishing it as much as the rest of us. Our big family gatherings have always been our family's way and she was loving every second of it. I know it in my heart. I find comfort in the fact that we were able to give it to her one last time.

I'll miss you so much Grandma, but I know you are in a much better place. I'm glad you finally made it there. I love you and can't wait to see you again.

I'm not dead.

Just a little worn out, maybe. Our holidays were great but chaotic as always. We all enjoyed our family time and the time off from work too, of course. Oddly enough though, I'm just ready to get back into our routine. I feel so old for saying that. I don't know how to post anything about the holidays without it being a mile long entry, so I'll just leave you with a picture that pretty much sums up our Christmas. A dollar to the first person to find Katie (think "Where's Waldo?"). Hope your holidays were as great as ours!

Dial-a-Pansy

If there is one thing I've learned recently, it's that the three year old toddler mind is a complicated one. Chase will remember something from days ago and bring it up in random conversation with just one small thread tying it all together-much like a crazy person. I've made it somewhat of a game to find that thread and figure out just what it is so I can fully understand where Chase is coming from when he says the things he does.

So Chase and I were eating some leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner last weekend when he eyeballed my plate suspiciously.

Chase: Mommy, what's that? *points to my plate*
Me: It's cauliflower, honey.
Chase: *thinks to himself for a minute*
Chase: (Did) it answer? Daddy didn't answer his phone.

Now to the outside world, his response to my answer would make no sense. But to ME, it makes perfect sense. A week ago we tried calling Chuck on our way home from work/school. He didn't answer his phone. It was a quick moment in our life but something that obviously bothered Chase since he decided to bring it up again. However, what was the thread that brought that memory back to him? The thread was the cauliflower. You and I would have heard my answer to be "cauliflower". But Chase heard "call-a-flower". So he simply wanted to know if it answered when I called it. And for the record, no, it did not.

Happy Halloween!

Chuck and I recently stayed at The Elms Resort for a mini anniversary celebration. We did the spa thing, did dinner and had an overall good time...except for the haunting.

I was so exhausted that evening that when I fell asleep, I slept like a rock. The following weekend was when I found out that I was pregnant so I suppose that would have been the reason why. Anyway around 2:00 in the morning we began hearing some yelling. Loud yelling. Me being out of it, I only remember vaguely hearing the yelling but I never did wake up enough to remember what was being said. Chuck, however, remembers it vividly. Apparently, a man and a woman were yelling in a panic, "Everyone get out! Everyone get out!" The thing is, we heard nothing after that. Not a peep. So Chuck immediately assumed that we were being haunted and nothing was getting him out of bed. Approximately 30 minutes later, the knocking began. A steady knocking on one of the doors in the hall went on for a while and then silence. Chuck was pretty freaked out at that point so he tossed and turned the rest of the night.

The next morning he was telling me all this and I quickly wrote it off as some rowdy neighbors. While I firmly believe the existence of ghosts is possible, I've never encountered it myself so it's never been an answer to anything for me. As we were checking out however, I asked the lady at the front desk if she had ever heard of the hotel being haunted. She told me that she had never experienced anything herself but then she handed me an 8x10 laminated picture. It was a picture of a woman who was obviously in one of the guest rooms. It looked like a very ordinary picture. She was smiling at the camera and I just didn't see anything abnormal whatsoever until the television caught my eye. I wish I had a good way to describe this because just the sight of it sent chills up my spine. The television was obviously turned off but there was a definite image of a ghostly face on it. A ghostly screaming face. On the television. In the guest room. Ooooo, it still gives me the chills thinking of it.

So of course the first thing I did when I got home was googled The Elms and ghosts. It returned some very interesting results. The Elms website itself has this to say:

Over the years, the Elms has been said to be host to several spirits. The origin of these ghosts have been the source of many a 'spirited' discussion. While the hotel had seen two devastating fires, no fatalities had occurred. Rumors have persisted that one of the spirits was involved in one of the fires. The lap pool area supposedly entertains the spirit of a gambler involved with illegal activities during the speakeasy days of Prohibition. The housekeeping staff has a spiritual adviser in the form of a ghost wearing a 1920's style uniform. One thing everyone seems to agree on is the friendliness of the spirits. These gracious ghosts may act as spiritual guides to the next adventures that await the grand hotel.


The website Legends of America had this to say:

However, the Elms, like many historic hotels, is also said to play host to a couple of unearthly guests. The lap pool in the basement is said to be haunted by a man traced back to the hotel’s “speakeasy” days. During prohibition, the gangsters used to store their liquor and hold their all-night gambling parties in these blocked off rooms. The spirit is said to be that of man killed by the mob during one of these illegal drinking events.

Reportedly, on the third floor the hotel, staff and guests alike, have often seen a maid wearing a 1920s style uniform. Seemingly, she is extremely benevolent and only there to watch today’s housekeeping staff to ensure that they are doing their work correctly.

Another spirit is said to be that of a woman who walks through the hotel looking for her child. Distressed, she has been known to pull people’s hair or throw things across the room.

Both guests and staff report the feeling of an unearthly presence in several areas throughout the old hotel, as well as unexplained noises and the occasional glimpse at one of the three spirits.


Oh and for future reference yes, we were on the third floor.

So the jury is still out on whether we were actually haunted or not but it was still enough to give me the chills...and keep me away from the third floor next time we go.