1) They always put family first… no matter what.

2) Putting up with my mom and I isn’t always an easy task.  They do it without breaking a sweat (most of the time).

3) They’re totally fun to hang out with.

4) They make me laugh… all the time.

5) They’re smart(asses).  I can’t help but love that about both of them.

To summarize it nicely and to quote from the ever so awesome Trailer Park Boys, ”That’s just what good dads do.”  And, Ricky really hit on something important there.  Being a dad isn’t so hard, but being a good dad is certainly a different story.  My dad and Luke no doubt fall into the category of super awesome.

Aidan’s contribution to Father’s Day this year was a poem.  Here it is:

——————————–

Dads are cool.

Dads are great.

Dads rule!

My dad is great because he is lovable.

Dads love to wrestle and play.

I love mine every day!

——————————–

So, Happy Father’s Day… not only to my two favorite dads but to all of those courageous souls out there that tackle the challenges of parenthood with style and gusto.

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Welcome 2010… Happy New Year!

My parents, oma, Garry and Greta came to celebrate with us.  Luke grilled out in the freezing cold, and we made some of Skye’s favorites that included fruit and french fries.  Oh, how she loves the french fries!  When we got to the cake, Skye just didn’t want to eat it.  Of course, she smashed it all up and made a big mess (good photo ops), but I’m not sure that any actually went into her mouth.  Such a pity, because it was a pretty darn good cake.  A quick bath, change of clothes and a nap quickly ensued.

Although Christmas had just passed, there was no shortage of birthday presents.  She scored a new wardrobe and several new toys, including a little rocking horse that she’s terrified of.  She won’t even get near the thing, so we had to put it in the closet for now.  It’s actually pretty cute, so maybe she’ll come around at some point.

The first question from everyone I see seems to be… “is she walking yet?”.  Well, the answer is no.  And, to be perfectly honest, I’m not in such a rush for her to do so.  You don’t see many preschoolers crawling around, so I’m certain it will happen at some point.  So, for now, I’m enjoying being able to catch her very easily when she starts doing something she’s not supposed to.  As soon as she’s walking, I doubt there will be much rest as I’m running around chasing her everywhere.  She is walking around holding stuff, so it’s not like progress isn’t being made.

All in all, it was a great day.  Celebrating my daughter’s first year of life was both a happy and a sad occasion.  Knowing that we won’t have any other babies around makes it sad because I know she won’t be cute and cuddly forever.  But, I know from my experience with Aidan that each year brings new and exciting surprises that make it all worthwhile.

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To each of our family and friends, here’s to a happy, healthy and auspicious 2010…

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This year, we spread the love and decided not to have a big celebration at our place.  Instead, we spent Christmas Eve with Luke’s mom over at her boyfriend Garry’s house.  A few other faces we hadn’t seen in a while were there as well and the evening was quite pleasant.  Aidan has a freakish adversity to Garry’s dogs, which presents a certain amount of humor for everyone but him.  But, other than that, we enjoyed a delicious meal and time well spent catching up.  We were even able to Skype with Luke’s family over in Poland, which was quite a treat!

Later that night, we let Aidan open up the presents we got him.  Skye had passed out in the car, so she kind of missed out on that part.  But, Aidan… being the spoiled rotten kid that he is, got everything he had asked for and more.

Santa did make it to our house that night and brought even more goodies.  I’m told he really enjoyed the gingerbread men Aidan had made and decorated for him, as well as the carrots he left for the reindeer.  Aidan now has enough LEGOs to touch the ceiling!  He also got the science kit he wanted and a few other things as well.  I should hope he got everything he wanted after we waited in line for over an hour at the mall to tell Santa’s “helper” what he couldn’t live without!  It turns out I’ve enjoyed LEGO Rock Band more than anyone else, so I guess I scored on that one!

Greta and Garry joined us over at my parent’s house for Christmas dinner.  Amid puffs of smoke from the poor little game hens cooking and Oma laying sickly on the couch, we really had a great time.  Never a lack of gifts at the Phillips’ house, the kids were again showered with presents that would later result in packaging filling more than two large garbage cans outside our house for pick-up.  Such a shameful and gluttonous holiday, I know.   But, the look on kids’ faces when they open stuff up is pretty priceless I have to admit.  Even Skye was pleased with her loot, although Aidan’s stuff does seem to be more appealing to her.

Luke is off for the remainder of the holiday and doesn’t return back to work until after the New Year.  So, we’re making the most of our time and trying to combine relaxation with entertainment.  We’re hoping to have a date night this weekend, and Luke is planning some fun stuff for Aidan as well.  I think they’ve got laser tag and geocaching on the agenda, as well as many hours spent with LEGOs, of course.  Skye’s got Gymboree going on and maybe a trip to the park or two so she can play with her new bubbles.  I swear that girl said “bubble” the other day… but, I can’t get her to say it again!  At some point, we’ll have to get everything together for her birthday on January 9th.  I can’t even believe she’s going to be one! Before you know it, Christmas 2010 will be here!

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For us, 2009 has been a whirlwind of events… from Aidan entering kindergarten to Skye being born and growing into a little person with her own unique personality.  In the next few weeks, I expect she’ll be walking around getting into even more stuff!

As for Luke and I, we’ve spent most of the year somewhat overwhelmed by all of the changes.  Luke now works for Bright House after they bought out Time Warner and I’ve cut back to part-time with Pro QC and continue to teach at HCC and am preparing for a USF course in the spring.  That, coupled with two of the most spoiled children you’ve ever met, certainly does pose certain challenges when it comes to getting enough sleep or making time for date nights.   But, I can’t complain… and, I honestly wouldn’t change one single moment of it if I could.

Unfortunately, we haven’t seen much of our family this year.  We keep promising to visit Poland again, but there’s always some reason to postpone.  At the holidays especially, we miss them and wish they lived just a little closer!  Of course, my folks are just down the road, which has been a truly invaluable source of me keeping my sanity through the infant phase.  I wouldn’t be able to do half of the stuff I do for Aidan’s school if it weren’t for their willingness to babysit… not to mention actually making doctor’s appointments and other stuff. 

So, to conclude, it is with an open heart that we extend the warmest of greetings to all of our friends and family as the year comes to an end.  We look forward to a productive and happy 2010 and wish the same for everyone else as well!  This year, I am determined to stick with one or two of my resolutions… lol!

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So, Greta and Garry appear to be doing very well… Greta’s recent neck/back laser surgery seemed to really be helping her out.   And, Oma joined us this year with my folks and they are all doing well too.  Kelly and Lance even joined us this year, which was a very nice addition.  Aidan felt really special to have his former teacher over… he’s such a ham!

Oh, Aidan and I actually made the napkin rings and centerpiece leaves this year.  It really turned out pretty cute.  When asked what he was most thankful for so we could write it on the back of the leaves, he responded “birthdays, nature & the sun, family and the house.”   Of course, Skye supervised the process.

Time with spent with family and friends always seems to be an adventure, which makes Thanksgiving up there as a holiday favorite.

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Anyway, so what’s going on with the Stepniowski family?  Halloween, one of our top picks for holidays, came and went.  Skye kind of got the shaft because of her quirky need to get to bed by 7pm.  We got a few pics of her in a pumpkin shirt and that was about it!  As for Aidan, he was supposed to be a clone trooper but later changed his mind after we had purchased the costume.  How could I resist him making a special request for me to make him a pirate?  We trimmed up some jeans and a white shirt, ironed on some patches, applied tattoos, an eye patch and some fake cuts and scratches and were ready to go.  It turned out quite cute, if I do say so myself.  Aidan and I scoured the entire neighborhood and scored a whole bag full of candy that will probably still be sitting in our food closet come next year.  But, it sure was fun collecting it.  We stationed Luke outside so no one would wake up Skye.  We both came to the same conclusion that our neighbors aren’t the friendliest of folk, but whatever.  We usually go down to Gulfport to see my friend Karen and her family, so hanging out in our hood was somewhat of a change.

Speaking of Skye, she is growing at warp speed.  Much unlike Aidan, she gets into absolutely everything and can’t sit still for a moment.  I’m glad Aidan is such a cuddler because we’re not getting any cuddle time from her anytime soon.  It’s all go, go go.  At ten months, she’s not walking but she is scooting across the furniture.  It won’t be long before she gets the courage to let go.  And, then all hell officially breaks loose!

As for Aidan, he’s still doing very well in school and seems to have all of the teachers wrapped around his little finger.  One of them stopped me the other day just to say how lucky I was to have such a smart and sweet little kid… ha ha.  Another one calls him the “Mayor of Hunter’s Green” because he personally greets everyone and hugs the teachers.  I won’t bring up the debacle at the HGE Hoe Down here because it would certainly change the tone.  I’ll just say that the night ended with Aidan screaming about how much hates me on his hands and knees through the school.  Fortunately, the teachers didn’t notice and only the moms caught sight.  I can’t tell you how excited I am to see them all again tomorrow at the Pow Wow… woo hoo.

Hmmm… as for Luke and I, same old stuff I guess.  But, there’s no complaining there.  The same old stuff is pretty good if you ask me. 

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Thanksgiving 2009

For the actual holiday weekend, Aidan slept over with his granparents on Saturday night and we spent the evening with DJ and Tracy.  For two folks we used to see quite often, it’s not uncommon for us to get together once or twice a year now that life has signifcantly changed for all of us.

I picked up Aidan on Sunday.  My folks (AKA ”the grandparents”) were also celebrating their 35th anniversary… now, that is a long time!

We spent Sunday afternoon at Lettuce Lake Park.  Forgetting the bicycle helmet, we all walked the boardwalk and spent some time at the playground.  It was HOT, but nice!

On Monday, we ditched chores and grocery shopping for a day in Sarasota, which included lunch at Columbia and collecting shells at Lido.  Fun stuff!

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We were unable to reserve the shelter that we normally get, but Luke has agreed to get there at the crack of dawn and reserve the other spot by the playground. 

Lettuce Lake Park
6920 E Fletcher Avenue
Tampa FL 33637
Location: Fletcher Avenue at Hillsborough River (just west of Interstate 75) Google Maps Link

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This year, I managed to get all of the shopping done weeks in advance.  So, I was able to miss the majority of the consumer chaos that usually drains my holiday spirit.  Thank you lego.com and amazon.com for letting me do most of my shopping from the peacefulness of my own home.

Luke and I both had off work for Christmas Eve and decided to spend a quiet night at home.  My mom joined us, but my poor dad ended up having to work.  I stopped by Walgreens to see him that afternoon and really couldn't believe all of the last minute shoppers hoarding every cheap toy and tinsel decoration they could find.   That's kind of pathetic if you think about it.

For dinner that night, I decided to do something a little different.  With the oven still slightly broken, we went with an appetizer themed evening.  I picked up some wings from Hooters, made some stuffed mushrooms and cheese puffs and then completed the spread with yummy snacks such as veges with dip, chips with salsa and a cheese platter.  Mmmm, how I love cheese platters!  Overall, I was really pleased with how filling and yet totally unhealthy the fare turned out to be.

We told Aidan he could open his presents from us that evening, so he was all too eager to finish up dinner and get to the good stuff.  We let him open up his Star Wars Lightsaber Duels Wii game earlier that day, and the poor little guy played so much he couldn't pull his pants down to go potty because his hands were so sore.  He seemed pretty satisfied with his loot, which included a couple of Lego kits, a Lego watch and some books. 

After putting the gingerbread man out that Aidan had decorated for Santa and checking on NORAD to see what Santa was up to, it still didn't hit home with Aidan that the big guy was supposed to visit our house that night.  When we put him to bed and mentioned something again, he said "That’s TONIGHT?”

Of course, he woke up at 4am wanting to know if it is was time and then again at 5am.  After telling him he had to wait for light to come through the window, I finally heard his tiny footsteps creeping through the house around 7am.  After a moment of silence, I heard… "Mom, Santa left me extra.  I must have been really good this year".  Yes, Santa couldn't help himself and got Aidan a few more things than he had asked for.  He scored a few Lego kits, a gecko Webkin, Crocs, Zoobs, more books and some pajamas and underwear that he didn't even complain about.

That day, Luke's mom and her new friend Gary came over and my parents joined us around 3pm after my dad had gotten off work.  The "pot luck" dinner theme worked out well again, just as it had for Thanksgiving.  Luke's mom brought pirogues and cabbage rolls, Gary made a cheesecake and my mom brought over an assortment of desserts.  We provided the Honeybaked Ham and veges.  It was a pretty nice spread!

So, as we predicted, the rest of the day was spent with Luke and Aidan assembling Lego kits and playing video games.  It was a relaxing and altogether pretty awesome holiday!

Oh, and I do need to send out special thanks to the folks for respecting our request to keep presents targeted towards Aidan and at a minimum.  Luke and I had agreed a few years back that it doesn't make sense to go out and spend a lot of $$ on things for other people that don't really need anything (that includes ourselves). Instead, we started spending the money on toys to donate.  If Christmas is about anything for us, it's about enjoying time with your family and friends and making kids happy.  That objective was certainly achieved this year!

As we await the expected changes that will follow in 2009, we're also savoring the last few days of the year.  In fact, Luke and Aidan are enjoying themselves at the park right now, and there are more plans for Lego assembly and video game playing later this afternoon.  Life is pretty good…

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Someone please kill me!

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Every year as Christmas comes to a close, I make resolutions.  And, every year Luke mocks me for taking part in such a self defeating ritual.  I use the term self defeating because there’s a core batch of resolutions that seem to carry over year to year without any progress.  But, this year I’m going to try something different… This year, I’m going to write them out for the world to see so that I’m truly committed to dedicating a best effort.

So, here’s what I’m wanting to accomplish in 2009:

1.  Now that I won’t be working full-time, I want to truly throw myself into motherhood and develop my little monsters into the best that they can be.

2.  I will finally make an effort to get off my butt and get into shape.  I will do this not only for my own health, but also so that I can keep up with my kids (and Luke). Note that previous resolutions to this effect never took into consideration what a second pregnancy does to one’s body in their 30′s.

3.  I will make healthy choices in my diet and not only set an example for my kids but also improve my own well-being and keep Crohn’s at bay for as long as possible.

4.  I will keep writing.  Note that this one has changed from writing my book to just keep writing.  I think the goal is a little more feasible that way.  The book will get written, eventually.

5.  I will stop biting my nails because it is disgusting and characteristic of a crazy person.  This obsessive behavior must stop, with no exceptions.

6.  I will make make every effort to be conscious of my impact on the environment and make choices that take this into consideration.

And, there they are, written out for the world to see.  Sure, they seem kind of generic in that I think most people want to eat healthier and exercise.  But, that doesn’t belittle their importance.  And, it ‘s worth a shot to have an opportunity to set a good example and “walk the walk”… or so they say.

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It’s been a while since Luke put the new site up, and I admit I’ve been slacking on my content responsibilities.  So, in that respect, I figured a holiday greeting would be a good way to start things off.

As the year comes to a close, I do tend to get a little sentimental when reflecting back.  We were fortunate enough to avoid any major health issues and spent a lot of time together as a family.  From the Smoky’s to weekends at Disney, it doesn’t seem there was a dull moment.  I actually think Disney is going to be glad when our season passes expire on 12/15. The Buzz Lightyear ride could use a break!

Also, of course, we found out that we’re having a baby and only have about four weeks to go.  Skye Riley is already spoiled rotten, even before birth.  Her closet, which is referred to as “the closet of shame” has more varieties of clothing and toys than your average store could offer.  And, all after I said I was going to keep things simple this time… yeah right!

After a little nudging, I was finally convinced that having another shower was a good idea.  So, in the unorthodox style in which Luke and I roll, we had a family-friendly picnic at Lettuce Lake Park.  And, to keep things real, we had it catered by the awesomely talented guy up the street at Kennedy BBQ.  Of course, BFF Karen and her niece Jami really came through on the cake.  Their family seriously knows how to do it up right when it comes to party planning. I really do love those guys!  And, special thanks go out to my folks for helping make it all happen and of course to all of the truly wonderful friends and family that came out to celebrate with us.

As Christmas approaches, we’re looking forward to seeing Aidan swim in the sea of Legos that he has so modestly requested this year.  I can tell you that I did tear up a little when he handed his wish list over to Santa and Mrs. Claus at the mall.  The days of “drop and run” to get the Santa pic are long gone.  We’re left with a little man that has no doubts about what he wants and how to get it.  We couldn’t be more proud!

So, I guess all that’s left to say is sincerest wishes for a joyful holiday and a Happy New Year! I’m looking forward to the many adventures to come in 2009 and appreciate all those that support us along the way.

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