the year in review and to be

We spent New Years and the weekend at the beach house. Nancy and Courtney and families were able to come and we had such a great time.
So...we had a super 2008. Couldn't have been much better if you ask me! I have no complaints and so much to be thankful for! I am going to try to look back at my calendar and think of something for each month:

January: Sydney turned 4 and had an indoor Luau party and it snowed outside! It was awesome!

February: went to the beach for a weekend getaway with my friend Holly, had a great time!

March: closed on our beach house in Cherry Grove, SC (N. Myrtle Beach)

April: went back to the beach to do some work, had a great time at Farm Days, saw Mr. Al, went on a scrapbook trip with my good friends Daniele and Ashley

May: Phil's one year anniv. at eplus and his award. Went to the lake for Memorial Day weekend

June: Mom moved here!

July: family beach trip, lake trp for the 4th

August: long and hot and boring

September: Girls started back to preschool, Sydney 3 mornings, Mollie 2 mornings per week, Phil won his BMW! More beach...

October: married 8 years :) Went on our super fun wine trip! Chase turned one!

November: our house started to get the 7 year itch and it seemed like nothing worked for a period of time! It's all fixed now...we think. We moved here Nov. 27th, 2001
I unexpectedly went back to work part-time.

December: Mollie turned 3!

In 2009...
Sydney will be 5, start kindergarten, I know at least 8 people off the top of my head who will have babies in 2009! Oops, just thought of a 9th.
We will go to Disney World!
And who knows what other joys and frustrations we will experience.
Here comes another year!

beach

We're at the beach. Mollie is currently snoozing after the disappointment of no open ice cream places close by in Cherry Grove...
Sydney is playing, Phil is working some, I'm hanging out.

Nancy, Travis, Chase, Courtney, and Cameron are on their way down. We're having our own little New Year's celebration here tonight, just us and the sleeping kiddos. Cam is making the yummy low country boil and we have stuff for chocolate fondue for dessert:) Courtney got me a fondue pot for Christmas so we'll get to try it out.

Most people I know are staying in tonight. I never like to really be out on New Years Eve, I'm afraid of all the crazies. So if you go out be careful!!!

new pictures

are posted to the right----->

more Christmas...

We spent the weekend at Phil's mom's house in Elkin. The girls had the best time and did not step foot outside of her house b/w 4pm Friday and 10am Sunday.
Friday evening we had a small celebration and dinner with Phil's brother, David, and his family. His Dad also came down also. Although his parents have been divorced for like 29 years or something, in recent years they have been pretty accomodating about holidays and hanging around each other. That makes it much more convenient for at least us and David's family because we used to have to have a seperate Christmas with him which usually made about 5 Christmas celebrations, one being with my family:) It was very nice.
Olivia (10) and Emma (5) are a lot of fun and the girls have a great time together.
Saturday Phil and I had planned to get out for a while. There is no way I could have sat around there all day. We thought we'd invite his mom also and have the whole family go, but they didn't want to so just Phil and I went and "shopped" in Elkin. That consisted of Belk, Hallmark, Bath and Body Works, Big Lots, and Wal-Mart, haha all in 2.5 hours. Which is fine. It's a nice little town.
Saturday night is whole extended family on his Mom's side came over. That is always a lot of fun. I think there were 28 people there. Lots of kids ages 3 to 14. Mollie's the youngest.

Sunday we came back home and unpacked and relaxed some!
Off to the beach we go on Tuesday!

Christmas day!!!!

Santa came to our house sometime during the night. I was a little worried about Sydney coming down in the middle of the night, but my mom told her to come to her room first because she had a special present for her. She ended up yelling for me from the upstairs hall at 6:20. I ran up there and said, what are you doing? And she was like, oh yeah, I have to go get Gramma! So they woke up Mollie at 6:30, I woke Phil up, and they came downstairs.
Sydney came down the stairs and said, "no double stroller, oh well" in this fake voice. I said, "yes you do, see, that is a double one" and she says "oh, but it doesn't have a back seat". I told her that Santa doesn't know how to make that kind, just this kind. She was like, oh, okay. And she went to check it out. But she was VERY happy with the purple one! (We just gave her both) So yay! Glad we kept it! She's played with them both a lot and even had her stuffed dog in the double one with her baby. We all tried to make a big deal out of how much better that one was.
Mollie was a little half asleep and happy to see her castle. She also got the Loving Family Grand Dollhouse. My Mother in law was going to give her the Little People Dance and Twirl Palace, but she kept telling every that Santa was going to bring her a castle and a princess so we figured we better put it out just in case. Even though the doll house is the same class of toy, haha. She loved both of them. We're giving my mother in law the set of princess barbie like dolls to give to her instead. They both got some dress up clothes, hooded bath towels, new Jr. Wolfpack club stuff that got her just in the nick of time, haha! Sydney got a new Leapster 2 so Mollie will inherit her very old Leapster that I got from a consignment store over the summer. And a new game. Sydney got a pink guitar from Gramma (last year she was diappointed by the cheap electric guitar that Santa brought, apparently she wanted one like her music teacher at school, but never said that!). Gramma got Mollie more "room sets" for her new doll house. They got several new movies, Enchanted, Sleeping Beauty, Wall-E, Schoolhouse Rock, and the original Annie (we have the made for tv version). And their Wii game from daddy and paint from me. And probably some other things I'm forgetting! Oh, and Elizabeth, Michael's wife, made them these doll slings!!! They are so cute. Sydney has always wanted a sling for her babies (can you tell she is obsessed with babies???), but they don't really make them for kids. So she experimented with one and made some adorable adjustable ones out of Tinkerbell and Dora fabric. Very neat.
Everyone in my family was here for lunch and then gradually left throughout the day as we ate, napped, watched movies...finally showered:)
Then James and Michele, our neighbors, came over and brought the girls those 25th Anniversary Cabbage Patch dolls with matching outfits! Sisters! They are so cute and I think Michele and I were a little more excited than Sydney and Mollie, haha. They smell so good and are just like the ones we had when we were little. Our girls are very special to them and vice versa and that was a great special gift!
We ended up wanting to get out of the house so we went with mom and dad to TGIFridays, the only restaurant open in Apex, for dinner! It was good! I've never been a fan, but it was really yummy.
Anyway, a great day all around!
We are now headed to Elkin for parts 2 and 3 of Christmas with the in-laws:)

Christmas Eve and the stroller situation

Christmas Eve morning we a happy one, Phil off of work, girls playing. We're laying in bed that morning discussing how Sydney had told the Santa in our neighborhood the night before that she wanted a double stroller. She had been asking for this purple stroller at Target for months. Like probably 6 months. We already have 2 umbrella strollers and I was trying to steer her toward something new so I suggested a double stroller. She was pretty set on the purple one so I got it. We then thought she had changed her mind and wanted a double one. So we returned the purple one (stupidly) and went to Toysrus to get a double one we had seen that was front to back and had little removeable car seats. We already have 2 of those also, but thought we could just get rid of those with the 2 umbrella strollers we've had for like 3 years. They didn't have one! Then I realized that I couldn't even find a spot on the shelf where they had been, went home, looked online, and I don't think they even make it anymore! So I ran back to Target to rebuy the purple one. Lesson learned. She still talked about the purple one. Then a few weeks ago she stared on this huge double stroller kick, telling everyone she wanted one. They still didn't have them like that anywhere and I just knew that is probably the one she wanted. And then she still talked some about the purple one and we thought, well, it won't really matter, we'll just give her the purple one, she'll be happy and we'll say that Santa only can fit one stroller in the sleigh. The night before Christmas Eve we visited this Santa house. She told him again that she wanted a double stroller. We were like, what do we do? Still thought it would be okay and if it's not we'll just get her a double one for her birthday in January.
Christmas Eve morning we all get up, are sitting in the living room and here is my conversation with Sydney while she is playing with her baby:
S: this baby sure if heavy. I better not put her in my new double stroller because she might break it if it's made out of plastic.
Me: well, maybe if Santa brings you a purple stroller she won't break that
S: well, if Santa brings me a purple stroller then he wasn't listening to me because I TOLD him I want a double stroller.

Phil looked over her head at me like, "oh crap". I started laughing and tears were streaming down my face. So I called my mom, she said we could bring them over, and we went to Walmart, Toysrus, KB Toys at the mall, and Target. We could only find a side by side at Toysrus, which I thought was very cute. Nancy looked at the Walmart in Holly Springs to try to see if we could find a front/back. None.
So note to self: next Christmas I will buy everything they mention they want. On Christmas Eve we will decide what they really want and take the rest back later!!!!!!
******************
Gramma and Grandpa met us at Church for the 5pm mass, along with our friends Jennifer and Matthew, at 3:30, haha. Very crowded, have to get there early. We got a seat and they will start as soon as the church is full. They started about 4:30. When we left at 5:30 the fellowship hall was so full for the overflow service that was still going on that there were people standing outside on the sidewalks. Still trying to see and listen.
We then went to Nancy's house for our annual Christmas Eve dinner. Courtney and Cameron were there as well as Travis's parents.
My brother Michael and his wife Elizabeth got to our house about 10:30 so we ended up with a full house!
Courtney, Cameron, and Stubbs, my dogphew, staying the basement so Stubbs wouldn't have to be left at home. We don't have a very dog friendly house, but he is a good crater and slept in the office side in his crate and had frequent walks. Courtney and Cam slept on the futon on the big room side. The girls really enjoyed hanging out with him and Sydney went for a big walk with he and his parents.
Sydney insisted on Gramma being here to spend the night so although their apartment is just a few miles away she and Grandpa slept upstairs in the guest room. Sydney would not let MOllie sleep in her room! She was pitching a fit! We were hoping to have them sleep together and give Michael and Elizabeth a bed, but she wasn't having it. So they slept on an air mattress in the playroom downstairs, haha. Poor Elizabeth. I don't think she got much sleep.
We all went to bed around midnight so that Santa could come!

Merry Christmas from rock star Barbierella

super cold! and presents

It is very cold today! Very! (for NC)
I think it was about 26 this morning when I headed out. The high is supposed to be 38, it's now 34 at 3:30pm.
At our fiesta on Sat. (which was fabulous by the way) we collected things for the children's services division at WakeMed hospital. Their child life division serves the main pediatric floor, they have a Children's ER, and our new Apex WakeMed ER facility serves children. I talked to a girl who is one of their child life specialists and she gave me a list that all of their people have designated as highest needs right now. Anyway, we always collect things at our party for some sort of charity so we chose them this year. We don't want to just ask people for money to contribute because they like to shop for specific things! And I know they trust us, but how to they really know where the money is going? This way it's a concrete thing to support.
I had an appt. at 10am today to deliver the stuff to the pediatric floor. Well, WakeMed Raleigh is pretty far. Well, about 40 min. across town. And it was 26 degrees. I planned to take the girls with me because I thought it would be a good experience to see us donating to people in need and to see that they are very lucky to be happy and healthy and all that. We talked a lot about how some kids will have to be at the hospital on Christmas. I assured them that Santa will still come. We had to park in the parking deck and walk over to the main entrance with 2 huge bags and a box. I took my stroller so we could load it up. Well Mollie was freaking out because she was so cold and wanted me to hold her. She was flipping out. So I was holding a 35 lb toddler and pushing a loaded down stroller and keeping up with Sydney who was trying to help me with the stroller, but was really freakin' cold herself, haha. It all turned out okay, they go to play in the play room a little, the child life staff was very appreciative, especially for the Transformer and PS2 games. Then we ventured back into the cold with Mollie IN the stoller to go back to the car.
Next year, if it's below 40 degrees I'll just tell the girls about how nice it was, haha. Although now I think they had such a good time they might think it's fun to be in the hospital.

I think we're all ready for Christmas here. I have learned to get used to Phil's annual Christmas Eve freak out where he thinks we didn't get enough presents for people even though I keep him in the loop the whole time and we've been shopping together some this year. He thinks everyone might need a last minute electronic item of some sort. And he always gets the girls something just from him. He already got them a Wii game, but I'm afraid that since it wasn't on Christmas Eve he'll find something else too :)
Sydney's been helping me wrap and is quite good at it. I see a future seasonal job for her. Maybe next year. She helped wrap the angel tree gifts from our church and after that she was doing some on her own. They look pretty good! So she wrapped my neices' gifts also and a few more.
This year our family drew names for gifts since we now are all married and stuff. We all buy for the kids and Mom and Dad, but the sibling girls drew a girl name and the boys drew a boy name. It really made it a lot easier and a lot cheaper! And we stopped doing gifts with Phil's brother and his wife last year and just do it for my neices so that helps a lot also. Actually, now that I think of it, Phil did get his brother a gift anyway...but he really wanted him to have it. I'm going to have to have a talk with him about the reason we made these Christmas procedural arrangements I think;)

Last night I went to the grocery store and am going to try not to go back until after Christmas! We'll have Christmas dinner over here around lunch time that day. I should be ready!

Little Spitfire

So, turning 3 has brought out a whole new dimension to the Mollie otherwise known as "princess". She really doesn't like to leave places and will throw down and you have to carry her out. Luckily these episodes don't last long and she's still pretty easily talked out of/into things. She wants to wear dresses every day and at home she likes to wear dress up dresses. Especially the Barbie cheerleader dress that is getting so nasty now even though I wash it! But she's still a beautiful princess in it.
She says the funniest things! Today I was asking her if she wanted to do a puzzle with me (that she had taken apart and thrown all over the floor). She said, "the princess doesn't want to do that right now". She asked me for gum the other day in the car. I told her I would have to wait to find it in my purse when we got to a stop light or our destination. I was telling her that it wasn't safe because I was driving. I had my left hand on the wheel and my right hand in my lap. Then I get "mommy, use your other hand then, use your right one". I didn't, by the way.
And I hurt the princess's feelings a lot. Like when I tell her it's time to take a nap or go to bed or stop terrorizing Sydney when she is trying to do something.
She does ballet dances all around the house. I can't wait for her to start dance again in January in the 3-5 class. She calls Phil either "Daddio" or "Prince Charming" and takes him into her castle. Today I was the Queen Princess and had to follow her around with the glass slipper that kept "accidentally" falling off of her foot. She has quite an imagination.
While her attitude has really come out, she is also proven to be such an empathetic, kind friend. There have been many times lately that she has been concerned about someone, given back toys that someone has tried to take from her. After a few minutes that is. She'll play with it just to prove her point that it was her turn, but then say "you can have it now". She is a very sweet happy girl. And when she's not being her sassy self she is so polite and genuinely thankful for things and compassionate.
I always wanted to have kids that are funny, nice, polite, and smart, both in every day life and academics. I can just pray that it happens! I think we're getting there. We have to keep working on the manners, but I think that's probably normal.
I used to tell parents that kids wouldn't be kids if they never get in trouble! It's nice to see that sneaky streak every once in a while to show that kids are still kids. Don't want them to be little robots!

Christmas time

It's so busy that it can really be a pain in the rump. All the shopping, cooking, things to go to, etc.
Move the elf before bed.
Make sure there is something in the Advent calendar.
Make sure I have a dozen cookies for this.
Remember to make the lunches for the girls for preschool because it seems like I already did something with food, was that not it?
Remember to go to work. Cramps my style a little this time of year, what was I thinking (except that this little girl actually came up with her own rhyming word this morning for the first time in a month, phew!)

BUT IT'S ALL SO MUCH FUN AT THE SAME TIME!!

One of these days my Christmas cards will come in the mail and then I'll stay up extra late to get them out! Because I love Christmas cards!

busy, but super, weekend

Tonight we're just laying low and recovering from our really busy weekend.
Friday I worked in the morning, ran to Target, got home to them and our babysitter Krystina. She took Mollie to pick out a birthday present, so sweet!
Friday night we went with my friend Dawn, her daughter Ava and her sister Amanda to the Christmas production, Imagine, at their church. Like everything their church does, it was amazing! The girls loved it. Phil had a little holiday outing with his office to Frankie's Fun Park, but was home by the time we got home around 9:30. Then I went back to Target. Seriously. Dawn and Amanda will die that I did that, haha. At 10pm. But I ran into my friend Ann who I only see when we run into each other at Target late at nigth! I got home around 11! I just had to hunt for these cute shoes I found, but not in my size, at the Cary Target and I needed them for my parties. Found them. And a few things I needed for Saturday party cooking since we were going to also have a busy Saturday.

Saturday we played/cleaned up some then the girls and I went over to Nancy's because we hadn't played with Chase in a few weeks. We have seen him a few times, but not play quality time. And he's doing more and more every day. It's truly amazing how he has changed since getting those tubes in his ears! Eating and drinking more, crawling around, pulling up some, saying several words! He's so sweet. And he loves to play with Sydney. You say "where's Sydney?" and he points to her. He also loves the sound of the Swiffer WetJet. Weird.
Came home, Sydney played with a neighbor friend Emily and Mollie napped. Phil was doing something and I think I fell asleep on the couch...
Then we made our final preparations for our Babysteps playgroup adult party at our house. We get together a lot as families and mostly as moms and kids every week, but have not had an adult thing since I've been around. So we had it in the basement here. We had a neighbor babysitter come over to hang with the girls until bed time. There were probably 13 or so of us and it was so much fun! My face and stomach were sore from smiling and laughing so much. Wonderful friends!

Sunday we were tired!! I slept in, then Phil took a nap. Cleaned up some, then ate lunch at mom's apartment which looked great decorated for Christmas!! Dad was there and played Goldilocks and the 3 bears with Sydney and Mollie and then Mollie did her ballerina performance. She wants to be just like the few ballerinas that were in the Christmas performance on Friday night, haha.
Then we jetted home for her nap and went to Durham, really on the Raleigh line at Brier Creek, to my cousin Laura's very nice new house. We hadn't seen it yet and they've lived there for 2.5 months! The girls all got to play and then we all went to dinner. Laura's having a baby girl in March and looks so cute! We got home right at bedtime and I went to bed pretty early. Phil had to stay up and watch football because it's an important time you know for fantasy football;) He could be making it to the super bowl again this year which would make the first time anyone in his league has made it 3 times.

So this morning I worked, picked the girls up, then Sydney had a friend come home with her for a play date. I've been cleaning up more and am hopefully going to get to bed early. Phil has to watch Monday Night football because it's an important night for his team and all, haha. I realized that I still have some shopping to do. The girls are done, but we have odds and ends to take care of. I have returns to make already, more grocery shopping, etc....and have to get ready for our Fiesta on Saturday night!!!!!!!! We must be crazy...

Christmas Magic

So...we finally got in the swing of things to prepare to Christmas! Last week was insanely busy. I had the naked tree up, but we hadn't had time to decorate it! Yesterday the girls and I decorated the tree and it was so cute, they were really into it. And they did a decent job hanging the ornaments. They are concentrated in the very front bottom of the tree, haha, but that's what they can reach! I moved a few around later, but mostly left it alone. I tried to grab and decorate the top with the more fragile ornaments while they were doing that to spread them around.




We got The Elf on the Shelf this year. I put the box outside the front door yesterday morning before I left for work so that when I got home we could check for packages and the girls would find what Santa left for them while they were at school! Well we got a wonderful surprise on the way home when we saw Santa walking into Lee Tailor at the corner of Hunter and Salem Streets in Apex! Wearing jeans and a flannel shirt, this guy had a full, white beard and a Santa hat on! The girls saw him get out of his truck and walk to the door of the shop and it was so exciting! I told them I thought Santa was making a surprise visit to Apex to check on us. I wonder if he left us anything...
So we get home and they run to the not yet decorated tree, haha, and nothing. We checked the porch for packages and there was our Elf box! We read the story about him and after much discussion named him Snowy. Because Sydney kept trying to describe him in a sentence. She was full of adjectives...or things he liked to do. But she could not name him! She said, "the Elf who loves Santa", "Santa's favorite elf who wears red", "A silly wiggly little elf". But she said "the Elf who loves snow" several times so I got her to name him Snowy. Mollie just kept saying all these silly rhyming words and wanted to hold him. But one of the rules in the story is that you can not touch him or he will lose his magic. And every night he flies back to report to Santa about if they were naughty or nice that day. Snowy started out on the mantle, but this morning he was on the speaker by the TV. They were very happy when they saw him!
And whoever that sneaky Santa dude having his suit hemmed in Apex gets a huge thank you for me! It was just an awesome piece to support the Magic!

Oh, and last night Mollie kept saying she wanted a train to go under our tree. Phil loves trains and actually had a toy train set that his Dad gave him that we were saving for a rainy day. After they went to bed he set it up under the Christmas tree. Mollie was so happy this morning she thought Santa left it for us early! Turns out the train set sucks, it goes way too fast so the train flies off the track, but he's going to either try to slow it down somehow or get a different one.

Here's Snowy!!

Pediatric Express

I just wanted to highly recommend The Pediatric Express to those of you in this area. It's a pediatric urgent care. Mollie started complaining yesterday around lunch time of her ear hurting and it just got worse and worse. She was also very tired so this made it worse. I gave her Motrin (wonder drug) and put her down for a nap. I knew if I called our ped. they would have me talk to a nurse and then call me back if they wanted me to come, etc. They're pretty good about it. But I had heard of this pediatric urgent care in Morrisville and thought that might just be easier so I wanted to try it out.
I woke her up from her nap around 4 and she said she was all better. So much better. But I wanted to take her anyway because she had been so miserable earlier and she doesn't just say her ear hurts and cry for no reason. We had a party to go to yesterday evening (with the girls) so Phil took Sydney and I took Mollie to Pediatric Express. We got there at 5:05. We were the only ones there, but someone came in shortly after us. We got right in, the dr. said her right ear was really bad, gave us our Rx, gave her a sticker, let her take a candy cane off their office tree, and off we went to Walgreens. Got in and out of there and at 5:45 were on our way to the party!
Now I know you think, your kids has an EI and you're going to a party!? She was acting fine. Very happy.
It was a going away/football party for my cousin who is moving to CO and our friends are big Alabama fans and it was the SEC championship or something like that. We really wanted to have a party for him and they were already having this other party so we combined. Worked great. But I kind of needed to go, and would not have if she was not fine. But I gave her her first dose of Amox. there and she was a happy camper. Never mentioned the darn ear again. That wonderful Motrin!!!
Anyway, we had a great experience there. I wanted to let everyone know it's there. At the corner of McCrimmon Pkwy. and Davis Dr. by the new Harris Teeter. WAY easier than dealing with the pediatrician after hours.
So we wish J.R. the best of luck on his trip out west and Mollie with her ear, haha!

all in a day's work

The kids in one of my groups were talking about their new silver teeth. Showing off silver caps and comparing them. Some wishing they had them. Not sure if they all went to the dentist/clinic at the same time or what, but suddenly, this was a big news. It was a kindergarten group with about 7 kids so this took a good 5 minutes.

Then I found out that the silliest thing that had ever happened in one kid's life was when her baby sister pooted on her. And a first grader told me that if monster tried to get him he would just hit it in the privates and that would do the trick. The kindergarteners were reading Silly Sally, great book!!! And the first graders were reading There's a Nightmare in My Closet.

Never a dull moment.

Happy Birthday Mollie!

Today is Mollie's 3rd birthday! I can't believe 3 years has gone by since that wild time! Oh, I love her so, so much.

Highlights of her birth:
At 37 weeks we were very surprised to learn that Mollie was no longer head down! This was a mystery because at 35 weeks she had been and they had estimated her weight already at 7lbs. Yikes. So we weren't sure how she flipped.
I was supposed to have a c-section Dec. 1st. Before they inserted my IV they did an ultrasound and she was back head down. How does that happen without feeling it? Not sure.
The hospital didn't have any beds so they sent me home and I began the most mentally unstable day of my life. I was a wreck. I didn't want to leave without my baby. I had everything set up. Family coming in, Sydney was taken care of. Everything. They said they would call me and they were "doing me a favor" by inducing me the next day since I had thought I would have my baby already. My due date was the 8th. Finally at 9am on the 2nd they called me and we headed to the hospital.
Hung in for a while, got epidural, they broke my water. Nancy and Courtney were in attendance. We actually had a pretty good time hanging out in there, haha. Mollie finally arrived at 10:11pm!
Then they put her on the scale.
What did you say?
9lbs?
Good thing I was laying down. Might have passed out. Sydney was 7lb. 1oz.
2nd babies are apparently MUCH easier to deliver.

Sydney met her the next day and our favorite memory is when she kept pointing to the bassinet in the room and saying "put her back in" every time Mom or I was holding her. Poor girl. She was 6 weeks shy of her 2nd birthday and had no idea what had just happened to her world! Now I'm sure she'd say she wouldn't have it any other way. At least 75% of the time;)

My precious little Moo with the best marshmallow cheeks around!


I had to put this picture. Mollie at 6 months old. Notice what she's drinking out of. This was our compromise in the "Hell no I'm not drinking out of that bottle even if it's shaped like a fake boob" battle.

Mollie at one! Blogger is not letting me load the Mollie at 2 picture. Not sure why.

This morning talking to Daddy on the phone! She's 3!

Ugh, I feel old. Time should not go by this fast!