Fontarama

Guess what the nerdy Bergs did today? We all made our own fonts. We went to www.yourfonts.com and we filled out a template, scanned it in, named our fonts and presto we are able to type in our own handwriting. I found this site to be extremely easy, it literally took minutes. It was all free and the kids really got a kick out of it. I took the liberty of naming my font awesomeness.

Lookybook.com

I have been on a book buying hiatus lately but I remember the days of scouring the amazon reviews for a good book and then being disappointed when it arrived. I just found lookybook.com today. It is a website that allows you to look at picture books in their entirety before buying. You can create a bookshelf or look at other's bookshelves and it has reviews as well. I guess they launched it in November with things being added all the time. There are quite a few good ones on there. I am new to it but it looks like fun for a day you can't make it to the library. Go check it out.

25 Things About Me

I just thought I would share my facebook tag with any of you unfortunates that didn't make the cut to be one of facebook bestuses. I did some figuring and it took my awhile to think of this list so I may as well get as much out of it as I can. Warm up some herbal tea, sit back and enjoy this enjoyablenessess.

1. I discovered I was deathly allergic to horses when I went on a field trip to a horse ranch. I have had a real fear of animal hair ever since.

2. I didn’t learn how to ride a bike until I was eight years old.

3. I love cinnamon flavoured candy.

4. I have studied three languages and I am fluent at none of them. However, if I could I would love to study them again and give it another go.

5. I have dual citizenship- New Zealand and United States. I can honestly say that I love them both.

6. I always said I would never live in New Jersey. I currently reside in New Jersey.

7. I prefer a few really good friends to many acquaintances. I am actually quite shy.

8. I have topographagnosia, mild by medical standards but it definitely affects my daily life.

9. I love to make birthday cakes but they always come out with ‘70’s flare.

10. Eating seafood gives me the heebees, but I love to eat fish and crab.

11. My strong desire to be organized keeps my life in a perpetual state of chaos.

12. I accidentally gave birth at home, hubby delivered.

13. I have perfect vision-we are talking pilot vision and yet I constantly feel like I need glasses. I have been tested several times; once a doctor finally relented and gave me a pair that I am pretty sure just had regular glass in them.

14. I don’t iron anything-ever. If it needs to be ironed, I don’t buy it or I give it away.

15. I really really hate it when people wear perfumated (is that even a word? If not feel free to substitute scented) products in public pools.

16. I have to read myself to sleep every night, even if it only takes have of a page.

17. I love office supplies. If I could, I would have a mini office supply cupboard of my very own and I would probably use very few of the supplies found therein.

18. I won the “Colgate Smile” award in high school.

19. I have a twin sister.

20. I once cut two of my sisters’ hair boy short while they were sleeping.

21. I am a night person. I thought becoming a parent would change that, but now I am just more tired during the day but still up at night.

22. I bake cookies at least once a week. I think I am addicted.

23. I love gadgets.

24. When I was in college, I really enjoyed watching Matlock reruns.

25. I am a chronic liar. I lie about things not worth lying about. Lies fly out of my mouth before I can even think about whether or not it is a lie. I never really feel bad about it because it really is always about something very trivial. If I had to lie to save my life, I could not do it. So basically, this talent is completely worthless. I put this one last so you can just wonder about anything I just wrote.

No I am Not

I decided to go ahead and start off with the disclaimer. I was looking at blogs which led me to photography blogs then to photographing children which somehow landed me to newborn photography. I know some of the poses are similar to ones I have seen before, but there is something I just really like about these. I think it is that many of the babies are cute and have hair just like mine did. Or, maybe it is the small details that bring back the memories that are slight for me during those dreamy newborn days like the peeling feet, hairy backs or frog bellies. Like birthdays, I really wish that I had had good pictures of my kids when they were new. Here is some inspiration for you guys out there that it is not too late for-learn from my mistakes! I thought I would post it just in case anyone I know has a bun in the oven. :)

Fun Freebies

I have been meaning to post something about this for awhile but I have been too lazy to take pictures so I just pulled some from the internet. We have caught on to the fun that is the Home Depot workshops. They are completely free projects that you can do with your kids. Each kid gets a free apron and a pin for every project they complete. Since everything is precut and it is not at the house, it is completely stress-free. On one of our visits they noticed that we did not have all the pins for the year, they sent us home with a box full of pins and past projects. FREE
We decided we were onto a good thing so we just happened to notice that Lowe's does the same thing. Lowe's is like Home Depot but a little "classier" and anyone that knows me knows that I am all class. At the Lowe's workshops you get an apron, goggles, and a super cute patch. Their projects are a little nicer too-as in they usually include stickers. Anyway, I decided to do a post so you could all participate in the V-Day projects coming up. If you have girls they will want one. We probably don't need 6 jewelery boxes but we will hit both workshops up because it is what we do.

Okay, fine here is a picture of one of the gingerbread houses the girls made.

Home Depot's project on the first Saturday of February.

Lowe's project on Valentine's Day.

Here You Are Hon

Those are the last and final words from the DMV lady that is found inside one of the scariest malls I have ever been in. Think about it, when a mall is surviving soley on the business of the likes of the DMV it has to be some kind of harbor for freak shows right? This post will be a multi-post of my collective thoughts and experiences of the DMV as this is a place that I have been dealing with for several months now.
Enter timeline.

Sometime in September: Mark gets his NH license in order to register and buy cars and blahdy blah blah and I start thinking about the fact that I should probably get one too. I decide to wait until we get to Jersey to see what's the what.

1. Mid-September: I guess I should go and get my license, fresh is better. Oh no, look I only have one from NZ and a just expired Utah. I do some looking on the Jersey Transport site, find it quite fandangled and decide I would need to go and pay them a visit myself.

2. October: Finally make it to the DMV. Turns out I need a certified copy of my driving record from Utah. Leave- no license in hand. I am also left to ponder, why is it that the people inside of the DMV-not necessarily the workers, but the patrons are so....odd. I mean I am there and I am kind of normal. In fact, a lot of people driving around are normal so when is it that the normal people go to the DMV?

3. November: Finally get necessary work from Utah, procrastinate returning to the DMV until the end of the month. It just keeps nagging at me.

4. End of November: Fill out another ream of paperwork get to the second level of the DMV turns out I am missing some paperwork. Go to car to get it, go back inside, new paperwork for different person deemed not good enough. Drive home, drive back to DMV. Turns out I need to take a written test. Heart races a bit since I have not even looked at the New Jersey driver's handbook. Looks like I just have to wing it. I am thrilled to reach level 3 of the DMV as I am led to these DOS run computers that they have somehow equiped with old school computer screens from the late 80's into touch screen. Okay, I will go for it. Have a look around, surrounded by interesting folk once again, and half of them are reading the questions out loud. If only they would state their answers... By some sort of miracle I manage to pass through process of elimination and left wondering if one of the questions meant the kids don't get their licenses until they are 17.

NZ memory coming on. The written test there was awesome I think I only had to show my passport and I got a fully laminated test sheet in full COLOUR and an offical "scratcher thingy" where-get this-I could scratch off my answers. It was like playing lotto and there were only 10 questions instead of 80.

5. I pass the written and am scheduled for a road test in January at a different location.

6. Turn up for driver's test where Mark, Ed and I ( I wasn't allowed to drive myself) are met by a strange man that I can not for the life of me understand. I signal left, right, left again then right, pump my brakes, another ream of paperwork is filled out and then he tells me I have to make another appointment because he does not have "proper access to an emergency break". Mind you this is a closed course with max speed limit of 25. Mark and I leave calling little man all kinds of inapproriate names. We really just did not appreciate his "tone". Another appointment is not available for 3 weeks.

7. Show up at the testing site again, just missed "mean, little man" and got jolly man instead. He gave me lots of tips like, "please try to keep both hands on the wheel while driving" and "I will have to fail you if...." The thing that was great was that he was giving me these little hot tips whilst I was doing the offending. I finished the test and looked over at him sticking an official sticker on one of my really important totally unnecessary papers and I then stated, "ooooh I get a little silver sticker! Yeah ME! (what can I say I was nervous and there has been a lot of Zach and Cody on around here)" No chuckles received for that little joke. I did a lot of offending and bless his jolly heart, he passed me. Take that mean man!

8. Return to the DMV. They fill out another lot of paper and need different paperwork (I have decided each person has their own preferences so it really just depends on the person and you are best to bring every piece of anything that has your name on it.) and voila hours after I started this morning, I am led to the 10 and highest level of the DMV where I finally get the "Here you are Hon" as I receive my license months after first contact with the DMV.

Seriously, what up with the DMV?

Happy Birthday Mark

My apologies for Ed's psychotic glare.

Say What You Will

This could be blackmail for a later date or maybe it was just for my own amusement that I went along with it? Last night was Maya and Lucy's big Fairy Fashion Show I am sure there are several of you that know how thrilling those fashion shows can be. Ed was inspired by the fashion and intrigued with the attention, so today it should not have been a surprise when all of a sudden the dress-ups looked quite appealing to him. It wouldn't do to have a few bits and pieces on, he had to have every piece on. I am sure it is totally fine, I remember Diggs spent his first few years of life in a tutu and then there is how Twin's boys loved to come over to my house and play with the dolls. Older sisters can be very persuasive.
I know it is wrong, but it was kind of fun to dress him up. He sat so still and then when he was done he still walked all manly stomping around with all this fairy gear on. Dainty Ed is not.

Don't worry, he is not striking a pose, he is just copying my camera-taking position.

Ed could only remain demure for so long.

Maximum Weight Limit

Trusty as they were it was time for them to go, a bit sad really. Then I thought, what could be a better send off than a post on my blog?

I am not sure if I am happy or discontent at the fact that I pretty much look the same as I did in high school. It would appear that my body reaches a certain weight and refuses to go any lower-I just maintain or go higher. It took many years to realize this fact but after having oodles of kids I guess I can't complain about this strange phenomenon. The thing is, it really is uncanny how my body monitors itself. For example, during today's run it happened, the dreaded maximum weight limit had been attained.
I have mentioned before how much I really do enjoy running, well, I hate it but I love it you know what I mean? I like the way I feel after wards or the way I feel on a particularly good run when I am able to fly past someone skinnier than I am and scare them while doing so.
Anyway, the point is, I have always run and I plan to continue to do so as long as I am able. Here is the the problem, if I exceed a certain weight by any amount, my left knee does not take kindly to it. No, really it just decides that beyond a certain amount of weight the work just isn't worth it. It is only the one knee that cares. I know it probably has something to do with pronating and all that but it keeps me in line. I know if I don't keep my act together, running is off the agenda. Today was one of those days when the knee decided to let me know that I have been a little slack in the health department and I need to kick it up a notch. Lucky for me I was able to retire my old running shoes after 2.5 years and with the power of my "ghost" shoes I was able to power through my knee's weight niggle to burn off that extra 200 grams that was causing the problem, enough to run without pain and pass a whole group of skinny high school runners. Yeah I scared them real good, I even got a squeal and it gave me a good chuckle as I sailed by them. I am even more uber excited to run because since it is the new year, there are a buffet of unsuspecting folk out there working on their new year's resolutions to get fit- plenty of people to sneak up on to break up the monotony of running. For those of you that knew me as the "machine" let this be notice that the name is now changed to "the ghost". Now I am just left wondering if those oreos I just ate put me at the limit for my next run...

Today Is Ed's Birthday

What Ed Does

By Maya Berg

Today is Ed's birthday.

I wonder what he will do. When it is time to eat cake will he use his hands or his fork?

If he uses his hands, then we will have to clean him up.

If he uses his fork, then we will not have to clean him up.

I know! He will use his hands to put the cake on the fork.
We will have to clean him up.

I can't believe my baby boy is two already! I know many of my posts are on this little guy but I just have to say that I love love love him! Ed spreads joy and is so much fun to watch, to talk to and to play with. Unfortunately for Ed he had a sore tummy all week and had a bit of a bad rash. I will spare you the details but let's just say he was in a lot of pain. The poor little guy put on a brave face and tried to enjoy himself anyway. I made one of my famous cakes for him and it was a little reminisent of his "problem". Oh well. He really wasn't hungry for cake so I missed out on my shot of him making a big mess. Grandma Ruth just so happened to have had a card fitting the rocketship theme and he enjoyed flying it around and got a little possessive of it. Aida bought him some toy cars and attached two dollars (one for each year) to a balloon for him. Maya wrote two books for him, the one illustrated above and another one about a birthday crown which she also made for him to present with the book about making him a birthday crown. Lucy was very good at helping him open his cards and played cars with him all day. Hopefully sometime this week I will be able to write him his yearly birthday letter. I guess I should write the girls theirs first though...
Anyway, Happy Birthday Ed and thanks to all those well-wishers!

Tagged

8 Shows I Watch Regularly
1. NCIS
2. Desperate Housewives
3. CSI
4. Terminator
5. 24
6. Heroes
7. House
8. Is there time for anymore?


*8 Things That Happened Yesterday
1. Played in the Snow
2. Held sick Ed a lot
3. Watched "Transformers"
4. Helped Tidy an Office
5. Put Away Christmas Decorations
6. Drank Water
7. Stayed Up to Welcome the New Year
8. Made a new Blog Banner

*8 Favorite Places to Eat Ever?
1. Copper Chime (NZ)
2. T-Bones (NH)
3. Louisa's Pizza (NH)
4. Dimitris Souvlakis (NZ)
5. Burwood Fish and Chips (NZ)
6. My House (NZ,NJ)
7. The Matthews House(NZ)
8. Freemans (NZ)


*8 Things I am Looking Forward to
1. Ed's Birthday
2. Mark's Birthday
3. Buying a House
4. Putting Away Christmas Stuff
5. Organizing my House
6. Learning to Take Pictures
7. Organizing My Pictures
8. Going to Bed

*8 Things on my Wish List
1. For Ed to Get Better
2. To Own a House
3. Be Organized
4. Lucy to Learn her Fast Facts
5. New Camera and or Lens
6. To Be Able to Visit NZ Heaps
7. Healthy Savings
8. My Kids to Grow up Happy and Sensible