Fetching a tree

We set out about this task a week later than normal. This turned out to be a good thing because we had snow to trapes about in rather than mud. Momma loves that! We bundled the kids in enough clothes to climb Everest and wandered around or favorite tree farm. They had a good time though Aubrey insisted that she didn't need mittens. Mom and Dad won that battle. We found a great tree and now that it is in the house, up and decorated, Chuck and I both think that it really is the best looking tree we have had thus far. I will be sad to take it down. Here are some pics of our adventure...

What happened to November?

I ask myself this very same question. I vaguely recall the month being busy. With what, I am not sure, but clearly I had no time to blog. There was one more trip to the ER for me and a yummy Thanksgiving dinner. I started Christmas shopping I think. But now it is December (for a few more days) and November pales in comparison to the fun that happens in the month of December. So, onward we go...

October happenings...

It has been a while since I posted last. October has been a fun month around here and we have stayed quite busy. Earlier in the month, we went to Conneaut for the annual Pumpkin Fest. The kids love going to the cottage and even though it was a rather cold weekend, we went to the park, had a campfire, and had some yummy food. Evan rode many of the rides in kiddieland including the mini rollercoaster. Here is a pic to show how cold it was...














Evan had his very first field trip this month also. His class and all the parents went to the Trolley Museum. Pappy came along too and all the kids had a great time. They got to take 2 trolley rides, ring the bell, get their tickets punched and got to pick a pumpkin from the patch that was inside another trolley. (They moved the patch indoors because it was pouring down rain.)

















Halloween was fun for all and amazingly, both kids liked wearing their costumes! Evan was Woody from Toy Story and Aubrey was a pretty pink butterfly. They both got a lot of wear out of their costumes between Halloween parties at both of the grandparents houses and school. Evan enjoyed his school party and got to parade through the "big" school and for the preschool parents. Aubrey dressed up for the parade too. Unfortunately, the evening brought rain so we didn't get to do our campfire in the driveway. I managed both kids, treatbags and umbrellas to a few houses on the street and the kids seemed quite content with that. Evan keeps going to the door after dinner almost every night and asks,"Kids coming?" Very cute.






































Just for fun, here is a picture of all the beings that keep me so busy throughout the day. Riley is settling down now that she is 2 and a half. She recently got weighed at the vet and the scale said 84 pounds. She is a rather large dog and can knock me down without too much trouble.














As for the grown-ups in the house, we are doing well. Chuck has not been on nightturn for a while so that has been wonderful. He stays busy though. He has big plans for Thanksgiving weekend to do some projects around the house, but we will see. I am feeling better in recent days. I have switched to a new specialist and he is working on figuring out what my deal is. I am on a medicine that I take daily and it seems to be helping. I am far more functional now than I have been in months. Yay!

So now we start the holiday shopping and the hustle and bustle that November and december bring. I think this year will be lots of fun with both kids getting a little older and really starting to play together. I have started my shopping, but have lots more to do. Thank heavens for internet shopping...at least I can browse during naptime and cut down onthe amount of time dragging two kids through the mall. Until my next entry...

Sshhhh! Can you hear it?

Listen very closely... Can you hear it yet? You have to listen very carefully... That my friends is the sound of angles singing from the heavens! Glorious sound isn't it? And why you ask, do we hear these angles singing from above? A miracle of course. Evan has decided to pee on the potty. I thought the day would never come! He has been willingly sitting on the potty for months now, but just was not motivated to "produce."

We have been holding our breath each day when we sent him off to preschool in his big boy pants. He could hold it for quite a long time and we just hoped he wouldn't have an accident while he was there. The teacher was assuring me that he was going at school each day. I just assumed he went in and sat, just like at home, and she just figured he was going. I was in Wal-mart on Tuesday night and Chuck called me to report that he did a little in the potty. I turned back around and made a selection from the toy department to take home. Scoop and Muck were a hit. I picked him up at speech on Wednesday and he was doing the "dance." I took him down the hall to the bathroom of little potties and he sat and sure enough, deposited! I was thrilled! After we came home, he continued this behavior and had 6 more successes before bed. We ventured to Target on Friday in big boy pants with no accidents.

Of course, now starts the wonder of visiting every public bathroom in the tri-state area due to either need or curiosity. I'll take it though!

Vacation 2006

Ok, so we have been home for weeks now, but I thought I would finally post about our vacation. We went with Nanna and Pappy to Fenwick Island, DE. The kids were real troopers in the car on the way there. We stopped in Fredrick, MD for breakfast and to meet up with a girl that I have been talking to online for almost a year now. She has a little girl the same age as Aubrey. It was great to see the girls together. We arrived in Delaware around 3pm and the kids loved exploring the house. It was a beautiful house!

During the week, we went to the beach (though it was too cold to swim), the Boardwalk in Ocean City, to a few restraunts, and spent lots of time relaxing. Chuck and I got to go out alone one night for my birthday and we had a small party on the big day.



The kids loved spending time with the grandparents! There were many walks taken, videos watched on the king sized bed and happy times for all.


Evan slept for the first time in a "big boy bed" and had absolutely no problem with it. We will be getting him one here at home soon. Aubrey had a little adjustment to make sleeping in the pack and play but did just fine by the third night. Our room had sliding doors to the upper deck on the house and we spent time out there looking down on the canal. Thursday brought Bike Week to the area so we got our fair share at looking at motorcycles after that! The ride home was uneventful and the kids were ready to come back to their own house. We had a great time!


Oh yeah, almost forgot...There was this little beach shop at the end of our street and with all the walks to the beach, Evan made a new friend. He named her "Pink" and as you can see in the picture, he is just begging her to come home with us. His father is so proud!

Are You Ready for Some Football?

We are ready in our house!!!





This girl has the lungs to be a cheerleader...




Here we go Steelers, here we go!!!

First Day of Preschool!

Today marked the first day of Evan's educational journey. He started 3 year preschool this morning. He was very excited about going and seemed to have no hesitation when leaving the house. Daddy got to leave work to come meet us and we all went in and hung up the backpack and turned in various forms. Evan was a little annoyed that he couldn't go right into the classsroom. When the teacher announced that it was time to go in, he casually said, "Bye Daddy, bye Mommy!" and went on his merry way. He shed no tears, he didn't even bother to look back over his shoulder. This made mommy a bit teary eyed! While we were glad he did not cry and bravely set foot into the world of independence, a little peek back would have been nice. We are so proud of how well he did and he even got to celebrate his birthday by bringing in the treat and wearing a crown. He said he would like to go back again another day!
All ready...
Mommy, Aubrey and Evan...
Let's Go!

Daddy and Evan in the coatroom...


What a great day!

Kennywood 2006

On Thursday we ventured out to Kenneywood once again. We attended the Carpenter's Picnic in June, but it was rainy and gross. It was a beautiful evening to go out and enjoy the park. Mom, Dad, Ering, Jeff, Jake and Hailey were also there with us. Evan happily followed Jake to any ride that he suggested. They made great riding partners. We were a bit more cautious with Aubrey going on things. The girl can almost escape a 5-point harness in her car seat, so I do not put a whole lot of faith in that one piece of rope used to hold them onto the rides! The few rides she went on she was not overly thrilled with but she was quite happy to clap for Evan after each ride he came off.

In Kiddieland, Evan went on the turtles, the airplanes, the merry-go-round, the little whip, the space ships, the ferris wheel, and the pounce bounce. He loved it all!

First we went on the train as a family...

Evan on Pounce Bounce...























Aubrey and Evan on the space ship thingies... (before she started crying)














And lastly, all of us on the Merry-Go-Round...















Outside of kiddieland, Evan went on the merry-go-round, the Whip (where he giggled the whole time!) and on the Kangaroo. Mommy and Daddy were so proud of him being so brave and waiting patiently in lines with no fussing.

I must say that I could not have asked for the kids to be any better that evening. There were no tantrums, meltdowns, or diaper leaks. It was one of those days that I loved being a parent getting to see my kids really enjoying their experiences, even if it was just watching the fountain, or seeing the Steel Phantom go racing by, or looking at the really cool trash can that looked like a lion. I got a litte teary seeing Evan take off with Jacob, not needing mommy or daddy holding his hand anymore. Most of the day he looked like such a little boy, not a baby or toddler anymore. He turned 3 the very next day. Mommy is having a hard time coming to grips with gowing up business. Who knew it would be this hard?

Water, water everywhere!

It is official...the Manion children are obsessed with water. At times, this is a good thing, like during bath time or being in the pool. They love playing in the water table in the yard, though more water ends up on them than in the table. Other times, not so much. The holy water at church has to be closely guarded as to not turn into a place of play. Nothing is sacred with these children.

Aubrey is the house toilet fisherman. She will stick her hands in at any given time. Splashing is fun! Yesterday as I was throwing in a load of laundry, I neglected to shut the powder room door and found her dunking her graham cracker! Eeeewww! I snatched it away before she could eat it, thank heavens. I also found a bottle of Mylicon drops in the toilet upstairs a few days ago. Oh what fun!

Evan is the holy man of the house. I have found him dipping his fingers in his cereal bowl, the dog's water, and yes, the toilet, followed by hearing him say, "Father, son, hole, spit, amen" and crossing himself. Ah, a mother should be so proud!

All this amazement with the toilet, yet we are totally unsuccessful in the potty training department. I do not understand. Perhaps he does not want to dirty such a fun place to play? This story may appear next on Unsolved Mysteries. Stay tuned...

Vacation in Conneaut

Again this year we spent a week in Conneaut with the Manion side of the family. This year it coincided with the 4th of July holiday. We went up on Sunday and Chuck was off until Wednesday. The kids, Chuck's mom and I stayed around the cottage while he went to work on Thursday and Friday. The first 3 days were filled with family, fun, food and a fair share of rain. After that it was rather cool, but pleasant. We walked in the park, let the kids put their toes in the lake and relaxed. Some work on the cottage got done too!

The park did their fireworks on Sunday and we watched them fromt he backyard. Aubrey slept through them and Evan burried his head in our shoulders and refused to look. When I would ask," Do you want to see the pretty lights in the sky?" he would respond with,"No, no, ma!" Oh well, maybe next year. I was quite disturbed with not having fireworks on the actual 4th. It just didn't feel right. No Dormont Park, little league game in the background, or sitting on the hillside. I had to settle for watching the Boston Pops version on tv from the comfort of my bed. At least there were no mosquitoes to contend with. I tried to get a picture of the kids in their patriotic jammies...here is what I got:

And here are the 4 of us on the porch of the "big" cottage on the 4th:



On Thursday we went to the famous Linesville Spillway to feed the carp and geese and ducks. Evan got a big kick out of it! Aubrey, on the other hand, everytime we handed her a piece of bread, she ate it. Obviously did not get the whole feed the animals bit. Good thing the bread was not moldy or stale. Here are some pics from the Spillway.
We hope all is well with everyone and that you all enjoyed your 4th of July celebrations!

Our Little Bruiser!

Ok, this kid is too much. She was being quite the climber last night. First she climbed on Evan's tractor and fell off onto the sidewalk and banged her head. It was a sickening sound and she screamed her little head off. She stood outside grinning at me while I made a call to the doctor to confirm that she was fine. Not 10 minutes after I hung up with our beloved Dr. Wendy, the little stinker decides to try to climb onto Evan's Power Wheel vehicle and smacks her chin on the plastic tire and puts her teeth into her lip! She proceeds to bleed all over my shirt and scream some more, but stopped bleeding after about 3 minutes. I didn't call the doctor back though I am thinking of putting them on speed dial. These are the before and after pictures. (Now that I did it they are the after and the before pics. I cannot figure out how to change the order)

Happy June!

Happy Father's Day 2006



Here we are, the middle of June. I really need to get on here more often to update. Not that life has changed that much, but I must keep my readers, no?




Kiddie Clips: Aubrey is turning into quite the teenager. Yes, she is thirteen months, not thirteen years, but someone forgot to tell her that. She is saying more and more and soon, she will be out talking Evan. Heaven help me! Her words include: ball, balloon, something that means Evan, all done, Hi bear!, Hello (which sound like Scooby Doo "ha-woe"), buh-bye, something that means Hailey, and a few other random words. She has a little attitude on her like none I have ever seen. Pappy told her to put a rock back in the fountain yesterday and she looked at him, looked ant the rock and threw it down right in front of him and proceeded to walk away. We are in trouble!
Evan's vocabulary continues to grow. His new favorite thing, which incidentally drives me up the wall, is to ask one of two questions while we are in the car. The questions are: 1. "Umma, whach ya doin'? or 2. "Umma, are you ok?" I then answer him by saying either 1. " I am driving the car." or 2. " I am ok, are you ok?" Now asking these once or twice would be fine. But he askes them every 15 seconds the entire way to wherever we are going! It is going to be a long 8 hours in the car when we go on vacation!! Remind me again why I was so excited for him to talk???
As for Chuck and I, are any of you really reading to find out about us? Didn't think so. At any rate, we are well and continue to try to keep up with our active children. Night turn is over for now. Give it a week or 2, I'm sure it will change. GRRRRR!

How cool am I?

Look at me! I figured out how to post a picture on here... I am so proud!
The first picture is of Evan at gymnastics last Saturday. He loves going and is doing so well. We will all be sad when it is over for the summer, but we have already enrolled him for the fall. He went down the really big slide that they set up this week and he is really good at walking his feet up the wall.









Here is Princess Aubrey at her party enjoying her cake. She thought cake was great! Her party turned out to be a beautiful day despite the weathermen telling us it was going to rain. The clouds parted and the sun came through just in the nick of time.








Life continues to roll along here. Summer seems to have arrived and the kids are loving playing outside and in the water. My stomach issues have remained at bay and according to the doc is just "stress." In my life? No, no stress here! So now I wait and have my butler bring me bon bons while the nanny tends to the children.

Chuck is still on the merry-go-round that is his company. This week was daylight, next week...you guessed it. Back to night turn. And 2 hours away to boot! (Butler, I need another bonbon, please!) Poor guy. This week he has been leaving at 4am and getting home at 5 pm. No stress in his life either!

I can't believe it is May!

Only a few more days and my baby girl will be ONE!! Nooooooo, this cannot be true! Aubrey is officially walking and took her first steps on April 10 just after I returned from the Emergency room. She is going like a pro now and just tonight at Grandma's new house, she walked in a complete circle around the diningroom table without touching anything. Turns and a change in flooring surface with no falls! She has decided she is no longer a baby in other ways too. The girl will have nothing to do with baby food. What ever is on our plates is what she wants. I have no fear with transitioning to real milk either as she steals Evan's cup and drinks his chocolate milk on a daily basis. (The second child makes you so more laid back!)

The rest of the family is doing fine. I have been the problem of late with 2 trips to the ER and Multiple trips to doctors and for tests. The good news is, they seem to be narrowing it down and signs are pointing towards my gall bladder. I say, "Take it out! And while you are it, remove any other unnecessary organs." I look like a human pin cushion and really just want to feel better, so keep checking back here for updates.

This is a short entry as I am very tired from all the chasing that goes on in this house these days! 4 little feet move faster than 4 big tired feet in case you ever wondered. And rumor has it that I can post pictures on this crazy thing, but I have to figure out how. Maybe next week!

Warm days and Dry diapers are here !

We have lived through the stomach flu and it did skip over Aubrey! Of course in the time since I last posted, I have been to the hospital once again with my stomach issues. Nothing a little IV and medication cocktail couldn't fix. Evan also made a second trip to the ER for a dislocated elbow that magically healed itself while we were waiting to be seen. Chuck returned to day turn and went back to night turn this week and will be going back to day turn on Monday. Oh the fun!

We had a lovely Easter spending time with both sides of the family. The bunny brought Evan and Aubrey nice baskets and they both looked totally cute in their Easter duds. The weather was great and the kids spent lots of time outside. At the Manion celebration the kids had an egg hunt and loved it. Aubrey was not real sure what to do with the eggs, but had fun anyway. Dinner at Dee Dee's was fabulous as always!

As for the exciting things the children are doing: Evan is having a great time in his weekly gymnastics class. He is making great progress in participating with the group and trying new things. Who would have thought that the boy who jumps from the top of the couch at home would be afraid to jump off something onto a big squishy mat at the gym? He gives his teachers a hug every class before he leaves...So cute! Aubrey is turning into a big girl despite her parents pleading not to. She is taking steps on her own when she is concentrating, but prefers to speed crawl when she really needs to get somewhere. Our baby girl is growing up!

How quickly things change..

And this is how it must feel to live at the base of Mt. Saint Helens. Will it erupt today? Tomorrow? Five minutes from now? You can feel the rumbles, see the smoke begin to rise. You can run but you cannot hide. You cannot outrun the flowing lava. Alright, I don't live there, but I am living with a puking toddler, close enough! Poor little guy has had the pukes since Tuesday. Our livingroom floor is covered with make-shift drop clothes to catch the mess and lessen the amount of carpet scrubbing. My washing machine has never been busier. Hopefully, it will all end soon and it will skip over Aubrey.

Chuck is back on night turn! The poor man's body clock may be forever confused! So now his nights are filled with work and his days are filled with sleep and an occasional interruption to keep Aubrey and the dog out of the mess created by Evan.

Aubrey has been quite the "Princess" this week. She is in a stage that she cries if you walk past her, look at her funny, or if the wind blows in the wrong direction. She tries to get Evan in trouble by screaming and crying when he gets too close, even though he has done nothing to harm her (most of the time)! She is capitalizing on his being sick and crawls over and beats on his head or pulls his hair. She has also started letting go and standing without holding on to anything! Life is a real trip around her these days.

As for me, I feel I am stuck in Groundhog day. Same thing, different day. I dream of warm days and dry diapers.

Let's Give This a Try...

Now that I am spending far to much time online, I thought this would be a great way to share the happenings in our lives with our far awat family and friends. I will try to be good about posting frequently. (But don't forget that I have lost a boatload of brain cells in the last 2 years!)

This week has been a good one. Chuck has stopped working night turn (Yippee!) and now gets to be home for the evening feeding, bathing, and story reading chaos. I am thankful that he is back to help with this!

As far as the little people in the house, Evan is getting more adventerous by the day. This week he has mastered jumping from the third step of our staircase down to the floor. All he needs now is a cape to pin on his back. He also got a new hair cut, his second one, at Salon Mommy. I think it looks great if I do say so myself! The satisfaction of saving a few dollars is wonderful! Aubrey has had a big week as well. She is just as active as Evan was at this age. Just yesterday she used her walking toy and made her way across the entire livingroom! After she was satisfied with that, she was on to bigger, better, and higher things. She used the kiddie couch and managed to crawl onto the coffee table. It is becoming painfully obvious that our children think that they are really monkeys!

I can say for me that this week, I have gotten to use the bathroom alone 4 times...hooray! A mother has such simple joys in life.