These are the days of our lives

Friday Night

2010-06-11T22:07:00.002-05:00

So today was a long day. The kids played hard, husband worked hard and I got some cleaning and cooking accomplished. We enjoyed spending some time with the nice young man that came to help with the side work that was to be done. He was kind enough to listen to the kids stories and look at their drawings and toys. Sweet guy, he is. We had a fashionably late dinner and all was good. On a whim, we decided (the grownups, the kids had no idea) to go out for ice cream.

Such a time honored tradition. Ice cream on a summer night...there might not be anything more perfect. But then it was more perfect. As we sat down outside to eat, a little girl came running up, calling to us. It was one of my daughter's friends from preschool! What a fun surprise! And what is funny is the last time we went to this establishment, we ran into the same friend! The girls were overjoyed to see each other and started chatting and never missed a beat. While we were sitting there, I caught people waving out of the corner of my eye...another family from school/church was in line as well! The kids squealed with delight at this unexpected reunion! The parents talked, the kids ate their ice cream and played in the grass. It was a real Norman Rockwell kind of night.

Some people enjoy living life anonymously, keeping to themselves and not "bothering" anyone. I am not one of those people. I love that we live in a community where we know other people and see friends while we are out and about. I love that my kids have friends and have both kids and adults outside of our family that they can count on, talk to and share with. I used to dislike that whole "it takes a village to raise a child" thing...now that I have kids, I have a greater appreciation for it. I love our "village" and I am happy that they are helping raise my children. We wave to people in the community parades and can call many of them by name. We see friends at church and see people we know from church at school. We see church friends at gymnastics. We see old baseball teammates in the preschool pick up line. We are on teams with people we had never met but are now happy to know them and be a part of the "village." I think we are well on our way to being a part of our community and I couldn't be happier.

I meant to...

2010-06-09T22:33:00.002-05:00

do some laundry today. And clean the kitchen.

But it was raining. And we had a playdate. And went out to dinner. (So how did the kitchen get messy?)

*sigh*

I guess I know what I will be doing tomorrow.

The first day of summer vacation

2010-06-03T22:31:00.006-05:00

Off the bus for the last time this year!

Went to the hobby shop for some glider airplanes.

Fetching said airplane when it flew over the fence!

Can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring!

Fear not!

2010-01-05T22:37:00.003-05:00

I have not abandoned my Project 365 already, I promise. I have just decided there are not enough hours in the day to do it all so, I will be dedicating some time on the weekend to upload and post the week's photos. Unless I find more hours in the day. I have looked for the last 6 years and have been unsuccessful. I guess I better just adapt to the set 24 hours.

Check back on Sunday for the week's pictures!

My Project 365

2010-01-02T16:03:00.004-05:00

So I read online about this Project 365.
http://photojojo.com/content/tutorials/project-365-take-a-photo-a-day/
I thought this might be a fun challenge to take on this year. I am in no way a good photographer by an means. I am a mom and I have 2 cameras. It is with this equipment that I will set out on my journey.
As any mom knows, a year passes in the blink of eye and I am hoping that this will allow me to reflect on what all has happened in a year's time with my family. Don't expect earth-shattering, artsy-fartsy snaps here. Expect lots of kid type things, maybe some nature shots and quite possibly some off the wall the wall things. What will the year bring? Who knows!
Here is My January 1st shot:

Oooh, ahhh! Look at that! Color, blurry background/sharp foreground! (I'm sure there is some photography term for that.) You may ask, "Why crayons?"
Well, for one, they were right there while there was a lull in conversation on New Year's Day but the more I looked at it, the more I realized how relevant this is to my life right now. For anyone that is around my family, you know that my kids love all things arts and crafts. Crayons are a part of daily life around here and like my children, each individual one has it's own unique personality to it. Some of our days are blue, others green and many bright pink! yellow! and red! So, on January 1, 2010...my life is crayons. I'm ok with that.

Good Idea, son

2009-06-07T16:08:00.002-05:00

Riding in the car today, the topic of marriage came up. The kids were discussing who they would marry (we had to eliminate relatives from their lists), then the discussion turned to Mommy and Daddy. Evan, thinking hard says, "Dad, I think you should marry mom."

Good idea my son. I think your dad already thought of that though. :)

Surprising discoveries

2009-05-05T20:56:00.003-05:00

My children amaze me every day...sometimes for the good, sometimes for the, well, not so good. Some recent surprising things I have realized/been informed of:

Evan is so far, a pretty decent little t-ball player! Being so small and his struggles with language and following directions, we tend to always think that he will be behind others his age. We need to stop assuming that. He has had 2 practices and is really getting a handle on the game and is pretty good at throwing and batting. His catching needs help, but that appears to be pretty common for his age group. At field day today, his teacher even commented on his skills! Go Team!

Aubrey informed me after prayers tonight before closing her eyes that, "Leo Leoni writes books mom. Today is his birthday." Well, color me shocked! I really have no idea if today is his birthday, but I do know that he does indeed write books. She apparently heard this at school today and that little mind of hers held on to it. This girl has a mind like a steel trap. Unless it is in regards to where dirty clothes go...then, she has no grasp of it whatsoever.

They can be independent. Evan sat down with his homework the other night and completed it without me doing anything to help him. I said, go get your homework. He did, finished it and all I had to do was check it over. I know it won't last, but I'll enjoy it while I can! Aubrey can entertain herself in her room for almost an hour with her dollhouse and little character type people/animals. Can I get an "amen"???

I will be doing laundry until the day I die. Why I am just realizing this now, I don't know. It will be with me forever and I am pretty sure that Hell has washers and dryers just waiting for souls like me. I better start working on a more desirable afterlife destination.

Oh the Children!

2009-04-06T20:46:00.002-05:00

These little people have so much to say. My ears are tired. A few recent memorable ones:

*After the first super nice weekend of the spring, my mom asked them if they put out the Easter decorations yet. Evan triumphantly announces, "No, but we took the Christmas lights down!" (Don't judge us! We normally do not have the lights on the house that long and they certainly were not still being turned on.) Bunnies have since appeared on bookshelves and picture ledges.

*We have been talking a lot about Jesus dying on the cross and how it was sad and he did it for us, but that the story has a happy ending when he is alive again on Easter. Our dear neighbor passed away and we were gently explaining it to them over dinner. We said that she was very sick and went to live in heaven with God. Evan pipes up with, "So she died? She's dead?" Well, at least he doesn't beat around the bush! We said yes, and it is sad but that she is very happy there and isn't sick anymore. Aubrey then chimes in with, "It's ok Evan. The story isn't over! She will be alive again on Easter!" *sigh* We've got a lot to learn with this parenting thing.

*When I told Aubrey she was not going to get another snack the other day, she informs me that I, and I quote, "broke her heart and ruined her dreams!!!" complete with a folding of the arms and stomping away. Drama much?

*Being told by both kids that I (or daddy) am their best friend . Awwwww. I'm saving it up for when they are teenagers and are convinced I am ruining their lives!

Fire Fighter

2009-02-01T11:16:00.003-05:00

This morning, after getting out of the shower, Evan told me that he was pretending to be a fire fighter and he would put water on the fire and put it out. Then he asked where his fire hat was that he got at a church carnival last summer. No big deal. Evan spends most of his days being someone other than himself so I thought nothing of it. Fast forward to a few minutes ago. Aubrey is playing in the sink in the bathroom and Chuck goes in and sees that the jar candle is no longer lit. Then he notices that there is water laying in the jar. He of course asks her about it because most times when something goes awry at this house, she is somehow involved. I am overhearing the conversation from the kitchen and have the light bulb moment. I asked Evan if he put the candle out when he was playing fire fighter. He said, "Yes mom. I did. Fires are bad."

So we had a little chat about not pouring water into candles and you all have to promise not to turn me in to CPS for having a candle burning while I was in the shower. Another parenting lesson learned.

She Craves the Stage

2009-01-31T19:41:00.003-05:00

So this year we decided to let Aubrey try out gymnastics instead of doing dance. She loves it. But there is something that just makes me believe this child dreams of the stage. It could be that she wants to spend at least one portion of every day in a leotard. It matters not that it is only 7 degrees outside and there are 8 inches of snow on the ground. Bare legs do not phase her. Another indication is the frequency that we are made to watch her "shows." They undoubtedly involve the wearing of a leotard, the dimming of all the lights in the house, and us sitting quietly as she spins, dances, sings, performs a monologue (sometimes all at once!) or entertains us in some fashion. Lucky for us, she has not yet started charging admission.
I think in the fall, we will go back to dance class. She tries to fit into her old tap shoes and yells out to her "dance!" every time we drive past the school. Her knowing that she will be on the stage at the end of the year could cause her to subject us to more shows, but I think she can handle it. The question is, can we?

Many Thanks!

2009-01-19T22:41:00.002-05:00

Do you love the new look going on here? My dear friend Marianne has rescued my blog from it's dull form and spiffed it all up for me with the help of a cool place called Here a Scrap There a Scrap! She's the best-est! Thanks friend!

A Few More Funnies

2009-01-19T22:35:00.003-05:00

At the dinner table, Evan was drumming with his silverware and hands while eating. After it got to the point of sounding like an audition for a rock band, I asked him (in my nice voice) to please stop. His response: "Why mom, does it bug ya?" The intonation in his question was hilarious!

When saying our prayers each night, we always ask for God's special blessings for various people or situations. Aubrey was finishing her standard list and tacked on: "And please God, don't let Pinkalicious eat any more pink cupcakes. Amen." (Can you guess what the bedtime story had been that night?)

This Cold is for the Birds!

2009-01-16T21:19:00.004-05:00

I am making the official announcement that I am done with temperatures below 30 degrees. Do you hear that Mother Nature? DONE!

My mornings have gone something like this:
Roll out of bed and put a sweatshirt on top of my jammies. Come down stairs check the weather...surprise! It's cold. (Yet, I keep checking each morning?) Go back upstairs and put on jeans and another pair of socks. Throw some food to the children. Put on coat, scarf, gloves, boots and go outside to shovel. Turn on car. Come back in to someone screaming that the dog ate their toast. Dress children for whatever activity they have that day. Brush teeth, attempt to make my now wet and or static-ridden hair look presentable. Put children in coats, hats, scarves, gloves, and boots. Make a note to move to Florida. Take everyone out to the car and spend 10 more minutes getting children stuffed into carseats. Put gloves back on whichever child has taken them off. Drive to appropriate location while one child wails that they are hot and the other wails that they are cold.

Doesn't it sound like fun to you?

A Few Trip Pics

2009-01-14T21:40:00.004-05:00

I know all 2 of you are anxiously awaiting pics from the big Disney trip! We had the best time while we were there. The kids were beyond thrilled with everything they saw and did. I cried more than once seeing the pure, innocent joy on their faces. Everyone got along wonderfully, there were no major meltdowns and the kids slept better than they ever had before! We are hooked and plan on going back as soon as we possibly can.

Here are a few of the better pictures we got...

The family at Disney Studios:

The kids in the lobby before the Christmas party:

Aubrey seeing her "after" at her princess makeover:

All of us, the day before we left on the happiest street in the World!

Goodbye 2008!

2008-12-31T23:51:00.003-05:00

This year has been one with ups and downs. Thankfully, there have been far more up than downs looking back on it all. As the years draws to a close, I have to say that I am so thankful for all that I have and have experienced this year. In the year to come, I expect there to be more challenges to face, adventures to have and memories to make.

Happy New Year everyone!

A New Look

2008-12-30T18:51:00.002-05:00

Well, by accident anyway.

A dear friend of mine who has a blog, recently made hers look super cute using some type of site that requires one to have more technological smarts than I posses. I got halfway through the directions that required me to put my blog in this "generic" layout and that is where they lost me. So, all my dedicated readers (all 2 of you), have to suffer until I take a CCAC course in blog layout. The spring schedule is due out any day now...

Funnies from the kids...

2008-12-27T15:01:00.002-05:00

From Evan, getting out of the car at my parent's house:
"Mom, do you smell that?"
Me: "No. What is it?"
Him: "I smell springtime!"

Aubrey and her cousin were looking at my photo album and were ripping pages as they turned them. I told them a few times that they needed to be more careful. After a few more rips, I told them they were done and took the book away. Aubrey, in the most cheerful voice says, "Oh well, Hailey, let's go drink!" (I have had this thought many times myself since becoming a mom!) May this be the last time we hear her utter those words until after her 21st birthday.

Christmas Gift

2008-12-27T14:57:00.002-05:00

We got a Christmas gift from God today. Sun and 70 degrees in December. Some might say, 'Christmas is over. The gift is late.' It is not. God gave it to us on a day we could use it and best appreciate it. I am loving it and have the windows open and breathing in the wonderfulness of the warm breeze. Enjoy your day too.

The Countdown has begun!

2008-11-12T22:30:00.002-05:00

We are officially counting down our days to DISNEY! The kids are beside themselves with excitement and I am right there with them. It seems like we have been in the planning stages for 3 days short of forever, but here we are actually getting ready to go! I have started multiple lists of things that need done, packed, planned for but have yet to commit any of that to paper. I think I will do that tomorrow.

The kids are having fun reading from their Kids Guide to Disney and crossing days off our Mickey calendar. They each have some ideas in their heads of what they are going to do or see there. Evan is all about Peter Pan and Captain Hook (is anyone surprised?) and Aubrey is planning on mingling with Princesses and the Princes. She thinks she may snag herself a Prince while she is there. Chuck just wants to know where and when to show up.

I have been terrible about this here blog, but I may become obsessive babbling on with my Disney talk here for the next few weeks. Come along for the ride!

Sabbotage!

2008-10-14T15:07:00.002-05:00

So, I thought I had reached the phase of childhood when laundry would slow down. We are past the baby puke, learning to self feed and most days, the potty training. I went to Evan's sock drawer this morning and found only 1 pair of clean socks. I found this hard to believe because I had just done a load of light colors about 3 days before. I know he has at least 10 pairs of white socks so this just did not add up.

I got my trusty laundry basket and started loading up to get the poor kid clean socks for tomorrow and headed to the hamper. As I was emptying one and filling the other, I find 4 pairs of perfectly clean, perfectly rolled white socks! I am not sure which rug rat is going to confess to dumping the clean ones, but I know it wasn't me!!!

Showdown at high noon!

2008-08-20T14:02:00.003-05:00

Evan had his kindergarten check up today. The good news is that he is as healthy as a horse and is ready to go. He was quite cooperative thorough the whole thing and a real funny guy while talking with the doctor. It was happy swell meadows until the end. Sadly, he needed 4 booster shots. He was totally ok while the nurse got them out and set them by him. I told him they were just going to pinch for a minute and then he would be all done. The dear nurse was apologizing before she even started, I think she is new, and she was as sweet as could be.

Evan hugged me while she stuck him four times and he was rather pissed by the third one. When it was done, he started sobbing. I asked him if he was still hurting and he said "No mommy, I'm just so sad!" And then the wailing began. It was as if I had just taken away his birthday. I teared up a bit because mommies know the difference between a "hurting" cry and a "broken hearted" cry. This was definitely the later of the two. He sobbed for a good 10 minutes while we wrapped up, got shoes on and I carried him to the check out desk. He cried all the way out of the office, to the car and a good 15 of the 20 minutes it took to get home. As we were nearing the house he suddenly stopped and this was our conversation:

"Mommy? I need to see that giwl fwom the doctor."
Me: "Why sweetie?"
Him: "Because she huwt me wiff dose pinchy fings. Dat was not nice."
Me: "Well, it is not fun, but that is her job to keep you healthy. You want to be healthy for school right?"
Him: "No mom. She was not nice. I'm going to fight hew. I will use my mighty sowd (sword) and fight her."

So, heads up to the nurse...Evan will be meeting you at high noon in the parking lot. Bring your sword and may the best pirate win.

Five years ago today...

2008-08-16T21:29:00.003-05:00

Five years ago, today, this is what I looked like:

My life was quiet. There was so little laundry. Granted, I felt like a whale and didn't sleep well, but really, life wasn't too bad. I think that was the last picture taken of me before I was sporting a hospital gown and about to have my life change forever.

I'll be back in a few days to share a much cuter picture.

The End of Preschool

2008-06-04T15:35:00.005-05:00

The end of the month brought the end of the preschool years for Evan. It was not without celebration, fun and a few (ok, many!) tears from me. I was unsure of why I am so terribly emotional about this particular milestone, but I have had a few days to dry the tears and wrap my brain around it and have come up with some answers to my own question.

Two years ago, Evan was barely speaking anything that was understandable to anyone outside of the family. He was almost 3 and we were nearing the end of home speech therapy and moving on to an outside facility. Fast forward to today. He is talking non-stop. He tells stories, asks questions, laughs and plays with his friends, asks to pet every dog that comes down the street, and loves to answer the telephone. Just in the last 2 weeks, he has almost mastered the "L" sound in most words! The neighbor commented the other day that she had a whole conversation with him and it wasn't until she went in the house that she realized this whole conversation took place without her having to consciously decipher what he was saying. She was so happy for him! While all of this progress is fantastic and makes me so proud, I do know that he still has a long way to go. Some of the sentences he puts together are awkward and the word choice is not always correct, he needs help following multi-step directions and needs more time to process verbal directions. I worry that as he moves on to kindergarten, that others will not be as patient as his Saint of a preschool teacher has been. Will kids make fun of him? Will the bus driver be able to understand him on a noisy bus if he has a problem?

He will be away from me every day. As crazy as he can make me at times, I love all the time we have had together. He was really only away from me 7.5 hours each week. (3 days, 2.5 hrs per day) Now he will be going for the same length of time, but he will be gone every weekday. Call me selfish, but letting him go to spend time with someone else is really hard. I also realize that when he goes to school all day, he will be spending more of his waking hours away from me than with me. How scary! I feel like so much of our day is spent with little teachable moments for things that aren't directly taught in school. Things like manners, how to fold shirts, sharing, why we need to wash our hands, how to button pants, using table manners, why Jesus (and your parent's for that matter!) don't want you to hit your sister, time management (aka: how to get out of the house in a timely manner) and many more. There is so much for little people to learn! How am I going to squeeze all this in when I have less and less time with him? I also worry about the morals and values that he will be exposed to. Next year, he is going to a church affiliated school, so I am not too worried about that yet, but know it is coming. I don't want his innocent mind corrupted with junk. Here in our little bubble, it is a nice life!

I guess what I am really getting at here is that I am having to let go. I think that is the toughest thing about being a parent. As they grow, I will have to keep "letting go" more and more. Some day I will long for them to be clinging to my leg, hanging on for all they are worth. I have to remember...roots and wings, roots and wings. This person says it all much better than I do...

http://www.emptynestmoms.com/pages/story17.html

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T21:18:00.002-05:00

To all those moms out there, here is a poem for you:

Sanity Please!!

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray my sanity to keep.
For if some peace I do not find,
I'm pretty sure I'll lose my mind.

I pray I find a little quiet
Far from the daily family riot
May I lie back--not have to think
about what they're stuffing down the sink,
or who they're with, or where they're at
And what they're doing to the cat.

I pray for time all to myself
(did something just fall off a shelf?)
To cuddle in my nice, soft bed
(Oh no, another goldfish--dead!)
Some silent moments for goodness sake
(Did I just hear a window break?)
And that I need not cook or clean--
(well heck, I've got the right to dream)

Yes, now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray my wits about me keep,
But as I look around I know--
I must have lost them long ago!

So I totally stole this from a message board but thought it was great! The days are filled with such excitement aren't they?

But really, thank you to all the moms. The moms that I talk to on a regular basis and help me keep my remaining sanity. You dry their tears, scare away monsters that lurk under beds, clean up puke when you are so tired you can barely keep your eyes open, cheer for them at soccer/baseball/swimming/t-ball/gymnastics/dance/ cheerleading/football/lacrosse/chess club and any other activity they are passionate about, and bake cookies for the bakesale. You are the ear to listen to problems with girlfriends or boyfriends, or friends that are not being nice. You watch out for the other kids in the neighborhood, drive the carpool, volunteer for the phone chain, and sell lottery tickets for the latest fundraiser. You laugh at their funny antics, awful jokes and budding sense of humor. You cry when they are hurt, fail or disappoint. You give hugs and kisses, make boo-boos disappear with a magic trick and save a school project from complete disaster. You are the cook, the maid, the taxi driver, the therapist, the doctor, the CEO. You encourage, inspire, discipline and teach. You let go when all you want to do is hold on. You hold on when they are fighting to let go. You are molding them into the fine adults that they will become.

All of the moms in my life have taught me so much about how to be a mom. I thank all of you for that. I am convinced that being a mom is the toughest job I will ever have but it is worth every moment. Thank you all!!!

Beer Run!

2008-04-26T21:10:00.004-05:00

So I was a nice wife and stopped to get my dear husband beer this evening on my way home from the store. I have been to the beer distributor a few times in my life, but not many. I wandered into the cooler, picked a box that looked familiar and took it to the counter. Beer man was watching a hockey game that he tore himself away from to ring me up.

I hoisted the rather heavy case to the counter top and he asked how my evening was. I said it was nice thank you and then bless his heart...he asked to see my I.D.!!!!! I laughed and thanked him for making my night. He actually did a double take between my license and my face! I told him that I was way past the legal age and he looked skeptical. I also told him that when I was 21, I would have never left the house looking like I did. Not that I was dressed poorly, but let's face it, in my younger years I spent a bit more time making myself presentable before going into public. Nowadays, if I have on a top, pants and 2 shoes that match, it's all good.

So as I put the beer between the tow carseats in my car, I got a good chuckle out of the whole exchange. Nothing better than a trip for big girl underpants and beer on a Saturday night!

Why?

2008-04-07T19:03:00.003-05:00

Some of the questions I ask myself, in no particular order:

*Why are there plastic hot dogs on my nightstand?
*Why is it a physical impossibility for 2 children to have an 1800sq.ft. house and still bump into each other every 3.2 seconds?
*Why do I have 37 unmatched socks?
*Why is it socially unacceptable to start drinking at 10am?
*Why is chocolate not a food group?
*Why must we play the "you say"game? (If you don't know what this is, it is a mind numbing game where you must repeat what small person tells you to say in the exact tone, inflection, and pronunciation (even if it is incorrect) until you are ready to tear your hair out. Fun times!)
*Why am I unable to sleep for more than 3 hours straight?
*Why do you drive on a parkway?
*Why am I still sitting here at the computer rather then getting boy out of the dog crate? (Girl locked him in.) Oh look! They traded places! Going, going....

I'm sure there are more, but if any wise soul has the answer to any of these mysteries, please leave it in my comments section. Or just leave me a comment and let me know that you were here!

Making a Memory

2008-04-02T13:17:00.002-05:00

Evan and Chuck have developed the cutest new ritual in our house. Normally, Evan prefers to have mommy take him up to bed. He's a mama's boy, what can I say. Anyhow, there is an exception to the rule certain nights. Those nights would be when there is a hockey game of interest on television. They go up and brush teeth and then crawl into our bed to watch the game. Evan is curled up tight under daddy's arm, little face all squished up. Chuck is sprawled out, finally getting a moment to relax. It's a good thing.

I know, this breaks about 347 of my rules of bedtime, but I cannot complain. Evan is usually sound asleep after about 10 minutes and sometimes Chuck is too. Evan gets carried into his bed where he sleeps peacefully for the remainder of the night. It is such a sweet sight to see and I figure that Evan is getting to the age where he should remember some of this stuff. If it means making a great memory of daddy, I can loosen my grip on the rules.

I'm not sure what will happen at the end of hockey season. I may not be able to commit to 180 baseball games...

Look! Triplets!

2008-03-07T22:06:00.001-05:00

The Ballerina and the Gymnast

2008-03-07T21:54:00.008-05:00

Both kids have been involved in activities this year. Aubrey is in dance where she gets to do ballet, tap and tumbling. In true Aubrey style, tap, the loudest of the dance forms, is her favorite. She has a lot of fun in her class and I cannot wait for the recital to see how these energetic 2-5 year olds handle themselves on stage. They are adorable! Here she is in action:

Evan has been doing gymnastics since the ripe old age of 2 1/2. He loves going to class and really has some good skills. He has awesome control on the trampoline and turns a pretty mean cartwheel. Look out Olympics! Here we come!

Your Gonna Miss This...

2008-02-28T22:25:00.002-05:00

You're gonna miss this,
You're gonna want this back.
You're gonna wish these days
Hadn't gone by so fast.
These are some good times,
So take a good look around,
You may not know it now,
You're gonna miss this.

In my life, music has always been a strong influence. I tend to find songs and make them my "theme song" or just file them in my mind as a reminder of a time in my life. Songs become the background music of my days. Since having children, I have become quite a sap about them. Long ago were the days of "I Will Survive" being my theme. Now, I tend to pick songs where children are the focus. This song by Trace Adkins is my newest favorite. If you have time, go listen to it. It is so true.

On Tuesday, we were driving home from my parent's house so that the kids could nap and rest. All the way we were chatting about the weather and how we were ready for winter to be over and that flowers would be growing soon, the tress will get leaves again, and all that stuff. As we neared the house, this song came on the radio. When we pulled in the driveway, I put the car in park and turned the engine off, and just turned around to look at the kids. Aubrey was finishing up a lollipop. Evan was kicking his feet and looking out the window. As this song played, I couldn't help but tear up.

Evan asked how to spell "go." You're gonna miss this, You're gonna want this back. I spelled it for him. Aubrey repeated it and flung her lollipop stick to the floor. Evan said,"Come on mom. Let's go! We have things to do!" You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast. I laughed at the irony of what he said and the words being sung and tears started rolling. These are some good times, So take a good look around, You may not know it now, You're gonna miss this. I sat for a few more moments just looking at them grinning at me. They had no idea why mommy was smiling at them, crying, while sitting in the driveway.

I was glad that I did just stop and look around at what was sitting behind me. My greatest joys, my greatest frustrations, my greatest hopes...all right there. But I do know it. I am going to miss this. As much as I want them to grow up and stop doing the little things that make me crazy, I know that someday I will wish for these days again. It is so cliche, but so true. They grow up to fast and so much of the time I am guilty of just hurrying through things to get to the next step/phase/stage. I need to take the time to just slow down and enjoy them for who they are at this moment in time. I will never get this time back. Before I know it they will be teenagers and probably want nothing to do with me. Then I will long for the days of changing diapers, playing dress up and riding scooters through the living room.

I need to go kiss their heads while they sleep now.

Where Does She Get This Stuff?

2008-02-25T22:43:00.003-05:00

Aubrey. My darling second born child. She is quite gifted in the area of linguistics. She comes up with some of the most interesting comments sometimes. Tonight, she displayed this talent once again.

I was paying bills at my cozy desk while her father was to be entertaining her and the boy. She managed to sneak away from his hawk-eye to come visit me. I happened to be on the phone with a company who was trying to wriggle more money out of our checkbook so I kept her quiet by letting her scribble on some envelopes. All was going well until she spotted the stamps. Or stickers as she says. I tried to feverishly keep her from wasting $.41 cents a second and it started to get ugly. Phone call ended much to the delight of our checkbook, and I tried to convince her that it was time to go downstairs. She wanted no parts of this plan. She begins shrieking, crying, sobbing.

I calmly ask what she wants to do. She says, "I need to read mommy!!!!!" Apparently, scribbling means reading to her. I tell her that reading doesn't require a pencil but she continues her pleas. In a last ditch effort to persuade me, she yells, "I need to read mommy! I have a gift!"

WHAT? Where on earth did that come from? I just about fell over from laughter at this point. Hawk Eye asks me what she just said because he didn't think he heard it correctly. He finds it quite amusing also.

So now I have to wonder, if she is coming up with lines like this at age 2, what will the teen years have in store for me?

Changes

2008-01-25T20:27:00.000-05:00

Someone asked recently how my life has changed since having kids. I pondered and though, 'how hasn't it changed?' Really, things are so very different now. Four years, give or take a few months, seems like a lifetime ago. The life I once led seems so foreign to me now. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't change my kids for the world. There are some things that I look back fondly on now. Allow me to brain barf some of the changes:

My body: Having 2 people live inside you (not at the same time, thank goodness!), changes things. I have lost weight, gained and lost boobs, had crazy things happen to my hair (curly, straight, curly again!), had my innards completely squished, smashed, rearranged and some things removed. My skin used to have a vibrant glow, now it goes from dry desert to oil slick in a matter of days. Nobody warns you of these things when you are pregnant. All of these changes have left me with hands capable of cooking three different things for dinner, repairing broken toys, tying a shoe and helping get a coat on at the same time, dislodging foreign bodies from VCR's, and the ability to comfort a young child. Seems a good trade-off.

My car: Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I had a cool car. It had a sunroof, got washed regularly, had leather seats, cool music in the 6 CD changer. When I drove it, I could put the windows down, let the wind blow my hair, sport my cool sunglasses, and maybe have a guy look at me! (Shhhh, don't tell Chuck.) I could drive down the highway with hardly a care in the world and look cool doing it. Fast forward to today. My SUV has the child locks enabled, has cloth seats covered with a great big seat cover to protect it from spills, has enough crumbs and broken pretzels to feed a small country and has an awesome kids sing-along CD in the player. When I drive it, I put the windows up so others in traffic cannot hear the fighting in the backseat, the windows only go down to dry my hair on the way to preschool drop-off, have sunglasses with one arm broken off covering the bags under my eyes, and have only had people look at me to tell me that a binky flew out the window a few miles back. Jealous, aren't you?

My work day: Back then, the alarm went off same time every day. Got up, showered dressed, drove off to work, did my thing and came home. The evening was largely up to me as to what to do. I could be productive or be a lump. My choice. Paychecks came every other Friday. June rolled around and I was a free woman for 3 months! Ahhhh, the good old days! Now, the alarm goes off randomly, sometimes all through the night. I wake, stumble down the steps and go for cartoons a caffeine. What we do each day depends upon what day the calendar says it its. Certain activities on certain days, and heaven forbid I get the day wrong! Some days last forever and I have yet to see the overtime show up in that paycheck. Come to think of it, I haven't seen the check in the mailbox. Hmmm. No days off. Long hours. Unconditional love. Works for me!

So as glamorous as that past life seems on paper, it can never equal what I am living now. The giggles, the hugs, being the one to teach them things and see them learn things for themselves cannot be replaced by a paycheck. I get to play in sandboxes, eat dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets, go on daily adventures, be a princess or a swashbuckling pirate, color, paint, do play-doh, stay in my jammies all day and all kinds of other things my old boss would probably frown upon. And my bosses are way cuter...

These are the Days of Our Lives

2008-01-01T11:17:00.000-05:00

A Little Boy Lives Here

2007-11-04T21:23:00.000-05:00

And just like that, my baby boy is no longer a baby. Yes, I know he is over four and I shouldn't really be calling him a baby anyway, but in these last 2 weeks, it seems he has grown so much and is so much older.

It all started with giving up his nap. After I cried for 3 days over this (it is really hard to give up whatever "alone" time I had each day), I have grown to accept it. We now use that time for some quiet time and then time for the two of us do things we are unable to do when Aubrey is awake. We practice writing letters, draw pictures of people that now have arms and legs and he likes to help clean. In this same time period, he has decided that peanut butter and jelly sandwiches should be eaten for every meal. How little boy is that?

He was a pirate for Halloween. He did a clinic at a local store and built a pirate ship with daddy this weekend. He used a hammer!

He has developed the habit of wearing a dishcloth clothes-pinned around his neck for the better part of the day pretending to be various characters. Gaston, from Beauty and the Beast, The Beast, and today, he was Superman. Never mind he has never actually seen Superman and the only concept he has of him is that he flies. He was running around the house, showing his muscles and asking daddy to make him fly. This morning we had to convince him to take my lovely blue and white gingham dish towel off and leave it in the car during church. He yells "Go! Go! Get him!" at the tv no matter what football game is on. He drives his bicycle around the house in circles as fast as he can, giggling wildly as he fishtales in the kitchen.

He is a boy, hear him roar. (But he is still sleeping in footie pajamas tonight!)

Cute things...

2007-10-17T14:48:00.001-05:00

Kids can be so darn cute sometimes. These are my recent favorite "moments":

Evan is such a loving little dude. If I sit with my arms stretched out with a big smile on my face, he starts giggling and eventually comes over and gives me the biggest bear hug his little body can muster. Today he was happily playing on the floor and I tried this move. It took about 20 seconds for him to come running. Love it!

Aubrey's verbal skills shock and amaze me daily. The other night we were rocking and she put her hand on my shoulder and asked, "Mommy, what's this?" I told her that it was my shoulder. She said, "No mama. This is your Holy (then pointed to the other shoulder) and this is you spirit." If you point to hers and ask what they are, she says the same. Guess this changes the whole "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" song. How sweet!

Every day at preschool drop off, Aubrey will not walk out the door until she hugs and kisses Evan while he is standing in line. Thankfully, he is still totally into this and it doesn't bother him in the least.

Not so cute moments:
The "I Do It!" phase. They demand independence in anything and everything. Boy does it take a long time to get out the door these days.

Screaming. For no reason. Just to see how loud they can be. The neighbors are thankful that the open window season is coming to an end.

Tantrums. Times 2 some days. Do they ever end? If the answer is no, please let me down gently.

I love these crazy maniacs of mine!

Birthdays

2007-09-02T20:08:00.000-05:00

Because I have been a terrible blogger, I have not posted about either child's birthday. Yes, I know, one was months ago. Guilty as charged.

Aubrey turned 2 in fabulous fashion. We celebrated here at the house and had the whole family here. Kids ran amok in the backyard, grown-ups chatted, cake was eaten and presents were opened. The next day was Mother's Day and it was a nice time to reflect upon really how special it is to be a mom.

Evan turned 4 and had a Buzz Lightyear party. All he wanted were Buzz hats and a Buzz balloon. Ah, simple requests. He too had a backyard party with family. I cannot believe that he is 4. More on that later. He wore new Buzz jammies to bed and took a few new favorite toys up with him too.

As for our vacation, we went for 3.5 days with some friends to a cabin in the woods. Can I say, if you have never spent 3 days with 5 two year olds, you really should try it! Chaos, yes, at times. Priceless memories of total cuteness, absolutely! We really had a wonderful time and all of the moms loved having time to hang out, chat, cook, talk about motherhood and the changes it brings in all areas of life, and to have few good drinks! The weather wasn't the best, but other than that, a super trip!

An update...

2007-08-26T21:35:00.000-05:00

I know, I have been terrible about posting again! Since my last post, we have vacationed, survived a heat wave, celebrated a 4th birthday, mastered the phrase, "Hold on a minute mommy.", and a collection of other things. I will share all of these soon. Summer is coming to an end and preschool is starting again soon. I tell myself that then I will have more time to blog.

Fall is bringing a new speech therapist, gymnastics, dance classes, preschool and sanity. I am looking forward to all of it!

A Walk Down Memory Lane

2007-07-15T21:16:00.000-05:00

So tonight I was home alone with the kids and we were all getting restless from being together all day, so I loaded them into the mom-mobile and we just went for a drive. I live in the same community I grew up in so I decided to just drive down a whole bunch of streets I haven't been down in years. Now, my current driving from home radius is not that wide on an average day. Preschool, the family, the grocery store, that is about the extent of my scenic driving. Frankly, I am surprised I didn't get us lost. Good thing, I took no diaper bag with us.

As we drove along, I started seeing all the things I remembered as having some significance from my past, mostly my high school years. I saw houses where friends and classmates used to live and wondered about what happened to many of them. Did they live out the dreams that they had back then? Did that guy ever come out of the closet? Do they have kids yet? Did she marry him? I wondered if anyone's parents still lived in those houses and if they were in good health. I passed places that my friends and I hung around. The football field where many Friday nights were spent, the place I worked in the summer and all the good times we had there, the fast food place that we went to after the movies The longer I drove, the more I recalled how very lucky I am to have had the childhood I had. I was blessed with good friends, a wonderful family, no real problems, a great community that I still love. Looking back, I cannot recall any real tragedy in the grand scheme of things. I was dumped, I got a bad grade, I wasn't allowed to go to _____ with my friends. But in the long run, did it ruin my life like I thought I would back then? Nope. All those experiences and non-experiences made me who I am today and I don't think I would change anything. (Except maybe that another girl had the same prom dress I did...oh the horror! )

As I looked in my rear view mirror, I couldn't help but see the faces of my kids and have the feeling down deep that I want them to have a childhood as great as mine was. I want them to have fond memories when they walk, drive, teleport down memory lane when they have kids of their own. It was a nice ride...

and then I got a sandal thrown at the back of my head and snapped back to the present.

I need a new invention...

2007-06-28T21:46:00.001-05:00

So I have realized that I have the need for something that doesn't seem to exist. I need a machine/contraption/doo-flingy that will take thoughts and send them directly to my computer. I get the best blog ideas at the most inconvenient times. In the car, at the grocery store, waiting in the preschool pick up line, in the shower. And I always swear to myself that I am going to remember those thoughts and write a kick butt blog that night...

Then someone honks at me, Evan comes out of the preschool, or I hear a deafening crash followed by, "Mom! Look what Aubrey did!" and all is lost. Gone, gone, gone forever. Now I sit here with everyne else in the house asleep, time to write and I got nuttin'.

My mission for tomorrow is to devise some way of catching these random thoughts throughout my day. Flypaper in the car? Writing on the shower walls with soap? Crayon on the dashboard?

Here I am!

2007-06-18T21:04:00.000-05:00

Hello! I am here! After a crazy spring/start of summer and a minor sign in problem with something they changed on this site, I have returned. Lemme see if I can get everyone up to speed...

Aubrey has turned 2, Evan has finished school and gymnastics for the year, I had my gallbladder removed (finally!), Chuck is working on our backyard to get it more kid friendly, the dog is still crazy, Evan made a trip to the ER for a piece of metal in his eye, Aubrey flung herself from her crib, we opened the cottage for the summer, and we all still like each other. How was that for a quick summary?

Upcoming plans: summer gymnastics for Evan, a scrapbooking night for me, a family vacation that will be with my online friends, the 4th of July. Fun times!

Overall, the biggest news would be on my own health front. I had my gallbladder out the first week of May. I was quite disenchanted by the whole thing for the first 4 days, but for the week after that, things got better. I now feel like a new person! I am off the daily medication that I was taking for pain and haven't yet had a puking day. (Except on surgery day...general anesthesia did not agree with me!) I now have the energy to play with the kids, take walks, clean the house and do a lot of things I haven't done in a while. I am so very thankful to my specialist who fought tooth and nail for this surgery to happen. He went to bat for me numerous times and it looks like he was right! Turns out that the surgeon found a kink in one of the bile ducts and he has only seen that one other time and he looks as if he has been on the Earth for a while now. Hee Hee! I still have some pounds to put back on, but I am very happy with the results thus far.

And now I must go to bed, but I will be a better blogger. Really. I mean it this time!

This I know...

2007-03-29T23:08:00.000-05:00

You know you are a parent/mom when:

* You have uttered the words, "Get your finger out of your brother's ear!" and can say it with a serious look on your face.

* Half way to the grocery store you find yourself singing along to the CD and the song is The Ants Go Marching...but there are no children with you.

* You roll over at night to find Woody is in your bed. No, not a slang comment related to your husband's parts. No, he is a little cowboy with terribly pointy arms and legs that jab your thigh in the middle of the night. Suppose making the bed each day would make the hiding spot harder to access?

* When you have a moment alone in the bathroom, you find yourself reading Elmo's First Babysitter wondering how it is going to turn out.

* When shopping for clothes, you choose clothing that will hide chocolate finger prints, keep your boobs covered during a toddler tantrum, and are on sale.

* Your ideal Saturday night activity is going to the Science Center where the kids can be entertained with little effort on your part. While there, you assess that this activity is way better than hanging out at the bars like you used to.

I will be back with more on another day but must go to bed. My alarms do not have a snooze button.

Oh What a Day!

2007-03-13T22:17:00.000-05:00

This has been a great day. Really and truly. I'm not being sarcastic.

For starters, it was sunny and 72 degrees and who can be grouchy on a day like that. It has been a long winter and the taste of spring was wonderful. The morning was smooth. Evan off to school, complete with snack and his reading cutouts for the Book-it program. Aubrey and I went shopping and got some good deals and an Easter dress. We came home, the kids went outside and played for an hour. Lunch, naps, back outside, dinner, bath, snack and bed. Lovely. Wonderful day.

It really all hit me while I was cooking dinner. I cried while cooking. And not because the recipe was failing, or kids were pulling at my legs. Nope. I was listening to the radio and the Rascal Flatts song, My Wish came on. Ever heard it? It is a wonderful song and beautifully says what I want for my children. Chuck was out back with the kids playing in the yard and I had been out there a few minutes earlier doing the same. As I turned the chicken and opened a can of corn (no, Martha Stewart I am not) it hit me how truly blessed I am. I have a wonderful husband and 2 beautiful, healthy children. There are many people in this world that would love to have what we do. We have our families close and they are supportive and helpful and loving. We have enough. We have food on the table, a roof over our heads, hands to do what needs done and bodies to move us through life.

Why did this all hit me today? As I was outside, raking leaves, cleaning up dog poop, and playing with the kids, I thought back to last summer. Everything I did today was too much for me to do last year. Granted the kids were more demanding last year at this time, but really, it was my stomach issues that didn't allow me to do what I wanted to do. The thought of taking the kids outside overwhelmed me last year. Physically, I just couldn't keep up. Yard work was way beyond me. This year, while all my issues are not solved, I feel 100 times better on any given day than last year. I know there are people who have bigger health issues than I do, but today I was really reminded to appreciate all that I have, while I have it.

Today was a good day.

Proud Parents

2007-02-27T21:56:00.000-05:00

This is going to be a completely braggy post. Now is your chance to back out.

You really want to stay?

Last chance?

Here goes!
Evan is turning into such a little boy. Everyone that reads this blog that I know of, knows Evan's speech is a work in progress. He is doing so well in spite of his therapist (that is a whole 'nother blog!) and amazing me every day. Today when I took him to school, we were crossing the parking lot when another little classmate joined us. He happily said "Hi Jane! How are you?" And do you know what? It was really Jane! And she understood what he said! Our little man can initiate conversation...with an adorable little girl no less!
He is now officially completely potty trained and relinquished his "Cars pants" in order to do the poo on the pot. We have this funny little song that we sing on the way to the potty to poo and today, I thought we were headed on a poo mission and started singing the song. He said "No Mama! It's ___ ______ __________ _______ pee-pee!" He made a joke! He is capable of making a joke! Who knew! He is also getting really good at telling Aubrey what to do. I have not yet determined if this is a good thing.

Aubrey is making strides of her own. She is our little chatterbox. The other night, I was carrying her down the steps and she counted, alone, from one to thirteen! Yay! She is a smart little bugger too. I have wonderful on-line friends and we all exchanged cards and pictures at Christmas time. I have rearranged them repeatedly but Aubrey can name them all! She says, "Hi friends!" each time we go to the fridge. I am a bit concerned because she gets all ooogley eyed when she names a few of the boys.
Another of her accomplishments is her stating the rules of diaper changes. I get the diaper off and she runs away. She then comes around and says "No, no, No! No pee-pee on cawpet!" Then she runs away laughing and pees on the carpet.

Ok enough bragging for one night. Thanks for sticking around!

Way too long.

2007-01-28T16:00:00.000-05:00

It has been way too long since my last update. I know, I know, bad me!

Christmas and New Years has come and gone. It appears that winter is finally making an appearance. We actually got enough to have school canceled, the driveway needing shoveld multiple times and enough for the kids to play in.

Little People: Evan is in the process of getting his new big boy room and bed! This has been the project this weekend including painting, matress buying and putting away of nursery things. *sniff, sniff* He thinks this is great so far, but Mommy is having a bit of a time putting away all those baby days items. My little boy is growing up. Aubrey is doing her best to keep up with her brother. Her newest obsession in shoes. Any size, color or kind is right up her alley. She loves the black patent leather ones she wore for Christmas and calls them her "shiney shoes." I have a video clip of her saying this and it is adorable! (OK, from the first draft of this, many weekends have passed. The big boy bed is a hit and he hasn't fallen out yet.)

Big People: Chuck is still working. I am still home and all the walls are still standing. The kids are clean (most days), fed, and happy so I guess we are doing alright.

Really, I am going to get back on track with this blog one of these days. Keep checking back. Maybe you will be surprised to see something new every now and then!

Fetching a tree

2006-12-27T21:50:00.000-05:00

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?

2006-12-27T21:46:00.000-05:00

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...

2006-11-09T21:32:00.000-05:00

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?

2006-10-07T13:19:00.000-05:00

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

2006-10-01T21:39:00.000-05:00

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?

2006-09-08T20:15:00.000-05:00

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!

2006-09-05T21:02:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-20T15:06:00.000-05:00

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!

2006-08-03T21:58:00.000-05:00

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

2006-07-11T13:46:00.000-05:00

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!

2006-06-21T14:22:00.000-05:00

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!

2006-06-19T13:11:00.000-05:00

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?

2006-05-31T21:00:00.000-05:00

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!

2006-05-01T21:28:00.000-05:00

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 !

2006-04-21T21:26:00.000-05:00

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..

2006-03-20T22:33:00.000-05:00

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...

2006-03-03T08:09:00.000-05:00

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.