Party of Five

Christmaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas!

2010-12-08T07:13:00.000-08:00

Where's the pause button? I feel so behind. My goal today is to get the Christmas decorations out of the attic.

We had a great visit with Grandad and Grandma-Oma last week. Or as I like to call them "Mr. Fix-It and Babysitter". They were so helpful, especially when I had to make a doctor's appointment for me for a weird rash that appeared all over my back, ewww. I was soooo itchy for days. But, when I woke up and looked like Angelina Jolie's not so attractive older sister, it was time to go. The doc said most likely allergies, and my step mom said maybe I was allergic to them! Mr. Fix-It Dad fixed our doorbell that was broken for over a year, 3 lights (and no, not just changing a lightbulb...well maybe just one) plywood in the attic to make more room up there to put our crap, the bedroom door, the loose fixtures, and so on!

Anyway, while they were here, Mallory and Luke turned 3!!!!! I still remember like it was last week driving to the hospital every day to see them in the NICU. I had a small party for them, mostly because I didn't know what to do. They don't have any little friends since they aren't in any playgroups or preschool. I felt pretty lame putting up the Dora and Diego decorations. Inner monologue, "Maybe I should have invited all the family. Maybe I should do more activities with them so they have friends their age. Is it still too late to get a magician?" Anyway, I guess I have years and years of parties with lots of little friends, so I tried not to be too hard on myself. And...they had fun, and that's all that matters.

Every once in a while, after saying the same things over and over until you just want to put it on a recorder and hit play, something sticks. Last week I got a call from one of Cole's friends moms. She was calling to tell me what a great son we have. (insert "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" where 'his heart grew three sizes that day'.) I guess some nasty boys were teasing his friend and Cole stepped in a defended him! Wow! That was a great feeling.

More to come as I am determined to be better about posting. But, if I'm going to reach my goal, I better get going!

Lanae

SUMMER'S HERE!!

2010-06-02T11:44:00.001-07:00

Finally, the log awaited favorite season of all is here. After an always way too long winter, I really look forward to the time in the warm sun.

We went to the cabin last weekend to kick off the summer for the Memorial Day holiday. We got the boat in the water and used it 2 days in a row. The kids all love the boat and one, two or all three usually end up sleeping on it at some point.

About a month ago I was pulling out of the garage and wasn't patient enough and backed right into the garage door. I was distracted by LUKE and now we need a new panel. Of course something like that usually isn't worth putting a claim into the home owner's insurance, so $750 later... Oh, my main point of writing that is when the door guy came to measure, he used our 6 foot ladder and left it up. A mother robin decided that the ladder was the perfect place to build her nest. It's up high, she has easy access through the broken bottom portion of the door, and who is going to bother her in a garage? Yesterday one of the 4 eggs hatched, and today another one (probably 2 soon). They are sooooo cute!

Update on Luke and Mallory:

Binky's are GONE. Thanks to Michael who likes to take them away cold turkey. I would have tied them to a balloon or something like that, but whatever works.
Luke always has a scrape or bruise on him at all times. He does not walk many places. It's usually a hop, skip, jump or run to get from one place to another.
Mallory is still finding ways to make us laugh. She calls her hands "paws", she cracks up whenever Cole pretends to hurt himself (hmm?). But, she is also very nurturing to her brothers.

Update on Cole:

He is playing baseball and striking out lots of his friends. He said "Mom, I'm happy when we win, but I feel bad for the other team because most of them are my friends." There are 2 pitchers that the teams look out for in terms of best pitching, and Cole is one of them!
Still doing great with math and spelling and thanks to an amazing teacher this year, he got more into science too.

Things we'll be doing this summer...

Going up to the cabin a lot.
Traveling to Spokane, WA and Priest Lake, ID for a Jamieson Family Reunion!!
Going to the beach.

Quick update about nothing

2010-02-05T07:47:00.000-08:00

I just feel that I haven't posted anything in a while and my "followers" are going to stop following if I don't write something.

Here are a few thoughts...

Why is it that "boys will be boys"? Where did that saying come from and why does that seem to excuse any bad behavior that boys do?

Why do I feel guilty for letting the 2 year olds watch an hour of tv?

Can I get off this ride for a while? Time is going by riduclously fast. Seriously. Really fast.

Ok, Cole is, well, see above. Just kidding. How about this, Cole is an 8 (almost 9) year old boy. He's doing really great at hockey. I have to take him clothes shopping this weekend since he's outgrown everything he owns.

Mallory and Luke are talking a lot lately. Putting words together to form semi-sentences. "Mommy, wheaaaaahhhhh yuuu?" (mommy where are you? I'M ON THE COMPUTER!) Or, "Eeeet dinnnaahh now" "But it's breakfast sweetie!" "Eeeet dinnaahhh" "Ok, let's go eat dinner". They are just really cute right now. They get along very well. They sleep very well. I just can't wait for the weather to warm up so we can go outside more.

I am in the market for a new camera. Mine broke when I dropped it *cough* hard on purpose *cough* on the ground. I'm also in the market for a new car, a printer/scanner/copier/fax, computer, etc. A girl can dream, can't she?

Here are M&L coloring. They love to color. And M feeding Papa a Cheerio.

2009-12-17T05:36:00.000-08:00

You might have to watch this a couple times to hear what she says.

Mallory and Luke turn 2!

2009-12-09T12:04:00.000-08:00

Last week was Mallory and Luke's 2nd birthday. I know, how does time manage to speed up when you're an adult? I can't believe they're 2 already! Next step, college applications.

We celebrated by having family and friends/neighbors over. There were about 50 kids and adults here. But, by the volume...I'm guessing there were more kids than adults.

I was busy cooking for a couple days because I was determined to host a kids birthday party with something besides pizza. I decided that 3 days after Thanksgiving people might enjoy mexican food! I made pork carnitas and chicken enchiladas, Brad made his 7 layer dip and Michael made a big ol' batch of his yummy margaritas.

About an hour into the party, I panicked because not all the kids were eating (and not all of the adults either). I turned to Michael and said, "I think we need to order pizza!! QUICK!!" So, we had 4 large cheese pizzas delivered. Guess what? There wasn't one slice left over.

All in all, everyone had a good time.

NEW YORK birthday trip

2009-10-19T12:02:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it actually happened. Something my friend Melanie and I have been talking about for a year actually came through.

We decided to meet in NYC for our big bad 40th birthdays. We had a great time and had a jam packed 2 days in NY.

The weather people were calling for the worst weather of the season (of course they were...why wouldn't they on that weekend?). Nor'Easter, wind, pouring/driving rain, winter-like temps. Well, Mother Nature gave us a birthday gift and the rain actually held off until the day we left! It was still cold, but at least we didn't have to contend with the rain.

We went on a horse drawn carriage ride in Central Park, lunch at Carnegie Deli, Mamma Mia on Broadway, walked the entire length of Central Park, The Guggenheim and Metropolitan Museums, shopping on 5th Ave., dinner at Smith & Wollensky's, and watched the Yankee/Angels game (on TV).

We had a great time and vowed that we would go back there together on our 80th birthdays!!

Enjoy the pix!

2009-09-30T19:06:00.000-07:00

Hi,

Just a late night post while all is quiet. Lately Michael's and my conversations are as follows, "Hey, did you get my email about ---------- MOM, where's my homework, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, Luke NOooooooooooooooooo" Me to Michael, "Nevermind, I'll text you later." When I left last night for karate I had all those spiral things over my head like you see in cartoons, but after the 2 hour workout, was much better.

Cole is a superstar in hockey. Scoring every game and skating better all the time.

Mallory's new thing, crawling into Luke's crib. Michael suggested we should move their cribs away from each other, then thought better of it, its probably safer the way it is. And cuter too.

Luke is just so cute and so smart. If it moves, or has a lid or a switch, he wants to know how it works. He's figuring out cause and effect right now. If I do this, then this. Not always good. He still loves to climb. Uhhhhh, when does that end? Mt. Everest??

LOVE my job with Uppercase Living. Challenging at times, but so fun!

Michael is loving his job too. IBM is great. ? He coaches Cole's hockey team, just finished up with the town over 40 softball team, and is now a lector at church. He will read this Sunday. He'll be embarrassed about this, but my friends from Cole's school think he's a babe!

Dad and Ev will be visiting for the next couple of weeks. Can't wait to see them. They got a room at the Mt. Washington hotel in NH. I think it was the inspiration for The Shining???? Must find out about that.

I'm going to NY with my BFF Melanie T. mid-Oct. Can't wait. We'll see Mamma Mia! go to a museum, and I'll take the time to walk around the Jackie O reservoir which is where my other friend Melanie (that passed away a couple years ago) and I walked when she was pretty sick.

Enjoy the pictures. I'll try to be good about writing the funny things that are said or done chez DiSilvio.

Peace.

Back from Vacation

2009-07-27T05:41:00.000-07:00

We got back at around 5 p.m. yesterday after an almost 2 week vacation to see my sister Laurie in Virginia and my mom and John in North Carolina. I calculated a total of 24 hours of driving with 3 kids by myself!!!

I'll back up a little. About a month ago I broke my pinkie toe on my right foot while chasing Luke. I caught it on the kitchen doorframe. My body went one way and my toe went the other way. I went to the ER and the x-ray confirmed that it was broken. The Doc taped it up and sent me on my way. Several friends (thank you Cori) recommended that I see an orthopedic surgeon because the toe can heal funny (not funny ha-ha, but funny strange). So, I went to see Dr. Gilligan (don't let the name fool you. He is pretty cute, and he used to be on staff for the Red Sox!) He was excellent! They x-rayed my foot and when they pulled it - ouch! - and taped it together, the bones would slide off each other and wouldn't stay. He recommended surgery, so the next week I had that done. I was gonzo (they put me out) and Dr. Gilley put a temporary pin through my toe and toe bones to keep them in place. I had a post-op shoe and crutches....oh and of course Percocet. I only used the Percs for 2 days and the crutches for about that amount of time too. But, I couldn't get the toe wet. Showers were interesting, but I was really bummed because I wanted to go in the pool and mom and John's!!

We left for Laurie's Tuesday, July 14th. We had a great time hanging out. Laurie is working, so during the day it was me and 5 kids! Laurie hosted an Uppercase Living party for me with some of her friends on Thursday. Sunday, my kids and I left for NC, about a 4 hour drive. Mom hosted a party for me on Sunday afternoon - yes, I guess this was a WORKING vacation for me. It was really nice to get to meet a lot of their friends from the church. The party was very nice. Monday evening my Aunt Gayle arrived from San Francisco and Laurie's girls came down from Virginia. Gayle hadn't seen the kids in a year, so she was having fun chasing them around. Tuesday Brad, Holly and kids came so all in all there were 15 people in mom and Johns house! Lord help us! It was hectic, crazy, loud, but we were together! The kids had a blast in the pool and playing together! Laurie was able to come down Thursday night for a few days - yea!! We had a really great time, great company, great conversations and great food of course!! Thank you!

So, now we're back to reality. It is nice to be home, but it sure is wonderful to be with family. We were only missing Michael in that crowd, and he was missed!

Because I can only post 5 pictures at a time on this, here is the link from our trip:

http://picasaweb.google.com/comaluke/TripToLaurieAndMomSJuly09?authkey=Gv1sRgCL_a5a7R3qzb0wE

Let Summer Begin!

2009-06-22T10:48:00.000-07:00

Well, it has begun, but no one told Mother Nature. It's about 56 degrees, has been raining for a week it seems and no end until Thursday of this week. Ouch.

Cole has officially started his summer vacation. He asked us, "How many weeks are there in summer vacation?" "About 10." Cole, "THAT'S IT???????!!!!!!!!!!" I hope he makes the most of it. Hurry up and have fun. So far he is in a baseball tournament that is about a week and a half long, but they practice all the time - 4 days this week as a matter of fact!! He's also doing a hockey clinic for a couple weeks. We will drive down to my sister Laurie's in VA for a week, and down to my mom and John's in NC for about 5 days in July.

Cole spotted a fawn on the way home last week. It had lost it's mother, but we saw mom on our side of the street and put baby in our backyard for mom to find it. It was only a day or two old, very cute. And, no, the mother won't reject the baby if a human holds it, that is an old wives tale.

Luke has taken to climbing. He climbs anything that is vertical: stairs, chairs, tables, bookcases, dressers, cribs, strollers, swing sets...you get the idea. There isn't much he won't try to climb. I just need to get it through to him that he can fall, will fall and has fallen. He still loves to eat. If I tell them it's time to eat, he runs over to his seat, climbs up into it (of course) and sits and waits for me to bring his tray to him. He is about 27 pounds and 33 inches. He just had his first haircut - bye bye curls! He looks like a big boy now.

Mallory is just too funny. She likes to watch and observe. She watches Luke climb, she watches Luke fall, she watches Luke cry. She is either too smart to do the same, or too cautious. Haven't figured that out yet. She also just got her first hair cut, not too much - she still has her curls. She likes to play the game, "Where's Cole?". Cole will go and hide and we will say "Where's Cole?" and she runs all over looking for him and then giggles and screams when she finds him. She is about 21 pounds and 30 inches. So, now I get the weird looks, then the question, "What's the age difference?" Or the doubtful question, "They aren't twins, are they?" It's amusing.

Michael is still playing in his over 40 softball league when time permits. He coaches Cole's little league team as well. I wonder if he'll get any golf in this year?

I just started a new job as most of you know, with Uppercase Living (http://lanaedisilvio.uppercaseliving.net/) about 6 weeks ago. I love it! It gets my mind working, I get to get out of the house without kids and hang out with other women. There is also quite a bit of decorating skills that I need to bring to the table. And, I'm actually making money doing it! I'm still taking karate, and now there may be a small amount of teaching that I might be asked to do. Sensei Lanae, kind of has a nice ring to it!

Have a great summer, I'll try to keep this thing updated.

Update

2009-04-15T06:56:00.000-07:00

I have not been good about updating this thing!

I guess I should start from the end of last month. I finally made it to the black belt exam. 5 1/2 years of taking karate, who would have guessed I could make it? Not me! I started training specifically for the test in January, working out and/or practicing at least an hour a day, sometimes up to 3 hours a day, everyday (almost) to get to the point where I felt prepared. I really don't think anyone could feel totally 100% prepared now that I know what is involved in the test, but I was as prepared as I could be. When did I have time for this you ask? Well, basically my life was put on hold. Right when I put the twins down for their nap, I would practice. Then on Tuesdays and Thursdays and sometimes Saturdays I went to class. Michael was a huge help and very accommodating and understanding during all of this.

The test itself was very difficult, both mentally and physically. Mind over matter was a reoccuring mantra in my head. I think their goal was to push us to our limit, and then make us do more. The one time where I was completely exhausted toward the end of the test, 5 1/2 hours in, one instructor had us do 20 each of: jumping jacks, push ups, sit ups, mountain climbers and front ball kicks. Then when we fininshed, she said, "Now, do all of them again...but do 30 this time."

It was an amazing experience, one that I am very proud of. What's next? Well, there are degrees of black belts (up to 10th!) so for now, I am continuing to go to classes and enjoying the fact that all non-black belt students have to kneel down when I put on or take off my belt, and bow to me! Mwwwoooaahhh-ha-ha, the power! Just kidding, it is flattering though.

Cole just started Little League practice last week. Michael is coaching again this year. Their team, The Diamondbacks, look great! This year the kids start pitching. I am excited for it, but other experienced moms told me it makes for loooooooooooooong games. I can't wait to see Cole pitch! Cole is also receiving his first Holy Communion on May 2nd. He has his white suit, tie and shoes. He is going to look so handsome. We will have a party to celebrate.

Mallory and Luke are getting so big! The interaction with each other is so funny sometimes. They are gentle with each other, concerned when the other is sad, even bringing their sibling a binky if they are crying. Monkey see, monkey do. If one is singing, the other joins, if one bangs on the high chair tray, so does the other. This is a really fun age! It's hard when I bring them outside to play since they are not used to being outdoors. It has been a long winter, and they learned how to walk during the winter, so we are just now starting to go outside. The world is a huge playground for them so they want to explore everything, even the street - yikes! I tell Luke "ouch" when he heads for the street and he is starting to understand.

We had a nice Easter, although we are all sick! But, we dressed up, went to church, had a chilly egg hunt and went over to Michael's aunts house for bruch.

Michael is starting an "over 40" softball league this week. It's put on through our town, so he will know several of the players (parents that we know through Cole - good friends now). It should be a lot of fun! He is back to running and working out on a regular basis and his knee, although not the same as it used to be, is much better from his surgery in December.

Spring seems to be trying it's hardest to come. Some days are better than others. Like last Saturday it was 39 or 40 with freezing rain and wind. Today and the rest of this week will be in the 50's and 60's with lots of sun. Boat rides don't seem that far away anymore.

I should also mention that I have a new (1st) cousin! Anastasia Galina Marie Jamieson (Stacie) was born to Uncle Darrell and Ann on April 9th. She was 7 lbs. 12 oz. and 19 1/4" long. Big brother Sandy seems very proud!

Well, I think you are now caught up on our lives. Don't you feel so much better?

Feel free to drop an email to us, we love hearing from everyone.

Cole is 8!

2009-03-12T11:00:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my baby is 8! I heard a saying the other day that is so true. The days are long, but the years fly by.

Cole enjoyed his day with family on Sunday. On his actual birthday, he brought cupcakes in to his class (yes, homemade) with my newly purchased cupcake carrier. His class told him they were the best cupcakes they have ever had! Are you kidding me? That made me happy. They sang to him and he had a good day.

The twins keep getting bigger and are doing new things all the time. Luke blows kisses, and says thank you, "day doo". They love climbing whatever they can climb on to. They just got their first real pair of shoes from Stride-Rite last week. When I put them on, they thought it was the funniest thing ever. It took some getting used to, but they like their new shoes. Now that the weather (hopefully) is slowly starting to get nicer, they will be outside soon and need the new "feet" for outside.

Mallory does not like to take baths all of the sudden. Her face says it all here!

We are all still adjusting to the daylight savings time. How is it that one hour can make such a difference? I've flown to Germany and had an easier time adjusting! I must be getting older.

Winter Stuff

2009-02-26T07:43:00.000-08:00

Can we all hope for an early Spring????? I am so tired of all the sickness. It hasn't stopped since before Christmas, the 19th to be exact. Colds, stomach virisus, colds, knee operations, more colds, fevers, bronchilitis.... Tylenol has earned their quarterly revenue in this household alone!!

Right now, Luke has what I thought was croup, so 2 nights ago, we were in the bathroom with the hot water in the shower running 3 times during the night! The doc diagnosed it as broncilitis, inflamation of the small tubes in the lungs. Yesterday at the doctor's office, they gave him a breathing treatment, which helped his labored breathing. They prescribed Albuterol in a liquid which I gave to him at bedtime last night, which was what they recommended. Not doing that again! His poor little body was so restless he didn't know what to do. It took until about 4 a.m. for him to stop waking up every hour.

Enough of the sick talk. Mallory is fully walking now, they both love their new found upright mobility and freedom from the low crawling world. It isn't harder for us, just higher. Everything that was 1 foot off the ground is now 3 feet off the ground. Mallory loves to sing and dance, I think she inherited musical talent from my mom's side of the family! If I ask her to sing, she starts rocking back and forth and going "Lalalala". It is pretty sweet! Luke does it too, but there is just something about a little girl singing in a soft high pitch voice that is cuter.

We went up to the cabin last week during Cole's school vacation. I found out they have daycare at the ski resort close to the cabin. So on Thursday, Cole had his 4th snowboard lesson and I was able to go skiing for a couple of hours! It has been 2 years, but after the first couple of runs, I stopped saying to myself, "Maybe I don't need to ski anymore...I am almost 40!" and enjoyed it! Cole and I even went on our first run together, just mommy and Cole! And the twins did great and were a big hit in the daycare!

Cole is turning 8 in a couple weeks. When did that little dude get so big? He had a biography assignment today at school. He chose Lance Armstrong. He dressed the part, gave clues to the class to have them try to guess who he was. I'll add a picture later.

Well, Sunday is my PRETEST for my black belt (I just got butterflies), so I better go practice, practice, practice.

Livestrong ;)

Mallory Walks

2009-02-07T15:25:00.001-08:00

Here she is, 14 months and starting to walk. She's really getting the hang of it!

Uncle Dean and Aunt Lela, This Post's For You!

2009-02-07T15:25:00.000-08:00

Uncle Dean and Aunt Lela sent the 3 kids cute Valentine cards today. I read them to Luke and Mallory and they loved them, they wanted to hold them, so here they are with their Valentine's cards. Thank you! Cole liked his too, but he was not at home for this video. I gotta get them while I can!

Milestones and Smiles

2009-01-23T07:52:00.000-08:00

A big hello to everyone! Does anyone else think it's scary that I am excited that it is 39 degrees today? Well, it is better than 10 below last week, that's a 50 degree difference!

Mallory is trying to join the upright world by attempting the walking thing. She has taken up to 7 steps and is so cute and proud of herself when she does it. Luke has ditched the arms straight up in the air and now walks like he is carrying heavy suitcases. Cole makes them laugh by wrestling with them, which they love. I have to turn away since it looks worse than it is. He also likes to get them out of their cribs in the morning and play with them.

Speaking of Cole, we want to thank everyone that contributed to the "Race for Education". Cole walked around the school for an hour in order to raise money for newer technology for the school. They were able to raise over $30,000! That money is going toward more Smartboards, upgraded computers, etc. all of which Cole will directly benefit from since he will be at that school for 2 more years. Thank you!

Luke now has 6 teeth with another one coming up top. Mallory has 3 with one trying to poke through up top too. She is NOT a good teether.

I took the 3 kids sledding on MLK Jr. Day. I was in a full sweat just getting their clothes on them. I put a pair of Cole's old boots on Luke. You would have thought I put 50 pound weights on his feet. He didn't know what to do, he couldn't crawl or walk, he just cried as if to say "Why mommy? Why did you put these things on my feet?!" They had a good time anyway.

Enjoy the video and pictures!

2009-01-13T09:21:00.000-08:00

Is it Spring Yet?

2009-01-13T07:23:00.000-08:00

I think it's about 12 degrees outside right now.

I don't really know what's new...I started Biggest Loser Bootcamp workout and the yoga one too. Bob really kicks your butt, he loves lunges. I am on the countdown...75 days until my Black Belt Exam!!! Yikes.

Luke is completely walking now, he only crawls if he is chasing/playing with Mallory. She is walking everywhere, but holding on to everything, so not on her own yet.

I joined Facebook. That is a pretty fun tool. Michael and I are "friends" and he "wrote on my wall", all these sayings I'll have to get used to.

Cole's front teeth are finally growing in, it only took 8 months!

Everyone is healthy finally! Mallory, Cole and I all got a stomach virus on New Year's Eve. We were up at the cabin with 2 other families. They ended up leaving that night (sorry!), then 5 out of 6 of their kids ended up getting it anyway.

Hope everyone is having a good new year so far!

Let It Snow!

2008-12-23T07:56:00.001-08:00

Well, it will definitely be a white Christmas this year! We have had 2 storms (with another one to come) that dumped about 16-18 inches of snow on us. And, since Michael is down for the count temporarily, I learned how to use the snow blower and snow rake.

For those of you that didn't know, Michael had knee surgery 2 weeks ago. He tore his miniscus and had to have it repaired by means of arthroscopic surgery. He was on crutches for a few days. He is doing much better and walking around with less of a limp. Then he got bronchitis. He has been on some lame antibiotics that don't seem to be working, poor Michael.

Poor Brad and Holly and kids, too. Last week in the ice storm, they lost power for 6 days. They stayed in their house for 2 nights, then a friend's house for a couple days, and 3 nights with us. It was fun, kind of reminded me of the Northridge Earthquake in '94. Fun for me, not them. :( Actually, I think they had fun. It was a big sleepover for the kids.

Anyway, we are ready for Christmas except for the fact that our tree is DEAD!!!! I hope it stays up for a couple more days because on the 26th, bye bye!!

Cole is very excited for Santa. This year he received the Elf on a Shelf. Oh my gosh, if you haven't heard of this, and you have kids, you must get one for next year. It is the cutest concept. I got it at the Hallmark store. It comes with a little stuffed elf and a book about the Elf on a Shelf. You have to name your elf, ours is Nate. He watches you during the day, then at night, he flys to Santa with his elf magic to report how the child(ren) has been behaving each day, then when he returns, he is in a different location in your house and the child(ren) has to find him. It is so cute!

The twins are clueless about Christmas, but it will be cute to watch them open gifts and then play with the boxes. They are really fun to watch lately. Luke is starting to walk, which is hysterical. He puts his arms straight up over his head and laughs at the fact that he is upright, then after 4 or 5 steps, he falls. Mallory is saying a few words, kitty, mama, dada, uh-oh!

This is the Christmas picture I really wanted to use.

We wish everyone a beautiful Christmas, and a healthy, happy new year!

The Twins are One!

2008-12-02T13:27:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving holiday and were able to spend it with loved ones.

We had a great time at Laurie's in Virginia. My mom and John came up from North Carolina as well. We also celebrated the twins' first birthday on Saturday, Nov. 29th. We first went to the Arboretum to view the train exhibt.

We decorated the dining room with prince and princess crowns (that was the theme) blue and pink number ones, streamers, etc. We started by playing pin the kiss on the frog, some of us even played upside down and blindfolded! Then we opened presents (Luke's favorite was the recycled Shape-O-Toy) then had cake. This is more for the adults amusement than for the one year olds who have never had cake, much less sugar. Mallory dug in and did not disappoint us by getting it all over her face, hair and even in her ear. Luke was not enjoying anything about the cake, not the look of it, the feel of it or the taste of it! And, there is one thing that needs to be added in the Parenting 101 Manual, "Chocolate can sometimes cause diarrhea...often at 2:30 a.m.". Poor Luke!

I survived another round trip to Virginia with the kids. I guess we'll do it again!

Enjoy the pictures.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-25T10:46:00.000-08:00

Ok, raise your hand if you can believe the twins are almost a year. Yeah, me either!

We are all driving down to Laurie's tomorrow for the Thanksgiving holiday. My mom and John will be there as well. We plan on leaving at o' dark thirty (or 5:30 a.m.). We should pull in around 2 or 3:00 with any luck.

We are also celebrating the twins' 1st birthday which is on Saturday. We'll be sure to get lots of pictures with chocolate frosting all over them. My guess is that Mallory will be covered in cake (she is a very messy eater and likes to grab her hair when she eats - ahhhhh!)

VOTE!

2008-11-04T07:46:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

Election day is upon us. After months of endless campaigning (mostly negative) the day is finally here. It's not as if we have great choices, but please get out there and vote (republican). :)

Here are a few more pictures that I didn't get the chance to put up yesterday. Cole is playing hockey this season and is doing great! He likes it and is getting better all the time. His soccer season is ending this coming Sunday. Basketball starts tonight, and he is looking forward to that as well.

Things to remember...when babies are quiet, all is not well. I came downstairs for a few minutes this morning. It was a little too quiet upstairs, so I went up to check on the little darlings. Mallory had a fistfull of dirt, and it was in her mouth too. No, she was not playing outside in the yard, this dirt was in our house (disgusting!) in the grooves of the sliding glass door that has probably been there for 10 years. I'm looking forward to cleaning that.

Anyway, that was my morning. How was yours?

Halloween

2008-11-03T09:24:00.000-08:00

So, Halloween was fun. Our candy bunch went out and got...candy. They were very cute. I think Cole got his weight in candy this year.

More later.

2008-10-15T09:49:00.000-07:00

2008-10-15T09:14:00.000-07:00

I thought I would update this while the twins are sleeping...too late, Luke is up.

Melanie's and Nick's visit was a very good one. We were able to go on a boat ride to look at the foliage up in NH. It wasn't quite peak, but it was still a good time. We also visited a pumpkin patch which was a highlight for Nick. Mel and I went shopping for my birthday and then brought dinner home from The Cheesecake Factory (my favorite place!). The babies' gift to me was sleeping in until 9:00 that morning, and Cole wrote me a story. Michael got me a pair of jeans I wanted! We went into Boston and had a great lunch at the Barking Crab, then walked around the Boston Public Gardens.

Nick liked my garden and picked several vegetables and announced that he was going to have a "Halloween Party" with them. He also informed us that he would be taking these vegetables back with him on the plane!

I have more pix from apple picking with Cole, Mallory and Luke as well as some I took on our front porch.

Have a great day!

October! My favorite month.

2008-10-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

So, here we are in October, I don't know what happened to September. Somehow the month vanished.

Cole is in full swing with school, soccer, hockey (I think he scored a baker's dozen on his first game) and soon, basketball. He loves being a big brother and is constantly carrying Mallory around and making them both laugh.

We are finally seeing some sun today and it looks like it is going to be around for a while. Just in time for my BFF Melanie, and her younger son, Nick to visit. Below are some pictures from their last visit 2 years ago.

Also, I want to say congratulations to my cousin, Robin for the birth of her 3rd child. Baby Ainsley born September 26th, both home and doing great!

2008-09-23T07:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary
13 Years!

Happy Fall

2008-09-22T08:47:00.000-07:00

Happy Autumnal Equinox!

We had a nice weekend. We hope you did too. One new thing we did was to go hiking with the twins. The picture will show how we did it, but all the kids loved it and we can't wait to go again.

We also got a quick boat ride in, not too many of those days left!

Cole had his first soccer game. He almost scored 2 goals (when you are at this level, almost is just as fun for the fans!) We had beautiful weather and tried to get outside as much as possible.

More later.

Sunday Rainy Sunday

2008-09-14T12:35:00.001-07:00

Today has been raining all day. So, no soccer for Cole today. To entertain myself, I've organized the computer room, but I'm scared to attempt the work/laundry room. That will have to be a project for another whole month.

We went to church, IHOP and visited Michael's dad. He lives at a local assisted living facility. He enjoyed seeing the kids and all of their new developments.

Next week, Cole has his school pictures. Last night he developed a zit on...where else...the middle of his nose. Both front teeth are missing, too.

Here's a funny video clip for your enjoyment. Have a happy day!

Welcome!

2008-09-09T09:14:00.000-07:00

Well, after several requests that we have some sort of "blog", I am attempting to do so and join the cyberworld.

We had an amazingly fun and busy summer with our new expanded family, but are now in the swing of things with school, work, schedules, sports, etc.

We were able to spend some time up at the cabin, and even upgraded our boat. This is something that happens to boat owners; the minute they get used to their current boat...they need a bigger one. Our new boat is able to safely hold our family, and 7 more passengers! It has been a lot of fun.

In August, we made our first flight with the twins and headed out to the Pacific Northwest to visit my dad and Ev. The babies did great (maybe we will attempt this again sooner than we thought) and Cole was a huge help as usual. We had several visitors while we were there, Aunt Judy and Uncle Tom, Uncle Darrell, Ann and Sandy (Toby too!) and Uncle Dean, Aunt Lela, Becky and Gavin. It was so nice to see everyone again. We had a wonderful time picking huckleberries, riding on my dad's new toy - the 4-wheeler, swimming, kayaking, boating, eating, drinking, visiting and of course, watching the Olympics!

Four days after our return, we all drove down to Laurie's. (minus Michael who had to work...someone has to do it!) 8 1/2 hours later, we were in Virginia. The next day, we drove further south (with Laurie and the girls) to North Carolina to my mom and John's house. Auntie Gayle was there too, and we all enjoyed the visit. Well, some may have enjoyed it more had someones car not been TOTALLED while parked on the street! Well, at least Laurie got a new car out of it!

Cole started 2nd grade and had a much easier time this year as opposed to last year. 1st grade was a tough transition! He loves baseball and is quite good at it if I do say so myself. ;) He is playing fall soccer, ice hockey and will be starting classes at church for his First Holy Communion next spring! Michael is teaching his class - cute!

Luke is crawling, well it's not your typical style of crawling, it is more like both arms out in front of him, then dragging himself forward, kind of like a lame frog. Hey, whatever works! He smiles a lot and melts everyone with his dimples. He loves to eat and is a very healthy 20 pounds and 30 inches.

Mallory is a comedian. She does things on purpose to get our attention. She waves hi and bye and is sitting up on her own. They both have a pair of teeth on the bottom. They are more aware of each other now and don't think it's a problem to steal the others' binky, or suck on a foot, be it their own or not. Mallory's eyes are as blue as the day is long. I hope they stay that color.

Ok, I've used up my free time, they are up from their nap.

Look for more in the days and weeks to come. I want to post a couple of video clips too.

Take care!

Lanae, Michael, Cole, Mallory and Luke