Growing Pains

A Very Merry Christmas Season!

2012-01-16T16:12:00.006-05:00

Now that most traces of Christmas have disapeared into the basement, and presents have found homes in our home, I'm finally looking back on our long month of Christmas celebrations with a warm feeling, we really did enjoy all of it, and being with all our close family and friends.

Groompa came to visit for our first Christmas, we had a fun time as you can tell!

Jenga masters!

All I want for Christmas is Thomas! So glad Santa delivered the goods!

So warm and cozy in his new Angry Bird blanket, thanks Aunt Juls!

No Christmas is complete around here for Hannah without a matching doll outfit. Thank you Grandma H!

While in the 'burgh we had the chance to visit the Natural History Museum and see the dinosaur bones again! All three kids fit in one sauropod footprint! We also learned about the earth's core, collections, taxidermy, and much more!

So thank you everyone for a wonderful Christmas season, we love all of you very much. Hope you're enjoying the New Year. Next up, maybe some snow pics, we finally got what was coming to us!

Back to the Manger!

2011-12-15T13:20:00.007-05:00

In case you haven't heard, Hannah and Ben were in a Christmas musical last weekend at church. Ben sang in the choir, and Hannah had a few solos and a speaking part.
Gram and Pap came up to visit and see the play, they thought it was great!

On the set, in front of the "church" for the annual Caroling Outreach.

Jefferson wasn't left out, he got this really cool balloon and spent lots of time with Grandma.

Meet Betty, from 1958. "Well, God has supplied all my needs so far. I have so much, a loving family, a good home, swell friends-I can't help but want to share with others" She was more than perfect for this role!

"Holy Guacamole!"

The time machine that visited several Christmas Caroling Outreach's in the past, including the birth of Jesus.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Kid in the Fridge

2011-11-21T15:59:00.004-05:00

Hey! It's me Jefferson. Sometimes I do really funny stuff, like most two year olds.

Today I was hanging out in the fridge and mom though it was too cute, and told me to stay in there so she could get the camera. Then, I even decided to smile really nice. Sometimes I'm a really good boy like that. And I like being a big boy.

Pretty soon I won't fit in the fridge, and my mom will be really sad. Glad we got these pictures of me!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T15:50:00.005-04:00

Halloween weekend was lots of fun! We did some new things this year: watched Casper the movie, which the kids loved; went to a Halloween party at Kidz Club, totally fun; and added another kid to the school parade!

Hannah wanted her face decorated, very pretty! And her pumpkin she designed.

Dressed and ready to go...almost, we still had to empty the pillow cases of pillows for our bags!

Jefferson suprised us all and put on some courage, and his Thomas costume! "I'm not crying" he kept saying. We were SO proud of him.

MARIO! He was so funny with this on, totally a ham.

The best way to end all this fun, lots of candy! Three pounds of it each for Hannah and Ben.

Out in the Patch

2011-10-22T15:16:00.004-04:00

We made it to the pumpkin patch on a totally perfect autumn day, and Grandma Hampton happened to be in town! We headed straight to the field behind the fields, where the biggest and the best are.

Grandma was glad to have a little buddy!

The boys check very thoroughly to make sure the pumpkin is spotless, and worm free!

"This One" he says.

We also finally hit another area gem, Skaneateles lake, for some lunch at a local hamburger joint and to see the gorgeous lake, it's perfectly clear.

This was a really great day. Now we are getting ready for Halloween...and trying to talk Jefferson into wearing a costume, we'll see what happens!

Apple Picking...Whaaaaat?

2011-09-27T15:15:00.006-04:00

On the hottest day of the fall season yet this year, we went apple picking not too far away. It was very busy, and not all varieties of apples were ready yet, but we still picked quite a few (as in 21 pounds).

It's a good thing daddy came along, otherwise we couldn't have reached the good ones!

Ben kept cool in the shade.

Jefferson was just a sweaty mess, but he didn't seem to mind, apple picking got him out of his afternoon nap. He was super cute saying, "apple picking, whaaaaaat?!"

When we got home with all our apples, we went right to work to make our first ever apple sauce. I peeled the apples while Hannah and Ben sliced and diced with butter knives.

It was delicious, hope you get out and enjoy the season! Next up, my favorite: pumpkin picking!

Three to School

2011-09-09T15:07:00.004-04:00

Thursday was the first day of school for all the kids! Hannah is a school pro going off to 2nd grade, Ben was super excited for Kindergarten (so excited he couldn't sleep the night before), and Jefferson went to preschool with mommy for the first time.

I hope he always looks this happy to be going to school!

Oh, she is so grown up sometimes.

All the kids had a wonderful day at school, and we're still getting the smaller details out little by little. On the homefront...peace and quiet, and I feel sane again!

Fair Day!

2011-08-31T20:54:00.005-04:00

We haven't been up to much lately around here. Just hanging back and enjoying the summer. One of the best ways to enjoy the end of summer here is to check out the state fair, which we have not done in a few years. It was Jefferson's first time, and we're pretty sure he loved it!

We saw plenty of all these fun animals.

Jefferson went "fishing" and picked out an adorable purple monkey for his prize.

We tried to see as many free shows as we could. One of them was "Zuma Zuma African Acrobats". Maybe you saw them on America's Got Talent? They were pretty awesome.

Hannah managed to handle herself around the stinkiness long enough to see some pigs. The babies were very cute.

And...Benjamin tried his hand at balloon darts to win himself an Angry Bird. He did pretty well, but daddy had to step in and help out at the end, the Angry Bird wasn't free you know...

We all had a great time, tried some yummy food: shrimp on a stick, corn dogs, grilled corn on the cob, fish lollipops, fudge, a burger on a glazed donut, and ice cream of course. It was such a good day, the kids are already planning their trip back next year!

Donated!

2011-07-25T14:48:00.006-04:00

Today Hannah gathered up her courage, contained her excitement, and sat still for the biggest and most special hair cut in her life so far.

Before, someone will surely be lucky to get this hair.

After, she looks great! So grown up, totally ready for 2nd grade!

We are so SO proud of her for doing this, it makes me tear up a little! Hope you are having a great summer, love you all!

Family Vacation 2011

2011-07-12T09:01:00.006-04:00

This year's vacation was quite an event. Cousin Val got hitched on Saturday the 9th and Stacey's family was back in Warren for the 4th, so we decided to make a week of it.

Destination 1: Niagara Falls

We started our trip the Saturday before Independence Day with a visit to the Buffalo Zoo. It's not the biggest zoo around, but they have a great variety of animals, a fairly open layout and a bunch of kid-friendly fun.

Jefferson loved the waterfall in the rainforest exhibit. We told him we were seeing a big waterfall that day... not that one.

After checking in to our hotel and dropping off our bags, we crossed the border into Canada. We had dinner at the Rainforest Cafe, then walked down the hill to see Niagara Falls... and a ton of other tourists. Americans and Canadians were a slim minority.

Again, Jefferson enjoyed looking at the waterfall - the right one this time - and Hannah and Ben enjoyed their first international experience. Our decision to cross via the Peace Bridge turned out to be a fantastic one. The Rainbow Bridge was suffering hour long delays.

Destination 2: Warren

The next day we headed down to Warren to see Stacey's extended family. We went to a beach on the Kinzua Dam Reservoir and on the way Jefferson pointed out a few more waterfalls. We tried to coordinate with everyone else, but apparently Verizon hasn't sent the "can you hear me now" guy out there yet.

After a quick bite of pizza, Julie stayed with Jefferson and prepared some food for the next day's picnic; Stacey and I took Ben and Great Grandpa to see Cars 2; and Grandma H took Hannah miniature golfing with Aunt Dottie, Uncle Kevin and the boys. We all met for ice cream afterwards (which Grandma got for free after a hole-in-one on number 18. Hannah and Ben got to stay up late to see the fireworks, too.

Independence Day is a big day in Warren - it's parade day. People set out chairs days in advance to stake out the best spots along the parade route. Grandma H put ours out on Friday... for a Monday parade... and she wasn't the first one to do it.

Anyway, we had a great spot other than the view of the leather-skinned-smoking-drinking-bikini-and-short-shorts-wearing-middle-aged-lady across the street. Other than that, all the usual parade participants were there: color guards, veterans, marching bands, bagpipe bands, boyscout troops, girlscout troops, and best of all, Shriners with Zem Zem cars.

After the parade, Uncle Brian hosted the barbecue and lead us on a hike through the woods.

Destination 3: Erie

We pass by Splash Lagoon every time we visit Pittsburgh, so we decided to stay in Erie this time and check it out. It was great! There was a fun area for Jefferson to play, lots of great tube and body slides, tons of water shooting and dumping gadgets and best of all - no need for sunscreen.

That night, Grandma H watched a movie with the kids so Stacey and I could meet Rob and Elizabeth for a night on the town including a nice dinner, mini golf and ice cream.

The next morning, we headed out to Presque Isle and rented a Surrey Quadracycle. Despite only having 1 gear ratio and 3 people peddling, we made it all the way to the Perry Monument and back within our 1-hour rental period.

After lunch we said good bye and thank-you to Grandma H and took a walk on the beach before heading south.

Destination 4: Pittsburgh

We finally had a few days to relax. Granted, we went to playgrounds and the game preserve, Stacey and I had a night out alone to celebrate our 7th anniversary and Uncle Tim continued his birthday extravaganza; but it was much more laid back then the first half of our vacation.

Then, the big day arrived. Ben served as the ring bearer for Val and Greg's wedding.

Vows were exchanged, pictures were taken, cookies were eaten, legs were shaken and there was much rejoicing. If that wasn't enough, the next day, gifts were unwrapped and more cookies were eaten.

Finally, what would a vacation be without an amusement park. And what better park to go to in Pittsburgh but Kennywood. All three kids bumped up a height restriction group, although Jefferson opted not to take advantage of this and skipped the Jackrabbit. Ben rode the Racer for the first time, Hannah rode the Phantom's Revenge for the first time and Stacey and I rode the Sky Rocket for the first time.

Satisfied with our new experiences, we finished the day with an old tradition - Kennywood fudge!

It was a long and eventful vacation, and the best part was getting to spend time with our friends and family.

Vacation may be over, but summer is just peaking. More fun to come!

Father's Day Gifts

2011-06-21T14:34:00.003-04:00

We always want to make sure that daddy knows he is extra special, so we get him really good gifts. This year he got what he wanted and a few suprises.

But I'm totally sure he wasn't expecting a giant paper mache copy of his head. Which made it all the more fun!

He had a great Father's Day with his great kids.

Last day for Ben

2011-05-31T15:21:00.004-04:00

The preschool years are over for Ben, I can't believe how quickly they came, and went. He always seems so grown up as it is, now it's even more so.

We enjoyed watching Ben make his own friends, learn about many interesting things, come home with funny library books, and forget his teachers names over and over again. He's moving on now, he's already done with kindergarten transition days and feels at home already there. Love ya Ben!

It's Finally spring!

2011-05-17T14:53:00.004-04:00

Well, it's been spring for almost two months now, but last week really felt like it, with the ending of torrential rains and warmer temps.

Ben was finally able to start playing some t-ball, and he's really liking it!

It's so nice to have your dad as the coach. Go number 9!

Mother's Day also happened to be a really nice day, so we headed to Lake Ontario to Fair Haven State Park.

The water was beautiful to see, and we had fun walking around. Leaving was the least fun, especially for Jefferson. I don't think he'd of minded at all if we left without him, but I couldn't leave my baby on Mother's Day!

So, hope your enjoying your spring, next up-planting the garden!

Proud Little Tapper

2011-04-17T22:17:00.003-04:00

The time of year has come again when I break out the curling iron, the panty hose, the sparkly eye shadow...but not for me! It was Hannah's dance recital. This year she chose tap over ballet or hip pop, and she is quite the tapper.

Her class danced to "Happy Birthday" to fill in the November month for the calendar themed recital. Apparently Thanksgiving doesn't have any good tap songs. She was very good on stage this year, only occasionally needing to look at the teacher in the front row.

You can always tell the after recital smile, she was very proud of all her hard work this year, and so are we.

Congratulations on a great year of dance Hannah!!!

Catchin Up

2011-04-12T15:50:00.006-04:00

I think you all know that we are very busy people. And you can really tell that we're even busier than normal when we haven't posted in a month. But, we've been doing important and exciting things. We'll fill you in up to date.

Stacey celebrated her 29th birthday party at Gram and Pap's with all the food and presents that go along with it. (I really didn't mind not having to make my own birthday cake!) We also celebrated with Aunt Juls at her baby shower. We are SO excited to have a new baby in the family!

As soon as we got back it was activities again. Ben took part in a super hero's class at the Y that I helped with. We took a field trip to the fire station, Ben is tall enough on his own, this only exaggerates it more!

Not too later we (as in Thad and I) went to visit my dad. We made a quick stop at the Kennedy Space Center with Bev and Eric as our guides. We pretended to go the moon on a simulater, ate some "space dots" and called it a day.

It was like a little family reunion. Love ya mom and dad, and Julie too...!

We headed to the river to go on Wild Bill's Air Boat Rides to see some alligators and other wildlife. We sure did.

We ended our trip with a visit to Universal Studios Island of Adventure. We really wanted to check out the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but apparently so did the other zillion people in the park that day. We rode one coaster, looked around in the candy story, saw the two hour line to go in Hogwarts, and left. We spent more time in the rest of the park while beating the heat, 87 is TOO HOT for us northerners.

We are now home and getting ready for our spring schedule. Hannah has her dance recital coming up, Ben is starting T Ball, with daddy as his team coach, and Spring Break/Easter are on it's way!

A Monsterific Show

2011-03-13T13:06:00.010-04:00

Ben and I went to Monster Jam. We got our tickets through the D.A.R.E. program which allowed us entry to the Party in the Pits a half hour before the general public. He was too shy to talk to any of the drivers, but we took some cool pictures before it got too crowded.

Here's my favorite, Avenger.

Those are some wide tires on War Wizard.

In addition to monster trucks, there were ATVs and mtocross bikes. In between rounds, the ATVs raced and the motocross team did tricks.

A half hour before the show started, Ben said the show was "Monsterific."

After the races, they started the freestyle competition. Those trucks can catch some crazy air! Ben got to see it from close up.

Ben finally picked a favorite about half way through the evening: Brutus, "because it has teeth."

I liked Brutus, too, but not because of the teeth. He did the best slap wheelies.

We both had tons of fun and stayed up way past bed time. I think this may become a yearly tradition.

Someone's getting older!

2011-02-28T14:30:00.002-05:00

And it's not just me. Hannah is 7 now, although it seems she has been for awhile. She was definitely excited for this birthday, presents are a big deal these days, and she always loves the extra attention.

All those presents, oh my! Jefferson didn't quite understand they weren't for him, so Ben played guard and did a good job.

In her new bunk bed with her singing, hair glowing, Rapunzel. We made a lovely garden above her bed.

Cake #1, she decorated it herself, can you tell?!!!

Cake #2 which I decorated, can you tell?! This was for her friend party. They had a great time dressing up barbies for a fashion show and then eating this awesome barbie cake.

Thank you everyone for all the great gifts and cards, we appreciate everything and so glad Hannah is well-loved!

I'm Two!

2011-02-15T14:56:00.003-05:00

Last Friday was a very special day, our littlest guy is two, and he loves to say "I'm two!"

Waking up to find presents, it must be a birthday!

Riding his present from Grandma H, I think there's permanent tracks through the living room!

Singing Happy Birthday around his Thomas cake, too bad he cried, but he loved the cake!

Valentine's Day. Pillow Pets for all! They haven't stopped hugging or sleeping with them. Well, maybe only to eat some candy! We had a very nice Valentine's Day, thank you for all the cards and treats, we love them!

What a Winter

2011-02-08T14:27:00.005-05:00

Winter just keeps going full steam ahead up here. We finally got to take advantage and go out one nice Saturday afternoon.

Later in the day Ben and I checked out his "art" at the local Starbucks. His preschool class has their snowmen crafts on display. It was our first of many hot chocolate/coffee dates.

Jefferson has been keeping us on our toes a lot lately, it is quite evident he'll be two very, very soon. His curiousty is being fed even more now that he can get into even more, reach more, whine for more...

It's a good thing he's so stinkin cute!

That's all for now. I'd report that we had our Super Bowl party, and we all dressed up of course, but you know how the rest of the evening went. We still love those Stillers though, always will.

Next up-Jefferson is two on Friday!

Two Princesses

2011-01-25T14:48:00.005-05:00

Just in case some of you have been wondering, we haven't fallen off the end of the Earth. We may be out of the loop, but we're still here. January isn't all that exciting up here. It's in between our two busiest months of the year. So we just sort of hang out and watch the snow, avoid going outside in the negative temperatures, and eat lots of homemade soup.

The only truly exciting thing we've done since Christmas is I took Hannah and a friend from school to see Disney on Ice.

It was awesome. I loved it as much as the girls. The skating, music, costumes, sets, was so well done. Disney sure can wow me.

If anything else exciting happens, we'll be sure to let you know!

4am To 7pm

2010-12-25T18:06:00.012-05:00

The stockings were hung, the cookies and milk (and reindeer food) were put out. The kids went to bed without much trouble, although when I checked on Hannah a half hour later she said couldn't get to sleep because she was thinking about Santa Claus.

As the title infers, the day began for three of us at 4am. Ben was too excited - and a little worried - about Santa and presents and Christmas that he woke up and couldn't get back to sleep. So, as kids who can't get back to sleep do, he woke up Mommy and Daddy, too. After an hour of trying to get him back to sleep in our bed, it was clear that either two or three of us were going to be staying up.

So, Ben and I went down and confirmed that the cookies (and reindeer food) were eaten, the milk was drunk, stockings were filled and presents were delivered. Then I played a Wii game hoping Ben would fall asleep on the couch next to me. No such luck.

After two hours of asking, "Is it time to open presents yet?" the answer was finally, "Yes." And it was all worth it.

Apparently, Ben's early year niceness outweighed his late year naughtiness because he got the one thing he has been clamoring for since the toy ads came out: Dr. Bones!

Hannah, who we were much less worried about, got an "American Doll." Actually it's an Our Generation doll; but either way, Hannah thinks she's just perfect.

Jefferson was generally more interested in playing with the toys that were already opened than examining the ones still in the box, but he made out pretty well; and no wonder since he was the best behaved of the three this year.

At the end of the day, the best part is spending time with family and watching their faces light up when they unwrap the perfect gift.

But, the presents are nice, too. Oh, and the food, of course. And staying in your pajamas all day.

Anyway, Merry Christmas. We hope yours was as wonderful as ours!

Update: The excitement finally gave way to exhaustion at 7pm - 10 minutes before the end of The Polar Express. I guess we'll do his bath in the morning.

'Tis the Season...

2010-12-17T14:22:00.004-05:00

It's a very merry Christmas season going on up at our house! We've been very busy getting ready for Christmas. Here are some of the things we've been doing.

Building the biggest snowman on the street, what else are we supposed to do with all this snow!

Eating A LOT of candy, chocolate, suckers, cookies, sugar, everything.

Baking, more of the above. I have a new helper this year, he can see when he stands on the stool, and is a very good boy.

There's other things going on too: we are officially done with shopping, the letter to Santa has been mailed, parties are done, Polar Express and Rudolph have been watched several times. The list could go on, but you get the idea. And we still have one more week of all this fun!
We wish you a Merry Christmas!

Snowed In

2010-12-08T13:38:00.004-05:00

We know you've all been wondering how bad it is up here, so here's the picture.
It's been snowing non-stop since Saturday evening and won't stop till Thurs afternoon. We have about four feet, and still counting.

Every day but today I've had to venture out in this, with the kids in tow. But today the school district wisened up and schools are closed. The kids are enjoying it,even Jefferson. He's really in the Holiday spirit. He loves "Sita" (Santa), singing snowmen, and all the sparkling lights everywhere.

We're certainly guaranteed a white Christmas, hope the same for you!

Fish People

2010-12-02T14:18:00.004-05:00

We have announcement to make: we are now officially "Fish People". Some people like dogs, some like cats, snakes...etc. Well, since there is really no way you can be allergic to fish (that we know of) this is for us.

Now if only they would stay alive.

It's Halloween!

2010-10-31T21:59:00.006-04:00

Yea, Halloween finally came! What, you don't count down for it in your house?
We started the day with our new tradition: The Halloween 5k run at Beaver Lake. Both Hannah and Ben, and daddy, ran in the kids run first. Then mommy did the "big kid race". Fame: I shaved ten minutes off my time from last year. Shame: I got passed by a giant whoopee cushion. Oh well, it was pretty fun, and a good way to start a day where you eat candy nonstop.

All the Halloween cuties dressed up and ready for the big night. The Warrior King, the Lion, and the Queen.

Her Royal Magesty with her pumpkin she designed.

The loot, this is pretty much all he cares about. Can you tell from the gigantic grin on his face!

I guess daddy's pumpkin ate too much candy!

We had a great Halloween, hope you did too!

Pumpkin Day!

2010-10-14T14:35:00.005-04:00

There comes a day, once every fall that just makes me so happy. It's right up there with Christmas and birthdays. It's the day we go out in the country to pick our pumpkins and have lots of fallish fun. Luckily the day we decided to go was sunny and cool, but not too cool! This year we didn't go alone either. Groompa, Miss Sandy, and Aunt Julie were visiting so they got in on the festivities too.

All of us and our pumpkins for this year.

The kids in the sunflowers.

We had a great weekend and now we are ready for Halloween!

Discovery Zoo

2010-09-30T18:27:00.005-04:00

To celebrate the changing of seasons, we took a trip to Fort Rickey Children's Discovery Zoo. They got to paint pumpkins, pet animals, play in the ball pit and run through a hay maze. While the boys took the hay ride through the zoo, Hannah got to go on her first pony ride.

We met back up at the "maternity ward" where we got to pet and play with the baby goats.

Ben was more interested in climbing the tree, but we all had a fun afternoon.

Now, it's time for cool weather, changing leaves, pumpkins and - best of all - Halloween candy!

Stripes are Nice!

2010-09-13T14:43:00.004-04:00

Another first day of school, for Ben! And when planning for this day, we talked about what is a good outfit. Thanks to Charlie and Lola from Playhouse Disney, we know that "for school, stripes are nice".

Looking good in his stripes.

Outside the doors at school. This year Ben goes 3 days a week and is already back with his buds from last year, with some new friends mixed in.

We can't wait to see how much he is going to learn and grow this year, it seems the sky really is the limit with him! Happy First Day of School!

First Grader!

2010-09-10T19:42:00.005-04:00

School has finally begun and Hannah is a first grader! We're back to the school year schedule and already sliding into the old routine. Ben and Jefferson miss Hannah during the day, but it sure is a lot quieter around...

We're all ready for the big day. Only Jefferson gets to stay in his jammies.

The new bus stop. We're meeting lots of neighbors and making new friends. Hannah doesn't seem to mind, the more people to talk to the better!

We're very excited about the new school year and all that the kids will be doing. Next week Ben starts 2nd yr preschool so keep posted for that!

Summer Check List

2010-08-14T14:02:00.005-04:00

We're in the full swing of summer here, and have been doing all sorts of summery things.

The annual Sky Chiefs family night ball game, with fireworks!

Just hanging out, relaxin, even if only for a minute.

Chowing down on the best summer food, corn on the cob!

Cheering at soccer games, even if there isn't much playing going on. Rule #1 Have fun! Rule #2 Moo!

And what are all the cool kids doing this summer, showing off their silly bandz! Jefferson and Ben may try to start a new trend with this one!

And what will we be doing the rest of the summer? More of the same, with a little back to school shopping and picnicing with friends. Enjoy it while it lasts!

Just to Get to Two

2010-07-19T20:01:00.001-04:00

It was a spontaneous decision, really. Stacey was taking Jefferson to get groceries and I was thinking about what to do with the other two. The weather finally cooled off a bit and it was the perfect evening to do something outside, but what?

Then I started thinking about it being half way through summer and Hannah being six years old. It decided was about time to make another attempt to take off the training wheels; so, we headed for preschool parking lot.

I told Hannah to do a big loop around the parking lot one last time with the training wheels and try to balance without using them. Then I took them off and reassured her that she was ready - and was she ever.

We went straight down and back with me barely holding on. I gave her a few quick lessons on leaning, turning, stopping and starting. Finally, as we made another long run, I told her to look at my shadow, which was well out in front of us in the evening sun. I asked her where my hands were and she said, "up in the air," and that was it.

The three of us played on the playground for a while and waited for Mommy to stop by for a demonstration. Then, I took her out for dessert to celebrate. I gave her some options, but she settled on a Wendy's frosty. I talked her into a Twisted Frosty with M&M's.

As Justin Roberts put it, she started off with three wheels, then she went to four - just to get to two. So there it is: another milestone passed, another step toward independence, another kid growing up too fast.

All About Family

2010-07-11T22:20:00.003-04:00

When Stacey and I took our own trip to Vegas a few months ago, we reassured the kids that the whole family would be taking a trip together in the summer. Ten days, nine nights, 2244 miles of driving over 44 and half hours, three destinations and 28 repetitions of Kidz Bop later, it was quite the vacation.

Act I: Spartanburg, SC

We decided to drive the whole way there in one day. We broke up the trip with a stop at Luray Caverns in Virginia. Once we reassured the kids that there were no bears in the cave, they warmed up to it. Hannah listened to the audio tour and Ben had to fight the urge to touch things and go off the path. Jefferson found himself unstrapped form the car seat and strapped into the umbrella stroller, but he was at least glad to get out of the minivan for a while.

We arrived at Stacey's Mom's well after midnight and after sleeping in a bit went to a local park with a miniature train to ride.

We did the Spartanburg fair and the Greenville fair; both of which hired the same blow-up stuff company. This waterfall wall provided relief from the oppressive heat and humidity.

Act II: Myrtle Beach, SC

Then, it was on to the beach. While we have been to several lakes, this was the kids' first time at the ocean. We happened to capture the two seconds Jefferson sat down to play in the sand; most of his time was spent going as far out into the water as he could.

Hannah enjoyed the waves and sand, but after a mouthful of salt water, she had no problem rinsing off and heading to the water park.

The next morning, we took a boat tour that stopped on a beach at the mouth of a river. The kids played in the brackish water and, of course, Jefferson ran in as soon as we put him down.

Even though we only spent a day and a half there, we got the whole beach experience; including shells, souvenirs, and sand that will be in the van forever, now.

Act III: Pittsburgh

Once again we had a long car ride. This time we broke it up with a stop in West Virgina at Someplace Special Gem Mine. After having the good luck of not encountering opposing traffic on the long, one-way road back to the farm, we sat at the sluice and sifted out a decent size baggie full of gems and minerals.

And, of course, we got to be a part of Uncle Tim's month-long birthday extravaganza.

What's a family vacation without an amusement park? This year Jefferson was big enough to experience the thrills of Kiddieland at Kennywood. Here's his reaction after his first ride. I'm pretty sure that's his "thrilled" face because he made it a lot on this trip.

As all things come to an end, this was Hannah's last year for Kiddieland. Here's her last ride on the Whippersnapper, which Ben was excited to share with her.

Coincidentally, it was our sixth Anniversary that day. We celebrated with a ride on the Sky Coaster because... well... why not, right? I mean, what's more romantic than being strapped together and dropping 180 feet on a giant swing?

Which brings us back to family. Everyone needs a vacation now and then to put aside the daily routine and just have fun together and make memories - and that we did.

...see, there's that "thrilled" face again.

Am I really 4?

2010-06-22T21:50:00.000-04:00

Ben has been four for almost three weeks now, and he's still not quite sure it's real yet. He keeps saying he doesn't feel it inside, even though he sure looks it on the outside! We celebrated several times and Ben enjoyed all the activities.

At Carrabba's a yummy sundae and birthday song.

Hanging out with his best buds in the backyard. They went on a bug hunt, ate dirt cake, and threw water balloons at each other. Super fun!

The birthday highlight: his first Build-A-Bear! Otto is dressed for the beach and looks quite similar to his person, coincidence? I don't know. Ben's happy he can play with Hannah and Linda now.

We hope you enjoy being four Ben, you've grown up so much. Now you're just more funny, adorable, and lovable!

Kindergarten Graduation

2010-06-21T08:29:00.000-04:00

It's graduation day, from kindergarten! Hannah's school celebrates the kindergartners completing their school year with a special ceremony. Each student receives an award and diploma. Hannah's award-Responsible Learner. We are SO proud of her.

She's so excited!

The Rainbow class on stage singing "Proud to be an American"

The best kindergarten teacher in the world. Hannah is going to miss him so much, but luckily for her he's sticking around one more year before retirement. She'll see him lots during FIRST GRADE!

Now it's time for summer. Coming soon...Ben's birthday!

Busy Days

2010-06-01T15:28:00.006-04:00

It's the end of the preschool year for Ben and our busy week turned into a busy weekend.

Thursday was Beach Day and he got to go in his suit. Instead of hanging out inside, they went out in the kiddie pool and sprinklers, and topped it off with popsicles.
We returned that evening for the annual Carnival and said goodbye to our friends.

Zoo Day, Jefferson loved this as much if not more than Ben. Ben was a little distracted by the stink caused by the unusually hot weather. But we still saw some animals and had a nice time.

To make up for our bad Mother's Day weather, we did our hike at Chittenango Falls on Sunday. It was a beautiful day for it and we love being outside. Afterward we hit Red Lobster some super yummy shrimp, even the kids!

Jefferson had a better view than all of us.

Monday was Memorial Day so we had to go to the parade in the village with our friends. The kids loved all the old cars and fire trucks, but most of all, the CANDY! We finished the day with smoked beef brisket on the new patio with our neighbors. Great day.

So, being busy isn't really all that bad, when you're still with family and friends. Looking forward to an awesome summer with all of you! Next up, Ben's 4th birthday and Hannah's kindergarten graduation!

Ben the Builder

2010-05-21T16:48:00.001-04:00

You may remember seeing this picture of Ben playing in the dirt.

Or this one when ben got a scoop truck for his 3rd Birthday.

Or this one from last year when they were putting in a storm sewer basin. Ben was excited to see a real scoop truck.

This week we had a concrete patio put in so he got to see a cement mixer.

Even better, they put him to work!

Yes, we let all the kids put hand prints on it.

Hannah asked if it will be dry enough today to do chalk on it. The workers told her that the different sections were for different pictures.

No, Hannah, not yet.

What happens in Vegas!

2010-04-29T21:53:00.007-04:00

We had such a great time in Las Vegas that we can't not tell everyone about it. Here are some pictures from our truly fabulous vacation.

Our first photo with Elvis, welcoming us into town.

On top the stratosphere, so amazing, and windy!

There's always a Steelers fan somewhere, this day in Red Rock Canyon.

My first time with a cactus, in the Cactus Gardens at Ethel M's Chocolate Factory, yes, we got some chocolate.

After our tour through Madame Tussaud's, why didn't we buy these?!

Our home, I mean hotel, the Excalibur.

So everyone, this is only a glimpse of our fun in Las Vegas. We did so many things and saw so many amazing things (my fave: Bellagio fountains, Thad's: Blue Man Group), and ate the most delicious things! Can't wait to tell you all more about it.

Next up, the kids stay in Pittsburgh and the big news: the tooth fairy has visited.

A Happy Easter Day!

2010-04-08T21:56:00.003-04:00

Dressed in their Sunday best, ready for Easter church service.

What am I supposed to do with this?

Hope you all enjoyed such a special day!

Egg Hunt

2010-03-27T21:42:00.004-04:00

A week and one day until Easter, that makes today a perfect day for an Egg hunt at the park! The sunshine agreed with us, but no so much the winter temperatures.

Scoping out some unfound eggs. They were only allowed four each, and two thousand were hidden, many were left behind. Each child found their eggs with much enthusiasm and then waited ten minutes in line to get their candy.

Very proud of their findings!

Have a Happy Easter everyone!

Curious Jefferson

2010-03-13T10:36:00.005-05:00

I suppose it's a good thing that our 13 month old is very curious. The problem is: that curiosity can be messy.

A few days ago, Jefferson thought it would be interesting to climb inside his toy box. Once inside, he decided it was too crowded in there. Within a few minutes, the toy box was much more spacious.

Yesterday, he found an almost-empty cracker box in the living room. Babies stick everything in their mouth; sometimes, it happens to be food. This was the resulting mess.

Then, this morning, he wandered off while I was doing a puzzle with the other two kids in the living room. After the puzzle was finished, I realized it was a bit too quiet. I hoped no one left the bathroom door open as Jefferson usually finds the toilet. The door was open, but he wasn't playing in the water...

Babies learn by exploring their surroundings. At this rate, he'll be ready for Kindergarten next year; and Stacey will have gray hair!

School Spirit

2010-03-06T08:59:00.003-05:00

One way to build school spirit is to get all the students to do something together. Pep rallies, sports and community service activities come to mind. Apparently, anything done together as a group meets this goal; the sillier the better.

At preschool, Ben's class is always having coordinated clothing days. Pajama Day, Wear Orange Day or, in this case, Hat Day. Of course, Ben can't just smile for a picture.

Hannah's elementary school had Crazy Hair Day. I figured, however I do her hair, it will look crazy. I wanted to start with a birthday hat, but we didn't have one the right size; so, I had to make a cone from scratch using a cardboard box.

Just in case cone-shaped hair wasn't "crazy" enough, we used as many hair clips as we could fit.

Hannah loved it and said her friends on the bus and at school loved it, too. Surprisingly, it was still in tact when she got off the bus that afternoon and she even wore it the same way to dance class.

How any of this build school spirit, I don't know. The kids had fun, though, which is really all that matters... that, and now we have more pictures to embarrass them with at graduations and weddings.

Snow Day Birthday!

2010-02-25T21:37:00.005-05:00

She's six years old today! She is so grown up, and it's not stopping!
There was a very white suprise waiting for her this morning, enough to call off school for the first time this year. She didn't seem to mind and we kept busy doing special birthday things all day.

Gift opening came first. She got some clothes, a bathrobe, a cowgirl purse, an illustrated Bible, her first sneakers with laces, and one toy: a fairy. Plus lots of cards and other gifts, thanks everyone!

Since we would not be heading to the mall for the evening we made a cake at home, she's wearing her new apron from her cousins (I was wearing mine too).

Daddy came home early and hung out in the snow with Hannah and Ben (to be followed by a snowball fight with a giant stegosaurus snow fort!)

If "behind-the-glass-face-making" were an Olympic sport, Jefferson would be medaling, extra points for drool.

"Make me a fancy cake mommy, Please..." Okay, she got a fairy cake.

Dancing the night away, well, when her little brothers weren't in the way!

What a great day. It's so amazing to see her grow up, this year will bring even more and we're so thankful for the gift that she is to all of us.

Turning One!

2010-02-11T21:24:00.004-05:00

Jefferson turned one year old today. We spent the day celebrating with him and I think he knew today was extra special.

The chair of honor, waiting for birthday breakfast-french toast.

Taking his balloon upstairs, I really don't know why, for fun I guess!

Before the birthday song...

It's good!

Where did it go? Why isn't there more? Maybe I'll eat the plate.

Don't worry Jefferson, there's lots more birthday partying coming this weekend. This was only the first of three cakes. Plus Valentine's Day. February is such a "sweet" month for us!
Thanks for all the birthday wishes, and we love you all, have a happy Valentines day!

Super Sunday

2010-02-08T12:26:00.004-05:00

It was a big day; and not just because the New Orleans Saints won their first Super Bowl. Less than a week before his first birthday, Jefferson took his first "official" steps!

He's been very close for quite some time, but hasn't had the guts to go for it. Just before the Super Bowl I let go of him in mid stride and he took a few wobbly steps to the couch. Then he went back and forth a few times between Mom and Dad.

Finally, before half-time, he had gained enough confidence to try it on his own.

Here is a short video:

So, we now have a walking baby. Let the games begin.

Baby in the cupboard

2010-01-24T20:53:00.002-05:00

I have been telling a lot of you lately what a handful Jefferson is lately. This picture is much better than words.

Needless to say, our un-babyproofed kitchen cupboards are now baby-proof. What will he do next, stay tuned...

Even More Christmas 2009

2010-01-10T18:18:00.004-05:00

Christmas at Gram and Paps, what an exciting time of the year! By now, Jefferson knew what to do with a present. He wasn't intimidated by the mountain of them either, he jumped right in!

You can dress her up, but she'll always be a silly girl underneath.

Ben sure is getting big isn't he? He loves coming here and seeing everyone, and everyone always says "Wow, is he taller again?"

Another try at a cousin picture, I think it will be a long, long time until everyone is looking and smiling. But, it's still cute.

Normally, we see the after picture with the kids and Daddy with his birthday cake. This is the before pic, who can resist? Certainly not grandkids at Gram's.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas, we most certainly did. Thank you for all the gifts, fun, cookies, hugs and kisses. We love you all!

Wonderful Christmas

2009-12-26T21:05:00.004-05:00

We had an absolutelty wonderful Christmas! The kids must have been good this year so Santa came and left some nice presents. The older the kids get, the easier it is to get them to bed on Christmas Eve!

Jefferson was mesmerized by the tower of presents in the living room, he started opening without us!

The big boy bike that Santa brought Ben. He also brought Hannah a Razor daisy scooter and Jefferson a Whisper Ride Buggy.

Have'nt we seen this picture before? It's this years version. More rooms for the doll house.

This present was a big hit with Jefferson, actually he loves everything he got.

We are so blessed to have a Christmas like this, and another one in a few days. It is truly wonderful to see the joy on the kid's faces and see that they really understand what Christmas is about: love, family, and giving.

Merry Christmas Partying!

2009-12-15T14:47:00.005-05:00

The celebrations have begun! We had a great weekend partying with the kids. Friday night was Hannah's Family Christmas dance at school, Sat was the the parents Progressive Dinner and kids pizza/movie night at church, and Sun the the annual kids Christmas party at the Holiday Inn.

Hannah sure has some cool dance moves.

Jefferson can't get enough of all the balloons in the room.

Jefferson got some new gears from Santa (our old ones were a little rusty).

Ben has a new dance move (cover your ears until the song is over and then jump up and down)

This is only the beginning of all our holiday fun, next weekend: ugly sweater party for mom and dad only. Then family arrives for Christmas, and it will be wonderful. Hope your enjoying the Christmas season, can't wait to see you all.

First Spaghetti

2009-11-23T20:54:00.004-05:00

Everyone has it, the picture of your fist time eating spaghetti and everyone thinks it't so cute and funny. Well, it is! Look how much fun he's having, he loved it, and he loved spashing in the water trying to wash it all off!

Next up: turkey, mashed potatos, green beans, and pumpkin pie, Thanksgiving here we come!

Our Fall fun

2009-11-12T14:33:00.006-05:00

Seems like everyone is having lots of fall fun in the leaves, and of course our kids are no exception. Our back yard has plenty of trees with leaves for the kids to romp around in. We even came up with two fun activities.

Ben came up with this all on his own, I think it's totally genius, Mother Nature is way smarter than me. Leaves on the trampoline, you don't have to keep raking them back into a pile, and you get air!

Jefferson enjoyed the outside too, just from the swing. He seems to think that leaves are a delicacy and can't keep them out of his mouth.

Hannah's had lots of friends over this week, with the half school days and such. Her game is to rake as many leaves as she can onto the slide, them swoosh them all down, also very creative on her part.

Hope you get out and enjoy it before the white stuff falls!

Halloween Cuties!

2009-10-31T21:57:00.007-04:00

Halloween again, seems like I was just writing the blog on "Get Candy" last year. This year it's more like "yea, we're not sick anymoe and we can leave the house!" But, they did bring home loads of candy that will be rationed out daily.

The fairy, the dinosaur, and the monster.

Jefferson and his pumpkin, note the happy tongue (not on Jefferson)

Perfect in purple, a little girls dress up dream

Seeing who got what, Jefferson tries to get his fair share, he'll have to wait for next year, although he did try his first bite of chocolate.

Another successful year, here's to dressing up, asking strangers for candy, and eating it all before Christmas!

Jefferson's Happy Tongue

2009-10-15T14:54:00.005-04:00

I have a theory. Let's start at the beginning. People everywhere comment on Jefferson's tongue hanging out all the time. They think it's funny and cute and probably wonder if he's half puppy, just kidding. What I think though is that it's the way he shows he's really happy. In all our pictures of him having a good time, there's usually a tongue out in one of them. Let me show you.

Playing in his room: happy tongue

Standing in his crib: happy tongue

Cruising on the couch: happy tongue

In the tub: happy tongue again!

There's plenty more photos of this, but you get the picture. Maybe we can add a verse to the old fave kids song, "If you're happy and you know it, stick out your tongue"! So glad I have a happy baby.

Bowling for Real

2009-09-26T17:34:00.001-04:00

We're so used to bowling on the Wii Sports or Wii Sports Resort; but we rarely do the real thing. Sometimes, though, it's nice to get the whole family out of the house.

Being Ben's first time and Hannah's second, We had to teach them the basics. After strapping on those stylin' shoes, you have to find the right ball. Unfortunately, Ben tried to grab Stacey's heavier ball for the last frame and pinched is finger between the ball and the rail.

Then you have to get your fingers into the holes and hold it with both hands keeping the holes underneath.

Then you run up and roll it (or throw it) forward (not up).

So much for rolling it underhand...

The next step is watching and concentrating, willing the ball to go where you want it to. Talking, hand gestures, and moving your own body left or right helps, too.

Finally, the celebration!

Everyone had fun, although we're definitely better at the Wii version... much better.

Firsts for Ben

2009-09-16T16:08:00.004-04:00

This is Ben's week. Tuesday was his first official day of preschool, and after all the prep talk, he was comfortably ready. Jefferson got to go to, but preschool is not for babies as I learned!

In front of the doors with his "Heart from Home"

Purple sand is a huge hit with three year olds.

Ben's other first for the day: swim class. I had to keep reminding him to keep his body on the ledge, mommy wouldn't be there if he decided to take a dunk. But he listened very well to his teacher and had a good time.

Some other things Ben has been busy with: Rainbow class at church Wed night, Mini-Me in Motion at the YMCA, gym class with mommy, and playing with our friends of course!

First Day of School 2009

2009-09-08T09:25:00.003-04:00

The big day finally came. Hannah was out the door more excited than nervous this morning. For the past month she has gone back and forth every other five minutes.

Ben wasn't as excited. He starts pre-school next week.

She waited patiently at the end of the driveway. The school district warned us that the bus would be late the first couple of weeks due to pictures and extended good-bye hugs.

We decided to start our good-byes early.

Finally, after stopping five houses up the street and at the corner before that, the bus arrived.

The bus driver asked her name and told her where to sit and then she was off.

Let's hope the rest of the day goes as smoothly.

End of Summer Wrap Up!

2009-08-27T15:03:00.004-04:00

Oh, the end of summer, trying to squeeze the last little bit out of every sunny warm day. After lots of rain the kids are back out on the jungle gym, Hannah's new trick is dangling from the Monkey bars then dropping to the ground, so far no bruises!

The last soccer game. This year we celebrated after the game with the team and ate pizza and the kids got their medals. We're proud of her for doing her best and actually trying to kick the ball. Go Team Avalanche!

Jefferson has widened his palette and now eats baby cereal, pears, bananas, squash, sweet potatos, and today, green beans. Usually though, he's just interested in eating the spoon.

Well, I think you all know that Jefferson is quite mobile now, and he actually did real crawling this morning. His new trick is "crawl into somewhere I can't get out of and cry for mommy to come save me". Next up, pull myself up onto anything, he can almost do it.

Hope you're all enjoying the rest of your summer, it's already coolin down here. School starts in 11 days, we're countin down now!

No More Mohawk

2009-08-09T19:12:00.000-04:00

... well, almost. Jefferson had worn his head bald on the sides and back, leaving the top as a 3 inch mohawk. Stacey finally let me chop it (and the tail in the back) down to a more reasonable length. It's still longer than the rest of his hair, but its not as ridiculous.

Stacey thinks he looks exactly like me. I have to admit that the resemblance is closer than with the other two; too bad for Jefferson.

And yes, we saved the sheared locks.

Stay tuned: The next post of Jefferson will probably be the news that he's crawling. He's very close right now.

A Sweet Spot

2009-08-08T22:00:00.005-04:00

From the looks of Ben, it would seem we were going camping for our summer vacation, but no, we headed to Hershey, for some sweet southeastern PA fun. Ben did bring his sleeping bag, but we left the boots at home.

Since the weather was rainy when we woke up our first day, we changed our plans and headed to Strasburg Railroad where we rode a restored Victorian rail car.

Hannah learned all about Amish country and enjoyed the ride. Afterward, we visited the museum and saw an entire warehouse full of trains, Ben and Hannah thought is was great. Later in the day we went to Chocolate World where we saw a 3D show, took a "tour" of the factory and of course got some yummy souvenirs!

Dutch Wonderland, more like kiddie wonderland.

Hannah was tall enough to ride everything, and I think she almost did! She and Ben were both so excited to ride in bumper cars for the first time.

Yea! A whole family photo from our photographer, oops, I mean Aunt Juls!

Our nanny, um, Aunt Juls, with "Jeffers" on the monorail, the second ride of the day for Jefferson, his first was the gondola boats.

Before heading home, we decided to rely on Ms. GPS to get us to the Crayola Museum in Easton, PA. It was really great.

Hannah coloring her Model Magic mermaid. We got all sorts of fun things to bring home. We even went to a special show to see how they make crayons and markers.

Part of the museum is for canals, so Ben learned how they worked and spent quite some time making his own canals and floating the boats.

So is a family vacation for a family with three kids, going to several different places, and staying in a hotel room possible, OF COURSE IT IS. And I would even say is was really fun! Thank you both to Aunt Julie and Aunt Juls for your help, it's more than appreciated.

Check back soon for a picture of Jefferson's big baby boy hair cut...

Easy Breezy Summer!

2009-07-30T15:00:00.007-04:00

Can you tell what kind of summer it has been? Busy, yes, fun, yes. We've already done so much traveling and visisting family and we're only half done! Here are some of the highlights so far.

Ben's fist time with a sparkler, he was really nervous at first,then got the hang of it. What's fourth of July without sparklers!

This is as close to "the beach" as my kids have gotten. We had a great time at Presque Isle with Groompa and Grandma H.

Just like every winter has it's snow picture, every summer has it's motorcycle kiddie ride picture at Kennywood.

Hannah LOVED the fact that she could touch the bottom of Aunt Jul's pool. We spent a lot of time in it the week we were there.

Jefferson enjoying all there is to see at Story book forest at Idlewild Park.

The ball pit was SO MUCH FUN, even I went in and took a "ball bath" as Ben called it.

All the cousins, Evy got her fill of hugging baby Jefferson, and we had a great time with her all week.

So this isn't all we've been up to. Every week we have playdates with friends, swim at our friends houses, Hannah's soccer games, VBS at church, cookouts, outdoor concerts at the park and so on. In the next month we'll be going on vacation to Hershey and getting Hannah ready for kindergarten, she's really looking forward to school shopping, daddy-not so much! Hope you're having a great summer!

Ben's Three!

2009-06-26T22:13:00.006-04:00

The excitement has been going for a whole week now! Ben's birthday celebrations started last saturday when his friends came over for a party. Like last year, the weather did not cooperate, so we partied inside. The kids kept busy with punch balloons, noise makers, and dance music. We even went on a special scavenger hunt to find the cake.

Ben thought his cake (decorated with m&ms) was super delicious!

Hoarding all the ballons, but having a really good time.

On Tuesday, his actual birthday, he opened all his yellow presents from us.

Dinosaurs, he's been waiting for these.

Hannah and Jefferson did a good job of sitting back and letting Ben enjoy the spotlight, well, really it was for about five minutes, Hannah was very excited about new toys in the house and couldn't wait to get her hands on them.

His new digger for the yard.

Singing "Happy Birthday" again with his cookie cake today, it was another day of gift opening from Daddy's side of the family.

Ben had a really fabulous birthday week, thanks for all the gifts everyone! I think Ben is starting to get how special he is and that we love him so much.

Four month celebration

2009-06-11T14:54:00.003-04:00

Yea! Four months! We were so happy for Jefferson we took a trip to the doctor's office, which went exceptionally well considering I took all three kids, and then we came home to make delicous oatmeal cranberry cookies. I'm sure Jefferson appreciates that we're having a good time on his four month anniversary.

Also, can you see which children share the same eyes, someone is going to be a lot like his big sister (um, not Ben!).

Woohoo! It's finally finished!

2009-06-01T21:57:00.002-04:00

Wow, it's like I can't believe it's finally done. Most of you know what a project this was. It's done, and the kids love it. The only way I got them off it this morning was them knowing we were going out for donuts, it is National Donut Day.

Call it a swing set, call it a jungle gym, I call it outdoor entertainment for the next ten years.

While Hannah and Ben were out, Jefferson and I cleaned up the kitchen. Well, I cleaned, he sat in the high chair and smiled at me.

All Grown Up!

2009-05-29T16:06:00.003-04:00

Hannah's preschool journey is over, and we have already begun the transition to kindergarten. Wednesday was her last day, and they celebrated with a beach party. She loved wearing her beach outfit to school.

We have already gone to her kindergarten transition workshops at the elementary school and the teachers agree on one thing: she is so ready! I hope I can keep her busy enough this summer and the excitement of going doesn't wear off.

Meanwhile, we can't forget about Ben, he's getting ready to start his preschool journey. He is also very excited and I'm happy he gets to do something that is considered "being big". He even just learned how to ride his tricycle, he still needs practice, but it's nice to see him learning new things.

What will Jefferson be doing, coming back to work with mommy of course, hopefully I'll be teaching a baby class or two!

Stayin cool!

2009-05-22T14:37:00.004-04:00

I've had some requests for new Jefferson pictures. These are him this week just hanging out and staying cool in the heat (it was 93 yesterday). He hit the three month mark so I brought out all the summer outfits we received. There's nothing cuter than a baby in the summer!

Hope everyone has a great Memorial Day weekend. We're planning on staying home and doing family stuff, I'm sure there will grilling and lots of food involved.

A Perfect Day for Mom

2009-05-10T20:22:00.003-04:00

I could not have asked for a better Mother's Day than the one I had today. I'm so lucky to have kids and a husband who love me so much! This morning I opened my treasure-themed presents, the National Treasure 2 DVD and a beautiful mom's ring with the kids birhtstones. The idea being that I am very treasured.

We spent the day outside at Taughannock Falls in the Finger Lakes.

The kids did great hiking and I loved being out with the family in this beautiful spot. I'm hoping we'll make it a tradition.

Happy Mother's Day!

Ni hao!

2009-05-04T13:50:00.005-04:00

Ni hao from Hannah and Ben. They loved their chinese outfits so much I decided they can wear them for pajamas, why not right?

While I was busy getting pictures of Hannah and Ben, Jefferson was busy practicing on the guitar, he'll be jammin with everyone very soon I think.

We had a fun weekend and hope you did too!

Jam Session

2009-04-25T19:47:00.006-04:00

Best Buy had a Guitar Hero guitar on sale this week. I decided to get it so we can play multiplayer on our next guys game night. Hannah has been watching me play and wanted to try it herself.

Granted she was playing in practice mode so she wouldn't get booed off the stage, but she was having fun rocking the living room. I got Ben to join in on the bass for a co-op jam session.

Hannah decided to get in close behind Ben for the big instrumental section; or maybe she just couldn't stand Ben getting pictures by himself. Either way they look quite cool together.

They're now looking for an agent and another venue for their next gig.

Easter Day Celebration

2009-04-13T18:04:00.005-04:00

This Easter went as most Easter's do: an egg hunt, candy for breakfast, dress up for church, candy for lunch, relax and nap, ham and candy for dinner, and at our house, carrot cake for dessert.

That Easter bunny sure was clever this year, it took Hannah awhile to find her hanging basket.

Already breaking into the chocolate bunnies, he received other fun things from bunny too, a watering can and digger, plastic snakes, fish crackers and a lollipop.

Their Sunday best.

Jefferson looks quite dapper in his baby Easter outfit.

We had a great one, hope you did yoo!

Two months and growing

2009-04-08T21:35:00.005-04:00

Jefferson is quite a different baby than he was a month ago. He's got at least a pound of new baby chubbiness added, he looks at you when he talks to him, and even cracks a smile every now and then.

The smirk.

I call this the "I'm going to get cranky really soon". Sorry it's sideways, I don't know why blogger did this.

We can only imagine what he's thinking, probably, "I'm hungry".

"I know I can lift my head high enough to see mommy, she's behind that bright orange light somewhere".

I know my blogs have been longer lately, with more pictures, but it's so hard to choose just one when he's so cute and does different things. I hope this helps all of you to know him better. Have a great Easter everyone.

Ben Block Tower

2009-04-02T22:26:00.007-04:00

Ben asked me to build a "Ben block tower." I don't know about you, but I have trouble telling them apart.

Of course, the whole point of building a block tower is to knock it over.

"Mommy, let's play dirt"

2009-03-31T22:25:00.005-04:00

Little boys. Little boys and dirt. This day probably ranks among the best ever for Ben. It made us feel good too.

Ya, I did some laundry the next day, it was worth it.

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a baby

2009-03-24T18:26:00.003-04:00

The last cool day for him to wear this, it's just starting to fit!

Big babies

2009-03-22T22:09:00.004-04:00

I'm quite certain that I came from the hospital with only one baby, yet there were three in my living room this afternoon.

This is definitely a real baby, and the hand's free sling is really working for both of us.

I'm not so sure about this baby, he's not fooling me.

That is way too much hair for a baby, she's not fooling me either!

Well, this was a lot of fun for the kids, and pretty amusing to me too!

All I could ask for

2009-03-18T22:22:00.003-04:00

It was my birthday today. I had a really great day. My kids finally actually understood that something wasn't for them, and they can be happy making someone else happy. Can you ask for more than that? I feel like I have more right now than some people have in an entire lifetime. So, bring on the birthdays, I'm ready!

Daddy entertained all three kids at the same time while I chilled on the couch!

I needed a little help with all those candles I guess.

Thanks for all the calls, facebook posts, e-cards, sent cards, and good wishes. Love you all!

One Month Today!

2009-03-11T17:25:00.002-04:00

Wow, a month! Sometimes it feels like more, and sometimes less. But, as the time flies by I feel like I know Jefferson more and more. He's changing quickly, as you can see, he was actually awake for his picture today and bright eyed. He loves to sit in his chair and look up toward the light in the window. He's somewhat more happy than he has been, and we're still figuring out how to keep him that way!

Fabulous Five!

2009-02-26T12:27:00.005-05:00

I am sure most of you can remember to back when Hannah was born. She was our fireball baby, and now has grown up into our fireball big girl. It's been quite a journey and none of us would have missed it for anything! Her birthday today wasn't perfect, but I think she knows just how special she is to all of us.

Yes, it is possible to wear eight presents at a time, she also has new garden clogs on her feet.

She actually thought we got her a box of pull-ups, it was really a watering can.

What's a birthday without a grandma here to visit. Grandma Hampton is here this week helping out and celebrating with Hannah, who is glued to her side.

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to. Luckily, it only lasted a minute.

Lunch at Applebee's with ice cream for dessert. This is her 2nd round of ice cream.

Jefferson celebrated his two-week birthday the same as last week: more sleep.

Much happier now, her and Ben used the paints he picked out for her. And, the cowgirl hat from Groompa suits her very well.

After some Wii bowling Hannah had her third round of ice cream cake, she didn't eat much though and said she had a tummy ache. Ben on the other hand dove right in to his frosting, can you tell?

Thank you for the cards and calls. We'll be posting more pictures on Kodak soon in case all these weren't enough! Hannah still has one more party to go too, her two close friends are coming over Saturday afternoon for a pretend slumber party.

Jefferson's first week

2009-02-18T20:32:00.004-05:00

What a week! And everything has been so wonderful. Really. Jefferson is a great baby: eats well, sleeps through the night (in between feedings of course), cries little, and doesn't seem to mind the noise from a big brother and sister.

Grandma Esek makes things easier of course, it's good to have her here, and Hannah is right along side her being a helper.

Sleeping, this is his favorite activity, we're okay with that for now.

Thanks to everyone for all the cards and calls and good wishes. We'll be out and about soon and then you can all oooo and ahhh at our little peanut.

Home for Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T13:56:00.003-05:00

Stacey and Jefferson are finally home. I say finally, but he wasn't supposed to come out until Monday.

Today is Valentine's day; I don't think we're going out to dinner tonight, though.

Aunt Patty sent Jeff a gift package that included his very own Terrible Towel; not a bad team to be born into fanhood for.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Siblings

2009-02-12T13:53:00.000-05:00

Those cheeks! Well, they're definitely siblings.

Ahead of Schedule

2009-02-11T17:20:00.005-05:00

Apparently our third (and final) child isn't a fan of sticking to the plan. The plan was to go in Monday, February 16 for a scheduled C-section. Instead, Jefferson Mathew decided he was ready today!

He weighed in at a respectable 7lb 8.5oz. Not bad for 11 days before the real due date. Aunt Patty is the baby poll official. She'll have to declare a winner.

So here is the whole family. We're all admiring the full head of soft, thick black hair. There's no question he gets that from his Pap; I guess we got the middle name right.

Both Mom and Baby are recovering very well. They'll probably come home this weekend.

Ben is still more intrigued than anything else. Hopefully, these two will grow to be best buds.

Hannah takes great pride in her role as big sister. She'll always let us know when her brother is having issues - and later when he is the issue.

We'll try to keep you up to date, but first Dad needs to recover from 2 hours of random sleep in the past 40 hours.

This year's snow picture

2009-02-04T21:50:00.003-05:00

Every year, come December or January, we get a really great shot of the kids in the snow. This year it happened to be February, when it warmed up to 27 degrees for a day. It felt so good for them to get outside, and I'm sure they enjoyed themselves too!

Happy Winter! How many more months?

Go Steelers!

2009-01-18T16:22:00.003-05:00

They're a litte excited, and I don't think they even realize what an important game it is. They'll be up cheering till bedtime, and driving daddy crazy while running in front of the tv. Oh well, Steelers fans are pretty fanatical.

Christmas at Gram and Pap's

2009-01-08T14:44:00.003-05:00

A few days after Christmas, we had ourselves a merry little Christmas all over again. But this one isn't quite as little, there are more people involved and lots more food and candy.

They think that ALL those presents are just for them.

One of the favorite presents, Pat Pat Rocket from Aunt Juls and Uncle Tim

No trip to Gram's over Christmas is complete without a train ride at the mall, and Evy was able to join us, the more the merrier!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

By the end of the week, Ben was pretty worn out, so he took comfort in Daddy's new Steeler's blanket.

We had such a wonderful Christmas with all of our families and are very grateful for all the generosity shown to us and our children. We're hoping next Christmas they'll feel the gratefullness too! Now we're spending the remaining winter getting ready for the baby, only five and half weeks left!

Christmas at home: 2008

2009-01-07T13:59:00.004-05:00

We had ourselves a Merry Little Christmas this year at home with our family. We even kept all of our traditions, like: Candlelight church service, crab legs for the adults, tricking Aunt Julie with her Christmas present, Christmas brunch, and hanging out by the fire.

"Santa came!"

Since she can't have the real thing, this will have to do. At least it didn't come with a litter box.

"It's that thing I always wanted!"

Ben thanks Groompa for the great Diego toy, he was hoping for something like that.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

2008-12-19T17:56:00.003-05:00

"Oh, the weather outside is frightful.."

At least we'll have a white Christmas!

Dear Santa...

2008-12-11T14:42:00.004-05:00

This is Hannah's fifth year seeing Santa Claus at the mall, and she handled it like a pro. She told him just about everything on her list and then chatted with him for a good five minutes about how sometimes Santa brings "special" gifts for girls and boys that they might not have asked for. Then he winked at mom.

Ben approached Santa this year, but still wouldn't sit on his lap. He did manage to whisper that he would like a Thomas the Train toy. Then Santa gave them a coloring book and sent them on their way. We'll see another "helper" Santa on Sunday at a kid's party, maybe Ben will be a little more friendly.

Magical Laundry Powers

2008-12-11T14:38:00.002-05:00

Our son has super powers. No flying, no saving damsels in distress, and no hidden identities. But he can magically somehow climb into the laundry hamper that is taller than him.

Next week we'll find him on the roof.

Bottle for baby

2008-11-21T14:34:00.003-05:00

As I'm trying to practice on the piano the other night, Ben comes up to my belly with a play baby bottle and decides he's going to "feed" the baby. Hannah of course then comes and wants to give the baby a toy. Their willingness to help is wonderful, but it will be a long time before the baby is drinking bottles or playing with toys. What will they think of next?

"Get candy, get candy, get candy!"

2008-11-01T09:25:00.008-04:00

In order to even start this blog, I was "educated" on the "get candy" skit by the one and only Jerry Seinfield. After five minutes of non-stop laughing, I'm definitely convinced that my children are following in his footsteps.

But, let's go back to the beginning. Pumpkin carving. This is Ben's yucky face; he was all about scooping, but not touching.

Hannah was mostly interested in collecting seeds for the garden, to grow our own pumpkins next year. At this point, we'll have our own patch and will be selling pumkins at the curb next fall.

After drawing all kinds of faces on the newspaper, Ben decided on this for his pumpkin, it had to be scarey, with lots of teeth, I think I did okay.

Hannah drew her own faces, then daddy carved them in.

We're getting closer the the finale, here, them together in all their Halloween dress-up splendor. In case you need clarification Ben is Thomas the Train, and Hannah is Princess P from the PBS show Super Why.

After all the trick-or-treating was done (we did a full two hours), the kids enjoyed a piece or two of their loot, and some apple cider. We also had some late trick-or-treaters and the kids literally sprang to the door to pass out our last pieces of candy. They got to bed late, and actually slept in. And, like Seinfield, I think they felt fantastic this morning.

My Little Monsters

2008-10-29T14:05:00.005-04:00

Boo! Halloween festivities really begin when the bags of goodies arrive in packages from various family. I'm not sure who sent these, but they were a big hit. Next, pumpkin carving, a pre-school party, and of course, trick-or-treating.

Have a Happy Halloween!

Pickin at the Patch

2008-10-15T14:30:00.005-04:00

It seems that this past weekend was THE fall weekend for seasonal fun. We took advantage of it of course and headed to our favorite October place, Tim's pumpkin patch. We got to head out into a different field than last year (they rotate fields). Once we spotted the perfect place we went to picking. Hannah wanted a Hannah sized one, Ben a Ben sized one, and me, the roundest most pregnant pumpkin I could find, and I did.

Then we visited the animals, ate hot dogs in the grass, and played in the giant pit of corn. It was a wonderful day. We were all exhausted by the time we got home, and took a nap first before we cleaned up our prize pumpkins and displayed them in the front of the house.

This one is the monster daddy pumpkin, it's good for big hugs.

Happy October!

Brad Pitt Wanna-be

2008-10-08T13:53:00.003-04:00

As a parent, you want your child to aspire to do great things. Ben here could spend the rest of his life walking around in a peasant cap doing Brad Pitt impersonations. I think he's just as handsome, and with sweet pudgey cheeks and gorgeous blue eyes, I'd rather look at my two year old all day. We'll still try to steer him in the direction of getting a good education and profession, but he'll always have a back-up.

Have a great week!

Another Look

2008-10-01T18:13:00.002-04:00

We're just about half way there! The ultrasound picture is a profile. Other features are visible, too: a leg on the upper left side, the spine at the bottom, an arm in front and a hand above and behind the face.

We didn't find out the gender, although Hannah and Stacey both think it "looks like a girl." I think it "looks like a baby."

We also got to see the heart and measure the head, belly and leg. Everything looks fine; although we may have to go back again since the baby wouldn't turn over to get a good look at the spine.

20 more weeks!

Ike Hits Syracuse

2008-09-16T20:08:00.008-04:00

Overnight Sunday into Monday the remnants of Ike passed over Central New York. The storm had long since dropped the 100 MPH winds that ravaged Galveston but was still strong enough to tear branches from our old Weeping Willow.

We woke to find the entire back yard covered in branches and the trampoline and a few chairs toppled.

Somehow, the stubborn dead branch that had snapped in an early spring storm refused to let go.

With the rainy weather Monday, we didn't get a chance to clean up until Tuesday evening. I told Hannah that "if we all work together, we can get it done before it gets dark."

She soon figured out that it was "no fun at all;" so Stacey told her to sing a song. "We're working in the yard work and not having any fun at all," was how her song started. We did get her to pick up a few branches and somehow kept Ben from poking anyone in the eye.

We did finish before dark after more than doubling the size of our brush pile. Not bad for an evening's work.

I'm still looking forward to the day when I can say "I'd like you kids to have the back yard cleaned up by the time I get home from work." For now, it was still nice to have the kids around, even if they only "helped" to pass the time more quickly.

Foreign Objects

2008-09-08T13:13:00.002-04:00

For those of you who have not heard about our latest and greatest drama, sit down, because you're in for a good laugh.

Last Friday the Ear Nose and Throat Doctor's Office called with an opening for Hannah in the afternoon, we took it. We went there hoping to find the source of her unusual bad breath and nasal problems. The doctor found it alright, in the form of a sticker that has been in her nose for nine months. We did not see this coming. We were ready to have adenoids out, take her to a gastroentonologist, whatever, but a sticker in the nose! Hannah even remembers putting it in there during a naptime, probably last December, and forgetting to take it out. I'm still learning to never be suprised. But, we are thankful that the problem was not serious and she's already recovered from her former symptoms.

We're hoping to get some new pictures up soon, we're still figuring out our new computer.

Old MacDonald Has a Farm

2008-08-13T14:15:00.006-04:00

About an hour north or so, Old MacDonald really does has a farm, a pretty fun one in fact. We went with the MEET group from church and Groompa, and spent the morning feeding goats, going on a hayride to see pigs and pasture cows, riding a trolley through the cow barns, jumping in the bouncy house, and playing putt-putt.

This is in "Goat Land", where about thirty goats ranging from newborn to old roam free.

On our hayride we fed some cows hay and cornstalks, apparently it tastes like dessert to them. I didn't get any pictures of the pigs, I was busy plugging my nose.

Yes, it's a goat on the roof.

Ben finally felt brave enough at the end of the morning to feed a goat some popcorn.

Hannah could just barely reach Magic the horse to give him a gentle pat.

The newest verse: "Old MacDonald has a reindeer, EIEIO". This poor reindeer named Poinsettia lives in a special Christmas barn and listens to Christmas music year round. It's antlers are velvety smooth and it was very nice.

We all had a good time visiting the farm and learned some new things. We got to see some new things too, a newborn baby cow (born that very morning), an alpaca, the reindeer, ponies, and more. Ben had his first head-butt in the rear experience, from the Little Orhpan Lamby. We guess it thought Ben was the perfect size to play, but he didn't like it too much! "Old MacDonald has a farm, and now it's time to go".

Christmas in July

2008-07-30T21:00:00.002-04:00

Since Polar Express the movie has been banished in my house until the month of December rolls around, I decided to treat my children to a little Christmas in July. At our mall there has been a free Family Film Festival going on all summer. At ten in the morning you can come in, for free, and watch a fun kids movie then get a free ride on the carousel.

So this week was Polar Express, and it was awesome on the big screen. Hannah could barely sit in her seat she was so excited and she sang along to all the songs. To my total suprise Ben sat quiet and still for the entire movie, the bag of animal crackers and m&m's might have helped!

I'm sure December 1st the movie will back on our tv again, but until then we've had our fill of Christmas.

One Last Bun

2008-07-24T21:03:00.004-04:00

We've told most of you already; but if you haven't heard, Stacey is pregnant again! We're all very excited.

Hannah, of course, wants a baby sister and Ben wants a baby brother. I'm not sure if those wishes will change when they realize one of them will be sharing a room. We haven't decided yet if we're going to find out the gender at the 20 week ultrasound. We did find out this week that there is just one in there.

The baby is upside down with the yolk sac to the right. We signed up for weekly emails from babycenter to keep track of how he's growing (because, yes, it is just as exciting the third time). You can use the big picture as a reference to figure out what the gray blobs are in the ultrasound picture. Right now we're at 9 weeks making the due date February 22, 2009 - an early birthday present for Hannah.

We also found out that the baby won't be delivered by the same doctor nor at the same hospital as Hannah and Ben. The old OB/GYN is now just a GYN. Stacey was referred to an OB that delivers at the other big hospital downtown. We've heard good things from friends who've had their baby's there; so, we're not too worried about it.

As the title of this post suggests, we're planning for this to be the youngest member of the family. Some people claim we're crazy for having this many while others say we make such cute kids that stopping now would be a trajedy. Who knows if our plans will change, but for now we're just looking forward to having one more healthy, beautiful baby.

Shining Moment

2008-07-24T19:46:00.003-04:00

Hannah joined the YMCA summer soccer league. After two practices and a blowout win last week, today was the Tigers' second game. Was her "shining moment" a goal? No.

Today was also picture day and the uniforms came just in time. Did she "shine" for the camera? Well, of course she did, but that's not what I'm referring to. Anyway, these were the only pictures taken; her team didn't get pictures taken because it started pouring down rain when it was their turn.

Notice anything? Yes, the uniform is about three sizes too big, but other than that... What's that under her left eye? Let's zoom in on that.

A "shiner!" That's right. Hannah got her first black eye. At 2 minutes and 5 seconds into the 5 minute game, there was a forehead to cheek collision. Hannah came out of the game and iced it down. Three minutes later the team was called for pictures and the rest of the game was rained out.

It was still a good time. When we got home, the kids' feet were covered in wet grass, so we had them splash in the puddle at the end of the driveway. I'm sure that was Ben's favorite part.

As you may have figured out, we bought a new camera. Fortunately, we checked the forecast before the game and didn't bring it with us.

Antiquing

2008-07-19T13:41:00.004-04:00

This Saturday's adventure-the Antiquefest at the park. We went for the reason of finding a piano bench (which we did not), but I soon realized the potential history lesson. At breakfast we had a long talk with Hannah explaining that not everything in the world is new, and if you take care of older things they can have value.

We spotted many interesting things and slowed the wagon down to take a look. Some of our faves: doll and baby carriages, metal dumptrucks, water pitchers and bowls, high chairs, and even an antique potty training chair. The question of the day seemed to be "can we buy that?" I could've left there with my arms full of little treasures, but I refrained. I'm satisfied with knowing that my child has some grasp on what life was like a long time ago, and old things can be made new again and loved.