December

December was another flurry of activities as we readied for the Christmas Holiday. We had a Nativity Play through St. Michaels- our chapel- we had a Fall Chorus Concert - Di also went to sing at a Nursing Home with the group- and we had Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at our home...leading up to New Years Eve and the welcome into the New Year. We also had a bout with pneumonia and a trip to a specialist to check out Gi's lungs...we had the zhu zhu hamsters take over our house, and we had many many wonderful gifts and visits with friends and family....not to mention a LOT of snow and wind and ice and frigid temperatures!

Trip to Canada!!

The day after Thanksgiving- we took off (minus Daddy who was working) and road trip to Montreal to visit our cousins who moved there a year ago...besides the FREEZING weather- it was one big party! We toured downtown Montreal, dabbled in the french-canadian food, and learned some words in French! We hated to say goodbye to our cousins- but we would see them soon enough for Christmas!!!

Halloween

Well another month has whizzed by...where did it go? We are in full swing of school, and our birthday parties and celebrations have finally come to a close....Halloween was a rainy cold day, but we still managed to have an awesome time with Di's halloween/birthday party! We did bobbing for apples, donut on a string, a Halloween parade, and decorated pumpkins. They capped off the night by going trick or treating in the rain! SO with a bang, another crazy month has come to a close, and by the way...we are still painting the house!!!

October

Where did September go? In a blink of an eye, the weather has turned chillingly cold, and we are back in the routines of school and all the extras that go with it...dance, religion, piano, etc....

The girls are loving their teachers this year, and so far we seem to be doing OK with school. We managed to go out to the Beach House a few times and it is beautiful watching the weather change at the beach. For Columbus Day weekend we had the pleasure of going to a private apple orchard and we used ATV's to ride around, pick apples, and have a wonderful fall day.

The birthdays are this week and all the excitement that go with them....one friend party is done (Gi's pirate party) and we have one more to go (Di's halloween bash)....

Mommy is trying to get some sleep, keep the house is some semblance of order, keep the food coming, the laundry clean, get out of the house on time, and oh yeah! I forgot to mention- the entire house is being painted!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Fall!

September

It is hard to believe that September is already flying by!!!!! School started and the construction heated up- 5:30 wake up calls and after school activities, as well as trying to clean up 8 months of construction mess, plus get ready for the October on-flux of birthdays...keeps us more than a little busy!

The girls both started school with a bang- both have fantastic teachers and seem to have settled in nicely- could it be that it is actually true that things get easier as they get older? I don't believe it...so far they seem to be taking a bit more responsibility....so this might be a sign!!!

We still have to paint, but the end is now in sight- as of this month...we do have a WORKING KITCHEN!!!! and some bathrooms too!


A photo of our beauties on the first day of school!!!!!

The Bronx Zoo

I had to add a post to say that I should never underestimate the Bronx Zoo... we have not brought the girls there in .... forever i guess... and it is a crazy shame... we went last week and I have to say it is an awesome place- a real treat! We went on camel rides, a monorail, rode the shuttle, visited the children's zoo, saw the gorillas, the lemurs, the red pandas, and much more. Our 6 year old was so delighted- she said she was never at a zoo ( hard to believe) and she was eating it all up! We all had fun- I have to show off my best animal pictures as well...

August Fun....

Hard to believe that we did have some fun this summer- the glaring fact of getting up and dressed by 7:30 almost every morning to greet various workmen has jaded me...but we did manage to end the summer with fun!! A delightful garden wedding with 2 adorable flower girls, a trip to the American Girl store, and a trip to the zoo!

My precious younger cousin got married last weekend on Long Island and had awesome weather (although very hot and humid..there was sun all day) and she included the girls in her wedding. She looked awesome and it was so wonderful to see our family all together celebrating with her. She has a great husband, a great house, and I am very very happy about that. Next up, I gathered my courage and we took Nana to NYC on the train to American Girl- I had to go this summer- it was sinful not to!! We had some of our dolls' ears pierced (the latest way to spend $$ there- at least we did not get their hair done!) and we had afternoon tea at 4PM. I was so proud of my abilities to maneuver us there and back. It was a great day. And finally, Daddy took us to the zoo! Another thing we wanted to do, but never did...so when all is said and done, we ended the summer with some real live fun activities....who could ask for more than that! As for our kitchen? Not one of our appliances are working.....still cannot cook....don't ask!!!

Summer...

So here we are in August and the summer is flying by. The girls are enjoying the good weather (when it is not raining) and they are swimming a lot and doing a whole lot of nothing... that seems to be the theme of the summer. We are quite used to the stream of electricians, plumbers, and construction workers all around the house...the other day Di was going downstairs and said to me..."wait, mommy, how many men are here now?" I told her none and she stared at me with her mouth open! Our kitchen is looking gorgeous, but we need to get counters and sinks and hook up the appliances before we can call it a day. And then the loose ends like painting....tons of loose ends!

The girls are going to be flower girls in my cousins' wedding..they are more than a little excited! That will be a highlight this month. Di got glasses for reading and picked out a reddish-pink pair and she looks SO cute in them that she is dying to wear them all the time..and that is what we are up to this summer!

Summer heat

Some good friends came to visit at the beach!!!

This is turning into a very strange summer- we are having polar opposite experiences...our weeks are filled with construction and delays and a constant stream of plumbers, electricians, and tile men through the house- we have a small path left to get from point A to point B- and our weekends are at the beach where we soak in the sun and swim in the pool....we are coping the best we can...the girls have not had classes or camps, mainly because I have no time to get them there- so we hang around and some days are great and some are blah...and the meals are pathetic around here...but it is July and I am so happy for that! August depresses me because I can see the end in sight- but July is a happy month for sure... better still when we get our house back!!!

Slip & Slide

Today we took a much needed break from electricians, plumbers, and granite shopping to have a bit of fun....I was tempted by the heat to go on it, but was sure I'd break a bone or two....the girls had fun!!

4th of July

We had our annual week at the beach with Al's brother and sister and Dad and family. There were 14 of us....the kids had their usual blast- it was a flurry of activities as it is every year- sports, swimming, beach, fishing, carnival and parade on the 4th, trips to town, bicycling, etc... And don't forget the eating!! The girls are getting better every year- this year Di went on all the big rides at the carnival AND the water park. We even snuck Gi on a few rides- her 6'2" cousin took her- no one stopped him!! They are getting to be stronger swimmers and their cousins the professional athletes taught them about tennis and soccer and kickball. If it sounds like I need a vacation from our vacation..it is true! Except for the fact that our kitchen was finally gutted and now we are kitchenless for the next few weeks. All I can say is...let the games begin!!!!

June 2009

Well we have 2 more weeks of constant activities before the blissful summer vacation begins. We had Di's recorder concert, and her dance recital....her piano recital is this week... her dance recital was fabulous and we get MANY compliments on our little dancer- she seems to have a real talent! She performed in tap, ballet, and jazz/hip hop! Gi made her dinosaur diorama for first grade, and is finishing up her irish step dance class....we have pool parties, a graduation party, fathers' day, and some birthdays to get through before the 4th of July....plus our never ending wait for the kitchen construction !!! (see old posts).....stay tuned!!!

Welcoming summer.....

This time of year when June is looming around the corner, it is the time for all the "endings" of the school year and all the beginnings of summer. For us, we had a great Memorial Day weekend where we opened the pool at the beach house....While it was too chilly for a real swim (the kids went in)... it was a peek of the upcoming summer and it is always a great feeling!

Our June calendar has events written on every day- end of year plays and concerts, dance recitals, graduation parties, girl scout events....and hopefully the installation of our new kitchen! Di had a bridging ceremony in brownies to turn into a girl scout...after three years in brownies (Ist through 3rd) they become girl scouts. It brought back vivid memories of my own ceremony and I got all choked up...it was really special to me.....Di also has three routines for her dance recital; Jazz/Hip Hop, Tap, and Ballet... she is a great little dancer and her solos also bring tears to my eyes...add to that Gi's speaking part in the first grade dinosaur play, and you have a proud, weeping Mommy....

So we will tie up the year in a flurry of activities and gladly welcome the relaxation that summer brings!!!!!!

Camping

Well we seem to go from hurdle to hurdle around here- maybe we should head for the Olympics? Our big girl had her first camping trip with the Girl Scouts a few weeks ago. I should really say her Brownie troop, since she is only in third grade...despite the fact that Mommy thought she was very young for this, and had a million nervous breakdowns beforehand, we sent her off on a rainy cold friday night into the middle of nowhere (she was actually only 20 minutes from home)....I was SO nervous and lonely for her- could not even look into her empty bedroom- but I made it through the night and we happily gathered her up the next day. Needless to say, she had an amazing time- bunk beds- flashlights after hours, bonfires, scavenger hunts, up until midnight....I feel so bad for the troop leaders, but happy that she was able to have such a great experience. It did give me a glimpse into the future and the million and one times when I will have to let her soar off on her own, and I can honestly say ... I did not like the feeling AT ALL!!! Baby steps I guess... it was the right choice for her to go and that is what counts! Mission accomplished this time!

Cousins

Today we crossed another hurdle- our 6 year old took off on her bike! She has been wanting to ride forever- we took her training wheels off 1 1/2 years ago- but the problem is that we live on a hill and there are no close flat areas to practice. Practice would involve Mommy going with her, the bike, sister, her bike and the car to a flat area.....so today we were lucky enough to be hanging with our cousins and her 16 and 13 year old boy cousins taught her in a matter of 15 minutes.....youth.....I think Gi put it best when she said "Matthew runs a lot faster than you and Daddy"....the video was taken by my nephew's cell phone....it really is a different world today...I had no idea phones could video- well I guess I knew they could but I do not know how...and we certainly did not do that when I was that age!!! Anyway...having older cousins to be with and grow up with is an awesome privilege and no one could enjoy their cousins more than my girls. They are so lucky!!

Happy Easter!

We ended up having a wonderful Easter this year! We did something a bit different- we went out to Long Island to the Beach House for Easter with our cousins- something we have never done. We had a relaxing weekend (in the rain) , colored eggs and vegged out, and then had a super delicious brunch on Easter morning with lots of family who came for the day. We had a show the kids put on about the Easter bunny, a trip down to the beach on a windy cold day, and even celebrated a few belated birthdays. Then we packed everything up and drove home to be at school the next day. We decided it was definitely worth the trip!! The girls were quite happy with their loot and I have been happily picking through it too!

Fever!!!

OK- This is not the first time it has happened....however....why is it when my kids get sick, it turns into a week long production, while most of the rest of the world is back on their feet in a day or so? I know I should thank god and it could be worse......yet.......my 6 year old has had a fever for seven days straight. We are talking 101- 102 fevers. Did you ever try to keep a 6 year old in bed for a week? She has been fabulous about it...but I am totally stir crazy. She missed a week of school, I missed work, and we missed a whole fun weekend....at least it is now spring break. YEAY! Time to get everything done that I have been waiting forever to do....not sure where that list has disappeared to! By the way- still no new kitchen or upstairs bathroom yet....still working on it! Hopefully, Gi will be on her feet soon and we will all be able to enjoy our week off.


(Just to add to this post- Gi had the fever for seven whole days- here she is on day 7 happily eating the cotton candy Daddy brought her after she missed a trip to the city for a show!!)

A day in the life....

Here are some pictures of a regular day around here....Gi in the laundry basket, Di wearing Daddy's boxers, and an American Girl concert. Doesn't everyone do these things or is it just wacky us???? Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

March Birthdays

Here is a quick tribute to our March birthdays....Mom (a/k/a Nana) celebrates on the Ides of March- and she is celebrating a pretty big one this year. Darcy- my best buddy from Buffalo also celebrates in March, the day before Nana...not to forget my wonderful college roomie Miki at the start of the month, and my dear beloved Hubby at the end of the month. All those calm even tempered Pisces in my life, and my Aries Ram of a husband. Happy Birthday to you all!!