Merry Christmas

Little Steelers Fans...

And one big one. Today the girls wore their Steelers cheerleader outfits to church...they looked so cute together. The first picture Ada took of sissy and daddy...see is a budding photographer. We had Mary-Allyn walking today...she is doing really well but she would rather crawl because she gets places faster. She gets so tickled at herself when she walks that she looses concentration and falls...very cute. Hopefully we will get a video of it and post it for you all to see.

Cold Soars Revisited

Back in September I posted about Ada having an outbreak of cold soars (Herpes Simplex 1 virus). Well we tried our best to keep her sister away from her but it didn't work. Last Monday she had a fever and the next day she started to breakout with the soars. I believe that she caught the virus from Ada but it surpressed itself and when she got her flu and Hep B vaccinations the week before it was too much for her little body to handle and she had her "primary breakout" which is horrible. I think it is worse than Ada's first breakout. Her mouth looks like something blew up in it. Her lips and gums look mangled. She is so pitiful and can't eat or drink much. It seems that it has peeked and has started getting better. We just feel so bad for her and it is so hard to keep from passing it to each other because she is drooling so much because it hurts her to swallow. I don't get them so I am not too worried about myself but we are doing our best to wash our hands and keep Ada away from her. I think that some people must have something in their makeup that makes them more prone to getting them...Brad got them growing up like the girls do and he still gets on every now and then.

Spelling Her Name...

This is really funny...at least we thing so. At her 4 year check up this week the Dr. asked her if she could spell her name and she said ADA...then he said as a joke...can you spell your name backwards...and she stood there and thought for a minute and then turned around and spelled her name again. All 3 of us...Brad, myself and the Dr. started busting out laughting...she still does it like that when we ask...

Sisters

Here are some pictures I took of the girls recently...the bottom is them taking a nap while we were in P.A. last weekend...they look so sweet. The other 2 are from the park today...now that Mary-Allyn is getting bigger and more moble they are playing together more. Mary-Allyn really wanted to get down and go today but she isn't quite walking...but when she is watch out.

We have been busy lately...a 4 day trip to visit the Hardy's in P.A., it was great and we got to enjoy some of the beautiful colors of fall that we don't get here on the coast. We will be going back after Christmas when it is way too cold for me!!!

The girls are getting so big and Mary-Allyn is learning something new everyday. I love this stage...learning animal noises and words. Ada's imagination is going wild...she comes up with the craziest things and loves making up her own songs...she is also enjoying school and learning so much, it is fun to watch her blossom.

Today was the first day it really felt like fall...I can't believe it is the middle of October already.

Little Miss 1 Year Old...

I cannot believe that a year has gone by already...our Mary-Allyn has grown so much and we are enjoying watching her learn new things and try to walk. She is such a joy and such a happy little girl. She is also a huge daddy's girls, I have never seen a child get so excited when they see someone. I am glad that she loves her daddy because her sister is such a momma's girl. She is a complete blessing and we are so happy that she is on our lives. Just if anyone was wondering where her name came from it is a combination of her daddy and I's middle names. My middle name is Mary and his is Allan. Here are some pictures from her birthday party this past weekend.

This Is For Real...

I was just burning my camera pictures to a disc and found this picture that I had taken when we were on vacation in Florida...this car really had all this stuff on it...any kind of nic-nac you can think of that had an animal on it...expecially a Disney one...got glued to this car...and the hood was covered too I just couldn't get a picture of it. I have never seen anything like it before.

Birthdays...Dance...Life...

So a couple of weeks ago we celebrated Ada's 4th birthday at the Zoo. We had originally planned to have a pool party at our house but after we got back from vacation in August we were just too busy and the pool got a little green...and the weather had turned colder so the water temperature had dropped quite a bit...didn't want little blue kids swimming around in the green water! So we were lucky and the Zoo had room for us to have a party. It was a really good deal if anyone wants to have a party for their kid and not have to do a lot of work yourself.

Yesterday was her actual birthday and we had dinner at grandma and grandpa's house to celebrate...I just can't believe she is 4 already...this weekend we are going to celebrate Mary-Allyn's 1st birthday with a small family party at our house. And in 2 weeks we are heading up to PA to visit with the Hardy clan...and have another party for Mary-Allyn...such spoiled children!!!

Brad is about mid way through his last semester and will (better or he's in big trouble) have his B.A. in December and will hopefully get a job and start his masters program in January. For someone who hates school he has done very well, even with working part time and having the baby home with him 2 days a week.

My work load is beginning to lighten a little...now that I am done with all the Fall prep and start up of new classes and weekday events...I am very blessed to have a wonderful group of ladies that work very hard to make the preschool department run smoothly...they are the glue that holds it all together.

Ada has started ballet class at Ballet Virginia International...it is an actual dance company in Norfolk...she is loving it and I am proud of her that she is actually listening and learning something. We let her pick what she wanted to do this fall and being the princess that she is she picked ballet over violin and soccer...Brad is hoping that Mary-Allyn will like to play sports.

Daddy And His Girls

My poor husband is doomed to be a man in a house full of girls...here he is today with 3 of them. They are watching a Baby Einstein movie...he is such a good daddy.

We decided to stay home this weekend instead of traveling to D.C. to go to the Zoo and spend some time away...we just had too much stuff to do at home. Things in the yard and in the house have been piling up and we just needed to get some things done. Today I ran arends all day and Brad finally mowed the lawn (our mower broke over a month ago so you can imagine what it looked like, we bought a new mower last night). He also fixed the drain in our shower and weeded the yard. I hate it when there is a list of things to do and it is just getting longer. Tomorrow we will try to do something with the kids in between loads of laundry. The weather here is beautiful...we actually turned off our air today and opened the windows...this is the type of weather I love. Hopefully it will last for a while.

2 Cutie Pies

I know I am a little bias but I think these 2 kids are the cutest kids on the planet...just some random pictures I wanted to share!

Cold Soars

I have to say that I have never had a cold soar but Brad gets them often and when Ada was a about a year old she got one from her daddy and proceeded to have the most awful week because not only did she have two on the outside of her mouth but the inside of her mouth and throat was covered in them...she hardly ate or drank for a week. And because it is viral there is nothing you can do for them....well she has it again. I feel so bad for her...she had a fever last Thursday and on Saturday she had one on the outside of her mouth...by that night she was complaining that her mouth hurt...and today at the Dr. it was confirmed that she had another bad outbreak...she is pathetic and very contagious...we are trying to keep her away from her little sister...that would not be good for her to get it too. All she wants to eat is soup and tonight I went and bought her some pudding...maybe that will help alittle and put some weight back on her...she has already lost a couple of pounds. Her birthday party is this weekend and I am praying that she will feel better by then. She is already going to miss her 2nd ballet class, AWANA and a week of school. She had been begging for a Ariel balloon(from the Disney movie The Little Mermaid)...one of the BIG milar ones...that is the theme for her party. Anyway, I had to go get some of her party stuff tonight and I just couldn't resist getting her one and woke her up to show it to her...maybe that will make her feel a little better.

I Hate It When They Are Sick

There are many reasons I hate it when my kids are sick. I hate to clean up the mess for one but they are just so pitiful when they are sick and you just can't do anything to make it better. We have had quite the sick weekend. Brad and Ada have managed to not get sick but Mary-Allyn and I both got a yucky stomach virus and she seems to have gotten it the worst. Tomorrow Brad will be taking her to the Doctor. I don't usually take them but she had a pretty high fever today so I want to make sure it isn't her ears again, she also has a bit of a cold. Hopefully she will be feeling better soon! Here are a couple of pictures that our friends at Scott Hayne Photography took of her for her 9 month shoot. I blogged them taking the pictures but it has been crazy at our house and I haven't had a chance to post them...it was her first time at the beach so she wasn't too excited about the sand and the waves scared the mess out of her so there are none of thosepictures. Enjoy!

We Must Be CRAZY...

Not that our lives aren't busy enough but I just realized that from August to December of this year we will have taken 1 road trip a month. Hopefully work will slow down for me soon and Brad's classes won't be to difficult this semester...He is taking 4 online classes and will graduate in December...and he has to take the praxis (state boards) to get into the masters program he wants to do...it is a good thing that the girls are doing well and sleeping well. Sometimes I just don't know how we do it...why does life have to be so busy...the girls are both getting ready to have birthdays...number 4 and 1, where did the last year go. Ada is going to take a ballet class on Tue. nights this fall, we let her pick between ballet, a sport or violin and she picked ballet...it was no surprise...she is all girl. Tonight while I was fixing dinner she was coloring at her little table in the kitchen and was singing and humming the whole time...then her sister joined in but it wasn't as quiet as Ada's. So we have something on Tue. and Wed. nights this fall along with work, school and road trips...I am getting tired thinking about it. I am really learning how to not get stressed out these days...just taking a couple of deep breaths and pushing through. So if you were wondering what we have planned for the fall...here is a small glimpes of our trips...Aug. is already done, Disney...Sept. we are taking a short family trip to DC to go to the Zoo and be together for 2 days (we had 2 free nights at a Marriott that we had to use before Sept. 20 so that is why we are taking that trip...Brad just couldn't not use them)...Oct. we are going to PA to visit Brad's family and have a little 1st birthday party for Mary-Allyn...the girls and I havn't been there since last Christmas....Nov. we are going to NY to Brad's brothers for Thanksgiving and to see the Macy's parade...we found out after we booked the NYC hotel that my parents were spending a week in NYC and will be there while we are...they are going to the parade with us...that will be really fun for me and the girls, it is something I have always wanted to do and to have my parents there will be extra special. And in Dec. we are going back to PA after Christmas to celebrate with the Hardy's...and then we can rest and figure out what the new year will bring for Brad with school and a job. Life just amazes me sometimes, no all the time! I am now going to go to bed and try not to think about all this stuff...

Vacation

Wow, what a vacation. My father said we were brave taking 2 young kids to Disney World...I said we were insane. But the trip actully went very well. The kids were good for a 4 year old and 10 month old. We have had a great week and tonight we are packing to go home. I wish we could stay 3 more weeks, I am just not ready to get back to what awaits me at home and at work. We have been staying this week at the Marriott Grand-Vista, a resort in Orlando that my parents own a timeshare at. It is a beautiful place with 4 pools and 3 resturants. Thanks mom and dad for letting us use it this week!!!! We spent most of our time at Magic Kingdom. We were going to try to do most of the parks but realized that the kids needed to rest every other day in order to be bearable for a day at the park. We enjoyed Sea World the first day and then Ada's special day was Monday. She got the full treatment by her Fairy Godmother at the Bippidy Boppidy Boutique, inside Cinderella's Castle. Then we ran to Epcot, literally because we had a reservation to have dinner with the princesses and her pampering took longer than we thought. You can see from the pictures that she fell asleep when we got to Epcot and we tried to wake her up as the first princess came to our table...she was still partly asleep when Sleeping Beauty came by. We thought that was quite appropriate. In the end it was worth it and she thought it was great. We are already planning our next trip for the 2010...before we have to pay for Mary-Allyn's ticket...we still have 5 days of a 7 day hopper to use (we got the non expiration ones). We enjoyed the pool a couple of days and today we had hoped to go to the pool but the weather was not cooperating so Brad and Ada took a swan out for a swim. Ada had been asking to do it all week and that is what she called it...taking the swan out for a swim. The lake was right out our window...and she loved it. The only bad part of the week is that it was hot...we just took lots of showers...we didn't have to pay for the water. And that we didnt' get to see our friends that we came with very much ....our schedule was just different with the baby. No back to reality!!!!! So long Mickey and friends...

4 Days And Counting

We are so ready for vacation. Only 4 more days until we leave and I have done no packing at all...well actually I have thrown some of the girls cloths what I want to pack in a laundry basket. And I have made a list...I wish there were some little packing elves that would come in the middle of the night and do it for me. We are flying so atleast we won't have to take a crib and highchair with us...the place we are staying has all that for us. Flying on the plane with 2 kids should be interesting...we decided to take the cheaper flights and instead of booking a nonstop flight we change planes in Atlanta...I am now wishing we spent the extra money to just get there. Ladybug hates to be held at this point and just wants to be down and moving...pray for us!!!! I just have a little more stuff to get done at work to make sure things go well when I am gone and Brad just needs to get this last week of classes done. He gets his finals the Thur. we are gone and they are due by the following Monday. He will have his butt planted in front of the computer the minute we get home. I better go start packing...

On The Go

I can't believe how fast ladybug has grown...we have been so busy these past 9 and a half months that time has just flown by. In a previous post I said how she was commando crawling...well that didn't last long, in less than 2 weeks she was up on her knees and then up on her feet walking on everything. I don't doubt that she will be running around by her first birthday...I would be surprised if she wasn't. I am a little worried that she is going to be our dare devil. Her sister is so cautious but ladybug doesn't seem to be like that. She is already standing up in her crib, next is the climbing over...ugh!!! She is such a cutie pie and quite the ham...the minute I pull out the camera and call her name she turns and puts on the face...this must be because since she was a wee baby we had our friends taking her picture. She is very determined and really gets frustrated when she can't do something. Today she used the little baby walker and walked herself across the living room. Now that she is mobile her sister thinks she can pick her up and at times drop her...so far that hasn't bothered her...we will see how long that lasts. Oh, and we are now eating more table food as you can see in the first picture...that is her eating her favorite...biter biscuits, they make such a mess...a bath usually follows.

Gutters

You know those awefull things on the roof that get filled with gunk and when the rain pores they over flow...well ours are really bad and Brad has needed to clean them for the past 7 years. Yes, 7 years...I have never seen him clean them in 7 years...not to say that he hasn't but I highly doubt it. I am sure you are wondering why I don't just get out there and clean them myself...well the minute I see Brad cleaning a toilet I will get out there and clean the gutters...he doesn't clean toilets and I don't clean gutters :) Before we were married he put screens over them to keep the leave and stuff out...just incase you where wondering they don't work. They only make it harder to clean...well as I write this they are getting cleaned...but not by Brad....buy 2 guys who were walking the neighborhood looking for some extra cash...and apparenly $30 was worth it to Brad to not have to clean them himself...he got off pretty cheap if you ask me.

Forgot...

I totally forgot to give an update on butterfly's first sleepover. So when I left off I had come home from my lil' bro's house and left her there with her 2 older cousins (5 and 6 years old). They ended up watching 2 movies, started the first at 10pm and they didn't fall asleep until 1:30am. That is quit late for our little one who has always needed her sleep and doesn't sleep well if she is tired. She is almost 4 and still takes a nap each day. She was a mess the next day and won't be sleeping over again for a while...we can have sleepovers at our house but I just don't think she is ready for them yet. Of course unless she sleeps at grandma and grandpa's house, they go to be at 9am...my kind of sleepover.

Invasion

This weekend we were invaded by the Hardy's from New York. Brad's brother and his family came down for a visit. We had a great time hanging out, playing cards and spending a very hot day at Busch Gardens. We have season passes and butterfly loves all the kiddie rides. Ladybug hung out in her usual spot in the back seat of the stroller. The girls Hardy cousins are much older than they are, butterfly especially likes hanging out with her teenage girl cousins. As you can see she had someone to ride with. Of course we got dad on the big swings with her. We hadn't realized that they had double seat swings for younger kids...she loved being high up in the air...it made me sick just watching...too many times in a circle...ugh!
Thanks for visiting!!!

New Pictures & A Sleep Over

Check out some of the pictures of ladybug from Sunday's shoot at http://www.scotthaynephotography.com There will be more...

So tonight was a big milestone for butterfly...I left her at her cousin's house tonight for a sleepover...three cousins together at my little brothers house. It made me a little sad to know that she is getting older and more independent...I didn't think it would bother me that much but it did. There will be pictures of that soon too...

Photo Shoot

We realized today that ladybug is not a huge fan of the beach...she obviously takes after her father. She did great even thought it was hot and sandy...we will have some back from the photographer in the next couple of weeks for all to see. Here are some pictures I took of the shoot...thanks Scott and Adina for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take pictures of our little cutie. We love you guys!!!!

Shotgun

So Brad is going to need to buy a shotgun sooner than he thought. Last week when some friends of ours came over our 3 1/2 year olds where playing in butterfly's room and came out to show us that they kissed each other (they have a 3 1/2 year old boy)...I guess kids that age just get it from seeing their mom's and dad's kiss. They where just pecking each other on the lips when they were hugging, very innocent (I can actually remember doing that when I was her age) but today during Sunday school I came in their class and the 2 where playing under a table...I had already told butterfly no more kissing and I made them come out from under the table...she said that he asked her for a kiss but she said no...that's my girl. So Brad may be buying the boyfriend repelant sooner than he thought.

I so should be napping right now...the girls are asleep and Brad is golfing with the guys from our care group...he has golfed about 6 times in his entire life...that is one sport I am glad he hasn't taken up. I am already a football widow (you will hear all about that starting in Aug.) I am just glad I am not a golf widow too. I do love football, I grew up with 2 brothers, and I will watch the STEELERS play anyday of the week but watching every game on every channel all day long gets a little old...and then there is ESPN. I digress...so I should be napping but I was getting the girls clothes ready for pictures this afternoon...we are taking ladybugs mostly but butterfly always gets in on some of them too. We are taking these at the beach...should be interesting...well I was just thinking to myself how I used to be so organized with my life. If I was getting pictures taken I would have gone shopping weeks ago and had everything set. But that isn't so anymore...I just had to go digging in drawers and find something that would work...99% of ladybugs clothes were butterflys...but normally I still would have bought something new for pictures...oh how life changes with 2.

Ok so this sounds really weird to me but does playing beach volleyball in Chicago sound wierd to anyone else...I am watching the Olympic beach volleyball finals on TV and it is in Chicago...strange. Anyway those women are in the most amazing shape and I just don't know how they play like that in their underwear...not really but it sure looks like it...skimpy little things they wear. May and Walsh won and are going to the Olympics again...oh and it was their 100 career victory...just incase anyone was interested :-) I love the Olympics.

Butterfly is awake...signing off...

Commando

Not the naked kind the crawling kind...get your minds out of the gutter. Ladybug is now doing the commando crawl and her poor elbows and knees are so red...hopefully she will be up on her hands and knees soon. She is just so darn cute. She is getting her 9 month pictures taken on Sunday by our friends at Scott Hayne Photography...if you need a fantastic photographer check him out!!!! We should have some new pictures of the girls up after Sunday.

I have recently figured out after 7 years of marriage and 8 years together that if I put something in my husbands head and he thinks about it long enough and even remotely likes anything about the idea...he will get all wrapped up in it and be like a kid in a candy shop. This can be very dangerous and hard for me not to manipulate his brain to get what I want...here is a recent example. We are getting to the end of his schooling...one more semester and if all goes well he will have his bachelors finished by this December. He could potentially have a teaching job in January or at least be substitute teaching and have a full time job next September. And with Ada having one more year until she starts kindergarten...I suggested that we may want to think about moving into a city and school district that we would want the kids in for the long haul. I am not big on the school district we are in and I don't want to really move in the middle of everything. We can't afford private school for the girls so we want them in a good public school. I really thought that Brad would dismiss the idea and say we were staying where we are...but the opposite happened and tonight we went looking for houses...I have been looking online and he wanted to see the homes I saw. Not that we are going to put the house up for sale this week but we feel like we want to start researching and looking at neighborhoods. We want to get the right house because we aren't moving again for a long time. We love our home but we can see how we will quickly out grow it as the girls get bigger. And it is on a busy street and we don't have much of a backyard for the kids to play in. It is funny how you want the same for your kids that you had. I loved the house I grew up in...my parents still live in it and I even liked my schools so I really want that for the girls. And to be honest I want a big master bath with a jetted tub :-) And it would be great if Brad got a job at a school near where we moved. So all that said he is really getting into the idea and has even gone so far as to make it completely clear that he wants a house with a 2 car garage and no less than 1/2 an acre. And of course I want to put a pool in if there isn't one already...after having one all this time I can't go without it :-) Spoiled I know...I will of course keep you updated on this...lets just pray that the housing market gets better.

The 4th and 7th...

So this weekend we had 2 big things to celebrate...of course one was the 4th of July which we celebrated on the 5th. And our 7th Anniversary, today the 7th of July. I can't believe it has been 7 years already. We really didn't celebrate it much...Brad tried to get me to go away overnight or out to dinner and a movie...which I really would have liked to do but I just wanted to take it easy at home with the kids. Things have changes so much in 7 years. I would have jumped at the chance to go away before there were kids. Now it is just such an ordeal finding a place for the kids or getting someone to come and stay at the house. It is just easier to stay home. We will be on vacation in a month and we can do something nice in Florida. We did go out for breakfast to the Bakers Crust, with the girls of course! We had a good weekend, had our good friends the Fitch's over on Sat. and the Van Syckle's over on Sunday. It was good to have people over again...we hadn't done it in a while, really since ladybug was born. And that is something big that has changed in the last 7 years...we used to entertain all the time...and actually renovated our kitchen 2 years ago so that we could do it more...than another kiddo came along and it was just too much for us to deal with. It is good to know that it will all be easier again sometime in the not so distant future. Oh, I just remembered we did payperview a movie last night...so you could say that was for our anniversary...if you haven't seen National Treasure Book of Secrets it is worth seeing.

We planned more of our Disney vacation while the Van Syckles where here last night. One month from tomorrow we are leaving on a jet plane for the land of castles and princesses...atleast that is what butterfly thinks. I have booked two very special things for her while we are there...I can't wait to see her enjoyment of it all. On the Monday of our vacation I made an appointment for butterfly at the Bippidy Boppidy Boutique inside Cinderella's castle in Magic Kingdom. She is getting her hair, nails and makeup done and then we are off to Epcot to have dinner with all the Disney Princesses. She is gonna just love it. And of course she is going to wear a princess dress...she says she wants to be Belle from Beauty And The Beast...I have to find that dress before we leave so I don't have to pay a small fortune for it at Disney. So with all that said we are all looking forward to the trip.

Just some pictures from this weekend of the girls...ladybug is not crawling yet...she will be 9 months in a week. She is rolling everywhere and turns in circles on her belly to get the things she needs but can't quite figure out the crawling thing...however...she really seems to just want to stand up and hold on to things...I think she may just walk and never crawl. She is already starting to pull up on things. You can see from some of the pictures I took. She gets so mad when she can't do things...she is such a cutie!!!

Until next time...