One more week...

and I will be home with my babies every day! I can't believe I will be a stay at home mom. Someone pinch me!

Sisters

I hope my girls stay close throughout their lives and aren't too mean to their brother... ;-)

Fourth of July Fun

We spent the day with family and ended it with fireworks.

Kinda jealous right now...

Not only is my baby sleeping when I would like to be but she is sleeping in my spot.

Oh well, I guess I will just go to work...

My boys

I got my guys matching ties for Father's Day. I am not sure if they like the idea as much as I do but that is just too bad. ::insert evil laugh here::

Tub Time

Jack and Cassie took their first bath together. It went well. I dare say we'll do that again.

I'm back.

It has been a busy few weeks! I went back to work, the kids went back to daycare, Alana finished middle school, the kids got sick, some have pink eye, I turned 29 again, my wonderful husband got up and made me a cake at 4 in the morning to surprise me and it was his first attempt at baking a cake ever. He did a great job! Oh, and it looks like I am going to be a SAHM soon...

Yeah, we've been busy. I am going to try to get back in the swing of things.

Cassie loves the water!

We started the day off with a parade and ended it with swimming. Jack, unfortunately, still hates the water. Pete took him in and he stopped screaming, "Daddy!" long just long enough to let Mommy take a picture. If he can play on the steps and everyone leaves him alone he is fine. Cassie, on the other hand, loved the pool! She was splashing and sticking her face in the water for at least a half hour and never complained once. Also, she had on a hat the whole time except for a minute or two so that her face was entirely visible for pictures.

Fun with balloons

Outtakes

Here are some pictures that didn't make the cut.

Starting him early.

Jack was "reading" one of my books so I had to take a picture. He now has Pete reading it to him. I can't believe how long he is sitting listening to something so far above his head...

Busy busy busy

Today we are taking the smaller kids to the Children's Museum (too hot to be outdoors), getting Cassie's pictures taken, getting paper work squared away for daycare, and running Alana to two appointments. After all that, Pete is trying a new recipe for dinner. Sauerbraten!
Yesterday we spent more time at the park. Cassie really loves the swings!

::sigh::

Cassie is six months old today. Here is my favorite picture of the day she was born. Her princess personality is already showing with the look on her face that says, "Ew, get this junk off of me!"

The end of LOST.

My favorite show is over and I'm not quite sure what I think but my movie group had an awesome party to celebrate the end.

We had the right food, music, props and characters. (The Smoke Monster even showed up.)

Jack meets his idol.

Yesterday we went to the Steamtown Mall so that Jack could meet Bob the Builder. It was really nice. The kids got their picture taken with Bob and then got a Bob activity packet and a coupon for a free ice cream cone.

Next month, if my schedule allows, we are hoping to take him to meet his other favorite tv character, Thomas! We of course won't tell him that until that day so we aren't asked about it every five minutes until then...

Finally, some nice weather.

Yesterday we walked to the park. The weather was absolutely perfect.

Cassie's first food

We gave Cassie cereal for the first time yesterday and while I think she liked it, she did get frustrated that it took so long to get each bite.

My hero.

Pete is saving the world, one goose at a time.

And now for something completely different.

My son Jack is always predictable at lunch. Every day he wants peanut butter and jelly, some fruit or applesauce, and pudding if we have it. Today he wanted what Mommy was having so I gave him a hummus sandwich and he liked it. Of course he wanted ice cream for dessert... I explained that ice cream is a "sometimes treat" and he told me, "but it is also food."

Mourning the loss...

...of my blackberry. Pete and I looked our finances and are cutting any extras we have. I am probably going to go through withdrawal but it must be done. Texting will be next. ::sob::

I got nothing...

I don't think I took a single picture yesterday. I saw in the paper an ad for a yard sale with a double stroller starting at 8 a.m. half way to Bloomsburg. I looked at the stove and it was 8 a.m. I got the kids dressed and loaded into the car and got there within a half hour but the stroller was already gone.

I did get Jack two gorgeous Gymboree sweaters and a pair of slacks for this winter and I got Cass a Land's End dress that will fit in a few years all for just $8, so I didn't do too bad. There are a lot more yard sales today so I think we will go but none have another double. Oh well...

My girl can sing!

Alana is always singing. Always. And I hear her daily, yet she blew me away at her concert last night. Amazing.

Click here to see it.

He's so proud.

Jack wrote a "j" and he is beyond proud of himself. (You have to look closely, it is small.)

We're gonna need a bigger boat.

Wasn't that a quote in a movie? Yeah, I completely understand needing bigger things lately...

Knoebels and Rainbows

The last time I saw a huge rainbow in the sky was on the morning of my 30th birthday. We spent that day at Knoebels. I'm also pretty sure that was the day I got pregnant with Jack.
Yesterday when we were leaving Knoebels we saw another one. I'm so glad I had my camera! If you look very closely you can see a faint second rainbow in the top left corner.

My new favorite picture.

My favorite pictures from my childhood are the ones where, instead of smiling at the camera, I was smiling at my sister, Heather. I have a new favorite picture of my children. My girls are looking at each other and my boy is Mr. Independent. Or Mr. I Am Up to Something... It's hard to tell with him.



I also got a traditional "everyone is looking at the camera" shot, but that one isn't as wonderful.

Boys are messy.

This is what happens when Jack has spaghetti followed by a fudgesicle.

Speaking of change...

After nearly FOUR years, Alana got her braces off yesterday! Here are before and after pictures.

Hair today, gone tomorrow...

I buzzed Jack's hair yesterday. I am still debating if I like it that short...BeforeAfter.

Reptiland, here we come!

Yesterday we went to Clyde Peeling’s Reptiland and Jack made some new friends. He was very excited to meet Buddy from Dinosaur Train and Al the Tortoise, who we thought was going to kiss him!

Pictures from yesterday

Yesterday was VERY busy around here... Alana got confirmed and then ate a whole lot of ice cream.

Picnic in the Backyard

The weather yesterday was pretty nice. Not too hot, not too cold. Quite perfect for a picnic lunch.


I love the way she loves him. I hope they still feel this way about each other when they are teens.

Going for a visit... and then ice cream!

Once a week I pack up the kids and we go to my grandparents for the day. I took pictures of the kids right before we left the house because they just looked so cute. Here they are all ready to head out the door.































My grandparents still have a Rubik's Cube! My sister Heather and I once decided the only way to win was to peel the stickers off and move them. It didn't work so well and you can see where we tried.
















And, finally, I had to have ice cream yesterday because some of my friends were discussing their favorite flavors. Jack's favorite is peanut butter and jelly. (I cheated and used a picture from last weekend for Jack because the place we went to yesterday did not have his favorite flavor.)
Cassie, sadly, cannot have ice cream yet, but she really wanted this milkshake!