A Fun Table!

Playing with their Sand/Water Table in the morning sunshine!

We recently purchased a sand/water table for the girls and the weather was so beautiful this weekend we put it together and brought it outside for some fun.  We used some special purple sand and the girls really loved it.  In another month we'll put some water in one side and we're guessing this will provide lots of entertainment!

This weekend was Stella's last gymnastics class of the semester.  Thank you to Aunt Mary Jane for offering to take Claire for the morning for family day.  Daddy was busy with basketball this weekend so it made it much easier for Mommy to take pictures and video!  After gymnastics we had lunch with Gigi and her mom and sister and Stella thought that was pretty neat!

This weekend we discovered Claire really loves sauteed shrimp!

Spring Time

We are so excited to finally be enjoying some warmer weather.  Dinner and bedtime have been later and later this week from playing outside.  We had the chance to visit a bigger playground than usual today as a whole family (in Massena) and both girls had so much fun!

Claire had her 18 month check up this past week and is doing great!  She is growing well and now weighs 23lbs. 11 oz. and is 32" long.  She loves to look at books and as Stella always points out
'Sissy is is trying to talk'.  Here's a short clip of Claire reading before bed.

Potty Progress!

Fun Hats!

The only news we have to share this week is that Stella is doing a great job with potty training.  While we wouldn't necessarily say she's completely finished, she hasn't worn a pull-up during the day all week and we feel like she's really getting the hang of it now!

Claire is learning new things every day.  She knows a few colors now and is starting to learn parts of the face.  This week she visits the pediatrician for her 18-month check up.

Spring Break 2013!

The last two week have flown by and taken spring break with them!  We had a really great vacation which included 6 days away from home for a visit with the Hooley's near Columbus, Ohio.  It's been a long time since we've had an extended vacation and it was wonderful having family time without distractions from work or other responsibilities.  (Mom didn't even bring her computer this trip!)

Claire was a bit under the weather for part of our vacation but it gave us the opportunity to take some naps with her and have lots of extra snuggle time.  Fortunately the rest of us didn't catch it, although Cailin may not have been so lucky since she didn't feel so great the day after we left.  Mom kept Claire home on Easter Sunday after church while the rest of the girls went to the community-wide Easter Egg Hunt.  They all had fun, sat with the Easter Bunny, and brought home plenty of treats to eat!

Since the trip to Ohio is a long one we tried to find some fun things to do to break up our travel.  On the way out we spent some time at a McDonald's Play Place and they absolutely loved it!  Claire was too little for most of the play areas but she still climbed on what she could!






The girls enjoyed the Play Place so much on Monday, when Melissa and Dan headed back to work and Dana off to school, we decided to take them to one of the malls nearby that also has a play area.  We brought Cailin too and it was great fun.  We are definitely learning that at this age it's the small (and often inexpensive) things that matter!

On the way back we spent the night in Erie, which is just about the half-way mark.  The girls absolutely loved the pool!  We bought them new life jackets and everybody was happy!  We feel so fortunate that we were able to spend time with family and be able to travel with our girls this past week!

Oreo Smiles!

 As we wait patiently for spring weather we  passed some time today enjoying oreo cookies!  When Stella was caught eating some of Claire's broken cookie she said they were 'sharing'.

 

 

Sleepy Girl!

Often times on the weekend Stella likes to stay up with mommy during nap time, which she did today.  Tonight at story time she was extra tired though and couldn't make it to our routine of rocking, prayers, and songs.

We have a busy week ahead but are looking forward to spring break and a visit with the Hooley's over Easter weekend!

Basketball States

This weekend we traveled to Glens Falls with a BMC crew for Basketball States.  Going to the tournament has become a tradition for Randy over the past few years and this time we decided to make it a family trip.  We weren't good about taking pics but here are a few of Claire fooling around in the hotel room.  She thought being under the end table was just hilarious!

Saturday morning we took the girls to the swimming pool.  It was eventful so it's probably best that we forgot to bring the camera...           We thought Claire would enjoy the pool but never dreamed how fearless she would be around the water.  She loved splashing around and didn't mind being on her tummy or going under.

Tonight as we were getting settled into bed we asked Stella what her favorite part of the trip was and she said 'playing with Gigi' - no surprises there! 

 

Dull Days of Winter

As winter starts to pass and we see signs of spring we'll likely start to have more news to share but things have been mostly routine for us lately.  Claire continues to learn more words and while she still isn't talking a great deal she definitely comprehends the things we say to her.  Stella shows us she's a big girl more and more every day.  We are looking forward to some fun this coming weekend as we head to Glens Falls for the NYS high school basketball championships with lots of our BMC friends.  Our teams won't be playing but this trip has become sort of a tradition for daddy and this year we decided to all make the trip.  We'll try to capture some of the fun for our next post.

Winter Break 2013

The girls had a quiet week at home with their dad during winter break.  Stella had her first visit to the dentist to see mommy have her teeth cleaned and did a great job watching!  She also had a great week trying out big girl panties.  Her interest and progress have been very welcomed!  Claire is starting to try to say more words and is taking more of an interest in Stella's favorite show Dora.

We ended break with a date night on Saturday so the girls got to enjoy a sleepover with their Grammie & Pa who came over to be with them.  Then mom had a small facial party Sunday so the girls had their first peek at makeup (not sure if that's good or bad).

Regular season basketball has ended for BMC so for a little while they'll have their dad all to themselves which makes mom really happy!

Parade, Pasta & Parents!

The husbands were hard at work rolling out sheets of homemade pasta!

We had a really busy weekend!  On Friday night we went to daddy's basketball game.  Then on Saturday we headed out to the Tri-Town Winter Carnival Parade.  It was really cold but the parade was short and both girls loved it.  Stella had fun picking up candy and Claire just sat and watched and took it all in!

I took over at the cutting station at the very end.

Later in the day we headed over to a pasta party with friends where we made homemade ravioli.  I only helped for a few minutes but Randy was part of the assembly line with many others - it took a lot of people to put everything together and in the end there were over 300 pieces!  It was delicious!  The kids weren't really all that interested in helping make the dinner but they had fun playing.

On Sunday we had a family shopping outing to get groceries and then went to grammie and pa's for dinner.  Stella and Claire got to stay home with both of their parents today since it's mid-winter recess for the public schools!  It was great to have an extra day to relax at home after such a busy weekend!

Hannah helped occupy the girls with a 'picnic'!

Mid Winter

Football Dinner on Super Bowl Sunday!

Sledding in the front yard - so much fun!

This is fun!

Brrr... I want to go inside...

We missed a blog post so we have some catching up to do!  We were lucky to spend time with family last weekend when the Hooley's visited from Ohio.  It was a short visit but the girls really enjoyed playing together and the sleepover at Grammie and Pa's was eventful to say the least.  All four girls were still up around midnight - it was crazy but fortunately we went right back to our usual routine the next day - thank goodness!  Superbowl Sunday was fun at our house - we dragged the picnic table into the living room and all watched the first quarter together.  I'm sure this will become an annual tradition at our house!  These past two weeks we've had some fun in the snow and even had our first tea party with real tea.  Claire wasn't quite ready - she loved the cookies though!  Stella loved the princess cups and pouring the tea.

Growing Pains

Claire has joined us at the table for meals since she is getting to be such a big girl!  Moving the high chair to the basement is a great milestone to be celebrating but is also a harsh reminder that she's truly not a baby anymore.

Stella has officially moved beyond the 'terrible 2's' to a stage that makes those days appear seamless!  She is defiant, bossy and mean to Claire, but can also be such a sweet little girl - willing to help and cooperate and being a great sister who encourages smiles and giggles.

Our little ladies keep our lives very full.  Stella is starting to outgrow her naps which is allowing time for things that are sometimes easier when Claire's napping - like making cookies or visiting the playground (both things Stella really enjoys).  Claire is trying to use words but is definitely figuring out how to communicate what she wants even without words.

Next weekend gymnastics will start up again for Stella and family will be visiting from Ohio - we are looking forward to it!

January 2013

I realized mid-week that we forgot to blog last week - sorry for the missed post everyone!  January has been quiet for us besides basketball so there hasn't been a lot to report.  The few games the girls have been to went fairly well - they both seem to have fun at the gym! 

Over the last two weeks Stella had her 3-year check-up and Claire her 15-month and both went great.  Claire had the usual round of vaccines for a child her age and she only cried for about 3 seconds - she's such a tough little girl!  Stella has graduated to the stand-up scale - she's getting to be such a big girl!

Both girls are growing and changing which comes with highs and lows.  Stella is now asserting herself more, which gets her time-out from now and then, and Claire is fearless in a different way than Stella ever was.  She certainly is getting more bumps and bruises!  Claire is learning more words and is imitating some animal sounds, and Stella is getting better and better at using the potty but we're not quite ready to move out of pull-ups permanently just yet.  At times we really do have our hands full - they sure do keep us busy!

Happy 3rd Birthday Stella!

We had a great weekend that included celebrating Stella's third birthday.  This year we had a small gathering with Grammie and Pa, Aunt Mary Jane, Cousin Logan, and Stella's little friend Gigi and her family.  Daddy took the big girls on a Dora Adventure to find the pile of presents - through a spider web, collecting banana's for boots, and finding Swiper hidden in the couch.  Stella had fun and loved the bouquet of balloons Grammie and Pa brought with them and the Dora cake she told her Aunt Mary Jane she wanted a few weeks back.  We continue to feel so very blessed for our happy little family and the loved ones we get to share our lives with.

With each passing year this day brings mixed emotions along with it.  A vigorous trip to Trey's spot on Friday morning was definitely a trek - through snow up to your knees.  Stella and Claire bring so much joy to our lives but are also a reminder of what we are missing out on having Trey no longer with us.  Right now we are most grateful that Stella is unaware (and Claire too) of the piece of our family that will always be missing.

Christmas 2012

We had a great Christmas this year and have tried to begin teaching Stella the spiritual side of this special holiday - celebrating the birth of Jesus and honoring his love for us.  When she asked if there would be balloons at church we knew she was catching on!

Our girls were blessed to have their grammie and pa with us on Christmas day and we had lots of fun together opening gifts.  Claire became a little overwhelmed despite our efforts to give the girls a somewhat modest Christmas; once you add up presents from everyone there ends up being a lot!  Among their most popular gifts are a Dora couch, arts and crafts, a Dora Gymnastics video, a Mickey Mouse hide and seek game, and baby dolls.  They really are enjoying all of the gifts that were given to them though!

We are really loving having extra family time together.  There's been so much snow mom even had an extra day at home because getting off South Street to go to work was simply not possible on Thursday until late morning!

This week we look forward to celebrating Stella's 3rd birthday.  We can hardly believe it's here already!

Canada and Gingerbread

As Christmas approaches way too fast, our girls got to experience even more "firsts".  The artistic skills of Stella came alive when her and her dad made a gingerbread house.  Although she managed to sneak a bunch of the candy as we built, she was able to save enough to make the house look presentable!

On Sunday, the girls made their first trip across a US border.  We traveled to Ottawa, Ontario to buy a present for Beth at one of our favorite stores, IKEA.  It was an absolutely wonderful trip.  The girls were well behaved.  We were able to shop, and play in the store as we walked around the giant place that IKEA is.  We then had a nice lunch, and made our way back home.

We would like to wish all of you a peaceful and rejuvenating holiday season.  May the season bring joy and hope to each and everyone of your families!

Family Portraits 2012

Family Photo Shoot, November 2012

As we gear up for a few really busy days to celebrate Christmas we welcomed a quiet weekend at home.  The girls had dinner with Niece on Saturday so we could have a night out with some friends but overall we had some quality time at home together with just the four of us.  When we finished putting up our Christmas decorations we stumbled across the Mickey Mouse lawn ornament gift from the Hooley's last year that we thought we misplaced.  Stella's been super excited about the festive addition he's made to South Street! 

Last month we spent an hour at Forevermore Studios in Massena getting family photos taken.  Despite how challenging our girls ages are for this type of activity we were blessed with some great shots to cherish and share!

Hello Santa!

This weekend the girls got to sit with Santa at the annual VFW Christmas party.  They were both excited and weren't shy at all.  Stella told Santa she wanted M&M's for Christmas, and Claire was just fascinated by the bow on the present he gave her!  The four of us were given the opportunity to light the second week of advent candles at church this week, and we also put up our Christmas tree too.  Stella's at a fun age for all of these traditions and lucky for us hasn't developed the gimmies yet!  Claire is just along for the ride, intrigued by all of the hustle and bustle but sure to not miss out on anything!    

Party Time

This month we have a series of parties and family gatherings scheduled so we expect it to be a fun one!  The celebrations began yesterday with a joint birthday party for the girls cousins Brody and Maggie in Plattsburgh at the Imaginarium Children's Museum.  This was a really fun place for a party and it was great to see some folks we don't have the opportunity to be around all that often.  We're so glad we made the trip!

Playing in the Crawling Corner at the Museum!

And Going Fishing Too!

Relaxing at home...

Thanksgiving Break 2012

We enjoyed four days together in celebration of the Thanksgiving Holiday and we took advantage of having some extra time at home and just relaxed.  It was great!  In the spirit of Thanksgiving we tried to teach Stella about the meaning of this holiday and when we asked her what she was thankful for she said 'Aunt Mary Jane'.  Not only was this so very adorable but very fitting since Mary Jane hosted us for our Thanksgiving meal!  In addition to enjoying a delicious Thanksgiving dinner at Aunt Mary Jane's with Grammie & Pa, we were very fortunate to have some special time with family friends over the break too - we visited with the Mill's, and shared a meal with the Reome/Brown's.  While we thought about putting up our Christmas tree since we had some extra time we decided against it because we fully expect Claire will be trying to climb in daily.  We'll just wait another week or two but we sure wish we could have a four-day weekend more often! 

Purple for Preemies!

Posing for a picture after Stella's final gymnastics
class of the year.

November 17 is World Prematurity Day so we all sported purple in honor of this important event to focus attention and raise awareness on the global problem of premature birth.  We have literally experienced both the best and worst outcomes resulting from babies being born too soon.  In the United States, 1 in 8 babies are delivered too early.  Visit www.marchofdimes.com to learn more.  We miss you Trey ♥