So not much to report - just been busy with work and life. Adam has been a hit temper tantrumy...some of it is definitely seeing Andrew doing things appropriate at one that aren't at three....we are working on it. We use the corner a lot....he hates it, so it works.
I'd really like Adam and Andrew to nap better, otherwise we are chugging along.
Ray and I are both working on class prep.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Children's Musuem
Since it was raining, we took the boys up to the children's musuem in Cleveland for the day.
I think he's too big...
Driving the rover!
Mission control! As you can see the new exhibit is space
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Videos
I've been having issues with YouTube, so I just added some videos to a bunch of posts as I finally got most of them up. Here are a few more as well:
- Snow Angels in June - Adam decided it was time! He wouldn't make any this winter...
- Andrew - my new kitchen helper!
- Andrew learning the stepstool!
- More stepstool fun!
Summerfest
We walked down to Summerfest on Saturday. Lots of classic cars and a fun walk around. This is Ray and Adam watching a magician - Adam actually lasted about 10 minutes, a long time for him!
Sprinkler Fun
So Adam dances around the sprinkler (he always ends up wet!), but doesn't really get in it. Andrew walks right up and let it spray him full on!
Piano Duet
We went to a game night on Sunday. It was a complete blast! There were lots of kids for our kids to play with adults for us! Perfect combo! Adam and another little girl, Sofia, gave us quite the piano duets!
Great Lakes Science Center
We took the boys up to the Great Lakes Science Center on Friday. They had a blast! The center is all hands on, which is perfect for our boys.
Driving the ship!
Adam adored all the flight sims!
This is to set up a Mars station, Andrew liked that it was his height! Monday, June 20, 2011
What a day!
Seriously, ick. So I'm still up, grading finals, but its been a rough day. Andrew is very close to tooth breaking through, but it just won't and causing him (and so us) no end of trouble. He just is mierable, poor little guy, plus he's got a slight fever from it. Just not happy.
Let's see, what else. Oh, messing with a crazy YouTube, which is being weird (I think it it something on my computer, but I can't figure it out....), grocery shopping, baking cookies, a call to bake for a funeral (altar society, not a personal friend or relative) this week, trying to set up fencing install and then, by accident, I got "kicked" out of the course I'm teaching....so I can't finish my grading....will have to call tomorrow morning if I haven't heard back by then. What a mess! Of ocurse, Adam didn't nap, either, which didn't help. Ray took the boys away for awhile this evening, which helped....Andrew pretty much cries constantly right now if he isn't held...definitely makes for a long day! That's so not him and I can take "mad" crying, but hurt/miserable crying just tears me up.
Let's see, what else. Oh, messing with a crazy YouTube, which is being weird (I think it it something on my computer, but I can't figure it out....), grocery shopping, baking cookies, a call to bake for a funeral (altar society, not a personal friend or relative) this week, trying to set up fencing install and then, by accident, I got "kicked" out of the course I'm teaching....so I can't finish my grading....will have to call tomorrow morning if I haven't heard back by then. What a mess! Of ocurse, Adam didn't nap, either, which didn't help. Ray took the boys away for awhile this evening, which helped....Andrew pretty much cries constantly right now if he isn't held...definitely makes for a long day! That's so not him and I can take "mad" crying, but hurt/miserable crying just tears me up.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Sugar Cookies
I did Ray's favorite orange sugar cookies as lemon sugar cookies and they turned out great!
Yard Work
All prettied up for summer!
Front Yard
Raspberries, strawberries and rhubarb...didn't think you could kill rhubarb, someone did it last year in ours!
Garden
Back porch areaSatellite Dish
This is our new HD satellite dish...Adam will tak anyone who shows up (Uncle Jason in this case) out to show them and explain how it works. Which, according to Adam, is that it comes from outer space (so far away you can't see it), bounces off the dish, hops into the cord and goes into the house to give him Looney Tunes and Sesame Street.
Still Looking for Normal....
Well, we've been back from Alaska now several weeks, and from Michigan for two weeks and we are still trying to find "normal."
So I just typed a really long post and lost it....so not happy....
We got home from AK, were here a few days then went to MI for Brian's wedding and had Adam's tooth incident and all that.
Now we knew we had a lot of built up appointments the first week and then the start of summer school, but seriously....crazy!
So Monday, we get up and start off okay until we realize Ray's car is dead...Adam left a light on the entire time we were in MI! So we jump it....and the hood on the Vue breaks again, so we have to take that into the shop....
So Tuesday, we drop it off, then have a dentist appointment to follow up on Adam's tooth (it will come down on its own in most situations, so we wait...Adam is obviously feeling it, but doing good) and Ray's annual FAA medical...all in Ray's little car.
Then Wednesday, we get the car back (yah!), speech therapist for Adam and a life insurance appointment. Then I get to wait on the DSL tech all evening to see if they can fix problems we've been having and of course Adam isn't napping and I can't leave....so they come, don't know what it is, but leave a new modem. Ray comes home, tries to install it....won't work....oh, yeah...we now don't have internet...major issue....
So Thursday, while waiting on the satellite people, Ray calls DSL and gets that fixed. Dish people say it is a tree, we need a new dish...or we can upgrade for free. Which we do, to HD, but on the spur of the moment, we aren't ready and lose all our DVR and set up, which we are still trying to get set up right.
Friday we plant the garden, Ray goes to work to give a test that cancelled without notification (oh, fun....), then the fencing guy from Home Depot shows up to give us an estimate. Higher than we like, will take longer to get out here than expected, but it isn't unreasonable, just not what we hoped. We are going to do it, though, we use it so much and it will really look nice.
So Saturday I have First Ladies library, then Ray and I meet to switch kids so he can go game.
Sunday I have to read at Mass.
So Monday again...will this week be better? The kids are still hyper from overstimulation, but slowly coming down. We go to Story Hour and Adam is super hyper....Wednesday, speech therapist same thing. Good new is that Adam got into the preschool I wanted and didn't think we were as we were so late applying.
Tuesday, Jason arrives for a short visit, which was great, but more stimulation for the boys. Adam really has issues napping right now, which is NOT helping.
Friday we went to the Great Lakes Science Center with the boys, which they loved. Saturday we walked down to Summerfest then Ray went gaming.
Sunday (today) we went to a friend's game night which included a lot of kids the boys' age and was AWESOME. The boys LOVED it. I also read this morning at Mass.
So it's been crazy, Andrew is getting a new tooth, we are weaning him and Adam is having tooth issues with the one fixing itself. He IS pooping pretty well on the potty though.
So wish us luck for some "normal" this week! What you see here is just an outline - no work (I have a class ending tonight...), no phone calls to set all this up, no paperwork.....it has been CRAZY.....
So I just typed a really long post and lost it....so not happy....
We got home from AK, were here a few days then went to MI for Brian's wedding and had Adam's tooth incident and all that.
Now we knew we had a lot of built up appointments the first week and then the start of summer school, but seriously....crazy!
So Monday, we get up and start off okay until we realize Ray's car is dead...Adam left a light on the entire time we were in MI! So we jump it....and the hood on the Vue breaks again, so we have to take that into the shop....
So Tuesday, we drop it off, then have a dentist appointment to follow up on Adam's tooth (it will come down on its own in most situations, so we wait...Adam is obviously feeling it, but doing good) and Ray's annual FAA medical...all in Ray's little car.
Then Wednesday, we get the car back (yah!), speech therapist for Adam and a life insurance appointment. Then I get to wait on the DSL tech all evening to see if they can fix problems we've been having and of course Adam isn't napping and I can't leave....so they come, don't know what it is, but leave a new modem. Ray comes home, tries to install it....won't work....oh, yeah...we now don't have internet...major issue....
So Thursday, while waiting on the satellite people, Ray calls DSL and gets that fixed. Dish people say it is a tree, we need a new dish...or we can upgrade for free. Which we do, to HD, but on the spur of the moment, we aren't ready and lose all our DVR and set up, which we are still trying to get set up right.
Friday we plant the garden, Ray goes to work to give a test that cancelled without notification (oh, fun....), then the fencing guy from Home Depot shows up to give us an estimate. Higher than we like, will take longer to get out here than expected, but it isn't unreasonable, just not what we hoped. We are going to do it, though, we use it so much and it will really look nice.
So Saturday I have First Ladies library, then Ray and I meet to switch kids so he can go game.
Sunday I have to read at Mass.
So Monday again...will this week be better? The kids are still hyper from overstimulation, but slowly coming down. We go to Story Hour and Adam is super hyper....Wednesday, speech therapist same thing. Good new is that Adam got into the preschool I wanted and didn't think we were as we were so late applying.
Tuesday, Jason arrives for a short visit, which was great, but more stimulation for the boys. Adam really has issues napping right now, which is NOT helping.
Friday we went to the Great Lakes Science Center with the boys, which they loved. Saturday we walked down to Summerfest then Ray went gaming.
Sunday (today) we went to a friend's game night which included a lot of kids the boys' age and was AWESOME. The boys LOVED it. I also read this morning at Mass.
So it's been crazy, Andrew is getting a new tooth, we are weaning him and Adam is having tooth issues with the one fixing itself. He IS pooping pretty well on the potty though.
So wish us luck for some "normal" this week! What you see here is just an outline - no work (I have a class ending tonight...), no phone calls to set all this up, no paperwork.....it has been CRAZY.....
Snickerdoodles
I actually made these while in Alaska. My father asked for Snickerdoodles and everyone says my mom's work friend, Janet Hagen, makes the best, so hence this recipe that my mom called for. These came out well and Dad was happy!
Snickerdoodles
From Janet Hagen at my mom's work
1 cup margarine (she used margarine, not butter)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
Topping:
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon (I can't remember...I might have used a tbsp...will have to experiment...I liked whatever I did....I just have a feeling I did a tbsp)
Mix wet ingredients and dry separately. Add in dry slowly to wet. Chill dough for at least two hours. Then roll dough into balls and roll in sugar topping before baking. [She didn't say to chill, but I couldn't roll it without doing so.]
Bake at 375 for 8 to 12 minutes (depends on size of your cookies...mine were about the 12, Janet said 8).
Snickerdoodles
From Janet Hagen at my mom's work
1 cup margarine (she used margarine, not butter)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
Topping:
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon (I can't remember...I might have used a tbsp...will have to experiment...I liked whatever I did....I just have a feeling I did a tbsp)
Mix wet ingredients and dry separately. Add in dry slowly to wet. Chill dough for at least two hours. Then roll dough into balls and roll in sugar topping before baking. [She didn't say to chill, but I couldn't roll it without doing so.]
Bake at 375 for 8 to 12 minutes (depends on size of your cookies...mine were about the 12, Janet said 8).
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Water Fun
I'm wet and happy!
Showing off my dirty behind
Andrew being sprayed by Adam...the thing here is that Andrew WALKS right into the spray even if Adam TRIES not to hit him.
Adam's wet too!Andrew on the slide
Yard
This branch fell in a recent storm, but the way it fell it looked like we'd aquired a new tree in our yard!
This is a rosebush we transplanted the year we moved here and really thought it would die...we were so wrong! It is VERY happy!Ball Caps
Their cousin Mike in Texas got them matching Texas ball caps. Adam likes to wear a cap...Andrew not so much...he likes to PLAY with it....
Saturday, June 04, 2011
Making Bubbles
This was at home last week....we got this set of bubble wands and these "pipes" were great as they were easy for Adam to actually make bubbles with as they require less finesse.
Hockey Night
The Stanley Cup is going on, so the boys were watching it with PaPa and Daddy and eating the traditional popcorn, which both boys ADORE. Andrew had some for the first time in Alaska and he couldn't get enough! He loved it! He would grab some, take off, realize he was out of popcorn and then turn around for more...he couldn't get further from the bowl than his popcorn took him!
Sprinkler Fun
Today has been VERY hot, so this evening Dave turned on the sprinklers and we turned the boys loose! Andrew jumped RIGHT in. That boy SOAKED himself without ANY fear. Adam definitely was more testing and it took Ray jumping to really get him to go through. It wasn't that he wasn't wet at all, just definitely not willing to run right in.
We were joking that Andrew was in a "wet t-shirt" contest as you could see his diaper through his clothes!
Ray running through the sprinkler with the boys
Adam testing it out with a stick
Andrew sticking his hand in Saturday
Saturday (today), Aunt Maureen and her family (the Texas clan) came over and then we took the boys to the park in Brighton as we had to return tuxedoes.
Adam working on baseball.
High Water
We have had SO much rain throughout the area. Ohio has constantly under flood watches and Michigan is no different. This is the Mill Pond in Brighton and it should NOT be this high!
Brian and Brittany's Wedding
Brian and Brittany got married on Friday. We decided not to take the kids to the wedding since it didn't start until 5:30 and sitting through it would be hard on them. So Dave's girlfriend, Jan, found a baby sitter for us. It was a high schooler who works with her who is really responsible. She did a great job as I came home to one sleeping kid and another tired, happy one! It was a lovely wedding and really perfect weather for an outdoor wedding!
Ray and his Aunt Maureen
Ray's counsins, Shannon and Isabella
Dave and Jan
Dave and his mom
Ray and I
Ray and his Aunt Maureen
Ray's counsins, Shannon and Isabella
Dave and Jan
Dave and his mom
Ray and I Cornbread
The boys just love the cornbread that was at the rehearsal dinner (so Brian made). Andrew can eat - on his own! - an entire muffin!
Now cornbread is pretty crumbly as you probably know...so the boys made a fairly big mess...this was Dave's clean up solution for the table!
Now cornbread is pretty crumbly as you probably know...so the boys made a fairly big mess...this was Dave's clean up solution for the table!
Friday Morning
Adam on his Big Wheel
Ray "washing" the car and Andrew was chasing the water and managed to get himself soaked! Adam started out doing the "washing" and tried not to hit Andrew, but Andrew would have none of that!
Andrew - now soaked - and the baseball bat
Andrew and his ball - Andrew loved to chase the ball...he could do this all day! 
Thursday Afternoon
We drove up to Michigan on Thursday as Brian and Brittany got married in Friday. The rehearsal and rehearsal dinner was Thursday night. Since Ray was a groomsman, we needed to be here. The rehearsal dinner was at Dave's house and Brian pretty much cooked the entire thing. Very yummy!
Andrew
PaPa and Adam on the John Deere
PaPa and Andrew
Adam on his trike
Andrew
PaPa and Adam on the John Deere
PaPa and Andrew
Adam on his trike
Adam and Andrew helping PaPa and Daddy fix the bench
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