Yellow Tulips

I Don't Blog Anymore, but This Woman Does

2010-08-30T21:12:00.001-04:00

I was just looking through a very funny blog, and I thought I'd share. This woman collects and comments on some of the worst cakes ever.
I'm lazy so I'll just link to the month I was reading.
Hours of fun.

Congratulations

2010-08-10T12:44:00.003-04:00

I've been lazy about keeping up but HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our wonderful friend Charlotte. We love you to pieces! (That's a pick of her birthday party. As you can see, many people love her to pieces so we have to get in line!). Also our dear friend Sibyl had a beautiful baby girl. And there's a pic of the trio of craziness from our adventure last week.
That should catch you up.

Our Gymnast

2010-07-29T11:21:00.004-04:00

Down the Shore

2010-07-15T20:05:00.005-04:00

We were excited to be invited for an overnight at Sea Isle! We had a great time. Thanks, Uncle Mike & Aunt Lisa!

Water Baby

2010-06-29T23:00:00.000-04:00

Playhouse, Day 2

2010-06-27T21:48:00.004-04:00

Up With the Playhouse

2010-06-27T07:10:00.004-04:00

Inflatable Pool 2010

2010-06-03T12:21:00.007-04:00

Apologies to my photographer friends. These were taken with a cell phone. Still, you can see that we had a fun time!

Wiggles World at Six Flags

2010-05-28T23:08:00.001-04:00

Garden State Discovery Museum & Sesame Place

2010-05-14T15:36:00.003-04:00

Kaylie and Mommy were out and about this week!

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T21:08:00.003-04:00

My beautiful girl and thoughtful husband gave me flowers and made me this fantastic throw blanket with pictures of Kaylie.

Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful mom! Also happy Mother's Day to my friends who are fantastic moms and to my friends who are moms-to-be!

I'm also thinking today of my friends who are dealing with infertility or are waiting to adopt. Mother's Day sucks when you're in that situation, and no one really understands. I love you guys. Keep the faith.

2nd Birthday Photos with Murray

2010-05-05T21:44:00.004-04:00

Birthday Gifts

2010-05-04T18:19:00.005-04:00

Kaylie got a lot of wonderful birthday gifts. We are enjoying a bubble-blowing lawn mower, a tea set, a food cutting set, a pet grooming station and some really cute clothes. Here are some highlights.

Aunt Mo, Godmother Extraordinaire made this beautiful kid sized kitchen. It has pots and pans, a cookie sheet and even a sink. Kaylie has been making cookies for us.

Grammie and Grandpop gave Kaylie an awesome pink and purple tricycle! Gramps and Grandma gave her a playhouse, but it's still being built. I'll post pics when it is finished.

Kaylie is a very lucky girl! Thanks everyone!

Sesame Place then and now

2010-05-04T12:27:00.002-04:00

Party Day!

2010-05-01T21:44:00.010-04:00

We celebrated Kaylie's 2nd birthday today with a party at the park!

Best buddies Anabelle, Kaylie & Coco-Shya

Gramps, Coco-Shya and Kaylie

with her "2" balloon

the beautiful kitchen Aunt Mo made!!

enjoying some cake

hangin with the big girls, Lila, Olivia & Ava

the pretty butterfly cake Aunt Lisa made

Making Cupcakes

2010-04-30T10:15:00.002-04:00

I made them. Kaylie was the tester.

Who Cheats in a Kid Photo Contest?

2010-04-26T11:54:00.002-04:00

So in my last post I told everyone to go to Olive Avenue Photography and vote for my friend, Anne's kiddo, Miles. The voting was supposed to have ended today.

Now the website says that due to cheating (!) they are redoing the vote. You have today only to vote for the photo of cutie Miles and his friend Sophia.

So go to this page and vote for photo #12. Anne's a great mommy and deserves to win.

The Social Event of the Season

2010-04-24T11:34:00.003-04:00

We're spending this week getting ready for Kaylie's birthday party! Grandma and Gramps are coming from Tennessee, and Uncle Danny is coming from Texas. If you're local, we hope you're planning on being there.

Kaylie is going to have a big birthday party every year until she tells me to stop! This year we're doing ladybugs, dragonflies, and butterflies. Aunt Lisa is making some yummy food, and we're all crossing our fingers that it doesn't rain.

And how old is Kaylie going to be? Ask her and she'll hold up four or five fingers and shout "TWO!"

PS Head over to Olive Avenue Photography and vote for my friend Anne's sweet boy, Miles. He's #12, pictured with his friend Sophia.

Lucky Star

2010-04-23T10:58:00.003-04:00

My lucky stars must be very lucky for me to get to love and be loved by these three.

Beach Baby

2010-04-17T16:15:00.002-04:00

some 2 year pics

2010-04-16T08:24:00.004-04:00

My Cute Kid (and my dog)

2010-04-11T20:29:00.005-04:00

Happy Easter 2010

2010-04-04T21:17:00.005-04:00

Easter at Johnson's Farm

2010-04-03T20:18:00.007-04:00

Kaylie is all about her shadow

some fun with the moo cow

I love this picture! The BFFs are walking along holding hands. They are so big!

Check them out last Easter

It was sunny outside so Kaylie had to wear her rock star shades

Kaylie was okay with sitting next to the Easter Bunny,

but she kept her eyes on him the whole time.

The Sticker Queen

2010-04-01T17:04:00.002-04:00

Easter Eggs 2010

2010-03-28T23:11:00.004-04:00

Toddler Speak

2010-03-25T12:27:00.002-04:00

Kaylie: Yay! Ooster eggs!

Mommy: Easter eggs

Kaylie: Ooster eggs

Mommy: EEEE-ster eggs

Kaylie: Ooster eggs

Mommy: EEEE EEEE

Kaylie: EEEEE

Mommy: EEEEE-ster eggs

Kaylie: EEEEE Ooster eggs

Boston

2010-03-20T10:47:00.006-04:00

Kaylie, Mom and I made a quick trip to Boston to see Uncle Rob. We had a really fun time! We visited the Boston Children's Museum and took long walks to see the sights. We also rode a bunch of trains!

Looking out the hotel room window with Grandma.

Kaylie would point out the window and say "Boston!"

Sleep in a hotel crib when Mama has a nice bed? I don't think so.

Reinacting history with her bag of tea

Uncle Rob knew all the best places to eat

Exploring Boston Commons with Uncle Rob

Blossoming Artist

2010-03-14T11:35:00.005-04:00

Here are Kaylie's first finger paintings. I especially like the one where she inserted the handprint. I believe that she commenting on a toddler's need for tactical stimulation with the red representing limits placed on her by society.

Family Day 2010

2010-03-06T13:52:00.004-05:00

One year ago today we became Kaylie's parents officially and forever.

This morning we went out to breakfast to celebrate with Aunt Mo & Coco. Tonight we're having spaghetti with Grammie and Grandpop.

Happy Family Day!!!

2 Families, 7 Kids and 1 Great Cause

2010-02-25T20:57:00.004-05:00

How do you know spring is right around the corner? Because it's time for the annual March of Dimes March for Babies 2010. We know two families whose children were premature multiples in need of neonatal care.

Mike and Lisa are Skip's friends from high school. They have adorable 3-year-old triplet daughters Lila, Ava and Olivia. Their March of Dimes site is here.

Stacy is my friend since Kindergarten. Her beautiful twins, Thomas and Tanner just turned two years old. Stacy and Phil also march for their first set of twins, Taylor and Truman, who died shortly after they were born. Their March of Dimes site is here.

Support premature babies by donating to these great families or to someone else who marches for babies!

The New Blog

2010-02-18T21:25:00.003-05:00

As parents of children Kaylie's age start to talk about pre-school, we've begun thinking a lot about Kaylie's education.

We (read I... Skip is just my uber-supportive partner in crime) have unusual ideas about what makes a quality education. That means that Kaylie's education is going to be somewhat unusual.

To that end I've created a new blog to keep track of my thoughts and ideas about Kaylie's education and to show interested friends and family what I'm trying to do.

Take a look and let me know what you think!

Yellow Tulips will still be here for all the family fun and cute pictures.

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T07:55:00.003-05:00

We haven't posted much because we've been busy with birthdays, snow and all of us being sick. Happy Valentine's Day to all our friends and family!

Happy Birthday, Daddy

2010-02-02T18:53:00.000-05:00

Party Girl

2010-01-31T21:03:00.005-05:00

Grammie threw us - Mommy & Daddy - a birthday party tonight. To Kaylie that means just one thing, CAKE.

Toddlers, Take Note

2010-01-28T22:05:00.003-05:00

This is what your nose looks like after you decide to repeatedly build staircases out of cardboard blocks (in order to be able to reach things that are forbidden to you).
She fell off her little tower and scraped her nose on the furniture. After angry tears and stares of hatred at the offending furniture, she was right back to building. If we get through her childhood without a trip to the ER it will be a miracle.

A perfect day for bananafish

2010-01-28T18:56:00.002-05:00

So here's the thing. I had a pretty intimate relationship with the work of JD Salinger. I always saw myself as a Glass kid, someone who doesn't fit just right in the world.

JD Salinger taught me that dialogue should be tight and real at the same time, which is harder than it sounds. He also taught me to love and appreciate gymnastics with the written word. He taught me that sometimes fiction isn't exactly about what it's actually about, and he (along with a certain college writing professor) challenged me to be brave and to take chances with the words I write (even if I'm not so brave about sharing them).

I love the work of JD Salinger, particularly the Nine Stories and Franny and Zooey. I would place those among the works that have changed or molded me in some significant way.

I can't say I'm terribly upset about Salinger's death. I'm maybe a little bit melancholy, but mostly I'm excited. Salinger always claimed to be writing, writing evey day as he hid away from fame and the media. The idea that there is work out there yet to be released is thrilling to me.

That's my cat. His name is Salinger.

Orphans in Haiti

2010-01-27T16:32:00.003-05:00

I know you are all aware of the tragedies currently going on in Haiti. I am still in contact with the wonderful agency we were using for international adoption from Kyrgyzstan. They were/ are handling adoptions from Haiti.

What is happening right now is that while many Americans are inquiring about adopting Haitian orphans, there is a hold on all adoptions from Haiti to the United States. Some orphans did get home, thank God, but they are the ones who had already been matched with their families in the US.

The reason for the hold is so that children who have living family members who have not found them yet will not accidentally be identified as orphans and offered up for adoption. Of course this makes sense. However what does not make sense is that those children who were known to be orphans and living in the orphanages waiting for families are also not allowed to be adopted at this time.

Haiti's government does not fund its orphanages. Adoption agencies fund orphanages with the money that they get from the adoptions. Without adoptions, orphanages are going to be out of money very quickly. The orphanage from the adoption agency I know are damaged from the earthquake and having a very hard time getting formula for the babies and diapers and food for the children.

I'm asking you to please help in a big or small way. I know that we are all facing tough economic times right now, but believe me when I say that it's nothing compared to what these Haitian orphans face.

There are two things you can do.

You can donate. You can send donations through Paypal on THIS SITE. Give whatever you can. Every bit helps. I can tell you without reservation that these people care deeply about the kids and will use the money you send to help them.

When you check out through Paypal, be sure to say that the money is for Haiti. You can also donate by sending a check to International Child Foundation, 11449 N. Mandarin Ln., Tucson AZ 85737

The second thing you can do is write to your representatives and tell them you are concerned about this situation. The more people they hear from, the more they will care.

Our adoption journey has opened my eyes to the horrific conditions little children face all over the world. It is truly heartbreaking, and I believe that we have a duty as human beings to do what we can to help them.

Peace.

The Sickness is Upon Us

2010-01-25T14:30:00.003-05:00

Kaylie didn't eat much this weekend. She also slept a lot and acted kind of funky. We thought maybe she was getting a cold.

Then came last night. We put Kaylie to bed at 7 as usual, but she stayed awake talking to herself and playing with her Brobee doll until close to 9. (I gave her some motrin because she seemed a little warm). She slept until midnight. And then nobody slept.

You could have visited us at 3am. Kaylie and I were up and watching Dora the Explorer most of the night.

My little peanut is all warm and has that sick smell to her breath (you know what I mean?). She wants to play but she falls down a lot and is easily brought to tears. She can't sleep because she's stuffy.

And us? We both feel awful too, but we don't know if it's The Sickness or just lack of sleep.

Happy Birthday, Mom!! (and something funny)

2010-01-21T09:39:00.008-05:00

Today my mom celebrates 60 years of being fabulous!!

Happy Birthday, beautiful MOM!!! We love you so much!

This is something that made me laugh out loud. I borrowed it from a blog I like called It Was Funny In My Head (she makes some great Yo Gabba Gabba cupcakes over there). It was written by a 3rd grader.

Goodbye, Bailey

2010-01-20T10:08:00.003-05:00

Today we say goodbye to a beautiful, sweet dog. Bailey is my mom's dog. We love her very much, and she will be missed.

My Beautiful Girl

2010-01-14T10:16:00.005-05:00

Valentine's Day & Lunar New Year

2010-01-09T22:10:00.004-05:00

The very talented Tommi has created some really cute cards for Valentine's Day and for the Lunar New Year celebrations (Chinese New Year/Tet).

This is very cool because she can customize them for the holiday your family celebrates. I think it's a great idea for families who have adopted children from China or Vietnam to send Lunar New Year cards. It's such a neat way to share some of your child's culture with friends and family.

Here are the links:

Valentine's Day Cards (see my baby as a card model!)

Lunar New Year Cards

Tommi also does party invitations and scrapbook pages. Her work is unique and so cute. And I'm not just saying that because she's my friend and the mommy of our precious Anabelle!

A portion of her card sales goes to help children in Vietnam.

Check out her cards and pass this info along to anyone you think might be interested.

Happy Birthday, Elvis!

2010-01-08T10:49:00.002-05:00

20 Months

2010-01-03T12:55:00.003-05:00

Kaylie is 20 months old today, and I thought I'd catch you up on what our daily life looks like.

Each day we read the same stories again and again and again and again... there is no such thing as enough.

We are no longer startled when some mechanical toy goes off unexpectedly. This happens constantly.

We do a lot of dancing. I mean a lot.

Favorite activities include EAT, GO BYE-BYE and MORE JUICE. Chasing the cats in order to give them kisses is also a fun way to spend time.

We have every episode of Yo Gabba Gabba memorized. Oh yeah. I have scary dreams about DJ Lance.

Everything must be done independently, from putting on a hat to stacking blocks. There will be no help requested or tolerated, even if we are impossibly late.

We spend a lot of time looking at snow, naming it snow and admiring pictures of snow in books and magazines. However, touching the snow triggers huge repulsion.

Any unwelcome change or leaving an activity requires a huge tantrum complete with big tears and writhing on the floor.

If you are missing something, you are most likely to find it in the trash (aka the place where we put found items).

Our lives are a little bit new each day, and we love it! (most of the time)

Then and Now

2009-12-31T18:24:00.009-05:00

Christmas 2008...

Christmas 2009...

Superstar!

2009-12-19T19:07:00.002-05:00

Got Nog?

2009-12-18T18:28:00.003-05:00

I left half a glass of eggnog on the table, and Murray found it.

Introducing BLAKE

2009-12-17T07:17:00.002-05:00

My wonderful Southern friend, Coco, has done it again! She is now the proud mother of three beautiful boys. Here are her two youngest. That's Leo and the brand new beautiful baby boy, Blake.
Congratualtions to the happy family of FIVE!

Mom Says

2009-12-13T18:27:00.002-05:00

Mom had a very sweet response to my Christmas tree post, so I wanted to share it with you... (Rob is my brother. Sammie and Charley were dogs.)

I remember our first Christmas. Your dad and I were living in a tiny apartment in Tulsa. We had decided not to get a Christmas tree that year. We didn't think the expense was worth it since we were spending Christmas with my family. The day before we were to leave, your uncle Tim who was about 9 came up our sidewalk dragging a Christmas tree behind him. It had been the tree in his class room and when the teacher asked if anyone knew of someone too poor to have a tree, he raised his hand. So with his help we set up the bedraggled tree with its tinsel sagging. He was disappointed that we didn't have a tree topper so we went out and bought that little angle that topped on our tree for so many years. You remember it. I remember all the years that all the ornaments on the bottom half of the tree were unbreakable. The year Sammie ate the candy canes on the tree and the year she opened all the gifts. There was the year Rob pulled all the tags off the gifts and we didn't know who was suppose to get each gift. I remember Charley who loved to lay under the tree. He would crawl under but just stand up to get out. That poor tree fell over so many times and was so beat up, we just tossed it when we moved. Rob had made an ornament in preschool that none of us could figure out what it was. It looked somewhat like a pear. Charley ate it one year. Remember when Charley would steal the baby Jesus from the manger scene and carry him around. Those and all the others like them are what I remember and hold dear. All the years when you and Rob touched the ornaments and looked at the tree with such wonderment.

So treasure this year and all the others like it. They will be precious to you over the years.

....................
Thanks, Mom! I love you!

O %&#&# Christmas Tree

2009-12-12T18:28:00.005-05:00

Today we managed to choose, buy, erect and decorate our Christmas tree. Trust me, this was no easy task.

You try putting up a tree in a forty year-old playpen when one of you is mostly blind and your "helpers" are a 19-month-old and a 125 pound dog. Oh yeah. Good times.

I can tell you that the tree is standing. There was, actually, only one collapse (uh-oh) that thankfully didn't kill the goldfish (although it was touch and go for a minute). The goldfish, Bob, seems to be exhibiting some post traumatic stress symptoms.

The lights are rather uneven. I like to think of those dark spots as black holes. And the tree does lean slightly to one side, but if you don't like it you can lean to one side to look at. There are no ornaments lower than 2 1/2 feet high because of a couple of grabby hands.

Yeah, our tree is awesome! Let Christmas begin!

The Fabulous Kids In My Life

2009-12-07T08:41:00.005-05:00

I am honored, blessed and thrilled to be a Very Special Person to these amazing kids. I love you!

Kaylie & Coco in the dresses my oh-so-talented mom made for them.

This picture is like a Mini United Nations at Christmas.... and things aren't going well.

My Big Kids

Yuletide Child Abuse

2009-12-04T13:48:00.004-05:00

I'm told that one day we'll both look back on this and laugh. I know - you're laughing now!

Deck the Halls

2009-11-30T22:05:00.004-05:00

Good Morning, Baltimore

2009-11-27T14:36:00.005-05:00

Hello from Baltimore. It's actually afternoon, but I don't know any songs about Baltimore in the afternoon.
What a great day!
Here is Kaylie at the aquarium. She really enjoyed herself. She saw fish, jellyfish, stingrays and sharks. She loved the dolphins the most.

Here is Kaylie at lunch with her very own dolphin.

And here she is right now. She's worn out from the fun! I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

Happy Birthday, Lauren!

2009-11-18T18:39:00.004-05:00

Holiday Fun With The Kitty

2009-11-16T22:33:00.003-05:00

Get Holiday Cards & Help People In Vietnam

2009-11-06T14:04:00.004-05:00

Some of you know my friend Tommi and you know her connection to Vietnam and how much she cares for the people there. She's started a great new business and is donating some of the profits to help the Vietnamese people. If you haven't gotten your holiday cards yet, please take a look at this:

Ready to send out your holiday cards? Thinking of the hassle and stress that comes with along with it? Worried about the extra expense this year? Let us help!

A holiday card should come from the heart, but should not have to cost a fortune. It is a simple way to send a warm smile and share the season with your friends and family.

By purchasing your Holiday Photo Cards at Ladybugs and Red Thread Scrap Shoppe.com, you are also sending a smile to a child across the world. 5% of each order directly benefits the children of Vietnam through our charity Moms for Vietnam. Our current efforts are focused on Typhoon Ketsana relief packages, which include emergency food and blankets. This terrible storm left hundreds dead and thousands without shelter. With your purchase, you can help make a difference this Holiday Season!

Visit Ladybugs and Red Thread Scrap Shoppe to
Enter the Holiday Photo Card GIVEAWAY!
www.ladybugsandredthreadscrapshoppecards.blogspot.com

18 Crazy Months & Free Tomato Sauce

2009-11-03T21:39:00.002-05:00

Kaylie is 18 months old today. Unbelievable.

Something I learned today is that it's very hard to get an 18 month old to hold still while you have her portraits taken. The word the photographer used was "hyper".

I keep meaning to post more shopping deals, so here's one for tomato sauce. It works through November 7th.

Go here and play the game. When you are finished you will be asked to choose a character. Choose the Hunts person. This will give you a printable coupon for $1 off of 3 cans of Hunts tomato sauce.

Clip the 3/$1 Hunts tomato sauce coupon out of the Walgreens circular (if you don't have one, you can get them at Walgreens).

And there you have 3 free cans of tomato sauce.

Halloween!

2009-11-01T10:06:00.005-05:00

Hangin' With the Big Girls at the Parade

2009-10-30T18:50:00.005-04:00

Thank You, Thank You Very Much

2009-10-23T10:25:00.004-04:00

Murray went as Elvis to our local Petsmart's Halloween party. He wore Skip's gold jacket from our 5th anniversary, Elvis sun glasses and a scarf around his neck with pictures of cats. Everyone recognized him as the dog who was the Pope the year before. He & Kaylie led the parade, and Murray won a $5 gift card!

The Three Cutest Girls at Sesame Place

2009-10-11T19:40:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday Lila, Ava & Olivia

2009-10-03T19:56:00.003-04:00

Today was a birthday party for Kaylie's friends who turned 3 years old last week. Happy birthday, girls!

We also discovered that we have a blog fan we didn't know about before. Hello, Mrs Zink!

Football Sadness

2009-09-29T12:59:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite parts of fall is settling in on a weekend to watch football with Skip (and now Kaylie). We're still able to do that this year, but there is a bit of a damper on it for me.

I know you will not all agree with me, and that's okay. This is how I feel. I'm not talking about legality or someone's right to have a job. I'm talking about my own personal feelings.

Of course I'm referring to Michael Vick, a new Eagles team member this year who is recently out of jail for dog fighting and cruelty to animals.

I've been an Eagles fan since I moved to Philadelphia. I believe in rooting for the team of the town where you live. (Of course I will always be a KC Chiefs fan even if they never win another game... which sadly, is possible). But I cannot be an Eagles fan anymore. I cannot cheer for someone who would kill dogs for fun. I just can't do it.

I know he did his jail time and he says he is sorry. And maybe he does have the right to play again and make tons of money as a football player. I don't know. But I personally cannot support the Eagles with him on the team.

This is not the same thing as someone who made a mistake and now regrets it. This is not a situation where he will suddenly realize he was wrong. Any person who would willingly torture an animal is messed up inside. There is something wrong with this man in his head and in his heart. He is sick. And it makes me sick to watch him play.

Count me as a former Eagles fan. I still enjoy some good football, though. I think I'm joining the Pats club with my husband. And go Chiefs! You know my love is unconditional!

H1N1 Confusion

2009-09-26T20:43:00.002-04:00

Is anyone else confused about this?

Some articles I'm reading say that H1N1 is still very serious for children and that people should have their kids vaccinated or risk being a Bad Parent.
But Kaylie's pediatrician says that only children with immunity issues are even eligible to get the vaccine.

Are other parents hearing the same thing from their pediatricians? Kaylie's doc definitely indicated that it was not their decision but rather came from a higher place. Who? I don't know. Are they going to vaccinate at-risk kids first and then open it up to healthy children? I don't understand.

What's the deal? If you know, please comment. Thanks!

Tantrum Queen

2009-09-22T15:57:00.001-04:00

My favorite 9 and 6 year-olds "wrote" this song about Kaylie...

You are the Tantrum Queen,
Young and sweet, only seventeen (months)
Tantrum Queen,
We can hear you yell and scream.
You can cry. You can whine,
Having the time of your life.
Ooooh, see that girl. Watch that scene.
Diggin' the Tantrum Queen.

Vacay in AK

2009-09-15T17:10:00.026-04:00

We had an amazing time on our trip to Alaska. It was beautiful and unique. We took almost 400 pictures. Here are just a few.

Kaylie checks the bags

in the airport in Seattle

view from the train from Anchorage to Seward

eating ice cream on the train with Grammie & Grandma

more beautiful scenery from the train

on the train with Gramps

The Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau

the closest we got to a bear

on a bus trip in Juneau

the incredible Hubbard Glacier

Gramps and Kaylie on the beach at Icy Straight Point

Aunt Rosie, Uncle Jeff & Kaylie at ISP

the cruise ship at ISP

Daddy, Gramps, Mommy, Grandma and Kaylie on the White Pass Railroad

view from the White Pass train in Skagway

on the train

Alaska moon

Kaylie in Ketchikan

on the ship in Ketchikan

Ketchikan

Gramps and Kaylie in Vancouver

Kaylie in Vancouver

Grandma, Kaylie, Gramps and Daddy on the trolley in Vancouver

We loved every part of this trip. Each stop had its own special atmosphere and unique story. We learned about the people who came to Alaska in search of gold, about all kinds of wildlife and even about Alaskan red light districts. Vancouver has an incredible park with a great aquarium and all sorts of things to do. It was truly a fabulous trip!

Just like Mommy...

2009-09-15T16:06:00.004-04:00

2003 Niagara Falls

2009 Ketchikan Alaska

I posted this pic of Kaylie in Alaska and noted it looked a lot like a pic of Munchkin in Niagara Falls from 2003. You decide...

A Beautiful Day

2009-09-01T20:31:00.003-04:00

Our friend, Sue, took these wonderful pictures of Kaylie at the playground today. Thanks so much Sue! It's good to have talented friends.

Free Pasta

2009-08-30T14:37:00.003-04:00

I try to spend as little money as possible on groceries and other everyday items, using the savings to pay down debt or to get my little booper something that makes her smile (I know, that's not very practical, but it brings us both a lot of joy!).
I've been really digging into the sales and coupons lately. It's a hobby that I enjoy, and I get a big rush from saving money. It truly does take some skill and effort to do it right. I thought maybe I would start posting some of these great finds so that others, especially in this area, can get the same savings.
So today I went to Pathmark where they are having a sale on Barilla pasta. It's 98 cents I think, definitely less than a dollar. Recently (maybe last week?) they had a coupon in the Sunday paper for 55 cents off the tiny Barilla pasta (perfect for Kaylie). Pathmark doubles up to a dollar, so guess what? Free pasta, baby!
Is anyone else into this stuff? Please feel free to post your finds here!

Chuck E Cheese

2009-08-29T20:56:00.005-04:00

Beautiful, Smart AND Talented

2009-08-25T21:13:00.003-04:00

Summer Fun

2009-08-20T21:22:00.005-04:00

Storybook Land '09

2009-08-19T21:04:00.001-04:00

Word Explosion!

2009-08-15T15:13:00.002-04:00

Kaylie's vocabulary is just bursting lately. It seems like she comes out with a new word every day. We just look at each other and shrug. How did she learn that?
Her first "word" was num-num, which she said when she was just eight months old and she wanted to eat. Now she can tell you what she wants to eat: banana, cracker and last night she said - pork roll!
She can name her family members and friends: Mama, Dada, Doggie, Kitty, Sissy (Lauren), Baba (Ben), Nana, Poppy, Coco, Mo and just recently Maa-Maw (Grandma), Maa-Mee (Grammie) and Pop (Grandpop). She recognizes her Gramps but just can't seem to form a word for him. I'm sure it will happen very soon!
She also says baby, hi, bye-bye, ball, down, up, pretty, hop hop, Elmo, Abby, fish and the very popular NO. She goes up to forbidden items (outlets for example) and sings a little song as she messes with them (nooooo, no, no, nooo, no, no...).
I'm sure there are a few words I've forgotten, and she's probably picked up a few more as I've been writing this!

Shore Had Fun

2009-08-08T17:32:00.004-04:00

We spent today at the shore with some friends. It was Kaylie's first time in the ocean! The weather was perfect. Kaylie had a great time in the water and the sand.

I'm addicted

2009-08-05T15:07:00.000-04:00

2009-08-05T12:53:00.000-04:00

Wordle

2009-08-05T12:38:00.002-04:00

My friend, Anne, made some of these wordles and I thought they were cool. I'm not sure how to make mine bigger, but I'm working on it.

Can You Tell Me How To Get, How To Get To Sesame Street?

2009-08-04T19:10:00.003-04:00

Today we went to Sesame Place with Aunt Mo & Coco (sadly, Sibyl couldn't join us - we missed you!). It was fun for several reasons. We got to spend the day with two of our favorite people. Also they have a lifesize recreation of the famous fictional street. I have to admit that as one of the original Sesame Street fans, I was pretty dazzled by Big Bird's house, Oscar's trash can, Mr. Hooper's store and Maria's Fix-It shop, not to mention the steps pictured above at 123 Sesame Street!

The highlight of the day was Elmo's World Live. Kaylie loves Elmo, and she went nuts when she saw him larger than life. It was "Mel-Mo" "Mel-Mo" all day. Before we left, we got her a little Elmo doll and she kissed it all the way home.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Murray!

2009-08-03T10:08:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday, Ben

2009-08-01T19:25:00.002-04:00

Today my favorite 5-year-old became my favorite 6-year-old. Happy Birthday, Big B!

After

2009-07-24T21:04:00.001-04:00

During

2009-07-19T19:29:00.001-04:00

Before...

2009-07-18T20:18:00.000-04:00

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-04T13:50:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday, Anabelle!

2009-06-28T18:38:00.006-04:00

Today was our friend, Anabelle's, 2nd birthday party! The Minnie Mouse theme was fun, and Anabelle was adorable. We had a super time! Thank you Anabelle & Tommi!

2009-06-28T14:54:00.002-04:00

Here are the girls last year at Anabelle's 1st birthday. We've come a long way!

Yoga Baby

2009-06-25T14:38:00.001-04:00

Tennessee

2009-06-18T10:03:00.005-04:00

Go Phillies!

2009-06-10T08:48:00.002-04:00

School Daze

2009-06-04T20:46:00.005-04:00

It's official. School is out. My Ben graduated from Kindergarten this year. Here are a couple of pictures of the ceremony and a picture of Kaylie visiting Lauren's class. We are ready for a great summer!

Strawberries!

2009-05-30T13:57:00.006-04:00

We had a great time this morning picking strawberries with Aunt Mo & Coco and Aunt Tommi & Anabelle!

Kaylie enjoying the fruits of her labor!

finding the best berries

checking out her basket

Strawberry girls Coco, Kaylie, & Belle

Presenting THE QUILT!

2009-05-29T18:44:00.002-04:00

Remember the squishes? Here is the "friends and family" quilt using all the squishes (a square of fabric plus a wish) from family and close friends. My mother made it, and it is just stunning. I am going to hang it in Kaylie's room.

For more squishes, see May - September of 2007.

My Murray

2009-05-24T23:08:00.003-04:00

Cool in the Pool

2009-05-23T14:15:00.000-04:00

May Flowers

2009-05-15T15:57:00.007-04:00

We've had some nice weather, and we are soaking up the spring.

Kaylie's One Year Photos (with Murray!)

2009-05-08T17:28:00.005-04:00

More Birthday Pictures

2009-05-06T19:33:00.007-04:00