Naughty Doggie Strikes Again!

She did it again! Tonight I went into the bathroom to give the kids their showers and there it was - again! Apparently I learn my lessons slow! For whatever reason, one I'm not sure I'll ever figure out, Darby has taken to enjoying a good snack on the kids bath sponges! I get it now - no more bath sponges! The thing that cracks me up is that she manages to get in and out of the shower w/ the curtain pulled and leaves no evidence of her sneaky behavior on the outside of the curtain!

New Photos

Just a quick note to let you all know that I've finally loaded some pictures to my flicker account. I'm still working on labeling everything but so far they cover August and September. Enjoy!

Teddy Bear Clinic

Today Allison had her first kindergarten field trip. The local hospital near us offers a Teddy Bear Clinic to area kindergarten classes. Jacob went when he was in kindergarten and now it was Allison's turn. The purpose of the clinic is to expose children to the Emergency Room if they should ever have to have their own visit and to teach them it's not so scary! The kids brought their own stuffed animals with various sicknesses and ailments.
We left the school on the school bus and went into the hospital in the back of the ER. First into a room for "admissions" and registered the "patients". Allison took her bear, Maddy, who fell off her skateboard and hurt her arm. Maddy received her ID bracelet and directions as to where to go next.

Next we had Maddy's x-ray taken to see if there were any broken bones.

Then to triage where her arm was put in a splint and bandaged. Allison received instructions on how to care for Maddy - lots of rest, hugs and kisses and to leave the splint on for 3 days - it was only a sprain and not a break.

We then went to the discharge desk to get "signed out". It was really cute! :o)
Allison had a blast showing off her bear and having me meet all her new friends at school!

From The Mouth Of Babes!

I've come to expect the unexpected from Allison. She is so far from routine that she is always keeping us on my toes. She has never been super mischievious, but just keeping us on our toes with everyday life from things she says to what she wants to drink at meals - never the same. Jacob on the other hand likes routine and is happy to have the same thing to eat and drink day after day! It probably seems even more unusual to me since Jacob is older and since day one has loved a repetitive routine - since birth, Allison has not! Allison's imagination and conversations with us sometimes just crack me up - last night was no exception!

We were in the midst of our bedtime routine, when Allison decided to announce "Tomorrow, I'm going to Weight Watchers!". What?! So of course we responded that she didn't need to go to Weight Watchers and that was just sometimes what grown ups do. Since January both kids have been hearing the Weight Watchers terminology since both my mom and I have been going weekly. Eric then walks Allison to her room to say good night and she then announces that "I think I'll skip the meeting and just go to weigh in!".

Yikes!!!!!!!

The Last Horray!

No soccer, no committment, beautiful weather, warm temperatures.... what else would our family do on a weekend in September?! What else but eat up every last ounce of summer and head to OC! Fall officially arrived on Sunday so the clock was ticking!

I left right after Jacob got off the bus - the car was all packed and ready to go! The kids, the dog, and I got down there by dinner time and Eric arrived shortly after as he came right from work.

Saturday was spent at the beach. It wasn't a brilliant sunny day but nice just to be there relaxing. The kids did some boogie boarding, sand castle building, and some frisbee games! After the beach, everyone and I do mean everyone, took a short naps. I'm finding that our weekly schedule is a bit crazy at times and the kids are worn out by week end. The nap was definately a necessity for the kiddos! After dinner, the 4 of us and my parents all headed up to the boardwalk for perhaps the last of the rides for 2007! Since the crowds were minimum, we got lots accomplished! All 6 of us even went on the "big" bumper cars. Jacob is tall enough to do them himself so he really enjoys them over the "kid" bumper cars! I'm not sure when the last time we got my parents on a ride! The kids are outgrowing the "kiddie" rides and moving up to the "big" rides. This is fine for Jacob since he has the height going for him, but Allison isn't quite tall enough to fulfill her "thrill" factor! Jacob is the cautious of the two of them. In order for Allison to go on many of the rides that excite her, she must have a grown up! Unfortunately, my stomach doesn't do well on much more than the Merry-Go-Round, so Eric usually goes on! The new trill ride is the Tidal Wave - Allison's new favorite ride! Jacob tolerated it and probably wouldn't pick it but is afraid he'll miss out on something if he sits out.

Sunday was the annual OC Corvette Show on the boardwalk. So since this is the 2nd year my dad has had his antique corvette, he entered it into the parade. All the corvettes, new and old, drove from the OC airport to the boardwalk and up to 6th St. My dad was actually parked around 12th street. It's quite a site - just about the entire boardwalk is double lined with hundreds and hundreds of corvettes! The kids and us went to the beach for some fun in the sun first then later joined my parents on the boardwalk for the show. It was a hot sunny day so the kids patience wore out rather quickly but we stayed long enough to get some water ice and carmel popcorn!
Typically we don't get down to OC much after September but we may manage a day trip or so in October - there are some fun activities on the boardwalk for Halloween this year!

Mother Of The Year Award!

Yesterday I earned the "Mother of the Year Award"! How you ask? Well, for about 1 week, Allison has every so often and very casually mentioned that her right ear hurt. Within 10 minutes of her declaration, her ear doesn't hurt anymore! A couple of days later, the conversation repeats and again, a miraculous healing! Each time she mentions her ear hurts it's typically as soon as she wakes up. Yesterday morning was no different. After a few probing questions to eliminate somethings, I was told that without a doubt it was pain in her right ear but deep down inside the ear. So, that eliminated problems with her newly pierced ears or even swimmer's ear. Enough is enough - we're going to the Dr. Our appointment was late in the afternoon after our already scheduled dentist appointments. During the day a friend mentioned perhaps she was getting a molar and that was causing the pain. Never gave that a thought. While at the dentist I just mentioned her ear pain and asked if she was getting molars there. Nope! Well, next stop the pediatrician!

Within seconds and just a quick glance, there was no doubt she had a pretty severe middle ear infection! Great - what kind of mother am I?! Jokingly, the Dr. said that perhaps next time she complained of something, I should bring her in sooner! :o) Nice salt in the wound!

So now of course every 5 minutes she is making sure that I know her ear hurts! I'm not sure if it really does hurt that bad or if it just hurts so much now because she knows something is wrong!

I can't win... when I rush them into the Dr's office for something that I predict is clearly the problem, there is nothing wrong. Then when I hold out b/c I'm certain there isn't anything wrong, there is!

Soccer Season Kickoff!

Today was the season opener for soccer! Jacob is playing on the travel soccer team this year - a much different experience! They all looked so professional with their uniforms and bags! Too cute!We opened with an away game about 45 minutes away. It was a warm day and quite sunny. The boys did great for their first game - a little tense for the parents though! Despite the 4-2 loss, they played their little hearts out and seemed to be having fun too! I have a feeling it will be a tiring practice on Thursday! :o) Our next game is next Sunday!

Allison enjoyed the game too, although I'm not sure she saw any of the game! She and some of the other sisters watched a video (one great mom thought to bring a portable dvd player - it wasn't me!) and colored while snacking on goldfish!

After the game we hit 5 Guys for dinner and Rita's for dessert. If you haven't tried 5 Guys, they are a must for burgers - one of our favorites!

The Last Swim!

Today was the last opportunity for us to use the swim club for 2007! We got there at opening. For the first 45 minutes, we were the only family there! Very nice - our own private pool! The weather was warm and made for a perfect day at the pool. We had to depart early as we had another swim party to attend for soccer! No better way to spend a hot day in September than in the pool - wherever it happens to be!

Dinner At The Pool

Our swim club decided to stay open for an additional weekend this year. The new schedule was perfect for us as the kids only had 1/2 day so we headed over there after Jacob got off the bus!

A few families, including us decided to order some pizza and stay for dinner. So Eric arrived shortly before the 6 pizzas! So we all gathered under the pavillion for dinner! The kids all sat together and had a great time. For once, the boys out numbered the girls!

We closed the pool down at 7pm! What a great way to wrap up summer!

How Allison Knows To Get Off The Bus

Yesterday morning I decided to have a conversation with Allison about how she will know when to get off the bus after school. She is the last stop of about 15 so her ride is a little long. So here is how the conversation went....

Me: "Allison, don't get off the bus until Mrs. Skeenes, the bus driver, tells you it's your stop and you can see Luke & Julianna's house. Besides I'll be at the corner waiting."

Allison: "I know, but I can also look for the red sign at the corner"
(translation - the stop sign!)

Me: "Allison, all the streets have that red sign, just wait for Mrs. Skeenes to tell you."

I'm happy to report she got off at the right "red sign"!

The 1st Day Of School!

Well, it's officially here and I am officially the mother of 2 school age children! Jacob started 2nd grade and Allison is now in 1/2 day kindergarten! Wow!

We started our morning off with the street's 2nd Annual Back To School Breakfast Bash At The Bus Stop! I started this last year after reading it in a magazine. After a successful 1st year, we decided to make it a street tradition! Everyone brought little additions to add to the breakfast and piled it into our wagon and had breakfast while we waited for the school bus! All the kids were very excited to be sporting their new backpacks and clothes! The bus arrived and off they went! What will I do with my time????

Labor Day Rides!

After spending my entire childhood going on every imaginable ride both on the boardwalk and at amusement parks, something has changed. I can't figure it out other than old age, but I just can not do most of the amusements! About the only thing I can handle is a medium rollar coaster, and the merry-go-round! So that leave Eric to take the kids on the rest! Looks like they are having fun!

Playground and Water Ice For All!

After closing the beach yet again, we were all too tired to venture to the boardwalk. So instead we opted for a trip to the playground followed by some waterice! My sister spent sometime helping Allison with her basketball skills!



Can you guess what kind of water ice Abby enjoyed?

Homemade Sand Chairs!

Today when we arrived at the beach, there were cliffs along the waters edge about 1 1/2 feet - 2 feet tall. The kids were thrilled with the new landscaped beach. They quickly decided to make chairs for themselves and also made one for Abby! Amazing how sand in an unusual shape and display can keep kids occupied for hours. Later in the day, the cliff became a sliding board!