Some fall fun!

Playing in the leaves on the 75 degree day.

One busy weekend

This past weekend was full of fun, and full of parties. The girls' bedtime has been pushed back with all of our revelry lately. We are going to have to start adjusting bedtimes August 1st so we are ready for school start again! But we are having a blast and it's summer so win,win.

Saturday we went to Henry's first birthday party. Can't believe that cutie is one already!

Birthday Boy!

 Stephanie and Scott had such a fun party planned. Henry was such a good birthday boy too. I remember B was so clingy because of her teethers. Brynn loved Henry's slide birthday present. She kept going up and down the slide while they opened presents. She loves slides now!

Watch me go!

Hey H, can you give me a lift?

  The girls and Mark met baby Evelyn on Friday. It was so cute. Brynn was confused at first. "Why are Mommy and Daddy holding another baby?" She'd loved pointing at Evelyn and saying "baby,baby." Claire was very excited to meet Evelyn especially since she wanted to come with me to San Francisco in May. Claire loved being able to hold Evelyn. She told us to stop taking pictures with flash so we wouldn't bother the baby. I wish I had a video of that moment to share but I don't. I was nearby with arms at the ready just in case.

Uncle Mark Meeting E!

Cousins!

 Sunday was Evelyn's baptism.  We were a busy family this weekend.  Everyday Claire still wakes up and asks: "What are we doing today?  What party are we doing?"

Claire and Evelyn at E's Luncheon.

Thanks for reading,

Katie

Curse you daycare and your little germs too....

Well daycare germs have struck again...on the first week of summer vacation we are suffering from hand, foot and mouth disease, a nasty cough and leprosy.  (okay maybe not leprosy)  Thursday we get a call from daycare, "We had a case of Hand, Foot and Mouth disease reported this week.  They broke out with it on Sunday so Brynn would have been exposed on Friday." She proceeds to tell me the warning signs of this lovely illness.  Low and behold this would explain B's pink spot on her lip and hand.  Lovely.  I started googling.  Its basically sores and blisters in or around your mouth with a skin rash on your hands and feet.  The mouth blisters are the worst from my research.  It feels like a horrible sore throat.  Here is what I found, should you want to learn about this awesomeness. CDC: Hand foot and Mouth

Fortunately after reading all of this, and getting worried about the terror I saw other parents reporting, (because, of course, I found a blog sharing horror stories about this illness while googling) B did not have a severe case at all.  Maybe like 5 spots on her hands and feet total.  She was good after three days.  Unfortunately, Brynn became patient zero again.  Remember in February (during break, mind you) how we were decimated with the flu?  Brynn got it (from daycare), I got it, Claire got it, Mark got it and our carpet got it.  Also, due to the fact it was paczki weekend and everyone came over to make paczki on Saturday, Laura got it, my parents both got it, and Kristen, visiting from San Francisco and pregnant, got it.

Claire got the fever on Saturday with a sore throat, she never had any spots though but she wasn't very comfortable for about four days.  She is over it now, thankfully.  And, bah, bah, bah....Mark got it the worst of anyone.  He came down with it this past Saturday and six days later is still dealing with it. Brynn also shared this with her cousin Henry too.  Sorry Henry!  I , knock on some wood quick, have not gotten it.  I think what saved me was a nasty cough and cold I had at the beginning of the week and I took precautions not to share anything with the kids, so they would not get my cold.  Also Mark was watching the kids Monday-Wednesday that week because I had three full days of professional development.  So while he was doing some excellent father-daughter bonding, and I was learning about blended learning for kindergarten, he also bonded to hand, foot and mouth disease.  Never thought I would say thank you to professional development the first three days of summer break but, Thank You!

The first few days of summer vacation for me consisted of sanitizing every toy the children own. (I've discovered we have many, many toys.)  I've also cleaned the bathrooms -- a lot , and the kitchen -- a lot, and done a lot of laundry.  This may have been overboard since its only "mildly contagious"  but with the everyone visiting for Henry's first birthday and Kristen, Andy and baby Evelyn visiting for Evelyn's baptism, I don't want to spread this anymore...we don't want a repeat of February.

I mentioned the nasty cough.  I have it and now Brynn has it.  Poor thing doesn't sleep that well at all she's coughing so much.  We have an appointment tomorrow for her.  It's summertime you shouldn't have a cough!  Mine's still hanging on too.  It's annoying.  I also have an icky rash.  I don't know what it is.  I went to the general practitioner, nothing, and the dermatologist who prescribed something that was supposed to clear it up "in a few days".  It didn't.  Two weeks later I went back for a follow up since it was only getting worse.  I now have a huge bruise on my leg and two stitches since they took two biopsies to figure out what it is.  I should find out tomorrow.  I really hope so. I'm not worried its anything bad, I just want to stop itching and to have nice looking arms and legs, without all of my spots.   I'll even take my varicose veins so long as I don't itch and don't have anymore spots!

Well this post was really uplifting. Sorry.  I'll be more positive next time.

Thanks for reading,
Katie
  

Easter 2012

I just found this post that I started but never posted so Happy Easter, in June!

This Easter the girls and I spent at my parents' house.  Mark was out traipsing through Italy.  (Technically he was flying home from Italy) We moved in Friday Afternoon and stayed until we picked up Mark from the airport on Sunday evening.

Friday was spent dyeing Easter Eggs with Papa.  Claire had a good time and I think Papa did too.  Brynn hung out in her high chair.

 Brynn's model pose.

Saturday morning we went to food blessing at my parents' church.  Brynn stayed home and slept but, as you can see, Claire was very excited to go.

Then it was time to do Aunt Lo's makeup.  Claire likes playing beauty shop.  Aunt Lo was happy to oblige her.

Easter morning was fun.  Claire found the Easter eggs and we had our blessed food from Saturday.  I love Easter morning and all of its traditions.  The food, the egg hunts and baskets, Mass. It was neat to be back at my parents for an Easter morning and redo those same traditions.  Mark and I do them as well but I got to relive my childhood, well without Laura on a mad dash for Easter Eggs.

"What is this?" 

 

 

After naps the girls and I left to pick Mark up from the airport.  Claire was super excited but Brynn did not want to be in the car any longer.  As a result we didn't make it up for the family Easter but we had a nice McDonald's dinner for Easter!

Happy Easter!

Claire and Mark's latest evening ritual

Playing Mario while Claire watches with Elmo.

Happy Birthday Brynn!

Look at how big I am!

Brynn's birthday festivities are complete!  Friday, March 16th was B's actual birthday and we celebrated with potato pancakes.  Nana was in town to celebrate too so we had a mini celebration for Brynn, with Nana, Aunt Stephanie, Uncle Scott, Henry, Aunt Lo and Uncle Bryan, Gaga and Papa.  (Its much easier to make potato pancakes for a crowd then for a few:)  We sang Happy Birthday and she enjoyed a cupcake the neighbor brought over since Brynn and her dog share a birthday.  (Their dogs are like family.)  She got good and messy.  Here's a tip: don't feed your baby something with chocolate frosting because after a while it doesn't look like chocolate. (sorry for the mental image!)

I think I like this!

After she got cleaned up it was bedtime.  The next day was supposed to be busy with pictures and cake making.  I say supposed to because Brynn came down with the stomach bug.  She slept almost ALL DAY Saturday.  She was not feeling well.  Poor baby.  So we made the decision to postpone the party a week.  That was tough because it meant that Nana wasn't going to be able to be at the big party since she had to fly out on Tuesday.  (We took lots of pictures though for you!)

This Sunday rolled around and we stepped into high gear to make the party happen.  It was a rainbow themed party because her birthday is the day before St. Patrick's Day so rainbows made sense to me.  I rainbow-ed it up!  Rainbow streamers, rainbow cupcakes, rainbow sprinkled pretzels, candy dots...the whole shebang!  I may have went a wee bit overboard.

Rainbow fruit tray--The strawberries were gone first.

Chocolate covered pretzels

Candy dots

Brynn's Watch Me Grow Banner

 

 Brynn was a little out of sorts at first because  she had some molars growing in but after a bit of Tylenol she was ready for the party.  Although she was super attached to her mama.  Fortunately she went with her Aunt Kim for a little bit so we could get dinner going.

She did a great job opening presents.  She is very thankful to everyone for all of her presents!

I kept trying to wear all of my clothes right away!

Hmmm what's this?

My bear from Grandpa.

Belle Baby doll from Aunt Kim and Uncle Jason, Lukas and Kyle

Her diaper cover.

I can do this myself! 

After presents we had cake.  She didn't get too messy either.  She may have been caked out who knows but either way it was cute!

Thanks for reading,
Katie

Brynn's Birthday Photo Shoot

Well this was the first and the last photo shoot we did not take Claire to.  Mark and I agree we need little Claire to help Brynn when she's scared or doesn't want to smile.  Claire can always get a smile out of Brynn.  Our little miss B was out of sorts at her pictures.  She wanted Mommy and Daddy and a snuggle -- she did not want her picture taken.  Today I discovered why:  Her 1 year molars are coming in.  On the top and bottom of her left side.  They are so very swollen.  No wonder she wanted extra snuggles.  Having said that we did get some cute pics and here they are:

Why am I on here?

This is not fun!

 

 

What do you want me to do with this?

Mmmm now I'm having fun!

   

My hands are dirty!

Birthday Sneak Peak

This is good!

Brynn ...

loves to sleep this way! Dupa up in the air.

Cousins

Playing together and hamming it up.