Whew-- what a summer!

Annual trip to the Butterfly Garden

The boys loved fishing at the Lake--caught some good size fish too!

July 10, 2010--6 years and counting! Still in love!

Ahhh, fresh air!! I love opening the windows and front screen door to let in the clean, cool air that we have been enjoying these past few days. It is such a nice feeling to hear the wind blow the leaves and hear the little voices playing outside after school. We had such a great summer filled with little and big adventures alike. I think the last time I posted we had gotten back from WI and we were gearing up for some fun here in MD for the month of July. We spent alot of time swimming this summer as Owen has followed in his Big Brother's footsteps and found his love of the water this year. We had to get a bigger pool for the back yard so Nick could do "laps", goggles and all. Too funny. Mostly that meant belly flops in to the pool after running from 20 feet away. They really lived it up out there and I loved watching them. Our gym pool is awesome as well and we would go there 2 or 3 times a week, especially after work when the sun was not quite so hot (ha ha, still 90 at 6 pm!) It was so nice to be in MD during July. We were always on our trip to MI, so being around was a good thing. I was training for the IronGirl triathalon and had a great time mixing up the workouts--swimming, running, biking. Whatever my heart (or timeframe) allowed. I have taken to that biking thing! It is exhilarating and so easy on the joints! The race went great--finished in 2 hours and felt awesome! Looking forward to the next one. The boys and I did a week of Vacation Bible School or "VBS" as it is known as around here. I had never done that as a kid and this year the boys were very familiar with our church and teachers, so they had a blast! I taught Nick's 4 year old class and had fun with them. Owen gave the teacher a run for her money, but she said he was good. :) Our trip to MI was amazing. The drive there was easier than expected, the weather was awesome, the boys slept great, and we just played on the beach all day long. Lots of fishing by the boys and fish to eat too! I got to swim almost every day for 30 mins, then decide if I wanted to run or bike or both!! I loved those pleasant 78 degree days!! What a dreamy to train!!

Our dear Owen turns 3 this Sunday--sniff, sniff. Where has my baby gone??? I still think of a 3rd child daily, but wonder if I have the stuff it takes. I see myself getting pretty worked up with some of his antics and just need the downtime when I can get it to process how to do things differently!! I started reading The Spririted Child as it has been recommended to me many times. I think I have read EVERY SINGLE parenting/discipline book out there, and that is not always the issue. It is really trying to figure out HIS intentions, thoughts, ideas, and temperament for the moment that is struggle. Both Andy and I get frustrated by this and know it is up to us to change and figure it out, as he is only 3...The good days outweigh the bad at this point and that is step in the right direction. Thank goodness his daycare provider loves him to death and thinks he is hilarious!! It gives us a nice break!!

So as both boys nap--yep even my Nick, I get to reflect on another year of parenting ups and downs and realize we are not doing so badly. They are happy, healthy, boisterous boys who keep us on our toes and bring smiles to our faces. They truly are our best accomplishments to date and I love having Andy to share in this wild ride. He is the best partner for me and I thank God for him daily.

Summer sun and fun

Down at the creek (frog release day)!

The frog we grew from a tadpole.

Picnic lunch with the Gramas, Drew and Megan.

Grama and Nano want us to stay.

Well there has been no limit to the energy these two put out despite the heat of MD. We have been busy busy busy and they keep me moving at all times. Thank goodness for the occasional movie watching that keeps them still for approximately 45 minutes!

We enjoyed a great visit to Wisconsin. Lots of good people and awesome weather. Grama and Nano wished we'd never leave (or at least that the boys would stay forever!) We got to see the Menominee Zoo, playground and even swim in the Lake. I don't think we initially thought there would be real swimming, but their legs are only 18 inches long, so "wading" turned in to swimming very quickly. I did not have the insight to get them undressed first, but they were happy to jump in clothes and all. They always have a good time and that is all that matters. Morelli's kindly hosted the annual family get together and it was well attended. Both sides of the family came and had fun catching up. The boys loved playing with their cousins and we loved seeing everyone. We also braved a hot day of Summerfest with my friend Stacy. It was great, but the boys literally melted and we headed out!

Back in MD it is HOT HOT HOT. Sometimes too hot! We spend lots of time at the pool or in our backyard pool. I have been working my required 12 days and enjoying some free time between. The boys transitioned to a new daycare provider and have been loving it at Donna's. They get to play in the sprinkler or baby pool and they are water lovers! We have been catching up with good friends here. Lots of playdates and dinners. It is fun to be here in July--everyone seems to be around to play with!

We are getting ready to pack up for Michigan. Another big trip to endure. It will be great no matter what and it has to be better than last year!! I am gearing up for some early morning runs--we have resigned to the fact that he just needs to GET UP as soon as he WAKES UP on vacation....not fun for us! At home he might wake up early, but he knows to quietly play/read till we get him. I like that situation alot better.

I am still training for the triathalon in August. I have IT Band syndrome in both knees and have been laying off the running lately. Lots of stretching will hopefully help the problem. I think I will still be able to do the run, but the day after will be a slow one!

Oh the Weather outside is DELIGHTFUL!

Well, well, well. We have got ourselves one gorgeous spring on our hands and my two little people really know how to enjoy a nice day. They have me getting them in and out of swimming suits several times a day, and most evenings we can forgo bathtime or at least just rinse them off as they have spent the better part of the night in that blow up pool out back. I recently got the next size up which is a doozy. It is rectangular which provides a bit more space for Nick's "swimming". They both love it and we love watching them splash around for hours. We also figured out that we can SIT while we watch them and there is little chance of drowning now!! That is a big feat as any parent of small children can attest to! I actually read several CHAPTERS of a book one fine Saturday while they played together! YIPPPEEE!! I can't believe I still fantasize about a third child when we have virtually made it to the next level of parenting and are kind of on an easy street of sorts! We also had a group of people over and we stayed up on the deck drinking beer and eating snacks while all the children (even ours) played in the yard. OMG!! It was very exciting, especially for one very tipsy mommy! :) We had our first beach getaway of the summer as well. A special friend of mine from work generously loans us her beach house each year and it is just a fabulous place and gives us a great weekend of relaxation (even with the kids!!) The boys love the house and the beach, and since I packed lots of fun "vacation" foods, they were triply excited! Some donuts and Corn Pops for breakfast?? No problem! Lemonade or root beer for dinner? Sure!! "WE ARE ON VACATION!" Once Owen got himself settled down the first night (after rocking his tented pack n' play on the ground for 30 minutes screaming "LET ME OUT!"), all went very smoothly. That little guy just likes to test things out when we go away, and it is pretty understandable, but when the older one just climbs up in to bed and is snoring 5 minutes later, it can be very frustrating. We managed over a few beers to calm ourselves and get him to fall asleep--finally...The weather was perfect, the boys just dug and dug up the sand. We found lots of sand crabs, which I had never seen and a blue crab actually got washed up on the beach. A BIG one, and it was very alive and very mad. We looked at it for awhile and Andy threw it back in. Again, we were able to SIT in our chairs for better parts of hours, although playing with them in the surf and sand was a bit addicting and we found ourselves neck deep in it. Happy Hour arrived early at the beach house since we still enjoy nap time with the boys. What a happy time! The house is quiet, we are all cleaned up and one of us says "You want a beer?" and the other says "Why not??!!" Bliss. Everyone was sad to leave the house on Sunday morning, but we will be back. I am so glad the boys love the beach. We don't get to see the ocean as much as I would like, especially living so close, but when we do it is just so fun to see them be so natural in the water and sand. Our blow up pool is no comparison, but they get pretty much just as excited. It is the simple things in life.

Come spring come!

Nick's Baseball Diamond Cake w/ baseball cupcakes

We definitely were in need of some good weather and the Gods above blessed us with a couple of weeks of really warm, sunny weather. The first week was messy--lots of mud and muddy shoes and clothes. We just take it all off outside and run inside to change (not so much me as the boys!!) The next week it had dried out some and we really got to have fun on the bikes, play basketball and baseball and blow bubbles and just have fun. There were even some tan lines to show for it and one tick (YIKES). Poor Nick, I felt a little bump on his head at nap time and so I turn his head over and start hollering for Andy to "COME QUICK, NICK HAS A TICK!" That was probably not the best way to go about it...but we got it out and after that he was pretty terrified of his bed and his room and had to lay with me on our bed for a while before giving up on a nap altogether!! He continues to ask if there will be more and if they come in our house...whoopsy. Just when I was loving opening windows each day and even wearing flip flops....it gets butt cold again. Not loving that Mother Nature! Only 42 degrees today?? Does anyone understand that my boys need to be outside at least twice a day??? So, we were...outside...in 42 degree weather at the very cool airport playground where big, huge airplanes take off and land pretty much right in front of us!! There can't be any bad stuff spewing out of them if that is what you are thinking--it is just too darn cool. But no matter how cool it was, it was down right COLD!! I was not prepared for that, but we made it an hour and the boys ate their picnic in the warm car on the way home. All was well.

Owen is getting better. A bit more rational, yet still a crankpot on a regular basis. I feel like this is a window into his teenage future, all "What??!!" (he actually says that, ALL the time when you ask him a question...) and "I want that/I don't want that/I get to change my mind at any moment with no warning and just lots of carrying on and crying..." It is exhausting. Good thing he is so darn cute. We are making headway, he is understanding some consequences. The hard part is the consequences seriously have to be so consistent that it makes you want to give up on the spot or leave him some where to fend for himself. "This too shall pass" and "God grant me the serenity" are said over and over again in my head. Thank Heaven for exercise, yoga and Diet Coke. Beer doesn't even touch this stuff!! :) Stay tuned.

Cooped up

I just re-read the post about being stuck inside with nowhere to go....and I admit I love being home and being together and finding fun things to do, but this has gotten a bit ridiculous!! The first snow storm was exciting and new and we were able to sled and run around a bit. Oh and it WENT AWAY!!! Then when the mud was finally solidifying, we get clobbered by 30+ inches of snow. Now, mind you, I AM FROM WISCONSIN, where we get a shit ton of snow, but it comes in waves and we know how to deal with it. In Maryland, a state I have grown to mostly love, we cannot deal with anything close to that. Not many places can. So, when it started, my smarty pant, sarcastic and non-believing mother FROM WISCONSIN says "maybe it will just pass us by". Hmmm, that would have been a blessing, because as this nonsense kept falling, she changed her tune and we all knew nothing was passing us by. OMG!!! It was beautiful and amazing and sort of fun, except I have two little people who are addicted to going outside to play. Maybe I did that to them, so be it....but these two said little people are approximately 36-40 inches tall, so that does not bode well for movement in the snow when the actual snow is 30 inches deep--and I mean DEEP. Like so deep I could barely get through it and boots were getting stuck down so far you could not even see them deep. It was crazy. We would be outside for about 5 minutes before Owen's mittens were soaked and left behind in a random foot hole and he was crying because, like his mother, he has freakishly cold hands and feet, so the pain starts quick and you just want relief, but ain't none comin' when you are coated in snow and stuck to your neck in it. You get the picture. Thankfully my mom was here and could go in with him and get him warmed up with cocoa and marshmallows and any of the snacks we baked or stocked up on. One week later we get walloped with yet 20+ inches of snow. You read it here and I know you heard it on TV. They were not exagerrating. It was nuts. It still is. The glacier on our roof scares the doo doo out of me and someone should just set up a videocamera to shoot the front of our house because I am sure it is going to come crashing down on one of us this weekend with some warmer weather. My point is, is that all of this snow makes it hard to play outside, which my boys LOVE. So we have done just about everything known to man in the house and have watched WAY too much TV. At least they have good vocabularies and language or I would be more worried. Today we ventured out the back deck and I broke my back shoveling about 3 feet of REALLY heavy snow to make a path, then trudged to the playground to shovel the fort part on top that literally had 5 feet of snow on it. I know that most of you out there CANNOT imagine the amount of snow we have, unless you have been to Mammoth in California, cuz that was alot of snow. Maybe the U.P. gets this kind of snow sometimes, but again, they can deal with it!! So we smelled the fresh air and looked up at the sky and tromped around and it felt really good today. Thank G-D because I was about to throw one of my little guys out in the snow if we hadn't made it. :)

This too will pass...

Ahhh, the "terrible twos" as they are called are upon us. We thought Owen had challenged us some from 0-12 mos or from 12-24 mos, but NOOOO, he was saving the really good stuff for 2-3 years. Now that he borders at around 38 pounds, he can really show us what he is made of, and likewise, we do the same. Every day is a new day, thankfully. We go to bed at night saying prayers about being good listeners, trying to share, being kind to one another and I always throw in one about patience. That mommy and daddy need lots of patience. Most books and people have been telling us that this is totally typical, very normal, practically predictable....so we persevere and hope that the next day will bring a renewed spirit and a little bit of maturity. He can really throw a tantrum. He gets his whole self in to it. Full of detailed spewing about what it is he WANTS or DOESN'T WANT!! Yesterday it was the whole pack of 12 juice boxes, instead of just the usual one. Lasted 20 minutes and included heading the door, kicking the door and trying to scratch me. NOthing gets me more riled up than my kid hurting me, so I had to leave him in the basement to work it out. He did, and we survived. Lots of deep breathing goes on in our house and thank Heaven for prayer, because without it, Owen might have ended up on the curb by now!! I like to think that we will look back on these days and laugh, till then, there is little laughter.

Santa Claus came to town--big time!

Birthday Girl!!!

Family photo time--never an easy task.

Owen was digging his new Duplo Fire Station

Baking Christmas cookies on our snow day(s)

We survived another Christmas season. Just when you think it won't all get done, the presents are tucked under the tree, the stockings are hung and full and you are ready to turn out the lights to sleep soundly till little feet pitter pat their way to your bedside to announce that "Santa did NOT fill our stockings with candy, mama!" at 7:30 AM. :) Nick had checked on a few of the decoration stockings and, no, they did not have candy in them. SO--we dragged ourselves out of bed and proceeded down to the family room and he was very pleased to find lots of presents and FULL stocking hung above the OPENED fireplace doors (usually closed by a baby lock...) I remembered that detail AFTER I had crawled in to bed at midnight....He took down and emptied his stocking in no time and pulled out 2 presents to open while we waited for Owen. He was very cute and very patient. Even Owen did his stocking and only 1 toy--which was 4 new Cars themed cars, and he was very happy to play with those till Oma, Opa, Uncle Ben and Aunt Alia came at 10 AM!! I have such good boys!!!! Eveyone was impressed that the presents were still sitting there. Then the festivities began and we all got some very nice things. The boys loved ripping open the packages and moving on to the next thing with the perfunctory "thank yous" attached! We had a lovely brunch and some nice quiet time when the boys napped. Nick actually put himself to bed--what a busy morning we had! Christmas really is so much more fun with kids. I missed my family--mom and John would have had fun watching the commotion and hearing the commentary. It is these traditions that we have to create and continue. Such is the cycle of life. Now Andy and the rest of the Duda's are off to Egypt for Ben and Alia's reception there. 7 whole days without my trusty husband and best friend. If nothing else, I might lose weight for all the cereal and popcorn I will be eating for dinner!!! Wish me luck!

Appreciation

You know, you really can't appreciate the goodness of family until you are literally stuck inside with them and you can spend ALL that quality time together. What a fun weekend. We were supposed to be really, really busy. Gone all day and night Saturday and most of Sunday with a surprise wedding on Saturday and the festivities at church on Sunday. Well, Mother Nature knows what we need more than we do and we all got snowed in!!! No wedding, no church, nothing but good old fashioned hanging out. I used to think, when Nick was really little, that that was all we did. And we do do a good bit of it now, but we are getting busier and busier and I find that that causes tempers to flare and annoyances to arise. This weekend though, we all hung in there. Forging ahead with baking cookies, playing in the snow, drinking hot cocoa w/ extra marshmallows, baking some more, watching movies, playing playdoh, etc etc. We just had FUN. You can really appreciate each other alot more when you slow down and spend time together. Someone said that the biggest thing in being a parent is to "just show up" and I think we all did that this weekend. Now when they announced that schools would be CLOSED today, I did a loud Oshkosh West High Indians CHEER and danced around the kitchen cuz, don't get me wrong, I love and adore my children, but it was time for a change of scenery!!!! So off to daycare they went, in full snowpant/boot gear, and they should have a great day with their buddies and I will have a great day puttering around the house cleaning up, getting out the Holiday dishes for Christmas Eve, doing last minute shopping and getting to the gym. Mommy needed a SNOW DAY!!!!

time flies

Two handsome guys. Daddy and Owen

CHEEEEEEESE or in Owen's case "jelly beeeeeans!"

FINALLY--good snow--the kind that packs up for a snowman!!!

Wow--time is just ticking away isn't it?? Here we were waiting and waiting for Andy's brother Ben to finally marry his long time girlfriend Alia, and POOF!! It is done and over with and they are getting ready to whisk everyone (except me and the kids) to Egypt to celebrate as only Egyptians can!! (insert "walk like an Egyptian" song) :) So--it is mid December, most presents have been bought, none wrapped and no cookies made. Soon, I tell myself, soon. Then the day passes, the week passes and good G-d half a month is gone and I best get crackin' or Santa will be eating dry Rice Krispies on Christmas night!

The boys continue to challenge and amaze us. They are both so darn cute I could burst and they are funny as all get outs. Thankfully I laugh more than I want to cry, so that keeps us going. Owen has a fierce independent/defiant trend that drives us all crazy. Nick is pretty compliant--so this takes some getting used to. If you say come here--he turns on a dime and runs that way. Get in the car?? Run down the hill and fall flat on your face in the mud....This is how it goes at our house. I have gotten both very fast and smart and can manhandle that lug of a child, albeit flaring my carpal tunnel each time I grab and carry his 35 pounds around...but I get the job done. We are trying to find ways to catch him being good--a phrase people will use on you when you have a darling demon spawn. So, we give high 5s for putting something in the trash, coming when called, or keeping his cup in the kitchen....Really mundane, repetitive and dumb, and we are open to all suggestions. Again, he is so darn cute and comes up with really cute things to say and we love him to death, but he can really drive us up a wall. I love being a mom, but it can be a drag sometimes. AND SO TIRING!!!!! My lovely "Mother in love" says I have to be consistent and it will turn out all right eventually. Man do I hope so.

In other news, we had to find new daycare for Jan--June. Found a lovely yoga instructor/fine arts major super mom who loves to bake, take nature walks and do yoga with the kids. YIPPEE. The boys will be happy there and go to another lady in June. Nick will be starting two day /week preschool in Jan as well. WOW. A preschooler, not just a toddler. It is flying by. It just does not slow down for anything. Hang on tight all you new moms, it is a wild ride. Nick is potty trained for pee, not for poo. Still uses the pull up to push one out, gets changed and takes his nap. Totally Pavlovian. Not sure where to go from here....how does one MAKE one do something?????

work is great, very busy, but very good. Really neat families with very real issues and really neat kids. So much progress in so little time and it is really rewarding. I am blessed to cherish my job in all ways.

We got an early snow storm last week. So super duper fun especially since Owen did not cry the whole time holding on to my leg. He actually played. Till his hands hurt so badly because he had tossed his mittens to the side to eat the snow and they were FROZEN!!!! He would NOT keep them on, so he KEPT getting cold and complaining. This is life as Owen. Love him.

REAL professional photos--phew again!!

I had been wanting to get REAL professional photos taken for a while now and finally pulled the trigger. A bit of a daunting task--picking the outfits to match but not look ridiculous, etc. Luckily I get hand me downs from all over the place and one nicely fashioned little boy handed down the perfect sweater for Nick and the search was ON for the rest of us. First Mommy--now I can say that I have loved shopping in the past. Then there came pregnancy clothes which I LOATHED wearing and spending money on, so I got used to borrowing, occasionally buying and mostly HATING the clothes that I had. Then there was nursing--oh how I longed to put on one of my old favorite shirts and NOT have my belly button show because of my ever expanding mammaries....UGH. To say the least, I do not look back at my pregnancy pictures or nursing pictures and feel very attractive at all. So--now here we are, 2 years post 2 babies and back in good looking clothes and regular jeans! (so I like to think...) Now I know I need new clothes, but times are a bit tight and I try to watch what I spend and generally speaking I think clothes are unrealistically expensive. I wish I did not think that way but I do. It is hard for me to spend $40 on a shirt and $150 on jeans. I do it occasionally, but it hurts and I wear the heck out of those special items. So I go running to the mall after work one day and I go right in to the first store with Nick's new sweater in hand. The nice lady helps me right over to the "gasp" sale rack and finds me a GREAT sweater in a very similar bluish color as is in the sweater and I am out of there for under $60!! Yippee for me. On to Owen's outfit. Looking for a brown something or other--shirt, sweater (which he hates) whatever. Something. I find one shirt, but it has pics of a train and a truck and the photographer specifically said to avoid pictures....so I buy it just in case I find nothing else. Mind you, I have this 35 minutes to shop alone or try to shop WITH the boys another day....not a good option! So I run to the Gap, which I have always had great luck with for my boys. Cut BIG, not too babyish, adorable/handsome boy clothes without too many teddy bears!!! I really hate babyish clothes! So--right away I find some great brown cargo pants for BOTH boys to wear (tying it together), and a GREAT button down with thin brown stripes. I know I have a puffy vest at home (hand me down) that I THINK Owen might wear if I trick him with crackers and lollipops! SO--I think DONE--buy it, even have a coupon and I am one happy mama. I get home, lay it all out with the cute vest and voila--a perfect picture, right? Till I proudly show Andy and he says "Did you get me something???" Now looking in to that adorably handsome face of his, I try to breathe and not explode, so I simply state "no." and move on. He looks through his things and is not in love with anything....so I resolve to try to get to the mall to shop another day. The pictures say it all. It was perfect, everyone was on pretty good behavior. The boys kept her running around and kept her busy. Anytime she sweetly suggested a "hug" Nick would lean over and gently put Owen into the sweetest HEADLOCK he could, till Owen was screaming or crying or running to me.....such are the best laid plans. Enjoy a sneak preview. http://www.andreahallettphotography.net/?p=340

Trick r Treaters

Baseball and basketball players

Baltimore Ravens jack o' lantern

"trantula" jack o' lantern

We had a lot of fun walking up and down the neighborhood trick r' treating. (actually I was pulling them in the wagon and they hopped out at every house, so we all won!) Lots of cute costumes out there and a perfect night for outdoor fun. My little baseball player and basketball player were all too happy to say "trick r' treat" and 'thank you" as long as they got more candy in there buckets. Owen would have stayed at each house for a good 5 minutes if they let him dig in the bowl for "wowipops". He also wanted to eat all of the lollipops he got before bed....that made for a bit of a struggle! We have successfully given away half of the candy to Uncle Ben and soon to be Aunt Alia, so that frees up some healthier choices for dessert!! They love that treat bag and Nick is BIG in to bubble gum right now.

Enjoying each day

Grama and Nano would not miss Owen's birthday!

Potty training continues (sigh)--here is his BIG BOY crown for poops.

Owen is a natural cowboy!

My mom and I enjoy a bumpy hay ride.

A super engineered Digger cake!!! By mommy of course!

The weather keeps changing from cold to warm, so my beloved flip flops stay by the front door for now. We just keep the jackets handy and peel them off as we warm up outside. The boys continue to love the outdoors no matter what the temp. The leaves are changing fast and the wind is picking up, and that makes for lots of great adventures for the Duda boys. We find lots of acorns, leaves, caterpillars (that we keep and see what happens--one cocoon and even a pupae)! Owen turned TWO on Sept 19. That is just crazy, but a good thing. He seems to be settling down a little bit with his excellent language skills. The doctor asked about that and I said, well he certainly puts words together as "I want jelly bean please!" is a favorite demand of his. Andy and I went to my cousin's wedding in WI for Oct 17 weekend and really had a great time seeing family. It was a gorgeous event and we all partied hard! She has a great bunch of friends and my stomach hurt from laughing so much! I continue to be amazed by these boys of mine. They are thoughtful, caring and so much fun. I know each day is a blessing--even as I am home with them for the 4th day in a row with massive runny noses, awful coughs and temperatures. Would not have it any other way.

Handsome boys (phew!)

Well we did the regular visit to the good ol' JCPenney Portrait Studio. Why, you ask, did I choose the JCPenney Studio? Well, back in the day, when Nick was born and we NEEDED "professional" pictures taken to fully document the cuteness that was Nick, I found some coupons and it seemed like a reasonable deal at the time. Of course I joined the Club and thought all of those stated deals would work perfectly for our family. The pictures were always fine--cute enough, not alot of detail or imagination, but the kid usually grinned and we were out of there for less than $30 each time. Most of the family was happy with them and that was that. Now we have Owen too and so far he has been OK during the sessions. A bit busier and a bit more frightened to be alone with the photographer, but again, we get a grin or two and we leave. Well, this session was especially challenging. First off we had to wait about 20 minutes. If anyone has ever met Owen, he is not good at waiting for anything or anybody. So we cruised around JCPenney store and looked for interesting things to NOT TOUCH!! We found some cool backpacks and he was OK with me pushing him in and out of the aisles. Then we get to go in to the session. Let me say this--at least the "new" JCPenney Studio has handheld digital cameras and the photographer can get down on the floor or move around. That old standard camera on the retractable arm would have been a nightmare for Owen. By this point, both kids shoes are off, they have eaten all crackers I brought and Owen is a hot mess. BUT we perservere and get the job done with some good sweat equity. The boys were pretty insane and the photog. was incredibly patient. There was running, wrestling, monkey piles and alot of rolling around.....Thank goodness I am not a big "get a smile/cheese" pose, so I just kept telling her it was fine. All in all, the shots turned out great. Enjoy!

Busy, busy, busy boys (and mommy!)

Big Bird's mailbox

Nick is in a Big Boy bed!!!

Owen likes goofy goggles too!

A happy moment in the sand

Looking over the edge of the ferry was fun.

Whoa--When did half of August fly by?? I cannot believe I have off next week and my REAL work aka school year begins again! Wow, time really is not slowing down for anything or anyone. Well, we have been one busy group. We started out summer with lazy days enjoying the best weather MD has ever seen--just riding bikes, playing any sports and swimming in our silly pool. Then we went on a mini vacation to the Philly area to see the fun guys at Sesame Place. It was really cool and really fun, but Owen was a bit overwhelmed. Nick had a great time on the rides and we all enjoyed the character lunch where we high fived and hugged our way through typical kid fare. Everyone was tired after pizza and beer at the hotel and most of the children went to sleep....except the Duda boys. My so-called "good sleepers" decided that jumping out of their pack n' plays and getting to the toilet was a much better lights out activity. Andy ended up falling asleep on the bed waiting for them to fall asleep! That should have enlightened us to how it would go in WI. After a looooong 15 hour overnighter to the midwest, we were all exhausted and took good naps. That night Owen showed off his pack n' play jumping skills by getting out over and over and over again. I felt like whats her name on Nanny 911. No eye contact, no words, just place child back in bed and close the door. Whatever. After 20 mins of that, Grama tried rocking and singing--and after 5 more put downs, he fell asleep. I thought we were over all of this--but as I tell my new mommy friends: "Each day is a new day." :P So when I heard his padded pj feet at 5 AM coming to wake me up I knew we were in trouble for the next 2 1/2 weeks!! The visit otherwise was very nice. I got to see lots of friends and my whole family (minus Aunt KAffrin) which was great. We had great weather and did fun things like go to Titans Stadium and play baseball, football and soccer. We said our goodbyes and hopped on the SS Badger to head to MI. Drove in to a cloudy, windy day but we had our hopes up for better weather. Both boys slept well the first night with Owen staying in till 630 AM (good start!) By the next day, nap time was a disaster again. He jumped out about 12 times, before I held him down to rub his back and sing--haven't done that since 6 mos, but we do desperate things in desperate times. He fell asleep and all was well. For bed I had to sit on the couch and sneak out after he was asleep. I was his prisoner and he knew it!!! UGH. Totally infuriating and frustrating, but all part of the fun of parenthood. I have been told many, many times what great times these are and how fortunate we are to be able to share them. Yeah, yeah, yeah--I was still getting pretty grumpy about it. Especially when you hear your son padding around a pitch black room at 2 AM saying "mommy? nigh nigh mommy?" and he does not go to sleep again till 4 AM. Maybe "grumpy" is too nice a term....Yeah, so now since he can get out--he does, at ANY time. Not good. And he is waking up for the day around 5 AM. Really not good. Then he is MISERABLE all day, since he is tired and off schedule. Great vacation. We almost went home one day as it is pouring outside and I just can't take another day with him clinging to me or saying "up me up me". I had no strength left in my arms and no patience left in my heart. We had to get out of there!!! The beloved Crib Tent came by Monday (WHY DID WE WAIT????!!!) and POOF he was back to normal. He had to go to sleep when put in bed since his favorite Olympic sport had been cancelled! He was still up early, but not quite as early and the weather got better too! That big guy in the sky has a funny way of doing things. Everyone was happier now and we finished off a great week at the Lake. Phew. Parenting is HARD WORK!!

First day of Summer '09

Father's Day Art

Sandy faced beach baby

Trying out the boogy board

Oh yeah!! Summer has started and we have been in full force staying outside for many hours past dinner time and enjoying all the nice weather. Once the rain stopped, the sun and clouds have given us the perfect mix to make for great days and nights. The boys have been busy with bikes, balls and swimming pools. They go, go, go till they drop! Nick is in love with all sports, so there is never a break from pitching/fetching a baseball, kicking a soccer ball or chasing for a game of tag. He loves freeze tag, but we need more people....:P We had fun staying at a friend's house in Bethany Beach, DE for a relaxing weekend. The boys loved the sand and surf. The sun was not blazing, so that was nice. I have had the last two weeks off and have been getting a ton done around the house including long overdue scrapbooking. It has been so fun looking back on the past year and tearing up at how much we have done and how much they have grown!! Where have my baby boys gone???? Andy continues to work hard and has gotten in a few rounds of golf lately. We celebrated him on Father's Day with breakfast in bed, a banner, and presents. I even cooked dinner that night!! WOW! :)~ I think he felt like a king and he deserved it!

The Best 3 boys on the Planet

Cloud gazing

Soccer school

Jazz Fest Baby!! Erykah Badu serenading us!

Hello all. This time of year is so great. Even with all the rain we have been getting, I just love seeing things grow and turn green again. Winter is just not my favorite season, so all this newness makes me feel refreshed. That being said, I am feeling refreshed in life too. I just have too many blessings to count and I feel so lucky to be surrounded by such good friends and family. My heartfelt thanks to all of you who support me and share life with me, I truly appreciate all the times we have had together and apart (as there are so many of you whom I don't get to share face to face encounters with, but still feel as close as ever!!) It seems like these boys of mine keep on surprising me with their sweetness and cuteness (yes, all THREE of them). The little ones come up with cute things to do and say (usually) and in general we have so much fun together. With all of this sunshine and fresh air, I feel like we are becoming such a strong family. Just hanging out in the backyard is filled with laughter and joy. Owen is joining in with all his little words and actions. He loves "basketball" (pronounced almost perfectly!) and the sandbox. Thank goodness he is not obsessed with eating sand and rocks anymore, that got so old last year. Now he just sits in the box, pushing trucks and "dump(ing)" all over the place. He looks so pleased with himself when he builds up something and knocks it down. Nick is all sports. Baseball, tennis, golf, soccer, playing tag. He loves it all. They both help to keep me in shape. My husband is such a wonderful constant in my life, and yet we continue to grow and change and realize just how important this pact is that we made almost 5 years ago. To love and cherish and honor and all that good stuff. It is not always easy, but we make a great team. I can only thank God and the people that surround us for such a blessed life. Happy Mother's Day to all.

silly mommy

Who doesn't need to stop and smell the flowers once in awhile!! :) Mommy's sweet boys.

Over Spring Break we went on our first of many DC zoo trips. We joined cousins Kate, Gabi, Jack, Aunt Kristen, Oma and Opa, Uncle Ben and Alia. What a day! It was a little chilly at the end, but we enjoyed all the animal acitivity!

My mom sent in some fancy treats and we finally checked them out. The boys LOVED it!! I must admit, PopRocks are pretty fun!!

Spring Flings

Well the weather has improved and we are having lots and lots of outdoor fun. Nature is big in our house, so we have been finding lots of bugs for Nick's new Critter Cabin. He is pretty brave and will go after just about anything. I keep my distance from spiders, but can do most other critters. We have fun with our big backyard and our crazy hill full of suprises. There are usually a few bunnies, some squirrels and even some deer out there. We are waiting patiently for our friendly hummingbird to return and we have filled up his feeder already! Owen is talking up a storm and is really in love with basketball right now. He has been working on his version of a jump shot and I will try to get that video posted soon. It is very cute. You can hear his gears working through all of the motions: 1. get ball, 2. put ball over head, 3. rock back and forth on feet holding ball overhead and trying not to fall, 4. PUSH it up and out of your hands, 5. watch it go in or somewhere near the hoop and CELEBRATE!! He is so cute. Feisty and a bit bullheaded, but very very cute. They both keep us laughing (most of the time). The Easter Bunny was a big hit this year. Nick's basket was on the ceiling fan in the family room!! Crazy bunny. He had a great time with an egg hunt at church and a suprise egg hunt in our yard--still don't know who that was, but thanks! We had a great dinner with the Duda's and stuffed ourselves with ham and lamb--YUM.

winter fun

We have had quite the exciting March. A big snow storm came in the "nick" of time for Nick. He was thrilled to wake up to 6 inches of fluff and would have been out there in his pajamas if I had let him! We waited till after breakfast since the winds were high and it was COOOOLD. What a great time everyone had just romping around and plopping down and eating it and exploring. We were so tired of hearing about all the snow in Michigan and Wisconsin and this stuff is FUN! We have a great sledding hill at the end of the cul-de-sac where all the big kids play and spent endless hours sliding down the hill and trudging back up. Owen was not so happy with all of this as Ithink he got his mother's poor circulation and gets cold hands and feet that become painful in minutes. He sledded a few times, but would be Ok watching the activity. Also--Nick finally learned how to ride that tricycle of his. It all clicked this past weekend--steering was especially challenging, but all of a sudden I let go and off he went. Sound effects of course were so much fun--tongue out, making those car noises. He is thrilled with himself and goes down the sidewalk, turns around and heads back about a hundred times a day. It is awesome to watch and I think Owen will be close on his heels! MUST DO WHAT OLDER BROTHER DOES!! Owen likes to growl when you try to help him, much to mommy's chagrin.

Mommy weekend

Well today is a new day and things are slowly improving in our house. Owen still sounds like an 80 year old smoker, but his energy is back and he is starting to get into trouble again, a tell-tale sign of better health! I enjoyed some of the cuddling I got to do with both boys as they would melt in to my chest and fall asleep, snoring and drooling peacefully for a couple of hours, but now we are back to regular business of crashing cars, running races around the kitchen island and trying to figure out what Owen is up to when it gets quiet! He is the proverbial "dickens".

Great news came on Feb 25 that my good friend from Oshkosh had a beautiful and healthy baby boy. I had guessed they would go more traditional with names, but they picked an ultra cool one: Cole Joseph. He is a little cutie pie--all 6 pounds of him at 9 days early! (Why were my babies so BIG??!!) It sounds like she had a long labor, but not too intense and she held off on the epidural till a few hours before pushing, so I could not be more proud. It really is amazing watching my friends become mothers and fathers. I beam with pride as I think of her gazing into his eyes at whatever time it is in the morning and the thoughts that surround that little miracle. I enjoyed that time I had with my boys and love hearing about it from my friends. Life is truly a gift and a miracle!

I am looking forward to a good weekend. Andy is going with friends to a rustic cabin in West Virginia to do what boys do---ride 4 wheelers and drink beer. I hope he gets some much needed rest (ha ha) and some relaxation. He has been working very hard lately and deserves to blow off some steam. I have plans for Saturday night to go see a movie and out to dinner with two of my best girlfriends, Kelly and Patti. Can't wait to see them and just hang out. I am blessed with good friends and always look forward to spending time with them--baby free!!

I better get some things done while the house is quiet--maybe even my 20 mins. of reading. We have a book club and the Twilight series is in full effect. Many of the girls are quite smitten by young Edward Cullen--I must admit, he does not do it for me, but the stories are entertaining. I am starting #2--and at my turtle reading pace I might be finished by Easter!