First Day of School

Today was the first day of school for Nicholas and Addison, mommy too....kind of! I only had meetings today, the kids don't start until next Tuesday!
BUT, this is was Addison VERY FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL! VERY FIRST!! Nicholas started pre school and seemed to have a really great day! Addie enjoyed her day at daycare, as well! I believe Nicholas was yelling at me for something at the top of the steps, not sure what, but the child would NOT pose for a picture to save his life! As you can see, Addison is quite different.

Everyone Loves a Blue Eyed Girl

Don't you??? I DO!

Crunchy

The "first" time I used the word crunchy I was in college and I was talking with my then roommate, T, about our RA. She hadn't interacted with Jen, the RA, all that much and T wanted to know what she was like. So I described her long flowing bohemian skirt and her short short short haircut and bra less attitude and then I said, "She's nice but I don't know, a little too....crunchy for me!" (The girl didn't shave...EVER!) Since then, crunchy has caught on...maybe not like wildfire but it's getting there. I do my best to spread it as much as I can! Why crunchy you ask? Well, of course because of granola! All crunchy people eat granola! I know it's a GROSS GENERALIZATION....but I made this association with the "Hippie" type and granola and have never been able to give it up!
Well, the point of my story, Addison went crunchy tonight and enjoyed it quite a bit!! Since Nicholas was on baby food, Gerber has come up with all kinds of new flavors to introduce to our little tykes! Things like Guava Peach delight and Vanilla Oatmeal Pear and Tofu Black Raspberry.....ok maybe not that one...but there are some interesting varieties out there! Tonight, Addie had Granola and Peach and LOVED IT! I mean seriously LOVED it! I have visions of tofu and no meat sandwiches from BK and Tofurkey....it's frightening! Tomorrow I am definitely introducing some Dutch Apple Dessert just so she remembers the taste of non Crunchy foods and if she doesn't that's ok too....I can learn to "cook" tofu...I just don't have to love it!
Luckily, Nicholas is our "cookie cutter" in the food department as he sat down to a meal of chicken nuggets, American cheese, and peas accompanied by ketchup and followed by some good old fashioned vanilla and chocolate ice cream in a Dixie cup!! Yay for tried and true!!

What a Great Bedtime Song!

The Rocky Allen ShowGram

So, we went to the mall today for an event sponsored by The Rockaway Township Police Department and the radio station WPLJ 95.5. The police were fingerprinting kids so that if ever, GOD FORBID, they become lost or are kidnapped we have a record of their prints to share with investigators. We were able to get Nicholas' done with really no problem but the police were nice enough to give us an at home kit for Addison since she is still somewhat small! What a great event! It's horrible to even have to think about the idea of your child not being with you but I am glad that we took this step to protect them!
We stood in line for about an hour and fifteen minutes, not terrible by any means because we were able to listen to the Rocky Allen Showgram that was broadcasting live from the mall! It was actually a lot of fun and both kids were GREAT in line! Let me tell you, it's actually quite refreshing to be around other moms who are somewhat out of their element because it definitely shows me that Nicholas is not the only CRAZY two year old out there! I'm sure at least one of those moms has had to have their child suck on a tube of A&D or paint poop all over their crib and bedroom walls!!

Laughing

This is not my child, nor is it a child that I even know! Just watch and you'll immediately see why I had to put it on here and you'll come back on a day when you're feeling down!

Big Girls Do Cry....Especially After Shots!!

Today was Addison's 5 month check up. (She's on a different doctor schedule because she was a preemie!) ANYWAY, she is quite a big girl now and we are THRILLED! Addie is 15lbs 9oz and 24 1/4 inches long! She's in the 75th percentile for weight, YAY, and the 25th for height! She is doing WONDERFUL and we are so happy to hear it!
I didn't really get any shots except for one via cellphone on the examining table showing off her tummy time skills!

This is What Happens After the Kids Go to Bed

You know, when I was little I was convinced that my parents were partying downstairs with the TV on, candy and soda everywhere and of course Cable TV. (For those of you who don't know, we didn't get Cable until I was probably halfway through high school!)
Turns out, now that I'm a parent, there's very little partying that goes on, unless it's the weekend and all of our friends have sitters or have gotten their kids to bed. But there is plenty of cable tv although it appears that it doesn't even amuse us anymore as these pictures are the result of boredom on tv! Yes, that's Addison's Bumbo on my husband's head. He thinks it looks like a warrior helmet! I'm not so sure about that one...the Lavender color really isn't too Warrior-esque!

Bedtime Bathtime

We just gave Addison a bath and try as we might, we could NOT get her to smile! Pat tried dancing, I tried tickling and making funny faces....we tried it all! We could not get her to smile while she was in the tub. She didn't cry either, just kind of sat there and soaked in the bubbles. Nice, but kind of strange that she wouldn't smile!
Once we got her out of the tub and all lotioned up and dressed in one of my favorite outfits I was able to catch a few smiles while Daddy held her and tickled her too! Nicholas also gave me a smile or two as well as quite the funny face!

Some shots of our quiet weekend so far! A few of Addie and Daddy playing PlayStation together and Nicholas in the background rearranging the pictures. Two of Addie hanging on the couch!

Wednesday

We've been out and about all day at doctors and shopping and when I came home I was unloading the groceries when I heard Addison laughing from across the room. I walked over and saw Nicholas repeatedly hugging his sister getting her to giggle and smile....it was quite sweet!!

The last photo is a product of this morning. I had a doctor's appointment this morning and took the kids with me. I gave Nicholas a pen and a paper to keep him busy while I had my appointment. He was drawing very nicely and by the time the appointment was over my doctor looked him up and down and saw that Nicholas had designed his own body art with the blue pen meant for drawing on the paper. Everyone in the office had a pretty good laugh about it, as did the people in the elevator and the people at the supermarket!

New Addition!

Congratulations to our friends and neighbors, Dave and Janelle Craft who just welcomed their son! Cole David Craft was born this afternoon, via c-section, and weighs 7lbs 6oz. Welcome to the block Cole! Can't wait to see pictures of the new family!

The End of Lazy Days

Well, the lazy days of Summer are kind of slowly winding down! I received my schedule and opening of the school year packet today and it just made me realize I only have a few weeks left before the kids go to daycare and I head back to work! While I am very excited to get back to teaching and I know Nicholas and Addison will only thrive in daycare it is still really hard for me to think about not being with them each day, all day!

We ran a few errands this afternoon and both kids were GREAT the entire time!! When we got home I opened the garage and let Nicholas have at it! He took out his Dora ball and we kicked it around for a bit. Then he decided it was time for his car which he needed to find a parking spot for and then he relaxed for a bit in his Diego chair! Addie hung out on the blanket with me and even got in a little tummy time before we all headed inside where she helped me get dinner!
We are definitely going to make the most of these next few weeks and really enjoy these days to the bitter end! We are off to surprise Nicholas with some ice cream!!

McGeary Family Picnic

Today was our family picnic at Schooley's Mountain Park in Washington Township, NJ. The day was beautiful and we had a really great turnout! Last year it got rained out so it was so nice to get to see everyone this year! We enjoyed tons of food, great company and plenty of playtime for the kids! Sadly, though, the enthusiasm for the annual softball game was less than Stellar so it really was a small one with few participants!

Night Night...Big Days Ahead!!

It's bedtime around here for everyone except for Mommy and maybe Daddy! Nicholas is already fast asleep...thank goodness...and Addison is all ready, although her big blue eyes do look quite awake!
She may look bright eyed and bushy tailed but she's about an hour past her bedtime in these photos and she'll be out on her own in no time! We are very very lucky....from the time she was a newborn, Addison has been able to soothe herself to sleep after a few lullabies from mommy and her music and mobile. As I write this and listen to her monitor I can here her quiet breathing and I know that even before her mobile/music box has played itself out she is out and fast asleep! We have a big day tomorrow, it's mommy's Family Reunion Picnic so Addison will get to meet all of the McGearys and the extended family...hopefully the heat and rain won't be around!
See you all tomorrow with lots more pictures! Have a Wonderful Night!

Rainy Day Smiles

It's a pretty yucky day here today, it's been raining all night and it looks like it's going to continue most of the day! This is the kind of day that would make it ok to skip class in college, IF I were a class skipper!
Nicholas and Addison barely even know it's raining as you can see from their smiles! We thought we'd pass them along to brighten up your rainy day!

Busy Eventful Day!

We had quite the busy day today! We were up early this morning and out the door by 10 am!! We headed down to grandma and pop-pop's for the day and o boy was it a day!??!?
First, grandma took us out to a yummy lunch where pop-pop met up with us for a little bit! THEN we went to the playground where Addison, of course, fell right asleep! Nicholas, though, had a good time despite the oppressive heat. He played in the sand box, contemplated the rock wall and found a car to drive!
After the playground came a trip to the store to pick up prints of our pictures from vacation and then we went to the Farmers' Market in Madison. Mr. Peach was supposed to be there and I was hoping for a peachy photo op, but no such luck! After a cookie and a milkshake at the Farmers' Market we stopped by the supermarket for some dinner and then straight on to grandma's where the day finally hit the little ones! It was a fun fun day and it proved to be just the ticket for getting two energetic kids to rest!


















On a quiet side note, we ask that your keep my best friend Megan and her family in your prayers. Meg's dad was in a pretty bad accident the other day and is in bad shape. He's stable but has to have a lot done and it's been pretty rough for all involved! So, please just say an extra prayer over these next few months that he moves along his long road of recovery. Thanks!

Pizza Boy

We're having pizza for dinner tonight and while I was getting it ready Nicholas came over to help! He was very good at spreading the sauce and even help season and put the cheese on! Who knows, maybe he's destined to be the next Emeril.....hope not....or Alton Brown is more our style! As you can see he's enjoying the fruits of his labor at the bottom.