Philly Trip

Note to readers: Philadelphia will be referred to as Philly here on out after several pronounciation attempts by Zachary resulted in "Philadorthea".  We officially give up, and rename the place, "Philly".

After some thought, we decided to join the Casey side of the family in Philly for Thanksgiving.  The Mathis family planned to drive up from Atlanta, and we agreed it was time for Sophie's first plane ride.

After a near heart attack inducing delay announcement, and subsequent cancellation of said delay (unfortunately after I spent a small fortune in ice cream to keep us entertained), we boarded the plane to Phily and arrived with little excitement. 

We got to the Cliggett's house and got settled in, and had a great time catching up with the family.  The Agstens and Mathises came over and all the kids started playing right away! 

On Wednesday, the men folk had a morning tee time and enjoyed a rainy day of golf while the ladies did some Thanksgiving prep - pie baking, etc.  We had a great time at the Agstens for dinner that night!

Thanksgiving day started innocently enough, till the grass caught on fire.  No fire pit for us. :( 
It was wonderful to all be together, laughing, talking, gambling, etc.

Friday we packed up for our big trip home, and everyone suprised me with an early birthday card.  I cried, of course.

We made it back, safe and sound, and our flight arrived 1 hour early.  The kids were beat, and glad to be back home, but I hope that at least Zachary has memories of this trip for a long time.

Steve and Janice on Thanksgiving Day

Zachary and Charlie Munn - Check out the matching eyebrows!

Sophie and Auntie Gina

Renee, Casey, Cynthia, and Maryann

Kristen and Kaitlyn

All the cousins - Kristen, Casey, Mike, Will, Eric, Sean, Renee, Megan, Kaitlyn, TJ, Savannah, Caroline, Charlie, Alana, Kylie, Charlie, Lexie, Zachary and Sophie

Should have taken a pic of the grownups too, but they were: MaryAnn, Billy, Wendy, Cynthia, Scooter, Janice, Steve, Gina, Tom, Steven, Becky, Ashton

I feel like I'm forgetting someone, so whomever that is, I am sorry!!

It was a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I hope we can do it again!

Happy Birthday, Grandma M!

Grandma isn't going to be here for her birthday, so we celebrated by having dinner and dessert tonight!

From November 2009

From November 2009

15 Month Well Check

Sophie had her 15 month well check today.  This makes 3 doctor visits in 16 days.  And we wonder where the runny nose came from... :)

Anywho, she's doing great. 

Weight: 25.5 lbs - 85%
Height: 32 1/8 " - 92%
Head Circumference: 18.25" - 64%

Only one shot today, and she recovered quickly from that.  Thank goodness we like the nurses and Dr. Young so much!

We're Back

Today we darkened the doorstep of Young Kids Pediatrics once again.  Sophie had her stitches successfully removed with only a small bit of crying, and has been vaccinated against swine flu.  The ER doc did a great job with the stitches and the healing is going well.  I've been told the scar will grow back into her hairline. Who knew?

See you again next week - same time, same place!

Stitches and Swine

Today we headed to Dr. Young's office to see about getting Sophie's stitches removed and to de-swine both the kids.  Stitches weren't ready yet, so we'll be back Monday for that and Sophie's swine flu shot.  Zachary got to have the Swine Flu Mist, which was very good news because I was about to have a red alert situation on my hands if he had to get another shot.  Whew!

Grace is Just a Name

Sophie got my eyes.  She also got my grace.  Or complete lack thereof.  Yikes!

Tuesdays are our free days.  Usually we run errands and then go somewhere fun.  Zachary begged today to go to Happy Hopperz, so after a quick lunch, off we went.  I had visions of perusing catalogs and making some phone calls while the wee ones jumped themselves exhausted, followed by long naps at home.  At that moment, God laughed.

We arrived, Zachary began jumping, I signed the waiver, paid the owner, and set Sophie on her way to play.  I settled down with catalog #1, and glanced up to see Sophie lying face down on the carpet.  As this is a fairly regular occurence, I didn't rush right over, but waited to see if she was going to cry.  She did, so I scooped her up, only to realize that her head was bleeding.  (The culprit was a plastic shape sorting block, and as she fell "superman style" she must have forgotten to drop the block.  Looking back, we realized that she could have lost her eye if her arms had been a bit shorter.) As I applied pressure with tissues, I realized this was no surface abrasion, but an actual wound.  The other parent there informed us he was a former paramedic, so we put him to work.  After using a butterfly and regular bandaid to cover the wound, he suggested that we go to the ER for stitches.  God bless Grandma T for coming to play with Zachary while I took Sophie to Harris SW.

*Sidebar 1- we did not go to Cook Children's as swine and regular flu are fairly prevalent here and I was not about to take her in for stitches only to come out with swine/regular flu.*
*Sidebar 2 - while waiting for Grandma to arrive, Sophie did not want to be held, coddled, and/or comforted.  She wanted to jump and play, which is exactly what she did.  And when we left Happy Hopperz, she was screaming and very upset with me.

We got all checked in at Harris SW.  Sophie was very friendly with all the other patients and hospital staff (perhaps in anticipation of future visits).  Steve came and met us at the hospital and she was so glad to see him.  Good thing he came, too, b/c I have misplaced Sophie's insurance card.  Oops!

The nurse applied anesthetic via cotton ball and bandaid, and then the doctor and nurse came back to do the stitching.  She was swaddled with a large sheet to keep her immobilized during the stitching and she cried but otherwise did ok.  She got three stitches, and after a few minutes of comforting was ready to be on her way.

Although this was our first visit to the ER, I'm sure it won't be our last, especially with Little Ms. Adventurous, and I'm so thankful it went as well as it did.

And a quick Thank You to the Happy Hopperz owner for the Get Well card he sent to Sophie.  I promise we will come back. :)

October Photos

Pumpkin Carving

Steve helped Zachary carve his pumpkins today!  They had a great time and the pumpkins turned out great!

Proof

Zachary doesn't look a whole lot like me, but here is proof that he's my child:

He ate whipped cream for brunch.  He did not use it as a topping for anything.  :)

Pumpkin Patch Day

Today we met my friends Tiffany and Amanda for lunch in Addison.  I thought it would be fun for the kids to visit a pumpkin patch while we were up there.  It was a beautiful day!  We had such a great time being outside, and the kids were so well behaved!

We got to feed the goats,

go on a hayride,

go on a barrel ride (note to grown ups - think small when you are getting in the barrels),

pet a horse, see some chickens,

go through a corn maze (Zachary was Sophie's helper)

and play in a pumpkin patch!

Well, Zachary played while Sophie played in my purse.

Thanks for a fun day kids!!!

I Hope You Dance

Both my kids love music and love to dance. Zachary is also our resident singer (although I think Sophie will help him out with that soon), and has some moves that would make Elvis jealous. Sophie has learned how to twirl and has the best time doing it! Just watch out - she gets dizzy pretty quickly!

Sophie Speaks

Sophie has been saying Mama for a while, but mostly as a term of endearment, and not usually directed at me. Lately, though, she has added some words to her vocabulary:

Da Da (also term of endearment)
Ca Ca (cracker - anything crunchy)
Guck (duck)
Go (as in Ready Set Go)
Eye (while poking her finger in mine)
Fsh (fish)
Dog barking, elephant trumpet, and lion roar
Berries (strawberries)

We're on the road to conversation!!!

Dry All Night

** WARNING: This post contains information about my child's toileting habits. Feel free to skip it! :)

About a year ago, Zachary was able to make the transition from diapers and pull ups to underwear while he was awake. He's had very few accidents and has done really well. Over the last few weeks, we've been working on keeping his pull up dry while sleeping. He's been pretty successful, and we are so proud.

Keep a good thought for Zachary so he can go 7 days with a dry pullup at night. Then he can go from a toddler day bed to a big boy bed!

Sophie's New Discovery

Sophie decided to climb in a drawer today!

It was so cute, but I realized that our girl could break the drawer, so we relocated her to the laundry basket.

Fun times!

Haunted Gingerbread House

Yesterday we went with Grandma and Grandpa M and Mrs. Christensen to Granbury in search of pumpkins.  Zachary and Daddy selected a very large pumpkin (to be carved at a later date) and Sophie and I found some to be decorated with paints, etc.

This morning, Zachary and I went to Michael's to get paints and other decorations for our pumpkins and came across a haunted gingerbread house decorating kit.  I thought it would be so fun after last year's Christmas gingerbread decorating, and it was!  Grandma T came over to help with the decorating and Zachary did a great job putting all the candy around the house.

Here's our spooky house...

Super Saturday

Our family was all in one place, it was a beautiful morning, and we had nowhere to be. OMG - first time in FOREVER!!

We decided to load up the kids for the Kids Festival at Calloway's Nursery. They had popcorn, balloons, pumpkin patches and decorating, a make-your-own slime center, and a Mad Scientist, all for FREE. Wow! It was a lot of fun walking around looking at all the plant, and Z made quite a creation.

After the festival we decided to stay outdoors and headed up to the central market playground for more fun. The kids had a great time and we enjoyed an outdoor lunch. Aunt Mandy joined us for a little bit, and we ran into some old Little Gym friends, Brooklynn, Luke and Miss Whitney.

Best part of the whole day, though, was my Zachary asking some big kid: "You want a bite of me?" Bless that sweet kid for not laughing in his face. :)

Friday Zoo Day

Decided that it was time to take advantage of the weather, packed a picnic, loaded up Sophie, got Z from school and headed to the zoo. We had a nice lunch and walked to Texas in search of the merry go round. The kids loved the merry go round, and then we had a nice train ride (round trip of course).

We took a good amount of time looking at the animals in Texas. This is usually our last stop, so we end up going quickly. This time we watched the sea otters for a while, explored the gulf coast exhibit (Z touched a star fish!), went through the rattlesnake and bat exhibit (yuck!) and walked back to the front.

Thankfully, the penguins were back from vacation and we got to watch a feeding and see them swimming. Sophie loved it, as did Zachary. On our way out, we also got to peek at the kangaroos and fish in the Australia section.

To top it all off, both kids slept in the car on the way home!

We are so lucky to have such a wonderful zoo, and it was the perfect day to enjoy it!

September 2009

Zachary's 4 year Checkup

Height - 39 1/8" (24%)
Weight - 33 1/4 lb (25%)
Blood Pressure - 96/56 (normal)
In the meantime...
Vision - 20/30 (very normal for 4 years old)
Hearing - no problem

Poor buddy had to get 5 pokes in his arms and 1 finger prick. Yikes! Thankfully this is it for vaccinations till he's 11, with the exception of flu yearly (and next year I'm planning on FluMist).

These pokes cost me ice cream later - cotton candy and pink lemonade sorbet mixed together. He picked.

Dr. Young also detected an ear infection, so now it's Z's turn for the antibiotics. :(

He's growing great, talking well, and doing everything a normal boy his age should be. We are so lucky to have our Little Buddy in our lives!!

Dear Birthday Boy

My Dear Zachary,
4 years ago we welcomed you into the world. I had no idea that you would grow up to be such a sweet little boy and that I could love you this much! I am so proud of everything you are learning - to play baseball, to play golf, to ride your Big Wheel, about the states, our country and the world, your manners, and how to be brave. I am so proud of how you treat others, and how much you care for your sister and family. You are so generous with your love! I love how curious and mischevious you are, and that you love to giggle!
You are my silliest goose, my little buddy and my best boy!
Love,
Mommy

Zachary is 4

Zachary turned 4 today. We had the family over for dinner - breakfast at dinner! My silly buddy loves when we do this and it was so fun for his special birthday! We were so lucky to have Grandma M, Grandma T, Grandpa H, Gee Gee and Bubbe join us to celebrate his actual birthday! Unfortunately, the storms rolled in and the Hollander group was unable to stay for cake and ice cream. Darn those Texas storms!
Zachary loved all his gifts and we had a really nice evening!

A House Divided

TCU vs. Southwest Texas State (or whatever it's called these days)

We all went to the game... it was actually pretty fun, considering how crowded and humid it was. Sophie was very busy taking it all in, and Zachary had a great time. That school in San Marcos actually held their own during the first half - when we were there. As soon as we left, the Frogs took it to them, showing them the way a REAL football team plays. (haha!)

Lots of snacks kept everyone happy till the end of the 2nd quarter (Zachary still thinks the game is over then) and we left very satisfied with our football experience. Now if we could just find a closer parking spot...

GO FROGS!!

Happy Birthday Party #4

Zachary's 4th Birthday Party was held at Jumping Party. He had a great time with his friends and family. The grandmas even got in on the jumping action!!! After cake and ice cream, Zachary was very proud to hand out party favors (kites) to his guests and thank them for coming to celebrate his birthday! A good time was had by all!

First Day of Museum School

Today was the first day of Museum School. Museum School is a big deal in Fort Worth. People used to camp out overnight on the sidewalk outside the museum just to get their child in. Seriously. Now you just mail in a form - thank goodness!
Zachary was a bit apprehensive, but we started the day at the Bagel Store with the McDaniels. Zachary and Gwen were in the same class so that helped. We got there a bit early so we were waiting when the teachers opened the door. They whisked Zachary inside before he had a chance to shed a tear. When I picked him up, he had a great time and could not wait to go back. I'm so glad that he will get to have this experience with his friends!

PS - All this was topped off by a visit to Chuck E. Cheese with Grandpa H and Grandma T. Woo Hoo!!!

He's a Travelin' Man

Zachary and I had quite an adventure this week. We flew to Georgia to take care of his cousins while their parents were in Italy (jealous!). With all the hassles with flying these days, I was a little apprehensive, but Zachary was so great.

First, our flights were on time and uneventful. Second, we were able to carry on our luggage. Third, the DVD player was fully charged and ready to go. Zachary was a great listener, and pretty easy going the whole trip.

We enjoyed lunch at the Varsity by Georgia Tech, the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coke, the mall, a bounce house visit, his first movie theater movie, and a parade, in addition to numerous car pools, drop offs, lessons and church events.

This mommy-buddy time was much overdue and I hope that we can continue to do these trips as he gets older.

PS - if you ever are in need of a traveling companion, Zachary would love to go. Has Lovey, will travel. :)

Georgia Aquarium

Next time you see Zachary, ask him how the aquarium was. I bet you $5 his response will be very close to:
We saw a show and things came out of the TV and the Jellyfish stung me and we got wet and I was scared and it was loud and there were scary things that came out of the TV!

Note to self: My almost 4 year old is not ready for the 3 and 4-D movie experience.

Falling - with Style

Poor Zachary - he comes by this naturally. See, his mom is a clutz. Always has been. I trip up stairs and on flat surfaces. I fall out of chairs for no reason. I regularly have bruises and can't remember the cause.

Yesterday:

He was running in the Shack and fell, Superman style, face first on the carpet tiles. Not so soft. Bruised shins, skinned elbow, and skinned palm. Yowza!

Today:

He was running out to greet Daddy home from a trip. Falls in the middle of the driveway. Didn't twist his ankle. Just fell and scraped his foot.

My question: should I invest in the parent companies of Neosporin and Band-Aid??

August 2009

All Hail the King

Scene: driving up Bryant Irvin

Zachary: "Mommy, I don't want to be a prince anymore."

Me: "OK..."

Zachary: "I want to be King!"

Me: "Yes, your majesty! I'll alert the masses." accompanied by major eye rolling

Sophie's 12 Month Check Up

Doctor said she looks great! She was very cooperative, except during the 4 shots (to be expected).

Vital stats are:
Height - 30 3/8 inches - 87%
Weight - 24 lb, 2 oz - 90%
Head - 18" - 70%

Doctor Young has also encouraged me to quit bottles cold turkey. I haven't given in - so far. We'll see what tonight brings. :)

Happy Birthday to Sophie!

Dear Sophie,
One year ago today, I was in labor with you (please see last year's 8/15 entry for all the gory details), and then I welcomed you into the world. We first got to know each other during late night feedings and watching the Olympic Games. You kept your light eyes, and your hair got lighter. You loved your brother instantly, and bonded with your Daddy after he passed your crying test. You've learned to eat solid food, sit up, crawl, bear crawl, and walk. You love bath time, music class, and your frog lovey. You're not easily impressed, but you're a shameless flirt. Both skills will serve you well later in life.
I hope you enjoyed your family time, party, and dinner today. I know you liked the cake (as any daughter of mine should)! I am so proud of you and I know you will do great things!
Love,
Mommy

And She's Off!

Sophie has officially started walking today. She's trying to get from point A to point B and is pretty successful. Yay Sophie!!!

Fear of Flying

I have never been afraid of flying, even with my child, until I heard about passengers being trapped on planes for hours at a time. This is the latest instance, and I am infuriated.

1 - Why didn't the passengers do something? Ideas for things to do include:
a - call the airline
b - call a family member
c - call the police
d - fake a heart attack
e - fake an asthma attack

2 - Why didn't the employees do something? Ideas for things to do include:
a - open a door
b - go against 'orders/protocol/etc' and get the passengers out in a safe manner

3 - How is this even allowed to happen?
When did we stop caring about how we treat others? What if the airline president's mother/father/spouse/child had been on that plane? Or better yet, the airline president him/herself?

Within all the 'rules' we have forgotten how to be human, how to show a little compassion and decency toward another.

More to come as I organize my thoughts...

July 2009 Photos

Tummy Yuck!

 It all started Sunday afternoon with a minor diaper leak. Monday was traumatic for all involved, and Tuesday wasn't much better. I have now tried all diaper creams and various wipes, done lots of laundry on "HOT" and de-germed this house more times than I can count. Thankfully, all appears to be back to normal, and we can move on. Whew!

BTW - In the battle of the diaper creams, Boudreaux's Butt Paste wins hands down. I recommend Bag Balm for chapped skin. And what I'd really like to find is a spray on diaper cream. Any suggestions?

First Police Chase

Disclaimer: We were not being chased!

As we exited Zachary's school today, I heard sirens. This is not unusual as there is a fire station about 2 blocks away. Then a black SUV with damage to the front left side came tearing through the parking lot with a police car right on its tail, narrowly missing my parked car. We hurried back inside as the director and another teacher came out to see what was going on. Poor kids were very upset (as was mommy) but calmed down pretty quickly. Zachary wanted to know what was going on so I had to explain that there were some people doing 'not nice things'. The police were trying to get them and take them to time out.

Hopefully this experience deters him from a life of crime. :)

Zachary's First Vacation Bible School

Zachary attended his first Vacation Bible School this week at St. Matthew's. Although he was a bit unsure about being at church without mom and dad, he ended up having a great time! He made some new friends, enjoyed playing with Charlotte, and had lots of fun making things and singing songs.

And so, St. Matthew's is seeing the 'next generation' of Moroneso kids begin their youth participation. I wonder if they'll be as mischevious as the last? :)

11 months old...

Time sure does fly!
Seems like just yesterday I was pushing Sophie out (sans meds, need I remind you), and today she is 11 months old and we are working on her first birthday party. Zachary's first year went by so slow, especially compared to Sophie's. I am happy to report she is crawling well, standing on her own, very curious (nothing escapes her mouth), and a pretty happy baby. She is most giggly when she is sleepy, but will usually share a smile with her brother or during a game of peek a boo. Sophie crawls on tile and other uncomfortable surfaces just like Zachary - "gimpy" as Auntie Mandy would say. She's a great sleeper still, which is such a blessing, and she has 7 teeth.

I imagine she'll be walking by August 15, 2009, and talking a bit. Our girl is really growing up!

The Gift

I have married into a family where most men possess a special gift with women. I've heard the stories and seen it in action. My father in law has it, my husband certainly has it, and I figured my son would inherit it too, right along with the black hair and deep brown eyes.

Zachary has been honing his craft over the years, first trying it out on grandmas (highly successful), then cousins and aunties (all adoring fans now), the ladies at church (he was slipped a piece of communion bread about a year after his baptism), and various babysitters.

Last night, he pulled out all the stops and managed to stay up till 10:30 PM with Ms. Sarah rubbing his back and the light still on. When Mommy and Daddy got home and saw all this going on, the thing that first caught our attention was the gleam in his eye and the sly smile on his face.

Ladies of the world, let this serve as your warning - Zachary Moroneso has found his gift and he is not afraid to use it!

Cousins

It's hard to believe that 5 years ago, Megan and Kaitlyn were flower girls in our wedding. Now they are young ladies. Here are all the cousins at the end of the Texas trip!

Anniversary Trip

We headed down to San Antonio with hopes that we would get at least one day of vacation in before being called home to attend to inconsolable children. We managed to complete our whole vacation (10 meals without kids) with no desperate pleas to return home!
Thank you to the Mathis family for taking such great care of our kids, and thank you to my fabulous husband for a great trip and for being such a fantastic husband and parenting partner!!

Happy Fourth of July!

When Janice decided to come with her family for a visit, I invited everyone to my parents new house (that they weren't living in yet) to celebrate the 4th. They have a great view of several firework shows from their patio and front yard. Dad cooked awesome sliders and we had lots of great food!

Sophie got settled in her 'bed' just before the shows started and Zachary liked the fireworks much better when he couldn't hear the sounds.

Fourth of July at the Pool

The pool is one of the best ways to beat the heat in Texas, and July 4th is no exception. We had a super fun pool day with lunch, swimming and splashing,

finding coins,

and a watermelon eating contest (Kaitlyn came in 2nd!).

Can't wait for next year!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game!

Zachary has never been to a baseball game and we thought a Fort Worth Cats game would be lots of fun, especially on Fireworks Friday and with his cousins.

We started with ice cream and his first Sno Cone (which he loved - yay for mommy!!!),

watched some baseball,

danced with Dodger,

used Grandma M's water fan

and got ready to watch fireworks.

Zachary didn't like the loudness of the fireworks, but we covered his ears and he liked watching the colors! He had a great time on this very late night!!!

Welcome Mathis Family (and my new A/C)!

About 18 months ago, a trip to Italy was born. I have to admit I was a little jealous... there's no way I was going to get to go, with one toddler and a baby on the way. But that Italy trip did get me a trip away with my hubby...

See, Janice and Steve Mathis (Steve's sister and her husband) needed someone to stay with our nieces while they were in Italy. I was trying to plan a 5 year anniversary get away with my Steve. I offered to go to Atlanta to stay with the girls if she would come here to stay with my kids. A deal was brokered, and Janice decided to bring the whole family for a week's stay in Fort Worth.

They were to arrive on Thursday, and on the Saturday before, we kicked preparations into high gear. Things were going well - house was getting cleaned, bug guy came, door guy came, and plumber came. I made 2 trips to Target and one to Albertson's. Steve came home on time to get changed and switch cars to make the airport run. And in that instant, when I was removing car seats from the Tahoe so there would be room for people and their luggage, it all went south. Steve came out to announce that it was hot upstairs. As I shooed him back in the house, declaring that it could wait a minute, I was thinking, ok buddy, what do you expect in Texas in July? All that heat has to go somewhere! As my dad says, God got me. Sure enough, our A/C upstairs was out.

Thankfully, we have lots of family nearby and we were all able to sleep in a cool place last night. We got a new outside unit this morning and by the afternoon the upstairs had cooled nicely. What an exciting start to the visit!

June 2009

Zachary's Super Saturdays

Little boys lead a grand life. These have been the events of Zachary's Saturdays this June...

Tee Ball
Birthday party

Tee Ball
Lunch at Hollander's old house
Birthday Party
Dinner at Gwen's

Tee Ball
Spend Night with Moronesos

Tee Ball
Pool (with Ice Cream Sandwich and no Day Rest)

Must be nice... :)

Final Swim

Today my parents had a garage sale as they prepare to 'move on up'. It was blazing hot (go figure - summer in Texas) and after we closed up shop, everyone decided a dip in the pool was in order.

Zachary is no longer afraid of swimming and was like a little fish, splashing everywhere and swimming with his 'swim jacket' all the way to the deep end and hanging on the diving board.
(All this was diligently supervised by Grandma T.)

Very Sad

You never dream that you will outlive your baby. My sweet friend is going through this right now. Please keep her and her husband in your prayers for comfort and healing as they deal with this tremendous loss.

Rubik's Cube

I solved a Rubik's Cube today!
Zachary got me one for Mother's Day, with an instructional DVD. With the help of the DVD, I got it solved. It only took 1.5 hours. :)

This is especially exciting because as a child I messed one up so badly that my dad said it could never be fixed. Hmm... I wonder if that thing is still around...

Sophie's Test

Sophie has this test she runs when someone besides Mom is staying with her. She cries, cries, and cries some more. If you come back again, she's usually pretty good. I guess she figures if you come back for seconds after the crying fit, then you're worth getting to know. Man, she's tough!

The End of an Era

It's the end of an era, folks. The Bennigan's on South Hulen Street has been demolished. I noticed it on the way to Tee Ball tonight and recalled the good times there. It was the site of post football game hang outs, the place of employ for my former boyfriend, Barf, and the location of my first legal drink (my birthday was on a Monday, and who else was open on a Sunday night till midnight, but Bennigan's).
My best memories, though, include many fabulous Brownie Bottom Sundaes that Erin and I could eat in about a minute and a half (no lie) and all the great girl talk and bonding done before and after.

RIP Bennigan's.

Food

I realized today that my kids eat like I did when I was pregnant with each of them.

Case in point:

• Zachary: grilled cheese, mac & cheese, milk, treats, treats, and more treats. No lie - I actually got a note from the doctor saying it was OK to eat sweets.
• Sophie: everything in sight. Seriously - if it doesn't eat her, she will eat it. Pot roast, steak, pork loin, veggies, fruits, breads, turkey, cheese, pasta with sauce, you name it, she likes it.

Oddly, they both like fish sticks. How on earth that happened, I will never know!

Another "Graduation"

Zachary "graduated" again from his Little Gym class. He received a medal, and did a great job showing off all his tricks. Grandma T and Sophie were along to share in the fun times.

May 2009 Photos

Tooth #3

Tooth #3 has arrived! We found it today when Sophie wasn't napping after Splash Day at Mira Vista. It's on the bottom (again), on the left side.

Splash Day

Today was our first Splash Day at Mira Vista. We got everyone ready (took about an hour) and got to the pool only to realize that Sophie's food bag was left at home.

Zachary had a great time splashing in the kids' pool, eating cotton candy, listening to the DJ, and swimming in the big pool a little. He liked watching the Splash contest and the Pie Eating contest. Next year he might win. :)

Sophie looked really cute in her swimsuit and will try the pool another time.

Lessons from Mom

Ask my mom what her favorite store is and she will say, "Home Depot." Since I can remember, she has been home improving and doing various projects that require fun power tools. She has done all the painting and wall papering in their home. She stained the deck 2 or 3 times. She made planters for the back patio. She mowed the lawn, maintained the pool, laid parquet flooring, etc. She will tackle any project, especially if she gets a new "toy".

All this has taught me that women can do anything we set our minds to do, especially around the house. I demonstrated that for Sophie today as I took apart her crib and set the mattress on the lowest setting. Usually you don't have to disassemble the whole thing, but the manufacturing was not up to par.

I know Sophie won't remember this, but I hope that she continues to see she can do just about anything that she wants.

Disclaimer 1 - Steve and I tried to do this together on Thursday night, but with 2 kids on the move it was impossible to get done. So it's not that he didn't want to help, or that I didn't want him to help. It just had to get done when Zachary was out of the house.

Disclaimer 2 - Dad traveled a LOT when we moved here and so Mom was often left to her own devices around the house. Again, not that he didn't want to help; he just wasn't here to do it all the time.

Sophie is 9 Months Old

Sophie is 9 months old today! We went to a well check visit with Dr. Young. She got a Hepatitis B vaccine and was checked for anemia (she is not anemic). Here are her stats...

Height - 29.5 inches (97%)
Weight - 20 lbs, 14.5 oz (84%)
Head Circumference - 17.5 inches (65%)

Dr. Young is pleased with her progress, and said that her ear infection is gone.

She's Crawling

Sophie crawled today for the first time! She is quite proud of herself, and Zachary thinks it's pretty cool too. Nothing is safe, of course, but it is a nice step towards growing up.

Grammar

A little rant and rave is allowed every now and then...

There's a Facebook group called "I Judge You When You Use Poor Grammar". I am a member. I do judge. Mostly in professional environments, never my friends, but it does happen. I mean, really people, if you are going to publish something, grammar should not be that big of an issue. And if you're not sure, ASK SOMEONE!!!

I got this headline from Pottery Barn (they should definitely know better) today:
"Free Shipping on Must Have's For The Bath".

My question - what belongs to the "Have"? I know there are much bigger and more important things in life to get worked up over, but this stuff just sets me over the edge. You want me to spend $34.00 on a Susainable-Wax Filled Recycled Glass Candlepot and you can't be bothered to read the headline on the email? Give me a break.

The sad thing is, I bet most of their customers didn't notice.

Tee Ball - First Practice

Zachary had a great time at his first Tee Ball practice tonight.

His team is the Phillies, and his number is 1.

It was very fun to watch as the kids tried to bat (good success), catch a ball (not so much), throw the ball (pretty good) and run the bases (truly hysterical).

All the kids are first time players and his friend, Gwen, is also on the team. It should be a lot of fun!

Family Music Night - Spring 2009

Sophie and Zachary both participated in music at TCU this spring. Zachary was in with the big kids (3s and 4s) and Sophie was in a mixed age class. It was a lot of fun doing something with each of them and they both really enjoyed it. Family Music Night was tonight, and we went in spite of the Swine Flu invasion. Zachary spent a LOT of time running around, but Sophie enjoyed the music, doing her own bouncy dance and playing with some instruments. Grandma T and Grandpa H came with us and we really loved having them there!