Easter 2008

Joan and Eric's house, Worcester PA






Another Easter has come and gone. Kids loved the Easter Bunny's visit...6 Easter baskets!!! Tooth Fairy came again this week too. I think I'm going to appeal to the IRS that we should be able to write their (S. Claus, TF, E. Bunny) visits off on tax returns!!! Anyhow, we went to church as usual then to my sister's for brunch. Easter egg hunt in my sister's yard was lots of fun. Highlight was that we got to see my grandmom who is now 97 (almost 98), and my sister Beth from NYC who we haven't seen since Christmas! After that huge meal, went to Dave's parents for another egg hunt and delicious (huge) dinner. I will start my diet tomorrow...


Kriebel and Conner cousins

Stay off the roads...

Thea has her license!!! She wanted me to take her, because when Dave took her to get her permit she failed twice and when I took her, she passed. She thinks I'm lucky?!? Funny, I've never considered myself lucky in anything except maybe fertility! LOL. Anyhow, she passed. I am very proud of her. And very terrified! Here is a photo of her just minutes after in her 1985 Honda Accord!

Atlanta, Bless your heart!

George, Charlie, Audrey and I flew to Atlanta to visit my friend Sue. We've been friends since we were 11 and I miss her terribly. We had a great time! Our friend Colleen, also from HS, lives in the area and she and her family came to Sue's for dinner. Sue and Col each have 3 boys. Poor Audrey was the only girl in the house! After dinner, Sue, Colleen and I snuck out for some drinks w/o kids (or husbands)! :) The next day, we went to the Georgia Aquarium which is truly amazing. The kids and I also spent a day with Dave's brother Andy and family. They were thrilled to see their cousins, Michael, Oscar and Elizabeth...and one on the way!

The boys loved their first plane ride. Thankfully, Audrey was quiet. George took lots of photos on the plane to show Emma. The highlight, however, was getting to have a Sprite! Go figure.

Six

Our little Charlie is six! Had our third birthday party this month! His was a Star Wars theme. George and Charlie are obsessed with Star Wars these days. On his actual birthday we went to Applebees and the servers sang to him. I'm not sure if he liked it because they were clapping and singing loudly. He was nervous, and grabbed Dave's hand for assurance. It was very sweet.
(*pillow made by Grandmom Kriebel!)

A Prayer To The Cake God

Raise your hands and rejoice, for there is cake!

THREE!

One

Audrey turned one on January 10th. I cannot believe it. She is still so tiny...looks to be about 9 months instead of 12. I so want her to stay a baby!!! Anyhow, we had a fun birthday party last night. She LOVED her cake!!!

E & G

First game! George is playing basketball and Emma is cheerleading for Upward, a christian-based league. So far, they are enjoying it. Its really good for George, our reluctant athlete, because it focuses on good sportsmanship, not winning! Dave is, of course, coaching.

PJs

I remember the day I bought these pajamas 10 years ago when Emma was a baby. I found them at a consignment store. 10 years later, Audrey is wearing them. In fact, all of the kids have worn them on their first Christmas. I'm definitely saving them for the grandchildren! I will wear out before these PJS do! (Credit due to the BabyGap of yesteryear, when the quality was a bit better.)

Christmas 2007

Audrey's first Christmas. Hard to believe that last year this time she wasn't even here yet! Had a great holiday! Spent some time with Dave's sister Stephanie who was in town from Las Vegas. Enjoyed Christmas Eve at my parents' house and had our traditional brunch at our house Christmas morning. Had Christmas dinner at Dave's parents'. Santa was good to all! Dave and I will celebrate our 12th anniversary next week! Three birthdays coming up in January-Audrey's 1st, Ellie's 3rd and Charlie's 6th! Busy busy busy.

Thanksgiving

Kids Table...They were quite well behaved. Emma made placecards for everyone and wrote each person a note as to why she was thankful for them!




Not sure what my problem was (maybe too much wine?!?) but I couldn't seem to get everyone in one shot.


Just couldn't resist getting a shot of Dave's first helping! He had a second helping just as big...Needless to say he could hardly move after dinner.

Young Jedi

Halloween

Just some photos of our gang on Halloween. Ellie was a "princess" and loved every minute of it. She made up her own song which she sings constantly. It goes like this (to the tune of nannynannybooboo) ..."I'm the pretty princesss..I'm the pretty princess...I'm the pretty princess...(OVER AND OVER AND OVER...!!!) She's a trip. Charlie was a pirate. He's really good at growling "aargh". George was Obi-Wan-Kenobi. Star Wars is his new obsession...Spongebob has taken the backseat at last. Emma was Little Red Riding Hood. And our little Audrey, who wasn't feeling quite up to par in the aftermath of a flu-shot, was a flower! Thea went out with some friends and I think she said she was being Britney Spears?!? OMG I forgot to make sure she was wearing underwear...HARHAR. Anyhow, thank God its over! This year, based on my "candy estimations", we had over 200 trick-or-treaters. Its insane! I have to applaud Dave for surviving without taking his 6-pack along in the wagon this year. I'm sure he won't be forgetting it next year though!

Girls

I LOVE having 2 girls so close together! However, it continues to amaze me how different they are! Ellie is so solid... Audrey so tiny and petite. Ellie is so blue eyed and blonde...Audrey so dark-eyed and brunette. Ellie so fair, Audrey more olive. Ellie is so "headstrong"...Audrey so easygoing. And Ellie is all Kriebel (looks like Dave's dad)...while Audrey is more "Standbridge". Audrey has just learned to pull up! Cannot believe it. She still sleeps in our room in the pack-n-play. I can't bear to part with her. (And Ellie is still attached to her crib and wants no part of her big-girl-bed so Dave can't blame it all on me!)

Barney.....UGH

Some random fall happenings...Barney (Ellie's favorite, second only to Dora) came to our local ToysRUs. She was a bit nervous at first....but I have to say it was quite cute! She didn't want to leave him. Everytime we drive by ToysRus now she says, "Mommy see Barney there?" "No Ellie, Barney went home". He may have gone home, but I continue to suffer through him everyday, frequently. On-Demand is nothing but torture for parents!!!

She sits She eats She smiles

Audrey is all over the place! She has mastered the army crawl. She goes right for the cords and eats any piece of dirt she can find. (Not that there is any in my immaculate house of course) She is so fast! My mom calls her greased lightening because she just flips all over the place when you try to change her diaper. She is babbling like crazy! She still looks so tiny in the high chair!

First Day of School

Yeah! Emma is beginning fifth grade and George third. Charlie is going to morning kindergarten. He seems too little...I'll miss my buddy. His best friend Nicholas who lives up the street is in the photos. They are holding hands walking into school. Its too cute. Someday they will hate that picture!

50 Things...

I "paraphrased" this from an article I read in Philadelphia Magazine. The article is entitled "50 Things You Love Down the Shore". We did most of these things this week...and some I have done in my younger days. HaHa. I can't resist posting it...as I am still on a high from our vacation. We had a great week! Those of you not from the area will not understand much of it. But those who are will sigh and remember years of memorable trips to "the shore". I have so many great childhood memories of going to the shore with my family every summer. I hope my children are absorbing it all and will appreciate the time we spend there year after year.

1. Roll down the car windows as you go over the bridges.
2. Get stuck in beach traffic.
3. Wear a beach tag.
4. Read on the beach.
5. Reminisce.
6. Eat donuts.
7. Secure an umbrella in the sand.
8. Bury dad.
9. Put your toes in the water.
10. Build a sand castle.
11. Jump the waves.
12. Walk on the beach.
13. Dock and drive.
14. Do puzzles on a rainy day.
15. Buy a t-shirt.
16. Pee in the ocean.
17. Fly a kite.
18. Sightsee.
19. Nap on the beach.
20. Watch the dolphins.
21. Feed the gulls.
22. See a cover band. (Secret Service...OMG)
23. Play miniature golf.
24. Go to a bar and don't act your age.
25. Play skee ball.
26. Waterslides.
27. Run on the beach.
28. Run on the boardwalk.
29. BYOB
30. Send a message via airplane banner.
31. Go barefoot.
32. Check out a lighthouse.
33. Flirt on the boardwalk (tweens)
34. Go to an arcade.
35. Change behind a beach towel.
36. Buy jersey produce.
37. Step into a photo booth.
38. Play at the beach.
39. Swim in the bay.
40. Watch fireworks on the beach.
41. Eat at the counter.
42. Don't dial an area code.
43. Stay late at the beach.
44. Get a sunburn.
45. Rent a bike.
46. Ride the rides.
47. Go fishing.
48. Bird watch.
49. Watch sunsets over the bay.
50. Stop at Frank S. Farley

And I have added a few of my own...based on our family experiences.

1. Rent a big ass beach cart for the week.
2. Pack a lot of beers in the cooler and don't forget the plastic cups to avoid the fines.
3. Remember, a seagull taking a dump on you AND stealing your sandwich out of your hand is not a bad thing...its a right of passage. (Yup, happened to me this week)
4. Five bottles of spray on sunscreen = gone!
5. Take outdoor showers...we've got it down to an assembly line science.
6. Eat Mack and Manco Pizza.
7. Check out every ice cream shop.
8. Don't let your kids bring live starfish, hermit crabs or sea turtles back from the beach...they will be dead in the morning.
9. Ignore constant comments and "God Bless Yous" regarding how many kids you have.
10. Go back every year, no matter how many times husband says "we are never f****** doing this again." Its like childbirth, you forget the pain and remember the good parts.

Sea turtle...Thea bonded w/ this thing. She was devastated to have to put it back in the ocean. Despite the fact that I am NOT an animal person, I must admit the thing was really cute!

Crayola Factory

I always have these big plans at the beginning of the summer...day trips and such. Before I know it, summer is close to an end. We never made it to the Aquarium or the Philly Zoo, but we did squeeze in a trip to the Crayola Factory. Now I have been there before and have been "underwhelmed", but I decided to give it another try since the kids, especially the boys, are so into drawing right now. They had a blast. Thea drove there...turnpike and highway driving. Very nerve wracking for me but she did well. We're headed to Ocean City NJ tomorrow for a week. Then its back to school time, YEAH! Charlie is starting kindergarten. I'm not quite prepared for that. He's been a really good buddy the past 5 years. I hate to give him up...:(