Shopping with mom

Patrick is going to school two days a week. Often, Elizabeth and I do errands while Pat is at school. We were having some fun at Marshall's last week. You should have heard the fit Elizabeth through when we had to say "Bye-Bye" to the hat and put it back on the rack. It was one for the record books!

What a big girl!

Guess who is sleeping in a big girl bed? Elizabeth. This weekend we set up a toddler bed for Elizabeth. She loves it! And it looks great in her side of the room, since we were going with a garden feeling. Before kids I swore I wouldn't have plastic furniture for my kids....they were going to be more sophisticated. I found this on Craig's List .....it was very reasonable. After an intensive cleaning, it fits perfect in Sissy and Pal's room. Patrick loves it also and would love to sleep right next to Sissy.

Night night.

Fun with our friends

I haven't posted anything in a while because we have been busy going here and there having fun. I figured I would post some random pictures with our friends to show you all the kids have been up to.
"Joe Gee", as Patrick calls him, gave great rides down Ciochi and Mark's driveway at Will's birthday party. Mommy watched through her fingers because Joe sure is a speed demon.
Even though they fight like Frank and Estelle Costanza, Patrick and Sarah Jane will be friends for life, I'm convinced. Better fighting friends than kissing cousins I guess.

Leah and Sissy being super curious at the zoo.

This is a historic shot.....it is the 30 seconds where both children sat still and both little one (Will and Elizabeth) were quiet enough to let a picture be taken when we went to visit the Zoo to You program at the library.

Sissy loves her Sara.

So our friend and sitter had a bouncy house in her front yard for a day. She had her kids, nieces and nephews, neighbors and friends over to her house for some jumping and a cook-out. The kids had a blast and so did I. It was a great afternoon....thanks Sara and Nana!

Messy Patrick and Payton with Sara.

Sara's three big kids enjoying some of her great pasta.

Patrick must be giving Leah some advice on how to be a great big sister. Leah will be a big sister tomorrow! We all can't wait.

Table for two good buddies.

Bouncin' and Dancin'

Every Thursday there is a free concert in Marcellus Park. This week they had an extra concert on Monday night, so we took the kids down. There was also a bouncing house for the kids. Patrick spent most of his time in the bouncing house, loving life. Elizabeth was the star of the show wowing the audience with her dance moves. It was a beautiful night and a lot of fun.

After Sissy got going, there was no stopping her. She danced and twirled and clapped, all by herself at times, all over the dance floor. She even ventured up with the band a few times. The lead singer was great. She twirled Elizabeth and even let her walk around with a tambourine and a maraca. Sissy definitely stole the show!
The only thing that motivated Patrick to dance at all was when the lead singer said she would be throwing out candy to all the dancers on the dance floor. With all the sugar and bouncing he better sleep until noon tomorrow! Sissy should have gotten a cut of the band paycheck, not candy.

Fun at Onondaga Lake Park

On Monday the kids and I went to Onondaga Lake park. Pal was excited by a "new" playground and the water. We played on the big and little playground, had a snack , read some books (they have a great feature at this park. You can sign-out a small backpack that is filled with three or four picture books) and hung out by the water. We would have stayed by the water but it smelled.
Patrick played for a long time on these climbing chains. He told me he was playing fireman. He also made a friend, Ryan. They were hanging on the chain together and playing hide and go seek.



We'll be back really soon. Maybe we will convince Daddy to rent a bike that looks like a carriage for the family!

Hanging out with Uncle John, Aunt Heather, and Leah

We went for a visit with Uncle John, Aunt Heather, and Leah on Saturday. It was hot, so it was a perfect day to play in the pool. Patrick immediately went for Leah's new sandbox which is filled with green and blue sand. It was great to hang out, talk and enjoy a cook-out. We think we even know the name of the soon to arrive baby G.
Patrick was having a blast in the sand until he was forced to get out (one too many throws of sand at other people). The sand in the ear has to be proof of fun.



The girls were content to be in the pool. They swam, snacked, played, and then swam some more. They had so much fun that the pool needed a refill.


Going down the slide into the water sure is fun....what a good idea.Pesci was in the pool too. He didn't even seem to mind all the torture of the children.

Patrick finally decided that he wanted to get in the pool too. Much to the dismay of Uncle John, Patrick insisted on being "nudey boy" in the pool. It was funny and caused Aunt Heather and I to brainstorm all the terrible things that would happen if Brian's and John's genes should ever cross. We came to the conclusion that the by product would be born with a remote in one hand, a cheap beer in the other, a couch sewn to its butt and its first words would be stupid movie quotes.

Patrick was totally tortured by Uncle John's tickling. The torment last a good ten minutes!

By the time we left the kids were exhausted. I think it was almost 11:00 by the time we got home. All the playing really did wipe them out.

Victory!

I don't have photo proof.....
Today I managed to get Elizabeth to eat five blueberries and three baby carrots. Granted, the carrots were dipped in ranch dressing, still neither food is tan, brown, or white!!

Feeding The Ducks

As gross as it may be, I feel that feeding the ducks is a summer activity that every child should endure. Parents, it is bearable, as long as you are armed with hand sanitizer, old sneakers, and Wet Ones. My parents made me do it, and now I make my kids do it. They had fun.....it is a dirty activity, of course they had fun.


Here comes the teacher justification......there were lots of skills learned at the Duck Pond. The "God Girls", Elizabeth and Leah worked on sharing and cooperating. Elizabeth worked on her fine motor skills by throwing those little pieces of corn, one at a time, in or near the water. It was also a bit of a speech and language lesson since Sissy perfected her duck noise while there.
Patrick worked on fine tuning his aim.....he was aiming for the butt's of the large geese when they stuck their heads under the water. He got quite good at it by the time we left.
I was very proud of Patrick because he really was being mature and independent at the Duck Pond. These two pictures are of him putting coins in the donation box, returning the empty corn cup, and getting a full corn cup all by himself! He did it three times and would have kept going if I hadn't "run out of coins".

Celebarting America's 232nd Birthday at Grandpa's

I tired to get Patrick to say "Happy 232nd Birthday America" but he wasn't into it.

We celebrated the 4th of July with a clambake at Brian's dad's house. It was a lot of fun that tired the kids right out. If you can judge the degree of fun by the ring that is left around the bath tub afterwards, then the amount of fun Pal and Sissy at was off the charts!

The kids had lots of fun........

being safe by the pool,

splashin',

lovin',

loading up on sugar,

and just pallin' around with cousins!

Patrick was eager to help Grandpa build a fire. We had the makings for S'mores, although Patrick was only interested in burning things, like the marshmallows and his stick. Who cares about graham cracker and chocolate when there is fire around?? He truly is a BOY!

Patrick: Dad, I just want to poke the fire with my stick.

Dad: No.
Repeat 500+ times :)

Patrick and Megan decided if they couldn't poke at the fire then they would poke at Uncle Dan and Uncle Rich and Uncle Bob/Grandpa and T-T.