school fundraiser night

Tonight was a school night at the local water park - which has other things to do besides the water park.  The water park was not included in this event.

But, the kids could choose 2 activities from Laser Tag, Rock Climbing Wall (I think they were too young for this choice), Go Carts (had to be 12 to drive), Mini Golf or Climber Room (for ages 8 and under).  This is the same place they had their 5th birthday party.  So, Gretchen wanted to wear her 5 shirt.  Once Carl saw she had hers on, he wanted to change, too.  "In case I want to make a fifty-five with Gretchen."  Numbers.  It's a Carl thing.

We picked Mini Golf first and then played for an hour in the climber room.  They had never played miniature golf before.  Carl picked a yellow ball and Gretchen a pink one.  Of course. 

Lew helped them with their clubs and with how to swing.  A couple times I think he felt they were playing for a green jacket, but he did lighten up a bit and they had fun moving the ball and reswinging and swinging backwards and pushing it in the hole etc.

Carl yelled, "I won!" every time he got the ball into the hole. 

Gretchen did get a hole in one!! 

It was fun, and the elementary school got $5 out of each $10 admission.  This school doesn't sell cookie dough or wrapping paper or entertainment books.  Thankfully!!

Now, I have noticed that since the photos I post in my entries have become clickable, the quality of them when they are within the text here is poor.  But, once you click on them, they get bigger and much crisper.  I hate it when my photos don't look good.  So, if something looks a bit "soft" (or fuzzy) to you, click on it and see it as I intended it to post.  Thanks!

I ♥ NY

Today, the kids wore their I♥NY shirts that Sheila and Bob gave us before we moved from NY back in 2007.  Funny, back then they looked so huge to me.  I never pictured them fitting, much less being too small.  I wasn't looking that far ahead.  Even now, I am not looking 4 or 5 years ahead really.  I sort of am because I wonder where we'll live, but I am not making mental images of the kids and of us.

We talked about 9-11.  We talked about showing our support and respect for the people who lived in NY, PA & VA who were scared, hurt and even killed by terrorists, or very bad people.  I did not go into detail about PA or VA, but I told them that terrorists flew airplanes into very tall buildings in New York City and the buildings fell.  People got hurt and some even died, but an important part was how the police and fire fighters came to help.  They can to save people and bring hope.  They were heroes.

And, today, is the 10 year anniversary of the date that many families lost loved ones, and also, many families saw their loved ones become heroes as they saved people and helped try to make some sense out of the fear and sadness.

The twins do not remember.  They weren't born. 

But, we will never forget. 

Today, we honor those everyday people who became heroes.  We remember those who lost their lives and their loved ones.  We will never forget.

Here they are today.  Tomorrow, they will wear their new I♥NY shirts to school.  I wonder if Gretchen will tell her teacher all about 9-11.  Or even that they were born in NY.

Here is a look back at some September 11th photos.

Sept 11, 2006.  stars and stripes!

 Sept 11, 2009

 Sept 11, 2010

other random I♥NY shirt sightings... Feb 2007.

 November 2007

summer 2010 my mom and her grandchildren

 also summer 2010... this photo still makes me laugh every time I see it



"Now I can sleep in Gretchen's room again!"

His feet were hanging out of the yellow buggy car bed.  That's when we decided to move forward with putting up the set of bunk beds we bought months ago.

I told you that I listed the toddler beds on craigslist.  Well, I have buyers for both.  One is coming tomorrow to get the blue one.  The yellow one we're holding until the 20th when the lady gets paid.  Both came off craigslist and I was able to resell them for what I was hoping to get for each.  Cool.

Gretchen is a little sad.  At dinner, she said she hopes the new kids who buy our beds love them as much as we did.

In the process of switching.  I know it's a busy photo... and I know you are trying to figure out the craziness...

1. new bed mattresses
2. bunk bed frames
3. blue race car bed
4. yellow buggy car bed
5. crib/toddler car mattresses
6. the 4 houses we have owned before this one... each with a photo in all 4 seasons
7. pre-school artwork still hanging on the front door
8. table with Gretchen's princess oven and other kid toys
9. some of Lew's 9 gazillion books
10. library book bag and a camera bag
11. 2 boxes of Lew's stuff we haven't unpacked yet

Lew put the new beds together this afternoon.  We haven't stacked them yet because there was 1 bolt missing... one of the 2 that will hold in the railing for the top bunk.  But, the kids didn't care... they were just excited to have new beds!!  Carl loves it... "Now I can sleep in Gretchen's room again!"  He's been sleeping in the guest bed in what we call Grammie's room.  We name our guest room after the first person to visit us and sleep there.  One house, it was Rick's room since my college friend was our first overnight house guest. 

When they were born, I hoped to keep them in the same bedroom until probably kindergarten.  Well, seeing as we bought bunk beds and they like being in the same room, I don't see splitting them any time soon.  They like having someone in the room and I don't mind one waking the other in the morning.  It keeps them on the same schedule.

First bed ready!

 It tests out well.  She approves!

Second bed done.  That will be the top bunk when we put them together - we'll put the other rail on, of course.  I told you - there is a bolt missing.  Lowe's didn't have the right size when we stopped tonight.

Do you like the Lands End flannel sheets?  Nice and soft.  If you know me, I am a LE sheets lover.  But, I'm cheap, too.  So, these were on the sale sheet.  I only paid about like $16 for each set.  The color is Chili Pepper.  Hey, they kids like them.. and they go nicely with at least the Cars part of the bedroom theme. 

Look at how much room they have below their feet!  Carl is 48" and Gretchen is 45".  Yesterday, someone told me, "Wow, they are tall for twins."  I guess she was assuming twins should be only 1/2 the size of normal kids since they seach only got 1/2 a womb.   ????   Anyway, no feet hanging out of these beds!!

 Ready for bed!

Getting tucked in!  That Cars poster is a big vinyl wall cling.  You can see some princess ones, too.  We are going to move the small princess ones definitely, but I don't want to have to move the Cars one.  It is actually 2 pieces and it was hard to get lined up in the first place.   Oh - and the search for comforters is going on.  Apparently, they don't make many cotton comforters... or at least ones with Cars or princesses on them.  Do you know how hard I am fighting the urge to take up quilting and make them quilts?  The last thing I need right now is another crafting obsession.   I have friends who make quits.  They all tell me how easy it is - and their quilts are stunning!!!  And, they are all pretty much beginners.  I do not have the time, space or money for quilting.  I do not have the time, space or money for quilting. 

Only a couple animals tonight - Clifford and Huggy Bear along with her yellow blankie.  I predict she will have 200 animals with her tomorrow night.

Huggy Bear and T-Bone.  Mickey Mouse joined him after this picture, too. 

And this is how we left them to fall asleep. 

Good night every bunny, big and small. 

Sweet bunny dreams to one and all. 

Good Night.  Good Night.  Sleep Tight. 

pouting pictures

First, she pushed him on the monkey bars.  So, I asked him to come over and show me his mad face.

Then, she didn't give him another turn.  So, I asked him to come over and show me his frustrated face.

Then, he pushed her on the monkey bars.  So, I asked her to come over and show me her mad face.

and so on.....  (she continued showing me her "mad" face... check out that neck!)

and so forth....  (yup, she is still mad here - can't you tell?)

It was a rough morning. 

flower Friday!

the twins' first Tom Chapin concert

I love Tom Chapin.  Have for a long time.  My cousin Lori gets credit for introducing me to his music years ago with Family Tree.  It was pretty much love at first listen and I haven't looked back!  My first Tom Chapin concert was in 1992!

So, when we were home for vacation... oh yeah... I owe you 9736 vacation pictures all in one post, don't I???   Anyway, my Aunt Joanne called to say Stacey & Sydney were going to see Tom Chapin that night at the local park.  A free concert in the park!  usually a lot of fun no matter who is playing!

Well, we got there early because, let me tell you... I wanted a good seat!  We grabbed the bench dead center, front "row".  As "row"-ish as you can get with an outdoor stage.  In front of us was a concrete dance floor.  The kids took no time in hitting that!

It was half family/ half adult concert.  And, as his bassist, Michael Mark told us, "We'll do the adult portion for the second half, because by then, we'll be a little bit older."  But, Tom's adult music isn't anything racy.  He even played several of Harry's things in a tribute to losing his brother 36 years ago.

So, here are a couple photos.  I love the shot with the kids.  (Thanks, Mom... she took that one and a couple with me in them.  Notice which one I shared?) We waited in line after the concert ended to get a CD signed  and pose with the band members.  We were the last ones in line, of course.  Why is it we seem to have to be the last ones anywhere?  Oh yeah - it's so we don't miss anything!

Thanks Stacey & Aunt Joanne for alerting us to an awesome evening!!  It was great to see you guys, too!!!

wordlessWednesday

All my northern friends are posting pictures of their kids on the first day of school.  We've been back about 2 weeks now - so while they are pros already at going to school, it is still fairly new to the twins.  Last night we had Curriculum night and I got to talk more with the teacher.  But, we got rushed to a PTA meeting right after the homeroom meeting... and I missed out on seeing the twins' artwork that was hanging.  So, even though we are not supposed to anymore, I walked them in this morning so I could see the coloring they did.  Both awesome, of course.  (although the amount of coloring these kids do in kindergarten is insane!  And, they keep at them to color in the lines and fill it all in.  Don't get me started.  I can't make the kids feel like they are doing something wrong by following the teacher's directions, but.... oh how I hate the idea of this coloring "the right way".)

So, I got to talk to the teacher more this morning and I think a few of my concerns from last week will resolve themselves from here on.  See, the class began with 25 kids.  Now, they have added a 4th kindergarten and pulled 6 kids from this class to give to that new teacher.  Now, the twins' class has only 19 in it.  See how well I did that simple math?  25-6=19.  Got it. 

And, routines are falling into place as well.  Plus, they were kind of in limbo knowing a new class was forming, so they hadn't started any real lessons yet.  I'm sure some of these classmates have never been outside of their home all day every day, too.  So, there is a lot to take in in the first week. But, still, some of my concerns were valid.  No one checked to see if Carl could open his lunch and he came home without having eaten!  I know he needs to be independent, but he also needs a cold container for his food.  And, teachers need to check to be sure that kids can open the things... especially when this kid receives OT for (supposed) low muscle tone in his hands.  Anyway, I'm moving on.  really. 

I learned this morning that the teacher is doing something called Dibbling.  It is extensive reading testing on the kids to see where their abilities lie.  I cannot wait to get the results back and have the first Parent/Teacher conference to discuss both kids' reading programs.  They will group the kids according to ability.  Boy, I hope Carl shows them his true talents.

I even left the classroom with 3 projects to cut and staple and have ready for the kids to put together. Someday, I may get to tell her about my dream job:  going school to school doing construction paper bulletin boards.  Ahh!!


So, seeing all these photos of big 5 year olds getting on buses and carrying backpacks got me thinking about 5 years ago.  So, here is my 2005 Baby Collage du jour....