Anna's Visit

Little Anna Kiser came to visit this past weekend. (Her Mommy and Daddy came too, but as we all know, once you become a parent, it's not about you anymore-it's only about the children.) Anna's Mommy, Emily, was one of my roommates in college, and she and her husband, Kevin, live in Erie, PA. We had a nice visit as we braved the heat and humidity and strolled around downtown Annapolis. Anna is such a cutie pie. She is almost six months old and is so happy and so pleasant. I'm so glad we got to meet her!

Slip and Slide

Yes, they still make them, and they are still as much fun as you remember. I pulled out the slip and slide the other day while I was babysitting Delaney and Kelly from next door, and the kids had so much fun! Sean was napping the first day we got it out, but we brought it out again today, and he had the time of his life sitting there getting wet (with his clothes on and all!). I swear he his part fish. And I have GOT to figure out how to post a video so you can see Rex's imitation of Uncle Paul waterskiing. It's adorable. I know it can be done- please someone tell me how!

Sean's Party

Sorry I am so late posting these- it's been a hectic week. But anyway...here are some photos from last weekend when we had a little cookout to celebrate Sean's 1st Birthday! We had a gorgeous day and lots of friends and family to help us celebrate. I love this picture of Mindi and Morgan. I can't believe she is 3 years old now! Such a big girl! The Parsons family joined us for an afternoon of fun, and Trevor had fun holding the birthday boy in his lap. Here's Aunt Mindi again, with two handsome boys this time. You can see that Rex decided to use the front of his shirt like a napkin- he's such a boy! Sean had lots of fun- especially with the balloons after everyone went home!

Happy First Birthday Sean!

Yes, it's true. We blinked, and our little baby turned one year old. I know people say time flies when you have kids, but I never knew just how true that was. I could swear I just brought Sean home from the hospital a few weeks ago. But here we are, one year later, one year older, one year wiser. I thought you might enjoy pictures from the cupcake celebration we had at dinner tonight. Rex and I baked sprinkle cupcakes for Sean. I think Rex was much more excited about his cupcake than Sean was, but I think Sean made a bigger mess!

It has been quite a year. I remember the anxious feeling we had waiting for Sean to arrive. I was downright scared. Not about the birth- I had done that before- I was scared about the unknown. We knew about Sean's cleft issues from his sonogram, but no one could tell us for sure if there was anything else wrong. We didn't know what to expect. Despite the fact the sonogram had shown a clear cleft palate, he arrived with his soft palate intact which allowed him to feed, and other than his lip, he was a happy, healthy little boy. Our prayers had been answered. We've been through doctor's visits and surgeries, and through it all he has been such a trooper. He's an amazing little fellow, and he has taught us a lot. We've had our share of sleepless nights, but all in all Sean has been a wonderful addition to our family. Happy Birthday, Little Buddy- We love you!

Road Trip

So we survived our first long road trip with two kids. It was touch and go here and there, but we made it. We started out by heading to PA last Monday to spend a few days at Grandma's house. We had a nice time visiting with everyone there, and Sean had his first birthday party at Aunt Deb's house. He looked so cute in his little Elmo hat! Rex had lots of fun when we went for a ride on Uncle Paul's boat- he even got to drive the boat! (I wish I had had my camera for that one!) I think Sean's favorite part was swimming in Aunt Deb and Uncle Harry's pool. He is such a water baby! His arms and legs splash a hundred miles a minute the whole time. He loves the water. On Friday, we packed up and headed west to Indiana for my friend (and sorority sister) Beth's wedding. The boys were very good for the trip, and despite driving through the worst thunderstorm I've ever seen, we made finally it to Fishers, Indiana. Unfortunately, I had printed out the directions to the wrong hotel, so we had a nice tour of the town (and a trip to Target) before settling in at the hotel for the night. My wonderfully thoughtful husband bought me a nice big bottle of Chardonnay to share with my sorority sisters to celebrate the weekend, but as you all know, I never travel lightly, and the bottle rolled off of the overcrowded luggage cart and met an untimely death on the sidewalk below. Michael's sandals (the only pair of non-dress shoes I packed for him) were now full of wine and shards of glass, none of us had eaten dinner (cue the crankiness), Sean was crying, and the glass of wine I was looking forward to to help ease the stress-filled tightness in my shoulders was flowing down the parking lot. We went to bed early that night. The next day started out great- the weather was beautiful, both children slept late, and there was an awesome continental breakfast in the lobby. Life was good. We took the kids for a swim in the pool, and then ordered some lunch from the restaurant next door. As Michael went to pick up our lunch, he walked past the truck and realized our back tire was completely flat. Bummer. The family afternoon nap that had been scheduled (the wedding ceremony was not until 5:30) was replaced with Michael changing the flat tire, and me calling all over Fishers, Indiana to find a tire shop that was not only still open on a Saturday afternoon, but one that could see us sometime before Monday morning and had our tires in stock. Not an easy task. Apparently, our tires are considered "special order" for most places. Who knew? I finally found one place that had exactly two tires in stock, and had a slot open that afternoon. The Heavens smiled on us. Michael made it back to the hotel with just enough time to shower and dress (which means I had spent the rest of the afternoon getting myself AND the children showered, fed, dressed, etc- FUN!), and we made it to the church with time to spare. The ceremony was beautiful (and nice and short!), and Beth looked gorgeous in her gown. The reception was LOTS of fun, and I got to hang out with some sorority sisters that I hardly ever get to see. We danced all night, and I made up for the wine I had missed the night before. Rex was so excited with the Shirley Temple drink the bartender made just for him. Cranberry juice, water (Rex doesn't like soda), and two cherries on a little plastic sword. It was a good time. (Although, we had to confiscate the sword b/c he kept poking at his brother with it.) We headed back to PA on Sunday, spent the night there, and then headed back home on Monday. It was quite a whirlwind of a week, but it was fun. We enjoyed seeing everyone- we miss you all! Now if I could just make a dent in all of the laundry that's piled up...

July 4th Float

Our neighborhood participated in the Annapolis Fourth of July Parade this year. Ever since Michael bought his trailer last year, he has been obsessing about building a float. (I guess he really misses homecoming at WVU!) Well, his vision became a reality, and the "Windmill Hill Ladies Association" (as we neighborhood moms sarcastically call ourselves) strolled, or should I say rolled, down main street with the kids all in matching t-shirts on the best darn float in the parade (although President's Hill had a fire truck that was really cool). The kids wore their star sunglasses and waved their little flags- it was a blast! Michael pushed Sean in the stroller behind the float (we were a little worried about him falling off the float) and handed out candy to the spectators. Sean wouldn't wear the sunglasses, but he waved his flag just like the big kids. Rex, who stayed up way too late the night before while finishing the float, fell asleep before we even hit Church Circle! That was a big hit with all of the grandmas in the crowd. I heard a rumor that there is a prize for Best Neighborhood Entry, but I haven't heard yet who won. Keep your fingers crossed for us!

Bike Parade

These photos are from the Bike Parade at Rex's school last week. Each child brought in their bike, decorated it, and paraded it down the parking lot and back through a line of paparazzi parents with cameras and camcorders. They were adorable and had so much fun! One of the staff members even decorated a stroller for Sean to participate. As you can see, he can hardly contain his excitement.