Tree Hunting 09...

With looming clouds and a hint of rain falling, we met the Marder's for our tree cutting. We only lasted about 15 minutes, but we were able to squeeze in a bunch of pictures and some fun before the rain really started. After we realized that all of the good trees were tagged, we wound up at Boston Tropical.

Tyler has been LOVING Trevor lately (not that that is unusual), and can't stop hugging him and smiling for pics...Trevor is a bit on the reluctant side and it takes a minute of Tyler's prodding to warm up to the idea!

I love that Douglas took a couple of pics of me and kelsi, and I even like all of the trees that are in the picture...they almose look fake!

We took some family pictures...

To keep everyone calm and happy on our walk back to the car, Erica started to sing, "We are the dinosaurs, marching, marching", and EVERYONE loved it as you can see in the pictures!

Thanksgiving Parade, 2009...

This year we made it to the Thanksgiving Parade here in North Attleboro...The last time we went, Kelsi was a sleeping baby in a car seat!! We always wanted to go, but something always came up or we never knew when it was. This year worked out for us though! We walked from the house after the Marders and Chicks arrived, and it was actually only a mildly cold day!

Tyler and Trevor sang, "My Poker Face" all the way there, running, giggling and holding hands, and everyone had bags to collect the candy that is thrown. There is always a ton of candy! We are on the beginning of the parade's path, so a lot is thrown! We filled our first bag and started a second!

Jorja loved the characters (Mickey, Elmo, Big Bird, Superman, etc), and so did Tyler! Kelsi was a bit scared of them!

Kelsi liked waving to everyone in the parade, but Tyler learned quickly that if he said hello and waved, it got their attention and they would throw him some....Such a little smarty pants!!

Kelsi and Kallee weren't very aggressive (pretty much could care less), so the only things that went in their bags were the ones that we got for them or on the rare occasion, their brothers handed them a piece!

We will definitely return next year!

Tyler...

Now that I wrote about Kelsi, I have to write about Tyler!!

Tyler has grown and changed so much in the last couple of months...He has become a school boy three mornings a week and loves it!! He has adjusted well, and his teacher gave me a quick update to say that he is doing great! He is the oldest in his class, but not the biggest!! I have volunteered twice so far and I love to see what they do, and what he does!! He mentions a few of their names, but I think is mainly concentrated on doing what they are supposed to be doing!! Even though it is a boy heavy class, he mainly talks about his friend Grace who happens to be the youngest in the class!!

Tyler has given up naps....Since mid-August, he has napped 4 times...two of those times, he had a fever and the other was the first day of school...Today was the 4th time and it came after a week with Noni and Nono! I bought an egg timer and he was supposed to stay in his room for an hour...when the egg timer went off, he could come down....I think the rule of having to stay there, gave him the time to fall asleep....we will see what happens in the next few days with it!!

Tyler is obsessed with potty words right now....Dr. Berard handed me a paper that said this is normal 4 year old behavior (at his 4 year appt.)....

He got the swine flu shot in school (without me!), and had 2 more at his dr. appt. later that day!!

Tyler loves activity books, coloring, hidden picture sticker books, playdough, painting, dinosaurs, building with blocks and tv.....He loves Caillou, Little Bear, Franklin, & Backyardigans....He loves Madagasgar & Curious George.

After less than a month of school he was writing his name....I think his computer and Scribble Time helped him to learn that and then seeing his name at school so much brought him to this point...I don't think they taught him that officially....

Tyler and Kelsi love to play together (at times) and love to wrestle etc....They also love to fight over things....such a killer!!!

More on Tyler later too....I am off to bed...It is WAY late!!

Kelsi...

It has been so long since I have had a chance to update the blog or edit pictures for my own family....I am hoping that I will change that by mid-December!!!

In the meantime, I wanted to document some of the funny things that Kelsi is doing and saying!

Kelsi is now TALKING....She is non-stop on the move and constantly talking...usually in complete thoughts and sentences!! It is just amazing to me!!

• She loves to apologize if she thinks she got in your way or did something wrong...it sounds like "thorry, mama".
• If she falls, she will yell, "Just me mama...I otay, mama"
• She will say, "Let me tell you a secret (thecret)...i love you"
• When Tyler pushes her/hits her...she comes running and crying..."Tyler pushed me in my thomach (or "on my arm")".
• If you say we are going somewhere, her response is always, "Right now?"
• She is ALWAYS saying, "I wanna go to store."
• When she wants a snack she says, "I need somethin"....and that happens multiple times a day.
• On Thanksgiving she went pee-pee and poop on the potty multiple times and then went on the grown up potty at the hotel with her Noni & Nono...progress!
• She still LOVES babies and stuffed animals...she feeds them bottles and her sippy cups...changes them, and wipes their bums with a real wipe....She asks, "I have wipe?" and then tilts her head and puts up her finger..."just one?" She will do that several times!!
• She LOVES to play, "Where are me?"...She covers her eyes and says, "Where are me?" Then I say...I don't know where Kelsi is....maybe she went to the store...maybe she went to get a snack, etc....Then she uncovers her face laughing hysterically and says, "i here".
• She repeats EVERYTHING tyler says and copies everything that he does.

There is so much that I could say and document...this is just a start....more later!!

Love you sweet girl....

preschool orientation...

Tyler is officially a "big kid"...He had his preschool orientation yesterday (9-3-09) and met his first teacher, Mrs. Gagne (said gag - knee). He loved every minute of it!! He is definitely ready to go to school!! Turns out that he will be the oldest child in his class of 15 students! He was definitely one of the most social, saying, "Hi, My name is Tyler" to many of the kids that came near him, and he made a lot of eye contact with everyone!

We were greeted with this at his classroom (he has the first class down the hall)...

Then he had to find his name and pick a shape to velcro it too. This will be his sign in proceedure every morning.

Then we had to go to each table for an activity....At this spot, he had to find his name and color the picture of a little boy...Those little guys next to him are twins, and they aren't the only twins in the class!! There are another set of boy twins too!!

He did a great job and then had to pick a cubby that he wanted...He put his picture on the ball of tape...

At another station, he found his name on a sticker, and placed it on a shape...then he picked his hook in the closet where he will put his coat and backpack....so exciting!

That is Tyler's teacher who sat down to chat with him while he was playing with some cars!

There is a big sandtable in the center of the room!

Tyler is SO excited about this chart...There will be a star of the day, and there will also be helpers everyday...line leader, door holder, circle assistant, snack helper, etc....Tyler can't wait to lead the line and help pass out the snack!

This is Mrs. Coehlo, on of the 2 teacher assistants in the classroom (the other is Mrs. D). She played so nicely with Tyler "cooking" with the food!

Saving the best for last....We took a picture with Tyler's teacher, Mrs. Gagne, on our way out the door...Tyler didn't want to leave because they didn't have snack yet!!! I had to explain that it was just a meet the teacher day, and he will have snack next week!!

Mrs. Gagne seems like such a sweet lady and teacher...I am looking forward to a good first year!

almost a preschooler...

Yesterday, Tyler, Kelsi and I had a day "at home". I have been so busy that I have needed to put them into Scribble Time a couple days a week...and this week we had 3 days of daycare! On our "home day", Kelsi had to be WOKEN UP at 10am (she has a UTI from her swimmy diaper they believe), so Tyler had a morning of being an "only child"....He plays so well and is so happy on his own! Just before lunch we decided to walk down to his preschool and play on the new playground. We made it a nature walk and collected pinecones, rocks and sticks...Kelsi was happy to just stay in her stroller, but Tyler was so happy to explore.

I CAN'T BELIEVE that he starts preschool in less than 2 weeks....It is so scary that he has gotten so big, so fast!! He is already learning so much at Scribble Time...He loves storytime, gym class, eating lunch with the kids, washing his hands after the bathroom trip, waiting in line and he EVEN is starting to write his name!! On the way home from this walk, I was talking to him about our street, and then he said that they learned about streets at Scribble Time...He even knew our street name! He SHOCKS me almost every time that he opens his mouth! He is always using a new phrase or saying or he is spitting out a fact that I would never thought that he would know...I already feel like a proud parent...I can't wait for pics with his backpack on the first day!!

"Can you see my eyes?" to get him to look...He thought he could through the lens!
He carried that marker all the way to the school and all the way home...nothing to write though!

Check out the shoes that he doesn't like tight...his other pair of shoes broke, but these are definitely not ideal!

This is the, "I am a preschooler" pose...It was what he came up with!

Such a thoughtful, imaginative and clever little guy! I could just kiss this picture...I love him so much!

Is this going to be a vision of what is to come on the playground? Sure hope not!! Tyler put himself in this time-out pose when I wanted to take another picture! So far, Tyler is very good at Scribble Time though!

Enjoying juice while watching a tractor remove a tree stump!

My cute Kelsi...the only happy face on our trip, but SO totally her!

Our summer vacation pics to come...I haven't even loaded them in yet!!

our first 09 beach trip...

The second that we heard it was going to be 90 degrees, Erica and I decided to hit the beach...We headed to Onset to only find 60 degree weather and FREEZING water...It was SO windy and cold....I had to raid the car for our winter coats and fleeces....Kelsi and Kallee enjoyed the chair together...

Kelsi enjoyed following the boys.....

And even with shivering bodies and runny noses, the boys couldn't resist playing in the water....

Right after this picture, we had to quickly strip, wrap in warm towels and head home with the heat on in the cars....At least we squeezed it in before the entire month of June rained!!

mother's day celebration...

Each year my mother visits on Mother's Day...Last year, we were able to have over her mother - my Noni, but with her passing we were left to celebrate alone together...Luckily, we were able to have over my god-mother and aunt, Joan. The kids had a great day playing in the yard with Noni, Nono, and Joan, and we were able to make a visit to Noni and Nono's grave when the kids were taking a nap....

This year we made a Shutterfly book for Noni with all of the pictures from our Florida trip...I think that she really liked it!

We took some family pictures...

I took a picture with each munchkin (tyler's picture is still to come...)...

And Kelsi had a ride in the wagon...she LOVES when Noni pushes or pulls her around the yard!

mother's day visit...

On Mother's Day we have created a tradition of visiting Douglas's mother's grave and planting some flowers. This year Kelsi was old enough to actually dig and help. Although they do not understand exactly who we are visiting, I hope that year after year they will begin to understand a bit more. Lately, Tyler is trying to teach Kelsi her full name, Kelsi Patricia Chick...He doesn't know where the name comes from yet, but as with the grave, I hope that in time they will...Until then, we will continue our tradition...

the big boo-boo

Just after Kelsi turned two, she got her biggest boo-boo yet. Rudy unfortunately knocked her off the back brick steps so hard that she mainly landed on her face. There was a big egg on her forehead, scratches on her cheek, and a big bloody mess under her nose. The scab looked TERRIBLE for a couple of weeks. These pictures weren't taken right away, so it was beginning to heal and fall off (now there is a pink scar left over - I am praying it disappears)....

Although I was aiming to get a couple pics of the boo-boo, Tyler is all about wanting his picture taken too...and how could I resist this face!

Don't even ask me what they were doing, or should I say what started this, but Kelsi was loving it...

and couldn't wait to do it back...

And a happy ending kiss...