Adam and His Trucks

Adam loves his trucks...he takes one wherever he goes. He scoots over to the window to watch if he hears a real one going by. I took this picture the first time he lined them up in the window sill where he likes to watch the real ones a couple of months ago. I had ordered a large Tonka garbage truck as a birthday gift and tucked it in the back room. Adam found it and ran! He loved it, carrying it around and talking to it. The back opens and you can put other trucks in it. As a matter of fact, he stole Abbey's pink ice cream truck the other day and hid it there! Also known as "Rowdy" (package name), Adam's big garbage truck is a favorite...sometimes he hugs it! Moral of the story -even though he isn't even 2, he doesn't miss a thing!

Scriba Pool With Beth & Bri

On August 10, Bethany and I finally took the kids to the Scriba pool after talking about it for a couple of months! Devin was at camp, but Brianna was happy to help out with Adam and Abbey. There's a cute kiddie walk in pool with a shower-type thing that Adam tried out, but once we took him into the pool, not surprisingly, he wanted not interest in the "baby pool"! Beth and Bri tried to get Abbey into the kiddie pool, but she was kind of miserable. But Bethany did manage to get her to smile :) Here's Adam trying out the kiddie pool. He gets so serious when he's checking something new out!! Now he's in the pool and Bethany is chasing Brianna with Adam, so he can "get" her. His favorite game! She won his heart and though he enjoyed running/walking around the pool, I couldn't get him back in the little kid pool. I took him in, too, but he only THIS excited for catching Brianna. She was such a good sport! As for me, I didn't put a swimmy diaper on Adam, underestimating how saturated his regular one would become. I had to change it in the middle and before we left...you should have seen him try to walk when it was full haha When we got home I realized just how cute Miss Abigail's suit was in back and HAD to get a picture! My kids love to swim, though I think Abbey still had a cold that day and it didn't help Adam get over his! They are definite water babies!!!

Third Trip to Chaumont

By the third go around, adam appeared to be quite comfortable. He got right out and headed for this wheelbarrow on the side...fascinated with spinning the wheel! He re-visited it a couple of times that day!! Greg offered to take Adam in the boat...wasn't sure how he'd do but he really liked it! Of course we were in the front making it awkwardly heavy, so I shifted to the back. I know he looks serious, but this is what Adam does when he first likes something! Katie and her friends went Kayacking...I love this picture! She's gorgeous and reminds me of her mama at that age. Adam really enjoyed this...even starting to contemplate getting in the water...Greg helped him move back with me, where I had to haul my fat ass so we didn't forward tip!
Adam was walking around with Pam when he discovered the ducks. He loves animals. Pam got bread for him to feed the ducks and after watching her a couple of tries, he even figured out he had to throw it farther. By the end of the day, Pam was his buddy. He even reached for her hand as they were walking, something I rarely see him do. He loved dragging her all around and really loved being around her. When I was feeding Abbey in the cottage, I saw them go around the cottage in a circle a couple of times, Adam talking to her in his martian. It made me smile. Abbey was in a pretty good mood, even letting Mrs. Rusho hold her this time! At the end of the day, Adam discovered the lawn chairs...even figuring out if you slide down it, it will tip. We had a great time :) Nice to see Pam, too, which I don't get to enough :)

Right Here, Right Now

I don't know which way is up this week.

Abbey doesn't like to nap but has slept through the night 4 days in a row! Adam has been moody and I kind of realized that his jealousy seems to hedging back. He is a picky eater, but I guess all toddlers are. Abbey sat up for the first time this week. She is such a big girl! Almost 6 months old!

The door to the past flew open for a few minutes and smacked me in the ass. But I've almost got it closed again, just a sleeve stuck in the jam I have to remove. I've been moody all week, not sure why. I deleted my MySpace...there is too much on the information superhighway.

Abbey is sitting on the floor near me rolling around holding a bath toy...a whale...and talking up a storm.

Dad's Legacy

Two Fridays ago, we took our third and final trip to see Pam at Chaumont Bay. On the way there, we passed the Hillside Flea Market in Pulaski and I was hit with a memory. Years ago, when I was living at home the summer between my junior and senior years at college, my father took us all (minus Carolyn who lived in CT at the time) there. I wandered around, looking for cool vintage things that would fit in with my youthful eclectic taste as of course, I wore my black dress from my recent European travels, broke and laid off from Canfield's while I was away. I found a set of three blue glasses (Tammy will remember these as an item I proudly brought to our first apartment). And I was looking at some old jewelry with my Dad and we found a ring that was oval with a black looking stone. He got it into his head that it was a mood ring, though I was pretty sure it wasn't I didn't want to burst his bubble. He bought it for me and the glasses...I still have the ring, though the glasses were all murdered one by one over a decade or so (which is fine...Dad didn't put much stock into holding onto material items or not using things...stuff was just stuff). It's just funny how a memory will hit me on occasion with such vividness. We didn't much stuff like that as a family...we were more of a hang out at home and watch a movie or sit outside types.

And I have to say, I've noticed something positive about me since my Dad passed. It's so subtle, that I don't think anyone would quite notice it. Suddenly, for the first time in years, I don't want everything to be just so. I am an organization fiend, liking everything to have it's place (and I still love it!). And I kind of get upset if things are separated. Like, if all the Christmas ornaments are in a box in the basement, I get weird if one is in a different spot. Or I hated it that there would be a piece missing from a molding in the house. It wasn't that I've been obsessed with new or trendy, but just wanted things to be almost exact. Suddenly, I don't care as much. A big thing is my pictures...obsessed about them being in exact order in an album and not wanting to a scrapbook unless I knew it was all in timeline exactness. Suddenly, it's OK if it isn't perfect....this wasn't a conscious decision, I just noticed that I felt differently. Like it's OK if I post on my blog out of order...

I see more character in a crooked window sill or I can relax that the Christmas wreath is in the back room and not in my specified wreath case in the basement. I can let things go a little bit easier, if that makes sense. More like I was ten, twelve years ago. I

I don't understand why his death prompted this; usually I have a theory about everything. But not this time, I just know there is a connection.

I think my Dad would be proud. This post was supposed to be about our trip to Chaumont, but it went some where else. And that's OK

A Moment I Wanted to Remember

This picture was taken on June 27 and look hard, you might get confused for a second, Abbey looks like Adam did! She is wearing his old pj's, which might contribute to my nostalgia.

This was one of the rare times that Todd said to grab the camera, this is a picture moment! It was a rare scene as since she was a couple months old, Abbey hangs with Daddy while I get Adam ready for bed before I take her and feed her so she can go to bed while Adam hangs out with Daddy watching cartoons, having his "nightcap" bottle :). Often, she is tired and fussy by this time of night. This is one of the few nights she just relaxed and fell asleep on Daddy's shoulder. So sweet. And Adam accommodates by getting on the other side...he's pretty good when he has to share Daddy or Mommy's lap, though he hates to not be included at all!

Bumbo & Sharing

At the end of June, I pulled out the Bumbo chair I had gotten for Abbey as she had shown (and still does) since birth she does NOT want to be on the ground, particularly on her back. I had gotten one as several people had raved about them when I had Adam, but I didn't bother at the time. She loved it...this photo is the first time I put her in it on June 28. Later that day I sat her in it while in Adam's new room (he wasn't sleeping in there yet, so we played in it a lot. I could see she was showing a real interest in toys so I started stacking them in front of her. Adam had just swiped this from her...I had put the plane down by her feet and she had been touching it/ This is when we started the "If it's in her hands, you can't have it" rule. He cried for a couple of days, but he's really pretty good now, as I've mentioned. I love this picture because if you look closely, you can see Adam's adorable chubby hand starting to grab her toy from her, which she is enjoying so much! This is one I first realized how big she was, too, with her interest in all the toys :) This was the next day, we had set up to play and I walked into the dining room and he kissed her. I love it. And here, he is considering sharing his blocks with her. I was impressed.

Jackie's Vacationland

Last week, we were invited ti Jackie's house. She was on vacation and her mom was there, too. Brian was home, too but sick and went to bed after lunch. She fed me lunch, but Adam was pretty much too excited by the toys and Q to eat! Quiten was excited to show us his new room. Abbey started dancing to the music... Q was a very good host, letting Adam play with his toys, climb onto his bunk bed and was concerned about turning off the music he didn't want to hear because Abbey liked it. I was very impressed with his thoughtfulness! And Adam LOVED the toys...this Lightning McQueen had moving eyes..and he pointed them out using one of his few words "eysss". I didn't have a suit but we coerced Adam into trying the pool with Jackie & Q... He became more confident and began to enjoy himself!! Abbey LOVED the water, splish-splashing her feet! Mrs. C kindly gave me a suit...first time I had dared to put one on in a while...and Adam loved being twirled and playing with the noodle. But to convince hi to stop sorting the toys in the bins and come in with me, I had to take Abbey first... She loved it!! I realized I will have to start wearing a swimsuit for my kids because they enjoy the water so much, We had such a good time. It's always nice to spend time with Jackie. She's one of my favorite people...and her new home is a big beautiful Victorian with great yard and pool. Q is a fun kid to be around...I can't believe he's 5!!!!! I predict him helping Adam get himself into trouble for years to come :) Now Jackie & Brian need to have a daughter Abbey can corrupt!!

PS Happy Belated Birthday Jackie! Thanks for being an amazing friend: supportive, trustworthy, respectful, sexy and fun...I fell in love almost the minute I met ya!

Abbey's Helper

Adam adores his sister. Besides the jealousy that occasional pops up, he has pleasantly surprised me with how loving and adoring he is. If I say, Abbey's crying lets go get her, he comes with me. If he hears her crying in her room, he will go to the door and bang on it. He insists on kissing her first thing when they are both up. It's amazing and makes me heart feel so big. He has even come around a little on sharing, giving her a garbage truck occasionally while she's in her bathtub as she isn't always such a fan. And he abides mostly by the rule that he cannot steal what's in her hands, though he will hoard everything else around her :)

Last week, I was feeding Abbey breakfast. The phone rang, I spoke to my mom briefly, and when I came back this is what I saw.



He didn't stop there, either! When I put her in her tub after, he brought that spoon into the bathroom and promptly stuck it into her mouth, though she didn't appreciate it as much then :)

Thomas' Journey at Azteca

While Bonnie and April were here, we went to dinner with them, Chucky and Missie and Kathy. Adam kept himself occupied playing with his Thomas the Train. I happened to catch the following:

The Look of Utter Dismay on Adam's face is priceless!!

My Family

The other day, for the first time, both Adam and Abbey sat on their Daddy's lap watching School House Rock. This was the first time Abbey saw school house rock and I love how intent Adam is on eating his grapes while watching!

Dad's Memorial

Tammy took these for me. Nothing sadder than "Taps" and the final good-bye.

Grandkid Portrait

I was pretty intent on getting all five of my parents' grandkids in a picture together while everyone was in the same place....Adam sat better I thought, but he was not in the mood to smile for me! Love that kid and his curls...and Abbey looks so tiny and little Logan was doing his best to pose and not break the baby :)

Family Time While Everyone was in Town

Adam wrestling with his cousins... Abbey loved her Aunt Carolyn! Scenes from an Italian Restuarant...we all went to Canale's, one of Dad's favorite places. It was a little hard to have everyone there with him missing, but glad we all did something together.

Abbey drank water from her sippy cup! Love this picture of Alex...he loves to read and play video games. Alex thought it was sooo funny that I was taking pictures of us while he ate cheesy poofs..he kept asking his mom if they could go in his scrapbook! Adam playing with his cousin Logan's cars...so serious!