Adam's Birthday

On Wednesday, my boy turned six.  Hard to believe!  I brought in cupcakes with the girls at 2:45 and everyone sang. I just love the look kids get when they are sung the birthday song!!

But all the kids could think about was the impending birthday trip to the toy store!  Adam said he wanted pizza for his dinner, so we went to Avicolli's.  But after one piece, he was 'done'.  He clearly wanted to get shopping!

Live this. So happy and a real smile.  Not his 'cheese' smile.  

Ellie has started being fidgety out.  But pizza kept her pretty happy. 

Abbey made a friend at the next table.  If you look, you can see two dolls in the background.  The girl had an Elsa doll that left Abbey in awe.   

At the toy store, Todd had a hard tine limping around and the girls each got a couple of things (Ellie wanted a purse and put it right on!).  Adam got a new Skylander set.    

Adam has grown so much.  He's an amazing sharer and would give someone he loves the shirt off his back. He's got a goofy sense of humor and feels things deeply and privately.  He loves his family and being home.  He likes animals and superhereo and watching old Scooby doo.   Fast six years.   It'll only get faster...

Early this week

Last week it became apparent that the bottom of our shower was leaking.  So our masons were going to just rip out the bottom, put the pan back in and the replace the tile.  WRONG!  By the end of the day Tuesday it became apparent that there were multiple problems and that the whole thing was coming out including the plumbing.  So the shopping trip to lowes on Tuesday was a complete waste.  Cha-Ching.   

This, however was an excellent sight.  We came home from school Monday and they jumped right in!  Love how much they love everything October like mom.  

Abbey has been into her American Girl since mom was here.  I only gave her the one and a half dozen outfits.  She's doing a decent job taking care of them.  Here she dressed them both for a party. 

Wednesday back to Oz for my chiropractor and Halloween decorations from the old house basement and meat.  Because the meat at Wegmans doesn't cut it.  Ellie was being adorable and everyone was fawning over her in Boscoes.  She just loved the pumpkin decorations and calls them balls.  

Another stop at hone depot for a light between picking up the kids.  Abbey was dying to pose in these.  This is her vampire face :)

Ellie's Emergency

Last Wednesday, Ellie woke up from her nap with a croup cough.  Abbey had it last week and has had it before and Ellie was playing and eating, so I thought she'd be Ok.  Put her to bed at 8 and at 10 she was awake with that horrible cough and difficulty breathing.  For the first time as a mom, I chose to take my child to the ER.  I went to University.  It was about eleven when we arrived.  Ellie was miserable and didn't like them doing anything to her.  They gave her the steroid that helps reduce the swelling, but wanted to do a breathing treatment right away as she was struggling so much.  I had to hold her down the whole time while the nurse did the mask.  That was hard.  But I saw progress soon after.

We had to stay for observation for three hours, which is when it wears off to make sure she could breathe.  I forced her to settle down and I stayed right next to her.  She slept some.  I did, too.  We had four doctors... It's a teaching hospital and the Peds side was slow.  Sent home at 4, she is doing better today.  Hard to see my little one struggle.  Glad we were in Syracuse and not oswego.  

Mom part 1

A few weeks ago, my cousin Billy died suddenly of a heart attack at age 41.  My cousin Josh couldn't reach his brother and went to his apartment and found him.  Billy was single, having never quite gotten over losing a very long time girlfriend.  He was like a cuddly big bear... Friendly and nice.  As kids, Carolyn was very close to him as they were only months apart.  It must've struck a cord with Mom, because the next day, she booked a first class ticket on Delta and got here early last week.  

After spending two nights with my brother, I went and got her. We tried very hard to have the in-law apartment livable.  When I found out she can no longer slerp on inflatable beds, I ran around town that morning and bought her a mattress.  Thank goodness for butler workers who could go grab it and then Kevin tried to set up the bed I bought at the auction.  Except apparently they are not the same size as today's mattresses.  So he ended up using the headboard only.  Still cute and only ten bucks. 

Todd went to carry our TV up there for her and... Broke his foot.  Yeah, never boring around here.. Still got up Friday and went to work and then went to urgent care and then ...back to work.  

Mom wanted to take me shopping at Victoria 's Secret for my birthday. I kind of told her that's a lost cause for me but she insisted.  There was actually one at Shoppingtown, one of the few chain names left. Mom wanted the skinny bitch to measure me.  No thanks. She was right I did find a good bra and some underwear.  She's concerned I'm not taking care if myself.  Code for I look like a slob.  

We headed to what was left of the food court and the little play area the girls loved. 

After only a day, Ellie was warmed up and The other two were thrilled from the get go. 

Ellie's first kiss to grandma. Awww

First Fireworks

It's been awhile since Harborfest weekend, but I couldn't not document their first fireworks   We walked down to the fort.  Abbey was in awe, dancing to the soundtrack and saying wow! Wow!

Ellie was mesmerized but was putting her blanket over her ears.  We couldn't read Adam, as is sometimes the case.  He watched, covered his ears a bit and said little.  But when we started to go he said Dad can we make them do that again??  He loved it!  We brought a blanket and popcorn and it was a very nice family time out....   Adam periodically asks when we can go back...

Abbey Update

So behind on my blogs, so I'm going to do things a little differently.  I'm going to share how Abbey has been doing since school started.  And using just phone pictures for now.  Here she is at the pre school open house, where she got to meet the teacher and see the class.  She was so nervous and excited the night before! And she was up before five. It was short and sweet, but she got the lay of the land.  I took her around to the library and gym and cafeteria and she was excited about each. 

First day of school.  She jumped right in.  She did a little crying at the end of the day, but has handled her emotions really well.  She will cry if I'm one of the last parents so I try not to be. 

She has OT, speech and a support teacher in and out.  We met last week and they want us to find her a new school that is more 'play based'.  Todd is totally against changing her and I am mostly in agreement.  I see their point-she needs more social skills but they also philosophically just don't understand what the structure Cathiloc schools give and it helped Adam get ready for kindergarten. 

Abbey loves school.  She adjusted to the move really well after three weeks of commuting.  She loves this house and got upset last week when we went to the other house empty.  I think it's hard to see it like that.  Adam didn't like it either. 

She does come home with reports of having poked or pushed someone. The teachers just love her so they don't see it I think!

They have a dance program at the school and while looking for dance shoes yesterday, we ended up at the remodeled Disney store. Boy, was she in love!

And we found her shoes.  She's so excited to be ballerina Abbey :). And she loves the mall now!  She's come so far and she still has much growing to do...