The Shale/Lefferts Family

Mother's Day 2009, Jenkinson's

2010-11-19T11:51:00.001-05:00

It's Been A While!

2010-11-16T13:21:00.002-05:00

Yeah, since I last posted, we had a baby. Oh yeah, and he turned one! I have been so Facebook-y, that I have neglected this site. I will backtrack, though, and update this page soon!

Work in the Back Yard

2009-09-04T17:37:00.002-04:00

Ian helped out with the framing of the new shed.

Walls!

And the deck got framed out.

Anya Plays Kiddie Soccer

2009-09-04T17:28:00.002-04:00

Despite only wanting to play when her little friend was there, Anya was pretty good!

2009 Baseball Season!

2009-09-04T17:22:00.002-04:00

Opening Day Parade

First time at bat. He swings and hits!
A turn as catcher.

Anya played in the dirt while Ian played.

Group shot after first win!

Lincoln Elementary Goes to "Imagine That!"

2009-09-04T17:14:00.002-04:00

Ian and his two pals, who I had the privilege of chaperoning.

Ian likes the firefighter section!
Ian broadcasts the news.

Ian and a pal learn a little anatomy.

This is the closest he'll get to a motorcycle for as long as I have any say in the matter.

Easter 2009

2009-09-04T17:02:00.004-04:00

Ack. I uploaded backwards, but am too lazy to fix it so here it is!

Uncle Michael helped out a bit with construction of our new shed.
Bobcat likes any food.

It was a chilly day, so coats were necessary!

We always hunt for eggs on our yard and our neighbors. Thank goodness, since we had no backyard this Easter!

Early Spring Beach Trip

2009-09-04T16:56:00.003-04:00

Nana took pity on me back in April, when I had such terrible morning sickness. She took the kids to Jenkinson's.

Despite frigid water temps, Ian was right in there!

The princess stayed dry.

Destruction of the Patio

2009-06-02T21:37:00.002-04:00

That bramble bush behind Scott went the next weekend.

Scott, Rob, and even Ian all had fun tearing down the overhang atop our patio.

Roofing went first, then they tackled the walls.
Getting there...

That brown wall concerned me, but I was happy to see progress!

Oh yeah, the sheds were demolished too!

Late Snowstorm

2009-06-02T21:33:00.002-04:00

We had a snow day in March. The kids had a blast!

Lefferts Cleaning Crew

2009-03-01T14:52:00.001-05:00

Anya actually enjoys cleaning.

She's not great, but she'll improve!
Ian is eager to clean if money is involved.

I'll take any help I can get!

Dinner with the DePauls

2009-03-01T14:43:00.002-05:00

I figured if Laura was gonna get out her camera, so was I!

Danny enjoyed Ian, though he seemed as composed as Mike.
Ian taught Danny how to rock out!

Anya joined the crazy parade.

A Few More Wrestling Pics

2009-03-01T14:24:00.002-05:00

I just like his angry face here!

Two 55 pound kids, going for broke.
I wanted to be sure to get some pics up with him in his singlet!

Christmas Day 2008

2009-02-24T16:25:00.005-05:00

Uncle Michael slept over so he could be here for the early morning festivities!

Crazy Uncle Michael bought them the Wii!

Star Wars is always a hit.

Nana was unfazed by the lack of pants. Of course, Scott wore pants!

Ian has wanted a DS forever (to hear him tell it). Scott had him open a game first, then the case, and finally the actual DS. Poor kid.

Christmas Eve 2008

2009-02-24T16:10:00.002-05:00

We went to see Santa on the firetruck at Rainbow Lakes.

Ummm, yeah. This is the "3 year ols girl" gift that Anya received from the firetruck Santa. We assumed the slot on his head was for a hat, but it did not come with a hat. It DID come with a hatchet...
Later, Uncle Michael geared up to play Santa!

I let Ian peek at Santa, but he was nervous that Santa might see him, so he quickly ran back to bed.

Santa didn't seem to mind the homemade cookies!

Cookies for Santa

2009-02-24T16:01:00.001-05:00

Ian was insistent that we make homemade cookies.

They didn't look so hot, but they made them themselves!

Snow Day!

2008-12-29T19:34:00.003-05:00

Yeah, Newark Public Schools were open, so I went to work. Scott and the kids stayed home and shovelled. See Scotty's new truck there?

Why walk when you can crawl?
The kid is nuts.

The next day we went sledding. Well, Ian and our neighbors did. Anya was terrified, and I figured my back surgeon would frown on it!

Decorating the Christmas Tree

2008-12-29T08:15:00.004-05:00

We decorated the house in record time this year because the kids were super helpful!

Giants vs. Eagles

2008-12-29T08:03:00.003-05:00

Sooo, we purposely picked a game against an NFC East rival. The Giants had been doing so well all year, we were really excited. Were. The Eagles didn't win it so much as the Giants LOST it. Add to that the ridiculous temperature, and it was a ridiculous day. However, it was the first pro game for Ian and his friend. They did really well for kindergarten boys! No whining. They really watched the game!

It probably helped that the seats were so good. We were high, but on the 50 yard line. Also, we were on the sunny side of the stadium, which meant a precious extra 10-20 degrees!

All in all, a very fun day. Big thanks to Mom's friend Christie, who got us the tickets!

Wrestle Mania

2008-12-06T22:30:00.003-05:00

When I told Ian that there'd be 4 matches going on at the same time, he asked if there would be bars separating them. I think he envisioned cage matches...

They go three 1-minute rounds. I recorded each round, naturally.

Anya's First Dance Recital

2008-12-06T19:08:00.005-05:00

So, I was wary. I'm not terribly girlie. Then I saw her in her leotard and tights. She was so excited. I was still nervous, as all she had shown me was a little bit of "the Robot."

Such a cute little belly!

Then she came out in this costume and I nearly died! I was alternately laughing and getting choked up.

Each group had 2 routines, hence the differrent costumes.
Ian (grudgingly) gave her flowers at the end.

But she seemed most happy with the candy cane her teacher gave her.

The first one is a bit long, but I was enthralled!

You'll notice that neither dance is the Robot. The boys did that one. Whatever. Also, their instructor was down in front, doing the moves for them to follow and remember, so they're all looking off to the side a bit!

Chocolate World!

2008-12-06T18:54:00.003-05:00

"Working" as Hershey Kiss packagers. Anya at the helm here.

Then Ian.
Mmmmm. Kisses where they're made (sorta).

This is the best-smelling part of the tour!

It's milk chocolate, you know!

Hershey Park, 2008

2008-12-06T18:32:00.004-05:00

Anya and me on the train.

Had to be sure everyone had their pic taken at least once!

Cheeeeese!

Getting along so nicely!

I had to yell at them while they rode this one. We could see tussling in the cab of their car, lol!

This will be Ian's last year as a Reese's Peanutbutter Cup!

It might be Anya's last year as a Kiss!

Breakfast with Santa at Hershey Park

2008-12-06T17:53:00.006-05:00

This year, neither kid was afraid of any of the characters.

Yummm

Silly. See video, below.
Anya tossed a ball to Jerry the Elf.

So Ian did too.

Orange slices on the platter.

The irresponsible Santa who told my kids that if they were good, and left cookies, milk and carrots out on Christmas Eve, they'd get what they asked for. This was after Ian told him he wanted Nintendo DS!!!

Anya just asked for a doll. You know, because she only has 27 in her room.

Mrs. Claus.

Anya and Kourtney shakin' their groove things.

Again, the silly Peanutbutter Cup.

Santa better leave Mommy a check!

Thanksgiving at Nana's

2008-12-06T17:26:00.002-05:00

Anya and Ian's first experience with the "kid" table. They were less that overjoyed at the prospect of being ostracized.

Cutie Kyle.
I just think this is a good pic of Nana.

My little hambone.

Let's not forgwt that Cassie was there, too!

Thanksgiving Eve

2008-12-05T22:03:00.003-05:00

Dinner with Grandpa, Candy, Uncle Michael, Aunt Devon, Uncle Todd, and KYLE!!!

Again with the face.
Ian loved playing with Kyle.

Really, with the face?

Anya and Ian took turns sitting next to Kyle. He was quite the hot commodity!

Ian's Family Parties

2008-12-05T21:49:00.003-05:00

Ian's actual birthday was spent with his cousins and a small Coldstone Creamery cake!

Then the following weekend he had the shindig. Nana and Uncle Michael were on hand, as were his cousins.
Uncle Michael must make this face in at least one picture at every event. Steve was unfazed.

A lot of Star Wars, the Clone Wars stuff.

Regular ice cream cake for the bigger party.

Ian's 6th Birthday Party

2008-11-28T09:41:00.002-05:00

It was at Chuck E. Cheese.

I hate that rat.

The kids danced up a storm.
Ian only invited one girl, 'cause she's cool!

Watching the show.

Yay! Anya wasn't afraid of the big character. This bodes well for Santa.

Random Pics

2008-11-16T10:09:00.003-05:00

Do all little girls like this crap?

I just like that they had the whole couch to themselves, but sat so close to one another. Not the norm, for sure.

Anya puts on her evil face when attacking Daddy. Red eyes come with the face!

Ian says he can match her evil face.
But she's pretty evil!

Growing out the bangs is a tortuous time.

Ian took this pic of us making silly faces.

A New Era Begins

2008-11-04T23:09:00.003-05:00

My Geeky Math Kids!

2008-11-02T08:29:00.002-05:00

While checking out the Halloween haul, Anya started lining her candy up by type. As she went, she found issues and corrected them.

Ian straight-out said he was going to sort and classify! He was disturbed by the many groups of one, but did a nice job!
YAY! My kids are math kids!

Halloween!

2008-11-02T08:20:00.002-05:00

Princess Belle and a Clone Wars Storm Trooper. I tried to get him to be the Beast to her Beauty, but he looked at me like I had 3 heads.

The trick-or-treating crew with masks...
and without.

Two of the dads at the end of a fun night!

Lincoln Elementary School

2008-11-02T08:08:00.002-05:00

A pretty lame parade.

No masks allowed.
The principal came around to hand out Halloween rings.

Ian and his classmates, because he assures me they're not his friends, enjoyed a classroom party.

Ah, wrangling a bunch of 5 year olds.

Their Halloween faces.

Halloween Bingo, with M&Ms as markers.

A story from the class mom.

Pumkin Carving

2008-11-02T07:32:00.002-05:00

For a boy, the kid sure hates slimy. I know, it's not a fair gender stereotype. Whatever.

My girl LOVES slimy!
Shirt came off when there were complaints of it getting dirty. What?! I caught him wearing the same underwear multiple days, but a bit of pumpkin slime skeeves him??? Again, whatever.

Of course if he gets to take his shirt off, so must she. The face is her mocking him. Love her!

They wore each other's coats outside to see the pumpkins lit up.

This is the first year that we weren't in charge of Ian's pumpkin. He designed his own and helped carve this year.

Scott carved one of Anya's favorite Princesses here. Please tell him you could SO tell it was Cinderella!

See? Totally Cinderella :)

Snow in October?!

2008-11-02T07:25:00.002-05:00

Since I'm out of work anyway and allowed to drive again, I picked the kids up early. It turned out that the roads were bad when I got them, but better later! The kids werre happy, though. If you look carefully, you'll notice this is an action shot. Anya has just thrown snow at Ian.

Ian was a good sport. He didn't pummel her. He threw snow at her, then waited for her to throw snow at him. It's always a good day when the 3 year old diva doesn't melt down.
I just like Ian's expression here.

Wightman's Farm

2008-10-30T10:47:00.008-04:00

The kids had so much fun on their school trips that they wanted to return on the weekend. Here they are, being forced to pose despite Anya being mid-tantrum.

Not a sandbox. A cornbox!

Such a wacko.

Monkey see, monkey do.

A pic from the middle of the Maize Maze. Nana called me on the cell phone a few times, lost in the maze. I think she and Scott disagreed on the use of the map, haha.

Picking out ammo for the pumpkin slingshot.

The real reason we went here - pumpkin slingshot.

Anya's First School Trip

2008-10-30T10:34:00.002-04:00

She whipped through the hay maze a whole bunch of times.

Running through the tunnel with her friend.
Picking pumpkins!

Hayride!

She rode the hayride with her friends, since her mommy just had back surgery.

Pumpkin Picking 2008

2008-10-26T18:12:00.003-04:00

We go to the same orchard every fall. Looks like Ian will grow enough for some fun rides by summer!

Anya will pitch a fit when she is NOT allowed on all the rides Ian is.
It was not easy picking Anya's pumpkin. She wanted one small enough for her to carry, yet large enough to carve. Fun!

Sure, he'll show some emotion in these pics, just not his school pics!

Which animals?

Ian, Josh, Zach, and Anya. Drew opted out.

Ian looked long and hard for the perfect pumpkin.

Ian's Kindergarten Picture

2008-10-22T14:24:00.003-04:00

The kid refuses to grace us with a smile.

He gets pissed if you say he's handsome or cute.

He says he wants to be ugly.

I worry.

Ian's First Football Game

2008-10-20T09:16:00.004-04:00

Ian's team crushed,despite the chaotic running in circles.

Ian's team has only 21 kids, and some are better than others (obviously). There are three 2nd graders who are terrific. Then there are a handful of solid players, of which Ian is one. That said, Ian gets to play both offense AND defense. In this game, Ian hadn't mastered the difference. He didn't really understand that his goal was different for each role, so I would yell, "Block, block!" when he was offense. I would yell, "Get the flag!" when he was defense.
There he is, blocking. He likes that he's allowed to push people.

As you can see here, Ian has been told to block a specific person. He didn't yet understand that once the guy got away he had to then prevent ANYONE from getting to his QB. He just chased that one kid he was assigned to, lol.

It didn't help that they always put huge kids up against Ian!

I'll get video of Ian at one of his last games, for comparison. He now has a firm grasp of offensive vs. defensive job descriptions, and he much prefers defense. He can evade a block, keep an eye on the ball, and go for it. He got 3 flags in our most recent game!

Trial Dance Class

2008-10-07T14:07:00.004-04:00

She had to wait until she was potty-trained to take dance. Well, as soon as she was, she wanted to start. Here's a little of went on at the Denville Dance trial class for preshcoolers. She loved it, and now takes dance with a group that comes to her school. Recital in December!!!

August Football Practice

2008-10-06T19:36:00.003-04:00

Ian getting ready for battle!

Here he is trying to avoid getting his flag stolen.

Kourtney's 1!!!

2008-10-06T19:26:00.002-04:00

She may not have been thrilled with the crown...

but my kids liked it!

Kourtney really dug her cake!
Celeste and Steve were kind enough to let the kids help with the presents.

Bushkill Falls

2008-10-06T19:07:00.003-04:00

We went with the Jones' to hike the falls (back in August).

The kids were good! They hiked really far.

We checked out the native american exhibit, too. This is inside a hut/teepee.

LBI

2008-10-06T18:44:00.005-04:00

Granted, this was the night before LBI, but it was cute.

Fantasy Island
Everyone wanted Aunt Tiggy to read to them!
Sully was ticked about something...
and the sand didn't prevent him from throwing his body down;)

The video is a bit blurry because Ian went so far out!!! He had no fear. Uncle Michael and Nana taught him how to ride waves, jump over them, and dive through them. He had so much fun!

Heeeere's Sully!

2008-08-22T11:31:00.002-04:00

Well, it took Sully no time to warm up to his cousins.

Won't go near me, but that's ok.

Football Fundraiser

2008-08-21T07:53:00.002-04:00

Yeah. A car wash. The football players and cheerleaders were given different timeslots to be there. Right before our time, there was a crazy downpour with thunder and lightning, so the cheerleaders for Ian's team were told not to bother. It stopped raining, so we went. Here's Ian scrubbing Nana's car.

Anya helped out. She was considerably better than Ian.
She even dried!
I had to get the roof. Good thing we dried it off so well. It started to pour again about 10 minutes after we were done with Nana's car.

Water Carnival

2008-08-20T20:18:00.003-04:00

Every summer, they have an afternoon of fun activities at the lake in our town. Here, Anya and Ian are playing a little "Simon Says."

Scotty swam nearby while Ian swam to and from the dock. Anya proved she's no slouch by going beyond the ropes to meet them!
Boys vs. girls tug-o-war.

Notice how Ian bails when the boys go down.
Anya took a little "me time" after the festivities.
They also partook in a few other activities - water scavenger hunt and sand castle building - but Scott hadn't yet arrived with the camera.

A Productive Morning!

2008-08-20T09:05:00.004-04:00

It's REALLY cold this morning. The kids tried to play outside for a bit, but decided some indoor play would be better until it warms up. Ian put this together, all while sniping at Anya not to touch it. Poor girl wanted to help, but at least he let her get in the picture.

It's already been dismanteled, in a fit of fury, buy its builder.

Lots of tears.

Gonna be a great day.

UPDATE: No one's allowed to look at Ian.

Anya's "Official" 3rd Birthday Party

2008-08-03T20:29:00.003-04:00

Elizabeth and Drew enjoyed the pool.

Of course, Disney princesses.
Anya dug right in!
Daddy and Grandma.

Oops. This pic was to go after the pinata pics...
Yeah, I asked Michael to take pics...

And Scott had a few drinks that day, to Michael's amusement :)
After the candy fell, we made the big kids move back and we threw candy at them. It made it safer for the little kids and entertaining for us.

Anya's 3rd Birthday Party, at Brant Lake

2008-08-03T19:38:00.002-04:00

At the back table, Karen (Chris' wife), Sean (a friend of Brendan's), and Uncle Vince are facing. Ian and Brendan's back are to the camera. At the front table, Liza is front left. Behind her are a couple from the lake - Mary and ...? Aunt Cec is in the yellow, facing the camera. Next to her is her husband, John, then their daughter, Gillian. Next to her is Matt and his dad Chris.

Phew!

Anya was overwhelmed when it came time to sing.

Uncle "Bince!"

Brant Lake 2008 - part two

2008-08-03T19:29:00.001-04:00

Scoopin' minnows, or trying!

Ah, the triple tube.
Duck!
Land activities.
We fed the ducks enough that they loved us!

Waterslide World

2008-07-31T08:16:00.002-04:00

Uncle Vince said this place would be better than Six Flags, and boy was he right! No lines!!!

Here's Ian enjoying the wave pool with Brendan. It was a wave pool that actually had good waves!

Hi Daddy!
Scott's too cool for the pool ;)
Ian and Nana raced.
There were two kiddie areas, and Anya had a blast.
Ian was tall enough for almost all the slides.
I hopped on one or two.

Anya ventured in the wave pool in between wave sessions.

Anya-isms

2008-07-28T14:38:00.003-04:00

So, Anya has been mostly potty-trained for a week now. She came out with fresh underpants this morning and asked me to put them on. Well, she didn't say to put them on HER, so I pretended to start to put them on myself. Her response? "NOOO! You can't wear my underpants. Your butt is too big!"

Later, I heard her little voice saying, "I'm not touching you. I'm not touching you." I look in, and she's got her index finger an inch from Ian's face. Talk about bringing memories back!

Brant Lake 2008 - part one

2008-07-23T19:43:00.004-04:00

Feeding Santa's reindeer.

Last year, Ian cried on this. Now, no hands! At the end of a long day...

Random pic of Michael torturing Mom.

Anya loosens up and hugs a mouse at the North Pole.
They told Santa that they listen to us and do chores!!!

Anya went on exactly one boat ride. A short one.

As always, Uncle Vince let Ian drive.
Ian nearly lost an arm doing this.
After a tube ride, Ian swam back to the boat with Uncle Michael.
Anya felt better back in near the rope.
Sorry it's so choppy, but it's tough waiting for Vince to knock Michael out of the tube!

tha

Camping - As Seen Through Ian's Lens

2008-07-22T20:10:00.002-04:00

Is this thing on?

A pensive Dad, as we travel by historic train through the PA Grand Canyon.
Mom and Dad's chairs.
Rob kept the campfire burning.
Mom got the camera.
I'm not pleased.

Newark Bears

2008-07-20T21:33:00.002-04:00

Ian's t-ball team went to Little League Night at the local minor league field.

We took the train in, thinking the kids would enjoy it. They did!
Our seats were great! We were down in front, right behind home plate.

The kids even got to go on the field between innings and meet the mascot.

Ian Graduated Preschool!

2008-07-20T21:11:00.004-04:00

Each class sang a different song. Ian's class sang a math song - yay!

Ian looked thrilled throughout...
Woo-hoo!

Here they are singing. What Ian lacks in emotion, he makes up in brute volume (if that makes sense).

Reception of the diploma...

Ian's Camo Walls

2008-07-04T14:14:00.003-04:00

After painting all the walls a light sand, I started with the tan blobs.

Then I added sage blobs.
Finally, the dark brown-green blobs.
I just did two walls, as I didn't want to lose Ian, lol. I did them all free-hand, so please don't pick! Notice how I even did the door? There goes my one creative project for the decade...

Thank you, Steve!!!

2008-07-04T14:04:00.003-04:00

On the hottest weekend so far this year, our friend Steve came to install a new furnace, with CENTRAL AIR!!!

The kids and I hung by the pool while Scott and Steve sweated. Profusely.

Laura and Danny came by!
Then Steve's wife and babe, Celeste and Kourtney, came too!
We put up the bounce house, and Laura got some great pics of Danny enjoying it.

Blast from the Past...

2008-07-03T11:17:00.004-04:00

When Ian was not even a year old, his Aunt Tiggy submitted an innocent pic of him picking some grass while chillin' in the pool to a website where people compete to do the best photoshop.

Here are some of the results...

Now that Ian's seen King Kong, he loves this one.
My personal fave - note the nipple on the bottle, lol!
Everyone SHOULD focus on Ian!!!
A wee bit disturbing.
My little genius.
And the winner was...
Scott was so proud.

Vote for me!!!

2008-06-20T17:38:00.002-04:00

2008-06-18T20:45:00.004-04:00

We had (seemingly) everything we own in the middle of the livingroom while we repainted the walls.

Then Scotty put up the new tv! It almost blocks out the hideous faux-brick...

The kids rocked out while I began to clean up.

Ian's skills are questionable.

Sooooo Sleepy

2008-06-18T20:41:00.003-04:00

Anya's quitting her naps. I resisted at first, but when she does nap, she tortures Ian at bedtime because she's not tired. So, I'm letting the naps go. But once in awhile, she's overcome...

The Great Swamp (again)

2008-06-18T20:25:00.002-04:00

It was a gorgeous spring day. The volunteers gave Ian a scavenger hunt list of things to look for on our hike.

We saw frogs.

We saw turtles.
Much was seen through binoculars. So much so, that Anya fell off the path and into the muck at one point.
Looking for a red-crested something-or-other.
Daddy spotted this snake!

Not for the Faint of Heart...

2008-06-18T18:17:00.002-04:00

Ian started getting hives last month. Coincidentally (I hope), he was on Augmentin at the time. The doc had us off it, and to an allergist - STAT. Uncle Michael recommended a terrific doc, and Ian is relatively hive-free. Now begins the testing to determine why he had hives. Scott hopes it's the cats.

Ian's New Room

2008-06-04T20:42:00.002-04:00

Scotty took out the built-in a/c unit and put a window back in its place. Ask him how sore he was after falling off of the top of the ladder in the driveway, taking out the a/c casing. He did point out that the top part clearly says, "THIS IS NOT A STEP." On the plus side, we have terrific neighbors. A few came running! Ian's getting a kickin' closet!

A random shot, I realize, but I wanted to express my desperation for Anya to be potty-trained. Here, she's in her pjs top, eating yogurt, drinking milk and watching TV - all while sitting on the potty. She sat there for an hour and a half, then got up and peed on the kitchen floor.

A Gazillion Bubbles

2008-06-04T20:26:00.002-04:00

A beautiful day to blow and catch bubbles!

Notice Anya's haircut?
Doesn't she look adorable?

Look Ma, No Training Wheels!

2008-05-25T21:25:00.004-04:00

This was back in early May. He was still learning how to stop.

Sometimes the hard way...

Some shoes MAY have been ruined in the making of this video...

He's much better now, btw!

Mother's Day

2008-05-25T21:17:00.003-04:00

We went to Jenkinson's Boardwalk again this year. We had fun at the aquarium and on the rides.

See? Fun!

Anya Nonsense

2008-05-25T21:10:00.005-04:00

What?! Her skin felt dry.

Coldest darn May that I can remember. Here's Anya at the breakfast table, bundled because we are NOT turning the heat on in May! (Yes, we still have an Easter basket on the table...)

It's blurry, but you can sorta see how she painted to the first knuckle...

And painting your entire toe is ALL the rage!

Please note the outfit. Black velvet in May. She's a fashion plate, all right!

Mommy's Birthday

2008-05-25T20:51:00.003-04:00

Scotty and the kids made me a birthday cake to celebrate my , ahem, 32nd birthday. (That's how old Ian thinks I am!)

Cha-cha-cha!

Ian's First Game

2008-04-22T21:08:00.007-04:00

The cheerleaders. Anya, and two other little sisters. Though dressed to cheer, they pretty much blew bubbles and tossed a ball around...

Ian and his new buddy, ready to bat!

There's Ian, hands on knees, ready to field a ball.

While playing 1st, a few balls got past him.

He was a little bored while waiting for some action, so he played in the dirt. He was focused, though! He always sprang to action when necessary.
Such form.
His throws aren't always accurate, but they sure go far!
Thirsty work, this tee-ball!

Somehow, these videos got loaded out of order, so here's Ian running home (and almost neglecting to actually touch home).

Here he is batting and running to 1st.

Little League Opening Day

2008-04-12T12:38:00.002-04:00

Today was the opening day parade. Here's Ian lining up. That's the most organized they were all day.

We waited on the bridge over the Rockaway River. Luckily, the T-ball teams were first, after the police and firemen!

Here's one of Ian's friends. He's on a different team, so he and Ian argue over who's going to "win the other" when they play each other.

Suddenly Ian realizes he's been lollygagging, and must run to catch up to the team.

Luckily, they're not overly "together."
The team.
I know I'm biased, but isn't Ian beautiful? Oh, ahem, I'm supposed to say handsome...
Anya and her friend took advantage of the free Rita's italian ices.

Baseball Begins!

2008-03-28T15:16:00.003-04:00

Ok, so in the beginning of the practice, every kid scrambled to get every ball. It was a bit messy, but hilarious.

Then, they all just sort of stood there while many balls went by. "What? Aren't you gonna get it?"

Then they were instructed to stay in a particular spot and "call it" if they were going to get a ball that was coming their way. This is when Ian started to zone out. I neglected to get a pic of him chewing on one of the laces on his mitt.

Yay! Fielding a ball! I don't remember if he ran into this kid's space or vice versa, but no one seemed offended.

Then my little lefty threw righty. Who knows? The coach set him up to bat lefty, just to see, though he usually bats righty as well. He did fine. His only problem was that none of the batting helmets fit his ginormous head. Luckily, there was another large-noggined kid there who'd brought his own. His mother and I empathized...

Easter at Home

2008-03-28T15:07:00.003-04:00

So, we had an Easter Egg Hunt with our neighbors. Becky and I hid 90 eggs for the 3 kids to find. Becky even got 3 gold eggs since Alex and Ian were so mature in there handling of the previous day's hunt. Most of the eggs had change in them. The gold ones each had a dollar. There were also 12 with Play Dough and 12 with fruit snacks in them. Alex figured out right away that he only wanted money, so he skipped the ones with stickers, as they were the store-bought ones. Both boys were very sweet with Anya. They let her get the more obvious ones. I must say, however, that she was pretty ruthless! In the end, we were missing 5. Later in the day, 4 more were found. We're still missing one. I guess a lawnmower will assist in that find...

Mmmm - peeps!

Why I KNOW We're Decent Parents

2008-03-28T14:45:00.002-04:00

So, we went to the town's Easter Egg Hunt. Loads of kids with their parents all waiting by the gate at the middle school's baseball fields. When the time came for the festivities to begin, Officer Scott got up on his police car and asked the crowd to quiet down so he could explain the rules. He explained that the little ones, 0-3, would be going first, therefore they should move up to the gate. He asked that everyone else move to the back. Right away, I noticed "problem parents." You know them. They were with big kids, but staying by the gate. When their kids said, "Dad, Officer Scott says we're supposed to move," the father nastily replies, "If we stay here, we'll be in a perfect position when it's your turn."

Nice.

Teach your kids to disregard authority.

Teach your kids to cheat.

Then it was time for us to go in. The little ones could have an adult help them, so my mom helped Anya while I took pics. Anya only lasted about 35 seconds, though, because the Easter Bunny started walking toward her and she flipped out. Luckily, Nana found a golden egg for her precious princess.

When the 4-6 year old kids went out, the parents weren't allowed within 25 yards of them. I asked a friend of mine who was there last year why that was, as I was bummed that I couldn't get any good pics. She said that last year there were parents on the field, pushing into kids, snatching golden eggs, and even sending there kids onto the fields where their kid didn't belong - just for a golden egg! You know what you get when you turn in your golden egg? A stuffed animal. Whoopdee-do. Every kid leaves with a bag of candy, so it's not like anyone leaves empty-handed. These parents are nuts.

Here are the boys coming back in after the hunt. No golden eggs, and no tears. Yeah, that's right, no tears. Ian learned a few years ago that, "you get what you get and you don't get upset." And that's how I know we're decent parents!

Slow, Steady Progress

2008-03-28T14:39:00.003-04:00

So, you can no longer see the nasty insulation and 2x4s in Ian's ceiling because Scott and Steve put up sheetrock!
Then Scott and I put sheetrock up on the livingroom side of the wall to close off the room. Yay!!! No more construction dirt coming out all over my house!
Now, as soon as Scotty's spackled and sanded, we can paint the livingroom! Woo-hoo!

Love for the Bunny

2008-03-21T18:09:00.003-04:00

As recently as this Christmas, there were some nerves. Santa bribed her with candy. I was concerned when Ian taunted her in line, asking her if she'd ever seen such a big bunny, etc. After I reminded him that the bunny would be ticked and only Anya would be getting a basket, he settled down. Do you like the hat? She insisted. Where did I get such a girlie-girl?!

Last year.

Two years ago, before she knew any better!

Such a Beautiful Boy!

2008-03-21T18:02:00.002-04:00

Kidding! Kourtney, of course, is clearly a girl. We were just joking about her jeans. However, her pink hat and shoes were something of a tip-off, hahaha.

Ian loves holding her, but doesn't get much time once his sister is around!

Because Anya feels that she and Kourtney are kindred spirits!

Such a little mama :)

Green Eggs and Ham

2008-03-21T17:51:00.002-04:00

Back in the beginning of March, the kids wanted to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday with a breakfast of green eggs and ham. This was not as easy as I had anticipated. We used a medicine plunger to keep the green food coloring to a reasonable level.

Scott opted for pork roll (Taylor Ham), while the kids had canadian bacon. The "greening" wasn't as smooth as I has envisioned, but the kids had fun!

The end result? Only three plates, as I decided that I was not as hungry as I thought...

Ian was so enamored with the coloring process that he had some green applesauce! Awesome mixing job, eh? You should've seen his tongue.

Corned Beef & Cabbage

2008-03-01T21:19:00.003-05:00

My dad hosts a corned beef and cabbage dinner for charity every year. He buys and cooks the food. All the money raised goes to charity. Today, Uncle Michael took Ian in his car. Anya came with Scott and me. The food, as always, was fantastic. We got there just as the bagpipers were going in, so we got the whole "show." We don't know yet who won the 50/50, but I imagine Michael will be receiving a call...

As the kids became more comfortable, they began to move about freely. It was at the American Legion, so it was a lot of old-timers and almost everyone knew my dad. We were mostly just concerned that our kids didn't take out anyone with a cane! Once or twice, Ian went to the bar with one of us. He ordered his own coke and paid the bartender. The two of them went to find Grandpa on their own once. So, when Ian disappeared, I assumed he had either gone to find my dad or gone to the bathroom. If he wasn't back in a minute, I'd go looking. This was a safe place.

Sure enough, he came back from the bathroom a minute later. But what's this? He's waving a dollar bill! We asked where he got it, and he told us a man gave it to him. Sweet Jesus. Of course, Michael had to be obnoxious and ask, "What'd you have to do for it?"

I then had to remind Ian about stranger danger.

In all seriousness, we did have another stranger danger chat with the boy. Honestly! Offer a kid a dollar, some candy, a puppy. It's just too easy. I know this was probably some benign old man who was being sweet to my little guy, but it did open my eyes a little.

School Pics

2008-02-27T21:51:00.002-05:00

So, aside from his hair looking goofy, I think Ian's picture came out just fine. This is how he looks every day!

Ian's best friend is the boy in the top row, second from the left (not counting the teacher) - Aidan. They are both silly! Ian's girlfriend, though he's loathe to admit it, is the girl in the red dress at the far right end of the second row - Gabriella. She's quiet. The perfect yin to his yang, I suppose.

Poor Anya. With due respect to all the special education kids out there, and I teach a class of them, Anya looks like she rides the short bus. This is not what she really looks like. For what she really looks like, see the class picture below.

Anya's "clique" includes the girl in purple right next to her - Kylie, and the girl in the striped leggings in the front row - Sarah. She tells us she has three boyfriends: Kevin, who's in her old class, Alex, who's next to Sarah in the front row (not holding the sign), and Asher - I'm not sure which little boy he is! I am doomed...

So here, she looks cute, and normal, and he looks so-so. I can't win. Well, really I can. I got a ridiculous number of hugs and kisses tonight before bed. Can't beat that.

So, first the backstory...

2008-02-24T22:01:00.003-05:00

Do you recognize this man? Truth be told, neither do I. But I bet my brother might!

This is Tony Dorsett.

So here's that backstory.

When we were kids, my brother wrote all over the wall in the basement. His "tell" was including the name Tony Dorsett in his graffiti. I mean, he was the only boy with 3 sisters! He tried to blame our middle sister (Ithink). It was the Cowboys' heyday - who didn't know Tony Dorsett?! None of Michael's sisters did.

Anyway, the point of this backstory is the graffiti. Oh, and that Michael did the artwork and later tried to blame someone else.

Backstory, part 2. OK, so a few years ago Ian and I were in Shoprite. I was pg and not inclined to argue with Ian unless he did something truly alarming. We had one of those carts that had a little kids' car attached to the front. Well, he was 2 1/2, and a heck of a climber. I wasn't overly concerned, as he has great balance and I just wanted to get the hell out of the store. So, when he opted to ride on top of the little kiddie car, rather than in it, I didn't argue. However, someone watching the monitors did object. We were approached by the assistant manager, and I was asked to remove my toddler from the roof of the car. He said they saw us on the security monitors. Sad to say, I wasn't even embarrassed. Anyway, this intrigued Ian so I explained to him about the "eye in the sky." Ever since then, he's noticed the little black orbs on the ceilings in every store and pointed them out.

So tonight, when he came to me and said, "Mom! Look at what Anya just did! She drew on the wall," I knew what I had to do. Seeing as Anya was at the top of the stairs, and Ian (crayon in hand) and the artwork were at the bottom, the story seemed hinky. I asked if he was telling the truth. He assured me he was. I asked Anya to come down. I asked her who colored on the wall. She said it was Ian. He said she was lying. It was at that point that I told him that if I had to, I'd have Daddy get out the hidden camera and we'd review the tape. If I found out he was lying, he'd lose computer and TV for a week. It was his last chance to tell the truth. He whipped his head around, presumably looking for the "eye in the sky," then he admitted to coloring on the wall. He wasn't terribly remorseful. All he cared about was how long he'd be losing his privileges for, since he fessed up before we rolled tape.
But here's my thing - he set Anya up!!! At least Michael tried to blame someone in the heat of the moment. But man, Ian went out of his way to set Anya up for a fall!
We're contemplating just putting up little black orbs around the house. I don't suppose it's as good as him being good for the sake of being good, hmm? We'll work on that.

Snow Day!

2008-02-24T21:18:00.004-05:00

So, we got about 6 inches on Friday. As it was supposed to continue all day, and possibly switch over to the dreaded "icy mix," my school district was closed. Woo-hoo! It was the first, and quite possibly only, snow of the season. We've had crummy icy mix days this year, but nothing of substance that the kids could play in. This was what the kids had been wishing for!

Here's Ian tubing in the back yard. Anya declined. She ate snow and watched.

Ian took a header off the wall into the snow. He had some seriously rosy cheeks for a few hours, but he shook it off well and kept playing!

Ian was so happy when the wetter snow began to fall and he and Scott could make a snowman.

He told me he gave it no arms because he's, "tired of hearing me yell to put down the sticks." Um, ok. It's not like Dad was there...

So, of course, Anya made HER snowgirl (snowlump).

Then she was done.

Ian had to help out, now that he's big. Notice the cat in the window.

He just couldn't resist sending a little snow over to Bobcat.
He only had to do the stoop and the front walk. He only bitched the entire time.
He did a decent job, for a 5 year old.
And then he was done.

And then Steve Came

2008-02-07T20:52:00.000-05:00

Luckily, we have a friend who's a heating and air-conditioning guy. Too bad he's well over six feet tall, and too big for our tiny crawl spaces. He tried, though! He's being kind enough to try to get us some more ducts, etc. (like I truly understand it all) while we're torn apart anyway. Then, when we replace our furnace - the original 1945 one - we'll be set for central air.

This is what prompted him to cut a large hole in my hardwood floor. Haha. Nah, this section of Ian's new room will be boxed off and inside his closet. It still hurt. Sniff. Then again, if I get better air flow upstairs...
This lovely now hangs in the basement.
And this brings heat to the half of the livingroom we are now using. Apparently, that vent had been cut off for quite some time, since we never sat over there.
The highlight for the kids was that they got to play with Kourtney!

Construction Continues

2008-02-07T20:41:00.000-05:00

As Scott began ripping down ceiling tiles, he wondered how that ceiling fan was wired. He later discovered that he could have hit that live wire with a nail at any time. A real genius worked on this house before we lived here.

Ian got into the demolition, too. There's video below.
More crazy wiring?
He likes it, but it does make him a little nervous...

Ian's Learning to Read!

2008-02-04T09:53:00.000-05:00

I can hardly believe it! He can sound out short a words now. We didn't do this until 1st grade! Soon he'll be onto another vowel. We can't spell stuff to keep him out of the loop anymore! Of course, Anya's on my lap "reading" her book at the same time, so the video quality is what it is.

Oh, and you can see continued progress in the other half of the livingroom - Scott's taken down all the cheesy ceiling tiles.

Imagine That!

2008-02-02T13:15:00.000-05:00

Nana took us to a kid's place called Imagine That! It was pretty lame, but we had a decent time.

Joe Cool with his damsel riding on the back...
Ian always loves a firetruck, and they had tiny turn-out gear here!
And if Ian does it, so does Anya...

We're not sure what Anya fed all the babies, but when she was done....
it wasn't pretty.
Ian does disgruntled well.
We tried to stop Anya before she jammed the ginormous toothbrush into Ian's mouth. God knows where it's been. So very ewwww.

Anya "reads" the weather.

As does Ian.
Nana mocks Ian for being unable to get his short leg up on the bar.
So she helps him, and walks away.
At the end of it all is a craft section. Great.
But, we did have a good time. Many laughs! Thanks, Nana!

Ian's a Gymnast, Too!

2008-02-01T21:12:00.000-05:00

This session, Ian was in an all-boy class. It was great. This instructor really focused on men's events, as well as strengthening the boys' upper bodies.

After the tumble track, they hit the parallel bars for some upper body work!

Ian's New Room -Construction Begins!!!

2008-01-24T21:31:00.000-05:00

First things first, gotta knock out some old wall and put in a door. Don't want to put up the new wall and be trapped in the room with no door!

And here's the new door!
Next up, Scott will be ripping up the carpet up in half the livingroom and putting up the new wall. So, we've moved into the "new" livingroom. It won't always look like this, but it's not too bad! We're just so used to being so spread out...
We'll continue to post updated pics, as the room progresses. Ian is very excited!

Our Little Gymnast

2008-01-24T20:48:00.000-05:00

Anya so loves this little obstacle course! After the somersaults come the "starter" cartwheels.

This end part is just fun and bouncy for her.

New Year's Eve

2008-01-15T20:50:00.000-05:00

We had our friends and neighbors, the Jones', over for New Year's Eve. Elizabeth was digging the dip!Karen and Sam
Anya stuffed her face all night, too!
Scott passed out by 11:00. Ian almost fell asleep at 11:45. But those 2-year old girls? Woo-hoo! They can party hardy!

Uncle Michael Rocks Out

2008-01-15T20:45:00.000-05:00

Ian got some drumsticks that play on anything. Uncle Michael got silly and Ian showed his "skills" there at the end. So he can't dance....

Ian's 5 / 2007 Holiday Pics

2008-01-10T22:59:00.000-05:00

Christmas Day

2008-01-10T22:34:00.001-05:00

Ugh! We left our camera at Bob and Joan's on Christmas Eve, so we have very few pics from Christmas day. Mom has some on her camera. I'll have to get hers.

Luckily, Grandma and Grandpa brought the camera with the gifts!

Uncle Michael, always (creepy) fun.
Anya wanted to nap on the floor on her plethora of blankets.
But she wanted a slumber party that night with Ian!

Christmas Eve(ning)

2008-01-03T20:05:00.000-05:00

We went to Grandma and Grandpa's to see Santa on the firetruck. Cousins Zach, Josh and Drew were there. as were their cousins Maddie and Jackie.

Anya was determined to be with Drew, whether he liked it or not :)
All the kids, plus Keith, with Santa.
Later that night, we heard some jingle bells and caught Santa dropping off some gifts! Unfortunately, Ian was so wiped out from the Statue of Liberty and the time with his cousins that we couldn't rouse him to see Santa.

Anyone who wants to see a pic of Santa doing a little jig, leave me a comment. I'll email it to you. I just don't want to traumatize the kids!

100th Post!!! Ellis Island

2008-01-03T19:27:00.000-05:00

The Lefferts family, inserted into an immigrant photo. Doesn't Anya look like one one of the "wretched masses?"

Mom and I. Say what you will. Really. Please. We've already dissected the picture and made fun of ourselves. Go for it.

The Statue of Liberty

2008-01-02T21:56:00.000-05:00

I have lived in NJ for most of my life, and I have never been to the Statue of Liberty! So, we went on Christmas Eve. Scott had pink-eye and I had pharyngitis (we'd both been in the ER the day before), but we'd paid in advance so we were going, dammit! It was cold, but fun. The kids liked the ferry more than the statue, frankly...

The Local "Christmas" House

2008-01-02T21:52:00.001-05:00

Ian opted out, but Anya loved it! This guy's house must be visible from space!