Halloween 2008

HalloBoo 2008

Mr. Pumpkin Head

The kids have been really sick. Markie is doing better, but J.R. still has blisters in his mouth and will only eat bread. He is down two pounds - which is a lot when you only weight 45 to start!

We took advantage of Monday evening - J.R. seemed to feel a little better. He picked out two Mr. Potato Head kits to decorate the pumpkins. He chose a vampire for himself and a witch for Markie. They enjoyed themselves and I loved it. You don't have to cut the pumpkins - no mess!

Last Pirates Home Game of the Season

We went to the Pirates game with Boppy, JuJu, and Monica. The Pirates won. The kids took a little nap before the fireworks started. J.R. loooooooooooooooved the fireworks. What a fun night.

Saturday Morning Cartoons

We love Saturday mornings. Now that J.R. is a little older and Markie will actually look at a television, Saturday mornings are what I remember growing up...pajamas too late in the morning, bed head, and cartoons. I just loved this picture. Both kids lay on their bellies and watch cartoons together. It is so cute.

Fall Soccer 2008

Well, not much has changed since camp. J.R. is NOT in to it...that is actually too light. He can not stand it. The first game was the best. He at least tried. It was down hill from there. Our only rule -he has to finish the season. We are pretty confident that he won't opt to play again next year. Oh well, off to Kung Fu in November.

Labor Day on the River

Labor Day weekend (a month late) was great. We started the weekend with the Hayes Family Draft - Year 6! The whole family got together at Pete and Carrie's for food, swimming, and of course the draft. The Bridget curse still holds true... if I draft you in the first round, you are destined to sustain a major injury---Tom Brady. On Monday, we spent the day on the river with NanNan and John. Here are some pictures of our fun...check out Jim - fractured elbow and all, he is trying to swing from a tree into the river. This is much better on video.

THANK HEAVEN - FOOTBALL SEASON IS BACK

Well, I think it is safe to say that all who knows us agree that our fall revolves around football... Steelers, Penn State, and WVU. Jimmy and J.R. started the first day of college football as twinkies in PSU attire. Before the game, J.R. accompanied Jimmy to an eye appointment where in true "J.R. Fashion" he talked the doctor into a free eye exam. He will tell you that his eyes are great as he reenacts the exam. Look at that picture - can anyone say wicked cute?????????????????

Our Weekend with Boppy and JuJu

Boppy and JuJu came to Cranberry for a visit the weekend before Labor Day, Aug 22 - 24. We went to the community park...and guess what! Even Boppies and JuJus like to play at the park! J.R. ran around like a mad man. Markie hung from the swing for what seemed like forever. She shook her head no everytime we tried to take her off the swing! Probably one of those "had to be there" moments, but she was a funny bunny. After the park we headed to dinner at a Pittsburgh fave - Primanti Brothers. What a wonderful weekend - beautiful weather, no action items, and people we LOVE!!!!

Markie's 18-Month Stats

Markie had her 18-month well visit this morning. The 3 shots did not go over so well. She now gets them in her arms and cries hysterically. J.R. was so sad for his sister that he hid behind me and cried too. See, he really does love her even though he doesn't like to admit it.

Markie weighed in at 24 pounds and 14 ounces. She is 31 1/4 inches tall. Technically, she falls in the 50% percentile for both... a little on the short side of average for height and on the heavier side of average for weight.

I don't usually take J.R. to Markie's well-visits. However, he had a follow-up for his ears. He still has an ear infection and has to take a new kind of drops that have a small amount of steroid in them. Great - all we need is a J.R. on the Juice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Doing Time

I WILL NOT HIT MY BROTHER, I WILL NOT HIT MY BROTHER

Having Fun Doing Nothing

School Pictures

Well, I am already behind on my posts! Last week was busy... I am sure something funny happened.... they always do with J.R.! I can't seem to remember the specifics. Here are a couple pictures from daycare/preschool. They are scans, so the quality is not as good as the digitals. Unfortunately, none of Jay Bug's individual pictures turned out... which is unusual because he typically takes great pictures. Is it just me or does he look less like a little kid and more like a young man?! I think he looks like Jim in this picture. Sweet little Markie Bear. I can't believe they captured that grin.

With 50% of the Votes - The FauxHawk Wins

Well, we went with the "safe" FauxHawk. J.R. seemed to enjoy it!

J.R.'s First Soccer Game

He did it... J.R. survived soccer camp. Here are a couple photos and videos of the big game on Friday afternoon. He still claims that he did not like it, but all in all J.R. did not do too bad. Even though another kid pushed him, he kept his cool - which is not alway easy with his temper! He handled it well and even made light of it - take a peek at the second video for a little laugh. He still plans to try "real" soccer this fall. After the game, we had lunch at his favorite pizza shop - CiCi's - where he demolished 4 slices of pizza, a cinnamon roll, and a brownie!!!! He also had his last swim lesson this morning. After waiting for two years, J.R. finally got to go down the big slide at the Cranberry Waterpark. He was a very happy camper to say the least. Poor little Markie Bear isn't feeling too well today. Less than two months ago, she had only 3 teeth and now she is cutting her 13th! We did manage to fit in a movie, Wall-e. J.R. seemed to enjoy it. Markie did not stay in one place for the entire 2 hours. Jim and I agree... we thought the movie was just okay and plan on waiting another six months before attempting another with Markie Bear.

An Evening at the Park

Even though J.R. claims that soccer is boring, we caught him practicing tonight. I must admit - he is capable of some pretty fancy footwork! Can't wait until his game tomorrow. After dinner, we took a walk and stopped at the neighborhood park for a little bit. Markie goes down the slide over and over...and J.R. tries to stay out of trouble, but it seems to find him anyway. I think Jim has to correct him at least once during the video. :)

Yummy Yummy Fondue Party

After a long day at soccer camp and day care, J.R. and Markie enjoyed a wonderful visit with their best buddies, Miss Finn and Miss Emey. After dinner, the kids enjoyed their first fondue party with ooey gooey chocolate, bananas, grapes, and strawberries! We were pleasantly surprised - chocolate grapes are yummy! Although she likes fruit, Markie seemed to love the chocolate the most! In true Markie fashion, she finished with a little chocolate fondue in her hair.

Markie Bear

Any one who knows my mother, the infamous Nan Nan, knows that she is 100% responsible for this picture. We took this during our Idlewild trip the first weekend of June. The funny story behind it--- in the original picture, Markie had a runny nose. Lucky for our little diva, her Papa John took care of it with a bit of photo editing. Now, she is total Hollywood.

J.R. did not like day 2 of soccer any better than day 1. He said, "It is no fun to wait in line to kick a ball in a net." Oh, the fun of learning a sport! I saved the day with his cold lunch, however. One fit for a West Virginia King - a pepperoni roll, goldfish, pudding, and a capri sun. His soccer camp woes were all but forgotten.

Here We Go... Let's Blog

Wow! Thanks to our sister, Sara and her new hubby, Shawn we decided to start a family blog page too. Now more than ever, our family is all over the country. Here we go!

J.R started soccer camp today! Not sure if he enjoyed it, however. He said that soccer is "boring" and he wants to use the field to play baseball.