A day at the Lake!

Before we all forget.......

Since I am still awaiting my picture CD from the resident trip photographer (you know who you are!), I thought I had better let everyone know that this was a great trip with many highlights!  Here are two of the girls on the red-eye flight to the big city (I may not try that one again!)

Our first attempt to hail a cab! We got much better at it by the end!

Shopping at all the fun NY places.  My faves were H&M, Uniqlo, and Kate's Paperie.

On the way to Norma's for breakfast in a LIMO!

A picture outside of the Gershwin Theater where we saw "Wicked."  Unbelievable!

Such a great adventure.  The heat and humidity neared 100......and my pregnant body almost gave out, but what doesn't kill us makes us stronger, and I have so many fond memories of this trip and the dear friends I was lucky enough to share it with.

Happy BIG 3-0 Erin!

Happy birthday to you!  I hope you have an awesome 30th birthday!  We miss you and wish we could be there to party with you on your special day!  You are an awesome, special, and very sorely missed friend.  I love you!

A day at the Fountain

We had so much fun yesterday at the fountains!  We grabbed a bunch of bagels from Noah's and some ice cold drinks and headed over to enjoy some fun in the sun (which finally arrived)!  The kids loved it!  Last year, I was running after Max who was running towards the busy street, but this year they just loved the water and the ducks!  We could have stayed much longer except that I noticed we were all turning a bit pink!  This is an activity we will do again and again this summer!

And of course, we had to stop for ice cream afterwards!

Max's little adventure!

Max had his little hernia operation on Monday.  I thought I would share some pictures of my brave little trooper. He was so awesome, even though it almost killed him not to eat anything until 4 o'clock in the afternoon!  He kept rummaging through my purse saying, "have snack?"  

Here's his cute nurse Melissa checking his vitals!

Here he is on his way to pre-op in his little bed with his favorite dog!

And here we are after the surgery!  He was so sad that only sitting in my lap consoled him, which was just fine by me! I have not had the opportunity to hold him for three hours straight in ages!

And he got to eat THREE popsickles afterwards!

Our baby.....

We had our ultrasound last week, and apparently the little guy (or gal) was in a great spot to take a look on the 3D machine.  I think this is unbelievable!  He/she is 12 ounces and has all of its fingers and toes.  The heartbeat is good, and the brain is "beautiful" (that is a direct quote from the ultrasound tech).  So, all is well, and it looks like this is really going to happen.  

Isn't he/she so CUTE!?!

The library.......

So, why is it that I always let myself be fooled into the crazy idea that the library is a good outing?  It is just NOT!  Not with my brood, anyways.  

We decided on the library today because it was sprinkling this morning when we were getting ready for our walk.  Also, I have been hyping up the "Summer reading program" to Olivia, since she still claims an abhorrence for reading.  So, she picked out a tote bag which we decorated beautifully with fabric paints that is just HERS for the library.  And she was excited to go.  I have not had a book to read in WEEKS, and it's been driving me crazy, so I really needed to get a good read also.  

Here's how our trip to the library went:

We pull up, Molly is already in tears because she dropped her blanket.  Max, instead of eating his cereal bar, squished it in his hands so that the jelly in the middle was oozing out of his fingers.  Olivia, is super ready to fill her new tote.  

We head into the library, which is a task in and of itself, because all the kids want to climb on the wall that lines the sidewalk and they all need my hand to balance.  I only have two hands! Why does the library have that wall???  Then, M and M begin to fight over who gets to push the handicap button to open the door.  Max gets there first, as he usually does, and Molly goes to pieces again.  I try to comfort her by saying that it's ok, she can push it too, but we turn every head in the library upon our arrival.  We hurry to the elevator down to the children's section. In the elevator I give them all a talking to about our "library voices."  

Downstairs I try to help Olivia find some appropriate books for her reading level, while M and M try to play on the computers, climb up the drinking fountains, and disappear into the bathroom.  At one point the lights go off in the lower level, and I know it's Max, so I hurry to hunt him down.  He's gone.  He got on the elevator, by himself.  I start to panic.  Olivia hurries to track him down while I grab Molly to take off up the stairs in hopes of cornering him at some point of the three floor library.  Just as I head up, Olivia comes down with Max, pulling his arm, he is screaming.  I feel all eyes on me as I tell the kids AGAIN about our library voices. I tell Olivia to wrap it up and try to get M and M to read a quick book with me.  Molly sits on my lap to read but Max runs off.  Again, the lights go off.  UGH.  I pack up my books and round them up.  Time to go.  But I still have to get a book on the adult level.

We get off the elevator and I say, "stay with me, I just need to get one book."  Of course, no one stays with me and we have a repeat of the elevator drama with BOTH Max and Molly.  Luckily you can hear Molly's screams the whole way up and back down the elevator shaft.  I feel the eyes of the library again.  Once I round them up, I have pretty much had it.  I put Max on my hip and grab Molly's hand and head to the place I am sure to find a book that will do.  I grab the first one I haven't read by a particular author I like and as I bend down Max shouts out.......

"OOWWW, you hurted my PENIS!"

At this point, my head down, we exited the premises just as quickly as I could check out my books and pay my $21 fine.........

And my goal is to do this once a week for the entire summer.  Wish me luck.

The Big Apple

I just saw Wicked on Broadway in NYC........and I am totally going to brag about it now!  Na, na, na, na, na, I saw Wicked on Broadway..........

And it was the best thing EVER.  I am still freaking out!  

More about NY to come..........

My celebrity look-a-likes! I'm feeling pretty good right now!

Olivia's Celebrity Look-A-Likes

M and Ms little fort...........

For some reason, every day when I make my bed, M and M climb behind the pillows and play. Here they are sharing a snack, which I found all over my bed that night when I took everything off of it.  I think it's funny how kids find their secret places in the most unique spots.

Big brother is here!

Grassheads rock!

Olivia's latest school science project...........the grass head.