The McMahon Clan

The newest addition to our Family arrived today! Welcome Colton Joshua

2012-02-10T11:34:00.000-08:00

COLTON JOSHUA SLATES

FEBRUARY 10,2012

2:20AM

5LBS 2OZ

19" LONG

Colton is doing very well for being 5 weeks early. He is only on 25% oxygen which we breathe on 21% so hopefully he will be off that soon and they also have to wait for his lungs to mature more. He is a wonderful bundle of joy and his Daddy said, "Colton is either going to be the next QB or a piano player because he has really long fingers."

Much love and happiness to the Slates's family on their little bundle of joy.

WELCOME BABY COLTON!

My Interview with Connor Clarke McMahon

2012-02-06T05:11:00.000-08:00

Happy 6th Birthday, Connor!

A conversation with the Birthday Boy: Connor Clarke McMahon

2-6-12

1. What is your favorite color?

ORANGE

2. What is your favorite toy?

LEGOS

3. What is your favorite fruit?

GREEN GRAPES

4. What is your favorite tv show?

FAMILY GAME NIGHT

5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch?

PIZZA

6. What is your favorite outfit?

HOCKEY SHIRT AND SWEAT PANTS

7. What is your favorite game?

GAME OF WAR WITH A DECK OF CARDS

8. What is your favorite snack?

POPCORN

9. What is your favorite animal?

CHEETAH

10. What is your favorite song?

TONITE,TONITE

11. What is your favorite book?

MY BIG TRUCK BOOK
12. Who is your best friend?

SEAN STECKLER

13. What is your favorite cereal?

RICE KRISPIES

14. What is your favorite thing to do outside?

PLAY BASEBALL

15. What is your favorite drink?

LEMONADE

16. What is your favorite holiday?

BIRTHDAY

17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night?

RACING TEDDY BEAR

18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?

EGG SURPRISE

19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday?

PIZZA

20. What do you want to be when you grow up?
HOCKEY PLAYER, BASEBALL PLAYER AND A COP!

Connors Birthday Celebration

Connor was very excited that he got to celebrate his birthday with Uncle Andy and Pop Pop. He got some really cool flyers stuff from Uncle Andy and a new book that he will be able to read all by himself. Pop Pop got him a new remote control air plane that we still have yet to figure out how it works.

Mara had to get a little prize too. A tradition that only Don's family carries on....I don't remember getting gifts on my sister or brothers birthday. She must be very special.

Connor got a new Phillies zip up jacket from Pop Pop too. He loves Phillies gear!

Samara is trying on Connors hat to see what it feels like to be a big Six year old!

Connor's reaction to opening his present from Samara, a new 54" hockey net for the basement to go with his new roller blades. Whohooo!

Connor was so happy that Mara gave him a new Hockey Net, He jumped right up and gave her the biggest hug in the entire world. He might not share it with her, but he sure does love her that she got him the best present in the entire world. He even squeezed her so tight that she cried because it hurt.

Connor and Mara's new tents from Mommy and Daddy. Connor has slept in his tent for the past three nights and then last night he said, "is it okay if I sleep in my bed again" I was beginning to wonder when his back was not going to feel as good as it does when you sleep in a comfy bed.

we even got Mimi and Poppy to join us for our celebration all the way from Punta Gorda,Fl.

HAPPY 6TH BIRTHDAY CONNOR CLARKE, WE LOVE YOU!

LOVE,

MOMMY AND DADDY

Mommy's New Obsession online: PINTEREST

2012-02-05T15:09:00.000-08:00

So a few months ago, my friend Nickie introduced me to a new website called PINTEREST and it is by invitation only but if you want an invite let me know and I will send you one. It is full and complete with millions of Pins(blocks of ideas) that people find online and want to share with other people. You can find anything on there from recipes to cleaning ideas to storage and organization to outfits and destinations. It is really addicting and a great way to create your own notebook or pin board of ideas for yourself. This way when you want to go back and do a project or check something out you pinned it is right there on your board.
These are just a few of the things that I have done recently that I got from Pinterest!

My centerpiece arrangements for Valentine's Day on my kitchen table

"Candy corn in vases"

Hearts hanging from a wire hanger in our kitchen made by crayon shavings melted between wax paper and then cutting heart shapes in different sizes and hanging up by the hanger with string.

drawer organizers for pens and scissors and tape from the dollar store

more drawer organizers for the medicine drawer. Now each kid has their own basket!

New pantry door signs that I stole from someone elses ideas on kitchens.

a very organized closet...still not perfect but 90% better!

a revamped storage wall unit that was a total mess from stashing a ton of papers in it.

a chocolate peanut butter dessert that I made for Nickie and Kristen that I got off the site and it was to die for....AWESOME!
oreos, cream chesse, peanut butter, resses cups, whipped topping, confectioners sugar, fudge pudding
NEED I SAY MORE!

The recipes are fantastic!

It's a great addiction because it really forces you to be organized and neat and I just

LOVE,LOVE,LOVE IT!

Connor was Child of the Week at School This past week!

2012-02-04T07:59:00.000-08:00

I'M IN THE SPOTLIGHT!

Connor got to be the STAR STUDENT for the entire week at school and got to finish his week off with his first "real" school project. He was instructed to decorate a poster that was personalized all about him. He did an incredible job on it and Mommy and Daddy were so proud of him. We did have to step in and help him just a little bit with some placement and spelling but overall he did most of it himself. ! WAY TO GO, CONNOR!

Connor had to list three things in three different categories and they looked like this:

I can: swim in a pool

ice skate

do ten push ups

My Favorite:

color: orange

food: tacos

story: My big truck book

tv show: flyers games(his favorite shows really are the Bernstein bears but he didn't want the other kids to make fun of him) He really is starting to care what others think and doesn't want anyone to laugh at him, so I helped him with this answer.

animal: Cheetah

My dislikes:

Mayonnaise

Stink bugs

The penguins hockey team(mmmm....wonder who puts this in Connor's brain) Possibly, Uncle Andy!

He had to include a picture of him as a baby, him now and a picture of his family. All other pictures and drawings could just be things that are important to him. Of course his poster consisted of a ton of sports, cars, and a very important picture of his Nana, who he still talks about all the time and misses very much!

Connor is going to be 6 years old this Monday, February 6, 2012 and We find it hard to believe how fast the years have gone by and what a big boy he has become. He is always thinking of others before himself especially when someone tries to give him a prize, he always asks for one for his sisters too. He is totally into trying to read and do well in school. He just recently got his second marking period report card and overall is doing fantastic in Kindergarten. He got a 9/10 on his knowledge of site words and the only thing that he didn't score great in was knowing the spelling of his numbers and the spelling of some of his colors. He missed the colors brown, tan, black, blue and gray. He also only recongnized the words zero and one out of ten, so we will be working on that, too. He is developing in learning to write top to bottom and left to right and still improving on writting all of his upper and lower case letters. He did receive one N= needs improvement on Displaying Self Confidence(which is something that we know he struggles with becasue he is constantly worrying about what others think of his work)Sorry Connor, you are just like your Mommy. So I am going to try to praise him more when he does things and try to build his confiedence more.

We love you, Buddy, and are so proud of all of your accomplisments.

We can't wait to celebrate you being six this weekend!

Happy 6th Birthday!

NOTE TO SELF: DON'T LOOK IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE IT!

2012-01-24T12:13:00.000-08:00

That is if you are afraid to watch your kids going sledding on a sheet of ice on your straight down front yard that is full of trees,ice and a street only a couple hundred feet away! Watch out...because Mommy is having a heart attack while everyone else is having the time of their life. I really don't know why it is that Mom's have to be the one's to worry about anything and everything but really after all the sledding I couldn't even sleep thinking what if someone really got hurt, it was that crazy. And I have my Husband who has never worried about one single thing in his entire life, saying, "come on, bring it on, next snow, bring everyone"

I was beginning to think that maybe Don should take the next free agent job as a hockey goalie because he made some great saves out there the other day!

This was the picture moments before Connor took Daddy off his feet. He was going so fast he took Don down with him!

Another brilliant save from the street. I kept telling Connor to just fall off the sled before he hits the street but his response was, "but, Mom c'mon, I was going really just too fast" Yes, because you are sledding on a sheet of ice going straight down.

Mara was actually spinning in circles here in this picture and Don once again has to save her from hitting the tree. He thinks that next time we are just going to put up snow fencing that they use on the mountains so people bounce back off the fencing and don't hit trees. Yeah, dad! Great thinking!

Connor is thanking Daddy for such a fun day.

SO WHEN CAN WE DO IT AGAIN!

....MOMMY'S RESPONSE TO THAT QUESTION

NEVER!

New home additions

2012-01-17T19:06:00.000-08:00

Don will forever be spending money on perfecting the house to make our home "beautiful" and this weekend we found some new things to make our home more "ours".
We went to the starving artists show in Cherry Hill and picked up a few paintings to brighten up the living room and kitchen and Don did some web browsing to find a unique piece for the foyer.

A painting of black eyed susans and we framed it in a white frame to go with the table in the kitchen.

A new painting to make the living room look a little bit brighter, this definitely adds some color to the walls and brings out the colors in the curtains.

A man riding a bicycle (we all know only Don would find something like this)

I had to do some rearranging of some pictures and things we had in the kitchen but we moved the window that was above the hutch and put the rooster painting there and moved the window into the hallway by the guest room.

And of course I just wanted to finish my post with the rest of the pics from the sleeping beauties:

Connor

Samara

Meghan

Samara's 4 yr well visit

2012-01-17T18:50:00.000-08:00

SAMARA REAGAN
A.K.A. FANCY NANCY

Samara had her 4yr well visit today and is growing into a beautiful young girl. She did really well considering that she really doesn't like to go to the doctors. We did an eye test which she didn't do very good on but Dr said we will re check her in a few months and then decide if we should take her to the pediatric optometrist, she got a lot of the shapes wrong when she was far away from them, but up close got them right, so I am thinking since she is mommy's twin she will be following in my footsteps with needing glasses sooner than later. She is already looking like me(super skinny legs as a child, missing a lateral incisor, crazy kaliks, brown eyes, doesn't sit still, sleeps sideways). Just to name a few.... the only one thing that I see a huge difference in the two of us is that she has a great memory for learning the words of songs, she can hear a song and remember all the words to it and till this day I couldn' t do that even if I tried. Hopefully that will mean she will have the brains like Daddy. See it once, learned it forever and who knows her hatred for Doctors will maybe make her want to be one someday so she can help people overcome their fears of them. Who Knows? Only time will tell with my little Mara!

Mara's 4yr stats:

weight: 30lbs

height: 3ft

eye test: failed

heart and soul: passed

hearing: passed

ears,nose, throat: clear

tummy: no frogs in the belly

back: backbone straight as an arrow

learning skills: doesn't know her opposites(up,down, cold,hot)

went pee pee in a cup for her first urine test: passed

3 shots: accomplished but not very happy about it(I'm not getting that flu shot, right?)

Mara's favorite things:

Favorite book: Goodnight Moon(ONLY MY DADDY CAN READ IT TO ME!)

In a great green room, tucked away in bed, is a little bunny. "Goodnight room, goodnight moon." And to all the familiar things in the softly lit room--to the picture of the three little bears sitting in chairs, to the clocks and his socks, to the mittens and the kittens, to everything one by one--he says goodnight.In this classic of modern children's literature, beloved by generations of readers and listeners, the quiet poetry of the words and the gentle, lulling illustrations combine to make a perfect book for the end of the day.

favorite food: mmm, that is a tricky one. Candy if you can call that a food! If not, some of her favorites are: cucumbers and apples(skin off please,mom), clementines(oh my darling, oh my darling, oh my darling Clementine,thou art lost and gone forever,dreadful sorry, Clementine), fruit snacks and believe it or not she enjoys a meal some of the time.

Mara's lunch: strawberries, cheese, grilled cheese sandwich, cheese sandwich, hot dog with ketchup

but really if you could just eat these all day everyday she would be happy as a clam(OOPS I meant fish)!

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT. BE DELICIOUS.

Nutrition Facts

based on the small 2.1g piece size

19 pieces (40g) Serving size
140 Calories

% Daily Value *

0%Total Fat 0g
1%Sodium 30mg
12%Total Carbohydrate 36g
- Sugars 29g
Protein 0g

Not a significant source of calories from fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron. *Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

a.k.a.= FROZEN FISH IN MARA TERMS
Mara's favorite toy:

Mara's American Girl Doll who she named "Meghan" and her new baby doll bed.

Some of her other favorites are:

undressing and dressing her baby dolls(think she has enough babies)
her favorite thing to tell me is that she is going to have a baby someday and be a mommy just like you, mommy.

Mommy's Iphone, Daddy's Ipad
if you can't find it, some little monkey captured it and is playing angry birds or monkey preschool

Favorite Song: The Songs by the Fresh Beat Band and anything her Poppy sings her. She is still walking around in the morning when I am getting ready singing "No,it's snot" some crazy song my dad sings to her when he is here visiting.

Favorite Activities: Preschool(of course all the crafts) and Dance(ballet and tap)
Favorite Movie: Alvin and the Chipmunks still at number one
Favorite TV show: Peppa the Pig(everyday at 2pm)
Mara's number one thing she dislikes:
SOCKS...ALL OF THEM and PIGGIE PAJAMAS(she doesn't like anything that zippers up close to her neck)

she doesn't like to keep socks on for even two seconds. I get her dressed for school or anywhere and as soon as we get int he car the shoes and socks are off before I can even look back to tell her not to take them off. Don't know what it is but she doesn't like her feet to be covered. Meg is following in her footsteps because the back of my van is covered in socks. If you can't find one and you think the dryer ate it, you might want to think again because I think the van may have ate it first.

I was super happy with Mara's visit to the doctor today because he told her that she had to start sleeping in her own bed again because it isn't right to sleep with Mommy and Daddy and you won't believe it, but she actually listened.

Samara sleeping in her own bed under a pile of pillow pets!
Goodnight my little princess and sweet dreams. I am so happy that we have you to bring such laughter and joy to our days. We love you so much. I know you are sorry when you drive us crazy but we will always love you forever to the moon and back again.

Connor's fist Hockey Learn to Skate Practice

2012-01-13T06:59:00.000-08:00

Connor was so excited to start Hockey last Saturday. He did really good and was able to skate in between the cones and even get a few pucks.

Tomorrow we will see how much he has improved in just one week. Gramma is coming tonight so she will be excited to see him skate, too!

Our First week of January 2012

2012-01-06T18:25:00.000-08:00

okay before I post my next post I wanted to put a link to a really cool weekend project that I found on Pinterest that you can do with your kids and your old broken crayons!
http://ourhouseofjoyfulnoise.com/crafts/2011/01/17/heart-strings-a-valentines-craft/

Can't wait to post pictures about our craft but until then enjoy a little laughter from our first full week in the New Year.

One of my favorite times of the year(of course why would a couponer not like the first week on January)

The Can Can Sale at Shoprite

If you recently saw my pantry....you should see it now! Mara and Meggie were seriously big troppers at Shoprite today while I stocked up on water, kidney/chickpea beans, tuna, soup and broth.

3 cases of Poland Spring water for only $8.00 (use the 3for 10 and get a $2 catalina)

After our trip Mara decided to have a little fun with her baby sister while Mommy was unpacking the car....of course what would laughter and fun be like without a little road bump!

.....don't worry she is okay!

Whew...sure am glad I don't have to get behind the wheel with her for a long,long time.

Mommy learned her lesson and Meggie won't be going for any more rides until she can reach her feet on the floor of the car.

How it went down:

Mara: Mommy can Meg go with me in my car when we get home from the store?

Mommy: Mmmmm, I don't think so, but maybe if you go slow and be really careful. I will see if the buckle holds her in tight.

Mara: okay, I will go slow,I promise.

Mommy: okay Mara, lets try it while I unload packages but only for a minute

Mara: yay, Meggie is going in my car

Meggie: smiling and giggling away

Mara: (about 1min later), I want Meghan out of my car now, this is boring.

Mommy: okay you can put it in fast speed, just don't hit anything and don't go backwards, be really careful

Mara: ok mom

Mommy: maybe I should video this because Meghan is having a blast and it is so cute.

Meghan: whaaaaa! Whaaaa! boom! cries are coming.....wha, wha, wha!

Mommy: OH NO!

Mara: is she going to be okay?

Mommy: she is okay, thank goodness!

Mara: ok (off she went to finish her ride without her baby sister in the passenger seat!)

Mommy: won't be doing that again!

Our first snowfall of 2012

Well it didn't accumulate to much, but enough for two little kids to be super excited to go and play for a little while.

Just enough snow for them to enjoy, but not enough to cause a headache. It looked pretty and was gone in a few hours. I dropped Mara off at school and came home and barely made it up the driveway in my van and then when I went to pick Mara up from school a few hours later she said, "mom, did all the snow melt?" Yup, honey, sorry. Good thing you played in it before school, huh?

Mara enjoying prime rib just like her Mommy....right off the bone!

mmm.delicious!

stay tuned for more on our highlights from Connor's first hockey practice!

Always a lot of fun when Mimi and Poppy are here and we hate to say goodbye!

2012-01-01T17:19:00.000-08:00

Mimi and Poppy's visit with us during the week of Christmas and New Year's

We didn't get to do to much outside of the normal everyday things, but Mimi and Poppy were only here for a little over a week and they had to split their time between Jess, Mike and Us so it makes it hard to make special plans to go anywhere. We did venture out to do a little shopping which is always a fun time and we went to Toscana's for dinner one night too. We filled our days with Mommy and Daddy sleeping in an extra hour or so and having breakfast made for us too. We took the kids on a few wagon rides, Mommy learned how to finally work the leaf blower properly, Poppy took down a few dead tree branches out front, we got to see Uncle Walt, Aunt Marion, Bob and Midge and have a little family time before they all headed out to dinner at Carolina Blue. It was great to see everyone. Jess and the kids came by as well and Uncle Andy was here with Pop Pop running around chasing the kids. Mimi helped me finish decorating for Christmas by making me a ton of bows for all around the house and the front porch which looked amazing. I am hoping they will look as good when I pull them out again next year. Mara had a lot of fun listening to Poppy sing all kinds of crazy songs and be goofy with her. Connor had enough energy for Mimi and Poppy to be exhausted for about a month. Meghan just was happy playing in her doll house and eating. New Year's Eve they hung out with the kids and had Pizza so Don and I could go out with our friends. They enjoyed watching a lot of football and playing games in the house. Mara even got to have a little sleepover in their bed on the last night. Mara has also been enjoying staying in pj's all day long because Mimi or Poppy was always willing to stay here with her if I had to run out or if Mimi and Me went shopping. She loves her lazy days of Pj's.

New Year's Eve

2012-01-01T16:08:00.000-08:00

We had such a great time last night with great friends! We ru;ng in the New Year with an awesome time at Botto's enjoying drinks and appetizers along with some dancing. After Botto's we all headed back to Jeannie's house for our New Year's Eve celebration.

Our Toast to the New Year

Pre New Years Eve Party at Botto's with great friends. Gwen and Rich, Dom and Diana, Kathy and Patrick, Jeff and Alexis, Patrick and Tracey, Me and Don, Amanda and Chris and Last but not least Court and Justin. Justin won the prize for the most creative outfit of the night. He wore a white shirt with a white belt and white shoes and to top it off his pants had Holly all over them. It was great!

Alexis, Amanda and me enjoying a cocktail right before the ball drop.

Looking forward to a great weekend!

2011-12-29T08:33:00.000-08:00

This weekend is going to be filled with tons of fun, laughter, joy and It's a great way to bring in our New Year. We get to enjoy more of our family, Uncle Andy comes tomorrow to visit and the kids couldn't be more excited to see him. Connor has been asking for his new Flyers Jersey and why Santa didn't bring it for him and our response is that Santa knows if someone else bought it for him and that is why he didn't get it yet, but he doesn't know that Uncle Andy may have bought it. The look on his face when he opens it will be awesome.

Flyers pulled it off. The Alumni Rocked the Ice and they came away with a 3-1 win over the Rangers.

Saturday is New Years Eve and I am so excited to spend the entire day with Don. It's not often that we get to spend an entire day together with out the kids. Don is working in the morning and then we are going to the Alumni Hockey Game at Citizens Bank Park which he is totally pumped about. He is really excited to see his all time favorite hockey player "Eric Lindros" hit the ice again. I am excited to go to the game as well. It's been a long time since we have been at a hockey game together. We sold most of our tickets this year and the ones we had left he is taking Connor to the games. After the game we have plans to go to dinner with 16 of our friends from our old town and then one of the girls is having everyone over to her house for a New Year's Eve celebration. I'm sure we will be home at 12:05 after a long day of excitement but I am looking forward to a lot of fun. We are all getting dressed up and that is something to look forward to as well.

Sunday we are planning to just veg here and probably take down some Christmas decorations. Uncle Andy will still be here and Mimi and Poppy are planning to head back to Florida that day too. I am going to enjoy making a big pot of chili and watching Football will be our big day. Go Eagles!

We decided instead of chilli to ring in the new year with a Brand new Recipe: Ginger Rub Prime Rib with Yams, Risotto, Mac and Cheese, Salad and a super Yummy Au Jus Gravy!

Monday, Don gets another day off(well he is on call so he will have to round in the morning) but he is going to have a great day spending time with his brother at the Winter Classic Game. They are both very excited to be going to the game. I'm sure they will be freezing but hopefully the excitement of watching hockey outside will take away the BBBBBrrrrrrrr..... frenzy of being freezing cold outside. I bought everyone hand warmers so hopefully that will help us all.

Tuesday life will get back to normal, The beginning of getting back into our routine of school, a clean house, family dinners and our daily life.

Hockey is in our near future...

2011-12-28T16:32:00.000-08:00

It's Official....Lessons start next Saturday!

Well we took the plunge today into the beginning of Connor's hockey career or let's hope so at least for his middle names sake and his love for Bobby Clarke.

Connor playing with one of his sticks a few years ago, wow, how much he has grown up!

"Jumping rope and doing push ups are going to make me really strong and an excellent hockey player, right, Dad?"

Connor's first experience on ice skates today and he had so much. He used the walker to help him get the hang of it for the first half hour and then felt confident enough to go on his own. After our first skate we went over to the ice arena club store and tried on a pair of hockey skates and are all ready to go for our first official "Learn to Skate" hockey class. He will take 10 one hour classes of Learn to Skate and hopefully move up to the Learn to Play Hockey Class by the end of the session. We saw kids of all different ages there learning to skate so I'm sure it will be to his benefit to start young and this way we can find out if he really does like playing hockey after all.

Our Christmas Memories of 2011

2011-12-27T15:38:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas Time....My Favorite Time of the Year

"I want that special feeling to last all year. I believe in Santa and the Christmas spirit. I love the excitement of decorating and the anticipation of waiting for Santa to arrive. I love the kinder hearts of people who are more generous and more forgiving during this time of year. I love the dazzle of the lights and the twinkle in the children's eyes. I love the merriment of parties and friendships. I love Christmas."
- written by a fellow blogger who loves Christmas as Much as I do!
Why can't this time of year last all year long, people are willing to smile more, share more, love more, forgive more and just overall be MORE of everything!

A NEW TRADITION

On a spur of the moment whim we were invited by Robin to go to see the lights in Pitman and it was a lot of fun. The kids loved looking at all the decorations and festivities of Christmas on the block. As soon as we got to the "Grove" Connor said, wow is this where Jesus lives. It's funny how little kids think. It was so bright and Cheery. They had displays of all different things like the wizard of oz, spongebob, reindeer, santas workshop,etc.

Meggie's fun bath on Christmas Eve

" All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth"

She does have her teeth, but always in pictures it looks like she only has two. She is working on getting a few more over the last few days, believe me the motrin has been in full effect in this house.

Meggie loved her Christmas bath in the kitchen sink. She had so much fun soaking in the suds and sunlight. The kids loved watching her drink from the spiket and splash all over.

All clean now mommy, I'm ready for Santa now.

Hugs and Kisses to all of you on this very Merry Christmas Time of Year!

Mmmmm....mmmmaaaaaawwwwww to all of you!

Christmas Eve we went to Church at 4pm and had an awesome Christmas Service by our Pastor Mark.

After service we headed over to Aunt Jess and Uncle Dave's to be with them and Mimi and Poppy. We all had a good time and as always the kids had fun playing together and putting on Christmas Plays for all of us. We hurried home to make sure we had time to sprinkle a little reindeer food, prepare the snacks for Santa and his reindeer, say good bye to "clarke" our elf, and get all tucked in to get a good night's sleep for a big day in the morning.

Meghan is always trying to make a run for it towards me when I have the camera and am ready for action. Everyone was sitting nice and ready for some great pics and Meghan saw me get in position and boom she was crawling away and trying to catch me.

and Brutus was trying to join in all the fun, too!

Mimi getting her most important Christmas wish, all her love from her beautiful grandkids and one more on the way to bless her world. We can't wait to meet Colton Joshua.

there she goes again, the boys kept trying to catch her, but she didn't want to be held, all she wants is mommy.

Connor and Mimi giving eachother some Christmas hugs.

Poppy and Meggie. Meggie lets us all know that she doesn't like to be held by the boys! Of course Meg looked so cute you just couldn't get enough of her.

Connor really is the sweet, huggable, lovable child. Always there to lend a great big hug with that great big smile.

Christmas Day at the McMahon's

This is the display before the kiddos got to everything! The living room sure did look pretty with all that dazzling paper and great presents that Santa left for all of us. What's even more amazing is that Santa gave each one of the kids their own paper so we all knew whose presents were who's. He even left a few sleds behind, but so far we are getting rain and hail but no snow. All Connor wished for was to have a White Christmas, we told him that he might just have to wait for next year.

"Mom,Dad, look Santa was here and he left me a Star War's Sword, whoo hoo, and Mara a dancing ballerina"

" Wow, Mommy and Daddy, what is all this awesome stuff sitting here under the tree. This looks like it could be a very fun day."

Meggie got a new(well new to her) wagon and kitchen. She also got her favorite puffs, a new ride on princess toy and some princess blocks. Her favorite gift is Mara's new tea set and the kitchen.

Yes, yes, yes....Santa actually got me the Wii. He spent hours today in his room with his buddy Aaron learning how to play all the games and set it all up so that he can play and reach all the high levels. He keeps telling me, "I got another trophy". He loves Mario brothers, Mario Sluggers,Mario Kart and Family Game night.

Pure joy....Priceless....

Connor had a power rangers christmas. He loves everything Samurai, star wars and was just fascinated this year with the Megazords and Samurirezer.

"Yes, Yes, Yes, it's my American Doll Girl that I wanted....but mommy she doesn't have really long hair" Well, yes Mara, " Santa got you the twin that is a little smaller than the American Girl Doll because you are still so little and she is perfect just like you" Mara says, " I love it"

"mmm.....think anyone will notice if I get my hand on the cookie crumbs that Santa left on the plate, and that milk sure looks good too in that very fragile glass"

"man, I think they caught me, mmm, sure was good while it lasted"

Did somebody say wagon rides in the house, yay.....here we go for a lot of fun.

After we opened all our presents, Daddy cooked us a gourmet breakfast with pancakes and sausage and then we shared it with Pop Pop and got ready to start our Christmas all over again.

Meghan didn't get enough cookie crumbs so she had to be first served before we all sat down. She sits in her high chair and will just scream out.....Maaaa,mommmm, Maaaaam. Don't know if she is calling for mommy or saying, More, more, more!

We had to have breakfast with our new baby doll and Connor couldn't eat fast enough so he could be excused to go play more power rangers megazords.

Time again for more presents, smiles and fun to be had.

Don and one of his favorite Christmas presents. He got a blanket for his office chair and it is absolutely wonderful, so soft and cuddly and it looks great too.

Pop Pop enjoying the morning sunlight with his little bit of sunshine. He loves his little girl.

Mara contemplating on opening her tea set or digging in to open something else. We opened the tea set and Meggie just went to town. She loves it so much. Mara took a few pieces over to her table to have a tea party and Meggie got all the forks, spoons and knives and a cup and couldn't be happier.
Chirstmas with Mimi and Poppy

Chirstmas with Uncle Mike

Chirstmas with Aunt Jess

Aunt Jess surprised Don with a special Christmas gift(usually we just buy for the kids) for passing his last boards and he couldn't have been more surprised and happy. He totally loved it and so did Connor. Now Don is totally ready for his Winter Classic round of games this coming weekend. He has a new Giroux jersey, a new winter coat, flyers gloves and cashmere hand warmers to go inside the gloves.

words coming out of Don's mouth, "no way, really, no way"

"Daddy, can I have it" Please!

The Panhuise, Gallatig, Slates, and McMahon girls before our Chirstmas dinner. OH and I forgot to mention our American Doll too, because Mara wouldn't be in the picture without her.

Mommy's beautiful Christmas Dinner table. All my hard work paid off, because the room really did look great with all the pretty dishes.

Meggie and Uncle Mike having fun playing with the Pollyanna gifts. She was all giggles and smiles.

Merry Christmas to all of you and we hope you all had a great time with your Families as we did with ours.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

For the love of sisters and brothers

2011-12-17T18:27:00.000-08:00

TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY AND HAPPY THAT WE HAVE EACH OTHER TO SHARE IT WITH!

JUST ABOUT A WEEK TO GO UNTIL CHRISTMAS AND WE TRY TO REMEMBER THAT SANTA IS WATCHING AND WE BETTER BE "NICE" BECAUSE HE IS CHECKING HIS LIST TWICE AND KNOWS IF WE'VE BEEN NAUGHTY OR NICE.

"Brothers and Sisters by chance but friends by choice"

Tonight Connor and I watched a movie together before he went to bed and after I read all the titles to him he decided to pick "the happy elf" on starz. It started out with a sister and brother fighting and then the magic of how we are supposed to remember not to fight because Santa is watching us. Connor, Mara and Meggie play so good together but they also have their moments like all siblings do and after the movie I said to him, "so now you see why you should always get along" and he agreed. It was a short and sweet little show for kids. They are so lucky to have a forever bond and a forever friend in each other and I love to see them playing and having fun time with each other.

Connor goes to his first Flyers game of 2011, Mara loves to be a girly girl and Meggie turns 13months

2011-12-17T14:21:00.000-08:00

Connor's Flyers game with Daddy: Connor had a lot of fun at the game. He stayed for the first two periods and some of the third period. Unfortunately the Flyers lost 6-0 so I'm sure if they were winning he would have stayed longer. He enjoyed Cotton Candy and a super big hot dog.Daddy bought him and Mara knew hockey sticks so they can play games at home(and scratch our floors even more,yippee)

Connor trying to play a game of hockey with Mara, but Mara just wants to Dance with the hockey stick and not really play ball.

our future hockey all star:
Connor Clarke McMahon

Mara playing pretty as a princess

I can't tell you how much this little girl loves, just loves to chew gum. I couldn't even get a good picture because in every picture her gum is hanging out her mouth.

"our little diva"

Meggie is becoming such a big girl and time is going so fast, she is starting to talk and is catching up to her big sister really quick!

Meggie at 13months

words: hi, mommy, momma, da da, bye, uhoh,

This little piggy went to the market, this little Piggy stayed home, this little piggie had roast beef, this little piggie had none, this little piggie went waaaahaaaahaaa all the way home....

until she got more roast beef!

Meghan really wanted to help us decorate the tree this year, she was going crazy over all the ornaments.

One of Megs favorite toys is the grand dollhouse. She can sit there or in it for every just playing with all the dolls and toys, she only gets frustrated when she can't get back out.

Meggie is still crawling, she stands up sometimes when she wants to hold on to something or climb up Mommy and Daddy's legs, but most of the time she is sitting or crawling.

or trying to get in to trouble...here she is climbing inside the box of matchbox cars!

We are excited to see what Santa brings next weekend and how much fun everyone has when we are covered in wrapping paper and boxes!

Dinner at Toscana's with Santa

2011-12-17T14:01:00.000-08:00

We met up with Aunt Jess and Peyton last week to go to Toscana's for dinner with Santa and Mrs. Claus. The kids really enjoyed being able to eat dinner with Santa and sit on his lap to let him know what they really want for Christmas. Connor wants everything Power Ranger Samurai, Mara wants American Doll as she calls it, and Meggie just wants "Mommy"! Toscana's was running a special every week in Decemeber on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays dinner with Santa and kids eat free.

Connor and Mara giving Santa big hugs and letting him know that they ave been trying to be extra special good so that they get everything they want this year for Christmas. They both got little prizes from Santa from his big bag of goodies. At first Mara didn't want to sit on his lap, she said, "Mommy, can I just hold his hand?" Then she realized that you don't get a prize unless you actually sit on his lap, so she did it and was really excited to tell him what she wanted.

Meggie would not sit on Santa's lap, she looked super scared and we couldn't get her to look at the camera for a picture. We are going to take them to the mall on Wednesday to get their pictures and we will just have to take what we can get because we know that Meggie will not be a happy little girl.

Mara and Meggie visiting Santa

2011-12-13T17:30:00.000-08:00

HO,HO, HO, SANTA IS COMING TO TOWN! BETTER BE NICE, BETTER NOT POUT, CAUSE SANTA CLUAS IS COMING TO TOWN....

Mara had a great time visiting Santa and now we all get to go back again so Connor can see him and give him his list before Christmas. We are running short on time, but we will make an appearance sooner than later. Pop Pop just loves to hang out with his little girlies and take them to lunch and unfortunately Connor is at school so he misses out on all our fun.

Connor's fun day at a Horse Farm Party

2011-12-13T17:24:00.000-08:00

Whoohooo! Just bringing back all the fun, exciting memories of being a child. I can remember doing this exact thing probably at the same age of Connor in my backyard and at the playground. A good old tire and a nice sturdy rope and loads of fun. He had so much fun swinging on the tire swing, riding the ponies, and going on a hayride at his friend's 6th birthday party.

Connor and his buddy Ben grooming the horses before they got to saddle them up an go for a ride. They told the boys that in order for the hair not to clump up and knot you have to groom the horse first before you put on their saddle.

Connor got to ride on two different ponies. He even challenged himself by trying to hold on with no hands! My crazy little guy....he didn't get to far before he had to grab on to the harness.

Christmas Tree Farm

2011-12-06T18:43:00.000-08:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year, It's the happiest of all the year....

It's Christmas time and we are Jolly!

"our perfect tree" and "our perfect family"

Connor being the good sport and helping the guys get the tree ready for our roof, little did we know that we didn't have this van last year and their is not a roof rack and the tree just kept sliding off, we kept saying, Whoooaaaa! Well we could have got it to stay on but then we would have had to drive home with the back doors open and that wasn't such a good plan so the nice men offered to drive it home for us. .....Merry Christmas!

At this point, Mara decided not to join in on our celebration of our tree. She was not having any more pictures.

U Cut Tree Farm

any tree

$32 bucks....and he even drove it home for us!Of course we gave a nice tip, Tree was so big it wouldn't even fit on the top of our van!

Connor is on the hunt and searching hard for the perfect tree. We were literally at the farm for 10 minutes and Daddy was waiting for the owner to come outside while we started looking and as soon as he walked down to us he looked over to the right and said, "did anyone look at this tree, it is the most perfect one here." So that is how we found our tree, it just stumbled upon us and landed right at Daddy's feet.

such a happy little bo beep!oops I mean such a happy lil' moo, moo!

Mara is taking care of her little sister and making sure she doesn't fall over. They are sitting next to the cutest baby tree I have ever seen. Not your ordinary pine tree, but such a beautiful tree it will be in a few years. We will just have to keep our eye on this one.

Just making sure the tree is perfectly trimmed and there are no hanging branches that we missed. We love our very perfect and plump Christmas tree. We think it just might be the most perfect tree we have ever had!

We are really excited to celebrate our second Christmas here at our new house. We still have to finish decorating inside and then next week we will get out the ornaments. So far Meghan has not tried to touch the tree, but we will see what happens when we add a little bling to it. I finally decided to buy the candles for the front windows of the house. A whooping 18 lights later, our house is picture perfect from the street. I can't believe I actually waited this long to put the candles in the windows. We love the way it makes the house light up at night and we are going to leave them up all year round now. We both just love,love, looooveeeee how it looks. I will post a picture of that as soon as Don hangs the rest of the lights on the tree out front. We decorated the porch and that looks great, now all I need are two 4' Christmas pre lit trees in urns and a big 60" wreath to hang from the top balcony and I will be set for future years. HINT!HINT! .....If anyone wants something to buy us for Christmas this year or get a good deal the day after Christmas and save it for my Birthday!

Our Masterpiece Christmas tree all lit up and complete with skirt.

Happy 4th Birthday Mara!

2011-11-30T16:27:00.000-08:00

HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY PRINCESS SAMARA!

How Mara celebrated her Birthday Today:
Dancing away to the music at dance class first thing in the morning and then to finish our morning we had our playdate celebration with her little girlfriends and did lunch together. The girls, played dress up, doll house, nail boutique, sang happy birthday and had a fantastic time enjoying each other.

After Mara's playdate she waited for Daddy and Pop Pop to arrive here and then Mommy and Daddy gave her the ultimate birthday present and the fun time was just beginning. Mara got a new(well new to her because I got a great deal from a friend that didn't need it any more and she will never know the difference) Cadillac Escalade Power Wheels!...but big brother wanted in on the fun too!

Whoooooaaaaa! We had to slow it down a bit, Mara was flying all around the driveway. You could just feel the excitement running through her little brain. She had so much fun playing with it and now it is our third car in the garage.

After playing it was Taco Time requested by Samara, followed by cupcakes and more presents from Pop Pop.

Our little girl is still little and loving Barney! She still loves to watch that show with her Pop Pop and I think she will always enjoy that special tv time watching Barney with one of her favorite people. Pop Pop got her a dancing ballerina doll and a new barbie laptop and she loves them both to pieces.

mmmm. fascinated always by the candles, she always licks the candle as soon as it is blown out. We had a great celebration today and I think Mara enjoyed her 4th birthday very much. We love you so much and you will always be our "Matilda" Happy 4th Birthday, Samara Reagan!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-30T16:07:00.000-08:00

Well, I committed the worst bloggers nightmare and we took a trip to Florida for Thanksgiving and had a wonderful time enjoying family, swimming, eating, shopping, zoo keeping, zip line crazineness, more eating, more shopping and I FORGOT MY CAMERA!

So we hope you all had a great Thanksgiving too and hopefully soon I will post the pictures I took with my phone, but until then you will all just have to wonder how much fun the McMahon Clan had in Florida with sunny skies and 80 degrees everyday!

basketball, Turkey, ham, swimming, many trips to the park, continental flambe, botique stores, BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS, POPPY, MARA AND MEGGIE BIRTHDAYS, TEA PARTIES, fancy nancy, world market, wine, zoo, Meg O' Malley's, running, for the love of grandparents all in one place(mimi, poppy, pop-pop,gramma,grampa), smiles, cat chasing, zip lining, gatorade, downtown, new running sneakers, Daddy's favorite store that he wishes he could pick up and bring to new jersey(Island Inspirations), afternoon naps, mommy and daddy time, massages and facials, football all day everyday, swinging and sliding at the park.....and a whole lot more of great fun had by all! The kids even got to celebrate an early christmas with gramma and grampa!

Happy Birthday Meggie!

2011-11-15T17:40:00.000-08:00

CAN YOU GUESS WHO JUST TURNED ONE?

A LITTLE SWEET PRINCESS CUPCAKE

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY BABY MEGHAN

11/12/11

bAbY sTaTs:

WEIGHT: 19LBS(10%)

HEIGHT: 27" (25%)

What Meghan is doing: Standing(first time:Sunday, Nov 13th),Today, standing all day long

crawling, laughing, smiling, teething, cooing, eating(eating and eating), drinking from a sippy cup, trying organic whole milk and spitting it back out(like mommy's milk better), playing peek a boo, singing and dancing to music, blabbing on the phone(knowing the difference between the real phone and toy phones), loves her puffs and cheerios

Mommy made Meg's cupcake cake and Daddy made it even yummier with his fantastic special icing making. He made tons of icing and then took it up a notch by decorating the entire cake from coloring the icing to the finishing sprinkles. The kids did help put on a few sprinks but Daddy made it look perfect for our Meggies big Day!

"The Masterpiece Cupcake"

We tried all we could to make Meghan's day as special as possible but she was fighting a terrible cold that made her look very tired and she had dry patches all over her face. She was of course still as happy as can be for a special birthday girl.

That's right Meghan, get a piece of that yummy cake. She did taste the icing and thought it was delicious!

Samara took over the show, but Meg was back there hiding behind her. It was all smiles during the "happy birthday song".

My friend made the favors for the party and they turned out phenomenal. She made all natural cake pops and she made all the dips for the party too. If you ever need any baked goods or appetizers I highly recommend "anca bakes".

A little tug of war between sisters is always a good time. Mara was practically tearing Meg's face off so she didn't eat her shoes. Meghan has a fetish with shoes, any size, color, or shape! She is a woman after my own heart. She just LOVES, LOVES, LOVES Shoes!

and balloons too for that matter!

and of course...her mommy!

Meghan opening her presents and reading her cards, surprisingly my first child that actually cares about reading cards first before diving into the presents. She got so many cute gifts and she is having a ball playing with all her new toys and wearing all of her cute clothes.

Meggie's friends and family at her party

All about our day and the fabulous celebration!

Party started at 3pm, Mommy and Daddy cooked all the food, we had sausage and peppers, tortellini in vodka sauce, roast beef sandwiches, chicken nuggets, sweet potato fries, salads and a ton of appetizers including spinach and artichoke dip, hummus and pita, a huge pretzel tray and a veggie tray. We ate our lunch and mingled before the magician arrived at 4pm and then all the kiddos gathered around the living room for a very entertaining magic show and singing and dancing, meg was given her first animal balloon and then we headed outside for a cupcake pinata(aka extreme chaos), after the candy rush we went back inside for the ultimate happy birthday and cake. The kids enjoyed getting balloon animals and their faces painted. By 6pm we were all exhausted and it was time to start cleaning up and opening presents!

Meghan loves to chase the balls that roll away from her. She is in her squatting mode here, but has mastered the squat and is now standing on her own!

We love you so much Meghan Reese and are so glad you had such a fun and exciting first birthday. Many thanks to all who shared in her special day and for all the wonderful presents to brighten her day.

The Savvy Mommy!

2011-11-08T07:35:00.000-08:00

Well girls I did it again....I got huge savings this week at Shoprite and my bags are getting packed for the donation at Locke Ave. Park. Please if you drink Milk and have GM Cherrios or Lucky Charms coupons, go to shoprite ASAP and get a few boxes to donate. You will pay $3.49 out of pocket and get a coupon for free milk making this a money maker!

Here is what I got for a total of $14.64! AND IT IS NOT ALL JUNK! There have been fabulous couopns out there. I even got one for a free lb. of apples up to $2.50.

I ALSO RECEIVED A $5.00 OFF COUPON FROM ACME AND PRINTED IT OFF OF TWO COMPUTERS TO DOUBLE IT TO FOUR COUPONS AND MY SHOPRITE ACCEPTS ACME COUPONS. THEY WOULD ONLY LET ME USE TWO, BUT I AM READY FOR MY OTHER TWO TODAY. THEY EXPIRE NEXT WEEK.

I received two free milk coupons(note: I did two transactions to make sure they both printed), two .75cents off my next order from Kikkoman, $2.50 from Campbell's and two print outs for .75 off two boxes more of Kikkoman bread crumbs. We love panko breadcrumbs. Use them in your meatballs, bread your own nuggets, put them in a meatloaf or just simply bake chicken. So much better than the originals breadcrumbs.

2011-11-06T19:02:00.000-08:00

A hundred years from now... it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove... but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child. -Kathy Davis

Mara's Birthday Partying Weekend

2011-11-06T18:59:00.000-08:00

The girls all had a great time at Gracie's Garden. Being a princess is so much fun!

Mara is twirling her wand, making a big WISH!

Group photo shoot! Her good friend Jessie is the one in the middle with the pink crown.

Mara was invited to two parties on Saturday and she had a ton of fun at both of them. The first party was at Gracie's Garden and nothing like feeling like a princess for the morning and after that we headed over to the farm for a hayride, pumpkin picking and some more play time on the playground. I captured this great picture of Mara coming down the slide and notice her tonuge out and all. Mommy got a nice present for herself(belated bday gift). I kept waiting for the Iphone to go on sale and it did finally this week at Target. The kiosik in Delaware was great. They didn't let me pay with my Target Red Card, but I asked if they would honor the 5% discount and they did. Awesome deal...Iphone 4 for less then $95 bucks and I am loving it. I am using my savy shopper barcode scanner all around the house on games and toys to make sure I got the best deals this week when I started my holiday shopping. Connor is having fun playing all the games on it while I organize coupons into my new coupon binder that I won at MOPs last week. I have been really wanting to make the switch from the coupon file to the binder but didn't really feel like buying all the stuff to do it, so it was just meant to be that I won it. Yay...I may have been just as excited to win that then get my iphone. well...not really but close.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2011-10-31T17:39:00.000-07:00

THE MOST SPOOKTACULAR TIME OF THE YEAR!

Don and I went to a great Halloween Party on Saturday Night. We really had a great time. We dressed up as Mr. and Mrs. Gangsta!

Connor's school Pumpkin Patch

pumpkin patches, school parties, pumpkins, gourds, ghosts and everything gouhly!

Dress up, smiles, parades, costumes, birthdays, celebrations, decorations, pumpkins,mums,
scarecrows, haunted hayrides, frankenstien, bats and scary cats!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN
HOPE YOU ALL HAD A BOO OF A TIME...WE DID!

Daddy with his beautiful butterfly, his sweet strawberry shortcake and his extravagant samurai!

Mommy with her three little pea pods.

Connor si showing all of us the crafts we did at the school party today.

Connor's school had their Halloween Parade today and I am the room Mom so I got to help organize the activities after the parade. I decorated the juice boxes to make them look like ghosts and then we decorated our pumpkins that we picked last Tuesday at the school pumpkin patch. The kids were all really cute with their pumpkin wands and they were troopers singing songs and wishing all the parents a Happy Halloween.

Meggie's First Halloween, no treats for her, but she enjoyed the stroller ride and watching all the kids running from house to house collecting lots of goodies.

We were glad that Meg had a warm costume because this is the coldest Halloween we have had I think ever since we had kids. It was really freezing out there and Meggie wouldn't keep her gloves on She kept trying to pull them off with her teeth.

Daddy looking really SPOOKTACULAR in his new coat!

Our neighboorhood kids invading the devolpement across the street to go trick or treating. We can't really go on our street because the houses are to far apart and by the time the kids walk from one house to the next they are too tired and it isn't fun running up to a door and finding out that no one is home.
So we invaded Windy Way and the kids had so much fun. They realized that they found a "shortcut" by cutting in between the houses on the grass and were even more excited. It was hard to keep up with them at times. This worked well until we got to the houses near the end and water wells were keeping us from lawn crossing.

"THE GREAT BIG PUMPKIN"

All the little goblins...
Nicolette, Vanessa, Connor, Hunter, Chelsea, and Mara!

It is really fun to get candy, but even more fun to get tubes of sugar..
mmm... who would have thought of that.

and now time to eat all our candy.....
Hopefully the kids will not be too hyper tomorrow!
we know Meg will be okay...because she has had enough!

"Daddy, tell Mommy that this little butterfly is tired and ready for bed."
BOONIGHT TO ALL!

Happy Birthday Don, Daddy-O!

2011-10-27T17:16:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR DADDY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

Getting ready to celebrate Daddy's birthday with some speed! We had to eat dinner, open presents and sing Happy Birthday all before our 5:30 soccer practice. Well we got 2 out of 3. We had to save our singing until after practice. But, it was still a fun celebration for Daddy.

Don opening his new coat from Mommy and Pop-Pop. He was really excited and liked it a lot. I can't remember the last time Don actually had a coat that he could wear that was just casual instead of for work. He got new shirts and a really cool tie from the kids and they made him a ton of cards that they drew for him to take to his office and hang up.

Connor always has to play his guitar anytime we sing "happy birthday" to anyone. He loves to play music and sing really loud and then of course it is a race to see who can blow out the candles first.

Meggie wishes Daddy a fabulous year to come and a whole world of happiness for him.

Pretty soon she will be on the move. She has been quite the Daddy's girl these last few weeks.

Happy Birthday Daddy,

I love you,

Love your princess cupcake

Happy Birthday Daddy,

I love you,

love,

your princess pie

Happy Birthday Daddy,

from your motorcyle loving boy

bumpkin munchins!

Don's favorite things:

Spice anything....spice cake, spice cookies, molases cookies, pumpkin pie

hugs and kisses from all of us....and squiks from the kids(squish hugs)

meatloaf, ham and noodles, steak and of course pop-tarts, or what mommy makes all the time...spaghetti and meatballs(really not again), risotto, and good ol' Naples pizza

clothes...shoes....and ties, football, hockey, baseball, connor's soccer saturdays...

cars...candy...and getting the mail(if only the board scores would arrive)...but something from ebay is always nice too!

soda..(.well it used to be)

and one of his favorites...the IPAD, the IPHONE and anything APPLE!
and last but not least....
me!
You are a busy man today and always, and I wanted you to know that
I love you more than you will ever know,
and no matter what, I will always be exclusively yours.

We love you Daddy and hope you had a great BIRTHDAY!

Trunk or Treat

2011-10-23T17:19:00.000-07:00

crossbridge "TRUNK OR TREAT"

Meghan's Dedication at Church Today

2011-10-23T16:45:00.000-07:00

A Baby Dedication is a ceremony in which believing parents, and sometimes entire families, make a commitment before the Lord to submit a child to God's will and to raise that child according to God's Word and God's ways. Christian parents who dedicate a child are making a promise to the Lord to do everything within their power to raise the child in a godly way, prayerfully until he or she can make a decision on his or her own to follow God. Parents who make this vow of commitment are instructed to raise the child in the ways of God, and not according to their own ways. Some of the responsibilities include teaching and training the child in God's Word, demonstrating an example of godliness, disciplining according to God's ways, and praying earnestly for the child.

We have the dedication on video, so we hope you are able to view it and we are sorry that you couldn't be here to share in Meghan's special day, but we know that you were all thinking about her and giving your blessing along with all of us.

The proud God Parents

Uncle Mike and Aunt Jess

Aunt Emily was the star of the day along with Uncle Dave(sorry Dave, didn't get any pics of you, because you had the camera most of the time) who captured our special moment on video so we can all look back on Meghan's special blessing for years to come.

The kids were so well behaved for most of the time. Towards the end of the service they started to get a little restless but we were so proud of them for sitting still and listening to what Pastor Mark had to say to them.

Another proud moment for Pop Pop with his extra special little girl, Meggie.

Meghan was still going strong at 1pm without her morning nap, still putting on a good smile and playing with all her toys. We had a little luncheon back at the house for Meg and Allison, who is my good friend Jess's daughter who was also dedicated today too.

Meghan was dedicated today by our Pastor, Mark Barnish, at Crossbridge Community Church. The service was all about raising your Preschooler and how much God loves us and his children. He made a statement that all you need is three specific things to teach your children to have a spiritual life. Most importantly that God made us, that Jesus loves us, and that we are beautifully made. Meghan did great and was a very happy baby during most of the service. She was a Daddy's girl today, blabbing all day and saying, "da,daaaadaaaa", she even was arms wide open for Daddy to hold her during church.

I woke up this morning and looked out the back door to a new friend just hanging out watching over our house. He must have ate the rest of the leaves off the plant and then needed to take a little break.

Do you ever find yourself like this?

2011-10-22T17:49:00.000-07:00

This happens to me all the time, but usually I am sitting on the floor against the wall putting the kids to bed, patiently waiting for them to fall asleep and my charger is all the way downstairs and if I move one little itsy bitsy inch they will wake up and say, "no mommy,don't leave"....but my computer has died in the middle of a post!

Our week in a nutshell!

2011-10-22T17:01:00.000-07:00

THE MCMAHON CLAN RECAP OF THE WEEK!

Meggie trying on her hairbow for her dedication tomorrow and showing off her cute little teeth.

LET'S GO FLYERS...POP POP BOUGHT THE KIDS NEW T-SHIRTS TO KICK OFF A NEW SEASON OF HOCKEY. MARA GOT PRONGER BECAUSE SHE IS A CAPTAIN JUST LIKE HIM!

Mara had her first Trike A Thon with Richwood Preschool and she had such a fun time!

Connor in action at his soccer game last weekend. He didn't score any goals during that game but scored two today. Way to go Connor! He was totally awesome and aggressive today.

Connor getting ready to give his team mates high fives for scoring. It is great to see how excited the team gets when someone scores a goal. Even if it isn't him scoring he is still on cloud nine that the ball went in the other teams net. So today in the car, I heard the first thing come out of Connor's mouth about a girl in his class. I am the room mom so I am in charge of the phone list and each room parent gets half the class to call and he asked me, "so mom, do you have Mary Kate on the phone list, because I just love her, you know a boy has to love somebody and she is just like you....so tall" It was the cutest thing I ever heard him say and I looked in my rear view mirror and the grin on his face was totally priceless. I thought he was going to say, "so pretty just like you", but I'll take something like me!

While Connor is running around like the energizer bunny, his sister sits quietly in the yonder coloring with her friends Emma and Julia. She loves tagging along with the older girls.

Hard to believe she can be such a pistil sometimes, that adorable face and smile just melts our hearts. Her teachers think she is just fabulous and couldn't believe it when I told them that she pushes our buttons at home. Soon she will be running these fields and we will never have to worry about her being bullied.

MAKING PIZZA ON FRIDAY NIGHT...SOMETHING FUN AND NEW TO DO!

.....AND IT SURE WAS YUMMY!

The kids loved the pepperoni and the cheese, but when I asked them what they thought of the ricotta cheese, this is the response I got. I guess I am the only one who likes ricotta on my pizza.

Mommy needed a glass of wine after dealing with the middle sister all day! I saw this last year and had to pick it up, it was actually quite good.

A little sip of Middle Sister because their is a little bit of "middle sister" in all of us!

Did you know that birth order is commonly believed to have a profound and lasting effect on psychological development? We did. And that is why we have dedicated these wines to the sister in the middle - the one who always seems to have a personality of her own and steals the show. Not everyone has a wine named especially just for her. Some people are just born lucky!

and then there is the third one....always an angel!

We decided to move the dollhouse out of the living room because I can't stand looking at it collect all kinds of little toys and Meg loves to play in it and I am often in the kitchen or laundry room and can't see her out in the living room so now it is in the hallway where I can keep a close eye on what she is getting into, literally.

Meg was having a blast letting Mara push her around in the shopping cart, Weee goes Meggie! Meg is also saying Mammmaaaa all the time now, especially when she wakes up in the morning so I can come get her out of her crib. She is growing up so soon, just a few weeks away from being one year old, so hard to believe that an entire year has almost gone by so quickly.

Free...to do what I want to do....because I'm free!

Guess what tonight is....Family Bingo!

2011-10-14T12:30:00.000-07:00

and guess what my text message spat at me at 1pm today....

from Don: i have an ERCP Today and don't know what time yet....which means he isn't going to Family Bingo.

Hopefully, it will get done at a somewhat normal time and he can meet us there. If not, at least we know we have him with us for the weekend.
This week has flown by so fast and I can't even keep the days from running together. Meggie just turned 11 months and just got her top two teeth this week too.

At 11 months Meghan is trying to start to talk. She is babbling all the time and now I can understand that she is trying to say Mammmmmaaaa and Daddddaaaaa!
Favorite toy this month Strawberry Shortcake race car and Dollhouse(as long as she isn't stuck in it)
Favorite food this month: pancakes....she can't get them in quick enough.
Favorite snack: puffs and goldfish
Favorite fruit: bananas
Favorite time of day: bathtime, she loves to splash in the tub with Connor and Mara
Favorite person: Mommy
Favorite song: twinkle twinkle little star
Favorite book: any cookbook she can tear apart

Meghan's Stats

teeth: four, two on top, two on the bottom

weight: 20lbs

diaper size: 4

clothes size: 12-18 months

shoe size: 3

What Meggie can do:
stand in her crib when she is done her nap, try to stand and crawl at the same time, roll over and make it impossible to change her diaper, walk in the walker in the basement, stand at the ottoman and her leapfrog toy, say da,da, ma,ma, cry when the food isn't coming fast enough or when mommy walks away, takes two naps, loves the car, loves the stroller, plays more independently with toys, loves keys and phones. She also loves her sippy cup and loves it even more when she gets a hold of Mara's and a sip of applejuice. I caught her twice

who needs toys when you still love to play with tupperware and snack cups

This is Mara's usual passed out on the couch look on Wednesdays and Fridays. She has school on tuesdays and fridays so on the other days we put on a show and she conks out with in 5mins. Don't know why she won't sleep on the days she has school but for some reason on her off days she is more exhausted then ever and just goes right to sleep when she hits the couch for down time. Wednesday she fell asleep watching care bears.

Being a Doctor's wife

2011-10-10T07:29:00.000-07:00

Don't know if you notice, but Don is not in any pictures....because he is constantly working. This is the extreme downside to being a doctor's wife. It always seems that whenever we have parties to go to, family fun days, or anything family oriented he is on call or working. Hopefully it won't always be like this but unless he requests off we are doomed that he is on call the days that family fun days occur.

Being a Doctor's Wife

-by a doctor's wife

I’ve heard it said, “Glamorous is the life, being a doctor’s wife”. I actually used think that would be the case… (I also thought doctors made too much money HA!) My point is what is so glamorous about being a single mom? I have a husband, but the sick and dying keep him away from home more often than not. The week of Christmas he was there over 96 hours. I have always had respect for mothers that do it all by themselves. That respect now reaches deeper as I feel that I have an idea of what they go through. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t rely on Heavenly Father gently talking me through situations. For example, not leaving the kids home alone while I run to the grocery store to get some bread… keep in mind my babies are 20 months and 8 weeks. When the "doctor" is home, it’s not like he’s HOME! He has to sleep or catch up on some required reading or compose a presentation blah, blah, blah. And when he is here, he's not MINE… he is at the beckon call of our daughter who adores him and won’t share. I always knew that this time would be tough, and I would be tested, but my question is when does the glamour kick in? I know there are many of you who can relate. What can I do to not be resentful in this situation? I am so proud of him it hurts. And there is nothing else I would want him to do… but will I survive another day of two crying children, one of which is crying for daddy? -written by a dr.s wife

Life of a Doctor's wife!

“Top 10 things a doctor’s wife should know” and “How to be the perfect doctor’s wife”
Now, I’ve been a wife for just over a year. And my husband has been a doctor for just over six months. So I am in no way an expert on wifehood or marriage to a physician. But I’ve gleaned some idea of what it takes. I know what I wish I’d known, going into it. If you have your own thoughts – about what makes a marriage work, about life with a doctor – please leave them in the comments.
Here are the top 10 things I think you need in order to be happily married to a physician.
1. You will need to be supportive. A lot. Of things you may not necessarily agree with. Of all the endless hours your spouse spends at the hospital. Of the hours s/he spends playing Rock Band in order to unwind. Of the time s/he needs to be alone – even if it’s the only time you two have together. Of the years of training s/he’s put into this career. Of the hard decisions s/he needs to make. Of the frustration s/he feels for nurses/patients/patients’ families/other doctors.
2. You will need to be flexible. Dinner plans Thursday night? Doesn’t matter if your spouse isn’t on call that night. Doesn’t matter if s/he got out at 4:30 pm every single day for the past six months. This could be the night that your dinner plans are ruined by a last-minute admission or a super-complicated patient or an ill-timed page. Or, perhaps, by your darling spouse falling asleep on the couch five minutes after arriving home.
Want to make your summer vacation arrangements? Can’t do it until the hospital has made up its schedule. Which it will do on its own sweet time.
Need to do a thorough spring cleaning on Saturday? It’s possible that your spouse will be too tired. Or tied up at the hospital. Or stuck in the office doing dictations.
Take some yoga classes, my dear. Because you’ll have to be more flexible and “go with the flow” than you ever thought possible.
3. You will need to build up a defense against loneliness. How many times do I say this on this site? Being the wife of a physician is lonely. Defending against the solitude is 100% critical to surviving your spouse’s career. Get a hobby. Find some friends. Take up running. Go visit your college friends on the weekends. Enroll in a pottery class. Anything and everything to get you out of the house and help you depend a little less on your spouse.
4. You will need to be patient. Patient when your spouse is tied up at the hospital. Patient when an actual patient or a nurse or a fellow doc calls during dinner and Needs to Talk to Your Spouse This Second. Patient when you attend physician functions – and all they talk about is hospital policy and That Guy with the Weird Bumps on His Arse. Patient when your spouse keeps falling asleep in the middle of your conversation. Patient when you have to do the dishes – again – while your spouse catches up on dictations. Patient when you have launder and fold yet another load of scrubs.
5. You will need to develop an iron stomach. Patients and/or nurses WILL call during dinner. They WILL talk about urine/feces/vomit/pus/oozing sores. And your spouse WILL say horrible things like, “What color was the stool?” and “Does she still have blood in her vomit?” In front of you. While you are trying to eat.
Your spouse will probably get pooped/vomited/bled on. And you may have to launder the soiled clothing.
Those physician functions you attend? You will probably have to endure long conversations about the grossest thing that the doctors ever had to endure.
6. You will need to listen. When my husband had to first deal with the death of a patient, I could tell he was upset. He doesn’t get emotional about things very often. And he didn’t get emotional about this. But he kept talking about it. He kept talking about the patient’s family. About how he’d handled things. My heart broke for him. I tried to reassure him that he did everything right. That he was a comfort to the family. But once I said that, I just had to close my mouth and listen.
Sometimes he has frustrating experiences. With patients or other physicians. In these cases, I often want to “discuss” these things with him. Explain how I would have handled it… Or try to get him to see it from the other person’s perspective. But I try really hard to subdue this desire to “help” or to analyze or dissect. He just needs to talk, to get it out, to have me listen to him and (remember Rule #1?) support him.
7. You will have to be discreet. It’s against HIPAA regulations for your spouse to tell you identifying details about a patient. But your spouse will want to discuss patients with you – even if you only get the broad strokes. Plus, you may hear something via phone, or catch a glimpse of something in an e-mail or what have you that could identify the patient. So just keep your mouth shut. It’s a privilege that your spouse is sharing his/her work life with you. Don’t put his/her career and trust in jeopardy by repeating info.
[By the way - I do occasionally write about experiences my husband has had at work. But I always disguise whatever limited information I have about the patient or event. To protect the innocent.]
8. You will have to share your husband. I would love to think that I come first in my husband’s list of priorities. In an emergency, this will always be true. But at all other times, the job comes first. It makes sense, in some respects. He has worked his fingers to the bone to get into medical school, get through medical school, get into and through residency, get into and through fellowship, find a hospital or a private practice… He will have to spend the rest of his life researching and studying and learning… He’s got to love this career with every fiber of his being. And that love means that his career will come first, more often than not.
It’s okay, though. If he didn’t have this thing in his life, this passion, this intense interest in medicine that drives him and pushes him and lights his eyes… he wouldn’t be the man I fell in love with, the man I love more every day.
So you must know that you will have to share him. With patients. With other doctors. With nurses. With the hospital itself. With dictations and noisy pagers and crazy call schedules.
9. You cannot be “perfect.” That’s an impossible standard to reach. Sometimes you will get angry. Sometimes you will cry. Sometimes you will be unbearably lonely.
Sometimes people will look at you and judge you. Sometimes you will look at yourself and feel like a failure. Sometimes you will think you are making too a big deal out of this whole “marriage to a doctor” thing. Sometimes you will wonder if it’s worth it.
But sometimes your heart will swell up with this intense pride for your spouse. For the hard work s/he puts in. For the long hours. For his/her seemingly tireless devotion. For the commendations from his/her colleagues and superiors. For the kind words from his/her patients. Sometimes you will find yourself looking not at the person you thought you married, but at a person who is ten times as kind, generous, brilliant, and hardworking as you could ever imagine. Sometimes you will look in the mirror and realize that you are not only the luckiest wife in the world, but you are a good wife, too.

10. You will have to love your spouse. Harder and more powerfully and with more effort than ever before.
Marriage – maybe to anyone, not just a physician – seems like walking through a winter storm. Sometimes, the wind picks up and all you know is cold and pain. Sometimes the snow falls faster, and you can’t see your hand in front of your face let alone the path before you. Other times, the wind calms, and you can sit back and appreciate the pristine beauty of the snow.

Our Family Fun Night

We did plan a family fun night on friday and watched a movie together. The kids picked Gnomeo and Juliet and absoutely loved it. I made popcorn and we all watched the movie together, something we haven't done since we watched UP about two years ago.

This week we are planning to go to Family Bingo at Connor's school and it should be a pretty good time. Hopefully Meggie will last for it or one of us will probably be leaving early to take her home.

Fun times at Hillcreek Farms

2011-10-10T06:53:00.000-07:00

Face Painting was of course a must do event at the farm. It was pushing 80 degrees so I told the kids they could only get a small thing painted either on their face or hand because I didn't want them sweaty and itchy. Connor wanted a pumpkin jack o lantern and Mara got a butterfly on her hand. After the face Painting we went on the pony ride and then Jess watched Megs so I could take them on the tractor ride. Don had to work all weekend so he didn't get to enjoy the festivities. Boo hoo for him.

We were at an apple farm but it was too crazy to actually pick apples so I told them we would try to go back another day. There was no way I could push a wagon, pick apples, push the stroller and take the hike through the apple fields alone.

Mara and Connor were both troopers and didn't complain as long as I said they could have water ice before we left.

Enjoying our water ice in the back of the van before our ride home. Lovely blue stained lips are always fun to look at.

another fall, another trip to Platts!

2011-10-09T05:19:00.000-07:00

Every year in September or early October we make a trip to Platt's to get our Mums and Mommy brings her camera to capture great pictures with all the beautiful mums. This year we got our pumpkins there too. It is totally worth the 10 minute drive because you can't beat the prices and the people are so nice there. The kids love to talk to the parrots and wait for them to talk back and most of all they love the wagon rides. We left with 11 mums and two pumpkins.

Mara had to bring her umbrella because she thought it was too sunny and kept complaining that she couldn't see, but guess who got stuck holding it the whole time....MEEEEEEE!

Another fun adventure for Meggie. She is always so happy no matter where she is and she just goes with the flow. I would have let here ride in the wagon but she had a couple falls already so I think it is best to keep her strapped in for now. She fell over in the stroller because I think Mara was rocking it too hard, wasn't really watching, but saw her tipping and then I put her in the camping chair at soccer and she fell off it. She just looked up and never cried. Guess she is used to all the bumps in the road and being left to fen for herself most of the time. She got stuck in the dollhouse last night and all we could do was laugh but she wasn't too happy about that.

Taking our favorite ride on the wagon to pick our mums, until the cart gets over taken by flowers and we get kicked off by Daddy. This year the mums were extra big and totally fantastic that we got a ton of them. Since Don hung the hooks outback for our hanging plants this summer we got 5 hanging mums and they look gorgeous out there. Connor and Mara can't wait to carve the pumpkins and Mommy is hoping that the deer don't get to them first.

We have been going to Platts for about 6 years now , but this is the first year that I can remember the waterfall and decorations. The kids really enjoyed something a little different. They love to pop their heads in to the holes and pretend they are the figures.

Mara was cracking up because we said hello to the birds and they said, "hello,pretty girl". She really loves to talk to them but sometimes they get really loud and they scare her with their screams. We have only heard them say hello, pretty girl, pretty bird, and replicate a telephone ringing, oh and screech really loud. But it is worth the laugh and they are really pretty to look at.

What to do when you have had enough of your kids taking over your bed!

2011-10-06T10:44:00.000-07:00

I don't know where,when, and how we got our selves into such a nightmare of a mess with bedtime and I can remember saying, "my kid is never going to sleep in my bed" Of course,once we got Connor out, I said never again, and then it happened and Mara was in our bed. Now we are going through night time madness and it is totally out of control. Don and I are tired, which in turn puts stress on us and the kids are waking up not fully rested. The only one that isn't bothered by all the night time madness is Meghan, thank goodness. I don't know what to do and I am at the end all of waking up miserable from lack of sleep and sleepless kids. HELP!

I researched kids that don't sleep in their own beds and here is what I found, the only problem is that this is so much easier said than done. I am ready to lock my door, but then I am afraid to see what they will do and I don't want them to hate me or be really terrified.

The steps you need to take to get your kids in their own beds!

Bedtime routine
First things first: Is today a good day to start? If you're in the midst of potty training, are going on vacation, or are expecting a new baby, wait until things settle down. Yes, you'll have to put up with your little bed partner longer, but the sleep training will go much faster if you wait until your routine is more regular.
Once you've decided to take the plunge, start talking about your new bedtime expectations in the afternoon -- that way, she'll know what to expect at lights-out. Try saying something like "Mommies and daddies sleep in their beds, and kids sleep in their own beds," says Spivack.
She also suggests making a homemade "sleepytime book" -- nothing fancy, just stapled-together paper illustrated with stick-figure pictures that your child can color. If your family recently moved, for instance, and your daughter started sleeping in your bed while she got used to the new house, your story would focus on that and end with how she finally started sleeping happily in her very own bed. A picture book can help young children understand their new sleeping situation in a very concrete way.
Do your usual bedtime routine (here's help if you don't have one!), then get ready for the boot-camp -- tough part...

After Lights-Out
Okay, reality check: This is where moms who couldn't stand the cry-it-out method when their kids were babies may turn back and say "Forget it." Hey, kids will eventually sleep alone (show me a teenager who wants to be in bed with Mom and Dad and I'll show you a reality show waiting to happen). But if you'd rather yours go solo more like this month than this century, you can do it -- you just need to brace yourself.
In general, both sleep consultants and parents who've been there say that once you decide to start this sleep training, bed sharing needs to end entirely. No "Well, just for five minutes" or "Maybe tonight because she had a long day." That means midnight visitors get walked back to their rooms, tucked in, kissed, and left behind. No extra snuggles, no drinks of water, as many times as it takes. There will be screams and sobs, and kids so resistant you'll have to carry them, wriggling and accusing all the way, to their beds. Which they will jump out of in a split second. You will start to wonder if you will ever sleep again. You will; just maybe not tonight. Keep this up until the new rules sink in.
If your child has been starting out in your bed and sleeping there all night, every night, your job is even less fun (sorry). Take a comforter into your child's room and sleep on the floor -- not in her bed -- all night long (double sorry). Even though a slumber party in your child's room is probably not your idea of a good time, it's a smart move in the long run. "If you're in her room when she falls asleep and then not there when she wakes a couple of hours later, she will call out or come looking for you," says Jennifer Waldburger, L.C.S.W., cocreator with Spivack of The Sleepeasy Solution. "Sleeping in her room all night pushes the reset button, so to speak, on whatever anxiety your child is having about being there alone. She can wake up and see Mom or Dad each time, then just go back to sleep."
After two or three nights, switch to sitting quietly in a nearby chair until your child falls asleep. But no talking! You want to bore your child to sleep. If she kicks up a fuss, temporarily leave the room. She'll settle down if she knows the reward is that you'll rejoin her.
Each night, move yourself farther from your child's bed -- to the door, to the hallway, and eventually back to your own bedroom. "If your child follows you, you want to calmly, unemotionally, walk her back to bed every time she gets up," says Waldburger.
A secure door gate -- or just the idea of it -- can also work wonders for certain kids. When she was 3 years old, Monica and Ron Calderon's daughter, Marquesa, started waking up around 4 a.m. and sneaking into bed with her parents. After a few nights of crowded quarters, the Tigard, OR, couple reminded little Marquesa of "the gate," the one she knew from when she was a "baby" (a few months back). Marquesa hated being corralled, so that gentle threat was more than enough to coax her back to her own bed.

The Next Morning
How'd your kid do? If not so great, keep encouraging him and reminding him of the new rules. If he made it through the night -- or even made some improvements -- bring on the praise. He's a big kid! He can do it! Toddlers and preschoolers, thank goodness, thrive on pleasing you.
Prizes are also generally welcomed by little kids. You could let your child pick a small "sleep treat" from a grab bag in the morning or leave one under his pillow. I admit it: I lured my younger daughter, Flora, back to her bed with prizes. Borrowing an idea from Janie Peterson, author of The Sleep Fairy, I told Flora that the Sleep Fairy (sort of like the Tooth Fairy) leaves stickers, small toys, and other goodies under sleeping children's pillows. It worked like a dream. Within a week, she was in the habit of staying in bed, and the prizes weren't even a big issue.
It may take more than one tactic to entice your child into his bed. But whatever you do, be consistent and have faith! Colleen and Rob, the parents of bed-hog Jenna, stuck it out and report that now their problem is getting her up in the morning. Well, at least everyone's getting some rest

SERIOUSLY,IF IT WERE ONLY THIS EASY!

Meghan's Swing Video

2011-10-06T10:03:00.000-07:00

We were at a playdate with Mara at her friend Jessie's and it was one beautiful afternoon. The kids were so excited that it wasn't raining and cloudy so we took full advantage of the sunshine. Mara and Jessie were riding all around on the jeep and Meg had her first wagon ride and loved it. We think Santa might have to invest in a jeep for the kids to ride on the driveway. Then we went out back on the swing set and Meghan had a blast on the swing. Just giggling the entire time. Did I ever mention that on my birthday I got a package in the mail and I had no clue who it was from, but when I opened it, it was a flip video camera. Whoohoo. I called the phone number on the package and they said I put in for a sweepstakes at the union soccer game and won. So glad I entered that drawing. I never win anything and was so excited. Now I keep it in my purse and have it to capture all these moments.

My birthday Celebration, Apple Picking with the girls and the art of applesauce

2011-09-24T12:06:00.000-07:00

On Thursday I celebrated yet another great year of life and it was a very relaxing day "all about me". Don't we all wish you were treated the way you are treated when it is your birthday. Everyday should be our birthdays. The kids actually listenend to me and I got my way all day long.

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!

It's my birthday it's my birthday it has finally come,
presents and cakes oh how much fun,
I've been waiting for this time all year,
it makes me smile and not shed one tear,
that's all I have to say,
Like I said before it's my birthday it's my birthday hip hip hooray!

My Presents

Don and I got into a little tiff on the way into the city last weekend and of course it was about directions and where to turn. The GPS is four years old and I never updated the maps and it always says "recaculating" or tells me to turn after I already passed the street. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has this happen to but I can tell you it is super frustrating and even more frustrating with a back seat driver, aka, Don. So needless to say two streets before we arrive at the wedding that we are already late to I was super frustrated and basically told Don if he didn't like how I was driving then he could just get out and walk. He probably would have got there faster anyway....parking was a disaster and the streets were swarmed with cars and people. NO one warned us that we should have left almost 2 hours early to get somewhere that is literally 35 minutes away. So, assumming that Don already bought my present before this episode, because we all know how prompt he likes to be, I got a great present of a new GPS with LIFETIME MAPS! WOOHOO HONEY, THANK YOU! NOW LETS JUST HOPE I CAN FOLLOW DIRECTIONS.

This was a present from the kids that I actually bought for myself. It is a Posh Mommy necklace because I do feel that they think I am the bestest and most "POSH MOMMY" around. I know this isn't the best picture of it but it has all three names engraved with their birthstones on it.

Then Don says, "this isn't really for your birthday, but for us" a gift to take our family pictures. Which I love and have always wanted. Now since I have the new photo shop from picnik I can edit my own pictures and hopefully we can get a great family picture in the backyard this fall. I was really happy with my birthday this year and Don did a wonderful job picking out my presents and my delicious cake(Well it was Mara's idea, she said she wanted a chocolate cake)

Apple Picking at Moods Farm with the Girlies

I asked the workers at the farm market what apples are best for making applesauce and he said that out of what was able to be picked probably the "Cortland" apples, so here we have it a ton of Cortland apples and 12 jars of scrumptious applesauce. Now all I need is an immersion blender because it is super delicious but Connor and Mara think it is still too chunky. On the other hand, Me and Meggie think it is just Perfect.

The art of making Applesauce

Steps

1. Wash, Peel and Core apples.

2. Slice apples into quarters.

3. Place in a saucepan and barely cover with water.

4. Cook until soft.

5. Crush apples with a potato masher or blender

6. Taste and add sugar to liking if needed.

7. Funnel applesauce into jars.

8. Place jars into canning pot and boil for 10 minutes.

9. Let cool on a dish towel and good for 1 year on shelf.

Just another one of my favorite things about the fall!

Our weekend visit with Don's family

2011-09-22T07:22:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Don's cousin got married so everyone came in for the wedding and it was great to catch up with everyone. Don's mom just celebrated her 69th birthday so we had a nice celebration for her on Friday night and the kids made her a poster card on the wall and Don made a delicious cake for his Mommy. Connor didn't like that there were no presents to open but I took his Mom for a pedicure in town for her birthday and she really enjoyed it. Sometimes the best presents are the ones you can't open! I'm sure she loved being around her grandkids the most.

Mara was having fun singing and dancing to the Happy Birthday song. She loves to celebrate birthdays. She is already asking me if she can help me blow out my candles for my celebration later today and has a list for what she wants for her special day.

Blowing out the candles is for everyone!

Happy Birthday Gramma!We are so glad we got to share your Birthday with you this year!

Meghan's Birthday present to Gramma was that she stood up for the first time. Meggie likes to do some of her "firsts" when Gramma is around. Yay, Meggie!

Aric's Wedding

"Peek a Boo" we snuck our heads in, ha, ha.

The Ferrell and McMahon Cousins...mmmm where is Alec during all of this! and Joan should have been in the front, sorry I tried to duck.

The women that keep the family "connected" If it weren't for the girls we would probably never get together.

Now, we don't know if the guys were excited to be at a wedding during a Sunday night Eagles game and fantasy football, but thank goodness for cell phones and Internet. They didn't miss a beat.

Must of been really funny. It's always a lot of laughs when the brothers get together or a lot of making fun of I should say.

"so how many points do you have yet, are you in the lead, did Vick get a touchdown?"

Here they are making fun of their cousin Scott who still has an old fashioned flip phone and no Internet, kinda like me, but Don tells me I am getting an iPhone for my birthday. We will see it will probably be a late gift when the new one comes out and I will get his old phone just like always because he is like a kid in a candy store when it comes to phones and now that he has Diabetes and can't literally eat candy anymore he has to get his high off of spending the money on technology.

The girls having some laughs and fun at the wedding.....I was trying to get Joan not to fall asleep at the table. It was like two hours past her bed time.

We all had a great time celebrating the love of this wonderful couple. Congratulations to Aric and Jerrie on their marriage. We hope you both have a wonderful journey together and wish you lots of love always.

As Mara calls it, "I'm a big girl now, right mom"

2011-09-15T18:32:00.000-07:00

Samara looks so grown up and had a great first day of school today. She did manage to get a splinter and a bandaid on her first day because she fell into a wooden basket that I am now informed is no longer in the classroom. She had a great time playing with Makayla and Gabriella as she told me and going down the slide was fun too. I asked her if the helped her with her first project and glueing the pieces down and she said "no, I did it myself and then starting laughing." She is my little sneak, of course she needed help, but she wants me to believe that she can do everything by herself now. Please don't try to grow up too fast, those little brown eyes need to stay close to me for a while longer because I'm just not ready to totally let go of you and let you be the preschooler that you want to be, not just yet.

Connor is so loving and caring. He just loves his little sister so much and was very excited for her to start her first day of school today. He is getting so much like a little man. The first thing he said to me when he got off the bus today is "mommy, so how was Mara's first day at school and of course my reply to him was, "Connor, she is right here just ask her?" so he did and she was so happy to tell him all that she did and the friends that she met. He did let her know that Kindergarten is so much better than preschool because you get to stay there all day, you can ride the bus and get lunch too. "Mara, you will love it!"

There she goes, not even needing her mommy's hand, just taking a stroll right in to the big school.

of course, she had to put a little lip gloss on before we got there, such a pretty girl...

I informed Samara today that she was not to lose her headband because if I came to pick her up and it was gone I would be very upset and the first thing the teachers said to me was, " Mara has been holding on to this all day and won't let us put it in her cubby or school bag, she said she can't lose it" Too funny that she listens to me when I'm not around but If I asked her to do it at home it would have been put somewhere to never be found again. She still amazes me everyday.

Goodbye kisses and good luck to his little baby girl. Such a sweet picture, I just love it.

Don was so proud of her today.

Mara has the ferriswheel cubby and she told me that she is going to have the ferriswheel all year.

Pop Pop came to watch Mara go off to Preschool, such a bitter sweet moment for him. We all know that she is his favorite, the little girl that he never had and he just adores her to pieces.

See you later everyone, It's time for me to have some real fun here at preschool.

Congrats Samara on having such a fun day and being such a wonderful, sweet, adorable and charming little girl(Today) who brings so much laughter to our lives.

It's all about Samara this week

2011-09-14T11:38:00.000-07:00

Mara's new awesome hair cut

Mara's new booster seat

Samara's first day of dance:

and tomorrow she will be a preschooler:(

"Do everything"

2011-09-12T06:05:00.000-07:00

One of my friends sent me this video/song today and it really made me think that I "do everything". I am so blessed to have people like her in my life to pray for me and my family and who think about me when they hear a certain song or see a certain something. I wanted to put this on my blog because I think it relates to a lot of people I know and I love his music. Little did she know that I love his music and listen to his albums everytime I run. It is so moving and very inspiring.

"Do Everything"

Off to Kindergarten:(

2011-09-08T05:42:00.000-07:00

He's off, and running!

So they say the day your baby is born to capture every moment because in a blink they will be so grown up and it's true as today we sent our little one to his first day of Kindergarten. I can't believe that five years has gone by so fast and now he is a school boy.

The first day of Kindergarten and it was raining, so umbrellas were in order and Connor didn't want to take his umbrella with him so hopefully it won't be pooring when the bus pulls into the school.

Connor didn't even want to stop for pictures, Here comes the bus Mommy and Daddy, please don't cry, I'm going to have so much fun at school.

All the kindergarten kids have to sit in the front row so the bus driver can keep an eye on the little guys.

now the girls are home alone, at least until next week when Mara goes to her first day of preschool.

All I Really Need To Know

About How To Live and What To Do And How To Be, I learned in Kindergarten.

by Robert Fulghum

These are the things I learned:

Share everything.

Play fair.

Don't hit people.

Put things back where you found them.

Clean up your own mess.

Don't take things that aren't yours.

Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.

Wash your hands before you eat.

Flush.

Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.

Live a balanced life--learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and

dance and play and work every day some.

Take a nap every afternoon.

When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and

stick together.

Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: The roots go

down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or

why, but we are all like that.

Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the

styrofoam cup; they all die. So do we.

And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you

learned; the biggest word of all-- LOOK.

Everything you need to know is there somewhere. The Golden Rule and

love and basic sanitation, ecology, and politics and the sane living.

Think of what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world, had

cookies and milk about 3 o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankets

for a nap.

Or we had a basic policy in our nation and other

nations to always put things back where we found them and clean up our own messes.

And it is still true; no matter how old you are, when you go

out in the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.

--- Robert Fulghum

The First Day
I gave you a little wink and smile
As you entered my room today.
For I know how hard it is to leave
And know your child must stay.
You've been with him for five years now
And have been a loving guide,
But now, alas, the time has come
To leave him at my side.
Just know that as you drive away
And tears down your cheeks may flow
I'll love him as I would my own
And help him learn and grow.
For as a parent, I too know
How quickly the years do pass
And that one day soon it will be my turn
To take my child to class.
So please put your mind at ease
And cry those tears no more
For I will love him and take him in
When you leave him at my door

-taken from the "letter to Theo"
The hardest part of releasing you to elementary school — or any new experience — is realizing that I must give you up to the less-than-perfect world that awaits you.
While the world has been and always will be imperfect, I too have been an imperfect parent. But I was always willing to learn, to say I was sorry, to try harder the next time. And now I’m willing to release you, with the knowledge that school, like parenting, will be rewarding and frustrating and I cannot change that. Despite all those fortunes of your early life, you will have sad days and lonely days and days when you just don’t want to go, when your teacher doesn’t notice you or your best friend won’t play with you or another kid is mean to you.
If there are a few thoughts that carry you through, let them be this: While your dad and I have to let you go, no matter what you think or do or become we will always be there for you and listen. Dive off that cliff occasionally (check the rope first). And know that in our imperfect world, with all my imperfect ways, I have been given you and your sister, the two most perfect gifts one could hope for.

. . . and Connor Daddy and I have been given you, Samara and Meghan, the three most precious gifts we could ever ask for and we too want only the best of everything for you all, and we will always be here for you. We hope you have a wonderful year of learning, jumping through hoops and experiencing all that the imperfect world has to offer.
love,
mommy and daddy

What the kids are up to as summer comes to an end.

2011-09-05T12:49:00.000-07:00

Mara loves to dance all day anytime she hears music, we could be in the dentist office, at the store or just hanging out in the living room. She is a dancing machine and her favorite channel on tv is the kidz bob dance channel.

Mara also is still having fun playing dress up, wearing high heels, doing hair, putting on make up, building tents, and sleeping in Mommy and Daddy's bed.

Mommy braided Mara's hair for the first time. Every day Mara looks in the mirror and asks me, "is my hair long like yours yet, Mommy"

She also loves to dress like Meggie and play with her all day long...such a great big sister!

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL. . .

BECAUSE CONNOR AND MEGGIE ARE!

Look, Meghan has her first mohwak...she is so excited that football is on and she can chew on Connor's ball.

The kids are showing off the stump that is remaining from our tree that got cut down. The tree man came and ground it down and mulched up the roots this weekend, so we are ready for some topsoil and grass seed....and maybe a new swing set next year.

Meghan is starting to model for us. She is a little gerber baby and we can't get enough of her kisses.

Connor's New Room: Flyer's Orange

2011-09-05T12:17:00.000-07:00

We spent our Labor Day Weekend prepping and painting Connor's room. It's been exactly one year since we moved here and his room was the only one not completely finished so we finally got it ready and it looks awesome.

Connor is so excited to sleep in his room tonight, now all we need are new curtains. He wants to thanks his Daddy and give big giant hugs for having the greatest Flyers Hockey "Bobby Clarke" room that any little boy could ever want. (now lets just hope he stays in it)

Daddy got his hockey stick from Pop-Pops and hung it on the wall and he put another picture above it. It's the mini Eric Lindros shrine. His favorite player when he was a kid. I am going to hunt at yard sales for old hockey sticks to use as the curtain rods so if you stumble upon any please pick them up and I will pay you for them...Can't wait to finish it off.

You just might go apples over this cutie too!

2011-08-28T18:53:00.000-07:00

because we do...

THE WORLD'S NEXT MARTHA STEWART ONLY A LITTLE MEGGIER!

mmm....delish!

calm before the storm

2011-08-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

seriously since we totally got lucky with this storm we wanted to have some pre-storm damage down on the ground just in case. The tree guy stopped by tonight to get some of the branches and organize them to be put in the shredder tomorrow. Can't wait to see what the yard looks like after the branch clean up.

I was worried about our trees so I contacted the closest tree service to our house last week and had him come out to take a look and we decided that we were going to take the tree closest to the house down since it keeps losing branches and takes up a good portion of the only spot of grass we have in the backyard and he said sure no problem I will take the tree down, clean the branches out of the woods and take the hanging branches along the driveway and clean up the stump and grind roots for a great price of $350.00. Considering that my last estimate was $650 for just the tree I booked him and then he called on Friday to make sure all was a go for next week and I mentioned being a little nervous about the hurricane and he said its not going anywhere but I can take it down for you tonight.....WHAT... TONIGHT! So he came by and it's down. Clean up will be next week which is fine because I'm sure there will be a ton of more branches down in the woods anyway.
Of course when Bill came to take the tree down he didn't know he would have a cheering section during the take down. The kids thought it was the coolest thing they have ever seen.

T I M B E R!