CLAIRE'S NEW HAIR

Okay, here is my baby girl with a new hair style. Some of you haven't had the chance to see it yet. Yes, she looks like she is 10 years old and she acts like she is 15 years old. It is truly amazing how fast these kids seem to be growing right now! Every week it seems like another piece of clothing is too small, or a new pair of shoes are a must.
As you can see, Claire thought it important to include a shot of the back of her head, to (Just so no one is confused as to how long her hair is now)!!

WELCOME TO OUR HOME, SPIKE!

What a cute little turtle, right? So everyone knows, Spike is Brian and Erica's (brother-in-law and sister-in-law) lone pet that is being left behind as they journey to Japan for an undetermined length of time. Poor Spike...I am sure she misses her real mom already! I think I am the hovering step mother that she is tired of seeing and the kids are like her annoying step siblings that always want to play a game she doesn't like!!
No, really, she is doing very well...today. Let me explain.
Day 1 without Mama Erica and Papa Brian must have been a bit traumatic. Her little eyes were swollen, probably from our not-as-good-quality-of-water, like she used to have in NYC. We put drops in them and she seems fine. She then tried to escape the tub, BUT hovering step-mom was there to catch her!! So I rearranged her rocks, which apparently I did not do right, because she continually knocked them over. I did, however, find a suitable arrangement and she has since let them be. whew!
Day 2 without Mama E and Papa B was probably even more traumatic. She seemed so lethargic in the morning, and of course the hovering step-siblings were extremely concerned. Oh, I reassured them that everything was fine...."she's just getting used to everything, " I said. Well, the kiddos went to school and I started noticing how tired she seemed. So, I watch her hiding in her little cave that is under water. Her eyes seemed okay, but she really hadn't eaten anything. I figured she wants something special to eat...I'll teach her to depend on food when she is stressed out. You know, just like the rest of us. So, I put some romaine in her tank and feel the water and....HOLY COLD!!! This poor turtle wasn't tired, she was freezing! (not literally, don't worry). I look to see if the heater is plugged in and it was, but I find a crack in the glass casing around the heating coils. It must have shorted out. ANYWAY, I am just thankful that Spike wasn't electrocuted on Day 2. If that would have happened we surely would never be trusted with any of Erica and Brian's other offspring EVER!!

So, Day 3 has begun, and Spike is swimming and playing as a normal turle should be, in a tank warm and cozy. She, of course, has a new heater that I am hoping makes things better between us. Food brides haven't worked, but maybe I could buy her love.
Thank you Brian and Erica for adding this little bundle of joy to our family! We love her.






And this...well....this is Ayden's fashionable combination of "get-up" from Aunt E. Claire, of course, was the histerically laughing photographer. He looks like a...well, you know what he looks like. I have to admit, he is a funny guy!

SNOW

Sunday, it finally snowed!! Okay, it was only 1 or 2 inches, but it was pretty and fun to play in and that makes ALL the difference. Friends of ours, the Ethridges, invited us to play on the ice at a pond by there house. It was alot of fun, and Claire was able to try "iceskating". Ayden and his pal, Dalton looked more like penquins belly flopping and sliding on the ice. It was pretty impressive!

Dalton is in Ayden's class. We have had a chance to get to know the family through their friendship. They are alot of fun!











In all honesty, the kids played in the surrounding woods more than they played on the ice. I don't have any complaints, but I think the Daddy's shoveled snow for their own enjoyment!!

So this was our one day of playing in "real" winter weather!! Yay!......
I think I'm ready for Spring, anyway!!!

Back to the Basics!

Well Christmas has come and gone, New Years was lots of fun, and now we are all thankful for some normalcy. Ayden is especially happy when we can get back to our routine! He's so funny that way.
So for those of you who do not know, our holidays were great! It was such a fun year. The kids were very gracious about all of their gifts and were equally as excited about giving as they were getting! Of course Santa brought new bikes! It was very fun. The elves were very sneaky this year and had "stolen" Ayden's old bike and gave it a PINK paint job! Claire was ecstatic, and thought it was AMAZING that the elves were able to be so tricky, as well as thoughtful of REDUCE ~REUSE~RECYCLE! Santa also used newspaper this year to wrap presents which was also important to the kiddos.
Now that I've told you all about Christmas you are probably wondering, "Where are all the pictures?". Well, Claire received her very own camera for Christmas, which is now LOADED with pictures, however Mommy still hasn't worked with it enough to get our computer to recognize her camera. SO, there will be more pictures in the very near future! In the meantime, enjoy these pix from the school website. They are both totally into school this year and love learning, which I think is a huge blessing! I am so happy with their enthusiasm to learn and their teachers' eagerness to make it fun!
Above are CLaire and her friend Cole reading books in the class library.
Our school has spirit days....this happens to be Blue and White day to show your spirit for the E-town Bears!
Ayden is enjoying science class. They just ended their unit on Matter. What floats and what sinks, and why?
The last spirit day was dress as your favorite book character day. Ayden loves listening to the Harry Potter books, but decided he looks a lot like Draco Malfoy (Harry's nemesis). He really does look like him, and had a great time dressing up and practicing his british accentl "I'll get you, 'Arry Potta!"





Here is the "real" Draco Malfoy....I am sure you can see the resemblance!!

ANOTHER WEDDING!

Well, as you can see, we have been VERY busy this month. Not only have we been trying to prepare for the holidays, but we also were involved in a BIG wedding event. It was so much fun. The kids had their bout of nerves Saturday afternoon, but by the time the wedding came around that evening, they were calm, cool, and collected! And I must say, Stewie and Elizbeth held it together too! They had a very nice wedding and reception and, of course, we wish them all the happiness in the world.
Before the wedding began we had time to kill, so leave to the wonderful Aunt Erica to entertain...thank goodness there were games to play in the basement of the church!
Let me introduce you to Mr. Cool. It was such a relief to have Ayden be happy for the ceremony. He really took the job of ring barer seriously and had some nervous tears throughout the afternoon. I was so proud of him for being able to relax and enjoy this experience! How cute is he?
Claire, of course, was ready for the job of flower girl. She did a great job and looked amazing! She always seems to be smiling. She did, however, have and emotional break down later that night at the reception....anything past 9:30pm is kind of pushing the limits of a five year old!

Unfortunately, my camera is starting to die...I really don't have any other "good" pictures, and is a shame, because everyone looked SO fabulous! Some proofs are already on line at blog.hofferphotography.com. They shot some outstanding pictures. I can't wait to see more of them in another week or two.

Although this picture is a few weeks old, I still thought I would share it. Let me take moment to explain how grateful I am that I have two kids who love each other SO much. They might not realize that what they have is sibling affection, but they have playing together so well lately! Maybe it is the whole "Santa-factor", but I will take what I can get. Ayden and Claire have truly started to recognize that they are friends. Sometimes, even best friends....what else could a mother ever want?
Claire has been taking pictures of everything lately...Our tree, our decorations, these snowmen, her artwork...the list goes on and on! If she can't find my camera, she is taking pictures with my cell phone. She hasn't asked for it, but I think Santa may have a good gift for her for Christmas!
Ayden has been playing basketball the last couple of weekends. He LOVES it. His good friend, Ryan, is also playing, which makes the game even more fun. So far they have not had any games, but have done a lot of practicing and drills. Next weekend the boys will be divided into teams and will have real games! How exciting! Claire, Jason and I will be the cheering him on...at 8am!! So much for sleeping in on the weekends!

PREPARING FOR WINTER

This is my wonderfully ambitious daughter cleaning all of the windows in the first floor of our house! She is such a great helper! At least I think she was helping me, or she may have been in a dramatic moment of pretend, playing Cinderella. hmmmm ...what would that make me?

As Winter approaches, I have already noticed a change in our daily activities. You know.... replacing all of our healthy and active routines, with ones more conducive to staying inside, like making cookies! Okay, okay.....I am exaggerating a little bit! We cannot make cookies too often or Jason would be sick from over indulgence!
Of course we still play outside, when it is sunny and warm enough, but it just isn't the same as warm evenings of playing basketball and riding our bikes with our neighborhood friends. The kids have found plenty of ways to entertain themselves now that it is dark and cold after school. Let's hope they continue with their creative streak!


Ayden has become VERY serious about drawing. He is always in deep concentration while illustrating his masterpieces. This picture is a rendition of "KUNG FU Panda". As a side note, the movie is really funny...we all laughed out loud during a number of parts. Jack Black is pretty hilarious.











Let me introduce you to Chez Claire. Claire has decided that she lives behind the couch! She colors, obsessively in her little "cave" and hangs her works of art in her space. It has now spewed forth onto the walls of my house! We actually think Barbie and Princeses fit in nicely with the rest of our decor.

IT HAS BEEN TOO LONG!!

Okay...I know a blog is supposed to keep everyone updated on our lives, but......well, life happens at a rapid pace, so I haven't been able to keep up!
Now that winter is around the corner I should be able to do a better job of it! SO, let me just pick up with Halloween pictures. ENJOY!
Obviously we went with a Star Wars Theme....Ayden is Luke, Claire is Leia, I am an ewok, and Jason is the tall scary guy!! The little ninja and the big football player are my nephews. We had a GREAT time trick-or-treating around our neighborhood!

Ayden, was most concerned with his "cool factor". He was, indeed, the coolest Luke I have ever seen! He has great jedi potential!







Claire was quick to point out that Leia does, in fact, have VERY red lips, so it was important to have the necessary make-up at hand!






It is VERY serious work being Luke and Leia. After all, they do have the job of saving the entire universe! This is all very heavy stuff for a 5 and 7 year old!

OUR CHAMPION

Our all-too-serious athlete strategizes with his friend Ryan on how to win the "BIG RACE". Our rec commission sponsors a Fun Run for Elementary students. Ayden, and many of his buddies, entered to run a 1/2 mile run. To Ayden's great surprise he came in SECOND PLACE!! We knew he had it in him, but I think he was pleasantly surprised with himself. He is SO proud! We are so proud of him and even more excited that he has gained a new confidence in himself. He is starting to realize that sports are fun and it doesn't have to be stressful!!
The first five runners have been invited to participate in the Lancaster County Junior Cross Country Race on October 5th. They will only have to run a 1/4 of a mile at this race, so they are planning to be "super-fast" this time!! It should be a great time...The top 4 kids are all from Mrs. Stagliano's (his teacher) 1st grade class, so Ayden will be able to run with his friends again, which makes all the difference!

OUR LITTLE ACTIVIST

As many of of you know, Claire has become quite the activist this past week. She has made it her mission to save the polar bears. Everyday after school she draws more pictures and even developed two "books" about polar bears in case she receives more orders (which she has and will continue to bring in).

On her first day, she made $16.00 towards her "Save the Polar Bear Seas" fund. She is thrilled! She is still waiting to hear from the President and his helpers, but I received word that Senator Casey is "reviewing" her concern and will be in touch soon? That would REALLY make her day!

Thank-you to all who are taking her cause seriously. Needless to say, her tree-hugging parents are VERY proud!

FAMILY PICTURES

I thought I would share a few of our family pictures....these really are not the best ones, but they are the only ones that were not rotated (standing up on end). I haven't figured out how to rotate them or IF you can rotate them on the blog. ANYWAY, we had so much fun getting our pictures taken. The kids actually love it and are two of the biggest ham-bones I have ever seen! The rest of the pictures can be seen on the sears website, but you have to have a password, etc. SO you will have to wait to see them!
I love how much they crack each other up!! They are so funny together!

BRIAN AND ERICA'S WEDDING DAY!!

We all had a great time on Brian and Erica's "big day". It was so much fun...the weather was perfect, the beach house was incredible and the wedding was very touching.....It's not everyday we'll see those two professing their love for each other, so it was an exceptionally special occasion. We all know, of course, how unique a couple they are, but it was really fun to celebrate it with them and their friends! The kids loved it, and participated whole-heartedly from playing at the beach with friends, to cleaning and setting up , to dancing at the reception.


Claire loved every moment of the wedding. She watched Erica get her hair and makeup done, and took in every step of the day. She, of course, was a work horse, too, making sure the dance floor was clean, and that everyone was dressed and ready in time for the big event!















Ayden, on the other hand spent a lot of time watching the waves, trying to figure out how he can improve his game on the skim board! He loves being at the beach, and loves trying to fit "that image." He caught on to the skim board, but not without a couple
spills along the way...I think he liked that part of it anyway! He definitely likes to figure it out for himself, which is a good thing....
Let's just say he looked a little more natural on the board than his
daddy did!