Liz's Biz

Leah's Locks of Love

2011-09-25T21:34:00.003-04:00

I'm gushing with pride. Leah has been bagging me for months to cut her hair short. At the beginning of the summer I convinced her if she waited until school started up her hair would be long enough to donate. At one point the daily struggle of brushing and dealing with conditioning to prevent clorine damage got to me and I asked if she was ready to give up and just get it cut. She stuck to it and yesterday she donated 10 inches to Locks of Love. She beamed ear to ear as soon as the braid was cut off. I thought for sure her cheeks would start hurting. After she got her hair washed I waited for her in the front to the saloon. I could just catch a little glimps of her around the corner. Moments before she came out a couple ladies noticed her beaming and looked at me to see my reaction....I nearly lost it and started weeping abit. Oh my! My sweet baby girl is growing up so quick....and she's becoming the sweetest, most caring and generous young lady. Oh how I love her so.

Back to School and Back to Old Habits

2011-09-15T14:24:00.002-04:00

The kids started school 2 weeks ago. The 1st day we were excited to learn Leah's friends William and Esmeralda were in her classroom. That night Leah told me she was sitting at the same group of desks as them. I warned her she needed to be sure she listened to her teacher and didn't talk too much or she might get moved. The next evening Leah came home and told me "I know you might be kinda mad but... Mrs. Loss moved my desk for talking too much". I should have been angry, I suppose but I just chuckled. gave her a squeeze and said "at least you're consistent".

This is the 1st year Leah has returned to the same school and while she was excited to see familiar faces and know what was in store there was a bit of disappointment when we started to realize the students that hadn't returned. Parents that were entrenched in the PTA and very active in volunteering have left the district. Since 18 months old I grew up in the same house, had the same friend and went all the way through school in the same district. I felt bad that I haven't been able to provide that for my kids. Part of the reason we're still in our house was my attempt at giving the kids some sense of stability. I'm seeing now it's not going to matter...by the time the kids get to 4th grade the chances of having the same friend by their side is slim to none.

Leah's Visit to Cincinnati

2011-08-31T16:21:00.001-04:00

We sent Leah down to Cincinnati to spend the week with her grand parents. They were nice enough to e-mail pictures of what she did all week. Sure looks like she had fun.

My Sweet Girl is 7

2011-08-26T14:18:00.000-04:00

Leah turned 7 not too long ago. She's become quite a young lady, enjoying all things girly but refusing to be outdone by the boys next door. We had planned to take a camping trip on Kelley's Island to celebrate her birthday but unfortunately I had to cancel because she caught a cold that knocked her out all week. She took it all in stride and when she perked up a bit she requested to do a little retail therapy....her new favorite girly mommy and me activity. Maybe her joy of shopping will rub off on me because while I enjoy spending one on one time with her I hate shopping.

This is what happens when bad parents don't send their kid in with a recipe when requested

2011-08-05T15:29:00.001-04:00

Blue Tops Live On

2011-08-02T21:44:00.007-04:00

Last week we took a family vacation in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. As a child my family would go up there every summer to visit my great grandparents, Nana Gwen and Gramps Harold. We haven't vacationed there since 1988...(I distinctly remember Tracy Chapman's "Fast Cars" on the radio) and the last time I was up there at all was in 1995 for Gramps Harold's funeral. Winters up there are something else.

My brother and I had been talking about going back and last fall he sent me a link to an article about a Michigan Tech Student that had built a cord log cabin with her father and she lived in it during the school year. Ends up that Student is the daughter of the family we used to rent "Blue Top Cabins" from. I contacted her father about possibly returning to the U.P. for a visit and the next thing I knew my dad had booked 3 cabins just down the street from our original vacation spot. My brothers family wasn't able to join us but my sister and her family made the 16 plus hour trek from Knoxville. I was excited to relive childhood memories with my kids but I was nervous if anyone else would enjoy themselves....there may be lots of water but it's definitely not the beach vacation we've become accustom to. Leaving 100 degree heat we set off on a 13 hour drive for cooler climates and what a pleasure it was. Jeans and sweatshirts become part of our evening attire. Ice cold showers and even colder swims, sunsets after 9:30, twilight that lasted nearly till dawn and more stars then I've seen in a planetarium highlighted the week. To my amazement my teenage nephew asked my sister if they could start vacationing there every year because it was way more fun than the beaches of North Carolina. The history up there is so rich and it was good to visit the place my family migrated to generations ago.

Sea Shells by the Lake Shore

Mackinaw Lighthouse

Mackinac Bridge - as a kid I thought this was the most amazing bridge. 5 miles long it marks a little more than 1/2 way between Cleveland and Houghton

One foot in Lake Michigan - One foot in Lake Huron

Mackinac Bridge

These towers can be seen for miles before you reach it on I75

My Hippie on Oskar Bay - our home for the week

Fishing without hooks ;-)

Sitting on the Dock of the Bay

Worn Out

Portage Canal Light House - loved climbing on those boulders as a kid - as an adult they nearly gave me a heart attack watching my kids risk life and limb jumping boulder to boulder

Lake Superior Sand Dunes - black sand like no other place I've been

Lake Superior at Sunset

6 of the 8 Grandkids in Nana's old stomping grounds

Blue Tops Live On

2011-08-02T21:43:00.002-04:00

I remember the Isle Royal Ferry passing our cabin daily...didn't see any Cleveland Cliffs ore boats this time

My mom believes her great grand mother was born in this light house but while Pierce is a family name I don't see her last name listed

Eagle Harbor Lighthouse tower

Eagle Harbor Lighthouse

View from Eagle Harbor Lighthouse

Fort Wilkins

Fort Wilkins - I remember standing on the base of that flag pole as a kid

Cousins - Cooper Harbor Sunset Cruise

Copper Harbor Sunset

The Problem with Gardens

2011-06-20T12:35:00.000-04:00

Don't get me wrong, I love fresh veggies and the idea of being able to step out my back door to select what's for dinner, the problem is, I-don't-cook. I decided last year, when I realized I would actually have a yard again, that a container garden would be a perfect complement to my gorgeous new deck. I asked for gift cards at Xmas to help me on my way. We had a cold wet wet wet spring so I wasn't able to plant anything until few weeks before Memorial day. Now everything is growing like crazy and the anal retentive environmentalist in me refuses to let anything go to waste. Who knew herbs could grow so fast? I've already used the cilantro to make two batches of fresh guacamole, parsley to make fresh couscous veggie salads, oregano on homemade pizza and basil for chicken pesto pasta. Haven't figured out what to do with the rosemary yet and the lettuce is ready for picking. Before I know it the cucumbers, bell peppers and tomatoes will be ready too. I can't have Scott thinking I can or rather will cook on a regular basis. As a working mother I have an image to uphold and takeout to be had.

The Graduate

2011-06-17T14:04:00.002-04:00

Better late then never....me posting a picture, not Scott graduating.
Back in Mid May we spent a weekend celebrating Scott's accomplishments. We had a party Saturday evening. I planned food for 20 plus and somehow managed to feed 30 adults and 18 kids. Scott was overwhelmed that so many people cared enough to come. The weather was crappy so I was glad I scrapped the BBQ idea. Amazingly after having 50 people trapped in my very humble home, nothing was broken, mangled or otherwise destroyed. By 9 in the evening the house was as clean as it had been before the party...well with the exception of the basement...seriously 18 kids! Don't think it could have been any worse if I had sent the kids down there and told them to make as big of a mess as they possibly could.
Sunday was the actual commencement. The kids were amazing sitting through what felt like the longest speeches EVER. The neat part of all this is he's already done with the bar, so he doesn't have to immediately turn around and start study for the July exam like all the other suckers at commencement.
Now the real fun starts....student loans

He Passed!

2011-05-06T14:35:00.001-04:00

In case you missed the news...Scott passed the Bar!

Wedding Videos have come a long way since my day

2011-03-29T12:31:00.000-04:00

"He thinks he's in a Baptist Church" from Lifetime Films on Vimeo.

I had to share this amazing trailer for Ali and Kevin's wedding. Leah's Marine beau is featured and you'll notice a certain little girl not picking her nose and a very handsome little boy at the end.

5 down 15 to go

2011-03-29T12:13:00.002-04:00

Leah has lost 3 teeth in just over a week. I can't help but chuckle every time she opens her mouth. What a jumbled mess of teeth. Her latest came out last night and is no where to be seen. She was such a cutie, coming into the bathroom this morning to tell me she swallowed her tooth. "It's ok the tooth fairy didn't leave me any money. You don't need money to survive". Well technically yes but it sure does help. All morning I kept asking her to say teeth. Teeth not teef. Why is it so much fun to be so cruel?

Photo by Leah

2011-02-10T11:18:00.000-05:00

Frozen Burning Bush

Holiday Greetings from the Heasley's 2010

2011-01-23T09:22:00.001-05:00

Well, we didn't send out holiday cards this year so this is as close as you're going to get if you've been holding your breath waiting for your card to come....so what if it's the end of January now.

Scott completed his last law school final December 15th. The next day we drove to Cincinnati for the wedding. It was nice to visiting with family just before the holidays. When we came home I was furtunate enough to spend time with all my neices and nephews. It's the 1st holiday that everyone was in town...even if they weren't in town at the same time...it was a blast. Now if I could just convince everyone to stop growing up so quickly.

A Cincinnati Wedding

2011-01-23T09:07:00.002-05:00

In December we went down to Cincinnati for Scott's "Little" brother's wedding. We were honored that they asked the kids to be part of their special day. The kids were great and were the rock stars of the reception. Leah dumped her school boyfriend on the spot when a handsome Marine playfully called her his girlfriend and asked her to dance. She fell head over heels for him and was on his heels for the rest of the night. At one point she couldn't find her him so she dragged Scott from his chair to find her boyfriend. When Scott explained that he was taking a break Leah looked around the dance floor and exclaimed... "That's ok there's some one who looks just like him over there". Oh Boy! My baby has a thing for Marines.

My Baby is 4!

2010-12-07T21:25:00.005-05:00

Not sure how this happened but my baby is four! Gone are the baby years, gone are the toddler years. Now we're full fledge in the preschool/grade school years. Not quite sure how I feel about all this but here we are. Don't get me wrong I like that the kids are more independent and we're able to do more things as a family but the nagging thought of what am I going to do when my baby doesn't want to cuddle with me any more is haunting me more and more each day. Lucky for me Tyler is still as much of a cuddlier as he was on day 1....he just doesn't fit in my lap quite as well.

At 4 years he's all boy. Very physical. Yet he's sensitive. Easily upset if you have a cross tone to your voice. He loves wheels, planes and Toy Story. He's working on learning letters and their sounds. He knows how to spell his name but is still working on getting it on paper. He loves bed time stories, his sister and time with his "best" mommy and daddy. He's so cuddly perfect, if you're lucky enough to have him curl up in your lap for a movie it's all you can do to stay awake. I love that boy more then word could ever describe.

For his birthday we took a ride on the Polar Express. I think the kids had a wonderful magical evening although Tyler passed on the "Hot" chocolate. Seems he only likes "warm" chocolate. Sunday evening we had a small get together with our new neighbors, my parents and some friends.

For months Tyler has been asking for a scooter, a skateboard and Eeyrore. The scooter was my attempt at talking him out of the skateboard but that obviously back fired. Eeyore was because he saw one in Kohl's he wanted and I tried to talk him out of having a fit by telling him maybe he'd get one for his birthday. I never dreamed he would remember. So yet another mommy fail. The Eeyore I could have bought for $4 dollars had I given in, cost me $20 on Amazon....lesson learned. 3 year olds cannot be deterred from what they want. Well I made sure he got everything he wanted and when the neighbors gave him a Buzz Lightyear (which he loves) he wanted to take it back because he hadn't asked for it. He's so stinking sweet I could eat him up.

Leah's 1st horse show

2010-11-20T21:14:00.001-05:00

Leah had her 1st horse show tonight and she did pretty well. 1 first, 2 seconds and a third which made her 2nd place reserve champion in the walk division. Not bad for only having had 6 lessons so far. More importantly she enjoyed herself and got to watch some more advanced riders to get an look at what she'll get to do with lots of practice.

Just wish horses and flash photography worked a little better together because all my pictures are blurry.

Trick or Treat

2010-11-12T19:02:00.004-05:00

So I'm a little behind in posting this...again

We went to Boo at the Zoo for the first time this year. It's pretty much just an excuse to get dressed up and walk around the zoo in the dark but every year it sells out so we figured we'd see what all the hoopla was about. We ending up stopping in one of the tents to see a magic show and Tyler got picked out of the crowd to go on stage. It was so cute, I was in tears. Luckily I had our handycam on me so I was able to record most of it. If I feel inspired later I'll try to post a little clip.

Fall 2010

2010-10-25T11:24:00.000-04:00

2 down 18 to go

2010-10-22T16:58:00.001-04:00

I had to travel for business earlier this week and before I left Sunday evening Leah's 2nd tooth was hanging by a thread. I was a bit nervous she might lose it while I was out of town and the tooth fairy wouldn't know what to do. Leah promised me if she lost it while I was gone she'd make sure the tooth fairy didn't take it just so I could see it when I got back. She kept her promised. I got home late Wednesday and about 12 hours later Leah lost her second tooth just after having her school picture taken. It's a good thing the tooth fairy was ready.

Weekend of Firsts

2010-10-11T10:48:00.002-04:00

Leah had her first horseback riding lesson this weekend and I think she really enjoyed it. She was very business like and very eager to try everything. She's the smallest girl in her class so I have a feeling they'll end up putting her on the smallest pony most weeks but she'll be the kid that wants to ride the 17 hand gelding. Anticipating a future drama on the drive home I was telling her she should be excited that she'll get to ride the ponies because when she gets bigger she won't be able to do it anymore. Best to enjoy it while she can. I'm sure some of the big girls will be jealous...we'll see in a few weeks if my pep talk worked.
So not only did she learn to tack up a horse this weekend but she also learned to ride a bike without training wheels. We went for a ride down the street and when we came back Leah discovered the boy next door had just learned to ride and that's all the encouragement she needed to ditch her training wheels. She figured it out all on her own and was so proud of herself...I'm pretty dang proud of her too.

Family Fun Fest

2010-10-10T21:34:00.000-04:00

Wiggle and Jiggle and Tickle Inside

2010-10-04T21:09:00.001-04:00

Tonight while getting the kids ready for a bath Tyler told me there was a bug by the wall. Fully expecting to see an itty bitty dead midge I glanced over only to see an enormous centipede bolt under the stool I was sitting on. I admit I squealed like a little girl, jumped up and ran out the room. Not the best reaction when you're trying to teach your kids to lay off the drama. But seriously centipedes are NASTY and give me the heebeegeebees! I was trying to explain to the kids that centipedes eat spiders and since we've had so many midges from the lake this year we have a lot of spiders....and centipedes. So the kids decided if the spiders eat the flies and the centipedes eat the spiders then we should let a bunch of birds in to eat the centipedes...then we need to get some alligators to eat the birds and sharks to eat the gators and whales to eat the sharks.
We had a whale of a good time.

Milestone Almost Missed

2010-09-14T17:15:00.001-04:00

I'm guessing/hoping it's pretty common to get to a point where a mother finds that she's lost a bit of her identity outside of being a mother, wife and employee. I not so sure how well I do any of these "jobs". I keep telling myself I need to stop making excuses and start doing something for me.
Last Friday a co-worker asked me to go out for drinks and I found myself making excuses again. I wasn't really dressed for a night out and I needed to drop off a check at the old daycare and more importantly it was Tyler's 1st day at his new preschool and I really wanted to hear all about his day and take him out for a celebration dinner. I headed home, kicking myself for making more excuses but when I got home and saw my little man's smile I realized going home was "for me". To top of the evening Leah lost her 1st tooth at dinner and I was there for it. There's no other place I would rather' have been.

New beginnings

2010-09-14T16:50:00.000-04:00

Tyler started at his new preschool last week. After trusting CCA with the care of my children for the past 4 years and seeing what a fabulous job they did preparing Leah for grade school I was very conflicted if we were doing the right thing. Luckily the Tyler and Leah are thrilled to be in the same building and the teachers and staff are amazing.

Angel's Among US

2010-09-06T16:13:00.007-04:00

You know anytime I go to Target or Wal-Mart with the kids I hear "I want" way more times than I care to admit. I do my best to teach the kids realistic expectations and explain that while there are lots of things we'd like there's very little we need. While Leah fully understands and buys into TV ads, Tyler hasn't really connected the dots that what he sees on TV can usually be bought at a store. A few weeks ago there was an ad for the upcoming National Air show and when Tyler saw it I could see his eye light up. The boy loves things with wheels...if they have engines all the better. Throw some wings on it and he's in heaven. So when he told me he wanted to see the planes I marked my calendar for a very special date with my little man. What better way to spend Labor day weekend then with the Blue Angels and one very excited three year old?

First day of First Grade

2010-09-06T16:01:00.003-04:00

Tuesday was Leah's first day of first grade. All week she seemed excited about starting at her new school but when the morning rolled around we had a hard time convincing her to get out of bed. After a little persuasion and a reminder that she didn't have to wear a uniform she dragged herself out of bed to start the New Year. As a Family we went to the school for the flag rising and a few songs before parting ways for the day. I gave Leah a task to learn one girl's name and one boy's name. It took her four days but she has learned one boy’s name. Owen....He's in before and aftercare with Leah so they spend a lot of time together during the day....I should hope she learned his name eventually. I get the sense that his family is new to the school too. I'm sure there'll be new names and friends to follow. So far so good.

Guy's Weekend

2010-09-04T22:05:00.004-04:00

Last weekend Scott left for a guy's weekend. While I was less than happy at the idea for him leaving the week he started classes and the last weekend of Leah's summer vacation I decided to make the most of it and took the kids to the beach. I'm proud of myself anytime I decide to take on an adventure on my own and even more proud when every thing works out. I enjoyed myself and more importantly the kids had a blast. I packed a lunch and we had a little picnic in the back of the van just to get out of the sun for a little while. After 5 hours in the sun no one got burned and no one drowned (well I did run in once to save Tyler from some big waves but he survived)....success in my book....and I got my beach vacation this year after all.

Old Man's Cave

2010-08-16T21:43:00.003-04:00

We took the kids on a little roadie this past weekend. We visited Athens and got to catch up with a dear friend I haven't seen in 8 years or so. The next day we packed up and headed to Hocking Hills State Park for a little camping. Looking at the weather report for 30% chance of isolated thundered storms I kept asking Scott if we really wanted to risk it with 2 small children on their 1st camping adventure. He was up for it so off we went. After setting up camp and dripping in sweat we got the kids in their suits and headed to the pool. Just as we approached the pool I heard thunder and told the kids to hustle. I jumped in the pool and turned around to grab Leah when they blew the whistle to clear the pool. I dunked both kids just to get them wet and poor Scott didn't even get a chance to get in. The weather blew over and an hour or so later we headed to the pool again only to have the whistle blow again after about 15 minutes. We decided to get the camp fire started to start dinner and before we knew it rangers where making rounds to warn everyone that there was a tornado warning. Rain and even lighting and thunder are one thing to deal with while camping but tornados while stranded out in the wilderness are my biggest fear. We threw the kid in the van and headed down the hill to seek shelter at the ranger/welcome station. After the cell passed by and we confirmed that the second cell on it's way would be much weaker we headed back up for a very soggy night’s sleep (I never did eat). The next morning we got up and hiked a few short trails before deciding we weren't going to risk another night camping in the rain. While the weather definitely put a damper on my grand camping dream, the kids enjoyed themselves and we got a chance to hike the trails in solitude...which was a rare and wonderful treat.

I don't much have the patience for messing with photos right now so please excuse the order and multiple posts

The kids have never seen Jurassic Park but yet they thought it best to keep an eye out for Dinosuars

A little perspective on how big this gorge is - Hi over there...there...there...there

My Rugged Guys

Taking a little break with Phineas and Ferb gummies

Old Man's Cave II

2010-08-16T21:40:00.001-04:00

Talk about a root system!

Roots looked like lace to me

Upper Falls

Old Man's Cave III

2010-08-16T21:39:00.002-04:00

Yes - my eyes are closed! Thank you very much

Upper Falls - Looks like an Oasis

He came up with this photo op all on his own

Leah wanted in on the fun - Looks like Tyler may win

Old Man's Cave IV

2010-08-16T21:38:00.001-04:00

Amazing how nice they can be to one another when they don't think we are looking

Peace Out!

I shall call him squishy, and he shall be mine, and he shall be my squishy

2010-08-10T16:05:00.003-04:00

A week or so ago we went straight from the pool to my parents house for dinner. I walk up on the deck and Tyler tells my mom "Nana, look at this belly" and reaches up and starts patting my belly. My mom looks at me like I have some big announcement and she asks "What about that belly"? To which he replies very emphatically "it's REALLY big. Mommy has a big squishy pillow belly..."

Damn good thing he's so cute.

Weekend Get Away

2010-08-08T22:04:00.003-04:00

The plan was to go to Hawaii for our 10 year anniversary....well you know why spend all that money and travel that far when we can have an island get away right here in Northern Ohio? It was nice to get away just the 2 of us. We stayed at a bed and breakfast for the 1st time. We walked and hiked and rode bikes and explored nearly every square inch of Kelley's Island. Soar butts and feet but no screaming kids...and it was heavenly.

Marblehead Light House

Campbell Cottage

North Loop Trail

East Quarry

Glacial Grooves

End of an Era II

2010-08-08T21:38:00.000-04:00

AFTER

End of an Era

2010-08-08T21:37:00.000-04:00

BEFORE

Red White and Blue

2010-08-08T21:31:00.000-04:00

I'm finally getting around to importing pics from my camera. On July 4th we took the kids to Blossom to see the orchestra and celebrate Scott's birthday. Could these 3 be any cuter?

A Day in the Park(s)

2010-07-27T20:46:00.004-04:00

Scott was busy studing for summer finals so I decided to take the kids to the park to get them out of his hair for a few hours. We ended up packing a picnic and spending the whole day in the Emerald Necklace.
At one point on our drive we had to stop for a flock of turkey crossing the street. When I explained why we stopped the kids looked at the birds and declared that turkeys are on farms and the birds must be baby osterich....you know because some how in their mind it's ok that baby osterich are running about in N.E. Ohio.
We really are so fortunate to have such a spectacular park system. I used to spend every free moment I had in one of the various parks. The kids and I visited my 2 favorites, Squaw rock and Squires Castle. I was expecting alot of belly aching about tired legs when it came to hiking but both kids were real troopers and Leah kept climbing higher and higher, leaving her poor breathless mama in the dust.
.

The adventure begins

Squaw Rock

Leah - Chagrin River

Tyler - Get me off this rock!

Race to Squire's Castle - note who's last

Dad's Day Run

2010-07-27T18:51:00.004-04:00

I very rarely log on to my pc at home anymore. After looking at a pc all day it's the last thing I want to do when I get home...so if I can't do something from my iPhone I generally won't bother. As a result this post has been a long time coming.

Scott ran his first 5 mile run on fathers day. The kids and I dropped him off then drove to my parents house just down the street then walked up to cheer him on. Unfortunately we weren't able to find him before the race started but I promise we were there. We hung out on the play ground and the first runners started to come in a half hour later. We went to the finish line to watch him come in...again he came in sooner then I was expecting and I missed the photo op so this as good as it gets. I gotta say that's one good lookin guy after running 5 miles.

School Change

2010-06-17T12:11:00.004-04:00

While I like to keep this blog filled with fun childhood antics I feel it's worth noting a key decision we've recently made regarding the kids education.

We will be transferring Leah to our local public school in the fall. I have very mixed emotions about it. I never pictured the kids staying in Catholic school and thought of it as a temporary fix until we could sell the house. Given the amount of work we've had to put into the house it's apparent we are now here to stay. I've mentioned that I feel very disconnected from our neighborhood even after living here for 9 years. I feel like we need to do a better job of embracing our surroundings and that includes the schools. I want Leah to have friends in our neighborhood and not feel like an outsider.

I've only heard good things about the elementary schools and I know if more in-tuned parents send their kids to public schools they can only get better. I feel like it's in Leah's best interest if we make this transition now verses a year or 2 from now.

Scott has spoken to several people that rave about the School including the fact that the 2010 Teacher of the Year teaches 3rd grade there. The class sizes are small and a partnership with the local University provides a better teacher-to-pupil ratio. We have a meeting with the principle scheduled for July 1st . Hopefully she will have some preliminary results from the 2009-2010 proficiency tests and we'll discuss what the school and district are doing to address the 5th grade proficiency gaps.

We will be breaking the news to Leah tonight. Hopefully this transition will be more difficult on me then her. She's resilient and I'm confident if we do our best to stay involved she'll continue to achieve no matter her surroundings.

Graduate - Again

2010-06-02T21:36:00.000-04:00

I thought it was so silly last year when Leah had her preschool graduation and even sillier when I found out she would have a kindergarten graduation this year. Really what's the purpose of a kindergarten graduation? She's not changing schools. She'll be right back there with the same kids come late August.

Well I have to say this graduation really meant something to me. She's blossomed so much in the past year. The whole school gathered with parents and grandparents to celebrate the kindergarteners. I felt like it was a way of welcoming them into the community. After the service the 1st grade parents hosted a reception. In the past week I've had a blast going to various PTO functions and seeing how Leah interacts and relates to her classmates. She no longer needs us by her side. I just get a kick out of seeing how the older students know her and engage her. The boys in her class tease her but only because they love her and they know she can take it. The girls in her class are all beautiful and full for smiles and giggles. I just love it. My beautiful little girl is starting to find her way in this world and in a blink of an eye I'm sure I'll be sitting at her highschool graduation longing for the days of silly kindergarten graduations.

Memorial Day 2010

2010-06-02T21:08:00.000-04:00

We had perfect weather this Memorial day weekend. Just the kind of weekend that leaves you feeling truely blessed and giving thanks to those who made it possible for us to live such a wonderful life.

Waiting for the Parade

Bubble Samurais

Is It Wrong To Laugh?

2010-05-07T16:14:00.002-04:00

The other night we had some pretty nasty thunderstorms come through. Not a whole lot of wind or rain, just a whole lot of lightning and thunder. Just as soon as I would get the kids settled back into bed another wave of thunder would come through. Somewhere in the middle of the night I heard a loud clap of thunder that woke me. Just a few seconds later I hear both kids screaming then the little pitter patter of feet. Leah's running into Tyler's room. Tyler's running into Leah's room. I opened my bedroom door just in time to see the two of them realize they had passed each other and turn around to run back into their respective rooms, only to...bam... they run into each other, knocking themselves to the ground. The image had my chuckling all the way to work in the morning.

It Really is the Little Things

2010-04-24T20:57:00.005-04:00

Friday evening I came home to a surprize that reminded me it really is the little things that can turn a whole day around. I walked in the door and Leah greeted me with such enthusism, nearly jumping out of her skin wanting to show me the surprise she had for me. There in the stark empty sunroom was a vase of perfect white daffodils. She's been stalking my daffodils for quite some time now, just waiting for them to bloom.

Which reminds me. The sunroom is now to the point where I can finally buy my $200 in new carpet. Thank you Pop!!! Next on tap - Steps for the deck and Planters....and fix everything that got messed up in the process.

Bubbles

2010-04-11T21:12:00.001-04:00

This dog drives me nuts! He barks, he whines. He chews everything, digs everywhere. Nips at my kids, scratches my floors, chews on my great great grandmothers antique chairs. Runs around the yard with large branches and knocks my kids to the ground (giving Leah a black eye). He jumps on my guests, annoys my husband. Jumps the fence, runs the neighborhood, freightens my neighbors... and then I catch a moment like this. A fleeting glimps of the dog he will be. He's smart. He's sweet. He's funny. He's protective and best of all the kids love him.

SUPER CUTS

2010-04-10T22:56:00.002-04:00

I'm cheap. I admit it. I'm proud of it. For the past 4 years I have been cutting everyone's hair rather than pay some one else to do it. Leah...not such a big deal. Curly hair is foregiving. Scott, short fade...easy aside for the need to freshen up every 3 weeks it seems. Tyler, thick mane and a less than willing participant have proven to be the most difficult. I get it...I hate the hair that always seems to find it's way into my bra. I couldn't imagine having all that hair flying in my face and down my neck. I've tried all sorts of tricks to convince him it's fun including naming the electric razor the "tickler". Today we tried something different and decided to embrace the hillbillies in us by cutting hair out on the driveway. Tyler wanted nothing to do it until I promised he could sit on his big wheel while I cut his hair. He got to hold the tickler until mommy needed it and wear the cape. He did great! Following the cut, the cape was flipped backwards and he became Super Tyler.

Playing Hookie

2010-04-01T12:38:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I had a physical therapy appointment scheduled early in the afternoon. Spring has sprung and I noticed for the first time that the grass is starting to turn green...so I did what any self respecting, responsible adult would do. I played hookie. When I picked Leah up from aftercare I got the biggest hug and a smile that could melt any heart. We collected Tyler from daycare and headed for the park. Dinner for 3 on our new deck and after dinner bike rides on the drive (while mommy cleaned up) made for a nice break from the normal grind. Tyler may have had a little too much fun because he proceeded to have a major meltdown when it came time for a bath. Leah on the other hand was an angel and told me she wished I'd pick her up early every day. So do I. Maybe one day.

Putting a Fever on Ice

2010-03-08T10:17:00.009-05:00

Saturday morning while at Leah's swim lesson I noticed a bump on Tyler's neck under the skin. It didn't look like a lymph node but I figured I'd better keep an eye on him. By that afternoon it was clear the "crude" was on it's way. He started coughing and by Sunday afternoon his eyes were watering and he felt warm to the touch. The thermometer showed he didn't have a fever but each time we took his temp it got a bit higher. By the time it was time to leave for skating his temp was hanging out at about 99.7. Do I do the socially responsible thing and keep him home and break both their little hearts or take them skating?

Think of me what you want but we headed to the rink, and am I glad we did. Tyler had a blast. I've never seen a kid so happy to fall on his butt over and over again. Each time he fell and I'd go over to prop him back up fully expecting him to decide enough was enough and each time his giggles alone were enough to knock him over. The giggles and legs flailing were too precious.

Leah had a blast too and I think she learned more in an hour then she did in 12 weeks of lessons. She just needed to get out there and figure it out. I on the other hand am here to state...ice skating is nothing like riding a bike. After 20 years it did not come naturally to get back on the ice. I've got a nice case of sciatica to prove the point.

We had fun all the same.

Private School Education for a Public School Mama

2010-02-24T14:43:00.003-05:00

I suppose one should anticipate issues when an agnostic sends their child to catholic school. While I'm not second guessing my decision to send Leah to private school the last few weeks have been a bit of a wake up and have provided a bit of humor.

Being curious about what an Ash Wednesday homily consists of I asked Leah what Father McNulty discussed during the all school mass. She mumbled something about being good enough. "Good enough for what" I ask. She replies "Am I good enough for Gods love?" "Well are you good enough?" To my dismay she responded that she's trying really hard. While I appreciate the modesty I quickly set her straight that she's DEFINATELY good enough for God's love. I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt that she's just confused or misstating the intent of the service but what in heaven would a 5 year old do to make them unworthy of God's love? I was raised to believe God loves everyone and I certainly don't want my child thinking anything different.

As part of her religious studies they are talking about showings God's love by helping and being kind to others. The other day when Scott went in her room to wake her up Leah yells at him that he's not showing God's love. Now I'll give her his chipper morning antics can be rather annoying to us non-morning people, but I don't think that was the intent of the lesson plan. Scott jokingly asked if it was time to send her to public school.

Children experience different kinds of service projects throughout the school year and do activities with their "faith families" (small prayer groups consisting of students from kindergarten through grade 8.) Leah is convince it's called a "Fake Family" and won't budge in her stance regarding this fact in the least.

Dr. Tyler

2010-02-17T12:43:00.003-05:00

I've been really bad about keeping this blog updated. So bad in fact the following pic is one Tyler's teacher took last summer. I have a copy hanging in my cubicle at work and it always makes me smile. I'm not sure if he's a vet or a surgeon...either way he's awfully cute.

Note to Mothers

2010-01-03T09:19:00.002-05:00

When potty training don't call your son a "big boy" unless you are prepared to be called "big mama".

Holiday Greetings from the Heasley's

2009-12-25T21:53:00.000-05:00

Hello friends and family,

We have decided to embrace our tree hugging nature (and well we’re just cheap and lazy), so we’re sending out an email card instead of hard copies.

It’s been a banner year for the Heasleys. Leah is in kindergarten and learning new things every day. She had her first play date and first scrap on the playground with a boy. Tyler is finally embracing potty training, much to his parents’ delight. He’s getting ready to move into the 3-year-old room at daycare.

Lots of things haven’t changed this year – Scott is still working his way through law school and our house STILL is under construction. The latest challenge is the siding company and its foreman who contracted pneumonia AND had his house broken into in the same week. We feel bad for the guy, but this company has to have more than one foreman, right???

We look forward to a great 2010. The construction should be done soon (although we’re not holding our breath) and then life will be grand. That is if we can get our beloved dog Tac to quit eating everything in sight – snowmen, screwdrivers, hairbands, flashcards, stuffed animals, Christmas ornaments, sticks of dynamite, tree limbs, flashlights, power cords and on and on and on.

We send our love and best wishes to all of you. Have a great holiday season and a happy and healthy New Year.

Scott, Liz, Leah, Tyler and Tac

Old vs. Cold

2009-12-12T23:18:00.004-05:00

Just a little brag on my big boy...today marks the first day of no accidents. Not even during nap time. It's also the 1st time he....ah hum....well um....he pooped in potty at home!

On a less gross note - The past few days Tyler has told me I need new hands. I was thinking to myself.....that's a really odd thing to say. I know my hands are a bit dry from the cold weather but come on! I'm only in my mid 30's. What is this kid going to tell me I need to replace when I hit 40? So tonight I'm getting him ready for a bath and am taking his shirt off...doing my best not to bump his bare skin with my freezing cold hands and he says it again. Trying to joke it off and also get his tushy in the tub I ask if he thinks we'll be able to find a pair of new hands in the warm water. He relents and gets in the tub...of course has a blast and refuses to get out until I drain all the water out of the tub and he's left there shivering. I forget what I said to convince him to get out but I ask him if I have new hands now and does he like them. He says yeah then hums and says "ok mommy let's go get your cold hands". "You mean OLD hands"? "No your COLD hands mommy".

So the opposite of Cold is New....Old - Cold what's the difference when you're three?

Tyler Wants Thomas....Tyler's Gonna Get Thomas....Sorta

2009-12-12T22:46:00.003-05:00

My baby is three! Can you believe it?

Shortly before his birthday, while rocking Tyler before bed (I know, I know he's getting too big for rocking, but he loves it as much as I do) I asked him what he wanted to do for his birthday...assuming he wouldn't really care or would ask for something like ketchup (hey that's what he asked Santa for...the kid really likes ketchup). To my surprise he declared that he wanted a Thomas birthday. Ok a Thomas Birthday cake is easy, but what else?

The scenic railroad! Only issue is it's the holidays and polar express tickets are sold out in August. We settled for Mr. Jingelings Holiday Express. I'm happy to report I am too young to remember Mr. Jingeling...I was a Higbee/Twigbee shop baby. Halle's department store is little more then a building that Halle Barry is named after in my mind. I must admit I was a bit nervous about being locked in the train car with the "Keeper of the Keys" and had an image of singing horrid jingles for 3 hours with no escape, but any thing for my baby. Mr. Jingeling was not nearly as annoying as I had imagined and the kids got a kick out of it. The only down fall was the jingles only lasted for 30 minute of the 3 hour trip and keeping the kids occupied became more and more difficult as time passed. By the time we rolled back into the Rockside station I was motion sick, Tyler was running a fever and Leah was sound asleep. Despite it all I think the little man enjoyed himself and hopefully we're building lasting memories.

2009-11-20T20:48:00.001-05:00

The past several days Tyler's daily communication sheet from daycare has mentioned him playing with this or that with Rielyn. When asked who Rielyn is he responds "she's my princess"....how flipping cute is this little man?

Yes I'm that parent that lets my kids play in the leaf piles by the street

2009-10-28T19:58:00.000-04:00

End over End - Then and Now

2009-10-28T19:54:00.002-04:00

Leah age 5 - Fall 2009

Leah age 15 months - Fall 2005

First Day of School

2009-09-01T21:30:00.001-04:00

Leah's 1st day of school was today. It was just a 1/2 day for the girls and tomorrow she'll get to meet the boys in her class. I did a pretty good job of keeping it together until Tyler realized that we were leaving Leah there. Donuts and apple juice weren't enough to keep him from hollering "I want my Eah". Scott picked her up at noon and had lunch with her before taking her to day-care where she was as proud as could be to showed off her uniform. I don't think she stopped talking from the moment I picked her up until her head hit the pillow.

Leah's Birthday Surprize

2009-08-29T15:12:00.004-04:00

Still figuring out the new camera and and the new pc hence the delay, but here's the big moment.

More Construction Site Fun

2009-08-29T14:33:00.003-04:00

Who said a construction zone is no place for a kid? The kids have been finding plenty of ways to have fun despite the mess.

Leah's Annual Birthday Zoo Visit

2009-08-21T22:34:00.004-04:00

Last weekend I took the kids to the Zoo for Leah's annual birthday trip to the zoo. Scott stayed behind to take the dog to the vet and get the yard cleaned up for a small get together for dinner. Aria, her mom and a long lost friend from grade school and her daughter joined us. It was a hot day and the kids we a bit of a handful so we didn't last very long.

In the evening some friends neighbor and family stopped by for a cook out. Leah was kind enough to agree to a Handy Manny themed party to play off the mess of a construction zone which is our back yard.

Meet the Newest Member of the Family

2009-08-08T20:51:00.002-04:00

This morning we loaded the kids in the car for a surprise. After several incorrect guesses we told Leah we were going somewhere to pick out a birthday present. To that she was estatic. About an hour later we pulled into Crazy W farms driveway and announced we were there to pick a puppy. I had found these puppies on-line searching local shelters for rescue dogs. When I saw Border Collie/ Lab mix I knew I had to have one. Scott fell in love with Tac at first sight and declared he would be his. While I was partial to his brother Tic (sister name is Toe) who was rounder and looked more like a border collie. All the puppies were adorable and in the end I think Scott was better at lobbing for his pick.

Tac has been a pleasure thus far and is as cute as can be.

Summer Vaca

2009-07-27T20:55:00.002-04:00

Gators and rain falling up couldn't ruin our vacation. Leah has declared she's going to live on the beach forever. Might pose a problem with her fair skin but wouldn't mind joining her.

Per Scott's Request

2009-07-10T22:30:00.000-04:00

Scott asked that I upload updated pics of my new carpet ernt I mean the sunroom. Not sure if he wanted people to see what a mess he inherited by marrying into my family or if he thought the progress made this week was really cool. If you figure out his intent let me know.

Scott's Request Part II

2009-07-10T22:09:00.001-04:00

Party on the Forth

2009-07-04T22:45:00.001-04:00

Popcicle Heaven

2009-07-01T22:42:00.000-04:00

Beach Bums in the Burbs

2009-06-30T22:25:00.000-04:00

Our Little Graduate

2009-06-13T08:40:00.006-04:00

Leah "Gaduated" from Pre- K last night. They put together a cute little show and we couldn't be more proud of her. I'm sure you'll be shocked to learn Leah was the loudest when it came time to sing. Heasley's might not be very good signers but they sure aren't shy. We also discovered there's another little girl headed to SAS with Leah and Aria next year. Amazingly Maddie is just as tiny as Aria and our itty bitty Leah is the tallest of the lot. Who would have thought you can tower over someone when you yourself are only in the 25 percentile?

SAS Girls

Leah, Aria and Pedro's presentaion on We Can Read.

"We Got the Numbers"

Ms. Katz

Ms. Regina

Our Little Graduate

Lunkin Playground

2009-05-27T22:49:00.002-04:00

We headed down to Cincinnati for Memorial day. Saturday we met up with Scott's mom at the Lunkin playground. Leah had a blast and Tyler did his best to keep up. Giving his Mama and Daddy heart attacks at nearly every turn. The boy has no fear and doesn't understand that even if he wasn't the biggest clutz going, he's not as big as Leah and just physically can not do everything she can.

Two's III Mother's Day Show

2009-05-09T14:21:00.006-04:00

Tyler's class had a mother's day show yesterday. Wasn't quite sure what type of show a bunch of two years old would have and in all honesty there wasn't really much to show but it was a nice excuse to leave work early and hang out with my little man.

....nope, can't stand fish

....I wish

.... oh no....that's no good...do I work too much?

....aaaw. I love you boo!

S'mores in the Burbs

2009-05-03T21:33:00.008-04:00

We had a fabulous evening at Nana and Pops eatin Wings and makin S'mores. Must say I'm surprised Shaker doesn't have some ordinance against the dreaded chiminya....I'm sure it's just a matter of time until the PD comes to extinguish our fun but we had a blast and it made me reminiscent of times past and made me feel truly blessed. I may not go to church much but God is good.

Tyler's New Swimming Duds

2009-05-02T14:31:00.004-04:00

We started swimming lessons about a month ago and I bought Tyler a little surfer shirt since the water is so dang cold. He's just about the cutest little thing strutting around the pool like he's the man. Every time we walk out of the locker room he gets a comment from some admiring stranger. Can't wait to get him on the boogie board this summer. The child has no fear and from the looks of this picture he knows he's cute.

Shadow's Memorial Corner

2009-05-02T14:26:00.003-04:00

My Dad brought over some ornamental grass from his yard today and the kids "helped" him plant it in the corner of the yard where the dog had killed all the grass from sleeping on it all summer long. I've been calling it the Shadow Memorial Corner. I think I'll need to sneak out there and scatter her ashes this evening when the kids are in bed. Not quit ready to explain that one to them.

How Much $200 in Carpet Really Costs Revisited

2009-05-02T14:21:00.004-04:00

In case you were interested there has been some progress on the sunroom. The framing has passed inspection and we are now working on getting estimates for siding the whole house. Needless to say my $200 in new carpet for the sunroom has taken on a life of it's own. The need for new carpet lead to the discovery of rot in the baseboards which lead to the discovery of rot in the wall, which lead to the discovery of rot in the framing. Fixing the problem has lead to a rebuilding the corner of the room, and while we're at it we should replace the windows too....We'll never find that same paneling...who likes paneling anyways? Let's ripe it out....before I know it all the exterior walls and floor have been torn out. As long as that's being done let's put a slider in. Oh and won't a bay window be nice...okay now we need a deck for the slider to go out to...so lets move the air conditioner and the incoming electrical and phone lines and oops the power line to the garage got knocked down. Let's bury it. Obviously we should get the house sided like we've been planning since we moved in 8 years ago. If we're going to do all that do we really want that old nasty railing on the roof? This is Ohio....we really shouldn't have a flat roof...let's slope the roof and take the exterior door out of Leah's room and replace it with a window. So needless to say instead of getting the house ready to sell it seems we are now committed to staying. Leah will be going to private school in the fall and I'm just praying I'm not forced to take many more furloughs so I can pay for all this. Who knew $200 in carpet could be so dang expensive.

Easter PICS

2009-04-12T23:00:00.004-04:00

Fun with Play Dough

2009-04-12T22:46:00.004-04:00

Tyler was sent home from school "sick" Thursday evening. I say "sick" because I found no sign of him being ill. Either way we spent Good Friday together doing what ever it is mama's and tots do. A little home-made play dough and some props led to the following creations.

Daddy's Hat

2009-04-12T22:43:00.000-04:00

Leah's Buddy Grammy

2009-04-12T22:28:00.003-04:00

So I'm a bit behind on the blog. Grammy came to visit us a few weeks ago. Having Grammy visit in March is quite a treat. I don't think she's too fond of Cleveland and it's snow but there's not much else that would keep her from visiting her grand babies.

My Little Hammy Models

2009-02-22T13:51:00.006-05:00

I realize I haven't taken many pictures lately. Mostly because as soon as I think to grab the camera the kids are off onto the next great adventure or about to beat each other over the head. This morning the kids and I split an orange and I told them they had to stay in the kitchen so the juice didn't get all over the house. When the last slice was handed out Tyler started wandering into the dinning room and when he got to the door he looked back at me to see my reaction to his antics. I asked him if he thought he was getting away with something giving me that sheepish little smile. He then proceeded to lay on the ground with his feet in the dining room and his face and more importantly the orange in the Kitchen. Giggling at me as if to say 'oh yeah? I'll show her'. Just too flippen cute, even if his was testing me. I had to grab the camera to capture the moment and to my surprise he waited for me to return and even indulged me by not biting into the orange slice just yet. He then insisted I keep taking his picture. Leah then had to join in.

Leah's Little Obama

2009-02-22T13:12:00.005-05:00

I don't know what it is about Obama but every one I know comments on how much their kids love him. Is it the name? I know I certainly wasn't into Reagan this way. In fact I remember crying when ever I saw Reagan on the TV because he was always talking about the cold war and I was convinced the end of the world was near. Well my kids seem to have a fondness for Obama. Tyler even joins in the excitement. When he sees him on the news he points to the TV and yells in his jumbled little voice "Barack, Barack". A few weeks ago Inside Business Magazine had an article about extending the wear of a mans wardrobe in a tough economy. Leah saw the graphic included with the article and insisted she needed to cut out the little man and cloth him. After a few minutes of playing dress up she decided the man looked like Barack Obama and colored his face and hands brown then dressed him in a suit. I had to laugh when she included the jacket. Maybe it's an early start to being civic minded individuals. Either way kids imaginations are just so much fun to watch grow.

Saying Goodbye

2009-02-01T12:48:00.004-05:00

Last weekend we had to say goodbye to our original baby. It became apparent that she was ready to go and we felt it was the responsible thing to do . This week we've been reminded repeatedly of how empty the house feels without her presence. Each night when we come home we don't have a wet nose greeting us at the door. We don't have a crumb picker upper after meals or her growling randomly in the middle of the night. I've even thought I've heard her barking from the basement. I was sure once she was gone I would have no desire to get an other puppy in the near future but I've found myself longing for a little fluffy friend. I long for little puppy teeth nibbling on my fingers and clumsy puppy feet slipping all over our hardwood floors. We've been offered lab puppies and an adult shepherd which were in need of homes but I'm trying to be realistic and keep in mind that our house (between the construction and Snow) is no place for a new dog right now. I happened across a picture of Shadow as a puppy. The good ole days before kids. We were fresh out of school attempting to start careers, living in a tiny little lake cottage in Euclid. We had nothing but had everything we needed.

Leah Shows Us Her Stuff

2009-01-24T13:11:00.009-05:00

This morning we said good bye to Shadow but had the wonderful distraction of Leah's dance recital where she got to show off all the cool moves she's learned. We had some technical difficulties with our cameras i.e. I forgot to take the battery off the charger (hey at least I remembered to charge it right?). Luckily I had our old camera with us, so while the quality may not be so great at least the moments not completely missed by those that couldn't join us. Aria's parents, Vanessa and Tony were so sweet and brought the girls flowers to celebrate the occasion.

Here's a bit of the ballet

Tap

Balance Beam - She's a clutz like her Mama

From Ballet to Skating

2009-01-17T21:52:00.007-05:00

Leah had her last Ballet/Tap/Gymnastic class and her 1st ice skating lesson today. Tyler has a nasty cold so I sent Scott off with the camera to capture the moment. A mitten was the only casualty so I think it was a hit

The Tale of the Forgotten Camera

2009-01-17T20:50:00.012-05:00

In July Scott bought me a fantastic camera that I'm not foolish enough to pretend I can use to it's fullest potential. Any how like a child with a new toy I neglected my old camera. I've kept it around for the occasions where I didn't want to risk the safety of the new old but never seemed to get around to loading the pics I took. Today I sent Scott off to take pictures of Leah during her 1st ice skating lesson and realized the card was full. I've always been so diligent about loading pictures and keeping the card clean and ready to use. What the heck could be on the there. Flipping through the pics I got a new replay of the past six months and thought of all the things I should have blogged about but never got around to. Well bear with me because you're about get a recap...as chronicled by my old neglected Lumix.

Tyler on a random July afternoon

Tyler, Leah, Peyton and Reagan in Nana's Garden

Fantastic View from The Preserve Resort in Sevierville TN

(Thanks Vanessa for telling me about this place)

Tyler and Me - On our visit to the Great Smokies National Park

Leah - Taking in the warm October sun before apple pickingTyler and Leah - The next day sporting their new hats in the cool October air

OK so it was the next week but really.

Tyler - Ruling the halls of The Q before the Circus

Leah and Tyler - CCLC open house

Tyler -Waiting to listen to Obama 11/02/08

Our view waiting for Obama - I love this City

Scott and Tyler - On T's 1st sled ride at Cain Park....their faces say it all.

5 minutes later we were back in the van.

And Then There Were Bangs

2009-01-13T20:38:00.004-05:00

Can you believe after 4 years of dealing with some of the craziest hair ever and resisting every urge to cut bangs it all was for not, thanks to a 4 year old classmate with a pair of sissors? It took me almost 24 hours to figure out something was amiss. I kept thinking her hair was getting really dark this winter...then when she was walking up the stairs I saw it. That unmistakable clump of chopped hair. Her hair looked darker because the blond tips in front had been cut off. Tonight I broke down and tried to fix it. First it resulted in bangs then when I got her out of the tub I found another clump of chopped hair on the side. 4 inches later it is now the shortest it's been since she was about 2 years old. I'm sure it looks just fine but since it's something I did I'm questioning if I did the right thing attempting to fix it. If it took me so long to figure it out would anyone else have noticed if I let it be? If nothing else she likes it. She was gleaming looking in the mirror then tells me "Mommy I really love my hair....Daddy's gonna FREAK!" Another moment worth bottling.

Holiday Crafts

2008-12-23T20:09:00.005-05:00

You know...(as much as I loved crafts as a child) I have learned there are crafty people (like my mother who puts Martha to shame) and then there's me. There's no domestic diva to be found here. I don't cook, I tidy but don't clean and I'm too anal for crafts. They drive me insane!
This is our sad attempt at a ginger bread house....oh and as I mentioned I don't cook so you know it was one of those prepackaged deals. Everything including instructions is provided so how can you screw it up....by being me that's how. After fighting to get the walls the stay together for way too long I should have just let the kids eat it. Instead I insist it can be saved....that was before I realized you have to let it set for 2 hours before decorating. So we (I) let it dry and in the mean time of course the rest of the frosting drys out so I have to moisten it down again and obviously added too much water. Then I proceed to make the red and green frosting following the instructions for the white frosting...obviously that wasn't a good idea. Finally I let go of my anal tendencies and went crazy just trying to get the stupid thing done. It looks like a trip gone bad.

So on to craft number two. Leah's High Five magazine had a recipe for home made play dough in it that she insisted she had to do. So I send Scott off to the store for cream of tartar (which I'm still not sure what the heck any one uses it for) and while he's gone I realize I have run out of flour (from my attempt at holiday sugar cookies) so I call him as he's at the check out and tell him to grab some. Get off the phone and realize I need 2 cups of salt which I certainly don't have so I call him again. Any how we get everything and make the dough and I decide let's make ornaments for the tree. Our little family would be cute wouldn't it? Well here they (we are). Note the little nibble out of Tyler's head. One should know better then to leave cookie shaped objects out to dry with in a 2 year old's reach. Needless to say he was not a fan of the taste of his own head. I'm not cut out for this whole Debbie homemaker crap. I'll leave it to Martha and Nana.

He Did It!

2008-12-13T20:33:00.004-05:00

Since Tyler moved to the Two's room he suddenly is very interested in the potty. Last night I was trying not to get discouraged that he proceeded to pee on the floor 30 seconds after getting off the potty or the fact he put his hand in the toilet water attempting to dispose of the toilet paper. If we're not potty training why should I have to deal with cleaning up the messes that come with the territory? Well he actually peed in the potty tonight!...well mostly in the potty. I guess I need to figure out how you teach a little man he needs to aim. I'm not ready to say we're "training" but I'm proud all the same...and just imagine if he figured this whole thing out before I even thought about tackling the subject.

Happy Early Birthday

2008-11-30T23:02:00.002-05:00

We celebrated Tyler's 2nd Birthday a week early with Nana Pat and Papa. I think Scott was relieved to see Tyler was as excited about his new power tools as his boy baby doll. Am I raising a sensitive manly little boy or what?

A Girls Afternoon Out

2008-11-21T20:59:00.002-05:00

I have some vacation days I have to get in before the end of the year so I took the afternoon off and surprised Leah with a girls afternoon out. I picked her up from daycare and took her to her 1st movie in the theater. It was such a pleasure to spend time with her one on one and remember she's not just the bossy big sister that I expect too much from. She's an absolute pleasure. Her smiles and sweet voice are enough to give me butterflies in my stomach. She was so estatic and I really think I needed a mental health day.

The Passage of Time Through My Bathroom Window

2008-11-02T11:20:00.003-05:00

I know there's a poem in there some where. I've come to realize I've shared alot of time with the shadowy figure of tree limbs outside my bathroom window. After 3 pregnancies and delivering a 9 lbs baby I still make more late night trips then I'd care to admit. I find myself looking out the window and watching the season change. After seven years of looking out that same window I realize there's just no stopping time no matter how much I'd like to.

Better then TV

2008-11-02T11:10:00.005-05:00

Who needs DIY Network (sorry Ross) when you've got Pop the tool man terror?

Halloween Fun

2008-11-02T10:48:00.007-05:00

Sunroom update

2008-11-02T10:24:00.002-05:00

Yes it's November and I have a HUGE hole in my house....what's your point?

The sad thing is these shots were taken 2 weeks ago. The floor and ceiling are now gone too.

Mini Language Explosion

2008-10-18T20:55:00.003-04:00

After seeing Leah jabber from a very young age I've always been a bit nervous that Tyler was speach delayed. I've done my best to lay low and let him do things at his own pace. I'm proud to report in the past week Tyler has gone from less then 10 words to nearly 30. Now most words aren't quite there but I think the average person may be able to figure it out if they gave it a few minutes.

New to the list this week

Leah (E-ah)

Apple (think he liked the trip to the orchard?)

Frog (fog)

Duck

Quack (does that count as a word?)

Hot dog

Five (as in high five)

I love you (so sweat)

My (said before everything - oh to be 2)

Baby ("my baybay" - adores Leah's baby doll)

and not so new but used more often in the past week

Outside (usually heard as "side")

Sock

Shoe

Dog

Dow (aka Shadow)

Daddy

Mama

Cookie (co co)

More (mo..."mo co co" heard often)

Juice ("mo juice" another favorite)

Please

Thank you (ank Q....so cute)

All done

Book

Ball

Bubble (aka anything floating in the sky ie dust)

Balloon

Sit (aka chair)

ah man

No (he's almost 2 - that one's a given)

bye-bye

Apples and Pumpkins

2008-10-12T22:36:00.005-04:00

Shaker Family Fest

2008-10-12T22:28:00.003-04:00

IMG_0287, originally uploaded by echeasley.

Last weekend we took the kids up to the end of my parents street for Shaker Family Fest. Tyler had his first pony ride and Leah had a blast on each of the bouncers. Walking the gounds I couldn't help but think of the days I went to grade school in the building. I was the last graduating class before the school was closed. It has since been converted into part Early Childhood Enrichment Center and part community family center. I think I even spotted the lollipop tree that the PTA used during events at the school back in the day. Things change but yet remain the same.

Bruiser

2008-10-10T22:14:00.001-04:00

October 028, originally uploaded by echeasley.

Ain't he a cutie? Sad thing is no one knows what he did. His sister comes within 5 feet of him and he'll scream bloody murder but he bangs up his face and doesn't even cry. I don't get it. Needless to say I've become a bit over protective this week. Do they sell face shields for 2 year olds? Maybe I'll just wrap him in bubble wrap before I send him off to day-care in the morning.

Where To Start

2008-10-10T20:53:00.002-04:00

In general I try to keep this blog free of the downers that life brings and to focus on the things my children do that make me the mother I am. The bumps, the tears, the smiles and milestone. However before I continue with any further post I feel the need to express my sincere sympathies with the passing of Scott's Aunt/Godmother Bev earlier this week. We traveled to Pittsburgh this morning to say our goodbyes and spend some time with family. I knew early in my relationship with Scott that his Aunt Bev held a special place in his heart. Not having been raised catholic I didn't know what the role of a Godmother was and if the title was the primary reason that he felt an extra special tie with her. Once I met Bev, I quickly learned the reason for his tie. She was the person who always made you feel welcome, needed and cherished. She valued what you had to say and honestly cared about what was going on in your life. She was the cool aunt that was a friend and yet some one that you looked up to and respected. She loved deeply and when some one was hurting you could feel how deeply she hurt as well. I think of her each night when I tuck the kids in with the beautiful blankets she knitted for them before they were introduced to the world. My heart goes out to her husband, brothers and sister. Heasley gatherings won't be the same without her warm smile.

But I Love You was all he could do

2008-09-23T11:18:00.001-04:00

Giggles, originally uploaded by echeasley.

Tyler's still not talking much but I got a big "I Love You" in sign this morning. You just keep melting my heart little guy.

Deaf Donald met Talkie Sue
But I Love You was all he could do.
And Sue said, "Donald I sure do like you."
But I Love You was all he could do.
And Sue asked Donald, "Do you like me too?"
But I Love You was all he could do.
"Good-bye then, Donald, I'm leaving you."
But I Love You was all he could do.
And she left forever and she never knew
That I Love You means I Love You!

- Shel Silverstein