Missing Annie!

Due to the painting project in the house this weekend I asked my parents to take Ann to the beach for an overnight so that she would not be here breathing in fumes. She couldn't get into the car seat fast enought to get out of town and beamed as she waved goodbye to me. I on the other hand felt weird all night without her. It's amazing how much she adds to the house and how big a void there is when she is gone - especially waking up in the morning without her! Molly had trouble falling asleep last night because she missed her sister - it was very sweet for about an hour - than it got old!

The big kids camped out in the living room so that Bob could prime the rooms last night and they loved it - Pete got the couch and we moved MOlly's mattress into the living room for her - this is how she slept all night!

Molly asleep in the living room.
Annie ready to go to the beach - check out her little shoes. It drives Papa crazy that she never wears shoes so I occasionally indulge him!
My big girl ready for a sleepover!
Headed for the door - can we go now, Mom?
"I'm waiting.........."
Hard to say what we miss most when she isn't here - her smile, her funny face or her rasberries on our cheeks - she is coming home in a few hours!

My company threw a huge picnic for employees and their families at the Wadsworth Mansion - just as they were getting everyone set up for a picture of all 500 people the skies opened up and it started to pour. I felt bad for all the planning that went into it because people just bolted for cover! This is Molly and Peter playing in the rain while we waited for BOb to go get the car for us. The kids were a big hit while we were there. The kids met my boss for the 1st time and MOlly immediately asked if I had to go to work tomorrow(Friday) and Peter told my boss that when he pictured her in his head he always thought she would have brown skin like him! They made quite an impression on everyone dancing in the rain and giggling while everyone else paniked about getting wet! I was so proud of them!
Banana looked so cute in her little dress and she charmed the pants off of everyone who went by while we were at the picnic. She waved her little hands at everyone and if people stopped to say hi she reached out and jumped into their arms. Too cute. My prediction is that she will be walking before her 1st birthday - she stands by herself now. I would tell you about the new sign she learned but my dad will get far too much enjoyment out of making fun of me for it so I'll skip it. I have a good mind to teach her a "Special" sign just for Papa. Just kidding!
Molly girl quenching her thirst from the drops falling off of the leaves. 20 seconds after this picture she spotted a spider on the leaf above her head and freaked out big time!

Since we didn't have time to eat at the picnic we stopped for Taco Bell on the way home and my kids were in heaven - they must be related to my brother because fast food makes them awfully happy! I'll post tonight with pictures of the new rooms and their progress - I forgot to get the before pictures - oops!

GNM - ILY!

Back to Newport for a few pictures!

Everyone who knows me knows that ever since the first time I visited Rosecliff Mansion in Newport I joked with my dad that I was going to get married there. It is gorgeous -as you can see - and has a heart shaped staircase and veranda overlooking the ocean. When I met and married Bob dreams of a reception at Rosecliff flew out the window in exchange for the quickest way to get married and be able to live and start our life together. Molly - our middle child is on the quiet side and makes little trouble in the scheme of things but sometimes she feels a bit forgotten in our day to day chaos of keeping things together so I was looking for a special Mommy and daughter activity for us. When I suggested Rosecliff she lit up and threw on her best Hannah Montana t-shirt. And now I remember why I LOVE these days together with her. She is bright, funny and just beams when being given individual time with one of us - on top of that she is intuitive and gracious.

Molly - girl near the overlook behind Rosecliff.
I'm not sure if you can see the wall of rocks behind Molly in this picture but she thought it was the greatest thing. Ever since MOlly was under a year old she has had a thing for rocks and nothing has changed. She collects rocks from everywhere we go and whenever I suggest getting a gift for someone at one of our stops Molly will usually decide instead to pick a perfect rock for the person - my parents have been the recipients of Many Many Many rocks and this time Daddy was the lucky recipient of a rock, pebble, twig and leaf from Rosecliff.

My girl making a wish in the wishing well - she wished for three things according to her.
1. The camp rock dolls for her birthday. 2. Caroline to get here before her birthday so she can be at her party and 3. a brother for Peter (can you say fat chance on that one?)

Molly loved all of the flower gardens.
The girls out for a date at the mansions - she kept looking up at me and saying "isn't this fun, Mommy?"
This is Molly in the rose garden outside - at one point we were looking around and talking about how beautiful the garden was and she turned to me and said "yeah, Mommy, just like our beautiful rose garden at home." We have 2 rose bushes with 4 flowers each that are surrounded by weeds. At another point inside the house I was telling her about how I wanted to get married here when I was younger - I asked if she could imagine getting married here and her response was "Or I could get married at our house in our beautiful back yard."
Molly and the mansion - she loved it and all of the clothing displays inside.

The moral of the story for me that day was that big dreams are great but being happy with what you have is the key to happiness. My daughter is just amazing and she doesn't even realize it.

I love the way Molly sleeps -she always finds the weirdest positions - this is just one of those positions that I found funny!


The kids and Grammy with their ice cream.
I love how Abby eats ice cream with such gusto - it reminds me of the pictures of my cousin Eileen when we were little - there was always more on her chin than in her mouth!
Katie playing on the floor and looking adorable.
This is Julia exasperated because she had to leave the dolls she was playing with to go talk to her parents on the phone. When Auntie Jane finally let the poor kid hang up she looked at me and said. "Why do they want to talk to me - I'm only in Newport with my counsins!" Wait till she's a mom - Newport will seem like Africa.
Grammy and Annie on a sleepy morning!

Abby Cadabie in the pool looking cute!
My girl in her 2 piece bathing suit from KK sunbathing!
Papa and the girls warming up after a long swim!
Uncle Ed finally found an effective way to get the boys out of the pool.

The boys were not thrilled when Annie emptied their bag of tickets but we thought she was adorable! BTW - the kids ended up with a collective 4,806 tickets - that's a lot of video games.
More of Annie and her tickets.
Annie in her cute little ladybug bathing suit - she loved being down at the pool with the big kids even if she wasn't in the pool.
Annie's new smile - she cracks herself up - this was her screeching at the kids to come play with her.
My sweetie pie looking goofy!

I loved these pictures of the kids in their matching pajamas - what a gorgeous brood we have.
Tyler and Peter in their incredible hulk pajamas - they both wore them 2 nights in a row.
The girls in their HSM pajamams - I think they look a little bit alike in this picture.
Silly faces and the end to my Newport pictures - pathetic I know. I actually have a bunch from the first few days but downloaded them to a different computer and have no idea how to get to them now.

25 days left until school starts - is that possible?? Our uniforms switched this year so get your eyes ready for strictly red shirts and khaki pants - yikes! I would have preferred navy and khaki but at least they gave us time to buy the right stuff this year! Peter is apprehensive about starting school but Molly is chomping at the bit - probably because she knows her teacher (Peter's from last year) and Peter doesn't know his.

Big weekend in our house as the kids get ready to switch bedrooms - Molly and Ann are going into Pete's room and he is going into their room since we now have to make room for another little girl and Pete currently has the bigger room. There will be painting and decorating galore at the H-W home this weekend so if you're bored stay away or we'll put you to work. We do have a little surprise for the kids in the form of a room at the Marriott for the night - my docs strongly suggested my not sleeping in a newly painted house at this stage of the pregnancy so, Oh darn - we'll have to go sleep in the most comfortable beds on earth and swim till our hearts content!

I'm off to curl up with my new book. If there are any Neil Diamond fans out there I strongly urge you to get his new CD - I am obssessed with it!

1 more day until Auntie Beth gets home and 9 days since Pete sucked his thumb!

GNM - ILY!

A Mommy's Perogative!

Annie has been going through a bit of a cranky phase of late (and by that I mean cranky for Annie). Her teeth are coming in - very slowly but getting there. She is running low grade fevers and the inflammation from her gums is causing a build up of fluid in her ears so she has very miserable times of days. That being said she is also forced each day to endure the chaos of the big kids and all of their activities, friends, travel and affection - sometimes not a bad thing but sometimes tiring on a baby. Bob and I have been keeping Annie up for a half hour after the big kids go to bed just to get some time alone with her and spoil her a little - she loves the attention and we love fawning all over her - especially with the prospect fo less time for this in a few months. Last night Annie could not keep it together and so Bob gave her her "night night" (the blankie Grammy made her) and I went to find her a binkie - we had obviously kept her up too late because in 2.3 seconds she was sound asleep without her binkie. So we passed her back and forth and then finally put her into bed just in time for Molly to wake up with a tummy ache.

Daddy and Annie - she could not keep her eyes open for another minute.
Look at those big rosy cheeks and the sweet little tongue sticking out!
From another angle - The tongue stays there all night until she puts her binky in - how cute!
Annie's tiny little hand holding onto her Daddy - I love those dimples on her knuckles!

In other news - Peter is officially one week away from his last thumb sucking experience and SO very proud of himself - as he should be!

Molly is preparing for school by reading all of Peter's 1st grade books from last year and is amazingly skilled at sounding out long, hard words!

That's all for today - Thanks for listening!

GNM - ILY!

Baby videos

I forgot the baby videos that we took. The first one is of Katie giggling as the kids danced for her. Peter can get her to laugh anytime he wants by boucing around like Tigger. It is a long video with only a few good parts but worth the time - pay attention right as it starts for the little giggles. The quality stinks because my camera is still on the fritz - hint hint to Bob that my birthday is coming up!

This video is of Annie just being Annie. She gives the sweetest little kisses - puckering up and making a kissing noise while sticking her tongue out. I have been trying endlessly to get it on video but have failed miserably. I was trying to get it on tape once again when she just started clowning around with me. She is such a lovebug but I warn you another long video with limited results except if you are totally and absolutely in love with Annie - then the mere sight of her chubby baby fingers pointing at the camera is enough to make it worthwhile. GNM - ILY!

Katie - Time!

We finally got some Katie time while Karla and Pat went to a party Saturday night. We were exhausted from a day at the Irish Festival but how could this kid not perk you right up. I don't think we were quite as exhausted as Pat and Karla who were on their 3rd party for the day. Katie was smiley and cuddly and her cousins got to stay up late to play with her. Sometimes the adults are all vying for Katie so my kids haven't had much time to hold Katie since she got here in March but they made up for it by giving us a run for our money when we tried to get her back from them. Notice there are no pictures of Annie with Katie - I am quite sure that the one picture we took of them together would prevent us from ever being able to babysit again if it were viewed by Pat and Karla so...........

Molly is so maternal - she just loved being with Katie. I also think they look a bit alike in this picture - their coloring is very similar and they're both beauties! Molly commented that she wasn't sure if she loved Katie so much because she was cute or because she reminded her so much of Abby - what a sweetheart!
Peter and a very happy Katie - he has a way of making her smile just be talking - it must be that deep voice!
Peter and Molly with a concerned Katie - this was during a break in the Hannah Montana concert so I'm sure she was a bit concerned that they might drop her the second the commercial was over!

Ou happy niece - I love those eyes!
More Katie!
And more......
I couldn't help myself - she was just making it so easy to snap away!
After this she slept in my arms for a half hour, had a bottle and then laid on her godfather's chest and snoozed until Pat and Karla came home. He was in heaven!

We LOVED having Katie (hint hint) she was a little angel!

GNM - ILY!