PA Trip--Post 5--Slip and Slide and Picnic in the Park

One of the afternoons we were there we broke out the slip and slide for some fun. I don't really have anything else to say about it.

I love this picture.

We also went to what North East calls Picnic in the Park. There is some live music, food, and crafts to make. It was really fun and relaxed. The girls got to make fluffy animals.

Lily making her creation.

Audrey working hard.

Audrey's work of art.

Alexis' work of art. She really took her time with this. She is such an artist. Before she started she really thought about her design. Then she got her supplies, lined them all up on the bench next to her, and took the longest to put hers together. But I think the outcome is awesome. So cute.

Don't they look so happy to show us their creations? Well, at least Audrey does.

PA Trip--Post 4--Cherry Picking

Lori and I REALLY wanted to make cherry jam again this year. However, when we were in PA we were just a couple of weeks ahead of the normal cherry season. But the crop came in early this year and Aunt Carmella knows the owner of the cherry farm where we went to last year. She called her and asked if could come pick. The owner said sure and headed off to pick from one lovely tree. The kids thought it was fun to use the ladders and it didn't take us very long.

How funny. Alexis' eyes are closed in the picture. Yes, she's so talented that she can pick her cherries with her eyes closed!

We ended up making lots of yummy cherry jam the night before we left. We actually didn't have to stay up too late either. Thanks Aunt Carmella for using your influence to get us cherries!

PA Trip--Post 3--Pittsburgh

We took a 2.5 hour "detour" to Pittsburgh on Wednesday. We were going to see John (Ben's brother) and his wife Jeanna. We hadn't seen them in a really long time. Jeanna was expecting a baby boy any day and they were due to move to the East Coast in just a couple of weeks. So we thought this would be a good opportunity to see them. I have to admit it was a really long trip. Aunt Carmella and great Grandma were with us and that made it more enjoyable.

We actually only got about an hour, if that, with Jeanna. Her mom and sister came into town the same day and they were tired and for some reason Great Grandma did not like their apartment. So after only 45 minutes at their apartment we headed out.

John came with us to ride up a trolley thing to see the city and where the rivers meet. I know that's kind of a vague description but I don't really remember what the name of it is. It has been a couple of months since this happened. That's a common blogging problem when you wait too long to post. :)

Anyway, it was fun and it was a pretty view. Afterwards we dropped John off, well, he sort jumped out of the car to catch the bus home, and we went to dinner at a restaurant where Alexis bit her tongue so hard she actually took a chunk out. It was so sad. And now you know all the very small details of this trip. I wish we had more time with John and Jeanna but oh well.


This is Audrey enjoying ice cream at dinner. This girl and ice cream! She absolutely loves it and would have some everyday if I let her. It's her go to dessert choice.


Riding the trolley thing.

Riding the trolley thing.

Looking at the view.

Abby looking through the viewer thing.

Our view from the top.

The gang at John and Jeanna's apartment.

PA Trip--Post 2--Waldamere and Elly

The girls absolutely loved Elly (I hope I'm spelling that right). She is such a sweetheart.


This day Elly wasn't feeling well. She had eaten a ball and it wasn't passing through her very well. The girls covered her up and were playing and keeping her company. Audrey knew how to rub her belly just right.

Ah, Waldamere. Such a fun day. The morning of Waldamere we found a rash all over Audrey. That meant that she couldn't go in the water park. Now, Lori and I aren't all that keen on water parks anyway so it didn't bother us too much but we knew Alexis and Lily wanted to go. Plus they can go on all the rides together so it's perfect. Uncle John volunteered to go in the water park with them so Lori and I could Abby and Audrey on some younger rides. The rash actually went away after Audrey took some Zyrtec so we concluded that she had an allergic reaction to the soap we used to wash her the night before. I think it was Zest. Her skin is so sensitive.

Well, we had such a good time riding the rides and the girls were so cute. Here they are holding hands.

More hand holding. Alexis and Lily are holding hands too.

This ride is Tilt-a-Whirl. The girls love this one. Abby and Audrey went by themselves too. I think they rode on this one three or four times in a row.

This picture is from the log ride. Last year I took Alexis, Lily, and Audrey on this ride. My girls both cried the entire time. Lily loved it and really wanted to go on it. I told them I was not going on it because you get soaked on it but that they could certainly go. Can you tell that Lily absolutely loved this ride?

Okay, this picture is so funny because this is Alexis and Lily coming down the last big drop. Alexis ducked so far into the log that you can't even tell she is riding in it. It looks like Lily is riding the ride all alone. So funny!

This is a little kiddie roller coaster that the girls just love. We must have gone on this one six or seven times.

We had to ride on the carousel of course!

Oh, the Frog Hopper. Last year the girls thought it was great. Audrey has a smile here but I think she thought it was a little babyish for her by the end of the ride. She wouldn't go on it again.

Here are the girls eating at Sara's in Erie, PA. My friend Karen told me I had to go here and have the orange and vanilla ice cream cones. So we did. First of all, they are HUGE! But we managed to suffer through it and eat it all. The girls and I declared it to be some of the finest ice-cream we ever eaten. :)

The girls being silly.

This picture is really for Karen. The creamsicle or orange and vanilla cone is truly awesome. Thank you for telling me to go!

Oh Waldamere how I love you. I'll see you again in one year!

Annual PA Trip--Post 1

Ahhh, it's that time again. Finally posting about our annual PA trip a month or more past when it actually happened!

So, we had a pretty darn good drive to PA this year. I drove and Lori navigated (the children that is). I know, I am so selfish! I drove, by far the easier job, while I made the seven months pregnant lady handle all the children. She's just so much more patient with them! I get fed up within one hour. And it's a 12 hour trip! Anyway, we got there just fine and without any major incidences. Well, we did have to pull over to the side of the road so Abby could pee. There were no stops anywhere and she REALLY had to go. I think she was a little confused about peeing in the grass while cars drove by but those of us in the car got a huge kick out of it and I got pictures. I'm such a good Aunt! :)

Our plan for our first day with Aunt Carmella was to relax. The kids could ride their bikes to their hearts content and play outside. To our surprise a fireman that was collecting a donation, I think, from Aunt Carmella showed up in his truck. And to the kids' delight he let them climb inside.

We also broke out some play dough and new play dough apparatus that lets you make ice cream cones and other shop items. It was a huge hit and had to be heavily regulated by the adults so no fighting would break out.

Audrey and Abby had a nightly ritual of reading together. Audrey was happy to read to Abby. So cute!

End of the School Year Pictures

Just had to post these last pictures of the girls with Ms. O'Brien. Ms. O'Brien was Audrey's teacher this year and Alexis' teacher for 3rd Grade last year. We love her!


Audrey, Ms. O'Brien, Alexis, and our great friend Maddy.


Audrey and Ms. O'Brien.

Kindergarten Zoo Field Trip

Why oh why do I always volunteer for these field trips? I love being with the kids but sometimes I have to wonder if the negatives outweigh the positives. Negatives: riding the bus, reigning in the kids that are assigned to me, dealing with the crowds of other schools, and riding the bus. No, that's not a typo. I HATE riding school buses. I would rather do anything than ride a bus with kids. Well, the Kindergartners weren't that bad but older kids are definitely worse.

Anyway, this trip to the zoo was actually really fun. There were so many parents there that I just had Audrey and her buddy Isaiah to look after. They made a perfect team too. They are both energetic, constantly moving, and wanted no breaks. We tried to stay with two other parents and their groups but Audrey and Isaiah were running from exhibit to exhibit and we left them in the dust.

We were at the zoo for three hours and the only time we sat down was for lunch and that was for 15 minutes. It was a nice day too. It was cloudy and not hot at all. It was supposed to pour but it didn't at all. It was perfect. Isaiah really loved the lions. Audrey loved the armadillo (they are so funny to watch walk around. It's like a hard toy on a flat escalator). We always love to see the Goeldi Monkeys as well. We all wish that we could have one for a pet. They are so adorable.


Kayla, Audrey (see--funny face), and Isaiah


Posing with the statues. They thought this was hilarious for some reason.


Audrey and some of her good friends. She has a funny face again! She is so funny.

Alright, I will admit it is worth the hassle to be on the field trip and see my daughter's faces and spend time with her and her friends.

The End of Kindergarten

The Kindergartners had an end of the year celebration. It was really cute. They sang us some songs and they all got an award from their teacher. Audrey got the award of "Awesome Author." Her teacher said that during writing time Audrey writes pages and pages of stories and other things. She has such an imagination. It was really hard for me to keep only a few choice things that she wrote this year. I have school binders for both girls where I keep some of their school and art work, report cards, and any awards. I have to be really choosy because the binder gets so full. Audrey had so much this year! She loves to write and read. Her reading has really taken off and she is so proud of herself. I am going to miss Kindergarten. I loved it for Alexis too. It is one of the most precious times of children's lives. I am sad to see it go.

Audrey accepting her "Awesome Author" award.

School Tech Trek

Dean School had its 2nd Annual Tech Trek. It's such a fun event. The kids (read "parents") raise (read "give") money for the school to buy computers and such. The K4, Kindergartners, and 1st graders all spend a little over an hour walking or running around the high school track. The 2-4th graders can walk or run around the entire school block, which is about 1.5 miles. We had a beautiful day for this. I was stationed at one of the corners around the block to hand out water. It was fun to cheer on the kids as they passed us. The only bad part of that was that we were not given enough cups so we ran out really fast. The kids who had water bottles were able to fill them up but the others were out of luck.

After the hour of walking/running was up we headed to the high school track. Everyone got popsicles and had a school picture.


This is Audrey's K5 class. I don't think you can see her at all. Oh well.


This is a shot of almost all of the kids in the school.


This is Alexis' class.

Audrey makes the funniest faces when a camera is turned towards her.

Alexis started dumping water on herself to cool off.

Both girls had so much fun and it was so nice to spend hours outside on a gorgeous day.