Our First Family Night

Tonight we had our first family night. We agreed with the new year we would once a month hold an official family night. Today was our first and I'd say it was relatively successful. At one of our (new weekly) family meetings, Tyler had decided that for family night he'd like to do a craft. Since mommy isn't that good with doing crafts on a daily basis at home (isn't that what school is for?) we opened up this birdhouse kit that Tyler had won at some street fair. He's been wanting to put it together for so long. So here was his chance. We got out the kit, plus some paint for Kendall and also the much adored but banned from the house playdoh. We had some fun! Daddy sort of took control of the birdhouse so mommy pulled out some workbooks for Tyler which he wasn't much into so that didn't last long.
Mommy pulled out some brain quest cards and Tyler actually liked those so we had fun until Mommy had to wake Kendall from her 3 1/2 hour nap so she could join us.
Don't mind her crazy bed head. She was very excited to get to paint. Mommy doesn't trust her to paint alone downstairs yet. She's my Picasso (or Pollock) and if left to her own she will paint the walls I'm pretty sure of it.

Happy Birthday Grandma Laurie!

We want to wish our Grandma Quattrin a wonderful birthday! We can't wait to see her again. The last time we saw her, she taught Kendall to walk! If you could only see her now Grandma, she's running, climbing and doing almost anything Tyler can do. Anyway we hope you have a great birthday, wish we could be there with you. Hoping to see you soon......

Pike to Eel

Tyler graduated from his pike swim class to eel, last session. We were so proud. Then he had two weeks off and last week was his first day with a new coach. I couldn't take any pictures and post it last week because he wouldn't go in the water. Mommy was quite mad because I know coach Lynn was thinking he wasn't ready. The only time he swam was when I left because I was so upset and he started to swim to the deep end to try and get me. The teacher had to pull him back. I didn't want him to disrupt the class so I made him sit on the edge of the pool for the whole class then 5 minutes before it was over mean mommy said "you better get in that pool and swim to your class (in the deep end) or I'm locking you in your room for the rest of the day! Well thankfully I didn't have to go through with the threat because he got in swam to his class which by this time was swimming back and then coach Lynn let him jump off the diving board. So this week we came back and I wondered how it would go. It went exactly how it should have gone last week. He was a fish, or I should say eel I guess.
He couldn't stop swimming and was actually swimming under water whenever he could.
He is the youngest in the class and he still has his bubbles on but the coach took them off when he was swimming on his back and he did great so maybe she'll have me take them off soon.

And this is what you look like when it's 12 degrees outside and you have swim lessons (indoors of course).

Tyler On Ice

On Wednesday Tyler started his Ice Skating class. He wasn't too sure of it and was quite nervous about falling but when I told him if he took the lessons one day he'd be playing ice hockey like his cousin Joey then he was all ready for it.
Parents are NOT allowed on the ice and I have to say that isn't such a bad thing. There were a lot of "I can't do it, it's too slippery" being said by Tyler and basically he didn't skate at all. But I will say I was quite happy and proud of him for trying it. He didn't cry or hang onto me.
He went right out on the ice and stood there like the pro he will one day be.








He was probably one of the youngest out there so hopefully he'll get the hang of it soon and he won't spend the next 6 weeks just standing (or sitting) there on the ice.

Now it's taken me awhile to post these because that Wednesday morning Kendall was preliminarily diagnosed with Pneumonia so we've been busy and cranky and just plain tired. But the next day Kendall had a chest x-ray and it came back negative but the doctor still wants us to keep her on all the meds and nebalizer (sp) thing (which I have to say I love because her cough isn't keeping her awake anymore). Kendall goes back to the doctors on Monday so we'll find out more then.

Happy Birthday Cousin Ashley!

We want to wish cousin Ashley a Happy Birthday! She's so smart and talented we only hope some of that is genetics that we will inherit too! Hope you have a wonderful birthday.

Like Mother Like Daughter?

Do you notice anything? I know I'm really quite the dork. Our first matching outfit. My kids will really need therapy by the time all is said in done. But it's not too matchy and I really couldn't help myself. Got to love Old Navy!

Year in Review

I wanted to post something for the first of the year but I couldn't think what. We didn't do anything for New Years. The kids went to bed on time and Kevin and I just played our annual game of Trivia Pursuit. Exciting now isn't it? So while I was thinking what could I post I figured why not a year in review, so let's do it:

January; our first New England Winter. February speaks for itself.

In March we were able to hunt for eggs for a little while before freezing outside.

April Kendall turned One. May was mommy's first blog, remember it was about my making Kendall's hooded towel.

In June Tyler got his first at home haircut. July was when Kendall took her first steps, it wouldn't be for another 3 weeks until she really started walking though.

In August we visited Grandma & Grandpa Quattrin and was able to seeing Auntie Kathy and Cousin Ashley too. We were really sad to miss all our Livermore/San Francisco pals because the kids ended up having that lovely virus, Hand Foot Mouth. September was when we started Preschool, (Kendall too in her Toddler Program). October Tyler turned Three! In November we had family portraits taken and December we met the big man and got everything we hoped for.

Looking back 2008 didn't seem like it was really all that bad (for us anyway). So here's to another year of health, happiness and good fortune. May we all be blessed in 2009. Happy New Year!