Three

Happy Birthday, my sweet girl.

So Much Excitement

"Tomorrow's my birthday party!  Party!  Cake!  Party!"

"Wow, sis...you really need to chill out..."

Massive Photo Dump

I know, I know, I'm a total slacker.  But tomorrow is Ellie's third birthday party (say WHAT?!?!) and I'm sure I'll take tons of pictures, so I figured I better post some stuff from the last couple of weeks before it's hopelessly out of date.

The Coburns came to town!  And the boys (rather ill advisedly) tried to pull down the Tree Branch of Doom that had been dangling over our back yard.  It didn't work.  But it was highly amusing.

And David learned all about tiaras and high heels.  You go, boy!

This is what happens lately when Ellie sees the camera.  Oy.

This tent and tunnel was the best $15 I ever spent.  The tent lasted approximately 6 hours, but the tunnel is still going strong.

Ellie liked the chili at Wendy's, so I made some at home.  Of course, she didn't approve.  And has taken to wearing my bike helmet pretty regularly.  It's always good to be prepared.

Hah!  So this is our friend, Michael, DANCING ON A TABLE, at a club following Uncle Sri and Uncle Jay's wedding.  It's the only picture I took the entire weekend, because I am lame, and was having far too good of a time.  Aunt Jan and Sienna very generously came to stay with the kids and Bri and I had a whole weekend in the city.  There was incredible Indian food, 80's dancing, a childless brunch, champagne while getting dressed, endless two-stepping with the groom's father, oh, and more brunch.  Side note about the 80's dancing:  while rocking out to Adam Ant I was nostalgic for all the 80's dancing we used to do at Club Toast in college.  Which made me realize, HELLO, that was 1993.  Only four years removed from the 80s.  When exactly did 80's music stop being the music the club just always played and become exiled to Tuesday night?  What did they play the other six nights?  Are clubs holding 2000's nights now and I'm just too old and withered to know about it?  Oh my god.  We are so old.  Anyhow, end side note.  The wedding was AMAZING and we are so thrilled for Ellie's godfather and his awesome husband.

This is what the kids were up to while we were gone.  They are too ridiculous.

Train!

Oh geez...This happened.  Aunt Bess and I ran a half marathon!  And I actually finished!  Honestly, I was disappointed in my time (my knee decided this whole thing was a bad idea around mile three) but I wasn't at all disappointed with the football, beer, and chili at Todd and Bess' house after.  Totally worth it.  You know, once I could walk again.

And finally, this picture just cracks me up.  Don't they look like little street urchins?  Grandma says we obviously have a gin mill in the bathtub.

Okay, now here's praying the promised "Frankenstorm" doesn't ruin E's birthday party and Halloween.  Oh my god.  We'd have to eat so much candy.

Obligatory Pumpkin Patch Photos

It's fall.  And everyone knows that if you fail to hit the local pumpkin patch Child Services comes knocking on your door by first frost.  And we don't want that...(or do we?  a childfree vacation? could we coordinate this with a cruise to the Bahamas?  let's investigate.)

Anyhow, I tried to take good pictures, but Ellie was cranky from lack of nap, and Gabe had an allergic reaction to split pea soup at lunch (UGH.  I HATE ALLERGIES.  THIS MAKES ME BEYOND CRANKY.) so he was super low energy.  I swear they had a good time, but it's tough to tell in these photos.  Anyhow, there's a scarecrow making party in the park next Saturday, so we'll try again with the fall-themed fun.

"No splash?  Really, mom?"

This picture makes the hayride look dangerous and terrifying...straight out of Willy Wonka.

Elle didn't really seem to get why we were there.  We'll do a jack o'lantern soon...

Staking his claim...

Okay, so Leila, Gabe, and Ellie are all making faces.  But look at Jonah!  That kid is too much.

Uncle Mike, Jonah, and Leila.

Arrowhead Lake

So we hopped in our time travel machine, drove to the Poconos, and ended up three weeks in the future.  Seriously.  The leaves are still green as anything at home, but up in the hills?  Fall has arrived.  And so has Jack and Bob's first birthday!

We ended up having a blissfully perfect day.  A little sailing, a little throwing rocks in the water, a little campfire, a LOT of brownies.

Happy Birthday, boys!

There was no way Brian could resist the Sunfish.

Elle and Gabe play with the waterlogged canoe.

And Gabe has perfected his toddler "say cheese" face. It cracks me up.

Patience

Dude...waiting for cookies to come out of the oven is HARD.

On the Charts

I forgot to post it on the blog but Gabe had his eighteen month check-up last week. Woohoo!  Someone's finally on the growth charts!  He got a clean bill of health, three shots, and let us check out our new pediatrician.  Which was good since we had to go back today since Ellie seems to have a bladder infection.  Have you ever spent two hours in a pediatrician's office trying to get a toddler to pee in a cup?  It was epic.  But anyhow, Gabe's stats:

Weight:  19lbs, 14 ounces.  That's 5% on the chart.
Height:  30 .5 inches.  That's 10% on the chart.

He's still little, but no longer teensy-tiny.

Living "Dutch Wonderfully"

We took off for the weekend to meet Mike, Sari, Leila, and BabyJonah at Dutch Wonderland in Pennsylvania.  Have you ever been?  Oh my god.  It was awesome.  Seriously, the weekend could only have gone better if Michael Vick didn't choke, throw four interceptions, and completely screw our fantasy football team.  Really, Vick?  Four interceptions?  Against the Browns?

But otherwise?  Perfection.  We stayed in a "suite" so the kids had their own space and Bri and I could watch tv while they slept.  It's really the only way to travel with kids.  We got a bottle of wine for Saturday night so it was practically date night!  The hotel had an indoor pool, so even the crazy thunderstorms Saturday afternoon didn't cramp our style.  And we even randomly ran into one of Brian's oldest friends from high school.  Crazy! Plus Dutch Wonderland is amazing, if a little cult-ish.  Princess Brooke, with her perfect blond hair and frothy pink ballgown, instructed us to "live Dutch Wonderfully" and I feel compelled to obey.

The whole experience really blew little Gabe's mind.

Can't you just see them strolling down a boardwalk as sassy teenagers?

Hey Guys!

"Thanks for the car, mom!  We're outta here!"

There's one in every crowd.

Bulldozing.  This is the slowest ride ever.  I almost fell asleep watching.

Sometimes you take a perfect picture and may as well put your camera down and go home.

Proof I was there!

Baby Jonah-Bright-Eyes

I loved this kid-powered "ride."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Awww...All in all, it was a really special weekend.  Here's to doing it again next year.

Priorities

Tomorrow is my and Brian's eighth wedding anniversary.  But we're going out to dinner tonight.  Because there's a football game tomorrow night.   Ooooh yeah.  It's gonna be like that.

Are You Ready for Some Football?

That's right.  Yesterday was the draft for the inaugural season of the "Westchester Country Club" fantasy football league.  And because we can never do anything without a ridiculous amount of pomp and circumstance, we roasted a pig.  And bobbed for apples.

The pig roast was practical, I guess.  A good way to feed a large crowd of people and for Brian to feel super-manly.  The bobbing for apples, though?  Pure ridiculousness.  We needed a way to choose the draft order and a ritually humiliating dunking seemed as good a way as any.

Ladies and gentleman, I present....The League.

Mike K.  He cheated and grabbed his apple by hand.  You can't trust the youth of America today.

Uncle Rob.  He cheated too.  But we've always known he can't be trusted.

Uncle Mike.  The first to successfully bob.  And he was rewarded with Draft Pick #1!

Uncle Todd assessing the situation.

And done!

Brandon assumes apple bobbing will be included in the next strongman competition.

Jon fully committed.

I love this shot.

It took Mike a few tries, but he acquitted himself well.

Brian was last and his draft spot was a foregone conclusion.  But still, there's no getting out of this.

Bess and Bess:  two fellow Football wives.  I missed pictures of Allie and Sari.

The final draft board.  Look at them.  They're so proud.  It promises to be a HIGHLY entertaining season.