Adios, Mexico

It was over in the blink of an eye.

I am SO glad to have finally gotten a break from life as a stay-at-home mom. Arriving around 4pm on Day 1 and leaving for the airport at 8:15a on day 4, only leaves 48 to decompress, ramp up for some beverages, relax, shop for mexican wrestling masks, eat, drink, eat, drink, swim, eat, drink, drink, ride a bull, drink, and, well, drink. After losing yourself in infertility, pregnancy, infancy, formula, diapers, toddlerhood, and potty training for 5 years I was on the fast track to making every second count though!

I had the best sister-in-crime in Jan. We've never been together longer than an afternoon/evening and never really been just the two for us for any length of time. That did not matter. I haven't talked, listened, and laughed so much as I did in those 4 days. I think we traveled well together and just went with the flow (well, except for when we got stuck in the elevator on the morning of our last day. I went into panic mode and pushed every button 16 times, picked up the non-working phone 3 times, and held the alarm for what seemed like an hour before I pried open the doors and saw that we were only about 6 inches down from where we started!)

We took drunken cab rides into town (twice) to buy Mexican wrestling masks for our hubbies, we hung out in the water despite the red flags being up, we swayed in hammocks, we made friends with a bartender named Elder- but by the 2nd drink he was "Papi" to us, we rode a mechanical bull, we were told we were "the best wives" by several guys who wanted the wrestling masks, and we drank an awful lot of pina colada with bacardi anejo floaters.

We decided the only way the trip would have been better is that Bill, John, Reagan and Nolan were there (on the other side of resort hanging at the kiddie pool, but that way we could still see them :)

The stories are better in person, but the pictures do a pretty good job.

I find Mexico very beautiful. I hope you do too!

Contest Winners

Sorry, I didn't close the contest on the 20th, but things got crazy around here with my Grandpa's funeral.

The winners are Dave W and Coleen R.

Please let me know the best way for me to get your prize to you and I'll work it out when I return from vacation.

Congrats!

Reservation at the Heavenly Inn

We laid my Grandpa to rest on Monday. It was a very nice send off and I think he would have been happy with it.

My Mom & Uncle Bob gave eulogies and I've been thinking about my Uncle Bob's every since.

My Grandpa loved to eat. He would sneak away from my Grandma at family outings and shove as much food in as he could. She would realize he was gone and would yell, "Harry, where are you and what are you eating?!" He'd always come around the corner, mouth half-full mumbling "Nothing" and have three or four cookies sticking out of his pocket. It was very hard to see him waste away to nothing since he developed esophagus pouches several years ago and could not swallow, but I digress.

In Uncle Bob's eulogy, he said he'd like to imagine that the first thing Grandpa did when he got to heaven was to make a reservation at the finest restaurant, the Heavenly Inn, for 27 people; himself and everyone in his family that has gone before him. He named names and recounted a little fact about each person and why they were important enough to be at that table.

What a mental image that is. All those people gathering around one table again. Happy to see one another and talking about what has happened on earth since they left! The food is plentiful, the drink flowing, and the laughs continuous.

It has me thinking about who would be at my table when it is my turn to make that reservation, but that is another post for another day.

Who will be at your table?

Missing My Dad

Happy Father's Day to my baby-daddy! The twinadoes are lucky to have you.

Father's Day has been tough for me for the past decade and this one will be even worse as we will be putting my Grandpa to rest this weekend.

I was thinking back to my last Father's Day with my Dad and wanted to share something I wrote 10 years ago to give to my Dad on his last Father's Day with us. We all knew the end was coming and, even though I told him everyday how much I loved him I still wanted to say it all to him.

I can't believe it has been almost a decade that he is gone. I am sad for all the things he has missed; my wedding, my babies, and for my kids not having that awesome man in their lives.

I was so lucky to be "Daddy's Little Girl" though.


From the day a little girl is born, she is Daddy’s Little Girl.
It isn’t until later that she realizes why.

Dad, you’ve taught me some of life’s most important lessons,
and some of the more fun lessons of life. I couldn’t
have picked a better teacher myself.


I’ve learned that sometimes you do things you don’t want to-
No matter how cute I looked standing at the bus stop
in my little raincoat, you had to make me go to school,
even though I really didn’t want to, but I think it hurt
you more than it did me.

I’ve learned the power of just being happy for others-
Sometimes, even if you know it’s a mistake, you are
happy for someone because they are happy,
and when they realize they were wrong, you
are there to be a shoulder to lean on.


I’ve learned the importance of putting others needs before yours-
You didn’t really want to put up a pool every
summer, go to Disney World (except for Small
World and Pirates of the Caribbean), or sit in
a frozen tundra so your daughter could go to
a concert, but you did.


I’ve learned that fun things can hurt you if you aren’t careful-
Always wear long pants and a helmet on a motorcycle!



I’ve learned the importance of putting up with little annoyances-
The clicker on my Green Machine drove you crazy,
MTV was your worst nightmare, no more Duran Duran,
or me roller skating to the Bee Gee’s all summer.


I’ve learned the power of a relaxing afternoon in the backyard-
Sometimes the only place to ponder life’s wonders
is in the backyard with a cold beer and a cigar.


I’ve learned that beer still tastes bad & always will-
Ever since the first sip I took in the driveway
at age 10 or 11(that I quickly spit out), no matter
what you say, beer is evil!


I’ve learned that being a daddy’s girl makes me a more interesting woman-
Fishing, shooting guns, Friday night wrestling/tickling
sessions, playing pool, and Saturday lunches at
Beanies have made me a well rounded person.


I’ve learned that knowing another language makes you more charming-
Even if the only thing you can say is “le livre est sur
le tableau” or sing the refrain from Michele, Ma Belle.

I’ve learned the strength of the word Pride-
One memory I will have with me always is you
telling me how proud you were of me on my
College graduation day. Whenever I doubt myself
I think of that and I know I can endure.


The most important thing I’ve learned is endurance-
In the face of a challenge you’ve
taught me that you can keep going
long after you think you can’t.

Papa

Sorry I haven't posted this week.

My Grandpa passed away on Monday and the week seems to have gotten away from me.

Bill and I have been debating how to handle the wake/funeral with the kids. We read a bunch of sites and I talked to the kids the other morning about it since they asked me why Grammy was sad. We talked about how Papa is not breathing anymore and his heart is not beating and that he is up in heaven and we can't see him anymore. Nolan asked if Papa was holding Chandler, our cat who left us in December.

I've been very careful to not tell them his is sleeping or resting. I don't need them to worry about going to bed at night. Reagan is already showing a fear of the dark and needed to go to bed with a flashlight the other night.

I asked them if they wanted to see Papa one last time and say a final goodbye. They both said yes, so we will see how that goes.

Canning Party

Yes, I know, how very Amish sounding, right?

As you may or may not know, over the last several years I have turned into my Granny Pike. I raise some our veggies in the summer and try to can or freeze as much of it as I can to get use through the l-o-n-g winter. If only I could duplicate her homemade pizza, I'd be all set. Oh, and crochet like she did, too. If you didn't know her, she was an amazing woman who raised 3 sons (and most of the other kids in the neighborhood) on a coal miners salary (at least what Pappy didn't spend at the "company store" on Friday nights.)

Anyway, back to canning. Being the savvy shopper that I am, I got hooked up to host a canning party by Ball®. They sent me an awesome "party pack" that included all new untensils, a stainless steel water bath canner, coupons for free jars, and goodies to give away to my guests.

They suggested we make zesty salsa and pepper jelly, so that is what we set out to do.

We chopped.

We diced.

We simmered.

We ladled.

We put the lids on.

We canned!

We ate & drank a little, too.

It was a really fun time and, I hear, the pepper jelly is awesome over some cream cheese and crackers. I'm holding out to taste it. 

If you are intersted in canning and would like to get together to try more recipes, I'd be happy to try it along with you using my new stuff. Just let me know.

I also have, drumroll please, my first ever blog giveaway! Please leave a comment here and I will randomly selected two winners of a Ball® party pack. Contest ends 6/20/2010.

Waldameer- It's My Magic Kingdom

I've lived in NE Ohio for 30-something years. It was only last year that I first heard about Waldameer in Erie, Pa, a short 90 minute drive away.

It has a little feel of Cedar Point, a lot of Geauga Lake, and (according to my mom) some Euclid Beach thrown in as well. It is much smaller than any of those, but it is awesome and not overwhelming for the 3 year old crowd.


The twinadoes walked the whole park, several times. There were plenty of shaded spots to rest. You can bring your own food and drinks and there are loads of picnic spots. We ordered the main part of the meal there and I supplied the snacks, sides, and beverages. It was $20 for 2 burgers, 9 nuggets, a bucket of fries, and a slice of pizza. Not bad.

I have to say, the twinadoes do a lot of fun stuff, but this was one of the best days ever. There was no whining, everyone got along and we all so much fun. A magical kingdom for us!

Next time we go, we will check out the water park. It was a cool 70 degree day, which was perfect for the rides, but not the water.


If you have kids under 11-12 and are in the area, GO! Like me, you'll be planning your return trip!

Full photos here.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Life has been crazy and I feel like the only time I have to write is at 11p, when I am dead tired and wouldn't do a post justice. It is just the way life is at the moment. The kids have begun to resist the afternoon so I don't even have that much of a break anymore.

The weekend was packed, as usual. Friday we headed to St. Clare's festival to see our friends band, Abby Normal and the Detroit Lean. Check them out, they are a lot of fun and are playing a couple of all-age shows this summer, so the twinadoes will be getting their dance on. Nolan was having a blast, dancin' his little heart out. Reagan was, oddly, quiet. She hung by me or her Daddy most of the night. She did enjoy some lemon ice. Guess we all have our off days.

I hosted a canning party compliments of Ball Canning this past weekend. It was a lot of fun and has motivated me to can more this year. I usually only do pickles, but I think I'm going to start doing some jelly. At the rate Reagan goes through toast, it would be a wise idea. Plus, I will control what goes in it.

We are heading to Waldameer in Erie, PA this week. Should be a fun day trip. I'll let you know.

Last Paci Standing

As I've written before, our boy likes loves his paci.

We went through a ton of the green soothies that he got in the hospital. In desperation when he was about 4 weeks old, I placed an overnight order for more, because we were down to the last one! I didn't realize you can find those in most stores and was in a panic. I chalk it up to being sleep-deprived, still recovering from the c-section, and packing up a house so we could move.

Anyway, since he tossed his car paci months ago, he has had two blue soothies in his bed. A few weeks ago, one got a hole and he hopped out of bed and tossed it in the trash.

This morning as I was clearing some of the toys that magically end up in his bed, I looked at his lone paci and it, too, had a hole. I told him about it and he said, "it's the last one, but I have to throw it away." Off he went.

I was worried all morning about what nap time was going to be like, it is literally the first time in 37 months he hasn't had that thing stuck in his yop to soothe him to sleep.

I should have known better, my easy-going boy is up there singing himself to sleep. Not a cry about the paci.

If only potty training were going this well :(

A Day Out With Thomas

The twinadoes latched onto Thomas the Tank Engine & his friends months ago. Unlike all the other characters they have fallen for (and quickly fallen out of love with), their love of Thomas has stuck around, so I had no problem dishing out the bucks for the "Day Out With Thomas" event on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.

It killed two birds with one stone; their first train ride and the obvious Thomas festivities.

I have to say, other than the Vegas-style gift shop, you know the kind you have to go through to get ANYWHERE else, it was AWESOME!

There was story-telling, bouncy houses, a maze, play areas, model railroads, a meet & greet with Sir Topham Hat, a tattoo tent, and best of all the 30 minute ride with everyone's favorite blue engine himself (even better was the fact that the coach was air-conditioned. A bit of relief from the 86 degree day.)

And reason #1,376 why I love my kids. They picked musical toothbrushes as their souvenirs!

Full photos here.

A Real Circus Act

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves, but let's just say the kids LOVE some Uncle John time.

Birthday Parties

Ok, I'm going to wimp out and post the links to the photos. They say more than I could ever say about the fun the kids had at their birthday parties. All three of them.

May 10, 2010- 3 years old

May 10 Dinner

Memphis Kiddie Park.

Birthday BBQ.

Splish, Splosh, Splash

We ♥ Daniels Park. The playground is a lot of fun, but there is NO shade anywhere to be found inside the fences of the playground. After an hour the twinadoes were sweating and ready to cool off, so we headed down to the river.

A boy and his boat.

Sidearm. Hey, it worked for Bernie Kosar!

Cooling, refreshing, and a sandy mess. Just like kids should be in the summer.

If you haven't been to Daniels Park, put on your water shoes and head over.

It's Coming

I have been very bad about posting any updates & pictures. Things have been crazy and with better weather the twinadoes want to be outside all the time.

Their birthday festivities this past weekend were a hit. They had a blast at Memphis Kiddie Park, as did some of the adults! It was delightful to see my kids having so much fun with UB and Aunty Kathy.

Planning a kid party and a BBQ in the same day was not my most brillant idea, but it worked with the help of friends and neighbors. We only had about 90 minutes once we got home from the kiddie park to set up for the BBQ.

We are looking forward to the next couple days of 80+ weather and the big surprise this weekend for the twinadoes: Thomas the Train at Cuyahoga Valley Line. They have never been on a train, let alone THE train of their dreams!!! I can't wait.

If you are in C-town, enjoy this summer weather!

3 Year Pictures

If you recall, the Christmas/2.5 year pictures did not go so well. I took them to Target by myself and we were lucky the Christmas tree was still standing in the studio when we left. They truly were twinadoes that day. Prior to that, the 2 year session was not much better and the family portrait session with the Grandma's was probably the worst ever!

So, needless to say I prepared for the worst. But I didn't get it! They did really well. The photographer asked me if Nolan ever stops smiling. No, he doesn't. Reagan was in top form and was having a good time, too.

Phew.

Twinadoes Turn Three

repost from Twinado Warning.

Today the twinadoes are three.

All the cliches are true. Time DOES fly.

They are not babies anymore. They literally seem to grow overnight. Clothes that fit a week ago are too short & tight.

They have huge vocabularies. We get told that at least 5 times a week by strangers.

They can count to 20 in English and to 10 in Spanish.

Nolan is trying his best at the potty.

As for personalities, they are opposites.

Nolan is the sweetest soul I've ever met. He is kind, giving, totally huggable, and a sweet, sweet boy. He is compassionate, shares well (most of the time), and is gentle. If he stays this way, he will grow into a man I will prouder than I ever imagined I could be. He likes people (sometimes too much, which scares me.) He has the hardiest laugh I've ever heard for a little kid.

Right now his career ambition is to be a conductor of a train.

Which brings us to what Nolan likes. Thomas the Train is it as far as shows. Nolan loves to sing and you will hear him process a song while he listens. He picks up the beat very well and after hearing it about 3 times, he will start to sing along. Besides Duran Duran he likes Oasis, Johnny Cash, and a few oldies that he listens to with my mom. Downtown by Petula Clark, The Rolling Stones, and The Beatles.

He is rarely without a smile which puts one on my face when there are days I don't think I can muster one.

Reagan is the leader. Born first, she is in charge. She takes a little more time to warm up to you, but when she does; she will be your bestie for life. She has a stubborn streak a mile wide, but has another side that is a loveable little girl. She has the best giggle. She is funny and likes to make jokes. Reagan gives THE best bear hugs in the world. Without fail that hug can turn my bad day around.

Sometimes Reagan says she wants to be a librarian, but I have my sights set higher for Reagan. She needs to be in charge. Who knows, maybe she'll be President!

Reagan loves arts & crafts. That is probably her favorite thing to do. She stamps, colors, and glues her way through any classes we take and then wants to continue at home. She colors in the line very well and has a clear idea of what color things must be.

Reagan (as well as Nolan) loves the water. Kalahari is the place to be. She is very brave in the water and I bet by the end of the summer, she will be swimming on her own. She is tall enough to walk the whole pool at the Y. Hard to believe they were only 9 months old when they started swimming classes.

It seems like just yesterday they smiled for the first time, rolled over, crawled, and even began to walk. Now they run, hop, gallop, and march all over the place.

They are Explores. Adventurers. Experimenters.

Best of all, they are mine.

To laugh with.

To teach.

To learn from.

To love.

Mother's Day Weekend...Three Years Ago

Three years ago, on Mother's Day I got to bring the 3 day old twinadoes. There will never be a better gift.

More pics.

Twinado Warning blog post.

Happy Mother's Day to every woman that is important in the life of child, especially those who are an important part of the twinadoes life!

Why I Take Pictures

http://www.nolanpchak.blogspot.com/

I ♥ my new lens. Well, I got it over the winter, but am finally getting to play around with it.

I feel like I finally have a way to artistically express myself. I have never been good at art, just ask my 7th grade art teacher who basically told me she was sorry her class was a requirement because I should not have been taking it!

I see beauty though. I want to capture it. Taking pictures finally has given me the outlet to do it.

More pics.

Don't forget to check out my blog I am doing for the News-Herald. Twinado Warning.

My Next Purse

Pearly Whites

The twinadoes had their first dentist appointment a couple of days ago. We talked it up, read a Dora Goes to the Dentist book a lot, and practiced opening wide and counting teeth.

I was pretty sure they were going to do well, and they proved me right. The only hiccup was when they were trying to polish Nolan’s teeth. He had been really good up to that point, but when she started doing it, he rebelled. He said, “This tastes like sand in my mouth!” He was, however, very happy to operate the water fountain and get to rinse.

They were really nice about it and said it wasn’t necessary to do it on this visit anyway, but I think the precedent has been set. Any suggestions for next time?

They got a bag of loot, a prize from the toy shelf, and a balloon and we were on our way in under an hour. They also got entered into the monthly drawing and we got a message today that Nolan won! He gets to go to the office and pick his prize. Very cool first visit to the dentist, if you ask me.

Since they did so well at the dentist, we headed to the zoo as a treat. We haven’t been since Boo At The Zoo last October so the twinadoes were super excited to see their “animal friends.” We headed up to the Northern Trek and I was happy to get some really good photos (a hobby/future career, I hope) and the twinadoes were happy to get blue icees.

The weather cooperated, the twinadoes cooperated, even the animals at the zoo cooperated. I couldn’t have asked for a better day.

More pictures.

News Herald Blog

The blog I will be writing for the News-Herald, Twinado Warning: Sunshine, storms, and chasing rainbows while raising our twins; Reagan and Nolan,
is up and running. You may find it on this page as well as some other interesting blogs. Please subscribe to the RSS feed and become a follower as the News-Herald tracks all that stuff.

direct link

My plan is to keep this blog as I have been because it is a good record for Reagan and Nolan and I feel comfortable sharing more here. The News-Herald blog may (will) have some posts that are the same as here, but those posts are meant to spur discussion so the posts will pose questions, etc.

I invite you to participate in the Twinado Warning blog, as well as still checking in here since the content will differ at times and more photos will be posted here. Please comment on the News-Herald blog, as with anything participate will determine the success of the blog and may lead to other opportunites. (In other words, I'm counting on you my friends and family to help me out!)

I'll eventually be able to sell advertising and do give-a-ways so if you have anything you want to donate, please let me know!

Happy reading!

Stories, Stories, Stories

My Uncle has this corny joke. It goes, "What's the tallest building in < insert your town name >?" "The library."

Get it?

 

Stories?

Yes, the library is full of stories in the most literal sense. In books, magazines, newspapers, microfilm, CD's, etc.

But for me the library is full of other stories as well, my life stories.

Stories of my mispent youth. Stories of my childhood and helping kids younger than me read. Stories published in the paper about how I read a crazy amount of books for the summer reading club one year. Stories about having fun at work. Stories about going in over a holiday weekend to empty the bookdrop with then boyfriend and maybe or maybe not making out in the library. Stories of friendship.

Friendships that have lasted well beyond our careers at the library.

My kids are now weaving some stories of their own compliments of the local libraries. Reagan is a book worm just like her Momma. She must go to bed with no less than 3 books every night. She says she is going to be a librarian when she grows up.

Maybe she'll finish what I started.