Santa at preschool!

Yesterday was the Holiday Party at preschool. Santa and Mrs. Claus were able to find time in their busy schedule to visit. Bryn sat on his lap and told him that she wanted Strawberry Shortcake, a hula hoop, and a tinkerbell umbrella. Santa told her that she has gotten so much bigger from last year! When she was finished, she helped herself to one of Mrs. Claus' cookies! :)

Oh Christmas tree...oh Christmas tree...

Last Sunday we went to Granville to pick out our first real Christmas tree. We visited Timbuk Farms and found the perfect tree. When Kyle was sawing the tree down, Bryn leaned over and yelled "Daddy, are you OK?"...she was really concerned that sawing this tree was too strenuous on him!

Once we got home, Mom was up until 1am decorating the tree! The next morning, Bryn woke up in awe and Ady still can't keep her hands off!

Cutest Little Indian!

The feast menu consisted of the following:

Goldfish

Popcorn

Pumpkin Bread

Corn Bread

Raisins

YUM!! YUM!!!

Preschool Thanksgiving Feast

Trim Bryn's Tree 2009!

Tis the season....when Bryn was at Nene and Papa's for a couple days, I decided I would get out some of the Christmas decor. I had 2 small trees used in the past (one at my desk at work and one I had during Otterbein days), so I decided that each of the girls would get a tree in their room. Ady would get the mini tree (that I used at work) simply because it would sit nicely on her bookcase and not be touched or vandalized. That tree has little ornaments that I don't even bother taking off from year to year...so she was set. Brynleigh got the larger tree and I knew she would have a blast decorating it. So, Sunday we made a trip to JoAnn's to buy her trimmings....$50 later, we had an excited little girl with a grin from ear to ear...definitely worth every penny. Tonight, she RAN up to bed because I told her it was time to take a picture next to her tree....if going to bed is that easy, maybe I'll take a picture every night! :D (Everyone knows how much she HATES bedtime)

Ohhhh, and in case you were wondering what Ady was doing while we were taking the picture...she was trying to sit in the wooden cradle made for dolls...what a goof!

It is supposed to be bedtime...but...LET'S ROLL!!

Sound Bucket!

Today was a big day for Bryn at Preschool. It was her turn to bring home the sound bucket and fill it will things that sound like the letter "F". Of course, she was very hopeful that everything she chose started with the letter "F", so she got a little help from me :D

She shared with the class today the items she picked (alright...I picked): fridge farm, fork, flip flop, and floss...and she took fruit snacks for a snack...just an added bonus! Here she is proudly posing with her finished project...can you see the excitement?!?!!

Happy Halloween 2009

I present to you Cinderella and the clock. Trick or treating was a lot of fun this year. Bryn caught on to saying trick or treat to anyone that was passing out candy...and Ady wasn't shy about picking more than one treat when she was passed the bowl!! :D

Boo!

Cinderella went to the ball (also known as Preschool) this morning. When we arrived, all of her friends piled in a line for the parade. Bryn considers her closest friends to be Marielle (the ghost with feathers around her head) and Audrey (the pink fairy standing by snow white).

***Don't forget to mute the music so you can hear the video!***

Creative play

After baths tonight, Bryn thought it would be fun to play the "piano"...so she sat up seats for her and her sister. They had a blast and would switch seats every few minutes, at Bryn's command...of course. If this interest continues, maybe we should invest in a real piano, huh?!?! :D

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

Bryn drew this beautiful picture!

I asked if it was Papa, and she quickly responded..."no, it's you!"

Don't I look stunning?!?!

Pumpkin Picking 2009

We went to the pumpkin patch on Sunday...the kids had a blast!! They enjoyed the hayride to the pumpkin patch, where they each picked out a pumpkin. Bryn wanted a pink one, but then caught her eye on the one she had to have. Ady's method of pumpkin picking was finding one that she could sit on and bounce....what a goof!

The white CRAYON doesn't work?!?!

Today we brought out the huge princess coloring book and decided it would be fun to get all the crayons spread out and do some major coloring. Brynleigh went to town, but of course, wanted me to finish all the work. So, being a good sport, I abided. I was in my own little world coloring...when Bryn said..."look mommy, this one doesn't work"! I looking up and noticed she had the WHITE crayon. Geez...how do I explain this to a 3 year old??? I started by saying that white doesn't show up on white paper and got the Kyle look (raised eyebrows with confusion). Then, giggling, I showed her on a blue piece of paper that the white one does work... :D

Not sure if she got that lesson or not...I would make a horrible teacher!

P.S. Ady Jade decided to color the floor when I was fixing lunch...my lesson was learned as I mopped the floor...looks like the colors will be put away for a rainy day...or when the floors need mopped again :)

House is finished...well almost

On Friday afternoon, the crew said goodbye...their work has been done. We were relieved, and happy...finally closure to a project that has taken way too long. In a final conversation I had with the president of the company, I said..."we just want this project finished, so please, just forget about ordering the shutters and reflect the deduction in the final bill"...so, that is one thing that we have left to do, but Kyle agreed that was something he could handle. So, I present to you...the almost final project. I also included an old photo of the house that I took for Bryn's babybook just before she was born...

Before

After

First day of Preschool!

Well, today has finally arrived. Brynleigh was excited when she woke up...she got herself dressed and brushed her teeth all by herself. When we pulled in to the church parking lot, she started chanting "meet my new friends, meet my new friends...over and over" We took a few pics then waited for daddy to arrive since he was going to represent a parent who was to attend with her on the first day.

Once her classroom door opened at 9am, she was off. No goodbyes...no hugs...no turn around to say "see ya later"...just a mad dash to the class to meet her new friends. Kyle and I were left to fish out her papers in her backpack and put it in the respective backpack area. And, I left...me and Ady running solo...how wierd.

Now that we are home, you can tell the girls missed each other terribly. They are wound up and acting crazy...pretty much driving me nuts!!! :D

WE CAN GO SLOW, OR MAYBE GO FASTER....I'LL TAKE YOU FOR A RIDE ON MY PAPA'S TRACTOR.

Better buy fruit snack stock!

Well, Ady is finally breaking those last 4 teeth in...the most miserable teeth to date that took their good sweet time coming in. She has a hard time sleeping, is fussy throughout the day, and wants me to hold her (but that doesn't include sitting still). So, lets see, I made lunch today, swept the living room, did laundry, and other miscellaneous chores all while holding Ady on my hip. But, my patience has held strong...even while she marked on my nice white shirt with a pen! The one consistent thing that makes her happy is fruit snacks...so watch out Kellogg's, her Mommy can't say no when she's in this state! Whatever makes her happy!!

The siding crew left early today...seemed to have run out of siding. Since it was a special order (they don't keep it in stock), it could be another 2 weeks. :(

Oh, I wanted to share with you some pictures we had taken at Erin's wedding on Saturday. She had a photo booth for everyone to use and I downloaded the pictures from online. Bryn really likes our funny face picture!

Here you go...

To all of you who are persistent about bugging for a siding photo update...here you go! As you can tell, it is still a work in progress...but the crew is doing a great job, so no complaints from us.

Well, the summer routine has officially ended as Kyle will start back to school tomorrow. Up and at 'em in the morning (we all know that Kyle can't be quiet when getting ready)...so I better get some chores done and hit the sack!

I'll update more photos as work progresses.

Yippee...siding crew is here...finally

Pound, pound, pound...wait, what were we thinking?

Day 3 of the siding has begun. The back is completely done and looks really nice. The crew is now working on the side...did I mention it is the same wall as Ady's bedroom? Let's hope the afternoon nap goes as well as her morning nap :)

We got news yesterday that Bryn is the next one on the waiting list for a spot at Preschool. We should know by the end of the week if she will be able to attend this year. My feelings are bittersweet about the whole thing since we have made the decision to wait and send her to kindergarten when she is 6. Does she really need 3 years of preschool? But, wouldn't this be a great experience for her!?!

Well...signing off for now, time for lunch! I'll post pictures of the house soon :D

Max update!

Seems these days the dog has been more drama than any other family member!!!

Saturday, Max had the worst seizure to date. After 1 hour of cluster seizures, Kyle called MedVet...only our luck would this happen on a weekend or afterhours. He had to been seen or it could be fatal. Kyle carried Max into the back of the Tahoe and headed to Worthington. On the way there, he had 2 more cluster seizures in the back. I had to stay at home b/c the kids were napping...I wasn't waking them up to see something so scary.

Of course, he came out of the seizure as he arrived, but Kyle chose to have him seen anyway. They could tell he had been through a lot and decided it was best for him to stay overnight and begin a treatment of Phenobarbital via IV. At this point, they believe he is epileptic.

Kyle returned to MedVet this morning to pick up the pooch. They sent him home with Phenobarbital tablets and Valium, which is an anal medicine we are to give while he is actively seizing...I love the dog and all, but come on!! Kyle is in charge of that one...

So, happy to say Max is doing better...he is in a drunken state and sleeps all day...but no more seizures, yet. He will have a check up this week at the vet.

On a lighter note, Ady Jade got into some pink paint today. She thought it would be fun to taste it...but her Dad came to the rescue just in time. I washed it out, brushed her teeth, and called Poison Control...the verdict was "she would be just fine". I think she thought it was baby lotion...definitely my daughter! :D

What a beautiful day!

We started the day with Brynleigh attending her 3rd session at swimming lessons. She is doing really well...listens and follows directions, waits her turn, and accomplishes all tasks. Her daddy thinks she isn't challenged enough and needs to be moved to the next class ;) Oh geez...he is starting already...will he be one of those parents?!?! :D

While Ady was napping, we all went outside to wash and wax the red car. Bryn also thought that the mailbox needed a good cleaning...

We ended the day with a walk to Jody and Justin's...then back home for bath and bed. Bryn needed to read some books first...looks like she didn't make it quite to the end.

Vacation Fun!

Ocean Isle Beach 2009

Ocean Isle Beach was a lot of fun!  The kids always look forward to spending time with their cousins, even though Bryn and Marek go at it most times (and we just stand back and watch) :D  

Bryn grew fond of her swimmies and was jumping in the pool solo by the end of the trip.  She also enjoyed chasing the birds on the beach...although she never quite caught one.  The ocean was intimidating for her as the first night she was knocked down in the undertow...but she would go in and ride the waves, but only with a tight grip.

Adelyn enjoyed the sand and had it everywhere!  She really liked the beach toys and playing with the buckets and shovels.  Ady had no fear of the water...but that's our Ady!  She also enjoyed all her cousins and they all are very sweet to her!

I have not done a great job of updating lately, mostly because we have been super busy.  Kyle finished his first fence job for the summer, is teaching summer school,  and started class for his principal licensure (that he did not have to drop - short story he is missing one class and flying back from vacation for the other, then flying back to help me with the drive home)...all while I am entertaining the kids, running errands, preparing for vacation, and assisting with the Grieger/Holland wedding.  

Today I ran some errands after we spend a couple of hours at the pool.  I decided we would try not to give Bryn a nap, since we didn't get home until close to 3...well, take a look at what I came home to...guess everyone was too tired and my plan was thrown out the window (Ady was up in her bed...even the dog was sleeping!)

Bryn had a great 3rd birthday...we went to Chuck E Cheese's...she told her friend Gracy Miller that she played games there...although she didn't do much but put in the coin and collect her tickets.  Note to self - she is wicked at Ski Ball!!  :)

Can you believe our sweet Bryn is 3!!?!

Tub time...what fun!

Kyle held his first open gym tonight for the 7th and 8th grade boys.  He was excited and decided to take Bryn along.  So, I packed her a dinner in her lunch box and out they went...Dad put a pair of Nike's on with her sundress :D

Ady Jade stayed here with me...we played, took a walk, and read books.  She really enjoyed her bath, as you can see the pictures that prove it!!  P.S.  I think her brain process is much like her mom's...trying to figure things out (how does this water come out and what is this knob on the top for?!?!)

Frosty the Snowman

Well...when I put the kids down for an afternoon nap, I overheard Bryn signing.  Turns out she was singing the book "Frosty the Snowman"...so I caught it on video.  Don't you love how she holds out the word SNOW at the end!  :)

P.S.  Don't forget to pause the music on the playlist (to the right) so that you can hear Bryn

Well...our good friend Chip Neville paid us a visit yesterday (thank goodness he did!)...he had a guy fill up our freon in our air conditioning so we could get some air until they install our new unit.  Yesterday it was so muggy in here that the kids cereal was stale after 1 hour of sitting out...Chip's timing was perfect!

I paid a visit to Dr Luca, my dermatologist, yesterday...she found a mole that doubled in size in less than a year.  So, she removed it...right in the middle of my back!  I told her that my husband will never believe it...and sure enough he said "That lady just likes taking moles off you" (the edited version, of course).  I am not supposed to lift the kids, exercise, or bend over and reach with my arms...yah right, lady...I am a mom!  I told the nurse if she wanted to, she could put me on bedrest...we both laughed :)

Well, Ady Jade is being busy this morning, so I better get off and play so that I know she is staying out of trouble.  Bryn can't wait for Ady to take a nap b/c that is when she is allowed to have a snack! :D

New Flowers!

Well...the inside and outside is completely ready for this party!!  Check out our landscaping job...we are really proud and can't wait to start enjoying our new flowers.  Amongst you will find lilies, stargazers, daisies, clematis, and others I can't remember...

Bryn will be excited...she loves flowers, especially pink ones :)

Is it just me or are things not going our way these days???

We have been working our butts off getting the house ready for the "Miller Party".  Things are shaping up really good, but we still have a busy morning to finalize some cleaning, etc.  The kids are in Continental eating cookies and sleeping in Papa's bed....they will come back spoiled rotten! 

Kyle got an email back from his professor tonight...he emailed him to let him know he will be missing class the first week of July due to a family vacation.  The professor said that he would allow one miss, but two would be problematic.  So, basically his options are to miss the vacation or drop the class.  So, he will be dropping the class.  Seriously...what the heck?!?!  Maybe he is destined to be a gym teacher for life!  :)

P.S.  It is 12:22am and the word is that our existing blinds will not work with the new windows...ahhhhhh!!

When it rains, it pours...and it sure is pouring here...

The City of Columbus came out to inspect a neighbors deck and walked over to ask our contractor to see our permit.  Well...guess what...no one pulled a permit (which is the responsibility of the contractor).  So, there was a "notice to stop work" posted to our house.  Well...we can't live with the birds and the bugs (although Kyle would claim he has before :) with having our windows out, so the city official said that anything that can be affected by the weather can be finished...so on with the windows and stone.

Well, today I spent the afternoon (yes, the girls had to go without a nap :/) to try to get this whole thing taken care of and the supervisor was out to lunch...so it was a complete waste of my time...yikes...everyone knows what can happen when I get fired up...

So, enjoy the pic of what has been updated so far...I'll keep you posted!

First of all, don't get used to me writing everyday.... :)
Day 1 of our final remodeling project is complete.  Today, we are scheduled for all new windows to be installed and the stone to be completed.
Up and at it at the Martin household...I ran to Starbucks before Kyle left as Ady had a rough night.  Pretty sure it is nightmares...but who knows...parenting is mostly guess work, right?  Bryn went with me to get "mommy's coffee" (daddy got some too) and as soon as we got home, she asked for breakfast.  She proceeded to tell me she wanted Trix...then blurted out "Trix are for kids"...the things a 3 year old will say....what a great laugh to start the day!
 Well...off to get some laundry folded before the contractors arive!

What a hectic weekend!  We enjoyed our first outing to the New Albany Pool...and the kids had a blast.  They both love the water and have no fear!  Bryn learned her first lesson in waiting for the other person to move before you go down the slide.  Can you believe she comprehended?  

Later Saturday night, we went to Flash at the Polaris Mall to get the kids pictures taken.  Note to self...do not visit the pool on the same day as pictures.  That was a tiring and stressful event for us!  And to think Kyle wanted to fit in a family pic...he is crazy!  

On Sunday, we attended church.  Bryn received a big hug from her friend Emily when she got there.  How cute?!?!  Hopefully Emily will be moving up to 3's soon, or Bryn will have to leave her behind in the 2's classroom.  After the kids were down for a nap, Kyle and I tackled cleaning and organizing the garage.  Ohh...and we finally found the "mouse smell"... and it wasn't in the basement.  In fact, it wasn't a mouse at all.  Something happened to the freezer in the garage and we lost everything :(  Of course, this lead to more intense cleaning than we bargained for.  

Finally, its Monday and we are closer to being in our routine.  Except for the pounding and banging from our stone contractor...yippeee, by tomorrow the stone project will be complete!!  Now, just pray that the siding and windows will happen sooner rather than later....