Happy Christmas to All!

Mom arrived last Friday and helped get the house ready for Christmas Day. On Sunday, we baked cookies with the kids and several of their friends (Sekou, Mohamed and Shaaim)...they all went home with full baskets of Pfeffernusse, Mrs. Leonard's Cut Out Cookies, Cookie Candy Canes and Peanut Butter Blossoms (aka Kissy Cookies), to share with their families (although Sekou told me that Mohamed ate them all himself that same night).

Dwight got home late Saturday night because he was in Evansville again. He's made 2 trips in the past month. Once to evict the evil tenants. And the second time to check on the house and prepare it for renting (wish us better luck this time around). Luckily he made it home in time to give Rumbles his Christmas present. Rumbles loves to open gifts and he was very enthusastic about his new squeaky bird toys.
Punch wasn't so sure about the packages. She ate a dog biscuit while it was still wrapped and then let Rumbles open the rest of the gifts. Slowly throughout the day, she collected all the toys on her new cushion. Sly dog.

Siobhan and Henry had a good Christmas. Both received many nice gifts. Siobhan, however, did not get the "real pig like Babe" that was on her list. Thank god for that!

More tomorrow about the post-Christmas touristy things we did with Grandma.

Quiet Weekend

When we should have been out hustling and bustling and shopping amongst the masses (and here in NY, we're talking MASSES), we instead stayed in. For the entire weekend. Dwight cooked and watched football (he shoveled, too). I worked on Christmas crafts. Siobhan and Henry worked on homework, practiced music, played video, etc....
We had a few short-distance outings. I went to the gym. Dwight and Siobhan went to the new Will Smith movie (they liked it, Henry and I weren't interested). Dwight made a couple of quick trips to the store...wood, beer, food. Henry ran across the street and helped our neighbor, Helen, shovel her driveway. Other than that, it was low key.
There is still a lot of shopping to do, really we've barely started. But we can knock it out during the week. Wish us luck! :)

Long Time, No Posts

Wow! For some reason, I've not posted anything for quite some time. Don't know why, really. I've looked at the blog. Re-read past postings. Re-looked at all the photos. But nothing new.

So how about some Christmas memories?

End of the Season

Henry's last game of the season was on Sunday. Another loss. They played Hackensack and they were huge...there was no way those kids were 5th and 6th graders (check out No. 55 in the last photo below). Unfortunately it was not a winning season for the pee-wee footballers. But Henry learned more, he still loves football, and he's already looking forward to football camp again next summer. Hopefully next season he won't be the smallest guy on the team. Who knows, if he really hits a growth spurt, he might even be taller than the coach (see huddle below)! One thing will probably remain the same...Henry's "good luck" stretched out old baseball socks that he has to pull up after every play. :)

Lordy! Lordy! Look Who's Forty!

Time Out

After playing in two games over a Sat/Sun football weekend, Henry couldn't remember that he caught several passes in the Sunday game. So off to the doctor he went and was diagnosed with a mild concussion. So he's been on the sidelines. No practice. No games. The doctor says he'll be fine and can play again this coming weekend. As Bumpa used to say...'he cracked his coconut'.

The Never Ending Birthday Weekend

Siobhan's birthday celebration expanded beyond the weekend and ran into Monday evening. At this rate, her birthday events will overlap with Dwight's big 40th on Thursday!

Monday night, for the birthday dinner, we went to our favorite restaurant...Mama Mexico! Great food, a whole bunch of margarita flavors and the best part...Mariachi de Fernando Gonzalez, the finest mariachi band in all of New Jersey! Lucky for us, on request they performed a rousing rendition of Feliz Cumpleanos for Siobhan and Dwight. Muy Caliente!

Gifts!

Gifts come in many forms. On Sunday, for Siobhan, birthday gifts came in the material sense...a cell phone, jammies, the new nano, jewelry, perfume and cold hard cash. For Dwight and I the gift came in seeing our baby girl turn fourteen years old. We couldn't be more pleased and proud of the lovely young lady that our little Siobhan-y is becoming. Smart, beautiful, kind and goofy...the perfect combination.

Spooky Birthday Party

Today is Siobhan's 14th Birthday! Yesterday, we took five of her friends to a haunted house in the city. The theme this year was Nightmare Ghost Stories. The kids who were brave enough to stay inside (Henry and Sekou decided to turn around after the first room) went through about 15 rooms all with different nightmare themes and then through a maze where they were chased by ghosts. They all came out laughing and screaming! Afterwards, we came back to the house for pizza and cake...and more stories about what they saw inside the haunted house.

Our Smart Girl

A proud day today...Siobhan received an Academic Achievement Award for her excellent performance.

On her final report card for 7th grade, she had to have at least two A's in her core classes and no other grade lower than a B. She received an Honor pin as an award for achieving this goal. The ceremony at the school was nice...so many kids doing well...just over fifty of her classmates were honored for their excellent grades (there are about 200 students in her grade).

We're really happy that she's done so well at her new school and we know she will keep up the good work this year in 8th grade.

Oh! And we finally got one of those "My Child Is An Honor Student..." bumper stickers. I've been wanting one since she was in kindergarten. Yeah!

Along Came A Spider

Look what appeared on our back porch last night. It's hard to tell from the pictures, but she's really big (for some reason, I think of It as She). Her body is at least as big as a penny. Her web is spectacular, spread across the doorway. I left the door open last night, hoping she would take the hint and leave. But this morning, she's still there. And after work...still there. I might have to relocate her to the neighbor's backyard later tonight. Shhhhh!

Thirteen Years of Sweetness

Happy Anniversary, sweetie!

A Beautiful Weekend for Football

Week Three in the Teaneck Jr. Football League. The B-team defeated Paterson 6-0 on Saturday night and the A-team tied Orange 6-6 on Sunday.

My Flower Bed Runneth Over

May

September

Last year was our first summer in this house. The people who previously owned it had rose bushes in the front flowerbed. I don't love roses, but left them there that first summer. I dug them up in the fall, planning a fresh start for spring.
In late winter, the kids and I made a little 'greenhouse' table in the kitchen and planted a large variety of flower seeds. I figured we'd try a bunch of things, plant the ones that made it and then see how they did outside.
I'm happy with the results. Everything ended up to be about the same height, though. Definately something to remember for next year.

Brace Face!

Football Opening Weekend

Henry had two games this weekend. Saturday night, he played his first "B" team game for Teaneck Junior Football League. Sunday, he played his first "A" team game. Unfortunately, they lost both games. He played well. It was hot and sticky both days and he played offense and defense for the majority of both games. Not exactly football weather yet, so it's tough out there in all of that gear and polyester.
Even if he was disappointed with the losses, we were proud of him...he had some really good tackles and a perfect interception (which you'll be able to view on Dwight's website soon).
Here's how he looks after two losses in two days. Not happy.

Back to School 2007

Summer is officially over...school started on Thursday. We're really happy that Siobhan and Henry are both at the same school again. We didn't like it last year when they were at different schools (for the first time). But they'll only be together this year. Then not again until 2011-2012 school year when Siobhan will be a senior and Henry a freshman. Seems so far away, but we know it will be here before we know it.
However, we have learned that we just must enjoy things while they happen. And right now we're happy they're in middle school together.



Look how cute they were 5 years ago (yes, they're still cute now, but not nearly as cute as this...)