All Aboard the Rooney Train

An ending and a beginning

2010-07-13T19:58:00.003-04:00

This blog isn't working for us anymore, so this will be the last entry. To keep up to date with the Rooneys, please visit us in our new location at www.kcrooney.wordpress.com. Hope to see you there!

Yankee Stadium

2010-07-05T01:47:00.001-04:00

Click the picture below to see more photos from our trip to the Bronx...

End of School Hiatus

2010-07-01T09:26:00.003-04:00

OK, my Dad is kicking me in the butt to get back on track with this blog, so here I am. The end of school crazies kicked in and finishing things up at work before the summer got me swooning. But now the lazy days of summer are finally here-yeah! I'm writing now at 9:30am and the kids are still zoned out in front of the TV and haven't even had breakfast yet. But my plan is to do a better job with keeping up with this blog by going mobile! I just set up my cell phone so I can blog-on-the-go. As soon as I'm completely registered, I'll try it out later.

Laziness is over...the kids are behind me now and wanting to know what we're doing today. Other than a dentist appointment this afternoon, we have no plans! So I better think of something. Here's a few pics:

This is Thomas at his end of the year party at school.

This is me after camping this weekend. Tired but still smiling!

This is Thomas buried in the sand. He has a lazy eye so we have to keep a patch over his good eye 4 hours a day for a month so the bad eye gets stronger.

This is Chester at the end of day one. He was very tired.

This was the kick-ass meal I made the first night of camping. We had grilled salmon, hashbrowns and salad with lettuce from our garden.

Baseball

2010-05-19T07:41:00.004-04:00

We are already almost half-way through the baseball season. We had a rocky start with no winning games, but our luck is finally turning. We won a game last week, and Nolan had a great game last week too. He pitched 2 scoreless innings and got a homerun (actually a triple and then a run home, but who's counting?). His ball hit the fence left center. Here's some pics. The one of him running home is the 'homerun'.

We just finished tennis. Nolan has had a lot of orthodontist appointments, getting ready for his upper expander and braces which will go in in a couple weeks. Thomas lost one of his front teeth last night. Today starts the ABC countdown in school...which means 26 more days of school. They have an Assembly today...A. Tomorrow is B for blue day. Thomas continues with swim lessons and is now taking a really neat art class that he loves. He tells me he wants to play soccer in the fall and try baseball again next spring. All of a sudden, he wants to join all this stuff which is great.

I've been working at the church a lot, learning my new job. I was in Albany most of last week taking classes. It's weird not to be home so much, but I really like it and seem to be getting used to a new routine. I'm starting to plan out our summer. We may not go to Silver Lake this year because the dates don't work out well, so I'm looking into other places. Chris has started his new job. The kids and I helped him move into his new office over the weekend. He might even have his name on the door!

So, as always, life is good. Our eyes are looking towards summer now.

Music Monday

2010-05-11T00:00:00.001-04:00

Here are some clips from tonights spring concert. Nolan performed with both the school chorus and orchestra. Enjoy...

God bless our home...and God bless America!

2010-05-10T23:56:00.000-04:00

We got our new door today -- the finishing touch on our newly patriotic house that has recently been painted.

Spring Activities, home improvements and career moves

2010-05-02T20:48:00.003-04:00

This is our Gaba at a church in Queensbury. She was nominated as 'Woman that Says Yes to God' and I was privileged to go with her. She was just tickled to be chosen and got to shake hands with the bishop.

There was this giant grub at Home Depot the other day and Thomas wanted us to take his picture with it. He's pretending to be fighting the grub.

Chris ran another 5K and happily waved to his adoring fans! He bettered his time by 2 minutes.

We've been too productive lately to update the blog much, or take many pictures unfortunately. We went to 2 banquets this week--basketball and the Blue and Gold Dinner --and forgot our camera. We've been running by the seat of our pants and just lucky to make it there let alone remember all the gear we're supposed to bring too. Oh well. Hopefully we'll remember the mental pictures we have.

So basketball has ended and both kids loved it. Now they are both learning tennis. Nolan is playing baseball. The team he is on is mainly younger players, so it's a little bit of a struggle for him to be challenged. But he's getting to pitch a lot, and he hit a triple last night (made the paper!). So he's getting good play time. Thomas is really excelling in swim lessons. He has got the hang of breathing now and can go across the length of the pool. He starts an art class this week too. We didn't mean to sign him up for so many things. It took Thomas so long to want to participate in anything that now that he wants to, we don't want to say no! And tonight was the Blue and Gold Dinner for Cub Scouts, where Nolan became a Webelos II and Thomas a Wolf Cub. I'm not going to be Thomas' leader anymore so I'll keep helping Chris with the Webelos and work behind the scenes. We all just love Cub Scouts, but it's nice that it's winding down too. We just have the Niska Day parade and a picnic in June before it's over for the school year.

Our house is almost done being painted. Home renovations are so much work! But it looks great. There's still some final touches, and a few more shutters to put up. It's a crisp white with navy blue shutters. The door is a brownish red...Sundried Tomatoes is the name of the paint. But what really makes it is the great big star between our upstairs windows. It just really pulls the whole thing together. I got a cute copper pail to put our mail in and planted a couple shrubs today. We'll take a picture soon.

Chris was promoted at work to web manager. He's slowly moving into this new role and really likes it. He hasn't gotten a new office yet, but he's psyched to get out of the closet he's been working in for 13 years. His hours are a little more flexible, which works well with the baseball schedule. I've been volunteering a lot of time in the church office while the administrator is out on bed rest. I will be working part-time in the fall running the religious education program at St. Helen's. After 10 years of being a stay-at-home mom, it's weird to be out of the house so much and trying to find time to do everything that needs to be done. And not wear jeans everyday! And the idea of actually making money, albeit very little, what a concept!

So we are blessed in multiple, abundant ways. I need to remind myself of that when I complain about having to go to one more thing. How lucky we are that we have such good things to go to. Life is good!

Florida Photos

2010-04-13T00:53:00.000-04:00

Florida 2010

Nickelodeon Hotel, Disney and a Floridian Birthday

2010-04-10T18:45:00.003-04:00

What an awesome trip! Beautiful weather, no meltdowns, no sickness (other than a puking incident in the pool-yuck!). Just good times and lots of family fun. We landed in Florida Wednesday morning around 10:30am with no problems. The kids really liked flying and seemed to do okay with their 4am wake-up call. We couldn't get into our room at the Nick Hotel until 3pm, so we had lunch and figured out where everything was. Once we got in our room, we hit the pool where the kids had their first 'sliming'. We also saw a show that night which was like a Nickelodeon game show.

On Thursday, we went to Epcot - loved it! They were having their flower and garden show and had beautiful flowers and topiaries of Disney characters everywhere. I think our favorite ride was Spaceship Earth. I was impressed with how everything was educational but so much fun. Like we played one game where we had to flash a flashlight at fire hazards for points. We starred in our own video game.

Friday we went to Hollywood Studios. There were fun moments but I thought it was a little bit of a dud for us. It felt like we did a lot of walking for not a huge payoff. It was also very crowded. But the kids loved seeing the Indiana Jones show and going on Star Tours.

Saturday we stayed at the hotel and did lots of swimming. It was Thomas' birthday so he was just happy to have all the wonderful attention he loves! He got to see Spongebob, so what could be better than that when you are 7?! We also saw a few movies at their 4D movie theater. The hotel was great because of the characters the kids like, the movies and 2 water parks. It could have been a little cleaner, and we had issues with the air conditioner in the beginning, but minor incoveniences compared to the big picture. All in all, we feel very fortunate we got to go to such a fun, beautiful, tropical place. We are already thinking of where to go next!

Dinner at Hana's

2010-04-03T19:02:00.004-04:00

Sorry we've been in a whirlwind lately. We went out to dinner tonight at a Japanese restaurant and got to experience hibachi dining for the first time. It was so much fun! The boys absolutely loved it, and it tasted great. Here's some pics:

2 weeks to Florida!

2010-03-24T07:39:00.002-04:00

We are so blessed and excited for our trip coming up! I have to pinch myself that it is really happening. This will be the second trip for the kids and the third for Chris and I. But the kids' first trip was AWFUL for all of us, so it is nice for us to go again and wipe out the bad memory. The kids were too young, Thomas got really sick, Nolan was afraid of all the rides... But this time they are raring to go. And we are also approaching it a lot differently, like we aren't planning it at all. We still don't really know what amusement parks we are going to. We have our hotel and airline, we know we are going to Disney for one day. But we aren't sure what we are doing the other days. We figure we will get our tickets when we get there and wing it. It's going to be fun no matter what, right? I'm actually a little proud of myself! I'm usually such a planner.

So we are coming into a little of a lull before spring sports start. Thomas just finished with swim lessons and we are debating whether to start one more session before summer. Religion classes end this Sunday. We have 3 more basketball clinic days. Nolan has been taking a few baseball lessons privately already, and once we hear what team he is on then practices will be sure to follow. It is a little sad to end basketball...both boys really enjoyed it this year and improved their skills a lot. Nolan seems like he loves it just as much as baseball now. I'm glad that both kids seem so well-rounded in that way...loving all kinds of different things. Like Nolan was just in a choral festival recently where he sang with elementary up to high school kids. He loved it and did great (pics soon)! Thomas is excited to start his language art classes soon. Anyway, it's nice to have a little lull before the craziness of spring begins.

With Lent in its final days and Easter coming on its heels, there are a lot of churchy things we've been doing lately. Our church is slowly merging with the church where we were married. Some people are resisting it while others are ready for change. It's in an in-between stage right now. We find ourselves connected to both parishes and know people at both. It's a little exciting to see changes happening that are for growth, but hard to let go of habits that were comfortable. It will be interesting over the next few years to see how it all develops.

Well, I'm rambling now which is a good sign to stop writing!

St. Patrick's Day Dinner

2010-03-17T23:53:00.000-04:00

Geese are honking

2010-03-12T20:01:00.003-05:00

I heard some geese flying back north yesterday, and I saw crocuses pushing their way up through the dirt on our walk today. So spring is quietly "honking" its way back to Niskayuna. As I write, Thomas is in bed after a long day at school and then a play date with his old friend Leo. Well, old for a 6 year old. Nolan is at baseball tryouts right now. He is trying to make a higher level team that is mainly 10-11 year olds. They only let a few 9 year olds play, so there's a good chance he won't make it. And he's okay with that. He will just play the same level as last year again if he doesn't make it, and he would have a lot of friends doing that too. So baseball is slowly starting too!

We had our parent-teacher conferences this week which went pretty well. Nolan is one of her stronger students, I'm told. He is also doing great on his violin too. He is hanging in there with the advanced math class, but might need to step it up a little more. Thomas is also doing really well. His reading level is very high...at a third grade level! He is also needing to get a little stronger in math and his speech too. But his teacher loves him in his class...the class clown she says! Thomas will have her again in second grade. They are doing this thing in their school called looping, where they have the same teacher for 2 years. But we are choosing to opt out of looping for Nolan's teacher. We really want him to experience different teachers before he moves up to middle school where there are lots of different teachers. I can't believe he's going to be a 5th grader.

So Thomas is doing better at swim lessons. The weekday class is better than the Sunday class. I still want him to be a little stronger at it, so I think I'm going to sign him up for another session. Between baseball, swim lessons and an art class, we will have a busy spring. It will be great when we can go to Florida to get away from it all...26 more days!

Thomas also had a fun night this week at our neighbor's house. Our neighbors across the street have no grandchildren, so they've adopted ours. Thomas wrote her a note to say that she missed her and her dog Murphy. He got to cross the street by himself and stick it in her door slot. She came over later to invite him for dinner. So yesterday Thomas went over and had pasta, salad and chocolate sundae with them. I think they were so happy to have him for themselves. We had to go over and get him when it was getting close to bedtime! They are the nicest people.

Well, Nolan just got back from tryouts and he thought they went pretty well. We'll find out in an email later. Pinewood Derby tomorrow!

Pinewood Derby Preview

2010-03-05T06:46:00.003-05:00

Chris stuck in the tunnel!

Chester gettin' some lovin'.

The cars are done! Chris took pics of construction and the final outcome. Nolan made the Harry Potter and Thomas is, of course, SpongeBob. Thanks, Dad for the idea of using sinkers. We glued them to the bottom of Thomas' car to make it heavier and then covered them up with brown electrical tape.

Not so lamb-y

2010-03-02T12:21:00.002-05:00

March, I mean. We've started March with a lot of activity going on. But the weather is like a lamb. Today the sun is shining and 42 degrees outside! I just had to be out in it, so I left all my chores, grabbed my skis and hit the Bird Sanctuary. It was beautiful! I saw morning doves, titmouses and chickadees. The snow was so easy to slush my way through, although that didn't stop me from falling a few times. I'm not the most graceful skier, but I just love it when I make the time to go. So now I'm back home and I'm continuing to procrastinate my chores by blogging here. My day is going to pick up like gangbusters later, though. I have a meeting at 4:15 which means dropping the kids off at Gaba's before that. Then I have to leave the meeting early to go get Thomas and bring him to a swim lesson at 5pm (more on the disaster of swim lessons later). Hopefully we'll be back at Gaba's by 5:45pm so we can slam down some kind of dinner and then go to an art reception that Thomas is a part of at 6:15pm. If I am still functioning, there's another meeting I was invited to at 7pm. Whew! So some down time right now is okay I think.

So swim lessons for Thomas have taken a nose dive. He can swim now, but I'd like to see him a little more confident and able to swim the length of the pool before quitting. Now that he is at Level 3, he has a different teacher and we also switched to a different time. I think that combination is making him nervous and not so cooperative. So we got permission to try another time that might not be as crowded. We are crossing our fingers that he'll get in the water and be confident to swim. I think sports just aren't in the cards for Thomas, at least not yet. But with swimming, it's a safety issue so I just want him strong enough so he can do it and then we can wave goodbye to swim lessons. On the upswing, we did just sign him up for art lessons. Maybe he can put some of his energy and talent in that.

We are in full gear getting ready for the Pinewood Derby. We are in charge of it this year, so there is a lot to organize and not a lot of volunteers willing to step up. But the boys have their cars half-way done and planning seems to be going okay so far. Nolan has a Harry Potter theme for his car and Thomas is doing SpongeBob. The cars get weighed this weekend and then the race is next weekend. As much as we love Cub Scouts, we are getting a little weary now that it is close to the end.

Parent teacher conferences are next week. Nolan has a Choral Festival to attend soon, and baseball tryouts are in 3 weeks!

Pictures from our Getaway

2010-02-22T18:23:00.003-05:00

Chris with Point au Roche State Park in the background. This was the view from our room. How can Paterson think he can close this beautiful park?

Me on a bridge on the Shelving Rock Falls trail in the Lake George Wild Forest area in Fort Ann.

It was a warm day and the water was running through the ice.

Lake George with ice fisherman out there.

No kids for a weekend-It's a Miracle!

2010-02-20T08:21:00.002-05:00

After 3 years of waiting, Chris and I are actually getting out of the house for 24 hours without the kids. We're staying at www.pointaurochelodge.com where we've stayed the last 2 times we've been able to get away. It's a beautiful bed and breakfast off of Point Au Roche State park in Plattsburgh. I know Plattsburgh isn't a huge vacation destination for most, but it's where we met, not far to get to and close to hiking trails. We're hoping to check out the state park while we're there, since it's on the chopping block to close if the governor has his idiotic way. Our plan is to ski at Saratoga battlefield (since there's no snow in Plattsburgh), check in, go to dinner at Irises Cafe and then leave in the morning. This is all thanks to my sister Kim who is sacrificing her weekend to take care of my two little monkeys. Their plan is to see the new Percy Jackson movie, eat pizza and play Wii. Hopefully we will all have a great weekend if it all goes to plan (fingers crossed).

So we have kept very busy this week with minimal sibling rivalry! We built a book at the Open Door, went sledding many times (including a home-made hill in our back yard), accompanied friends at a cool new water park we found in Colonie and got through lots of achievements for Cub Scouts. I really enjoyed being with the kids. They just love to play together. Yesterday, Thomas wanted to skateboard on the driveway and Nolan didn't. Nolan sat on the floor, complaining how bored he was and how much he wished Thomas would come back in so they could play again, which happened a few minutes later. Happiness ensued once more.

So next week we get into the routine again as we say goodbye to February...already! We have a pack meeting and basketball practice. On Thursday, Jeopardy is going to have a scouting category, so we're going to watch that. Chris is going to videotape the local high school musical, Bye Bye Birdie. We were supposed to go snowshoeing with Cub Scouts next weekend, but we didn't get enough sign-ups. So I think the plan is to start working on our Pinewood Derby cars. And of course it's Lent so we're working on doing acts of kindness everyday. Lent means Spring, so we're on our way!

I'm a techy fool!

2010-02-15T09:23:00.003-05:00

I just recently have discovered the joys of texting. So much fun! I feel so connected. I'm writing on my blog, the phone just rang, I get a text while on my land-line phone, and I'm on Facebook at the same time-wow! My husband's geekiness is wearing off on me big-time.
So it's the first day of vacation and I'm already feeling the laziness of not having to be anywhere. The kids are tuned out watching TV, and not fighting yet. (Wait, I might have spoken too soon.) We had a fun trip to Moira this weekend, ending with a visit to the ice castle in Saranac Lake. I have some ideas on how to keep the kids busy this week, including a new water park I just found out about, sledding, museums, and hikes. So I will try to be better with posts and pics. Gotta get started!

And a few more...

2010-02-03T16:54:00.003-05:00

Sledding at Glendale Nursing Home on MLK Jr Day.

Thomas having fun at the NYS Museum Camp IN.

Some pictures

2010-02-03T16:47:00.003-05:00

Nolan having fun with the Davenports on the carousel at the Museum Camp In.

Thomas at Nolan's violin concert. He fell asleep as soon as we sat down! He woke up before Nolan performed. Chris will post video soon.

Nolan all dressed up before the concert.

What I look like when I go out running on these freezing mornings. By best friend is a hot shower!

Thomas getting his Bobcat badge!

Will he see his shadow?

2010-02-01T19:38:00.002-05:00

I'm starting to look forward to warm temperatures, so I'm hoping he doesn't! But, we don't get to choose the weather, so life goes on. And on it does! Since the Frost Faire last weekend, we've had a lot on our plates. We had a pack meeting where Thomas earned his Bobcat Badge...his first Cub Scout badge. He had to learn the Cub Scout motto, handshake, salute...all those little tricks that make a Cub Scout. The ceremony includes getting your face painted, so I'll be sure to post pics of that soon. The night after that, Nolan had his first violin/chorus concert. That was awesome! I never though Nolan would be musical, but he definately is. And it was weird for Chris to go to his high school auditorium and see his son up there singing instead of himself. We have video of it, so that will be up soon too.

And this past weekend, the boys had a blast at the New York State Museum Camp In. We joined another Cub Scout pack and slept in the museum Saturday night (actually, I left at 9pm and Chris slept with them. Lucky me!). There were all kinds of activities and free time for the kids to explore on their own. There was very little sleep going on, so we are still recovering. It was Thomas' first Cub Scout sleepover. A big success.

Other cool news is we did our taxes and our refund is paying for a trip to Florida! We are going at a very busy time-spring break. But it will be great for the kids. We are staying at the Nickelodeon Hotel and hope to see the new Harry Potter attraction at Universal Studios. The boys also want to go to MGM Studios at Disney and see the Indiana Jones show. We will be there for Thomas' birthday, so he will be spending it with SpongeBob. They are very excited. I can't believe we're really going! We went 5 years ago and it was not a good experience...Thomas was sick and Nolan was afraid of most of the rides. I think they were too young. So this time we are hoping to erase all of the bad memories and make some good ones!

Thomas seems to be doing well in art. He made a clay fish that is going to be on display as part of an Elementary Art Show for the district all this month! I hope to go see it this week. At the end of the show, he is invited to a reception for all the artists. He also is working on a poster explaining why basketball is good for our muscles. The poster will be on display at the school science fair this Friday.

Also this weekend is the final tournament for Nolan's basketball games. We are going to a River Rats game on Saturday night (Albany hockey team). And it's Super Bowl Sunday! I have a feeling February is going to go even faster than January...

Fun at the Frost Faire

2010-01-23T22:17:00.001-05:00

I've written before about how much I enjoy going to theSaratoga Battlefield. It is just so awesome to stand amid such beautiful scenery and know you are surrounded by history.

We paid another visit to the battlefield today for their annual Frost Faire.

We started out by taking a horse-drawn wagon ride out to the big tubing hill. And when I say big, I mean BIG. There was more snow last year. This year there were actually some patched of grass on the hill that slowed things down a bit. But it still went pretty fast. Nolan and I went for a few good runs down the hill.

Thomas was a little intimidated by the steep slope. So he hung out by the campfire at the top with Kris, who was nursing a sore knee, and worked on a assembling a life-sized puzzle of a British soldier.

Then it was off to the warming tent for hot chocolate and cookies before taking the 3/4-mile wagon trip back to the visitors center. That's where Nolan got a lesson in how to handle musket (it was only a pretend one) and Thomas got to practice writing with a quill and ink. There were some crafts to work on and -- best of all -- one of the big canons was fired off a few times. I never, ever tire of that!

It made for a pretty fun afternoon, and every time we go to the battlefield we leave having learned something new.

New Year's Eve Pics

2010-01-18T13:08:00.002-05:00

Happy MLK Day!

2010-01-18T08:31:00.002-05:00

What a great day to celebrate the freedom and peace we have! Martin Luther King was such a brilliant man, and excellent at speaking such true goodness. My most recent favorite quote is, "Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that." We are celebrating MLK today by eating a pancake puff for breakfast, going sledding on this beautiful new layer of snow we got last night, watch a movie from the library and have roast beef for dinner! Sounds like a good day to me, except Chris has to work. Always a bummer.

Chris and I went out to dinner last night for the first time in ages. We saw the movie It's Complicated which was laugh out loud hilarious! Until the end, which I won't spoil but we weren't thrilled about. Still a good movie. Then we went to Bellini's for dinner which was sooo good. Good wine, yummy salad, wood-fired pizza and we shared a piece of hazelnut chocolate cake. We groaned on the couch when we came home, we were so full! But we talked a lot about how we started dating 19 years ago, and we met when we were 19. So from now on, we will have lives where we have been together more than not. That's pretty cool! We have a great life. We're very grateful.

Chester seems like he is getting older and older. Of course, he is. He will be 10 in April. Lately his hips seem to be bothering him more, or maybe it's his paws--I'm not sure. I think arthritis is settling in. He may not be a mountain dog anymore. He spends a lot more time on the couch these days. But then there are other times that he's running around the backyard like a puppy again. So, he still has spurts of spunk. He's just the best, snuggly dog there is.

So we have a nice short week ahead of us this week. Thomas had the flu bug most of last week, so he's getting kicked back to school tomorrow. We continue with swim lessons and basketball. We're fighting the winter blues! I'll post pics soon.

Lazy Saturday

2010-01-09T08:28:00.002-05:00

I'm enjoying a cup of coffee in my warm house instead of running in this below-zero wind chill this morning. Nolan and Chris are at basketball and Thomas and I are being lazy. We have to meet them at 10am at Lowe's so the boys can do a do-it-yourself clinic on making a coin bank. Other than a car appointment this afternoon and needing to cut Nolan's hair, we don't have many other plans today. Oh, there's a game night at church tonight. So I guess it isn't much of a lazy Saturday, but it feels like it right now.

So I don't have a lot to report about the kids. Nolan is doing a basketball clinic on Saturdays through the school and both boys are doing another basketball clinic on Wednesdays through St. Helen's. Thomas is loving it! There's a science fair at school next month, and Thomas is going to make a poster on how basketball makes you healthy. Thomas is continuing to do well with the swimming, especially the backstroke. We're hoping he moves up to Level 3 in the next session. It's a lighter month for Cub Scouts. But at the end of the month, we are all going to spend the night at the New York State Museum. This will be Thomas' first sleepover with scouts, although I don't think there will be a lot of sleeping. I'm still on the fence whether I might go home when it's light's out.

I wish it would warm up a little so we could play outside more. It's too cold to even go sledding. When's January thaw coming?

A New Year, a new hope

2010-01-03T19:31:00.004-05:00

I thought this picture was funny of the cousins...together but either with an electronic device or a beer! :)

Thomas on Christmas night...a little too much fun!

Christmas morning-Nerf guns! Now they can really battle!

Thomas telling Santa and Mrs. Claus (What is her first name anyway?) what he wants for Christmas.

There is something very uplifting about starting a new year, despite what the howling winds outside say. Even just remembering to write 2010 instead of 2009 helps refresh us. It's a good time to shake the dust off of our bad habits and maybe start some healthy, new ones. My New Year's Resolution is to keep in better touch with family and friends. Even friends that live just a few miles away I sometimes don't see for weeks, getting too caught up in the routine of things. But we shall see at the start of 2011 if I actually get any better at it. I have to be hopeful. A new year makes us think about the new adventures that could happen in it...trips we might make, skills we might learn, relationships we may kindle. They are all good thoughts.

Christmas came and went in a flash. The highlights were the moments with family and friends...the Barsottis coming into town, seeing my parents and sister and her husband, and seeing our friends the Reeds. I had coffee with all of the running gang on Christmas Eve which was fun...so many different women yet all just varying degrees of being runners. The kids and I went to see the new Alvin and the Chipmunks movie. We saw a lot of movies at home too. There was A LOT of fighting this vacation, and they seem to be getting more physical with it. BUT, I guess that comes with being brothers. The VERY COLD temperatures kept us inside a lot, which didn't help. But all in all, it was a nice break from reality. And also nice to send them off on the bus tomorrow!

A Christmouse reflection

2009-12-28T08:51:00.002-05:00

Life was good at the Rooney house. I went undetected for some time. Food was plentiful at the base of the bird feeder. I would get my dinner and settle in under a bookcase in the garage. But you know what they say...the grass is always greener. So I decided to start venturing into warmer recesses. I found a way into the house (the Rooneys are still trying to find my entry point) and the wonders there! Children playing with toys under the tree, leftover food abound, a warm stove to hunker down underneath. This is Nirvana, baby! And I can poo wherever I want and they clean it up! But alas, all good things must come to an end. The peanut butter on the trap was just too enticing, and I fell into my death. It was good while it lasted.

Rest in peace, Christmouse! And don't haunt your friends and tell them about our house!

'The Elf on the Shelf'

2009-12-23T11:30:00.004-05:00

A few years ago I helped Nolan make a video for his first grade holiday tradition presentation. Now it's Thomas' turn.

Thomas wanted talk about Eddie, the elf who hides in our house to watch him and then report back to Santa. There is a book that tells Eddie's story titled "The Elf on the Shelf." So he read it for his video. Here's what we came up with...

Dyken Pond Photos

2009-12-14T12:39:00.004-05:00

Chester was pooped at the end of our hike.

Advent

2009-12-13T18:51:00.003-05:00

Today is the third Sunday of Advent, the pink candle which stands for the joy and anticipation of Christmas. It's a nice breath of fresh air, really. A lot of the readings for Advent are about making sure we are ready for Christ's coming - they can be a little heavy. Advent is supposed to be a time when we get in touch with our emptiness and longings and accept them for what they are. We are more than that. It's okay to be unfinished and not have it all figured out. See...heavy stuff! So the pink candle reminds us to rejoice in the good stuff...and not to sweat the small stuff. We did that today.

Today we went to find the Yule Log at a magical place called Dyken Pond. The tradition is that people would hide a yule log on the winter solstice and celebrate the shortest day to the year by finding it and burning it throughout the night. Dyken Pond is a great preserve in Rensselaer county with educational programs and 6 miles of trails through woods, swamps and streams. The yule log is hidden somewhere in the preserve and we're given a few hints. The hunt was on! Of course, a group of teenagers found it before we did, but at least we were on the right trail. We dragged the sled with us so Thomas could ride whenever he got tired. Chester enjoyed all the smells. We were all bundled warm and it was a beautiful, snowy day to be out in the woods. Breathing that cold fresh air instead of being in the hubbub at the stuffy mall wins in my book, any day of the week.

So, I think we are as ready as we'll ever be for Christmas to come. Chris and I went to his station's holiday party this week. The Christmas cards are out and I'm half-way through wrapping. The house smells like cookies and fir tree. The kids are counting the days, although they still haven't really said what they want for Christmas. As long as there are some kind of presents, I guess they are happy! So come on Christmas, bring it on!

Christmas prep

2009-12-08T14:13:00.004-05:00

We got our Christmas tree on Sunday at a little farm in Milton. The trees were small but that's what we wanted anyway. It was the first time we showed up, saw a tree right away that we agreed on, cut it and left. All under an hour-wow! So we are all decorated and the shopping is done. We still have cards, wrapping and baking to do.

Thomas is about to get off the bus. Nolan is staying late at school because he's going to working at being in a spelling bee. We pick him up, have swim lessons and then we hit the books. Chris and Nolan are going to the library tonight to see a man acting as Teddy Roosevelt. All a day in the life of the Rooneys!

Thomas the Pitchman

2009-11-21T19:47:00.002-05:00

Thomas built a big marble thingamajig. In the process of showing it off for the camera he soon broke into his Billy Mays impression.

Thanksgiving is coming...

2009-11-20T15:53:00.002-05:00

and I am so excited to host this year for my whole family. I have had my parents before, but never my sister's family too. So I went grocery shopping today to get all the Thanksgiving fixin's, and I already put up some Christmas decorations so it will be festive. The turkey is in the refrigerator thawing. It will be great for all of us to be together, crammed in our little dining room, but together.

So what's new with us. Nolan is doing great in the advanced math class. He's learning to multiply and divide double digits now. He asked me the other day if they had exponents when I went to school (yes, I'm not that old!). He's been devouring The 39 Clues series. He won a drawing contest at the orthodontist's office and got a $20 gift card to Barnes and Noble, so he plans to buy the next books in the series. He has his first reconciliation retreat this weekend. I'm amazed at how much he is learning and growing this year. Especially today. I went to visit a friend who just had a baby at St. Peter's Hospital today. I haven't been there since Nolan was born. It brought back so many memories of when I was on bed rest, and those days in the NICU. He's our miracle baby! He's doing great on the violin and is starting to learn Jingle Bells. He's in chorus too, and playing basketball on Saturdays. He came home really proud this week that he made a touchdown playing football at recess. Okay, ehough bragging about Nolan. Time to brag about Thomas.

Thomas finished his session of swim lessons and like it so much that we're doing the next session now too! This is such a change from when he wouldn't even get in the water. He's been loving school, learning how to add and subtract and reading new words every day. He told me he won the race at gym today. He is still getting pulled out of class for speech twice a week, but he's really improving and I'm thinking he may not need it anymore after this year. He has a new friend Craig that we're having over this weekend. His favorite job is ushering at church! About once a month, he is in charge of passing the basket around and passing out the bulletins at the end. He LOVES it, and everybody loves seeing him do it. I think he likes the attention and being able to get up during church, but that's fine by me!

The Thanksgiving Parade is in Schenectady this Saturday night and we have to deliver popcorn this weekend too.

That's all the boring, simple stuff we're up to lately. It's great! I am so grateful for my family and the wonderful life we get to live together. Happy Thanksgiving!

Cub Scouts is taking over our lives...

2009-11-09T19:20:00.003-05:00

and is showing no mercy! Ha! Actually, it's great and we're all loving it. But it is a lot. We have 5 things we have to do this week for Cub Scouts: 2 den meetings, a TV station tour, an environmental service project (which we haven't even figured out yet) and helping at the Food Bank. Wow! But there are benefits to Chris and I being the den leaders. Like tonight, for example. We were both going to have our den meetings tonight back to back. But, Thomas has been home sick with the flu (We think the swine flu, but he no longer has a fever so back to school tomorrow). So I'm home with Thomas and Chris is running both meetings. What a guy! I can't wait to hear how they went. I'll be handing him a beer as soon as he walks in the door.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-30T06:40:00.002-04:00

He's some pics of our fall adventures. Everybody had a great time at the Scout Campout. The highlight for Thomas was the rocket shooting, but I also taught him how to whittle. He kept showing everyone his knife, which I think is Grandpa's. Nolan had to learn a lot of outdoor skills for an achievement, one of which was building a fire. This was no small feat since it poured all day! Nothing that a little firestarter couldn't fix!

We are ready and excited for Halloween. I'll post pictures of their costumes soon. Today they have their parties at school and a parade.

In school, Nolan has been bumped up to the advanced math class which we're all excited about. And Thomas has started reading chapter books!

Rocket Man

2009-10-25T19:26:00.004-04:00

Here's Thomas launching the model rocket he built (with some help from mom and dad) at the Cub Scout camp out...

Teacher Conferences and a wet Campout

2009-10-23T15:31:00.003-04:00

Chris and I met with the kids' teachers this week and they are doing great! Thomas seems to be growing by leaps and bounds. He's going to school and coming home with a happy face every day. He is already reading at a level that is usually half way through 1st grade. Nolan is reading at a level that is half way through 5th grade. Both are improving in their writing and math. Math still isn't a strong point for Nolan, but he knows his facts really well. He loves social studies. I'm proud of them both.

Baseball is over for Nolan and Thomas has 4 more swim lessons to go. I think I'm going to sign him up for another session. Nolan will start basketball in a couple weeks. Both kids had a Cub Scout Pack Meeting this week. We are finishing up the popcorn sales and have a camp out at a local Boy Scout camp this weekend. It is supposed to be pouring rain and cold...so I am NOT AT ALL looking forward to it. Nolan is spending the night and Thomas and I are only spending the afternoon. We hope to find a way to use tarps to keep dry. Wish us luck!

Next week we have 2 half days because of continuing parent-teacher conferences. I finally go to traffic court to settle on the ticket I got in August. And we finalize the week with Halloween! Nolan is going to be a knight and Thomas is going to be SpongeBob. Chris and I are celebrating Halloween by doing a 5K race together...Chris' first race since we started running together and my first race since I did the marathon 6 years ago. Chester will celebrate by laying on the couch!

Cub Scouts and Baseball

2009-10-14T17:06:00.002-04:00

Over Columbus Day weekend, Nolan played against Wilton in baseball and won 19 to 14. Thomas had his first Den outing at Camp Boyhaven. They had great activities for all the Tiger Cubs in the area, and Thomas had a blast. Today Nolan had his expanders put in for his lower jaw. He has a lisp now!

Tomorrow, the cook can't be at the Bethesda House (respite for the homeless) so I'm cooking for 100 people...wish me luck! This weekend's activities include selling popcorn at the Co-Op for Scouts, Fright Fest at the Great Escape and our final baseball game (against North Colonie).

Mud, mud and more mud

2009-10-05T07:51:00.003-04:00

We hiked up Kane Mountain on Saturday with Nolan's Den, and it was like walking up a running stream! I've never hiked with so much mud. It was a short hike with not much view, but it was a lot of fun going with a bunch of people and going up the fire tower. It was really cloudy but at least it didn't rain. The sun came out as soon as we finished! We scrubbed the boys sneakers and set them under a fan all night so they would be dry for school today.

We are are settling in to the school routine now, especially Thomas. He was having trouble with the morning rush and the long school day. But he's getting on the bus great now, and talking a lot about his classmates. He came home one day last week and told me one girl in his class gets to watch R rated movies! It was like she was his hero or something! I told him to find out what movies she's watching because I'm not buying it! He's even doing better with sitting still in church and participating in his religion class. The first week of religion he ran out the door into the parking lot, and the second week he hid in the closet the whole time. This week, we told him he could hang out with Gaba afterward if he did a good job. It worked! He even did a skit in the classroom. So he's really growing up and getting past his little fears.

Nolan had a good baseball game yesterday, though they lost 7-6. He hit a double but they got 3 outs before he made it home. He just loves to play. We have a few weeks left before fall ball is over. Then 2 weeks break before basketball starts.

I decided against the book club...I didn't even make the first meeting before quitting! It wasn't for me. I've been saying no to a lot of commitments lately, it seems. I can be such a hermit.

So this week Thomas is having a friend over, swim lessons, baseball practice and I get to babysit the 2 little girls down the street again. I have an all day workshop on Saturday so Chris will have the boys. Sunday we split up and I take Thomas to a Cub Scout event while Chris takes Nolan to his baseball game. And Wednesday Chris and I will have been married for 14 years! Wow! Time flies when you are having fun.

Apples and Potatoes

2009-09-27T19:07:00.003-04:00

We had lots of different activities this week that were fun and exciting. First off, we had our first pack meeting on Monday with both kids in uniform. Actually, we were all in our uniforms, feeling very official. I really have to bite my tongue at these meetings because they consist of a swarm of boys running around in chaos and grown-ups talking but no one able to hear anything and it's maddening! But they love it and it seems to work and since I'm the only female den leader, I go with it. We are beginning popcorn sales right off the bat, so start counting your pennies for when we hit you up.

Tuesday, Nolan had his second orthodontia appointment where they took molds of his teeth. We go back in 3 weeks to have the lower expander put in. Thomas had his swim lesson that day too and did AWESOME! He swam a few feet like a pro. He just has to figure out that he can turn his head to the side to get air instead of stopping and treading to breathe. He seems to be very proud of himself and so are we. It's great to see him do something that he likes and be good at it.

Wednesday Nolan had baseball practice. They are having them earlier in the evening now because it's getting dark earlier. There was a baseball game yesterday but we didn't go. It was a choice between the game and his best friend's birthday party and we gave him the choice. I think most people would have chosen the game, or pushed it. But I was proud of Nolan that he chose friendship and being with his friend. He just doesn't have that competitive edge, at least not yet.

Thursday Thomas' class went on a field trip to a local apple orchard and I got to help chaperone. We saw a bee hive, rode on a hay wagon, picked apples and got a pumpkin. It was fun getting to know the kids in Thomas' class and reminisce when I did the same trip with Nolan 3 years ago.

And today, we went to Service Day at our parish. We met with other people, had lunch and then went to the Food Bank to work. The job for today was sorting potatoes and packing them into smaller boxes for food pantries. It was pretty cool having all these people of various ages and walks of life working together to help people in need. There were SO MANY potatoes. We figured out as a group that we re-packaged 2 tons of potatoes into 84 boxes for distribution. And the boys had fun because they had friends there and they would play games like finding the smallest or weirdest potato. And then there would be a mushy rotten potato once in a while, so everyone would go "EW!" Everyone would laugh. It was a great, simple way to spend the afternoon.

We have no school tomorrow because of Yom Kippur, so we are bowling with the Brownells. I'm going to try to being a part of a book group that starts Tuesday night. The vote is still out on whether I'll stick with it or not. We'll see what books we pick and how successful I am at reading them before the next meeting. And next weekend we have a Cub Scout hike up Kane Mtn. and a baseball game. So stay tuned!

Adjusting to school

2009-09-19T19:33:00.002-04:00

We still are not in the routine of school yet, but we're hoping to be. Nolan is, but he doesn't count! He's always ready for anything! Thomas is very tired and doesn't like the get-up-an-go in the morning, but he'll get there. And I never seem to be home with all the errands, meetings, etc. But we're not complaining...just getting used to it being fall. Change is hard for everyone, but it seems to happen whether we like it or not.

Nolan's baseball team has won one and lost one. In the last game, Nolan pitched an inning and did strike one kid out. He has another game tomorrow afternoon. Thomas went to his first swim lesson and liked it! The water temp is in the 80s so that helps. Nolan started his orthodontic appointments this week too. He had spacers put in between his back molars to help make the space for his bands to be put in this coming week. Three weeks after that, his expanders will be put in and (I think) front braces. Tomorrow we start religion classes and Monday starts Cub Scouts! So we'll be in full swing by the end of the week.

Today Aunt Kimmy came to visit. We had a great visit, lunch and trip to an apple orchard. It's a good year for apples but they were damaged from the hail storm in the spring. We had to pick them over, but we found some good ones. Kim also got to enjoy the wonders of the Wii! She was probably happy to escape our loud, crazy house by the end of her visit...but we loved having her!

Hope to take some pics of Nolan playing baseball and will post soon.

And they're off!

2009-09-09T19:42:00.002-04:00

Both boys are back to school and so far the transition has been pretty easy! They are tired (me too!) but no major complaints. Thomas is adjusting to getting up early to go to school and not having a lot of his friends in his class. But he loves going to the cafeteria. Judging from what he brings back in his lunch, I think he's doing more talking than eating. Typical! Nolan has his best friend in his class, so he is loving life. His teacher this year seems quiet and low key, which is great for Nolan too. I think he likes helping Thomas on the bus and being a good big brother.

Nolan has started fall baseball. His first game is this weekend. Thomas starts swim lessons next week. And I've been swamped catching up on everything I put off all summer! So life is good. It sure is a rapid change from the lazy days of summer, though.

Back to School

2009-09-08T20:03:00.001-04:00

Day trips are easy and fun!

2009-08-21T12:52:00.003-04:00

With 3 weeks of summer left, we are trying to squeeze every bit of fun that there is to be had. Today we are hanging out at home with a friend. There is a big thunderstorm going on, so this blog entry may end up getting lost to mother nature. And then I will have to entertain 3 boys with no power. We are dog-sitting little Dexter while our friends the Reeds are off to New York City for a few days. We seem to be attached at the hip since they left this morning, or should I say ankle? He's a dachshund so he can't reach my hip.

Last weekend we ended up not going to Moira because of health complications with my aunt and my parents needing to concentrate on that. I think we'll try again next weekend, or at least just me because I'm getting a little homesick. So we did a lot of day trips that were fun for the kids. Last Friday, we went to Natural Stone Bridge and Caves in Pottersville, NY. It's a little walk that includes going over a large, natural stone bridge with a river that runs underground under it. There are several caves to explore and rock formations. The boys loved it. Last Saturday we went to Great Escape at night because the boys wanted to see it with the lights. That was hot and stinky, but of course a blast for them. And Sunday we took Chris' mom to an outdoor concert of Hair of the Dog (local Irish group). So all these day trips really make me appreciate where we live and all the fun things there are to do within an hour away.

This weekend we are supposed to go to a cookout at a friend's camp on Sacandaga Lake, though I'm wondering if the weather will permit it. And Sunday we are having friends for dinner. I feel like we've really paid attention to our friendships this summer. We've reconnected with college and high school friends, and made time to see all of our local friends too. It's what summer is all about...being with family and friends.

So school is right around the corner, and I think I'm beginning to look forward to it (though I would love to get one more camping trip in!). We got all of our school supplies and finished most of the summer work that needed to get done. The boys could use some sneakers and clothes, but I think I might wait until later September when fall stuff goes on sale. I'm hoping the summer weather is going to last longer since it got a late start, so they won't need long sleeved stuff for a while yet, or at least I hope! A lot of people are asking me what I'm going to do now that both kids are in school all day. As if being home isn't work enough! Chris says I should tell them I'm going to start growing pot! But I guess there is a curiousity to what stay-at-home moms do when working moms seem to get it all done while maintaining an outside job. Well, I like to think I do work but don't get paid. I will most likely spend 3 or 4 days volunteering at different places and spend the other 2 doing chores and errands. I'll get all that stuff done during the day so I can focus on helping the kids with their stuff when they are home. I think Chris and I really feel a peace in our family living this way, keeping it simple.

So that's what's new in a nutshell. Also August 19th was our Gotcha Day--celebrating 6 years that our family was made complete with Thomas! Well, we haven't actually celebrated yet but hope to this weekend. The boys want to go to a McDonald's Playstation and get the new Lego racers. Sounds simple to me!

Fun in the yard

2009-08-12T13:38:00.005-04:00

The boys and I have spent a lot of our summer playing at home. I've been playing in the garden.

Green peppers and 1 lone cucumber plant with no cucumbers yet. Corn and zucchini. My sad attempt at a scarecrow has been successful in keeping the rabbits and birds away! I have some little cobs and zucchini. The peas already finished and weren't very plentiful. The basil and lavender I have in the front yard are doing well, and my new perennial bed is looking awesome! The coreopsis just started blooming. What pleases me most with the perennial bed is that I grew most everything from seed. Other plants in there were gifts. The whole garden cost me about $5.00 to do. Most people spend more on that with just one plant! So I'm proving you don't need a lot of money to garden. I'm thinking of filling in the sandbox next year with dirt and expanding my veggies. Although it is a little sad that the boys have outgrown it.

The boys have come up with all sorts of creative things to do at home. We've rigged a hose on the slide to make a cool and fast slide. Thomas did that with his friend Leo yesterday and it was hard to get a picture...they went so fast! And they've re-discovered their skateboards. In the photo, Thomas is pretending to be a bowling ball!

They have both had some friends over, Thomas more than Nolan. When I asked Nolan if he wanted a friend over, he said, "No, I'm not a people person." I thought that was the funniest thing, the way he said it! But he is a quieter person than Thomas. He seems to have just a few friends that mean a lot to him, as opposed to Thomas who seems to know everyone. But what's been great this summer is that they really enjoy playing with each other. Of course there's the fighting too, but mostly they love to be goofy and play together. It's great.

So camp ends this week and then we're off to Moira and the Franklin County Fair. We're hoping to go to the Newcomb Interpretive Center on the way there to check it out. We'll be using our new GPS to find the place, thanks to mom and dad! I will never get lost again!

You just won...a new car!

2009-08-05T21:28:00.005-04:00

OK, so it's not new and I didn't win it. But I am striking a "Price is Right" pose! After a LLLOOONNNGGG pause of me not having a vehicle and all the headaches dealing with the garage and the insurance, we now have 2 cars in our driveway again. The garage declared the Subaru totaled on Saturday, so we went camping and came back to car shop with a vengeance! We found this lovely 2003 Pontiac Vibe and it fit the bill. It even has some perks...it came with a CD changer and a remote car starter! So Mathew...what should I name it??

I won't blog much about the camping trip since Chris did. I will post this one picture of Mike and I because it is just the EPITOMY of our relationship and I love it. I'm always the happy, flaky one and he's the "oh, please, give me a break" one! Of course, I think that cup has wine in it so that could be part of the reason for being happy, but I digress. Mike, you're the best. It was a great weekend, despite the rainy outcome. I hope it becomes an annual event.

So we going to continue sucking the life out of this summer and ignoring the back-to-school ads. Not having a car, I got a lot of homey projects done and now having a car, I'll start doing all the errands that didn't. The kids are still in camp in the morning this week and next. We have a blissful weekend at home coming up, and then it's off to Moira and the Franklin County Fair (Almanzo Wilder went to the same fair!).

Adirondack Vacation Photos

2009-07-20T21:32:00.002-04:00

My heart is in the ADK's

2009-07-13T13:20:00.004-04:00

Nolan at Owen Pond, off Rte. 86. Chris says it looks like his foot is touching the sky.

This tree was also near Owen Pond. It's amazing how resilient nature is. Life finds a way.

We went to a magic show in Lake Placid and Nolan got called on stage. Chris did too! They have no inhibitions, these men of mine!

We went for a walk around the Wilmington Flume.

Here we all are at the top of Mount Jo. A beautiful view for not a lot of effort. We also hiked Mount Baker in Saranac Lake.

We had a terrific vacation getting away from it all in Silver Lake. We are just so thankful that my uncle lets us stay at his camp for a week every year, so we can be in such beauty. It was cool and rainy most of the time while we were there, but it didn't deter us! In addition to all these hikes, we got to visit with my uncle and my folks too. We also took a trip into Plattsburgh and walked around the campus. We tried to hike at the VIC in Paul Smith's but it started to thunder and lightning. We got ice cream at Donnelly's instead--much better choice anyway! Although they are getting commercial with everyone else--$2.50 for a baby cone! We hiked the Brewster Peninsula while in Lake Placid too. I love doing that hike because most tourists are blowing their money in all the shops there, but not us. We opt for the woods. What was fun about our Silver Lake trip this year was that the boys are getting older and easier. They could explore outside without us for bits of time. We swam some towards the end, but it wasn't the best swimming weather. It was just nice to be away, just us as a family, and be reminded again that our cup overfloweth.

So it's back to reality this week. We will still be 2 more weeks without a car, but we're keeping busy. Yesterday, Nolan turned 9 ...wow! Half way to being an adult! We celebrated with Gaba and Louis Saturday night, and then he, Chris and a friend went to see a ValleyCats game. Nolan told me he didn't want me to go because it was guy's night! I guess he is getting older (sob!). Thomas is at Vacation Bible School this week and Nolan is at the town camp. Nolan has some practices and a game this week. So life is back to normal in Niskayuna. Whoever is reading this should let me know how their summer is going too!

Chance of showers

2009-06-28T22:49:00.002-04:00

Here's a video from a recent trip to the Great Escape, where Nolan and Thomas wait for the water to spill from Paul Bunyon's Bucket Brigade.

There was an earlier one where they took a much more direct hit. Thomas actually got knocked down by the force of the water!

This time they stayed out on the edge a little more. Watch for Nolan in the green swim trunks and Thomas next to him the blue and white Hawaiian-style suit.

Summer is here...with a crash!

2009-06-28T08:09:00.003-04:00

Our first lemonade stand...made more than $8 in 2 hours!

A makeshift sprinkler

So our summer vacation didn't start out that great, but we're making the most of it and taking it on as a challenge. We literally are turning lemons into lemonade!

I took the kids to Troy to meet Chris for dinner, got lost, ran through an intersection and a car broadsided us. Everyone is okay...just got a ticket and the car is in the shop for a month. And of course, I am still humbled by my act of stupidity and the fear of what could have happened to my kids. But it's also making me realize again how dependent we get on our cars. I mean, 50 years ago, most families only had 1 car.

We have been trying to figure out what we're going to do with a trip to Silver Lake coming up and kids going to camps, baseball games, etc... But fortunately, we live in a place where a lot is walking/biking distance. We can get to several playgrounds, church, store, post office and library all within 15 minutes by bike. Not to mention the fun that can be had in our own backyard (see the pics to prove it!). So we're sucking it up and having a true "staycation" this week. Next week we get to attempt packing Chris' little 2 door Honda Civic for a week in Hawkeye. It's a challenge we plan to conquer! We Rooneys are hardy folk!

Kindergarten Greatest Hits

2009-06-21T22:48:00.001-04:00

Here are a couple of the songs from Thomas' end of the year kindergarten concert...

Our Kindergarten Graduate

2009-06-19T07:52:00.002-04:00

Thomas' End of the Year Show was yesterday...so cute! Chris has some video footage that he'll post soon. We were all there, including Nolan who got out of class, Gaba and Aunt Annie. They sang some songs, including a rendition of Days of the Week, sung to the Adams family tune. They were all trying to snap and not really getting it--too funny! Thomas was nervous up there and kept looking at his friend Will. But he stayed up there and managed to sing a little and do some of the movements. There was a slide show afterward and cake. He still has school today and Monday. Monday he finds out his first grade teacher and Nolan finds out his 4th grade teacher. Wow! I can't beleive how fast they grow.

Nolan didn't make the All-Star team, but apparently a lot of kids didn't. On Saturday, there is another tryout for a "B" team that he wants to go for again. This team includes 3rd and 4th graders, mainly 4th graders. So luck is not on our side, but Nolan has a great attitude. He figures he has nothing to lose. He doesn't care what kind of team he's on as long as he gets to play ball. He's getting so much taller too, coming up to my chin now! He's becoming a real athlete.

So everything is winding down thankfully. Today Nolan has his end of the year pizza party. Tomorrow they both play their last baseball games. And Father's Day is Sunday! We were going to go to Great Escape again but we aren't sure about the weather. The National Park Service is waiving their fees this weekend, so we may check out Saratoga Battlefield again. Thomas is done school on Monday and Nolan on Tuesday.

As soon as school is over, we get to explore the world of orthodontia! Woohoo (not)! Nolan has a wicked overbite and overcrowding of teeth. So we see an orthodontist on Tuesday. I'm not looking forward to that at all. But our first camping trip is to Moreau next week, and an awesome summer begins!

More pics

2009-06-08T06:55:00.004-04:00

Here's some of Thomas' trip to his teacher's farm:

I'm very happy that the big church event I helped plan is over. Over 90 people came and seemed to like it. Here's a picture from that:

The boys both had good games this weekend. Thomas is really practicing his hitting and getting a lot stronger. Nolan's team still hasn't won, but they tied with a team on Saturday! He got a triple, a single and drove in a runner. We're told that he's going to be nominated to try out for the All Star team. We're anxious to find this out. Even the chance to try out is really good. But, it may change our summer plans if he makes the team. There are 5 practices and 2 games a week! But he just loves it, and it gets more competitive the older he gets.

Nolan's alarm is going off...my day begins!

The countdown begins

2009-06-04T11:33:00.004-04:00

Over the past couple weeks, we've had a trip to NH to visit the Reeds, visits to the classroom, and a day at the Great Escape. We saw the Reeds over Memorial Day weekend and had a blast, as usual. This time, Chester came with us so he could play with their dog, Dexter. We played, ate outside and went to a parade. The picture at the parade is with Thomas and Ava, holding hands. They are becoming quite amorous with each other. They even went to her room at the end of the visit so they could have a private hug! Yikes! Nolan did a report for school on England that he presented in a booklet and on Powerpoint. We got to go in and have him share it with us. And last weekend, we took a break from baseball and headed up to Great Escape for the day, our first trip of the summer. Chris got to go on the new ride, the Sasquatch (and there's the pic with him and the actual Sasquatch). We saw the pirate show...AGAIN. I loved the Blizzard (a scrambler). It was chilly but Nolan wanted to do the Desperado Plunge. It was a nice break from all the craziness we've been having. We needed it.

Thomas has been hard to manage lately, and so we weren't sure it was a good idea to go to Great Escape. But we seemed to be yelling a lot lately, and I felt like we all could use a break from reality and a little fun! It seemed to do the trick, because he has been less naughty lately. Well, that and taking away his video games until he can be more kind. He is definately getting older. He's been asking a lot about his adoption lately, but seems satified with our answers. I think he gets comforted when we tell the same story over and over. We never hide anything. We always give him as much information as he asks for. Today we went on a trip to his teacher's farm. He got to feed the horse and ducks. I got to throw a chicken out of the barn! It was fun...I'll post the pics soon.

Also since I wrote last, my friend Mathew from high school came to visit, an avid fan of our family blog! I got to see his pics for a change and I tried to guilt him into getting on Facebook (no such luck). I just loved our chat and hope we get to have them more often.

So June is here and 13 more days of school. Nolan has 5 more games and Thomas has three. Nolan's team still hasn't won a game, but they had a really exciting game on Monday. Nolan drove in a runner and got a triple. That triple was almost a hit out of the park; it dropped right when it got to the fence...so exciting. I hope they win soon. They've really progressed since they started. We're anxious to find out when All Star tryouts are for this summer. For school, next week we have an informational night to see what instrument Nolan may play in school next year. He's interested in the violin and viola. The week after is Thomas' Kindergarten Graduation and the end of the year parties. I can't beleive I won't have a kindergartener anymore.

This weekend is the big church event I've been planning forever now. I'll be the happiest woman on the planet when it is over! I won't bore you with all the details, but there has been one problem after another. But to look at it positively, I think it has helped me see that I'm not interested in working with adults in a church anymore. Maybe kids, but not teaching. I'm just not that good at it. But I have learned some leadership skills and gotten to know the ins and outs of church business (and it's not always pretty!). And I'm really glad to have met some wonderful people that really give of themselves to help.

Sorry so long...I didn't know I had so much to say!

Staking a tree

2009-05-17T08:04:00.005-04:00

Pic#1 The cutest chipmunk taking a snooze on the stump at my neighbor's house.
Pic#2 Nolan marching in the Niska Day parade with Cub Scouts.
Pic#3 Thomas' adoring fans.

Forgive me for getting a little deep here. Have you ever noticed that some people put bands and stakes around trees they have newly planted? I think they are trying to protect the tree and let it get strong against the wind. Of course, eventually they have to take the bands off and let it stand on its own, against the wind and storms. Do you think the tree has a hard time once the stakes are removed? Some people don't use these stakes. They plant the sapling and let it withstand whatever comes. I think they must believe that this too makes the tree strong, rather than protecting it. They let the tree experience life as it is, hoping for the best.

I think parenting is like this. Some people protect their children and shelter them from certain things in life. Others just try to teach them right, put them out there and hope for the best. In both cases, I think parents are just trying to do their best. But I wonder if sheltering them in the beginning from things that happen in life is really helping them in the long run. What happens when the realities of life happen and there is no protection? It's hard to teach your children, let go and then simply have faith in them. But I'm thinking no stakes is better. I hope I can be that kind of parent...and gardener.

Bragging Rights

2009-05-11T06:39:00.003-04:00

Pic #1: Thank you Rooneys for the Spider Man present! He loves it! There is silly string all over our yard from his webs!
Pic#2: Thomas being silly at 1st base.
Pic#3: Nolan winding up for a pitch

We had a busy baseball weekend with my folks in town. Thomas had a good game Saturday morning. The kids are beginning to learn that there are positions to play, instead of all of them swarming over the ball. Thomas had some good hits and tried for a play at first even.

Nolan played first base most of his game, but pitched the last inning. It got exciting when he hit a ball way out int he outfield and brought in 2 runners. He ran to third base and kept going. The pitcher started running towards him at homeplate to get him out. There was a discrepancy whether he got tagged before or after he touched the base, so they compromised and sent him back to 3rd base. He did make it home though. He had a triple and 2 singles that game. And he's made the newspaper 3 times now! The most exciting news is he went to a Pitch, Hit and Run Competition after his game. I guess he got points depending on how fast he ran, how close he came to the strike zone, etc. And he won! He tied in the pitching category with another player. So now he goes to Saratoga this coming Saturday for another round. I think they keep weeding out players, and then the eventual winners get to go to the All Star game in St. Louis. We're so proud of him that he's trying so hard and just loves it so much.

It was great to see my folks and have a nice warm weekend, at least Saturday. Next weekend is Niska Day so hopefully it will be nice weather then too. I just wish it wasn't so busy! I keep wearing my turtle necklace to remind myself to slow down.

Baseball Weekend

2009-05-07T08:11:00.002-04:00

We've become consumed with baseball now. Nolan has 2 games and a practice each week and Thomas has a game each week too. They are both loving life and playing great. On the way home from a game, Nolan told me, "Mom, I love baseball. It's all I think about." He said it so seriously. It's great to see him become so absorbed in something that he really loves, and be good at it too.

I've been planning an intergenerational event for our two parishes, co-chairing with my new friend Holly. The first time they had an event like this, 300 people attended over the two sessions. It's been a great learning experience and seems to eat a lot of my time, when I'm not on a ball field. We keep hitting road blocks that we have to work around. But I'm amazed at how people are giving of their time and talent to make it all work. I hope we get a good turn out with all of this effort. I'm getting to know the most wonderful people.

This weekend Mom and Dad are coming down to see our ball players. Nolan is going to try out for a Pitch, Hit and Run Competition. The winners move on and may have a chance to see a major league game in Saint Louis. We'll see what happens with that. We're sorry to miss Simon's 1st communion this weekend--good luck Simon! We're proud of you! It's Gaba's birthday this weekend, Mother's Day and our friend Danny's 1st communion too. Lots to celebrate!

Batter Up and a new Webelo

2009-04-27T20:06:00.003-04:00

We had a beautiful, summery weekend and filled it with fun. Saturday Thomas and Nolan both had baseball games. They did awesome! Thomas seemed very confident and looked so cute in his baseball outfit and really big shirt. He had some good hits off the tee and even made a play to first. Nolan's game was later in the day. He played first base most of the time and got three outs. He also made it home once. He is on a new field this year and the kids pitch, so the game takes a lot longer. Thomas' coach seems great--light-hearted and making it fun for the kids. I'm hoping Nolan's coach does a little more instruction but otherwise is pretty easy-going too.

Sunday night was Nolan's Blue and Gold dinner. Despite how the picture looks, Nolan had a great time. The bridge they are standing on is the bridge that they cross over to become the next level. Chris did a great job with his video presentation and all the boys did funny skits. Now Nolan is a Webelo and Thomas a Tiger Cub. We will be talking about Cub Scouts in our sleep! But for now, most of our activities are over except the Niska Day parade and a pack picnic.

Tomorrow is Thomas' 6 year check up. More baseball next weekend, a CROP walk and a 1st communion celebration for a friend. And 40 days left of school!

Boston and Salem

2009-04-21T10:09:00.003-04:00

We had a great time on our trip to Boston over spring break. We left early Monday morning and dropped Chester off at this new kennel on the way--a place in the country where he got to walk next to fields of horses and sniff fellow dogs. We stopped in Natick, MA to hit the Lego store there. The boys spent their gift cards and we headed eastward to Danvers where our hotel was. We had dinner in Marblehead at this great restaurant, The Barnacle. I had lobster that was caught from their own boat--yum! Chris had salmon and Nolan had fish n' chips. Thomas was a rebel and had chicken fingers. The hotel was nice except for an icky pool and the service was so-so. Tuesday we managed to find the train station and maneuver our way to the aquarium. We had a blast there, and it was so relaxing watching those fish swim by. Nolan was into the sharks and Thomas like the stingrays. I was partial to the turtles and jellyfish. Chris liked everything. We went over to Quincy Market to have lunch and then headed back to the hotel. Wednesday we went to the Salem Maritime Historical Site and learned all about trade in colonial times. Nolan was especially interested and even filled out a booklet with questions about the plaques and earned a junior ranger badge. It was great to see the ocean and experience a different place. We left tired and happy.

Now we're back in school and baseball is here in full swing. We have games this Saturday and already had a practice. Sunday is Nolan's Blue and Gold Dinner too--I can't believe he's going to be a Webelo!

Birthday videos

2009-04-12T08:40:00.003-04:00

Kris will probably write some more about the exciting events surrounding Thomas' birthday. But in the meantime, here are some video highlights...

Some Pics

2009-04-09T20:17:00.003-04:00

Last weekend we finally went letterboxing again. We've taken a long hiatus from it. I can't disclose the location of the one we found, but it was at an old section of the Erie canal. It was fun to poke around there that day. We ended it with a trip to Jumpin' Jacks---mmmm. I had vanilla and cherry swirl in the back of the car with Chester--I was cold! I think the picture of the boys eating their ice cream is funny. Thomas looks like he's about to give Chris the finger and Nolan looks like he's in love and about to kiss his ice cream cone.

Tomorrow Thomas turns 6. I really can't believe he is going to be 6, especially when he's barely 3 feet tall! He was the mayor of his school today, passing out his birthday cupcakes. Tomorrow we are having Gaba over for dinner. Thomas has requested Cookie Crisp for breakfast and chicken noodle soup for dinner. Since it's Good Friday, we're going to have chicken noodle soup without the chicken! I told Thomas he can play video games for as long as he wants in the afternoon, after we go to church. Maybe that's a little sacreligious. But he is very excited about the prospect. I think what he wants more than anything on his birthday is to do whatever he wants!

Saturday we will be brave and go to Chuck E. Cheese for his small kid party. Nolan has a baseball tryout afterwards. He's decided to try out for a spring travel team after all. If he makes the team, he'll be on 2 different baseball teams. The one team he is on doesn't have any of his friends on the team, so I think that's why he'd like to try spring travel. We just got his schedule and we're awaiting Thomas'. I'm glad religion classes and after school programs are over to make room for all this baseball.

Hoppy Easter to everyone!

April Showers

2009-04-03T10:58:00.003-04:00

It's a rainy day today, and it makes me so happy to have spring finally here. I'm starting to think of what to do with my yard this year and how we'll spend our summer. The grass is already starting to grow a little. We are anxiously awaiting Thomas' birthday, Easter and spring break. I can't believe he is almost 6! We are taking him and 2 friends to Chuck E. Cheese to celebrate. His birthday is on Good Friday this year, which is a weird day to celebrate, so we're going on Saturday. He's getting cupcakes at school on Thursday, so he'll have 3 days of celebration!

Not much else to report. We all had terrible viruses last week, but we're back to health this week. Their after school programs end this coming week, just in time for baseball to start up. We start working on the fields this Sunday. No word yet on the teams. Nolan wants to try out for the All Star team this summer. If he makes it, then that will keep our summer pretty busy. I hear it's 3 practices and 2 games a week. But we will be sure to get some camping trips in too, and we hope to join the town pool.

In case I don't get back to this, have a wonderful, hope-filled Easter!

Battleship Cove

2009-03-23T08:03:00.002-04:00

Here are some of the photos from our trip with the Cub Scouts to Battleship Cove in Fall River, Mass.

Nolan and I spent the night on the USS Massachusetts. We also toured the submarine USS Lionfish, the destroyer USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. and a Russian missile corvette named the Hiddensee.

Spring at last!

2009-03-22T12:56:00.004-04:00

We are so happy to have it be warm again and play outside. We've all decided we aren't winter people. We've been shooting hoops outside and practicing pitching in the backyard.

We had a wonderful St. Patrick's Day at Chris' mom's house with the Serafinis. There's nothing like corned beef, cabbage and Irish Soda Bread. This week we had the book fair too. At church, they've put me in charge of a large, intergenerational gathering that we're going to have in June. So I've started having some meetings about that. Thomas' teacher had emergency surgery and will be out 6 weeks, so some parents are making meals for her while she is out. Thursday was our turn, and Thomas LOVED seeing her and her farm. We got to help with the evening chores--getting eggs out of the coop, feeding the chickens and giving water to the horse. I dream of having a beautiful old farm like she has! Today Chris and Nolan are coming back from their overnight on a battleship in Boston. I'm anxious to hear how it went. Lights out were at 11pm and reveille at 6am, so I'll bet they will be tired. Chris' mom is going to pick them up soon from the bus drop off. Thomas is home with a fever today.

When Thomas came home from school on Thursday, he ran off the bus and twisted his ankle. He seemed fine the rest of the day, but the next morning it was puffy and he wouldn't walk on it. So we took him to the doctor and they took X-rays. Nothing broken, just a sprain. He's walking on it much better today, of course now he seems to have a little cold. We've had a quiet weekend without Nolan and Chris. We did see Helen and Olivia skate on Saturday at RPI--they were terrific and beautiful on the ice.

This week we finally have no more half days, so a nice normal week. Thomas and Chris are going to a Math Night at school Thursday night. We are checking out a kennel for Chester on Saturday for when we go to Boston. It's a 45 min drive, but it's on the way to Massachusetts and we've heard great things about it .

Singing in the shower

2009-03-16T00:48:00.000-04:00

Like many people, Thomas enjoys singing in the shower. With apologies to Don McLean, here's his rendition of "American Pie."

Derby Day

2009-03-15T23:51:00.002-04:00

Another Pinewood Derby has come and gone.

I'm super proud of Nolan's performance this year. For starters, this was his most detailed design so far. Also, each year he does more and more of the work himself. He did a lot of the cutting and sanding on his own this year -- and I think it came out great.

The maximum weight for a Pinewood Derby car is 5 oz. With some tinkering -- and bit of luck -- we were abble to get it to be exactly 5 oz. That, combined with some other design tricks we had up our sleeve, had us hoping for a strong finish.

He won three of the six heats his car raced in. But in the end he placed eighth overall (out of 25 cars). He was hoping to be closer to the top, but still I was very impressed he made it into the top 10.

The scouts also get to vote on which cars they like in various categories. He had his heart set on winning the "Most Scout-Like" award. Unfortunately, he placed a close second in the voting.

So he was pretty disappointed in not coming home with a big trophy for speed or design. But Kris and I were still very proud. He seems to be over it today and is already talking about next year's race!

Growing Up

2009-03-15T13:05:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, Thomas and I cleaned the car inside and out in the beautiful sunshine. We cleaned the inside and then went in for lunch. I told him we would go back after lunch to do the outside. He said he might be too tired to do that. So I said he could always take a nap. His response? Men don't take naps. He cracks me up.

Matchbox 20

2009-03-12T17:17:00.002-04:00

I heard a song on the radio this morning from this group called, Closing Time. I always loved this song and one of the lines in it. "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." That is so true. When something ends, it frees us for new possibilities. And with the snow finally melting away and the yard inching its way back, the warmer temperatures are freeing us to have some new opportunities too.

I was marveling at Thomas' social schedule today. I was wondering what was making this week so busy, and partly it's because I'm bringing Thomas to so many friends' houses or having them here. He had 4 play dates this week! We will cut back, but it's cute that he's becoming so close to this one boy in his class. He's definately getting older. His swim lessons are going better now that all of us are going to watch him. I think he likes us as his personal cheering crew! I'm happy to oblige when I see him swimming such strong strokes. He is still a little hesitant, but he's getting there.

Nolan has his Pinewood Derby this weekend. He participated a lot more in making his car this year, and this year he got it to be exactly 5 oz (the maximum and best weight to be for speed). So we are hoping he'll be a winner this year. He decorated it with Cub Scout decals, so he could win an award for Most Scout-like too. We shall see--cross your fingers! He also has a baseball clinic to start getting tuned up for the season. So another beginning coming up soon.

We've been having a lot of half days to accommodate parent-teacher conferences. I don't remember them cutting the days like this when I was little for conferences. I think the teachers just stayed late one night and parents could come in to talk to them then. Now they have 4 half days twice in the school year. It seems like a lot of time off. it must be a nightmare for working parents. Thankfully, I'm not one of them!

We've also been absorbed in reading a lot. I just finished reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to the boys (I highly recommend reading this during Lent.) and they are watching the movie of it as I write now. Now we've started Harry Potter. They are really getting into it, and I love spending the time doing it with them. Sometimes Thomas gets ants in his pants, but he's still listening. I hope they always love reading.

I actually opened the sandbox for Thomas today! So another new beginning, although the sand was still pretty frozen. He played in it anyway. I think we all want spring.

February's End

2009-02-27T18:01:00.003-05:00

I am blogging with a headlamp on my head while the boys watch a movie, The Nutty Professor. They wanted complete darkness, so this is our compromise! February sure is short and sweet. I can't believe March is almost here already. March is my least favorite month--no holidays worthy of a day off, the weather is usually unpredictable and the waiting for spring gets hard. But I'm hoping to change my tune. There is St. Pat's Day, after all, lots of early dismissals because of school conferences and I'm hoping to get an early start on a garden by starting some plants indoors. Nolan has a baseball clinic and a trip to Massachusetts to sleep on a battleship with Cub Scouts in March. So there...March is looking up!

We had a great time in Syracuse. The driving was a little hairy getting there with the lake effect, but we made it to McDonalds where I got to visit with school friends Shawn and Stephanie. It was really neat to catch up after 20 YEARS (yes, I'm that old)! We're hoping to meet up again in the spring at a park. Then we got my sister and hit the MOST, a children's science museum in Syracuse. That place was cool. There was a toothpick man there that builds these elaborate sculptures out of--you got it--toothpicks. He's going to be there for a year, and you can ask him questions while he works. Thomas' favorite thing was a brain in a jar. Nolan liked this game where you could be on television playing basketball. I liked the big, 3 story play gym with tunnels, slides and shooting balls. The kids went in and we really didn't see them again for an hour! Actually, Kim and I did go in a little too. It was mayhem in there, but fun to see so many happy kids. We went back to her house, had dinner and vegged on the couch with a movie until we called it a day. The next day was another highlight of the kids' trip: the flying helicopter! It's this 10 cent toy John brought out, and when you roll the stick between your hands, the helicopter on the top makes it fly in the air. The kids loved it. We headed home early afternoon so we could get Chester from the kennel in time. What a blast we had--thanks Kim and John!

So back to school this week. Nolan had a pack meeting where he finally got his prize for selling popcorn--a lego toy. He was very happy to finally get it. Lent started this week, so we've been following a calendar that has good deeds the kids are supposed to do every day. After-school programs started this week too: Thomas is taking Computer Fun and Nolan is taking Tai Kwon Do. Both are loving it. This weekend we have to get moving on Nolan's Pinewood Derby car. The first weigh-in is in a week.

It's been harder to keep up with this blog lately, but I'll keep trying!

Winter Break

2009-02-19T17:55:00.002-05:00

We have had a great winter break so far. It got kicked off with great report cards from both kids. All the hard work Nolan has been doing paid off because he is really doing great, especially in reading and math. The handwriting still needs work but it's coming along. Thomas is also doing great in those same subjects (as much as they do in kindergarten anyway). He still needs work in his speech and listening, especially sound spelling. We treated them to IHOP to celebrate. We don't recommend that place--slow, poor service that's over-priced.

On Tuesday, our friends the Reeds came and have helped us speed the week away. We had so much fun playing games, sledding, and going to the NYS Museum. What was cool about the museum is they are showing an exhibit of Rockwell Kent's work from SUNY Plattsburgh where we went to school. It brought back memories of me hanging out with Mike while he sat at the desk of the museum in Plattsburgh. Of course, now we practically ran through that exhibit, hoping none of our kids would touch anything! Everybody played great and I was sorry to see them leave. An hour later, my boys were fighting again and asking what to do.

Tomorrow we leave for Syracuse to visit my sister and her husband. I'm also getting to see an old high school friend Shawn who I haven't seen in maybe 20 years. This is thanks to Facebook. We are going to check out the science museum in Syracuse too. By the time we get back, I should be exhausted and ready for a vacation from this vacation!

Winter Fun

2009-02-07T14:11:00.003-05:00

I was right...the boys wanted no part in the square dance! I did go into Thomas' gym class to help out and I thought it was cool. Of course, Thomas wouldn't have any part of it while I was there, but he did participate another day when I wasn't there. I will ever understand why he has a hard time doing things when Chris or I are around. We don't pressure him or anything. Maybe just our being there makes him self-conscious. Anyway, he and Nolan still weren't impressed enough to want to go to the dance. They went to a high school basketball game with Chris that night instead.

I still try all the time to encourage the boys to go out and play. Last weekend, I started making a tunnel in a snowbank in the front yard to entice them to come out. It worked for all of 20 minutes when suddenly I realized I was missing a kid ...and another soon followed..into the warmth of the house. Yesterday we found a new hill to sled down, and that was a blast. We went to the Schenectady Municipal golf course. What was cool about the hill was it had several levels. I got some air a couple times! It was really icy, so Thomas enjoyed just sliding down on his bum. My favorite part was when Nolan and I went down together. When we finally stopped, he laid back against me and we just listened to the quiet of the snowy stillness. Nolan's getting to the age where he doesn't like to show his affection very often, so when he does it is awesome. I always tell him he's never too old for a hug.

On Tuesday, Chris is taking the Cub Scouts to Lowe's for a Pinewood Derby Clinic. The Derby is in March, so Nolan will need to start working on his car soon. Valentine's Day and report cards this Friday. Then a whole week off-yeah!

January Blah

2009-02-01T18:10:00.003-05:00

I haven't written much lately because there hasn't been a lot to write about. January always seems a little long and draggy. The weather has been hard, school has been tough and not a lot of exciting events happening. But now February is here! Nice and short, a week of vacation and a holiday for chocolate and love to boot! We had a fun day today. We made a tunnel in a snowbank, made our own kettle corn and now all the boys are squished on the couch to watch the Super Bowl. So I'm blogging, having no interest in all that testosterone!

Nolan is the one having the tough time in school. They are writing short essays now in school, and he just isn't a fan of writing. His handwriting needs a lot of work. And math is another tough subject, especially the tests. So, he's doing some extra stuff to keep up. All of this has created a bad attitude about school, compounded by not being good friends with anyone in his class. He really is shy underneath it all, especially with adults. It gets him self conscious I think. Anyway, he's turned a corner. He's getting more positive about school and we're having different friends come over to hang out. I think report cards come on Friday. His teacher and I are talking about other ideas to help him out. So again, I think February is looking up for him. He loves basketball and often makes several points for his team. He's really good at dribbling and passing the ball. Next week is the final tournament. Cub Scouts is also going great. We went on a fun outing to Saratoga Battlefield to learn about colonial times and go tubing. They saw a cannon shoot off.

Thomas has also been making strides this month. He can read a little now, mostly 3-4 letter words. He started swim lessons again but this time we're taking them at the high school. It was an adjustment the first day because it's a bigger pool, new instructors and he's never been there before. But today he did great and even asked to stay in the pool longer to swim. He's becoming good friends with a little boy Will in his class. He even went to the last Cub Scout meeting with Nolan and Chris. He's excited to join next year and wants me to be his Den Leader (ugh!). We are slowly being consumed by scouting! Also, he just signed up for baseball. We had no intention of him playing this year since last year was a bust, but he desperately wants to try it again. He's getting older.

This week, all the kids in their school are going to learn square dancing in gym and show off their new skill at a dance on Friday. I'm really curious what they're going to think of it. I have a feeling they will want nothing to do with going to the dance, but we shall see! Lots of other little adventures this month too. I'm helping in Thomas' classroom tomorrow with a groundhog project. Thomas ushers in church (That will be interesting. He signed up for it himself!). Valentine's Day. The Reeds are coming to visit over break and we're going to visit my sister. The boys are also going to start some after school programs once a week--Nolan will do Tae Kwon Do and Thomas is going to do Computer Fun. I think it's funny that Thomas is Korean but he wants nothing to do with Tae Kwon Do. So we are passing the winter by keeping busy. We seem to be staying inside a lot; I'm hoping ot get us out sledding and walking on some trails more.

A Quiet Weekend

2009-01-18T15:48:00.002-05:00

This weekend Chris and I were planning a trip to Plattsburgh to stay at a B&B there called the Point au Roche Lodge. We've been a couple times and loved it. Not everyone would pick to go overnight to Plattsburgh, of all places. But we met there, and it's quiet there. The lodge overlooks Lake Champlain, so it's very pretty and rustic. We were hoping to go xc skiing at Saratoga Battlefield, get some sweatshirts on campus and go out to dinner. But suddenly, sickness set in. DUN-DUN-DUN!

Actually, it's not a big deal. Nolan was at a friend's house yesterday and started to feel weird and threw up (Lucky them!). That continued most of the evening. Today he is feeling a little better but out of it. I'm hoping tomorrow he'll be back to his old self. So all of the planning for childcare and dogcare went out the window and we were reduced to a vacation at home.

I think Chris may argue with this, but it's been a nice weekend so far despite the disappointment. We had no plans to be home, so it's been very relaxing. We slept in, I made pancakes, we've let the boys watch TV all day, and we even got a nap in this afternoon! Our plan is to get some pizza tonight, start a fire and watch a movie. In a way, it is like a vacation at home. Can't beat the price anyway!

The lodge is holding our deposit so we can reschedule the trip, so hopefully we'll still be able to go at some point. We had to cancel our trip last year too, so they are probably wondering why we keep torturing ourselves by trying to make this getaway happen! It's been 2 years since Chris and I went away overnight. And it will probably happen when we don't plan it and just go. Life is funny that way sometimes.

Crocheting

2009-01-07T14:03:00.003-05:00

I've been trying my hand at crocheting again, and I'm really liking it. As long as I don't have to count my stitches, it's really relaxing. I can just do it and listen to TV at night. But the down side is I never know if something is going to fit! My first project was a pair of mittens for Thomas. He's using them, although they are a little embarrassing to post online. The thumbs got screwed up, but they're functional. I just finished Nolan's scarf. He really likes it. I'm trying to finish a blanket that my mom started. Then I want to make a hat for Chris and a purse for me. We'll see if any of these really happen.

Today is a snow day. So far we've made cookies, played games, finished our thank you cards and had lunch. They are in video game mode now. We may venture out to the library next.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T08:03:00.002-05:00

We still have some decorations and an Epiphany play to perform in, but otherwise the holidays are over for us and Chris is returning to work. Reality is setting in now with all the eating and drinking I've been doing and it's too cold to run! I'm exploring an exercise channel that's pretty good. Starting today, I'm eating less. I wrote it in the blog so now I have to do it!

As predicted, I am very ready for the kids to go back to school. We haven't done a lot of exciting ventures this week, but it has been nice hanging out together and playing with all our new gadgets. I just can't take the fighting between the boys! They are watching the same channel in separate rooms right now. Today, they are getting separated to play with friends which will be good. Too much togetherness! And Nolan has had homework to do which has been a battle. To top it off, Chris fought with our garbage disposal yesterday and the disposal won! But the war isn't over. The battle continues today with hopefully a better outcome. So I'm not complaining, but it is good to get back into a little of a routine with school approaching.

The goals I have for us in 2009 are as follows:
To stay happy and healthy
To be debt free
To begin our journey of the 46 peaks
To be kind to everyone in all things
To live freely and in gratitude
For me, remaining a stay-at-home mom and endeavoring to be more patient
For Chris, to remain at his job and have it be stable and fun
For Nolan, to be more attentive to his responsibilities but also to be confident in who he is and the the love of his family
For Thomas, to realize bad choices never get him anywhere and to let go of his control and anxiety so he can really see the love we have for him

OK, so they are lofty goals! Aim high!

Holiday highlights

2008-12-29T19:08:00.001-05:00

Here's some pictures from our 2008 Christmas...

Calm waters

2008-12-29T08:36:00.005-05:00

The days after Christmas and before the New Year are like a holding pattern. There's lots of visiting with family, little routine, trips to the store and playing with all the booty. It's a much calmer time. The Barsottis are at the airport now and will hopefully have a safe trip back to Kentucky. It was so cool to have so much time with family that it's sad to see them go. The boys loved being with all their older cousins.

It was such a nice Christmas. I thought it might be hard to be away on Christmas Day, but it was great to be in the house I grew up in. The drive through the Adirondacks was spectacular. I think my parents enjoyed seeing the kids Christmas morning, despite their high energy! There wasn't much sleep going on. At 3am, we could hear their little feet going out to the living room to see if Santa had been there. Then the whispering. We finally had to separate them and I think they did sleep until the 7am wake up call. Then the paper tearing began! For Christmas dinner, we had a feast of turkey, Dad's sausage stuffing, Mom's jello salad and I made both a green bean and sweet potato casseroles. We topped it off with checkerboard cake that night for Chris' birthday. We left early Friday so we could have Christmas again with Chris' family. That was a whirlwind day with traveling, presents and dinner. Every night since we've had dinner with all of Chris' family and it's been wonderful.

In other news, Nolan finally saved up enough money to buy a Wii, so he bought it yesterday. It took him a year, but he did it all on his own which I think is pretty good for an 8 year old. Today, we are heading to the mall to spend their build-a-bear gift cards from Aunt Kimmy. The boys got everything they wanted for Christmas, I think. They are very happy. Thank you to everyone!

I'll probably be very happy to have the kids back in school by the end of the week, but so far it is just great to have time together. It's what it's all about. Chris and I got ourselves a trip to a bed and breakfast in Plattsburgh for Martin Luther King weekend. I cannot wait. Really, the best present is time together.

Let it snow, and snow, and snow...

2008-12-20T08:20:00.003-05:00

After getting a foot of snow yesterday, we woke up this morning to even more of it! Yesterday, the snow was very fine and blowing. When Thomas and I took Chester for a walk, it hurt our faces. But today, there are great big flakes slowly falling in all directions. It's very pretty. At least it is lightweight--makes for easy shoveling. We had to quickly shovel this morning so Chris could bring Nolan to basketball at 8am. Thomas and I are being lazy and hanging around here until swim lesson at 11am.

Swim lessons haven't been going as well lately. They keep changing the teacher Thomas has, and it's like starting all over again. He has trust issues. Today is the last session, then I think we'll take a break from it for a little while. We are ending our YMCA membership, so we may start taking lessons at the high school in a couple months. I think he still likes it and is good at it if he just had a consistent teacher. He mentioned a couple days ago that he'd like to try baseball again. So maybe we'll give it another shot in the spring.

We've been busy with a lot of Christmas prep. We've been running to the grocery store a lot and baking. We're having dinner with neighborhood friends tonight and a breakfast with Santa at church tomorrow. I'm hoping Chris will occupy the boys this afternoon so I can finish the baking and start wrapping. Monday night we have Christmas Pageant practice, and Tuesday the boys have their Christmas parties at school. Mary Ellen gets to town and we have dinner at Annie's house. Wednesday we leave for Moira to spend Christmas with the folks!

So if I don't get to blogging until after Christmas, Merry Christmas! May you find true happiness among friends and family and enjoy the whole New Year in love and peace.

Ice storms and Family

2008-12-16T21:46:00.005-05:00

Our full weekend of kids' activities was wiped clean by Mother Nature this weekend. We were without power for 87 hours, Thursday night to Monday morning. It definately made us appreciate electricity! We camped out Thursday with sleeping bags. On Friday, it got to 54 degrees in the house. We needed to go someplace where Chester could come too, so we went up north to be with my parents. Both of them weren't feeling the greatest, but they welcomed us, fed us, and put up with 2 cabin-fever boys for the weekend. We came home Sunday night in the hopes of having power, but not so much. Thankfully Chris' mom did, so we borrowed her generator and hunkered down in the basement with 2 space heaters. Monday morning, Chris went off to work and the kids to school. By 1pm, the power flickered back on and I actually hip-hip-hoorayed! We were very lucky to just have lost a few tree limbs--no major damage. Actually, we did have one casualty. Our fish Dax died of the cold. He is now awaiting a proper burial in an Altoid container until the ground thaws.

In other news, here's a picture of our beautiful Christmas tree. Note the green ribbon holding it up through the bolt in the wall! This tree, despite its issues, is probably (to quote Chris' mom) the best tree we ever had. Which is nice because this Christmas has been a pretty weird one so far. With all of the lay offs at work, the economy, the ice storm and missing all the Christmas parties this weekend because of the ice storm, our Christmas spirit is a little frazzled. But we still have some school parties, and lots of family gatherings when the holiday actually gets here. So we have a lot of good right around the corner. Just like the Grinch that stole Christmas---Christmas comes anyway!

The good with the bad

2008-12-07T15:59:00.005-05:00

On Friday, 15 people were fired at Chris' work. Some of them were good friends of Chris's and he may never see them again. There was no party, no fanfare. One man worked there for 15 years, and he just walked out the door. Another man has 3 kids at home. They got good severance packages, but it is still such a hard time of year to be without a job. And in their job market, they probably won't find any work. They will most likely need to find new careers. Thankfully, Chris probably has job stability with what he does.

The environment that we are in right now leaves no room for comfort. No one is immune. You think you are safe in your job and that you can handle things financially, and in a moment it can be gone. We just have to be grateful for what we have and take each day as it comes. Of course, prayer never hurt either. One silver lining, though, is I think it helps us re-examine what really is important. And it helps us be mindful of where our money goes. Chris and I are always trying to decide where our money should go and where it shouldn't. Heck, we drove an hour away just to get a Christmas tree for $25! Maybe we are cheapskates, but we're making it work and everyone's happy. It just saddens me when I see people that work so hard to make it work just like us, and then the rug is slipped out from under them. But we move forward. There's always hope.

Onto lighter news, the tree we got is beautiful...and HUGE! It was $25 for any tree, so we got a big one. Too big. Our tree stand is even too small for it. So we have paint cans and axes holding down the stand so it doesn't topple over! Actually, just when I wrote that, I saw the tree tipping. So we just screwed a hook into the wall so we could tie the tree up and anchor it. We used a green ribbon at least! I think it's not just that it's huge, it is also heavier with branches on one side. Oh well. It really is pretty!

Tomorrow Chris has the day off and we have a gift certificate to Panera's we're going to use. We CANNOT wait! Thomas has a new friend that's coming over this week. We have 2 Christmas parties too, although one is for Chris' work which we may not go to now. And on Sunday, my sister and brother-in-law are coming to visit-yeah! So spending time with friends and family again, what this time of year is really about. Merry Christmas!

Livin' the Good Life

2008-12-01T19:00:00.004-05:00

With Thanksgiving behind us, and our bellies still full, we are launching immediately into Christmas mode on the Rooney train. Advent started yesterday, so we are starting our mornings by reading what good deed we should do that day and then eating a chocolate. Wouldn't the world be a better place if everyone always did that?!

On Black Friday while the rest of the world shopped, we went to the Albany Pine Bush and did a workshop on gifts from nature. We went to our first holiday party that night at our neighbor's house which was a lot of fun. Then Saturday morning, we got up early and left for New Hampshire to visit our college friends, the Reeds. We had so much fun. For the first time, the kids really went off and played by themselves and the grown-ups got to chit chat. We met their adorable dog, Dexter. It is just so nice to be with friends where you can totally be yourself and they already know all your history. They've seen us at our worst, and we've seen them at their worst--and we're still friends! Been drunk together, had fights together, been in each other's weddings, survived losses, gone on trips, and known each other for 19 years! What's most impressive is 16 of those years has been long distance. We don't get to talk as often, but the connection is always there. We love you guys.

Thankful for Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T09:00:00.002-05:00

We had an awesome Thanksgiving yesterday.

The boys caught “Willy Wonka” on TV in the morning and then watched a good chunk of the parade.

After lunch, we needed to get out of the house and do something. So we all walked up to the high school and held the first annual “Rooney Thanksgiving Race” on the track. Nolan came in first and was awarded a medal we made before heading up there.

Later in the day we went over to my sister’s and just had the best time. The kids had a blast playing with their cousins and we enjoyed visiting – and eating! I massively overate, but that’s what it’s all about isn’t?

Don’t worry, this morning I got early to work out. So now I feel a little less guilty.

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us and I even got to watch some snowflakes fall this morning, I’m feeling decidedly less bah humbug about the Christmas season. Now I’m ready! Bring it on!

$27.70

2008-11-24T18:38:00.002-05:00

This is the amount of my first paycheck in quite a few years--I'm so excited! Tomorrow I'm going to the store and spending it on my most favorite thing--socks!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our friends and family -- we are grateful for each and every one of you. Chris says Thanksgiving is the greatest holiday--it combines family, food and TV--his favorites! We are spending Thanksgiving this year with Chris' family at his sister Annie's house. All I have to do is make pies, so I have the fun part. We leave Saturday to visit our friends, the Reeds, in New Hampshire.

Family, friends and fun--it couldn't be better!

Get ready for a new resident, Grandma!

2008-11-16T18:11:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, Thomas was disgruntled because he wasn't getting something he wanted, so he announced he was going to move to Grandma's house. He packed a pillow, blanket, Leapster and Monopoly game. He said he would just walk there and be back the next day. I told him how much I would miss him and that I didn't want him to go, but if he really felt he had to, then I hoped he'd have a safe trip. He started going out the door, but once he saw it was pouring rain, decided to wait until later. He kept telling us he would go after he played, or after we got back from errands. Then, sometime in the later afternoon, he decided he would stay home after all. Whew! You almost had another mouth to feed, Grandma!

The weather was nice this past week, but the wind came today to bring colder temperatures. On Veteran's Day, the boys and I had fun playing indoor mini golf and lunch with Dad at work. I was in Thomas' classroom helping a few days and went on a field trip with Nolan's class. Today Chris took the boys to volunteer at the food bank while I went Christmas shopping with his mom. I'm almost done shopping; just a few more things.

This week we have a den meeting where the cubbies are going to make bird feeders. I helped organize an effort at church to pack shoeboxes with toys and necessities for needy kids; the project ends this week with the shoeboxes getting delivered. Also, through church, we are going to an intergenerational Advent gathering on Saturday. I am in charge of K-2 group Saturday night. I'm going to have them play with gingerbread playdough while I ask them questions about Advent. I have to make the gingerbread playdough this week, with Thomas' help probably. So between all of this and other meetings this week, I'm beginning to feel churched out! But it's all good stuff, and with Thanksgiving coming, we really have so much to be grateful for. Thanksgiving is at Chris' sister Annie's house I think--can't wait!

Swim Lesson

2008-11-10T19:52:00.010-05:00

Here's a pic of Thomas learning to swim. He always ducks when I get the camera so it's hard to capture him. I'll work on it. We'll take some shots of Nolan with basketball soon too.

Tick Season

2008-11-10T19:23:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, we went on a hike in the Albany Pine Bush with the Cub Scouts. What a nice oasis in the middle of such an urban environment! You can hear the traffic from neighboring highways, yet there are quite a few trails that wind around and you can pretend you're in the middle of nowhere. It's unusual in that they have controlled fires to maintain the habitat there. The endangered Karner blue butterfly lives there and it lives off of wild blue lupine flowers. So that the pitch pines and scrub oaks don't take over that flower, they regularly burn them off. The area used to be a glacial lake, but over time the lake went away and left sand dunes. It's pretty interesting, and the Discovery Center has lots of hands-on activities. Check it out here. But beware of ticks! We found one on Nolan when he woke up this morning, and one of the other Cub Scouts brought his dog who had over 10 on her!

Other interesting news this week. I subbed as an aide at another elementary school this week while Thomas was at school. I really liked it. It's the first time I did something that paid in 9 years! I can't wait to get the paycheck. It will probably be about $15 after taxes, but still! Tomorrow the boys are home for Veteran's Day. I'm not sure what we're going to do yet--maybe go to the Schenectady Museum. Wednesday, Nolan has a field trip that I get to help chaperone to Proctor's Theater. They are going to watch a short movie on Antartica and then talk to a pilot from the local Airguard about the flights they regularly make there.

This weekend, Chris is going to a Cub Scout training thing, so I get to be Mom Taxi and bring the boys from basketball to swim lesson to play date to birthday party. And the boys are already counting the days to Christmas. 45 days!

Happy Belated Halloween!

2008-11-02T18:42:00.004-05:00

There were all treats and no tricks for the boys this year! They had a great Halloween with a parade and party at school and then trick or treating at night. When Chris got home from work, he just had to dress up too as his favorite character and off they went. I got the trick this year--a stomach bug--so I put candy on the front step and hid in the basement on the couch until they came back. The boys worked on their costumes themselves. They both wanted to be skeletons, so they painted bones on their sweatpants, gloves and hats. We already had the shirts. I'm glad they are still young enough to be so cute in their homemade costumes.

We had a whirlwind of a week. Cub Scouts is in full force with a pack meeting and popcorn sales now winding down. Thanks to all who bought from us! Nolan did meet his $300 goal and then some, so he's getting the prize he wanted. They sold popcorn yesterday in front of a local grocery store. Swim lessons just ended but we're starting a new session next week. Thomas just moved up to level 3 which is beginner swimming. He can go 5 feet unassisted now. Nolan started basketball yesterday. Between all of this and religion classes, we are keeping pretty busy.

Last night we had dinner with our friends the Prices. It really hit us how old our kids are getting and how LOUD they are when we're all together! Still a great time and fun to get out and talk to other grown-ups. Today, Thomas got to go see the real Wiggles at the TU Center in Albany. He was bee-boppin' all night when he came home! Because Chris and Nolan are so involved in various sports, this was Thomas' turn to do something special with Dad. He got to pick a friend, and he picked his Grandma Gaba! So Gaba got to dance with the Wiggles too, and from what I hear, was just tickled to be picked. Nolan wanted NO PART of the Wiggles, so he stayed here with me and had a friend over.

I raked leaves and cooked pumpkin for future pumpkin breads and pumpkin pies. It felt very fall-like today. It's All Souls Day today, so I thought a lot today about my father-in-law, Mikey, Matthew, Indy and now my Aunt Helen Jane. In religion class today, I taught the kids that going to heaven is a lot like leaves changing. They're still leaves even though they change color, just like we're the same. So the analogy continued as I raked today.

This week we have election night! I hope my Uncle Rush wins again in New Jersey. Chris will have a very late night. The book fair is going on at school, and it ends with a Poetry Night on Friday. The boys made their own poems and will read them around a bonfire in the school courtyard. There's cider and doughnuts--should be fun. Next weekend is more of the same--basketball, swimming and errands. We have a Cub Scout trip on Sunday to the Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center to do a little hiking. I'll let you know how it all goes!

Boys are crazy!

2008-10-25T07:40:00.002-04:00

I say that because we had 2 boys over yesterday after school. One was Nolan's best friend and the other was his older brother, who Thomas thinks is here for him even though he's in 5th grade. They all love each other and play so beautifully! They had snacks, played video games and then proceeded to run around the house screaming like crazy people! Boys are so easy sometimes. Give them video games and a space to run around and they are all set.

We had the boys' parent teacher conferences this week and they went well. Thomas is doing great, just needs a little help with his letter sounds. She says he's a stickler for the rules and seems pretty quiet in class--can you imagine!!! Nolan is also doing great, especially in reading. She told us he is so kind and compassionate that he sometimes doesn't stand up for himself, which is so nice but also I feel a little bad for him. Chris and I were just like that growning up too, at least the not standing up for ourselves part. I think he needs more friends in his class, so we're going to work on that. Nolan needs a little work in math and being organized, but is still staying afloat and doing great in school. We're happy.

I have a conference today so Chris is on his own with these 2 monkeys. We're having a family down the street over for dinner tonight, so that will be fun. And Thomas has a birthday party on Sunday. They're watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles right now!

We're excited that we've been doing so great with our budget lately that we're getting cable back next week! I haven't minded being without it that much, but the boys (boys including our biggest one, Chris) have really sacrificed without it. So we're allowing ourselves the indulgence again--yeah!

From Fright Fest to Camp Out

2008-10-17T09:19:00.002-04:00

Our train wheels just keep turning! We went on our final trip to the Great Escape on Monday and enjoyed Fright Fest. It's basically just a lot of decorations at the park, and all of the water features had red dye to look like blood. Cinderella's castle looked really weird with it's bloody moat! It was a beautiful fall day when we were there, although a little overcast. I got to go on the Blizzard for the first time (basically a scrambler ride) and laughed so hard I cried! It's my favorite ride. We also went on the ferris wheel for the first time and Chris did the Steamin' Demon as a first for the year. I just think it's amazing we went to the park 10 times from May to October and we still have new rides to go on!

On Tuesday I got to babysit a neighbor's little boy Caleb for a couple hours. He's 2 and so adorable. It was neat to have a little guy in the house again. It was also neat to see how Thomas was as "the big kid". I think he enjoyed bossing him around!

Wednesday I got to make pumpkins for a bulletin board with Thomas' class. Thomas loved having me in his room and I was impressed with how independent he was and sure of himself. He's really loving kindergarten. Parent Teacher conferences are next week, so I'm excited to hear what they have to say.

And tonight, Chris and Nolan are going to a camp out with the Cub Scouts until tomorrow afternoon. Thomas and I are going to a Harvest Hoedown at school. It's so weird I'm doing something with Thomas at a school event without Nolan! Saturday we have a swim lesson and it's Farm Foliage Day in Schenectady. Sunday is probably our last baseball game.

So lots of fall fun for the Rooneys. And Happy Birthday to my brother in law John!

Mr. October

2008-10-12T21:42:00.001-04:00

Nolan played a good game today as his fall baseball team traveled to North Colonie.

We didn't have the really cool professional umpire we had last week. This time it was just a kid only a few years older than the boys playing ball.

But still, Nolan thought it was cool to go to another town for the first time and play on someone else's field.

He had a great day at the plate with 3 RBI for the day. The first two came on a double in the first inning. The third RBI was on a single he hit with the bases loaded.

In between he reached base when he got hit by a pitch. He took one in the shin, but says it didn't hurt.

His single really should have been a walk. But I guess they have some crazy rule that says they're not allowed to walk in a run. So even though he took four balls, he had to keep going until he either struck out or got a hit. Two pitches later he got his single.

We have one more game at home next weekend. That might be the last game for the fall, although there is a chance we'll play one more.

There and back again

2008-10-11T22:04:00.007-04:00

We’re back from a short, but great trip up north to visit Kris’ folks. It was just a quick visit for one night.

While we were there Kris helped them out with a couple of odd jobs and I helped them get their wi-fi network working for their new laptop (I tried not to drool too much on the keyboard).

The kids had fun playing in grandma & grandpa’s big backyard. Okay, so we had to force them out there a couple of times. Otherwise they would have remained glued to all of the cartoon channels we don’t get on our limited cable at home.

Mom & dad Chase also took us out to dinner last night at the Malone Golf Club, which was fantastic! I was uncomfortably full afterward, but it was well worth it. Best meal I’ve had in a while. They take good care of us when we visit!

We picked a great weekend for our trip. The weather was beautiful and leaves were just about at their peak. As we drove through the high peaks region on the way up, it was killing us that we couldn’t stop to get out and enjoy the natural beauty.

So on our way home this afternoon we made a point of making the time to do just that. We stopped at the Adirondack Visitor Interpretive Center at Paul Smith’s College to take in a quick hike. The colors were stunning, and although the weather was warm there was no mistaking the crisp smell of autumn in the air.

We wound up staying at the Interpretive Center longer than I thought, but that’s okay. I could spend the whole day in a place like that – especially on a day like today. Check out the rest of the photos I’ve uploaded here.

Tomorrow Nolan has another baseball game. The batteries were dead in our camera last week, but I'll try to get some shots tomorrow.

October chill

2008-10-06T18:29:00.002-04:00

It's supposed to dip down to 36 degrees tonight, the chilliest yet. I'm not complaining, though. We've had a pretty mild fall so far. But I did put the storm windows in today. We're also experimenting with the heat being at the lowest thermostat setting yet--63 during the day and 61 at night. We'll let you know if we can stand it or not.

Chris and Nolan are at a den meeting tonight while Thomas and I are hanging out. Thomas CANNOT WAIT to be in Cub Scouts too--next year! We had a busy weekend. Thomas is really getting faster with his swimming and can swim a little unassisted. He's making up a lesson on Wednesday this week so we can go visit my parents this weekend. The boys had friends over on Saturday afternoon and then we went to my mother-in-law's for dinner. On Sunday, Nolan had a baseball game against North Colonie. Even though they lost, it was such an awesome game. Nolan wore a jersey for the first time and looked really sharp. We had a hired umpire for the first time, and that made the game really exciting. Even when kids struck out, it was cool to hear the ump yell "SSTTRRRRRIIKE!". It's really giving Nolan a taste for what's to come in the spring. He's outgrown his glove too, so we're on the lookout for a lefty glove.

We have a short week this week with school and then a 5 day weekend! We're heading for my parents' Friday to Saturday and Nolan has a game Sunday. Monday, Chris and I are hoping to leave the kids with Gaba so we can go on a little hike. This is to celebrate our anniversary which is actually tomorrow. 13 years! We've known each other 17 years. We figured out that next year we'll actually know each other for longer than not, which is pretty cool. Also pretty cool to have married my best friend.

Christmas Decor in Kmart???

2008-10-01T21:22:00.004-04:00

Come on people! Nolan and I ducked into Kmart while Chris and Thomas were at a birthday party of one of Thomas' friends. We were going to the toy aisle when we were hit square in the eye with decorated Christmas trees and blow up Santas. IN SEPTEMBER! We are barely thinking about Halloween already. OK, that's not true. I am starting to think about Christmas presents and our lack of ability to pay for any. But definately not decorations. Who can afford new Christmas decorations this year anyway? Maybe the kids could dress up like Christmas trees for Halloween...

Onward and upward to calmer subjects. Not much to report really. Speaking of reports, Nolan is doing his first book report. He has to pick an animal and write about it. He's chosen tigers. They had the day off yesterday for Rosh Hashanah. We went apple picking and had an awesome, beautiful day.

It was supposed to be cloudy but the sun came out. We had fun testing the tastes of different apples. Then we played at the playground with the horses grazing behind us. Geese kept flying overhead. The kids played forever on the hay bales. How simple does it get? It was great to be together. I wished Chris weren't at work so he could be there too. And we actually got out of there without buying a cider donut, which is a miracle in and of itself. Those donuts were going for $1 a piece! Forget about it! (The economy is making me punchy.)

This weekend, we are going to a high school football game, have a swim lesson, have a friend coming over, religion, and a baseball game. It is funny how the kids' activities take over our lives. But it's all good. We are so lucky to have all this fun!

Fall is here...

2008-09-23T22:14:00.006-04:00

We are fully saturated in school now. Thomas is still loving kindergarten and Nolan is adjusted to the new load of homework. They both seem to be learning a lot already. Thomas is making sure he's holding a pencil the right way and Nolan is beginning to work on cursive writing. Thomas even learned to tie his shoes this weekend! He had a good swim lesson on Saturday and is doing great with his arm strokes. They started religion classes on Sunday too. And last night Nolan had his first Cub Scout meeting.

We had fun on Saturday-- a quick trip to the Great Escape and then a glimpse at the hot air balloons at the Adirondack Balloon Festival. We were in traffic forever getting there when we decided to turn around and watch from a pedestrian overpass bridge. It was really cool to see 20+ hot air balloons in the air. There is something about it--there is no purpose in these balloons really except to be beautiful and rise up in the air.

We are all still adjusting I think. Thomas is tired. Nolan has a little cold. I'm still not sure what to do with myself, although I seem to be pretty busy. I think it takes a while to sink into a new season. The days are getting cooler and the garden has been put to bed. I think we're looking into fall with open eyes.

This is for Mike-

2008-09-15T18:40:00.003-04:00

I'm told by my friend Mike that he likes it when I make him laugh. And because he is so good to me, I just happen to have a funny story to tell him.

On Thursday morning at 6:50am, I got a phone call from a kid asking to have Nolan over after school. The phone woke me up and I wasn't quite awake when I was talking to him. That afternoon wouldn't work but Friday after school would. I spoke with his mom to iron out the details of a bus pass and hung up. So I make out the bus pass on Friday and told Nolan he's going home with this friend that day. Just after school is dismissed, I get a phone call from the mom, saying they didn't invite Nolan over! They had plans and I needed to come pick him up. I told her I had a whole conversation with her and she thought I was a lunatic! So as soon as Thomas gets home, I go pick up Nolan. On the way home, it dawned on me that this other friend is on the same kid's bus and their names are somewhat similar. So I called that mom and asked her if she was expecting Nolan--yep! So he got his play date after all, albeit late. See, we don't have caller ID anymore so I couldn't tell who it was and I was half asleep! I am really losing it.

On top of that, I sent Thomas to school that day with his underwear on backwards and his shoes on the wrong feet!

Coffee at noon-scandalous!

2008-09-12T08:25:00.002-04:00

I'm having coffee with a friend at lunchtime today, and I can't get over it! I've always had my days so busy with the kids that I almost feel guilty taking an hour for coffee. What I'm finding, though, is our after school and evening times are filling with activities. So if I don't grab an hour here and there once in a while, I'm a crazed woman at 9:30 (when I finally got home last night). Nobody wants that! It really is true that if Mama is happy, everyone is happy!

Everyone is really happy in school. Thomas LOVES his teacher and even helped a new friend get on the bus who was having a hard time. He has show n' tell today. This is funny. His teacher is teaching them to do whole body listening in class. So he was getting reprimanded at home because he wasn't listening to me over something, so I told him he had to do whole body listening at home too. He said, "I didn't know you wanted me to do that!". I teach him until I'm blue in the face, but one word from his new teacher and he's got it! :)

Nolan also seems to like school, although he's completely unhappy about the homework. He's got a lot more of it and there's more thinking involved. If he wouldn't complain so much, he would probably be done in 30-40 minutes. But it takes him an hour because of the bellyaching. I'm hoping he'll get used to it and just push through it. If anyone has any ideas in how to make doing homework more fun, I'll all ears! Otherwise, he's making some new friends and it sounds like his teacher is doing a lot of things in class to make learning fun. He's going home with a new friend on the bus today, so Thomas will have to come home alone. Hopefully that will go well!

So we're slowly getting into the school routine. Saturday is my birthday and I plan to spend it shopping with my birthday money (Thanks Mom and Dad!). This is the coolest present, because I get time to myself and money that is all mine!

Too much food!

2008-09-08T07:38:00.002-04:00

FYI-Chris posted a video of Thomas getting on the bus in the previous post.

We had a weekend of food and fun, so I'm glad I just got back from a run to get some of it off of me. Saturday, we went to a clambake sponsored by Chris' union. Lots of grilled food and clams (which Chris ate. The rest of us are not clam fans.) That night, we went to Applebee's so the kids could use these coupons they had. Sunday, there was a picnic at our church with GOBS of yummy food. We have such a great parish with lots of wonderful conversation. Last night, we had cereal for supper because we were all so full!

In other news, the fall travel team got canceled for lack of involvement from the other towns. Nolan's really bummed because he's not going to be able to get the fancy uniform and play against other teams (like real professional baseball! he says). But they are still going to have scrimmages against each other which is good practice. This week, Cub Scouts is starting to get off the ground, so that will also keep us busy. We have something happening every night this week. Everyone asks me what I'm going to do now that both boys are in school, but I'm busier now than before!

He's Off to the Races!

2008-09-05T11:57:00.004-04:00

Thomas just got on the bus for school. Chris and Gaba were there too, to send him off. The bus was 1/2 hour late, so it was a little hard for him to wait so long. But once it arrived, he gave me a big smile and just trotted right up on that bus like no tomorrow! He had to really pull himself up the steps because he's so little! He got to go in and meet his teacher yesterday, so I think that helped a lot. And Gaba got him a chocolate lollipop for when he gets home, so he has something to look forward to. Now I don't know what to do with myself in this empty house! I think I'm going to walk up to Starbucks and get a smoothie. The bus will be back here in just 2 1/2 hours. I can't wait to hear about his first day!

One down, one to go

2008-09-03T07:55:00.002-04:00

Nolan just got on the bus, excited to start school! Who doesn't get excited seeing those yellow buses, patrolling the streets? His backpack was completely loaded with everything he needed. He'll probably come home today with it full of papers to fill out. He gets to be on the other side of the school now, K-2 on one side and 3-5 on the other. Last night he had his first night of baseball practice which went well. He's going to get to wear a jersey and a hat with his name on it! His first game is Saturday, so we'll update with pics soon.

Thomas starts Friday, but he gets to go in and meet his teacher tomorrow for an hour. His best friend Leo (who's going to another school unfortunately) is coming over today. We're going to make cookies for when Nolan comes home. Thomas is also learning to tie his shoes. Loops are tricky.

I can't help but feel a little older this year. It's weird to have 2 kids in school. It's also weird to be answering friends' questions about what to expect with kindergarten. I remember being so nervous! Now I'm a veteran I guess. At least until middle school hits and it starts all over again.

Happy Birthday to Mathew yesterday! 37--wow! I'll be joining you in a couple weeks. Today was my father-in-law's birthday. I wish he could be here to see Thomas getting on the school bus for the first time. He'll be here in spirit. We'll send pics of that soon too.

Portrait of boredom

2008-09-01T11:42:00.004-04:00

This is a picture of a very bored child who is extremely ready to go back to school.