tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89574862265458532002024-02-08T12:41:46.522-05:00Twincredible TwosomeMelissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07303861538066787622noreply@blogger.comBlogger171125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957486226545853200.post-24202714051569591182011-01-21T08:52:00.001-05:002011-01-21T08:52:29.746-05:00Snow in the kitchen!We have a snow day again and it's too cold to go play outside......so we brought the snow inside! Here are some pics of the boys playing in the snow in our kitchen! They are driving cars and trains through the snow and making me delicious snow soup!<br />
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Thanks to Quadmom Jen Murray at <a href="http://4tunate.net/">4tunate</a> for this <a href="http://4tunate.net/2010/12/fun-for-a-buck-playing-with-snow-inside/">fun idea</a>!! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TTmPMP43XVI/AAAAAAAAZX4/em-OZ_iu43A/s1600/DSCF1652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TTmPMP43XVI/AAAAAAAAZX4/em-OZ_iu43A/s320/DSCF1652.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TTmPNTOu__I/AAAAAAAAZX8/lr4dlD6LTlg/s1600/DSCF1653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TTmPNTOu__I/AAAAAAAAZX8/lr4dlD6LTlg/s320/DSCF1653.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TTmPSd7j-nI/AAAAAAAAZYE/Zj0rlDKynEE/s1600/DSCF1650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TTmPSd7j-nI/AAAAAAAAZYE/Zj0rlDKynEE/s320/DSCF1650.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TTmPVSdLK6I/AAAAAAAAZYI/vD8wo-XyVfA/s1600/DSCF1654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TTmPVSdLK6I/AAAAAAAAZYI/vD8wo-XyVfA/s320/DSCF1654.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07303861538066787622noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957486226545853200.post-66796234150286841392011-01-12T17:14:00.000-05:002011-01-12T17:14:43.288-05:00SNOW DAY!!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Once again it has been forever since I have posted.....but life is just hectic these days!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We had a snow day today and the boys and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! We played out in the snow, went out to lunch with our family, and cuddled up and watched a movie at home. It was a perfect surprise vacation day!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In general, the boys are doing beautifully! They are making great progress in preschool and in all of their therapies. I am having a tough time wrapping my head around the fact that it is just about time to start planning for Kindergarten. How in the world can my two little babies be that old already??</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here are some pics from today, outside in the snow.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TS4lFkpa6pI/AAAAAAAAZVw/8FJfO4n5eZc/s1600/DSCF1614.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" n4="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TS4lFkpa6pI/AAAAAAAAZVw/8FJfO4n5eZc/s320/DSCF1614.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Riley decided that it was very important to shovel lots of snow into the wagon.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TS4lIMUrYiI/AAAAAAAAZV0/dReuwwJTAuY/s1600/DSCF1619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" n4="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TS4lIMUrYiI/AAAAAAAAZV0/dReuwwJTAuY/s320/DSCF1619.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ross decided that it was very important to throw lots of snow up in the air.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TS4lOtKGDkI/AAAAAAAAZV8/dEpX-n4VN-g/s1600/DSCF1623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" n4="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TS4lOtKGDkI/AAAAAAAAZV8/dEpX-n4VN-g/s320/DSCF1623.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yes, those are two bubble mowers that I neglected to bring into the garage for the winter. Wanna bet how well they will work in the spring??</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TS4lRD8U7VI/AAAAAAAAZWA/yGeKWCeNH6o/s1600/DSCF1624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TS4lRD8U7VI/AAAAAAAAZWA/yGeKWCeNH6o/s320/DSCF1624.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ross said he was going on a hike across the yard and would be back in a few years.....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TS4lb-DfGhI/AAAAAAAAZWI/sBKQyoNLRiU/s1600/DSCF1617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TS4lb-DfGhI/AAAAAAAAZWI/sBKQyoNLRiU/s320/DSCF1617.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07303861538066787622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957486226545853200.post-71867921198538580692010-10-03T18:55:00.000-04:002010-10-03T18:55:58.818-04:00Being cute<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TKkGMSYQ0fI/AAAAAAAAZNI/HKc-13Px1EU/s1600/DSCF1551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TKkGMSYQ0fI/AAAAAAAAZNI/HKc-13Px1EU/s320/DSCF1551.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ross wearing monster jammies and frog boots.....a perfect combo!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TKkGO4c-zjI/AAAAAAAAZNM/CizUC3Gk2P8/s1600/DSCF1557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" px="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TKkGO4c-zjI/AAAAAAAAZNM/CizUC3Gk2P8/s320/DSCF1557.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Riley in his robot jammies, and in deep concentration.....watching a kid's documentary on how tractors work. This is serious business.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Just wanted to check in and let you know that the boys are doing great at their new school! They have settled into their new routine well, and are doing beautifully!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">No major news, but a few people have emailed and asked for pictures, so I took these this weekend. They certainly aren't the greatest photos....but that's what we are up right now!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Thanks for checking in with us!</div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07303861538066787622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957486226545853200.post-86249636594932765722010-09-07T22:26:00.001-04:002010-09-08T06:35:41.021-04:00Reid's Rockstars!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TIbzvJEzMXI/AAAAAAAAZMQ/TWsBLGPYfeQ/s1600/20100809-0679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TIbzvJEzMXI/AAAAAAAAZMQ/TWsBLGPYfeQ/s320/20100809-0679.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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I know that you have noticed that unbelieveably adorable curly haired cousin of ours that shows up in lots of our pictures, right? That's Reid - my most incredible and amazing nephew! He is our inspiration as we prepare for our second year of participating in the Walk for Children with Apraxia of Speech. We are honored to walk as members of <strong><u>Reid's Rockstars</u></strong>! Please consider donating to support Reid's walk team in the 2010 Walk for Children with Apraxia of Speech! Or even better, consider walking with us on October 2nd!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TIbz14p7KuI/AAAAAAAAZMY/lPfdUKCGXA4/s1600/20100812-0819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TIbz14p7KuI/AAAAAAAAZMY/lPfdUKCGXA4/s320/20100812-0819.jpg" /></a></div>Check out our website <a href="http://www.apraxia-kids.org/pittsburghwalk/reid">http://www.apraxia-kids.org/pittsburghwalk/reid</a> for more general walk information...or to join the team and walk with us on October 2nd. If are not able to walk with us, please consider making a donation to support the cause (if you do so without joining the team, please donate in Reid's name so they'll call his name as a top fundraiser...he'd think that was cool!) <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TIbz6vwdDRI/AAAAAAAAZMg/jjEiswqFQRs/s1600/20100813-0830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TIbz6vwdDRI/AAAAAAAAZMg/jjEiswqFQRs/s320/20100813-0830.jpg" /></a></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07303861538066787622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957486226545853200.post-65022637023714264062010-09-03T18:46:00.000-04:002010-09-03T18:46:31.414-04:00They loved it!!<div style="text-align: center;">The boys loved their first day!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"> Ross walked in to the classroom this morning which was super crowded (20 kids, all of their parents, teachers, therapists, assorted extra staff....really crowded!) and announced, "Hi, everyone! Hello, everyone! Welcome to the Ross and Riley Show! I am so glad that you all came today!" It was hilarious and pure Ross. He is the embodiement of "all the world's a stage." </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Riley promptly got out all of the toy trains and cars, and arranged them all right in the doorway where everyone was trying to walk. I was happy to see that they were both so relaxed and feeling comfortable and had to laugh.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">They came home happy and tired, which is perfect for a first day of school! I am feeling really good about the classroom and hopeful that it is going to be a great year!</div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TIF5_8XukYI/AAAAAAAAZL8/EYxgyc2oXiM/s1600/DSCF1533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TIF5_8XukYI/AAAAAAAAZL8/EYxgyc2oXiM/s320/DSCF1533.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Excited about our first day!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TIF5_FvQ85I/AAAAAAAAZL0/xiGR2j1laMI/s1600/DSCF1532.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TIF5_FvQ85I/AAAAAAAAZL0/xiGR2j1laMI/s320/DSCF1532.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to leave for school!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TIF6BI840YI/AAAAAAAAZME/QJYn8mWKyxg/s1600/DSCF1536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TIF6BI840YI/AAAAAAAAZME/QJYn8mWKyxg/s320/DSCF1536.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At our new school!</td></tr>
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</div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07303861538066787622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957486226545853200.post-86831994206583317122010-09-02T20:25:00.001-04:002010-09-02T20:26:05.528-04:00The day before the First Day of School<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Tomorrow is the boys' first day of school, so tonight we had a Back to School party! They each decorated a "party hat" and wore it during dinner and then had ice cream afterwards! I had planned to do something more exciting and elaborate, but it was my first day with students and I got home late from work and barely even had time to get that together. It was still a little fun and silly way to get them excited about going to school tomorrow and it worked! Ross spent the rest of the evening talking about circle time and school and Riley was trying to decide if he was going to tell me everything fun when he gets home tomorrow or make me guess what happened.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I hope they have a wonderful day!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TIA-_gaz2PI/AAAAAAAAZLg/u6_wX6K6gnU/s1600/DSCF1528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TIA-_gaz2PI/AAAAAAAAZLg/u6_wX6K6gnU/s320/DSCF1528.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TIA_AuwWvuI/AAAAAAAAZLo/bpLhNTZtgTQ/s1600/DSCF1529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TIA_AuwWvuI/AAAAAAAAZLo/bpLhNTZtgTQ/s320/DSCF1529.JPG" /></a></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07303861538066787622noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957486226545853200.post-52045516167320009312010-08-25T19:35:00.001-04:002010-08-25T20:41:32.318-04:00Back to School<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">The Twincredible Twosome and I have had a wonderful summer! I have to go back to work tomorrow, so it feels like today is the end of our free and silly time for a while. As much as I adore my job, and I really, truly do, it is so wonderful to be able to be with my own kiddos all the time. I love waking up and lounging around with them and not having any schedule to follow. Oh well, everyone is getting back into the school routine...we'll be back in the swing of things soon! (Oh...and this fall, the boys are going to start playing SOCCER!! I know you all can't wait to see those pictures!)</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Here are some pics from the past few weeks, so you can all see what fun we've had!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">We went to <a href="http://www.county.allegheny.pa.us/parks/rhfac.aspx">Round Hill Farm</a> and checked out the animals.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/THUsK431eOI/AAAAAAAAZJk/xKnxKvGfYaA/s1600/20100816-0907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/THUsK431eOI/AAAAAAAAZJk/xKnxKvGfYaA/s320/20100816-0907.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/THUsI-pnlWI/AAAAAAAAZJc/ie1kNRwr1Zg/s1600/20100816-0906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/THUsI-pnlWI/AAAAAAAAZJc/ie1kNRwr1Zg/s320/20100816-0906.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">We went to <a href="http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/moraine.aspx">Moraine State Park</a> and played in the sun and sand and water!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/THWi2s-ovBI/AAAAAAAAZK0/ZbX3gIQMq14/s1600/DSCF1489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/THWi2s-ovBI/AAAAAAAAZK0/ZbX3gIQMq14/s320/DSCF1489.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/THWi3kLtl7I/AAAAAAAAZK8/g0F2ug6x4xE/s1600/DSCF1497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/THWi3kLtl7I/AAAAAAAAZK8/g0F2ug6x4xE/s320/DSCF1497.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/THWi46DD3dI/AAAAAAAAZLE/xtDjhnAgNbg/s1600/DSCF1499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/THWi46DD3dI/AAAAAAAAZLE/xtDjhnAgNbg/s320/DSCF1499.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/THWi9fANvtI/AAAAAAAAZLU/GUnUMA0ULVc/s1600/DSCF1509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/THWi9fANvtI/AAAAAAAAZLU/GUnUMA0ULVc/s320/DSCF1509.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/THWi7JCHDRI/AAAAAAAAZLM/Qt6TY8pfRj8/s1600/DSCF1506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/THWi7JCHDRI/AAAAAAAAZLM/Qt6TY8pfRj8/s320/DSCF1506.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">We went to <a href="http://www.kennywood.com/">Kennywood,</a> of course!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/THUsPQGzLBI/AAAAAAAAZJs/O0Af-r9ohZA/s1600/DSCF1520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/THUsPQGzLBI/AAAAAAAAZJs/O0Af-r9ohZA/s320/DSCF1520.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/THUsQf4vQxI/AAAAAAAAZJ0/JD_adTqePec/s1600/DSCF1527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/THUsQf4vQxI/AAAAAAAAZJ0/JD_adTqePec/s320/DSCF1527.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">And we were just plain old silly at home! This is Riley deciding to see if he fit in a toy baby doll stroller....he did....</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/THUtNXTEEII/AAAAAAAAZKI/02OzVmGGjNc/s1600/DSCF1514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/THUtNXTEEII/AAAAAAAAZKI/02OzVmGGjNc/s320/DSCF1514.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/THUtOe9ODaI/AAAAAAAAZKQ/3hvOCNxlrEY/s1600/DSCF1515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/THUtOe9ODaI/AAAAAAAAZKQ/3hvOCNxlrEY/s320/DSCF1515.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">sort of......</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/THUtPTFRmEI/AAAAAAAAZKY/wPY2ik6IlLo/s1600/DSCF1517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/THUtPTFRmEI/AAAAAAAAZKY/wPY2ik6IlLo/s320/DSCF1517.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">And sometimes we had extra fun being silly when Reid came over to play with us!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/THUtLc1ydsI/AAAAAAAAZJ8/_-SuVofgows/s1600/DSCF1513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/THUtLc1ydsI/AAAAAAAAZJ8/_-SuVofgows/s320/DSCF1513.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">What have you been up to this summer? Please leave us a comment and let us know! </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">The boys start school next week and I have all kinds of excitement and anxiety about that. They are going to a new school (although it is the same elementary school that my sister, brother and I all went to!!!) and will have a new teacher this year. I have heard absolutely fantastic things about the classroom and the teacher and am certain that the boys will do beautifully, but there I am always a bit nervous about any change. The boys had such an incredible experience with school last year, and I just hope that their success continues. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Last year, they were in a special ed. setting that was tailored to meet Ross' needs. Typical kids, including Riley, were included as peer models. (Even though Riley is considered "typical" he still receives PT and OT at school. He just doesn't receive specialized academic instruction.) This year, they are going to be in a regular early childhood classroom and some of Ross' academic instruction will be provided for him by a special ed. teacher who will come into the room. The entire room won't be tailored for his needs, although the teacher will certainly make accomodations for him. This time, he is being included, and last year, they were in a "reverse inclusion" program. He will also receive PT, OT, speech, and vision therapy during school, just like he did last year. I do think that he is ready and able to handle it, but I worry. I worry as an autistic support teacher who perhaps knows a bit too much, and of course, I worry as his mommy. Sigh......</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">It will be an adventure, that's for sure! </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07303861538066787622noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957486226545853200.post-14857407430093827982010-07-25T19:36:00.000-04:002010-07-25T19:36:35.611-04:00Even more partying......<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Today the Twincredible Twosome had their "real" birthday party with all of our family and friends! We had a cooking and playing party. First, the kids decorated their own chef's aprons, and then they made little pizzas, salad on a stick, and fruit scultpures with toothpicks. Then, I had planned to have all of the kids play in a wonderful enclosed, totally safe playground, so the parents could all relax and the kids could have a great time. However, it rained all throughout most of the day and all of the playground equipment was wet and super slippery and dangerous. So, we ended up having to play inside which wasn't as much fun, but I still hope that everyone had a good time!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Of course, we took lots of pictures!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEzI6qgMYpI/AAAAAAAAZDI/fGkasoFA63c/s1600/DSCF1446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEzI6qgMYpI/AAAAAAAAZDI/fGkasoFA63c/s320/DSCF1446.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Before the party even began, Riley grabbed a bagel and started enjoying himself!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEy_l-lYFcI/AAAAAAAAZBo/J6xnsfNd4MM/s1600/DSCF1448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEy_l-lYFcI/AAAAAAAAZBo/J6xnsfNd4MM/s320/DSCF1448.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEzKTj6hegI/AAAAAAAAZDU/B20AUclI1HI/s1600/DSCF1450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEzKTj6hegI/AAAAAAAAZDU/B20AUclI1HI/s320/DSCF1450.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEy_r8P0NAI/AAAAAAAAZBw/G-COhtuRIQk/s1600/DSCF1453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEy_r8P0NAI/AAAAAAAAZBw/G-COhtuRIQk/s320/DSCF1453.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ross was VERY serious about decorating his apron. If you look closely, you will see that he has written 1-2-3-4-5 on it, and drew some monsters!! He also wrote his name on the top of it. Riley decorated his in about 22 seconds, declared it "all done," and went back to eating that bagel.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEzAAqJOJgI/AAAAAAAAZCA/nglNv6PROWU/s1600/DSCF1466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEzAAqJOJgI/AAAAAAAAZCA/nglNv6PROWU/s320/DSCF1466.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Twin pizza chefs...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEzAKCSfTHI/AAAAAAAAZCI/_Gks9At0Ufw/s1600/DSCF1477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEzAKCSfTHI/AAAAAAAAZCI/_Gks9At0Ufw/s320/DSCF1477.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Singing some songs while we wait for our pizza to cook.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEzARP2YKgI/AAAAAAAAZCQ/Aa3OVZ2rWMk/s1600/DSCF1479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEzARP2YKgI/AAAAAAAAZCQ/Aa3OVZ2rWMk/s320/DSCF1479.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEzATajjLaI/AAAAAAAAZCY/9eMoAn9eaFQ/s1600/DSCF1480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEzATajjLaI/AAAAAAAAZCY/9eMoAn9eaFQ/s320/DSCF1480.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It looks like everyone still had fun playing inside.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEzAU-NCWII/AAAAAAAAZCg/JY22yEP2PaU/s1600/DSCF1481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEzAU-NCWII/AAAAAAAAZCg/JY22yEP2PaU/s320/DSCF1481.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This cake was really cool.....half was decorated with musical notes for Ross and half was Thomas the Train for Riley! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEzEWywBRcI/AAAAAAAAZC0/8tP8swP5Cf8/s1600/DSCF1483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEzEWywBRcI/AAAAAAAAZC0/8tP8swP5Cf8/s320/DSCF1483.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This picture absolutely illustrates my boys' personalities perfectly. We were singing "Happy Birthday" and Ross was lit up, smiling and excited about the music. Riley was intently planning the most effective approach to blowing out the candles. He's always thinking ahead.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEzEGMOE02I/AAAAAAAAZCs/ewuMUwNXLP0/s1600/DSCF1484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEzEGMOE02I/AAAAAAAAZCs/ewuMUwNXLP0/s320/DSCF1484.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Maybe it's a twin mom thing....but I can't get enough of seeing them blow out those candles together. </div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07303861538066787622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957486226545853200.post-2026741563393006842010-07-22T20:43:00.003-04:002010-07-22T20:55:00.902-04:00Happy 4th Birthday!!!!Ross and Riley are 4 years old! They had a wonderful birthday and our thoroughly enjoying the excitement! This was the first year that they actually asked for some specific gifts. The expressions on their faces and their excitement when they opened up something that they had requested was just so much fun! <br />
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Ross is still totally into everything musical and all musical instruments, and now he is also really interested in orchestras and conductors. So, one of his gifts was a real conductor's baton, which he was thrilled about:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEjfWLQ-TEI/AAAAAAAAY6s/tzk8zK0g7m8/s1600/DSCF1398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEjfWLQ-TEI/AAAAAAAAY6s/tzk8zK0g7m8/s320/DSCF1398.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Both boys asked for "<a href="http://www.pillowpets.com/Default.asp?bhcp=1">Pillow Pets</a>" and have been reciting the TV commercials that they have seen advertising them for the past month or so. They love them already!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEjf2vWnxHI/AAAAAAAAY68/WVqmZBOEFBc/s1600/DSCF1437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEjf2vWnxHI/AAAAAAAAY68/WVqmZBOEFBc/s320/DSCF1437.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEjfxmx36uI/AAAAAAAAY60/dqb3xgUCu54/s1600/DSCF1396.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEjfxmx36uI/AAAAAAAAY60/dqb3xgUCu54/s320/DSCF1396.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The entire day was filled with smiles and two beautiful happy boys! </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEjigMdA-5I/AAAAAAAAY74/SlJrL64Pw8A/s1600/DSCF1434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEjigMdA-5I/AAAAAAAAY74/SlJrL64Pw8A/s320/DSCF1434.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEjhv3ajz4I/AAAAAAAAY7I/tmelmMPXoLM/s1600/DSCF1392.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEjhv3ajz4I/AAAAAAAAY7I/tmelmMPXoLM/s320/DSCF1392.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Ross in his new "Silly Scary Monster" Costume</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEjhzfPolMI/AAAAAAAAY7Q/Vnx4KB0UMN8/s1600/DSCF1394.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEjhzfPolMI/AAAAAAAAY7Q/Vnx4KB0UMN8/s320/DSCF1394.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Riley with his fire-breathing dinosaur</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEjh06OHV4I/AAAAAAAAY7Y/R6lM732EMlw/s1600/DSCF1395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEjh06OHV4I/AAAAAAAAY7Y/R6lM732EMlw/s320/DSCF1395.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Ross loves his Pillow Pet!!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEjh4JXKi4I/AAAAAAAAY7g/KXt0kfkOLHY/s1600/DSCF1401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEjh4JXKi4I/AAAAAAAAY7g/KXt0kfkOLHY/s320/DSCF1401.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Bongo Drums!!!!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEjh7C5-J9I/AAAAAAAAY7o/x3aLzgKHQOI/s1600/DSCF1400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEjh7C5-J9I/AAAAAAAAY7o/x3aLzgKHQOI/s320/DSCF1400.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Riley checking out his new cement mixer</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEjh-tfcfNI/AAAAAAAAY7w/Okme3L5A0eo/s1600/DSCF1406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEjh-tfcfNI/AAAAAAAAY7w/Okme3L5A0eo/s320/DSCF1406.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Rememember the piano in the movie <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094737/">Big</a>?</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">And now.....for the most fun!!! Aunt Lyssie gave the boys a super cool microphone so that they can be the rock stars that they are. There is a button to push on the bottom that makes it sound like people are applauding for your performance! Check out these 3 super short videos of my rock stars!! </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Ross rockin' out!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyMcyUoZTxlxQbuZblWi74wCecfUQQgR-dxzRQEj35epXxBdFRDmAbBqS8LHSRjBHjqc3A1a1BSPemcDf1KqA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Riley shakin' his booty</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzW54trp00Xtw2zlqjEvz-0nUvrTSdxeT8VCpPTtHovQLNjMFm8GXaKZkdDBK0pmKQiQeSXkZDqA08R2HxBYQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">The Twincredible Twosome singing a duet of "Kiss and A Hug" by <a href="http://www.kelseyfriday.net/">Kelsey Friday and The Rest of The Week</a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxzQp99XxNfp9ZaO9jrrmv9Krxzz-DV25MEHh0YatOHLm4t52R-69Z088ml56xWqn80DnOcTq4JMkzT0DCWlQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07303861538066787622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957486226545853200.post-55788024349090964202010-07-18T20:04:00.000-04:002010-07-18T20:04:56.191-04:00Let the Festivities Begin....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Even though their actual birthday isn't until Wednesday, the Twincredible Twosome began their celebration a little bit early this weekend with their first gifts. I got really lucky and found two <a href="http://www.littletikes.com/toys/cozy-coupe-30th-anniversary-edition.aspx">Cozy Coupe</a> cars on <a href="http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites">Craigslist</a> for a great price. My most wonderful friend, "The Crazy B Lady" went to pick them up for me since she has a van, and brought them over on Saturday morning. Here is a picture of the boys' faces as they got their first glimpse of the cars...</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEOQDJcWoiI/AAAAAAAAYyE/yHMba082XpA/s1600/DSCF1375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEOQDJcWoiI/AAAAAAAAYyE/yHMba082XpA/s320/DSCF1375.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">They have spent most of our free time this weekend in their cars. They have already figured out that it's way too hard to drive on grass and not safe to drive down our super steep driveway. They have learned that the sidewalk in front of our house looks level, but actually slopes in one direction, so they make me push them when they are "driving" that way and then they coast the other way. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Riley has been driving the car that looks like a police car and he keeps trying to stop people who are driving "too fast" so he can give them a ticket. He can't figure out why people won't stop and listen to him. It's hilarious! </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">They love them! </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">I hope that the rest of their birthday celebration is just as much fun!! </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEOQKTbn8KI/AAAAAAAAYyc/UjH1on5lU0M/s1600/DSCF1382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEOQKTbn8KI/AAAAAAAAYyc/UjH1on5lU0M/s320/DSCF1382.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEOQHuKXpXI/AAAAAAAAYyM/_pMhK9F11LE/s1600/DSCF1380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TEOQHuKXpXI/AAAAAAAAYyM/_pMhK9F11LE/s320/DSCF1380.JPG" /></a></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07303861538066787622noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957486226545853200.post-24510384161529930522010-07-10T20:49:00.000-04:002010-07-10T20:49:43.416-04:00The Crazy Lazy Days of Summer<div align="right" class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">The boys and I have been enjoying every second of our summer vacation. Somehow, we have managed to strike just the right balance of jam packed full of fun and lazing around enjoying our new house. Our first leg of actual vacation with no schedule is coming to an end tomorrow. On Monday, the boys start day camp and I start back at work for summer school. I think the boys are going to love camp, and my summer program is a shorter day with a laid back schedule, so we will still have lots of fun ahead! </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Here are a few pictures from the past couple of weeks:</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TDUbNQLvOFI/AAAAAAAAYxo/BZ9_UKUWktQ/s1600/silly+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TDUbNQLvOFI/AAAAAAAAYxo/BZ9_UKUWktQ/s320/silly+002.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">This is how the boys watch TV together.....brotherly love.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TDUbOgOX7KI/AAAAAAAAYxw/HZt_5EHuXvo/s1600/silly+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TDUbOgOX7KI/AAAAAAAAYxw/HZt_5EHuXvo/s320/silly+003.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Seriously.....they just lie there like that and watch TV.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TDUbQf6OdQI/AAAAAAAAYx4/1vZLrqHprfg/s1600/silly+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TDUbQf6OdQI/AAAAAAAAYx4/1vZLrqHprfg/s320/silly+010.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Ross is a pirate, and Riley is just silly.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07303861538066787622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957486226545853200.post-28824688222126807432010-06-20T21:31:00.003-04:002010-06-21T06:40:33.629-04:00We're still here!!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I am not exactly sure what to say about a six month blogging hiatus, except that life gets busy, Blogger gets annoying and stops working sometimes, and I just got out of the habit of posting. I apologize and I am touched that so many of you have emailed me and asked me to start posting blog updates again!! It means so much to me that so many people care about the boys and want to know how they are doing.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Before I share any updates, I have to make sure that you notice the beautiful new header that my friend Calliope made for our blog!! (If you are reading this in a reader, you'd better click through and take a look!!) I told her that Riley is into trains and trucks and cars and that Rossy is into all musical instruments....and check out the fonts that she used on our blog title! Is she amazing or what? If you ever need a blog header, just click on the button on my sidebar and she will hook you up!!</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">So, how are Ross and Riley doing? AWESOME!!!! They are both doing so, so well these days. They just finished their first year of preschool and they loved every single second of it. Unfortunately, their classroom is being closed and they will be going to a different room in a different building next year. While I am feeling confident about their new placement, and I am certain that they will do beautifully there, I am just devastated that their current classroom is being closed. This past year, the boys were in a LEAP classroom which was the absolute perfect setting for both of them. If you don't remember what that means, you can read what I wrote about it <a href="http://twincredibletwosome.blogspot.com/2009/09/we-love-preschool.html">here</a>. We will miss the friends they have made, and we will miss their teacher more than anything. She is a dear friend and I will be forever grateful for the start she gave both boys on their educational path. I only wish we could have had one more year with her. Here are a couple of pictures from their "graduation ceremony" from LEAP. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TB6vE92yyeI/AAAAAAAAYv4/vw5Po-qhH94/s1600/graduation_026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TB6vE92yyeI/AAAAAAAAYv4/vw5Po-qhH94/s320/graduation_026.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Ross receiving his "diploma" on his last day of preschool.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TB6vCBV-DsI/AAAAAAAAYvw/XPy-o8HlVEg/s1600/graduation_023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TB6vCBV-DsI/AAAAAAAAYvw/XPy-o8HlVEg/s320/graduation_023.jpg" /></a></div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Riley getting his "diploma" on his last day of preschool.</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">You may have noticed one of the other big changes....Riley is now wearing glasses. Doesn't he look handsome? He has two pairs and he loves to alternate between his red ones (his favorite color) and his Diego glasses, which have cool frames that look and feel like safari vehicle tires! In the past few months, we have also learned that Ross has some vision needs and has a fairly significant vision loss in his left eye. It's not the type of vision problem that is correctable with glasses, but he is getting fantastic vision therapy and is already making terrific progress. Other than some issues with depth perception, you would never know that he has any vision problems because he compensates so well! He's truly amazing!</div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TB63JRAnn7I/AAAAAAAAYwM/bh3ZZaQV28s/s1600/DSCF1252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TB63JRAnn7I/AAAAAAAAYwM/bh3ZZaQV28s/s320/DSCF1252.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TB63HkmBYRI/AAAAAAAAYwE/8zGwI01E5-A/s1600/DSCF1251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TB63HkmBYRI/AAAAAAAAYwE/8zGwI01E5-A/s320/DSCF1251.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"> I can't possibly catch you up on everything that has happened since I last posted, so I will just share the biggest piece of news....we MOVED!! It was time for us to move to a bigger home, with more room to play and have fun! We went from a small two bedroom apartment to a 3 bedroom townhouse with a fenced in yard. Before the boys were born, our apartment was perfect for me as a single person and I always imagined that the second bedroom would make a beautiful nursery for the baby I dreamed of having. Well, I hit the jackpot and was doubly blessed and had two babies!! The apartment was still perfect, because I was always able to see and hear the boys and I felt that I was able to keep them safe in that small, contained environment when I was alone with two infants. Then, it ended up being a great thing that we lived in a apartment and didn't have any steps, while both of the boys struggled with their gross motor development. It was comfy and cozy, but now.......</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TB671NjMpVI/AAAAAAAAYwY/r6GWgFGvrPc/s1600/20+058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TB671NjMpVI/AAAAAAAAYwY/r6GWgFGvrPc/s320/20+058.JPG" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Dinner in our house the first night we moved in.....amidst the boxes</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"> Now, those two babies are big nearly 4 year old boys who like to run and jump and wrestle, and there was just not enough room anymore. So, it was time for us to move. The boys are still sharing a bedroom and we are using the 3rd bedroom as our playroom. We have steps, which both boys are maneuvering up and down quite well, although they have each fallen down them once already. They love the yard and as soon as I can figure out which neighbor is letting their dog use it as a restroom and get them to stop, I will love it, too. Actually, I already love the yard....we had a picnic dinner out there tonight on our new picnic table (thanks Melissa!!!) and it was so nice and relaxing.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"> So, that's our big news. Now, we are looking forward to summer and FUN!!! The boys will be going to camp while I am working at summer school and we will be doing tons of fun stuff with our family, of course. We started off the summer this weekend by visiting two different fountains/splash parks and the boys had a blast getting soaking wet! I will do my best to update much more frequently! Thank you so much for sticking around and caring about the boys!!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TB6_efFMYdI/AAAAAAAAYw0/X8BjmMWwgzc/s1600/RILEY+WET.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TB6_efFMYdI/AAAAAAAAYw0/X8BjmMWwgzc/s320/RILEY+WET.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Riley soaking wet</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TB6_ca7Lm6I/AAAAAAAAYws/shOLt49A8CI/s1600/ROSS+AND+REID+WET.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/TB6_ca7Lm6I/AAAAAAAAYws/shOLt49A8CI/s320/ROSS+AND+REID+WET.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Ross and Reid having fun in the fountain</div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07303861538066787622noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957486226545853200.post-2042487719794642782009-12-31T08:06:00.000-05:002009-12-31T08:06:09.893-05:00Cosmic Bowling!We all went Cosmic Bowling yesterday and the Twincredible Twosome and Reid all loved it!! We were all amazed at how well they took turns, and how much fun they had! Of course, we had bumpers along our lane, and we used a ramp to help the kiddos roll the ball, but they all figured it out right away. Ross thought he was at a disco and danced in the lights whenever it wasn't his turn, and Riley appointed himself the manager and tried to lift and carry the ball for everyone whether it was his turn or not. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Riley taking his turn, and Ross dancing in the lights.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ross taking his turn, and Riley overseeing his "brudder".<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Gorgeous Reid taking his turn.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SzyeL8dbqEI/AAAAAAAAVnQ/2TGFUlhdH_E/s1600-h/20091230-0062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SzyeL8dbqEI/AAAAAAAAVnQ/2TGFUlhdH_E/s320/20091230-0062.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Bowling and dancing can wipe you out! Ross is exhausted.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SzyeOdfJuKI/AAAAAAAAVnY/14BUz2jHJk0/s1600-h/20091230-0063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SzyeOdfJuKI/AAAAAAAAVnY/14BUz2jHJk0/s320/20091230-0063.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Riley insisted on carrying the ball for himself and Ross, and wore himself out!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Reid relaxing with some water after a hard game of bowling!<br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">It really was a lot of fun! Riley talked about it for the rest of the day, and I think listening to him and his new vocabulary was almost as much fun:<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Riley</strong>: Mommy, we went "balling" today! It was so much fun!<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Me</strong>: I know, Ry! It was fun! What was your favorite part?<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Riley</strong>: Knocking down all of those "pens" with that heavy ball. My arms are tired.<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Me</strong>: You are so strong! What else did you like?<br />
</div><strong>Riley</strong>: I like watching the ball come back to me in the little tunnel. Why it do that?<br />
<strong>Me</strong>: The balls come back so we can all keep bowling! What else was fun?<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Riley</strong>: I found a little hairdryer when I was waiting for the ball to come back. I put it under my shirt to blow on my chest. That was nice. <br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Me</strong>: Oh.....(He loved the fan on the ball return, and he also loves hair dryers....go figure!)<br />
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<strong><em>Happy New Year! Ross, Riley and I wish you all a year filled with love, peace, health, and happiness!!</em></strong>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07303861538066787622noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957486226545853200.post-19257181775641953882009-12-19T19:14:00.000-05:002009-12-19T19:14:46.186-05:00Our First Time Playing in the Snow!!<div>For the past couple of winters, it has been enough of a challenge just maneuvering the two boys in and out of the car safely, let alone trying to figure out how to let them actually play in the snow. Neither of them were walking well enough, or with sufficient balance to handle slippery, uneven surfaces, and the whole activity seemed overwhelming and dangerous. This year, though, the boys are totally ready! Today was our first real snowfall and after making an emergency run to buy boots (talk about UNprepared!), the boys enjoyed their first taste of playing in the snow. We spent most of the day running errands and just played outside for a few minutes right before coming in for dinner, so these photos were taken at dusk. <br />
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<div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/Sy1XfwMkfdI/AAAAAAAAVMI/WpIDf_L7Ayw/s1600-h/DSCF1133.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417082129821760978" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/Sy1XfwMkfdI/AAAAAAAAVMI/WpIDf_L7Ayw/s320/DSCF1133.jpg" style="cursor: hand; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
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<div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/Sy1XfsVv_2I/AAAAAAAAVMA/bZIWERsCYJM/s1600-h/DSCF1129.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417082128786521954" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/Sy1XfsVv_2I/AAAAAAAAVMA/bZIWERsCYJM/s320/DSCF1129.jpg" style="cursor: hand; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
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<div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/Sy1XfQkYsuI/AAAAAAAAVL4/Q2ayp4HK4vU/s1600-h/DSCF1126.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417082121331716834" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/Sy1XfQkYsuI/AAAAAAAAVL4/Q2ayp4HK4vU/s320/DSCF1126.jpg" style="cursor: hand; height: 320px; width: 198px;" /></a><br />
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<div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/Sy1XfHgVX8I/AAAAAAAAVLw/p1Snw_7ihIM/s1600-h/DSCF1125.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417082118898802626" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/Sy1XfHgVX8I/AAAAAAAAVLw/p1Snw_7ihIM/s320/DSCF1125.jpg" style="cursor: hand; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
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Then, we came inside and Riley suggested that since it was already getting dark, we should just get into our jammies for the night and have a pajama party! Sounded like a great idea to me! So, we had a nice evening, all cuddled in warm jammies, relaxing before bedtime.<br />
</div></div></div></div></div></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07303861538066787622noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957486226545853200.post-40941493524482905692009-11-03T22:26:00.000-05:002009-11-03T22:26:53.403-05:00Preemie Profile and Halloween Pictures and a Video<div style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; TEXT-ALIGN: center; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; CLEAR: both; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none">November is Prematurity Awareness Month and the Twincredible Twosome are being featured as part of a month long series on amazing preemies! They have been selected for the "Preemie Profile" for November 4th at <a href="http://www.growingyourbaby.com/">http://www.growingyourbaby.com/</a>. Please go check it out!<br /></div><div style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; TEXT-ALIGN: center; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; CLEAR: both; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none"><br /></div><div style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; TEXT-ALIGN: center; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; CLEAR: both; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none">The boys had a terrific time on Halloween! Riley was Thomas the Train and Ross was an alarm clock! They had went Trick or Treating and had a party at school and went Trick or Treating again with their cousin, Reid. They both loved it this year!<br /></div><div style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; TEXT-ALIGN: center; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; CLEAR: both; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none"><br /></div><div style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; TEXT-ALIGN: center; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; CLEAR: both; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none"><br /></div><div style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; TEXT-ALIGN: center; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; CLEAR: both; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" class="separator"><a style="MARGIN-LEFT: 1em; MARGIN-RIGHT: 1em" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SvDWUuBILCI/AAAAAAAATCM/rYrGcmZ_Bho/s1600-h/DSCF1077.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SvDWUuBILCI/AAAAAAAATCM/rYrGcmZ_Bho/s320/DSCF1077.jpg" vr="true" /></a><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; CLEAR: both" class="separator"><a style="MARGIN-LEFT: 1em; MARGIN-RIGHT: 1em" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SvDWozLcK9I/AAAAAAAATCc/q5QSV9dWQ80/s1600-h/DSCF1080.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SvDWozLcK9I/AAAAAAAATCc/q5QSV9dWQ80/s320/DSCF1080.jpg" vr="true" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a style="MARGIN-LEFT: 1em; MARGIN-RIGHT: 1em" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SvDWxFn8pII/AAAAAAAATCk/eyMaFnMrQZk/s1600-h/DSCF1081.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SvDWxFn8pII/AAAAAAAATCk/eyMaFnMrQZk/s320/DSCF1081.jpg" vr="true" /></a><br /></div><div style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; TEXT-ALIGN: center; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; CLEAR: both; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" class="separator"><a style="MARGIN-LEFT: 1em; MARGIN-RIGHT: 1em" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SvDWbKprfKI/AAAAAAAATCU/TYooLroBrFk/s1600-h/DSCF1079.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SvDWbKprfKI/AAAAAAAATCU/TYooLroBrFk/s320/DSCF1079.jpg" vr="true" /></a><br /></div><div style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; TEXT-ALIGN: center; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; CLEAR: both; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" class="separator"><br /></div><div style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; TEXT-ALIGN: center; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; CLEAR: both; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" class="separator">Finally, Ross has never been interested in eating candy. He has issues with different foods and textures and candy has never been something he has liked. However, my sister is a chocoholic and desperately wants all children to love chocolate. So, here is a hilarious video of how she taught Ross to love chocolate on Halloween! Be sure to turn up your volume! </div><div style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; TEXT-ALIGN: center; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; CLEAR: both; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" class="separator">(I wish she could do this with a vegetable!!)<br /></div><div style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; TEXT-ALIGN: center; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; CLEAR: both; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" class="separator"><br /></div><div style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; TEXT-ALIGN: center; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; CLEAR: both; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" class="separator"></div><p align="center"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzx-Yia8VDUKjcyC0-y5RQuibFDcxMyTiaepntdHuhC1MQ3Aelw4fbzNeiuWYQrm4cGFmwkhDZEzZfka82X3Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07303861538066787622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957486226545853200.post-35991544700132016642009-10-03T21:44:00.000-04:002009-10-03T21:44:22.603-04:00Our Very First Giveaway Contest!Have you ever noticed the super-cute curly haired kid in some of our pictures? That’s my nephew, Reid. He and his mom (my sister) have helped to put together my first blog contest. You have the chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Godiva (yum!) OR a $25 gift certificate to restaurants.com (check the website to see all the places you can choose if you win this one). <br />
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Reid is a wonderfully fun, very loving little guy who has a pretty severe case of Childhood Apraxia of Speech. Apraxia is a relatively rare neurological disorder where the brain knows what it wants to say, but the message gets mixed up on its way to the mouth. It’s a motor-planning disorder that presents very similarly to what can happen after an older adult had a stroke. Reid works very hard at speech therapy 5 times each week to learn to talk. He is making great, albeit very slow, progress toward verbal speech. <br />
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Since Apraxia is so rare and because people often associate lack of verbal language with significant cognitive delays (which is not the case with Reid or with most Apraxics), it is important to Reid’s mom to spread the word about the disorder. The Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association of North America (CASANA) is having an event to do just that. The Walk for Children with Apraxia is a 1.5 mile family friendly walk that will take place on October 17th in Pittsburgh. There are 12 other similar walks occurring around the country as well. CASANA is a non-profit organization that works to raise awareness about Apraxia and also supports the research necessary to better understand Apraxia and determine what therapy strategies are most effective. <br />
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My nephew’s walking team, Reid’s Rockstars, would like to raise as much money as possible to support this cause. That’s where this contest comes in. <br />
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To enter, please visit Reid’s team website (<a href="http://www.apraxia-kids.org/pittsburghwalk/reid">www.apraxia-kids.org/pittsburghwalk/reid</a> ). You’ll see that the Twincredible Twosome and I are already signed up…we can’t wait! But, we wanted to do more. So, please click on “General Team Donation” and consider donating to support CASANA. You get one entry into the contest per $3 donation (since Reid is 3 years old). For each $3 increment you donate, please leave a separate comment on this post. (Example, donate $9, leave 3 comments, earn 3 entries) <br />
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Winners will be determined by random.org and I will contact winners via e-mail. Please leave a valid e-mail address when you make your comment. The first winner will receive the Godiva certificate and the second will receive the restaurants.com certificate. The contest will close on October 16th at midnight and the winners will be drawn whenever the Twincredible Twosome wake me up that following morning. <br />
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Feel free to send me an e-mail with any questions and pass on this site and this contest to your friends!<br />
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Let’s see how many people we can get to support this very worthwhile cause and help my nephew’s team to meet their fundraising goal. Thanks!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/Ssf9y6bpITI/AAAAAAAASPc/R5yGbyj9Cvc/s1600-h/reid+outside+on+stage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img $r="true" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/Ssf9y6bpITI/AAAAAAAASPc/R5yGbyj9Cvc/s320/reid+outside+on+stage.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><strike></strike>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07303861538066787622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957486226545853200.post-12144764268666379962009-09-28T11:22:00.011-04:002009-09-28T21:28:17.374-04:00We LOVE Preschool!!Thank you so much to all of our wonderful friends who have been emailing and asking when I was going to do another blog update! I love that you are all so interested in what the Twincredible Twosome is up to and I apologize for taking so long to post something!<br /><br /><br /><br />The boys have started preschool and they LOVE it! In fact, they love it so much that on weekend mornings, I am often faced with two tearful boys, standing at the front door in their pajamas, with their backpacks on, demanding that I take them to school! I am so grateful that they have adjusted so well to the new routine, and feel so confident and comfortable at school.<br /><br />Of course, on the first day, I had to take lots of pictures!!<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SsDYxmNgNRI/AAAAAAAAR9I/t8fNm11iyxc/s1600-h/DSCF0987.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386543500917486866" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SsDYxmNgNRI/AAAAAAAAR9I/t8fNm11iyxc/s320/DSCF0987.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><div align="center">Getting ready to leave on the first day of school!<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SsDYyU4BRGI/AAAAAAAAR9Q/N0SEhW3XRSo/s1600-h/DSCF0988.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386543513443845218" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SsDYyU4BRGI/AAAAAAAAR9Q/N0SEhW3XRSo/s320/DSCF0988.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="center">We're on our way! </div><div align="center">(They refused to carry their back packs that day....they insisted that Mommy should do it!)<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SsDYyncPP-I/AAAAAAAAR9Y/bxQszSQeA5g/s1600-h/DSCF0990.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386543518427594722" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SsDYyncPP-I/AAAAAAAAR9Y/bxQszSQeA5g/s320/DSCF0990.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="center">Look how excited!<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SsDYzOiuy8I/AAAAAAAAR9g/s-Q0fDZlFZ8/s1600-h/DSCF0991.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386543528923810754" style="WIDTH: 202px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SsDYzOiuy8I/AAAAAAAAR9g/s-Q0fDZlFZ8/s320/DSCF0991.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="center">As soon as they arrived, they were busy with lots of fun stuff to do. Ross found these pretend birthday cakes and immediately began to sing "Happy Birthday"</div><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SsDYzUQcNfI/AAAAAAAAR9o/abkoX7AsYIY/s1600-h/DSCF0993.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386543530457708018" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SsDYzUQcNfI/AAAAAAAAR9o/abkoX7AsYIY/s320/DSCF0993.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p align="center">Riley took some time to wander around and check out the whole room.</p><p align="left">(I actually took more pictures of them in the classroom, but I need to be careful about which ones I post because some of the other kids in the class appear in them. I don't feel that I have the right to post pictures of anyone else's child online without their permission.)</p><p align="left">The preschool that the boys are attending is a LEAP preschool, which means that it is a special classroom designed for children with autism spectrum disorders and typical children to learn together. Most LEAP classrooms have 4 children on the autism and spectrum and 8 typical children. The classroom operates just like a regular preschool, except that the kids on the autism spectrum receive the additional support they need to be successful. This is the perfect setting for the Twincredible Twosome, because Ross and Riley can both attend together! </p><p align="left">So, here is a quick summary of what they have been up to so far in school: </p><p align="left">They are both learning so much already! They both come home and tell me new things about their day all the time. One of the most exciting things is that almost every day, Ross comes home singing a new song! After just one day, he is almost always able to sing the entire song and sings it over and over all evening. I can usually understand some of the words, but not always. We all know that music is the way his little brain learns best, and he is just soaking it all up. In fact, he is now singing in his sleep! Several times over the past couple of weeks, I have been awakened around 3am to hear him singing, loudly, and gone into his bedroom to find him sound asleep, with his pacifier in his mouth, singing at the top of his lungs! </p><p align="left">They both made the most beautiful "All About Me" books! (Ok, so I might be a little biased....). It was so much fun to read through the books with the boys and let them tell me all about a project they made at school! On the last page, there were photos of all of the kids in their class, and Riley was able to name all of them, and Ross was able to name a few. They also love it when then bring home artwork and get to pick out a spot to hang it up! I love seeing how proud they are and especially enjoy if they are able to tell me a little bit about what they made.</p><p align="left">Today, Ross actually blew me away by telling me how to spell his name! He was drawing a picture and when I went to write his name on it, he very specifically told me "R-O-S-S." I had no idea that he knew that! Then, just to make sure he really knew what he was doing, I asked him what it spelled and he said "Ross!" I am so proud of him! </p><p align="left">The boys are starting to interact with the other kids at school, although Riley is clinging to Ross pretty tightly. The teacher and staff are so amazing and have already come up with great strategies to help them separate from each other. As one of therapists said, "They are like peanut butter and jelly, they just stick to each other!" So, at meals and circle time, they don't sit next to each other now and have to sit with a new friend. Ross is still not choosing to play with the other kids on his own yet, but Riley is starting to play with some of them. In fact, this weekend, Riley has been talking a lot about one of the boys in his class. </p><p align="left">Riley has napped twice, but usually he just lays down to rest for a little bit. Ross, though, lays down at 1pm each day and falls into an immediate sleep for a full hour! He is the only kid in the entire class who naps! Some of you may remember that Ross is the child who has had MAJOR issues falling asleep at home. I spent $150.00 on a weighted blanket for him, to help him calm down at night, he still needs his pacifier to sleep in his own bed, and I had to remove all distractions from his bedroom!!! At school, though, he lays down in the middle of a busy, noisy classroom, without his pacifier and instantly falls asleep. Unbelievable!</p><p align="left">Riley is trying lots of new foods and eating the school lunches many days. Ross has tasted a couple of new foods, but pretty much just eats what I pack for him. Not a whole lot of progress yet with him and new food textures.</p><p align="left">All in all, they are just doing amazingly well! They are happy, enjoying school, and that makes for a happy and grateful mommy!</p><p align="left">Since it has been so long since I have posted, I thought I would throw in a few more pictures of the boys just being silly together!</p><p align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SsDaRRLS60I/AAAAAAAAR9w/KE1O1YSVvRk/s1600-h/DSCF0999.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386545144538524482" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SsDaRRLS60I/AAAAAAAAR9w/KE1O1YSVvRk/s320/DSCF0999.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><div align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SsDaR-33TOI/AAAAAAAAR94/UwnmTukv6MA/s1600-h/DSCF1003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386545156805053666" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SsDaR-33TOI/AAAAAAAAR94/UwnmTukv6MA/s320/DSCF1003.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SsDaSaFjKMI/AAAAAAAAR-A/sGTPSZw_kg4/s1600-h/DSCF1005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386545164110211266" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SsDaSaFjKMI/AAAAAAAAR-A/sGTPSZw_kg4/s320/DSCF1005.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SsDaSyt1z4I/AAAAAAAAR-I/sgWXcWNrXeo/s1600-h/DSCF1008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386545170721656706" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SsDaSyt1z4I/AAAAAAAAR-I/sgWXcWNrXeo/s320/DSCF1008.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center">Random cuteness....Ross fell asleep in the car the other day. His TSS carried him into the house and he stayed asleep in this exact position sitting on the couch for about 10 minutes and then woke up giggling.</div><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SsDaTKnhC7I/AAAAAAAAR-Q/bMvkxV2KC5s/s1600-h/DSCF1016.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386545177137580978" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SsDaTKnhC7I/AAAAAAAAR-Q/bMvkxV2KC5s/s320/DSCF1016.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="center"></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07303861538066787622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957486226545853200.post-60651078430607902242009-08-07T18:43:00.007-04:002009-08-07T19:11:42.373-04:00Funny Faces and a Song<div><div><div><div><div>The Twincredible Twosome and I are continuing to enjoy our summer vacation! They did a wonderful job at "preschool" which was actually just a brief introduction to get them ready for their real preschool which begins in September. Although all three of us struggled a bit with separation at first, they quickly adjusted and had fun. The biggest challenge became getting them to let go of one another, literally, and finding ways for them to stop holding hands! Even though it is adorable, it is a bit tough to play on the playground, do art activities, and eat a snack while holding onto your brother's hand. The staff was great about finding ways to help them separate from each other for brief periods of time, but they understood that the boys have rarely been apart from each other and are each other's security.</div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div>Lately, the boys have been experimenting with making funny faces and tonight I managed to capture some of them, just because they look so cute! </div><div><br /> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;font-size:180%;">ROSS<br /></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SnyybA6FDzI/AAAAAAAAQKU/OyDzl-xx5gs/s1600-h/DSCF0928.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367361033088601906" style="WIDTH: 294px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SnyybA6FDzI/AAAAAAAAQKU/OyDzl-xx5gs/s320/DSCF0928.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SnywNjm1FYI/AAAAAAAAQJs/CCb0X5Mwrxc/s1600-h/DSCF0920.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367358602861680002" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 297px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SnywNjm1FYI/AAAAAAAAQJs/CCb0X5Mwrxc/s320/DSCF0920.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SnywPClL-BI/AAAAAAAAQKM/nSQLhjMfqzY/s1600-h/DSCF0929.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367358628356159506" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 278px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SnywPClL-BI/AAAAAAAAQKM/nSQLhjMfqzY/s320/DSCF0929.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367358614855754946" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SnywOQScJMI/AAAAAAAAQJ8/dBbZLWo-jc0/s320/DSCF0925.jpg" border="0" /></div><div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SnywOEjMeBI/AAAAAAAAQJ0/TY7ZlDgL0ns/s1600-h/DSCF0921.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367358611704805394" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 301px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SnywOEjMeBI/AAAAAAAAQJ0/TY7ZlDgL0ns/s320/DSCF0921.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div align="center"></div><div><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">RILEY</span></div><div align="center"><br /> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SnyusFnOC1I/AAAAAAAAQJU/wPPU4n9cVrw/s1600-h/DSCF0917.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367356928362941266" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 292px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SnyusFnOC1I/AAAAAAAAQJU/wPPU4n9cVrw/s320/DSCF0917.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SnyusfMVV7I/AAAAAAAAQJc/A7vFfD2CKrc/s1600-h/DSCF0918.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367356935229495218" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 277px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SnyusfMVV7I/AAAAAAAAQJc/A7vFfD2CKrc/s320/DSCF0918.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="center"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/Snyur0fGb7I/AAAAAAAAQJM/22WxuUbEQJU/s1600-h/DSCF0916.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367356923765485490" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/Snyur0fGb7I/AAAAAAAAQJM/22WxuUbEQJU/s320/DSCF0916.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SnyurYmTQ4I/AAAAAAAAQJE/v8HIhGQjRaQ/s1600-h/DSCF0915.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367356916279493506" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SnyurYmTQ4I/AAAAAAAAQJE/v8HIhGQjRaQ/s320/DSCF0915.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="center"> </div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SnyuslhwqNI/AAAAAAAAQJk/UBPgrLEtAoY/s1600-h/DSCF0919.jpg"></a><div align="center"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SnyuslhwqNI/AAAAAAAAQJk/UBPgrLEtAoY/s1600-h/DSCF0919.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367356936929978578" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 288px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SnyuslhwqNI/AAAAAAAAQJk/UBPgrLEtAoY/s320/DSCF0919.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div><br />Finally, I have been meaning to capture Riley singing the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" on video for a while now. I tried to get Ross singing one of his many, many wonderful songs but he was not in the mood to sing on camera this evening. He did, however, make lots of monkey noises in the background while Riley was singing. Turn up your sound!<br /></div><p align="center"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwrD1m1i6Z_Qqi6UnKNJaWvGySQVf6gPssb8MvH7eKeZyfr4JmSUUTBzSctdfxxAJt7QmU2z15wYWDnzemt2A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p></div></div></div></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07303861538066787622noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957486226545853200.post-51802769299860140392009-07-22T19:34:00.016-04:002009-07-23T07:28:59.065-04:00Happy 3rd Birthday!! (and our first day of school)How is it possible that the Twincredible Twosome are three years old already? Where has the time gone? Ross and Riley had a wonderful birthday! They partied with some friends at the <a href="http://recstation.org/">Recreation Station </a>over the weekend. Then, on their actual birthday on Tuesday, we checked out the trains and the laser show with our family at the Science Center and had cake and presents at home.<br /><div></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SmerCMhwHtI/AAAAAAAAPeg/FqMFGt_E8pc/s1600-h/DSCF0851.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361441935618744018" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SmerCMhwHtI/AAAAAAAAPeg/FqMFGt_E8pc/s320/DSCF0851.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><div></div><div align="center">Riley filling up his car with gas at the birthday party.<br /></div><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SmerB8RWaPI/AAAAAAAAPeY/lXukLT1IyEc/s1600-h/DSCF0849.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361441931254982898" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SmerB8RWaPI/AAAAAAAAPeY/lXukLT1IyEc/s320/DSCF0849.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><div align="center">Ross playing at the birthday party.<br /></div><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SmerCegBq2I/AAAAAAAAPeo/10SOKufOTkk/s1600-h/DSCF0853.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361441940443343714" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SmerCegBq2I/AAAAAAAAPeo/10SOKufOTkk/s320/DSCF0853.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div align="center">Two gorgeous three year old smiles!</div><br /><div></div><div></div><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SmerCqhH-II/AAAAAAAAPew/lWXz5zpYpjQ/s1600-h/DSCF0857.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361441943669176450" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 184px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SmerCqhH-II/AAAAAAAAPew/lWXz5zpYpjQ/s320/DSCF0857.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><div align="center">Blowing out their candles!</div><div align="center"><br /></div><br /><div>The boys were showered with love and tons of beautiful gifts. We can't thank everyone enough for all of the wonderful things they gave the boys, and for sharing in our celebrations with us! </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Ross is becoming quite the musician and is totally in love with his new guitar and drums. He has been playing non stop since he got them!</div><div><br /></div><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SmeuFgIWvBI/AAAAAAAAPk4/SZAfWjJMyQ0/s1600-h/DSCF0892.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361445290955422738" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SmeuFgIWvBI/AAAAAAAAPk4/SZAfWjJMyQ0/s320/DSCF0892.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SmeuF0LgDBI/AAAAAAAAPlA/45dGjpGGsHg/s1600-h/DSCF0894.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361445296337325074" style="WIDTH: 233px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SmeuF0LgDBI/AAAAAAAAPlA/45dGjpGGsHg/s320/DSCF0894.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><div align="left"></div><p align="left">Riley has been driving his new Thomas playhut all over the house, only stopping to ride his new Thomas bike, play with one of his new Thomas trains on his new track, use his new Thomas flashlight, stick his Thomas stickers on things ............you get the idea. He finally exhausted himself and fell asleep under this beautiful train blanket that my dear friend Patti Lou made for him:</p><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SmfbG9E4QMI/AAAAAAAAPmc/HgnuSj4puv8/s1600-h/20090721-5079.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361494793928589506" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SmfbG9E4QMI/AAAAAAAAPmc/HgnuSj4puv8/s320/20090721-5079.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SmexP7xRAVI/AAAAAAAAPl4/XPasnivB4MM/s1600-h/DSCF0913.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361448768708346194" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SmexP7xRAVI/AAAAAAAAPl4/XPasnivB4MM/s320/DSCF0913.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><div>The day after their birthday was also a special day for Ross and Riley! It was their first day of school! They are going to a "playgroup" preschool this summer, one day a week, in preparation for starting preschool in the fall. It was a very exciting morning as we got ready:<br /></div><p align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SmevYyXUs5I/AAAAAAAAPlo/c1bzef1bROQ/s1600-h/DSCF0896.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361446721779184530" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SmevYyXUs5I/AAAAAAAAPlo/c1bzef1bROQ/s320/DSCF0896.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><div align="center"><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SmevZFfFyzI/AAAAAAAAPlw/i2U9P2jMZGA/s1600-h/DSCF0900.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361446726912035634" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SmevZFfFyzI/AAAAAAAAPlw/i2U9P2jMZGA/s320/DSCF0900.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Riley with his back pack.</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SmeuG3OsIYI/AAAAAAAAPlY/bEjzyECCgRc/s1600-h/DSCF0906.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361445314335875458" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SmeuG3OsIYI/AAAAAAAAPlY/bEjzyECCgRc/s320/DSCF0906.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Ross with his back pack.</div><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SmeuGpPUQiI/AAAAAAAAPlQ/fsABhlmjjLs/s1600-h/DSCF0902.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361445310580408866" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SmeuGpPUQiI/AAAAAAAAPlQ/fsABhlmjjLs/s320/DSCF0902.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Riley excited to go to school!</div><div align="center"><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/Smeu6SrtdEI/AAAAAAAAPlg/8-3UunRYsvs/s1600-h/DSCF0910.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361446197878682690" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/Smeu6SrtdEI/AAAAAAAAPlg/8-3UunRYsvs/s320/DSCF0910.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Ross with his backpack off, ready to stay home and play some more music!</div><div align="center"></div><div></div><br /><div>Although the boys struggled a bit with separating from Mommy, they did have a great first day of school! Riley decided that he going to stick as close to Ross as possible and whenever anyone suggested that he play with the other kids, he very politely responded with, "No, thank you. Just Rossy, please." That's twins for ya, I guess! I think we'll need to work on that, though.</div><div></div><br /><div>Let's see who is really paying attention. Take a close look at the pics of the boys on their first day of school. Do you see anything surprising? Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!</div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07303861538066787622noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957486226545853200.post-72396702225419375482009-05-31T22:19:00.012-04:002009-06-07T21:04:21.879-04:00We're still here!I know that I am a terrible blogger and that it has been way too long since I have posted, and I have no real excuse, other than "we're always busy!" The boys are doing very well and we are all happily looking forward to the end of the school year and the start of my summer vacation! I can't wait until I can spend all of that wonderful time with my boys!<br /><br /><br />We have been trying to get out and enjoy the nice weather as much as possible. Last weekend, we hung out at Station Square. The boys rode the train and had a blast watching the fountains, listening to the music, and having some ice cream. Here are a few pictures from that day:<br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SivFcttpIHI/AAAAAAAAMzA/KKq4jwu5rKM/s1600-h/20090531-4505.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344582479903268978" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SivFcttpIHI/AAAAAAAAMzA/KKq4jwu5rKM/s320/20090531-4505.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><div align="center">All three cousins listening to music and watching the fountains<br /><br /></div><p align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SivFcTNF4HI/AAAAAAAAMy4/uwajQQXOEaU/s1600-h/20090531-4499.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344582472787419250" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SivFcTNF4HI/AAAAAAAAMy4/uwajQQXOEaU/s320/20090531-4499.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><div align="center">Riley and Uncle Seth riding the train in Station Square<br /><br /></div><p align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SivFcFNKgwI/AAAAAAAAMyw/K7PfLMmpjkk/s1600-h/20090531-4491.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344582469029626626" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SivFcFNKgwI/AAAAAAAAMyw/K7PfLMmpjkk/s320/20090531-4491.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><div align="center">The train in Station Square</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div>The boys have become Thomas the Train fanatics and are quickly accumulating trains and tracks and bridges. I was lucky enough to find a used train table at a great price! At first, Riley was using it more than Ross, but this evening, Ross spent a lot of time driving the trains all around the track and talking up a storm the whole time! I am sure they will have tons of fun with this table.<br /></div><p align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SivFdO4SyEI/AAAAAAAAMzQ/Ql2j6zpob6o/s1600-h/DSCF0768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344582488806312002" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SivFdO4SyEI/AAAAAAAAMzQ/Ql2j6zpob6o/s320/DSCF0768.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p align="center"></p><p align="left">Finally, just because I think they are super cute (I know I am totally biased!), I took a bunch of pictures today before we went out to lunch at the <a href="http://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/">Cheesecake Factory </a>and to splash in the fountain. </p><p align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SivHDaxeyII/AAAAAAAAMzY/RysP6to81bo/s1600-h/DSCF0766.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344584244345620610" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 312px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SivHDaxeyII/AAAAAAAAMzY/RysP6to81bo/s320/DSCF0766.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p align="center">This is the first time both boys purposefully attempted to smile for the camera at the same time!</p><div><br /></div><p align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SivHEs5pMsI/AAAAAAAAMz4/gKpuV7jPNQE/s1600-h/DSCF0786.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344584266391564994" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 269px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SivHEs5pMsI/AAAAAAAAMz4/gKpuV7jPNQE/s320/DSCF0786.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><div></div><p align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SivHEUuGbrI/AAAAAAAAMzw/7jJdGMDsUx8/s1600-h/DSCF0781.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344584259900698290" style="WIDTH: 186px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SivHEUuGbrI/AAAAAAAAMzw/7jJdGMDsUx8/s320/DSCF0781.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SivHDhrzA7I/AAAAAAAAMzg/JCqGRAumAgQ/s1600-h/DSCF0781.jpg"></a></p><div align="center">Brotherly love<br /><br /></div><p align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SivHDyuhIOI/AAAAAAAAMzo/0FvMDfedwH4/s1600-h/DSCF0784.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344584250775642338" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 270px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SivHDyuhIOI/AAAAAAAAMzo/0FvMDfedwH4/s320/DSCF0784.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><p align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SivHDhrzA7I/AAAAAAAAMzg/JCqGRAumAgQ/s1600-h/DSCF0781.jpg"></a></p><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07303861538066787622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957486226545853200.post-23598290941838714302009-05-04T19:39:00.003-04:002009-05-04T21:47:00.788-04:00It's almost time...It is almost time for the 2009 March for Babies! This Saturday, we will be walking in honor of Ross and Riley, and we will celebrate the amazing progress they have made since their premature birth. We will also be walking in honor of all of the other premature babies that the March of Dimes strives to help and hope that our contribution will help make more miracles happen.<br /><br />Thank you so very much to those of you who have already given so generously! It means the world to me to have your support for this cause which is so dear to my heart. In the next few days, I would love to get as close as possible to our goal, so if you would still like to donate in honor of Ross and Riley, please click on the badge below and it will take you directly to our personal walk page.<br /><br /><div align="center">Thank you!</div><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://www.marchforbabies.org/personal_page.asp?w=181019904&u=rossandriley&bt=2"><img src="http://www.marchforbabies.org/getsig/181019904r.jpg" border="0" /></a></p>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07303861538066787622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957486226545853200.post-50273634034421158112009-04-23T22:09:00.003-04:002009-04-23T22:35:24.903-04:00Another post of pictures....Today was "Take Your Child to Work Day," so I brought the boys in to visit my classroom for a couple of hours this afternoon. They both decided that "typing" on the computer and spinning on Mommy's chair was the most fun part of school!<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SfEgSu4AS1I/AAAAAAAALl4/a47xxhs-jnE/s1600-h/DSCF0763.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328075340348672850" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SfEgSu4AS1I/AAAAAAAALl4/a47xxhs-jnE/s320/DSCF0763.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><br /><br />They also had a great time climbing on the play equipment outside of the preschool classrooms down the hall. Riley was still talking about "driving the bus" as he fell asleep tonight at bedtime. In this picture, though, Ross actually got a turn to drive!<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SfEgS0-jknI/AAAAAAAALmA/tmI5KkKpDq0/s1600-h/DSCF0761.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328075341986763378" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SfEgS0-jknI/AAAAAAAALmA/tmI5KkKpDq0/s320/DSCF0761.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><br />In other news.....Riley has been sleeping in a semi-standing position lately. I have found him like this several times, sound asleep. Does anyone else have a toddler who sleeps like this? I think that maybe he fell out of bed, and fell back to sleep in the middle of climbing back in! He looked so cute that I had to take a picture!<br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SfEgStA5AXI/AAAAAAAALlw/lMxF1Go_Fgs/s1600-h/DSCF0755.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328075339849073010" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SfEgStA5AXI/AAAAAAAALlw/lMxF1Go_Fgs/s320/DSCF0755.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><br />We went to the <a href="http://www.carnegiesciencecenter.org/">Carnegie Science Center </a>recently and everyone had a great time! Ross LOVED the laser light and music show! He sat and watched the lasers and sang for nearly 45 minutes! Riley was actually bored during the show, but he was happy to cuddle with me and get a back rub. Both boys enjoyed the model train room and I got this adorable picture of them walking through it with my brother, Uncle Seth.<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SfEgSWzoywI/AAAAAAAALlo/gx6ajCxoyT4/s1600-h/DSCF0753.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328075333887904514" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SfEgSWzoywI/AAAAAAAALlo/gx6ajCxoyT4/s320/DSCF0753.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><br /><br />Thanks, as always, for checking in with us! Leave us a comment and let us know what's going on with you!Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07303861538066787622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957486226545853200.post-89830731501868637592009-04-12T18:26:00.006-04:002009-04-12T19:56:08.861-04:00New pics to enjoy<div align="center">The boys and I are finishing up our spring break, and I am headed back to work tomorrow. This vacation wasn't anywhere near as much fun as I has hoped, because Ross and I both had strep throat and I had some other unexpected doctor's appointments that ate up most of the week. Thank goodness Katie was willing and able to come bail us out, so I could take care of the doctor stuff and know that the boys were in good hands! </div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center">We did manage to pack lots of fun into the last couple of days when we were all feeling better!</div><div align="center">Last night, I took the boys to <a href="http://www.brusters.com/">Bruster's</a> for ice cream, which Ross has always refused to eat in the past. (He has some very specific sensory issues/preferences around foods.) This time, he very carefully touched it to his lips several times, then touched it to his tongue, then took a big lick, and then proudly announced, "Mmmm....it's good!" He then proceeded to eat almost the whole kid sized scoop of chocolate oreo ice cream, dividing it equally between what actually went into his mouth and what was smeared all over his face, his shirt, his hair, his ears, etc. It was so much fun to watch him explore a new "sensory" activity, and be a totally typical toddler covering himself in chocolate ice cream! I didn't have my camera with me, so you will just have to trust me that it was adorable! </div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center">Riley ate most of his scoop of cherry vanilla very neatly, wiping his face and fingers between each bite with a napkin. He also continually begged me to wipe Ross off and was flabbergasted that I was allowing Ross to sit there covered in ice cream. "Wipe Rossi, Mommy. He's sooooo dirty! Wipe him!" was pretty much the conversation from his side of the table. What can I say? Riley likes to be clean!</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center">Today, we went out to brunch with our family and then over to Reid's house to play. It was so nice to be able to spend time relaxing with everyone together. Here are some pictures from today:</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SeJyQ27beBI/AAAAAAAALPo/h6ic_Ph4w4w/s1600-h/20090412-4338.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323943343453599762" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SeJyQ27beBI/AAAAAAAALPo/h6ic_Ph4w4w/s320/20090412-4338.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="center">Our family!</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SeJyRHYXSaI/AAAAAAAALPw/2zUPui7r3fo/s1600-h/20090412-4342.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323943347869927842" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SeJyRHYXSaI/AAAAAAAALPw/2zUPui7r3fo/s320/20090412-4342.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="center">Mommy and the boys.....and sunglasses!</div><div align="center"><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SeJyRs8t3xI/AAAAAAAALQA/aD9NBWtj9O0/s1600-h/20090412-4349.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323943357954514706" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SeJyRs8t3xI/AAAAAAAALQA/aD9NBWtj9O0/s320/20090412-4349.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div align="center">"Mimi is so soft!" according to Riley.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SeJyRbFqQpI/AAAAAAAALP4/nusavRU6f9A/s1600-h/20090412-4346.jpg"></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SeJyR_NA1aI/AAAAAAAALQI/GFZr02F4bbo/s1600-h/20090412-4350.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323943362854704546" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wnLn28dwyqw/SeJyR_NA1aI/AAAAAAAALQI/GFZr02F4bbo/s320/20090412-4350.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="center">Cousins on a couch </div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07303861538066787622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957486226545853200.post-73799844604875014742009-04-02T06:12:00.002-04:002009-04-02T06:25:41.115-04:00The Ugly R-WordRoss and Riley would like you to take a moment today to go visit <a href="http://www.r-word.org/">www.r-word.org</a> and pledge your support to end the use of the "<strong>r-word</strong>" in our everyday conversations.<br /><br />The casual use of the word "retard" has become commonplace, and yet that word is painfully demeaning to people with disabilites. It is just as hurtful and ignorant as racial and ethnic slurs, and there is no acceptable time to use the word "retard" in everyday dialogue. <br /><br />If each of you visit <a href="http://www.r-word.org/">www.r-word.org</a> and pledge to end the use of the "r-word" and then share the site with your own friends and family, perhaps we can truly begin to remove this ugly word from our language.<br /><br />Ross and Riley say thanks!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.r-word.org/"><img src="http://r-word.org/badge_180x150_NoDate.jpg" border="0" alt="r-word.org" /></a>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07303861538066787622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957486226545853200.post-16849664076823766232009-03-25T18:56:00.005-04:002009-03-25T19:35:31.785-04:00Video Clips<p>For the past few days, both of the boys have been singing "Happy Birthday". We haven't celebrated any birthdays lately, but they are both really into the song these days. Tonight, at dinner, Ross belted out his own version, and then did a little improv at the end, which I managed to capture on video. He doesn't say all of the words, (he skips "happy birth-") but he is clearly saying 'day to you".</p><p><br /></p><p align="center"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwu9Lrwsf5K3WWT-qJqywXPw5EB9UM4Detz9qjdMdmnFhnmx2ma9yeqRT0bV1PeHFWe7VlInHYfgiiEyITmtg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><p align="center"> </p><p align="left">Riley has learned the names of many dinosaurs, thanks to Katie! I love how he sounds when he says "stegosaurus," "triceratops," and "pterodactyl"! I took this video tonight of him naming most of the dinosaurs in one of his books.</p><p align="center"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dze8p-QCQavLakLKGwplwYVBAb3qVKg2INiKTn-YZBs_K4R8Di0m8QZFZMLVVrGqRPaW6IOUaG5uX1mROmPvw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07303861538066787622noreply@blogger.com3