mullen family chronicles

WONDER-FULL

2010-10-13T19:45:00.000-07:00

I wonder if they have any idea how much I love them- even when I chastise them to BE QUIET constantly. (Daddy is sleeping)

I wonder if there will ever be a dinner time where one does not whine about what I am serving. (I am currently a short order cook,..)

I wonder if the little elves will ever show up to load or unload the dish washer.

I wonder how it is physically possible for the pee stream to go between the seat and bowl and have it be an "accident"

I wonder why laundry can't fold itself- (or why I even bother folding anything when the "favorite dress" is in HEAVY rotation.)

I wonder why Grace will eat if you call it a SNACK- but once you call it dinner- all bets are off.

I wonder if I am a good parent. I wonder daily if there are ways to do this better and really- I guess that's the only thing I can do,...and just be the best I can be.

Wonder is a good thing.

It's about THAT time,......

2010-05-01T17:51:00.001-07:00

yeah- it's that time for me to announce the birth of my 4th,....really,...Mary and Grace are 18 months apart,....Gracie and Ruby are 2 yrs apart,..so- yeah. I should be having another child here any day now,..but I am not,..(thankyoujesus!) I am a very happy mom to three,..three little spit fires.

So- when folks see that we have three girls- just about every one looks at us in all seriousness and asks,.."are ya gonna try for a boy?" and I look at them and I look at sweet Ruby ( now 18 months) and tell that that SHE is our boy try and this bakery is closed,....no more buns in the ovens at the Mullen house.

oh and if someone could help me figure out why folks are so keen on everyone being a parent to BOTH genders,..like the kids are salt and pepper shakers,...just leave me a comment,.....I love what I have,.....and can't imagine my life differently.

I will get better at this again

2010-03-10T09:06:00.000-08:00

I promise. I need to get back in the swing of writing. I should update y'all an what's happening here.

Marty is good. Trying to golf more- or at least planning on golfing more once this snow goes away. We had a very mild Nov and Dec and then January and February just piled on the snow. We had 14 days in a row of flurries and accumulations,..it was insane- and I was getting a little stir crazy. The snow drifts and wind were crazy,........

Mary is 4 and a 3/4ths and all signed up to go to Kindy in the fall. I was hoping that we'd be full day kindy by then- but our school district go a waiver so we're still half day and I think our street is in the afternoon. My mary is not so good in the afternoons- so mama needs to see if I can switch to mornings. While Mary won't get to go one the bus- at least we'll have her in the morning session.

Grace is 3 and not yet potty trained. She really has no interest. Mary was the same way. I figure that we'll have a potty training boot camp this summer- so she can have her pee accidents on the lawn and not mommy's couch.

Ruby is 15 months and she walked at 11 months,..she's babbling up a storm. She really is a good, sweet patient little one. We are weaned for the day time and I am working on getting her weaned at night and it is really hard. It's just way too easy to nurse her and get her to stop crying at 2:00 am. The last thing I want is a crying baby at 2:00 am to wake up Grace or Mary or to distrub Marty's sleep- so,...I will get it done,...I am just not sure how,...if anyone has any suggestions,....e mail me!

Wish me luck on keeping up with this blog,....

xoxo

Update-

2009-03-16T06:21:00.000-07:00

We're good here,..taking pictures and playing with the girls.

Mary is potty trained (YAY) and night trained too,..plus or minus an accident here or there overnight,..but mostly done.

Grace is yammering and growing like a weed.

Ruby is now 3 months old and holding at 13.5 pounds. She is a great baby,..smiles lots and has been sleeping thru the night (YAY!)

that's about it!

email us at Laura.mullen1@gmail.com

Thanks!

Peace OUT!

2009-01-20T15:30:00.001-08:00

Love this picture,....word!

She's down with it!

Ruby is 4 weeks old TODAY!

2009-01-13T11:40:00.000-08:00

Ruby is doing great. She latched on like a champ,...we've driven over to Jamestown for Great Grandma Doris' 90th party and she was golden! We had our 3 week appt and she weighed in at 9 pounds 1 oz and has gained an inch in length to be 21.5 inches long.

Mary and Grace are still smitten,...and mommy and Daddy are sleepless. She really is a good baby,..but I wanted to post a shot of her in full cry mode- we don't get it often,..only when hungry and when Grace accidentally drops her 29 pound bootie on Ruby's poor noggin!

Facebook?

2009-01-13T11:32:00.001-08:00

I am currently addicted to Facebook! I have connected with so many old friends and work folks,..it's too freaking cool!

Look me up

Mary wants to be Ruby's mommy

2009-01-13T11:24:00.000-08:00

Mary likes to hold Ruby,..and here is a shot of Mary attempting to burp Ruby,...like Mommy does,..over the shoulder with Mommy supervising.

Dec 26th Ruby is 10 days old

2009-01-13T11:23:00.001-08:00

Mullen girls toss around gang signs to their peeps

2009-01-13T11:16:00.001-08:00

both Grace and Ruby have peeps out there that they are trying to communicate with,...Ruby is being held by Becky and her hubby Malcolm is hiding. The other shot is Grace in the tub at about 4 weeks throwing her version of the same sign. We call it the west TX gang thing.

Grace wants MOMMY back

2009-01-13T11:07:00.001-08:00

This is photographic evidence that Grace wants to be a close to mommy as possible. Not only does she want her "baby back" after she holds Ruby,..but she wants her MOmmy back ASAP!

Learning to be GENTLE

2009-01-13T11:01:00.000-08:00

I think I say "leave Ruby alone" repeatedly- throughout the day,....I am very happy that they like their sister,..but I am not sure that Grace understands that all Ruby will do for a while is SLEEP and eat,......so,...Leave Ruby alone!

Sisters meeting Ruby!

2009-01-13T10:55:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday night- the girls met their new sister and were very excited,...almost TOO excited,...They had to leave soon after they arrived,..because they were so squirrely!

Ruby Anne Mullen!

2009-01-13T10:53:00.000-08:00

Ruby Anne joined us on Dec 16 at 4:58 pm. She weighed in at 7 pounds 15 oz and was 20.5 inches long. Mommy and Ruby rested that first night while Daddy went home to do Daddy duty with Mary and Grace with the much appreciated assistance of Grandma and Papa Mullen. The girls feasted on McDonalds that night,..while Mommy and Ruby snoozed.

Setting up the tree!

2009-01-13T10:48:00.001-08:00

We have created a tradition of hamming it up while we set up the tree. You will note that Grace isn't wearing her bit of green,...but- really- she's only two and not fully initiated into the clan. The old fake tree was/is shedding like a mofo,..so we will recycle this bad boy into outside decorations and get a brand spankin' new tree,....

Grace turned 2! (November 8th)

2009-01-13T10:40:00.000-08:00

Grace had a great birthday on November 8th. Great Grandma Doris and Grandma and Papa came over from Jamestown NY to celebrate with us. Mary put on Grace's "princess" gear and put on a show for us.

Snow balls

2009-01-13T10:33:00.000-08:00

We had a small accumulation of snow at the end of Oct,..enough to gather up a few snow balls,...Grace prefers to EAT snow,..and Mary likes to catch the flakes on her tongue. I should mention that Grace does not like her hands to get cold,..so- she started WAILING soon after this picture was taken,..and dropped the ball.

Halloween cookies

2009-01-13T10:30:00.000-08:00

We made and decorated Halloween cookies,....not only does the black frosting stain your teeth,..and face,..but Momma was pretty surprised to see greenish/Black in the diapers for two days after,.....TMI- I know- but really- TWO days??

Our Dance ritual

2009-01-13T10:25:00.000-08:00

We dance every night,...PJ's go on,...the shirts go up over the head - giving a glamorous "hair" like look,..and we shake it on the fire place area. Yeah. we are livin' large in Brunswick!

catching up!

2009-01-13T10:24:00.001-08:00

I am way behind,..being pregnant and having a baby will do that,..but since I am finally mailing my "holiday" cards,..and directing people here,..well- I should clean it up and get current.

*laughing* be thankful that they are Happy New Year cards,..and not Happy Easter!

Fall colors

2008-10-14T10:44:00.001-07:00

Who knew the depth of color we would get in our own back yard. I have never seen anything like this in Lubbock,..and well- Ohio is nothing compared to a blazing Fall in New England. This looks pretty good to me. (And it's what I am seeing today- as I look out my kitchen window.)

Off the back deck

A little close up and below is looking over to the left off of the deck- that is the neighbors pond.

Fog rolls in

2008-10-14T10:42:00.001-07:00

Fog rolls into our back yard. There is a pond in the first shot

Potty time!

2008-10-14T10:33:00.000-07:00

Grace is excited to go sit on the potty,...wipe and flush. We have yet to place any product into the potty- but she is pleased as punch to sit and wipe.

Mary on the other hand is completely dis-interested. She needs a cheering section after doing any business and well- at 3 and a half- she's still not wanting to go potty. *sigh* I have pretty panties. I have a timer. I have a sticker chart! I have treats. *sigh* She's one stubborn kid! I may have to resort to duct tape. (you know- to duct tape her to the seat to get her to go!)

I believe in arranged marriages

2008-10-14T10:30:00.000-07:00

Mary and Evan have been paired up. He's a year older- very smart and funny little boy- and well- Tracy and Chuck are his parents! We've decided to arrange their wedding. Mary is in agreement- see how she tried to get into their family shot! She already wants to be with Evan!

Hocking Hills

2008-10-14T10:25:00.001-07:00

We took a family vacation to Hocking Hills- in southern Ohio in July with a group of friends. We had a blast. Mary and Daddy walked over to see the BIG horses. Mary and Grace both loved feeding the goats. We did a hike to a really pretty cave where the girls played in the sand and we played with our friends for hours (!) every day and slept like champs!

Corn on the cob- love it!

2008-10-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

Both Mary and Grace love them some corn on the cob- which is called "pop-corn" by Mary- no matter how many times we correct her.

July 2008- Helping Daddy with the play structure.

2008-10-14T10:13:00.001-07:00

I use the word HELP very loosely. Mary was a help putting the screws on the bit- and Grace,..well- she was very good at taking them off.

Catching up!

2008-09-20T06:55:00.002-07:00

We're alive! We've just been super busy and well- I have been lazy.

Here is a quick update! (pictures to follow)

We're having another Mullen Girl! (those Mullen girls will rule the world!)
Mary and Grace have started daycare twice a week. (Tuesday and Thursday)
Laura has gained a total of 4 pounds with this pregnancy and is at 26 weeks.
We're due Dec 23- and will probably go at 39 weeks to be induced
Marty is starting to exercise and watch his snacks.
Mary is resisting potty training and Laura is tired of 2 in diapers
Grace is talking up a storm and already knows how to torture Mary
We finally caved and got Ohio cell phones- so the texas number will not work anymore
The house is shaping up- we've got window treatments !
The table in the eat in kitchen is in place and we're waiting for the buffet for the dining room to arrive.
Marty's parents are very excited to have us so close! (and we like being cloloser too!)

Back with pictures in a flash

House update!

2008-05-15T12:36:00.001-07:00

We've bounced offers back and forth and well,...We're just waiting to hear if they accept our offer.

In the words of Tom Petty-

"the waiting is the hardest part!"

Pride and Prejudice??

2008-05-12T09:36:00.003-07:00

Take the Quiz here!

I took the quiz and this is what I got,....I find it rather fitting. (sarcasm!)

You Are...Elizabeth Bennet!

You are Elizabeth Bennet of Pride & Prejudice! You are intelligent, witty, and tremendously attractive. You have a good head on your shoulders, and oftentimes find yourself the lone beacon of reason in a sea of ridiculousness. You take great pleasure in many things. You are proficient in nearly all of them, though you will never own it. Lest you seem too perfect, you have a tendency toward prejudgement that serves you very ill indeed.

We put in an offer on a house!

2008-05-12T08:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a great day spent at BtG's and putting in an offer on the house on Roscommon.

Here is a link for the folks who want to take a gander.

http://www.realtor.com/search/listingdetail.aspx?zp=44212&ml=3&mnp=26&mxp=25&typ=7&sid=a01722a0bce841f7860c1d9a429578cb&lid=1095126473&lsn=1&srcnt=1#Photo

We opted for the house will all the bedrooms on the 2nd floor,..along with the 2nd floor LAUNDRY! If we get this house,..we'll stay in temp quarters for an extra week so that we can get it painted. It's all pretty DARK,..which is not me at all. I am more of soft blues and greens than all the browns that are currently in the house. Besty and I spoke about hitting amish country for a few quilts or something to hang on the family room walls to help absorb some of the squeals from the kids.

We totally low balled them. The want something insane like $120 a sq ft,..and the sq footage on the listing is not the same as the sq ftg on the tax rolls,..so we did our math on the tax sq ftg and we came to an offer of 285K, which is about 107 a sq foot even if you use the wrong sq footage,....anyway,...we found out that they are moving to Michigan,..and are closing on a house this week,..so who wants 2 mortgages? so,..we hope they wise up and take our offer.

We've moved!

2008-04-29T07:54:00.000-07:00

We've left Texas and we've left our old email addresses. If you'd like to update your address books,..we are at:

laura.mullen1@gmail.com

and

Mtmullen1@gmail.com

We have no snail address as of yet,..you know,..temporary quarters! *ugggg* We still have the same cell #'s for a while,...so give us a jingle.

Laura

Easter Eggs!

2008-03-24T17:28:00.001-07:00

Mary was very proud of herself!

Plumber!

2008-03-23T11:30:00.000-07:00

The plumber dude came in this week on Thursday and Friday. He did the following:

replaced/fixed the outside front tap.
installed the two faucets in the master bath
installed the new kitchen faucet
installed shut off valves in the kitchen and in the girls bathroom.

Now all we really need to do is:

Paint the cabinets in both bathrooms and Laundry room
Seal the grout on the floors in the kitchen and master bath
Redo Mary's border in her bedroom (Mary has peeled it all off near her bed.)
Paint and install baseboards and crown
Touch up paint all over.
Paint the eaves and front door

It's short list and we can get it done!

Moving Sale

2008-03-23T11:28:00.000-07:00

We had a moving sale on Friday and Saturday the 14th and 15th. We got rid of kitchen stuff that was mis matched or we didn't use. We sold my kick butt pioneer stereo and yes,..we sold the Lobster trap. It was sad to part with the coffee table lobster trap.

We made 700.00!

All done! Kitchen tile

2008-03-23T11:24:00.001-07:00

Carlos kicked bootie!

Carlos was done by 3:00 pm on Saturday. He rocks!

Master bath

2008-03-23T11:20:00.000-07:00

On the same day that he did the kitchen scrap- Carlos laid the tile inthe master bath. The yellow dashes on the tile mean that we bought "seconds" so they are all "off" in some way- not the same size and sometimes- not even square. Yeah- I guess for 79 cents a square foot- it was too good to be true! Carlos did a GREAT job of making it work.
This counter is going to be replaced and two new bowl sinks and faucets will be dropped in. The vanity itself (and the mirror frame) will be painted white- and the doors will be put back on.

New tile!

2008-03-23T11:18:00.000-07:00

We called on Friday, they gave us a quote on Saturday. He started on Wednesday and was done by the following Saturday. Carlos is my new hero! He pulled up the circa 1978 yinyl flooring and scraped up the crud. He then had to level up the wavy floor.

CLEVELAND ROCKS!

2008-03-23T11:15:00.000-07:00

We found out at 1:30 on Friday, March 7th that we are MOVING to Cleveland! We need to get the house on the market and we need to be there in 6 weeks!

YAY! Marty has a new job with the Cleveland weather service office!

Grace and her peas

2008-03-23T11:08:00.001-07:00

Grace is doing really well with a fork and spoon. When she gets frustrated- as she does with peas- she hands the spoon over to Daddy for some assistance.

Baby wearing

2008-03-23T11:05:00.000-07:00

Mary wanted to wear her baby (Pooh) Like mama wears Gwace. So I wrapped her up and Mary was as happy as a clam.

Grace has never met a food she didn't like

2008-03-23T11:02:00.000-07:00

Grace is a GREAT eater! This was breakfast with sausage, eggs and a biscuit. She has discovered "dip-dip" (which is ketchup). The second shot is the once a week pre bath Noodles and meatballs. She likes peas- but she prefers to squish them flat and then eat them.

Bath tub Shark!

2008-03-23T10:53:00.000-07:00

Mary is actually getting better about us washing her hair. Of course it's a lot more fun if we make shapes in her hair with the bubbles.

Valentine's cards from Grandma and Papa Mullen

2008-03-23T10:50:00.000-07:00

They made their crowns fromt he cards,... and Mary had a blast adding stickers to both hers and Grace's. Of course soon after we had snapped these shots- the tug of war with the crowns began and tears flowed.

Bath time- again

2008-03-23T10:48:00.000-07:00

Mary has progressed to her "cheesey smile"

If I am not holding her- THIS is where she is.

2008-03-23T10:46:00.000-07:00

If I held Grace for 22 hours a day- should would squeal for the other two hours.

Fosters please!

2008-03-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

Mary likes to chill in the recliner with a cold one. Papa Mullen may have to fight to sit in the recliner!

Mama broke her toe- ya think?

2008-03-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

Back in February- It was about 1:00am and I had just put Grace back in bed. Mary wandered out and we both fell asleep on the couch. At about 2:30 am Grace cried out again and Mary was frantic. "Gwace is cwying! Gwace is cwying!" I bolted off teh couch and went to the kitchen to get the bottle and then back through the livng room to grab the paci. As I rounded the corner I TOTALLY binked my foot against the monster blue couch and I limped-ran into "Gwace" muttering a few choice bad words.

After a day of limping and nursing my foot,...this is what it looked like. It took about 10 days for the bruising to go away and my pinky toe is still a little vienna sausage.

Marty turns 40!

2008-02-03T14:17:00.001-08:00

Marty turned 40 on the 29th of January. We went out with friends,..and had a great time!

For the record- I am holding at 39.

2008-02-03T14:14:00.001-08:00

Mary and mommy went to Playhouse Disney and we got a new light toy that was a huge hit with the small fry. She was in total awe of the stage show and clapped and sang with Winnie the Pooh, Handy Manny and the kids from Little Einsteins.

It was a great time!

Hiding in the toy box

2008-02-03T14:12:00.001-08:00

Katie gave us her old toy box- well- she is a freshman in college- and her toys are too big to fit anymore,..so Grace and Mary lucked out. They both like to get inside and hide.

Of course Grace can not get in or out by herself,..so it makes hiding very difficult.

THANK YOU KATIE

A little too much lover

2008-02-03T14:11:00.001-08:00

Mary tackled Grace on the couch and wouldn't let her go. Yeah- there was too much love.

Mary's Princess tea set

2008-02-03T14:07:00.001-08:00

Absolutely Mary's favorite gift from the holidays. Thank you Kim and Jack and Katie! She plays with it daily,...and has the cups and plates and everyting sorted by color and we each have a place setting.

Mary = pink
Grace = Yellow
Mommy = Purple
Daddy = Blue

Christmas shots- FINALLY!

2008-02-03T14:01:00.001-08:00

Mary loved her word whammer.

Mary ripping into a book from Grandma and Grandpa

One of Mary's favorite gifts- her camera.

Grace finally woke up and opened presents

She wasn't sure what to make of the fuzzy greem thing. (it's a frog)

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-21T07:38:00.000-08:00

I finally mailed our Christmas cards! Please let us know that you visited our site and bookmark us,....I update frequently and you can see the girls grow and change all year round! Just leave a comment on this meesage and we'll know that you've been here!

THANKS for visiting!

Ready to rumble!

2007-12-14T19:44:00.000-08:00

Mary found my long neglected boxing gloves and had a great time running around the house,...you know,..like Rocky climbing the stairs in Philly. da na naaaaa,...da na naaa,..you know the ROCKY theme!

Family and Friends Brunch at Daycare

2007-12-14T19:37:00.000-08:00

We had breakfast win both Mary and Grace's classrooms on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. One of the perks of Marty's schedule is that he didn't have to miss work to participate. Mary, in the purple shirt, was excited to have us there. There is a shot of Mary's friend Kennedy. Her Mom, Karen and I are friends too.

November 8th - Grace's FIRST Birthday

2007-12-14T19:29:00.000-08:00

We had Pizza, Beer and cake with Jack and Kim for Grace's first birthday. Mary was pretty excited to steal Grace;s new toys. Mommy and Daddy got Grace a riding toy that Mary liked as well. We gave Grace her toy earlier in the month- hence the different clothes.

Found gems

2007-12-14T19:25:00.000-08:00

The first shot is at the Salem Witch museum. It's maybe 1975? The scond shot is my Mom's father- Clayton Cheever. I miss him He died when I was in Graduate School in Indiana. The final shot is a picture from a Cheever Family reunion from left to right- Lillian, Grampy Cheever, Gayle, Charlie and my mom, Marge. Missing from the shot is Uncle Skip and Uncle Fran.

Fall Carnival HAPPY Cakes

2007-12-14T19:22:00.001-08:00

Mommy made 75 Happy cakes (As Mary calls them) for the Fall Carnival. Lightly frosted and sprinkled so as to avoid the blazing sugar rush to the toddler set.

Halloween shots

2007-12-14T19:19:00.000-08:00

We had a great halloween. We went to Kim and Jack's house and stopped and saw Kym and Joe Ruiz. We participated in the day care halloween parade and Fall carnival.

Picking out Pumpkins

2007-12-14T19:15:00.000-08:00

It took us a little bit to pick out the perfect pumpkin. We left with a few "yiddle ones" too.

Swinging with friends

2007-12-14T19:12:00.000-08:00

We had friends come over for our annual Festival of all things MEAT,..yeah,...a BBQ. Mary had a blast swinging on the hammock with Matthew and Fallon.

The Corn Maze with the CDRC

2007-12-14T12:15:00.000-08:00

Floydada Pumpkin fest

2007-12-14T12:12:00.001-08:00

We went to Pumpkin fest in Floydada on the weekend of Oct 13 with our friends the Barron Family. (Daddy was working) Mary rode the barrel train and we stopped along the way to look at pumpkins. Mommy lost her wallet and as crazy at it sounds,..it was returned to her by a guy named Larry Mullins and his girlfriends name was/is Laura! How wacky is THAT??

spaghetti and bath time

2007-12-14T12:08:00.000-08:00

yeah- they go hand in hand at this house. I am not sure if she was shusshing me or going up the nose....

Hazard pay?

2007-12-14T12:06:00.000-08:00

Using the potty requires certain equiptment. Apparently she needs hazard pay and goggles

We went to the FAIR

2007-12-14T12:03:00.000-08:00

The first shot is Mary counting the cows,..and yes,..there were TWO. Mary is petting the goats with Daddy and Grace,..well- Grace is Chillin' in the stroller. Look at those THIGHS! Look at those EYES! What a heart breaker this one will be!

Back to Texas!

2007-12-14T12:00:00.000-08:00

We tried lots of things to entertain ourselves as we drove back to Texas! She has a wipe on her head.

2007-12-14T11:59:00.001-08:00

Mary, Grandpa and Daddy plated a tree while Grace and Grandma supervised.

playing in a box on the porch

2007-12-14T11:56:00.000-08:00

no need for fancy toys. Both the girls like to play in a box

Mullen line

2007-12-14T11:51:00.000-08:00

We have the whole generational thing going here. Pete is actually saying "why are you taking MY picture." Or maybe it's that squinty resemblance that we all have. I am not sure who we all came to be wearing shades of blue,..but it couldn't have worked out better if I had tired. I am looking for a picture of Ann,..Grandma- to add to this!

Kait

2007-12-14T11:48:00.000-08:00

We visited the newly arrived Kaitlyn Galaty- the fourth child of our friends Tony and Amy. Our children played well while we sat and caught up. What a pretty baby face!

fingerprints

2007-12-14T11:45:00.000-08:00

Mary and Grace left some high quality fingerprints on the door at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Cows and Dog and Peterson's farm

2007-12-14T11:37:00.000-08:00

Grandpa (Pete) was doing some work over at the farm, so we brought the girls over to see the cows and Mary threw corn husks for the dog to fetch. She had a great time,...but man,..those cows were STINKY.

Mary and Mommy

2007-12-14T11:33:00.000-08:00

We took this shot ourselves,..and Mary loves to look at all the pictures on the back of the digital camera.

Meet up with Betsy and Tracy

2007-12-14T11:30:00.001-08:00

I have a group of women friends from all over the country who I chat with on a daily basis. We all have babies born in May 2005 (ecept Cheryl- whose twins were born in April,..but we stilll love her!) anyway,..I finally got to meet two of the 14 mommies at the Science museum in the Burg. We drove to Pittsburg for the day and had a BLAST with Tracy and Betsy and all the kids played really well with and around each other. I look forward to meeting other May mommies in the future!

HOtel swimming pools are GREAT

2007-12-14T11:28:00.000-08:00

Mary had a BLAST in the hotel swimming pool. We swam a few times during the road trip. Mary is wearing a t-shirt and swim diaper becasue Mommy left the swim suits in jamestown at Grandma an Grandpa's house.

Lurch = my Daddy

2007-12-14T11:26:00.000-08:00

This is my Daddy. In all of our wedding pictures,..he is hunched over,..and well- he looks like LURCH.....this is a shot for my friends who were in Vegas with us to let em know that LURCH is still lurching.

Mini- Family Reunion!

2007-12-14T11:22:00.001-08:00

I contacted my cousins Bren and Roger (on my Mom's side) that we were going to be in the area,..and asked if they wanted to get together. It had easily been 6 years since I has last seen Bren and maybe 12 years since I last saw Rog. We pinged a few e-mails back and forth and decided to pull together a mini Cheever family reunion. Bren is the crazy man with the beard who insanely hosted us at his house! (thanks Marybeth!) and the group shot is all of us wrangling our kids and the final shot is Marty and I juggling Mary and Grace. We had a good representation of the Cheever clan,....we had 4 of the 6 families there,...(minus Lil's and Charlie's kids)

Fun with the Fisher/O'Hara clan

2007-12-14T11:19:00.000-08:00

We had a nice dinner with the Fisher/O'Hara family. I whipped up some baked pasta and sausage and we ate like kings. The beer was good and the company was better!

Squinty resemblance?

2007-10-16T20:41:00.000-07:00

I am posting this because I think Grace does look like me,..(sheeeeeeya!) in a squinty sort of way

We were at Neil and Julie's and I know that I was a little road weary and Grace needed a nap. Sleeping in different beds was starting to take it's toll on this mommy. Marty is wearing his fleece pull over because Grace had hurled all over his shirt and I think he was D.O.N.E. chasing Mary all over the house and the forrest of trees in their backyard. (Mary had never seen THAT many trees!)

Albany

2007-10-16T20:38:00.000-07:00

We stopped in Albany to see Neil and Julie and their two boys. Marty went to school with both Neil and Julie at the University of Albany and they hosted a little mini atmo reunion for us.

from left to right we have Sandy, Marty, Mary Alice, Julie and Neil.

We made it to New York!

2007-10-16T20:36:00.001-07:00

We made it to NY on Sunday. If there is a tractor to be ridden and lawn to be mowed- Mary is your go-to-gal! Mary had a great time riding around the yard with Grandpa.

Strike a pose!

2007-10-16T20:27:00.000-07:00

We spent the night in cleveland with Becky. Grace struck a pose on Mommy's lap.

We had breakfast with our friends who used to live in TX. From L to R are Brayton- holding Grace, Marty trying to get Mary up on his shoulders and then Becky in front of Weldon. We all ived in Lubbock together and Brayton and Becky work at Oberlin College.

Picture 1000!

2007-10-16T20:16:00.000-07:00

So- we bought our camera over Spring Break last year,..March 13th or 14th,..and we have taken 1000 pictures of the girls since then! *yikes* I love this camera!

Now onto the picture! We had a delightful lunch with Marty's brother Dennis and his wife Lea Ann in Little Rock. Both girls went directly to their Aunt and Uncle and Den and Lea shared stories with us about their teenage boys eating them out of house and home. Lea owns and operates a scrap booking store. Check it out if you happen to be in White Hall Arkansas!!

(I will add the link when the darn site lets me!)

Chillin' at the rest area.

2007-10-16T20:13:00.000-07:00

Mary got a starburst each time she successfully used the potty. Well- she never got any for potty use,..but man,..she likes to chew on em while she's driving.

The drive begins!

2007-10-16T20:11:00.000-07:00

We were up at 5:00 am. Grace stayed asleep while I transferred her to the carseat,..but Mary- sweet Mary was awake and down right chipper as we headed North to Amarillo. Grace woke up a few hours later and looks like she needs a shot of esspresso! Notice the new,...matchy-match seats,...courtesy of the car accident I was in,....nice eh??

Lunar eclipse

2007-10-16T20:07:00.000-07:00

Marty took this snappy snap of the lunar eclipse on Aug 28. All the girls- myself included- were snoozing.

new hiding spot

2007-10-16T20:06:00.001-07:00

Grace crawled behind the recliner,...under the side table and was playing peek-a-boo with Mommy and Mary.

sqealing in the tub with the Mullen girls

2007-10-16T20:04:00.000-07:00

the title says it all.

Say Cheese!

2007-10-16T19:53:00.000-07:00

Mary learned to actually SAY Cheese when I take her picture. Needless to say- the noodles where YUMMY.

CDRC Picnic

2007-10-16T19:45:00.000-07:00

The Director of the girl's daycare retired and we went to a picnic in her honor. Cathy Nathan is one cook chick. I believe that her comment about how to break bad habits with children (like co sleeping, Paci use, breast feeding to sleep and all those other things I do/did) was the best,....

"If you don't want to break the habit- don't start." Cathy Nathan- seriously is a genius. I wish I had met her sooner for I fell down the slippery childrearing slope.

This is a shot of the three of us- Grace is trying to escape the loosened Babyhawk

Dude- It's been a LOOOOOOOOG time!

2007-10-16T19:36:00.000-07:00

We started school,.....we took a car trip from TX to NY and on to Bean town and drove back. And to be quite frank,..we have a butt load of pictures to uplooad here,..as well as cute stories to go with em. It's a daunting task for this mama,..so I figure I should get started!

Tomayto? Tomahhhto?

2007-08-26T20:22:00.000-07:00

In the time that it took me to pick the toms and walk the wagon back to the patio- the girls had taken a bite out of two of em. great.

Yard Work

2007-08-26T20:15:00.000-07:00

Mary has chores- She needs to mow the South 40 every other week. I had better not catch her sniffing at the gas can again,...or she'll get it!

*just kidding* Mary's only "chore" is to be adorable- which is not much of a chore for her.

Outside Please

2007-08-26T17:44:00.000-07:00

Daddy was mowing and both girls wanted OUTSIDE!

Hot Dog!!

2007-08-26T17:40:00.001-07:00

Apparently hot dogs are considered a HAZARD to eat at the Mullen House. Mary wore her goggles and needed Daddy to put them on too. I am very glad that Marty has a GREAT sense of humor.

Swimming in the pool

2007-08-26T17:34:00.000-07:00

On one of our past HOT- HOT Saturdays- Mommy filled up the pool and took both Mary and Grace in for a dip. Mary loves the water and Grace did really well sittling and splashing.

Mary helping Daddy

2007-08-26T17:29:00.000-07:00

The play structure has been done about a month, but here are a few snappy snaps of Mary helping Daddy install the sandbox liner. She was waiting patiently for Daddy to cut the liner and then she handed him nails. She was usually guilty of stealing the measuring tape and trotting off to measure Grace.