Happy Halloween!

This Halloween, Madeleine was fixated on the Wizard of Oz and wanted to be Dorothy, until she laid eyes on this Glenda costume we found at KMart. Ooo...pink and silver and puffy and a crown! Dorothy who? We couldn't find a fireman costume for Noah that wasn't comically or dangerously too big for him, so we put him in Madeleine's jersey and found him a hat and glove and he went as a St. Louis Cardinal. We trick or treated on our street, visited the Neudeckers in town (I need to find those pictures), and then headed out to Holts Summit to trick or treat at Gramma and Granpa's. This holiday is made for Madeleine, as we discovered last year. Dress-up, people, candy, oh man. This year, we had to keep her from walking in to our neighbor's homes and just helping herself to the candy. Noah did well, and I think was more interested in keeping up with his sister at first, then he figured out there was candy to be had. Every kid loves candy, but he's a freak about it. I think he learned the word "candy" about the same time he learned "milk".

Our final stop - Gramma and Granpa's/

Family pictures up!

We got family pictures taken about three weeks ago and they've just been posted on the photographer's website. If you are interested, go to Two Views Photography, click on "client viewing" after you enter the site. The password is ECerneka. There are some decent proofs of us as a family, but there are a couple outstanding pictures of the kids, especially Noah.

The last of the summer catch-up (I think)

Thank you, friends and family, for being so patient with me and this blog. I'm hoping that I won't have another lapse like this one. I'm feeling much better - more energy, less nausea. I have some fun Halloween and fall pictures to post - stay tuned!

We are practicing with big boy underpants. Thomas the Train, of course. The hat was his idea.

Noah used Madeleine's back as a canvas for green marker.

Too stinking cute. I can't believe these are actually my children.

St. Peter parish picnic.

Shrine playground.

Ask me sometime about Madeleine's creative problem solving in regards to a toilet and the playground during this trip.

Thanks to his brother in law Ryan, we got bleacher seat tickets to a Cards-Cubs game in August. We sat behind some Japanese young people with this homemade sign. I made Shannon ask what it meant. Evidently, it's "Fukudome".

A late night at Steak and Shake in BVille.

A little weenie roast in our backyard.

I'll say it again: this did not come from me.

"Heddo?" Working at the pizza restaurant at the Magic House.

The Shrine's new splash fountain. It's pretty cool and the kids love it. I just want to know who the genious was that thought it would be a)fun and b) safe to have two life-sized BRONZE statues of creepy-looking kids in an area where children are running and wet. For god's sake, the little girl statue has sharp pointy hair!

Fulton park.

Hanging out, drinking milk.

Noah loves to brush his teeth. And by "brush his teeth", I mean, eat the toothpaste.

"Mommy, I'm doing a science!"

Six Flags

We took some of Shannon's teens to Six Flags St. Louis in August. It must have been the hottest day of the entire summer, but we literally threw the kids into the splash fountain and force fed them water all day, and we actually had a pretty good time. Six Flags St. Louis, by the way, has the world's crappiest afternoon parade. Just so you know.

Noah: A photographic study of a ticked-off toddler

August 2008

Happy Birthday Princess!

Here are pictures from Madeleine's birthday and birthday party last month.

Madeleine woke up to donuts and a special surprise the morning of her birthday. The purse had ring pops in it and a Disney princess balloon on top.

Her birthday was on a Thursday, a preschool day. I parent-helped and brought snack, which were supposed to be peanut butter muffins with a little bit of chocolate and mini M&M's on top, but they turned out a LOT more like cupcakes. At least I tried. (Our preschool encourages healthy snacks, even on birthdays).

Madeleine and Miss Sherri play with the ramps.

Daddy came and played Chickenwire Joe and Matilda for the kids during songtime.

Doodley-doo!

Gramma and Granpa got her a new, beautiful big girl bed and bedding set. She loved it!



Her birthday party was on the Sunday following her birthday. We had our first real birthday party with little friend, and it was a lot of fun. We had a tea party and invited her preschool girlfriends (no boys, Mommmy!). Four little girls came, dresed very fancy, and we had a blast! I made the cupcakes and topped them with a miniature tea set.




We had fancy sandwiches, cheese and crackers, fruit, chocolate covered strawberries, and of course, cupcakes!

We made necklaces and bracelets out of sparkly pony beads and ribbon, and foam frames and doorhangers with foam stickers while we listened to princess music, Disney, naturally.

Four candles for my four year old girl!

Madeleine turns four!

On October 16, Madeleine turned four years old! She's growing up and maturing so fast, I can't hardly keep up. She loves dressing up, preschool, dance class, Princesses, McDonald's, making friends, and doing girly things with Mommy like shopping and nails. She loves reading and being read to. She is bold, curious, and friendly, and not a bit shy about asking that young woman in Wal Mart last night what that thing was in her face (a lip ring) and why (because she wanted to). She wakes up talking ("Mommy, what's your favorite color? How do you spell cake? What are we going to do today?") and she falls asleep talking ("Daddy, what's your favorite color? How do you spell castle? What are we going to do in the morning?") and barely stops to draw breath in between. She knows who John McCain, Barack Obama, Keith Olbermann, Jon Stewart, Rachel Madow, and Steven Colbert are. She hates having her hair brushed and when Noah gets all up in her business. I'm sure I've said this before, but we are so blessed to be her family. She is our delight. Happy birthday, girly-whirly!

2004

2005


2006

2007

Here are birthday pictures from the last four years!