Cheap Excuses

Where does the time go? Honestly, every time I say that I hear my father's voice in my head. I remember hearing him say that so often when I was a kid and thinking he was nuts - time didn't fly, it CRAWLED! Well, unless it was summer...but that's different.

Anyway, more than a month has passed since my last update and I have no idea where that time went. Maybe it's evaporated at the parks or at the soccer games (if anyone calls me a "Soccer Mom" I promise I'll hurt you) or maybe it's been while we cache. Who knows.

I'm going to catch up in pictures just because it's easier than trying to sound witty on a rainy day. (It's pouring buckets...again.)

The end of June we spent one Friday up at Hamlin Beach Park (along our "North Coast")....

Birthday Party Recap

Wow. We had a record turnout for the party this year...unbelievable! Or, maybe it just felt that way because people came and stayed longer and there were lots of kids running around. Whatever the case, it was a loooooong day!

I want to thank all the people who stopped in and helped us celebrate our birthday (for those of you playing at home, Sean and I have the same birthday...cool, huh?) and made it a rather memorable one (and you know who you are.) ;) For those of you who couldn't make it, well..., we'll be doing it again next year so there's always another chance.

Birthday Parties for Dummies

So, did you get your invitation? Excellent!

I have to confess that there isn't anything here that isn't on the invite...I just needed a URL to put on it to keep true to the "Dummies" format. So shoot me.

However, since you're here already you may as well sign in and let us know if you're coming or not (don't want to have to run out to Weggies for more food halfway through the party, ya know.)

Thanks for stopping by and take a minute to check out the kids' pictures, too!

A Day Out with Thomas

We were invited to join our friends Don and Joan and their little guy, Jack, for a Day Out with Thomas this past Friday. Luck was with us and the weather was beautiful in spite of the weather man's predictions.

At first, Chance wasn't as thrilled as we hoped he would be, but he finally let his guard down and had a good time. It's amazing how quickly he moved through this "phase" though - it seemed as though he was soooo into Thomas for so long and then, just this year, he was done. He still loves trains and is fascinated by them but he no longer plays with his wooden trains or oohs and ahhhs over Thomas and Friends.

Luckily, Maia is now starting to get into it a bit so maybe there's some life left in those wooden train sets after all.

Just because they're cute

It's my blog, I can brag if I want to...brag if I want to....

Caching in Letchworth

As you probably already know, we love caching. One thing about it, though, is that it has its highs and lows: from "Wow, we found three caches in one day!" to "Is this thing calibrated right? We couldn't find this cache if it was on fire!" Yup, it can be a love-hate relationship some days. One major saving grace is that even when you can't find a cache you're usually in some place pretty and/or cool so you don't mind so much. That pretty much sums up last Friday.

Sean took the day off and we all went down to Letchworth Park to find some caches and sightsee. (Quick aside, both Sean and I have lived in the greater Rochester area for *gulp* 20+ years now and this is our first trip to Letchworth...how stupid is that?) Anyway, we had quite a few caches to choose from and the kids were happy to head outta Dodge. To make a long story short, we ended up chasing after two caches that we never found. Oh well.... We settled down at Wolf Creek for lunch and managed to take lots of great pictures so all was not lost. The caches will simply have to wait for another day.

Picture time

Apparently bears aren't the only thing that hibernate in the winter - it seems our camera has done a little as well. So, with spring now in full swing around here our camera has come out of hiding and we've got pictures to share again.

Last weekend the kids were itching to wash the cars (hey, who are we to argue?) so Sean got them all set up and let 'em rip. (Too bad it rained the next day.)

Nothing in particular

Blogging is a funny thing; even when you don't have anything particularly noteworthy to say, you still feel somewhat obligated to update the darn thing.

So, in an effort to at least stay in the habit of this, I'm just going to ramble. (You may want to just hit that "Next Blog" link now and spare yourself.)

Here's something: Last week I received an email from a friend from high school. It completely made my week to hear from Bill B. and find out how he's doing these days. Since reconnecting we've done some catching up and it's been like a breath of fresh air for me.

I'm sure for some people that doesn't seem like a big deal, but for me it was. You see, I don't have friends from that period in my life (well, ok, maybe two or three) but being so far from my old hometown I've lost touch with them. There's something very grounding about maintaining friendships with people who knew you 'back then'. Whoever you become on your road through life, there will be those people who knew you in your formative years...people who know the core you. *shrug* Oh well, enough of my rambling.

My Big Brave Boy

Today Chance and I went for his 5 yr. check-up. He's healthy as a horse, right on target for height and weight, and (contrary to my speculation) has great hearing and eyesight. (So what's his excuse for not hearing me call him or seeing the blitzkrieg in his room?!) Sure, some tears were shed over the three shots, but it's nothing that a Wendy's Frostie didn't cure.

I have to say I was beaming with maternal pride as he navigated his way through the exams and talking to the doc. He was poised and managed to put his shyness in his pocket long enough to answer her questions directly. Did I mention I was proud? Oh, yeah, I guess I did. Anyway, I told him all day how well he did and how proud I was/am...ad nauseum.

Ya know, sometimes this mommy-thing is pretty cool.

Chance turns FIVE!

Here’s Chance opening a gift at his party at Chuck E. Cheese. He invited 8 friends to help him celebrate. He had such a great time and so did his friends. Mom and Dad, on the other hand, were completely exhausted after two hours. On the upside, at least they weren’t tearing our house apart!

Next came the family party. As if Chance hadn’t gotten enough cool toys already, he got even more. Although, the biggest present was being surrounded by family. Oh, who am I kidding, he’s 5…it’s all about the presents!

Seriously, though, it was nice to gather everyone to celebrate our little guy turning 5. Sean and I have done a lot of reminiscing about the past 5+ years and how wonderful (and..ahem..challenging) they’ve been. We wouldn’t change a thing. I mean, c’mon, look at those two…would you trade them for the world? We wouldn’t.

Melancholoy Milestones

Well, we've done it: Maia is officially weaned.

It's such a bittersweet milestone, really. She's 2.5 now and was only down to nursing briefly twice a day since I'd been cutting her back for awhile to prepare us both for this. I even started to notice that I was feeling a little awkward about still nursing her at this age. But, still....

So here I sit, roughly two or three weeks since we stopped, with tears in my eyes feeling sad that it's over. Something that I truly enjoyed is done forever and I'm feeling sad that we're done and guilty for the slight tinge of relief.

I'm such a goof.

What a week

It's amazing all that can happen in the span of a week.

Last week Hunter was scheduled to undergo a spleenectomy on Wednesday after his ultra-sound on Monday confirmed that there was something wrong with his spleen. Well, the surgery went well and Hunter is now home and acting as though nothing really happened. His appetite has returned (mooching food like a pro). His energy level seems normal. He isn't really bothering his incision very much. *sigh* But it was a helluva week to get here.

He's not completely home free, either; we're still waiting for the pathology report on the spleen that will tell us if the tumor was benign or malignant. I'm just trying to take it one day at a time and not think too far ahead. He's home, he's happy and he's like his old self again...I'm grateful for all of it.

I cannot gush enough about his vet and the animal hospital that took such wonderful care of him. Although not all of the info he gave me was all that good to hear, he prepared me for anything and everything and was so attuned to my needs that I almost thought I was his patient! Anyway, if you know us and are near us and need a vet, please let me tell you about this doctor...he's among the best. Thank you Dr. K. Cosford!

Finally, I want to thank everyone who kept us in your thoughts and prayers this past week. I'm truly overwhelmed by the number of friends and family who have reached out to us during this last week. Your kindness and caring really made a tremendous difference to our family (esp. me since I'm the biggest sap). Thank you for being so sweet.

One of those days

It's one of those days.

You know the kind, where your kids seem almost as if they're plotting the demise of your sanity. Yup, one of those. Oh, and let's not forget how everything else can snowball right along with all the other little things.

The biggest "thing" right now is Hunter. The snowball started last week when I noticed he'd been acting a little strange. A trip to the vet, some bloodwork and x-rays and then a follow-up call from the vet and I went into full-blown anxiety mode.

Today saw us at two separate veterinary offices for an ultrasound and then more bloodwork as we confirmed that he needs his spleen removed. Is it cancer? Dunno yet. Surgery is scheduled for Wednesday morning and then...well, I don't know. I'll know how bad it is when I get a call either from a nurse or the doctor. A nurse means it's very bad and I'll have to make the call to let him go on the table or bring him home and wait for the inevitable. The doctor means a (hopefully) better prognosis.

I know this may seem silly to some--I mean, c'mon, he's a dog--but this boy is 10 years old and like my own kid. He came into my life at a really rough time and he's been my cuddle buddy, confidante and companion for so long now. Not to mention that it's not even a year since losing Kenei. This is the worst part of loving pets so much: their lives are always too short to bear. Maybe what I need is a parrot.

Anyway, I'm sorry to dump all this here...I mean, you probably didn't come here to be depressed or read my rambling thoughts on man's best friend and my bad day. I just needed to get it out...besides, it's cheaper than therapy.

Another milestone

Last Thursday marked another milestone for Chance and me: I registered him for Kindergarten. Sure, he doesn't start until fall, but there I was filling out paperwork, forgetting his SSN, and trying to choose between morning or afternoon session (only half-day K here).

So, done is done and my little boy is all set to move from AAA League to AA come September.

*sigh*

Post-Christmas Toy Bloat

Oh, where to begin.... I should start by saying that we had a wonderful Christmas. We traveled to my family's home up north and spent the holiday with them. God bless my sister, her whole family and my mother who put up with us invading their home every year. Although she'd never say it, I'm sure she's got to be just a tad glad to see us pile into the CR-V and head for home.

The kids had a blast!!! They got to spend several days with their cousins whom they simply adore. Oh, and then of course there was the build-up to Christmas and the present opening frenzy. The kids made out like bandits -- Santa was aided and abetted by plenty of spoiling by grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins. The hardest part for both of them was trying to figure out just exactly which toy to play with first!

Now that we're home again we're still trying to absorb all the new toys into the house. I think we need to build a whole new wing on the house! Chance has so many Lego sets that we're rationing him. He can only build something new every few days. Maia, on the other hand, is swimming in Play-Doh. They both are in seventh heaven.

As for Sean and I, well, we came home and promptly ordered our new toy -- a Garmin GPSMap 60CS. We just received it today and are already chomping at the bit to go caching this weekend. It's going to be a race to the GPSr every time we go caching now. Mine...no, MINE!

I hope anyone who reads this had a very special Christmas or Hanukkah and that you're still feeling the glow of the season.

Catching up

It seems as though it's been a very long time since I've written anything. It's not like I have a good excuse-I don't-it's just that time has a way of slipping away from me.

I'm going to back up to November when we had great weekends that were simply perfect for caching. I've got so many great pictures that it's going to be tough to choose just a few to share.

Halloween fun

We love Halloween. I mean, what's not to love: Picking out pumpkins, getting dressed up in costume and (the best part of all) getting candy!! The kids had a great time with all of the above...especially that candy part. Maia very quickly caught the knack of knocking on doors and mooching for candy. Here are some more pictures...


Chance the Dragon (for the second year)


Maia as Little Red Riding Hood
(Hunter went along as the Big Bad Wolf)

Halloween dry-run

After returning home from an errand this afternoon, I found Chance and Maia trying on Halloween costumes. Chance was wearing his dragon costume from last year and Maia was wearing his dragon costume from two years ago. (Sense a theme?) Fortunately, his costume from last year still fits him (even better than it did then) and he still wants to wear it. Smart boy...after all the time I spent sewing the darn thing he'd better want to wear it again!

Oh, for those who might not be familiar with dragons, here's what Chance is supposed to look like:

Caching has its rewards

This weekend we attempted yet another first-to-find. Unfortunately, we were third but you won't see any disappointment on the kids' faces here! The cache was Jump Judge in Fishers, NY and it contained lots of horse show ribbons (and we're talkin' BIG ones, too!) The kids had so much fun wearing this ribbon and posing for these pictures (why does Maia always smile after the picture's taken?!?) Not a bad cache prize, eh?

Chance - Future car designer

Chance, if you don't know already, is all about cars and Legos lately. He loves both and spends a lot of his time playing with his Hot Wheels and building Lego cars. Some of his Lego cars are from directions and some are purely his own design. Here are a few pictures of our resident designer and his creations.