Another Snowy Day

Yesterday, as the snow was falling, Rudy was telling us he wanted to shovel the snow and put it on the roof. We asked how he would get it up there ("use Poppy's ladder") and why ("because remember last time the snow was too big and I couldn't walk in it"). Seems he may have been a little traumatized by the last big snowstorm. Luckily, this time we had a few inches but it wasn't too deep for Rudy.
Paul had a basketball game scheduled for today that was cancelled so we headed out to church, since I had to teach Church school (little kids' Sunday school class. After church we drove past Paul's Grandmom's house to see if their sidewalk had been shoveled yet (it had) and to my Dad's house to check on his cat and see if his sidewalk had been shoveled (it had been, too).
Then we headed home for some time in the snow. It was still very cold and windy so we didn't spend much time outside but here are some pictures.

Rudy eating snow as usual. We had to stop him from just picking it up from the middle of the street and eating it!

Rudy kept saying we had to make a snowman but wasn't too interested in doing much so Paul quickly put this one together so we could go inside since we were so cold. Of course, Rudy decided to eat some snow from the snowman!

Rudy's snow angel.

Lou's snow angel. Our dog just loves the snow and will roll around in it and stick his face all the way in the snow.

Snow

These pictures are mainly for my father, who is on vacation heading to warm, sunny Hawaii. Just in case he checks here feeling a little home sick, I wanted to show him what he's missing (and if you know my father you know he HATES snow). So far we have about 2 or 3 inches but it is still snowing so who knows what tomorrow will bring. And I am NOT happy that once again it is snowing on a weekend!<

We spent a day at the Please Touch Museum with Vincie and her family. We seem to meet there a lot but it is an easy way to keep 4 boys between the ages of 17 months and almost 6 entertained, and still give the adults (okay, me and Vincie) time to talk.


Here is Bus Driver Rudy.

Practicing how to use a digger.

Sean attempting to pedal a bike. Or maybe he just wanted to a place to take a rest.

Rudy was cooking chili.

Preparing his nest and eggs.

Rudy and Noah standing in front of a blue screen - Rudy wearing part of a bird costume, Noah not too sure about the whole thing.

The view of the Rudy and Noah birds flying on TV.

Making some music.

Sean found another place to rest.

The 3 older boys playing on the clouds - the only time we had all 3 of them close enough for a picture together except for when we ate and when we saw a show.

As usual it was a fun day. And as usual we had a cranky boy on the way home who would NOT fall asleep but instead got himself into trouble. Any car rides in the afternoon heading home seem to lead to tears and screaming, but Rudy just will not fall asleep so it is not a pleasant ride for anyone.

Super Hero Fun

A recent lazy day at home, Rudy was playing with his super heroes and his trash truck. He had them all set up behind the couch, with the super heroes balanced on top of the trash can - a definite improvement for the super heroes who usually end up IN the trash truck.

FFF- So Sweet

When we got our dog, Lou, he was 4 years old. We know nothing of his history but over the first year learned that he didn't get along with cats as well as the shelter thought he did, that he was afraid of big men, that he loved older women, that small dogs made him think of cats (and he was a little afraid of them) and that male dogs made him aggressive, but he was friendly with female dogs. We also learned that he could be very tolerant of children.
When Rudy came home, Lou was often very stressed out to have this little person following him around all the time. He handled it very well - growled a few times when Rudy got too close but that was the extent of it.
Over the past few months, Lou has started to realize that Rudy can be beneficial to him (besides as a source of food, which Lou figured out years ago). Rudy loves to pat Lou and rub his belly. And Lou will sometimes snuggle with Rudy. This picture was taken when Rudy decided to lie down on the floor by Lou (I think he was pretending he was a baby dog and Lou was his mommy). He got close enough that Lou decided to rest his head on Rudy's back. They even stayed that way long enough for Paul to snap this picture.

Miscellaneous

Rudy is very interested in superheroes. He wants to know all about them - their names, what they do, why they do it,

He is constantly growing. I feel like I have to keep buying new pants for him because they are getting short (or he is getting tall!)

He doesn't like to nap at school. I'm not surprised since he hasn't napped at home in almost 2 years. I am surprised that he frequently DOES sleep but I guess that's the result of having to sit on a bedroll for two hours. Fortunately, it doesn't affect his nighttime sleeping habits.


He has mentioned a few times lately that his teeth hurt. So I was asking him while brushing his teeth, how they were feeling. He said fine but they were sad. I said,"Your teeth are sad?" "Yeah. Because they miss their mommy. Their Poppy is with them but their mommy is out hunting for food."

After having recently read Alice in Wonderland. he talks about "Deedledum and Deedledee.

We were going to go up to his room to do something and he told me it was "way up at the top". The he instructed me to ask how we were going to get upstairs. When I asked he flourished his hand and showed me the stairs he "invented". We walked up the stairs (2 short flights) and when we got to the top he was tired and said "next time I am going to invent an elevator".(After relaying this story to Paul, he told me it is a direct quote from an episode of The Backyardigans.)


Talking about Chrissy (a friend we visit regularly who is in a wheelchair and non-verbal).
"Why doesn't she talk?"
I told him that's the way God made her.
Rudy's response: "That's silly!"

FFF- Vogue

While playing with his train table, Rudy made such a funny face that I cracked up. When he asked why I laughed and I explained, he told me to get the camera and take pictures. He never made the same face again but we had a brief photo session while Rudy "vogued". Then after these pictures he told me he was done and to put the camera away. :)

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Year 2

Does anyone else remember that movie - "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever"? I remember watching it when I was younger but I've never seen it since. Anyway, this year's pageant at church got postponed because of the big snow storm that hit right before Christmas. Last year Rudy was a sheep. This year he was promoted to a camel. The kings did a good job of trying to keep him with them, and he had less opportunities to wander so he did a good job.

Pre- pageant with our priest.

The three kings and the camel following the star.

The camel watching the star (in other words, not in his place:)).

Group picture at the end - posing and making faces as I try to take pictures.

Then finally cooperating and giving me and smile.

The pageant involved about 25 kids all 4th grade and younger. It went very well and considering how sporadic and crazy the rehearsals sometimes were, it's amazing how it turned out.

End of a Decade

A month or so ago, I started thinking about the past decade. Paul and I agree that this is the defining decade of our lives - so many big changes have happened in our lives in the past 10 years. I can't imagine a bigger decade. So I thought I'd do a little recap of the good and bad.

New Year's Eve 1999-2000- Paul and I had been dating for almost a year. We went to a formal New Year's Eve party thrown by his best friend's father-in-law. It was small but elegant and such a great way to start the new decade - and a great way to laugh at the Y2K rumors of what would happen at the stroke of midnight.

New Year's Eve 1999

2000- The only major events in this year were both my mom and Paul's dad being diagnosed with cancer - my mom with colon cancer and Paul's dad with lung cancer.

2001- The year started out very calmly. Then we got engaged in July, Paul's dad passed away in August, and Sept. 11 changed our way of thinking. It was kind of a whirlwind 6 week period that defined the year.

Paul's dad

2002- In January we started looking for a house to buy. By February 28 we were having our closing. In August we got married.

Our first house

August 3, 2002
with my parents and Paul's mom and Gram

2003- Chris and Patti got married in April. In August Paul and I celebrated our first anniversary in Cape Cod - a place we fell in love with. The last Phillies game in Veteran's Stadium occurred in September - the end of an era for baseball games.

Chris and Patti's wedding

Sitting at our bed and breakfast in Cape Cod.

The final Phillies game at Veteran's Stadium

2004-On March 19 Max was born. On March 23 my mom passed away. In August Paul and I made our second trip to Cape Cod - we haven';t been back since but are dying to go. In September we attended our first baseball game at the new Citizens Bank Park. In November we all (minus Max) went to New York City for a weekend to celebrate my dad's 70th birthday.

Bill with our new nephew

My mom and dad



Bill and Renee in NYC

2005- In February Paul and I went to DisneyWorld with Chrissy and her family. In July, we went to Albany to celebrate my aunt's 50th anniversary as a sister and then spent a day in Cooperstown at the Baseball Hall of Fame. Later in the summer we officially started the adoption process, something we had been thinking about for months. Even before all our preliminary paperwork was completed, we accepted the referral of Luis Diego (Jimmy) in September. In November, just before Thanksgiving, we found out Jimmy had been sick and passed away. In December we were told Rudy had just been born and we accepted his referral.

Paul and I with Chrissy and Goofy.

My Aunt Dorrie and Uncle Paul and Paul and I with my Aunt Barbara for her anniversary.

Paul and I in Cooperstown

Luis Diego (Jimmy)

Rudy- days old

2006-This was a big year for traveling. In July we visited Rudy for the first time. He was 7 months old. In August we traveled with my family to spend a week in Ocean City Maryland. In November we went back to Guatemala with some of my family, to celebrate Rudy's first birthday (and Thanksgiving). This was the year we spent the 2 major American holidays (Independence Day and Thanksgiving) in Guatemala.

Rudy, 7 months

Ocean City, MD

Max, 2 1/2, Chris and Rudy 1 year

2007- Once again in January we thought a little about moving, looked at one house and fell in love, and moved in mid-February. In June we went again to visit Rudy - this time spending an amazing week in Antigua, where we were free to walk around the city and leave the hotel. While in Antigua, Lucy was born. In September Bill and Renee got married and a week later, we left for our final trip to Guatemala to bring Rudy home. About 2 months after Rudy came home, I started this blog.

Our second house ( a view from the back)

In Antigua, Guatemala, Rudy 19 mos.

Lucy

Renee and Bill, Chris and Patti and me and Paul at Bill & Renee's wedding

Rudy at home

2008- This was a pretty quiet year. We spent a week in August in the Outer Banks with my family.

2009- This was the summer of a few weekend trips. We went to Washington, DC to meet with some families who adopted from Guatemala and used the same agency we did. We went near New York to a Guatemalan Adoptive Families Event and then spent a day in New York City. We spent another weekend in DC to celebrate my dad's 75th birthday.

Rudy and friends from Guatemala




Meeting an 'old' computer friend for the first time

In DC for Dad's 75th birthday


New Year's Eve 2009-2010- Quite different from how we rang in the beginning of the last decade, we had a quiet night with friends. Here's to another wonderful decade with my husband.