The Chronicles of the Schueler Family

Eli and Amanda

2011-12-22T01:28:00.004-05:00

We had a wonderful visit from Eli and Amanda this past week. It was so good to see them. Isaac got to bond with them more. Hasn't stopped talking about "Eri and Manda" and how much fun they are.

Eli turned 30 this year and what better way then a surprise birthday party thrown by his lovely wife? I had so much fun etching mustaches on mismatched wine glasses while Amanda and Isaac made peanut butter mustache cookies.

David and Mark distracted Eli with a visit to Triangle Brewery so we could get everything ready. The boys did a great job and Eli was surprised to see all his good friends here to wish him a happy birthday! Raya made the cake (of course). She made three different kinds! Almond raspberry, almond cherry and almond blackberry. mmmmm~

Now the house is a bit quiet until the Christmas festivities start. Which is in three days! I think I'm ready? I better be since Isaac has become more aware of "Santa"

Finally a Blog Post!

2011-12-10T11:36:00.003-05:00

Since I last posted, we've been to Spain with the Schueler/Glasgow/Mellinger clan. We had a visit from Nana. Isaac and I visited the west coast while daddy went to the mountains. For our 7th anniversary we all went to the mountains and visited Tweetsie Railroad (highlight of Isaac's day). Isaac started preschool and loving it. Cousins Jacob and Leo came for a visit! We all went to the pumpkin patch together. Trick o' Treating with Lila then we went to go see some zombies. Mark had a impromptu visit to the west coast (very good for his photography block). And finally and most importantly, Isaac turned THREE!!!!
He is in the 50% and healthy. He is considered a little songbird in his class but unfortunately won't perform without his classmates ;)

I've finally figured out the new blog format so hopefully I'll be more on top of it. Not making any promises.

2.5 years

2011-05-05T23:48:00.007-04:00

weight: 30 lbs
height: 35.5 inches
50% all around!

Much Delayed Post

2011-05-01T00:13:00.009-04:00

I am so sorry for the lack of posts. Mark has been reminding me to blog but it's so much easier to just post on Facebook or Twitter.

Since the last post, so many things has happened. Babies were born, Isaac is talking up a storm, Nana came for a visit, the Glasgows came for a visit (we celebrated Cousin Jacob's birthday!) beach trips, work work work, and in two weeks we're going to Spain!

Isaac's favorite things to say:
How was your day? I'm great!
I love you so much!
Don't talk to Isaac!
Don't come to my side!
I'm higher than you!
I'm a black car!

Lila became a big sister on March 26th, 2011! Introducing Lucas Gray Christie!

Mark's Chocolate Construction Site

2011-02-04T22:35:00.002-05:00

Thought I'd share Mark's creativeness

35th Birthday

2011-02-04T22:00:00.009-05:00

So I turned the big Three-Five on Tuesday. Time flies now that we have a kid. I woke up to the delicious aroma of fresh crepes being made. When Isaac and I walked downstairs there was a feast of crepes, bananas, strawberries, fruit salad, NUTELLA and fresh whipped cream! YUM YUM YUM!

After digesting all that crazy goodness we picked Lila up from school and headed to the Shops of South Hills in Raleigh to see all the model trains. The kids had a blast running around pushing the buttons and watching the little trains go around and around. Then it was time for a late lunch at Gypsy's Shiny Diner where the kids shared a chocolate shake and pb&j with fresh crispy chips while Mark and I indulged in tater tots, sweet potato fries, and patty melt. I had to save the sweet pototes and chips...too muchie the starch.

And to top off my day we tried Ruth Chris steak house for dinner. It was pretty good (meat was very tender and juicy)...expensive but good. We got two $50 gift cards via Costco for $80 but ended up spending a total of about $160. That was $80 more than what we spent at Panciuto which was an earlier birthday dinner date (AMAZING dinner by the way).

The day ended with Isaac saying to me, "Mommy, my mouth hurts..." then he proceeded to vomit everything he had all day on my person. Happy birthday mommy! Poor little man had a slight fever. So I spent the rest of my evening taking care of my little boy. He's all better now. So don't worry =)

Here are some random recent pictures of Mark and Isaac. Enjoy!

Video Updates

2011-01-15T22:17:00.007-05:00

So Mark gave me a Flip Mino awhile back and I've been good about recording Isaac's latest activities...just haven't figured out the kinks of downloading the videos properly.

So here they are FINALLY. These series of videos goes all the way back to our beach trip in Oct. '10 when Isaac still had hair to Christmas '10. Enjoy!

Lila serenading us at Duke Gardens

White Christmas

2010-12-27T21:31:00.010-05:00

It was a very low key family Christmas event this year.

It started with Uncle Sam bringing his girlfriend, Katie, for a quick visit. Isaac loved spending time with his Uncle Sam and Katie. They are definitely naturals when it comes to little kids. *hint hint* We had a cheesy movie night with TONS of food: Sam's famous wing dip, dumplings, mushroom garlic toast, ddukboki (spicy rice cakes), shrimp cocktail, assortment of cheeses & crackers, olives, nuts, veggies, and I'm sure I'm leaving something else off (you get the picture) We pigged out on yummy deliciousness and watched "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" with Isaac and once he was in bed, the adults watched "Love Actually." Fun times! It was so good to see Sam and FINALLY meet Katie. "I love Uncle Sam. I love Katie!" so said my little man. I couldn't have said it any better.

Christmas Eve came before we knew it. Fondue night! Wahoo! We did the traditional oil & cheese fondue and added an Asian twist with some Chinese Hot Pot. After consuming as much as we could, we took a break and actually had room for dessert (peppermint ice cream from Ben & Jerry's) mmmm~

Christmas morning~ Crepes for brunch (fresh chive & dill goat cheese with spinach and smoked salmon) the "adults" had the savory crepes while Isaac and I gorged ourselves with bananas, nutella, apples, pears, fresh whipped cream and chocolate/banana spread crepes. My mouth is watering just from the memory. Then it was time for presents! Lets just say Isaac came home with a bounty of presents. This kid has been spoiled senseless.

Christmas dinner: Roast beast (beef tenderloin for those of you who haven't read "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"), brussel sprouts, pommes dauphinoise, pumpkin soup, salad and for dessert~ Apple cake with egg nog! All made by Bobpa and Gigi. Thank you!

The next morning we woke up to 6 inches of snow! (in the South, we consider this a snow day!) We had an extra day off as a family! This was the first time Isaac was able to "help" make the snowman. It was Isaac sized. We tried to make a fat snowman but the snow was uncooperative. After exhausting ourselves with fun snow activities, we ventured back indoors and spent most of the time sipping hot chocolate, baking cookies and watching Isaac's dvd collection (mainly about trucks, trains and airplanes). I didn't mind Isaac's choice of entertainment since he let me cuddle with him. All in all a fantastic way to end our small holiday vacation.

Hunting for a Christmas Tree

2010-12-15T01:18:00.006-05:00

We said we would get a Christmas tree early this year instead of getting one a week or two before Christmas. *sigh* Things never really turns out as we planned, especially with a busy work schedule and a 2 year old. But this morning we FINALLY found our tree! This was the first time that Isaac helped pick our tree! "Nope, not that one. I want...this one!" Hopefully tomorrow we'll be able to trim the tree!

Santa Train

2010-12-14T00:37:00.008-05:00

We've tried the Santa Train at the Museum of Life & Science last year. We loved drinking hot coco to keep warm against the bitter cold and see the Christmas lights lit up. But we were disappointed that Santa just stood outside waiting for us and then we went around the same track we normally go on. Not as exciting as we thought. So we tried the New Hope Valley train museum this year. We went on a real steam engine! Saw Christmas decor on the way and we got to visit with "Santa" and his "elf." The only disappointment was that St. Nick was not jolly and he definitely needed a some new threads and his elf seemed a little on a happy drunk side. But overall the train experience at New Hope Valley Railway gets two thumbs up since we went for the train! Definitely will do it again but next time with Snuggies or blankets ;)

The best part of our family outing? Spending time with Bobpa and Gigi and watching Isaac soak in all the wonders of his surroundings from the "funny smell" of the steam engine to being able to see his breath against the cold air.

Tantrum-Screamfest

2010-12-01T22:17:00.004-05:00

See this face?

Now multiply that by 2 years and you get this ANNOYING and piercing screech that just won't stop. There are moments when you can't help but laugh...which sometimes will get him to laugh back...for a split second...then the screams with crocodile tears continues. He's so dramatic and yet pathetic at the same time. I would have taken a picture but then I didn't want to fuel the tantrum. We finally figured out that he wanted mommy to read him the "Boo-berry" book. *sigh*

We love him all the same. It's all quiet and peaceful in the Schueler household now.

Pity Party

2010-11-29T15:31:00.002-05:00

We started off having a wonderful Thanksgiving with our friend/artist, Lisa Jones!
menu:
Cauliflower & Cheddar Soup (thanks to Jeannie aka Gigi)
Green Bean Casserole
Mashed Potatoes
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Asparagus
Salad
Corn
Honey baked ham
Pilsbury biscuit (Mark and Isaac loves that stuff)
For dessert via Lisa - Chocolate Cake mmmm~

We went to sleep with full bellies and thankful hearts. Then the pity parties started.

Daddy caught the stomach bug (24 hours)
The next day mommy caught the stomach bug (48 hours)
Fingers crossed that Isaac doesn't get it. Poor little Isaac. He was a trooper while daddy and mommy recovered. He kept himself entertained with his toys and some DVD's.

Autumn Leaves

2010-11-24T00:56:00.004-05:00

Autumn leaves are falling! Shades of orange, red and yellow mixed in with a bit of green. I love the Fall, especially in North Carolina.

Early this morning we took Isaac to see the Fire Station 2 on Ninth Street. The firemen let us look at their brand new truck and their older (tiny - according to Isaac) truck and ask them questions. Super nice guys! Isaac loved it! Interesting fact, their Battalion Chief is the first female Battalion Chief in Durham! How cool is that?

Happy 2nd Birthday!!

2010-11-16T05:41:00.000-05:00

It wasn't that long ago that I wrapped my little boy into a burrito for the first time at Durham Regional on November 16th, 2008.

Isaac is now officially 2! He's walking, running, talking, laughing, playing, whining, having tantrums - all the fun stuff that comes with being 2.

We are very proud of our little man and having a blast watching him grow.

To celebrate his official birthdate we went to "Lime and Basil" in Chapel Hill and had Pho and Lemongrass chicken and summer rolls. He tried everything! For dessert we walked down Franklin Street to "Ben and Jerry's" where we shared a banana split! We were impressed to see Isaac quietly smiling and waiting for us to finish singing "Happy Birthday" to him. His favorite part? The whip cream and sprinkles!

On a side note: Isaac and Lila have been preparing for FALL! What better way then a walk around Duke gardens and then coming home to make Thanksgiving art and giggling?

The reason for their giggles? A silly story about a chubby family who went for a bike ride at the park. When they went down the hill they went weeeeeee. Go figure ;)

Isaac Airways Party

2010-11-13T22:07:00.003-05:00

The family "photographer" was faster than I thought. Check out the pictures of the party on Mark's website.

2nd Birthday Party for Isaac!

2010-11-13T20:53:00.006-05:00

"Happy Burfday to Isaac! Happy Burfday daddy! and mommy and Arnie!" so sang my little baby who is turning two on Tuesday.

We woke up to a BEAUTIFUL blue sky. 70 degrees. PERFECT for my little man's birthday party with his friends and family.

We had the party at the RDU observation deck. We totally lucked out when we got there. We got all three picnic tables and the sandbox/spider bars was a HUGE hit with the kiddos!

We played airplane, parachute, tunnel (Isaac's favorite), pin the pilot on the plane, tried to tire the kids out with a race down the pretend runway (but I think I ended up tiring myself out). Good food and wonderful friends and family. What more could a two year old want?
TOYS! This kid came home with a bounty of TRUCKS (fire truck, dump truck, bulldozer, garbage truck, recycling truck) and a dragon with three heads (whom Isaac is sleeping with tonight), BOOKS (we've already read 6 tonight), stickers, power tools & tool set (future handyman) and a Ken doll (which he wanted to take along to dinner). Phew~ I think this kid is set in the toy department for life. He didn't know which one to play with first ;)

Thank you to all our wonderful friends and family! You guys are the best for making my little boy's day very special, even for those of you who couldn't make it. You were still in our thoughts, at least Mark's and mine. Isaac was a little overwhelmed today.

Pictures coming soon!

Here is a picture of the awesome cake that Raya (our official cake lady & dear friend) made for the birthday boy.

Do-over Birthday

2010-10-26T21:10:00.003-04:00

Our awesome friends, Lisa & Kim, put their heads together with me to surprise Mark for his birthday. Yes, the birthday celebration just keeps going and going...

It was gloomy and wet when we woke up this morning but started to clear so we decided to have a delicious picnic at Yates Mill then for a walk at the outdoor NC Art Museum park.

All in all we had a fabulous time! But we all needed a nap. Phew~

(Lisa on the left and Kim on the right)
*sigh* he's already a ladies man at such a young age.

Let the Wild Rumpus Start!

2010-10-19T20:56:00.005-04:00

The love of my life (the baby daddy & photographer extraordinaire) captured my little "Max" in action. This is what I get when I leave the two of them alone. Can you believe the costume originally started as a bear costume?

Southport & Oak Island

2010-10-19T20:47:00.005-04:00

YAY! We finally made our way to the beach!! Isaac and I decided to take along our photographer. We went on two ferry rides, visited the Fort Fisher Aquarium, went on a horse carriage tour, and got our feet wet on the shores. Isaac's favorite past time was getting wet and throwing rocks and shells back into the water. But alas our mini vacation is over and it's time to celebrate Mark's 31st Birthday!

Hamming it up for the Camera

2010-10-12T01:24:00.002-04:00

Whenever Mark and I work opposite schedules, it's a great opportunity for Daddy and Isaac to have some fun together.

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-09T03:35:00.011-04:00

Ah~ Autumn how we've missed you! What with the wonderful cool weather, we decided to take the kids to a Pumpkin Patch! We usually go to Ganyard Hill Farm in Durham but this year we decided to head out to Hill Ridge Farms. We fed some goats and GIANT catfish. Got lost in a maze, slid down a 80 feet slide (best part of the day), bounced around in the bouncer, ran around in a fort, took a ride on a train then a hayride around the farm where we went and picked out our very own pumpkins!
"Mommy and daddy are going to be so surprised with the pumpkin I pick!" exclaimed Lila.
"Ugh! I hold pumpkin all by myself!" said Isaac.

All in all a very fun yet exhausting day.

22 Months

2010-09-16T22:43:00.006-04:00

I can't get enough of my little boy. He amazes me everyday. And have I ever mentioned how LUCKY I am to have my own personal photographer who will take pictures of the amazing boy?

Latest catch phrases:
"I do it all by myself"
"Just like daddy"
"Where's Isaac?" "I hiding!"
"Super Isaac! Isaac very fast"

Latest shenanigans:
"Mommy, I have to potty! Poopie time"
I was very excited about his first time actually "using" the potty. I place him on the potty seat and encouraged him...as he's pushing...a... stream shoots towards me. I thought getting peed on was long gone. As I try to shield myself from the assault, Isaac laughs and says, "Mommy funny!"
Mommy & Daddy news:
Mark has been very busy with his photography gigs. Two weddings, two portrait sessions, and one event down. And more to come!
I have been busy picking up shifts at both locations so it almost feels like we don't see each other but~ We had a wonderful family day last week! It's been awhile since just the three of us went out and enjoyed ourselves.

House news:
This year the water heater broke (Fixed), the A/C broke (new one installed), the oven touch pad doesn't work (paid for part & labor but we have yet to see it fixed - still waiting after 3 months), thought we broke our disposal but Man Friday (Tony-awesome friend & handyman) fixed it, then last night...the washer won't work. Oh the wonders of home ownership.

On the bright side I purchased my very own hoosier cabinet! I've been checking craigslist and antique/thrift shops hoping that I can afford one ever since I saw SheShe's (David's mom & Lila's grandma) antique hoosier. I bought it at the bargain price of $100! It needs some touch up and some screws but other than that, IT'S AWESOME!!!

Side Note: You can access Eli & Amanda's wedding pictures if you haven't already done so.

Welcome to the World Leo!

2010-09-16T22:36:00.003-04:00

Introducing Leo Balthazar Glasgow!
Weighing in at 9+lbs.

Amanda...I am in awe...words escape me *^_^*
Congratulations!
We can't wait to meet you Leo!
Your cousin Isaac can't get enough of the "baby" in Jacob's arms.

Whirlwind of Acitivies

2010-08-27T23:45:00.012-04:00

I am so so so so sorry for the lack of updates. August has been a non stop, action packed month.

Annabel turned ONE!

Eli & Amanda had their engagement shower at the Eno.

Amanda's fun filled bachelorette party! There's even a picture of Amanda dressed as a chipmunk (you had to be there).

Then it was Eli's turn for his night of partying as a unmarried man (since I wasn't there, there will be no pictures posted).

And finally Eli & Amanda's wedding and now they are currently on their way to Oregon.
Amanda was a beautiful and elegant bride while Eli was a dashing groom. Their family and friends are all AWESOME! We had so much fun at their wedding. Isaac couldn't get enough of the goats, chickens, lamas, ducks & ducklings, a the peacock! Daddy roughed it and camped out with Mark #2 (Lila's BF not my baby daddy). Isaac and I wussed out and stayed in a nice room across from Annabel and her parents. Congratulations you two! We are missing you guys like crazy!

(Isaac resting his eyes while everyone else is helping with the wedding decor)

Isaac got his very first fish and named him "Happy"

Today was my last day with Annabel. *sniff sniff* She's all grown up. She's going to attend daycare starting next week. Big news: She stood up for 5 seconds!! Isaac was distracting her with his new owl kite. When she realized that my finger was no longer holding her up, she slowly lowered herself down without panicking. I do believe someone is going to start walking within a month if not sooner. We're going to miss little Annabel with her "Hi"s and her sweet sunny smile. I have a feeling that Lila and Isaac will be looking for baby Annabel on Monday. Hopefully we'll be able to see her once in awhile. Don't be a stranger Annabel!

Flip Video

2010-08-09T20:57:00.000-04:00

Mark got me a flip mino camcorder which I LOVE LOVE LOVE. But unfortunately I accidentally deleted all the videos after downloading it incorrectly. *slap to the forehead*

I am still learning but here is a cute video of Isaac dancing at the opening for our new South Regional Library!

Recent Videos

2010-07-22T21:16:00.002-04:00

Isaac and Annabel dancing with trains!

Isaac loves his "yummymelons" (watermelons) as much as his mama did when she was pregnant.

Peeping Tom?

2010-07-17T01:07:00.002-04:00

Isaac's latest antics: looking through the view finder of Daddy's camera and exclaiming,"Isaac!"

Isaac Update

2010-07-08T21:45:00.006-04:00

Another outing with daddy. First they went to Washington & Bath, NC (not much to see) then met up with Eli at Celebrity Dairy where Isaac saw goats! baaa baaa~

Cooling off in the pool, trying to drench mommy and then daddy grilled! yum!

Latest words:
I wub ooOoo!
Coo (for cool)
Funny!
Two! Five! Six!
I sorry.
BIG!
I farted.

Lila

2010-07-08T21:29:00.004-04:00

Lila: Knock, knock!
Hanna: huh?
Lila: Say, who's there?!
Hanna: Oh! Who's there?
Lila: Lila Jane Christie! (giggle) I so funny!

Lila: Knock, knock!
Hanna: Who's there?
Lila: (giggle) Lila-Annabel-Isaac Christie! (giggle) I so funny!

I love this little girl.

Staycation

2010-07-01T22:02:00.006-04:00

Sunday, June 27th, 2010. Broken A/C
Hanna and Isaac walks into house. "Hot!" says Isaac while mama starts to instantly sweat from the humidity. Hanna walks over to the thermostat and reads "85 degrees!" Yikes! Don't even want to talk about how hot it was upstairs. The old klunker of an A/C finally died after 27 years and 4 of those years had kept the Schueler household cool during the summer months.
Did I mention that the next morning, we had reservations in Southport, NC? That's right. It was supposed to be our family beach trip, filled with beach walks, swims, aquarium, ferry rides, lighthouse and seafood! CANCELED! boo~

We were saved by Isaac's gracious grandparents, Bobpa now dubbed Papa & Gigi. They let us stay in their wonderfully air conditioned house for the night. Then Daddy had a brilliant idea! Why not stay in a bed and breakfast or a nice hotel to make it feel like a vacation. We settled on the Washington Duke Inn. Wahoo! It helped that we got 50% off our tab thanks to Hotels.com.
Monday, June 28th, 2010. Washington Duke Inn!!!!We walked into a nice room with an awesome bathroom. Someone to make our beds? Clean towels? No dishes to clean? Someone to vacuum the room? AWESOMENESS! Add a indoor pool to keep us cool from the heat? DOUBLE AWESOME!Tuesday, June 29th, 2010. Family Day!
Getting ready for the morning. Isaac even had some time to read the newspaper.

We had breakfast at a local diner...I think it was called Elmo's Diner? Great service and great food. What a nice way to start the day. Then it was off to the Museum of Life and Science with a train ride! "tunnel! tunnel!" is one of Isaac's favorite things to say.

After a quick nap we had some sammichs and then back to the hotel for some family swimming!

Then mama was exhausted.

Then it was time for dinner at Rue Cler! We've been looking so forward to going that I think we anticipated a little too much. Service was great even with a cranky toddler at the beginning of dinner. The food was...okay. A bit on the disappointing side. But the night was still young, Loco Pops to the rescue~ for dessert! mmmmm~

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010. New A/C!
Good bye staycation~ Check out from Washington Duke Inn =(

Wait for A/C guys to finish installing. Thank goodness it was cool outside. It was only 83 degrees in the house while it was 75 degrees outside. We played in the sandbox most of the day until it was nap time.
Once Isaac woke up from his nap we went to Target to get the "Furminator" for Arnie. (Love love love the Furminator. Wonderful invention. Took out most of his undercoat)Walk out of Target. Hear helicopters flying around. "Heltoptors" cries Isaac. "Bu bai!" waves Isaac. Turns out that someone spotted something "suspicious" that looked like and bomb near Southpoint and called it in. Isaac and I were stuck in traffic for almost 2 hours. We saw tons of cop cars and even a bomb squad! Isaac was first excited to see all the activities going on but then he started to get hungry. Thank goodness for squeezable applesauce and animal cookies! Later we found out that the "bomb" turned out to be foam. Phew~ I guess it's better to err in caution.

All in all, what a weekend!

Smiley Annabel

2010-06-24T23:24:00.002-04:00

Look at this cutie pie.

Catching Up

2010-06-23T23:56:00.010-04:00

Isaac Update:
When Nana came for a visit, Isaac learned so many words and tricks!
"knock knock" (you're supposed to respond with a who's there?) "Isaac!"
"I do"
"I did it!"
"I like it"
"Ready set go!"
"boom boom boom, ahhh!" (with his dinosaurs)
"ashes ashes...down!" (ring o round the roses - learned that one from Lila)
"Zoon tite!" (if you sneeze - that one's from daddy)

Thanks Nana for teaching him so many new words! We miss yoU!

Favorite food: "Donuts!" & "Ice cream!"

Maple View Farms!

Day with Daddy!

Fish Shack's Crawfish!

My handsome hubby!

Zoo Trip June 2010 with Nana!

A Message from Isaac

2010-06-20T20:28:00.002-04:00

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!

Airplanes & Pool Party!

2010-06-08T23:11:00.005-04:00

Looking at A-planes! Aren't they just the cutest?
(that's right, Annabel can stand while holding onto something now!)

Playing in the pool

Pool Party!

Fun in the indoor pool

Ring-o-Round the Rosie
(Lila taught Isaac this new fun activity. He loves it!)

While splashing around with Lila (Annabel was napping on the floor in the living room), Isaac learns how to say "Eli" and "Amanda" and of course the usual grandparent names.

Isaac's Favorite Things

2010-06-03T23:06:00.003-04:00

Ice cream and "box" (sand box)

Annabel

2010-06-03T22:51:00.004-04:00

Aunt Amanda & Little Annabel have fun at the Observation Deck

Annabel's latest trick...sniffing!

Our attempt to get Annabel interested in putting food into her mouth...didn't really work?

I would like to report that Annabel can now stuff cheerios into her mouth, she can wave bu bai and hi, she is ticklish under her armpit (she will squeal with delight unless she's tired) and~ she likes to stand...not a fan of crawling though.

Family Weekend

2010-05-26T18:21:00.008-04:00

Mark took Sunday off and I took Monday off so we could have some family fun time.

On Sunday we went to have brunch with Rachel, Matt and Baby G (in the belly). We were one of the first ones to view their new place besides their family. What an honor! Gorgeous house you guys! We had such a blast having a relaxing lazy Sunday with the Garrisons. Matt looks like a total natural with kids. And Rachel was so gentle and sweet with Isaac, she even shared her ice cream even when he had his own cone. Thanks you guys! You are totally ready for Baby G.

(Isaac all ready to go)
On Monday we got up early and headed to the NC Aviation Museum and the Zoo! Isaac couldn't get over how there were so many planes around him. "A-planes!" and he danced around with glee. We had a lot of fun at the zoo but it started to pour down on us midway through our visit so we quickly went around and ran to the car since I forgot my raincoat in the car. I was soaked through, thank goodness Mark always keeps a sweater in his car.

Adventures of Isaac and the "Baby"

2010-05-20T00:01:00.003-04:00

Bear Awareness Week at the Museum of Life & Science

Apparently the bears bored the Little Princess

Isaac roaring with the dinosaurs.

We had a busy FULL day today. We had lunch at Elmo's and then saw EVERYTHING at the Museum of Life & Science. We toured the indoors, played in the play area, played the drums, saw the animals (saw ALL the bears today), sailed some boats, went around the dinosaur trail TWICE, sat down for a snack, got disappointed when the train wasn't in service, BUTTERFLIES!! so much to name. I think the kids had fun. One fell asleep and the other said he wanted to nap. Then it was time for mama to get ready for work at Elmo's.

Status on the Kiddies:
Annabel is growing up. She weighs 14 pounds! YAY Annabel! She's not taking as many naps as she used. Like today for instance, she only took two naps (one was for 2 hours in the morning and the other was a short 30 min. snooze while we were at the Museum). Overall she's getting much easier to take care of. She will actually put herself to sleep for her naps, you just have to make sure you're near by when she first starts to get sleepy. No more holding her until she zzzzzzzz. Still no crawling but she's got a heck of a reach (very flexible little girl - future cheerleader? gymnast?). She loves to fly in the air and give you her toothy grin. Isaac and Lila LOVES the "baby." Isaac gets pretty upset whenever it's time for Annabel to leave, he'll even get upset when Annabel's mom has to leave ;)

Speaking of Isaac, I think I may have corrected him on his "frog." He can now say "foggie." I am still working on "cup." He's been recently pointing towards something and saying what sounds like "sh*t" - Mark and I haven't quite figured that one out.

Video of Annabel making her funny face.

Rain, Rain Go Away~

2010-05-17T17:48:00.006-04:00

It's been wet and gloomy. What better way to spend the day with the kids then the mall! Lila, Annabel and I waited for the boys to join us from Isaac's 18th month check up. Poor little boy got two shots, making him one grumpy little man. While Lila and Annabel had a blast, Isaac sort of enjoyed himself in the play area. After lunch, we all decided to head to the indoor Observation Deck in RDU. The kids had so much fun running around and pointing and waving to the "a-planes." Mark was able to capture some great photos of a kids. I am truly a very lucky woman to have such a skilled photographer who likes to hang out with us. And all THREE children (including grumpy puss) played well together. Annabel especially was in such high spirits. She didn't cry once. Not even when she got knocked over by accident by an older child. She was once again the "star" at both the play area and the observation deck.

There's a series of pictures. Can you tell which one was taken by Mark and which one was taken by yours truly? Mine are the ones that are a bit on the unfocused side. ;)

Frog

2010-05-17T17:45:00.004-04:00

For those who didn't believe that our little angel can speak like a sailor. Thanks to Trish Christie for capturing the moment.

Rachel & Matt's Baby Shower

2010-05-15T20:14:00.006-04:00

Our good friends, Rachel and Matt (the most BEAUTIFUL couple in the world), are expecting their first bundle of joy in July!!! I'm predicting Baby G will be a little boy.

Isaac and I were lucky enough to be invited to their baby shower, unfortunately for Mark, he had to work. boo~ When we got there Jackson, Kim's (Rachel's BBF) little boy, was waiting to play. The boys were very well behaved as much as little boys could ;) Another little boy named, Wes (he has the most gorgeous red hair), came and joined them. I got so distracted with the boys that I COMPLETELY forgot to take pictures of the happy couple. =(
At least I got to take pictures of all the food. Leslie a.k.a. Mrs. G. (Matt's mom) out did herself. Everything was prepared beautifully. She has made Martha Stewart proud. She made these cute little goodie bags for the boys: heart shaped PB&J sammich, animal cookies, and a FROG (f*ck) and a adorable "Baby G" napkin. Isaac loved everything! People got a kick out of Isaac's pronunciation of frog. All in all a wonderful day spent with the most awesome people I know.

Congratulations Rachel & Matt!!!

Another Outting

2010-05-13T19:30:00.003-04:00

We braved the outdoors again. This time we headed to the Museum of Life and Science with plenty of time to meet new friends and play. We met a half Korean half white little girl who had strawberry blond hair and green eyes. Her name was Isabella. Super cute. She played with Isaac a bit but she was more interested in the "baby." Annabel could have cared less, she was more interested in her bottle - which she can hold all by herself!

We tried playing in the sandbox. While Isaac had a blast, Annabel curled her toes inwards when I tried to sit her down. Maybe the sand isn't fine enough like the sand Lila has in her sandbox.

Stir Crajee!

2010-05-12T22:29:00.005-04:00

We needed to get out of the house stat! What better way then to have a picnic at the Observation Park? We had our lunch, saw some "a-planes" then went and played in the sand. Little Princess didn't seem too thrilled with the sand so she took it easy on the stroller playing with her toys and watching the other kids play. After we dropped off Annabel at home, Isaac and I headed to the Museum of Life and Science not realizing that they close at 5pm. Oops! At least we got to bang on the drums before heading over to Elmo's Diner to see Daddy!!!

Kids, Kids, Kids

2010-05-11T22:08:00.004-04:00

I totally thought Annabel would actually start crawling but instead she gave us the most pitiful cry.

Mark has done it again~ gorgeous pictures of the kiddies.

I took Annabel and Isaac on a picnic last Friday. Both kids loved being outdoors.

Latest Isaac antics:

Isaac has been feeding himself more and more. He's pretty funny to watch as he eats.

Everything comes in twos no matter what the quantity.
He can say "owl and ellefant"
He loves watching videos of "a-planes" and "trains" with daddy.
Favorite books: still "In the Night Kitchen" new "Where the Wild Things Are" (loves to gnash his teeth with the WILD THINGS)

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T21:45:00.008-04:00

Happy Mother's Day Nana, Gigi, Halmoni!!!!! and to all the hot mamas out there!

Isaac and I had a busy yet FUN day. We started the day off with brunch at Dos Perros with Gigi and Bobpa. De~licious! I think Jeannie and Papa Al got a kick out of seeing Isaac all dressed up in his seersucker suit. Thank you for a delicious brunch and my yummmmmmmy~ chocolates!

Taking a nap after brunch.

Then off to Vollmer Farm for some strawberry pickin'
There were so many things to do and see! Cows, airplane, swings, tractor train, hayride, ICE CREAM! oh my! We'll definitely be back for more! Isaac was a very good strawberry picker/bucket carrier. He would point to a shiny, red and ripe strawberry and say "stabear" then point to his "buck." I wish had I gotten a picture of his strawberry stained face but we were having too much fun.

Future pilot?

We ended our day with a quick trip to the airport observation park to wave bubai to some "a-planes"

Isaac was fast asleep before we got home. All in all spending the day with my little man was the BEST Mother's Day ever. Maybe next year, Mark will be able to join us. There's always Father's Day to look forward to. =)

Thank you honey for my beautiful earrings and the sweet sweet card. I love you!

A Day in the Life of Isaac & Annabel

2010-05-08T01:13:00.005-04:00

Figured I should post some videos and pictures of Isaac and Annabel for the sake of their grandparents ;)

The last shot was taken by Isaac the Curious. He has started to reach up, getting things down from high places...It's pretty blurry but that's a shot of his nose before he broke the shutter on the point and shoot camera *sigh* It's gone from drowning to resurrecting to getting little toddler fingers all over the sensor and shutter and yet it still lives! Nikon makes one indestructible camera.

Latest Isaac antics:
He's been going around saying "c*ck" meaning "cup" (been trying to correct him on that but so far no success)
His daddy taught him how to lift his shirt and pat his belly (not sure if I'm proud of that one either, but it's pretty cute)
He's starting to learn/understand the meaning of sharing
He is a hefty 27 pounder

Recent Activities

2010-05-05T22:10:00.003-04:00

This was taken with Mark's cell phone at Lila's Birthday party at Locopops!

It was supposed to be hot today so I took the kids to the RDU Observation Deck. I was really surprised to see so many kids there. Isaac LOVES "a-planes" and Annabel enjoyed all the attention from the other kids and munching on puffs. I think I'll pack a lunch this time a go again tomorrow with toys for both kids.

Annabel Video

2010-05-05T22:06:00.002-04:00

Annabel trying to talk but you can clearly hear Isaac the loud mouth yakking away ;)

Happy Birthday Princess Lila!

2010-05-04T22:29:00.004-04:00

Three years ago our princess, Lila Jane Christie, was born on Cinco de Mayo. Mark and I are two of the luckiest people on earth to be her godparents and our son, Isaac, is a super lucky kid to have this beautiful and sweet little girl to look up to.

Happy Birthday Lila! We love to hear your sweet laugh accompanied by your bright twinkling eyes. You have brought so much joy to us with your gentle and patient spirit (when there's no sugar induced craziness involved - although we still love you then). Here's to many more birthdays to come!!!

Visitors - Nom Nom Nom

2010-04-27T20:53:00.012-04:00

You've heard of the traveling gnomes, well we have the traveling Domo come visit us with a couple of his friends. Since it was their first trip to North Carolina, we had to take them to Elmo's Diner and boy were they famished...so were the kiddos.

After we filled our bellies, we went to the American Tobacco Historic District for some running around and photo ops.

Both Isaac and Annabel were exhausted so while the little ones and I went home for a nap, Lila went with Mark and Domo and friends to Duke Homestead.

For dinner Mark was going to surprise us and take us to Poole's in Raleigh for dinner. They are not open on Tuesdays (6pm - t minus 10 minutes until Isaac the Hungry explodes). So we tried Dos Taquitos instead but they are not open for dinner until Thursday (6:05pm - t minus 5 minutes). Chargrill (Mark's favorite
hamburger joint) it was! We also wanted to introduce Domo and his friends to Krispy Kreme but they were closed for remodeling to which Isaac exclaimed tragically, "OH NO!~"

We ended the day with a visit to the flight observation deck. Isaac couldn't stop talking about "da plane~" hmmm...shall we dress him up as Tatu from Fantasy Island for Halloween?

Become a Fan on Facebook!

2010-04-20T20:29:00.004-04:00

You've seen and admired his pictures.
Become a fan of Mark Schueler Photography and get a chance to win a great prize!

Grandparents

2010-04-20T18:42:00.004-04:00

Isaac is at the stage where he'll repeat things back to you. Doesn't come out correctly sometimes but it's just so darn cute I had to document it. I love Annabel's expressions in the background. She's cheering Isaac on~

Umma you are now "Hamni" and Appa you are now "Habu"
MOM you are now "Nana" and Willie you have been dubbed "Pops!"

That's right Jeannie, you are now officially "Gigi" and Papa Al, you are now "Bobpa"

(No baby was hurt during the filming of this video. She actually started to giggle and kick up her legs)

I was trying to capture the kids playing together but...I thought it was pretty funny, not sure how Aunt Amanda will feel about this one though ;)

A Day at the Museum of Life & Science

2010-04-20T00:19:00.005-04:00

I love these kids and I love the man who took these fantastic photos. I am an extremely lucky woman to have these beautiful children in my life. And a personal photographer to boot, who tolerates his wife when she turns into a b****.

It was such a gorgeous day we packed the kids into the cars and went to the museum! Donkey, pigs, sheep, cow, goats, owl, DINOSAURS, bears, wolves, LEMURS!~ then finish with some butterflies. phew~ By the time we got home, the kids were out.

Family Time

2010-04-17T22:22:00.004-04:00

We were finally able to have some fun family time even after working in the morning and squeezing in a birthday party for Matt at Spence's Farm. Mark, Isaac and I had dinner and some play time at Maple View before the sun set.

I HATE clowns but the one we saw at Maple View was nice enough to make Isaac a T-Rex balloon so I didn't freak out as I normally would.

da god-parents

2010-04-13T21:13:00.005-04:00

We are sad and yet thrilled for Eli and Amanda, who finally made a decision to move to Oregon for Amanda's graduate school. It'll be a long 5 years for us but we're very proud of Amanda and her loving fiance, Eli, who will be heading out to the west coast. Now we'll have even more reason to visit the left coast, and even more people to visit while we're there! The next 5 months will be busy for them with wedding plans and getting ready for a cross country move, which means we're gonna try to get as much Eli and Amanda time as we possibly can. =)

We trust that Amanda's made the right decision, and we know that she's spent an inordinate amount of time mulling it over, so they definitely go with our blessing, though that doesn't make it any easier.

We love you guys!!!!

Bulkogi - Korean Taco Truck

2010-04-11T22:29:00.004-04:00

A Korean Taco Truck was sighted in Durham, NC!!!! Wahoo! and there are rumors of an Indian Truck! mmmmm~ Bulkogi is open from 5pm to 8pm I think and open 7 days a week?

We went tonight!!! and as you can see, Isaac enjoyed his meal thoroughly. We tried the spicy beef bulgogi with fried rice, bulgogi beef burrito and a kimchi quesadilla. I wouldn't call it authentic Korean cuisine but it was pretty good. We really liked the burrito and the spicy bulgogi, the quesadilla was my least favorite. It's an awesome place to go get a Korean fusion meal if you don't feel like cooking. I give it a BIG thumbs UP!

Crajee Isaac

2010-04-11T20:46:00.004-04:00

Crajee moment #1
Couple weeks ago Isaac discovered Vaseline. That's right folks, petroleum jelly. Annabel was starting to fall asleep in my arms when I noticed Isaac walk over to his bedroom. I thought to myself, that's alright he can go entertain himself in his room. But then I notice him slowly close his door. hmmm Then...silence. Uh oh. I put Annabel down for her nap then I walk over to his room. I brace myself for the worst but hoping he's quietly reading a book. HA~ fat chance. I peek in...my son had smeared Vaseline on his hair, cheeks, floor, bed, and toys. *sigh* I first check his mouth to make sure I don't see anything around or in it. phew~ Then I sternly ask him if he did this, pointing to the Vaseline container that has little baby finger indentation in it. He guiltily looks down and nods his head. I ask him to come over and see what he has done. He slowly starts to walk towards me with his head down. It took all my strength not to burst out laughing. So I told him he's on time out and that mommy is very disappointed in him and I quickly walked out to laugh my ass off in the bathroom.

Crajee moment #2
Isaac's latest fav. word is "baby" and he has learned how to hug and kiss from his best buddy, Lila. Yesterday we came across a little girl who actually turned out to be the same age as Isaac. He points to her and calls out, "Baby!" Then he proceeds to run over to her, give her a great big hug and then a smooch right on the kisser. Did I mention he did that in front of her parents. P-A-R-E-N-T-SSSSS. That means her father was there. Her parents' response to the make out session? "Awwww~ he's so adorable." I told Isaac he was lucky that her daddy thought he was cute and that he shouldn't go around kissing random girls he comes across and kiss them, especially in front of their daddy. Isaac just looked up at me and gave me his mischievous, toothy grin and ran away.

My son is growing up. *sniff*

Lila & Tiny

2010-04-07T18:49:00.004-04:00

Lila loves herself some Tiny Annabel. The first thing out of Lila's mouth when she comes over is, where's Annabel? The first thing out of Isaac's mouth after his afternoon nap is "Baby~" It's pretty cute to see all three kids get along so well.

Easter Weekend

2010-04-04T22:44:00.015-04:00

The Glasgows came into town! Isaac found his cousin Jake a very fascinating subject to follow around. We had a busy busy busy couple days. We enjoyed the beautiful Spring weather although it has been hotter than it usually is this time of year. We enjoyed grilled burgers, a photo shoot for the Glasgows while Isaac and I walked around at the Farmer's Market, brunch at the Piedmont, fun at the Museum of Life and Science then kid's night at the Schueler household so that Mommy & Daddy Glasgows could enjoy a dinner and a movie with Gigi & Nono.

Easter Brunch:
Goat Cheese Eggs Benedict Baskets
Bacon, pork sausage, ham steak Kabobs with apple jelly & bbq sauce (OINK!)
Fruit Salad
Roasted Potatoes

Think the recipes Mark and I used for brunch is a keeper.

The kids enjoyed the playground at Duke Park but boy was it hot. To cool down Isaac enjoyed playing around the water fountain. There's also a picture of Isaac giving his grandpa Al a GREAT BIG HUG! I love that shot that Mark was able to capture.

Random Videos

2010-03-30T21:42:00.002-04:00

This video I HAD to post. Isaac "knows" better than to stand on the couch. Here he is...caught him red handed. Thought his screech was the funniest thing.

Spring is in the air! It was so beautiful out that I loaded the two kids in the wagon and the other in the lead (riding on the tricycle). Annabel has grown up a lot and she loves being around the older kids. She's becoming more and more talkative. Her newest & latest word is "dada" (no surprise there).

Isaac's favorite word of the day "oopsie-a" He'll use it when he drops things or falls on his bum. It's like an oops with a Korean twist ;)

Horrible Husband of Mine

2010-03-29T22:24:00.003-04:00

We started off on a bad day with the outlets in the upstairs bedroom not working...$110 later all the outlets work. Kids were on the sleepy cranky side at first but after a two hour nap the kids woke up to a sunny beautiful day. Just when I thought my day was getting better, my husband went grocery shopping and insisted upon cooking dinner. What did I do to deserve this? I was FORCED to eat this for dinner.

A Beautiful, Spontaneous Day

2010-03-22T17:34:00.009-04:00

This morning Isaac was hamming it up for the camera.

So much for the weather man predicting rain all day. We woke up to a gorgeous blue sky with fluffy white clouds. Just the smell of the blooming flowers and fresh cut grass made us antsy to get out of the house and enjoy the day outdoors. But first we needed to fill our bellies. We packed all the kids into two cars and off we went to Elmo's Diner in Carrboro (Hanna's Elmo's according to Lila).

Lila ate all her hotdog and carrots while Isaac stuffed his face with some scrambled eggs and blueberry pancake. Mark and I had the baked spaghetti and it was delicious as always. While everyone was eating, Annabel had a contest with another 6 month old little girl to see who could screech the most loudest Pterodactyl cry. It was pretty close but I think Annabel won.
Then it was time for some ice cream at Maple View Farms!!!! All in all we had a wonderful day and all the kids were asleep by the time we got home.

And the photo shoot ended with a "Hallelujah" from Isaac (for harabuhji)

Dapper Ike

2010-03-15T20:29:00.005-04:00

Dapper Isaac in his Easter suit

Sleepy-mon

2010-03-15T10:33:00.002-04:00

Taken right after Isaac's first trip to the zoo. My little boy is growing up so fast!

Latest update:
Will say Lala whenever he sees or thinks of Lila
Can eat a banana all by himself
Can pretty much understand you but sometimes he'll "pretend" he doesn't

1st Trip to the Zoo!

2010-03-13T00:01:00.005-05:00

Isaac's favorite animals are....OTTERS!!! "ots ots"

Multitasking: eating a banana in one hand, flying the helicopter with the other

Steady...ready to land

snoozing polar bear (according to Isaac)

Grizzly after a quick dip into his pool

Harro there~

Latest Antics

2010-03-11T22:18:00.003-05:00

Getting lots of hugs from his best buddie, Lila (she was unphased by his runny nose - she must really love him)

Brought his boots and rain coat to daddy so he can run around the house with his rain gear on.

Chillin' on the bed while nibbling on his banana

Chef Lila

2010-03-03T13:28:00.003-05:00

Lila was so excited about baking cookies with Mark. After school she ate all of her lunch then took a great nap and then it was time for COOKIES!!! "Cookies cookies cookies, it's good enough for me!" sings the Cookie Monster.

All the kids were in a great mood. The two little children had a blast at the Sea of Learning for Storytime (celebrating Dr. Seuss' Birthday). Apparently they have storytime every Tuesday. Isaac was running around so we didn't get a picture of him but here's a random picture of Annabel, is that a start of a smile? As a reward for being good Isaac got his very own watering can which he has not let go of yet.

Boys Day Out

2010-02-28T23:29:00.006-05:00

Mark's friend, Sam and his son came into town the other day and the dads had a lot of fun taking pictures of their adorable little models. Sam was the one who introduced us to Dos Taquitos (amazing Mexican restaurant) in Raleigh. Isaac looks like some crazy thug out to beat someone down while innocent little Al is minding his own business, attempting to walk. Pictures are credited to both dads, Mark Schueler and Sam Bennett. It's interesting to see the different points of views of these talented photographer dads.

Rainy Day

2010-02-22T20:04:00.006-05:00

Even though it was gloomy and wet outside the kids had a lot of fun today. Lila is especially sweet to the two younger kids. Isaac must have learned early that girls have cooties. He'll give out hugs to adults and babies but doesn't like receiving/giving hugs to little girls. Here's a few videos of the kids playing together.

Mark didn't think putting Isaac in a tutu was funny but I think it was pretty cute. It got even cuter when he combined the tutu and dinosaurs! What a great combo!

15 mo. Check Up

2010-02-16T10:54:00.003-05:00

weight: 24lbs 6oz (50% average)
height: 31.5 inches (60% yay he's not a shrimp~!)
head circumference: 47.5 cm (90% head is still big)

Now we need to wean him off his pacifiers and bottles. Fun times to come.

Latest words:
socks
six
shoes (learned that one from Nana)

We've discovered that he likes to say "s" words

Latest antics:
raises his arms if someone says "hallelujah"
will cover his eyes now to play peekaboo instead of his ears
can pick his nose (not sure if I should be proud of that one, at least he knows where his nose is)
will cover his ears if he doesn't want to hear me talk anymore
wants to walk everywhere

Left Coast Part Uno

2010-02-16T10:07:00.013-05:00

We started off our trip early morning with a screeching one year old on both flights (the second flight being the worst - one and a half hour of straight screaming). We were "those" parents on the plane. The first flight wasn't so bad since everyone was so understanding but on the second flight there was this annoyed woman who kept turning around and giving us the evil eye. But once we landed in CA, Isaac was all smiles and blowing kisses at everyone as if nothing ever happened.

Now there's a ton of picture we still haven't gone through so I'll be adding pictures once our "photographer" gets them done. But if you'd like to see more pictures that I haven't posted you can go to Mark's photo page.

We not only got to spend time with both sets of grandparents but we also enjoyed the beauties of the outdoors. There were so many places to see and go to. The major ones we visited was the Mount Shasta area and Crater Lake (unfortunately we ran into a snow storm when we go to the top of Crater Lake). We had to be up and about since we were being stuffed with delicious meals. Between my mom (halmuhni) and Willie (Pops) we gained a lot of weight even with our hikes. Note to self need to lose at least 10 extra pounds before heading out to the west coast again.

Thank you Willie & MOM and Umma and Appa for your hospitality and allowing Mark and I to have a date night

Sundial Bridge in Redding, CA (my parents have moved to a beautiful place instead of boring and flat Sacramento)

Mount Shasta (we were able to see this beautiful and majestic wonder during our drive to and from Redding, CA and Ashland, OR)

Isaac's first Ashland rainbow on his Nana & Pops' property.

Pictures of the view from and around the Ashland house.

Nana with little Miss Suki in the background.

`

Two different waterfalls during our hikes (one from OR and one from CA)

Nekke Izzy (per Pops) looking out the window. Must have been something really cool since Suki decided to join him.

Annabel Pictures

2010-02-04T22:28:00.003-05:00

Here are a couple pictures of Annabel that Mark took...unfortunately her smiles disappears whenever this HUGE, scary, black camera is put right in front of her face. Thanks for trying my darling hubby! Doesn't she have the most beautiful blue eyes?

Here's a picture of the snowman pre-decapitation by Isaac.

The Sun Came Out to Play!

2010-02-03T20:41:00.004-05:00

The snow started to melt so it was safe to take the kids for a little walk around the block. They were in good spirits (at times) that I even got a couple videos of them smiling! *shock*

I would like to say thank you to the Christies for inviting me to have dinner with them. It was a nice treat to get out of the house and actually socialize. Isaac ate dinner! YAY! I was getting worried since he's been prone to throwing a tantrum right when he has food in front of him.

Snow Day #3 (34th Birthday)

2010-02-02T19:55:00.002-05:00

Going stir crazy with all this snow/ice. Mark at least got to go out and work. Isaac and I stayed home once again. Lots of time to do laundry and bake a brownie for dessert. His tantrums are getting worse and more vocal. Great time for him to start *sigh* Hopefully he won't be like this when we're on the plane.

We've been trying to get together with Isaac's god-parents and had to cancel because of weather on Saturday. So they were able to come over on Monday and celebrate my...34th birthday. Time is going by way too quickly for me. We gorged ourselves on pizza from the Rockwood Filling Station with a yummy salad made by Amanda...add some wine (which I did not part take) and good conversation equals good times~!

Now we need to start getting ready for our trip to the west coast! We're going to celebrate my mom's birthday and then Mark's mom's birthday. Good timing on our part I think.

Snow Day #2

2010-02-01T12:42:00.003-05:00

Owen the snowman

Isaac & his boots

conversation amongst neighbors

We started off the day with a dose of Isaac's newly developed tantrums.

Once he had settled down we went back outside and made a snowman which Isaac thought it would be fun to behead said snowman.

After we patched up our little snowman we got a visit from our neighbors, Michelle, Caroline and baby Owen. We had NO clue as to what was being exchanged between the two kids. For all we know, they could have been concocting a plan to escape.

All in all it wasn't as fun as the previous snow day but at least we got to make a snowman. I say it wasn't as fun because I spent the day doing a lot of chores (5 loads of laundry, vacuumed all the rooms, tidied up Isaac's room which has since been trashed, etc...)

Snow Day!

2010-01-30T11:48:00.006-05:00

We woke up to 5 inches of this strange white stuff on the ground, I think they call it snow up north. The roads were declared unsafe to drive so everyone stayed home. That's right, daddy, mommy, Isaac and Arnie gets to stay home and play! I bundled Isaac in his snow outfit (he resembled the little brother in "the Christmas Story") including these adorable bear boots to venture out into the SNOW!!!! Isaac loved it until I laid him down to make snow angels. He was not a happy camper.

Now we're relaxing with some hot cocoa and thinking about watching a movie curled up in bed with our baby boy.

He Walks!!!! Finally~

2010-01-25T12:31:00.001-05:00

Meltdowns

2010-01-21T22:36:00.003-05:00

Today, I had the brilliant idea to take the kids to the mall to play in the Children's Play area. Isaac normally loves to climb and crawl around while Annabel enjoys people watching. Lets just say that the meltdowns started with Annabel vocalizing her tortured cries then Isaac decided to join her with his blood curdling "she's killing me" SCREAM! It wouldn't be a total meltdown from Isaac without HUGE teardrops falling down his face. I was so mortified that I was "the" parent with the crazy screaming kids. I wish I had taken a picture of the two drama queens but I was in a hurry to get the hell out of the mall. I don't think I've ever moved so fast. Once we got home both kids were little angels. They played and talked to each other. Had story time. Even napped at the same time. I'll just blame it on the weather.

Isaac update:
very good at blowing kisses to all the ladies
can say "more" while putting his finger tips together
can say "no more" when he's done eating

MLK Day with Isaac & Lila

2010-01-20T20:29:00.005-05:00

We packed the kids into the car and we headed out to Raleigh to enjoy a day at Pullen Park. Unfortunately for us Pullen Park will be closed until Spring of 2011. *sigh* So we got back into the car and drove back to Durham for some food at Nosh. (according to Mark, I was the one whining about being hungry...it's sort of true) After we stuffed our faces we went to the Museum of Life and Science. We had a blast, both kids mooed and baaahed at the animals. Lila especially loved the baby piggie and mama pig. Aren't they cute? The enjoyed looking at the dinosaurs arm in arm. I love them, they are so sweet to each other.

Isaac update: He can definitely walk, but he just needs a little "confident booster" by holding onto someone's fingertips. Lila was great holding his hand and walking around with him. I wish we had gotten a picture of that. Oh wells. There will be plenty of opportunities.

Simple Mushrooms on Toast

2010-01-20T19:38:00.005-05:00

Here's another recipe that I love to make. I first made this for Isaac's Nana when I got off work. We all loved it! So for all you mushroom and garlic lovers here's a recipe for you! Enjoy!

Mushrooms on toast

1 ½ oz unsalted butter

1 TBSP olive oil (plus extra for brushing)

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 lb 2 oz mushrooms (you can use any kind but even the cheap button mushrooms will be yummy)

sea salt

freshly ground pepper

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

2 TBSP chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tsp chopped fresh tarragon

1 tsp grated lemon zest

4 slices of sourdough bread

1 garlic clove, extra, for rubbing on bread

1 cup ricotta cheese or you can use goat cheese (mmmm~) for some more flavor

Put half the butter with the oil and chopped garlic in a saucepan over med high heat. Add mushrooms, ¼ cups water with salt and pepper to taste. Cover & cook, stirring occasionally for about 15 min. or until the mushrooms are cooked and the liquid is syrupy. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, parsley, tarragon and lemon zest. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Whisk the remaining cold butter through to thicken the mushroom sauce.

Brush the bread on both sides with the extra olive oil. Grill until golden on both sides, then rub both sides with a cut garlic clove and place on serving plates. Top with ricotta or goat cheese and then mushrooms.

Tada!~ yummy goodness.

Model Contest

2010-01-19T18:51:00.002-05:00

Hi all,

I did it. I entered Isaac in a modeling contest at Parenting.com. I know I know...but I couldn't resist and hey if it's going to pay for Isaac's college, I'm all for it. So can you please vote for our little man? Click on this link and vote! Thanks!

Love
Hanna

Three Great Kids!

2010-01-12T18:34:00.004-05:00

We started off the day by going to Carrboro's Century Center for Toddler Playtime! Isaac had a blast playing with the other children and all the toys and puzzles and tunnels galore! Annabel kept herself entertained by watching the other kids and smiling at the other moms. We played hard for an hour and a half then headed over to Elmo's Diner to meet Lila and Mark for lunch! Lila had a fabulous time at pre-school. She got to play in the BIG playground not the Yittle playground.

We stuffed ourselves then it was time to head on home for NAP TIME! These wonderful and beautiful children slept for 2 hours! These kids not only nap at the same time but they get along so well. Lila can't stop giving hugs and kisses to Annabel. Even Isaac is coming around because he kept touching Annabel's cheeks (very gently) and smiling at her. Really cute.

Quick & Easy Carbonara Recipe

2010-01-11T18:41:00.002-05:00

Since I've been staying home with Isaac and watching over Annabel and Lila, I thought I would have plenty of time to go grocery shopping la~ de~ da~ and plan meals. HA! that was pretty funny of me. I don't know how those super moms do it. I'm trying though. Tonight I decided to make an Italian Sausage Carbonara. This is a really quick and easy recipe for those of us who's running around all day and no time to make an elaborate meal. Sorry no pictures. What with trying to feed a hungry beggar, who we like to call Isaac, and finish cooking...it was time to feed ourselves because we were famished. This recipe took about 20 minutes to make.

This serves about 4 people.

Ingredients
Box of Perciatelli (kind of like spaghetti but thicker and looks like thin straws)
2/3 cup of Heavy Cream
1 garlic clove
Italian Sausage w/out the casings (Spicy, Mild, sweet your choice - you could also use 1/3 cup of pancetta)
Vegetables (I like to use 8 mushrooms, 1/2 cup peas and 2 tomatoes)
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup Bread crumbs
Fresh Basil (I love basil so I normally use the whole package you get from the store)

1. Cook the Perciatelli (you can use spaghetti if you can't find Perciatelli - I found mine at Fresh Market) with boiling salted water. Follow the directions on the box. I like my pasta al dente so I cooked mine for about 11 minutes. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, put the heavy cream and garlic clove in a small sauce pan and bring to boil and set aside.

3. Heat the skillet and cook the sausage until fully cooked (no more pink). Add the vegetables and saute until browned. Toss with the pasta.

4. Remove the garlic from the heavy cream and pour over the pasta. Quickly stir in the beaten egg yolks, parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Toss the whole thing with your basil and voila! Yummy goodness. You can season it with salt and freshly ground pepper but mine was fine without it since the sausage had it's own flavoring.

Social Saturday

2010-01-10T00:19:00.012-05:00

Today we were busy little social bees . It was AWESOME to be out of the house and moving and having adult conversations (when Isaac allowed me some time).

We started off the day in Fearrington Village where we met up with Eli (isn't he handsome?) and walked around for some photo ops, said hi to the oreo cows and goats, and ate at the Old Granary Restaurant. Thank goodness there were other small children in that place because Isaac's talkativeness and restlessness has broadened. But I can forgive my little man since he's so darn ADORABLE to his mommy and daddy.

After we said our goodbyes to Isaac's wonderful godfather (which reminds me: THANK YOU AMANDA and Eli for Isaac's cool Christmas presents! I especially LOVE LOVE LOVE the photo stickers), we went over to Pittsboro to visit with the Beckers. Little Owen Carter Becker was born on November 16th! That's right folks Isaac and Owen share the same birth date! Shari (that's Owen's mommy) looks great! Actually both mommy and daddy (Noah) look well rested. It's not fair! I looked like a zombie the first couple of months with Isaac. hmph

Anyways, we were very excited to finally meet Owen. He is a very well behaved little baby, unlike our little terror who was into EVERYTHING! Shari and Noah seem to have this baby thing down. It was great seeing you guys!

Our last social event for today was to head out to the Spillers' place for Marie's surprise 30th birthday party! phew~! There were so many kids there! Isaac had a blast playing with all of Oliver's toys, he hasn't quite gotten the grasp of "playing" with other kids yet. I can't believe we are all in our 30's now WITH kids...well there are some youngin's out there but soon...soon it'll be your turn - you know who you are.
Adam, you are the bomb! You throw an awesome party! Booze for the adults, sippy cups (without booze) for the kids, gourmet pizza from Pop's, and toys/balloons galore - what more could you ask for? My favorite quote from Oliver of all time so far, "I need to speak with Adam (his father), I have something I need to tell him." He cracks me up. I've decided two year olds rule!

Now all the boys in this household are sound asleep and I'm going to watch one more episode of the new Doctor Who before going to bed. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Happy Birthday Marie!

Relaxing Friday

2010-01-08T20:44:00.004-05:00

We finally got a different facial expression from Annabel!!!

Can my little boy be any cuter?

I swear I love lobsta bisque and crab legs even though I have the look of disgust on my face ;)

Big & Tiny

2010-01-05T13:37:00.003-05:00

Biggie Lila loves herself some Tiny Annabel! Look how mesmerized Tiny is. (*^_^*)

Biggie Lila looking after Tiny Annabel (she couldn't stop hugging her little friend)

Chuck E Cheese

2010-01-04T20:01:00.006-05:00

It was freeeeeeezing today so I decided to get together with Lila and Trish at Chuck E Cheese. I had a whole cup full of tokens left over from the last time Mark and I were there with the kids. Lila and Isaac had a lot of fun. Isaac held onto Trish's hand and walked! He hasn't quite started walking yet but soon...very soon. We wore the kids out, including Annabel. According to Lila: Lila = Big, Isaac = Yettle, Annabel = Tiny. Tiny ate and slept most of the time. The only time she had her eyes open, she didn't look too impressed with Isaac's loot of Chuck E Cheese stickers. When we got home both kids slept for two hours. What bliss!

Isaac's Latest Antics at 13 months

2010-01-02T20:40:00.006-05:00

Latest words:
"Outside" (while pointing to the backyard)
"Dis" (while pointing to objects)
"Battytate" (while clapping)

Isaac's new toy from Uncle John & Aunty Yujeanne. Thank you! He absolutely goes gaga over this thing.

Isaac can now stand and get up on his own! I know he'll probably kill me for filming him when he's naked but I couldn't resist. He'll be walking soon!~

Isaac making an important phone call...is it Nana? Halmoni? Gigi? He won't tell me.

Family Day!

2009-12-29T23:52:00.005-05:00

Big Ed's Breakfast

Antique Shop in the Seaboard Station

Hiking at the Yates Mill

Relaxing in front of Lake Wheeler

We started the day off early by heading out to Raleigh. We had a traditional Southern breakfast at a place called "Big Ed's." We had eggs, grits w/red eye gravy, pork tenderloins, biscuits and hashbrowns with onions and cheese! After stuffing our bellies we headed out to Seaboard so Mark can pick out a case of wine and start his wine-o blog. With our loot of fancy french booze we went for a hike at the Yates Mill. Isaac had a blast! He loved the feel of the wind against his face and the sights and the sounds of nature. He kept bouncing against my back and laughing. We had such a wonderful day. And as an added bonus, Mark's taking me out on a date tomorrow night. Wahoo~ How did I get so lucky? Life is very very good.

Photo Op on Lake Elton

2009-12-28T18:14:00.004-05:00

Latest Isaac update:
He can stand without any assistance. He can walk around with his new Maclaren Jr. stroller or his little push car. He can babble, although he has forgotten how to say "tank-u." His manners are disappearing! Help Lila! His upper front teeth are starting to come out. He loves to play with Arnie but doesn't seem to enjoy other people's pets. (sorry Montana) He will not stop babbling! He'll point to certain objects. I think he also knows what is being said to him. If he's doing something he's not supposed to be doing and we say his name in a certain way, he'll look down and stop what he's doing (as if he knows he shouldn't have been doing that) Did I mention he won't stop babbling? I'm just glad he's not at that stage where he'll start asking the big "Why?" questions. He'll give you a hug or a kiss with an "awwww" I think he got that from Lila.

Today we only had Annabel and Isaac today. It was a pretty easy day with both kids except Annabel had an upset stomach, poor thing. Otherwise everyone was in good spirits so we decided to take the kids to Elmo's for lunch and then Costco~ where we bought our late Christmas present to each other (32" flat screen tv for our bedroom). *sigh* I love Costco. =)
When we got home we all went for walk in the neighborhood where we had a lovely photo op for Isaac. We wanted to take pictures of Annabel but it was way too cold to get her out of the warm blanketed baby bjorn. Next time.

Oh and I want to wish Annabel's mommy a big Happy Birthday Erin!!!!

Videos Dec. 2009

2009-12-26T15:35:00.003-05:00

These are videos from Isaac's first climb up the stairs to opening Christmas presents to playing with Arnie. Enjoy!

Breadstix & a Top Hat

2009-12-16T14:46:00.001-05:00

Need I say more? (*^_^*)

Meeting Santa

2009-12-15T09:33:00.006-05:00

Last week I took Annabel and Isaac to see Santa & then to the Life and Science museum. Yup, I did it all by myself. They were GREAT! Both kids loved to people watch. Annabel was completely in her own little world, while Isaac was fascinated by Santa's beard (probably reminded him of his daddy and grandpa). Later in the week Mark and I took Isaac on the Santa Train at the museum. This time Isaac was more interested in the inflatable pop up animals then Santa ;)

Snotty Isaac

2009-12-12T20:38:00.002-05:00

Isaac had the croup last week and now this week he has a cold. He can't breathe, he coughs at night, is feverish (low temp), and super cranky. The only time he's happy is in the morning. I miss my happy go lucky little man. It breaks my heart to see him so uncomfortable. But he is still cute even with his snots.