I just found this note I had written, intending to blog it, but never got to it until now:
Mary Grace: "I only like the white part of cookies and cream"
William: "Whatever"
Mary Grace: "Whatever is a naughty word"
William: "That is false"
Mary Grace: "What does that mean?"
William: "Something that is not true"
This is from May 2010. William was 4 and Mary Grace was 5. William shows a command of boolean logic at age 4. Funny.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Monday, September 10, 2012
Hershey Day 3
Actually, a little misleading title as we left Hershey PA on day 3 to head to Ikea. We had been wanting to go there since the basement is all but finished now and we had a list of decorating ideas and accessories to stock up on. We also got to meet some Seton friend from William's class for dinner, as they have recently relocated to Pittsburgh.
We got on the road nearly on-time and the trip went pretty smoothly thank you Scooby Doo and iPad. But alas, an hour long Scooby Doo movie does not fill up a 4.5 hour drive across central Pennsylvania. We relief on crafts, books for that. On of the cool things we saw were tunnels through the Allegheny mountains, I think 4 of them, then one last tunnel in Pittsburgh.
We arrived at Ikea just before lunchtime and headed right in for lunch then an extended shopping trip that took us to dinner time. The Hoyle's met us there and upon their arrival, we put the kids into their child care so we could shop peacefully.
We gathered up all of items on our list and a few more, picked up the kids and headed across the street to Ichiban hibachi for a yummy dinner. It was the kids first experience with hibachi and they loved it. Sadly their favorite memory was getting "pee'd on" by a little squirt gun placed inside a ceramic figure held by the sushi chef. Good times... good times.
After dinner, we got on the road at about 8:30 headed for Rochester and had an eventless and extremely long drive back home, arriving close to 1:00 am.
And so ended our family vacation, except for the part where I had to assemble and install the stuff from Ikea. :) It was a good time and we look forward to our next road trip to Corning in the fall.
My favorite memories are sleeping between the kids in the hotel on the second night, alternating snuggling with either one and becoming familiar with how often they turn over, William kinda crying on one of the kiddy rides when there were kids easily 2-3 years younger than him on the ride (and Mary Grace consoling him while still on the ride). Losing William at the water park for a good 15 minutes when he told me he was going down a water slide then changed his mind, leaving me at the bottom scratching my head. And feeling like Clark Griswald driving the kids hours and hours to an amusement park.
We got on the road nearly on-time and the trip went pretty smoothly thank you Scooby Doo and iPad. But alas, an hour long Scooby Doo movie does not fill up a 4.5 hour drive across central Pennsylvania. We relief on crafts, books for that. On of the cool things we saw were tunnels through the Allegheny mountains, I think 4 of them, then one last tunnel in Pittsburgh.
We arrived at Ikea just before lunchtime and headed right in for lunch then an extended shopping trip that took us to dinner time. The Hoyle's met us there and upon their arrival, we put the kids into their child care so we could shop peacefully.
We gathered up all of items on our list and a few more, picked up the kids and headed across the street to Ichiban hibachi for a yummy dinner. It was the kids first experience with hibachi and they loved it. Sadly their favorite memory was getting "pee'd on" by a little squirt gun placed inside a ceramic figure held by the sushi chef. Good times... good times.
After dinner, we got on the road at about 8:30 headed for Rochester and had an eventless and extremely long drive back home, arriving close to 1:00 am.
And so ended our family vacation, except for the part where I had to assemble and install the stuff from Ikea. :) It was a good time and we look forward to our next road trip to Corning in the fall.
My favorite memories are sleeping between the kids in the hotel on the second night, alternating snuggling with either one and becoming familiar with how often they turn over, William kinda crying on one of the kiddy rides when there were kids easily 2-3 years younger than him on the ride (and Mary Grace consoling him while still on the ride). Losing William at the water park for a good 15 minutes when he told me he was going down a water slide then changed his mind, leaving me at the bottom scratching my head. And feeling like Clark Griswald driving the kids hours and hours to an amusement park.
Tuesday, September 04, 2012
Hershey Day 2
After our "preview" evening's 2.5 hour tour of the park, we went back to the hotel and crashed hard. It was a long day. The next morning, we headed out to Hershey with the goal of getting there by 10 to avoid the rush. We got there by 10, but I was one of thousands with the same idea. I think there's no avoiding the rush at Hershey.
We started out the day on some of the standard rides like the "meant for little kids" flying helicopters:
Then moved on to the Scrambler, which the kids and Daddy enjoyed immensely!
After several other rides, we had lunch and headed towards the water park. On the way, we encountered this ride:
http://www.hersheypark.com/rides/details.php?id=83
which had a short line (10 mins), so Daddy decided to inconvenience the kids to take a ride. It was awesome. I look forward to taking the kids on it next time we go!
On to the water park. We didn't get any photos of the water park for obvious reasons, but suffice it to say that it was incredible. Castles with all sorts of water toys, a huge tower with 4 different water slides, a overcrowded lazy river and then it started to rain at 4:00 (as we expected). We relaxed and waited for the rain to pass, then rode some more of the kids rides, like the carousel.
And the flying jets ride
We left the park exhausted at 7:00 and stopped for pizza which we ate in the hotel room while watching Sponge Bob Square Pants.
A good nights sleep and we prepared for day 3 of our summer roadtrip!
We started out the day on some of the standard rides like the "meant for little kids" flying helicopters:
Then moved on to the Scrambler, which the kids and Daddy enjoyed immensely!
After several other rides, we had lunch and headed towards the water park. On the way, we encountered this ride:
http://www.hersheypark.com/rides/details.php?id=83
which had a short line (10 mins), so Daddy decided to inconvenience the kids to take a ride. It was awesome. I look forward to taking the kids on it next time we go!
On to the water park. We didn't get any photos of the water park for obvious reasons, but suffice it to say that it was incredible. Castles with all sorts of water toys, a huge tower with 4 different water slides, a overcrowded lazy river and then it started to rain at 4:00 (as we expected). We relaxed and waited for the rain to pass, then rode some more of the kids rides, like the carousel.
And the flying jets ride
We left the park exhausted at 7:00 and stopped for pizza which we ate in the hotel room while watching Sponge Bob Square Pants.
A good nights sleep and we prepared for day 3 of our summer roadtrip!
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Hershey!
Not the candy bar, the awesome Hershey PA!
One night I was reading an American Girl book to Mary Grace and the lead character mentioned going to Hershey Park while she was in Pennsylvania. I turned to Mary Grace and said, hey, Hershey Park! Would you like to go there?
Anne and I had mentioned going there at some point in the last 3 years but it was always a destination that was somewhere down the road... like Disney. I mentioned it to Anne that night and that was enough for her to take the ball and run with it. She put together all the details, including the accommodations, discount passes to the park, an itinerary and even printed directions. In addition to Hershey, we would also go to Ikea in Pittsburgh to get supplies for the basement!
So I took off of work a Thursday and Friday in early August and off we went. The long drive there was softened by lots of car activities including watching a Scooby Doo movie on the iPad. Between the printed directions and the GPS on my phone, getting there was a breeze, except for that stretch of route 81 that went though a clone of Jefferson Road in Henrietta.
When we arrived, we immediately went to Chocolate World. We parked, stretched and made a beeline for bathrooms and restaurants. On the way in, we got to take it all in. LOTS to do, but alas, the factory tour that Anne had done as a young girl was replaced with something more modern.
After lunch we visited with the Reeses Peanut Butter Cup character, then when the Hershey Bar character came out, the line was instantaneous and insane so we skipped him.
We explored the gift shop afterward and I snapped this photo next to the "make your own Hershey Kisses mix". We ended up buying some at William's instance. :)
We first did the Hershey Experience Ride thing. I was so cool that the kids wanted to go on it again, so we did! It's their summer vacation after all! Best part? The singing cows, of course!
Next, we did Make You Own Chocolate Bar, which was very interesting. The kids had fun picking their ingredients and seeing their chocolate bar going down the assembly line.
We left shortly afterwards and checked in at the hotel. We had a little time before we had to leave for dinner and the amusement park, so we all went to the pool and played there and in the hot tub. Thankfully, we had it all to ourselves!
Lackluster quick dinner, then off to Hershey Amusement Park! We got an OK parking spot but still walked a good 20 minutes to the front gate. The kids were so excited to see all the Hershey product banners, etc.but we rushed them into the park since we only had 2.5 hours until the park closed.
That night, we did the monorail, the gondolas and a few kids rides.
Day two coverage in the next post!
One night I was reading an American Girl book to Mary Grace and the lead character mentioned going to Hershey Park while she was in Pennsylvania. I turned to Mary Grace and said, hey, Hershey Park! Would you like to go there?
Anne and I had mentioned going there at some point in the last 3 years but it was always a destination that was somewhere down the road... like Disney. I mentioned it to Anne that night and that was enough for her to take the ball and run with it. She put together all the details, including the accommodations, discount passes to the park, an itinerary and even printed directions. In addition to Hershey, we would also go to Ikea in Pittsburgh to get supplies for the basement!
So I took off of work a Thursday and Friday in early August and off we went. The long drive there was softened by lots of car activities including watching a Scooby Doo movie on the iPad. Between the printed directions and the GPS on my phone, getting there was a breeze, except for that stretch of route 81 that went though a clone of Jefferson Road in Henrietta.
When we arrived, we immediately went to Chocolate World. We parked, stretched and made a beeline for bathrooms and restaurants. On the way in, we got to take it all in. LOTS to do, but alas, the factory tour that Anne had done as a young girl was replaced with something more modern.
After lunch we visited with the Reeses Peanut Butter Cup character, then when the Hershey Bar character came out, the line was instantaneous and insane so we skipped him.
We explored the gift shop afterward and I snapped this photo next to the "make your own Hershey Kisses mix". We ended up buying some at William's instance. :)
We first did the Hershey Experience Ride thing. I was so cool that the kids wanted to go on it again, so we did! It's their summer vacation after all! Best part? The singing cows, of course!
Next, we did Make You Own Chocolate Bar, which was very interesting. The kids had fun picking their ingredients and seeing their chocolate bar going down the assembly line.
We left shortly afterwards and checked in at the hotel. We had a little time before we had to leave for dinner and the amusement park, so we all went to the pool and played there and in the hot tub. Thankfully, we had it all to ourselves!
Lackluster quick dinner, then off to Hershey Amusement Park! We got an OK parking spot but still walked a good 20 minutes to the front gate. The kids were so excited to see all the Hershey product banners, etc.but we rushed them into the park since we only had 2.5 hours until the park closed.
That night, we did the monorail, the gondolas and a few kids rides.
Day two coverage in the next post!
Sunday, July 22, 2012
William's first trip on open water
On Saturday afternoon Mary Grace was attending a birthday party so I asked William what he wanted to do. His answer: Bowling or Canoeing. Since it was a beautiful afternoon, I chose canoeing. So after packing sunscreen, bug spray, hats, snacks, water and a change of clothes (can never be too sure with William), we headed off to Fairport.
We got there around 12:45 and promptly chose a canoe over a open-hull kayak. I know my boy. William was so excited that he got into the canoe all by himself and was waiting for me there! I climbed in and then had the presence of mind to ask if William needed to go potty. Well, of course he did! So we climbed back out and headed to the woods.
We finally got underway at around 1:00pm as we cast off heading East on the Erie Canal.
It was very peaceful with just us and the ducks as we crossed under Main St, then the next bridge, then the next, etc. We decided to "park" along the shore and have a snack and I snapped these beauties.
Yes, that is my finger...
We started heading back and got back just in time (90 minute rental). William paddled a little bit, but those cute little arms couldn't do much in terms of paddling nor steering so he mostly just took in the sights.
After we got out of the boat I asked if he had fun. Classic William response... "It was kinda boaaaing" (boring, without pronouncing the "R")
I hope it will grow on him though, but I thought it was a blast!
We got there around 12:45 and promptly chose a canoe over a open-hull kayak. I know my boy. William was so excited that he got into the canoe all by himself and was waiting for me there! I climbed in and then had the presence of mind to ask if William needed to go potty. Well, of course he did! So we climbed back out and headed to the woods.
We finally got underway at around 1:00pm as we cast off heading East on the Erie Canal.
It was very peaceful with just us and the ducks as we crossed under Main St, then the next bridge, then the next, etc. We decided to "park" along the shore and have a snack and I snapped these beauties.
We started heading back and got back just in time (90 minute rental). William paddled a little bit, but those cute little arms couldn't do much in terms of paddling nor steering so he mostly just took in the sights.
After we got out of the boat I asked if he had fun. Classic William response... "It was kinda boaaaing" (boring, without pronouncing the "R")
I hope it will grow on him though, but I thought it was a blast!
Monday, May 28, 2012
Cranium on Momorial Day.
This morning, Mommy went to work and Daddy and the kids decided to play Cranium at the kitchen table. Most of the cards have puzzles that are too complicated for the kids, but I decided to let William try his hand at drawing the phrase "An elephant never forgets".
So this is what he drew. It took a bit of leading, but both Mary Grace and Mommy ended up getting it!
(The elephant sees a rock and thinks about it. Later, he thinks about it again...)
Monday, May 07, 2012
Daddy's slide
Just back from the gym and as I changed into nylon sweatpants, I fondly recalled when the kids were smaller when I would sit on the couch and the kids would use my legs with slippery sweatpants as a slide. They're so big now that they would probably break my knees if we tried it again!
Friday, April 13, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
Michael Jackson
Tonight, Anne was watching a Michael Jackson video and Mary Grace walked over to see what it was. After watching for a few seconds, she asks "Mommy, is that a boy or a girl?"
Mommy answered "It's a boy"
"Are you sure?"
:)
Mommy answered "It's a boy"
"Are you sure?"
:)
Wednesday, March 07, 2012
Conversation before school
Mary Grace opens latch to bathroom door and finding it stuffed with toilet paper asks:
Mary Grace: Hey, what is this?
William: Toilet paper...
Mary Grace: How did it get in there?
William: I did it...
Mary Grace: What is it doing in there?
William: I have no idea...
Daddy thinks "I have no idea either".
Mary Grace: Hey, what is this?
William: Toilet paper...
Mary Grace: How did it get in there?
William: I did it...
Mary Grace: What is it doing in there?
William: I have no idea...
Daddy thinks "I have no idea either".
Thursday, February 02, 2012
Seton Open House night
We had a nice time visiting Seton School for their open house tonight. We got to see a lot of the kids friends and their parents, and the kids showed us their desks and all the artwork they've been working on.
One particular item was a William's picture outside his classroom. All of the other kids made snowmen using the crafts supplied (and most likely following directions). William, on the other hand decided to make a "snow-tarantula".
I like his creativity, and I think he pulled it off!
One particular item was a William's picture outside his classroom. All of the other kids made snowmen using the crafts supplied (and most likely following directions). William, on the other hand decided to make a "snow-tarantula".
I like his creativity, and I think he pulled it off!
Sunday, January 01, 2012
Scooter riding on New Years Day
Santa brought the kids each a new Razor scooter and today we went to a nearby parking lot to practice riding them. It was 50 degrees and partly sunny when we arrived and the wind and rain had started up when we left.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Tis the season...
There were a lot of great gifts, visiting with family and friends, working on the house, crafts, activities, but the biggest change for our family happened on Christmas night.
Right when we were getting ready to eat ice cream cake, courtesy of Grandma, William started wiggling his loose front tooth and it finally came out! Finally, William's smile is evened out!
Now we're all looking forward to seeing how those beautiful new teeth look, hopefully in time for his birthday!
Right when we were getting ready to eat ice cream cake, courtesy of Grandma, William started wiggling his loose front tooth and it finally came out! Finally, William's smile is evened out!
Now we're all looking forward to seeing how those beautiful new teeth look, hopefully in time for his birthday!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Elf On The Shelf
William, thinking he's figured out the mysterious nightly change in where the Elf On The Shelf sits...
"Mommy, are you sure you aren't moving the Elf around after we go to bed with a shovel?"
(He knows that people are not allowed to touch the Elf...)
"Mommy, are you sure you aren't moving the Elf around after we go to bed with a shovel?"
(He knows that people are not allowed to touch the Elf...)
Friday, November 25, 2011
A little holiday hike
This morning the Regans joined us for a hike in the woods at Washington Grove, followed by lunch at a greasy spoon, then apple and popcorn buying at Schutts apple mill. It was an awesome way for the kids to get out of the house for several hours.
Here's a few photos from the hike.
Here's a few photos from the hike.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
William's memory surprises us!
This morning we were driving home from the public market and listening to FM 91.5, WXXI. An old song came on, sung by a woman and after about 1 minutes into the song, William says from the back seat "Daddy,this song is from the Wizard of Oz".
Now, he's only seen that movie once or twice and the last time was at least a year ago. So I listened to it a little longer and told him that it wasn't from that movie. He disagreed at first, then relented and agreed with me.
At the end of the song, the DJ announced it was by Judy Garland! So although he got the fact that the song was in the movie wrong, he recognized Ms. Garland's voice and associated it with the movie.
Pretty impressive!
Here's the song. It's cute, especially for those parents raising 'tweens.
Now, he's only seen that movie once or twice and the last time was at least a year ago. So I listened to it a little longer and told him that it wasn't from that movie. He disagreed at first, then relented and agreed with me.
At the end of the song, the DJ announced it was by Judy Garland! So although he got the fact that the song was in the movie wrong, he recognized Ms. Garland's voice and associated it with the movie.
Pretty impressive!
Here's the song. It's cute, especially for those parents raising 'tweens.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
William's shark
We got up this morning to find that *someone* had ripped the head off of William's coloring book shark cutout.
So William asks Anne and I if we ripped his shark. We both respond no.
Then he asks Mary Grace:
William: Mary Grace, did you rip my shaak?
Mary Grace: No, I did not rip your shark
William: Well, I'm going to blame you anyway.
Thankfully there was no swift retribution.
So William asks Anne and I if we ripped his shark. We both respond no.
Then he asks Mary Grace:
William: Mary Grace, did you rip my shaak?
Mary Grace: No, I did not rip your shark
William: Well, I'm going to blame you anyway.
Thankfully there was no swift retribution.
Thursday, November 03, 2011
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
Halloween!
This year, like the last, we group trick or treated for maximum enjoyment. Here are the kids walking down to the meeting house in costume.
Although we were a little late, we got a pseudo-group photo anyway, this one in front of our house.
After 1.5 hours of candy collecting, the kids rushed home to sort their candy, they even think this is the best part.
William proclaimed before falling asleep that THIS WAS THE BEST HALLOWEEN EVER!
Although we were a little late, we got a pseudo-group photo anyway, this one in front of our house.
After 1.5 hours of candy collecting, the kids rushed home to sort their candy, they even think this is the best part.
William proclaimed before falling asleep that THIS WAS THE BEST HALLOWEEN EVER!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
More words that William has misunderstood
I think I've blogged it before, but he still pronounces his last name "Schriver". You wish, W.
Also he still says "eye bulb" instead of "eye ball"
And a new one is "apple cidern" instead of "apple cider".
As I lay in bed with him at night listening to him talk about the days events, I remark how amazing it is that at 5 year old (and even earlier), kids have so much ability to communicate. He's constantly adding new words to his vocabulary and can express his thoughts very clearly.
Also he still says "eye bulb" instead of "eye ball"
And a new one is "apple cidern" instead of "apple cider".
As I lay in bed with him at night listening to him talk about the days events, I remark how amazing it is that at 5 year old (and even earlier), kids have so much ability to communicate. He's constantly adding new words to his vocabulary and can express his thoughts very clearly.
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