The Dennison's

Day Out with Thomas...

2011-10-10T14:07:00.003-04:00

So Chase is really into choo-choo's and Thomas right now (I think most 2 year old boys are?) and we watch a lot of the show, so Audrey is pretty into it too (she knows all the trains names, I still don't know how, they all look the same to me). I found out a couple weeks ago that there was a "Day out with Thomas" event at a local place and knew we had to go. They had it at a place call Edaville Railroad, which we had been to last Christmas to see the lights and knew the kids would love it.

Audrey really surprised both Charlie and I and was really into all of the rides. They have a ton of the old school fair type rides and she wanted to go on everything and had no problem waiting in lines. Chase on the other hand wanted nothing to do with the rides for the first hour we were there.

Then we went on the train ride, which both kids loved. They had a "thomas" at the front of the train and you go for 20 minutes or so around cranberry bogs and stuff, it is pretty neat.

After that Chase must have gotten a second wind because he finally decided he wanted to go on the rides. Or kind of. This was him eagerly waiting to go on the ride...

And this is him during the ride, scared stiff...

But he got on another one with Audrey this time...

Big truck, always a hit...

We are planning on heading back in December, they have a Polar Express event this year which I think will be a lot of fun.

Seven Years...

2011-09-26T19:45:00.003-04:00

Charlie and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary yesterday, how crazy is that??? It was an unusually warm day just like our wedding day which was kind of odd (80 degrees, where is the fall weather I have been waiting for???). I have to say we didn't do much in the way of celebrating this year, but we did have an awesome family day with our 2 favorite little people. We went to Castle Island in the morning and watched airplanes take off and land over our heads, watched huge ships come to dock (and small boats enjoying the gorgeous day), played on the play ground and enjoyed some yummy hot dogs and fries. We weren't able to get a sitter so we had planned on going out as a family but that didn't end up panning out (2 cranky kids = not a fun dining out experience) so we cut our losses, ate at home and went out for ice cream.Worked for me. We may just have to go out while my mom is in town in a couple of weeks for a belated adult night out...

Here's to many more years of happy marriage with never a dull moment... Can't believe how close we are getting to the 10 year mark! Can't wait for that celebration :)

(Pre) School Year 2011 has Begun....

2011-09-16T11:09:00.004-04:00

Audrey has been waiting all summer to go back to school and this week was finally the first week back... It has definitely been an adjustment week for all... Audrey is going full day this year 3 days a week and has been absolutely exhausted when she gets home, Chase is adjusting to Audrey going to school and him going to Nancy's (which he is not happy about) and Charlie and I are adjusting to the new schedule of dropping and picking the kids up from different places.

The first day went well for Audrey and horrible for Chase, something I wasn't quite prepared for... Audrey was almost peeing her pants from the moment she got up til the moment I left her at school. She is thrilled to be bringing her lunch this year (something I must admit I am not so thrilled about, packing a lunch already is not so fun) and has a new back pack which she loves. Chase on the other hand is NOT happy that he is not going to school with Audrey. He knows he is missing out and broke my heart Monday morning expressing his disappointment. He has a backpack now (thanks to the Garrity's!) that he brings to Nancy's which he loves and I am hoping makes him feel like he is going to school too... Audrey of course is so reassuring " Chase don't worry, you can go to school NEXT year"... He made quite a scene being dropped off at Nancy's Monday but has been much better since so I have my fingers crossed that was a 1 time event...

I'm excited to see what all Audrey does and learns this year. I have already been reminded how little info she gives out about her day (me: Audrey - what did you do today? audrey: I love pasta! (or insert some other random comment)" so I need to be better about asking her teachers what she is doing...

End of Summer 2011...

2011-09-05T16:50:00.001-04:00

Well Labor Day weekend has flown by, which is just unbelievable... On one hand I am ready for the crisp fall mornings and football season to start, but I am also sad that summer is all but gone... We had a laid back weekend which was much needed... We spent most of the weekend at home, but did make a trip into the "see-tee" on Sunday (city for those that don't know Chase speak). We have gave the kids the option of going to the beach or going into the city and they both wanted to head downtown so we got in the car and went. We hadn't been in awhile which always makes me sad because the kids love it there, as do I... We went to the Common and Public Gardens this trip and found lots to do... Audrey enjoyed the carousel ride...

We went to the playground, then had a picnic lunch and then went and splashed around at Frog Pond.

We walked over to the Gardens and saw the ducklings (real and statues) and also some swans...

The kids got balloon flowers from a nice man on the bridge and humored us parents with some pictures...

We ended the day with ice cream from Charles Street, yummy... I'm hoping to get back soon. We saw tons of Duck Boats all day and I want to do that with the kids on the next trip, I think they will love them...

Happy Labor Day to you all! Hope you had a wonderful weekend with your friends and family...

Hilton Head...

2011-08-28T11:36:00.021-04:00

I've been totally MIA from the blog world this summer... It has been a busy one, with lots of fun times and beach days. We capped off the summer with a week long vacation to Hilton Head with our good friends the Meisbergers and had a blast! We decided to drive down there, since we figured we needed all of our beach gear and it would be fairly expensive to fly. I dreaded the drive, about 18 hours, with a 2 and a 4 year old and having the spend 2 days each way on the road. Surprisingly the drive wasn't too bad... We hit some traffic but the kids were troopers, though they both had their moments, Audrey needing to poop immediately while we were stuck in 4 lanes of NYC traffic and Chase eating a crayon and promptly throwing up all over himself and anything near by.

But we got there, and once we did it was amazing! Hilton Head is gorgeous and the house we stayed at was amazing. We were a very short walk to the beach which was perfect with the 4 kids under 5 years old... It was really my ideal vacation, we woke up every morning and went to the beach. The kids were actually on board with that plan which made life easier, I was waiting for them mid-week to hate the beach but they seemed to find something to do everyday...

Audrey and Kiersten were big into boogy boarding...

Charlie made a massive sand castle one day which the kids had a lot of fun helping build and playing in...

The "2 year olds"...

Audrey & Kiersten, aka "the big girls"...

Sibling Love...

Our attempt at a family photo. One of these days we will get one with all 4 looking 1/2 decent. I can't wait to have 5 people to try and take a picture of...

Picture Perfect...

2011-07-24T10:18:00.003-04:00

So Charlie's mother asked for a picture of the 2 kids together this week, and I laughed at the request. I think I actually said sure, as long as hell freezes over. It is tough enough to get one of them to look good in a picture and it is impossible to get a picture of both kids actually looking at the camera. Well, yesterday we were at the beach and they were sitting in the back of the car and we took out the camera and guess what? We got one! I had to share... This should hold everyone over for a couple of months and may even end up on one of my walls... Then hell would have officially frozen over (not my strong suit for those of you that don't know, lots of pictures, but NONE in my house!)...

Audrey's Once Upon A Time Rainbow Party...

2011-06-13T12:50:00.014-04:00

Well, Audrey's 4th birthday party has come and gone, and hopefully it was worth the wait for her! Many of you know that we have been talking about her party for months, I bet since right after Christmas. She was changing the theme she wanted on a daily basis and driving me a little batty (yes, I kept asking her, that part was my fault)... She was in between a pirate, princess, ballerina, you name it theme and one day announced she wanted a rainbow party as well. So, we ended up with a Once Upon a Time with a Rainbow Color scheme. Wasn't sure how I was going to pull that one off but it came together pretty well. She had a girls only party again which I think all of her friends enjoy. There were 11 of them all in party dresses, too cute. The only down side of the party was the weather, it rained on and off the entire party. But I set everything up inside and it worked alright. It stopped raining long enough for us to do a scavenger hunt outside which was nice and the girls had a lot of fun with. The party ended with cupcakes and tons of other sugary treats (marshmallow pops, oreo balls, ice cream, etc), the best part of a party right? Now I get a couple of months off before we need to start talking about her next party... Thank goodness we have a couple of holidays in between...

Birthday Week...

2011-06-12T14:09:00.007-04:00

So we just finished with Audrey's "birthday week" and I have to tell you I am exhausted! It was a lot of fun but all good things must come to an end and I am not overly upset about it... She had a fabulous week, got a ton of awesome gifts (thank you everyone!) and consumed more sugar than I care to admit. Her party was yesterday and other than it raining, I think it was a success... I'm working on the pictures from it, I will post soon. You can probably see there was a rainbow theme going on this year:)

She got a big girl bike from mom and dad (and cute dress from Grammy & Pappa:)... Can someone tell me why they can't make a bike that is just plain pink or purple or whatever? Why does there need to be all the crap all over all of the little girl bikes???

4 Years Old...

2011-06-08T10:28:00.002-04:00

Somehow my baby girl turned 4 years old yesterday, where on earth does the time go???? As many of you know, Audrey has been talking about her birthday since after Christmas, so there was a bit of lead up to the actual day. She had a day full of parties and sugar - what more could you ask for?? She started off with her last day of pre-school, then had a party at daycare then came home open more gifts and have cake and ice cream with her good friend Izzie and her family. She went to bed last night asking if tomorrow is her birthday too... I had to break the news that it is over (thank god!) but that her party is on Saturday... Should be a lot of fun!

Happy Birthday Audrey Elizabeth! May you look forward to every birthday like this one!

Things that Go...

2011-05-15T13:59:00.019-04:00

So after a TON of planning, yesterday was finally Chase's 2nd Birthday Party... I am happy to say that Mother Nature cooperated this year which I was thrilled with (the weather was not perfect, but definitely good enough!). The party was a ton of fun and we were so lucky to have tons of close friends and neighbors join us to celebrate!

You all know by now I am a bit obsessed with party planning, so I really wanted to do some fun stuff for his party. Picking a theme was kind of no brainer. Chase loves anything with wheels, so I decided to do a "things that go" theme with cars, trucks, trains & planes. I had a lot of fun with all of the decorations, but my favorite was the desert table. It was a huge hit with the kids and the adults, who doesn't love desert?

On to Audrey's party now... She will not stop talking about her birthday so I have some major pressure delivering a perfect party for her... If she could only pick a theme we would be all set!

The Mississippi Delta...

2011-05-15T13:47:00.007-04:00

We went down to Greenwood, Mississippi last weekend for Charlie's cousins wedding and had a blast. It was quit a trip down there (3 hour flight + 2 hour car drive) but it was well worth it. His entire family was there and it was great to spend time with everyone. The best part is the cousins getting together (young & old). We don't get to see each other more than once a year, but make it count when we do. The girls had an awesome time together, and Chase held his own... Congrats to Chris and Shelby! They are a beautiful couple and we wish them years of happiness!

Two Years Old...

2011-05-09T20:23:00.007-04:00

My baby boy turned 2 today! I cannot believe that it has been 2 years already, I say this with every birthday I think, but it is so true... I remember giving birth to my "little" boy like it was yesterday... Chase is the sweetest little boy. I am so in love with his personality, it is a wonderful mix of laid back, playful and attitude all in one (don't mess with the kid!). His birthday has been fully celebrated already and there is more to come. We were lucky enough to see all of Charlie's family this past weekend and celebrated with them. Tonight the 4 of us celebrated with some balloons, cupcakes and gifts (what more could you ask for at 2?). His actual party is on Saturday and are excited to celebrate with our friends... Fingers crossed for good weather!

Happy Birthday Chase!
I love you and look forward to many many more birthdays to come...

Happy Easter...

2011-04-24T15:05:00.007-04:00

Happy Easter to all! Hope you had a fabulous day! We have had a wonderful day overall, the Easter Bunny was very good to the kids and the weather is gorgeous (70's, love it!). Miss Audrey woke up this morning not feeling well, but rallied well with the egg hunt and finding of the Easter baskets, oh and the eating of all of the chocolate. We made it to church, though didn't stay the entire time (hey, we tried). We managed to get a couple pictures of the kids while they were dressed up, most of them goofy but cute just the same...

P.S. Mom, this is why I am getting professional pictures taken next weekend :)

Neighborhood Egg Hunt...

2011-04-23T13:52:00.007-04:00

We have wonderful neighbors and one couple in particular has a ton of parties at their house, pretty much one for every season. They do an egg hunt every year (click here to see pix from past egg hunts) and it is quite the event. There are over 100 people there and they hide 1400 plastic eggs for the kids to go find in the yard (this is Charlie's number, he counted them this year). It is a little overwhelming with so many kids but a lot of fun. Mother Nature did not cooperate this year which was a bummer. It was pretty much pouring rain during the hunt, but it didn't deter the kids at all! Audrey was super serious this year and kept going around picking up eggs (there is a 13 egg max per kid that she didn't care to adhere to). Chase on the other hand was not interested at all. He stood and looked at the eggs (notice the egg at his feet in the pictures) and Charlie but them in his basket. Maybe next year... Audrey is counting down til when the Easter Bunny comes, she is super excited this year (mainly because she knows the eggs are filled with candy) so tomorrow should be fun... It is supposed to be 65, fingers crossed!

Easter Eggs...

2011-04-23T13:37:00.009-04:00

So, my mother reminded me this week that I have never died eggs with my kids, which made me feel kind of bad. Like what kind of mom doesn't die Easter Eggs with their kids every year? This one apparently. I'm not sure why I haven't, I think I thought Audrey was too young, then Chase was too young, and just didn't do it. So I of course had to go out this week and get white eggs and die so we could do it this year. It has been raining all day here so this morning was a perfect time to tackle this project. It went pretty much as I had expected, Chase was interested for about 1 minute, died 2 eggs and broke about 4. Audrey got really into it and did all 12 eggs by herself. The glitter was the best part, staying true to her pre-school teacher Miss Robin always saying you need to add a little glitter to any project.

At the Playground...

2011-04-03T13:26:00.006-04:00

After very crappy weather this week (it snowed on Friday, I mean really, hasn't Mother Nature been cruel enough to us this winter??) we were thrilled to have a gorgeous weekend. Its sunny and 50's, I'll take it right now! The kids wanted to go to the playground so we headed over there late morning. I haven't been in awhile, Charlie has been taking the kids by himself, and I was shocked to see some of the stuff Audrey is doing all of the sudden. Since last fall she is going down the fire mans pole alone, climbing up the rock wall with no help and just looking like a big kid in general. Crazy... Our goals to be able to do by the end of the summer are a) pump on the swing (she has not gotten this one yet for some reason) and b) do the monkey bars alone. We will see... Come on spring, come and stay! We want to play outside all day!

Twenty Two Months...

2011-03-06T13:34:00.008-05:00

How on earth did my baby get to be almost 2??? I'm at the "he'll be 2 in May" point when people ask me how old he is which is just crazy. Though I'm having a hard time the the "she'll be 4 in June" for Audrey too, but that is a different post... Chase continues to be Chase and is such a fun loving kid. His laugh is contagious. His favorite activities right now are: running (or galloping) in circles around the house (especially right before bed time), "helping" with everything I do (making coffee, cooking dinner, you name it), and doing anything and everything his sister is doing (for better or worse). There is no more getting 1 of something. If Audrey has something, Chase must have it as well. Which is proving to be tricky at dinner when Audrey eats and Chase doesn't, he doesn't quite get "no treat for you" just yet... He loves anything with wheels or that moves (hint hint for probably birthday party theme) and loves being in the car and pointing out all of the trucks, buses, cars, garbage trucks, etc. He knows what a bulldozer, loader and excavator are and what they do (do you?). Yes, he's a boy. His talking is coming along, or his words are coming along I should say. One day we will fully understand him, hopefully sooner than later...

Audrey's "Smile"...

2011-03-06T13:24:00.005-05:00

Audrey has gone thru quite a long phase where she refuses to look at the camera when I try and take a picture. Lately she has been asking to have her picture taken, which is great, I will finally have pictures of her looking at the camera, right? The answer is yes, but with this smile... Baby steps...

Valentine's Day 2011...

2011-02-14T08:35:00.007-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day to all! Hope you have a sweet day and spend it with the ones you love... And maybe get treated to some chocolate cake like the ones that I love...

St. Lucia...

2011-02-01T15:32:00.010-05:00

So we just got back from a much needed vacation to St. Lucia and it was amazing! It was much needed for 2 reasons, 1) we have not been on vacation alone in several years (since before I was pregnant with Chase) and 2) we have multiple feet of snow on the ground and were in desperate need of some beach time!

View from the plane while landing... Not a bad way to start vacation right?

I have to admit we chose our resort more than we actually chose the island of St. Lucia to visit, but it is absolutely gorgeous! Our resort was an hour and a half drive from the airport, which was not ideal and caused us to down Dramamine, but it gave us complete tour of the island which was cool. We saw all the main towns, plenty of banana plants, gorgeous mountains, went thru the rain forest, all while driving on the left hand side of VERY windy roads.

We stayed at a resort called Ti Kaye Village which I fell in love with while booking the vacation thru the website and pictures. It did not disappoint, I would definitely recommend it! The resort is in the middle of nowhere and is perched on top of a cliff on the edge of the ocean. The view from our room was breathtaking water view, perfect. We spent the entire vacation on the beach, basking (ok maybe frying) in the sun, reading (actual adult books, 2 of them, what a concept) and drinking Piton's and pina coladas which is just how we like it. The beach was on an inlet where tons of boats came all day long to bring people snorkeling, which was amusing to watch. Hence all the picture of boats...

And last but not least, here is Charlie's dream boat... I will let you know when we make our millions and make the purchase... Or maybe not, as we won't have internet access floating around the carribean...

Sunday Snuggling...

2011-01-23T14:28:00.006-05:00

I left the kids in the living room watching a show before their naps this afternoon. I came back into the room and this is what I found... So sweet...

Cake Balls...

2011-01-22T20:17:00.010-05:00

So do you all know what Cake Balls and Cake Pops are??? Bakerella has made them pretty popular so you probably have.If you have not had them you must, you have no idea what you are missing... They are the easiest thing to make, you take a cake, crumble it, mix it with frosting, roll into balls and dip into melted chocolate. But they are so yummy, like little truffles... Audrey and I made some today, strawberry cake with pink frosting for early Valentine's Day... These little things...
Made these smiles... Love it...

Izzie's Party...

2011-01-22T20:05:00.003-05:00

Today was Audrey's friend Izzie's birthday party, and Audrey won't stop talking about it! Granted she loves parties, but all she has said all day is "Izzie's party was the BEST ever!". It was a brilliant idea for a winter birthday party. A local bakery, Ginger Betty's hosts parties and the kids got to decorate 2 huge gingerbread cookies with their own icing bag and every kind of candy imaginable. The girls were in heaven, and my sugar queen Audrey was no exception. The difference between Audrey and the other girls is she meticulously put candy on her cookie, Smarties to be exact, and the other girls were done by the time she had finished her 1st cookie. She lately has been showing traits of Charlie and I and all I could think watching her was "That is SO Charlie"... So here is the master piece in case you were wondering... I piped the icing, Audrey did the rest...

The birthday girl... They brought out a plain white cake and she got to decorate it with a girl that worked there, pretty cool idea...

Waiting patiently for her cake to come... Like she needed any more sugar...

Snow Day...

2011-01-12T13:25:00.011-05:00

Well, we went to bed last night with no snow falling and woke up this morning with 8 - 10" on the ground. It has continued to snow all day and while we didn't get the "blizzard" they had predicted we sure are getting a ton of snow! The whole family had a snow day as there was no way we were driving into work in this. While Charlie was doing all the dirty work of snow blowing us out (and the rest of the neighborhood), the kids got geared up to go play. We missed the last big storm so Audrey was really excited to get out in it! I'm thrilled she likes the snow finally, I don't have to watch the rest of the neighborhood sledding while we sit inside and watch out the window. Chase is not overly impressed with the snow. He wants to be out in it and watch Charlie shovel and snow blow, but he wants to do this while being held which is overly difficult to do for a long period of time (his weight and slippery snow pants!).... Audrey loved sledding next door too, hopefully we can go back out after her nap. I didn't bring the camera over there which was too bad, watching the girls sled was priceless...

Twenty Months...

2011-01-11T15:17:00.005-05:00

So I just re-read my 18 month post for Chase and laughed because not a ton has changed. Which is just fine. He is still a sweet momma's boy with a nice dose of temper thrown in when he doesn't get what he wants. He is enjoying the snow we have gotten, which makes me happy because Audrey hated the snow at this age as I am sure most of you remember. Chase actually doesn't like the actual snow, but he likes that snow means he gets to shovel. With any shovel he can find. Or broom, or anything else with a long handle... Kind of funny, expect when you want to bring him inside and he has different thoughts... His talking has improved in the past couple of months but he is still far from actually "talking". The number of words he uses seems to increase on a daily basis which is good, but we still tons of grunts and noises that are supposed to mean something which is frustrating for us and him. He is still just as cute as ever (I am not biased at all:), take a look for yourself...

Grandpa Lutz...

2011-01-08T11:23:00.006-05:00

My grandfather, Robert Charles Lutz, passed away on Thursday. He was 95 years old,and lived an amazing and full life. I am so happy that he was able to meet Chase at Christmas before he passed, we cut it a little close there. I am headed to MI in a couple of hours to attend his funeral and celebrate his life with my family. I have many wonderful memories with him and my Grandma and can't wait to reminisce and have a drink in his memory, just as he would want... RIP Grandpa Lutz, you will be missed!

Christmas 2010...

2011-01-02T11:10:00.013-05:00

Well, I'm a little behind, writing about Christmas New Years weekend... What are you going to do... We had a wonderful Christmas this year (as always) and spent it in Ann Arbor with my family. We chose to drive this year instead of fly as it made sense cost and space wise (gifts are tough to fit in checked bags!). I have to say it worked out pretty well. It was a 12 hour drive and the kids did great both ways, thanks mainly to the ipad and new DVD's we got for Christmas. We had not been to Ann Arbor in 2 years which is crazy (Chase had never been) so it was good to be home and to see lots of family. We went up to see my dad's family on Christmas Eve and Chase got to meet his great grandpa, great aunt and cousins for the first time which was awesome. Christmas was a whirl wind but so much fun. We had a packed house with all of my family plus my sisters boyfriend who flew in from Australia (makes our 12 hr drive seem piddly eh?) which makes to holidays so much fun. Audrey really got Christmas this year, it was the first year she got that Santa was coming and talked about Christmas constantly for the month of December (first year "you need to be nice because Santa is watching" worked too, nice!). Chase was along for the ride and enjoyed all of the new stuff, but really just played with my moms broom the entire time... We didn't take many pictures for some reason (which is too bad because my Christmas gift was a new lens for my camera) but here are a couple...

Bringing in 2011...

2011-01-01T13:24:00.008-05:00

We had a great New Years Eve, it was just the way I like it... We stayed local and had our neighbors over for some yummy apps and drinks (I love any excuse to drink prosecco :). The kids had fun (though they totally don't get "new years eve") and got to throw confetti, decorate their own party hats and enjoy some pop rocks, brownies and other goodies.

Welcome 2011! 2010 was a good one, I can only imagine what is in store in 2011... Happy New Years to you all! Cheers!

Merry Christmas...

2010-12-21T10:30:00.005-05:00

To all our family and friends (or whoever actually reads this thing), wishing you a fabulous Christmas! I hope Santa is good to you and your children, hopefully they end up on the "nice" list and not the "naughty" list (we have been working VERY hard on that this week in our house)... We leave early Thursday morning to drive to Ann Arbor to spend Christmas with my family. Please be thinking of us during our 12 hour drive with 2 young kids, its going to be interesting... Safe travels, peace, love and joy to you all!

p.s. this is what your Christmas card was SUPPOSED to look like... the numbers are a secret code that we will have to kill you if we told you what they meant...

Fun in the Car...

2010-11-30T10:28:00.006-05:00

Who knew? Some of the best pix we got all weekend were in the car coming home on Saturday night...

Festival of Lights...

2010-11-30T10:21:00.013-05:00

I have tried to post this since Thanksgiving, where has the time gone? I won't write much, but we went to a place call Edaville Railroad of Thanksgiving weekend and had a blast. It is an old school carnival type place with rides and a train. They have a festival of lights event where the whole park is lite up and I thought it would be fun to try this year. Audrey absolutely LOVED it! Which kind of surprised me honestly. She LOVED the rides and had Charlie and I wait in line for 20 minutes to go on the ferris wheel... Best part was I was scared to death and she was in heaven!

Giving Thanks...

2010-11-27T12:10:00.004-05:00

I have so much to be thankful for... A wonderful husband, 2 beautiful healthy kids I am able to provide for, loving parents, wonderful family and friends, and so much more. Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and have taken the weekend to reflect on what you are thankful for...

Audrey had a feast at her pre-school that Charlie and I went to last week. Really really cute...

My New Favorite Place...

2010-11-16T14:44:00.007-05:00

So I have lived in Boston for close to 10 years (that makes me sound old, eh?) and I am kind of embarrassed to admit I just found a new cool place. Recently I found my new favorite place, Castle Island in South Boston. Ok, my neighbors introduced me and told us about a fun and free Halloween festival there at Halloween time. So it is my new favorite place because it is thee best place to take pictures. There is this awesome stone castle which is an awesome back drop, the water, a beach, grassy hills and a play ground for the kids to play at after the photo shoot... In fact I just dragged the family there last Sunday to do a photo shoot for our Christmas card. I don't want to spoil our card this year (if you want a sneak peak look at Chase's 18 month pix) but here are the pix from the Halloween festival a couple weekends back...

Eighteen Months...

2010-11-10T21:29:00.008-05:00

{note, this was written last week but I never posted it!} So Chase turned 18 months this week. And he is one busy little boy... He is a momma's boy and a crazy man all in one... He continues to be a boys boys, and loves trucks, balls and to throw things (which kind of drives me nuts). He loves his big sister and loves to do whatever she does, right or wrong. He loves to eat, not veggies but just about anything else that you put on his plate. He is still not talking with words... He has a couple basics, momma (of course), hi, bye, ball, da-da... But he communicates just fine and gets his point across with no issue and certainly understands everything we say. He just started to really like books which is fun since Audrey has never been a huge book girl, especially at his age. Our big issue right now is he is hitting which I am less than thrilled with. It is not malicious most of the time, he thinks it is playing and funny. I keep blaming it on a kid at daycare but he is a boy and I guess this is the phase? Hopefully... We had his 18 month well visit and I am happy to report that he is finally on the chart for weight after all this time! Stats are: 31 lbs 2 oz (95th percentile) and 34" (90th percentile).

The Fairy and the Dragon...

2010-11-01T20:14:00.009-04:00

We had a successful costume year in the Dennison household... Audrey picked out her costume for the first time which was exciting for me. She chose a fairy costume weeks ago, and joined the other 90% of 3 year olds that were fairies & princesses this year. I'm totally ok with that. She loved it, looked adorable and it even proved to be a great costume for layering which was key since it was freezing out when the sun went down.

Chase was another matter. We had 3 costumes for him at one point, a lion, a monkey (both hand me downs) and a dragon I bought. He hated them all. I finally got him in the monkey costume last weekend and it seemed that was a go. I returned the dragon even though I loved it but couldn't justify the money when who knew if he would wear it. Fast forward to Saturday night before Halloween and I was in Old Navy with the kids returning something and stumbled upon their costume rack. All at $5. And there was a dragon. And it was freaking cute. I put it on him in the store and he ran off and left it on til we got home. So Chase was a dragon, and darn cute if I do say so (the tail was the best!). It again was a warm costume which worked well and he kept it on all night so what more could I ask for...

Halloween 2010...

2010-11-01T20:09:00.013-04:00

Happy Belated Halloween to everyone! Hope you all had as much fun as we did... We had a full day of pumpkin carving, pre-trick-or-treating party at our neighbors and of course some trick or treating... Trick or treating was different than normal this year. First of all Charlie's mom was in town, which was great to begin with, but was doubly great in that she manned the door while Charlie and I both went out trick or treating with the kids. I usually stay home and give out candy and I have always felt like I was missing out so I was excited to go this year. I will say it was much different then I was expecting. Honestly it was exhausting! I never realized how many steps people in our neighborhood have (I'm talking 10 steps on most houses)! This is tiring enough, but I ended up carrying Chase up and/or down the steps trying to keep up with the group (we still were way behind but that is another story). Second of all, Audrey has always had a fear of dogs which lately has become really bad. The first house we went to had a dog that was at the door and Audrey screamed like she had seen a ghost or something. After that we saw multiple dogs and she was not happy and wanted to go home. We finally calmed her down, skipped the houses we knew had dogs and walked her up to each door because she was freaked out. Definitely not the experience she had last year running with her friend Izzie from house to house. Which is ok. She had fun and got PLENTY of candy... But Chase ended up being the trick or treating champ this year. He LOVED it and got mad when we went home! He was running down the street in between houses and went up to the doors and put his bag out for candy. If they let you take it, he took multiple pieces... It was pretty funny...

My attempt at getting a family picture. Everyone is at least looking at the camera for once...

Pumpkins...

2010-10-30T12:00:00.008-04:00

Pickin' out their pumpkins... Fun that they actually want to do it this year! The squirrels ate Charlie and I's pumpkins this year which was pretty cool... Have I ever said how much I hate squirrels???

Halloween Preview...

2010-10-27T09:32:00.004-04:00

We had a practice run of Halloween last Saturday so that Audrey could teach Chase how to properly trick or treat... It went well and the good news is both got in their costumes and wore them for awhile so I have high hopes for the day of (my kids are none for NOT liking costumes if you do recall)... Should be fun this year, I am really looking forward to it...

BFF's...

2010-10-26T12:51:00.004-04:00

It is a rare moment when Audrey and Izzie actually ACT like BFF's (they talk about each other ALL the time, but when together the love is not always there)... And when they do, they couldn't be cuter, in matching fleeces and all...

Apple Picking...

2010-10-17T14:04:00.012-04:00

I am so behind on pictures I can't believe it... We went to our favorite apple orchard, Honey Pot Farms several weekends ago with our friends the Careys... It was a gorgeous day and a ton of fun. We go there every year, but this is the first year we actual went and picked apples. Weird I know, but the kids have been too little and the farm animals, donuts and pumpkins are usually just about all we need. The picking was fun, though I ran after Chase the majority of the time... They had actual ladders to climb up on some of the trees which I thought was cool. Good photo opts at least... Needless to say we have been eating apples since then...

Six Years...

2010-09-25T17:58:00.004-04:00

Six year ago today, Charlie and I got married. It was as warm that day as it is today (85, where is fall???) and I remember it like it was yesterday...

We are going to dinner to celebrate. Nothing crazy, but a dinner out alone does not occur very often so I will take it. Here's to many many more years of marriage, I love you Charlie!

Chase & Katelyn...

2010-09-19T13:44:00.012-04:00

The Carey Family came over yesterday for an afternoon of catching up. We hadn't seen them since before the 4th with everyone's crazy schedules! I have posted about Chase & Katelyn before, here, they are a month apart which is so fun. Yesterday I got some adorable pictures of the 2 of them. They are at such a fun age and are finally interacting and playing with each other and Audrey. The big hit was running around the circle in our house, all 3 chasing each other and screeching... Oh the simple life...

Audrey's 1st Day of Pre-school...

2010-09-14T10:39:00.012-04:00

Today was Audrey's 1st Day of Pre-School and she couldn't have been more excited! We have talked a lot about school and she loves the concept, especially the idea of packing her backpack and riding the school bus. I had to burst her bubble that mommy was taking her and not the school bus, but we did get to go outside and watch the middle school bus come which was cool. Though I thought she was going to run over and jump on without me!

She did awesome at school, which I was a little nervous about, she is kind of a wild card depending on her mood. I dropped her off and she ran from one thing to another playing with all the toys. I said good-bye and she said she would see me when I picked her up and kept playing. Alrighty then. I picked her up (which was quite an experience, the parents line up in the hallway and they bring out the kids 1 by 1, kind of weird) and she ran to me and said how much fun she had had and started rambling about everything they did.

So I think it was a success! Our schedule is a little crazy, I'm driving Chase to Nancy's, then Audrey to school, then picking her up and bringing her to Nancy's to finish out her day. I'm sure once we get into the swing it will be fine.

Corn Festival...

2010-09-12T14:31:00.007-04:00

One of my neighbors told me about this Corn Festival in a town near us that was this weekend. Sounds kind of funny, but I thought it could be fun and seemed like a good activity to get us out of the house on a gorgeous fall day. It turned out to be pretty fun... It had a bunch of stuff for the kids, a hayride, animals, games, a guy making balloon sculptures (Audrey got a princess hat, whatever that is). And then there was the food, corn chowder in a bread bowl plus lots of other things, yumm... It was a good introduction to fall. It is here and I am pretty darn excited. Football has start and apple picking is around the corner, can't wait!

Chase's One Year Photos?

2010-09-11T14:25:00.006-04:00

Poor Chase is 16 months old and still hasn't had his 1 year professional pictures taken. Many of you know that we have gotten family pictures taken by the same photographers for the past 3 years (they also did our wedding 6 years ago). I of course assumed that they would be doing Chase's one year photos this year and was so excited about it. Well to my surprise and disappointment they are no longer doing portraits, which has left me not knowing what to do. Finding a photographer is SO hard, and finding one you love and is really great is even harder! So, as I procrastinate with the task of finding someone, Chase has to live with these as his 1 year photos for now. Taken by his so-not-professional mother...

Sixteen Months...

2010-09-09T11:09:00.012-04:00

Pictures certainly say a thousand words... Chase is Mr. Personality, with lots of smiles and a little bit of attitude mixed in. I have said more than once lately that I would love to clone him, he is so freaking sweet. Though nothing gets past, if Audrey is eating chocolate pudding for dessert, Chase will not have it any other way than him eating chocolate pudding too. I mean that is fair right?

End of Summer '10...

2010-09-06T14:54:00.014-04:00

We have had an awesome Labor Day so far... The weather has been picture perfect (thank goodness Earle decided NOT to put a damper on the weekend weather!): blue skies, crisp mornings and warm afternoons. Sounds like fall has arrived, eh?

Saturday, we went into the city and:

Saw the water and lots of boats...
Went to the playground and hung around...

Audrey went on her 1st carousel ride...And LOVED it! Me not so much, I forgot how dizzy those things make you...

Chase patiently waited for Audrey to finish...

We grabbed lunch in our old stomping grounds, the North End. We got subs at Il Panino Express and of course had to get some canolis at Modern Pastry - YUMM!! Audrey had another treat in mind, she saw a chocolate concoction and HAD to have it... Here her and Chase are enjoying...

Sunday we had neighbors over for a bbq. So much fun! Lots of food, drinks, good times, jumping in the bouncy house and perhaps some bags being played.

Hope you all had and awesome Labor Day weekend too! Here's to fall, I have to admit I am kind of ready for it. I mean football is back on, enough said right???

My BIG Girl...

2010-08-27T14:17:00.012-04:00

Well I feel like I am constantly writing about Chase and not so much about Audrey. So I decided to give her an entire post to herself just for the heck of it. She is growing up SO quickly it is crazy. The biggest deal was her getting potty trained this summer! We talked and talked about it and she had no interest in it forever. Finally the week before we went on vacation (4th of July week) she decided she was ready and went from diapers to none in a day. Oh how I love not buying diapers for both of them!

Audrey starts pre-school in a couple weeks which is exciting and overwhelming all at the same time. How is she old enough for pre-school??? She is very excited about "school" and I know she is just going to love it. She is going to be a little upset when I drive her instead of the school bus picking her up (she wants to ride the bus SO bad!).

She has become quite the big girl this summer which has been fun and frustrating to watch. She has turned into quite the little boss and is very opinionated on everything. She is very clear what she wants and doesn't want, which is great except when she can't have what she "really wants". I have found myself in constant battles with her arguing over the silliest things. She argues because she "wants it" and I argue back because I'm supposed to be in charge... Right?? She has become very picky about what she wears and we spend a great deal of the time the morning discussing which dress she is going to wear. She will only wear dresses and has only a few that make the cut weekly which proves to be challenging when one of them is dirty. I am a little nervous about her fall wardrobe, but I think it will be fun for her to go pick out some clothes at the stores herself for the first time (she picked out shoes today, not shoes I would EVER buy, but she liked them so who am I to say no).

She seems to like being a big sister which makes me so happy. Chase loves her and always wants to be right next to her doing what she is doing. She is adapting to this, and depending on her mood is a great with him or horrible. Her mood dictates the household to be honest, we cross our fingers at night that she is in a good one because it makes for a much more pleasant evening... She is the sweetest thing when she wants to be but I have no doubt I have met my match...

Beach, beach and more beach...

2010-08-27T14:11:00.011-04:00

We have had thee best weather this summer I could not be happier! Which means we have made it to the beach almost every weekend this year... Fall is definitely sneaking up on me (is it really Labor Day next weekend??) but we are getting as many beach days in as we can before the weather turns. The kids continue to love going to the beach which couldn't make Charlie and I any happier. While neither kid is into the water, they keep occupied for hours digging in the sand and running around. We have another heat wave this weekend, I will take this weather while I can!

fifteen months...

2010-08-09T15:39:00.010-04:00

So I missed 13 & 14 months, where did the summer go??? Chase is rapidly turning into a full fledge toddler, which is both scary and exciting at the same time. He is my baby (as I remind him constantly) and it is sad to see him leaving the infant stage. But at the same time this is such a fun age and he is developing quite a personality. He is no longer my mellow baby. He is super curious, taking right after his father and sister, and is into everything… It amazes me what he gets, like that lids go on top of things and that a paint brush needs paint and just silly things that I feel like he is too young to understand. His words are far and few between, he says da-da, momma (though not to me), yes (I like this one!) and that is about it. While he is a man of little words, he communicates very well and loves to have his voice heard. It is frequent that he and Audrey run around after each other in circles each screaming as loud as they can. He will point at what he wants and take your hand and lead you to what he wants so he certainly gets his point across. And if you don’t oblige you are likely to get a mini temper tantrum, nice… Recently he has turned into Audrey’s shadow which has been difficult for both me and Audrey. He wants to do everything she does, which totally makes sense. It frustrates her because he is in her face constantly and she doesn’t understand that he wants to play. Or he will take her toy full well knowing it will make her mad, that is what little brothers are for though right? I’m having a hard time telling Audrey not to do things that she is able & aloud to do, but that Chase isn’t . I.e. jumping from the couch to the ottoman. She doesn’t get why she is being told not to do things and usually ignores me. Then I have a 15 month old doing things that he so shouldn’t be doing and freaks out when I tell him no. Good times… All in all I am happy that they are finally playing together. I am well aware I will be breaking up fights for the rest of their lives, but I’m ok with that right now.

Chase is still a pretty good eater. I won’t say he is great, he definitely has issues with texture (hates rice and that kind of stuff) and eats limited veggies, but he is ok. He is obsessed with feeding himself with a fork and spoon which is cute but proves to be very messy at mealtimes. He loves meat, grapes, yogurt, applesauce and chocolate pudding (actually anything sweet, he also got his fathers sweet tooth). We did get some disturbing news a couple of weeks ago. We found out that he is allergic to peanuts, I fact I still haven’t fully taken in. He had an incident at daycare that lead to us getting him tested and sure enough he tested positive. He is not allergic to tree nuts which I guess is good, though I don’t plan on giving him anything with nuts anytime soon. We go back in a year to re-test, but it sounds like the odds of him growing out of it are very low.

UPDATE: Chase weighed in at 30 lbs 5 oz and measured 32" at his 15 month appointment, staying on his curve, above the line for weight and 90th percentile for height...

Summertime and the Livin's Easy...

2010-08-08T17:18:00.015-04:00

If this isn't summer I don't know what is...

Afternoon on the beach with goldfish, drinks and friends...

Lobster and farmers market corn for dinner...

And a little ice cream for dessert...

Hope you are all enjoying your last days of summer as much as we are! A big thanks to Heidi & Justin for having us down to their familys beach house yesterday, we had an awesome time!

OBX = Cousins

2010-07-24T14:24:00.007-04:00

One of the best parts of vacation was that the cousins got to hang out, old and young. Charlie's cousin has 3 girls, 4, 3 and 6 months which is awesome that they are so close in age with Audrey and Chase. The girls had a blast together collecting shells, having slumber parties and playing play dough and much more. Chase enjoyed running after them way too much which is only signs of trouble to come. Liza the baby wasn't able to join in the running around fun, but I have no doubt that next time we see them she will join right in the pack... The girls are too cute, all with blonde hair and basically the same size, just look for yourself...

OBX = Awesome...

2010-07-22T16:11:00.020-04:00

So we have been back from our summer vacation to the Outer Banks for a week now, and I am so overwhelmed with all of the pictures that I have been scared to do a post! So here goes...

We drove down to the Outer Banks to spend a week with the majority of Charlie's family. I am still amazed that we were able to get everyone together for the trip. We came from all over (and all drove), his parents from Chicago, his sister from the D.C. area, and his aunt, uncle and cousins all from Tennessee. We had 13 adults and 5 kids under 5, nuts right? We rented a huge 9 bedroom house right on the beach which was pretty awesome. We woke up to the waves every morning, I really could live like that. We also had a pool which was great and worked out well for hanging out in the afternoons while the kids napped... We really did a whole lot of nothing while we there which is totally Charlie & I's style. We had awesome weather except one day that was a little overcast (and kind of welcomed because it was SO hot every day) and we took full advantage of the beach and the pool every day. The kids had fun, though doing a beach vacation is obviously a little different with kids then with just adults. Audrey had a blast with her cousins. Chase had fun, but the poor thing was off in the beginning of the week and we finally brought him to an Urgent Care clinic on Wednesday and of course the kid had an ear infection and is getting more teeth (I have no idea where they are going, his mouth is full!). Typical I guess, but he was much better the rest of the week after the medicine kicked in. Anyways, it was great spending time with family that we don't get to see enough. We even got an adult cousins dinner out which was pretty awesome! Hopefully we can do it again... Now this past week has been back to reality. Charlie and I are already planning a vacation for January sans kids, we need something to look forward to right??

Happy Birthday America...

2010-07-05T20:37:00.010-04:00

Well I can't believe that 4th of July weekend has come and gone already... It seems like it was just Memorial Day... We had an awesome weekend, I don't remember a 4th weekend with this perfect of weather. It was 90 everyday, but no humidity, just perfect beach weather. I got to spend the weekend with my bff who was in town with her boyfriend (a big thank you to Aunt Jaime for all her wonderful gifts she brought:). We spent the 4th on the beach and I couldn't have been happier. Oh and I happen to turn a year older today. For some reason it isn't bothering me. Surrounded my my wonderful family and friends, there are no complaints...

Hope all of you had the same fabulous weekend I did! We are in gearing up for vacation mode now, we leave next weekend to spend a week on the OBX wth Charlie's family, CAN'T WAIT!!!!

Love...

2010-06-20T14:37:00.005-04:00

This why we became parents...

Daddy's Request, Beach Day...

2010-06-20T14:22:00.012-04:00

Well Charlie was adamant about going to the beach this weekend, which really, you don't have to twist my arm! We had a perfect beach day yesterday, hot but with a cool breeze, love it. We headed down early with our friends Beth & Jim and Chase's girlfriend Katelyn and had a great time just sitting in the sun and relaxing (and the boys enjoyed some Father's Day refreshments).

Audrey got a kite for her birthday that she has been dying to use and it finally had its maiden flight yesterday. The breeze on the beach was perfect for kite flying. As to be expected, the thrill didn't last long for Audrey, but Chase was really into it...

Daddy's Day...

2010-06-20T13:59:00.007-04:00

We have had a great Father's Day so far (or at least I think we have, maybe Charlie thinks differently:). We went to a yummy breakfast this morning where the kids behaved the entire time, at a nice restaurant no less. We came back to hot and humid weather and spent some time outside and went on a walk. The rest of the day will be laid back and lazy with a bbq weather permitting...

Happy Father's Day to my wonderful husband... I love watching you with our kids and think you are an absolutely fabulous father. Also to my father (Grampa Greg) and father-in-law (Pappa), we love you both!

Audrey's Garden Party - Details...

2010-06-14T20:02:00.013-04:00

I had a ton of fun planning Audrey's party this year. The main reason is that Audrey is SO into parties right now for whatever reason so I wanted to make it really special for her. The other reason is that I started an etsy shop in February with a friend of mine and have been making cupcake toppers and other paper party goods for clients, so I am thinking about parties all the time!

I was hopeful that Audrey would pick a theme this year but she really didn't care, so I took it upon myself to pick one. I decided to go with a Garden Party theme, girly and fun and perfect for a summer birthday! We invited all girls and asked them all to wear their party dresses, which was adorable... I set up a long table outside for them all to sit at which worked really well (thanks to my neighbors for letting me borrow kiddy chairs so everyone could sit!). All the girls went home with a flower wand and a little goodie bag with fun stuff like a butterfly tatoo and a couple fairy silly bands (which are huge here, not sure about everywhere else in the country...). And whats a birthday party without lots of sugar? We had yummy cupcakes, marshmallow pops & ring pops, yumm... I think everyone had a great time, I know Audrey did! Now I need to explain to her that she has to wait an entire year til her next birthday, wish me luck with that...

Audrey's Garden Party...

2010-06-12T15:14:00.017-04:00

Audrey has been waiting a LONG time for her birthday party this year, and we finally had it today... It was so much fun! I decided to do a girls only garden party this year and it was so cute. All the girls wore their party dresses and looked adorable. I will do a seperate post with all the fun things I made for the party, but I think it all came out really great. Audrey is obsessed with party hats and balloons so we of course had those... And cupcakes, have to have cupcakes at the Dennison's... Audrey had a blast, hopefully all the other little girls did too!

Three Years Old...

2010-06-07T21:46:00.004-04:00

My baby girls turned 3 years old today. I sound like a broken record but where on earth does the time go?? She is growing up way too fast, which is scary but also exciting. She is creative and has a mind of her own, both traits I admire. Much to her delite we have spent the past 3 days celebrating her big day, and there is more to come as her party is not til this Saturday. More to come on all that...

Happy 3rd Birthday Audrey Elizabeth!

Its in the Pants...

2010-06-04T20:58:00.007-04:00

Charlie's mom says this all the time, which always makes me laugh, but it really couldn't be more true about the Dennison obsession with car washing. It is definately "in the pants" and my kids are following suit. They LOVE to go out and wash cars with Charlie, it is actually really cute. Audrey is really intense about it as you can see. Chase just gets in everyones way (which really bothers Audrey of course) and loves to grab the hose, the bucket or anything else anyone is using. So I get a clean car out of the deal, no complaints here... Bring your car on over, you may be able to sneak in a wash too...

Memorial Day 2010

2010-06-04T20:51:00.002-04:00

A picture is worth a thousand words... Its beach time baby! We had a fabulous Memorial Day Weekend, and were blessed to have almost perfect weather all three days. We made it to the beach on Sunday for the first time this season and it was just awesome. Audrey is so excited for the beach this year which is awesome. She played non-stop for the entire 4 hours were were there and the ice cold water didn't bother her a bit. Chase is also proving to be a beach baby which is good because he doesn't have a choice. The sand and rocks don't bother him at all.

Heres to summer and lots and lots of trips to the beach...

Chase's 1st Birthday Party...

2010-05-17T20:25:00.013-04:00

We had quite the party for Chase's 1st birthday! We all know the 1st birthday is not for the baby, its for the parents right? We were thrilled that most of our friends and neighbors were able to come and help us celebrate our baby turning one. This was the first party that I have had a ton of kids at (there were at least 20, granted several were still in bucket seats), so that was a new entertaining challenge (entertaining kids in a small house??). We did not have the best of weather, it rained on and off most of the party, but it didn't stop the kids (or adults for that matter) from being outside. Chase did well with his cake, though he only ate 1/2 of it. He was very methodical and wasn't bothered by the swarm of kids around him yelling and screaming. He is no stranger to sweets (2nd kid right?) so this wasn't his first taste of cake, but he loved it none the less as you can see...

As I said in previous posts, I'm a little obsessed with party planning right now. I spent a long time pondering over Chase's "theme" for his party. Charlie one day said I was silly for doing anything but trucks since Chase is totally a truck guy (he loves them, anything with wheels actually) so I went with it. It is tough finding cute boy stuff out there which is my constant struggle with him (clothes, party ideas, you name it, boy stuff is not fun). Everything turned out really cute if I do say so. I actually didn't get very many pix from the actual party since I was running around most of the time (where is that hired photographer when you need them??), but I did get some the next day...

Audrey's party is up next... The invites are out, it is going to be super cute, just wait!

Walking...

2010-05-09T21:46:00.002-04:00

Chase started walking this past Tuesday, milestone right??? I forgot how freaking cute they are when they first start walking! He looks like a drunken sailor... Charlie put this video together for those that want to see him in action...

One Years Old...

2010-05-09T19:48:00.007-04:00

My baby boy turned one today. Where on earth does the time go??? On one hand it was yesterday he was a newborn who loved to be rocked and was constantly in the baby bjorn. On the other I don't remember life without 2 kids... I miss the baby, but I am ready to be done with formula so it all evens out. It has been a crazy year, one of major adjustments in our lives, but oh how worth it have the adjustments and the craziness been. We had an awesome party to celebrate his birthday yesterday, we were so lucky to have close friend and neighbors able to come (more to come on the party of course)!

Heres to my beautiful baby boy... Life has just started for you Chase, there is so much to come!

Party Planning...

2010-04-21T19:46:00.006-04:00

Well, the Dennison household is in full on party planning mode right now. Between Chase's big 1st birthday bash fast approaching in a couple of weeks & Audrey's 3rd birthday party a month after (which seems far away but I need to get her invites out soon!) I have tons to do. But you know I love this stuff... Chase is getting a truck theme, but in my color choice (pictures to come) and I think I am doing a garden party theme for Audrey with all of the girls in the neighborhood. This is the first year Audrey really gets her birthday and is ridiculously excited about it. She is not happy that Chase's birthday is before hers and hence his party is before hers but she is trying to get over it. She wakes up every day and wishes Chase happy birthday, I think that is her way of saying "is it here already and time for mine??". She has been asking to make Chase a cake, so we made cupcakes this weekend (a rarity in our house I know). The whole family got to enjoy, here are the pictures to prove it...

eleven months...

2010-04-10T16:48:00.009-04:00

So my baby boy turned eleven months yesterday, ah! Which means he is only one month away from turning one, how quickly a year goes by... And yes, the invites are 1/2 out for his birthday bash:)

Chase is everywhere and proving daily that he is a boy boy. He loves trucks (hint hint birthday theme) and anything with wheels on it, much to Charlie's delight. He also loves the sandbox and will sits there for a good amount of time before he wanders away. His new obsession is anything with a long handle, the broom and most recently rakes & shovels outside. It is probably not the safest thing to have him playing with but he gets mad if you don't let him so oh well... Audrey and him are finally playing together which is SO exciting. We were sitting at dinner the other night talking and I looked and Charlie and said "are they playing" and he said "yeah", like we couldn't hear a peep out of them, they were on the floor entertaining themselves... I've been waiting a long time for that I have to say... He isn't walking but he did take his first steps a week or so ago. As Audrey say he "waddles like a penguin" when he takes steps, it is hilarious. He is getting braver and has stood up on his own in the middle of the floor a couple of times so I think he is close. But who knows, I've thought that for 2 months, ha... He was finally baptised this past month (yes, I am way behind on posts) which was great. He has now been wiped of all his sins and can start anew. And they are coming I can tell. I have called him a bugger more times then I can count lately. He is so sweet and mild tempered, but he is very mischievous and loves to get into things he shouldn't. Then he just looks back with a smile, like I know I'm so not supposed to be doing this but maybe she will let me... I'm in trouble... At least he likes to cuddle, that makes up for it for now... So here we go, the home stretch of his first year...

easter weekend...

2010-04-05T19:44:00.009-04:00

Well, I am little behind on my blog postings as you may have noticed. Things have been a little crazy lately and unfortunately I haven't had the time... We took a ton of pictures this past weekend so I thought I would try and get a quick post in. We had a fabulous weekend, the weather was unbelievable (high 70's - low 80's both days!) and we took full advantage of it. Audrey was very excited about Easter this year, as she has been with all the holidays. She is finally "getting" the holiday thing, that Santa is coming, that the Easter bunny is coming, etc. Holidays mean candy generally too which doesn't hurt... She had multiple Easter egg hunts between day care Friday, a neighborhood one Saturday and one at our house Sunday, and is now quite the pro. She makes sure to shake the eggs 1st, and will not pick them up if they don't shake. Smart girl right?? Smart mom put Kix in her Easter morning eggs, I learned my leason on that one last year when she ate all the chocolate before 7 am... Chase enjoyed his first Easter. He really just liked being outside all weekend, he loves it out there... Now if only weather would stay this nice... I know better then to think that is true but we will take it while we have. Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!

Chase's New Look...

2010-03-25T11:40:00.001-04:00

Guaranteed to bring in the ladies...

st. patty's day...

2010-03-17T12:18:00.015-04:00

I'm not a huge St. Pattys Day person, but it is hard ignoring the day here in Boston. I found the cutest cupcakes in a magazine this year and had to make them though. Any excuse to make cupcakes in our house... The are rainbow cupcakes (recipe here) that were super fun to make with Audrey. We topped them with cute little St. Pattys cupcake toppers, courtesy of tomkat studio (template here). If you don't know about my obsession with cupcake toppers you will very soon... So Happy St. Pattys Day to you all! I wish you could all hear the way Audrey says "leprechaun", it is priceless... Oh and this was Chase's 1st cupcake, so much for waiting til his 1st birthday... He gets really mad when someone is eating something and he is not...

Discovering the Outdoors...

2010-03-12T11:00:00.008-05:00

I was away last weekend (I had a much needed girls weekend in Chicago) so Charlie was home with the kids alone. He lucked out and got gorgeous weather and was able to play outdoors with the kids a ton. Audrey took a long nap on Sunday and he got to spend some quality time with Chase. Charlie learned very quickly that Chase loves the sand box, cozy coup (what kid doesn't?) and of course playing in daddy's truck...

Ten Months...

2010-03-09T11:19:00.006-05:00

Well, somehow my baby boy turns ten months today... I don't know what awes me more, that he is 10 whole months or that he is 2 months away from turning 1 years old. I'm exciting about getting rid of formula but other then that, ah!

I just re-read my nine month post for him and I'm sitting here trying to think what has changed... He is still motoring around like crazy. He definitely has gotten really good at furniture walking, or walking from one thing to another this past month. I can't figure out if he is any closer to walking though. I'm having a hard time remembering all the steps leading up to the actual walking? He seems so close, but who knows... I am ready I have to say. He is way too heavy to crazy around... We have had some really beautiful weather these past days (I will post more about that later) and he has gotten his first taste of playing outside and of course loves it! I was concerned that it would be hard having him outside right now, since he isn't walking and crawling in the mud didn't sound so exciting. It hasn't seemed to bother him! He played outside all weekend with his dad and the neighborhood kids... The sand box was his favorite, shocker right?

First Snowman...

2010-02-17T09:20:00.006-05:00

As most of you know, Audrey has hated the snow for all of her short life (in case you forgot here is the proof: http://thedennisonfamily.blogspot.com/2009/01/i-hate-snow.html ). Which is too bad since we live in New England and get A LOT of snow... So we have been couped inside all winter which stinks. Until yesterday... We had a snow storm yesterday and I pull up to the house after an awful drive home and see Audrey out in the yard, in the snow, with a shovel (from the sand box). She exclaimed she was playing in the snow. I was thrilled, and decided to make a snowman (the snow was perfect for it). She was so excited and of course wanted to help. Anyways, it was Audrey's 1st snowman and here it is in all its glory. It did get arms after this but you get the picture...

Presidents Day Weekend...

2010-02-15T14:39:00.011-05:00

We had a long weekend this past weekend and it was awesome (thank you presidents!). Our good friends the Goodwins came to visit us for part of it and it was so great to see them. They just moved from Chicago to Syracuse and we are thrilled to have them within driving distance now. We had not seen them in forever (since our Cape vacation a year and a half ago!) so there was lots of catching up (and drinking) to do... They have a daughter a year older then Audrey and a son 8 months older then Chase, so it was fun (and chaotic) to see them all play together. Us girls went to Disney on Ice on Saturday and had a blast. We have no proof of going since the ticket said "no cameras" and I actually listened to that... The girls totally enjoyed themselves, especially twirling their light up twirl stick things (that all us parents are waiting for the batteries to run out). The boys spent some quality time together too, which included a lot of eating and drinking, doesn't get more fun for them... I tried like mad to get pictures of the kids together and it just didn't happen. The boys were a little more co-operative then the girls, but not much. Basically there is a kid crying or not looking in every picture I took. The girls were super cute on Sunday in their matching black dog shirts. As you can see I got the teenage look from both of them everytime I tried to snap a picture. Oh well... They did play really well together and that is all that should matter. Thanks for coming to see us Goodwins, we can't wait to see you again soon!

Happy Valentines Day...

2010-02-15T14:35:00.002-05:00

Hope yours was as good as mine...

Nine Months...

2010-02-10T14:06:00.011-05:00

Well Chase has started his 9th month with quite a bang, we found out Wednesday that he has a double ear infection and brocialitus (again, ugh). The poor kid. The good news is he seems to be reacting well to the antibiotics and the nebulizer treatments and is almost back to his cheerful self.
There hasn't been a ton of changes in the past month. He is still all over the place, I mean ALL over the place. He wiggles into spots that I don't even know exist in our house. He finally figured out the stairs a week or so ago. He went up the entire flight his 1st try, not bad. The baby gate went right up as Charlie and I were sick of chasing after him going straight for the stairs over and over. He is not happy that the gate is up (nor is Audrey for that matter), he stands at it and shakes it like crazy. He started walking behind things too. He loves to push the numerous push toys we have, or the cars, or the laundry basket or whatever he can get behind and make move. He loves to pull himself up on everything, especially me which proves to be challenging when I am cooking dinner... He is also proving to be quite loud which should be surprising given his family background, but it is. He loves to talk to himself and his voice level is definitely up there. My favorite is when he wakes up in the middle of the night and shakes his crib and yells "ma ma ma ma"... Ok no that is not my favorite but it would be cute if it were at another time of day. He really is still not sleeping great. He has been going thru weeks were he does better and then he throws us a curve ball for a couple of days and is up all night and it is just exhausting. Surprisingly he has slept awesome since he has been sick and using the nebulizer (knock on wood) so I may just have to do that every night for the rest of his life, ha... Oh and he has 6 teeth now, he got 4 top ones in the past month you can kind of see in the pictures. That has not helped the sleeping cause at all... He had his 9 month well visit (it actually was a sick visit but that is besides the point) and he did not disapoint with his stats. He weighed in at 26 lbs 10 oz and measured 31 in.

Love...

2010-02-10T14:00:00.005-05:00

Be Mine Valentine...

2010-02-08T11:07:00.007-05:00

Audrey and I made her Valentines this weekend and had a blast. I found this super cute recipe for Heart Rice Krispie Pops on one of the blogs that I follow, Skip to My Lou, and had to make them. They were fairly easy, I made the rice krispie part while she was napping and then we decorated them together. She actually got really into it, and loved dipping them in the chocolate and putting the sprinkles on "myself". Aren't her friends so lucky??

Movin' and Groovin'...

2010-01-31T13:50:00.007-05:00

Chase is working hard on trying to walk. He started walking behind push toys this weekend, which if I remember correctly isn't too far from when they walk on their own? Either way, he is getting around just fine... Too bad our house isn't bigger, he probably could go pretty far, but the poor thing has lots of obstacles here and has to start and stop a lot. It doesn't seem to bother him though and he is proud as can be as you can tell from the pictures...

my lame attemp at getting my kidsto take a picture together...

Dressin' Up...

2010-01-31T13:45:00.005-05:00

Audrey goes on and off kicks where she wants to "dress up" and right now she is on one. She is so funny when she does it. Her new one is needing to wear her sun glasses and her "crown" to complete the outfit. She doesn't call herself a princess, just says she is pretty, which of course she is... Very Hollywood don't you think?

Eight Months...

2010-01-10T15:24:00.009-05:00

So my sweet, mellow son that I love turned into a crazy man this month... I still love him dearly of course, but my god does he have us on our toes in what seems like overnight. Chase started crawling right after he turned 7 months and has not stopped since. He mastered crawling very quickly and can get around fast, too fast. He figured out how to pull himself up on anything and everything very shortly after learning how to crawl. This is proving to be dangerous as he is ridiculously curious and wants to get up and look at everything (fingers have been caught in drawers and doors too many times already!). Audrey (and Charlie and I) are learning, though not quick enough, to not leave anything in arms reach of him because he WILL grab it... I don't remember Audrey being so into everything, but maybe my memory has just blocked that out. Anyways, it is time to get rid of all of my plants and any other decor laying around, pretty exciting...

The kid is proving to be a human garbage disposal, he eats anything you put in front of him (plus anything he can find on the floor that he or his sister dropped). He loves feeding himself and I am trying hard to give him as much finger foods as possible and get off the Gerber Baby food all together, though unfortunatlely those little containers don't take any pre-thought which is oh so nice... He loves peaches and pears, he doesn't love his veggies but will definately eat them (peas especially), he loves pasta and the new one is meat (he is Charlie's son after all). He had 2 meatballs last night plus some bbq at lunch with his dad... Needless to say he eats more then Audrey...

He still is the sweetest thing. His new one is he bops anytime music comes on. Any kind of music, like from the t.v., me singing or from some wonderful toy we have that makes noise. It is pretty funny. I have been trying to get it on video but of course he doesn't do it on que... He is still not doing so hot at night which stinks. He had a stretch last week where he was sleeping 6:30 - 5 or 5:30 which was awesome. That stopped this weekend (of course)... He just loves his mom too much to not see her at 3 am, that must be what it is...

Precious Moments...

2010-01-10T14:48:00.008-05:00

The boys were sleeping yesterday morning and Audrey and I got to spend some alone time which was pretty awesome. Really sad, but I don't remember the last time we got to do that... It is shocking to me what a young lady she is becoming. She has such a personality and is so creative and sweet (when she wants to be) it just makes me smile. We spent a good hour in the play room painting, playing with play dough, making "cookies" and "cake" and all sorts of other things that she loves... I love that we can finally spend time together and it is true interaction, like she tells me what to do and I ask her a question and she responds. She has the funniest phrases right now, like "great job mommy"and "right" (like after you say something she confirms it with "right"). And her quirks are hilarious, she loves all things to do with a party (especially party hats), all things choc and pops (chocolate and lolli pops) and she must always bring a different toy or item up to bed with her (she's like a squirrel I tell you). And most importantly, she gives the best hugs and pisses (kisses). Here's to my sweet baby girl that is growing up way too fast before my eyes...

Golf Cart...

2009-12-28T10:08:00.013-05:00

The kids got lots of wonderful gifts (thank you again to everyone, you really spoiled them!), but there was one in particular that went over really well. As many of you know Charlie comes from a golf family, they all are on different levels of playing but all love it. Well his dad got Audrey a moterized golf cart for Christmas, and my goodness was it a hit. It was complete with a golf bag with clubs and balls. She saw it and almost flipped out. She got right in and put her foot on the pedal and off she went. She wasn't scared of it at all which was awesome. The going forwards and backwards was a little tricky, but she will get the hang of it... There were a couple of classic moments with the cart. One was when she put her foot on the pedal and Charlie's dad was in front of her and she said "watch out Papa" as she ran right into him. The other was when I thought it would be cute to put Chase on the cart with her. I thought he might be scared, but he held right on for dear life and actually liked it! These pictures don't do it just justice, but it was hilarious watching the 2 of them on it. I stood next to it the entire time scared to death he was going to fall out. My first taste of Audrey driving her little brother around, if its scary now I can't imagine when it is a real car they are in...

Christmas 2009...

2009-12-28T10:01:00.024-05:00

Well, we survived Christmas 2009. We had very uneventful travel to and from Chicago which is amazing considering the weather we had while we were there and the recent incident on the NWA flight in DTW on Christmas (so scary). We were actually 1/2 hour early going there (I know, I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't been on the plane). The kids were great on both flights, which made life a whole lot easier as well.

We had a wonderful Christmas and were blessed to be able to spend it with our family. The kids were ridiculously spoiled and got tons of wonderful things. Audrey had a blast opening all of her gifts and most of Chase's. She really got into each individual gift and wanted to open each thing and play with it right away. Chase enjoyed himself too, so much that he had to take a nap 20 minutes into the gift opening. The ever popular play dough was opened at a good point in the morning, as she needed a break and played with it for a good 1/2 hour while us adults opened our stuff...

It was so great to spend time with Charlie's family and a big thank you to them for being wonderful hosts! I was lucky enough to be able to see my family as well. It was a quick trip for them and they trekked out to Chicago in a snowstorm both ways but I'm so glad they did. We don't get to see our family enough, so it is always very special when we do(especially this time, my sister is in Switerland all year and she hasn't seen the kids since Chase was 3 weeks old!). Audrey loved playing with everyone and teaching them all Audrey-ese and about her love of choc and candy. Chase enjoyed showing off his adorable smile and his mad crawling and pulling-himself-up-on-everything-and-anything skills...

Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas! We sure did...

Merry Christmas...

2009-12-23T08:55:00.005-05:00

We are headed to the Chicago area tomorrow to spend Christmas with Charlie's family. We are lucky enough to be able to see almost all of our family during our quick trip which is wonderful. Chase is ready to show off his crawling skills and Audrey can't wait to see everyone, oh and get presents... We have our fingers crossed for an uneventful flight there and back. It is always dicey this time of year with the weather...

Merry Christmas to all! Safe travels, lots of love and best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday!

Let it Snow...Chase's Version...

2009-12-20T13:17:00.007-05:00

This was Chase's 1st time really out in the snow. Just like everything else, it totally didn't phase him. I have been putting him in the baby bjorn recently since it has been cold out to walk around the neighborhood since I feel like it is warmer for him then the stroller. He seems to love it. I just keep my fingers he is warm enough... I had to plop him in the snow to get some pictures. I stood him up at first which was funny, because it is so deep he looks like he is sitting. Then I sat him in it, he is such a good sport (and I am a mean mom eh?). Anyways, bring on a white Christmas! Love it. Hopefully the roads are cleared to go to work tomorrow (or not hopefully???)....

Let it Snow...Audrey's Version...

2009-12-20T12:53:00.007-05:00

So unless you are living under a rock, you know that the entire Northeast has been hit by this huge snow storm. It didn't make it up to us until last night, and hasn't stopped. There is nothing like waking up to everything covered in snow, especially when you don't have to go anywhere in it. I was determined to bring the kids out in the snow this morning, at the very least for a photo opt and hoping they would enjoy it. I don't know if you remember last year, but Audrey HATED the snow (I mean hate is an understatement) and refused to go anywhere near it. I was hoping that a year later she would come around and decide it was fun, like every other kid in the world. Well, no such luck. We forced her to put on her snow pants, coat, hat, mittens and boots and Charlie carried her outside. Anyways, the pictures speak for themselves... Afterwards we came in and Audrey had her 1st hot chocolate and Chase ate his 1st marshmallow (no, I didn't give it to him) so all ended well...

Trimming O' Christmas Tree...

2009-12-19T14:00:00.011-05:00

I love decorating a Christmas tree. Charlie helps put it in the tree stand, but is done after that (unless I guilt him into helping). I'm kind of particular about where things go (surprise right?) so I don't mind decorating it myself. But I love the tradition of the whole thing, and have been waiting for Audrey to be excited about helping. Last year was a total bust, she wanted nothing to do with it. This year she was actually into it for a brief period of time, which was awesome! I got a ton of non-breakable ornaments this year, so I didn't have to worry about her breaking anything. Chase got into the whole things too as you can see. He was covered in glitter after we were done (as were we all come to think of it), but that is ok right? I love how fascinated they are with the tree at his age. The lights make his whole face light up when he sees them. He of course is trying to take everything down on the tree, so there is a bare area on the bottom, but no matter... As long as he doesn't pull it down on himself I think we are all good...

O' Christmas Tree...

2009-12-19T13:55:00.002-05:00

We got our Christmas tree the Saturday after Thanksgiving, yeah, a couple of weeks ago... It was actually the earliest we have ever gotten a tree, but I have enjoyed having it up this whole time. We scrapped the cutting one down for another year, and kept with our yearly tradition of going down the street where they sell them. It was a sunny day which was a little weird (don't you want snow in your Christmas tree pictures? I do...). We found the perfect tree very quickly, there was a great selection going so early...

Chase and his Girlfriend...

2009-12-19T13:39:00.002-05:00

Is he a stud or what? Katelyn doesn't know what she is in for...

Are they too cute??

Santa...

2009-12-19T13:09:00.006-05:00

Well, we finally made it to see Santa today. The mall is seriously less then 5 minutes from our house so we really have no excuse other then we have been ridiculously busy this month (like everyone else, I know). Anyways, we are getting a crazy snow storm tomorrow so we figured we should go today. I was a little worried since I figured the entire world would be at the mall today. But we were in luck, we found a parking spot right away and the line for Santa was less then 15 minutes, score... I wasn't sure how the kids were going to react this year. We have a picture from Audrey's 1st Christmas, but she is definitely not smiling. Last year, we have no picture as she wouldn't even get close to him. This year was better then I expected. She stood in line just fine and seemed fine with the whole Santa thing. We got both of them on his lap, and the picture lady managed to snap one before Audrey completely melted down...

I kind of wanted the one of her screaming, but I figure this is good enough black mail for when she is older...

We've Got Movement...

2009-12-16T10:42:00.007-05:00

So Chase crawled for the 1st time last night which is pretty exciting! Like I said in previous posts, he has been really close for a couple of weeks, but last night the light must have gone off and he figured it out. He was on all fours and started pawing at the air (like a dog, kind of funny) and all of the sudden he went forward. Charlie was downstairs, so he ran up and we made him repeat his performance... For video of course:) My favorite part is how proud he was of himself, it was awesome. We were clapping and saying "yeah Chase" and he just sat there beaming and waving his arms like mad, too cute... He crawled several times last night and again this morning so here we go. I can already tell he is going to be all over the place, he has no desire to be in one spot. He already is into putting everything in his mouth he can find (and there is plenty to find let me tell you) so I need to get better about not leaving small things around... Its more about going around after Audrey really, as he already ate a Goldfish cracker that she left on the ground, nice...

Update... These are actually from Friday (a couple days after he crawled), but they show his mad skill pretty well...

Seven Months...

2009-12-12T11:16:00.007-05:00

Chase turned 7 months this past week and I have to say I am having trouble telling people he is "7 months". Hard to believe, but oh so true... I have to say I love this age where they are so interactive finally and so curious about the world around them. He hit one milestone this month and is ridiculously close to hitting another. He got his 1st 2 teeth (you can see them in at least one of these pix). He has not been sleeping well at night, because of the teething though. I was excited when the 1st tooth poked thru finally (maybe he would sleep the nite!), then the 2nd one came a week later, and I have to say I am convinced there is another one coming here soon. Audrey did the same thing, I swear all of her teeth came within a month, and what miserable month that was...

He is so freaking close to crawling it isn't even funny. This week he has been getting up on all fours, rocking and then either moving his hands or moving his feet, but can't quite get that they both need to move at the same time. I know he will get it soon. He gets around just fine not crawling, he scoots backwards, forwards and every which way to get to toys or anything else he wants to put in his mouth.

He also is moving along with his food. I gave him a Ritz cracker one day just to try and then turned around a second later and it was gone! So now we are doing real solids after that, crackers, bread, pizza crust, you name it. He has gotten very good at getting small things in his mouth, Cheerios, puffs, etc. I'm actually impressed at how quickly he picked that skill up.

Now if I could get him to not wake up at 3 am this kid would be the perfect baby... All in due time I guess... His smile more then makes up for it...

Giving thanks...

2009-11-28T15:48:00.007-05:00

We celebrated Chase's 1st Thanksgiving this year and had a wonderful day. We headed out to the Berkshires to spend the day at my cousin's house for an Italian feast (multiple courses, lots of yummy food). There was a full house, around 20 people in all, and it was great to be surrounded by family. It was the 1st time some had met Chase, and for others they hadn't seen him since he was 3 weeks old. He's grown just a little bit, and showed off his smile and cheeks and charmed everyone. We failed to really document his 1st Thanksgiving unfortunately, I just forgot to take pictures. But Friday was a different story. On Friday I cooked a Thanksgiving meal for just the 4 of us (who am I kidding, for Charlie and I) because we had a turkey that has been frozen since last year and figured why not. So I roasted a turkey and make all the fixings and it was delicious if I do say so. I had to get a picture of Chase with the turkey and he was thrilled let me tell you.

Anyways, hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving! I have so much to be thankful for, even more this year then ever before. I have beautiful healthy kids, a wonderful husband, a job and a home and some pretty fabulous friends. Couldn't ask for much more... And now, bring on Christmas baby...

Disney...

2009-11-25T10:29:00.010-05:00

We did make a trip to Disney while in Orlando (I mean how can you not when you are right there?), though it wasn't quite what I had envisioned. We knew going down there that Audrey was young to go and we had pretty low expectations for her being excited to actually go to Disney. We decided to go to Animal Kingdom (ok I decided) because I thought she would be able to relate the best to the stuff there. She isn't into the princess thing yet so Magic Kingdom seemed silly. Anyways, we got Parkhopper passes for free from my BIL's friends mom (random but so awesome, thanks again Paula!) which was great. We spent a couple of hours at Animal Kingdom. We started with the must do Kilimanjaro Safari which was pretty cool. Audrey was scared almost the entire time on it, didn't cry but asked to go home about 2 minutes into it (see picture below). We then headed to see Mickey, which she actually enjoyed. Last time we were there and she saw a character she totally freaked out, but this time she gave him a hug and yelled "hi Mickey". We then went to the Lion King show, which I LOVED btw. Audrey started out strong, clapping and yelling. By the end, she had proceeded to curl up on Charlie's lap and pass out. Chase was asleep on my lap so it was quit the scene (it is REALLY loud in there for those of you that haven't been). We made the executive decision to go home at this point. We meant to go back after naps but gave Audrey the choice to see Micky or go to the pool and she quickly picked the pool so that was that. Maybe next year...

Audrey's favorite part was the map, she was very excited to follow the map, you know, like Dora...

This pretty much sums up what she thought about the safari ride...

Loved the drums... I did not...

Orlando...

2009-11-25T10:17:00.012-05:00

We headed down to Orlando last week to see Charlie's SIL & BIL that live there (thats for you Vinnie:) and to meet up with his parents. It was a perfect little vacation, the weather was awesome (80's everyday) and we got to relax about as much as you can relax with 2 kids... We stayed at an awesome hotel, the one that Karen and Vinnie got married at actually. We basically hung out at the pool the entire time we were there which I am pretty sure was fine with everyone involved (it certainly was fine with me!). It was a pleasant surprise seeing as I wasn't sure if it would be warm enough down there to do that for even 1 day let alone 3. Audrey had a total blast at the pool and at the hotel running everywhere.

Anyways, a big thanks to Karen and Vinnie for hosting us and everything you did to make our trip great! We had a wonderful time and can't wait to see you guys at Christmas!

I love my sister...

2009-11-15T14:29:00.003-05:00

And my sister loves me...

Six Months...

2009-11-13T13:32:00.008-05:00

I'm a little late with this, but Chase turned 6 months this week... We sang to him and everything on his 1/2 year birthday. Audrey loved it and wanted to know where the cake was and the presents...

I have to say that this month Chase has really started to blossom. He went from the infant sitting in the bouncer in the corner to needing to be in the middle of the action at all times. He is quickly turning into a boy boy, and loves to knock things over and hit the ground with his fists, laughing the entire time. He loves to just sit on the floor and play with toys, paper, really anything he can get his hands on. He is constantly reaching for something when you are holding him, especially if you have food, which makes it quite a challenge. He can move himself around very well now too. He goes from sitting to laying on his back to spinning around on his stomach very easily now. He is super strong on his stomach and I am waiting for him to decide to start crawling (which I am SO not ready for btw). He is eating solid foods, though we haven't been very good about it. He is only eating 1 meal a day, and really it gets skipped sometimes when we are hectic after work. He has done the rice cereal and is now on oatmeal and has done all of his veggies. We tried puffs the other day and he likes them but doesn't get how to get them into his mouth quit yet. I have to say the kid loves to eat the solid food. He gets really excited when the spoon comes out. He really wants to eat what we are eating and I can't wait for that either. This baby food stage is really not that much fun...

We had a bit of a rough month with him as far as health wise goes. He was sick for a good portion of the month with a really bad cough that kept the poor kid up all night (poor him and poor Charlie and I). After multiple trips to the doctor (I joked that we were paying for their lights but it isn't far off recently), they think he had brocialitis (baby bronchitis) but really they have no idea what it was. They ruled out RSV and pneumonia, put him on a nebulizer treatment and gave him antibiotics just for good measure. He is finally better, but I will say I am concerned now that he is going to be vulnerable to this every time he gets a cold. Hopefully not, but I'm sure we will see sooner then later. He also officially has eczema which really stinks. He gets lubed up with lotion 2x a day to try and help his skin retain moisture. My doctor believes he is breaking out because of the change in weather so I am hoping she is right (and that it isn't food allergies or something like that).

He had his 6 month appointment yesterday (we actually went to the doctor for a scheduled visit!). He is 23 lbs 5 oz (still off the charts) and I don't know how long he was but he was in the 93rd percentile (I wasn't paying attention for some reason when she took the reading).

trick or treat....

2009-11-01T12:30:00.010-05:00

To say that Audrey was excited about trick or treating is the understatement of the year. I spent all week prepping her for Halloween because I really wanted her to enjoy it this year. I think Dora, Diego and the rest of the Noggen crew actually explained things to her better then me, but regardless she definitely got the concept of costumes, ghosts, pumpkins and most importantly trick or treating by the time Halloween got here. The girl is mildly obsessed with candy right now (ok maybe more then mildly) so the minute she realized that she was getting candy when she said "trick or treat" she was SO excited. We did a little practicing before the nights festivities began and she did well (whether she remembered to say thank you while she was out is a different story I know). Charlie took her this year, and went with our neighbors which turned out to be perfect. Izzie and Audrey are great buddies and we knew that Audrey would be more excited about the whole thing if she went with Izzie. While I didn't go (Chase and I manned the house and gave out the candy) but apparently the girls loved it and had a great time. They made it out for almost and hour and a half which I couldn't believe. Audrey got home and ran in to show me her candy in her pumpkin. I lifted the pumpkin and I swear the thing weighed 10 lbs! I looked and Charlie like "she's been carrying this??". Apparently Audrey wouldn't put down the pumpkin or let anyone near it, like she was going to loose her well earned candy. Kind of funny. Charlie said she almost fell down multiple steps due to the heavy bag but somehow she made it with no incident. She got home and I think she probably tried every kind of candy in her bag which was pretty funny. Anyways, hope everyone had a Happy Halloween! We sure did...

Practice makes perfect...

Playing at a neighbors pre-trick or treating party...

The girls in action...

End of the night... The wagon was finally used for something other then the beer cooler...

Dorothy and the Giraffe...

2009-11-01T11:53:00.011-05:00

Well we had a successful costume year in the Dennison household. I don't know if you remember last years costume debacle with Audrey (ie. she refused to wear one), but I was pretty scared by that whole experience and wanted to make this year as smooth as possible. I decided if I got a dress type costume it would be easy to get her to wear it, or easier at least. I found a Dorothy costume and crossed my fingers. But she did great with it! She loved the concept of wearing a costume (well either that or she knew needed to do it to get the candy but whatever) and put it on with no issues. While I have to admit she had no idea who she was (I tried to explain, but she doesn't even know what a movie is, let alone a character in a movie) she looked darn cute. I'm looking forward to next year when hopefully she will be old enough to want to be something...

Chase on the other hand I had a tough time with. I got 2 different costumes for him and neither fit and I got a little discouraged by the whole thing. Then I started to feel like a horrible mother that the poor kid had no costume for his 1st Halloween. So my neighbor came to the rescue and let him borrow a giraffe outfit which worked out perfect. I laughed because giraffes are huge in the baby world right now as any of you new mothers know (Sophie is one his favorite toys). I told Charlie "oh he is going to be Sophie for Halloween, how cute". Charlie said "no, my son will not be Sophie, he is a giraffe". Ok whatever. He wore the costume for all of an hour but looked darn cute.