Inniswood Gardens - Fall 2008

I took Drew and Claire to Inniswood Gardens last Monday morning to get some lovely autumn pictures with the two of them. We had visited the park in July when my good friend, Amy had taken photos of them with the beautiful gardens as a backdrop. Well, it was nearly impossible to get the two kids to sit together for longer than ten seconds. Claire was running off somewhere and Drew was off gathering leaves, rocks, sticks and pulling the flowers (which is a big no-no). Drew is also in the stage that if Claire is getting her picture taken--well, then he needs to be in it too. Needless to say, after a half hour of frustration--I decided to hang it up. But, I thought I would share a few of the photos. Happy Fall! :)

One of my favorite places: The Cloisters/The One and Only Ocean Club-Paradise Island, Bahamas

The majority of this blog will be about the kids, but every once in a while, I will share a few tidbits about Aaron and I. We rarely get many opportunities to do things together alone as a couple--which is just part of the reality of having kids. But, as the kids get older, we will need to make a point of it, as it makes us stronger as a couple and ultimately, better parents too! This may become a blog feature--our favorite places that we have traveled to. At the end of March this year, we took a four day cruise together on Royal Caribbean--it was the same cruise that we took for our honeymoon, but we did very different things this time around. We visited Nassau, Bahamas, Royal Caribbean's private island, Coco Cay, Bahamas and Key West, FL. While in Nassau, we decided to take a ferry taxi to Paradise Island to visit the Atlantis resort and a few other places located on the small island (which we did not do on our initial visit). Two of the places I researched on tripadvisor.com (a great resource when planning a trip) were the Cloisters and The One and Only Ocean Club--which are located on the same property. Along with our visit to Key West, this was one of very favorite moments of the vacation. The Cloisters is a section of an old French monestary that was brought over in the 1930's by a wealthy businessman who was enamored with the island. The best thing about it was that we were the only ones visiting it--which was terrific! The One and Only Ocean Club is an amazing resort (and one that we will never be able to afford--unless we win the million dollar lottery!). We enjoyed lunch at their oceanfront outdoor restaurant--which was right on the water! Needless to say it was the most expensive lunch that we have ever had and probably ever will have--but the view and the food (especially the pina coladas!) made it completly worth it!

Drew-Halloween Through the Years

Halloween cannot come soon enough for Drew this year. He is already telling us, "Happy Halloween Mommy and Daddy! After much discussion and debate, he finally decided to dress up as Spiderman this year--even though he had no idea what Spiderman really was. More to come on that this week. But, with the holiday arriving this week--I thought it would be fun to do a retrospective of Drew's Halloween costumes. This year will mark his fifth Halloween--and third as a trick or treater! When he was six months old, he was Winnie the Pooh; a year later, he was a puppy; at two years old, he was a lion and last year, he was Thomas the Train. It is always a lot of fun to take pictures of him in his costume and he has always been a willing participate in the photo sessions.

Miss Claire--What a difference a year makes!

I admit there are days where I feel like Claire has always been a part of our family, but it was only 14 months ago when she arrived. She has gone from being a little peanut--at only 6 pounds, 13 ounces when she was born--to a big girl of roughly 26 pounds and 31 1/2 inches tall! She is now walking more confidently, saying an occasional word we can recognize and screaming at the top of her lungs (with a sly grin!) when she doesn't get the full attention she wants! These pictures were taken on the same day--October 20th--only one year separates them!

Claire's First Official Haircut

On October 8th, we took Claire to get her first official haircut at Cookie Cutters. We thought it would be nice to do it around the same time we took Drew for his first cut. Plus, I did not want to risk trying to cut her bangs again, since I am not very good at it. She started out good--as you can see in the close up photo (the one with her in the pink cap). But, as soon as the hairstylist started to cut her hair, the waterworks began. I told Aaron that she was like one of the model contestants that cry on the "makeover episode" of America's Next Top Model when the chop their hair and dye it the complete opposite of their original hair color. Nothing would pacify her--a lollipop, honeybee cracker, the Little Einstein show playing on the television, our laughing, etc. The hairstylist gave her a slight trim and little damage was done. She stopped crying almost immediately once I got her out of the chair. As part of the "first cut" package they give you a certificate with the child's picture and a lock of the hair they cut. Needless to say, the photo of Claire is priceless--her eyes are full of tears and her mouth is in full pout action. It will be fun to bring it out someday when Claire is older and having one of her diva moments (which I am sure there will be plenty of!)

Drew, the little Bobcat!

Last month, Drew and I went down to OU to meet our friends, Amy and her boyfriend, Jim and Lisa, her husband, Bill and their little boy, William for lunch and to watch an OU football game at Peden Stadium. Needless to say, it is always a lot of fun to go down to Athens to visit the campus and remember all of the fun things we did in college. Aaron and I try to visit the campus each year--usually in the fall. It is fun to bring the kids too--although I admit it is a little strange bringing a little one to campus. Drew loves to visit the campus and seems to feel right at home. As with our visit to Circle S Farms, we had hoped to have a somewhat cool day--but it was almost 90 degrees! Being excited about the trip, Drew had slept very little the night before, which made him more of a challenge then usual, since he wanted me to carry him around the campus. I forgot how steep the rolling hills of OU can be--especially carrying a 42 lb. 4 year old! I think I lost 5 lbs. in water weight by carrying him around so much and sweating in the stands! Anyway, attached is a picture of Drew with Rufus the Bobcat--the official mascot! Drew loves to meet these furry creatures and give them hugs. Oh yes, the football team lost that day--but with a long tradition of losing football games--OU alumni have learned to accept this. And as we did as students, we only stayed until the Marching 101 played at halftime. While I was busy chasing Drew around while they played, they were a lot of fun to watch (well, as much as I could see) as they danced on the field.

Brutus Buckeye at the Schott

As you can see from the photos on our blog's title page, we paid a visit to an odd exhibit outside of the Schottenstein Center on The Ohio State University campus a few weeks ago. Basically, it is the same Brutus Buckeye statue dressed in different themes---Elvis Brutus, Coach Tressel Brutus, Hippie Brutus, Butter Brutus (in honor of the annual butter cow at the Ohio State fair--and Drew's favorite Brutus), Phantom of the Opera Brutus, Coach Tressel Brutus, etc. The statues surround the Schottenstein Center, which is home to the Ohio State Men's and Women's Basketball and Hockey teams and hosts a variety of concerts and other events. While I am not the biggest Buckeye fan (Aaron, on the other hand, is a huge Buckeye fan)--it was kind of fun to see them. We are trying to get as many outdoor activities packed into this month, as we know that winter is only weeks away--ugh. The older I get, the more I detest winter.

Annual visit to Circle S Farms

Since Drew was only a year old, we have visited Circle S Farms with our good friend, Amy. This was our fourth visit to the farm and Claire's first time. Aaron stayed home to finish some yardwork that we haven't had the chance to finish all summer. We did the traditional activities--petting the goats, visiting the hay barn, pertaking in their yummy pumpkin donuts, taking pictures in the fall photo op area and of course, the hayride to their pumpkin patch. While the weather was not exactly idea for fall activities--a hot 80 degrees with the bees swarming around the farm, we had a good time. Claire enjoyed the bumpy ride to the pumpkin patch and she hummed along to the sound of the tractor pulling us. Drew loved playing and made some friends in the hay maze--of course, trying to get him out of the maze tested my patience. There were many parents grumbling that they should have not let their kids in the maze, since it was so difficult to get them out!

The Santa Maria

For months, we have promised Drew a visit to the Santa Maria--a replica of the original ship Christopher Columbus and his crew sailed when the arrived in the new world (by complete accident, I must add). So, yesterday, with the weather being so nice, we finally took Drew and Claire to tour the ship. It is located in downtown Columbus and is docked in the murky waters (I wondered what might be floating in it!) of the Scioto River. It had been assembled in 1992 for the Ameriflora display that year and in honor of the largest city in the world to be named after the explorer. Aaron and I were a little skeptical about how interesting it would be for us, but as it turns out, the 45 minute tour aboard the ship was actually quite informative. Drew and the other little ones on the ship got to pull the rope and sit in sleeping quarters of Columbus. For being such a long tour, Drew did amazingly well and listened attentively to the guide. After the tour, we stopped at Battelle Park (which is located adjacent to the ship's lcoation) and let the kids play for a few minutes. They especially liked the statue of the Hound Dog (which is what they are both sitting on in the last two photos. In looking at the pictures of Drew, Aaron and I just realized tonight that his shorts are on backwards! Oops!

My First Blog

I am very excited about creating this blog. It is a great opportunity for me to share what is going on in our lives. I felt very inspired by my good friend, Amy and my old school friend, Julie, who have terrific blogs. It is always so much fun to see what is going on in their lives. The ways in which we can connect with one another now is amazing--I know I sound like an old lady when I say that, but it is true.

With that said, thank you for viewing our blog.