The Tale of Two Sisters

Cousins=Love

2011-10-19T17:58:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, our whole family was in town to celebrate at cousin Cindy and Blake's wedding. Mommy was in the wedding, so had to wear a fancy dress and do some other things we didn't quite understand. All of our aunts and uncles were in town for the weekend, so we were very happy. It was a fun time, so fun we fell asleep in mommy's arms at the reception. Here are some pics from the day!

Stop Diabetes 2011

2011-10-02T13:35:00.000-07:00

Today, Mommy, Bella, Delanie and I walked in the diabetes walk after Mass. We have walked every year for the last 5 years in honor of our Aunt JuJu who was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes 17 years ago, at age 14. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed our walk on the canal downtown. We really do hope there is a cure some day, don't you?

Future WeatherWomen?

2011-10-02T13:31:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Daddy took us to the Channel 6 News building to watch the 6:00 news being taped and meet the Weather Woman, Angela Buchman. She was so nice and let us sit at the news desk, stand in front of her weather map and play on the set. She also invited us to come back in a few months. Do you think we have a future on TV?

Hoo-Hoo-Hoosiers

2011-09-18T17:34:00.000-07:00

We were lucky enough to go to an IU game with mommy and some friends last week. We had such a good time and Mommy thinks we are very die-hard IU fans. We cheered and clapped and asked every time the Hoosiers scored, "Did we win"? Mommy hopes to take us to many more games in the future....we think she might want us go to iu?? what do you think?

First Day of School 2011

2011-09-18T17:27:00.000-07:00

Delanie started Pre-K at Southeastern Church of Christ on Monday August 15th, 2011. She has adjusted so well and mommy and daddy are very proud of her. She goes to school M, W, F and gets Gammy all to herself on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She is loving her new teachers, Miss Linda and Miss Shauna and loves having Chapel every morning. Secretly, we know she can't wait to be in the same school as Emme again next year.

Emme started Kindergarten at Nativity Catholic School on Tuesday August 16th, 2011. She is in full day kindergarten with Miss Wallpe and LOVES it. She takes school very seriously and promises she will never move her car from the "green light". My favorite quote so far this year: E-"Mom, I have a new best friend"...Mom-"Oh that's great Emme, what's her name?"...E-"I don't remember"!! Love it!

Where has the time gone?

2011-09-18T17:21:00.001-07:00

Mommy has been such a bad blogger lately and she apologizes...she was reading back through posts tonight and realized how fun it is to see our memories and promises to do a better job at blogging.

So, since mommy has blogged last:

Emme: took a summer full of swim lessons, started Kindergarten at Nativity Catholic School, is taking gymnastics again, loves lady gaga, wants to be a "hip hop dancer" for Halloween and wishes she could just skip right to 8th grade.

Delanie: also took swim lessons all summer, started Pre-K at a new school, gets to spend two days a week with Gammy (all by herself), loves singing to Adele with mommy, and can't decide between a horse and a cowgirl for Halloween.

We've missed blogging and would much rather have mommy put our pictures on here than on facebook. Hope you've missed us too!

Emme the Swimmer!!

2011-04-05T19:29:00.001-07:00

Mommy's been taking us to the Y every weekend this winter so we can practice swimming. Mommy says she was on the summer swim team as a little girl and would love for me to join starting this summer. Mommy called me a "fish" while we were on vacation and I went from swimming on my own a little to jumping off the side of the pool on my own and swimming. Everyone was so proud of me and I loved every minute of it. Here are a few videos mommy took of my new skills!

Delanie is 4!

2011-04-05T19:24:00.000-07:00

Another big event from last week was Delanie's 4th Birthday! She turned 4 on Thursday, but we celebrated with Bella, Daddy and other family/friends before we left for vacation. Delanie wanted a Bitty Baby cake and as you can see, it turned out pretty cute! She celebrated several more times throughout our trip: a special cupcake at our lunch with the princesses and a birthday dinner/cake with Gigi. Here are some pics of her celebration "Bitty baby style"!

Spring Break 2011

2011-04-05T19:18:00.001-07:00

Mommy, Delanie and I just got back from a week in FL. We had a great time and mommy says she will do her best to post pics in a timely manner. We met Papa Jim, Miss Becky and Aunt JuJu in Orlando for a day at Epcot. From there we went to Gigi's house and spent the rest of the week at the beach and in the pool. It was another great Spring Break, full of lots of memory making moments.

Here are some pics from our day at Epcot, which included lunch with the princesses!

Spring Soccer

2011-04-05T19:11:00.000-07:00

We're playing soccer again this spring. The fun part is that this year, Delanie is old enough to play in the pre-school league, so we're on the same team-the Dolphins! And, Daddy is our coach. We've had a few practices and 1 game so far. Mommys says I touched the ball more in the first game of this season than I did all last season, so I'm on a roll! Here are some pics from our first game (Delanie is #4 and I'm #6):

As you can see, we had a large cheer section, even though it was pretty cold and windy.

Fun with Friends

2011-03-06T11:08:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we spent the evening at the Barron's for some great fun with our friends: Libby, Cooper, and Anna. Auntie Laura and Anna were in town from Chicago for a Baby shower and we were so excited to see everyone! The Barron's are always great hosts and served us a yummy dinner, ice cream with sprinkles and lots of fun times with our friends...here are some pics from the night:

Lots of Fun Stuff!!

2011-02-06T11:02:00.001-08:00

Mommy and Daddy keep telling us we're pretty lucky girls and we agree, here are a few of the fun things we've gotten to do lately: two weeks ago, Daddy took us to see Disney on Ice-Toy Story 3, last weekend he took us to see Miranda Cosgrove (ICarly) in concert and this weekend, we had breakfast with Dora and got to see the new Dora exhibit at the Children's Museum before it opened to the public. Here are a few pics from our adventures with Dora:

Crabapple Creek Christmas Program 2010

2011-02-06T10:50:00.000-08:00

We had our school's annual Christmas program the week before Christmas. We demonstrated our "circle time"-the songs we sing and our routine each morning at school and then each had a role in acting out the birth of Baby Jesus. I was an Innkeeper and Delanie was an angel. Here are a few pictures from the program and one of us with our good friend from school, Emme Scott.

We love our school and our teachers, Miss Kathy, Miss Nancy and Miss Lori. We are going to miss our school next year when I go to Kindergarten and Delanie goes to a pre-school closer to my school. We feel really blessed to have had Crabapple as part of our lives the last two years.

Christmas 2010

2011-02-06T10:45:00.001-08:00

Mommy has been slacking in posting about our latest adventures...we'll apologize for her. So, here is a post on Christmas 2010. We had an amazing holiday...xmas eve spent with Gammy and Papa, xmas eve mass, xmas morning with mommy and daddy at Daddy's house, xmas afternoon with Bella and then a trip to SC to see Papa Jim and Miss Becky. We must have been really good because Santa brought us the things on our lists...most importantly, our American Girl Dolls: Lanie and Bitty Baby (who Delanie calls Michelle). Here are a few pics from xmas morning.

Emme is 5!

2011-02-03T10:47:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately.....lots going on. One of the biggest events, has to be Emmerson's 5th birthday on January 21st. I was lucky to have the day off and spend the whole day with the new 5 year-old. We celebrated with her teachers and friends at Crabapple Creek, did a little shopping and had a birthday dinner at Bella's. Emme got to request her favorite dinner and she requested Red beans and rice. We enjoyed her "American Girl" cake and ice cream and she opened her gifts for our generous friends and family.

So hard to believe my first baby is 5! She has loved every minute of her 5th year so far and loves telling people how old she is (her new hair cut also makes her look so much older!). Every year of her life has blessed ours and I know she will continue to make us smile, laugh and thank god for her every day.

We've been busy!

2010-12-06T19:42:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately....we have been busy!

Here are a few snapshots of what we've been up to:

We traveled to Fort Wayne a few weeks ago to watch our cousin Joshie (Josh) and the Rensselear Bombers play in the 2A semi-state football game...sorry for the blurry pic. It was pretty chilly, but so fun to cheer on our Cousin. He had an interception (whatever that is) the very first play of the game...but, we were really sad to see them lose the game.

We made our annual trip to "jolly days" at the Children's Museum

this past weekend to

enjoy the exhibit and see Santa....

We've been busy making our lists for Santa and being extra good, because

as mommy reminds us a lot, "he's watching"!

Fall Break 2010-Uncle Banana in Baltimore

2010-10-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

The second part of our trip east was spent in Baltimore with Uncle Banana. He and Aunt B moved to Baltimore in June, so they could both work at Johns Hopkins, Uncle Banana as a internal medicine resident and Aunt B as a nurse, while she finishes her Nurse Practitioner degree. Mommy and I arrived in Baltimore on Saturday afternoon. Uncle Banana showed us around his new neighborhood, which is right by the harbor so we got to see some boats. I didn't really understand why we couldn't ride any of them, something about us not knowing the owner of the boats...bummer! After our walk, we went to "Mathew's Pizza" for dinner...it is a famous pizza place in Baltimore. After our yummy pizza, Uncle Banana shared mint chocolate chip gelato with me..YES! It was a quick visit, but Mommy and I are so glad we got to see Uncle Banana and where he is living now, although we secretly hope they move closer some day:)

Fall Break 2010

2010-10-24T15:21:00.000-07:00

Emme and I and mommy were all on Fall Break last week. Mommy planned a trip for she and I to go out East to visit our friends, the Jordan's in the Washington DC area and then Uncle Banana in Baltimore, MD. Emme stayed home with Daddy for some one-on-one daddy time and because she is going to Baltimore with Bella in November to visit Uncle Banana when he has some time off from his residency.

So, mommy and I rode from Indianapolis to DC with Miss Jasmine and Clara on Wednesday. We spent the day doing girl stuff on Thursday (i.e. checking out the local Target, shopping mall, COSTCO, etc) and then on Friday we drove into DC...wow! I loved it. I had a great time learning about the monuments, we rode the Carousel at the Smithsonian, saw the White House and took tons of pictures so I can remember everything we saw. Mommy is really impressed with how much I learned and remember about the monuments. She bought me a book with pictures of all the sights we saw, to help me remember. Here are some pics from our day in DC:

Afternoon at the Children's Museum

2010-10-10T14:19:00.000-07:00

Mommy, Bella and Mr. Jim took Delanie and I to the Children's Museum after church today. Actually, before we made it to the museum, we ate breakfast/lunch at Einstein Bros. Bagels. Delanie and I have both been begging mom to eat there and since it's one of her favorites too, it's hard for her to say no. So, today from 1p-3p while the rest of Indianapolis was watching the colts, we were at the museum. We did our normal: Egypt exhibit, carousel ride, planetarium, Barbie exhibit...and we also checked out the newly opened "Penguins and Polar Bear" exhibit. My favorite part was the new exhibit, where Delanie and I slid down "ice" like penguins and sat in a Polar Bear's den. Enjoy the pics!

SHS Homecoming 2010

2010-09-19T15:25:00.000-07:00

Since mommy starting working at Southport High School 3 years ago, we have been huge fans of the "Cardinals". Mommy took us to a Cardinal football game a few weeks ago and we sat right in front of the cheerleaders and fell in love! We have been practicing cheers and begging mommy for cheerleading outfits ever since. Luckily, Auntie Sarah and Uncle Duke own a scholastics company and were able to order us official cheerleading outfits, just like the "real" cheerleaders wear! They arrived in the mail last week, just in time for SHS's homecoming game on Friday. Mommy also co-sponsors the Freshman class, so had to help the freshman students build a float for a competition between the classes. We spent several hours at SHS last weekend with mommy while the students worked on their float...or "flute" as Delanie calls it! We rode in the parade with mommy in Auntie Erin's convertible and threw candy to the crowd...it was so fun!! After the parade, we watched the football game with Bella, Jim, and some of mommy's friends from school. We also met one of the homecoming queen candidates. At halftime, it was announced that the Freshman float/mommy's float won 1st place!! Mommy was super excited, as were we! Our queen candidate didn't win, but mommy explained to us that they were all winners. We had a blast.....mommy says we are some of the Cardinals #1 fans!

Meeting "Clara Hadley"

2010-09-06T15:53:00.000-07:00

We were able to meet mommy's friend Jasmine's new baby girl on Saturday. Clara Hadley Jordan is almost 8 weeks old. Mommy says she and Jasmine grew up together and have been friends since 2nd grade. Miss Jasmine and Mr. Logan now live in Virginia, but were in town for the holiday weekend. Miss Jasmine let us hold Clara and answered all of our questions when she was feeding Clara and changing her diaper. We just love Clara's name and insist on calling her by her first and middle name: Clara Hadley! We can't wait until she can play with us...we're sure to be lifelong friends just like Mommy and Miss Jasmine. Here are a few pics of us with our new friend:

Emme's Laugh

2010-08-25T18:51:00.000-07:00

Mommy took these pictures of me today while we were at Bella's pool. She always says she "loves my laugh". I'm really into laughs too and often compare people's laughs....I'm always telling Auntie Erin that she laughs like my teacher, Miss Nancy. I just love to laugh....the proof is below!

Indiana State Fair 2010

2010-08-25T18:29:00.000-07:00

Mommy took us to the State Fair last week. We had a great time walking through the animal barns, eating fair food and looking at some other exhibits. Unfortunately, Mommy only got a few pics before her camera died. The pics are from our walk through the "Swine Barn" where we saw the "World's Largest Boar" and mommy was mesmorized by the mommy pig nursing 12 piglets (you can't see all of them in the picture)....she just kept staring and saying she's glad she's not a pig!

1st Day of School 2010

2010-08-16T14:36:00.000-07:00

Today was our first day of school! Mommy said it was a little bit of a rough morning because we were "slow movers"....what ever that means. Daddy wished us a good day and Bella met us at school to walk us in. Mommy made us take some pictures....Delanie was into it and I wasn't. Mommy picked us up this afternoon and we both reported that we had good days. The best part of my day was "doing the weather and learning it might rain tonight"...Delanie said the best part of her day was "recess". Here's to a great school year!

"Girls Day Out"

2010-08-06T16:08:00.000-07:00

Since Mommy started back to work this week, we have spent the last few days with some of our favorite people. Yesterday, on Mommy's first day back we spent the day with Bella and Auntie Jess. They let us watch movies, took us swimming and let us play with Hunter and Shadow. Today, we spent the day with Auntie Erin, her mommy-Miss MaryBeth and our friend, Miss Monica. They took us to visit Mommy at her school and then took us to the zoo for the afternoon. Miss MaryBeth had never been before, because she lives in Ohio, so we showed her all our favorite spots....well, actually we showed her the entire zoo! Here are some pictures of our fun:

Since we don't start school until August 16th, next week we will spend our days with Gammy and Uncle Jeff....stay tuned for all of our adventures with them.

Too Cute Not to Share....

2010-08-06T15:35:00.000-07:00

Mommy thinks this is the cutest picture of me and had to share it....

It's Auntie Erin's hat...we were on our way to the zoo on our "Girl's Day Out" with Auntie Erin, Miss Monica and Miss MaryBeth (more on that in the next post) while Mommy was at work.

Lovin' the Library

2010-08-03T22:27:00.000-07:00

After our Dentist appointments today, mommy took us to the Indianapolis Public Library downtown. We met Uncle Jeff and Elijah there...Uncle Jeff has been telling mommy how great the new library is for months and he was right! There were so many fun things to do...pods where books are read to you, computers with games, a stage that puts you on a video screen and books everywhere! We had a blast...mommy's just sorry she didn't start taking us sooner.

Day at the Dentist

2010-08-03T22:19:00.000-07:00

Delanie and I both had a dentist appt today. We were both a little nervous, but remembered that our last visit wasn't really too bad and also remembered the trip to the prize basket at the end of the visit. So, when Mommy asked who wanted to go first, I tried to lead by example and show Delanie how brave I was. I even let Miss Brandy, the hygenist, take pictures of my teeth. Mommy kept saying how proud she was of both Delanie and I....and I agree, we were both pretty brave and did everything Miss Brandy asked. Here are some pics of our visit and of us showing off our picks from the prize basket (rings and a mini camera).....I almost forgot...neither of us had any cavities, yeah!!

Cute PJ Pic

2010-08-02T17:52:00.001-07:00

Just a cute pj pic from vacation that Mommy wanted to share:

Pillow Pets

2010-08-02T13:13:00.000-07:00

Delanie and I have recently become what our mom calls, "obsessed" with pillow pets. We saw them on TV and then saw them in person because our friend Braelin has a few. We begged mommy for a few weeks for them and were able to buy them a few days ago after we earned some money "helping" Bella with some things. I chose the Unicorn and Delanie chose the Ladybug...there were only 4 choices in the store, but many more on the website or if you order them from TV. Here are some pics of us with our newest treasures!

Now I'm wishing for the Dolphin and Delanie's wishing for the penguin.....

Christopher

2010-08-02T11:50:00.001-07:00

Mommy took us to the zoo today for our last visit before she goes back to work on Thursday. We met Uncle Jeff and Elijah and had a ton of fun. We always try to do different things when we go and today we learned about tortoises....This is Christopher, he is a tortoise from Madagascar...

We listened to the Jr. zookeeper's presentation about tortoises and learned that they differ from turtles in 4 ways:

1. Turtles must live near water, tortoises live in the forest

2. Turtles eat plants and insects, tortoises just eat plants/veggies/fruit

3. Turtles have less heigth to their shells, so they can swim easier, tortoises' shells are more domed

4. Turtles and tortoises have different shaped feet, turtles are more fin shaped, tortoises are more club shaped

We were able to touch Christopher's shell and even caught another pic with him before the zookeeper put him away....since we got to know Christopher so well, we'll be sure look for him on our future visits to the zoo.....

Cute Suits

2010-07-31T11:57:00.000-07:00

Just a few more pics of us in some of our cute swim suits...mommy said we are going to turn into fish because we want to swim every day...but we don't care...we love the water!

"Concerts on the Canal" and "Cones on the Circle"

2010-07-31T11:47:00.000-07:00

Mommy's friend, Miss Monica, recently told her about "Concerts on the Canal"....free concerts on the patio of the Indiana Historical Society every Thursday night during the summer months. This past Thursday was our second time going and this time Bella and Mr. Jim joined us. It was pretty warm in the sun, so mommy let us use our umbrella as a parasol for shade. It is a really fun time and we hope to go again before summer is over....

Since we were downtown and it was a warm summer night, Mommy thought it was the perfect chance for us to get some ice cream on the circle. We love to eat our cones on the steps of the monument and watch all the people and pet the horses....we met Dixie and Dancer this time (and yes, that is gold glitter on Dancer's hooves)...we're really hoping that Mommy takes us on a carriage ride one of these days....

Fishin' Fun

2010-07-26T17:36:00.000-07:00

Bella has a pond behind her condo and she and Mr. Jim started fishing in it a few weeks ago. After hearing about all the fun they've been having, we begged and begged them to take us. Finally, today was the day! We were naturals! Mr. Jim couldn't keep up with us, between baiting our hooks and taking fish off of them....we can't wait to go again!

Run 2 Relay

2010-07-26T17:33:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Mommy, Auntie Erin and two other ladies ran in a team relay marathon. We didn't get to go watch, but Mommy said it was very HOT and HILLY. Mommy explained to us that there was a 2.2 mile course and each team member had to run the course 3 times, for a total of 26.2 miles. Hopefully next time, if there is one, we can go watch and cheer Mommy on!!

More Pics from the IMA...

2010-07-26T16:50:00.000-07:00

Here are a few in black and white/sepia:

Pics at the IMA

2010-07-26T16:27:00.000-07:00

Last week, mommy's friend asked if she could take some pics of us at the Indianapolis Museum of Art for her portfolio. She is studying photography and applying for some jobs. It also gave us the chance to see the new exhibit at the museum "100 acres". We had a fun morning and mommy thinks some of the pics are pretty cute as well:

Beach Babes

2010-07-26T15:21:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Mommy took us to South Carolina to visit Papa Jim. We had a great time....we swam, spent some time on the beach, went to a movie, went on a boat ride and saw dolphins, ate lots of good food, saw Papa's new house, spent a day in Savannah/Tybee Island, and made lots of fun memories. Mommy said we are total beach babes, we like the ocean way more than she does and will even go in farther....we can't wait to go back and visit again soon. Here are some pics from our trip:

Cousin Craziness

2010-07-05T13:37:00.001-07:00

Elijah spent the weekend with us this past weekend and we had a blast. We love it when he's with us....Mommy says we are a little too bossy, but we love that he'll play whatever we want. He even let us put barrettes in his hair! Mommy took us swimming, to the zoo, swimming again and to watch fireworks....when's the next sleepover, cuz??!

Fair Oaks Farm Summer 2010

2010-06-14T17:03:00.001-07:00

Mommy and Bella took us to Fair Oaks Farm on the way home from Chicago today. This was our second visit and we were really excited to see more baby cows born. We drove the tractors, rode the train, took the bus tour to the milking barns and enjoyed ice cream. The light on the birthing barn stayed red our whole visit, which means none of the mommy cows were close to giving birth. I begged(cried) for one last visit to the birthing barn before we left and as we were walking to the barn, the light changed from red to yellow. After watching for about 15 minutes, the baby calf was born! The "cow nurse" had to help pull the calf out of the mommy, but everyone was healthy in the end. Fair Oaks Farm is such a fun place to visit...if you haven't been, you should check it out.

Max and Tessa Meeting #2

2010-06-14T16:59:00.000-07:00

Since we were so close to Max and Tessa on Sunday, Mommy took us to see them for a few minutes. We were in Darien and they were at their gparents house in Palos Heights for the weekend. We hadn't seen them in person since October and wow how they've changed! Auntie Sarah let us help feed them dinner and then watch as she fed them bottles and put their pj's on. We even got to see Max play with his new toy. Mommy says we will see them again on Friday, when we go back to Chicago to visit all of our friends. We can't wait!
** Tessa didn't want to take any pics with us...Auntie Sarah said not to take it personal, whatever that means!**

Chicago for Cousin Corey's Birthday

2010-06-14T16:54:00.000-07:00

Our Mommy's 1st cousin and our 2nd cousin, Corey, turned 18 on Sunday. Mommy, Bella, Delanie and I all went to Chicago to celebrate her birthday with her. Bella bought us all the necessary party supplies and we helped Corey eat her birthday cake. We love parties, we'll even travel for them!

Cousin Time

2010-06-14T16:46:00.001-07:00

Our cousin Elijah came over Thursday night and we had a slumber party. On Friday Mommy and Uncle Jeff took the three of us to the Children's Museum. Since we're members, we were able to catch a preview of the new exhibit, "Rock Stars, Cars and Guitars". Delanie and I practiced singing like Rock stars and took Elijah on a motorcycle ride. We rode on the carousel and also spent some time in one of our favorite exhibits, "Egypt". Elijah and Uncle Jeff hadn't seen the Sesame Street movie in the plantetarium, so we did that too. We always have fun with Elijah...he is our cousin, but also one of our bestest friends.

Swim, Swim, Swim.....

2010-06-10T15:14:00.001-07:00

Just a few more pics from all the swimming we've done so far this summer....these are from today at Bella's neighborhood pool...

The Sisters eat Sushi!

2010-06-10T15:10:00.001-07:00

Sushi has become my new obsession...I think I've eaten in 3 times in the last 10 days. Jason and I and our good friend Stephie took the girls to dinner on Tuesday and I requested that we eat at my favorite Sushi place. The girls did great...they loved the edemame, used the chopsticks the best they could and tried most of the sushi that we ordered. Delanie kept calling the fish in the middle, the "hot dog".....too funny. I don't think sushi will be a regular entree in their diet, but I love that they were willing to try it.

Summer Swim Lessons

2010-06-10T15:04:00.000-07:00

The girls started swim lessons on Tuesday at the Y....we signed them up for 6 weeks worth. They both LOVE to swim, which totally makes me happy since I was a "swimmer". I would love for Emme to join a summer swim team next summer and I am hoping she will love it as much as I did. Delanie is so proud that she also has her own lessons this summer and mommy doesn't have to be in the pool with her. I see lots of pool time in my future....

Cheetahs at the Zoo

2010-06-10T14:28:00.000-07:00

We took a trip to the zoo on Monday, the weather was beautiful and the girls were asking to see the new Cheetah exhibit. We caught a dolphin show, at our picnic lunch, Delanie "fed" the giraffes and we saw the Cheetahs. They weren't doing much, we must have caught them at nap time...maybe next time they'll be more active.

Visit to Cousin Ella Balvich's

2010-06-03T15:23:00.000-07:00

Mommy and Auntie Jess took us to Rensselear over the weekend to visit our cousins: Josh, Parker, Graham, Ella and Uncle J/Auntie Beth. We had a great time swimming in their pool, playing in Ella's room, wrestling with the boys, seeing Shrek 3 and having cousin time. Mommy said it was our summer trip to "the country", Auntie Beth prefers we call it the "ranch". We came back exhausted and with lots of misquito bites...yuck:( and we can't wait to see them again!

Crabapple Creek Carnival 2010

2010-06-03T15:16:00.000-07:00

Crabapple Creek had a Carnival to celebrate the end of the school year last Thursday night. There were games, pizza, cotton candy, popcorn and face painting. The weather was a little uncooperative and there were several downpours throughout the evening. It was still super fun and we can't wait to go back to Crabapple in the Fall. Notice we said "we", Delanie will also be attending Crabapple in the fall. It was a back and forth decision, but we decided to request that the girls are in the same class. We figured it was a one in a lifetime chance for them to be in the same class at school, so why not? We are also hoping they have Miss Kathy, Emme's teacher from this year and our current neighbor. Some of the pics from the night are of the girls with Miss Kathy's daughter, Kylie. Oh how we love Crabapple Creek!

Indians Games Summer 2010 #2

2010-06-03T15:11:00.000-07:00

Mommy took us to our 2nd Indians game of the summer last week. It was beautiful Monday night and Monday nights are dollar nights at the ball park. Several things on the menu are $1 each. So we feasted on ball park hot dogs, cracker jacks and cotton candy....it was heaven. Mommy says we might go back tomorrow night....we might just be the Indians #1 fans...or is it the ball park snacks that we get excited about?

Olivia Tracy

2010-05-23T11:17:00.001-07:00

We had a quick visit with Olivia Tracy over the weekend....we haven't seen her since she came home from the hospital about 9 1/2 weeks ago. She let us hold her and we watched her mommy put her down for a nap. We can't wait to spend some time with her this summer...she is fun!

Congrats Uncle Banana, MD

2010-05-23T11:10:00.000-07:00

Our Uncle Banana graduated from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine on May 14th. Bella and Papa Jim had a party for him this weekend to celebrate his accomplishment. Mommy says he will be moving to Baltimore next month to begin his residency at Johns Hopkins....all I know is that Uncle Banana said he will be working a lot. Here are some pictures from his party and some pics of us in t-shirts that Uncle Banana bought us from the bookstore after his graduation...

Delanie's End of Year Pre-School Program

2010-05-23T11:06:00.000-07:00

Delanie's last day of pre-school at Mt Pleasant Christian Church was Thursday 5/13. She had a great school year in the Bees class. We loved having Miss Missy as her teacher since she was Emme's teacher last year. Next year, Delanie will join Emme at Crabapple Creek and she is pretty excited about going to her sister's school. Here are a few pics from the program...just look for the girl with hair bigger than her....

Our Mommy and her BFFs

2010-05-23T11:02:00.000-07:00

Mommy went to Chicago last weekend to celebrate Auntie Laura's 30th bday....we know mommy loves it when she gets to spend time with her best friends. We're going to take a trip to Chicago in June so we all get to visit mommy's best friends and Ethan, Anna, Elsie, Max and Tessa...we can't wait!

Last Soccer Game of the Season

2010-05-23T10:57:00.000-07:00

My last soccer game of the season was Thursday night. It was a little rainy, but we still played and ended the season with a bang. My Gammy and Uncle Banana came to watch me play. I told mom I definitely want to play soccer again next year...I had so much fun!!

1st Indians Game of 2010

2010-05-01T17:15:00.000-07:00

Daddy got 4 free tickets for the Indians game last week from work, but he couldn't go, so we went with Mommy and Auntie Erin. We watched for Rowdie the whole game and when we finally spotted him, Delanie chickened out of the picture opportunity. We love going to the games...mostly for the yummy snacks they have at the ballpark and our Rowdie sightings.

Soccer Rocker

2010-05-01T17:02:00.000-07:00

Mommy and Daddy signed me up for spring soccer at the Y. We practice once a week and have a game each Saturday for 8 weeks. It has been super fun....I even have pink cleats and shin guards. Mommy, Daddy, Delanie and Bella have all been super important to my soccer season....Daddy volunteered to be our coach, Bella comes to all my games and helps get me to practices, Mommy makes sure I am accessorized for my games (soccer ball ribbon, coordinating leggings to match my jersey), and Delanie is the "Bears" official cheerleader. My family tells me I'm not very competitive, when they tell me to kick the ball, I simply explain that I don't want to take away chances from the other players. Mommy says I always have a smile on my face when I play and that's the most important thing.

Auntie Erin

2010-04-06T12:26:00.000-07:00

Since Auntie Erin works in a school, too, she joined us on our Spring Break trip. She was a huge help to mommy and super fun to have around. She helped entertain us in the car, swam with us in the pool, buried us in the sand, took us on fun rides at the Magic Kindgon and is all around fun. Here are some pics of us with our auntie.....

Delanie Turns 3!

2010-04-06T12:19:00.000-07:00

Delanie turned 3 while we were on vacation. We celebrated at breakfast, spent the day by the pool and on the beach and then went to dinner. Delanie even met another beach goer with her same bday. Delanie's favorite part was her Mickey and Minnie cake. Where is the time going?

Spring Break 2010

2010-04-06T12:08:00.000-07:00

Ever since Mommy starting working at her school, she says getting away on Spring Break is a must. Ok with us! We continued a tradition of traveling to Fort Pierce, FL to see Gigi Sawyer and Papa Steve and going to Orlando to do some fun Disney things.
We were gone for 8 days and had an absolute blast. Mommy took tons of pictures and will be posting them in a somewhat organized fashion. Here are a few of her favorites....

Rhyme Time

2010-03-20T17:34:00.000-07:00

Mommy says this story is too funny not to share:
I am really into my letters, sounding out words, trying to read, etc. My newest trick is rhyming words. Mommy had to take me to the dr last Monday (sick left ear) and while we were waiting for the Dr. to come to the exam room, Mommy was trying to entertain us and suggested we rhyme some words. So, I started and said,"Mommy....glass....ass". I'm not sure why, but she tried to hide her laughter and then quickly asked me to find words to rhyme with hat.
ps-my ear is feeling so much better.

Lovin' on Liam

2010-03-20T17:25:00.000-07:00

Mr. Ben and Miss Heather welcomed William Louis "Liam" Kingdon to the world last month. We have been lucky enough to visit with him twice and we just LOVE him. Miss Heather lets us hold him and love on him. Our last visit just happened to be on St. Patrick's Day and it was extra fun because our friend, Stephie, was visiting too!!

Oh Zoo, how we've missed you....

2010-03-07T18:50:00.000-08:00

When Mommy found out it was going to be 52 degrees today, she asked us if we wanted to spend the day playing outside at home or go to the zoo. We all agreed that a trip to the zoo was in order. We haven't been for a few months and we were starting to go through withdraw. It was a really fun trip, Bella and her friend Jim joined us. Although some of the animals weren't out, we managed a train ride, watched the dolphin show, and saw our favorites: the elephants and giraffes. We can't wait for a spring/summer of visits...Thanks again, Papa Jim, for our membership!

Dinner at Bella's

2010-03-06T17:44:00.000-08:00

Mommy has to take two quiches to a brunch at church next weekend, so she thought she would practice, since she hasn't ever made one before. She made a Spinach quiche at Bella's and we had it for dinner. Everyone really enjoyed it and we gave mom the stamp of approval to take them to her brunch.

Mama Dinosaur

2010-03-02T16:08:00.001-08:00

A few more pics of our afternoon at the Children's museum.

Hello, Barbie Reception...

2010-03-02T16:06:00.000-08:00

Delanie speaking, how can I help you?

Our Children's museum also has a new Barbie exhibit. I thought these were too cute not to share.

Can we fix it???

2010-03-02T16:02:00.000-08:00

YES WE CAN!

Our Children's Museum has a new Bob the Builder exhibit. We took the girls last weekend. Delanie was a pro with the "power tools"...guess watching Daddy has paid off.

Funny Flight Questions

2010-01-30T18:10:00.000-08:00

Mommy wanted to share a few of the funny things I asked while we were flying to Phoenix...all of these things I said to Bella because I sat with her while Mommy was busy entertainting Delanie.

-After we used the bathroom on the plane, I asked Bella, "will they let us back on the plane now?"

-After Bella told me we were flying through the clouds, I said, "Thank you clouds!"

-When Bella pointed out we were flying over Indianapolis, I asked, "Bella, how are we going to get home? Are they going to drop us off in our yard?"

More Fun in Phoenix...

2010-01-30T18:06:00.000-08:00

I know we've mentioned that we had so much fun visiting our Gigi Rose...but, we have to say it one more time. WE HAD SO MUCH FUN! Here are a few more pics from our visit, including our trip to get our nails painted, trips to the park, Gigi showing us her doll collection and snuggling with Papa George. We're ready to go back and our mommy told us Gigi Rose is ready for us to visit again too.

Cactus Crazy

2010-01-30T18:02:00.000-08:00

While we were in Phoenix, Delanie and I were pretty obsessed with the catuses. We hadn't ever seen one in person before. We pointed them out wherever we went and took some pics with them. We brought a small one home and I took it to my pre-school class.

Celebrating Baby Kingdon

2010-01-30T17:32:00.000-08:00

Our good friends, Miss Heather and Mr. Ben, are having a baby in February. Mommy met Miss Heather when she was a social worker at Riley and they have been friends ever since. Delanie and I love Miss Heather and have a little crush on Mr. Ben. Mommy and Stephie planned a party today to celebrate the baby at a really neat restaurant. It was pretty fun...plus, we got to eat cake and cupcakes afterwards at Miss Heather and Mr. Ben's house. We can't wait to meet Baby Kingdon...we don't know if it is a boy or girl or what the name is...mommy really wants to know...only a few more weeks!

Celebrating #4 and #85

2010-01-21T19:08:00.000-08:00

Today was a special day for our family. Mommy, Delanie, Bella and I traveled to Phoenix and met our Great Uncle and two cousins at our Gigi Rose's house.

My Gigi Rose and I have the same birthday, I turned 4 today and she turned 85. My mom thought it would be fun for us to celebrate together.

My mommy told me the story today about being pregnant with me and finding out her due date was on Gigi Rose's birthday. She decided then that if I was a girl and actually born on Gigi's birthday, I would be named after her. My mommy and daddy decided on the names Andrew James and Emmerson Louise before going into the hospital, but it turned out I was a girl and I was born on Gigi Rose's birthday....so I became: Emmerson Rose Louise Oskay.

My mom also told me the story about how my Gigi's actual given name is Rebecca, but everyone knows her as Rose. When Gigi started school, her older sister had to translate for Gigi's parents because they only spoke Spanish and Gigi's name became Rose because the nun's didn't understand the Spanish pronunciation of Rebecca and interpreted it as Rose.

So, I started the fourth year of my life with presents at home before we left for the airport and then we were off to Phoenix. I had fun on the flight...I mostly sat with Bella and stayed busy coloring, reading, asking questions, etc. Delanie was pretty antsy and Mommy seemed to be pretty busy keeping her occupied. We got to Gigi Rose's around lunch time and played at her house for several hours before going for our Birthday dinner at Gigi's favorite Mexican restaurant. We opened presents and had cake....it was the perfect 4th birthday. My mommy is so excited we will have these memories forever.

Thanks for all of my birthday wishes and treasures!

XOXO,

Emme

SNOW MUCH FUN!

2010-01-10T15:27:00.000-08:00

While we were in Ohio, we got to play in the snow. It was a blast. We went sledding, for a walk in the woods, attempted to build a snowman and made snow angels. We finally had to go in so we could all warm up.

Packer's Fans?

2010-01-09T18:27:00.000-08:00

We spent the night with Auntie Erin and her mom and dad in Oxford, Ohio after the BSU game. Auntie Erin convinced us to wear these green jerseys...we're used to wearing blue and white, but since the Colts don't play this weekend, mommy said we could cheer for the Packers tomorrow. Plus, our Mommy told us she is an authentic "cheesehead" because she was born in Milwaukee. Go Packers, Beat the Cardinals!

BSU Game

2010-01-09T18:19:00.000-08:00

Mommy took us to the Ball State Men's Basketball game on Saturday. Our Auntie Erin's brother, Matt, is on their co-ed cheer squad. We drove to Muncie from Indianapolis and met Auntie Erin and her mom and dad, Miss MaryBeth and Mr. Joe for the game. As the pictures show, we had a GREAT time. Mom told us ahead of time that Ball State's mascot is the Cardinal, just like the school where Mommy works, so we wore our "Go Cards" shirts. Auntie Erin asked Charlie the Cardinal to come up and take a picture with us, but then we chickened out, so she took one for us. Oh, and they had good snacks at the game, too!

Cute Princess Tiana Dress

2010-01-07T17:42:00.000-08:00

I got this cute Princess Tiana dress from my Aunt, Uncle and cousins at Christmas. My mom doesn't normally let us buy clothes or shoes with characters on them, but she thought I looked so cute, we should post a pic.

Baby It's Cold Outside

2010-01-07T17:39:00.000-08:00

Don't we dress for the cold so fashionably?

More Christmas 2009

2010-01-07T17:33:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more pictures from Christmas 2009 that my mom is just getting around to posting. The first are a few from my Christmas program at school. My class performed a Nativity play and I was an Innkeeper....note my boots in the doorway!

The next one is of Delanie and I finding another use for Bella's stockings....think: elves!

A few more of of enjoying our Christmas treasures and time with family!

Cousins

2009-12-28T12:10:00.000-08:00

Mommy made us take some pictures at the Art Museum again in November. She just loves the grounds of the Indianapolis Art Museum as a backdrop for pictures. We invited our cousin, Elijah, along. Mom thought pics of all three of us would make great Christmas gifts for Gammy and Papa. I think she was right. Oh, how we love our cousin, Elijah.

Our Blog Just got a Make-Over

2009-12-26T21:13:00.000-08:00

Our blog just got a make-over from The Blog Spa! Thanks mom and dad for the new blog look!

"Princess and the Frog"

2009-12-26T06:26:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday I decided to take the girls to see "Princess and the Frog". We invited our teenage babysitter, Kristen and her younger sister, Allison. Thank goodness they were with me, it was a group effort to keep Emme and Delanie in their seats, chaperone trips to the bathroom, keep the popcorn and icees filled, etc. The movie was great, at least the parts I was able to watch. I think it will be a few years before we try the movies again.

Santa's 3 Gifts

2009-12-26T06:21:00.000-08:00

This year we started a new tradition that I stole from a friend (thanks, Shannon). We told the girls they could ask for three gifts from Santa, as Baby Jesus was given 3 gifts from the Wise Men. The girls were fairly low-maintainance with their wish lists...Emme asked for a Leapster, "Poopie" baby, and didn't really have a third. Delanie asked for a Pink Scooter (?), "Poopie" baby and didn't really have a third, either. So, Santa delivered...2 "poopie" babies, 1 leapster, 1 pink scooter and a dollhouse for the girls to share. The girls have been playing non-stop with these gifts and all the other treasures they were given from family and friends. It has been a really fun xmas at the Oskay house.

Oh, and the ornaments I thought were just too cute not to share!

Merry Christmas 2009!

2009-12-25T08:45:00.001-08:00

"Lead by Example"

2009-12-23T07:29:00.001-08:00

Jason and I have a new saying that we are using with Emme to encourage her to be helpful to her sister, set a good example, etc. It is "Lead By Example". I often use it at bedtime or when the girls are getting dressed. Emme has started saying it and it is hilarious to hear her say, "Mommy, I am leading by example". Yesterday, she decided to help her sister get dressed. I feel I must explain the pictures...the girls had gymnastics, so I laid out their leotards and clothes to put over them. When the girls walked out of Emme's room, what I saw totally caught me by surprise! I think the picture of their backsides does it more justice! Note: leotards over clothing.

Christmas at the Zoo

2009-12-23T07:26:00.001-08:00

We braved the cold weather and met the Barron's at the zoo on Monday night for "Christmas at the Zoo". We were able to catch the "holiday" dolphin show and a ride on the train before we (I) wimped out and needed to warm up. We completed the evening with a trip to "Hot Box Pizza" aka Pizza Express...nothing better! Again, my apologies for the pics...hopefully the Barron's will post some better ones soon...hint, hint!

Santa shops at Target?!

2009-12-21T10:46:00.000-08:00

We were getting some last minute gifts and groceries at Target this morning and guess who walked in behind us....SANTA! Guess you never know where you will see the jolly old soul. Delanie had to have her picture taken with him...hilarious!

Oh Christmas Tree

2009-12-21T06:40:00.001-08:00

While my dad was here a few weeks ago, we decorated our tree. These pics are from take #1 (the tree had to be re-decorated and tied to the wall after a minor mishap). Notice the decorating technique of the girls.....the more ornaments on a single limb, the better.

Sorry about the quality of the images...lost my camera a few weeks ago, so these are courtesy of my iphone.

Happy Holidays!

Papa Jim

2009-12-10T06:34:00.000-08:00

My dad was in town last weekend for a visit and we had an absolute blast with him.

Friday night we ate dinner at home and decorated our tree. Saturday morning we went to breakfast, did some shopping and then went to the 3pm showing of Disney on Ice. This was the girls 2nd year and we are lucky enough to sit in a friend's company's suite..nothing better. The show was great, I would totally recommend it! We are hoping to make this a yearly tradition.

After Disney on Ice, we hit the downtown shops and dinner downtown before taking a brisk loop around the circle to see the lights...it was a little chilly.

Sunday, my dad and Jason went to the Colts game and then we celebrated Jason's bday before taking my dad back to the airport. Come back Dad/Papa Jim!! We miss you already!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2009-12-10T06:27:00.001-08:00

Last Sunday, 12/6 was Jason's 33rd Birthday. He was lucky enough to spend most of his day at LOS watching the Colts secure their 12th win. While he was at the game, the girls had a blast making him a birthday cake...or at least licking the spoons.

Happy Birthday Daddy. We love you!

XO,

Emme and Delanie

Seeing Santa

2009-11-29T16:12:00.001-08:00

My mom and I took the girls to the Children's Museum today to meet the McVay's for our annual visit with Santa. This is our third year taking them to this "Santa spot". In addition to visits with Santa, they have a really great exhibit with ice fishing, a "Yule Slide" and new this year...a reindeer barn. Emme asked Santa for a leapster and Delanie asked for a scooter...this is a first I have heard about a scooter. The girls also rode the carousel twice with Bella and Lillian before we left. Gotta love the museum....I hope Santa renews our membership for xmas!

Crafting Copy Cat

2009-11-28T16:06:00.000-08:00

So, here are my copy cats for this year's thanksgiving decorations....not too shabby, but I am so a wannabe.

IU Fight Song

2009-11-28T15:56:00.000-08:00

So, I taught the girls the IU Fight song at the dinner table a few months ago and they have been "singing" it ever since. It cracks me up, so I thought I would share. I sometimes hear Delanie singing it when she is in her crib at bedtime. We are hoping to take them to an IU Bball game this winter, so all this practice can come in handy. And...IU Cheerleading outfits are on their xmas lists! GO Hoosiers!

Black Friday Shopping

2009-11-27T15:54:00.001-08:00

Two years ago I went shopping on Black Friday for the first time with my friend Kathleen. I have been hooked ever since. So, our tradition is as follows: on Thanksgiving night the Oskay clan spends the night at the McVay house. Once we get there, Kathleen and I go through all the ads, make our lists, and game plan for the morning. We set our alarms for 3am and are at our first stop by 4am. This year we shopped from 4am-3pm...WOW! We always have a blast, get great deals and can't wait for the next Black Friday. Above are a few of our staple stops...we even hit Target, Costco, and Kohl's all twice this year.....yes, we are those people. However, we end the day with at least 75% of our xmas shopping DONE....well worth the early rising and moments of mass chaos.

More Gymastics pics...

2009-11-26T15:21:00.000-08:00

The girls continue to love gymnastics...here are a few more pics from Emme's class last week.

Trash Can Turkey

2009-11-26T15:18:00.000-08:00

Jason had to have his own part of the day, so he decided to make a "trash can turkey". You will have to ask him for the specifics, I was not involved at all. Interesting...huh?

Tasty Take #1

2009-11-26T15:14:00.001-08:00

Pics from my first time hosting Turkey Day...it was a lot of work, but it all went well. Hope yours was safe and happy!

Food for Classroom Feasts

2009-11-23T17:25:00.000-08:00

The girls are both having "Thanksgiving Feasts" in their respective classrooms tomorrow. In Emme's class, the kids signed up for whatever they wanted to bring. So, my lovely daughter chooses "mac-n-cheese". Now, until I was in college, I didn't know that there was such thing as non-boxed macaroni and cheese. I have never made any other variety...and then my daughter signs up to bring it to a school pitch-in. So, I ventured out of my comfort zone, made a few phone calls for a recipe and voila! It looks and smells delicious...so good in fact, I may make it again on Thursday.

For Delanie's class, we got the short stick...or the last spot on the sign-up sheet, which left us with "Rice Crispie Turkey Drumsticks". Another venture out of my comfort zone...the rice crispie part was easy, it was making them look like drumsticks that almost put me over the edge. There are some super cute ideas on the web, but D's school is completely peanut butter free and all the recipes called for pb. My mom saved the day when she suggested we use pretzels...not too shabby.

And I have to cook again in a few days???

Cousins at the Children's Museum

2009-11-22T15:53:00.000-08:00

Saturday afternoon, my good friend Steph and I took E, D, and Elijah to the Children's Museum for the afternoon. I gave the kiddos a choice between the museum and the Zoo (secretly hoping they would choose the zoo), but they were unanimous in choosing the museum. We actually had a great time and hit all the hot spots: Dinosphere, PlayScape, the Carousel, the Egypt exhibit, the train exhibit and the water clock. The girls and I will be heading back there next weekend with Bella and Kat/Charlie/Lillian for our annual Santa visit.

Willy Wonka

2009-11-22T15:49:00.000-08:00

I took Emme to see "Willy Wonka" at SHS this afternoon. She loved the "Wizard of Oz" so much last year, that I was hoping for the same response for WW. Unfortunately, she didn't have the same enthusiasm and lost interest pretty early on. We did make it through the whole show, with a few breaks here and there...I think her favorite part was the prop made completely of candy in which she posed in front of.

Thanksgiving Take 1

2009-11-17T12:44:00.000-08:00

I am hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year for my mom, my brother, and my uncle Cliff and cousin Corey. I have never been this excited about making dinner. My mom and I are hard at work on the menu planning and I have also been working on the table decorations. Never thought it could be this fun...hopefully I am still feeling the excitement 8 hours into my cooking. Here are a few of the ideas I love and have been inspired by.