Skating with Annalise

Last weekend I took Annalise skating for the second time. It was sort of a reunion with many of my old skating teammates who were in town for Christmas (most of you know I was a figure skater for 12 years growing up). Those of us who have kids brought them along; it was their first or second time skating and it was fun to see the "next generation" on ice! Annalise did a great job and I was so proud of her! Here are a couple of pics & video clips of the event:

Such a Merry Christmas!

We had a wonderful Christmas in the O'Connell house. Annalise really enjoyed the season, having a couple celebrations with her groups of buddies, and her school program at school was adorable. And as usual, she loved all of the Christmas lights. Ryan was rather oblivious, and thankfully paid little attention to our Christmas tree, only swatting at the ornaments a few times.

Looking at the Christmas lights at our favorite house - this is only a tiny view of the
thousands of lights and decorations at this house. We love it!

Above: Annalise's school program.

This year we also had a visit from our Elf on the Shelf. Annalise named him Rudolph Elf, and he kept a watchful eye on Annalise's behavior. He left notes for Annalise each morning, and unfortunately he had to give her a few warnings about her behavior and poor eating. Luckily she worked on it and Santa didn't have to put her on the Naughty List, as he'd threatened.

Christmas morning, Annalise was thrilled that Santa granted her request for a new bike. She got a 16" Huffy Princess bike, and she's taken to it so well! Ryan's favorite gift was a V-Tech Move and Crawl ball. After a morning at home, we went to my parent's house for Christmas lunch with my three brothers, their wives, and my two nieces. It was a lot of fun!

My dad with Annalise and my niece Caitlin.

Ryan's First Birthday!

I'm over a month late in posting about this, how pathetic! Ryan turned one on November 26th, the day before Thanksgiving. Because we were leaving for Charlotte to visit family on his actual birthday, we kept his birthday celebrations rather low-key. The night before his "real" birthday we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant with my parents, where Ryan had his first cupcake. He ate the ENTIRE thing!

The night of his birthday, we celebrated with Ricky's family who were all in town for Thanksgiving. My sister-in-law ordered him an adorable Elmo cake and he made a nice big mess with it. It was a lot of fun!

We can't believe our little guy is already a year old. This year has FLOWN by. It is hard to imagine life before our Ryan. He is so fun, always smiling, and such a cuddle-bug. He's brought so much joy to all of us, and we love him so much. Happy Birthday, Ryan!

A Late Halloween Update

This update is very overdue, but nevertheless, here are some pics of the kiddos on Halloween. As you can see, Annalise was dressed as Little Orphan Annie and Ryan was a pumpkin. We started the fun with a neighborhood parade, and then Annalise and her best friend Emily went trick-or-treating. Ryan stayed home to help Ricky hand out candy to our whopping one trick-or-treater - how sad!

Happy 4th Birthday, Annalise!!!

Annalise turned four years old on October 13 - I can't believe it! How time flies. It seems like only yesterday that she was born, yet I can hardly remember life without her. She has brought so much to our lives. She's filled this house with laughter, singing, dancing, hugs, tickles, and sillyness. She is a great big sister & a wonderful daughter. She's a true joy, and we are so proud of her.

For Annalise's birthday, we had a small party at Two Crafty Chicks, a local craft studio. She had her seven closest buddies there, and the girls made jewelry boxes and the boys made treasure chests. So cute! My sister-in-law Michele made an absolutely beautiful Ariel cake for the event that was the hit of the party. The kids had a great time!

Annalise and her beautiful Ariel cake

Annalise, Ricky, and Me

Annalise, Nee, and Papa

Issa and Annalise painting

Miss DeDe reading the kids a story

Today at school Annalise had a little birthday celebration during snack time. Her class is so cute! This is Annalise & her beloved teacher, Mrs. Walker.

A Whirlwind Weekend

A Visit to Chloe...

I have been wanting to visit my friend Corinne, one of my best high school friends, for over a year. Last July she and her husband welcomed their first child, a beautiful daughter named Chloe Anne. At her four-week checkup, the doctor discovered something was terribly wrong. It turns out that Chloe has Spinal Muscular Atrophy, which is the #1 genetic killer of infants and toddlers. Chloe's intellectual development is not affected whatsoever, but her muscles are very weak. Chloe is now 15 months old and has had a long road. I have been wanting to get to Orlando to visit Corinne & meet Chloe for so long, and I was finally able to do it last weekend.

We had a wonderful (albeit emotional) visit. Annalise was in good health so she was able to come along, and she adored Chloe. It was so sweet to see Chloe smiling while watching Annalise play, and Annalise would bring Chloe little toys and stickers to hold. At one point Annalise went over and gently kissed Chloe on the head. So sweet! Chloe was much more hesitant with Ricky and myself, which is to be expected since most strangers she sees are doctors, nurses, therapists, or others who are poking and prodding her. But, she finally warmed up enough so that I could sit down next to her and give her some gentle tickles, and she allowed me to stroke her sweet beautiful face as I said goodbye to her when our visit was over. And she gave Ricky a giant grin. We fell in love with Chloe, and we are amazed by my friend Corinne. What an amazing mother and caregiver she is! (And her husband Matt, of course, but he was working during our visit so we missed him.)

Thanks for all of you who have been praying for Chloe. Please keep it up!

Corinne & Chloe

Chloe's Sweet Cheeks!

Annalise admiring Chloe (Annalise loved Chloe's ponytail!)

...And a visit to Mickey!

We decided that since I was going to Orlando, it would be fun to take Annalise to Disneyworld for a day since her birthday was on Monday. We had a great time! We packed 10 rides in one day. The minute one ride ended Annalise would say "I want another ride!" She amazed me at how much "cooler" of a kid she is than I ever was. She went on Goofy's roller coaster, Snow White's Scary Adventure, and the Haunted Mansion and never got scared. I would have been freaking out! Ryan stayed behind and my parents took care of him (since he detests long car trips!). It was nice to give Annalise some time alone with us where we could focus our attention on her.

Annalise saying "Faster!" on the Tea Cups

Waiting in line for Dumbo

A GIANT mess with a Mickey ice cream bar (we changed clothes immediately!)

Exhausted!

Happy Birthday Monkey

Annalise has a favorite stuffed animal named Monkey. She loves him, although lately I'm thinking that Monkey is a bad influence on her because he seems to be blamed for everything naughty that Annalise does. I've been hearing "Monkey told me to" a lot lately. Oh well, bad influence or not, he is her beloved friend.

So, this morning Annalise announced that today was Monkey's birthday. She said we needed to "make a ton of birthday hats." We had nothing else planned for the day, so why not a Monkey birthday party? We decided to move the party to my parents' house, and my dad even bought some mini-cupcakes for the big event.

Before the party Annalise said to me, "Mommy, I have tears." I said, "Why?" She said, "Because Monkey is getting so big, isn't that sad?" Hahaha, good grief. Anyway, Annalise & I made party hats for everyone (even Monkey's "friends") and we all sang. Cheesy, yes, but not a bad way to spend a beautiful October afternoon. Happy Birthday, Monkey!

A closeup of Monkey

Monkey making a wish

Monkey's party guests

"Nee" passing out cupcakes

"Papa" and Ryan enjoying the party

Interview with Annalise

This morning I had an "interview" with Annalise. Got some funny responses, so I thought I'd share a few of the questions/answers!

What is your favorite color?
Pink
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Doctor
Where do you want to live when you grow up?
A pink house
Do you want to have kids when you grow up?
Yes
What will their names be?
Clara, Zoe, Jack, Alex, Laura, Dora, Caillou, Mickey Mouse, Minnie, Goofy, Pig
If you were an animal, what would you be?
A pig
Why a pig?
Because they’re pink.
What’s your favorite food?
Macaroni & Cheese, soup, cake, ice cream, muffins, cookies, popsicles
What’s your favorite song?
Yellow Submarine
What do you want for Christmas?
A Christmas tree
What do you want for your birthday?
A cake
What present do you want?
A computer

Sweet Ryan!

September 11: Never Forget!

Today, as we all know, is the seventh anniversary of 9-11. Even though I was nowhere near NYC, PA, or DC on that morning, it is one I'll never forget. I doubt any American will ever forget that morning. At least I hope they won't. To forget that morning will be to forget the innocent Americans who were murdered, the heroes that lost their lives trying to save others, and the families who lost their loved ones. And it would be to forget that there are people in this world who want to do away with every American -- no matter if they are young or old, man or woman, Republican or Democrat. It would be to forget those in the Armed Forces who work so hard to keep us safe from those evil beings. And I am so thankful to them. I put my sweet babies to bed each night feeling safe, and for that I owe those brave men & women a debt of gratitude.

Seven years ago, some dear friends of my parents lost their daughter, who was my age. She was headed to Hawaii with her boyfriend for a vacation on the second plane to hit the World Trade Towers. Even though I didn't know her, I think of her a lot. And I think of her parents a lot. Once I had my own children, the ache I felt for them grew even stronger because now I can understand the love a parent has for her child. I can't imagine suffering such a loss, especially at the hands of such evil. So, for Lynn Goodchild, Shawn Nassaney, and the thousands of others who died that day, let's vow to never forget their lives and never take our safety for granted. There are so many who die so that we may have it. Let's not let any of their lives be in vain.

A Few "Firsts" for Annalise

Annalise had a busy week last week. She had her first day of school, her first day of ballet class, and she participated in her first home improvement project. Here are some pics!

First day of school

First day of ballet class

She's a natural with the spackle! (Notice her wearing one of my old skating dresses - haha)

Bad Parenting or Good Clean Fun?

Today has been a good day. Miss Sassy-Pants seems to have hit the road for the day, and the typical happy (yet bossy) Annalise is back. We've had fun today, and a little while ago she found an empty underbed plastic storage container. Look what fun we had with it! (And please, don't call DFACS, she was not spared oxygen or left in the box unattended, I promise!)

More Annalise-isms

It is hard for me to remember all of the funny things Annalise has been saying lately because they've been clouded by a lot of sassy moments. (Please, Lord, let this be a passing phase!) In between her moments of attitude, she does still manage to crack us up. Here are our recent favorites:

Annalise is very into learning jokes right now. She tries to make up her own, and of course you can't really make up a joke. So, she makes up weird stories -- here is an example -- "There was a fan, and it had a face and a mouth, and it was walking down the street. It was on its way home. Then he got in the house and went pee-pee on the floor!" After cracking up, she very seriously asks, "Was that a story or a joke?" I can't seem to explain to her what a joke is, but clearly saying "It's a funny story" was the wrong thing to say.

The other day we were in the car and this is our conversation:
Annalise: "Mommy, how did you pick this car?"
Me: "Well, we wanted something safe with a nice seat in it for you."
Annalise: "Did it have a lot of pieces?"
Me: "Well, a car does have a lot of pieces but it was already put together when we bought it."
Annalise: "Did the lady have a really big bag?"
I had to think for a moment to figure out what she meant, and then I realized that she was picturing Ricky and me lugging our car to a checkout counter, like at Target or a grocery store, and the "lady" (the salesperson) putting it in a giant bag for us to carry! I said, "No, we got to drive it home, they didn't put it in a bag." Haha!

The other day I was at the mall with my mom and Annalise, and we were sitting by the fountain enjoying pretzel bites and an icee, Annalise's favorite treat. Suddenly, just steps away from us, men robbed a jewelry kiosk, smashing the glass counter to bits. People were yelling and running in all different directions for fear of the situation turning violent (which, thankfully, it didn't). It was definitely scary and my mom grabbed Annalise and ran into a store, leaving Annalise's food behind. Annalise was sobbing since it obviously scared her, but in between sobs she asked, "Did they take my icee?" It gave us a good laugh in a terrifying situation!

Annalise has been into making up songs lately. Sometimes when she's about to make one up, she'll say, "Hold on, I need to put licorice in my mouth." Then she kind of taps on her molars and then prepares to sing. NO clue where this came from. One day she said, "Hold on, I can't just make the song up. It has to be in my heart."

Annalise made a glittery gold Olympic medal at a little art studio the other day. At dinner she was modeling it for Ricky. She said, "Look, this is just my style." Ha!

The other day she said, "Mommy, have you seen Daddy juggle? It's amazing!"

And for Annalise's most sassy moment of the day (and maybe of all time) -- today she was naughty and she got a time out. She said, "Don't tell Daddy." I said, "Trust me, I am." She looked right at me and with all of the attitude of a 15-year-old girl, she said, "Trust me, you aren't." I just looked at her. Part of me wanted to laugh, and part of me wanted to smack her! I didn't do either one, but it compelled me to once again pray for patience. It wasn't the first time God heard that prayer from me today! My "mom friends," please tell me I'm not alone!

A Couple of Video Clips

I've been wanting to share these videos for a while, but hadn't due to the internet being down...

This video was taken at Yellow River Game Ranch. I shared some pics in my previous posting, but here is a video I took of Annalise tentatively feeding a deer some saltines. We arrived there at opening, so the deer had congregated by the door, waiting anxiously for people to arrive with food. At one point I had about eight deer surrounding me, one tugging at my shirt hem! A few followed us around, sticking their heads in our stroller basket looking for more crackers. They obviously didn't get the memo that deer are supposed to be timid! They were so sweet, though, and I could have stood there feeding them all day.


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

This video was taken a couple of weeks ago. I fed Ryan dinner and he was very tired after not taking a very good afternoon nap. After each bite of food, he stuck his thumb in his mouth. This is just a snippet, but this went on for about 20 minutes! Ricky, Annalise, and I were highly entertained by this.


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

So far behind!

Wow, I've been slacking on the blog lately. The internet has been out on our laptop since early July, and we've made a point of NOT fixing it, as I'm a much more attentive mommy without it! But, the blog has certainly suffered as a result.

This has been a huge month for Ryan. He has his SIXTH tooth coming in, he started crawling, and he had his first haircut (picture below). Next month will be a big one for Annalise, as she'll start a new year of preschool and she'll begin ballet classes! Expect a flood of photos.

I have so many video clips I've been wanting to share, but for now, here are some pictures of things that we've been up to over the past month...

Annalise has discovered her inner Picasso Ryan has been tortured by his big sister.
We made some interesting animal friends at Yellow River Game Ranch.
(That's one ugly turkey!)

A goat checking Ryan out.

Annalise feeding a bunny.Annalise has been having fun with her best bud, Emily.

Ryan had his first haircut!