Adventures with a felt tip pen

Colin walked into the living room today with drawings all over his arms and on the sides of his mouth. He was also clutching the offending blue felt tip pen. He very calmly stated, "Mom, I'm a catfish, see my whiskers?" He had such a sweet and innocent look it was impossible to be mad, and also it was pretty creative! The pen didn't show up so well in the photo, but it was actually pretty dark. This is his fish face.

Morning of Horror

Yesterday, still in our jammies, the kids and I took a rug outside to shake on the grass. Then Colin de-pantsed me on our front porch. I think we should move.

Thanksgiving, North Carolina Style

For Thanksgiving, we made a trek down to North Carolina to see the whole Chin clan. It was a wonderful, albeit quick, visit! We arrived Thanksgiving Day to an unbelievable feast at Aunt Mary Ellen's house. There were more side dishes than I've ever seen at one meal, and some of the best egg rolls ever (so I'm told- I'm still mad at Mike for forgetting to put some on my plate). Friday we toured Grandma Chin's wonderful new apartment, and then we hung out with the fam. All the kids fell madly in love with cousin Christopher again. Especially Amelia- they were best friends when it was time to leave. And we ate. More. Then went out to a delicious Italian dinner. And ate. The next day we woke up and took the kids over to the mall to see Santa with Grandma Debi and Grandpa Chin. Amelia asked for some Littlest Petshop toys (she's in a rut, she asked for them the last two years) and Colin said he wanted, "presents." Afterward we ate. At a yummy buffet. Finally, having stuffed ourselves beyond belief, we headed home to Philly. Thank you Chins for a fantastic Thanksgiving!!

Preschool Thanksgiving Feast

Today was the Thanksgiving feast for Colin at preschool. He had a great time, sat by the teacher at the feast and wolfed down "pa-tate-uz." (That's Philly speak for potatoes. Colin's teacher's accent is starting to rub off.) He dressed in an Indian costume that they made in class, and he looked fantastic.

Here he is in costume. Is it just me, or does he look a little Bing Crosby-ish?

At school he made a little feather that said "Colin is thankful for___" and they wrote in "The Holy Gospel"! I asked Colin if that's what he said, and he said no, that he'd actually said, "the Lord." Either way, he's turning out to be quite the spiritual guy! He cracks me up!

Leaves, Leaves, Leaves

We have a leaf problem. A BIG leaf problem. Those trees which are so darling all spring and summer become pretty troublesome at the end of fall. We were so desperate for help with these things that we got the kids involved for a morning of leaf raking and removal. Judge for yourself how effective they were.

Amelia was deadly with this rake. Colin and I took a few blows. The car did not come out of a tussle with her unscathed.

Colin making headway with his broom. Slightly less dangerous than the rake.

I know this photo is blurry, but this is one amazing leap!

Swimming.

Bathing.

A motorboat.


In case you are wondering, no, we are not done yet.

Mom at Valley Forge

A couple of weeks ago, Mom came out to visit. We had a wonderful time, hit all of our usual spots, and shopped, shopped, shopped! Mom loved Valley Forge, and here is a cute photo of her with the kiddos.

Jack is a neat nick

Today Jack grabbed this diaper off the floor (I hadn't gotten around to throwing it out yet) and crawled it over to the diaper champ and put it in. All of this with no prompting! This is the first, and probably last, time he will ever voluntarily clean anything up for me! I was amazed.

Fall Foliage

Fall has come to our backyard, and it is beautiful! Just when you start to take the scenery around here for granted, there's a new season and everything is different and lovely. We haven't spent a lot of time outdoors (too rainy) but here is a photo of the kids on a dry day. Hopefully we'll brave the brisk temperatures and get outside this week.

The Pumpkin Carving

Tonight we carved pumpkins with the kids and it was a blast! I LOVE carving pumpkins, and I think this activity gets more fun every year that the kids get older. I had the kids draw their jack-o-lantern faces first on paper, then on the pumpkin with a marker. I faithfully carved out what they drew, and the results were spectacular! The kids were surprisingly reluctant to get their hands slimy at first, but by the end they were pretty orange.

This year Mike decided that he didn't want to carve his own, just help scrape out the insides of everyone else's (very noble). My pumpkin is on the left, Colin's is the middle, and Amelia's is on the right. I especially like the mouth on Colin's.

Introducing the Super Chins

This Halloween, three new super heroes will be cleaning up the streets of Philadelphia. Super Amelia, Super Colin, and Super Jack will be striking fear into the hearts of the city's criminals!

AZ Sunshine

Mike's Mom and brothers came to Philly for a quick visit, and we had an awesome time seeing the sights. Highlights included: the Art Museum and Rocky Statue, Reading Terminal Market, Liberty Bell and Independence Square, and Valley Forge. They arrived just in time for some fabulous fall foliage, and some pretty great weather. Thanks for the wonderful visit, guys! Your visit reminded us of how much we miss you and love you!

The Art Museum

The three brothers had to enjoy some manly competition, racing up the steps of the art museum. Frank was the winner by a long shot, and poor Mike stumbled early on and was unable to catch up.

Having a "touching" moment in front of Rocky

Parent Teacher Conference

Today was my first Parent Teacher Conference with Amelia's teacher. I was SO nervous! Mike stayed home with the boys so I could go (thanks you!), and it was great! Her teacher said wonderful things like, "She's so happy, and energetic and engaged and good natured." I almost clapped for joy! I know Amelia is very smart and loves school, but I was thrilled to hear it from the teacher first hand. She has been having a slight giggling problem, but she has been working on it, and her teacher recognized her efforts. I am so proud of my kindergartner! (Did I just say that!? I'm choking up!)

Also, the boys and I are FINALLY adjusting to our new routine. Colin is getting used to preschool and starting to talk about it on the ride home, instead of just staring ahead like a zombie. His teacher calls him a "sweetie" and he made friends with a weird little kid named Albert. Jack is starting to get his naps to fit in between car rides. This crazy school schedule is now feeling like normal life, and we are enjoying it!

Standing!

Jack has a new trick- standing! Our physical therapist predicted last week that he would be standing within a day or two, and she was right. Jack started pulling up on the crib and furniture and can now hang out with Colin at the car table. He loves it! He is getting really strong and confident, and I have a feeling walking is right around the corner.

Jack also has acquired another trick, too- passing out. He has always been really bad about holding his breath when he cries hard (starting the very day he was born), but today he actually fainted. Don't be alarmed- this horrible trait runs in my family and Jack got it directly from me. Amelia did it, too. I hate it!

Here's a pretty bad photo of Jack standing. I'll get a good one one of these days! He definitley has the whole orange-on-a-toothpick thing going on there with his head.

Colin's Firehouse Trip

Last week, Colin and I went on a fun little field trip to the firehouse with his preschool class. Colin loves firetrucks (runs in the family) and had an awesome time. His favorite part was spraying the hose. The firehouse was a 20 minute walk from school, and Colin was very quiet on the way there, just in observation mode. On the way home he was very happy, and sang to himself the whole time, attracting the attention of other mothers and students. He's such a great little kid!

Looking manly in front of the truck.

My nerdy side says this looks like a light saber.

Shoes on Hands

Jack does this all day long, with any pair of shoes. I think he might be under the impression that shoes on hands are a necessity for crawling.

The Big Three Oh

It's official. As of yesterday, Sarah and I have entered our thirties! Happy birthday, sis!

To celebrate, Mike took me on a fancy date on Saturday night, and for the first time in their lives the kids were given dinner and put to bed by a babysitter. We went out for a delicious steak dinner and then on to see the So You Think You Can Dance tour in Trenton, NJ. I'm a huge fan of the show, and seeing the performances live was amazing! Thanks for such a great night, Mike!

Strasburg Train

One of the highlights of Mom and Dad's recent visit was our trip to Lancaster County to ride the Strasburg train. Dad is a bit of a train buff, and this live steamer was everything he'd hoped it would be! It was a delightful ride, with lovely views of farmland and some Amish homes.

Getting ready for the ride- we wore sunglasses to protect our eyes from the soot.

We were sitting in the very first row to afford Dad the very best view of the engine in action, and we got to watch the engineer do his thing. This is Dad's dream job.

Colin really liked the train, too, except he got nervous the first few times it blew its whistle.

After the ride.

At the station, the kids rode these cute little crank trains, just like the one Dad has at home. Can you see the determination in their faces? Here Amelia is giving Colin a bump.

I know Colin's eyes are shut, but I had to post this one because of what the hat is doing to his ears. He could be picking up some satellite transmissions with those things.

Colin's Second First Day

Today was Colin's first day staying at preschool all by himself. It went really well! We went into his classroom together and got him situated with some trucks, and I told him that it was time to say goodbye. We said "bye" and "I love you" and then I told him that I wouldn't be going home, but hanging around the neighborhood until it was time to pick him up (which was true). He said, "I think that's a great idea, Mom. I'm going to be just fine." I was shocked! He's been pretty nervous, so I really expected at least a little crying. After school, his teacher told me that he was great, a little nervous sometimes, but mostly smiling and participating. I guess the only one with tears today was me!

Here he is, just before we left. School isn't quite as scary when you're wearing a sweet motorcycle shirt.

I'm really losing it now...

Today was Colin's first day of preschool. I do not want sweet little baby Colin to be a big boy. I guess I have no choice.

I got to join Colin at school for his first day, which was really good for him. He's nervous inside but definitely trying to be brave, and I'm really proud of him. He did really well, and found that there were some amazing toys in his new class, and seven other fairly calm and nice looking children. He even gave his teacher a hug at the end, and he thought that was pretty great. Also, cubbies for backpacks were very impressive for Colin.

I had to laugh when I saw this picture. This face makes its appearance very often- top lip disappears, bottom lip marshmallows out. I think this was a nervous moment.

I'm Freaking Out

Amelia is starting Kindergarten. She'll be gone every day. Yikes.

Yesterday was the first day, and Moms got to go with the kids for an hour to get them comfortable. Amelia seemed to really like her teacher, and she was really giggly and excited. Today was her first day going by herself, and she looked much more nervous. When the teacher came to walk the kindergartners to class and told them to kiss their parents, I almost collapsed. Fortunately, watching her run to her teacher wearing a ridiculously large backpack on her tiny little back made me laugh and helped me keep it together until I got back to the car. How can she be a kindergartner!?

Smiling on the first day

Colin is nervous about his first day, which is coming up next week. Each day he asks me in a scared little voice if today is the day.

Jack looking on.

Amelia on the second day of school, which seemed more like a first day of school, therefore deserving it's own photo and special (and superior) outfit.


Her first art project, something she's been looking forward to for weeks! The teacher read the kids a book about a racoon going to school for the first time and it's mother giving it a special kiss on the hand. This kiss was for me!

Another taste...

The first day of my parents' visit was spent exploring New York City. It was a quick day trip, but tons of fun! Highlights included: Times Square, 5th Ave, Magnolia Bakery, a couple of subway trips, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the Financial District.

Mike getting friendly with the Wall Street Bull.

Mike chasing the kids on Ellis Island.

Admiring the skyline from Ellis Island.

Our view of the Statue of Liberty from on top of the pedestal, 156 stairs from the ground.

Kisses

My parents came to town! Here's a photo of the kids kissing Dad, who had to leave on Sunday. We miss you already, Papa!

Happy 50th Mom!

Happy birthday, Mom! This is the poster I made for the party, since it was the only thing I could contribute from here. Hope it was grand!

Jack can crawl!!

After working on crawling with Jack's physical therapist for what seemed like forever, Jack finally made a breakthrough! He can crawl!!! It is so much fun to see him movin' and groovin'. He started off wearing his special little support shorts to help him keep his legs closer together, but in only a couple of days he has graduated to full on, shorts-free, high speed crawling. He now engages in regular "grazing" (crawling all over a room, searching for bits of debris to eat, regardless of whether or not it is edible) and I'm going to have to step up my housekeeping efforts. Hooray, Jack!

Colin's Drawing

Today Colin made the best drawing! He's been drawing some recognizable things for a little while, but this was the first I was able to scan. On the top right corner in blue is Lightning McQueen (of course). You can see the face, and the little blobs just beneath are tires. On the bottom in blue is a snake named Sarah (no offense, Sarah). I love it!

Sitting on Ben's Lap

Checking out the pond