Oh Crud!

Sorry, I know I promised to get the birthday pictures up a few weeks ago but it's been a little crazy around here lately. Both of the girls are sick and it seems like they just keep passing the germs back and forth. Ugh, I hate this time of year for that reason! Anyway, on to the update. Both of the girls had their yearly check-ups a few weeks ago and everything looks great! Avery is right on track with her development and growth and Rylee is now ready for kindergarten next year. The poor girl had to get four shots and hated every minute of it! I took her to ToysRus afterwards to get her the new Hannah Montana CD so she forgave me for the shots. Their party went great, everyone had so much fun and it was nice not having to clean up like we have to when we have the party at our house. The girls got a TON of stuff as usual. Here's a few pictures from the party, enjoy them!

For those that know me best...

This movie is a must see for any woman that is or is about to become a mother. Those that know me best know that my views on birth have changed since becoming a mother, if I could do it all over again I would give birth naturally at a birthing center in the water.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! Well, I'm not sure what month we really are in anymore! It's been very warm this week, in the 50's-60's during the day and in the 30's at night. We took advantage of it and went to the museum yesterday. The were only three ducks there but it was still nice to get out of the house for a while. The girls are so excited about their upcoming birthday party. We're having it this weekend at The Work's (of course!). I still can't believe that Rylee will be five next week, wow how time flies! I took her ice skating for the first time last weekend. She had so much fun and only fell a few hundred times, lol! They have big traffic cones there for the smaller kids to push around until they feel confident on their own. Rylee made it around three times at the end without falling and wants to go back soon. Here's a picture, it was taken with a cell phone so it's not the greatest but you get the point.Avery has been chatting up a storm lately. She knows that her birthday is coming and keeps singing "Happy to you", her version of Happy Birthday! The party theme this year is Tinkerbell. Rylee wanted Cinderella but agreed on Tinkerbell since it fits both ages better, Avery really doesn't know Cinderella yet but I'm sure that will change soon. Well, that's the update for now. Check back next week, I'll have some birthday party pictures up. Have a great week!

HO, HO, HO!!!

Wow, where should I even start? The girls had a great Christmas once again. Rylee was SO into it, Avery was in the beginning but got bored with opening presents quickly. Christmas Eve was quite a night. My family came over for dinner and we had a great time. After they left we headed over to a friends house for a Christmas Eve party. While we were there Avery bumped her head so Dale took her upstairs to get her away from everyone. I didn't think anything of it but went up to check on her anyway because she was crying pretty good. Well, she turned around and had blood streaming down her face, she had split her head open along her hairline. I took one look at it and decided that a trip to the ER would be a good idea. We quickly left for the house (we were only 5 minutes away) and as soon as we got home I loaded Avery into my car and took her to the ER while Dale got Rylee into bed so Santa could come. We were home within an hour (record time for our ER!) and Avery is now sporting a lovely super-glued head! Anyway, after that thrill was over everyone went to bed and Santa made it to our house on time. Let's see, Rylee's favorite gifts are her camera and V-Smile game, Avery loves her doll house and Old McDonald puzzle (she's playing with it right now). We got a ball pit for the girls and they absolutely love it. Avery spends most of her day just sitting in it. Now that Christmas is over we have to start planning birthdays! Sheesh, it never seems to end!

Here's a picture of the girls in their ball pit, we have another 100 balls to add it it yet.......

Forgot to add......

For those of you that actually read the blog if you want to see any of the pictures up close just click on them , they SHOULD open in a new page for you.

A Quick Hello!

Well, we have less than a week to go until Christmas and the girls are getting so excited! I have been ready for a while now, everything is wrapped and hidden away. Now we just have to get ready for the Christmas Eve dinner that we have for my family. I can't wait, there's nothing better than ham, filling and homeade gravy! I always make it a point to get the bottom of the ham pan nice and dark so the gravy gets really rich. Yeah, everyone leaves with heartburn but it tastes so darn good! Anyway, we got quite a storm over the weekend, no snow like they were calling for but lots of ice and wind. There were a TON of people without power (my parents and Dale's included) so a few of the schools were opened as shelters but it seems like things are back to normal today. Well, the girls are in bed so I am going to relax and watch some tv before hitting the sack myself. In case I don't get to update before next week I want to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday!

It's been a while!

Man, why is time flying by so fast this year! Let's see, it's been a while since I last updated so I have to think (no comments, please!!). We had a great Thanksgiving and ate way too much as usual. We went out to dinner with my family and then had another dinner at Dale's sisters house a few hours later so it was a day of eating but of course I didn't mind! The first snow of the season caught us by surprise too. We woke up to about three inches on the ground. Rylee had a great time outside and Avery got to throw her first snowball. Of course the snow was gone by the next morning but it was fun while it lasted. A couple of weeks ago I went in to get Avery out of her crib only to find her almost out of it! Needless to say, the crib came down that morning and was replaced by her new "big girl bed". She loves sleeping in it and now gets out in the morning and comes straight to our room. I keep wanting to take pictures but the camera batteries are dead and I have yet to recharge them so I'll get pictures up soon. I have been busy shopping almost every night for the past few weeks and I still have a ton of stuff to get done. We just ordered the girls a ball pit that has two tunnels and a tent attached to it as their big present, I'm so excited to see their reaction, they're going to love it! I might have to test it out before Christmas, ya know, to make sure that it's safe for them of course!! Well, that's the quick update, we are going to be very busy for the next month or so. Christmas will be here in a few weeks and then of course both of the girls have a January birthday so the chaos won't end until February. I'll update again soon, hopefully before Christmas if I can get time. Have a fun holiday season and stay warm, it's starting to get cold out there!!

Trick or Treat!!!

Not too much to report. The girls went trick or treating last night and had a blast! Avery really got into it this year and quickly figured out that more houses equals more candy so they went at it for almost two hours with their cousins. I went through the candy this morning, they got a TON so some of it will be going with Dale to work and a bucket of it will be going to work with me tonight. Don't worry though, there's still plenty here to eat! Here's a quick picture of the girls, enjoy!



And here's the girls with their cousins at Grandma's house

FINALLY!!

Well, the bedroom is finally done, YAY!! It's been a slow process, Dale has been painting almost every night after the girls go to bed but we are very happy with the results. It's a big change, we went from a boring, all-white room to sage green on the walls with burgandy accents. We did the bathroom in a light tan with the same burgandy color. Here's a quick picture, I think Dale did a great job with the painting.

In other news, Rylee has finished another season of swimming lessons this week. She can now do freestyle, a little bit of backstroke and even some butterfly!! I'm so proud of her, the age-group coach wants her to join the team next year but I'll let that up to Rylee. I don't want to put any pressure on her but it would be great to see her swim like I used to!

Avery is turning into a little princess. She found one of Rylee's old hats and now loves to run around the house wearing the hat and a pink bracelet. She also LOVES to take showers and will ask for one first thing in the morning, I think she's a little clean freak already! Her speech is expanding daily, she has started to put words together as well. Her new love is Minnie Mouse, she drags "mimmi mouse" around all day and gets upset if she can't find her so I'm sure you can figure out what her Halloween costume is ;-). Rylee's will remain a secret for those who don't already know.

Well, that's the update for now, look for Halloween pictures after next week. Our house is decorated, the pumpkins were carved this morning, the pumpkins seeds have been baked and the costumes are ready to go so we are just waiting for the big day now!

Another sunny day

Hello! Well, not much to report tonight. The girls are enjoying the warm sunny days while they last. Rylee has started her swimming lessons again. They tested her last night (the first fall lesson) and she swam the entire width of Wilson's pool for the first time! She was so excited and her face showed it. She's once again taking lessons with the 6 and over kids so she's the smallest one there but she's better than most of them too! Avery has a new favorite phrase and I have no idea where she got it from. The other day she dropped something and shouted "Oh Man!", I almost died laughing! It's so cute when she says it, sometimes she will shorten it to just "Man". We are starting to paint our bedroom, it's the last all- white room in the house. This project was been put off for over a year now so I'm very excited to see it started. We're in the process of patching up the cracks and the paint will go on as soon as I pick a color, I'm thinking a sage green and tan but that could change at any time. Well, that's the update for now. Here's a few pictures from our trip to the museum the other day. Both of the girls got their hair cut so they wanted to show them off. We also saw the baby ducks that we have been watching all summer. Rylee was amazed at how big they got in just a few months. Anyway, enjoy the pictures, I'm off to bed!

Showing off the hew haircuts

Sisterly love, something that's rare in this house!

Rylee's picture of the baby ducks

Gotta brag for a moment

Okay, so this is my blog and I can brag if I want so here goes. I am so impressed with the way Rylee can swim. I really didn't notice how advanced she was until we went to Sesame Place and strangers were commenting about it. I was standing at the bottom of one of the waterslides watching her swim to the side and a few of the other parents were watching her and asked me how old she was. When I told them that she was four they we amazed at how well she can swim. Then that night at the hotel we were in the pool and there was a family from Phila. there as well. The father was watching Rylee and asked me how she learned to swim so well since his 8 year old can't even swim like that yet. Honestly, she has been taking lessons for a few years now but it just seems to come natural to her. Believe it or not she even kind of likes doing butterfly which is that "love it or hate it" stroke. Of course, I was a swimmer myself and butterfly was my stroke so I would LOVE it if she got into swimming but that will only happen if she asks, I'm not going to be one of those pushy parents. Anyway, here's a picture of my little swimmer using her arm strokes! Look at her go!

End of summer vacation

Another summer is over and I have to say it was a busy one! The girls loved going to the local amusement parks and we topped it off with a mini vacation to Sesame Place last week. For those of you without kids, Sesame Place is located in Langhorne, Pa, just north of Phila. and is a "Sesame Street" themed amusement park for younger children. It was perfect for the girls! Rylee is of course out of her Sesame Street watching days but Elmo is Avery's hero right now so it was the perfect time to go. We got the two day pass so we had plenty of time to spend in the park and Rylee absolutely loved staying in a hotel with a pool. We had "Breakfast with Elmo and Friends" on Friday morning which was great. It gave Rylee a chance to get autographs and pictures with most of the characters without waiting in line and the characters came around to every table while we were eating. Avery wasn't too keen on seeing the characters up close but she liked watching them from a distance. Anyway, here are a few pictures from our little adventure.

Waiting for the daily parade to start

Avery in the wading pool

Rylee going down the waterslide

Rylee standing on Sesame Street

in front of the Sesame Street fire station

Rylee's first autograph, Super Grover!!

Rylee in the front seat in the biggest coaster

Where has summer gone?

Wow, this summer seems to be flying by! I guess it's time to update once again. We have been having so much fun lately taking day trips. Avery is having a blast in the pool now. She was afraid of it in the beginning of the summer but now she has no fear just like Rylee. Below are a few pictures from some of our adventures.



The girls at Dorney Park. It was a perfect day for rides.





Rylee's hair for "wacky hair day" at school.



Rylee and Bailey on their first camping trip with me. We
went to my parents backyard just in case they didn't like it.

Rylee and daddy at "The Boardwalk" at Hershey Park.

Outside of Chocolate World.

Taking the tour in Chocolate World.

Eating lunch at Hershey Park.

Rylee at her first Phila. Phillies game with Dale.

Avery at "The Boardwalk" at Hershey Park.

Click on this photo for more detail. This is "The East

Coast Water Work" at Hershey Park. AMAZING!!!

Thanks for stopping by and checking our blog out. I'll update again soon. We hope you are all having a great summer!

Ocean City, NJ

Well, we are back from our long weekend at the beach and it was great! We left Wednesday evening and got to Ocean City, New Jersey around 8:00. We quickly unpacked the car and headed for the boardwalk for a few rides and of course some Kohrs Bros. ice cream. Thursday was a little chilly so we spent a late morning cruising the boardwalk on a surrey and then shopping. We all took naps and went to Atlantic City for the evening. In A.C. we went to an AWESOME place to eat called the Rainforest Cafe. Wow, the girls loved it. The whole place is decorated like a rainforest and they have animated animals all over, there's even a "thunderstorm" every 1/2 hour! After that we walked the boardwalk for a while before heading back to Ocean City. Friday was still a bit chilly but we went to the beach for a few hours anyway. Both of the girls had a great time on the beach although Avery wouldn't go near the ocean. That evening on the boardwalk Rylee rode her first big rollercoaster and has been addicted ever since! She was going on anything that they would let her and even getting upset when she was too little for some of them! Saturday was a perfect beach day and Rylee and I took advantage of it. We were all on the beach for a few hours but Dale took Avery back around 1:30 for a nap while Rylee and I stayed in the sun. Man, I'm still paying for it though, my fair skin got burned good even with sunscreen on!! Sunday we got up and packed up before going to the waterpark for the morning. We had so much fun there and once again Rylee was going on the big kid slides!!! Poor Avery must have been tired from her big vacation, she fell asleep within the first four blocks of the trip home and Rylee followed her a few miles later. We got home last night and of course Rylee already wants to go back. She will just have to wait until September when we go back for another long weekend. Well, that's the story of our big weekend at the beach! I hope you are enjoying your summer, I'll write again soon, right now six load of laundry and an empty fridge are waiting for me.

<----- Rylee and Daddy on the big waterslide

<----Avery playing in the toddler area.

<----cruising the boardwalk in the surrey.

<---dinner at The Rainforest Cafe in A.C.

Crazy girls and a race!

So, I was sitting in the hallway folding laundry this morning when I heard giggling coming from Avery's room. That can only mean one thing, TROUBLE!!! I quietly checked in on them only to find Avery sitting in a cooler and Rylee pushing her around in it. What a bunch of nuts! I grabbed my camera and got some quick pictures before they realized that I was standing there.

In other Wenzel news, mama got a day away!! Dale went to the Dover race this past Sunday only for it to be rained out and the weather wasn't looking so good for the next day so he decided to come home. My mom called me Sunday night on her way home from Dover (yes, half of the family was there!) and asked if I wanted to go back down with her the next day and hope that it doesn't rain. Of course it rained most of the way down but once we got there the sky cleared up and the sun came out, it was perfect race day weather. We had a great time and even came home with a bit of sunburn. The girls spent the morning with Eleanor and Dale took a half day at work so he could come home to watch the race. It was a LONG day, we left at 7:30am and got back at 9:30pm but it was worth it, even with Kurt pulling that bonehead move in the pits and screwing himself for the rest of the race. That's okay, he's still our boy.

Happy Memorial Day!!

Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed your long weekend as much as we did. Our weekend started off with the Wyomissing parade on Saturday morning. Rylee was in it and had a great time throwing candy to all of the kids, the picture to the left is of her and "Slapshot", the Reading Royal's mascot (our local minor league hockey team). Of course she is sporting her new bows, yes, I am still addicted to them! Sunday was a quiet day, we spent most of it at home catching up on the to-do list and then went to Dale's parents house for a cook out. Today (Monday) we got up and went to another local parade and then came home. Dale took the girls outside while I ran to get my hair cut. Well, I came home to Dale at the door and Rylee in the living room crying, she had fallen off of her bike and landed face first on the street. Oh, it's a LOVELY bruise, you know, the kind that doesn't look that bad until the following morning. Yup, it's gonna be a beauty in the morning! Anyway, after that drama (it's always something in this house!) both of the girls took a nap and then we ran to Walmart for a Slip and Slide, Rylee LOVES it and of course we had it going until the yard was a puddle of mud. Avery wouldn't go near it, we had the sprinkler out the other day and she didn't like that either. I'm sure she'll be running around in it when it gets hotter. Dale headed to Phila. for the baseball game this evening and I went up to my parents. We came home, did our sparklers and now both girls are in bed and I am patiently waiting for Dale to get home. So, that's our weekend in a nutshell. I hope everyone had a safe and fun holiday. Good night!!

Rylee in her "favorite bows" that I made for her---->>

My new addiction...

Rylee is in a parade on Saturday for Memorial Day and I wanted to get her some cute bows for her hair. Now I usually order them online from this wonderful work-at-home-mom but of course I waited until it was too late so I decided to try to make them myself last night. OH MY GOD, they are sooo fun to make!! Rylee absolutely loves them(she wore them to school today) and now wants them in every color so I ran to Michaels' this morning and stocked up on ribbon. I think this may become my new addiction for a while. Anyway, here's a few pictures of my new creations. I'm going to work on baby "gripper" bows next. I have a bunch of them for Avery that I love but if I can figure out how to make them I won't have to spend so much ordering them from New England anymore! Well, that's all for now, I'm sure I'll be posting lots of pictures with Rylee wearing her new bows!!




--------->> Here are the bows that I made this morning, the red,white and blue ones are for the parade. I got a little fancier as the morning went on and started adding centers to the other ones. Yes, I ran to Michael's TWICE this morning, I really am that addicted to this already.

Rylee the swimmer

Rylee had her last swimming lesson last night, I thought I'd post a few pictures of her. Aunt Hope was home from Oregon for the week and got to see Rylee swim. Here's Rylee getting ready to go off the diving board.

Going, Going, Going.....

....Gone!! She has no fear!

Rylee and her favorite teacher, Allison.

First taste of summer!

Last night we gave Avery her first taste of summer and loved it. (Okay, so it's frozen corn on the cob, she doesn't know that!!) It took her a while to figure out how to do it but once big sister Rylee (a professional corn on the cob eater) showed her what to do Avery chowed down for an hour. She had her 15mo. check up this morning and is doing great! She's up to 22lbs. 6oz. and is now 31 1/2 inches tall, pretty much the same as Rylee was at this age. It's amazing how they are so much alike.
Her cut is healing well, hopefully with a couple months of vitamin E oil it won't scar too bad. Only time will tell. You would think that she has learned her lesson but I caught her on top of the coffee table again this morning. I am really starting to think that I gave birth to monkeys instead of children! I took Rylee out on her rollerbades again last night and decided to dust mine off and rollerblade with her. What was I thinking?? My legs are killing me today! It was fun though and I'll probably be out there again sometime soon. Well, I have to go wake Avery up before she sleeps too long and then doesn't want to take her afternoon nap. She usually doesn't nap in the morning but she got two shots this morning and I think that made her tired. Hope you're having a good week, I'll update again sometime soon!