Halloween pictures.

I've been neglecting my blog lately.  I've been neglecting myself and a whole lot more.  But, my kids are beautiful!

Avery dressed as a superhero and Bailey was Satan for Halloween. The girls had a good time trick or treating in Milford with family.  I love love this picture of Avery with her "baby pumpkin".

Here is Bailey's 5th grade school picture.  Her teeth and a smile.  Awesome.

Since Bailey had such a nice picture, I realized I haven't had Avery's picture taken lately.  This is what we came up with.  I can't get over how pretty Avery's hair is.  This was post-nap and she looks so nice!

My kids are beautiful.  Work is going well.  Summer is over.  I'm happy.

Good News!

Nick lost his Goodyear job in November.  Immediately, we polished up our resumes and made some major changes hoping everything would fall into place.  This morning we cleared our final hurdle and we can try to figure out our new normal.

A look back at our 2013 so far:

January:  I moved from New York to Ohio with Bailey.
              I went back to work after 5 years at home.
              Bailey started a new school mid-year.
              Squatted at Nick's parents' house for awhile.

February:  Found a nice house to rent and moved in.

March:  Nick and Avery moved to Cincinnati.
             Nick started a new job.

June:  Nick passes his Series 7 and Series 63 finance exams.

July, August:  We go back and forth with paperwork short selling our home in Buffalo and finally close.                               Bailey starts Intermediate School.

September:  I passed my Environmental Health Specialist/ Registered Sanitarian exam!!!!

Welcome Ginger!

Bailey got lots of birthday money.  She is 11 and wants a pet now that Leroy is an angel cat.  Bailey wanted a fish then a turtle, then a rodent.  She got a blonde gerbil and named her Ginger.

Bailey's friend brought her hamster Rosie over to "play".  I was letting the girls play upstairs when I hear Bailey yelp.  I go investigate and Bailey is bleeding all over the bathroom.  There is standing water in the sink and the rodents are soaked.

Bailey and her friend were bathing their critters in the sink.  Bailey claims that Ginger "loved it".  I suspect that Ginger did not love it.

Bailey hates Ginger.

Bailey turns 11!

Happy birthday Bailey!!!  She went to Kings Island with Nick and her friend last week.  

Today we are having a lazy day with a little cake and ice cream.  Bailey and Avery also got to visit Chuck E Cheesr.

Happy Day!

Our house in  Buffalo closed!  It was a short sale but any sale is good at this point.

Laundry Accomplishments

Since Nick works most Sundays, I've been getting most of the laundry done and also setting out a weeks worth of clothes for the girlies.  I've been trying different ways to store the outfits and finally made a decision.  

I even took pictures.  After I stepped out of Avery's room for 10 seconds, she pilfered her organizer to try on the clothes and wear the shoes.  This kid is ALL GIRL and loves her clothes and shoes.  I also took a picture of several shirts she tried on before bed time.

My second accomplishment was unclogging our laundry chute. It is funky and old and is super narrow when you open the deceivingly large door. 

It gets clogged regularly and I can usually save the day with a curtain rod. But today, Bailey clogged it up in an un-reachable place and I unclogged it by throwing a few cans of diced tomatoes down there. I was proud. 

Happy Birthday Avery

Happy birthday Avery!  We had a little party at the park this weekend in Perrysburg. I didn't get any pictures of her other birthday celebrations.

Avery is 2.  She weighs about 24 lbs and looks tall to me.  She likes shoes, robots and her pacifier.  She dislikes bugs, and food that is too warm.

Leroy is gone

Over the past couple weeks, we have contemplated taking Leroy to the vet a couple times, but he usually bounced back.  Someone also started urinating around the house.  We always suspect Cheeseburger of the pee pee mischief, but since Leroy was acting funny, I took them both to the doctor.

The doctor's diagnosis was a bladder infection for Cheeseburger (keeping his title Pee Pee Kitty) and a heart murmur for Leroy.  We took the heart murmur news pretty well.  It could be a life-threatening heart condition or it could be nothing.  Come back in 6 months and we will reevaluate since he was showing no signs of trouble.

He was still acting sluggish and sad and we were all concerned.  After work on Wednesday, he was struggling to breathe and I rushed him to the emergency vet which is conveniently right around the corner.  Leroy was put on oxygen and a heating pad and chest x rays were taken.  We left him at the hospital for oxygen, some medicine to get rid of fluid in his lungs and an appointment with a pet cardiologist on Thursday.

Around 11:15pm they called and he was not responding to anything and was in more distress.  We made the decision to put him down before seeing the cardiologist because he wasn't responding at all to the treatment. Nick went to be with him for his final moments.  Bailey was informed of every step in the process and we didn't keep anything from her.  She was a big part of every decision and was very grown up.  Bailey thought it was important to wake up Avery at midnight to tell her the news.  I did not agree.

Leroy was a really awesome cat.  He was even-tempered, gentle, friendly and curious.  He loved to escape the house and eat grass so he could come back in the house and barf it up again.  He destroyed our mattresses, recliner and couch with his love of scratching.  He didn't "meow".  It was more of a "mrow".

We are really going to miss him.  He was our favorite cat.  (Sorry Cheeseburger, but you are a jerk sometimes).  

Bailey and Avery

Looks like Bailey and Avery got their hands on my phone.  My kids are awesome!

Pictures-not artsy at all

Avery celebrating white trash appreciation day at the ball field.

Leroy keeping an eye on the tarantula of the week.

Some weird giant Kroger I walked into looking for pretzels and I found a couch.  

Bailey got a 2 piece swimsuit. She is sassy now.

Cat shave

Cheeseburger had a ton of matted fur and another personal hygiene issue that requires regular trips to the groomer.  I bought my own clippers and went on a cat shaving bonanza.  It was exactly as difficult as I imagined. 

He looks like crap, but we won't have any hair balls from him for awhile and he is oh so soft now!  

I also think he looks much leaner.

Frazzled

I'm a bit frazzled lately. I'm still taking pictures on my phone so I'll pick out some good ones and post them here with no explanation.

Wedding

Bailey's uncle Alex is married and I am sharing this picture from their wedding photographer's Facebook page.  I feel dirty posting a picture from someone else's wedding just so I can share a picture of my daughter all dressed up, but there you go.  Bailey is the Junior bridesmaid in glasses.

Morning Baby

Took a video of how long it takes for Avery to drag her butt out of bed. I lost patience and have up.

Here is a link. (Hopefully)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTCAnAB2_II&sns=em

Our Weekend

Nick's brother Alex got married this weekend.  Although weddings aren't my first choice of weekend activities, it was a good time.  I think we all had a lot of fun even though Bailey had to wear a dress and earrings.  She gets equally bent out of shape when we ask her to shower and brush her teeth daily, so I think it was a success.

Avery was a doll as usual.  She danced and danced and danced.  And rested.  And danced.  She didn't just run around the dance floor like the usual 1.5 year-old, she danced.  She impressed all of us with her grasp of the Cha Cha Slide.  

I have included some Avery videos of dancing and resting and dancing.  

Saturday was Bailey's first softball game.  Her team is mostly comprised of beginners, but they have potential.  Bailey had an impressive play at 2nd base and also stole a ton of bases.  She either got on base or was walked all 3 times at bat.  She will pitch in the next game.  Here is a Bailey-authorized picture of her jersey.  She picked number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson.  I think Bailey is pretty cool to give a shout-out to civil rights through her jersey number.

Another Avery Video

Avery's version of Risky Business.

This kid is nuts

Bailey was a very cautious and law-abiding child. Avery is a nut ball. She thinks her crib is a trampoline (which is the source of most of her injuries). She flipped head-first off of the arm of the recliner. She climbs on a dining room chair, on to the table and then into her high chair when we aren't looking. Yesterday I found her at the kitchen table sucking on lightbulbs. I exchanged the light bulbs for a few corn Chex. I turned my back and before I knew it, she had served herself the entire box of cereal.