Fairchild PA

I'm Moving my Blog

2012-01-10T19:46:00.000-08:00

Hey Friends and Family - I am relocating my blog to www.allmymishmash.blogspot.com. I am going to be posting there from now on and hopefully more often.

New Name?

2012-01-04T19:40:00.000-08:00

So I am going to start a blog under a different name, obviously we are not in PA anymore and I want something a little more interesting than FairchildPA. So what to name? Anyone have any thoughts? Anyone? I have not written for so long that I think this blog has gone the way of the dinosaurs - it certainly looks like it has... it sorely needs a facelift - which I will get to. So, I am putting it out there. When I get any ideas, I will let you know.

Back at it again

2012-01-04T19:32:00.000-08:00

So for the New Year I have decided to spend a little more time doing things I love. I love to write and I love creative pursuits. Heaven knows that I spend enough time doing things I don't love. This morning Sam enjoyed a whole bottle of creamy milk - actually it was kind of cute he sucked it down and occasionally whispered (in baby ecstasy), "mmm, mimi (his word for milk)." Then about 10 minutes later as I was getting ready to put him in his chair for breakfast, he proceeded to vomit a copious amount of milk all over the wood floor (thank heaven) which I had just mopped yesterday. Ugh. Stinky milk vomit has a lingering odor.

Anyway, one of the things that has been on my list for a long time is to post photos of our new house - which isn't quite so new anymore, but I love it still the same.

Here it is.

Kitchen:

Family Room:

More Kitchen:

Front Living Room:

Empty Dining Room (can't wait to fill it):

My Room in the Basement:

Basement Play Room:

Hello Again!

2011-10-03T20:20:00.000-07:00

Here we are! Living in Missouri - the "show me state". FYI I looked up why it is called the "show me state" and there are conflicting stories. Basically it means, "oh yeah? Well show me!" Less talk, more action. I think. Google it.

Life has been interesting since we left PA. We were living in a Residence Inn in O'Fallon. The staff was lovely and the hotel was actually a pretty decent place to stay... if you didn't have three busy little boys. I didn't blog because I was just trying to survive.

The Pros of living in a hotel was I had no other obligations and was able to spend a lot of time with the boys and just play with them. That was also one of the cons... not a lot of room to escape. Did I mention that it was above 100 degrees outside almost every day? We were on the fourth floor too so it got a little warm sometimes. Fortunately we had an indoor pool and we escaped there almost every evening.

Here are some pictures from our hotel living experience.

Of course most of the pictures are of Sammy, and rightly so - he is so dang cute and funny. Besides, his life needs to be chronicled. I will write more later!

Gabes First Fish

2011-05-15T11:56:00.000-07:00

This is long overdue but I'm finally getting the video up of Gabe's first fish, caught about a year ago with Papa Featherstone. It's a bit slow at the beginning, but it's worth the wait.

Sam's First Words

2011-05-15T10:33:00.000-07:00

Sam is one year old!!

2011-05-04T08:18:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it but Sam is officially one year old as of yesterday.

I thought I would write the activities of the day - "A day in the life of Sam".

Woke up about 7:30 am and had morning snack (a little milk). Squirmed to get out of my reach as I tried to change his diaper. Joined us for morning prayers - didn't close his eyes but was a distraction as he climbed up Gabe and mommy.

Ate cheerios and yogourt for breakfast. Clapped when he finished. Went upstairs to help with the laundry - mostly banged on the washing machine - it sounds really cool. As mommy was folding laundry snuck into the bathroom and sampled the soap. Mommy confiscated the soap. Found the garbage and tried to eat some paper. Mommy confiscated that as well.

Time for morning nap - after getting dressed and reading some stories. Sleep for about 1 1/2 hour.

Wake up have a snack and time to go to the grocery store to buy a birthday cake. While at Wegman's Sammy enjoys the wonderful pizza - loves to chew on the pizza crust. Keeps Sammy occupied the entire grocery trip.

Take Gabe to preschool.

Come home and wrestle with mommy. Loves to jump on mommy and growl.

Another nap. While in bed, throw blankee on the floor and cry for a bit until mommy retrieves it. Throw it on the floor again - this time no response from mommy. (sorry buddy).

After a very short nap (due to blanket dropping) go get Gabe from preschool. Try to stay awake when we get home but still very tired. Make another attempt at a nap. It works.

Wake and have some milk and dinner - spaghetti and meatballs - YUM.

After dinner have about three bites of chocolate cake - not too sure he likes it.

After dinner we open presents and have a dance party. Sam bobs his head and shakes his booty.

Bath time - the highlight of the evening and then bedtime.

That is pretty much the gist of it. Sam isn't walking yet but he can crawl fast and walking isn't too far away. More adventures will ensue, I am sure of it.

He is such a fun, happy baby. He laughs easily and he is loved by him family very much.

New way to remove baby teeth

2011-03-20T19:03:00.000-07:00

When I was younger and losing my baby teeth, my dad liked to experiment with ways to remove our teeth when they were coming loose. Most of the time he would chase us around the house, pin us down, yank it out with his fingers.

Not too long ago Mike, Ben, and Gabe were wrestling on the living room floor. Ben was riding on Mike's back, while Mike was being the bull and Mike bucked him and Ben flew forward landing on his face. When Mike looked up he saw two little white teeth on the floor and Ben was covering his mouth while blood trickled out. Prior to this, Ben had been coddling those teeth, too afraid to pull them out on his own. They were barely hanging on, but Ben stubbornly kept them attached.

After the teeth expelling incident, Mike told Ben, when Ben misbehaved, that if he didn't watch it Mike would knock his teeth out.

Where has the time gone! Time to catch up

2011-03-20T18:33:00.000-07:00

So, I admit that it has been a while since I last wrote. The reason is simple - I despise our computer that takes 30 minutes to start up, cranks along at the breakneck speed of a snail, and is in the dank, dark, basement. Because of the impending doom (not yet but certainly in the near distant future) of this PC we decided to get this new piece of instrument called a "laptop"!

If you don't already know about this fabulous piece of technology I highly recommend it! I can hook it up anywhere - the kitchen, in my bedroom, the bathroom (probably not a good idea though). Mike and I are shocked that we didn't get it sooner! To top it off, it is faster and has more space than our big PC.

Well, I guess I will pick up where I left off and tell you the good stuff. Forgive me for going back in time, but I am doing this for the sake of posterity.

In the beginning of December Ben showed me a funny little red mark on his bum cheek - looked a little like a pimple. I shrugged it off and told him to leave it alone and it would go away. It didn't. I took little Sam in for a dr. appt and told the doc that Ben had what looked like a boil on his bottom. The doc's reaction made me a little nervous. He wrote up a prescription for an oral antibiotic, gave me some antibiotic cream and said to watch it closely.

Meanwhile, at school Ben was having trouble sitting on his left butt cheek because it hurt. His teacher asked if he was ok and he said, "I have a nipple on my private parts." Not the explanation she was expecting, I'm sure. I sent a note to school explaining the situation.

Finally, the boil opened up and we did our best to keep it clean and open so it could do what it was supposed to do - I will spare you the gruesome, yet fascinating details.

On Monday, my birthday, I took Ben to the doctor to get it checked out and he told us that it was probably MRSA and to take him to the ER so he could get is opened and drained. At the hospital things were all fine and dandy while we waited until Sam (who was on his own course of antibiotics) gives me the present of a full throttle, up the back, all over the clothes, blowout in his diaper. I picked a secluded corner, stripped him naked, washed him down, and put him in a new set of clothes.

Fortunately Dad showed up in time to be there by Ben's side while he was cut - I can't watch, I get a little oogie. The boil is healed with no more infection residing in our home - til the next crazy event.

Parent Teacher Conference

2010-11-28T14:29:00.000-08:00

Last week I met with Ben's teacher for PTC. It was very insightful. Ben has a fantastic teacher with a great sense of humor. Thank heavens.

She asked me if Ben likes to sing in the bathroom. Frankly I don't know because we have such loud fans in our bathrooms that I can't hear anything that goes on in there. Mrs. Sandora said that whenever Ben goes to the bathroom (which is connected to the classroom) he sings heartily - in an operatic way. The accoustics must be great. She said that they have knocked on the door and told Ben that everyone can hear him but that doesn't seem to phase him. He continues on with the aria.

She also told me that the bathroom door has a very loud creak and when Ben shuts the door he likes to get every last creak out of the door. I asked him about it and he said, "Oh yeah! It goes like this CRREEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeak." So now I know what the bathroom door sounds like at school. Maybe I should go there with a little WD-40 and solve that issue.

Luckily we were able to laugh about it - like I said, she has a good sense of humor.

Also Ben has lost his two front teeth. See picture below. I know what Ben wants for Christmas!

Catching Up

2010-11-15T18:50:00.000-08:00

So not a whole lot has been going on in the Fairchild household lately. Lots of routine stuff - same drill different week.

However, the boys manage to keep life interesting. Gabe is always coming up with cute phrases... every day he will say to me at about 10:00 or so - "Mama, I have something I need to tell you." My heart races a little bit because generally this is followed by some kind of confession. Not for Gabe. After I say (calmly) "What do you need to tell me?"

"Mama, I would like a go-gurt." Whew. I can handle that.

One of the morning routines is Mike chases after the boys to grab a hug and kiss and Gabe will yell (while laughing) "Why don't you pick up somebody your own side." It's just cute.

Sammy is getting so big. He is mushy, squishy, smiley, and oh so cute. On Sunday, during church, one of my friends, Owenna, pinched Sammy's leg and said, "Oh! He is so soft!" It's true. He is yummy.

Halloween was fun - we went to my friend Tamara's house and had a yummy dinner and took the kids out to get loaded up on candy. Being paranoid about candy and Ben's nut allergy I remind him several times "Don't eat any candy until we get home!!" Poor kid. I'm sure he loves being nagged that whatever candy he consumes needs to be pre-approved. The boys wanted to be ninjas so we bought them some costumes. I think I am done buying costumes. I hope to make some next year.... well I guess we'll see. Truth be told, we will probably just buy. I am inspired by some friends of ours who always make their costumes and they are FABULOUS! This year they were Lego guys - LIFESIZED! Blake, who is 4 1/2 (Gabe's best buddy) was dressed as Lego Indiana Jones. It was too great! I just have to attach the picture because it is worth seeing.

Marin is the big Lego guy and Blake is Lego Indiana Jones. Awesome, eh?

On to our photos.

Cute Baby!

My favorite Ninjas.

Ben reading the paper in his suit. Doesn't he look like a little businessman? I love these pictures!

Gabe sleeping in his Santa nightcap - Naughty or Nice?

Pictures from Longwood Gardens and Ott's Mum Hill

2010-10-22T12:36:00.000-07:00

Gabe's awesome outfit this morning

2010-10-22T12:27:00.000-07:00

Argyle sweater and orange sweat pants make a dapper combination, don't you think?

I'll apologize ahead of time for what you will read next

2010-10-20T15:22:00.000-07:00

I debated whether or not to write this next entry... it's funny and humiliating in that kind of way in that you will want to cover your mouth, gasp, and giggle a little.

Last Wednesday Gabe, Sam, and I went to the zoo with Blake and Marin (little Quentin came along too). The weather was perfect so we couldn't resist spending the day outdoors.

While sitting down having lunch there was this nice man, an employee of the zoo, cleaning up the picnic area. The boys were playing with him and he was teasing them back. Marin and I chatted and ate our lunch not really noticing what the boys were doing. UNTIL I heard Gabe yelling, "MR. BROWNIE!!! COME AND GET ME MR. BROWNIE!!" My ears perked up when I heard that because it sounded awful strange. "Gabe come here... why are you calling him Mr. Brownie?" Gabe's reply, "Because he has brown skin."

"No no no. We don't call people by the color of their skin. Do we call Daddy Mr. Whitey?"

Gabe - "No."

Me - "Please don't call him that anymore."

Gabe continues to YELL "MR BROWNIE!" The only way I could get him to stop was to yell back, "STOP GABE!!"

I was mortified to say the least. Yes, the man was brown as Gabe observed, but it is not like Gabe hasn't seen someone with brown skin before.

Then, to top that off about 3 minutes later Gabe says, "Mom I just saw a ninja!!" Very loudly of course. He was referring to the woman wearing a burqa. It was a good day for explaining ethnic differences.

Aye, aye, aye. I don't think there is much more I can say about that!

At least I didn't know them

2010-10-10T16:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to Longwood Gardens - it was a perfectly beautiful fall day. I'll write more about that later.

As we passed a large sculpted plant in the shape of a dog Mike remarked that the dog had bushy eyebrows. Ben replied, "Yeah, just like me and mom have bushy eyebrows."

Of course at that moment a small wedding party passed by and heard every word because Ben doesn't exactly speak quietly.

I said, "Oh thanks Ben, that's just great."

Mike said, "Just what you want to hear eh?"

The wedding party chuckled. At least I didn't know any of them. Of course I had to ask Mike a little later, "Are my eyebrows bushy?" Let me reassure you... my eyebrows are nothing like the furry caterpillars I had in highschool. I could put Brooke Shields to shame!

What happenend to the day, the month, the year?

2010-10-08T17:38:00.000-07:00

Making the transition from mom of 2 boys to 3 boys has been interesting to say the least. During the summer Sam was in that hazy, not quite aware of what is going on around him phase... or maybe that was me. Now that he is 5 months old (gone by waaay too fast) and Ben is in school and Gabe is in preschool I honestly don't know what happens with my days.

I spend a lot of time feeding Sam, cleaning up spit up, bowel explosions and nose aspirations. Oh yeah and laundry, laundry, laundry.

I do manage to get in some gym time - about one hour if I am lucky and everyone is healthy. But by the time night time rolls around, I am exhausted!!

When the boys went back to school I was excited because I thought I would have a little time to do some paintings, or write a little bit more. Instead I have about 1 1/2 hours after I drop Gabe off at preschool, get Sam down for a nap and then that precious bit of time seems to be over before it started.

I always thought that as a mom I would have enough time to do at least some of the things that I wanted to do, but now I am worried that I am on that freight train of life filled with shuttling kids back and forth, fixing meals, doing laundry, keeping the house tidy, etc. etc.

However it is not all business. Last night Mike and the boys spent about a half hour wrestling and throwing eachother around. I held Sam up so he could have a front row seat to all the rollicking fun. It was cute to see how enthralled he was by all the action. I can just see him in about one year, running and throwing himself on top of the boy pile.

It's funny though how the things I love about having boys - the enthusiasm, the jubilance, the silliness, the noise... it's also the stuff that drives me crazy too. I love them to pieces though.

Anyway, just wanted to write about stuff going on in our house these days.

Let them eat dog food

2010-10-08T16:54:00.000-07:00

Dinner time is always a time of joy and a time of tears. We have managed to establish a silly ritual in which the boys seem to think that their food can only be consumed once they have determined how many bites to take - mom or dad being the one that sets the number. Usually 15 to 20 bites. It drives me crazy that dinner has become a countdown. Along with the counting there is usually some grumbling and complaining about certain ingredients.

I spend about 30 to 60 minutes preparing dinners because I really enjoy food and I like to cook. I refuse to be a short order cook. I make one meal and if you don't like it... well that leads me to the best part.

I bought a can of dog food - we don't have any dogs. I put the can of dog food in the middle of the table and I said, "I spend some time making this meal for you and I am tired of the counting and complaining. If you don't like what I make then you are welcome to eat the dog food because anything that I make is inevitably better than dog food and I am tired of you treating the meal that I make for you like it is dog food." That night I received accolades for the meal I made.

The dog food currently sits in my pantry and on an evening that I make something a little different I bring it out just to remind them that anything I make is better than dog food... at least I hope it is.

Yummy Pumpkin Scones

2010-09-28T18:40:00.000-07:00

I made Pumpkin Scones this morning - Yummy. Here is the picture and the recipe.

PUMPKIN SCONES

Serves 6

SCONES

2 cups all-purpose flour
7 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 tablespoons cold butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3 tablespoons half-and-half
1 large egg

POWDERED SUGAR GLAZE

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk

SPICED GLAZE

1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch ginger
1 pinch ground cloves

Directions:
Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 30 mins

TO MAKE THE SCONES:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large bowl. Using a pastry knife, fork, or food processor, cut butter into the dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly and no chunks of butter are obvious. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, half and half, and egg. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Form the dough into a ball.
4. Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1-inch thick rectangle (about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide). Use a large knife or a pizza cutter to slice the dough twice through the width, making three equal portions. Cut those three slices diagonally so that you have 6 triangular slices of dough. Place on prepared baking sheet.
5. Bake for 14?16 minutes. Scones should begin to turn light brown. Place on wire rack to cool.
TO MAKE THE PLAIN GLAZE:.
6. Mix the powdered sugar and 2 tbsp milk together until smooth.
7. When scones are cool, use a brush to paint plain glaze over the top of each scone.
8. AS THAT WHITE GLAZE FIRMS UP, MAKE THE SPICED ICING:.
9. Combine the ingredient for the spiced icing together. Drizzle this thicker icing over each scone and allow the icing to dry before serving (at least 1 hour). A squirt bottle works great for this, or you can drizzle with a wisk.

Mr. Karate Man

2010-09-28T18:34:00.000-07:00

Ben got his second red stripe on his karate belt on Monday. Big day. He was so excited as he stood at the front of the line waiting to receive it - he was bouncing out of his skin. That's Ben - bouncy Ben. He is moving on to the advanced class... woo hoo! - that means we get to spend some money on more equipment!

Hawk Mountain

2010-09-28T18:29:00.000-07:00

This weekend we headed to the Pocono's to Hawk Mountain. No imagination needed to decipher what is at Hawk Mountain. Apparently there are lots of hawks that fly around at certain viewpoints. I think that only people without small active boys see hawks flying around. We hiked up to the North obersvation point, a beautiful spot overlooking the valley below. I saw plenty of people with binoculars and fancy cameras, maybe 2 hawks and some turkey vultures (ugly creatures). It takes a bit of time and patience to see the birds flying around - something that we lack.

The boys did great on the hike though. For the hike up I hung out with Gabe and Mike hung out with Ben and Sam was attached to his back in what we lovingly call "The Limo". Practically every person we passed remarked that the baby was travelling in style. It's true.

Once we got to the top Ben remarked several times that it looked like a postcard. True enough. The funny thing about the boys is that they don't seem to have a volume control. At the observation point people were conversing in low murmurs, obviously focused on seeing some pretty birds. Then we come along and everything we discussed was heard by everyone. Needless to say, we didn't stay all that long - maybe 25 minutes, which was plenty long enough.

It was a beautiful day, though and we had such a fun time. The boys did great on the hike. On the way down Gabe found a perfect stick - in his words, "just the right short, long, smoothness". When we got to the bottom and passed the girl sitting at the entry/exit gate she told Gabe to leave the stick behind - whatever was picked up had to be left. Oh puleeeze. We kind of gave her that look "whatever" and begrudgingly asked him to put the stick down. I told Gabe, within earshot, that we would find another perfect stick. Gabe pushed out that bottom lip and did his best to maintain his composure. Ben mananged to weasel out some acorns, though - such a rascal. After five minutes of searching we did find another perfect stick, which he ended up leaving in the parking lot. That's gratitude for ya!

Here's some pics of our afternoon.

Sammy Lammy Bing Bang (his nickname)

2010-09-23T18:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was taking some pictures of Sam, something that doesn't happen as often as it should. I can't believe that he is already almost 5 months. He is such a fun addition to our family. He laughs and smiles easily, and he sleeps through the ENTIRE night. However, he is still an infant and I think that I have forgotten what it is like to have an infant. During the summer he was easily portable being in that newborn, hazy, sleep anywhere phase. Now he is in the "I only want to sleep in my bed!" phase.

So I am a homebody now. But, it's all good. As long as I can make it to the gym I am ok spending the rest of the day at home. Lots of projects around here for me to do - like catching up on the blog. I'll let you know if I get bored, but I think the likelihood of that happening is minimal.

Some funny events that have occurred - about a month ago I set Sam on the couch propped up between pillows sitting by his brothers. I was right by them on the computer, keeping a watchful eye. Ben and Gabe were playing video games. While Ben plays video games he bounces up and down like Tigger on steroids. I reminded Ben not to jump on the couch and he plopped down RIGHT ON TOP OF SAM! It all happened in slow motion. At the same time he sat down I yelled, "BEN!! Watchit!! SAM!" Ben jumped up immediately. Sam didn't even utter a cry. Ben was a little shaken by the experience - more so than Sam. It all happened so fast I don't think Sam knew what landed on him. No harm done, however, Sam is far away from the couch while Ben plays video games.

Anyway - here is the little man.

This is Sam's concentration face. He pushes out the fantastic double chin.

He has found his hands and he can't get enough of them.

He is a happy litte guy!

Side view of the waddle (double chin).

The Shore in August

2010-09-23T18:32:00.000-07:00

On a beautiful Monday in August we went to Cape May. The weather was perfect and we spent all day playing in the water and hanging out in the sand. Ben spends all day splashing and battling the waves. Gabe on the other hand insists on going home about 30 minutes after we arrive. We finally had to bribe him into going into the water by telling him that he could not play on the DS on the way home from the shore. He responded, "OKAY!! I will go in the water but I won't like it!" Of course he loved it and spent the rest of the afternoon following Ben's example. Sometimes a little encouragement is all they need.

The boys can't help themselves

2010-09-23T18:27:00.000-07:00

Three boys know how to make life interesting. Here are a few samples of what goes on here on a regular basis.

Gabe is so good at mustering up some tears. Here is a precursor to big crocodile tears

The boys like to decorate Sam while he sits there helplessly. I am sure he will have his vengeance someday.

The boys fight over who gets to hold Sam.

Grandma and Grandpa Fairchild visit

2010-09-23T18:20:00.000-07:00

In the middle of July Grandma and Grandpa Fairchild visited after they returned home from their mission in Cambodia. We had such a great time with them. We went to Ocean City, the Please Touch Museum, and Hershey Park - where it rained like crazy causing us to run with the herd towards the exit. It was so fun to have them visit us. The boys love their grandparents so much! Grandma logged in some baby time too.

Cute Pictures of Sam at 2 months

2010-09-23T18:04:00.000-07:00

I haven't put in many pictures of Sam yet, so here he is at 2 months before he started to lose and then regrow some of his hair. He is too cute!!

Dad and boys camping trip

2010-09-23T11:44:00.000-07:00

Waaay back in June Mike took the boys on a camping trip in the Pocono's. They did a little fishing, hiking, and swimming. Back at the camp Mike built a fire and then tried to get the boy's to roast marshmallows and eat s'mores. In an ideal world they would roast the marshmallows, put them with the chocolate in a graham cracker and enjoy the gooey yumminess. This is not an ideal world. Instead the boys turn the marshmallows into burning infernos and then they gorge themselves on chocolate. For the boys, any stick that is lying on the ground becomes a torch and Mike tried to keep the boys from branding eachother, or burning down the campsite. Always an adventure.

Fishing with Grandpa Featherstone

2010-07-23T16:16:00.000-07:00

Gabe, waiting patiently for a fish. He didn't have to wait to long. He caught a fish with his first cast - a nice big catfish. With a little help from Grandpa (a lot of help) the catfish was reeled in and Gabe ran off. Catfish are scary fish.

Ben waiting for the perfect fish. It took him quite a while to hook one, but he did it.

Ben, already schooled and an experienced fisherman, practices his technique.

Grandpa instructing Gabe on fishing technique.

Silly photos of B & G

2010-06-09T10:58:00.000-07:00

Gabe showing off the groovy wig and what looks like a hairy armpit. Our boys are mature for their age.

Ben, always the coolest dude.

Our three sons. Sam is the orange popsicle in the middle. He got a good case of jaudice that is fading slowly.

This is Gabe imitating Mike and his TV watching face. Gabe said to Mike, "Dad, why do you make this face when you watch TV?" Mike had no idea what he was talking about. As soon as I saw it I recognized it right away! That is the face Mike makes when he is trying to tune everything else out and focus on some WWII show. Funny thing is, Mike can't even consciously make the face himself.

Gabe showing us his big mouth - lots of noise comes from that place.

Ben and his bug bite or spider bite in the shaped of a "P" - just showing that he is a true Phillies Fan.

Most recent photos of Sam

2010-06-09T10:50:00.000-07:00

Babies are so cute while they are sleeping - all smushy and soft and perfect looking. Here are the photos I took of Sam yesterday. I must admit that he is pretty darn cute. Look at that face - it is irresistable. Don't you just want to kiss those cheeks!

Baby Sam

2010-06-09T10:38:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that Sam was born on May 3, 2010 - about 4 weeks early, but he was a healthy boy weighing in at 7 lbs 5 oz. and 20.5 inches. I am glad he was born early because if he had gone full term he would have been HUGE!

Other Going's On

2010-03-14T15:41:00.000-07:00

First of all, thanks for voting for your favorite name for our baby boy. Samual was the leader, followed closely by Elias, then Levi. Once he's born we'll make the final decision based on what he looks like and how we're feeling. Knick Knack still has a chance!!

Ben and Gabe recently participated in a ward primary talent show. Gabe was the tamborine man in a three piece band lip syncing to Dorothy Do You Want To Dance With Me by the Wiggles. The dinosaur? cow? was just a prop.

Ben demonstrated some of his newly developed karate skills. He also agreed to help his buddy Jake, who wanted to show off his skills with a lightsaber by dueling it out onstage. Ben's good friend Jake is a very mild mannered, quiet kid who really doesn't like to get up in front of people. Before getting up on stage they planned out what they would do and the cool moves Jake would demonstrate. However, when the boys were introduced and the Star Wars music began, things immediately took a turn for the worse. Jake, apparently nervous about being in front of the entire ward, bolted out from behind the curtain, lightsaber flailing wildy, coming down on Ben like a bat out of .... Since this was in the church I won't say it, but you know what I mean. Amazingly though, Ben truly demonstrated his own lightsaber skills by blocking every attempt to lop off head and limb until a hit on the finger caused him to drop his lightsaber and cower in the corner. At this point, Jake picks up Ben's lightsaber, makes an X with both, and jumps up and down in victory. You'll notice I only have two pictures of this because when not taking pictures I was busy arguing in my mind whether or not I should rush up on stage and stop the madness. Thankfully, Jakes mom turned off the music and the battle came to an end. Ben took it all very well and they were the talk of the talent show. As for Jake, he will forever be known in our household now as Crazy Jake.

We had our 4th major snowstorm of the winter. All four occurred within about 3 weeks. With this storm we decided that the little hill near our home wasn't big enough for sledding, so we decided to head over to Valley Forge National Park to get some in and take some photos.

Happy Birthday Ben!!

2010-03-14T15:06:00.000-07:00

In celebration of Ben's 7th birthday, I thought I'd list out some of the many things we love about him.

His enthusiasm (SO much energy)
He's a great big brother
He's a good activity organizer when other kids are over
He loves to laugh and be goofy
He tries his best to do the right thing

We love you Ben!!

Snow Storm(s)!!

2010-02-14T15:43:00.000-08:00

Philadelphia just finished with a record setting string of snow storms that have dumped nearly 3 feet of snow via 3 snow storms over less than 10 days. With the snow days and the Presidents Day holiday, Ben's been out of school for 6 days straight...and we're expecting another storm to hit Monday night which will surely mean a delayed start on Tuesday, if not another day off. We enjoyed the time off. Ben and Gabe went sledding on a small hill by our house. To make it a bit more exciting I created a jump at the bottom. I snapped some photos of the boys getting airborne. My favorite is the one of Gabe flying through the air, huge smile on his face, and his eyes completely covered by his hat. I also took Ben skiing for his first time. We went to Blue Mountain, a decent resort, by East Coast standards, about 1 1/2 hours from here. Ben took a lesson for 2 hours until noon, at which time I went to pick him up. I was a little concerned when I found him crying. Turns out he did more standing that skiing because the ski school overbooked and the kids didn't get alot of attention. Irritated, I decided to take him out and teach him on my own. Within a few runs we had Ben "making the pizza" (snow plow) with his skis. I'm excited to get him on the slopes again this year and keep the excitement going.

Happy Birthday Gabe!

2010-02-14T15:26:00.000-08:00

Last month, Gabe celebrated his 4th birthday. As I mentioned in my last post, it was also the day we sent Gabe's pacifier away for good. Below are some pictures of our sweet second child. Among the many things we love about him:

He loves to snuggle
He kisses us with his big, round, juicy lips (inherited from Jill)
He's a genuine goof ball
He's good at wrestling Ben and Daddy
He has a great belly laugh
He has the cute little Fairchild fat pad on his belly (not cute on adults but cute on him now)
and most importantly to me, he's very into his Dad

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GABE!

Farewell "Papi"

2010-01-24T17:22:00.000-08:00

Every night, at bedtime, Gabe will run through the house seeking two things to join him for in his slumber....his blankie and his pacifier, a.k.a. his Papi. I'm embarrassed to admit that we've let this go on for nearly 4 years. Well, we finally decided that on Gabe's 4th birthday we'd pull the plug, literally, and say goodbye to papi. To see how this went, check out the video above which shows how thing initially went, then how they went a little later that night when it was bedtime.

We're having a....

2010-01-24T17:06:00.000-08:00

Most of you probably know by now what we're having, but for those that don't; first, take a look at the ultrasound below. Anything "stick out" to you? Yep, there you have it...we're having another boy!! He's going to be so embarrassed someday by what I've just shown you.

Scrapple

2010-01-02T13:14:00.000-08:00

Philadelphia has many things it can call its own. There's Wawa, the Cadillac of Convenience Stores. Tasty Kakes, similar to Hostess. And then there's the Mummers Parade, which, from an outsiders perspective, is a New Years day event where groups of grown men (likely still drunk from the prior nights festivities), called Fancy Brigades, put on crazy outfits and dance around for two minutes in the streets. I think it's pretty ridiculous, but so as not to offend any of our Philly native friends, I'm providing a link to a full explanation here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mummers_Parade.

You can find Wawa in other East Coast states and the same goes for Tasty Kakes. And I think you can see the Mummer's Parade on national television even, if you really look. But as far as I can tell, Scrapple is truly unique to Philadelphia. Scrapple is a meat, of sorts, similar to Spam. Historically, it was literally the meat "scraps" from breakfast all mushed together into a brick, sliced like bread, and cooked on a frying pan. I received such a brick as a white elephant gift this year and cooked some up. Below are the before and after pictures. In the end, when sliced thin, it wasn't too bad. I think I can officially call myself a true Philadelphian.

Happy Birthday to Jill

2010-01-02T12:53:00.000-08:00

December 6th was Jill's birthday. Since we've been married, almost 12 yrs now, Jill has been asking for a specific kind of cake for her birthday and for 11 years I've been searching the world over for it. I've probably logged a good 20 hours trying to find a place that makes the cake she's wanted. The problem, however, is that we didn't know what the cake was called...only that it has rasberry, creme, white cake, and marzipan. Whenever I'd try to explain it to someone they'd look at me like I was crazy...and for a while there I began to think that maybe I (and Jill) was, especially when Cakes by Karen, a well known bakery in Denver told me they had no idea what I was talking about. Well...we finally figured out what it's called...a Princess Cake...what a perfect name for the birthday cake for my wife.

Having figured out what it was called, I set out to fulfil my princess' wish and deliver the cake of her dreams. To make it even more special, I decided to make this cake myself. This may have been a bad decision for two reasons....1) It took me at least 5 hours to make. 2) It really didn't taste that good, even though Jill never said so. So here it is...Jill's cake. I'm committed to getting this right though, so look here next year for an update as I try to make it better, faster.

Fall Fun

2010-01-02T12:34:00.000-08:00

If there's one thing we love about the East it's the fall. They know how to do Fall right with festivals going on all over the place. In October my team at work had a picnic at a great place called Merry Mead farm (Jill has probably wrote about this place before). It's a favorite of our boys for visiting the animals and getting some amazing ice cream. While there for our team picnic the boys shot apples with a slingshot, went through a corn maze, looked at an enourmous pig, and went for a hayride through the farm. We had a great time.

In November I took an extra day of vacation on Thanksgiving weekend and we took a day to go into Philadelphia. We went to see the Liberty Bell and the Philadelphia mint (see photos with Independence Hall in the background of the Liberty Bell picture). We also went to Reading Terminal Market for some amazing pork sandwiches from Dinic's (as seen on Man vs. Food) for lunch.

The Battle of the Bulge

2010-01-02T11:49:00.000-08:00

So Jill has been diligently keeping the FairchildPA blog going for at least 2 years now while I've sat silently on the sidelines enjoying her posts as much as you have. However, with Jill now 19 weeks pregnant and getting more pregnant (?) every day, she doesn't quite have the energy she used to. So you'll have to put up with me and my poor writing skills on and off for the next little while as I try to fill in.

Enough of that...on to my first official post. For a little over a year now I've been fighting the battle of the bulge...the bulging disk that is. In Dec. 2008 I injured my back while helping a young man in our ward with an Eagle Scout project. We were delivering beds and dressers to a number of needy families in the Philadelphia area. While moving the mattresses I began to feel some tightness in my lower back and within a few days, just in time for my Christmas vacation, I was in alot of pain and barely able to move. With the help of some painkillers, muscle relaxers, and physical therapy, I was able to get back on my feet. Because the bulge was putting pressure on the nerve that runs down my left leg, which caused my calf to not function properly, I also received an epidural steroid injection, which relieved my pain and calf issues.

Well, I wish that was the end of it, but I had no such luck. At the end of the summer the back pain returned and I was advised to get another epidural injection, which I did. About one week after the injection though, things took a turn for the worse. Somehow I reinjured my back, but this time it was worse than ever before. For about 2 weeks I couldn't even leave the floor. Jill started calling me the family dog because I did everything on the floor...I slept there, worked there, and even ate there. The pain was excruciating if I did anything but crouch in a ball on the floor. This is getting long and wordy, so I'll refer you to the pictures. One is of me eating dinner one night, as the family dog. The others are of the MRI showing this massive bulging disk.

Today, however, I am pain free and the battle of the bulge has been won!! In Oct. I went back to see the spine surgeon I'd seen in March with the MRI shown above. The first thing he said to me when he walked in the room was, "Wow Mike, that's one big !$*#& herniation!" He got me into surgery within 2 weeks and now, here I am, 2 months later and completely pain free! I'm in physical therapy to strengthen my back and stomach so I don't hurt my back again. From the MRI picture on the left you can see that my nerves for my left leg took some serious abuse, leaving me numb in parts of my leg from my hip down to my toes and with my calf not functioning fully. However, I'm told these nerves will heal in 6-9 months. Right now, I'm feeling great! Side effects from the surgery? Well....when I use the bathroom, sitting or standing, I feel nerve pain in the sole of my left foot (what??). And just last night I was picking at the last remaining scab on the scar and suddenly felt something like a hair poking my finger. Turns out it was a stitch. Jill grabbed it with the tweezers and pulled it out about 1 1/2 inches before it wouldn't give anymore. I think it's attached to something......when she pulled it hard enough my left leg did a karate kick into the wall! Not really, but that stitch wasn't coming out. So I trimmed it down and assume the rest will find its way out eventually.

The cutest pics we have had for a while.

2009-11-18T16:17:00.000-08:00

What's a happenin'

2009-11-18T16:15:00.000-08:00

I am almost thirteen weeks - thank heavens!! I have had enough of the nausea and mind numbing fatigue. I think I am on the upslope now.

In the meantime, Mike is recovering from back surgery - he is doing really well. We are going to post some pictures of the events that lead up to the surgery. Let's just say that for a while he lived like a slug - he didn't leave the ground very often. Now however, he can walk and sit and eat at the dinner table with us. Which is a big step forward. When Mike went to the ortho surgeon the doc told him that he had one big a** extrusion. Basically his option was to live in constant pain or get the surgery. There was no contest. Now Mike can't lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk and I think he is relishing this - it means he doesn't have to take out the garbage (a point of contention in our marriage). I am not enjoying this new chore AT ALL because of my newly acquired sense of smell.

Oh well, I will live with it for now. As long as he can lift the baby when it comes - that's what really matters. The garbage chore will be returned to him soon enough.

Grilled Pizza night - yep that's right - GRILLED

2009-10-25T14:29:00.000-07:00

One night Mike was determined to grill some pizza on the grill. I must admit, it turned out beautifully and it was very tasty! Here we have the white pizza with Italian sausage. YUM!

Ben's first tooth for the tooth fairy

2009-10-25T14:27:00.001-07:00

Ben's first day of school

2009-10-25T14:26:00.000-07:00

My funny little munchkin. He is such a goofball.

Labor Day Weekend

2009-10-25T14:25:00.000-07:00

On Labor Day Weekend we went to Hickory Run State Park with some friends and hiked to a waterfall.

Camping in August

2009-10-25T13:40:00.000-07:00

In August ( I know so long ago) Mike took the little men camping. But it only lasted for a couple of hours. It rained and rained and our tent was not sealed very well so the water started seeping in. This put the boys in quite a state. The made it through dinner but at about 9:00 Mike called and said he was coming home. That was the extent of the camping trip.

Announcement

2009-10-25T13:21:00.001-07:00

Hello Friends and Family - it has been a long time since I last posted. I decided to get off my duff, which has been doing a lot of nothing lately, and post some pictures and stuff.

The reason I have been on my duff is that I am pregnant. Due date May 30th 2010 - a loooong way away or so it seems.

We are excited, though. When I told the little boys, Ben said he was so excited to have a baby brother or sister and Gabe said he was so excited to have a baby lizard. Gabe thinks the possibilities are limitless.... he is always telling me that when he grows up he wants to be a shark, or Clifford the Big Red Dog.

In the meantime I am soooo tired. I take a nap every day and still go to bed around 8:30 or so. Not to mention the ickiness all day. Oh well - it will pass.

On to other stuff.

Tales from the Shore and Sunday Talks

2009-08-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

On Monday, Aug 17 we went to Island Beach State Park. The weather was perfect - hot and steamy. The ocean was cool and the breeze coming off the ocean was refreshing. We arrived at 10:00 and stayed til 5:00.

Ben was a fish, of course. He has taken up body surfing and loves it. Gabe spent the first several hours running away from the waves. Eventually he warmed up to letting me or Mike hold him while he kicked at the waves. The waves were pretty exciting too - not 5 foot waves like this weekend, but still some good body surfing waves crashing on the shore.

Before we left we headed to the showers to wash off the sand and change our clothes. I stood outside the men's bathroom waiting for Mike to finish up with the boys. There was screaming, loud screaming and I knew there was trouble that starts with a capital B. Ben came out (fully dressed thank heavens) and announced loudly that he hurt his penis for the fourth time. Apparently he had a bad case of shore rash on his nether regions. Also, according to Ben, Mike had been a little rough with the zipper (we had forgotten underpants) and nipped the little bugger where it hurts most. Hence the screaming.

Not only did I hear the sordid tale, but so did everyone around me - about 15 people or so. I love Ben's complete lack of self-conscience. Whatever is happening at that moment is his experience and it doesn't matter if the President of America is standing right there - if he needs to let it all out, he will.

Which also brings me to the next experience. Today Ben had the privilege of giving a quick talk in Primary. I was there to help him and prompt him - well how it ended up working is I told him what to say. Ben was acting very strangely during the talk - he was shaking acting kind of nervous. Also, he was grabbing himself - again in the nether regions. By the end of the talk he was shaking and I thought he was just really nervous. After the talk was over (about 1 minute long) he looked down at his pants, looked at me and I knew exactly what was going on. He was peeing his pants on the primary podium.

I tried to usher him out as quickly as possible. He turned around - with legs spread, and whispered to me, "I just peed my pants!" My goal was to get him out of there ASAP. The funny thing is, Ben wasn't embarrased at all! He was just telling me what had happened. He had peed his pants and now they were all wet and he wanted to go home and change. That's all. I suffered all the emotional consequences. I felt terrible for Ben and chastised myself for not taking him to the bathroom before primary. But, Ben was already putting it all behind him. I am sure that embarrasment will come in due time, but I wish it wouldn't. I wish I could be more like Ben and simply not care - or even think about being embarrased. Just deal with the situation and move on.

Tales from the Shore

2009-08-23T11:38:00.001-07:00

This is about the only time that Gabe will fall asleep on me. He slept for about 2 hours like that. I loved it!

Our Setup - Umbrellas, beach chairs, lots of snacks, good book to read - I was feeling good!

By the end of the day Gabe was covered in sand from head to foot. He would roll around in it like a seal.

Day at the 4-H fair

2009-08-21T07:10:00.001-07:00

While Mike was in CO having the time of his life without us we spent some quality time at the 4-H fair in Skippack. The boys loved the goats and chickens. The pigs were a little smelly and Ben, with his super sensitive nose, couldn't handle it more than 30 seconds.

Beltzville State Park

2009-08-21T07:05:00.000-07:00

On some Monday in August (a couple of weeks ago) we drove into the Pocono's with the Anderson's for a day at the lake. It is beautiful there - picture perfect. A great way to spend a summer day!

Please Touch Museum Adventures

2009-08-02T18:08:00.001-07:00

Last week we headed into Philly to the fabulous Please Touch Museum with Sophia, Sydney, and Tamara. Of course we had a fantastic time. We had a tea party with the crew from Alice in Wonderland. We journeyed into space. We were in drum parade. We rode on the carousel. Ben rode on a moving animal (a pig, not a horse) for the first time in his life. This is the boy who loooooves roller coasters, but apparently is terrified of a horse that goes up and down. Fun Fun Fun!!

Memories of Ben

2009-08-02T17:33:00.000-07:00

I just think he was such a beautiful little baby - now he is a handsome little boy. It is fun to look back, though. It almost makes me want to cry - such a sweet little pumpkin!

Nostalgia poked around in my head today. I miss my little boys - they are still little, butI love the first stage of life - the one where they are like caterpillars - inching around on the ground. I miss the way words come together in funny ways.

I was thinking about the times when I got a little freaked out by events that had taken place and how they passed miraculously without any major injury or illness. One time, in Colorado, I was taking an oil painting class and I was doing a landscape painting in a local park. In order to finish it I had to go to the park with Ben, who was 1 1/2 years old. Ben was barely walking at that point and his life still revolved around what was on the ground. On the ground was a lot of goose poop. I picked a spot that was somewhat clear of goose poop and I set Ben up with some toys.

After a short while I heard a sound that I did not want to hear - Ben was making that "num, num, num" eating sound. Normally I love that sound. I love it when children hum and grunt while they eat... it is a pleasurable sound - we should all do that. However, it is not reccomended to make that sound while eating goose poop.

I grabbed him and pinched his cheeks so I could get easy access to the goose poop that he was swirling around in his mouth. YUCK! I flushed his mouth out with water, ruining Ben's fun. He was obviously enjoying the goose poop, not the cleaning process.

We left right away. I could paint another day. I called Mike and told him what had happened. He of course reacted like any concerned first parent would react - with terror. Should I take him to the doctor right away? We analyzed the contents of goose poop - grass, grubs, stuff that people in third world countries might eat. Hopefully his stomach would be able to handle it and hopefully I had reacted quick enough to remove most of the poop.

Needless to say he was fine. He is fine. Just one of those crazy parenting experiences.

Palmyra - The Sacred Grove and Hill Cumorah Pageant

2009-07-26T16:52:00.000-07:00

We took some time to walk through the Joseph Smith house and through the Sacred Grove. The boys were cute. Gabe picked up on being reverent in the grove and kept shushing us when we spoke too loudly. It was a beautiful day - perfect for going for a lovely walk. The Pageant was monumental, of course. The boys were rapt while watching it. However, at the part when Christ comes down Ben had a sudden urgent need to go to the bathroom, for the second time during the pageant. Mike was the lucky one to take the trek to the potty with Ben. So, Ben missed the whole Christ descending part. Oh well. Gabe and I enjoyed it.

Doesn't Ben look hip with his new transition lenses? It is to protect his constantly dilated right eye.

Ben the Photographer

2009-07-26T16:47:00.000-07:00

We let Ben have a crack at photography. We brought two cameras with us so we let him use the point and shoot camera. Below are his impressions of our trip. ENJOY!!

Niagara Falls/Maid of the Mist

2009-07-26T16:38:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we headed North to NY to go to the Hill Cumorah Pageant and see Niagara Falls. We drove about 6 long hours - made even longer because every 1/2 hour the boys would ask us when we would get there. I don't know how or why my parents ever went on road trips with us because I am sure we did the same thing.... and there weren't DVD players that make the trip somewhat bearable.

The boys were pretty impressed with the Falls, although Gabe was terrified about riding on the boat due to being traumatized by a previous canoe trip (see June 2009). He cried and moped most of the boat ride. After it was over he kept exclaiming that he had so much fun and wanted to go on the boat again. Selective memory I guess. Ben loved it. The water freaked him out a little and he tends to be a bit of a worrier, but he handled it like a trooper. Stood by the railing the whole time. I think that amazement won over fear.

4th of July

2009-07-26T16:32:00.000-07:00

For the 4th of July we went to our good friend's house - the Anderson's to hang out with Tamara, Jon, Sophia, Sydney and other friends and families. Jon grilled up some amazing ribs AND a brisket. We had potato salad, baked beans, jello, anything you could ask for. It was a lot of fun. And to top it off we had a small fireworks show in the backyard and then we watched the Skippack Fireworks show from the back porch. It was perfect. We all got fat and happy!

Gabe doing his pout face.

Ben - the rascal

2009-07-26T16:09:00.000-07:00

In this picture Ben decided that because he had a bunch of gold and silver glitter pieces, he was rich. And because it was somewhere around the 4th of July he decided to be patriotic about and write "I am a rich American." You can't see it very well, but that is what he wrote. Pursuing the American dream.

Ben snuck away for a little bit and came down in Daddy's clothes. He does this purely for our entertainment. I love it!!

Bike Riding

2009-06-29T07:17:00.000-07:00

When the weather is nice the boys like to go outside and ride bikes. Well actually Ben likes to zip around on his bike and Gabe likes to put his helmet on and run around with Ben. It's pretty funny to watch. At least I know that Gabe won't hurt his head. His knees and hands are a different story.

Ben's Lego Obsession

2009-06-29T07:12:00.000-07:00

Lately Ben has been getting on to YouTube (with mom and dad's help) and downloading instructions to build Mario characters. He has been doing most of the work himself.

That's the right answer Ben

2009-06-29T07:09:00.001-07:00

The other day Ben and I were watching a movie together and there was a pretty actress on the screen. I looked over at Ben and his eyes were glued to her pretty face. I asked him if he thought she was pretty. He nodded yes (he had his favorite sucking fingers in his mouth and his monkey and puppy by his nose so all he could do was nod). Then I asked him if he thought mommy was pretty - just to see what he would say. He, being a sweet little boy, nodded yes. Then, I asked him the big one - who was prettier - mommy or the woman on the TV. He looked at me and then pointed at me. SMART BOY!!! (This has nothing to do with my vanity of course!)

Announcement

2009-06-20T07:55:00.000-07:00

GABE IS MOSTLY POTTY TRAINED!!! YAY!!! He still wears a pull-up at night, but he is a pro at going potty during the day!

The word Ben taught Sophia

2009-06-20T07:40:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday our friends Tamara, Sophia, and Sydney came over to have lunch and play. They play great together. Sydney and Gabe are the partners in crime - they always seem to sneak away and find a little bit of trouble. Ben and Sophia come up with great dramas, they have very vivid imaginations.

Ben and Sophia used their creativity to find a way into the attic - the door is locked and the attic is off limits. Hence, the attic is the most appealing location in our house. Ben (who doesn't know how to keep secrets and will unabashedly admit to anything) came downstairs and giddily announced that he and Sophia had used his bunkbed ladder to get the key to the attic door (which was hooked up high on the door) and had been spending some time up there. I confiscated the key and reprimanded Ben.

Later, when Tamara was driving home with her kids Sophia admitted that she should not have gone into the attic, but there were so many neat toys up there. This is true - the attic is where the toys go that have been left on the floor for too long. It is a temporary or final resting place for the toys. Anyway, Sophia went on to tell Tamara that Ben had taught her a new word that he had learned at school. Sophia said that she was not sure if it was a bad word. Tamara gently persuaded Sophia to reveal the word. Sophia said, "I can't really remember what it is. I know it starts with an F." Tamara gently responded, "It's ok, you can tell me what it is, I won't get upset with you." At this point I am terrified as Tamara is telling me this story. I am fully expecting the worst but am trying to look calm. I say to Tamara, "Is it fart?" Hoping to death that it is not the big F word. Tamara says, "just listen".

Then Sophia went on to explain - "Well it has something to do with ancestors and Egypt." Tamara asks, "Is it.....pharoah?" "YES! That's the word!"

Thank heavens!!! New words are always fun, but of course they are much more interesting when they are shared in the forbidden attic.

Pictures from Justine & Bryan's wedding in Italy

2009-06-15T19:39:00.001-07:00

I took photos at the wedding in Italy - Mike's brother Bryan and Justine. It was a lot of fun! These are some of my favorite photos. There were a LOT of pictures to cull through. My hope was that the more pictures I took, the more luck I would have. Anyway - enjoy! It was a beautiful ceremony in a beautiful environment.

Ben the Bat boy

2009-06-15T19:33:00.000-07:00

Ben has a lazy left eye that doesn't want to tell his brain that it can actually be of some use. We have to patch his eye a couple of hours a day and on the weekends his Dr. gave us some eyedrops that dilate his right eye so that he will rely on his left eye.

We put the eyedrops in on Sunday afternoon and he quickly lost the ability to see. I thought it would only last a couple of hours, but when he woke up this morning, his right eye was still dilated. I called the Dr. and was told that it can last up to a day and a half.

Ben has become a night vision expert. He spends his day in the dark playing with his toys or watching a show. He briefly went outside to ride his bike but came in to tell me that he was seeing all kinds of crazy colors. I kind of wanted to film it because it reminded me of that dad who filmed his son after the dentist appt. - all doped up. Ben was looking behind him running in circles, like a dog chasing his tail, being followed by the color red. That darned red.

Hopefully it will be working tomorrow, otherwise it is another trip to the doctor.

Canoeing on the Brandywine River

2009-06-15T19:10:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, the 13th we took a trip with our friends, the Moyer family and went to the Brandywine River for a 2 1/2 hour canoe trip on the river. It started out as a beautiful day, although there were some threatening clouds. Nevertheless, with anxious little boys, we loaded up and headed to the drop off point.

Things were going swimmingly (well, not yet) for awhile. Mike and I had a couple spats - inevitable when trying to navigate along a slow moving shallow river. Audrey Moyer warned us that they fight when they are on the river, but I don't think they were prepared for the Fairchild's. As we rode along the river, our first occasions with obstacles did not go very smooth. We ran into trees, rocks, anything that we were trying to avoid we seemed to hit.

Then, according to our boys, the worst happened. A half submerged tree limb became our next stopping point. I was in the front and behind me I heard screams of terror as our boat tilted dangerously to one side. I looked back and beheld my two little boys screaming, completely hysterical and tightly gripping the edges of the boat. Water streaming in around their waists. I didn't realize it until then but we were sinking and the boys were going down with it.

So, Mike was out of the boat trying to stabalize it and I stepped out (the water was only about 2 1/2 feet deep) and took the boys to safety on the shore. Soaking wet and terrified they stood on the banks while Mike and I emptied the boat of the water. Finally we got back in and reassured the boys many times that it was ok and we promised not to run into any trees or rocks (we mostly kept our promise). At that point it started to rain. For about 15 minutes we endured moans and whines from the two little munchkins - "I'm cold, I'm tired, I'm hungry, I want to go home." Gabe told me that he lost his house and wanted it back. We still had an hour and a half to go.

Fortunately the sun came out and we were able to get the boys out in the shallow water to throw rocks and wade around.

According to Ben the story goes like this: We were canoeing, Mommy and Daddy were fighting and we hit a tree. Water was coming in the boat and we were screaming because we were so scared. Then later we got out in the water and walked around and it was so FUN!"

We plan to do it again, just to terrorize our children and teach them that there is nothing to be scared of - canoeing is fun, right?

Benjamin and the love letter

2009-06-10T18:56:00.000-07:00

Today I was getting Ben's stuff out of his backpack and I pulled out a handmade, construction paper card with a big heart on the front and "to Ben". Inside was a bona fide love note - "I love you Ben. From Brooke".

I showed it to Ben and he hunched over, put his hands on his hips and said in a goofy voice with an embarrased look on his face, "OOOOH, that is from Brooke! She is in love with me and wants to marry me!" I laughed, he laughed. "That's crazy!! Doesn't she know that you are only 6 years old?" "Yeah! But she said she wants to marry me!"

Ben snatched the card from me and tore it into little shreds. He told me later that night that he is in love with Bianca. Funny thing is, he is a little infatuated with her. Yesterday I told Ben I was going to pick him up from school and he said, "Awwww, I wanted to ride the bus home!" I asked him why and he told me that he enjoys his chat time with Bianca on the bus ride home. My little Don Juan. FYI - he gets no encouragement from Mike and I - we only listen. We giggle about it later.

Florence, Italy

2009-06-02T17:52:00.000-07:00

Our last day in Tuscany! We were so sad to leave it! Since we lost a day trying to retrieve our camera, we decided to spend a couple of hours wandering the streets of Florence. I loooove Florence. I love the Renaissance, the artwork, the history and Florence was the center of it. We saw the Duomo, walked to Ponte Vecchio, shopped in the market at San Lorenzo. It was a beautiful day and we were sad to leave it behind. But, all good things must come to an end. We were also excited to get back to PA and see our little boys - who we missed very much! It was a fabulous trip! Justine and Bryan's wedding was beautiful - I was honored to be asked to take photos (I hope I wasn't too annoying). Fiora and Brian (Justine's parents) were amazing hosts and Italy was spectacular. Mike and I kept saying to eachother on our last day "We have got to come back!" Hopefully for our 20th anniversary we can return to Italy.

Things I learned from the Italians

2009-06-02T17:45:00.000-07:00

1. Always have your cell phone with you and talk on it all the time.
2. Wear harem pants - ladies run out and get them now - MC Hammer pants are back in vogue!!
3. Don't wear very much makeup because it will melt off by the end of the day anyway.
4. Mangia, Mangia, Mangia!
5. If you want good Italian food in Rome, get out of the main tourist area - head towards the neighborhoods.
6. If you are a male, ogle any attractive female you see.
7. If you are a female and are being ogled, ignore it.
8. Give lots of kisses.
9. When you are saying goodbye to the love of your life, kiss them passionately - not just passionately, but like the end of the world is coming and the saliva from your partner is the only thing that will keep you alive!!!!
10. Wear heels everywhere, even if you are walking a couple of miles.
11. Make sure that you are covered head to toe in name brand.
12. Say whatever comes to your mind whenever you feel like it.
13. Don't wear deodorant.
14. Eat the yummiest food and take a long time do it!
15. Don't ever be in a rush for any reason.

Our little town Montefioralle

2009-06-02T16:09:00.000-07:00

Only one catastrophe

2009-06-02T15:59:00.000-07:00

We left Rome on Tuesday morning and took the train to Florence. Once we got to the train station, we bought a couple of maps and set out to get a taxi to take to our rental car. As we were putting our bags in the taxi Mike looked at me with enormous, panic stricken eyes and uttered a couple curse words. "What? What?!!" "I left the camera on the train!!!" I about fainted!! We grabbed our bags and Mike ran in to try and catch the train, which I was certain had already left the station. He left me outside the train station, so I sat on the luggage and tried to read my book. I think I uttered about 50 prayers. I experienced a range of emotions - panic, submission, desperation, - none of them positive. Mike came out after an eternity of waiting and said that at customer service they had called the train and were going to locate the bag and then one of us would have to go to Milan to pick it up.

So, I got on the next train to Milan, rode 2 hours and managed to miraculously retrieve our camera!!! I can't even believe it to this day!! I spent 6 hours on a train, dropped an extra 100 euros but it was all worth it! Who would think that on an Italian train a camera could be retrieved? MIRACULOUS!!

Ahhhh - Tuscany!

2009-06-02T15:50:00.000-07:00

This is the inside of our cute little apartment in Montefioralle - "La Loggetta". It was perfect! Mike loved the doors as you can see below.

Sheep having a vigil in the middle of the road on our way to Volpaie.

Our cute and fun to drive little car - a Fiat. Mike thought he was Italian while he was driving.

Volpaie

My cute sister in law - Emily. Can't you tell that she is Mike's sister?

Posing in Volpaie.

Rome in the evening

2009-06-02T15:41:00.000-07:00

Fontana De Trevi (Trevi Fountain)

The Pantheon

Fountain at Piazza Navona

The Vatican at night

The Vatican

2009-06-02T15:18:00.000-07:00

On Monday we got all geared up to go to the Vatican. The guidebook said go after lunch, the lines are smaller, but for some reason we didn't believe it. It was a Monday morning and who was out sightseeing on a Monday morning, right? Well, besides us, there was about 500 people standing in line and about 20 tour groups (with about 30 people each). Inside, we shuffled and jockeyed for a spot to view each of the rooms. We listened to the audiotour, which was pretty good - I would recommend it! The Sistine Chapel was the piece de resistance, of course. We found ourselves a seat on the edge and looked upwards for as long as our necks could take it. It is truly spectacular. How cool is it to be looking at the work created by the hands of Michelangelo?

Trip to Italy

2009-06-02T13:16:00.000-07:00

We headed to Rome, from the Newark airport via Lisbon, Portugal on May 22. We flew all night and arrived in Rome, tired at 1:00 pm or so. I can't really remember, it was all a blur.

We travelled economy style so our first location we stayed at was a monastary!! On Saturday night we were lulled to sleep by nuns chanting and singing. It was a pretty building in a nice neighborhood somewhat close to the Vatican.

Of course when we got to our train stop we had no idea how to get to our hotel. We walked, with our suitcases in the direction that we thought our hotel would be in hopes that we would find a taxi. NOTE: Taxis will only pick you up from a Taxi location. You can't just wave one down and hope that it will stop. You have to find a taxi pickup spot. Which, luck would have it, we stumbled upon one. It took about 5 minutes and 10 euros (a total ripoff!!) to find our hotel (monastary).

On Sunday we went to the Colosseum and Roman Forum. It was amazing - I love ancient history and it was so exciting to walk around where ancient Romans and many other nationalities lived a loooong time ago. It is difficult to describe the scale - the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill is enormous. It would've been quite a spectacular site in it's full glory.

Everything was great except for it was HOT!!! At about 3:00 we were tired of being sweaty and hot and went back to the hotel for a siesta. Then we conquered the rest of the Palatine Hill and the Venezia Plaza.

Here's how Gabe gets what he wants... maybe

2009-05-10T16:56:00.000-07:00

Gabe has this wonderful technique called - "Immediately turn on the water works if the answer is no". It is not always effective - in fact more often than not, it just gets him a trip to time out. But, I admit that I have been known to use the same technique, although I use the power of persuasion and hint technique more often - it is a little bit more subtle. I am sure that at some point both boys will master this as well.

Hanging at the pool

2009-05-08T18:56:00.001-07:00

The boy's favorite thing to do in Vegas was hang out in Grandma and Grandpa's pool of course.

More Zion National Park

2009-05-05T18:00:00.000-07:00

Good Buddies - Ben, Richard, and Thomas - they all had a good time on the hike down from Emerald Pools. Thomas was so cute - he calls me "Anshill" - Aunt Jill.

The Upper Emerald Pool

2009-05-05T17:49:00.000-07:00

At the Upper Emerald Pool we all took a break and the kids played in the water - which was pretty cold. The Upper Pool is in a little cove sourrounded by beautiful red cliff walls. The accoustics are fantastic and everyone talks quietly because you can hear what everyone says. It is rather serene....except when Ben is there. Ben was putting his hands in the water and I guess he got really cold because he yelled across the pool to Mike, "My hands are cold!" He repeated it several times and each yell became more and more shrill until he was frantically flapping his hands. Everyone stopped and looked - how could they not - Ben had unwittingly become the center of everyone's attention. Mike yelled back at Ben the most obvious response, "WELL QUIT PUTTING YOUR HANDS IN THE WATER!" Ben became hysterical, "I wanna go home, I wanna go home, I wanna go home!" So, I decided to claim Ben at that point (just a little embarrased) and hurried him away from everyone so they could enjoy their lunch. Emotions escalated quickly with my little man.

Hiking at Emerald Pools

2009-05-05T17:21:00.000-07:00

On our first day at Zion National Park we hiked (with the kids) to the Emerald Pools - and we did the full 3 miles with them. Gabe lasted most of the way til the end and Mike walked down a couple of switchbacks with Gabe bobbing around in his arms - fully asleep.

2009-05-03T16:29:00.000-07:00

All these cute cousins! I couldn't get enough photos - we only took about 400 or so. Zion is the perfect backdrop too.

Here is Ben giving me his sour face - stop taking my picture!! I was taking away precious playtime!

Zion National Park Family Reunion

2009-05-03T16:24:00.000-07:00

Stacey and Maggie at the entrance to Zion's National Park

Cute Milo!

All those boys!

Cute little Maggie - Ben thought she was really funny.

Sweet little Lilly! I love this picture, it makes me want to snuggle her!

Easter Egg Hunt

2009-05-03T16:18:00.000-07:00

On Easter weekend we went to Waterworks Park for an Easter Egg hunt. LOTS of kids. They unleash them in groups by age and since we were with little ones, we went with the 2 - 3 year olds. Once the horn blew we were off in a frantic race to grab as many eggs as we could - everyone except Ben and Gabe who were confused by the rush of people. Gabe caught on and managed to get about 8 eggs and Ben managed to get 4. Ben is so cute, though - he was worried that he would get the beeping eggs, which were for blind children - that is why he didn't jump in right away. So - recap - we waited for about 20 minutes and the egg hunt was over in about 30 seconds. The things we do to create holiday memories.

Ben, Gabe, and little friend model the latest in Easter hats.

Ben's art work

2009-05-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

On April 11 Mike painted the boys room a nice shade of blue. Ben assisted and created a masterpiece - he painted a picture of Mike painting. Imaginative, no?

Early April

2009-05-03T14:59:00.000-07:00

There is a really cute park nearby called "Waterworks Park". It has a pretty waterfall and a great play area. However, Ben - as always had to urgently relieve himself (I think he takes after me). I told him to back away from the river and water a tree. I felt a little spray and I turned around and Ben was releasing a small waterfall on the rock directly behind me. UGH! "Ben! Pee away from people, not towards them!!" I know - you are probably wondering why I let him pee in the open in the first place. No one was around and if Ben was only allowed to pee in a bathroom then we would never be able to leave our house. Below is the rock with Ben's waterfall.

My new baby

2009-03-25T17:11:00.000-07:00

It's beautiful!

Valley Forge - March 21, 2009

2009-03-24T14:03:00.000-07:00

WE GOT A FANCY NEW CAMERA!!!! Woo Hoo! So, on Saturday we ventured out to Valley Forge to do a little sight seeing and play around with our new toy. I showed Mike how to change the F-stop and aperture so we don't have to use the automatic setting. It is very exciting! Not that I think we will be professional photographers, but it'll be a fun hobby - like I need another one. I should be making dinner right now, by the way.

Gabe really doesn't like his picture taken. He says "Cheezy Wheezy" and then laughs and runs away. I have a lot of photos of Gabe laughing and running away. Here he is pouting and trying not to smile while I attempt to take a photo.

What a handsome man. Love the dimple in the chin - it is so "Gaston" from Beauty and the Beast.

Valley Forge

2009-03-24T13:59:00.000-07:00

Valley Forge

2009-03-24T13:54:00.000-07:00

Ben's Birthday Weekend

2009-03-02T08:48:00.000-08:00

On February 27th Ben turned 6 years old. He had been perusing the Lego catalogue all week and had announced that he wanted every Lego in the book. He didn't just desire them, he decided he was going to get them. My reply, "Are you kidding me?" No, he is dead serious. Tough luck. We don't need all those Lego's. They are already finding their way into odd places around the house. They seem to have this ability to move from their respective living quarters to my underwear drawer, the kitchen cabinets, the laundry room, the bathtub. Needless to say, Ben got about 5 more Lego sets - one of them from yours truly and the DH.

But, the party was great fun. There were about 10 children and 3 male adult children and 1 mommy - me. I ran around barking orders and coralling children from one game to the next. Ben got the usual "I am highly overstimulated" freakiness going on. It was kind of funny. He starts to wiggle his arms wildly and jumps up and down while frantically trying to make sure that no one else is going to play with any of his toys. Overall, though, the kids were really good and we had a great time. Billy, on his way out the door said to his mom - "That was the best birthday party I have ever been to - even better than my party!" Now - his mom is a birthday party fanatic - she spent about 2 months preparing for Billy's party. I was there and there was no way my party was better than hers. Billy's mom looked at him and said, "We'll have to talk later!"

Sidebar - don't get plastic swords for party favors. I did and I can't tell you the number of times I had to remind the children that bodily contact and swinging swords wildly is not appropriate. But honestly - what else are they going to do with the swords? I asked for it!

Ben is officially six years old!

2009-03-02T08:47:00.000-08:00

On February 27th, six years ago I gave birth to a healthy little baby boy. Now he is the six year old pirate, superhero, villain, crazy man, warrior, sweetheart of my dreams. Of course Gabe is right there beside him. My two little men.

The Pirate Cake

2009-03-02T08:44:00.001-08:00

I actually made a fancy cake!! Well it isn't my own idea, I copied it from the internet (God bless the internet). But I think it turned out pretty good. The kids got a kick out of being able to eat an eye or the mouth and nose. Ben loved it and that is what matters most!

AWWWW

2009-02-18T12:38:00.000-08:00

Gabe knows how to work the camera.

The boys watching the commercial for the Super Bowl. I think they (the little ones) wore the 3-D glasses the entire night.

Photography Class

2009-02-18T12:27:00.000-08:00

I know that the last thing I need is a new hobby, but I can't help myself. I am a frustrated artist. Some days I want to jump out of my skin because the need to make something is overpowering and being a stay at home mom can be filled with uncreative jobs. I guess I could get creative with my laudry folding abilities. Well - today, I am creative with it - I have laundry all over my bed.

I have enrolled in a photography class with a couple of friends and I am really enjoying it! But, there is one element that I am heartbroken by - I really really really want a fancy new camera. Namely a Nikon D90. Now I know that in these times of economic woes, I should not be thinking about getting an expensive camera. But think of how much money we could save on photography sessions? I am doing my best to pester my DH enough so that he will see that getting this camera would be such a smart thing to do. Of course, I bring up the fact that he needs it as well, because after all, he has expressed a great interest in photography himself and he really needs a hobby. I encourage anyone to send me any tips they might have to help me in my endeavor.

Ben knows how to treat the ladies

2009-02-18T12:18:00.000-08:00

Not long ago we went to the store where I ran in to get some stuff. When I came out Ben said, "Hello my beautiful mommy!" "Why thank you!", I replied. Then I walked around to get into the car. When I climbed into the front seat Mike said, "While you were walking around the car Ben said, "She likes it when I say that to her."

I have also written about Ben's little infatuation with Rachel. Apparently it is still going on. In primary, as part of the lesson, the children were throwing a bean bag to each other and when it was thrown, the person throwing it had to say something nice about the person they were throwing to. Ben chose to throw it to Rachel. He said, "I like Rachel because she is cute (at which point Rachel and her friend looked at eachother and said, 'Awwwwww') and she makes me laugh." Where does he learn this stuff? So that is my little Don Juan.

Potty Training No More - at least until college

2009-01-31T11:28:00.001-08:00

I gave up, I surrendered, I threw in the towel, I let Gabe win this fight. It wasn't all that hard to do. I was putting Gabe on the potty about every 15 minutes and he would sit there for a little bit and do a little pee which we would celebrate. Then he would go and pee and doo doo in his underpants. I HATE THAT!!! I have decided that at some point Gabe will be embarrased by wearing a diaper, maybe when he is six or seven and realizes that no one else has a stinky poopy diaper. Just kidding of course. Although I wish he could just be shamed or motivated to use the toilet all on his own. Any relatives or friends want to help? I'll take any volunteer potty trainer!! Just no sickos, please.

Potty Training

2009-01-26T15:58:00.000-08:00

Gabe and I are working on potty training now. I started it today. So far, things are going pretty well. I set up a little movie for him and he can sit on his little throne and watch a show. Only two little accidents so far - not too bad. I am planning on staying home tomorrow and Wednesday, so we'll see how things go.

Some snow Finally!!!

2009-01-26T15:54:00.000-08:00

Boys will be Boys

2009-01-26T15:43:00.000-08:00