Merry Merry Christmas!!!!

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. It's amazing how quickly this day comes and goes. We enjoyed our time down in Florida for the week before. Alexis got to spend some quality time with Nana and Papa and Uncle Todd. The weather was wonderful so it was tough to make our way back north. We spent the week playing golf in 80 degree weather and then had to come back to 8 degree weather. I still ask myself everyday in the winter why I live up north? It was difficult to adjust but at least I have that opportunity. Anyway, here are some pictures of our week of festivities. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas too!!!

Alexis showing off her new game for her leapster.

I wish I could have had a car like this!!!

Alexis and her new "Fancy Nancy" doll.

Alexis and her Uncle Todd cheesin it up.

Papa giving Alexis a big bear hug.

Our upcoming trip!!!

Well we're trying to start to get a few things together before taking off to Florida this weekend. We will be spending a week in the warmth and sunshine and get out of this so called wonderful winter weather. I am really looking forward to it. A week off of work is worth it even more. The only downside to our trip this year is that we will be driving!!!! Yes I did say driving. Ever since my husband decided to take this leave of absence we do not get flight benefits anymore. BooHoo!!!! 20 hours in the car with a 3 year old should be interesting. I'm hoping that I have enough for her to do so she doesn't drive us absolutely crazy the entire way down. She's usually pretty good in the car. I'm bringing lots and lots of movies. We're planning on stopping overnight in Atlanta and staying with some friends. Then in the morning we'll finish our journey. Mom and Dad are looking forward to seeing Alexis....and us too. They have a new puppy now that Alexis is dying to see too. Anyway, I'll update on how our ride down was. I hope I can say uneventful.

Ice Skating Part 2

Ok so we tried ice skating again this weekend. We ended up going with some friends this time. Alexis did much better this time around and didn't even make us push her around the whole time. Here is some video footage of the evening.

Sweatin to the Oldies

Ok so the other night we caught Alexis teaching her friend from next door the best way to work out. It still amazes me that she is able to set up the dvd player and the tv to play a movie. Alexis enjoys working out with mommy when she is attempting to advance her kickboxing moves. She decieded that showing Tyler would be fun too. We were all in the other room talking and just caught a glimpse of both of them in action without them seeing. Luckily the video camera was close by. Here is some footage of her skills.

Ice Skating

Dean and I took Alexis ice skating for the first time last weekend. We had a blast and Alexis did fairly well once she realized she wasn't able to walk on the ice like she's walking on the ground. We went up to our rec center where Alexis takes gymnastics. They have open skating every weekend in the winter. It really reminded me of all those times I went roller skating back home as a kid. They had music playing and everyone was skating around the rink in a circle. Just like old times. They did leave the lights on though and they hadn't started the hokey pokey yet by the time we were leaving. HeHe. I think ice skating may be a little more dangerous than roller skating. I had forgotten how uncomfortable ice skates are though. I did not wear high enough socks so I had blisters on my ankles. Unfortunately Alexis didn't have high socks either. Oh well. You should have seen the little skates in Alexis's size. How cute were those. Here are some pictures of our evening.

Alexis holding on for dear life.

Daddy doing a little teaching.

Look mommy, all by myself!!!!

Using a cone for a little extra support.

Taking the easy way around the rink. This was
by far her favorite way to get around.

Happy Halloween!!!!

We had another wonderful time trick or treating this year. The weather was great again this year and we didn't even need our winter coats. Alexis tends to be very shy with new situations and going up to strangers, even to ask for candy. She got the hang of it about half way through the night. We have way too much candy and really need to get it out of the house before I eat it all. Here are some pictures of the kids in their costumes and our pumpkins this year. I think carving the pumpkins is Dean and my favorite part of Halloween.

Alexis and Tyler ready to get some candy.

I want some candy or some cookies.

Cousins resting after bringing home a huge stash.


Alexis carving her own pumpkin just the right size.

I don't know why her pumpkin needed spikes....
I guess it's for the "fear factor".

Ooooooohhhhh!!!

Pumpkin Patch

We had a fun filled weekend this past weekend. We spent Friday evening at "Boo at the Zoo". This was the first time I had been. Other than it being cold, we had a great time. It was neat to see all the animals awake and moving around. We even heard the lion roar. On Sunday, we went up to the pumpkin patch for our annual day of fun. They have inflatables and a hay ride. They have a straw maze for the kids to run through. Needless to say, by Sunday night I was ready for bed. Here are a few pictures of our weekend.

Alexis and Tyler (our next door neighbor)

Weeeeeeeee!!!!

The cousins not cooperating for the camera

Is this Cookie Monster????

I want some cookies!!!

Taking a ride on the back of a wolf.

Sorry but I had to put this one in. It happened just
as I snapped the picture. You should have heard all
the parents.

From One to Three

Dean and I became parents of 3 children this weekend when we watched our nephews overnight. It sure is eye opening how different times are when there are three children to watch over. Alexis and Andrew played together all day and did pretty well. We didn't even have to break up any arguments, which are far too many these days. Nicholas is only one so he needed a little more attention. We tried to stay busy outside since the weather was nice this weekend and I knew the kids would get more tired out so naps would be a cinch. The kids cooperated and went down for naps pretty easily and Dean and I even got to catch some of the Ohio State game uninterrupted (although there wasn't much to watch that was exciting). Bedtime came and went pretty smoothly as well. I think we were all in bed and asleep by ten. It's amazing how much of your day is consumed with more than one child. I don't think I even got anything done around the house. Oh well, we had a blast and enjoyed our time together. We'd be happy to watch them again. But I can be sure that those parents with twins or more really do have their hands full.

Buckeye Weekend

About a week and a half ago we were able to take Alexis down to her very first Ohio State Game. That was the weekend we played Troy state. My parents were in town and we all had a great time. The weather was perfect, the Buckeyes played better than they did the week before and we got to see some of mommy's friends. Alexis got her hands on a pom pom and was cheering the entire game. She even got into it and was yelling "Go Defense". She still doesn't know the difference between offense and defense though as she was yelling "go defense" even when we had the ball. At least the fans gave her a little slack since she is only three. The part about sporting events that Alexis loves the best is the food. She knows that the stadium has hotdogs and soda and candy. We even introduced her to dots. She would only let me have a few bites before she told me "these are mine mommy and you can get your own". Ok little miss thing. Anyway on our way back to Cleveland we made our stops at Grinders and then Graeters for dessert. I really look forward to those two places. They were both as good as I remember. Here are a few pictures of our weekend.



Nana and Papa on our walk to the stadium


Mommy and Alexis in our seats before the game


"Go Defense", I mean "Go Offense"!!!


Daddy and Alexis outside of the stadium


Alexis reading her books on our drive down
to Columbus.

Slacker

I know I'm no good at staying on top of my blog. We've been staying somewhat busy these past couple of weeks. Alexis is back to doing gymnastics but now it's a class where we just drop her off and then pick her up 45 minutes later. I think she was more ready for this than I was. What if I miss her actually do something I haven't seen before? I have to just hear about it rather than actually see it. We also started swim lessons too last night. This class the parents have to stay in the pool with the kids. She really looks forward to this class.
Last weekend Dean and I played in a golf outing on Saturday. Although we didn't win, I did win the longest drive and closet to the pin for the ladies. It's always nice to bring home extra money so we can pay for the babysitter. They sure are expensive these days. We actually have our Titas Golf Outing this Saturday but unfortunately it's supposed to rain all day. I do have some rain gear but I don't know how fun it will be playing in the rain. I did hear a saying once about it never raining on the golf course.
Last Sunday Alexis and I went up to see Nicole and watch Chelsie run through her course. That was pretty neat to see. Alexis loved to watch all the dogs run and jump over the obstacles. Some of those dogs are really fast.
What else......Oh pretty big news. Dean has decided to take a 12 month leave of absence from flying. He is looking to pursue other things. He is really interested in flipping houses. Right now we have one that's almost finished and another one ready to start. I must say he is much happier doing this. The down side is we don't get the travel benefits anymore. I don't know what I'm going to do now. We had planned on going to Florida in December and from the look of ticket prices over the holidays, it looks like we will be driving. We'll have to wait and see. I am really going to miss the travel benefits but I guess it's better to have a happier husband.
I guess that about covers the last few weeks. I will do my best to stay on top of things a little better.

Weekend Travels

Some of The Robinson Family

Alexis having her favorite sandwich--PB and Nutella


The view from our seats


Alexis catching some shut eye on the ride home.


This weekend Dean, Alexis and I made our way up towards Detroit to meet up with some new friends that we met while on vacation in Michigan this year. On our drive up we were able to visit with some cousins from the Robinson side in Huron, Ohio. They were there on vacation for the week spending some time at the beach. It was great to see everyone and actually get to know their kids a little better. Unfortunately my cousins live all around the country so it's very difficult to get together and catch up. We had a great time and wish we could have spent a little longer with them.
After lunch we jumped back in the car and made our way to "Suburban Detroit" as our friends have so named it. (Bloomfield Hills) We had plans to play golf as soon as we got there and have dinner afterward. (We didn't win the scramble but I did win the longest drive though. HeHe) On Saturday afternoon we headed to the Browns/Lions game. The game sucked because the Browns played like crap but we had great seats. 40 yard line about 20 rows up. The players sure look a lot bigger from that perspective. We had such a great time. I think the best part of the weekend was they had a sitter all lined up to watch the kids and let us enjoy some adult time. I think Alexis was happier to see us go so she could play with her new friends. Here are a few pictures of our weekend.

Update on the Poison Ivy

Well it's been about a week of *#@% since I discovered the rash on my arms and legs. They have now become open weeping sores that don't seem to be getting better. I can honestly say that I have never had poison ivy this bad. I think I've been thru about 2 bottles of calamine lotion and several rolls of gauze and wraps. I was living on Benadryl daily to try and keep the itching at a minimum but it always makes me tired and never with enough energy to do anything. I finally decided it was time to get to the doctor and get some relief. I have been doing some reading online about treatment and how long this agony can last. It seems that steiroids are the only thing that helps get it out of your system. Luckily the doctor thought it was bad enough that he prescribed me two weeks worth of prendizone. Hopefully I'll be able to sleep a little better soon. Some people report that within 24 hours relief is seen but then some say up to a week or two more. If it's going to be another week or two then I may have to take up a job where I can sit in a warm bath with epsom salt or baking soda all day. Well wish me luck on a quick recovery.

Kiddie Park

I am a little late at putting these pictures in of our trip to the Kiddie Park but I guess late is better than never. A few weekends ago we made our annual trip down the the Kiddie Park. This is the one where all the rides are for kids 50" or smaller. It is still one of Alexis's favorite places to go. She is getting to be daring these days. She even went on the roller coaster which I was shocked about. This kid has no fear. Boy wouldn't that be nice. I think the older I get the more scared I get about the silliest things. Here are a few pictures of our trip.

I hate weeding!!!

Ok so I really don't like to weed. Besides ironing this is my least favorite chore. When I was a kid I used to just kick the weeds around and make it look as though I had weeded. I don't know if my parents ever caught on. Since I am in my own house now I feel the need to actually pull the weeds out with my hands. Once the last weed is pulled, my back is screaming at me, my knees hurt and both of my hamstrings feel as though they have been wraped around my head. I swear I will go back to the old way of weeding soon and just buy round up.
The point of this story is this past weekend I was weeding the back yard to prepare to put in a flower bed. Well I woke up this morning with what looks like (and feels like) poison ivy all over my arm. Man I have never itched like this before. I feel like those poor kids from the movie "Overboard" who couldn't concentrate or do anything but scratch. I had to leave work early today just because I couldn't stop itching. And to top it off there is really nothing that cures poison ivy except time. Uggghhh!!!! I really think I'll be reverting back to my old way of weeding now.

American Idol???

Ok so I don't normally post pictures of my kid naked in the bath tub but I thought this was too funny. She has become quite the singer lately and a dancer too. I don't think that she gets it from me though. I usually wait until the car is empty before bellowing out the words that I think are being sung. I really don't know where she got the whole "shake your booty" idea.

We're Back!

Our home for the week

The kids taking in a movie

Alexis taking a ride with Pete and Mary

Enjoying the sun

That's us trying to make our way up the sand dunes

The group enjoying the evening

Papa and Alexis skipping stones

Breathless view from the green

Alexis and Mommy ready to ride

Well we made it back from Northern Michigan last night. We had such a wonderful time that seemed to fly by. Isn't that always the case??? My parents flew into Cleveland last Friday and we left on Saturday morning. Dean's family joined us as did my uncle and his family. Our cabin was right on Glen Lake which is one of the more shallow lakes in Michigan so it wasn't too cold to swim. We were able to enjoy the beach and sunshine several days. My uncle rented a boat four of the days that we were there. We all tried water skiing and tubing which were awesome. I was very pleased to say that no one got hurt. Both my parents even tried their luck at the skiing. This was only the second time I've tired to water ski and I was able to get and ski for a while. I was using muscles in my body that I didn't even know I had until the next morning when I would wake up and not be able to move. It felt like picking up a softball and throwing without even warming up. I know most of you can relate with that. Tubing was fun too. Alexis even rode with me a couple of times around the lake. She laughed the entire time especially when she was bouncing up and down on the raft.
Three of the other days we played golf at some of the courses around the area. Dean's sister Mary was nice enough to watch Alexis for me so we could all play together. The views from the course were amazing. Many of the holes overlooked Crystal Lake. The water up there in those lakes is amazing. So blue. I felt like I was in the Bahamas at times. Except no salt water so no salt in the eyes.
I have always wanted to go to a winery and do some wine tasting. There are several winery's around the area so we made our way to three of them. I know it's not Napa but some of the wine was very good. Then again I guess I'm not that picky and I don't know a whole lot about wine. But needless to say, we had a great time tasting all the different flavors. Alexis even had a few tastes. This child really loves wine. It's kinda scary.
On Friday we made our way to the Sleeping Bear Dunes. These are gigantic sand dunes that we are able to climb up and down. They are about 450ft. high and are at a 60 degree slope. I swear that we were looking straight down. The view was just amazing. We were on the side facing Lake Michigan. I was here once before when I was younger and it was much easier then. I was out of breath after ten steps up that incline.
During our stay we got to know some people that were staying next door. They had two young kids which worked out really well because all of the kids kept each other busy and the adults got to relax with a few beverages. We really had a blast and were sad to have to leave. I definitely would love to go back. This was my kind of vacation; beach, sun, golf, beer and naps. I'm ready for another vacation but unfortunately it's back to reality.

One More Day!!!

Well I have one more work day until VACATION!!!! Yeah!!!!!! I am so ready for some time off. We will be heading up to Northern Michigan on Saturday morning for a week staying on a lake. I'm going to take time to play golf, enjoy the water and sun and get some rest. Nana flew into town on Wednesday and my dad comes in tomorrow. Dean's family is heading up tomorrow and my uncle and his family will be coming up as well. It should be so much fun. I can't wait. I will try and take lots of pictures too. I found our other camera so now we have two. It was under Alexis's bed. I wonder how that happened. Anyway talk to everyone in a week.

Pool Fun

On Saturday we had Dean's cousin, his wife and their two kids over for the day along with Dean's brother and sister's family. We spent most of the afternoon enjoying the sunshine and warmer weather up at the pool. The kids had a great time as did the adults. They played most of the day in the big pool but did spend some time in the baby pool tool. Alexis is getting to be quite the little fish. She is losing her fear of the water which is a good thing and a bad thing at the same time. She is very close to swimming on her own. She jumps in from the side of the pool even when no one is paying attention. She now puts her head under the water and holds her breath. She goes back and forth from me to the steps while underwater. It's going to be so nice not to have to be a buoy for Alexis to hang on to. Anyway here are some pictures of our day.

Happy 4th of July

We had a great weekend which went by way too quickly. On Friday we went over to a friends house for a picnic before heading out to watch the fireworks. It was unusually cold this weekend and wound up having to wear pants and sweatshirts all day. Alexis was less frightened of the noise and big booms this year. She usually puts her hands over her ears. I always enjoy the fireworks. It was a pretty good show this year too. Here are a few pictures of our evening.