APRIL 2010
The rest of April was full of activity. I always forget how busy the end of the year gets! It always takes me by surprise. Someday I will remember and prepare myself.

Colin recently began to ask Dylan for piggy back rides. I had no idea Dylan was big enough to actually give him one!


Colin played his first season of t-ball! He was so excited to be on the Indians. We had opening ceremonies in April.


Jonny was a coach. Here are the coaches dressed up to try to win the spirit award for the opening ceremonies! So not PC! :)


The Indians! Go Team. And, I just have to give a little pat on my back for making the signs all of the kids are carrying. That was fun!


And here is our youngest Indians fan! Someday he will be on the Indians...hopefully! The parents have it all planned out for the younger siblings to stay on the Indians.


Dylan was definitely outgrowing his bike so we got him a new bike! As soon as he saw it in the store, he knew it was the bike for him!


So, on the way home from getting Dylan's bike, Dylan told Colin that it was much easier to ride a bike with no training wheels. Something we have been telling Colin for ages. Well, since his big brother told him he could, Colin asked us to take his training wheels off when we got home. We were shocked!


He took to it right away! We were amazed at how quickly he picked it up! He could do everything except start on his own after the first day of trying!


Two peas in a pod....well, OK, two boys in a tractor. Technically, it is meant for one person but who cares about technicalities?


Randomly, one morning, Dylan and Colin came downstairs for school dressed exactly alike....down to the silly bands on their wrists. If you do not know what silly bands are, count yourself lucky. They are all the rage here...they are rubber bands in the shape of things...animals, dinosaurs, vehicles, anything. The kids wear them on their arms (kind of like those black bracelets we used to wear from the Madonna era) and trade them.


Owen just watches and laughs at his big brothers.

EASTER 2010

Even though it is technically Owen's second Easter, last year he really did not know what was happening being one month old and all. :) This year he was fascinated by everything.
We decided to color eggs outside this year since the weather was so nice. Owen enjoyed his egg.


Colin had fun making lots of different colored eggs.


Dylan wore his Superman cape to color eggs....which was appropriate since we used Super Hero decorations for the eggs.


On Easter morning, Owen found his basket quickly and wasted no time in trying the Peeps


Colin took a bit more time finding his basket...see how hard he is looking? See the Easter basket in the background? Between the tree and the cable box?


The boys next to our flowering nectarine tree we planted last year. I just love spring. I am looking forward to trying the nectarines this year! I love that Colin insisted on wearing a tie but then refused to wear it around his collar. He just had it around his neck.


For our Easter egg hunt at church, Colin decided to only find the blue eggs. Very silly but cute.

MARCH 2010

March was a big month because we celebrated Owen's first birthday!!! This ball was a gift from Uncle B, Auntie Mich, Nikki and Kit Kat. It came in the mail just like this. The mailman was tickled to deliver it!


Happy Birthday Owen. I made his cake to match the decorations (that I do not have pictured here) and I was very happy with how it turned out! My cake decorating class paid off for the first time!


I love the cake face picture! Owen was more like Dylan in that he was not too interested in the cake at first. He does not really have too much of a sweet tooth...yet.


Dylan had his Destination Imagination competition. DI is a school team where the kids are given challenges that their team has to solve together. They also have to write a play, design the set and perform it. It was so much fun this year because this year Jonny was Dylan's team's coach. They were the Green Brains and they won an award for most innovative set design! Pretty impressive. Dylan was really excited about DI this year and cannot wait to do it next year....especially if Jonny coaches again. (Dylan is in the brown sweater on the left side the the group of 3 kids)


I just love this Linus shirt that we "borrowed" from Jay in Philadelphia. Not sure Arati will get this back!


Colin took Shaolin (martial arts) at the Y. It is so strange because this outfit was Dylan's when he used to take Shaolin. I cannot believe Dylan was this small and that Colin is now this big!


Phew! I know Owen...I am tired from all we did in March too!

February 2010

February was a busy month! First of all, who is this handsome boy with all the missing teeth? I cannot believe how fast Dylan is growing up! (With Colin admiring him every step of the way!)


Speaking of growing up, look who is trying to walk already!!! Craziness!


Bobba and Zaida came out in February for Dylan's 7th Birthday! We had his party at Bounce U and everyone enjoyed themselves playing! Jonny and Colin look like they are intensely plotting their impending descent on the slide.


I wonder if this was their intended outcome! :) Looks like they had fun...although I am not sure if Owen really grasped the concept of the slide.


Dylan and his X-Men birthday cake! He LOVES superheroes!


"Ohhh...what did you get Dylan?" They have their moments but, all in all, they are very loving brothers! And they can be so cute together!


We had a few snow days while Bobba and Zaida were here so Zaida and I took Dylan and Colin sledding. We had a lot of fun until Dylan and Colin decided to gang up on me in a snowball fight!



Every year our church has a fundraiser auction. This year the theme was "The Red Carpet" so we all dressed up and went. Well, we were all supposed to go with Bobba but, at the last minute, Colin and Owen got fevers so Bobba agreed to watch them while Jonny, Dylan and I went out. It was a really fun night!


Also in February, Dylan took a fencing class at our YMCA. It was fun for him to try out and he enjoyed it...but not enough to pursue it further.


If you watch the TV show "Modern Family" then you will understand when I say we are pretty much raising Manny.

Happy 2010!!!
January 2010
Did I ever mention how crazy our kids are? One morning, Dylan and Colin randomly decided to come downstairs wearing their shirts on their legs and their underwear and pants on their heads.



I do not think I have put a picture of Jonny and Owen sleeping for a while.


Owen, Dylan and a crazy Superman!

DECEMBER 2009

December is always a very busy month for us (and for most people!). Just a few pics of the highlights!
Hannukah has become so fun now that Dylan and Colin are lighting the menorah and understanding the holiday more.


Of course, Colin's 4th birthday at the Explorium was also a huge hit! The dinosaur theme was fun and everyone had a great time.



Out first Christmas with 3 boys! I think Owen could sense the excitement from Dylan and Colin but he had no idea what was going on. We could barely contain Dylan and Colin long enough to get this picture at the top of the stairs.


After Christmas, we took a quick trip to visit Arati, Tom, Neil and Jay. We made our way to the Crayola factory which was so much fun! What a great time.

NOVEMBER 2009

Teri visited us again in November and we had so much fun with her! Who wouldn't have fun with Teri though? Anyone who knows Teri knows she is super-fit and always active. Well, she even had the kids stretching with her!


Owen preferred to just sit and look cute though. He is finally not crying whenever we sit him in grass! He actually seems to enjoy it now!


Teri snapped this pic of our crazy family while we were at Shaker Village.


Teri even helped Dylan with a school project. They were given a turkey and they had to come up with a disguise for him. Dylan came up with an astronaut disguise and they went from there. I was very impressed!


Oh yeah....did I mention it was football season? All three boys were decked out in Steelers attire!


For Thanksgiving, we had the Bullions down from Cincinnati. It was a fun holiday with friends.

OCTOBER 2009

My friend Elaine and I decided to take a cake decorating class in October. We had a lot of fun with it. Here is my first project. Dylan helped me finish it by writing on it. :) He is having as much fun with this as I am!


Here is Dylan and his teacher Mrs. Barrow at a pumpkin patch field trip. He just loves her!


Owen...sitting up and having fun!


The boys in the leaves. Apparently Owen is not a fan of leaves.


Here is my final project in the cake decorating class. (I do not know why it is sideways...turns on its own when I upload it). The colors are not perfect but I am rather impressed at the fact that I can now make something that slightly resembles a flower. Onto the fondant class (when we have time! Ha!).


Evidently Colin is not a fan of "pumpkin goop."


Owen sure does like the pumpkins though!


Happy Halloween! I have three superoheros....what more could a mom want? Dylan is Ben 10 (of Ben 10 Alien Force), Colin is Woolverine (of the X-Men) and Owen is Batman!