Camenga Family

Sick Day

2012-01-30T17:05:00.001-08:00

What Liam learned on his sick day…

You wear your pajamas ALLLL day long, you can play in big brother and sister’s room and touch anything you want, and Mommy will let you carry around the entire bag of Teddy Grahams and not even get mad when you dump them on the floor 14 times.

So aside from being sick, sick days ROCK!

Five Years Old!

2012-01-25T18:53:00.001-08:00

My Gigi girl turned five on Sunday! No longer is she my little baby, but now practically a grown-up girl.

While I love that she’s growing up, I do miss this baby face…

I mean really, couldn’t you just eat her up??

Always the life of the party…

And always dressed to the nines!

But my little girl is now a big girl…

And she celebrated like a true princess! Surrounded by her loving family, she turned 5 in style!

Happy Birthday, Princess Grace! We love you oh so very much!

Yay Grace!

2012-01-15T18:46:00.001-08:00

Congrats to my Gigi girl on her very first spelling test of kindergarten – 102% So proud of you!

Hey You

2012-01-12T18:46:00.001-08:00

Yeah, you…

Little boy with the messy face…

I have a favor to ask…

Could you please stop growing up so fast? Thanks a bunch.

Love, Mommy

Christmas Part 2

2012-01-07T17:44:00.001-08:00

We are lucky during the holidays, because we get to celebrate an extra Christmas with Devon’s side of the family in Sherburne. The cousins always have fun together, and the opening of presents is fun and exciting!

The girls…Madison, Makayla and Grace

The boys…Colton, Seamus and Aidan (Liam was tucked in bed at this time!)

Liam with his two true loves…Mommy and graham crackers :-)

All of the kids got wonderful gifts from Grandma and Grandpa! A couple of my favorites were these blankets handmade by Grandma for all the boys. She personalized each one with things that that the boys like. Seamus and Liam got race cars!

These will be so cool when they move into their new room together!

Grandma and Grandpa and all the grandkids!

Don’t miss Seamus…eyes closed again!!!

The Christmas Post

2011-12-27T19:27:00.001-08:00

Our Christmas was wonderful, as it always is. My favorite time of the year! I think I am definitely passing on my excitement for Christmas to the kids. They enjoyed this holiday so much!

Christmas Eve mass is always decorated so beautifully. I do have three kiddos; have I mentioned one of them is a bit ornery and doesn’t like sitting still??

Ha, caught him!

Our lovely tree. And apparently when Santa came, he knocked out two rows of lights while making his delivery! The tree is also standing in the beautiful new room that Devon built off the kitchen. We love it!

I didn’t take a ton of pictures because I really wanted to enjoy the gift opening with the kids. They were so thrilled with their surprises from Santa!

Mr. Ornery making a “cheese” face!

“Excuse me, I need to take this call…”

Liam’s new rocking horse is proving to be a favorite of everyone!

Annual Christmas morning pajama pic!

Still more Christmas fun to come this weekend with the Camenga family – can’t wait!

Merry Christmas to All…

2011-12-24T18:50:00.001-08:00

and to all, a good night! Wishing you all the very best Christmas!

For Your Entertainment

2011-12-22T18:42:00.001-08:00

This year, due to their grade levels, Seamus and Grace each sang in a separate Christmas concert for school. This meant we got twice the entertainment (and twice the stress of keeping fidgety Baby Brother corralled in a church pew!) Even thought we had no Baby Jesus like we did last year, the shows were just adorable!

My sweet girl was stuck in the back row so we didn’t have the best view of her, but she knew I was snapping away and she just kept singing her heart out!

Seamus’ class had some adorable dancing that went along with their songs.

And of course, Seamus loves any opportunity to ham it up for an audience!!

And my littlest…he’s not really a huge fan of sitting still. So I brought along my secret weapon…not expecting him to tear through 3 lollipops in 10 minutes!! Oh, how he keeps us on our toes :-)

Yellow Belt

2011-12-16T17:52:00.001-08:00

Seamus has successfully passed his Tae Kwon Do testing and been awarded his yellow belt! A few pictures from the test and belt ceremony…

So proud of you, buddy! You did a great job!

Holiday Video

2011-12-11T07:28:00.001-08:00

My apologies to those who have already watched too many of these this season….but to me, they just never get old!! Love them!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

All Aboard the Polar Express!

2011-12-04T18:23:00.001-08:00

This weekend was our long-awaited journey on the Polar Express! We joined some of our LPA family for a fun train ride to the North Pole.

We had to wait a while to board the train, but these kids can have fun anywhere!

All decked out in their jammies and ready to go!

All aboard! Each child got a special “golden” ticket. Could that smile be any bigger???

The conductor came around to punch each ticket and to remind the kids to hide their tickets from the hobo!

We enjoyed some hot cocoa and cookies and then we could see the lights of the North Pole out our windows! Santa and the elves waved as we passed by. Then they hopped on board to join us for the ride back home!

Here Santa is handing out the special Polar Express sleigh bells.

The kids really had a great time! Afterward we joined our friends for some dinner, and the kids were SO wound up! There was a little too much kissing going on at the table!!

Caught mid-smooch!!!

Oh man, we are in trouble!!

Thanks to our LPA friends for the wonderful time!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T17:39:00.001-08:00

Whew, we had an exhausting Turkey Day! First up – the Troy Turkey Trot! Seamus and Grace decided to sign up for the kids’ 1 mile run.

They were a little nervous but also super excited!

Waiting for the start!

I was SO super proud of them. They ran the entire thing, except for a few brief seconds when Grace took a break and walked. It was so much fun, and of course hearing everyone out on the streets cheering them on was great motivation!

Here we are coming up on the finish!

Being congratulated by our friend Lou, the next mayor of Troy!

Poppy and Nanny surprised them with chocolate gold medals!

After the kids’ 1 mile, I ran the 5K with my youngest sister. Omg, what the heck was I thinking?! Luckily I finished the race still in one piece, and then it was home to bake pies and mash sweet potatoes!

We had a wonderful dinner with family. We are so blessed!

So much to be thankful for! Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Chomp

2011-11-19T06:22:00.001-08:00

I just love watching Liam go to town on an apple!

Love you, sweet boy!

LPA Fall Regional

2011-11-09T19:00:00.001-08:00

Last weekend, Seamus and I joined Jen and Ethan Weisser for a mommy/son road trip to our first LPA regional! It was held in Long Branch, NJ and the hotel was right on the beach.

After we checked in, we enjoyed walking along the boardwalk and stopped for lunch. Then it was off to explore the hotel and meet some new friends!

We attended a fantastic fire safety demonstration, presented by an LP firefighter. What a great role model! The boys got to climb into a real fire truck.

We got to meet Tracy Sharp and her adorable son Kullen!

We hung out in the lobby with friends for a while, and then headed upstairs for some “quiet time” before the banquet. Our boys got all spiffed up for the fancy dinner!

They wasted no time in getting right out there on the dance floor. All kids had such a great time showing off their moves!

Just a few of the hot mamas! Leslie, me, Jen and Susan!

The boys partied hard and crashed hard! When we woke up Sunday morning, we could really appreciate the beautiful view from our balcony.

Sunday morning was spent enjoying a delicious breakfast, and then heading back to the hotel when the kiddos played for hours. Our friend Erik’s dad helped them all make paper airplanes, and they could not have been happier!

A few of the cuties…Ethan, Seamus, Hailey and Sofia. Seamus and I actually got to meet Sofia a few years ago in NY at one of Preston’s birthday parties! It was so nice to see them again.

Time to leave…and they didn’t want to go! We had such a great time. Luckily their frowns were turned upside down with a ride on the luggage cart.

Next year, our own Mohawk Valley chapter is hosting the Fall 2012 regional! Looking forward to hosting for all of these wonderful people! Thanks again, Garden State chapter!

Dancin’ the Night Away…at the Sock Hop

2011-11-06T18:51:00.001-08:00

It’s sock hop time again! One of our favorite school events, where we get dressed up in our 50’s gear and dance the night away with friends!

My little James Dean

How cute does she look in this outfit??

I joined in on the dress-up fun this year and even Liam had his own little leather jacket!

Once Seamus and Grace get on the dance floor, I hardly see them again for the rest of the night!

Once again, a super fun night! SHS is the best!

Trick or Treat 2011

2011-10-31T17:07:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween from…

Seamus the jockey!

Grace the fairy!

And Liam the bumblebee!

This little man was on. the. move!

No picture posing for him! He had some serious trick-or-treating to do!

The whole crew had a blast. Another fabulous Halloween!

LPA Fall Harvest Day

2011-10-22T16:31:00.001-07:00

Last week we attended a great fall get-together hosted by the LPA Mid-Hudson chapter, which is headed up by Jimmy and Darlene Korpai. This was the chapter we belonged to before our very own Mohawk Valley chapter was formed! The turnout was great at Hurd’s Family Farm and there was so much to do!

The cow train was a huge hit! Even the adults enjoyed it!

The apple slingshot was hysterical, and there was quite the competition going among our LPA group!

Fun big slide, and of course apple picking!

Liam LOVES apples!

Of course, we can’t pass up a pony ride!

After lots of fun playtime, we loaded up for a hayride to a private area for a hot dog roast. We ate lots of yummy food and had a great time just chatting and meeting new friends.

A group shot, and…

the adorable kiddos!

We had so much fun….thanks Mid-Hudson chapter!

An EXTREME Post

2011-10-16T18:41:00.001-07:00

This August, Seamus and I and my mom were lucky enough to be able to attend the big reveal of Extreme Makeover Home Edition for the Korpai family! The Korpais’ daughter Hailey has achondroplasia, the same type of dwarfism as Seamus. We also met up with our friends the Weissers! It was a very long and busy day, but it was definitely an experience of a lifetime!

While waiting at the home site, we met many new LP friends!

It was so exciting to be so close to the action and literally watch the house transform before our eyes.

The boys had a great time!

It’s Ty! Seamus actually got an opportunity to have a quick “interview” with Ty when we first arrived…unfortunately I didn’t have my camera with me at the moment!

In front of the bus!

The Little Couple, Bill and Jen, stopped by to surprise the Korpais! We were all surprised as well!

Pauly stopped and chatted with the boys for a bit!

Ty is getting ready to welcome the family home.

It was such a fun day and we were so happy to be there to support the Korpais and LPA. We couldn’t be luckier than to be a part of this wonderful extended LPA family. The Korpais have been working tirelessly on advocating and educating the public through their Understanding Dwarfism project – please take a moment and check it out! Welcome home, Korpai family!

School Pictures 2011

2011-10-12T17:31:00.001-07:00

Seamus, First Grade

Grace, Kindergarten

Vermont 2011

2011-10-02T20:15:00.001-07:00

It’s that time of year again! Our annual fall picture-taking event in Manchester, VT. Our beloved fence is shrinking every year…the sections we stood in front of last year have been taken down! Hopefully at least a little fence will survive another 30 years for the tradition to continue!

My Gracie girl!

My handsome man Seamus!

And my littlest love Liam! (It’s hard to believe that last year he was just a squished-up little bundle of newborn baby sitting on the fence!)

Our family! This is one of my favorite traditions and we were lucky to not only have my parents and sisters with us this year, but aunts, an uncle and cousins with us as well!

Then it was on to the Hildene craft fair, where Seamus scored himself an awesome Vew-Do balance board.

He impressed the company’s owners with his skill on the board, and they surprised him with a hat! Is he cool or what???

Another Vermont trip behind us, but another fun fall ahead of us…looking forward to enjoying my favorite season!

Happy Birthday Liam!

2011-09-25T19:11:00.001-07:00

Today we celebrated Liam’s first birthday party with a “Very Hungry Caterpillar theme!”

Liam’s amazing birthday cake…I think this is one of Nanny’s best creations ever! Thank you, Nanny!

I made a caterpillar on the wall to display Liam’s monthly pictures.

The birthday boy! He was happy as could be since we gave him free reign over the snack table!

The smash cake!

Goodies for the kids…butterflies filled with Trix cereal, and a bag of gummy caterpillars!

The big excitement of the day was Liam learning to walk! He’s taken a step or two in the past week, but this weekend he really started to move. Check out the video of him walking at his party!

The little prince is ready for some cake!

Wow…that’s a big cake for a little boy!

I have been looking forward to Liam’s first cake for weeks. He is a big fan of eating, hence the “hungry caterpillar” theme. I thought he would absolutely go crazy with that cake in front of him. But the funny thing was that he was more interested in squishing it than eating it! Oh yeah, he really went to town on that poor cake!

He got some wonderful gifts and just had a great time visiting with family and friends at his party. A big thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Camenga for all their help this weekend! Thank you to everyone who sent Liam best wishes on his first birthday!

Twelve

2011-09-24T12:01:00.001-07:00

I’ve thought often about the day I would take these pictures, but I never dreamed it could come so quickly.

Liam, you are a precious gift to our family. Our sweet “Baby Brother,” you bring us so much happiness and have taught us to slow down and appreciate the simple things in life. We love your giggly face, squishy belly, sweet hugs and even your grumpy pouts! Happy First Birthday, my littlest love.

Oh, and the 12 didn’t stand a chance!

TKD

2011-09-13T17:17:00.001-07:00

To kick off fall, Seamus decided he wanted to start Tae Kwon Do. There is a school very close to where we live, and a couple of school friends also attend. The program is great – he can attend up to 3 times per week, it’s year round, and he earns stripes on his belt for “good deeds” done at home. Love anything with an incentive like that!

He was SO excited to receive his uniform and head off to his first class!

Concentrating very hard on balancing!

Learning some kicks…

The “horse rider” stance…

Check out the height on this jump! (And that face! Hilarious!)

Every single move he makes in class is accompanied by an extremely loud “Hi-ya!” The teachers encourage the yelling!

Gracie goober showing off her moves. She started Irish step dancing this week and loves it! Hopefully I’ll be able to get some pictures in the studio to share.

Oooh. I wouldn’t mess with them!

First Day 2011

2011-09-08T18:08:00.001-07:00

Here we are again…the first day of school!

Here’s my handsome first-grader…looking a little nervous…

Ah, there’s that smile I love! Seamus was so excited to go to school. He had a fantastic first day. And the “big kid” uniform…I just can’t deal.

It absolutely poured so I wasn’t able to take my traditional in-front-of-the-tree shots. No worries, I’ll have a re-shoot!

My sassy kindergartener!! She is always posing…

Couldn’t even get her to stand still for the pic! She was a little nervous before going to bed, but she also had an amazing first day!

And Liam really wanted to go to school with his big bro and sis. So I let him wear the uniform.

I figured I could just plop him in the Pre-K drop-off line and no one would even notice!

Three cheers for a successful first day! Hope everyone else’s went just as well!

Winding Down Summer

2011-09-05T16:41:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Labor Day weekend by heading up to the beach at Lake George, one of my very favorite places. It’s so calm and lovely, and the kids have so much fun here.

They love jumping off the dock!

Liam enjoyed himself so much, splashing in the water and knocking down every sandcastle that his siblings tried to build!

The weather was great and it was the perfect way to say farewell until next summer.

We also headed to the track one more time. On our last visit, one of the jockeys gave Seamus and Grace a couple pairs of real jockey goggles, so of course we had to bring them back and try them out!

Seamus picked a winner! Here he is with his winning ticket!

We squeezed a ton of fun into this holiday weekend and now we’re getting ready for a big week with school starting! Kindergarten and First Grade…here they come!

Eleven

2011-08-31T08:52:00.001-07:00

Yikes, it’s a good thing I got around to taking Liam’s 11-month picture before he turned 1 year old!

This month he didn’t mind staying put on the cushion and left his 11 alone, but he was Mr. Grumpy-face! No smiling allowed!

That’s ok though, we still think he’s pretty darn cute.

I just can’t believe almost an entire year has gone by since Liam came into our lives!

He went from rolling, to crawling, to pulling up, to standing alone, to cruising all in the matter of a few short weeks! I wouldn’t be surprised if walking was just around the corner.

It is so funny to see him becoming a “big boy”…he loves rolling cars and trucks on the floor, stacking and knocking over block towers, and loves, loves, love to dance!

Annnnndddd….we’re done!

Love you so very much, Liam! Happy Eleven Months!

Gettin' Wild at the ZOO!

2011-08-21T19:08:00.000-07:00

Today we had a great time at the Bronx Zoo with the Granshaw family! We were thrilled to finally meet Leslie, Eddie, Emma and Lyla in person, along with Leslie's sister, brother-in-law and niece!

It was hot, sticky, and rainy, but that didn't put a damper on the fun! I have never been to the Bronx Zoo before, and I was just as excited as the kids!

There were amazing animal Lego displays throughout the zoo. Seamus, the Lego-lover, was in heaven!

Grace and Emma quickly became BFFs

In the beautiful butterfly house

Grace had butterflies landing on her head! I think they were attracted to her hairbow!

Seamus, Grace and Emma having fun in the reptile house

A Lego gorilla

Group photo!

Saying hello to a peacock

The birthday buddies! Liam and Lyla's birthdays are just 1 day apart

The kids had so much fun together and the adults had a great time chatting. They are a wonderful family and we were so glad to meet them in person!
Such a fun day...the zoo is so big that we couldn't even cover it all. That just means we'll have to visit again! Thank you Granshaws and Porcellis for a fantastic day!

Liam’s First Track Day

2011-08-17T19:06:00.001-07:00

On a whim, the kids and I joined my parents at the Saratoga Race Track on a day that was supposed to be rainy. The summer is just flying by, and I really didn’t want to miss an opportunity to get Liam up there for his first visit! So although Daddy had to work, we ended up having a great day and the weather was perfect.

Ready to pick a winner!

Training Liam on how to be a good race spectator.

Seamus is an old pro!

And Grace is following in her big bro’s footsteps!

We are usually content hanging out at a picnic table in the back, but Seamus loves catching all the action in the grandstands…he doesn’t want to miss a minute. He always has the binoculars handy!

Liam is waiting for the horses to fly by…

Love these three :-)

No big wins for us, because I’m usually more focused on eating than gambling (hello, Shake Shack on site!!), but hopefully we’ll make it one more time this season with Daddy! Still a chance to come away with a win!

God Bless Liam

2011-08-08T18:45:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to share a few pictures of Liam’s baptism day. It was a beautiful day with our great family, but unfortunately Liam was a little less than “angelic” during the brief ceremony!

Check out this scowl! (We joked that he was probably annoyed that we put him in a sissy-looking outfit!)

In his defense, he was pretty tired from the excitement of the day and it was about 150 degrees in the church. The one part he did enjoy was getting water poured on his head!

I was quite literally melting away from the excessive heat and the 22-pound bundle of squirming fussiness that I was trying to contain in my arms! I remembered why we baptized our other two children while they were still immobile!

Despite Liam’s antics, it really was lovely. Here we our with our priest, Father Vaughn.

With Grandma and Grandpa Camenga

With Nanny and Poppy

And with Liam’s godparents, Aunt Sue and Uncle Charles

Thank you to our family for celebrating with us! God Bless Liam!

Animal Land with the Weissers

2011-07-31T19:08:00.001-07:00

Today we had a blast visiting Adirondack Animal Land with the Weissers! It was a perfect day weather-wise and we were excited to go back and see the great animals. The last time we were there was three years ago!

Animal Land has a ton of great animals – goats, spider monkeys, deer, giraffes, bears, rams – plus ton of others with weird names that we can’t pronounce! The kids are able to feed many of them.

We haven’t seen Ethan and Collin since May, which we think is why the kids were so riled up today!

These two boys…rock stars in training, I tell you!

It is too funny to watch the animals running around with the kids…it’s hard to tell who is more wild!

This picture is from our last visit to Animal Land…look at how itty bitty Seamus and Ethan are!

We had them stand in front of the giraffe and show us their muscles again! Such big boys now!

And of course my littlest…he enjoyed his first visit here!

Another great day with these crazy kids!

Ten

2011-07-25T09:14:00.001-07:00

Oy. This was the toughest month yet!

A few days late, poor lighting, not in focus, blurry action, and one rascally little boy…

A photo shoot fail!

But, that is life…and the important thing is, we have a ten-month-old!

Liam is now crawling…watch out! He loves to explore and get into “trouble.” He loves finding shoes and trying to munch on them, just like his big sister did.

He loves his food! We haven’t found anything yet that he’ll turn down! Luckily peas and cucumbers are two of his favorites, so he’s a healthy muncher.

He’s learning to pull up in his crib and loves to mimic sounds. He claps, plays “Twinkle, twinkle,” gives kisses and does “so big!”

Floating in the pool and bathtime are things that Liam loves…he is a water boy! His favorite place to be is perched on Mommy’s hip, watching all the action.

We love you Liam! Happy Ten Months!

Liam’s First Vacation

2011-07-18T18:32:00.001-07:00

My little silly-face Liam had a great time on his first Myrtle Beach vacation! We all did!

A week on the beach and we did so much fun stuff, like…

Dig for sand crabs and clams on the beach,

Boogie-board,

Splash in the tide pools,

Swim in the pool,

Eat lots of great food,

Jump in the waves,

Draw in the sand,

Have impromptu concerts on the beach,

Ride the Pavilion rides,

Jump on a bungee trampoline,

Meet some pirates,

And just enjoy being all together!

MB 2011 was a great success! We survived the long car ride and had a blast meeting some friends along the way! We’ll hang onto that salt-air smell and sandy clothes for as long as we can, and ease back into reality. Hope you enjoyed the pictures of our fun!

Vacation Time!

2011-07-09T04:26:00.000-07:00

Finally on our way! Heading out of Troy and ready for adventure.

We headed to NJ and spent the night before driving to Virginia the next day. We were lucky to meet up with the Greene family! Jenn, Jason, Simon and Jude joined us for some fun at Maymont Park.

A little pre-park picnic and ball playing!

We had a little...ahem...disagreement about who got to hold Simon's hand all day!

Having fun with the river otter! I think this was the hardest they laughed all day!
After Maymont, we had some yummy pizza in Richmond and said farewell to our friends. Thanks Greene family, for a great day together!

Then it was on to Kim and Preston's house for a sleepover!

These kiddos were super goofy and had a great time playing together!

Devon was lying on the floor trying to put together a Lego car and apparently the kids thought he would make a great bucking bronco!

The boys and their trucks

We had so much fun visiting! Thank you, Kim and Pres!

After what seemed like an eternity in the car, we have finally arrived at Myrtle Beach! Looking forward to a great week of fun and sun!

Happy Birthday to you

2011-07-05T02:36:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday dear Seamus

Happy Birthday to you!

Are you one?

Are you two?

Are you three?

Are you four?

Are you five?

Are you six?

YES!

Happy Birthday to our sweet,

super silly,

handsome, sensitive, brave, caring, amazing little man!

You are one of a kind and you fill our hearts with such joy. We are so proud to call you ours!

We love you so much…may all your wishes come true!

Father’s Day at The Joe

2011-07-01T20:27:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Father’s Day this year by having brunch at “The Joe” – the Joseph Bruno Stadium, home of the ValleyCats.

They had a great event set up, where the dads and kids could play catch out on the field, professional photos were taken, and we ate a delicious brunch.

And of course, our good friend Southpaw and his dad were there to enjoy the day with us! Here’s Seamus with Pappy Paw.

And Southpaw himself!

Happy Father’s Day to the world’s best Daddy! We love you so much. Thank you for being our superhero.

Nine

2011-06-25T09:01:00.001-07:00

So with all the difficulty we had in getting pictures for Eight, I’m sure I don’t need to explain the challenges that came with Nine!

This boy is too funny…he wouldn’t leave that 9 alone, no matter what!

Liam, you are becoming such a big boy! You love to clap your hands and wave “hi,” you love music and “dancing",” and bouncing up and down while sitting, making us all think you about about to launch forward into a crawl any second!

Even though you’re not completely mobile, you get into your fair share of trouble with all the things you can get your hands on!

Here you can see my little helper Gigi, trying to tape the 9 back together!

“Oh come on, Mom, you really didn’t think I was going to wear that thing, did you??”

Liam, you have five teeth now! You are all done with baby purees, and only want the good stuff – pizza, pasta, bagels, waffles, fruit salad, and anything else that we let you try!

Love you so much, my big boy! Happy 9 months!

The Little Grads

2011-06-22T19:16:00.001-07:00

We have two new grads in the family! On Monday, Grace had her moving-up ceremony from Pre-K. They had an adorable ceremony followed by fun at Hoffman’s Playland. She got to choose what kind of lunch she wanted (bagel and cream cheese with orange juice from Dunkin Donuts!) and she rode the Scrambler six times! It was a great day!

On Tuesday, Seamus had his moving-up ceremony from kindergarten. Again, an awesome ceremony followed by lunch and Hoffman’s! This time, Daddy spent the afternoon with Seamus while they got a Happy Meal and had fun on the rides.

(He was so excited here, waiting for his turn to receive his diploma!)

Here’s Seamus – always the goofball –singing “This Little Light of Mine” with his class. I had a couple other parents remark to me how fortunate we are to be the parents of the class clown!

I was so glad to be there with them on their special days. I can’t believe we now have an official first-grader and an official kindergartener! They both had wonderful years and I am so proud of them both. Now on to a fun-filled summer!

Winding Down

2011-06-18T17:45:00.001-07:00

This weekend brought the end of the school year and the last t-ball game of the season. We went to a huge graduation party for Devon’s 6th graders and had a blast! Check out this ladies’ man in the hot tub…

T-ball has been a great experience for both Seamus and Grace. Seamus loves sports like no other, and Grace surprised us all with her determination and positive attitude toward the game.

All season long, Liam was the world’s best t-ball spectator!

We also enjoyed the River Street Festival in downtown Troy. I love living in Troy, and I love enjoying it with the kids.

Seamus has two loose teeth! He can’t stop wiggling them. See the tongue here?

I just can’t get over how grown up my girl is…love her with her purse!

Brotherly love!

Liam’s big accomplishment of the weekend…he enjoyed his very first piece of Daddy’s homemade pizza!

Monday and Tuesday will be Grace and Seamus’ “Moving Up” days…stay tuned for the pictures! Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Hand-Me-Down

2011-06-14T19:32:00.001-07:00

Seamus, 2 years old

Liam, 8 months old

I am getting such a kick out of dressing my baby boy in my big boy’s hand-me-downs! The funniest part is the age difference between the two of them when the outfit is worn!

Family Fun Day and Off to See the Wizard!

2011-06-06T18:57:00.001-07:00

Have I mentioned how much I love our school? Really, it’s just the best. Always something fun going on. Another school year is winding down, which means another Family Fun Day!

It’s always a blast, and this year was extra fun…pony rides…

A petting zoo…

And Daddy in the dunk tank!

He was nailed with a dunk on his first time in, by one of his own sixth-graders!

Oh Liam…can I please eat your cheeks?

Chomp chomp chomp…love this boy!

We also had visits from firefighters, police officers, a ride in an antique fire truck and a ride on a city bus (major excitement!)

Not to mention face painting, popcorn, duck races, hotdogs, water games, and create your own hairbow! All in 90-degree heat! It was so much fun, but we were exhausted!

We also recently attended the performance of The Wizard of Oz, put on by the Sacred Heart Drama club. Both Devon and my mom are involved with the drama club, so Seamus and Grace were lucky to have been able to watch many of the rehearsals during the school year.

Grace had been planning for weeks to wear her Dorothy Halloween costume to the show!

The Cowardly Lion

The two Dorothys

The Wicked Witch!

The show was just incredible, and the kids did a fantastic job, as they do every year. Way to go, drama club! Seamus and Grace can’t wait to join you in a few years!

Memorial Day Weekend Fun

2011-05-31T18:36:00.001-07:00

We’re back from our fun and busy Memorial Day weekend!

We planned with the Weisser family to get Seamus and Ethan’s checkups at DuPont on the same day. The kids love staying at the Ronald McDonald House, and being there with their best buddies was an extra treat! Seamus got two thumbs up from both Dr. Bober and Dr. Mackenzie, so we’ll go back in another year.

After spending the night in Wilmington, we had another fun surprise for Friday – a visit to the Adventure Aquarium with the Weisser family, plus Jenn, Simon and Jude Greene! It was a beautiful day, and although the aquarium was packed to the gills (ha ha) with school children, we still managed to have a great time. It really is a great place.

Five of our seven little monkeys – Grace, Simon, Collin, Ethan and Seamus. They had a great time together and really enjoyed each other!

Seamus and Grace got some awesome face-painting done!

Picnic time! This was my best attempt at a group shot! The whole monkey crew plus Liam and Jude!

We had so much fun visiting with our friends. Can’t wait to see you all again!

Next up was a ride over to Ocean City, NJ to visit my Aunt Maureen and Uncle Jon. It was also Liam’s first time on the beach!

The water was absolutely freezing, but it didn’t stop these two goofballs from jumping right in!

After a fun day at the beach, we came back for dinner and to get ready for the boardwalk. Look at my cute boys wearing their matching outfits from Aunt Maureen and Uncle Jon!

Unfortunately our fun-filled day ended on a not-so-fun note…Liam got a trip to the ER when he began projectile vomiting and became extremely lethargic while we were at the pier. Luckily my aunt works at the local hospital, so she made a call and we were brought right in. My poor little guy had a rough few hours, but he got some meds and was good as new in no time.

Feeling much better the next day!

Everyone was super well-behaved for the long car ride and we all had such a great time on our mini-vacation. Bye bye Ocean City, until next time!

Eight

2011-05-25T17:18:00.001-07:00

Eight is great! Great, except for picture-taking, perhaps! This was the toughest month to capture so far!

It was a team effort between Devon and myself to place the 8 on Liam’s belly and quickly snap a pic before he chomped on it!

Liam, you are in constant motion! Waving, rolling, shaking your arms and legs…you are one busy boy.

STILL not crawling! But so very close! That’s okay, we’re in no rush.

You love to eat and try new foods. Carrots, avocado, banana, zucchini, squash and Cinnamon Cheerios are some of your favorites!

You are so curious…you love to “inspect” everything you can get your hands on. And it’s not easy keeping things out if your grasp!

This picture here sums it all up…our silly, goofy, wiggly baby boy!

Happy 8 Months, Liam!

A Wonderful Mother’s Day

2011-05-17T19:31:00.001-07:00

This year I had the most wonderful Mother’s Day! The weekend started out by celebrating with Grace at the Pre-K class Mother’s Day Pancake breakfast. The moms were treated to a delicious breakfast and given handmade placemats and coupon books. We also listened to a story together and the kids sang God Bless America.

I got the funniest little book from Grace, called “All About My Mom.” I just had to show these pages because even though it was Mother’s Day, it’s clear that Daddy is a favorite in our house!

“My mom is great because she kisses Dad!”

“I love my mom because she married my dad.”

So you’re welcome Grace, for marrying and kissing your dad!

Every year for Mother’s Day, I always ask for some kind of plant or flowers for our house. This year I got three beautiful planters full of kitchen herbs! Basil, oregano, mint, rosemary and parsley…yum.

This year I really wanted to do something a little different, rather than the typical brunch. We decided to take a short drive with my parents to Massachusetts to the Hancock Shaker Village, to see the baby animals exhibit. (Halfway into our road trip, I realized something terrible…I had forgotten the camera. And yes, I cried. My mom saved the day by taking these pics with her phone.)

The village was so neat…all original Shaker buildings set on a beautiful farm.

The kids got to experience so many animals…baby chicks, turkeys, ducks, lambs, pigs, cows…and they were all just running free around the farm!

It was such a cool experience!

Seamus absolutely fell in love with the baby chicks. He wanted to take one home so badly!

There is also a fun discovery center, where the kids could practice milking a pretend cow, watch bees in a hive, and dress up in Shaker clothes.

We also got to watch a blacksmith making a wrought-iron wall hook, eat delicious ice cream at the on-site creamery, and take a ride on a pony!

It was the perfect day! We can’t wait to go back next year and hopefully create a new Mother’s Day tradition!

A Sunny Day

2011-05-04T16:08:00.001-07:00

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant." -Anne Bradstreet

A Very Hoppy Easter

2011-04-26T17:48:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful Easter weekend! Saturday was cold and rainy, but we still had a great time at an Easter party thrown by some good friends of ours.

We had yummy food and played games, and – don’t hate me – my kids colored Easter eggs for the first time!

Yes, I am THAT mother. I don’t know what happens, every year the egg-coloring has just gotten away from me! No worries for future Easters, however – now that they know about it, they’ll never let me forget!

We were so lucky to have our own personal Easter Bunny this year!

He came! 6:10 am and the kids were bouncing up and down beside our bed, begging to get into their baskets.

Grace was a little excited.

That awesome Bunny knew just how much Seamus loves Star Wars, so he had a Star Wars-themed basket with books, Mighty Beanz, and a Clone Wars t-shirt.

Grace got books, flip-flops and Tangled! Awesome movie!

Liam even got a cool Star Wars shirt from the Bunny.

After a very taxing Easter egg hunt, it was time to get dressed for church. Despite the cold and rain on Saturday, Sunday was a beautiful day! My mom talked me into making Grace’s dress, Liam’s outfit and Seamus’ tie. We worked on them together for the week before Easter, and I have to admit, they came out pretty cute!

Hope you all had a very Happy Easter!

Seven

2011-04-23T19:08:00.001-07:00

So yes, I’m aware that I may be biased.

But really…

Could this possibly be the cutest seven-month-old on the planet??

Love this sweet baby boy so much! His infectious giggle, his squishy thighs, his cute two front teeth…I just can’t get enough of him!

He is getting so big right before our eyes. Rolling all over the place, kicking his legs like crazy, still a bit of a Weeble when it comes to sitting up, but he’s getting close! Loves to “talk” with us, grab our faces, and thoroughly inspect any piece of jewelry he can get his hands on.

We’re also still waiting for Mr. Baldy McBalderson to grow some hair! But no worries, we still think he’s as cute as can be

Happy Seven Months, Liam! Love you so much!

An Attempt at Opening Day

2011-04-17T18:26:00.001-07:00

Finally, t-ball season is here! Seamus couldn’t have been more excited for the season to start, and Grace is even playing this year too! I am a tad nervous because she is the child who trips over her own feet, but her enthusiasm has been great and I can’t wait to see how she does this year.

First up on Saturday was the annual Little League parade! All of the teams march through Troy with a police escort, ending up at the fields. Everyone marched pretty darn quickly because it was FREEZING out there. Yeah, that spring weather I had mentioned is nowhere to be found!

Guess who was there to greet us at the fields? Southpaw!!!

The morning after the parade was to be our first game. Again, bitter freezing cold and RAINING to boot. But we were all so excited, we bundled up and headed to the mud pit, I mean, t-ball field.

Unfortunately, due to a schedule mix-up, the other team did not show. So they had a little practice instead and got to play on the field for the the first time.

Look at my girl! I am so proud of her.

Run Gigi, run!

Here’s my little all-star…so happy to be playing and SO happy that his jersey is #2 again this year…just like Derek Jeter.

(They are wearing long johns under their uniforms, that’s how cold it was!)

Here he comes! He wanted to slide so bad…we asked him to please save it for a drier day! They had a blast even though it wasn’t a real game. Looking forward to more fun this season!

And of course my littlest love…such a fun and busy weekend, he bounced himself right to sleep in the Jumperoo!

LPA Easter Brunch

2011-04-10T17:43:00.001-07:00

We are enjoying our newly re-formed LPA chapter so much! We are so lucky to be able to attend events so close by. This weekend we were welcomed to the Kronau house for an Easter brunch and egg hunt with our new “family.”

The kids had a blast playing basketball, riding bikes, drawing with sidewalk chalk and hunting for eggs. The adults, well, we mostly ATE! Soooo much delicious food was brought and shared by all.

Although I think the most fun was had by Seamus, Ethan and Collin when Mr. Kronau let them try on motorcycle helmets! Do these guys look cool or what??

It was a beautiful sunny day and we had a wonderful time! Looking forward to more fun events!

Spring?

2011-04-05T18:32:00.001-07:00

I know it’s out there somewhere…spring. I can feel it trying to break through between our scattered flurries and 30-degree temps. I had to laugh the other day as I left for work before sunrise and heard the spring birds chirping happily in the trees as heavy, wet snow fell all around me.

We did have a single day of sunshine and we made a break for it!

Seamus went immediately for his golf bag and had a blast whacking balls up onto our roof.

Poor Grace was stuck riding last year’s bike, as her new one is still being stored at Nanny and Poppy’s. It seems as though Grace has grown out of her clothes practically overnight! Thank goodness for the school uniform is all I can say! I really hope warm weather is here soon, and I can hang her summer clothes in the closet and maybe we can pass off some of those too-short jeans as capris!

Even though both kiddos have been desperate to get outside and play, they still manage to have a lot of fun while cooped up in the house. I left them alone for a little while to do some laundry, and when I came back, I found that they had created their own mini-golf course! (Grace, as always, was dressed to the nines for the occasion!)

There were obstacles to hit your ball over and a tunnel for it to roll through. I love the way their minds work! I didn’t even mind that they totally demolished their room to build this! Wow, this cabin fever must really be getting to me!

Six

2011-03-24T13:54:00.001-07:00

Oh, my littlest man…how has half a year gone by so quickly?

You are such a sweet love…you get so happy to see your brother and sister walk in the door…you give the biggest grins and giggles and it makes us so happy to see your excitement!

You have learned to roll front and back. Still not sitting up yet, but…

Your very first tooth has popped through! You are getting so big!

Happy Six Months, Liam! We love you so much!

Cousins

2011-03-20T18:53:00.001-07:00

We just got back from a fun and busy weekend out in Devon’s hometown. The kids were super excited about getting to meet their brand-new baby cousin, Makayla! Isn’t she a cutie?

Grandma and Grandpa Camenga now have seven grandchildren! And when these cousins get together, they always have a great time. So much fun stuff to do, like…

Watch deer feed on corn right in Grandma and Grandpa’s backyard!

Play with cool new toys that we don’t have at our house!

And best of all, get spoiled with lots of hugs and kisses by two pretty awesome grandparents!

The cousins all had a great time just being silly!

And of course, we all enjoyed snuggling with new baby Makayla.

Playing with cousins usually means staying up late, so we all enjoy sleeping in a little bit. On Sunday morning, Seamus crept into the bedroom and whispered, “Mom, I’m going to play with Liam.” I mumbled something like, “That’s great…” but was then awoken by some serious giggling. Seamus had climbed right into Liam’s travel bed with him and Liam of course found it hilarious!

Such goofy kids! And Grandma enjoys being goofy right along with them!

Two Feet

2011-03-16T19:04:00.001-07:00

Hey…check this out…

I have two feet…

And I LOVE ‘EM!!

The Lion King

2011-03-12T05:26:00.001-08:00

I have been wanting to see The Lion King for forever! Last year I had checked out the possibility of taking the kids to NYC to see the show, but then we got even better news…The Lion King was coming right to our own Proctor’s Theater!

As a Christmas gift, my mom brought me and the kids to the show. We were all beyond excited! My aunt and uncle had gotten them the animated Lion King dvd for Christmas also, and Seamus and Grace were hooked! They couldn’t wait to see it!

Last night was the big night…

Unfortunately, the picture taking was extremely limited due to the the strict rules at the theater. But the memory of this event will stay with us forever!

What an amazing show! I had heard that it has to be seen to be believed, and how true that is. The kids absolutely loved it, and sat completely in awe for the entire 2.5 hour show. I was so happy to experience it with them. Out in the lobby we, even got to see some of the characters in full costume – incredible to see up close.

If you get a chance to see it, GO! You will not regret it!

Lake George Winter Carnival

2011-03-02T06:00:00.001-08:00

Lake George, NY is one of my most favorite places on earth. We spend a lot of time there in the summer, and this past weekend we went up to experience a little winter fun!

It was so cool to see our fun summer hangout completely covered in ice and snow!

There were a lot of activities happening out on the frozen lake. Snowmobile rides, dogsled racing, ice bowling…

And even helicopter rides! I couldn’t believe a helicopter was landing and taking off right on the ice.

Seamus and Grace on the lake!

Quite a different experience from the last time we were at the lake!

Liam just loves to be outside, so he had fun cruising around in the stroller.

The remains of an igloo!

I spent many summers of my childhood in Lake George with family. This place, the House of Frankenstein, always had a fully-dressed Frankenstein character greeting visitors out on the sidewalk. There is a story that as a little kid, I somehow convinced my dad that I wanted to go inside the museum. I can’t remember exactly what happened once inside, but my dad will tell you that it ended with him frantically trying to find an emergency exit to remove a screaming child from the museum. I don’t think I’ve been back inside since!

The end to a perfect day…black and white cookies!

Heading for home with my happy little man…

And two zonked-out kiddos.

The end!

Five

2011-02-23T12:43:00.001-08:00

So my sweet and ornery five-month-old boy was not too interested in getting his pictures taken this month. In fact, his only interest was attempting to grab the big paper 5 that was taped to his belly and snack on it.

He simply was NOT going to crack a smile, no matter what we did!

Looking over at Grace…okay, she’s mildly entertaining, but still not smiling.

Mom! Give me that camera! I wanna chomp on it!

Ah, what do we have here? A little construction paper, and some tape?

Mmm, don’t mind if I do!

Instead of letting him devour craft supplies, we thought maybe it was time to try some solid food! We started with oatmeal. Here’s how it went:

“Are you sure about this, Mom? Alright, if you say so…”

“Ugh…”

“What IS this??? What have you done to me??? ”

“Well now…wait just a minute…”

“This stuff is GREAT!!”

“Ahh, keep it comin’ Mama!”

My big boy loves his food! And the cool thing is that they have done away with a lot of the old “rules” that applied to introducing solid foods. The pediatrician says we can go ahead and try new fruits and veggies right away, without waiting a few days in between each one. We make our own baby food, so this is going to be fun!

Liam Finds His Voice

2011-02-19T04:33:00.001-08:00

At almost 5 months old, Liam is already showing us that he has a lot to say! He loves his tongue and thinks it’s great to hear the sound of his own voice!

Busy, Busy

2011-02-14T16:27:00.001-08:00

I know that many people think of this time of year as dull, but it always flies by for me…there’s so much going on! It’s harder now with three kids to always remember to grab the camera, but I do try my best to document the daily fun we have.

Last week on a particularly chilly day, I taped a clear shower curtain to the kitchen floor and squeezed a bunch of finger paint all over it. I gave the kids some foam brushes and let them go at it! They had a blast.

We also attended recently the Radioathon fundraiser for our favorite organization, the Ronald McDonald House.

Seamus heard that Southpaw would be there, so he had to dress the part!

We also got to hang out with the man himself, Ronald!

Seamus got a free ValleyCats hat and is training Liam to be a fan early!

Also on the agenda was a fun trip to Herkimer to the Weissers’ house!

Seamus and Ethan played “dirt bike racing” and literally ran circles around us!

The fun day always ends with a photo shoot, and the kids were in a particularly silly mood…

What a bunch of hams!

Always a fun time with our friends!

New POLP Blog

2011-02-12T06:59:00.001-08:00

I would like to welcome a new blogger to our POLP family!

Leslie and her husband Eddie are parents to the adorable Emma and Lyla. Lyla was born just one day before our Liam and she has achondroplasia.

Please stop over to their blog:

Good Things Come In Small Packages

And say hello to their beautiful girls!

Welcome, Leslie and family!

Skate Night

2011-02-05T16:02:00.001-08:00

We had been eagerly anticipating out school’s annual Family Skate Night for weeks, knowing we would have a blast because it was so much fun last year!

The ice at our local community college is opened up for an hour and a half of private skate time for our school. We had two hundred kids and parents in attendance!

I had a hard time snapping picture of the kids, because they were constantly on the move! With the help of buckets, cones, and lots of older-grade friends, Seamus and Grace were cruising the ice in no time.

Grace is skating so well…she hung onto her cone for a while, but soon was off on her own!

Seamus was seriously a maniac…he was flying around the rink so fast with these buckets, Devon had a hard time keeping up with him! No matter, though, because Seamus finally turned around and said,”Dad, stop following me!” Mr. Cool Guy wanted to impress everyone by skating without any help!

Then, as I was watching him through the window, he let go of his bucket and skated to the wall all by himself! So proud of him!

No skates for me…I’m too chicken! I played photographer and hung out with my sweet Blue Eyes…

Kisses!

Flashback Friday

2011-02-04T04:09:00.001-08:00

I had to come back and share a picture of Seamus at 4 months! This picture was taken in November of 2005, just before we took Seamus to DuPont for the very first time. We were still learning so much about achondroplasia and felt overwhelmed, yet still so very blessed.

I'm so happy I have photos like these, that perfectly express those feelings of absolute bliss that come with being a mommy.

Also, as many of you moms know, it's unusual to be the one on the other side of the camera! I'm always the one taking the pictures, so I really treasure photos of myself with my children.

And what is it about baby cheeks? I could just munch on them all day long!

Four…Times Two!

2011-01-23T05:06:00.001-08:00

Grace is 4 years old! Hooray! Where does the time go??

On the morning of her birthday, she got a special gift from Liam…the “Sleepy Kittens” book, which is featured in her favorite movie, Despicable Me!

My sweet birthday girl wearing her special shirt.

Seamus was equally as excited that it was Gigi’s birthday! These two may drive each other crazy much of the time, but they truly are best buds.

Grace decided she wanted to celebrate her birthday with some bowling! We had so much fun. She also requested a very particular cake from Nanny - a “rainbow butterfly.” And Nanny delivered! So pretty!

Gigi and her BFF, Ava. Ava got her a BFF t-shirt and necklace…so exciting!

STRIKE!!!

On the same day that Grace turned 4 years old, Liam also turned 4 months old!

This month, his pictures captured him doing his favorite things.

Sucking on his fingers…

Chomping on his fist…

Sticking out his tongue…

And laughing at his brother and sister, who were making silly faces at him!

Liam also rolled from front to back for the first time on his 4-month birthday! And you can probably tell from these pictures, but we had to s-q-u-e-e-z-e him into this 3-6m onesie! He is a big boy!

Just for fun, here’s Grace at 4 months…she was a peanut compared Liam!

Can’t believe my girl is so big now! Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes for Grace!

Hyperventilating (and Winter Fun)

2011-01-17T19:29:00.001-08:00

So we were invited over by some good friends to have lunch and play out in the snow. Sounds great, right? Except this wasn’t your typical “playing in the snow” – this type of playing had quite a bit of horsepower behind it!

Can we say YIKES??? I was a nervous wreck! Devon,of course, couldn’t have been happier…he spent most of his childhood riding behind something powered with an engine, so this is second-nature to him.

And his little chip off the ol’ block?

Pretty much the most excited kid in the world right now!

So I may have hyperventilated just a little bit. This was not easy for me! When you heard me say I’m an indoor girl, I wasn’t kidding! And I’d be perfectly happy with “indoor kids” as well!

Seamus begged for a chance to try out this little Kitty Cat. I agreed when I saw that it drove so slowly that Devon had to actually push it to get it to move through the powder!

They had so much fun! Even my Gracie girl, who I though would stick close by me…

Turns out she has a need for speed as well!

LPA Holiday Party

2011-01-09T19:57:00.001-08:00

This weekend we got to hang on to just little more Christmas while celebrating at our LPA chapter’s holiday party! Our chapter, the Mohawk Valley chapter, was re-formed just a few months ago. I had to miss the first couple of events due to being in the hospital with Liam, so I was very excited to meet some of our members for the first time. We had a great time chatting, eating and getting to know each other, while the kids had a blast just chasing each other around! We are so lucky to have such friendly, kind families to connect with in our area. A few families were unable to make it (Weissers, we missed you!) but we know we’ll catch up with them at future events.

The big surprise of the evening was a special visitor from the North Pole – Santa! The kids couldn’t believe that he came all the way back to New York after Christmas just to see them!

Seamus discussed the finer points of Star Wars Legos with Santa…

and Grace had to tell him ALL about the Littlest Pet Shop (poor Santa, he was really getting an earful from her…he had a look on his face that said, “Save me!”)

All the kids got a gift from Santa. Here’s Liam receiving his cute new rattle!

Our family! Wish I could share some more photos! Next time, I’ll hopefully remember to get permission from the other families to share them on the blog here.

We’re so excited to have a new LPA chapter practically in our backyard! We look forward to many more fun events with this great group of people!

Christmas Fun!

2010-12-30T19:52:00.001-08:00

What a wonderful Christmas we had! It’s my absolute favorite time of year, and I’m always a little sad when it’s over. Luckily, we get to celebrate another Christmas with Devon’s family this weekend – can’t wait!

On Christmas Eve, we celebrated like we always do – going to church, followed by a yummy meal and gift exchange with my parents and sisters. We also stop by at a party hosted by family friends and stay up way too late, and have to rush home to get in bed before Santa comes!

My little reindeer!

After everyone was tucked in bed, Santa came!

My parents used to torture us on Christmas morning by making us wait on the stairs while they turned on Christmas music, set up the video camera, etc., all the while shrieking about how many presents were under the tree. Yep, as much as I hated that, I’m doing the exact same thing to our kids!

Seamus’ only request from Santa this year was a set of Star Wars Legos. The kid has never even seen Star Wars, so I’m not sure where he got this idea from…but he was thrilled when he saw that Santa came through!

The number one item on Grace’s wish list was a Barbie pool…she was so excited!

Santa brought Liam a stocking full of Weebles…as you can see, he was ecstatic.

Annual Christmas morning pajama picture!

Favorites of the day…Seamus received an Eagles jersey ad football helmet…his favorite team!

Grace got a big-girl princess bike – complete with a baby seat on the back so she can take her dolls for a ride! She loved it!

We had a rockin’ Christmas, hope you all did too!

You Better Watch Out…

2010-12-24T09:55:00.001-08:00

You better not cry!

You better not pout, I’m telling you why…

Santa Claus is coming TONIGHT!!

Hope you’ve all been good and that the Big Guy brings everything you were wishing for! Have a safe, happy and wonderful holiday!

Much love and blessings to all of our family and friends…

Merry Christmas and

Happy New Year!

Love, the Camenga Family

Three

2010-12-23T13:42:00.001-08:00

Liam, you are three months old now!

You are verbalizing so much more…lots of squeals, sighing, oohs and and ahhhs! You have the biggest, happiest grin, especially when your brother and sister play with you!

You LOVE your bath. When we bring you into the bathroom and start the water running, you get excited because you know it’s tubby time! You would be content to hang out in there all evening.

Still a good sleeper! You go down at 9:30 pm and Mommy wakes you to feed you at 5:30 am before leaving for work. You are doing wonderful at your babysitter’s house and she spoils you by carrying you around most of the day!

Soooo very close to rolling over! Becoming a baldy! Starting to grab at toys and reach out for our faces.

Love you so much, our littlest man!

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

2010-12-20T15:50:00.001-08:00

Does anyone remember this book from childhood? I LOVED this book. So hilarious and sweet. Well, I had the pleasure of being at our own version of the best pageant ever this past weekend!

Our school puts on a Christmas show complete with a live nativity every Christmas. This show is so popular that we actually auction off front row seats every spring at our annual auction! We hit the jackpot this year though, with prime seating:

Awesome! I’m considering having another baby in order to secure this location next year! (Kidding, totally kidding…I think.)

So Liam was asked to be Baby Jesus for both the 1st-6th grade show and the Pre-K, Kdg and 6th grade show. The 6th grade performs twice, with two different casts for the living nativity. Devon is the 6th grade teacher, so it was exciting to have Liam be a part of the show. I was so super excited, but also nervous…what if he flipped his lid while up in Mary’s arms??? But I didn’t have to worry, our littlest man rocked his swaddling clothes like a pro. Here’s some pictures of both performances:

The nativity is acted out along to a song entitled “Mama Mary.” Makes me cry EVERY STINKIN YEAR. When I was in 6th grade at Sacred Heart, I actually got picked to be Mary! Truly a huge thrill, I kid you not.

At the end of Mama Mary, an extra special visitor arrives:

While the kids all sing “Silent Night,” Santa walks up the aisle to present a gift to the Baby Jesus. This year, my dad (Poppy) got to be Santa! Talk about a tearjerker, I tell you. Santa leaves his hat for Baby Jesus and then the whole school breaks out into “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”

I know what you’re thinking. And yes, it IS the cutest thing you’ve ever seen. Ever.

We also got to see Seamus and Grace perform their songs with their classes!

Seamus had a solo, “Strike the harp and join the chorus!” He did great!

He decided to rock out with some dance moves during “Jingle Bells!”

Grace did a wonderful job in her very first Christmas show! She learned all of the words to “Christmas in Killarney” and smiled and sang so beautifully.

Such a special show! So glad that all three of our little loves could be a part of it.

A Trip to Cooperstown

2010-12-12T10:13:00.001-08:00

We had been wanting to take a day trip with the kids, with this being one of our only free weekends for a while. We did a little searching around and decided at the very last minute to head to Cooperstown for the day to visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Luckily, it’s not too far away, so our lack of planning didn’t matter too much!

We told Seamus that we would be visiting a baseball museum, and he just couldn’t decide where his loyalties lay that day…so he figured he would wear both his Yankees fleece hat and Red Sox ball cap. Seamus is quite honestly the ONLY person I know who truly loves both the Yankees and Red Sox equally! A travesty, I know.

We grabbed a bite to eat on Main Street in Cooperstown. The town is really cute, and of course everything is baseball themed.

After lunch we walked a few blocks to the Hall of Fame. They were having their holiday celebration, and as a bonus, admission was free if you brought in a food bank donation. There were also holiday concerts by a handbell choir and a capella singing group.

Seamus and Babe Ruth! He had to make sure to take his Red Sox cap off while he got his picture taken with The Babe.

I took his picture next to a little sign describing the “Birth of a Rivalry.” I tried to explain how most Yankee fans were not also Red Sox fans…but all he had to say was, “But I love them both, Mom!”

After touring the baseball museum, we headed over to The Farmers’ Museum for their annual holiday event, Candlelight Evening. The museum itself is like a little town, with a collection of old-time houses and buildings, like a schoolhouse, doctor’s office, and printing press. As far as the eye could see, there were candles.

They were in every window of every house, and paper-bag lights lined each little path. My pictures didn’t come out too well in the dark, but it truly was a beautiful sight.

We got to take a horse-drawn carriage ride, have hot cocoa and cider, and listen to carolers and bands playing holiday music. There was also a carousel, a living nativity, and visits with St. Nicholas. I could have stayed all evening, but after an hour we were frozen to the bone! I hope to go back to experience this event again.

Liam had the right idea…stay cozy and take a nap!

We had a great time on our little adventure!

School Pictures

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Seamus, Kindergarten 2010

Grace, Pre-K 2010

Liam’s First Thanksgiving

2010-11-30T03:30:00.001-08:00

With so much to be thankful for this year, I was really looking forward to Thanksgiving! I love the holidays, and kids are at a great age to really be excited and get into the spirit of the day!

Thanksgiving morning, we headed downtown to watch the 63rd running of the Troy Turkey Trot! I wasn’t running this year, but we went to cheer on Poppy and Aunt Ashley, who were both participating. It’s fun to watch because people get all dressed up in crazy costumes for the race, and we even got to sit next to a saxophone-playing Santa! Here’s a little phone pic of the kids waiting for the racers to come by.

Then it was time to head home and prepare! We always contribute pies and mashed sweet potatoes to the meal. The kids watched the parade while Dev and I made apple pie, pumpkin pie and the potatoes. Every year we talk about going down to watch the parade…someday we will get there!!

Liam’s all ready for his first Thanksgiving!

Is that the cutest little turkey bum ever?

Attempting a nice shot of the goobers…but you guessed it…the EYES ARE CLOSED!!

Then we headed over to Nanny and Poppy’s house for the festivities. We had an amazing meal, and we actually got to witness a Thanksgiving miracle…Seamus ate turkey!!!

Time for the official Turkey Day nap

The kids with Aunt Ashie

The kids with Aunt Chachi

Thanksgiving is a little extra-special to us, because that is the day that Devon and I announced to our families that we were expecting our first baby. On Seamus’ first Thanksgiving, after all we had gone through with his misdiagnosis, this bib he wore perfectly expressed how we were feeling! I found it packed away in the baby clothes, and Liam got to wear it this year.

I truly don’t have words to say how blessed I feel with this wonderful family…

And Liam also made it clear what he is thankful for this year!

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ~Thornton Wilder

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!