Guess How Much???

Kathryn was lucky enough to gain control of the Estimation Jar at school today. Her first ever homework assignment-fill the jar with no more than ten objects. Our daughter, being the creative little genius that she is, decided she wanted to MAKE something to place in the jar.

"Mommy, how about we make Christmas ornaments for my classmates?"

So, it was now Mommy's turn to think of an inexpensive, easy ornament to make.

Mommy decided to cut out paper snowflakes, tie a red ribbon around them to create an ornament. Kathryn's job was to decorate each snowflake with glitter. We placed 7 in the jar, and of course we had to make extras so that each of her classmates and teachers could have one. Great work:)

Santa's Bell

On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, we brought the girls on a Polar Express train ride in Phillipsburg, NJ. They told the story of The Polar Express, the children enjoyed hot chocolate and cookies, and we were entertained by carolers and musicians. You could imagine Kathryn's joy when Santa arrived. She ran through the aisle, wearing her red and green plaid nightgown, and grabbed Santa tightly around his big belly. When Santa placed that bell around her neck, it was confirmed-she believes.

Thanksgiving

Mom decided she wanted to host Thanksgiving this year. It would be the first one without Dad, but she wanted to do it. I was afraid to see how it would go-she had offered to host Easter as well, but answered the door in tears. But, today was different. She did great. Mom made a delicious turkey with all the trimmings. She got through the day with a smile on her face. We remembered Dad in prayer, and had a glass of red wine, or two, in his memory. We focused on the two little boys who will be born so soon, and how blessed we all are to have one another. Happy Thanksgiving!

The Looking Glass

As Madelyn and I enjoyed a quiet breakfast of Cheerios and yogurt this morning, we leafed through the American Girl catalog. On one of the pages were pictures of about thirty different dolls, some with dark hair, some with blond hair, blue eyes, dark eyes, green eyes, etc. Madelyn pointed to one of the blond hair dolls.

"Mommy, look! Like me," as she investigated a strand of hair from the side of her head.

Cheers for Thanksgiving

Our little girls were sitting on the couch tonight, all nestled in their pj's and robes, enjoying a bowl of Cheerios and a cup of milk. Tapping their little Dora sippy cups together, "Cheers."

Kathryn remarked, "Madelyn, say 'Happy Thanksgiving.'"
"Happy Thanksgiving."

We are blessed.

Pumpkin

We were making waffles for breakfast this morning. Well, not exactly making them, but toasting them in the toaster oven. As they were toasting, I was helping Madelyn decide which plate she'd like to use for her breakfast. Of course I had to take the opportunity to throw a little lesson in there about colors, too.

Madelyn had two choices-a green plate or an orange one.

"Mommy, I want this one."

"And what color is that?"

"Green."

"Nice job."

"And what color is this one?"

"Blue."

"No Madelyn, it's the same color as a pumpkin. Orange."

So let's review.

"What color is this one?"

"Green."

"And what color is this one?"

"Pumpkin."

Six Blessed Years

Today's our Anniversary. Six years. Two children, lots of house renovations, family lost. Lots has happened in six years.

So this morning Kathryn asked, "Mommy, today's your Anniversary, right? I know what to say, 'Happy Annniversary to you.' Is it Daddy's Anniversary too?"

My Little Sponge

Kathryn was in the bathtub one morning. As she was playing with her toys, she pointed out a tiny little frog floating on top of the water.

"Mommy, my frog is floating. That's called buoyancy."

In utter amazement, I asked, "Where did you hear that word?"

"Well, Daddy told me. My doll's hair is floating, too. That's buoyancy, too."

Amazing.

Sister Madelyn Ann

Madelyn was playing with their little kitchen set the other day. I noticed she put some water in a little play pot. I looked over and she was blessing herself. In her own little way, in her tiny voice, "In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of The Holy Spirit. Amen."

More Pics

Blogger would only let me upload a certain amount of pics...here's more!

Catching Up

For those of you who care that it's been awhile since I last posted an entry, it's because I now spend my nights on Facebook, looking up old friends and frankly, just being "nosey." However, I've had several friends and family members ask about the "goings on" of the Donner family, so I'm BACK!

It'll be impossible to catch everyone up on the last two months or so. In attempt to do so, here's a summary since the end of August.

September began with Kathryn starting pre-K. It's hard to believe our "little" girl is almost four and a half. Although she has a different teacher this year, she's attending the same school, with most of the same kids, and in the same classroom. So, there wasn't much adjustment. Kathryn's teacher is Miss Mendez, a young and very energetic teacher who really should be teaching in a public school. Even though Kathryn is learning SO much from her, I wish the kid would get a "real" job, with great pay and benefits. In the last two months, Miss Mendez has taught Kathryn some sign language, the months of the year, the Pledge of Allegiance, and how to conduct a "vestigation." Although I've been trying to get Kathryn to write for several months now, she came home and wrote her name quite easily because "her teacher told her she needed to learn." See attached picture for the first time she wrote her name on our driveway with sidewalk chalk. We were ALL very proud of her! Her class went on a class trip to the pumpkin patch last week and of course celebrated Halloween with a big bash on Friday. My friend Lora and I ran the party. Two elementary school teachers running a Pre-K party makes for an easy time. Kathryn and her friends had a very good time playing games, decorating bags, eating witch hat cupcakes and dancing. A parade around the school ended the festivities.

Bill had several days off in September for the Jewish holidays. The weather was gorgeous, so we went to Giamarese farm to do some apple picking and to the beach. Yes, the beach in September. Actually, it's our favorite time to visit the ocean-no crowds, easy parking, and no sunscreen. All was well as Kathryn and Madelyn played in the sand, until a huge dog decided to park himself very close to Kathryn. Bill and I were just waiting for her to realize his existence...a few moments later, she turned around, screamed, and jumped into Bill's arms. It was very, very funny (for Mommy and Daddy anyway). Kathryn even laughed after the shock wore off and the dog took a huge poop in the sand. Makes for great entertainment.

Madelyn and I started a Mommy and Me class at the Metuchen YMCA. It's called "Move to Learn," and yes, we do move!! It's a great class-the teacher talks about the weather, numbers, colors, we dance, sing, jump, climb, and sort. She loves it!!! And, she's very ready to start preschool next year. She can name both presidential candidates and she knows the name of the teacher she'll have next year at Centenary.

I was very excited when my very good friend from high school, Colleen, came to NJ for a visit with her family in the beginning of October. She and her husband David, along with their two little ones, Rylan and Cooper spent the day with me and our girls. It was a gorgeous fall day...we thought it would be well spent at Rutgers Gardens. Cooper is a little one, but the girls had a blast running around the gardens, investigating the flowers, plants and trees, and just acting like normal preschoolers. It was great to see the Neumann family-can't wait til they visit again in June!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Harriet and Doug are expecting twin boys in just about two months!! Nikos and Eddie can't come soon enough. We are all very patiently waiting for their arrival. They were showered with lots of baby gifts at the Pines Manor on October 12th. So many of the gifts were useful, creative and very generous. Kathryn attended-as she put it, "She couldn't wait because she had never been to a baby shower in her ENTIRE life." I was very proud of her for sitting so nicely as Auntie opened her gifts. She did help unwrap a few, and grew very excited at all the tiny baby things. Perhaps my favorite part of the day was watching my brother walk into the room with a Minnesota Twins jersey on that read "Schneider 2" on the back. Very creative. Not my idea. Wish it was:)

I took the girls to their first Rutgers football game when they played UCONN for homecoming. We got there a little too early, but that was OK...the girls soaked up the atmosphere-watching tailgates, clapping and dancing with the band, and admiring their Grandpa's brick outside the stadium (see photo). Bill was working at the stadium until the end of the third quarter, but thankfully Kathryn and Madelyn were very well behaved the entire game which made it a very easy and fun day for me!! Madelyn and I even went into the Rock the Vote van, and stated why we think it's important to vote. Madelyn yelled the names of the candidates. The workers there were impressed she even knew them. Not a typical two year old:)

My dear friend Kim, who is like a sister to me, delivered her second baby on October 21st. A baby girl, Emily Isabella. I was up all night waiting for the wonderful news-felt like I was having labor pains myself. Visiting the maternity ward at a hospital is the BEST. Holding Emily was an amazing feeling. I took our girls to their home to meet Emily and visit with her big brother, Matthew last week. Kathryn asks me each day, "Mommy, when can we go again?"

Trick or treat? Snow White and Minnie Mouse had a great Halloween, starting with Kathryn's party I described above. After coming home to rest for awhile, we ventured out to Metuchen to trick-or-treat with three families from Kathryn's preschool class. After each house, Madelyn would comment, "Mommy, next house?" When she figured out what Halloween was all about, she was in heaven!! As I say often, Madelyn is our little chocoholic. We ended the day at Grandma's. Of course she had plenty of treats for her little sweethearts, and they helped her to give out the candy to the little ones who rang her doorbell.

Obviously, the BIGGEST news around here, is the election of our new President, Barack Obama. Kathryn even voted for him in her pre-K election. History in the making...the scary part is that the next time there's an election, Kathryn will be 8 1/2. That's not too far away. Thanks for reading:) Love to all!

Just a Typical Two Year Old

From time to time, Madelyn will do something that a normal two year old would do. Whether it's getting into the DVD cases, tearing books off a shelf, or taking off her clothes. Kathryn knows better, so she thinks doing those things are bad. I try to explain to her Madelyn is a typical two year old. When Madelyn was doing something the other day, Kathryn looked at me and said, "Mommy, say she's a typical two year old." I guess she listens when I speak.

Days with the Amish

On July 22nd, my mom and I took Kathryn and Madelyn on a trip to Lancaster, PA. It would be our first time away together, without Bill. We left him home to golf and live like a bachelor.

The ride out to Lancaster was uneventful. The girls slept part of the way, and grew very excited as we approached the open, beautiful farmland. As they spied each horse, cow and cornfield, the excitement built. We arrived at Willow Valley Resort mid-afternoon, right around lunchtime. This resort holds a special place in our hearts, as we've been vacationing there since I was one year old. It's the type of place that feels like a home away from home-clean, very family oriented, nice people, and comfortable beds. Our first day there consisted of a trip to the resort's pool and small waterpark, a walk to the playground and pond, and an excellent smorgasbord dinner. As a side note, I must write that Kathryn had been there twice before, once with us and our dear friends Al and Anne Marie, and once with Grandma and Grandpa. However, this would be the first she'd hopefully remember. On Wednesday we ventured out to Dutch Wonderland, a small amusement park perfect for little ones. The rides and shows there are geared towards toddlers and preschool aged children-the girls loved it!!! Without a stroller and without a nap, Madelyn even held out until about 4:00!!! She walked the entire park without one complaint!!! She's a trooper:) Both girls were exhausted by the end of the day, so after another delicious dinner we decided to get them to bed early...Thursday we visited Kitchen Kettle Village-it's an area in Intercourse, PA with mostly Amish run shops, a petting farm, and horse-and-buggy rides. Kathryn REALLY wanted to go on a horse-and-buggy ride, so we took a 15 minute ride driven by a young girl who grew up in Lancaster. She was able to tell us a bit about the Amish way of life. Both girls loved it! I think they mostly remember when we got off the horses and one proceeded to urinate all over the ground as the other horse stepped in it!!!

In one of the little shops, we were able to find a teddy bear wearing a shirt that read "Gabby." We picked that up for my mom, since Madelyn has called her that for awhile now. It was a nice remembrance of our trip.

When we woke up on Friday morning, Kathryn asked me, "Mommy, are we leaving today?" When I replied, "Yes," she said, "But I don't want to leave. I want to stay." Those words were music to our ears. It was official-Kathryn loved Willow Valley just as much as we did, and still do! We left Lancaster and headed towards home on Friday, just in time for me to return to work. Kathryn and Madelyn were very happy to see Bill when we got home, and he most definitely missed them a lot!! Maybe being a bachelor for a few days isn't everything it's cracked up to be!

Fun with Bert and Ernie

On July 16th, we took our second trip to Sesame Place. It was just me and Kathryn, meeting our friends Paul and Keri for the day. We had such an amazing time together. I forgot how easy it is to have only one child (sorry Madelyn, but it's true), especially since Kathryn is over four years old and fairly independent. It was a hot day, so we spent a lot of time in the water areas. We watched the parade with all the characters, saw the Elmo's World show, and went on a lot of rides. I think the parade was her favorite, along with our trip down the Lazy River, which was in fact my favorite as well. I could have spent all day floating around in that tube, dodging the waterfalls. When it came time to take pictures with the characters, Kathryn ran up to Bert and Ernie and gave them a huge hug. It was very cute...she's really coming out of her shell.

Lunch with the Normants

In September, it'll be 25 years since we've known our good friends, The Normants. Last week, Mrs. Normant had us over for lunch with Kim and Matthew. Here are some pics from our nice afternoon.

Funny Faces

We attended a birthday party for our friend's little girl, Kayla. In the goody bags, Kathryn and Madelyn received funny face glasses. They have become a favorite source of entertainment around here. And, walking like Groucho adds the final touch.

I Make

Madelyn is into doing art work now. When we visited Aunt Betty, she had a ton of fun creating a masterpiece on Jenna's easel. We were a little frightened as we watched her use markers in Aunt Betty's nicely decorated home, but it all turned out OK as she yelled, "Mommy, I make, I make!"

Vacation Bible School

I know it's been awhile since I've updated this blog, mostly because I've become addicted to Facebook. It's really freaky how easily one can reconnect with old friends through the internet, and it's also fun!

Kathryn went to Vacation Bible School last week at our church. On the first day, Deacon Frank called each child up to give them a special blessing. Kathryn would not go up, and thankfully, her teacher didn't force her. I left her not knowing what to expect when I would return three hours later. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I entered the church to see her singing and dancing to the songs the children were being taught. Kathryn looked so cute, it brought tears to my eyes.

When we returned home, I asked her, "Kathryn, why wouldn't you walk up to get the special blessing from Deacon Frank?"

"Mommy, " she replied, "I only get a special blessing when you and Daddy go up for communion and get your special chip." She's too much:)

Each day of Vacation Bible School brought a new theme and song. Kathryn was really listening there, using what she learned when she was here at home. On the last day, there was a little "show," showcasing the songs the children learned throughout the week. The children stood on the stage, while we sat in the pews. Well, Kathryn was the only one singing all the songs, and participating in the all the movements, but facing the opposite direction. Apparently being on "stage" isn't her thing. Nothing like her mother.

Why?

Madelyn has really started to talk a lot. The other day she lifted my shirt and so innocently asked, "Mommy, what's that?"

And, she asked if she could go upstairs. "No," I replied. "Why?" she asked.

Oh no...the questions have begun!

Great News!

It's been awhile since I've posted...mostly because I find my freetime is so limited. We're having so much fun playing outside in the beautiful weather, and by nighttime, I'm pooped.

We have some GREAT family news! Doug and Harriet are expecting twins! They are due mid-January, so she's just about 12 weeks along. All is well-besides normal fatigue, Harriet feels very well, and looks good. Her little belly has popped and tomorrow we will go together to buy some maternity clothes! This is an exciting time for our family. I am hoping the twins will arrive around Christmastime-what a wonderful reason to celebrate!

My dad's family came to visit from CA last weekend, Uncle Charlie and Aunt Laurie...Doug and Harriet shared the news with them first, and then slowly began spreading the word. When they told Kathryn she was elated! I knew she would be-she's obsessed with babies, and the whole idea of taking care of them. She loves to put baby dolls under her shirt to pretend she's expecting, so this should be a fun few months:) When our neighbor asked Kathryn why she didn't tell them Auntie was expecting twins, she replied, "Because Auntie told me not to say anything, I'm serious." It was very sweet...I guess if you have a secret you'd like to share, tell Kathryn. She's a good secret keeper!

Happy Father's Day!

Father's Day...another first without my dad...we've been bombarded by these sad days throughout the weekend. It was Bill's day, too, which was so nice for him. We made our traditional trip to Manasquan, had breakfast at a new diner near the beach, and walked the boardwalk with the girls. Kathryn and Madelyn had so much fun playing in the sand and going for rides on their Daddy's shoulders. After the beach, my mom hosted dinner with the Sideris' and Doug and Harriet. It was a very nice evening. The girls love playing with their auntie and uncle, and their laughter made a difficult day much more pleasant.

Remembering Tim

Friday was a sad day here for two reasons...
The first was that it was my dad's birthday...the first without him, which of course made the day difficult. My dad LOVED his birthday. He celebrated for the entire month, not just the day like most people. The second reason was that our dear TV friend, Tim Russert passed away. Kathryn has been watching "Tim," as she called him, since she was about one year old. She and Bill would sit on the couch after church, and watch Tim go at it with various politicians. Kathryn now knows Tim is in heaven with Grandpa...she was very upset over this and actually sat on our bed with tears in her eyes after hearing the news.

Check Ups

This afternoon my mom and I took the girls for their 2 and 4 year old check ups. As always, it was a treat visiting the doctor's office. Although Kathryn didn't cry, she wasn't thrilled about being there, and Madelyn wasn't too fond of the visit either. She kicked and screamed while the doctor examined her. I am happy to report that both girls are healthy. Kathryn is 39 lbs. and 44 inches, the average height of a 6 year old. Madelyn is 24 lbs. and 33 1/2 inches. She is in the 50% percentile for height and 10-20% percentile for weight. No shots today, yeah! Madelyn is caught up until she turns four, and Kathryn needs two. However, to my surprise, the doctor couldn't do them today because her throat was very red. They took a strep culture and after getting the results we will go ahead and do the immunizations. Fun, fun, fun!

Yo Mama Obama

Thursday is Show-and-Tell day for Kathryn at her preschool. She takes the task of picking out what to bring very seriously, and we always try to plan the night before. Otherwise, we're running around at 8:45 searching for the "perfect object." So, last night when I asked her what she was thinking of bringing, she quickly said, "her duck." It's this little stuffed chick she has all of a sudden grown an attachment to. Then, we started to talk about Barack Obama. Being the daughter of a former history teacher, she knows a lot about current events. I suggested she bring in a picture of Obama for Show-and-Tell. She said, "That's a great idea, Mommy! How about pictures of John McCain and Hillary Clinton, too?" We spent the morning searching the newspapers for pics of all three candidates, and then I remembered a picture in TIME magazine I had just come across yesterday. Kathryn was so excited to share...we reviewed the candidates names, and what she would say when it was her turn to present her picture in front of the class. Of course the whole time she was at school I was wondering how this was going to go over. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall.

After school, Bill and I spoke with her teacher, Mrs. Geller. It isn't often we get to talk with her, but since Kathryn had a multicultural picnic after school there was some time. Immediately, Mrs. Geller shared with us that she was impressed at Kathryn's interest in current events and that her Show-And-Tell sparked a very interesting conversation among the class. Mrs. Geller told us Kathryn pointed to Obama and commented, "He won."

On another note, tonight was the Scholarship Awards Dinner at Edison High School. It was the night my mom would present the first of four $500 scholarships to a deserving senior in my father's memory-The Edward Schneider Memorial Scholarship. My mom picked a senior with average grades who is going to pursue a career in the electrical field. The vice-principal introduced my mom by saying something like this,

Mr. Schneider was a beloved substitute here for the last two
years. Mrs. Schneider was a former secretary here. He was the
father-in-law of Ms. Sideris and Mr. Donner. His family has created this
scholarship in his memory.

It was a very touching evening. My dad would have been very happy. His love for Edison High School and the students there was so evident.

Remembering Grandpa

Before Kathryn went to bed last night she asked, "Mommy, where's Uncle?"

"He's at work," I replied.

"Oh yeah, that's right...Grandpa's car isn't there (Doug now drives my dad's van). Mommy, I still call it Grandpa's car. I really miss him. Maybe I can get a new Grandpa."

"Well, maybe Mr. Sideris, Mr. Normant or John (our neighbor) can do things with you that Grandpa used to do. They were all Grandpa's friends and they are very nice."
"No Mommy...I want a new Grandpa."

When Kathryn woke up this morning, she told me she had a dream about Grandpa.

He wanted a purple ring and she gave it to him up in the sky. "Grandpa was very happy, Mommy."

Ughhh...these conversations break my heart.

Strawberries, Nails and Such...

Today is six months since my dad passed away, and also began "the month of his birth" as he called it. June was most certainly his favorite...

Friday morning was kinda crazy...it was a beautiful day, and our plans with friends were cancelled at the last moment. Just as I was about to pull out our new kiddie pool, our neighbors called to see if we would like to go strawberry picking. Kathryn was delighted. "Mommy that's just what I wanted to do today!" So, we packed up and drove to Giamarese Farm in East Brunswick. It's a great little place, close to home with a large strawberry field. Kathryn and Madelyn had a grand time picking strawberries, filling up our box which was too heavy for Kathryn to carry by the end. Madelyn wanted to help our neighbors carry their small box of strawberries (see pic), and for that she was very proud of herself. The highlight of our morning just may have been the ice cream I allowed them to eat during lunchtime...they shared an ice cream sandwich so nicely, but of course ruined any appetite for a real lunch once we returned home.


I brought Kathryn with me to the nail salon yesterday. We went to a different spot than our usual because I had a gift card. Well, about half way through my pedicure Kathryn remarked, "Mommy, I think I like Luxi better." Luxi is the other nail salon. Luckily the woman painting my nails didn't understand English very well. Then, as I was getting my manicure she looked at me very seriously and said, "Mama, do you want to get your eyebrows done?" The client next to me said, "She's a piece of work." Isn't that the truth?


We broke out our new kiddie pool courtesy of Bill's sister Veronica today. It has a giraffe that spits out water, which was a big hit with the girls. Madelyn didn't know what to do at first-she probably doesn't remember ever being in a pool. But, what fun they had chasing one another around the yard and throwing buckets of water at Mommy and Daddy!

Madelyn's Doctor Visit

This morning I decided to take Madelyn to the doctor for her nose and really bad eczema. She never had eczema before, unlike her sister who has been suffering with it since she's a baby. Her nose has also been running green for over a week now. Poor thing...well, from the moment I parked the car in front of the doctor's office, Madelyn was screaming. She screamed the entire time we were there, even if we were just speaking with the doctor in his office. Dr. Lebovic did prescribe an antibiotic, thinking it probably started as allergies and has turned into an infection. Hopefully she's on the mend now. We just have to continue to moisturize her body several times a day, hoping the itching will stop. After a couple of lollipops, and a trip to pick up Kathryn at school, Madelyn's breathing pattern was back to normal after all that screaming:)

Kathryn has show and tell at school every Thursday. Today she thought long and hard about what she wanted to bring. Drum roll please...she decided to bring her Dora workbook Grandma had given her and a special pencil. She told me that she wanted to tell everyone how she's practicing for kindergarten (which isn't until next September) and Vacation Bible School (which isn't until July). Way to plan in advance...

Memorial Day Weekend

Thank you to my friend, Starr Turner for helping me to set up this blog. It's been something I've wanted to do for a long time now. I think it's a great way to remember the cute things our girls say and do and the perfect way to chronicle the sometimes crazy things that happen around here.
This past weekend was Memorial Day...it was a busy weekend, but very relaxing.

Saturday morning, I went with my mom and Kathryn to the cemetary to see my father and to plant some flowers by his headstone. Kathryn wanted to come. She picked out the specific flowers she wanted to plant, and took along the gardening tote she received from Annie, Paul, Craig and Abby for her birthday. After carefully putting on her gardening gloves she helped Grandma to spread the soil around. When I tried to help she commented, "No Mommy! I want to do this. He's my Grandpa!" It was so nice to see her taking this job so seriously, and my dad would have loved it. I told Kathryn he was smiling down on her from Heaven.

We took a trip to the beach with Kathryn and Madelyn on Sunday morning which was the first of our many breakfast trips to the shore. After filling the van with $80 worth of gas, we ended up at Seven Presidents Beach in Long Branch, completely unprepared for the beautiful day that it was. The weathermen forecasted 60 degree temps down the shore, but it was clearly not. Try 75-80 and gorgeous! Kathryn and Madelyn had a blast on the small playground there, and had fun burying one another's feet in the sand.

On the way down to the beach, we were listening to the radio. Kathryn heard the traffic report, "Next report in 15 minutes," the man concluded. Kathryn's response was very serious, "Hurry, Daddy! In 15 minutes there will be traffic!" This shows just how literal children are!

Monday was the Memorial Day parade in Metuchen. Some of Kathryn's friends from preschool met up with us at Tommy's Pond, and we all watched the parade together. Before the parade, Kathryn's friend Skyler was fishing with her father in the pond. She caught two fish which was very exciting for all of us spectators!