Happy New Year

Click pic for larger.

"You two barnacle heads have fun at the hockey game."

This after Nick's proposal on how the ladies should spend their time while we men are at the Sabre's game...

"Now that's what I call a Mommy!"

This was Corinne's assessment of Mommy all dressed up for Nick's Christmas pagent. 

Shuttle Astronauts Wait for Night Launch

Shuttle Astronauts Wait for Night Launch

After Nick and Corinne watched a replay of the night launch a couple nights ago, Nick quickly retrofited the livingroom for a night launch of their own.

"Mommy, am I green or tan?"

At pre-school pick-up just after getting off the spinning tire swing...

Corinne's 1st Nightmare

"Daddy-ya*, sharks, dianasaurs and alligaters, why is it they are not here?"

* Corinne refers to us as Mommy & Daddy. However, when she becons us from her room, she calls out "Mommy-ya!" or "Daddy-ya!".

Christmas Reindeer

Christmas Reindeer

"If you are not a good dad, I am going to put you in a cage with an angry polar bear."

That would get me to straighten out my dad act...

Preschool Picture

Preschool Picture

God help me. She drop-dead GORGEOUS.

The Green Room

The Green Room

My favorite picture taken by our Luxembourg friends who today celebrate Sentencia in Bogotá, Colombia for their second child. They were there to get their first child, Andres, when we were presented Corinne. Congrates Nadine!

"I have LOTS of them."

Corinne's answer to Dad's question:
"Do you have a boyfriend?"

Start worrying...

Corinne's Flowergirl Dress

Corinne's Flowergirl Dress

For Uncle Frank's wedding.

Grandpa With Beard

Grandpa With Beard

"I'm gonna make up a whole new plan for you guys."

Corinne informed us of this at dinner time. We have been feeling the effects of her "new plan" since she came to us...and we feel blessed to be part of her "plan".

Corinne Morning Drop Off w/ "Rosenberg"

Corinne Morning Drop Off w/ "Rosenberg"

Corinne gets the special escort treatment from neighbor Pauline Rosenberg, otherwise known to Corinne as "Rosenberg".

"I am taped together with You [Daddy] and You [Mommy] and Nick."

That made us smile.

"I need something pink and squeeky to have fun."

Corinne on the phone with Mom in NYC after she already purchased the rememberances...

"Mommy, there's some kind of weird toy that I don't know...But they're coming to Burger King! YAY!"

Yup, doesn't matter what it is, as long as it comes in a Happy Meal.

"Boys, Boys, BOYS! Listen to me!"

When playing with Nick and his friend Sam, Corinne has no problem letting them know who is really in charge.

"Someday, we should visit the painters at their house."

Jack Cheeks

Jack Cheeks

Corinne has taken to sporting Paddington's sweater as a cap. Look for this to be next rage in a preschool near you!

Browns Berry Patch

Browns Berry Patch

Not such a good photo merge of two different photos (Corinne isn't actually BIGGER than Nick quite yet!), but kind a cute nevertheless...

"♪When I go to school, you will miss me. ♬ And you won't have any kids...Ha -ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Well, she must know we adore her, but she clearly needs to work out a different taunt...

A [guilt] trip

"Why do you come home so late?
You want to talk to your friends and not come home to your bestest kids."

Corinne just had to play the guilt card after one of Mommy's golf nights.

"This is the bestest day ever of my young life."

It is amazing to see Corinne's reaction to a blue lolly pop after a haircut.

"When I go to bed tonight, I am going to think about loving Paul again."

Rob & Paul

These are the fine gents siding our house. That there is Paul on the right with Rob on the left. Corinne appears to have a thing for hard working chaps with a pony tail down to their waist.

"Daddy, when I get home I am going to dress up like a yellow dinasaur with spikes. Won't that be cute?"

Indeed.

"I wish I had a baby brother to beat you [Nick] up."

...touché...

"Mmmmm. This place smells YUMMY!"

This was Corinne's first sensory perception stolling into Dad's favorite wine & liquor store...

Corinne's 1st Self-Portrait

Corinne insists that those are eyebrows, not, as her brother interprets, horns!

Corinne's 1st Portrait of Nick

Corinne's 1st Portrait of Nick

"You know why you're the bestest Dad?"

"Because you don't snore too loud in your room."

"I can't stop looking at Ben."

Corinne is coming to grips with her first infatuation experience...

Bikin' in Front of Blue House

Bikin' in Front of Blue House

Stonybrook Park, Dansville, NY

If you would like to see a larger version of this slide show, click the picture...

"Ta-da! Here is another [stuffed] animal for your house!"

yeah.

Miss 2003

Miss 2003

Corinne was nominated to present Jerri a rose representing the year 2003 of the 20yrs since Jerri organized the Families of FANA of WNY.

"Mommy, I love you...

...all the way to L-M-N-O-P."

"I don't like you and your ugly eye, too!"

Well the sympathy card didn't last long from the one that dunked me into the tank, now did it? This after some reprimand...

"But that's my favorite color!"

Much to Corinne's encouragement, Daddy took on the dunk tank at the FANA picnic today an lost big time to the tune of 5 stitches under the eye and 3 more in the corner of the eye. Unfortunately, Corinne had to witness the profusion of blood and water. So, anxious that the tender child (riiiight) wasn't scared for life herself, she retold the story to Diane:

"It (Dad's eye) was Red. It was very, very red. But, that's my favorite color!"

Okay, she and I will be okay... ;-) ...not winking, just swollen a bit.

"Mooooommmy, come and look at my ploppies!"

Hard to believe how sweet that sounds...

"I fooound your sunglasses! They were under my butt!"

Having left my sunglasses on Corinne's seat while packing the car and departed in a cloud of frustration having misplaced them, Corinne broke the tension with her discovery (without her soft Cheeks breaking the sunglasses).

"Can I call you 'Ugly'"?

Corinne chose this response while Mommy was demanding an apology from Corinne for saying: "Mommy is stupid."

She is definitely a Pip.

"This is the bestest night ever!"

Just after the first volley of fireworks at her first 4th of July fireworks...

"Thanks for not throwing my eggs on the floor."

This was stated in the sweetest most appreciative voice. The last scrambled egg a few weeks back had some additional scrabbling on the floor while moving it from pan to plate...

Avoiding the Spanish Inquisition...the Corinne way:

Mom: "Where are you going?"
Corinne: "Nowhere"
Mom: "What are you doing?"
Corinne: "Nothing"
Corinne: "JUST COOK DINNER!"

...as Corinne tries to sneak past Mom for some dry shorts and panties after a pee "accident".

"What's that about?"

I just want to remember the phrase that Corinne always uses when she wants to understand something that Diane or I have said, whether she didn't hear it or didn't understand it...

While walking around the block with the darlings...

Cheeks: "Where are we going?"
Mom & Dad in two-part harmony: "Crazy!"
Cheeks: "Where are we going after that?"

"Mommy...I HATE YOUR FLOOR!"

Corinne, feeling rather ornery after being disciplined by Mother, resorted to stomping through the kitchen. As that was not enough to get Mommy's attention, the girl had to make sure she tossed out an insult.

"But then you will be dead and you won't wash dishes."

This was Corinne's reply to Diane warding off sharks by punching them...

So, you may be able to sleep when you're dead, but you can't wash dishes.

"I want the house painted bright red with pick, bubbly spots!"

We are accepting any and all suggestions...

Thanks Lindsay!

Thanks Lindsay!

Corinne gets a dragon on Nick's Birthday! What a deal!

"I want to be a mommy"

"No. I want to be a daddy."
"No. I want to be a mommy. Then we (The Mommy and I) can shop"

...I'm in big, big trouble. Some folks save for college; I am starting to save for teenage shopping.

Uncle John visits for Nick's Birthday

Uncle John visits for Nick's Birthday

Uncle John makes for peaceful company to Corinne while Nick puts on his best little terrorist face.

Making Monster Blood

Making Monster Blood

Nick and Corinne partake in the time honored tradition of the creation of monster blood.

Potter vs. Barney

Cheeks: "Nick likes Harry Potter."
Dad: "Do you think you'll ever like Harry Potter?"
Cheeks: "Actually, I like Barney."

They look as scared as I am ...

"I want to be where Nick is 'cause that's my favorite place."

...and anywhere that favorite place is, is indeed better than the toothbrushing place dad is cajoling her to locate...

"No. That's not my favorite thing."

Corinne's answer to Nick at the breakfast table say: "Corinne, after breakfast I am going to boil you."

Mapa & Bapa's - Spring 2006

Backyard Wonder

QuickTime movie, click here ->

"Can you make me feel better?"

After daddy insisted on Corinne doing something she didn't want to do, in tears she sought out Nick for consolation. Nick promptly obliged and had her laugh inside of 10secs. doing something goofy.

"Do dummies like ice cream?"

Mom: "Yes."
Cheeks: "WEEELL, Bapa loooooves ice cream!"

A Day Out with Thomas and Sir Topham

"Nick, take your clothes off and be the par-tay!"

"Was that my Greg?"

When I called down to Mapa' to check in... "He misses me very much."

"You stop! I'm talking to Bapa now!

Diane was starting to interrupt an intense conversation between Bapa and Cheeks and Corinne interjected with the obligatory "stop" hand gesture. Where does she get these things?

"The skinny one."

Mommy: "Is Bapa your daddy?"
Cheek: "Noooo."
Mommy: "Who?"
Cheeks: "The skinny one."

A: "Smart Dummy."

Bapa Q: "What kind of dummy am I?"

Birthday Ball

The Shoe Fits!

Using some photographic trickery to extend exposures, I captured these images of a dance scene on Corinne's birthday. For a really cute slideshow of the rest of the session, check out this QuickTime movie:
Click here ->
Or, if you are really patient for the upload, here is a bigger one:

Corinne's Favorite Birthday Shirt - THANKS JUNIE!!!

Nick's Valintine

Trail Blazers

QuickTime movie on the trail:
Click here ->
Or, if you are really patient for the upload, here is a bigger one:

Cheeks And Grandma

"Mommy, how about after breakfast, instead of a vitamin, can I have a chocolate donut?"

...the breakfast of champions.

Changing the subject:

Daddy: "Let's go watch hockey."
Corinne: "Yeah! Let's go play puzzles!"

"Look Daddy, see those red things on your eyes? Your eyes are cracking."

"Nick, when you go to school the next day, you're going to wear PANTIES!"

Corinne really knows how to irritate her brother.

"That's Daddy. I'd better speak to him."

Corinne's response when she hears Daddy's car pull into the garage.

"I want to be 6."

...the only thing Corinne wants for her THIRD birthday.

"Mommy, go somewhere else where you can't eat my donut...

... you silly goose!

Do not get between this girl and her donut.

"The pink beautiful dragon loves sugar."

... and coffee. Colombian through and through...

"If you pee on the pancake, it would be no good. Uck!"

Chemistry 101

"Mommy, don't blow a basketball."

Corinne's attempt at reusing Mommy's "I'm going to blow a gasket." when it looked like she might...

"...all you need is love. do-ta-do-ta-doo...'

You Are My Sunshine
My only sunshine.
You make me happy
When skies are grey.
You'll never know, dear,
How much I love you.
Please don't take my sunshine away

We, Corinne and I, had a rough process of turning in for bedtime this evening and we didn't get through the nightly protocol including the requisite cuddles and kisses. She was beside herself until I was summoned to her room for the missing steps in the pageantry. It was then that got this sweetly sung to me in my ear as she got her good-night hug...

"When the stars come out tonight, I'm gonna sing a sweet song."

"Turn your face and look at me."

Whatever she was talking to me about while I worked on some domestic project, she was finding little satisfaction with my feigning interest "Uh-huh" responses.

"I like Nick."

Cheeks response to Mom's comment after she gave Dad an enthusiastic hug: "I'd be afraid to ask her who she liked better, Mom or Dad?"

"Mommy, I'm going to pull your nose off and flush it down the toilet like a big turd!"

Oh, she thinks she is so funny.

"I DID IT!"

Corinne is enthusiastically devouring beginner puzzles for 3-7yr old ranges. With arms pumping, its fun to see her sense accomplishment and watch the transition from ineptness to "can do". Dad's are in training here too; what does it take to encourage this particular child to excel?

A Couple of Dozers

Nick was on the mend from a rather nasty virus and still working on gathering back his strength. This cute moment, Corinne decided to lounge with him.

"I'm plugging my ears so no one will talk about me."

"I got a booger on the time-out chair. Mommy, wanna come see?"

Oh no. Not on the Stickley leather!