Chickpeas '08 Pics

Here are the girls' school pics from this year. I know- they are dressed exactly alike....but aren't they just the cutest?

Sadly, both Sarah & Sophie will be leaving Chickpeas Daycare. As of Jan 5th, Sarah is starting Footprints Montessori School and Sophie is staying home with Wendy the babysitter, Chris and some temporary fill-ins when I go back to my 4-day, 10-hour a day schedule.

Thanksgiving Eve Thoughts

The table is set, the turkey is brining & oven is self-cleaning. The girls are in bed and Chris is at work- hopefully heading back home soon. I am sipping my hard cider and relaxing- tallying up all I have to be thankful for.

I am thankful for a wonderful husband who loves me even when I am a psycho wife from hell. I know there are days that I am only moments away from being chopped-up and buried in the backyard, but for some reason I live on. Chris, although slightly flawed himself is also loving, forgiving, patient and amazingly funny. He is a great guy who is an amazing dad. There is nothing more sexier than a guy who loves his family!

I am thankful for my Sarah- who at three and a half has taught me so much. She is charming, beautiful, funny and smart. She is a great big sister, a fabulous helper- and she is getting to be a fantastic sock pairer-upper, washcloth folder and laundry sorter. She has her daddy’s quirky ways- she likes to sing and dance and wrestle and can be wacky and crazy and silly. She makes me laugh. She is also slightly obsessive-compulsive like her mommy, as well as fashionably aware of what matches and how to accessorize her outfits.

And then there is Sophie who is only days away from being one. She is our last year’s pleasant surprise-arrival who had grown in a flash. Our blond haired, blue eyes baby girl is walking, clapping and dancing. Momma, Dadda, cheese, and Sarah (Rah-Rah) are a few of her latest vocabulary words. She loves her big sister and is quite fond of her daddy too. Like her sister Sarah, she loves to disrobe down to her birthday suit and run around the house. I didn’t intend to raise a bunch of strippers, but if that what it takes to pay their way through med school- then go for it!

I am also thankful for the rest of my family and friends, both in-laws and out-laws who always support us no matter what. I am grateful that they are all happy and healthy and on the mend from whatever had ailed them this past year.

I am thankful that my guy won this past November and I am hopeful that with a new regime in the White House things will start to improve. Fully aware that our current state of affairs will not change overnight, I am optimistic that our nation is on its way to recovery. I am hoping our fiscal situation will improve, that our troops will return home safe and soon, and that whether we are black or white, Democrat or Republican- we will all learn to just get along!!

Oh- also thankful for the DVR which is recording “Criminal Minds” while I post to my blog….

The Week in Review

To be brief (and without photos) here a few tidbits of information about our week:

Friday: Chris finally got his car back from the shop. Anne-Marie rejoiced, as she might actually get to venture out of the house this weekend.

Thursday: Anne-Marie got word that she is traveling to NC Mon-Wed of next week. Looking forward to the trip, but will miss my girls and my main squeeze.

Wednesday: Chris took the Sophmeister to the Dr. Baby girl had an ear infection- which explains the blood-curdling screams she had perfected these past days.

Tuesday: Barack Obama was elected our 44th president and the Manasier's of Warwick are hopeful as they look ahead to the next 4 years. Anne-Marie highlighted her hair with garnet- she is so hip!

Monday: Is it terrible to say I completely forget what we did Monday?? Hmmm, must be the mad cow (a la Denny Crane)

Cheers!

Election Day 2008

Well today is Election Day. People all over the US are lining up at local schools, firehouses and other polling places ready to place their votes. Regardless of party preference, today will prove to be one of the most historic U.S. elections. Barack Obama could become the nation's first African-American president. John McCain could become the oldest president elected to a first term and Sarah Palin, could become the first woman vice president. Early voters last week waited in lines for several hours, and already today the news has reported longer than normal waits. Apparently people are excited about this election and are hoping for the change this country most desperately needs. Although I have heard a few people shrug off this election as not having anyone worthwhile to vote for, (Obama’s lack of experience or McCain’s age) I have spoken to several more who are as excited and pumped for this election as a child on Christmas morning.

Chris and I took the girls with us today to place our vote. As always we commemorated the day with a few photos. Although Sophie and Sarah are too young to grasp the significance of the voting process, Sarah is at least aware its Election Day and knows who the key players are. While we were in the booth this morning, Sarah reminded me of who we were voting for (Obama) and Sophie helped me pull back the handle to open the curtain. I was glad they were able to be active participants in this historic day.

By this time tomorrow we will have a new President-Elect. I am pretty certain our guy is going to win and I am psyched!

I'm Sarah and I Approve This Message

3 1/2 and minimal prompting needed. She is coming in the voting booth on Tuesday!

Maxwell Update

Maxwell was placed in a new home. They have 2 other doggies, a big house, a big fenced in yard and a summer house on the lake. My boy has hit the motherload! Good for him. We miss him but know he is livin' it up!!

That is it for this post. Gotta get back to work and the people that pay me.....

Pump Up the Pumpkins

Another Chickpeas outing had Chris, Sarah and Sophie picking pumpkins at Heaven Hill Farm today. (I had 2 conference calls so I was stuck home!) The girls were well-behaved as they went on a hayride, visited the animals, went through the corn maze, played on the swings and picked the most perfect pumpkins.

Here are our gorgeous girls and their friends...

Sophie Checking In

I always see Mommy & Daddy sitting on the computer "blogging" so I figured I'd see what all the fuss is about. While Daddy is out working & Mommy is watching 'Go Diego Go' with Sarah, I crawled out of the crib, down the stairs and into the office. Climbing into the chair was a little tricky because it's on wheels- but I managed.

So here are a few things you should know about me...

• I am 10 1/2 months old now and I weight 22 lbs.
• I am about 30 inches tall or so, but if I am standing on my tippy-toes I can pull down most things from tables and shelves.
• I like to get into mischief. I crawl up the stairs when no one is looking and pull things apart just for kicks. I am giving them a run for their money!!!
• I have 8 teeth with 1 more 1/2 the way in and another just peeking through my gums. More teeth = more food, and man do I like to eat!!
• My curly blonde hair and blue eyes still makes people wonder who I look most like because it's not Mommy or Daddy.
• I am cruising quite a bit now, holding onto chairs and tables while I walk. I can stand all by myself, but only for a while until I fall on my heiny. (no worries- I am fully cushioned there)
• I love to eat paper, dustballs, string, plastic, shoes, and just about everything else I shouldn't. Mommy & Daddy get a little freaked out and try to Heimlich me all the time. They need to relax...paper is a good source of fiber.
• I am loving my daycare now. I go Tuesdays & Wednesdays and love my new friends. Big Sister Sarah is there too, so she always soothes me when I get cranky.
• I am starting to shimmy and dance a bit and get very happy when the Dora Theme Song comes on. I love that Salsa sound!
• And lastly, I am a happy baby. My family loves me and shows me everyday. And I love them right back....they have the love-bites to prove it.

Peace out my peeps!

Sophie

Maxwell Has Left the Building

Maxwell left to go live with Donna and her 3 dogs and 2 cats until a new home is found for him. Although we love and miss the litle guy a lot, he needs a place where he can run around and be with other dogs. Our life and schedule has changed so much that he spent most of his time alone or crated. This energetic bundle of joy deserves more than that. This situation was perfect for all of us, since he did not have to go to a shelter. He will be fostered by someone I know until the perfect fit is found for him.

Donna will keep us up-to-date on how he is doing so that will we be assured he is still well.

Red Sox Nation

These days, Red Sox baseball in October is something that seems to be a forgone conclusion . Beckett, Tek, Youk and the boys just seem to keep getting better and better. This year has been a wild roller coaster ride as we expected to battle the Yankees (Evil Empire) for supremacy in the American League East. Little did we realize the Yankee dynasty would crumble, with their overpaid , over the hill superstars. Yankee Dynasty? Yankee Pride? They are now desolate just like there old worn out stadium.

The real battle this year was against the Rays of Tampa, who seems to be on their own Cinderella ride. As mentioned this year we have seen it all: Dice-K dominating with a 18-3 record , Pedroia -all 5ft 8 of him proving skeptics wrong and being an MVP candidate, and Manny Ramirez on May 14th making a spectacular catch and high-fiving a fan like only Manny can do. There was also the emotional moment of John Lester beating the odds of cancer and on May 19th throwing the 18th no-hitter in Red Sox history. Boy, we have really seen it all this year.

Speaking of Manny- as sad as I am to see him go, we didn’t miss a beat getting Jason Bay . I will admit I was very skeptical thinking this Pirate would be able to add anything to the mix, but he plays hard with a quiet confidence and that’s all you can expect from him.

We are now the underdogs again facing the Angels in the playoffs, but I have no doubt with the steady hand of Terry Francona we will pull through and be in the American League Championship series. World Champions 2004, 2007, and 2008?? Only time will tell, but I expect Papelbon will be doing his Riverdance again when it’s all over.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu43lbTrvOQ&feature=email

Here are me and Sarah getting ready to watch the playoffs!!

Showing Off

Just showing off some misc. photos from the past few days of our wonderful girls. Don't they just get cuter every day?? Sophie is turning into a strawberry blonde curly top and Sarah is growing into a beautiful little girl. Love them!!! xoxoxoxox

Library

On Saturday the 4th, Chris and I took Sarah and Sophie for their first trip to the library. After Sarah's dance class and our weekly trip to BK for an after-class snack, we decided to add-on another activity to our Saturday routine and figured a cheap alternative would be our local public library.

We managed to kill about an hour and a half there. Not too bad. Next week the library starts its free make-your-own crafts sessions which means we could kill almost 2 whole hours there. Nice!! Free books, free DVDs, free toys, free crafts, happy and worn down kids, maybe a nap for all once we get home (fingers crossed) ....love it!!!

Here is a picture to commemorate the day.

Sarah's First Trip to NYC

On Sunday September 21, Sarah, Aaron, Tina and I hopped the train to NYC to see the Laurie Berkner Band at Lincoln Center. The kids had their first train and taxi rides, first major concert, and their first visit to the gigantic Toys R Us store in Times Square.

They were both so well behaved (thanks to their incredible parents who raised them to be civil and well-adjusted toddlers) We had an awesome time. I think I bopped along to the music as much as Sarah did!

Here are some pics of our great day!!

Congratulations to Mom

On Saturday September 20th, we had the opportunity to celebrate Mom (Cheryl) in all her nursing glory. Mom had the honor of being presented with a special award from the New York State Volunteer Ambulance and Rescue Association in recognition of her work in the ER. I (Chris) would like to take credit here, since as a very sickly child with asthma I gave her a lot of practice and sleepless nights. LOL

This was a big night out for the wife and I without our 2 girls so we took full advantage. The ceremony was held at the Hudson Valley Resort and Spa in Kerhonkson, NY . We feasted on a nice 4 course meal of salad, pasta fagioli, chicken marsala and a nice strawberry shortcake to top it all off. The meal was decent- nothing like Romolos or Zana D, but we were there for Mom and not the meal. (This was also to be my last supper, which I will explain next time.)

Onto the ceremony, which was very well done with many thoughtful and emotional moments to reflect on. Mom got a well deserved standing ovation for not only excelling in the nursing field, but for persevering as a cancer survivor. Needless to say tears came to my eyes, (Where are my dark sunglasses when I need them?). The night ended with a few drinks and congratulations all around.

It made me feel great for Mom to receive her recognition in nursing excellence. In addition to the award she received this night, she also received similar awards back in May, and earlier in September (NYS Department of Health’s Emergency Medical Services award for Nurse of the Year). Not too shabby!!

I will also present my Mom with another award right now, The Best Mom Award. Here is a poem I found that sums it up a lot better than I could. (by Karl Fuchs)

For all the things I didn't say,About how I felt along the way--

For the love you give and the work you've done,Here's appreciation from your admiring son.
You cared for me as a little tot,When all I did was cry a lot, And as I grew your work did too--

I ran and fell and got black and blue.
I grew some more and it didn't stop. Now you had to become a cop To worry about mistakes I'd make.

You kept me in line for my own sake.
I got older, and the story repeated; You were always there whenever I needed.

You guided me and wished me the best, I became wiser and knew I was blessed.
So, for all the times I didn't say, The love I felt for you each day,

Mom, read this so you can always see Just how much you mean to me.

Andrew's 3rd

Andrew had his 3rd birthday party today at Little Gym. We got there a bit late, and Sarah had a small, yet temporary meltdown. Otherwise, all went well. We visited with the birthday boy afterwards at his casa before heading for home.

Here is a snapshot of Sarah and her future husband. Let's hear it for the happy couple. They will be registered at Tiffany's and Pottery Barn!

Hold Me Closer Tiny Dancer

Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand.

And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand

Sarah had her first ballet class this Saturday. I was worried that it would be a disaster- similar to her one day (make that 45 minute) career as a gymnast. I am happy to report, however, that she was wonderful!! Made her parents proud! She really enjoyed herself and did pretty well considering. Here are a few pics of Sarah looking pretty in pink.

Gao Shao Sisters Book Exchange

Sarah and her Gao Shao Sisters are having a little book exchange. Nothing like Oprah's Book Club or anything. It's just a way for the girls to share their favorite books with one another, as well as to get an autographed version of their book back when it's return to them.

The premise is this: Everyone picks a book and sends it to the next person on their list. Once two weeks goes by, you take the book you received and send it to the next person, etc and so on. Before you mail it out, you write something in the book for the original owner. By the time your book makes it through the list of readers and back to you (5 books will have made it through 5 little Gao Shao hands) , you will now have a keepsake that has messages from 5 of your sisters.

The first book we received was sent to us by Lexi. It was "Shaoey & Dot" by Stephen & Mary Beth Chapman. Great book. Here is Sarah on our final night with it.....

Sophie is a Chickpea

Sophie started Chickpeas on 9/9/08. Her first few days were a bit traumatic...both for her and Ms. Theresa I am sure. Many a tear were shed. About 7 hours a day worth. I am hoping she gets adjusted to her new surroundings soon, otherwise I have a feeling she will be my second child to be booted from daycare.

Waywayanda & Sarah's 1st Boat Ride

We went to a birthday party in August at Waywayanda State Park. While we were there, Captain Chris and his second-mate Sarah took one of those paddle boats out on to the lake.

They both looked quite cute in their coordinating life vests! After their travels, they took a well deserved rest while sipping on some Capri-Sun.

Graffiti Artist in Training

When Chris was sleeping in late one weekend morning, me and the girls headed outside in our PJs to chalk up the 'hood a bit. Here is Sarah practicing her craft. Mommy admits to helping her out a little...it's fun to deface your own property. Due to the dry spell we had, this art lasted on the sidewalk for about 2 weeks until the recent rains washed it all away. No worries, we've got an entire bucket of chalk just waiting to be used!

Around Town

We are lucky to live in such a lovely little town. There is nothing better than spending a sunny Sunday afternoon walking around town, grabbing a bite to eat at "La Petite Cuisine" and sampling the yummy candy of "Sweetbriars".

Zoo Time

This summer we visited both the Bear Mountain and Bronx Zoos.


The family took a trip to the Bear Mountain Zoo in NY to see some interesting species (and the animals weren't bad either......) Later than month -Mommy, Sarah, Sophie and some fellow Chickpeas took a ride down to Da Bronx for a class trip. Here are some pics from those trips.......

Sarah: The First Year

Thanks to Danny Malamis for inspiring me to get on this and make a tribute of my own. I loved what you did for Mia, and figured it was high time I did the same for Sarah. SCCs music is a perfect fit.

Warning: This is kind of long, so don't try this on dial-up!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

What is a Shop-A-Dot?

What is a “shop-a-dot”? (written by Chris)

One night during Sarah’s pre-bed routine of reading her books she began to read to me. She will usually look at the pictures and then try to explain what is happening. On this night, she was thumbing through the pages saying “the shop-a-dot did this” and “the shop-a-dot” did that. I said “Sarah what are you trying to say? A lot? A polka dot?” Since I was unable to decipher this word, I called in Anne-Marie to help. We both continued to guess without success. Sarah gave us a look like we were the dumb ones since we couldn’t understand this word that she was saying to clearly.

Needless to say as this went on, we got a bit hysterical and Sarah was laughing right along with us. I finally asked if the “shop-a-dot” was in the book and if it was to point it out to us. I asked her if there was a shop-a-dot in daddy’s car. The answer was no.

Then finally Sarah explains that a shop-a-dot is a blue dot. Not only that, but it’s a purple dot and a pink dot also. So we said “oh- you mean a polka dot”. Sarah looked at us again and said “no, shop-a-dot”. (she knows what a polka-dot is, so how that differs from a shop-a-dot is beyond me)

So, now that we knew the definition of the ever-elusive “shop-a-dot” we continued to finish reading and had a great time to say the least. One of the biggest thrills for me as a father is to watch and enjoy my beautiful little girl grow up and learn, as well as to teach us knew things. On this night, we learned about a shop-a-dot. Priceless.

Confessions

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. It has been two weeks since my last blog post.

Where did the time go??? I have no pics to post now, but here is a brief run-down of things from this summer...in no particular order:

• Sophie has 6 teeth....4 fully in and 2 of the pointer teeth just peeking through the gums
• Sophie has grown out of the baby tub and has progressed to the swivel seat in the tub where she now bathes with Sarah
• Sarah is 100% potty trained and accident free. She has been working on this for sometime now - we are thrilled for her!
• My sister Patricia was in and then out of the hospital over the 4th of July weekend. She is healing from her surgery and lounging at home for the next few weeks
• My summer schedule was approved so I am working four 10 hour days so I can be off a day during the week. So far, so good.
• Eddie Vedder asked Chris to come to his solo concert this summer at NJPAC.
• Sarah attended Aaron's third birthday on the FunBus and loved it.

I can't think of anything else at the moment, but I wanted to post something. If I have forgotten something that deserves a bullet in my list, please comment. It's possible I may have overlooked it.

Hopefully next post will be better!

Updates on the Man of the House

Pearl Jam Has Left the Building

Chris has returned home from his East Coast tour with Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam. Their itinerary consisted of two gigs at MSG, one in Hartford and then the farewell show in Mansfield, MA. Chris had some good seats -mainly due to his longstanding membership in the Pearl Jam Fan Club. $15 yearly dues have their benefits when you are able to get preferred seating somewhere in the first 15-20 rows. So close in fact that you can practically feel Eddie sweating on you!

This getaway did prove to be both for business and pleasure, as Chris was able to turn some purchases of T-shirts and Posters into an eBay windfall for himself. How awesome is it when you can buy a poster for $25 and resell it on eBay for $100+ dollars???? That's capitalism at its best.

Chris' last stop on his concert tour will lead him to the Bergen PAC for Sammy Hagar and the Waboritos at the end of this month.

Red Sox

Boston is a game and a half back of the D'Rays today. Trying to keep up momentum going into our upcoming series with the Evil Empire (aka Yankees) Hoping to at least go into the All-Star break ahead or at least tied for first. Yanks are 6.5 games back and eating our dust.

UFC

Earlier in June, Chris traveled down to his favorite bookstore in Ridgewood for a book signing with none other that Tito Ortiz. Even though Tito is officially out of the UFC, Chris wanted to swap mixed martial arts (MMA) small-talk and take a few pics with the wrestler-turned-author.

Chickpeas Graduation 2008

Five more little chickpeas are all grown up and off to kindergarten next year. Today was the graduation ceremony and luncheon at Sarah's daycare/school. Even though Sarah has been going here for 2 years or so, I had never went to one of the ceremonies, simply because Sarah wasn't graduating, so I didn't see the point. Well, after seeing the production Theresa put on today, I can say that I was wrong. First off, these kids are just so darn cute....all decked out in their purple and gold caps and gowns. All the class participated in the festivities and did songs and dances for the families. I took lots of video, but due to the size of them, I will only post these two here to the blog.

This one could be a public service announcement:




This is the "Hamster Dance" as performed by Virginia, Sarah and Alizah.



Cute, right?? Anyhow it was a great day and I know that before you can say "Pickles and Pickcheas" Sarah will be wearing that same purple and gold and walking down the aisle for her Chickpeas graduation. Crap, I am starting to cry!

Oh- Also in attendance was Chris and Sophie. Here is a picture of the stunning pair...

Lastly, all the kids get an award from Theresa in acknowledgement of their accomplishments. Sarah was awarded "Most Improved Student for Making Great Strides in Development". Yeah Sarah...you rock girl!! Mommy and Daddy and Sofa (her nickname for Sophie) are very proud of you!

Even though today was the last day of the "official" school year, Sarah will be back at Theresa's on July 7 for the summer session.

That about wraps up my post for this evening. Nighty- night all..............................

Pictures & The Big Apple Circus

The Manasier's had a busy Saturday this past weekend. The morning started off with a photo session with Tina, our resident pho-tog. Previews of the day can be seen at http://www.lifeisahighwayphotography.blogspot.com/ under the "Sister Sister" title.

We (okay ME..... Chris didn't care one way or the other) ultimately wanted to get family pics and a few good ones for possible Christmas cards, but what we wound up with is still to be determined. Sarah, while smart, funny and beautiful- can also be an absolute diva and terror. She was not feeling the photography vibe too much and really made Tina earn her money. Sophie was pretty good until she checked her watch and realized it was bottle and nap time. Like any union laborer would do, she punched her timecard, took her break and was done for the day. By that time there was no more amusing Sarah...the gigantic lollipop has lost its charm and we headed home. Many 'props' to Tina who was a cool as a cucumber while I was stressing about my children's less than perfect behavior.

Later that day, after naps and lunch, we headed to the Big Apple Circus. A great time was had by all. We were a little worried at first because five minutes into the show Sarah said she wanted to go home. I think she was a little overwhelmed with the noise and the clowns. Once she got used to it, she was great. She cheered and clapped and was a perfect angel for 2 hours and 15 minutes. She even went pee-pee on the potty and had zero accidents. Sophie was great too. She did start to lose it about 20 minutes before it ended, so I walked around outside with her until she fell to sleep.

That was our Saturday. No pictures to share now. Sorry.

Oh- and to all my supporters who commented on my last post- THANK YOU. I am happy to announce the strike has been averted!!!

Is There Anyone Out There?

I have noticed lately the lack of comments on my blog. I try to be witty and funny and original and I am getting the feeling my effort is for naught. Say something people.....anything.

"Nice pictures", "funny stuff", "you are a total nutball" - I am itching for anything at this point. Don't make me have my own private writer's strike. My demands are simple.....if I don't get at least 3 comments on this entry by end of day Sunday, I am picking up my picket sign and hitting the sidewalk.

Thanks to my "Friends" below for supporting me in this possible strike.