THE ROSS EXPERIENCE

Edwin having fun with the whiteboard

2012-02-19T10:42:00.001-05:00

New Haircut - Looking Sharp for the Vday Party

2012-02-13T10:46:00.004-05:00

Grandma Nikki came over on Sunday to give Edwin a haircut...he asked for her to cut it short enough for him to use gel like his daddy...end result - CUTE, CUTE, CUTE!!! and just in time for his Valentine's Party at school...

Edwin had all eyes on him this morning when I dropped him off at school. Today was his Valentine's party and he was so excited that he woke up an hour early with excitement! On the way to school we stopped at the grocery and I let Edwin pick out a rose for each of his teachers...he picked 2 red roses and told the cashier all about them. They were buy one get one so for $2 he made quite the Valentine's Day impact!!!!

Dave Ross - A Published Writer

2012-02-10T11:40:00.000-05:00

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/daugherty/2012/02/10/the-morning-line-210-hreardon-edition/

Check out this guest spot by none other than Dave Ross - who knew all of that useless sports knowledge and awesome writing skills would make such an impact!!!! WAY TO GO DAVE!!!!

FYI: His Cincinnati.com screen name is hreardon...

Smiles and Such

2012-02-09T09:22:00.003-05:00

another bites the dust!

2012-02-06T19:24:00.001-05:00

Meredith lost yet another tooth.

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Your First Look

2012-02-03T15:43:00.000-05:00

Here is our #3...so perfect at 12 weeks...

WEEK IN REVIEW

2012-01-29T13:54:00.003-05:00

Madeline has officially turned "7" this week. To celebrate, we.... I mean Matt and Madeline went to a "Dinner with Dad " night at Mr. Anthony's Banquet Hall. Matt said there were around 700 people there!! What an event on Madeline's birthday :) They had dinner, entertainment provided by a juggler/magician/ventriloquist, and raffles. They didn't win anything (that is b/c I wasn't there ha!). Since Meredith and I didn't get invited to that dinner, we did dinner with Grandma. Yum!
Also, if you received an email containing a link from my AOL account, I am so sorry! It got hacked. I got my first clue when a dental rep called me at work to ask why I would send him a male enhancement pill email. Ugh!

We rounded out birthday season with Papa, Deb, Grandma, and us going out to Salsita's for dinner and presents. It was the night of parties there as we had to wait 50 minutes to get a table. WHAT? But it was Madeline's choice, so we had to stick it out. It made the margarita taste even better once we were seated.

The hit gift was the boombox from Grandma. The girls have been busting a move all day while they play.

Ice Skating

2012-01-27T20:25:00.001-05:00

New Camera Lens - HAPPY BIRTHDAY ME!!!

2012-01-27T19:53:00.003-05:00

Dave got me a new macro lens for my birthday and I'm so excited!!! The level of detail is great and I can't wait to start getting pics of my jewelry on ETSY!!!!

WEEK IN REVIEW

2012-01-22T13:24:00.005-05:00

So much has happened, but no time to comment. Whew. Welcome to January , I guess. For those of you who may not have heard, last week we said "goodbye" to Grandma Marge. She was a spry young age of 91! She was in fairly good health, but things turned badly after Christmas. My Uncle Bob and Aunt Ginny reassured us that she was in fine spirits on Christmas Day (you know, really enjoying her beer!!). So we know that she left us satisfied with her life. I was able to travel to Oil City a week before she passed away to say my own goodbyes. I am grateful for that.
The girls did an amazing job with all the funeral events that occurred (Madeline didn't remember Grandma Patty's obviously). They were excited and cheering that they were able to go to the funeral home to see Grandma Marge laid out. I questioned them why they were so happy. Meredith replied, " Because I didn't get the chance to see Grandma Patty!". So apparently , the girls want closure and inclusion on these kind of things.

We also had birthday celebrations for Madeline's 7th and Meredith's 5th! I am enclosing a link to all the photos. I was happy to get a decent photo of the cousins.

Again, thank you to all for your sympathy and support during this time and SUPER thank you for all the spoiling you have done with bday gifts for the girls.

2012-01-20T20:24:00.000-05:00

Guess who lost a tooth?? Meredith is happy to get money from the tooth fairy, but not so happy to taste the hole. HAHA.

Let the COUNTDOWN Begin

2012-01-06T13:19:00.001-05:00

32 weeks until Dave and I are outnumbered...went to my first dr apppointment today. Not much news at this point...just confirmation that a new baby is on the way!!! We are thrilled...Edwin is already saying it is a brother, we'll see if he'll be right again!

Thanks in advance for all prayers and positive thoughts!!!

Fun Pics

2012-01-05T11:25:00.000-05:00

Edwin started back to school yesterday and made this Happy New Year's hat...he told me that he designed it with sideburns...LOVE IT!!!

Christmas Wrap-Up!

2012-01-03T20:16:00.004-05:00

Homemade meatloaf dinner for our SuperHero Christmas Celebration!

COUSINS!!! So excited to start opening their mountain of gifts!!!

A trip north...Edwin so proud of the gifts he picked out all by himself...only took 1-1/2 hours at the dollar store! LOL

Lyla had so much fun!!!

But the best part...COOKIES COOKIES COOKIES!!!!

So many thank you notes to write...LOVED Christmas this year!!!!

WEEK IN REVIEW

2012-01-02T16:16:00.006-05:00

The SNOW is here!! I can't say that I missed the white stuff in December, but at least it waited until the new year to start dumping on us. Brrr.
I have finally uploaded our photos for the month of December including Christmas Eve, Christmas, Meredith's birthday, New Years' Eve , and New Years' Day (the last two are technically January, but hey, who wants to wait to see them ??).

The girls had a blast with all the relative visiting once again. They are still asking, " who is coming over today?". They are certainly bummed to hear it is only their parents around today.
I believe I was one of the few suckers who went to work today. I started the year with one annoying patient after another. So obnoxious! I ended the day with a cry baby 8 year old boy. WOW!! He didn't even have his zipper up AT ALL. I even had a woman complain that I ruined her sweater after "water" dripped off my glove onto her shirt. "THat's not water!!! It's too dark. This is my new shirt!". Really, the assistant had to spray water on her own shirt to show her that water makes the fabric darker. What a day!!!
For those of you wondering, I ended up with THIRD place overall for the NFL pick 'em poll this year!! No pay out however. Boo! But, I have the satisfaction that there is no rhyme or reason to who wins these games (and Mr. Statistics a.k.a. Matt was left in 16th place). :)
Anyways, here is the link to December's photos (There were some focusing issues as I learn my new lens! )

SuperHero Christmas has BEGUN!!!

2011-12-23T13:38:00.002-05:00

Most of you know that I hate waiting to give gifts...well, Edwin got to experience how awesome it is to get something early today...I gave him his "new" 1975 SuperHero sleeping bag that I found on EBAY as an early Christmas gift this morning...can you tell he loves it? I thought it was a great way to kick off our SuperHero Christmas Celebration...and don't forget that the Christmas Superhero is JESUS!!! God Bless and Merry Christmas to all of our readers...lots of Christmas pics to come!!! BUSY weekend ahead!!!

and we have CURTAINS!!!!

2011-12-19T22:16:00.002-05:00

These are my new curtains for the living room and the inspiration of our entire paint palette...LOVE THEM...can't wait to take pics of the rest of our interior updates to share!!! The house is feeling like OUR HOME...so excited!

Gingerbread Creations

2011-12-19T21:57:00.004-05:00

THE SUPPLIES:

THE PARTY: We hosted our gingerbread/icing craft night tonight...so fun to bring one of our Christmas traditions to the new neighborhood...what a fun night!!!

Lyla was very happy with a sugar cookie and her own bowl of icing...Uncle Matt - WATCH OUT...I think you have some competition...

Edwin with his masterpiece!

christmas program

2011-12-19T10:50:00.004-05:00

Meredith had her program today. In the second video, she is at the microphone for her solo debut announcing the upcoming song! I had a horrible time trying to video camera and camera video simultaneously. HAHA. And it didn't help that people were up and down a lot and there was this chrome dome in front of me. HAHA.

A Superhero Christmas

2011-12-18T14:08:00.004-05:00

It has been a busy weekend at the Ross house. Friday night we went to dinner with some friends and I was once again impressed by Lyla's eating abilities...she LOVED the tacos, chips, and refried beans. What a fun night out!

Yesterday we went to the Eagles Christmas party with Grandma Nikki and Grandpa Mike. Edwin really enjoyed himself. There was a ventriloquist and Edwin really seemed to be entertained by all of his voices. There was an elf band – Edwin informed me that they must be robot elves because real elves are little. He got to see Santa (again) and this time he remembered to ask for EVERYTHING on his list. There were plenty of treats and Edwin loved running around with Liam and Lyla at the end of the party.

Our landscaping also got installed yesterday. It might not look like much now…but in the spring, when everything blooms…I think it is going to look awesome. I need to go shopping after Christmas to buy some outside trees for our newly found porch too!

This morning we put up the official (large) superhero tree…Edwin is lending his big Batman for the tree topper so that he can protect the tree. Edwin was excited about the superhero ornaments I made him (with the help of Cassie). Now the fun of keeping Lyla away for the next week begins…at least these are ornaments she can’t break!!!

Rich Woods - More Progress

2011-12-14T14:31:00.002-05:00

Today we started our major landscaping project - goodbye ugly bushes!!!

BEFORE:

IN PROGRESS:

Edwin - My Little Angel

2011-12-14T14:21:00.005-05:00

Edwin's preschool Christmas program was today. He did an awesome job!!! Afterward, he had an intense meeting with Santa...

I was getting tired of the orange...

2011-12-11T22:39:00.000-05:00

...so I changed the look of this blog in the hopes it would make me post more often.

What's been going on with me lately?

Long hours at work plus my egregiously long commute from the suburbs hasn't left much free time for posting.
Free time I do have is spent hanging with the kids.
Hanging with the kids consist of the NFL package on Sundays, which has allowed me to completely brainwash Edwin into Steelers & Tebow fandom.
Football Sundays mean beer in cans. Yuengling is now sold in Ohio, so there's that. I'm really liking the canned variety.
The 4 items listed above plus less-than-stellar eating habits have led me to pack on a more pounds than I would prefer. I gotta get on track before the caloric assault on my body that is Christmas in Youngstown & Pittsburgh.
Lists are the easiest posts to write, so expect more of them.

week in review

2011-12-11T14:51:00.001-05:00

Guess who won a basket from church? :-).

We had a great (chilly) trip to Columbus last night for zoo lights. My dental school friends and their two daughters meet up with us for the evening! It really gets you in the Christmas spirit (and the dreading winter weather Haha).

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Edwin's SuperHero Tree (#1)

2011-12-09T13:04:00.001-05:00

amazing what a $5 clearance tree (bought post Christmas last year), a $3 package of pipecleaners, $3 of foam sheets and some printed superhero pictures off the internet can do for a kid's Christmas excitement level...excited to do tree #2...

HOUSE UPDATE

2011-12-07T15:12:00.001-05:00

BEFORE:

IN PROGRESS:

BEFORE:

IN PROGRESS:

WEEK IN REVIEW

2011-12-04T13:10:00.004-05:00

Yay, it's December! Only a few short weeks until my next time off of work. HAHA. The girls had a blast over the Thanksgiving holiday. They saw so many relatives that it was kind of lonely here for a few days. :( A fantastic turkey (that provided many , many meals ) was provided by Papa and Deb. The girls and I made sure to make our turkey sugar cookies. Couldn't forget about that one!

We headed right over to Grandma Mueller's for more family visiting (no eating, we are stuffed).

Friday after T-day, we hosted Claudia's birthday party. I guess we didn't have enough desserts... yeah right.

We even got the great grandmas together!

Our next event was finally getting our waterline replaced. Bad news.... I can't tell a difference with the pressure. Therefore, tomorrow someone is getting an earful! Soooooooooooooo ticked!!

Finally, today we decorated the tree! Dolly and Kenny's Christmas CD was playing while we did it. Meredith was dancing the whole time. Madeline loves to sing along with them. Too funny!

Merry Christmas

2011-11-30T14:43:00.003-05:00

Much to Edwin's delight - our theme this year for our Christmas Celebration is...

SUPERHERO CHRISTMAS!

We have been busy making superhero Christmas ornaments and I'm excited to see what else I can come up with to decorate the house before the holiday arrives...pictures coming soon!!!

My little Superhero can't wait for Christmas this year. He's made a list a mile (or two) long and asks everyday if it is Christmas yet...

Link to all of our Christmas Pics...

Done

2011-11-24T20:32:00.002-05:00

Thanksgiving is over...on to Christmas!!!

Thankful Doesn't Even Begin to Describe It...

2011-11-24T18:11:00.002-05:00

Edwin Preschool Photos

2011-11-23T20:55:00.003-05:00

We finally got Edwin's preschool pictures back...look at my LITTLE man...so cute! I asked why he didn't smile in the group shot and his response "well, I just didn't want to..." Sounds reasonable...hahaha

Thanks to Mary Lou's awesome scrapbooking...this is a picture of Dave in preschool...now, he was in a 4-year-old class...and Edwin is currently in a 3-year-old program...but wow...is Edwin a little Dave in the making, or what? It will be great to compare these photos again next year!!!

WEEK IN REVIEW

2011-11-20T11:59:00.004-05:00

The highlight of my week was ..... you guessed it, going to the midnight opening show of Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga)!!!! I even drove down to Columbus to go see it with a high school friend. It was the first time I actually went to the theater to see any of these movies, so it really was a treat to see Edward and Jacob in massive proportions. :) Megan asked if I was the oldest one there. After briefly being insulted (ha) , I assured her that there were plenty of 40 and 50 year old women there as well. It was definitely an experience which I will probably repeat next November for the last movie :(

The girls are excited for a short school week and then plenty of visitors. YAY! We hope that you all have a very awesome Thanksgiving!

Southline Design

2011-11-19T16:49:00.002-05:00

Had another successful craft show experience today. Getting much better with the time it takes to set up and clean up...so that is great! Today's show was a quick one...10am-2pm at Edwin's school. Lots of people stopped by to see me today and I am so grateful to have such supporting fiends/family. My best friend (Cassie) is one of th e most creative people I know and she also set up today. It is so much fun being next to my best friend...helping each other on our new ventures! LOVE IT! If you or anyone you know are looking for hairbows, Cassie is AWESOME!!! Let me know if you want her information!

So Happy for Grandma Nikki

2011-11-16T23:07:00.002-05:00

Grandma Nikki stopped by with some fall treats (turkey and leaf icing cookies and M&M cookies) and this was how the kids responded...SO HAPPY!!!! She took this picture...too cute not to share!

Welcome to the Hood

2011-11-13T14:55:00.002-05:00

This past week I was invited to my first Rich Woods Ct craft night. SOOOOO EXCITED about this! A neighborhood craft night every other week during winter months? Sign me up!!! At the craft night, I finally got to meet my across-the-street-neighbors...who are great! A few days later, our doorbell rings and we get a special welcome to the hood delivery - 12 cupcakes!!! Think they know us yet? hahahaha...anyhow, we all enjoyed them, but no one more than Lyla who proudly wore hers as a beard!!! Glad to have so many new friends!!!

A New Office

2011-11-13T14:42:00.002-05:00

Edwin asked me a few weeks ago if he could have a new office like mine. I told him we'd look at desks and perhaps he could ask Santa for one...well, some of our friends called and asked if we'd want one that their kids outgrew and we said yes. Dave was worried it would be yet another piece of plastic...but guess who LOVES it!!!!

He spent a few hours setting it up. Even separated his colored pencils into darks and brights...yep, he is my kid! I think he'll be spending a lot of time in his new office!!!

vacuuming video of Meredith

2011-11-06T20:01:00.001-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkRNKapHRlk

I wish this actually worked.

WEEK IN REVIEW

2011-11-06T16:58:00.003-05:00

Finally we got to do that ACTUAL trick or treating event. Seems like we have been halloweening for a week :) Papa got to come celebrate with us. So much fun! Thanks to him, Matt and I were able to go together for the first time with the girls around the neighborhood (along with the neighbor boys). Thanks, Dad :)

Meredith finally had her picture taken at school this week. I can't wait to see how that smile turned out ! Her bow managed to make it the whole day so I think it should be a winner.

Ok , my funny for the week.

I took the girls to the bathroom at Chili's. Madeline goes in her own stall. Meredith and I are in another. Meredith and I are faster than Madeline and are washing our hands waiting on Madeline. That's when we heard a very audible "poof". ***I know that this is coming from whoever is in the THIRD stall **** Meredith loudly laughs, " Madeline STINKERED!". I quickly cover her mouth and whisper that wasn't her. I am trying to keep it together. But... Madeline now emerges and announces, "that was NOT me!". Oh crap, hurry up and wash hands we need to run out of here. I couldn't even speak until we made it to the car. Of course, all of us were crying from laughter . Happy November!

Happy Halloween!!!

2011-10-31T20:30:00.003-04:00

We had a full day today. Edwin had his preschool party and costume parade and his last day of soccer. He got to play goalie today and LOVED it! Watch out Uncle Matt...looks like you have someone to practice with on our trips up north! Then it was home for Trick-Or-Treat. Grandma Nikki and Grandpa Mike joined us for chili dinner and a trip around our neighborhood. It had the perfect number of houses for Edwin and we had great weather...so it all worked out and was a fun day/night. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2011-10-30T13:55:00.007-04:00

We've had lots of Halloween activities these past few days. Madeline's school parade and party,

neighbor's costume party,

pumpkin carving,

and tomorrow trick or treat and party for Meredith. These costumes got their use out of them this year (and thank goodness Madeline's has survived despite being WHITE). :) Have a great Halloween!!

Making Lyla Laugh

2011-10-26T12:58:00.001-04:00

New Tricks from School

2011-10-26T12:56:00.002-04:00

Edwin is constantly bringing home great artwork and new phrases that he's learned at school. Today - these were a few of his new tricks that he couldn't wait to share!

Edwin and Soccer

2011-10-26T12:54:00.003-04:00

Next week is Edwin's final week of soccer. I think he's doing a great job and he LOVES to practice. He knows how to dribble, trap, pull-back, jump over the ball, pass with the inside of his foot, and of course score...not too bad for a few weeks!!! I think Uncle Matt would be proud!

LEGOS

2011-10-25T22:06:00.002-04:00

AJ gave Edwin tons of her old legos...he built this helicopter today...it also can be a boat and a car...impressive! Needless to say he LOVES them!

WEEK IN REVIEW

2011-10-23T16:31:00.006-04:00

The girls and I recently got our flu shots. I didn't have any symptoms after mine, but as usual , the girls were sniffly messes after their "mists". I was the one wiping their noses. Hmmm, coincidentally(?) I get flu -like symptoms 2 days after that. I have been sick for a week. Man, I hope this clears me for the season. (fingers crossed!). This would be the reason for no blog last weekend.

Last Friday, I looked out my window to find this:

I was given no warning about them coming, but there they were! The water co. digging up our yard . Conclusion: It is our responsibility to replace the water pipe from our house to the sidewalk. It must be constricted. Oh thank you, and goodbye. So we play the waiting game of getting a quote. Boo!

Today, is a beautiful October weather day ....to do....YARD WORK!! Hip Hip Hoor-NOT! But when we waited this long to mow the grass, pack up the patio furniture, do leaves, clean the garage, I guess we are more than fortunate to have a warm , sunny day to get it done. Thank you Mother Nature .

The girls were more than excited to spend the afternoon outside to allow Matt and me to clean. We ALMOST got everything done today, but that darn Steelers game kickoff came sooner than we expected. HAHA. Here are some leaf fun pics.

Lyla 16 Months

2011-10-22T07:13:00.004-04:00

Lyla had her well baby 15-month check up at the doctor last Friday...since I was a month behind getting her to the dr, I thought I'd post her stats for her 16-month update. 16-months - can you believe that? Lyla is getting pretty good on her feet these days. She is basically running everywhere. One of her favorite things to do is try to jump. Her feet never leave the ground, but she cracks up trying! She loves to dance and she is really starting to try to talk. Words I've heard - bowl, up, cup, down, dog, mama, and dad. She can roar like a lion, meow like a cat, bark like a dog and she is great at following directions (ex: get mama a diaper, put this on the table, bring me a book, etc). Of course, she is also 16-months, which means frequent melt downs and drama that only a girl can provide.

Stats:
Weight: 27 lbs 7.5 ozs (95%)
Height: 30" (35%)

carving night

2011-10-19T22:39:00.000-04:00

Grandpa Randy took Edwin to Carving Night at his school and they had so much fun. They brought home this beautifully carved pumpkin (which Grandma Nikki and Grandpa Mike let Edwin pick out a few weeks ago) and Edwin was so proud. THANKS Grandpa Randy!

Rockshop Progress Update

2011-10-16T12:39:00.003-04:00

This weekend I got my first load of rocks to the rockshop...OMG! Overwhelming is an understatement. I can't believe this is only a 1/3 of what is to come...I worked all day yesterday and these are some progress shots...more to come. My first craft show is on October 29th...can't wait!!!

When is Halloween???

2011-10-16T12:32:00.003-04:00

"Is it Halloween YET????"

It can't come soon enough for two kids who love dressing up!!!

Happy Birthday Grandpa Randy!

2011-10-16T12:30:00.001-04:00

Edwin asked to make a cake for Grandpa Randy's birthday. He thought he needed a party...So, here it is...X MARKS THE SPOT was Edwin's theme idea! Too fun!

Edwin's First Field Trip - Blooms & Berries

2011-10-10T19:47:00.003-04:00

Today I went with Edwin on his first field trip! We went to Blooms & Berries. Edwin picked a bumpy pumpkin for him and couldn't leave the patch without picking a baby pumpkin for his sister...he has all of the other moms (and teachers) thinking he is the sweetest and cutest boy around. I think they're right...and I also think it has something to do with the fact that he is so tiny and sensitive.

It was a perfect day for a field trip for a few reasons. The weather was AMAZING and Dave was off work for Columbus Day...so I didn't have to find a sitter for Lyla. After our field trip, we picked Dave and Lyla up and went to watch Edwin play soccer. Since he plays on Mondays after school, Dave hasn't had a chance to see him in action...so this was another PERFECT chance to make that happen. Edwin was so excited to show Dave his skills! They've been practicing in our front yard for a couple weeks now and it is really starting to pay off!

WEEK IN REVIEW

2011-10-09T16:15:00.006-04:00

Talk about some nice weather!! I didn't think we would need our shorts again this year, but I was wrong . We had to go digging for the girls sandals, too. The weather totally cooperated with our plan to Whitehouse Fruit Farm on Saturday with Papa and Deb. YAY! Deb had just been in New Orleans for work, but remembered to get a souvenir for the girls. I love them!

We succeeded in our pumpkin selection, however, there were some really warty, and popcorny looking ones this year. Yucks! The girls were thrilled to get a lemon shake while we were there. To entertain the kids, a baby Alpaca, turtle, ponies, pig, and turkeys were at the petting zoo.

Madeline was most impressed by the caterpillar. You enter its nose

and exit its butt. How gross!

We continued our busy day with the purchase of the kids' Halloween costumes. Madeline selected a Sailor girl. Meredith will be Snow White (Lucia was her the last year; I wonder if that has anything to do with it). If only Trick or Treating could be on a day like this!

Special Delivery

2011-10-08T14:01:00.002-04:00

Apparently they don't deliver VERA WANG ORANGE ROSES on Sundays...so today I got an early anniversary treat! After 7 years, I'm still spoken for...

Mantle - TAKE 1

2011-10-04T21:32:00.002-04:00

At the old house, our TV was our mantle centerpiece...so this is all new territory for me. This is my first attempt at decorating a mantle - and it is SO BIG!!! I think it looks better than EMPTY...but still needs some work.

Fall Weather Playtime

2011-10-04T21:29:00.001-04:00

Edwin and Malcom enjoying a beautiful fall evening...dinner and playtime outside on the deck!

Eggs Breaking

2011-10-04T21:26:00.003-04:00

That is the sound I hoped I would never hear again after Edwin fell in April 09...but alas, Lyla needed some head trauma. So yesterday, she fell in the neighbor's driveway and I heard the eggs breaking noise again. I scooped her up and it immediately started to bruise and swell...this is one day later and I think the best colors are yet to come. She is a trooper though. She only cried for a few minutes and then was ready to play some more! Glad we don't have pictures scheduled for another month!

SUCCESS Looks Like This

2011-10-01T20:20:00.000-04:00

Gearing up for a COLD walk...

Our WALKING Team...thanks everyone!!! Our team finished in 8th place and I finished as #2 individual fundraiser overall...our team raised $4075...exceeding all expectations and our goal of $2500!
Consider this your warning - NEXT YEAR WE WILL INCREASE OUR GOAL AGAIN...
Start saving that loose change now, I know we are!

I'm so proud of my family. I have a husband that truly believes in me and kids that will one day appreciate what a small group of people can accomplish when they believe in something bigger than themselves. I'm so excited to help them learn the power of helping others...and thanks to Dave for believing in me every step of the way!

Grams - today was for YOU! We miss you terribly...and hope that one day our efforts will help find a cure!

Post Walk - Betty Eyes!!!!

excited

2011-10-01T10:02:00.001-04:00

Guess who is excited for her first swim lesson? And for her first big girl robe?
p.s. well wishes for The Betty's Marbles team today!

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Beautiful Lyla - BETTY Eyes

2011-09-29T18:01:00.003-04:00

As our Alzheimer's Walk approaches, I've had Grams and Paps on my mind a lot this week. Today I was thinking about how much Lyla reminds me of Grams when she smiles...I think it is in her eyes...I'm so thankful to see my Grams everyday through Lyla. I know that she would be so proud of our team this year...so would Paps. Still can't believe we raised over $4000...unbelievable. Can't wait to do the walk on Saturday in our new Betty's Marbles sweatshirts. They arrived today and they are PERFECT! Lots of pics to come!!!

A New Superhero in Edwin's Arsenal!

2011-09-28T13:46:00.001-04:00

THE PIANO

2011-09-26T21:36:00.004-04:00

Edwin not quite ready for his driver's license

2011-09-25T15:32:00.000-04:00

week in review

2011-09-25T15:12:00.001-04:00

Our big news for this weekend is our big purchase...relatively speaking. A brand new piano! They were selling them at the elementary school today. They are delivering it tomorrow!! My existing piano can't be tuned anymore on the lower scales. I am so excited. I plan to sign up madeline a.s.a.p.
The photo above is showing off their new "halos" from the craft show.

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Jeans

2011-09-21T16:48:00.001-04:00

2011-09-19T15:10:00.001-04:00

Melinda and I need to live on this street!

Laughing

2011-09-19T14:08:00.000-04:00

Is there anything better than hearing your kids laugh??? LOVE it!!!!

Cheers!

2011-09-19T14:06:00.001-04:00

Our Day at the Comic Expo

2011-09-18T09:30:00.006-04:00

So about a month or so ago, I'm waiting for my drink in a downtown Starbucks. And I glance at the community bulletin board and see this:

There's a Cincinnati Comic Expo? This would be perfect event for a Daddy/Edwin day out. (I'm trying to spend one day per month doing something out of the house for just Edwin and me; I'll probably add a Lyla day in a year or so.)

Well, yesterday was the day. Edwin decided to get decked out in a Batman T-shirt and Batman sneakers:

(Edwin actually woke up Friday morning an hour early raring to go. "Ready for the Comic Expo!" he smiled. He was crushed when Mindy and I told him he had a wait one more day until Saturday.)

There were some pretty strange characters down there. Edwin's favorites were Batman and Robin, of course. Other interesting sightings included a 7-foot Predator walking around posing for pictures and parents dressed as Hans Solo and Princess Leia pushing a Millennium Falcon stroller with their kid dressed as Luke Skywalker.

(This event conjured up similar feelings as my first time at the Renaissance Festival: thoughts like "wow, look at these nerds in their costumes". But then I remember that just because I grew up a sports fan rather than a comic/fantasy/sci-fi fan, doesn't make my interests any less nerd-like. Somehow though, being a sports fan--at least in the Midwest--is considered less nerdy. However, when we left the Convention Center and took the 4-block walk back to the car, we saw numerous baseball fans arriving downtown for the Reds game. I don't know why grown men dressed up as Joey Votto should be considered any less nerdy than if they were dressed up as Superman.)

Here's the first item Edwin picked, a Batman and Robin comic:

This is the artist, Terry Huddleston, we bought some posters from (Edwin choose two, a Green Lantern and a Green Arrow):

As we flipped through his portfolios, he went on a long dissertation about since they've brought everything else back from the '80s, like the Transformers, it was time they brought back M.A.S.K.

Afterwards still on a super hero high, Edwin enjoys some chicken fingers and french fries:

Edwin at home with all of his loot (that's a Lego Buzz Lightyear above Edwin's left shoulder):

All By Myself...

2011-09-14T14:26:00.004-04:00

So, my goal was to take "real" pics of Edwin following his first day of preschool by himself...but it rained...so that plan quickly failed. This is a picture of Edwin getting in his seat to go to school. He was so excited about his big day!

When we got to school, he did everything that he was taught to do on Monday. He came in, said hello to his teacher, found his name on the table and put it on the LOOK WHO'S HERE poster, hung his backpack on a peg, gave his homework to his teacher , stood in line to wash his hands, washed his hands and then found a seat at an activity table. I was one proud mama! I called him over and told him that Lyla and I were leaving...he said, "okay. what time will the car be back to get me?" I told him 11:15 and he said, "okay. make sure it has plenty of gas!" and that was it...no crying. no mama don't go. no nothing...a simple smile as I turned around and walked away. I caught myself getting a little choked up and then remembered that he still "needs" me...hahaha...

Lyla and I did some errands and then went to library time. I used to take Edwin to library time a lot at our old house and I've been missing the interaction...so I was glad to find a time that I can do this with Lyla. I love the activity time with her. I think that will quickly become a Wednesday routine for us!

When I went back to get Edwin, he was very excited to tell me about his day. In this order: "I painted a sunshine, the bumblebees (later figured out that this is the name of another class) were at the playset with us, ate goldfish, read a story about a toad that built a road, made a wrench out of play-doh for my teacher, said hi to the kids, went pee standing up, and cried a little in my class because I missed you." All in all, sounds like an amazing 1st day!!!! So proud of him!!! He is so ready for this step...and yes, I'm patting myself on the back today - this mama has done a good job! I think I deserve a promotion and raise! LOL

After lunch, it was time for some much deserved playtime with Lyla! They are getting really good at playing together! LOVE THAT!!!

BatCrab

2011-09-14T14:20:00.000-04:00

Pleased (or not so pleased LOL) to introduce the newest member of the Ross Family. BATCRAB joined our family on Sunday thanks to AJ and Uncle Matt. Edwin is of course beyond excited and I think gave it an appropriate name...now if he wasn't terrified to touch it so that HE could take care of it! haha

Edwin Starts School...WHAT?????

2011-09-12T15:56:00.002-04:00

Today was Edwin's first day of school. It was a short day (45 mins) and I was able to stay with him...Wednesday will be his first day by himself. I think he's really going to like it!

Lyla was running around helping Edwin gather all of his stuff and get ready to go.

Is he grown up or what?

I know Edwin is LITTLE, but geez...he seems so much younger than the other people in his class because they are so much bigger than him...

I'm not sad...I just can't believe how fast 3 years have flown by. It seems like yesterday Dave and I were bringing Edwin home with his car seat buckled wrong wondering how they let us out of the hospital...and now...he is becoming a self-sufficient, independent boy who dreams of growing up to become the "actual Batman so that he can drive the actual Batmobile!"

WEEK IN REVIEW

2011-09-11T15:26:00.006-04:00

BUSY! That is what the Ross Household has been for the past 2 weeks. We hosted many family and friends over Labor Day week. Matt felt the need to create a spreadsheet of who is coming, staying, and leaving when. I guess he wanted to make sure everyone was fed and had a bed. :) Our biggest responsibility was watching Edwin and Lyla! I am pretty secure that stopping at 2 kids was the right idea. HAHA. 4 kids 2 days in a row by myself was tiring! Even though they pretty much entertained themselves, it was still energy wasting. The girls LOVED it ...ALL of it. Even sleeping in the office while Edwin and Lyla got their rooms. The picture is above are "pacifiers" that they made.

I utilized Madeline as a little "mom" for Edwin and Lyla. She was so proud to be the "boss" of the 3 littler kids. I think that Edwin liked it too! He doesn't know any better yet. :) She was in charge of washing the kids off after meals.

We couldn't have been any hotter one of the days. MELTING!! We only lasted an hour ...maybe! Lyla was red cheeked and sweaty. We even tried to cool off with water guns. Only worked a little. We stayed well hydrated with a juicebox (Lyla didn't get one, but was quick to try an EMPTY one out when she got her chance).

Trying to get a foursome shot of the cousins proved nearly impossible. With Megan's leg assist, we were able to get this one. Note how we couldn't get E and L to smile!

Lyla was super thrilled with my cousin Jill and then with Megan (after Jill left). Anytime she was going to be passed from them, she cried!!! It was hysterical.

After everyone left we were missing the noise (NOT!) and excitement, so Nanny provided us with a little. Her car got a flat while at our house so AAA had to come to try to put a spare on (it didn't happen, b/c it was rusted onto the car). They were all talking to the guy while I was inside. Then I noticed that the sky opened up and started to pour buckets!! They escaped to under the tree, but they were still getting wet so the girls ran to the garage. They recovered all their umbrellas and returned to Nanny. I, of course, stayed indoors and took pictures. HAHA.

And finally, school has begun! Madeline loves first grade more than Kindergarten she says.

And Meredith is so excited that her best friend LUCIA is in her class this year again!!!

I had to post a picture of them as I am sure you are interested in who this Lucia is. If you want to see all of September's photos up till now click HERE.

So I decided to start blogging again

2011-09-11T14:30:00.002-04:00

It's been since January, and I really don't have any good excuses. I mean, I've been busier. And my commute time has more than double since our move to the exurban paradise that is Deerfield Township, Ohio. But still, I should have like an hour a week to write something about what's going on with the family.

What's been so great about this blog is the bottom-up, one-post-at-a-time retention of memories. When we started it back in '08, we really didn't know what the utility of this blog would be. But now, whenever we have a question about something like, when did Edwin start walking, we can simply search the blog archives, and pow, we have our answer.

And Mindy & Melinda have done a great job at documenting the Ross kids grow up. But I have been derelict in my duties and would like to get back into it. So I'm writing this post in the hope that it'll kick start myself back into a posting routine. For now, I'm going with a once per week goal, probably over the weekend.

2011-09-10T23:09:00.003-04:00

We are coming to the finale of our Alzheimer's fundraising for 2011 and we are so close to reaching our increased goal...Edwin's instructions to our readers haven't changed since last year, so I thought I'd post this because it is so cute!

THANKS to everyone who has helped this year and if you haven't had time to donate yet...there is still time!!!! We are $200 away from reaching our goal - please consider helping us!!! THANKS!!!

Our Personal Page link:
http://2011walktoendalz.kintera.org/cincinnati/rossfamily

Our Team Page link:
http://2011walktoendalz.kintera.org/cincinnati/bettysmarbles

teaser

2011-09-08T18:32:00.001-04:00

Just a quick photo preview of our weekend. More to come.

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Boxes are FUN!

2011-09-08T14:24:00.001-04:00

tell me again why I spend any $$$ on toys???

VEGAS Wedding

2011-09-04T23:51:00.004-04:00

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY MATT!!!
Congrats to the new Mr. and Mrs. Drake on a beautiful Vegas wedding...so glad we could be there to help celebrate!!! Best wishes for much love and happiness for the rest of your lives!

swimming

2011-08-29T16:40:00.001-04:00

video from vacation - Edwin swimming...

Spiderman Theme Song

2011-08-29T16:35:00.002-04:00

I've been saying for a long time that I needed to video this...here it is!!!

week in review

2011-08-28T13:49:00.001-04:00

We got our flag for Labor Day. It looks so festive! The girls are way too interested in hanging on the pole which is too close to the road. Oh well.
We can't wait to visit with everyone coming home for the fair. Let us know if you are coming! Dad has promised to make stuffed jalapenos. Matt and I actually attempted to can hot peppers this weekend. We are.happy that the lids sealed, but we don't know how they taste yet. Guess who the guinea pigs are. :)

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week in review

2011-08-21T11:43:00.001-04:00

Well, we finally rearranged Madeline's room! So much easier to make the bed. Woo hoo! I know our guests will appreciate it as well.
Papa happened to be here for a sleepover, but he didn't get to enjoy the new setup. The girls were excited as usual to pester and hang on him.
Besides working 6 days, nothing else earth shattering has happened UNTIL I discovered some white hairs emerging from the top of my head. Bummer! Matt said I need to get over myself. I'll try.

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Sunflowers

2011-08-15T20:41:00.002-04:00

Special thanks (once again) to Jackie for capturing this special moment for my kids. So sweet...LOVE them!!!

Ross Family - Hilton Head 2011

2011-08-14T21:18:00.005-04:00

We just got back from our first family vacation and it was a success! We went with some of our close friends who have kids the same ages as ours and it was great! LOVED seeing the kids enjoy the beach, sand, pool, etc. See all of our pics here.

week in review

2011-08-14T19:05:00.001-04:00

This is our version of singing in the rain. Be glad this is NOT a video....whoa!
Well, we survived the week back to work. Getting up early, wearing pants, being social to strangers, listening to crap like you care ....oh how I didn't miss that.
At dinner tonight we had mashed potatoes, no gravy. So for the girls butter will suffice. However, they want A LOT of it. I of course declined. Then! Meredith says, "but this is you think it's butter, but it's not! Madeline, tell her what it says on the tub!" Busted! I can't believe it's not butter just won a victory.
Meredith was yelling in our bathroom today. Matt, who was in the shower shaving, calls to speak to her. Matt is trying to be very stern with her teaching her to be nice to madeline. Madeline promptly points out that, "daddy, you look like SANTA!" I literally busted out laughing. There goes that lesson right out the window. :)

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we are BACK!

2011-08-08T17:57:00.003-04:00

I just got done uploading all my photos from vacation and Archfest weekend.

We enjoyed a beautiful weather Ocean City, N.J. Lots of sand, food, pool, boardwalk, and ICE CREAM! I preferred the taffy, fudge, caramel corn, etc.

On the questionable days (which always ended up nice, we took a trip to an aquarium and to the Cape May zoo. We got to witness a capybara drop a major load. Papa announced his "laying a log" for the crowd. ). Papa and Deb traveled with us this year. We had a great hotel suite poolside! These girls are so spoiled. We hit all of our favorite restaurants as usual. My highlights were raw oysters, duck , and LIVER!! YUM YUM!

The beach is always a great place to people watch. I can't believe the number of women who think that a two piece bathing suit is appropriate when they have a huge beer gut hanging out! WOW! My favorite sight and quote was when an elderly woman right in front of us fell into a dug out sand hole. The grandpa did not move AT ALL. The granddaughter came running... how considerate. Yes, I am giggling watching them trying to pry grandma out of the hole. Then the rest of the family returned and the granddaughter shouts, " Grandma fell in the hole. She was on her knees in the hole.. hHAHAHAH". So funny.

Here is a link to all my July picks and the vacation picks>

Photoshop Practice

2011-08-01T15:53:00.002-04:00

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Practice Photography

2011-07-31T19:06:00.001-04:00

Day With Daddy

2011-07-30T22:12:00.003-04:00

Today I was lucky enough to spend approximately 11 hours with Jackie Baughman...our amazing photographer. She invited me to be her assistant during an all day (9 families) photoshoot...I have a new appreciation for her work and even moreso for her friendship. I am blessed to have her as a friend. I was also reminded today about my blessings at home. It was nice to be away from the kids for a full day - special thanks to Dave for being an awesome daddy! But one thing is for sure, seeing Jackie capture moments that will be treasured for a lifetime today made me miss my kiddos...and my husband. I LOVE MY FAMILY!!!! A special note of thanks to Jackie for finding a beautiful way to remind me how blessed I am! From the picture, you can see that Day With Daddy ended on a high note!!! and yes, I made it home in time to tuck Edwin in and can't wait to get Lyla up tomorrow morning!!!!

Lyla 13 months

2011-07-29T18:21:00.002-04:00

SHOCKING HAIRCUT!!!

2011-07-22T21:24:00.001-04:00

Grandma Nikki cut Edwin's hair tonight and I'm still in shock. Don't get me wrong...I LOVE THE NEW HAIRCUT...I'm in shock because Edwin instantly became a real BIG boy!!! SO CUTE!!! Can't wait for him to show it off up north this weekend...

WEEK IN REVIEW

2011-07-18T17:51:00.005-04:00

We had a birthday celebration dinner for Aunt Megan this weekend. With her new gluten free diet, we experimented with some recipes. Some worked, some were okay :)

First up was Papa's brown sugar bacon. Of course , this is a major hit! I could eat that as my only meal for the rest of my life and be happy. YUM! Can't go wrong with a Paula Deen recipe, right?Second up, Matt grilled us up a free range Australian beef tenderloin. Delicious!!!! And finally, I made a flour-less chocolate "cake" for her dessert. It was okay. A bit on the dry side. With homemade icing, it definitely sufficed for Megan. We even had a chance to play some cornhole and I must admit I was doing pretty well for a while. HAHA. I even found a very good Bisquick Gluten Free pancake mix for Sunday morning's breakfast. I was impressed with it.

After Megan and Chris returned to Hilliard, the girls and I went to the pool. Matt opted out for a nice, long bike ride in the 90 degree weather. He must really want to lose a pound at his meeting this week :) I was sweating to death next to a pool with a wet suit on, I can only imagine what it felt like to exercise in it.

When I got home today, I got the girls dressed to go to the pool. The minute I got into the driveway, it rained. Ok, we turned around to come home. The rain stopped. Oh well, don't want to risk it anymore. We decide to do the grocery shopping instead. As we are leaving the store, it was a torrential downpour. It was actually raining sideways. We made a run for it to the car. It was as if we jumped into a pool with our clothes on. We were SERIOUSLY wet. The girls laughed the whole way to the car and on the way home. Darn you Mother Nature.

Lyla Walking...won't be long now!!!

2011-07-16T23:59:00.001-04:00

HOME OFFICE

2011-07-16T23:51:00.002-04:00

My old office offered me a bargain on some beautiful furniture - so this is the start of our home office...it was SO HEAVY!!! Special thanks to all of the men who helped move it in today...can't wait to put the rest of it in my rockshop!!! Can't wait to get going on my passion!!!

Professional Pics - LINK to PICS

2011-07-16T23:43:00.002-04:00

Click here to see all of our professional pics from our June photoshoot. Jackie is an AMAZING photographer and I feel blessed to call her a friend. Enjoy the pics - I sure am!!!

Lyla Betty - ONE YEAR LATER

2011-07-11T23:53:00.002-04:00

FROM THIS...

TO THIS IN JUST ONE YEAR!!!

Special thanks to Jackie Baughman for capturing Lyla's first year in beautiful photos!!!

More Pics

2011-07-11T23:51:00.002-04:00

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE my photographer?????

sneak peak - new family photo

2011-07-10T21:48:00.000-04:00

more to come soon!!!!

week in review

2011-07-10T20:45:00.001-04:00

Guess where we spent the day.... and didn't use enough sunscreen?
The excitement for the weekend for the girls was having a sleepover at our house with Papa and Deb. We made a great breakfast to send them off (before the girls got their faces scorched).
My excitement was picking the 100 dollar bill at my work picnic. Woo hoo! ** last time I went I won the Wii**
Matt's excitement is running a 5k race in downtown Youngstown Saturday morning and biking this morning. Exercise nut! Haha.
Oh the activity here in Canfield.
P.s.
Thanks to Edwin and Lyla sending the girls masks and capes in the mail, they have been Supergirl all weekend. They even got the boys next door to dig out their capes and play along.

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Wedding = DATE NIGHT!!!

2011-07-10T00:03:00.002-04:00

Special thanks to Grandpa Randy and Tiffany for babysitting tonight! Dave and I were able to attend a beautiful wedding and have a wonderful date night! I love going to weddings...I love being reminded how great it is to be married to my best friend!

WEEK IN REVIEW

2011-07-04T18:58:00.007-04:00

Happy 4th of July!!! Talk about a fun filled LONG weekend for us this year ! Friday, the girls and I got to go to the flea market with my work. We all got money to spend on the treasures we had to seek out. I mean seek out. There are some truly odd things (and, oh man ,the people) there. If you are in to old china pieces and tools, then this is the place for you. My boss always threatens that we are going to set up a booth there to pull teeth all day long. We would never run out of customers! Meredith was excited about finding Jonas Brothers stickers. Madeline loves this train she found ....myself and Matt are a bit less thrilled, b/c of the loudness.

We went to the pool every day of this 4 day weekend. Definitely beautiful weather for that. I wish I had a tan to show for all my effort. At least there is no burn. I am doing good at keeping us protected.

Saturday night was Canfield's fireworks, music, and bounce arounds. I finally got to see Miss Meredith in action jumping all around. She was super sweaty after that workout! The girls were really digging the Abbey Road band (Beatles cover band). I was none too impressed with the terrible toupees. HAHA. Their music was great , however.

Sunday, Papa, Deb, and Grandma came over for a cookout. Papa tried out his new jalapeno popper grill plate. He stuffed them with cream cheese and chorizo sausage. Delicious! Definitely a recipe that we will need to repeat. Matt made a great garlic pork loin (accompanied by roasted veggies, thanks Dad and Deb). One of those unique tasty meals. Of course we needed dessert, so off to Handel's we went.

We actually had to wake the girls up early this morning to accompany Matt down to his July 4th Firecracker 4 mile race. We set up our chairs in prime location for the parade while we were down there so early. I was so impressed at the turnout (or amazed at the crazy , exercise fruits!). Matt finished without ever walking (or puking....which the girls and I had to avoid a few pukers at the end of the race...nasty).

The girls don't know how lucky they have it. HAHA. Where have I heard that before!

To view my completed June 2011 album click HERE.