The Adventures of 2 Tigers and a Cub

Last Football Game of the Season

2011-11-18T15:46:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, we took Alli to the last football game of the season. We had a good time even though it was a nail biter...relying on the kicker in a last second field goal...I'd rather be up by a lot! Although, it was enough to make Clemson the Coastal Champs and will move on to the ACC Champ. game. Much to our surprise, we had a great season and are looking forward to going "bowling." Hopefully, we'll be heading to Miami in Jan.! Wouldn't that be nice?

Mountains with The Iverson's

2011-11-18T15:41:00.000-05:00

We took our bi-annual drive to Pigeon Forge 2 weeks ago to meet our friends: Amy, Jeremy, and Conner. We didn't stay in a cabin this time since it was kind of a short stay. It's amazing how Alli and Conner act like brother and sister and picked up right where they left off in the Spring. I hate that we only get to see each other twice a year, but always treasure the time we do have. We had a great time! Conner even went on a pony ride this time!

Trick or Treat 2011

2011-11-01T15:31:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween! Yesterday was full of fun and candy for Alli. At school they got to wear their costumes and have a fun day, then we "trunk or treated" at 1st Baptist Clemson, then ventured to downtown Clemson where all of the shops and restaurants did trick or treating for the kids. Boy, was it packed! Alli was pleased with her loot. Then, we came home and trick or treated at the neighbor's houses. She was pooped after walking so much but definitely enjoyed her candy. When she woke up this morning, she was bummed it wasn't still Halloween!

Horse Birthday Party

2011-11-01T15:26:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, while Chris was working Alli and I went to one of her little friend's birthday parties at Eden Farms. Alli was so excited because all of the kids got to go on a pony ride. She loves riding ponies from all the trips to the mountains we've taken. This was no exception!

Halloween/Dance

2011-10-28T11:21:00.000-04:00

Alli was so excited to be able to wear her Halloween costume to dance class yesterday. This year she decided on a lady bug. I think she's the cutest lady bug I've ever seen. The little girls in her class were pretty cute too. She can't wait for Trick or Treat on Monday!

Birthdays

2011-10-28T11:18:00.000-04:00

There have been a lot of birthdays recently. Alli went to a "princess" birthday party recently and had lots of fun and Chris and I just celebrated our 34th birthdays! Happy Birthday to us!

Homecoming 2011

2011-10-27T11:58:00.000-04:00

This year Alli went with us to homecoming. Uncle Nick also came up for the occasion. We did our usual go and see the floats on Friday afternoon, then we tailgated, and went to the game. Like usual Alli wasn't too interested in football, and took a nap. On a good note, I won the homecoming Stein versus Food Tailgate Food Award for "best tailgate food" and came home with over $100 in prizes! Thanks Tiger Tailgate Show! I won for my caramel apple bars...they were good! Thanks Betty Crocker!

Fall is here

2011-10-04T15:24:00.000-04:00

Pretty much for the past month we have done nothing but "the usual" and Clemson Football. How about those Tigers? I have to say I was "Debbie Doubter" after the first 2 games, where it was a struggle to win against Troy and Wofford (and sit in the stands), but I have been pleasantly surprised by the way they have played since, and am excited to see how the rest of the season goes!
Since we had an away football game last weekend, we decided to take Alli apple picking in Hendersonville, NC. The weather was perfect. It definitely felt like Fall (breezy and highs in the 50's in NC). We all loved picking apples and now have approximately 50lbs (a bushel) of apples at home. Alli has eaten at least 1 apple a day since (usually more like 2-3). She's an apple freak!

Fall is in the air

2011-09-09T12:18:00.001-04:00

With the weather cooling off a little, we took Alli to the Hollywild petting zoo near Spartanburg. It was ok...it was kind of run down, but we enjoyed seeing the animals. They even took you out on a "safari" which consisted of going out on a school buss with the windows taken out and feeding the animals that come up to the bus.

We also took her to last week's Clemson football game against Troy. She enjoyed it for the most part, but wasn't keen on sitting for long or the loud cannon...hence, covering her ears.

We had been having a rough few weeks because she had moved up early to the 3's class, but we made it through. Now, all of her buddies are back with her, (as of Tues), and we're happy to report she's back to our happy Alli.
She also started dance class! She looks so cute in her leotard, and best of all she loved dance class, and even asked if she gets to go back. I was a little disappointed that they get all the kids in the dance studio and close the door...you can't see what they're doing...I understand, but would love to see it! Guess I'll have to wait until the recital in May!

I am also the proud owner of a new otoscope (the thingy the doctor looks in your ears with)! Alli has been complaining of her ears hurting randomly, and we have even gone to the doctor, and had them say there is nothing wrong, so I figured....it can't be that hard to look myself, and it's not!

What we've been up to the past few weeks...

2011-08-22T13:01:00.000-04:00

Yes, I've been a little lazy and haven't downloaded any pics, so haven't posted in a while.
So, what have we been up to, you ask?

Going to Monkey Joe's with our good friends Kay and Violet.

Playing dress up with Ana.

Eating Mommy's delicious cupcakes.

Going to Fan Appreciation Day with Daddy and touching "The Rock."

Hanging out on "The Hill."

Hanging out with DE #3 Vic Beasley

Hanging out with "The Tiger and Tiger Cub."

And, most importantly buying the foam finger...we'll see if the Tigers are foam finger worthy...

Alli has also moved up early into the 3's class at her school. She moved up with her BFF, but has had a little difficulty adjusting without all her buddies. We have a count down at home of when they will all join her and she is really looking forward to Sept. 6. For us, it can't come soon enough!

We have also registered Alli in preschool tap and ballet. She is really looking forward to starting. Her first class will be on Sept. 8th. I can't wait to see her in her tap shoes!

I start back teaching this week! Looking forward to that too. It's going to be a busy Fall!

Alli's worst sickness ever!

2011-08-05T12:07:00.000-04:00

No pics this week...Alli was too pitiful for pictures. Chris and I both said this is the sickest we have ever seen Alli and she's even had pneumonia! It all started last Friday when I picked her up from pre-school and heard crackling noises when she breathed. I called the doctor's office and of course they were already closed, but I paged the doctor who told me to call back if she started breathing rapidly or ran a fever. Well, Sat., she seemed worse, so I called anyway, and met the doctor at the office. Alli had the beginnings of a sinus and ear infection and an upper respiratory infection. We headed home with an antibiotic. Sunday, she seemed better. Then, Monday morning at 1:30am she woke up with a 103 temp! I ended up sleeping (or should I say laying) with her the rest of the night...poor thing was shivering. I called the doctor's office that morning and was telling them she was worse, and they tried to tell me that happens sometimes and to just wait it out...meanwhile my baby was laying down not moving and not opening her eyes, burning up with fever even on Tylenol and Motrin...wait it out, huh? I don't think so! Apparently doctors don't understand mother's intuition!! At this point, I was irritated and called back and informed them we were coming in. I'm sure now there's a note in her file that says "difficult mom." Anyways, we were seen and Alli's ear infection, sinus infection, and upper respiratory infection were all worse, and since she wasn't eating, she couldn't keep down the antibiotic. We left with a new , much stronger antibiotic and an anti-nausea medicine. She was still pitiful, but seemed to be perking up later that night. She stayed home with Chris on Tues., and had really perked up so, she went to school on Wednesday and ended up throwing up on her shoes from coughing so much...poor thing had no shoes the rest of the day. Yesterday, on the way to school, Alli threw up blueberries and cream oatmeal all in the car, so needless to say we turned around and headed home! I'm pretty sure the combination of the antibiotic and all the stuff that had drained into her tummy ended up making her nauseas because once she got home and changed clothes, she was fine the rest of the day! We actually made it to school this morning with no incidents, and I have yet to receive a phone call from her school, so I think we're FINALLY on the road to recovery.
The moral of this story is that doctor's don't know child like you do, so if you suspect something wrong, and get blown off..stay persistent!!

A trip to visit Me-maw

2011-07-26T14:15:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, Alli and I spent the weekend with Mimi and Papa while Chris did some much needed painting around the house. While we were there, we went and visited Me-maw (Alli's great-grandmother). She probably would not be thrilled with the pictures of her because she had taken a fall head first and had a "big boo-boo," as Alli would say. None the less, she was in good spirits, and I was very happy to see her, and she us.

HHI 2011

2011-07-19T12:32:00.001-04:00

We just got back from Hilton Head Island. This year, we stayed a whole week! We had a great time just the 3 of us!
We went to the beach everyday and even flew a kite!

We found lots of sand dollars and starfish!

We rode bikes on the beach!

We went on a kid's cruise and went shark fishing!

We were painted by Cappy the Clown!

We ate lots of good food!

We had such a great time! Can't wait for next year!

Happy 23-5 America!

2011-07-05T11:49:00.000-04:00

We told Alli that July 4th was America's birthday, and she asked how old it was, so we told her two hundred and thirty five. She then asked how many that was, and we told her 23-tens and a five, so she now says "twenty three-five."

We had a busy 4th of July long weekend! On Sat., Alli and I went and picked blueberries and blackberries at Happy Berry Farms. Alli mainly ate them right off the bush...there's no telling how many she put away! In-between swimming at Tim and Angie's, Alli asked if we would get out the sprinkler. She enjoyed running through it too. Chris decided to smoke some meat (ribs, brisket, and sausage), and so we invited the Buzzells over to partake in the "meat-fest!" Alli loves when Uncle Buzzell and Ana come over...she gets all the attention. This year, we even bought a few fireworks. Chris could only buy the quiet ones since Alli isn't a fan of loud noises...she still put her hands over her ears. She liked the sparklers best!

Alli's first dentist appointment

2011-06-30T11:42:00.000-04:00

No pictures in this post...since I had Alli in my lap. Alli went to the dentist for the first time yesterday. She did pretty good. She was all excited because we had seen a Caillou episode where he went to the dentist, so it peaked her interest. She did really well for the hygienist. Everything she asked her to do, she did. She even sat in the big chair all by herself. Blair, the hygienist, cleaned her teeth, flossed, and took x-rays. Alli wasn't too fond of the flossing. While we waited for the dentist she wanted to sit in my lap, and as soon as he came in, she had the vulcan death grip on me. He was a big man, but got down on her level and talked to her, and she just buried her head in my chest. She wanted nothing to do with him! Nothing he did made her smile or anything. I found him quite entertaining. Alli's now in the stage where boys are "yucky", so I'm not sure if that had anything to do with it or not. So, she ended having her exam in my lap. At first, she wouldn't open her eyes or her mouth. Dr. Jones finally was able to coax her into opening her mouth, but not her eyes. After he counted and looked at her teeth, Blair, the hygienist painted on the fluoride treatment, which they told her tasted like bubblegum...she informed them they were incorrect. Dr. Jones said her teeth are looking good, and best of all: No cavities! They did give her a new Dora toothbrush and toothpaste, a sticker, and a bouncy ball, which she seemed happy about, but said she didn't want to go back even for a prize!

Isle of Palms...Just Chris and I!!

2011-06-27T13:42:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, Chris and I dropped Alli off at my parent's house and had a much needed long weekend at the beach! The weather was awesome and we got to enjoy some alone time...thanks MiMi and Papa!

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-23T15:20:00.000-04:00

It's a little late, I know, but just wanted to wish Chris, Papa, and Pappy and Happy Father's Day. This year, we took Chris to Sullivan's in downtown Anderson for brunch, and he got a new grill! Happy Father's Day!

Summer Gymnastics

2011-06-16T15:19:00.000-04:00

Alli is taking a summer gymnastics class at Foothills Gymnastics and Cheer Center. I think she's really enjoying it so far. There's only 4 kids in her class and they are all about the same age. Unfortunately, I couldn't get any pics during the class, but afterwards they have an inflatable whale that the kids can bounce in and it has a big slide that they get to go on. I think she likes that best!

Alli's first pedicure

2011-06-16T15:14:00.000-04:00

Last Friday, Alli woke up not feeling good, so I took the day off...as the morning went on, she started to feel better, so we went about running some errands like getting the car's oil changed, alignment checked, and tires rotated. While we waited on the car, we had our toes done. It was Alli's first time. She was so excited to see the special butterfly chair for her. She did a great job at sitting pretty still.

Unfortunately, after all of this fun, she puked in the Chick fila and ran a fever the rest of the weekend. At least she enjoyed getting her toes done! She's all better now!

Kidisphere with Mrs. Kay and Violet

2011-05-20T11:04:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, we joined our good friends Mrs. Kay and Violet for a trip to downtown Greenville for the Artisphere/Kidisphere activities. The highlight of the trip was hands down getting painted on! Alli picked a butterfly and Violet picked a ladybug. The girls definitely had a great time!

Strawberry Picking/ Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-09T13:16:00.001-04:00

Since Chris was working Sat., Alli and I decided to go strawberry picking. We had a great time. Alli especially loved all of the "sampling."

Happy Mother's Day! I had a wonderful Mother's Day! Alli and Chris toook me to a wonderful brunch at Sullivan's in downtown Anderson. Their desert table was to die for!

The Mountains-Spring 2011

2011-05-03T15:35:00.000-04:00

We just got back from a fun trip to the mountains with our good friends The Iversons. We usually meet twice a year in Gatlinburg. Alli and Conner loved playing together, and were sad to leave each other yesterday. We had an action packed long weeked. We started out with a little shopping, and relaxing at our cabin. Then, we got a little adventurous and decided to go horseback riding and in-door skydiving. It was pretty fun...only wish it was longer! We took the kids to a fun park and they rode in go-carts and on some kiddie rides. We also took them to the Dixie Stampede and mining for gems. And, we couldn't go to the mountains without hiking a trail. I think we all had fun and wish it could have lasted longer. Check out our you tube links to the in-door skydiving!

Here's our skydiving experience:

Happy Easter!

2011-04-26T09:26:00.000-04:00

We traveled to Columbia for Easter this year, and yes, the Easter Bunny found us there too!

Alli loved the Easter egg hunts! More family pics coming!

Our turtle named Caillou

2011-04-20T13:04:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday as we were driving home from church, we saw a turtle in the middle of the road. It was a busy intersection, so we thought we'd stop and "save" the turtle. Chris hopped out of the car, picked up the turtle, and put it in the back of the Pilot...poor little guy was sliding all around in the back the whole way home. When we got home we decided to make a little home for it and let Alli inspect it. She named it Caillou...not as imaginative as my childhood pet turtle, Kalocka. We weren't exactly sure what kind of turtle it was...we figured since it hadn't snapped yet, it wasn't a snapping turtle. After a little internet research, we determined it was an Eastern Painted turtle. They live mostly in the water, so we decided let the turtle go at the pond across from our house. Hope he likes his new home!

In daddy's pants...funny picture

2011-04-06T14:54:00.000-04:00

Yes! This is Alli and I (with wet crazy hair and no make-up)together in a pair of Chris' pants that are now too big for him. I'm in one leg and Alli's in the other! Alli thought it was hysterical to be in a pair of daddy's pants!

Our Card made it on Sprout!

2011-03-28T15:12:00.000-04:00

We made Alli a card and sent it in to Alli's favorite TV channel, Sprout, and it made it on TV during the birthdays!! Needless to say, I was more excited than she was! In case you didn't see it, here is a pic!

Happy 3rd Birthday Alli!

2011-03-15T12:28:00.000-04:00

Our Dearest Alli,
Three years ago today you were born. I never imagined how much I could love someone I didn't even know. We've watched you go from a sweet little baby to a litttle lady. You have grown into such a special big girl. Your love for life, your happy-go-lucky attitude, and your caring ways are just a few of the reasons we love you. You are such a smart little girl...you must take after mommy!! Thank you so much enriching our life. You'll never know how much we love you! We wish you the happiest birthday yet!
We love you,
Mommy & Daddy

Alli a few minutes old

Alli at her 1st birthday

Alli at 2 years old

Alli this morning at birthday breakfast

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T15:46:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been a while but I am back. We made it through January this year without any catastrophies (if you don't believe me, check past January blogs). For 3 years in a row, our beginnings to the New Year were horrible! Chris is convinced it is because we did not start off the year with the typical black eyed peas and collards (for good luck and money). I think he's convinced it works opposite for us. So regardless of the reason, I'm happy we made it through!
Chris is now working for Wachovia-Wells Fargo and is so far enjoying it, which I am glad for. He's been traveling a lot, but hopefully that will slow down in April.
Alli is getting ready to turn 3, so I am in party planning mode...this year's theme: Caillou. Let me tell you, it took me forever to find Caillou themed stuff...I think it is out of Canada. Alli has already gone to 3 or her classmate's parties and is counting down until hers...she definitely understands the concept of presents!
We took Alli to her first Circus. She really enjoyed it, especially the animal acts. We enjoyed it too...I think it had been at least 25 years since either of us had been.

Snow Days!

2011-01-13T15:18:00.000-05:00

Sunday night into Monday, we had about 7 inches of the "white stuff" fall, followed by ice on top of that. Of course, we had to get out in it!Since we had no snow suit for Alli, we "improvised." Our redneck trashbag and duct tape kept her dry as could be! We also improvised and used our trash can lid as a sled...it worked too, but the neighbor's actual sled worked better! We all had a great time, but I think by snow day #3 we were all ready to get back to our regular routine.

Holiday Happenings

2010-12-15T15:42:00.000-05:00

The Sielicki's have been quite busy since Thanksgiving, so I haven't had much time to post. The house is all decorated, the presents are all purchased and are even wrapped under the tree! Best of all, Alli is all about Santa. Anytime we go somewhere with Santa, she has to sit on his lap...she wants to make sure he knows who she is. Her big request this year is a bumble bee pillow pet. Last year, we couldn't pay her in candy to sit in Santa's lap.
Chris hit his 100 lb goal well before Christmas! Kudos, Honey!
Lucky 7~Chris and I celebrated out 7 year wedding anniversary. We went out to Sullivan's in Anderson. It was our first time there...their red velvet cheesecake is to die for!
Alli also had her Christmas program at school...her class sang Jingle Bells and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. She did a super job! It was her first public performance!
We also took Alli to Eden Farms last weekend to see Santa come down the mountain on his sleigh with his horse "reindeer." We all had a good time. Alli especially liked the pony rides.

Alli's "big girl" bed

2010-11-22T11:53:00.000-05:00

While Alli was away at Gigi and Pappy's over the weekend, Chris and I decided to get Alli a new bed. She had been sleeping in her toddler bed, but thought it was time for a "big one." Since her crib coverted into a full size bed, we went ahead and skipped the twin, and went right into the full. I'd say she liked it, and we heard no thumps of her falling out of the bed last night.

Tailgating

2010-11-12T11:17:00.000-05:00

We decided that since we hadn't tailgated yet this year (we normally go to the Letterman's Club), we should probably do it since the season was almost over. Leave it to Clemson to have a noon game...not so good for tailgating, especially when it's cold outside. Thanks to our neighbor Tim, and his propane heater, we were quite toasty warm.

Trick or Treat

2010-11-12T11:07:00.000-05:00

Alli was a butterfly this year. She really got into dressing up and especially the trick or treating when she realized people were giving her candy.

Our Birthdays

2010-11-12T11:03:00.000-05:00

Along with Fall and Football comes Chris' and my birthdays (our birthdays are 3 days apart, and yes...I'm older). We turned the Big 33 this year. We had a little get together of Chris' college roomates and families at our house to celebrate his birthday. We are so thankful for wonderful friends and the new Dyson vacuum we got!

The Mountains

2010-11-12T10:57:00.000-05:00

Sorry I've been a little slow on updates...I'm not sure where the time goes, so here's a few blogs to catch you up. Back in October, we met our friends Amy, Jeremy, and their son Conner (whose 4) from Memphis in Gatlinburg for a long weekend. It was wonderful to see my BFF since it had been a whole year...talking on the phone just isn't the same. The kids had a great time at the petting zoo, a bird sanctuary, and the adults enjoyed spending time together.

Shout out to my hubby

2010-10-20T12:30:00.000-04:00

Chris has really been working hard on living a healthier life. He done such an awesome job and is such a hotty! Since January, through diet and exercise, Chris has lost 85 lbs! Great job babe! Alli and I are so proud of you! Here are some before and after pics. You can really tell a difference!

Before

Now

Gigi and Pappy's Visit

2010-09-28T12:31:00.000-04:00

Over the weekend, Gigi and Pappy visited and babysat Alli's cousins Jordan and Chloe. We thought it would be fun to get the girls together for a visit to Monkey Joe's and lunch...a good time was had by all...especially Pappy!

Clemson Football

2010-09-21T16:08:00.000-04:00

We thought the PC game would be the perfect game to take Alli to, and it was. The weather was perfect, and it definitely wasn't a sell out so we had room to stretch out. At the Lettermen's Room, the Tiger Cub even dropped by and Alli had her picture made.

Fun with Play-doh

2010-09-13T14:40:00.000-04:00

Alli absolutely loves Play-doh...especially wearing it!

Back in the saddle again...so to speak

2010-09-03T13:16:00.000-04:00

Party's over...I'm back at work. My almost month long hiatus is over. I started my new job today, and so far, so good. I'm now directly upstairs from where I used to work, only now I'm in the biochemistry/genetics dept. at Clemson instead of bioengineering. I now do research on chocolate! Yes, you read right. My current boss works with the people at the Mars Candy Company. I'm looking forward to tasting! You may remember from old posts that my former boss moved to Chapel Hill and is now faculty at UNC. So, I moved upstairs. It ended up taking the Clemson HR dept about 3 weeks for a simple transfer...I'm not complaining! I have also started back at Tri-County teaching...been at it for 2 weeks now! It seems to be going pretty well as well.
Alli has now moved up to the the 2's class with Mrs. Susan. She seems to really be enjoying it. Her 2 favorite new activities are painting and play-doh. We get a painting of a "tiger paw" almost everyday. She also loves playing on the "big playground."
Football has officially started back, so Chris is thrilled. Our first football game is tomorrow. We're looking forward to seeing what the Tigers are made of this year. Alli is looking forward to going with MiMi and PaPa to the Babyland General Hospital...the place where the Cabbage Patch babies are born!
No pictures this week...sorry!

Clemson Fan Appreciation Day

2010-08-23T10:34:00.000-04:00

We headed to Clemson yesterday to as Alli said "see all the big football players." It was hot and there were a lot of people, but we had fun checking out the team. Chris and Alli even got a quick shot with Xavier Dye.

Vacation to Hilton Head

2010-08-16T13:00:00.000-04:00

We just got back from vacation at Hilton Head. A good time was had by all. However, I was glad to get back home...not back to work...just back home. We stayed very busy while we were there. We didn't have much time to just relax, but I doubt that ever happens with a 2 year old! As soon as we got there, we were off to the beach! Alli loved the beach. I'm not sure what she liked more...the water or the sand! They have a cute little children's museum there that she loved. We also went on the "Bubblegum Cruise." It's a dolphin cruise geared for kids, however, I think Alli was still a little young to enjoy. Alli also went on a pony ride at the Lawton Stables. She really liked that too. There was a pool at the villa we stayed at, so went swimming there every night after dinner. It was nice to be able to spend time together as a family...looking forward to our next vacation!

We get a raise!

2010-07-27T11:29:00.000-04:00

Woo-hoo-Alli went to spend the weekend with my parents in Columbia this past weekend, and came home potty trained! Who knew that's all it would take? Thanks Mimi and Papa! Alli's doing great~she's wearing "big girl panties" all the time (except for at night)! Anyone need any diapers or pull-ups? Not having to buy those anymore will certainly be nice!

Meet Katie and Rebecca

2010-07-22T11:13:00.000-04:00

Since Alli did so well with her swimming lessons, Chris got her fish. She has named them Katie and Rebecca. They are named after the baby sisters of 2 of her classmates at school.

Blueberry Picking

2010-07-14T13:48:00.000-04:00

Sorry it's been a couple of weeks, but it has been busy. I've had quite a few interviews for teaching positions in a few public school districts, but with the budget cuts, the competition is stiff...I have a feeling people with more experience will be hired for the few position that are available. Today, I just had an interview at TriCounty Technical College for a faculty position. I even had to give a teaching demo on the Lac Operon...it was lots of fun! I think things went well, and I hope to hear back soon. Awaiting with fingers crossed!
Anywho, over the July 4th holiday, we took Alli blueberry picking. I think Alli ate her weight in blueberries! She didn't understand the principle of putting them in the basket...they were way too tempting for her! We all had a good time though!

Swimming Lessons

2010-07-01T10:18:00.000-04:00

Alli had her first swimming lesson at the Clemson-Central Rec Center yesterday. I thought she did really well. All the kids in all levels of swimming lessons sit on the bleachers by the pool until their teachers come to get them, then they all line up and walk together to the 3 1/2 ft pool....Alli cried the whole walk over, but once her teacher got her in the water she stopped and did everything they asked. She was jumping from the side of the pool to the teacher and swimming with a noodle. I sat on the bleachers quite a ways away with the other parents. Sorry the pictures are so fuzzy, but I had the zoom as high as it would go, and lost resolution. On the last class, parents are allowed to come over to the pool the kids are in and take pics, so hopefully I'll get some good ones in a few weeks.

A few new pics

2010-06-15T12:01:00.000-04:00

Here are a few new pics. We've been super busy the past week. We went to our first Greenville Drive baseball game with Uncle Buzzle and Ana, then Chris and I enjoyed a few days watching our Tigers on the road to Omaha....Go Tigers!

I have also had quite a few cakes lately, and Alli has enjoyed the "extras." She's an expert cupcake eater!

Chris' Cake

2010-06-07T11:33:00.000-04:00

Chris decided our neighbor needed a birthday cake, and since I was busy with 3 other cakes, I told him he was on his own on this one...He did a pretty good job!

Touch-A-Truck

2010-06-07T11:30:00.000-04:00

Alli and I met our good friends Ms. Kay and Violet in downtown Greenville for the Touch-A-Truck event on Saturday. It was out first Touch-A-Truck experience, and I'd say a good time was had by all! The girls were able to climb on every kind of truck imaginable: fire trucks, ambulances, tractors, tow trucks, police cars, excavators...etc.

A weekend away

2010-05-27T14:42:00.000-04:00

Chris and I were able to spend a long weekend away in Charleston this past weekend, and it was marvelous! We haven't gone away by ourselves since December, 2008 (our 5 year anniversary). I'd say it was long over due! Alli stayed with Mimi and Papa and was spoiled, I'm sure!

We stayed at The Ansonborough Inn, which I'd highly recommend. Normally, we stay out in Mt. Pleasant, however, we decided to try this place, and it was in walking distance to anything you'd want to see in downtown Charleston. We tooled around downtown and went to the beach at the Isle of Palms...we never missed wine and cheese at the hotel!

In the dog house

2010-05-18T13:52:00.000-04:00

Over the weekend, we went and had dinner with our good friends, the Buzzells (aka Uncle Buzzel and Ana). Alli loves Pancho, their dog. When we visit, they end up wearing each other out (Alli and Pancho). Alli loves to chase Pancho round and round in circles. About 2 laps in, we aren't sure who's chasing whom!
On this visit, Alli decided to invade Pancho's house. She made herself quite at home. I can only imagine what Pancho was thinking!

Today was our visit to the allergist. Alli did quite well with the testing. She was annoyed she had to sit in my lap and not move around for 12 minutes while we waited for a reaction. We remedied that by me making silly faces and singing. I'm sure the other patients there really enjoyed hearing my rendition of "I'm a Little Teapot" over and over. It kept Alli happy, and that's all that matters. I'll be dog-on if my child isn't allergic to one thing! They tested her for 40 possible allergens, and the only one that came up positive was the positive control...I couldn't believe it! He took her off some of her allergy meds because there was no point in taking meds that were doing no good! He did give us a new med to try when she gets congested in the hopes of preventing things from progressing to her lungs...we'll see.

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-11T13:47:00.000-04:00

I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband and daughter. I love them both more and more everyday. I am also blessed to have a wonderful mom, and hope that Alli and I can be as close as we are when she gets older. I hope all of my mommy friends also had a wonderful day!

Alli and I started off the weekend by heading to Columbia to see my mom on Saturday. Alli was thrilled because Mimi had promised her a swim in the pool! Alli loved the little pool! It was just her size. She wanted us all in, so we all put our feet in.

On Sunday, we went to church, then Chris and Alli took me to brunch at Soby's. It was yummy. The dessert table was to die for! Alli has her eyes on a chocolate cupcake with chocolate icing and mimi M&Ms. She had it all over her, but at least she enjoyed it!

Alli started acting cranky in the afternoon after her nap, and she even ended up in time out. Boy, did we feel awful that night. She ended up with croup-like symptoms AGAIN. So, she must have not been feeling well. We had a long night of not much sleep. Luckily, I had some of the steroid left from last month's croup episode, and that seemed to help her breathing, but it took a few hours before it helped. When she got up yesterday morning, she was much better. Of course, we took her to the doctor, and explained what had happened, and he has now suggested we see an allergist. We have the appointment next week. We have to wait a week until the steroid is out of her system, and starting Friday, she can't take any of her allergy meds, since they will most likely do allergy testing while we are there...Fun, Fun! Poor allergy baby!

Spring Planting

2010-05-07T14:06:00.000-04:00

What's been going on in the Sielicki household you ask? We've been busy, busy! We had a garage sale and made a whopping $127. We were a little disappointed, but we got rid of some stuff. We've been beautifying the yard. Alli loves to "help" plant and play in the dirt. We've gone on many bike rides, eaten numerous popsicles, slept in a big girl bed, and have gotten a hair cut are just a few of the things we've been up to.

I finished teaching at Tri-County, and really loved the experience. I'm hoping it will open a new gig for me!

The Happy Cow Creamery

2010-04-13T09:30:00.000-04:00

Since Alli loves animals and milk, I thought I'd take her to the Happy Cow Creamery in Pelzer. They give tours of the farm on the back of a tractor, then you get to see them milking the cows and bottling the milk. At the end, they have a milk tasting. You can taste white milk, chocolate milk, strawberry milk, raw milk, and buttermilk. Since I am not a milk fan, I tasted none of them...but, it's neat to be able to see the cows the milk came from. Alli especially loved seeing the cows.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-06T12:31:00.000-04:00

We went home to Columbia for Easter to visit with the grandparents. Alli was super excited about the Easter Bunny coming this year. When she woke up Easter morning she said "Easter bunny come today!" He surely had! The Easter Bunny brought Alli a Leap Frog Tag Junior and candy. Mimi and Papa and Gigi and Pappy also got Alli candy, so she'll be on a sugar high for a while!
Alli is now an expert on egg hunting. It only took her 1 time to figure it out, then she was a pro! It should be noted she only likes eggs with prizes in them...smart girl!
With the warm (hot) weather, has come pollen. It looks like Alli has the bad allergy genes from Chris. After being in the yellow haze of Columbia, Alli's allergies have gone haywire. She can hardly speak (she's so hoarse) and you can hear her breathing. She went to the doctor yesterday, and she is now on Singulair, Flonase, Zyrtec, and also a steroid...poor thing. Rain would be welcome anytime!!

I found out good news today! I passed the Praxis!! I can now start applying for teaching positions! Hooray for me! Now, with all the cuts, to find a teaching position!

Alli's 2 year old check up

2010-03-24T11:34:00.000-04:00

Alli had her 2-year-old well check yesterday. And, she's doing GREAT! Dr. Wilson was quite impressed with her vocabulary once again. We did have a funny while we were there...Alli was showing Dr. Wilson her vast knowledge of anatomy. She showed him mommy's eyes, eye brows, nose, ears, hair, then all of a sudden she reaches down my shirt and blurts out "Mommy's boobies!!" Dr. Wilson chuckled and said "Yep, that's right." I was thinking...."Nice..."
She did have to get her fingered pricked for a hemoglobin check, which she was not too thrilled with and also a Hep. A booster shot, which she also was not too thrilled with. Although, she did love the bandaids. No more shots for 2 whole years! Yippeee!
Here's her 2 year old stats:
Height: 33.5 inches (40th percentile)
Weight: 32lbs (94th percentile)
Head circumference: 18.5 inches (36th percentile)

Alli's Newspaper Debut

2010-03-23T10:47:00.001-04:00

Last week, Alli's class went on a walk in the park. It was such a beautiful day. A newspaper photographer happened to be there and took their picture. It was on the first page of the Seneca weekend paper! Alli looks like a little "rag-a-muffin"...her pants are all pushed up, her jacket'ss falling off...although as always, she does look too cute!

Happy 2nd Birthday Alli!

2010-03-16T12:51:00.001-04:00

Yesterday Alli turned the Big '02'! It seems like just yesterday that she was born. Time flies! We had a big weekend! We had Alli's birthday party at our house on Sunday. Alli had a great time! Thank you to everyone who came and made Alli's birthday even more special!

Chris and I went to Alli's school yesterday at snack time to have a little party with her school friends.

Family Pics & Alli's 2 Year Pics

2010-02-22T11:40:00.000-05:00

After being pestered for a family pic, we went over the weekend and had them done (Chris and I haven't had any pictures done since we got married). We also had Alli's 2 year pics made while we were there.

And now, Alli's 1 year old and 2 year old pics:

WOW! What a difference a year makes! She looks like a little girl now!

It's been a while...sorry~

2010-02-17T11:53:00.000-05:00

It's been a while...sorry. No excuses. I guess I've just been lazy. Chris is doing much better. No more chest pains! Yay! Best of all, we've all been well for about 3 weeks now (knocking on wood)!!
We finally got the snow they had been predicting...about 3.5 inches! I wish it could have been on a week day! It sure was pretty though!
We're starting to prepare for Alli's birthday. The BIG number 2 is coming up in March. We're having an Elmo themed party this year. And, I will attempt an Elmo cake! If you hadn't guessed, Alli is in love with Elmo! We're getting her an Elmo tricycle for her birthday...it even plays Elmo music. I'm sure after a few days of hearing it constantly, we'll be kicking ourselves.
I am busy studying for the Praxis. I will be taking it in March (the same weekend as Alli's party...crazy of me, I know)! I had forgotten just how much I dislike the Kreb's Cycle, taxonomy, and cell division! For those of you who don't know...(as long as I pass the Praxis Biology and General Science Exam) I will be starting the SC PACE program, and will be teaching science to high schoold students, so fingers are crossed! Prayers will be greatly appreciated! I forgot how hard it is to study...especially when you haven't done it in about 10 years! Teaching the Bio class at Tri-County has been quite helpful, and also a good review. I am actually finding that I enjoy it...that's a good sign!
Here are some pictures to show just how cute our Little Alli is:

Another rough start to a new year...

2010-01-19T13:51:00.000-05:00

Sorry it has been a while since my last post, but as usual, the new year has been off to a rough start for The Sielicki's. Chris started having chest pains and ended up in the ER not once, but twice already. It started as the doctors thinking he had pleurisy then they thought it was a pulmonary embolism, and now they are thinkinging pericarditis. The pain has gotten a little better, but is still there. Chris goes back to the cariologist tomorrow for a nuclear stress test to see how things are doing. Bless his heart...he can't have Dr. Pepper again until Thurs. Those of you who know Chris, know he has to have his Dr. Pepper EVERYDAY!
Last week, my poor Alli came down with pneumonia. She never acted like she felt bad...she was wheezing and could hardly catch her breath. The doctor couldn't believe she was so playful and also not running a fever for how sick she was. She is finally getting over it, but still has a nasty cough.
Januarys are never good for the Sielicki's. Apparently we need to be need to be like bears and hibernate for the winter!
In other news, I am teaching at Tri-County Tech as an adjunct professor. I am teaching a Bio 101 lab. Classes started last week. I think I got off to a good start...by the end of the night, I think everyone finally knew what a beaker was! This week, we're on to molar solutions!

Santa Pics

2009-12-10T13:07:00.000-05:00

2008 Santa pic

2009 Santa pic. Alli liked to see "Ho, Ho, Ho" from a distance, but was not all that keen on him up close. She did not cry, but she also didn't smile!

Last Game

2009-11-23T09:10:00.005-05:00

Suprisingly, it didn't rain for the last game of the season, so we all decided to go. A great time was had by all (except the Va Cavaliers, who lost)...

(Alli doing the TD signal)

2009-11-18T13:18:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Happy Birthday to Us!

2009-10-26T15:20:00.002-04:00

Chris and I both turned the big 32! We both enjoyed our relaxing birthday weekend. The Tigers even won a game for us! Alli spent time with Gi-gi and Pappy in Columbia while we relaxed and had a nice dinner at the Melting Pot Restaurant on Saturday night! It was very nice to have a date night. It was the first one we had had in some time!

Now we are off for a little more leisure time to Charleston!

Alli's First Clemson Game

2009-10-19T13:59:00.006-04:00

We took Alli to her first Clemson football game on Saturday. She did quite well, (she even took a nap) and looked really cute in her cheerleading outfit. Of course, we watched the weather all week, and there was a very small chance for rain, but it rained anyways...darn weather people. They're the only profession I can think of that still get paid for doing a poor job. We had a good time even though it was cold and rainy!

Ahh, the weekend!

2009-10-10T22:09:00.012-04:00

It's been a while since the last post. Between Alli & Chris, cakes, and work, I've been quite busy. Alli is looking less and less like a baby and more and more like a little girl, and acting like one too. She's 19 months going on five...according to her, there is nothing she shouldn't be able to do. She's now really good at climbing up on the furniture and kitchen chairs. She likes to sit in the big chairs at the table now. She likes to sit at the desk, go through the drawers and bang on the computer...as she was caught doing here.

Here are a few of us in all our orange before yet another disappointing, rainy Clemson game.

Last weekend, we met our friends Kay and Violet in the park in downtown Greenville. The girls had a great time together!

Alli's 18 mos Stats

2009-09-23T09:39:00.002-04:00

Alli went for her 18 month old check up yesterday. Dr. Wilson was quite pleased/impressed with her. We are blessed with a healthy, talkative, and very active 18 month old! Unfortunately, she did have to get 3 shots, including the very important "seasonal flu shot"! She was quite the trooper and hardly even cried.
Here are her 18mos stats:
Weight: 28 lbs, 6oz- 92nd percentile
Height: 33.25 inches- 88th percentile
Head Circ: 18.5 inches- 61st percentile

Kindermusik

2009-09-16T10:45:00.002-04:00

Alli started the Kindermusik classes this week. Kindermusik is a once a week class that introduces music to kids. It's supposed to encourage early reading, math, and reasoning skills, and self control. I just enrolled her because she loves music, all those other things, if they are true, would be a bonus! Alli's class meets at the Rock Springs Church in Easley which is quite convenient! I have been wanting to enroll her a class for a while, but the only ones I could find were during the day, and since I work, it wasn't exactly feasible. Last night was the first class. It was a little chaotic with all the kids being new to Kindermusik. Alli's class ranges from 3- 18 month olds, a 15 month old, a 16 month old, and a 12 month old. The small class is very nice. Alli was shy at first, being in a new environment and didn't really want to participate, but she warmed up quickly and turned into a huge ham dancing around stealing people's name tags. Overall, I think she's going to like the class, and all the parents seem really nice. I wish I would have had my camera! Sorry, no pics this week!

Tiger Football is BACK!!

2009-09-10T11:25:00.004-04:00

Well, I won't say Fall is in the air, but football is definitely back in swing! So, the cool weather is sure to follow! Clemson's opener was last Saturday, and of course being the huge Clemson fans that we are, we definitely wouldn't miss it! We tailgated with our good friends, The Buzzells. It was fun to get all of our tailgating "stuff" out and dust it off. The game wasn't until 6pm, so we decided to tailgate the afternoon away! We literally "grazed" all day! Alli went to Columbia for a visit with Mimi and Papa. Since it's pretty warm here, and the game wasn't until 6, it would have been too much for her. We missed her, but it sure was nice to sleep in! Thanks Mimi and Papa. The Tigers looked pretty good for a first game out and we were definitely pleased with a win! Hopefully, we can play better tonight against Ga Tech!

Mimi and Papa must have really wore Alli out...On Labor Day, she slept in and took a 2 hr nap!

Alli conquers the chocolate covered frozen banana

2009-08-30T15:40:00.006-04:00

Exciting news this week...Alli pee-peed on the potty Friday night!! We purchased a potty chair and sat it in our bathroom. She likes to put toys in it and pretend to flush! Before bath time, she usually just sits on it, when all of a sudden, the music went off on Friday night...I thought for sure it was a fluke, but no, she actually pee-peed!! That's probably TMI!! Yeah Alli!!

Alli has also learned to push the top clip-piece of the car seat down and wiggle her arms completely out...NICE!

We gave Alli a chocolate covered frozen "nana" as a treat the other day. Her facial expressions were priceless! She absolutely loved it! That was one cold banana!

Back from vacation!

2009-08-12T09:50:00.011-04:00

Sorry it's been a while, but we've been on a much needed vacation! We stopped over in Birmingham, AL and visited our good friends Richard, Brea, and Riley the dog, on our way to Memphis. We only stayed 1 night with Richard and Brea, but it was very nice to catch up. We then headed to our old stomping ground~Memphis. We had a great time seeing all of our old friends and were able to meet "E" and Lia who are the same age as Alli. We were all pregnant together. The girls are all 6 weeks apart. We stayed with my old boss, Elaine. She even had a party in our honor complete with Gus's Famous Chicken, one of Chris' favorites! Alli LOVED her dog: Spencer and Spencer loved Alli too...he tried to hump her a couple of times!!! While in Memphis, we of course had the famous and wonderful Memphis BBQ, went to the Memphis Zoo (now ranked #1 in the country bc of the the giant panda bears~Ya-ya and Lee-lee), and went to a waterspray park with friends. Alli had a blast!

We then headed to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge where we had rented a cabin with my best friend, Amy, her husband, "Officer Jeremy", and their 3 year old son, Conner. Alli and Conner had a great time together. Alli especially loved playing with Conner's collection of cars. It was nice to be able to see/catch up with Amy again. I hadn't seen Amy since Alli was 6 weeks old...she had really changed since then! Although, keeping an eye on 2 kids under 3 was quite a challenge. I assure you we were exhausted by 9pm. Unfortunately, while on vacation, Alli didn't sleep that well in her new surroundings, so ended up in the bed with us most nights...luckily it was a king size! While in Pigeon Forge we shopped, went to the Aquarium, went to a petting zoo, and took Alli on a pony ride. We had a great vacation, but are glad to be back home. Alli's finally starting to get back used to her schedule.

Here are a few pics from the trip:

Alli was enthralled with Conner's potty chair, so she got one of her very own on Monday! I think she understands what to do on it. She likes to sit on it and points at it and says: "pee-pee and poo-poo." Maybe we'll be able to start potty training early!!

First Hair Cut

2009-07-20T10:53:00.007-04:00

Sorry it has been a while since the last post. Things have been busy at the Sielicki household lately. What have you been doing you ask...I don't have a good answer for that. It seems that we are always on the move.

Alli had her first real haircut last Friday. I've cut her bangs a few times, but with all her hair and curls, we were in need of a professional. I wasn't sure how that was going to go, but she did great. Tonia, our hairstylist at Lollipop Hair was great. She sat Alli on a carousel horse and began the spritzing. Alli liked the horsey, but wasn't fond of the spritzing, so she was given her first lollipop...boy, did she enjoy that! She sat still through the whole cut licking that lollipop. I didn't want too much cut off because I LOVE her curls and didn't want to lose them just yet. There's not too much difference...her hair just doesn't get in her eyes anymore. She even got a certificate for being brave through her first haircut!

Before After

We had a rough weekend this weekend. Alli's canines (teeth) are starting to come in, so there was much sleep lost. Hopefully, this won't last too long. I could use some sleep!

Alli's growing like a weed!

2009-06-24T09:13:00.002-04:00

We went to the doctor yesterday for Alli's 15 mos check-up. Unfortunately, she had to get a tetanus booster shot. That's the one that always hurts the most, but she was a champ....only 1 squeal! As anticipated, she's as healthy as a horse and growing like a weed. Dr. Wilson was quite impressed with her vocabulary. She can pretty much repeat anything we say now, so we really have to watch what we say!
Here are Alli's latest stats:
Height: 32.75 in (96th percentile)
Weight: 27.25 lbs (94th percentile)
Head Circ: 18.25 in (61st percentile...still a little pea head)

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-22T12:25:00.006-04:00

Happy Father's Day to my honey, my dad, and my father-in-law! We traveled to Cola. to wish the grandpa's a Happy Father's Day on Saturday. A good time was had by all. Biy was it hot. Alli gave Chris (& me) one of the best Father's Day presents yet...she slept in until 9am!! That's the latest she has ever slept! To celebrate Father's Day, we got up and had breakfast and gave Chris his Father's Day presents...a new pair of Sperry's, a bucket (165 pieces) of double bubble bubble gum, and a stepping stone with Alli's footprint. I think he liked them all! We then went on to church and went to lunch at Brix.

After nap time, we took Alli over to Tim & Angie's for a swim...the first one of the season. She liked being in the float and playing in the "wa-wa," but she was more interested in what Bubba and Little Man (T&A's dogs) were doing. Thanks honey for being such a wonderful daddy and hubby!

On Thursday last week, after some nasty storms came through our area, Alli decided she wanted to play in the "wa-wa." Well, instead she went for the muddiest puddle she could find! As you can see she had mud from her head to her toes!!

A blow up dog...who knew?

2009-06-06T20:56:00.002-04:00

Not too much going on at the Sielicki House these days, which is a good thing. The cake business is still steady. Alli is growing like a weed. She's almost 15 mos. She's into everything and is building quite the vocabulary. Time flies!

Alli LOVES dogs..."woof, woof" is her favorite animal sound, so when we saw this blow up dog ball pit, we knew it would be perfect! It even barks when you go through the dogs mouth, which is a tunel. As you can see, she loves it! Instead of finding a pump to blow it up, Chris decided to do it with his "hot air" (jk). He made it, but nearly passed out!

Tomorrow is Pa-pa's birthday, so we are heading to Cola town to celebrate. Happy Birthday Pa-pa!

Alli's baptism

2009-05-26T09:16:00.005-04:00

Alli was baptized on Sunday. She was a perfect angel (she at least looked the part with her christening gown on). Both sets of grandparents came up for the special occasion, and our good friend Patilee too. While we were in front of the church, she just kept waving to the grandparents and rubbing her shoes together trying to get one off. Too cute! When the pastor sprinkled her, she swatted at her. She wasn't too fond of her head getting wet. We were really worried that she might say one of her 2 new words: "booby" or "burp". No worries though. We all came back to our house for lunch and cake!

Alli then decided she wanted to go home with my parents and spend the night. So, off she went to Columbia. Chris and I were able to clean the house, AND best of all, sleep in yesterday! I was worried my body had forgotten how to sleep in, but luckily it hadn't! Waking up at 9am was awesome! That's the one thing I miss!

Happy Memorial Day! Thanks to all of our solidiers for keeping us safe!

Here are some recent Alli pictures:

The croup...again!

2009-05-14T14:15:00.003-04:00

We woke up at 3am yesterday morning to Alli wheezing and stuggling to breath. So, we put her in bed with us, and had the first appointment at the doctor's office yesterday. She apparently had spasmodic croup, which can be brought on by anything. We think her allergies have brought it on this time. So far, 2 doses of steroids down, and you'd never know. She's much better, and slept all night! Yay!
Chris has a week under his belt back at Bank of America. I think he likes it. It's just taking us all time to get used to this new schedule. Alli's used to daddy putting her in the car in the mornings and being home when she gets there to play (me too). Now, it's just mommy until after 6. There's nothing like cooking dinner with a toddler on your hip! I'm sure we'll get used to it!
Sorry, no pics on this entry either...I haven't had time to download pics from the camera yet. Maybe this weekend after all of the cakes.
I took on 3 cakes this weekend...what was I thinking?
By the way, I had a wonderful 2nd Mother's Day thanks to my hunny and Alli. Breakfast was yummy and I'm enjoying my new Sperrys very much!

Tummy bug & BoA

2009-05-06T12:55:00.002-04:00

Alli went to stay at my parent's Sat.-Sun., so Chris and I got to have a date night! The first one in a long time. We did some yard work, went to a nice dinner at Sassafras in downtown G-ville, and were able to sleep as long as we wanted on Sunday...hooray for sleep! Sassafras was pretty tasty too. We recommend the pork tenderloin appetizer!
Unfortunately, Alli has not been feeling her usual chipper self this week. She's had some sort of stomach bug...fun times! I think she's starting to get back to normal. I do have to say I did enjoy her cuddling up in my lap and reading books with me the past couple of days. Normally, she's so busy, she'll only sit for a minute! Luckily, neither Chris nor I have gotten it yet. We have Lysol-d and wiped the whole house down. Hopefully, we won't! There's nothing worse than a stomach bug.
Good news at the Sielicki house...Chris is going back to work with Bank of America starting Monday! Hooray! Patience has paid off, and we all know that's not my best virtue! Thanks for all of your prayers.
The cake business is steady. I pretty much have 1 cake per weekend, which is plenty for me right now. With working full time, being a wife and mom full time, that's about all of the time I have for it. Next weekend, I have accepted 2 cakes, so we'll see how that goes! You can check out the other blog to see photos anytime!

Alli & Violet go to the Zoo

2009-04-27T09:42:00.008-04:00

On Saturday, Alli and I met Kay and Violet at the zoo, then had lunch at Liberty Tap Room. Kay and I have been friends since middle school, and her precious Violet is about 6 weeks younger than Alli. We got back in touch through Facebook and realized how close we were, so have gotten the girls together a couple of times.
I thought it would be a good idea to see how they did in the wagon...it was Violet's 1st wagon ride. You never would have known! Alli did ok for a while, but now that she is walking, she wants to run a-muck!

Ritz cracker break

Alli lounging

The girls at lunch

We had a great day and can't wait to do it again!

Quiet week...yay!

2009-04-24T12:11:00.004-04:00

Not much to report this week. Alli continues to crack us up at least once a day with her animated facial expressions and her "tummy sounds." She's one gassy kid. She can burp like a man...didn't get that from me! She's doing a lot talking more now although a lot is still unrecongnizeable. Although, her vocabulary is pretty big for only being 13 mos! She plays so hard that by 8pm she's done, which is nice for Chris and I.
Chris made Alli her own little chair out of some scrap wood we had in the garage this week. I think she really likes it. When she saw it, she started clapping and cheering. She'll sit in it for a bit then get up and do something else, then come back to it.
I made it through the Pokemon birthday cake and cupcakes last weekend and the 5 and 1/2 dozen cupcakes Tuesday for Relay for Life. This weekend is cake-free, and I'm kind of looking forward to it! We are meeting Kay and Violet at the zoo and for lunch Saturday. Looks like it will be great weather! We're really looking forward to it.
Chris got the luck of the draw and is on jury duty next week...lucky him! Hopefully, he won't be sequestered!! I've never been on jury duty (knock on wood). I look forward to hearing his stories!

Alli in the chair Chris made her

Easter bunny found us

2009-04-17T09:18:00.004-04:00

The Easter Bunny came for a visit this past weekend. Luckily, he found us at Gigi and Pappy's. We headed for Columbia to spend Easter with the grands. We spent Saturday afternoon with my parents (Mimi and Papa) and spent the night with Chris' parents (Gigi and Pappy). We even did the double church thing Sunday morning...fun, fun! The Easter bunny left Alli a bunny, a book, a little chocolate rabbit, some jelly beans, some twizzler bites, and some Peeps! She must have been extra good. Alli digs Peeps! But, what's not to love with all of that marshmallowy goodness? A second molar has popped through on the top, so that brings the tooth count to 6 on top and 2 on bottom. She's been a bit cranky and clingy this week, so I'm guessing the new molar explains it.
She's really got this walking thing down pat. She only has problems on the grassy hill between Tim & Angie's and our house when she's excitedly on her way over to see Little Man or Throttle. She even tries to jump now when we put her on the neighbor's trampoline!
Alli's getting into books now. Her favorite book is "Little Quack's Bath Book." We usually read it 3 or so times each night while in the tub.
I have a cake and cupcakes due this Saturday for the side business. Things are steady, so I'm pleased. I'm also donating 4 dozen cupcakes to be sold next week for Relay for Life. So, that'll keep me busy!

Alli enjoying a Peep

Walking!

2009-04-09T10:38:00.005-04:00

Alli is now walking like she has been walking forever! She's an old pro! Sad thing is that she doesn't really want to be held anymore. She wants to be off exploring. The even better thing is she's playing so hard and walking around soooo much that she's wearing herself out, and is sleeping hard at night. When we go in to check on her, she's hardly even moved.

We've been cutting up whatever we've been eating, and she's doing really well. We haven't found anything she doesn't like yet. I'm so glad she's not a picky eater, but I'm sure that'll change. We found out last night, that she LOVES refried beans. She loves to eat them and she even decided to wear some as moisturizer! I feel for whoever gets that diaper today! Hopefully, not me!!

Over the weekend, we put her on our neighbors trampoline. I know, all of you are thinking..."you did what?" It was actually very safe. They have a net that is attached all the way around it, so she couldn't fall off, and there were like 6 of us standing all around her. She really loved it. The neighbor got on with her and bounced her a little.

Gigi came up on Saturday and had Alli's pictures made with her christening gown on. She wasn't very fond of having her pictures taken. I'm not sure if it was her teeth or the fact that the photographer had zero personality...probably a combination of both. He did get some good shots in-between fussing. Here are a few pics:

Sweet, huh?

I did my first cake for the business...the lady wanted a monkey face for her son's first birthday. I think it came out pretty good. She seemed pleased, and has already asked me to do her daughter's b-day cake and a baby shower cake! So, things are looking good. You can see it at: www.homemadebyhope.blogspot.com
We hope everyone has a wonderful Easter!

A side business

2009-04-02T16:04:00.002-04:00

I've finally gone and 'dun' it! I've been mulling for a while over whether or not to start baking/decorating cakes on the side for some extra money. And guess what? I have my first cake this weeknd! I'm so excited, yet a little nervous. It's one thing baking for family and friends for free...it's another baking for a paying customer. I have started advertsing a little, and have had a pretty good response, so we'll see where this takes us. I'm working on another blog for the business, so you can check out my progress: www.homemadebyhope.blogspot.com Any comments would be welcome!
On to Alli...she's something else! She's gaining more and more confidence day-by-day and walking further distances all by herself. She's talking more and more...some we understand, other we don't. She's eating whatever we eat now! No more baby food and has moved over to whole milk in a sippy cup (except for at bedtime). You can't really call her a baby anymore (except she's MY baby!).
Now that we've joined a church, she will be baptized at First Pres. Greenville on May 24th. Her Gigi was so excited, she bought her christening gown already. We tried it on her the other night, and she looks like a little angel...the bonnet will cover up her horns...jk :-) She's going to have her picture made in it this weekend...let's hope it stays white!
Alli went from having 2 teeth on the bottom to having almost 7 now in 2-3 weeks! She's even working on a molar...no wonder she's been cranky recently!
That's all the news from the Sielicki household for now.

A lot of "firsts" this week

2009-03-24T13:55:00.007-04:00

Over the weekend, we took Alli to the Greenville Zoo for the first time...I think she liked it, but probably would have enjoyed it more had she had more sleep Friday night. She's been waking up during the night fussing for almost 2 weeks now. We think she's having bad dreams. She's been such a great sleeper, so hopefully this too will pass.

Now that the weather has gotten warmer, Chris put Alli's swing up on the swing set in the back yard. She wasn't so sure about it, but is getting more used to it. (It also happened to be St. Patrick's Day, hince the shirt.)
We also took her to Bruster's Saturday for some ice cream. Even though it was her first ice cream experience, she knew exactly what to do. They have "baby cones" for the little ones...heck, she was done with that baby cone by the time Chris and I got ours and was ready to dig in. Alli LOVES ice cream! (Chris got a picture on his phone...will post later).

Over the weekend, Alli decided she would let go and start walking on her own! Yea Alli! She's been so close for so long. She's been doing the cruising thing for 2-and a half months. This of course means...we're in trouble now! Thank goodness for baby gates, which we still need to purchase! She's now all about pushing the stroller instead of riding in it too!

We had a busy week/weekend! We also joined First Presbyterian Church in Greenville. Alli will be baptized next month.

We took Alli to the doctor this morning for her 1-year-check-up. Dr. Wilson said she was exceptional, (but we weren't suprised :-). He especially liked her showing him "scrubby-scrubby." This is when she rubs her belly likes she's washing at bath time. She had to have her finger pricked for the first time today and also got 3 vaccines. She was none too thrilled about that, but was a trooper. Here are her 1-year stats:

weight: 24.4 lbs (89th percentile)

height: 30.5 in. (85th percentile)

head circumference: 18 in. (65th percentile)

One healthy kid...thank the good Lord!

Happy 1st Birthday Alli!

2009-03-17T12:26:00.000-04:00

Alli, Chris, and I were blessed to have so many come to wish Alli a Happy 1st Birthday! It was definitely a day that we will remember for a long time!

Alli definitely enjoyed opening all the presents. She especially loved the bows and paper!

The cake was yummy too!

All in all, it was a wonderful day! Thank you for being a part of Alli's special day!

(More photos below!)

Alli's Birthday Week...it's the big ONE!

2009-03-12T14:16:00.001-04:00

The big ONE is almost here for Alli! Alli turns 1 on Sunday! Hooray! I can't believe she's been around for a whole year! I thank the Lord everyday that he gave us such a wonderful little girl to look after. Her smile can light up a room, her little giggle makes you chuckle. She's such a sweet baby, and besides more sleep, I can't remember life without her!
In preparation for Sunday's festivities, I've been working on the fondant animals for her cake...we're doing an "Old MacDonald" theme. I've done a cow, sheep, pig, duck, and a few bumble bees all out of fondant icing. I must say, I was suprised at how well they turned out. Hopefully, the rest of the cake will turn out as good. Will post pics when I finish the cake!
Besides birthday plans, not much else going on at the Sielicki house. Alli still has a cough, but has pretty much gotten over the croup. Hopefully, we'll all stay well at least until after Sunday.
Alli received her first birthday present in the mail yesterday...a "happy" from Great-Nona and Zia. Many thanks to you both!

Snow Day

2009-03-05T12:50:00.000-05:00

Mother nature decided to bring us 6 inches of snow Sunday. It was great! I can't remember the last time it snowed so hard or such big flakes. We had a snow day on Monday which gave us the opportunity to build a snowman (yes, a redneck snowman...a spray painted face!). We had no produce/coal for a face, so we improvised. Alli did not know what to think of the snow, although she did enjoy tasting it!

Tuesday night Alli started again with the croopy cough, so we went back to the pediatrician yesterday, and he said she had the beginnings of the croop again and put her on steroids. I'm glad we caught it early before we ended up in the emergency room. She seemed to cough less last night. Hopefully, we can get her well and keep her well through her 1st birthday next weekend!

Alli has tooth number 3 on top now peaking through, and we're waiting for number 4 to pop through anytime. I'm glad I can't remember teething. It seems pretty traumatic!

We took Alli over the weekend to have her 1-year-old pictures made. She was a doll. She looked so cute in her little dress from Auntie Amy, and she was just a cutie.

Quiet week, but I'm not complaining

2009-02-27T13:52:00.000-05:00

This week has been pretty quiet. It also went by really quickly. We are all well in the Sielicki household...I think we are going on 2 weeks now! We are getting closer and closer to Alli's first birthday (a little over 2 weeks away)! Hooray!! Chris has been working on making a toy box for her. I'll post pictures when it's done. I was looking back at pictures and can't believe how much Alli has changed in the past year.

Boy, how our lives have changed...for the better, of course!!

No More Commando

2009-02-20T09:58:00.000-05:00

Alli has finally decided to crawl normally instead of like a commando on her tummy! She isn't quite walking on her own, but is cruising the furniture with style. She'll let go occasionally, but as soon as she realizes she isn't holding on to anything, she grabs for the first thing in front of her. She's a whiz on her scooter and can even steer! She's been walking behind it pushing it very well! Her vocabulary now consists of: :"Da-da", "Ma-ma", "Bye-Bye", "Uh-oh", "Hey", "Pa-pa", and we're still working on "Hey Baby". She is also blowing kisses, which is too cute!
Alli is feeling much better. She has finally cleared her ear infection. Hopefully, she'll stay healthy for a while. So, we're all finally well now!
It seems like things have leveled out...not so much drama which is a good thing. We certainly needed things to calm down. It had been crazy there for a while (see other posts).
We're way ahead of things this year...we have already done our taxes and gotten our refunds. Yay for refunds! Sounds like we're lucky we did because the state of SC may not have enough money to cover all the tax refunds...imagine that? Great job Governor Sanford! I won't even get started on him...

We made it

2009-02-11T14:51:00.000-05:00

Well, we lived through January. So far, February has been better...not the best, but better (anything would have been better than last month!).
Alli's ear infection didn't clear up all the way, se we are on our second round of antibiotics. We go back to the pediatrician tomorrow for an ear check. Hopefully, she'll be better. Chris and I are both well and will hopefully stay that way, but with the wacky weather, who knows?
Alli will be 11 months old on Sunday. She's really getting to be a big girl. She's pulling up on everything and walking around holding on to things. I don't think it will be long before she's walking alone...more like running. I'm starting to plan her 1st birthday party. We are going to do an Old MacDonald theme...since that is her favorite song.
The car looks much better. We got it back last week after the fender bender in Florida. Chris was glad he didn't have to drive the rental aka the"homo-mobile" anymore. No more duct taped bumper! Although the bumper and the quarter panel now look much more shiney than the rest of car.
How about this weather? Crazy huh? 70's in February. I've been kind of disappointed this year. It hasn't been all that cold, and we haven't had any snow. The bugs are going to be horrible this year.
Has anyone been at the post office lately? It's 20 questions. And now, stamps are going up 2 cents again. How ridiculous!

2 more days!

2009-01-29T10:31:00.000-05:00

The bad luck saga with the Sielicki's continues. It's been so ridiculous now, that it's almost humerous (that is if you're not us). Alli did in fact have pink eye and also a double ear infection. We had no idea about the ear infection. She had no fever, wasn't fussing, or pulling at her ears...she's a little trooper. The antibiotics are working! She seems much better. No more goopy eye, snotty nose, or cough.
Then came Saturday. . .
Chris woke up with the goopy eye and upper respiratory crud. His doctor called him in eye drops for the pink eye, and he was off to Melbourne, FL for his grandpa's funeral (by himself...since we were all sick, we didn't want to expose everyone else). While he was there, an old lady backed into our car...our PARKED car. She didn't just tap it, she moved the back end 3 feet! Who knew a 76 year old woman had it in her? Luckily, they were nice and also had insurance. Chris had the pleasure of driving the 600 miles back with the bumper duct taped on Monday. At least he made it. Chris went to the doctor on Tues and they put him on antibiotics for an ear and sinus infection. This morning, I woke up with the goopy eye! I am finally giving in. After battling with these bugs for 3 weeks, I am going to the doctor. I am not one who will go to the doctor to get an antibiotic every time I get sick, like some, but 3 weeks and pink eye is long enough to suffer.
We're hunkering down for the next 2 days in hopes of making it through January. With luck, you'll hear from me next week.

When is January going to be over?

2009-01-23T11:25:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, things have not let up for the Sielicki's ...
The month of January/ the start of 2009 have just been crappy. Sadly, Chris' grandpa passed away this week. Alli and I still have the crud, and I think Chris is starting to get it, and on top of that, I think Alli has pink eye. We go to the pediatrician this afternoon to find out for sure...Not to mention our plumbing problem. We had to have the water regulator valve under the house replaced (the thingy that controls the water pressure coming into your house) because all of a sudden the water pressure jumped from 60psi to 100psi. Luckily, our neighbor had the same problem (well, not lucky for them) over the summer, so we knew what was going on. The plumber came last friday and replaced it. I've determined that we are in the wrong business...plumbers charge ~$250/hr. What a racket! I know a lot of their jobs are not the most pleasant, but $250/hr, come on! Since then, the seal on faucet on the tub has gone bad and the seal on the toilet has gone bad, so Chris has had his work cut out for him this week! We're assuming it's from the high water pressure.
So, now every morning when I get up, I think to myself "what next?" That's a bad attitude I know, but it seems like there is something everyday. Maybe February will be better. I won't say it can't get any worse, bc with the way things have been, I'd be proven wrong, for sure!

Now I've got it!

2009-01-15T13:27:00.000-05:00

You'll be happy to know that Alli is feeling much better. She has a little bit of a cough left, but that's all. Now, I've got it! I have the adult version of Alli's croup, and have had it now for a week. Believe me, it sucks! I have never had so much snot in my life. My nose is raw, my chest hurts from coughing, and I can't hardly hear since my ears are so stopped up. Maybe next week, The Sielicki's will have a good week!!?? Stay tuned~
Alli turned 10 months old today. The time has really flown by. She is also officially now a "creeper." She's been moved up to her next class at school. I think she is liking being back with her old buddies she met in the infant room. This class is more structured, and all of the kids are on the same schedule. They even have her taking a 2 hour nap in the afternoons! Those of you who know Alli, know that she is a cat napper. A 2 hr nap is awesome! Hopefully, we'll be able to keep her on that schedule on the weekends. They are really wearing her out too. She's crawling and climbing all over, so is Sleeping Beauty by 8pm (which is nice now that American Idol is back on!!).

A rough start to a new year...

2009-01-06T10:16:00.000-05:00

We were awakened on Sunday hearing Alli struggling to breath. It was a horrible sound. When I went in to get her, she looked so pitiful. She was fine the day before...maybe a little runny nose, but that was it. We called the pediatrician's office, and were instructed to sit in the bathroom with a hot shower going , and then go out in the cold. They thought it was the croup, as did I. The steam and cold did not work, so we ended up going to the ER. We ended up waiting for 2 hours to see the doctor. How ridiculous! She was a trooper though! It was indeed the croup. They did chest x-rays, a breathing treatment, and gave her steroids. I think we all ended up getting the breathing treatment since she wasn't fond of the mist coming out of the tube in her face, but within minutes of the breathing treatment, her breathing got better. We stayed home yesterday so she could rest. I knew she didn't feel good when she stayed in my lap all day and didn't want to play much. I think she's feeling better today. When I went in to get her this morning, she was sitting up in the crib with a smile on her face. Her breathing sounds worlds better today. She still has a cough, but hopefully it will get better soon. She went back to school today. Hopefully, we're over the hump. For some reason, it seems we are jinxed around New Years...last year Chris had to have his gall bladder removed. Hopefully, our year is going to turn around...it hasn't gotten off to the best start.

Happy Anniversary, Happy 3/4 Birthday, and Merry Christmas!

2008-12-22T12:10:00.000-05:00

There has been a lot going on since my last post. Happy anniversary to us~ Chris and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary on Dec. 13! We went for some much needed time away to Gatlinburg, TN. We stayed at a bed and breakfast, and had a nice time not having to do anything! We even got to see snow~we left 70 degree weather here in Clemson and ended up in 40 degree weather there. It actually felt like Christmas! We did a little shopping, went to a petting zoo (see the alpaca below), went horseback riding, ate a lot, and enjoyed some time alone...We weren't used to the quiet.
Alli turned 9 months on Dec. 15. We took her to her check up on Friday. Dr. Wilson is quite impressed with her. She can now say "pretty tree"...it comes out as "petty shree," but, cute none the less. She's quite the ham. She loves to be the center of attention. I think the little bit of stranger anxiety she had is gone. She has quite the little personality...like me, she's a little on the inpatient side. We still haven't found anything she doesn't like. She's quite fond of salt water taffy too! She's really enjoyed the extended Christmas we have had (Christmas with Chris' sister Saturday and my extended family Sunday).
Here were her stats:
height: 28in (almost 75th percentile)
weight: 21lbs, 10.5oz (almost 90th percentile)
head circumference: 17.5in (almost 50th percentile)
We stood in line for an hour last Tues for Alli to sit on Santa's lap. She did really well...no crying or anything and even smiled. Although we did have to pay $20 for 2 5x7 pictures of creepy eyed Santa (see below), it was worth it.
We're ready for Christmas at our house. All the shopping is DONE, and mostly wrapped. I spent Friday at home baking...it's not Christmas until I have baked. We have cookies, toffee and haystacks galore. I ran out of chocolate to dip the oreos in, so will do those this week. The cake balls turned out even better than expected!
We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year~God Bless!

It's just been one of those weeks...

2008-12-03T15:03:00.000-05:00

Ever have one of "those" weeks? If you have, you know what I'm talking about. Well, it's only Wednesday and it's one of "those." It seems like everything is either not going right or is just plain ticking me off! If you aren't already on the poop list, you best watch out! Come on lady in the silver VW Jetta with the "Women for Obama" sticker in the drop off lane at school, move your car up...your kid can walk the extra 5 feet to the door!!! Notice there were no expletives!! I'm trying.
CALGON TAKE ME AWAY~~~~~~~~
On the upside, I think...Alli has graduated from the carrier car seat to the convertible car seat...still rear-facing, of course. That carrier would give you a hernia trying to carry around, not to mention her feet were hanging off, and I'm not so sure she hadn't reached the weight limit...it at least felt like it. We had the new car seat waiting for us yesterday when we got home, and Chris promptly put it in, no thanks to the directions, which might as well have been in Chinese.
We had a nice Thanksgiving. We got to spend a lot of time with my family this year. Alli, was of course the center of attention. She's such a ham, and she loves "little people." My cousins Hannah, 10 and Blaine, 11 were there, and she just loved them! She spent Thurs. and Fri. nights with the grandparents, which gave Chis and I time to decorate the house, clean, shop, and even see a movie for the first time in about a year. We saw the new 007 flick...not bad.
Thanks mainly to online shopping, I have all of my Christmas shopping done! I'm just waiting for shipments! Then, on to wrapping. Thanks for the internet Al Gore!
How about those Tigers? The game was awesome...it could have only been better if it was a shut out, but I'm not complaining. We were as they call 'em"fair weather fans." It was miserably cold and raining, so we sold our tickets and watched in the warmth of HD. As Chris says: "Happy Maybe Next Year Day, Cocks!" I'm quite happy with the new coach selection. It's just fitting for Clemson to have a coach named Dabo. We'll see what he can do. Hopefully, CJ will stick around another year. Who would have thought after the crappy start, we'd be off to the New Year's Day Gator Bowl? I certainly didn't think they had it in them. I was pleasantly surprised. GO TIGERS! And for me, maybe next week will be better!

The heat's on and it's time to give thanks.

2008-11-20T15:15:00.001-05:00

Brrrr! It's finally cold! I don't think our heat went off last night. 22 degrees...a new record! I love fall and winter. Sweaters and turning on the fireplace is the best!
I'm running on low today. Alli decided at 2:30 this morning that she just wasn't tired and was ready to play. So, it took us the next hour and a half to get her to go back to sleep. I love sleep and long for the day I get to sleep in again! By that time, the little monkey will have me trained to get up early.
We went to buy Alli some warm pants last night for these cold days. I went to put some on her this morning, and she's too big for them! I was holding Alli by the pants this morning trying to poke her little fat roles into them. Needless to say the pants won and they are going back.
Alli has finally mastered the walker. She went from going backwards one day to running forward the next...literally running. We played "keep away" the other night, and she did laps back-and-forth through the kitchen to get to a wrapper. Oh, the things that will amuse her! I took her for her flu shot last week, and she weighed...20.5lbs! Sometimes I think I can actually see her growing. It's time to get rid of the carrier. That thing will give you a hernia to pick up.

I can't believe it's almost Thanksgiving. It's so easy to take things for granted, so it's nice to take some time to think of all the things God has blessed us with. And Boy, do I have a lot to be thankful to God for this year:
~being married almost 5 years to a wonderful husband, who even gets up at night with Alli, and loves me no matter what
~a healthy and happy baby girl, who I can't remember life before (except for the sleep thing),
~loving and helpful parents and in-laws who would drop anything for Alli or us,
~great friends (although I really miss my Memphis buddies),
~a nice house (with great neighbors...the next door neighbor's drinking garage is great. it's like we're on our own episode of King of the Hill),
~freedom,
~a job (although there's no job in the world like the one I had at St. Jude),
~great care for Alli,
~cars to get around in,
~being healthy,
~food on the table,
~a closet full of clothes and shoes
the list goes on and on.
I hope that everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving, and takes time to think of all the little things they are thankful for.

We did our civic duty and stood in line for two and a half hours!

2008-11-06T09:32:00.000-05:00

Well, what's been going on recently in our lives??? The biggest news is that Alli FINALLY has a tooth (I know this because I was bitten by it, and you can actually see it)! Alli is now saying "da-da." She started saying it on Chris' birthday. What could have been a better birthday present? We learned that Alli likes guava...and it stinks! Alli had her first Halloween...see pictures below. She was a cute tiger. I was sad that we only had 5 trick-or-treaters. What happened to the days of when kids went out trick-or-treating? Chris wasn't too sad though. He got all the leftover candy. Chris and I both turned 31. The tigers actually won a game...who would have thought? Now, we'll see what happens with the rest of the season. The question now is will we get 6 wins and be bowl eligible? My bet is no. Basketball season starts soon...maybe they'll actually do well. We had Fall Break Mon and Tues. It was nice to have some days off. I had lunch with an old friend, Kay, and her sweet daughter, Violet. It was a good time. I'm glad for Alli to have a little friend around her age, and for me to have an old friend back, who's also a new mom. Chris and I stood in line two and a half hours to vote...unfortunately, not the outcome we had hoped for, but I guess we can say our vote contributed to SC being red. I wasn't all that excited about McCain, but was/am anxious about Obama's experince. No matter who is going to the White House, they have some big shoes to fill, and they definitely have our prayers. We did our civic duty. Now we'll see over the next 4 years what the outcome will be. At least the Congress and House didn't both go to the democrats, so there will still be "checks and balances."

Birthday Week is here!

2008-10-21T11:21:00.000-04:00

Well, tomorrow I enter the era of the "early thirties," and Chris is soon to follow on Saturday. Until then, I consider myself "just thirty." I'm not sure how I feel about that. I don't consider it old, but have noticed a few wrinkles popping up...
Alli turned 7 mos last week! Still no teeth yet. Her first word is officially "hey." She's definitely southern! We gave her a little "trim" on Sun. She looks so different, and all I did was trim the little hairs that get in her eyes! She's starting to get on her hands and knees and rock back an forth. She can go backwards, but hasn't figured out forwards. She's also pulling up, so she'll be mobile soon, one way or another! Lucky for us, the house is already childproofed.
Last week, Tommy Bowden bowed down as head football coach. Dabo Sweeney is now the interim. Don't know much about him, but do know it's a good change. I even bought a "yaba DABO doo" t-shirt! We'll see what he can do. Things are back to going in the right direction. Once we beat Carolina, all will be right with the world.