The whole world is white!

Those were Ty's words when he looked out the window yesterday morning. And he was right--everything was covered by about 4 inches of snow...but that was only the beginning. By the end of the day, we measured 20 inches on our deck. Just like 2 weeks ago, we had a great time sledding, building snow forts, and having snowball fights. For more pictures, click on the top photo.

I'm in trouble

Conversation between Tyler and me tonight after I incorrectly said that a) the figure in the red robe in the Little People Nativity Set was one of the kings and b)the figure with the staff was in fact Joseph:

Tyler: That's not a king, it has long hair and doesn't have a crown.
Me: Yes it is. Not all kings look the same. Plus, he has a gift for Jesus.
Tyler: No, it's not a king. And that's not Joseph; it's just a shepherd.
And on and on for a few more rounds...

Me: Ty, you're just like Daddy; you always think you're right.
Tyler: I'm awesome.

Happy 1st birthday Megan!!

We can't believe it's been a year already since our sweet girl was born. We all had fun celebrating her big day. She ended the day by surprising us with her great appetite, polishing off almost a whole cupcake. We're so thankful for such a smiley, expressive, laid back baby and can't wait to watch her grow and develop over the next year. For more photos, click on the photo above.

PS: For the record, she's 18lbs. 9 oz. (10th percentile) and 29 inches (50th percentile).

Snow day!

The forecast called for 1 inch of snow today and I was doubtful that we'd get any. Afterall, we live in the "south" now. Boy, was I wrong! The snow started falling (in huge flakes) at 10am and didn't stop until about 5:30pm. Ty was thrilled as winter is his favorite season. For pictures of the snowball fights, snowman building, and hiking and sledding in the woods, click on the photo.

Just like Macy's (okay, not really)

The day after Thanksgiving, Tyler, Megan, and I ventured out to Reston Town Center for their annual Thanksgiving Parade. Although it was a little chilly, we enjoyed seeing the floats, entertainers, and Santa and Mrs. Claus. For more pictures, click on the photo below.

What Megan does when the "pincer grasp" doesn't work

From the mouth of a four-year old

Today as I was preparing dinner, Ty was trying to tell me a story. I can't remember what I said back to him to try to communicate that I was a little bit busy, but as I stopped for a minute to actually look him in the eye, I was greeted by the following words, complete with an appropriate arm motion:

"Just calm down Mommy. Just calm down."

Giving thanks

We are so blessed. Two wonderful kids. A happy, healthy marriage. Families that we enjoy spending time with and miss when we're not with them. Jobs that we like. I really have nothing to complain about.

Recently however, I've noticed that Ty has been complaining more frequently. And as I thought about why he's doing it, I realized that he was learning it from me. No matter how blessed I've been, my complaining has gotten worse over the past couple of years. And as I hear myself tell him that instead of complaining about what he doesn't have he should focus on the good things he does have, I realized that I needed to listen to that advice myself.

So, in this season of giving thanks, we started a new tradition. Inspired by a blog post I found while searching for ideas for decorating kids' rooms, we created a "Giving Thanks" calendar. For the last two weeks at dinnertime, we each said what we were most thankful for that day. Tonight, we read them all at our Thanksgiving dinner. Here's a sample:

• Halloween candy (Tyler)
  
• Hiking in the woods (Me and Tyler)
  
• Playing Pirate ship on the playset (Ty)
  
• A hunting trip (Jeff)


• Megan's hugs (Me)


• Having Daddy home (Me...he's been travelling a lot lately)
  
• Tyler's smile (me)

We hope to continue the tradition throughout the year. Maybe with enough time, Tyler and I can both turn our complaining habit around.

PS: If you want to see more pictures of two of the biggest blessings in our lives enjoying the season, click on the picture above.

Tyler's heaven

Warning: If you haven't seen Disney's "Up," there's a small spoiler in the next paragraph.

Tonight Tyler and I had a movie night and watched "Up". I had prescreened the movie last night to ensure that there weren't any scary scenes that might keep him up all night. However, I failed to think about the impact that Ellie's death would have on him.

So, when I asked if he liked the movie, the 45-minute conversation that ensued was a bit of a surprise to me. I won't go into all of the details, other than to say that it was incredibly sweet, bounced all over the place, and ended with him asking me to show him my Bible. I do, however, think that this short excerpt might bring a smile to your face:

Tyler: "I don't want Nana and Papa to be in heaven. I don't think they can eat or drink there."
Me (frantically trying to find the right words): "No, in heaven, you can do whatever makes you most happy."
Tyler: "I like to eat alot of foods and talk to people. That's what I'd want to do."

Our little climber and her biggest fan

Megan had never even tried to climb one stair until last night when this happened...

Halloween 2009

We had a great Halloween week, including another trip to a pumpkin patch, a neighborhood party, a school party, the annual pumpkin carving, and of course trick-or-treating. Thanks to the Shripka's for helping to show how much of a monkey Megan really is. For pictures of the week and some extras displaying the beautiful fall colors, click on the photo of our happy girl below.

Trip to the pumpkin patch

Yesterday, Tyler, Megan, and I got into the Fall spirit and visited a local pumpkin patch. Well, it was really more of a GIANT playground than a pumpkin patch, but we did get to pick out two small pumpkins for free (i.e., included with our admission).

There was so much to do! There were rope swings, a hayride with every character you could imagine, a corn maze, about 15 large slides, free apples and apple cider, and more. The best part of my day was after we all went down the big slide together and Ty turned to me and said, "I want to go by myself!". He then walked up all of the stairs and slid down as Megan and I waited at the bottom of the hill.

And yes, Megan and I were there...she just doesn't make it into many pictures when she's in front of me in the carrier. Here's one picture that she did make it into...I'm not quite sure what Ty was planning to do with her shoe, but she didn't seem to mind. For more pictures, click on the photo.

Conversations with a four-year-old

Ty definitely keeps me on my toes with his questions. Here are two from today:

Tyler: "Mommy, who made God?"
Me: "Well, no one really. God was the first one here."
Me (seeing that he wasn't quite satisfied with that answer): "God made God."
Tyler: "Where did He get the directions for how to make God?"

Tyler: "Mommy, where do baby animals come from?"
My first response: "Well...(thinking...am I really getting these questions already?)...their mommy and daddy make them." From the look on his face, that was way too much information.
Luckily he was satisfied (for now) with my second answer: "From their mommy's bellies."

Oktoberfest!

We continue to enjoy the many free activities around our community. Last weekend we had a great time at the Vienna Oktoberfest. There was really good local music (including ACDC played by 50 year olds), a bounce house, slide, Lego station, face painting, and of course brats (with apple sauerkraut) and German beer. Click here for some more photos.

New sports for Tyler

This fall has been pretty eventful for Tyler--a new school, lots of new friends in our neighborhood, and two new sports: driveway hockey (which he asks to play every day, much to the delight of Daddy) and "swimming lessons" (or really just "getting used to the water" lessons). For more pictures, click here.

Sibling love

What Ty does during "rest time"

A visit from friends

Last weekend we were treated to a visit from our friends from Indiana who moved down the street from us in New York. We had a great time catching up and spending time together. The kids played great together...Tyler was so excited to see his good friend Reece (and I think Megan may be developing a little crush :) ).

The men took time out for some serious golfing..

...and a train ride.

Happy 4th birthday Tyler!

It's hard to believe just 4 years ago we were in the hospital in Lafayette, Indiana celebrating the birth of our beautiful little boy.

Just look at him now...still beautiful, not so little.

He acts more and more like a little man every day. He's so sweet, sensitive, funny, outgoing, and loving. He calms me down when I overreact and reminds me not to take life so seriously. We're so blessed to have him in our lives.

For more pictures and videos of the birthday celebration, including our trip to the National Zoo, click here.

Is something stinky?

We're not sure where this came from, but her new "trick" is pretty cute.

Megan's stinky face from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

Granny and Grandpa visit our new home

Last week we were treated to a week-long visit from Granny and Grandpa. As you can see from the pictures, we had a great time during a week that included another show and train ride at Burke Lake Park, a drive-in movie, frozen custard, some fun time in the pool, and much more.

Are we there yet?

Here are the numbers from our vacation a couple of weeks ago:

8 days, 40 hours in the car with a 7 month old and 3.5 year old...

13 cousins visited...

...and a great time had by all.

For 108 more pictures from our road trip to Kalamazoo, MI to visit Melissa, Andy, Drew, and our new niece Lily and to my family's cottage in northern Wisconsin, click here.

More fun outings

Have we mentioned we like living in VA? It's so fun to have a new place to visit each day. Two new destinations this week were a huge playground in McLean and a water feature at a local shopping/dining area with some new friends. And yes, Megan finally got to get out of the carrier and have some fun too. Click here for some more photos.

A move milestone for Tyler

Despite the fun that he's been having at our new house, Ty has repeatedly said that he likes NY better than VA. He mentions how he misses our friends, his old school, his old yard, his old room, etc.

Today, it was absolutely beautiful weather (80 degrees and sunny--pretty much how it's been ever since we moved here). Jeff has been in Italy since Tuesday (returning this Thurs.) so I wanted to make sure that Ty had a fun day planned. I saw that as part of their free summer entertainment, the Fairfax County Parks department has an "Art in the Parks" series made up of shows for kids that educate them about music, theater, and art. So, we headed to Burke Lake park, which we've heard people rave about, for the Percussion Duo from the Fairfax Symphony. It was a show in the outside ampitheater about all different kind of percussion instruments, led by a clown. Ty even got to perform on stage.

We followed that show with a ride on the carousel (our big boy went all by himself) and a 10-minute train ride through the woods (much better than the "potty train"). We topped it off with a hike around the lake through the woods, a picnic lunch, and an ice cream cone.

(Click on the collage for all of the pictures and a video of the "performance.")

And wouldn't you know it, as we were walking to the car Ty looked up at me and said, "Mommy, I like Virginia better than NY."

PS: Megan was with us too...it's just hard to take pictures of someone strapped to the front of you.

Uh-oh, Megan's mobile

Now her exersaucer is a tunnel...

Megan update

Here are some recent videos of Megan...she's growing up so fast!

Megan's hungry from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

Fun with my reflection (and some entertainment from Tyler) from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

Megan's army crawl from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

Our first trip to one of the many parks in Fairfax County

Fairfax County has a ton of diverse parks (most of which are free--something we're not used to coming from Long Island). Last Friday, Ty, Megan, and I journeyed to our first one--Frying Pan Farm. It is a working farm which attempts to preserve a 1920s-1950s farm. Ty enjoyed seeing the animals, including some babies, and really loved the tractor ride around the farm.

We can't wait to explore more of the parks!

For more pictures, click here.

Happy 4th of July!!

Okay, so a move and lack of internet makes this post a little late, but here are some pictures from our celebration of the holiday. We went to the parade in Fairfax, had a BBQ with our neighbors, and went to the fireworks (which Ty actually enjoyed this year).

For more pictures, click here.

The Virginia chapter of our life begins

Pictures of our back and front yards

Our move went very well (with the exception of a water line break the night before we closed and a router malfunction after waiting a week for our internet) and we love it here. Our first day, Ty and I went on a hike from our backyard and within 2 minutes, we discovered a large creek complete with a little bridge. Since then, Seger (and Tyler) have enjoyed many dips into the water and we've been on many more hikes. Ty and Megan are also enjoying the playset in the front yard and Jeff is loving the many deer sightings (and even one fox sighting) from our deck. We love being set back from the road at the end of a long driveway. It is so quiet (and dark), but we have all of the conveniences of suburBia about a 5-10 minute drive away. Our neighbors are great and Ty loves playing with the 5 yr. old and 2 yr. old girls who live next to us. There's also a neighborhood co-op for families with playdates and parents' nights out. We feel very blessed to be here.

For more pictures of our new place (all of the outside), click here.

Our NY chapter ends

Although we never thought we'd be New Yorkers, our time there was full of happy memories. Ty grew from a 6 month-old baby to a 3 and a half year-old little man. He learned to walk, talk, and make us laugh. We had many fun visits from family and friends. And last but not least, we added little Megan to our family. Here's a glimpse into our time in New York.

Our time in New York from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

2009 U.S. Open

We followed a weekend at the races with a day at the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black! Although it was pretty muddy, the rain held off for most of the day and we had a wonderful time experiencing the atmosphere, seeing some amazing golf, having some time to ourselves without kids (thanks Scott and Kyleen!), and remembering the time we got to play the course together a couple of years ago.

Oh, and we also got to take a picture with the U.S. Open trophy (above) and a car made to look like a golf ball (complete with dimples), thanks to Lexus.

Our years in NY certainly have provided us with some exciting experiences. Although we're looking forward to our new adventure in VA (starting this weekend!), we will leave with many fond memories.

A day at the races and a little luck from above

One week after the big event at Belmont, we decided we should visit the track for the first time. We had a lot of fun relaxing outside and Ty enjoyed watching the horses with our friends. Although the whole day was fun, there was one particularly special moment. You see, my mom loved to go to the races and she would always bet on the #6 horse in Race 6. As I was sitting on the bench waiting for Jeff to place a bet on another race, I flipped to Race 6 in the program to look at the name of the #6 horse (I usually bet on horses based on if I like the name or not--really scientific). So, the name of this horse?..."Bob's pinup girl." I was going to place a bet anyway, but seeing a horse with my dad's name in it sealed the deal.

So, we put $2 on #6 to win Race #6 (at about 12-1 odds). When the race began, it didn't look good. #6 was near the back with two other horses way in the lead. However, as they entered the final stretch (right in front of us), #6 raced forward, passing the other horses, helping us win $26, and making me feel like my parents were just a little bit closer.

Fun with Granny and Grandpa

Last weekend we were treated to a visit from Granny and Grandpa. We had fun going to the city, hanging out at home, and visiting the Nautical Mile. For more pictures, click here.

And the holy comments continue...

Recently, after we were done with his bath, Ty summed up the experience saying, "Mommy, I was bathtized."

Fun at church with a 3.5 year old

Attending church with a 3.5 year-old can sometimes be a little challenging. Ty's pretty good in general, but we still try to get him as involved as possible to keep him engaged. One of the jobs we give him is to put the money in the offering basket. This morning I continued that tradition, but he added a new twist: as I handed him the money he looked up at me with his inquisitive eyes and said (rather loudly), "Mommy, why do we have to pay for church?"

The first pictures of our 10 kids

For more, click here.

Daddy and the kids

Our future Boilermaker

Thanks to the Shripka's for sharing the shirt and socks and to our friend Tim for the "running" suit.

More free fun

Last Friday we headed back to Jones Beach with our friends and were treated to a great surprise. The Jones Beach Air Show was scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, and little did we know that on Friday they do a complete dress rehearsal including the announcer. It was amazing! And free! Ty loved it (with the exception of the really loud ones). He was particularly excited by a huge bounce house in the shape of an aircraft carrier. I think it was made for kids just a tiny bit older than him (you'll see in the pictures), but enjoyed it anyway.

Simple fun

After dinner entertainment...
(Doesn't her laugh sound like she's in pain?)

Simple fun with a bottle from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

Flying away to sleep

Here's how you know Megan's ready to go to bed...she seems to want to fly there.

Flying away to sleep from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

Trips to the beach

We've been taking advantage of our proximity to the beach, since we only have about one more month here. Megan, Ty, and I have gone to Jones Beach three times in the last week :). Tyler loves the playground there and also has fun walking on the beach.

Here's Megan's first look at the Atlantic Ocean. For more pictures, click here.

Sibling love

Tyler is so gentle with Megan and loves to talk to her and make her smile. Let's hope the love continues through the teenage years. And no, he wasn't bouncing her like a basketball in the second picture.

My new hat!

Thanks to Granny and Grandpa for making me so stylish. I love my new hat!

Rolly-polly

A few weeks ago, Megan began rolling over all over the place. She also discovered her tongue and started making funny faces, but we haven't captured those with the camera yet.