Happy Father's Day Daddy (a.k.a. Brian)

I Love You Through and Through

A novella by Sydney. This is based on the book by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak, which is a story about a boy and his teddy bear. This version is about a girl and her frog.


I love you through and through.





I love your top side.





I love your bottom side.





I love your inside.






and outside.






I love your happy side,






your sad side,






your silly side,






your mad side.






I love your fingers






and toes,






your ears







and nose.






I love your hair






and eyes,






your giggles






and cries.






I love you running






and walking,






silent






and talking.





I love you through and through ...


Yesterday, today and tomorrow, too.

Love,
Amy and Sydney

Hairspray

Sydney woke up looking like this, so we turned the air conditioning on earlier than I would have liked. The upstairs front of the house (Sydney's room) tends to cook during the sumer.




Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of our trip to the water park today. I'm looking forward to our next trip.

We belonged to a community swim pool while I was middle and high school. We would go in the mornings for swim lessons, then eat lunch, then spend the afternoon playing in the pool. We (my Mom) was vigilant about staking out a prime spot under a large tree. Often our friends the Minahans andPrybellas would join us. We'd pack a lunch, but once a week we would make a trip to Little Ceasars for their Tuesday special. Lots of fun and memories.

Happy Father's Day Daddy (a.k.a. Brian)

I Love You Through and Through

A novella by Sydney. This is based on the book by Bernadette Rossetti Shustak, which is a story about a boy and his teddy bear. This version is about a girl and her frog.


I love you through and through.





I love your top side.





I love your bottom side.





I love your inside.






and outside.






I love your happy side,






your sad side,






your silly side,






your mad side.






I love your fingers






and toes,






your ears







and nose.






I love your hair






and eyes,






your giggles






and cries.






I love you running






and walking,






silent






and talking.





I love you through and through ...


Yesterday, today and tomorrow, too.

Love,
Amy and Sydney

5 random things

This is my first blog game. My friend Melinda tagged me to blog 5 random things about myself.


1. Melinda actually inspired me to start this blog. I wasn't keen on blogging at first, but turns out I really enjoy it. Of course, this blog serves as a baby book and Sydney chronicle, but it's also a great place for me to write. I write and write at work, but it's news writing and the opportunity for creativity is often limited. I am only able to write a handful of fun features each year. The blog is a place where I can play with words, and I think my writing continues to improve because of my blog writing. And, it's something fun for Brian and I to discuss and collaborate on. I love it when I write something that makes him laugh.

2. There is a void in my life now that Gilmore Girls is off the air. Where else can I find witty dialogue, quirky characters, fashion and unexpected plot turns? The Weather Channel. It's a nice blend of geography, science and history, plus the maps are pretty to look at. The meteorologists are certainly entertaining too.

3. My plan is to run every other day (or work out at the gym) and spend an hour the other days studying for my program exams. I just learned today that I will be tested this fall and graduating in December. This is actually a relief.

I love running, or probably what most people would consider fast jogging. If 'turtling' was a word that may be the best way to describe it. I did run 4 miles this evening. Going the distance is always a bonus, but it's more important to enjoy it.

4. If I was trapped in a grocery store overnight, I would go to the freezer section and eat the ends off of all of the Skinny Cow and Nestle ice cream drumsticks. The ice cream in these ice cream treats is just OK, but I love the end of the cone where there is a pile of chocolate. Of course, I realize this scenario is unlikely because grocery stores are open 24 hours, so it's not possible to be trapped in one.

5. Speaking of food, which I do a lot, I hope to make more time for Brian and I to cook together. The weather was lousy on mother's day, so we spent the afternoon making fudge drizzle cookies. We tag team on most dinners - I cook, he cleans. But, it's fun to cook together.

Now, I get to tag my other blog friends. So, if Christy, Steve or Naomi (I'm sure MySpace pages count) read this ... tag, you're it!

Trek to the Smoky Mountains

We visited the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee this week. The temperature ranged from 94-96 and the humidity hit 835 percent. We got some good hiking in and we learned how to travel with a toddler. Sydney 'saw' deer, a turkey and a snake.

WEDNESDAY


Our first hike was the classic Laurel Falls.


The path was narrow but 'paved' with pebbles so Sydney spent most of the ascent and descent in her stroller.


The falls are behind us.


Turns out the aquarium in Gatlinburg is amazing. (I had my doubts because Gatlinburg is the ultimate tourist trap.) Brian and I have visited a number of aquariums, and we were really impressed with this one. More than 8,000 species on display, including an underwater view of a coral reef courtesy of a moving sidewalk.




Sydney scopes her treasure.


Our little Jack Sparrow.


Seahorse.


A sting ray's underbelly.

THURSDAY


We also visited Cades Cove.
Sydney plans our route through Cades Cove.


Sydney participated in the park's ecological relocation program by carrying pine cones, tree bark and rocks from place to place.


Daddy escorts Sydney on the Saw Mill loop.


Family photo.


Hiking on a Cades Cove trail.


Fine dining: Eating lunch in the car.



Hotel habitat.


Sydney's sleep arrangements when we're not sandwiching her.



The beast awakes.



The pond in front of the hotel is home to a duck and her 10 ducklings. Speaking of waterfowl, Sydney's big fan of the Gossie books. She was well acquainted with Gossie, Gertie and Ollie, and we got to know Peedie and Booboo on this trip.

Other highlights from the trip:

Eating my fine cuisine - shrimp and sweet potato - in the car because Sydney combusted in the restaurant. I'm a slow eater and she was in need of a nap. (The Park Grill in Gatlinburg is a great restaurant. Sydney ate like a queen off the kids menu too.)

We weren't in the hotel room 15 minutes and Sydney fell into the nightstand. She bruised her face, but the marks are almost gone now. This incident combined with her not wanting to sleep, drove us to drive to Walgreens at 12:30 a.m. to buy pacifiers. This was 10 days after she gave it up. She came back with the sniffles, so we have not forced her to relinquish it yet.