Veteran's Day 2014

Wall of Veterans at Wood Road Elementary School

Veterans Day 2014 - We remembered, we honored, we gave back.

All students are encouraged to welcome the veteran in their family to the school Citizenship Assembly

Pops sits with the other veterans and their family members as Evangeline and Rowan's honored guest.

Rowan's play always parallels his interests. Between being a soldier for Halloween, getting a new army set for his birthday, and it being Veteran's Day it's times of war and peace here in the playroom.

BFF's

This is Rowan and Emily. They are best buddies at school. They were in kindergarten together and now they are in first grade together. They walk in line together, they sit next to each other in the cafeteria, and they wait together on the playground bench for their afternoon bus.

Emily is a very sweet and kind girl. She thinks the same of Rowan.

I am so caught up in this dear friendship!

BirthdayPartyHallowTime

Birthdays, Halloween, Daylight Savings Time...we like to jam it all in to two days.  There is so much going on but we always love to do it all. When will we learn how crazy it is to attempt!? 

Evangeline, 5 1/3 years old

For Halloween Evangeline was a butterfly for school and Belle of Beauty and the Beast for Trick-or-Treating. Rowan dressed as soldier and loved being in camo.  Cillian put up with being in a Tigger suit for most of the day but was sound asleep before we hit the streets for candy later that night.

Baby's First Halloween...dug up a Tigger suit for this bouncy babe!

Both Eva and Rowan has class parties where Mom, Dad, Cillian and Memme were welcomed to be active participants.  That morning there was a school-wide parade where Evangeline was the lead!

Dad visits Rowan's classroom for their Halloween Party

Rowan's birthday moments were early in the morning and before, during, and after Trick-or-Treating. He really enjoyed opening presents throughout the day as they arrived from family and friends and he enjoyed celebrating and being with just about all his favorite people.

If you are familiar with Sandra Boynton you'll understand that I think a-cake-a-day keeps The Birthday Monsters away! We had Cookies n' Cream cake and cupcakes for Rowan on Friday and then Reese's Peanut Butter Cup cheesecake (and Halloween candy) for Alan on Saturday.

Happy Birthday Alan!

Thanks to Memme and Grandpa for being with us as we celebrated and for enjoying the beautiful fall weekend we had in Upstate New York. Thank you too for being the photographers for the weekend!

The Birthday Clean Up Crew

Next year there will be a scheduling reprieve as Halloween will fall on a weekend. This will help us to break up the school festivities for one day and then celebrate Rowan's actual birthday and the Halloween trick-or-treating for the 31st.

But, as always, our time is so much more a treat than a trick :)

Keep Back 200 Feet

The morning bus stop is one interesting place.

All the school age children and their guardians emerge from their houses at the same time each morning to join the micro-community that is the bus stop. At the corner:

• the children circle each other for small talk or to see if someone has something 'new'
• there is one other parent and I who have a hot beverage in hand
• babies are in tow - always
• younger siblings run up and down the grassy hill to the neighbors tree. every. day.
• they are giddy with excitement to go to school
• there are crazy hugs and kisses when we hear the buses very loud brakes around the bend
• the children have to line up at 'the crack' (in the road) so they wait until the bus comes to a stop.
• lots of pictures are taken
• and Friday is Flamingo Friday, but maybe that's for a different blog post.

Why are lots of pictures taken? I guess because we have anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes together!

First Day of School at the Bus Stop

Circling Up 

Mr. R just so happened to have extra hair mascara in his pocket 

Crazy Hair Day 

Cillian's Ride in the Rain

Posing on Picture Day

"Really Mom?" I guess the paparazzi of these cuties gets

to be a bit much.

Cast of Characters

Halloween come early? No. We're just always monkey-ing around. Or, should I gorilla-ing around! It's often that we have to tell Rowan to 'turn the sillies off' when he's much more interested in being the jokester than knowing when enough is enough. But, one of the best things about Rowan and Evangeline is their willingness to play, pretend, and most definitely to entertain.

So, in order of cast appearance here is our dear Evangeline playing Tigger. And here is our goof Rowan playing the bare-bottomed gorilla.

Rowan, Age 6 and 5/6th

Eva, Age 5 and 1/6th

Not to leave the crew out .... there is also Mommy and Daddy (not picture) and this adorable babe, Cillian, in charge of special effects!

Cillian, Age 5 and 1/2 months (24 weeks)

The Boyz of Summer

The summer is coming to a close fast...like it kinda just slammed its door on us. I peer around this slamming door getting one last glimpse of what summer was and I can smile at having spent it with family and friends. I especially loved the time I had with my children.  

These two. I mean you guys, really? It's gotta be the glasses. Or maybe it's just how the Rudnick boyz roll!

Happy 5th Birthday Evangeline!

Evangeline Christine Rudnick
Born July 18, 2009

At 1 Year

At 2 Years

At 3 Years

At 4 Years

At Almost 5

Seeing Rainbows

 

Cillian was gifted a Rainbow Maker.  How sweet and lovely is this?! Even though I received it at a shower in March it wasn't until Cillian occupied his room that I opened the box.  And how we've ALL enjoyed it since!  My friend Kate spoiled us with this beauty!  The Rainbow Maker is solar powered. So, at just about 8 A.M. every morning when the sun rises over our neighbors house and hits Cillian's east facing window the solar panel is charged and the prism starts to turn. Then, the rainbows begin to dance, yes dance, all around the nursery.  It is beautiful. And, as it turns out, very hard to capture on camera!  The walls and armoir are white and the rainbows are beautifully red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple against them. Rowan and Evangeline come in in the morning to capture their arrival. Evangeline twirls as they land on her and Rowan tries to catch them. Cillian gazes as they come and go out of his sight.  I am in awe of their crisp colored spectrum.  These rainbows are a beautiful reminder each and every morning of God's many promises and abundant blessings for His children. Thank you Kate for this gift!

Rainbows dancing around the nursery

75+

9 1/2 Weeks
Ht: 24" (78th %)

Wt: 13lbs 3oz. (76th%)

HdCir: 16.25 (75th%)

That a boy!

These Two

Evangeline and Cillian:

• Precious
• Cute
• Darling
• Adorable
• Sweet
• Loving
• ...

I could go on for hours...these two are too much!

7 Weeks

Deja Vu

Those who didn't know Rowan as an infant ask if Cillian resembles Rowan. Some people who knew us in the fall of 2007 say that they think Rowan and Cillian look alike. What do you think? Which of the photos below are Rowan?  Which ones are Cillian? Do you think they resemble each other?

A (grand)Parent's Love

Mother's Day was extra special this year now that I am a mother to three of God's beautiful children. Each day with Cillian continues to be a blessing. Each day watching Rowan and Evangeline marvel in Cillian's life continues to be a joy too. 

Just as Alan and I rejoice in our family of creation we rejoice that our family of origin surrounds us still. As we celebrated Mother's Day this past weekend we also celebrated the nurture and support we received from our families. How wonderful to have received our parents nurture and care and now to be able to watch our parents share their love again with our children. Even after multiple grandchildren there is plenty of love to go around again...Cillian has received love that will never end.

My mother...with us through it all
#myfirstselfie ~ Cillian

Cillian, at 24 hours old, sits with Grandpa

Memme meets Cillian

Cillian, at two weeks,
already listening to Pop's stories