Hi

I’m back!

July 4th

We went to the Macy's NYC Fireworks, which are advertised as the largest in the country. Since they moved the fireworks to the Hudson River this year, we took the train to Hoboken and watched them from there. Asiya was uninterested. Gabe liked them but was more excited when we were buzzed a few times by an NYPD helicopter. On the train ride home Asiya got her second wind and was waving and blowing kisses to people on the train!

Curls Crandall

Asiya's curly hair is now in full effect. Don't let the innocent look fool you, however. This girl can hold her own!

Gabe graduated preschool!

Gabe had the best year in preschool. He has made great progress in his letters, and now knows them all, can spell and write his name and read some basic words. Nicole and Nicky, his teachers, are passionate about their kids, and really adore Gabe. Week after week, Gabe would come home with some random piece of knowledge about pyramids, Alaska, knights, etc.

Gabe frequently brought home a prize (toy) for being a great listener. He seems to listen so well at school that he has no more capability to do so when he gets home.... hmmm.

Gabe battles an invisible monster in the backyard

Asiya turned one!

We had great weather for Asiya's birthday party. Asiya was a bit overwhelmed with all the attention, but enjoyed herself, especially the cake! Pete fired up the new BBQ and made some tasty kabobs. Gabe thought it might be fun to run through the backyard with his eyes closed, and unfortunately discovered what bloody noses are like in the process. All in all, it was a lot of fun.

Asiya's addiction

Asiya is addicted to her pacifiers. She only like the blue ones, and they have to be available at all times. When Asiya goes to bed or down for a nap, her crib has to be pre-loaded. By that I mean that she has to have one pacifier in her mouth, and one in each hand. Anything less will cause Asiya to cry and not sleep easily!

Spring is here!

Are we Communicating?

Gabe was playing with Natascha's phone, pushing lots of buttons. Natascha asked him what he was doing, he said "Nothing. Someone is texting me."

Asiya just this week also started putting the phone to her ear, and "talking". She gets bored though, and starts trying to eat the phone.

I figure they will have their own devices by age 8.

Brothers & Sisters

Asiya finds her voice

Asiya started crawling this week, throwing us for a loop. Suddenly we realized how unprepared we were for her new mobility. Gone are the days of planting Asiya in a spot with a toy and getting a solid 5 minute breather. This girl can move! Asiya is also (vocally) making it clear to us what she doesn't appreciate. Chief complaints: taking something from her that she found interesting, and wiping her face when it is covered with food, drool, etc. Asiya does more than complain though - when I come in the room her eyes light up and she says "DA DA DA!"

Giant plans

Gabe has decided his career/life goals. We ask him sometimes what he wants to be when he grow up, trying to get a sense of what he is thinking. Gabe now says that when he grows up he wants to be an “all aboard”, also known as a train conductor. Just when we start to imagine him working on a train, he said that when he gets even bigger he wants to be a policeman, and when he gets really big he wants to be a giant. I guess I had better start saving up for giant schooling. Is that a four year program?

Christmas 2008

The Crandalls decided to all get together for Christmas this year. Mary Ann's absence was felt strongly, but we knew this is what she would have wanted. Josh & Mindy hosted in State College, and did a great job with the food and activities. Gabe had a lot of fun snow tubing at Tussey Mountain. Gabe wanted to go on run after run until he literally fell asleep in his snow tube as it was flying down the mountain.

Indecision ‘08

For a variety of reasons I was unhappy with my Presidential choices this year. After a lot of thought and consideration I realized that I was permanently undecided. I wasn’t sure what to do, and then came upon a great idea. I decided to let Gabe vote for me! Gabe was already aware of the election. One evening after watching the news Gabe said, “Joe the Plumber has a runny diaper”.

The night before the election I made sure Gabe was aware of his choices. When I told he had to choose between Obama and McCain, he renamed them ‘November’ and ‘Mechanic’. The night we voted Gabe was in the booth with me, and I asked who he wanted to vote for. “Mechanic!” So we voted for “Mechanic”. When we got home and started watching the early returns I told him Obama was winning, and I reminded him that he voted for “Mechanic”. He said “No, I voted for Obama”. I guess he saw the way it was headed…..

Haloween 2008

Gabe was Pablo from Backyardigans, his favorite show and the only one he watches. Gabe went to about 10 homes for candy and got bored. He had more fun giving out candy to the other kids. Asiya just soaked it all in.