Halloween Happenings

Is it really November? Time flies when you have kids...costumes, parades, parties, decorations, trick or treating(in the rain), sugar-crazed boys running around the house. BUT, at least I got an extra hour's sleep, although I feel like I could use a little more. I think I heard, "How much longer until I have dinner?" about 50 times yesterday, because I made the mistake of telling David we would trick or treat after dinner. Pop Pop joined in the fun and walked around with the boys. David rang the doorbells with a "Trick or treat!" and Nicholas tried to mimic everything he said. They got a boatload of candy, and we still have a ton leftover after 8 kids came to my door. Last year we had about 60. I have a feeling I'll be signing up for Jenny Craig in the next couple of months.

Oh, and we had a blast with the pumpkins..I did Jacob, Edward and the Pug, Dave did Bella(although he'll never admit that) and Jason Voorhees, and Mom did the wolf. Happy Halloween! Enjoy your Sunday! GO PHILLIES!

Halloween

Good Things Come In 3's

On the same day that Nicholas celebrates his 3rd birthday, the Phillies clinch their 3rd consecutive NL East Title. No need to write a book about it, I'm proud of my Nicholas and I'm proud of my Phillies. This will be a busy Fall season, for sure. We have Nicholas' birthday party that we're having this Saturday, playoffs, a World Series.. hopefully, Halloween, a WS parade.. maybe..We're also taking part in the 3rd annual Purple Stride Walk in Tyler State Park in November again as Clan Bruce..we've already been receiving donations in memory of Dad, and I think we'll have a great turnout this year. David will be turning 6 in November, as well..my big boy..he never ceases to amaze me, or make me laugh. For instance, this morning at the bus stop as we were standing, waiting, he gasps and looks down, and says, "Look, Momma! A styrofoam packing peanut!" Usually it's a little hard to make me laugh in the A.M. hours, but not when David's around.

We have our Halloween costumes lined up for '09--David chose to be a police officer( I know what you're thinking...Cunningham and police officer go together, but not in that way...) and Nicholas will be a dinosaur (he just loves them, and displays his roar for us all the time). Some other news on the homefront, David is riding a two wheeler and Nicholas is peeing on the potty! They're growing up right before my eyes..literally. I see them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and I wouldn't trade it for anything in this world, they're both growing up to be such good boys and I take some credit for that : )

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Nicholas' 3rd

Cape May 2009

Everyone had a great time down the shore this year...there might be some things taken out of our security deposit, but we were good for the most part. As always, it goes by way too fast and of course, I always end the vacation with how bad I want to live down there. Enjoy all the pics...and there are A LOT

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Cape May 2009

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Cape May 2009 Part 2

The Catfish Hunter

I don't fish, I have no desire to fish, I only like to eat fish(certain kinds), so thank God for Dads, right? Dave took David on a little fishing excursion this morning at the Hampton Chase Park pond, right up the walking trail from here. They caught a catfish and some sonnys(sp?). David surprisingly being the neat freak he is(I wonder where he gets that from...) has no problem touching the worms or the fish, Mr., I need to clean my hands when I get some dirt on them. He really enjoys it and so does Dave, so it's something they get to share and something I know David will look back on as he gets to be a bigger boy...
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The Catfish Hunter

Happy 4th!

4th of July 09

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Had a little get together today, hope everyone enjoyed their holiday!

Making It Our Own

June 15, 2009 marked two years since moving to the "new house" as David still calls it. As always, what seems like a small project around here always turns into something bigger. With the kitchen, it started out with replacing our broken microwave. That trickled down into painting the cabinets, tile backsplash, new countertops, etc. Well, same thing occurred this weekend, although, I must say it was much cheaper than the kitchen project...just some paint is all it took. I had Dave hanging a new flag and bunting that we bought in Gettysburg to decorate for 4th of July. That trickled into painting the shutters and then it turned into painting the porch. After three days of non-stop painting, we are finally done, and actually really pleased with our "new house". It's kind of weird when you move into someone else's house. It takes a while to make it your own. We love it, and I have a feeling we'll actually be sitting on the front porch this summer, enjoying life and appreciating the hard work we put into everything. Our inspiration for this project was Cape May and a serene, "homey" southern plantation. Here's the before and after...

BEFORE:

AFTER:

I took a couple more close ups , click pic to view album:

house

85 Years

Tonight we celebrated a birthday for a man who is one of the most loving, caring, giving men I know. That man would be my Grandpop. Ever since I was young, I recognized the kindness and love this man showed me. My first memory I have of my Grandpop is his face when he saw me swinging on the swing he made me in my backyard. He made it for my 3rd birthday, and he didn't just make it for me, he showed me how to use it. He taught me how to swing, and up until a few years ago, I still would swing on that swing. It eventually became too rotted to salvage, and I rememer the day we took it apart to throw it in the trash and how deep my heart sank. My Grandpop has made me so many things since then that I still have, and I can not tell you what these things mean to me. I think my favorite are the birdhouses. Every time we look out and watch the birds, we always think of him. My second favorite is my Wizard of Oz display box in which he painted the yellow brick road and Emerald City. He is such a talented man. My favorite thing to do with my Grandpop growing up was riding bikes. We used to ride bikes all the time. He would take me down to the Ferry and we'd watch it come in and go out, and we'd wave to the people on the boat. He makes the best spaghetti and clam sauce, the best meatballs, the best chicken cutlets, the best sausage, the best banana splits, the best pancakes, the best french toast, the best pasta vazul, and I could go on and on. He's helped build houses, walls, porches, sheds, decks, and I could go on and on. He fought in a war, and often worked three jobs to support his family. He NEVER complains, always sees the good in people, and always has room in his heart for one more. This man is who I look up to in life and I love him so much!! He truly is the best Grandpop ever and I'm so glad he had a happy birthday today!
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Grandpop's 85th

Pictures of June 13, 2009

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61309

Today was officially David's last game of the season(they actually decided last minute to play one more this Tue night). The game started off very muggy and hot, the boys(and girls) were certainly not enthused to be playing this afternoon. They played for about 20 minutes and then the heavens opened up and it POURED. It was so funny to watch them become completely energized and full of life! They had a blast! I don't remember the last time it rained this hard. And it wasn't a "passing storm". This POURING rain has lasted since 1:30 this afternoon and it is now 4:50. According to the National Weather Service, at 4:00, we measured in at 5.31 inches of rain, so I imagine it's even more than that by now. Dave went out a little bit ago and got some shots of what it looks like out there. David and his team received their trophies after they called the game. Although it rained on their parade, it certainly didn't put a damper on things, it actually made it more fun!

Pocono500

Dad C. enjoyed an early birthday present from Dave and I...a trip to Pocono500, a first for Dad, he had a great time, a little sleepy from drinking early in the morning, but still something we know he'll never forget!!
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Pocono500 2009

Phil's Birthday Party

Wellll, the gang was rallied together, once again, to celebrate Phil's 28th Birthday...he bombed at the casinos, but Dave and I made his day after we bought him some scrath-offs and he hit for a whopping $67.00!!! Woo Hoo!

Phil's Bday 2009

Kevin's Get Well Soon Party

We were happy that we could get all of the McFadden's together to wish Kevin a speedy recovery and to see Phil and Haanah, who came in from Alaska to be with Kevin this week. Kathleen and Phil brought Grandmom and Grandpop down , so the family was so happy that they could make it. Everyone really enjoyed themselves, and we know we'll be having a Kevin Kicked Cancer's Ass Party when all is said and done.....really looking forward to that party.

Kevin's Party

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The New 'Do

This is Nicholas' new 'do for summer...Dave said he looked like a little Suzy. I had planned on cutting his hair for a while now, it was just a matter of finding enough free time for Dave to hold him down while I clipped away. Surprisingly, he did way better than I thought he would. David used to scream bloody murder every time I'd give him a haircut at Nicholas' age. Nicholas cried a little, but a very manageable cry :)

Graduation Day is Here

Graduation Day 2009

Well, today was the day that David became a man...or a Kindergardener, anyway! He did great, and we all had fun. They sang some songs for us, and even made up their own line in ABC's where instead of singing "Next time won't you sing with me", they sang out "Next time give me a piece of cheese"...they all thought this was very funny, and it was. So cute at this age. They played on the playground and ate some goodies, it was a good day!

Popsicle Face

Guess who was afraid of a little thunder and lightening last night...not David...nope, not Nicholas...

Snoop thinks he's a lapdog, but everyone is well aware that this is not the case....except when there's some thunder and lightening. He trembles and shakes and has to be near someone when we get any type of storm. We were laughing because for those of us who had the pleasure of having Little Girl in our lives, we all know she was also afraid of thunder, and would always hide behind Grandpop's chair. The big horse dogs are little fraidy cats! And with Snoop being black and white, and having the same characteristics, makes me wonder if maybe he's a decendent of Little Girl! She was such a good dog, as Snoop is.

An Awesome Mother's Day!

Well, Mother's Day has come and gone, and it was such an awesome day! Dave took the boys to the park for about two hours, which was really nice. Then we drove up and spent the day at Grandmom and Grandpop's house, and it was the best to see Grandmom at home and to talk to her and laugh with her. She was chatting away on the phone to everybody, and then we all sat down to Grandpop's infamous Sunday dinner of spaghetti with meatballs and sausage....aahhh but he shook things up a bit this time for us and added some Ravioli to the mix! Really, he could feed an army.....then we enjoyed some Rocky Road ice cream for dessert. We were already hearing about how Grandpop shrunk the dining room curtains and now there's no curtains, LOL, poor Grandpop.....I have to say, it's probably one of the most memorable Mother's Day for me, I had such a great day, mostly because of the smile that was on my Grandmom's face :)

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Mother's Day 2009

Dane Does Philly

Video of Dane's skit, talking about calling his dead mother's number on his cell one last time...

Dane Cook

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Forget Manny Ramirez...this article says it all

Stark: Manny's past makes it impossible to forgive

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Scared Out Of My Mind

So the past couple of days, I've been really paying attention to all the news channels, listening to all of the coverage concerning the Swine Flu outbreak. I have to say, besides watching my Dad battle cancer, and 9/11, this is one of the most terrifying events to me. I would not label me as a strict germaphobe, but I know I am more "aware" than others. I always have the hand sanitizer in the purse, and David knows the routine...even Nicholas has caught on. I always open doors with my sleeve, and if David so much has a runny nose, I keep him home from school because I know he's contagious and don't want to get others in his class ill. And if he has a fever, I wait a full 24 hours after no signs before I take him anywhere. I know that some people can't do that because of their jobs, etc. I always give the boys a bath after playing at a crowded playground, I make David wash his hands each day he comes home from school. Sometimes I feel like I overreact, but I couldn't have it any other way. I don't hold my boys back from doing things, they play in sports, they play at the parks, they go to the movies, they have playdates...I certainly don't hold them hostage in the house. Although, there is one place I refuse to let them play, and that is the indoor play areas at the McDonald's or Chick-Fil-A, you know all the fast food places....I completely avoid those places. They're frankly quite disgusting, they smell, and it seems no one ever watches their own kids in those things.

This morning, the first US death was confirmed by Swine Flu, a 23 month old from Texas. I know 30-some thousand people die every year from the flu, but some people have no natural immunity to this strain. To put it plainly, I'm scared shitless. Some cases were confirmed in Delaware, a state that is only 1 hour away from here. I'm scared of David going to school, and now Obama is talking about some schools shutting down. At this point in time, I am being a lot more cautious about where I take the boys. I'm doing it because I feel like it's the only action I can take right now to protect them. I will let them play on the swingset out back, but I'm thinking twice about going to that playground down the road. I just hope and pray that this gets under control and doesn't become an even bigger killer than it already is. I fear for my boys' health and safety, for all of my family's safety.

Goodbye Spring, Hello Summer!

Summer in April 09

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It's a heatwave! Spring is a thing of the past, at least for the moment.... or until Tuesday. We'll take what we can get! This album has pics of David romping with his new sprinkler I picked up at Walgreens. It's the coolest sprinkler I've ever come upon. You put a rocket on top of the sprinkler and the rocket shoots up, and the water sprays out from the holes in the rocket. It comes with a "launch pad" and you control how fast and high the rocket goes.

Puppeteers

David and Nicholas got a package today from Uncle Jason and Aunt Becky filled with puppets and hats. They dove right into it and ate dinner as a monkey and a puppy, with sound effects, of course

The Heart of Phillies Baseball

I'm so saddened by the news of Harry Kalas passing away, along with every other Phillies fan...listening to the games will never be the same! Harry Kalas is like listening to a piece of home. Listening to him was like a comfort food, always putting me at ease. I've been listening to him since I can remember. I have numerous memories of sitting with Dad and listening to him on the TV or sitting outside listening to him on the radio. He was a constant in my home growing up. What an amazing experience for him to witness last year's World Series front and center! I'm so grateful he got that "last call" in the World Series. Really gonna miss him! Phillies will win this one today for him!

Easter Greetings

Easter 2009 1

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Happy Easter to all! We had a very busy day full of egg hunting, basket hunting, playing, eating, you name it! David left some carrots out in a dish for the Easter Bunny and they were all eaten up, except a few chewed up pieces....David's favorite gift from the Easter Bunny was his new stuffed animal, Bolt. For those of you who've been around David, you know he likes to constantly act like a dog, so he's been Bolt all day. Nicholas liked his gifts, too. He wasn't too into the egg hunt, but I expected that. David is feeling better, still has a cough, but it's a productive cough. Mom once again, made an exceptional feast. My sweet potato souffle was a hit and so was my carrot cake....even Dave ate it (Gasp!) After dinner, mom, Kathleen and I headed to the hospital to see Uncle Joe. He's hanging in there. He's having a biopsy done either tomorrow or Tues., he wasn't sure, so say a prayer for him.

Hope everone enjoyed their Easter!

Who doesn't love a middle-of-the-night-run to the ER??

Yes, well David awoke at 1:30 last night barking like a seal...croup. He was really having labored breathing though. We had him in the bathroom with steam, and that wasn't helping. He was shaking terribly, so I called 911. He was taken to Doylestown Hospital, and they gave him a nebulizer treatment, which calmed things down, then they gave him a steroid, which they said would have a long-term effect. His temp was 103.4, so they immediately sent him for chest xray to rule out pneumonia, because croup doesn't usually have a high-spiking fever like that. But, everything came back okay, just showed narrow passage ways, which is croup. He did so good with everything, he never cried once, he did everything that was asked of him, I was amazed. He started acting like himself again once the fever came back down, even gave us a superbark like Bolt! Then they wheeled over a cart with a TV on it with every Disney movie you could possibly imagine. Well, he was in his glory...he even asked if he could sleep there. So after a few hours of observation, he was okay to go home, just have to make a followup with his Ped. on Monday. Most of all, I was just glad that he was okay and extremely pleased with the nursing staff, the Dr., the admins-everyone was so nice and accomodating. Very on time there as well, no sitting and waiting for hours and hours for an xray to come back. So do you think after going to bed at 4:30 in the morning that he would sleep in? No, not my David, he wakes up like clockwork...7:20 on the nose. That's okay though, I can handle that!

Binky Babe

Every time he puts the sunglasses on, I say, "Oh, yeah, are you cool?" And he lifts them up and says "Yaa!"

Meet Peter

Here's our baby bunny that's been hanging around the bird feeder for the past two weeks. David always keeps his eye out for him and tells us all to be quiet when he's out. We've named him Peter...Cottontail, of course. Too cute!

Easter Show

He makes a great Easter Bunny! All the kids did so well, and I see a huge difference in David's performances this year from last ...he's maturing!

Game 1-Cubs vs. Mets

Warwick Bulldogs Season Opener 409

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The 2009 Warwick Bulldogs season is officially underway, and it started off with a bang! The entire league gathered beforehand for opening ceremonies, where each team was introduced, followed by The National Anthem, and then the first pitch was thrown on the mound. The weather was sunny and a bit breezy, (50 mph wind gusts!!) but the temp stayed near 60 so it wasn't too bad. David had a blast, all the kids did. It was great to see them all having fun and getting along. David hit off the tee twice and hit a pitch at his last at bat. He really started getting into it in the last 2 innings. David's coach, Coach Mike, has a son named Dominick on the team (he's a great player btw). He also had his younger son there at the game watching...But seeing them interact reminded me of my childhood and took me back to the days when my Dad was coaching every team Jason was on, and me being the one there, watching, or picking clover, or playing on the nearby junglegym, and it put a smile on my face...Good memories, and new ones to come!

A Spring Stroll (On Some Powerwheels)

Spring stroll

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They love their Powerwheels! A beautiful day today, 66 degrees and invigorating! I like when the boys play outside, because then they eat really good! Also spent some time on the swingset, and thought I'd throw in a pic of David's fort that he made this morning...so did anyone else do that as a kid and remember how fun it was? My brother was the master of making forts on Saturday mornings while we watched cartoons...

Easter's On It's Way

In the spirit of Easter, I thought I'd make some egg wreaths. They were fun to make, and of course, therapeutic. I'm not a fan of all the "pastelly" colors of Easter, so I decided to make my own to get that primitive look.


















David also dyed some eggs in school today. He doesn't like the way they smell, but I think Snoop does!

And Now Some Really Good News

I spoke with Snoop's Dr. today, and his test for kidney disease came back negative, Thank God!!! She said she had to read 7 other urine tests last night, and others weren't so lucky. So, Snoop takes antibiotics 3x/day for the next 30 days, then he will get a Lyme vaccine, which he'll get for the rest of his life now, then he will go back in 6 mo. to recheck his levels. Rocky has his check up in 2 weeks, so hopefully we won't be riding the same roller coaster all over again. Even though I have kids, my animals are still like kids to me, too, and I've always treated my animals like they were born into this family, so it is very devastating when things like this happen, I go through the same guilt of what did I do wrong, how could this have happened, etc. But what matters most right now is my Snoops is okay, and he's getting plenty of treats to celebrate.

Not So Good News

Well, I got a call from Snoop's vet, and she informed me that his case of Lyme is indeed severe. They generally start treatment for dogs when they're levels are at 30...Snoop's are at 344. We have to start him on antibiotics today and we will have to get a urine sample either today or tomorrow morning to check protein levels in his urine. Lyme can generate kidney disease, which can be fatal. So, we're hoping and praying that they will not find protein in his urine. When it rains, it pours-that's generally the way it works in this family when things start going wrong.

Hanging Out

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Well, it's Sunday night, and there's nothing I like more than laying on the couch and hanging out...and with the boys around, it's guaranteed a few laughs will be thrown in. We enjoyed watching Ice Age for the 630th time(it gets better every time!) Nicholas gets so into these movies, he reenacts them as their playing, which you will see in the album...Snoop was enjoying some attention, as well. And for those of you who follow, and I probably forgot to mention, we found out on Saturday that Snoop has Lyme's Disease. We find out tomorrow how severe it is, but needless to say we were very shocked by this. Just goes to show, no matter how careful you are about these things, which we were-between using Frontline and another med every month-nothing's foolproof. It's the price you pay when you're living among the deer, I guess. Needless to say, can you guess what I'll be doing this week? You got it- making appointments with Doctors and Pediatricians for blood tests to make sure we all don't have it.

On another note, David got his baseball uniform on Sat. and his first game is Sat., April 4, so I'll be posting pics of that next week.

Liking Legos

David has recently gotten into Legos...He's been playing with them for a couple of weeks now, making really tall houses and such, but today he made his first "real" creation with them, an airplane, and as you can see, he was quite pleased with himself.

The Tale of Two Geocache Teams

Here's a couple of pics of David in a Victoria's Secret bag, and Steve with chocolate stains on his sweatshirt...

David in a Bag

Here's another album from today which includes Jul's driving lesson in my car...in case you're wondering what that green pole sticking up out of the ground is, it's what Jul almost hit backing out of the driveway(yikes!) She was actually a very good driver, our driveway is quite tricky, and Mom still drives on the grass. Only cool people can maneuver it...The rest of the pics are from our Geocache Hunt today back in the woods. Nathan found the cache within a minute we were there, so it was the fastest geocache hunt on record thus far.

From GeocacheTax VisitJul Driving

Running Hard

David and James

James and David ran around all over the place today. They visited the horses, took a wagon ride to the pond and saw some geese, ran down the big hills on the path, played in the sand, and on the swingset, and ate like the horses they saw today!