I think the title says all that I need to say...LOL!!! Even though I have enjoyed this time with my children, I am so looking forward to them going back to school and us getting back into a routine again. I will be using this time to rearrange the kids rooms and combine them so Katie can move into a room of her own. We feel it is time for her to learn to sleep in her own bed and room. Wish us luck on this, it is going to be trying for the first few days.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Looking back...
As I sit here, on the last day of 2008, I am amazed at all that has happened over the past year, while at the same time, looking forward to even more wonderful things to come in 2009. There are many things to look forward to in the new year. I personally am looking forward to Katie learning to talk and communicate more, Madison starting Kindergarden in the coming year, Ally going to Girl Scout camp and us working towards becoming completely debt free (almost there).
One of the things I have to do is figure out what my New Year resolutions will be this coming year. I do know of a few things that I would like to work on:
1) Lose about 10 more pounds
2) Start a savings account so we can work on getting a house
3) Pay off all debt with tax refund money
4) Declutter my house and sell/give away what isn't wanted/needed
One of the things I have to do is figure out what my New Year resolutions will be this coming year. I do know of a few things that I would like to work on:
1) Lose about 10 more pounds
2) Start a savings account so we can work on getting a house
3) Pay off all debt with tax refund money
4) Declutter my house and sell/give away what isn't wanted/needed
Monday, December 29, 2008
History of New Year's Eve in Times Square
New York in 1904 was a city on the verge of tremendous changes - and, not surprisingly, many of those changes had their genesis in the bustling energy and thronged streets of Times Square. Two innovations that would completely transform the Crossroads of the World debuted in 1904: the opening of the city's first subway line, and the first-ever celebration of New Year's Eve in Times Square.
This inaugural bash commemorated the official opening of the new headquarters of The New York Times. The newspaper's owner, German Jewish immigrant Alfred Ochs, had successfully lobbied the city to rename Longacre Square, the district surrounding his paper's new home, in honor of the famous publication (a contemporary article in The New York Times credited Interborough Rapid Transit Company President August Belmont for suggesting the change to the Rapid Transit Commission). The impressive Times Tower, marooned on a tiny triangle of land at the intersection of 7th Avenue, Broadway and 42nd Street, was at the time Manhattan's second-tallest building -- the tallest if measured from the bottom of its three massive sub-basements, built to handle the heavy weight demands of The Times' up-to-date printing equipment.
The building was the focus of an unprecedented New Year's Eve celebration. Ochs spared no expense to ensure a party for the ages. An all-day street festival culminated in a fireworks display set off from the base of the tower, and at midnight the joyful sound of cheering, rattles and noisemakers from the over 200,000 attendees could be heard, it was said, from as far away as Croton-on-Hudson, thirty miles north along the Hudson River.
The New York Times' description of the occasion paints a rapturous picture: "From base to dome the giant structure was alight - a torch to usher in the newborn year..."
The night was such a rousing success that Times Square instantly replaced Lower Manhattan's Trinity Church as "the" place in New York City to ring in the new year. Before long, this party of parties would capture the imagination of the nation, and the world.
Two years later, the city banned the fireworks display - but Ochs was undaunted. He arranged to have a large, illuminated seven-hundred-pound iron and wood ball lowered from the tower flagpole precisely at midnight to signal the end of 1907 and the beginning of 1908.
On that occassion, and for almost a century thereafter, Times Square signmaker Artkraft Strauss was responsible for the ball-lowering. (For more information on the past and present of the New Year's Eve Ball itself, please click here.) In 1914, The New York Times outgrew Times Tower and relocated to 229 West 43rd Street. By then, New Year's Eve in Times Square was already a permanent part of our cultural fabric.
In 1942 and 1943, the glowing Ball was temporarily retired due to the wartime "dimout" of lights in New York City. The crowds who still gathered in Times Square in those years greeted the New Year with a minute of silence followed by chimes ringing out from sound trucks parked at the base of the Times Tower.
The New York Times retained ownership of the Tower until 1961, when it was sold to developer Douglas Leigh, who was also the designer and deal-maker behind many of the spectacular signs in Times Square, including the famous Camel billboard that blew water-vapor "smoke rings" over the street. Mr. Leigh stripped the building down to its steel frame, then re-clad it in white marble as the headquarters for Allied Chemical Corporation.
Today, New Year's Eve in Times Square is a bona fide international phenomenon. Each year, hundreds of thousands of people still gather around the Tower, now known as One Times Square, and wait for hours in the cold of a New York winter for the famous Ball-lowering ceremony. Thanks to satellite technology, a worldwide audience estimated at over one billion people watches the ceremony each year. The lowering of the Ball has become the world's symbolic welcome to the New Year.
This inaugural bash commemorated the official opening of the new headquarters of The New York Times. The newspaper's owner, German Jewish immigrant Alfred Ochs, had successfully lobbied the city to rename Longacre Square, the district surrounding his paper's new home, in honor of the famous publication (a contemporary article in The New York Times credited Interborough Rapid Transit Company President August Belmont for suggesting the change to the Rapid Transit Commission). The impressive Times Tower, marooned on a tiny triangle of land at the intersection of 7th Avenue, Broadway and 42nd Street, was at the time Manhattan's second-tallest building -- the tallest if measured from the bottom of its three massive sub-basements, built to handle the heavy weight demands of The Times' up-to-date printing equipment.
The building was the focus of an unprecedented New Year's Eve celebration. Ochs spared no expense to ensure a party for the ages. An all-day street festival culminated in a fireworks display set off from the base of the tower, and at midnight the joyful sound of cheering, rattles and noisemakers from the over 200,000 attendees could be heard, it was said, from as far away as Croton-on-Hudson, thirty miles north along the Hudson River.
The New York Times' description of the occasion paints a rapturous picture: "From base to dome the giant structure was alight - a torch to usher in the newborn year..."
The night was such a rousing success that Times Square instantly replaced Lower Manhattan's Trinity Church as "the" place in New York City to ring in the new year. Before long, this party of parties would capture the imagination of the nation, and the world.
Two years later, the city banned the fireworks display - but Ochs was undaunted. He arranged to have a large, illuminated seven-hundred-pound iron and wood ball lowered from the tower flagpole precisely at midnight to signal the end of 1907 and the beginning of 1908.
On that occassion, and for almost a century thereafter, Times Square signmaker Artkraft Strauss was responsible for the ball-lowering. (For more information on the past and present of the New Year's Eve Ball itself, please click here.) In 1914, The New York Times outgrew Times Tower and relocated to 229 West 43rd Street. By then, New Year's Eve in Times Square was already a permanent part of our cultural fabric.
In 1942 and 1943, the glowing Ball was temporarily retired due to the wartime "dimout" of lights in New York City. The crowds who still gathered in Times Square in those years greeted the New Year with a minute of silence followed by chimes ringing out from sound trucks parked at the base of the Times Tower.
The New York Times retained ownership of the Tower until 1961, when it was sold to developer Douglas Leigh, who was also the designer and deal-maker behind many of the spectacular signs in Times Square, including the famous Camel billboard that blew water-vapor "smoke rings" over the street. Mr. Leigh stripped the building down to its steel frame, then re-clad it in white marble as the headquarters for Allied Chemical Corporation.
Today, New Year's Eve in Times Square is a bona fide international phenomenon. Each year, hundreds of thousands of people still gather around the Tower, now known as One Times Square, and wait for hours in the cold of a New York winter for the famous Ball-lowering ceremony. Thanks to satellite technology, a worldwide audience estimated at over one billion people watches the ceremony each year. The lowering of the Ball has become the world's symbolic welcome to the New Year.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Christmas Day 2008
This year for Christmas we had an extra treat. My Grandma was able to be here for Christmas!! I was very happy to have her here for a few days and she seemed to love spending time with my girls. The only thing that would have made it even better is if my parents could have been here too.
The kids opened up their gifts (Katie only opened a few) and then Daddy finally got up again. Richard had been up with Katie most of the night so that I could sleep and when morning came, he went back to bed. Once Daddy got up, he and I opened our gifts, helped Katie finish opening hers and then he started putting together some of Katie's new toys.
This is Richard playing Ally's new Wii game.... Hannah Montana.... LOL!!!! It was very funny to watch him doing the moves with the songs. I was dying!!!!
The kids opened up their gifts (Katie only opened a few) and then Daddy finally got up again. Richard had been up with Katie most of the night so that I could sleep and when morning came, he went back to bed. Once Daddy got up, he and I opened our gifts, helped Katie finish opening hers and then he started putting together some of Katie's new toys.
This is Richard playing Ally's new Wii game.... Hannah Montana.... LOL!!!! It was very funny to watch him doing the moves with the songs. I was dying!!!!
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Christmas Eve 2008
We spent Christmas Eve over at my cousin Michele's house with her family. Here is Ally singing a song on the Wii Rockband while her cousin plays the drums and a family friend plays the guitar.
Katie got to open one of her gifts early while we were getting dinner ready for everyone. My Aunt Sandy got her a talking turtle that tells you numbers and shapes.
This is a few pictures of the adults as they sat down to eat dinner on Christmas Eve. We had my Aunt Sandy, Uncle Bob, Richard, Joshua, my cousin Michele, my Grandma Staats and Katie.
Katie got to open one of her gifts early while we were getting dinner ready for everyone. My Aunt Sandy got her a talking turtle that tells you numbers and shapes.
This is a few pictures of the adults as they sat down to eat dinner on Christmas Eve. We had my Aunt Sandy, Uncle Bob, Richard, Joshua, my cousin Michele, my Grandma Staats and Katie.
This is a picture of all the cousins. We have Ally in the back row, then Madison, Rogan, Riley and baby Katie.
One of the last things we did was read, "The Night before Christmas" to all of the kids. Here is Maddy listening intently to her "C.C." read to her.
Girls Christmas Pictures
I took the girls to Wal-mart last Saturday for their Christmas pictures. They turned out so well. Here are some of the pictures that were taken. We went back to the same lady that took Katie's 1st year pictures.
These are two of my favorite pictures of the three girls and then two of each of them separately. I can't believe how well the whole thing went.
Ally's pictures
Katie's pictures
Madison's pictures
These are two of my favorite pictures of the three girls and then two of each of them separately. I can't believe how well the whole thing went.
Ally's pictures
Katie's pictures
Madison's pictures
Friday, December 19, 2008
School is out for vacation...
Today was the last day of school until the new year when they will head back on the 5th of January. It was a busy day for me today. First I got up and got the kids ready for school, then as I was taking a shower, my neighbor put Maddy on the bus for me. When I got done, my neighbor and I went to the grocery store to get a few things for our older kids' party at school, and then we headed to Head Start to pick up our kids before 10am. Once we dropped off my neighbor and her kids, Maddy and I went to Ally's school to hear her grade sing in the school program.
I have a few things planned to do with the kids while they are on Christmas vacation. I am taking the kids tomorrow to get their Christmas pictures done at Wal-mart and then to a birthday party at 2pm. On Sunday, we are going to try and make the gingerbread house kit that I have and then, later that night, we will be going to see Ally in the Christmas program at church.
On Monday, my Grandma is arriving from Ohio to stay with us until Christmas afternoon. I am looking forward to her arriving and getting to spend Christmas morning with us.
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