The Perfect Storm

We are calling the month of July the "perfect storm" in our house. We moved here, got enough settled that we could survive Mark studying for the bar, and got into a routine with the kids and work. I even pulled off a trip to Maine for one of my high school friend's wedding, the weekend of July 4th--all by myself!

My girls from highschool-Go Posse!

I forgot how cold it can get in Maine, even in the middle of the summer.
Yes, that is the bride wrapped up with us in the dirty blanket.

Starting the Monday I got back we felt prepared enough for Mark to start studying 9am-9pm. As soon as he stopped coming home, my job that has been perfectly "slow' for the last 4 months kicked in. I really don't know how we survived. I had one of the busiest months of work that I have had in the past year. Luckily my sister Heather was in and out of our house the month of July, so she spent a lot of time watching MTV (or whatever it is teenagers watch these days) with the kids crawling around/on her. Our house officially didn't get cleaned for the last two weeks of this month. But Mark is done now, and we are so happy!

All the kids had check ups this month.

Katie had her three year. She was 29.8 lbs and 36 1/2 in tall.

Marcus and Addy had their 9 month (a couple weeks late)
Marcus was 22.5lbs and 28 1/2 ins--this puts him in the 75th percentile for both weight and height, Mark is so proud. Marcus is now crawling. After studying Addy for a while it took him a week total to get up on his knees and start moving. He says "Mama" and "Dada" and means us. He has two teeth on the bottom. He was a cranky little boy the whole weekend I was in Maine--we thought it was just teething but when I came home he started being an angel again. My little boy loves his Mama.

Addy was 19.9 lbs and 28 ins-she is in the 50th for weight and 75th for height. Addy is pulling up on everything and can walk along stuff, she lets go every once in a while. We have great hopes of her walking if she can get off her tip toes. I think she spent a little too much time in the bouncer and jumperoo because when we hold her hand to try to help her stand she jumps. She has two teeth on the bottom and one on the top. She still doesn't say any words.

While Mark was in Raleigh taking the bar Flossie came down with her kids and Scotia and hung out for a couple days. We went outlet shopping with Sarah and Talia. Three moms, 6kids and 2 teenagers does not make for a fun trip. I think we almost went crazy. The next day we laid low and just went swimming.

Katie holding cousin Cooper-Addy is trying to get in on the action. Addy could never tell if he was real or not-she was always thrown off that he would cried when she grabbed his face

Carson showing his mom what he is going to wear for the day-a pink shirt and pink skirt, Katie sure has a talent for helping other kids get dressed

I finally got pictures at the pool--only because Flossie brought her camera. (This is where me and the kids played all summer.)

Katie and Carson on the slide

Happy Birthday Katie V. -July 2

Another year has come and gone. I can't believe that my Katie is 3 years old. It seems like just yesterday we were pushing her around in the stroller to get her to stop crying, now we can't get her to stop talking. I remember trying to get her to say "ma ma", now she speaks full, intelligent sentences and counts to 13 (next comes 18, 21), and when she wants to, she knows her ABC's and how to spell her name ("k", "a", "t"" what comes next?... I don't know"). She loved being an only child but graciously moved into the big sister role. She loves to create things and pretend, she loves to read books. She asks me to define words or phrases that she doesn't understand. She is stubborn and independent and feisty and loving and unbelievably kind. Basically to sum it all up we love Katie, our family wouldn't be the same without her amazing personality.

To celebrate her 3rd birthday we kicked it off with a Birthday Eve party with my family at a park in between my house and theirs; my mom and younger siblings, Flossie and kids, and Crystal and kids came to join the fun.

Carson and Gabby are on the other end

Marcus and Addy hanging in the swings

Baleigh trying to entertain Marcus and Addy

Gabby and Katie picking out which cupcake they want

Baleigh, Karleigh, Seth, Gabby and Emmie

Scotia and Addy

Marcus enjoying my cupcake (I think Katie took these last two pictures)

After lunch and cupcakes all the kids found their way down to the river
Katie, Gabby, Alisa, Carson, Emmie and Cohen
Yes, Katie took her pants off!


The next morning was the big day that we have been talking about for months...Katie's birthday!

It started with breakfast and then opening some presents from us and then some that Grammy and Grandpa sent her.

Katie has been asking for Thomas the Train and train tracks for longer then we have been talking about her birthday. She got Thomas and George and a bunch of cars. Then we took her upstairs for the real surprise...

She was so excited!

Then we made her birthday cake
Katie (wearing the outfit she got the day before from cousin Karleigh) helped out with the whisk from her kitchen--it gave her an extra thing to lick.

Mark came home early from studying for the bar and we took Katie to see the movie "Up". My sister Heather watched Marcus and Addy for us.
After the movie and picking up balloons we were ready for the main event.

Talia came to help celebrate

Addy is ready to eat some of the cake

Happy Daddy's Day-June 21

We love Mark. He is a favorite of the kids. He wishes he was with us when he is gone. When he is home he spends his time cooking or cleaning or changing diapers or eating the food Katie makes him in her kitchen or playing hide and seek with Addy or wrestling with Marcus or just trying to make me happy. He is doing a good job!

Katie after her Daddy's Day art project.

Her project in our tomato garden.

When Mom's away

Mark has been threatening to do this for a while,

I took Katie to the pool and came home to this.

Marcus has a new face to go with his tough image.

Casa loca a mi casa

My parents took off the beginning of June to go to Guatemala to try to get the orphanage up and running again. The same week Sarah and Adam took off for Youth Conference with our church youth group. I became a single mom of 7 (Mark is studying for the bar--we can't distract him). I had Emmie (10), Alisa(9), Tony(7) and Talia(2), to add to my three. You would think being raised in the house I was raised in, this week wouldn't have fazed me, but it was unbelievably hard. Needless to say we didn't go anywhere that we couldn't walk.

Playing in the sprinklers

Watching the craziness

Sandbox fun with Talia
Thank goodness for the huge play room we have in our new home, and that my little siblings are willing to play with baby and toddler toys!

Addy and Katie in the doll's pack n' play

Marcus watching Tony play football

The silly girls on a good day--Katie put her pink dress on Tali over her shirt and jeans, Katie is a strong believer in layering your clothes and she is trying to pass this knowledge on.

We spent a lot of time at the kiddie pool (there are no pictures, because I don't have enough hands to hold onto Marcus and Addy and take pictures).

Right before Sarah and Adam took off we went to Monkey Joes, which is a huge inflatable play house, it was lots of fun. Sarah and I took Marcus and Addy down some of the slides--they were pretty scared.
Alisa and Tony

Emmie and Katie

And for all of you asking if we are going to have more kids...the answer is now more then ever..."NO"!

They're ours!

Wednesday we drove back to Pittsburgh, Thursday morning we headed to court to finalize the twins adoption.

Mark with the girls...waiting

Marcus waiting (and wondering if we would feed him)

The official Sanofsky family and Judge Lucchino
After taking an oath to care for them and provide "moral upbringing" (don't you think all parents should have to take that oath) Judge Lucchino declared the adoption final. He said that Katie could bang the gavel to make it official but she got scared.

We then got back in the car and drove home.

Oh yeah, Go Penguins!
This is Mark's tribute to the Penguins--His poor family had to survive him watching every single Playoff game. If I don't live in Pittsburgh any more is it ok to say I'm glad it's over. And yes, Mark is trying to make "Evgeni" Marcus' new nickname.

Visit to the Casa Loca II (May 24th-28th)

Jenn and Ryan and family decided to be ultra cool and move far far away so that Ryan could do his residency at the Mayo Clinic--so what if it is one of the best, why would you leave?
They are moving soon, so we moved into our empty house in Charlotte, had our stuff delivered on Sunday and within hours were in the car headed to the mountains for a Dalia family reunion.

Mark only came up for 1 night, he had to be back Tues morning for bar review class. We had the whole clan there except for Bethany on her mission in Italy and Hannah graduating in Guatemala (we miss you guys, but at least you are in awesome places).

We started it all off with a pig roast...

Tripp headed it all up--it was so yummy, even with the large crowd there was enough for a few days.

While the pig roasted, all the kids played on the trampoline. At some point someone did a back flip and broke it but that didn't stop the fun.
Surprisingly no one got hurt.

Grandpa and Grandma took all the kids on a gator ride
I think there are 8+ kids in here with one on Grandma's lap.
Mark, Katie and I took the gator out for a trip following Johnny through the woods. It got a little crazy, we probably should have left Katie at home, but she survived it with no tears. The boys spent the rest of the day on the 4-wheelers.

Katie and Carson riding on Grandma and Grandpa's porch and picking their flowers


Marcus and Addy spent a lot of time playing on the floor with whomever would join them
Caleb

Big John

Bryan (Cohen and Jake are back there as well)


The hat was passed around (I think she stole it from Jake)

Should I be worried about this hat if he has a car in his hand?

Hi Daddy!

They spent the rest of the time eating (mostly just Marcus was eating, but Addy is now eating 3 full meals a day along with him)

Hanging with Grandma hoping to get some food

One morning Jenn, Sarah, Flossie and I took our kids on a walk on the Creeper Trail. I took my three in my triple stroller, but on the way back I only had Marcus (Flossie had Addy and Sarah had three kids piled in on her single stroller.)

Madeline, Katie and Ella posing while we waited for the rest of the group

Talia, Madeline, Carson, Ella and Katie hanging out on the bridge

Another day we went to Tweetsie Railroad (a train theme park for little kids), it was raining off and on the whole time we were there so we had most of the place to ourselves.

The clan on the big train

Katie putting on the brave face, she has been so excited to ride the train that she didn't want to ruin it by being scared of the train whistle

Marcus on the other hand would have gotten off the train if he could have

Katie and Carson

My silly babies in my awesome triple stroller

Katie and Karleigh
(This is a "we are blonde picture"; Katie has been noticing that she is the only blonde one in her family and is happy to have a cousin on the Dalia side that is blonde too).

Katie, the twins and I stayed with Jenn's family at a cabin down the street from my parent's house. When we were not doing something else, Madeline, Ella and Katie had a blast together.
Katie bringing me a flower--one of her favorite things to do (she asked today if I would buy her some flowers that she could pick). She is making the face that goes with her silly voice that she sometimes likes to talk in.

Thurs morning we went to an end of school event with my younger siblings, and then headed to Flossie's house to play. At this point Katie is acting up--we ask her if she misses Daddy, she said yes, so I packed all three of the kids up and headed home. It was so fun, but we were so happy to be with Mark again.