The Craniums

Who Needs Cable?

2009-05-31T17:00:00.006-04:00

G1 came up with a new game a couple nights ago. It was very entertaining to watch! G1 likes bumping down the hill and G2 likes crashing into the woods at the edge of our backyard. Good times!

G1's Recital Video Part Two

2009-05-28T16:00:00.008-04:00

G1's Recital Video Part One

2009-05-24T12:05:00.017-04:00

Here's a video of G1's dance to the song "Come to Jesus." It was very sweet - many of the ladies around me were wiping tears (including this lady). It's not the best quality video. We actually taped the dress rehearsal with our video camera but G1 had a bit of meltdown before it was her turn to go on stage so needless to say, her heart wasn't really in it. And we weren't supposed to video during the actual performance but I was able to obtain this bootleg copy :o)

G1's Dance Recital

2009-05-23T22:17:00.012-04:00

These are a few of my favorite pics from G1's dance recital last weekend. She took ballet this year with a dance company called Leap of Faith. They not only teach the kids to dance, but more importantly they teach them how to worship Jesus through their dancing. Very awesome! G1 sings and dances to worship music around our living room on a daily basis so it has been great for her (and me because I love to watch her - when she doesn't know it or she'll stop!) I will try to post a video of her dancing. So far I haven't been able to get it to upload.

Dad brought her flowers after the performance - very sweet!

Gotta love the twirly skirt!

Mother's Day

2009-05-23T22:12:00.012-04:00

Can anyone help me get my kids to just smile normally for a photo? There dad has definitely influenced them in that department! Notice the snazzy red porch swing Curt made me for my birthday (and the funky pillows were a gift from Stacy). I've wanted a porch swing for a long time so I was very excited!

April Showers Bring Birthday Flowers

2009-05-23T22:06:00.011-04:00

Rainy days are definitely more fun with these umbrellas! And the beautiful flowers were a birthday gift from Erin - which brightened up my rainy birthday. Thanks, Erin!

Car Wash Mania

2009-05-23T21:59:00.015-04:00

G2 is very into car washes these days. He asks me to pull into gas stations that have car washes so we can sit and watch the cars go through. It was quite a find when we spotted this toy for all his little cars. He kept saying "thank you" to me over and over after we bought it. He also finds creative ways to make them - like the fringe from Beppe's throw.

MEGA Blog

2009-05-23T21:48:00.019-04:00

Well, it is time again for our bi-monthly blog update. Here are a few of the highlights from the past couple months. The first photo was taken on a trip to Pake and Beppe's house for G1's spring break from school. They couldn't wait to mess up Pake's hair!

Beppe made a visit to our house for Grandparent's Day at G1's school. G1 is a VERY competitive Sorry player and she even got Beppe (who normally wants nothing to do with games) to play with her!

Picnic in the Park (sort of)

2009-03-03T21:52:00.006-05:00

We are very ready here at the Cranium house for winter to be over and spring to arrive. G1, G2 and I tried to bring some spring inside the other day and have a picnic in the living room. They thought it was great and asked to do it again the next day.

G2's New "Crib"

2009-03-03T21:41:00.004-05:00

I have had fun over the last few months painting some of the rooms in our new home. Most of the walls were white when we moved in so I have my work cut out for me. But I enjoy doing it so it doesn't feel like work to me. The latest room we did was G2's. He really likes it. Not only does he have a newly decorated "crib" but we also took the side off his other crib and made it into a toddler bed. He thinks it's very cool that he can climb in and out of it all by himself.

The Great Frog Experiment

2009-03-03T21:33:00.005-05:00

G1 and G2 received a very fun Valentine's package from cousin T. One of the things inside was a plastic frog that when placed in water would grow up to 3 times its' original size. So we put him in a bucket in the kitchen and watched him grow over the next few days. G1 and G2 would check it first thing each morning to see what had happened during the night. We have since taken green frog out and he has shrunk back to his original size. Cool!

Curt's New Girlfriend

2009-02-14T21:24:00.004-05:00

This past Thursday was a very exciting day in the Cranium house - our new boat arrived all the way from Nevada! This is something Curt has been dreaming about since he was in college. We joke that the boat's name should be called "New Girlfriend" because we know Curt will be spending as much time with it as he can. But really we are very much looking forward to all the fun family memories that will be created on it. (As a side note, I did spend my Valentine's Day afternoon scrubbing boat seat cushions :0) G1 and G2 had fun playing in it while we worked. How many days until summer?!!!!

Goofy Glasses!

2009-02-11T16:48:00.003-05:00

Here is a couple shots of G1 and G2 wearing some funny spectacles. One shot was taken during the Super Bowl. The other is from last week when G1 celebrated her 100th day of Kindergarten at school.

Puddle Time

2009-02-11T16:43:00.004-05:00

This past weekend, the weather finally warmed up and we were able to get outside. G1 had fun helping Dad wash all the muck of the cars and G2 had a great time splashing in the puddles they made.

Cool Dude!

2009-01-22T20:56:00.002-05:00

This past Sunday, I was getting G2 dressed for church and we tried on some "new to us" clothes we got from cousin T. We are thankful to have a boy cousin that is year older than G2, especially one with such a cool wardrobe that we refer to as the "T Clothing Line." Anyways, when I put this on G2 he said, "OOOO, dis is coooool!" Thanks, T, for sharing your clothes with us.

Winter Fun

2009-01-22T20:36:00.008-05:00

I can't believe it's been almost a month already since Christmas. We had a great time in Chicago with everyone and made lots of fun memories. Since then, we've been enjoying some good winter weather. We bundled up one evening and headed to the Columbus Zoo to check out the cool light display. G1 and G2 commented many times on how much their cousin T would have liked all the lights! We actually got a good amount of snow for Ohio so we romped around in it as much as we could. And then it was fun to come inside and warm up by the fire. G1 and G2 got new sleeping bags for Christmas from Pake and Beppe and have had a great time pretending to camp out in our living room. Isn't winter great?!

An Afternoon at the Ballet

2008-12-14T22:07:00.010-05:00

Now that we are living in city, it is fun to take-in some events that weren't available in West Virginia. A couple of months ago, Curt and I were able to see the Broadway musical of Lion King which was great. This time it was G1's turn to take in a show at the Ohio Theater here in Columbus. It is an old theater that has been restored beautifully. (I tried to get a couple pictures inside it.) Grandma Judy treated G1 and I to the Nutcracker ballet and we had a fun time. The costumes and sets were amazing and it got us in the Christmas spirit!

Getting Ready for Christmas

2008-12-08T21:48:00.007-05:00

G1 got these cool 3D glasses that make the Christmas lights look like angels. G2 had lots of fun decorating Christmas cookies for the first time. G1 was a good supervisor.

Go Vikings!

2008-12-08T21:36:00.001-05:00

First Time Bowling

2008-12-08T21:31:00.005-05:00

G1 insisted on wearing her dress bowling. G2 was adamant about carrying his own bowling ball.

Time Flies ...

2008-12-08T21:23:00.009-05:00

It's been so long since our last blog that it's hard to know where to start. I'll hit the highlights with a few pictures.

Moving ...

Summer So Far...

2008-06-22T13:47:00.010-04:00

Here's a short picture recap of our summer so far. Tomorrow the internet is being turned off in preparation for moving on Wed. so we will be away from blogging for awhile - not that I'm very good at keeping up as it is :0)

Dance Recital - Part Two

2008-06-15T21:43:00.003-04:00

Here's the ballet song...

Dance Recital

2008-06-15T20:48:00.003-04:00

Last weekend was G1's first dance recital. She did a great job! Thanks to Pake, Beppe and Grandma for coming and cheering her on.

Moving Time

2008-04-27T22:07:00.002-04:00

We decided it was time to list our house in preparation for our move to Ohio this summer. We had 2 great offers within 3 days of listing it! What an answer to prayer!

Another Milestone

2008-04-27T21:55:00.003-04:00

G1 has been trying very hard the last couple weeks to master pumping herself on the swing. Earlier tonight, she accomplished her goal. She was so proud of herself. (Here's a short video - sorry it's sideways. I'll get this blogging thing down someday.)

Playing Outside

2008-04-27T21:47:00.005-04:00

We have had a stretch of great weather. G2 was very interested in G1's bike so we thought it was time to get him some wheels. However, he has more fun pushing it around. He also likes to sweep the dirt and ride on the lawn mower with Dad. Gotta love it!

Birthday Flowers

2008-04-27T21:44:00.003-04:00

Erin sent me some beautiful tulips for my birthday. I asked G1 to take a picture with them and this was her response!

Easter

2008-04-27T21:33:00.006-04:00

Curt sent them on a hunt for their Easter baskets (complete with clues that Dr. Suess would be proud of). They had a great time going all over the place, inside and out.

Two Months of Memories

2008-04-27T21:18:00.007-04:00

Well, it's time for my quarterly blog update. Here's a few photos to catch you up on what we've been doing. (Any guesses as to who's foot that is?)

Funny Faces

2008-02-23T15:25:00.004-05:00

Tonight, G1 came across these funny stick-on mustaches that belong her dad. She didn't want to actually stick hers on but G2 was willing to give it a try (for about 10 seconds!)

Airplanes and Pizza

2008-02-16T21:26:00.008-05:00

You may be wondering what G2 is into these days. He loves pizza and anything with wheels. His latest favorite toy is an airplane he got from Pake and Beppe for Valentine's Day. Check it out!

Snowboarding Date

2008-02-16T21:02:00.004-05:00

Once again, I must apologize for our long absence from blogging. There just aren't enough hours in a day for me! Yesterday was a big day for Curt and G1. Every couple weeks, Curt takes G1 on a "date." This particular date was an extra special one because Curt has long been dreaming of the day when he could take G1 snowboarding! (Kind of like Uncle M and the football helmet for T :0) Curt was very proud of G1 - she did a great job and had a lot of fun!

2007-12-15T22:27:00.000-05:00

Yesterday G2 had his first official haircut at the mall. I don't have any photos of the actual event. ( I was too busy feeding him grapes so that he'd sit still). But here's a couple shots of his new "do."

2007-12-15T22:17:00.000-05:00

G1 was in her first Christmas program at school last week. Her class sang two songs and she did great!

2007-12-15T22:13:00.000-05:00

G1 and I had fun putting together a gingerbread house.

Catch Up

2007-12-15T22:02:00.000-05:00

I apologize for the many months that have passed since our last blog entry. Here are a few pictures and videos to catch you up on what's been going on with us.

G1 had her first official snow day from school last week. We made Christmas cookies and played in the snow. This was G2's first time in the white stuff so it was lots of fun.

Birthday Wishes

2007-10-07T12:53:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to wish our Aunt S. a "Happy Birthday!" We love and miss you very much.

Homework

2007-09-28T21:25:00.000-04:00

This weekend, G1 has some fun homework from preschool. The class bear, Cuddly, gets to stay with us and we write and draw about what he does at our house. G1 is very excited! In the picture with the pumpkin, I was eavesdropping on G1 through the kitchen window. She was explaining to Cuddly that God made the heavens and the earth (that was her memory verse for this week). It was very cute! G1 made a special bed for him right next to hers.

Mmmm....mashed potatoes

2007-09-26T21:19:00.000-04:00

Today I discovered a good way to keep G2 quiet while making dinner!

DJ "G"

2007-09-15T21:39:00.000-04:00

You may be wondering what G2 does while G1 and I are dancing in the living room. Sometimes he'll join us, but he'd rather bust a move to some tunes on his fridge DJ. He's got his dad's rhythm!

Beautiful Ballerina

2007-09-15T21:34:00.001-04:00

These days, G1 is very much into ballet whether it is in our own living room or at dance class. We have fancy balls and I get to dress up, too. (I knew those old bridesmaid dresses would come in handy someday!)

While The Cat's Away...

2007-09-10T21:01:00.000-04:00

While G1 was at preschool today, G2 took advantage of an opportunity to play with a toy that is off limits when G1 is around. Don't tell G1 (or Dad)!

First Day Of School

2007-09-09T22:02:00.000-04:00

Last Wednesday was G1's first day of preschool. She wasn't too excited about wearing the uniform because she informed me that she doesn't like khaki (these days, if it's not pink, it's not cool). As you can see, she did get to use her pink backpack so that helped a little. G2 and I helped her find her cubby and her special spot on the storytime rug. She gave us both a hug and a kiss and said "See ya later." I held in the tears until we got to the car. G2 waved goodbye as we pulled away. She had a good first day and told us all about it. She said her favorite part was snack time and recess!