The McGinnis Family

I honestly couldn't say what happened this summer in terms of updating the blog.  I suppose my excuse is that we were extremely busy at work, but still you would think I would have managed to add at least one update.  Anyway, I am going to try and get better at this and Case says he'd like to update ya'll once in awhile, too. Here are some pics of the kids during their first days of school.  It's hard to believe that CJ and Ceirnan are both in school this year.  They have grown so big and so smart.  Casey and I are constantly amazed at how much they continue to change and yet how their personalities are really the same as the first day they were born. CJ is loving kindergarten at his big school.  His favorites right now are Math ("even though it's not real Math"), Library, and Computer Lab.  He is making friends and his teachers really seem to love seeing him so that makes me happy.  He is currently working on printing his letters and is

Well, they did it.  Both CJ and Case finished up their semesters with great gusto.  CJ was thrilled when his Pre-K teachers gave out diplomas and was even more excited when he got a few presents for finishing Pre-K so strong.  He is excited about moving on to kindergarten even though we have yet to decide on where.  He was accepted into the private school we wanted him to go to.  In fact, they loved him and called us the very afternoon he went in.  (Sorry, I'm bragging...)  However, after much discussion we decided we should at least try public school before committing to the time and money that the school requires.  Plus, as much as we know that they do amazing projects around social justice, we are concerned by the lack of diversity there.  For now, we are visiting two other schools and just trying to keep him excited about moving on.  I think he feels better because he knows that next year Ceirnan will be attending the preschool so he'll still get to stop by

Well, the end of the school year is wrapping up.  We are so excited about Casey's graduation!  I couldn't be more proud.  The days are filled with making lists of things to get done before family arrives and the nights are filled with helping Case finish up.  The end of May will bring us to an end of two big chapters in our lives.  Casey finishing school and CJ finishing Pre-K.  CJ's school does not do a graduation ceremony, but we are certainly cognizant of the fact that our little guy is moving on.  We still remember his first day at the school and cannot believe that three years have gone by since then.  Ceirnan is getting really excited to join the school in the Fall and follow in her brother's footsteps. As you can see from the photo, these two are two peas in a pod.  I know that Ceirnan is going to miss her brother so much next year when he's at school all day.

Easter time fun! The kids were thrilled this year that their friend Lena could join them at the Lancaster Easter Egg Hunt. It was Lena's first time. CJ did a great job picking up eggs and making sure he left some for other kids. Ceirnan scrambled right in as well and definitely got the most eggs this year. Of course, she's about a foot taller than most of the other kids in her category so that probably helped. LOL ! On Sunday, the kids woke up nice and early to see if the Easter bunny came and were thrilled to see that he had. We had a nice time at church and came home to another Easter Egg Hunt in the backyard where CJ found the golden egg! It was a great weekend. This week we are gearing up for opening day of CJ's Little League. Ceirnan is just as excited as CJ is especially since Uncle Eric (and his family) sent her a new baseball glove. Less than 7 weeks until Casey graduates!!!

It's time for baseball. After weeks of trying to figure out what league CJ would play, what team still needed players, what was required of parents for kids to participate, we finally got CJ started in Little League. CJ is a member of the Giants for the Newark Little League. Above you see a pic from his first practice. We can really tell how much running club as increased his speed. CJ had a great time. Mama...not so much. The first day of practice was on a Tuesday when Casey has school. That means it was up to me to take CJ and Ceirnan to the park. No problem, right? The only issue was Ceirnan had gone to her first dentist visit and had thrown up all over the office before Case could even sign her in. However, she seemed to be feeling better and had not been sick again so Case thought she'd be fine to go. She was for the first five minutes until she threw up all over herself. Did I mention there was not an extra change of clothes in the car? Mama tells CJ t

Bring on the Spring! We are ready for warm weather, gardening, flower planting, playing outside, green leaves, hikes and lots of swimming. I think we are even more ready since Case was on Spring break this week. I took two days off and we went up to Lancaster for a mini-vacation. We stayed at the Fulton Steamboat Hotel (looks like a steamboat) and took Ceirnan on her first ride at the Strausburg Railroad. Last time we were there she was in my belly! The kids were absolutely spoiled with souvenirs and playtime on the hotel playground. Ceirnan was delighted to see Mama and Daddy do flips in the hotel swimming pool and CJ loved feeding the ducks at the hotel pond. I think the best part was movie night. The room had a microwave so we bought popcorn and let the kids pick out some candy. The hotel provides free DVDs for the guests so we got to watch Horton Hears a Who. It was great!!!

Spring is starting to roar into Delaware. We had an extremely mild winter with only one good snow storm. We still have cold nights, but most days warm up pretty quickly. This has allowed the kids much play time (as you see above). So, what is going on this week. LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL! Wow! I had no idea how complicated it is to get a kid enrolled and to be involved. We haven't even been assigned to a team, but there are two mandatory meetings and a field clean-up day. Not that I mind, but it must be hard for some families to make that kind of commitment. We are required to volunteer in the concession stand, which again is likely fine for us since there are two of us. If you were a single parent with more than one child, I am not sure how you could do it. Many of the games and practices are when Case is in school. During those times, I'll have Ceirnan by myself and will be unable to help out. It just really makes you think about how hard it is for those parents tha

Wow! So I knew that it had been a long time since we last posted, but I had no idea it has been this long. My apologies. Thank you, Stephanie, for nudging me to get on it! Although I always say I am going to do a better job, I really mean it this time. My goal is to get this blog updated once a week at least. This is as much for me as it is for all of you who read it. Time is marching on so quickly. The kids are growing up so fast and I can't capture it all. Since it has been so long, this entry will just be a little update. CJ CJ is growing like a weed. He loves school. He misses Missouri. He wants to try anything and everything. His favorites right now are practicing Math, reading books, playing cars, running, and dramatic play. He amazes me with his wit and his kind heart. CJ has developed a competitive streak that keeps him pushing himself farther in school and sports. We often have to remind him to just relax and have fun. Despite this, he is so good natured