The McGinnis Family

When we first realized that everyone was going to move to virtual we had great plans of an efficient schedule, more free time for the kids during the day, and lots of family time.  I saw the posts from the other moms who had started staying home before us.  You know, the posts about outdoor picnics and amazing crafts and enough chocolate chip cookies to feed the neighborhood.  They looked so cozy and at ease. Ours has gone a little more like this...

After several years of not blogging, the current state of the world and Coronavirus has prompted me to dust off the old blog and use it as a platform for the kids to show what they have been working on and how they are adapting to this crazy times in our life.  I'm hoping that they will jump on here and do some of the blogging themselves so that later they can read their experiences from their own perspectives.  They are journaling, working on school work, celebrating the good days and getting through the bad days, and looking for ways to engage with the world that they have been cut off from during this stay-at-home time. 

He's getting so big!  It's hard to believe that Cooper is 2 1/2 months old.  We've been home for 2 whole months and he is just growing like a weed.  The first month he gained just over a pound and was still very small.  This last month he gained over 2 pounds.  He looks huge to us, although, he's still only in the 20th percentile for his age. What's more noticeable than his size is how social he is becoming.  While he is still a Mama's boy, he is delighted to be a little brother and grins from ear-to-ear at the sight of his brother and sister.  His other favorite activity is hanging onto Daddy's beard.  It's funny, but when he cries it sounds just like he's saying Mama. Speaking of being social, we've discovered two of Cooper's favorite things- music and reading.  He bounces along and gets so excited when Ceirnan sings to him or plays the kiddie CD player.  CJ found Cooper's favorite book, Global Babies.  Cooper coos to the...

After a two year hiatus, we are going to try and keep up with this blog again.  We hope you will enjoy reading about some of our adventures again and sharing in our joys and sorrows. We are adjusting to life with three little ones.  Of course, CJ's not really little anymore and Ceirnan has grown up so much, too.  Cooper is doing great.  He's gaining weight and really starting to recognize the faces around him.   CJ and Ceirnan love being older siblings and are such great helpers for Casey and I.  Summer is moving by quickly so we're just trying to have as much fun and family time as possible.  Casey and I just feel so blessed to have these amazing children in our lives. Life is not always easy, but we are some of the lucky ones. For now, here are some recent pictures of the kids.

  Ceirnan in her favorite outfit outside the ballet studio- leotard and overalls.  Someone is all ready to head off to Stephens.    CJ looking cool for school.  Ceirnan,who believes jutting your hip out is the coolest thing ever. Where did my babies go?  It's so hard to believe how big they are and how much they have grown in the last year.  Ceirnan is sprouting like a weed and towers over most her own age.  CJ doesn't have the height, but he is about the most mature young man I've ever met.  They are both so bright and excited to learn.  It makes me so happy seeing them together.  Typically, they share, they are polite to each other and they never make it through the day without at least two or three hugs and kisses for each other.  It makes my heart melt to see how much they truly enjoy spending time together.  Do not get me wrong- Ceirnan is too bossy for CJ and one of CJ's favorite phrases (which we h...

It is so hard to believe that more than six months have gone by since we last updated the blog.  What a crazy year.  The kids are growing like weeds.  They are both big kids now and it's hard to believe that the toddler years are behind them.  The winter was filled with too many illnesses to count so we honestly spent most of our time behind closed doors trying to recover.  I guess to start this off, I'll try to give a little update on the kids. Ceirnan My is she getting big.  She is our sassy girl and wants everyone to know it.  That being said, she is still as sweet as can be.  She adores her big brother and gets very upset if he leaves without hugs and kisses good-bye in the morning.  I find it interesting that she really has no interest in being like CJ; she just likes to know he is around.  She is smart as a whip and often says things that we cannot figure out how she knows.  Her reply when asked is often, "I ju...

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 letter...

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 at...

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 ...

I usually always like to update on both kids at once, but this was one I had to get up on its own. Here is my little Stephens Star. She's ready to head to Columbia right now and experience all that Stephens has to offer. For those of you who may not get it, she essentially looks like what I (we) wore when we were in college. It's probably changed dramatically by now given that I left for college over 15 years ago. Still, nothing to me looks cuter in this world than a pair of overalls. She even has her building blocks ready to start building sets. Stephens was such an invaluable experience for me and I hope that she will consider it one day too!

Okay, so we did not do very good in the department of setting boundaries for our room. We firmly believe in co-sleeping with our kids when they are young, which is probably why they believe they own all of the bedrooms in our house. However, when they are this cute it really doesn't bother me too much. In the first picture, I returned from making coffee to find CJ hanging out watching TV. In the second picture, you will see my little fashionista with a leg warmer she decided looked much better on her arm.

Did summer really happen? Has it really been 3 1/2months since I lasted posted? We cannot believe how fast it has gone. Moving just takes a lot out of us especially now that we have two. Time seems to march by more and more quickly. I try desperately to soak up every available minute I can because the kids are growing and changing so much. Most of you know that we decided to have CJ go to Pre -K this year. He loves it and is doing so well. Each night we do homework from workbooks that Aunt Cece sent. Just like his Mama, CJ begs for extra homework- particularly Math. He loves addition, puzzles, and mazes. It will be interesting to see if that stays with him as he grows. He is slowly starting to read on his own. I haven't been challenging him as much as I probably should since he's not in kindergarten yet. He's such a funny boy who likes to tell jokes. He's an avid runner and did great in his running club this Fall. Ceirnan is amazing. Just amazing. People who don'...

I can't believe my baby boy is 5-years-old. It's so amazing to see how he's grown and how much he has learned. He is on the brink of reading all on his own. We've read a few books together and he really enjoys it. This kid is doing Math like a whiz. I wonder if that will stick with him as he grows older. He still loves to build and spends much of his time building whole cities out of his blocks. He is still one of the most gentle and kind human beings you will ever meet. He loves game shows...all kinds. He particularly loves Wipeout and the Amazing Race. You will often find him with his cars or the Little People doing challenges and trying not to "fall in the water". He's a great runner and still loves playing soccer. He loves the outdoors and adventures and enjoying life. He helps out around the house and always kisses and hugs his sister first thing in the morning. The pics above are of his birthday with the family. We'll have another birthday for h...

The end of May beginning of June has been a time for changes. After much searching, we finally made a decision on a house (see above). It's very cute with 3 bedrooms, a sunroom , and a huge backyard. It's about 4 miles from the University and a good elementary school is right across the street. The community has it's own park. We are excited to move over there at the end of the month. Ceirnan is growing up so much. She finally has enough hair to put it in a tiny ponytail. I couldn't resist getting pictures from each angle. She loves shoes and her brother! We hear the chorus of Shoes! Shoes! Shoes! and Bra-Bra or CG all day long. CJ and Case have started fishing in the mornings. Ceirnan even got to go one day. The pictures above are from CJ's first fishing trip. CJ finished his soccer season and is getting excited about pre -k in the fall.

Here we are in May. Life has been crazy, busy, and to be honest a bit stressful. We just sold the jeep this week, which was a much bigger project than we expected. We are hoping to sign the lease on a new house this weekend if all goes well. Then we have 6 weeks to get our old house cleaned out and packed up. Case is facing the end of the semester, papers, projects, and finals! Not to mention he is coaching soccer and the Vice-President of a student organization on campus. CJ is doing great. I know he'll face some sadness at the end of the preschool year. All of his friends are moving on to various preschools. We have plans to keep the dynamic four (Nick, Avery, Sophia, and CJ ) getting together for play dates as much as possible, but it will be hard for him to adjust to all new students. As far as learning and growing goes, he amazes us more each day. He's a great runner and just so smart. Moreover, he's developing an extremely witty sense of humor! Ceirnan ...no longer a...