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maryellen

Christmas 1987 - the chaos

So one of the gifts we gave our parents this year was to have some really old videos converted over to DVD. Kristin took them to Costco and has been able to see them online, and man are they entertaining! This is just one of the many chapters, but I just laugh at the clothes we had on, and I totally remember that keyboard! Now, if only the Lollywinks had been playing on the radio...

*If the video you see isn't Christmas at their house just click on the bottom between the time and the volume*

1987 Christmas at Mimere & Piperes

Much overdue update

Looks like the blog has taken a back seat, but I don't don't want to completely neglect it. The Sniders have been busy as usual - Thanksgiving came and went and we spent time preparing for Christmas. Claire absolutely loved having the Christmas tree in the house and Jenna did surprisingly well not grabbing the ornaments off the tree. Both girls were big fans of Jack, our Elf on the Shelf, and each morning Claire would run through the house looking for him. Whoever created that book and concept is really a genius. The girls came to work with me on Christmas Eve before we hit the road to Massachusetts spending Christmas Eve with the Calnen side of the family and a quiet Christmas day on Wishing Well Way before heading home Christmas night for another round of opening gifts. Claire was super excited for all the gift opening and loves her Barbie dolls and games, Jenna could have cared less what the gifts were she just wanted to rip the wrapping paper! Friday after Christmas we hit the road to California for a 10 day excursion that left us worn out and needing another vacation. We stayed with Andrea and enjoyed time walking pub crawling our way along the beaches, enjoying several great meals, whale watching, and celebrating an East Coast New Years on the West Coast. New Years Day we headed to the Rose Bowl parade and then walked through looking at the floats which were phenomenal. It is hard to explain or appreciate the detail of these floats until you see them up close. Definitely add a trip to the Rose Bowl parade to your bucket list. After the Rose Bowl we headed down to San Diego for a few days where we enjoyed SeaWorld and the San Diego Zoo. Besides some minor illnesses, everything went great!

On another note - our precious little Jenna has turned into a terror. We have been saying this for a while, but anyone who spends some time with her will agree. This girl is just all over the place into everythng and has quite the little temper. She screams at the top of her lungs when she doesn't get what she wants. One of her favorite activities has become undressing  herself. We put her to bed the other night and after 15 mintues of screaming I went in to check on her with plans to lay her back down. When I walked into the room I found everything had been thrown out of the crib except Jenna and the diaper that was in her hand. She somehow managed to undress herself and take her diaper off - luckily it was clean! But the worst part is as soon as she saw me she stopped crying and started laughing. I had no choice but to join in the giggles and of course call Dan and Claire to check out what was going on. This past weekend Claire and Jenna were playing and Claired yelled to me - Mom, Jenna is on your bed and she's taking off her diaper - and it has poop in it. Just what you don't want to hear when you are in the other room, but I did make it in before anything crazy went down.

Claire continues to be the sweetest most deceptive kid around. She is quite the bargainer and tends to win us over with sweetness. She loves to read books, play games, and draw pictures for Mom and Dad to take to work. She is inquisitive about everything and doesn't miss a beat.

And that my friends, is the Sniders in a nutshell right now

Claires song

Claire asked to record this song for everyone to hear, so we obliged. And in case you ever doubted that Claire grew up in New Jersey, just listen to the way she pronounces "carrot."

 

:-) :-) :-)

I guess the title of my earlier post was foreshadowing the day to come. We just got our power back!!

Daylight on Day 6

Thanks to daylight savings time, I saw daylight for the first time since Tuesday! My poor eyes didn't know what to do. Yesterday after work I decided to meet up with the New York City Clemson Club to watch the football game. It was a nice distraction for a little while, but I was exhausted and only made it to halftime. As I was getting ready to leave, I played the pity card on the bartender and procured a cold beer to enjoy once I got home. I had my own candle light Bugles & Beer party while I boiled my 8 pots of water  :-)  

Parts of Hoboken are returning to service, but we did not fall in the areas that got power back yesterday. That leads me to believe it will be a bit longer. Dan is not sure when he is heading back to Hoboken, but his work has been very flexible with him under the circumstances. 

More devastating pictures if you want to check them out.

I am tired, wondering why Mother Nature is sending another storm our way on Wednesday, and missing my family. We will all make it through this, but it is tough. Tomorrow will be 7 days without power

Day 5

After my rant about the marathon I was happy to see that yesterday afternoon someone finally came to their senses. So, I feel justified in my ranting.

Yesterday was pretty uneventful. Work all day, once again boiled my 8 pots of water, diluted with cold water to get enough warm water for a sponge bath if you will. I was able to charge our laptop at work and pick up a free Wi-Fi signal at home for as long as the battery lasted. Read a little bit in bed with every blanket in the house piled on top of me and don't think I moved an inch before I woke up too early. It was more than painful to break the blanket seal and allow cold air in. I could have laid there all day. But I was up, washed my hair and headed to work where I can at least plug in the hair dryer.

This is an intersting link that shows some before and after pictures in areas throughout New Jersey.

And the below pictures made me smile  :-)  They are at Nana & Piperes so I would not be surprised if this was at breakfast

Thoughts on Day 4

Let me first say that these are my thoughts, not influenced by work and honestly I don't know how anyone at work really feels about this. But when I sit at work all day and hear how employees can not get to work because there is no gas in their car and employees who are at work can not make it to the field because there is no gas, contractors from as far away as California are being flown in, their trucks loaded on military planes, and there are no hotels within 80 miles of NYC. FEMA is assisting with setting up mini camps at 3 locations throughout the city, each housing 1000 contractors. But have no dear, the marathon will go on. Starting in Staten Island that has been torn to pieces and still has 53K customers out of service. I just don't understand how it is a good idea to divert police resources to clean the marathon route, hold pedestrians back from the route, hand out water, etc... It really frustrates me to no end. Release their hotel rooms to the people that could use them, give the water and snacks to those who need them. Am I alone with these thoughts, what do YOU think? Hello, McFly, anyone out there? I posted a few links to articles below, I'm sure there are plenty of others out there.

Daily News Article
New York Post Article 
New York Times Article

After working yesterday I headed home, donned my head lamp flashlight, and began the daunting task of cleaning out the fridge and freezer. It aggravated me how much money I was throwing out and made ne question why we went grocery shopping before the storm. When we prepare for the next storm we will certainly prepare differently. Guess it wasn't that important to get milk for the girls 2 days before the storm hit. Why do people but bread, milk, and eggs when a storm is coming? 2 of the 3 got thrown out last night. I took out 6 bags of food alone, down 3 flights of stairs in the pitch black. All the while wondering why I didn't just open the fridge 2 days ago and at least enjoy a beer while they were cold. After all that work, I figured I at least deserved a bath so I took the 4 biggest pots I could find in the house, filled them up and boiled some water. After 8 trips back and forth bringing the water to the bathroom I had enough hot water that I could mix with cold water to have a lukewarm sponge bath. You gotta do what you gotta do, right? The hair washing is done with my head flipped over the tub in the mornings and then I dry my hair as soon as I get to work.

That is all for now - hope everyone enjoyed Halloween. I'm sure Claire would love to play if anyone is around Massachusetts. She will be there all of next week through November 10th.

XOXO

Here is a picture from one of our mini camps

Amazing Pictures

These pictures, all of them taken in Hoboken, give me chills.

Hurricane Sandy Day 3

The days go by and the disbelief is really starting to set in. Seeing the pictures of Hoboken really open my eyes to the devastation that has taken place there. So far I have only been in Hoboken in the pitch black and I have yet to venture off the main street while driving. Dan posted this picture on twitter, it's where we grocery shop. and this article details some of the devastation in Hoboken. The National guard rolled in yesterday to perform some rescues and help people out. If you watch the Today Show you probably saw Natalie Morales reporting live from Hoboken. I'm not going to lie, watching those videos give me the chills and bring tears to my eyes.

The reality of this event is starting to set in. Our employees are having trouble getting to work because there is no gas to be found anywhere and lodging is limited. Waking up in the cold is no fun and the thought of taking a cold shower is sometimes unbearable. This morning I just flipped my hair into the tub and opted to skip the shower. Once I get to work I plug in the hair dryer and resume the feeling of semi-normalcy. And to think I have it better than most. Last night I drove home a few employees who also live in Hoboken - they had not been home since Sunday. They were more than grateful and I drove them in again this morning. You now need 3 people in the car to enter Manhattan between 6AM and midnight. The one street in Hoboken that does have power has set up sidewalk internet cafes so people can charge their phones as needed.

Day 2

Watching the little bit of news that is constantly running at work, the Sniders seem to have lucked out in Hoboken. Over 10,000 customers are out of power in Hoboken and we remain one of them. Dan stayed home to keep the kids entertained yesterday while Mommy worked. The novelty of being home with no power is starting to wear on Dan and the girls and they have opted to head out of town. Claire can only color so many pictures and Jenna can only terrorize the house so many times while eating PB&J and pasta over and over. Not being able to open the fridge for milk  beer is tough and there is certainly no Halloween taking place in Hoboken. So, Dan is packing up the girls and their costumes and making the trip to Massachusetts, leaving Mommy behind to work long day and take cold showers.

Parts of Hoboken are still under water and the National Guard arrived today to start evacuating people as needed. It is anybodys guess when the power will be back on but we can only wait and see.

Thanks to everyone who has reached out to check on us, so far we are doing OK. Dan will be much better once he gets a shower - and a hot one to boot.

Sandy Sandy Sandy

Just a quick update to let you know that we are surviving in Hoboken. On Monday Dan stayed home with the girls, his work was closed and school and daycare was closed as well. Things started to pick up in the afternoon with a lot of wind and I was able to get home from work before the 4PM no driving restriction went into place in Hoboken. About 5:30 we lost power but were restored around 7. We put the girls down to bed and watched the news in total disbelief as the waters started rising in New York City and also in Hoboken. Luckily where we live is not in a flood zone and the only water that was coming down was from the river not rain. Around 9:15, when the tide was at its highest and the news coverage was getting good, the power went out again. Word on the street is the substations got flooded so we will see how long it takes before we are back on. I was up at 4:45 this morning, was glad to get a warm shower in dark and slowly made my way to work in the Bronx. I was detoured a little bit due to flooding but otherwise fared OK. Once in the city it was desolate with lots of trees and branches down. Now, I am sitting in the Response Center trying to coordinate different activities to get the power back on. Right now, there are 750,000 customers out of service. By far the most destructive storm to hit the area.

On the positive side, we are all safe and getting by. We're hoping for some quick restoration of power and the removal of the curfew in Hoboken so Dan can at least get our of the house. Thanks to everyone for checking in - rest assured we are surviving.

Claires Swim Show

Yesterday Claire had a carnival at camp and her group performed a little swim show. Hard to believe how far she has come with her swim skills!

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

Flippers in the USA!

Claires group at camp is called the flippers and apparently they learned this dance, substituting Party in the USA with Flippers in the USA. For some reason it never gets olds and I smile every time this song comes on the radio. This wasn't her best performance, but you get the idea!

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

Heading home from a perfect vacation

Hi,
It's hard to believe but we are heading home tomorrow! This has been an amazing vacation we have done all and more than we ever anticipated.
This has been the best time to see London because they are prepared for visitors and have thousands of volunteers all over the area. I have to say we have navigated the area quite well on our own but have also taken advantage of the volunteers and they are a wealth of knowledge and guidance.
They are also pleasant and eager to help.
We have met many lovely people from all over the world and have enjoyed talking to them. The Brits have been gracious hosts all over the area. Today we went to Greenwich to see the observatory and found out they made a mistake in the literature and it is closed until Sept. so we went to the largest mall in the UK and found it way too crowded. In fact that was the largest crowd we have come across. When we sat to have a sandwich we started talking to couple from  Woolwich and he said it was a great place to visit and the tall ships were there.
We decided to get out of the mall, took the train and went to Woolwich and it was great. While there we found out that we could take a boat back to central London so we did and got off at our favorite spot, went to a great wine bar Gordon's ( it is an old bomb shelter underground   that has limited electricity all the tables have candles)We ordered our usual half bottle of wine sometimes it's a whole bottle and bread and cheese it was the perfect ending to our trip.
I have to admit we are very tired and really couldn't keep up this kind of pace much longer.
The family we are staying with have been fabulous we had a perfect vacation!!!!

Check your email Auntie Gail!

Just in case you somehow checked the blog and not your email (your MSN account) I sent you a possible lead on tickets!

Cheerio from London

Hi again,
We have been in London for three days and have already seen a great deal. We have becomme quite adept at traveling around using public transportation.  We have used the bus, train, the tube and of course  our legs. We have seen so many things The Royal Art Museum ,the Londo Tower ( there we took a tour with  the " beefeater" he is dressed in uniform and verydramatic, funny and knowledgable.  That was great. We. Went to the theater and saw Jersey. Boys. It was wonderful and they actually have half price ticket booths in the theater district.
Still no tickets and I don't think we are going tobe able to get any. The official site is only selling to residents of the UK. We did hang around the XL center hoping to buy some but no luck. We are off to the Olympic Park tomorrow that should be fun and we will try to see the today show. Also we did see the Olympic Tourch that was amazing we went to the right place at the right time and had a great view on the Tower Bridge. We were also interviewed by Sky TV but never saw it. That was fun.
The family we are are staying with are all very nice an in a perfect location.
Look for us on the Today Show tomorrow ( dad's birthday)
Sheryl and Gail

Bonjour from Paris

Hi, Just wanted to keep you updated on our fabulous trip. We have been in Paris for five full days and it has been perfect. Our hotel is very charming and within walking distance to just about everything we wanted to see. Needless to say we have walked many miles! Sad to say we are leaving in the morning it has been absolutely amazing. the people have been friendly and very helpful. We ended our last evening at a famous cafe' "Les Deux Magots" we had a glass of wine sat outside and people watched which is quite popular here. Now preparing for our trip to London tomorrow morning. We will take the metro ( which we have become good at),and take the Eurostar to London it's very fast and comfortable. Then through customs we heard it's tight in London. We have heard there's a good chance we can get some tickets when we get there hope so! I'll try to keep you posted. I did try to attach pictures from my new best friend my IPad but couldn't figure it out. So Bonsour for now. Gail and Sheryl

When Daddy is in charge....

it's a pickle on a stick for breakfast. I give him credit for getting everyone up and out of the house so early.

I married a rock star!

As our 8th Anniversary passed and I found myself working 12 hours and falling asleep shortly after Claire proclaimed - Mommy, Daddy bought you a cannoli and shoving it down my throat, I quickly realized something....I think I married a rock star. For real, as much as we tried to "plan" for this contingency at work, it wasn't until I was up at 3AM on July 1st checking my E-mail and realizing the company had locked out the union workforce that I realized this was going to be tough. And just a few days into this ordeal it dawned on me that Dan certainly has the raw end of the deal,  but he is handling it like a champ! I get up every morning, head to work for a 12 hour work day, where they feed us if we are near a work out location and head home, usually arriving around 8. By that time, Dan got up and got himself and both girls ready, dropped Jenna off at daycare and Claire at the bus for camp, worked a full day, came home to pick up Claire, pick up Jenna, make dinner for the 3 of them, do dishes, and baths. Sometime Jenna is out before I get home, other days I see her long enough to get a few hugs, read a book, and lay her down. Claire is excited to see me and never wants to go to bed. But I promise you, when she finally is tired she only wants her Daddy to brush her teeth, her Daddy to read her book, Daddy to tuck her in, and of course she only wants to snuggle with her Daddy. In the race to fall asleep, I have been beating Claire hands down! There have only been a few days she is out before me. Dan had them both on July 4th and had them out and about and to a friends for dinner. And both Saturdays he had them - this past weekend taking the car to be inspected, taking them to a pool party 45 minutes away and then back to Hoboken for another birthday party that afternoon. Yesterday I tried to give him a break, but I know he must be tired. And with all that going on, I nominate him for Father of the Year (as did many at the birthday parties!) and I came to the realization that I married a rock star.

Now the big question is how long is this going to last? I really wish that I had an answer for that, but all we are being told is pace yourself and prepare for the long haul. I'm not sure there is an end in the immediate future. Let's just hope it is over before our Labor Day trip to Vermont and the Zac Brown Band concert.

Since I am not seeing the kids much, Dan is wonderful about sending me pictures in the morning and afternoons. Here are some of the ones I have received



She could not be any happier with her camp! And let's forget Dans first successful pony tail...

  

Dan took Jenna for her follow up appointment with the surgeon. She got the all clear and no need to return again. Her stitches are still there, but do not bother her one bit. So glad this was done and over with!

I had to lay out their outfits, but they were sporting their 4th of July shirts for school and camp on July 3rd

Heading to camp this morning. This girl is rocking an awesome tan that I am super jealous of!

I told you Dan had this Mr. Mom deal down pat, right? He sent me this picture of the girls heading from the pool party to their second birthday party of the day. Either there is a gas leak in the car or he did a good job of tiring them out!

Not a bad work location for my first assignment, but unfortunately this gig ended last week.

And that is our crazy life right now! Claire is growing up before our eyes, preparing for the new school she got reassigned to for next year and Jenna just gets bigger every day. She took herself off the bottle about 2 weeks ago when she finally got the hang of the sippy cup. We had to give the cry it out method a go for the second time since we babied her so much during her surgery and Claire being gone. Jenna is down to one nap a day and no longer eating baby food. She loves the Dr. Praegers food - potato bite, brocolli bites, sweet potato, spinach, etc. She is not a fan of chicken nuggets but will eat brocolli and corn. She is already a better eater than Claire ever was.