June & July wrap-up awards

taking a cue from one of my fav blogs while taking into consideration the insane amount of blog posts I haven't been able to write over the past two months...I'm handing out "awards" for the events/people that have highlighted our June/July in effort to help update on our wacky lives.

Happiest surprise in the bathroom (hah)
We found out we were pregnant again this summer and as told in this post, I woke B up from sweet slumber to shove the evidence in his sleepy eyes.  We told the grandparents and aunts and then disseminated information to our close friends and family.  When we finally broke the news on facebook, I could give an award for most overwhelming show of cyber love with as many "likes" and comments we got on our ultrasound picture.  It seriously brought this emotional pregs to tears.  It is still only sinking in that we're going to have two kiddies living in our house, but Grey is slowly starting to understand that there is a baby in mumma's baby (and possibly his too).  He's also learning about "shhh, the baby is sleeping" and we've been pointing out "little babies" and how you have to be nice to them and careful because they are "just little."

Best new Greyson talent
talking!  Well, trying to talk.  We tried to count the other day how many meaningful words Grey can say and we counted over 45 (at 17 months), which don't include his sign language words.  I'm planning on doing a more in-depth post about language encouragement and how it rolls at our house, but for now you can watch and giggle at this (filmed when he was 16 months):



(Video clarification:
"That little baby" is Greyson watching himself being recorded.
Grey knows the word alpaca because my aunt - who lives next door to my parents- have alpacas
Chum and Abba are what we call my parents
When I ask Grey what Bullet does outside, he waves his hand to the side, which is our sign for "outside")

Worst new Greyson talent
hitting.  he started hitting Bullet in the face and because Bully is a big tough pitbull, he could care less.  So he just licks Grey which makes him continue to hit him.  Now he's been testing out hitting family members, square across the face.  So far, he's biatch slapped (on more than one occasion), his mumma, dad, and Aunt Uch.

Longest solo road trip
Brandon travels everyday for work and since he has four stores, he usually drives at least 2 hours each day.  In one day, I drove from Blue Knob to Erie and back...that's six hours on the road in ONE day.  but the absolute longest solo road trip over the past three months was my part work/part Erie packing trip by way of Blue Knob, PA-Washington, DC-Akron, OH-Erie, PA-Blue Knob, PA.  Between work meetings and travel, it took a total of three days and a lot of strange cd mixes that I discovered in the car from high school and college.  Including a fantastic mix (called the Schweetheart mix) that had tunes varying from "I'm on my Way" by the Proclaimers, to "If you want me to" by Ginny Owens


View Larger Map

Most likely to be electrocuted in the next few minutes
ME.  I have had the horrible luck with technology over the past two and a half months.  First Grey stepped on my work laptop computer, forcing me to lug around a full-size monitor.  Then, we had the rain + camera incident that made me want to cry.  Then my work laptop decided it was just not going to work anymore...like not even open a blank Word document.  And then our new house was power surged from a very wild lightening storm and blew out our home laptop charger and all the outlets in our house.  And then finally, my very curious son decided to dunk my cell phone into Bullet's water dish which was the kiss of death to my already most-busted old school cell phone.  Seriously, do not lend me anything that you want back that has batteries... I am not in the good graces of the technology gods right now.

Bullet's favorite adventure
Bud, my sisters, Grey, and I took Bullet for a trek and a swim back to the dam near my parents' house (which I'm not mentioning by name because its not technically legal to swim there, but we (and Bullet) were desperate to escape the summer heat).  Bully was so happy to go for a walk in new territory that he even agree to pull Grey in the wagon for awhile.

When we made it back to "the rock," Brandon walked Bullet around the bottom and Bully took all of 2 seconds to take a running leap into the dam.  Aunt Kitty and Mumma then proceeded to jump in and we all had a grand 'ole time swimming.

aunt kitty takes a jump!

bully happy to swim with mum and dad

Bully swam in that dam like an otter and loved every second of it.  Of course, we had to drag him out after 30 minutes because it was obvious he would have swam around until he drown to death.  We need to do more Bullet swimming opportunities, because not only did it make him happy, but it also made him very sleepy later.

And then Grey was reminded on why he's so lucky to have my sisters for aunts...because they do stuff like this:

Most solid friendship formed
We had such a fun summer playing with Sophia and Aunt Kate.  They kept us busy when times we got tough and kept us laughing and smiling.  Now that they're older, Grey and Soph actually know each other (which is quite a feat for babies) and play together..and sometimes still alongside each other.  Soph is the kindest, most gentle, honeychild in existence and calls out "Greyson!" and puts up with all his pushes and slaps and toy stealing.  They waddle around and find strange places to sit down and share food and silverware and make their mummas happy...because when we watch them play, all we can see is how they'll be friends forever and that they'll take good care of each other in the future when friends become more important than mummas.

The most kid-friendly restaurant visited:  HOOTERS
yes, you read that correct.  The Fiores and the Studers (with kids in tow) visited Hooters for crab night and discovered that Hooters is actually one of the most kid-friendly restaurants we've been to in a long while.  First, the floors and tables are already covered in sticky goop, so who cares if your kid makes a huge mess while eating?  Second, it's already loud in there, so who cares if your kid is screaming clapping and shouting every time anyone cheers at the game on tv.  Third, kids get balloons...and all kids love balloons.  We had a great time chatting, eating, and drinking while the kids did pretty much whatever they wanted and no one else was bothered.  It was bliss.  Plus, at one point, the waitress came over and stood between the two kids and both of them started (only slightly inappropriately) to rub her shiny, orange pants.  oooooh, pretty.  who cared?  no one - its Hooters!

Our favorite visit with friends that live in Chicago
Okay, fine - they were our only visit with friends that live in Chicago, but it still counts as one of our favorite visits.  We got to spend some time chatting and laughing about Greyson's fly dance moves with the Vorndrans and Terchaniks.  It was just a quick dinner visit, but meant a lot to us to get to spend some time with them.  Of course, in true Booboo fashion - he showed off the whole time and also re-opened every single one of Taryn's birthday presents.

Dada's biggest throttle envy
In full Johnstown tradition, we headed down to Thunder in the Valley to get some good eats (dear funnel cake, I honestly love you.  yours forever, Tabitha I Studer) and let Dada swoon over all of the Harleys that we can't afford right now.  Grey loved hearing all the bikes and seeing all the people.  One of our favorite local Irish bands was jamming out and we let Booboo have his own little dance party while our young friends made a Greyson corral to keep him from wandering off with strangers.

Lifespan Achievement Award
Our fish.  We have three tropical goldfish and a catfish that have survived more miles and moves than is reasonable for tiny water-dwelling creatures.  Brandon got them while he was a junior in college, so they've moved back and forth between summers for 2 years (2 hour drive).  Then they moved with us to Punxsutawney (1 hour drive), then to Erie (3 hours), then to our house in Fairview (15 minutes), then to Blue Knob (4 hours), then to our new place in Davidsville (an hour a half).  On the last drive, the fish endured a ride in a sloshing 20 gallon cooler, partially filled with water.  (I know, please don't call peta on me).  They not only survived, but are thriving in our new place.  I guess we have the little school of fish that could.

George, Penelope, Silver, and Baby Daddy (who's hiding in the stump)

adoration & wonder

Biggest crapshoot of a new years resolution ever.
The year of the Shrinking Studers.  Do you recall reading some very well-intentioned writing about how we were going to focus our year on minimizing all things Studer-related?  Well, we've increased our square footage in buying a bigger house.  We've increased our family size by growing another beaner (which subsequently increases my waistline).  We've lived in three different places this summer (Erie, Blue Knob, and Davidsville), and we've done more traveling and planning this year than most other years. At least we didn't get anymore pets?   Biggest.bust.ever.


Cutest face
Still Greyson.  even if he drives his mumma crazy...there ain't no denyin' that my kid has a cute face.  He even won the award at the Beer Olympics for 'cutest face.'  Granted, his parents run that show, but I'm not confirming that it was rigged in any way.